A Gathering of Like Minds (Wildheart Hunters)

[Mirra|Robin]

It was clear to Mirra that there was no cleaning up Amino Island alone, let along with a group, easily. She would need lots of well trained hunters capable of taking on criminal activity in large numbers while flying under the same flag. This island wasn’t the only one that was dirty with corruption and injustice. There were many others out there. A few years ago, such injustice occurred when a pirate from a reputable crew was put to death. This in addition to other instances witnessed by the huntress led her to the conclusion that no one was immune from corruption. She, herself, could one day allow power to go to her head if she didn’t have a level headed individual to keep her terrible temper in check.

Now that she had successfully solved the big theft case, there was only one thing she wanted to do; recruit the swordsman. He was strong, level headed, and proved himself a valuable ally. However, he wouldn’t be enough to clean up this island let alone the entire world. It would take many people, and the number she would need was impossible to fathom. They would also need to form a crew in order to sail in search of other people of like mindset. Surely, in time, they could take down the biggest smear on the face of the planet, the celestial dragons. Their cruelty had been going on for too long and covered up by the world government. It was no wonder to her that some people were willing to revolt. However, Mirra felt it was better to work from the shadows and take out smaller people, mostly pirates, until she had more people.

This island surely had people who would work well together in a crew. They would need people with various skills as well as some basic sailing knowledge. Maybe a devil fruit user or two wouldn’t hurt. If there were people in her crew who couldn’t swim, then she would have to take an oath to never allow herself to be tempted by the mysterious fruits for fear of endangering her crewmates. There was so much to think about that it was beginning to hurt her head. So many scenarios to go over, so many possible people, so many kinds of ships to chose, so many kinds of islands… it was a bit much for a single person to think about. She needed to find Suriko and explain her plans. At least that way she wouldn’t forget the details with someone there to remind her. If only they had another person more experienced in such things, and beri, lots of beri. As Mirra began to calculate how much she had, she lost track of her location and nearly walked past the sword shop she had asked Suriko to meet her at.

“Ugh, damn it. Almost did it again.”

With an annoyed sigh, the huntress entered the door. She was greeted by a frowning shop keeper. He was obviously still annoyed at the trouble that occurred outside his establishment during the battle to capture the panda man.

“Look. I know you’re probably still kinda mad, but the bounty hunt is over, the thief has been taken care of, and you have nothing else to worry about. I’m meeting my friend here and then we’re going to go.”

The man acted a bit taken aback by what she had said and glared hard at her.

“I’m not mad. Actually, I’m happy. This is my happy face. The trouble has stirred up some business with less skilled individuals. I’ve been able to open up some of my off time to giving lessons. I’m raking in the beri. I should thank you but I say we’re even now.”

Mirra raised an eyebrow, appearing a bit confused by the shop keeper’s admission.

“Eh, sounds good to me. Glad it helped.”

The huntress, awkwardly, wandered off to look at a display of daggers while she waited. It wouldn’t hurt to replace her daggers, but it would save more beri to just have the old ones sharpened and honed. She had to get a ship before worrying about another weapon upgrade. This shops dagger selection wasn’t that great anyway. Too bad Mirra had not found a place selling bows or arrows yet. Maybe later.

[Suriko]

The young swordsman had been busy since his last encounter wiht the hunter, heading to the shop owner after they had turned in their alleged thief. They had not been able to retrieve the swords that Maru had taken, leaving Suriko unable to do the job he had promised to do for the shop owner. So he instead offered to work for the shop owner until he deemed that Suriko's debt had been repaid. This had resulted in the occasional odd job being done, such as taking a shipment to the docks or receiving them. Recently, he had been aiding in the lessons the shop owner was giving, particularly children. He had actually been in the middle of a lesson when Mirra contacted him through his den den mushi, asking him to meet her at the sword shop. This made him chuckle as he was already there, deciding to let her come as he continued his lesson.

He watched over the children as they had just finished up practicing the basic motion, trying not to chuckle a little as some of their attempts weren't the best. Not that he was laughing at how bad they were. He then clapped his hands to get their attention, waiting for all their eyes to be on him before. "Time to practice on each other, one group attacks while the other guards. need to go full force though." The children would nod as they moved into place, quickly starting as Suriko watched. He offered advice as it was needed, helping them one child at a time to make sure it stuck.He only looked away once he heard something at the door. It sounded like two people talking, though he could not make out the voices just yet. He dismissed the class as it was close to the time to meet with Mirra. He watched as the kids quickly filed through the shop from the back yard area the owner had, following in after them.

He smiled as he saw that the owner was speaking with the very person he was to meet, the huntress that wished to recruit him for her team. He was glad to help as he felt that her goal fell in line with his own, as it was quite possible that one of her marks would have the very blade he sought. The sword his father had given away to protect his family's life. He looked to the shop owner as he spoke. "Looks as though my associate is here, so I suppose I shall be off for now. if I ever get a chance to repay you again, I shall." The owner shook his head. "Far be it for me to keep you from your journey, you've done plenty enough for me as it stands." He slipped behind the counter, grabbing his sword as he tied it back to his hip. He then reached for his pack, pulling it on his shoulders before he gave the owner a bow.

The swordsman walked over to huntress, tapping her shoulder as was no right behind her. Once she turned around he bowed to her as well, happy to see her again. "I hope I did not keep you waiting long, so what have you been up to while since we parted?"

[James Silverstein]

Annette Major stepped down onto Amino Island. The trip hadn’t taken long at all, and she was glad to be back on solid ground again. Though a bit warmer, she kept her garments on to help conceal her weapons. The White Death’s sharp eyes swept the crowds, and her ears listened for anything helpful. Supposedly there’d been a problem on the island. For it to be big enough for her to have been summoned, everyone must’ve heard of it. She began to pick out pieces of conversation. Something about a panda and missing swords?

“What the hell have they dragged me into…” She said nodding sadly. Still it was best to look for the shop, at least it would be a solid start. A bit of asking around directed her to a well-known shop. Annette immediately disliked the look of it. It was too small, there wouldn’t be room enough to move if a fight were to break out. Through a small window, she noticed some children practicing swordplay, a young instructor teaching them. Annette shook her head. In her mind, swords were outdated. Guns had better range and attack speed for only slightly less destructive power. They were better in almost every respect. Straightening her back, Major marched in, one hand on the hidden grip of Red.

“I’m not mad. Actually, I’m happy. This is my happy face. The trouble has stirred up some business with less skilled individuals. I’ve been able to open up some of my off time to giving lessons. I’m raking in the beri. I should thank you but I say we’re even now.” The shopkeeper spoke to a young woman. The trouble was already over? And this newcomer had stopped it?! She had to almost bite her tongue to keep from lashing out in disappointment. What the hell was she supposed to do now?! The young swordsman came out from the practice room, tapping the bounty hunter on her shoulder.

"I hope I did not keep you waiting long, so what have you been up to while since we parted?" He asked. Was this a date? Annette looked on in disgust.

“Can I help you miss?” The shopkeeper asked, looking at Annette. “Evidently, not anymore.” She said, turning on her heel. What to do now?

[Mirra|Robin]

A platinum haired girl hummed as she walked the streets of the city. She didn’t seem to be going anywhere in particular and didn’t really seem to be lost, either. Her richly colored clothes, though they stood out at the docks and got her a few cat calls, fit in more with the city atmosphere. Though the design was unusual, so was every other outfit you encountered. This was something the girl took a mental note of. She seemed to be enjoying the stranger things people wore.

“Snip and cut and size and sew, create the best outfit in show. Must be lovely, can’t be bland. The clothes can certainly make the man.”

She sang as she observed a shop window. The lovely dresses here caught her eye. The bright yellows and greens informed her this island had a spring like climate at this time of year. Fancy ladies would certainly be attending parties in dresses like these. She entertained the thought of teacakes for a moment and a garden tea party quickly evolved into an Alice in Wonderland scenario in the girl’s mind, she herself chasing a white rabbit. Suddenly a heavy hand landed on her shoulder and she froze.

“We were looking everywhere for you, girl. We said everyone was to stay on the ship.”

He grabbed her wrist and lifted her off the ground to look her in the eyes. The gruff, angry looking man glared at the young girl as she just hung there, a look of fear slowly creeping on her face.

“I’m taking you back to the ship. Dresses like that would never look good on a child like you.”

The girl’s eyes, once distant, seemed to focus in on him for a second, a mix of fear and anger. A dangerous mix for any captor. She opened her mouth and began to vocalize flight of the bumble bee, carefully using one hand to direct the notes with her fingers. Small musical notes left her mouth and swarmed the man’s face. He let her go in an attempt to swat the strange bees from his face. She took of running, holding a slightly bruised wrist. The man gave chase as soon as the notes dissipated, but he couldn’t keep up with the smaller, faster girl, with his short stubby legs. The girl started to run into a shop to hide but ran into someone. The platinum haired Skypian fall back on her butt.

“Ouchies. That hurt mister wall.”

She looked up at Annette and smiled. The girl's eyes had once again become distant and cloudy.

“Oh, it’s not a wall or a man. Heso, I‘m Dawn.”

[Deleted]

 The massive form of Brannigan Malley was forced to duck as he entered the back room of the bar. Amimo Island, the party capital of North Blue, was a loud, rambunctious place. The watering hole he had crept into, however, was a dark hole on a side street, a terrible little establishment. Rather predictably, it was not intended for drinking. The three patrons, sitting slack at dank, rotten tables, peered up as he entered, the black hat on his head brushing the rough wooden ceiling.

 The man at the bar nodded, and the patrons went back to their drinks, the long haired man at the table even deigning to nod at his fellow revolutionary. Among all the brothels, casinos, bars, shopping, and other such things in the area, a safe house for the Revolution was almost to be expected. Squeezing behind a large shelf, Brannigan waited, hearing a click as the bartender reached casually beneath the old, slightly mildewy bar. The wall swung open, and, nearly falling forward, the tall swordsman began his trip down the narrow staircase.

 At the bottom, the stairs widened into a small atrium, with thankfully, higher ceilings. A man was at the desk at the far end, about 20 feet away. He looked up as Brannigan entered, and nodded. "I take it you're the Scout stopping by to pick up the stuff you requisitioned?" With a nod, the Shandian strode across the room, ducking under the wooden beams as they came. The receptionist, meanwhile, grabbed a bundle from nearby. "So, we got a couple things. One, set of maps and such for the area." As he spoke, Brannigan could feel eyes upon him. From the surrounding doorways, guards were staring at him out of the corner of their eyes. Suspicious. That was good.

"-And finally, we have this." The man carefully lifted a blade, a long Nodachi, much like Brannigan's own, from the pile. "You're a big man, and you use this style anyway. Maybe you can control this thing." The silent swordsman would have asked what he meant, but as soon as he touched the sword, it... shifted. The scabbard seemed to swell a bit, and the handle grew significantly. Pulling the sword out, he examined it.

"Well, it seems calm... just, be careful. Thing has a temperament, and when it changes, it gets heavy and hard to hold. Hence why they assigned it to you, big guy." Looking at the blade a bit nervously, he continued, "I'd understand if you don't want to deal with tha-" "I'll take it." The sudden, ferocious gleam in his eyes was unnerving, and the intensity with which he fixed the his gaze was even more so.

The receptionist waved his hands. "Whatever, mate. But if it eats your hand, your problem. Not mine." With a chuckle, the Shandian nodded, and attached the second scabbard to his back. He could almost feel the sword's soul. He liked that.

As the giant exited the bar, his thoughts were mainly focused on his new weapon, and how he might tame the beast. A name was also on his mind. However, this did not impede his hearing, so he was understandably shocked when he heard a man in front of the dress shop try to take a girl with him. A very young one indeed.

Before he could react, the man yelled out, as a swarm of musical notes bashed him in the face. She took off, and Brannigan followed, weaving through the crowd. He wasn't sure, but that girl... did she have wings? Stopping, he looked over at the doorway of a nearby shop,as the girl fell back, having run into someone exiting. "Are you alright... Dawn?" Someone was kidnapping children? That was beyond disgusting. Perhaps his new weapon would find a use soon enough....

[Mirra|Robin]

The huntress was happy to see her companion again. The swordsman had definitely been a big help during her last big endeavor. The thief had been difficult to capture but in the end there was little they could do but root out the cause of his misbehavior and hand them over to the authorities. Never before had anyone given her that much trouble only to be a puppet. It was annoying to think that anyone would cause that much trouble in a town with enough troubles to deal with. But that was over now and all that was left was gathering a crew of people who wanted to better the world. Suriko would be a great start.

“I’ve been making plans and tracking some bounties that interest me. However, the big issues for me is obtaining a ship, having it outfitted, and finding a crew. I think the crew should come first so I know what I need to do for the ship. You… you will join me, won’t you? I know you‘re having a great time teaching here and you‘re on a quest and all, but who knows what might happen on our travels, you know?”

Mirra, though she saw herself as a capable leader, was no good at giving speeches. This was why her old noble friend was usually the leader when they were working together. He could inspire people to have hope and fight for everyone around them. That was the mark of a true leader. The huntress was best at leading hunting parties. There was little talking involved, mostly hand signals, and it was easy to understand what was going on because their was no vocal intent to get in the way.

Before anything further could be said, something behind Mirra was causing a stir. Fearing it might be something dangerous, the huntress whirled around, using a single foot as a pivoting point, and allowed her other foot to slip out in such a way that made it look like she was crouching for attack. The redhead sighed with relief when she realized a girl had bumped into someone. What was such a dainty lass doing in a place like this? She looked so young, like a teenager. A closer look revealed that she had bruises on her wrist and wings on her back? How curious yet infuriating. Standing straight and narrowing her eyes, Mirra pursed her lips. It appeared to her that there was more work to be done in this city before she could leave.

“That poor lass. I have to do something about this before I start my crew. She doesn’t appear like the sort that can defend herself. No weapons or strange objects on her at all. It’s time for some justice to be served.”

The huntress strode forward and knelt in front of the girl. She smiled and offered her hand.

“I’m Mirra and I’d like to help you.”

She looked into the girl’s distant eyes, she seemed a bit disoriented. Perhaps it was the shock of running into someone. The girl’s light colored hair was unusual, it was far too light for blond yet the yellow hue kept it from being grey or white. Mirra made a mental note that the girl did have wings. Was she some kind of mythical angel or something? What could have brought her to this port? It was a strange situation that the huntress was unsure how to handle. However, she had offered out of her inherent need to do whatever it takes to better the world. She made a mental note of those surrounding her. It seemed as if this situation had attracted some strong individuals.

[James Silverstein]

Annette looked around as two freaks at once approached the girl that had hit her.

“It wasn’t even that bad of a hit.” She thought. Annette examined the young girl. Platinum blonde hair, pale skin, almost young enough to be Annette’s daughter, and… wings? What kind of person in the vast oceans had wings? The White Death’s grey eyes pierced everything about the girl. There were bruises on her wrists. Fresh ones too, it she knew anything about battlefield injuries. Major swiftly raised her eyes. The assailants could still be around. Her sensitive ears picked up yelling from around a corner. A large group of men, probably about 20 came running around. Some armed, some not. One, likely the ringleader, pointed at Dawn. Whoever this girl was, she’d obviously gotten involved with the wrong sort of people.

Annette glanced left and right. The giant of a man seemed ready and willing to help, and the woman from inside the shop seemed to be of a similar disposition. The attackers were still more than a hundred yards away, but it was clear they intended to keep coming.

“Move Dawn.” She said, lightly kicking the young girl out of the way. “Hope you two are ready for some action.” She said, nodding towards the giant and the huntress. She also gave a quick glance to the swordsman inside. It seemed likely he’d try to help. In a flash, Annette dropped to a knee and drew her long rifle, Iron Sight. Her fingers blazed as she fired off 5, quick, clean, precise shots.

“One.”

A perfect blow to the kneecap, sending the attacker tumbling forward. Her fingers like quicksilver, Annette loaded another round.

“Two”

An exact shot, piercing through the tibia. The man crumpled in pain, Annette loading a new round almost before he hit the ground.

“Three”

Major threaded another fantastic shot through one of the charging maurauder’s legs to bring down the counter-sniper behind him.

“Four”

They were getting close now. Annette paid no attention to her brother and sister in arms. They would do what they must, she was sure.

“…..Five”

The final shot flew gracefully, just grazing the top of one crouching opponent’s head to slam into the lower spinal column of the last gunman. Now there were only melee and short range attackers to deal with. The one she shot would be lucky to ever walk again. Annette lowered the rifle’s barrel and shouldered it, drawing Red and Snow. She stood over Dawn.

“If you’re not gonna help then stay there, I can’t do much if you start to move around.” Annette aimed with both revolvers, ready to blast anyone that got too close.

[Suriko]

The swordsman smiled to the huntress, glad to hear that she still had considered him an ally for her goal. He listened as she once again explained the situation to him, nodding in agreement with her as she spoke of getting a crew and a ship. He knew he may never actually find his father's sword, but going with Mirra as a bounty hunter would be the best chance he'd get. "You have my skills at your disposal, Mirra, at least until I find what I am looking for." He nodded to her once more as his gaze turned briefly from her to the woman that had just entered, his attention then turned on her as well as the little girl that had just ran right into the older woman. He also noticed that one of the windows to the shop was overshadowed by a hulk of a man, though he did not appear to be of any imminent danger. He listened and observed, noticing the bruises as well as he heard Mirra's words once more. He moved closer to the group as she talked to the girl, noticing her odd appearance. He had never heard of anyone having wings, nor those strange things on her head. But other than that, she appeared to be a normal young girl, not much older than the children he had just been teaching.

Suriko didn't have long to ponder on Dawn's appearance before he heard the loud sound of the older woman's gun, making him wince as he could hear the shop owner just crumple to the ground and sob from the fact that he had yet another fight in front of his place of business. The swordsman focused through the loud noise of the gunfire, slipping past the sniper, Mirra, and Dawn. He briefly glanced at the gigantic man, wondering what his weapon of choice may be, though it could have easily been his own fists. He whistled as he saw how accurately the sniper had not only dealt with the gunmen of the group, but how quickly she had immobilized them as well. As the melee attackers approached, Suriko's right hand reached for his bokuto, choosing that over the back of his blade to deal with these attackers.

The first guy had reached Suriko, sword in hand as he attempted to thrust the blade at Suriko's right side. The young swordsman stepped in towards his assailant with his left foot, using it as a pivot point as his right foot stepped back. This allowed him to dodge the attack as he was now in prime attack position at the man's back. As he spun on his left foot, he had used the moment and his grip on his bokuto to imitate one of his battojutsu, slamming the wooden sword against the man's back. He didn't not look back as he heard a thud from the man stumbling to the ground, his attention on the next guy that approached him as he crouched down, sheathing his bokuto once more as waited for the second man to get closer. He then kicked off the ground, pulling the wooden sword from his side once more. He struck the man on his chin, his momentum sending him skyward enough to set up for his next strike. The third attacker approached as gravity began to reclaim the swordsman, adding to power of his attack as he brought the wooden sword down on the thug's shoulder. The thug crumpled in pain as Suriko was on his feet once more. By now, most of the group would be upon him, forcing him to unsheathe his sword as he blocked a downward slash aimed for his head. He looked as the thug in front of him obviously could overpower him, and was proving this as Suriko was using the most of his strength and still being slowly forced down to the ground. He tried to push back a bit before using his sword to deflect the attack to his right side, giving him an opening to strike just under the thug's arm with the back of his sword. The strike would make it hard to breathe for awhile as the man fell to his knees. He panted as that last block had been a bit of a drain on his energy.

[Mirra|Robin]

The platinum haired Skypian looked up at the strange man that asked if she was alright and called her by name. He didn’t call her girl or kid or anything cruel. She smiled at him and tilted her heard to the side. She nodded. The tall man was nice, she liked him. Too bad the mean people probably knew where she was now. She didn’t like mean people who went around hurting others and making other people do things they didn’t want to. Stealing she could live with, she even took things from time to time to survive. However, Dawn preferred to earn her money like a traveling bard in mythical tales might, creating songs to entertain and inform. She would have to sing for the tall man some time.

“Heso, I’m fine, just running from bad guys… again.”

The girl allowed herself a grin to prove she was alright. Before she could try to stand, a strange woman with pretty almost red hair knelt in front of her and offered her hand. She looked like a nice lady and didn’t seem to be too much older. Then she said something unusual, something Dawn hardly ever heard from anyone before. The lady wearing green offered her help. Blinking a bit in confusion Dawn turned her head to the side. At first the girl thought she had misheard the woman but realized there was no way she could have. Was this a friend or another trick by a bad person? Carefully, Dawn reached out for the stranger’s hand and shook it before pulling herself up with it.

Then the ‘bad guys’ showed up, making a run for the door. Dawn didn’t have time to react, or event to turn around and get a look at them. The strange woman she had run into kicked at her lightly. She could have kicked harder, but she didn’t. These people were weird compared to the people she was used to. In fact, the girl would go as far as to think that she had not met a single kind person since Skypia. However, she normally was kept on the ships she wandered onto or was traded to. Maybe this is what people were really like and all this time she had been handed off from bad guy to bad guy and never allowed to meet nice people. Before Dawn knew what was happening the lady she ran into attacked the guys that had chased her here. Her mouth fell open as Annette swiftly dealt with the first few that approached. She was awesome.

As Dawn watched, amazed that so many people were fighting with her former captors, the swordsman stepped in. He was dressed funny even for people on the blues. She was scared of the fighting but could hardly take her eyes off what was happening as the funny swordsman began using a wooden sword against the bad guys. Why did he used a wooden sword? Did he not like to kill people? The Skypian was speechless over the fact people were fighting for her. Why? She was just a girl. Did they know about her weird tricks? No, they couldn’t know. They must be nice people. Her happiness and the shock of people fighting for her made tears well up in her eyes, her gaze lowered. Finally, she found nice people.

“Thank you.”

Her voice was a whisper as a tear rolled down her cheek. She looked up, a smile on her face and tears staining her cheeks.

“Thank you all.”

[Deleted]

 As the group that had gathered around the girl sprung into action, one of them stood, not reacting. The Shandian had been staring at the girl for several seconds, and unusually, had not responded to the onrushing group of enemies. His swords still at his back, hands not moving, he seemed rooted to the spot. 

 The girl, Dawn, was definitely a Skypiean. The wings were unmistakable. She was younger, and her hair and visage were pale, like Brannigan's. The two were actually somewhat similar in appearance. It was odd to think that they belonged to races who, for hundreds of years, had done their best to wipe the other off the face of the earth. His hand slowly moved to the handle of the blade he had received minutes earlier, and his jaw tightened, mouth a grim line.Death, misery, everything he hated about his life in the sky.... There was little question that the meager existence he had lived was due to the oppression of the other winged race. 

  As the two fighters, a swordsman and a gunwoman, broke the vanguard, like a rock on the shore, some of the rear thugs went wide, going past the two. They would be at the pair any minute. Still staring, the tall man's grip and jaw tightened further, and the blade slid partially out. "You....." One of the signature traits of the nodachi-bearing sky dweller was his odd peeves. He would often say, if asked, that it was these that caused him to join the revolutionary army. His hatred of paperwork, or orange boxes. People who knew him also knew not to eat pineapple, or talk about mime. These were among the many odd occurrences or objects that roused him from his typical deadpan attitude.

As the first, muscular man got closer, drawing a pistol from his waistband, thumb pressed against the hammer, he began to move. His sword slid free as he stared down, the small, innocent girl before him smiling in gratitude. A snarl rose from his throat, and he began to swing. "...Uttter..."With a whirl, he spun, foot churning the ground, and brought the long sword slamming into the pistol toting vagabond. "SCUM!" There were many things that angered Brannigan Malley, many that others did not understand. Some, however, were easy to respect. Preying on the weak, harming children... to wit, Injustice.

As a strangled cry was forced from the man's lungs, and a good quantity of blood from his torso, the Swordsman growled out "Ocrasgall, for that is what I shall call you.... Feast. Teach him fear." Along the jagged pattern the blade bore, the metal split, shifting. Within moments, the sharpened steel was a massive fanged maw, tapering into a razor edge at the bottom, and a duller edge at the top. It twisted, and spread wide. The injured thug had only a second to try to back away, to flee, before the massive crocodile mouth the nodachi had become clamped down on him like a vice. As the bones cracked, Brannigan stared down the others who had followed, the men who were even now watching a sword devour their compatriot. "Learn this, child thieves. Good is that which evil fears... And JUSTICE IS WHEN YOU MAKE THOSE FEARS A REALITY!"

Whipping his arm back, as the jaws let go, he wrapped a second massive hand around the elongated handle of his blade. "I am Brannigan Malley, and I let it be known that I bear the Yoto, the cursed blade, Ocrasgall! Come and burn in hellfire, you filth."With an unearthly roar of rage, the huge warrior swung his weapon forward, lunging toward his foes. All told, perhaps 30 seconds had passed since he first confirmed Dawn's lineage. Much can change in a person. Even in half a minute.

[Mirra|Robin]

Mirra quickly moved out of the way to give Annette room. The woman drew guns, which the act in itself was a bit unusual for this part of town. She quickly dealt with a group of men. Those had to be the guys at were after the girl. A smirk formed on the huntress’s face. She couldn’t let this person have all the fun. Before she could step into action, Suriko stepped forward. The swordsman had proved himself already, but this situation served as another opportunity to see him in action. He quickly downed a group of men, but seemed to have given too much effort to the task. Another person, one far stranger than the woman with guns, appeared and began extracting vengeance of his own. He was tall, and seemed very strong. Were those wings? These two new fighters were amazing in their own right.

As the strangers and her companion were fighting off these ‘bad guys‘ Dawn spoke of, Mirra could hear the girl back behind her. The sound of shock, that tense quiet, was one she knew too well. It was the sound of prey that knew it was being hunted. These men who were after her were the apex predators of the area, that would likely make them pirates based on their clothing. These guys would surely be dangerous and, in hurting her, made them targets. If they had a bounty on them, or at least anyone in this crew, she would surely be able to make a bit of cash off this in addition to the good deed.

Striding over to the fighting, the huntress knelt beside one of the injured pirates and lifted him by the collar of his open vest. She glared at him as he winced in pain. Any man who would condone such actions should be dealt with, with swift force. The best way to beat the snake is to cut off the head. This stream of crew would take forever and wear down the swordsman and gunner if action wasn’t taken soon. There was only one option.

“Where’s your captain?”

“Agh, the pain.”

“Answer me or I’ll make it worse.”

“He’s on his way.”

“He’s mine.”

Letting the pirate drop back to the floor, Mirra stood, removing her more complex bow, a curious device shaped with points on the ends like stag horns and a pair of metal boxes on the wood one would easily mistake for a sight. The huntress removed a curious bright green arrow from her pack and seemed to keep her distance from everyone with it. She also tried not to touch the head, herself. This arrow was one of her special ones. The huntress didn’t bring such things out for just any occasion. She could have used it on the panda man, but it was far too devious an item even for him.

“Take care of the girl, I’ll be back.”

She pushed her way through the door, stepping over downed men as she did so, arrow nearly notched. One of the pirates came at her but she managed to dodge his big, slow, club swing and scratch him with the arrow. He started to go after her but stopped and clinched his stomach. As Mirra made her way along, the pirate began throwing up. She didn’t turn to see if it worked or bothered to hang around to witness anything that might have happened. It wasn’t often she would use this arrow for any kind of hunt but the damage done to that poor girl set her off. The huntress was on a hunt now and the blood rushing through her head, the heavy beating of her heart, was all she could feel. The pirate captain, once found, was in for a world of hurt.

[Suriko]

The young swordsman watched as the group of thugs split around them, catching his breath for a brief second as he watched the giant of a man focus on Dawn before he walked up. His eye nearly bulged as he watched a man approach Brannigan, only to watch in awe and maybe even a slight amount of terror as the man's sword had taken a life of its own and had devoured one of their attackers. He wasn't surprised when the other thugs had begun backing up, especially after the feral roar the large man let out. He's a bit theatrical, but sometimes that is needed as well. And while Suriko knew there was a strong possibility that his fellow bounty hunter may recruit this man, he slightly feared him nonetheless. Thankfully that scene had offered him a moment's rest before he heard loud footsteps approach him. He turned quickly to the person approaching him, letting out his own war cry, as if the giant man's proclamation had lit a fire within him. He clashed with his next opponent, as steel slammed against steel. He glared at the man in front of him, brandishing a katana as he did. There was something more to this man, a level of skill greater than his comrades.

The young swordsman smirked as he looked to the other swordsman, holding him at bay for now. "you seem a bit more skilled than the others." He then pulled back one shoulder, pushing the other forward as he parried the man's blade. The man smirked back as he pulled his blade back. "I wouldn't compare me to those simple fools." Suriko blocked yet another slash as it came up from the ground, His own blade come down against it as they slid against each other in another quick clash. The two swordsmen continued to clash to standstill, blade matching blade at every turn as they tried to best the other. Suriko then pulled away as he sheathed his blade, his hand staying close to the hilt as he kept his gaze on the enemy swordsman. It felt as if the slightest shift, the most minimal of movement, would give either of them their opportunity to strike. He watched as the other swordsman was poised to strike as well, his right side facing Suriko as he held his sword back. The tension was like a finely stretched cord, ready to snap at any moment.

And indeed it did, as the two approached one another, ready to cut the other down. Suriko pressed his blade to the top of his sheath, using the the tension to add power to his attack as the blade flew outwards. The clash lasted for only a second as steel flashed against steel. Suriko winced as he felt a sharp pain in his side, followed by the warm, sticky feeling of blood trickling down his side as it darkened the crimson kimono he wore. He looked back as his opponent sported a similar injury as well. The young swordsman looked on as he could already see his vision blurring slightly, though it wasn't enough to worry him of the blood loss. He reached down, pressing his hand to the cut as he stood up. He had a light pant as he watched the other swordsman struggle to stand up as well, making his way back. Whether this was to get more of his crew to help him or to simple get away, he did not know. But the blood now seeping from him was an immediate concern and had to be dealt with quickly. It was an odd feeling. He had been struck, clawed at, and even beaten a few times in sparring matches with his master. However, he had never felt just what a sharp blade could do with the right skill. Well, this is not a very good start to our goal.

Suriko knew more of them were converging on him, like a pack of vultures to a corpse. He used his left hand to keep pressure on the wound as he held his sword in front of him, not ready to give in just yet. He continued to watch as they circled him, the swordsman carefully turning around in his spot to be ready when one moved in for the attack.

[James Silverstein]

Annette’s eyes gazed steadily at the battlefield. Without her knowledge, she found herself slowly sinking into her snipers mindset. Breathing slowed, muscles relaxed, eyes focused. Even her heartbeat began to slow to a steady 20 bpm. She was in the zone. Off to the side, the enraged giant’s sword took on a life of it’s own. A gaping maw appeared and devoured the enemy before him. It, she had to admit to herself, was one of the stranger things she’d seen. Eyes refocused, all energy directed at protecting the young girl behind her. The thought struck her as funny.

“Damn, I’m turning soft.” She thought “Defending someone without pay, what am I? Charitable?”

Still, something had triggered that reaction. That’s all it could be called, a reaction. Major hadn’t set out to defend the girl, but when she saw the men charging, she’d just acted instinctively. The young woman from inside the shop appeared to be doing just fine by herself.

“She fights with a bow?” Major’s thoughts resumed. “Two swordsman and a bow wielding huntress, why is everyone besides me trapped in the stone age?” She was a little impressed when the arrow caused vomiting from one of the assailants, but it still was not her idea of a good weapon. The clang of steel hit Annette’s ears. Turning her eyes towards the sound, it appeared as if Suriko had bitten off a little more than he could chew. Annette glared down at Dawn, the skypeian’s name escaping her for a moment.

“You… angel, whatever, stay here, and don’t get yourself killed. Bathrobe boy’s about to get skewered.” Annette rolled her eyes as she sprinted towards Suriko. “This wouldn’t have happened if he simply used guns like any sane person would.” She thought.

Charging around the back, Annette caught the first attacker by surprise, pulling the trigger just as the barrel touched his temple. A fine red mist exploded from the opposite side of his head. The second attacker from behind Suriko rushed at Annette. A cutting sweep came in from the side.

“Pistol Knuckles” Murmured Annette as she whipped Red and Snow around. The barrels and chambers now acted as brass knuckles for the sharpshooter. With a strong punch, she drove the blade down low. Major stepped on the cold steel with her left foot, sending her right up into the air. She glared into the mans eyes as he realized what she was about to do. Dropping her leg as fast as she could, Annette dislocated the attackers shoulder.

“And… boom.” She said, firing two rounds into his temples. Her eyes turned to Suriko again. “Don’t get ambushed next time pajama man.” She said, leaving the last attacker to Suriko. Brannigan seemed to be having a joyous time munching on his share of the attackers. Dawn appeared to be doing just fine, all the men too busy with the monsters they’d messed with. Annette ran to catch up to Mirra.

“Gotta make sure you don’t get killed too.” She said, pulling alongside the huntress. Annette switched to her rifle and loaded another round. “Let’s do this.”