The tunnels seemed endless as Tsuki scrambled down the path with Jericho's head bobbing away with one of her flailing arms, the other holding both Jericho's and Etsy's duffel bag.
They were deep into the left tunnel that Cypher had told her to go down, and Tsuki had yet to find the rock that Cypher was referring to.
She came to a stop and leaned against the wall of the tunnel to catch her breath. The tunnel was nauseating to look down because it seemed like there was no end or exit in sight.
Her lip started to bleed from her jagged tooth biting into it. After catching her breath, she continued to pace down the tunnel searching for the rock.
"Ah, what the hell."
Caught off guard by the sudden voice, she shrieked and dropped both Jericho's head to the floor. She fell to the ground and gripped her knees, profusely shivering.
"Ouch!"
Jericho's head rolled over, revealing his conscious face and a red mark plastered on his forehead.
"Why the hell did you throw me?!"
He rolled his head to face Tsuki, his question would go unanswered. Tsuki was still on the floor in a fetal position, shivering.
His mouth opened again to ask what had happened, why he was a head, and why were we alone in these tunnels. He couldn't remember what had happened moments before he was knocked unconscious.
Her pupils shrank, and her eyes looked as if they were being forced open. She was mumbling to herself, trying to soothe whatever had come over her.
"Don't take me, please don't take me again."
She just kept repeating the same thing over again.
Jericho attempted to roll over to her to try and comfort her, but he thought again and touching her would make everything worse.
They had shared little to no words with each other; there was no way a traumatised slave would want a man to try to comfort them.
Instead, Jericho took a softer, more distant approach.
"Hey, it's me, Jericho."
Tsuki glanced over at the head on the floor, still unable to stop shaking.
Her muttering finally stopped.
"I'm sorry for startling you. No one is going to take you away, I won't allow that."
Surprisingly, Tsuki wasn't shocked by the fact that a severed head was trying to calm her down.
Her eyes became a bit more relaxed, but her body refused to stop spazzing.
"I'm friends with Etsy, you can trust me."
She got up from the ground and took Jericho's head from the floor.
Gently, she tightly held Jericho with both of her arms as if he were a stuffed animal; she was deceivingly strong.
Jericho felt like his eyes were going to pop out of their sockets from the tight bear hug.
Tears continued to stream down Tsuki's face, uncontrollably dampening Jericho's hair.
'Hmm, what should I say?'
Jericho attempted to look up at Tsuki to try and get an idea of how to comfort her, but his hair blocked his vision--- he had to use his special form.
He furrowed his brows, closed his eyes and focused. Ultra brain power comfort mode activated, Jericho had flipped the switch in his head from mysterious forgotten king of the world to an alpha who comforts little children but not in a weird way.
He knew what to do; he'd crack a joke to lighten the mood and cease Tsukis' tears; it was genius!
"So, it seems like there's a high chance of rain."
Jericho waited silently after busting his best joke out, it was sure to make the sad little girl laugh and forget about all of her issues.
He listened attentively while holding his breath, waiting for her crying to halt and her laughter to begin.
But the tears never stopped; it was like she never even heard him.
Yeah, maybe she didn't hear him.
'Ok, she didn't hear me, so I'll just have to say it again! But maybe louder.'
"Seems like there's a high chance of rain!"
Still, the tears continued to fall from Tsuki's eyes and onto Jericho's hair.
"Get it? Because your tears are falling into my hair like rain. Hah."
Jericho let out a nervous chuckle, the tunnels grew silent.
A few moments later the tears stopped.
'Wait, I did? Was I the cause of her endless pain to cease, Yes, it was I who had comforted this little girl! I am a hero.'
A proud smirk plastered itself on Jericho's face; he exuded pride because of his accomplishment.
Tsuki sat up and placed Jericho's head onto her lap. They faced each other.
Her face was red from crying. She wiped her tears with her forearm and brushed the hair from out of her face.
"They took my mama."
She finally spoke; this was the first time Jericho had even heard her voice other than grunts, shrieks and cries.
It was raspy yet soft, probably from dehydration, but there was also this sense of pain within it.
Jericho looked into her eyes; they were deep, light blue, but a dark void lay behind them, seemingly hollow. She was robbed of her childhood, of a normal life.
It saddened him to see such innocence broken by selfish evil people.
He found himself choked up before speaking.
"Who."
Jericho gently spoke as if he were holding back tears.
"The man who came today."
Suddenly, Jericho remembered what had happened. There was a loud crash before they were about to leave, then he was knocked unconscious by the explosion--- He seemed to be unconscious a lot.
"Someone broke into the hideout?"
He began to wonder if Etsy and Cypher were okay. Etsy was a great fighter, but he knew nothing about Cypher nor who they were fighting.
"Yeah…"
Tsuki looked as if she were holding back tears.
"Who."
Jericho inquired.
Tsuki looked away before answering.
"The white men."
'The white men?'
Jericho pondered those words from Tsuki. Who were the white men?
He placed his thumb and index finger on his chin and began to stroke it; his torso was finally regenerated.
White men, white men, white men, white men.
Could it be those men that history teachers would talk about from old age, no.
What about the White Ghost Clad, no, what would they be doing in Sinvensen?
Maybe the Central? But that just didn't make sense. Why would they come all the way to Sinvensen?
Then it hit him, his face was on that bounty poster of Tsuki and Etsy.
"Tsuki, was one of the white men wearing a top hat?"
Tsuki looked up to hold back tears and also thought about who she had seen.
As Tsuki was thinking, Jericho felt his lower half was beginning to regenerate, so he used his hands to propel himself off her lap.
He had to walk like a Geodude for the being, and he also needed to find some clothing for his special parts; he wouldn't want Tsuki to see that.
"Yeah, there was a man in all white with a thing around his shoulders and a top hat."
Jericho choked after hearing what Tsuki had said; he felt sick. It was him.
He turned his head from Tsuki so she couldn't see the look on his face.
"That was the man who took your mother?"
Tsuki looked down before speaking.
"Yes."
"I'll make sure you get back to her, and I'll make sure he pays."
Jericho was still looking away into the distance. There was a sort of conviction in his eyes. He didn't make eye contact with Tsuki, but she was looking at him with tears in her eyes before bobbing her head up and down.
The tunnel was silent for a few moments.
Jericho squinted, looking down the tunnel. Something caught his eye; he noticed a shadow in the distance. It grew bigger as if it were getting closer until it just suddenly disappeared.
Confused Jericho looked even harder down the tunnel until he felt a blunt pain on his face.
A foot slammed against his face, sending him tumbling back.
Tsuki was taken aback by the sudden attack and watched as Jericho flew back.
"Mister!"
Jericho's body was still not fully regenerated; his torso and thighs lay on the ground, seemingly unconscious.
He opened his eyes, dazed and confused as to what just hit him.
Standing over him was a dark black man dressed in a black suit, who wore a pelt made from a lion around his waist.
His orange eyes shone in contrast to his pitch black skin and attire.
Tsuki lunged at the man with her claws out. She was quick but not quick enough.
The man had already disappeared, and within the same second that he was gone, he appeared behind Tsuki.
He raised his hand akin to the blade of an executioner's axe, fully prepared to take Tsuki's life.
She couldn't react; she was still caught in the motion of her previous attempt at an attack.
As his hand was about to connect with Tsuki's neck, it was met with something else, forcing it back up.
Jericho's hand gripped the black man's with immense force.
"Picking on little girls, huh? What are you, a pedophile?"
Jericho was fully regenerated, and he was ready to fight.