It's a damn steady beep that fills Maki's ears, that has for minutes, her throbbing head hasn't allowed room for much else. Peering over, the sight of a massive heart monitor is nothing new, but it's hers. That thing is hooked up to her. Her breathing sounds wheezing, crippled, disgusting. Why?
"Maki!"
"Hana...yo?"
"Careful the IV is sensitive. Put your arm back down."
So that was the invasive poke she felt along her right arm. Her eyes reflexively traced to find the spot, nose wrinkling in disgust, well, if rough layers of gauze weren't pressing tightly to her smashed cartilage and thin split bone. The attempt alone made her wince, teeth gnashed together with pain's sharp crack. Her brain throbbed with heightened vigor at the reaction, forcing an audible groan from her lips. Malicious ruby eyes flashed bringing cackling laughter and full impact of a fist being cracked on her face.
"It was that son of a bitch wasn't it? I can't forget the face of a brat."
"Yeah, I thought, I thought you would die this time Maki."
"Heh, well it'll take more than some gutsy midget to land any worse than a busted nose."
"And a near mild concussion."
"Rin?"
At the call of her name the girl in question contemplated shooing her eyes away from the hoarse voice of Maki, lightly stamping her foot, holding her ground.
"That's the full story the doc gave me anyway."
Maki's eyes hovered from Rin's impatient foot to her face at the change in tone. Dragging a chair begetting nothing short of a wail, Rin took her seat by Hanayo. Weighty stares cast a heavy mantle, the pressure of each level of concern they carried threatening to make Rin crumble. Her stomach flipped, feet almost ready to sprint for Honoka again to beg a merger.
"How do you feel now?"
"Still a little crap but way better."
There was a great huff.
"Good, good good."
"What did they say?"
Hanayo's sudden firmness raised both brows of her fellows.
"Who said what?"
"The Homura Gang, they offered a merger or protective assistance."
"And what'd you say?" They tossed back in unison, Maki's cheeks twitching.
"I took up protection."
"Rin..."
"Now I can jump that twat with three other pairs of fists."
"Maki!"
"Er...well we shouldn't start anything after earlier. You're still injured so calm down, besides, people ought to only fight when provoked."
"I'd say those bastards taking all we have is enough of a provocative move. We have three more people to count on, why not go for a surprise attack?!"
"And drag everyone into the same situation you're in, for the second time I'll add? No way that's just reckless."
"It would be nice to study what they intend next after having dealt with us."
Hanayo's sudden, humbly spoken suggestion quenched sparks of debate between the two, making Maki lean back with crossed arms.
"Alright fine. You win this one." She grudgingly insisted.
Rin's long sigh confessed nothing but victory.
-
"This thing is fuckin huge!"
Gripping the edges of a map wide enough to drape as a cloak, on her tiny frame at least, Niko stood as best she could on a meter high stepping stool.
"A little to the left."
"What?! Do you want my arms to fall off Eli? Have Nozomi help too."
Twitching at the comeback, she found her eyes sliding over to where her lieutenant sat. Pouring over a fat book filled with the scent of age and secrets, Nozomi flipped occasionally through yellow pages. Her edge worn deck of symbol backed tarot cards rested securely within hands reach on the wooden desk surface, as if they were her children flocking under her protection. Lips moving in rapid dance, she softly whispered chants straight from the text, lost in her own trance until Niko broke the connection.
"I told you Nikkochi, blessing our room with divine will is a more important precaution for the future."
"Argh more cryptic mumbo jumbo from you like always! Eli, ain't you gonna do something?"
Glaring icicles from the Russian in response served to send a shudder running through Niko's spine.
"I wouldn't bother with disturbing Nozomi's beliefs, especially with her accurate divinations of the past."
Stepping closer toward her short comrade, Eli's polished boots clicked in chatter against gleaming oak floors equally as reflective. Sucking her teeth, Niko lifted her arms to try again before Eli's own reach appeared in her peripheral vision.
"Here, like this."
Hoisting up the drooping side causing Niko's woes, she motioned an open palm for a pin tack. Wordlessly handing a gray headed one, Niko's tongue stuck out and eyes scrunched in teasing. Shrugging, Eli adjusted the tack in her free hand, reaching after smoothing out her map corner to push it into cork board. Repeating the same on her side, Niko sighed and stepped down to level with the floor. Moving the stool aside with a foot, she turned her eyes forward to let out a low whistle.
"Y'know I know this neighborhood is small compared to others but, holy shit is this a lot when you think about it for real."
"It's only a start. Just picture all of it fanned out as an empire."
"Imagine the money..."
"Hmph, you could buy a dozen mansions for your family."
"American dollars are the sweetest after all."
Two thin paper red mini flags stabbed right in the centers of district names. East and South, block after block crawling with American roaches devouring the crumbs of Japanese living in post war. Stacks after stacks of wallets and payback as spoils of vengeance.
"We give em hell and shake off the fleas."
-
"Let's ride out tomorrow after school, run a patrol around North-South and East-West. We'll keep an eye out in school too."
"Of course, though they might not pick a fight there. It'd draw too much attention for someone who seems to like saving face."
"Let's take knives instead of poles, don't want to give them a scare."
"Good thinking Kotori. Switchblades would be nice."
"Under the skirt?"
"Yeah hitch them there in your leggings."
Spinning the folded blade with a trained flick of the wrist and fingers, Umi grimaced.
"I truly hope we won't have to use them."
A/N: ok I officially like this more than my SW fic and all the ideas are hitting me, so this will be taking all of my fic writing attention.