Escape Velocity // The Flash

Chapter Six: Shadowplay

"You've done nothing to erase them either." Barry grumbled. He brought his hands in front of him and bared his teeth at the deep gashes. "You let them take me. I think that's enough to suspect you."

The woman tugged on his arm in an instruction to move but the man only shrugged her away with a growl. She searched the room once more, aware that they had already stayed in that room for too long. She had to earn the man's trust... but it was difficult for her to do so. "I apologise. I was under the false impression that they would not harm you during the five days of rest."

Barry made a grunting sound, one that informed her that he didn't care about her excuses. "Am I just suppose to know what that is and accept it?"

"No. It is not something you would recognise." She replied, swallowing her pride and forcing herself to continue. "The five days of rest are sacred to any who train in a monastery. It is said that the very first master, and one of the few true samurai, had an impossible task ahead of him. He was to fight off two seperate clans that threatened the area. They were not properly trained, but their numbers were astounding. Instead of training his physical form he sat and meditated until the day of the battle - for five days. The legend tells of his success, and so many of us take those days to meditate in honour of him."

Barry blinked up at her in astonishment. She had been avoiding his questions for so long that he hadn't been expecting a straight answer. "Then why aren't you partaking in this 'rest'?"

"It was revealed in an ancient scroll that the legends were false and that he died on the field. Many still meditate but I ceased doing so after it was revealed, I saw no point in celebrating failure. These clans though... they have not been informed of this."

"Why would they care? Their clans were supposedly defeated."

"Not their clans, different ones. They consider them imposters and so they hold respectful rememberance to their downfall... at least they use to." Questions whirled in Mineko's brain almost as much as in Barry's. She had done everything right, so why did she feel so terrible? "I believed that I could avoid the harm of innocent villagers if I allowed them to take you. It was a mistake."

"No..." Barry quickly interjected "You did the right thing. I would've done the same."

"I am glad to hear that. Only a fool places greater worth in the life of a comrade than the life of an innocent." She held a hand out, and this time Barry took it. He still disliked her distant personality, but he was grateful that she at least admitted that he wasn't useless.

"Thanks...?" He sighed.

All of a sudden Mineko's grip on his hand tightened. Her entire body tensed and any minuscule amount of emotion on her face fell. Her head whipped to the side just as the door was being pushed open. The leader entered, sword in hand and eyes flicking straight towards Mineko.

"Kaze." He hissed, pointing his blade in her direction. "Today you die."

"Someone will, Tsuchi, but it will not be me." She unsheathed her own weapon and stood defensively in front of Barry.

"Oh boy." Barry sighed under his breath. His eyes occasionally snapping to the doorway leading into the room...a blindspot for the two fighters.

For what felt like a lifetime, the two warriors stared each other down. Their eyes were similar in colour, but Tsuchi's were harsh and rough while Mineko's were steady and focused. For two people who had been trained in the same way, there had never been a pair more different.