JMJ

CHAPTER TWENTY:

Girls' Day Out

Carefully, Musashi approached as if nearing a deadly creature that may lash out at any given moment. Even still Musashi could not believe that she was seeing Yamato. She took off her helmet and squinted a moment before setting it down on a counter. Without knowing fully what she did, Musashi did not stop inching forward until she stopped just at the head of the unconscious rival. Leaning down, she waved a hand in front of Yamato's face, but Yamato did not show any sign of movement save for the slow rising and falling of her chest under the sheet.

Straightening, Musashi frowned.

Serves her right, a thought struck through Musashi's mind. After all the trouble she put us through! This is where she belongs! Stupid blond bimbo.

Musashi had a mind to leave her. She actually turned to do so, but before she took more than a step toward the door, she hesitated, fingers twiddling at her sides. In good conscience she could not leave Yamato behind.

Oh, Kojiro, Musashi thought miserably. Look what you've done to me.

However, she knew full well that even in the height of her Team Rocket career, she could not have been cold hearted enough to leave Yamato to this awful fate if it had been in her power to do something. After all those times she said she hated Yamato, and all the times Yamato drove her insane, she would have never wanted her to be left so vulnerable and miserable to be brought down to a state less than the lowest pokémon.

Stepping back to Yamato's side she reached a hand for a wire but again hesitated.

What if she was already a shadow agent?

A fear ran down Musashi's spine, but then another thought calmed her. If Yamato had been shadowized Musashi would simply use Lickitongue the moment she awoke. That was what she would do. Yamato did not have any pokémon. Musashi did not even think she had clothes underneath that sheet. That caused Musashi to shudder and to think that if anyone caught her in here, she would certainly be joining Yamato on one of those tables.

She had to hurry.

Throwing off the wires as fast as she could, and wrenching a lab coat from a swivel chair before a computer, Musashi ripped off the sheet and pulled the lab coat over Yamato's body and buttoned it with haste. Though, buttons can never be buttoned quickly enough, and by the time she reached the last two buttons, Yamato appeared to be coming around.

With a slow moan, Yamato clenched her hands into fists and rolled her head slowly upright as Musashi still held her in a seated position beside her. Musashi almost dropped her back onto the table when Yamato's eyes fluttered open and with a glower focus in directly on Musashi's face. Yamato growled.

"Musashi!" she choked.

"Shhhh! Shut up!" Musashi hissed in return.

Yamato closed her eyes again. "I don't feel so good."

"Come on, we gotta get outa here," Musashi whispered.

"What are you talking about?" grumbled Yamato not being quiet at all.

"I said, quiet!" hissed Musashi.

Pulling a hand to her head, Yamato rubbed tenderly.

"Ug," she murmured. "What are you doing here, and what—" She paused and looked down, feeling at the lab coat. Then clutching it in realization that they were not her clothes and she had nothing underneath, she threw a wild glance around the room and glared quite alarmed at Musashi.

"Come on!" hissed Musashi. "Let's go. Can you walk? Let's go!"

"Quit shoving," grumbled Yamato. "I can walk just fine without your help, thank you very much."

"And be quiet!" whispered Musashi. "We're in danger, but if you want to stay here be my guest. I'll leave then."

Yamato sighed as one might to a very obnoxious child. "Would you just shut up, Musashi?"

But at Musashi's name she stuttered a little, for she had managed to stand upright in front of the table, and the moment she did she realized just how unsteady her legs were. Musashi caught her from falling backwards again.

Yamato did not protest. In fact, she looked about to pass out, but Musashi would have none of that as she wrenched the smaller, daintier woman to her feet and pulled her to the door.

"Yamato, come on!" This command was a little louder than she would have liked, but Musashi's patience was wearing quite thin.

"I am!" snarled Yamato, though her voice ended with a croak.

This time, Musashi did not notice the volume of Yamato's voice as she looked instead at Yamato's hair. Her long pigtails had become two snarled gold bushes, and her bangs looked rather ragged. Not to mention that on closer inspection the signs of another hair color showed up where the roots of her hair were edging their way out of her head. Musashi knew she dyed it, but she never knew her hair was a dark green (similar to Kosaburo's but a lot darker, almost seaweed color). Makeup on her face was lacking as well. No one would believe Yamato was a scientist, although the coat proved long enough to hide the fact that that was her only covering. Oh, and there was the fact she had nothing on her feet.

Still …

Leaving Yamato a moment and grabbing her helmet, which she placed back onto her head, Musashi then proceed to take a hair tie out of Yamato's hair. Yamato opened her mouth to yell about it, but quicker than thunderbolt, Musashi had her hand in front of Yamato's mouth.

"You want to get out of here or not?" whispered Musashi.

The glare Musashi received in return, Musashi deiced to take for a yes, and she took out the other hair tie as well. Now, she could not brush Yamato's hair in any way, but she could hopefully put it up in a neat enough bun to have a similar feel about her as one on the head of the scientist who had disappeared on Musashi.

"We have to escape in disguise," Musashi muttered, and she wondered how fully conscious Yamato really was, for she still seemed quite spaced out or at least muddled and disoriented.

Snatching the hair ties away from Musashi in mid bun making, Yamato finished the work, and fluffed up her bangs. She seemed also to be looking for something that she could not seem to locate, but Musashi had no patience for asking what that something might be. Instead, as there were no shoes about, she merely whisked Yamato out of the room and hoped no one would notice her in the as they entered the corridor.

The people talking on the other side of the lab, continued to talk, and Musashi and Yamato slipped down the corridor outside. Musashi kept Yamato close beside her and was most thankful that still no one bothered them, but just as she reached the end of the corridor that would lead them to the front door, Musashi screeched to a halt, Yamato slamming into her back.

Musashi had to hold in all annoyance as best she could, for at the front door, Junzo stood waiting idly for her. At least she assumed it was Junzo. He did say he would wait for Jeshika by the door, and he also might have found out by now that Jeshika had filched his card.

"Oh, great," Musashi muttered under her breath and pulled Yamato back a ways until she felt safe the Junzo would not hear them.

"Do you know another way out of here?" Musashi whispered.

Yamato leered as a response but said nothing.

"A lot of help you are," Musashi grumbled. "Fine, be that way. There's gotta be another way out."

A low growl erupted from Yamato's throat that at first Musashi had to stop and listen to figure out if she was speaking or not.

"Nanda?" Musashi demanded.

"You're an idiot, Musashi," said Yamato simply.

Eyes widened a moment in Musashi's head, but she remained calm, as calm as she could be when she felt the impulse to smack Yamato in the face or at least shoot back some remark of her own. It took every ounce of strength to allow Yamato in front to see what she would do, for she seemed to have a plan in mind as she made her way back up to the front.

"Give me your boots," said Yamato before turning the corner to meet Junzo.

"What?" asked Musashi.

"I'm barefoot," Yamato reminded her.

Musashi frowned a moment, but soon relented, leaning against a wall as she removed the Cipher boots and handed them to Yamato who pulled them on with dizzying effort. Musashi held her up to balance her, although she did not seem to appreciate the help much. Then all Musashi could do was watch as Yamato strolled out to the front door directly up to the Cipher agent.

"Peon!" said Yamato with remarkable authority.

The peon looked up in alarm.

With hands firmly on her hips, and a dangerous stance, she said, "Tatsumi-san has requested peon help with his work at his base. I've already sent a few others, and you're to go as well."

The smile on Musashi's face could not be helped, but it did not last long for before the peon moved to exit the door he asked suspiciously, "Who are you?"

Musashi slapped her forehead.

"I've been sent here by request of Dr. Shiranui to Team Rocket Headquarters for more scientists to help in the … uh, human shadowization process. I just arrived yesterday, and I've had to work tirelessly already and haven't had time to spruce back up this morning." She turned away sharply and closed her eyes. "Not that it's any of your business who I am, peon."

Junzo stared a moment, and then said, "Did Tatsumi-san say how long I am to stay with him?"

"It's none of my business," sniffed Yamato. "I just got off the phone with him now, but I don't think he know yet. Just go to his base and do what he tells you."

"Okay …" muttered Junzo, and with a queer frown, he went back into the base.

"Where do you think you're going?" demanded Yamato. "You're to go immediately."

"If I'm staying there a while, I need my things," barked Junzo in return. "And I don't see why every Team Rocket member thinks they have rights to throw us around like we're their pokémon. I work for Cipher, not Team Rocket."

"You wanna take that up with Dr. Shiranui?"

There was an uneasy pause. "No."

"Then get your stuff and get going."

Junzo obeyed grudgingly.

When he had disappeared, Musashi ventured out, and with a smile was about to say something more but decided against it. Right now they just had to hurry to the jeep before anyone else showed up.

Fortunately, no one did. It seemed a little too easy, but the Cipher lab did not seem to be as well protected as Team Rocket Headquarters, and Musashi had been in disguise. Maybe overconfidence had really overtaken this base. Or maybe everyone was just afraid to stand out for fear of becoming a shadow agent. That had to be the only reason Junzo did as he had been told.

"How did you end up in that mess anyway?" Musashi ventured to ask as she started up the vehicle with Yamato slumped wearily in the seat beside her.

"Shut up," grumbled Yamato. "Where are we going?"

"Well, I can't shut up and tell you at the same time, can I?" sniffed Musashi, and she paused. "I could turn you into the police if you're going to keep being so ungrateful."

"Hmm," said Yamato crossing her arms, "and what about your record Musashi?"

"I'm not an agent anymore," said Musashi before she could hold the information back.

"I knew it," muttered Yamato, and she turned to her with mock sympathy. "Couldn't handle it, Musashi?"

"It doesn't look like you could handle it much either," Musashi shot back, but her anger suddenly fell away as she realized the deepness of the situation and what her careless remark really meant.

Yamato had been fired! Or at least had been labeled expendable. Kosaburo and Yamato were top agents. No wonder the agents at Headquarters were so spooked. Anyone could be sent here! Why was Giovanni putting up with this? Whose idea was this?

"Well, that was no fault of mine!" Yamato snapped. "It was that impossible staff we had at the shadow base in the mountains. That's who did it!" He voice had risen near a scream, but once she had finished, she let out a moan, and slumped her head in her arms as she leaned against the door.

Musashi's shoulders slumped, and she looked out at the sand in front her. She had nothing to say for a while, nor did Yamato.

Thus silence reigned for a time. It did not surprise Musashi that Yamato broke the silence when she did, but it did surprise her that the tone with which she spoke was almost soft as she said in a tone that Musashi almost thought sincere, "Kojiro isn't here."

Musashi jumped.

"What?"

"Kojiro wasn't sent to the Orre Region," said Yamato. "We were the only Team Rocket agents who were sent here except Katana, but I don't know what happened to her."

"Katana?" Musashi said and started to ask more, "who's …" She stopped and asked instead, "Do you know where … Kojiro is?"

Yamato sniffed, her tough attitude returning. "No. How should I know? I don't even know how long I was out."

"Then who was the other—"

"Kosaburo! Who do you think, idiot?" snarled Yamato, and she bolted upright. "Stop!"

"What? Why?" demanded Musashi, still not quite recovered from being called an idiot by Yamato. Again.

"He's probably still there," Yamato said.

The jeep came to a screeching halt.

"What?!" Musashi snapped, throwing her head in Yamato's direction. "He's in there being a turned into a shadow agent too?"

"Well, whatever they planned to do to us, we were both gunna end up like that guy he and I saw in the lab!" snapped Yamato.

"I didn't see Kosan— Kosaburo there!" Musashi protested.

"There's a whole lab outside that place I was in, you know?!" Yamato shot back.

"What's that got to do with anything?" growled Musashi.

Then she remembered the voices from the other room, and she felt another shiver down her spine. They may have been in the process of performing something quite diabolical on Kosaburo right then and there, and she and Yamato had not even known it.

With a slow sigh, and closing her eyes a moment, she started up the jeep again.

"I'll go back for him, Yamato."

"You what?" Yamato raised a skeptical brow.

"I promise," Musashi said. "I'll take you into Gateon Port where I have a hotel with some other … uh, people."

"What kind of people?" Yamato wanted to know.

"No one who'll bother you," said Musashi lightly. "But you stay there and rest and whatever, and I'll go back and get Kosanji. I mean, uh, Kosaburo. Your partner."

"You will, huh?"

"Hai," said Musashi almost too quietly to be heard. "I promise I'll get him back."

She intended on keeping her word too …