A/N: As usual, credit to Noniebee (4352183) for being awesome and helping with events and ideas for this chapter!

The morning sun cut through the chill that had come with the night. Damp air filled Kinu's lungs as she returned from an early delivery. An emergency birthday cake, as the customer had said. Kinu had gotten nearly two hours after laying down, which was progress in her book. More than one hour of sleep, no matter how restless it had been.

As she entered the shop, a yellow slip on the door caught her eye. The mail service hadn't been able to deliver a package. Nobody had been home to collect it. Ai was asleep upstairs, and there was no telling what drunken crevice her father was sleuthing about, but usually Ai heard the door if there was an odd delivery. The slip clearly stated the contents.

Exclusive Chinese tea. Freshly dried and shipped over by sea, at that. Kinu kicked the shop door closed behind herself, as she skimmed the fine print. This was the only day for delivery. She could pick it up at the ship.

Had she ordered that?

It was true that Kinu had decided to try some new things for the shop, but she didn't remember everything she'd picked out. She thought she had all the new goodies.

Setting her bag behind the counter, Kinu decided to run out and pick up the package after she freshened up. The heat of the day had already started to get to her, and she could feel the sweat on her face and neck. So she went upstairs and as soon as she'd wiped herself down, she was unable to find her deodorant. Maybe her father had accidentally moved it for some reason?

She wouldn't put it past him.

Opening a drawer, Kinu skimmed the contents. Then another, but the product was nowhere to be found. It was possible that her mother had taken it to the hostess club. Odd, but possible, she guessed. Instead of worrying about it, Kinu used Ai's deodorant. Next, she went to brush her teeth, but her toothbrush was missing. Again. She went through the same process of searching, to no avail.

In its place, a single hundred yen coil laid.

Riku had to think he was hilarious; taking her things and hiding them to get back at her. He' was trying to scare her, but she knew he was still angry about getting punched. He wouldn't even look at her when they were in the same room now. He wouldn't hit anybody though, and that was what mattered. Grumbling under her breath, Kinu opened the cabinet under the counter and found a spare pack of toothbrushes. Then her perfume was missing. Also again. She had just bought another! It had only been a cheap little bottle of a woodsy citrusy scent. So light it was barely noticeable. But still, it was hers!

What the hell was going on?! As much as she hated the idea of confronting her father, she knew she had to. If she wanted him to stop.

Slightly irritated, Kinu let herself out of the shop to pick up her package. It couldn't be too large if it was only one tea, or if it was as fancy as it sounded. There was time to pick it up before meeting with Takasugi. She locked the door behind herself, and headed towards the docks glancing at the slip for the docking number.

It wasn't necessary though, because when Kinu got to the pier, there was only one ship in the water. It was an old rugged thing, with busted engines that were coated in a solid layer of rust and barely poked over the surface of the ocean. Salt spray whipped at Kinu's face; refreshing compared to the heat of the day.

There didn't seem to be anybody on deck, but there were crates, so that meant there was tea. She boarded and looked over the ship again. Expected somebody to pop out and hand her the package. Or at least greet her and ask why she was there, but there was no sign of life, aside from the slapping of the waves against the side of the ship and dock.

When nothing happened, she started towards the cabin.

"You bitch!"

Frowning, Kinu turned around. Found Matako rushing from behind a crate, guns fixed on her, and scowling. Did she work there? This was awful customer service. The wind picked up the edge of her pink skirt and swept her sleeves back with a spray of salt water that made Kinu's hair whip at her face and neck.

"I knew it! You're a traitor, Shinsuke-sama never should have trusted you!" Taking a step forward, Matako kept her aim on the girl. Ignored her fake confusion. "Trying to infiltrate the Kiheitai; who are you working for?!"

"What?"

Before either of them could get out another word, the ship moved. Went straight up, and left the ocean altogether. It tipped to the side, and Kinu found herself stumbling towards the woman. Her arms took on a mind of their own, waving as she tried to stabilize herself. Unable to stop. Matako tripped backwards, and fell across the deck, but before they could connect, the ship tipped the other direction and they were forced to reverse, sliding this time They hit the rail, both crying out and holding on for dear life, and in the corner of Kinu's eye she saw Matako reaching over the edge, towards the vast blue sea below.

"Fuck!"

A glimmering revolver was plummeting back to earth. Grew smaller and smaller, but the crates loudly skidding towards them were far more terrifying than the thought of a lost gun or a dip in the ocean.

They separated, but weren't nearly as quick as they needed to be. The wooden container smashed into Matako's hand; fighting to hold her upright and secured to the railing. She hissed and let out a pained swear as she tried to yank away. It wasn't until the ship tipped the other way that she was released, and finally, the ground under them stabilized. By some miracle, she'd managed to slip her remaining gun back into her halter. As soon as she was able, she cradled her tender left hand, trying to squeeze it together. Her fingers moved, so that was a good sign, but she couldn't make a fist. Only an excruciating attempt at one. This wasn't good. She didn't know where that traitor had gotten off to, either, but she was going to expose her to Takasugi the moment she got back.

As she sat up, the girl she'd lost sight of crawled behind the containers on all fours.

"Kijima-chaso? Are you okay?"

Seriously, she had the nerve to ask if Matako was okay? Did she look like she was?! Or like she needed her help, for that matter? And what was with the chaso? This wasn't girl talk! They weren't friends!

"What the hell is this?!' Pushing herself to her feet, Matako flung her hand across the deck of the ship. Kinu stood, wide eyed and mouth open.

"I thought it was a sea boat! Not an up boat!" Kinu waved her hand upwards for emphasis, drawing nearer to Matako as she spoke.

"Why does it have engines then?!" Matako shouted and Kinu shook her head, hands up.

"I thought they didn't work!" She shouted back, and the woman lifted her injured hand to her chest. Gaped back at her. That didn't make sense! If that was the case they were both on an unknown ship barreling through the sky to who knew where!

"What?! Why would you think that?!"

"I don't know!"

Okay, Matako was officially freaking out. Kinu reached into her yukata and produceda yellow slip of paper, turning it in her shaking hands, and trying to work the creases from it as she read over the note. "It said the tea was delivered by sea! That I needed to pick it up!"

"Give me that!" Snatching the paper from the girl, Matako scanned it. Then she looked up at the girl, mouth ajar. "You're seriously that stupid?! Walking onto a ship alone because a piece of paper told you to?!"

"It said no refunds!"

As they were in the middle of their shouting match, the door to the cabin opened, and they whipped around to face the first sign of company they'd received since boarding. A man calmly strolled out, still holding the door open as he looking over them.

"Who the hell are you?!" Matako didn't have the patience for this. She wasn't getting kidnapped with this bitch. Not a chance in hell.

"Oi, we got her, but there's another one, too!" He looked straight at the women. Made no attempt at answering her. He wore a basic gray yukata, nothing special, and his hair was fixed into a topknot, which wouldn't have been alarming but when two more men walked out behind him, sporting the same hairstyle, Matako understood. Without warning, the men reached into their yukatas. "Guess it doesn't matter." The one in the middle said, and beside him, he was met with an agreeing tone.

"We didn't expect you to bring a friend, girl, but that's not gonna do you any good. You know how long we've been waiting to kill you?"

Not speaking, Kinu tilted her head. She could feel Matako's blue eyes honed in on her, searching for answers.

"After what you did to our men, and now this? Helping that cyclops murder our boss; you're too much trouble and no benefit."

Kinu saw the dull black metal before she knew what it was. Saw each man pulling them from their yukata and could barely comprehend what they had said. It was happening. Just like her dreams. A little different, but they'd finally come for her. Matako instinctively drew her gun. Fired, but her hand was knocked back. She bolted for the crate, with Kinu in tow. Her cheek and hand stung, and as Matako ducked down, pain jolted through her thigh. She'd narrowly dodged most the gunfire, Everything important, she told herself.

Gasping, she turned to the damage. Just a graze. On the outside of her thigh. If she'd been any slower, that could have been bad. More importantly, her right hand was burning. Had been hit. Rather, her gun had taken all of the damage. The cylinder gaped open; shattered. She'd been dully aware of the sound of something metal falling. Hadn't processed what it was until now. Bullets.

It looked bad.

Beside the woman, Kinu leaned forward, holding her bicep. Blood seeped through her fingers, and down her chin. Pooled at her side. Her jaw hung open as she turned to the older woman.

"They shot me!" She gasped, and Matako flung her hands towards the girl.

"What did you think they were gonna do when they pulled out guns, huh?!"

The girl was silent after that. Examined her arm as she lifted her hand. Then her other injuries. She sighed, met Matako's eyes, eyes wide, but frowning. Like she finally understood the seriousness of their situation. Swearing under her breath, Matako held her gun in front of them. Pulled the trigger. Nothing.

"Did we get them?'

"Think so."

"Not only Aso-san, but Eiji-san. Didn't he kill himself for that girl?"

The men were talking behind them. Still there.

"Fuck! Fuck, fuck!" Squeezing the trigger, Matako held her gun out. The cylinder wasn't even turning. "Are you useless?" Turning to Kinu, the woman snapped the words as she smacked the side of her revolver. Tried to knock it free. Kinu was staring straight ahead. They had come for her. Finally. It was her moment of atonement.

"Oi!" Whispering to the girl, Matako gaped at her. She wasn't even moving. Just turned pale and sat there, eyes wide. She shoved her hand into Kinu's side, and the girl doubled over. "Oi, are you useless?!"

"What? Can't you fight?" This was payback. For the business man. He'd finally come to drag her to hell to be with him.

"Not without my guns!"

Kinu fell silent. Her entire face relaxed. There was no choice. She wasn't going to meet him there. Kinu was already in trouble for killing men, but now she was being forced to do it again. But there were too many, and they'd kill her first. She whispered back, turning her head.

"I can take one. Maybe two, but not three. They'll shoot me. You can't fight at all?"

"Why do you think I keep two guns?!" Sneering back, Matako looked at her revolver. She couldn't believe this. They were going to die. Together. She couldn't die like this! With the one person she possibly hated more than anybody else she'd ever met. It was unfathomable. What would the guys think!?

The girl beside her was looking at the revolver in her hands, frowning as she tried to force the cylinder to turn with her bare hands. As Matako was frantically tugging and pushing at it, Kinu shoved her palm towards her, upright.

"Gimme."

"What?"

"Gimme the damn gun!" Kinu hissed, and Matako frowned at the girl. Didn't trust her. But what good would a useless gun do, even in Kinu's possession? Matako shoved it into her hands. The girl leaned forward, reaching into her yukata. She pulled out a tiny strap of fabric, dotted with tools, and laid them on the wooden floor under them. He couldn't have her. In this life or the one after. She poked at the levers on the gun and took a screwdriver. As she placed the revolver on the floor, she smacked her palm into the cylinder with the screwdriver poised over it. Tried to break it free.

"Call in. Let them know we got two of them. And you check, make sure they're dead."

"Hurry up!" Keeping her voice low, Matako leaned towards the girl. She spared a glance on the crate behind her, checking to see if a man was already looking over the side. Kinu's screwdriver went through, and she yanked it out, turning the cylinder with her thumb. Spun it. "Oi, that's not how you fix a gun."

It was thrust back at Matako then, and Kinu glanced around the edge of the crate. Then back at her shoulder and side.

"You okay?" The woman asked, and Kinu looked back at her.

"I've done worse."

Unsure of what to make of that, or the vindictive tone, the blonde frowned. Alright, then. The girl beside her pushed her tools back into place, and pulled out an oddly shaped pastel blue box cutter. Slid the razor out.

"If you can get at least one, we should be fine." Kinu said to her, and the woman looked to her gun. She had three shots. The rest had fallen out of the open side.

"Got it. On my count." Matako turned over. Faced the crate as Kinu eased up to her knee. The girl looked back at her as she peeked over the edge of the crate. The men had their backs turned, aside from the one approaching. Were careless. Must have seen the blood seeping from their cover and figured they were out for the count.

"O- Oi!" The man approaching fired, but they were already moving.

"Now!" Matako barked, as soon as their cover was blown.

Matako's first shot missed. Veered to the left. Kinu was already in the group. Lead with a kick that swept one man aside. As she was ramming her knee into the second man blood spewed over her. Matako adjusted her aim. She fired again. This time, she hit her mark and the man closest to her dropped as she dashed from behind the crate and past him.

The man on the ground was already bleeding, but getting back up. He aimed at Kinu, and she dashed aside. Gave Matako had a clear shot. She was bathed in a spray of blood as Kinu twisted and sliced her foot across the last man's jaw. Sent him to the ground. The girl was better than she thought. She was on top of him, jamming her blade into his throat as he slapped up at her, growing weaker with each stab and turn as Matako walked over to the girl and looked on.

His face was barely recognizable. Kinu stared down at the man as he fell still and Matako frowned at her. At the brutality. Shooting people was far less ugly. She nearly wished the girl had an actual weapon. But when Kinu stood, she smiled at Matako. As if she hadn't just stabbed a man to death, and wasn't covered in blood.

Like Matako was one to talk, though.

"What is that thing?" Motioning to the box cutter, Matako raised a brow, but the girl grinned and held it up.

"A giraffe. Cute, right?"

Maybe if it wasn't covered in blood. She wasn't sure how she felt about a cute box cutter in general, though. That didn't seem like something that should be cute.

"Uh, yeah… Good. Now how are we gonna get off this thing?" Matako asked, glancing over the deck. She walked to the side and Kinu was silent as they glanced over the railing, and then the pier that was barely a speck below. Out of the question. "Well, we can't jump…"

"I can't swim…" Kinu murmured, and she frowned.

"Seriously? Who can't swim?!"

"Me, okay? I didn't know this was gonna happen."

The two stood there, staring down at the distant ocean. Trying to come up with a plan. That was when the door opened behind them, and a gasp sounded. Spinning around, Kinu and Matako caught sight of a fourth man.

"They- They're crazy!" A phone was perched against his ear. He was staring at the gruesome scene of their would be attackers, but his eyes connected with the women moving towards him. They both sprinted in his direction and the door slammed behind him. Clicked as Kinu jiggled the doorknob and Matako slapped the door, still able to hear him scurrying around beyond it. "They killed everyone sir- We can't- I can't take them-"

"Open this goddamn door!" Matako shouted, ramming her palm into it, but as she did, the ship tipped. Took a nosedive back towards the city, and she and Kinu left the solid floor to be gathered against the wall of the cabin, laying. They both yelped as she ship turned again and they started to slide, but Matako grasped the doorknob, and Kinu managed to snag her sleeve as the bodies of their victims were flung into the wall around them and plummeted past. Then the doorknob leaned with Matako and Kinu as they were turned and suspended in the opposite direction. They were only lucky that the crates had been pushed to one side of the ship.

"It's-" Tightening her grasp, Matako tried to pull Kinu up with her arm. The doorknob moved again. Leaned with them. The girl was sliding down Matako's arm. Slipping away. "It's coming loose!" She glanced at Kinu. willed herself to hold on.

"Oi!" Hanging onto the woman, Kinu called up to her. She looked down to the girl again, and found her pointing to the railing on the edge of the ship. "I think I can reach it!"

"Okay-" Matako kept her arm stiff as Kinu held onto her sleeve and started to ease down. When she tried to grip her hand, Matako hissed. "No- I can't hold you! Don't-" Pausing, Kinu took in the words. How was she supposed to get closer? Maybe if she grabbed Matako's leg, but that wasn't likely. So she lowered herself as carefully as possible, holding her wrist instead. A crate slid past her and she gasped up to the woman.

"The tea!"

"Oh my god, are you serious?! Just let go and die already! There is no tea! It's probably something else!" The city was fast approaching. Kinu reached for the rail, trying to swing forward, and Matako gritted her teeth. Then the doorknob gave. Dread shot through the pit of Matako's stomach as she slipped down and across the wall, clawing at the wood and shrieking, but she was snagged as soon as she left the safety of solid purchase.

Looked up to find Kinu grasping the rail. Gaping down at her. With the edge so close, Matako was able to take hold of the railing herself. They let go of each other, and took in the view of the rapidly approaching city. Close enough to touch now.

"We need to jump!" Matako said, and Kinu didn't even look at her. Just hung there, looking at the buildings.

"Yeah, but where?!"

Shit. She couldn't swim. Looking down at the crates that had gathered at the bow of the ship, Matako had an idea. Tapped Kinu's ankle with her sore hand and motioned to the bow of the ship. The boxes gathered just at the rail.

"Down there! Grab a crate and jump! While we're still over the water!"

"Are you crazy?!" Kinu said the words but was already following her lead. Lowering herself to drop to the front rail.

"It's our only shot!"

"What if they sink!?"

"Then you die!" The woman latched onto a crate, and Kinu took the one beside her.

"I don't like those odds!" The girl said, but without waiting, Matako shoved her overboard. She screamed. Cursed Matako's entire existence the duration of her fall, but this time she'd dropped the girly "chaso" in favor of names Matako would never dare repeat.

With a deep breath, Matako pushed her own crate over the edge and threw herself with it, and not a moment too soon. She knew she was screaming too. Knew it was a crapshoot as her hair wildly whipped at her face and the air ran straight through her clothes. She plunged into the freezing ocean nonetheless, and was shocked by the sudden drop in temperature after working up a sweat, but surprisingly, not dead.

Bobbing up to the surface on the crate, Matako let out another breath that she hadn't known she'd been holding. The ship passed overhead, into Edo, and in the distance, an orange and black cloud erupted over the city. Shook everything.

She was safe. Free. They had made it.

Turning behind herself, the woman glanced over the open ocean. Didn't see the girl anywhere. Had her crate been too heavy? She'd drowned that quickly? Matako turned again, searching for the girl and just as she thought Kinu was gone for good, she caught sight of the girl on the other side of the pier, floating above the water and sitting atop her box. They locked eyes, and sighed. Didn't need to speak to know to meet in the middle. By some stroke of luck, the shipyard was still empty. When they crawled onto the pier, they looked at one another again. Speechless. Then they started to walk. Through alleys and back roads, overly aware of the side glances they were on the receiving end of.

When they reached the main road, Kinu finally spoke.

"Kijima-chaso, you were amazing. So cool!"

"I was, wasn't I?" She grinned back, and laughed. Shook her head. "And stop calling me that, weirdo! Matako-chan is fine, you don't have to try to be girly…" They stopped beside the mouth of the alley, glancing over the usually busy road, and Kinu looked down. "So were you, though. You don't look like you got it in you, but… Maybe we shouldn't go this way. Let's go back and cut around. I'll walk you to your shop."

"I… don't think I can go in there like…"

The woman frowned then. Looked at her own clothes and limbs, as if suddenly registering their appearance. The ocean had only thinned the blood, but hadn't done a thing to stop their bleeding, or fully remedy the stains and splatter.

"Oh- yeah… You live with your parents, don't you?" Kinu nodded at that, and Matako mirrored the motion. "I guess it can't be helped."

They walked back to the ship. The few people on the street avoided even looking at them directly. Didn't want to stare, or draw attention to themselves. As soon as they were at the dock, the men of the Kiheitai were staring, but didn't bother them. Matako opened the door to the living quarters and a form popped up in front of them. Wore Takasugi's robe, and had the same eye wrap. But it was a hideous monster, holding some sort of megaphone. Screaming in unison, they kicked it back. Slammed the door behind themselves, still kicking, and shouting.

"What is that!?"

"Just a piece of garbage!" Matako shrieked down at Takechi.

Then they paused. Exchanged a mutual glance and looked away, grinning.

Battered and bloodied, the pair slipped their shoes off. Stepped over the genkan, and the man laying in it. Two forms rounded the corner, lured by the commotion, and at the sight of Matako, Kawakami rushed forward. Left Takasugi at the mouth of the hall.

"What happened to you two?! Matako-chan-" He took her shoulder. Raised it, and pulled her closer. "Your leg." His voice shook, then he looked to the arm she'd been cradling. "And your hand; what have you done to this beautiful instrument?"

Frowning, Kinu averted her gaze. Oh, okay then.

"It's nothing, Senpai. We…" Glancing back at Kinu, Matako searched her features. Tried to detect a sign of snitching on her. She wasn't betraying them, so Matako would leave out the part where she was trying to expose the girl. "The waste of Aso's faction retaliated. They trapped us on a ship and-"

Kawakami took her right hand. He grimaced at the skinned burn from the bullet she narrowly avoided.

"How'd you get away? Are they following you?"

Shaking her head, Matako looked up at the deaf man.

"We wouldn't be the Kiheitai if we couldn't handle them alone. The last guy crashed the boat, though."

"Is that what that earthquake was?" She was still being pulled forward. Led to the kitchen. "Let's get this on ice, you'll need a splint."

"I need more guns. Those assholes broke mine-" The man led Matako away, and Kinu remained at the step over the Genkan. Tried not to look at Takasugi as he stared her down. She shouldn't have come. They couldn't talk. Gintoki had specifically told her not to talk to him. The dark glare fixed on her was unnerving. Like he was devising a way to kill her for intruding again.

The man walked to her side. Instead of greeting her as Kawakami did Matako, he kept a step between them. Only studied her.

"Well, well… She really does have claws."

Glancing up at the man, Kinu kept her head turned. He held no discernable expression. Just looked at her, as though he had better things to occupy his time and she was a minor inconvenience. Taking another step towards the girl, Takasugi pressed his thumb into her arm, just under the gash of her bicep. He dipped her shoulder forward. Opposite of that, her jaw was raised, and the hair was brushed out of her face to take in the source of blood that streamed down her neck and to her collar.

"They got you good."

Kinu let out a breath. A single note that humored his statement. He lifted her arm. Looked at her side, and clicked his teeth.

"You should be more careful. Maybe join some sort of group that could prevent this."

"Sorry, it's only my second time being kidnapped. Maybe next time." Takasugi turned Kinu's hand over, then the other, looking for more injuries. He lifted the split of her black yukata and found her skinned knee. His eye flicked up to the girl, but didn't linger. "When I said experiences, I didn't mean being shot." She murmured.

"Beggars can't be choosers. Maybe you should have been more specific." The girl raised a brow at Takasugi. Didn't even justify his statement with a response.

"You got a bathroom? I can't go home like this." The man took hold of the hand he was examining and walked backwards a step. Pulled her towards the hallway.

"I might be able to do something about that."

Kinu allowed him to lead her through the building with only an ounce of hesitation.