[Episode] Is that a Meito?!

Fighting against the churning pain, Yumiko pushed herself back up. ...Only to lose balance and stagger against a wall. Ragged crimson breaths dripped from her lips. The world around her twisted and swayed in a mocking dance. Fall over, her delirious mind whispered. Close your eyes, her battered body agreed.

A frustrated growl rumbled within the weasel woman. Her teeth sharpened... And promptly bit into her thumb. Blood trickled. A fresh jolt of pain shot through her brain. The swaying stopped and the whispers fell silent.

“Not here... Not now...”

“...Uh, pardon?”

Behind the commander, a startled, young boy donning a medic vest took a hesitant step back. In his hands, he held bandages and disinfectant. “I... I asked if you would like to lie down... and get some rest while I p-patch you up...” He stammered.

However, the proud samurai hastily shooed the fretting boy away. “I shall be fine... Hrk...” A twinge of pain dared to disagree with her the moment she tried to find her legs again. “I cannot rest... until mine duty is done...” Defying her injuries -and common sense- she stubbornly pushed on anyway.

Step by step, the wounded warrior marched forward. It was the only option left. Her beloved kimono was in tatters, shredded by the vile villain. Without any loose clothing to catch wind, she couldn’t fly... Carefully she stuck a hand between bindings covering her chest and pulled out a flat flask. A corroded hole on the side told a story she didn’t want to hear. She cast the ruined flask aside. Not even a drink to ease her pain...

Yumiko sniffed the air. Countless scents tickled her sharp senses. She closed her eyes and focused on two in particular. In her mind’s eye, a thin trail danced like a colorful ribbon in the wind. There!

Gritting her teeth, the samurai clutched her stomach and broke into a sprint. Surprised people yelped as she dashed past. Her opponents hadn’t gotten far yet. Even through the crowd, she could spot glimpses of a white jacket and black leather fleeing together.

Speaking of which...

Van Talling was huffing heavily. His footsteps drummed against the street. “Huff, haa, how can a tiny guy who’s all skin and bones be this heavy...?” He whined, narrowly avoiding a fruit stall as he rounded a corner.

Doctor Yes responded to the rude commentary with a whack on the head. “Quiet, you.” He adjusted his cracked glasses and peered around. “Just focus on running and let me think of a plan...” His sharp gaze analyzed every alleyway they passed. An imaginary quill scribbled furiously on an equally imaginary map of the city. Maybe... No no, too obvious... But how about...?

When the duo spotted the babe with a blade, they came to a screeching halt. “That’s... a lotta Marines...” One whispered. “I can see that, you dolt...” The other agreed. Their eyes wandered onto an alley far too narrow for a big force to efficiently charge through... But just wide enough for three heroes to make a daring escape.

“And there’s our door...”

The two revolutionaries beelined for the alley, while hollering. “Hey! Pretty lady! This way, quick!” The passenger dug into his pockets and pulled out more vials. As glass shattered against the pavement, clouds of smoke swallowed the swarming marines.

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Hidden by the gray curtain, the unlikely trio escaped into the narrow alley. The revolutionaries led the way, not that getting lost would be an issue between the filthy walls. Every backdoor along the way was closed. The fire escapes were too high to reach, or missing entirely. Rats and roaches scattered in panic, hiding behind the numerous trash cans.

However, the cover didn’t last. A violent gust of wind whirled in the streets, scattering the smoke. In the center stood the wounded Commander. She sniffed the air carefully. Quickly her keen gaze focused on the alley. Her voice echoed after the fleeing suspects.

“Halt! Halt at once!”

Naturally, Yumiko didn’t even expect the criminals to comply at this point. She pinched her nose shut and ran after them. Her injuries protested every movement, but adrenaline dampened the pain. Pushing far past healthy limits, she picked up the pace.

While running, Van Talling shot a quick glance at Rias. “Hey, so, after we save you... Woah!” He narrowly avoided running into a trashcan. It didn’t dampen his mood though. “...How about we go on a little date?” The question was tossed at the woman with all the subtlety of a brick.

It didn’t take a psychic to read the man’s intentions. His lecherous, lingering leer trailed down the swordwoman’s figure. “I would love to play with the twins-ow?!” His question was almost interrupted by a sharp jab to the ribs, courtesy of his passenger. “What? I just want to get a feel-OW!” Another jab prompted him to shut his mouth. But he still cast hopeful looks at the lady.

The surly scientist grumbled under his breath. “Keep it in your pants for five seconds, you dolt.” He pointed at the bloodhound hot on their heels. “We’ve got a problem... If she follows us to the ship, we’ll never set sail.” He dug into his pockets. Foul words crawled between the walls, when he only got a handful of goo and broken glass. “And I’m out of ammo.” He admitted through gritted teeth.

Van Talling, ever the optimist, shrugged. “So we just have to lose her before that.” Huffing and puffing, he too tried to hasten his steps. “Besides, she doesn’t have ammo either. Samurai don’t carry guns. And she can’t swing that sword wildly between these walls.” He wished he was right.

Right on cue, said samurai reached for her sword. She didn’t have much room to maneuver, but... Swinging upwards, she unleashed a vertical blade of wind. Yet at the very end of the motion, a twinge of pain tugged her arm. The blade veered off course, zipping narrowly over the heads of the trio. Close, much too close.

Continuing the careless trajectory, the wind blade cut into one of the fire escapes ahead of the trio. Metal groaned ominously. The stairs started tilting. Just further ahead, the alley exit shone like a golden gate of sunlight. ...Until the final bolts broke beneath the weight and the fire escape came crashing down.

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Sometimes, even the simplest words could light a fire in a man’s heart. “So, you’re telling me there’s a cha-oof!” Similarly, even the simplest gestures could snuff out the flames. In this case, it was another insistent elbow to the ribs. That one left a bruise, no doubt.

As a man of science, Doctor Yes didn’t believe in hyperbolical percentages. Even so, he was one hundred and ten percent done with this sappy nonsense. “Don’t even think about it, you dolt.” The last thing he needed right now was his only means of escape getting distracted.

In the nick of time, the fleeing trio reached the alley exit. The broken fire exit came down right behind them, bringing a rain of broken bricks with it. Dust billowed wildly. Metallic cacophony rang out, drawing curious glances from the bystanders. Accident? The panicked whispers asked. Hopefully no one got hurt... Others wished.

Unfortunately, Yumiko wasn’t as swift... In her relentless pursuit, she got caught right in the rubble rain. It swallowed her whole, choking her with a curtain of dust. In the wake of the awful racked followed grim silence...

The revolutionaries didn’t even stop to look back. Rather, they turned down the street and continued their mad dash. “Quick, that way! To the secret hideout!” The doctor gestured insistently towards the docks, while shouting loudly enough for everyone to hear.

Van Talling piped up, understandably puzzled. “But the hideout is in the oth-ow!” He was growing irked by the constant jabbing. However, his grumbling was cut short as well. “I know. Just follow my lead, you dolt.” His friend hissed, much quieter, before shouting again. “Left, I said left, you dolt! Can’t you tell the difference?!” ...While gesturing to the right still.

Suddenly, a flurry of shining slashes shredded the rubble apart. Whirling winds blasted the pieces across the street. A small silhouette with gleaming eyes stood in the eye of the dust storm. It lurched forward with slow, yet relentless steps, reminiscent of a marionette with broken strings. Onlookers gasped and recoiled. Who... What was that...?

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Rubble scattered. The world was spinning. Between injuries and exhaustion, Yumiko was only vaguely conscious anymore. Her ears were ringing and her nose full of dust. The steady blood loss wasn’t doing her any favors either. She was running on borrowed time.

Yet she refused to stop.

The samurai’s ear twitched at the shouting. She could barely make out a single word. Left... A jolt of adrenaline tried to shake her awake. Her gaze swept towards the streets leading inland. So that’s where they headed. They must’ve been swift, for she couldn’t even see them anymore...

Nearly falling over, the Marine continued her relentless pursuit. Civilians gave her wide berth. Her legs trembled with each step. She couldn’t afford to let them get away. Her pride was on the line. If she failed... Gritting her teeth, she pushed the worried thought aside. Nay, failure was not an option.

However, the Commander had barely staggered a block, when a small squad of her allies came running her way. Both sides came to a screeching halt. “Have thou seen the suspects...?” She demanded to know, while shooing away the medic who was trying to waste his valuable supplies on her again.

The Marines exchanged a worried glance, before shaking their heads. One stepped up to the officer and saluted. “No, ma-erm sir! No, sir! If anyone had come this way, we would’ve caught them, sir!” Of that they were absolutely certain.

Yumiko’s suspicious squint swept the surrounding buildings. The voice had said left, so obviously they had come this way. They couldn’t be far... She gestured at a nearby tavern. “Spread out... Search the area...” Her weak command was met with unsure murmurs, but no one dared to question it out loud.

---

Meanwhile, the fleeing trio was making their way fast towards the docks. Judging by Van Talling’s wheezing, he was running on fumes by now. His pace was slowing down too, from a sprint to a jog.

Doctor Yes, on the other hand, had plenty of time to answer the swordwoman’s question. “Only half a mile.” His casual estimate was met with a protesting wheeze from his ride. He ignored it. “Our boat is at the eastern end of the docks, ready to leave.” It paid off to always have a plan.

Speaking of which...

The surly scientist adjusted his glasses and gave the woman a scrutinizing glare. “As for you, if you stay on this island, your risk of getting arrested increases exponentially.” He leaned forward, as much as his uncomfortable perch allowed anyway. “Have you thought of an escape plan, hm?” A rhetorical question.

“Oh, who am I kidding? Of course you haven’t.”

Out of an idle habit, the grumpy man pushed his glasses up again. He allowed himself to smile for five seconds. “Luckily for you, I have come up with a solution, as usual.” The five seconds were up and his smile vanished. This was a serious topic after all.

“Tell me, how would you like to join a noble cause?”

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Doctor Yes adjusted his glasses and nodded at the question. “You assume correctly. We welcome all who are ready to stand up for themselves.” There was no helping someone who had accepted their fate.

The accusation was met with a scoff. “Hmph, nothing great has been built overnight. Progress takes time.” He gestured at the town around them. “The NRA fights corruption wherever it appears, but we cannot be everywhere at once.” The bitter truth he had to swallow was that in a world of pirates and marines, their organization was terribly outnumbered...

With a heavy sigh, the doctor pushed back his haughty attitude for a moment. “For that, we need more people...” His gaze focused on the woman. “People like you, who are willing and able to fight.” If nothing else, this woman had proven she wouldn’t bow to injustice at least. Power was the result of training, but the mentality had to come naturally.

As the harbor approached, the time to decide was drawing close. “So the question remains... Are you willing to fight for what is right?” He paused briefly, pondering. “We can offer you a safe haven and friends at every harbor.” That was a good boon, yes?

Van Talling piped up as well. “We also have... hah... great dental and healthcare...!” There was a brief pause, before his comrade conceded. “...Indeed we do.” Well, some simpletons were won over by straight-forward perks like that.

---

Deeper in the town, the marines were turning the area upside down in their search. Many doors were knocked, some even kicked down. People were questioned, few less politely than others. On one occasion, a flustered soldier had to run from a very spry old lady, whose bath he had interrupted. Several shampoos and a hairbrush were flung after him.

All for nothing.

Disbelief painted Yumiko’s features pale. One after another, the soldiers under her command returned with bad news. No sight of the suspects. Her gritting teeth slowly sharpened. A frustrated growl crawled from her throat. She... couldn’t believe it...

Had she truly failed...?

In a moment of desperation, the weasel woman gathered her focus. Her hair bristled and muscles bulged... But the strain proved too much. With a weak cough, she fell to her knees. Terrible pain slices down her chest, as a certain all too fresh wound aches. Darkness lingered at the edges of her swaying vision.

The other marines approach their commander carefully. Doubts and fears linger in their mind. Nobody wanted to be the one to ask, but they were all thinking the same question... Was she okay...? Their answer came soon enough.

Without a sound, Yumiko collapsed onto the cold, harsh street.

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Every hasty step brought the group closer to the docks. The crowds weren’t as thick here, making it harder to blend in, but easier to navigate. Only a couple of sailors cast curious glances at the trio. The rest were much too busy with their work.

The grumpy doctor folded his arms, scoffing at the rather rude implication. “Hmph, of course not.” To abandon a person in need went against their whole doctrine. “What do you take us for, some simple-minded savages? You wound me, young lady.” While it was perfectly rational to doubt strangers, he had believed this close call had brought them all closer than that. A miscalculation on his part, clearly.

After a moment of sulking, the scientist waved his personal feelings aside. “No matter. You do not need to make the decision right now. We can discuss this further on our way to the next island. If you decline, we will simply drop you off there and wish you all the best.” After that, her future life was none of his concern. If she didn’t want to help others, then he most certainly wouldn’t force it upon her.

Finally the ragtag group reached the eastern end of the docks. Van Talling led the way to a small, shabby fishing vessel. It looked old and worn-down, but inconspicuous next to the grand merchant ships. A young boy, dressed in a fisherman’s rags two sizes too big for him, was snoozing on the deck.

“Hey, Ben! Wake up! Hoist the anchor! We’re leaving!”

The loud hollering shook the boy awake. Without a question, he started reeling up the anchor, while his allies moved to unfurl the sails. Luck was on their side, as strong tailwinds sent them on their way. Sneakily the small ship slipped away.

---

“Medic! We need a medic here!”

Distant shouts lingered at the edge of Yumiko’s consciousness. She was trying to open her eyes, to push herself back onto her feet, but... It felt like her entire body was stuck in a pool of tar. The murky darkness clung to her, refusing to let go. It dragged her into its depths, swallowing her mind.

Soon, the search was called off and the marines withdrew. Their injured Commander was carried away on a stretcher. Even as they made their way back to the ship, many venomous barbs were shared among the grumbling grunts. Overzealous, reckless, crazy... Their judgment was harsh, but not inaccurate.

Once the wounded commander was back in Doctor Black’s care, again, the commotion finally died down. People returned to their routines. Some wanted to just head out for a pint and forget this. Others were busy writing scathing reports. The Rear Admiral would hear about this. Oh would he ever...

The fuse was lit.

And the explosion...

Inevitable.

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