Chapter 16

This was quite the predicament. Two unconscious girls splayed out in a dark, dirty alleyway. Another was to my back, her frightened and uncertain expression told me a lot. It didn't tell me what I needed to know, though.

I sighed and looked at the downed Sekirei.

"Benitusubasa shouldn't be long. I say we wait for her so she can translate."

Hans' gaze darted between me, the girl, and the Sekirei. He eventually gave an acknowledging nod.

"I guess I'll, uh, prop them up or something?" Hans mumbles as he started heading for the girls. With his strength, it wasn't even a challenge to move them behind the dumpster.

Speaking of- I hoped none of them were seriously hurt. The one I'd clonked on the head with a trashcan might have had a concussion. I'd probably call an ambulance or something in a bit. But for now-

"Can you wait a few minutes until my… friend gets here?"

The girl shifted in place nervously. She looked at Hans and then at me.

Oh.

"We won't stop you if you want to leave," I quickly said. "But you might get attacked again."

She furrowed her brown and blew a sigh.

"Ok. I stay," she replied in broken english.

At least she could understand me. Things were looking up!

————

After about ten minutes, a pink blur leaped over one of the buildings and landed in the middle of the alleyway. Obviously, it was Benitsubasa.

Her signature tight-fitting sports shorts and pink hair were a dead giveaway. The tiny terror rushed to me, eyes narrowed and immediately falling on the unconscious Sekirei.

"You were attacked." It was less of a question and more of a statement. She sighed and then gave the girl an odd look.

"Wait, don't I know you?"

The girl hesitantly nodded. She and Benitsubasa exchanged a few words.

"We were hoping you could translate for us," Hanse added. "Oh, you probably don't know, but that Minki guy put a bounty on her head."

Minki? I snickered at the name. God, Hans could really say some funny things when he didn't mean to. I wasn't even sure why I found it so funny!

"You mean Minaka?"

"Oh! Um, yeah. Sorry, but I find Japanese names a bit hard to remember."

She rolled her eyes and blew a sigh.

"So, why Is she a target? Did he say?"

"No," I jumped into the conversation. "He just showed us a picture, gave us general directions, and said the ones who brought her to him would be rewarded."

"Sounds like something that clown would do," she said, blowing a bit of hair away from her face. "The bastard would probably get off on watching a bunch of headless chickens try to escape their pen."

Huh? That was a weird analogy.

"You've met him?"

She nodded.

"Only a few times in person, but he always had this gaudy attitude. He likes big shows and makes a big show out of everything. Let me ask her if she knows anything first."

Right, best to-

"N-Nani go okotte imasi ka?"

I snapped my head toward one of the downed Sekirei. The one I'd hit over the head was starting to regain consciousness. For a brief moment, I considered giving her another wallop. It would have worked in an anime, but this was real life. I could seriously give her permanent brain damage or something If I wasn't careful!

Instead, I reached out with my Telekinesis. I felt my energy brush against her. There was a tiny bit of resistance, but that quickly vanished after a second of concentration. Her limbs locked up and I slowly shut her mouth, making sure not to have her bite her own tongue off.

Benitsubasa sent the Sekirei a foul look but quickly returned to her conversation. The Sekirei's eyes burst to life. She looked at me, fear burning in her gaze.

Yeah, well, maybe she shouldn't have tried to kill me.

This would work for now. But the other girl-

"Yeah, I got her," Hans called out as he got behind her. She was still unconscious, but who knew for how much longer. Benitsubasa really needed to-

"Alright, I learned what's up."

Great!

"Turns out this girl here knows a few of MBI's little secrets," Benitsubasa said with a whistle. "Something about a secret project. More secret than the Sekirei plan, even!"

"And she just told you?" I asked.

She chuckled.

"Well, I did threaten her a bit. Said you'd do all *sorts* of deplorable things to her if you didn't spill the beans."

What?

I stared at her dryly.

"That's not funny…"

She laughed anyway.

"Maybe not for you," she said and rolled her eyes. "But yes, there were threats. Anyways, she thought she'd gotten away without being noticed. Looks like that ship's gone ahead and been sunk."

And now I  couldn't just give her back to Minaka. People didn't *like* snitches. As the saying went, snitches got stitches. I was afraid ditches were more up Minaka's alley. If she got his hands on her, this girl wouldn't see the light of day again.

But it wasn't like we could just smuggle her into our house either. It probably wouldn't take long for someone to find her...

Dammit. This whole situation was screwed! The best Idea was getting her out of the city, but even that wasn't guaranteed safety.

"I can see your pretty little head spinning," Benitsubasa said with another roll of her eyes. "Turns out she has someone that was supposed to pick her up. We just gotta get her to them and they should handle the rest."

…

It was better than anything I had.

"Then let's-"

"I think I saw her go in here."

A voice called out. All of us turned toward the alley's entrance. There stood a couple. A young boy, perhaps a year or two younger than me. Standing next to him was yet another beautiful girl. A small, familiar tattoo could be seen on her cheek.

They were like bugs coming out of the woodwork at this point!

What to do...

Since more Sekirei meant more people whose heads I had to bust. Eventually, someone would get hurt- hurt so bad that nothing I could do would save them. This wasn't just a common scrap. Just about everyone here was supernatural in some way.

I blew a sigh. It was time to go. The longer we spent screwing around here, the more likely something would go wrong.

"Hans, let's get out of here."

He blinked and nodded. With a silent ping, I let Benitusubasa know her part. She rolled her eyes and wrapped a hand around the star of the hour. I'd be lying If I said that I wasn't curious about this "special" project MBI was working on. But that didn't matter right now. We needed to get her away from danger and to her people. Whether or not that would be enough was a question for another day.

Benitsubasa was the first to move. She leapt into the air,  causing the woman to let out a startled scream. Hans quickly followed and then I jumped up. The newly arrived Sekirei and Ashikabi shared a look. We didn't stick around to figure out whether or not they were a threat. Thankfully, they didn't give chase.

The three of us sprung from building to building, covering as much distance from the alley as we could. Talking could come later.

"Gah! Won't she just shut up?!" Benitsubasa growled as she covered the woman's mouth. She then said a few words in Japanese. Our connection pulsed for just a moment. My head ached.

"Keep it up and I might just drop you!"

She was clearly speaking Japanese, but the meaning was clear as day. Interesting. But that was beside the point.

"Please don't threaten her anymore." I chided her.

"W-What?" Benitsubasa looked a bit surprised. "I-I wasn't threatening anyone!"

"Yeah, sure. And My name's Jerry." I rolled my eyes.

"Threats aren't cool," Hans spoke up as well. "I don't think Lee would like kissing a girl whose mouth is as dirty as a toilet."

Umm. What? Where was he getting these analogies?

"W-What?!" Benitsubasa hissed. "No one asked your opinion!" she huffed.

Surprisingly, I felt a laugh building in my chest. It slipped out as an amused chuckle a moment later. She and Hans were like a cat and dog at times. Though, I really doubted she hated him. More importantly, Hans definitely didn't hate her either. The way he smiled at her reaction- he was a troll or at least someone that liked messing with others.

"Let's just calm down," I said and cleared my throat. "I think we're far enough, so let's land and have a chat with her."

The woman looked at me and then tried to scream through Benitsubasa's hand.

Yeah. I hoped she wouldn't get any trauma because of this.

——————

The city of Neo-Tokyo- now, wait, that was from a movie. What the hell was this placed called again?

…

Ah well, it didn't really matter. This city was massive. Aside from the time I and Benitsubasa went up the mountain, I hadn't really seen much of it. Even this small parking lot was somewhere I hadn't been to and it wasn't too far from our house!

"Figured out where she needs to go yet?" Hans asked as he took a sip from his water bottle. He always seemed to have one on him. I should have probably followed his example, cause all that running and jumping had left me really thirsty.

"She wants us to take her near the edge of town. She's sent a message on her phone, so her contact knows where to go," Benitsubasa huffed as she crossed he arms. "She's got some real attitude though."

Wasn't that super risky?

"No," she said before I could even ask the question. That bond of ours sure came in handy. More importantly- I needed to test out that whole understanding what she was saying thing. But that was something for later.

"This lady here's smarter than she looks. Set up code words and stuff in case things went wrong. Even broke her phone a moment ago so MBI couldn't trace her through it."

Yep. Technology was a bit of a danger, especially in this city. We needed to find that one Sekirei that was good with computers. What was her name again? Ma-something?

"I hope her friend's just as smart. Wouldn't do us any good if they tracked him," I said with a nod. "Is it far? I think walking or the bus would probably be the safest way to move."

Jumping was fun. Hell, it was awesome! The wind rushing through my hair- the overhead view of the city. It sent a tingly sensation through my chest, almost as If I was riding a roller coaster. I wasn't some adrenalin junky, but this was the kind of stuff I could get addicted to. The thrill of it all was just too good.

I blew a sigh and glanced at the sky. I really wanted to fly like a bird! Curse my control! If I could just get a better grip on my telekinesis, then that wouldn't be a problem at all!

"Bus sounds good," Hans said with a nod. "Might want to give us some disguises, though. Those biology powers of yours can mess with DNA, right? Think you could change our hair color or something?"

Huh. I hadn't thought of that. It sounded simple enough. Considering I'd somehow healed a gaping wound in my side, this should be easy as pie, right?

—————

One bus trip later and we were a block or two from our destination. I sported a silky head of blond hair while Hans decided to become a ginger. The most amusing look definitely had to be Benitsubasa. Her cherry-pink hair was changed into onyx-black. She looked like a tiny goth girl. It was a nice look to be sure, but I personally liked her as she was before.

"I never want to do this again," she huffed and blew a few strands from her face. "It sucks."

I giggled and nodded.

"I'm not sure about sucking, but I do think pink suits you better. It's a very cute color, like you."

A stupid grin spread across Benitsubasa's face, as did a blush. Beside me, Hans snorted.

"So cheesy," he whispered, obviously trying to say it low enough that Benitsubasa couldn't hear him. He failed.

"Just like your face!" she hissed and stuck her tongue out at him.

If Benitsubasa hadn't become my Sekirai, I'd have probably told both of them to kiss already! But nope. None of that!

A few minutes of walking eventually lead the four of you to a dark alley. Waiting inside was a car that didn't look much different from any other. The woman's contact was inside.

She gave a small bow and said some words to Benitsubasa. This time, I shut my eyes and tried to focus a little more. Sadly, I couldn't figure anything out aside from a word or two. She was saying thank you?

"She wants to know If we'd like to come," Benitsubasa said.

On one hand, a swift and easy way out sounded incredibly convenient. On the other hand… fuck Minaka. But honestly, this city was just too important to leave. This was where we first arrived and the only connection to our past lives. We couldn't just leave it without trying to understand what happened to us. Doing so would be like abandoning the only clue as to why we were here and what sent us here.

I shook my head.

"Sorry, but I think I'll be staying." It wasn't worth it. Not to mention Minaka would probably hunt us down for escaping his little "game." We might be a bit safer outside, but in the end, it didn't even matter. Still, I hoped that this woman managed to get out.

Benitsubasa blew a hum and nodded.

"Yeah. I didn't think you'd be one to run away like a little bitch," she said with a giggle and then spoke a few words to the lady.

"I have to agree with you," Hans said with a nod. "It feels wrong to leave. Besides, where would we go? I'd rather not use my powers to rob others to try and find a home or whatever."

I gave him a smile and nodded.

"Exactly. Besides, something's telling me you wouldn't be a happy camper without a good connection to the Internet. Can't play your games like that."

A blush warmed his cheeks. He rolled his eyes and looked away.

"Don't bully me, Lee. I'll drop spiders on Benitsubasa's pillow if you do!"

The Sekirei in question bit her tongue and snapped her head towards him. She didn't say a word, but the cold, menacing glare was answer enough. She turned back and finished talking with the woman.

Through it all, Hans just had this small smile on his face. He was about as anti-social as me, but times like this showed how playful he could be. One just had to get to know him.

The woman gave us a small wave and entered the car.

"So we head home now?" Binutsubasa asked with a yawn. "Running across the city really tires me out, you know?"

Hans nodded.

"Yeah. A friend of mine said they'd be helping me level one of my alt classes later tonight. I-"

"Are you serious?" Benitsubasa said with a dry expression. "Don't you think there are more important things to do?"

He blinked and motioned to the lady we'd just helped.

"I think we finished that, right? Unless we're going to go raid MBI or something?"

Fat chance. We didn't even know how many Sekirei they had in that building. More importantly, Karasuba was there. Just thinking about her had my stomach rumbling with dread. I hadn't realized it until I learned to feel Benitsubasa's aura, but the psychic energy that coated Karasuba was drenched with malice. It was as if a mound of corpses had been walking around.

…

The less I thought of her, the better.

"W-What are you doing?" Benitsubasa huffed as I drew closer and brought her into a tight hug.

"Making bad vibes go away," I said jokingly. "You're like one of those mood-lights that makes me feel all better."

She blushed and looked away, a nervous smile on her face.

"I-I guess that's fine. J-Just don't get used to it!"

The car jumped to life as it started driving away.

"Sure thing!"

Hans let out a yawn and scratched the back of his neck. He cracked his knuckles and turned his attention to the building tops around us.

"Hmm? What's-" he began to say.

My eyes snapped open. A premonition of the future swirled within my mind.

"Look ou-"

Both the desperate shout that left my lip and the attempt to push the car aside were silenced in vengeful flames. A deafening explosion struck the distant car, nearly knocking me off my feet. It warped metal and scorched the paint. Bits of shrapnel were launched in all directions. I reached out and made a "wall" of telekinetic force, protecting the three of us from the debris.

Smoke billowed in the distance, leaving a trail that rose into the air.

"Fuck…" Hans was the first to say anything. He stood there, petrified by the destruction.

"Jesus Christ…" I was next, eyes practically popping out of my head. What the hell just happened?

"I… I think they're dead," Benitsubasa gulped.

Dead? The car was practically a fireball! If they survived the explosion, then this would definitely-

A wave of nausea hit me. God. She- She just-

I wasn't the only one weak in the knees. Hans wretched as he put a hand on the wall.

"I-I think I saw someone. Or something in the sky. B-Before the explosion."

He sucked in a breath, trying to steady himself. I did the same, eyes quickly jumping up to find anything out of the ordinary. There was-

"Don't worry, It was painless and all that." An unfamiliar voice called out from behind us. The three of us twirled on the spot, facing the stranger ahead of us.

The first thing that came to mind was Sekirei. He was around our age with bloodshot eyes. Crimson irises stared back at us and his mop of auburn hair swayed in the wind. The stench of burning flesh filled the alley, drawn towards us by the wind. I gagged.

"She was a smart one. But did she think she could really outsmart MBI? One woman versus an entire corporation?" He sighed and shook his head.

The psychic aura around him was a lot like Benitsubasa's. That is to say that it felt like the same Haihane and Karasuba had. But at the same time, there was more to it. Like a cup of sugar with a few grains of salt inside, his aura had a trickle of it.

The presence of psychic energy like Hans' and mine.

It was diluted, weak, and almost invisible. But it was there. Like Benitsubasa and I, a tiny strand of his energy denoted his "link" to an Ashikabi. But it went nowhere. It just coiled around him like a snake.

What the hell was going on?

"I was curious after they told us about you two," the strange guy said, pointing to Mars and me. "But are you two really one of us? Who made you?"

…

"I guess it doesn't matter." He shook his head. "I'll be going now."

A strange boy with even stranger powers. A real pain is what he was. I ground my teeth against one another, doing my utmost to hold back a scream. Not one born of fear or frustration. No. What I felt was a nearly blinding rage.

Hans sucked in a breath. He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. It looked like we were of one mind on this. The only one not ready to punch this guy in the face was Benitsibasa. No, to be fair, she'd do that anyway. But she wasn't angry, just very annoyed. That wasn't normal, right? Maybe we should talk later. There was a hint of confusion on her face too.

"Who are you? A Sekirei?" I hissed. "What number are you?"

I wasn't sure why I said that. He wasn't going to answer. But frankly, I didn't care. I needed to say something- to stop myself from lashing out. I took a deep breath and pushed my rage down.

One. Two. Three.

In and out. In-

"I don't really have a number," the boy said with a shrug. "Not really a Sekirei either, but close enough."

…

I really wanted to punch this guy in the face. Maybe I should just do that?

"I guess that old fool was right," the strange boy said with a hum. "Minaka might look and sound insane, but he's a crafty bastard."

No. It wasn't worth it. This guy looked like he had a big mouth.

"Why'd you kill her?" I asked coldly. "If you were trying to be subtle about it, you could have waited for us to leave…"

The boy shrugged.

"This whole game was a stupid waste of time. That lunatic wanted to encourage the numbers to fight amongst themselves. I think he gets kicks out of it, but who knows what goes on in his mind."

"That doesn't answer the question," Hans practically hissed.

The boy blew a sigh.

"It should be obvious. She was never going to live. What did it matter how and when she died?"

"I think your boss wanted to get me on his side. Shit like this definitely doesn't help him out…" I said.

He rolled his eyes.

"I frankly don't care what he thinks. The bastard might have given me these powers, but in exchange, he took my damned freedom!"

The boy kicked at the ground, face twisting in anger.

"I thought you were like me, but you don't seem to know anything at all!"

He blew a sigh and sucked in a breath.

"I did all this for nothing."

There was a pause.

"And now that you know all of this… I have to kill you."

I tensed, as did Hans. Benitsubasa looked ready to punt his head off. Yeah, give me the opportunity, asshole.

He then burst out laughing.

"Relax, I'm messing with you! Did you see your faces?"

He shook his head and blew a sigh.

"I can get away with a lot of things, but I doubt killing you would be one of them."

Who even is this guy? He claims not to be a Sekirei, but what else could he be?

…

Unless… could he be a psychic? No, it can't be just that. He really does give off the same feeling as one. If not that, then what is he?

"I guess this is where I go my way and you go yours," he said with a shrug. "Hopefully we'll meet again soon."

"I really can't…" Hans suddenly spoke up. "Sorry, Lee." He shook his head and took a step forward.

"What-"

I couldn't even finish. The world slowed to a crawl as my mind flashed with events yet to come. And then, as if following a script, Hans moved exactly as I'd seen. He dashed forward, fast as a bullet. He was a blur to my senses.

The strange guy didn't even have a second to react before Hans' fist found purchase on his face. There was a sickening crunch as his fist popped the stranger's nose like a grape. And then the boy's body was launched back as if were a doll, crashing into one of the alley's walls.

The shock lasted for a moment before I readied myself for the counterattack. But it never came.

Benitsubasa waltzed forward and gave him a once over.

"Looks like the idiot's out cold," she said with a laugh. "Talked a big game, but he's got knocked out with a single punch! What a little bitch!"

She turned to Hans.

"Kinda reckless of you, but It's what I'd have done." She gave him a nod of approval and slapped his shoulder. "Good work."

I let out a breath I'd been holding. That could have gone so much worse. Still, I'm kinda jealous I didn't do it myself now.

"Yeah," I said with a nod. "That was a mean right hook."

Hans had been shaking, but his anger quickly vanished. A blush spread across his face as he looked away.

"Sorry…" he stuttered out. "I put us all in danger… but he just made me so angry."

I bit my lip and sent the unconscious boy a glance. It looked like that punch had broken his nose. He was still breathing, but could he die If we just left him like this? I didn't know much about stuff like this.

"It's fine," I waved off. "Bastard had it coming. But let's get out of here before anyone shows up."

I paused.

"Should we call an ambulance for him?"

"Screw that!" Benitsubasa huffed. "If he plays stupid games, we give him stupid prizes."

Hans hesitated.

"I think we should… just in case."

He took a good look at the boy's face and winced. A second later he was gently rubbing his own nose with a hint of guilt.

"It's probably best we do that," I said with a nod. "Now, let's see- ah! Here's his phone."

One quick call later and an ambulance was on its way. As for us? We quickly got out of there. There wasn't much else we could do.

The whole encounter left a sour taste in my mouth. Minaka and whoever that was were sick in the head. If there was ever even a tiny part of me that was alright with joining him, it died back there in that alley along with that woman.

Why did everything have to be so messed up?