Chapter Text
It was a normal day at the video store in Sixth Street, two siblings, Belle and Wise, going about their business preparing the store before the morning opening. Wise was carrying some video tapes, while Belle was resting on their couch in their backroom, her eyes closed as she listened to music.
One of their bangboo, Eous, was wandering around on the floor, when the TV suddenly flickered from the channel it was on. Before Eous had time to get the attention of Belle however, the TV screen started glowing white, and in a flash enveloped the residents before disappearing.
In other areas of New Eridu, as well as some areas in Blazewood, similar lights flashed, leaving confused citizens and worried friends and acquaintances as people they knew disappeared.
In another place, similar to a theater, white lights also flashed, dropping the people that had been taken in this new place.
Some of them, soldiers and the like, reacted quickly and managed to land on their feet. Belle and Wise however, as store owners, could not react quickly enough, and with a scream dropped hard on the ground.
“Ow…” Belle rubbed her waist as she sat up, looking to her side to see her older brother Wise beside her, also sitting up, but rubbing his head instead.
“You alright, Wise?” She asked, and he looked towards her. “Yeah, I’m fine. Are you hurt?”
“No, only a bit sore.” She responded, while she climbed to her feet. Together, they looked around to see where they were, confused as they found themselves in a theater room together with many unfamiliar people, though they also spotted a few acquaintances in the Cunning Hares trio.
To the front of the room, a voice cut sharply through the air, bringing everyone in the room to look at them. A smartly dressed woman with long pink hair, and glasses stood there, an emblem on her clothes bringing attention to the fact she was a member of H.A.N.D.
“My name is Tsukishiro Yanagi, the Deputy Chief of Hollow Special Operations Section 6,” Her voice was steady despite their uncertain circumstances, and the room allowed her to speak uninterrupted, “Please remain calm as we will do our best to protect you should the need arise.”
Wise, who tended to worry most about sudden problems, though had a better poker face than his sister, found himself calming at the same time the voices and chaos of the room did, and started looking around with critical eyes, quickly scanning their surroundings for anything of note.
Quick thinking and sharp eyes trained by years as one part of the Legendary Proxy Phaeton, he caught a slip of white on a small table at the side of the room. While everyone’s attention was focused on Deputy Chief Tsukishiro, he quickly slipped towards it, his sister Belle averting her attention as she watched him go.
As he picked up what revealed itself to be a small piece of paper, he scanned through it, absorbing the information as he went. Unwilling to bring a lot of attention to himself and his sister, he located Nicole in the crowd, and luckily for him, he found her relatively close. With a few careful movements, he went closer and slipped the note into her hand.
He retreated back to Belle, and watched as Nicole read through the note, giving a few hums every so often, "Hey!” She yelled out, bringing the attention from Deputy Chief Tsukishiro to her. “There’s a note explaining why we’re here, and how to get out, so listen up!”
“You all have an important part to play in the future and have thus been chosen to watch it, to prevent unnecessary deaths and tragedies. To leave, all you have to do is finish watching what will be shown, and to avoid hurting each other, no matter what you see and learn.”
Chaos erupted again as everyone started speaking to each other in one go, but once again a cleared throat calmed everyone down. Deputy Chief Tsukishiro was once again the center of the room, and she bore it with a calm and confident grace. “If we are to stay here for the foreseeable future, I believe it would be best to introduce ourselves properly. Since I have already begun, I believe my squad can go first.”
“Once again, I am Tsukishiro Yanagi, the deputy chief of Hollow Special Operations Section 6, please feel free to call me Yanagi if we are to be here for a while.” She pushed up her glasses.
The next to speak was a fox thiren with tall black ears and a katana strapped to her waist, “Hoshimi Miyabi. Chief of Section 6. Void Hunter.”
“Ooh, ooh. Me next, me next!” A short blue oni girl spoke next, a hand waving in the air in her excitement. “Soukaku here. An ex-uh…ex-cu-sive officer of Section 6!”
“The word you’re looking for is executive.” Yanagi corrected gently.
“Yeah, that word! Hehe!” Soukaku gave a short laugh and scratched her cheek.
“Is it my turn then? Aihsh, my name is Asaba Harumasa, also an Executive Officer of Section 6. If it’s not anything life threatening, please don’t make me work overtime.” A man with yellow eyes, a black choker and two blades strapped to his back spoke next, eyes lidded in a closed smile.
A woman in a Public Security uniform stepped up, “Please allow us to go next. My name is Zhu Yuan, and I am a member of the Criminal Investigation Special Response Team. Please remain calm as we will do our best to protect everyone together with Section 6.”
“I am Qingyi, also a member of the Criminal Investigation Special Response Team, and an automaton.” A short girl with dark green twin pigtails introduced herself next, voice deadpan.
“Seth Lowell here! A pleasure to meet everyone. I am a rookie officer of the Special Response Team under Zhu Yuan. ” A lively lynx thiren with a swishing tail and flickering ears went next.
After him, a rat thiren with a long tail ending in a dagger, and hands in holds coming from her jacket introduced herself, “Jane Doe. A criminal behaviour specialist. I work as a consultant for the Special Response Team under Public Security.”
Wise watched as Nicole went next, confident as always. “I am Nicole Demara, leader of the Cunning Hares odd job agency, and these are my dear underlings.” She gestured towards Anby and Billy. “Whatever the task, pay the fee and we’ll definitely complete it to your satisfaction.”
“Anby.” A small woman with short, silver hair and a blade fastened to her back gave a short nod, then she was done.
“I am Billy Kid! A defender of the innocent and helpless! A member of the Starlight Knights!” As was usual, Billy introduced himself with flair and words of his beloved Starlight Knight series.
“He does know they’re not real, right?” A mocking tone rose from the back of the room, another cat thiren emerging, this one with orange fur and a large, fluffy tail swishing lazily behind her.
Nicole gave a small glare, “He does. Not that it’s any of your business. Who are you supposed to be anyways?”
The thiren gave a low laugh, “Hahaha! The name’s Pulchra Fellini. A mercenary in the Outer Ring. Currently under the employ of The Vanquishers.”
A new group stepped up and managed to divert the attention away from the argument currently building in the room. It was a rather tall wolf thiren in a pressed white shirt and black vest, alongside a few other individuals in maid dresses. “I am Von Lycaon, the leader and a butler of Victoria Housekeeping Company.”
A woman with long grey hair and a maid dress went next,floating softly above the ground . “My name is Alexandrina Sebastiane, but please call me Rina for simplicity's sake. I am the head maid of Victoria Housekeeping.”
Next, a slight, blushing girl with light green hair and a big chainsaw introduced herself, stuttering as she bowed sharply, “M-my name is C-Corin Wickes. P-Please take care of m-me.”
The newly introduced Corin then poked carefully at her companion, a shark thiren who had fallen asleep beside her. “Huh?” She looked around, then spoke slowly. “Ellen Joe. I work part time at Victoria,” She made a big yawn. “Housekeeping.”
A group in work clothes stepped forward next, a tiny girl with dazzling red hair and an eye patch beginning, “My name is Koleda Belobog, the president of Belobog Heavy Industries.”
A woman with goggles and a heavily modified nail gun went next, “I am Grace Howard, the Lead Tech of Belobog Industries.”
Next went a man with spiky brown hair with red highlights, “Anton Ivanov, a manager in Belobog Heavy Industries, and my bro!” He lifted his hand, gesturing to the jackhammer on it.
A giant bear thiren with a large scar over one of his eyes introduced himself next, voice deceptively low and calm compared to his size and appearance. “I am Ben Bigger, the Head of Finance of Belobog Heavy Industries.”
“Ooh! With that look, you should be Head of Construction instead.” A light blond girl with pigtails and glasses on her head was leaning closer excitedly with a sparkle in her eye. “I would love to help out someday, burning everything down in magnificent flames. Ah… What a nice image!” She gave a dreamy sigh. “Name’s Burnice White by the way, a mixologist with The Sons of Calydon.”
“Hmpfh! Don’t give us a bad reputation. We’re not all like you- you, you pyromaniac!” A small girl with similar light blond hair, arms crossed, spiked helmet perched on her head and a boar mask around her neck. ”My name is Luciana Auxesis Theodoro de Montefio, but please call me Lucy. I am the business manager as well as the boar manager of the Sons of Calydon.”
“Hahaha!” A tall woman with long grey hair, and the word King emblazoned across her chest laughed heartily. “Don’t be so dour, Lucy! Let Burnice have her fun; you know how she is.” She smiled strongly, teeth on display. “Caesar King here-the leader of the Sons of Calydon. We’re a biker gang out in the Outer Ring.”
“The name’s Lighter-undefeated Champion of the Sons of Calydon.” A tall man stepped forward, dark glasses covering his eyes and a long red scarf trailing dramatically behind him.
A third girl with blond hair went after him, heavy eyebags under her half-lidded eyes. “Oh, lil’ ol’ me is next? Piper Wheel here, an old truck driver for the Sons of Calydon.” She gave a lazy wave.
A cat thiren with tall ears and twin tails, who up to this point had been standing alone quietly, went after them. “Nekomiya Mana, but you can call me Nekomata~.” She brought her hands up in the air, both curled up in a playful manner.
After her went a fashionable lady in dark shaded glasses, and as she took them off, Wise managed to recognise her as Astra Yao, a famous singer in New Eridu, who both he and his sister Belle were fans of. He glanced at Belle who was practically vibrating with excitement beside him as she recognised Astra as well.
“I am Astra Yao, a singer in New Eridu.” She said with a bright smile.” It’s a great pleasure to meet potential fans.” She gave a graceful wave.
Another woman with a large jacket over her shoulders and blond hair in a tight updo went next, “I am Evelyn Chevalier, Astra Yao’s manager.”
“I am Hugo Vlad, merely an inconsequential collector running an art gallery.” He was a tall, elegantly dressed man, suited for his profession, long blond hair in a loose ponytail at his neck.
After him, a young woman with pale lilac hair and an elegant demeanor introduced herself. “Vivian Banshee. I lead an intelligence network and dabble in the arts much like Hugo here.” She twirled the parasol behind her head once with effortless grace, a small smile playing on her lips as if she knew something they were left out of.
The last two remaining members in the room were Wise and Belle, who by now had no choice but to introduce themselves. “My name is Wise, and this is my sister.”
“Hello, my name is Belle!” She waved cheekily to the room from beside him as he continued, “We’re the owners of Random Play, a video store on Sixth Street.”
Before they had time to continue chatting and discussing their situation, the big screen in front lit up and a projection started rolling.
Quieting down, they all sat down in seats, mostly keeping to their own groups.
Wise and Belle ended up near Nicole, Anby and Billy, the three having found and sat down beside them, just in case anything nefarious was going on so they could protect the siblings.