Volume 6: Anaphase
Issue 1: Following Up
Jannette Adrian Churchwell
By Nova
I barely dodged Odachi’s swing as his sword cut through the air above me. Thunder rumbled in its wake. I rolled towards the villain; one of the Yakuza’s enforcers. One touch and I’d put him down, and—as my hand reached towards him—he was almost-
There was a flash of light and the crack of thunder. Odachi vanished, reappearing at the other side of the basement. He rested his ridiculously long blade, as long as he was tall, on his shoulder and straightened up. He was tall, powerfully built, and dressed in a finely tailored black suit. “Gonna have to try harder, bitch!” he shouted, his voice muffled from behind the leering red mask that hid his face with the image of a tusked monster. I couldn’t see his expression, but I could tell he was enjoying this—the fight. His dark eyes sparkled as he stared at me.
“F-fucking stay still!” I shouted back. “And stop enjoying this!”
He laughed. “Why? It’s fun!” He crossed the distance between us in a flash of lightning, and swung at me faster than I could react. He cut a deep gash in my side, and I went sprawling—blood splashing onto the concrete below. I clutched at the wound—which was already sealing up as I stumbled to my feet—and was barely able to side-step another blow which smashed into the ground beside me. By the time I was backing away, the wound had already scarred up, and joined the others I had gotten in this increasingly frustrating fight.
We circled each other for a moment, staying on opposite sides of the basement. A thick chemical smell hung in the air, and the many shelves along the walls were full of boxes of ingredients for the Sakana Shimai sushi place above us. Cleaning supplies and, I suspected, plenty of illicit substances awaiting distribution. “You’re tough, I’ll give you that,” Odachi said. “Good reflexes too, even better than mine… if you had a sword, this would be way more interesting.”
“Sorry, just my hands,” I muttered.
Odachi chuckled. “Scary hands, too… Nearly got me last time. But you’re at a disadvantage. You won’t be able to close the gap, not with your hands at least.”
“A-are… you lecturing me?” I asked. “Like, in the middle of this fight?”
Odachi shrugged. “Just doing my part in making the world a smarter place. Or a more interesting place, at least.”
I rolled my eyes. “Giving me time to regenerate doesn’t sound very smart.”
“No, but it will make this more interesting!” With that, Odachi raised his sword. Electricity arced around it, and—with a single, smooth motion—he swung at me. Lightning blasted out from his blade, striking me in the chest before I could react. Pain rolled through me as the electricity roasted me, and blew me half across the basement with a thundering crack. I twitched and gasped for breath and, even as my power rapidly replaced charred flesh and roasted nerves, Odachi appeared above me. “Sorry if this kills you, just trying to slow you down for a little bit.” He raised his sword above my neck.
I was almost positive I could survive decapitation, but I was also sure it would put me down for a while. With a sudden surge of strength, I twisted away from the slash, which cut into the floor next to me. “Goddammit,” Odachi muttered as I scrambled to my feet again. He swung wildly at me, effectively keeping me from getting near but too slow to actually hit me. He was right, so long as he had that blade, I couldn’t get close. I needed a distraction… or some way to take that advantage from him…
It suddenly came to me as he shifted strategies again. Using his ridiculously huge blade like a spear, he tried to skewer me—to pin me in place so that I couldn’t move. If this was a swordfight, it would have undoubtedly worked as he pushed me toward the wall. With nowhere to go, I had no choice but to surrender, or get skewered.
I pushed myself at the sword, which pierced me, rupturing my liver and gallbladder, and cut out through my back. Odachi chuckled. “Got yo-” he started, but before he finished, I grabbed the blade and pulled myself toward him. The pain was immeasurable, as the sword cut deeper into my torso and my hands. But, in one yank, I was a foot closer, in another, two feet closer.
“Bitch, what the fuck!” Odachi said. He swung the sword through my side, nearly knocking me off the sword while blood and guts poured out of me. I glared at him and tightened my grip on the blade. Blood flowed freely under my hands as I pulled close to him, and I reached out to touch him, he was nearly in my grasp-
There was a bright flash of light and a deafening crack of thunder. My vision spun, cleared, and I realized I was on the other side of the basement—still holding onto the sword. However Odachi’s teleporting worked, I’d been taken along for the ride. He looked at me, eyes wide. “Shit,” he muttered. My hand shot to his chest; my power rushed through him, through his brain, and I put him into a dreamless sleep.
His sword clattered out of his hand as he collapsed to the floor. It took all my strength not to join him as I stumbled toward the sword. My hands still gushed blood—even as the wounds were sealing—which continued to ooze over the already bloodstained blade. The massive gash in my side was more concerning, but my power methodically knitted it back together. Inside me, the missing and damaged organs grew back, budding out from my flesh like unseen, gory flowers.
My costume, of course, was entirely ruined. No amount of cleaning would be able to get this much blood out of my costume. I’d need to send it to the Professional to get it fixed, which wasn’t great since it was my last intact costume on hand after the fire destroyed my spare…
But I didn’t really have time to worry about that. I had a job to do. I gingerly picked up Odachi’s sword, cursing as the action reopened the cuts on my hand. It was heavy, though not as heavy as it looked, and it seemed to whisper under my fingers…
I threw it across the basement, as far from Odachi as I could get it. I didn’t believe in magical, cursed artifacts, but it was better to not take chances when powers were involved.
As the sword clattered to the ground, Ripple suddenly burst in through the door—her spear leveled for action, while wood flew everywhere. “Odachi?” she shouted.
“Over here!” I yelled. “He’s down.”
Ripple lowered her spear. “Thank God…” She looked at me, and around the basement. “This all yours?”
I nodded.
She whistled. “Damn… that looks like enough for two people…”
“It wasn’t an easy fight,” I admitted. “What about Bōsō? Or their people?” I asked.
Ripple sighed. “Bōsō’s gone, ran like a bat out of hell… Tried chasing him for a bit, but nothing came of it.”
“Really? Hadn’t faced him before, but I heard he’s a real hothead.”
“Yeah, it was almost like something had spooked him. Or made him wise up so he didn’t stick around? Either way, chasing him nearly ruined everything. Ramirez and his men were pinned down by the Yakuza until I could get back… if I was a little slower…”
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“But you weren’t, and they’re alright?”
“Yep, they’re just processing the Yakuza rank-and-file right now. Ramirez will be here in just a second… I bet he’ll be happy to see that today wasn’t a complete bust.”
We both looked at Odachi’s peacefully sleeping body below us. “Do you think he knows anything about the powerchems?” I asked.
“He’d know more than Bōsō, but neither of them are in Sukeban’s inner circle…”
“…So why’d he know anything about where they’re going?” Ramirez said. He strode into the basement, escorted by a few officers who carried thick metal chains. “Stitch,” he said, “you look like shit.”
“Thanks.”
“Alright,” Ramirez said, “let’s restrain him, then you wake the bastard, got it?”
I nodded, and the officers wrapped the chains around Odachi, locked them tight, and hurried away from him. Somewhat trepidatiously, I tapped his forehead.
“I really hope his powers are in that stupid sword…” I muttered as I woke him up.
Odachi’s eyes fluttered open from behind the mask. “S-shit!” he shouted, struggling for a second, before he stopped and scanned the basement. “Ah, fuck… you beat me,” he muttered.
“Yep, Stitch kicked your ass, Odachi,” Ramirez said, stepping closer. “And we’re putting you away forever if you don’t tell us what we want to know.”
Odachi rolled his eyes. “I’m not talking to you, you didn’t didn’t beat me,” he simply said.
Ramirez groaned. “Seriously? This again? Odachi, how many times have you done this?”
“For fuck’s sake, she’s right there!” Odachi said. “It’s not like last time when Vortex was in Albany…” He sighed. “Man’s gotta have some principles.”
Ramirez shook his head. “Fine, Stitch?” He looked at me. “You know what we need to know, just ask the questions.”
“O-okay!” I stammered. I stepped in front of Odachi and stared at him for a moment as I went over the details of the case. Ever since an unknown person raided a Yakuza powerchem lab, the theory that they were somehow aligned with the First Way got into the head of Agent Kelly. While some of us didn’t think that idea had much merit, the FBI still pushed ahead, and it was difficult to deny that powerchems on the street was a bad thing. So we were here, raiding a Yakuza restaurant-slash-distribution hub, hoping to find something that would explain what was going on.
Odachi cleared his throat, shaking me back to reality. “You had questions?” he asked.
“Y-yeah,” I said. “Why are the Yakuza brewing powerchems?”
“We’re not.”
“Don’t play dumb!” Ramirez shouted, but Odachi didn’t break eye contact with me.
“W-we know all about your operation, how do you think we found this place?” I said.
Odachi shrugged. “You don’t know enough to know that we’re not brewing, we got outsiders doing that for us. Outsiders I know nothing about, sorry.”
I groaned. “Fine. What are you doing with the powerchems?”
“I’m not doing anything.”
“I-I mean the Yakuza.”
“Selling them.”
“To the First Way?”
Odachi laughed. “That’s what it’s all about? No, don’t be stupid. You ever heard of the ancient proverb… ‘don’t shit where you eat?’”
“So you’re selling them…”
“I’m not sellin-”
“You know what I mean!”
Odachi sighed. “Alright, alright, we sell them to other families, or dealers, but none in the Bay. We’re not stupid enough to create competition for ourselves.”
“C-can you tell me anything about these dealers?”
Odachi shook his head. “Nope, and I’m not lying. That’s not my department. Sukeban firmly keeps me in the ‘bashing heads’ side of things, where I belong.”
I groaned. “Alright, thanks, I guess.”
“For that fight, anything,” Odachi said, “but I’m beating you next time.”
“How optimistic of you,” Ramirez said. “Come on boys, let’s get him back to the station.” Odachi didn’t even struggle as two officers hoisted him to his feet and dragged him out of the basement. As soon as they were gone, Ramirez’s shoulders sagged. “Dammit,” he cursed, “a dead end.”
“You really think he was telling the truth?” Ripple asked.
Ramirez sighed. “With Odachi, you can’t ever tell. He likes to pretend to have that whole honor-code-thing, but in practice… Well, he’s smart enough not to say anything that would get the rest of the Yakuza screwed, but not smart enough to mix enough lies with the truth… and vice-versa.”
“So you think almost all of that was bullshit?” Ripple asked.
“No, I think he was telling the truth about everything except who they’re selling to.”
“Is that really a dead end then?” I asked.
“The only thing that helps this operation is that I’m sure the Yakuza aren’t selling to the First Way. We don’t know who their brewer is, we don’t know who they’re selling to, and, hell, we don’t know if we’ve busted their only lab. Kelly will be happy, but we have no idea how big this is…”
“As long as they’re not selling to the First Way, this is something we can put on the backburner,” Ripple said.
She started saying something else when my phone buzzed. I checked it. It was a text from Holly. It read,
> Wanna meet up @aesops tonight?
I smiled under my mask. After she got me back into Icons, I’d been meeting up with Holly every couple of nights at Aesop’s to play a round or two with her, or just to chat. Thanks to the slow First Way investigation, I almost always had time these days. She worked as a librarian at Chapel Hill High School nearby, so it had become a nice routine over the last month or so. We’d gotten along—even after she stopped going easy on me in matches–and it was always a welcome diversion from my job as a superhero.
I replied,
> Totally! be there at 8? Gotta late shift tonight.
My cover story of working as an EMT continued to come in handy.
She wrote back,
> Sounds good 👍 [https://s0.wp.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/wpcom-smileys/twemoji/2/svg/1f44d.svg] had a CRAZY time at work today, ur not going to believe it
> Crazier than that time last month when that powered kid attacked the football team? Or the monster before that???? 🤔 [https://s0.wp.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/wpcom-smileys/twemoji/2/svg/1f914.svg]
> I actually SAW something this time! Tell you about it @aesops :3
“Must be a good text,” Ripple said, shaking me back to reality.
I glanced up at her and saw that she was smiling my way, while Ramirez looked slightly annoyed. “Heh, s-sorry,” I said, blushing.
“Don’t worry, I think we’re pretty much done here.” Ripple smiled.
Ramirez cleared his throat. “I think so. I’ll have my guys sweep the basement, and I’ll report in if we find any more powerchems. But even if we do, I don’t think Kelly’s gonna approve any more action against the Yakuza. We’ll be back on standby until we get some more developments on the First Way.”
“We’re back on vacation?” Ripple said, a note of mirth in her voice.
“I guess I need the time to fix up my costume anyways…” And spend more time at Aesop’s, too. I could finally catch up to Holly’s decks, and build something that could actually beat her.
“Looks like. Be ready to roll at the drop of a hat, but I think you guys are done here,” Ramirez said.
Me and Ripple left the basement and arrived at the city street just outside the restaurant. “Need a ride?” Ripple asked.
“Yeah, Tarantula still isn’t done with my bike,” I muttered.
“Give them time. They maintain like half of Starlight’s tech by themselves, plus their own.” She outstretched her hand to me. I grabbed it and there was that familiar tug upwards—the rush of wind around us, and the entire city below, shining orange and red in the light of the setting sun. “You going to Aesop’s tonight?” Ripple shouted at me.
“Yeah!” I shouted back. Being heard over the wind wasn’t easy.
“Meeting Holly?” Ripple asked, entirely innocently but there was something… playful in her voice?
“Yeah, why?”
“No reason!” she shouted. I could barely hear it, but I could swear I heard her giggle.
“Just… playing a few rounds of Icons!” I shouted.
“I’m sure!”
“You going to be there?” I shouted back, trying to change the subject.
“I wouldn’t get between you two!” She was definitely laughing now. “But I’ll come down anyways, I wanted to buy some paint for the dragon mini I got for Saturday’s session! Plus, I think the kids needed help for the level-up after last week!”
“Dragon?” I asked.
“Oops, spoilers!” She laughed again. “But I’ll leave you two alone for you ‘Icons’ match!’”
“A-alright!” I said. My face turned an even brighter shade of red. I turned away, hiding my expression from her, and looked at the city below, where the light of the setting sun washed the buildings in a crimson glow of their own.