Chapter 29: The big ANSA party (A.K.A. Godzilla's Blood)
"Bringing your work home with you, Sora?", Kojima teased as Sora walked in the front door with Mizuto. "Or do you have a boyfriend already?"
Rather than answer, Sora just rolled her eyes and groaned.
"Is he always like that?", Mizuto asked quietly as they sat down in the living room where Kotoko was. "No, just usually", Sora whispered back.
"Hey Mom", Sora asked, "Can you teach us some database programming? We're trying to design an automatic book purchase selector program."
"Like some of the online places have?", Kotoko asked them, and they both nodded.
And as Kotoko sat down to give Sora and Mizuto some pointers on database P++ programming, Kojima was on chat with the Kokobunjis and the Motosuwas, finding out who was bringing what to the big ANSA party the next day.
"It looks like Chi and Yuzuki have their recipes ready", he called out to Kotoko on his way to the front door. "I guess I'd better get going."
"Going for wha...", Mizuto started to say. But Kojima, along with several persocoms, were already out the door.
"You do remember, this is a NO ALCOHOL event, right?", Kotoko asked when they returned a while later with several grocery bags, heavy with a variety of drink bottles. "What do you have in there, anyway?"
"My recipes", Kojima stated proudly. "Several jugs of milk, and little bottles of every kind of fruit juice I could find."
"You're making FRUIT-MILK", Sora giggled. "But... Don't they usually sell that stuff pre-mixed?"
"Sure", Kojima replied, holding up several bottles of juice, "but not in nearly this many flavors."
"Hey Chi", Yuzuki emailed, "You got your stew mix ready?"
"Yep", Chi replied, "and I got a bunch of little picnic cups too, so people can eat it on the go. I guess I'll be up really early, cooking this stuff..."
"Just bring the cold ingredients and a pot", Yuzuki told her. "I'm bringing Minoru's camp stove, and a few things of my own to serve to the humans. You can cook it right there at the party."
Hand-in-hand, Chi and Hideki arrived at the park the next morning to find Yuzuki already set up under an open-sided tent, setting some cold snacks out on a folding table while a teapot was warming up on the campstove. And as Chi started cutting up the vegetables, Hideki got some water from a local drinking fountain for the cookpot.
Kojima showed up not long after with his 'Fruit-Milk' mixes.
Freya was over near the fence that separated the park from an adjacent forested section of parkland, setting up a temporary stage. Yatsumi was helping her set up, and she'd borrowed Benika's shamisen. (No goth-metal today.)
"Going to parties, are you?", a voice called out from behind Hideki. "You do know there's a big assignment due, right?" It was Ms Jounouchi.
"OH, NO! I forgot about... wait a minute... what?!", Hideki stammered, turning around to face his programming instructor. But the look on her face was one of amusement. "I'm joking, Motosuwa", she chuckled weakly.
"S.. uh, so, what brings you to an ANSA picnic?", Hideki asked, once he realized he wasn't in trouble.
Sai looked sadly around at the growing crowd around her. "I... might be one of you", she replied, sounding a bit uncertain.
"YOU?", Hideki asked, looking surprised. "I've never seen YOU in class looking hung-over or anything..."
"Well, I rarely ever take a drink", Sai explained, "but when I do... hoo boy..."
"Binge?"
"Disaster area."
Hideki had written "Big ANSA Thing" in big letters on the sidewalk in blue chalk, and random passersby were dropping in along with the ANSA members. Kojima had printed up some pamphlets telling what the party was about, and more than a few people were picking them up to read.
Freya began to sing one of her usual songs... only, without the heavy metal. With just Freya on the stage, just vocals and a shamisen, the music was a lot more... traditional-sounding. Still, there were a few wolf-whistles from the crowd, probably from people who had seen her photoshoot.
By noon, so many people were milling around, listening to Freya's songs, talking, munching on snacks and stew and drinking fruit-milk, that Yuzuki had to send for Minoru to bring more supplies.
All in all, it was shaping up to be a nice little party.
"This is shaping up to be a nice little party", Dufus snickered as he and Dumbus sat in their newly-bought rusty old jalopie, watching the celebration. "Just what we need... lots of people who are easily addicted to things."
"Time to get rich", Dumbus chimed in. "Free samples now ... Expensive refills later!"
Into the party they went, carrying several cheap thermoses with drawings of what looked like a Tyrannosaurus-Rex on them. And, setting up on one of the park benches, they started handing out drinks.
"What are YOU two doing here?", Hideki demanded when he saw them pouring several people a drink. "This is a NON-alcoholic event!"
"We know", Dufus replied as he offered Hideki a drink. "This isn't booze."
"So, what IS it?", Hideki asked, sniffing at the odd-smelling liquid.
"Check it out", Dufus told him as he poured a bit into the cup of fruit-milk Hideki was holding. "It's an energy drink. It'll help you stay off the sauce."
"It's 'Godzilla's Blood'", Dumbus added. "The T-rex is our logo."
As Hideki went back to Yuzuki's tent where Chi was handing out the last bit of stew, Dufus and Dumbus mingled into the crowd, handing out drinks as they went. It didn't take too long for them to give away nearly all of their "Godzilla's Blood" energy drink. And the effect on the crowd was becoming noticeable.
The folks listening to Freya were dancing to the music now, and Freya, responding to their enthusiasm, had switched over to J-pop (which did sound a little odd on the shamisen).
"Hey Sai!", Dumbus shouted when he saw her, "You want to try some?"
Sai Jounouchi looked down at these two dingbats, her former classmate's brothers, and mentally facepalmed at their question.
"No, I'm not going to try your 'energy drink', or whatever that stuff is, she deadpanned. "The last time you two said 'Here, try THIS', I woke up naked in somebody's back yard, all wrapped up in toilet paper."
"Ah, well", Dufus replied. "Not much left anyway." And, stirring it into their drinks, Dufus and Dumbus chugged down the last bit of "Godzilla's Blood" themselves.
As Sai wandered off, Chi stood there under the tent, watching her go. {..all wrapped up in toilet paper..?} Chi had found Hideki in the same condition once, lying in the trash at a dumpster. Surely nothing... Where IS Hideki, anyway? He was right there, just a minute ago...
"HI, CHI!" Hideki shouted as he darted maniacally between the tables in front of the tent.
"Dance? Can we dance? I wanna dance, Let's dance, C'mon Chi, Hey Chi! Chi? What's wrong, Chi? You okay, Chi? Hi, Chi!" He was talking a mile a minute.
"..Wrapped up in toilet paper..?", Chi mumbled, still staring out at the spot where Sai had been.
"Chi, what's wrong, Chi?", Hideki asked, looking confused.
"...Nothing...", she deadpanned. "At least, nothing you'd remember anything about." Reluctantly, she took Hideki's hand, and he quickly swept her into the crowd of dancing people.
Out there in the crowd of dancing people, Chi did her best to think of the here and now, and not dwell on the past. Nobody knew for sure that anything had even happened between Hideki and Sai, not even Hideki or Sai.
And after all, here was Chi, dancing with a sober Hideki, a Hideki who'd given up all alcohol, even beer ... and what's more, he'd given up alcohol for CHI!
In spite of the simple music of just a shamisen and Freya singing, the crowd of people dancing in front of the stage seemed to be forming a mosh pit. They were getting loud, too.
"WHOOOOOOO!", Hideki shouted as he swung Chi around, and Chi giggled as he gave her the spin.
By now, Hideki (along with a good portion of the people there) seemed to be going in hyper-motion, and Freya, looking to keep up, was playing...
Um...
How shall I describe this?
What Freya was playing on the shamisen now sounded like a cross between bluegrass and technopop. In other words, very fast. And with the shamisen being fretless, Freya was putting in plenty of slide notes. (Sorry, no MP3)
Suddenly, someone was cutting in on Chi and Hideki... Or maybe not. He darted right between them and kept going.
"Hey! Watch where you're... going?" Hideki yelped in surprise. Dumbus had almost hit Hideki as he sprinted across the park in a full run, a look of panic on his face.
"JEEZ, where's HE going in such a damn hurry?", Hideki wondered as he watched Dumbus jump into a rusty car that was sitting by the curb.
Screams could be heard from the back corner of the crowd, where Dumbus had come running from. A fistfight had broken out, and the ANSA picnic was quickly turning into an all-out brawl.
Several people spilled out of the fight, still swinging, and crashed into Chi and Hideki. They were separated in the chaos. "Hideki?!", Chi shouted. He didn't answer.
She returned to the cook tent to find Yuzuki, packing up the stove and cookware. "What's going on over there?", Yuzuki asked in a worried tone. "I was hoping you'd know", Chi replied.
With a bright glow, Chi Motosuwa rose into the air, high above the crowd. From the top of a telephone pole, she looked down at the screaming crowd, hoping to find Hideki. All she could see was mayhem below.
Freya and Yatsumi were near the tent now, talking to Kojima and Kotoko, and Chi dropped in on them. "Seen Hideki?", she asked them.
Just then, Dufus ran by, dripping blood from his nose, with several crazed-looking people chasing him. Dumbus was already there in his rusty jalopie, and Dufus dove in. And stomping on the gas, they took off in a cloud of blue smoke and burning rubber. Blaring horns and squalling tires announced their presence as they ran right through a red light and kept going, still accelerating.
Soon they were gone from sight, leaving only the smell of smoke behind.
"MOTHERFUCKER!", someone shouted, shaking his fists in a blind rage. It was Hideki, and he ran right by without even noticing Chi. Looking confused, he turned and headed right back into the crowd.
"Hideki, you're bleeding!", Chi gasped.
"Top of the world!", Hideki replied in absolute glee, seemingly oblivious to the fistprint and several minor scrapes on his face.
"C'mon, Chi, let's DANCE", he added as he circled back for Chi. "Out of my WAY!", he shouted to Kojima, who didn't have time to move before finding an angry Hideki in his face.
"Are you malfunctioning, Motosuwa?", Kotoko reacted with a note of alarm. "Your behavior today seems more than just a little odd." Putting herself between Hideki and Kojima, she held out a hand, trying to keep Hideki at arm's length.
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME YOU STUPID BITCH!", he screamed as he slammed his fist into Kotoko's face.
"You are definitely malfunctioning", Kokoto replied firmly. In one smooth motion, she had put Hideki face-down on the ground, and was holding his hands behind his back. "The only question is, what's causing it?"
"Whatever it is, it's not just Hideki", Chi observed, looking around at the insanity surrounding them. "It looks like a bunch of humans are ...malfunctioning..."
"That one looks calm enough", Freya replied, pointing to a rather tall woman who stood by the curb, slowly shaking her head at the scene.
It was Sai.
"Those two morons tried to offer me an 'energy drink'", she told Freya, gesturing down the street in the direction Dufus and Dumbus had peeled out. "I'm thinking it had more in it than just caffeine."
"I'm thinking we'd better call an ambulance", Chi replied, looking down at Hideki who was squealing like a stuck pig.
"I've sent a message to the hospital, asking for several ambulances", Kotoko announced, still holding Hideki's hands behind his back. "These people have obviously been drugged."
Within a few minutes, sirens could be heard approaching. The ambulances were on their way.
The first one came tearing out down the street towards the park... And sped right by and kept on going.
Several police cars followed, their lights flashing.
"Are you sure you gave them the right address?", Chi asked Kokoko after the third ambulance passed them by. Kotoko nodded. Then two fire trucks went by.
By now the whole ANSA picnic was breaking up, and people were leaving in droves. Those who were sober were walking away in disgust and confusion, and some of the drugged ones were randomly wandering off, still acting completely crazy. Others were still there, still trying to continue the party, and their whooping and hollering were getting the attention of the nearest police box.
"Will you people COOL IT?!", the cop demanded. "I thought this was supposed to be an ANSA picnic... as in... SOBER?"
"It was supposed to be", Sai told the cop, "but a couple of dingbats were handing out some kind of 'energy drinks'..."
"We've already called for some ambulances", Kotoko added.
"Um... You're going to be waiting a while for those", the cop told them. "There's been a horrible wreck a few miles down the road."
The cop pointed down the road in the direction the ambulances had gone. "Someone crashed a car into a crowded restaurant", he explained. "From the looks of it, they were hell-flying."
A few people looked in the direction the cop was pointing. A plume of smoke was visible in the distance.
"Could you bring the riot van around?", the cop asked into his handheld radio. "I got a bunch of people here who've been dosed with something."
By the time the riot van arrived, most had wandered off. And as several policemen tried (with little success) to round up the screaming maniacs who remained, Chi decided that if Hideki was going to get to the hospital, she was going to have to take him there herself.
She grabbed him by the waist, and launched herself into the air.
"WHOOOOOOO! YEEAAAAH!", Hideki screamed, holding his arms out like wings as they flew across city blocks, high above the gawking pedestrians who stopped and stared at the ungainly spectacle that was shrieking across the sky.
"Somebody put something in his drink", Chi explained to the hospital receptionist, shouting as best she could over top of Hideki's incoherent ranting.
"Ah, the ANSA disaster", one of the nurses replied. "We got Kotoko's email." And readying a syringe, the nurse stuck Hideki from behind, then quickly darted out of the way. (She was, no doubt, well accustomed to sedating people)
As a now-groggy Hideki was loaded onto a stretcher to be taken in for some tests, the riot van arrived with about a dozen more just like him. "Better get some more hypos", the nurses deadpanned.
Chi paced impatiently back and forth in the waiting room. They weren't letting her accompany Hideki for his tests. She listened intently, hoping in vain to hear what was going on in whatever room they'd taken him to.
What Chi could hear were the sounds of a flurry of activity, somewhere in the back of the hospital. They must be bringing in victims from the restaurant crash.
"E - excuse me, but...", a weak and panicky-sounding voice could be heard from behind the double doors in the hallway. "Dude... I'm a doctor, I don't fix persocoms", was someone's loud and irritated-sounding reply.
Footsteps announced the doctor's departure down another hallway, and Chi, out of curiosity, peered through the partially-open door.
A persocom was standing there, staring forlornly down one of the long hallways. His clothes were torn, and he was covered in filth and soot and blood. Slowly, he turned around, noticing Chi in the doorway.
It was Ataru.
"OH NO ATARU WHAT HAPPENED?", Chi gasped the moment she recognized him. "Where's Yuka?!"
Ataru, his eyes wide, stared at Chi with the stricken look of a doomed man. "I don't know where she is!", he cried. "They won't tell me anything!"
Excuse the cliffhanger, but this has been a difficult chapter to get even this far on. (what's it been, almost 3 months?)
Next chapter begins with some scenes at the hospital, and Ataru tells Chi what happened to him.
