"Haa… Haa… Haa…" Daisuko rubs the sweat out of her eyes and peeks around the side of the pillar she's hiding behind. The I-C's are still a fair distance behind, maybe around 300 meters or so, but rapidly approaching. A moment's reprieve. She takes the opportunity to reload, magazines slide into place with a satisfying click. This is… maybe a little bit more than she can chew. Still, she'll have to run with it.
She peeks out of cover and fires off a few shots at the I-C's. They don't hit their targets but they do their job, forcing them to duck into cover, slowing them down ever so slightly. The I-C's conjure their weapons, two heavy machine guns for the one with the black hair and a golden bow for the one with the pink hair.
Torrents of hot lead and magical pink bolts rain down on Daisuko but she's unfazed. Daisuko keeps running, keeps shooting, keeps surviving. She maneuvers around the concrete jungle with the planned expertise of someone who's rehearsed a thousand times. Or at least, had their step-sister drill the exact layout of her escape route into their head a thousand times.
She leads them into an urban maze of twists and turns, dead ends and branching pathways. Everytime it seems as though Daisuko's within their reach, she somehow manages to slip away. Eventually, one of the I-C's disappears.
"You're gonna have to try a little harder than that, ladies–!" Daisuko throws out a jeer into the wind but is rudely interrupted by an I-C reappearing next to her, holding an intimidating handgun to her head.
"You should take your own advice." The two come to a standstill. "You were trying to escape into Midori-ward, the Kuze Clan's base, right? Once I figured that out, your escape route turned predictable."
"...Heh. Not bad. Not bad at all." A bead of sweat drips down the side of Daisuko's face. "What's your name, friend?"
"...Amaru. Officer Amaru Hikome. It's not my real name but it's what you can call me."
"Cool, cool, cool. My name's Daisuko Kuze. It's a pleasure to meet you." Daisuko grins widely as she stares down the barrel of a gun.
"A-Amaru…" The other I-C catches up to them. She seems winded, or maybe just really nervous. "Tami said not to kill her–"
"I know what Tami said," Amaru snaps at the other I-C. "But what Tami doesn't know won't kill her."
"O-oh… Sorry."
"What Tami doesn't know…?" Daisuko smirks to herself. "Shouldn't you be more concerned about what it is you don't know?"
Daisuko feels Amaru squint at her from behind her sunglasses. Then they both spot it. Out of the corner of their eyes, they see a patch of concrete on a distant building's windowsill squirm ever so slightly.
"「GUJUTSU - COLD SHOT.」"
「Kanano Masazumi」- Kuze Clan Ally.
Amaru turns to Amanda and yells. "IT'S A TRAP!"
"Damn right it is, bitch!" Daisuko cackles. At the same time, there's a distant muzzle flash and a hole appears in the back of Amaru's hand. It's only a shallow wound, but it knocks the gun from her grip, buying enough time for Daisuko to run away and vanish into a nearby alleyway.
Amanda, confused, meekly fires off a bolt at the fleeing magical girl but it's intercepted by two spinning things flying at near the speed of sound– letter openers. The bolt is severed, and it sputters out, dead.
An extremely tall magical girl stands at the top of a nearby building, letter openers sticking out from between her fingers like claws. The iciness in her gaze is enough to make Amanda's knees shake. It's like her eyes are being pulled forward– forced to stare. She's terrified. So terrified that she doesn't notice the shadow growing beneath her.
"「Taijutsu - COMET DROP!」"
「Nanako Masazumi」- Kuze Clan Ally.
"Amanda!" Amaru throws herself the I-C. There's no grace or finesse present. Only sheer determination to protect. They're both swept off their feet by the overwhelming impact of something– no, someone– a magical girl crashing against the ground. A crater forms where the two were just an instant prior. The ground comes rushing up from beneath the two I-C's before unceremoniously slamming against their bodies as they hit the floor.
"Slippery little bastards." A magical girl in full wrestling regalia cracks her knuckles as she approaches them. "I'm kinda disappointed. You I-C's ain't all that."
"We need to go, Amaru." Amanda quickly gets back onto her feet and is about to take off running when she notices Amaru struggling to even get onto her knees.
"Y-yeah… I don't think we can win like this…"
"Amaru?" Amanda, never once taking her eyes off of the wrestler magical girl, helps Amaru get back onto her feet. "What's wrong?"
"They got me." She raises the hand that was only lightly wounded to reveal it's bleeding profusely. Unnaturally profusely. "Lucky… shot…" Amaru slumps up against Amanda's body.
"A–" Amanda's expression turns into one of horror. "AMARU!"
"I thought we agreed on not playing with your food, Nanako." Yet another magical girl enters, emerging from the shadows of a nearby alley. She has long twin tails, glasses, a half-smoked cigarette in her right hand, and a swirling ball of concentrated air pressure in her left.
"Couldn't help myself." The muscled magical girl, the one the other girl called 'Nanako', shrugs.
"As always, leave it to me to clean up after you, I guess."
「Nakano Masazumi」- Kuze Clan Ally.
"「Genjutsu - Updraft.」"
The other magical girl raises her hand and unleashes a tempest directly at the two I-C's. There's only half an instant for them to react and yet, Amaru forces herself to move, using her own body to shield Amanda from the squall. The gale blows them backwards into the abandoned building behind them.
"Ama…ru…" Amanda forces herself to get up because if she doesn't, they die. She picks Amaru up by her dress shirt's collar and begins dragging her away. Slowly, painstakingly, she climbs the stairs deeper into the heart of the building.
"Though, it's not like I don't understand your feelings. It's entertaining watching them run." The magical girl takes a drag from her cigarette as she grins sadistically.
"Haa… Haa… Haa…" Amanda rubs the sweat out of her eyes and peeks out of a window. The magical girls seem to be taking their time, shooting the breeze as they waltz into the building. A moment's reprieve. "I think we're safe, Amaru."
"..." Amaru lies on the ground, motionless.
"Let's get a look at you." Amanda takes off Amaru's mask. The illusion comes undone, revealing a complex living machine made of cogs and gears. On the surface, it looks as though she's completely fine. All of the damage she's sustained on her body is already starting to self-repair. All of the damage but the cracked gem on the back of Amaru's hand. Blood's still seeping out of it. "O-oh my god."
"..."
"Amaru! It's me!" Amanda has both of her hands on the sides of Amaru's face. "It's me, Amaru, wake up!"
"..."
She starts shaking her. "Wake up! Wake up! Please, please wake up!"
"..."
"This can't be happening, this can't be happening, this can't be happening…" Amanda repeats that phrase to herself over and over and over. "I–I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming! That must be it! Haha!"
"Come on, wake up!" She closes her eyes and slaps herself on the cheeks. "Wake up! Wake up!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"No way…" But when she opens her eyes, she still sees Amaru's lifeless body at her feet. "NO WAY–!"
"It's not fair… IT'S NOT FAIR!" She's yelling now, furious. At the yakuza, at Tami, at herself. But then the rage suddenly fades, like it was just a flash of red.
"It's… it's just not fair… Why? Why did it have to be you, Amaru?" Her voice breaks down into hiccuping sobs. "Why couldn't it have been me?"
"..."
"Stupid, weak, selfish, stupid, stupid, stupid me…"
"..."
"I… I never even got to tell you that I… I–..."
"Amanda…" Amaru's voice is just shy of being a whisper.
"Amaru?!" Amanda throws herself onto Amaru, sobbing into her chest. "I thought you were–"
"Yeah… me too…"
"Thank– Thank goodness. I– I don't know what I would do without you."
"Me… neither… I'm sorry… I made you… cry…"
"What are you saying? I'm the one who should apologize for crying. I'm an I-C, we're supposed to be the invincible hand of the ICMG and yet, here I am, sobbing my eyes out." Amanda wipes her eyes. "I'm sorry I can't be strong like you."
"I'm… not strong… either."
"What do you mean?"
"The only reason… I can pretend… to be strong… is because… I have someone… I want… to protect."
"Huh? What are you saying?"
"This wasn't… how it was supposed… to go…" Amaru's tears stream out from under her sunglasses. "I was supposed… to be the one… protecting you." With a trembling hand, Amaru reaches up, takes off her sunglasses, and covers her crying eyes. "I'm… sorry… for being… such a failure."
"It's okay." Amanda rests Amaru's head onto her lap. "You've been working so hard for so long for my sake, haven't you?"
"Amanda…"
"So just this once, let me return the favor."
"..." Amaru is silent for a moment. "Will you be okay?"
"I'll be just fine."
"You're shaking."
"Of course I am." Amanda wipes the tears from her eyes. "I'm only pretending to be strong, after all. But… But I'm glad. Because now you've given me a reason to pretend to be strong."
"Amanda…"
"Just promise me one thing."
"Anything."
"After all this is over, do you… do you maybe want to go on a date?"
"..." Even with her eyes hiding behind her shades, the surprise is evident on her face. "Y-yes! Of course yes! A thousand times over, my answer is yes."
Amanda giggles. "No take-backsies!"
She feels something strange flood into her chest. It compels her to stand up straight, puff her chest out, and hold her head high. So this must be what bravery feels like.
All of a sudden, the yakuza don't seem all that threatening. Like ants beneath her boot.
"Nice job, girls." Daisuko folds her arms behind her head as she walks up to the three Blackadder Lieutenants.
"A l-little sloppy with that g-getaway, Daisuko." Oka slaps Daisuko upside the head.
"Oi oi oi, that was 'cause your getaway plan was predictable, dumbass, don't pin that shit on me." Daisuko can't reach Oka's head so she just elbows her in the side. "Ah well, it all turned out just fine, ain't that right, fellas?"
"You were…" Nakano looks down at her watch. "Five minutes off schedule, I think."
"FIVE MINUTES LATE!" Kanano shouts.
"Ah whatever, it all worked out, didn't it?" Nanako holds out her fist for Daisuko to pump, which she does. "Niiice."
"Regardless. W-we can't let our guards down, just y-yet." Oka looks up to the roof of the abandoned building. "My case in point."
"Hallo! You all hurt Amaru." Amanda stands on the rooftop with a foot on the edge. She has her bow slung under her right arm. "So, um, that makes all of you my enemies."
"Hah?" Daisuko grins widely. "Bold words coming from someone who was just running away."
"For the sake of someone I care about, I won't run away anymore." Amanda looks down on her clenched fist and places it over her heart. "You all better prepare yourselves!"
"I like that confidence." Nanako cracks her knuckles as she beholds Amanda in her full glory.
"What a pain." Nakano drops her cigarette and stomps out the cinders.
"YOUR ORDERS, MA'AM?" Kanano turns to Oka.
"There is no plan." Oka pushes up her glasses, forgetting to stutter. "We throw ourselves at Amanda and pray."