Lullaby of a Hero

Finally Back

1 Month Later:

Saiko was just as pleased as she was when she found out what exactly her daughter's plan was. It wasn't hard to predict when she'd arrive, and by that time, she had assembled some of the meanest, roughest mercenaries she could find. They'd be kitted with state of the art gear, all headed by a woman only known as the Skull Merchant. Her specialty was tracking and assassination, so she wouldn't be on the ground this time. No, this time, it'd just be her right hand man, her team, and Saiko.

Why she would want to be among the carnage is anyone's guess. Sebas thought, as he was given his instructions. After his acknowledgement of They left soon after, in three helicopters. Momo Yaoyorozu was now prey, and that was what the mercenaries were hired to hunt.

Anna found a familiar stream, and the tree she knocked down to help Aizawa. She was definitely close to home. It was not too long after that, as she walked through the forest, rain sprinkling downwards, when she arrived home. It was still standing, even with the fire damage and the rain pelting it. Carefully, she entered the structure, taking off her shoes. They were worn, and were about to break anyways. She didn't need them. Not in this forest. She knew this place the back of her hand. There was no threat greater than her here. After all, she killed it's old master, the grizzled menace, the great bear. But now... she knew they would come. She'd seen the odd shaped bird, flying high, but creating a buzzing sound that was indicative of only one type of device: a drone. It would not follow her inside. That would risk its destruction, and the owner knew that. Instead, it flew away. After all, she reached the only place she had left.

Carefully wandering the place, she decided that after she drove off whoever would come, she would rebuild this place. She would need to make a storage shed first, to save as much as possible, but then... she'd carefully tear it down, and rebuild it. Make it into the home it once was. But now was not the time to think of that. With the drone gone, she had to prepare for her... guests. Humming, she started to get to work...

Saiko watched the countryside go by, ignoring the mercenaries' final checks on their gear. It was only after one of them asked, "What's the target's normal behaviours?"
"Momo is well articulated, and straightforward. It is likely that she will meet us head on. It is how she engages in combat from the reports I have read. She shouldn't be a problem..."
The man asked, rather bluntly, but still with respect: "So, uh... if she shouldn't be a problem, why hire us?"
"It's for assurance, more than anything. I want her to be retrieved with as little risk as possible."
He seemed to accept that, "Fair enough."

The pilot called out, "We're almost at the coordinates! It seems there is a clearing that makes it easy to land. All three choppers can land in that space."

Saiko confirmed, "Three rescue helicopters were able to land and extract students before. That sounds like the location."

"We're touching down now..."

Meanwhile, Anna watched as the helicopters started to descend down to the clearing below... and then started humming. The vehicles covered up the sound, as she readied her ax... and then cut a rope she had made. It snapped in one clean hit, whipping around as the weight it was supporting made it give way, making a tall Siberian Pine tree creak and fall... slamming down on top of all three helicopters. She smiled, watching the machines break and one explode. The others also lit on fire, but not to the same degree as the closest one. The vehicles slammed into the ground, completely ruined. Quickly, she moved, heading away from the location, and starting to move into the forest. The rain did make the ground muddy, but that was the least of her concerns. For now, she had to become what the Bear used to be. The ultimate predator. And so she left, humming to herself, deeper into the woods...

Saiko didn't know what happened. One moment they were descending gradually, a leaf floating down, only for it to cascade and tumble to the ground in a crash. Her mind was dulled by the landing, if one could call it that, and when she looked out of the wreckage, she could see her mercenaries running about, setting up for attack. Crawling slowly, Saiko's immaculate attire was stained with mud and some blood from wounds she had received. As she reached out, one of the mercenaries pointed, "The boss is still alive!"

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get her out of there!" Soon enough, she was grabbed gently by rough hands of a mercenary, and pulled out of the crash. "Medic! Take care of the client!"
"Yes sir!" A woman walked over, she had a plus sign on her armored pauldron. Carrying her over her shoulder, they brought her inside the ruined wooden structure. It was heavily burned, and yet, the inside was still intact and stable. As she took out glass shards and bandaged her up, Saiko looked around for evidence of who lived there... eventually finding the evidence she was looking for. On the floor by the stairs: A white mask, horribly charred, but still recognizable.

"Momo... this was Momo's house." She looked around, as if searching for her daughter. It interrupted the medic's work. "Miss, can you please stay still? I just have a few more injuries..."

"Sorry." She stopped, but still had the feeling that she was being watched... and when the noise of the mercs died down, she finally heard the proof. The same. haunting. melody.

The Huntress's Lullaby.