It won't be me that bleeds tonight

I had some time to kill before meeting up with Time, so I took the liberty of actually using the gym’s facilities rather than just the shower. My magical girl awakening had already amplified my physical abilities far past what any regular human being could do, but it was always good to keep myself fit with some cardio every now and then.

Plus, few people have looser lips than gym-goers.

“I heard that Kurogaisha’s CEO tripled his bodyguard detail after that guy from Komono Corp got bisected,” I overheard a nearby man saying as I ran on the treadmill.

“As if throwing in more MPs and cybercops is gonna achieve a thing. This is a magical girl we’re talking about. They’re practically an unstoppable force,” replied his friend.

“Yeah, but if you’ve got a ‘practically unstoppable force’ coming your way, and you’ve got enough funds to buy a small country, are you gonna take it lying down? Or are you gonna throw wave after wave of mooks at it to test just how unstoppable it is?”

“I mean, I getcha, but we all know it ain’t worth a damn. Can’t stop a steamroller with an army of ants. Only thing stoppin’ a rogue magical girl is a stronger magical girl, innit.”

I almost instinctively grimaced. It was a possibility I had yet to face, but one that would inevitably rear its head sooner or later. The entire cyber-samurai class was made up of cybernetically enhanced magical girls, and if there’s one thing cyber-samurai love it’s getting paid exorbitant amounts of money to bring in high-value targets. Frankly, it’s a miracle none had been sent after me already. At least that I knew of.

Magical girl infighting was incredibly dangerous. Not just to the participants, but anyone and anything in the surrounding area. Some of us have powers based on utility, but others are more destructive.

None more so than the one who took my right eye. Not that I ever wanna think about her again.

Still, the CEOs upping their bodyguard pay was actually good news, in a way. Sure, it put more meat shields between the business end of my sword and the internal organs of the ruling class, but it also meant they were really starting to take notice of me. Of course, I already knew that from what Old Gran said, but the more of a buzz it makes, the better.

Might finally be the kick up the arse that the common folk need to throw out the bastards in charge.

I didn’t hear much more of interest in the remainder of my time on the treadmill, and before long there was only 15 minutes left before I was set to meet back up with Time. I took the last bit of time left to me to have a well-earned shower and waited in the gym lobby for my companion.

Unlike the dry cleaners, the place was far more representative of the derelict state of the slums. The owners did what they could to keep it clean and safe, but anyone could see that it’s needed a new coat of paint for years at this point. The walls had lost pretty much all their colour, half the exercise equipment seemed to be on its last legs, and the poor cleaning staff seemed to be stuck in an endless war with the unrelenting black mold that permeated so many parts of the slums.

No disrespect to the guys running it, but man, the place was a dive.

“I keep you waiting long?” A quiet voice called from under the table. I hadn’t even noticed her come in.

“No, I just got here myself. Hear anything juicy on your rounds?”

“Nothing we can talk about here. We need to get back home.”

“Right. Hop in the bag.”

“...you didn’t get it cleaned, did you?”

“Just get in the damn bag, cat.”

***

Ignoring Time’s relentless complaining, I made my way back to the tiny shack I called home and let her out of the bag.

She stepped out gracefully, then turned her face towards me with narrowed eyes. It’s strange, cats don’t exhibit the same facial expressions or body language as us, but somehow I could read exactly what she was feeling. ‘Hesitant’ didn’t quite do it justice, nor did “cautious.” She almost seemed outright frightened.

“Alright, out with it then. What’s got you in a tizzy?” I asked, sinking down into the futon.

“You’re planning to go to Meguro, aren’t you?”

“Wh- yeah, how did you-”

“Don’t.”

Though her voice was still gentle, her tone was firm. I could tell she was dead serious about this.

“I’m… confused. They’re moving their MPs out of Meguro, right? Why not strike while the iron’s hot?”

“That’s exactly what they’re banking on. Think about it, word gets out to the public that troops are moving out of Meguro and there’s a huge shipment of vital cybernetic parts coming through that way? There’s no way this isn’t a trap for you.”

“Shipment of cybernetics?”

“You… didn’t know about that part…” Time lowered her head as she realised her mistake. “...fuck.”

“Time, I have to.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Those parts could save lives, you know how many people in the slums have shit that needs fixing or replacing.”

“And what if I’m right and this is all just a trap?”

“Then I’ll cut my way through every MP they throw at me.”

“And what if they send something more dangerous than an MP? Don’t you remember how it ended the last time you tried to fight another ma-”

“Save it.”

My hand traced the scar that stretched above and below my cybernetic eye. The wound may have technically healed, but to me it was still fresh. I felt a little bad for snapping at her, but it wasn’t a memory I wanted dredged up like that.

“…sorry. I know it’s something you don’t like to think about.”

“It’s fine. Besides, I know for a fact that she’s far from Meguro. I keep tabs on her to make sure our paths don’t cross.”

“How?”

“By looking in the papers for whatever place has recently been dealt catastrophic damage by a deranged magical girl.”

“In hindsight I should have assumed that from the start,” she sighed. “But just because she won’t be there doesn't mean another magical girl won’t. You can’t just gamble your life like this.”

“Risk my life to potentially save hundreds? How could I not take that gamble?”

“Do you wanna save a few lives now, or change millions by achieving real change?”

“You don’t get it, Time. Change starts with solidarity and public service, not violence. If all I do is give open heart surgeries to corrupt CEOs and rob their companies blind, I’m just a serial killer with a convenient motive. This is how the winds of change begin to blow. By raising up the people at the bottom, not just dragging down the bastards at the top.”

“But if you get yourself killed today, you can’t do either.”

“And that’s a risk I take every damn mission. Never stopped me before.”

“Dammit, Toki, I-“ she stopped sharply as she noticed her voice rising. She breathed heavily and then continued in a softer tone. “You’re all I have in this world. I don’t want to lose you.”

“And you won’t,” I said, crouching down and scratching behind her ear. “I’ve got too much left to do to die today. But I have to do this. I have no choice.”

Time looked me in the eyes for a moment, before dipping her head in resignation.

“If you’re gonna do this, you’ll need all the help you can get. Take the earpiece, I’ll watch your eye’s feed through the tablet and try to help out where I can.”

I let a soft smile creep onto my face.

“Thank you, Time.”

“Thank me by making it home alive, please.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” I said, taking my katana from the ground and giving it a slight flourish. “It won’t be me that bleeds tonight.”