By animeninjaNIPPON

"OK, this is weird." Pirika managed to sum it all up in one sentence.

I glanced at Faust. He smiled and waved. I moved closer to him. He shifted uncomfortably and stared at me as though I had spinach in my teeth. "Is something wrong?" he asked, still staring at me.

"Hao told me you'd been killed," I replied.

"I haven't seen Hao since before I left Japan," Faust mused. "What would I know about whether he's alive or dead?"

It suddenly occurred to me that Hao might have been screwing with my mind. But the look in his eyes was so serious…

"Where is this 'Hao' guy?" the man with the cigarette asked, blowing smoke.

"I don't know," I answered. "I saw him last night, then he disappeared. He could be halfway around the world by now."

"Don't count on it," Chocolove said. "He's probably right here, in the Viz building…"

"I can tell you where Hao is," came an unknown voice behind me. Everybody turned around. Much to my surprise, it was Lyserg, standing next to Marco.

"Lyserg?" I exclaimed. "How'd you get here?"

"We've been at 4Kids this whole time," Marco explained. "We weren't needed at Viz until yesterday. Then we were put in jail."

"Can you tell us where Hao is?" I asked.

"He's at 4Kids HQ right now," Lyserg answered, "but he'll be back tomorrow morning, I think."

"Until then," the man with the cigarette said, "I'm gonna go deal with that crap-Viz company."

"Not so fast, Sanji," Chocolove said. "They don't' know that we've broken loose."

"We should probably lay low for a while," Faust added.

"Well, where are we gonna hide?" Lyserg asked.

"It doesn't matter," Pirika said, "just get out of here, quick!" The end of her sentence was perfectly timed to the beginning of footsteps walking down the hall…

"The Viz execs!" one of the X-Laws exclaimed.

"We don't have time!" another one panicked.

The sound of footsteps grew louder. They couldn't go back in the cell without being noticed through that huge hole in the wall, and there was no room to run.

"Quick! Close the door and they might not notice us!" I whispered, and Pirika closed the mail-room door. The footsteps died out. I sighed with relief. Unfortunately, someone began to turn the doorknob from the outside.

Marco threw himself against the door to barricade it, followed by Sanji and Faust. "Get out of here, guys!" the latter ordered.

"No," I replied, "I'll stay and fight."

"Then I'll stay too," Pirika announced.

"No, it's too dangerous!" I disagreed.

"HoroHoro," Marco said to me, "take the others and run!"

The three blonds were struggling to keep the door closed, and there was no time to argue. "All right," I reluctantly agreed.

It was fight or flight time. The three at the door would fight; the rest would flee. I led the others through the hole in the wall, only to find the other side blocked by iron bars. There was only one thing to do.

"Kororo, spirit ball mode, into the snowboard!" I cried. Now I had my oversoul, so I could break the bars. "Kaukau Priwenpe!"

End of part 15


SIDE NOTE: "Kaukau Priwenpe" is Ainu for "Renegade Hail."