Chapter Text
Wukong always knew that trouble and action were the main things that kept him in danger so much. It was the very reason he and Macaque had even taken on this life of fighting the most dangerous convicts and almost always leaving unscathed. But sometimes, Wukong admitted to himself that he envied the peaceful life. Seeing normal people walking down the street, doing mundane and simple tasks. Stressing over deadlines or school, maintaining a normal job as a barista or server or another every-day job. He would let his mind wander, thinking about what life for him and his partner would’ve been like if they had just stuck to the simple way of living and didn't let this line of work find them.
Those thoughts never lasted long, though. Because the moment Wukong sank the end of his bo-staff in this crook’s head, sending them flying and crashing into a wall, all those wishes of that life vanished without a trace and replaced themselves with the adrenaline from his fight. Sparks from Wukong’s sun-bathed radiant power and the cool tendrils of Macaque’s shadows warping around the room were all you could see besides the bullets from their enemies. A stray bullet ricocheted off of Wukong’s staff, the small pieces of metal clattering to the floor as a light-pitched ping rang throughout the air. The staff glowed gold, propelling Wukong forward to one of his enemies and sending a kick straight to the jaw. The enemy tumbled to the ground with a grunt, unmoving and wheezing ragged breaths.
Macaque was holding his own against two of the convicts, swiping his shadow staff and knocking the group out with one single swing. The dust had cleared, and once again, Macaque and Wukong reigned victorious. The two stood there, collecting themselves from the rush. Wukong sighed, putting away his staff. “What a good workout!” He exclaimed with a grin. He glanced at Macaque, the shadow warrior still holding onto his staff with a grim face. Wukong cocked an eyebrow. “What’s-”
“Sh,” Macaque quietly hissed, revealing his six twitching ears and leaning forward. Then, his ears perked up straight with his eyes widening. Macaque shoved Wukong out the way as the wall behind them burst into nothing but debris and scattered pieces of old stone. Plaster clung to both of their clothes and hair. A giant armored figure towered over them, a large cannon in his hands. Red glowing optic of his visor may as well have blinded them. Macaque threw his shadows toward the figure, staggering them.
As if they were sharing one mind, Wukong took this opportunity to jump to action and deliver a blow from his staff right into the figure’s gut. The staff plunged into the armor like a knife to butter. The gunmen staggered backward, regaining himself and opening fire. Macaque—as quick as always—threw up a shield, giving Wukong time to dash toward the gunmen. In a golden blur, Wukong jumped up and cried out, whacking the gunman right in the head before the poor bastard had a chance to notice where the second simian had run off too. His collapse sent the entire building rumbling, and for a moment Wukong and Macaque were preparing to make a run for it if the building began to collapse. However, the interior only dried dust and debris from the ceiling, large fissures scattering the old and broken walls.
A new cloud of dust bloomed like a wave of gun smoke. Finally, Wukong and Macaque exchanged relieved and rejoiced glances with one another, with twin flames of passion burning in their eyes. They exited the building, Macaque on his phone trailing behind, murmuring assistance for a clean-up crew and that the mission was complete. Wukong periodically ignored the call, letting it muffle in the background of his thoughts as he began to conjure up his reliable nimbus cloud. It was then that the golden monkey noticed how dark it was outside, the moon beaming its ethereal glow. Odd. he strictly remembers coming to this mission when it was bright and early. Had they been fighting nearly all day? Macaque sighed, stuffing the phone back in his pockets and saying, “Alright. Clean up crew’s been called, and we have a week to write the report and send it to ‘you-know-who.’
Wukong groaned, “More paperwork.”
“I’m the one that usually does it all anyway, I don’t know why you’re complaining,” Macaque deadpanned back with a frown. However, that only made the golden monkey grin.
“Aw, don’t be like that! I thought we agreed that you’re the brains and I’m the brawn?”
Macaque melted into Wukong’s shadow, popping his head out and asking, “Since when did I agree to that?”
“Just now,” Wukong laughed, hopping onto his nimbus and shooting off into the sky. Wind howled in his ears, and Macaque’s voice rang through Wukong’s head through his dark shadow.
“Don’t forget,” he began. “We have a meeting with her in two days.”
Again, Wukong groaned and rolled his eyes, annoyance beginning to form in his chest. “What for? I thought we handled everything.”
Macaque replied, “Don’t know, we’ll have to see when we get there.”
They were silent upon reaching their house. Wukong was always elated to return to the one place he could lounge around and do nothing in, a paradise for him and his mate. He hopped off the cloud, stretching his aching muscles and tired bones as Macaque opened the door. They went through their regular routine, like a dance to a melody only they could hear. Not a word was exchanged, the mission had sucked them dry of energy.
Falling asleep was the easiest part for Macaque, the darker monkey snoring as soon he whispered his ‘good night’ and laid his head on the pillow. It was usually easy for Wukong too, however, he found himself staying up a few extra minutes, eyes locked with the dark ceiling. Something within him stirred, he didn't know what. Maybe it was the dread of the meeting with her , maybe it was the mission today. For some reason, Wukong was saddened to see how late it was outside, and how difficult the mission was today. He had hoped he and Macaque would have time to hang out across the city, maybe grab a drink or some food. Do normal things. But their line of work was far from normal. And in turn, it made their life bizarre and a hand-full.
Wukong grumbled, shoving the thoughts from his head before they became a storm of false memories he loved to conjure up. He and Macaque had plenty of time to spend together. They went on vacations, dinners, clubs, living the good life and high pay. What in the world was he thinking and worrying about? So what if some days they work tirelessly at their missions. They could handle it just like before. With a faint smile, Wukong shut his eyes, letting sleep claim him in the night.
----
Wukong stared at the front entrance of her door, a grimace on his face. Gods, he hated meeting her, no matter if she was his boss. The woman gave him the creeps. Macaque glanced at him, trying to hide his equally nervous eyes as his hand encased around Wukong’s, giving it a light squeeze to pull the golden monkey from his trance.
Wukong looked at Macaque with warm eyes, saying, “Y’know, your human glamor looks younger every time I see it,”
“It’s the same as always, I’m not afraid to show my age,” Macaque replied with wit. Wukong did always love seeing Macaque’s human form, dark messy hair partially slicked back with a light goatee and the same lightly tanned skin with piercing golden eyes. Wukong’s own human form was a bit of a contrast: a head full of messy golden locks with vibrant red-orange streaks that reached his shoulders with a light peach fuzz on his face one could notice easily if they looked closely enough.
Both monkey’s tails swayed in anticipation and jumbled nerves. But, with a long synchronized breath, Wukong pushed open the door. Instantly, a cold air settled in his bones, and he knew Macaque felt it too. One would think for as long as he had been following orders under her watchful eye, that this feeling would become something familiar to him. It never did. Not for the several years he’s worked with her.
Her office was as immaculate as ever, cool shades of gray wood on the floor with blackened walls and ceiling. Her desk was spotless, not a scratch or piece of dust upon it. Light poured in from the large glass paned windows behind her desk, but it did not reach far. Almost as if it was stopped or trapped by something. They both entered quietly, taking a seat and staring at the back of her chair in silence. Of course, her right-hand man was there as well, hiding his scowl behind a mocking smile.
Her voice tore through the silence like a sharp dagger, wispy and cool. “Thank you for coming, Sun Wukong and Six-eared Macaque.”
“It’s no problem, Lady bone demon,” Macaque piped up.
The chair turned, and there she was in all her glory. Pale, ghostly skin and dark eyes with long dark blue hair trailing down her face like a veil of night. A long breath escaped from her, flicking her eyes toward her companion. Macaque liked to nickname him “smiles”.
Smiles set down a folder on her desk, and upon inspection, Wukong saw it was he and Macaques file. She flipped through the sheets and notes at an agonizing pace, taking in each letter and scribble and photo stabled on. Without taking her eyes off the file, she said, “I’ve called you both here because today is your evaluation day.”
Wukong cursed. He knew that he and Macaque did an excellent job in their work. It was a craft they had known all their lives. Yet, it felt as if he was on the chopping block. Lady bone demon was obsessed with perfection at every turn. She cleared her throat, snapping Wukong from his daze. “But first, I would like to thank you and congratulate you both on the success of your recent mission. You have my gratitude for taking care of those brutes, they’ve been troubling the streets of this city for quite some time. Even the city's police department had a hard time tracking them down. Rest assured, that is when we step in and take matters into our own hands. Its the whole reason this entire organization was created. ” There was a brief pause, then, “Now, I won’t take up too much of your time. I’ve had the pleasure of reading your evaluation report just now, and I’m so pleased that you’re both reflecting the top standards of the Beast of bones organization.”
At last, Wukong felt his heart swell in relief. Both monkeys robotically said ‘thank you’ in unison. Lady bone demon smiled warmly before going on, “You two have no hiccups in your report. Keep it up, you both are a shining mirror of what everyone should strive to be when they enter through our doors. As top rank agents, I expect nothing but the best, understood?” When they nodded, her grin grew wider. “Now, as usual, I expect a report on your mission from a few days ago. Have it on my desk by sunrise on Thursday morning. And now, for my final announcement. I will need you two to play ‘scavenger crew’ in a facility involved with Princess iron fan and Demon bull king’s recent mission. I will send you the location and details on your way there, just to make sure all ‘unwanted guests’ are properly taken care of.”
Scavenger? Not again. Wukong resisted the urge to groan in annoyance. He hated scouring around like a drone looking for any loose ends to tie. What was the point? Every high ranking agent makes sure to get the job done and perform it with no flaws, especially if it was Bull king and Iron fan in the midst. They were just as lethal and efficient in their battle as he and Mac.
“May I ask why can’t a regular scavenger crew be sent? They’re highly-skilled enough to hold their own against any trouble,” Macaque remarked.
Lady bone demon replied quietly, “True. But, I’ve received word that high-level enemies are there lurking in the shadows. I’m already dwindling on scavengers thanks to the unexplainable rise in crime in this city at the moment, so I hope this won’t take up too much of your time.”
Wukong pursed his lips, stealing a glance at Macaque, both their golden eyes sharing the same thought. As if she cares about our time and lives.
“When do we start?” Wukong asked curiously.
“As soon as you leave this office,” Lady bone demon sighed out, beginning to turn her chair away from the pair, signaling their session with her had come to an end. Thank goodness.
Both monkeys stood up—standing stiff as wood—before bowing and exiting the office without another word spoken.
----
All Wukong could smell the moment he arrived at the dump was gunsmoke and chemicals. The entire time they were walking around, finding any survivors, his nose was scrunched in disgust. They wallowed in the rumble, checking dark corners and making sure not to step in any puddle of mysterious goo that happened to plant itself in their already dwindling walk-area. Wukong was careful not to trip over any metal debris or worse, broken pieces of glass. Gods, what did Iron fan and Bull king do to this place? Sure, their organization took care of the ‘big bad’ criminals, the criminals police or even the FBI wouldn't dare touch. But jeez, what kind of mission was it? Maybe he would ask eventually.
Macaque’s ears flicked and twitched, taking in every sound that played throughout the chamber, while Wukong utilized his gold vision. They had a pair of extraordinary eyes and impeccable ears, a good combination to snuff anything out that was lurking in the shadows of the rubble and destruction that lay in their path.
There were a few creaks and groans of old metal struggling to stay intact, which would earn the keen attention of the two monkeys for a brief moment before they finally deemed the area clear to move on. The facility was bigger than they could both imagine, with ceilings so high they were lost in the darkness and intricate hallways that led to nothing but more and more empty rooms reduced to rubble. It was like a ghost town, and Wukong found himself wondering what exactly this place was like before it became deserted.
They moved through the building as quietly as possible, Wukong being the more acute watcher for anything suspicious. About an hour or so, they had explored most of the facility and decided to deem it clear. “Wait,” Macaque whispered. “There’s one more room we didn't check.”
Wukong groaned, rolling his eyes. “C’mon Mac, there’s nothing here. I wanna go home and soak in my bath with my peach-scented body wash already! The smell of chemicals and rubble is hitting me so hard I can’t even hold my glamor anymore!”
“Just let it down then, you don't see me glamoring as a human anymore, do you?” Macaque remarked, gesturing at his full monkey form. “We barely use those forms anyway.”
With a scowl, Wukong reached up and stroked his chin, wanting to ignore the cold hard truth. As much as he loved showing off how he really looked with no regrets, his human form grew on him at times, especially when traveling downtown. “I’ve grown accustomed to my peach-fuzz.”
Macaque merely shook his head before moving ahead with Wukong hurrying after him. In a few steps, they had reached the room. Like all the others, it was dark and messy, littered with debris. The windows were shattered, metal pipes and wires hanging from the ceiling and on the ground. “See, nothing,” Wukong said, already turning around. “Now let’s go. We did our job.”
Hesitantly, Macaque agreed. He was beginning to leave too, until Wukong suddenly felt his mate’s firm grip on his shoulder. “Wait,” Macaque whispered, slowly turning to the room. “I heard something…”
“Something like what..?” Wukong whispered.
Macaque quietly replied, “Breathing…”
“Impossible…”
Slowly, like a predator on the prowl in the night, Macaque stalked inside. Behind him, Wukong followed, ready to draw up his staff at the moment danger lunged at them with the intent to kill. When they moved past the cluster of beams in their way, the room was longer than the two had realized. At first, Wukong heard nothing, only relying on Macaque to guide him to their target. Then, he heard it too. Sniffles, so soft you could miss them if you weren't listening close enough. The faint sound of someone shuffling pulled their attention to a far and darkened corner of the room, a single beam of flickering pale blue fluorescent light that caste down on a slumped figure. It looked small and frail, distraught with tears running down their face as they shakily clutched onto a dirtied stuffed animal; a monkey plush.
With bloodshot brown eyes, the little boy in the corner peered up at them with frightened curiosity, a small child stuck in the middle of an abandoned graveyard.