"Come on, Lord Dio. We're almost there."
Filia carried her leader's limb body over the sidewalk with the help of Mr. Everdeen. Filia had found it a little difficult to escape after tangling poor Samson up in the floorboards, but they got away in time to hide while the team left, allowing Filia to return to return for her master. She was surprised to find Mr. Everdeen was already there, trying to pry the road roller off of Dio, but with little success. Filia's abilities had made the job much easier.
"It's the foundry, right, Samson?"
"That's what it says here, Filia," growled her hair, holding the clue they stole in the chaotic attack on their appointed targets. The team that Dio had explained that it was their mission to defeat had collected so many clues that it was easy to grab one of the extras while no one was looking. "But do we need to keep carrying this lug here? He's slowin' us down a lot, ya know?"
"I cannot believe you're saying that, Samson. How rude! After all Lord Dio has done for us!"
"Somehow, he made you crazier than before. I dunno if that's something for me ta be real thankful for."
"I'm not crazy. I'm a vampire. And if that means I'm not a Skullgirl anymore, isn't that a- ureeey!- good thing?"
"Like I was sayin', I just dunno."
Filia pointed ahead, changing the subject. "Look! Isn't that a foundry up there?"
Tall smokestacks and their accompanying haze confirmed it to be so, even when no one responded to her. Dio coughed a few times before working up the strength to speak.
"You two… It is just amazing. You cared enough to save me."
"Even when we have failed, it doesn't make any sense to abandon your leader," said Mr. Everdeen quietly.
"The rest of them, they wouldn't do that, you know. They follow orders, but they're not… loyal."
Filia turned and smiled.
"It's hard to not be loyal to someone who saved your life."
I'm glad she's speaking for herself, thought Mr. Everdeen. At first I thought that tagging along with the guys that get to bend the rules would get me closer to winning. But now they're running suicide missions. I'm not sure about any of this anymore… but I'll be safe as long as I cooperate.
"Not hard at all," Mr. Everdeen repeated.
Filia suddenly stopped walking ahead. "What's this?" she whispered, kneeling down to look at something.
Mr. Everdeen set Dio down gently, raising a finger to indicate he would be right back. Filia was crouched over a small, blue creature, lying in a bruised heap on the street. A long set of skidmarks ran up to where it sat.
"Hello, there," said Filia. "Are you all right?"
The creature slowly opened its eyes, then shut them again in the light.
"Oh, man," it groaned. "I don't think so."
"Filia, take a few steps back," ordered Mr. Everdeen. "Never corner an injured animal."
"Oh. Okay," agreed the girl, stumbling back.
"You know," it whispered, "I'm starting to think that wasn't Shadow the hedgehog."
"It's hallucinating. It might be rabid," warned the hunter. Filia scooted further back.
"Get me out of here," commanded Dio.
"Don't be too afraid, sir," reassured the man. "If it poses a threat, I can kill it very quickly."
"Not that," coughed the vampire. "them." He raised a weak arm to point behind them. Filia and Mr. Everdeen turned to face the landing Valvrave unit, Poppy, and the succubus.
"Step awae from the brush hog," shouted Morrigan. "If ye please."