WARNING: This chapter deals with very dark and violent themes. If you've seen the film Taken (2008), you know what to expect. Read at your own risk. This fanfic is intended for 18+ audiences only.
Chapter 37
A day later.
Letho got off the plane, cleared customs, and, as usual, was selected for a 'random' inspection. Of course, as soon as he showed his Pro Hero license, he was immediately released. He knew that journalists were waiting for him at the main exit, so he exited through one of the airport staff exits....
He stopped when he sensed the presence of a certain UA teacher.
"There's no point in hiding, Eraserhead... I can hear your heartbeat."
It was evening, and despite the warm weather, Aizawa shivered. He emerged from the shadows of the alley. His scarf covered his mouth. His eyes were dark from a sleepless night.
"Where is my son, Viper?"
Letho replied, betraying no emotion.
"He's doing what he's trained for his entire life. He hunts... he kills monsters."
Aizawa clenched his fists. His eyes flashed red.
"He's killing people! This isn't justice, this is slaughter! You've turned my son into a murderer!"
Letho stepped forward, his voice turning menacing.
"And what did you do to change him, Eraserhead? Did you show him fatherly love? Did you show him any interest in him, or even in what he's interested in? No. I'll tell you what you did. The moment the monsters appeared in this world, you decided to send him to fight."
Aizawa froze... He knew he had failed, but now he had to save what was salvageable... he had to save Vesemir from spending the rest of his life in prison.
"I ask for the last time... where is my son?"
Letho looked Aizawa up and down with a look of contempt.
"And what will you do to me if I don't help you? Attack me?"
Letho slowly approached Aizawa and pushed him away.
"Try it. Just remember, you won't get out of this fight alive."
Anger, sleepless nights, and hatred are a dangerous combination. Even for a calm man like Aizawa, it can prove fatal... and so it was this time.
Aizawa leaped into the air, using his scarf to grab onto the lamp above him. He kicked Letho's chin, but Letho not only blocked the blow but also delivered a punch to his lower abdomen with inhuman speed.
Letho prevented Aizawa from escaping upwards. He grabbed his leg with his left hand. With his other hand, he made a gesture that meant only one thing.
*AARD*
A powerful wave of witcher magic energy struck Aizawa in the chest. Letho released his leg at the same moment. Eraserhead flew straight into the concrete wall. Both blows were so powerful that he began coughing blood, struggling for air. His ribs were broken... he didn't know how many.
His scarf fell to the ground, letting go of the lamp. Letho approached him calmly. Aizawa heard the sound of a dagger being drawn from the sheath on Letho's chest.
Viper grabbed him by the hair, forcing him to expose his throat. He held the dagger against him. Blood gushed... not much, but it was only a warning. One wrong move, and Aizawa would die.
Aizawa slowly calmed his breathing. He foolishly thought he had the ability to defeat someone whose quirk couldn't erase... because it wasn't a quirk... His abilities were the same as Vesemir's... even better, considering the advantage in experience.
Now he knew he'd never stood a chance from the start.
Letho looked Aizawa straight in the eye.
"You were never his father, and you never will be. I'll do anything to free him from your power. You're just a useless sperm sack that somehow created 50% Vesemir. Luckily, he got the other 50% from his mother."
"I...I will never...let...you..."
"You won't let what? Do you think your opinion is worth anything? I'll tell you how it's going to go. Vesemir and I are the ONLY people in this world who can kill monsters effectively. The monsters from our world have arrived here. For now, they're in Japan itself, but I'm sure the US government will do everything to get me back to America. My condition will be their help in taking Vesemir with me. Who do you think has a better chance?"
"You... son of a bitch. You want to use him."
Letho shook his head slowly.
"No, Aizawa. You want to enslave Vesemir. I'll make sure he can spread his wings and do what he wants, and Vesemir wants to protect the innocent."
"I want...to protect him..."
"He needs to be protected from you. He's not a child of this world. He's seen more than he'll ever tell you."
Letho thought for a moment... The dagger's blade remained motionless at Aizawa's throat.
"You know what? I won't kill you. Not today, and not here. I'll let Vesemir decide your fate."
Immediately after these words, he grabbed Eraserhead with his free hand and slammed his head against the wall, knocking him unconscious. He took his wallet and pulled out his pro hero license. He threw the document into a drain and called airport security, claiming he'd been attacked by an unknown villain.
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Vesemir was in his hideout. He was checking his weapons and examining the technical condition of his Kawasaki. Earlier, he had connected a device to the laptop he had taken with him that would allow him to read its contents, or at least that's what one of Letho's contacts had told him.
The technology of this world was still something new to him. Fortunately, most of the devices he used were easy to use.
The data files on the laptop were encrypted. Vesemir understood the concept of using electronic tools instead of simply paper. You could copy all of Triss's books onto this device and still have room.
The strange device began flashing green. This meant the job had been successfully completed.
Vesemir sat down in his chair and began reviewing the information... and after a few minutes, he understood why no one was pursuing these bandits... because they were above the law.
What Vesemir had was a list of local judges, politicians, and the head of the local police district. They took bribes in more than just money. Some of them were attracted to young women like the ones in the warehouse at the port.
It wasn't just about sex. These were scoundrels who delighted in inflicting pain and death. The girls died in agony, without hope of rescue.
He calmly walked to the board and wrote down eight names. Eight monsters would pay for their crimes with their lives. But first, he had to save the innocent from the ship.
Blood will be shed again tonight.
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Yui and Nejire sat in Vesemir's room, searching for any trace of... a letter, a journal... anything... but they found nothing. Nejire stared at the image of several knights in the stream. She was afraid of what Vesemir might do... afraid of what he had already done... but she didn't consider him a villain....
Yui slowly rose from her chair and said,
"As soon as Viper Sensei returns... we have to force him to talk."
"Do you think he knows where Vesemir is?"
"I'm sure of it. They're both witchers. Vesemir is... new to our world. It's impossible for him to cope so well without outside help... and the only sensible choice for Vesemir is Viper Sensei."
"Yui... how are we supposed to force him?"
Yui shook her head.
"Not force him, but convince him."
Nejire began to pace nervously from wall to wall. Yui remained calm... or at least tried to hide her pain after Vesemir disappeared.
"Nejire-sempai... we have to tell Viper Sensei the truth... we both love Vesemir, and that's a fact."
Nejire suddenly stopped, looked at Yui, and nodded.
"Why does he have to be like this, Yui? Why does he have to keep forcing himself to be alone?"
Yui stood up and walked over to Nejire. They both hugged each other.
"I don't know... Vesemir has problems he doesn't talk about... I failed him. I should have been more careful..."
"No, Yui... don't say that... it's not your fault."
Nejire felt her shirt begin to dampen where Yui had buried her head.
"Hey...don't cry...everything will be alright..."
Yui pulled away slightly, wiping her tears with her sleeve. She whispered in a trembling voice.
"I'm scared..."
"Me too, Yui...me too...but we'll find him...I promise."
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Nezu and Midnight were sitting in the office, eavesdropping on the girls' conversations.
"I feel bad about eavesdropping on my niece's conversation, Nezu..."
The director took a sip of tea.
"I understand your objection to this, but we need to find Vesemir before he causes more trouble. You saw the effect of his... actions in the warehouse."
It wasn't a question, but a statement. Despite this, Midnight nodded. She arrived at the scene about five minutes after the chase. She took care of the girls and personally drove them all to the hospital, where she never left their side. They are all currently in the same ward.
Midnight was horrified not only by what Vesemir had done, but also by the fact that no one knew about the kidnappings, and judging by the look of the warehouse, it must have been a large-scale operation....
"I just don't understand how no one knew anything, Nezu..."
"I suspect someone knew, Midnight... someone had to know."
Nemuri narrowed her eyes menacingly.
"Are you suggesting... that someone was taking bribes?"
"No. I'm suggesting that someone is still taking bribes."
"Why do you think that?"
"Because Vesemir hasn't returned to us yet."
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The sun was slowly setting below the horizon. Letho entered the hangar as if it were his own and, passing the black motorcycle, sat down on the couch.
"You managed to extract some interesting information."
He spoke loudly enough for the meditating Vesemir to hear. The smell of fresh potions hung in the air.
"I'll need more information about these people. Home addresses, what their routine is..."
Letho nodded.
"All in good time. Are you attacking that ship 'Saru' tonight?"
"That's the plan."
"How do you plan to approach this hunt?"
Vesemir rose from his knees and turned to Letho. His face remained neutral, but his eyes... were cold.
"Viper-like."
"Letho smiled gently and nodded."
"Give me a signal, and at the appropriate moment I will come with the media and we will play out the scene we wrote about."
Vesemir nodded. He went to the fridge and pulled out two cans. He tossed one at Letho. He grabbed the soda, opened it, and took a drink.
"Where did you get the beer? You're underage, after all."
"For several months, you've not only taught me how to ride a motorcycle, but also introduced me to the criminal underworld. Where do you think I can get alcohol?"
"Damn.... You're right."
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Aizawa woke up lying in bed, staring at the white ceiling. A machine beeped beside him, showing his heartbeat. He tried to scratch his unshaven chin, but his hand stopped a few inches above the bed. He was handcuffed to the metal bed frame.
A policeman rose from his chair and approached. He looked Aizawa in the eye and said,
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand your rights?"
"What?"
Aizawa said, confused. Arrested?
"I'm a pro hero... there's a license in my wallet...."
The policeman shook his head.
"No license was found in your wallet. We have your ID and driver's license."
"Check me in the database... I'm... a pro hero... Eraserhead."
"We'll check it out, but even if it's true, the prosecutor will still want to press charges against you."
"I need... a phone..."
The policeman left, taking Aizawa's wallet, refusing to fulfill his request. Fucking Viper...
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Toga Himiko sat in a metal container with other girls. She had been weighed earlier, and her captors had measured her height and body parts.
Her own parents had sold her into slavery.... She didn't know what fate awaited her.... All she was certain of was that she was on a ship....
She was hungry.... so hungry.... she tried to hold back.... she hoped she could attack one of the guards if one appeared in the container alone.... drink his blood and take over his form.... then she could free the others....
The girls huddled together. The villains had thrown them a few blankets, but it wasn't enough for such a large group.... on average, four girls to one blanket.
It was night, and despite the warm weather, it was... cold.
The container was far from quiet.... the wailing and sobbing of frightened girls could be heard, having lost hope of rescue. No pro hero would come to their aid....
Toga had been persecuted by her family her entire life... her parents hated her quirk... until finally, a week ago, a man appeared and handed her father a wad of cash right in front of her... she screamed, scratched with her nails, tried to bite... but it was no use....
All her life, no pro hero could be found to save her from this hell....
She hated her parents.... she hated pro heroes.... she hated herself....
Was she really a monster?
Why..... why.... nobody loved her?
End of Chapter 37