The others noticed the time, and yet Yumi hadn’t returned from her hunting trip. Everyone was beginning to worry.

“Is she always late?” Aelita asked as they all returned to their human forms and headed back to Kadic.

“Sometimes, but she normally she is pretty accurate about how much time she uses hunting to get back on time.” Smith said. “I’m beginning to think something terrible happened.”

“Hey, I better get back to my school.” Tesshin said. “Call me and tell me when you find Yumi.” Tesshin waved a good bye before headed off toward Kadic’s neighboring school.

“Hey.” Jerome said smelling the air. “I smell blood.”

“Where?” GB asked. Jerome headed toward the side of the school.

“This way, come on.” Jerome called as the others followed. Jerome led the way to the tool shed. Smith and the others stopped and looked at Jerome.

“The trail stops here.” Jerome said. Smith opened the door.

“Yumi!” Ken and Kagetora yelled seeing their friend laying on the ground.

“Yumi! Answer me.” GB said shaking her gently.

“Such terrible wounds.” Smith said checking over all the bites and cutes on her, still bleeding.

“What do you think happened?” Odd asked.

“Looks like an ambush.” Ulrich said.

“You might be right.” Jerome said. “By the looks of it, it does look like she was ambushed.”

“But by who?” Mel asked.

“Do you think it was that Hougen guy?” Ulrich asked.

“He would have been sure to kill her.” Kyoushiro said. “Hougen wouldn’t have let her live.”

“The who?” Reika asked.

“We can figure that out later.” Smith said. “Right now, the most important think is to get Yumi back to the dorms.”

“Right.” They all said.

“Ulrich, Jerome, take Yumi back to her dorm and care for her wounds.” Smith said, they both nodded. “GB, Rocket, and Jet go toward the river and see if there is anything related to Hougen attacking sooner. Kyoushiro, Ken, and Kagetora look north of the river, and do the same. Mel, Reika, contact Tesshin and look south of the river.”

“OK.” They all said as Rocket, GB, Jet, Kyoushiro, Ken, Kagetora, Mel, and Reika set off.

“Jerome, Ulrich, I’ll check on how Yumi’s doing after I do a little investigation on my own with John, Gin, and Akame.” Smith said.

“OK Smith.” Jerome said as Smith, Gin, John, and Akame left. “Ulrich, help me get Yumi on by back, I can carry her back to the dorms.” Ulrich nodded walked over toward Yumi. He helped Jerome get Yumi on his back and placed a hand on Yumi’s back to help support her and started toward the dorms. Jerome and Ulrich where the same speed, which made it easy to get Yumi to the dorms, but they where stopped by Kadic’s own dictator.

“Ulrich!” A nails on the chalk board voice called.

“Oh no, Sissi.” Ulrich said.

“Who?” Jerome asked.

“Sissi, she’s the principal’s daughter and a total pain.” Ulrich said. “Lucky you, you didn’t have to meet you until now.”

“What if she sees Yumi?” Jerome asked.

“She’d go to her father.” Ulrich said. “Which is why we can’t let her see Yumi. So you go ahead and I’ll trick her.”

“OK, good luck.” Jerome said taking a short cut.

“I knew I heard your handsome voice, Ulrich darling!” Sissi said. “Where have you been?”

“I was looking for you.” Ulrich lied. “I wanted to see you in the school courtyard later tonight.”

“Really?!” Sissi asked.

“Of course, Sissi dear.” Ulrich said, his throat burning from the words. Sissi’s eyes lit up and she skipped off.

“See you there in a minute.” She said and ran off. Ulrich hurried over to Reika and Yumi’s dorm where he found Jerome, setting Yumi down in her bed.

“How long do you thing she’ll be out?” Ulrich asked.

“Not much longer I hope.” Jerome said. “What’s that?” Jerome asked looking near her upper arm.

“What’s what?” Ulrich asked as Jerome pulled something out of Yumi’s hoodie. It was a fang, the tip if it was in Yumi’s skin and was bloody.

“Looks like Yumi was attacked by dogs for sure.” Jerome said.

“Smith will want to have a look at that.” Ulrich said.

“Stay with Yumi, I’ll go wait for Smith outside.” Jerome said and he walked out.

“Wait! How do I take care of her wounds?” Ulrich asked.

“Clean them out and wrap them.” Jerome said. Ulrich nodded as Jerome left the room.

The next day Yumi woke to the sound of a alarm clock. It was 5:30. She heard the rumbling of her roommate coming back from the showers.

“About time!” Reika said. “We all where worried.”

“What happened?” Yumi asked.

“We don’t know, you where in the tool shed when we all found you.” Reika said. Yumi sat up. “How do you feel.”

“Hungry.” Yumi said. “Damned son of a”

“Wow! Hold on! You mean you didn’t catch anything on your hunting trip?” Reika asked.

“I did, but some dog showed up and stole my kill and I was nearly beat to death by his ‘friends’” Yumi said.

“We can talk about this over breakfast with the others.” Reika said. “Get changed and hurry up, I’m hungry too and Smith called a meeting in the cabin.”

“OK” Yumi said.

The Cabin, was a log cabin on the other side of the city. Smith had bought it to hold war meeting in a place no one would expect. During the meeting, Smith allowed them to eat so they got to leave the school for breakfast.

“OK, we need to know who leads the dogs who attacked Yumi earlier.” Smith said. “John, Akame, I’m going to need you two to reunite your Platloons for the mission. This war has officially started.”

“What do we do about school?” Aelita asked.

“We need to make it clear a war has begun.” Smith said.

“That wont take long.” GB said. “How long will it take before he tries to take over the school?”

“Not long at all, so Ulrich, Odd, and Aelita are going to need last minute training.” Smith said.

“They also have to fight one of us, they’ll die quickly if they don’t get the feel of a real fight.” Yumi said after swallowing a mouthful of rice.

“Good point.” John said.

“I lost track, which one of you eat more rice?” Aelita asked playfully.

“I think Yumi had four and Odd beats her by two.” Kyoushiro said paying a lot of attention to which one would eat more.

“I had eight.” Yumi said.

“I had ten.” Odd said.

“ARE YOU BOTH CRAZY?!” GB asked. “You’ll make yourselves sick!”

“Does Odd normally eat that much?” Ken asked.

“Yes, does Yumi?” Aelita asked.

“No.” Kagetora said.

“Hey, I think we were talking about the war.” Rocket interrupted.

“OK, then, John and Akame get their Platloons, we can start fighting back.”

“What are Platloons?” Odd asked mouth full of rice.

“Just another word for squads.” Reika said.

“Has Hougen ever attacked before this.” Ulrich asked.

“Yes, and it was tragic.” Gin said. “Me and Yumi’s little brother was killed, and our father never forgave us for the death.”

“Not True!” Yumi said. “Hiroki had a head injury! You killed him and had Yukimura take the blame!”

“Yumi!” Jerome said to calm her down, but it was too late, she had stood up as if to face her brother. Gin looked shocked and hurt.

End Gin’s Flashback.

Gin closed his eyes, accepting the fact, his sister was right. Yumi held her stern glare.

“Gin, don’t let her walk all over you like this!” John said. “You’re the leader!”

“John, there’s nothing I can do.” Gin said.

“Nani?” John asked.

“Yumi, can you describe the dogs who ambushed you?” Smith asked, but didn’t get a response. “Yumi.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I was ambushed up the river near the old construction site. The dogs who ambushed me where let by a Weimaraner. He said I was in some guy named Blue’s territory.” Yumi said.

“Blue?” Akame asked. “Might be one of Hougen’s generals.”

“I say we find out if they’re going to attack, and be one step ahead of them.” Reika said.

“Good plan.” Kagetora said.