Green, Hooded Robes - The Butterfly Effect Arc

Katsu looked up at the man who had saved him. Counter’s personality seemed to have totally changed. All semblance of happiness and calmness was completely swept away, and his face had become pale. Sweat beaded from his forehead, and he put his hand to his mouth, his voice beginning to tremble.

“The men, Katsu. They were wearing green, hooded robes?” he stuttered, trying to compose himself.

“Y-yes, Counter...well it was really dark but...I’m almost sure their robes were dark green,” Katsu responded softly. “W-Why? Do you know them?”

“Toxicity...they got to him...”

Katsu’s eyes opened wider. That name. It was spoken out loud by one of those men. Were they a group?

“Is that what their group is called? Toxicity? W-who are they? What did they want with Dad?” young Katsu stumbled over his words, his tears forming back in his eyes.

“Dammit...,” Counter got to his feet and walked over to the large, trash bin that Katsu had spotted earlier. He clenched his fist and drove it as hard as he could, over and over again. The noise of flesh on metal filled the dark alleyway.

“Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! F*ckkkkkk!” Counter yelled out, smashing his hand into the bin for the last time, before turning around to Katsu. The child pushed himself into the wall, scared for his life.

“W-Why are you so angry, Counter? You’re scaring me!” the boy yelped, beginning to cry.

Counter turned around slowly, his knuckles covered in blood. He wiped the blood into his trousers and got back down on his knees. The comforting smile was etched back into his face, and he rubbed the young boy’s hair.

“I do apologise, young Katsu...are you alright?”

“I...yes...I’m scared...is...where am I going to go if my Dad is gone?” the little boy looked down at the ground, his tears dropping from his cheeks. Counter gave a big smile.

“You are going to be just fine, Katsu. You can come stay with me!”

Katsu looked up at the young man, hope beginning to fill his small but deep eyes.

“R-really?”

“Yes! Of course! I can take you to my house. I worked with your father. I owe him a huge debt.”

“Work?! You worked with my Dad?!” Katsu jumped up, then he immediately felt his stomach in pain.

“Be careful, Katsu,” the man smiled, acting like an older brother. “Those bandages won’t do much. I’m going to bring you to your father’s place of work, where you can rest for another little while. I’m...not very good at bandage work. That’s more Bento’s thing.”

“Place of work?” Katsu hissed in pain, but his curiosity got the better of him. “I thought you said we were going to your house?”

“We are...you know what is super cool? I live where your father works. Most people that work there do, but your father loved you, and didn’t want to leave your side,” Counter smiled, standing up straight. “He was a good man, Katsu.”

“Thank you...so, what did Dad work as?”

“He worked with the Survivalists. Your father was working on trying to make Japan a better place, and those Toxicity men...they are making that nearly impossible,” Counter told Katsu, putting his fingers on his chin. The young boy backed up slowly. “Hmm? Where are you going?”

“My father...he worked with the Survivalists?! And you are one of them?!” the young boy yelled at Counter. “You put him in danger! My teacher was right, you people are nothing but trouble! You got my dad killed! How could you!?” Katsu dropped to his knees, and put his hands over his face. “Why is this happening to me?! What did I do to deserve this?!”

Counter shrugged his shoulders and sat on the filthy floor. He crossed his legs, and put his elbows on his knees, using his hands to steady his chin.

“You didn’t deserve it, kid. None of us deserved the life we were given. You are a smart kid, so you were half right. We are nothing but trouble, huh? Only half of that sentence is right. We are nothing. That’s it. We don’t go out and try to be bad on purpose. We just got dealt a bad hand in life, and now, we got to live with that.”

“You, Katsu,” Counter continued. “Got dealt a very bad hand. Which is why I want you to come join us. We are all...mentally not there. But together, we are a family. A loving, disjointed family. We will get revenge for your father, even if we have to scour the whole world for those ten men, we are going to hunt them all down, and make sure they pay. Do you trust me, Katsu?” Counter asked, holding out his hand to the boy. “Can you trust me?”

Katsu hesitated. He had no idea what the inside of the Survivalist headquarters would be like. His head was spinning. On one hand, all that he knew of the Survivalists is that they were a gang, up to no good and trouble. But those two Survivalists he met earlier. The lady was really sweet. Maybe, most of them were people like her and Counter. Questions spiraled around Katsu’s head.

“Why did my dad work for the Survivalists? What did he have to gain? To get rid of those men...and they got to him first...I want them to hurt for what they did,” Katsu thought to himself, before reaching his hand out, giving Counter a handshake.

“I want to get revenge for my Dad...I want to hurt them all...if you can help me do that...I want to join you, but I’m scared,” the boy let go of Counter’s hand. The man smiled down at the boy, then turned around, and got down on one knee.

“Don’t be scared. Get on my back.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I’m telling you too. Also, if we are walking through the streets, do you want every concerned mother asking how you got those bandages? On my back. Now,” Counter told Katsu, with an urgency in his voice.

Katsu decided to trust the Survivalists for now, and he got onto the young man’s back. With a small grunt, Counter slowly got to his feet, and held the boy’s legs tightly.

“You alright up there?” Counter asked out of concern.

“Y-Yes! Thank you, Sir!” Katsu exclaimed with a smile, grimacing slightly at the hole in his stomach.

“Don’t worry, when we are back to base, we can get you some more bandages. And remember, just call me Counter.”

“Why is your name Counter? It’s a very interesting name!” Katsu asked as Counter began walking.

“We all get code names when we work for the Survivalists. When we get back, we can give you your very own one!”