Rescue

Hiro and Commander finally stop fighting, but what's Commander said earlier mean?

That's the mean that Hiro is on a mission all along?

But why they didn't tell us that?

What's the reason?

I want to talk to Hiro right now but I don't have the courage.

After what happened, Commander call all of us to the meeting room but I didn't join them.

"Haaa... what now?"

I'm still confused about what's going on.

I don't understand how the others manage to deal with this.

Was I this weak?

"Vinna?"

I glance on my back and saw Ernesta's head pop up behind the door.

"Hey. Was the meeting is already over?"

"Nope."

"Then why you're here?"

"Like I even care in any meeting of Lisa, hehe."

"Yeah, that's very like you."

Although Ernesta is smart enough to know what they going to talk about even though she's not in that meeting.

"What's up? Why are you here? Why you don't join us?", she has already thrown so many questions at me.

"Well... I don't feel well right now."

"Ehhh... why don't you lay on your bed?"

"I'll do it later."

"Hey, why don't you talk to him right now."

*What's with that sudden change of topic?*

"Well..."

I was surprised by her question that I don't know how to act.

"Are you shy perhaps? I didn't know you can become like that sometimes."

"I-I'm not! It just... you know... well..."

"Ehhhhh..."

Ernesta ended up scratching her head.

"I will just assume that you're not in the mood."

"Thank you..."

"Oh if it is our beloved Hiro!"

I immediately look behind and saw Hiro coming this way.

"How are you doing? Did you enjoy your long-term mission? Woah! I think you get taller a few millimeters. Tell me, why you didn't say anything to us? Do you hate us? Do you betray us already? Why don't you open your mouth you motherfu-!"

"Calm down, calm down."

Barbara immediately covers Ernesta's mouth and pulls her away from Hiro.

"Hey.", he said to me.

My body froze. I don't know what to do.

"H-Hey... what's up!"

*What the hell I'm saying?!*

"Eh? Well..."

He couldn't even reply to that.

"H-Hi-Hiro!"

"Yes?"

"Come here!"

I grab his hands and pull him until we reach my room.

*What I'm doing?!*

Pulling him to my room is not really a clear plan.

I just don't know what to do right now.

*What now?*

What should I do? Should I tell him what I feel right now? Can I get mad at him for leaving me...us without saying a word?

"Vinna..."

I walk toward him and smash my fist into his chest.

I only put a little force into that to avoid hurting him.

"Idiot."

"Eh?!"

"Why did you leave me without saying anything? Do you have any idea how lonely I am? We're friends, right? We have been together almost all of our life."

"I'm sorry..."

"I know it's a mission but still! Don't forget about important things too."

I was trying not to cry in front of Hiro.

I don't know what my face looks like right now.

I have already told him what I want to tell him, even though there are so many more. But I just that's enough for now.

"Hey... you won't leave me again right?"

"Vinna."

He put his hand on my head.

"Whenever I go, I will come back to you. So don't worry. Also, the others are there for you whenever you have a problem."

"You really an idiot!"

________________________________________________________________________________________

"Hey, Crystal, you okay?", Winter asked.

"Don't worry."

"What are we gonna do now?"

"Obviously finding a way to save Captain. But I can't think straight right now."

"I think you need to rest."

"How can I rest in this situation."

"Why not we duel?"

"Hm?"

One of the A-1 members walks toward us.

"What do you mean?"

"You have to release all that inside you right now. Then why not release it to me. Let's fight."

"I guess that's a good idea.", Winter said.

"You really agree to that?"

"So, what's your decision?"

"Haaaa... I guess you're right. I have to tire myself to the fullest so I can finally rest."

"What's your name?", she asked.

"Crystal."

"What an unusual name for a boy. But does not matter. My name is Barbara. You can think of me as stepsister of Hiro."

"I see..."

"Let's start!"

We move to the place where Hiro and the Commander of A-1 fight earlier.

"I'm not in the mood right now but I won't hold back."

"Do your best."

She grabs her kukris and dashes toward me.

I create an ice sword and swing it towards her.

She spin around until she reaches my back.

*She's fast!*

She swings her kukri.

I immediately created an ice wall between us blocking her attack.

"My, what a fast reaction."

"You are faster than me. Not holding back is a great decision."

She throws one of her kukris to the ice wall.

"What is she..."

She dashes toward it and kicks the kukri.

The ice blasted towards me.

I block my face using my arms.

When I look again at her, she's already in front of me ready to swing her weapon toward me.

I swing my sword towards her and jump back.

I use my amulet and ice spikes appear on the ground where she's standing.

But all of that has been dodged by her.

*Such footwork.*

"Now it's my turn!", she said.

"Good luck!", Winter shouted from afar.

*Why is she saying that right now?*

Barbara dashes towards me.

While she's front of me, she let go of one of her kukris.

*What is she thinking?*

"What are you?"

I was looking at the kukri that has been fall on the ground.

"Gotcha!"

"Huh?"

I didn't notice that her hands is already at my collar.

*So this is what Winter meant?*

She raises me in the air and smashes me to the ground.

"Guh!"

I focus so much on the kukri.

*No! She intentionally do that to lure my attention.*

"You..."

"People can be easy to deceive isn't Ice Boy?"

"I'm not done!"

I hold her arms.

She tries to pull it but I already cast my power on it.

I freeze her arms immediately.

"My, any wrong move will definitely destroy my arm.", she said as if it's was nothing.

"Yeah, that's why if I were you, surrender so that you can still live with complete arms."

"Heh! Losing an arm for this fight is worth it!"

"What are you!"

She dashes towards me without worrying about her arm.

"Shi-"

I cast ice spikes on the ground but she manages to jump to it.

"Here I come!"

"You idiot!"

*If she put force on that arm, it will be destroyed.*

I have no choice.

"Ice dome!"

An ice dome immediately appear and prisoned Barbara inside.

"What the hell is this?", she asked.

There's a little hole to keep air entering.

"It's my best defense. Any physical attack won't break it unless you use amulet power. By the way, why you're not using yours?"

"I don't have one."

"Eh?"

"But I have a lot more experience than the others. So that means I'm still just equal to them."

"I see..."

"What's going on here?"

"Huh?"

Someone just appears on the side of the dome.

A girl with long black hair and blue eyes.

She place her hands on the ice dome I created.

"Wait, it's-!"

My ice dome crumbles into pieces before I know it.

"What the..."

Even Winter who's silently watching us, her eyes wide open.

"What the hell are you doing here?", she asked Barbara.

"Oh! If it isn't Relaine."

"Relaine..."

*That fearsome vice commander of A-2 is her?*

"I suggested for you two to fight in another place and not her. This place is the symbol of peace, the one who protects people from Outsiders, it would be a big problem if any civilians saw what you two doing."

"Hehe, sorry my bad."

"Also... who is this..."

She walks toward me, and after she stops in front of me, she looks at me from bottom to top.

"...guy..."

"I-I'm Crystal!"

"I see... from what it looks, you're the one who did this and that to Barbara. She might live her whole life without her left arm. But it doesn't look like you're an enemy so I won't do anything except stop you two from fighting."

*This woman...*

She has an aura of someone who you don't want to mess up with.

"I only know your name, tell me, who really are you guys and what are you doing here?"

"We're..."

"You guys look like from other headquarters, what are you? Some kind of secret team created by Miss Altina?"

"How did you..."

"I guess I was right. That uniform is very familiar. Very Miss Altina handiworks."

*She just knows us from these uniforms?!*

"Tell me... what are you guys doing here?"

________________________________________________________________________________________

"Oh... you're awake."

After I open my eyes, I see myself being tied inside some kind of cave.

It's kinda dark. I can't see the face of the person in front of me.

"Who are you?", I asked.

"After you kill thousand of my fellow Outsider you gonna asked that? That's kinda rude."

"Knowing your name is not that rude, right?"

"Hehe, you're right. You can call me Cerex."

"An Outsider that can talk huh. This is the first time I saw one."

"We... an intelligent Outsiders are very rare."

"You don't like smart to me."

"Hehe."

"So, why you're keeping me alive?"

"Getting lonely already? Don't worry, because soon enough, you will have humans to whom you can talk here. Well... if dead humans can still talk."

*I see... they using me as bait huh... not bad.*

"Heh! Don't underestimate my team."

"I never underestimate anyone, human. I know its consequences."

"I see... you might be really smart in the first place. But... if I were you, I won't use this woman with red hair as bait."

"It looks like you got some plan already."

"Hehehehe...hahahaha!"

"Let's see who's going to win. Me or your beloved team."

*You're wrong, not only my team will rescue me. There's someone you don't want to mess up with.*

________________________________________________________________________________________

"So that's who they are, and now their Commander is in the hands of Outsider.", Relaine said.

"Yes.", the Commander of A-1 replied.

"You're planning to rescue that woman."

"Yes."

"Then you have to search the base of the Outsider first."

"Yeah, that's what we actually thinking right now."

"It seems like you guys are struggling with that part."

"Yeah. We don't know where to start."

"I see... it can be helped. I guess I will help you a little bit."

"You can?"

"Yeah, although it might dangerous, but I can pull it off."

"Let me join you!", Ernesta offered.

"No, I prefer to do with alone. I have to do it faster as I could. I going avoid any fight with Outsiders while doing this."

"I see... it is really okay?"

"Of course, this is for our sake, finding the base of our enemy is the first step to eliminating them."

She got a point. Knowing the place where the Outsiders are is the best way to get rid of them. Although we have to do this carefully, the problem is that as time past, Captain's life is in danger. We have to find her as soon as possible before something worse happens.

"Okay then, I'll go now. I have to start immediately since someone's life is on the line.", Relaine said before walking out the door.

I stand up and follow her.

"Want to say something?", she said when she notice that I was following her.

"Thank you. I really appreciate your help. I promise, someday we will repay you."

"You guys are rescuing people and eliminating Outsiders in the shadows right?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Well... that's enough payment for me."

She didn't say anything more and just disappear from my sight.

"Wow..."

"She's cool... right?"

"W-Woah!"

I was surprised when the vice commander of A-1 speak to my ear.

"I-I guess so..."

"Hehe, too bad for you."

"Eh?"

"Nothing."

She walk away and didn't say anything further...