The Mankanshoku household was under noticeable strain. Their family had essentially doubled while they offered temporary refuge to Satsuki, the Elite Four and Mason. Supplies were quickly devoured, living spaces were cramped and facilities were frequently occupied. Because of this, Mason made the logical decision to move out and into Century Security HQ, much to Ryuko's disappointment.
Although one less person wouldn't make a considerable difference to their situation, he could at least alleviate it somewhat. Satsuki and the Elite Four flat out refused to accept the same offer extended by the company, though they kept their reasons to themselves. It had only been two days after the mall incident, yet Gamagori was already making another trip to a new grocery store.
This also offered Ryuko the chance to complete her own shopping, which had been unexpectedly interrupted last time. Satsuki tagged along to help her pick out several 'necessities', though she let Ryuko choose what she wanted. That night, Ryuko had plucked up the courage to call Mason. After some small talk, she anxiously asked him out on a date.
He enthusiastically agreed, and they decided to have dinner the following night. However, they weren't familiar with any places they could go to together. But Mason knew who would.
"You're going on a date aren't you?" Jarret grinned ear to ear.
"What?! What gave you that idea?" Mason stared in disbelief.
"What other reason could you possibly have for asking me where you might find a 'nice restaurant to dine at'?"
Mason opened his mouth to respond and then shut it in defeat. Jarret's grin only got wider.
"I knew it. It's about time too."
"Okay. You're right." Mason sighed. "So do you know of such a place at all?"
"Absolutely. I'll give you the address to pass along to your girlfriend." He winked.
Mason let out an annoyed groan. "This is why I tried to be subtle."
"How do you intend on getting to the place then? Or finding something appropriate to wear?"
Mason paused for a moment. "Those are some very good questions. I suppose I would have had to tell you one way or another."
Jarret's face lit up. "I've got an idea."
"What do you mean?" Mason frowned in confusion.
"You go tell your sweetheart where the place is, then come down to the motorpool."
"What for?"
"Just trust me. You won't regret it." Jarret then turned away and headed for the elevators.
"Uh. Okay then."
Once Mason provided Ryuko the location, he went down to the garage to find Jarret standing beside a sleek, blue convertible. Mason approached as he saw Jarret smirking slyly.
"Nice car."
"It is, isn't it?"
"I assume that's what you plan on driving tomorrow night?"
"Wrong." Jarret produced the keys and threw them to Mason. "You're driving."
"What?! I don't know how to drive!"
"Exactly. You're really going to dazzle her when you show up."
"No no no. No way. I'll end up crashing, or worse!"
"You'll be fine. Take her for a spin around the underground parking lot to get your bearings first."
Mason was about to continue arguing but Jarret raised a hand to silence him.
"Give it a chance, kid. I have complete confidence in you."
Mason gave in with a heavy sigh. He approached the car, getting into the driver's seat and starting the vehicle. Jarret went over all the basic controls he needed to get it moving, and after a moment, Mason eased the car out into the parking lot. Once he had familiarised himself with it, Jarret had him perform several manoeuvres. After an hour, Jarret let him park the convertible and step out.
"So how was that?" Jarret grinned.
"It's… not so bad." Mason shrugged. "A bit daunting initially. Did I do alright?"
"You did well. Tomorrow we'll do some more. In the meantime, you should get some rest."
"You think I'll be ready by tomorrow night?" Mason asked.
Jarret simply smiled. "Without a doubt."
The next day, Mason spent another hour practicing in the parking lot, revising the exercises from last night. Jarret then jumped in with him and led him onto the streets. A couple hours later and they were rolling back into the parking lot. Jarret clapped him on the shoulder.
"Good stuff, Mason! You're a natural!"
"Thanks." Mason chuckled. "It helps having a good teacher."
He carefully brought the vehicle into park and they both stepped out. After locking the convertible up, they headed to the elevator and went up to their floor. They came out to find most of Jarret's team all sat on couches surrounding a coffee table in the lobby area.
"Seeing as you're both unscathed, I assume your drive went smoothly?" Gale surmised.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, grandpa." Mason rolled his eyes.
Gale slapped his knee, howling with laughter. "Kid's learning the lingo! Haha!"
"You should have seen him. Completely perfect performance." Jarret responded, sitting down beside the older man.
"Good for you, Mason. Especially at this time of day, traffic would have been a nightmare." Connor said.
Mason sat on an individual chair opposite of Chase, with Connor and Lexi to his right on a three-seater couch. Gale and Jarret were on his left on another three-seater, and they were soon joined by Kahn who brought over several drinks. He placed them on the coffee table, keeping hold of a bottle for himself. Everyone reached in to grab their respective drink, and there was even a can of soda for Mason.
"So, Mason. Before we left this morning, I arranged some formal attire to be delivered to your room. Feel free to choose whatever you like." Jarret informed him.
"Thanks." Mason grinned.
"No rush though. Stick around for lunch. You have plenty of time."
They all began conversing, with Mason silently observing as they occasionally broke out into laughter. Their food arrived moments later, and after eating, Mason retired to his room. On his bed he found a selection of clothes to choose from, and after cycling through several options, he was finally content with his outfit.
When the time came to go, Jarret was already waiting for him beside the convertible. They jumped in and Mason started up the car, heading off to the restaurant.
Ryuko had been excited all day, but as soon as the time had come, her enthusiasm had turned into anxiety. She had asked Satsuki if Gamagori would be able to take her that night, which she assured her that he would. Much to her surprise, Satsuki also told her that Nonon and Uzu would be coming along to the dinner.
Ryuko felt slightly awkward as she put on a small amount of make-up, taking her purse and slipping on her high heels, all of which were brand new. She shrunk down her scissor blade and stuffed it into her purse . She would at least be prepared if the Life Fiber man were to show his face again. She came out of her room and headed for the front door, finding both Nonon and Uzu already waiting for her.
They both eyed her with scrutinizing gazes, and Nonon even covered her mouth to hide a sly grin.
"Who would've thought Ryuko Matoi would wear that." Uzu remarked.
Ryuko crossed her arms. "Shut up."
Uzu was wearing a white suit and black bowtie, while Nonon wore a pink dress and matching shoes. The two of them came closer to Ryuko as they inspected her more closely.
"You actually did an okay job. For an amateur." Nonon smirked evilly. Ryuko narrowed her eyes.
"Thanks." She said acidly.
Their attention was dragged to the sound of a car coming to a stop just outside. They proceeded out the door to find Gamagori waiting patiently for them.
"Let's go you three. I'll be dropping you all off then coming back later to pick you up."
They clambered into the car, speeding off toward the city. Gamagori pulled over by the curb to let them out, then took off, leaving them in front of the restaurant. Ryuko looked around expectantly, but Mason was nowhere to be found. Uzu and Nonon noticed her face fall and gave one another mischievous looks.
"How inconsiderate, making us wait like this. Especially you. Some boyfriend." Nonon jeered.
"Wonder how late he'll be. Or do you think he's forgotten entirely?" Uzu joined in.
Ryuko cast them a glare. "He'll be here." Yet, deep down, their comments had gotten to her.
At that moment a car approached, coming to a stop by the curb. They all gaped at the sleek, shiny convertible pulling over, with Mason at the wheel. The car came to a stop and Mason stepped out, briefly speaking with Jarret who shuffled himself into the driver's seat. Ryuko's face lit up, while the other two stared open-mouthed.
"At least my man can drive." Ryuko turned to them, grinning smugly.
Jarret gestured further down the road, explaining that he was going to find parking. Mason nodded and the car smoothly pulled away. When he turned around his eyes widened when he saw Ryuko. He took a moment to admire her, suddenly feeling inadequate.
The black dress came down to mid-thigh and sparkled in the light. Her shoulders were practically bare, and her legs were curvaceous, aided by the matching black heels. Her hair waved with the slight wind, and he caught a glimpse of small, crystal gem earrings. A hint of eyeliner accentuated her blue eyes, and natural looking lipstick made her lips glisten. The red highlight in her bangs only added to how cute she looked.
Meanwhile, he wore a high collared white shirt, black tie, blazer, dress pants and dress shoes. Ryuko clutched her purse tightly as she stood before him, a small blush spreading across her face.
"Hi." She mumbled.
"Hey." Mason managed to say, unable to take his eyes off her.
"You're looking nice." She gave him a small smile.
"I could say the same, gorgeous." Mason said breathlessly.
"Are we going, or are you two just going to gawk at one another?" Uzu taunted.
"You're doing the same, monkey." Nonon snickered.
"I am not!" Uzu whirled around at her, though stopped when she glanced up at him with a cute grin.
"You are now." She teased.
"I- uh… Don't know what you're on about." Uzu sweated, pulling on the collar of his shirt to loosen it.
"Come on. It's getting a bit cold out here." Mason took Ryuko's hand and escorted her inside. Ryuko got closer to him, their arms intertwined.
Mason leaned over to whisper into her ear. "Is this that surprise you mentioned over the phone?"
Ryuko nodded slightly. "Yup."
"I love it." He planted a kiss on her cheek.
Ryuko blushed, squeezing his hand tighter. The four of them went into the restaurant, deciding that they would take separate tables, though not too far from one another. Waiters escorted them to their seats and took their orders, hurrying off to serve other people. Mason felt self-conscious as they received stares from the surrounding tables.
Their age made them stand out amongst the other patrons, except for another boy who sat alone in the distant corner. He looked to be about their age and had dark purplish-blue hair, but Mason couldn't make out any other features besides that.
"How's your new place?" Ryuko asked, dragging his attention back to her.
"It's good. You should come visit some time."
"I'll have to ask Gamagori to take me. Unless you could pick me up instead?"
"Once Jarret thinks I'm good enough to be getting around on my own, I'd be happy to."
Ryuko blushed. "I look forward to it."
Their meals arrived shortly, with Mason getting Spaghetti Bolognaise and Ryuko receiving a steak with a side of greens and chips. The two of them dug into their food, sharing delighted expressions. Halfway through their course, Mason noticed Ryuko was staring at a stray meatball, sat to the side of his spaghetti. He touched it with his fork, and her eyes widened slightly. Ever so casually, he put it on his fork and brought it up to his lips.
She followed it, but once she saw him watching her she quickly averted her eyes. Pretending to dig around her own meal, she was pleasantly surprised when he proffered the meatball to her. Ryuko looked up to see him smiling lazily at her. She grinned and opened wide, letting him tease it past her lips. She bit down and he withdrew his fork, letting her munch down appreciatively.
"I love feeding you. You look so cute." Mason said fondly.
Ryuko blushed, then eyed her own steak. She expertly cut away a slice and put it on her own fork. Mason gave her a wry smile as she waggled it in front of his face. She then made to tap him on the nose, but he snatched the piece of steak away with his teeth. She stared wide-eyed while he smirked triumphantly.
Both Uzu and Nonon were staring at them enviously. They then glanced at one another, and Nonon gave him a look of disapproval. In her mind she wondered why Uzu couldn't be like Mason and take the initiative. Meanwhile, Uzu was sweating nervously, thinking that he should do something, then envisioning her getting upset with him.
"I love what you've done with your hair." Mason admired.
"Thanks. Satsuki insisted that I wash it and helped brush me." She winced slightly, remembering a few painful knots they had to go through.
"That's nice of her. You're lucky to have her as a sister."
"Yeah. I am." Ryuko smiled affectionately.
Once again, Nonon cast an annoyed scowl at Uzu, seeing as he had yet to say a single word to her since they sat down. Uzu kept his eyes down, feeling her death glare on him. She then dug the ends of her utensils against the table, making him look up in surprise.
"You're not even trying, are you?" She hissed. He put on an uneasy smile.
"What are you talking about, uh… babe?" His tone laced with apprehension.
Nonon crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Babe? Is that it?"
"Well I don't know what you want from me!"
"Try harder, banana brain!" Nonon barely stopped herself from lunging at him.
Ryuko and Mason cast confused glances in their direction, watching them bicker. Ryuko then smiled softly, while Mason gave her a questioning look.
"Don't worry about them. That's basically how they show affection for one another." She gave him a lopsided smile.
"I'll take your word for it." He shrugged.
In the distance, the lonesome boy in the corner called over a waiter. The boy told him something, and he immediately dropped the plates he was carrying onto the table. He then turned away and headed for the door. Several patron's watched as the waiter exited the restaurant without any discernible reason.
Jarret pulled the convertible into the closest parking lot, finding a quiet spot as he turned off the engine. He sat back and prepared himself to wait for an hour or two. He had his eyes closed and was lightly snoozing when he heard approaching footsteps. He peered with one eye to spot a man dressed in a waiter's garb drawing near. Jarret sat up, watching him closely.
The man seemed fairly complacent, in spite of the message he had to deliver.
"Ryuko is in trouble." He spoke suddenly.
Jarret frowned. "Excuse me?"
"Ryuko is in trouble. Come quickly." He continued, deadpan.
Jarret was about to question him when he suddenly turned and began walking back toward the restaurant. Jarret reached into his jacket, touching the familiar Fork Knife. He leapt out of the car, cautiously following the strange man, his knife drawn but hidden. He kept several paces behind the waiter, checking every corner with suspicion.
Another waiter had gathered the plates that had been left on the table. She went about dropping them off to the respective diners, smiling pleasantly as they barely acknowledged her. She then looked over and noticed that Ryuko and Mason had finished with their meals.
Finally. She thought. The waitress casually approached their table, putting her hands on her hips.
"I hope you enjoyed the food." She beamed.
They both looked up, returning her smile. "It was delicious. Thank you."
She continued smiling broadly. "Good. Because it will be the last you ever have."
Their grins faded, replaced by confusion. The waitress' own grin turned into a sneer as her hands dissolved into red tendrils, which then formed black bladed weapons. She viciously slashed at Ryuko, who recoiled in surprise as the blade flashed by her face. Mason snatched up Ryuko's steak knife and stabbed the waitress in the leg. She hissed and cut at his hand holding the knife, opening up a large gash.
"Thanks." Mason smirked.
He grabbed one end of the table with his good hand and then flung the whole thing into her face. She staggered back, swinging at the table and cutting it in two. The two of them got up and backed away from her. Behind the waitress they could see another waiter approaching from behind, a fierce snarl on his face. His hands then turned into similar blades as he brandished them.
So far all of the other patrons and waiters had simply stared in shock and horror. But once the second assassin revealed himself, they all stood to attention. Altogether, they whirled around to face the Life Fibers and began throwing whatever they had in their hands and everything else around them. Several people even picked up their chairs and proceeded to swing them at the imposters.
The Life Fibers looked around in confusion, shielding themselves from the barrage of plates, utensils, and chairs. Ryuko and Mason were just as confused, watching the bizarre spectacle around them. They then felt hands grabbing at them.
"Let's go!" Uzu shouted, tugging at Mason's arm. At the same time Nonon had taken hold of Ryuko's wrist, dragging her along.
The rain of objects eventually came to a stop once the patrons ran out of things to throw. Suddenly, they seemed acutely aware of the threat before them and reacted in a more appropriate manner. Shouts and screams sounded out as people fled to the other side of the room or hid behind tables.
The assassins growled furiously, breaking out into a sprint toward their initial targets. The four of them had just gotten to the door when the waitress jumped in front of them, slashing at Uzu's arm. He recoiled away in time, but she barred the doorway, grinning menacingly.
"No escape!" She laughed maniacally.
"There's bound to be an exit through the kitchen." Mason whispered.
They all nodded assent and bolted away from the waitress. They were then faced with her partner. Mason hurtled forward, much to the assassin's surprise. The Life Fiber struck at him with both blades, which only served to empower Mason further as he shoulder-charged him, making him stagger backwards. Mason then slammed his palm against the assassin's chest, making him freeze up and topple over onto the floor.
Ryuko withdrew her scissor blade as they continued toward the kitchen. The assassin on the ground screamed and growled furiously, unable to move his body. Seeing this, the other assassin then reformed one blade back into a hand. She took hold of a chair and threw it at the group. Ryuko was prepared to knock it away, but someone got in front of her. Up until now the boy in the corner had remained seated, merely watching the scene play out.
Now, he walked briskly to place himself between the group and the airborne chair. Ryuko and the others watched him intercept the chair with lightning fast reflexes, swatting it aside so that it hit the wall. The waitress stared dumbfounded, then snarled as she picked up a table and threw that at him. Once again, the boy calmly shoved the table away with a simple flick of his wrist, sending it crashing to the side. He then sighed in annoyance.
"You know. I set that trap in hopes it would distract them long enough for you to get away. But you all just took your sweet time, didn't you?" The boy casually stated, not even looking at the four of them.
"Stand aside, human!" The waitress screamed.
"Would you kindly shut your mouth?" The boy responded nonchalantly.
The waitress went to say something, but her mouth wouldn't open. She stared in horror, making angry faces and noises. Her hand clawed at her lips, though she couldn't pry them open. She pointed her bladed arm at him in a threatening manner, glaring furiously.
"Well look who decided to show up. About time too. I sent that guy ages ago." The boy said with annoyance.
From the front window they saw the waiter from earlier show up, followed by Jarret a moment later. He looked in, his brow furrowed with confusion. He spotted the assassin writhing on the ground, still struggling to regain control over his body. His eyes then focused on the pair of sharp, black blades that made up the waitress' arms. Jarret jumped into action, kicking open the door and rushing in.
The waitress heard him, turning just in time to be cut across the face by the glowing hot Fork Knife. She swung at him in a wide arc with her bladed arm, though Jarret ducked under it, slashing at her exposed midsection. She hunched over, groaning into her sewn-shut mouth. In rapid succession, he had driven his knife into the back of her head, collided his knee into her face and then cut her head clean off.
The assassin's head fell to the floor, followed by her body. The other assassin finally recovered, snarling as he sprinted forward, lunging at Jarret. He dove under the blade, letting it go over him. With his free hand, he grabbed the assassin's extended arm by the wrist and threw the assassin over himself. Propelled by his own momentum, the assassin front flipped and landed on his back with a grunt.
Jarret had quickly stabbed down, driving his searing hot knife into the assassin's chest. He saw their eyes widen, but they were still moving. He dragged the knife out and then drove it into the Life Fiber man's face. His body went limp, and Jarret was finally satisfied he had put the thing down when he saw the assassin's eyes glaze over. With a deep breath, Jarret withdrew and powered down his weapon before turning to see the others staring at him in bewilderment.
"Senketsu wasn't kidding… He really was holding back on us." Ryuko whispered.
"Hmph." The strange boy then turned, heading toward the kitchen entrance.
"Hey! Who are you?" Uzu called after him, but he didn't respond.
"Where are you going?" Nonon frowned, taking a step toward him.
He stopped in his tracks and turned to face them. They caught a glance of his grey eyes, just before they lit up brilliant bright blue.
"Don't follow me." He said sternly.
Any thoughts about pursuing the boy were immediately purged from their minds. They simply watched as he walked away, disappearing from sight. Their attention was then dragged back as Jarret approached.
"You guys okay?"
"Yeah. Thanks to you and that guy." Mason hooked a thumb over toward the kitchen entrance.
"So, what exactly happened?"
While they explained, Jarret made a quick call for reinforcements. He frowned in confusion when they mentioned how the other patrons had acted strangely. Centurions arrived within a few minutes, isolating the dead Life Fiber corpses and, upon Jarret's command, began investigating everyone in the restaurant. Several soldiers went searching for the boy the four had mentioned, but he was already gone.
Attempts to sample the Life Fiber remains resulted in the bodies disintegrating, similarly to the dismembered arm Ryuko and Satsuki had encountered. This left them empty-handed, and every person they evaluated failed to show any sign of post-hypnotic suggestion or other mind control techniques. The patrons merely reported that they felt 'compelled' to hurl objects at the attackers in order to distract them.
Jarret even questioned the waiter that had come to warn him of the impending danger. He claimed that the attack hadn't even started before he left, therefore had no knowledge that Ryuko was in fact endangered. Instead, he simply felt that he had to tell someone about it because someone else had told him. When asked to explain who had told him, he gave the same description of the boy that Ryuko and the others had given him.
Ryuko and Mason stood outside, with Uzu and Nonon not far away. Mason had one arm around her shoulders protectively. She looked downcast and worried.
"Hey. It's okay. Jarret got them." Mason cooed.
"I know. But there were two this time, and they were different from the one from the mall. Meaning that there's probably more of them." Ryuko murmured.
"Girl's right." They looked up upon hearing Gale's voice, seeing him approaching with Jarret by his side.
"There are several things we should be considering: Where are they coming from? Why do they want you? And how do they know when and where to strike?" Jarret added.
They all went silent, unable to think of anything to answer his questions.
"Does this mean I'm going to be in constant danger?" Ryuko asked.
"I'm afraid so, little miss." Gale said grimly.
"Might want to keep your Kamui and scissor blade close to hand at all times from now on." Jarret suggested.
Ryuko nodded and Mason hugged her tighter.
"Would you feel better if I came back and lived with you?" Mason inquired. Ryuko pondered for a moment.
'I would. But I'll be okay. Satsuki is still at home with me. The Elite Four too. If anything happens, I'm sure they can handle it. And if not, I'll call straight away." She put on her bravest face.
"We'll put some teams closer to Konru, just in case." Jarret assured.
"Thanks you guys." Ryuko gave them a small grin.
"Ryuko!" Uzu called out. They turned to see Gamagori's car stopped by the curb.
"Looks like I should get going." Ryuko went to leave but Mason tugged on her hand. She looked at him with a curious expression.
"I'm sorry about tonight. We were having such a good time, and then…" His voice trailed off.
"Yeah." Ryuko's gaze lowered.
"Feel free to come over sometime. I'll try and make it up to you."
"You don't have to. It wasn't your fault." Ryuko then took his other hand and pecked him on the lips.
"If you say so." Mason whispered. Ryuko grinned.
"I'll definitely be coming over soon."
"Good to hear." He planted a kiss on her forehead.
"Are you coming? Or would you rather your fancy-pants boyfriend drive you home himself?" Nonon called out in annoyance.
"I'll see you soon." Ryuko murmured, turning away and climbing into Gamagori's car.
"You two can do the same, if you want. I can handle things here." Gale remarked.
"You sure?" Jarret queried.
"Yeah. You two run along. I'll wrap this up by the hour." Gale waved them away.
Jarret nodded, heading back to the convertible with Mason. Gale turned to approach a Centurion that was stood behind him, waiting patiently.
"Something to report?" Gale asked.
"No Sir. The search teams have turned up nothing. Suspect got away."
Gale huffed, shaking head. "Worth a shot. Call them back. Let's start packing up any non-essentials."
"Yes Sir." The Centurion saluted.
Earlier…
A pair of Centurions rode in their patrol cruiser. The night made it difficult to identify someone from afar, but it also meant there were fewer people about. They turned the corner and caught sight of a boy walking down the street. From a glance they caught sight of his dark purplish-blue hair. They pulled up next to him, rolling down the window.
"Hey kid. Care to spare a minute of your time?" One of them called out.
The boy came to a stop and turned to face them, looking uninterested. They could make out his grey eyes now. A perfect match to the description they were given.
"Care to tell us what you're doing out here, son? Bit late to be walking around on your own."
"I can handle myself." The boy said flatly.
"I'm sure you can. Curious though, did you happen to see that incident back there?" The soldier hooked a thumb in the direction of the restaurant.
The boy shrugged. "Nope. Couldn't help you."
"Funny that, because someone reported seeing you there." The Centurion said matter-of-factly.
The boy sighed deeply. When he looked back at them, his eyes were glowing blue.
"I'm not the person you're after. So if you would kindly move along and leave me alone, I would appreciate that."
The two of them then stared at him dumbstruck. They slowly looked at one another and shrugged.
"Right. Sorry about that. We'll leave now." He rolled the window back up and they drove off.
The boy watched them drive away, then continued walking.
"How did they go?"
"Both were killed."
"Incompetence. Seems the other humans aren't as pathetic as I first believed."
"Shall we try again?"
"Of course. How are the models we based off of the humans 'Jarret' and 'Mason'?"
"Their bodies have developed. They should be ready to deploy soon."
"Good. If we use familiar faces, at least we can sow distrust amongst them. Isn't that right?"
"Yes. I agree." A familiar female voice replied.
"Then see to it that Matoi is slain this time!"
"As you wish." The female bowed her head, her long black hair cascading down the sides of her face.
