Chapter 3

Hideyoshi slowly began to wake up, looking down at Hinata who was cuddled as close as possible to his chest. His arms were wrapped around her as he looked around, his eyes struggling to open.

Due to the weather, it was always impossible to tell whenever it was day or night. Nobody had one schedule to follow. People only slept whenever they felt tired, then went out whenever they wanted. Stores were always open, time being so hard to keep track of.

Hideyoshi sighed and rubbed his eyes with one hand, keeping the other arm wrapped around his little sister.

He stared at the ceiling in silence, beginning to wake up more and more while he could tell she would be out cold for a long time. He very carefully and slowly pulled his arm out from under her, making sure she didn’t get moved too much before he walked silently across the cold and hard floor.

He made it to the living room, which was full of mismatched furniture. A couch that had been cut in half, stitched together with the other half of another couch.

The walls were covered in paintings, all of them nothing more than shapes and lines that created complex canvases of madness. Nothing was obvious, the story nearly impossible to find.

Hideyoshi went to the small kitchen, which had nothing more than a sleek black fridge. He tapped on it, which suddenly illuminated with a screen that showed hundreds of different options for food and drink. He swiped through to look through them, finally selecting a bottle of apple juice.

The display turned off before he gripped the handle, opening it to show the fridge had nothing more than the bottle of juice he selected.

He grabbed it and shut the door forcefully, yet it slowed itself down and closed softly. He opened the bottle and drank straight from it, waving his hand over the counter until a small holographic display came up. He put his hand on a circle, twisting his wrist clockwise as the room suddenly filled with light that got brighter and brighter the more he turned his wrist.

He walked away, the display disappearing before he sat on the couch. He waved his hand, a television appearing in the wall that began to play the one and only channel people were given. A news station, with a beautiful looking young woman and another handsome middle aged man sitting behind a desk. News stories in the new Japanese alphabet raced by the bottom as they spoke, Hideysohi barely paying attention. He looked over at the bedroom door, making sure that Hinata was still sleeping. He reached in between the couch cushions, reaching where they were messily fused together before pulling out a small bag of neon purple liquid.

He tapped away on his gauntlet, which didn’t have a single icon on it. It was a blank, black screen. He slid over to the side, showing a single icon that was barely visible. He tapped it, the screen itself opening up to reveal a small petri dish sitting out. Hideyoshi opened the small bag and let a single drop of the thick liquid out, which moved with the consistency of cold honey.

It went into the dish and the screen closed up over it.

Hideyoshi sat for a few seconds, closing the bag and putting it back in place when his body suddenly went stiff.

The gauntlet was injecting the liquid straight into his veins, everything starting to become fuzzy and blurry as he stared at the television. It went by so slow, the speech drawing out in very long and loud tones that completely became meaningless. Just rumbles and pitches shifting around.

Hideyoshi sat on the couch for who knows how long, his eyes staring up with the color slowly switching from color to color while the pupils were changing in size over and over again.

He was suddenly snapped back into soberness, the drugs not wearing off slowly but all at once.

He lunged forward, every single muscle in his body suddenly retracting and tensing up at the exact same time. He landed on the floor hard, breathing so quickly. His body was very slowly becoming more relaxed, his muscles beginning to release as his breathing kept going fast, spit shooting out onto the floor.

He grunted and sighed as his arms were finally able to move, lifting his head up to look forward at Hinata standing in the doorway, staring at him in fear.

“Hey…did I wake you?” Hideyoshi asked while he was still gritting his teeth, struggling to even get up to his knees.

“Are you okay?” She asked, rubbing her eye.

Hideyoshi sighed and nodded.

“I could really use a hug right now.” He replied, sounding so breathless and out of air.

She was hesitant, just standing and staring at him.

Hideyoshi opened his arms and had such a faded smile, his mind still nowhere near clear or fixed yet.

“Sis? Come on. Can I please have a hug?” He asked.

His gauntlet suddenly began to flash, making him look at it.

He received a message, which rapidly began to come across with the text appearing and scrolling by like it was being typed in real time.

“I have to go. Promise you’ll stay safe?” Hideyoshi asked.

Hinata barely nodded her head.

“Alright…I filled up the fridge, so have whatever you want.” He said as he slowly got to his feet, immediately falling over and loudly thudding. He sighed and got to his feet again, having to grip the wall hard as he looked over at Hinata, who was still frozen in place and staring at him.

“Please don’t go.” She said softly, just loud enough for him to hear.

“I gotta…go get some money…for us. I’ll be back soon okay?” Hideyoshi replied, still out of breath and beginning to sweat.

She barely nodded her head.

He smiled, struggling to bend down and grab his coat and mask, stepping out through the front door and almost collapsing or falling over with every single step. He shut the door, which automatically locked with five different locks.

Hinata immediately burst into tears, reaching up to cover her face and cry silently while still standing in the doorway.

Hideyoshi stumbled down flight after flight after flight of cold, steel stairs before making it to the ground floor. He threw on his trench coat, the massive anarchy symbol visible, but then he pulled out a piece of fabric and placed it over the logo. It immediately stuck to the jacket, completely covering the symbol as he put the mask around his face, put on his gloves, zipped up the coat, then threw the hood up before stepping out into the acidic rain.

He stood still for a few seconds, everything still slightly fuzzy and blurry as he felt every drop hit him. Some felt lighter than air while others felt heavier than cars.

He closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing and his heart rate, finally feeling sober and opening his eyes slowly, all of the rain drops feeling the same.

He turned and began to walk across the sidewalk, his sneakers splashing in all of the puddles as he primarily looked down.

The streets were quiet and mostly empty, the only people being homeless people wrapped tightly in multiple coats and blankets while laying on the acid-water covered ground.

Hideyoshi turned the corner and saw a tight street that was packed full of tiny stores and small restaurants. Every shop had massive tents with hundreds of umbrellas or tarps covering everything. He took of walking, having to squeeze through hundreds of people packed so tightly. He looked to the side, seeing every restaurant packed full of people. A single row of stools, a tiny counter that also acted as the kitchen, bar, and cash register, then the one person working. A thin wall, then the exact same. Restaurants packed so tight, a hundred places with each of them having unique food packed into a single block. Hideyoshi turned and saw a table covered in metal jewelry, the acidic rain had been used to create beautiful gradients and colorful patterns that made them shine so nice and beautiful. Hideyoshi quickly made his way over, picking up a necklace with metal beads, each one a unique gradient and color combination. He lifted his gauntlet up, holding his hand out. The shopkeeper reached out and firmly grabbed his hand in a handshake, the circles on their palms connecting as money quickly transferred between them.

They didn’t speak at all, only bowing to each other once the money finished moving over.

Hideyoshi put the necklace into his pocket and went back walking, looking around before spotting the location he needed.

A street over, a single building dedicated to an entire bar.

He looked back at his gauntlet to read the message again.

“Misty Canary.” Hideyoshi said to himself, reading the sign that was in the new alphabet.

He walked across the street, not a single car or vehichle to be found anywhere.

He stepped inside, looking around at the tables and booths all packed. Every bar stool was holding somebody as all of the televisions were on the same news station. Hideyoshi removed his mask, able to see more clearly while looking out at all the others without masks. He took a big deep breath in, able to smell nothing but smoke and alcohol, causing him to cough.

He walked past some booths and tables, the people all drunk beyond belief. Trying to alter their reality in any way that they can.

Hideyoshi sat in a booth, sliding in and staring forward at another person who stared back.

Two glasses of neon pink and yellow drinks sat on the table between them.

“Aww, you remembered my drink.” Hideyoshi teased.

He grabbed the one closer to him and drank from a straw, smiling as the sweet liquid filled his mouth.

“I had to repay you.” The person finally removed their mask.

“The money was enough.” Hideyshi replied.

Sitting in front of him was the very leader of the biker gang he helped.

He was a few years older than Hideyoshi, but still looked to be in his early to mid 20s.

“Yeah well, you did a good job. Other Gadian don’t do as good as you. There’s a reason you’re seen as the top.” He said, drinking from his own drink.

Hideyoshi sighed, rubbing his head.

“I know how to defeat them. They’re not as strong as people think, yet they’re scared to do anything.” Hideyoshi replied.

The man softly chuckled, looking around curiously. When he turned, the scar on the back of his neck became visible before he cleared his throat.

“I’m going to need you again.” He said.

“When?” Hideyoshi asked.

“Tonight. We’re hitting a shipment.” He replied.

“Of what?” Hideyoshi asked.

“You normally don’t ask.” He replied.

“Curiosity. Also need to know so I know what to charge.” Hideyoshi replied, taking another sip.

The man sighed and looked around again.

“Military shipment. Military grade weapons and explosives.” He leaned in and said quietly.

Hideyoshi froze and slowly looked at him.

“Are you ******* serious?” He asked.

The man leaned back and sighed, holding his hand out to keep Hideyoshi from getting too loud.

“I talked to some other Gadian. There would be a dozen of them so it’s not all on you. And this shipment is what we need. This will help us.” He said.

Hideyoshi buried his face into his hands and sighed.

“Daisuke. Do you know how strong they have gotten? They have doubled security on trains and trams. They tripled the security for boat shipments. If they have weapons being driven through the streets, you aren’t getting within a hundred blocks. They will check every single home and have guards on standby. We can’t do this.” Hideyoshi said.

Daisuke sighed.

“If I didn’t trust you…I wouldn’t ask.” He said.

Hideyoshi shook his head, grabbing his mask and beginning to slide across the booth, but Daisuke slipped a napkin to him. Hideyoshi grabbed it and read it, his eyes going wide.

“Is this how much it’s worth?” Hideyoshi asked.

“It’s how much you’re getting paid.” Daisuke replied.

Hideyoshi turned to look at him, confused and shocked.

“All of us? Like we get a split of this.”

Daisuke slid over, lifting up his mask and smirking.

“Each.” He replied, standing up and walking through the bar, zipping up his coat and putting on his mask before walking through the front door.

Hideyoshi was staring deep into the napkin, reading the number over and over again, losing track of time.

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