Black rain pattered off the roof of the car as the officer stepped out, glancing around to ensure there was no one readying an attack. The streets of Axel, even the midlevels like this, were not safe.
Taking a step onto the rusted metal pathway, the officer took a moment to glance down below herself. Lights twinkled under where her car was hovering, little specks in the shadows until they were swallowed up by the night. Shivering slightly, the security officer hurried up to the coffee shop and put down her credit chit. "Two coffees and two cups of ramen, please."
The proprietor gave her a gap toothed smile when he saw her face, quickly serving up the hot food and drink. "Ah, Officer Tina, out on patrol again? Didn't I see you just last night? Is this breakfast, or dinner?"
Tina gave him a faint smile and shrugged. "Can you even tell down here, Ruff?"
"I suppose not," Ruff said as Tina took her plastic beverage holder. He wore a stained pink apron that read "Kiss the Cook", and one of his arms was replaced with a cybernetic prosthetic. Despite his scarred face and bright pink mohawk, he had a kindly smile, and reputation for being a softy that was reinforced by the discount he gave Tina on her food.
Waving goodbye, Tina hurried back into the ancient company car, passing over a cup of coffee and ramen to her partner.
"Ruff says hello," Tina passed along, sipping her coffee as she took up her gun. She preferred not to use it; not because she had any qualms about killing a gangbanger or perp, but because she wasn't exactly the best shot. "He gave me a discount."
Her partner grunted, then slurped down some ramen before setting the steaming cup of noodles and broth in the holder on the driver's side. "Maybe he's sweet on you. Was it a big discount?"
"Five percent," Tina said, glancing over her shoulder as their car pulled up and away from the walkway. "I don't know that he's my type, Claire…"
"Bad business, security getting involved with a non-corp. Ruff's food is good but he's probably not even strictly legal," Claire said, her eyes never staying still as they moved up to the traffic lanes. They didn't join the flow though, just hovering off to the side as they scanned for potential violations while they ate.
"You say that about every man I meet," Tina sighed, taking up a pair of chopsticks to aid in slurping up the noodles.
"That's because no man is good enough for my partner," Claire said, giving Tina a sly wink.
That made her blush, and look away. "We're just partners, Clarie."
"And roommates. And best friends since childhood. Come on, do you even really talk to anyone else?" Claire asked, holding out a hand scanner to check a floating barge that churned by. It must have passed, because she didn't gun the engine to pursue.
"It's not like you have much of a social life either," Tina said, giving Claire a level look. "When do we have time for much of anything between shifts?"
"Management has it out for us, I'm telling you," Claire agreed with a nod, tapping the twin iron cog icon on their shoulders. While Axel was traditionally the territory of ShopWiz, NyteTech had made gains in recent years, and currently controlled some of the relatively choice bits of Axel, including where Claire and Tina were patrolling.
There was the sound of gun fire, and Tina pulled up the scanner as Claire warmed up the weapons, their usual banter forgotten for the moment. In a moment, she had the location of the gunfire pinned, and winced. "It's on the ShopWiz side."
"Super. Let their security handle it, or not," Claire said with a shrug.
"Yes, but…they're chasing a woman," Tina said, tapping the screen. "Two orcs, a couple of humans, and a dwarf. They're all armed and she's not."
Claire gave Tina a flat look. "You know if we get caught meddling in ShopWiz turf we're done for. Plus, we're not supposed to harass the gangs unless corporate property is at risk. Is the woman they're after NyteTech?"
"No…" Tina admitted, pulling up the profile. Then she brightened. "But she is wanted for tampering with company property and failure to uphold a verbal contract."
"Those are minor charges with piddly fines, we won't get any commission on that at all," Claire grumbled as she gunned the engine and started to dive towards the gang that had cornered the lone woman below.
"You're the one driving us forward," Tina said, adjusting the straps on her ballistic vest (bought with her own money) and then pulling on her riot helmet. "You want to help as much as I do."
"If I wanted to help people, I'd make my money on my back at a brothel," Claire grumbled, but she loosened her pistol at her side as Tina took up her baton and riot shield.
The gang had cornered the woman, and the two orcs were holding her down as the dwarf slapped her. One of the men unbuttoned his trousers, laughing at something. They obviously intended to assault their victim in more ways than one. After that, they would rob her, then either kill her and harvest the organs, or take her alive and sell her to a slaver. Technically, you couldn't sell someone who wasn't a convicted criminal into slavery, but brands were easy to forge and most places didn't look to hard.
"STOP! CORPORATE SECURITY!" Tina bellowed through her amplified speaker, then jumped out as soon as Claire had the hovercar close enough. She winced as she landed; she couldn't really afford the fancy biomods that would let you pull off a stunt like that, but she was naturally strong and athletic. Still, after a few years of security work, your body took a beating. And once it was used up, you were put out to pasture.
Tina raised her baton, ready for a fight even as Claire popped out, pistol pointed in the general direction of the gangbangers.
One of the orcs squinted at Darkness, frowning. "This bitch try to sell you faulty chips too?"
"Ah, come on honey, let me have some fun before you take her," the man with his belt undone whined. "Those damn chips hurt when I put 'em in."
"They were good, you just mishandled them! I'm innocent officer, I swear!" the woman gasped, wriggling in the grip of the two orcs. Clearly not comprehending that Tina was about to save her life.
"Ah come on. You're NyteTech, ain't you supposed to be on the other side of the street?" the dwarf complained, flexing his bruised knuckles.
"She's on our wanted list. Now back off, or I bust heads while my partner pops some," Tina growled, raising her batton.
"Feh. As long as the bitch gets railed, what do I care," the other orc said. Then she shoved the woman forward. "Got her wallet anyway."
"Don't say that! The corpo will lift it off us!" the dwarf snapped, apparently the leader.
"Officer, please, I am but a poor, innocent girl! My supplier told me these chips were good, I swear! Here, you can have one, it has the latest 4D Porn from Discordia! One clip even features the fleshshaper itself!" the girl said, holding up a bag of microchips.
Only a cursory glance told Tina they were clearly old junk that had been shined up a bit. If they held anything but junk data, it would be a fluke. She snapped flexiplast cuffs on the woman and roughly hauled her forward. "You're wanted at Security HQ. Come on."
Claire set the car down, her pistol still pointed in the general direction of the gang, but they were moving off. One of the orcs hand her hand down the pants of the man who'd exposed himself, and was laughing. He seemed uncomfortable, but once an orc got her hands on a man, she wouldn't rest until he was passed out. The others seemed to think it was a great joke, with the other orc commenting on how she'd have her turn.
"At least someone's getting laid tonight," Darkness muttered as she put the perp into the back.
"You could be too if you'd just relax," Claire said as she snapped the car up and back towards NyteTech's side. The odds of one of the sparse ShopWiz patrols coming on them were low, and the other corporate security giving a rat's ass were lower, but there was no need to take chances.
"Hey, you're both kinda cute, if you let me go, I'd give you both a quickie!" the perp offered, pressing her face up against the perforated plastic barrier between the back and the front seats.
Tina gave her partner a look, and Claire blushed. "Maybe if you do, you'd quit bothering me. I told you, that time when we were teens was a mistake. I was drunk."
"I wasn't," Claire muttered, but it was an old argument. She glanced in the rearview mirror at their passenger. "Who is this perp again?"
"I'm Cecily!" the perp volunteered, smiling widely as she pressed her face up against the scratched and stained security screen. "And I'm sure this is all a big misunderstanding. Hey, is that food? Can I have some?"
"Typically, arresting officers don't feed their perps," Tina sighed. "We usually expect to be bribed and cajoled, offered just a bit less than the fines you owe."
"Well, I'm broke, and hungry! Like I said, I'll give you a quickie. But food first, it's been a few days…"
Claire took a longer look in the mirror. Cecily was scrawny, to a positively unhealthy degree, and dressed in near rags. She looked to be a few years younger than Tina or Claire, somewhere in her late teens or early twenties, but her sunken cheeks and hollow eyes told a familiar story. Wordlessly, Claire hit the button for the screen and passed back her cup of ramen.
Cecily eagerly took the food and began to slurp it down. After a moment, she paused, then looked up, apparently baffled. "Um, thanks. I…I really am broke…you can have the chips I scavenged…they're just cast offs and blanks…or…I don't know, all I have left is…"
"You're probably diseased," Claire said, fixing her eyes on the road ahead. Tina reached over and patted her partner on the leg. "Besides, it would be a gross breach of protocol for someone in a position of authority to use it to take advantage of a young woman."
"A…gross…are you saying I'm ugly?" Cecily asked, clearly puzzled and slightly offended.
"She's saying it would be wrong for us to take advantage of you," Tina told Cecily.
That didn't seem to make sense to Cecily, but she eagerly sucked down her food without much further protest. "Well, thanks for the food anyway. What are you gonna do? Put me in a sweatshop or sell me for parts or something?"
"You have any skills?" Tina asked. "Anything marketable?"
"If I did, I'd have a job," Cecily said with a shrug. "And get regular meals."
"That's what we thought. Well…we picked you up this time, kid. Stay out of trouble," Claire said, setting the car down at one of the mid levels. "We can't do much for you."
"You- you kidding? You've done more for me than anyone since my mom kicked me out ten years ago," Cecily said as she got out of the hatch. She paused, then frowned back at the car. "You're really not going to do anything?"
"Stay safe, citizen," Tina told her, and gave Cecily a sad smile.
"You're really weird security guards, you know that, right?" Cecily asked.
Tina shrugged, and Claire snorted.
"Well…bye! Thanks." Cecily jogged off, disappearing amidst ramshackle huts and flickering neon signs.
"Shit. Wish we could do more," Claire grumbled. "She was kinda cute."
"Your type?" Tina asked, waggling her eyebrows.
"She looked like you," Claire said with a shrug, and lifted the car back up. "Now. Let's find us some actual bounties. That was my lunch. And don't try to give me yours. You gave away your dinner to that orphan elf boy."
"I just…I wish…" Tina's throat tightened, and she closed her eyes, feeling so exhausted for a moment.
"Yeah. I know. Me too," Claire agreed quietly.
They did manage to find a few bounties, some violent criminals and an arsonist. They turned them in at the NyteTech Security HQ, collecting enough to not only pay for their shift and rent for another week, but get some real food from Discord; rice, some kind of meat, and even a few vegetables. They ate in their small, cramped apartment, looking out at the filthy rain that patterned on their cracked window.
Claire snuggled up to Tina when it was time to go to bed, and a part of Tina wanted her oldest and only friend to just…press the issue. To throw her down, and have her way with her. To tell Tina to spread 'em, and then to force Tina to pleasure her in turn.
But Claire didn't. She would tease, she would ask, she would hint…but she never, ever forced herself on Tina.
As they lay there, Tina reached into the small safe under their bed, and entered in the key. She took out their matching amulets, and held them up. One bore a shield, another a sword. The metal was untarnished by age, but it wasn't gold or silver, or even platinum. They didn't know what the chains were made of, and neither had their parents.
"Feeling maudlin tonight, Lady Dustiness?" Claire asked, reaching up to take her own amulet and holding it tight.
"Maybe we should sell them," Tina said quietly. "What good have they done us? Or anyone?"
"We swore to keep them. To be the protectors," Claire said, wrapping her chain about her hand and gazing at the sword. "They're all we have left."
"No. We have each other," Tina said quietly, and smiled at Claire.
"The last daughters of long dead houses. Your ID doesn't even say Lalatina, and mine just says Claire Shin. Not Symphonia."
"Don't call me that," Tina grumbled. "Tina Ford is better than Lalatina Dustiness. I half think our parents just made it all up."
"I liked the stories," Claire said quietly, handing Darkness back the amulet. "Maybe…maybe we are making a difference. Protecting people."
"Maybe," Tina said quietly, and put the amulets away, locking the safe again. She turned towards Claire, and pulled her friend close. "I just…I think the only one I really want to protect is you."
"Yeah. But…there's more, isn't there?" Claire asked.
"Yes," Tina agreed, feeling the tears in her eyes again. "Someday, we'll find out what."
And until then, at least they were surviving.
For a day and a night, Aqua, Megumin, and Komekko simply stayed in the hidden world underground. Aqua had found the armor and sword, and had cried over it for a long while when she found it the next day.
"Who were they?" Komekko asked, touching the sword.
"M-My champion. Kyle…no…Kyouya? Mitsu…rugi. Kyouya Mitsurugi. He was…from Japan. I…I summoned him. He fought bravely, but…" Aqua hung her head.
"Who'd he fight?" Komekko asked curiously. "Was he the Cursed Swordsman?"
"Yes. He fought the Devil King, but… we'd been losing for so long. It was just me and Eris left. I tried…I tried so hard…but I'm a Water Goddess. I can heal, and banish the undead, but…it was all my fault," Aqua sniffled.
"Hey, at least he saved you, right?" Megumin asked. She put her hand on the sword and tugged at it. "Can I have this?"
"Huh? You're a Crimson Demon. You use magic, not swords," Aqua scoffed, shaking her head.
"Crimson Demons are powerful warriors! I have mastered marksmanship, knife fighting, and demolitions!" Megumin bragged she grunted and strained, but couldn't get the sword out of the ground.
"You're not from the bloodline of heroes," Aqua told her gently. "Only someone from Mitsurugi's bloodline could pull it forth."
"Well, he's been dead a long time," Komekko said with a shrug. "Oh well. Maybe we can find other weapons. I'm pretty good with knives! And I can shoot too."
"But…you're both little girls," Aqua said, looking sick.
"I am NOT!" Megumin snarled, eyes glowing bright red. "I'm sixteen! An adult! And I can take care of myself AND Komekko!"
"You're not sixteen," Komekko piped up. "You're fifteen and a half. I'm six! I'm a big girl! I killed two eye hunters all by myself!"
"That's not…children shouldn't have to fight," Aqua said, sitting down beside the fallen armor. She lifted up the helmet, resting it against her forehead. "But…Kyouya…he was only sixteen when I found him. A high school kid from Japan. I gave him a second chance at life. He fought beside me for three years…married Fio…they had two children together…"
"What's high school?" Megumin asked, frowning. "You mean, like, a school on the upper levels?"
"They don't let us go to school but Big Sis and mom taught me to read and stuff! And I can do math too! Listen, I know all the prime numbers! Two, three, five, seven, eleven-"
"That's very good," Aqua said, tears trickling down her cheeks as she set the helmet down. She looked around the underground chamber, looking forlorn. "How long was I asleep…?"
"I dunno, but I'm hungry, and I bet 'Mekko is too. Let's catch some food," Megumin said, obviously done with this. She bowed to the fallen armor. "Farewell, brave warrior. May we meet again in the Village."
"And may your enemies go blind," Komekko agreed.
"That's not a proper prayer," Aqua said, standing. "Look. Like this."
Aqua raised her hands, and suddenly a blue circle formed at her feet. "Sir Mitsurugi. In life, you fought with valor and strength. In death, may your rest be eternal and peaceful. I send you now to the Realm of the Gods, where you shall be honored as a hero for all time."
A shining blue man flickered into existence, and Megumin and Komekko both gasped in shock, grabbing one another's hands, and pulling tight together.
"Lady…Aqua. I…I failed you," the shimmering blue spirit said, kneeling before Aqua.
"No, my champion. I live on. And the fight does as well," Aqua said gently, placing a hand on the translucent man's head. "Rest, now. Be at peace."
"Thank you…thank you, lady Aqua." The spirit stood, and to the two girl's shock, he drew the sword from the ground. He held it out to Megumin. "Daughter of the Crimson Demon Clan. Bear this blade, until you find a hero worthy of it. Gram will serve you until you pass it into the hands of a true knight."
Hesitantly, Megumin took the sword. She tried to lift it, but stumbled slightly. "It's heavy! What is it made of, concrete?!"
"It is adamantoise. Forged by the goddess. I grant you its strength," the ghost of Misturugi said, touching Megumin's forehead with one pale finger.
Instantly, Megumin was able to heft the blade easily, eyes going wide.
"Thank you, Kyouya," Aqua said, smiling sadly. "Even in death, you're looking out for me."
"You finally remembered my name," he chuckled. Then he yawned. "I am…tired. So…tired."
Aqua stood on her tiptoes, and kissed Mitsurugi's cheek. "Then rest."
Nodding, Mitsurugi laid down, crossing his hands over his breast, and vanished.
"Was he like a hologram?" Komekko asked curiously, looking around. "Where are the emitters?"
"Komekko… I think…I think he was real," Megumin said slowly, looking at the sword in her hand. She swished it experimentally, the blade singing through the air. "This feels real, anyway."
"But didn't you say guns beat swords?" Komekko said, frowning at the weapon.
"What?! There can't be guns! Belzberg is strictly a fantasy setting!" Aqua gasped.
"What kind of weirdo dreamed up this place as a fantasy?" Megumin grumbled.
Aqua wilted at that, looking guilty. "Well, I…things were supposed to be different…I think…I think I need to see what's going on outside."
At those words, both sisters made a face. "Do we really? We had to crawl through the sewer to get here," Komekko complained.
"The Eye Hunters are probably out to get us too. We'd have to make goggles," Megumin sighed. She held up Gram, then grinned. "But maybe this time, I'll have something special for them!"
It took the rest of the day to prepare to head for the surface. Aqua ended up making them all new clothes that she called "Adventuring Gear" from the various plant fibers that were around, spinning them into sturdy cloth. She tried to make robes for Komekko and Megumin, but both refused, citing how impractical that would be wading through sewage.
In the end, they all had on thick trousers, sturdy boots cobbled from the cast off plastics of the sister's former clothes, two sets of goggles, flexible gloves, and shirts and jackets. To Megumin and Komekko's eyes, the clothes looked strange and alien, as well as being far more comfortable than anything they were used to.
"These are cool!" Megumin said, striking a pose with Gram and grinning broadly. "I've never seen such unique clothes!"
"I like them, they have pockets!" Komekko agreed, showing hers off proudly.
"I just wish I had more dyes, these are too plain," Aqua sighed, looking forlornly down at her own clothes. They were in muted earth tones of brown and green, which blended into the background of the caves quite naturally.
"Hmm, we'll stand out in the slums a little bit, but I think this will make us hard to spot," Megumin said. She lowered the goggles over her eyes, then exclaimed happily. "You put tech in these! Ooo, what filters are this? Do you have ultraviolet and infrared? Must be infrared, you and Komekko are both glowing really brightly."
"Um, they detect mana sources and evil," Aqua said, tapping the goggles. "See?"
"Well, now neither of you are glowing. And how the heck would you detect evil?" Megumin demanded, lifting her goggles and squinting at Aqua.
"Well, I mean…if you're a demon or undead, or if you're really mean then that's evil," Aqua said, scrunching her face up. "You'd have to ask Bahamut or Minerva, they…they're…"
Aqua started crying again, causing Megumin to blush. Komekko just tried on her goggles, looking around in excitement. "You do glow really bright, Big Sis, but Aqua's like the sun!"
"I-I have a lot of mana," Aqua sniffled, wiping at her eyes. "Let's…let's go see what's outside. I have to find more followers, and…somehow…defeat the Devil King! I won't give up!"
"The Devil King died a long time ago, but I mean, if you're so good at making clothes, at least you could make some money and get good food," Megumin said with a shrug. "Plus, maybe you can help us find mom and dad, or at least Yunyun."
"Yes, the Crimson Demon clan will be valuable allies once more! Plus, I really need to scold your parents. Running off and leaving you two alone, and not even teaching you any magic first! You should at least know how to throw a fireball or something," Aqua complained.
Komekko and Megumin shared a puzzled look as they started off towards the sunken entrance. "Um, I don't think our parents knew any magic. They would have used it to stop the eye hunters. Dad's just a really good gunslinger, and mom can hack any system you've ever seen."
"And they taught us how to make bombs!" Komekko agreed happily.
Aqua seemed rather unenthused at the idea of explosives, but she was determined to leave, and followed the girls to the cracked pipe. As they got closer though, her face took on a horrified expression. "What's that smell?"
"It's shi-" Komekko began, until Megumin swatted her. "It's poop."
"I know that smell, but the other stuff…it smells like…like…evil! Something unnatural!" Aqua wailed, and ran forward to the crack. "Yes…this is definitely evil?"
"I mean it's like a billion years of crap and, er, pee," Megumin said, frowning at Komekko who made a face at her.
"I've heard the bad words you know, and mom and dad aren't here."
"Yeah, but Aqua's, like, a goddess or something! We're not supposed to swear!" Megumin argued.
"Well, I'm going to fix it right now!" Aqua declared, and plunged her hands into the horrid stink. "Purification!"
Instantly, the smell vanished, and the liquid turned into the same pure blue liquid, water so clean that it seemed to have unearthly properties.
"There!" Aqua said, standing and smiling to herself. "That's better! Come on, let's climb in and get exploring! Maybe there's treasure! There's usually treasure in sewers."
"Normally in sewers it's just full of…crap," Megumin said, grimacing. "Ugh, I sound like a little kid."
"I won't tell if you swear," Komekko promised, but that just earned her a sour look as they climbed into the stream of water.
This time, their trek through the pipe was much easier, as they were going with the flow, and instead of effluent, they were surrounded by clean water. Even touching the liquid seemed to invigorate both Megumin and Komekko, and they splashed along, laughing and chatting with Aqua, who told them stories of ancient Belzerg that seemed too incredible to believe.
"You mean, there was an entire town with clean water like this people came to see?" Megumin asked, confused.
"No, no, Arcanletia was a hot spring! It was built near a volcano, and rich mineral water fed the city. It was built as the perfect vacation destination! That's where my cult was based!" Aqua explained. Then she sobered. "But…but once I was lured away…and when I came back…Hans had poisoned everyone and everything…only Zesta was strong enough to survive until I could heal him…"
"Hans? You don't mean the CEO of Santomon?" Megumin asked.
Before Aqua could respond, Komekko hissed, "Hunter!" and dove under the water. Megumin immediately slid down under the liquid as well, leaving a perplexed Aqua standing alone.
"Huh? What are-"
Before Aqua knew what was happening, Megumin had kicked Aqua's legs out from under her, causing her to fall into the water with a splash and cry.
"Shh! Quiet!" Megumin hissed, holding a hand over Aqua's mouth. "Hold your breath and duck down!"
"I don't have to," Aqua complained, but she did dip below the surface, looking up from the dim blue glow.
A few moments later, a teardrop shape hovered out of the dimness, a glowing green orb at its center, with laser scanners tracing over the surface of the water. It was letting off a low, throbbing hum that made Aqua's teeth hurt, and various spikes and ominous looking barrels protruded from the sides. It was not quite jet black, but rather a very dark gray that was hard to pick out against the darkness of the sewer. The entire thing seemed to be made of metal and plastic, and looked like something out of a nightmare.
As the Hunter drone drew near, something flashed out of the water where Komekko had sunk. There was a clang and a spark, and the robot let out a warbling wail that deafened Aqua even under water, echoing through the sewer. The barrels under the drone began to swivel, and barked out streams of bullets, hot lead and flying shrapnel turning the narrow confines to a deadly tempest.
Then Megumin shot out of the water, pointing Gram straight at the Hunter Drone. She skewered it through the center, the blade passing through the armored carapace like it was rusted tin. The siren gurgled and died, and the drone fell down into the water with a splash.
"Good job," Megumin gasped as Komekko surfaced, prying out her sister's knife and handing it to her. "But if there's a Seek Drone, that means there's an eye hunter nearby. We have to run. We'll get slaughtered in here."
"You're hurt!" Komekko said, hurrying forward. Megumin's right arm and left side were bleeding, holes punched through Aqua's clothing by the whining bullets.
"I'll be fine," Megumin said with a grimace, struggling to yank Gram free. "You take Aqua and go the other way. I'll stay behind and scavenge for parts for a bit."
"No! I'm not leaving you!" Komekko wailed, ripping off her goggles and looking pleadingly at her sister. "That's what mom and dad said!"
"I'll be fine," Megumin grunted, sinking down into the water. She blinked. Actually, as the water filled her wounds, she was starting to feel a little better. Maybe it was the blood loss, but she felt warm, and the pain was leaking out. What was…
"Heal!" Aqua cried, grabbing Megumin's head and hugging the girl to her breast. "Heal! M-Megumin, tell me you're OK! What was that thing!?"
"Just a drone," Megumin said. "You and Komekko go…go…" Absently, Megumin patted her arm, then felt her side. She plunked a bit of shrapnel off the surface of her perfectly whole skin. She took off her own goggles, and blinked. "I…I was shot, wasn't I?" She felt the holes in her clothing, where the bullet and shrapnel had torn it. But…aside from a small bit of blood, there was nothing."
"You were! I healed you, you're OK, right?!" Aqua said, patting first Megumin, then Komekko down.
"Big Sis, you're…OK?" Komekko asked, pulling away from Aqua to look at where Megumin's wounds had been.
"Yeah. This…this is better than that nanotech bio-gel we stole when mom lost her hand," Megumin said, frowning at her injuries.
"She did say she always wanted some cybernetics," Komekko said with a nervous giggle. "Daddy said he liked it too…"
"Well, this is better than some jelly or nano-whatever," Aqua huffed, pulling herself to her full height and flipping her soaking wet hair back out of her eyes. "I am, after all, a goddess of healing! And you're my followers, so I have to take super good care of you!"
"That's, um…thanks?" Megumin looked back at the drone, rummaging around in it for a bit. "Huh. This is NyteTech stuff. Guess they're muscling in on this turf. Weird that it went down so easy. Their drones are probably the best ones. Expensive though. Someone's gonna be real mad at us."
"Do we still go back?" Komekko asked uncertainly, peering down the gentle slope of the pipe.
"No. I'm not running away anymore!" Aqua declared. "We're gonna fight this Eye Hunter guy and beat him up! No one hunts my friends!"
"You sure? There could be a lot of them. And if they have a drone this nice…" Megumin flipped the drone over, and her breath caught. Painted on its side were two sets of glowing red eyes.
"Mommy…daddy?" Komekko asked, seeing the eyes before Megumin could try to hide them. Tears filled her eyes, and she looked up at Megumin. "N-not…not them…o-or Yunyun…"
"I don't…no, it couldn't be," Megumin said, her voice strangled. She gripped Gram for a moment, then set it against the side and began rummaging. "Hold on. I'll make a couple of bombs and see if I can take one of the guns. It didn't look too damaged."
In only a few minutes, Megumin had cobbled together a couple of grenades, and ripped out a machine gun. She and Komekko fiddled with it while Aqua watched in fascination, until Megumin handed the gun to Komekko. "Fifty rounds. Use them well."
"I'll kill another Hunter. For mom and dad," Komekko vowed. She swallowed. "Or…or…for those eyes."
"By our eyes, and for our blood," Megumin agreed, attaching the grenades to her belt and picking up Gram. "Come on. Let's show them why the world still fears the Crimson Demon Clan."