[Espy]

HAYATE

He blinked his eyes open, and after the nausea faded a bit, gingerly felt the bandage wound around his chest and shoulder. Wincing, he gathered his wits -- he was in Maki's lounge. But...how did he get here?

...There was...that man. Um. ...Didn't he look rather familiar? In all his muddled-ness, Hayate was having trouble placing his finger down on it. ...Wait.

He sat up so suddenly that the sofa seemed to threaten to dump him out from its cushions. Hayate clutched at his head for a moment before pushing himself to his feet...then promptly went sprawling across the carpeted floor.

Dammit. In his hurry to get downstairs, he had forgotten about his leg. He glanced down and saw that someone had wound another bandage around the cut, over his pants. His sandals were besides the sofa, but he couldn't be bothered to put them on.

Some few minutes later, panting, he managed to catch the last few of Maki's words, and braced himself against the doorframe. He recognized the policeman as the one who had nearly fought the angry cat a couple days ago.

"Helping? I think you're sorely, sorely mistaken. The only help he gave me was rendering me pain- and consciousness-free for...some time."

He paused, then limped over to Maki and nearly fell again, grabbing her shoulder in an attempt to steady himself. Keeping his voice down, with his hair conveniently draped (when had he lost the hairtie?) down to hide his face, he muttered in Maki's ear, "There are Skull Hunters coming this way. At least, soon."