She took her gloved hand and turned the doorknob of the first cell. All that came out of the door was a click.
"It's locked…"
"Lemme try," Gallows ran and kick the door with bad results. He slid on the floor.
Clive analyzed the door. "I'm afraid it's made of solid steel. We'll have to find a key if we're hoping to find what's behind door number one."
"Clive!" Virginia lunged in and tugged him out of the way. The door exploded into fragments of metal and dust.
"Seriously, if you guys are planning to break out, then don't leave me behind!"
With the glint of an azure eye, four figures came through the dust.
Maya held her chain gun in two dainty hands. "I had to break out by myself."
Virginia smiled and rubbed the back of her head. "Heh, sorry."
Maya walked forward. "Anyway, you said you need help finding your friend."
The blonde looked behind her as she headed through the door. "Well, aren't you coming?"
Virginia snapped out of her trance and followed. The rest of the people gave in to it.
"Dario?" Romero said going into the room.
"What?"
"I fear we're about to go into a huge mess."
They both gulped.
xxx
The walls in the room were padded like an insanity institute.
Alfred walked in. "I don't understand. There's nothing in here but a mirror…"
Clive walked over to a table that was covered with colorful paper and some sort of powder.
He scooped up some of the powder, feeling it between his fingers.
"What is this?"
"Some kind of drug, perhaps," said Gallows. He scooped some up with his finger and tasted it. "Eww, it's not a very pleasant one."
Clive scooped some up and put it in the corner of the room. "Shady, I need you to blow a little of your fire on that powder."
Everyone stood back. Shady took a deep breath and blew embers at the powder.
It started sparking and popping with bright colors. Virginia screamed and fell backwards.
"Everyone, back up," screamed Todd. He had to run in and pull the hypnotized Alfred out of the crossfire.
Virginia looked up at the dying spark. "Fireworks?"
Gallows eyes grew large. "I ate firework powder?"
Janus was lying on the padded floor after being knocked down by the fireworks. "I'm afraid so."
"Why would Begucci want to use fireworks," said Alfred, examining the paper and powder that was "left" on the table.
"And what the hell is with that mirror?" Gallows said, looking straight into it. He put his ear to it. "Wait, do you hear something?"
Virginia started listening. "It sounds like someone is talking. I can't make it out."
"Wait," said Clive. "Everyone, look for a switch somewhere in this room."
They felt on the walls and on the floors for just something peculiar.
"I think I found what we're looking for," said Virginia. Her dress was sticking out from under the table.
The team looked under the table board and saw that a button with wires running off it was stuck under the table like a piece of gum.
"Yeah, that should be it," said Clive. Virginia pressed the button and the mirror was clear like glass.
"Obvious," said Maya. "A two-sided mirror."
"Who are they?" Gallows griped. "I was expecting older women."
Clive elbowed Gallows hard in the ribs.
"I know them," said Janus. "We ran into them once or twice. We beat them, of course."
"Anything we should worry about?" Clive asked.
Janus grinned arrogantly. "Naw, but they're stubborn though."
Gallows barged in. "And I ask yet again, who the fuck are they!"
Janus was annoyed, but decided to tell them anyway:
"They are the Hinabi girls, also known as the Firework girls. They were the daughters of a firework maker, and their weapon of choice, you can figure that out."
"So that explains the fireworks," said Clive. "But they look too young to be drifters."
"They had no choice," said Janus, leaning against a wall. "They had to become drifters due to famine and hostile animals infecting their village. Their mother died of sickness, and soon after, hungry animals came to the village. Their father was left behind to be eaten in the invasion while they ran away from the village carrying the last fireworks."
He gestured over to the mirror. "The older one is Sequoya Hinabi, 15; she seems to tell her little sister what to do in battles. The younger one is Shita Hinabi, 6; her older sister is the one that takes care of her. They may only be a drifter duet, but they are a pretty dangerous force"
"Wow, so they are pretty much very young to be drifters," said Virginia.
Janus smiled to himself. "Reminds me of the age when I first drifted alone."
"So let's get to the setting them free part," said Maya, positioning her chain gun.
Virginia grabbed her gun before Maya can do anything. "If you shoot through the mirror, you might hurt them."
"She's right," said Clive. "We have to find a safer way to get them out."
"Screw that!" Janus ran and bucked the end of the bayonet into the mirror.
xxx
Two girls sat in the padded room thinking on how to get out. The older one was like a traditional Japanese woman. She wore a red kimono held together by a huge black band.
Held on her feet were the traditional wooden sandals. Her black hair was tied in a tight bun.
Her sister had short hair that went down to shoulder length. She wore a common Japanese school girl outfit. They were similar to porcelain dolls.
The older one paced the room, tripping over her wooden sandals. "Remember when mama was still alive? She used to tell us many things. She said that you were like a lotus, innocent and easily swept away by the wind. And I was like a mantis, defensive and alert."
The hidden mirror crashed open, surprising the girls. Sequoya rushed over to her sister.
Janus jumped through the broken mirror and went towards them.
"I remember you!" Sequoya said, gripping her sister's hand.
"Relax doll, we're not here to fight."
"Does he make up a title for every girl he meets!" Virginia said.
Romero sighed. "Afraid so."
Virginia made her way into the room.
Sequoya stood up, blocking her sister. "Who the hell are you and why are you here!"
"Relax, we're not going to harm anyone," said Virginia. "We're just here to free you and look for a missing team mate."
"Do you mean a boy with white hair?" said the young one. Virginia ran over to her and bent down face to face.
"Do you know where they took him? Is he hurt?" Virginia asked desperately.
"Stay away from her!" Sequoya said. Virginia stood up and went over to her.
"We won't hurt her, I promise. One of our friends was taken somewhere else and we have to find him."
"Okay," said the older sister, picking up the fireworks left on the table. "But if you hurt her, I'll blow your ass to hell and back. Got that?"
"Yes," said Virginia, walking back to her sister. "Thank you."
"I saw him when my sister and I were being taken to our cell. He was struggling to get free." replied Shita.
"Do you know where they took him?" Virginia asked, careful not to scare the little girl.
"No," said Shita. "But I'm pretty sure the men didn't hurt him."
"What the hell happened to the door!"
Everyone froze. Three men ran in with ARMS loaded. "I-it's Virginia Maxwell. Janus Cascade and Maya Schroedinger are here, too. They broke out."
"Let us handle this," said Sequoya. "Come Shita."
Shita ran towards her sister. "Right."
Sequoya took out a tube similar to a dragon. It had a lit firework in it.
The guards' eyes bulged. "Oh shit."
It exploded blowing them into the wall.
One man raised his ARM and shot at Sequoya. Alfred pushed her out of the way.
"Oh shit, I missed!" The three men ran out the door.
Sequoya and Alfred rose up.
"Thank you," Sequoya gave Alfred a kiss on the cheek and ran out the door after the men. Shita followed carrying the fireworks.
Alfred store in a daze. "Heh heh."
He felt the kiss on his cheek. (And to some of you who don't know, Alfred is sixteen. Yeah, I know, fooled me at first, too.)
Virginia and team walked into the hallway. They saw the Hinabi girls run after the three men.
Sequoya turned around for a moment. "See ya, Maxwell team! Thanks for saving us! Someday, we'll return the favor but right now, we got to catch these goons before they can tell Begucci."
She lit another firework and they saw a spark light on the corner of the hall.
"They're going to be great drifters some day," said Clive.
Maya looked at her brother and nudged him. "Why were you looking at her like that?"
Alfred snapped back to reality. "Nothing…"
