Three months earlier…

Miku swayed, leaned against the brick wall of the train station building. She felt the tears and snot running down her face, and the blood running down her thighs. The cuts on her forehead still stung. Her collar was ripped, and she no longer had her underwear, just the uniform skirt.

Karaoke...it was supposed to just be karaoke…

She had accepted Tsunoda's offer to check out a new karaoke bar that had opened near the railway leading to Fujimi High School yesterday. She had not known Tsunoda well, but she had seen no malice in the suggestion.

He had told her that they'd be meeting with a third person, one of the few students to have their own car. She had seen the gray, chipped vehicle outside the school gates, as they had agreed on. The owner, a boy with long hair and a cigarette between his teeth, had been in the driver's seat.

"Hello."

The minute she had gotten in, Tsunoda had dropped a knapsack over her head, and then she had felt something cold against her neck. She had froze. The car began to move, and eventually stopped.

She found out later that she had been taken to a playground near the station. But she still had the knapsack over her head as she was led out of the car and...she had been sure it was Tsunoda then….grope her all over. She had struggled, but his blade had cut across her stomach and even her face through the sack's cloth. It had been that sharp. After that, she could do nothing as she was punched into getting down on all fours.

The other boy held her by the wrists, and Tsunoda had flipped her skirt and ripped her underwear off. Then, his own pants around his ankles, he had pushed into her so hard, so viciously. He had pounded away while she had moaned and wept. Then Tsunoda and the other boy traded places, the second violation somehow more forceful and painful than the first. Then they had left for the car and she had been alone.

Alone, except for someone who had wandered into the playground. Koichi Shido, walking after a long day at work. But he had done nothing. Nothing but smirk, pull out a pocket camera, and snap a picture. Then he had left.

Now, Miku was sitting against the wall, still crying and hurting. She would have groaned, but her throat was dry. Her sobs had gone silent.

And then someone else had come. Another boy had come, a tall one with spiky black hair. She had shrunk back as he came up to her, barely processing his words.

"Are you okay?"

"What happened?"

"What's your name?"

"Never mind that...I'll call for help. It's gonna be okay…"

Everything had happened so fast. A school bus had come right up to the gate of the compound, marked "Fujimi High School" on both sides. The driver, Koichi Shido, had disembarked and he was right inside the gate. He had one follower with him, a long-haired boy who introduced himself to Hisashi as Imamura, while the rest of the crew stayed behind in the bus.

Word had traveled quickly at the sight of the newcomers. Miku, who had been splitting wood outside the house, had followed, at least by instinct, the crowd that had formed and was flowing towards the gate. Still holding the ax, she had maneuvered between man and woman and child, apprehensive and yet reassured that not everything was hopeless, that there were even more people around than she had previously thought,

Then her face fell as she saw the two people who were talking to Hisashi. The teacher was tall, dressed as always in one of those smarmy pinstripe suits and designer glasses, still managing that falsely sweet smile as his lips flapped. Next to him, Imamura folded his arms as he chewed a piece of straw, an obvious substitute for a cigarette.

Miku made her way to the edge of the crowd that had surrounded the gate. Some people were happy, some wary, some confused. Miku began to tune it out as she looked upon the three figures.

Then she let loose.

With a loud, piercing shout, she leaped forward, ax in hand. Imamura looked in her direction just in time to see her free hand, curled into a fist, swing towards him. She struck him true in the jaw, and she followed as he fell noiselessly on his back. Hisashi jumped out of the way, a startled look on his face, while Shido stood slackjawed where he was.

Miku sat on top of Imamura, holding the ax's blade up to Imamura's throat. He looked right up at her. He had dropped the straw, and his face was white. Next to Shido, Hisashi stared at Miku slackjawed.

"Mik-Miku!"

Miku could feel Takashi getting through the crowd, and she could sense him behind her, but she did not budge. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw him sidestep so his feet were just behind Imamura's head. She spat in her hostage's face as she looked up.

Miku's eyes flashed dangerously at Takashi as she pushed the blade closer to Imamura's throat. He gulped. Shido did his best to look like he was floundering, but Takashi could see the look in his eyes behind the glasses.

He won't care, he thought. He won't care if his student's throat gets slashed out in front of him. Takashi dared to try to bend down towards Miku. "Look, Miku, there's no need for this. Shido's Shido, but I know this guy."

"Funny," Miku spat. "I do, too." Imamura forced his pleading eyes up at Takashi, who was already and abruptly lost in thought. He remembered Tsunoda, his boasting, how he all but confessed, how he punched him out….but there had been two people at the attack. And Imamura had been unusually interested in what had happened…

Takashi felt as if the blood was being drained from him, but he looked down at Imamura. "Did you…"

"What are you talking about, Takashi? What are you talking about?"

Miku screamed, swung the ax up. Imamura barely had time to whimper as the blade sunk into the earth, just an inch from his head. He began to blubber, "It was just fun just fun we wanted….just wanted a piece of ass and hers was the best around." He cringed as Miku raised the ax again.

"No, no, please, no…"

But Miku did not strike. She stayed where she was, weapon raised, lips trembling. Then Takashi moved back around to her and crouched. Miku felt his arms wrap around her waist.

"It's okay...it's okay…"

She waited, then choked up. She let her arm fall to her side, and Imamura scurried back and rose unsteadily to his feet. Takashi copied him, pulling up Miku as he did. He continued holding on to her as he looked straight at his old acquaintance.

"Get out."

Imamura's voice cracked."I…"

"Out."

Not pushing his luck any farther, Imamura practically stumbled as he moved back through the gate. Shido watched him, then turned back with a smile to Takashi and Miku.

"Well, then, how's about we come together…"

Miku raised her arm and pointed the ax at Shido. "You too. Get out." Shido opened his mouth as if to argue, but then saw Miku worm out of Takashi's grip and hold the handle of the ax with both hands. Sweating and gulping, he followed Imamura's example.

There was no sound except the revving of the bus's engine. Takashi and Miku did not bother to look at the shocked and confused crowd around them. For a time, there was no once again sound at all as the bus began to move again.

Then one of the spectators, a young boy, looked up at the sky.

"What's that thing up there?"

Story idea by CRed1988 and writing by Jerviss.