"Clerie, check your account later, the compensation payment will be there. We'll add another zero at the end of it for the mental shock. We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience we've caused you. And Keno, the night siren would be watching later. If she can get a VIP seat, that'll be better for you too."
Hearing this made him glare at her once again. He's been interacting with so many representatives because of the tasks given to him but he can't even manage to land a single official transaction with someone from there, as they tend to be unapproachable. Unless they let you so.
"How the hell are you connected to the siren clan?"
"As what I've said earlier, I'm a special case. Aren't I?"
"Fine, consider it done. But take this in mind, one loss, and I'll snap you in half without you trying to fight back, are we clear?"
Despite of the difference in size, she kept her ground, looking uncaring about the shadow casted over her smaller figure.
"Clear as clear can be."
After passing three wooden tickets engraved with symbols they both can't decipher, they all left after tapping Clerie's shoulder.
--
The news always showed the truth and that should be the norm, however, with politics entering the scene, it's a fact for those working behind the scenes that certain issues that would affect the face of the nation don't necessarily reach the surface for others to see. No matter how important or critical they may be.
Amiable people, accepting society, safe environment.
Mirage in the middle of the desert, at its finest.
"Isn't this the last train?"
Her cold touch had shocked the stranger in suit out of his reverie. It might seem mocking, the way she smiled after glancing once, feet playfully tapping in a rhythm, yet the other person didn't ask in return nor the voice that escaped his pale lips, darkened at the center by most likely hundreds of smoked tobaccos, carried any snark or irritation, but simply a sense of tiredness.
Maybe from his way of living. Most probably due to work. The tinge of sanitizer did not do justice in masking the scent of burnt cigarettes.
"Yes, it is."
"Alright, I'm quite lucky today then. I was afraid that I would have missed it."
His complexion was quite pale, no, you could say it looks sickly and it would fit the whole picture, until the blank expression on his hollowed face suddenly turned to surprise then irritation in a second after being nudged by another young girl dressed in bright decora with a wide smile as the cherry on top. A contrast from the minimalistic look of the first one.
"What time is it?"
"Almost midnight."
"Oh, it's the last trip then, I've reached the last trip, yes, that's it."
Instead of answering back with a remark of his own, he decided to keep quiet while the girl kept fiddling with the ends of her hair seemed to be dyed in hues of oranges and yellows, humming a popular pop song loudly. Too loud for his type.
"Aren't you curious?"
"Huh?"
"About the song? About today? Hmmm, never mind."
It felt like years had already passed with just waiting for the train to come, he's feeling more fidgety at every passing minute.
Thoughts ended after hearing the sound of the train arriving, filling the tunnel, cutting through the uncomfortable feeling that settled on one among the three. There is almost no other person in sight, save for the few who look quite drunk or are currently staying there due to incapability to acquire their own home or have lost theirs because of the wars in the past.
Screens still lit with the advertisement of the country being a Shangri-la it'll never be.
As soon as they stepped inside, the late hour was more noticeable due to the sparse number of other passengers who have either fallen asleep or deadass drunk to even care about their surroundings, or even if they actually passed their drop point. He, on the other hand, preferred this anyways.
The best gift at the moment is to stay undisturbed for the whole duration of the travel. Undisturbed to have a meal after being starved for almost three days.
After choosing his food for the day, he monitored her for a while, and approached her with a wide smile, somewhat comforting, oddly, and the woman dressed in suit and tie, maybe a bank clerk or a manager in a hotel, he doesn't really care about the details, went limp in a second.
No, he doesn't kill any of his victims, but they remain as dry husk, functions with the routine embedded in their brain or simply ends up as just a limp body, unaware of what's bound to happen. What he needs is the life energy, to maintain his human features and not return to the faceless, gray and ghostlike being that he was. It's not simply because he wants to, but having his own family now, a human unaware of what he really is, he's afraid of being left alone again. By no means having a relationship amongst different beings is illegal, but the fact that he wants to stay out of the radar of his own kind and neglecting his duties is out of the question. A punishment is to be evoked.
If he's lucky enough, his partner would not be involved in his mess.
--
"I don't think I can defend myself, either way, my deed could never be justified."
"It is justified. Just because you opened their eyes towards the truth despite of the snarky comments and spiteful remarks, this is happening around them, while they are peacefully celebrating life others are simply suffering from the fact that they can't do it. As much as I hate your methods, I can't hate your cause."
"How can you accept me so easily? I don't deserve your pity."
"You've been here longer than me, didn't you? You don't need to be afraid now. Now, this is your chance to live your life, without getting controlled by them, without the need to follow every word they say, you act on your own and you live for your own."
"Do you think I can really do that?"
"If someone like me is capable of staying alive up to this point, you have more chances of doing that too."
--
Before he can finish his feast however, he felt a sudden tinge of pain slowly increasing in strength, from his back until it reached his head and his last thoughts were his family waiting at home, waiting for someone that'll never arrive anymore.
As if he never existed, all that's left of the man on the train was his ashes, and some bits and pieces burnt to crisp. Not as clean as they planned it to be but enough to be taken care of. The 'victim', still in shock, was just left on the scene to be talked with by the psychological counselling team once they arrive. But even by then, even with them, it's most likely a hopeless case. If her family decides to take her home, as long they sign an agreement there's no problem. Everything else afterwards would be under the care of them, not with the government, not with anyone who was initially involved in the case.
All for a peaceful nation for the public, for the too-trusting citizens, indeed.
In an hour, a group of officers approach the scene and tries to talk with them, if you could consider it as trying.
"This area is not under your jurisdiction. You should know when to stay on your lane. Just because your organization is considered special by the government, doesn't mean that you can be rogues everywhere you go to."
"Aah, so you're trying to say that we need to wait for your incompetent asses to arrive when everyone's already lost or dead? Is that your pride speaking or your stupidity? It would be quite bad to have both."
"You-!"
"Let's just go, come on."
As the officer was dragged by his comrade, he kept looking at the two girls, mouthing words of disgust and anger.
--
"I hate their kind, always intruding on what's ours."
"It's not like we can hold them liable for anything. They're not bounded by the government, and they can't be judged by our laws. What we can do is either cooperate with them, or get out of their way. We can't deny the fact that more than 70% of the cases were solved by them or because of their assistance."
"That doesn't give them the right to act like assholes."
"Well, those two you've met earlier are actually some of the mildest ones. You're quite luckier than the rest of the other youngsters here. They tend to be quite harsher with the younger officers."
"I'll never be able to understand them anyways, so what's the point. Might as well work harder to prove myself and be of support to you. We can be better than them in handling those cases."
"Good choice of words, but that won't be enough. They... we are too normal to be compared to them. And most of the time, in the current world we live in, normalcy is just not enough."
--
Red bullet.
Strangely a simple name for a strange organization, unbound by the laws of human governments and run through private supports and investments from the elite. It's also rumored that most countries pay tribute to them to gain their help during times of desperation.
"Aren't you supposed to contact the Zodiac?"
"Nah, they have Iris with them anyway, she would know before we even tell them. Having those little creepers and flying abominations at her disposal, such a lucky one."
The guy who asked gets frozen in place, feeling like his migraine is starting to drill his head once again.
"I don't care about her capabilities, but I'll start questioning yours if you keep this lazy attitude. Do you want me to throw you back to the Lotus?"
"Fine, I'll call their quarters. Are we good now?"
"Shut up and just do it already."
The places they consider as quarters would never be entered by anyone without direct invitation from their head, and they are mostly located in public areas without the knowledge of the people due to the fronts for convenience.
What's peculiar about the members are not their achievements, awards received, or fights won.
It is the absence of family, identity, wandering aimlessly while nameless.
The ones thrown away, unaccepted, almost died, and the oddest of the odds.
To her eyes, they are the most special ones, and ever since she decided to start the organization, in reasons nobody really know except for her only close friend who have died due to an accident.
The vixen cares for them but becomes harsh when needed. As much as she want them to be free, she needs to instill the discipline and the seriousness of the cases they handle. A failure of a member is humiliation for the whole, thus they can be quite aggressive at times. Being connected to the Zodiac doesn't help with their reputation as well.
What do they went through and how it all started? Well, that's a story for another day.
"Hey Ron, someone from Zodiac's on their way here. I told you Iris would know about this already. Isn't she adorable?"
"Shitty maniac."
"No I'm not!"
"Then prepare the documents and the meeting room."
"You-! Always bossing me around."
"Ok, I'll prepare the Lotus for you th-"
"Hey bro, you know that I love you right? You're the best, really. Look, I'm going to get the papers now, see, I've already moved my feet."
"Hurry up!"