The Sniper of Vlopolis

Chapter 11: Before the Chaos

"𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝘆𝗮𝗺𝗮 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗶𝘁," Ivanka wrote in a text.

Mercury grabbed a coffee from the hotel dining room and checked out.

Tokyo was busier in the daytime than at night. Restaurants were filled to the max, tourists were guided around the city by tour guides, and more people were shopping. When she lived in Buffalo, New York, tourists always came off of busses from Canada to visit Niagara Falls. They usually flocked to the casinos and ate all of the restaurant's food, causing it to close the restaurant department because they were out of supplies. Maid of the Mist, Cave of the Winds, and the Power Authority was also a big attraction for them. One of her aunts on her dad's side used to work at the Power Authority until she died from lung cancer.

The duffel bag was hidden behind a dumpster in the alley. "Ew, why is the bag wet?"

"Don't worry, it's just dew from earlier in the morning," Ivanka reassured.

She unzipped the bag, staring at the purple and black leather suit, still shaken by what happened at the club. I can't wear this, not after this morning. I've hurt too many people. Mercury picked up the mask and rubbed smudges off the visor with her sleeve.

"Is something wrong?"

"Um...no...," she mumbled. "I'm just tired."

But, I'm going to have to. I'm going to start redeeming myself somehow, show the world that I'm good, not bad by still showing them that I am dangerous. She zipped her suit on and threw her sniper rifle over her shoulder. "Halo, show me where Champion School of Combat is."

"Starting route to Champion School of Combat. Turn right down Yamini Street."

She grappled to the martial arts school, praying that this will be the last place she has to go to. I can't wait to get home, sleep in my own bed, and sit on my own couch.

A heavy door blocked the entrance of the school. Mercury tried yanking it open, but it wouldn't budge. "You know what? I'm just going to use the tool you made. This door won't open."

"No, don't use it yet. Try to find some secret lever or button or something."

She studied the walls around her, feeling for any buttons. When Atsumu gave her the sticky note with the address, he wrote something small under it. Could that be the password for the door? "I think Atsumu wrote something else on this note he gave me," she speculated.

Unfolding the wrinkled piece of orange paper, a note on the bottom left corner said: "Password: Whistle four times like a bird."

A high-pitched whistle escaped her lips like a bird chirping.

Seconds later, a woman in a dark orange and brown ninja suit answered the door. She was tall, taller than Mercury.

"What do you want?" the ninja scowled rudely.

"I'm here to see the Hornet."

The ninja led her in, locking the door behind her. "Right this way," she said, leading Mercury down a hallway until finally stopping in a quiet, vast, high-ceilinged room. The whole floor was covered in a huge tatami mat, long scrolls of contemplative words written in Japanese calligraphy hung from the high walls, and metal statues were frozen in time. A man in a yellow and metallic blue kimono meditated before a sword mount that held a katana. Two swords were tied to his body, a katana on his back, and a wakizashi around his waist. He was a ninja...the Hornet.