Pardon for the slow update, midterms and college got in the way.
Time: 12:16PM - Docks
"Hear me out! Why would I betray you to the feds? Think about it, I served you guys for decades...I'm not a rat!" The informant pleaded.
At the docks, the informant was tied up to a chair with duct tape wrapped all over his body like a cocoon. Health wise, he was beaten, battered like an abused doll as blood dripped from his forehead. Three Dragons sat across the informant with a dead poker face as Kaori wielded a sledgehammer. Three Dragons' six associates calmly watch the poor informant beaten to a pulp. After all, Kaori and the goons treated the informant like a punching bag with crowbars, brass knuckles, and iron clubs for an hour. With the camcorder on live, the informant coughed blood.
Three Dragons nodded at Kaori to shake the informant one more time to confess. Kaori swung her sledgehammer up high and smacked the informant by the kneecap like ice that shattered into pieces.
"AAAAAHHHHH!" The informant screamed in pain and cried. Kaori lifted the man's chin to make him look at Three Dragons.
"Mr. Ito," said Three Dragons. "Let's end this here by telling me why you wanted to sell me over to the feds?"
"P-please...you got it all wrong...I've been telling I'm not a rat. Your a-associates secretly worked for Chifuyu to nab you for distributing Titan -M5..."
Three Dragons wasn't buying the excuse, and nodded his head at his associates to end the discussion for good, and the informant's eyes widened in disbelief. His associates force fed him cement with an oil funnel to suffocate the informant as he struggled to spit it out. Tried as he might, but he slowly suffocated until his eyes rolled back. Three Dragons took the camcorder to save it for further reference, primarily for Chifuyu to taunt her that her colleague died, and a warning to stop sticking her nose into his business.
Shen revealed a briefcase of four cylindrical tubes like it came out of a top secret lab with the label Titan -M5. Kaori drank the content as dark liquid coursed through her body that stimulated her blood. Kaori felt the power within her as she clenched her right fist with a crack as veins revealed dark red color. In less than a second, Kaori partial deployed Phoenix, and shot a stream of fire up with twice the intensity. The drug was a success with Kaori that became stronger than last time.
Titan -M5, a new drug came from the underworld. This drug was made from rogue IS scientists and technicians to strengthen IS pilots. It's a liquid stimulant that enhance IS pilot's stamina, strength, reflexes, reaction time, and IS capabilities. Thanks to the extensive testing of top scientists, it showed no side effects, and it also removes the fear of death. The taste is very bitter, but it's not addictive. It's extremely valuable to the underworld that's top price, and highly illegal.
"Time to sleep with the fishes, put him in the barrel." Three Dragons ordered his associates.
Three Dragons' associates sealed the dead informant onto a barrel as they threw him overboard to make a watery grave. Another associate recorded the whole thing with his iPhone 6Plus as he walked away from the docks to not be seen. The associate was more than just a mere thug as he makes an important phone call.
"What is it?" said the caller shrouded in shadows.
"I got what you needed. Are you going to do the honor to begin the next stage?"
The unknown caller lit a cigarette as he exhaled the smoke, and set it on the ash tray.
"Yes, I'll do it so you don't get too caught up. Until then, I'll meet you on the other side."
The associate was actually a mole from the CIA to collect information. The person he just called was his handler, and his identity remained unknown. The handler sent a text message to someone he knows he can get vital information.
I know who you are, and I can help you achieve your goal. Meet me at The Central View restaurant when you're not at the Academy. You know where to look. No need to reply back. – Lion Heart.
Time: 2:23PM – Rooftop
Liu received the anonymous text message as he read it.
Who the fuck is this Lion Heart?
Liu was suspicious, but he put it aside to deal with it later. Rin, Cecilia, and Liu set up the net to play volleyball with Ichika, Charlotte, and Laura pumping air on the ball. Mattheus and Joel trained the classmates with advanced techniques to enhance their skills while Houki trained alone in the dojo. The day was peaceful with bright skies partly cloudy, birds chirping on the other side, what's more to say?
"Are you ready to lose, you peasants?" Laura taunted, revealing a Glasgow smile.
"Be careful what you wish for, Laura!" Cecilia gloated. "You'll be down your knees begging for mercy when we're through with you."
Laura served the ball as Cecilia returned it back with Ichika and Liu on the defensive position. The ball bounced back and forth over the net as Cecilia jumped up, and spiked the ball.
"I got this one!" Ichika exclaimed, spiking the ball with greater speed. It travelled so fast Liu missed it by an inch, and the ball rolled gently on the grass until it stopped.
"Lucky shot," said Liu, retrieving the ball. "We're just getting started."
While they vigorously play volleyball, Chifuyu appeared, much to the surprise of the gang. Normally, Chifuyu would stay away from the rooftop, but her facial expression says it all because Chifuyu had something urgent to tell.
"Stop whatever you're doing because I got some breaking news to tell you," Chifuyu said.
The gang immediately complied as they huddled around Chifuyu. Her facial expression was serious with no signs of laughing matter. Her left hand was a clipboard with few pictures attached to it.
"What you're about to see is pretty shocking that I cannot ignore this epidemic," said Chifuyu.
Chifuyu showed the gang a picture of the cylindrical tube Kaori used to consume. The gang tilted their head in confusion, having no clue what it is.
"Can't blame you kiddies that you haven't keep up with the news lately, this here is a new drug."
"A new drug?" Cecilia asked. "What's so important about a drug that's always made and distributed worldwide?"
Chifuyu craned her neck until a strain of her hair made her brush it aside. "You heard me right, Cecilia. I'm talking about a new drug known as Titan –M5."
"Titan –M5?"
"Yes, Titan –M5 is a stimulant created by crooked IS scientists to enhance IS pilots' strength."
"How is that possible?" Laura questioned.
"Titan –M5 says it all," Chifuyu replied, revealing the rest of the pictures. "What's scary is that the scientists perfected the formula that it doesn't have side effects. Crooks have their hands on it to draw IS pilots out for power. It's valuable in the underworld, and it must be stopped."
The gang saw the pictures of Titan –M5 with before and after results of the IS power. Liu frowned that rogue IS pilots would use Titan –M5 to have a winning advantage, and he has a distaste of enhancing drugs.
Chifuyu set aside her clipboard as her menacing red eyes scanned at the gang. No objections were blurted out from the gang because they know better to not make the Brunhilde mad.
"I'll need a sample of Titan –M5 for evidence that requires two people that don't mind going out to get exercise," said Chifuyu. "Who's up to do the mission?"
Ichika and Liu stare at each other before the former turned his head at Houki. The kendo girl shrugged her shoulders before Laura and Liu raised their hands.
"We'll do it," said Laura and Liu in unison.
Chifuyu said, "Very well. I got Intel that there's suspicious activity three miles away from the Academy. Last known location was at a two-story run-down building. What you two need to do is reconnaissance to confirm the distribution of Titan –M5. Once it's confirmed, get at least a sample of it, and do not engage in battle at all."
Laura and Liu materialized their personal IS as they takeoff to search for the run-down building. The problem was there are a lot of run-down buildings, and the two will have to work together to complete the objective one way or the other.
"Orimura-sensei, are you okay letting Cecilia and Liu on this mission?" Ichika asked, heart pounding.
"I'm positive," said Chifuyu, standing next to him. "They have higher knowledge in the streets, someone that doesn't appear too suspicious."
"I hope you know what you're doing," Ichika replied. "My guts are telling me this is more than just taking a picture, and call it a day."
Chifuyu petted her little brother's hair as she walked away. Chifuyu was confident that the German pilot and Chinese gangster in disguise can tackle the underworld to get a sample of Titan –M5.
Three Dragons stared at the sea with Shen carrying the briefcase full of Titan –M5 as he think his next plan for his criminal operations. Three Dragons has done enough damage to keep himself, Kaori, and Phantom Task nearly untouchable with the birth of Titan –M5. Criminals see it as huge profit while rogue IS pilots will do anything to get their hands on the stimulant drug.
Kaori hovered behind Three Dragons as she wait for further orders from him.
"Kaori," said Three Dragons, not turning his head. "There's a possibility of more Titan –M5 17 miles away from here. It's located at a beige two-story run down building. Why don't you go investigate, and confirm it?"
Kaori nodded, and flew away to her destination.
Time: 2:50 PM – Underworld
Laura and Liu scanned the infrastructures that were too identical because almost all of them were run-down. Laura wished Chifuyu could have been more specific with the location because they did not see anything occurred. Surprisingly, they flew at low altitude and they were not caught at all. The duo was silent in order to stay focus on the mission, knowing well that they are going on the heart of the underworld. Anything can happen in a flash, which they were prepared to counter.
"Liu, I spot a suspicious car heading to the run down building," said Laura. "Engage in recon mode."
Laura and Liu touchdown a building behind the target as a Championship White Honda Civic Type R parked outside. A criminal and one IS pilot make their way in the building while Laura and Liu keep an eye inside. There was a rogue IS dealer with a table as he waited for the two men to start negotiating. Laura used her Schwarzer Regen to pick up the feed on the conversation.
"Hey, you got the stuff?" The buyer questioned.
"Yeah, you got the money?" The IS dealer replied.
They don't know each other, but the goal for them was to get what they wanted. To ensure not to get on the bad side from the buyers, the dealer set a briefcase that contained two samples of Titan –M5 neatly packaged. The IS pilot held the Titan –M5 to inspect the contents while the dealer patiently waited.
"Let me get a taste to confirm it's authentic."
"What? My shit's not good enough for you? Go on ahead, I won't stop you."
The dealer gestured in approval as the IS pilot drank a portion of the stimulant drug. Within 15 seconds, the power became within her, and the IS pilot clenched her fist with a loud crack.
"Straight from the chefs, your powers will increase tenfold against those that dare to go against you. As a matter of fact, we're selling them like hotcakes on every corner."
"I like it, we'll take these, and for your return of service, here's your payday."
The buyer set a duffel bag while the dealer opened to count every stack of bills. Laura and Liu were disgusted hearing the conversation as they promote a drug used to cheat.
"The more I have to see this, the more I want to destroy them," Laura muttered. "Absolutely disgusting for criminals using Titan –M5 to lure IS pilots for power."
The dealer nodded his head as he took the money away while the two crooks went with their prized possessions, and drove away. With no one else inside the shady building, the coast was clear.
"Time to clean up," said Liu deactivating Nightmare. "There might be more of these Titan –M5 in this complex."
They could have intercepted the dealing, but the primary objective was not to start a fight. They were supposed to confirm any sightings of Titan –M5, and bring a sample back to Chifuyu. Laura and Liu surveyed the building that was dirty, broken windows, and decayed furniture scattered everywhere. So far, the duo searched the first floor was empty, even though they checked every desks with open drawers. Liu found a flashlight on the desk, and he took it in case. No contrabands or Titan –M5 were seen.
Liu could have start a small conversation, but this was not the appropriate time since Laura was highly focused on the mission. Laura spotted a stairway to the second floor as she nudged Liu in the shoulder.
"Up these stairs, we're far from over from inspecting this shady building."
Laura led the way as they made their way up to the stairs. Laura tried to open the door that was sealed shut, and without warning, she kicked the door down with ease that echoed like a bomb.
Laura in combat position unsheathed her combat knife, creeping through the empty room while Liu kept an eye out for possible ambush. Laura found the light switch, and the dangling light bulb flickered on and off repeatedly, but that was all they needed. A small crackle from the ceiling startled Laura, and she instinctively stopped Liu with her right hand.
"Wait, it could be a trap."
After Laura finished her warning, the lights went out, turning the room pitch black. This was the last thing they want; a ceiling making cracks every second, and no traces of incriminating evidence. Liu used his flashlight to illuminate the room from bottom to top. Laura remained in position to let Liu inspected the room before it's a go.
Liu was about to nod his head, the ceiling cracked one last time, and small chunks of debris fell to the ground, followed by two wires emitting sparks. Liu nearly lost his footing, but Laura grabbed his hand just in time. Laura saw something out of the ordinary on the wall that had a large blanket covered.
"This is unusual," Liu muttered. "You think there could be something hiding inside that wall?"
"Affirmative, you might want to stay back."
Laura partial deployed Purizushi, and fired a .80 caliber that obliterated the wall into smithereens. Small chunks of fire scattered the giant hole, and their suspicions were correct. Not one, but dozens of Titan –M5 encased in a single duffel bag. Laura and Liu hit the jackpot big time, and it could not get more real to see the stimulant drugs in their face.
"Oh Chifuyu is going to love this when we give this to her," said Laura, grabbing the duffel bag. "My instincts tell me there's more in this room."
Laura and Liu found another door as they opened, and they were caught by surprise. Not only they found Titan –M5, the duo discovered a makeshift lab used to create these illegal drugs.
"Holy shit…" Liu turned on the lights. "So this is where Titan –M5 was produced."
Dozens of beakers, test tubes, a scale, and unidentified chemicals sat on a table. However, that was just a sample because there was a paper with instructions of how to make Titan –M5. Laura took the paper as Liu surveyed the open drawers. Titan –M5 was not the only narcotics in the lab. Liu found bricks of cocaine, unlabeled pills, laundered money, and firearms as a bonus.
"Take a look of this, Laura. This place must be where the magic poops out of a unicorn that makes the underworld run."
Laura inspected the contraband Liu had in his hands; clenching her fist that she had a huge distaste against drugs.
"Gather them up," Laura commanded, tearing down a blanket. "I'll search the rest of this facility."
While Liu round up the evidence Laura found some drug money as she stuffed them in the duffel bag. Liu opened a treasure chest, and held a blue paper with his right hand up high that caught Laura's attention.
"That's a blueprint of an IS hyper-sensor package," said Laura, pointing at the object. "This thing can respond to speeds over 520km/hr."
"Looks like we got everything we needed, let's get out of here."
Laura and Liu swept the lab clean, or so they thought. What they did not notice was there's another batch of Titan –M5 hidden underneath the first floor. Liu called Chifuyu on his private link.
"Chifuyu, we found a sample of Titan –M5, but there's a lot more than that. We're heading back to the Academy."
"Very well then, make it quick. The last thing I want to hear is IS pilots carrying Titan –M5 in a public area."
Laura and Liu head downstairs to leave the facility when suddenly…
CRASH!
Out of nowhere, a forceful blow destroyed half of the building that knocked Laura and Liu flying backwards against the wall. Liu ached in pain while Laura struggled to get back on her feet.
"That hurt!" Liu exclaimed. "Where did it come from?"
Laura helped Liu to his feet, and the unknown blow came from Kaori outside of the building. Apparently, Kaori was accustomed to the Titan –M5 she consumed, and used every bit of her profound strength. Kaori did not expect to see Laura and Liu, which she took her time to approach them.
They tried to leave the building once again, but Kaori materialized Vortex, and threw it like a shuriken. The forces of the blades send a shockwave that separated Laura and Liu again. Distorted from the blast, Laura and Liu tried to reach each other as Kaori was getting closer to her prey.
Laura was so close to reach Liu, but Kaori was not going to let that happen. Before Laura can deploy Schwarzer Regen, the Vortex emitted an EMP shockwave that disabled her IS, knocking her backwards.
Liu tried to activate Nightmare, but much to his dismay, it did not do anything. Liu slowly limped to get Laura, but Kaori was too close to them that she would do anything to separate the two.
"We're not going to make it, get out of here, and inform the gang at the Academy right away!"
Laura was hesitant to leave Liu behind because as a soldier, she cannot leave a fallen comrade in the hands of an enemy.
"But-"
"GO!"
Laura understood Liu's reasoning to sacrifice himself for the sake of her safety. Laura did not like it, and before Laura could say a word, Kaori smacked Liu with a swift sweep that knocked him out cold, and knocked Laura away with another sweep.
Laura clutched her stomach in pain as Kaori took the unconscious Liu upstairs. Laura had thoughts of trying to rescue Liu, but her IS was disabled due to the EMP shockwave, and she was injured. This was not an ambush; it was more like an unexpected arrival from Kaori that happened to be in the same mission to retrieve samples of Titan –M5.
Time: 3:15PM – Rin's Room
"You what!?" Rin shouted at the German soldier.
"Urg…Liu sacrificed himself…I did not want that to happen, but he insisted so he can save me-"
"Why the hell did you not save him earlier?"
"Liu did not want me captured with him!" Laura yelled back. "Kaori showed up out of nowhere that got us separated. She took Liu, and I don't know what she will do to him."
Rin gritted her teeth as rage intensified inches away from smacking Laura for "ditching" Liu behind. This was the last thing Rin wanted to hear was her dragon to be taken in as prisoner of war from the hands of Kaori.
"All right, where is Liu held at?"
"Same building we swept up on the second floor-"
Rin cut her off as she ran through the hallway, pushing few students aside. Before Ichika and the gang could react to find Rin, she was already long gone. Rin materialized Shenlong, and crashed through the windows from the cafeteria.
Liu, just hold on, I'll be there!
Time: 3:30PM - Underworld
On the second floor of the run-down building, Liu was shirtless with his hands tied behind a wooden chair with duct tape. Liu's face and body were battered and bruised with baseball bats and brass knuckles. Kaori, Three Dragons, and his thug watched the battered IS pilot. Small amount of blood were on his right cheek as his left eye was slightly injured.
"It seems you've gotten tougher the last time we met," said Three Dragons, taking a large scalpel on the table. "You're still standing, even though we hit you over dozens of times."
"Fuck you."
Three Dragons sliced Liu's lower abs with precision to not damage his nerves. Liu winced in pain, thrashing his feet in pain.
"Aaaah, aaahhh!"
Three Dragons pointed his torture device at Liu, blood dripping from the tip of the blade.
"Remember what I said to you last time? I want something from you. How do you like Nightmare?"
Liu growled like a dragon, seeing his hated adversary as he refused to disclose information about his IS. If this was Three Dragons' choice to get information out of Liu, he would have to do harder than that to break Liu.
Three Dragons slowly cut up Liu's abdomen with a scalpel to extract information about Nightmare.
"AAAAAHHHHH!" Liu screamed in pain, feeling the stinging effect of the cut wound that oozed blood. Liu was literally a test subject cut alive at a lab.
"We don't have to keep up with this," Three Dragons cut Liu's right rib cage. "Just tell me what powers Nightmare has."
"Urrrggg…! Son of a bitch, I'll kill you!"
Liu tried his best to not cry out from the sharp cut. Despite being brutally tortured, Liu would not dare to give up Nightmare at his adversary. There's no way in hell Liu will let him have his dirty hands on his personal IS.
"I'll tell you something…" Liu replied. "Nightmare is in right in front of you to have your asshole torn apart."
Three Dragons chuckled at Liu's insult as he cut below Liu's pectorals, causing the latter to yelp in suffering. Three Dragons took in pleasure torturing his fellow Righteousness Union associate for the sake of humiliating Liu.
"Would you like to try a new record? I won't hurt you if you tell me everything about Nightmare."
Liu jeered at Three Dragons as a sign of not yielding. Three Dragons cut Liu's side to hear him cry in pain as if it was his choice of music.
"AAGGHH!" Liu gritted his teeth to muffle his cry. Three Dragons smirked at Liu's tough resistance as he methodically sliced Liu's upper abs. The pain was unbearable for Liu like receiving huge paper cuts, but on a higher scale of 10.
"I'm sorry, what was that you just said to me?" Three Dragons questioned Liu, cutting Liu's middle abs. Liu thrashed around every time Three Dragons cut his body with the scalpel he hated so much looking at it.
"Fuck you!" Liu shouted.
Three Dragons sighed, grabbing a hammer, and swung it at Liu's right shin.
"AAAAHHHH!" Liu screamed in pain, feeling his bones about to break.
Three Dragons had one last trick to damage Liu beyond repair. Three Dragons grabbed a power drill to do the unthinkable. Three Dragons turned the machine on, and drilled Liu's right thigh, tearing his skin and partial of his pants apart. This was a whole new level of pain using a construction tool against a human being.
"AAAAAHHHHH!" Liu's screams echoed the seemingly empty room while Three Dragons continued to drill Liu's thigh with precision to not damage his nerves. Three Dragons continued for nine seconds while Liu screamed nonstop until his voice broke.
Blood oozed from Liu's thigh like a leaking faucet. He was like a dead corpse, unable to move at all from the pain and shock. Three Dragons leaned towards Liu's face distorted in pain, hoping to make him talk.
"Be a good boy, and tell me what you know about Nightmare."
Liu weakly looked at Three Dragons' poker face as he gasped for air. What appeared Liu would finally give up Liu sealed his mouth shut, and spit Three Dragons in the face.
Three Dragons turned his head away, wiping the saliva off his face, feeling pissed off Liu continued to resist. Three Dragons threw the power drill away, and delivered a spinning hook kick at Liu in the chest. The force of the impact broke the duct tape away from the wooden chair, sending Liu flying backwards against the wall.
The kick was powerful enough to send Liu into a bigger shock as if it cracked his chest wide open.
"Major disappointment..." Three Dragons lamented. "If I were you, make better choices in the future. Good luck making your way out."
Three Dragons and Kaori walked away to leave Liu in a bloodied mess. Three Dragons' thug went away to take a bathroom break as Liu struggled to drag his body to the power drill. Under great amount of pain, Liu slowly moved his arms to tear away the duct tape against the power drill. By the time Liu tore the duct tape into pieces, he tried to get up, but Three Dragons' thug knocked him to the ground.
"Ni xiang zhi liú xuè?" (You want to bleed, huh?) The thug said, grabbing Liu's head as he punched him four times.
The thug pulled back his left fist to deliver another strike, but Liu blocked the assault, and punched the thug's cheek that stunned him momentarily. Feeling pissed off, the thug revealed some sort of weapon before he removed the cloth, revealing a bloodied dōzuki.
"Ni-!" (You!)
The thug charged towards Liu with his dōzuki, intending to stab him in the gut.
Rin searched frantically at every building at the underworld, and time was running out. Rin travelled at high rate of speed, not slowing down at all. After agonizing seconds of searching the seemingly empty buildings, Rin found the run-down building that matched the descriptions from Laura and Liu's mission.
Rin charged her Ryuhou at maximum capacity, and fired invisible bullets at the building. The thug nearly succeeded stabbing Liu, but the impact from the Ryuhou threw him off balance that disarmed his weapon. If it weren't for Rin's grand opening, Liu would have died immediately.
Liu saw the advantage, and punched the thug. Liu was still in pain as he catches his breath every time he threw a punch. They traded blows momentarily until Liu got the upper hand slowly. Rin Liu mercilessly beating up the thug, and she couldn't believe the horrendous torture Three Dragons had done to him. Liu was cut seven times with blood dripping out of his body as he was barely human anymore. His knuckles, face, and body were bruised, filled with small cuts, but that didn't stop Liu from pummeling the thug's face until he was disfigured.
"Liu!" Rin yelled to the dragon. "Stop this right now!"
Liu's rage blinded him, ignoring the fact he was beating up "Three Dragons". Fists smashed the thug's face dozens of times with Liu's eyes filled with intense rage like a dragon. He was inches away from killing the thug.
"Stop, Liu!" Rin yelled again, walking towards the raging dragon. "That's not Three Dragons!"
Liu's emotions got the best of him because he couldn't hear Rin's voice. He was so bent on killing Three Dragons that if he looked closely, Liu should have stopped his assault. Rin trembled in fear that Liu was about to make another mistake. The thug attempted to retrieve his dōzuki, but Liu swiped the bloodied backsaw away. One more punch was the last straw to kill the thug, and Rin had no choice, but to take action.
"Liu, STOPPP!" Rin yelled, tackling Liu to the ground. His fist connected to the wall that was inches away from the thug's disfigured face. Liu struggled to break free, but Rin hugged him tightly with all her strength. Corralling a dragon sky high on rage wasn't easy at all, but Rin can't let his blind vengeance consume him.
"GET OFF OF ME! THREE DRAGONS ISN'T GETTING AWAY!"
Liu attempted to break free, but Rin slammed him against the wall to contain the angry dragon. Few seconds of squirming and thrashing around, Rin stopped the rampaging dragon for good as she continued to hug him tightly.
"Look at me, Liu," Rin said. "Calm down, I'm right here for you..."
Liu's rage slowly subsided as he stared at Rin, cupping his cheeks. Her soft hands stroked his bruised cheeks while his eyes turned back to normal. Rin was scared that Liu might attack her, but the way she yelled out to reach his heart did him in. Liu's breathing was barely normal as Rin lifted his cheeks with a concerned face.
"Everything's going to be okay," Rin pleaded. "Like I always said...you'll be okay with me. Just please hang on t-to..."
Rin can't take it anymore seeing Liu butchered up, especially the scalpel scars oozing blood. Rin tried to hold back her tears, but she sobbed as tears dripped to her cheeks, blood stained on her uniform. Liu felt immense guilt from his blind rage, and he hugged her back. Liu could not believe his emotions got the best of him, shaking his head in disbelief as he stared at the battered thug, and Rin crying.
"I-I'm…sorry…" Liu whispered weakly from the brutal torture.
Rin hugged his head before she transported him to a nearby hospital. The building was a mess thanks to Kaori and Rin. While Liu was taken away to have his injuries treated, Rin retreat to the Academy.
It's been a week Rin has heard from Liu. Rin was worried of Liu's health ever since she sent him to the hospital to treat his torture wounds. Rin knew the Academy's infirmary would not have right resources to treat torture wounds. Laura gave Chifuyu the evidence she and Liu acquired from the mission. Chifuyu inspected the contents as she set them on the table. Rin, Ichika, and the gang gathered around, and shuddered seeing the narcotics in front of them.
"What happened to you and Liu?" Chifuyu questioned.
"We swept the building on the second floor that was a Titan –M5 lab," Laura replied. "Turns out Titan –M5 was not the only drug because we also found cocaine, drug money, and guns. We got attacked by Kaori, and Liu sacrificed himself to save me."
Laura did not like to deliver the bad news, but she had to tell Chifuyu everything, even if it meant facing the harsh reality. Chifuyu frowned at the outcome, even though the mission was a success, but she felt like it's a failure when Liu got captured by Kaori, one of Chifuyu's despised enemies.
"Who's responsible for this to produce these drugs?" Cecilia said in disgust.
"I got a glimpse of the dealer," Laura blurted out. "He wore a brown jacket, black shirt, and khaki jeans."
Chifuyu wrote the descriptions of the dealer as Laura continued the description of the dealer.
"5'9", 188 lbs, mid 20s male, grey cap, green eyes."
With the evidence and the descriptions of the dealer, Chifuyu got everything she needed to start an operation.
"You've done well enough, Laura. We're in a war against Phantom Task. This is how we tackle them right here."
Chifuyu revealed a holographic projector with Phantom Task agents, and other members in a diagram. Ichika was speechless at her older sister's thorough work of being organized.
"Orimura sensei, can't we just go after the head to make things easier for ourselves?" Ichika said.
"Going after Squall does not get us anywhere, one of her top agents would take over, and we'll be right back where we started. To bring down Phantom Task, we need to take down the people at the base, and work our way up."
Chifuyu pointed the key figures on the chart as the gang listened carefully.
"First, we go after those that have connections to Phantom Task. Then, once they're taken care of, we dismantle their operations. That's where they make money and recruiting IS pilots, and cut the brakes on them. The more we cut their lines, the easier it will be to draw out Three Dragons, Kaori, and the top players, which is where we hit them where it hurts."
Chifuyu was dead serious on the operation she set up as the gang finalized the notes in their mind.
"Which one are we going after first?" said Houki.
"We will get the dealer first," Chifuyu replied. "Operation Exorcist will begin soon. Be aware of your surroundings. Until then, you're dismissed!"
The gang dispersed to go on their lives while Rin finished her homework on the computer. Just as Rin was about to finish, her iPhone 6 rang out, and it was Liu.
"Liu? Hey…how are you doing at the hospital?" Rin said.
"I'm all right for now. The doctors and nurses know how to take care of my injuries, but I'm bored to death being stuck in my bed. I would like to request some items."
"Oh what do you need?"
"Let's see, new clothes, bottle of water, and a haircut please."
"Haircut?" Rin questioned the third request.
"Yeah, a haircut please, my hair grows out pretty fast, and I need to have it cut."
"Oh…I'll be there soon."
Rin was baffled at Liu's request to have a haircut because she has never cut hair before. Let alone, Rin saw how Liu got his haircut so many times, but doing it for the first time was a starter. Nevertheless, Rin got the items Liu requested, and activated Phoenix to fly towards the hospital.
Time: 4:42PM – Hospital
"Room 15, 16…here it is, Room 17," Rin searched the room to see Liu. When Rin opened the door, she saw her dragon still in bed, staring at the ceiling. Liu's face was mere boredom until he saw the tiger with two bags on her hands.
"Liu…"
The boy removed the blanket and upper gown that exposed his scalpel scars still visible, but less bloody. Even though Liu did not appear broken last time, the memories of him tortured were still there to see. The sight of seeing her man Rin loved made her concerned. What would Liu think of the outcome of sacrificing himself to save Laura?
"Are you all right, buddy?" Rin patted his right shoulder.
Liu frowned seeing the scars that painted his body, and shook his head. Even though Rin appeared fine on the outside, she was sad on the inside seeing the aftermath of the dragon. Without saying a word, Liu revealed his scar on his right thigh that was unpleasant. Rin felt uncomfortable, but those were the results of Three Dragons tortured Liu to extract information about Nightmare. Liu endured the brutal torture without spilling information, and Three Dragons got empty hands.
"I'll give you a haircut that you requested. This will cheer you up."
Rin helped Liu to his feet as they walk towards the bathroom. Liu limped, and painkillers kept him from collapsing. Rin turned the faucet on to wash Liu's messy hair while she used shampoo and conditioner to get his hair clean and manageable. Rin formed a line backwards from his head's temple on both sides, and connect it with a straight line in the backhead. Rin combed the hair away before she blow dry his hair for a short time.
Liu could have called a barber he would get haircuts from him regularly, but he did not want to bother him. Although Liu was slightly nervous to let Rin cut his hair, given that it was her first time, he gave her a chance.
"How did Kaori knew you and Laura were in the building?" Rin asked, trimming the lower part of the sides and the backhead with a scissor upwards.
Snip, snip
"I don't know, she came out of nowhere, and attacked us without warning. Kaori separated me from Laura before she tied me up into a chair for Three Dragons."
Rin created a gradient on the sides at the backhead and fringe as she used a thinning scissor to make the hair less weighty that will be easier to style.
"Perhaps Kaori was on the same mission as you and Laura to retrieve a sample of Titan –M5," said Rin, blow-drying his hair backwards to create the slick back effect.
Rin used the thinning scissor again to trim the hairstyle into its final shape. Liu's excessive hair was cut down into pieces while Rin used an electric trimmer to cut around the edges. Liu's hair was naturally smooth that allowed Rin to use a straightener to lock his hair into a slick position.
"The next thing I knew, Three Dragons used a scalpel to cut my body up seven times, hammer to break my shin, and…a power drill on my thigh." Liu groaned.
The power drill was overkill and brutal to be used as a torture tool. Liu felt inclined to get Three Dragons even more thanks to the scars Three Dragons inflicted on Liu. If Rin was there, she would also gone berserk, and the way to calm her down was to use physical force like Rin did to Liu.
"Barbaric, that's all I can say," Rin replied. "Three Dragons made a huge mistake torturing you, along with Kaori, and they will get what they deserved."
On the final touch, Rin applied American Crew forming cream to give it extreme hold, and tada! Rin gave Liu a haircut, his 1940's slick back (AN: Google G-Eazy). Liu was satisfied with the haircut he received from Rin that she nailed it like a pro.
"There you go, hope you like the haircut," said Rin, washing his face. Liu smiled, but that smile dropped instantly as he remembered being tortured by Three Dragons.
"Three Dragons went overboard to kill you, what was he trying to accomplish?"
"He was not even close to kill me, Rin. Three Dragons tried to extract information about Nightmare by torturing me. Three Dragons would not get anything out of it if he killed me right away. Besides, that shitstain liked to take his time to weaken me before he can slay me easier."
Rin gave Liu a bottle of water, followed by a Mantou as a snack. After Liu downed his bottle of water, and the slightly sweet steamed bun, Liu felt better to have his body nourished.
"Here are your new clothes," said Rin, unpacking new clothes on the stool.
Liu wore a white t-shirt, Lanvin quilted bomber jacket, Saint Laurent classic slim jeans, Common Projects Achilles sneakers. Liu checked his new appearance that made him fresh and clean before he checked his iPhone 6 with the anonymous text message he received not too long ago.
"Who sent you this message?" Rin questioned.
Liu read the message once again, and the word 'Lion Heart' made him more suspicious. Liu can't sit this one out because it might bother him once again. The way to solve it is to confront it in person. When Liu put his phone away, he stared at the door with intention to leave.
"Wait! You can't go out like this," Rin grabbed his shoulder with concern. "I don't want you taken away again, especially today."
Liu thought back for a while, but changed his mind to go after the anonymous text message.
"Rin, as much I like you, but this Lion Heart knows me and my goals. If I sit this one out, there's no other way to get Three Dragons. Or worse, Lion Heart will go after us instead."
Liu gave Rin a reassured look as he let her hand off his shoulder. Rin frowned, but it has to be done for Liu to settle this. Feeling defeated, Rin dropped her shoulders, but Liu kissed her on the forehead before Liu walked away.
"Please come back in one piece when you're done with this," said Rin.
Liu turned around with a smile as he left the hospital. Liu made another phone call at an alley way.
"Long Hair, this is Liu. I need a gun, and some ammo. Make it concealable, not a big one, okay? I don't want to fuck around."
Two minutes later, a person with long black hair walked towards Liu with a QSZ-92 and four clips. Liu checked his sidearm that was fully loaded with the safety on as he put his gun and ammo clips on his waist. Long Hair walked away while Liu walked towards the underworld to meet the Lion Heart.
Lion Heart, you and I are going to have a one-on-one time.