Definition

Dislodgement

"Moeka?" He couldn't believe it. How could he? She had been gone for years, and he didn't even realize that she had been with them these past few months.

She gave a wry smile. "This really isn't the best time, Murakun."

"What...?" Not the best time? Not the best time?! "That's all you have to say?! After everything that happened?!"

Nikolai and Hanabi both exchanged shocked glances. They had never seen their leader lose his cool before.

"We thought you were dead! I thought you were dead! How could you?! You...! You..." He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to find Hana standing behind him, shaking her head.

"She's right. This isn't the right time." She said softly. "We don't know if reinforcements are coming, so we should focus on the task at hand. Muraku-san, you'll have all the time in the world once we're done."

He bit his lip. He knew she was right, but he couldn't help it. With all the dread, grief, and frustration pent up over the years, he couldn't just wait.

"What a heartfelt reunion." Bishop's tone brought him back to reality. "Makes me want to puke."

"No one asked for your opinion." Nikolai snapped back.

Moeka got up and aimed her gun at him again. "Your fight's with me. After all, it wouldn't be fair to use a real gun against LBXs."

"And why would I care if it's fair or not?"

"Because you want them to take you seriously." She smirked deviously. "They'll label you as a coward if you try."

He glared at that. "You're asking for it, Houjou. I was in a military academy myself, you know."

"Oh, I know." She stepped forward, her gun steady. "The outcome of this will be decided purely on skill."

"What is she doing? She could get herself killed!" Niara hissed.

"She's letting us finish our mission." Kirito retorted. "We need to go. Now."

"Good thing I brought these." Hana took out several grey balls out of her pocket and threw them on the ground.

"You have smoke bombs?!" Kirito coughed as they made their way out. "What kind of bombs do you not have?!"

"Right now? Poison ones! Those still need testing!"

~~~~~

"There's a whole lot of nothing here." Kazu muttered, kicking on a broken panel.

"Well, the place had been decomissioned for years now." Ami reminded. "Ever since Kousuke took over Kamiya Craft, he kept the Goliath as the only working factory under his name. Angel Star is nothing more than a storage facility."

"I wonder if the others are having any luck." Just as he said this, he got a call on his CCM. "Ban?"

"Kazu, anything on your side?"

"Nope. You?"

"Just some old equipment. Nothing that could-"

"Ah! The claw got me! Help!!"

"Calm down, Arata!" The brunette sighed. "I need to go. Let's meet up at the lobby, then we'll check on the vault together."

"Sure thing." He sighed as his screen turned black. "Guess that is the only place left."

"Let's hope we find some kind of lead."

~~~~~

When the smoke cleared, only two remined in the room. Her aim was to his chest, his was to between her brows. She had one gun, he had two.

"It's a shame things had to be this way." He started. "If you had stayed, you might've gotten promoted to lieutenant. Then, your skills wouldn't have been put to waste."

"Yeah, well..." She shrugged. "Life's full of disappointments."

She fired. He dodged to the right.

He fired. She tilted her head and it missed.

He grunted. "We're not getting anywhere like this."

"Guess not." Her eyes narrowed. "Let's kick it up a notch."

She ran forward firing two bullets. He shifted to one side and fired his own. She fell to her knees and slid across the metalic floor, dodging them. He fired two more. She moved to dodge one and blocked the other with the handle of her gun. The impact caused the gun to fly out of her hand.

He smirked, thinking he was at an advantage.

He was not.

She pulled out another gun, and before he could react, fired at him. He shifted, but it wasn't enough. The bullet hits his shoulder.

"Argh!"

He can no longer use his left.

"I didn't graduate the academy at 16 for nothing, you know." It was her turn to smirk. "One down. One to go."

~~~~~

"It sure is loud up there..." Yuuya mutered.

"Stay sharp. We don't know if there are any more traps or ambushes waiting for us." Jin led the group further down, the other adults right behind him. The three children were a bit further back, following quietly.

Nikolai kept glancing at Hana, who kept glancing at Muraku. Their leader was still distraught over what had occured.

When the former two made eye contact, the Russian signalled that he'll go on ahead. Without letting her respond, he caught up with he adults and left the other two behind.

He's going to owe me. She did her best not to mutter. Turning her attention back to their leader, she finally spoke up. "Do you want to talk about it?"

It was his choice of course. He knew she was being generous, but he also knew that he didn't need to talk to her. He needed to talk to his sister.

But that needs to wait.

Taking a deep breath, he shook his head. "I'm fine. Let's just hurry and finish this."

"Are you worried about her?"

She got him to laugh this time. "Worried? About Moeka in a gunfight?" He shook his head. "No. Her skill is the one thing I will never doubt about my sister."

"This is the final room." Jin held a hand up and signalled for them to be quiet.

As soon as he opened the door, he was greeted by light. Two figures were inside, staring at them blankly.

"You are..."

~~~~~~~~~~

Dislodgement: Forced removal from a position of advantage