A and K Chapter 46: Laziness

Kei and Serenity run off following the path that they saw the Branch Member go. They look around trying to find exactly where he went.
Kei: I don’t see them, do you?
Serenity: No, and I find that very worrying.
Kei: Damn this is bad. I didn’t think he’d have gotten this far away…
Kei tries to calm down and closes his eyes. He tries to listen for Alexandria. He was certain that there Alexandria wouldn’t be quiet. Sure enough, he can just barely hear her.
Kei: This way!
Kei, on instinct, starts following Alexandria’s voice. Serenity follows using her metal to move onto the rooftops to get a better vantage. Out in the distance, near the former NOL headquarters, Jiro keeps carrying the bubble with Alexandria.
Alexandria: Where do you think you’re taking me you creep?
Jiro: My, you complain so much, can’t you be more quiet.
Alexandria: Like I’m going to be quiet when I’m being kidnapped.
Jiro: (Sighs) Don’t worry, soon I won’t have to worry about whether you 
complain or not when I drop you in the cauldron.
Alexandria: (Shaken) Do what?!
Jiro: Perhaps I shouldn’t have said that. But after I drop you in, I’ll be able to temper you, and then even number one will have to listen to me, and then nobody will ever bother me again.
Alexandria: Kei! Serenity! Someone help!
Kei and Serenity move about respectively. As they get to the stairs, they can hear Alexandria’s voice more prominently.
Kei: We’ve almost caught up!
Serenity: Dastard can’t have any good intentions, and now we know his bubbles can break.
The two reach the top of the stairs right before the man enters into the next room. The three of them stand right in the main hallway.
Kei: Stop!
Alexandria: Kei! Serenity!
Jiro turns around to them.
Jiro: How did you get out of my bubbles?
Serenity: (sarcastically) A claustrophobic who naturally screws with magic (Draws a bow) and really hates it when people screw with others.
Jiro sets the bubble down next to him, and scratches his head.
Jiro: You two are such a pain. Can’t I get what I want?
Serenity: Not on your life (launches an arrow and notches another)
Jiro rolls away from the arrow.
Jiro: What did I ever do to you?
Serenity: Kidnapped someone with intent to harm them for your own gain.
Jiro: So? I wasn’t intending on harming her. You guys wouldn’t do as I asked.
Serenity: Yeah, sure just drop her and walk away.
Jiro: I can’t...number one would get angry with me.
Kei: So you’re part of the Branch.
Jiro: I am, but that doesn’t mean anything.
Kei: You’re just a lazy person who just wants to get away with doing as little as possible.
Jiro: So what if I am? I don’t like fighting.
Serenity: And yet you assume that we’ll let this go that easily?
Jiro: I suppose not.
He draws his sword again.
Jiro: If we have to fight, I guess we do then.
Serenity: (bow reforms into whiplike tendrils) Been a while, it'll be 
good to get some exercise
Jiro: I don’t care.
Jiro half-heartedly jogs towards Serenity. Serenity gives a confused look before sliding her foot back into a cautious defensive position.
Kei: (Thinking) Does this person even care about what he’s doing?
Jiro jumps at Serenity and tries to slash her with his sword. 
Serenity: uhhh really? (A tendril whips out and grabs his sword, throwing him to the ground)
Jiro: (Wincing) Ow.
Kei moves to Alexandria’s side. Jiro, still on the floor, moves his legs to try and leg sweep Serenity.
She easily hops the sweep and stands without counterattacking.
Serenity: You know if you don’t even bother trying we may as well just take her and go.
Jiro suddenly gets a second wind and he jumps up and tries to kick her in the head. Caught off guard Serenity tries to back away but is still grazed by the blow. Jiro suddenly starts swinging his sword haphazardly, he randomly thrusts trying to catch Serenity off guard. As she regains her balance tendrils leap to block the blows one finding an opening and driving towards his gut. He side-steps the blow, but he still gets cut across the stomach. He tries to thrust during this moment. Serenity leans to the side to avoid the blow, Jiro’s sword is deflected and instead chips her neck guard
Serenity: (Eyes grow wide as her hand rushes to cover the chip, tendrils forming a defense in front of her) No, not now.
Jiro starts attacking the defense, not seeming to care whether or not he hurt her or not. At this point, it seemed like Jiro’s body had started reacting to the situation.
Serenity: (Thinking) I have to finish this quickly, can’t let anyone see (The tendrils grap Jiros sword snaking up his arm and holds him off tbe ground)
Jiro: This is kinda interesting.
Kei works to try and get Alexandria out of the bubble. He attacks it with his sword, he kicks it, he punches it, but nothing works.
Kei: This...really...sucks…
Alexandria: Kei, we can always wait until Serenity can get me out.
The bubble suddenly pops on its own.
Alexandria: (nervously) Or...that…
Kei: Okay seriously?!
Alexandria: The bubble popped on its own.
Kei: The timer must have ran out.
Alexandria: Either way, that was really freaky to be in a bubble that doesn’t pop.
Kei: True.
Kei looks over to Serenity.
Kei: (Calling to her) Do you need help?
Serenity: (Glares at Jiro) No, I should have this wrapped up soon. (To Jiro) I’m assuming your going to keep following us?
Jiro: Probably, I don’t know…
Kei: (Thinking) This guy is just straight an enigma…
Serenity: because if you do I have no qualms sending one of these through your lazy skull, am I clear?
Jiro: No, not really.
Jiro suddenly vanishes from her grasp. He appears back on the ground.
Jiro: I’d rather not die by metal going through my skull. And if you’re curious, I used a technique that was thanks to my sword. I call it, meh, not interested.
Kei: (Thinking) Why...is he even part of the branch? He clearly doesn’t care so why does he take orders from someone like number one?
Alexandria: (Thinking) I don’t understand this man…
Kei: Hey Jiro. Why do you take orders from number one?
Jiro: Because I have to?
Kei: Ok, but why?
Jiro: I just told you.
Kei: You’re doing it because you have nothing better to do?
Jiro: More or less.
Kei: (Thinking, annoyed) Okay, now your indecision is bugging me.
Jiro: All I was told was to slow you down and kill you if necessary.
Kei: You are clearly a sheep simply doing what you’re told.
Jiro: And you’re a conformist, but does that really matter?
Kei: Well, you clearly don’t want to talk, so I’ll just let Serenity do as she pleases to you.
Jiro turns back to Serenity.
Serenity: Well then (the neck plate reforms under her hand) kid gloves off.
Category:Novel Chapter
Category:A and K