Case #9-Zach Reaper vs the Terrorists Moles

And so, Crimson, Raiden, and I sip on our drinks as Circe happily munches on her second slice of chocolate cake of the day while Evelyn explains to us the details of the case. Crimson wasn't a fan of the pistachio latte, but she vowed that she'll try something new every time we come here. Same with Circe, although she vowed to try a new dessert each time, not a drink. I fear that Circe will become fat once she fully accumulates into human society…

Once that was over with, (and after changing into our "work" clothes, me in my black jacket, Crimson in her red turtleneck and spiked outfit, Raiden in his blue cloak, and Circe in her witch dress) we head over to to the location of the case, a random house in the neighborhood. I hop up the front stairs and knock on the door.

"Hello?" A woman asks as she answers the door, then recoils when she's met face-to-face with my plastic skull mask. "Halloween's already passed!" She snaps.

"No, I'm from Reaper's Paranormal," I begin to explain. "Ms Wheeler, right? I contacted you about your little hole problem?"

"That sounds sexual," Circe whispers to Evelyn, who nods in response.

"Yes, that's right," Ms Wheeler replies as she steps inside. "Come on in."

Circe excitedly looks around as Ms Wheeler leads us into the living room, where we all take a seat.

"A snack?" Ms Wheeler asks as she pushes a plate of cookies towards us.

"No that-" I begin to say, but I'm cut off by Circe.

"YES PLEASE!" Circe booms as she begins scarfing down the biscuits. Ms Wheeler recoils at the very unlady-like display, probably because Circe looks so lady- like.

"So what's your issue here?" I ask as I lean forwards in my seat as I take out a notebook and pen.

"You see, starting last week, every time I woke up, I began finding strange holes in my back. "It started with one, and we were able to fill it up with dirt rather quickly, but then, everytime, we'd find more and more holes. At first, I thought it was just some teenage hooligans playing a prank on us, but then I sent my husband down there with a flashlight to check it out, and he said that the hotels were huge! He couldn't even describe how deep they go!"

"Are the holes still in your back?" I ask.

"Yes, I left them for you," Ms Wheeler answers.

"Mind if I take a look?" I ask.

"Please do," Ms Wheeler answers, and she leads the five of us into the backyard (Circe takes a moment to get up, since she's busy licking up cookie crumbs). Once in the backyard, I take a look around. There are a dozen holes scattered across the yard, and I walk over to one of them and peer down inside. Crimson walks over as well and crouches down before the hole, holding up a hand and igniting it with Hellfire so we can see down. Sure enough, just as Ms Wheeler said, the hole looks as if it goes on and on forever.

"Don't worry, ma'am, we'll solve your problem," I say as I stand up and turn to face Ms Wheeler. "So sit your cute little butt down and wait inside!"

"Oh…okay," Ms Wheeler blushes as she hustles inside.

"Are you…flirting with a married woman…?" Evelyn asks as she narrows her eyes at me.

"It's how I get good tips," I reply. "I need to make more money now that I need to actually start paying Crimson for her rent."

"Wait…you guys make money?!" Circe exclaims.

"Usually not," Raiden sighs. "We're supposed to, but we usually have to give it all back 'cause of property damage…"

"So what are we gonna do first?" Evelyn asks me.

"Simple," I answer with a smirk as I draw my sickle-sword. "We're heading on down there! It's Reaping Time!"

"Reaping Time?" Circe whispers as she leans into Raiden.

"It's his catchphrase," Raiden sighs.

Without another word, I rush over to the nearby hole and leap inside.

"Zach, wait up!" Circe cries as she leaps in after me.

"Do we…go in too?" Raiden asks.

"I suppose so," Crimson answered as she and Raiden followed me as well.

"I am not going down there!" Evelyn calls after me.

"That's fine!" I call back up to Evelyn. "Stay up there and make sure nothing escapes.

"Escapes?!" Evelyn cries. "How?!"

"You have your whip, don't you?" I ask.

"I'm not that good with my whip!" Evelyn replies.

"So-called "most trustworthy" member," I sigh.

***

"OOF!" I cry as I land at the bottom of the hole in a cloud of dust.

"OOF!" I cry a second time as Circe lands on top of me.

"OOF!" Circe and I cry as Raiden and then Crimson land on top of us.

"So what do you think we're dealing with here?" Crimson asks as she stands up and dusts herself off.

After falling down into the hole, we find ourselves in a giant underground cavern with multiple breaching tunnels spreading from where we're standing.

"I'm assuming lizard people," I answer. "You know the conspiracy theories of how lizard people control the world? Well that's true. Sort of. Lizard people live underground usually, but then they take the forms of humans and use their supreme intellect to worm their way into powerful government positions. Right now, they control the banks, and soon, the world. So our job is to crush them before that happens."

"Huh…" Raiden replies. "I would have assumed that we were dealing with giant moles here, not lizards."

"What's a mole?" Circe asks. "Or a lizard?"

"Nothing…" Raiden sighs.

"Alright, let's get searching-" I begin to say as I turn around, only to find that I'm standing face-to-face with a giant lizard.

"AHH!" I scream.

"Oh, so that's a lizard!" Circe exclaims as she knocks a fist into her hand.

"Yeah, but usually they're smaller," Raiden replies.

The lizard lets out a roar, spitting saliva all over me and causing me to gag.

"It's Reaping Time!" I shout as I swing my sickle-sword downwards, but before I can pierce the lizard, I hear a scream as Evelyn and Koga fly down from the hole above, landing on top of the lizard and crushing it instantly. Koga lands first, and Evelyn lands directly on top of Koga's lap.

"Oh…sorry!" Evelyn blushes.

"You're giant rump…is crushing me…" Koga grunts in pain.

"PIG!" Evelyn spits as she slaps Koga then scarmbles up to her feet.

"Evelyn, Koga, what are you two doing here?!" I cry.

"And how did you find us?!" Raiden adds.

"I was following you five," Koga answers. "As I always do. And I saw you guys head down here, so I followed.

"Oh, that makes sense!" Circe replies.

"THAT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO MAKE SENSE!" Crimson snaps.

"So Koga…always follows us, huh…?" Raiden sighs.

"But Evelyn, why did you jump in after Koga?!" I ask.

"When Koga was about to jump into the hole, he made a comment about not knowing why I was here, so I got annoyed and tried slapping him, only to fall in myself," Evelyn sighs.

"I still don't know who you are," Koga replies.

"I'M EVELYN!" Evelyn snaps.

Just then, we're interrupted when we hear a mighty roar, and the six of us look to where we heard the roar, seeing a gang of six lizards make their way through the three tunnels in front of us.

"Perfect, six of them, six of us," I smirk as I take a step towards the lizards. "One for each of us."

"No," Circe says as she takes a step forwards and holds her hands out, prohibiting from moving any closer to the lizards. "I'll take care of them."

"Huh, are you sure?" I ask, as Circe turns and peers over her shoulder and smirks at me.

"Of course!" Circe answers, before turning back around to face the lizards. "I need to show off for my first case, afterall!"

Circe then turns back around to the lizards and extends her hand out to them. "Hold your breath, everyone!" Circe orders, and we do as we're told. And then, poison gas begins seeping out of the pores of Circe's arm.

"Circe, are you trying to kill us?!" I cry.

"No, I'm trying to kill them," Circe smirks, and I notice that, instead of spreading everywhere, Circe's poison gas is instead slowly seeping towards lizards. Just in case, I puff out my cheeks as I suck in air again.

"Poison Curse Magic, Forbidden Fruit!" Circe then booms as her poison purple gas flies over to the lizards, engulfing them in a poison cloud. The lizards screech in pain as their flesh begins to melt off. By the time that Circe's poison gas dissipates, the lizards are dead.

"Okay, you can breathe now," Circe says, and Evelyn, Crimson, Raiden, and I collapse to the ground, frantically gasping for breath.

"You're okay, Koga?" Evelyn pants as she looks up at the ninja, who is still standing tall with his arms crossed.

"Of course," Koga answers. "Every Ninja within the Koga Clan can hold their breath for at least ten minutes. I hold the record at approximately twelve and three-quarters seconds, rounding down."

"Forget I asked," Evelyn sighs.

"I…I don't think that's possible…?" I add.

"Maybe for you, it's not," Koga scoffs.

"Wow, Circe, that was amazing!" Raiden booms as he jumps up to his feet.

"Really?!" Circe cries as she rushes over to Rapiden and wraps him in her arms. Raiden's body goes completely limp. "Well that's good, cause I didn't think it would work!"

"WHAT?!" Raiden cries as he snaps back to reality.

But then, our celebration is interrupted when we hear more roars, and the six of us look around, finding ourselves surrounded by six more lizards, who all emerge out of the tunnels around us.

"Alright," I smirk as I draw my sickle-sword. "Now there's one for each of us! Let's go, guys!"

"Right!" My team confidently replies.

Crimson ignites her hands in Hellfire then thrusts a palm towards the lizard in front of her. "Hellfire Scream!" Crimson shouts as she releases a rush of maroon flames, which flies towards the lizard, engulfing the reptile in a fiery blaze as it screeches in pain. By the time that Crimson's flames subsides, the lizard is already laying on the ground, charged black and dead.

"Eat this!" Evelyn shouts as she draws her whip and swings it towards the lizard, slashing it with its powerful Reaper blade and drawing blood. After a few more lashes, the lizard drops to the ground, defeated.

"Fulminis Ure!" Raiden shouts as he aims his hand at the wizard across from it, firing off a bolt of lightning which zaps the lizard, causing it to screech in pain as its entire body is electrocuted. Once Raiden's lightning lets up, the lizard crashes to the ground, smoke lifting off of its sizzled body.

"Woah, Raiden, when did you learn to use spells without your lame spellbook?" I ask.

"Oh, only recently," Raiden smirks.

Koga pulls out a scroll and unravels it, which then bursts into a cloud of smoke. When the smoke settles, Koga is wielding a giant metal shuriken. "Koga Clan's Secret Ninjutsu Technique #5698, Arekuruu Shuriken! Koga shouts as he flings the shuriken towards the lizard with all of his might, causing the lizard to screech in pain as it's slashed by Koga's attack, before crashing to the ground, defeated.

"Oooh, which one of my babies should I try out today?" Circe smirks as her fingers danced across the vials of rainbow-colored liquids hanging from her belt. "How about…you?" Circe asks as she draws a vile with a mysterious yellow liquid sloshing around inside, holding it up for her to see as she smiles at it. "Now, which one are you?" Circe exclaims as she tosses the vile at the lizard standing across from her. The vile smacks into the lizard's face and shatters on its scales, dousing the creature in its yellow contents. 

Circe watches intently, but at first, nothing happens. But then…giant yellow vines grow out of the yellow liquid, wrapping around the lizard, which screeches in pain as it's cruches by Circe's attack. "Alright!" Circe cheers as the unsettling snapping of bones echoes across the cavern, followed by the blood, which explodes out of the lizard and douses the dirt walls around it. Circe's plant vines then subside back into the yellow liquid as the lizard falls to the ground, dead.

As for me, I charge the lizard standing directly across from me, before leaping over the lizard, and raising my sickle-sword high into the air above my head. "Soul Hunter!" I shout as my sickle-sword begins to glow with purple energy, as I swing it towards, slashignt he lizard, who screeches in pain before falling to the ground, dead as well.

"ALRIGHT!" The six of us cheer.

"The team is coming along nicely!" I say, ignoring Koga's protest about him not being a member of Reaper's Paranormal, which I agree with anyhow. "Now, let's go meet our client!"

***

"Don't worry, ma'am, we've solved your little hole issue!" I announce as me and the dirt-covered gang enter Ms Wheeler's home. "You'll find no more holes in your backyards, starting today!"

Ms Wheeler says nothing as she looks down at the mess we've tracked through her home, then back up at us. Then, Ms Wheeler stands up and walks past us as she makes her way to the backyard, where she sees the dozen holes that are still remaining. "They're still here," Ms Wheeler says as she turns around to face us and crosses her arms.

"Yeah…but we took out what was making those holes," I answered.

"It looks like you did a half-assed job to me," Ms Wheeler replies, sounding annoyed.

The six of us exchange nevrus glances, until then, Koga disappears with a cloud of smoke, not even saying goodbye. "Alright, guys," I sigh. "Let's get back to work…"

***

"The one day that we don't cause severe property damage to our client's home, and we still don't get paid…" I sigh as the five of us stroll out of Ms Wheeler's home once the sun has set.

"This happens often, I take it?" Circe asks.

"Unfortunately…" Evelyn sighs.

"My rent money…" Crimson whimpers.

"I can't believe she made us pay for the dirt to fill the holes in your backyard," Raiden sighs.

"And the grass," Evelyn adds.

"At least we're broke together…" I sigh as I look up to the setting sun.

***

Later that night…

"Maaaaan I can't believe that the Museum of Japanese Mythology is in America!" One man pouts.

"Well, brother, if this museum was in Japan, then it would just be called the "Museum of Japanese History," not mythology," a second man replies.

"Ohhh…shut up, you!" The first man snaps. "I'm just annoyed that we had to come all the way from Japan to America for this!"

The two men are named Yamata Rogue and Mikoto Rogue, respectively. The two men are brothers, twins, actually, with Yamato being two minutes older.

Yamata is tall, with dark olive green hair, bright orange eyes, long almost claw- like fingernails, and spiky fangs for teeth. Yamata sports a black tank top under a dark green jacket that resembles scales with a bright orange, fluffy inside, with a matching hood, matching his eyes. Yamata wears tall black boots that have studded spikes on the front, as well as fingerless black gloves with studded knuckles. On the back of his jacket, is a silver symbol resembling a dragon.

Mikoto has long, dark blue hair that falls to his black and electric blue, bright eyes. Mikoto wears an open white gi that displays his muscular chest with red gi pants and a matching red belt that has a black stripe cutting through the middle. As for shoes, Mikoto wears traditional Japanese sandals. Mikoto's most striking feature is the long, black katana sheathed at his hip. On the back of Mikoto's gi, is a golden symbol that matches Yamata's dragon.

Currently, the two brothers are on their way to the Museum of Japanese Mythology to steal two very special artifacts. The first artifact is a scarf made by the scales of the legendary eight headed dragon, Yamata Orochi. And the second, a katana wielded by the legendary warrior and fallen God of Storms, Susano'o Mikoto. 

Yamata stops before the museum and peers up at it. "Maaaan can't we just get our weapons now?" He wines. "Why do we have to wait to get them?" 

"Because, brother, we need to scope out the layout and security of the museum before our attack," Mikoto explained.

"But we're so powerful, we can just run in and grab our weapons and get out," Yamata replies. "And stop calling me brother!"

"But...you're my brother…" Mikoto sadly replies.

"To Hell I am!" Yamata snaps. "We were reincarnated into these fuckin' human bodies! You may physically be my brother, but spiritually, I loathe you, you're my rival!" 

"I already apologized for killing you…" Mikoto sighs.

"That's another thing that annoys me, why are you so fricken' docile?!" Yamata continues shouting. "The original Susano'o was way cooler and stronger than you were, he actually proved to be my equal!"

"Oh, my power did not equal yours," Mikoto replies. "If I recall, you overwhelmed me with your strength before I came up with the idea to bait you with sake, getting you drunk and sleepy which allowed me to chop off each one of your heads. But maybe I'm misremembering, you could be correct. The older I get into his body, the more I forget about my previous life. All I can remember now is my battle against you. You really need to curb that drinking habit of yours, brother. It's quite the fatal weakness."

"You're not my mother, I can drink when I want to!" Yamata snaps. "And I can quit whenever I want!"

"Then why haven't you?" Mikoto asks as he tilts his head at his brother.

"Because I don't want to!" Yamata laughs.

The two brothers walk up the stars of the museum, and just as Yamata is about to grab the handle of the doors, Mikoto shouts: "Wait!"

"UGHHHH…what is it now, Mikoto?!" Yamata groans as he peers over at his brother.

Before you open the doors, let me scope out the area," Mikoto replies, and walks off. Yamata shrugs as he watches Mikoto make his way around the sides of the museum, taking note of the positions of its security and its cameras, until he spots something. "Brother come here!" Mikoto whisper-shouts, and Yamata jogs over to him. "Look, over there," Mikoto points, and Yamata looks to where his brother is pointing.

"Holy shit, there it is!" Yamata cries. "The Orochi Dragon Scarf!"

"And my katana, as well!" Mikoto adds. "Susanoo's katana."

"Man, look at that display, I'm so cool!" Yamata swoons as he presses his face to the glace and stares at a cardboard cut out of Yamata no Orochi fighting Susano'o no Mikoto that stands before their weapons, which are locked in a glass display case behind it, which has an alarm attached to it.

"Alright, let's go in!" Yamata exclaims as he brings a fist up, but before Yamata could punch through the glass window, the two brothers hear sirens and swiftly turn around. "Shit," Yamata grunts as his entire body tenses up, seeing two gun-wielding police officers aim their guns at the two brothers from behind the door of their police car.

"Freeze!" One of the officers shouts.

"HAH! Like that little peashooter is gonna stop us!" Yamata spits. "Yo, Mikoto? You take one and I take the other?"

"You know I despise unnecessary bloodshed, brother," Mikoto replies as he looks away.

"Ya' know, the new you really is quite the pussy," Yamata sighs as he reaches into his jacket and pulls out a small thread with a knife-like blade at the end.

"DON'T MOVE, YOU BASTARD!" One of the officers shouts as they cock their guns.

"Oh?" Yamata smirks as he slowly begins stuttering over to the officers, spinning his weapon as he does so. Yamata bares his fang-like teeth at the officers in the form of a sinister grin. "LET'S DANCE, MEN!"