MLIV C2, P2- "On The Loose"

"On The Loose" is the second Part of "Miracula Luxia IV" 's second Chapter.
It was released on 23.05.2022.
== Plot ==
After realizing that the murders that happened back in the west part of the world connect with those that happened in Duskwood, Adam and his allies realize that whoever is responsible for them must be hiding from the law in here. They set up a well-devised plan to catch the culprit red-handed, only to find out that they got more than they bargained for.
As it is, Darkthrop's people surely have a hand in this. The only question left unanswered is... why would they target such a small and unimportant town and risk the attention of the respective authorities?
Perhaps the evil wizard's influence is too strong for the local villains to resist. If only someone could stop it.
== Story ==
As Adam and his allies prepare to walk back, a group of bandits emerges from the shadows and surrounds them.
Their guns are drawn.
"You messed with the wrong neighborhood."- One of them says, under his teeth- "And now, you're gonna see how doomed you are."
They raise their guns in the air.
"For the dark one!"
Adam raises his eyebrow.
"The dark one?"- He says to himself- "Could it be... ?"
He tries to find out the truth, only to be met with gunshots and insults from the vagabonds who are attacking them.
The three of them prepare to fight back.
Emela creates a wall of water, successfully protecting them from the incoming gunshots while Akira stands forward and pulls the bandits closer with her dark magic, allowing her brother to strike them down with rays of light without any additional resistance.
One by one, the pretentious men fall to the combined might of our heroes.
"Well, that's a disappointment."- Akira says.
Adam raises his eyebrow.
"And what would that be, if you do not mind me asking?"
Akira smiles.
"For a bunch of bandits who claim to have some kind of influence over the people in this wreck of a town, their fighting skills are worse than grandma's."- She says- "To be honest, even she, with the gentle and mild-mannered nature of a healer, can cause more harm than them."
Adam nods.
"I understand. Not any enemy we have faced so far is worthy of respect."- He says- "However, I advise you to keep your guard up. Nobody knows what kind of tricks they might have yet to use against us."
Emela sighs.
"I'm with Adam on this one."- She says- "If those fools made it all the way on the top of whatever dark hierarchy their leader is building, then this means that they're more than just a bunch of no-good troublemakers."
Akira smirks.
"Let 'em at me."- She says- "I am ready for whatever they have in mind."
Then, to prove her point, she picks up the gun of one of the fallen bandits and shoots three of his approaching allies in the chest in just one second.
It takes a while for our heroes to make a difference, but it happens. Soon, the bandit numbers start to dwindle, leaving most of their still-living members weak and confused.
One thing is clear- they are losing the fight.
"Come on, ladies."- Adam says- "Victory is in our grasp. Do not let go of it."
Akira nods.
"We can handle this."- She says- "Just a little longer."
The remaining bandits, realizing that they are doomed, attempt to make a run for the lands behind them, abandoning the rest of their allies to the jaws of justice. However, they do not make it very far, as Emela teleports herself in front of them and drowns them with a well-aimed orb of water.
Meanwhile, Adam and Akira work together to eliminate the rest of the fools who are trying to kill them.
"You know, Aki."- Adam says- "Back when I found you in Darkthrop's final bastion, I thought that you were too far gone to be able to work with anyone else. And now, I am here, standing by your side, fighting for my life against people that I never knew before."
He sighs.
"I should have trusted you back then."
Akira chuckles.
"Times do change, little brother. And so do we."- She replies- "Trusting your big sis is just another step toward redemption."
Adam looks down. He repeats the word a few times in his mind.
Then, satisfied with the results, he looks up and smiles.
"Redemption is a good word. It has a nice ring to it."- He says- "To think that I never thought that my main focus would be to redeem myself. And yet, it is just one of the things that will lead us toward our noble goal."
Akira nods.
"And that's why I love you so much."- She notes- "To me, your presence is a sight for sore eyes. Every time I see you, it feels like I've never seen your face for what seems like decades. Your heroic and noble attitude inspires many, but to me, you are much more than just the savior of this little planet. You're the light of my life, the protective sibling that I've always wanted. Without you, I feel incomplete. And I'll always have faith in you, no matter how dire our situation may become."
Adam smiles.
"That is very sweet of you, Aki. Knowing that there is one who sees me for who I truly am is invigorating."- He says- "And yet, this is no time to make small talk, like we used to do when we were children. We have a duty to fulfill. So, let us get back to it."
Akira nods.
"Right."- She says- "Together, we can achieve anything. I am sure of it."
As the last of the bandits falls, Adam and Akira hug, congratulating each other for a job well done.
"Nice one, little bro."- Akira says and smiles- "Now, it's time to go back and catch Mister Jack the Ripper red-handed while the trail is still ho-- "
Unbeknownst to her, one of the bandits jumps out and grabs her from behind. She tries to cast magic on him, but he puts her hands in a magic-restricting position, prompting her brother to start casting a spell himself.
Another bandit tries to sneak up on Adam, but fails to make his move. As soon as he gets close, Adam blinds him with his light magic and burns him to a crisp with holy fire before he could do anything else.
"Your time's up, Adam Kaos."- The bandit holding Akira says- "No matter what you do, you're still marked for doom. Once the dark one gets his hands on you, your acts of heroism will be put to a halt."
Adam glares at him.
"And you think that you can just capture my sister, pretending that you are the good people?"
The bandit smirks.
"That's just a part of the Master's plan."- He replies- "Lady Darkthrop is just a tool in his righteous plan for world domination. Once we get her back, the entire world will kneel before us."
Akira shakes her head.
"I already told you, you ignorant fools! I am not going anywhere!"- She yells- "When I said that I am done with the darkness and despair, I meant it without a doubt. Those times are over for good and I will never go back."
She turns around and glares at her captor.
"So, you can tell your withered, old man that Akira Kaos is not his little toy."- She adds- "Not now, not ever."
The bandit shakes his head.
"This is not a request, lady."- He says as he draws his gun on her- "It's our duty. And we'll cary it out."
Adam glares at him.
"What do you know about a sense of duty?"- He asks him- "You are just a bunch of desperate criminals with no clear goal. History has proven that over and over."
The bandit smirks.
"It's not just heroes that have it, mind you."- He says- "We might be a bunch of malcontents in your eyes, but we still know what's good for this world."
As the bandit continues to speak, more outlaws join his side, aiming their guns at Adam.
"And what could be so... noble and righteous to merit your attention?"
The bandit smiles.
"We want to change the world. Rewrite its history and lead it toward a path of despair and rebellion."- He says- "We want to show you that the evil that you've heard only in fairytales and myths is quite real. That it's more than just your everyday villain threat. The darkness grows hungry and it's more than eager to consume you."
Emela, having joined Adam at the same time as the bandits, shakes her head as she points her wand at them.
"Whoever claims that they can change history has always ended up on the wrong side of the rainbow."- She says- "If you really think that you can succeed where others have failed, be my guest. But I'll give you a fair warning. I have slain many ambitious wrongdoers like yourselves and so have my comrades. Trifling with heroes that have power and faith on their side can be quite fatal, so you should probably consider it before you foolishly throw your lives away."
The bandit snaps.
"Enough of this nonsense!"- He yells- "I came here to kill you all! And I ain't takin' no for an answer!"
He points his gun at Akira's skull.
"I won't even try to give you a chance. I know who are, Adam Kaos. You're too proud to beg for mercy and ask me to spare your sister's life."- He says- "So, I'll end her existence on the spot. Watch as she squirms and fights for her life and as you try to save her. I will laugh at your misery, just like the people laughed at our master centuries ago. Soon, you'll know what it feels like to be afraid."
Adam draws his weapon.
"You sick monsters in human skin!"- He yells- "Do you know what we got through to be together? All the pain that I felt, all the suffering that she experienced, it was all connected. We had to step into the flames of vengeance, subject ourselves to inexorable events that changed our views toward the world, walked into the omnipresent shadows, all because we wanted to be away from you. And you think that you can just end it like this?!"
He glares at him.
"Tell me, you heartless vagabond."- He says to him- "Do you even have a little sympathy left in that stone-hard soul of yours? Because to me, you are no different from the numerous monsters that I have slain."
The bandit laughs.
"Sympathy? What is sympathy?"- He asks- "We're here because our master tells us to. We obey his orders and carry them out without question, because we're the servants of darkness. The bringers of doom. We're your worst nightmare come alive and you can't escape u-- "
Suddenly, a shot rings out from the area in front of him.
He looks down and sees something frightening- a fresh gunshot wound in his chest.
When he looks up, he sees the person responsible, staring at him from a distance. Smoke is still emanating from his gun.
"Braveheart... "
Before he could say anything else, the person fires a second shot, striking him point-blank in the head.
The rest of the bandits are understandably shocked by the death of their leader. They fire their guns wildly in all directions, hoping that they could scare his killer away.
And yet, it only manages to draw their attention.
As he gets closer and starts to shoot them down, Adam realizes that his great-uncle has finally gotten out of his nest.
"Do you fools really want to see a nightmare?!"- He yells as his shots strike home- "I could be more than just that for you!"
As some of the more cowardly bandits try to run away, he guns them down with little hesitation, showing how ruthless he can really be when it comes to protecting his own people.
Meanwhile, three rangers emerge from one of the nearby buildings and fire their rifles at the bandits who are trying to kill their leader.
James looks at Adam.
"Come on, kiddo! Fight back!"- He says- "This is our chance to strike fear into their hearts. Don't waste it!"
Adam nods and lunges forward. He enchants his sword with the power of light, slicing one of the attackers in the chest.
Akira wastes no time to recover. As chaos finally ensues, she picks up one of the guns and fires it at the bandits to try to apprehend her. In her blind and incoherent rage, she manages to fill their entire bodies with bullets, wasting her entire ammunition on just three of them.
Meanwhile, one of the bandits sneaks up behind her and grabs her from behind. But Akira was ready for this.
After binding the foolish man with her dark magic, she angrily whacks him in the head with her gun. Although such a technique is not supposed to achieve anything, the strength and ferocity that she shows are able to cause considerable damage, killing the vagabond in just three hits.
Adam takes a few steps back and hurls a single fireball at a bandit who is about to fire his gun at Akira.
"Are you alright, sister?"- He asks her- "Do not worry. I am here now. I will not allow them to hurt you."
Akira smiles and nods.
"Still as healthy as the day when I was born."- She says- "Maybe this madness is taking a toll on my sanity, but I'll get over it. I hope."
Adam inspects her for any open wounds. Soon, he sees that she is not entirely unharmed.
A single stab wound lies on her shoulder, still bleeding profusely. Apparently, the bandit who attacked her earlier managed to deliver a nasty blow before he went down.
"Oh my god, Aki!"- Adam exclaims- "You are... bleeding!"
Akira looks at her shoulder and shrugs.
"Well, would you look at this one."- She says and sighs- "It doesn't matter, though. I've gotten through worse, so it's nothing special."
Adam shakes his head.
"I must treat your wound."- He says- "If we leave it untended, the bleeding might get worse! Or you can develop some sort of life-threatening infection! Or you can get weak and unable to fight! Or... or... !"
Akira sighs and takes a step back.
"Once again, you're worrying too much about me."- She says- "Relax. It's just a scratch."
Adam shakes his head.
"No. I know grievous wounds when I see them. Yours is just like the ones that I saw on the caravan merchants that I tried to save a year ago."- He says- "You are endangering yourself, Aki. Just let me deal with it. I promise that it will not take long."
Akira stares at him.
"And what if it costs the life of someone else?"- She asks him- "Wake up, brother. Every second that you spend fighting those people might be fundamental in saving one of ours. A single moment of weakness could cost us a lot and I'm sure that you already know it well."
Adam tries to respond, but Akira shakes her head. She pushes him back before he could intervene further.
"Akira! You are condemning yourself!"- He yells- "Please! Do not be so ignorant!"
As he approaches her, Akira pushes him away again.
"Go! Get back to work!"- She yells- "As long as you keep fighting for the good of this world, I'm not going anywhere!"
Adam tries to rejoin the fight, but wisely reconsiders it.
Instead of rushing in to save his friends and family, he approaches Akira for the third time and, despite her protests, kneels and begins to treat her wound with his healing magic.
"Ugh."- Akira says, defeated- "Why are you like this?"
Adam smiles.
"Do you know what our motto is, Aki?"- He asks her- "Even when the road toward destiny may seem dark and uncertain, we must not leave anyone behind. And I will live up to it, no matter whom we have to face."
Soon, Akira's wound is sealed by Adam's magic. She is clearly relieved by that.
"Well. Here we go."- Adam says and smiles- "You are all patched up and ready to fight!"
Akira stands up and hugs her brother.
"Adam, I am so sorry. I shouldn't have rebuked you like that."- She says to him- "Instead of refusing your help left and right, I should have tried to understand what you felt. Not to show hostility toward... the one who has saved me so many times."
Adam smiles and hugs her back.
"You have nothing to worry about, Aki. I am not angry at you, and I will never be."- He says- "I understand that you are just being more... defensive. That is alright, though. In fact, seeing that you are able to act using a mid of your own proves my thesis that you have grown bigger than Darkthrop and his lackeys. And for that, I am very, very proud of you."
They attempt to engage in another conversation, but are stopped when James approaches them.
"Adam! Akira! A little help over here?"- He yells- "I can't handle them alone!"
Adam nods and draws his weapon.
"Do not go anywhere, Mr. Braveheart!"- He exclaims- "We are on our way!"
The use of the word "we" instead of the usual "I" pleases Akira greatly as she joins her brother in yet another fateful battle between good and evil.
As the duo execute the remaining vagabonds, they realize that they have achieved the impossible. Together, this small band of heroes managed to take care of an entire army's worth of bandits, efficiently ending their lives, even as they constantly received reinforcements.
All around them, the corpses of their enemies lay on the cold ground below, serving as a grim testimonial to those who would dare to trifle with them in the future.
"Done and done."- James says and smiles- "Looks like I'm still strong enough to fight 'em."
As our heroes survey the manslaughter, they notice that one of the rangers who decided to accompany them has fallen in battle.
"Curse them! Curse them all!"- James mutters under his tongue- "I should've been more careful. I didn't want to waste his live like this."
Adam shakes his head.
"It is my fault, sir. I tried to help my sister and refused to aid anyone else until she was cured."- He says- "I will take all responsibility for this person's demise and express my condolences to his family, I promise."
James stands up and sighs.
"Stop blaming yourself for things like those, kiddo."- He says- "It's a well-known fact that accidents happen. Just because you failed to save him doesn't mean that you have saved everyone else."
He looks back just in time to see some citizens peek from their homes and cheer for Adam.
"Do you see it, Adam?"- He says and smiles- "Those people revere you. They see you as their savior. The guardian angel that they've always dreamed of. And they never think of you in a bad way. Do you know why? Because you're special, my boy. Few heroes would be able to operate well under such pressure, especially when the fate of the entire world depends on it. And the mistakes that you make in battle, well, I'm sure that they're entirely justified."
Adam starts to say something, but thinks better of it. He sighs and shakes his head.
"Can we just cut to the chase?"- He says- "I am tired of speaking. I want to act."
James smiles sadly.
"Of course, kid. Of course, we will."- He replies- "But first, I need to bury the man who risked his own life to help us, when others would've been to scared to do anything. As the leader of Duskwood, it's my duty to administer it."
He looks at the fallen soldier.
"So, could you give me a moment to handle it?"
Adam smiles and nods.
"If you want to bury your own, then we want to help you out."- He says- "All of the people in this world, no matter if they are brave or cowardly, are my allies. And, no matter what others might say, I do care about them. So, will you trust us to aid you in this task?"
James nods.
"I see no harm in what you're planning."- He says- "Very well. You have the green light from me."
Adam nods.
"You will not regret it."
A few minutes later, we see Adam and Akira dig a grave for the soldier while Emela casts a spell to keep his corpse embalmed and intact for the time being. Then, as James drags the unfortunate soul into his final resting place, Akira says a motivational speech while Adam sings a beautiful farewell song, touching the hearts of those who came to listen.
Then, their work done, they leave a few flowers as a sign of respect.
As they prepare to leave, Adam turns back and approaches the resting place one last time.
"Adam, sweetie?"- Emela asks him- "What are you doing?"
Adam pulls out a sword from the ground nearby and shakes his head.
"As much as I would like to give this man's weapon to someone else, it is not the right thing to do. Not when it belonged to him until the end."- He says- "We have no right to rob the dead of what was valuable to them in life, so I will do my duty and be respectful to them."
Having said that, he plants the sword in the ground to the right, leaving the soldier's buckler next to it and wrapping his scarf around the rock that is supposed to be his makeshift tombstone.
"Farewell, brother. Your courage and valor shall not be forgotten."- He says and looks down- "I hope that you have a good life in Heaven, because you deserve it."
Adam and his allies share a few moments of silence. Then, more than eager to finish their job, they join James back in his office.
"Well, this is quite a mess."- James says- "Whoever the true culprit behind this scene of chaos may be, they're almost as smart and wily as Jack the Ripper."
Adam nods.
"Back in the times before we were born, the Whitechapel murders shaked society to the core. They were worse than anyone could have imagined and there were no heroes to solve the case and find whoever is responsible. It was a nightmare, not just for the police, but for everyone else."- He says- "To think that there would be someone like that man in modern times is unsettling. Paired with the fact that the killer is much more than just your everyday butcher of souls, even more so. The world itself is begging us to end this meaningless disaster, but are we truly so... powerless? So desperate to win, yet unsure in ourselves? Perhaps this is the question that worries us all."
Emela sighs.
"What's happening right now is not the aftermath of what some untrustworthy women might have done in the past."- She says- "We're talking about the murders of completely innocent civilians. Peaceful folks who want nothing more than to live their lives peacefully. If this doesn't end soon, we might have to be a little bit more... harsh."
Adam shakes his head.
"There is no need for that, Miss Emela."- He says- "After analyzing the situation in the middle of the battle, I came to the conclusion that we can easily narrow down the true location of the cuprit. I just need some modern technology, protection from whoever might be spying on us and, most importantly, some more time."
As Adam prepares to make his move, Akira enters the room herself. 
Holding a weathered piece of parchment, she hands it to her brother.
"What is this, Aki?"- He asks her- "How did you manage to find it?"
Akira shakes her head.
"When I was captured by that lead jerk, I managed to rummage through his pocket. Yanked that paper right under his nose."- She says- "I thought that it might come in handy somehow, so I decided not to rip it apart."
Adam notices that something is written on it. Intrigued by this unexpected discovery, he decides to inspect it.
"Since you were so kind to ask me about proving yourself, I have a mission for you. There's this kid, poking his nose around town and searching for something. Feels like bad news, so I want him taken care of. Don't like it? Then go complain to Darkthrop, if you'd like. Now go and do your job. I'm too busy to deal with scoundrels like you. - The Deceiver."
On the back of the parchment, Adam notices an accurate description of himself, backed up by a poorly drawn picture that is meant to represent his current appearance.
"So, it seems like Darkthrop is truly involved in this."- He says to himself- "Well. Whoever this so-called Deceiver may be, I am sure that he is just a tool in his grand scheme."
He turns to Akira and pats her on the shoulder approvingly.
"Well done, Aki."- He congratulates her- "Perhaps you made a major breakthrough in the discovery of our culprit."
Akira sighs.
"Oh, I would love to wrap my hands around his neck."- She says- "Everything I did was just to end the people's suffering. I'm glad that I helped you out in doing that."
Adam nods and approaches James's computer.
"Mr. Braveheart, may I use it?"
James smiles and nods.
"Feel free."- He says- "When it comes to helping others, I'm not afraid to share."
Adam turns on the computer and inspects the notes made and scattered throughout separate folders. Soon, he finds one related to the latest mystery.
He reads it eagerly, hoping that he could find something worth using as evidence or maybe even a possible clue. Unsurprisingly, the information written there is not quite sufficient enough. Whoever the Deceiver and his friends may be, little is known about them.
And yet, this does not stop our young hero. Using his supreme knowledge and ability in finding information useful to him, he reads articles on the internet and narrows down the information. A single sighting here. A scream of terror there. Faint blood on the streets, left untended and fresh. What may be insufficient to regular investigators is good enough for him.
Soon, he comes to the conclusion that the murderer's profession is that of a butcher, that his face is shrouded in darkness and that he always expresses violent tendencies toward those that he despises and/or fears that might expose him to the law.
"We must question all of those people."- He says as he finishes writing his own information in the note related to the murders- "Look for signs of restrained anger. If we question them for long enough, one is sure to show his true colors."
A few hours later, Adam and his allies start questioning the various butchers in Duskwood. Most of them are relatively peaceful, betraying no signs of untrustworthiness or fear, leading our heroes to believe that the murderer must also be from another settlement whatsoever.
Finally, they reach the largest butcher shop in Duskwood. As they knock on the door, they realize that the lights are off. Nobody comes out to greet them.
"Should we, you know, force our way in?"- Emela says to Adam- "I know that it's not the best idea, but if the culprit is in there... "
Adam sighs. Without thinking twice, he busts the door open and shines his flashlight in the dark.
Once they get inside, Akira turns on the lights, allowing them to look around.
"Hmm. Nothing out of the ordinary."- She says- "Perhaps the butcher is out of town for the time being?"
Adam shakes his head.
"I think not."- He responds- "Even with all of the murders going on, I doubt that any of the butchers are willing to leave their homes like this."
As he starts to look around, he feels a knife get closer to his neck. Drawing his weapon, he leaps back and points it at its owner.
"Oh. You're just... a customer."- The man says and shakes his head- "Easy now. I'm not gonna murder ya."
Adam glares at him suspiciously.
"Do not act so innocent."- He says- "We know that a butcher is slaughtering innocent people without a reason. We want to know what you know about it."
He notices that the butcher is a little suspicious and clears his throat.
"We do not want to hurt you. We just want to learn more about what is going on."- He adds- "Reveal whatever information you know about the murders and we promise that we will leave you alone afterwards."
The butcher sits down and smiles.
"Then why don't you join me?"- He says- "I love company. Especially from heroes like you."
Adam and his allies stare at each other suspiciously. They know that something is amiss, yet have no other choice than to oblige.
"Very well."- Adam says as he sits down- "What can you tell us?"
The butcher smiles again.
"I can tell you a lot."- He says- "Now, let's begin. Shall we?"
== Trivia ==
* This is the first (and only) Part in the "Miracula Luxia" series overall that references a real-life event, namely the Whitechapel murders (1888 - 1891), performed by the mysterious culprit known as Jack the Ripper.
* First mention of The Deceiver.