Chapter 12: Rescue

Sector 19

Akumako winced at the steaming flesh on her arm from where Ryuichi had punched her. She had burns all over her body. Her vision was foggy and her head seemed to go in and out of awareness.

"It'll take more than shaking your head around to stay awake," Ryuichi grinned over his steaming glove, "Your brain is losing oxygen thanks to the omega cells clumping around your burns. Soon enough you'll pass out and then we just have to worry about the other one," it was true. All STAM agents were equipped with anti-mutant weapons that affect the omega cells only found in mutants one way or another. As a container, Ryu’s weapon forces a mutant to pass out due to lack of oxygen.

Aku glared at him, "As if this level would be enough to take out me...," a child of Mr.Black.

Ryuichi growled and ran in for another attack. Aku knelt down thrusting her hand into her own shadow and pulling out her katana lunging toward him, their weapons sparking upon impact.

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Hiroto glared at the elemental, he didn't have the ability to dispose of her like his position expected of him. He wouldn't be able to start the killing until Ryuichi gave him the okay...or if he died. For now he was only allowed to wound her...but his weapon was more powerful than just wounds. Hiroto looked at the weakened agent from top to bottom. There were small cuts all over her from his steel string. Normally there would be a large electric current flowing through her body that would stop her heart, but he couldn't use it yet. He had to keep the voltage low.

The elemental heaved in a deep, wild breath of air as she lunged forward. Hiroto blocked the attacks carefully. This was the first time he had fought with the elemental in such a rage. She was usually calm and collected, but there was something angry about her; something unhinged. She had openings everywhere...this might be his only chance to take out a black agent. He pulled out a small length of wire and cracked it like a whip. He snapped the whip on to her ankle and threw her to the ground. He followed it by cracking the whip once more and slicing her arm lengthwise. The elementalist screamed in a mixture of rage and pain.

She jumped to her feet and held her bleeding arm, I don't have time for this...Arisa...Arisa is in trouble! I need to save her! I HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!

Akumako looked over while pushing Ryu's attack back, "013!!! Breathe!!!" she screamed the order. It didn’t happen often but if Keiko lost her composure during a fight this was the simple command to snap her out of it.

Keiko froze at the words, and let out a huff of air in her lungs. She closed her eyes as she heard Hiro charge toward her. The image of Arisa's smiling face flashed in her eyes as she let out the first breath, one. As she inhaled the second breath she let her mind go blank as she heard Hiro's feet sink into the Earth as he reeled back his attack, two. As she inhaled her last breath she saw Arisa making their lunch for the next morning, three. Her eyes shot open and she slipped a gust of air under Hiroto's foot to catch him off balance and slammed him into the ground with a large ball of wind.

He stood messily to his feet and cracked the wire whip once more. Hiroto gritted his teeth together; she wasn't the same person that he was fighting only moments ago. She was calm and composed. Her movements were with purpose and her face wasn't filled with anger anymore. This is the black agent...the elemental. This is the mutant STAM can’t capture. He gripped tightly on his whip and yelled out as he sent the steel whip flying toward her. The whip wrapped around her wrist and he grinned, "Looks like your time is up 013!!!"

She looked at the whip calmly, "Don't make me laugh Hiro," she gripped the whip and yanked it toward her, sending Hiro flying in her direction. Using the air to keep him in motion she flung him past her and into his own steel barrier. The barrier, in reaction to it's owner, collapsed and protected Hiroto from the impact. In the moments the mutants had, they quickly vanished from the battlefield and left to search for Arisa.

"Dammit!!!" Ryuichi cried out before slamming his hand into the dog tag around his neck. The gloves on his hands folded away from his skin and were once again locked within the dog tag, "Come on Hiroto, let's check out the night club again," he reached his hand out to Hiro who was laying on the ground.

Hiro let out a deep sigh as a raindrop fell on his glasses. Without taking Ryuichi's hand he stood to his feet and brushed off his pants.

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"Where are we going?!" Aku called out to Kei who was several paces ahead of her.

"We have to get to Arisa!! It’s obvious where she is- even though we told her not to!!" Keiko's voice was panicked and strained, now that the fight was over her emotions had taken her once more.

"Has she sent the signal for back up?"

Keiko suddenly stopped running and shot an irritated glare back at Aku, "Why are you asking?"

"Well, maybe everything is fine. Maybe she uncovering another lead like we nee-"

"Whose side are you on?! You said yourself that you didn't want her to go!! Are you saying we should just stand by and let her do this?!"

Aku let out a sigh, "Look I know she is in danger and that you don't want to see her hurt...but she is an agent," she chose her words carefully, "she has done all the basic training...she knew what she was getting into when she decided to do this and-"

"She went against orders 014!! This isn't just about me and my feelings! This is about her disobeying Red!"

Aku sighed again, she knew it didn't matter anymore what she said. Keiko wouldn't listen anymore, "Just don’t rush in there and injure a bunch of people,"

With that the two headed off through the rain, to Sector 6.

Sector 6

"Ok Ping. Give me my delivery," Kimaru grinned a way that was both welcoming and menacing.

Arisa nodded and grabbed the two bags with her sweaty hands, handing them to Kimaru who opened the bag hopefully, "Looks pretty good looks pretty-" he suddenly shoved his hand into the bag and pulled out the capsules, "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Arisa's breath stopped as Kimaru's gaze fell on her, "What the fuck is this Ping?!!" he threw the bag on the ground, sending pills spilling outside. He grabbed Arisa by the collar and put a pill near her face, "Now tell me Ping, why oh why would you bring me marked pills?"

She nervously looked at the pill, her eyes glued to the small stamp on the pill of the MRPA crest.

"Now where would you get this amount of MS without setting off MRPA's security?!" he paused awaiting a response, "This delivery is USELESS!" he threw the pill in his hand on the ground, "I CAN'T SELL MARKED PILLS, PING!!!"

As Kimaru continued to yell, her mind was buzzing. She had messed up. This was no longer a simple delivery mission, her cover was about to be blown. This wasn't according to plan, anything could happen now that she made a mistake. He could attack her, he could kill her even...or worse, he could figure out that she was an agent. She took a step back as her panic began to take her.

"Ping?" she dared not answer, "PING!!!" Kimaru grabbed her by the collar again, "ANSWER ME!!! How are you going to take responsibility for making me lose so much business?!"

Arisa closed her eyes and tried to stay calm, I know MRPA knows I am here...those messages have popped up in my eyes. Which means Keiko and Aku are probably on their way...do I fight them? I can’t fight this many guards...and Kimaru’s a mutant, I have no idea what to expect from him….what do I do?

She remained silent as Kimaru's rage rose but was redirected to a loud banging noise from the door, "What is that?" he turned to one of his men and motioned for him to check it out. The guard nodded in response and opened the door to the warehouse. He was suddenly thrown completely back to the other wall of the room by a gust of air as 013 ran in, "00!!!"

Arisa's face brightened and she quickly slipped out of Kimaru's grasp. She turned her head to see 014 grabbed guards through the shadows. Kimaru quickly started running to the back of the warehouse. Arisa turned to see 013 and 014 held back with the sheer number of guards. This is my only chance. Arisa ran after Kimaru, quickly catching up to him, "Kimaru-sama!!"

He turned his head just in time to see her shift her hand into metal as it came in contact with his face. His body fell to the floor and Arisa quickly pulled a ring off her finger that grew to the shape of handcuffs. As Kimaru awoke he was already bound and sighed as he clumsily stood to his feet.

Arisa shifted her arm into a blade and pointed the tip to his neck, "Start walking, back to the others,"

Kimaru grinned but followed her orders, "I see, you are the infamous shapeshifter of MRPA, Agent 00,"

Arisa shifted her form back to her agent form and pushed the buttons on her watch, disconnecting the nerve unit of the omnibook, "Don't talk,"

"You are definitely prettier than Ping," Kimaru grinned at her as they walked back into the warehouse.

"013, 014!!" she called out to show that Kimaru had been captured.

014 grinned and gave her a thumbs up, but 013 stomped over and grabbed Kimaru and pulled him away from Arisa without a word.