How Vivillian managed to get into this situation was truly a mystery, it was almost comical with how absurd it was to say one thing in the afternoon, and grind teeth about it at night.
The last he remembered is that while on his way to Black Hydra's building, he had been attracted by the urge to laze about in a random alleyway.
Breathing out a sigh of indignation, Viv leaned against a wall as he looked up at the vast dark blue sky. It seemed as though much had happened, even though it hadn't even been the span of a month yet.
All sorts of information never revealed in the game had also revealed itself as well, an unknown feeling swelling inside him.
His thoughts were cut short however as he heard a suspicious argument rounding the street corner and heading down the path.
Not wanting to get involved in someone else's shady business practices, he turned the other way to leave, only to realize it was only a dead end.
Knowing if he got caught with a unique Black Hydra mask, there was a high chance of being targeted.
Nowadays there had been many foul mood residents of the black market that found Sid's meddling in the underground trade unbearable.
Sid had certainly been smart with how he planned things, taking advantage of his insider knowledge to gain the most benefit after cheating others of theirs.
Of course Sid was untouchable to the common hoodlum, so there were now a few folks who went out of their way to pick on BH associates or low ranking members.
Taking this in mind, Viv had crouched behind a trashcan, waiting for the pair to past by, only for them to start heading down the dead end alleyway he was in.
"...So what?..."
The voices cut in and out, as they began to walk down the long alleyway.
Cursing inwardly, he hesitantly jammed himself into the trashcan, knowing there was no chance to back out from his impulse decision now.
It would have been even more suspicious if he had awkwardly popped out from hiding, and being caught associated with BH was certainly not on his agenda.
Grabbing the lid and holding it over him, Viv was now horizontally lying on the ground, in the trash can.
"How could you make such a decision without consulting others first..." A rougher voice spoke clearly first as the both of them entered.
"It's too late to regret it now, we just need to make the deadline before the day after tomorrow." The other man responded back, bitterness and a bit of shame in his tone as he responded back.
"You've always been so impulsive, and...Urgh, it stinks."
Cutting his own words short. The rough voice coughed at the smell of the alleyway the deeper they went inside, and began to fix the trashcans into an upright position to keep the trashy smell in.
"!..."
Viv was in one of such trashcans being placed vertically, and he held his breath as he made himself as light as possible, as to not give any suspicion of what was inside.
There was only one small action away of peeking inside, and getting exposed.
Thankfully such a thing didn't happen, but then goosebumps on Viv's back began to form as he was forced to the resuming men's conversation.
"The gunpowder monopoly has been seized from Black Hydra recently...those bastards probably had some sort of insider deal that caused this market price to soar."
The other voice seemed to grow more heated than the rough one, proving his earlier comments right with saying how impulsive he was.
"Calm down, even if it's true, what can we do? This is the black market for goodness sake..."
The rough voice sighed, and Viv could almost imagine a man rubbing his eyebrows in an exasperated manner.
"..Are we just going to keep letting the big three organizations step all over us?!"
Suddenly the heated man shouted out an outburst, as the sound of a trashcan flying rang harshly as it hit the wall. The lid clattered noisily on the ground, rattling for a while before finally settling.
"..." Viv felt a wrinkle form.
"What in the world are you doing?" The rough sounding voice grew threatening towards the other man. "Why are you acting so childishly, even though we still haven't found the solution to solve your problem that you caused! Our clients won't be able to receive their order on time..."
"What? Just ship it today, I thought I told you this!"
Getting reminded of his shameful mistakes, the other man responded back with rising fury, steam almost could be heard fuming from his mouth at being called out.
"Are you dumb?! The OakRidge's dog is still roaming around these parts, I am not going to sacrifice our men for your incompetence!"
Hearing such careless claims come from his business partner, the rough man began to lose his patience as well. After all, such underworld business men had no clean belt of their own, and neither would probably possess any good characteristics of patience.
The sound of trashcans being kicked about grew louder and louder, and Viv heard the trashcan on his left and right get kicked.
"You absolute bafoon! You dare keep making a scene like this in the Eternal Night?!"
"Oh? You think you're the boss of me just because you did a few more shipments than me!?Who cares about the family's dog! Those exaggerated rumors are all fake I say!"
Holding his breath, Viv braced himself for his trashcan to get kicked, and luckily he did.
Just as expected, he was blown towards a wall, thankfully a side of the trashcan catching the brunt instead of his head.
"Hagh.."
Nevertheless, it was incredibly painful and stifling when his sore body got covered in the trashcan's unknown juices, as well as guaranteed bruise that was sure to form on his body later after absorbing the force.
"Uagh.."
Another small gasp of pain escaped him, but such a small sound luckily couldn't be heard.
As he waited on the ground, uncomfortable with all the trash that had been disrupted all around him, Viv felt himself began to become nauseous.
Ugh...I can't take it for much longer.
The cleanliness freak that Viv knew had existed within him began to rear its head, ready to plunge him into a world of familiar misery.
Squeak, squeak.
"..."
Viv's face shifted, his eyes wide as he dared not to glance down as a shuffling could be heard from inside the trashcan with him.
Squeak?
A small gray mouse popped out of a trash bag, its round eyes curiously looking at Viv.
"G-Gughhh!!"
The two men's argument stopped completely as a small masked figure let out a strange gurgled scream. Throwing themselves out of the forgotten trashcans in the corner.
"Get off me damn...!"
A rare expression of panic was underneath the mask on Viv's face. His usual composure fractured as he frantically wiped at his sleeves and pants, making sure no unknown critter had crawled in while having his short stay in the can.
"U-Urgh, this little..ah."
It was at this moment Viv cautiously looked towards his side, the realization of the situation dawning on him.
"Get him."
Viv immediately turned tail and ran, but forgot he was still in a dead end alley, as he found himself getting flung into a brick wall.
Wincing, Vivillian kicked out his feet, successfully deterring one guy from coming closer, only for the back of his head to receive a resounding punch.
"!..."
Immediately, Viv crumpled to the floor. His eyes out of focus as his head rang with pain. It was dizzying and disorienting, as Viv felt the world spin all around him.
Internal alarm bells blasted, as the instincts in his body told him to run but to no avail.
"What a little rat, who would've thought BH would go so far to ruin a small business."
Picking him up by the neck, Vivillian began to choke as his hands weakly grasped at the grip on his neck, tightening continuously.
"Were you trying to spy on us to report back to your bosses, you little bitch."
Viv's face grew purple from the lack of air, as his struggles growing weaker and weaker with each second. The man seemed to have no qualms with killing a Black Hydra associate, even if it was a just a kid.
As long as Viv wore that mask, he would be a target.
But there was no way to move around without it, after all, how much fuss would happen if it came out the top student at Einsvul was caught with the notorious BH?
How stupid...even when dying I'm thinking of...
"K-Kugh!" A man's pained choked could be heard, as the faint sound of wind blew past.
At that moment, the grip around his neck was loosened as Viv dropped to the ground, coughing and gasping for precious oxygen as he clutched at his freed airways.
Quickly wiping the tears in his eyes to clear his vision, Viv looked up, looking to see what had transpired.
Standing in the alleyway with a frosty expression, a hulking body of muscle pressed tightly underneath the poor dress suit as a new contester stood there.
The white tiger's tail flicked around frequently, the veins on the large hand bulging from the tight grip around the ruffin's neck.
"T-The family's dog...!"
The guy who had just been watching at the sidelines almost collapsed onto the ground, eyes wide like saucers as he met gazes with the beast-man.
After staying in the black market for so long, the guy knew that there was no use in trying to escape.
It was good for the entirety of the black market if that man was sent back, but once he was called to roam the streets, there was no mercy.
"Dog? You ill bred, daring to call me that?"
The man's silver eyes glinted dangerously, the furry ears on his head pressing against his head as he let go of the man's throat in his hand.
The guy had long stopped struggling, his face purple as foam came out of his mouth. Dropping to the ground like a sack of potatoes, the other guy's face paled as he realized what was about to happen to him.
"W-Wait, I-!"
Snap.
It seemed the beast-man had given the other one mercy, as he was only left with a snapped neck, and a still bewildered expression on his face. The man probably didn't even know he had died with how quick it was.
"Now..."
The man's expression was ruthless, not seeming to care he had just taken two lives without even hearing them out.
Looking over the only person remaining, the light shone against his back, shadows covering his face as Viv was forced to squint up.
Cold sweat had long formed, but his body felt terribly weak, as the oxygen still had yet to flow around. He was already not the enduring sort, and such a thing had almost taken him out.
"...So you're the one I've been sniffing around."
The man's striped tiger tail flickered once more, as he stepped closer and bent his waist. Leaning forward to examine the mask, tilting his head inquisitively.
"What magic item is masking your scent, messenger of Black Hydra?"
Reaching forward, he tried to grab Viv, but was too slow, as Viv had already flinched and dodged away.
".."
His expression turned troubled, before it twisted back into a steely gaze, and the big hand grabbed the scruff of Dame's neck, pulling him up to his eye line to examine him.
"There's nothing particularly special..."
There was some hesitation as the man scanned Viv up and down, probably taking into account just how young the problem he had been facing was.
The main reason he was called over from his homeland was to disrupt the Black Hydra's extensive communication system, involving the silencing, interrogation, kidnapping, or murder of the thugs.
Such a job was supposed to be light work, and Prazzar wanted to hurry up and finish it so he could return to his daughter, but one lone messenger seemed to keep slipping past.
It was also this messenger that seemed to pass along all the important information as well, as all the others only had useless tidbits. Black Hydra's communication lines didn't seem to be that affected as well, making Prazzar's bosses scold him.
"..Well, don't take it to heart kid."
Prazzar flicked his hand, as a 3 inch thick steel like claw emerged from the top of his hand. Pulling out his claws meant that he wanted to make it as quick and painless as possible, if that was even able to be accomplished when murdering someone.
Knowing that if he saw the young face underneath the mask, he wouldn't be able to complete his job, as his beloved daughter was around the same age as the kid before him.
So he made sure to inwardly chant to himself that the boy before him was just a young male thug, a common gutter rat that would continue to parasite off of society.
Plus, the mercy of death was much sweeter than bringing the young messenger to be interrogated at the Family's abode.
Just as Prazzar was about to make it quick, the sudden and abrupt smell of pollen entered his nose.
"..Achoo!"
The big man sneezed rather violently, as he rubbed his nose with his sleeve discontentedly. Angrily turning to his side, there was a strange long stemmed flower that he didn't seem to notice before.
Weirdly enough, it seemed to be almost waving at him, laughing at his expense for being allergic.
Focusing back at the task on hand, Prazzar found himself being rather annoyed when he turned back, only to see the little masked boy's head turned and focused on the plant. It was as if Prazzar was just a passing wind that would go along like usual.
A plant is more interesting than your life? Admirable, the respect toward nature is the first step towards wisdom. Very well, I shall put you out with respect.
Prazzar raised his hand again...but it seemed as though the wind had heard someone thinking about it. As it blew past with an unusual fierce blade and ruffled through the small alleyway, blowing back the boy's hood.
Brown colored chestnut hair could be seen as it unfurled from beneath the black cape. Along with it, a pair of identically familiar feline ears peeking out as well.
Just like Prazzar's, they were pressed against his head. However it was in fear, instead of his predatory stance.
"..."
Prazzar's mouth couldn't help but fall down in shock, his jaw wide as his grip on the boy's neck immediately loosened.
Impossible...It was truly impossible now.
He couldn't kill the boy anymore, not after seeing such a sight.
Looking down at the still silent boy, Prazzar's hands clenched tightly.
He reminisced a memory of him frolicking around in a snowy tundra with his only beloved daughter, only for her and the boy before him's images to merge abruptly, replacing her visage with his.
If I had been this boy's father, would he have not turned to a life of crime?
Prazzar thought speechlessly to himself, as he sighed in resignation.
It must be fate, these instances of nature were all to warn me of the grave mistake I was about to commit.
His fists unclenched.
—-
Meanwhile, Viv found himself at a loss, and it certainly didn't help that his head rang painfully and dizzyingly either.
As he was still getting his bearings, he felt himself being lifted up, the sense of danger overwhelming him as he could see the shine of metallic claws looming close to him.
It was during his dizzying vision though that his eyes narrowed in on a strange occurrence on the brick wall.
Viv knew that he probably should try to run and struggle, but something drew him tot be sight of a small green plant slowly unfurling its leaves and sprouting from out of a ruined trashcan.
It wrapped around the walls as a guide, quickly rising and its speed of growth increasing with every half a second.
Just as it began to reach the beast man's nose, a small but vibrant yellow flower bloomed, its petals slowly unraveling in the air.
It was such a miraculous sight that Viv couldn't keep his eyes off it, it was the first time he had seen the plants react this quickly.
As the man sneezed, a realization came to his blurred mind.
Were the plants trying to save him?
As this thought rang in his mind, a wind blew, and his hood came off, exposing his head to the elements.
"..eh."
Viv felt the release on the scruff of his clothes, as he fell shakily to the ground, unable to make his quivering legs stand.
"!..."
Looking up, Vivillian gulped as the silver eyed man seemed to gaze into space, before slowly gazing back at him. Luckily the claws in his hand seemed to have retracted as well.
"I-."
Just as the beast man opened his mouth to speak, a great sword was held closely to his throat, shining menacingly. Despite the massive size, the person wielding it seemed to have no problem with keeping his hand steady.
"I suggest you don't try anything, Prazzar."
Long red hair drifted in the wind, as a familiar voice was heard, almost signaling his rescue. His chestnut eyes were indifferent to Viv's plight before him, perhaps the only reason why Alamis had reacted was because of a certain figure at the entrance of the alleyway.
Standing with his hands behind his back, a boy with devilish colored eyes stood there with a strange small smile.
Sid's long white eyelashes fluttered softly as he blinked slowly, his gaze drifting to Dame, who looked like he had been through a a lot. There was an unknown gaze in his eyes, different than usual.
"So it seems you're still alive."
——
The Author has Something to Say:
Here's your jump-scare for the week, Alamis is actually a long haired red head!!!