Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark - Don't Embrace It Either

We know that Kami had sealed Garuda away in the Slums long before he met Bane or knew of his existence and it worked despite Garuda being far more powerful that he was at the time and the Kurosaki Clan's sealing magic being among the strongest...well, what if the spell failed and Garuda escaped being sealed away...bad, bad news...that's what cause that was the only thing preventing Garuda from ruling the world (this starts a little before Kami first met Bane...seems like he's not the only one that is after the Asakura Clan Hybrid too, but even if Kami is evil, Bane still has a better chance with him than Garuda) and Yang isn't hungry during his reunion with Kami, so he's not taking Bane without a fight

Kami seems to be using a telepathic net to both issue orders to the people watching this little secluded house as it seems that there are others are en-route to the house as well, no ally to Kami and barely a nuisance to Garuda and to keep an eye out for the G.E.C who are probably aware by now of his or Garuda's Ghoul activities here over the past week alone

Garuda was already watching the house, he could make his presence known and utterly terrify those living there or take the boy before Kami can find him but he chose not to...far too amused with this very interesting human

Garuda stood on a tree watching the house...he grinned sinisterly "Come out, come out little hybrid...let Lord Garuda see those eyes" he didn't need need to be as clairvoyant as he was to know that there was something evil festering in this boy, it would be trouble if anyone but him was to nurture that evil

He saw Yang leave the house suddenly, heading in the direction that he sensed Kami, his hatred for the repugnant Kurosaki burned to the point where he couldn't even keep his magic hidden in his anger but forcibly did so to avoid attention...he didn't want Kami to know what hit him until he already had the boy and was gone, he was about to follow when he saw Bane stick his head out the door, making sure Yang was gone before going after him

Garuda's jaw almost hit the floor at the power nearly rivaling his own coming from a mere human "Hn...I've finally found you, little morsel" he chuckled darkly knowing Bane wasn't a Ghoul but definitely had very strong Ghoul blood in those veins as he wasn't as fast as a Ghoul but still faster than any mere human as Garuda followed him

The boy seemed panicky all of a sudden...did he know Garuda was tailing him?

'No...' Garuda thought as Kami came out and met Yang in the woods as Garuda became very slightly feral, having almost lost all the power he'd accumalated through treachery and betrayal in one fell swoop because of this one Ghoul Lord 'I can't allow this power to end up in anyone's hands but mine...especially if they're Kami's'

Garuda left, but someone was listening in...someone who owed their lives to Kami warding Garuda off as well as the boy, Bane soon would as it was Raimundo who appears out of the bushes, calm as a pond and wondering what the hell attracted Garuda, of all people, to this backwater edge of Tokyo

"My my...just as I thought things couldn't get any worse, Garuda shows up" Raimundo says to himself, well acquainted with the self proclaimed Dark Ghoul Lord "I don't think Lord Kami would be too happy to see him, I know I'm not"

He soon follows Garuda, hoping to get to Kami before he does as he places one palm on the ground and closes his eyes for a few seconds "Seismic Sense..." As he sends a trackable amount of his magic into the ground to give him a mental map of the area and where Kami was as well as how far apart Kami was from Garuda and himself as he quickly grabbed his skateboard and took a shortcut with a proud "Gotcha..."

Elsewhere, Yang comes face to face with Kami...even though he was trying to avoid doing just that...

Yang seems aware that Kami is around...as well as some kind of miasma, he swore he felt it was Garuda but sadly Yang doesn't fully know the man very well besides that he is unnecessarily violent to anyone who denies him something that he already considers his and he desires to rule the world...he was ambitious, powerful and dangerous enough to do it as well but he sees Kami as an obstacle to those ambitions despite Kami's own ambitions having nothing to do with the world as long as he was unrivaled in it, Yang is actually deathly afraid of meeting him honestly...Tsume was out shopping as well and he had to make protecting his family his priority, be it from Garuda or Kami, Garuda was also more intelligent and a prodigy in some sense more than he shows to people...how smart he was is debatable but he claims to have never made a decision that wouldn't increase his wealth or prove a valuable point in his life...even if he knew it was a bad one

"Ah, Yang" Kami says coming out of nowhere and standing in his way "You're not hiding something from me...are you?"

"Whatever I hide is none of your business, Kami" Yang replied sharply as Kami said, looking away "Oh? Who is that human I sense a distance from here then...she feels familiar, is she yours?" Kami had the innate rare ability to sense non-Ghouls, regardless of if he or she possesses any magic, Tsume had no magic of course, at least no useable magic, but there was magic in her blood, being from the Asakura Clan, a Clan that also had Ghouls

A vortex forms around Yang "Stay away from her!" Kami clears the vortex with one hand as he looked at Yang suspiciously "What do you care...a human is a human to men like us, they are nothing but lambs to the slaughter, no?"

Suddenly, Raimundo appears at almost the same time as Bane...Garuda was not far behind either

"Milord...I think we have bigger fish to fry at the moment" Raimundo says as his and Yang's eyes met as Kami looked at the midday sky, it went from being normal to black as night for a few seconds as Yang's feeling of dread only increased

Suddenly, Bane appeared, coming down on Kami's face from the air with both feet as he looked away...the attack connects but Kami seems pretty irritable today as his eye turned on Bane

He immediately saw something different about the young man...he was a mutant with powers inherited from a Ghoul as Kami sent him and Raimundo flying with Dark Magic without moving, surprised that he wasn't killed as Bane was unlucky enough to collide with Garuda, who saw the boy's bold attack on the Ghoul Lord

"My my, that was some kick to the face there, Kami" Garuda said as Bane collided with him like a brick wall "Keep throwing away liable prospects like this and you might lose our...little wager, if you keep that up, Kuro-san"

Garuda stopped smirking as he looked down at Bane, who felt minute compared to him as Garuda grabbed him by both arms "I will unimaginably break him and reform him stronger...in my image...would you like to see how, father?" He spoke to Yang and threatened to rip him in half if he didn't answer

'Kare kara te o hanashite kudasai, anata wa fuyukaidesu!' (Get your hands off him, you vile fiend!) Yang charged at Garuda who was getting off on Bane's anguish but Raimundo gets in Yang's way, not because he wanted Garuda to have Bane but because he was in the same position enough times to know the outcome "Hey, wait!"

"I'll wait when he's dead!" Yang wasn't thinking rationally anymore as he smacked Raimundo aside, knocking him out cold as Garuda seemed impressed 'Oya… ringo wa ki kara tōku ni ochite inai yōda, chichioya… dōshitemo anata wa totemo fukabundakara futari tomo tsureteiku kamo shirenai' (Oh...seems the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree, father...might as well take you both since you're so inseparable)

Garuda dodges Yang's attacks like he taught them to him, before getting behind him "That fighting stance...that style...did Kami teach you how to get yourself killed or something with that? You need to learn to fight before picking any with someone who has no interest in your personal well-being"

Garuda easily got one foot between Yang's legs and flipped him, he wasn't expecting a prodigy of Kami to be such a fool "Stay down...this was over the moment you made the first move and you, don't interfere in the business of men, boy!" He glared at Raimundo with widened eyes ready to end him then and there

Bane had passed out in Garuda's arm but his mutant side had awakened without Yang knowing, as shadows tangled around a not very surprised Garuda but being much more accustomed to Shadows and one of the best Dark Magic users currently alive, outranking even the best Ghoul Lord, this merely surprised Garuda a little and made him want Bane even more as he grinned maniacally "Shadows...? But I sense no magic...is he one of those things I've heard so much about...a mutant?"

Yang didn't like the look in Garuda's yellow eyes now as he pushed him away with a shockwake of Wind and grabbed Bane and gave Garuda a murderous look than only made him chuckle, as Yang thought 'Wh-what is he...his only reaction to being attacked like that is that...manic grin?' Yang thought as the attack smashed the much larger Ghoul that was almost four times the size of him and Kami combined through a tree, Garuda simply sat up with the same grin and inticingly sinister yellow eyes

Garuda kept his and Yang's eyes locked "That boy...I'm gonna cut the crap and make it even simpler for you...common dimwits...to understand, the only way he's leaving here alive, is with me...I won't lose something so damn special" Garuda says as he took notice of Yang's expression to that "Still plan to oppose me? I'm not one to show mercy to anyone who denies me something that is already considered rightfully my property...I'll make sure he keeps you in memory, at least"

Kami decides to start incinerating Garuda at those words, until nothing was left, well aware that he was possibly not dead as he never used his original body in a fight where Kami was concerned specially to toy with the Ghoul Lord who deemed himself his superior

Tsume arrived to see this as Yang, despite grateful for the save, viciously attacks Kami "They're my family...I won't let you have them!"

Kami was hit square in the face by a Wind Magic attack that sent him flying into the air but he recovers quickly midair as he landed on his feet as Tsume saw the unconsious Bane and tears came to her eyes, few things made her cry besides a scolding from her father or three brothers and seeing harm come to her son "What...Yang, what happened to Bane?"

"Tsume...take Bane and run, right now!" Yang was practically foaming at the mouth with anger as Kami grabbing Tsume and holding her in the air by the back of the neck was the only thing keeping him in place for her safety

But Kami was not going to let her off so easily 'Jikkō shimasu ka? Watashi wa sore ga totemo kantan ni okoru yō ni suruto anata wa dōomoimasuka?' (Run? What makes you think I'll let that happen so easily?) Kami asks, a grin appearing on his face reminiscent of a truly cruel demonic entity...he was able to scare even other Ghouls with that smile alone

Tsume reached out for Yang as she and Kami both dissolved to ash "Yang!"

"Tsume!" Yang was coming full speed with a street sign in hand to take Kami's head off but came up just shy of catching them as Bane came to as he broke down, Bane looked around as Yang looked at him without turning to face him, his Kakugan burning red on black sclera

Yang was shaking and Bane knew why as he sat near the still unconscious Raimundo "Bane...what the fuck am I supposed to do now?" He asked no one in particular

Bane has never heard Yang swear before as he seemed more concerned with finding his mother, he's never spent a long time alone with his father who all but tried to avoid him while living in the same house "Mother..." He whispered shakily

Yang walked up to his son, a cold look on his face...he had low expectations for humans, but Bane had his blood in his veins so he secretly held the boy on a pedestal over others without showing it as he took up Raimundo's body and walked away "Come...we have things to do"

Bane followed his father with a nod as they went home with this stranger, Sabaku No Raimundo

Once home, Yang decides to start training on his own...he had Bane packing only the things he needed for they would be leaving soon

Bane sat in the living room, Raimundo still unconscious on the couch as he leaned against the wall nearby, close enough to know when he comes to but far enough to be able to escape if he wakes up in a similar frenzy his father went into and attacks him

'What are they?' Bane thought as Yang was outside beating the ever loving shit out of a tree inwhat he calls training...or maybe venting his frustration, Bane didn't know or care to know and he was far too terrified to risk his life go out and find out 'There's no way someone could put themselves through that kind of torture and be human...then there's that man who wanted me and the other one who took mother'

Raimundo woke up confused and did a terrible job of hiding it from Bane "Um...where the hell am I?" Rai asks as Bane looked at him before calling out to his father "Father...he's awake"

Just then, Yang came in the back door not far from where Bane stood...he was NOT happy and Raimundo knew that but not why due to the slick move of Garuda knocking him out "Ugh...what an awful nightmare, where am I?"

He looked to see Bane sitting against the wall, his head in his lap "Wait...if this brat's here, don't tell me this is Yang's house?!" He exclaimed as Yang came in just as he was about to run out and he looked mad as he grabbed Raimundo by thr throat "You...where did Kami take her...where is he with Tsume?!"

"Go ahead...kill me, my life means nothing to Kami anymore anyway and we both know where he took that pretty wife of yours" Raimondo was really in no position to be a smart mouth as Bane didn't even bother looking up at them "I think we both can make a wild guess where he went and why he took her, leaving me and the boy"

Yang grimaced as he decides to toss Raimundo in the nearest bathroom and lock the door as his attention turns to Bane as he walks out "Bane...come with me"

"What about him?" Bane asks as Yang says with authority and little care for Raimundo "He's not your problem...we need to talk away from him"

Bane follows Yang outside but keeps his distance from his father, who he's figured out by now was not human...he hadn't figured out what he was just yet though

Yang had been trying to ignore the boy most of his life, after all...neither neglecting nor spoiling him...he also wasn't surprised that Bane had Tsume's abilities but given that Bane was smarter than he looked, he wasn't expecting that he hadn't even tried to learn about Ghoul and other creatures from the magic side of his life which exists even if he was unaware of it his whole life

"There's only one way to get your mother back...I hope you know that" Yang smiles slightly "Either you stay as human as you are now and die or...become a Ghoul...like those men, Garuda and Kami and stand a fighting chance of not dying on the spot"

"Why'd you ask that...all I want is my mother!" Bane broke down in Yang's arms as he held him but showed no empathy, he had to as to not treat Bane like a child when there was nothing childish about him "I'll make you strong enough to hold your own but you must choose to accept or deny this burden" Yang said as Bane didn't understand but asked "How do I become a Ghoul?"

"If you take a blood transfusion from a Ghoul, that could work...though I won't be doing that since you already have my blood in your veins" Yang said "The most efficient way is through a bite...if I bit you, you'd become a Ghoul albeit there is no gain without pain..."

"And the shadows...?" Bane asks looking at his hand as Yang said "...are your ally, that power comes from your mother and you have my tolerance for pain though it won't be enough...I won't need to worry about taking so much care of you either, so do you accept or not?"

"I want to save her...I accept" Bane says as he felt his father's hold suddenly tighten, there were Ghouls physically much stronger than Yang but he seemed more than able to snap the 16 year old Bane in half if he so desired "Okay..."

Yang sounded like he didn't want to do it but with striking speed faster than any snake, he bites down on Bane's neck as he screamed but was held in place to the point where he passed out then regained consciousness at least twice as Yang finally lets go of him but keeps him on his now wobbly feet as he showed two tomes against the tree that he brought with him...it was not personally his as he had his own and only held them through a cloth

"Take them...they're yours and are pretty rare and expensive" Yang instructed as he handed the silver trimmed Wind Tome and the orange/red trimmed Fire tome to Bane as he felt a feeling like he momentarily left his body upon just touching the Wind Tome particularly as a tornado formed around him and Yang jumped back "Oy, watch it!"

Suddenly applause can be heard as Raimundo appeared, earning a venomous glare from Yang "Nice...so that's what you had up your sleeve the whole time, Yang?"

Yang doesn't pay much attention to Raimundo as he said "Let's go Demon Hunting..."

"Oh, I get it...that's cuz Kami's the Demon of the Ghoul Lords, ain't it?" Raimundo asks as he's still ignored as Bane felt a shiver and looked at Raimundo...sensing how strong he was and becoming visibly annoyed by it as Rai noticed "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What is that strange feeling I'm getting from you?" Bane asks as Raimundo answers as if it was something he should already know "Magic...duh"

What Bane didn't tell him was that this wasn't the only bad feeling he was having...he was having an even worse one about Garuda and what he was willing to do to get him...he was shaking at the very thought but didn't know if it was because of terror or excitement, that could shake anyone to their core. Garuda had the ability to adjust an opponent's feeling to suit himself so this might be his fault

Bane Yang and Raimundo make it to the city once Yang had prepared himself and Bane enough for the journey and for a fight...

No one knows what plans Kami has for Tsume and Yang doesn't care to find out...he has seen how his former master treats his women and it wasn't at all pleasant...beating them within an inch of their lives and back until they not only became no better than slaves with as much free will as Kami deems them worthy of but they felt that way as well...Kami was handsome and a rather wealthy Ghoul Lord, no woman could say they don't want that but he has decapitated women and men with his bare hands on a bad day, making even female Ghouls watch themselves around him and try not to refuse even the craziest of his requests on a bad day

Tsume was very strong willed and puts up a fight against anyone like Kami, being the daughter of a Clan Head and trained to be able to defend herself even against Ghouls, but she isn't going to do much for Kami's status as a Ghoul Lord, strength and intellect well beyond his years or what he shows at times even as the youngest and weakest of the current Ghoul Lords and his...very volitile temper that results in anyone who got off on the wrong foot with him facing something worse than death

Suddenly, Bane stops in his tracks as he turns to see Garuda speaking to a man...he didn't know what they were saying but Garuda seemed to have other ideas as he spotting Bane watching him and directed the mysterious masked man's attention to him before both disappearing like they were never there

"I feel like we're being watched...and I don't like it" Bane says as Raimundo says "You are...but don't worry, don't make a scene and it won't be a problem"

"I meant by that guy Kami called Garuda...where father bit me still hurts though, more than I expected" Bane clarified as Yang and Raimundo looked around to see if they saw or sensed that monster nearby

Bane suddenly made eye contact with a man who seemed older than Kami and had golden eyes, white almost gray hair reaching the middle of his back and wrapped in a cloth...he was also carrying many files and papers with him and seemed to be hungry as he left what looked like a market with a sandwich that was raw but unspoilt meat that smells like a human...smelt like it was once a person and was rather putrid to Bane...not like he cared what it was

The man was Abel Taeger, Alphonse Taeger's masochistic and cautious of newcomers father as well one of the many but rarely seen Councilmen that lived in the city and one of the only ones who was a very capable and calculated fighter...especially since he bad mouths Kami at every single chance he gets and has people always in wait to kill him whenever he leaves the city...which was often

He's about to take a bite when he notices Bane gawking at him "Get lost, brat before ya end up in my sammie...the last thing ya want is to anger me after a long week"

Abel shot Yang a look "Oy, Hiachi...this yours?" He pointed as Bane with a glare that made it very clear that how close he was was close enough as Raimundo said "Oh, Counsilman Taeger...I never expected to see you back here so soon"

"Save the pleasantries, Sabaku and for the millionth time, ya are to address me as Councilman Abel...this is my last working day for the next five days actually" Abel shrugged "Nothing special besides the odd occurrence that Kami's hench-monkeys didn't show up to kill me as usual...which is odd"

"Y'know, Kami wouldn't wanna kill you if you didn't have such a big mouth, Councilman" Yang says "and yes, this is my son, Bane"

Bane bowed to Abel who almost cringed at it "he's kinda weird smellin' and too nice...he ain't gonna last long here with that" Abel give Bane a stern look "it's a bad idea to make me think of you as a subservient people pleaser, kid...cut that out and don't do that to anyone in this city ever again, got that?"

"Yes..." Bane say, as Abel was about to leave but locks eyes with him "...that's better, for a start"

Abel leaves with a low but feral growl "This better be good...I've had a long day" he mutters leaving towards the Ghoul Lord's tower, where the Ghoul Lord is whenever not at the Ghoul Lord's personal residence...which he would need an invitation to even enter

Bane tries to follow him but the large man disappeared quickly in the crowd of Ghouls going about their daily lives as he went with Yang and Raimundo

"For once, tell me what he's saying is actually wrong..." Yang looked at Raimundo who replied as he chuckled at the irony a bit "yeah, you're not the only one who wishes Counsilman Taeger's assumptions were wrong...from the previous Ghoul Lord's strange disappearance and no one knowing if he's even dead, J'onn's hysteria and outright delerium on the subject, Kami's complete personality backflip and the very strange but accurate misgivings of Councilman Taeger on those who rule this city and how much right they actually don't have to have things the way they are...even a lazy guy like me can see that this city is slowly but very surely digging it's own grave"

'Garūda... Kare wa dōdesu ka?' (And Garuda...what of him?) Yang asks as Raimundo scowled 'Ā, kare wa daremoga shitte iru koto o amari shite imasen... Garūda wa tada kare no o shiri ni suwatte konran o tenkai shite iru no o mite imasu kare ni nanika o furitakunaide, kare to onaji heya ni todomaru' (Oh, he hasn't been doing much that anyone is aware of...Garuda's just sitting on his ass and watching the chaos unfold, quite happy with it too as he creates an army without anyone knowing and our happy neighbourhood Councilman can't stay in the same room as the guy without wanting to swing something at him)

"Why?" Bane asks as Raimundo doesn't seem to have all the details "Abel's son, Alphonse was imprisoned once while Abel was out of the city...and for once it wasn't his fault as he ended up in some strange facility apparently used to brainwash people...Garuda claimed he didn't know how he ended up bound and gagged in a facility he owned and Abel sadly got the news and made a detour threatening to kick the shit outta everyone involved, including our severely half-witted Ghoul Lord, which he came very close to doing...has had bad blood between the three ever since, apparently the men responsible for leaving his son there are still fleeing or hiding for the lives"

"So...you're saying he's dangerous?" Bane asks as Rai chuckles nerviously "NO...no, at least as long as you avoid getting him mad and only he's allowed to call his son a vagabond, that pisses him off even when he does it"

They went to J'onn's library but found that they were soon joined by the Taeger's as well as many other Ghouls...oddly Bane and Abel ended up beside each other

"What exactly are we looking for here again?" Bane asks as he got squished against the much larger Abel as other Ghouls came in, he felt more muscular than he looked until he got annoyed and snapped "This ain't a goddamn playground, sit down and read a friggin' book...you baka!"

That made everyone freeze and silently go away, whispering threats under their voices as Abel looked at Bane, glared at Yang and Raimundo then glared back at Bane laying on him before he threw him off "You again? Off, brat."

Abel gave Bane a dead serious look...he was one of those who took his job very seriously and took insults with a microscopic grain of salt

Suddenly Abel was simply staring at Bane in silence with a twitchy eyebrow as he activated his Kakugan, thinking 'This kid...his magic is nearly at my level and then some, he seems unaware of magic in general though...I wonder...how much is there hiding within ya'

Abel, being a member of the Taeger family which wasn't a clan but had enough members to rival that of the Kurosaki Clan all the same...was one of the most adept members at the Family's three magic styles...Water/Ice, Fire/Advanced Fire (Lightning, though there may be other variations of Advanced Fire Magic) and Darkness as he used one of the Family's most subtle but effective methods of drawing someone's magic out even without them noticing

Abel touched Bane's back at the base of his spine for less than a second, sending a voltage through his body that could draw out almost all of the magic he was hiding intentionally or without him even being aware of the presence...it was also painless, so Bane wouldn't be hurt

Abel went back to ignoring Bane but grit his teeth...one thing he couldn't ignore was the boy's power...he was nauseatingly powerful to the point where even other Ghouls in the room noticed and looked very uncertain as someone as young as Bane shouldn't be nearly even half as powerful as he is...him being a Ghoul/Mutant Hybrid might attribute to most of it as his mutation of Shadow Manipulation can be mimicked by highly adept users of Dark Magic but the control he would have would be unmatched

Someone else approached Abel, his son Alphonse who touched his shoulder and spoke with an attitude Abel despised "Oy, old man...why'd ya drag us to this freakin' library with these bunch of 'normals'...knowing how fond thay are not of Binge Eaters, huh?"

Abel was impulsive, certain things went from angering him to sending him into a feral rage but he usually refrained from showing it...which earned him the respect of even enemies as he quickly, with superhuman speed locked his son's arm and slammed him on the table with one arm, threatening to break his already bent fingers

He gave him a murderous look "What did I say about bothering me while I work, boy?" He became aggressively calm as Alphonse winced "Jusus, Lemme go...I gotta go to The Underground, jeez...why'd ya drag me here if ya get that pissed about bein' bothered from buryin' ya face in some book anyway?"

"Hey, that's enough!" Raimundo tried to part the two but Alphonse stops him "Don't interfere, Sabaku!"

"Yo...Taeger-san" Yang makes his presence known to his childhood frienemy as both had rebelled against their parents and their seemingly predetermined destinies...only Yang's father was more occupied with being a clan head to care for a heir that wasn't worth much to begin with

Then again, he didn't try to kill his father...something even his clan's enemies advised him against because he would be killed very violently despite the calm man fis father was...Abel wasn't a Clan head or bound by such a rule as he nearly died at the hand of his own son until Alphonse awakened a wrath feared by Gods and Mortals alike by being captured and placed in the barely hospitable prison facility, The Crypt

He didn't wait for a prison break even though he was out of the city at the time...otherwise Alphonse would've made it to the prison in literal pieces but he did arrive to break him out with an ass kicking that even the other inmates - who Abel never touched - would still feel for a long time coming

The Inquisitors, Ghouls responsible for doing the Crypt's handiwork of keeping the peace outside the prison walls knew better than to touch Alphonse from then on...they were stronger than the Ghoul Lord but one glare from Abel after a particularly rotten day wasn't something they'd want to look forward to as Alphonse narrowed his eyes at Yang "What are you doing here, Yang...and who the eff is the brat?"

"My son...I'd watch what I say if I were you" Yang said as Alphonse replied "Gomen'nasai...for the sorry broad who's forced to share a bed and a cub with your ugly ass"

"I'm Bane..." Bane steps up to the two, reaching to shake Alphonse's hand...only to get grazed as he's nearly bitten by Alphonse as Abel gave the two a smoldering look "Careful...extendin' yer hand to a predator like that" he grinned viciously

"Look what I found..." Abel says sticking his hand down Alphonse's mouth and ripping a wisdom tooth out from the writhing bleeding Ghoul's mouth and tossing it to Bane "You'd have to forgive my son...he's a dumbass...don't just stick yer damn hand out to anyone when ya smell that good...here, fer the trouble" he tossed the tooth and a thousand yen to him

"Do you just give away money like that?" Bane tried to give back the money but Abel insists he keep it "Don't worry, I make much more than that and come find me if dad tries to take it from ya"

Yang scowls as Abel turns to his own son "Shouldn't you be going somewhere?"

Alphonse nods as his and Bane's eyes never leave each other and he turns to leave but finds a man wearing a Tanuki mask glaring at him, it was Raimundo's twin brother, Tsujin

"Oy, how many times do I gotta tell you to follow the goddamn rules" Raimundo says as he points at the written up rules of almost every library "I am NOT getting in trouble for the likes of you...especially you two" he points at his twin brother and Alphonse

"Baka...I envy you working for someone so worthless" Alphonse looked at his watch "...but I have to be somewhere...and I won't let you stop me, Sabakuno Tsujin"

"Hey, stupid...out of my son's way before I skin ya" Abel walked towards the two, a Liger (Lion/Tiger Hybrid) mask appearing on his face with a Black and Gold color scheme as he swung a clawed hand at Tsujin, intentionally missing but still slashing his shirt open before pointing at Alphonse "Go...do your business but if I get word of you giving ANY trouble down there...I'll kick yer ass so bad the Crypt will come get ya themselves"

The irritated Alphonse leaves for the Underground area of the city which was a separate city in and of itself usually only reserved for scientists and geniuses...neither of which he was as Bane tried to follow him but Abel lifted him off his feet "Not happenin', kid"

Yang decides to get to the point "Where's Kami?" As Abel growled "Even if I knew that, yer the last persons I'd tell...I have heard over the grapevine that he's looking fer a wifey...again though"

"So do you know?" Yang insists as Abel said "You'd have to be more persistent than that...and no, I don't know anything, but I'll let ya know what I find out anything worthwhile"

Elsewhere, in the area under the city known as the Underground...where Alphonse has just arrived to actually...he makes it to a parlor not far from the entrance to area to see someone he respects almost as much as his own father due to them being taught by the same man in a similar fashion to Yang under Kami

Rei Coldarts was the father of Dartz and Raiko...the two were both stronger than Alphonse but absolute rubbish compared to their father...Raiko has always had shifty jobs while Dartz was still and always will be the First Mate of the Black Fang Pirates raising many including Alsphonse who tried to kill him

Their family were considered Middle-Class, not dead poor or filthy rich but rich enough to get by immigrants allowed to live in the city and come and go as they pleased...something Rei worked too hard for to let anyone - including his sons - ruin and live to tell the tale

Rei was a mid-height muscular Ghoul with silver piercing eyes and emerald green hair in a short ponytail, despite his look he was very strong, strong willed, diciplined and very short tempered...a few Ghouls were taking advantage of Dartz for wearing his bandana to hide his naturally green hair and poking fun at him even after getting the living hell beaten out of them until Rei appeared one time and almost killed all of them and gouged both eyes from one of them and giving Dartz, poking fun at the other man in return for getting beaten by an old man while threatening Dartz never to cover his hair and wear it with pride or he'd shave it all off and he still had to run errands in the city for him with the bald head

How were the two in the city if Dartz was supposed to be a member of the Black Fangs then? Well, the two can't hide anywhere that Rei couldn't find them...they weren't terrible at it but he was just too good and knew them too well

"Oy, Raiko...you managed to get the big shurikens I ordered?" Rei asks his eldest son as Raiko had gotten into the habit of trying to get the jump and attack his father which only ended in him getting hurt as he replied brushing his short hair "Yeah...y'know, ya could've given me time to get ready"

Rei glared at him "Ye a woman or somethin'? Think I got time to waste waitin' fer ya to brush down to ya ballsack?" He asked as Raiko said nothing, slightly embarrassed "Didn't think so...men don't take more than an hour to get ready"

Dartz was very high spirited, something Rei encouraged after how he went on a suicidal rampage after the loss of their mother but he did inherit his father's big mouth...causing him to tell off anyone, save for his father, and hold his own in the fight that usually came afterward

This got Garuda's attention as he was invited to Garuda's Lion's Den to fight to his heart's contrent despite Dartz absolute hatred of him and especially how he treats foreigners and mocked Rei for his wife's death...he went there to fight, not for Garuda and his bs

Rei turned to Dartz, confused a bit "I make a joke, Dartz?"

This is when Alphonse comes up 'Yo, dātsu... Itazura mēkāraiko... Rōjin rei,-dōshita?' (Yo, Dartz...mischief maker Raiko...Old Man Rei, what's up?)

Rei looked at Alphonse "Oh, Lil' Taeger...didn't see ya there, tryna get kicked in the throat with that 'Rojin' comment there and what brings ya to the Underground?"

"Hn...errands fer the other 'Rojin'...still selling weapons to J'onn's useless bodyguard detail, I see" he wasn't fond of J'onn and neither was Rei frankly, but a paying customer was a paying customer at the end of the day to him, as long as he was clear that Rei was no mere commoner and personally tested and inspected all his weapons before sale and knew how to fight with them...J'onn tried to blame Rei's weapons for his men being losers and none of the Coldartz were having it, especially Rei who still felt personally insulted and kept his distance from then on, knowing where his anger and pride would lead

Rei was closing up now even though he could stay open 24 hours a day and didn't mind but J'onn was pretty determined to control him in some way or form, so if he is needed customers would either come to his personal residence and he'll help them there or he'll simple reopen the Weapon Shop/ Armory/Tome Shop to help them there

"See anything strange around here lately?" Alphonse asks as Rei retorted for being called old "Ya payin', mate?"

"Saw a Shade last night...of that scumbag, besides the weird shit that's already commonplace 'ere in this city" Dartz said bitterly as Alphonse already knew who he was referring to, Kami, Shades were what they were called because it was people using camouflage magic to pass through the area which naturally disrupts Dark Magic just enough that using any kind of cloaking magic was pointless as you'd still be almost completely visible "He had another female with him against their wills...how do ye locals put up with that guy?"

"You saw Kami here last night...where did he go?" Alphonse almost demands as Rei pointed in the direction of a cave that was far away from anywhere anyone lived down here "There...that strange cave...the Big Brains down 'ere 'ave been quite curious lately but anytime ya get too close, ya sense some wicked nasty and threatenin' magic from inside...there's only one of whatever it is though"

"Interesting..." Alphonse says as he leaves to run his errands for his father "Well, I'll think about it once my business is over and done with" he came here to see a certain one of the scientific minds down here

Elsewhere, Kami makes it to one his hideouts in the Underground...he wasn't going to be found here as he remained with Tsume until she woke up...

Tsume was relatively unharmed by Kami, biting her never even crossed his mind but she was quite exquisite not that Kami got a good long look at her as he had his men lock him in all alone here with her...she wasn't going anywhere...she wasn't in chains or anything but Kami thought her chances of defeating him and leaving her in one piece were slim to unrealistic as she began overcoming his weak sleep magic to see him waiting with a look of sympathy

"Ooh, my head...Yang" Tsume said as she came to and didn't even notice Kami until he snapped her back to reality "Not here...he's far away by now, probably even abandoned you and in the midst of cannibalizing his own son..."

Tsume looked up to see Kami grinning at such a thought until he noticed her stumbling to her feet...he wasn't going to help her as he said "Don't worry...at least you'll live away from that hunger driven bakemono...as my wife"

"Like hell I'll ever marry you!" Tsume was quite scary when she was this angry, at least to Yang, but not to Kami "Yang would never abandon me or hurt Bane!"

"Why are you here then...?" Kami frowned as he pounded the metal door "We're all alone here, rest assured...resign yourself to your fate cuz neither of us are going anywhere" it was about that moment that Kami expected Tsume to do just that, her will seemingly broken but he has sorely misjudged her and how much she really doesn't needs Yang to survive on her own here

"You teleported somehow, didn't you...that's how we got here and Yang couldn't save me, was it not?" Tsume wasn't the least bit scared, she was actually really angry as Kami lied through his teeth "Sadly, no...I'm not an idiot as to teleport into a trap and I can't do it at will...my men, their envy has gotten the best of them and they betrayed me snd threw me in here with you...there's Demonite in the walls, it won't make me sick but I can't use any magic"

Kami was a very good and masterful liar, showing no visible reaction that would tell even the best eyes or ears that he was actually deceiving them as Tsume rose to her feet as her hair floated eerily as she swung an arm and a shadow followed "Get the hell out of my way!"

That's when Kami realized that her abilities and what Bane used against Garuda when they met were one and the same and she planned to leave here, even if it was through him as the shadow was coming right at him as he used Dark Magic in almost the same manner to dissipate the Shadow "Enough of this!"

Kami then lunged at her but she got out of the way quickly as he cracks the wall with his bare fist, Tsume then kicks him in the stomach, making him bend over a bit before kicking his face in hard enough for him to backflip

Kami lands on his feet however and holds his gut as he sneered at her "Well, what a surprise...you never struck me as someone who can handle themselves in a fight, Asakura Tsume" he wasn't bothered by any of her hits enough for it to be a problem...just surprised

"I hane three overprotective Ghoul big brothers...blame them for training me so hard since I was six so that no man could ever touch me...not even them" Tsume said as Kami said curiously "Oh?"

"You expect me to care to take that seriously?" Kami snaps, a little annoyed with her comparison between him and her brothers "They were your brothers...they wouldn't kill you...I am of no relation to you and most definitely will even if I'd prefer not to"

Kami then disappears but reappears very quickly, slamming Tsume against the wall and making an even bigger crack as he grinned sadistically as he applied pressure on her throat, slowly choking her tighter and ignoring her scratching and clawing at his face "Come...let's make each other bleed, if that's what you desire so badly!"

"Hm? Who's the dead man who dare interrupt my fun?!" Kami seethes as he turns his head to see the door slams open as his eyes turned black with on blue with anger but no one was there

Release her...

A deep disembodied voice says with no emotion as within seconds, a man appeared from nowhere standing in the doorway but his body seemed to be made completely of shadows...even the shadows seemed alive...Tsume knew who this was, too

Yukio/Yu Asakura was a member of the Asakura Clan who was shouded in mystery...even to the Clan as he was a protector of the Clan who is praised as a God as he doesn't seem to even care to be called that but appears when a member of the Clan was in danger...especially a main family member, like Tsume and he was the only Asakura known to be stronger than even Yoh but very well respected, her father and the 98th Head of the Clan

He stepped inside and indeed, Kami lets go of Tsume's throat but uses Amaterasu to burn him alive but as Amaterasu was equally Dark Magic as it was Fire Magic, he was unharmed due to his total immunty to Dark Magic or even something that was partially Dark Magic as he appeared between the two in an instant, picking up Tsume and appearing back at the door, Tsume in his arms and his back turned to Kami as the door slammed shut

Seconds later, a screaming Kami blasts his way out of the room and pursues the intruder 'Anata ga koko o deru mae ni, watashi wa anata to anata no ryōhō o hai ni yakimasu!' (I'll burn you both to ashes before you leave here!)

He quickly catches up to the two, Tsume remembered seeing this Ghoul only once as a girl...but this was her first time actually being approached by him and she wasn't scared...far from relieved with Kami still (very literally) hot on their tail, but better away from him

"We're surrounded!" Tsume says as Yukio replied sharply "I can see that..."

Suddenly Kami appears before them with his arms behind his back as he seemed rather proud of his men's efforts in stopping the two from escaping...they were equally afraid of what Kami might've done to them if Tsume did escape

"Don't mess with my intellect...I think you only have two options left...give up willing and behave or die" Kami says as he's also had a bit of obsession with controlling Yukio for some time now and wanted to draw him out "Well, Yukio?"

With Garuda, he ruturned to his mansion...well one of them anyway...he had plans to make

Garuda returns to his home, he couldn't get Bane off his mind and wasn't very fond of Yang, Raimundo and Kami, being interlopers as they are, interfering with him taking Bane after the brat dared to attack him

Garuda wasn't paying attention to any of his followers as he entered his mansion and sat atop his throne "Titus..." He seethed as the man came up and bowed "My Lord?"

"Bring me that boy...Bring me my Asakura Bane" Garuda pounded his arm rest in frustration, he didn't know why but he was really pissed off "I don't care if you have to become his ally, just don't come back without him and don't kill him"

"I shall enforce your law, Master Garuda..." Titus bowed as he looked at Garuda who already knew what he wanted and shooed him off "Yes, yes...play to your heart's content, my Animal...I don't need or want his comrades alive, they are yours to do with as you wish"

Titus left at that, his eyes always narrowed to slits and a devilish grin smeared across his face as he picked up his Death Axe and left immediately for his given task, sprinting out of the mansion

Titus could feel his master enter his mind, giving him what his targets looked like as he smirked to himself "Heh...these will hardly whet my appetite, I should meet this assassin ya hired too, Garuda-sama"

'In time, my weapon...all in due time' Garuda say telepathically as Titus grinned from ear to ear like a demon "As you wish, my master"

Titus intentionally takes some sub-par men with him to test Bane and friends but stalks the assassin Bane saw speaking to Garuda earlier first

"Come out...I know you are there" the Assassin said as he looked behind him, not needing to see or sense Titus to know he was there

Titus simply raises one hand to signal to the Ghouls he came with to stay where they were as he came out of hiding alone to the hired hand of his master "Well...where is my prey?" He questioned the whereabouts of Bane and company as Bane and company indeed pass by right in front of them while none the wiser that they could've just been killed as the Assassin said, with more than just a bit of annoyance "I thaought I told your master that I work alone"

"If you wish to live long enough to see my master rule this world, Uta...I suggest you shut up now" Titus points his sword at the Assassin "Lord Garuda said nothing about needing ya alive or that I wasn't allowed to play with ya...but the boy must live"

"I will accomplish my given mission...regardless of the obstacles" Uta says as Titus' murderous intent towards him only grew "You must not know the situation yer in right now...the boy comes with me, alive while I'm free to do whatever the fuck I want with ya and his comp'ny"

Titus decides to make his presence known as he jumps out of the tree and lands below, behind a wall which he obliterates with hid Death Axe and steps out into plain view of everyone as Bane and company turn to face what it was

'Mendōna... Konkai wa nanidesu ka?' (How troublesome...what is it this time?) Raimundo turned only to make eye contact with Titus as he shook a bit "Oh, no..."

"I bring a warning from the next King...you must offer your lives to appease him" he pointed at Yang "and hand over the boy...alive"

Yang simply steps forward, protecting Bane "Tell Garuda he can take his warning and shove it up his ass!" This caused onlookers to gasp as no one spoke of Garuda in such a way and lived to tell about it, especially with Titus who stopped smiling with "The boy...that is all I want, I have no qualms killing ya either"

"Get lost already, Titus...we have bigger fish to fry with Kami at the moment" Raimundo says as Titus turns like he's about to leave but instead charges at them as he caught Bane by the throat and appeared behind the other two without them even able to react as he grinned madly, throwing his weapon at Raimundo "Quiet, Sabaku!"

He barely missed Raimundo "Woah...that was too close, but at least now we don't need to worry about disarming him"

Yang nodded but didn't make a foolish move to attack him or he might hurt Bane even though he hasn't yet and Bane's eyes were glowing red and Titus seems to be using his Wind Magic to cancel out Bane's before it could even leave his body

"Well...not gonna try to take him back?" Titus seemed to be challenging Yang who seems smart enough to know that he can't attack Titus without Bane ending up in the crossfire

The voice of Bane's Dark Side can be heard, but only by Bane as everyone sensed the change in him...

'Yare Yare...please, let us out...we crave blood and to make anyone who hurt you pay with their lives!' The voice sounding exactly like Bane on a really bad day says as another voice says, this one not even sounding human 'Speak for yourself...I just want master to be free under a red moon...I will allow no one to deny him that...I've no interest in chaos'

Bane could see his wolf form standing with Raimundo and his father but it soon began to change to his body...Bane was half way through his transformation when he tossed Titus like a ragdoll, his strength already tripled

Titus managed to flip to his feet but was equally surprised and excited to see Bane in his full wolf form as he also sensed the full brunt of his scary magic "What is he?"

"Ah...that's better" Wolf-Bane growled as he seemed to be an entirely different being from Bane and liked to play dumb to fool his prey despite being very smart, wild and feral as he howled, causing a slight shockwave

A/N - Seems like Titus has unwittingly unleashed Bane's powers, but can Bane control himself quickly enough or for long enough to find Kami and how will he fare against Garuda's loyal but monstrous right hand, Titus...what does Garuda even plan to do once he has Bane? Find out next chapter and there are Ghouls going missing because of Kami, which may include Dartz' mother/Rei's wife and Rei already hates Kami, so he won't be happy about it! R&R!