The trio rides silently in the limousine. Haru looks on her phone at a list emailed to her and Ryuji.
"Anyone else getting a funny feeling about this?"
Ryuji holds a large suitcase in his lap shuffling in his seat to get comfortable.
"Aside from the fact that we're headed to an unknown location? Pierce is far more honest and upfront than anyone else we've dealt with. Even Yamatachi."
Makoto holds her phone over to Ryuji showing an address on the screen with the picture of a building.
"It isn't exactly unknown. I looked it up online and it's a steel manufacturing company near the edge of town."
"Would you look at that... Picture's pretty recent too. Why would you think he's sending us there?"
Makoto eyes the case in hand.
"Most likely so we can get the first pieces of our alleged gift... That looks pretty heavy, Ryuji."
"It's almost all metal but I can handle it. I ain't gonna lie though, being sent on an errand run like this, it feels like we're being treated like kids."
Haru shakes her head frowning.
"I don't agree with that seeing as we are still in school."
"C'mon, Haru! This doesn't seem annoying to you in the slightest?"
"Don't you remember the rest of our talk with Pierce-San?"
"In order to be effective and to celebrate our alliance, I'll provide you with an indispensable product; you will have to put it together yourselves."
Ryuji scratches his head having turned halfway to walk away already. He wants to leave as soon as possible but this could be useful.
"You couldn't give it to use whole, dude?"
"It is all but completed. All that needs to be done is for it to be assembled. It couldn't be until after our meeting."
"Pronoun games man, seriously?"
"A uniform meant solely for your use specifically designed to fight battles you otherwise can not hope to win. A hybrid between armor and clothing to allow full maneuverability without the cost of defense."
Haru tilts her head looking to her friends.
"Is there any reason why it couldn't be completed until we met?"
Pierce nods gesturing to Ryuji.
"His measurements. It's custom made from the ground up, it would be troublesome if he did not fit it, would it not?"
Makoto eyes Ryuji from head to toe imagining what could possibly fit that description.
"It would certainly be an inconvenience. How complete can it be then?"
"The armoring is easy with his size being something that can be generalized. The fabric and leather has all been chosen carefully. All that remains is for Mr. Sakamoto to gather the pieces and meet with an employee of mine. He will put the outfit together."
Ryuji heaves the suitcase over his shoulder as Haru waves goodbye to a worker from the factory.
"Sh-Shit this thing weighs like a ton now!"
"Hehe! They were so nice too! Do you think they know about our situation?"
Makoto opens the door for them to enter the vehicle.
"I hardly doubt it. No mention of Pierce or Hebi. Someone was probably paid a bonus in overtime for these pieces without explanation."
Haru enters first with Ryuji following after her.
"We should be nearly done. All we have left is the apparel shop! It would be some kind of shop, yes?"
"C-Check your phone. I tried looking to the second address but nothing came up."
"What? But it should be in Central Street!"
"Is it?"
"It's at least near one of our more popular Big Bang Burgers..."
Makoto closes the door behind her before pulling her phone out as she takes a seat inside.
"Going by the map... Haru's right. Just across the street. It's within an alley... Right by Yamatachi's club too!"
Ryuji blinks in surprise.
"No way! It's been there this whole time? Talk about a small world..."
The trio soon come to Central Street. Passing numerous stores they're stopped by a police officer with a stern look.
"You there! Blonde one! Turn out your pockets now!"
Ryuji blinks looking dazed by the abrupt command.
"Huh?"
"You heard me! Open that suitcase too! You look suspicious and fit the bill of our vigilante!"
"For real...? C'mon man, it's like seven o'clock in the evening. I got places to be."
"You'll be heading to a cell right now if you don't cooperate!"
Ryuji clicks his tongue... The infamous bandana, even though he's used multiple of them, the most recognizable one is in his pocket. Even if the officer believed he wasn't his target, he'd be question on the spot, if not immediately arrested under suspicion.
"Hold it there, officer."
Makoto squeaks and shrinks trying to take cover behind Ryuji as a woman with an intense stare makes herself known.
"I'll handle it from here. I know this individual personally."
"A-Ah! Niijima-san! Of course!"
The beat cop bows and hurries off. Ryuji looks to her nervous, yet unaware his face mirroring hers, it takes the woman back for a moment.
"Do you have something to say to me, boy?"
"Uh, thanks. Do you know me or something?"
"No. I do know that girl hiding behind you. Makoto."
Ryuji loses his glare and looks to his side.
"Behind me? She was jus-! C'mon! Get from back there!"
Makoto growls under her breath at him as she reluctantly comes from her cover. A guilty face with an averted gaze as she mumbles just above a whisper.
"Hello, Sis..."
Ryuji and Haru double take having to look between the two.
"W-Wait! This scary lady here is your sis?!"
"Mako-Chan's sister... To think she'd be so tall!"
Sae rolls her eyes ignoring their reactions to focus on her pain of a younger sister.
"You know your curfew is five o'clock. I've been wondering where you've been these past few days. I nearly reported you missing after I couldn't find you."
"I'm sorry... It's important! I had to help my friends and-"
"These two?"
Sae eyes Ryuji and Haru. Haru she didn't mind, a well spoken soft girl with posh fashion and above average intelligence, but Ryuji bothers her. So much so her brows furrow at him. His unintentional glare had long since vanished, replaced by a nervous grin, he bows slightly to her.
"I-It's my fault! We were busy for something and lost track of time! This probably makes for a shitty- Oof!"
He coughs from Makoto punching him in his side.
"T-This makes for a bad first impression... I'm Ryuji Sakamoto."
Sae raises a brow at the exchange. Haru bobs a curtsy with a pleasant smile.
"Haru Okumura ma'am. I was the one who invited them in the first place. You see, we're part of the Student Council Committee in Shujin Academy, and we were preparing for the school festival ahead of time. Exams have just ended and we want to get things squared away before we study for our next one!"
Makoto thanks Haru silently as she tells such a gracious lie with a finesse, and Ryuji keeping his mouth shut aids things as well, Sae softens her brutal stare but maintains her iconic stoic frown.
"Exams have ended for this season, hm? What were your scores?"
Ryuji scoffs looking off to the side.
"Makoto got top of the class; like anything else was gonna happen."
Makoto shoots a look at him which has him straighten up.
"B-But I passed! It was hard since I had to balance studying out with my training!"
Sae nods having looked at Ryuji's arms and hands. His build is certainly bulkier than the average highschooler, he had to be an athlete of some kind she thought, and his knuckles had certainly seen better days.
"Are you a boxer? I wasn't aware Shujin had a boxing club."
"Nah, I uh, run track! I do boxing after school at the gym nearby though!"
Satisfied with the answer, Sae perks up at her phone ringing in her pocket, pulling it out and sighing as she reads the number to herself.
"Of course... Makoto I'll talk to you about this later. Just don't stay out too late."
Makoto nods with a smile as Sae takes her leave. All three of the teenagers release a sigh of relief. Ryuji eyes Sae as she walks away.
"... She's kind of hot though. No wonder you two are sisters."
Makoto glares at Ryuji fiercely.
"Let's get this over with before one of us ends up dead."
"W-Why are ya glaring at me like that...?"
They enter the alley searching for the address. A blue door greets them side by side between buildings. A detailed plaque shines with golden pride as the name of the place is written in English. Makoto eyes it carefully.
"The Velvet Room... It's definitely distinct."
Haru knocks on the door to the confusion of the other two.
"I'm sorry. It doesn't look like a business... More like someone's home. I didn't feel comfortable trying the handle."
Ryuji nods taking a look at the building itself.
"It's sandwiched in the middle of a city full of business, but you're right, it looks like someone's home instead... That's so weird... You'd think we would've noticed this sooner, right Makoto?"
He looks to her but she certainly knows this building had not always been like this. Yes, physically it was here as far as her memory recalls, but the detail is too different. Before she can answer, the door opens to a cold breeze of lavender and scented spice, yet a warm sensation beckons them in with the hypnotic aria of an unseen woman. It is a man that stands on the other end however. Black shades with broad lenses that are simply too dark to see through. Deep blue formal shirt, undone with an undershirt unbuttoned from the top to his chest, and dark slacks topped with dull formal shoes with no laces. He speaks in a voice, mysterious in tone, foreign yet fluent. Alien yet familiar. Eerie yet welcoming.
"Ah... Guests. It's been four thousand three hundred and eighty days since our last one. How are you on this fine evening?"
Haru curiously stares at the man before answering.
"That sounds like an awfully long time... W-We're here because we have been sent here. By Pierce-san?"
The man nods without having looked to any single one of them. Staring straight ahead as he stands still as a statue.
"... It has been nine hundred thirty-eight point five hundred and seventy-one weeks since we have had someone guided to us. We had been contacted today, at exactly-"
Ryuji interrupts him.
"Y-Yeah, yeah, he told us. We got all the armor here. You gonna put it together?"
"Oh yes. Right this way."
He takes a step to the side and gestures for the party to enter with a bow.
"I am your servant on this night. I will do all that is in my power to service your most important needs."
Ryuji enters first taking a stand in front of stranger before waving his hand in front of his face.
"I assure you sir, although I am very much blind, I am still of great use."
"! Y-You...?!"
"I felt the subtle winds of your movements near my face. I also can tell from your footsteps that you are one-hundred and seventy-five centimeters. You're seventy kilograms with... A blood type of B positive if my sense of smell is to be trusted. Oh my, my, you can't be any older than eighteen by the sound of your voice, yet no younger than fifteen, so I'll assume... Sixteen years of age."
The others now unnerved by such information look to each other. The nameless servant chuckles tugging at his collar.
"Excuse me if I overindulge in my display. I merely wanted to reassure you that I am not as useless as I may appear."
"R-Right... Uh... What do we need to do?"
Nameless looks to the girls before his head turns to Ryuji again maintaining a genial expression.
"Which of you will be wearing this?"
"Me. I got all the parts here."
Ryuji holds out the heavy suitcase. Nameless takes it with one hand lifting it up and down as he nods.
"Forty-seven pieces of steel and titanium parts of unspecified design. That may be too much... We will find a way to fit them appropriately."
Nameless ushers the party inside to a velvet blue lobby. Furnished leather seats and a grand piano delicately placed about a jeweled chandelier glitters a sparkling light . A record player sits right by the piano as the source of the singing. Carting a tray of an Old English style and decorative tea set are two identical twins. Platinum blonde hair, one with a calm demeanor has her hair tied in a braided ponytail, the other with a fierce smile has her hair in buns on the sides of her head. Golden eyes stare deep into their cores. Matching velvet blues gowns depicting a starry night sky with white stockings and black shoes.
"Ah yes, our little helpers. Justine and Caroline."
The one with braided hair, Justine, offers a graceful curtsy.
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
The other one, Caroline, points at Ryuji with a snicker.
"Are we working on a masterpiece for this loser?"
Nameless chuckles as he pats her head.
"Yes indeed! Prepare the wardrobe for me. I have to conduct the test."
Makoto speaks up racked with several question to ask.
"Test...? Does he have to prove something?"
Nameless shakes his head. His hand digs into his thin overcoat as he pulls out a deck of cards. The catering tray rolls between him and the trio by the twins. They clear the top half by placing the tea set on the lower half. Nameless then gestures for Ryuji to approach, shuffling the cards with one hand using incredible dexterity, flipping and rolling cards between his fingers before they become a single deck again.
"Please. Pick one."
"...? You gonna hide a quarter behind my ear next or something?"
Ryuji takes a card and looks at it. A man in armor rides a cart pulled along by lions rides with pride on his face. Nameless nods.
"The Chariot. A loyal and steadfast individual. You are competitive, aggressive, passionate in all that you do with no care for whatever disinterests you. You fly into action with reckless abandon, fated to come out with either supreme victory, or despair-filled failure. You are the type too stubborn to give up, which may cause you trouble with relationships, but otherwise be your greatest trait. Your violent nature may bring you pain unwelcome and loss you are not ready for. How curious..."
Ryuji rubs his arm eyeing the blind servant anxiously.
"H-Hey I thought you were gonna make me an outfit not spew me some fortune crap."
Haru leans to Makoto with a whisper.
"But none of what he said was wrong..."
Makoto shakes her head stunned at the speech itself.
"It was spot on. I'm not too sure about the whole fate part, but that certainly describes Ryuji, even his stubbornness."
"I'm more worried about his violent side..."
"Does it scare you?"
Haru remains silent. The answer to that question bothered her as well as she is sure it would bother anyone.
Not in the slightest.
Perhaps it was catharsis, or maybe that the few moments she has seen him fight for his life it had always been in defense of himself or others, but she enjoys the scene. His vicious terrible abuse to her ex-fiancé opened her eyes to it. She should have felt disgust and even shame, shunning such actions as all it had been was pure bloody violence, but her heart had felt so light in the moment. No, even now, there's the rising flame in her chest that makes her breathing scarce just thinking back on the vivid details. The simple yet complex act of fist bearing down on flesh and bone as a hammer against fragile wood. The tears in the flesh, the cracks and chips within bone, the snaps, the pops, even Ryuji's rugged rapid breathing as threw fist after fist. She chalked it up to admiration for being saved from a fate she grows sick simply imagining and yet... She still feels it now. Is she ill? Does he feel the same? It isn't as if that's all she liked about the boy; it certainly had become his most distinct trait though.
"I don't mind it one bit. He isn't unhinged so I've nothing to fear from it!"
Makoto couldn't disagree more. Having seen him face danger after danger, threat from any and all sides, even sacrificing herself for a cause she truthfully had no place or even right to be apart of. All of this shared with her blonde ally as they journeyed through what has felt as a weary war, he has certainly became mentally unsound, but not so much that it has become something she has said. Rare moments, strictly within scenes of his lowest or most downtrodden, his most wrathful of scenes. His self-destructive nature when it came to the lives of those around him. Maybe it is because she had once saw him as low as dirt to her, and now with these new experiences, she sees him as almost a light. Proof of change. Proof if hope. Proof that she herself can grow stronger, but at what cost, to what end will his fighting cease? She hates seeing him hurt. She hates that he throws himself further into this bloated situation. Even right now she wants to pull him out of this building. Cut the deal with Pierce. Pretend and move on to a normal life...
"Mako-Chan?"
"Huh?!"
"Oh, were you deep in thought? I asked you for your views if you'd like to share."
"Ah, right... It's a necessary evil to me. I've no favor for it."
"A necessary evil... How appropriate."
Ryuji takes another card per request of his blind associate. An armored centurion with a skull instead of a head rides a horse over a sea of corpses. Nameless tilts his head with brows raised.
"Ah...! Death."
"What!?"
"No worries! It doesn't mean you'll die. At least not anytime soon. To think it will follow you so closely at such an age... Intriguing."
"You wanna expand more on that...?"
"In due time. Alas I must ask you draw a final card. After that the twins and I shall craft you a gift befitting to your exact needs."
"Whatever... Here goes."
Ryuji reluctantly draws a third card. A muscular man wrestles with a lion in hand by prying the jaws open. A second one lies by his feet with an obscured object behind them. A lone arm limp lies behind the leg of the man. Nameless tilts his head before nodding a few times.
"My, my... Chariot meets with Strength to duel. Their ambitions clash despite their mirroring likenesses and lead into a great struggle. A Death shall determine who shall be victorious."
Justine and Caroline looks at the cards as they're placed on the tray..
"We now know the specifications of which to craft by."
"We'll make you something so great that you'll be crying tears of joy! You'd best be grateful you blonde ape!"
Ryuji rolls his eyes as the servant takes the cards back and the twins place tea set back on top. Nameless takes the suitcase before they vanish to one of many doors in the room. Justine pokes her head out shortly.
"The tea is to your liking, I hope Niijima-san, Okumura-san. You are free to it. Chariot. Please come with us. We cannot do measurements without you."
Ryuji looks around before pointing to himself in realization.
"O-Oh right..."
As he follows the mysterious figures to the back, Makoto looks to Haru, who already has poured herself a cup.
"We never told them our names..."
"We didn't?"
"No... How did they know our names then?"
"Perhaps Pierce-san told them so ahead of time!"
"But the blind one, you heard him talk, he's all about the details. He would have mentioned a name by now but he hasn't. We haven't. The only ones we know are his little girls, but we never introduced ourselves, so how do they know our names?"
Haru takes an inquisitive sip of the tea.
"I'm not sure... Everything about them, this building, this entire scene is surreal. It feels as if I am in a lucid illusion. Yet, I can't help but trust them."
Makoto silently agrees. Eccentric behavior aside the trio has been accommodating to the letter. She even resigns herself to a cup of tea. The flavor and scent lulls her into a state of euphoria she hadn't known in a long time. Her eye lids lower with her body loosening, she settles down one of the leather chairs but it's more akin to a solid cloud, her soul eases with the ongoing song from the record multiplies the already potent effect.
"Oi, Makoto. Wake up! C'mon already! It couldn't have taken that long!"
Her eyes flutter open with a dazed smile. Waking up from a pleasant dream, she wipes her eyes that show a blurry vision of something shiny, her sight sharpens before she shrieks jumping back from terror. A terrifying nightmarish skull greets her. A mask with a metal plate on front covering the upper half of the head, canines elongated to fangs, however the rest of the head is hidden behind a black cloth mask.
"What the Hell!?"
The chair she's in starts to fall back, but a black arm with metal plates on forearm sleeve keeps it from going down, Ryuji's voice comes from behind the metallic skull.
"Hey! Chill! Chill! It's me!"
"R-Ryuji...? Oh my God! You-!"
She calms down and eyes her friend carefully. A dark jacket that stops short above the waist, spiked shoulder plates with armor on the back similar to metal shutters, thread gloves with hard padding on the knuckles. Tactical compressed sleeveless vest acts as an undershirt, a simple uniform belt and plated black pants, steel-toe boots. His bandana remains giving him a lower jaw from an aesthetic point. Caroline rolls her wrist with a boastful tone.
"It's a work in progress, but here's our prototype, pretty impressive huh?"
Justine takes out a knife before jabbing it into the leg. It bounces off the plates.
"It's a little rigid and basic, however he is mostly blade resistant, but most importantly is his mask. It's broad and thick, it took the most parts aside from the armoring on his shoulders and back, we had to do quite the bit of welding and reshaping to get it right."
Nameless stands by Haru's sleeping body before softly shaking her awake.
"We'll need him to use it in action first. Then we can improve upon it."
Haru wakes up before gasping loudly.
"A m-monster!? No... Is that you, Ryuji?"
He throws his hands up into the air with a groan.
"I know I said to make it look scary but I didn't think it would be this bad!"
Caroline glares at him.
"Bad!? We put our all into that piece of work! Now get out there and kick some tail! You've got a job to do, Chariot!"
"I do? What are the Hebi back at it or something?"
Nameless makes his way to the entrance and opens the door.
"Your obstacles lie ahead indeed. Tread carefully and act within reason. Hopefully we will see each other again."
The trio leave the building to a shocking discovery. Nighttime has come and their phones go wild with notifications of missed calls, several text messages, and even an emergency alert. Makoto points ahead shushing the group before anything else.
"There are several officers outside of Yamatachi's club..."
Haru whispers holding up her phone.
"I-It's...! A hostage situation! The Hebi... They're occupying the building!"
Ryuji nods as he reads the texts he's received.
"And they're holding the people inside hostage. Of course, Yamatachi doesn't want us anywhere near it, I bet he's on his way down now."
Makoto looks to him.
"What's the plan?"
"Easy. No one can recognize me in this gear. Hair and face hidden and the plating makes me look a bit bigger than I am. Get in, don't talk, kick ads and get out through the secret entrance."
Haru ushers the party to the secret back door.
"The officers are headed this way, hurry!"
Inside a myriad of men gorge on booze and food within the club. The bouncer on the ground bleeding from a head wound as a man keeps him down with a boot on the skull. The Scotsman sneers as he downs an entire bottle of whiskey. He speaks in broken Japanese that barely passes for audible.
"Cheers boys!~ We have to ourselves a night of merriment! Drinks! Food! Friends-!"
He leers at the guests all relegated to their seats as hostages as intimidating men keep them there. The wild foreigner looks over to another side of the room with a gross sigh. A hungry gaze set upon young women who act as hostesses.
"And lovely bitches..."
He licks his lips with a swagger in his strut as he casually tosses the empty bottle to the side. He pops his jacket with a hiss before his arm blurs up behind him, catching a thrown bottle, he turns around to see the sender is none other than a masked man. The wine haired sycophant raises the bottle before opening it with a thumb.
"Anyone who kills that guy before I finish this bottle gets the hottest pick of the ladies."
That riles the men up into a frenzy. As if turned into animals by command, they rush the lone individual, only to be thrown back just as quick as they are to jump him. The first one comes from his side, a fist meets him mid run from a jab, his arm taken by his target as he stumbles back before being swung around off his feet. As the others leap or fall back, the unfortunate criminal flies to the bar counter, body slams into it with a yelp. The men look to their leader but he continues indulging in his own pleasure, he taps the side of the bottle for their attention, the contents are already halfway gone.
Rushing for time, the group advance for another go, the earliest man throws a punch for the jaw. His foe dodges with a duck and sends a punch for his waist. The thug doubles over with no breath in body and about to lose his lunch, he's caught by his neck and belt before shoved at an ally. His friend catches him with both hands busy trying to pick the downed man up, a flying knee sends him down instead, both men fall down as the vigilante brings down an stomp on prior criminal's head.
He immediately shoots a foot out for one grunt attempting to attack him from behind, striking the ankle, he bounces up to catch the falling man with an uppercut. An instant knockout.
The masked fighter now speeds around the room sending knockout punches like a strong wind, knocking men down that can't handle him, one then two then three men at a time. He stops at the last one sending hook after hook into his face until he grabs him by the collar of his shirt. He raises a finishing blow, but lowers it as he leans his face closer to inspect his punching bag, before pushing him ahead. The last man falls with his body crashing down on a glass table scaring the hostages.
The vigilante looks to the his final enemy. The Scotsman swallows a last gulp before eyeing his bottle. The hostages and hostesses run out of the building leaving the two men alone.
"Huh... You were supposed to die before I finished, not the other way around, but hey! I like that."
He walks towards the counter grabbing a series of bottles to place on the counter with numerous glasses.
"How about a toast on me, eh bud?"
He looks to his silent pal, who answers with a drop kick, an attack countered by being seized by the ankles. He's lifted straight up before the drunkard sends him careening down against the counter. Glass and liquor spray everywhere as the quiet hero grunts in pain. The foreigner snickers and chokes his new drinking partner, sliding him down the counter, under the mask Ryuji internally asks himself well Yamatachi would install such a long bar counter to begin with. It feels as if he has been sliding with his head bashing against beer bottles for a whole minute. He's thrown to the ground but recovers quickly.
"HERE'S ONE ON ME!"
He steps back from being pelted by a full bottle of vodka. Then another one. The Scotsman throws bottle after bottle of alcohol content before laughing cruelly.
"Funny thing about this stuff my friend. It's highly flammable! Me and my boys have been drowning this place with it's own gallery of liquor, mate. All it really takes to blow the roof off this joint is. One. Small. Spark."
He holds out a match and lights it against his jacket before dropping it...
Outside as people run out panicked but mostly unscathed, Sae has been called down to assess the situation, with all the insane happenings her brilliance and hard work has managed her a strange position. Although a professional prosecutors, she has recently been given power of the police force, by all accounts she had become an unofficial detective. She arrives on the scene with an officer approaching her.
"Niijima-san! Ma'am! Something seems to be happening inside! Hostages describe a masked man saved them!"
"Get them out of here and be ready to engage. We're going to start right here to end these terrorists!"
A unit advance near the door, but pillar of fire erupts from inside, knocking the doors off the hinges and sending the men back. Sae stares with a paralyzing confusion. Then, two figures come running out, fire on them both. One can be made out as a strange man cackling away, while the other is far too bright to make out, yet neither act to put out the flame. They beat each other instead. Senseless and swinging their arms away. The laughing man falls back eventually conceding to the burns as his giggles turn to pained howling. The other falls as well trying to put out the fire to little avail. The Scotsman manages to put out his burning companions as police make a grab for him.
"Not now... Not yet!"
He bites the leg of a nearby officer before pulling him down quick. He takes his gun and executes the surrounding officers as he uses their own comrade as a shield for their gunfire. Sae and the remaining forces take cover behind one of the police cars. The foreign man bounces up from the ground ignoring the pain, he dives for an active police vehicle and drives off. Firing back as a means of cover while ramming into on looking civilians until he's out of sight.
"Wh-What in the Hell...?! Ah!"
She hears among the roaring fires an extinguisher in use, turning to see her own sister putting out the other figure, the man weakly stands up coughing.
"Ma-Makoto?! What are you doing near that-? Get away from here!"
"Sis! There are witnesses still inside!"
"What?!"
Makoto throws herself at her older sister, the panic within her real, her intent is to physically keep Sae away from Ryuji.
"There were multiple men but only one got away, right?! I bet he's trying to get rid of the evidence, including his own men, you have to save them if you want a case!"
"But-! That one! Ri-Right there... He's...!"
"He's not important right now!"
Sae looks up and notices the vigilante looking back. The bandana around his mouth. It somehow survived enough of the fire to be recognizable, even in such a tattered state, she has been hunting that one for some time...
But the Hebi were priority number one. She looks to her remaining forces with stalwart determination. Yanking the fire extinguisher from Makoto and shoving it in the hands of the nearest officer.
"I want you and the others to work on that inferno until fire patrol arrives. We save the lives of any of those scum and we may get a lead at last. You there! Take any extinguishers from the surrounding shops! You call an ambulance for the injured! We've got to move om the double!"
As Sae barks orders, Makoto looks back at her friend, relief comes over her as she sees him stumble into Haru's limousine from a distance. Haru hovers her hands above Ryuji's body. Hot to the touch still, yet his clothes survive rather well, and the metal is but scratched. He brings up a hand to his face and pulls off the mask. A black eye with a bloody lip and cut brow with light burns on his face.
"Th-That guy... From the hospital..."
"I know. When we saw him we watched from behind the counter. Makoto's quick thinking saved your life back there."
"I couldn't save those assholes on the ground dammit... I lost... I fucking lost!"
"You saved those hostages and yourself... You're alive, and so long as that is, you can always get him again."
She brings a wary hand to his cheek, hissing at the touch, she keeps it there with a reassuring smile. It's enough to let Ryuji close his eyes.
"Next . Next time..."