Negotiations

Negotiations is the eighteenth chapter of Journey.

Chapter Eighteen: Negotiations
Akio ran furiously around another corner, but yet again he found himself at another dead end. “Damn it,” he growled as he turned around. “Where could those morons have run off to?”

He decided to retrace his steps in order to find Hotaru and the butler; however he paused as he heard a second pair of running feet. Akio gazed skyward and saw a mysterious figure jumping across the rooftops. “Is that the kidnapper,” Akio wondered?

Without hesitation, Akio ran off after the mysterious figure. After a few tense minutes, he saw the person leap onto what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse…except there was a faint light peering out from inside that abruptly dimmed out.

“Found you Hotaru,” Akio said as he ran forward and stealthily entered the warehouse.

“Now then…let’s negotiate,” Envy repeated to Hotaru and Miku.

“What do you want Envy,” Hotaru angrily whispered, trying with all of his might to not ignite again.

“It’s just a simple trade,” Envy coolly remarked. “You in exchanged for the girl. It’s as simple as that.”

“No deal,” Miku snapped, putting her hand protectively in front of Hotaru. “No one is taking my Hotaru away!”

“My Hotaru…,” Hotaru repeated weakly.

Envy was silent, gazing curiously at Miku as Dee struggled against Envy’s vine like arm. “Are you from the same town as Hotaru,” Envy asked Miku while a strange light appeared in his eyes?

Miku looked stumped. “No I don’t believe she was born in the same town,” Hotaru responded. “But why should that matter?”

Envy sighed. “Believe me brat…it means that she isn’t the one we want,” he snapped as his free arm turned green and lashed out at Miku.

She yelped and rolled to the side as the vine slammed into the spot where she just was. “So we don’t need her alive. But unless you want her dead at your feet Hotaru I suggest you take the deal.”

Hotaru hesitated as Miku looked horrified as she was forced to keep dodging that vine.

He didn’t know what to think about Miku. She was positive that Hotaru and she have met before, but he didn’t have the faintest clue of meeting her. But he was certain of one thing, he thought as the vine finally made contact with its mark.

Miku howled in pain as the vine hit her like a whip. She crumbled to the floor as the vine aimed to slam into her again. Miku braced herself for the impact, but Hotaru snapped his hands causing the vine to explode in a fiery blaze.

Envy winced from the heat. “Sorry moron but that’s not going to affect me for long,” he said as Hotaru helped Miku back to her feet.

Envy’s arm all of a sudden dropped out of his arm socket and crumbled into ashes. Hotaru and Miku looked awestruck as a new arm had regrown almost as quickly as it fell out.

“I bet you brats wish you had an ability of self-regeneration,” Envy mocked. “To bad for you that there is no way to get the jump on me…”

As soon as he said this, the arm holding Dee captive was sliced clean off from Envy. Envy howled in pain as someone dashed by and retrieved Dee from the disintegrating vines. Hotaru grinned. “It looks like you finally found us,” Hotaru said. “Right Akio.”

Akio stood next to Hotaru as he dropped Dee from the floor. “If I recall it right, you were the one who took the wrong direction,” Akio simply said as he removed the gag from Dee’s mouth.

“Whatever buddy,” Hotaru said as he turned to Miku. “Hey Miku can you do me a favor? Take Dee back to her dad and tell the others where we are.”

“I can do that Hotaru,” Miku firmly said. “Let’s go,” she added as she took Dee’s hand and promptly left the building.

“So ready to reduce this Remnant to a pile of ash,” Hotaru asked?

“I thought you would never ask,” Akio responded pointing his blade at Envy.

Envy bared his teeth. “You damn humans! Don’t you dare make a fool out of me?”

Envy let out a roar of anger as his green hair grew wider as well as with thorn like spikes emerging out of them. His hair began to grow longer and soon five spiked vines rushed towards the duo.

Hotaru repeatedly snapped his fingers, causing each vine to burst into flames and fall to the floor. But each time he removed one of the vines; another one simply sprouted from Envy’s head and replaced it. Hotaru knew he couldn’t keep this up forever as sooner or later he would get tired and miss.

Akio seemed to have come to the same conclusion as he suddenly raced forward towards the army of endless thorny vines. He slashed at the approaching vines as he navigated his way towards the epicenter of the vines.

Envy’s face paled as Akio drew nearer. “Stay away brat,” Envy nervously said, as he backed away. “Come any closer and I rip you apart like a piñata.

At these words Akio froze. He remembered hearing something similar when he was younger. Akio began to tremble as he recalled the memory, and he was oblivious to the swirling mass of vines aimed at him. However, they ignited and Hotaru yelled out, “Earth to Akio! What the hell are you doing just standing there?”

Akio’s grip on the sword tightened so much that he was causing his hand to bleed. “I’ve finally found you,” he whispered as in sudden burst of speed, Akio ran forward and punched Envy in the face.

Envy was sent spiraling backwards. He grabbed his nose in horror as it clearly was broken. “You brat,” he started to say, but stopped after seeing the murderous look on Akio’s face.

“You will suffer a hundred more times before I’m done with you,” Akio promised as he swung his blade downward.

It was an inch before Envy’s face before it bounced away, causing Akio to stumble in misbalance. “What the hell,” Akio roared as he repeatedly slashed at Envy, but each blow kept bouncing off.

Envy slowed his breathing down as a female voice echoed around the room, “Looks like the great Envy needed some assistance after all?”

The three looked over and saw Temperance sitting on a pile of crates. “I don’t need your help,” Envy spat!

“Then consider this a freebie then,” Charity added as she emerged from around the pile. Hotaru threw a fireball at Charity, but like Akio’s blade, it simply bounced off. “Don’t bother,” Temperance warned. “As long as I’m here none of my brethren’s will be more injured.”

“That’s what you think you vile fiend,” an unknown voice called out.

The group looked up and saw a masked person standing on the rafters and aiming a weird boomerang object in his hands. “Taste the power of justice,” he triumphantly shouted as he threw the boomerang at Charity.

Charity looked bemused and simply caught the object right before it hit her. “This is cardboard,” she announced as she let it fall to the floor.

The person looked confused. “And that is all Bruce has,” he faintly said. “Time for me to disappear into the shadows,” he said as he dove out of the window.

The others on the ground looked confused beyond belief at what had happened until the sound of a gun being fired woke them up. Dianted was standing nearby with a loaded pistol aimed at Envy, who had returned to his feet. “How could you Even,” Dianted asked, his hand twitching as he held the gun. “I trusted you and this is how you repay me?”

Envy scowled. “Sorry I grew tired of playing pretend,” Envy answered as he turned to the other Remnants. “I think it’s time to make our escape.”

“Not so fast Envy,” Hotaru said, but Charity released a very bright light causing Hotaru, Akio, and Dianted to all cover their eyes.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure we will meet again,” Envy called out as the three Remnants vanished. After the light disappeared, Akio roared and began to cut piles of junk in his rage. “What’s wrong with him,” Dianted asked as Hotaru approached?

“I’ve never seen Akio lose his cool like this before,” Hotaru replied. “Did Miku and Dee arrive safely?”

“Yes. The others were going to bring her home while I left to assist you two.”

“That’s good.”

“Well there’s no point in hanging around here. Let’s return home.”

Hotaru nodded before turning to face Akio. “I’ll head back in a while,” Akio whispered.

He continued to slash at the various piles. “Alright don’t be too long,” Hotaru said with a worried look on his face. In the end, he followed behind Dianted and left the warehouse.

The moment they left Akio fell to his knees and broke down crying. “I found him…I finally found that bastard,” Akio said.

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