"I know you're angry Hanna, but now more than ever we need to remain calm," Rob instructs softly.
"Like you did after I was kidnapped?" Hanna snaps.
"Well, sorry if my love for you is so strong it drives me crazy!" Rob snaps back.
"And you know damn well I care for Maria almost as much as I care for you!" Hanna continues. "So, forgive me for being a little pissed off right now!"
"And I'm not pissed off?" Rob challenges. "My best and oldest friend is enslaved too! Do you not think I care about that?"
"Enough!" Hideyoshi demands; Hanna and Rob fall silent. "Thank you," Hideyoshi continues. "I know this is a stressful time for you, but you both need to maintain focus. Fighting with each other won't save your friends."
"Tell us something we don't know," Hanna spits.
"Tell you what: I'll translate this notebook and see what I can find about this Shade Virus," Hideyoshi volunteers. "While I do that, you two relax somewhere, and I'll send for you when I'm done."
"You better find something worthwhile," Hanna growls, storming out of the sanctum.
Rob sighs in frustration. "I love that woman with all my heart, but she can be such a burden sometimes."
"And yet you persevere," Hideyoshi observes. "Granted, I'm not well versed in this particular area, but even when she's angry, she looks at you with such love and affection in her eyes, as you do her."
"And that's how I know we'll be fine," Rob smiles. "That, and the dozens of times we've argued and made up over the years. I'll give her some time to cool off, then go find her. And when we come back here, it'll be like we never argued."
An hour later, after searching the training halls to no avail, Rob finally tracks Hanna down at the top of the dojo's tallest observation tower. "Not the sort of place I was expecting to find you in," he greets.
"Same," Hanna replies, continuing to look down the side of the volcano to the Subarashimori on the horizon.
"I don't think I've ever seen you this troubled before," Rob observes, leaning on the rail next to his wife.
"Been contemplating the fairness of Fate," Hanna reveals. "Seems she has it in for Maria."
"We've all faced some pretty tough ordeals," Rob reminds.
"But Maria's faced more than the rest of us," Hanna counters. "Robbed of her early childhood, suffering… that experience, almost getting killed three times hunting the Crystals, left for dead in the Shang Tu Palace's lower levels impaled by her own sword, helplessly watching Aquila defeat the rest of you, and now enslaved to a sadistic freak bent on revenge. Fate keeps piling shit on her, and it's just not fair."
"I know," Rob comforts. "But look at it this way: Maria has always pulled through, and by either miracle or sheer willpower, she has always recovered her playful mischievous ways. She may have faced the worst misfortune, but she's also the one who enjoys life the most. You have to admit, of the five of us, Maria is by far the strongest mentally."
"I guess," Hanna sighs. "But I can't help but feel like so much of it is my fault. It's thanks to me she became a Scarf."
"I'll let you in on a little secret," Rob decides. "Maria once told me that the night she was… the night you saved her, she felt so unwelcome in the world that, if it wasn't for your intervention, she would have committed suicide the next day."
Hanna is stunned into silence, shocked at what Rob is telling her. "Wow… I uh… I never realised…"
"You gave her a reason to live," Rob continues. "Not only that, you then presided over her transformation from a timid child with zero self‑confidence into the charismatic and bubbly young woman she is today. All the pranks she plays, those cute names she calls us, her status as a stealth specialist and expert swordsman in the Scarves, and the way she brightens a room simply by being in it: all thanks to your influence. Oh, and how to be both cute and scary at the same time."
Hanna can't help but chuckle at that last sentence. "Y'know, it's weird: I act like nothing can get to me, but Maria, she doesn't have to act. She's weathered worse than I ever have, and put it behind her seemingly without effort. And she is so capable: she took down a supercharged Aquila solo, for Ancients' sake! I just wish Fate would recognise how amazing Maria is, and give her a break occasionally."
"For a cold‑hearted bitch, you sure are loving and caring," Rob teases.
"That's got to be the most back‑handed compliment I've ever heard," Hanna replies. "Thanks," she adds, smiling warmly.
"You hungry?" Rob asks.
"No, I'm Hanna," Hanna quips. "But seriously, yeah, I am. How about we get dinner, then go see how Yoshi's getting on?"
"Sure," Rob agrees.
Ninety minutes later, Hanna and Rob return to Hideyoshi's sanctum to find the Grand Master is almost finished with his translation.
"Ah, good timing," he greets as the couple enters. "I have both good news and bad news, I'm afraid."
"Hmm… Start with the good news," Rob decides.
"The strain of Shade Virus Kaede used on Maria and Danny is temporary," Hideyoshi reveals. "Even in large doses, it disappears after three or four days."
"Thank the Ancients!" Hanna exclaims in relief.
"The bad news is… Well, there's no easy way to say this," Hideyoshi continues. "Prolonged exposure can result in adverse long‑term effects, including paranoia, night terrors, and in really extreme cases, psychosis and dementia."
"I really didn't want to know that," Hanna admits sombrely.
"There is more good news though," Hideyoshi reveals. "Even a freshly‑dosed individual can successfully fight the virus's mind control abilities, given the correct stimulus. Also, the strain Kaede is using is very unlikely to cause mutations, even under severe emotional stress."
"That's… something," Hanna replies, unsure how to react.
"We would have preferred better news, honestly," Rob admits. "But at least it's not as bad as we feared. Provided we get to Maria and Danny in time, there's a strong chance they'll make a full recovery."
"That is my conclusion too," Hideyoshi agrees.
"So, what's our next move?" Hanna asks.
"Not sure yet," Rob admits. "What's the situation in Mizutani?"
"It's not looking good, I'm sad to say," Hideyoshi answers. "My intelligence is patchy at best, but I have been able to ascertain that the besieging army has penetrated Mizutani's perimeter, and is slowly driving the defending forces back towards the dojo."
"How long do you think they can hold out?" Rob asks.
"At best, a few days," Hideyoshi predicts. "But if Tsubaki or Kaede get ahead of the advancing battlefront and into the dojo, we could be looking at less than a day."
"Then we need to get into Mizu‑dojo before they do," Rob decides.
"What about saving Maria and Danny?" Hanna asks, a little surprised.
"We'll do what we can, but at the same time, we cannot ignore Xander and Chika," Rob explains.
"Dammit," Hanna sighs. "When you're right, you're right. Of course, the problem is how do we get to the dojo without getting a mortar to the face?"
"My intelligence indicates that the assaulting armies are ground forces only," Hideyoshi reveals. "However, I wouldn't want to assume there's no air support."
"Submarine," Rob suddenly interjects. "That's how we get in."
"You mean follow the river downstream, then through the canals, and into the moat?" Hanna asks.
"Correct," Rob confirms.
"I don't have any submarines," Hideyoshi admits.
"Then we'll have to make one," Rob decides.
"I'll speak to my chief engineer, and work with him on something suitable," Hideyoshi volunteers. "We'll probably have to work through the night."
"We'll get an early night then," Rob decides. "We've got a very long day ahead of us tomorrow."
As dawn breaks the next day, Hanna and Rob join Hideyoshi and his chief engineer at the main entrance to the dojo.
"Good morning," Hideyoshi greets, showing clear signs of fatigue. "This is what we were able to build overnight," he continues, indicating a compact submersible with two seats, one behind the other to keep the craft as narrow as possible. "We'll take it by land as far as we can, then launch it. It's not got a lot of power, but it should still have reasonable speed and range."
Hanna inspects the craft. "No offence, but it looks a bit cramped," she comments. "Also, where am I going to thread my tail? There's no hole in either seat."
"My apologies Hanna, but I'm afraid we… neglected to consider your tail," Hideyoshi admits, hanging his head slightly.
"It's OK," Rob assures. "She'll just have to sit on it. Won't you Hanna?"
"It's not like I have much choice," Hanna mumbles.
"Ignore her Hideyoshi," Rob assures. "We're both very grateful for your assistance at this desperate time."
"We should have remembered though," Hideyoshi admits. "But there's no time to fix it. We must depart if we're to get you into Mizu‑dojo before it's too late."