The tales of squad 13

Under the scarlet sky

The night sky was like it always was. Bloody red with a milky-white orb hovering in the middle. The streets were empty; not even a single light protruded from the dark homes. A thick blanket of silence smothered the entire town as shadows reached out for each other through the scarlet glow of the heavens. There were no cars, no drunkards nor businessmen trying to catch the last train. The only two people in the city talked underneath a broken streetlight, whispered to each other as if they were scared the shadows would hear them.

"2.000 cash," A male voice cut through the silence. "Highest grade, of course." Another voice, a high-pitched male one, bounced against the nearby brick wall of a house.

"That much?! I-I don't even earn that much in a whole month!" The first man shrugged, fumbling with his pockets before procuring a small plastic bag with a couple of fluorescent-coloured pills inside it. The high-pitched man immediately slashed towards it with his left hand, nervously scratching his right cheek with the other.

"That's just sad. That means I'll sell this to somebody else. You know how it is in business." The man put the bag in his pocket and turned around on the back of his immaculately polished heels. He walked a couple of feet, making sure the sound of his steps echoed clearly around him. As his feet lead him into the nearest alley, someone tugged on the back of his coat.

"Ple-Please! I-I'll do anything! Ju-Just give me the bag!" The man's bloodshot eyes threatened to bounce out of his sockets as he tried forcing his way into the other man's pockets. A swift kick to the chin tumbled him backwards, however.

"Anything, huh...? Then sell your house," came the reply of the man. His assailant's eyes went wide as he jumped back unto his shaky knees. "B-But... My-My wife. My kids. I-I..." The man's words stumbled over his tongue as he anxiously scratched his broken skin. Blood dripped down his cuts as he bit on the stumps that were supposed to be his nails.

"I don't care. Sell your house to me, or you can look for a new supplier." The man's words froze before they left his mouth. He looked at the man in front of him with a cold gaze, jiggling the pills hidden inside his pockets. The shaking man wiped the drool off his crackled lips as he stumbled on his feet.

"F-Fine," The man swallowed a knot of drool as he pointed at the pockets of his supplier. "Bu-But give me three days... I-I need to prepare the paperwork." The supplier shook his head and stepped away.

"No contract, no pills. Now get out of my sight. I am a busy man." The man swiftly turned around and disappeared into the nearest alley.

"Not so fast." A deep masculine voice echoed from within the alleyway. A mere second later, the supplier got smacked by a streetlight. As he tumbled backwards, a loud crack echoed through the sky before he came to a stop in the middle of the street. While he tried untangling himself from his limbs, the newcomer glanced at the addict trembling on his knees.

A young man appeared from within the shadows. Balancing on the edges of his sneakers, he straightened his shorts. Coupled with his short-sleeved shirt, he looked like he had lost the way from the beach. A soft smirk tugged at his lips while his ice-cold blue eyes looked at the men in front of him. One groaning in pain while the other nervously scratched his skin to ribbons.

"Gi-Give me the stuff!" The man suddenly lashed out; His fingers barely reached the newcomer. The new man jumped back as his bright blue eyes looked around. With a sway of his black woollen coat, he slapped the nearest trashcan and reached into his right pocket. A deep eerie purple glow emanated from within as he pulled out a game controller. With a simple flick against the joystick, the trashcan broke free of the steel bands that kept it drilled into the floor and hovered beside the newcomer.