A/N: note how Chib and Allenby referred to Michelo as the little mermaid, this was what my friend's impression of him was and I thought it would be a funny thing to use.

March 23

Domon's campsite 2:43 AM

Fuun Saiki whinnied softly, hearing familiar footsteps approaching. A figure made its way into the clearing and towards Fuun Saiki. He gently stroked the steed's mane. "Hello again, old friend," his deep voice rumbled.

The soft noises of the stallion awoke Domon, and he stumbled out of the tent, rubbing his eyes. As his vision began to clear, he blinked dumbstruck at the sight ahead of him. "No.... it... it can't be..." he said to himself before taking a step forward. "M-Master?"

The man clad in purple nodded.

Domon blinked again. "But... it can't be..."

"Domon," the Undefeated of the East spoke, "I'm standing right in front of you, yet that is all you can say?"

"If you're really Master then prove it to me!" Domon demanded.

"Answer me Domon! School of the Undefeated of the East!"

"Winds of the king!" Domon replied, softly at first.

"Zenshin, Keiretsu..."

"Tenpakyouran!" Domon called, his voice more confident now.

"Look, the East is Burning Red!" the two called out in unison (why Rain didn't wake up at this point I will never know).

Domon nearly fell to his knees crying the way he had in Shinjuku. "Master? How were you able to come back?"

"I myself am not completely sure of that. However, the fact is I have come here to warn you."

"Warn me? Of what?"

"There is an evil presence lurking here."

"What?"

"Yes, the 4 kings have been revived, and Michelo and Chapman are attempting to gather the original pilots."

"But... you are one of them..."

"I know. For now I will play along, but I warn you, be on your guard, as soon as they have gathered all pilots, they'll attack."

"But why don't you take them out now?"

"Because they are immortal, as I am too."

"WHAT!? HOW!?"

"It's a serum I don't know how they came across it but..."

Domon cut him off. "I DO! THEY MUST HAVE BEEN THE ONES THAT STOLE THE SERUM AND MURDERED MY FATHER!"

"Don't jump into anything, fool. There is one flaw in the serum, it only lasts 5 days. As long as one can get another dose of the serum they will stay alive. They used the serum to revive me."

March 23

Closet in the Warehouse 6:52 A.M.

Allenby and Chibodee sat asleep in the corner. Allenby's head resting on Chibodee's chest and his arm around her shoulders. The metal door clanged open loudly arousing the two young adults. Michelo and Chapman stepped in and Chibodee held Allenby closer. Michelo smirked as he looked at Chibodee. "Looks like we caught a rat."

Chapman nodded. He grabbed Chibodee by the collar of his red shirt and dragged him to his feet pulling a knife from his coat pocket. Chibodee kneed him in the groin, and Chapman lost his grip, "Take that you loser!" the Neo-American called. Chibodee grabbed Allenby by the hand and pulled her to her feet. He shoved Michelo to the ground as he ran out of the small room with Allenby.

Allenby could feel her heart pounding as she struggled to keep up; she wasn't well and didn't think she was gonna be able to get out. She knew she couldn't die but it would be a worse fate to be trapped there. Chibodee pounded his feet furiously against the floor; he wasn't going to allow himself and Allenby to be stuck in the hands of these villains.

They were just about to reach the exit when Master Asia blocked off their escape path, hitting Chibodee in the head... HARD. He fell to the floor unmoving. Master Asia took Allenby by the shoulders and lifted her a few inches off the ground and threw her aside.

She hit the floor with a loud thud and slid backwards hitting her head against the wall. Her vision blurred slightly, but she could still see Michelo standing over Chibodee holding a knife to the unconscious man's throat. "One less rat to take care of."

"STOP IT!" Allenby cried attempting to come to her feet. Michelo shot an angry glance at her. Allenby tried to lunge at Michelo to knock him off his feet, but Chapman held her back. "LEGGO'A ME! LEGGO!" she called as she struggled futilely to break free of Chapman's grip. She looked back to Michelo who was grinning vindictively as he was about to press the blade to Chibodee's throat. "PLEASE! PLEASE DON'T HURT HIM! PLEASE!" she pleaded.

Michelo looked up at her. "What's in it for me if I let this vermin keep his life?"

"I... I..." she tried to of some way to convince him to stop him from killing Chibodee. Only one idea came to mind and it made her sick to think about it. "I'll ... join you... but only if you let him live."

Michelo grinned happily but with malice. He turned back to Chibodee and kicked him in the chest; there was a sickening cracking sound. "Fine... I'll spare him." He turned to Chapman. "Lock them up."

Allenby looked puzzled. "Me too? After I just surrendered to you?"

"No offense, just don't want to risk you running off," Michelo replied.

Still in the closet, 10:39 that night

Allenby sat on her knees watching Chibodee, waiting for him to finally wake up. She grinned as he finally opened his eyes, but that smile melted as she remembered that she had just betrayed him and the shuffle alliance. He sat up holding his chest in pain and looked at Allenby. "Why do you look so down?"

Allenby sighed, "I handed myself over to them, Chibodee."

"Are you out of your mind!?"

"I'm sorry..."

"Why did you do that!?"

"Michelo would have killed you..."

"You turned to them to save me? Why?"

"Because if they had killed you, my heart would have been broken and I would have joined them anyways."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I love you." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly on the lips.

The metal door slid open and a figure stepped inside. He cleared his throat, "I can see I'm interrupting something here."

The two young adults spun around to see Master Asia standing in the doorway.

"What do you want?" snapped Chibodee. "Allenby already agreed to join you guys, so why not give her a break? What do you want?"

"To get you two out of here," Fuhai Toho responded

"Huh?" Allenby looked stunned.

"Did I stutter?" He stepped out of the door way to let them through. "Get out of here before Michelo and Chapman wake up. And give this to Domon," he said, handing Chibodee a piece of paper.

A/N: Now that there is one pilot missing from the "team" of the 4 kings, what is Michelo scheming, and what does that paper say?