1 Unlucky Day

Hands slammed loudly on the bar counter of a pub, echoing through the loud chatter.

"What the hell do you mean you're getting rid of me, pops?!" A young man shouted angrily, gritting his teeth while his scruffy strawberry blonde eclipsed his green eyes and his antenna swaying.

The shorter pudgier man in flannel sighed, stroking his beard.

"Look Adam. People don't trust an insect human to be delivering their food and drinks." He explained, gesturing to the others' grasshopper legs. "I can't afford to lose customers anymore. With you…"

"With me being a liability huh?!" He shouted, gripping the counter as he stared the owner down. "What are you kicking me out of my place too Zephili?!"

The older man looked down ashamed, as the young man smashed his fist into the counter.

"If they know one's staying in the pub, they'll be too scared to stay for long." He explained, refusing to make eye contact. "I'll pack your stuff for you. Hopefully you'll find someplace again."

He huffed and stormed out, slamming the door with a hard thud.

The harsh red sun beat down, no clouds in the blue sky as Adam looked up thinking.

"No time like the present. Better hope this is going to go well."

"S-sorry. We're not sure our baby will be comfortable around uh strangers." The red headed mom stuttered, holding her swaddled baby that cried loudly.

"Sorry. Our safes aren't reinforced and we don't wanna take chances." The small round bank owner said, rubbing his shining head with a damp towel.

"I'm not sure we could afford such a chance with the circumstances, and we don't want the other inhabitants to be intimidated." The elderly woman spoke, her eyes obscured by her thick glasses. "I hope you understand."

"Damnit!" Adam shouted, kicking a trash can down the path only to scare off passerbys. "All they do is go pale the second they see my legs. If only I could be rid of them!

With that, he saw a confusing sight.

A towering lanky man in a coat and dress pants with combat boots. His skin was pale, with his bright pink flowery hair perfectly messy.

He simply stared up at the sky, as if thinking of something important.

"You're gonna scare off people if you do that more." Adam spoke up, startling the man as if he didn't hear the prior commotion.

"Ah sorry. I must've dozed off." He chuckled, rubbing his head carefully as if to avoid harming himself. "I've been running around ragged looking for something, but it simply feels like I've been doing a piss poor job."

"Well, some people might not suggest sleeping in the middle of the road. People might think something is up."

The man chuckled, showing his sharp teeth like that of a predator accustomed to being the strongest.

"Eh. I'm used to the looks at this point." He stared down Adam with his bright purple eyes. "Nice legs. Are you an insect human?"

He looked down, feeling slightly dejected as he nodded slightly as the other smiled brightly grabbing his hands with pure interest in his eyes.

"That's great! What are ya?!" He asked, his voice like that of a child's. "Katydid? Roach? Oh let me guess! Cricket!"

He blinked, overwhelmed by the sudden questioning and interest.

"G-grasshopper actually." He managed to get out. "Do you mind backing away?"

The other backed away, rubbing his head awkwardly.

"I'm Katsu Nakura. A pleasure to meet ya, my man." He held out his hand, a large grin on his face almost like it molded itself there.

"I'm Adam Urich." He grabbed his hand, feeling a bit more comfortable around him.

Katsu smiled wide, showing his sharp teeth.

"If I'm still in town, I'll buy you a drink if we run into each other again my man!" He shouted to him, walking away like a child making a friend.

Adam sighed, putting his hands in his pockets and continued walking.

The sky turned a pale orange as Adam sat in an alleyway, tired and defeated.

"I'll be damned if I sleep on the streets." He moaned to himself stubbornly, only to hear a laugh.

"Then you'll be christened my good lad!" A gruff voice rang out, followed by the sound of boots on concrete.

From the shadows emerged a thin man with a nose long like the mouth of a mosquito.

He wore a black suit and tie, with a top hat dressed on his head.

He stared down Adam with piercing scarlet eyes, and flashed a jagged toothed grin.

"I'm Ferdinand Mosq. Though you can have the honor of calling me Don Mosq." He held out a hand that was adorned in a series of rings on each finger, which Adam hastily grabbed. "Firm grip for a young lad. Perfect."

He turned, motioning for the other to follow.

"Come. Let us find you a place to stay. I can tell you need a bath and a meal." Mosq told him, laughing as Adam walked behind.

"Um. I'm thankful for this, sir but-"

"Bah. Don't call me sir, lad. This is just the act of a good samaritan." The other explained, shaking his hand at him. "I have eyes here in the city. Telling me who might be in need of my services."

Adam nodded and chuckled.

"Then thanks I guess." Adam smiled at him.

"Don't thank me just yet buddy." Mosq said, unfurling a second pair of arms from behind his back. " I still have such sights to show you!"

Adam stared up at the sign to the bar he was taken to.

"Trash Candy?" He asked as Mosq nodded, ushering him in.

"That's right! It's a beaut ain't it? Watched her age with time myself." Mosq replied, patting the doorway as he walked in with Adam following suit.

The inside was expansive, a pair of couches in the middle of the floor decorated with people.

In the back was a chair dressed like a throne, with two women standing next to it like guards.

"Ash! Give this boy a meal won't ya?" Mosq asked immediately, as he looked at the bartender. "One of your bests but don't spoil the taste buds just yet!"

The bartender was unremarkable, save for the flaming skull he had for a head.

He simply nodded, not saying a word as he started preparing something to eat.

Adam walked to the couches, their velvet color shining beautifully in the light.

On the one to the left was a feminine looking man in heavy winter clothes and next to him was a well dressed blonde man reading a book while smoke came from the cigarette in his mouth.

He sat down on the one to the left, next to a punkish man with red and black hair tuning a guitar.

A woman in a black and red gothic outfit walked over to Adam, holding a pair of clothes in her hands that had bright red claws at the tips.

Her long black hair swept her shoulders and covered her back, adorned with a jeweled hair clip.

"Here. You stay here, you change into this." She stated, staring at him with daggers with her icy blue eyes.

He nodded, taking it as she simply walked away with her heeled boots clacking on the hard floor.

"Don't mind Militia, new kid. She gives everyone the cold shoulder." The guy in the winter gear laughed, running his hands through his snowy blue hair. "I'm Jack by the way. Mr. Quiet is Stark."

The man next to him grunted, adjusting his thick orange glasses.

"Aki, I think that's tuned enough. You'll break your guitar if you keep up." Stark spoke, blowing smoke from his mouth as the red head grunted.

"Like you know anything, jackass. It's been off tune since my last job."

"Well maybe if you handled it better, it'd be in better shape."

"Oh you wanna go big man?" Aki asked, getting to his feet with a maniacal grin on his face as Stark rose too.

"I'd love to put an end to that pitiful grin of yours."

They were cut short by a knife being thrown into the table, shutting them up.

"Will you two please shut up? You're scaring our newest member of the family." A woman in an aquamarine gothic dress spoke, her short black hair done in a little bob.

She stared them down with her light green eyes.

"Sorry Malachite." Stark spoke and sat down, with Aki grumbling under his breath.

Adam buttoned up his outfit, and stopped to admire himself in the bathroom mirror.

It was a standard suit and tie, but it felt like it empowered him the way it fit.

The pants perfectly fit around his grasshopper legs, and made him seem normal.

A knock on the door seemingly brought him back to reality, as he finished up getting dressed.

"Sorry! I'm all done!" He shouted in a panic, opening the door and being greeted by the bartender.

He stared down at Adam, towering over him.

It was hard figuring out what he was thinking, with the holes where his eyes should be.

He held a silver platter with a lid, like it'd make up for his silence.

"Oh thanks. I'll be in a minute." He said as the bartender nodded and walked away, his dress shoes barely making a noise.

Adam sat down at the bar, as the bartender placed the platter down and pulled the lid off revealing what it was.

It was a dish of seafood and rice, still hot judging by the steam.

Even though he was silent, it was clear what he wanted to say.

"Thank you sir!" Adam thanked, and started eating the dish. "It's amazing! My tastebuds are in overdrive!"

The bartender nodded and went to make a drink.

"Even though he can't say it, dude's weak to compliments." Jack laughed, sitting next to Adam. "Hey, Ash. Usual please."

Ash nodded, making a drink for the blue head.

"So I guess the big man brought ya here, that means he trusts ya." He smiled at Adam, a slight crazed look in his eyes. "Everyone here is who he trusts most, so you bein here means he sees something in you."

Adam nodded and kept eating, only to feel a tap on his shoulder to which he turned to see.

"When you're done, the boss has requested you to come see him." Malachite told him, her voice softer than the other lady's demanding tone. Without waiting for a reply, she simply walked off.

The room she led him to was spacious and dark, almost nothing at all in it being more far off than the main area.

The room was bare, the only notable thing being the dark wooden desk in the center where Mosq sat with Stark and Aki standing in front of it.

"Ah! About time you made it!" Mosq bellowed with a laugh, tapping his fingers on the desk. "Ash's food is simply distracting that you wanna remind yourself it's reality, I understand."

Adam nodded and awkwardly stood in between his two seniors, noting the red and blue guitar strapped to the punk's back.

He cleared his throat, shaking off his nerves.

"May I ask why you requested me sir Mosq?" Adam asked, sweat soaking his forehead.

"Bah! You're one of my family! Don't be formal!" Mosq smiled, flashing a Chesire grin. "Now, I requested you for your first job. You stay here, you should earn your keep."

From his desk, Mosq placed a picture of a tan woman in a business suit with two faint red dots on the sides of her mouth.

"Miranda Burrow. A woman with information that can help us win control over that damned organization."

"W-what organization?"

"Midnight Dreary." Aki spoke, refusing to look at Adam. "An organization full of freaks and monsters, their leader is strong enough to raise hell to a town on his own."

"Thank you, Aki my boy." Mosq clasped his hands together. "This woman can help us control them, and if we do we'll be damn near unstoppable. I requested these two to assist you in retrieving the information from her, in case someone takes out my newest prodigy."

Adam blushed, nodding hesitantly only to get his shoulder grabbed by Stark.

"Just because he praised you doesn't mean a damn thing, you still need to earn it you brat." The taller man spoke, tightening his grip. "Don Mosq. You mind telling us where we can find her?"

"Ah blunt as always Stark. She'll be in the Terracotta district, at Carrengar Avenue. You won't miss her."

Stark nodded, letting go of the grasshopper and made for the door with Aki following.

"What are you waitin for? An invitation?" Aki asked, clearly annoyed. "Get your ass moving!"

"Right!"

The sky was darkening and clouds formed, as the three men walked through the almost empty district.

Stark was in front, clearly wanting to keep a distance from them.

Adam walked beside Aki, holding his guitar.

"You strum it like this." He spoke, pointing to one of the strings smiling. "Then watch the magic begin."

He strummed the string, as bright green spikes jutted out of the body of the guitar.

"Haha! My ax turns into an ax! How'd you like that?"

Adam clapped, clearly in awe of it.

"Must you act like a child?" Stark asked, clearly annoyed. "When we finish this job I can finally be rid of your annoying ass!"

"What you planning on killing yourself when this is over? The great Stark couldn't handle his fellow peers so he takes his life." Aki asks, unable to hold in laughter as he marches to Stark.

The other stood still and silent, adjusting his glasses.

He then swiped his left hand as blue electricity cracked from his palm, causing a bright splash of blood.

Aki screamed in pain, holding his waist that exploded into a million pieces as blood gushed out like a raging rapid.

"S-stark!" He bellowed out, blood dripping from his mouth. "You trai-"

His words cut short, as his head exploded too with millions of sharp bloodied spikes erupting from his skull.

His body collapsed to the ground, with Stark's fine brown and black outfit now stained crimson.