Season 1, Episode 6 - The Tree Plot XII - "Take Care of Yourself, Okay!"

“This must be the Sect of Steel!” Rodolfo called out as bullets streamed overhead. “They came to kill me before I left town!”

“Just how big of a disagreement did you have with Hikari!” Mackenzie yelled back. Gunfire made their Academy training immediately kick in; Mackenzie and Lynn pulled down a table and took cover behind it while Audrey and Rodolfo holed up beneath his work desk.

“Well, in addition to ideological differences, she’s the one I owed all that gambling money too,” Rodolfo ruefully admitted.

“A loan shark!” Audrey realized.

Rodolfo shook his head. “No…it was actually entirely my fault.”

As more bullets crashed through the room, Audrey let out a gasp. “The Trowel!” she exclaimed when she saw several bullets smack into the desk. She reached a tentative hand out, then decided that she liked that hand and preferred to keep it bullet-free. She palmed a seed (never leave home without ‘em) from her suit pocket and a vine stretched outwards. Audrey guestimated where the Trowel was on the table above her, groping around in the dark like a blind man or an intoxicated man around his fridge at 3 in the morning.

“Got it!” Her vine wrapped around the Trowel, but right as she pulled it off the table, several bullets shot through the vine, disconnecting it. The Trowel flew away and skidded across the floor close where Rudolfo’s shop connected with the building lobby.

Mackenzie grimaced. “We need to do something-”

All four of them heard the incoming groaning of an engine revving, then something smashed into the lobby with another force to make their teeth chatter. Wooden splinters flew into the work area; Audrey peaked around the desk and saw a white van had burst through the doors to the lobby.

A side door on the van opened; men and women with submachine guns fired into the work area while the sect members outside the building reloaded.

“I’ll throw up a shield!” Mackenzie instructed. “Everybody make a run for it when I do!”

Lynn gritted her teeth. “Audrey and I aren’t leaving here without that Trowel!”

Audrey, fully prepared to make a break for it, nodded intensely in agreement when Lynn glanced at her.

Mackenzie rubbed her face. “Alright, fine. When I send my waves out, use your super speed to attack them.”

Rudolfo pulled out his pistol. “If you really can shield us, then I’ll send some shots their way.”

“Lynn, pick me up and throw me at them, too!” Audrey added. “I have an idea!”

Lynn nodded, letting Rddhi build up in her shoes. As the submachine guns from the van clicked empty, Mackenzie stood and sent out her vortex. The waves exploded in all directions, blocking the incoming bullets of the guns firing from outside as well as the guns from the van when they reloaded.

Lynn glanced up and saw Mackenzie’s face already turning red from the exertion; when Audrey gave her a thumbs up, Lynn dashed off, sparks of Rddhi behind her. As Rudolfo fired at the van, taking down two of the Sect members, Lynn grasped Audrey by the collar and took off with her in tow.

Still covered by Mackenzie’s vortex, Lynn exited the work area and slid into the lobby, throwing Audrey right as they arrived at the Trowel on the ground. As Lynn scooped it up, Audrey sailed through the air. She couldn’t help but smile, despite it all.

The van was perpendicular to Audrey; when the driver opened his door, gun in hand, Audrey plunged toward the door, kicking it at a scary level of super speed. The driver groaned as the door smashed right back into him; he slid to the ground, knocked completely unconscious.

After landing on the ground, Audrey sent her vine rocketing through the driver window, hitting the man in the passenger seat with enough force to knock him out as well. Audrey felt a wave run through her, heading back towards Mackenzie; she had reached her limit.

Audrey spun and took cover in front of the van as more Sect soldiers exited the van’s side doors, guns in tow. The first man crumpled when Lynn appeared right in front of him and sent a palm strike into the bottom of his jaw. Lynn disappeared when a woman shot at her; she reappeared to roundhouse kick her face off the side of the van. The third man received a gunshot to the chest courtesy of Rodolfo.

Audrey nodded in approval, then realized there were more Sect soldiers on the other side of the van heading her way. Then she realized there was another van heading her way.

So did Lynn, just in the nick of time. The second van smashed its way into the building in-between the first van and the work area. Lynn moved out of the way, but a soldier in the passenger seat fired at her as the van lurched through the lobby. A bullet nicked Lynn on the shoulder; the sudden pain and force sent the Trowel out of her hand and skidding across the lobby once more.

The shock of a second van wore off just in time for Audrey to grow another vine, sending it towards a rotting beam over the lobby. With a growing tree attached to the other side as a counterweight, Audrey pulled herself upwards just as soldiers arrived on her position. They aimed upwards with their guns; they found a fully-grown oak tree falling right on top of them.

Audrey landed on top of the first white van; she expected more bullets to come from the second van, but instead a new feeling washed over her.

Rddhi users.

Lynn had the passenger seat shooter locked in a headlock with her good arm, then gasped and dove out of the way when a sword sliced downwards at her. Lynn rolled across the ground; she looked up and saw a muscled woman with brown hair in fatigues holding a sword that sparked with Rddhi.

“Hikari,” Rodolfo muttered upon seeing her.

As more swordsmen went for Audrey, Hikari advanced on Lynn. “I know you’re here, Rodolfo!” she called out. “I never expected you to keep girls this young with you as company!”

“Leave them out of this,” Rodolfo answered. Standing next to him, Mackenzie had a terrible headache and her nose was bleeding - it had only been three days since she severely overused her powers in the Combat Simulation. Still though, she was conscious enough to notice Rodolfo spoke much more solemnly now.

“We can take them!” Audrey yelled confidently. The Sect soldiers jumped on top of the van and faced her down.

“Kenjutsu Fire Style!” they exclaimed, smashing their swords into the top of the van in unison. Rddhi crackled and flames spouted down the length of the sword, turning them into a raging inferno in the form of a one-handed weapon.

Audrey grinned and raised her hands. “Huaaaaaaaaah!” she exclaimed, mimicking the kung fu movies Isaac showed her.

“Your friend’s an idiot,” Rodolfo mumbled to Mackenzie.

“Yeah…but she’s our idiot.”

Audrey sent probing and thrashing vines towards the swordsmen; none of the vines connected, but it did keep the swordsmen at bay for the time being. In the meantime, Hikari advanced on Lynn.

“Surrender yourself, Rodolfo. Otherwise, this girl gets it-”

A wave from Mackenzie slammed into Hikari, smashing her into the side of the second van. Mackenzie tried to keep her pinned there while Lynn dove for the Trowel, but the shooters from outside poured through the gaping hole at the front of the building and fired on both Lynn and Mackenzie.

Mackenzie’s ears leaked blood as she kept her shield up long enough for Lynn to retreat out of harm’s way; then she collapsed, Rodolfo catching her and diving with her to the ground as more bullets kept flying.

Hikari advanced on Lynn. “So, you’re a Rddhi user too?”

Lynn eyed the Trowel on the ground, so close yet so far away. “What about it? I heard you’re just another person trying to overthrow the government.”

Hikari laughed. “Is that what Rodolfo told you? He’s not completely wrong. But I don’t want to replace the government. I just want to wipe all the factional conflict and bureaucracy-”

Lynn used the opportunity of her ideological monologue to run towards her. She appeared directly in front of Hikari, kicking her with enough force to smash her into the van again. Hikari refused to go down, however, and used her sword as a walking stick to keep her upright.

“Not bad,” she muttered, wiping the blood off her mouth. Lynn used that opportunity to go for the Trowel, but a bullet smacked into the same bad shoulder, knocking Lynn off course. Lynn redirected herself to take care of the remaining gunmen.

When she finished, Hikari stood between her and the Trowel. “I see,” Hikari said. “You’re involved in the groundbreaking ceremony later today.”

“What about it?” Lynn repeated, charging up more Rddhi in her feet.

“Nothing much. Just curious.” Hikari then brought a finger to her lips and grinned.

Lynn grimaced, then dashed off. But right as she did, Hikari smacked her sword into the ground.

“Kenjutsu Ice Style!”

Rddhi sparked and ice spread outward from where the sword hit the ground at an alarming pace. Similar to Coleridge’s earth spikes in the Combat Simulation, Lynn recognized the danger right at the last moment and answered in the same way - she leapt over them. Unlike Coleridge, however, Hikari had a very sharp sword in her hand that she aimed right at Lynn as she descended, intent on skewering her like a shish-kebab.

Lynn realized the danger of becoming a Lynn-kebab too late. She shifted her weight around, her breath caught in her throat and a lump forming in her stomach. Because this definitely was going to hurt.

Lynn deflected the swordtip with her forearm, taking a chunk out of it in the process. She avoided being gutted, but the sword also nicked her in the side, tearing her suit. She landed on the ground with a bang and the whole world seemed dizzy.

Hikari smirked. She left the incapacitated Lynn there and picked up the Golden Trowel off the ground, glancing at her for a moment before sticking it in a pocket. She then advanced on Rodolfo, who held the unconscious Mackenzie in his arms. Rodolfo raised his gun and fired, but Hikari deflected each bullet with her sword until his gun clicked empty and she stood before him.

“Don’t make me cut through the girl,” Hikari warned him. “Don’t you want to take action yourself for once rather than relying on others?”

Rodolfo sighed and spoke quietly. “Promise me you won’t kill them.”

Hikari nodded. “You have my word. My superior told me it’s not time to kill them yet.”

Rodolfo set Mackenize gently on the ground. Lynn tried to stand back up, but her entire body burned and her head swam.

“Your superior?” Rodolfo asked. “I thought you ran the Sect?”

“I do,” Hikari confirmed. “But even you don’t know everything. But you know enough.”

Hikari raised her sword; Rodolfo closed his eyes. Lynn raised a hand, just trying to do anything, but she was all the way in the lobby and Hikari was right in front of him.

But then a wave caught her sword. Down below, Mackenzie groaned as waves spread from her body, catching Hikari’s sword before she could strike Rodolfo.

Hikari sighed. Mackenzie’s wave was powerful enough to keep her from striking in Rodolfo’s direction; there was nothing stopping her from reaching into her pocket and pulling out a gun. And bullets were stronger than swords - stronger than Mackenzie’s shield.

Rodolfo choked as two rounds went through his chest. He fell to his knees; Hikari aimed at his forehead; Mackenzie’s wave disappeared. But then another player stepped in.

A vine wrapped around Hikari’s hand and pulled her gun off-target. She glanced back and saw Audrey dragging Lynn with one arm, her other holding the vine. Unconscious swordsmen, their faces and bodies covered with branch-shaped wounds, littered the ground behind her. Blood ran down one side of her face; the smile disappeared.

Hikari looked annoyed at having her work interrupted. With Mackenzie’s shield gone and that arm still free, she went to kill Rodolfo with her sword, but she felt a sudden force smash into her back. Rddhi charged up and down Lynn’s body as she ran into Hikari at full-force. Hikari tumbled away in the work area while Lynn stumbled around.

“Let’s get out of here!” Audrey called out as she scooped Rodolfo by his shoulders. Lynn did the same with Mackenize; the two girls dragged their comrades across the work area as Hikari stood up far too fast for their liking, looking even more annoyed now.

“Leave me,” Mackenzie mumbled. “I’m dead weight as it is. You won’t make it out here if you have to drag me.”

Lynn shook her head. “I don’t leave my friends behind.”

But Mackenzie had a point; Hikari was now advancing on them. She smiled an angry sort of smile, swinging her sword back and forth. Anything it came into contact with - tools, books, clothes - exploded into ice.

“Bring me…bring me to the back door,” Rodolfo choked out. Audrey paused to send out an oak trunk; it crashed to the ground right in front of them, stretching across the work area, giving themselves more time.

The four arrived at the back door right as Hikari sliced through the trunk. She stared down Rodolfo; the girls gave him a puzzled look as he raised his hand toward a broken level next to the door.

“You taught me well, Hikari,” he said with a smile. Rddhi flashed from his fingers as he mended the level; once pulled, everybody heard a ticking sound, then the explosives lining the walls of the building went off.