Enter Sapphire

“So, we ready to go to Japan?” Sapphire asked.

“Yep. Sure am, ma’am. T-the sea…the sea sure is nice, isn’t it?” Forgetting she was in England, the land of the grey and shitty.

“Hey, Ulrich?” Dominic asked. “You know how your friend said you should ditch the whole ‘Destiny Destroyers’ thing?”

“Yeah?” Ulrich replied.

“I think that was the best call, considering the better double D’s right here!”

Lainey delivered a swift elbow to his gut. She’d go for his face, but considering just how tall he was, it was probably impossible for her 5’5 body. But Sapphire was tall, seeming slightly taller than Dominic, so maybe she could do it for her.

“So, before we get started, we need to clean you guys up.” Sapphire stated.

“You got a shower?” Ulrich asked.

“I do, but I don’t think I’ll need it.” Sapphire replied casually. “There’s something I wanna try out.”

The three of them felt a gust of wind creep up behind them. They were suddenly wrapped within it, and all three fell to the ground. Dominic was the first to stand up, and when he did, he noticed the blood was off his clothes, and a splashing noise was heard off the edge of the boat.

“Hey, it worked.” Sapphire said happily. “Sorry about the landing thing, I’ll work on it.”

“It’s…it’s fine.” Lainey mumbled. Her clothes felt brand new. She herself still felt a little dirty, but it probably wasn’t anything a quick shower couldn’t fix.

“Anyway, I gotta start the boat. You three can check the interior out.”

The three of them entered the inside of the boat. Pretty spacious for what seemed like a simple houseboat. A short wooden hallway with a room in the left, a room in the right, and a room at the end. The room on the left side was labelled ‘men’, so Ulrich and Dominic went inside.

There wasn’t much to the room. It was just a wooden room with a metal bucket and two green hammocks at either end.

“Kinda barren, huh?” Ulrich mumbled.

Lainey opened the door labelled ‘women’ and saw what was inside. There was a full bookshelf with a luxurious double bed with purple sheets, and next to it was a CD player and a small stack of CD’s. And on the other side of Sapphire’s bed was another green hammock. And at the very end of her room was another door.

“Hey, why is your room so nice?” Dominic yelled out.

“It’s probably her room, dude.” Lainey replied. “You two are just stuck in a spare she had lying around.”

“It’ll do. I’m gonna check out the back.” Ulrich said, opening the door.

Inside was a kitchen. Simple wooden walls like the rest of the boat, with a few shelves, a small stove, a sink, and a minifridge. On the shelf were a few small cans and packets of things like instant noodles, as well as a pack of cigarettes.

“Think we can just grab something?” Ulrich asked.

“I mean, we live here now, right?” Dominic asked while checking out the minifridge. “I think as long as we ration the food or whatever, we’ll be fine. And I happen to be an expert in rationing.”

“How did you become an expert in rationing, exactly?” Lainey asked.

“An assassin can’t always expect to have fresh food available. So I practised rationing. Not a bad method of weight loss, honestly. Hey, they got beer in this joint.”

“I’ll…keep it in mind.” Lainey nodded, looking at Dominic’s stick thin figure. What went through his head was an anomaly and if anyone tried to figure it out, they’d probably go insane. Lainey looked up towards the shelf, and on top of a few cans of fruit was a box of cigarettes.

“You guys want these?” Lainey asked.

“Nah, don’t smoke.” Ulrich replied. “Besides, they could be hers.”

“Doubt it, dude. Unopened box, and these are Hell Grounds. This is the cheap shit twelve-year-olds smoke to look cool.”

“Maybe it’s the best kind in England.” Dominic replied. “We just don’t have the good stuff here. Maybe, I don’t smoke, because-”

“An assassin needs top quality lungs?” Ulrich sighed.

“Precisely.” Dominic nodded with a smirk. Ulrich didn’t smile.

“Alright, I’m ready!” Sapphire yelled.

The three of them headed outside, and Dominic looked over to the sea. England was slowly becoming a speck in the distance. And he couldn’t be happier about this.

“Farewell, old England. I fear I’ll miss you, but my dreams must carry on!”

“You are aware you’re coming back after this, right?” Ulrich asked.

“But do I have to?” Dominic responded coolly.

“Okay, everyone got a chance to look around?” Sapphire asked. “Because I got a small request to ask you guys.”

“Oh, yeah. Anything.” Lainey quickly yelled out.

“It’s nothing much. I just wanna fight you guys!” Sapphire yelled out, bumping her fists together.

Ulrich and Lainey were taken aback by this, while Dominic just replied with a quick “Sure.”

“Why, exactly?” Ulrich asked.

“Because you guys were all busted up when I arrived. I need to see what I’m working with; you feel me? Besides, I’m pretty sure one of you is another elemental.”

“That would be me.” Ulrich said with a hand raise. “These gloves let me use fire.”

“Oh like the ice chick?” Sapphire asked. “I thought it was a fashion statement or something.”

“Wait, do you not need gloves?”

“Nah, the ability just kinda came to me.” Sapphire replied, clutching her necklace.

“And you have wind powers, I’m guessing?” Lainey asked.

“Bang on, pink!” Sapphire nodded. “You got anything?”

“Kinda. Promise not to freak out, okay?”

Lainey took a granola bar out of her pocket and waved it over her guitar. Her demon eventually came out, and Lainey took a small chunk out which fell into its mouth.

“It’s pretty nice when it works. Not when it decides not to fight for you when fighting actual demons.” She said, snarking at something that definitely couldn’t comprehend snark.

Sapphire looked absolutely mesmerized at the demon she was wielding.

“That is…absolutely incredible.” She gasped.

“Oh…y-you think so?” Lainey asked. “It’s not much, really. I just got it after being thrown out of a portal by Komo, no big deal.”

“Wait. Wait wait wait wait wait.” Sapphire yelled. “You survived an encounter with Komo? And got stuck with a demon after all that?” Sapphire laughed. “You really are something!” Ulrich went down after one hit from those things!”

“One hit, mate?” Dominic scoffed. “I was able to tank around…twenty before I went down. And I took a few down with me. Saved a few missing children, too. General hero stuff.”

“I refuse to believe any of that happened.” Ulrich replied wearily. “If shotguns can’t stop them, I don’t think your axe can do much better.”

“Okay, fine. I didn’t kill any demons. But I took a few hits for the people for the sake of my country in the face of death! Which could be considered even better.”

“You really represent the people, got it.” Ulrich sighed.

“So, we have solars fire and pinks demon. Axe, what do you have?” Sapphire asked.

“My axe.” Dominic replied with a stylish finger snap. “Nothing but pure arm strength!”

“Got it.” Sapphire nodded. “Okay, now that I have information on all three of you, here’s how this is gonna go. I’ve gotta land a hit on each of you, and you all gotta land a hit on me. Sound good?”

“You bet!” Dominic yelled, unsheathing his axe.

“Sounds good.” Ulrich said.

“I can do it, sure.” Lainey replied, slightly panicked.

“Alrighty, then!” Sapphire replied with a wicked smile. “Let’s get to it!”