"Ja, iku ka?!" Michiyo said and they moved out from the alley. She picked up his left arm and placed it on her shoulder and slowly stood up. "I'm surprised he's this light."
Sandra just smiled as she did the same with Michiyo.
"But, where do we go, Sandy? Yuri had guards on the entrance as far as I remember as we exited the gate. And, I bet Jayson had stationed some men to guard the camp, too..." she said warily.
"I know, I only have one place in mind..." Sandra replied.
"What? Where's that?"
"We'll cross this alley first and we'll go south. Our tent is somewhere near the edge of the camp. That's where we're going."
"You intend to bring him back there? That's insane!!" Michiyo halted.
"I know!!!" Sandra glared at Michiyo. Her face is desperate. "I know. But that is the only place I know that can protect Hachiro.. with Dave and the others... I know.."
"Will they help us?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, they hate him as much as Alex do right?"
"NO!" Sandra said. "They didn't believe what he's said a while ago... that's what I believe. I know they think the same way I did." She looked forward. "We're his friends anyway. I'll put my trust on that."
"But what about Alex and Jayson? How can we get in unnoticed?"
"I don't know... all I know is that my friend is on the verge of death. and...I have to do something to save him."
"Sandra."
"We don't have time to waste. Let's go."
They walked across the dark alley and found themselves on the other side of the street.
"Left," Sandra said and they went that way.
A few steps ahead, they encountered a giant rat who leaped from a broken drainage and glared at the three of them, baring its fangs.
"Shriek!!"
"Ne, Sandra?" Michiyo whispered. She knows they can't fight the monster in their condition. They had an injured man and the worst thing is,
"We don't have weapons.." Michiyo continued.
"Shhh... just don't move.."
"What?"
"I said don't move. Don't talk, too." She whispered back.
They held their breaths and stared at the giant rat, sniffing them. A moment had passed and it went on the other way, neglecting their presence.
"How did you know---" Michiyo's eyes widened.
"It's a common self-defense in the wild." Sandra confidently answered. She breathed deeply and sighed. "Just play dead..." and gave off a playful smirk. "Everything will go well."
They continued their pace and reached their so-called destination.
"You sure we'll be able to get in from here?"
"We don't have a choice. It connects to the nearest place to our tent."
"It's a garbage bin!"
"Yeah. I can see that." Sandra replied sarcastically.
"And we'll get in from there?" Michiyo asked. "With the wounded guy?"
"Ahh." Sandra nodded, shunning the argument with her "I am the boss" look.
"Okay." Michiyo took a deep breath and sighed. "It's do-or-die. Just hang in there, Hachiro-kun.."
It was a large garbage bin standing in front of them. There connects a man-size tube where the bags from the other side come to fall to the right place. Michiyo let Hachiro's shoulder and went climbing on the tube.
"I'll drag him while you push him up."
"I know. Just keep going."
Michiyo got to her position and held the guy, dragging him up.
"Is he still breathing?" Sandra asked.
"I think so.." Michiyo replied. "But he's writhing in pain. His face can't be drawn."
"We need to move faster."
A moment later, they reached the other end of the tube and found themselves in an open area near the public bath.
"We need to be careful from here on.." Sandra said.
"I know," Michiyo replied.
But that being said, when she raised her head and leaped outside the tube, a guy wearing a turban with a gun in his hand saw their approach and screamed like a mad girl.
"Shut up!" Michiyo leaped from the tube, grabbed the guy's mouth, and brought him to the ground.
A commotion boiled in the center. Michiyo felt panic rising in her veins. She looked at Sandra for any word but she just shunned her.
"We need to get out of here.." Sandra whispered.
"What do we do with him?"
"Just bring him to the tent with us."
"Okay," Michiyo replied, her blood still boiling. She stood from the ground after tying and silencing the guy. "Can you carry Hachiro alone?" she asked.
"Ahh," Sandra replied. "I'm filled with adrenaline right now, you know." she carried her friend on her back and started running towards their tent.
Michiyo followed before the other guys reached the place to investigate.
The two walked towards the blue ridge tent standing near a broken lamp post. Sandra hurriedly opened the tent that could fit ten people inside. She rushed to the corner and reached for the nearest cloth and spread it to the ground where they laid her friend. It startled the people sitting inside.
Dave, Ken, and Brent grasped their breath as they saw their friend in that condition.
"What happened, Sandra?" Ken asked warily. He immediately went over to Sandra to help with Hachiro.
"I don't know what's going on but you have to keep your voice low or we'll catch the others' attention." Brent said and closed the tent.
Michiyo tied their visitor and laid him on the ground.
"Why is he here?" Dave asked coldly. "Why did you bring him here?"
"And where should I bring him, huh?!" Sandra glared at Dave's face. Her face drenched in sweat and still red from all the running. "I can't afford to do nothing in this situation, Dave. You should understand that our friend needs us now."
They all looked stunned, unable to move an inch as tension is in the air.
"The bleeding's not stopping. I can feel the surge of blood." Michiyo muttered. "He's getting colder, too. He has lost a lot of blood."
Sandra's words and Hachiro's face gave them a storm of emotions. They don't know what to do at the very moment. A moment ago, they saw their friend as a feind, a traitor who confessed all his crimes and schemes. But now, he's there in front of them, helplessly bleeding.
A cold air dress their midst but Ken gained the confidence to move and help Sandra by lying their friend, though his heart is pounding and his fingers are shaking. Brent did feel the same urge and got some things to patch the wound and held their friend.
"How did he get this wound?" Brent asked as he puts pressure on the bleeding side he's tending with.
"I'm sorry..." Michiyo replied. "It was my fault." She lowered her head.
"Did he try to save you?" Ken asked, clearing the area.
"Ahh." Michiyo nodded, her tears falling. "He shielded me from an enemy attack."
"Very him-like," Brent replied. "Don't worry. It's alright that you're fine. We don't blame you for that."
"Ahh. Brent is right." Ken added. "All we need to do now is to get this guy patched."
"Is he still breathing?" Brent asked.
"I hope so." Sandra replied. "The life meter is still fine though. But it's slowly turning towards the red."
"Then we need to stop the bleeding as fast as we could. I hope he's not lost too much blood."
"Can you save him?" Michiyo asked.
"My sister is a nurse and I have been her subject since she entered college. I somehow knew how to do this since 6th grade." Brent answered.
"Ohh, I see. But with that wound, we need to stitch him, right?" Michiyo said.
As Brent tore his shirt to see the wound, he immediately thought Michiyo was right. They need to sew his wounds up.
"But we don't have things for suture," Ken said as he take all the things out of the first aid kit.
"Then we have to make do with a stapler. I saw one at the store near here." Brent said.
"I'll go get it." Ken volunteered. "I'll be right back."
Ken rushed out the tent.
"Have you seen Shichiro?" Michiyo asked.
"Shichiro?" Sandra asked. "Who's that?"
"The wolf, the one we saw when we found him on the alley. Shichiro's his name. He's the sidekick who helped us a million times." Michiyo replied.
"Is he a---"
"A modified object inside a computer system. A virus perhaps." Michiyo replied. "I can't believe he managed to make one inside this game."
"He's his other half," Brent muttered. "...though we knew him for a different name."
"What do you mean?" Michiyo felt confused.
"He's one of his wonderful hacks, that is." Brent laughed under his breath. "It was a long story which is impossible to believe."
"I can't understand." Michiyo returned the smile. "Anyway, I wonder where'd he go? I hope he didn't get lost from all the turns we've made." She added.
"I haven't noticed him since we got out from the alley," Sandra replied.
"Is that so?" Michiyo replied. "Anyway, we need to guard the place. I know Jayson and the others will make a ruckus from that noise earlier."
"You're right." Sandra pierced a stare on the guy who screamed, he was tied to the other corner of the tent. "If the worst thing's going to happen. I won't let them kill him."
"I'm on your side," Michiyo replied.
"Me too..." Brent said.
Dave just stood near the entrance, staring bluntly. He just watched his friends doing everything they can to save Hachiro.
"How about you, Dave?" Sandra asked, looking his way.
He gave nothing as an answer. He turned his back from his friends and faced outside.
"Dave?" Sandra called on him again.
He stepped forward and exited.
"What's wrong with him?" Michiyo asked.
"Let's just give him time. He'll be back soon. Besides, he can't ignore this guy." Brent said, wiping a wet towel on Hachiro's head.
They did what they can do to patch their friend. Ken arrived with the stapler and Brent did the unconventional thing to do in patching someone up. Brent is bandaging their friend when a ruckus suddenly enters their tent.
"WHERE IS HE?!!" Jayson angrily asked as he entered the tent. He raised his sword and warned the rest of the people inside. "There you are." He charged at the unconscious guy and grabbed him by the neck.
"Jayson, noooo!" Sandra screamed.
Ken and the others tried to separate them and a rumble started inside the tent.
Yuri took Sandra's arm and dragged her to the corner. "Don't make it worse, Sandy!" he exclaimed.
She struggled with all she got, screaming her heart out.
"Let me go!! Don't hurt him anymore!!" she shouted.
Ken was pinned by Alex and Brent has pushed aside. They all scattered away from Hachiro who was held in the air by Jayson.
"I told you not to go back here, idiot!" Jayson shouted at Hachiro's unconscious face. "You do look harmless when you're asleep. Won't you consider sleeping from now on til forever?!" he waved his sword and aimed for the guy's neck.
"No!!!" Sandra screamed. Ken and the others tried to do a thing but they can't escape their place.
Suddenly, Dave came in and was shocked by the commotion inside their tent. He brought a few bottles of water along with some bandages and gauze with him.
"What's happening here?" he bluntly asked. But, fortunately, it stopped the ruckus for a moment.
Sandra didn't waste the opportunity and leaped from Yuri's grip. She dashed towards her friend and grasp Jay's hand.
"Let him go." She glared.
"You don't order me, Sandra." Jayson glared back. "I'm the one giving orders here!!"
"And who decided that?!"
"Let him GO!" Dave screamed and charged toward Jayson with his full-powered gauntlets on.
Brent and Ken noticed that Alex tried to back Jayson up so they pinned him on their position instead.
Dave landed a hit on Jayson because Sandra was pinning him as well. He was thrown on the edge and freed Hachiro from his grip. The tent blew up and they all stood outside, leaving debris.
"Damn you bastard!!!" Jayson yelled. "You will pay for this."
He stood up immediately and aimed for a counterattack. Dave positioned himself to receive the blow to defend his friends behind.
"Don't let him go.." Dave whispered.
"You don't have to tell me, idiot," Sandra replied. "I know what to do."
Jayson put power on his sword and it flamed like a fire thrower. He swings his sword with the aim to slice Dave and the others in half.
"Die!!!" Jayson screamed.
Dave crossed his arms with his empowered gloves on. He knew that it can absorb attacks but he doesn't know to what extent. He put all his faith in the thing his friend had given him.
"I hope this works, Marky.."
And the light came fast approaching.