Infiltrate the Ship

Hiro couldn’t keep his eyes off the ocean around them. The deeper they went, the more life their surroundings had. Schools of fish swam around the Duck. None of them bumped into the vehicle, as though they could sense it was there. Vibrant corals filled the sandy floor, serving as a fortified shelter for its inhabitants.

Usano stuck her face against the window, so much so that her breath left behind a foggy imprint. “Whoooaaa! Look at all the fishies! Uh, I mean— Ahem. Truly a sight to behold, but not one that I am unfamiliar with.”

“Stay focused. Be quiet.” Haruka touched the button on her earpiece. “We’re here. What now?”

“A-Ah! Haruka, is that you?” Leo asked.

“Yes.”

“Always as straightforward as usual, I see. You caught me in an unfortunate time. I’m in the middle of a bathroom break right n— Urgh…” Rumbling echoed from their earpieces. “An emergency, if you will. I should really hold off on all that caffeine. A-Anyways! I take it that you’re currently underwater?”

“Yes.”

“Excellent. If you check your map, we marked the location of Ruto Port. It’s not too far from you. Do you see it?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I need you to approach with caution. You should be undetected, but don’t be overconfident. Remain vigilant. Pride goes before the fall, after all. Are the three of you ready?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. Sneak over to the port and tell me everything you see. I’ll— U-Ugh… I’ll finish up here and guide you afterward.”

“Understood.”

As per Leo’s instructions, they followed the map to Ruto Port. The water around them grew darker, and the thriving coral ecosystems were replaced with towering brown fronds of kelp. Soon enough, giant wooden columns were in clear view. They had arrived at their destination.

Slowly, they rose to the surface. The port, small and humble, had a central warehouse surrounded by wooden cottages. There were two docks; fishing boats lined up around one of them, and the other was occupied by a single large freighter. The ship’s entrance was guarded by four armed men, while the rest patrolled the ship.

Hiro explained what he saw as best as he could to Leo.

“Hm… Good. Everything seems to coincide with our data,” Leo said. “If things are going according to schedule, they should be departing in approximately one hour. Stake out and wait until then. If you need me, I’ll… I’ll be at the toilet again. Stay alert.”

Hiro reclined in his chair and used his arm as a headrest. “Sounds like the boss is going through his own fight.”

Usano slammed her seat. “I wanna fight too! Why is this taking so long?”

Haruka had already fallen asleep. The wait for the next hour had begun—an hour filled with Usano’s ramblings.

And ramble she did. Hiro entertained her for a while, but without Haruka to share the pain with, he eventually gave up and rested his eyes. She switched endlessly from topic to topic, having no rhyme or reason in her choices—just whatever came to her head.

When the hour almost closed in, a black van came by; two people stepped out. One was a bald rotund man with blue rugged pants tied together with a white string. He wore nothing on his top, but bandages covered his stomach. Next to him stood a tall woman with a long silver ponytail. Her dress, white as snow, had no blemish or stain whatsoever. A golden sheath rested on her waist. Though she wore high sandals, her steps remained elegant and poised.

Hiro took pictures of the two as they entered the ship and sent them to Leo. He soon replied with an urgent tone.

“Everyone, listen to me.” Leo’s words woke Haruka up. They all paid close attention to him. “I didn’t expect this. Those two in the picture are not to be trifled with. We just confirmed them to be Bao Ma and Hui Yan, high-ranking members of Brigade. In the global list of the most dangerous criminal organizations, Brigade ranks fifteenth.”

Hiro clutched his thighs. “Fifteenth?! I just got here! Why am I already dealing with this?!”

Usano snickered. “What kind of attitude is that, my junior? People of our caliber should laugh in the face of such danger!”

“Speak for yourself! I’m gonna die out there!”

“Everybody, relax,” Leo said. “I’m fully aware of how dangerous this mission has gotten. I won’t blame you if you decide to back out, but I can’t help but think we’ll never get this chance again. Brigade’s leader is originally from Huasheng, which explains how this shipment came to be. I doubt they’re the masterminds behind this trade, but this does bring us a lot closer to our target. If we let this chance slip now…”

Hiro shrugged. “Ah, but we’re really understaffed right now, we couldn’t have done anything about—”

“I can handle them,” Haruka said.

“Whoa whoa! Wait, wait, wait.” Hiro put his hands forward. “Be sure about this, Haruka. These guys are no pushovers. We’re only three people.”

“You can leave if you want. I’ll finish the mission myself.”

Usano raised her hand. “I can handle them too!”

Hiro covered his face with his hand and sighed. “Well, now I feel bad.”

“Don’t force yourself,” Leo said. “You can always just stay at the shore until the girls come back.”

It was tempting, but he couldn’t bear the embarrassment of waiting for the girls’ return. After all, he didn’t come this far just to run away again. “I-It’s okay. I’ll go. Like you said, we’ll escape if things get dicey.”

“That’s great to hear! In that case, here’s the plan. That ship has three decks: the upper deck with the captain’s bridge, the lower deck where the crew quarters are, and the secret storage is in the bottom deck. All the ores are located there. Once that ship leaves, trail behind it for about two hours. By then, you’ll be at the midpoint between Orin and Huasheng. That way, it’ll take long for backup to come from either kingdom. After that, Usano, you’re up.”

She gasped loudly. “Me?! It’s my time to shine! Yay!”

“Set up an electromagnetic field around the area to cut off all communication. Unfortunately, that’ll mean we won’t be able to contact you as well. Afterward, come into contact with the ship and—”

A familiar voice shouted through their earpieces. “Give me that! Hello? Hellooooo? Can y’all hear me?”

“Big Sis!” Usano yelled.

Haruka groaned.

“Alright, listen up, maggots!” Maki yelled. “When it comes to the Duck, there’s no bigger authority than me! There are three levers on the dashboard. The leftmost activates the beak drill. The middle opens up the passageway to said beak. Just fold the front seats back so you can enter. The right one turns the beak into a vacuum that leads directly to the trunk. Got it?”

“Huh…” Hiro rubbed his chin. “Actually, that seems easy enough. But what if people attack the Duck?”

“That’s what you and Haruka are for,” Leo said. “Sneak up and create a distraction. Meanwhile, Usano will drill through the bottom and steal as many ores as she can.”

Usano’s eyes widened. “The drill?! Th-That means… I get to drive!”

“I can’t believe I’m lettin’ this happen,” Maki said. “Fine… Fine, fine, fine. Boss’s orders. He made a great point. You better take care of my baby, Usano!”

“Of course, Big Sis! You can always rely on me!”

Hiro held his hand forward. “Hold on. Why don’t I handle the stealing part? Wouldn’t Usano be better as a distraction?”

“So you want to deal with the leftover guards down there all on your own?” Leo asked. “Or maybe you think you’d prefer partnering with Usano rather than Haruka?”

“...Maki’s right. You do make a great point.”

Usano pointed at the freighter. “Look! They’re moving!”

The ship’s horn blasted as it departed the port. The Duck dove back down into the water and followed it. Hiro closed his eyes and took several deep breaths to help steel himself. Even Usano was mostly silent during the trip. Everyone was on high alert. Before long, the two hours quickly passed.

“G-Guys?” Usano’s teeth chattered from excitement. “Is it show time?”

Haruka nodded. She touched her earpiece’s button. “We’re moving now.”

Leo responded. “Thanks for letting us know. Best of luck out there.”

“Understood.” Slowly, the Duck resurfaced. The glass dome opened up, and Haruk stepped forward. “Usano, the right pedal goes up. Left goes down. Don’t forget.”

Usano crossed her arms. “You severely underestimate me. What do you take me for? A child?”

“Yes.”

Usano stuck her tongue out.

“Stop stalling.”

“Ugh! Alright, but don’t think you can boss me around anytime you want!” She raised both arms up. Pink sparks manifested in her hands. A bolt of lightning shot up into the clouds. They quickly darkened and spiraled above her. An electric sphere surrounded the Duck and the ship. The sky around them turned pink, and the waves grew turbulent.

Hiro’s jaw dropped. “Y-You can do that?” he asked with a high-pitched voice.

Usano gasped for breath. Sweat poured down her face. Dark circles formed under her eyes. She wiped her brow and smirked widely. “Not… a big deal… at all. Too… easy… for the likes of… me.”

When he stood up, Hiro lost his footing and fell back down on his seat. The entire ocean looked like a war zone. His limbs trembled, and his fingers felt numb.

Haruka aimed her palm at the ship and shot a rope of blood from her wrist. It wrapped around a railing. After tugging it to check its security, she extended her hand to Hiro. “Need help?”

He looked away and blushed as he hesitantly grabbed her hand. The two zoomed toward the ship and hid behind one of the container stacks. Guards were in a panicked frenzy; many cried for help, while others cowered in hiding and prayed.

“So… What’s the plan?” Hiro asked.

Haruka formed a javelin and a large shield in her hands. “Stay here.”

“Wait, stay here? What’re you talking about? Are you leaving me alo—”

She jumped on top of the container and hurled the javelin at an unsuspecting guard. It pierced straight through his face. The rest picked up their guns and unleashed their bullets. Her shield blocked them as she formed a sphere. When she lobbed it into the air, it split into hundreds of needles that rained down on her opponents.

Hiro covered his ears as gunshots struck the container he hid behind. His heart pounded. This was nothing like his encounter with the police in Ushiro. He wasn’t biding time until salvation came; they were supposed to be on the attack. Eventually, the bullets stopped. Haruka had distanced herself enough to keep their attacks away from him.

He sighed a breath of relief, followed almost immediately with a sense of guilt. Once again, Haruka protected him. Once again, he stayed away from danger. Once again, he was too weak. This wasn't what he joined Lionheart for.

With fists clenched, he slowly poked his head out. Haruka’s fight with the guards took place near the ship’s bridge—considerably far from him.

He snuck toward the next nearby crate. Perhaps he could provide some assistance to her from a distance. Maybe then he’d be useful, if even a little bit. And so he moved from crate to crate, picking up more confidence and speed each time.

As he got closer to the battlefield, he heard a clank to his left. It came from a nearby hatch. The wheel turned; the door opened. A rotund man squeezed himself out of the tight passageway. He was the same large man Hiro had seen enter the ship earlier.

Hiro’s legs shook as he stepped back. “Y-Y-You’re…”

The rotund man looked down at him. “Hm? Who are you? What the hell is happening here? Did you cause this?”

Hiro shook his head vigorously. “N-N—”

A chocolate-colored aura enveloped the rotund man’s arms. His fingers sunk into the metal container beside him. He tore off a large chunk and threw it at Hiro.

With eyes blazing green, Hiro leaned to the side just enough to narrowly evade it.

The rotund man clapped his hands slowly. “Nice reflexes you have. I hereby challenge you to a duel. I am Bao Ma. And you are?”

Hiro stayed silent.