-Yuuko-

When Yuuko Watanabe woke up this morning, she would have never in a million years would have thought that she would end up tied up and in her own spare bag for random things that she had newly acquired to make the office that she occupied as homey as possible. The two people who had stealthily made their way into her office and pretty much swiftly "packed" her up were very polite about it, but that did not change the fact that they were kidnapping her in a rather difficult time. Still, having her tied up and in the bag in less than a minute was impressive. But no matter how often the girl apologised during the whole process, it didn't make Yuuko's predicament any more comfortable or their fate any less inevitable. This not being her first time being kidnapped, she slowly rubbed off the tape that was placed across her mouth and took a deep breath once that was gone. After her kidnappers had thrown out Antonio, they had quickly changed vehicles and were driving steadily into the opposite direction they had taken before. She had to hand it to these two, they weren't novices, and so polite, making their loss just such a waste for the future. The car drove quiet and steady, probably not attract any attention and then suddenly stopped again. Yuuko leaned carefully forward and removed her watch from her wrist with her teeth before she leaned back and relaxed her small body to get a bit more comfortable and to wait for the chip, that was implanted in her arm to send out a distress signal and her location to her friends.

"You know, we would be faster if you would let me drive." The female spoke up.

"I am not lost. We have just avoided three unofficial check points." The male replied frustrated.

"You know, I have an impeccable memory, Ii remember all check points and possible routes, I know the way out of here, but instead of me needing to focus on two things, the need to defend us AND telling you the directions, I could just drive while you contact the plane and make sure IF we do get chased, to get rid of them fast and efficient." The female reasoned.

"I don't know how well you can drive." The male rebutted.

"I took the same driving lessons from Tenoh-sama as you have." The female continued.

'Tenoh?' Yuuko listened up. It might be a rare name, but it wasn't impossible to encounter it.

"Many people have." The make countered.

"But not all passed. This is a compact car, you are clearly uncomfortable driving it. Please let me do my part as I have promised Myamoto-sama." The female insisted.

'Myamoto'….a name Yuuko hadn't heard in a long time outside of Japan.

"I can also just call Yaten and have him tell me the way out." The male insisted.

'Yaten?' many people are called Yaten, Yuuko told herself.

"He is busy manipulating all video feeds for us." The female argued, but before she could put in another reason, the car started again.

"We have no time for experiments in this traffic. The plane is leaving with or without us on it and Kakyuu said that Haruka doesn't have the time for any delay." The male said determined and drove more briskly off again.

Ok, now there were way too may coincidences, Yuuko thought to herself. Kakyuu, Haruka, Yaten….then again, all very common names…as is Myamoto…..but Tenoh…, Yuuko was struggling not to connect the dots that were screaming in her head.

"Abe-sensei also said …" but before the female could finish her sentence the car speed up further and sirens could be heard behind them.

"Shouldn't we stop for the police?" the female voiced.

"Those aren't police, those are from the Cosa Nostra." The male explained. "I saw them earlier when we walked the streets with Antonio, you are not the only one with a good memory."

'Oh no …no no no' Yuuko thought to herself…her tracker was faster than anticipated…or no, she should have waited with activating it until she was really sure who these two were.

Suddenly the driver made a sharp turn.


-Haruka-

She was lying on the forest ground again but no light was shining through the thick foliage above her. She felt insanely tired and she couldn't move any of her limbs. A sudden thunder in the distance indicated that the storm was coming closer but she had no energy to get up again. She was starting to think to herself that maybe this was it, the end of the road, and she was ok with that.

"Don't you even go there Ruka-nee." Haruto reminded her, as she noticed him sitting next to her.

"I am tired." Haruka sighed.

"I know sleepy head, but you are disgracing our training by staying here when it is obvious that a huge storm is coming our way. Come on. I carry you part of the way to the shelter over there." Haruto pointed at a cave in the foot of the mountain.

The mountain, they were nearly at their destination.

"Alright, lead the way." Haruka groaned as she got up and followed her brother.

The cave was dark but dry and Haruto got busy starting a fire. Just when the warmth of it hit her, Haruka realised how much she had been freezing.

"Don't sit too close to it, or you'll just start playing with it." Haruto warned her and she just nodded tired as lay down next to it.

"Hey, don't you fall asleep on me here. Who will play with me?" Haruto whined as Haruka closed her eyes.

"Five minutes. Let me just nap five minutes." Haruka grouched.

"I give you the whole night if you beat me in chess." Haruto challenged her.

Groggily she sat up again and nodded in agreement before she noticed that he had set up a whole array of chess boards.


-Taiki-

They were now being chased by three different cars and Taiki was pushing the small car to its limit as they drove through the various streets.

'Well, at least no one has started shooting yet,' he thought to himself as he took another turn to get out of Rome somehow.

"Kou-san, you need to take a right here." Shinobu instructed him and he took it as he saw that she pulled out her gun. Not a second later, the first shot flew just pass them and Shinobu climbed into the back of the car to retaliate as needed.

"Try not to kill anyone, it would be a diplomatic nightmare." Taiki reminded her.

"I only have 19 bullets, a quick head shot to the driver would be the most efficient and with the way you drive I cannot even be sure that I will only need three." Shinobu argued as she moved the bag with the professor into a safer position and positioned herself ready to shoot.

"We still need to get out and who knows when we might need them again." Taiki insisted.

Another shot flew this time through the back window, narrowly missing both of them.

"They clearly didn't get the memo of shooting to NOT kill." Shinobu mumbled but got back up nonetheless and shot with sniper precision into both shoulders of the driver of the car behind them, causing the car to swerve off the street.

But before he could commend Shinobu on her marksmanship, another two cars started to pursue them and if things couldn't get worse, a helicopter joined the chase.

"Oh great, we stepped into a hornets' nest." Taiki groaned.

"More like, the phantom found us. What now? No matter how convoluted we are driving, it is beyond clear now that we are not heading to the port and with the helicopter they will catch up either way. The plane is leaving in one hour and we cannot add anymore detours before we're missing take off." Shinobu reminded him when suddenly his phone rang.

"What?!" Taiki answered frustrated as Shinobu got busy eliminating the cars behind them.

"You two need help. You have been flagged on underground bulletin board. I am calling to help. Put me on speaker." Yaten spoke calmly.

"Why should I put you on speaker?" Taiki asked as he pulled into another street.

"Trust me, just do it." Yaten insisted.

"Yaten, I have no time for negotiations or experiments right now." Taiki responded annoyed as he avoided another set of bullets hailing down on them.

"Haruka's kidneys have now terminally shut down, who do you think has less time now? Kakyuu's at wit's end and I don't think she can hold it together much longer either." Yaten semi screamed into his ear.

"Alright" Taiki just cut him off and docked the phone to the car,

"Professor Watanabe, this is C137 here. I know I was never to establish open communication with you, but my Captain Tenoh, Haruka needs you, she has just slipped deeper into a coma, her kidneys have failed and if the current doctor could do it on her own, she would, but Abe-sensei is at the moment despairing with keeping her alive." Yaten spoke loud and clearly.

"Flying ducks! I knew it. Someone open this bag. It is pretty stuffy in here." The professor spoke up.

Dead silence followed before Shinobu proceeded to carefully open the bag.

"Flying ducks!" Watanabe exclaimed again, startling Taiki even more. "I need the phone NOW. Call back in 5 minutes and do not track the following call if you want to see your friends again, alive and unharmed, C137."