A man with a briefcase and a suitcase looked out upon the airfield, watching an airplane arrive at a dock right in front of him. He was a brown haired man, and he was looking at his phone to check his travel route one last time. He then looked at a picture of him and Bell from last year, smiling at the amusement park together.
"I wont be long now Bell...I wonder if you will like my souvenier?" he muttered out loud, as Bell's father looked back at a few of the things he got Bell during his trip. Among them, amusing enough, was a fox mask and fox keychain, two to be exact, to be a matching set. One might call it ironic, although they would be using the word improperly as it was just a fairly amusing coincidence that this was the mascot for this city.
Still, as it was announced that his plane was boarding, he had no idea what was awaiting for him back home.
----------------------------------------
"And that's that for today" Maze said, as they looked at a bunch of dead goblis and other monsters. "This is why you need to check around for boundaries and reflections as well. To make sure these things don't build up and cause problems to people".
Bell nodded as he finished his end. At the moment, they were currently in a boundary. Maze had taken them there to train, and to help Bell learn more about his powers and abilities and how to control them better. He had been making progress, but only a few days till School remained.
And not only that, but today was the day his father returned. That would surely mean that they'd have a big conversation get through about his new appearance and new powers. Not to mention everything else that happened and came along with them. He had been building himself up, working out what to say and how to say it. Not to mention how to introduce in the first place. Even with what everyone had said before he was still very nervous. Understandable, considering how non normal this was.
This was definitely going to be a shock for sure.
"Do you think you are ready, Bell?" Toko asked, knowing how nervous he was.
"Of course I am nervous, but I have to do this" Bell replied, clear nervousness in his voice.
"You can slay monsters now, so it should be easier by comparison" Maze said in his own way of trying to help.
Bell Wasn't sure which one he found tougher, but right now the latter did seem more intimidating. Perhaps that just meant he was getting used to all this, although his fighting style could still use more refinement.
That said, he was at least getting better. Considering the challenges he would still face ahead, that was a very good thing. But you still have to work hard to make sure that nothing happened to him, and to keep his promise to his mom.
They quickly made their way back home, where they got out of their sweaty and dirty clothes they had been fighting in, piling them into the washing machine and having it run. The trio then took a quick shower to clean off, deciding that a full on bath could be done later since it was still before noon. Once that was done, they moved back to the room and got out some stuff as they dried, getting some clean clothes out.
As much as his promise with his mom was important, right now he was more worried about his dad. At least he was able to keep his suppression up a bit longer, and he was even able to use his powers to some extent while doing so now. He had made quite a bit of progress. Although supposedly that one book that they got sucked into at the library might have helped with that acceleration. That was still something he did not want to go through again. Toko also often visited and stayed over, since they could study and review questions as they fell asleep. For boys their age, studying was a rather powerful lullaby. But they all had the drive.
They had decided to all greet his father together, since it might make him feel better to know Bell wasn't dealing with things alone the whole time. They had gotten rather close after all, but perhaps that was because deep down, they seemed to understand each other's tragedy and sadness to some extent.
"So the plan is to meet him at the airport?"
"Yeah. Its been awhile, so I want to see him as soon as I can anyways" Bell mentioned. As they were making preparations however, Bell couldn't help but notice the dark clouds accumulating out the window. They had some clothes and rainclothes out still, as the humidity was quite high and the temperature was high, making for a rather unpleasant conversation. Even with the AC on, it was barely making a dent.
That said, when Toko looked at the raincoats, all he could remember was before with their encounter with The Bat. The fact that he had been able to move so freely during his stop time. Its not like it was impossible, but what bothered him was the lack of a delay. As if he was utterly immune or excluded from the start somehow. But even more then that...
Did I see them at that time....golden threads?
It was just for a moment, but Toko thought he saw golden threads on him. So far, only he, Bell, Maze, and Ruu had them. The first three likely because of what they did in the Bus Fight Boundary, and Ruu was likely because of how close he was with Bell. But then, why did it happen for Bloody Bat?
Could it be because he was there too in the Bus Fight Boundary? A very likely possibility, even if he didn't join in on the sync attack. There was also the fact he had saved him and Bell several times now. And yet, something about it bothered Toko. He wasn't sure what it was, but there was something about this situation that bothered him to the core. Something that they had missed.
Something critical.
Until he could figure that out, there was a very real risk that something could be of great danger to them down the road. It was information they greatly needed.
Bell meanwhile, looked at the ever darkening clouds. He had a feeling, and yet he was far too afraid to speak it aloud.
Why...why is it today, of all days, is when I have this worst feeling of dread that something might go wrong?
Bell was worried saying it aloud might somehow bring it into reality, which made it get stuck in his throat whenever he tried. He looked at the time however, and then flew into a flurry.
"Ah, we need to get dressed and ready to go! It got way later then we realized!"
The other two saw that it had indeed been later then they thought, and they would get to the airport late if they dallied. They were only mostly dry, but it would have to do as they pulled on the clothed they had gotten out, going from nothing to fully dressed as fast as they could and then getting their stuff before heading out the door. Maze had drilled into them they should always have some gear and tools ready, as one could never be sure what might happen.
They rushed out the building and down the hall. Bell was wearing a rather heavy and larger raincoat, adding to his collection of oversized clothes he seemed to have and enjoy. However in this case, it was so that he didn't have to do a full suppression. His ears were hidden by the hood, and while uncomfortable, he had a single tail tucked up his back under his shirt and raincoat. This would make it easier for him to maintain his suppression for longer, if he didn't need to do a full suppression.
As they rushed out of the building, Mr. Whiskers gave him a meow goodbye, and they headed straight for the subway. By the time they made it there, a familiar face was standing there, waiting.
"I thought you guys slept in again or something" Ruu mentioned, as they made it there.
"Sorry. We lost track of time" Bell said.
"Right, sorry".
"Did you only put on your raincoats after it started raining? I thought the rain was later, but you look damp".
"Ah, we took a shower earlier".
"I hope you did it together. The city has asked water conservation efforts to increase due to the heat wave being prolonged. Speaking of which, I will be joining you tonight".
"You will?"
"My parents said they will be busy tonight, and in addition to it helping to conserve water, it just might be better to stay together".
Even if Ruu knew how to defend himself, Bell doubted the incident from before hadn't shaken him at all. He just didn't really show it.
"Sounds good. I have something I want to talk to you about anyways, but lets get my dad first".
Ruu just nodded, as the subway finally arrived for them. They all entered the First Line. The First Line was the first subway line of the new network, and connected to probably the fewest stations. It also had no duplicates either. It was designed to go to major areas, certain population centers, and major transport hubs only, prioritizing speed between these places over lots of convienent stops. That would be the Second Line and Third Line.
As the subway headed out, Bell ended up looking back, and it caught Ruu's attention.
"Worried about something? I am sure you turned off the oven".
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
Bell just shook his head.
"In any case, he sure was away for quite awhile".
"I bet where he was working there was no heat wave" Maze mentioned, noticing Bell sidestepping the question. It was as if there were words caught in his throat that he didn't want to realize.
A bad feeling? Perhaps...he is worried it might be an Omen?
Maze reached into his back, and made sure to prime his weapons to be safe. If trouble was coming, they would want to be prepared. The subway car continued to race towards its destination however, with no one vanishing or attacking, and no boundaries formed or reflections entered. They ended up chatting more about shows, cartoons, animes, games, and such until they arrived...although, Maze and Toko had a bit of a minor debate between their favorite characters in this one show they watch.
Who would win debates were quite precarious that way, but Bell and Ruu was able to get them to stop as they finally arrived at Caspian City Airport. It was still a part of the city, although on the outskirts. Featuring eight terminals, and with dozens of planes around at any one time at least, it was becoming a major transit hub. A lot of people came to fly over the ocean, as well as to come to the city for vacation or recreation or business. It also had a rather large port as well. And there were some mines in the mountains, although a few were old and had run dry years ago. Not to mention all the factories and businesses that were stationed here.
As they arrived at the airport station, the moment the doors opened it became a fight against a sea of people to get through. It seemed they had come during quite the busy period, and they risked being crushed if they were not careful. Ruu was somehow able to squeeze through first, and then Maze, and then Bell, and then finally Toko, escaping the rampaging herd of travelers.
"I thought I was going to die!" Toko gasped as he collapsed on the ground a distance away, where it was safe.
"Yeah, I hate airports as well" Maze admitted. "Although I hate airplanes even more".
"Hmmm? Not a fan of flying?" Ruu asked.
Maze nearly responded on reflex, but stopped himself. "Y-yeah. Plus they always seem to have the need to check everything, I dont like it when people probe my stuff".
Bell picked up on what he really meant. Its because he cant use his weapons on an airplane...wait, can he even bring them into an airport?
He glanced over at Maze, but Maze just gave Bell a small nod. It seemed that it was okay. Probably because of the magic, or the fact they were in his magic pockets. As they kept moving however, Bell couldn't help but have a weird feeling.
Is this place protected? It feels like the Wards Maze set up in my room.
So far, it didn't seem like police or authorities were aware of magic or the supernatural, but this airport felt different. Not only were their wards around to prevent magical attacks on the airport or its airspace, but there were also invisible runes that Bell could sense. As for their magical essence, it felt similar to a boundary or a reflection. Toko noticed his staring as well, and went over to him before the other two noticed.
"Yeah, I don't know who exactly does all this, but it seems that all airports have this level of magical protection. These runes specifically accelerate boundary creation, and entering any reflection present as well as boundaries. The moment two supernatural forces even make a single move against each other, it wont take long for a boundary to form and be entered".
"I see..."
"Combined with the magic suppression, it's safe to say that any supernaturals who try to start a fight here would quickly find themselves isolated. Large scale attacks would be snuffed out especially fast. Also, any security robot at an airport seems to have protection runes engraved into it in secret in addition to being more advanced models, so..."
"Don't cause issues at an airport".
"Yeah. Of course, there are those who would ignore that and try to cause trouble. But I doubt we will run into them here".
As he said that, the two rejoined the others as they headed towards the terminal.
----------------------------------------
At the same time, a girl entered the airport as well.
"Now, according to this handy tracker program I was able to acquire after...persuading...those tech-magicians, it seems that he is this way".
She muttered that as she pushed a huge amount of magic power into the device to make it work better, overclocking it several dozen times at least. It would likely not hold up very well, but in exchange, it was able to see through all wards and barriers, and let her find her target. So far, despite her searching, her target had proved quite elusive. So she had decided to attack some others to get resources to track him, and find out where he might be. A boy around her age with a similar bounty made her interested after all. She expected he would be quite entertaining for her, so she simply had to face him.
"Looks like you are this way..." she muttered, when she saw someone else skulking in the shadows. A figure wearing a dark black cloak in the shadows, there one moment and disappeared a second later. "Tsk. Don't tell me they are trying to steal my fun!"
She started to race forward, determined with a fire in her eyes to get what she desired.
As she raced through the halls, she suddenly came face to face with a trio that could have been triplets. Not only that, but an additional three seemed to appear behind her. She could feel space folding, as these pale figures took out their briefcases. They all looked identical, all bald, and all wearing suits.
"I am afraid our boss would like to speak to you, miss" one of them spoke, although the Ses sounded like they were almost elongated. As they said that however, already the people faded away and the room expanded, with more and more objects appearing within it. A boundary had formed just like that.
"Hou? And you think you have the power to take me" she said with a glare, as flames errupted all around her. A few of them were blasted away immediately, while others managed to stand their group. "It seems that while you all may look identical, you are not all completely identical. Tell me snakes, do you honestly think you are strong enoguh to play with me though? Then perhaps we will just have to see and find out for ourselves!"
She charged right at them, intending to crush them all in a minute or less.
----------------------------------------
At the same time, the four boys started to enter the right terminal. His father would be arriving in a few minutes now, and Bell was not sure how emotionally he would get given everything. So he decided to go to the bathroom and fully undo the suppression for a moment in one of the stalls, letting him relax a bit better and take a deep breath. He didn't want to risk transforming in the middle of an airport because of this. After all, there was no guarentee how emotional he might get or what could happen, and so he figured it was better safe then sorry.
Once he was done, he got out only to hear that it was quite noisy outside. He came out and there were a few security people and other employees walking around at a brisk pace, if not running. As they went onto one of the moving floors, Bell looked around at them all.
"What is going on? Did something happen with a plane?"
"They are not sure. A storm seemed to appear around one suddenly, and there were rumors that something weird was happening on another. Although I suppose that actually could have been the same plane".
"...which plane?"
"We didn't hear, but this entire terminal is facing delays now".
"...shiza".
Toko looked at Bell. "What is it?"
"My dads plane should be arriving any minute now. But you said they were all delayed so..."
"Let's head to one of the observation points! We can see images of the planes in real time there!"
Partially as a new attraction for people to be interested in while they wait, but also to better let people see the status of their flights or the flights of those they care about, there were observation points, rooms that used holographic projection tables and other protectors and interfaces as well to help show these flights. The only ones that couldn't really be monitored were any that left the atmosphere, perhaps that led up to one of the international space stations or perhaps all those new places they had been building on the moon. Supposedly, the world's first lunar amusement park would be opening soon, although that saying seemed a bit odd since it was on a moon, not this world. And by soon, they probably meant two or so years from now.
When they made it there, they found themselves looking it up almost instantly. There were quite a few others checking on flights as well, but they managed to find one that was available and quickly got to searching.
"Looks like...it did get caught in the storm" Bell mentioned.
"More then that though, that storm is weird. It came out of nowhere, and now it looks like its expanding rapidly. That is some weird weather right there".
Bell knew he had a bad feeling. Ruu meanwhile got shocked from the table.
"Huh. Must be quite a bit of static electricity" Ruu muttered, but then he looked around. "Hey, where did everyone else go? And was the room always this big?"
When Ruu said that, the other three went on high alert.
All four of us got dragged into a boundary? I know it was easy, but...what could have caused it? Unless this is a Reflection?
Reflections were easier for people, especially normal people, to enter rather then Boundaries. You often hear of people getting trapped in strange places by supernatural forces, suddenly isolated from everyone. Apparently those were Reflections. Apparently, almost every school out there had its own Reflection because of how often children loved to spread horror tales there, and those things sometimes can create Reflections when enough of them builds up. In a way, its like a haunted house only becoming a haunted house because of the tales spread about it being one.
The four of them headed back outside, when they saw a few security robots. That said, these appeared to be older models that looked a bit in disrepair. They turned to look at them, their red eyes looking quite ominous.
"Everyone, I think we should run" Maze warned, and the group immediately ran for it down the hall. The robots tried to charge towards them, but there were also figures moving in from behind. It looked like things were about to heat up. And yet, that was when security gates began to lower in every major doorway. One managed to block off the robots, but they still kep coming so they kept going, rushing and hurrying to scamper to safety before they got boxed in. The area looked safe, but it was hard to know for sure.
They could hear noises all around them, and it sounded like fighting had errupted across the airport. It sounded like a storm was beating and battering against the walls, the windows, the roof, everything and anything it could. Maze even got shocked when he touched a door.
It was right when they were passing one gate, that suddenly a shutter came down extra fast. Ruu tried to hurry, but tripped and fell, causing him to get stuck on the other side of the shutter. Bell called out for him, concerned.
"Ruu!"
"You guys keep going! I will hide in the bathroom and call for help!"
Maze looked back at him. "Don't be surprised if it takes away to get a signal, given how strong the storm is".
"Right!"
"Be save Ruu".
The group couldn't do anything to get the gate to open. Even if they used supernatural powers, the fact the gates were still working meant they were not normal gates. They were probably a part of the reflection, supernaturally empowered. Hence why the robots couldn't burst through them either, it was a strong enough barrier to prevent that as well. So if Ruu's section remained isolated, and he hid in the bathroom, it should be a guarentee that he would remain safe.
As such, they headed forward, with Bell able to fully undo his suppression now as they tried to figure out what was attacking them, and also to find a way out of this labyrinth of an airport. The layout seemed different after all, way more hallways and floors, and plenty of ways to end up going in circles.
At the same time however, Ruu turned around once they were gone and calmly walked into the open.
"You might as well come out. I know you are there" he said. As if responding, there were quite a number of people who all looked identical, and every single one kinsta screamed lawyer.
"Follow us. There is an emergency. We can take you to safety".
"Oh good" Ruu said, as one of the lawyers walked towards him and reached out to take his hand. In that next moment however, he went sprawling across the room, as Ruu was now in a kicking position. "Please, don't underestimate my intelligence. Like hell I would trust such an obviously shady group".
"...there is no time".
"...we will just take you by force then".
"Try me. I wont let a single one of you get past me and let you reach my friend" Ruu said, as a fire was lit in his eyes. As such, the Battle of the Airport had begun.