Pirates of the Skies

Chapter 3

The Ghost of Hazumi

Hazumi flew overhead, following the gang of men who had Omoi surrounded and were leading her somewhere. They all finally reached a double storey building. The building was old, worn out and the upper floor looked like it was about to fall apart. Once they entered the building, Hazumi was satisfied that the first part of his plan had been complete. He knew where they were and now he needed to get his brother and unleash hell on these thugs… well, as much hell as an eleven year old +Human and a being like him could unleash.

He turned around and began flying for Budakai's restaurant, towards his brother.

/

Kai looked at the basin which was almost overflowing with white soapy foam. He groaned to himself as he saw the piled dirty dishes on the side waiting to be washed. A waiter dumped a new batch of dishes to add to the already sizeable pile.

"You better get started with the dishes, kid." The waiter said when he noted Kai's lack of movement.

Kai tried to follow the waiter as he left to his other duties but was stopped. He looked down at the thick, rusted iron ankle bracelet binding him to the basin with an equally rusted but thick chain. "Can't you give me another job? Seriously, I can't wash dishes. I hate washing dishes. I'll clean your toilet, just anything other than… this." He said pointing to the dishes.

"There is no toilet here. Everyone does their business outside." The waiter said. "Now get started, or else…"

Kai sighed as he faced the dishes. He lowered his head, hiding his green eyes under the shadow created by his blonde hair. "I hate washing dishes." He repeated to himself. He looked around the kitchen and saw that the stove was still on and he got a devious idea in his mind. He was not going to wash a single dirty dish, instead, he would escape.

/

Akum dragged Omoi into the hallway of their gang's headquarters. She threw her on the floor and was disappointed to see that Mokedi was not around.

"Where is Mokedi?" Akum asked the gang members who were in the building.

"He's at home." One of them said.

"Well call him!" Akum said angrily. He wanted to do this quickly so that he could show his superiority over their leader by doing something he could not, kill the girl. The gang member nodded and ran out to call their boss. He kicked the crying Omoi to some of the other gangsters who caught her. "Looks like you get to live a little longer. But don't worry; as soon as Mokedi gets here I'll end your pitiful existence."

/

Kai splashed some more of the purple washing jelly along the ground towards the stove. He was aiming for the lit flame on the stove. However, Kai's aim was not what it used to be so he kept missing it and instead got the purple jelly-like liquid on the side of the stove, along the ground and some on his leg. He flicked his hand and once again he missed the stove but the line of liquid got very close to the flame. He grunted in frustration.

He would occasionally glance at the kitchen entrance, hoping that the chef would not return soon and that no waiter came by with more dirty dishes. He had not cleaned a single dirty dish so if anyone caught him now, the consequences may be severe. He looked at the little liquid left in the transparent container. He tilted the container downward so that the thick liquid can ease down to its mouth. Once enough of the liquid was there he took a deep breath as he took aim. He flicked his hand and let out the liquid. It flew across the kitchen and splashed on the lit stove plate, finding its target. The highly flammable liquid combusted with flames sprouting along its path.

"Yes!" Kai said pumping his fist. To his surprise the flared fire passed on to the other ill-aimed liquid splashes. The fire travelled down the stove, along the ground and headed straight for Kai who had some of the liquid on his pants leg and the chain anklet. Kia in a panic tried to back away while shouting for help. The fire travelled over his ankle chain and onto his leg.

Kai desperately slapped his leg, trying to put the fire out while shouting for help. He wanted to burn the kitchen but not himself! One of the waiters came in looking sceptical of the cry for help but when he saw Kai's leg on fire, he jumped into action. He produced a key and unlocked Kai before using the dish water to douse the flame on his leg. He switched his attention to the line of fire on the floor and on the stove. The waiter was able to put the fire out completely by scooping a lot of water and pouring it on the fire.

"Kid, you better have a good explanation for th…" The waiter turned around to be met by no one. Kai had escaped!

/

Kai ran out of the restaurant as fast as he could. He ran and ran until he could no longer run, at which point he stopped and placed his hands on his knees while trying to regain his breath.

"Hey lil bro." Kai heard a voice say, which startled him.

"Hazumi! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Kai said looking at him. Kai was the only one who could see Hazumi. He could see the transparent boy who had blonde hair and green eyes much like his own. Hazumi wore a red short-sleeve t-shirt and brown knee length shorts with sandals.

"Sorry," Hazumi said floating next to his brother. "But it is unavoidable."

"I thought you were with Omoi." Kai said.

"I was but she got captured." Hazumi said.

"What?" Kai said. "I should have known you'd fail."

"Whatever, Kai." Hazumi said hiding his hurt feelings. "We need to save her. I followed them to their base. Come on!" Hazumi said flying off.

"Hey, wait! Not so fast!" Kai said running after him.

/

The sun had begun to sink under the horizon, welcoming a new night to the small town. Kai and Hazumi reached the base just as the last gleams of sunlight disappeared. They spied from a hiding place as people entered the place.

"Why are so many of them coming here?" Kai asked. "Don't they have something else to do, like murder or assault?"

"Yes, it is strange that so many of them are here now." Hazumi said levitating around. "They may be having a meeting."

"That doesn't sound good for us." Kia said. "How are we going to take on so many of them?"

"I don't think we can." Hazumi said. "I wish mom was here, she could have taken on all these guys easily."

"Yeah, or dad." Kai said as his eyes shone with admiration when he thought of his father. "He could definitely take on these jokers."

"But sadly, we're on our own." Hazumi said. "We'll have to sneak in, rescue her and get out."

"How are we going to do that without getting seen?" Kai said.

"Well, I'm invisible to everyone other than you, so I can guide you through them so that you won't be spotted." Hazumi said. "We have to be like ninja."

"Alright," Kai said.

"For this to work you have to follow my instructions to the letter." Hazumi said. "Are you ready?"

Kai nodded and they moved out towards the base.

/

Kai was led by Hazumi into the compound. He had to occasionally duck and dive to avoid being spotted but Hazumi did a good job in helping him avoid detection. They finally reached the main hall where most of the gangsters had gathered.

Boss Mokedi sat in his throne-like wooden chair with his rifle resting at his side while Akum stood in the middle of the hall with Omoi beside him, on her knees, crying.

"There, I've captured her." Akum said to his boss.

Mokedi glanced at the girl, whose black hair was tangled in Akum's tight fist. "So? I thought you said you would kill her not capture her."

"I was going to boss," Akum said, feigning innocents. "But I thought that you may want a chance to kill her yourself."

"This is bad." Kai whispered from his hiding place. "How are we going to get her now?"

"I'll cause a distraction," Hazumi said, "you will have to get her and sneak out." Hazumi said before floating to the middle of the hall.

"I told you Akum, I have no interest in killing children," Mokedi said looking at his second in command with disgust on his face. "It is a task that is beneath me."

"Okay," Akum said slowly unsheathing his shoto. "Then I guess I'll have to do it." Akum smiled at his bosses weakness. He knew that his boss would not want to kill the girl, which would put him in a bad light in front of the other gang members. His code against killing children made him look weak amongst the ruthless thugs around them.

Akum raised his shoto above his head, readying himself for the action of decapitating the girl. However, before he could bring his blade down a voice shouted, "Stop!"

Kai recognised the voice. It was the voice Hazumi adopted when he wanted to be heard by other people other than himself. Kai could hear Hazumi's real voice when no one else could but this was a trick that Hazumi used to make others hear him as well.

"Who said that?" Akum shouted, looking at the gang members.

"I did!" Hazumi said in his ghostly voice. "I command you to let her go or you shall all die!"

Akum's face adopted a look of fear while Mokedi looked calm. "Who are you?" Mokedi said standing onto his feet.

"I am the Ghost of… uhm…" Hazumi just realised that it would be meaningless if he used his name in this instance. No one knew him and therefore his name would not strike fear. He looked at Omoi, still on her knees but this time Akum had let her hair go, and got idea. "I am the Ghost of Omoi's Father!"

Some of the gang members gasped while backing away, thinking that their former boss had risen from the grave to take vengeance. Omoi stopped her sobbing and looked out into the room in confusion. She recgonised the voice as Hazumi's not her fathers. Akum, like most of the gang, looked scared as he moved around, hoping to escape the invisible force.

Mokedi had a sceptical look on his face as he picked up his rifle. "Really? Then what's your name, o ghost?"

"I just told you, I am the Ghost of Omoi's father!"

Another round of gasps came from the gangsters.

"Yes you did," Mokedi said. "But that is a title not a name. What is the name of Omoi's father?"

"Uhm…" Hazumi involuntarily said out loud. He had not found out what Omoi's father's name was.

"Just as I thought!" Mokedi proclaimed. He had thought it strange that a ghost would call itself someones father instead of its own name. Everyone here knew who Omoi's father was. "Calm down you cowards, this is just a trick. There is no ghost here."

Akum realised that it must be true and his fear was replaced but anger. How could he have been tricked like that? And worst of all it was Mokedi, not he, who recognised it as a trick. "How dare you trick us!" He angrily shouted while shaking his shoto above his head. "I'll make you pay!" He dropped the blade in a curve heading for Omoi's neck but before the blade could reach her, there was a flash of silver light on his check which made his head jerk backwards, as if he was hit. Another flash of silver at his stomach made him retreat while clutching his belly with his free hand. There were a few more flashes of silver and with each flash he retreated away from Omoi.

While everyone was watching Akum being attacked by the flashing silver lights, Kai took the opportunity to pull Omoi away. Omoi was very happy to see her friend.

"Kai, you came back for me." She said wiping her tears away happily.

"I told you I would, didn't I?" Kai said as they quietly tip toed for the exit to the hall.

Omoi looked back at the scene of Akum getting attacked by the flashes of silver light. "How are you doing this?" She asked.

"I'm not doing anything." Kai said. They were now a few steps from the exit. "My brother Hazumi is doing everything."

There was a sudden gunshot which made a hole not too far away from Kai's feet. Kai stopped immediately and saw Mokedi pointing his smoking rifle at them. "Calm down you fools, they're trying to get away!" Mokedi shouted.

Akum was able to regain his composure now that Hakumzi was no longer attacking him because he was also surprised by the gunshot. He looked at his brother who had led Omoi close to the exit of the door but was discovered. The gang members began approaching the two, brandishing all manner of melee weapons. Kai gritted his teeth as he and Omoi backed up. He could erect a forcefield but under the attack of so many people, he knew it would eventually break.

Hazumi floated in front of his brother and hovered between him and the gangsters. It made no difference as the gangsters could not even see him nor could they touch him for he was intangible.

"Any ideas?" Kai asked his brother.

"One," Hazumi said glancing back at his little brother and smiling. "Corporal Mode!" Almost instantly, Hazumi's body changed. His skin became silver like the moon. His eyes turned to a colour so pale blue that they almost looked white and they had no iris. His blonde hair had all but gone and was replaced with a continuous wisp like smoke rising from the top of his head and fading into the air above. The biggest change this transformation brought was the fact that now he could be seen by the criminals. He delivered a right hook to the stunned Akum, proving that he could now also touch them.

"So you're the +Human." Mokedi said confidently as he brandished his rifle.

"Let us go." Hazumi said, his voice sounding like a far reaching echo.

"You're dreaming if you think I'm going to do that." Mokedi said taking aim.

"Can you take him?" Kai asked.

Hazumi floated before him quietly while analysing the situation. Corporal Mode needed a lot of energy to maintain, so he could not keep this up for long. If he was just fighting Mokedi, he would be able to win but he had to contend with the rest of Mokedi's gang.

He needed to distract the whole gang and give his brother and Omoi time to run away. He thought for a while before an idea popped into his head. In corporal mode, his silver body glowed. He wondered if he could increase the glow to blinding proportions.

"Get ready to make your move." He said to his brother before turning his attention to the thugs. "You underestimate me," he said as he began floating towards the gang who tried to back away from him. "I am more powerful than you think." He said, now levitating just above the criminals. "Watch." Hazumi gathered all the energy he could. This was the first time he had ever done this so he prayed that it would work. Once the energy was fully gathered he let it out of his body in every direction. There was a brief silver light around him which grew ever brighter but he felt something else coming from his body accompanying the light, a pulse of corporeal energy. The pulse hit the gangsters near him, pushing them off their feet and into the arms of their fellow gang members while the light blinded anyone too far away to be affected by the pulse.

The exertion of energy instantly changed Hazumi from his Corporal Mode back to his spiritual one. He looked exhausted and floated closer to the ground. He looked behind him and was relieved that Kai and Omoi had used the distraction to escape.

"Hey, where are the girl and boy?" Akum said after Hazumi was no longer visible or a threat. "They're gone! We need to get them back here."

Hazumi sighed before floating up again, preparing for the battle to continue. It seems that although most of them were blind, and quickly regaining their sight, the ones who had been knocked down were already recovering.

/

Kai and Omoi reached the outside of the building with Kai leading the way by tugging on her hand.

"Kai, shouldn't we help your brother?" Omoi asked.

"Don't worry about Hazumi." Kai said confidently. "He can handle himself.

There was a gunshot before soil right next to his feet exploded into the air.

"You did not think I'd let you escape that easy, did you?" Mokedi said stepping out of the shadow of the night's darkness.