As I took a step towards Ashita, she flinched back, fear flickering in her eyes, fingers curling into class and held close to her chest.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

Upon hearing those words, she stiffened. Shuffling, I held out one hand, giving full view to the scar that ran along the inside of my palm.

"I was both a hero and a villain. We all are at some point. It's your choice for who I am in your eyes- a hero, or a villain?"

Her eyes, unblinking. A nice color. They darted down to my hand up to my face, then back down. 

"You're... You're both at the same time. Humanity... They're both heroes and villains at the same time... But I want to help... I want to help people become a hero...!"

For a moment, I didn't see a timid woman before me. I saw a warrior, a warrior that didn't just cheer from the sidelines, but instead fought on the battle- not to wound, but to change.

Pursing my lips, I allowed my hand to drop, eyes darting to her leg. "You're going to have to get that treated until you do all that. Don't forget to care about yourself first."

Ashita's face crinkled in response to my mild concern, and she allowed a beaming smile to take hold of her lips, but then they disappear as her fingers brushed her leg.

"I- I should be fine," she managed.

"Perhaps. Nonetheless, we'll get you back to the ship before we drop you off at another dock."

So we kept walking, although the light in Ashita's movements and face started to dim, replaced by brief glimpses of pain, all throughout the minutes until we reached the ship.

I spotted a woman with short, cropped black hair, dark skinned, and immediately, my hand strayed to my katana.

"You... You don't know her," Ashita guessed in a whisper of voice.

I shook my head without letting a sound out, still trained on the woman, who seemed to be working on something.

"I think there's a back entrance to the ship, assuming that she hasn't noticed yet. Follow me."

With a nod, she ducked out from her spot behind me, wobbling, but I felt Ashita's warmth at my back, my frame overshadowing hers.

With that, I allowed the sand to muffle my movements across the sand, careful of where my feet landed in case there was a stick or something. Seeing how silent the island has become, without the crow of an animal or the chat of human life, it was possible that someone could see us.

Feeling a small, clammy hand envelop mine, I glanced down to see Ashita's warm smile, and allowed my shoulders to drop a little, tension rising from my shoulder as we snuck around the boat, the woman no longer in sight.

There was a ladder built into the side of the ship, but only available if you pulled off the piece of metal that hid its' existence from the outside view. Carefully hooking my fingers into the curve of the metal, the slightly upraised bump, I pried off the metal, it opening like a hinge.

"Come on. Up here," I muttered, still keeping my voice low. Glancing at me, Ashita nodded, then took a step forward, wincing before she wrapped her fingers around the first rung, pulling herself up.

"Careful," I said under my breath, my eyes dropped to rest on her wounded leg.

"Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I'm weak," was her simple response, and I held my hands up in surrender.

"I didn't mean it like that."

Not responding to that, when Ashita was more then half way up the ladder when I saw that her grip loosened every while or so, face scrunching in pain.

As she disappeared over the side of the ladder, I started to pull myself off, joining her about a minute later. "Your leg is still okay, right?"

"B-Believe me, Jaxson-san, I'm fine," the blue-haired woman replied.

Averting my gaze, I held up a hand to silence her, creeping around the side of what I assumed to be our rooms (Look, we haven't been on this ship very long, I'm not inhuman when it comes to memorizing things).

Instead of the woman, Chiko sat at the table, looking over at the island, one hand resting on his knee, the one poised at his chin. There was no sight of anyone else- not even Kiyohisa, who Chiko had been paired up with.

"That's not her. Who..."

"A member of mine," I replied, not trying to keep my voice low, instead straightening, allowing my eyes to drag across the area. There was no sign of distress, the ship exactly how we had left it.

Strange.

"Chiko," I called after a moment, pulling myself out from the corner with my hand locked around Ashita's wrist. She pulled away from me instantly, but still kept somewhat close, regarding Chiko with curiosity alight in her eyes.

The man looked over at me, allowing her hand to drop to rest on the table, one slim finger tapping away at the surface.

"How long have you been here?"

There was a hesitating pause of his response as he lifted his hand, then splayed both hands, holding all his fingers up in a ten.

"Ten minutes?"

A nod.

I frowned. "And you've been out here the whole time?"

Another nod.

"So you must have saw the woman out here, right?!" Ashita burst out, then shrunk away as Chiko looked at her, as if seeing her for the first time. "S-Sorry..."

After a moment, he only shook his head, but I didn't miss how his fingers, now resting back on the table again, froze at Ashita's words.

"Ah! Jax-kun! Th-That's a survivor!"

I turned, spotting the little form of Kiyohisa. "Never assume something too easily, Kiyohisa, for she may even be a terrorist, and I brought her to let loose chaos upon you all."

I saw the fear in his eyes, and immediately the boy fled.

Ashita puffed out her cheeks, looking a bit more comfortable after seeing the little boy. "That was mean, Jaxson-san..."

"Nonsense," was my reply, but I did feel a twinge of guilt.

Upon the next hour or so, Shinzo and Ferphina returned, followed by Jin (who looked about as terrified as his son did as he walked alongside Kin) and his partner.

"Huh? Where's Shinji-kun? Jax-kun, you didn't lose him, right?" My sister asked, cocking her head and tapping her lip as she glanced at Ashita. "Ooh! Ooh! Whose's this?"

The blue-haired woman took a step back, allowing her eyes to drop and fall downcast.

"Ah! Jin-kun!" Ferphina called, whipping around to call for the man. "She's injured! Come here!"

Immediately, Jin hustled to kneel at Ashita's leg with narrowed eyes. "Yes, miss, come with me," he said with a gruff edge to his voice, standing up straight and starting to walk away.

First hesitant to follow him, Ashita stumbled after Kiyohisa's father, putting little pressure on her leg.

"Now-" I started, turning back to face them, only to find Chiko in my face.

His hand found my wrist, and I found myself being dragged, Chiko's grip iron, locked around my wrist.

"Chiko, let me go."

He ignored me.

"Chiko!"

With that, I ripped away from him, about to storm away, when I heard them call.

"Jaxson. Listen to me. Or, should I say, Tekkan."