simply diminished: a phantom troupe story

preparing for a massacre

             An artificial dusk was scattered across the sky, polluting it with stretched ribbons of deep crimson and amber.But it was an unusually comforting scene for me. The unearthly milestone set to occur in only a few minutes, would destroy many lives, and fuel mine. The sight of a massacre, a widespread one at that, would, in actual fact, send an implied feeling of welcomeness and pleasure from the other spiders hearts into my own.

While my feet hung off the large ledge, I looked down on the carved skyline of York-New City with an unmatchable anticipation. The city that lay calmly before my eyes was only minutes away from an unnatural havoc. One caused by me, and one caused by my new comrades.

"C'monnnn," Shalnark whined, "When is the Boss gonna give us the signal!"

"Will you just shut up?!" Snapped Nobunaga, whose eyes were following a long reflective blade as he dragged it against a small ragged black sharpening tool. Although Nobunaga's irritation was disguised as his usual bluntness, he was unfocused for a different reason. It wasn't that he didn't like me, but to him, and most of the phantom troupe if i'm being inclusive, I could never replace Uvogin. Apparently I couldn't even come close. Their judgment didn't necessarily lie on power,but instead on sentimental value. And that's something that can never be replaced.

Shalnark huffed in annoyance and sat by me, slipping his feet so they hung dangerously, taunting him, or more like threatening him, not to slip and succumb to suicide.

"Look at the sky." I muttered sideways, taking his focus and moving it forward, onto the space that lay before us.

"What even is that?"

The sky remained a deep, unnatural red and husky charcoal clouds were gathering into the midst of the radiant sun, blocking its life and enticing an even darker atmosphere.

"It seems like it's calling for us." I inferred, lifting my hand and tracing the fiery streaks above us. "Like...it's calling for me." I swung my feet back over the ledge and pushed myself up; whatever was contaminating the air left a sore taste in my mouth, and I could feel the seemingly toxic fumes dance their way into my lungs.

In front of me, and beside me of course, stood the rest of the phantom troupe. Everyone but Chrollo, that is. The Boss was off fighting some assassins, and informed us beforehand not to besiege the city until he had given us orders, but I was growing impatient. That's when it struck me, Chrollo didnt happen to be the only one missing. That missing member was none other than the Cheshire Cat. I turned towards the group and slightly furrowed my eyebrow.

"Hey, where's-"

"Hisokas not joining us." Interrupted Machi sternly. Her cold sapphire eyes floated away from mine as her hands trailed to her pockets.

"But why-" 

"With Hisoka you cant ask shit like why." Growled Phinks. "He just does whatever the hell wants." Phinks had risen from his seated position on the ground and was now leaned back, outstretching his arms and folding his hands firmly so you could hear his knuckles pop.

"That's why we no like him." Feitan added as he stepped back, focusing his eyes at the ground and setting his eyebrows high, bloodlust slowly starting to leak out of him.

I guess I wasn't the only impatient one. 

"HEY, HEY! BOSS SENT THE SIGNAL!" Yelled Shalnark and he stuffed his phone in his pocket and raced down the landing, swinging his arms as he swayed us down the hill.

In this invasion, our orders were two simple words. Wreak Havoc. It was the creativity that excited me, the different ways the members would demonstrate their bloodlust, along with their dedication to the spiders. Phinks might leave the corpses of unfortunate victims stretched along the road, their neck snapped, and face twisted into an agonized expression. Pakunoda might leave the deep craters of bullet holes in the side of a tall capitol building, or in the side of a not-so innocent police officer's head. Shalnark might leave deep craters in the ground, indicating an explosion, and those crateres may be stacked up with the lifeless bodies of former enemies, or rather people who got in the way. Nobunaga might crave deep slashes into a victim's body, crying out for his lost friend, praying that he would come back. The list could go on, and on, but of course I can't promise that it's accurate. We are talking about the spiders after all. A group that relayed on the ideals of being unpredictable and original, a goal that I would long to fulfill. As I raced into the pre-massacre city, my mind raced with the expectations of today's mission, along with how I would start pursuing it.

i understand this is a shorter chapter but I havent had any motivation to contuine this story so pushing myself to do this, especially when i have a cold, was time-consuming. along with that, id like to ask of you all that you adress me either author, ava, or indigo. the other day i recieved a comment calling me author-chan and as a white woman that makes me slightly uncomfrtable. thanks everyone<3