[Espy]

HAYATE

He hobbled slowly in the direction of the base, having tied the torn vest awkwardly looped around his neck and under his left arm. He really didn't want to meddle for fear of getting in the way of the more skilled Fire Skulls, but they had to be warned. That huge police force...or were they Hunters?...had given him a decent wake-up call to how bad the situation really was. Good thing he had looked like a normal civilian, though perhaps one who had been caught in the crossfire. Better yet, the Skull Hunters hadn't cared, he thought, half in sarcasm and half in actual appreciation.

It wasn't as if he was particularly keen on saving the Angry Cat. But she was still a person, as was everyone else in there.

Hayate took a moment to shrug off as much anxiety as he could, then turned a corner and nearly staggered headfirst into the policeman from earlier.