(Hanmyo)

“Oh god, let me live long enough to see Jim again, please…” I prayed as the walls shook around Mel and me. The ceiling began to crack. I was about to turn around to grab Melfina’s hand, but she beat me by grabbing me instead and heading out the door.

“Melfina! Is the Outlaw Star still around?”

“Yes, it is! Why?”

“Maybe you should go hide in there, I’ll stay behind to try and help the others, I owe you people that much!”

She looked at me as we ran and then nodded.

“I’ll come around to get you all as soon as I can get the ship to function.”

I nodded as a response and made sure she got to the ship safely. Then I turned around to see where these people were coming from. I looked up and saw a ship a small way above the garage. I saw a few more men try to come from the side of the building, since there was not much ceiling left for them to down on. I waited in the shadows until they got close enough, and then I picked them off one at a time. Once I had them all unconscious, I tried to find a weapon. I went through their pockets and came up with a small explosive, some guns and clips. Then I armed myself with the guns, took aim at the aircraft and hurled the explosive at it. It went off and the craft was forced to land in the middle of the street. The men inside began to evacuate and I was able to estimate about how many people the others and myself were up against. There were about 20 inside the last time I checked and 15 more out here…we were going to need a miracle.

Then at that moment, the rose I stuffed in my shirt began to glow like it had when it saved my life in the explosion of the Torata. And then I heard him.

“Aniki! Mel! Aisha, Suzuka!!!” Jim screamed at the top of his lungs. He had a gun in his hand and was taking aim at the men still coming out of the aircraft. I followed his lead and we were able to knock off about 7, and he hadn’t seen me yet. Then the men started pulling out their own weapons.

“ABUNAI!” I screamed as I knocked Jim down and out of the way of the grenade.

“H-Hanmyo?!” He said in shock. I was so glad to see him, but sadly, this was not the time.

“Jim.” I said, hushing him, “There’s no time to explain, the others need help inside, but lets pick these bakas off first, ok?” He stared for a moment.

“Jim!” I said, getting a little annoyed that he didn’t move. He then snapped out of his trance and nodded, getting a serious look on his face that replaced the one of shock.

I got off him and pulled him into the shadows, where we immediately started shooting at the men.

“Hanmyo, this isn’t working, we need to aim for their aircraft’s fuel tanks!”

“Hai!” I took careful aim and we both hit the tanks, causing them to explode, setting the men off in flames. Looking up at Jim, we nodded and headed inside to help out.

It was complete chaos. Gene has appeared to have used up all his ammo, so he was stuck to fist fighting the men. Aisha was tearing into a few men in her beast form, and Suzuka was taking to the air before slicing down on her opponents. Jim grabbed my hand and we ran to what was left of a wall and hid behind it. I took a quick peek and looked around the corner to see how many more there were to get rid of. There were quite a few bodies lying about. There were about ten left and there was one man who seemed to be wearing a…mouse hat?!

“What the--?” before I could ask, Jim groaned as he saw what I did.

“Damn it! It’s that moron again!” I wanted to ask, but decided against it. Jim looked at me.

“Hanmyo, are you alright?” I smiled.

“Hai. You?” he nodded.

“Where is Melfina?” he asked, worried since he didn’t see her out there.

“I made sure she got to your ship so she would be protected. She said she would come back for us when she got the ship to function correctly.” I said, but that was some time ago, and I was getting worried as well for her. I used the last of my ammo to shoot at a few men behind the one in the stupid mask. Once I was out, I joined the fight with Gene by running up to the one in the mask and dropping to the ground, sweeping my legs underneath him to knock him off balance. When he tried to sit back up, I kicked him in the face with my heel. He was unconscious. Aisha took down two more men and there were only about six left. Suzuka struck one with a swipe of her Bokkan. 5. Gene finally knocked his guy out. 4 left. Jim shot two more and then was out of ammo. 2 left. I went for the one closest to me, but he saw me coming and tried to grab my fists. I let him so that he would lift me up.

“Crazy ass little bitch.” He spat at me. I grinned.

“That’s no way to talk to a lady.” And then I kicked him in the chin, so he would let go. Then I punched him in the stomach, and kicked him in the head when he bent over double in pain. There was only one left. I turned around to see him aiming his gun at Jim, who was fumbling with his gun, trying to reload it. He wouldn’t make it in time.

“JIM!” I screamed. I ran after the man and he turned around. He was grinning and aimed the gun at my head. But Aisha leapt at him, knocking him off balance. However, the gun went off. My vision went black...

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(Jim)

“HANMYO!!!” I screamed. The gun went off and she went down! She could be dead! NO! NO! I just got her back, dammit, this is not going to happen! Aisha had tackled the guy who shot Hanmyo, but was having some trouble. I thought that maybe she had been shot too. Gene tried to go to Hanmyo, but that stupid man in the mouse mask got up again! This guy was no terrorist…yet. He was just some petty thief and robber! He must have gotten out of jail and got his old gang again…doesn’t matter now. He shot Hanmyo and has destroyed our home, and I’ll be damned if he is getting away with this!

He was aiming his gun at Gene. Oh hell, no. He was not going to get someone else! I had my gun loaded this time and I took aim.

BAM!

I shot off his hand with the gun. Yeah, I admit that was disgusting, but he doesn’t need that hand if he was going to shoot my friends with it. Suzuka was nowhere to be found. I ran to Hanmyo as Gene finished with the last guy that shot Hanmyo. She was unconscious and I felt tears come to my eyes.

“Hanmyo…?” I faltered. I blinked and a tear dropped onto my shirt that she was wearing. Then something in her shirt started to glow. She suddenly grabbed my hand that was trying to check for her pulse. I breathed in relief.

“Hanmyo? Hanmyo! Are you alright?” I asked her. She didn’t reply. She was unconscious. I felt the fear rise in my stomach again.

“Aniki! ANIKI!!! We have to hurry, she’s dying!” I looked at him desperately. He looked at her. Then he picked her up just as Mel arrived with the Outlaw Star. Suzuka jumped out of the ship and ran to us.

“I apologize for leaving you during battle, but I saw a few men heading for the docking area, so I decided to follow—“ she stopped as soon as she noticed Hanmyo in Gene’s arms, not moving.

“Suzuka? Is Melfina alright?”

“Yes, just a little shaken, a few men had knocked her out before I got to her, but she awoke and is otherwise, fine.”

“Then let’s get her to a hospital.” Gene said, looking at Hanmyo, who began to shiver. I took off my jacket and covered her with it. Suzuka nodded and picked up Aisha, who had become unconscious with exhaustion after returning to her usual form.

Once we had everyone picked up, we ran inside the Outlaw Star. Gene set Hanmyo on one of the beds in the back and told me to try and stop the bleeding that was coming from her stomach. I nodded and shakily took the towel.

*Hanmyo…please…stay with me…*

I cried as I lifted the shirt from her body to find the blood come pouring out, so I quickly plugged it with the towel.

*Don’t go, I just got you back after all this time…I thought I would never see you again, please stay with me…*

I felt warm tears run off my face and onto her skin. I noticed something else underneath the shirt, but not wanting to be a hentai, I didn’t notice it until now. I carefully pulled it out from underneath the bloody cloth…it was one of the roses I gave her 6 months ago…and it was glowing…

I gave a weak smile and tried to show the flower to Hanmyo, even if she wasn’t awake.

“Hanmyo, this flower says you can’t leave yet…” I choked.

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“Gene? Are you alright? Where are and Hanmyo and Jim?” Melfina asked from inside the tank she used to navigate the Outlaw Star. Gene looked at her with a serious look in his eyes…

“Jim is…fine, but Hanmyo…-we have to find a hospital now.” He answered her shakily. Her eyes became wide and she nodded and landed the ship in front of the nearest hospital.

“Gene, are you really sure you want to help this girl, considering that she used to be a member of the Anten Seven?” Suzuka asked him. He looked at her for a moment, and then answered.

“Suzuka…She is just a little girl, I don’t think she was really given a choice. Do you?” He said as he ran to the back to get the girl into the emergency room as fast as possible. A few seconds later, he ran off the ship with Hanmyo in his arms and Jim on his heels, holding the flower that he gave to her all those months ago. It was about the only bit of comfort he had as he watched Hanmyo continue to bleed to death. Melfina and Suzuka helped bring in Aisha, who was still passed out, after covering her decently enough. Gene and Jim ran ahead into the emergency room. The nurses who tried to stop them soon gave up as they realized that they were not going to catch up to them. When Suzuka and Melfina ran in, dragging Aisha, Suzuka explained to the nurses what had happened. When Melfina heard that Hanmyo had been shot, she gasped and tears began to well up in her eyes.

“Oh Hanmyo…” she began to cry. Suzuka said nothing but seemed to nod in agreement as they hefted Aisha onto a stretcher and asked the doctors to give her a few IV’s.

“Go on ahead and find Gene and Jim, Melfina! I will stay here to check on Aisha!” Suzuka said as she ran into the room the doctors wheeled the Ctarl-Ctarl into. Melfina just kept running…

*Oh poor, Hanmyo, I should have come quicker than I did…I’m so sorry.*

She sobbed in her mind. She finally found Gene as he stepped outside of a room into the hallway.

“Gene! Is she…?” Melfina began frantically. Gene looked at her and blankly replied.

“I don’t know yet, Mel, I don’t know.”

“Oh no…” she began to cry. He placed an arm around her shoulders and drew her near.

“I should have ran faster to the ship, then I could have come in time before she would have been shot!” she moaned. Gene tried to calm her down.

“Mel, this is no one’s fault but those damn bastards that attacked us tonight. You couldn’t help being outnumbered like that…shh, c’mon Mel…” he soothed.

“W-where is Jim?” she uttered through her tears. Gene pulled back from her.

“He is inside waiting by her side. He says he is not leaving until she wakes up.”

“Is there a doctor in there to see to her?” She managed to say, strengthening her composure a bit. Gene nodded and gave a strange look.

“Yeah, Dr. Nakao, he didn’t ask many questions or ask for any forms. He said something that made it seem like he had met Hanmyo before.”

“Maybe he has…” she said shakily, losing a bit of the composure she had been trying to rebuild.

“Yeah, maybe. I can hardly believe that Hazanko had stooped as low as kidnapping a child to do his dirty-work…” Gene muttered with disgust. Melfina just cried silently and held on to Gene tighter, to which he returned the embrace. Gene was still filled with questions…

*If she was the one who attacked us near Symka 5, how did she survive? Why has Hanmyo been looking for Jim? Did they know each other before now? Was she the date that Jim had back there? Damn you, Hazanko! You ruined a little girl’s life by getting her into this kind of shit when she should’ve been learning how to share with others and not to run with scissors and the like.*

Gene felt a few tears threatening to well up in his eyes, but he would not let them fall.

*I have to be strong for Mel…Hazanko, you bastard!*

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(Jim)

It seems as if it has been days when it has only been hours. The doctor said she would live, since we got her to the emergency room in time. He was able to subdue the bleeding and was able to seal up her stomach. Still, she hadn’t woken up yet…

*The doctor says she will be fine, so she will be, he said she lived through much worse so she will be fine, no sweat…so…why isn’t she waking up?*

I looked at the rose in my hand, which had stopped glowing once we had gotten Hanmyo into the ER. I studied it for a minute after looking at Hanmyo’s motionless face. The rose seemed to be happily gleaming as though it were trying to cheer me up. Gene had left to go check on Melfina and Aisha. Gene didn’t know that she would be fine, because the doctor had only come in with the X-ray a few minutes ago, but I promised I wouldn’t leave until she woke up. I sighed. Why did she have to get hurt, just because I can’t handle a gun for shit?! I still couldn’t believe she was back though…I thought she was gone for good when she didn’t show up for our date, which I still don’t know why she didn’t show…When she is awake, I will ask her…

She suddenly began to stir and mumble something. I jumped a foot and ran closer to her side, holding my breath so I could hear her better.

“Jim…?” she weakly croaked out, wincing as she did. I breathed again and smiled.

“Hanmyo…I’m here!” I whispered, brushing her hair back out of her face, careful to avoid the cut she had along her forehead and cheek.

“Jim…I have to tell you something, but promise me you won’t leave until I am finished.” She said as she grabbed my hand as if for dear life. Looking pleadingly in my eyes, I saw tears in hers. I didn’t know what it was she had to tell me that would possibly make me leave now, but I reassured her.

“Of course not…I won’t leave. What is it you need to tell me?” I said, putting my hand over hers. She sniffled a bit, and then looked back up into my eyes, the tears now falling freely from her own.

“Jim…the reason I didn’t show up for our second date is because I was almost killed.”

She said softly. I looked at her shocked, feeling anger rise in me. However, I managed to continue to grip her hand softly in mine.

‘Who did it? Who would want to hurt you?” I asked, searching her downcast eyes. To my surprise she chuckled a bit mournfully.

“…About every family member of the people I have killed…” she said in a barely audible whisper. Nothing could have prepared me for that. I dropped her hand suddenly out of shock. How could Hanmyo be a killer? Maybe she had a concussion…

“I used to be one of the Anten Seven, Jim…everyone wants me dead.”

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Chapter #7