Night Parade: Preparations
In Kyoto, there were a number of underground brothels and whorehouses. Most of these were hidden for fear of reprisal from heroes and police, but a number of them were a little more upscale. Some were hidden as “massage parlors”, others were thinly veiled as reputable businesses. In one of these upscale houses of ill-repute, the villain known as Midas, the current talk of the town, was sitting in what served as a manager’s office for the brothel’s owner. He was dressed casually, in a finely pressed dress shirt and pants, and he only wore a couple of golden rings and necklaces. Across a massive and bloodstained desk from Midas was what looked, to all respects, like an ordinary black panther, lounging on a velvet couch. It licked its paw lazily as Midas pulled absently from a cigarette.
“I do like the plan, Tomi,” said Midas. “I even think it’ll work.”
“Of course it will work, nya,” replied the ordinary looking big cat. “I wrote it, after all. Of course, the plan’s success is dependent on your subordinates. And on keeping it away from that horrid bird. I still don't see why he gets to be a part of the inner circle while I'm relegated to meeting with you one-on-one."
"It just makes our relationship all the more special, doesn't it? And besides, the other three require a delicate touch. It's a careful balancing act, getting them to work together. You don't trouble me so much. It's easier to be around you."
"Nya, compliments will get you everywhere, King. But I must stress that placing your trust in those goons may not end well."
“They’ll perform as expected, Tomi, I promise that. And you know better than to call them subordinates. We’re all brothers and sisters in arms here, aren’t we?”
“Yes, brothers and sisters who all seem to answer to you. It’s not my problem anyways, nya. If you agree to the plan then all we need is for that… thing to come back here.”
“Don’t let little Bogey hear you talk about him like that. He’s sensitive to that sort of thing. And besides, you’ll be seeing more of him. Little guy is good at sneaking across the city. I might be sending him here more often.”
“I implore you not to. Even just his appearance is… disquieting. And that isn’t mentioning his other activities.”
“Your girls will never see him. Other than whatever message he passes on, it’ll be like he was never here. Besides, I think you’d know better than to judge someone based on their appearance, friend.”
Tomi bristled slightly. “Still, I-”
“I won’t hear it, Tomi. Bogey is a valued member of the Night Parade, and I care for him.”
As if on cue, Bogey scuttled in through the open window of the office. He was a thing with far too many arms, dozens and dozens which crossed each other and sprouted down the length of an over-long body covered in a thin veil. Each arm was adorned with a golden bracelet or bangle or ring of some kind. Having sensed these articles of gold growing closer and closer, Midas had carefully timed his comment so that Bogey would hear it as he arrived. Bogey’s myriapod body was jittering in what may have passed for joy.
“There’s the man of the hour!” Said Midas, quickly flashing a golden grin. “You found the others? Acquainted yourself?”
Bogey nodded his head as his hands stomped up and down on the hardwood floor. Despite his completely silent approach, he was now practically a cacophony of noise, between his heavy panting, the clacking of his golden accessories, and his jubilant stomping.
“Well, Tomi my friend, looks like it’s time to put step one of this plan to the test.”
“Got a job for you, Karma.”
“Oh? You want me to steal another crown or something? It better be something fun.”
“Fun is relative, dear. How would you like to get your hands on some genuine hero blackmail material?”
“I'm interested. Just please tell me this is for Seiryu. Finally getting to hold something over his head…”
“I hate to disappoint, but no. You’ve heard of Rescue Ray, right? There’s something in his school I need you to get. Now, don’t worry, you won’t need to fight the guy or anything. Just a good, old-fashioned smash and grab. It’s a necessary part of a bigger plan. I promise you’ll get a shot at Seiryu for a part of it. You just have to be patient.”
“Hm, not my usual style, but I trust you. Fine, I’ll steal it. Just give me a time, and tell me what I’m taking.”
“Tomorrow, midnight. First, you’ll have to get past the security cameras…”
The assembled villains sat quietly in the back of a large truck. It was almost pitch black within. Bogey crawled back and forth, taking up much of the available space. Alongside him were two others who he had reached out to the previous day, though in contrast to Bogey’s hyperactive state they seemed almost bored. One was a villain who had worked with the Night Parade before, and had seen Bogey before; Maw, a young blonde man wearing a bear trap around his own neck. The other was a mercenary, and his boredom seemed to come packaged with a sort of general air of loathing around him. Known only as Yaju within the villain community, he was a massive, shaggy-haired beast in a loincloth with lifeless eyes. Bogey had approached him the previous night and actually been spotted and nearly subsequently squashed by the mutant. It might explain his irritation at being in the truck with him. Thankfully, when Bogey had offered a bag of money and a job he had been spared with only a nod from Yaju.
After a couple dozen minutes in the truck, the vehicle abruptly stopped. A voice called out from the cabin of the truck. Maw and Bogey recognized it as belonging to Midas.
“All right, you three know the plan. If any heroes show up, take ‘em out as quickly as possible. Rescue Ray is out of town, so there shouldn’t be any serious pushback. If anyone you can’t handle shows up, you run. Stay safe now!”
With that, Yaju threw open the back doors of the truck and the trio walked out into the cold night. They were in an alleyway two buildings down from the school, and Bogey immediately scuttled into the darkness as the truck pulled away.
“You’re not with the Night Parade, are you? I’ve never seen you before.” Maw said.
Yaju simply stared in reply, turning his head slightly.
“Not much of a talker, huh? I always get stuck working with the grouches. I mean, first Bogey, that guy’s a total freak, and now you, no offense. Oh well, so long as we’re both fighting the good fight, right?” As Maw babbled to the unresponsive ten foot monster, the duo walked towards the school.
The Sunray Troubled Youth Center was a school founded by the hero Rescue Ray, a popular rescue hero who had recently shot up in prominence. The building housed a number of less well-to-do youth in its dorms, though at the moment they would be in class. It seemed well maintained and well cared for, a likely product of Rescue Ray funneling most of his personal wealth into the building. Maw vaguely thought that it would be a shame to wreck it, even if he didn’t exactly know what the building was for.
After the school, they’d move onto a couple of hero agencies. The plan was quick hit-and-runs, causing damage and leaving before a response could even be leveled. Maw was perfect for the job.
With their team and his quirk, destroying the buildings wouldn’t be very hard. Everything would go according to plan.
Nekoko watched the assembled villains from a nearby roof. Bogey had scuttled off into the darkness - he would serve as a watchful vanguard, ready to ambush heroes who thought they would be facing only two villains. Yaju was there to protect Maw and to ferry him between their targets. And Maw would accomplish most of the actual work, taking out any structural supports and toppling buildings.
Nekoko watched for aberrations in the plan. Tomi had sent him to ensure Maw’s ultimate safety, and to keep the King updated. It was a simple job. Not befitting to a predator. But it was his job, and so he watched, silently, from the rooftop.
The first target, a school, was easy pickings. The hero who ran it was not present. In fact, if all went according to plan, no heroes would be present until the very end.
After a couple of minutes, the building was coming down. Yaju, the beast-man, picked up Maw and began to run towards the next target - the Magnum Shrimp hero agency. Nekoko kept pace from the rooftops easily.
It would be a dull hunt, but a hunt nonetheless.
Midas’ driver, one Giichi Mikata, took the truck across town. While his subordinates caused general mayhem and destruction, the old man would ferry Midas personally to one key location. If all went well, this first stroke of the plan could be the start of a crippling strike to Shiketsu.
Mikata would serve as backup if things went sour; his ghost was strong enough to distract most heroes for enough time that they could escape.
Midas knew, intellectually, that being on the field at this stage was not the wisest move he could make. But his safety was of no real concern. No - what he wanted was to send a message, and that message wouldn’t travel well through a minion’s mouth. Projecting an aura of invincibility, showing the usurper at Shiketsu that he would not be trifled with, that was worth more than anything else.
“We’re here, boss.”
“Alright. Wait for me here. Under no circumstances will you move this truck, understood?”
“You’re the boss.”
Midas left the truck and looked towards his target. The Majestic Hero Agency. Home of the Number 6 Hero in Japan, Majestic. Also a teacher at Shiketsu High. And, Midas knew, a practical gold mine for blackmail material.
He placed his hand onto the red-clay brickwork of the building. It was semi-ornamental, depicting geometric lines resembling the blasts of lasers.
His power spread through it, and red gave way to brilliant, shining gold.
Midas waltzed into the building, closing his eyes and simply feeling his power spread throughout as he ran his hands along the interior. Gold brick met wooden floorboard, gold floorboard met plastic chair, gold chair met… the pants of someone sitting upon it. The high heeled shoes of another accompanying him. Their reaction as the world around them shifted to gold. Their struggle as the gold turned liquid and they began to fall through, down three stories into a wave of gold.
He looked at the two unexpected guests. The agency should have been empty tonight, according to his information but… ah. Majestic, and a girl maybe half his age, all dolled up. He supposed the man was having some fun.
Oh well. Just an obstacle to be removed.
Midas’ power continued to go through the building even as a groggy Majestic got to his feet, having been woken by the sudden attack. The girl was unconscious from the fall, but the hero was made of sterner stuff, it seemed. A wave of gold found a safe in the back of the building, and moved to deposit it by the truck, which was just outside of his range.
Majestic stumbled, obviously drunk. He blinked confusion out of his eyes.
“What the - you - Midas? Shit, what’re you doing here, villain? Starting another march with me? Looking to get walloped?”
“Y’know, Majestic, I never really liked you. Nothing exciting about you. You flaunt your machismo and your power but what have you really done with it? I mean, look at you. You’re old and pathetic. You think that girl really liked you? All you have is your fame. I gave that some thought recently. And it occurred to me, I could take your fame away. See what you are when the only thing you care about is stripped from you. Sounds like a fun night, doesn’t it?”
“The fuck? What did you just say to me? I’ll burn a hole through your skull, you - ARGH!” Majestic screamed in pain.
As Midas had been talking, he wasn’t idle. Golden tendrils had snaked up Majestic’s legs, razor thin lines of gold had threaded around his neck, and a large wave hovered behind him like a Sword of Damocles. All at once, these traps sprung. Lines of gold strangled, tendrils dug into flesh, branching into spikes which bit bone and shredded muscle, and the wave became a suffocating blanket, seeping into a screaming mouth and flaring nostrils.
“I suspect reinforcements will be arriving soon. I haven’t exactly been subtle here. I just want you to know that I am so very disappointed, if this is all you are. I’ll be seeing you again soon, Majestic. You better hope that you’re more fun next time.”
Midas began to walk away as he felt Majestic’s struggles cease. As he reached the edge of the building, though, he felt something odd.
Some of the gold was beginning to heat up.
Midas just barely ducked under a laser that, judging by the damage to the building across the street, would have taken his head clean off. He turned to see the struggling hero, somehow still conscious despite the gold ravaging his insides. It’d be prudent to target his organs, perhaps.
“You little prick! You think you can just come here and humiliate me? Do you know who I am?”
He was blindly firing off a laser now, a constant stream of energy leaking from his eyes as he thrashed about in pain. Midas hid, attempting to get more gold to restrain him, but with his laser melting any gold that came near his face it was nearly impossible.
Well, you make do with what you have.
Midas controlled the now molten gold, and pulled most of his gold away from Majestic. The laser stopped firing. For a precious few seconds, there was silence, as Majestic searched the battlefield, breathing heavily.
Gold inched closer to the back of his head.
He whipped around, melting it with a beam.
“Thought you would get me that easy? Newsflash, villain, I’m more than you can handle. Come out now and I might leave you alive.”
Midas stood up from his hiding place, hands raised, smiling wide.
“You really think you win this, hero?”
Majestic’s eyes began to glow.
“I know I win this.”
Just before the laser exited his eyes, molten gold shot towards them from around the back of his head. He had missed it when Midas had taken his attention.
The gold, already hot and dripping downwards, scorched his eyes. It solidified under Midas’ power, hot enough now to boil despite its solid state, and dug into them.
Then the dripping globs of gold expanded, taking up all available space in the orbit, and between the intense heat and this expansion, Majestic’s eyes popped.
Midas laughed. He walked over to the whimpering hero who was clutching at his face. Raising his golden walking cane, he battered the kneeling form of the hero. Backed by his power, the strikes broke bones.
As he walked back to the truck, a pulsating mass of gold slithering behind him and carrying the safe into the back, he checked the time. Ten minutes had passed.
He was right on schedule.
“All good, boss? I heard a whole lot of noise. Will I need to let my shadow out?”
“That won’t be necessary, just drive.”
“Nekoko. Tell me something good.”
“King. The plan is commencing. The Shrimp Hero’s agency had the sidekick, Flamingal, in it as planned, and she went down quickly. Yaju was injured heavily, and Maw took a hit, but they were able to take her down.”
“Dead?”
“Just injured, sir. Thankfully they had the restraint not to pummel her too badly.”
“Excellent. Excellent! Some attention should be drawn to me, but they’ll need to get out of there if they’re hurt. I want you to intercept any heroes that might be on their way. Yaju and Bogey are expendable, but I’d rather not lose Maw. Let them know they should get to the rendezvous point.”
“Of course. Greenfinger is ready to receive them?”
“Most certainly.”
Nekoko had passed on the King’s orders to the others. They were on their way to one of Greenfinger’s safehouse now. He watched over them from the rooftops, using his predatory instinct to watch the night for ambush.
He followed for around five minutes before detecting something. He sniffed the air. Smelled like… smoke.
A hero, moving towards Maw and Yaju. This would not do. In their current state, he could at least stall them until reinforcements arrived.
Nekoko leapt forward, waiting above an alleyway that the hero was moving towards. He waited. One second. Two. The hero grew closer. The smell of smoke increased, as it wafted off of his form. Three.
Nekoko slammed down onto the ground in from of the hero, cracking the ground. He had intended to land on the hero, but at the last second he had dodged to the side.
“This is as far as you go, hero.” Nekoko leapt forward before the hero could even respond, claws extended.
Smoke billowed out of the man, and if Nekoko were a true living being, the fight may have ended there, as it entered his mouth and nose. But he did not truly need to breathe.
All seven feet and four hundred pounds of Nekoko’s mass missed the hero, but he landed in a roll, shifting position. Couldn’t see, with the smoke. Couldn’t smell much. Had to rely on other senses.
A blade came flying towards his back and he parried, metal ringing out. A blast of condensed smoke hit his eyes and he pawed wildly.
So it went. Nekoko would attack and be easily evaded. The hero would attack, and for every attack dodged or blocked one would slip through.
For Nekoko, it was a death by inches. But even though he lost the fight, he had held the hero’s attention. And when he left the alleyway, the trail was already cold.
In Kyoto, in an upscale brothel, sat a cat, a bird headed man, and a man wreathed in gold. Normally, the natural proclivities of their species’, and the natural eccentricities which they held, would cause the cat and the bird-headed man to dislike one another. The man wreathed in gold served to soothe these proclivities, and alleviate any conflicts of personality.
“Gentlemen, a toast is in order. The first step of our plan was a resounding success. Four hero agencies, crippled. One of Shiketsu’s staff among them. Significant blackmail material acquired, leaving our enemies either soon to be in our pockets or no longer a problem at all. This would not have been possible without the two of you. Tatarimokke, without your intelligence we never would have been privy to the would-be usurpers, trying to take our place without a modicum of style, of sense. And Tomi, without your brilliant mind this plan could not have been put together, your eye for details allowing everything to go oh so smoothly. A toast, to continued success. A toast, to brilliant minds!”
Midas and Tatarimokke raised their glasses of Dom Perignon. Tomi raised a glass of what looked like blood.
The Night Parade would march soon. All the better to teach this would-be rat a lesson in proper villainy.