Heat Lighting [Scaramouche | Reader]

25 - heal, hurt, learn

Take a look at the lawman
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man, wonder if he'll ever know
He's in the best-selling show
Is there life on Mars?

—Life on Mars?-David Bowie—1:02—

—

My shoes pounded against the ground as my legs moved faster and faster to accommodate for lost time after I warped myself to the next island. Across my hip a satchel sat bumping with every step; the bag housed one of the lighter books I brought with me to Watatsumi. I hadn't look at its contents and only prayed it would be able to help me. My lungs vibrated with cold, rainy air that whipped around my body, thrusting me forward. I could feel the mark on my chest burning; I could feel the rain sizzling across the exposed skin of my collarbone. It was humid, the air sticky with water and, as I came closer to reaching my destination, sweat.

I was lightheaded by the time I came to the edge of Nazuchi Beach, but even as I tried to refocus my eyes I could spot throes of soldiers lined up in the center of the battlefield. To my left, very far away, I could spot a glimpse of... The Crux? While my brown came back to reality the spec on the horizon had disappeared and left me wondering whether I had imagined it or not. Quickly, I steadied my breath and ran to the scene, silently praying that I would not be running into a full-blown conflict.

The resistance soldiers were in tight formation and when I slid past them to see what was happening a few gasped. My muscles were burning from running the distance that I could not travel using my vision. I slowed down before I reached the center and emerged from the crow to see General Gorou, the Traveler, and-

"Kujou Sara," I said aloud, in shock.

The gorgeous woman, a Shogunate General in the Tenryou Commission, stood tall and proud with her arms crossed and chin held high. I instinctively tried to conceal my presence but it didn't work when Gorou's head snapped in my direction and Kujou's eyes zeroed in on me.

"What is- [name]!"

Gorou exclaimed when he spotted me.

I awkwardly twisted my lips up, then sighed, "So much for hiding."

I waved at Gorou who made no move to walk over to me. His face was downturned. To my eyes, it seemed as if he was forcing himself to appear strong which only worsened the anxiety that someone would throw punches swimming around my brain.

Kujou Sara scoffed as I walked up to the front of the army, "Huh, the resistance's troublesome seamstress appears in front of us again. I'm guessing we failed to detain you?"

I gazed at her confused before I realized she was implying that Heizou was supposed to stop me at the shrine. She knew? I knew she was shrewd but I didn't know the extent of her knowledge connections in Inazuma. Her family was powerful, yes, but the Shogun wasn't under their thumb and therefore they would not have any knowledge of Ei or Yae's actions in the past month. With all this information flowing through my brain, I scoffed and walked to stand next to Gorou, crossing my arms.

"Detain me," I questioned, "What makes you think that you would have even been able to touch me?"

Kujou Sara frowned deeply, her disgust at my impudence marring her face and body language.

"Miss [last name], you don't seem to know the extent of our capability," She pursed her lips together.

I narrowed my eyes in disbelief, "Really? I think of all people I'd know firsthand."

The woman's face started to get more angry, an infuriated eyebrow was twitching with my words. Gorou snaked his hand are y my back and tugged on my shirt, pulling me closer to him.