Monsters and children and...more monsters, oh my!

[tidesnpc]

Characters: Everyone in the Badlands fighting!
Content: The Badlands is being attacked by monsters! And children!
Setting: Various places in the Badlands, plus the Convoy itself for gunners and powder monkeys
Notes: Remember, the Convoy and the Amestris are heading for the south, while Serenity is in the Garrettstown/mountains area. However, if you

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AND SOME OF THE MONSTERS ARE HUMAN ONES

[son_of_the_lake]

[This takes place after Kaoru and Bright are retrieved, but before all the battles come to an end. Also before Before Bradley’s death.]

Hisoka and Gus Metonic left Serenity and returned to town. There was still a ruckus going on, and they had to run for it more than once. It wasn’t just the kids shooting dark energy or lightening at people. There was something gathering in the air that hadn’t been in it a few hours before, and Hisoka could not put his finger on what it was, but it was certainly ominous. It felt like the very clouds over the mountains were striving against each other. There was a dark, dangerous smoke hanging over the plains, far to the southeast, on either side of the mountains. Hisoka realized with a start that he was seeing it with the eyes of his spirit, not with the eyes in his head. To his earthly eyes, the sun was still shining, even over the mountain peaks.

Gus decided to run some errands instead of returning immediately to home base, so he tossed Hisoka the keys to the shop and told him to make himself at home. "There's food in the kitchen and ammunition in the lockboxes in the back room. Help yourself to both. I'll be back after dark."

Since it was now barely past noon, that was going to be a good while, but Hisoka felt obligated to stay and guard the store for the gunsmith. Gus had helped him carry Bright, and Hisoka meant to return the favor. Besides, Hisoka was tired. He hadn't slept in days, and he needed a quick nap in a safe place before returning to the fray.

He walked the streets to the gunsmith's shop, and looked carefully around before he darted across the road and stood on the doorstep. The shutters were closed and boards had been nailed over them, and the door was very stout and had several locks. Hisoka put his left hand into his jacket pocket, searching for the keys. His hand returned with a sprig of dried bittersweet, which must have lain forgotten in that left-hand pocket since Amicus. He stood there for a moment, staring down at those bright orange clusters of round seedpods. Bittersweet meant truth in Lake Country, just as it did everywhere else, but the Lake People gave it a second meaning. For a moment, Hisoka felt as though the ground were plunging out from under his feet, as though he had stood too close to the broken edge of the continent. He felt himself descending into dark water.

He shook his head, cradled the shotgun over his left arm, pulled the keys out of the right pocket of his jeans, and started to unlock the door. But it wasn't locked. That was odd. Oh, well, Gus's niece must have come in from the outlying settlement where she farmed. Letty had always been a little careless with locks. But it was odd that Gus hadn't mentioned that she was here.

Hisoka pushed the door open and called, "Miss Leticia? It's Hisoka Kurosaki." Then, he stepped inside.

[tidesnpc]

There was a brief flash of shadow, but other than that, there was nobody there. The room was empty and silent, with no other soul besides Hisoka himself. The only sign of past visitors were a couple boxes of ammunition, set askew.

[son_of_the_lake]

Gus would not have left a box out of place; he was a tidy man. Hisoka turned towards the shadow, swiftly.

[tidesnpc]

The shadow was gone completely, and there was nothing in front of him, other than what was to be expected in the back of the room. However, there was the soft sound of feet against the floorboard right behind him, and before he could turn around, there was cool, sharp metal at his neck and a low, feminine whisper against his ear.

"I suggest you put your gun down."

[son_of_the_lake]

A shiver ran up from the nape of Hisoka's neck to the top of his scalp.

He knew when a person meant it. He extended his left hand and carefully dropped the shotgun on top of an upended ammo box, which was beside his left knee. It was only a weapon. He was not without resources, even without it.

[tidesnpc]

"Good boy," she replied. Her tone firm and resolute, she continued, "Now, hands up, where I can see them."

[son_of_the_lake]

Hisoka raised his hands. "Is this a robbery?" he asked, softly.

[tidesnpc]

"No, no no no, I'm after something more valuable than your money and your goods," she said, with a note of amusement in her voice. "What I want is information."

[son_of_the_lake]

Hisoka was silent for a moment. The peculiar plunging-into-nothingness feeling returned with a vengeance. "What information?" he asked, quietly.

[tidesnpc]

"Whatever you know about Admiral King Bradley," she said, her voice suddenly cold.

[son_of_the_lake]

As if it had not been cold before! "What...-?"

[tidesnpc]

"You were unfortunate enough to poke your nose where it didn't belong," she explained crisply, "Enough for him to take notice. He wouldn't have mentioned you if you didn't know something, now would he?"

[son_of_the_lake]

"He...mentioned me?" said Hisoka. His mind was darting this way and that, trying to figure the angles. Why on earth was she asking him? And who was she? (Oh-oh! He thought he might know.)

[tidesnpc]

"He certainly did." Her grip on him tightened, and she continued, "So, I believe it's in your best interest to be completely honest with us. There's no use trying to slip your way out of this."

[son_of_the_lake]

The knife blade was icy cold against his neck.

"Aren't you, ah, his allies?" he asked.

[tidesnpc]

"Were," she corrected. "In case you didn't notice, he's left us high and dry. It would be ...unfortunate to let him go so easily, wouldn't you say?"