Watching the Terror Unfold

“Are you wearing contact lenses? I remember you having glasses.” Kay asked, once their drinks arrived.

“No, I still have glasses, I just didn’t need them today.” Getsurin answered, staring at his warm tea.

When paired, neither of their attire was complimenting the other. Both originate from two very different sides of Tokyo: One holding the standard for Japanese business etiquette and cultural norms, while with the other brings a form of clear rebellion and angst. Further highlighting the odd sight, the two found a traditionally quaint cafe for their choice, since Getsurin doesn't drink coffee they also serve an assortment of colorful beverages. Thankfully neither care for this contradiction, the two are full with the joys of the past.

“So, when did you learn to fight like that?” Kay asked, breaking the silence of their casual sipping.

“Would you believe me if I told you today?” Getsurin replied, then took another sip.

“Yeah, something clearly weird is going on, so why not?” She shrugged, accepting the string of oddities. “In fact, want to hear something freaky?”

“More than what happened to the plane?”

“Well, maybe not that… But when I rushed home, I was so freaked out that I tore most of my door off the hinges!” She shared eccentrically and gestured by opening a door.

“Well, I remember you being stronger than me, what’s weird about that?”

“I’m serious! I’ve never been able to lift 20 kilos! Much less ripping a metal door off!” Her voice cracked with assertion, focused on Getsurin’s straight face.

“Joking, joking… Huh, you don’t think it has anything to do with the things we picked up?”

“Why? Do you think so?” She asked, retreating to her coffee.

“I don’t know… I didn’t know Kung fu yesterday, but I do today, and the only thing that changed was this eye.” He pointed at his left eye.

More silence fell over the two, pondering the implications of what they found. Ignoring the thought, Getsurin decided to study Kay as the past was much more pleasant than the present. He wasn’t surprised with Kay’s choice of clothing, even growing up, she never showed much skin. Winter, fall, spring, or the painful heat of summer, she’d wear a long sleeve anything. He never asked why that was, since he was just a kid at the time, but unknown to him, this childhood quirk became almost a daily challenge for Kayano as she came into her early teen years.

Until something about her triggered an unusual sense. He focused at the center of her chest, but not on anything on her, something that felt like it was inside of her. The pondering expression soon caught Kay’s eye.

“Getsurin, you’re going to have to buy me more than a coffee if you keep up that stare.” Kay mocked in a flirtatious manner.

“Huh? Oh, what? No, I wasn’t doing what you think.” Getsurin spat out several words to hastily explain what he was doing.

“Whatever you sayyy.” She placed her index fingers over each cheek.

“It's true! There's something… in you, or something!” He argued.

“Oh, what is it?”

“I don’t know, like this noise, that I can see, right in the center of your chest.”

“You’re seeing sound?”

“Maybe.”

“Well, I’ll say there’s something like that with me too… But it's like hearing a smell, I guess.” She raised her hand by Getsurin’s face. “Like here, around here just all noise that I can’t hear, but I know it's there.” She gestures a wavy hand around his face.

“You can hear my eye, and I can see your little fleshy thing.” Getsurin, placed one hand over his left eye.

“That’s probably how the one guy from this morning found ya.”

“Damn, you’re probably right.” Getsurin scoffed at the likelihood.

“I think that’s how I…” As Kay spoke, she became distracted by the light rush of people running in the street. “Is something going on?” She asked as she stood up.

“I’d rather not find out.” Getsurin remarked, but Kay didn’t hesitate to exit the cafe to investigate.

Getsurin groaned and soon followed behind her, the two jogged in the opposing direction of the running crowds. As the disjointed screams of pedestrians grew, the source of the panic was nearing. Eventually stopping at the unmistakable reason for the unfiltered havoc from the crowd. The two trapped at the scene as the crowd’s reaction was clear and justified.

Underneath one of Tokyo's many city bridges: not a man, not a beast, a challenge to label. Creature? Monster? Were the only reasonable definitions they could form. Hunched over, fixated on something, the Creature was a misshapen humanoid, acting on primal instinct and desire. Glazed with a layer of crimson, pulsating bleak browns all over its ill formed skin, but most grotesque is its right arm. Blistered into an enormous size, forcing each vein to be visible, and every thread of muscle to be detailed to an unnatural degree.

Getsurin’s eyes were locked on the anomaly while Kay couldn't help but study in horror at the mural of intestinal blood that covered the streets and buildings. The quarter formed Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, scurried over to what was clearly a human corpse. Both Getsurin and Kay hadn't moved a step, now they felt as if it was impossible to move.

Viciously eviscerating what was a person the creature began to search for something that was in the body. A sudden wrenched crunch echoed intensely throughout the streets, the creature broke the ribs of the body with incredible ease.

“Getsurin, wha-what should we do?” Kay asked in a whispered panic.

“I say we run, that thing killed two people." Getsurin quickly whispered back.

“Exactly why we should do something! You know how to fight and I might have super strength!"

“Might?!”

With that low yet loud shout, the creature’s attention slowly shifted to the two. Eye similar but more deranged than the person he fought earlier. Kay and Getsurin’s faces melted with comically induced fear as the creature looked at them.

“ME!!!”

Without any warning, the creature leaped in an enraged roar towards the two with extreme velocity. The two simultaneously screamed at the growing malformed terror. In the seconds of a blink, Getsurin’s newly formed abilities kicked into action: pushing Kay out of harm's way and catapulting himself at the same time. The creature destroyed the concrete that they once stood with one violent swing from its right arm.

Sluggish to regain its balance, Kay and Getsurin got up to lock onto one another’s eyes, as if they would be able to read one another’s mind by looking at each other. Before the two could make a plan, the creature stumbled for a moment and saw that Kay was now in its line of sight.

“RUN!” Getsurin shouted with enhanced panic.

A dense cloud of smoky debris filled the air, covering Kay and the creature. Getsurin’s voice was stunted at the impossibility that the truly unthinkable is happening. Unable to form words he desperately tried to think of what to do, he wasn’t fast enough to save Kay, until…

“Getsurin!” Kay’s voice pierced the dark cloud into his mind. “Hey, Check it out!” Her voice echoed once more to him. “I stopped his attack!” The debris settled to his overwhelmed disbelief, but confused at the same time.

Feet buried into the paved ground from the destructive impact the creature threw at Kay. She was able to shield herself, unknowing that she also stopped the crazed attack.

“That's great, now counter!” Getsurin quickly shouted!

“Counter?! Wha—AH?!” Not a moment passed for Kay to think about the idea that Getsurin shouted, the creature latched onto Kay’s arm and flung her with ease into a far wall.

“Kay!” Getsurin shouted in concern.

“I’m okay!” Kay shot a swift thumbs up to assure that she hasn’t been greatly injured, followed with a sigh of relief from Getsurin. However, the reprieve didn’t last long as the creature charged at Getsurin. The abilities he’s gained kicked in once more, leaping out of the way of the attack. “What the hell do we do?” He muttered, as the creature found its footing. Suddenly, Kay charged directly into the side of the creature, causing it to stumble away from them.

“You got a plan?” Getsurin asked.

“Kick its ass? I don’t know.” Kay remarked with uncertainty.

“Better than nothing I suppose, you focus on its big arm while I target the softer sides.”

“I can do that!” Kay remarked, throwing off her holey sweater, ready for the unexpected battle.