Chapter 9: Chasing Love and Loose ends
Luna was standing in Zolton's little "clubhouse". Zolton moved over as Master Sifu. Well Master and Sifu happened to be the same title in Chinese, but for a man who was half back and half Chinese that had a name that was... well hard to pronounce, everyone just called him Master Sifu. He didn't really mind. But standing there with Hope, she was in information overload as the rest of the Cadre came into the clubhouse. Cece Cranston, Shadow Girl; Jessie Bei Fong, Rock Child; Michael Timent, Mirror's Edge; April McNeil, Homunculi; Casey Andrews, Gondola. Seeing the data on the screen and the amount of internet video, everyone watched. Winced. And... Eewww... Luna had seen the footage about five times already and the look on the woman's face was priceless and understandable.
"Well you are at least not alone..." April said trying to turn the frown upside-down. Luna shot her a look of; yeah... at least you don't have to deal with the Exorcist girl puking on your counterpart going viral all over the internet. Luna morphed her armor around her so that it formed a complete purple skintight bodysuit that had silver and black sleeves. Michael moved over to give her a shoulder to lean on and feeling his hand on her arm made her feel better. Less exposed.
"Hey, give the girl a break. I know that it must be funny to you all, but she just found out, that other than Hope and some guy in Chicago, there is someone who has the same powers she does." Jessie said marching her young twelve-year-old frame over to in front of them. "I mean come on... Witchy, must be hyped knowing that she isn't the only one of her kind out there." Jessie put as her Chinese features reflected through her taste in Green and Lime clothing.
"Jessie..." Witchblade spoke up using Luna's mouth and body. "It isn't that I am Hyped as you say it, but I do not know if this woman..." Witchblade pointed with Luna's hand to the monitors. "...is the other half of me?" Everyone looked at Witchblade with curiosity.
"Other half?" Some spoke wondering what was going on.
"Yes... see nearly half a century ago, I had to split myself into two parts. One to stay with Hope's mother Sara, and the other to the next welder of the Witchblade... Danielle Baptiste. To make a long story short Danielle's blade wound up in Japan. I tried to communicate with her, but I lost contact." There was a long pause as everyone in the room looked at Witchy.
"Soo..." Cece looked at the monitor and wondered which one of the women on the monitors was the other half. "Witchy... your sister, um... Will the name Blade do for the time being... uh... um... is on one of these women?" The long phrase breakup emphasized the digestion of the train of thought that was occurring to everyone in the room.
"Yes..." Witchy spoke clearly, "and given that she must have had her own set of adventures, but given some of the information that Master Sifu has given Hope over the years pertaining to the events of my sister." Witchy sagged Luna's head. "I think she had a hard time... I mean she was used as lab experiment to raise demons in Japan. Then..." Luna took control of her body and walked over to one of Zolton's piles of salvaged spy gear and picked up a lighter and started to roll it in her fingers. Witchy calmed down feeling the metal lighter in her metallic fingers. Sifu came forward and started to speak to his students.
"All the information on the Okinawa incident states that the second Witchblade, has bounced around several times in that part of the world." Sifu watched as Luna/Witchblade tried to work through the emotions of her forms. "Each time causing chaos."
"No... Shit... Back when we were still here in New York... She hyped up Danielle's body so much while helping a student get out of a bad relationship with her boyfriend... She killed the guy..." Witchy took control again flaying her arms around with the lighter in her grip.
"So you were the good kid, and your sister blade was the wild child of the bunch..." April scratched the back of her neck pulling loose several strands of her brown and red hair. Luna's head nodded. April pursed her lips and blew at this to press the tension out of her body. "Crap..."
"So... In other words..." Casey looked at the monitor reading and looking at the images of Masane Amaha. "This Masane girl wound up with the blade and..."
"For all I know, she is some cheesecake lesbian erotic dancer who rides with a all female motorcycle gang topless." Witchy collapsed to the floor as Cece moved over to help her friend up.
"Hey... I remember that gang of Coda Amazon Warriors..." Cece's hair went from black to green as her glimmer reflected her personality. "Trust me... For all you know and from what the file says... She's just a single mom... Wasn't one of your previous hosts a single mom?" Cece said as she focused her powers into Luna's and Witchy's minds.
"Um Hum..." Witchy was forced out through the influence of mental powers. Taking a Kleenex out of her over the shoulder purse and wiping tears from Witchy's and Luna's eyes while moving her to Zolton's command chair to plop her down into.
"Now for all you know... Your sister might be a nice person. A bit like your host. A bit like Miss Hope... But... a be assured. She is making the same mistakes as you?" Witchy grinned using Luna's mouth. Then Luna took over.
"I think that Witchy understands that some of her fears are alleviated." Luna said as she felt Witchy wrap around her chest and cleavage of her breasts and hug her as the middle of her back was massaged like a face needing to be patted. Taking a look at the lighter she had pouched from the pile of spy stuff she read the inscription aloud.
"TO OUR MAN FLYNN, BEST AGENT IN THE FIELD" Luna smirked at the inscription. "Some personalized lighter." Luna held up the lighter and examined it. that was when Zolton went white as a sheet when he turned around to her.
"Did you say Flynn?" Zolton was wincing at the name.
"Yes Flynn. F - L - Y - N - N. Why?" Luna was about to flick the head of the Zippo lighter open. Before Zolton could scream "NOOO!" The lighter ignited and a stream of fire leapt from the lighter head and hit the fire suppression sensor. Within moments a wall of Halon gas was released into the room. Quickly everyone had to leave the clubhouse marching up the stairs and out of the store. Grabbing the lighter out of Luna's hand Zolton flicked the cover shut and marched Luna/Witchblade out of the computer core.
With everyone outside coughing Zolton shot Luna a look of, don't even say it.
"Who in God's Good Name puts a blowtorch into a lighter?" Casey said been coughs.
"James Flynn, US Espionage Core. Nineteen-Sixty. Picked up at an estate sale five years ago." Zolton said fuming looking at the now empty lighter, then looking at the clubhouse. Taking his phone out Zolton went through a few menus on his phone and triggered a remote shut-down and transfer of the computer systems in the clubhouse. The sounds of the fire department could be heard down the street.
"Well there goes the Clubhouse..." Jessie said looking down at her now bare feet on the asphalt street having lost her flip flops running out of the store.
"Looks like we are going to need to use a backup meeting place for the time being?" Sifu said looking as the fire fighters walked into the store and into the back.
"Yeah... I think someone doesn't want to go to Japan to meet some long lost family." Zolton scowled at Luna was Witchblade had reverted to her bracelet form. That was when April and Cece were on their cell phones making calls.
"What are the two of you doing?" Casey said with a cough.
"Getting airplane tickets for all of us to Japan. We are getting this resolved." April said Speaking with one phone in her ear and another being used as a web browser in her hands. "Cece, handle the plane, I'll handle the accommodations... Konnichiwa..." Then April started to rattle off in Japanese. Luna knew that she was heading to Japan one way or another. Just kicking and screaming wasn't on her top ten options of getting there.
Masane felt nervous as she placed the phone call to Reiji. She knew that she had a lot to explain... She listened to the ring. Would Riko hate her... Cry... Masane felt her heart clench as the second ring come... She could feel Riko running to the phone and picking it up... What if it was Rinji? Would he love her? They had a night of passion together... She felt his pain during their sex... The yearning... The emotion... Masane bit her lip as the line rang again... What was taking so long? Then the phone picked up. It was Riko's voice.
"You have reached the offices of Odd-Job Amaha."
"Riko... It's your mom..." Masane forced out with every drop of emotion she could. The hearing Riko talk over her she realized she had gotten an answering machine.
"... We are currently not in right now, so please leave a message after the beep." Masane felt sad... then as the message continued she heard hope.
"If you are trying to reach Mister Reiji Takayama, please press two now and you will be transferred to his private line now." Quickly realizing that getting in touch with Reiji might be best hope Masane leaned into two on the keypad of the phone as hard as she could. Praying that it would connect her soon her with her daughter and her boyfriend. Then the line started ringing again. Then a skip as it was transferred to a different line after two rings. Then another skip and two rings later a pick up.
"Takayama here..." Masane started speaking like a wild person.
"Reiji... Oh God... it is good to hear your voice..." Masane gulped... "How is Riko? Crap... Is she okay? It's Masane..."
"Masane?" Reiji said in disbelief... "Now listen whoever you are this is not funny!" Masane feared that he thought she was still dead... "Now I have a trace line on this phone, if you do not answer..." Masane decided to use the only thing she had going for them, the night they made love together.
"Reiji... Okay... The night after you lost your job at the Doji group I went over to your place to knock some sense into your head, it was raining, you kissed me in the rain and we both expressed the love we felt for each other..." Masane kept going. "We were both soaked, as we undressed and made love to each other. You like to be on top... Grunt like a pig, which I find kinda cute, and you do this massage thing with your thumbs on the dips of a girl's shoulder that gives her a great orgasm..." Masane felt she had split too much in front of Marry, but she didn't care... "You told me how you got the scar over your eye. Rena gave it to you when you learned she was pregnant with Riko."
"Masane..." Masane could hear the springs and arms of the chair he was sitting in be knocked over as he stood up. "Is that you?"
"It's me... turn on the news... I think I am on the hourly news loop." She could hear several mouse commands being given as the sounds of the Web Browser coming up and buffering the web stream of the first news-site he came across.
"Crap... Masane you have the subtly of a bull in a china shop during wedding season." Masane could hear him righting the chair; the level strict tone of his voice came through over the phone as she could picture him rubbing his forehead.
"Yeah..." Masane rubbed the back of her neck with embarrassment at this. "Didn't expect things to wind up like that... But... can't take it back now."
"Masane..." She could tell he was pissed at her.
"Yeah Reiji..." Masane leaned into the phone as she pulled her legs up onto Marry's couch. "So... How is Riko doing? And why is Odd-Job Amaha on your Answering Machine?"
"Fine... she is at school right now..." a long paused followed. "Where are you at?"
"I'm at Marry's..." then Masane heard a ruffling around as she could hear over the phone as he was looking for something on his desk.
"What are you looking for?" Masane said processing the information in her head when she had to be his secretary on paper to say the least and seeing his office desk. It was spotless, but it was his home office desk that came to mind given the noise.
"Keys..." Masane put her fingers to her forehead and thought hard. His home desk was where he did his true work, his intellectual stuff.
"Try your middle desk drawer, on your right." Masane heard the drawer open. There was a long pause as Reiji found the keys...
"How did you..." Masane could see Reiji move around his office. It was like the first time she triggered the Witchblade during a test of its capabilities moments before the orgasm of battle took over her mind. "Have you been in my office when you were here?"
"Reiji... Just do something for me okay..." Masane said worrying if a new power had emerged since she had been gone.
"What is it Masane?" Reiji said sitting on the edge of his desk with the keys in his hands.
"Just do some random numbers with your fingers..." She could sense the disbelief in his voice.
"Masane..." Masane could see Reiji's hand on his face.
"Just do it?" Masane pleaded.
"Three, Two, Four, Five, Thumb, Middle Finger, pinkie..." Masane said off the top of her head.
"How did you..." Reiji spoke softly...She could see Reiji turn around from his desk...
"Oh... Crap..." Masane swallowed hard...
"What Masane... are you outside..." Masane placed her hand onto her forehead...
"I think I unlocked another power of the Witchblade..."
"Just sit where you are Masane... I'm coming..."
"Please bring Riko with you..." Reiji felt Masane's fear in her voice as he headed out of the door to get his and Masane's daughter.
Alexa was walking next to Admiral Sheppard. Her head was spinning at the information placed before her. Hyper-Aggressive Human Offshoot. International Oversight Authority. The walk was giving her space, but...
"Head still spinning?" Sheppard said putting a fatherly hand on her shoulder. She nodded.
"Yeah... I had that same feeling too." They continued to walk seeing the camp being packed up.
"Why..." Alexa rubbed a metallic hand across her forehead.
"Why would an American Admiral be commanding troops on Japanese Soil?" Alexa nodded.
"Well, given with recent events with the Witchblade, well events over the past thirty-years..."
"THIRTY-YEARS!" Alexa yelled at the top of her lungs. Sheppard grinned at this and gave a soft chuckle...
"Yeah.. Thirty-years..." Alexa looked worried at this. How long have they planned for this event? For someone like her... or this Masane woman?
"Well given that the Witchblade has been known to leave quite a mess in its wake, the Japanese government wanted to bring in a team of specialists." Alexa looked around at the camp and rubbed her arms to force of the chill. "You cold?" Alexa shook her head no.
"IOA was formed to deal with Ultra-Human threats to planetary security. We have deal with living tactical weapons, Runaway Alien hardware, the occasional alien incursion, supernatural monsters, inter-dimensional Hell Spawn, and other crap that if you knew about it would place you in the loony bin." Alexa was more scared at this as she swallowed hard.
"Okay... so... I am not the biggest fish you have dealt with?" Sheppard grinned. She didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
"Far from it..." That was when she saw Tyson closing up the back of the truck they had loaded earlier, she thought about him. "If you are wondering why a Japanese unit hasn't come for you... I will put it as simple as this. They are tied up in dealing with one of those God Damn Doji Group I-Weapons that is a hundred miles from here in coordination with Chinese and Russian units to take that thing out."
"So... I got passed to..."
"My Unit... Yes Alexa... I was nearest to the closest military asset in the area." Sheppard Shrugged at this. "I have a history of dealing with living hardware... so when the phone rang... I had to take care of your ass. The Japanese government doesn't want a repeat of the damn Okinawa incident of Thirty, Fifteen, Six years ago, and that is not counting the entire mess from six months ago we are doing a mop up on." Alexa felt worried at this.
"The Thirty year-old event... Okinawa... What was it?" Alexa forced herself to speak. Sheppard decided that he needed to brief her on the details.
"Well..." Sheppard started to speak about the events, "Over the centuries... there have been people and organizations that have attempted to harness the power of supernatural creatures and artifacts... Now most notable was the time during the Second World War with Germany. Trust me the number of stolen mystical artifacts the Germans got their hands on boggles the mind... To make a long story short... Two brother Alchemists from another dimension put a kink into their plans and were able to aid the Allies in bringing the war to a close in Europe. Now given the potency of these artifacts, several Warlocks and Witches from Russia worked with these brothers along with a team of mystics that was gathered together from around the world to put a quote "Lid on this mystical shit..." unquote..." Sheppard said clearing his throat. Alexa looked worried. "Given that over time, security at any facility becomes lax due to the age of the facility, budget cuts, bribery, or just plain old school ignorance of the crap that is being stored. Thus... the mess with Okinawa mess started about thirty years ago..."
"So..."
"So because of some researcher doing research on Youki mythology found out that there was a masterful Healer Demon who had died... And that The Witchblade has resurrection powers... Well old school greed took over for some Japanese Public health researchers trying to find a Cure for some H1N1 Flu virus that had been going through the world at the time... Decided to go through and find all the remains of the slain demons in the local area and started a process to find the one that was this healer... to make the matter short, this team resurrected several demons that were considered class seven hostile. The mop up operations required a team of Russian, Gypsy, Japanese, and Native American mystics to can their sorry ass as well as their leader's..." Sheppard rubbed his head. "Anton, the leader of the Russian team told me of the mess he had to deal with." That was when Sheppard stopped walking and Alexa was forced to follow his lead. "Alexa... I apologize for the fact that I had several officers disobey strict orders to not engage. But Given that I have several headaches coming my way..."
"You are going to leave me alone..." Alexa felt a bit concerned at that. Alexa swallowed and wondered about Tyson... He seemed like a nice enough guy... then what about her sisters... What if a sister of hers got shot… Who was like her... Just wanting to be left alone... Like the ones that she had talked to on the video link... "Mr... Admiral..." Alexa didn't know what title worked for this man before her. "Sir..." Sheppard studied Alexa's body language and let her proceed on her terms. "Would you mind that I help you?"
"Alexa... you think that following my men back to base makes you an expert in dealing with Supernatural and Alien Beings..."
"No... Sir... What I mean is that..." Alexa bit her lip and swallowed hard and took the plunge. "Given the Situation with this Amaha woman... How about I become your eyes and ears in finding out what she is up to? I mean... Seeing that she is looking for other Witchblades... I would allow you to have someone who knows what her plans are... and ..." Alexa looked around the camp.
"You don't want another mistake that happened to you to occur when we find the next Witchblade girl..." Alexa nodded to this. "I'll see what I can do... But remember... I will keep you on a short leash... So... If you go hostile... I will put you down myself." Alexa nodded at this... Understanding that she had just entered a world where things were very dark and that there were those whose job it was to deal with messes and clean them up. "Good... Well I'll see if I can get you a ride back to your home..." Sheppard patted Alexa on the shoulder and walked away as Tyson came up to her and spoke to her...
"So what did the Admiral want with you?" Alexa bit her lip again...
"Um... I think I got a job..." She grinned as she swallowed feeling that she had gotten in over her head. "So... Tell me a little about some of your pass stuff. I think that I need to know what I might be dealing with in the future while I am working in this command." Tyson blew out a puff of air and thought hard of what he would say next.
"Well... Where do you want to start?" Tyson said looking into her brown eyes.
"What was your first mission like?"
"Got a couple of hours?"
"Yes..."
"No... I mean that was the answer..."
"Oh..." This was going to be harder than she thought.
TBC
Note: The Coda – Are a group of Alien Female warriors in the Wildstorm comic universe. Full Alien members of the species are long-lived/nearly immortal and are infertile when mating with their own species. Interspecies hybrids with humans show enhanced strength and powers. One of their earth bases was the mythical island of Themascara, home of the Amazons.
Well more information to come,
What is Luna's next move?
Riko's meeting Masane?
Kiani returns…
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