Ch. 2
Secrets Reveled and a Race Home
Her eyes moved but nothing else. Her body was stiff as a statue and her breathing was nothing but a soft purr. The entrails of the building were dry and hot. The air itself was so rank that it made her stomach turn. She could sense Diao Chan nearby; the soldiers seemed to cover the inside of the building like ants on a piece of food. The faint reminder that she had to lead Diao Chan to the main room lingered. She hoped Diao Chan was at least taking pictures of half of this. The ironic and morbid humor of how one's adrenaline and senses could be on fire and yet can trick the body into being calm; no discreet was always a wonder to her.
***
Her muscles were tense with fire and her concentration burned through each solider as they passed her. A bit of anger raced through her veins like white fire as she moved herself deeper into the pit of the building. If Shinji was right, he should have told the others sooner. They couldn't let the bastards get ahead of them. Unwanted feelings filled her as she realized that the possibility of Shinji or Sanae not coming back because of what they found hit her cold. She was unfazed in her task at hand; she was a skillful fighter and a greater defender.
Diao Chan followed the aura of Sanae through the bowels of the building and noticed the temperature decrease as they proceeded. She photographed several passages, ID pads, and cooling units. Whatever was in here was to be kept in the cold or needed to be cooled down rapidly: she was going to find out which. The number of soldiers contributed the blackness that hung from the walls. She stopped as she noticed Sanae take a daring jolt across the corridor and frowned at the ignorant maneuver.Â
However, Diao Chan frowned as a single door came into view. It was a simple door but thick, narrow for only a single person; that usually meant easier sniper target. She envisioned the scene as she saw: Sanae walked through the door and a sniper inside waited for his catch, the red-hot shot burning through her friend. Her mind raced for ways around the scenario but found little and the thoughts grew darker as the identification pad glared from the side of the door. The photos took within a second and in clarity for Tenku no Touma to go over when they returned... if they would return.
Now they would have to deal with the soldiers outside, break in and around the identification devices, and tackle with the mysteries inside the room. It was a dangerous and almost suicidal idea.
A smirk formed on Diao Chan's face, making her look more like her mother than she knew. She loved the challenge, thrill. Sometimes you just had to dance with death to feel alive, in order to feel something.
As she covertly approached Sanae, she felt nothing showing her cold sarcastic shell as her father would in any battle.
The auburn haired girl silently explained everything through sign language and symbols. She immediately took notice and took pictures of the single air vent that lead into the room and lay at the very top of the 15- foot wall. It would be big enough for a single person, more likely a small person. The next scenario ran through her mind in a hot flash second: someone would have to go in. They needed to be quick and taciturn enough to hide until the people outside broke in. She hoped that person would be able to kill the sniper and hold off any frontal assault on the door. Of course that was when they would attack the building. As of now they just needed to get in that room, get some evidence, and maybe cause some damage - whatever came first.
The youja won't know what hit them, Sanae said earlier to Diao Chan. The daughter of Kongo couldn't agree more. She wanted to show Rekka and the others that they were capable of taking down the enemy through strategy. They were going to make it!
Sanae signaled them for their leave and Diao Chan nodded. The two girls slowly rose to their feet when a chilly laughter filled the air.
"Well now, what do we have here?" a female voice chided. "Two little mice trying to sneak some cheese out? I think not."
Diao Chan and Sanae whirled around and discovered one of the Samurai Troopers' mortal enemies standing before them: Megumi, one of the carriers of Neo-Chaos.
Megumi's long green hair flowed along the icy winds and her blue eyes, once filled with such innocents, were narrowed at the girls. Her body was covered in what appeared to be dark brown-greenish crystal armor. On her right hand was a hideous, alien-like claw that dripped with blood.
"It's too bad my partner, Harunobu isn't here," Megumi murmured with a faint smile upon her thin red lips. "He would've loved to get his claws on you."
In a panic, Sanae grabbed Diao Chan's arm and shouted, "Let's go!"
Diao Chan shoved her away gently and shook her head. "No way! The Samurai
Troopers wouldn't run and I won't either! We can't show weakness to the enemy!"
"Diao Chan!" Sanae yelled urgently. "We don't have time to waste--!"
Alas Mouri Sanae's words failed to strike a cord. She watched helplessly as Diao Chan and the deadly Megumi battled. Diao Chan used her gun and her mighty fists, yet Megumi was able to gracefully dodge all of her attempts. Megumi lunged to the side as Diao Chan swung her fist and missed her.
"Damn!" the girl cursed. She heard Sanae cry out a warning but she couldn't respond in time. Megumi had appeared behind Diao Chan; the woman struck the girl down with a swipe of her claw and sent her crashing to the ground. Luckily Diao
Chan's invulnerability saved her from getting a scar, but never the less the attack hurt.
Sanae was about to help her friend when suddenly a tremendous blast of water exploded forth and slammed into Megumi. The green-haired woman screamed as she was sent tumbling across the ground, away from the two girls. Sanae felt her heart thumping wildly in her chest; there were only a few people who had power over the water...
"Shinji!" Diao Chan exclaimed as the young man landed before her. "You shouldn't have come."
Shinji shook his head and helped his leader to her feet. Sanae joined the duo and said, "How did you find us, brother?"
"Father told me to fetch you," Shinji replied dryly. "He's very mad."
"Is there a time when Suiko isn't mad?" Diao Chan muttered under her breath.
All of a suddenly sirens were heard all around the trio of warriors. Metal doors were heard sliding open and the sound of foot soldiers marching their way could be heard echoing throughout the air. Time for them to leave!
Diao Chan took off and the Mouri twins followed her footsteps without fail.
Behind them they could hear the youja soldiers coming after them, followed by Megumi's commands to destroy them. Suddenly they skid to a halt as soldiers dropped down from the ceiling and attacked without warning. The three warriors were forced to scatter, wanting to defend themselves without having to crowd one another. Sanae frowned as she discovered that she was surrounded by literally thousands of soldiers. With quick thinking, she was able to escape death's hand and sprint down the hall at the first chance she got.
How where they going to get out of here? They couldn't hold off soldiers AND Neo-Chaos' minions by themselves. They needed to escape. They couldn't make it through the door with the number of soldiers waiting for them on the other side and the vent was out of the question. Sanae's heart beat like a jackhammer as sudden fear laced through her body, the pain in her arm numbed out by adrenaline. Her brother was now in trouble as well as Diao Chan. She could feel their pain and yet she couldn't hold the soldiers off for much longer. The machine behind them still hummed menacingly, making her attention drift towards the cold flashes of air passing by her. Someone had gone through the machine, which was even a bigger problem now. But cooling units had to be drained. Her mind snapped as she raced over to the machine. There on the floor were three cooling drains. It was their only escape possible, the only chance they had.
"Over here! We have to go!"
Shinji cursed as he raced towards his sister but stopped in mid-step. He saw
Diao Chan still standing there, facing the murder of thousands. It wasn't a time for revenge because there was more at stake right now.Â
"We have to go, Diao Chan!" he hollered. He grabbed her wrist, ignoring the gunfire that surrounded them. He noticed his sister prying something from the ground, the fresh blood still streaming down her arm. He spotted the vent but Diao Chan made sure that he and Sanae went first, none of them knowing where this would take them exactly, nor did they have a choice of where to go.
They had made it to the central belly of the city's sewer system. Diao Chan swiftly took lead, having been down in the area not more than a day ago. The pitter-patter steps across the water turned into loud splashes as they raced towards the edge of the city. She was stone cold on the outside, not speaking unless necessary to the younger children behind her. Ice queen on the outside, her senses blazed for any sign of attack. In the back of her mind, she kept a constant vigil of the camera in her hip pack. So much now laid in Tenku's analysis of the pictures. He could hopefully tell them where, when, and who went through the machine just before they had arrived.
"Diao! Wait a minute!" Breathing heavily, Sanae leaned against a wall.
"Please," she pleaded, "I need a minute to rest."
"We don't have a minute!" the older girl snapped. "We don't even have a second! Don't you understand we have to get back to the others to tell them what we found? For all we know there are soldiers on our tails as we just wait!"
"Midori, get a grip!" Shinji snarled slightly as he over to his sister and checked on her wound; he ignored his own for the moment. "We can't do anything if she bleeds to death. We'll get to the others one way or the other."
Diao Chan's hands clenched. The feelings from before returned to her. It was his fault. It was because of him. Damn him. She was worried about him for the crazy things; he was doing this to protect her. Anger flowed through her veins because he was trying to protect her and his sister. Damn him for making her feel this way and for making her work so hard to hide it all: how she felt now for him and about what Neo-Chaos said.
"Come on," she finally said as she spun on her heel, "we shouldn't stop moving.
We'll just take it slower." Diao didn't wait for a rebuke for she simply started walking away.
"You okay?" Shinji frowned at his sister as they walked after Diao.
Sanae offered him a weak smile. "I'm sure I'll survive. Besides, you're hurt too. Badly."
"I'll be okay, I'm sure." He gave her a thin smile. "Anyway, I couldn't wait any longer."
"I understand." Sanae gave her brother a knowing grin then glanced at their current leader. "She will too one day."
"Maybe."
Paranoia can be one's friend and enemy and at times both. It mixed in an ironic play on senses and emotions. It took them twice as long to get to the safe line and it seemed too easy to detour the last of the soldiers; like a plague, the tension spread. While Diao Chan gratefully met the catacombs of the underground, her edginess didn't leave her mind for she still scanned every shadow and beyond. Her dark hair was now matted with sweat and dried blood from the scratch on her face, yet she showed no signs of it bothering her or the throbbing ache in her hip. On the other hand, Sanae was starting to show signs of significant blood loss as she leaned on her brother. Her auburn hair was darken by the dirt and her face had grown much paler, if that was even possible.
Diao Chan tensed as they passed the green checkpoint. No one was there; unusual and unplanned. Her plans were now shattered before her eyes. She hoped that help would be here if they needed it, if the soldiers did follow them... for someone to take Sanae back with the pictures before anything could happen. It was all shattered. They would have to make the journey to the core alone, unaided, and with an injured friend. She turned around and met Shinji's knowing eyes: he had come to the same conclusion as her. He gave her a small smile and a nod before picking his sister up in his tired, aching arms.
"We're not going to do much standing here, are we?"
She beamed. "Hai, lets go."Â
Looking at the gun in her hand, she led the way once more.
***
"We did look everywhere," Aikyo implied as she placed her hands placed on her hips. "We even took people from the posts to have them search. We haven't seen them at all."
"It is the truth," Tanria said. She nodded and sighed, brushing her hair from her face. "If they went into the city, we don't know where."
Rekka no Ryo frowned at them in response. Now was not the time to start losing track of people. Too much was off balance lately. The once raven hair was still just as dark, but intertwined with silver hair from worry and stress. The cobalt eyes were stripped of emotion. "Scout the areas again and don't stop until you either find them or proof they are dead."
"Yes sir." Then he was gone before Tanria finish growling some.
"Don't take it personal, Tanz," Aikyo offered. "You know he's been that way for awhile now," She flipped her hair over her shoulder, smiling as the silver and blue strands feel into place.
"Don't call me that you spaz," Tanria retorted as she started to walk away from her best friend. She pulled at her own golden hair and said, "He shouldn't take out his stuff on us. We're not his children."
She heard the laughter behind her and the sudden pressure on her back. "Get off me, you baka!" Tanria pushed Aikyo from her back and glared at her. "Just try that again and I'll use Korin Ken to pierce that other ear!"
"Nah, you wouldn't!" The silver-blue hair girl grinned. "Who would cover for you when you sneak off to see Anubisu's boy, hmmm?"
"Aikyo!" Tanria snarled. "At least my mother knows about us, unlike like your sister sneaking off to see Anazi-kun all the time and your parents don't even know!"
"Hmmm." Aikyo grimaced and shrugged. "Sanae doesn't think father and mother will approve."
"Do you really think that is true?" Tanria sighed to herself, unsure of how to tell her father about him.
"Don't know. I think... I think Sanae just doesn't want mother sad before she dies."
"Hey, you don't know for sure if she's going to die. My mother and father are taking care of her."
"True, but Seiji-san is always out with the others fighting and your mother is constantly taking care of refugees and defenses here." Aikyo lowered her head some as the continued to walk. "Besides, she's been in so much pain lately. Maybe it's time for her to rest."
Tanria slipped an arm around Aikyo's shoulders and smiled at her. No words can heal something that aches inside so badly. "Thanks Tanria," she whispered.
"No problem, fish face," The lavender eyes danced with compassion and for a moment, she looked like Korin no Seiji.
"Shut up, sun head. Come on, let's try and find the three musketeers before everyone starts thinking the worse." Aikyo took a small data pad from her hip and typed in a few commands.
Tanria shrugged. "Well if they did get in trouble it's their own damn faults.
Not telling anyone where they're going or what they were planning, letting us all wonder.." Her fingers checked her side arm then trailed to the sword hilt on her hip. "They have to learn to be more responsible."
"We're talking about Diao Chan here. Combined with the troublesome duo, they're about as bad as your bro."
"Hey! I make no excuses for my brother."
"Tanz! He's SO a mama's boy! Shiro just screams it! Your mother must've
contaminated him, I swear."
"Sounds like you like him." A laugh escaped the pale throat.
"Oh... just... shut up! Come on, let's try closer to the city."
"Why there?"
"Why not?" Aikyo slipped the pad back on her hip and activated her bo. "It's them for all we know. They tried something really stupid. And... I have a bad feeling."
"Oh, that just makes me want to go," Tanria muttered, rolling her eyes.
Aikyo skipped a few feet in front of her and shot back a challenging glance.
"Shush. I'll race you to red post!"
"We need to stop again." Tiredness laced his voice as he dropped to his knees, laying his sister's body down softly.
"Again? Is she getting worse?"
"Just... too much blood loss." His hand brushed the sweat-laden bangs from his eyes, hating what the burning, salty substance did to his eyes.
"Can't you give her blood?"
"Hai, but do you see a transfusion unit anywhere close?"
"If my brothers were here they would just whip one together." Diao Chan smirked.
"That I could see." Shinji's voice didn't lighten as he looked at his sister.
"I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I should have paid more attention."
"It isn't your fault, Midori. Stop it."
"It is my fault!" Diao growled fists at her sides. She cried out, "I was suppose to take care of you two! I'm the oldest!"
"Midori-chan, get a clue! Neo-Chaos was there! We're only three people!"
"I shouldn't have mattered!"
Shinji finally gave up and went back to tending his sister.
"Don't you find it a bit strange that they didn't go after us with a Battalion
Plus One?" she mused. "We found out their secret and yet they didn't follow us outside the city. I don't like it."
"We're not suppose to like it, Diao. It's war." He looked back up at her and saw the sleep deprivation and stress mirrored in her. He had to admit to himself that he was more worried about his sister and what his father would say when they got back. Trying to justify the information was worth the risk and the injuries.
Diao Chan began to pace for a few moments before she sighed. She clenched her darken hands together. "Maybe you should stay here while I book it to find the others. We shouldn't move her anymore than we have to."
"And if an attack does come like you keep saying it should, I can't hold them off for that long. We should stay together - she'll make it."
"You hope." Diao ended his thought, her wide eyes reading into his. The coolness of the tunnels was getting to her as with the luminescent dull glow of the yellow lights. She leaned against the opposite wall and laced her fingers behind her head. She breathed in the dampened air along but then coughed. The polluted city air lingered in her lungs, not to mention the sewer air.
"You're right," Shinji said as he looked up at her. "I hope. It's not a big hope but it's a small one. Right now that's all I have."
"You can't just hope forever. You have to make things happen unless you get killed like father says."
"Maybe you're right. But... my mother said we should always have just a little hope. I don't know why she says that but I have to try for her at least. And now for Sanae."
She looked down at her wasting friend: the dried blood caked her clothes, mixed with gunpowder and filth. The normally cheerful face now in morbid peace. She now was grateful it was only them that had gone. Shinji was right: if they had told the others, so many would be in Sanae's condition. Either that or dead. She wasn't going to let this happen. She wasn't going to just stand here and give up.
"Here," she said as she handed him the few power packs she had along with her small gun. "I'm going to go ahead. I'll be back, I promise."
"You can't go without any weapons! What happens if one of the crypts come out?!"
Diao Chan shrugged. After what happened earlier, no over sized mutated rat was going to keep her from getting home. "I'll be fine."
"You said that back at the warehouse too," Shinji growled.
She gave him a wink and made her way down the cavern. "Trust me. I know what I'm doing!"
Secrets Reveled and a Race Home
Her eyes moved but nothing else. Her body was stiff as a statue and her breathing was nothing but a soft purr. The entrails of the building were dry and hot. The air itself was so rank that it made her stomach turn. She could sense Diao Chan nearby; the soldiers seemed to cover the inside of the building like ants on a piece of food. The faint reminder that she had to lead Diao Chan to the main room lingered. She hoped Diao Chan was at least taking pictures of half of this. The ironic and morbid humor of how one's adrenaline and senses could be on fire and yet can trick the body into being calm; no discreet was always a wonder to her.
***
Her muscles were tense with fire and her concentration burned through each solider as they passed her. A bit of anger raced through her veins like white fire as she moved herself deeper into the pit of the building. If Shinji was right, he should have told the others sooner. They couldn't let the bastards get ahead of them. Unwanted feelings filled her as she realized that the possibility of Shinji or Sanae not coming back because of what they found hit her cold. She was unfazed in her task at hand; she was a skillful fighter and a greater defender.
Diao Chan followed the aura of Sanae through the bowels of the building and noticed the temperature decrease as they proceeded. She photographed several passages, ID pads, and cooling units. Whatever was in here was to be kept in the cold or needed to be cooled down rapidly: she was going to find out which. The number of soldiers contributed the blackness that hung from the walls. She stopped as she noticed Sanae take a daring jolt across the corridor and frowned at the ignorant maneuver.Â
However, Diao Chan frowned as a single door came into view. It was a simple door but thick, narrow for only a single person; that usually meant easier sniper target. She envisioned the scene as she saw: Sanae walked through the door and a sniper inside waited for his catch, the red-hot shot burning through her friend. Her mind raced for ways around the scenario but found little and the thoughts grew darker as the identification pad glared from the side of the door. The photos took within a second and in clarity for Tenku no Touma to go over when they returned... if they would return.
Now they would have to deal with the soldiers outside, break in and around the identification devices, and tackle with the mysteries inside the room. It was a dangerous and almost suicidal idea.
A smirk formed on Diao Chan's face, making her look more like her mother than she knew. She loved the challenge, thrill. Sometimes you just had to dance with death to feel alive, in order to feel something.
As she covertly approached Sanae, she felt nothing showing her cold sarcastic shell as her father would in any battle.
The auburn haired girl silently explained everything through sign language and symbols. She immediately took notice and took pictures of the single air vent that lead into the room and lay at the very top of the 15- foot wall. It would be big enough for a single person, more likely a small person. The next scenario ran through her mind in a hot flash second: someone would have to go in. They needed to be quick and taciturn enough to hide until the people outside broke in. She hoped that person would be able to kill the sniper and hold off any frontal assault on the door. Of course that was when they would attack the building. As of now they just needed to get in that room, get some evidence, and maybe cause some damage - whatever came first.
The youja won't know what hit them, Sanae said earlier to Diao Chan. The daughter of Kongo couldn't agree more. She wanted to show Rekka and the others that they were capable of taking down the enemy through strategy. They were going to make it!
Sanae signaled them for their leave and Diao Chan nodded. The two girls slowly rose to their feet when a chilly laughter filled the air.
"Well now, what do we have here?" a female voice chided. "Two little mice trying to sneak some cheese out? I think not."
Diao Chan and Sanae whirled around and discovered one of the Samurai Troopers' mortal enemies standing before them: Megumi, one of the carriers of Neo-Chaos.
Megumi's long green hair flowed along the icy winds and her blue eyes, once filled with such innocents, were narrowed at the girls. Her body was covered in what appeared to be dark brown-greenish crystal armor. On her right hand was a hideous, alien-like claw that dripped with blood.
"It's too bad my partner, Harunobu isn't here," Megumi murmured with a faint smile upon her thin red lips. "He would've loved to get his claws on you."
In a panic, Sanae grabbed Diao Chan's arm and shouted, "Let's go!"
Diao Chan shoved her away gently and shook her head. "No way! The Samurai
Troopers wouldn't run and I won't either! We can't show weakness to the enemy!"
"Diao Chan!" Sanae yelled urgently. "We don't have time to waste--!"
Alas Mouri Sanae's words failed to strike a cord. She watched helplessly as Diao Chan and the deadly Megumi battled. Diao Chan used her gun and her mighty fists, yet Megumi was able to gracefully dodge all of her attempts. Megumi lunged to the side as Diao Chan swung her fist and missed her.
"Damn!" the girl cursed. She heard Sanae cry out a warning but she couldn't respond in time. Megumi had appeared behind Diao Chan; the woman struck the girl down with a swipe of her claw and sent her crashing to the ground. Luckily Diao
Chan's invulnerability saved her from getting a scar, but never the less the attack hurt.
Sanae was about to help her friend when suddenly a tremendous blast of water exploded forth and slammed into Megumi. The green-haired woman screamed as she was sent tumbling across the ground, away from the two girls. Sanae felt her heart thumping wildly in her chest; there were only a few people who had power over the water...
"Shinji!" Diao Chan exclaimed as the young man landed before her. "You shouldn't have come."
Shinji shook his head and helped his leader to her feet. Sanae joined the duo and said, "How did you find us, brother?"
"Father told me to fetch you," Shinji replied dryly. "He's very mad."
"Is there a time when Suiko isn't mad?" Diao Chan muttered under her breath.
All of a suddenly sirens were heard all around the trio of warriors. Metal doors were heard sliding open and the sound of foot soldiers marching their way could be heard echoing throughout the air. Time for them to leave!
Diao Chan took off and the Mouri twins followed her footsteps without fail.
Behind them they could hear the youja soldiers coming after them, followed by Megumi's commands to destroy them. Suddenly they skid to a halt as soldiers dropped down from the ceiling and attacked without warning. The three warriors were forced to scatter, wanting to defend themselves without having to crowd one another. Sanae frowned as she discovered that she was surrounded by literally thousands of soldiers. With quick thinking, she was able to escape death's hand and sprint down the hall at the first chance she got.
How where they going to get out of here? They couldn't hold off soldiers AND Neo-Chaos' minions by themselves. They needed to escape. They couldn't make it through the door with the number of soldiers waiting for them on the other side and the vent was out of the question. Sanae's heart beat like a jackhammer as sudden fear laced through her body, the pain in her arm numbed out by adrenaline. Her brother was now in trouble as well as Diao Chan. She could feel their pain and yet she couldn't hold the soldiers off for much longer. The machine behind them still hummed menacingly, making her attention drift towards the cold flashes of air passing by her. Someone had gone through the machine, which was even a bigger problem now. But cooling units had to be drained. Her mind snapped as she raced over to the machine. There on the floor were three cooling drains. It was their only escape possible, the only chance they had.
"Over here! We have to go!"
Shinji cursed as he raced towards his sister but stopped in mid-step. He saw
Diao Chan still standing there, facing the murder of thousands. It wasn't a time for revenge because there was more at stake right now.Â
"We have to go, Diao Chan!" he hollered. He grabbed her wrist, ignoring the gunfire that surrounded them. He noticed his sister prying something from the ground, the fresh blood still streaming down her arm. He spotted the vent but Diao Chan made sure that he and Sanae went first, none of them knowing where this would take them exactly, nor did they have a choice of where to go.
They had made it to the central belly of the city's sewer system. Diao Chan swiftly took lead, having been down in the area not more than a day ago. The pitter-patter steps across the water turned into loud splashes as they raced towards the edge of the city. She was stone cold on the outside, not speaking unless necessary to the younger children behind her. Ice queen on the outside, her senses blazed for any sign of attack. In the back of her mind, she kept a constant vigil of the camera in her hip pack. So much now laid in Tenku's analysis of the pictures. He could hopefully tell them where, when, and who went through the machine just before they had arrived.
"Diao! Wait a minute!" Breathing heavily, Sanae leaned against a wall.
"Please," she pleaded, "I need a minute to rest."
"We don't have a minute!" the older girl snapped. "We don't even have a second! Don't you understand we have to get back to the others to tell them what we found? For all we know there are soldiers on our tails as we just wait!"
"Midori, get a grip!" Shinji snarled slightly as he over to his sister and checked on her wound; he ignored his own for the moment. "We can't do anything if she bleeds to death. We'll get to the others one way or the other."
Diao Chan's hands clenched. The feelings from before returned to her. It was his fault. It was because of him. Damn him. She was worried about him for the crazy things; he was doing this to protect her. Anger flowed through her veins because he was trying to protect her and his sister. Damn him for making her feel this way and for making her work so hard to hide it all: how she felt now for him and about what Neo-Chaos said.
"Come on," she finally said as she spun on her heel, "we shouldn't stop moving.
We'll just take it slower." Diao didn't wait for a rebuke for she simply started walking away.
"You okay?" Shinji frowned at his sister as they walked after Diao.
Sanae offered him a weak smile. "I'm sure I'll survive. Besides, you're hurt too. Badly."
"I'll be okay, I'm sure." He gave her a thin smile. "Anyway, I couldn't wait any longer."
"I understand." Sanae gave her brother a knowing grin then glanced at their current leader. "She will too one day."
"Maybe."
Paranoia can be one's friend and enemy and at times both. It mixed in an ironic play on senses and emotions. It took them twice as long to get to the safe line and it seemed too easy to detour the last of the soldiers; like a plague, the tension spread. While Diao Chan gratefully met the catacombs of the underground, her edginess didn't leave her mind for she still scanned every shadow and beyond. Her dark hair was now matted with sweat and dried blood from the scratch on her face, yet she showed no signs of it bothering her or the throbbing ache in her hip. On the other hand, Sanae was starting to show signs of significant blood loss as she leaned on her brother. Her auburn hair was darken by the dirt and her face had grown much paler, if that was even possible.
Diao Chan tensed as they passed the green checkpoint. No one was there; unusual and unplanned. Her plans were now shattered before her eyes. She hoped that help would be here if they needed it, if the soldiers did follow them... for someone to take Sanae back with the pictures before anything could happen. It was all shattered. They would have to make the journey to the core alone, unaided, and with an injured friend. She turned around and met Shinji's knowing eyes: he had come to the same conclusion as her. He gave her a small smile and a nod before picking his sister up in his tired, aching arms.
"We're not going to do much standing here, are we?"
She beamed. "Hai, lets go."Â
Looking at the gun in her hand, she led the way once more.
***
"We did look everywhere," Aikyo implied as she placed her hands placed on her hips. "We even took people from the posts to have them search. We haven't seen them at all."
"It is the truth," Tanria said. She nodded and sighed, brushing her hair from her face. "If they went into the city, we don't know where."
Rekka no Ryo frowned at them in response. Now was not the time to start losing track of people. Too much was off balance lately. The once raven hair was still just as dark, but intertwined with silver hair from worry and stress. The cobalt eyes were stripped of emotion. "Scout the areas again and don't stop until you either find them or proof they are dead."
"Yes sir." Then he was gone before Tanria finish growling some.
"Don't take it personal, Tanz," Aikyo offered. "You know he's been that way for awhile now," She flipped her hair over her shoulder, smiling as the silver and blue strands feel into place.
"Don't call me that you spaz," Tanria retorted as she started to walk away from her best friend. She pulled at her own golden hair and said, "He shouldn't take out his stuff on us. We're not his children."
She heard the laughter behind her and the sudden pressure on her back. "Get off me, you baka!" Tanria pushed Aikyo from her back and glared at her. "Just try that again and I'll use Korin Ken to pierce that other ear!"
"Nah, you wouldn't!" The silver-blue hair girl grinned. "Who would cover for you when you sneak off to see Anubisu's boy, hmmm?"
"Aikyo!" Tanria snarled. "At least my mother knows about us, unlike like your sister sneaking off to see Anazi-kun all the time and your parents don't even know!"
"Hmmm." Aikyo grimaced and shrugged. "Sanae doesn't think father and mother will approve."
"Do you really think that is true?" Tanria sighed to herself, unsure of how to tell her father about him.
"Don't know. I think... I think Sanae just doesn't want mother sad before she dies."
"Hey, you don't know for sure if she's going to die. My mother and father are taking care of her."
"True, but Seiji-san is always out with the others fighting and your mother is constantly taking care of refugees and defenses here." Aikyo lowered her head some as the continued to walk. "Besides, she's been in so much pain lately. Maybe it's time for her to rest."
Tanria slipped an arm around Aikyo's shoulders and smiled at her. No words can heal something that aches inside so badly. "Thanks Tanria," she whispered.
"No problem, fish face," The lavender eyes danced with compassion and for a moment, she looked like Korin no Seiji.
"Shut up, sun head. Come on, let's try and find the three musketeers before everyone starts thinking the worse." Aikyo took a small data pad from her hip and typed in a few commands.
Tanria shrugged. "Well if they did get in trouble it's their own damn faults.
Not telling anyone where they're going or what they were planning, letting us all wonder.." Her fingers checked her side arm then trailed to the sword hilt on her hip. "They have to learn to be more responsible."
"We're talking about Diao Chan here. Combined with the troublesome duo, they're about as bad as your bro."
"Hey! I make no excuses for my brother."
"Tanz! He's SO a mama's boy! Shiro just screams it! Your mother must've
contaminated him, I swear."
"Sounds like you like him." A laugh escaped the pale throat.
"Oh... just... shut up! Come on, let's try closer to the city."
"Why there?"
"Why not?" Aikyo slipped the pad back on her hip and activated her bo. "It's them for all we know. They tried something really stupid. And... I have a bad feeling."
"Oh, that just makes me want to go," Tanria muttered, rolling her eyes.
Aikyo skipped a few feet in front of her and shot back a challenging glance.
"Shush. I'll race you to red post!"
"We need to stop again." Tiredness laced his voice as he dropped to his knees, laying his sister's body down softly.
"Again? Is she getting worse?"
"Just... too much blood loss." His hand brushed the sweat-laden bangs from his eyes, hating what the burning, salty substance did to his eyes.
"Can't you give her blood?"
"Hai, but do you see a transfusion unit anywhere close?"
"If my brothers were here they would just whip one together." Diao Chan smirked.
"That I could see." Shinji's voice didn't lighten as he looked at his sister.
"I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I should have paid more attention."
"It isn't your fault, Midori. Stop it."
"It is my fault!" Diao growled fists at her sides. She cried out, "I was suppose to take care of you two! I'm the oldest!"
"Midori-chan, get a clue! Neo-Chaos was there! We're only three people!"
"I shouldn't have mattered!"
Shinji finally gave up and went back to tending his sister.
"Don't you find it a bit strange that they didn't go after us with a Battalion
Plus One?" she mused. "We found out their secret and yet they didn't follow us outside the city. I don't like it."
"We're not suppose to like it, Diao. It's war." He looked back up at her and saw the sleep deprivation and stress mirrored in her. He had to admit to himself that he was more worried about his sister and what his father would say when they got back. Trying to justify the information was worth the risk and the injuries.
Diao Chan began to pace for a few moments before she sighed. She clenched her darken hands together. "Maybe you should stay here while I book it to find the others. We shouldn't move her anymore than we have to."
"And if an attack does come like you keep saying it should, I can't hold them off for that long. We should stay together - she'll make it."
"You hope." Diao ended his thought, her wide eyes reading into his. The coolness of the tunnels was getting to her as with the luminescent dull glow of the yellow lights. She leaned against the opposite wall and laced her fingers behind her head. She breathed in the dampened air along but then coughed. The polluted city air lingered in her lungs, not to mention the sewer air.
"You're right," Shinji said as he looked up at her. "I hope. It's not a big hope but it's a small one. Right now that's all I have."
"You can't just hope forever. You have to make things happen unless you get killed like father says."
"Maybe you're right. But... my mother said we should always have just a little hope. I don't know why she says that but I have to try for her at least. And now for Sanae."
She looked down at her wasting friend: the dried blood caked her clothes, mixed with gunpowder and filth. The normally cheerful face now in morbid peace. She now was grateful it was only them that had gone. Shinji was right: if they had told the others, so many would be in Sanae's condition. Either that or dead. She wasn't going to let this happen. She wasn't going to just stand here and give up.
"Here," she said as she handed him the few power packs she had along with her small gun. "I'm going to go ahead. I'll be back, I promise."
"You can't go without any weapons! What happens if one of the crypts come out?!"
Diao Chan shrugged. After what happened earlier, no over sized mutated rat was going to keep her from getting home. "I'll be fine."
"You said that back at the warehouse too," Shinji growled.
She gave him a wink and made her way down the cavern. "Trust me. I know what I'm doing!"