It had only been four days after Jin's warning. Small invasions had become more and more frequent, and agents had to be on patrol far more frequently than before.
Tachikawa yawned, bringing his hand to his mouth, covering it politely. He had been on night-shift, but it wouldn't end until noon. Patrols were now conducted with fewer people per group, since they had to make them as frequent as possible.
'It's just one more hour,' Izumi noted, after stretching next to him.
'One more hour, and we can eat...'
'More like, take a nap, in your case.'
He chuckled. 'You're right.'
So far, no ememies had been detected. The last neighbour they fought was probably the tiny Mormods they saw at around four in the morning.
'Eh? Who's that I see over there?' Izumi placed a hand over his eyes, as if looking for something, or someone.
Tachikawa followed his line of sight. 'Isn't that Kazama?'
'You're right. Who are those people following him?'
Kazama seemed unwary of the people following him. He strides down the road, heading towards the college that he, and also Tachikawa, studied at.
'I know those three, they're the thugs infamous at college.'
'But if they're following him, then doesn't it mean that...?'
'Gate activity warning. Attention citizens: Gate activity detected within the Forbidden Zone. Take appropriate measures.'
'Tachikawa-san?'
They could only look on as Kazama got backed into a corner by the three.
'Crap, crap crap crap crap.' Tachikawa glanced at the appearing neighbour -two Bamsters and a few Mormods- and back to where Kazama was. Said person had their hands crossed in front of his face in a defensive manner, ready to receive hits form the thugs.
'Tachikawa-san, go! We're wasting time standing here!' Izumi shouted at him before he leapt forward, hitting the Bamster on the head.
=3= =3= =3= =3= =3= =3= =3= =3= =3=
Kazama's head was tilted up by one of the three, who, he could recognise only because of his ridiculous tattoos on his face.
'Think you're so smart, eh? Acting all high and mighty, just because you're a Border agent?' Tattoos, as Kazama called him, kicked him in the gut, and Kazama fell down on his bottom.
'Your height really doesn't match your ego, maybe you're just a kid playing pretend hero?'
Hearing nothing as response, he kicked him again. 'Answer me, you snotty brat!' The other two, Piercings and Shaved Head, sneered at him from behind.
He raised his hands again in front of his face once again.
'If you're really from Border, why don't you use your trigger?'
Another kick.
He could hear Shaved Head whisper, 'That's because he's not from Border. Just a kid whose delusions went too real.'
Another kick.
'Stop your delusions already, brat.'
He prepared for another kick and squeezed his eyes shut.
The kick never came, and instead painful cries came from the three.
He blinked his eyes open.
'Having some fun here, eh? Why not let me join in?'
Kazama mentally cried tears of joy as he saw who had come. The three jumped at their sudden appearance, and scramble out of the alley.
'Not feeling so good, eh?' They held out a hand.
He reached out and was pulled up. 'Thanks, Tachikawa...'
Tachikawa held a peace sign out. 'There's nothing the captain of A rank team number one can't do!'
'It's obvious that you can't even complete essays on time.'
'Don't sweat the small things!' He waved his hand dismissively, then grinned at him. 'In shape to kill a few Neighbours?'
