#11: Gunshot

The sound of a gunshot was heard near us, as we all peered at Leo, his unconscious body dropping to the ground.
..
I fell to Leo's side, feeling my hand against his arm. Dripping blood slowly painted the rubble red. “Leo? Wake up! Come on…” I mutter, lifting his face off of the floor. “Who the hell are you?!” Megumi yelled, looking around for the gunshot’s source. "Y'know, maybe we focus on Leo being unconscious on the floor?” I turned to Megumi, standing straight up. I throw Leo over my head with a grunt. “Megumi, follow me!” Isamu runs through a passageway. “We first gotta get outta here, Rin. Let’s go!” Megumi followed, leaving me alone with Leo on my back. “Oh, but I thought he said for you to follow. I’m no one, so…” A creak in the floor in the same direction as the gunshot cut my sentence off. “Fine, I’m going!” Quickly, I ran through the passageway.
We reached outside again. This time, at the back of the same building. “Let’s get back to Thunder Fang,” I SMARTLY exclaim, fixing Leo’s position on my shoulder. “I can’t go there,” Isamu replied, turning his head to the side LIKE A SMALL CHILD. “Megumi, let’s go!” I shrug off Isamu’s comment and roll my eyes. "Uh… Rin, you go back to Thunder Fang. I’ll go with Isamu,” Megumi said, walking to Isamu’s side with an arm over his shoulder. “Okay, firstly, no. Secondly, go with him where?!” I yell back at him. Was he really about to choose this bastard over me—I mean, Leo? That’s such an old, friendless Rin move... I would never do that nowadays. ‘’Some place special... I’m not gonna argue with you on this. Go back to Thunder Fang with Leo; that’s an order,” Megumi finished, walking away with Isamu, who quickly turned around and stuck his tongue out. Megumi knocked him back with a slap to the head. I sigh, maneuvering Leo to my side and limping back with him.
..
“Lucy, what the hell were you thinking?!” An unknown voice roared through the building we once stood in. “You could’ve exposed us! Then what would we tell Kira?” The same deep voice added, revealing these two were the culprits of the gunshot. A slim girl with long, blonde hair reloaded the gun that shot Leo. “I don’t care about Kira. He has this weird obsession with this Rin guy. Just ‘cause he got his ass handed to him,” The girl, known as Lucy, replied, hiding the gun. “I agree. No one likes that guy… but Master said to STOP them from talking to that Isamu guy, not SHOOT them,” the unknown figure added. He had dark skin and was full of muscles. “Oh, Cole. You sweet thing,” Lucy cupped the man, now known as Cole’s right cheek, in her hand. “Woah… take me for dinner first,” Cole joked, pulling Lucy’s hand off, gently. “Let’s just get outta here,” Lucy sighed. Silently, they left the wreckage. 
..
Finally, we reach the warehouse and rush to the entrance with a limp. I use my shoulder to slam the door open, hurriedly running in. Everyone gathered around as Chihiro pushed through the crowd. Her eyes widened, falling down on Leo’s unconscious body on the floor. “W-What happened? Where’s Megumi…?” Chihiro asked, slowly stepping to us. “Forget about Megumi! The main thing is that Leo got shot," I reply, hastily dropping the ground at him. “Nigel, fetch the medkit." Chihiro cut me off, sitting down next to us. Her facial expression became more serious. “Alright…” She started, inspecting his arm. "It seems like it tore his skin. Fortunately, the bullet didn’t go in. A couple of stitches would do the trick,” Chihiro finished as Nigel arrived with the medkit. "Wow, you’re good at this,” I exclaim, completely fascinated by Chihiro’s skill. “I do this all the time,” Chihiro replied. “Because of fighting INJURIES, right?” I asked, wondering if she really was talking about fighting. I mean, after what just happened, that question was completely viable. "..." All Chihiro did was stare right at me. This made me blush for some unknown reason. Chihiro quickly told this Nigel guy to carry Leo to his bed. “He’ll be alright, Rin. Just... get some fresh air,” she said, following Nigel and Leo.
..
In another area, Megumi dragged Isamu by his hands. “I don’t wanna go, ‘Yama!” Isamu whined, trying to hold himself back. He really did act like a literal child. “Isamu, we are going to visit our DEAD friend for his birthday!” Megumi exclaimed, forcing Isamu through the gateway to their late friend’s resting place. Soon, they both ran out of energy, stopping to take a breather. “Give me ONE good reason why we can’t visit him,” Megumi asked. The atmosphere became more calm. "Because... because I’ve never visited him since that day!” Isamu yelled, tears forming in his eyes. “Isamu, I’m sure Yoshi would be fine with that…” Megumi tried to reason with Isamu, but to no effect. “Yeah, well, I guess we’ll never know, huh?" Isamu stared straight at Megumi as he finally started sobbing.
“I just couldn’t face him... I couldn’t face his parents. Nothing’s ever stopped me from visiting—nothing but me. He was a way better person than me, but he’s the one we’re visiting the grave for… Why?” He looked at Megumi, tears smeared all over his face as he gulped down the pain. His sentence was filled with voice cracks and stops. He waited for Megumi to answer him. He knew there wasn’t an answer, but he still waited. Megumi began with a sigh, “That’s just the way it is. I love you and I love him... but he’s gone, and he’s never coming back…” The pain slipped out Megumi’s voice as he continued with tear-filled eyes, “But we knew him. We know he wouldn’t want us to be this way. Wouldn’t he, Isamu?” He asked, wiping his tears away. Isamu replied with a simple shake of the head. "So... we’re going to go visit our friend for his birthday, and we are never gonna let him see us sweat, okay?” He helped Isamu clean his face as Isamu answered with a smile and a nod. “Let’s go!” He finished, hugging Isamu. “I love you, Megumi... You’re my best friend.” Isamu finally spoke, leaving Megumi shocked. He shrugged past it with an “I know.” as they broke their hug. Megumi threw his arm over Isamu’s shoulder, and they visited their best friend without letting any tears out. 
..
“Hey,” a voice called out to me, sitting at the steps of our warehouse, my face hidden in my legs. I look up to see Megumi standing in front of me. His eyes were red and puffy. I could see he'd been crying. I bury my face in my knees again and snarkly ask, “Where’s your friend?” Megumi sits down next to me with a sigh. “He went back to get us that Golden Lion information. How’s Leo?” Megumi asked, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. I stick my head out, resting my chin on my knees. I started, “Chihiro’s been working on him for the past 30 minutes.” Megumi cut me off before I finished. “How are you feeling, though?” I jerk my head to Megumi, caught off guard by his abrupt question. “I’m just... so confused, and I think I’m really questioning if this is really just fighting,” I reply. “Mm, yeah. I know how you feel. Too well, actually.” I tilt my head, pondering what Megumi really meant. I knew exactly what he was saying, but I just couldn’t believe it. “That’s why you keep crying, huh?” I ask, staring up at him to see him once again, tearing up. “Hey, no. Stop the crying!” I add, slapping the back of his head. 
He sniffed his nose, holding me tightly. He sighed, ruffling my hair jokingly. It felt like an older brother protecting me from harm… He felt like an older brother. “I’m sorry to say, but that’s just the way it’s gonna be. You’re the one who has to decide whether you wanna stay or not. I’m bad at pep talks, so-” I interrupt Megumi with a smile, saying, “Yes. Yes, you are.” Megumi snickered before slapping my head as payback. “Alright. I’m going in. Come when you’re ready,” he finished, walking in.
..
“Alright. Leo should regain consciousness in an hour or so, and Miko and Eve just replied. They’re on their way back,” Chihiro informed Megumi, slipping her phone back into her pocket. “Great. Isamu sent me a link to all we need to crush Golden Lion. Let’s get to work,” Megumi replied. They sat at a table, covered in different wrecked paper and stationery. Chihiro replied with just a nod.
“I know you weren’t thinking about planning without me." I walk in, in ALL MY GLORY. I sit down with them as they gather around me. Megumi placed his hand on my shoulder, and Chihiro smiled at me. “I’m glad you’re staying,” Chihiro claimed as I replied, “Can’t let Nigel do anything funny with you." Chihiro’s joy turned into confusion, and mine became flustration. She threw “Huh’s” and "What's” at me, and I tried my best to ignore her as we began plotting our counter.
TO BE CONTINUED.