And she told him everything. Of the rising figure, the cause of the thunder, the death of those two innocent men. And then she began to tell him of things yet unthought of…which is basically, not thought of at all from anyone but the kookiest people.
Below the city, and the whole world, was another place. Another world, hidden away in another dimension, full of everything both human, humanoid, and, for a lack of a better word…Magic.
The World Below, is what it is called. And where Kade has lived for his whole life was The World Above, or dubbed by the people below who know of this dual dimension, Heaven. For reasons beyond anyone, no one knows why the world is like this, but it is, and to The World Above, barely anyone who has lived up there knows anything about The World Below or all the magic…everything that goes on.
And that is where Sugar came from. And the murderer. A figure in white clothing, with a bow tie and curly hair, colors yet unknown for it was dark for her. She took the missing man completely, while the remaining got his head torn off. But why?
Living Machines. Monstrosities of metal and flesh that have taken over the city below Raiden City. A beautiful Timeless City reduced to rotting concrete and empty, dark sky…much like his dreams. He had always dreamt of this place, but it was always broken, and barely anyone in sight. Was she right? That he was destined to be there? But how did she know? Either way, now Time Loss City, as the locals below the city call it, is gone, and the remaining people hide away in artificial places and towns under the city, longing to take back their home, but few can contest against the Machines, and its masters.
Living Angels and a Timeless Man, who control the machines and are the main ‘big bads’. And the murderer of this mystery was one of the Angels. And that is all Sugar told him that was important. Kade was…shocked at first. He’d be laughing and howling at this nonsense but again…she told not a single lie to him. Was there really a whole place deep underground, as much to them that there is a place beyond the sky? He knew not what to say.
“And that’s the truth, and the whole truth. How do you feel?”
“I feel like my mother now…she’s always believed fairy tales and myths but to think that…any of them are likely real or at least…taken inspirations from the real thing is just…wow…I…” the words leave his mouth yet none made sense as she sighs, getting up. “Pack up extra clothes and the tightest form of storage. We are leaving to it”
“W-What? But how!” Kade asked, his voice raising a bit just out of pure shock of how calm she was compared to him as she looked over to him. “Dimensional Travel Points, duh, that’s kindergarten info. But I never told you so…oops. We’ll be going through the lake in Red Ring Park, I’ll tell you how we’ll do that when we get there”
“I…I…okay???” Kade just…agrees with it as Sugar opens the door. “I’ll be in the lobby, don’t take too long, I can’t tell how much time we’ll have left before the Angels begin patrolling again” she said before leaving, closing the door behind her.
“...What the fuck” was the only thing he could say after she leaves as he just…began to pack. Getting a waterproof luggage case he never got to use, too much anyways, and his mother’s paranoia of planes had her get them some in the case the plane crashes into water so their stuff is okay. Weird priorities but hey, it is seeing use now so no point thinking about it too much. He places his bag inside, which hadn’t been opened or changed since he got back in his office as he places his pistol inside said bag, with his phone. He then changes his clothes, which he felt was going to be dirtied so he got into something more casual that he could afford to get dirty and supposedly wet. Simple stuff really, a white t-shirt, blue jeans, water shoes (which he never got to use anyways, they barely go to the beach), random socks, and whatever else, while putting away the stuff he was wearing sloppily into the luggage case before closing the initial lid, before the actual lid. It’s how it was waterproof, just layers to slow it all down. Once the luggage case was locked shut twice, he left his room with it, car keys…not in hand because his car is back at the park. Guess they’ll be walking.
He eventually got down to the lobby, seeing Sugar waiting for him as she got up, walking out already as Kade followed. And then…they walked. They walked the whole way to the park, Kade attempting to do small talk but Sugar never answered. Silent, not saying anything unnecessary, just that she kept walking, and so did he.
-
Black, starless sky. Broken buildings and destroyed roads. And the smell, the smell of still burning flesh, metal, and oils filled the air as she ran into an alleyway, hiding behind piles of trash bags as she held her sweetened breath. Keeping quiet from them.
A bright blip in the sky, slowly moving through the city’s dead sky, she could hear the crackle of radios from two others nearby.
“FIND HER, FIND HER, FIND HER, DAMNIT, SHE CANNOT ESCAPE” it shouted, a hateful high pitched voice that could kill the ears by sound alone, shifting metal echoes through as another responds. “Searching for all Biological Signs, please give Gorge approximately 1 minute and 29 seconds.” a more proper voice spoke back, robotic but not ear hurting, its steps in counts of 4 as a humanoid figure peers into the alleyway, going down it slowly, brandishing a golden sickle for a right hand, heavy steps that could sink into the ground at any moment from shear weight as the little girl kept her breath, holding it as long as she could.
“REMEMBER, REMEMBER, REMEMBER, TAILOR. SKIN AS PALE AS SAND. LONG HAIR AS WHITE AS LIGHT, SMELLS OF CANDY AND PERFUME, EYES AS BLUE AS THE OCEAN. REMEMBER REMEMBER REMEM-”
“SHUT IT, ROMANCE” the humanoid shouted back angrily, a deep voice that could break glass from the bass it produces as he shuts the radio off.
“Do we need to lose you another arm, Silvia? Please, come out, or your head is next, and I know how painful it is for you…” he said as he passes the bags of trash, and for a moment, her blue eyes loses its hue for a second before coming back as she immediately acts, rushing out fast from the bags as she runs out of the alley and aimed for the nearby park. Tailor turns around, turning his radio back on as he shouts. “SHE’S RUNNING TO THE LAKE. STOP HER, ALL OF YOU” he said as many other machines pour out from the streets. Gorge immediately growls and runs to her, and quickly, but it was ready to lunge, her eyes loses its hue for a millisecond before she pulls out a crystal, closing her eyes as she throws it onto the concrete of the road as it shatters, blinding everyone nearby but her as she opens them again and continued running, breathing heavily as the bright blip in the sky grew closer and closer, revealing a metallic bird with organic bird eyes lunging at her full speed as she pulls out a pocket watch from her pocket, her last item, as she presses a button and throws it at Romance, which stopped it in place for a few seconds before it lunged right into the ground, and as she got closer to the lake, those heavy footsteps returned, rapidly approaching behind her, and right before Tailor could get her, she jumped into the lake head first as she immediately begins to swim down. Tailor stops right at the edge of the lake as he watches her silhouette disappear into the murky brown water. A few of the lesser machine creatures tried to give chase, but died the moment their body was fully in the water, sparking the lake with electricity as Tailor would slash at a passive machine, breaking it in half cleanly out of anger as he began to scream.
“WE HAD ONE JOB, DAMMIT. ALL OF YOU ARE BEING REPURPOSED INTO SLIME FOOD” he shouted at the lesser machines as all the ones that were still alive immediately leave the area. Gorge, the metallic dog, and Romance, the metallic bird, join him as they watch the lake. Tailor sighs as he turns right around, the golden sickle melts away as the newly liquid metal forms into a hand. “Back to work. I’ll get a soldier to send the message. Pray for the bastards…” he said as Romance flew right back into the sky, Gorge followed Tailor right afterwards as the city grew quiet again, probably the busiest and worst day for them, to let a child get away.
Pray for them.
-
The duo finally arrive to the park, the police were done by now, cleaned up and all that, but no one dared to visit the park as he spots his car, still safe and sound at least as he walks up to it, opening the doors as he grabs his keys from the ignition, putting it into a smaller pocket of the luggage before locking and closing the car doors as he walks back to the park gate, Sugar had already walked to the lake by herself as Kade shrugs, going to the lake as well.
Warnings signs were placed near the lake as Sugar waited patiently for him, another bag was now in her hands, a much stranger looking one, probably was placed here in waiting already as Kade sighs. “What now, sweets?” he asked, flirting a tiny bit as Sugar pointed to the lakes. “Simple. Imagine and think to yourself the idea of traveling to another world and…keep swimming down. You might get a little dizzy once we are done but it is relatively safe.” she explains as he chuckles. “Better be correct, or I’m taking you to a psych ward or whatever” he said, mostly jokingly as he prepared himself to jump into the lake.
“I got an A+ for my swimming, you know? So don’t worry about me either, heh”
“I wasn’t, nor would care” Sugar replied as Kade fake gasps. “You pain my heart, sweets” and as he said that, he looks back to the lake to notice a small figure rising up from the waters as he stops. “And someone seems to have come to visit us, sweets”
“What?”
Out of the water, a small girl appeared as she swam to dry land as Kade immediately rushed over to her without thought, helping her out as he opened his luggage, getting out a big towel he had stored and putting it around her. “Hey, hey, are you okay there?” he asked worryingly, but the little girl didn’t answer as she sat there shaking from the cold…and fear.
Kade would check her for injuries as Sugar kept silent, watching all this go down as she could only whisper to herself.
“Why is she…here?”
“Come on, we need to get you to somewhere a bit warmer” he said, grabbing her up and carrying her like a princess as he rushed to his car, shouting over to Sugar. “Change of plans, get my luggage, we’re going back” he said as she nodded, closing and grabbing the luggage bag as she rushed after him.
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Kade would reach his car, waiting for Sugar as she arrived. He would use a free hand to grab his car keys from the luggage bag’s pocket as he unlocks the car, placing the little girl into the back as he placed his luggage into the trunk before hopping into the driver’s seat, Sugar joining him in the passenger’s seat as he immediately began to drive back to his office.
And as the car leaves, a young lady watches before speaking into a strange radio device. “They have left the park, I repeat, they have left the park, do as the Good Machine said” as two other voices respond back, “Over and out.”
-
The duo finally arrive as Kade grabs hold of the girl again, lifting her up and rushing into the office building to the elevator. “Hello good day yes I’m doing good yes she seems okay could you make something warm to drink thank you bye” he said quickly without pause towards Lizzy as he decided to go for the stairs next to the elevator instead, rushing up into the hallway and into his room as he places her on his bed, going to his closet as he grabs a couple towels, going back to the little girl as he covers her with one. “There…okay what do I do now…um…” he wonders to himself, although he likes the little buggers, he…was never good with kids as he sighs, beginning to rub the towel on her to dry her out. Sugar eventually arrives, leaning on the door frame as she watches Kade dry the girl.
“Destined paths stay destined…” she whispers to herself as Kade finally lifts the towel up to her face, seeing her…smiling just a tiny bit at him, his ‘natural humor’ seems to have gotten her a bit as she calmed down a bit, not making eye contact.
“Well I’m sure the actions of your one and only has spoken the truth to you but…are you…okay?” he asks her as she doesn’t seem to answer at first, mumbling quietly to herself before answering. “I’m…okay, sir…” she said as Kade sighs in relief, falling onto the floor dramatically. “Thank the stars, I didn’t think I did a very good job at all!” he said, still dramatically as he hears two giggles, one was soft, the other…was a bit mocking as he looked over to Sugar, who couldn’t help but giggle, despite how cold her face still was. “Yeah, yeah, there’s more where that came from, hm?” he said as he got right back up to his feet, looking back over to Silvia. “Now mind telling me what you were doing at the bottom of the lake? Seems unreasonable for anyone unless…you…don’t tell me you were telling the truth, Sweets?” he looks right back at Sugar, hoping she wasn’t…but she was as she nods.
“One whole visitor…and the victim of our mystery, detective…” she said, walking over as she sits down next to her, patting her on the head. “Brave girl, aren’t you? Detective, this…is Silvia, no middle or last name, she is known to us as The Korpse Child, or more accurately, The Korpse Of Lake Child…and she is the daughter of the man behind all of this…” she said as he…well, what could he think now? This may be a ticket to all this as Sugar continues.
“And now we have her in our custody…the piece of the puzzle he cannot complete…for all we know, he needs 5 of these Lake Children, but if even a single one is missing…well…that’s a lot of time in our hands, detective” she said as Kade nods, looking to over Silvia as he tilts his head. “Silvia…is this all true?” he asks as she nods without a second thought, and before Kade could continue, she spoke up. “I…t-trust you…sir…” she said as he nodded with a big smile. “But of course. And what of more names…my name is Kade Wonder, detective extraordinaire, and please, do just call me Kade~” he said as she giggles a little bit, and then one more giggle came from the hallway as he looks over, and who else could it be…
Celeste watched the 3 as she waves a bit, holding a cup of what seemed to be warm milk. “Hello, hello, darlings. Tell me, Kade, who’s these two cuties you’ve got in your office today?” she asked teasingly as Kade responded just as dramatically. “But of course, mother. The sour-faced lady we have here is Sugar, and the little Silver Wanderer is but only the truest Silvia…last name pending~” he said as Celeste nodded. “You’re growing up so fast, already…hello, you two, you may know me as…Celeste Vuur, a pleasure to meet two adorable little ladies~” she said as Sugar nods, standing up and putting out a hand for a handshake as Celeste accepts. “You seem more reasonable than your son already,” Sugar said as Kade’s expression changed to annoyance.
“I’M RIGHT HERE YOU KN-”
And Silvia got up as well, which distracted Kade, as she approached Celeste, and then she would…hug her so suddenly as Celeste giggled. “My, my, I feel like a grandma already…and please, Kade is as reasonable as me, just a bit more modern reasonable compared to me”
Sugar sighs as she walks out of the way down the hallway. "If you say so, ma'am…we'll continue this tomorrow, Kade, you have a guest to attend to" she said, her voice echoing down the hall as she kept walking, reaching the elevator as it opens up for her almost instinctively before it closes behind her.
Celeste would pat Silvia on the head as she looked over at Kade with her usual menacing smile, her eyes shining a little.
"She hadn't told a single lie, white or black, what an honest girl you've found~" Celeste said as Kade sighs in annoyance. "I was hoping she told a lie but…well, you are the very best with people…and now we are babysitters for a bad guy's kid…why am I used to this already? This is not normal at all! What the fu-"
"Language~"
"Sorry, ahem…What the heck!" he corrects himself, laying onto the bed before immediately getting back up. "Remind me to switch my bed sheets…and ask Lizzy if she is up for babysitting duties, if not, can you watch her please? I'm a busy boy" he asked as Celeste nodded, kneeling down to Silvia's height as she pats her more. "Adorable little one, I would be happy to take care of her if Lizzy can't. After all, I took care of rowdier kids in my youth~"
"Mooooom"
"I speak only truth, Kade, and you know that~"
“It’s such a tragedy that I’ve picked up your eyes, hmph” he said, dramatically of course, as Silvia let's go back to Kade, looking up to him, her eyes losing that blue hue again before returning as she nods. “I…T-They wanted me to find you…They said…you are…the Wrong Man…” she said quietly as Kade tilted his head. “I think you might be sleepy, my dear, we can talk later today, okay?” he said as she nodded, Kade wondering to himself as Silvia climbed onto his bed behind his back.
“So…where will she sleep? I don’t know if I move or snore but I rather not surprise the little girl, so maybe…yours? Or should we get the inflatable mattress for myself or something? Or her? I’m not good at this, mom” he wondered as Celeste watched Silvia close her eyes on the bed, covering herself in the big blanket as she let herself rest…even despite the bed being a bit wet from her swimming.
“I think our little guest has decided already, a bit unfortunate, I came here because I was given this cup by Lizzy for her” she points to his bed as he looks over, seeing Silvia taking a nap as he looks back at Celeste, shrugging with a nervous smile as she drank the warm milk herself “Let me take care of her and you can go watch that video the police finally got…It’s in my room, waiting for your prying eyes, Kade~” she said as he immediately nodded. “Oh! But of course, I almost forgot that! Okay, okay, do be gentler, unlike her, she doesn’t seem rowdy this time, okay? Thank you, goodbye!” Kade leaves the room quickly, going down the hallway as his voice echoes down. “Oh! Hello, Hiss! Please be nice to our little guest!” he said, a meow response, as you expect of a cat, as Hiss enters his room, seeing Celeste and Silvia as she walks to them, jumping onto the bed as she looks at Celeste.
“Something exciting shall be happening for my son, Hiss…sooner or later, it is happening, hehe…” she said quietly as Hiss nodded, resting down next to Silvia as Celeste pats her.
“Sooner…or later…”
-
Kade was already getting things prepared, lowering the lights in the room, shooing the other two cats, Scritch and Juice, out of her room as he made sure everything was perfectly…quiet.
And he began to watch the video. It begins somewhere familiar, a run down park, as a woman approaches the lake. He couldn’t see her well but he could see a few details. Clean outfit, curly hair, a bow tie…maybe? Could be a normal tie. She looked around, the footage stuttering a bit as she was seen walking onto the water before she began to sink into it in a slow manner, and then…the familiar sound. Lightning strikes the lake as she disappears, and then a few minutes later, a man, Korpse #2 ‘Mark Whitelace’, swam up from the bottom of the lake as he looked around in a panic, electricity sparks around his outfit and the lake as he tried to yell for help, and someone…no, something, did come to his aid. Something trying to look humanoid approaches him, Mark backing away from the thing as he tries to run from it, and then immediately, the footage stutters…and then it comes back to normal, showing the man on the ground, dead, the top of his head missing, and whatever was inside there gone as well, the same woman now just about walking away from the lake, holding a head as other machine creatures came by, picking up the brainless Korpse, dragging it away. And then the perspective changes, now the footage is showing a different, still worn down park as the machines carrying the Korpse arrives, throwing it into the lake as it slowly sinks to the bottom, and before it could reach it, another lighting strike causes it to disappear as these creatures disappear into the shadows…and then the footage was over.
“Somehow, I am not too surprised…It has been hours and it feels like the world is as it should be…good lord…god, how is Imamu handling this? And the rest? What…Huh, how, when, why, who, WHO???” Kade was so confused as he sighs, deciding to rewatch the video, taking in details.
First, the first park, it WAS familiar, he just had a dream moment in it, something was really up, and the second park was unfamiliar, yet…something bothered him. About the woman, the human pretending to be human, those…machine things? What were they? Not normal at all, are these Living Machines as Sugar explained to him? Was that woman and man thing a Living Angel? It seems like, the command they ask for without saying a word, it was…
His train of thought was distracted by knocking on the door as he got up, immediate curiosity went to his mind, approaching the door as he opened it up, but…no one was there except a letter on the ground as he picked it up, opening it as he read it to himself.
“To…the man…who reads this…meet me at…” he squints his eyes as he talked to himself “This handwriting is awful...ahem…’meet me at Frostbite Lake’ hm, okay, mysterious writers, but I’m bringing a gun, hmph” and behind him he hears giggling, turning around to see someone grab the tablet with the video footage as he shouts. “Hey!” They quickly take the tablet as they climb down the side of the building, running away quickly as Kade shouts. “THIS IS INTERFERENCE WITH POLICE WORK, KID-” and they were gone already, he sees that everyone else down the road and shops have been looking over at some street performer in a yellow hoodie as he quickly got out Celeste’s room, running down the hall and stairs until he got out of the building, seeing the short person in a blue hoodie, likely a kid, make off with the tablet as he gives chase. “I’M NOT GOOD WITH KIDS, DAMNIT”
And the chase went on for a while, all the way to Frostbite Park, as the kid jumps over the police tape line effortlessly as Kade jumps over it as well, not as effortlessly, but still effectively, as he…lost sight of them in the forest that was the Frostbite Park. “I’m…I…I lost to a kid…if anyone says this to me, I’ll just cry on the spot” he said, out of breath, as he kept looking around, not taking out his gun now knowing his mischievous trouble makers are kids as he sighs, now looking around as the same shadowy figure jumps up and around him, like the last time when he found the tape and security camera…who is this kid? And kids, in general…” he said to himself as the whispers returned again in his head…but now they were clear.
"The path of nostalgia is…besides you…” he looks to his right, seeing a huge claw mark on a tree, with a letter stuck onto said tree with a dagger, the same sense of curiosity flushes over his mind. He puts on some extra gloves he had stuffed into his pocket, which wasn’t too sanitary but let him have this moment, as he picks up the dagger. It was an interesting design, a dagger toothed like a shark’s bite, and then he reads the letter.
“‘Sorry about the video, but we want you to see all of it yourself! We have taken what remaining video the police had, come to The World Below, detective, we need you! Signed, The Butcher Kids…’ what a…group name, huh…The World Below…there’s that name again…I wonder if Sugar knows of them…” he pondered to himself as more giggles echoed around him. Curious people have shown up. A woman who knows of destined paths. A child of great importance to a terrible plan yet unknown. A group of kids who know more than Kade does. And dammit, he will try to be in the know. Who is Sugar? Why is Silvia so important? Who told her these destinies? And who gave these kids these instructions?
Why is Kade ‘The Wrong Man’? When is the ‘right' time? Where is the ‘right’ place?
Why is it all so familiar?