Chapter 2: Little Squabble in the Big Apple
New York City. The clock reading 3:00 AM. Most of the town still scratch their heads in trying to wonder where the Statue of Liberty warped to. A voice claiming ACROSS was responsible for the vanishing of Liberty. A supposed Child of Time had been kidnapped. Four unlikely teenagers emerging at a high-rise construction site face down what may be hoards of nasty creatures. Only in New York. Ash, Edward, Rin and Sakura engaged damning creatures of all shapes, sizes and colors. Ash, equipped with tonfa sticks, whacked the creatures with some fancy footwork, yet not using them to kick these things. Pikachu stayed close, smashing the hostiles with a glowing white tail which was doing more harm than realized. "Keep up that Iron Tail, Pikachu!" Ash praised.
("It's in good hands, Ash!") Pikachu replied with a fulfilled grin. Edward, wielding a pike, was getting a good share of the fiends, slashing them in chunks. He was flipping around like the auto-mail on his arm and leg were weightless. Sakura was clobbering and stabbing each fiend in the upper portions, mostly with throwing knives which she gripped hard on. She had a moment to see how Ash was doing. When she and Ash met, Sakura thought Ash was someone named Sauske. Viewing him in action, Sakura was wondering why Ash wasn't literally kicking the fiends. Ash was throwing only punches from low jabs to hooks, uppercuts and some back fists.
"Is that some sorta martial art?" she questioned before backhanding one more in the snout. Busted nose? Edward turned to Ash, watching him shuffle his body to avoid any sort of strike before a counterattack.
"No, boxing isn't really a martial art," Edward answered before a roundhouse kick with his auto-mail leg. That's damaging. "Though he does look like he's got a few moves from from other areas." That's when they gazed at how Rin was doing. She needed no help, she's fine. Using her sword, she cleaved around the creatures with almost surgical precision. "Guess we don't really need to tell Rin about these demons, right?" Right... They cleared the easy horde in short time. Moving on, they hoped that there was something that could aid them. Through a pair of binoculars, from a few blocks away, a blond middle-aged man with a manly mustache and glasses observed the five-some plow through the demons like a football team through a banner held up by cheerleaders.
"So once again, old friend, you resort to calamity to wreak chaos, like back home in F-City, F-Prefecture," he murmured. "To think that you wanna use your wickedness in USA by kidnapping who you believe is the Child of Time and thieving them of their symbol of freedom. How low will you go, ACROSS?" There was some sort of history between this man and whoever was behind ACROSS. That's when a redhead female, looking mid-20's, approached the vendetta-scorned man.
"Mr. Kabupu, here's the data on the child that ACROSS had kidnapped," she addressed as she handed the man a clipboard. Kabupu peered at the info.
"I see. I knew helping that Excel girl's dog would benefit us somehow. Thank you, Ms. Matsuya." The woman bowed before her escape. Kabupu gazed ahead, watching more demons fall to the youthful speed of the teens.
"Let's hurry," Rin suggested. No need to say so. They continued throughout the site. That's when they found the end of the floor and no more demons to pulp. Was that all they needed to do?
"Well, that was a rush," Ash huffed, getting some of his air back. Edward didn't need a lot of time to scrounge for his breath. Heck, he was still fascinated with Ash's boxing skills.
"Ever thought of kickboxing?" he offered. Ash wondered about Edward's choice of art he suggested for him.
"Kickboxing? What, do I look like someone from a major dojo who can out-style?" Edward sighed that Ash couldn't get what he was pointing out.
"Kickboxing, or as it's originally called Muay Thai, consists of the use of not only swift hands, but powerful kicks," Rin explained. "Perhaps Elric sees potential to be stronger than you already are." Intrigued, Ash gave the thought of kickboxing a shot.
"Well, if you suggest. Maybe I'll consider new uses for these babies." Sakura giggled at the tone of Ash, amused at how open-minded he could be. "Something funny, Sakura?" Sakura eased down but she kept smiling.
"Oh, you're just acting real charming, nothing big," she shyly snickered. Suddenly, there was an evil laugh. Sakura stopped her giggle to turn and find another pink-haired young lady. She wore what appeared to be a lavender and white school outfit with a lavender skirt and white thigh-high socks. Her pink hair was fashioned in fluffy pigtails...yet her eyes were staring at the group as cold as the Rockies.
"Yuna?" Rin shuttered. The girl vilely sneered at Rin, scowling back.
"Rin Kamishiro," she grinned. "How nice to run into you once more, and no Kazuki to bail you out this time." Ash, Edward and Sakura turned their heads to Rin, believing that there was something between the two.
"I take it that you and she know each other, right?" Ed stated the obvious. Rin had to let them know what history be told.
"She's a clone of the real Yuna Miyama," Rin growled. A clone? "This Yuna was created while the real Yuna was searching for a way to increase the spell count of Shikimori. There was a vial that her father had presented to the campus doctor, but she got to it first. She made the real Yuna sick when they met, only to have Shikimori vanquish it." Rin stepped up, wanting answers. "So I ask you, who gave you new life?" Yuna scoffed with the story, amused with the stun she left on Rin and the rest.
"I'd love to explain myself, but I'll only reward you with a clue," she teased. "You see, ACROSS had gained new and exquisite power all in respect to acquiring the Child of Time." A good portion of secrets had leaked to the foursome. ACROSS, Child of Time...anything else?
"Child of Time?" Sakura wondered. "You don't suppose..." Suppose what? Ash had a feeling of what Sakura was hypothesizing about.
"Yeah..." he seemingly agreed.
"Well, despite spilling some of the info, I have a job to do," Yuna composed as she crossed her arms. Her hands began to glow when black angel wings spurt from her back. Her new wings took to the sky. "You understand what my job is, right? See you on the other side." The glowing hands started to form a miniature tornado. This was trouble. Ash sprinted forward, Pikachu holding onto his shoulder. "You defy me? Humor me." She tossed her mini tornado which increased in size. Ash had to act.
"Pikachu, up!" Pikachu leaped into the sky as Yuna's blast struck Ash.
"Ash!" Sakura yelled.
"Idiot!" Edward scolded. For some reason, Ash stood his ground against the blast. He stuck his arms into the blast, his body glowing somewhat brighter than the booming attack of Yuna's.
"Pikachu, now!" Ash called. Pikachu fired electricity from its small body, zapping Yuna. The blast ray stopped where Ash emerged unscathed. Pikachu stopped it's electrocution, Yuna flopping to the iron floor. She gazed up at Ash, radiating an energy that she had held.
"How dare you..." she scowled. Ash seemed more stoked to face her.
"Well, I'm ready to throw down." Yuna got to her feet, upset about her power drained into the trainer. Ash was squaring up in the boxing stance. That's when Rin drew her sword in front of Ash like an extension of her hand.
"Ketchum," she lowly halted Ash. Ash turned to Rin, wondering what was on her mind. "Let me battle her alone. I want revenge for her part in Shikimori's death." A death that needed retribution? Standing down, Ash figured that anyone who wanted resolutions would go first.
"Gotcha." He retreated to join Sakura and Edward as Rin squared herself, ready to fight Yuna.
"Kazuki went kaput, did he?" she grinned. "If I'm not mistaken, you didn't want Kazuki around in the first place, saying that you'd be free from your clan's arrangement of tying the two together in order to increase the magical strength that has weakened overtime. So in a sense, I did you a favor. You should be thanking me and not worry about what your family commands on you." Her low cackling had Rin gritting her teeth. Could this have been true? Was Rin willing to fight for no reason?
"Is this true, Rin?" Sakura asked. A cold silence wavered along the formed team, Rin keeping a code of silence for a moment.
"It's true," she finally gulped a confession. "When I met Shikimori, he was a bumbling mess to ever consider him as someone who enrolled at the Academy. He had bad grades, no athletic talent and was accused of peeping into the nurse's office when the women were getting exams in their undergarments." Then, why did Rin's clan want Kazuki to marry the female in question?
"In other words, your family wanted a total loser?" Ash guessed. "I fail to see the point."
"You would, you magic thief," Yuna snarled at Ash. "Kazuki lacked strength, smarts and proper decency, but he could destroy the world in one spell where it would take a million to execute equivalent power. But now that he's dead, you should have no reason to come after me." To Sakura, Edward and Ash, there really was no point for Rin to go all out on the clone.
"But there is one reason to take your life once again," she retorted. "Because when Shikimori died and turned to ash, the real Yuna, Kuriko and I managed to revive him for our benefit that one of us would remain happy with him. Since I'm here as well as yourself, I'm willing to sacrifice my life to protect him." Rin raced inward, hilt of her sword gripped. Yuna flapped her wings, taking to the air and avoiding a quick end. "Darham, discipline of Arms." She sliced the air with her quick-drawn blade, releasing a green flying cutter. Yuna made her arm glow again, firing an orb and colliding with the cutter. The two dispelled each other, clearing the air between the two females. Yuna continued to launch orb after orb at Rin, dodging with every blast when the orbs made contact with anything solid. For a good minute, both sides were even, Rin's defense equaling Yuna's attacks. Something had to give.
"You're a lot stronger than when I faced you before. Some intensity training." That's when raised a hand, sideways so the thumb was facing her and her pinky and ring fingers were folded. She sprinted ahead once more. Yuna formed a giant ball of energy, ready to fold Rin in half. She fired. Rin saw the ball come her way, but proceeded onward. It hit Rin and blew up. Rin! When the smoke and fire cleared, Rin was gone...but there was a paper cutout of a human. A curse on Rin? "A shikigami?" Shikigami? In a flash, Rin appeared. She stuck her sword to Yuna's neck, advising her to surrender.
"It's over for you." Yuna smirked, almost undeterred with Rin's threat.
"Just like that?" She started to cackle again. "Just like the common lore of heroes, you never finish your enemy who feels of flesh and bone. Anything else is open game." She walked over and placed Edward in a headlock, prompting Ash and Sakura to arm themselves.
"What the hell?!" Edward yelped in surprise and struggled to get out of the lock.
"You see, all I have to do is rearrange his head and you'll-" They'll what? Yuna stopped speaking when she felt something slap her back. She looked at her back, seeing Edward's hand on her spine. In a spite, she sighed. "At least aim a little lower if you're trying to be a pervert." Ash saw that slap, knowing that he used his auto-mailed arm. Edward was trying alchemy. That's when Yuna noticed that her clothes began to glow...surprising her.
"Sorry about that. I prefer tough areas on the body, not soft spots." He finally wriggled free as the glow brightened. Finally...BOOM! Yuna's clothes exploded and sent her flying off the site. Where she would land was anyone's guess. Pikachu rejoined the regroup as they reflect their performance.
"Well, that was a nice go-around," Ash huffed. "Maybe we can work as a unit." He seemed confident about the teamwork with the rest of his team.
"Yeah, especially with the scores of demons that were hurled our way," Sakura snickered. "I've gotta agree with Ash. You three, or four...can't forget you, Pikachu."
("It's alright, Sakura,") Pikachu forgave. They, minus Rin, enjoyed a grand laugh when Ash backtracked to what Yuna spoke out before her flight away. Edward saw the deepness of thought upon the trainer.
"Yo, Ash," Edward called. "What are you thinking about?" Ash needed a moment to collect his thoughts.
"Remember what Yuna said before Rin challenged her?" he opened with. "She mentioned that ACROSS had kidnapped this Child of Time. I think this Child of Time is responsible for our union here on this site." Edward seemed to get where Ash was going with the topic. He realized right there that their mission involved the rescue of this Child.
"Then that is our journey," Rin groaned. "To find ACROSS members and take back the Child of Time." It was a decision united. Since their business was completed on the site, they entered an elevator and descended to the ground, finally stepping on NYC turf. When they stepped on the ground...
"Freeze!" someone shouted. The group saw several cars with flashing red and blue lights. Men, handguns trained on the heroes, wore midnight blue uniforms. Not much else due to the darkness and headlights blinding them. "NYPD! Get your hands up!" Complying, the five rose their arms to the sky. "Turn around slowly!"
"Best listen..." Ash warned. The four turned around, allowing four men of the NYPD to come up and take each to a squad car. Great. Now the four were under arrest. How were they going to save the Child of Time...behind bars?
TO BE CONTINUED... (Yeah, police were never part of the Turtles but I thought it would be a unique idea)
