( XVII. SILVERFINGER )
AMELIE, SCOTT AND ISAAC SAT AROUND ARGENT, as Allison cleaned the wounds on his head. He was telling the teenagers about the time he encountered these dark figures before. "There was something almost ritualistic about it— like it was looking right into his soul."
"That's the same thing it did to me," Isaac murmured.
"That's what they did to everyone," Amelie corrected, recalling the traumatizing event.
"Not everyone," Scott interfered. "They only came after the Werewolves."
"Do I look like a werewolf to you?" Amelie retorted. "Do I howl at the moon? Awooooo."
Scott rolled his eyes annoyedly. "And Lydia, too. She isn't a werewolf," Allison nodded.
"Anyone with a connection to the supernatural."
"Then who was the guy they went after in Japan?" Isaac asked Allison's father.
"A Kumicho," Argent explained, receiving confused looks from everyone. "A Yakuza boss." Isaac and Amelie glanced at each other— even more confused.
"It was my first gun deal. I was only eighteen, and it was supposed to be a simple exchange," Argent sighed, remembering the experience. "Except Gerard left out the minor detail of the buyers being Yakuza. He wanted to see if I could adapt in the moment. Testing my ability to, uh—improvise."
"Or, your ability to survive."
"The moment the sun came down, it was like they just materialized out of the shadows," Argent flinched as Allison dabbed further on to the scab on his forehead. "They had swords—not curved like katanas, but straight, black steel, like ninjatos."
"What did they want?"
"To get to the Kumicho," Argent glanced to Isaac. "They cut down every living thing in their way."
"Did they mark him like they did us?"
"Not exactly..."
"What was he?" Amelie asked, furrowing her brows, pulling her oversized denim jacket around her.
"I don't know," Argent shrugged. "But, there might be someone who does. There were a few others who survived that night. One of them was a man named Katashi."
"They called him "Silverfinger" because of an unusual prosthetic," He closed his eyes. "And it looked like he was getting ready to take them all on himself."
"I've known for a while Katashi was in the country. I spent yesterday tracking him down."
"Didn't look like he wanted to be found," Amelie glanced between Isaac and Argent, both nodded in agreement.
"Not particularly, no."
"You think he knows what they are?" Scott asked desperately. "Or what they want?"
"Maybe..."
"What if he doesn't want to talk?" Allison asked.
"What if he doesn't even remember you?" Isaac added as well.
"He'll remember this," Argent replied, bringing out a cloth, slowly revealing what seemed to be a broken masks— one that belonged to one of the shadows.
"Did you—" Amelie gestured a gun with her hand.
"I know I didn't kill it— I'm not sure you can," Argent said. "But, I slowed it down long enough for us to get out of there."
"What was behind the mask?" Scott asked curiously.
"Darkness..." Argent said, she could imagine that the memories were flickering through his head. "Absolute darkness."
After a while, Scott decided to leave so he could grab Kira and try to prevent the shadows from attacking them. He had a plan— he said, but Amelie had a bad feeling about it.
"The real problem is Katashi doesn't see visitors—ever," Argent explained, as he started talking about his plan to talk to Katashi. "He's a paranoid recluse who rarely steps outside the gates of his estate."
"Sounds lovely," Amelie mumbled. "So, how are you going to get to him?"
"Oh, he's got a thing for rare, antique weapons," The ex-hunter stood up to his closet full of weapons. "Yesterday, I had some contacts put out the word that I was selling one from my own collection..." Turning around, Argent revealed a box— opened to show a vintage pistol.
"This is a French flintlock turnover pistol from 1645."
"You're not going alone," Allison said firmly, making Isaac nod. "If she's going, I'm going."
"I'm definitely not staying here alone, so count me in, too," Amelie shrugged.
"To be honest, I don't feel good about bringing any of you," Argent said warily. "Look, they were looking right at Scott when the sun came up," Isaac said, trying to show how big of a threat this was.
"Well, that doesn't necessarily mean he's the one they're going after," Amelie shrugged.
"But, if he is?" Isaac raised a brow making the girl turn to Argent.
"If he is, that might only leave us 'til nightfall to come up with a way to protect him."
"All right. Let's go see if a paranoid Yakuza wants to put another gun in his collection," Amelie said, clapping her hands together excitedly.
🥰
Seated in the backseat next to Isaac, Amelie was now filled with mixed emotions— both dread and excitement ran through her veins. Not only about what lies ahead, but also because Stiles hadn't called her back since the night before.
"Hey, Stiles," She said to his voicemail. "Just checking up on you, Scott told me you're at the hospital. Call me when you wake up, okay?"
Sighing, she ended the voicemail, glancing to Isaac, who had a smug smirk on his face. "What's that for?" She chuckled. "You like him a lot, don't you?" Isaac said softly.
"I guess," Amelie shrugged. "It's just not the time to do anything about it, I think." And she wholly believed that— because with all the threats surrounding her and her friends, the last thing she wanted was to be in a relationship, it just made sense in her mind.
Isaac hummed in return, as Argent sighed heavily in front of them. "What is it?" Allison said worriedly.
"Katashi won't do the buy in person," Argent shook his head. "But he's a paranoid recluse—shouldn't you be a little less surprised?" Isaac retorted.
Looking at the beta through the mirror, Argent raised his brows. "I was trying to remain optimistic that we wouldn't have to go to my plan B."
"Plan B? And what's plan B?"
"How tall are you?"
No way.
🥰
Argent showed Amelie and Allison a map of Katashi's home on his phone. "Katashi's office is here—"
"Guys, this isn't going to work," Isaac called out from behind the car. "I look ridiculous. I mean, I look like I just stepped out of the last period of a Catholic prep school." He stepped forward and Amelie couldn't keep her laugh in. His shirt was outside his pants and his sleeves weren't cuffed.
"And there's no way that I'm going to be able to remember all of this," He said hysterically, raising the notes that Argent gave him. "I mean, what does this even mean? "Revolving over and under barrels?"
"All you have to do is keep them talking long enough to allow us to get inside and find Katashi," Argent tried to calm him down. "He may not be there for the buy in person, but he won't be far."
"You look great," Allison tried to comfort.
"I am sweating all the way through my jacket!" Isaac exasperated. "I didn't even know that I could sweat this much!"
"Trust me," Amelie giggled, "Neither did we."
Allison turned to Amelie and Argent. "Give me a second?" She asked before turning back to the beta, tugging him away.
"She really likes him," Argent mumbled to the girl next to him. "He really likes her, too," Amelie replied, her eyes trained on them.
"Yeah, well, if he tries anything—"
"He won't," She turned to ex-hunter. "He knows better."
Chris gave her a wary look before nodding. He looked like he had so much to say but very little words. Turning back to look at the duo, she found them kissing, to which she let out a loud 'YAY', making them break the kiss. Grinning, she raised two thumbs up, to which they chuckled.
🥰
"All I want to do is talk."
Allison and Amelie emerged from behind the wall, after beating up almost every security guard they encountered. Amelie loved the high she got every time she kicked a guard to the ground or landed a successful punch.
"Taking out my security is not what I call a good conversation starter," The old man snarled, his gun raised at the Argent.
"You don't remember me, do you?" Argent hesitated to approach. "Allison, take the man's gun."
Obediently, Allison raised her lasso and threw it at the gun, pulling it back into her hand. "Can I have that?" Amelie whispered, making Allison laugh quietly and giving it to her.
"Now, can we talk?"
"Guys...?" The voice of Isaac emerged through the room. Around him, two other guards stood and a werewolf threateningly pressed his claws to his neck.
"They have a Werewolf, too."
Quickly, Argent pulled out the cloth carrying the broken pieces of the shadow mask— which resulted in a stunned look from Katashi. "Starting to remember? It was twenty-four years ago," Argent reminded. "You know what they are, don't you?"
"They're called Oni. They are demons, and they are almost unstoppable."
"Almost?" Amelie asked, as she stood next to Allison.
"Nothing. Or, at least, no man-made weapon. The Oni are a force of nature," Katashi explained.
"But—" Allison hesitated for a moment. "You said almost unstoppable. What can actually stop them?"
Katashi sighed, eyeing the girl for a moment. "The Oni are neither living or dead— so, possibly, and this is just a theory, the only thing that can stop them is something that can control both. An anchor."
This made everyone turn to Amelie. "I think we know one," She sighed to herself, flashing her lilac eyes. Katashi shifted in his place uncomfortably, turning back to Argent.
"If I am wrong, and the anchor can't stop them, then there is nothing that can. You don't fight a tsunami— you endure it, and you hope that you are not destroyed in its path."
"Then how do we endure it?"
"Two of you already have," Katashi walked to Isaac, revealing the 'S' behind his ear. "This is Japanese kanji for "self." This means he is still himself. The Oni are looking for one who is no longer themselves."
"What do you mean, "no longer themselves?"
"Possessed— by a dark spirit," Katashi sighed. "There are thirteen kinds of Kitsune: celestial, wild, ocean, thunder... But there is one, a dark Kitsune. They call it void, or Nogitsune."
"A kumicho."
"That's right. He was possessed by a Nogitsune. It's what helped him rise through the ranks of our Yakuza family. Nogitsune draw its power from pain and tragedy, strife and chaos..."
"Do you know why I'm missing this finger?" Katashi asked Argent. "Penance," Chris shrugged.
"There's a ritual called yubitsume— Removing the joints of the little finger weakens your grip on a sword. When a katana is gripped properly, the little finger is the strongest."
"Why did they take your finger?" Isaac asked.
"They didn't take it— a Yakuza performs the ritual himself and offers it to his superior. It was penance for a mistake. And it wasn't my only one."
"I don't know what it was about the way I moved or stood that suggested to them that I was going to take them on," Katashi said, a glazed look covering his eyes. "Because actually, I was... preparing to run for my life."
He turned to Chris. "That shot you fired saved me from looking like a coward before the survivors. For that humiliation, I wouldn't have to have given up my finger— I would've had to give up my head. I wish I could give you the answer you need, Mr. Argent. I owe you more than my life— I owe you my honor."
"I will tell you one thing, however... If there is a Nogitsune among you... Let the Oni destroy it. Even if it is your own daughter."
Warily, Amelie glanced at Allison who had a horrified expression on her face. She placed her hand on top of the huntress', trying to comfort her, making the girl smile back at her.
If Amelie does stand a chance against the Oni, then she won't hesitate to take it— especially when it's at the cost of her friend's dying.