I'm Getting Answers, Buddy

"Answers." Junichi asked as he picked himself up off the floor. He slowly paced around the room, making sure not to break eye contact with the teenager he was stuck with. "What kind of answers would you be thinking about, exactly?"

"Who are you working with?" Allan asked, breaking out of his fighting stance, switching to an accusatory one and pointing his finger straight at him.

"We work for ourselves." Junichi replied calmly.

"So what, the government?"

"We do not work for the government." Junichi denied with a slight head shake.

"The Mackleese? You gathering foreign intelligence?"

"I do not know what that means." Junichi replied.

"Dammit, I know you're hiding something!"

Allan threw a punch, which was met by Junichi's palm. The palm turned to a fist which in return, landed a punch on Allan. The punch to the stomach felt harder than any other punch he'd received, and he fell to his knees.

"We aren't hiding anything." Junichi said casually, shaking the hand he used to land the punch. "I was like you before I became a god. A man who only believed whatever was in front of me, no time for superstitions, just trying to make a living and driving myself mad with nothing else to dedicate myself to."

"You think I'm like that!?" Allan yelled, sinking underground. The earth around him was like mud, a slightly gooey substance we could swim through with little issue. And above him, he could sense Junichi, and the faint footsteps of the others outside. He popped a hand out around Junichi's leg, pulling him downwards. When he felt him hit the floor, he emerged from the ground, seeing a mildly disturbed face before he stomped down.

"I refuse to just 'accept' any truth you lay before me, okay?" He screamed. "I know there's something you aren't telling me, so I'm gonna ask again. Where did you come from?!"

"Another universe." Junichi replied with a casual smile.

Allan let out another primal roar of frustration, stomping his foot down on Junichi's neck. Junichi flashed his open palm above it, absorbing the impact and releasing it onto him. Allan hit the filing cabinet in front of the door, trying to stifle his scream while Junichi got up. He knocked over the cabinet, flinging the door open and letting the others in. Gabriela, Janet, Latrell, and Leon were all in front, waiting for their time to strike.

Gabriela jumped in immediately, and Junichi threw a hand up once again. But just before the moment of impact, she faded into the air. Junichi had a flash of shock over his face for a brief second, which stayed as the real Gabriela went in for a punch. He quickly shifted his hand to his stomach, barely catching the punch and sending her across the room, as Latrell noticed his smile waver. He followed after her, rushing past everyone else into the warehouse. Leon stretched his arm out, sending the hook out, which automatically latched to the back of Junichi's suit, stopping him in his tracks. He arched his back, and Leon released the hook as soon as that happened. The shock still hit his arm, causing it to jerk backwards, but that was it. But in that time, Latrell leapt over his shoulders and kicked Junichi in the head, causing him to fall down the stairs. Tedros ran towards Junichi, placing a spot at his leg and another by the left side of his head. But before he could get to the right side, his hand was grabbed. Junichi slammed his hand into the ground, causing the triangle to burst before the staircase, stopping just shy of Janet. Leon immediately sent his hand forward, the hook quickly latching around the glowing triangle. He easily uprooted it, throwing it forward at Junichi. Junichi threw Tedros in front of it and ducked out of the way. Tedros desperately slapped the pyramid, and it dissipated instantly. Janet fired a bullet at Junichi without saying a word. Junichi turned around after the sound of the gunshot, looking just as the bullet was lodged in his head.

He fell back, and the room fell silent. Everyone looked at Janet as she placed her gun back in a makeshift holster, and then back to Junichi. His body twitched, and his body shot upwards, his face in a dead neutral expression. Gabriela stepped forward, and Latrell stopped her. Leon activated his telekinesis, just in case Allan tried anything. Junichi stood up. He didn't say anything, but even from the distance they were at they could see his rhythm was interrupted. His breathing was heavier, more erratic. Something was clearly, deeply, wrong.

He reached into his breast pocket, the one on his shirt his suit was covering. He took out a small switchblade, revealing the blade with a flick of his wrist.

"Okay. We may have to end this a little quicker." Was all he said. Any jovial attitude he had was gone. His eyes quickly shifted targets. He looked at Blair, running to her while she flipped through her notebook. But just as the edge of the knife was about to penetrate her, he took a step back, pivoting to Latrell.

Latrell quickly scanned the environment. The only thing preventing her from being stabbed was unfortunately to push someone else in front of her. Only question was who to push in front. And the only option seemed to be Leon.

"Think fast!" She yelled, pushing Leon to the forefront of the knife. Leon tried getting the hook out, but couldn't connect it to the knife in time, and the knife was plunged into his midsection.

"Fuck!" Leon screamed. In that moment, the hook retreated into him. But the retraction created a shockwave within his hand that quickly formed into a blast. One that send Junichi flying back. Junichi barely clutched the knife as he got up.

"Well, if I kill you." He started, staring at Leon. Allan was trying to help him up, putting his hand in front of the wound in order to stop the bleeding. Junichi leapt forward, getting stopped by a copy from Gabriela kicking him in the head, and Janet had her gun focused. Only the barrel seemed to be slightly above him. Regardless, he looked into his only option. He turned around and ran back to the entrance, ducking before Janet fired a shot, which she did. He ducked and scrambled back up, allowing Janet to empty the barrel without hitting anything, and he reached his destination.

Ivan.

Still unconscious, and most importantly, unable to fight back. Without a second of hesitation, Junichi plunged the knife into his neck. His eyes bulged open, and blood was coughed up. After his body seized up for a few seconds, Ivan fell once again.

"And Ivan Thornton is dead!" The voice rang out. "And unfortunately, that means the players have lost this round!"

Tedros ran anyway, his fist bouncing off the shield that spawned between him and Junichi, who fell into a pillar of light. The windows cleared up, and the survivors were free to leave.

As soon as they were out, Blair threw up. She looked to the remaining players, gave a half hearted wave goodbye, and left.

Latrell and Gabriela were carrying Leon's body with Allan tried keeping the blood inside. Janet called an ambulance, which quickly arrived. Janet quickly hopped in the back alongside Leon, taking her wallet out of her trenchcoat, leaving the others alone. Without much of a word, the four of them went their separate ways.

Allan was about to go back to his house, when he saw a figure across the street from him. He looked bulky, and seemed to be staring at him until he stared back, then his gaze shifted to something else.

"Hey!" Allan yelled. "Haven't seen you here before, you just move in?"

The figure's head shifted, almost as if they were looking for a smooth exit. Allan burrowed underground, dragging the man to the ground as he emerged.

It was as he expected. Baggy clothes that probably concealed a bulletproof vest. Bulge at the side of the hip that concealed some kind of gun. This was an undercover cop if he ever saw one. He heard something from a nearby bush. As he looked inside, another cop. Backup was not something he wanted to deal with, so he tunnelled back home. Once he was back in his room, the guys on the forums were updated instantly, and Leon was sent a text.

So the feds were involved. But the question was, to what extent? First thing tomorrow, he'll be investigating further.