Burning sun

“The retreat signal!”

Far above the streets of the port district, Danny storm screamed excitedly. He had made his nest above a very height apartment building and was keeping track of everyone’s movements. Till a little while ago he was utterly angry to be thrown in such a boring position, but once the operation started, he began to feel relieved.

He could see the street surrounded in smoke; his eyes could pierce those white walls and see Dino struggling in the middle of an ice storm and a fiery volcano. Yes, he was quite relieved to not be down there.

“¡The signal is up, Dino Saurus!” Danny screamed to his communicator, almost like he was being presumptuous of the fact. Once that was done, he put on his binoculars and searched again for the small cafe in which the other terrified brawl had begun. Finally his eyes saw her; it was quite a pitiful sight.

“¿What the hell is she doing? ¡The signal is up so get out!”

He saw Yong jumping away from that strange black mist that pursue her, she was human once more and as soon as she landed she did a backflip by gaining momentum with both hands against the ground, she spun in the air and began to run as soon as she reached the ground. She ran, she ran as fast her tired legs could move.

She had no more need to risk herself, the signal was send, now her only purpose was to survive and so she ran, she would outrun that darkness. There was far too much beyond it, not to. Her path was obstructed; a living shadow had spread through the ground and raised cutting her and trapping her on a small circle as it spun like a whirlwind encroaching her more and more and within that shadows, she heard clapping from a condescending applause, a degrading showing of appreciation.

“Thank you for everything. It was fun, it really was.” Joahn spoke once more deep within her darkness.

“Fucking shut….” Lí silenced herself and closed her eyes for a moment with a depth breath as she took back her stance without knowing where her enemy would come, forcing her hands to stop shaking, swallowing her anger, banishing away her fear, as best she could.

She closed her eyes as she knew they will be of no use now.

“¡Hey, Lí what the hell are you doing, she is right behind you!” Danny screamed at her from the auricular on her ear, the sudden screams broke her concentration and in lack of a better mover, she turned and saw the hand of shadows reach out for her again. Not a fist, but an open palm as if by merely touching her it could consume her life into nothing.

But she reacted faster now and moved her body to the side and the darkness passed without any more hesitation she grabbed hold of the arm, human or nor and break it.

She changed moves in an instant and ran past her confident she would not reach he; Lí jumped through the shadows and into the light and ran once more. She could barely believe it, she was just saved.

“¡You can see her!” She screamed into her communicator to confirm to herself, that it had all been real.

“Well it´s a bit hard with all that black smoke, but she is clearly there.”

“¡Your eye sight is stupidly good!” She thought maybe that Irvin boy did have a plan of sorts after all.

“Well not as good as my shooting, but…”

“¡Listen, keep track of her movements, otherwise I´m not gonna make it!”

“Hah so you aren’t that big a deal then, getting freaked out with just a little smoke.”

“Just do it!...please, I really need your help here.”

“Ok… ¡ I´ll help ya, you poor wretch!”- He finally said somewhat nervous, she couldn´t see him scratch his neck anxiously from as far as he was.

“Thanks.” She smile to herself, been too long since she thanked someone. The word felt strange on her lips.

“¡To your right, she is about to reach you!” He suddenly screamed from the communicator, she could sense his concern and her body reacted without hesitation or doubt believing in those words.

The shadows reached from the side, she stopped her running and waited, focusing on a trace of movement, as the darkness reached her.

¡A right Jab!”- His voice said and she understood.

She stepped forward into the darkness and in a brash exchange she evaded a fist just inches to her head and delivered one of her own. The darkness dispelled for a moment allowing her to finally see Joahn´s face as her fist strikes her, making her split blood. Without losing this momentum Yong hopped in place and gave a powerful roundhouse kick of her own

Yong screamed with all of her fury, the muscles in her legs strengthening beyond human. Her kick connect and she felt her opponent recoil and a single groan of pain, Joahn was thrown back along with the shadows that surrounded her. She could see clearly around her as she batted underneath the tender sunlight. The woman in black fell violently to the ground at the other side of the street but she quickly began to stand up on her knees, she was still smiles as blood began to drip from her lips, her hair now covering her face.

“This is so much better than another dull date. Je.je…” She laughed as the shadows began to cover her or rather be released from her.

That darkness began to float as steam being release from the very pores of the woman´s skin and then exploded outwards towards the sky and all that surrounded her. The shadows themselves looked furious now and Yong couldn´t help, but to take a step back in fear. It felt different, not so much like a fog, but rather a hurricane of furious winds.

“¡Yong run away to the alley to your left right now!” Danny´s voice reached her even now that she was frozen in place from the dread.

The loud screaming in her awaked her from her paralyzing fear, she immediately ran towards a small alley, not that far off on the empty streets. She ran in hopes of leaving the violent shadows behind her, not caring where it will take, anywhere, that is all that crossed her mind. She could see it at the corner of her eyes, the shadows getting nearer. So she ran towards the sun at the end of the alley.

She stretched out her hand, fear a death she couldn´t comprehend would reach her from a mere breath away it was so sudden she couldn´t even scream, something came not from behind her, but from the side of the street she had reached and she was lifted off the ground in an instant. The darkness that came from within the alley blasting all the way to a building at the other side, but Yong was now long gone.

“She ran away, huh.” A tired voice spoke from the shadows and then there was only silence. The darkness began to banish back inside the alley.

“¿Wait, what happened?” Asked Yong

She could a cold hand at her shoulder; she looked above her to see a very familiar face holding her on his arms.

“Yo.” Dino spoke with soreness, his human face seemed to be half burned, she could tell thing had been terrible for him as well. Sill he grinned as he kept running with the girl in his arms.

“Let me go…arg!” She held him back tightly as he speeded up, his legs were running at an incredible speed as he cruised through the port doing his best to evade every passerby. To Yong it felt like being carried on a motorcycle at full and without any breaks.

“So fast!”

“Yeah, we need to meet at the reunion spot.”

“Shit, slow it down Dino.”

“¡No way I need to know that he´s alive!” Dino screamed with desperation in his voice and fear showing clearly his eyes. It was the first time she saw him like that, not even when they fought to the death had he looked; so like a boy of his age; Scared and upset.

Thought her pride felt hurt, thought she wanted to throw him to the floor; she remained silent as she held on to his chest, there were traces of scales and she couldn´t help, but think they were so like her own.

“Fine, I’m tired enough I will allow it…” Dino did a dry laugh at her comment and kept running.

Yong felt her eyes close, she was on the verge of sleeping it all had been so fast, but strangely for the first in a very long time, and she felt safe. Even if she closed her eyes, everything will be alright now and so she waited.

Suddenly she felt arms that held her let go and she panicked as she fell to the ground with a thud.

“What the hell, I guess I shouldn´t have expected better of you, you ass!” She got on her feet; her anger making all of her tiredness disappea, but when she saw Dino, she lost her words again. He had fallen to the ground behind her, she could finally see his body, scratched and with red blood all over his clothes, one of his hands was paralyzed in a terrible ugly frost, ice as thick as glass cutting into his skin. He had burns not just in his face, but all over his chest, he would heal those wound, she knew that, but it was terrible too see it all the same.

“You carried me here, being like that? You guys are idiots!”

“No big deal, you were just way heavier than ya´ look.” Dino´s smile with his monstrous teeth, his face covered by his long black bangs.

“Yep, I’m all muscle, honestly I’m surprise you could even lift me with those little lizard arms.” Dino groaned as she suddenly raised him from the floor, putting his arm over her shoulder.

“What the hell.” He wanted to force her away, but the pain had weakened him too much.

“I´m carrying you the rest of the way, you´re a lot less heavy than you look.”

“Jeez, fine if that makes us even o whatever” The man groaned, but still turned his sharp teeth into a smile

“Thanks.”

“I just give you hand; because of that cowboy guy, besides he needs you for some reason. You could have died for all I cared, really.”

“Even so thanks.” Dino´s expression darkened again as he seemed to lose strength again.

“Don´t forget it, if you betray us later, I will kill you for sure this time.”

“I know you two are both beast, I won´t trust you and if you ever hurt my mother and father. I will murder you both with my own bare hands.”- Her tone let no room for misinterpretation.

“But till that day comes we are comrades.” Yong spoke and Dino grinned over her shoulder.

“Yeah as if you could, don´t underestimate us.” Dino laughed, but she wasn´t bothered at all.

The two of them headed to the end of the pier, that was the reunion point and Irvin should have been the closest one to it. “Good to see you two quite alive and relatively well.” Irvin awaited them in a bench in front of the beach; his face was patched up with first aid bandages still tainted red with blood.

“You look like shit.” Yong told Irvin , Dino immediately got on his own two feet and walked onwards. She could see he was still finding it hard to walk

“Hahaha, man you always get off easy, I almost want to punch you.” Dino slumped down at the same bench, lowering his head as he opened up his huge maw.

“More or less, by the way I brought some lunch for celebrating.” Irvin showed us a pair of paper bags in each of his hands, Dino quickly grabbed one of them and took out a hamburger and immediately devoured it in one bite.

“I take it the operation went well?” Yong asked him as she grabbed a lunch bag she threw at her next.

“Yes…We will meet the whole family soon; we have to buy some clothes thought, formal attire only.” Irvin ate his hamburger with care; the two of them seemed to be very relaxed right now. Yong shrugged and turned on her communicator.

“Hey, cowboy come here already, there are hamburgers here.” Yong spoke through the communicator to the only missing member of the group.

“¿What you guys eating without me? Getting off this buildings will be such a pain. I´m coming so you better leave me something.”

“Over and out.”

Yong sited on a closed by bench as well, she couldn´t help, but think those two boys looked very happy right now, and as bloody as they were, it was a strange sight

“Now, Dino we should just relax here on the piers for a while, I’m interest in checking out our new associate´s little kingdom.” Irvin asked his friend who still looked like a corpse slummed on a chair.

“I heard ya man, actually I heard this place has an awesome cinema, let´s watch a movie, ya´ know to celebrate not being death and everything.”

“Oh, Nice idea, there is also a small fair near too, I have been on a roller-coaster, let’s go there is bound to be some deliciously unhealthy foods well... yes, cotton candy to celebrate our road to glory.” Irvin spoke with a certain excitement, even if his mannerism remained stoic.

“A rollercoaster? Hehehe, those things are slow, man. Can´t beat my legs, but if there is food I´m in!”- Dino laughed as if forgetting the scars on his face.

“Hehe, you two sure are good friend.” Yong remained near the bench, as she eat her meal slowly.

“Ms. Lí would you care to join us.”

“¿Huh?” The question came out of nowhere to her, she looked back at the stoic face of Irvin and Dino who didn´t seem to have any complains.

“Of course we are comrades after all; we are to celebrate your success too.” He spoke with his usual serene tone, his voice always sounded kind. “Well ….” She gulped, that sounded far too normal for her.

“Fine, but I choose the movie.” Yong said looked a bit embarrassed.

“Wonderful.” Irvin rested on the bench for a moment as he stares into the sky, trying to pretend the wound on his torso didn´t ache terrible.

We have to enjoy today, after all from here on out.

None of us will have any peace.

Irvin kept his thought to himself as he finished his meal.

***

The sun was setting, but the orange bitter sky of a days end could not be seen in the seas beyond. The orange reddish light had banished among, great pillars of iron. Exhaust pipes, huge and long suffocated the sun with black clouds of smoke, hundreds of them, pillars of iron turning the day to night, making a veil of smog descending upon all.

This where one of so many countless factory´s of Isla Franca´s great industries, everything on this island and all the way to his empire could be produced here, an industry that never stopped, dictated by no laws or regulation. Factories that kept moving only for the sake of their own survival. Sweat, blood and pain creating the backbone of the empires must successful, the blood others of course.

This too was part of the school and many that failed to graduate have they´re future arranged here, a destination for them to become adults.

The industrial district known too many as the grey districts or as its much more often known as the slaver´s bay.

The more unwelcome district of all of Salvatore´s Private Island; a place even its atrocious student’s preferred not to touch. Within these streets of iron and pollution, the roaring of tires and engines could always be heard.

“Those children again.”

From within a small store house pair of middle-aged men hides behind the closed curtains of a window, one of them slightly opened , letting you see the empty lot outside. What he could see beyond the window was the sight of a men in chains.

Workers put to their knees and around them armed young man, carrying weapons of steel and aiming guns at the scared men.

“¿Oh, Salvatore is not putting much effort for us don´t you think? ¿Letting this children make a mess of our place?” - A short man spoke.

“The factory cannot be breached and the men out there don´t know much.” The man who looked through the window answered back to his companion.

“Yes, yes, there is no need to risk one single guard and on the matter of the hostages, another ship will soon come. A ship will come with men and women that can work, men and woman that must work. A ship always comes.” The short man spoke.

“An acceptable lose, still replacing all those workers will slow down production Sir.”

“Yes, but we are in here and those men are not; because we are not expendable and they certainly are. They can curse whoever they want; it will not change a thing it was simply that they were on the wrong side of our great wall. Let´s await the storm and a new ship will come dear boy.”

“Yes, Sir.”- The man closed the window and they both walked away deeper into the factory´s depths.

A factory stood since the islands foundation and now it faced a violent attack against it, none the less this fortress remained closed leaving the unfortunate workers to they´re fate.

“¡You bastards hearing me in there!”

A woman screamed at them with a speaker as loud as possible to no avail. A brown skinned woman dressed in black letter pants and a grey leather jacket with a red scarf and red hair cascading down the left side of her head, the other side completely bold.

She sat on top of a motorcycle customized with iron plates and spikes to the sides making it resemble a small armored vehicle, but her most distinguished of traits was the contraption in place of her right arm.

A grotesque metallically behemoth of an arm, it had no elegance to its design, it was a strapped together pile of weaponry, with a long blade on top of its palm, claw like fingers.

“Alright if there is no answer in five, shoot the first hostage.” The woman put the speaker on a compartment on her huge motorcycle and slowly put her gigantic arm on the vehicles handle, it had been modified as well. The whole motorcycle appearance had been changed just to be able to handle the weight of her arm.

“I don´t think they hear us, Ms. Oxida.” A man dressed in black leather and jeans answered her, without taking his shotgun away from the hostage´s head. The tree more man guarding the rest.

“Seriously I just want some repairs for my damn arm, the hell are they making it so hard. These bastards never had a problem selling they´re damn weapons to student before and just because we have tried to murder them they can’t discriminate us like this.” The woman kept screaming, but there was still no guards or anyone in sight all that was there was a huge black steel wall.

“Well…not if they want to live?” The man answered her back.

“Yes amigo that is why you and I will have to remind them, that the student´s here always bite back, the assholes sold me so many crap repair parts, that my arm barely listens to me anymore. ¿That’s rude, right?”

“Sure is sure is.” All the men said.

“¡Cabrones, bastardos cabrones! Forget about they´re prices, we gonna own the market now, and then I can finally fix my baby.” The woman hugged her armored motorcycle by placing her head tenderly against it.

The men remained in silence looking at her with concern, till finally one of them finally broke the awkward silence.

“Hmm shouldn´t we shoot someone already, I mean this is their territory and I don´t want to be here too long...” Its throat was pierced, the tip of an arrow penetrates his throat and the man fell down bleeding. The woman immediately raised her speaker again.

“¡Joder! ¡If you don´t show yourself I´ll kill the hostages!”-

Just as she spoke another one of her man collapsed with an arrow in his head. IT had pierced him so fast he couldn´t even grasp it. The remaining man pointed his weapon at the blindfolded hostage, he poor man struggled desperate to scream even with the cloth in his mouth.

The gun rang out and with a spread of blood the man died and so did his killer as an arrow pierced right at the back of his neck, the man moaned drowning in blood and collapse on top of his victim.

“Shoot them dead, dead,dead!”

Another shoot rang out; the last of the man pulled the trigger, but the bullet crashed on the ground just to the side of the hostage´s head. The man had been pierce with an arrow in the right shoulder forcing him to recoil and then another arrow pierced the back of his head; fast and precise, his life was ended.

“I´m I seriously getting attacked by an archer right now!”- The woman stared at her arm, where a small low definition squared screen turned on, displaying a radar, blinking in green as she moved her arm.”

“There you are!”

Far above the empty lot of earth, upon the border of an iron bridge a girl was preparing a bow, an Asian girl with long black hair and a great black bow, the woman wore a bullet proof vest with black long gloves and red hakama pants with black combat boots, she carried a quiver with arrows in each side of her hips.

That was the figure of Aoi Adachi a figure that preceded the judgment of the skies. Below her the gang leader didn´t hesitate for a second and placed her mechanized arm over the center of the motorcycle and locked it as she pulled a lever near her shoulder. Her palm opened and long pipe cannon came out as she double checked the calculation on her screen, and pressed a switch to the side of her arm.

“¡Die!”

A loud bang rang and piercing missiles shoot skywards from her arm shaped cannon, the terrifying artillery hit right at the building where she stood and the whole top of the building´s terrace exploded in a cloud of smoke, its remains falling downwards. The woman in the motorcycle licked her lips as she stared at the destruction quietly.

“Serves you right you coward.” She looked back to the employee´s running away and her men who lay lifeless upon the ground; she clenched her teeth from the sight of them before making her engine roar by twisting the handle, as her other arm returned to a more human shape. “¿The scorching sun, huh? She won´t die from just that” She muttered.

Her armored vehicle rushed forward releasing a curtain of smoke behind her, as she drived through the asphalt street towards the collapsing building; she saw a trace of someone above on her radar again. She stared into the black smoke filled sky and saw a figure gliding through the air. The woman in red and black was sliding down a metallic cable with a contraption in her bow, leaving the collapsing building behind; she was soon to reach the ground outside of her enemies gazes.

“Pendeja.” The woman smirked as her armored vehicle speeded up more and more, its gigantic bulked framed rush and tremendous speed, the long haired woman disappeared by falling behind the next corner, the gang leader´s the motorcycle drifter harshly to force her to spin straight into the right without slowing down, but the archer suddenly stopped. Aoi Adachi, the judge of the sky wasn´t running away anymore.

She waited below the metallic bridge on which the trains of the island cruised. Her posture firm and ready with bow and arrow, an empty street between her and the woman in the terrifying two wheeled monster who could tell this was a warning, unless she moved forward, her arrow would not be set free.

“How dare you think you can make me leave, killing once won´t even make up for my men.”

She rushed onward, as Aoi´s arrow was released going straight at the machine´s pilot, the woman pressed a button at the center of her ride a glass wall raised in front of her breaking the path of the arrow. She laughed out loud as she speeded up to run over the archer, she in turn jumped to the side and rolled away at the last moment, her movement showing grace and precision as she pulled another arrow while crouched on the floor, the motorcycle spinning in place to face her again.

She shoot the arrow straight to the targets head, the driver growled as she evaded it by just moving her upper body to the side shifting the weight of her motorcycle, the arrow passing her by and ending stuck in an iron pillar behind her.

The rider then raised her mechanical armored arm and a long spinning barrel came out from the front of her motorcycle and began to spin turning her arm into a machinegun that fired restlessly. Aoi showed no emotion as she quickly hides behind a metallic pillar of the bridge above them, the bullets bounced off still ringing harshly on her ears.

“¡You should have come with your brother, girl!”

The archer ignored her enemies rambling and threw a small white sphere to the ground, releasing a smoke scream and rushing out of cover just as fast. Bullets upon bullets were fired at random, to pierce the thick smoke, till her opponent emerged from within smoke with and a roll, setting in another crouching position to fire off another arrow. A precise shot to an opening in the spinning barrel, the arrow release an electric charge and her machinegun was left completely paralyzed. She readied another arrow and shoot again, her opponent ducked below the protective shield of her ride, the arrow passed above her and pierced into another iron pillar.

The woman speeded up again raising he hand as it unfolded a long and crude blade, Aoi ran towards her enemy and rolled again on the ground evading the blade by a hair of distance, she rolled and regained her crouching position with another arrow at the ready, but her opponent was already on her trail.

“¡ARRRRRRRRGGGGGG!”

The motorcycle rose, standing upwards like a mighty stead and with a loud thump it landed turning around. The fire in the woman that drives was intense, she would not miss this strike, the engines roared and flames spread fort from her exhaust pipe and with a speed unbelievable for that heavy drive she broke the distance between them again; Aoi Adachi slowly rose, stared at those fierce eyes with a calm look, a cold assured look. Aoi released the arrow in her bow and then closed her eyes.

She heard a sound and a terrible scream, and once she opened her eyes, the woman and her monstrous machined had been separated before they could finally be reach. The rider was thrown backwards, her machine running onwards without her, until it crashed against an iron pillar while the pilot fell to her back with all the weight of her arm. Aoi quickly shoot one more arrow to the collapsed motorcycle and upon impact the arrow exploded.

“It is done.”

Aoi looked back at the two arrows she connected to the metal pillars connected by a strong, but almost invisible cable she touched with her fingertips, the impact could have killed the rider if the motorcycled hadn´t been so tall. Aoi stepped on her opponent’s chest with her bow at the ready; the woman below her was starting to come back to her senses from the pressure.

“Carajo, todo esta girando.” Aoi pressed her foot against the woman´s throat forcing her into silence.

“We both seem to speak english so let´s talk that way for now, Mr. Mercedes Rust.”

“Screw, English.” Mercedes said in an obvious daize, but she looked back at the woman above her without any fear.

“I know, it is tedious to spoke it rather than my mother’s tongue, but if we can understand each other that will be enough.”

“Fine, the hell ya want.”

“Look above you, if you may.”

She could not look anywhere else from where she lay, above her underneath the bridge a graffiti was arranged, a sun burning away painted a dimmed black, melting down in the shape of a cup, such was the scorched sun its flames spreading below it as thorns.

“Those workers are under our protection; they have supported us and we have given them a sun mark of their own and yet you threatened to butcher them.”

“I don´t remember saying I would do such a thing, I just wanted to get a raise from their bosses.”

“You went for the wrong mark them, the people you wanted are inside the factory. Your poor aim can only reach the slaves they force to work there.” Mercedes Rust gave a weak smile, as she closed her eyes.

“So you made them your tools too. That´s fine I don´t judge.”

“No, it’s simply that all the victims of Salvatore’s abuse are our comrades, our flag is they´re as much as it is ours and we do not forgive those who hurt our brothers even if… we cannot save them yet.”

“Well I never knew you guys were so sentimental. ¿Do that make me your sister then? Because those bastards sure did a number on me too, took my arm and everything, besides I wasn´t really going to harm those guys I was just going to kidnap them out of there since you guys can´t get a single thing done.”

The two woman remained silent as they stare at each other, the archer had her bow ready and the woman made her mechanical fingers retract, they both contemplated how to kill the other one and who could do so faster.

“In that case if you are to wear our flag, I could assure you, that we will bring judgment for you as well.

“Easier said than done princess, but what about my real brothers, the ones you just killed.” Her mechanical arm lugged upwards with a blade coming out of it, but Mercedes stopped as soon as she saw a small needle appear from Aoi´s upper hand, Mercedes knew she couldn´t be fast enough, she could never reach her before being sting.

“¿Think twice now, is there really no one else for you to protect?” Aoi asked pointing the needle to the other woman´s forehead.

“Hahaha really, you think I´m such a coward and I´ll just pack and go. You killed three of my pals and then blew off my ride. ¡My fucking ride!”

“Dying here is meaningless.”

“Jej dying anywhere is pointless, nothing new there girl, but I got my pride you know.”

“Pride is useless to the death. Once death, one cannot do a single thing help a single someone or even end someone.”

“Is that so… I hate you lot, but there is still someone for me to return to…carajo.“ She allowed he heavy mechanical arm to fall down with a heavy thud. Aoi turned away from her.

“Never come back, unless you are to wear our flag.” Aoi threw a rod of still at her side of Mercedes who just laughed at her answer mocking her words, but she no longer had the strength to do anything more.

“And remember, our scorching sun will only forgive you once, you return with your bravery wrongly once more and you will simply be burned. If you truly wish for justice only the man inside the factory’s wall can give it to you, with their ends”

“No wonder that sun of yours is dying, no light makes it here girl, no light.” Mercedes felt her consciousness leave her; the weight of her arm was too much for her too handle now. Even so she kept trying to laugh.

“¿Sisters, huh? Don´t make laugh.” Merced grabbed the light metal rod that seemed to ghold something inside it and merely groaned.

Aoi walked through the polluted streets, she did not know what would be of that other woman, but she had to gamble again. The young women stare at the grey skies with distain not looking at all the people in the street that watched her march. Men and woman bowed to her in silence, truly all who lived in this grey sky respected the scorched sun.

We need more people … brother alone is not enough, but she is not a true friend of the slaves, a foolish move. Aoi you were a fool, she is too much a risk, hatred to Salvatore along will not make her your ally. Aoi you fool…

The loud sound of music hit her like a wave, dispersing her thought; a rock and roll song that cared little for the peace of the streets, soon enough enveloped everything.

That infernal noise has to be him, no one else but him.

Another strange motorcycle stopped just at her side, a flashy one, red and very shiny, but at least it looked much more like a normal ride except for two speakers at the tails of the vehicle, two speakers that were being as loud as they could be. The driver stepped out; he was a young blond man, an unfairly pretty one .

The man was sparkling, that was the only way to describe him. His platinum blond, sunny hair combed in a meticulously well-kept pompadour. He stepped forward dressed in a light pink shirt with enough buttons opened to show off his chest, a white suit coat, white tight pants, and shinning black shoes that shine very out of place there in that gray street. He took of his sunglasses showing his clear blue eyes and gave a cocky smile.

“Ane…h…j…..in….sh…”

“¡I can´t hear a thing you are saying with that noise, off with it!” Aoi screamed at him to overcome the loud music.

His confident expression disappeared into terror as he tried to press the buttons on a console to stop the music, while he was doing that Aoi kept on walking on her way thought the street while leaving him behind.

“Wait Aneki, wait.” He took off the breaks of his motorcycle and starts to roll it on the street to follow her pace.

“I don´t remember summoning you Rocky.”

“Anekiii be honest you went off to another crazy fight, as your personal guard that’s kinda… something ya´ got to tell me at least, just saying.”

“She was nothing I couldn´t handle, all went in according to my strategy.”

“That’s Aneki for you, not one mistake, but the thing is, the general shouldn´t risk her neck like that you got plenty of men who would die for you, so give them a bit of trust or something.” She finally stopped walking to look him straight in the eyes.

“Don´t ever say that, as the general what I want to archive is to keep you all from dying. So never say you´ll throw your lives away, it speaks poorly of me. I will make sure none of you die, including me as well that is my duty.”

¿What Am I saying now?...there is no way I could promise them that…

Rocky Howards remained in silence as his lips turn into a content smile, taking his sunglasses off to see her eye to eye.

“It’s like I’m falling in love with you all over again.”

Aoi began to walk away once more.

“Wait, I just wanted to ask if you wanted a ride back home… I mean you do look kind of tired and it’s very far off and stuff.” Rocky was rambling nervously with a very clear blush on his cheeks. Aoi breathed slowly as she considered the offer again and made a sudden stop.

“Alright, it is indeed kind of far…. So thank you and no music please.”

I do feel very tired; fighting is always so suffocating, so exhausting. Very well, he might be a bit clumsy, but he´s never anything, but nice to me, beside I want to be a little bit selfish too.

“Cool, now then, let us ride the wind.” He threw a helmet for her and got himself back on his motorcycle, she used to find such a vehicle far too risky when they first meet, but that is already something from far too long along. She sat behind him and grabbed him from the waist, still carrying her bow upon her back.

“Just don´t do anything foolish.”

“¡Hell, yeah!...I mean of course not.” Rocky put on his sunglasses again acting a bit flustered.

“¿Howard, could you take me somewhere else?” Aoi rested her head against his back, he tried to glance back, but couldn´t see her face under the helmet.

“¿Well you are the boss, right?”

“Let’s go there again, I want to see the real sun if only for a little while.”

“Huh, we won´t be making it to the old school till night time, your brother may get worried.”

“Let him.”

“Hahaha that´s cool, let’s do it. Looking at the sundown with a wonderful girl is worth risking my fingers for.” Rocky made the engine roar and the two of the started to speeding up through the street. Aoi closed her eyes as she pressed herself against his back. She breathed calmly knowing that for a while, as they ridded through street she didn´t need to worry about anything. He will get her there like he always does so she simply closed her eyes just feeling the wind blowing around her.

I´ll let myself relax. ¿When was it again? ¿That I started to love the feeling of the wind like this? Doesn´t really matter now, I just don´t want to care about our cause for tonight. My brother can handle one day without me, I´m sure of it.

She let the winds and the time wash over her, just resting there with eyes closed leaving her mind wander away.

“Wake up general, or you´ll miss this precious, precious sight.”

The sun was setting, in the distance above the sea. The sea always held such beauty. She could see it clear from here a small dinner at the side of a tall cliff; none of black thick smog of the industrial sector reached the side of the mountain. Aoi sited on a nearby bench as close to the fence as she possible could.

It´s easy to forget this is such a beautiful tropical island, this land was truly blessed once, but just like home, Salvatore´s filth has corrupted It can´t be saved any more, honestly my brother never even leaves slaver´s bay now, I hope he gets to see the sunset again one day.

Rocky rested on top of the fence in a dangerous fashion as he pressed forward.

“¡This is the kind a sight that makes a man´s heart beat fast with a dum dum da!”

“¿Why does everything you say has to be cheesy?”

“A man´s got to be romantic no matter what he does, at least that´s the way of Rocky Howards, Aneki.” Rocky turned back to talk to her face to face.

“Suit yourself.”

It´s foolish, but I don´t really mind it.

“¿So… did you kill that girl?”- Rocky asked lying backwards till he could see clouds above.

“No I spared her, she wasn´t even a student after all, besides she may not even have been an enemy and if so…”

I killed people I shouldn´t have, even if my knowledge was limited

“Heavy, but I´m happy to hear it. I don´t really like it when you kill people.”

“Hmm… it has yet to be seen if that was the right call or not, besides killing is indispensable to our mission this is a war Howard.”

“I get that, but I still don´t like it.”

“I might be nothing a fool for letting her live, it may not be worth the risk when all is say and done.”

“Even if it’s foolish, that kindness of your is what allowed me to live, am I wrong?”

Right it was the same back then, when this fool picked a fight with brother and I, The Rockabillies that owned the district before we arrived didn´t welcome us at all. None the less we took their territory by force and it was my choice to take this fool prisoner.

I just thought that he was far too childish for that kind of group..

“Yeah, big brother Kojiro and you. You both gave me so much, gave me a second life so of course I´ll stake it for you two, least I can do for those who gave me back my own song.”

That’s right we save him, from the gang that betrayed him, because of that he decided to dedicate his whole live to us and our goals. Even when he didn´t share them.

¿Is that not foolish? It bothers me a lot, but my brother could carry such devotion from hundreds of men, and be willing to risk them all, not because of heartless, but because Kojiro Adachi believes in their passion and would not question them, to brother it’s almost like they´re his very own family and he will gladly throw away his live for all them and accept tht they would do the same for him.

I’m not like that, I can´t handle such a burden I rather prefer if no one where to die.

“¿Sulking, again? ¿Did I say something dumb?” Rocky asked her staring at the setting horizon.

“Always, but still it’s not anything for you to worry about. Thanks for the pleasant trip I may have needed it more than I thought.”

Even so as the general I must pretend I can carry that weight, Howard and all the fools who believe in us, for you all I will kill and worst.

¿It’s your entire fault brother, why can´t you see there is no future for anyone on this island? How I wish I could have just remained there at home even if it in ruins.

“Ey, those guys again.” Rocky´s voice took an angry tone as he cracked his knuckles.

From the dinner at least a dozen men came out once, men dressed white formal business suits, all very young, Aoi stood up looking at them stepping into three white cars; some of those men looked back at her and then pretended to see nothing.

“The family, they sure are spending a lot of time near our district now.”

“¿Think they want a fight, aneki?”

“They will not come with violence, but even so they´re very presence here is a terrible omen.”

They are just going around talking, to the business owners, to the factories and they´re unwilling workers. To our friends, to our allies, they know we can´t stop them, they know any violence will start off something unstoppable.

¿Have they lost the fear of my brother? No, that man is no fool, something has changed this year and so have the winds. If nothing has truly failed on our side, then...

¿For who´s will have the winds changed?

“Howard it seems, we are bound to be busy very soon.”

“I think so too.”

If so even if I´m undeserving or not, I will put an end to them as the general of the burning sun. For all the fools entrapped in my brother’s charisma and for him too, the biggest fool of them all, my dear brother.