A Wanderer's Lies

Chapter 2: Ghoul [2]

Standing in a dark alleyway, behind an expensive car with a dead man in the trunk, Silver and Isaac faced each other, both quiet.

This didn't last for long, as Isaac quickly turned around, digging his feet into the ground and making a run for it.

His survival instincts had kicked in, and he abandoned his previous plan to escape with his spoils.

'Screw the car!'

Lunging deeper within the alleyway, he planned to hide within the shadows to escape.

However, after running a few feet, Isaac came to an abrupt stop as he felt something tug his shirt from behind.

Dropping to the ground and looking back, Silver stared at him with a cold demeanour.

"I can't let you leave. I have an identity as Derek Silver to uphold…" Before he could finish, Silver watched Isaac plunge a screwdriver through his eye as blood splattered on the ground.

Despite this, the cold look on Silver's face never changed, as if pain itself was a joke to him.

'Monster.'

Nevertheless, taking this opportunity, Isaac crawled a few feet away, making his way to his feet to bolt toward the nearest corner.

Whatever strength or wealth Silver possessed, no one knew the corners and alleys of this city better than Isaac, and he would use that to his advantage.

However, just as he made it to his feet, he suddenly dropped to the ground after losing control of his right leg.

Confused, Isaac looked back, only to stare in disbelief.

Perhaps it was the adrenaline, or maybe his brain that couldn't react fast enough, but only now did Isaac notice his mangled leg as bones stuck out from it.

"ARGHHHHH!"

Isaac let out a blood curdling scream, echoing through the alleyway.

"Hmm, I forgot how fragile humans were." Silver sighed, pressing his finger on his chin.

'Why…why me? Just as I thought I could live in peace.'

He didn't know whether to cry, scream or beg for his life.

He could faintly hear the man speaking over him, yet he was incapable of doing anything to defend himself, let alone run.

He could only tighten his fists as he asked himself 'How?'

He had worked relentlessly for the past few years for one goal. Did the world hate him so much? Was he cursed from the day he was born to never feel a sense of fulfilment and pleasure?

Was he fated to live his life suffering through agony and pain? If that was the case, then he didn't know whether life was worth living.

Perhaps death would be a mercy.

"Ah yes. What do you think about becoming one of my kind? I promise it's worth it. Well, for me it is." Silver punched his palm as he grinned widely.

In the next second, Silver's smile faded as his face drew closer and closer to Isaac, soon opening his mouth wide open, seemingly about to consume the boy.

"Two birds with one stone. This must be my lucky day." The silence was broken as a man spoke in a flat tone.

He dragged his words as if every syllable carried invisible weight.

Both Isaac and the large man looked back, noticing a tall male with black messy hair, drooping eyes, slouched back and glasses.

He wore a form-fitting black shirt with rolled-up sleeves, showing his surprisingly muscular forearms.

Isaac could barely see it, but the man's chest and arms barely fit in the shirt as well, bulging with strength.

The man yawned as he looked toward Isaac.

"Hello, I'm here for the boy." He waved.

Isaac was lost for words. The man didn't look crazy, yet he acted in a peculiar manner.

Silver turned to him, tilting his head.

"Do I know you?" He asked, waiting for an answer.

"Maybe. I'm kinda a big deal." Answered the man. It wasn't long until the ghoul widened his eyes in a child-like manner, pointing his finger.

"Ah, now I remember you. The infamous Sloth's Paradox. I believe we even used to attend Aurelius at the same time as well. News about you would even reach the dark depths of Section Z."

"Wow, thank you for noticing. It's always nice to be appreciated." The man's words sounded sincere, however, his tone would never lose its heavy lethargy.

"Allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Hal Lordic, and I'm inherited by the character Jason from the world of Tokyo Ghoul." Silver waited a few seconds for the man to answer.

[Name: Hal Lordic (Alias: Derek Silver)]

[Inherited Character: Yamori Yakumo (Jason)]

[Verse: Tokyo Ghoul.]

"Cool." Perhaps he was being sarcastic, or maybe he was too lazy to express his feelings in any other way but words, but the man kept his answers short.

"It's common decency to return a greeting." Says Hal, glaring at the man who stays unmoving.

"Do you mind? I wanna get this job done as soon as possible. I'm kinda short on money." The man rubs his fingers together.

With a pause, Silver, or Hal, soon replied.

"Very well."

Isaac had barely blinked before he noticed Hal disappear, reappearing before the mysterious man as he drove a visibly heavy punch toward him.

Isaac could feel the strong winds kicking up the dust on the ground and pushing back his hair.

However, in an even greater feat, Hal's rocket of a blow was stopped as it made contact with the mysterious man's finger.

"Oh no, I'm being hurt by a super strong ghoul."

"You dirty monkey, you dare mock me?!" After a slight pause, for the first time, Hal's face twisted in anger and disgust, gritting his teeth as something appeared from behind him.

Red tentacle-like appendages emerged from Hal's back, tearing through his expensive suit, wrapping itself around the large ghoul's arm, shoulder and upper head, covering his eyes.

"Interesting. I've never seen a Kagune like that before." Says the man with raised eyebrows.

Hal let out a feral howl, drooling as he unleashed a relentless barrage of fiery attacks.

He flailed his arms with no control as it destroyed the walls and concrete upon impact. It had even made contact with Isaac's car, destroying it till it was nothing more than scrap metal.

But Isaac wasn't focused on that. Instead, he was staring at the speed and agility of the mysterious man as he seamlessly blocked every attack.

He was still able to wear a face of uncaring as if this was wasting his time.

With the same finger, his hand moved rapidly as the blows stopped before him, never passing his seemingly impenetrable defence.

After a minute, Hal had started to breathe heavily. Despite being insane, even he could see the immense gap in power.

After Hal paused for a second due to exhaustion, only then did the man make a move.

With a swift move of the hand, the mysterious man backhanded Hal as the ghoul instantly smashed into the wall of the alley, creating a crater so large he was able to comfortably lay inside, unconscious.

The red tentacles retreated to Hal's back as his face swelled heavily.

Isaac had watched in awe, completely forgetting his leg was mangled and destroyed.

The mysterious man walked toward Isaac, sitting in a deep squat as he stared at the boy, rummaging through his pockets and pulling out a brown sack.

He quickly took out a green bean and handed it to the confused Isaac.

"It's a Senzu Bean. Eat it." Isaac was reluctant and wasn't the trusting type.

He stared at the bean for a few seconds, contemplating.

This man had supposedly saved him. He didn't know his intentions yet, but if he tried to resist, he might get the same treatment as the ghoul. If the bean was poisonous…well he didn't really care.

He looked around, noticing his destroyed salvation in the form of now scrap metal.

The peace he had been chasing his whole life came crumbling down in a matter of minutes.

Not to mention his leg. He might never be able to walk again making his usual crime virtually impossible.

To put it simply, Isaac had nothing more to lose.

Isaac downed the bean without chewing, instantly swallowing.

It hadn't even been a second till Isaac could feel a rush of vitality come from within him, filling him with strength and stamina.

However, Isaac instead noticed his injury.

In the blink of an eye, his mangled leg had returned to normal, as if he had never been injured in the first place.

Instead, he now looked like a bum with his torn pants.

"I'm Orion." The man simply said.

Snapping out of his trance, the two's eyes met.

"I'm Isaac." Isaac replied in a similar manner.

"Isaac who?"

"Just Isaac."

Orion stayed quiet as he stared.

"Kid, tell me about the dreams you've been having." Isaac slowly widened his eyes upon hearing this.

"How do you know about my dreams?" Isaac didn't need any further explanation to know what the man was talking about.

"Because I, including hundreds of others, have experienced what you're going through. You can get rid of the dreams. Well, as long as you don't die." The sinister words perfectly fit the man's cold tone as Isaac unconsciously gulped.

Before Isaac could ask anything else, Orion pulled out a device.

"A snail?" Asked Isaac, staring at the small snail with a black shell, half-closed, lazy eyes and…glasses?

Isaac couldn't help but dart his eyes between the snail and the man, seeing a striking resemblance.

The man decided to ignore Isaac's confused expression and put the snail close to his mouth.

"Brbrbrbrbrbr"

A recurring noise escaped from the snail until a subtle, "Click" followed.

"Jasmine, would you mind opening a Senkaimon…" Before the man could finish, a loud yell that made both men flinch came from the snail.

"Orion, where the hell have you been?! I've been calling you all day!" A female voice roared through the snail as Orion distanced the snail from his ear.

"Relax, I've been out completing the mission you've been pestering me about for the last week."

The female paused.

"You found the boy?" She asked as Orion looked toward Isaac.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

"Pretty sure?" Jasmine's voice trembled with annoyance.

"Oh, I also found Hal Lordic."

Orion had ignored her question.

"Hal Lordic? The Hal Lordic? How? What happened?"

"Beats me. I happened to stumble upon him when I was getting the kid." The female paused as she spoke.

"And what of Kevin?"

"Deceased." He said in his usual flat tone.

"I see. I'll open the Senkaimon. Bring both the kid and Mr Lordic. I'll send a team to retrieve Kevin and clean the scene."

As she said this, Orion put away the snail and walked toward Hal, easily carrying him over his shoulder.

As he did this, two doors mysteriously appeared from thin air, slowly sliding away from each other and revealing a circular void of pure light, making Isaac squint his eyes.

"What's wrong, kid? Let's go."

"Sorry, I've been told not to go through portals with strangers." Blurted out Isaac. He was glad his leg was normal, but he hadn't lost his common sense.

This situation was already crazy enough as it was.

Ghouls, talking snails and portals?

He was more than happy enough to leave this freak show with no injuries.

Orion walked toward him, grabbing the boy from the waist and carrying him with ease.

"Is that so?" Orion effortlessly tossed Isaac through the portal as the boy yelled, "Wait!" but it was too late.

As this happened, Orion stepped into the white light carrying Hal.