There was a silent but stiffening symphony pertaining to the looming battle in the night’s air. But even though Elmer had taken a stance that depicted the battle-readiness of a person, he was not yet ready to dance to its tune.

Apparently, he still had more words lodged in his mouth to utter.

After all, if there was a way he could come to a resolution with Hanky—and his family—without any unnecessary squabbles, wouldn’t that be a far better option?

Yes.

And besides… Elmer took a glance at the barrel of the shotgun Hanky aimed at him while holding it firm against the sill of the bungalow’s window… That ammunition will make a lot of noise when fired.

A gunshot by this hour would definitely attract the police officers in close proximity to this vicinity. And there was no guarantee that an Ascender would not be amongst the ones who would show up on this scene, nor was there any that he would be able to escape before they’d arrived.

Now that he took a moment to think, it was rash of him to want to engage in battle immediately. He had to try out other options first. But the easiest one, which was just revealing his identity to Hanky, was impossible to go through with.

Let me cut out the revealing of a thing, and just state my purpose instead. Why would anyone refuse to recruit new members for an illegal drug dealing job?

“You know what…” Elmer broke the deafening silence while dipping his hands back into his trench coat’s pockets, his right hand firmly clutching the paper and pen it held, not letting loose of it. “Why don’t we take a moment to talk instead. Blindly engaging in battle is reckless. You should hear me out first.”

“We shall be the judges of that.” Hanky and his wife had almost said in unison, though the former had won with his overtly deep voice. “And besides, what good would conversing with a masquerade do us?”

Elmer’s abdomen tightened at those words, and the next thing he did was chuckle awkwardly.

He had carefully put together his outfit himself to enact fear on whoever saw him, but it seemed like it was having the opposite effect. The dead Egor Mason had called him a clown as well.

“Let’s just flatten him! I want to flatten him!” Those words filled with excitement came from the mouth of the youngin slightly hidden behind Hanky’s wife. And instantly, Elmer was sure of which half of the twin boys he was.

Heh. Ted the outspoken… Elmer scoffed inwardly. Then he sighed.

“Us fighting would cause quite a ruckus…” Elmer made sure that his last word was well heard by the man who hated its presence the most. “For example, your shotgun.” He motioned his chin at Hanky. “Firing it in this quiet night would allow its sound to travel for at least 2 miles. Are you sure you want to attract the attention of those who live in this vicinity? And officers as well?”

Hanky was an illegal drug dealer and, probably, weapon holder as well. Obviously he should be against calling the attention of law enforcement officers. Especially to his home.

Elmer knew that the Hanky family were not in possession of bounty hunting licenses, which would have given them free rein to keep ammunition, because he had confirmed that they weren’t Ascenders. His question “What are all of you?” had stemmed from that.

A household consisting of a lady who could precisely cut down a door, and a man who wielded a shotgun like he was in the military—who was also able to forge a real seal of the Church of Time—was obviously not a normal one.

Furthermore, they were illegally dealing drugs, and were not even showing any hint of fear in the face of an uncanny trespasser in a world of Ascenders.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

There were the twins, Ted and Ned, as well. What sort of abilities did they possess, as the children that they were?

Was it that there were other ways to attain supernatural abilities without becoming an Ascender?

“Do not worry about that,” Hanky answered Elmer’s question, bringing him wholly back to the scenery at hand. “Even the sound of the wind will not be leaving the confines of my home’s fence.”

Elmer’s eyebrows narrowed steeply at that answer. He was confused by what Hanky meant.

“What?” Hanky’s wife said suddenly as though she had noticed his confusion. “You were so eager to engage in battle a few seconds ago. Do I take it you are scared now?”

Elmer broke into a short, raspy laughter. “No. No. Pfft… I’m not scared. Not really.” He took his left hand out of his pocket and pointed a finger at his head. “I’m just using what is up here.” His statement and action made it seem as though he was making a mockery of Hanky’s wife. But the evidence to back that up was nonexistent, as the young lady’s face was still as nonchalant as ever. “You see,” Elmer continued. “Once we begin fighting there’ll be no going back. So if there’s a way to resolve things peacefully, I’d rather go down that route.” Elmer turned to Hanky. “Isn’t that right, old man?”

Hanky’s face squeezed instantaneously.

Unlike his wife, he was obviously triggered easily. Although he did not remain that way for long, it was apparent that being reminded of the demeanor he presented left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“You,” Hanky started, seeming to realize something after a couple of seconds. “You’re the serial killer going about murdering Ascenders, aren’t you?”

Hanky’s wife and his children respectively turned their gazes to their husband and father’s direction at once, while Elmer softly jerked his head backward.

“Oh. I thought the police were keeping the information on that under wraps. How come you know about it?” Elmer asked.

“I have my ways,” Hanky replied.

I see. And? Does that mean you know of my identity as well?

Elmer narrowed his eyes beneath his mask. But from Hanky’s momentary silence and mien, his brain told him that his thoughts were false.

It seems the Ascender you might be affiliated to doesn’t have access to that information. The Church is keeping my actual identity a secret, isn’t it?

“We’re not Ascenders,” Hanky resumed. “I’m sure you—as you are most likely one—have long realized that. So why are you here?”

Elmer took in a deep inhale and huffed out the word, “Finally!” in exasperation. He then shook his head languidly in some sort of subdued happy state of relief. “Now we’re on the same page. I’m just here to ask a question.” He allowed himself a moment’s silence. “The location of the underground cartel.”

Hanky did not say a word for nearly a minute, the wind the only one speaking to its heart’s content. That was until…

“Take off your mask,” Hanky suddenly uttered in a low tone, and at that moment Elmer instantly understood that the battle he was trying to push aside could no longer be avoided.

It seemed asking that question was equivalent to stepping on a landmine, because putting it forth had caused the body language of every member of the Hanky household to change dramatically into a far worse version of the one he had met.

Maybe there was some sort of code about discerning the location of the cartel, since Lev, who was even a dealer, didn’t know about it.

Well, he was not planning on stopping now. Hence it had come down to this, he would have to rip out the location from their mouths himself.

Elmer shifted his right foot back, turning his left side slightly to the house in front of him as he brought out his pen and paper once again. “I’m not sure my mask is willing to come off,” he answered in a whisper of a voice.

“Sarah!” Hanky roared immediately. And Elmer had only ninety percent taken in the name he had heard when a single-edged sword suddenly carved an arc in the air above him, marking his forehead as its final destination. In that instant, its wielder was a momentary blur at an arm’s length from his position.

But he was ready. He had always been ready.

With a quick curve of his body, Elmer successfully sidestepped away from the slash, the silver glean of the deadly steel slowly flashing downward before his eyes.

“So… Sarah’s the name? Nice to make your acquaintance,” Elmer uttered gentlemanly. “You know, a beautiful lady shouldn’t be handling something so dangerous. Instead, do you mind answering the first question I put forth to you?” His curiosity on the origins of this family had rekindled in his being. “What sort of beings of the supernatural are all of you?”