Doubt leads to defeat - Again!?

As Perros and Fabricio moved forward, more gunmen started to appear on the train before them. And even more jumped on the train from behind, just like Perros and Fabricio did before.

"You've got to be kidding me. Now?! Now, they're coming?" Perros said in an pissed off tone.

"Concentrate. We need to give this train some power." Fabricio continued forward.

"Or..." Perros smirked.

"Once we get to the front of the train, we can detach the train from the rest of the wagons."

"I can't believe a plan like that came from YOU." Fabricio was surprised.

They had to pass the wagon from which Perros got his new equipment. There was a ladder conveniently placed on the side, which Perros and Fabricio could use to get up onto the wagons. This put them at even greater risk, as they were in sight of Azraq and the others.

"There! Shoot that darn criminal!" Azraq shouted and pointed at them with his gun.

"No way he's getting out of my grasp this time..." shooting at Perros.

Perros barely dodged with a roll. He stopped, turned around and shouted:

"You again! Are you crazy?! Do you want to kill me?!"

"THAT'S THE POINT!" Azraq retorted back.

"You are wanted dead or alive! But rather alive, so the public can see the downfall of the 'Milion man'."

Azraq was slowly catching up to them, Perros didn't hesitate to return fire as he advanced.

"Fabricio, I trust you to unhitch the train from the wagons." Perros slowed.

"I'll make it in time, don't worry."

"I won't worry..." Fabricio said plainly.

"I know you will." Smiling, Fabricio hurried to the next wagon.

Perros slowly followed Fabricio, but had to be cautious of Azraq. Standing on the next wagon, Perros turned to look for Azraq, but he wasn't there. Perros became intimidated, not knowing Azraq location could lead to fatal consequences for him. His eyes scan the whole train and it's surroundings, but Perros couldn't find him.

"Ass-crack!" Perros shouted.

"It's Azraq! Darn it..." He unintentionally revealed his location.

"There you are." Perros shot at him, proceeding onto the next wagon.

This wagon consisted of just a few things, just like before, a few crates, boards stacked on top of each other and other materials. When Perros reached the end of it, a bullet flew dangerously close to his head.

"Give it up! If you move... you're dead." Azraq threatened, releasing the safety of the gun.

Perros turned around and smiled:

"You won't win, I always hit my target..." Perros imitated a gun shot with his hand.

"So the only one who should give up... is you!"

With a lighting fast reaction Perros fired at Azraq and took cover, but Azraq didn't move, nor even flinch.

"You were aiming at me?" Azraq wondered.

"That shot was so off, even if I wanted to get hit by it, it would have missed anyway. You out of practice or something? Your hat is missing, isn't it?"

"Does my hat has to do something with my aim?" Perros peeked out from behind the crates.

"I don't know, you tell me... Was your aiming off since... I dunno, you lost your hat for example?" Azraq nudged Perros.

"There's no way that HAT was the source of my accuracy... Or is it?" Perros turned doubtfully back behind the crates.

"But it's true that I've been missing more often than I used to. It can't be true, but what if it is... It is true..."

A slight smirk appeared on Azraq's face. As Perros doubted himself, Azraq was slowly gaining the upper hand on him. The fact that he wasn't focused enough made it easier for Azraq to advance on him.

"I can't waste time with him here. Fabricio is waiting for me. There must be a way to distract him." Perros slightly peeked behind the crates, shot and ran into the next wagon.

Both of his shots missed Azraq, with Azraq dodging just by moving his head. Azraq returned fire with one single bullet, hitting Perros in the shoulder, piercing through.

"Fuck!" Perros held his shoulder in pain.

"I have to keep moving, right now I can't do anything... again."

Perros picked up his pace again, closed the wagon door and continued forward, still dodging Azraq's shots.

"You're going nowhere!" Azraq stormed after him.

A race began between the wounded Perros and the enraged Azraq. Perros had a small lead, but Azraq was driven by his rage. Perros paced between and on the wagons, trying his best not to get hit. Finally he reached the last wagon before the locomotive. Perros quickly looked back to see Azraq two wagons behind him, but approaching at a dangerous speed. When Perros turned forward again, he was at the end of the last coach, but was hit across the forehead with a metal bar, knocked unconscious.

--- Minami territory ---

"He sure is taking his time... Six months my ass. I'm not sayin' he's forgotten, but there's always that option... And I don't even want to think that it could have happened." Coated, muscular man walked towards Tera.

"Even thought I didn't received a call, I think it's time for us to get back together..."

He walked for a while and finally came in sight of the town. He continued forward, stopping in front of the temple and looking out onto the busy street.

"It sure has changed a lot since then..." He sat down in front of the temple in a Turkish sitting position and placed his hands on his knees.

People looked at him strangely as they passed by, but he didn't care, he kept his head up and a slight smile on his face. Even some of the animals passed him.

"Can't say that about you, you big ol' furball." He looked to his right and smirked.

"We know each other? I haven't seen your face yet. And I should probably know you, given that I'm the main doctor here..." Esco wondered.

That man took off his hood and smiled at Esco. The hair, the clothes, Esco slowly but surely recognized this man.

"Even Nazo would stop by here from time to time, either to have his wounds tended to or to get food. I always kept an eye on him whenever he showed up. But you... never..." Esco looked at him.

"How the heck did you survived out there, Bruno?!"

"I was told I was too much of a pussy, so I went to change myself... You know, Nazo's speech grabbed me by the heart. The first month was pure hell. Imagine me six months ago, weak, fat and a coward. I forced myself to avoid contact with civilization in order to adjust to my new environment. Then I had to find a source of food, anything that could be eaten. But at first I was surviving solely on bugs and weeds. After the first month, I acclimatized to the jungle and lost weight. I already had some primitive weapons for hunting animals. I also started training, I used everything the jungle had to offer to gain strength. And the rest of the five months was practically just eating and training." Bruno explained and stood up.

"Wow, that's... that's amazing." Esco praised him.

"So you are a different man now, right?"

"Right. But I gotta admit, fighting animals was a quiet the challenge. The weapons were useful, though I wanted to try my best... So after a while, I hunted them barehanded. Which was... Well, it was scary at first, but after defeating a few boars, I became confident." Bruno smiled.

"You fought boars?" Esco said in amazement.

"Like any injuries? Broken bones? Bruises?"

"Homemade bandages. Herbs. Time. That's all I needed." Bruno counted on his fingers.

"And I fought a tiger... And I WON!" He added triumphantly.

"That was my greatest achievement in six months."

"I am speechless. You must tell your story to the others. They're waiting in the saloon..." Esco headed towards the building.

"Other? You mean..." Bruno thoughtfully said.

"Nazo, Rosa... Koon, but maybe he already left." Esco said.

"By the way, where is your little companion?"

"Unfortunately, he got eaten by that tiger..." Bruno said with a slight sadness on his face, whilst moving towards the saloon.

"But I avenged him. I defeated the tiger and ate him."

Esco walked under the door, because his height allows him to pass through the door in that way. Bruno had to duck a little to fit into the door frame. Once he was inside, the whole building fell silent, everyone staring at him. Bruno looked around, his gaze lingering on the bar.

"Hey! Hey, Nazo!" Bruno waved at him with a smile.

Nazo, who was sitting at the bar counter, turned around and saw a bulked man he had never seen before. His face indicated that he was completely confused.

"We know each other?" Nazo said unintelligibly.

The door squeaked as someone entered. Bruno turned his head slightly back to see a familiar face.

"You do. And your cap'n is in grave danger..." Koon said in complete seriousness.