Chapter 55: Annual Enotocin celebration!

"You've got this, you can do it!" Amin cheered and urged his friend as he watched him fly above in his smoke form. Derek dropped to the ground, however, before crashing into the ground he successfully formed his replacement legs from his maternally given gifts then practiced controlling them once more with a series of taekwondo attacks, a 540 and spinning hook kick on a punching bag. "You've made phenomenal strides, it seems spectacular." Said Amin as he walked up and grabbed his shoulder. Derek looked at his legs replaced by his wondrous ash that he couldn't tell wasn't his original pair before looking at his missing right arm. "Maybe. Maybe. If I don't perfect this and help with stopping the rest of the cult then worrying my family thanks to my stupidity while disappointing them, the others at the purlieu and myself is going to make me feel even worse. I have to perfect this before we're through." Derek replied with a whispery tone. Amin looked away. "Unsolicited advice? Just forget about them then, stay focused on you and us for now. None of that seems like healthy topics to fill your brain with at the moment, man." Amin advised as he watched him discipline his powers. Derek released a sigh as he slowly swiped his hand across the area of his missing arm, summoning it as he reached his fingers. "Tough. Still, that'd be the wisest choice. Thanks, man. I'll get on it." Derek replied as he reversed the process and continued disciplining his newly awakened abilities. Reynard bursted in the gym room with Anthony following after him. "Time to talk about what we're going to do about Mack Merrick now. He's going to be the easiest one. He's nothing none of us have ever seen before." Reynard had chosen with utmost confidence. "No. He still has his girlfriend, Jasira Everseen, who never leaves his side, you'll be having your face eaten by a monster somewhere in the dark before you'd hear his voice, the only one here that's good enough to possibly predict her dangerous portals that I've seen have been Mistde— Derek, so far but he's recuperating. You're not ready. The easiest will be… the mayor." Anthony had countered more confidently. "No. It'll be Mack Merrick, we'll just find bait for his girlfriend and lead her away then take him down. Bring him to justice." Reynard argued and proposed keeping his confidence. "I get that facing your father is still hard, Rey, but this guy even in his years of anonymity has never led us astray. If he says that you're far more suited to face your father then maybe we ought to take that chance?" Amin proposed to his best friend in the calmest tone. Reynard's eyebrows went low. "There's a first time for everything in this world. I'm not ready to face him or If I were then one of us would already be dead." Reynard argued as he turned around with his hands on his hips and a hunch. "He's no longer the father that he was, as you stated with pain after you found out about the cult back on the force, after you convinced me that he wasn't the same man we grew up with, time to end things." Amin stated as he grabbed Reynard's shoulder. The former officer looked towards his friend before turning his sight to Derek during his practice, tossing his upper body back and forth which assisted him to engender his replacement ashen arm. "The nightmares that were annoying my brother and I seemed to have stopped for now. I'm going to go rest and get some more genuine sleep." Derek heard from Reynard which piqued his interest as stories of nightmares usually do. "Both of you began Chronic nightmares of what if you don't mind?" Derek asked as he formed himself and legs once more. "A roided up old man with the thickest mane and the grayest pupils I've ever seen. It started a few years back slightly before I turned away from the cult when I realized they were worshiping a god of chaos and calamity through mysterious and haunting nightmares for the next few years. My brother realized it when he began receiving the same but he's generally a much more loyal fella than myself." Reynard admitted with a monotone voice as he looked down at his foot.

"My Greetings, old Basa, I've come to request that I am in charge of taking care of the remaining opposition to Lord Enotocin's chosen guard, which the Mistress and her Orphans of the cerebral blade have failed to nail and your Heir is currently taking his sweet time." Amidio Jono bowed as he used his most respectful tone. Basa stayed meditating cultivating his master's power before he realized he had been interrupted by his strategic adviser. "Make them disappear quickly and quietly. Fail and survive, Lord Enotocin will be disappointed in you, fail him and survive until he arrives, you won't live past that point. You need to pray to Lord Enotocin that they're as merciful with you as they were with the Mistress of the Cerebral blade." Basa answered as he went back to cultivating his master's power to keep himself alive. "Failure and defeat is not on any page in my dictionary sir, do not worry." Amidio Jono answered as left his garden with monotone Gray flowers and widely grinned as he couldn't contain his excitement. "The flowers must be absolutely perfect for JinJunyë's annual Enotocin ball, the lighting as well, the tables for this celebration!" Amidio Jono urged the staff he hired to set up and assist in planning his annual party. "Sir, we've finished some of the— fascinating paintings that you've commissioned to be hung up all around the city's grand police department headquarters." Said the lead artist of a team who worked tirelessly as he held up the finished product he worked on with the others holding up theirs. "Excellent, this is from one of my favorite stories, Reznov, thank you." Amidio grinned as he gestured where he wanted each to be placed on the walls. "It could be a trap or not, they'll see this as a chance. Depictions of familiar and bad taste events that'll never leave the memory, if this doesn't enrage or weaken their resistance, my plan may fail. My barrier is up in case they get too wise for their own good." Amidio Jono thought to himself before he looked out of the window and towards the outside. He surveyed the area around the complex from the balcony upstairs but he knew he'd never be able to spot them from any minute detail, he's reliant on his gift, Enotocin's aid. Anthony looked up glaring at Mayor Jono planted on a bench and pretending to be on his phone with a hat that covered his face if he looked down and his scarf which completely covered his lower face if he pulled it up but it was perfect for the cool weather.

"Looking quite dashing, you handsome rogue." Derek commented on Reynard as he entered his room while fixing his bow tie. "Fancy dancy suits like these from Ant are how you can get away with using that ability of yours in public, unless you actually do leave a trail of that ashy stuff out of your pants leg while you walk. Seriously, with those gloves nobody can tell that you've had your limbs replaced." Reynard replied as he found himself shocked. Derek grabbed his wrist as he slightly frowned. "I always found strutting through the city in a suit like this as a fantasy of mine." Derek replied before pulling himself together. "Alright, back to our plans for tonight. My father's not much of a fighter, if you're absolutely sure you can keep his smoke away from us, we can beat him. We'll definitely beat him together. Overwhelm him. Take away his breathing room and finally take his emaciated ass down. Finally." Reynard responded as he hyped himself up. "Just give me all of your trust. I've been training with my Grandpa for years, and my uncle for a few short weeks as manipulating the smoke, flowing it like a stream under my fingers. You focus on offense, I'll stay on our defense against him." Derek replied as the two pounded fists before leaving to the party. The Duo arrive at the party in their disguises finished but as they arrive at the entrance of where it was being held, the host handed them two queer masks they weren't expecting. "Appreciated." Said Derek in his naturally modulated voice to be higher pitched as Reynard remained quiet behind him, both walked in blasted by classical music and other citizens dressed similarly wearing the same masks as the determined taut and sinewy Duo without a hint of humor equipped on their faces under their masks as they looked around the ballroom to kill the time until they were able to make their move on the mayor of JinJunyë. Derek stopped so suddenly leaving Reynard asking why as he did so in front of him causing the Mayor's son to crash into his partner in seeking their Justice. Reynard was left without any answer as he realized the painting in front of him had left Derek frozen. Reynard looked around and saw a painting displaying the day he had decided to split from the cult.