One foot in front of the other, hitting the ground as fast and hard as he could. Following the power cables the people chasing him had set up, following the voices he could hear in the distance.
Bell was currently in a huge amount of trouble right now. There were two different groups of people who wanted him dead, and now he had fox ears and a fox tail. He had gone on some weird spirit journey and ended up possibly meeting his mom, and he may or may not have gained special and magical powers from all this.
All in all, today was not a good day for Bell Russel. The fact that within the last hour, no, the last thirty minutes even, he had suddenly had two separate people want him dead and both appeared to command large organizations and had possibly lost his humanity.
I have to keep running...
That was all that was going through his head. He found a tunnel that led upward and was rather narrow. His bag slung across his shoulder, he was climbing upward. It would take some time for them to follow him for sure, but he still kept running. Fear and adrenaline were propelling him, but also something else. Tears were probably normal given how much trouble he was in, but it wasn't the trouble that started them.
"Live and enjoy life".
The words of his mother ringing in his ears. Was it a hallucination? Was he perhaps still hallucinating? Or perhaps he had fallen asleep on his bed after his shower, laying on his towel safe and sound at home? But the way it felt, the way his mother felt and the way her voice sounded. Deep down, he knew inside for sure.
Everything that happened was real.
It was not something he had dreamed up, it was something that had actually happened. He could feel the ears on his head, the tails out of his rear. He could feel it all.
Even now, from beyond the grave, his mom was still looking out for him.
And thanks to that, he felt like he could take on the entire world.
----------------------------------------
"Sir, he is escaping through tunnels. He might make it to the city before our men can catch him".
"Tsk. If he reaches Terminus, it might be impossible to find him. Or if he enters someone's territory who is unfriendly to us".
As the man said that, someone stepped out of the shadows.
"You called, M'lord?"
"A brat made away with what I desire. Catch him and bring him to me. You cant kill him yet, but you are free to use any other method at your disposal".
"Understood, M'lord" the man said, as he seemed to vanish back into the shadows.
"Hmmf. On the off chance he gets away, get one of the cameras here to get a picture of his face, and get ten million ready. I want a bounty out on this boy, captured alive, but does not have to be in good condition so long as he wont bleed to death".
One of the men bowed.
"Of course, master".
"Lets just hope we catch him before that old crone or diminutive brat learns about this, or the others for that matter".
The boss then looked at two others.
"Secure this site, see if it has any other secrets. Perhaps there is still something left to take for myself".
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Meanwhile, Bell finally found himself in an old abandoned subway tunnel. It was different than the one he had fell through before, and given the echoes, it sounded like it was still connected to an active one. He wanted to find an exit, but now that he had calmed down a bit, he realized he had a new issue.
"I can use my hood to cover my ears...hopefully, but this tail is another story".
There was no way he could hide such a tail, and there was no way he could escape notice with such an obvious identifier. If he wanted to escape, he would have to find a way to turn back human. That, or he would have to abandon being a part of normal human society ever again. Even if he claimed it was a costume, again, five tails would stick out to those chasing him. And he couldn't be sure they wouldn't make a scene in a public area.
Would he even be able to go home, or go to school again? He was just starting to maybe make friends again, but how would he even be able to have a life. As he thought of this, he started to fall into despair, when the words of his mother echoed into his ear.
"Enjoy life".
Those words were his mother's wish for him.
I can't give up now! No, I refuse to! I won't give up!
As he made this determination and clenched his fists, he felt something inside him stir. Something unfamiliar but warm, something that was new to him and yet has always been a part of him. It felt like it was flowing and raging, like it could overwhelm him. Inside of himself, he was back on that beach, and he could see his transformed naked body in the reflection of the water. He tried to suck it up and compress it, working hard to close in that feeling. And as he did, he felt strange and pent up, as if it was not natural and a bit tiring. But as he compressed it and boxed it up, the ears seemed to sink back into his head and the tails receded back into his body, returning him to his human form.
However, despite it being his original form, it almost felt unnatural, and even a bit unpleasant now. When he opened his eyes, his body in reality was the same. It looked the way it used to, it looked normal, but it didn't feel it, it felt a bit like wearing clothes that were a bit tight. If he tried to keep it up all the time he might get tired and annoyed, but for now, he might be able to manage.
He quickly made his way down the tunnel. Even in this form, it appeared he still had some of his new found power. His stride was faster, he felt like he could hear more, and he could definitely smell more. Unlike the rest of the Underworld, these abandoned areas were not maintained as well, so there was a certain stink. Bell would rather not think about what that stink could be, but it was definitely there. He was soon able to find an access tunnel, and followed it back towards a public area. The sight of crowds was nice and familiar, and he was able to blend right in. That said, he was still nervous. He needed to get home, and fast.
He quickly went towards a subway station, being allowed to pass by the guard without issue. After all, he was clearly younger than 14, so he was able to ride for free. He wormed his way through the maze of people, not running to avoid drawing attention, but his walking speed was hurried and his feet were borderline pounding the pavement. Weaving through the sea of people, he was able to find a subway car that went to the station just by his building, and managed to get inside right before the doors closed.
However, he didn't sit still after that, and quickly went towards the back, slipping into an unoccupied bathroom with a pained expression. The moment he was done, his ears and tails appeared again, and he was breathing heavily.
"That was...a lot tougher than I thought. It is going to take some time to get used to that".
At least he had found a method, but he was untrained in it and not used to it. In fact, it became undone so fast it pushed his pants and underwear aside, causing them to fall to the ground. After all, they were connected to the tail bone, which was usually where the waist of underwear and pants would be. They appeared to be attached to his tailbone, like how all tails would be. Until he got used to adjusting where he pulled them up to or found a way to have them go around or through, this would keep happening. He considered maybe some suspenders. Rather than picking them back up however, he sat on the toilet and made use of it. After everything he had been through, he needed some relief.
He figured he could probably just wait in here the whole time. There was a monitor in the bathroom that showed their location on the tracks and the next five upcoming stops, so he could make sure not to miss his stop. And it meant not having to suppress himself the entire ride. He might need practice, but that was not something he was sure he could do yet. The longer he maintained it, the harder and more unpleasant it felt. He hoped it was something that would get better with time and experience, because he would need to be able to maintain it long enough to get through classes and school without ten bathroom breaks.
He supposed he should at least be thankful that considering everything, he didn't pee himself or drop his bag. Especially since the receipt is still in there, so it could have been used for them to get his name and address. That would be been very problematic.
He then took a look at his phone, and was a bit surprised.
"...right, I guess I never did call for help. No wonder the battery is still at 100%. Thinking back, I really should have done that. That was stupid of me".
As he bemoaned his own failures, he wasn't sure if he should call it in anymore. If the police decided to question him for a long time, there was no guarantee he would be able to keep up the concealment at the moment. And his father would definitely worry and rush back, which would be problematic for many reasons. For one thing, he was not sure how to even explain this situation to him. And he didn't want his father to revert back to what he used to be like, how overprotective he was after Bell's mother died.
He constantly tried to chop everything up so Bell wouldn't choke, he always made sure they bathed together so Bell couldn't slip and fall and drown, even in the shower somehow, he was worried something might happen in the night and insisted they slept together as well. He constantly wanted to examine Bell for any medical issues himself as well, any weird rashes or discoloring or the like. Even if it was something he was not good at, he would do it.
Leaving Bell on his own would have been unthinkable five years ago. It had showed how much they had grown and worked out on these issues.
As Bell finished up and pulled up his pants and underwear, a chill suddenly ran down his spine. He wasn't sure what it was, but something felt wrong. But it was more then just that. He put his ear to the door, and noticed it. The train had gone dead silent. No voices at all. It was still running on the tracks, he could feel the motion, but there were no people.
And then came the knocking.
Three knocks on the bathroom door. Each one felt louder than the last.
Bell did not reply, and another three knocks came, louder than before and each one sent shivers through his body. Warmth crept out of the room, and the sound of his own breathing felt deafening as another three knocks came upon the door, louder than before and each louder than the last. He had broken out into a cold sweat, although he had already been sweating a lot from all the running and activity he did today.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
"Oh little boy, did you really think you could just dine and dash like that?" a cold whisper echoed through the cracks, sneaking into Bell's ears. The man's voice chilled him to the bone, as if he was standing naked in the snow. Or perhaps even colder.
Still, the door showed no signs of opening. Bell kept quiet, hoping to make him think he got it wrong.
And then the terrorizing voice spoke up from behind Bell as arms grabbed him from behind.
"Found you".
The moment he heard that, a knife went to his throat. But it missed, as the boy ducked downwards as he did a sudden headbutt into the man behind him, causing him to avoid the knife as his foot kicked the lock for the door open. He then pushed off his hands that had reached the floor, springing forward into the hall as he landed upright on both feet, and he turned around to see a black clothed man holding a knife, smiling maliciously and whimfully.
"Oh, you are quite good. A gymnast I bet". Bell ran back into the car, hoping he might stop if there are witnesses, but there was no one there. Not only that, but the train car itself was wider now. It was very surprising, and made Bell stop for a moment. "Too bad. You seem quite surprised. Perhaps, are you not aware that when enough supernatural energy is released and two sides conflict, the Veil isolates the battle from the real world? You truly just were so unlucky to wander in by chance? Today must be an absolute terrible day for you. Ah, if it makes you feel better, my boss doesn't want you dead yet. However, that just means that I can do anything else aside from killing you. So perhaps...will you give up?"
Bell had a feeling that was in no way a good idea. Somehow he got the impression this guy wouldn't make it painless even if he surrendered.
The man noticed this however. "Seems like you aren't an idiot. How fun. But you are still a rookie when it comes to those powers, and when it comes to fighting".
"You say that like you are someone famous I should know?"
"Oh, you mean you never heard of me? They call me...The Phantom".
The man suddenly moved at a speed far beyond normal humans. Bell reflexively dodged the stab, and then grabbed a seat with his hand and flipped his body over it with the momentum as he dodged a bullet. From hidden inside the sleeve, it appeared there was some sort of arm gun hidden inside of it.
"Oh, you noticed? People cant typically dodge that you know?"
In truth, when dodging a bullet, your not really dodging the bullet itself. You are dodging the line of fire from the gun barrel, moving before the trigger is even pulled. So the fact Bell saw and dodged that earned genuine praise from the man, even if he hadn't been aiming at center mass but a leg instead.
However, he had also released several throwing knives. Bell went to dodge them all, but one knife appeared right in the direction he dodged to, his movements having been seen through. It went right for his chest, when suddenly it got knocked out of the air by a bat.
The moment the man saw that, he raised his guard immediately and looked around. There were a few bats in there. Not an uncommon sight, there were known bat colonies in the abandoned tunnels.
This is a Boundary though. Rarely normal animals are able to be here. Which means...either the bat is here, or perhaps it's a new vampire. Considering Bloody Bat would normally charge in himself, it might be a new one...but...
As he thought that, he launched another attack. He went in for a high-speed kick attack, so Bell kicked the window out and went to the roof of the train. From there, he saw something fantastical that made his jaw drop. No longer were they on a normal subway car, but they were not even in normal period. There were tracks everywhere, with various identical subway cars going around. They were all bent and shaped weird, and could go up, down, upside down, and sideways. There were even various stations dotted around everywhere, in what appeared to be a giant cavern like area but based on a subway tunnel. There were various floating platforms and stations, subway tiles, and the like.
However, he couldn't stop to appreciate it as suddenly he found himself attacked by his assailant. He put up a guard to brace himself, but a magical barrier appeared in front of him to protect him. A few bats were circling him, and as the two stared off against each other, they both spotted something unexpected. There was a third person there, standing on a station that they passed. They were small, around Bell's size and age, and wore a dark blue raincoat with pockets and was solid rather than translucent. The raincoat was long enough to cover their arms and nearly went down to the knees, and they must have been wearing shorts cause Bell couldn't see them. They were wearing a pair of white sneakers however, and the hood was pulled over so without a good light source, one could not see if they were even a boy or a girl. But they just seemed to stand there and watch.
"Tsk. I need to end this quick" the assailant muttered. That size...it might be the Bloody Bat, but I have never seen them just stand there to the side like that. It could be a new vampire as well, not like he is the only vampire child.
He went into an all out assault on Bell, who somehow managed to project another barrier. This annoyed the assailant further.
"Already utilizing your powers? How annoying".
At that point, a blade shot out from Bell's shadow right at his arm, but was shattered by a bat that flew into it and then flew away.
The man however had already made his next move, using his gun to force Bell to move the way he wanted. He launched an attack right there, but Bell used his tails to grab the arm in that moment to move himself out of the way and land on his feet, much to the surprise of them both.
"You...is this really new power to you?"
Even as he spoke, shadow blades shot out from the shadows to skewer Bell. Bell was able to dodge them, carefully stepping around the attacks. The way he moved almost looked like a dance, and it was rather aggravating. Still, he couldn't dodge them all and got a few cuts. Bell fell into his trap, but then the bats would intervene right at that moment and stop him from finishing the final blow.
He threw a few grenades into the mix, and then right as the bats went for them, shot the grenade in the center, setting off a loud explosion. Injuring or at least disrupting them, he moved full speed for the finishing blow. And yet, his leg seemed to cramp up suddenly.
That bat, did they go after my blood circulation?
Still he propelled himself forward, preparing to ram into the boy with his knife. After all, all he had to be was alive. Making him bloody was completely allowed.
And yet his dagger was blocked, not by the boy or a barrier, but by a dagger. A floating dagger that unsheathed itself, it completely had him surprised. At this point he was really pissed off. Normally he would toy with others, but he could see now what was happening. He was being toyed with. The brat in front of him aside, it was clear what the Vampire was doing. The vampire intervening in the battle only ever blocked fatal or critical blows that he dished out. They were purposefully drawing out this battle, and using him to train the brat in front of the assailant.
The longer this goes on, the worse it will get for me. That brat can feel his life is in danger, the difference between us is clear. And that is letting him instinctively learn his new abilities faster in this emergency. If this keeps up, and he gets an offensive ability, the vampire will probably kill me as well.
At that point, he suddenly released a new aura, one that sent chills down their spines. Even the child on the platform took a step back instinctively, and in that moment, he rapidly moved behind the boy, and went to grab him.
"No one escapes the Phantom".
His arms went right for him...when suddenly he was thrown across the car and onto a completely different car.
"The fuck, who is it...now..."
He went and looked, and saw the one looking at him. Wearing a long-sleeved coat and cargo pants, as well as boots that looked like they could be combat boots for the military. Someone who no one had noticed until now, to the point even the figure at the station had produced a spear and took a battle stance. Bell was surprised most of all. Despite his heightened senses, he had not at all sensed this man until right now. He was covered in bandages, so no one could even make out his skin color, and not a single hair could be seen under the bandages and hood. He didn't look large, but at the same time, he was someone who Bell just couldn't figure out period.
As for the assailant, he was the most surprised at all. He looked back at the figure on the station, and then turned around to see this figure right in front of him now as well. He didn't even hear any footsteps, and the other two looked just as surprised, having followed his vision for that brief moment as well.
"No way...it can't be...the real Phantom?!"
The Phantom picked the man up, and threw him back into the train car. He tried to shoot the phantom, but he missed somehow, aiming where the Phantom used to be. He didn't teleport, but the way he moved...even from this far back, it felt like Bell was having trouble keeping his eyes on him.
"I didn't know you were real. I am sorry I used your name! Can't you just let this go?"
The Phantom looked back at the other two, and then punched him in the gut once more before tossing him off the side. He then looked back at the other two, gave a small nod, and appeared to jump out of the area as well, disappearing.
Seeing this, the field itself seemed to collapse. All of a sudden, Bell found himself sitting inside the bathroom of the subway car again, as it arrived at his stop. He could hear many voices of people again, so he was quick to withdraw the ears and tail. He quickly got out and looked around, and there were people everywhere. However, the important thing was that he spotted the figure in the raincoat. Out the window, heading into a tunnel. He rushed out, only to run into someone else and they both fell to the ground on their butts with a thud.
"Bell? There you are, I was worried about you!"
It was Ruu from the bookstore. Bell and Ruu got up, but the figure in the raincoat was already gone when he looked again, and given the tunnel was labeled Terminus, he knew to give up.
"What? Are you looking for someone? Or are you worried about those guys?"
Bell looked at Ruu confused. "Wait, what did you say? Also wait, how did you find me so quickly?"
"I heard that a young boy was being chased by these guys with guns, and that they might be meaning to hurt him. I thought it might be you so I had my parents take over the shop while I decided to head towards your house to see if I would find you and make sure you are okay".
Certainly, if you only search a specific direction, running into someone again like this made a lot of sense.
"You don't look so good by the way, kind of constipated. Did something happen?"
"No no".
Ruu grabbed Bell's arm, and started to lead him in the direction of his house.
"No, you look sick".
"Its fine. I am only a few minutes away walking. I am going to go home".
"Home and rest for a few days. Listen, I will order some food and have it delivered to you. No more shopping today, no late night reading or gaming. Just stay home, rest, and let your body figure things out okay?"
"But wait, the..."
"You can pay me back later. Now go. You are looking worse by the second, and you might want to be home if you plan to use the bathroom that much".
Hearing those words, Bell nodded and accepted the kind gesture, running off towards his home. Since he ran, it took even less time they he had indicated, and he quickly unlocked the door, slipped in, and shut it and locked it again. The moment he did his tails barged on it and his ears as well, causing his pants and underwear to fall again and his hood to be flipped off. Bell collapsed onto the floor, panting.
"...I definitely need to practice that, but...Ruu is right. I need to rest".
He was in no condition to practice right now, that was for sure.
----------------------------------------
At the same time, there was someone who was entering data in a room into his laptop, working and figuring out the various details and possibilities.
"The demand for relics has increased, and now it seems magical energy had a huge pulse in the city. That pulse seems to have influenced dormant and resting supernatural forces. This may result in a rise of conflict, which means demand for assassins and hitmen, mercenaries and guns for hire will increase".
He muttered that to himself, as he began to calculate worth and prices.
"It appears that someone awakened a Fox. Which means something that the Shadow Lord did was successful. Whisper meanwhile is quiet, and Phantom apparently got into a fight with the Shadow Lord's pet dog. Though I suppose the latter couldn't be helped, since that dog did use Phantom's name for his own schemes. But that isn't why you decided to visit me, is it Crone?"
A woman who could not be much older than in her late twenties stepped out of the shadows. Her body personified beauty, and her qualities were to the extreme. She had a figure that men would yearn for, but the man sitting on the floor typing into his laptop didn't even blink.
"I heard some interesting things from my husband, so I wanted to check them out. I hear all the major players, and even the minor ones, are on the move".
"The big ones will probably take their time, unless they already were gathered and mobilized already, but yes. You already knew that was confirmed though. If you want specific information, there will be a price you know?"
"And you know that I can pay it. In services, if necessary".
"I am aware. You should mind how you speak though. Talking like that might make some fool think you meant you would sleep with them".
The woman chuckled. "I always enjoy our talks. You are not swayed at all by my beauty, and you know your way with words".
"And you always speak so seductively and in ways easy to understand, and yet in truth, no one but your husband actually stirs your heart. Now, are you going to waste my time, or will we do business?"
"I would like all videos from that area, and I would like you to erase it so no one else can buy it".
"That second item will be expensive, you know?"
"I have a charm that will more then pay for it. In addition to protection magic, it will also prevent any manipulation based magic. Quite hard to make and very expensive, but in exchange, it even works against Succubus".
"...so she is in town. In that case, I will consider it an equal trade. Pleasure doing business with you, it will be sent to your account within the hour".
"Appreciate it. And as a tip, best keep your eyes on all the markets. I suspect we may start to see anomalies soon, Merchant".
The Merchant nodded, as the woman disappeared into the shadows.