[center][b][h2][u]Unbridled Potential[/u][/h2][h3][i]Team Masuuko [sub]Part 4[/sub][/i][/h3][/b][/center][hr] With baited interest, captain Masumata readied himself - standing upright as to face the others - and addressed them with an inquisitive tone. His senses scanning the surrounding areas as he spoke. “[color=#dc143c]Perhaps we should rendezvous with the others now?[/color]” His Mahogany eyes fell upon Reku’s face before quickly shifting upwards. Signaling that his focus had been drawn elsewhere as he tensed his body in preparation for shunpo. Rēku had begun looking up at the clouds while rain poured down on them. She had begun to get lost in thought before abruptly being brought back to the present as she slowly turned her head to Hiro. “[color=#FF00FF]Right. Then I suppose it’s time we move out.[/color]” She turned back to the hollow. “[color=#FF00FF]Are you ready to come with us?”[/color]” She might as well be polite and at least make sure, but as soon as the hollow was ready Rēku would no longer be in that spot as she would have used shunpo to start moving out once more. They were one step closer to getting home. “[b]Move. Follow. No dawdle.[/b]” The Hollow practically seethed as it spoke, its talons scratching the urn’s sides as they dragged across it in what must have been either anxiety or apprehension. It moved to follow after her, and so the Shinigami had for perhaps the first moment in their admittedly long lives to observe a Hollow moving at high speed that was neither fighting nor running from them. Its movements were strange - not the sort of practiced and efficient elegance seen with shunpo. Its strides were irregular, and the motions it made were counter-intuitive. Any human attempting to replicate its strides would have torn their muscles - the Hollow was acting as though it had no need to counteract its own momentum, as though its body might start and stop in whatever position it pleased without consideration of whatever damage it might do to itself or any paltry physical impediments. It also did not seem to care much for subtlety anymore. The few steps it had taken in the graveyard had been nearly reverent, but now each one carried with it untold force. Asphalt and concrete shattered beneath its hooved feet, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Kairi would follow the others dutifully bringing up the back of the pack, watching for any ambushes and also observing the peculiar movements of the hollow. It was...different. And Shizu too followed, keeping a watchful eye on the hollow. She still didn’t trust it. [hr] Meanwhile.... [b][center]Shizuka Tsukikage[/center][/b] [i][center]Lakeport City - Lake County, California, USA[/center][/i] He had been walking north for only a few minutes before he finally came upon it. His next clue. A smirk lined his lips. Before him, encircled by a square of yellow tape, a corpse debauched under the warmth of the evening sun. Its entirety dwindling as its stench thickened, staining the immediate air around it as coagulated blood did the concrete. Overhead, a single crow, black-feathered and sleek, sat perched upon a nearby ledge. Eyes trained upon the corpse as it waited patiently for those below to take their leave. It was gruesome, even worst than the others. What had once been a human body was now only a bloody mound of charred flesh, weakly held together by the shattered pieces of bone protruding from it's exterior. Standing behind the yellow tape, Chris continued to look on. Watching a single member of the Lakeport Police Department in particular as the dumbfounded lot continued to take pictures and whisper back and forth. Two of which were clearly on the verge of hurling up the contents of their stomachs. Turning to his left, he watched intently, almost meticulously, as a short yet stocky male officer shimmied under the crime tape and barked orders at the group. "Nothing right?" Christian's eyes softened as they locked upon the face of the brunette walking towards him. Barely managing to refrain a glance at her rear as she walked by, the man sighed. Dutifully, he then followed. "I'm really not in the mood today, Cross. This shit is getting out of hand." Despite her confident posture and strides, he could tell by the dip of her head she was on the verge of breaking down. Thus, he remained quiet until they had reached the black mustang which had served as the detective's cruiser. "It's not them." He walked to the passenger side of the car, holding the door open as she entered the vehicle. Her cobalt eyes following him as he leapt over the hood and without contacting the ground, threw himself into the driver's seat via window. Silently justifying his train of thought. [I]'They don't completely dismantle their targets... it's all wrong.'[/i] The car then roared to life, drowning out the churning of the woman's stomach as she buried her head within her hands. Sobbing softly as Chris maneuvered the vehicle through traffic and took a sharp left. Entering a side road as he gradually increased the pressure he placed upon the gas, easing off every so often as to maintain a speed of sixty miles per hour. "It was Trina, Chris. That [b]thing[/b], was Trina's friggin' body!" As she raised her head to scream at him, the tears upon her face became visible. The sight of them pained him, but upon his grimed face, it didn't show. "Em..." His voice faded. Leaving only silence over their heads for the remainder of the drive. Slowing the car to crawl, then stop, he starred blankly at the dashboard before him. For a few strenuous and rather awkward moments, neither of the pair moved to exit the car. Both instead choosing to blank out as if reminiscing about some far away land. Finally, she pushed open the door. Stepping out and wiping her face prior to entering the eatery to which they had just pulled up at. Snapping back to his senses, Christian followed with due haste. His hands digging into his pockets as he followed the detective into the building. As she made her way to the bar, he simply stood at the entrance. His brown eyes observing the elegant paintings and luxurious mood lighting curiously as he scanned the entirety of the room, almost as if expecting them to leap off of the walls towards him. Once satisfied, he caught up. Now leaning over the bar next to the obviously distraught woman, Chris watched as she reached into her back pocket, pulling free a thin leather wallet as her pale breasts threatened to fall from her v-neck shirt. Indifferent, Cross continued to eye her intently. Inwardly debating whether the body - or [i]bodies[/i], as this was the fourth, was indicative of an anomaly or not. "The usual, Mikael. I'm having a rough day." The brunette placed her wallet down on the black marbled counter, leaving her twelve twenty dollar bills, her I.D. and her badge in plain sight as she adjusted her self upon the bar. Placing her left hand to her jaw as she leaned upon her elbow. Having glanced at it, Chris silently read over her name in his head. Emily Elizabeth Rhodes. "Milk." Christian's voice was unusually lifeless, void of it's natural playfulness as he sat next to the detective and shot a heated glance towards the bar keep. Leaning closer to the long haired haired woman, he attempted to touch her shoulder. She instantly made a big deal of moving away. Looking up only to show Mikael an empty smile. If only for a moment, Cross stiffened, relaxing only after an exhale. "They'll know we're on their trail Em. These men i'm after." Chris hadn't told her the truth. After all, she wasn't ready for, nor needed to be aware of it. Hence, he had spent the last month posing as an member of the FBI. Claiming that he was in pursuit of a pair of serial killers whom we're believed to hiding out in Lakeport in recent months. Of coarse, it didn't help that Cross actually had no idea for what he was really searching for. Annoyed, he turned in his seat, moving as to place his back to the platinum haired bar keep. After looking between the two, Mikael quickly turned and walked away, leaving only the two of them around the eatery's bar. Chris then let his gaze fall back onto her, admiring the cuteness in her face as he continued to talk. "Look, i'm sorry it was her love, I really am. But you and I both know that that's just how the story goes.." Before he could utter another word; a strong, albeit soft, hand struck him square across the jaw, causing a thunderous 'clap' to resound throughout the high-ended eatery. Mikael, who had only just returned with their orders, as well as the rest of the patrons, all shot Christian a brief yet disappointed glance. "You fucker..." While her words were not loud enough to be carried over the collective chattering and music, it was enough to once again cause a now frowning Mikael to draw himself away from his post. "I never wanted a part in this you know, any of it." She paused, fighting some tears to no avail before downing her drink in a single yet large gulp. "[B]You[/b] dragged me into it." The words caused Cross to grow still, as if he himself had become frozen. Had stung at his chest as if an arrow itself had pierced it. As a result, a growl formed in his throat, only to be briefly expelled when he too downed the beverage of which he had just now taken hold. For a few minutes, that was how the two remained. As silent and still as stone. Feeling the slightest buzz of vibration, Chris then quickly whipped out his phone. Immediately, his gaze was met by that of Rhodes'. While the two did not exchange words, their conjoined glances spoke volumes as he listened to a soft voice speak through the phone. After a moments silence, a clear "Affirmative." from Christian could be heard prior to him glancing at it's screen. The action was inevitably followed by the pocketing of the silver touch screen phone. Resisting the urge to say anything more, the man clenched a fist, sighed, then relaxed with an exhale. Raising from his seat, he then reached into his side pocket and pulled free a single twenty dollar bill. Placing it squarely upon the top of the milk glass, Chris then continued to turn towards the exit. As he did, something seemed to change in Emily, who sprung up from her seat. Cutting off his "Keep the Change" as she clung to the back of his right sleeve, almost as if begging him not to leave. Her face, which had turned red the instant his sleeve and her hand had touched, now glowed a dim blue under the light as she dragged Christian around as to once again face the bar. Remaining silent as she pulled him back down into his seat, he simply looked back up at the barkeep who shook his head. "Another perhaps?" Mikael's voice held an air of complacency, giving his words a snide and rather hostile tone as they rolled from his lips. Responding with a dry "No, thanks." Christian let a sly grin line his face. While it seemed sinister in nature, it added an aura of grandeur to his face. Upon seeing it, Emily could only sigh as she scooped up her wallet and badge, leaving the money owed on the counter top. Having silently accepted a second drink, she then took a sip, a brief smile forming on her lips as she swallowed a bit of the white liquid. Remonstrantly, Christian offered his hand to the barkeep. Softening his grin into a smug smile, he then parted his lips once more. "Cross." He let his gaze slip from the barkeep's face to that of Emily's for an instant, observing the way she took to the drink before refocusing on the man before him. His tanned skin now holding a green hue under the light. Having noticed both his glance and his gesture, Emily tilted her head slightly. Unsure of what what to make of either as she placed the now half empty glass of Tom Collins back upon the counter. Smirking as the barkeep replied. "Tu es con." --- Seated within a black 1967 Chevrolet Impala, Christian intently studied an petite map book of the US he had obtained from a local travel agent. Despite the fact that he was familiar with the states, and that his Chevy had been equipped with the latest GPS technology, he still preferred to plan out his routes the 'old fashioned' way. Though he did so more to cover his tracks, as opposed to personal preference. Especially since his latest contact had clearly grown attached. He tried to dismiss the fact that he had as well. Once satisfied, and confident that he had located the shortest route to Oregan, home of his next assignment, Cross quickly folded the map away. Throwing his keys into the ignition, he then sighed as the Impala's modified engine roared to life. And a wooden blade pierced his sternum from his rear. It was only after he had entered shock, grasping desperately at the carved oak, that laughter could be heard over his gasping breath. "[color=fff200]Oh.... darling.[/color]" He strained his neck as to look behind him, grunting as the weapon begun to be slowing - and excruciatingly - drawn out of his frame. A hand then firmly grasped him by the jaw, nails like claws digging into his skin as it violently wrung his head around. Nearly breaking his neck. Yet, it was only as his eyes finally came to set upon his attacker that fear twisted his face. "Shi...zu...ka." He gasped for air between each syllable. "[color=fff200]Miss me?[/color]" She tugged on his jaw, snapping his neck. [i][b][color=000000]Feed! Tear! Grow![/color][/b][/i] The words hit her psyche like bag of bricks. Clashing and tearing at her thoughts with unyielding force as a million voices spoke in stuttered unison. Sending a wave of anxiety through the woman's body as she lept back and away from her victim's body. Smacking her head on the roof of the vehicle before falling onto her side. As they begun again, breaking into a repetitive chant, Shizuka writhed and gripped her head in pain. Sunlight now blinding her as she peered beyond the windshield into the deserted parking lot beyond. All the while screaming in silence. [i][b][color=000000]Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow!Feed! Tear! Grow![/color][/b][/i] At last, she found voice once again. Thus let you an exuberant shriek before once again falling silent. Exhausted from from her internal ordeal. Ignoring the copious volume of sweat now soaking her face, she then maneuvered herself into the passenger seat. Pausing only as to remove her bokken from the corpse before she continued to push it from the car with haste. She then took the wheel. "[color=fff200]I'm in control now you fuck.[/color]"