CH 32

Pete suggested, and Kaede agreed to have the interview here in the pub in the morning. The owner heartily agreed. Morning was a slow time for the place. Pete arrived early and had the owner roped off an area around their booth for them and the cameraman. Pete agreed to mention the pub's name during the interview.

Kaede and Kouta came in to find everything set up. Pete greeted them and motioned to the booth. "Kaede, we sit here facing each other. Dave will start recording when we start. Just relax and be yourself." Holding up his hands he added, "And no questions about where you live."

"Thank ya. Shall we git started?"

Pete motioned her over. They sat down. Pete smiled at the camera and said, "I'm in Cockney's Pub here in London with Dame Kaede Kikumura. Had a good meal here, and last night, I found out Dame Kaede has a talent for singing!"

Kaede chuckle. "I lost me bet. Did a song Mom did standing top o a tower. Twas the only one I could think of. She sings bet'ter than me."

"If that's the case, then your mother must be a great singer. I understand you have children?"

"Aye. Two older girls bout to graduate an a wee one," Kaede told him. "The older ones, Kouta adopted. They was homeless, Kouta took'em in. Both are good lasses, though they kin be a trail. Me wee one's gonna be two."

"I'm glad you have a nice family," Pete said sincerely. "From what I understand, you have had a very rough young life."

Kaede nodded. "Ya kin say that. I was born in Japan, and spent me first years in an orphanage. Wasn't til I found me real Mom that I learned why. Seems me Mom was being held in a facility, she had me an I was put in me own cell, but some woman got me outta there and hid me in that orphanage."

"What facility was this?" Pete asked.

Kaede frowned. "Government facility, off the coast of Kamakura in Japan. They treated ones like me very badly. At the time, I didn know anything but that orphanage. Seeing me horns, I got picked on an bullied by the boys there. Think of a way ta be mean, an they did it ta me."

Frowning slightly, Pete asked, "Wasn't there anyone there to stop them?"

Kaede's frown deepened. "Teachers there turned a blind eye to'em." She told him of being tripped up, things getting thrown at her, her things getting ruined, the carvings on her dresser of 'devil child' and 'freak', and her room being trashed. "I'd sneak off just for a bit o peace. I found a puppy out in the woods an started feedin him part of me lunch. At the time, that was the only friend I had."

Kaede sported a tiny smile. "Then one day big guy came in right after I'd been tripped up again. He yelled at the boys picking on me. I though fer a moment he was gonna beat'em up. Teachers came in an made the boys go outside and sent me to me room. He didn like that an yelled at the teachers. Right after, he came to me room and told me he wanted ta adopt me. Didn't believe him at first. I was the freak, who'd want a freak in their family? He gave me the choice to accept or not. Seeing a way outta that hell-hole, I accepted. I knew he was serious, he couldn't take me away yet, so he kept comin ta visit while waitin fer the adoption ta go though."

Kaede then frowned again. "The ones boterin me found me puppy. They teased me with'im. When I refused to cry, they beat'im ta death an made me watch. That's when it happened…"

After her pause, she said, "It felt like me brain exploded. I was so angry, so sad, I screamed. It felt like I was … all over the room all at once, wantin those bullies ta die. When I opened me eyes, there was blood everywhere. The bullies were dead, pieces of'em all over the place. I got scared. I picked up me dead puppy an ran away. Went an buried him in the woods." She the wiped a tear from her eye.

Pete sat staring at her. "How old were you then?" he asked weakly.

"Six er so. No one knew fer sure how old I was, they guessed. That day was when I discovered me power. That first time, I scared meself with it. I had no where ta go. I hid, stole food, knowin everyone hated me, I killed whoever found me so they wouldn't go get others ta take me back there…" looking at nothing, she said, "I really doan wanna say more on that, cept during that time I met Kouta. He was the first one who was ever nice ta me. He took me to a zoo an I had the best time o me life. Didn last though. This time I was at fault. He was goin to a festival an had to take his cousin, so he couldn't take me. He'd promised. I went just at see'im there. His cousin was a girl, and clingy. I felt betrayed. This voice in me head told me ta kill'em all so I wouldn't have ta be sad." her voice trailed off again.

"This voice wanted you to kill," Pete said.

"Aye, an I did. I even kilt Kouta's little sister an his father. I couldn't kill him though. He shook me, cryin and screamin fer me ta stop it. That kinda woke me up, is the best way I kin put it. I ran away again. I felt sick at what I'd done. Puked a few times. After that, I hid again, stealin food when no one was around. Found another girl who was doing the same. She was hiding an tryin ta survive just like I was. Only she couldn't rip open doors or grab food outta things from high up. We stayed tagether, movin and hidin."

Another tiny smile and Kaede said, "Dad found us. Doan know how, but he did. The adoption finally cam through. I told him I was someone bad an he didn want me." She chuckled. "He got stern wit me an said I was family now, an ya doan abandon family, nay matter what. He took us away to Seattle. Life there was the best. We had our own rooms in our own place, Me an Uziki went to school an had fun. Kept me head covered so me horns didn show. We had friends. I thought me bad times were done."

"That wasn't the end of your troubles though, was it?" Pete asked.

"Nay." Kaede said with a sigh. "Men from Japan came and kidnapped me by shootin me in the butt wit a dart. They killed Uzuki. I woke up hangin in a steel room, wrapped in some kind of suit. I couldn't move and kept gittin bad shocks every time I tried to escape. Was there fer a long time till Dad's … we'll call her a girlfriend, came an broke me out."

Vacantly, Kaede added, "I still visit Uzuki's grave. I kin kinda see them comin after me, but Uzuki nay did anythin bad. Killin her was just plain cruel. After we was home, they came again. We was ready fer'em and made'em suffer."

"These men came all the way from Japan just to take you back. Do you know why?" Pete asked, slack faced from what she'd been telling him.

"Experimentin on me. Fer what, I doan know. Found out they had another one like me. Sides shootin at her at see if they could hit'er, they brainwashed her inta belevin one was her Papa, so she'd cooperate. See, after I was free again an back home, they caught Kouta an his family. Couldn't let that go. Me, Dad an his girlfriend went back, snuck in and kilt whoever we had to ta git them out. That's when Dad found me real Mom and got her out too. We showed'em as much mercy as they showed us. None at all. Kilt the one in charge meself. Nay was I gonna let'im live after what he'd been doin."

Pete put a hand over his mouth. "You're saying you fought wars when you were still a child."

"Aye, we did. An Dad did as he said, stood by me nay matter what. Gotta say, it was a nice surprise ta find me Mom was with us."

"How did you know it was your mother?"

"I didn. A witch friend of Dad's told us. That was another of me happy days."

"You didn't have many of those, it sounds like," Pete noted.

"Fer quit a while, Nay, I didn. Now that we're settled an tagether and livin in fair peace, things have been much better. Kouta even married me and we got our own kids."

"You're now free of those people coming after you." Pete concluded.

Kaede shook her had. "Nay. Since then, men have come trying ta kill Dad, grab me again, try an kidnap Mom, more came ta beat me husband, beat and break one of me daughter's bones and kidnap, beat and rape the other older one. Now an then, they keep comin, and we keep gitin rid of'em. I learned ta stay on guard. Same as the rest of me family. That's why I woan say where we live. People nay knowin keeps the body count down."

Pete raised his eyebrows. "Knowing what I've learned of you, only fool would come after you."

Kaede let out a snort. "A boyfriend of me daughters says they're itchin fer a Darwin award."

Pete laughed. "Yes, it would be. A Darwin award is people who remove themselves from the gene pool by killing themselves in dumb ways."

Kaede smirked. "Fits then."

"Kaede, I found you have also done very good, and very brave things. What can you tell me about getting those aliens to behave?"

Kaede shrugged. "I despise bullies. Ones who feel or are a little superior, takin advantage of or hurtin others fer no good reason other than they can. I saw those aliens were actin like bullies, so I took care'o'it. Wasn't gonna let'em keep preyin on innocent folks."

"I thank you for that, as I am sure everyone does," Pete said. "Do you have any plans for the future?'

"Rasin me kids an takin care'o me family, doin me job. Never planned ta be anything but a good wife and mother. Other things just happen along the way."

Pete smiled then took on a serious tone. "Kaede you came from a very hard and dangerous life. I commend you on pulling yourself up to be much more that you started out as. It has been an honor to speak with you." he held out his hand.

Kaede shook it. "Thank ya, Pete."

Pete looked at the camera. "That's a wrap. Kaede, Kouta, care for some lunch?"

Kaede and Kouta stayed and talked with Pete. Kaede signed autographs for some patrons who came in at lunchtime. A man was there, taking pictures of them. By now, that didn't bother Kaede too much. She wasn't at home, and her face was already known.

Leaving the pub, the paparazzi guy followed and took pictures of Kaede and Kouta on the way back to the hotel. Seeing how he wasn't going to stop, Kaede waited until he was just ahead of them, lining up another shot. She lifted her hand and pulled his camera out of his hands and to her. She then took a picture of him gaping at her.

"Hey, that's my camera!" the scruffy bearded man cried.

"My turn!" Kaede replied, and took another picture of him. She heard another camera click. Turning to the sound, she got a picture of that guy too.

"That's my camera, give it back!" the scruffy guy complained.

"An it's my turn," Kaede told him, and got another picture of him. She then got a picture of a policeman coming and another man smiling at her antics. Seeing another pink haired young woman, Kaede got a picture of her as she waved, then returned the woman's wave.

"You don't have permission to take my picture!" the scruffy man stated.

"Ya nay had my permission either," Kaede replied. Seeing a speed sign high on a lamp post, she asked, "So ya want me ta give yer camera up?"

Holding out his hand he said, "Yes!"

"Aye," Kaede said with a sigh. She floated the camera through the air and hung it on the sign by the strap. "I'm done wit it. Go ahead, take it back."

The man went over and reached up. He jumped for it, just missing. The other cameras turned to him as he was trying to get his camera down. Kaede and Kouta walked away.

Going to their room, they changed clothe sand spent the afternoon going to see a few sites. Kaede didn't wear her hat, and it seemed like no one else paid attention to them. She was just another pink haired and horned woman among all the other pretenders.

At the Tower of London, Kaede felt another presence. Coming out was a pack of five what looked like high school kids and an adult woman, they all had pink hair and horns, but brown and blonde eyebrows. As they closed, their faces brightened up.

"Hey lasses," Kaede greeted as they met.

The girls waved, "Hi!" the taller one said. "Are you the one from Scotland?"

"Aye, lass," Kaede said with a grin. She was glad they spoke English. "Havin fun sight seein?"

"We are," a shorter blonde agreed. "You're Kaede, right?"

"Aye, lass. Ya comin north?"

The woman, who did dye her eyebrows said, "We're here for the day, then we were going up to Edinburgh and on to see Sterling Castle, Inverness and Lock Ness."

"Since yer gonna be that close, why not stop by?" Kaede said. She extended a vector to the woman. The womn brought her out to touch it. Kaede thought to her where they lived. She didn't want anyone to overhear. Vocally, she added, "Ya kin stay overnight if ya like."

"Thank you! We will." The woman who Kaede now knew was Angela said happily.

"Can we get a picture with you?"

Kaede nodded. Kouta said, "Group up, I'll take the picture for you."

They all got together, Angela on one side of the group, Kaede on the other with the Tower of London in the background. Kouta got a few pictures, then handed the girl her camera back. She then got Kouta and Kaede side by side and took a picture of them.

They had a fun afternoon.

.

In the morning, Kouta and Kaede got ready for meeting with the Queen. As always, Kaede took more time getting ready. Kouta helped her with her hair, putting it in a long braid that ended in a silver clasp. Learning makeup from Amanda, Kaede put her makeup on lightly to just accentuate her features. Using a thin paint brush, Kouta used nail polish to carefully paint lilacs on her horns. They then scrutinized each other for any stray lint or imperfections. Since this was an official event, Kaede wore her 'Knight' necklace. With her black dress on, the silver eight pointed star complimented her look.

By 11: 30, they were ready to go. Heading down to the lounge, Kouta stopped by to let the man at the front desk know where they'd be. It wasn't long after they had settled down to wait, a waiter came by to let them know the limo was here for them.

Hand tucked under Kouta's crooked arm, Kaede went out to see a crowd was lined up on both sides of the sidewalk, making a path for them to the Limousine. The driver had the back door open, waiting for them. Many had cameras, and the moment Kaede emerged from the hotel entrance, they began clicking away.

"Just smile and wave," Kouta said under his breath.

Kaede did and giggled. "So we're penguins now?" she asked.

Kouta replied with a grin. "Dressed up like them anyway."

With a chuckle, Kaede said, "I ain't gonna waddle."

They both broke out into a laugh. "So much fer actin prim an proper," Kaede said in a chuckle.

They got in the limo, Kaede first, then Kouta. The driver shut the door and they were off to see the Queen. Getting to Buckingham palace, it was formal. The Limo stopped in front of the gate, a fancily dressed man opened the door for them. Once thy were out, he announced, "It is a pleasure to see you, Dame Kaede. I shall escort you. Follow me, please."

The long walk into the palace, Kaede was sure so more cameras could catch this event also. Going into the large foyer, there were many men and a few women in their formal best. Mr. Seagrave was there also and greeted them.

"Dame Kaede, Kouta, happy to see you. Did you have a good trip?"

Kaede suppressed a smirk, and refrained from saying, 'Aye, an we didn't even fall down.'. Instead, she said, "It was fine. Saw a few sights. London is a nice city."

He then introduced a man with a fringe of white hair and a blue sash over his suit from his left shoulder down to his right side. "I'd like you to meet Sir Smith, he is the leader of MI-6."

"Dame Kaede, it is good to finally meet you," Smith said with a nod.

"Sir Smith," Kaede replied with the same nod. "This is me husband, Kouta Kikumura."

"Sir," Smith said and nodded to Kouta, then returned his attention to Kaede. "Her Majesty will be with us shortly. After that, we will need to speak."

"Suspected as much," Kaede said with a smile.

"Until then, come meet some of our other brethren."

.

Kaede did a lot of smiling and nodding, meeting other Knights. Most were businessmen, a few were military and Commanders - Knight wise, though they were Generals and Admirals. She met the Duke of York, Prince William, who was also a Knight Commander. Being the Second in line to the throne, Kaede bowed when she greeted him. Kouta bowing with her. William was stiff and formal as everyone else was, and thanked her for her bravery in removing those aliens as a threat to the world.

It did seem to take forever to go meet the Queen. Kaede could tell Kouta was also getting tired of all this formality as she was. They happy mood they had earlier was replaced with irritation of merely putting up with the situation.

It was Prince William who came up to them and said, "Dame Kaede, her Royal Majesty will see you now. Mr. Kikumura may wait here."

Kaede eyed him when she bowed. "Thank you, Prince. If he's nay here and well when I return, it woan be pretty."

Prince William's face took on a shocked look. "I assure you, he will be fine, Dame Kaede."

Kaede whispered to Kouta, "Watch yerself." To Prince William she nodded. "Please, lead the way, your Majesty."

Kaede followed the Prince down a hallway. The Prince looked back, then asked, "Dame Kaede do you honestly think we would do anything to your husband?"

"Sorry if I offend. I doan trust anyone wit me family," Kaede said flatly.

A footman opened the fancy doors to the throne room. Inside, the Queen was on her Throne, the Prime Minister was on her right, Mr. Smith was on her left. Prince William stopped before the Throne and bowed. "Your royal Majesty, Dame Kaede is here to see you."

Kaede also bowed deeply and said, "Your Royal Majesty."

"Dame Kaede, thank you for coming," the Queen said. "Once again, a matter of grave importance has come to my attention. Sir Smith here has assured me that only with your assistance, can this matter be resolved. I ask you personally, to take care of this difficulty that threatens everyone."

"I'd be honored to," Kaede replied. "What is this problem?"

The Queen waved a hand at Sir Smith. "Sir Smith will explain. It will be a task above and beyond the call of duty. The world will once again, depends on you, Dame Kaede."

Seeing how serious the Queen spoke, Kaede told her, "I will ensure it's done, whatever it is, Your Majesty."

"Thank you, and God speed to you, Dame Kaede."

Mr. Smith motioned to the side. "Dame Kaede, please come with me."

Kaede bowed again to the Queen and followed Mr. Smith out a side door. Outside the throne room, she said, "So this one's big, huh?"

Mr. Smith glanced at her. "Possibly world ending. In here please." He led Kaede into a room that only had a flat topped table and two chairs. A suitcase was on one end of the table.

Motioning to one chair, he said, "If true, this could lead to a world war with nuclear weapons. Hence, we can't take the chance that it's not until we verify this is false information."

Kaede sat down. "More trouble with the aliens?" she asked.

"They have learned their lesson. Quite cooperative now, they are. They know you are watching," Mr. Smith said. Taking the other chair, he opened the suitcase to show rods on the edges inside that held the top vertical. In the middle was a monitor screen. He positioned it so they could both see the screen. In the bottom of the suitcase was a computer. He turned it on.

While the computer booted up, Mr. Smith told her, "The video I'm going to show you is from Prescardo Mental Institute in California in the US. The footage you will see was salvaged from destruction."

The computer was up, he clicked on a icon. A video came on of a doctor. Across the table from him was a frazzle dark haired woman in an outfit that looked partially hospital and partially prisoner garb. The hospital name was printed on the front. She was handcuffed to the table.

The Doctor spoke, "Sarah, you really believe machines are coming back from the future to kill us?" he asked gently.

Glaring at him, she snapped, "They killed Kyle! They want to kill MY SON! Unless we can stop them, these machines are going to kill everyone in a nuclear war!"

"Calm down, Sarah. No one's going to hurt you here, you're safe." the Doctor coaxed.

"No one is safe!" Sarah growled back at him.

Mr. Smith paused the video. "Look like just another looney, doesn't she?" he asked. " A common looney bird put away for cause." He resumed playing the video. The doctor tried again to calm the woman, she began to jerk at her cuffs and yelled as she flailed.

The video changed to show the view of a security gate in a hallway. A large man wearing a leather biker's outfit, sunglasses on his blank face and carrying a shotgun strode up on the other side of the steel gate. He hit the gate with a hand and it opened. Mr. Smith paused again.

"Look there, mid door on the left. The flying bits were the latch to that door," Mr. Smith said, pointing out the airborne bits of metal. He resumed play again.

After Mr. Biker strode through the security door, barely slowing, the scene shifted again to show another camera watching a patient's room door. Large Mr. Biker appeared to rip the room door open. A woman's scream came from inside. He went in and pulled Sarah out of the room. He glanced down the hallway then quickly covered her with his body.

Multiple holes appeared on his back, flying bits showed he was taking gunfire. When it stopped, he pushed Sarah on, then turned and shot with his shotgun, one round after another. This video went to snow. Mr. Smith paused it again.

"That was what was salvaged from that mental ward," Mr. Smith explained. "No one was to ever see this footage. It was hidden, and one of our people managed to get a hold of it. Even if we had nothing else, this footage raises many questions. The next is footage was recovered from the ruins of a bank in Los Angeles."

It was another security camera view , Tellers were on the left. Three people, this Sarah behind a girl, a young man behind her, came in and pulled guns. Mr. Smith paused it.

"Here Sarah is with her son and a girl coming into a bank. It appears to be a robbery attempt. Only it wasn't. The girl in the lead had the teller take them to the vault and lock them in. Once the alarm was sounded, the bank was vacated, and the security videos to that point were taken also. Before the police could arrive, the bank blew up. The three robbers, as they are called, never got out. Their bodies were never found."

"A very strange way to rob a bank," Kaede noted.

"Yes indeed. The Americans closed the case, the robbers died in the explosion, or so they concluded," Mr. Smith said, then closed the video and clicked another Icon. This one was school album photos of the son and the girl. John Baum and Cameron Phillips.

"This boy and this girl are years dead, blown up in that bank according to the Americans. We performed facial scans on the video of the bank and these pictures. These are two of those dead robbers, the photos taken years after they died. The boy, John Baum shows maybe a year worth of aging. The girl, Cameron Phillips shows none at all."

"Look alikes, maybe?" Kaede offered.

"The school records show they live at the same dirt-lot address. Nothing there but weeds. These two are hiding," Mr. Smith stated.

"Very odd," Kaede noted.

"It is. Taking only each piece of information, none of it leads to anything. A ranting mental patient, a weak door some biker guy broke down and possibly got into a gunfight with security, three people running into lock themselves into a vault to blow it up, a couple look alikes in school, years later. Put it all together, and a different and fairly disturbing picture forms. Sarah Connor may not have been out of her tree after all."

"Aye, a puzzling one fer sure," Kaede agreed. "Do ya have the school these kids go to?"

Mr, Smith handed her an envelope. "In here is the school they go to, the phone number of a janitor who works there, and a former FBI Agent that has agreed to work with us. It's his personal phone number. All they know is an MI-6 agent will be coming. They have yet to know what it's about, or who is coming. Discrete contact is highly advised. To contact me there's a code in there also."

"Discrete huh? Sure ya want me ta go?" Kaede asked with a smirk as she took the envelope.

"From what I've seen, You're the only one who has a chance at digging out the truth and not getting killed," Mr. Smith stated. "This may be an elaborate run of coincidence. It also may be a serious threat. As always, you pick the when and where, but we need to find out what's happening over there."

"Aye, Lad," Kaede said as she put the envelope in her handbag. "Knew it was too peaceful ta last. I'll let ya know what I find."

.

Kaede went out to find Kouta. Thankfully, he was by the bar, talking to one of the Knights. Going over to him, she hooked his arm. To the Knight, she said, "Fergive me, Sir Scott, I gotta pull me husband away."

The man raised his drink to her. "Of course, Dame Kaede."

Walking out, Kouta waited until they got outside, then asked, "What's up?"

Kaede sighed. "Anot'er job, an this one may take a while."

.

Back at the hotel room, Kaede sat at their small table and looked in the envelope. There were pictures of the Janitor, a Julio Pantara, the FBI guy, a James Ellison, one of John Baum and one of Cameron Baum. There was also the school address and addresses on Pantara and Ellison. The one listed for the Baums was noted 'dirt lot'. All of them were in Los Angeles. There was also a list of codes for speaking to Mr. Smith. Kaede rubbed her forehead. She was not eager to spend time tracking these people down.

"Anything I can help with?" Kouta asked.

"Nay, I gotta go play detective and missin persons in Los Angeles," Kaede grumbled.

"California?" Kouta asked.

"Yup, an too far from Settle ta use the Dojo."

Kouta sat on the bed. "If it's in the US, why did they ask you to do it?"

Kaede shrugged. "I guess the FBI there couldn't put the clues tagether. Even what I was given, seems a stretch. This is more of a 'make sure' trip to check out the info. Doan suspect anything real dangerous."

Kouta relaxed "That's a relief."

"Aye, but it's gonna take time trackin folks down. Especially if they doan wanna be found."

"We talking months here?"

"Dunno, maybe."

"Damn."

Kaede sat up. "Kouta I really doan like stayin away from home fer very long. Believe me, I wanna git this done quick as possible."

"It's something you have to do," he said, not happy at the prospect either. "Just don't get careless, please."

Kaede came over and sat by him. Leaning into him, she said, "I woan be careless. I'm just gonna hate bein away."

Kouta put an arm around her and kissed her. He cast her a crooked grin. "Just don't forget about us while you're playing in the sun and fun."

Kaede let out a snort of a laugh. "Never," she assured him.