Kiku, Yong Soo, and Lei stood as the ship pulled into the harbor. Yong Soo whistled, putting his hands on his hips. "This is a big ship! Is all of it for us?" He asked, looking at Lei. "Hai. Yao-nii-san wanted some more weapons for our squads and factions, not to mention our food rations are on the ship, for us and our livestocks. I also overheard him making plans for another Chinatown…." Kiku informed. "Haaah? Another one? Isn't it like, his fifth one this month?" Lei asked. "Yep." Kiku just replied, stepping forward as the ship's gangway descended.
"Oh if it isn't the Unholy Trio." A man grunted, stepping down to greet the ones transferring the goods. He wore his long hair in a plait, wearing mainly furs. On his back, multiple weapons such as daggers, swords, halberts, and bows and arrows, his face cold and unmerciful. "Konichiwa Altansarnai-san…" Kiku greeted back with a bow, a bit coldly. "Yo Altansarnai! Haven't seen you in a while. Guess that mission in Russia's got you all tangled up huh?" Yong Soo greeted, walking up to the Mongolian with a smile. "Idiot. He's been keeping an eye in Mongolia, his business in Russia finished months ago." Lei informed, hitting the Korean on the back of the head. "Ow Lei~! This is not cool! Hitting did not originate in Korea da~ze!" Yong Soo whined, holding his head.
"Shut up."
As the two were bickering, a young girl peered around the door, looking down at the group at the harbor. Yong Soo looked up at the door, noticing the young girl standing at the door of the ship. "Oh Li Ann! You're here too?" He smiled, waving up at her. Lei looked up too, catching her brown eyes in his golden brown ones. Li Ann instantly yipped, ducking her head back inside, then back out, looking at the Korean and the Chinese boys.
"Hey when are you going to stop being shy? Besides you're blocking the doorway!"
Li Ann felt a light shove, forcing her to lightly stumble towards the centre of the door. "S-Sorry Zamrud…" She smiled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head. She moved down the gangway as two other girls followed behind her.
"Oooooh! Zamrud and Aisyah as well! I haven't seen you guys in forever!" Yong Soo smiled, waving at them as they came down. "Selamat pagi, Pak Yong Soo." Aisyah bowed, the Indonesian girl then looking to her Singaporean and Malaysian comrades. "Konichiwa Aisyah-san, Zamrud-san, Li Ann-san. Do you have the list?" Kiku asked, turning his attention towards the girls. "Right here." Zamrud smiled, handing him three clipboards.
Kiku hummed, skimming through the lists. "Right, seems that everything is in order. Food in docking bay one, weapons in bay two, building supplies in bay three. Lei, take care of food, Yong Soo, building supplies, and I'll take care of weapons." Kiku ordered, handing Lei and and Yong Soo their designated clipboards.
"Aw, why can't I get food?" Yong Soo whined. "Because your fat mouth will eat it all." Lei muttered as he walked past him. "Hah I do not~!" Yong Soo whined, following the teenager. Kiku watched them leave, then turned his head back to the four from the boat.
"Anyway, thank you for helping us with our supplies." Kiku thanked. "I-It's no worries. Honestly…" Li Ann smiled. Altansarnai turned around looking at the three girls. "Aisyah, you go help Yong Soo. Zamrud, help Kiku. Li Ann, help Lei." He commanded. "Eh? What about you Altansarnai?" Li Ann asked, tilting her head.
"I'll be on the ship telling the men where to go of course." Altansarnai sighed, heading back up the ship. "Head to your stations. The supplies will head to you soon." He ordered. "Yes sir!" The girls saluted, Li Ann and Aisyah running after their superiors.
"Come." Kiku muttered, walking to docking bay one. "Y-Yes sir!" Zamrud stuttered, following him. The two walked in silence, the tension still between them. Although they had forgiven him on what he did in the past, the people he hurt still sometimes thought about it. "Are you okay?" Kiku asked, stopping and turning around to face her.
"H-Huh? I-I'm fine…." She stuttered, forcing a smile. "Are you sure? You're not seasick are you?" He asked, his voice filled with worry and placed a hand on her forehead. "I'm fine! Really!" She smiled, backing away with her hands in a defensive position. "We should just get these supplies to the mansion!" She smiled, walking ahead. Kiku watched her head to the docks, he could tell why she was getting defensive. Guess he still had blood on his hands….
A man stood out from behind the tall crates, adjusting his sunglasses. He chuckled, tapping his nail decorated bat on his shoulder. "Wow, he looks exactly like him…. But he seems so different… Ah well, should almost be time." He smiled before going back behind the crate.
"S-So Lei, how's life in the house? It's been a while since we've all lived there…." Li Ann asked, trailing behind Lei. "Same as always. How about you? How's life on the high seas?" Lei asked, as he kept on walking. "Aiya it's alright… My sisters and I are all vice-captains, while Altansarnai looks after all of us." She smiled. "Sometimes I miss everyone in the house… but I feel so free on the seas! It's amazing lah!" She sighed happily.
"Free huh….?" Lei thought. "Sounds great..." Was all he managed to say as they approached the vans. The two stopped, an assistant running up to them giving a salute. "Xiānshēng Lei, Xiǎojiě Li Ann, the vans are all waiting for your command." He saluted. Lei nodded, turning around to Li Ann. "Come on, let's get started." He said with a straight face. "Yes sir!" Li Ann saluted, walking up to the vans, clipboard in hand.
Suddenly Li Ann stopped, looking up and behind her. She stared at the containers stacked to the sky, humming in thought. "Li Ann? Something wrong?" Lei asked, turning around. "Just thought I sensed something…. It's probably nothing lah…." She said, turning back and waking towards the vans.
"Aw man! I was hoping to snack on some kimchi or some pokey sticks or something…." Yong Soo grumbled as the men piled the building supplies into one of the black vans. "Pokey sticks originated in Korea by the way!" Yong Soo beamed as he put his hands on his hips, looking at Aisyah. "Right right….." She muttered, writing down on the papers on the clipboard. "Put that crate in that van." She ordered two men carrying a crate, pointing to one of the multiple vans lined up. "Yes ma'am!" They replied, moving to the van.
"Oi Aisyah, can I have a snack?" Yong Soo asked. "Tidak." She replied, not looking up from the clipboard. "Aw come on Aisyah, I didn't have breakfast this morning!" He wined, leaning over shoulders. "Have an apple." She simply said, stuffing an apple into his loud mouth which made him shut up and stumble back. "Now can you focus on the task here?" She asked. "Y-Ye…." He grumbled, reaching up for the apple and taking a bite.
As he took a slight bite, he stopped as if he sensed something. He stood there frozen, eyes closed, as his senses heightened, sounds, vibrations, and even smells swirling around him. He concentrated, a feeling that something wasn't right. His eyes suddenly snapped open, and tackled Aisyah to the ground.
"Get down!" He yelled, as multiple explosions erupted from the vans. Everyone screamed, dropping whatever they were carrying and running for cover. Yong Soo stayed on the ground protecting his Indonesian comrade by shielding her body from the heat and falling debris as the explosions kept coming.
"What was that?!" Kiku gasped, hearing the explosions from the other dock as everyone stopped due to the tremors. Lei and Li Ann watched in shock and horror as they saw the flames rise from the dock. Altansarnai rushed to the side of the boat, his subordinates running to the side as well watching smoke rise from the third bay. His eyes widened, frozen on the spot by the scene. "Erkhem ee! What are your orders?" A guard asked. Altansarnai tsked, running to the gangway. "Protect the ship! I'm going over there!" He ordered.
As he just got off the gangway, a sharp object landed in front of his feet, causing him to stop in his tracks. Altansarnai stared at object, his mind processing what was in front of him. "A hockey stick?" He muttered to himself.
"I wouldn't if I were you…"
Altansarnai looked up, a shadowy figure walking up to him, pulling the hockey stick out of the concrete. His eyes were widened, at the person in front of him. "Y-You're…! No… you're not him… you only look like him….who are you?!" Altansarnai demanded, staring at the flannel dressed man.
"That's not important…. What is, however…" The man pointed to Altansarnai's furs. "What you are wearing…. I hate poachers, or people associated with them. Are you a poacher, or someone associated with them?" He growled. Altansarnai stared at him, wondering what he meant by that. "These are only traditional garments from my home. That is all." Altansarnai said with a slight growl. That was enough for the man to hear.
He ran up to him, hockey stick drawn back, eyes filled with rage. Altansarnai quickly pulled a halberd from behind his back, defending himself just in time. He got a good look into his attacker's eyes. They were filled with hatred and rage. "You killed animals for a sick fashion sense…. That I cannot forgive!"
When the explosions ceased, Yong Soo sat up, holding Aisyah's head close to his chest in case of another attack. Aisyah held up her hands to his chest, trying to look around as well. She gasped, seeing wood and metal scattered everywhere, most of the squads dead from the explosion or from the materials impacting them in a fatal matter.
"Aisyah, are you alright?" Yong Soo asked, looking her in the eye. She looked up at him, confused. "Y-Yeah…" She nodded.
"Yong Soo! Aisyah!"
They heard screams, and they looked up, Kiku, Lei, Li Ann, and Zamrud running up to them when the danger was clear. "Guys!" Yong Soo yelled, still holding Aisyah. "Are you two okay?!" Zamrud called. "Yeah we're fine!" Yong Soo called back, standing up with Aisyah in his arms
"What happened here?!" Kiku asked, hand clutched to his katana as he looked around. "Chain reaction explosion… Almost everything is destroyed…" Aisyah explained through pants. Kiku tsked, then looking at Lei. "Lei and Zamrud! Tell Yao-nii-san what happened, and get the vans from docks one and two to the emergency warehouse! Li Ann, call for backup! Yong Soo, Zamrud, and I will try look for survivors!"
Everyone scattered, Li Ann running towards the ship, Zamrud running to docking bay one, and Lei to docking bay two, while the others tried to search for survivors of the blast.
Li Ann ran as fast as she could to the ship, panting and praying that everyone would be okay. As she turned the corner, she gasped as she was greeted by a man with red hair, sporting a dark brown jacket with sunglasses, and carrying a bat with nails. He gave a smirk, flicking his sunglasses up, his red eyes staring into Li Ann's soul.
"Sorry hon, can't let you do that. My bro's got to settle a grudge, and he'd kill himself if he hurt a pretty and cute face like yours…" He smirked, walking up to her casually and stroked her cheek. Li Ann stood there, frozen, not knowing what to think. Her mind raced with a million questions, shaking up. It couldn't be them…. She knew them from her childhood days, they would never do something like this. "I on the other hand…."
He suddenly grabbed her by the throat and held her up in the air. Li Ann gasped sharply, holding her hands to his, trying to breath. She gagged and gasped, gritting her teeth. "Am not like my brother. Shame I have to kill you…." He smiled evilly. "P-Please… Al…!" She gasped, feeling her trachea getting crushed by his grip. "Hah? You're begging? Pathetic…" He smiled, holding up his nail bat behind his back. Li Ann watched with squinted eyes, then closed them, preparing for the pain.
"Stop."
A voice called out, calmly. "How can you hurt a young girl with her life ahead of her?" The voice continued. "Aw come on, let me have this one!" She heard her attacker whine. She opened one eye with a grit, seeing a man in a flannel shirt behind him, carrying a bloody fur coat, looking just like her attacker minus the hair colour. Her eye opened further, praying that coat wasn't what she thought it was…
"Tsk. Fine." He growled, tossing her to the side. "Gah!" Li Ann yelled, rolling on the concrete. When she stopped rolling, she pushed herself up, coughing violently, her long black hair covering her face.
"Anyway, our duty here is done. Let's go." The man in the flannel shirt sighed and threw his coat near Li Ann, his brother tsking as he followed. Li Ann held her throat, watching the two leave, then looked at the coat. She pushed herself up, her body shaking as she did.
"W-Wait…" She said in a hoarse voice, but it was enough for the brothers to hear her. They turned around, watching her wobble on her two feet, then looked at them with blood dripping down her face. "Who are...?" She gagged, her breath only coming in through a slither. The twins looked at each other, then the red haired man looked at her with a toothy smirk. "As if we'd tell you bitch. If you want to know, find out yourselves."
The two began to walk away again, until they were out of her sight. She then heard a huge explosion, this time from the ship. She gasped, and ran to the ship, picking up the bloodstained coat on the way. As she reached closer and closer to the ship, she felt an immense heat. She turned the corner and stopped at the sight, dropping the coat.
The ship was on fire. Her mind blanked, blocking out any noise of screaming or crashing. Her vision hazed a bit, before looking down, seeing Altansarnai lying in a bloody heap. She tried to yell out, but either her voice was out, or her ears wouldn't register her yells.
She ran as fast as she could, not even thinking. She didn't care that her mind was fuzzing in and out. She didn't care that she couldn't breathe. All she knew was to get him out of there. She slid by his side, shaking him. His eyes almost looked dead, his body still seeping blood. Another explosion happened on the ship, a few crates and shredded metals flying off the ship. She had to get out of there! She picked Altansarnai and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, her petite body trying to get them out of there as fast as possible.
Suddenly the ship exploded, forcing Li Ann and Altansarnai to fly forward. Li Ann screamed, feeling the heat burn her back. Both of them skidded on the floor, Li Ann hitting her head, causing her head to bleed. Her vision came in and out of conscious. The last thing she saw was a fuzzy vision of Kiku and Yong Soo panicking, trying to yell something at her, tears falling from their eyes. She could feel their tears splash on her cheeks, as everything faded out.
Xiānshēng (先生) = Sir
Xiǎojiě (小姐)= Miss
Tidak = No
Erkhem ee = Sir