Sun rise.
The seagulls flew high and the waves were a calm ripple along the shoreline. The occasional wave breaking the horizon.
The western side of the beach was more packed with the people doing their usual activities, the scattered lagoons being hotspots while the eastern side was more deserted. Giving the agents leg room to discuss.
The agents?
Standing on a large rock, Melusine, with arms folded looked over at the ocean. Standing on guard as her eyes followed the red of a lifeguard who was walking up to the rock.
Melusine pulled out her phone from her jean shorts and dialed a number.
*krrck* "CEO. Mr Yakuro has come with the powder."
"Nice. The rest of the members are all reported in. Make a final scout before we discuss on what to do with the merchandise."
"Noted."
Melusine cut the call and took one good scan before hopping down onto the other rocks behind the larger one.
Behind the rocks, dear old Bessie was in a dark grayish color with the gang rounding up. Toga taking her seat on the roof while Jake and Susten were pulling out a duffel bag which was dripping a red liquid.
"I told you to keep the bodies frozen overnight." Susten commented as they put the bag on a flat rock.
Jake wiped the sweat from her brow, before pulling out a butchers knife. "Well, if we cut them up, it will make things eaiser."
From the corner, the lifeguard turned and walked over to them. Making the rest turn to look at the lifeguard who's face was blocked by the cap.
Toga above, got a walking stick and threw it down to the lifeguard. "Got the powder?"
"Yeah. Managed to smuggle it in." Takara caught it before putting down the briefcase to take off his cap.
*THUD*
From above, Melusine landed down in a squat and stood up. Receiving the briefcase from Takara. "Radius is clear."
*snap*
Jake snapped his fingers up at Toga. "Criminal, got the cooler?"
"Yeah. Packed all the stuff we need." Toga turned to get the cooler which was behind her and passed it down to Susten.
With the group now together Susten opened the cooler, the cooler being filled with rope, hooks, fishing nets and finally many bottles of dyes.
"Alright men and women." Jake gestured for them to sit down as he pulled out a paper from under Susten's sunhat. "Toga got info on the where abouts of the fish thanks to how popular the fish story got."
Toga nodded as she sat down and got the paper Jake handed over to her. Opening it for them to see what was going on. "Posted a few trivia questions online and people answered. I threw out the facts which didn't match the articles I found but some proved useful.
First off is the species. Many were thinking of a great black shark, Spinner shark or pikerfish. Few mentioned a Viper Eel but its size doesn't match the evidence Susten got from the news articles."
Jake hummed in thought. "Back in my millitary days all we hunted was smaller fish in rivers to avoid getting injuries so I got nothing on this. Susten? Melusine? You two are Water Aries, met some of these fish before?"
"I lived very inland from the beaches and even though I did back then, it was mostly on secluded beaches so such large fish wouldn't be near." Susten looked up at Melusine.
Melusine nodded. "I've met all four before especially during my surfing trips. All four are known to attack humans, but both sharks and pikerfish are open water fish so they wouldn't be so close to the shore, especially with how the lagoons separate the water. Leaving the Viper Eel as the last suspect."
Takara clicked his tongue at one of the fish species names. Susten glanced at him as he seemed not to pay attention much until that specific name was mentioned.
Toga nodded and turned to the next side of the paper after crossing out their options. Checking out the list of victims. "All the ones who got bitten were either young ones, Viners or Libras. There are a few taller races who got bit by it but the majority lie in the small range."
"If I'd say anything, its almost as if its actively choosing to hunt humans. Natures law, the weakest are the first out." Jake shook his head at the situation. "But Viper Eels don't grow big enough to be an actual threat."
"Takara, you have been outside the city the longest and have a fishing license." Susten pointed out before asking. "Are there species of Viper Eels we should actually consider."
Takara sighed and gestured for the paper. Getting a small bottle of black dye for one of his inks to dab its fingers into. "I'm not exactly sure of the exact type. All I know is that back home, as much as it is edible and has a good taste. Its called a Maneater."
"Dang, this just got serious." Toga commented as she leaned into look at the picture.
Takara's ink danced and jumped around on the back of the paper, drawing out the image of a large fish which had the jaw shape of a crocodile but an elongate body like that of an eel.
"And how big are we talking here?" Jake asked as he looked at the picture.
"I'm guessing the size of a black tip crocodile." Takara estimated.
Toga looked it up on her phone, searching down any pictures or articles on the exact fish. Lickily for her scientists discovered it. "Found it."
Toga put the phone down for all to see. "It's a recently found one. So not alot of people know about it."
"Except?" Jake smiled as he looked at Takara.
"Viners or anyone who has traveled in the wetlands." Takara gave Jake a flat stare before concentrating. "I'm guessing they don't exactly have an article for how to deal with one huh?"
"Yep. So much for research." Toga nodded.
"So how do we hunt it?" Melusine asked as Susten agreed to the stakes now being higher.
Takara let his inks be mascots in the explanation. One of the inks being the fish while the three are them. "What we did back home if we ever ran into one is mob it down. Use numbers and teamwork to bring it down. Think of taking down a crocodile. Avoid the jaws and tail and you got yourself dinner."
Toga nodded and watched the little show the inks performed as an example of what to do. However, something dark brown contrasted the heavy blue of the sky and ocean from the corner of her eye. So Toga turned her head and looked out at the ocean, spotting a small sail boat which was bobbing up and down even though there were no waves.
"Hey Jake," Toga said, interrupting him mid-explanation. "Boat."
Jake paused, squinting toward the ocean. "Damn it, curse being a Nune. What do you girls see?"
Takara gave Jake a side-eye before focusing on the horizon. The dark marks under his eyes were more than just signs of exhaustion. "A boat struggling to pull something out of the water. Two people are on it."
"Fishing boat. Latest model," Toga noted. "But what are they pulling up?"
"Whaling's been banned for years. The fishing ban won't lift until the hot season's over," Susten said.
Takara's squint sharpened into alarm as he caught sight of a long snout breaking the water's surface.
Before Melusine could speak, Toga sprinted toward the shore, nearly stumbling. "Hey?! Are you crazy?"
"It's the Viper Eel!" she shouted.
That clicked something in Takara. He bolted after her.
"You heard my girl! Let's roll out!" Jake leapt up and grabbed a coil of rope before chasing after the group.
"Without a plan though?!" Susten asked.
Takara and Melusine flashed past Toga in blurs of motion. Takara switched gears, dropped to all fours, and sprinted like a wild beast toward the sea. Melusine followed, her form sleek and fluid.
Toga and Susten brought up the rear as Jake caught up from behind.
"Hey! Fishermen!" Jake called out. He clapped his hands, signaling Susten. She slowed enough for him to leap onto her back for height. "Follow me!"
The fishermen, startled, watched the trio—Toga, Melusine, and Takara—dive into the water, streaking toward the boat like missiles. Then they looked up to see Susten racing toward the lagoon's opening.
Getting the idea, the fishermen worked quickly, struggling to haul the creature in. As they stomped on the rail for leverage, the boat began to tilt dangerously.
Underwater, Takara arrived first. He tossed dye into the water—an inky cloud that caught the eel's attention. It thrashed in the net, trying to bite its way out.
Toga reached the boat and vaulted onboard, helping the fishermen pull as Melusine dove down to support Takara.
*SNAP!*
The eel broke part of the net, freeing its jagged, toothy mouth. It lunged at Takara—
—but Melusine met it with a brutal punch to the head, sending it reeling.
"There's no wind!" one fisherman shouted, gripping the net with panic.
Takara noted the stalled boat. He swam in a tight spiral before the eel, daring it to chase him. It lunged—and he took off toward the beach.
The eel followed, dragging the boat along for the chase.
Melusine swam alongside, drawing a dagger and jamming it into the eel's side. It thrashed, trying to turn on her—
—but Takara's swift kick to its snout sent it back into pursuit.
Melusine peeled away, trailing blood behind. It marking the eel's position to the couple who were preparing on shore.
"It's here!" Susten shouted and turned to look at Jake.
Jake finished tying stones to the rope ends and handed one to Susten. With a spin, they both hurled them into the water.
Toga spotted the stones, released the net and dove, chasing them. Melusine mirrored her on the other side.
Takara weaved between the eel's snapping jaws, keeping it distracted. Toga and Melusine swam behind the beast and looped the ropes around its torso. Tugging onto the ropes for the two on the beach to get the memo.
On shore, Jake and Susten dug their heels into the sand and pulled. The eel strained and thrashed aganist the constant ropes pulling at its body.
It hesitated—hunger for Takara vs. the instinct to flee.
The hesitation gave an opening for Melusine and Toga to strike together, twin deep punches to its hard scaled gills. Stunning the fish for a few mere seconds.
"Now! Pull it in!"
With a shout, the group onshore dragged the eel into the lagoon.
Takara led it in, then scrambled out of the water. Toga and Melusine remained at its sides, pinning down its fins. The fishermen leapt from the boat to help, keeping the tail pinned.
Jake grinned as Susten looped the rope around its jaws, slamming its head into the rocks. "That's what I call an Aries in action! Secretary! Distraction!"
The eel flung its head to the left, sending Susten tumbling into the sand. Letting out a guttural screech as it bled.
Jake tossed a bottle to Takara. "Now!"
Takara bit off the cork and hurled it into the eel's mouth. It choked and convulsed, slamming its head in confusion. Forcing Melusine and Toga to jump back.
"Back of the skull!" Takara shouted as Jake dashed to the right.
Jake met Melusine mid-run. She turned to face him, interlocked her fingers and braced herself.
Jake jumped—Melusine launched him into the air with a boost.
He soared, then rocketed down, slamming his butcher knife into the joint where the skull met the spine with a spin add more force.
The eel spasmed—then collapsed.
Silence.
Everyone remained silent as they watched the fish just incase it rose back to life like in the movies. Lucky for them they weren't in a movie.
"We.... we did it... " Toga breathed and fell on her butt.
"We did it Girls! It actually worked!" Jake boomed after pulling his hand out of the fish, jumping down and rushing to his wife.
Before Susten could say anything Jake scooped her up and literally danced with her on his shoulder. "Hey! Hey! Put me down! Toga!"
Toga laughed as she got up and watched her dad goof off, seeing him spin into doing the moonwalk as Susten whined for him to put her down. Rolling her eyes with a smile at the two before looking back at the fish which was receiving hugs.
Hugging the side of the fish was Melusine as she tenderly patted its side and licked her lips, muttering sweet nothings to the dead fish. "Grilling... good soy sauce.. no... maybe a good braai over a fire, or boiling it with some greens-no.... rice and sushi with a cold beer... sweetness."
"There she goes on her food rush." Toga shook her head before remembering that Takara had left his stick back at their umbrella. "Hey Takara, you need your stick?"
Toga deadpanned as she turned to see Takara came out from the inside of the fish's mouth with the bottle in hand. Rubbing the bottle on his cheek as his face was flushed with happiness.
"I can't believe you worked~" Takara cooed as his inks muzzled and danced on his head and shoulders. "A killer dye powerful enough to knock you dead. Just think of it, a dress with a fragrance and dye to knock you off your feet~ Just a little more days and you'll be delicious."
The two fishermen who were saved by the group made their way over. A large man and a slender boy following behind him, stopping in their tracks as they saw the fluid elite group which took down that Eel barehanded- be a bunch of odd balls. The group not being even ashamed to hide their little quirks as Susten was now scolding Jake like a stuck up teacher.
So they turned to speak to the atleast sane person. Toga.
"Um, young miss." The large fishermen called as he walked over to Toga, who was currently cutting the ropes.
"Yeah?"
The large man pushed forward the slender boy infront of him, gesturing at the boy's arm and his thigh which had gotten cuts from the hunt. Having a strong deep gaze at her. "Can you help patch us up? We keep what you did a secret from the authorities if you do."
Toga hummed in thought before looking at them with a sly grin. "Alright, I'll help you out. That is if you split the fish 70:30 with you getting the thirty."
The man glared at her, they caught the fish didn't they. "What? We worked hard to catch the damn fish and you think you can get the pay from us?"
Toga shrugged her shoulders. "Hey. All we did was just help a few struggling fishermen. We know nothing of the fish. Besides, who knows how many people saw your boat? Luckily for you my guys have connections. That fish is a rare species and I'm sure you're in for the money. Well we can make that explode through us selling it off as food and give you some of the profit."
"Why you.." The man furrowed his brows as he knew what she was trying to do with that smirk of hers. Pressing his lips together in thought as it wasn't her which scared him.
It was the soul piercing glares he got from the rest of the four. The glare which could tell him that if he snitched, he was disappearing off the census.
"So what do you say?" Toga asked, giving her own glare with a devious smirk to keep looking professional.
"Tsk." The man let out a sigh as after weighing the options, the group had more ground. "70:30. That's all I'm going for."
"Good." Toga nodded and ignored the hand he gave out to shake on the deal. "Mom!"
Susten walked over as Takara got the memo, pulling out a folded paper from the inside of her wrap shirt. "Please put your thumb print on this paper with the ink provided."
Takara's ink fluttered over with a small bottle of dye. Making the man blink a few times to process that this just got formal.
After Takara's ink smeared some ink onto his thumb, the fisherman placed his thumb print onto the paper.
"This will be printed with the document for the transaction. This will count as your signature. Thank you for doing business with us." Susten nodded and turned as Jake called for another huddle up. Leaving the fishermen stunned, confused and left feeling as if he just got robbed in broad daylight.
With the deal set and done all they had to do was just cut up the fish, pack it up and share it with the fishermen. The process going alot slower as with a fish that size, gutting it out and sharing the meat took them time.
However. Remember when Toga mentioned "that other people might have seen that all happen?" Yeah, the group is at the beach. During the hot season. At midday.
"Wow, look at the size of that fish."
"Is that the fish the news was talking about?"
The murmurs from a distance proved the fact.
At a beach, there is little to no cover at all. So the whole scene of the group taking down the fish was seen live in HD. No filters to call it fake.
The fishermen paled at the small crowd which was starting to form as the group took note and glanced at one another.
Jake gave a nod to confirm if they were on the same page, receiving nods from all the four.
Dusting his shorts of the sand and dust, Jake stood up and put down his knife. Turning to walk over to the crowd as a smile brightened his face-until it drop at the sight of a man walking out the crowd in red shorts.
"What on earth is going on here?"
Freezing like deers on the highway, they turned their heads to see a pissed off lifeguard with their arms folded and a clipboard in their hand.
The cheers had barely faded. A few beachgoers still snapped photos with the fish carcass, now gutted and cleaned for grilling. The air smelled like salt and smoke. Jake was already halfway to the crowd when the whistle blew.
Sharp. Shrill. Authority.
Everyone looked up.
A man in a lifeguard uniform was striding across the sand, red shorts dusted with grit, clipboard tucked under one arm. His jaw was sharp, his expression harder. He wasn't rushing—but each step had intent.
Jake stood, brushing off his shorts. "Alright. Everyone stay chill."
Melusine muttered, "Looks like we got ourselves a sunburned knight."
Toga walked a few steps to stand next to her mother, giving a side glance to her. Susten sighed and ran a hand through her hair this wasn't something they could dodge.
The man stopped in front of them, casting a figurative shadow over the group, eyeing up Jake as he made his over.
"I'm looking for the people responsible for the illegal netting and discharge of waste near Sector C-9," he said. "That fish."
He pointed directly at the half-burned man-eater, still steaming beside the grill.
"Are you responsible for all of this?"
Jake took a step forward, smiling like it was a customer complaint. "Hey, hey, no need to go writing up any reports. People were in danger—"
But Sylvain wasn't looking at Jake.
He was scanning the group. Slowly. Dissecting each and every member.
His gaze paused on Takara. Just a second. Nothing more.
But Takara felt it.
The moment Jake opened his mouth again, Takara's eyes lifted.
Gone was the drowsy, lazy softness.
In its place: glassy sharpness. Icy clarity.
Takara didn't move from where he stood. He simply watched Sylvain with those unblinking eyes.
And inside his head, a name dropped like a dagger.
'Mr. Sylvain Zodchev...'
Unspoken. Unshared. But heavy with recognition.
Takara stepped forward once. Slowly. Deliberately.
A half-smile curled his lips. Not kind. Not fake. But something in-between.
"Lifeguard, huh?" Takara said, voice smooth. His hands clasped behind his back while he popped up from behind Jake. "That's a surprising job for someone so... qualified."
Sylvain's brows twitched—just slightly.
"I've read your work before," Takara added, taking steps towards him. "Or should I say, your recipes. Creative. Strong use of honeydew."
A beat.
Sylvain's posture stiffened as he held the pen in his hand tighter. "I think you've mistaken me for someone else."
Takara's gaze didn't flinch. Neither did his smile faulter as he now stood infront of him. "Oh, I never mistake anyone, Mr. Zodchev."
The crowd murmured from behind. A few people chuckled nervously, sensing something but not knowing what.
Jake blinked. "Takara...?"
But Takara had already looked away. He smiled, this time at the people nearby.
"Let's not get the law involved for a rescue," he said, light and cheerful again. "Would you rather that fish had eaten someone?"
Someone from the crowd chimed in. "They did save us!"
Another: "I saw the whole thing! Brave kids, they are!"
The tide of opinion shifted. Voices raised in the group's defense. Sylvain, still rigid, looked like he'd swallowed seawater. Taking a few steps back look at the crowd and hear their voice on the matter.
As the crowd continued to bombard the lifegaurd about the fish, the lifeguard slowly got more upset until he finally folded to the numbers being aganist him. Clicking his tongue and looking at the crowd with his finger pointed at them.
"Alright!" The lifeguard snapped. "They can have that so called 'man-eater'! But if I ever hear any of this repeat itself again I will not b hesitate to call the Care Force or Hunters."
He then turned to look at the group. "And you!"
Jake and Takara pointed at each other as he didnt specify..
"I mean all of you- as long as you hunted the thing!" Sylvain rolled his eyes. "Report this to the Station nearby and actually make this formal. Otherwise we will have problems."
The rest of the group gave a nod while Jake gave a salute to the new orders given. Tipping Sylvain even more..
So he just turned and muttered his complaint to himself as he stomped away from the scene. Not wanting getting more involved in their little adventure. Leaving the crowd and the group free of the stress of being caught doing a crime.
Jake stepped forward beside Takara, whispering, "What the hell was that?"
Takara just smiled again, eyes back to their usual lazy softness. "Just a little persuasion."
Jake slowly nodded to grasp the odd way of persuasion as Takara turned to continue cutting up the fish- until he felt someone tug onto his shawl.
Looking down, he saw a child. Larger oval ears, dark paint under his eyes and wearing the same shawl style Takara wore.
Takara paused for a second before getting low on all fours, the two being together proving a thought in Jake's head.
"Woah. A Viner child." Jake muttered.
"Mister?" The little boy asked while still holding onto Takara's shawl.
Takara sighed, throwing away his sleepiness, having a motherly gaze instead. "Yes?"
"Can..." The child kept his head down to look at the sand. "Can me and dad have some fish?"
Takara looked over his shoulder at Jake, raising his brows as he knew Jake heard the child's offer.
Jake scratched his head, looking back at the rest of the group and the fishermen. Humming thought as he gave a glance at Susten.
Susten, catching the glance, put down the nest in her hands and walked over to the three. Getting the same expression Jake had gotten from Takara as the child asked once again.
"Well, we were planning on selling it after it was cooked." Susten looked back at the size of the fish. "But transporting it would mean more expenses. So, its better if we sold some of the meat raw to lessen the labor."
The child smiled and jumped in delight, her ears wiggling up and down. Until she realized who she was talking to and gave a bow. "Thank you."
"Youre welcome." Takara rolled his eyes with a brief smile.
With confirmation that the fish was up for sale, customers began showing up in droves—some already present, others being called over in a hurry.
From nearby shopkeepers hoping to score cheaper meat to households racing in for supper ingredients, the fish sold faster than hotcakes. The group had set up a makeshift stand with three queues steadily moving, each receiving their share of the meat.
Word of the infamous "Killer Fish" finally being taken down began circulating in local social media circles.
As the rush started to die down and over half the meat had been sold, the two fishermen from earlier sat on a low rock, watching the group chat and begin packing up.
"Tsk. They didn't even sit in the sun for nine hours…" the shorter fisherman muttered under his breath.
He wasn't wrong. After all, it was they who had worked those grueling hours out at sea. They caught the beast. The others? They just helped finish the job. Yet it was them—the newcomers—that the people flocked to, while the fishermen sat quietly in the background.
The larger fisherman let out a tired sigh as he stood, taking off his hat to wipe the sweat from his brow. "Come on. Let's finish this deal before the camera catches us standing like statues."
Jake, who had been watching Susten stretch her arms, noticed the two approaching and stood up, brushing the sand off his pants before facing them.
The fishermen walked over—one with arms folded, the other holding his hat to his chest in a respectful gesture.
"Thanks for the deal, mate," the larger fisherman said, offering Jake a handshake. "We'll keep catching those fish for you."
"No problem," Jake said with a smile, meeting his hand with a loud clap. "Hope you're not scared of big cameras."
Both fishermen blinked in confusion. Cameras? What cameras?
Their answer arrived on four wheels.
"Wow, even the news is here?" someone said.
"Well, the thing did kill two people. Of course it became a headline."
A white news van rolled in at the edge of the beach, its side door sliding open as the crew jumped out—eager to interview the brave souls who had saved Lagooner's Bay from a watery menace. The van first made a stop among the crowd, gathering statements and dramatic retellings.
"I think that's our—" the large fisherman turned, only to find his hand empty and the group already several feet away, bags slung over shoulders, meat packed, and expressions unreadable. "Hey!"
The group either raised eyebrows or offered lazy waves.
"The news crew is here for you! Where are you going?!" the man whispered harshly.
The group exchanged glances before Jake finally replied, "Well…"
"We've been in the spotlight too many times," Toga said with a shrug. "Figured we'd let others have a turn."
"Besides," Takara added, already turning away, "it's too much work trying to look perfect."
The fisherman was left speechless as he watched them slip away, carefully tiptoeing over the rocks. Moments later, the white van drove past in the opposite direction, heading toward the beach, completely unaware that the real heroes had just vanished.
When the news crew arrived and asked who the mysterious group was and whether they had a statement, the fishermen simply shrugged and said they were as clueless as everyone else.
And just like that, the two men became the celebrated heroes of Lagooner's Bay.