Sword and Shield

Akari made her way down to the basement of the building. Conveniently enough there were no guards like she expected there would be. Hana must have already started her next move.

The hallway of the basement swallowed her in darkness; its eerie stillness was a stark contrast to the lounge and flower shop she was in earlier. The comforting layers of flowers and tea were completely gone, replaced by a suffocating cold and the faint lingering of something metallic and a tang of disinfectant clinging to the air.

Akari couldn't help but hesitate. She didn't want to, but it was too silent, too empty.

What if they already moved Jun...? Or what if it's a trap...?

She forced herself to take another step, her footsteps too loud against the concrete floor. The overhead lights flickered, as if trying to warn her. She scanned the hallway on high alert, every corner, every room - no voices, no movement, nothing.

It wasn't relief that washed over her. It was unease - a sense that she wasn't alone but just unable to see who else might be watching.

The metal door at the end of the corridor stood ajar as if suspiciously calling for her to enter.

She knew something was off. Deep down she knew. But she had to find Jun regardless.

She pushed the metal door open, bracing for a trap.

But the room was still, silent, empty.

Except for one shaky breath.

Then she saw him.

Jun slumped bound in a chair, blood pooling beneath him from his side.

"Jun!" She ran to his side, immediately assessing his injury.

His eyes fluttered open at the sound of her voice. "Akari...?"

Akari checked his wound. It wasn't fatal, but Jun was losing too much blood. She worked to loosen Jun's bounds on his wrists and ankles. "Can you walk?"

Jun grimaced as the bounds fell off. "You need to go..."

"Huh? I'm not leaving you."

"It's a trap... You need to-"

Jun didn't get to finish as the man from before swiftly appeared from the shadows with a metal pipe aimed straight at Akari.

Jun pushed Akari out of the way as quick as he could, taking most of the brute of the strike himself. Pain exploded across his shoulder down to his already injured side, but he stood firm as he countered the man back with a punch.

The edge of the pipe's swing grazed Akari's arm, drawing a cut. She cried out and clutched her arm to try to suppress the pain and pull herself together.

Jun shoved the man back, turning briefly to check on Akari. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Are you-"

"Stay behind me." His focus returned to the man.

Even wounded, Jun remained her shield. Akari's heart pounded, not just from pain, but from seeing how far Jun would go to protect her.

The man let out a slimy laugh. "How sweet of you to protect her. But for how long do you think you can do that in your sorry state?" 

The man aimed for Jun's injury, but Jun blocked with his arm, using the momentum to give him an opening. Jun didn't hesitate and lunged forward to throw a punch at the man's jaw.

The man stumbled backwards with a twisted smile. He dropped the metal pipe and took his knife back out. The man quickly charged forward, getting in close towards Jun. Jun stepped back, dodging the quick knife strikes while waiting for an opening. 

The man jabbed at Jun, but Jun reacted quicker. He caught the man's wrist, twisted hard and redirected his momentum. With a grunt, the man twisted and flipped, hitting the floor with a hard thud.

Jun barely had time to catch his breath before the man quickly jumped back up to his feet, smile still on his face and knife still in hand.

Jun could feel his muscles cramp, his wounds burn, and his consciousness blur. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up.

The man lunged forward towards Jun again but before he could make his move he froze. He turned suddenly at the sense of a movement behind him - something too quick.

Akari had been quietly moving during their fight. She grabbed the metal pipe that the man had dropped earlier and had made her way behind him.

Before the man could react, she swung down and hit him over the head.

The man dropped to the ground, dazed and groaning.

Akari stared at the man's unconscious body, making sure he wouldn't get back up before she finally dropped the pipe. She steadied her breath as she looked at her shaking hands. 

Jun quickly made his way to her side, his face tight with concern and pain. "I told you to stay behind me." His voice sterner than he meant for it to be. "That could've gone very bad." 

Akari let out an exhale that might've been a laugh as a proud smirk made its way to her face. "You know, most people go with a simple thank you in this situation, but I'll let it slide this time."

Jun blinked, taken aback, a small huff of a laugh. "You're right..." The tension in his shoulders eased a little from her playful tone. "Thank you."

Akari stepped closer to Jun, her voice softer. "You don't have to do everything yourself. You can lean on me." She looked around the room. "We should really get out of here."

Jun hesitated for a moment, then let out a grateful sigh. "Let's go." He shifted slightly, letting her support some of his weight as they carefully found their way out of the building.

Inside, the building felt oddly empty. Hana and the rest of the gang seemed to have moved to a new location while Jun and Akari were preoccupied.

When they stepped outside, a completely different kind of chaos greeted them. Police cars lined the street, sirens wailing, and a growing crowd of press cameras and curious fans. Akari's livestream had proven to be successful. Maybe a little too successful.

Jun's eyes scanned the scene, confusion setting in before pain quickly took over. 

Akari felt Jun's weight fall harder onto her. She turned to him, heart beginning to race as she saw how barely conscious he was.

Akari didn't hesitate. She shifted and supported most of his weight as she began weaving through the shouting crowd that finally noticed them:

"Akari what was that livestream about?"

"Akari are you hurt?"

"What happened inside that building?"

"Is that your friend that was taken?"

"Akari give us a comment on the situation."

Every step was tense and felt too heavy with stress. Sirens blared, cameras flashed, and people pressed closer with a storm of questions - oblivious to the gravity of the situation. Akari's mind raced. She needed to find help and get out of this crowd before Jun collapsed completely - or worse.