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"Uh huh! Yup! Just sign here! And here! Oh, and there too thank you!"
The lady in front of him had a smile that would put any inphernal at ease, carefully taking the package from his hands in a gentle manner. She set aside on the floor before turning back to him, an arm wrinkled with age reaching up to grab his cheek and giving it a playful tug.
"Oh thank you young man... you always seem to deliver everything at the exact time! Not a second late! Ouhh... Best you not work yourself to the bone though, for when you become as old as me who knows what side effects will be in place." She patted the side of his face gently, her hand leaving his cheek to instead cover her mouth. Small little eyes that were beady and clouded still were able to show worry it seemed.
"Don't you worry Ma'am! I can assure you that my health is as good as can be!" Of course, Rainbeau wasn't counting all of the energy drinks he downed this morning. Or the ones he drank this afternoon. Or the three in the span of thirty minutes whilst waiting for more mail to be packaged and prepped for delivery. Nono, it's not unhealthy if he needed them to do his job right surely!
Those were sustenance he needed to thrive in the mornings! Else he becomes a grouchy, mopey mess like Spray Paint. No offense to his brother of course, he loved him very dearly and wouldn't trade him for the world-! It's just... he could use a bit more color. Perhaps a bit of sunshine in their life would be of help.
"Hah, well I can't tell you what you can and can't do with your youth." She started to close the door, the golden knob turning as the locks started to click into place with one another. "Just please give yourself a break," were the last words that could be heard from behind the door. Ah how sweet of her, this woman had started to order many packages lately; so much to the point where she had begun to become acquainted quite well with the man who eagerly showed up at her door each time with a smile, package in hand. It was almost funny how many elders had started to become fond of him!
Oh! The sun was going down. Better get back to post office before it closes, if he was lucky there would be something else in need of delivery!
Rainbeau yanked the fabric that was curled around his neck, it uncoiling into a nice spread as it had begun to levitate in place. With practiced ease he was able to sit in the middle without fumbling or having the carpet dip too much from his weight and zoomed off from the ladies house.
It was that time of day where the sun had become a crimson flare, shining its lighting urgently around the world before it burned out. The red warmed brick buildings and sidewalks, heated with empathy for those who happened to be cold at this season. It kissed his skin in a way that made the winds of Winter more tolerable. Through squinted eyes and in between the condensation of breaths he could see the beautiful city around him which was filled with inphernals alike.
It was rush hour, everyone was returning to the safety of their homes before the cold consumed them entirely. Traffic wasn't avoidable, nor were the crowded streets where people were bunched together pushing and passing one another like their lives depended on it.
Ahhh good ol' Crossroads. The one place where he could take pride in his job. Mostly because the city stretched so far out and wide with no weird greenery or strange habitats to disrupt it. Made delivery so much easier!
Eventually he made it to the level where the post office was, horray! He made it back five minutes before closing time! They couldn't force him to clock out!
...
Yet-
He raced inside, wrapping the carpet back around his neck as he did.
"IM BACK!!!" He went into the back room and looked around. A single co-worker who had looked like they were fed up with this world and the bullshit in it was on their phone playing mine sweeper. Upon hearing a bunch of bombs go off, they looked up at him in acknowledgement. Slouching in the chair with their arms stretched out across the table.
"Hey dude."
"Hello! Is there-"
"Nope, last guy took the rest of em' in a van. There's none left that are gonna come." They put their phone away, and grabbed their jacket hanging on the chair they sat on. "I'm finna gonna clock out. You should to, probably." They put their arms through the sleeves and did a peace sign before walking out of the establishment.
Huh- that guy always seems to leave as quickly as possible. They didn't even sign out with the check board thingy- Wuh oh... Ehhh it's their problem not his. Although that is what he did, he did sign out with the clipboard...
Usually he would go home at this time... but he still had so much energy to spare! And besides, he needed to check on something.
You see, as of late something weird has been happening at Crossroads. Specifically at night.
As of late there's been this mysterious green figure that roams the rooftops and grapples building to building. At first it didn't really concern him. They're weirdos everywhere after all, if someone wants to do weird parkour tricks at the dead of night that's on them.
However,
This inphernal in specific seemed to be picking fights with people. Or at least finishing them. He saw it with his own two eyes once... There was a time where a mugging was happening in an alley way. Two inphernals were backing up another, he remembered how beat up they looked. Eye blackened, horn broken with blood seeping from the cracks. It was horrible- He was going to call the police station nearby.
But out of nowhere the green figure dropped down on the robbers. Frankly beating them till they were blue, helping the victim get back on their feet and then proceeded to grapple away before they could be thanked. That intrigued him. Someone who acted as some sort of vigilante of Crossroads. That was really cool!
So what did Rainbeau do when he was bored?
He tried to follow them!
Okay yeah that sounded bad, but he was curious! He wanted to see where they would go and who else they could save! But they always lost track of them- Somehow they knew- they had to! Because every night when he finds and tails them, they disappear somehow-! Not from speed- Nono- his carpet would be a LOT faster and would probably catch up to them. They could go invisible- that had to be it. That or they would hide in the shadows, only allowing themselves to be seen in small glimpses in the silver of the moonlight.
And yet that won't fault his determination! He would find and talk to this inphernal tonight!
TONIGHT!...
Except he hasn't seen them at all yet. Which meant there was not a single lead he could go off from. Agahhhh... this would be hard.
[<< O n e H o u r L a t e r ~ ! >>]
Rainbeau was done. The effects of the energy he had drank were starting to wear off, and he didn't feel like straining more energy keeping his gear summoned.
He floated back to the ground, getting off the carpet and de-summoning the gear. What a bust, he was sure he'd find them tonight! Maybe they were more active at later hours, which is bad because he needs his rest in order to deliver packages at a regular speedy rate! Perhaps maybe on a weekend he could stay up late for longer.
With a heavy sigh and sagged shoulders, he started to walk back home. It was on the second level, which wasn't bad. He just had to leave the third level, which meant going up some stairs, passing through parks. Easy things like that.
Rainbeau had started to walk towards a dirt path that led upward. The faint sounds of birds and the critters that lived around him were prominent. Them being a background noise as he mindlessly walked back home... The birds small chirping, the squirrels skittering up and down trees. Leaves swaying in the wind, the branches that held them up waving themselves into a dance that they rooted into their memory.
It was a calming change of scenery.
Which is why it was off putting when everything went quite.
There was no indicator. No reason why.
Just silence, like the woods itself was hiding.
Quiet.
Why was it so... quiet.
It was pierced in a second.
"Hey! What up dude," He whizzed around to look behind him. It was another inphernal... why couldn't he hear them earlier?? "...Whatcha doin 'out so late?"
They stood there, hands in their pockets. They had a blank look, eyes slightly bloodshot.
"I'm just.. out on a walk... hah." He didn't know what to do.
"Right, nice... You- You know that Bucket chic? The one who works at Flipside?" They rolled their elbows a little, head tilting to the point they strained their neck. He couldn't help but notice they're words were a bit slurred. We're they on something??
"Um... I don't know? Are you okay-?"
"I'm fine, don't fucking ask that... Sorry. Ahhaa answer the question,"
"...Don't really know what to say, I have to go-"
"Bro you're like what... her brother or something? I see you everywhere..." A light formed in their palms. "Delivery service, right?"
"Excuse me I should get going-"
"You leave and I'll blow your fucking brain off."
Oh... oh god. That's a gun. A machine gun... Oh...god.
He was too scared to try and summon his gear, what if they pulled the trigger at him if they noticed. They told him not to move.. but if he stayed, what are they going to do to him?? How can he leave this situation... How can he leave-
The inphernal adjusted the gun a little before speaking again.
"So... Here's what's gonna happen, kay? Youuu're... gonna take me to that sister of yours on that carpet you got kay?" They nodded their head as they spoke, speaking as if he was a child who was being told to do something new for the first time. "Anddd imma chat with her... kay?"
He couldn't move. His legs were shaking yet they stayed in place, trembling yet not giving out.
"I-"
"You better say yes... bro I know you are not gonna to deny the one chance you still have to keep your head intact to your spine." They said it so casually. Like a person mocking their friend for doing something stupid. But this isn't a friend- This isn't a joke! He being threatened at fucking gunpoint-
God he didn't want to die... he doesn't wanna die.
All he does is deliver packages-! He- What did he even do to warrant this?!
"P-please hold- wait. Please... don't kill me."
"Shut up. That's pathetic.. so... pathetic- hah... Haha..." Their fingers went on the trigger.
"WAIT- PLEASE-!"
"Ahha... HAh... HAHa...." He could barely comprehend the shaky laughs that came out from their mouth before a steady stream of bullets were shot out.
...
...
...?
When one braces for impact, they expect that they might get hurt, might get bruised. Or in extreme cases, die.
But when he felt nothing hitting the arms he had thrown over his head, an instinctual reaction he didn't even remember thinking of. He was confused.
He was scared to look up... scared to the point he wanted to fold into his instincts and run. Yet couldn't out of the fear of death...
Yet death was currently being tussled with a green vigilante.
"GET THE FUCK OF ME-!" The one with the machine gun yelled at someone... The Silver Shadow was balancing on their shoulders, perfectly balanced with every jerky movement they made. They had stabbed what seemingly was shurikens into the brute's shoulders to which they wailed at. They couldn't seem to aim that heavy gun upward towards them, and the ninja knew this. Taking advantage of the position they stepped onto the shurikens, pushing them deeper into muscles and flesh.
After a guttural scream, the brute gave up on trying to aim his weapon. Grabbing onto the green inphernal's ankles and throwing them down onto the ground.
"Ack-!" They made a sound of surprise before flipping back onto their feet, the blades that were stabbed into their opponents shoulders disappeared as they resummoned them into their hands.
At this point Rainbeau had gone to go hide behind a tree. Scared to be in view yet couldn't seem to pull his gaze away enough from the fight.
Now that their target was on the ground, the perpetrator was quick to grasp their weapon and aim a sudden barrage of bullets. Yet their target was too fast, pulling out some sort of grapple to fling themselves away from the bullets. No matter how hard they tried to track the vigilante's movements. They were fast, too fast to keep up with.
Barrage after barrage, The Silver Shadow refused to get hit. Flipping into the air time after time to avoid the things that would pierce holes into their body.
The greens and blacks of the outfit perfectly meshed well together with every quick movement, not even the scarf that tattered behind them was damaged. He couldn't even tell what they were thinking... not with that strange mask that hid their face.
This battle was settled. In fact, it was already decided from the start. It only took one good kick in the back of the head before the thug was unconscious, falling to the ground; no more bullets to be seen.
And the victor?
Standing there, perfectly unscathed...
"You're still here aren't you? Are you hurt?" He was surprised to hear them call out... in all honesty he half expected his savior to grapple off into the night, never to be seen again.
"U-uh yeah I'm here!" Rainbeau stepped out from the tree he used as shelter, hesitantly stepping closer to his hero. He wanted to see them up close... maybe without the certain circumstances but still. "I'm fine... t-thank you so much for helping me."
"Nahh, it's cool! Don't worry about it! Oop!" They paused their words, suddenly looking through whatever pockets they had... "Aha! Here we go!" They took out a band aid, peeled off the excess paper, and pressed it to his cheek. "Looks like you had a cut there, no biggy though!"
Oh how that made his heart surge with warmth, blood rushing up to his face. "T-thanks I didn't notice."
"No problemo!... Jeez I'm glad that I double checked here, wouldn't want my favorite delivery guy getting hurt now do I? Especially since I ordered more horn paint recently.." They muttered that last part, but he heard it.
"You did?! I'll make sure it gets to you right on time!"
"Oh crap- waitwaitwait- forget what I said! Don't worry about it-"
"Please..." He grasped their hands. "It's my best way of thanking you for saving my life. I have no idea what would have happened if you didn't show up...O-of course there's other things I can do- just delivery is what I'm best at! I'll deliver whatever you need free of charge!"
They seemed to be stunned in place for a few seconds before speaking. "No dude really! I um- can't have someone knowing my identity and where uh- where I live so uh- yeah- but- um... but its really nice that ya offered ya know??" They spoke quickly, tripping over their own words. "Just get home safe-!" As if almost bashful as they quickly retracted their hands from his and grappled away... In a blink they were gone.
{...^^^...]
Here you go, miss!
"Ah thank you, been waiting for this for a while."
Rainbeau was a bit sad. This morning he rushed to the post office and saw green horn dye being packaged! He thought for sure this was what his hero ordered!... But this woman(although seemingly nice) was obviously not them. They didn't sound the same and the horn shape was completely different. Being pink and spiky rather than just pointy and green, all well! He would find and thank them one day! He hoped...
The door shut and he left without a second thought.
...The pink inphernal inside went into the living room with an annoyed expression.
"Shuri, I don't see why you made me answer the door for your package." Her brother had his back turned to her... yet his ears were a bit red. "Is something wrong?"
"No... thanks for answering the door for me Vine." Shuriken took the package from her hands and went to his room, strange. Even for him.
The reason?
Shuriken was a bit too embarrassed by last night, that inphernal had a bit too much passion to thank him unlike how others did.