Assassins, Detectives, and the Mafia

Magic, Art, and Neo-Akaido

The teen drags herself across the scratchy sidewalk with bleeding fingertips, red hair matted with blood and legs twisted grotesquely.

Behind her, a man strides closer, clipped boots clicking on the asphalt. His eyes are narrowed dangerously, one hand clutching the blade of a knife.

"You're not escaping this time," he growls.

Himiko's eyes widen as she sifts through her pocket in hopes of a weapon, a rock, a something she can use to fight.

She comes up empty.

Closing her eyes, she tries to think. What could have happened? How did this come to this?

"Himiko~!" Angie squeals, wrapping snake-like arms around her torso. "Has Atua sent you to me?"

"Nyeh... Angie..." Himiko mutters. "Too... tight..."

"Yeah! Angie! Let her go!" Tenko breaks into the conversation, prying Angie's arms off her. "You're behaving like a degenerate male!"

"Ah~ but Atua decrees I should spread happiness!"

"I guess that makes sense... but only if Himiko is okay with it!" Tenko announces.

Himiko manages a weak nod, and Tenko seems sated.

"D-Don't hurt me..." Himiko whispers, covering her eyes with an arm. "P-Please..."

"Sorry, girlie," the man smirks. "This is just business."

A knife explodes from his chest, and his mouth falls open as pink blood splashes across the alleyway. Staggering back, a swift kick sends him reeling, and he collapses against the alley wall.

"That's for touching Himiko!" Tenko shouts as Angie rushes over.

"Oh, Himiko!" Angie frowns, eyes taking in the scene. Her yellow raincoat is splattered with blood, and a bit seems to have landed on her cheek.

"Call Kimu- call Mikan," Himiko rasps.

"Right!" Tenko exclaims. They both know that calling Seiko Kimura will inevitably result in a police investigation, but as a person, she's pretty nice. Mikan and her definitely make a cute couple.

Speaking of...

"Are you okay?" Tenko whispers, enfolding Himiko in her arms.

"Nyeh... I'm fine..." Himiko rasps.

"Are you sure, ke aloha?" Angie frowns. "You can tell me..."

Himiko's heart fills with pride as she gazes at the two. "Nyeh... I am now."

Mikan is definitely the last person to deal with things involving blood.

Or she would be in theory, except for how she seems to take a different persona when interacting with those injured. She appears more self-certain, not hesitant, just... generally an incredible nurse.

Seiko acts as her trusty assistant slash guardian as she works, administering drugs when asked to. It's obvious that her mind is millions of miles away, but she doesn't talk about it.

Angie and Tenko sit next to each other in the hallway, both sick with worry for Himiko.

Their worry manifests in different ways. Angie draws. Sometimes it's a demon and an angel, sometimes a mermaid and siren, but one of them always has red hair.

Tenko chooses to punch the wall. Punching doesn't require thinking. It's just the repetitious movement of a fist.

Lucky, then, that thinking is the last thing she wants to do right now.

The clinic that Mikan and Seiko run is a whitewashed building with a soft white carpet. Chairs sit in the waiting room, each with a cute design - one with a plush that Tenko vaguely remembers seeing on Tsumugi's bed.

"Kimura-chan!"

A woman with a bob cut plants her hands on the white desk, pom-pom on her pink hat bobbing as she does. "Chisa-chan needs your help!"

"Is that code for Sakakura-san?" Seiko sighs, sliding a bottle of medicine across the desk.

"Maaaybe~!" the woman coos. "Izayoi-kun is already out front waiting for me! Bye, Kimura-chan! See you tonight!"

"Goodbye, Ando-chan!" Seiko calls, watching as the woman races out the door. Placing a helmet on her head and hopping on the back of a blond man's motorcycle, she wraps her hands around his waist as it takes off.

"Who was that, Kimura?" Tenko frowns.

"Ando," Seiko smiles. "W-We're old friends."

"Really?" Angie smiles, leaning over the back of her chair. "She seems nice~! Atua approves!"

"A-Ah..." Seiko flushes a deep pink, racing out of the room.

"I wonder what that's all about..." Tenko trails off.

"Nyeh... thank you..." Himiko trails off as Mikan pushes her wheelchair out of the room.

"Don't mention it!" Mikan smiles as she pushes her into the waiting room. "H-Himiko is here!"

It's possible to pinpoint the exact second that the two of them see her. Tenko's eyes light up, and she races towards Himiko with a giant grin. Angie drops her sketchbook, flinging herself into Himiko's arms.

"You scared us!" Tenko gasps. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yes, please tell us!" Angie frowns.

"Nyeh... I'll be fine," Himiko smiles. "Just a few weeks in these casts..."

"Thank Atua!" Angie breathes.

"Can we go home now?" Himiko frowns. "I'm kinda tired..."

"Of course!" Tenko exclaims, taking hold of her wheelchair. "Let's go, Himiko!"

They leave the clinic in the dead of night, all with smiles bright enough to drive even the deepest darkness away.