CHAPTER 2♎♎

THE THING ON THE RUN II

On this particular day, everything happened a bit later than it does on other days of the week.

The wreckages left by this monster were undeniable, unmistakable. Steel doors lay beaten and battered on the ground, broken chunks of rocks lay all over the place, Injured soldiers were wheeled out the way on a stretcher by paramedics whilst some were being attended too. These were calamities faced when creatures beyond our imagination breaches containment, creatures that don't wish to be locked in.

Suddenly the elevator leading to the hallway buzzed and it's doors slid open. From it, two youngsters rush in halfway through the hallway and towards their sensei.

Haturii, a young man in his early twenties stood alongside stone haven's chief of security turned to look at them.

"What's going on?? We got here as fast as we could."the boy said, panting heavily

"What happened here??"The girl asked, staring at the two adults with her green eyes.

She wore a black shihakuso, accompained by brown sandals, her long red hair tied in a pony tail with some strands covering her right eye -an emo hair.

"Oh you know, nothing usual. Just your every day monster attack" Replied Aomorii- the chief of security

"Eye witnesses say this creature broke in here and started wreaking havoc all over the place. Judging by power scaling, it must be a category 3" Haturii added

"Oh, well that makes sense..."Yukira stated grudgingly as her eyes darted round the place.

"But thing is, how could a category monster such as this escape and yet cause this much damage. There haven't been news of category 3s breaching containment before"He continued. "So why now?"

"What are you getting at??" Aomorii asked, her arms folded to her chest "All these can just be your usual random escapees you know. You never can really predict these kind of things"

"Right,but for category 3s such as this, highly impossible." He mentioned

"Category 3 monsters are basically under the radioactive/heat signature class and inorder to contain them, they're put in containment tanks where they're heavily sedated with no chance of waking up, no chance of escape. And...and to have one escape now and still find the strength to do all these ..to cause this much chaos, it just doesn't add up" He concluded with a thoughtful look on his face

"What?! You think this was a pre planned attack?? You think someone in here had a hand in its eacape??"

"Well I don't know for sure but....

"But nothing!" She retorted with a glare "if that's what you think then feel free to elaborate more on this crazy theory of yours detective" she continued then sighed wearily

"I've got to get back to the station. Got some serious paperwork to fill out but please feel free to call In when you've got this theory of yours sorted out" she said attempting to walk away but then looks over to her son, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Be home before 8" And upon saying that, she took her leave. Her son's gaze and Yukiras' kept up with her till she's out of sight and were then later turned back at Haturii who just stood there with a sigh but to yukira, it looked quite infact pathetic!

He looked pathetic....

"Bummer!" She uttered

**Within minutes, Ganymede approached them confidently from a distance and trailed behind her was Dr stane himself.

"So you're the ones they sent"she began before introducing herself "Am Ganymede--the head of all operations that goes on in this foundation. But before we continue with this any further, I need you to answer one thing for me".

She took a slight pause before she continued.

"These children?!, These are the ones the so great claive department sent me? Do they deem this mission of less importance or Are they just that short on manpower"

"WHAT!?" Yukira voiced out, angrily at most but haturii sensing this quickly sways his arm out to the side, stopping the young girl from acting any further than she had too.

"They are skilled, I could vouch for that" he said reassuringly

"Hmmmm,..."she beckoned, looking at the two-orenji and yukira. "They don't look like much but I guess they'll do..."

"Okay, that's it!! Look here lady... she snapped, approaching forward but orenji accessing the situation and knowing what it could result too, quickly covered up her mouth with his hand whilst using the other to pull her back.

she mumbled out some inappropriate words in anger but thank God for orenji as it instead came out as inaudible.

"Sorry heh, she doesn't know what she's saying...he responded nervously, still trying to keep her shut

"Very well then" ganymede stated before turning her attention back to haturii"And now to the matter at hand..."

"Recently there was an anomaly attack. An attack that almost caused me the lives of personnels in this foundation. We believe it's heading straight for town if not already there yet" she continued, collecting some files from Dr stane.

"Yes, that is to our understanding" he responded. "And our job is to find this... monster and bring it back in, correct?"

"Yes, At first it was....

"At first?!" He gasped"what are you...

"Until now, we've thwarted this creatures ourselves" she continued, interrupting him. "But this one...this one is far from different. Far stronger in everyway, far smarter. It adapts"

Immediately, Haturii takes a glance at the two youngsters behind him.

"Could you 2 leave us a moment" he said to their dismay.

Orenji nodded in agreement but then he realized...haturii wasn't just referring to yukira alone but to him as well.

"Huh?! W-wait...but....

"C'mon renji,...yukira called out, grabbing the back collar of orenji's shirt and began pulling him against his will. "....it's way better over there than it is here anyways"

The gaze of the two adults fell on them till they trode past. It was obvious these 2 were the unlikeliest of teams and being of equal age put them up against one another. Orenji is a curious, overly anxious and hyperactive fellow with a quick mind for puzzle and research while yukira on the other hand is an abrasive, spunky, quick to violence girl who has a tendency to be blunt and speak her mind. She's ready to prove to those that although girls are sweet and fragile like roses, roses also have thorn

What clash of personalities.....

"Take this" Ganymede said, finally handing the files over to Haturii. The files in question were well paper clipped, signifying a great deal of importance.

"What is it?!. He replied looking at the blur images on them.

"RSCP 004 Files," she answered. "Class: category 3/4. Also known as the doom bringer. This is one of the most dangerous anomalies we've ever encountered. Of all the troubles we've had having it in here in the first place, it's proven it can't be contained any longer" she added, her facial expression becoming a little scared and yet serious at the same time.

"We don't need it brought back in. For humanity's sake, it must be simply put down. We need it put down....for good" she turned around as if attempting to leave. "And that's where you come in". She took a glance at him saying, her face revealed no expression- nonwhatsoever

"Put down?! What you mean kill it." He corrected, a grimmance written on his face

"Call it whatever you wish too" she spun around, her gaze on Haturii as she approached him yet again, more confident than the last. "In my line of work, Making decisions solely based on the heart is considered stupid and reckless, a deputy such as yourself should know this.You need to think ahead, putting the needs and safety of everyone else into consideration. And sometimes inorder to do that, some tough calls have to be made. So let me ask again,....she continued.

"Do you understand what this mission is going to take??

" Are you ready to risk the lives of those children?!"

"That's why they're claives," Haturii responded. "That's the reason they signed up, they knew the risks involved. There's always risks but this...he said as his gaze fell once more on the aftermath of the monster's escape.

"....this would be too difficult for them to handle. This would only make the mission a b-rank or higher"he concluded, letting out a slow and steady exhail....

Initially, he had called on them thinking it was a level 1 class containment breach. At least that would be an easy and fulfilling task for the duos starting out their first mission as a team.

One need not worry of the dangers involved cause it brought none...or so had he initially thought. But now...now that he sees what category of monsters he's going to have to deal with and what's it's capable of, he quickly scanned through the thoughts in his head, thinking of a way to deprive his students from partaking this dangerous mission whilst at the same time keeping their young minds at ease.

**Meanwhile, walking some distance from the two adults

"I don't know what'll happen....

"What?!" Orenji asked in a confused state

"...if we're dealing with op monsters now, its unlikely we'll be taking on this mission"she continued as she moved further

"Yeahh...he replied sadly but then quickly got over it, throwing his arms modestly at the back of his head. "...welp, I guess we'd better call it quits then"

"I've always known you to be a lazy one but damn how lazy can you possibly get" she said as she stopped down a bit, noticing something on the ground.

It was one of the battered steel door the monster had punched to find it's way in.

But something was wrong...

Something was definitely out of place here.....

"Hey, come look at this...she called out to orenji

"What?!...what is it??" He asked, walking up to her.

"It's pretty faint but I think I sense some residual traces of taiji coming off this" she responded, running her hand around the steel door.

"Taiji?! But that's impossible, last time I checked in animate objects don't posses such, you know"

"Don't you think I know that!" she yelled at him

- In this mystical world of the claives, taiji is the natural energy that lies within them and in all living things. They are able to manipulate this to boost their stamina, speed, or to create an effect that would not be possible otherwise. Such techniques can be exhaling fire, casting elemental techniques or doing a summoning.-

"But this one, it seems different" she continued. "It's like the monster relies on this stuff, no signs of elemental manipulations around here just taiji...pure energy" she looked at him

"What? so you think this monster might be some sort of energy user??"orenji asked

"If so, then that would explain how it managed to bring down rows upon rows of tungsten steel doors"...yukira answered

" Fascinating, monsters using taiji now as some kind of element?? This is big, we gotta go tell Haturii sensei!" As he tried to leave, yukira grabbed him by the arm, stopping him in his tracks.

"No....

"What?! Orenji uttered

"Want me to say it in Spanish, no" she uttered the no in Spanish "look, if we don't take on his mission we won't be taken likely by the other teams. Moreso, it won't look good on our part if we end up quitting halfway. A mission must always be completed, right?? right???"she gave him a look.

Orenji fully turns to her with his attention captured now. he gave a slight nod in agreement

"Right" he said

"A mission must always be completed"

....... Chapter 3 coming up next.

Dont miss out on the fun!!