“Crouch down on the ground with hands behind your back!”
“*Lay my legs on this filthy ground?*” To avoid strategic trouble, Kuro decided to crouch down regardless.
Kuro was being chased by two police officers. One was fat and impulsive. The second had a robust physique. Kuro had already been shot in the left arm by the fat police officer thus he lost consciousness at this moment due to blood loss. The police officer had shot him without reason thus the robust police officer had him leave his pistol behind before continuing the chase. Kuro had also probed these police officers enough to know that they weren't bright.
After he awakened, Kuro was about to be handcuffed by the robust police officer. The injury on his left arm had been patched up.
“Unhand me.” Kuro said in an arrogant tone to irritate the fat police officer.
Kuro quickly observed his environment. There were still only two police officers and their car. He knew there were no cameras in this alley — he had intentionally led them here.
Moreover, he knew that there was no human population nearby — only unoccupied ruined buildings — and that they rarely visited here. And this area was famous for crime — which will make it troublesome to direct evidence at Kuro.
The fat police officer walked towards Kuro and hit him on the side of the face with a baton. The later exaggerated the brunt of the impact, interrupting the handcuffing process. Moreover, due to this action, he got into Kuro's attack range. The fat police officer's hands were occupied with a baton while the robust police officer was struggling to resume the handcuffing process. At this point, only his right hand had been handcuffed.
The fat police officer was about to hit Kuro again. Only using a baton despite Kuro's resistance? From this, Kuro could tell this impulsive fatty likely did not have a second long range weapon. Kuro kicked him between the legs.
The robust police officer attempted to reach for his pistol. Kuro stroke his face with a backward elbow strike. Next he grabbed his hand that was holding the pistol and sharply bent the wrist.
The pistol thus fell to the ground. The police officer was writhing in agony. Kuro picked up the pistol, but before he could shoot, the police officer kicked his hand. The pistol thus fell to the ground again. The police officer kicked it far away. Kuro looked towards the fat police officer and confirmed that he had already fell unconscious.
“Calm down and let me arrest you. Please don't make this any worse.” The police officer showed a sad expression.
“*A puny tactic. He likely has other weapons.*” Kuro replied with a punch.
Kuro was listening closely to his surroundings. If he detected any weird sounds — like the fat police officer returning back into action — he will immediately change his plans. No suspicious sounds were heard so far. The robust police officer evaded the attack and punched back at Kuro.
The robust police officer was reminded of a scene. His little daughter ran towards him the moment the door opened and hugged him.
She would do that whenever he returned home.
After a while of exchanging strikes, the robust police officer said:
“Why do you struggle? You will be arrested eventually. Why add to your crimes?!”
“*Just wait, my precious little doll. Papa will quickly defeat this evil and then he can enjoy your company.*”
“The framing is quite deep. If I let you arrest me now, my life will be wasted in prison. A scientist forced to do your unattractive research. A slave scientist? What a ridiculous joke. I do not care what anyone does. But if what you're doing breeds trouble for me then I'll need to terminate your activity. If you won't cooperate and be an obstacle to my desires then I will make sure to become the only source of your nightmares.” Kuro said bluntly while exchanging strikes.
The robust police officer had continuously tried to tackle Kuro but the later had managed to evade it each time. He had also tried to hit Kuro's injured arm but had not succeeded. Of course, he hadn't neglected his attempts at grabbing the handcuffs to halt his movement. But would Kuro let his weakness be used so easily? Kuro had been maintaining distance and constantly moving. He had been defending more than striking. Because defense indicated insufficient strength. And because he had no intention of fighting. He had to end this quickly before reinforcements arrived. What the robust police officer had neglected to realize was that Kuro had been trying to reach for that pistol. He finally realized it when Kuro was about to grab it. Perhaps because he had been so invested in the conversation and exchanging blows? Perhaps because he was over-confident in his robust physique? Perhaps because he had been constantly thinking about disappointing his daughter? What obviously led to the police officer's neglect was the fact that Kuro had been projecting the perception of a weak rat trying to flee from two cats. He had been betting it on that pistol. It wasn't exactly a good idea to fight like a brute. Especially against two opponents.
He firmly stepped on Kuro's hand. At this moment the fat police officer had awakened. Kuro looked towards him. The fat police officer mumbled to himself:
“Hngh. Hngh. Hngh. Another victim of my blade. Thanks for the treat.” He then shouted: “Oh, I will not kill you! I will make sure to cripple you then put you behind bars! I will have you pay for hurting me!”
The robust police officer almost prevented the fat police officer from doing anything stupid but then Kuro said: “Are you scared? A pig like you couldn't possibly hurt me.”
The robust police officer was about to grab Kuro but then saw the fat police officer rushing with a knife in rage. The robust police officer was reminded of his daughter. He thought if Kuro had such a close person, it would be a pity for him to die. He tried to stop the fat police officer whilst holding down Kuro but did not succeeded. Because Kuro interfered with his protection. The fatso actually tried to stab Kuro. A police officer with a knife? He evidently went around doing psychopathic activities with this thing. Kuro let the knife stab his left hand before it could do fatal damage. Next he stabbed the leg that was preventing his movement. The fat police officer was furious but Kuro hit him between the legs once again.
The robust police officer tried to fight back. Kuro ran to gain some distance. The robust police officer's leg was anything but good at this point. He tried to throw his baton at Kuro but it was useless.
The aura of death thus surrounded him. He was reminded of his family.
Over at his family, they were currently getting ready for dinner.
“Your papa is getting late. We should eat.”
“No, the food doesn't taste good without him. He'll knock on the door any moment now.”
Kuro shot him in the head and chest.
The fat police officer had a pathetic threshold for pain. He was once again unconscious.
Kuro shot the fat police officer in the head. Then retrieved his gloves from this fat thief. Then wore the gloves, took the keys and uncuffed his right hand. He kept the handcuffs in his pocket and will later dispose of them in a nearby river. He put both the police officers inside the car then shot the engine. The car was thus set on fire. Kuro was wearing black protective clothing. He had never murdered until tonight. It was just his style to wear such clothes. His taste in clothing, however, would reduce the chances of leaving behind evidence. It would be obvious that the police officers were killed during their pursuit against Kuro but this much will be useless without evidence. The police of this town did not have any body cams. The car's cameras weren't wirelessly connected to anything. They did have phones but there were no signals in this area — another reason for why Kuro had led them here. They were only allowed to carry one pistol and a baton. Of course, some police officers — like the earlier fatty — took secret *countermeasures.* That is why Kuro had been suspicious about the robust police officer possibly possessing another pistol level weapon.
The reason why the police officers hadn't handcuffed him was because they took too much time trying to take off his special gloves and patching up his wound. Kuro had fled the moment he realized the police's intentions. Before they even broke into his lab. Kuro's lab was actually quite close to these abandoned buildings. Moreover, the road was filled with building scraps thus riding a car around here was foolish. That's why Kuro had managed to lead the police officers here despite being chased by a car. The fat police officer wasn't driving the car but he had continuously tried to ram it into Kuro. The later had managed to take cover by jumping into the buildings or using other defenses. Why did he not engage them there? Because they were close to human population and there were cameras in that area. There might even have been weak signals.
Kuro was walking through an alley — not nearby to the earlier alley — when he encountered a scene of rape. He was currently moving towards a big city. Why? Because the police officers that were chasing after him were very likely to search for him in areas with no police. Why would they expect a criminal to go to a big city filled with police? He looked towards the girl. At this point, the rapist had managed to rip off only her topwear. But she looked empty like a corpse. She couldn't even ask for help. This evidently suggested she had struggled until exhaustion.
He ignored her and left. But then he thought:
“*I'll need to cover my identity. Perhaps this girl will be of some use?*”
“Hey, why are you here again? You want to join in—?”
The rapist was kicked in the face, the impact slamming him onto the ground. The rapist tried to get back up but kept getting kicked.
“Give me some time to regain my footing and let us fight like men, you bastard!”
“Try to get up, you filthy rat.”
After continuous kicks the rapist wasn't much of a threat anymore. He was barely alive. Next, Kuro looked at the girl to continue on with his plan:
With this thought he left. After walking away for a while, he looked back. The girl was still lying there motionless. He went back.
“What are you doing? You want to get raped again and then hope to be rescued?” This sentence startled her awake. She felt fearful of Kuro and tried to push herself into the wall as if it could pull her in. Kuro tried to get close to her to perhaps calm her down but she became even more unstable. Kuro then stood there, waiting for her to calm down. Perhaps staying in this ordinary alley was safer than moving around for the time being? Kuro still couldn't afford to hang around for too long. Because he has been hearing sirens for a while now. Very likely evidence that the dead police officers had already been discovered. Thus after a little while of waiting, he started talking:
“*This will be embarrassing but it can't be helped.*”
“A romantic I may be but its target is not human. I do not plan to get myself into the later kind of relationship. If that does happen, I think I still would not become interested in sex. Because I do not live in such a low realm. Violence has always been low on my list of solutions. It was implemented now because I need to vanish quickly. Because I am being pursued. It is logical that rationality would take time to return after such a traumatic experience. Perhaps a defensive mechanism? Perhaps your brain fears what you might think? And of its consequences? Thus it needs to shut down? But you need not to think too much now. You were aware of your insufficient strength but still struggled to the end. Weren't you buying time? Weren't you anticipating for someone to notice and rescue you? This world has different kinds of humans. Not every single one of them is filthy like this one. So you need not to hate them all. And you need not to see me as a human.”
At some point into the conversation she had started looking at Kuro with curiosity. She had calmed down a little. Kuro tried reaching his hand at her with a smile and closed eyes. Next, she clung to Kuro's legs. Kuro continued:
“Will you please tell me where you want to go?”
“*A perfect opportunity to discover her feelings about common relatives.*”
“Do you live in an apartment? Oh, you'll need some support for a while. Should I take you to your parent—” Kuro abruptly stopped speaking after the word “parent” scared her.
“*No-good parents, huh? Her trauma likely goes way back. Perhaps even as far as childhood?*”
“This person had been a stalker. There are a few more people I've seen stalking me. If I go back home...”
She then stopped clinging to Kuro and continued:
“Thanks for saving me. You said you were being pursued. I wouldn't want to trouble you any further.”
After saying this her body began to lose the little vitality it had regained just now.
“*Why would she call this thing a person? Warm phrasing. And if she already knew about the stalking, why did she not flee when she turned the alley? Optimistic projection and lack of cold foresight.*”
“I was framed for illegal experiments. Do you not hear the interval sirens?” Kuro replied shamelessly. She finally heard the sirens. He wasn't exactly lying. That was the exact reason why he was being pursued. But now he had committed actual murder. He continued:
“I can't just leave you here.”
“Then take me away.” The girl replied while still looking down. Her hands were trying to reach for Kuro.
She continued: “I've been a good girl. I thought someone who loved me will find me one day and then we'll live a happy life together. Unfortunately, this person found me before he did. No one has ever showed me kindness like you did. You will protect me, right?” She was trembling.
“*Very likely an NFJ.*” Kuro came to this conclusion due to multiple clues including how she was able to comprehend Kuro's abstraction.
“Alright.” He then proceeded to take off his topwear. She looked at him with a terrified expression.
He tossed her the clothes, looked the other way around, and continued: “Let me know when you're done changing. Perhaps you've got a problem with my clothes? No worries. An aspect of mine is what these fools would call a *neat freak.*”
He said the later to perhaps lighten her mood. Kuro did this to prevent potential trouble. A girl wearing such messed up clothes will clearly attract attention. A man without upper clothing isn't exactly a rare sight.
The girl said she was done changing and then
Kuro heard some footsteps: “We've got company. Let's go.”
She faced difficulty even standing up so Kuro had no choice but to pick her up. He ran to turn the alley. Then put her down.
“If your strength returns, please do not move, and absolutely do not return to the earlier alley. I will be back soon.” Kuro said whilst returning to the earlier alley.
Kuro grabbed the rapist by the hair and threw him face first against the wall. The rapist tried to pledge: “Please spare me—”
“Quickly tell me your identity. Try lying and I'll kill you.” Kuro inquired.
“I know you're in a hurry due to those footsteps.”
He was then reminded of his training and how *strong* he actually was.
“*If only I wasn't drunk and hadn't been caught off guard...*”
“I only need to hold on for a while. Will you actually dare to linger aroun—”
Kuro pushed his fingers into his left eye socket. Then gouged out his eyeball.
“One more left. I'll blind you for life.” Kuro said while moving his hand towards his right eye.
“Wait! I'll speak! I'll speak! I'm just a homeless man. I'm sorry! I was drunk!” The rapist tried to pledge.
“You must really hate your sight.” Kuro was about to push his fingers into his right eye socket but then he yelled:
“I work for PET-on! If you hurt me any further, they'll make you pay!” The rapist replied in fear.
Kuro kicked him on the back of the neck. Next, he placed his hand on the side of his neck: “Dead. Just to make sure...” He grabbed his head and gave it a 180° spin.
Kuro removed the cover of a nearby manhole and threw him down. To give PET-on an excuse. Now they can just end their investigation with a *he accidentally stepped into a manhole and died.* The injuries Kuro had given him won't be clean pretty soon thanks to the rats that will be doing a number on his flesh.
Why were those footsteps taking so much time to reach here? This place is close to human population but still not close enough. Thus it was silence all around. Those footsteps from earlier were heard from quite a distance. It were the footsteps of tall heels. Moreover, the footsteps were inconsistent.
PET-on is a huge criminal organization. This rapist was very likely just some small fry. Why? Because a big shot wouldn't be raping a girl in some alley. Thus killing him was less likely to cause trouble than leaving him alive.
Why? Because those who work for PET-on are already criminals. It was quite common for them to die doing illegal activities. That's why PET-on will not investigate the deaths of nobodies. The police were usually pleased to see these criminals reduce each others' count.
What if Kuro had made use of someone else and had turned him in? The police wouldn't want to imprison him. If Kuro really wanted him imprisoned, he would need to make this matter famous. That was both troublesome to Kuro and unkind to the girl. Let's just assume Kuro did it regardless. Now due to reputation the police will be forced to arrest him. PET-on did not care about nobodies but they will fight the police for reputation. PET-on was quite famous for fights against the police. They will obviously discover how their man had become imprisoned. Then they will need to eradicate Kuro to teach others a lesson. If they did not do that what would their men think? Would anyone else join them in the future? An organization with no backbone?
What if Kuro did not turn him in and only left him alive? He will find trouble with the girl again. Why? Rapists are aggressive and impulsive brutes. Kuro will be inflicted since he was planning to tag along with the girl. He will try to kill Kuro. Then Kuro will need to kill him.
Kuro returned to the girl. She still faced trouble walking so he picked her up and started running. Kuro was waiting for the girl to regain her strength. Then he'll inquire her about potential “hideouts.”
After a while of running, they were still in this network of alleys but far away from the earlier one. The girl said:
“I think I can walk on my own now.”
“*That'd be great. My wounds have reopened.*” Kuro thought before putting her down.
She could really walk now. A lot stable than before. She asked:
“Where are we going, —? Oh, I never asked for your name. I'm Miyu.”
“It is Kuro. And... We're going to the *underbelly of society*.”
“Kuro, huh? But you don't look Japanese — I mean why are we becoming criminals?!”
“I already am a criminal. And I was joking about the *underbelly* part.”
Kuro suddenly became wobbly; “*Not good. I've lost too much blood.*” Next, he fell to the ground. Miyu wasn't very perceptive. She finally saw the bullet wound on his left arm. A wound that ran through his biceps. His injuries were patched up but they were still bleeding due to constant activity. She couldn't see the stab wound on his hand due to his gloves.
