It was close to midnight when she arrived, and there was still no sign of the backup they called in. Despite only taking five minutes to show up at Aniha Bridge, impatience still dug its cold claws into her back. She couldn't wait for reinforcements to show up – because the sight before her was one to behold, that was for sure.
She was dressed in a completely black outfit, making her blend into the darkness. Her face was covered by a mask that was tight around her cheeks and nose, wrapping around to the back of her high black ponytail. Her bangs hovered over her light grey eyes, swaying in the high wind. Every piece of her was covered except for her fingerless gloves.
A black vest with a neck piece was covering her torso, a long-sleeved black shirt underneath it. Her legs were covered with tight dark fabric, and a belt that had a long piece of cloak billowing out around her which reached her ankles attached to it. On the right side of the belt seemed to be two short swords – wakizashi – that had a red ribbon tied around the top one. She wore combat boots above it all, steel toed and ready for action.
Carefully, she made her way down the hill, past the few bustling cars on the road. The crash was peculiar – someone had run into the railing, and the car was now hanging halfway off the edge, creaking back and forth precariously. A police officer was kneeling down next to a form on the ground, speaking into a radio. The other was directing the sparse traffic to the other lane.
Walking up behind the man on the ground, her shoes were silent on the asphalt, stopping directly beside him. She peered over his shoulder – a woman was before him, dark black hair and slightly aged, perhaps in her thirties. Her eyes were closed as if unconscious, blood pooling from a wound on her head. It wouldn't be good if she had a concussion.
"What the- Wakizashi?"
The police officer next to her had noticed her by then, but she hadn't been paying attention to him. Her grey eyes rested on him as he said the name, her gaze as blank as could be. He stood up, his expression hard to make out in the dim light, but she knew him well. His face was slightly wrinkled, probably in his forties, his eyes a dark brown and his hair cut short under his black hat, facial hair absent. His uniform consisted of a white undershirt beneath a dark vest, a badge on his left breastbone, and baggy black pants.
"Hello, Tanaka," She responded, scanning his taller frame.
"How do you always know when a crisis has come our way?" He narrowed his brows, glancing at the wavering car on the edge.
"Psychic," She said in a muffled voice. Her eyes went to the vehicle. "Did you get everyone?"
"Driver was the only one in there, and she was thrown out the side," He said, pointing to the woman on the ground.
Wakizashi, as she was addressed before, narrowed her eyebrows at the car. Something didn't feel right – nobody was calling for help, but that didn't mean anything. Circling around Tanaka, she knelt on the ground beside the woman's chest. She pressed her fingers against her forehead, closing her eyes and taking in a deep, cold breath of fresh air.
The woman shot up suddenly as Wakizashi let her go, the female gasping, holding her neck as if unable to breathe. She started coughing, and the police officer stepped back, shock coming across his face before he came forward again. He pressed a hand against her shoulder, straightening her posture, letting her get some air in.
"Are you alright, ma'am?" He asked her carefully, as if worried for her answer. His brown eyes glanced at Wakizashi, as if sceptical, but it was obvious it wasn't the weirdest thing she had ever done.
"Was there anyone else in your vehicle?" Wakizashi demanded, leaning towards the female.
The woman gulped in breaths, looking around, as if frantic. "My son," She panted. "Where's my son?"
Wakizashi and Tanaka exchanged a look, Tanaka giving a panicked expression as hers still remained stable. She stood up, turning and walking towards the hanging vehicle, slowly and deliberately. She listened closely, scanning for thoughts, blocking out the ones from the distressed mother and calculated police officer. Tanaka made sure she stayed where she was when she saw the sight of her car, speaking in a soothing manner that Wakizashi completely ignored.
Mom?
She could hear it. A silent plea for help, for whatever reason it may not have been spoken. Stopping for a mere moment, she started forward again, this time faster but more carefully. Reaching the disaster, she peered into the front window, scanning the wreckage. The car's backside was hanging over the water, while the front was balancing hazardously on the broken frame.
Wakizashi couldn't see him – that was probably why Tanaka missed him. Stepping closer and around to the door, she poked her head inside, careful not to touch anything. She could see a child's seat in the back, a kid staring up at her wide eyed with a striking blue gaze, black hair ruffled in a mess.
"Hey, there," She spoke softly. He didn't answer, simply staring in wild fear. She had to keep talking, or else the kid was going to freak out when he got out of his shocked state. "My name's Wakizashi," She pressed a hand against her chest. "I'm here to help you. What's yours?"
He didn't speak again, and right when she glanced away, she heard him softly. "Haru."
"Haru," She said in the sweetest tone she could muster. "I'm here to help you, okay?" He nodded slightly, and she went on. "Here's what's going to happen. I'm going to press down here," She pointed to the seat in front of her. "And the car is going to move. I need you," She pointed at him. "To stay where you are for now. Can you do that?"
He nodded again, and she nodded in return. Then, she placed both of her hands on the seat, and started shoving down. Alas, it was heavier than she thought, and it was hardly moving. Creaking and groaning could be heard, and she paused for a moment, unsure of her plan. Unfortunately, she didn't have much of a choice, and put her knee on the seat too and heaved all of her weight down. Finally, the car began to steady into a straighter line, but not all the way.
"Okay," She spoke, looking back up at the child. "Step number two. Are you ready?" He nodded cautiously. "We're gonna play a little game. Do you like games?" He nodded again. "It's a puzzle game. You see that little square on your chest?" She pointed to the buckles over his abdomen, and he looked down. "You need to figure out how to get that square into two squares, so the straps on you come off. Can you do that?"
Immediately, he reached for it and started fiddling with it, while Wakizashi held the car to the best of her ability. It still creaked and swayed, making her wary, and it was when a sudden snap made her look up and outside the car. Searching the scene for the sound, another came, and the car lurched – Haru yelped, and she stuck her head back inside, scanning his belt buckle.
"Okay, Haru," She spoke evenly. "I'll give you a hint. Do you want a hint?" He nodded frantically. "You see the side of the square? Squeeze both sides at once, as hard as you can, and pull them apart."
He looked down and started doing as she instructed, pressing and pulling, yanking as hard as he could. At first, she was losing hope that he would be able to do it, but a quiet click notified her of his victory. He looked up with triumph on his face, but it quickly faded when the car lurched again with another screech.
"Quickly!" She shouted, reaching out to him. "Grab my hand!"
Haru propelled from his seat, a cry coming from him as the car started sliding backwards. She grabbed his tiny hand, releasing her grip on the car as it started to lean more over the edge. Pulling him roughly through the seats and into her arms, she stumbled back, the vehicle sliding down and off the bridge completely. The boy wrapped his arms around her, gripping her tightly as he started to wail into her shoulder. She glanced over the edge, a thunderous crash as the car hit the water below.
Wakizashi turned and started walking back towards Tanaka and the mother, who was finally released and jumped to her feet. She ran forward, calling Haru's name as the boy looked over his shoulder at her. He started crying harder, and when Wakizashi came even with the mother, she handed over the child silently.
"Thank you," The mother sobbed, looking to Wakizashi gratefully. "Thank you."
She didn't move, a slight warmth in her chest, though her eyes remained ever vacant. Walking past them, she met with the now standing Tanaka, who sighed out an exhale of relief. He seemed as tired as ever, like he always was when he was on night shift, and sent a smile towards Wakizashi.
"You did it," He said softly. "Again. As always."
"This is what I'm good at," She responded flatly. "Saving people."
"Maybe you should become part of the police force, then," He offered, shrugging.
"Maybe one day." She looked thoughtful, but then shook her head. "Not today, though."
"Well," He mused. "Until next time, Wakizashi."
She nodded. "Until next time."
Then she was gone, back into the night from whence she came.