Cornered, with no escape, Mark glanced quickly left and right. Dan Heng had his spear at the ready, with Stelle giving her bat a twirl as March prepared her bow. The guards rushed them in the blink of an eye, and Mark had no choice but to use logic.
"Screw it. Can't use this long pipe like a spear since I lack knowledge, and it's too tight in here to actually swing it with power. My sword is a no-go since I don't want to kill these guys. That's it; I'm using my brain."
With a loud heave, he threw the pipe straight at Bronya, waiting. One of the guards moved in front of her and took the blunt of the hit. Instantly, Mark began moving, grabbing another guard by the collar, standing extremely close. They used poleaxes, which had similar issues as his own weapon. Blood rushed in his veins, pumping the ones visible on his forearms as he spun in place with his arms holding on to the guard. He threw the man right into his allies, using it as a distraction to step closer. Each step moved him closer, never relenting even as his breath grew labored. The adrenaline kept him going.
Behind him, the others were making quick work of most of the guards, while he stood against those by Bronya's side. Fingers curled around the material of one's uniform, he pulled the soldier up to his feet, only to notice Bronya taking out her own rifle. Instantly, Mark turned around, using the man as a shield, yanking him towards her with a kick to the bottom. Following, he moved close, grabbing on to the weapon, staring down at Bronya as they wrestled for it.
"You better let go of this gun, damn it! It's not a toy, and I know you're aware of it, yet you choose to willingly obey her even after noticing the changes. Are you that blind?"
Mark's words only added fuel to the raging fire that burned within her. Bit by bit, with each breath, her facade was cracking just enough to be noticeable.
"You have no idea about what you're talking about," grumbled Bronya through gritted teeth. Mark was slowly wrestling the gun out of her arms when a guard suddenly grabbed him from behind.
"Oh, hell, you're not doing jackshit. Screw you both."
With that, he jumped, then simply curled his legs, dangling between them both, moving like crazy, up then down, only to jump again and repeat, causing them both to struggle holding on to him. Just like a child on a tramboline, he kept bouncing left and right, up and down, just causing chaos so no one could hold him well.
"Mark, what are you doing?" asked Stelle, a confused look on her face. In the chaos, Bronya failed to notice that the other guards had already been dealt with, their unconscious bodies scattered on the cold ground.
Mark chuckled heartily, somewhat embarrassed now that he had mentally built up the image of him being like a crazy goat.
"Uhm... I'm using my own strengths to my advantage..."
Even he wasn't convinced by his answer, despite it being genuinely true. Momentary silence fell around, until a familiar voice rang out.
"Sorry for ruining the intensity of the moment."
From the side, a few smoke bombs rolled on the ground, engulfing them all in a thick wall of the dark gas. Through it, a tall figure walked closer, speaking with a mixture of friendliness and boastfulness.
"Sampo never lets friends who've helped him come to harm."
He glanced Mark's way, who had let go and managed to push both Bronya and the guard aside.
"That also goes for the friends of my friends."
All around Mark, both friends and foes alike were slowly falling unconscious. He grabbed his metal pipe in the chaos, managing to slide it behind his back and through the belt at his waist.
"Damn Sampo and his devices."
Judging quickly, he held what little breath his lungs managed to catch earlier, clinging to the whisp of life with all his might. In the chaos, he grabbed both March and Stelle, while Sampo got a hold of Dan Heng and, for some reason, Bronya. Mark didn't know why, yet he did feel something dripping on his face as memories of her being in the Underworld came to mind.
Wasting no more breath, he followed Sampo, running along—more like walking quickly since he held too much weight at his sides. For some reason, he was able to carry a lot more than usual, yet he felt the numbed muscles slowly cry out.
Once they left the smoke, he took a deep breath.
"Damn it, Sampo! You and your tricky devices. Just take us to the Underworld to the clinic, and don't even ask me how I know all this. As you said yourself, information comes at a price."
Sampo simply gave Mark a knowingly smirk, a pleasantly surprised look in his eyes.
"Oh, now you speak my language, my friend. I guess the might of Sampo got even to the ears of someone like you, a friend of my friends."
Mark chuckled as they walked together.
"Yeah, no worries. You're lucky I actually like your guts. Sure, you seem to leave when things get dire, yet you also come in at the right moment. You might prioritize your own gain and ass over that of another, but sometimes you also come in to save the day."
The two walked together, joking and chatting away. Soon enough, they stood in front of an old building, one that no one would ever dare call a clinic in comparison to the modern standards Mark was used to. Nonetheless, he knew about the entire situation and their struggle. Sampo walked in first, followed by Mark. A tall woman with a strange glass container hanging below her neck greeted them. Her tired eyes met those of Mark for a brief moment before she spoke in a firm, calm tone.
"Oh, Sampo, what did you get yourself into again?"
She looked at Bronya.
"A girl dressed in a Silvermane Guards uniform? Are you insane?"
Mark simply put March and Stelle on some beds, then he waited for a few minutes until Natasha had settled her issues with Sampo.
"Ahem... sorry to bother you here, Miss, but we had no choice. It was a tough spot, and Sampo sort of managed to drag us out of it. I'm sorry for the trouble caused."
She regarded him with a soft smile, then spoke gently.
"Oh, my dear, do not worry. Also, you may call me Natasha."
Mark nodded, sitting down on the edge of an empty bed, finally remembering the metal pipe that kept bothering his side. He slid it out and allowed it to rest against the wall.
"I'm Mark; nice to meet you. I'm glad we got someone to care for my friends here, since SOMEONE... not saying who... decided to use some smoke bombs that might have had something extra in them. Good thing I was smart enough to stop breathing."
Mark's tone was filled with sarcasm at the comment about Sampo's actions. He knew that no harm was done by it, yet he couldn't help but try and dig a deeper hole for Sampo until he'd learn his lesson.
"Aw, come on now; I didn't do it on purpose. How was I supposed to know that they'd all just black out?"
Natasha shook her head, her expression hardening a tinge as Sampo's frivolous excuse went down the drain before it could even have an effect.
"That's no excuse, Sampo, and you know it. Just... take care next time, and you owe me some medicine for this endeavor of yours."
Sampo simply accepted his fate, and with an over-the-top defeated expression, he relented.
"Fine, fine, I yield. I'll make sure to get you some more medicine next time."
Just as they were talking, Dan Heng opened his eyes.
"Where am I?" he asked, his voice barely audible as he stood on the side of the bed, rubbing his head.
"In the Underworld, the place I had told you about before, remember. This is Lady Natasha, and you already know Sampo. He could show you around; I'm sure of it. After all, Sampo never leaves a friend hanging. Right?"
Mark offered Sampo a cheeky smirk, to which he got the same in turn, like the two were playing a little game of their own where verbal tackles and strikes to each other's side were the whole mechanism.
"Oh, yes indeed, my dear friends. How about we go out and I show you the ropes to the most important places here?"
Dan Heng wasted no time, standing up at once. He gave Mark a light nod, then headed towards the door.
"Reconnaissance of the unknown area. That's one of the first things we should be doing. Lead the way, Sampo, but you better not vanish again."
He rubbed his palms together, like a merchant ready to sell their wares for a higher price to an unprepared customer.
"Oh, please, I would never do that... again."
Mark chuckled, lying down on the bed he had been sitting on. He had made himself comfortable for a moment, simply taking a deep breath, allowing his eyes to close.
"Mhm... it's comfier than I expected..."