Escapade

Kohari: I was gonna have this as the tenth chapter, but...I dunno. I just figured that it should follow the part where Sawyer tells Todd that he joined for Toy 'cause it sorta explains why...I guess. Just read it, people. It's y'all's critique...

A shadow darkened the lonely streets as a single figure walked towards the alleys. His footsteps echoed through the trashed city, the only sound audible, making the blood-red sky even more ominous.

There was no one there. This metropolis hadn't made it out of "The Attacks" unscathed. Bricks, wood, and debris lined the destroyed roads, though many buildings remained standing. Hence the reason echoes could be heard.

Bodies lay randomly in on the pavement and sidewalks, decaying. But the warrior who arrived had become accustomed to the smell of rotting flesh and was immune to the nauseating odor and was now nonchalant of the blood and lack of sanitation. Rats and disease now ruled here, but he was unaffected. However, the expressions on the victims' faces, the fact that they remained unburied, without mourning sickened him. A frown crossed his face. So many innocent people…

He kept walking. Alone. At least, for the time.

From the tops of some of the dilapidated buildings appeared three of Hiei's ninja guard, dressed in black and ready to kill.

One of them made its way behind him and held his arms behind him. Another stood directly in front of them, face hidden by a mask, the same as its partners.

"You are under arrest in the name of – ," a deep voice began, about to go into the excruciatingly long diatribe he had heard so much about given to those who really had done nothing wrong, but were to serve as playthings for the guard, who couldn't help but abuse their position to find new people to torture at every turn.

Before he got a chance to finish his sentence, however, the black-haired boy they had ganged up on lashed out, kicking him in a very sensitive area between his legs. Taking advantage of the three attackers' shock, he leaned his head back quickly in a sort of backwards headbutt and knocked out his bondsman. He then tossed him into the oncoming final ninja, throwing him back into the man who had tried to read him his 'rights'.

They tried to rise from the pile on the ground. Their target withdrew a kunai from his belt and began to slowly advance on them. #3 shoved the guy on top of him off and began to rush him. Blood sprayed into the sky.

The 'officer' looked on as his second partner fell to the ground. Terrified, he fled when he saw a glare aimed his way.

He walked on.

"Hey, you!" someone called out to him. He turned around, for the person was behind him. "Yeah, you! Wait up!" a girl requested, waving to him and running to catch up to him. He didn't stop long. He didn't 'wait up'.

She did finally reach him, though. "Hey!"

He glared at her. She was way too trusting. Too outgoing. Best to ignore her. She struggled to keep up with his brisk pace.

"Hey, why are you alone?" she asked, alongside him.

"I've always been alone," he told her.

"Oh." That seemed to shut her up, but she still followed. Actually, it only kept her quiet for a moment. "Hey, you were really great back there. Man, you can fight!"

"Thanks," he replied in a monotone, hoping she'd get the message and leave him alone. Wrong.

"Um, I'm guessing you're not one of Hiei's guys. Listen, me and my friend have been battling against him forever. We could use a guy like you on our team. What d'ya say? Come on," she suggested.

"I work alone."

"Please? A fighter like you could really help us out," she pleaded.

"No," he answered firmly. Firmly enough to get the point across that no amount of pathetic begging could convince him to aid her or her stupid friend. She halted, disappointed. He did not.

"Can you at least tell me your name?" she inquired quietly, barely loud enough for him to hear her. He paused, contemplating.

"Sawyer. My name is Sawyer." He walked on.

"Sawyer," she nodded, mulling the word over on her tongue, dedicating it to memory. "Sawyer."

He was about to abandon this town for good, when noise from a fray reached his ears, arousing his curiosity. He tracked the sound to its source, keeping himself hidden.

It was the girl from earlier, some unconscious soldiers scattered around her. She was completely surrounded by men in the well-known uniforms of Hiei's police. They all had smirks on their faces that clearly stated their perverted intentions, taunting her with rude and disgusting offers that no self-respecting woman would even think to accept.

He couldn't quite catch what the commander who approached her said, but it was impossible not to hear her response. "NO WAY, SICKO!"

This seemed to be the signal for them to switch to the offensive. He debated jumping in, but waited to see how she could do on her own.

It appeared that she could handle herself. They came at her, but she fended them off well, especially for a girl. It was obvious that she was well trained.

When they had all ceased, having either run off or fallen, she continued to twirl her choice weapon, a pole that he had failed to notice previously, prior to its disappearance. He had no idea where she had put it, nor was he sure that he was all that eager to know.

She grinned, pleased at her handiwork, then left before the reinforcements one of them had called for had time to arrive. She passed by where he had concealed himself, and stopped short in surprise as she found herself face-to-face with the boy she had met only once.

There was just something about her.

"Oh…Sawyer, right?" she asked uneasily, uncertain what to say.

"Hey, is that position still open?" he wondered aloud.

"Huh?" she responded, confused.

"Do you still want my help?" he clarified. It was the first time he had actually volunteered to assist anyone. It was uncomfortable, but something told him to; something led him to believe that this was the right decision to make. Something that forced him to want to help this girl.

She smiled.

That was how the one known as Sawyer joined their team.