Incline 24: The Terror of the Deep

I flick the business card into view, a subdued snarl breaking my mouth open. The clock strikes the latest hour, marking the coming of the night. The last night the first of these people will ever see. I stop at the edge of the road, eyeing the barbershop closely.

A group of laughing young men enter it, greeting someone on the inside. This late, the shop is no doubt closing for the day. Those boys aren't meant to be there, but circumstance is allowing them. And it will allow me.

My neck clicks and my fists tighten. I cross the road and move closer and closer to the shop. I open the door, catching the attention of the group inside. Those not in their work uniform step aside, and a naïve fool steps out to face me.

"Uh, sorry, sir, we're closed." he goes, his tone strained and awkward as my glare hardens.

"Puhak?" I ask, a dangerous chill filling out the building.

"I am...?" he admits, cocking his eyebrow and looking at his friends.

"You need to leave, old man!" one friend taunts as I turn.

"Yeah." another scoffs. 

I match his scoff and slide the first lock on the door. The group flinches, and I drop my weapon onto the ground, throwing my coat on top of it. I keep my eyes matched on Puhak as he steels himself. His friends start to fan out, some of them already suggestively grabbing tools and so on. 

The next lock goes on and the next and the next, "Get out!" 

I smile at the warning, shifting the blinds and curtains into shadow-making order...

"You made my daughter cry." I explain, so he at least has the opportunity to figure things out. For his sake, he better figure it out. 

"Ha! If I did, she would've deserved it. Besides, I don't even know what you're on about. I've been at-" he starts to say, and I interrupt him. Glass shatters through the air and slimy chemicals fly with it. His group moves ahead and I do, too.

One swings his fist and I duck around, locking it in place and throwing one back. The young lad flies up, the air leaving his lungs, and he collapses. I make a point of stepping on him, twisting a thrusting broom out of the hands of another. I bend the thin and hollow metal bar, swinging it around like a pick at the next one.

Puhak slips and falls to my kick, and I knock another friend into the wall. What seems to be the shop's owner steps out, gun in hand. I dive aside, taking hold of some cocky bodybuilder. I force him towards the gun, smirking madly as he panics with endless thrashing. 

The old man's morals get ahead of him, and I grab the weapon. Knocking it aside as he finally pulls the trigger. A hole appears in his shop and I smack the stock up. The gun fully enters my hand and I pull down on the pump. The empty shell flies out, smoke spilling free.

Twisting around, I knock the teeth out of another friend and drive my thumb into the eye of one more. I aim the nearly empty weapon and blow the owner's brains out across the shop floor. The metal and wood rattles on the floor and I finish off the last of the stragglers.

Puhak, however, he can still move. He can still act of his own accord. He scrambles away, unable to find his footing on the messy floor. I head back to the door and pull out my partner of many years.

"SOMEBOD- AHHHHHH!" he screams, a dart of blood wasp honeycomb going through the back of a knee. I stuff a cloth down his mouth, putting a stop to it and I shoot his other leg out. One of his friends rises, rushing to the gun. Without even offering a look, I shoot the young man through his temple.

"You made my daughter cry." I repeat as Puhak whimpers and sobs with his friends as they realise their future. I pick through his friends, letting Puhak see each and every one of them die. I hoist them up and make them match gazes. Each one takes a shot through the head, no more.

More dead... More dead! All until he's all alone!

"MMMMFFFF! MMMGNGMGMM! MMMMMMMM!" Puhak roars, not even bothering to pull or spit the cloth out of his mouth. I take some string and make sure he can't. I keep his eyes in line with mine. His teary, water clogged eyes. So full of confused terror and so much more.

"Do you understand? You made my daughter cry. Not from laughter. Nothing like that... You ruined her one chance to have a normal day. Away from the lifestyle she had forced upon her. You manipulated her for malicious gain. No court will trial you, but I will." I explain, digging my nails into his cheeks and jaw. He continues to whimper and sob, shaking about as I suddenly find myself recollecting something.

Heiya mentioned a girl...

I force the cloth out, "Where can I find Mui?"

"P-P-Please don't kill me...!" he begs, unable to find the strength to look anywhere else other than my eyes.

"Where. Is. Mui?" I repeat, putting our noses together. The barrels of my weapon press against him. And, although my finger is nowhere near the trigger, he cannot see that.

"I-I HAVE HER ADDRESS- I have her add-address written on the notice board out back...!" he answers and I smile. Rising up, I pat the young man on the shoulder. I stuff his mouth back up and shoot out his arms. He howls and buckles through the cloth, all of his limbs now useless.

"Thank you for your time." I say, grabbing my things and pulling out what I need to cause a fire. I set light to Puhak's remaining world and leave the barbershop to burn to the ground. Heading to its backdoor, I collect the information I need and a conveniently placed door key. I double check the back door and make sure it's the only one as the smoke grows thick. Muffled screams try to break it, but no fire has ever stopped because someone is dying.

With a nod, I leave and lock the door from the outside. Tossing the key, I head off into a dark alley and get to studying the address on the slip of paper. Marked with the outline of lipstick painted lips. A lovey dovey heart to go with it. A damning sign of allegiance in this time and place. 

"One gone, one to go." I let out, passing by some drunkard as he swigs away on his bottle. It clatters on some bricks, loud but not so harsh as to shatter.

"Wh-Wha... What was that about...?" he asks, truly out of it.

I smile, knocking the messy hwardgon on his filthy chest, "Shhh."