Big Trouble In Little Ikeda

Work, Work, Work
Ezekiel ran down several connecting metallic corridors. He could hear the steps of countless beast pursuing him. No matter how fast he ran, they appeared to be nearby. He couldn't find his ring...So he had to trust in his rudimentary understanding of pulling. The ebony fullbringer dashed down countless steps. Leaping over rails and landing on more catwalks. This wasn't New York. Damn sure wasn't the United States. Hundreds of signs hung around him. No. This was in Japan. How the fuck did he end up here? He saw a red light and darted at the opening. A dead end...The pained groans of the dead approached. Ezekiel hesitated but turned around to see shadows sluggishly approaching. Above them a sign.

Yamaguchi Steel Works 0234 A giant fist came crashing down from above. The usual barbaric haymaker by beings that lacked even an ounce of conscious thought. Just monstrous brutes following their animalistic instincts in hopes of getting a small evening snack. He shouldn't have to deal with this. At least not now when he should be napping before his overnight shift. Between school and his career, little interruptions like this were beginning to take a toll on his social life.

Ha!

If only he had a social life for things like this to take a toll on. No, this was pretty much what his life had become. Fighting. Work. Studying. Managing one of the most pretentious luxury properties during the day. Protecting the ignorant from the spiritual realm at night. Would he want it any other way? He dodged the thoughtless hammering fist, disappearing in a spark of emerald. The giant white monster, known to those who were spiritually aware as a hollow, stood there in his confusion before angrily bellowing to the heavens.

"Hey!" Ezekiel shouted. His voice booming through the openness of the empty park. "This is a residential neighborhood, stop driving up property prices with your noise! I plan on living here one day." The ebony skinned fighter hadn't had his powers for long. Well, he'd always possessed them. But he only recently began to get a grasp upon their capabilities. Still, nights like these where his blood pumped with fire assured him that he loved his gifts. This new life as a self-subscribed spiritual investigator gave him a new passion.

He weaved beneath the massive arm's attempt at slamming him into a nearby tree and leapt upward, suddenly floating above its reach. His dark navy sports coat buttoned by the top, complimenting the pink dress shirt and his favorite pair of jeans. As the white beast jumped in hopes of grabbing him, Ezekiel stared deep into its empty eyes. Hollows. He pondered. The painful roars of the infinitely hungry demon pained him. They sounded filled with sorrow. Longing. As if maybe the thing that poisoned their soul long before would return.

"They are souls of those who lost their hearts. When a human dies and is unable to re-enter the soul cycle, they transform into a hollow. There are as many hollows as humans with a numerous classifications. One day, you'll encounter stronger ones than these. So continue growing in strength, Zeke.

Ezekiel sighed. He hadn't seen the Old Man in quite some time. Old man Nguyen was like him, a human with a gift. Albeit a different gift, those blue arrows sure hurt like a bitch and were even more painful to remove. But Nguyen was the reason that the young Fullbringer was able to gain a sensible grasp on his powers and all that was spiritual.

"Fuck!" Ezekiel spat. Reminiscing in battle...something the geezer would often warn Ezekiel about. Since, while Ezekiel took a trip down memory lane, the hollow managed to learn that jumping increased its reach. And now it held the Fullbringer before its demonic maw with a grip that would've kill the average human. But Ezekiel had become a real life superhero.

"I guess we need to end this?" He managed to squeeze out. His body flickered a light green. The silver ring on his finger sparking with a luminescent light.

Weight of the World

Suddenly, the two were detached from the world around them. They began to slowly float up towards the sky. As if balloons released from the grasp of a careless child. It took all but several seconds for the beast and Ezekiel to rest several hundred feet in the air. The hollow swayed in hopes of regaining itself. But to no avail. The ebony Fullbringer slipped through the hollow's fingers and walked up its arm. "I wish I could save you. But I haven't even seen a Soul Weeper yet-I'm starting to think they're more of his maddened ramblings. Crying death gods?" Ezekiel kneeled on its shoulder blade, staring deeply into its endless gaze. "If you're in there, I want you to understand that it wasn't your fault. She doesn't blame you for his death." He touched the ivory mask. "Hopefully you'll find salvation after this."

One touch. One touch and the hollow was sent spiraling down back to the earth head first with the force of a skyscraper crashing from the heavens. The explosion loud enough to shake up the entire neighborhood. He could see hundreds of lights. Countless alarms. Which meant the cops would be here to investigate shortly. But luckily, even if they could see the spiritual side of life, the hollow vanished into nothingness. Still, Ezekiel needed to get out of there. In a flash of green, he was falling throughout the sky.

Room 504. She was a married woman known for her promiscuous nights out. And although the staff knew her husband, it was not their job to fix a broken marriage. Ezekiel checked his watch as he fell towards the building. 10:45PM. She tends to head out on her escapades at this time, leaving the window open in her absence. Ezekiel fell through the window. He stopped before slamming onto the wall, reorienting his personal gravity and landing on the floor. Ezekiel ran through the door and dashed down to the front office.

This hotel was one of the more prominent one's in New York. The Insula Avallonis. A skyscraper owned by Insula Inc. Beyond becoming the greatest spiritual investigator, Ezekiel hoped to one day own his own portfolio of high end hotels across the globe. But for now, he spent his nights managing the hotel during the grave shift.

"Ezekiel, you're late!" His coworker screamed. A smaller girl of porcelain skin.

"It's 10:45?"

"You're usually here at 9:30PM." The curvaceous woman leaned closer to Ezekiel. He could smell the Rose Avante radiating from her neck. His blood pressure started to increase. "Does this mean Zeke finally got himself a little plaything?"

"W-what? No! I-I was-"

"Relax I'm kidding. I figured you got caught up with that explosion business."

"Explosion business?" Ezekiel repeated. "News travel fast..."

"Fast? This happened yesterday in that Japanese city. You have family there right? I figured you'd been worried about them."

"Japan?" He took a relaxed breath. He hadn't heard about any explosion in Japan...And besides...it wasn't like they were that close to begin with. Ezekiel smiled. "Oh nah, my family is vacationing in Hawaii this winter." He smiled. "There was a pipe burst nearby. I'd take the Leeway express if you're driving home."

"What? What are you talking about, you don't even drive-"

Ezekiel had already left the office, leaving her to ponder what went on. He ran to the front desk area, clad in a white dress shirt, a black sports coat and a pair of black denim jeans. This wasn't his official uniform. But today was a slow day.

3:00AM

An explosion in Japan? It wasn't like Ezekiel actually cared...but it was dead and he completed everything. The elegant lobby was completely empty with only the soothing sound of Habanero playing in the background. He logged onto the internet and began typing. Explosion in Japan.

"300,000 results." Ezekiel clicked the first link. For someone whose family had such an interest in Japanese culture, he cursed his inability to speak Japanese beyond first grade comprehension. "There's a video." The video played silently. Yet his eyes widened as he paused it. Surrounding the countless reporters and investigators were bodies. But everyone moved as if they couldn't see them. Ezekiel zoomed in, squinting in order to get a better view.

This was a metal factory. This happened in a metal factory! At the bottom of one of the reporters was a sign which read Yamaguchi Steel Works 0234. If not for his often plain visage, Ezekiel's shock would have painted itself on his face. But instead he took a deep breath. Maybe this was all connected. That dream...this is more than stray hollows and spirits...Something called him.

He fiddled with the watch on his wrist. He knew what he needed to do. Ezekiel opened his email and began typing.

''Good Morning Ms. Allison. I'm just wondering if that transfer position is still open? My school is offering a study abroad opportunity and I would love to consolidate both my credits and work study credits...''