Author's note:
It is my first time to write this fan fiction. I hope you like it, rate and review!
When You Look at the Mirror, There is always a Side B
Waking up early is not everyone's style, and she is not an exception. However, thanks to his lazy-ass perm-head idiot boss, she was forced to work early today so that they can pay the rent to that old hag Otose.
"Urgh! Of all times, why is our idiot boss got sick?! I didn't expect that an even an idiot can get a cold, yes?" the vermillion-haired girl frowned.
"Don't frown, Kagura-chan. I'm sure that Gin-san will get better soon. So, we have do our best in this job so we can pay our debts, too" the glasses-wearing-human said to the young girl. The two teenagers were at the middle of job on stalking Mr. Kawahira's adultery. His wife, their client, was suspecting that his husband was hiding mistresses.
However, instead of cheering up, Kagura's mood just worsen. And it didn't get better when the two teenager met certain policeman on their way.
"If it isn't China," said the young captain of first Shinsengumi squad who is at the middle of patrolling Edo. "Fancy meeting you here, Piggy."
"Great! What trick do you have under your sleeves to destroy my day, tax robbers!" she retorted.
"Sorry to disappoint you, China 'cause I don't meet your expectations," Sougo said in his usual deadpan expression.
"You, two should stop fighting this early in the morning. We will disturb other people," glasses boy said in almost a hush tone just to stop the two idiots from wreaking havoc.
"SHUT UP YOU MEGANE!"
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING MEGANE?! AND WHY AM I THE ONLY WITH THAT KIND OF TREATMENT?!"
"It is because you are plain, boring character that should become a side character of Gintama, uh-huh!"
"I think you should resign your post as one of the main characters of this manga and let Danna and I became the only main characters, minus that Piggy alien girl who will become my toy..."
"KORA! Who says I will become your toy, you sadist bakufu dog!"
And with that very moment, Kagura's fuming rage started to swallow the district. She threw numerous kicks and punches to sadist who swiftly avoided the attacks.
Okita then brought out his bazooka out from nowhere and prepared to attack the Yato girl who was also busy in preparing her Yato-grade purple parasol.
"Oi... Stop those two idiots from destroying the town!"
"Hijikata-san, what should we do to stop those monsters?" Shinpachi frantically said as he look for someone that could stop the ruckus.
"DAMN YOU, CHIHUAHUA! DIE!"
"SHUT UP, YOU FATTY PIG!"
The two childish idiots got the two straight men's attention. They frivolously shook their heads for the impending disaster that the Sadist and China brat will create.
The duo fired their bullet that left a great disaster to their surroundings. Even Hijikata, Megane-san and other completely unrelated objects flew away due to the strong impact of the explosion.
Okita and Kagura were about to launch another attack when the Sadist noticed a mysterious entity lurking behind the vending machine found near their position.
It was a group of mysterious green-skinned Amanto talking to a mere human. Okita stopped and his face began to show a calm composure.
"Oi, China. We should stop this fight. I have some things more important to do than fighting against you."
"Damn it, Sadist! Are you trying to run away from a fight, yes? You coward tax-robbing dog! You shoul- hmph!"
Kagura's mouth was forcefully covered by the young captain and dragged her behind a post to hide.
"You should shut up for a little while China if you don't want us be discovered immediately," Okita casually said in his infamous deadpan expression.
The Yato girl was about to react when she also noticed the group.
Her ocean blue eyes widened when she noticed the human who was with the green mob. It was Mr. Kawahira.
"Hey, that's Mr. Kawahira, yes? He was the adulterous husband of our client," she whispered. "What is he doing here, uh-huh? Why is he talking to those ugly looking Amanto, uh-uh?"
Okita was about to snob the girl's comment when he noticed how correct she was.
The two agreed to follow them. After all, that group was acting suspiciously.
They began to move from their position when Mr. Kawahira and the green-skinned Amantos entered the dark alleyway between the two buildings. Unwittingly, this path was leading into a more dangerous place... A place which was more dangerous than Kabuki district.
"Is this place safe for the transaction?" asked by the tall green-skinned Amanto who wears an olive green cape with hems of golden tassel. It was the green Amanto boss.
The Sadist and the China girl managed to get close to the group and listened to their conversation.
"This place is surely safe from the bakufu dogs, Sir Chabehun," Mr. Kawahira began. "We are so lucky that there was a rampage in the streets a while so we manage to slip up from the commotion."
Kagura's monstrous stomach growled loudly that caught the Amanto and the man's attention.
"What sound was that?" the Amanto named 'Sir Chabehun' commented.
"Good gracious! Stop the creature!" another Amanto then shouted from the ship. The other Amantos joined forces to bring down the monstrous creature. They managed to inject a tranquilizer to it and become drowsy.
Sadist hit the back of Yato girl's head which made her curse him.
The human faked a cough to get the attention of the Boss Amanto. "Oh! That creature is called a bear, sir. It was a very ferocious animal and considered as one of the kings in the jungle."
"I see! This planet surely has many creatures we can sell in the black market. This will definitely gave us big profit, Mr. Kawahira. No wonder this planet is deemed as treasure of all treasure!" exclaimed Sir Chabehun. "We should also sell humans. After all, they are rare species who is capable of high intellect and surpass their limit even if they have nothing."
"Don't worry, sire for I have brought here some of this 'human' that you can be fascinated with."
That moment, a group of green Amanto revealed themselves along with a chestnut-haired boy and vermillion-haired girl who were tightly tied with Yato-grade rope.
Yes. The Amantos captured the Sadist and the China brat. Kawahira had planned the capture of the young boy and girl who secretly followed them.
He was one-step ahead.
Okita Sougo does not like that very idea and yet, he remained silent.
"Hey, you jerk asshole! I heard everything you said to this green slime! (Hoi, who are you calling a green slime, you dirty monkeys?!)How dare you said that?! You are a human and yet, you sell them? Someone like you should have their t*sticles be ***** so you can't **** and have *** anymore, you PUNK!"
The tall green-skinned Amanto laughed. "A cute human... and a feisty one. I like it. Bring her to my room! I don't want some porcelain doll be sold to somewhere else."
The captain of the first Shinsengumi division squad snapped after he heard the alien's reaction. The very idea of China becoming an M to some random ugly alien bastard infuriated him inside.
The hell! HE IS the only one who is allowed bullying China doll. She is her toy.
He quickly head-butted the poor Amanto at his left side and kicked the others who tried to restrain him. Kagura also did her acrobatic stunts even on her legs only and managed knocking off other Amantos.
"Hey, you P*ccolo-wannabe! Shut your big idiotic mouth up because no one can ever restrain me even in your 'big room'!" Kagura shouted.
"Then, you should visit Shinsengumi headquarters sometimes so we can 'play' hard..."
"Shut up, you freakin' PERVERT SADIST!" Kagura was about to knock theShinsengumi captain's head off when they received another ferocious attack from a green Amanto who was hiding behind her. Fortunately, she managed to dodge it.
Sougo, however, used the same attack to remove the rope before tripping off the Green Amanto causing it to fall in its own demise.
"KORA! Why me, Queen of Kabuki district can't remove this shitty-ass rope?! And why Sadist has a cool scene in removing it?! Fix this, you SHITTY AUTHOR OF THIS IDIOTIC AND ASS**** FANFIC!" Kagura retorted as she angrily looked at the video camera that shoots the scene.
"Mr-or-miss-or-whatever-your-gender-it-is author, please kill this gorilla alien because her words are way too obscene to be read by our young readers."
"Who said I should die?! TEME, I am the only main character of this fan fiction so you are the one who should die, yes!"
The Sadist snob the Yato girl's comment and proceed in picking up a weapon-grade plutonium sword that comes with a built-in shotgun.
An illegal weapon, if one would ask of its origin.
The sadistic captain smirked, much to her chagrin. "I don't want a pig like you will hog up all the glory. Besides, I am the man here."
"You are not a man, you bishounen brat!" Kagura scowled. "You are the one who is pig here, you sadistic Chihuahua of the tax robbers!"
Okita didn't pay a single attention to her rant. Instead, in a single movement of his right arm, he swiftly cut the rope that binds Kagura and the Amanto behind her.
"You talk too much, China... You better attack those green slime. Besides, our main targets are nowhere to be found."
The vermillion-haired girl then noticed Mr. Kawahira and Sir Chabehun are really gone. She mentally cursed the brat who's with her. Because of him, she lost them.
"SHUT UP, YOU SADISTIC JERK! I know what to do!"
The sadistic duo then proceed on attacking the weaklings. Okita Sougo fleetly killed the green Amantos while Kagura only incapacitated them because she doesn't want to kill anyone.
"You are so lame, China girl. You just break their ribs and bones. In case you didn't know, they can still run after you after they were healed or something," he nonchalantly said that pissed her off.
She effortlessly swung her right leg that made Amantos to flew away from their position. "KORA! I only incapacitated them because I refuse to become a murderer like you!"
Or to become as idiot as my brother.
"I will arrest you for breaking this poor policeman's heart."
"YOU DON'T HAVE A HEART IN THE FIRST PLACE, YOU SADISTIC BASTARD!"
After giving a finishing blow to the remaining slimes, Amantos rather, they heard the gushing sound of the fleeting ship.
"Sh*t really is coming, uh-uh!" Kagura murmured.
"Same here."
The duo, even without any thinking, jumped to the ship. They managed to cling on one of the hanging ropes.
"Attack them!" shouted green Amanto. A furious wave of gunshots was then thrown to them.
Without any hesitation, he pulled Kagura on the collar of her red cheongsam and threw her to the Amantos.
"YOU PIECE OF SH*TTY ASSHOLE SADIST! HOW DARE YOU THROW ME, THE QUEEN OF KABUKI DISTRICT, LIKE I AM A BALL?!"
"Blah, blah... Just destroy those green slimes using that monstrous strength of yours or we will become incinerated ashes in no time," the Sadist said in his deadpan expression.
"KONOYARO! HOW DARE YOU ORDER ME AROUND?! I swear I will get back at you, you stupid sadist, uh-huh!" she hissed as she randomly punched every green Amanto that attacks her.
A fat green Amanto then appeared behind her and was about to hit the Yato girl with an automated halberd when it was sliced into two by a newcomer.
"Wow, China. You are pretty idiot for a battle-oriented Amanto to let her back undefended," he said as he casually sliced every Amanto that comes in his way while walking towards Kagura. She was caught off guard of his remark.
"I am truly idiot, right?" Kagura whispered with a sad smile on her lips.
The girl was beyond pissed than one can imagined. However, she answered him in a rather low volume, which surprised Okita.
That time, he understood what she meant. At the same time, he doesn't.
Okita Sougo doesn't have any knowledge about China's background or Yato's. But he knew that there was something off.The Sadist reluctantly ignored her reply and focused himself on attacking the Amantos. He also busied himself in searching for the right answer he would give to China.
Both of them then noticed how doomed their situation was when they saw a large number of free Amantos heading towards their position.
"China! We have to hide now!" Sadist said as he ran towards a alleyway.
After beating the remaining Amanto up, Kagura followed Okita into a alleyway behind the barrels and entered a rather different place.
A place where you can feel a different aura surrounding it.
"What did you say?! You can't find Sougo and China? Search every corner for them or everyone will commit seppuku!"
The Demonic Vice Commander was fuming in anger because of the disappearance of the captain of the first Shinsengumi squad and the Yorozuya brat. It was already afternoon and both him and Shinpachi had already recovered from the impact of the two idiot's fight. Yet, there is no single shadow of the two teenagers left behind.
It is quite known for everyone in Edo how much those two hate each other. It is also quite known to Shinsengumi on how lazy Okita Sougo when it comes to work.
However, they can't be found nowhere. Even in the park where they usually fight and destroy every government infrastructures on their way.
"Don't worry, Hijikata-san. We will surely find them," calmly said by the Glasses wearing Human. But deep inside, he was more worried on what kind of havoc they would create.
HijikataToushiro puffed his cigarette before answering the plain character. "I'm not worried on their safety. What I am worried about is the damage those two can cause."
"Same here."
Both of them sighed when the Shinsengumi version of Shinpachi came to their position running.
"Fuku-chou, I found something about our target!" Anpan man said hurriedly. "Also, Tai-chou and China girl are definitely involved."
The two straight men furrowed their eyebrows after hearing the news.
Saying that the room was gorgeous was an understatement.
The room has light shades of black surroundings with no window to be seen. Instead, it has small bulb on the ceiling that serves as the makeshift light of the room. And yet, what made the room intriguing more was the several mirrors that cover the whole area.
"What kind of creepy place is this, yes?" she whispered but it was loud enough for Okita to hear it.
"Aren't you idiot? This place might give us the clue on their illegal transaction," Okita casually said with his deadpan expression.
"Hoi, you idiotic tax robber! I am absolutely not let you involve me in your crazy jobs or yourBakufu dogs!" the Yato girl retorted after she grabbed him on his collar.
Okita Sougo, however, did not show even a slight emotion on his , he just shoved her away.
"Too bad, China. You are already involved to us since Episode 5 if I remember it correctly. Besides, being an idiot is not bad."
Kagura'seyes slowly followed himas the boy walk through the room. Not wanting to be left behind, she ran towards his side and walked beside him as she stare on her reflections.
"What do you mean, Sadist? Unless you want to rub your face with dog's pop, yes?"
A vein popped out on his forehead but his calm façade immediately returned.
"Listen carefully, China. In this cruel world, we can definitely survive if we either become very aware of our surroundings or become just idiots," he began as China just quietly listened to him.
"I really don't care if they call me the genius or what. But it isn't always bring good; it just bring me more despair.
I am a sadist; it is already given. But do you think being a genius sadist will always give me all the benefits? Give me a rest.
I am a human before I am a genius. And being an idiot is sometimes better. It gives you a better perspective that geniuses can't see.
That's why hanging around you idiotic bunch give me a more refreshing vision in this world. At the same time, I can't break this calm facade of mine whenever I am with idiots like you.
After all, I live by killing."
Kagura stared intently at him as he continue walking in front of her. "But don't you think it is also good to be a genius, yes? You can survive in a battle with your mind, uh-huh!
Besides, are you really contented with that kind of living? Just hanging around with idiots like us but didn't even try to break your own wall? Are you really the captain of the first Shinsengumi squad? The bakufu dog that will bomb and slash anything that on his way?"
Okita stopped walking and coldly stared at her. He was lost in thoughts.
He was lost in words.
It is because the girl before him was right. Absolutely right.
Kagura continued walking through the room. Sougo slowly followed her.
"Sadist, have you ever reach the point where you see nothing but blood, yes?"
The Shinsengumi officer was caught off guard of her question. The young Yorozuya member just continued on talking.
"Sadist, don't you think that a genius like you who see the world shed with blood is fortunate?
Because even if you see everything tainted with blood, at least you see it cleanly after the shedding, yes?
You see the true color of the world that idiots can't see, yes?"
They eventually reached the end point of the room. There they found a very odd mirror.
The mirror was tall, taller than the regular size of a door. It has Gothic-styled carvings with intricate royal emblems on both sides.
What made it odd was its reflection. It only reflects the image of a human. To be precise, it only reflects Sougo's image.
Sougo went near the mirror and caress its surface. "That's odd. It only reflects me. Well, I think it's because it hates glutton monster like you."
A vein popped on China's forehead. "KONOYARO! I am not a monster. I am the Queen of Kabuki district, you sicko!"
He smirked at her before he returned his gaze to the mirror. Okita stared intently on the reflection when he noticed that it began to move on its own.
He unwittingly followed it.
"Hoi, Sadist! Where are you going, you good-for-nothing tax robber?! Hoi, don't ignore me, you jerk!"
While Okita followed his reflection, he noticed how big its grin was. After a while, it stopped at the rightmost corner of the room. The grin became wider and wider that it looks like Joker's smile.
The reflection then pulled an m-16 gun from its back and pointed it on Sadist forehead. It sheepishly hushed him as if it was the biggest secret between them. Okita even noticed how bloody its hand was.
He was shocked. The Sadist was beyond shocked of what he had seen. However, his face showed the contrast of the emotion he felt.
"KORA! How dare you leave an innocent girl there alone?! You really are nothing but a sadist dog, uh-huh!" Kagura hissed as she went near to his position.
Okita glared at her. "You should shut up for a while, China. I will arrest you for hurting a policeman's feelings."
"YOU?HAVE FEELINGS? DON'T JOKE WITH ME, YOU BLACK-HEARTED BASTARD!"
The captain of the first Shinsengumi squad smirked at her before walking back to the place where they first found the odd mirror. Kagura only followed him silently, letting a big wall of silence formed between them.
After reaching their destination, Sougo went near the mirror and carefully examined it, ignoring his reflection in the process. He also noticed how contrasting its color on its almost faded reflection.
He flinched when someone tapped on his left shoulder. "Oi, China. Don't recklessly tap other's shoulder with your monstrou-"
Without a single second wasted, Sougo hadn't a chance to finish his sentence and immediately avoided a ferocious attack but his attacker was beyond imaginable itself. It was the reflection.
He saw nothing but black... and his reflection. It was standing before him, but it has no face except its big grin.
A very scary faceless one.
"Tired, aren't we?" the reflection whispered. "But aren't you tired acting so tough in every situation yet very weak inside?"
Sougo's innocent-looking crimson eyes had turned into that of a vicious crimson killer. He tightened his grip on his weapon-grade plutonium sword before he spoke again. "That's what made me human, right?"
He then attacked his reflection like a ferocious tiger while it was keep on dodging hissharp strikes. The Sadist keep on attacking and attacking as if there is no tomorrow... as if he was a savaged monster.
The reflection only laughed at him. "So, you still consider that you still have an inch of humanity in you even you are walking down a path full of dead bodies? How pathetic humans are..."
Okita was about to attack it again when a familiar vermilion-haired girl blocked him.
"Oi, Sadist. I think we are indefinitely trapped. In this game of mirrors, that is," China blurted out, making the Shinsengumi officer turned his head around and saw how everything in that room distorted was.
"Eh... A Chinese maiden? I didn't expect for me to see such beauty," then reflection said making the duo cringed.
"Che... That really is your reflection, you pervert sadist of sadists, yes?"
"Shut up, fatty pig. I will never be perverted when it comes with you unless you want to become my slave, that is."
Before Kagura could retort, another fervent attack was given to them. They somehow managed dodging it. They kept on dodging and dodging while they keep on running away as fast as they can until they returned to the same position. At the front of the odd mirror, that is.
"Oi, China. You should know what you should do."
"Just shut the hell up, dirty dog. I know what I should do, uh-huh!"
Both of them stopped on their trails and turned around to face the reflection. Without a single word, they combined their offensive attacking styles which is undoubtedly synchronized to each other. However, it seemed their vicious attacks did not have any effect on the reflection.
"HAHAHA! What a beautiful show, isn't it?" the reflection happily cried. "However, you still can't hurt me!"
Kagura, still breathing heavily, walked towards the reflection that shocked Okita. He shouted her name but she didn't winced even for slightest.
"You are that idiot Sadist's reflection, yes? That means you also love all kinds of sadism, yes? Then, the only thing that could make you happier is this, yes?"
Without a slight uneasiness, Kagura pulled the reflection on its uniform's neckline and gave it a kiss. A lip-to-lip kiss.
While she did such act, Kagura gave a meaningful look to Okita that the latter understood immediately pulled his sword and struck the mirror behind them. It cracked a little but an enormous punch from the Yato girl absolutely destroyed it, revealing their greatest enemy inside.
Everything, which was distorted a while ago, returned to their original state. However, the man before them just laughed while looking down on them.
"Good gracious! I didn't expect for both of you realized the secret of the mirror that fast," he said mischievously. "Though both of you really failed on destroying it completely."
That very moment, every pieces of the broken-down mirror restored to its own state, becoming the old odd mirror once again.
"Oi, Kawahira bastard! I don't freakin' understand why are you selling humans and earth animals to those green slimes, but making your own wife worried to death acting like you have mistress is something I won't forgive, uh-huh!" Kagura declared. "That's why I will beat you up until you realize your wrongdoings, you smelly fart-faced old bastard!"
Okita took a glance on her before stood up. "I am definitely not part of this fat alien girl's job, but as a fellow human, having an alliance with a shadowy Amanto is something unforgivable. But as a policeman, a proud captain of Shinsengumi squad, I categorized your actions as illegal transactions with Amanto and must be punished... accordingly."
The two teenagers, without a second thought, attacked Mr. Kawahira while he didn't moved an inch, much less move a single muscle. In an instant, every mirror in the room broke revealing many green Amantos around them.
"So, where are we, you good-for-nothing brats?" Kawahira whispered, letting the two turned their heads towards him.
"Damn you!" Okita heavily said before attacking every Amanto before them.
With their remaining strength, the Sadist and the China girl fought and fought as if there will be no tomorrow... as if their only life were depending on their own sword and fist.
The two then smirked.
"Do you know why we are still alive even though we have been in different dangerous battles, yes?" Kagura jeered. "And do you know why Sadist, the oh-so called genius of Shinsengumi bakufu dogs, still can fight proudly even if his path is bloody, yes?"
"It is because geniuses can't live without idiots with them!"
Kagura's punches and kicks accelerated and became stronger, destroying many green sticky P*ccolo-wannabe – green Amanto, I daresay –in her way. The Sadist smirked due to the idiocy of the China brat beside him.
"And do you know why this China brat is still alive in every situation she and Yorozuya were in even though she is the greatest air-head you can meet?" Sougo sneered, getting Kagura's angry attention in the process. "It is because brats are more resilient than you think!"
Okita Sougo's crimson eyes glowed in that dark room while his attacks sharpened killing many Amantos in a second. Kagura felt she was challenged because of Sougo's newfound strength. Thus, her ferocious attacks also became swift and sharpened. Their combined monstrous strength almost destroyed the room – destroying a part of the ship, rather.
"Now, who's next?" both of them dreadfully frightened green Amantos could not do anything but ran away.
All that remained was Mr. Kawahira and the tall green slime what-not.
"Oi, don't forget me! My name is Sir Chabehun, YOU IDIOTIC AUTHOR!"
Therefore, the sadistic duo destroyed the tall green slime what-not.
"OI, STOP KILLING ME LIKE THAT!"
"Oi, you sh*tty P*ccolo rip-off! Stop whining or I will rip off that sticky head of yours connected to your sticky neck, uh-huh!" Kagura hissed while gripping her fists.
"Don't worry, Mr. dirty-green-slime. Before this China brat rip off your filthy head, I will make sure you will receive the greatest torture you can have. You are so lucky, though, because the torture you will receive was devised by yours truly, the King of all Sadists."
"EHHHH! Kill those who dare mocking me! Mr. Kawahira, I will pay double than we have agreed if you managed to kill those bastards. Well, leave the girl to me. She looks so fresh," Sir Chabehun remarked.
A vein popped on Kagura's forehead. However, before she could react, Okita moved faster than the light and chopped Sir Chabehun into pieces, shocking both China girl and Mr. Kawahira.
"Oi, no one can dare touch that brat. I am the only one allowed to bully her. Understand?" he said in a very scary tone.
Fortunately, she recovered from shock faster than she thought and beat Mr. Kawahira up before the Sadist can touch him. "The well was that, you sick bastard!"
"I merely kill my enemies."
"Thank goodness I beat Kawahira fart-face before you can. He is still under OUR job, you know," the Yato girl hissed while she kept on kicking the poor man.
Okita ignored her comment and stared down the remaining green Amantos. "Oi, all of you. Wanna live or what?"
The other P*ccolo-wannabes fell down on their knees as a sign of their defeat against the scary enemies. The scary sadistic duo, I daresay.
Both of them then turned around when they heard gushing helicopters flying above the ship.
"Oi, Sougo! Are you all right?"
"Kagura-chan... Wait and we will pick you up there!"
"Shinpachi! Mayora! I'm glad you found us!"
A beaming smile was then flashed on Kagura's innocent face. Sougo's face calmed down fter hearing the two.
"DIE, HIJIKATA-SAN."
"WHAT KIND OF WELCOMING MESSAGE WAS THAT?!"
The sun was almost about to sleep, and they are saved, at last.
A week has passed and everything was returned to normal. Mr. Kawahira was jailed due to his illegal transactions and trades not only with the green Amantos, but also with other space pirates including Harusame pirates. The remaining green Amantos were sent under the Bureau of Immigration as their case was handled by the aforementioned government agency. The odd mirror and the other illegal trades are now under the custody of Shinsengumi since the investigation is still going on.
Yorozuya, on the other hand, received their payment not only from Mr. Kawahira's wife but also from the government since they assisted on the investigation of the illegal trade lead by Mr. Kawahira.
"Sukonbu, please!" the Yato girl said while she was paying for her all-time favorite snack in a shopping was happily walking down the street while she was eating her favorite snack.
"Oi! China," a very familiar voice behind her said that made her stop on her trail.
She smirked.
Kagura readied her Yato-grade purple parasol and began shooting numerous bullets against her rival.
"I will win this time!" both of them exclaimed.