Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Flight or Fright

Forced to deal with a myriad of loud complaints from the red-haired girl, Hiro recklessly charged down the crowded street. He bumped into unaware villagers as he yelled for them to get out of his way. Amid the rush of adrenaline overcoming him, the foremost thing in his mind was the regret of not bringing boots.

The sound of stray bullets grew louder; Bandito was getting closer. People cowered to the side of the street, making way for Hiro’s pursuers. Over time, more armed Bandito members joined them. At the end of the street, Hiro noticed several guards setting up a barricade. He stopped to think, but was immediately disrupted by a sharp pain on his side. The girl had dug her nails into his thigh.

In a panic, Hiro dropped her on the ground. She lifted up her head and let out an ear-splitting shriek.

“What are you doing?!” Hiro asked. “Do you want them to catch us?”

“Better than staying with you, hobo! This is harassment!”

“You gotta be kidding me…”

Unsure of what to do but not wanting to deal with her yelling, Hiro hurriedly took off his cloak and wrapped it around her face. Carrying her once again, he ran into a nearby narrow alleyway and jumped inside a large green dumpster. A few minutes later, he heard the footsteps of Bandito pass by.

He held on to the girl firmly, waiting in bated breath. The combination of the trash heap as well as a nearby cracked manhole produced a foul stench that penetrated his nostrils. Occasionally, a stray rat would scurry about and knock things over, startling Hiro. It took him everything he had just to stay put.

After a while, things became quieter. He poked his head out. “Looks like the coast is clear.”

The girl responded to him with an exasperated groan.

“Oh yeah, that’s right.” He took his cloak off her. It was filled with spit.

“HEL—!”

Hiro covered her mouth instantly. “Why?! I’m trying to help you out here!”

She scowled at him.

He sighed. “Alright, fine. How about this? If I promise to help you find your friend, will you please shut up?”

The girl stared up at the sky, crossing her arms. After a while, she gave him a short nod. Reluctantly and slowly, Hiro removed his hand. Getting off the pile of garbage, she spat on the ground and wiped her mouth with her sleeve.

“Took you long enough.” She brushed away the trash and grime that stuck to the corners of her cloak.

Hiro hopped out of the dumpster. “You didn’t really give me a choice there.”

“Excuse me. You coulda just not kidnapped me.”

“I wasn’t about to leave you alone with Bandito.”

“Pfft.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I coulda taken them on easil— Wait… Bandito?! Is that their name?”

“Yeah…?”

“Ha! A stupid name for a bunch of stupid folk. It’s perfect!”

“This whole thing is a big mistake, isn’t it?” Hiro said to himself as she burst into laughter. Turning around, he walked further down the alleyway.

“Wait!” She caught up to him. “Where are we goin’?”

“We can’t stay here. They could come back any time.”

“Then where are we headin’?”

It had just occurred to Hiro that going back to the farm wasn’t an option. The last thing he wanted was for Bandito to knock on his front door. Unfortunately, most of his two years in Ushiro were spent in the comfort of his own home, so he didn’t have much experience roaming around the village either. After deep contemplation, he arrived at his answer.

“I don’t know.”

“Gee, what great help you are.”

Staying silent, Hiro continued down the alley. The girl hummed and skipped around as she followed him. They reached a picket fence, which Hiro climbed over with ease. He extended his hand forward and helped the girl up. On the other side, one of the buildings extended out further than the others, making the alleyway narrow enough for only one person at a time.

After walking a bit further, Hiro noticed that the girl had slowed down her pace. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I’m bored.”

“...”

“What?”

He shook his head and kept walking. “What do you expect me to do about it?”

“I dunno. Tell me your name.”

“Shouldn’t you tell me yours first before asking?”

“Name’s Maki!” She ran faster until she matched his speed. “But that’s all you’re gettin’. Now tell me yours!”

He didn’t respond.

“H-Hello…?”

“I never said I’d tell you mine.”

“Hey! That’s cheap, asshole! Not fair!”

“Tsk.” He started moving faster.

“I wanna know! Come ooon! Tell me!” She pulled his arm repeatedly. “You don’t want me calling you hobo all the time, right?”

Hiro raised his voice. “Let go! Don’t act all chummy with me. Not after putting me into all this trouble.”

“Oh, boo hoo!” Spit flew out of Maki’s mouth. “You were the one who decided to come back! I never asked to be kidnapped!”

“If I didn’t, who knows what they would’ve done to you!”

“They woulda bowed down in respect to the queen, that’s what! If anythin’, you spoiled my fun!”

Hiro raised his fist at her. “You ungrateful—”

CLANG!

Unaware that they had already entered the street, Hiro walked face-first into what felt like a wall of metal. He fell backward onto the sand; a bruise began to form on his chin. He lifted up his head.

A tall, burly man with wavy black hair stood before him. On his left cheek was a burn scar that ran down to his neck. His left arm had been replaced with a mechanical one. He wore the same uniform as Bandito, but unlike their brown hats, his was black.

It was their boss.

He was accompanied by two of his armed subordinates. One of them kicked sand onto Hiro’s face. “Watch where you’re going!” he said.

Hiro’s eyes watered as he coughed violently. Maki stomped on the ground, sending more sand onto Hiro’s clothes.

“You’re the ones who bumped into us, you dicks!” she yelled.

“Whoa there!” the subordinate said. “You got any idea who you bumped into?”

“The hell should I know?!”

“It’s gonna cost you two,” the other said, pinching his fingers together. “If you want us to let you go easy, that is.”

“Are you two nuts?!” she yelled. “You were the ones who bumped into us! Therefore, you should pay me!”

Hiro ignored them; his gaze was locked on to their boss. He stood silent, but his eyes glared daggers at Hiro, signaling a calm, yet furious rage. The boss rarely ever left their base, much less strolled around the village in the middle of the day. Hiro had never seen him before, but Miles would often sing praises of him being a former marine deserving of respect.

What Hiro felt instead, however, was fear and dread creeping in. Beads of sweat ran down his cheeks. As much as it bothered him, he couldn’t bring himself to wipe them off. He would’ve remained in this dazed state were it not for Maki’s loud and brash voice.

“Help me out here!” she told him.

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He didn’t answer.

She drilled her finger into his cheek. “Hellooooo? Earth to stupid! Say somethin’!”

Hiro stared down at the sand. He tried to think of a way out, but nothing came up. Every second felt longer than the last as his breathing grew more and more unsteady. Suddenly, his thoughts were abruptly interrupted when Maki chopped him on the head.

“Stop spacin’ out!” she said. “Help me out here!”

“Hey boss, what do we do about these two?” one of the Bandito lackeys asked.

Their boss leaned forward and surveyed Maki’s face. “Is she the one we’ve been looking for?” he asked with a gruff voice.

“Uh, let me check.” He pulled out his phone. “I don’t know. This one’s waaay shorter. Plus, her hair color’s different.”

“Who’re you calling shorter?!” she asked. All of a sudden, her eyes widened. “Wait, wait! What did you say about hair color? What color was her hair?”

The boss responded with a question of his own. “Oh? Why do you ask? Do you happen to know who we’re looking for?”

“Y—”

“I-I’m sorry,” Hiro quickly interrupted, “but we’re real busy. Is there any way you could let us go?”

The boss snarled at him. “No. Men, hold them down.”

At his command, the two subordinates rushed forward. Maki was pinned down with almost no resistance. Hiro, on the other hand, had no intention of being caught. Green light glowed once again from his eyes, and he swept the man off his feet with a low kick. Hiro darted away as fast as he could.

A loud bang followed by a small explosion on the ground put him to a halt. He looked behind him; the boss had his metal arm stretched out, his palm wide open. Smoke rose from a golden muzzle that protruded out of his wrist.

“Take one more step and you’re done.” The boss turned to his subordinate and motioned to Hiro with his head.

At once, the Bandito member ran toward Hiro, his rifle aimed at his face the entire time. “Hands behind your back. Now!”

Hiro’s mind raced. Surrender seemed to be the most logical option, but the uncertainty of his fate led him to feel overwhelmed. What’ll happen to him? What about Miles and Granny Jay? Will he even come back? These questions swirled in his thoughts as he hesitantly obliged and placed his hands behind him.

It was then that it clicked. He didn’t know what would happen to him once Bandito captured him. Nor did he know what would happen to his loved ones. But there was one thing he was sure of. 

He didn’t want to find out.

As the man was about to hold his wrists together, Hiro quickly spun around and elbowed the gun away. Grabbing the man’s arm, he twisted it behind him and took the pistol off his holster. He faced the boss, keeping the pistol aimed at his subordinate’s head.

“Let the girl go,” Hiro said. “I’ll set this guy free once we’re a safe distance away.”

The boss aimed his muzzle at him. “Now why do you think I’ll ever do that?”

“W-Wait! Boss, think about it first!” the Bandito member yelled.

“Quiet. I’m talking to the guy behind you.”

Hiro gripped the man’s arm tighter and whispered to him, “If you wanna get out of this alive like me, don’t try anything. Got it?”

The man nodded.

Hiro aimed the pistol at the boss. “You wanted info from us, right? If you shoot…”

“If I shoot, you’re both dead, and I still have this girl. Make your choice.”

“No you don’t,” Maki said, blowing air upwards to move aside her bangs. “If you kill him, I ain’t tellin’ you crap.”

The boss guffawed. “Look! A kid of all people is trying to save you. Priceless.”

“Not a kid!”

“P-Please,” Hiro said. “This doesn’t have to turn ugly. You can let us go. No one has to get hurt.”

Unamused by his offer, the boss took a few steps forward. “Look at you. So afraid. Pathetic.”

“I’m serious!” Hiro’s hand shook uncontrollably. Sweat ran down his finger as it hovered over the trigger.

“Go on, then. Shoot.”

A whirlpool of emotions overcame him. His heartbeat pounded in his ears. His knees felt weak, and the breaths he heaved were heavy, but the weight of his gun felt heavier still. He shut his eyes and let out a piercing scream.

A small thud echoed throughout the otherwise silent street. Nearby onlookers peeked out from their hiding spots. Hiro knelt down; the pistol lay on the ground beside him. Across from him stood the boss; an orange, translucent barrier manifested in front of him.

“Tch. Should’ve known he wouldn’t shoot.” The boss looked at his frozen subordinate standing beside Hiro. “What are you waiting for? Pin him down.”

The man snapped back to his senses. Grabbing Hiro’s hair, he slammed his head against the sand. Hiro didn’t fight back; he lay flat on the ground, his face deadpan. The man picked up the pistol and pushed it against his cheek.

“Don’t move,” he whispered. “Please… For your own good.”

Hiro couldn’t bring it in himself to respond.

The boss walked over to Maki. “Now that the distractions are out of the way, I have a couple questions I want to ask.”

“Nuh uh,” she said. “You gotta answer mine first.”

“I don’t believe you have that luxury.”

“And I don’t believe I give a damn.”

A short chuckle escaped from the boss’s lips. Kneeling down, he caressed her cheek with his metal hand. “You got some balls for a little girl. I respect that.”

She jerked her head backward. “Shut it, creep.”

“Look, I just want you to tell me if you know anything about the person we’re looking for.”

“Perfect! And I wanna know why you’re lookin’ for her. What the hell did she do?”

He snickered. “Fine, I’ll humor you. There was a commotion last night. Two of my men were killed. She was a young woman with pink hair.”

“Pfft, already?! And after all that crap she went on about lying low, too. Look at her now!”

He stomped his foot. “I’m not playing games! Who are you? And why were we attacked?”

She stuck out her tongue. “I got what I wanted. No reason to tell you guys anythin’ more.”

A voice in the distance interrupted their discussion. “Boss! That you?”

They all turned their heads to a group of Bandito members coming their way. The man in front waved at them. It was the same purple-haired man Hiro was running from before.

“What the hell are you doing here?” the boss asked. “You’re supposed to be on guard at the shopping district.”

“I bet they’re goofing off,” said the man holding Maki at gunpoint.

“Got a few hiccups,” the purple-haired man said, “and now we’re looking for a few troublemakers. How about you guys? What seems to be the mat— Wait a second…” He looked down at Maki, who gave him a wide grin.

“Missed me?” she asked.

“Well I’ll be, you already caught them. Too bad, we even had a volunteer who was kind enough to lend us a hand.”

Hiro looked up. His eyes widened when one of the Bandito members dragged an old man carrying a plastic bag to the front. Despite Bandito’s rough demeanor against him, he retained a welcoming smile. His lavender shirt and cargo shorts were all too familiar to Hiro.

“Miles?!”

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