Chapter 10 - Innocent Criminals
"Lina-San? Hello? Are you there?" Tapping against Lina's shoulder from behind, Xellos tilted his head to the side when the redhead shook her head wildly and turned around quickly, her red dagger in hand and ready for anything.
"WHAT JUST HAPPENED?" She frantically asked as she hysterically looked around her.
"You didn't answer my question." The inspector informed her, quickly snapping her back to reality.
"A-A-Answer what?"
"The rumors." Staring at him for a long while, Lina lowered her eyes at her body. Her clothes were still on. Moving her fingers over her face, she felt nothing. Did she just daydream it all? Lina looked up at Xellos, who was still staring at her with slightly raised eyebrows. He watched her grabbed his black suit jacket and ripped it open, allowing her to look over his covered body. Did she just daydream of doing sexual activities with this man? But, Lina's throat went dry, it felt so real. She distinctly remembered moaning loud, using her mouth for his pleasure, and experiencing his teasing bites on the nubs of her nipples like a chew toy. Did she really create all that in her mind?
"My eyes are up here, Lina-San." Xellos took Lina's chin with his gloved fingers and tilted her head up, making her look at him. He gave her a handsome smile and her face instantly got hot. He gave her the same smile when he had his fingers deep inside of her. She can still feel his steamy breath brushing against her ear as he whispered sexy murmurs of lust while his fingers tortured her. Feeling the spreading liquid running through her lower lips just from recollecting her dream, Lina uncomfortably pulled away from his hand, an expression of doubt on her face.
"I-I was… checking on something."
"On my body?" He said with that annoying, sexy smile.
"MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!" Turning around so fast that her ponytail slapped him across his face, Lina crossed her arms over her chest and looked through the tiny peek hole that was on her side of the barrel. "Go back to staring at your hole! The Alliance of the East can come any second!"
"My, my, my, so angry." Xellos turned back around with Lina's red hair still sprawled over his face, he return to polishing the round ruby stone at the top of his solid black cane. "You don't have to be so rude. I was merely stating facts."
"I don't want to hear it." Lina snorted loudly. He sighed and continued to polish his stone. Crouching between her bent legs, Lina placed her chin over her knees. What the hell is going on? Why the hell did she daydream those nasty and dirty deeds with Xellos, of all people? Almost immediately, her eyes got slightly hurt.
In her daydream, her mind was screaming at her. Telling her over and over again that she was in love with Gourry but she ignored it and willingly gave her body to Xellos. Why did she dream of having sex with him and not with Gourry? Is her mind and heart telling her two different things? Is her mind telling her that she is in love and her heart, showing her a different thing that she is not?
No, Lina instantly shook those questions out of her head. She IS in love with Gourry. She has been since their first hunt together. They've just been so busy with protecting Phil that they haven't had sex since the day he left with Zelgadiss to chase after that criminal, weeks prior. It was lack of sex, Lina mentally told herself with a pout. And really, Lina looked over her shoulder and watched Xellos polishing his ruby stone; of all people… she would NEVER be so desperate to have sex with this shithead. He's fucking law enforcement. He was like the same group of shitheads who made her, Gourry, and Filia run to Saillune with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Turning back to the hole on the barrel, Lina let out a sigh of relief and simply let the daydream disappear in the darkness of her mind.
"I don't think they are coming." Filia leaned against the edge of Amelia and Zelgadiss's table. "Some of the customers have left for home and there is nobody who looks anything like the wanted men."
"I don't understand." Amelia cleaned her bowl of ice cream and pushed it away from her. "Daddy announced to everyone in the town meeting that he believed that the threat for his life was over and he was coming to this grand opening, unguarded. The Alliance would've been there to hear it."
"It's us." Zelgadiss kept his eyes moving to every gentleman's face. "They recognize us."
"The only people they should recognize are Lina and Gourry but with all that hair combed out of his face, Gourry looks like a whole different person and Lina is outside hiding with the Namagomi." Filia had already made an invisible rule to never mention that Karaat Inspector by his first name, ever. Sighing, Zelgadiss turned his body towards the center table, grabbing the attention of Val. He gave a certain motion with his hand, signaling him for plan B, in which Val nodded and asked for the check.
"Let's get out of here." Zelgadiss stood up and motioned for Gourry to follow. The team left the restaurant to regroup with their team leader while Amelia joined with her father nearby the front doors.
"What is going on, Amelia?" Phil asked softly.
"We think that the Alliance recognized us." She opened her purse to pay for her bill. "We're going to regroup and think of another plan." Just as she was about to give the shop owner a wad of cash, the front doors of the restaurant opened and a group of beautiful women of different sizes walked in. Walking in the front was a young woman with long red hair, looking fairly similar to Lina; she had on a pair of brown tight pants and a white tank top with a dark brown cowboy hat and thick gloves. There was a large covered sword that was strapped around her back. Next to her was a slightly taller older woman, bangs chopped above her eyes and dark purple hair pulled back into a ponytail. This woman had on an unusual white dress that stopped above her knees and had a black sash around her waist with three long swords strapped. Beside her, a tall woman with pink hair with pigtails wore a very worried expression on her face. Wearing a long black and pink dress with long sleeves, it dragged slightly behind her heels.
Amelia stared at the three women with suspicion, especially at the young woman in the front. It was probably because other than Lina-San, this woman was the second person she ever saw who wore pants in public. Combing her long red hair with her fingers, the girl tossed her head back and smiled wickedly. She even looked like Lina.
"Well, girls," Her two cohorts tilted their heads to their smaller comrade. "Time for this party to begin." Amelia's eyes widen, she gasped when she heard loud commotion from the back of the restaurant. She turned her head to the kitchen and saw three other women standing at the doorway to the kitchen. One was the obvious oldest member in the group. Towering over the other girls, the orange-haired older woman had her hair made into a large bun on top of her head with a long navy dress, in her hand with a large iron club. The two girls standing on each side of her were identical twins with long purple hair. Wearing the same maroon and black lace saloon dresses that lifted mid-thigh in front and dragged long lengths behind black 4-inch heels, one twin had a black feather while the other had a white one tucked in their long hair.
Amelia looked around the restaurant. The entire team was outside and possibly leaving at this very moment. Biting her lower lip, she watched the woman with pants walk over to her and her father, who was conversing with a lad in his police force.
"Why, hello, there." Amelia kept her position between her and Phil, her arms extended to prevent her from getting any closer.
"Please." Amelia whispered, her eyes glancing from the three in front of her and the three women behind her. "Stop this."
"Unfortunately, I don't take orders from Daddy's girl." The small woman looked past Amelia and to one of the twins with the black feather. "Do it, Mimi." Mimi lifted her dress higher up her leg and revealed a black thigh holster that held a fairly large revolver. She took it out and raised the end of it to the roof. Releasing three bullets, the entire restaurant screamed and everyone ducked under their tables. Once the eatery got quiet, Mimi returned her gun back into her holster and nodded to her leader.
"Thank you for coming, Ladies and Gentlemen!" The leader announced loudly. Lifting her hands into the air, the redhead spread a large smile across her face. "WE are the ALLIANCE OF THE EAST." Phil's eyes grew; he had his arms blocking a young family of multiple children from their view.
"My name is Marlene." She grabbed her large double-handed sword out of its sheath and set it on her shoulder. "Team leader of this delicious group of powerful women from all over the East, let me introduce you to my comrades." Marlene turned her body to the two ladies standing at the blocked front entrance.
"Over there with the three rapiers," The beautiful woman with intense and aggressive eyes took out two rapier swords and carried each of them in her hands. "Her name is Remii. Deadly with a sword and coupled with her gorgeous looks, she is a master swordswoman and can kill anybody in a half a second."
"It's a pleasure." Remii bowed her body forward.
"The worry-wart next to her is Laia." The taller woman with pink pigtails smiled nervously, a slight blush appearing over her face. "But don't be deceived by this apprehensive character, Laia is the smartest and most trustworthy woman I know. And did I mention," From under her long dress skirt, an abundant of miniature robots rushed out and began to create havoc in the restaurant. "She is a mad scientist?"
"Not mad, Marlene-Chan." Laia said with such tenseness. "I prefer to be called an inventor-"
"Inventor of useless things." The woman with the iron club snorted making Laia frown.
"Oh yes, this is Gioconda-" Marlene was quickly interrupted when the woman cleared her throat loudly; a slight glare appeared on the older woman's face. "I mean, this is DUCHESS Gioconda."
"Much better." Duchess Gioconda smirked. Crossing her arms over her chest, the woman tapped her long fingernails on her iron weapon as she stared at Amelia intensely.
"And we're the incredible acrobat twins," The twin with the white feather in her hair moved next to her sister and pressed their backs against each other. "My name is Nene, master martial artist and chosen weapon," Reaching between her cleavage, she slipped out a stiletto dagger and ran it up her throat to her bottom lips. "Dagger."
"My name is Mimi, master martial artist and weapon of choice," Mimi wrapped a loose arm around her sister's neck and grinded her pelvis against her as she lifted her dress to allow everyone to see the gun that was strapped on her thigh. "Revolver."
"Twins." Gioconda rolled her eyes.
"Now that we are properly introduced," Marlene walked around Amelia and stepped in front of her father, Phil just kept his position in front of the young family of children. "The show won't get good unless someone volunteers." She moved her thick blade next to Phil's head and smiled.
"Would you like to be my little helper, Police Commissioner?"
"If I go with you, you will leave everyone out of this?" He asked.
"As long as nobody gets in the way," With a snap of her fingers, Mimi and Nene cartwheel past them and stopped next to Amelia, they grabbed Phil's daughter by the arm and pressed their weapons to her neck. "Your precious daughter will be safe."
"Amelia!" Phil moved but only to have Marlene push him against the wall with her blade.
"Don't worry about me, Daddy," Amelia smiled at her father confidently. "I'll be fine."
"Listen to her, Daddy." Marlene chuckled and motioned him to follow her with her finger. "Now, follow me or you'll never see your precious daughter alive ever again." Wincing at her threat, Phil obediently walked after the small woman to the front entrance with Gioconda behind him, her iron club on her side.
"Now, do you REALLY think it's going to be THAT easy?" The Alliance stopped the instant they heard her voice. It was the voice of Lina Inverse. They looked around the restaurant but were unable to spot her.
"Remii. Laia." Marlene called them and the two ladies ran around the crowded eatery. The small robots bounced from chandelier to chandelier, looking high and low for the most dangerous woman in the East.
"She's not here, Marlene." Laia returned unsuccessfully.
"SEARCH AGAIN." Locking the front doors, Marlene shoved Phil against the wall and kept in front of him. "When you find her, don't attack. It will only provoke her. I will handle her."
"You sound so confident. Reminds me of someone." Lina laughed, her voice echoed throughout the restaurant.
"Like who, Lina?" Gourry asked, even his voice echoed the eatery.
"Like me, Idiot. Now, shut up." She snapped at him. Clearing her throat, Lina and Gourry kept their positions in the dark room above the restaurant. Through the cracks, she glanced at Filia and Zelgadiss, who had managed to slip back into the restaurant and pretended to be like the scared customers under the table. "You're up against the best. Why don't you give up?"
"The Alliance of the East NEVER gives up!" Marlene snarled, snapping her fingers again to Mimi who pulled back the hammer of her revolver. "Now, come out or the precious baby will get her head blown into pieces!"
"Amelia." Lina called her and Amelia moved her head in response. "You're not going to stand for that, are you?" Growing a large smile, Amelia released a soft giggle and with a sudden twist of her body, she shoved the dagger and revolver away from her neck and to the ceiling, exactly where Lina and Gourry were hidden. Mimi pulled the trigger and the bullet zipped just past Gourry's hand, making him yelp a loud.
"UP THERE!" The team leader pointed above her. "THEY ARE UP THERE! SHOOT!"
"Not so fast!" Zelgadiss leaped out from under the table, in each hand was his gun. With one pointed at Marlene and the other at the closet person with a weapon which was Remii, he smirked when they froze. "You shoot and you're dead."
"Not if I can't help it!" Laia shouted and pulled her dress skirt up to her knees. "Go my Gollum bots!" A flood of robots that looked like it was made from rocks poured out of her dress and rushed at Zelgadiss. Blasting his rounds at them, he was able to destroy as much rounds he had in his bullet chamber. He was soon covered in the tiny robots, hitting and overpowering him.
"Take this!" Duchess Gioconda leaped into the air with her iron club over her head. She was aiming for Zelgadiss but was blocked by Filia's own iron spiked mace.
"Where do you think YOU'RE going?" Filia smirked; the mace shook just as Gioconda's club shook with it. "You're fight is with me."
"Then let's go, grandma." Gioconda snarled. A sudden gasp left Filia's lips, shoving Gioconda off her mace and jumping back to create distance between them, Filia pointed her iron weapon at her opponent.
"GRANDMA? I AM A WOMAN OF THIRTY! WHAT ARE YOU? YOU ARE THE GRANDMA!"
"HOW DARE YOU? I AM A DUCHESS!"
"A DUCHESS WHO WEARS LAYERS UPON LAYERS OF PAINT!" Filia insulted. Aggravated, Gioconda rushed forward and began the duel. Unable to get his sword, Zelgadiss had a difficult time with the rock robots covering his body, he growled when he spotted Remii sprinting at him with both rapiers extended.
"I got you, Zel!" Breaking through the ceiling, Gourry jumped in between Zelgadiss and Remii, he easily blocked her two rapiers with his one sword. Remii looked over Gourry's handsome face and at the double-edge sword that he was carrying. She smirked and jumped a few feet back, making space.
"You must be Gourry Gabriev."
"You know me?" Gourry pointed to himself.
"Of course, I know you. You are the best swordsman in this known planet." Moving both rapiers in one hand, she grabbed her third sword on her hip and smiled. "But do you know who the best swordswoman in this planet is?"
"Who?" He tilted his head.
"That's me." She opened her mouth and set her third rapier in her mouth, allowing her to use three swords at the same time. Gourry yelped when she lunged forward and dodged the two rapiers in her hand, his sword blocking the third one that was swinging at his head.
"L-Lady!" He turned tail and began to run around the restaurant, refusing to fight a woman. Meanwhile, Lina landed in front of Marlene and smiled big, one hand on her hip and the other occupied with her revolver.
"So," Marlene winced at the sudden appearance of the great Bandit Killer. "Are you going to give up or will I have to wash your blood off my clothes tonight?"
"I told you before," The team leader of the Alliance growled. She got off of Phil and rushed at Lina, swinging her heavy thick sword with both hands. "THE ALLIANCE WILL NEVER GIVE UP!" Dodging the slow moving blade, Lina was able to jump out of the way and watched the girl stumble forward when her heavy blade broke a wooden table into pieces. She looked over her opponent. This chick is the team leader of the incredible Alliance of the East? What happened to the wanted photos that Xellos showed her? They were supposed to be all men.
More importantly, Lina scanned around the restaurant, where the hell is he anyways? One second he was in the wooden barrel they were sharing and the next second, he vanished just when shit began to happen!
"That flake!" Lina dodged another heavy attack from Marlene easily. When she finds that useless cop, she's going to teach him a lesson that he will never forget! Beside her, Amelia had Mimi pinned against the floor with her legs while blocking every attack that her twin sister was throwing at her. She hissed when the blade in Nene's hand slashed against her cheek, Amelia grabbed the twin's wrist and flipped her over her shoulder. Her tight dress was slowing her down. Gourry and Zelgadiss spun their head when they heard clothing ripping, a big blush appearing on their faces.
"This dress is so tight!" The petite woman ripped her red dress off her body, revealing her black lace bra and black tight mini-shorts. Lifting herself off of Mimi, she stretched her thin body and cracked her joints. Her hands were quickly covered in her leather black fingerless gloves; she shook the pins out from her hair and was able to move her body again. She was back to her usual tomboy appearance and it sent gallons of blood rushing out of Zelgadiss's nose that Gourry had to catch him from collapsing.
"Give me a BREAK." Lina rolled her eyes to see all the men in the restaurant staring intently at Amelia's thin and slender body. It was a free strip tease. Noticing them too, Zelgadiss twirled his head at them and snarled loudly, even though he was watching too.
"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?" He snapped and they fearfully looked away from Amelia's revealing body. Once the robots were finally off him, Zelgadiss removed his black jacket and tossed it to her. "WEAR IT, NOW!" He couldn't fight with a half-naked girl next to him. Especially when the half-naked girl is his date!
"But, Zelgadiss-San," Amelia blocked Mimi and Nene's flying kicks with just her one forearm. "If I wear this, it will slow me down-"
"WEAR THE DAMN THING OR I'M GOING TO SQUEEZE YOUR TITS UNTIL IT POPS!" Lina's scream overlapped Zelgadiss's protest.
"Lina-San, you are so mean to Amelia-Chan!" She cried and quickly pulled the jacket on.
"CLOSET PERVERT!" The redhead jumped to the side when Marlene slashed her heavy sword at her.
"This is getting fucking STUPID!" The team leader of the Alliance snarled. Whistling for her teammates, her gang looked up at her instantly. "Retreat!"
"But what about-"
"I SAID, RETREAT NOW! WE CAN COME AFTER THE TARGET ANOTHER TIME!" Marlene screamed and her entire team pulled back next to her. The bounty hunters rounded beside Phil, blocking the Alliance from taking him.
"GET BACK HERE AND FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED!" Lina shouted after them as they all sprinted out of the restaurant. Laia stopped just outside of the doors and unleashed another flood of miniature robots that jumped at the bounty hunters, preventing them from running after them. Lina snarled as the Alliance ran off into the darkness, she looked back at Filia who had managed to get all the mini robots off her.
"Stop them!" Filia nodded and separated from the rest of her friends.
Near the edge of town, the Alliance stopped for a breather next to an iron smith store. Panting for air, the girls leaned against each other as the twins were on the lookout.
"This operation is getting too risky." Laia was the first to speak. She straightened her body and looked at her small team leader. "We need to get more help-"
"What help?" Remii snorted immediately. "WE'RE the last ones alive, remember?"
"But if we contact the Alliance of the South, we can have a chance-"
"They're dead, Laia." Gioconda placed her heavy club on the ground and leaned her tall body on the side of the store. "They're all dead."
"We can't possibly be the last ones alive-"
"Look!" Marlene snapped loudly and turned her head to the worried girl beside her. "Our allies, families, and friends," She paused for a second to swallow her last wad of spit. "They are all DEAD."
"T-They can't be ALL dead." Laia whispered with a tear developing. "H-How can we… How can we do this on our own?" As she released a soft cry, the others watched as tears fell from the inventor's eyes. They looked at one another's slightly battered bodies and turned their heads away in shame.
"It's not like we have a choice." Marlene said softly. "If we don't do something, they are going to take over."
"They already took over the North, West, and some parts of the South. We might as well just give them the East." Not helping, Remii sat on the balls of her feet and sighed. "You saw the two that they sent out, didn't you?" She whispered with her eyes slightly closed. "You saw how horrible those two creatures were. They moved like bullets and fought with no care for life."
"And they weren't even the tough ones." The oldest woman chuckled pathetically. "Even the Great Bandit Killer, Lina Inverse and her team of hunters were barely able to kill them. And if we can't go up against Lina Inverse, we will definitely be murdered if we fight against one of them." Laia let out a loud sob, her face buried into the palms of her hands.
"Laia…" Marlene looked sympathetically at her best friend and touched her shoulder. "It'll be okay-"
"I-I want to go home!" She sobbed loudly, making everyone wince at her words. "I want to go home and have everything back to the way it used to be!" As Laia cried, Mimi was the first to see Lina and her team running down the road.
"It's them!" She shouted to the rest of her team. "They're coming straight at us!"
"We need to move, now!" Grabbing Laia's hand, Marlene led the others out of the dark alley and sprinted toward the entrance of town.
"OH, NO YOU DON'T!" Lina screamed the moment she saw them. "YOU ARE NOT GOING TO ESCAPE THAT EASILY!" Remii scowled to spot the infamous redhead closing in on them and called for her leader.
"They're gaining!"
"Don't worry!" Marlene stared at the opened front gates of Saillune. "Once we get out of this town and into its surrounding woods, we can lose them!" Just as they were so close to running out of town, Filia rushed in the middle of the road with a large pack strapped on her back. Holding a rubber hose in her hands, she flipped a switch on the side of the pack and held her position as the fuel cans against her back began to bubble and run through the rubber hose.
When Lina spotted the weapon, she jumped out of the road with her team. Filia pulled the trigger and unleashed a ray of fire across the street. The Alliance screamed the instant the fire attached to their bodies, stopping them from running; they rolled on the dirt as they tried to stop the flames. Once the fire stopped, Marlene struggled to get off the ground only to have someone place a foot against her shoulder and push her down again.
"I think we're done here." Lina smiled. The leader glared at the Bandit Killer, she shoved Lina's foot off and snarled at her.
"TRAITOR!" Marlene screamed. "THE BANDIT KILLER IS A TRAITOR!"
"Traitor?" Her eyebrow curled. Lina angrily stared at the girl on the ground. "I'm not the one hired to kill a public official." She bent her body forward and grabbed Marlene by her shirt, lifting her slightly off the dirt. "If you ask me, I think that you're the traitor. I bet you even killed Milgazia."
"H-How dare you?" Remii growled next to Marlene, she looked up at Lina, not caring that Gourry's blade was set against her neck. "Milgazia-Sama is our teacher! He was the only one who believed in our talents!"
"He believed in us and we… we failed him!" Mimi cried, her hair was slightly singed off from the fire. As she buried her sad expression against her sister's shoulder, Marlene glanced at her team's sorrowful faces.
"The Alliance of the East," Zelgadiss flicked the last of the Gollum robots off his shoulder. He snorted loudly and crossed his arms. "I thought they were going to be a challenge." Finally lowering her eyes, Marlene let out a shaking breath and brought her hands to her lap. Unhanding Marlene's shirt, Lina took a step back and put her weapon into her holster. When none of them said anything, Lina motioned her team to put their weapons away.
"Look, we're unarmed. Talk, before I quit being nice." Looking back at her teammates, Marlene sighed hopelessly and opened her mouth.
"We're trying to prevent a takeover." She kept quiet as her teammates began to shout at her.
"What are you DOING, Marlene?" Nene squealed.
"The Bandit Killer is a traitor!" The oldest woman in the group pointed at Lina. "She's working for one of them!"
"One of them?" Lina lifted her eyebrow. One of who?
"Don't you remember what Milgazia said?" Marlene whispered. The rest of her team closed their mouths and turned their heads to the ground.
"If there is one person who can stop the wrath of terror in this world," She gulped and looked at Lina. "That one person would be Lina Inverse."
"He also said that if there is one person who can create an endless pool of death, that person would be Lina Inverse as well." Remii snorted behind her.
"What can I say?" The proud redhead shrugged her shoulders with a smirk. "It's a gift and a curse." Marlene jumped slightly back when Gourry knelt beside her, a kind smile appeared on his face.
"We're not traitors. We're the good guys." He told her. "We're just protecting Phil."
"Philionel El Di Saillune is NOT a good guy!" Mimi squeaked.
"My Daddy is the most good of all good guys in the world!" The twin screamed in fear as Amelia snapped at her with her fists ready to pummel her face in. Luckily enough, Zelgadiss grabbed a hold of her before she can do anything.
"Amelia is right. Philionel doesn't have a bad bone in his body." Filia crossed her arms. "You must have the wrong guy-"
"No, we have the right target. The two robot assassins were enough verification." Grabbing the handheld folded fan from her belt, Gioconda began to fan herself like a duchess would do. So, Lina pouted slightly, these girls knew about Kanzel and Mazenda. Then, that means that they must be here for the same reason.
"Does this have something to do with the Lithium mines?" Lina suddenly asked. All the team members of the so-called Alliance lifted their heads instantly. From the expressions shown on their faces, Lina smiled, she guessed right. "You are wasting your time. Phil has no knowledge of its location."
"But…" Marlene glanced around her teammates. "But Milgazia-"
"Milgazia was a paranoid and twisted man." Carefully dumping her flamethrower on the ground, Filia sighed and placed her hands to her hips. "As his previous partner, I won't be surprised if he made some of it up-"
"No, he wouldn't do that!" Laia shouted next to her. "Milgazia told us that Philionel El Di Saillune would know the location of the Lithium mines! He told us that Philionel El Di Saillune will lead us there and-and we can avenge our family and friends' death! He told us that we can stop the takeover!" With rolls of tears falling from her eyes, Laia released a loud sob and shook her head.
"M-My Daddy… a-and my b-big brother… they all died." Lowering her head, she buried her face into her hands. "They were murdered… by those… those horrible..." Lina glanced between Laia and Marlene's faces. They didn't seem like bad girls. Rather, they look like troubled teenagers that have nowhere else to turn too. And what did they mean by 'avenge our family and friends' death'? And takeover? What takeover?
"Laia, its okay-"
"SHUT UP, MARLENE!" Laia screamed at her best friend. "Don't you GET it? It's not going to be OKAY!"
"Laia…" Marlene watched as her pink-haired comrade cry next to her.
"They were ALL murdered… By those ROBOTS." The bounty hunters gasped and glanced at one another. Robots have gone after them too. Then, that means that these girls weren't working with the robots. Lina's eyes suddenly widen. Takeover. These girls were here to stop a takeover. When they mean a takeover, could they possibly mean-
"And you are WORKING for one of them!" Breaking Lina's concentration, Laia stood up from the dirt and pointed at her.
"What the hell are you talking about, kid?" Lina snorted loudly. "Lina Inverse works for nobody, except for HERSELF."
"True." Her comrades simultaneously agreed beside her.
"DON'T DENY IT! YOU ARE ALL WORKING FOR THAT ROBOT!" Robot? The redhead looked at her friends and they just shrugged their shoulders.
"Filia is a robot?" Gourry pointed to his boss whom just slapped his finger away.
"Sorry, kid, we don't know any robots."
"DON'T LIE TO ME!" Out of nowhere, Laia pulled a revolver out and aimed it between Lina's eyes. Calm, Lina just raised her eyebrow and looked at the shaking gun that the young lady held in her trembling hands.
"LAIA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Gioconda and Remii rushed to her but stopped the instant Marlene drew her extended arm out; she stepped behind her best friend and placed a hand on Laia's shaking shoulder.
"Laia. Put the gun DOWN."
"She's a traitor, Marlene. She's working for that robot. You SAW it, didn't you? You SAW it talking to her." Pulling back the hammer to her revolver, Laia released a shaking cry. "The same robot that killed my daddy…"
"Laia, please, CALM DOWN." Marlene looked at the gun that she was holding. "Please, you're going to get yourself killed-"
"I'M ALREADY DEAD." A cold statement whispered from Laia's lips made her best friend flinch. "Get out of here, Marlene." Laia hissed softly.
"W-What?"
"I said, get out of here." The pink-haired young lady ordered. Opening her mouth to protest, Marlene gasped when Laia turned her head to her, allowing her to see the emptiness in her eyes. "GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE YOU GET KILLED!"
"Marlene, let's go." Gioconda grabbed Marlene's tiny shoulder and pulled her slightly back. As she shook her head and tried to stay by her best friend's side, Marlene was dragged away and out of town with the remaining of her team. A smirk appeared on Lina's face.
"You know, as long as they keep running, the longer and more determined we'll be to catch them." Looking at Lina and her team, Laia lowered the revolver slightly and slipped a hopeless smile.
"You won't be able to catch them because they are already dead." Just when she said that, a loud chain of bullets were blasted from deep in the woods surrounding Saillune, a spray of horrible cries echoed to their ears that sounded like the remaining Alliance.
"Zel, Amelia. Check that out." Lina quickly ordered.
"I'm going too." Filia followed the two with her HMG strapped on her back. With Lina and Gourry's heads turned away, Laia took this opportunity to turn her revolver and shoved it into her mouth. Lina looked back when she heard the pull of the hammer.
"WAIT-" But Laia had pulled the trigger and had blasted a hole through her head.
They walked into a bloody mess. All the fleeing members of the Alliance were lying on the dirt, covered in bullet holes and releasing large amount of blood everywhere. For Filia and Zelgadiss, they were already used to the sight of bodies being disposed in front of them but Amelia; she released a sharp gasp and turned away immediately.
"If you want to be a huntress, Amelia, you won't look away." Zelgadiss whispered coldly. Grasping the thumping object below her chest, Amelia slowly turned back around and opened her eyes. She stared at the horrible faces of fear on each of the girl's faces. Her bottom lip began to tremble when she saw the dead twins. They were holding each other with their faces next to each other. Their last sisterly act.
"Just breathe." Filia knelt next to her when Amelia dropped to her knees. Burying her wet eyes against the palm of her hands, she remained silent as sorrowful tears spread down her cheeks. Zelgadiss took a few steps around the bloodbath. Judging from their fearful expressions and the way their bodies were configured, they saw something that spooked them and while they were trying to get away, it killed them. He looked over the body of the rapier user; she had more bullet holes then the rest of them. She was in the midst of taking out her swords when the bullets entered her. Zelgadiss picked up the large black bullet that was shot from the murder weapon. It was too big and long for a revolver. No, it was too small for a HMG. This was custom made. Whatever the weapon was, Zelgadiss could tell that it shot at rapid secessions like a HMG but it was more accurate and like a revolver. He looked up when he heard Amelia releasing a terrible cry. His heart dropped to the bottom of his stomach.
"Filia," Zelgadiss walked over. "Check the perimeters for any evidence of the murder weapon." As Filia reluctantly left the sobbing Amelia, Zelgadiss made sure she was at least a few feet away from the scene before taking the crying girl in his arms. He rarely gave hugs but when he does, it was only for Amelia and only when she cried. He undid the black bandanna that he kept around his neck to cover a large burn and gently wiped her tears. Unable to say a word, Amelia hiccupped a few times and looked at him with big watery eyes filled with loss and sorrow. Her eyes asked him a repeated question that even he knew he couldn't answer so he tried the best he can.
"Not always." He told her. Amelia's lower lip trembled. She just nodded and released more tears which he wiped away. Filia smiled from behind the thick bushes, she watched as Zelgadiss affectionately dried Amelia's face and giggled to herself. Like the private man that he was, Zelgadiss always had trouble showing his feelings in public, especially to the woman who he loved.
"I better get my bridesmaid dress ready." Filia sighed to herself.
"Always the bridesmaid, never the bride, Filia-San?" A cheery voice chuckled behind her. Turning instantly around with her heavy machine gun ready at her hip, she breathed in relief when she saw the purple-haired policeman standing in her way.
"You scared me, Namagomi." She muttered softly and suddenly, her eyes widen. Holding his trembling body upright with the use of his cane, Xellos chuckled weakly while blood leaked from the side of his stomach and chest.
"I apologize for scaring you." Taking a step forward, Filia yelped when his body gave up on him, he fell forward just as his black cane slipped out of his hand. Catching him in mid-air, Filia pulled him back to his feet only to have him lean his body against her side. Still chuckling to himself, he kept his head hung low as she carefully placed him on the ground. "But it was you who scared me with that hunk of metal."
"What happened to you?" Filia looked over his bullet wounds and tried to stop the flow of blood.
"Just had a run in with a fellow who had a very nasty temper." Xellos calmly spoke. Filia's eyes slightly widen when a drip of blood leaked from the edge of his lips. He noticed her wide-eyed stare and smirk.
"Why, Filia-San, are you possibly worried about this police officer?" When she didn't answer, Xellos's smirk only grew wider. "You must have a really hard time expressing your feelings, don't you?"
"As long as you keep being your bigheaded and arrogant self, I will have no trouble expressing my feelings towards you." She said with her turned-up nostrils in the air. Sighing, Xellos turned his head to the side and puckered his lips out.
"You are so not cute." Fortunately for him, Filia did not hear his last statement for she was calling Zel and Amelia over. As Zelgadiss and Filia helped the wounded man up, Xellos raised an eyebrow when they showed him the mutilated corpses. He kept silent as they carried him around the dead bodies. Just when they were setting the injured investigator against a tree, Lina and Gourry stepped out of the forest and spent only a few seconds to look over the damage. The redheaded huntress turned her head to Xellos, her eyebrows curled slightly.
"The information you gave us was wrong."
"The information I received was wrong." He corrected with a soft laugh. "Never trust a dying man's words-"
"This is no laughing matter, Xellos." Lina snapped. "Six innocent women are dead and I want to know why." She rushed to him and grabbed his collar, pulling him slightly off the tree trunk. Making him look straight at her, Lina glared at him furiously. "And the only lead that I have left is you. So you better tell me all you know, right now."
"Or what?" Xellos continued to smile.
"Or I'll make sure that you don't get back to Kataart in one piece." She threatened with her ruby eyes blazing. As much as Lina gave off her most fearful glare, the purple-haired man didn't move a muscle. He kept smiling and his eyes remained closed. Finally, he moved his hand into his jacket pocket and took out a dirty parchment.
"I never lied to you." He said softly. Lina glanced at the parchment and back at him. Setting him back on the tree, she swiped the letter from his hand and unrolled it. "I am under orders to stop the Alliance. I just didn't collect the correct information, is all." As Lina looked upon the parchment in her hand, the rest of her comrades looked over her shoulders. It was a wanted poster of a man covered in white bandages and wearing a black hooded cloak.
"Who the hell is this?" Zelgadiss asked rudely.
"His name is Seigram." Xellos smiled at Amelia as she tended to his wounds. "He is the other part of the reason why I am here."
"What does this wanted man have to do with Saillune?"
"He didn't have anything to do with Saillune at first but after seeing this bloody mess," He turned to look at the fallen bodies. "I believe this is the work of Seigram."
"You mean, he did this?" Gourry's eyes widen.
"There is no doubt about it."
"How do you know for sure?" Filia questioned, she crossed her arms over her chest. "You were wrong about the Alliance of the East so you could be wrong about this one."
"I'm hardly ever incorrect, except for the earlier mentioned." Xellos moved his eyes to the group of hunters in front of him. "But I'm afraid I'm correct in this one."
"How do you know?" Filia asked again.
"Well, for one, Seigram is a heavy machinist like you, Filia-San. Second, I am quite familiar with his work and this looks identical to it. And third," He sighed slightly. "Well, third, Seigram is a robot and he's looking for the Lithium mines as we speak."
"If you knew there was another fucking robot in our midst, why were you so fucking adamant in getting rid of the fucking Alliance of the fucking East?" Lina snarled, the wanted poster rolled tightly up in her hands.
"I thought you folks wanted to stop the group of dangerous women from killing off your precious Mayor-"
"YOU COULD'VE TOLD US ABOUT THE FUCKING ROBOT, YOU JERK!"
"It must've slipped my mind." A goofy smile spread across his face.
"LET'S HOPE THIS SLIPS YOUR MIND!" Lina began to repeatedly pound her fist into his head. After getting her off the bleeding and now bruised police officer, the redhead rubbed her throbbing temples and released a soft sigh of annoyance.
"Will this criminal go after my Daddy like the others?" Amelia asked worriedly.
"Knowing how tightly guarded the Mayor of Saillune is, Seigram won't risk showing his face." Xellos accepted his black cane from Gourry. "The other man, I'm not sure."
"What other man?"
"The other man who knows the location of the Lithium mines." While Xellos carefully got up on his feet with Amelia and Gourry's help, Lina looked down at the wanted poster of Seigram and nibbled her lower lip. Seigram, how much weaker is he from Kanzel? Or perhaps the question she should really be asking is, how much stronger is this bastard?