Starry Starry Nights
Chapter Four – Fourth Night
"Boss?" Haihane whispered cautiously as she peered at her leader's gaunt eyed face in the dim light to see if Karasuba was finally awake. The heavily curtained bedroom of MBI's Towers and condo complex made it difficult to tell since the Black Sekirei's frazzled, long gray hair was also tossed so chaotically about the her face, bedclothes, and pillows.
Haihane turned on a small night light eliciting an agonized groan of disapproval from the zombie looking creature now cringing amidst the tangled covers. "You awake, Boss? Minaka's going NUTS! He wanted your report on what you learned about that prick Logan last night, and he wanted it hours ago!"
"You ASS, Haihane! Are you trying to blind me?" Karasuba ground out through gritted teeth, the effort making her groan again while groping with both hands to find and then clutch her throbbing head before continuing. "I'm awake, dammit! And if you keep shouting, I'm going to KILL YOU! And then I'll KILL Minaka! And especially LOGAN! My head is killing ME! Thirsty! Get me some water and an ice bag for my head! And get me painkillers! Now!"
"Hey, okay! OKAY! Take it easy! I'm on it already!" Haihane flinched backward with her hands up to ward off blows that didn't come. She whispered much more softly between her spread fingers. "I already have the medics and a nurse coming over with meds! They're bringing sports drinks with electrolytes to re-hydrate you and a tank of oxygen too. A maid's coming to help you bathe and wash your hair. I kinda figured from the shape you was in when I brought you back here this was gonna be the case now.
"What the hell happened last night? That freak Logan guy sent your sword here, and then a couple hours later, he called for us to come and get you! You were bombed unconscious! Didja learn any more about him other than he's a mouthy old wise ass? What should I tell Minaka? By the way, he doesn't want Logan dead. He wants to use him against your old Number 01 pal, Miya."
"Old pal Miya, my ass! I, uhhh, Claws, look out! I'm gonna yak up my SOCKS!"
Karasuba, totally naked except for her two toed socks, made weird gurgling noises while holding onto her mouth and scrambling to roll out of her futon. She scrabbled futilely on the floor for a few seconds before getting on her knees and crawling on three limbs towards the bathroom like a hairless, sallow skinned, bare ass yet wild maned baboon. She didn't make it. Choking and heaving, her highly abused stomach relieved itself of every micro liter of vile and bile smelling contents onto her apartment's bedroom rug.
Then, even with a now empty stomach, the hollow and dark eyed Karasuba miserably began retching again, pausing to get her breath, and then starting in again. Finally, some minutes later and still on her knees, she backed away from her noxious vomited mess and collapsed sideways; moaning, sweating, and shivering in still nauseated, head pounding, dry heave misery.
"Whoa! Barfarama! Mount Asama! Ewww! The maid's gonna have to do a LOT of cleaning too, eh?" Haihane breathed in somewhat less than sympathetic awe at the pitiful sight before her. She backed further away from the sickening smell herself while shaking her head. The spewing had abated, for now. Haihane had never seen the totally controlled and emotionally cold Karasuba reduced to such a pitiful, floor writhing, barfing, and pathetic looking state.
On the other hand, it was kind of weirdly funny and satisfying to see the arrogant, overbearing, and too powerful Karasuba get a major dose of mortal and volcanic comeuppance for once.
"Minaka wants to know what I learned about Logan, huh?" Karasuba wheezed weakly without looking back at her companion or even opening her eyes. "Tell him that sonofabitch Logan can out drink a Freaking WHALE! You can also tell Minaka and our electronic geeks I got a GPS locator bugging Logan's new jacket, and Akitsu the scrapped number now has an MBI card we can use to help keep track of them along with our satellites. The only other things I know for sure is that Logan's a walking tank, solid, heavy, way heavier than he looks. Incredibly strong too. And absolutely fearless. Oh, and I'm pretty sure he's got a super sensitive nose for scents, almost as if he was some kind of animal."
"Yeah?" Haihane nodded in frowning puzzlement over those tidbits of information while covering her nose, coughing, and trying not to reflexively gag at the bedroom's now very noxious and cloying smell. "So if he's not human, and not Sekirei either, then what the hell is he? How come you didn't drug those two like you were supposed to so the lab boys could haul them in for examination?"
"I tried, dammit! I TRIED! Minaka said not to provoke Logan or even make him suspicious and upset the public too much if he went nuts again. I doped both their beers three times last night with knockout drops real sneaky like, but none of it fazed Logan at all. I mean no effect of any kind, like he didn't even twitch! It was as if he had simply swallowed water, and those damn knockout drops only made Akitsu real loopy. That gal's brain just isn't wired right somehow, but she's in total Sekirei protect mode of Logan, almost like she's bonded.
"After that, things get REAL fuzzy because I got hammered trying to act like I was just along for a good old beer drinking party time. Which actually was kinda fun at the time, and Logan must know a thousand dirty jokes. He cracked me up with the one about a virgin Amazon nympho stranded on an island with a toothless gay cannibal. They, they both couldn't, ummm, something about inspiring a twink named Mick Jagger and get no satisfaction, and, and, never mind. I've forgot the punchline, but it was really damn funny when Logan-chan sang it.
"Anyway, that weird bastard is also an old fashioned kind of gentleman for having such a rude, obnoxious, and blunt mouth on him. He was always opening doors for us, pulling our chairs out, and ya know, shit like that. Then I remember walking, a LOT, and singing, telling jokes, and finally sitting down on a bench. That's it. Tell Minaka that's all I got. We started out in a steak house, went to a karaoke bar, and a public bath house, and then walked. That's all I remember. Now I'm here, sick as hell, and my head feels like it's a pounded pumpkin with Swiss cheese where my memories should be."
"Well, I can help with those, a little," Haihane grinned half apologetically and half in amusement. Toothless gay cannibal? Logan-chan? "It seems that you also had a LOT of fun slicing and dicing a bunch of plants and customers' clothes last night in that karaoke bar. Logan cleaned out that joint's cash reserves as a giant shakedown fee to get you out of there. Then The Word must have went out all over town that you was on a warpath drinking binge again. Those Kabukichō bouncers have really learned how to communicate when it comes to us gals being down there to party, ya know?
"Anyway, Logan did the same shakedown scam at a bath house and about 40 or so other clubs, bars, and strip joints in the district. The bouncers at the front door either had to pay up, or he'd bring you in to let you wreck the joints. That's what all the walking was about. From all the complaints Minaka received and paid off, Logan pimped your sorry drunk ass all around Kabukichō to the tune of almost 500,000 yen."
"That phony, smiling, joke telling, sonofabitch!" Karasuba groaned while rolling over on her side into a fetal curl and grasping her badly throbbing head in both hands again, which caused another groaning dilemma. Her sick stomach needed held too. "All the time seeming to be such a nice, fun guy type when we both KNEW he's a grade A ruthless bastard!
"On the other hand, he had me blitzed and naked in the bath house, and I didn't get raped or even fingered. Hell, he even made me wash my own tits, ass, and crotch! Talk about a let down! But he did help wash and rinse my hair. Actually, that WAS kind of sexy. Oh, yeah, one other thing you can tell Minaka. Logan-chan might be half horse since he's hung like one."
"Yeah? No shit!" Haihane grinned again but this time more in mentally visualizing and appreciative interest. "Well, who'd a thought that mouthy old timer and wind bag would have anything like that going for him! Huh! Interesting! Well, at any rate, Boss, we gotta get you up, moving, and operating soonest. Minaka wants more information with you back on the case as a drinking buddy type party girl, wired for sight and sound, and out there staying as close to Logan as you can get."
"Screw that," Karasuba snorted in stomach clutching and renewed shivering disdain. "My head hurts. And any second I'm gonna barf up my toenails again. Besides it's not even 8 o'clock in the freaking morning! You're going this time! Not me!"
"WHAT! No way! That smart mouth Logan pisses me off just to look at him, let alone listen to him blather on! Besides, I get shitfaced on two beers!"
"GOOD! Then you can see how THIS feels! Oh hell, just take Benny with you. Take Logan to lunch and then party all day and night if you have to. She can do the simpering charm routine while trying to poison him, and she holds her liquor better. Double team him. Keep him off balance. Good gal, bad gal. Got it?
"Hell, he looks and acts like a hand to hand type fighter. See if you can spar with him and work off a little mutual aggression if different poisons don't work. You can at least learn something about his speed, strength, and reflexes while the satellites are watching. Just take a bath first and wear clean panties and clothes. Logan ain't gonna hang out with you smelling like a mildewed bathroom carpet that was last shampooed ten years ago. Now get the hell out of here. I'm dying, and when I can, I swear I'm gonna kill everyone in sight. Just as soon as I can find my damn sword."
"Hey, Minaka ain't gonna like," Haihane began again in hand waving protest.
"Screw Minaka! You two are going! That's an order! Now GET OUT! And turn that damn light off!"
"Okay, okay," Haihane grumbled and grimaced in resignation and repugnance at now being forced to socially interact with Logan in any fashion, let alone relaying Karasuba's altered plan to Minaka. "It's gonna drive Minaka NUTS, but you're the Boss."
*scene break*
Logan! Who was he? It was driving her NUTS! MBI's clandestine electronic systems that she constantly monitored had went more or less berserk two nights ago and had caught her interest. Now this totally mystifying and exciting new Ashikabi was driving her absolutely insane in curiosity! The red haired alien female, Matsu Number 02, took off her glasses with her right hand, put them down on another floor pillow beside her, and gently massaged her tired eyes with her left.
The more she had tried to find out about this Logan, the more deeply she had gotten immersed into a giant circular quagmire of unanswered, simple, and yet profoundly bizarre questions. Also, the longer she had stayed at trying to answer them, the more puzzling, somewhat sinister, and exciting her search for information had become, and definitely more infuriating and totally frustrating. Her informational quest had her running around the same circles trying to link what little was known to make sense. Each circuit kept bringing her right back to her starting question that was now a full blown obsession simply driving her NUTS! Who WAS he? LOGAN!
Matsu took a few deep calming breaths. One thing stood out above everything. Logan had all the top security brass at Mid Bio Informatics, including Minaka and his Sekirei Disciplinary Squad, also going into a total five alarm tizzy trying answer the same simple questions Matsu wanted answered. After calming down a little, she looked over the self made list on her electronic tablet once more.
Who was Logan? Since he was obviously not human nor Sekirei, what was he? What exactly where the extent of his inhuman powers, skills, and other abilities? Why had he went berserk in Shiba Park? When and from where had he come? How had he gotten here? Why was he in Tokyo? Why was there absolutely no record of him in any conceivable data base around the world before 2 days ago, let alone any records of travel or financial activity ever? Why was he feigning amnesia? Or was he? Was it a clever cover? What plans did he have now? What was he after? How and why had he teamed up with that incredibly powerful and possibly brain damaged scrapped Sekirei? Was he now going to team up with and/or wing more Sekirei? Why was he refusing to participate in MBI's Sekirei Plan, or was he? How could he be safely contained in Tokyo and even neutralized in the future if the need arose?
The last questions were two with some sinister implications since Logan fit every known parameter for a professional assassin except keeping a low profile. Who had paid to get Logan here, and what currently could be Logan's priority mission? MBI secrets? Kidnap a Sekirei? Assassinate MBI, government, and/or Yakuza leaders? Minaka only? Other Ashikabi? Miya? All Sekirei? Some unknown personal professional enemy of Logan? Who?
Deep in thought and categorizing what little she knew about Logan for sure, Matsu then ran her fingers through her thick, long auburn tresses before blinking in realization that she hadn't tidied her hair into her usual twin braids after last night's weird bath with a very, very angry Uzume. She turned her head to eye herself in a long closet door mirror. This new hairdo made her look years older and actually kind of gave her full figure and face a slightly slutty and wanton look.
Matsu smiled grimly to herself before taking another deep, calming breath, retrieving and adjusting her glasses, and going back to work. Her slutty looking hair could wait. The was nothing better than a deep puzzling mystery like Logan!
She paused for a second, unless of course it was thinking over the exact position and circumstances in which she was going to lose her virginity, and with whom. She shook her head pragmatically. Sex was optional for now, but bonding by a kiss at least must happen soon if she was going to enhance her powers and have even a remote chance of surviving the Sekirei Plan. Logan was certainly now a prime candidate if for no other reason than she wanted a very powerful Ashikabi who also was an enemy of and/or a possible conqueror of MBI's Sekirei Plan.
Unless of course, this maddening Logan guy was Minaka's secret tool to destroy Miya to begin with since Logan had been strangely given full Ashikabi status by just being with a scrapped number. Or was that just Minaka's self defensive ploy in utilizing the old "keep your friends close but your enemies closer" gambit? Had Minaka somehow lost control of a going rogue and too strong to stop Logan?
Matsu chewed her lower lip and shook her head again in speculation. Either way she needed a powerful Ashikabi to stay alive and save Miya too. If Logan WAS Minaka's hired claws and/or going rogue, then maybe she could turn Logan in Miya's favor or at least sneakily sabotage his mission. She would die to save Miya if she had to. Time would tell if Logan was friend or foe, but she wanted to, no, HAD to know NOW! And there was a real possibility Logan was simply an inhuman fighter in Tokyo for who knew why. In that case she could use her virgin body and perverted lusts to recruit him FOR saving Miya as well as get a strong Ashikabi for herself! Wooo! She liked that thought!
That brought up the most compelling reasons why Matsu wanted Logan as a prime candidate for her Ashikabi. She had hacked MBI's data bases to find physical and vocal descriptions of him that came from several phone videos taken by Karasuba, statements from a helicopter pilot and a hospitalized cop, but more importantly, one incredibly interesting satellite video from yesterday that featured an unconscious Logan being stripped naked and bathed by the scrapped number in a Shiba Park pond. This one Matsu had digitally enhanced down to crystal clarity of phallic details and had run over and over while almost mesmerized.
Even if Minaka and his geek cohorts seemed to remain clueless about why the scrapped Sekirei had teamed up with Logan, Matsu wasn't. Any young and healthy female Sekirei "ready to really get it on!" with her new Ashikabi could immediately see Logan was a mature, powerful, and very self confident male; ruggedly handsome, muscular, sexy looking, and hung. Matsu WANTED him.
Matsu blew out a deep sigh of anticipated passion and shook herself to get back to and focus on her current research. In doing so, she automatically flicked her eyes around the multiple computer and video screens that covered three walls of her hidden, end of the hall, second story room at Maison Izumo. One of Matsu's intricately linked systems was intercepting, decrypting, and recording an MBI satellite visual and GPS locator signal.
The fact that one very expensive and sophisticated satellite had now been completely dedicated to keeping an orbital eye on Logan was irrefutable proof of how totally gonzo Logan was driving MBI's top brass. This made Matsu almost believe that Logan was NOT an inside part of MBI's Sekirei Plan and available for her use to win it, but she had to KNOW! Although her fingers were paused over her main keyboard to resume her next Logan informational quest, Matsu's attention became riveted on the satellite's visual view of Shiba Park and three figures emerging from the leafy cover of some blossoming cherry trees.
There was Logan and Homura propping up a half comatose Kazehana between them and walking towards a taxi waiting on the nearby street crammed with morning rush hour traffic. What? How and when had those two gotten next to Logan without being seen? The scrapped number Sekirei was stumbling along behind them with a tightly rolled and tied double sleeping bag in her left hand and carrying in the crook of her right arm what looked like two large stacked cooking pots with stuff inside the top one. The cab driver politely put the scrapped Sekirei's stuff in the taxi's trunk and used an elastic cord as a tightener to keep the open lid from bouncing. Logan got in the front with the driver after helping Homura sit between and prop up the two Sekirei females in the back seat. The cab leaned oddly over when Logan sat.
Now ready for travel, the badly lopsided cab made a u-turn in heavy traffic, no doubt with multiple horns blaring in disgust, then a right onto a major northbound street, and promptly merged into more heavy city traffic filled with other similar cabs. Matsu's fingers flew over her keyboard and within seconds had their cab number and destination identified. Her breath caught in excited anticipation. Their taxi was coming to Izumo Inn! She was going to meet Logan in person, or at least spy on him up close! All right!
Matsu watched for a few breathless minutes. Wait! What was this? For some reason, after stopping under an overpass near Tokyo's Shinagawa Station entrance for a few minutes, the scrapped number's MBI card was used to withdraw the maximum amount of cash from an ATM, and then card purchases were made for four Shinkansen departure tickets, two southwest to Kokura and two northbound to far Sapporo. Logan's personal GPS signal then started to go rapidly towards Kanazawa along the west route? Had he ditched his transmitter somehow? Had he gotten on the maglev bullet train system? If so, which route?
Yet MBI's satellite camera was still trying to reacquire and follow the taxi! Matsu pounded her knees in frustration at MBI's incompetence and slow response. Stop those Shinkansen trains! Block Tokyo's bridges and roads of egress! What if he doubled back and just hid in the city or simply caught another vehicular ride outbound? Logan was ditching MBI's surveillance! And making it look easy! Damn! Matsu hissed in helpless frustration as she settled in to watch and wait.
Sure enough, thirty minutes later, the taxi arrived to unload only Homura and a now totally passed out Kazehana. An irate Matsu, with her long red hair still unbound, met them at Maison Izumo's front door.
"Where are Logan and that scrapped Sekirei?" Matsu demanded without any greeting.
"He got out at Shinagawa," Homura shrugged indifferently, "and came back about five minutes later without his leather jacket. He and Akitsu, that's the scrapped number's name by the way, got their stuff and starting walking towards that big shopping mall nearby. Where's Miya and Uzume?"
"Miya went shopping. Uzume's still sleeping. She came home very upset about 3:30 a.m. and took a bath before going to bed." Matsu waved her hands at him/her impatiently. "You two were with Logan and that Akitsu in Shiba Park. How? Why?"
"Kazehana went drinking with them after she and Uzume stopped him from killing me last night," Homura sighed wearily. "Logan used her phone to call me to come and get her just after dawn. He told me to walk in and not draw any attention. Look. It's almost 9 a.m. I'm bushed and need to sleep. I'll tell you all about it at dinner tonight. What's with your wild and frizzy hairdo? New look? Where should I put Onee-chan?"
"NO! She can wait! Talk now! Logan almost killing you? Why? How did Onee-chan stop it? I want to KNOW now! Details! Gimme details! Why was he going to a shopping mall? Did he say where he was going afterward? What's he like? And I'll take her up to my room! I've got to ask her more questions as soon as she wakes up! And Uzume too! I've, I've,"
"Got to get a grip! And here, take her!" Homura snapped peevishly as he wheeled to let Matsu hold onto and make ready to carry Kazehana upstairs. "Logan's going to buy some things! Why else would he go shopping? You'd be wise to leave him alone and stay as far away from that scary bastard as you can get too! And I told you! I'm bushed! It's been a VERY bad night for my nerves, and I'm going to bed! I'll talk when I wake up!"
"But, but, I NEED to know now!" Matsu stamped her foot in frustration. She hastily recoiled and ducked when twins balls of angry flame appeared around Homura's palms which were now thrust out menacingly in her direction. The no nonsense, silent, and narrow eyed look she was getting from Homura meant Matsu was perilously close to getting her long and flowing red hair singed badly, again.
Matsu quickly put Kazehana between her and the highly irate fire user. She started carrying the comatose Kazehana upstairs. Matsu gritted her teeth in impatient frustration as she went. Even if she now had three new and better sources of information about Logan, that even MBI didn't have, the increasing mystery of him and her impatiently growing number of unanswered questions were still driving her absolutely NUTS! Who WAS he? Logan!
*scene break*
Schnickt! Logan blinked in somewhat surprised and yet pleased self accomplishment as three long, shiny metal, and razor sharp looking blades sprang forth from his clenched right fist. So THAT was how they worked! The wrist had to be absolutely straight before clenching the fist and tensing his forearm muscles at the same time. Huh. Once fully extended, his wrist still had full range of movement. He swiped the air about him experimentally. He relaxed, and the blades went back up into his arm.
So, he did heal immediately and regenerate as he seemed to think that he always had. Just like those instant healing razor blade cuts. Maybe his brain was getting better too even though it still ached. He clenched his left fist and tensed the forearm at the same time. Schnickt! Then the right fist and forearm again. Schnickt!
Now wasn't this interesting? Logan gazed at his long metal claws. Almost downright sexy in an instant stiffy phallic sense. Wonder how much intentional damage he could do with these babies? And on what kinds of stuff?
He looked over at Akitsu sitting at the apartment's little kitchenette table. She had paused in eating her noon lunch of take out curried rice and was now watching him with her eyebrows raised slightly in totally fascinated interest. He remembered going into a total red rage fury and punching that cop car repeatedly the other night, eventually greatly overtaxing and tearing his muscles throwing it as well as passing out from the pain, but he hadn't remembered using these fist blades, nor how he had activated them. Now he could. Anytime he wanted apparently, even though he still couldn't really remember much of anything else about himself.
He relaxed his arms and fists and let them fall straight down as the blades retracted. He tensed again. Schnickt! Both of them went full out at once. Now wasn't that just damn all interesting as things could get?
Almost as interesting as that sneaky, Cheshire cat grinning Karasuba slipping bitter tasting chloral hydrate into his beer three times last night and tagging that gift leather jacket with a locating transmitter. He had spotted the little gizmo's faint infrared heat signature immediately. That meant Akitsu's unlimited MBI card was actually just another means to keep electronic tabs on them too. Then a very deep in her cups Karasuba had let it accidentally slip that she had found him and Akitsu in Shiba Park from a stationary orbit MBI satellite visually tracking him.
Combination tracking and doping with knockout drops implied capture. Capture implied imprisonment with lab rat type cutting, testing, and probing; complete with different types of radiant scanning, further doping experiments, deep pin brain stimulation, lots of blood, skin, bone, vital organ, and brain analyzing, needles, scalpels, drills, saws, and lots and lots and lots of electrical shocks and another big, damn, painful light up his ass.
Dimly, very dimly, he was pretty sure that had all happened to him before, several times, because everybody and their brother had wanted to find out the why and how and how to duplicate his total regeneration powers. He was also pretty sure he had been literally killed in as many gruesomely imaginable ways possible, each one more painful than the last including atomic blasts, and several of those previous deaths had occurred during very painful lab tests. More exceedingly painful testing in an MBI lab didn't seem to be a pleasant thought at all.
Testing completed, however, implied dismembered disposal, also painful, especially if a way was found by the lab coat guys to stop him from regenerating as normal. Capture, testing, and disposal also implied Akitsu would share his fate. None of that was very interesting to him at all.
Logan moved to join Akitsu at the kitchenette table and tried to logically think about their situation while eating. So. He had a couple decisions to make. Akitsu and he could run fast and far and hide. Probably tough to do in this electronic and "spies all over the skies" age, even in a wilderness. They could stay here in Tokyo under present deep cover. That wouldn't successfully last long if for no other reason they'd simply run out of money. Tokyo was an expensive place to live.
He also couldn't simply find some way to remove all traces of his existence from MBI's records, unless he killed Micky, Karasuba, that cop, the helicopter pilot, and who knew how many other MBI personnel. Not very practical anyway, because how would he ever actually be totally sure he'd gotten everyone who knew about him? Unless of course he destroyed every damn trace of MBI. Doable, maybe, but also very bloody. Not too practical. Besides, he was damn tired of killing.
OR, he could make life and everyone at MBI so damn miserable that they would, out of a great desire for relief, finally decide to just let him and Akitsu alone to go their own way. Now that had a lot of upside merit and was very doable.
Now that he thought about it, he already knew several pretty nasty ways to terrorize an organization and even a whole damn city if he really got serious about it. Especially after Karasuba tried to dope his ass last night, and two could play that game, right? How would she like to find herself waking up in the back end of a dump truck full of rice paddy fertilizer headed for the southern Tsugaru Plains?
Let's see, Logan squinted as he tried very hard to concentrate despite his aching head. Chloral hydrate, CCl3,CH (OH)2, or more simply, trichloroacetaldehyde monohydrate, a powerful soporific, or in layman terms a sleep inducing drug, knockout drops, commonly called the Mickey Flynn or Mickey when added to some drinking buddy's beer or cocktail. Hell, he could make his own with some bleach, Sani-flush, ethyl alcohol, sulfuric acid, calcium oxide, beakers, special bottles, glass and rubber tubing, thermometer, distilling set, basting syringe, and an aquarium aerator. No problem. Done it many times.
He dredged deeper into his balky mind to see that he also knew how to make crude napalm, bombs, timers, and Molotov cocktails on the homemade cheap too. Heh. Making zip guns, blowguns, stun guns, and all kinds of damn guns and trick ammo were no problem either. Matter of fact, fun. It seems he was or had been some kind of guerrilla/terrorist/army of one many times in his dark past then. Huh. Now wasn't that interesting too. If that was the case, then he could have all kinds of fun raising sheer hell with MBI before they finally found him, and they would, eventually, no matter how cleverly he tried to hide. By then he needed to make it very clear to Micky and his boys that continued screwing with Logan and Akitsu was way more damn trouble than it was worth.
Okay, then taking it hard to MBI would be easier and more cheaply done while hiding out in Tokyo, and especially with allies, the more powerful the better. The government as an ally was out because according to Kazehana, Micky owned the government. Besides, the cops were already less than thrilled with berserker Logan for wrecking a car and busting one their patrolman's jaw, which Logan actually felt bad about. The crime lords of the city's Yakuza weren't going to do anything that didn't generate a nice profit and apparently were partially in bed with MBI already by making payoffs to be left alone. He didn't have enough money to hire thugs anyway.
Foreign governments weren't going to be much interested in simply harassing a Japanese pharmaceutical conglomerate for anything less than legally stealing every yen, stock, bond, building, and patent MBI owned. Now a competitor might be a possibility, especially the one named Higa Izumi. There was a guy who had bonded with several Sekirei presumably to use them to defeat Minaka and take over MBI. The guy was most likely to go off and do his own thing at some crucial juncture and be more trouble than not. Or Logan could simply ally directly with Sekirei himself, but that raised other problems, again according to Kazehana.
First of all, she had said these Sekirei, except for the one named Miya Asama who owned and ran Maison Izumo, were "Earth raised" alien visitors/invaders that had crashed in the Pacific Ocean ages ago and only since discovered in the past two decades or so. They were either unlucky stellar travelers, hunted galactic criminals, a failed invasion or exploratory force of ages past, or possibly just sent to seed the planet with their DNA for some unknown future purpose. Colonization maybe? Sending eggs and embryos alone out into a cruel universe sounded pretty much like an act of desperation, but hey, maybe the aliens had just wanted to diversify their own DNA. Who knew?
At any rate, the Sekirei eggs and embryos guarded by adult Miya had been discovered and raised by MBI lab techs. More importantly they had been indoctrinated into participating and fighting in Micky's Sekirei Plan, which as explained in detail by a soused Kazehana, had made little sense at all to Logan. Why raise super powered alien babies just to have them fight each other to the death?
Well, whatever the purposes of spending decades of time and money developing super powered aliens only to have them kill each other in a deadly tournament, Micky HAD to be somehow making some kind of huge profit out of it all. Otherwise, again, what was the point? The kicker in the whole deal was Kazehana had adamantly declared that all Sekirei were genetically and instinctively driven upon maturity to exchange DNA and bond or "wing" once for life with any being that fit certain psychic parameters, aka, Ashikabi. In this case, Earth born humans.
Ashikabi. Huh. Weird name. At any rate, there would be no female alien kissing and "fooling around" for meaningless one night stands or longer ongoing sexual dalliances either. That meant if Logan wanted Sekirei allies to get MBI to leave him alone, he was almost certainly going to risk gaining a lifetime harem of super powered alien females. Totally bonded females. For life. Damn.
Logan turned a contemplative look at Akitsu again. She had been in a state of half arousal all morning. He could smell her vanilla musk for inducing a male to mate with her, and it was working, Logan realized as he shifted to alleviate a little of his growing phallic pressure. Wait. What if he already had a bonded female? Just where did Akitsu fit in the Sekirei Plan anyway?
Kazehana had explained that Akitsu had been an experiment, failed or successful Kazehana hadn't known, or even about the experiment's purpose, but it had left Akitsu unable to bond normally, possibly emotionally hindered, and maybe even brain damaged. She did talk slow, wasn't much for multitasking, and it took a while for her to think through concepts and word meanings. Yet Logan had seen Akitsu very intelligently improvise under pressure, fulfill multiple objectives once given to her, instinctively react incredibly quick, and even anticipate events. And she was utterly loyal, trusting, and protective of him, and now constantly horny too, so that meant? Damn.
"Akitsu-chan, who am I?" Logan asked cautiously.
"Logan-chan." Akitsu didn't even look up from the robotic moving of food to mouth with her chopsticks.
"What am I?"
"Perfect... and my Ashikabi." Again, she simply kept eating as Logan winced. There was that weird Ashikabi word!
With that there was little doubt now. Akitsu may not be physically or psychically bonded to him as a normal Sekirei, but she was clearly emotionally bonded, maybe even more deeply than normal in compensation and greatly desiring the physical thing too. Okay, two more tests.
"When I die, what will happen to you?" Logan peered at her facial expression closely. Nothing.
"I will die." The rice and curry movement didn't even pause.
"What will happen if I bond with other Sekirei?"
"My Ashikabi gets more protection and another mate." Didn't even blink. Mate. Another "no doubt about it" type word. There it was. Totally bonded all right. REAL deep too. No human female would have readily responded like that. Damn.
Okay, now what? Whether he had intended to bond with her or not, there would be no leaving Akitsu on her own in this rented apartment after MBI's pursuit was permanently discouraged. On the other hand, Logan rubbed his chin while shrugging, there could be worse fates than both of them living a reclusive life style together in the northern wildernesses. She could certainly stand the cold too, as well as be a nice and probably very responsive bed warmer. Maybe one more question needed to be asked here.
"Uhhh, Akitsu-chan," Logan began before pausing to make sure he wanted to ask it, and then shrugged again. Oh well, what the hell. "Think carefully about this. You will always be in danger with me like my murdered wife Itsu. Knowing this, do you want to mate with me, uhhh, physically, you know, as male and female?"
This time Akitsu's chopsticks stopped in mid air, food falling unheeded back into her bowl. She looked up, instantly blushing a furious deep red as her eyes read the serious intent in his. She blinked twice with slightly widened eyes, and then nodded once. Her chopsticks dropped into her bowl. It clearly looked like deadly danger meant nothing to her, but mating meant everything, at least more than eating.
"Now?" She cocked her head to one side to blink at him again and then sent an interested glance at their rolled and tied double futon on the floor in the living area adjoining the kitchenette. Her eyes dropped to the cloth belt tying her shortened white kimono together. She parted the overlapping cloth of her dress to observe that her panties would also have to be taken off. Now see, Logan somewhat nervously observed her thinking. There was mental preparation and planning going on in there.
"Uhhh, no," Logan cleared his throat, trying to look nonchalant while having second thoughts conflicting with his other hardening part. Man, what had he just done? "Ummm, maybe later, much later. Finish eating while I try to think about our situation some more, okay?"
"Okay." The robotic eating began anew.
So, he had a lifetime live-in lover at the very least and maybe even a formal alien wife sometime in the future. Logan began rubbing his forehead with one hand as his head was starting to ache even worse. Damn. Just as Kazehana had implied, getting more Sekirei allies for fighting against MBI came with a giant caveat of highly attached Sekirei matrimony, maybe even multiples. Not practical for a budget minded lone wolf type like him. Unless he could convince an already bonded Sekirei to cooperate with him, and that meant organizing their Ashikabi like that Higa as allies. Again, little chance of that if he knew self serving human nature, and he did.
Hold on here. Maybe he could bypass Ashikabi interference. Kazehana had said something about winged Sekirei receiving enough damage to lose their bonding to their Ashikabi. And hadn't she also said something about a psychic attack upon their bonding mark with something called a Norito that would totally sever all ties to an Ashikabi? Which didn't apply to Akitsu since MBI's experiments on her left her basically psychically bonded to herself and now emotionally to him while immune to any Norito.
Kazehana had also said that all Sekirei that had lost their bonding through physical and/or psychic damage were taken back to the MBI labs for what? Storage and further study? Organ harvesting? Possible cloning material? Regeneration? With their bonding instincts gone? Now that last could be real interesting for him in future recruiting without the lifetime Ashikabi commitment thingy bogging him down for, for... WAIT!
Regeneration. That was the key. And the reason for Sekirei recovery once they were killed. What if Micky's real purpose in the Sekirei Plan was to deliberately get the Sekirei to remove their Ashikabi bonding by killing each other instead of getting doped up and permanently damaged? Akitsu HAD been the failed experiment for an easier drugging alternative to bypass Ashikabi bonding! At any rate, Micky still had the means to have a future army of super powered aliens already indoctrinated for obedience and highly trained fighters as well, fighters without any divided loyalties between him and any Ashikabi. All Micky had to do was regenerate killed Sekirei, and thus still handily circumvent Sekirei bonding instincts without permanent brain damage.
What could a hundred plus adult alien Sekirei do to the combined military might of planet Earth? Kazehana had admitted the first five of them as the original Disciplinary Squad under Miya Asama's leadership had decimated combined land, sea, and air attempts of at least two large scale military invasions of Kamakura Island. And that was just defending the place where the Sekirei ship had been found and the Sekirei had been raised by Micky and his MBI cohorts.
What could they do attacking? A LOT obviously, maybe even completely wiping out all opposition easily. Old crazy, four eyed geek Micky was maybe planning to use forcefully non bonded and regenerated Sekirei to take over the world? Now that finally made the most sense out of an otherwise screwy sounding Sekirei Plan. All Minaka had to do was kill the one eventual winner to get his regenerated and permanently "Ashikabi unattached" army, and not risk slaying 106 of them himself and fomenting a Sekirei rebellion against MBI in the process.
Now, assuming that last was true, Logan squinted as he tried really hard to concentrate, how to royally screw that up in such a way as to get Micky, his MBI, AND his sneaky Disciplinary Squad off his ass? Well, the answer was actually easy if somewhat difficult to accomplish, given the Sekirei's obviously inherent belligerent natures and training. All he had to do was to keep Sekirei from killing each other after they found their Ashikabi. Call it The Logan Plan.
Micky couldn't get his world conquering alien army without at the very least cutting a deal with Logan blocking his big and eventually sure to fail ambitions. Once a deal was made, they would immediately become small potatoes too small to bother. Logan and Akitsu could then disappear into the northern mountains without looking back and just let the whole damn world go screw. Why should they care? Besides, hadn't every would be world dictator scheme Logan had been involved in come to grief? He was pretty sure they had. Micky eventually wouldn't be any different, no matter how many alien fighters he had.
Yep. There's the new Logan Plan. Keep Sekirei alive for awhile, and parlay that into a hale and hearty farewell and good riddance from Micky and his gang right on out of Tokyo, never to be seen or heard from again. But, Logan reasoned, he could still use some help for that though. Every Sekirei battle wouldn't be as easy to break up as the twin lightning users going after that pretty cloth waving gal last night. What if there were fights at the same time in different locations?
Perhaps, Logan frowned, he needed to run this all past Kazehana first. She seemed to have a fairly level head on her shoulders for a confirmed drunk and a Sekirei not actively wanting an Ashikabi. She had certainly been a mine of information about MBI and Sekirei history last night in Shiba Park. That had really helped him understand his current situation better. From her reaction to Itsu's tragic death, it also helped that Kazehana was a romantic that probably wanted her Sekirei peers to find a lifetime of love with their Ashikabi, not killing each other. Therefore, she would definitely be less than thrilled with Micky's possible motives in using his Sekirei Plan to destroy all Sekirei love lives. Also, a bachelorette type wind user, especially teamed with Akitsu, could be very, very helpful when it came to breaking up Sekirei duels and even multiple gang fights.
Who else could he get that might be willing to join The Logan Plan with little matrimonial risk? Hey, that's right! Kazehana had mentioned almost off hand her old squad leader was a real bad ass in a fight, and Miya Asama was a long time grieving widow too! Not bonded nor looking to be! Maybe not even able to! And a highly disenchanted former colleague/possible enemy of Micky! Here was a potentially very powerful ally that Kazehana had said was some kind of big time, world class sonic user as well as a classical sword fighter as good as and maybe even better than Karasuba. One that didn't need or want a lifetime mate too.
There ya go. Miya also owned that Izumo Inn which was most probably where he could still find Kazehana sleeping off her drunk. Oh yeah, and that gender confused and idiot fire user named Homura. Another potential non bonding candidate, but probably not easy ally material now, eh?
Logan sighed. So he had screwed up again last night and threatened to kill the guy/gal. Eh. Shit happens. Well, if he and Akitsu waited until after dark to go to Izumo Inn, maybe Homura would have left for work, and MBI's attempts at visual satellite acquiring/tracking him and Akitsu would be much less effective. He would also have to assume Izumo Inn was under MBI surveillance given Miya's history and current seemingly adversarial stalemate status with Micky. It just called for a little undercover work is all, and he seemed to remember he had been pretty good at that too.
Actually, Logan had anticipated going about Tokyo incognito earlier at the Shinagawa mall where he had gotten a haircut, a new "salary man" type of suit, fake glasses, shades, and shoes along with other casual clothes. Akitsu got makeup to cover her pink forehead logo, sandals, and a couple of traditional dresses to wear with a plain white scarf for her covering her hair. After using only cash to buy a tent, backpacks, some camping/cooking gear, a small re-curved bow, and a quiver filled with hunting arrows in a sporting goods store, he had then given Akitsu's MBI card to a wild looking gang of mall roaming teenagers that were obviously ditching school for the day. Logan had told them MBI was doing a purchasing survey on teen mall buying habits and needed them to use its unlimited credit to purchase whatever they wanted.
During the following furor, several wallets from rubbernecking shoppers had been neatly pick-pocketed for their contents' later use as I.D. models. He and Akitsu had then went to the mall restrooms to hurriedly shave his Fumanchu mustache and mutton chop sideburns, put on her makeup and scarf, and change clothes. Even simple changes were effective in hiding and moving around unknown towns, he had reasoned from dim experience, and after all, Tokyo was one damn big city with millions and millions of people, no matter how sophisticated MBI's equipment might be. Just trying to get a bead on them again would certainly drive a few MBI goons nuts.
They had slipped out a mall side exit in a crowd of ordinary looking customers and caught a bus into the northern and more old style Asakusa District. A short walking and later rickshaw tour had found a small and furnished back alley apartment whose anxious, not too picky landlord was only too willing to take a year lease in cash. After lunch, Logan intended to buy a modest computer system and camera in order to make a few phony I.D.'s for them both as well as purchase a small used truck and maybe even an old motorcycle for local transport/future getaway vehicles.
Then they had bought a few groceries and a plain take out lunch to settle into their new digs while he plotted their immediate future; a future defined by his new masterpiece of reasoning, The Logan Plan. The nostalgic sights, sounds, and smells coming from the bustling narrow alley and even busier nearby street that was filled with small shops, restaurants, and visitors/tourists headed for the Asakusa jinja Shrine made Logan feel almost relaxed and at home somehow. He was now a lot less tense than last night's Kabuki theater and mental sparring with that sneaky Karasuba in Kabukichō.
Maybe, Logan absently looked up at the small apartment's off white ceiling, he should send a little note of apology to the lightning twins along with some food and the cooking pots and clothes stolen from the udon joint. Kazehana had said the two gals were making due under very primitive, half starved, and poor circumstances thanks to bonding with a lazy bum Ashikabi. He could get the cloth user some perfume too for an apology, and a case of expensive sake for Kazehana for her valuable and informative companionship last night. He might even get Homura a fireproof watch or something. After all, there weren't any reasons for not building a few constructive bridges to possible allies now, and especially if they all got damaged, regenerated, and opened to non bonding recruitment into The Logan Plan; a way for them all to gain a mutually free future to go and do as they pleased. What should he buy as an introductory gift for Miya if they visited Maison Izumo later tonight?
Schnickt! Man he loved the way these things worked! It was like getting an instant hard on. He glanced at the bow and quiver full of arrows that he had bought pretty much on a whim other than he loved to bow hunt wilderness game. On the other hand, now that he had decided to raise some one man hell with MBI, what could he accomplish in a few crowded vehicle compounds complete with fuel tanks that could now easily be slashed open and a few napalm tipped fire arrows? Maybe even add a few ice walls to stymie firefighting equipment. Nice. Hmmm. Hadn't he done similar things before? And then slashed a card calling X on front gate on the way out? Heh. That sounded sexy too. Schnickt!
Logan, still deep in maybe not so coherent nor cogent thought, didn't see or even sense a now totally naked and already aroused Akitsu approach him from behind as his phallic feeling blades withdrew into his arm. Nor did he realize he had been emitting a little mating musk of his own while thinking of ways to use his weapons. Akitsu's single minded thoughts weren't on future planning, blade weapons, going anywhere for the rest of the afternoon, nor the entire coming night either. Just on Logan's centrally located and brainless weapon. She said one word that didn't need parsed for meaning or further thought.
"NOW!"
Schnickt!
*scene break*
Miya Asama, wearing a frown of long suffering disapproval as well as her usual purple and white traditional shaman/minor priestess attire, gave a sprawled out Kazehana a very jaundiced look.
She then glanced at Homura, Uzume, and an unusually agitated Matsu respectfully kneeling on the floor pillows of Matsu's hidden room.
"You say you have something of great interest for me," Miya said dryly while fixing Matsu with a flat stare, "and yet the Public Obscenity is here? This better be good, or else."
Matsu winced uncomfortably as did Uzume and Homura. There was no real telling what Miya's "or else" exactly meant, but from past experience it wasn't anything the trio of Sekirei wanted to see or have applied. Kazehana, still hung over and not as intimidated, simply pouted in wounded insincerity.
"Is that any way to welcome a guest, Miya?" Kazehana sighed as she struggled to prop herself up on one elbow and swipe her long hair away from covering her face. The fact that her tight purple miniskirt was now doing little to contain her massive cleavage nor cover her sexy panties and bodacious backsides didn't faze her either. After all, Miya and the other three had seen Kazehana at her worst many times before.
"Guest, no, nuisance, yes," Miya responded irritably. "Make this quick Matsu. I'm in the middle of preparing our dinner. What has happened this time? And if it involves watching another porn star as your possible future Ashikabi, YOU will VERY greatly regret calling me up here to..."
"NO! NO!" Matsu interrupted hastily while whipping off her rather comical looking glasses and giving Miya a serious and mature look as Number 02, the oldest of all Earth raised Sekirei. "This is way beyond that, Miya, trust me! Look at this!"
Matsu activated a large blank screen that began running a slowly panning police video of Shiba Park. She then began her prepared narrative.
"This is all I've been able to hack out of MBI's data banks so far. Night before last Tokyo police responded to an officer in trouble, officer down call after a unit was dispatched to investigate two suspicious persons in Shiba Park. This is what they found. Note the totally ripped and demolished car up in the top of the cherry tree and the grounded MBI helicopter. The wounded officer, his jaw was broken, wrote a statement saying that a wild bear man had resisted investigation when asked for identification. The suspect went berserk when ordered to submit to a search. After punching the policeman once, the suspect then somehow slashed the car to ribbons, picked it up, and tossed it more than a hundred meters into the treetop.
"Meanwhile, an MBI helicopter flying over the park had to make a hard landing when its jet turbine engine was packed with ice. MBI's Disciplinary Squad investigated and the cop's original report was confirmed by the helicopter pilot who witnessed the berserk man's attack. Minaka ordered a full scale search of Tokyo for the suspect using every resource available to MBI, because a scrapped number Sekirei, an ice user named Akitsu, had violently escaped MBI's labs three nights ago and was now suspected of teaming up with the cop's attacker."
"A scrapped number is on the loose? An ice user?" Miya's eyes narrowed. "Is it poor Number 07?"
"Most probably," Matsu shrugged while shaking her head negatively. "There's no way of knowing for sure since 07 was sequestered away from us when we were all very young, and there was another one scrapped too, if I recall. There are no digitally stored records in MBI's data banks on either of them as well, just like most of Number 08 Yume's history has been deleted or buried."
"This could be very serious," Miya nodded thoughtfully, "and even very beneficial if we could bring her here under favorable circumstances. Who is the wild man? Another Sekirei Minaka has hidden from us all these years? The other scrapped number?"
"No, I don't know what he is! I'm almost completely sure he's NOT a Sekirei, since Minaka HAS made him an Ashikabi in the Sekirei Plan for unknown reasons, except Logan refuses to participate. This is what I've been able to learn up to now," Matsu began punching her keyboard again. This time Karasuba's abbreviated phone video of Logan rudely giving Micky the brushoff began to run as Matsu started another narrative.
"Our wild man claims amnesia, although he gave his name as Logan, no surname, male Caucasian in his late thirties, 160 centimeters tall, estimated at weighing 136 kilos, black hair, blue eyes, extremely muscular..."
"Wait," Miya commanded while frowning, "136 kilos? That's way too heavy for his height and even if he has a muscular physique."
"He's a walking tank, Miya, believe it!" Uzume spoke up for the first time. "I had a hold on him last night and couldn't budge him an inch. He is also WAY stronger than he looks!"
"And totally immune to Hibiki and Hikari's combined lightning," Homura added in wide eyed agreement, "quicker than anyone I've ever seen except maybe you and Karasuba. He's got these long, sharp, and pointy claws that come out of his right knuckles, and he's REAL protective of Akitsu. He is one wild eyed, crazy ass, fearless sonofabitch that says he survived the atomic blast at Nagasaki, and I believe him!"
"What?" Miya scowled in disbelief at Homura. "Nagasaki?"
"Hey, this is what happened from the first time I saw him, Karasuba, and Akitsu outside the pachinko parlor across the street where I work." Homura began and commenced to retell his encounter with Logan from the start, including the battle with the lightning twins, Uzume and himself, salvation by Kazehana, and through the morning taxi ride. A long silence followed before Matsu began again.
"There is no record of Logan ever being in Nagasaki," Matsu adjusted her glasses with one finger as she peered at the points enumerated on her electronic table. "There are no digital records of him in any data base in Japan, Asia, and anywhere else in the world before two nights ago. No records of travel or financial transactions either. It's like he didn't exist at all anywhere before then. According to a short report Haihane filed for Minaka this morning, Logan is immune to chloral hydrate, has an extremely sensitive nose, and has gotten Akitsu to emotionally bond with him. She's VERY protective of him.
"Karasuba says he likes expensive cigars, Kobe steaks, sake, beer, and public bathing, appears to be an old fashioned type of gentleman for an utterly ruthless and blunt speaking bastard, but still a fun and funny joke telling date that..."
"He's a rude and uncouth and an insulting jerk!" Uzume fumed in interruption. She nodded once in righteous indignation and then folded her arms over her generous breasts that were bulging her pullover cotton shirt to its stretching limit. Homura gave her a quick glance of annoyance, but at least she was wearing more than just her panties for once.
"Karasuba?" Miya's right eyebrow went up as the rest of the room chilled noticeably.
"She took Logan and Akitsu out on the town last night after this phone video was made," Matsu shrugged while ignoring Miya's sudden coldness and Uzume's agitated attitude. "According to Haihane's report to Minaka, instead of capturing Logan and Akitsu with knockout drops, Karasuba got absolutely crocked out of her mind when Logan drank them both under the table.
"And from the cash paid out reports and complaints, Logan then used a drunk and sword waving Karasuba to shakedown a LOT of the nightspots in Kabukichō before she passed out on a bench across from Homura's host club. She's marked excused duty for the next twenty four hours on MBI's security roster. She must be VERY hungover. Logan and Akitsu ditched Homura and Kazehana this morning at Shinagawa, set off a bunch of false leads, went into a nearby mall, and simply disappeared without a trace. MBI is going absolutely nuts and running Benitsubasa and Haihane ragged all over the country trying to find them even now."
"And then YOU went drinking with him after he was with Karasuba?" Miya gave Kazehana a look of disbelief tinged with disgust. "And now YOU look like THIS?"
"So the man can REALLY hold his liquor, and even if he got a little crazy with Homura, he backed off when I asked him nicely. Actually, he's very sweet and romantic once you get to know him," Kazehana also ignored Miya's chilly tone and Uzume's derisive snort. "He said he woke up in the park three nights ago, and now it reminds him of a place named Jasmine Falls where he and his pregnant wife Itsu used to make love. He was very, very sad when she was murdered and their unborn son was taken from her womb."
Matsu's fingers flew over her keyboard in a new search. She looked over her shoulder at Kazehana with an aggrieved glance for not mentioning this VERY interesting fact earlier.
"There is no Jasmine Falls in Japan." The red haired Sekirei sat back in renewed frustration. "What else do you know about him that we haven't covered Onee-chan? I want EVERYTHING!"
"Ummm, well, he has this certain gentlemanly je ne sais quoi about him," Kazehana closed her eyes and took a deep, dreamy, shoulder scrunching breath before letting it out as if reliving being close to Logan. "It's very appealing, and I think he's no stranger to pleasing a woman like she wants to be pleased either, even if he didn't try anything with me. Like I said, a real gentleman."
"Oh please!" Uzume rolled her eyes. "He's a giant ass!"
"Au contraire! And he has a very manly, appealing, sexy, leather smell about him," Kazehana continued unfazed. "He's big, warm, solid, gentle, and very secure to be around. He treated both Akitsu and me very tenderly, and like I said, didn't try to take any advantage when he could have. Darn it. He also helped Hibiki, Hikari, and Karasuba get safely home without being attacked from any other Sekirei. Logan sings a very sad song beautifully in English with maybe a British or even Canadian accent. It made me cry, and his skins heals instantly when his blades retract."
"Instant regeneration?" Miya's mouth dropped open in frowning surprise. She mentally chewed all this over quickly before looking intently at an equally surprised Matsu. "Conclusions? Speculation? Recommendations?"
"Most definitely not normal human in abilities, not Sekirei either, possible unknown type of alien, rare human mutation, or militarily enhanced cyborg," Matsu replied promptly even though instantly miffed about Kazehana not mentioning this MORE important regeneration detail earlier either. "A sudden recent appearance and yet way too familiar and versed in old fashioned customs and charm. Indicates long term experience and training in keeping totally hidden despite park incident. That could be an infiltration technique to get enemies looking at one outlandish version of his persona while he goes to ground and changes his looks for misdirection. Doubtful but possible.
"He fits the profile of a very experienced, professional, lone wolf type assassin, target and/or targets unknown, affiliation and/or employer unknown, but from two emotional and irrational outbursts he has possibly suffered serious head damage that is taking some regeneration time for recovery, if he can. His alliance/bonding with the scrapped number appears accidental yet fortunate for both. Probability of employment by MBI very low, much, much higher with an outside country, agency, off world competitor trying once again to steal Sekirei secrets and technology. Ability to destroy MBI or at least completely thwart Minaka's Sekirei Plan very high also.
"Logan has the potential to be a VERY powerful Ashikabi. The question is if he decides to compete in the Sekirei Plan, who else will he want to wing? Recommend extreme caution but approach and engage for further information."
"You volunteering?" Miya's raised laconic eyebrows that matched the tone of her voice.
"He's," Matsu paused while searching for the right word, "intriguing. I know you warned me earlier, but just take a look at this video of Akitsu bathing him in public while he was unconscious, and you'll see for yourself."
"Ooooo!" Kazehana immediately exclaimed in closer leaning interest as the brief video hit the interesting parts and then began looping over and over. "I LIKEE!"
"Damn," breathed a wincing and envious Homura.
"Geez," Uzume gaped in wide eyed incredulity. "The jerk is a freak too!"
Miya, also surprised and yet for once curiously not offended, covered her mouth with her right palm and murmured, "Oh my!"
The video kept looping over and over amidst a long silence.
"What sad song did this Logan sing to you, Kazehana?" Miya self consciously attempted to deflect the other Sekirei's prurient interest in the video and get back to deciding what course of action actually needed to be taken with this Logan. "What was the significance of it?"
"I'll research it if somebody could tell me which song it is," Matsu said absently while not taking her once again mesmerized eyes away from the computer screen.
"Ummm, I can remember a few lyrics," Kazehana hugged herself somewhat dreamily.
"That's just gross! I am so out of here!" Uzume finally declared in disgust, stood up, hitched up her Capri jeans, and sidled past Miya through the room's wall sized entrance. Homura silently followed her with eyes downcast in self conscious embarrassment.
"I'm going to finish dinner," Miya added with seeming indifference and turning away. "I need some time to think about all this. Call me if you learn anything more about this Logan."
Much later, Miya went out into her back yard to sit quietly on a circular stone bench that her dead husband had installed around a fragrantly blooming Saucer Magnolia tree. The clear night sky above northern Tokyo was putting on a lovely midnight display of the Milky Way Galaxy.
The topic over dinner had of course been Logan, who was he, what was he, why was he here, et cetera, and most importantly, how was he going to impact MBI's Sekirei Plan. Matsu and Kazehana hadn't even bothered to hide their mutually and rapidly growing interest in the guy, even chatting about the possibilities of finding him and Akitsu sometime in the very near future and inviting them to dinner. The two of them were even now upstairs monitoring and laughing at Benitsubasa and Haihane's ongoing and highly frustrated reports of failed attempts in locating and capturing their elusive quarry.
As for Miya, she had no problem in forthrightly probing Logan for more information and his future intent over a meal, but for the first time in the years since she had become a widow, she was now experiencing an unusual feeling of uncertainty and even a longing for a brighter and loving future for herself. She was, after all, a still young, flesh and blood female, and that provocative yet natural bathing video of Logan had been quite … disturbing ... as were the lyrics to the tune he had sung to Kazehana.
Aside from all the other mysterious and possibly dangerous things about him, the simple fact that an old sad song made Logan long for his tragic lost love named Itsu was actually quite appealing to Miya's well hidden romantic side, for it mirrored how she had always felt about her dead husband up to now.
Looking upward, Miya shook her long and tied back, lavender colored hair in wonderment. Was she going nuts? She had loved her dead husband with all of her heart and still grieved for him. So why was she now dreamily sitting under a magnolia tree in her back yard, schoolgirl jealous of Karasuba, and repeatedly remembering the scenes from Logan's bathing video while staring up at the skies of a very starry, starry night?
