"Guts!" The pair sat at the far end of the bar. It was a different bar, of course, now that she was in Kyoto, but why change scenes too much? She would have been tempted to buy herself a shot of tequila if she didn't have to ride back. He, however, was on his third. He was a bit nervous. After all, his job was on the line. That was why she was being forced to pay an arm and a leg this time around. The information was that classified and in all reality, Searrs might have had him executed for revealing it. She slid over the folder of money. She still had to think up an excuse for Shizuru. That was the hard part. "Talk." "The Otome were being developed alongside Alyssa. Searrs saw the Valkyrie project as being too unstable and risky. These Otome are more practical for combat. They can materialize, they don't have to rely on a guardian... all of that. Most importantly, the test subjects don't have to be with us from birth. We can inject them with nanomachines that allow them to manifest powers." He fell silent, to her annoyance. "Okay, go on, then." "The nanomachines work in conjunction with the gems on their ears. The gems and nanomachines represent HiME power. Those devices are powered by the Emulator, which represents the Obsidian Lord. If you shut down the Emulator, they lose everything. Likewise, if you kill all Five Columns, the Emulator's power supply will break down. It's like a Key, in that respect. The HiME dies, and the Child goes. The Columns die, and the Emulator goes. You see?" "Five Columns?" Natsuki felt her eyebrows contort in confusion. He waved his hand. "Sorry. The Otome. That's what we call the test unit." "There's five of them? We've only seen three." Her contact nodded. "The suits like to use them more. The other two are new and a bit experimental. The three you have fought are more stable." "I see." Natsuki jotted mental notes down. Then, onward. She had no desire to actually kill the Otome, for some reason or another. "Where is the Emulator, then?" "In one of the two facilities around Kyoto, but I don't know which one. I don't have the clearance. Sorry." He shrugged, then checked his watch. "I have to go. It's late." One of two facilities? A fifty-fifty chance was never a bad thing. She nodded. "Thank you. Your work is appreciated." "As is your money, Kuga-san." He tapped the folder against the wall as he exited the rear door, where a taxi was waiting for him. After he left, she stood up from her barstool and exited the front, where her bike was parked. She got on and started up the engine, sliding her red and black helmet back over her head. Putting down the visor, she pulled away, heading down the road, ignoring the speed limit entirely. She made a quick stop at her garage to pick up a small item she kept in her locker. She had one more errand to run before heading home, whether the other person liked it or not. She was going to be nice even if it killed them. - - - Natsuki marched through the hospital with a look of determination, her helmet under one arm and a thin, rolled up object in the other. Visiting hours were almost over, but she felt almost like she had to. While it was always unnerving to see someone bed ridden, it was only fair for her to act like a civilized being and show that even though they did not have the most peaceful relationship on the planet, they were indeed still friends. The Carnival had left them bitter to each other at first, but their natural aggression and resilience had allowed them to co-exist on a friendly basis. So, she knocked on the door once and entered, Nao still lying back on her bed, idly watching something on the television. A Twix stick was in her mouth, the injured woman not quite injured enough if she could crawl out of bed to retrieve candy from its hiding place. Nao must have assumed it was a nurse or Midori, turning to Natsuki with an open mouth. Whatever words she might have intended to say were silenced, and the two found themselves in a silent stare down for several moments. Nao snapped a piece of the Twix off and soon swallowed it. "Kuga, I thought I said you shouldn't be here." "Sounds like your sedatives and painkillers have worn off. You aren't acting like an angry drunk anymore. Just a bitchy teenager." Natsuki marched forward, and shoved her item into Nao's face. "Here. Now give me back mine." Nao blinked and refocused her eyes, looking at the book in Natsuki's hand. She took it and unrolled it, revealing the logo of the X-Men. So, she finally decided to return it, then. Nao returned her gaze to Natsuki, who had returned her hand to her hip. "Well, well. I have to honestly say that I'm surprised at you, Kuga. How touching of you to remember the comic book feud." Natsuki stared back in silence, her mind scrambling to find words. She was always bad at this. "You... doing okay?" "Aside from the hole in my side, I'm just peachy," Nao replied. "That's not what I meant." Natsuki shook her head and fixed her gaze on the wall. "Huh?" "I mean, how are you doing mentally in here?" Nao frowned. When her mother had finally passed on, Nao had snapped. Not as a HiME losing her Key, but as a daughter losing her mother and only relative left in the world. The usually sarcastic and strong-minded woman had broken down, sobbing relentlessly for hours until she simply could not weep any more. Natsuki had kept her distance then, as well, but she knew for a fact that Nao felt uncomfortable in hospitals ever since the woman's death. She refused to go if one of the HiME had gotten injured, or if she herself had gotten in a fight and needed treatment. This time, however, the wound was severe enough to where she had no option. "Fine." A lie, but it was an acceptable answer. Natsuki nodded slowly, changing subjects. Then again, it was still to a subject that Nao did not want to talk about. "Why didn't you want me in here with Midori?" "I don't like you." The sarcasm and wit had returned with the fading of the drugs. Natsuki stared, not satisfied with the answer, until Nao finally sighed and relented. "I just didn't want you to see me like this, okay? Is that so hard for you to grasp?" "But Midori is all right?" "Jealous much?" Nao laughed once – a mocking, sardonic thing. "Well?" Natsuki found her patience failing her. Nao twisted up her face in irritation. Damn Kuga and her interrogations. "I don't bicker with Midori, or anyone else for that matter. It's different." Natsuki paused. "I'm special, then? I didn't know you cared." "Of course you didn't," Nao shockingly said, glaring back as her expression nearly took on a violent edge. Natsuki stared back in surprise. Maybe what was left of the drugs allowed Nao's tongue to loosen up. "You're dense like that, Kuga. You've always been dense like that. You never notice the emotions of other people. You never noticed the friendship of the rest of us until you were forced into socializing, you never noticed with Fujino, you just...maybe you have ADD or something. Look into it." "What are you saying?" Natsuki didn't want to jump onto any assumptions. If she did, Nao would never let her hear the end of it if she was wrong. "That you're dense, and apparently deaf." Nao had to get in one more sarcastic comment before Kuga's glare finally forced her to sigh and relent. Nao turned her gaze down slightly, unable to look her in the eyes. Her additional response took several minutes to get out all the way. "Do you... even understand how difficult it is to find someone who will actually go ten rounds with you in a verbal match? Or someone who shares the same general outlook on life as you do? Or someone who isn't a pansy ass, helpless woman?" Natsuki was silent. During the course of the conversation, Nao never said it. That was something she did not and would never say. "No, of course you don't. Because you're dense and have had that tall devil woman to argue with long before I even found my way to Fuuka. The two of us were kids with less than perfect pasts, but lo and behold, fortune smiles on Kuga alone. It must suck being you." Nao muttered. The biker found herself sighing, "Is that so? Nao, look..." The ringing of a phone interrupted her. She pulled it out of her check pocket and flipped it open, staring at the number. It was Yukino's new phone. Holding a finger up to Nao, she received the call. "Hello?" "Natsuki, you have to get to Mai's. Haruka and Akane have been taken by the Otome. I've over here hooked into the JSDF network and we need all available HiME to help out with a rescue. Bring weapons. Hurry." "Understood." She hung up the phone, returned it to her pocket, then put a hand to her head. Nao was staring the whole time. "What's happening?" Knowing full well that Nao would attempt to pry herself out of bed and drag herself into battle with a major wound, Natsuki knew better than to tell her the truth. Unfortunately, she was also found herself saying the first excuse that came to her mouth, and it was not likely. "Midori's in jail. I have to go bail her out." "Uh huh. What'd she do?" An eyebrow was raised in suspicion. "Drunk in public." With that, she moved towards the door, but paused and turned back around. "We never say it to each other, but I will now. I'm happy to be your friend, Nao. You're the only one to cause mayhem with. But I'm sorry, that's the extent of it." "Of course." Natsuki opened the door. "By the way..." "Hm?" "Give me my Batman back." Nao found herself smirking. "Make me, Kuga." Natsuki shook her finger in warning. "I just told you no funny business." The door was shut, and Natsuki disappeared down the hall. Nao watched the door for several long moments before she fell back against the pillow and sighed. Wonderful. Just wonderful. She picked the half eaten Twix bar back up and shoved it back into her mouth, knowing that in ten minutes, those damn nurses were going to take it away. Surely, there was some way to escape from this pure white prison of death and sadism. Clothesline the next nurse then escape through the vent shafts. It was possible, yes? - - - "Ah, she's certainly fiery, isn't she? Natsuki-chan, well, despite how tough she acts, it's just a cover. You already know that, though, don't you? She pretends to be tough because she has to. She's pitted alone against both her past and present. But, Natsuki-chan is the kind of girl that only acts it. I have a feeling she longs for someone to rescue her from the burden. Don't you agree?" "You're quite the spectacle, kaichou-sama! You've known about your powers even longer than I've known about them. That's saying something! They all come to Fuuka, one way or another. You've already got a handle on your Element, then. And you still haven't told her? Always the enigma, I see. You might be worse than her." "Always so displeased to see me! I've come to make you an offer, though, so let's not get so charged up with ramming that bardiche down my throat. You've noticed the Orphans around the school, then? Natsuki's going to have her hands full with fighting them in addition to her existing mission. You're going to need additional support." "I can give you more power, but you have to put what's important to you on the line. Do you accept? ...Wonderful! So eager to prove yourself, but not to me. I am so sad. Your Child is none other than Kiyohime, the hydra. You aren't even afraid of her. Amazing. Treat her well, kaichou, and she will watch over you and all those you care for." "Kaichou-sama! Wait! Natsuki-chan's in trouble. I hear Nao's got her captured out on the highway. Now is your chance to sweep in like a hero, kaichou. Defeat Nao and all of Natsuki's enemies, and you can save her from all this torment. I'll watch the students for you." Shizuru's eyes snapped open and she tightened her fist around the blades of grass beneath her before her memories continued, bringing her back into that almost-drugged state she was in during her near genocidal rampage. She hated him. Fumi told them that Nagi was not to blame for his actions. It was the fate he was forced into. But she could not stop hating him. It wasn't logical, really. The HiME would have been forced to fight, regardless. The fate of the world depended on them slaughtering each other. She was blaming him for her own mistakes and sins, and she hated using him as a scapegoat. She was leaning against a tree outside her home, having dropped off Mai earlier. A hand was pressed to her forehead, and she took a deep breath, collecting herself. Even if not in public, she did not wish to lose her composure. It was not the proper thing to do, of course. The mere mention of Nagi by Fumi had set her off earlier in the day. She had indeed blamed him and his manipulation for many of her problems. Emotions had run high during the Carnival. It was only after that Shizuru realized the depth and commitment that Natsuki had poured into their mutual demise, before Mashiro was able to work her magic. The biker had set out that day knowing that she would die. If she destroyed Kiyohime, Natsuki would perish, and Shizuru would have been left behind as a shattered shell of her former self. Conversely, if she scuttled Duran, then Shizuru would die. When a HiME perished, they lost both their Child and Key. Natsuki would have perished either way. Shizuru had already been tasting what it was like to be Akane. Natsuki rejecting her was almost as bad as actually greensparking away. Shizuru was not completely lost, as Akane was, but she was certainly not complete after seeing her Key react in such a way towards her after learning the truth. Essentially, Natsuki had been willing to herself to escort the fallen HiME into the afterlife, not willing to let Shizuru remain the monster that she had been trapped into becoming. Right. Well. She felt emo now. Clearly, tea was required. So, she stood, and headed towards the house. She was stopped, however, by a ringing phone. The name displayed was 'Snugglebunny,' but that clearly referred to someone else. And had only been inputted as such to drive 'Snugglebunny' crazy. It had worked, and she couldn't be arsed to change it to her real name. "What are you wearing?" Shizuru smirked. When in need of a cheer up, torment the other woman. "Nothing." "Really?" Shizuru dropped her jaw in mock surprised. She was kidding, she knew, but at least she had the mental image. "No. Now get back to Mai's. Bring your bardiche and my guns." Her tone was all business now. That wasn't nearly as fun. Shizuru leaned back against the tree. "Otome activity, then?" "Akane and Haruka have been captured. We're staging a rescue mission," Natsuki replied. Then, before Shizuru could respond, she remembered something. "Oh. My Dessies are out of spare clips and I haven't had time or cash to buy more." "Why no cash? There was plenty in the account last night." Shizuru rose her eyebrows in wonder. What had that little girl done with all her money? There was stammering on the other end. "Um, never mind that. Just get my revolvers instead; the Pythons in the bedroom case. The password is your birthday. Oh, and get my bandolier belt of .357's. You know what that looks like, right?" "I do believe I recall seeing that atrocious spaghetti Western looking thing when you first bought it, yes. Honestly, do you have some cowgirl fantasies you want to act out?" Shizuru was already up and walking back to the house on a quest to recover the items in question. "No, Shizuru, I do not. It is a practical way to carry revolver and shotgun ammunition. Now go get it." "Ma'am, yes ma'am," she countered, marching into the house. The bardiche was in it's usual spot, while the revolvers in question resided in a locked case in the top of their jointly owned closet. Jumping up, she claimed it and entered her birthday. Then, she treated to the sight of loaded short barreled magnum revolvers, looking more like Natsuki's Elements than the heavier semi-automatic guns she had been using thusfar. "Found them. I'll meet you at Mai's, then." "Okay, see you shortly." "And Natsuki?" "Yes?" Still feeling slightly caught up in her own depression over Nagi, she had to say it – just not in a dramatic way. "I love you, Snugglebunny." The voice on the other end became stern and embarrassed. She could imagine the blush in her head. "Bye!" Shizuru snickered to herself. She felt better already. Grabbing up all the weapons and that bandolier of .357 rounds, she headed back out to her Jaguar, placing the items in her trunk. Shizuru climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine back up, pulling out of her parking spot and heading down the dirt path that led to the driveway. This was doing nothing for her fuel economy, driving back and forth like this. She had to finalize those mortgage and real estate papers and move into the city. - - - Yukino had resigned from the JSDF after Lapis had stolen her data. She changed her fake name again. Even though she had resigned, she still could hack into the JSDF network and use the satellite feeds to her heart's content, feeling almost like it was Diana with her mirrors. She had monitored the fight almost immediately after Akane had called, tracking the woman's cellphone. She then proceeded to track down the vehicle the Otome and her prisoners had fled with, seeing it park at an old facility of some kind about thirty miles south of the city. She sat in Mai's apartment as activity swarmed behind her, oblivious to it all. Natsuki arrived shortly, but managed to catch Mai's boyfriend and his guests, who were on the way out by Mai's subtle request. Tate, her long term boyfriend had invited two old friends over to watch a sports game of some sort (she didn't know or care what it was), and needed both of them to go before the HiME showed up. But Natsuki walked through the door just as Reito and... Takeda were leaving. "K-K-Kuga!" The former Kendo captain stiffened. He hadn't seen her for years, but apparently still hadn't gotten over anything. Natsuki stiffened as well. Damn it, she'd done her best to avoid that man since graduation. Mai could have at least warned her. In fact, she could could see the redhead snickering in the background. Takeda continued to stand in her way. "Are you going to move, or what?" "S-sorry!" He jumped to the side, allowing her to enter the apartment. She pushed him out of the way even further and proceeded towards Yukino, but, damn it all, he stopped her. "How have you been, Kuga?" "Fine, Takeda, now go. Girl's night. No penis allowed." She leaned over to see how Yukino was progressing, seeing a satellite shot of the facility the other two were being held at. Takeda took a breath. Apparently, he had gotten braver over the years. "K-Kuga, are you seeing anyone?" Reito put a hand to his face. "Now, now, Takeda, you should know that that is not a proper thing to ask right off the bat. Besides, I'm sure with a pretty face like that, Kuga-san has many suitors chasing after her. Or, at the very least... one in particular." "Oh, but I'm sure she's willing to rekindle an old flame, aren't you, Natsuki?" God damn it, Mai! "Yes, I wouldn't mind setting Takeda on fire," Natsuki said, meaning it literally. Takeda, of course, took it the other way, and his face erupted in a blush that could have only equaled Natsuki's. "I know a little place downtown that..." "I know a little thing called a backhand, and you're going to get it if you don't get out of my sight, Takeda!" Natsuki hollered, raising the fist in question. Tate and Reito snickered behind the poor ex-Kendo captain. Mai genuinely laughed. "My, she's certainly defensive. It must be because of that particular windy day in November..." Oh, they'd all die. Even Yukino was giggling from her seat in front of her laptop. Natsuki sighed in irritation. "Men, get out! Girls, shut the hell up!" They, thank god above, did as ordered. Tate ushered his friends out of the apartment, and the trio headed downtown to have dinner and finish watching the game in a bar. Natsuki marched into the main living area, where Mikoto sat on the couch. She hadn't noticed the vagabond when she first entered. The back of the couch had blocked her from view. She held her large claymore in her arms like a child would hold a doll, and stared back at Natsuki with her ever innocent expression. Naturally, her attention turned to Mai. "Mai, do you have anything to eat?" "We're here to plan the rescue of Haruka and Akane, not to eat ramen!" Mai chastised. Mikoto pouted. "I knew I should have followed brother." Natsuki continued towards Yukino, looking over her shoulder at the satellite image of the facility that supposedly held the captured pair. She felt herself instantly slip back into leader mode. "That's the Searrs complex they're being held at, then?" Yukino shrugged. "It wasn't on Miyu's list of buildings. It's listed as being a military detention facility, and I'm vaguely familiar with it myself, but there's no presence of the JSDF. I'd say they were run out, but there would have logically been a counterattack by the army, wouldn't there?" "Not if Searrs managed to keep this one under wraps." Natsuki crossed her arms, but turned around as the door opened yet again. Within twenty minutes, all of the 'Rangers' capable of fighting arrived. Mikoto remained on the couch, still clutching onto her claymore; Midori stood behind her, her pole-axe in hand; Akira, now that she knew of battle beforehand, was armed to the teeth with a variety of weapons and was dressed in her ninja uniform; and then, finally, Shizuru, who carried a case and her pole-arm. All the combatants present, Yukino could begin the briefing, Natsuki stepping aside to let her speak. "Everyone," the former logistics officer began, "Akane and Haruka have been taken prisoner and are being held at this Searrs facility. They were fighting with a fourth Otome we haven't seen yet. She used a rifle of some kind. They were taken to the main building, right here, and since then, I haven't seen much movement aside from a few Searrs patrols. I think they have bought off military or police to watch over the place." "There are five Otome," Natsuki added. "I got finished making a deal with a Searrs contact of mine. He says that the Emulator is also in one of the two Searrs facilities outside of Kyoto, but wasn't sure which. Maybe it's in this one. We should split into two teams. One to rescue Haruka and Akane, the other to find and destroy the Emulator." "Sounds good to me!" Midori encouraged. Shizuru's mouth had opened slightly and she gave Natsuki an accusatory look. "So that's where the money went!" "Er, right!" Natsuki started, avoiding the subject entirely. "I'll lead the Emulator Team. Who wants to be in charge of the Rescue Team?" "Ooh!" Midori waved her arm. Natsuki paused. "Anyone else?" Silence. Midori continued to wave her arm, though her gaze was not nearly as happy due to Natsuki's dismissal. The biker sighed. There was no other choice, then. "Okay, fine. Midori, you're in charge of the Rescue Team." "Rock!" Natsuki was already in the process of wrapping her bandolier belt around her waist, duel holsters on either side reserved for her revolvers. She fastened the holster straps to her thighs. "Choose who you want with you, Midori." "Ninja girl. Two of us should be fine with sneaking in and busting the others out," Midori declared. Akira seemed to nod in agreement, but said nothing. "Then Shizuru and Mikoto are with me," Natsuki replied. She went to the case Shizuru had brought and unlocked it. Removing the loaded Python revolvers, she stuck them into her holsters, both ready to be quick drawn. "Yukino, is there another building that might likely hold the Emulator?" She panned around, the satellite image refreshing. "There's a bunker entrance south of the main building, it looks like. Perhaps they have it underground?" "Good enough start for me," Natsuki said. "I have gifts for you all, though!" Yukino declared. She held up a sports bag and opened it, pulling up a radio meant for individual soldiers, a headset attached to it. "One for all of you, so you can keep in touch." Midori grabbed one up instantly, in awe. "I've always wanted one of these. Oh, we've got to use codes to make sure they don't listen in on us and know what we're doing. We should use the military alphabet. The first three letters of our name. Like... Mike-India-Delta. That's me. Natsuki would be November-Alpha-Tango, and..." "Let's just go. Everyone get one," Natsuki ordered. "Fine." Midori looked defeated. The group began to exit, heading down to the parked vehicles below. On the way out, however, Shizuru brought her mouth close to Natsuki's ear and whispered, "First you tie me up then do nothing with me, and now you spend all that money without so much as a warning? I'm afraid you'll have to be punished later." Natsuki shot her a worried look. She had a feeling Shizuru wasn't actually talking about sex this time. The groups divided up and the went on their way, waving farewell to Mai and Yukino. Natsuki followed behind Shizuru's Jaguar and Midori's truck. This was no doubt a kind of trap. They all knew that. But it had to be done. They'd just have to be extra cautious. - - - "The Martyr and the Watcher's Key were taken with little difficulty. The mission went off without a hitch," Crystal explained. "That's wonderful." Onyx turned to another woman and began to adjust her orange uniform. "And you know what you need to do, right?" "Yes, ma'am." Lapis was next to speak. "The Doctor reported that he adjusted the Emulator again. We should have an even longer operational time now." "I have a feeling we'll need it." Onyx slapped the orange-uniformed girl in front of her on the arm. "Well, then! Let's get ready! I'm anxious for this to be over." - - - It didn't take long to get there. They hid their vehicles off the side of the road and walked the rest of the way, staying low and hiding amongst the trees and undergrowth surrounding the complex. They came to a halt on the perimeter, and crouched down to examine the area. Not many patrols, though they were present, and certainly no sign of the Otome or the captured HiME folk. The two teams split up. Natsuki and her group broke for the bunker under the cover of darkness while Midori and Akira took the more risky path to the main building. With Akira's help, Midori made her way to the edge of the building after darting behind several vehicles and other small buildings, and pressed herself against the wall. They both made their way towards the edge, and Akira stuck her head slightly out, checking around the corner. One guard, walking away from them. With a hand gesture, she told Midori to wait a moment. Akira silently sprinted out and forward, grabbing the guard and twisting his neck until he was rendered unconscious. She drug him back to the side of the building Midori was hiding behind, and dropped his body to the ground. "Nice," Midori whispered. Akira waved her to go on ahead, and Midori took point. A door and a window waited for her. She crawled under the window and then poked her head up, checking the entry way. It was a back entrance. There wasn't much there. A pair of guards were walking away and down another hall. Perfect. She silently opened the door and both she and Akira headed in, making sure the door was shut in an equally silent manner. Okay, this was a ninja job. Not something the outgoing Midori really specialized in. She let Akira take point. Truth be told, however, neither of them knew where the pair was being held. So, when in doubt, interrogate. Akira pointed to one of the guards and Midori was on it. She whacked him in the back of the head so hard he was passed out. As his buddy turned around, Akira grabbed him and placed her dagger to his throat. "Where are the women that were captured today?" "W-what?" She tightened her grip and hissed. "Answer!" "I don't know!" Her grip became absolutely painful. He winced. "The cells are all downstairs!" Akira continued to grip, tighter still, until he passed out. She drug both into a room marked female lavatory. She didn't expect they would be found for some time. So, she turned back to Midori. "Watch for stairs or an elevator, then." She shrugged, and the two continued on. The halls were bare, and those that weren't were expertly avoided by Akira as she silently took detour after detour, her eyes scanning door labels and everything else they came across. Eventually, they did reach a flight of stairs going down. So, the pair headed down. So far, so good. The basement level that contained prison cells were patrolled by three guards. No problem! Midori, no longer wanting to be stealthy, ran forward. Akira was at her side. The guards turned, hands on their guns, as they heard the footsteps. One instantly fell under a deadly accurate shuriken, the metal projectile slamming into his neck, slicing open his aorta. A second had his torso cleaved by a giant axe, the redhead slamming it into his side. Akira finished off the last with a lightning fast dagger strike. The three guards were down, without having fired a shot. No one heard the exchange. Well, except for a blonde in one of the nearby cells. "Hey! Get over here!" "Your knights in shining armor have come to the rescue," Midori said to Haruka, who had her hands wrapped around the bars of the tiny window embedded into the door. Midori attempted to open the door. "Huh. Locked. Akira, do they have a key on them?" The ninja moved down to check the guards, and returned with a card key. She tossed it to the teacher. "There." "Too easy, huh? Watch for the Otome," Midori said as she slid the card through the reader. The cell door opened, and out ran Haruka and Akane. Each took a gun from the deceased guards, arming themselves. "I had a feeling you all would show up," Akane said. "Lucky for us." "You can thank Yukino for that," Akira said. "She monitored you from the moment you called." Haruka nodded and proudly looked down the hall. "Well, then, let's get out of here!" "Hey, we're doing the rescuing here." Midori gave her a cross look. "You follow us, not the other way around." A voice behind them forced them to turn around. "Or you can just get back in the cell like good little girls." Lapis, flanked by Crystal and Topaz. Midori grimaced and then pointed directly at them. "The VR HiMEs. I was hoping you all would show up to play. HiME Rangers... attack!" - - - Mikoto, her claymore scraping along the ground, cut through the only three guards that were patrolling the halls. Too bad. She was itching for a fight. A few Searrs grunts did not give her the satisfaction she required. Aside from that, the bunker was barren and empty. The venture seemed to be pointless. The presence of an extensive computer lab was the only thing that gave them any hope. So, they went inside and examined the area. Mikoto said she would check down the hall while Shizuru dove into the computer system to see if that would hold any clue to the whereabouts of the Emulator. She had a flash drive inserted onto one of them, and rapidly typed commands into the keyboard. She was not as good as Yukino, but she could manage. "What are you finding?" Natsuki asked. Shizuru looked back for a brief moment. "Nothing on the Emulator, unfortunately. It's all HiME-related, however. Lists of people who are descended from the original ones and what looks like participants of older Carnivals. It might hold clues as to who these Otome are. I'm saving them." "Sounds fine." Natsuki was impatient. Shizuru had recounted what she heard from Fumi during their ride over, using the radios. Natsuki had been shocked at the obvious, of course, but there wasn't much she could do with it for now. She began to walk to the other side of the lab, looking out to see if any guards were approaching. To her dismay, they were alone. Mikoto, however, continued to walk down the hall, dragging her claymore behind her. Her eyes scanned the halls. She noticed a faint glow coming from around the corner, and she took up her weapon just in case. She stood her ground as footsteps grew closer. Mikoto then widened her eyes, and her mouth formed a giant, happy grin. What was she doing here? She cheerily yelled down the hall, waving. "Mai!" But after a moment, her waving ceased, and her smile became a look a shock. - - - While Akira faced off with Lapis, and Midori found herself in a standoff with the new Crystal Otome, Haruka and Akane were left to fight against Topaz. The other battles began to rage while Haruka rested her hand on the gun she had stolen. Topaz glared back, her chain mace already materialized. Haruka and Akane both swept their hands up and fired, but with a spin of the mace, Topaz deflected the bullets. The Otome flung her weapon out at Akane, who leapt out of the way. The mace crashed into the floor. Topaz brought it back, then immediately flung it out again, this time at Haruka. The blonde took one step to the side. The mace passed just inches from her body as it slammed into the ground. Before Topaz could reel it in again, Haruka surprisingly took hold of the chain. Topaz pulled back, but for some reason, Haruka was freakishly strong. The blonde used all her might to try and wrench it from Topaz's grip. "You may be an Otome, and they may have HiME blood," Haruka began to say, pulling even harder on the weapon, "but all you really need..." She gave a final, mighty tug, and grabbed the handle of the chain mace as it flew out of Topaz's hands. Haruka dropped the gun and picked the Otome weapon up, and began to swing it, building momentum. "...is guts!" Using all her muscles, Haruka flung the mace back towards it's actual owner, who was too shocked to dodge. Topaz was flung back, coughing after the mace hit her in the chest. The blonde smirked. This was a lovely weapon. Topaz, not wanting to play the game anymore, remotely de-materialized the weapon, and it vanished from Haruka's hands. Damn! The blonde picked her gun back up, and leveled it. She then promptly dodged an energy arrow, a cover shot fired by Lapis to allow Topaz the time to get back up. Okay, so they weren't truly done yet. - - - Shizuru and Natsuki flung their head around as a wall of fire shot down the hall. Grabbing the flash drive from the computer, Shizuru pocketed it and took up her weapon. What had Mikoto done? Natsuki had her revolvers out in an instant, and pointed them down the hall after the fire had cleared. She saw a solitary woman, until Mikoto leapt back out from the room she had taken cover in. She was dressed in orange armor, with... No way. She was hovering in the hall, four rings spinning around each of her limbs. A red gem was on her earlobe. One of her hands was gently resting against her chin, the other wrapped around her torso. Her demeanor was calm. Her eyes, however, demonstrated unadulterated rage and violence. Both Natsuki and Shizuru paused, unsure of what to do. "What?" The Otome spoke, her voice as equally calm as her body language. "Tokiha is not with you? Such a disappointment. I've been waiting a long time to meet her face-to-face." "You're the last Column, then," Shizuru stated. So, Searrs couldn't have Mai, so they made their own? "And you're the outdated and obsolete HiME," she countered with a smirk. Mikoto growled. She saw this Otome as nothing less than a doppelganger and a monster – a mockery of what her friend had once been. That, coupled with the known distress Mai felt over losing her HiME powers, sent Mikoto on the warpath. "You took Mai's strength!" The feral child sprinted forward, spinning her body around so that her blade might gain momentum for a more potent hit. She leapt up, the blade sailing through the air. It met with a shield of flames and bounced off, and Mikoto with it. Mai's guardian fell back, but managed to land on her feet. The Otome did not look pleased about it. She reeled her fist back and the ring ignited, engulfing her fist in flame. She sailed forward and lashed out at Mikoto with her arm. The girl was able to scamper out of the way, but the heat emitted from the ring felt unbearable enough. She leapt back out of the way, and joined the other two. Natsuki fired a revolver once, but the bullet was blocked by the forming of another shield. The .357 bullet crumpled and landed on the floor with a small chime. Clearly, that wasn't going to work either. She turned her gaze to Shizuru. "Better get the others." The brunette nodded, and activated her radio. "We're in the bunker. We need immediate help. The other Otome is here." "In a bit of a mess ourselves!" Midori replied, then grunted, obviously fighting. "But I copy that, Sierra-Hotel-India." Shizuru found herself sighing, though Natsuki's was louder. "Copy that, Tango-Tango-Tango." "No, that's not—" Midori was cut off as Shizuru shut the radio off temporarily. The wall of flames that formed at the Otome's beckoning seemed a bit more important at the time. As the wall surged forward, the three HiME sprinted back into the computer lab to avoid the onslaught, the windows bursting from the sudden introduction of that much heat. Running over the glass, they ran as fast as their legs would take them back towards the entrance of the bunker. Fighting with Mai's weapons in a labyrinthine environment was a death sentence. They needed to get above ground and fast, though they could feel the stinging heat of a blaze racing after them, the hovering maiden laughing slightly at the sight of the HiME scurrying like rodents. How... pathetic they now seemed. - - - Next Episode: An escape from the base as the HiME find themselves outmatched. Who is this latest Otome? Can they get back to Mai's without losing a HiME life? And what of the data that Shizuru gathered? Episode 1.8: "Anguish," coming soon.
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