Busuzima, Uriko, Bakuryu (Kenji), Yugo, Alice, Shira, Stun, Long, Jenny, Alan and Shen-Long are all characters of the Bloody Roar Series, and I don't own them, Hudson do. Although I wish I did. However Vincent, Kevin Lightfoot, Horn and Tusk, Barry Serpent, Yotaba Kouto and Subject Drake Dante are mine, and I keep them locked tight in a cupboard. In the unlikely event that someone else would want to use them, please e-mail me first, or I'll be very annoyed and little else.
Right, legal stuff out the way, I would just like to thank God, for inventing the fingers (useful little beggars), my parents for letting me use the P.C at all hours, and the people who wrote in about some of my other books I've written. Enjoy!
Chapter 5: Turncoats
Yugo groaned, and peeled his face off the sticky sewer floor. Almost throwing up at the smell, he blinked once or twice and looked around. His vision was slightly blurred, but he managed to stagger upright with the minimal of problems, supporting himself on a wall with one hand. He clutched his head with his free hand, as bright lights flashed across his vision. Barry Serpent….it must have been him…..but he said he couldn't walk! Damn, I was so careless!
He looked up, and tried to find out where the hell he was. Suddenly, he spotted something; a footprint, left in the stinking mud and slime that lined the floor. They headed off down a side tunnel, leading towards a distant source of light. Yugo gave a savage grin, and cracked his knuckles; payback was due.
Vincent stood with his hands behind his back, trying to ignore everything around him. His black uniform Uncle Kouto had given him was itchy and ill fitting, but it was a small price to pay; he had bought himself and Kevin a little more time at least. He swept a few strands of hair out of his face with a gloved hand; the gloves were something else Vincent didn't like, but again it was worth it. Behind him, he could hear Kouto discussing something with a pair of scientists, but before he could train his hearing to listen in on them the two men had bowed and walked away. Kouto turned and walked towards Vincent, who remained facing forwards and not looking up when the old man laid a hand on his shoulder.
'You're not happy, are you?' He said. Vincent didn't look around.
'I don't blame you; you've had to make a difficult decision; your own pride and honor to save your friends life. That boy is lucky to have you as a friend, otherwise he would have been long dead.'
Still Vincent remained silent. Kouto gave a grunt of impatience, and turned away.
'Know this Vincent; you're working for me now, so don't think you can act like you don't. You should learn to show some respect, or else your friend will be taking a fall after all.'
Vincent remained silent, but bowed his head. Kouto gave a small smile.
'That's better.'
'Hey, wait up kid!' Yelled Stephen Goldberg, panting for breath as he tried to catch up to the distant figure of Kenji, who was running full sprint down the alleyway. The young ninja turned to wait for his bulky companion to catch up to him.
'Oh great, not again?' Moaned Kenji, 'This is the third time in an hour! At this rate we'll reach Uriko and the others aged one hundred and thirty!'
'Hey, easy kid,' Said Stun, easing himself onto a small wall to catch his breath, 'We'll find them soon enough.'
'Well, just make it quick,' Said Kenji grudgingly, folding his arms and walking to the end of the street. Leaning against a sign post, he looked up into the night sky, and gazed at the full, white moon.
'I'm coming Uriko,' He whispered, 'I'll get there, even if I have to drag Stun along by his mandibles.'
Stun, who was still sitting on the small wall, glanced up to see if Kenji was looking at him, and reached a large purple skinned hand into his trouser pocket. It came out again holding a small passport photo, made all the smaller in the giant mans hand, and had a middle-aged man smiling out happily from it. Flipping it over, Stun read the words "Stephen Goldberg, aged 31". He turned it over again and looked at that smiling face, before giving a small sigh and casting it into the wind, where it fluttered through the air and drifted into a sewer drain.
'Maybe it's time I moved on in my life?' He mused to himself. He looked up to where Kenji had been standing , and stood up, nodding to him.
'OK, I'm done. Lets go and --'
But before he could finish, something leapt out the shadows faster than the eye could follow, and bowled Stun over, before racing forward and barging Kenji to the floor. The young man was quick, but even his reflexes weren't fast enough to help him. With a groan, he picked himself up off the floor and looked around. Stun was getting to his feet, shaken by the sudden ambush, but there was no sign of any attackers; just the two of them in the empty street, as a newspaper was caught by the breeze and whisked into the air.
'What the hell was that thing?' Breathed Kenji.
Bounding through the night streets, Drake Dante searched the city for answers. The question was; What am I?
It had been a strange feeling to realize he wasn't human, or possibly that he was no LONGER human. Something had happened to him, but he couldn't remember anything much; a few items stirred memories, like a glance in the mirror or the smell of fresh bread being made all sparked little hints of things that he had done.
And he could remember a woman. She didn't have a name, and he couldn't remember her face, but there had been a woman that he had loved. It was this more than anything else that fueled his need for knowledge; if he wasn't human, then what was he? Was he like those two he had ran into? They looked human (well, the young one did) but Drake could see that they were hiding their true selves under a human-like appearance. Could he change into something like them? If so, how? The questions spiraled around his mind, every second adding another one to the pile while none were answered.
I'm not human.
Then what am I?
What am I?
WHAT AM I!?!?!?!?!?
As he bounded into the air and hopped along the rooftops, he could feel himself going insane……..
Back in the sewers, Yugo was hot on Barry Serpents track. He had long since gotten used to the stench, and had learned to define the cobra zoanthropes scent from among the sewage. He was getting closer, he could SMELL it!
Suddenly, something small and vaguely square like fluttered down a drain and landed on his nose. With a growl, he pulled it off and examined it. He studied the picture of the middle-aged man smiling like a fool, and flipped it over.
'"Stephen Goldberg, aged 31"? Hey, could this be --?'
Yugo looked at the picture again, and stuffed it into a pocket on his jeans.
'I can't say it looks much like Stun, but you never know,' He said, before heading after Barry again.
Barry Serpent, meanwhile, was crouched outside Busuzimas secret lab. The young Mexican zoanthrope was crouched behind one of the ruined security turrets, peering into the lab itself through the busted door. He couldn't see much, but he could certainly hear very well.
'Look, I've told you everything I know! Just don't tear it off!' Squealed Busuzima, and Barry couldn't help but grin as his partner in crime cried like a little girl who lost her dolly.
'Maybe you did, but I have one last question for you,' Came the other voice, female and very very familiar to Barry. The Mexicans brow furrowed; surely it couldn't be…..?
'Anything, just don't pull it off, PLEASE!?!?!?!' Wailed the scientist.
'OK, just answer me this; why were you gathering those prisoners DNA for?'
'WHAT!?!?! You knew about that!?'
'My contractors are very well informed. They know what Kouto is doing, but they want to know WHY he is doing it. For all we know he could be cloning a new army of advanced zoanthropes using that data.'
'Well, he'd have a hard time doing it; Barry Serpent has all the DNA material. I slipped it into his pocket while he wasn't looking.'
Barry paused for a moment, and touched the pocket of his jeans. There was a slight clink of glass on glass; the DNA samplers. Well, what do you know? All the while Barry had just thought Busuzima had pinched his butt, but it turns out he had planted valuable material in his pocket. Well, looks like I'd better save Busuzimas worthless hide, again.
'Well, you may not have the DNA, but no doubt your partner will go straight to Kouto with the data,' The other voice was saying. Barry took a breath, stood up, and walked casually into the lab.
'I wouldn't sssssay that now,' He said, leaning against the wall and pulling the glass samplers from his back pocket. His eyes took in the scene; the wrecked lab, the metal table with Busuzima strapped to it, and..…
'Barry?' Said Beth, whirling around to face him, 'Barry Sanchez?'
'The name'ssss Sssserpent now. It'sssss been a while Beth,' He said. So, I was right after all……
'Wait a minute?' Said Busuzima, straining to sit up to see the both of them, 'Do you two know each other?'
Beth turned back to her husband, rusty red bangs bouncing as she did so.
'Yeah, we do; it was a few years ago, when I was traveling through South America and Mexico to reached the border to North America. My jeep got busted and I was nowhere near a town or village, but then Barry came along…..'
'Yeah, I remember that,' Said Barry, stepping forward, 'It wassss when I was ssssstill human. I wassss a young cattle herder, and I wasssss riding back from the sssssummer ranch after driving the familiesssss herd there. I ssssspotted the jeep and decided to help her out; bessssidesssss, ssssshe was ssssstripping herssssself down in the heat, and hey, I'm only male after all.'
'Hey, that's my wife you're talking about!' Yelled Busuzima. Barry's eyes goggled.
'Your WIFE!?!?!?! How did a Gaylord like you get a girl like her!?!?!?'
'WHAT DID YOU SAY!?!?!?!?' Raged Busuzima, but Beth laid a hand firmly across his mouth.
'It's a long story Barry, but yes, Busuzima and I are married.'
'Wow, I'm ssssorry for you,' He said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. Beth smiled.
'But yeah, it's been a long time. How did we end up leaving each other again?'
'Well, it could be the fact that you pumped me full of cobra DNA and turned me into a zoanthrope,' Barry said, more hurt than angry, 'The leasssst you could have done wassss asssk.'
'Oh, yeah. Sorry about that,' Said Beth, 'I guess I got carried away with my testing, something that Busuzima here taught me.'
'Hey, no biggie. Ssssso anyway, from what I heard, you're here to find out what Kouto isssss up to?'
'Yeah, and it seems you have the DNA samples there with you.'
'Not quite; I wassss ordered to have sssssome of the better ssssamplesssss sssssent sssstraight to Kouto at the lab.'
'And where's that?'
'Under the city manssssion. There'ssssss a tunnel in this lab that leadsssss ssssstraight to it.'
Beth was about to say something, but stopped as a looming figure emerged through the wrecked door.
'AHA! Found you at last!' Yelled Yugo, leaping forward and grasping the Mexican around the throat, 'So you said you couldn't walk, eh? Well after I'm through with you, you REALLY won't be able to walk!'
'Ggggggaaaaahhhhhh!' Was Barry's choked reply. Suddenly Yugo found that he was no longer pinning Barry to the floor, but was being lifted up off the ground by some invisible force.
'Oh great, not this psychic stuff again!?' He yelled, just before his head was rammed hard against the wall. Barry staggered up, leaning against the steel table that Busuzima was strapped to for support.
'Hey Barry! Let me loose here will ya?'
'Hell no! I think you look hilariousssssss strapped to a table like that.'
'You dick Barry!' Screamed Busuzima, and pulled against the leather strap. There was a groan, and his right arm was free, which immediately reached up and slammed Barry's head against the metal table. With a snarl, Barry smashed the heel of his palm into Busuzima's nose, before the pair grabbed each other by the throat, trying to throttle the other to death.
'CUT IT OUT!!!!!!!!'
Everyone stopped, and three pairs of eyes turned to look at the fuming Beth, red with anger and quivering like a small localized earthquake.
'Now listen to me! You, the guy who just came in here!'
'Yes?' Said Yugo slowly, still hovering in the air.
'If you plan to do any fighting, take it outside, and do it later! Barry, Busuzima, let go of each other RIGHT NOW, or I'll come over there and pull both your damn empty heads off your shoulders!'
There was a moment of silence, and then the pair released each other, if rather grudgingly. The silence was beginning to get very creepy, as all three men continued to stare at Beth.
'Right, OK then,' She said, rather more calmly now, 'Now we have that sorted out……just why is everyone still looking at me?'
'Er, I don't know if you know this,' Said Yugo, licking his dry lips, 'But the top button of your blouse is undone.'
Beth looked down, and indeed her blouse was open, revealing her rather bountiful cleavage.
'Oh honestly,' She said, exasperated, 'Men!'
Which, funnily enough, were just the same words uttered by Jane Gado as she patrolled the streets with her father Alan and Jenny. The group had decided to split up to cover more ground, so Long and Uriko had went back to the school where Kenji had first been kidnapped, while the others combed through the city looking out for anything suspicious. They had only been apart for a few minutes before Jane began to bitch about men, in particular Long.
'I mean, what is WITH him?' She said, kicking an empty soda can across the street, crushing it under the savage impact. Jenny (who was still giggling about Long's suit even after thirty minutes) didn't say anything, but Alan gave his daughter a calculating look.
'Is there something wrong with Long? Granted, his behavior has been confusing, but then again so have you. Is there something you're not telling us?'
'No! Well, sort of,' She said, scuffing the toes of her combat boots, 'I don't want to talk about it.'
'Oh go on,' Said Jenny in a break from her private humor, 'We won't tell. Hell, one of the people you're going to tell is your father, and the other is one of your best friends.'
'Well,' Said Jane uncertainly, torn between the need to gossip and her hidden secret passion for Long. Being a women, the gossip side won.
'Alright, but you've got to swear that you'll never tell a soul,' She hissed. The other two nodded.
'OK then. Well, it's just….I really have the hots of Long.'
There was silence.
'And?' Said Jenny expectantly. Jane blinked in surprise.
'What!? But how did you…..I didn't say……Oh my God, is it that obvious?'
'I'm afraid so,' Said Alan, laying a huge hand on his daughters shoulder, 'We probably knew a lot longer before you even realized it yourself.'
'But I don't know what to do!' She wailed, 'Long doesn't like me! He's all dressed up to put me off and he's talking really funny!'
'Yes, that is rather odd,' Said Alan, rubbing his chin, 'I wonder what's got into him?'
'Oh please, isn't it obvious?' Said Jenny, 'Look Jane, Long is ga-ga over you, but he doesn't know how to win you over, so he's taking advise from the nearest source to the outside world.'
'Do you mean he's taking dating tips from Uriko!?' Said Jane, 'So THAT'S why he's been acting strange.'
'Exactly, so what we have to do is get the old Long back. And fortunately for you, my love-sick little friend,' Said the bat zoanthrope, tapping her little nose with a long finger, 'I think I know just how to do that…..'
Kevin tugged at the bars again, for the sake of it. He knew they wouldn't budge; each one was as thick as his arm, and made of something VERY solid indeed. Slumping back to the floor, he wiped the sweat from his brow, and winced as the back of his hand brushed against the large lump he had over one eye.
He didn't know how long he had been down here, but by the very small amount of light that filtered through a window set on the wall of the room outside his cell, he would guess it was about three o'clock in the morning. And judging by the increased sounds of activity coming from above, they were getting ready to release the clones.
'Damn it!' Cursed Kevin, kicking a foot against one of the bars, 'I wonder where the hell Vincent is? God knows what they're doing to him right now? I gotta get outta here!'
Suddenly, there was a bang from the metal door of the cell, and Kevin looked up just in time to see three guards walk in. One was holding a gun straight at him, while two others were man-handling a sack into the room. The sack seemed totally against this, and was wriggling around madly in the men's grasp. One of them dropped their end, and got a blow across the kneecaps for his troubles. The other guard pulled a baton from his belt, and gave the bag a hefty wallop, knocking whoever (or whatever) was in the sack unconscious. As the other guard picked himself up off the floor, the three of them wondered out the cell again, closing it tightly behind them.
'Good riddance to that bloody thing,' Said one gruffly, shoving the baton back into his belt, 'At least there was only one that had gone faulty.'
'Those things give me the creeps,' Added another one, 'The way they just stand there when they don't have a command, and those eyes…..'
'Forget the eyes, it's the rest of their face that freak me out.'
The three guards headed up a flight of stairs, and their voices became indistinct. Kevin stood up, and watched the bag cautiously. As he crept towards it, trying to peer down the sacks neck to catch a glimpse of its contents, the cloth began to shift, and from the bag came…….
Kenji was perched on the end of a tall wall, his nostrils flaring as he picked up Urikos scent from the other usual city-type smells. He took another deep sniff, and grinned triumphantly.
'That way!' He called down to Stun, who was looking up at him from the pavement nearly forty feet down, 'Only three more blocks and we'll be right behind them!'
'Good going kid,' Called Stun, watching as the agile ninja leapt down and landed neatly on his feet, 'With any luck they'll have found the others, and we can go trash that Mr. Kouto's place.'
Kenji nodded, and set off at a fast run in the direction of the smell. His mind was racing with thoughts about his beloved Uriko; it seemed like an eternity since last time they had seen each other, yet it had only been a day or so. When he found her, he was going to……well, he wasn't quite sure WHAT he was going to do, but needless to say they would both enjoy it a lot. He didn't even hear Stun cry out for him to slow down, he was so caught up in his fantasy world.
A good distance behind him, Stun jogged along, wiping the sweat from his brow with the end of his dirty scarf.
'Damn it, why is he always rushing around so much?' He complained.
Back in the mansion, Mr. Kouto was pacing slowly around the room. Before him stood three men; the first two were Horn and Tusk, still mildly bruised from their encounter with Vincent and Kevin, and the last one was a very different character altogether.
Kouto came to a halt in front of the stranger, and looked him carefully up and down. The man was not as tall or heavy set as Horn or Tusk, but he still loomed over the elderly old man. He was wearing a long dark trenchcoat, and a large brimmed hat covered his face in shadows. Although his features were hidden, upon closer inspection two small points of light could be made out amongst the darkness; small, evil little points of light.
'I see I have need of your services, Mr. King,' Said Kouto, staring at those points of light, 'It seems that while my nephew and his friend have been dealt with, there are others they have contact with who are now on their way here. They may present a…problem.'
The figure reached into one of his coat pockets with a hand, clad in a black leather glove, and pulled out a cigarette. He put it somewhere in the shadows, presumably where the mouth was, and lit it with a match.
'It would appear so,' Said the man, his voice tight and rasping, like he was constantly being strangled. He breathed out, and a gust of smoke blew into Mr. Kouto's face. Horn and Tusk took a step forward, snarling angrily, but Kouto held a hand up and they backed off, grumbling and cracking their knuckles.
'You are cocky, Mr. King. That will not do at all; remember how you came to be in my services to start with?'
There was a blur of movement, and suddenly Kouto pulled a long sharp sword from his walking stick and sliced the cigarette into three neat slices. The figure, Mr. King, staggered back, the end of it still in his mouth.
'Do not presume that I have become weak in the past three years,' Said Kouto warningly, 'Or I shall have to teach you another, more painful lesson than the last.'
'S-sorry Mr Kouto,' Said King quickly, 'Didn't mean to step out of line sir.'
'Excellent. Well, as I am detained due to the reviving of my army and my……other "matters", I need you three to halt their advance until the clones can all be revived. Tusk, I want you to take the young girl and the old man, they're heading up Green Avenue. Horn, you go for the other three, around the City Center. Go now.'
The two hulking brutes bowed solemnly and headed out the room.
'And what about me Mr. Kouto?' Said King. Kouto smiled.
'Ah yes. It seems Busuzima and Barry Serpent have gone missing. If my spies are correct, then it seems that a bounty hunter sent by my enemies has captured them both. For the moment, they are not a concern of mine, but two of Busuzima's prisoners have escaped. They may or may not know about my secret project, but I cannot take that risk; dispose of them.'
'Yes Mr. Kouito,' Said the dark man, before crouching down and leaping forward, out an open window and bounding away into the night. Kouto watched him go.
'Ah, the Zoanthrope,' Said Kouto wistfully, 'Our natural superiors, a step up in the food-chain. How I wish I was one of them.'
He grinned for a moment, and slid his hidden sword back into his cane.
'And soon I will be like them. But far, far stronger…….'
'Hello, you,' Said Long, and for the hundredth time, Uriko slapped her forehead.
'No Master Long! You're meant to say "Hey dude". It's what COOL people say!'
'But how do they know?' Said Long, puzzled.
'Know what?'
'If they are a dude. If I were to say "Hey dude" to anyone, I might say someone who is not a dude IS a dude, thus providing much confusion to all parties.'
'…….Master, I didn't understand a word of that,' Said Uriko, but Long didn't seem to be paying attention.
'And what about masculine and feminine tenses? Should I call a woman or young lady a "dudette", for example?'
Uriko shook her head. Maybe she should have started on something a little more simple.
'Okay, forget about the dude stuff for now, Master. We have more important things to do.'
'I agree. Perhaps it would be best to focus on the task at hand,' Said Long, thoroughly relived that his lesson had ended; it was almost like being a young man again, training Kenpo under his fierce teacher. They walked in silence for a little while, peering into the dark corners of the streets as they made their way towards the City Center.
There was a saying, that Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn. Right now, Yugo would have agreed with it.
'God, doesn't she ever shut up?' He muttered to Barry, as Beth ranted on a Busuzima. Barry shook his head.
'Nope. Ssshe'sss a very sssstrong minded woman.'
'Iron hard minded by the sounds of things. She's even worse than Alice when I leave glasses on the table with no coaster!'
'Harsssssh, is ssssshe?' Asked Barry. Yugo grimaced.
'She once kicked me out a top story window when I said I wanted to carry on boxing. I had to have therapy before I could see her again. I'm telling you, I should have put my foot down on the matter.'
'But insssstead sssshe put her foot down on your head,' Chuckled the snake zoanthrope. Yugo glared at him.
Busuzima winced as Beth waved a finger under his nose. It may have been nearly twenty years since they had last talked, but he still knew better than to think that she wouldn't hit him just because there were people watching. In fact chance of her hitting him were INCREASED because of that fact.
'And why didn't you say anything about those two looking at my breasts?' She snarled, pointing at Yugo and Barry, who suddenly tried to look a lot more inconspicuous.
'Well I've already ssssseen them anyway,' Protested Barry, 'And wolf-boy over here already hasss a girlfriend, so he hasss no excusssse.'
'Hey, don't drag me into this!' Growled Yugo, slugging Barry on the arm.
'Neither of you should have been looking,' Snarled Busuzima, 'She's MY wife!'
'Your ex-wife as soon as you sign that damn divorce paper,' Beth pointed out.
'That's not the point! It's the principle of the thing!'
'Look, everyone shut up!' Yelled Yugo. Everyone fell silent, and turned to look at the wolf zonathope stand up, 'Look, I don't know why the hell I'm still here, but I've gotta job to do; my friends are all in danger, and I'm the only one who can save them!'
'Delusions of grandeur,' Muttered Barry.
'Hey, I'm gonna look that up after I'm done, and if it's not something REALLY nice about me I'm gonna kick your @$$! Anyway, like I said, I've got stuff to do, and there's only one thing I've gotta say to you people. Who is the real enemy here? Is it that bastard Kouto, or is it each other?'
There was a reflective pause from the three others.
'Er, is it each other?' Busuzima guessed. Yugo sighed.
'And you have the nerve to call ME dumb. Look, I'm going into this mansion and I'm going to mess up whatever it is he's got planned, so are you guys coming with me or not?'
'What, and go up against Mr. Kouto? Are you insane!?!?!?!?!' Said Busuzima.
'That'ssss what I told him, but would he lissssten?' Said Barry.
'What you're suggesting is pretty stupid,' Said Beth, 'Recon reports given to me for this mission say that he's got at least fifty guards inside the mansion itself, all armed and ready to kill. Add to that the hired scum he's bound to have tucked away somewhere and his force of clones, and you've got yourself a nasty little army in there. Are you really wanting to bust in there and kill him?'
'Er, yeah. Anyone wanna lend a hand?'
'You're crazy,' Said Busuzima, 'Me, I thought I was crazy what with all the cooky experiments and all, but YOU take the cake my friend!'
'I like the idea,' Said Beth.
'WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?!' Said Barry and Busuzima together.
'I like it. My employers would pay me well for taking such a leap of "initiative" and actually eliminating their enemy from inside his own stronghold.'
'Look, Beth, I like money asssss much asssss the next guy,' Said Barry Serpent desperately, 'But thiss issss jusssst plain sssstupid! Money isssss only worth it if you're alive to sssspend it!'
'I hate to agree with him, but I do,' Said Busuzima, 'You can't go in there alone!'
'I wont be. Yugo will be there with me.'
'Him!?!?! He can't even tie his shoelaces! He thinks "stealth" is a type of after-shave! His way of grace is to cough politely before hitting them over the head!'
'Hey, I'm standing right here butt-munch!'
'Yeah, I can see that,' Said Busuzima. Yugo growled, and bunched his fists up.
'Beth, are you sssure you want to do thissss?' Said Barry. Beth nodded.
'Okay, then I'm coming along too.'
'Oh God, not you too!?!?! I may hate you, but I thought you had at least some brains!'
'Hey, ssshe wantsss to go, so I'm going too, to make ssssure ssshe comessss out again,' Said Barry, 'If you're her husssband, you'd go too.'
Busuzima opened his mouth to reply, but he didn't say anything. After a moment, his shoulders drooped.
'Oh what the hell,' He sighed, 'We're all dead anyway.'
'That's the spirit,' Said Yugo, 'Okay then, let's got kick some @$$!'
Marching boldly forward, Yugo headed off down a tunnel. The others waited for a moment, until Yugo came marching back up the tunnel.
'Er, did I just go the wrong way?'
'Yep,' Said Barry, grinning.
'Alright then,' Said Yugo, quickly gathering his wits, 'Lets head down the RIGHT tunnel, and then kick some @$$!'
As the set off, Busuzima leant over to whisper to Barry.
'Why is he the leader? He's one of the enemy after all!'
'Beatssss me, but let him have hissss fun. He'ssss not going to be alive for very much longer.'
And there you have it, another chapter down, and oh so many more to follow J. I'm sorry I didn't get some of the things I promised in the last chapter into this one; Jane bitching about men, and we never really find out MUCH about Vincents sudden change of sides, but hey, I just ran out of room J. But never fear, all these things shall be answered in the NEXT chapter (promise), along with some other things; just who is Mr. King, and what is he doing with Mr. Kouto? And, get ready Keniko fans; Kenji and Uriko finally get back together! Hurray, hurrah, sounds of bells ringing, people singing the streets, ect. Join me next time, won't you?
Right, legal stuff out the way, I would just like to thank God, for inventing the fingers (useful little beggars), my parents for letting me use the P.C at all hours, and the people who wrote in about some of my other books I've written. Enjoy!
Chapter 5: Turncoats
Yugo groaned, and peeled his face off the sticky sewer floor. Almost throwing up at the smell, he blinked once or twice and looked around. His vision was slightly blurred, but he managed to stagger upright with the minimal of problems, supporting himself on a wall with one hand. He clutched his head with his free hand, as bright lights flashed across his vision. Barry Serpent….it must have been him…..but he said he couldn't walk! Damn, I was so careless!
He looked up, and tried to find out where the hell he was. Suddenly, he spotted something; a footprint, left in the stinking mud and slime that lined the floor. They headed off down a side tunnel, leading towards a distant source of light. Yugo gave a savage grin, and cracked his knuckles; payback was due.
Vincent stood with his hands behind his back, trying to ignore everything around him. His black uniform Uncle Kouto had given him was itchy and ill fitting, but it was a small price to pay; he had bought himself and Kevin a little more time at least. He swept a few strands of hair out of his face with a gloved hand; the gloves were something else Vincent didn't like, but again it was worth it. Behind him, he could hear Kouto discussing something with a pair of scientists, but before he could train his hearing to listen in on them the two men had bowed and walked away. Kouto turned and walked towards Vincent, who remained facing forwards and not looking up when the old man laid a hand on his shoulder.
'You're not happy, are you?' He said. Vincent didn't look around.
'I don't blame you; you've had to make a difficult decision; your own pride and honor to save your friends life. That boy is lucky to have you as a friend, otherwise he would have been long dead.'
Still Vincent remained silent. Kouto gave a grunt of impatience, and turned away.
'Know this Vincent; you're working for me now, so don't think you can act like you don't. You should learn to show some respect, or else your friend will be taking a fall after all.'
Vincent remained silent, but bowed his head. Kouto gave a small smile.
'That's better.'
'Hey, wait up kid!' Yelled Stephen Goldberg, panting for breath as he tried to catch up to the distant figure of Kenji, who was running full sprint down the alleyway. The young ninja turned to wait for his bulky companion to catch up to him.
'Oh great, not again?' Moaned Kenji, 'This is the third time in an hour! At this rate we'll reach Uriko and the others aged one hundred and thirty!'
'Hey, easy kid,' Said Stun, easing himself onto a small wall to catch his breath, 'We'll find them soon enough.'
'Well, just make it quick,' Said Kenji grudgingly, folding his arms and walking to the end of the street. Leaning against a sign post, he looked up into the night sky, and gazed at the full, white moon.
'I'm coming Uriko,' He whispered, 'I'll get there, even if I have to drag Stun along by his mandibles.'
Stun, who was still sitting on the small wall, glanced up to see if Kenji was looking at him, and reached a large purple skinned hand into his trouser pocket. It came out again holding a small passport photo, made all the smaller in the giant mans hand, and had a middle-aged man smiling out happily from it. Flipping it over, Stun read the words "Stephen Goldberg, aged 31". He turned it over again and looked at that smiling face, before giving a small sigh and casting it into the wind, where it fluttered through the air and drifted into a sewer drain.
'Maybe it's time I moved on in my life?' He mused to himself. He looked up to where Kenji had been standing , and stood up, nodding to him.
'OK, I'm done. Lets go and --'
But before he could finish, something leapt out the shadows faster than the eye could follow, and bowled Stun over, before racing forward and barging Kenji to the floor. The young man was quick, but even his reflexes weren't fast enough to help him. With a groan, he picked himself up off the floor and looked around. Stun was getting to his feet, shaken by the sudden ambush, but there was no sign of any attackers; just the two of them in the empty street, as a newspaper was caught by the breeze and whisked into the air.
'What the hell was that thing?' Breathed Kenji.
Bounding through the night streets, Drake Dante searched the city for answers. The question was; What am I?
It had been a strange feeling to realize he wasn't human, or possibly that he was no LONGER human. Something had happened to him, but he couldn't remember anything much; a few items stirred memories, like a glance in the mirror or the smell of fresh bread being made all sparked little hints of things that he had done.
And he could remember a woman. She didn't have a name, and he couldn't remember her face, but there had been a woman that he had loved. It was this more than anything else that fueled his need for knowledge; if he wasn't human, then what was he? Was he like those two he had ran into? They looked human (well, the young one did) but Drake could see that they were hiding their true selves under a human-like appearance. Could he change into something like them? If so, how? The questions spiraled around his mind, every second adding another one to the pile while none were answered.
I'm not human.
Then what am I?
What am I?
WHAT AM I!?!?!?!?!?
As he bounded into the air and hopped along the rooftops, he could feel himself going insane……..
Back in the sewers, Yugo was hot on Barry Serpents track. He had long since gotten used to the stench, and had learned to define the cobra zoanthropes scent from among the sewage. He was getting closer, he could SMELL it!
Suddenly, something small and vaguely square like fluttered down a drain and landed on his nose. With a growl, he pulled it off and examined it. He studied the picture of the middle-aged man smiling like a fool, and flipped it over.
'"Stephen Goldberg, aged 31"? Hey, could this be --?'
Yugo looked at the picture again, and stuffed it into a pocket on his jeans.
'I can't say it looks much like Stun, but you never know,' He said, before heading after Barry again.
Barry Serpent, meanwhile, was crouched outside Busuzimas secret lab. The young Mexican zoanthrope was crouched behind one of the ruined security turrets, peering into the lab itself through the busted door. He couldn't see much, but he could certainly hear very well.
'Look, I've told you everything I know! Just don't tear it off!' Squealed Busuzima, and Barry couldn't help but grin as his partner in crime cried like a little girl who lost her dolly.
'Maybe you did, but I have one last question for you,' Came the other voice, female and very very familiar to Barry. The Mexicans brow furrowed; surely it couldn't be…..?
'Anything, just don't pull it off, PLEASE!?!?!?!' Wailed the scientist.
'OK, just answer me this; why were you gathering those prisoners DNA for?'
'WHAT!?!?! You knew about that!?'
'My contractors are very well informed. They know what Kouto is doing, but they want to know WHY he is doing it. For all we know he could be cloning a new army of advanced zoanthropes using that data.'
'Well, he'd have a hard time doing it; Barry Serpent has all the DNA material. I slipped it into his pocket while he wasn't looking.'
Barry paused for a moment, and touched the pocket of his jeans. There was a slight clink of glass on glass; the DNA samplers. Well, what do you know? All the while Barry had just thought Busuzima had pinched his butt, but it turns out he had planted valuable material in his pocket. Well, looks like I'd better save Busuzimas worthless hide, again.
'Well, you may not have the DNA, but no doubt your partner will go straight to Kouto with the data,' The other voice was saying. Barry took a breath, stood up, and walked casually into the lab.
'I wouldn't sssssay that now,' He said, leaning against the wall and pulling the glass samplers from his back pocket. His eyes took in the scene; the wrecked lab, the metal table with Busuzima strapped to it, and..…
'Barry?' Said Beth, whirling around to face him, 'Barry Sanchez?'
'The name'ssss Sssserpent now. It'sssss been a while Beth,' He said. So, I was right after all……
'Wait a minute?' Said Busuzima, straining to sit up to see the both of them, 'Do you two know each other?'
Beth turned back to her husband, rusty red bangs bouncing as she did so.
'Yeah, we do; it was a few years ago, when I was traveling through South America and Mexico to reached the border to North America. My jeep got busted and I was nowhere near a town or village, but then Barry came along…..'
'Yeah, I remember that,' Said Barry, stepping forward, 'It wassss when I was ssssstill human. I wassss a young cattle herder, and I wasssss riding back from the sssssummer ranch after driving the familiesssss herd there. I ssssspotted the jeep and decided to help her out; bessssidesssss, ssssshe was ssssstripping herssssself down in the heat, and hey, I'm only male after all.'
'Hey, that's my wife you're talking about!' Yelled Busuzima. Barry's eyes goggled.
'Your WIFE!?!?!?! How did a Gaylord like you get a girl like her!?!?!?'
'WHAT DID YOU SAY!?!?!?!?' Raged Busuzima, but Beth laid a hand firmly across his mouth.
'It's a long story Barry, but yes, Busuzima and I are married.'
'Wow, I'm ssssorry for you,' He said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. Beth smiled.
'But yeah, it's been a long time. How did we end up leaving each other again?'
'Well, it could be the fact that you pumped me full of cobra DNA and turned me into a zoanthrope,' Barry said, more hurt than angry, 'The leasssst you could have done wassss asssk.'
'Oh, yeah. Sorry about that,' Said Beth, 'I guess I got carried away with my testing, something that Busuzima here taught me.'
'Hey, no biggie. Ssssso anyway, from what I heard, you're here to find out what Kouto isssss up to?'
'Yeah, and it seems you have the DNA samples there with you.'
'Not quite; I wassss ordered to have sssssome of the better ssssamplesssss sssssent sssstraight to Kouto at the lab.'
'And where's that?'
'Under the city manssssion. There'ssssss a tunnel in this lab that leadsssss ssssstraight to it.'
Beth was about to say something, but stopped as a looming figure emerged through the wrecked door.
'AHA! Found you at last!' Yelled Yugo, leaping forward and grasping the Mexican around the throat, 'So you said you couldn't walk, eh? Well after I'm through with you, you REALLY won't be able to walk!'
'Ggggggaaaaahhhhhh!' Was Barry's choked reply. Suddenly Yugo found that he was no longer pinning Barry to the floor, but was being lifted up off the ground by some invisible force.
'Oh great, not this psychic stuff again!?' He yelled, just before his head was rammed hard against the wall. Barry staggered up, leaning against the steel table that Busuzima was strapped to for support.
'Hey Barry! Let me loose here will ya?'
'Hell no! I think you look hilariousssssss strapped to a table like that.'
'You dick Barry!' Screamed Busuzima, and pulled against the leather strap. There was a groan, and his right arm was free, which immediately reached up and slammed Barry's head against the metal table. With a snarl, Barry smashed the heel of his palm into Busuzima's nose, before the pair grabbed each other by the throat, trying to throttle the other to death.
'CUT IT OUT!!!!!!!!'
Everyone stopped, and three pairs of eyes turned to look at the fuming Beth, red with anger and quivering like a small localized earthquake.
'Now listen to me! You, the guy who just came in here!'
'Yes?' Said Yugo slowly, still hovering in the air.
'If you plan to do any fighting, take it outside, and do it later! Barry, Busuzima, let go of each other RIGHT NOW, or I'll come over there and pull both your damn empty heads off your shoulders!'
There was a moment of silence, and then the pair released each other, if rather grudgingly. The silence was beginning to get very creepy, as all three men continued to stare at Beth.
'Right, OK then,' She said, rather more calmly now, 'Now we have that sorted out……just why is everyone still looking at me?'
'Er, I don't know if you know this,' Said Yugo, licking his dry lips, 'But the top button of your blouse is undone.'
Beth looked down, and indeed her blouse was open, revealing her rather bountiful cleavage.
'Oh honestly,' She said, exasperated, 'Men!'
Which, funnily enough, were just the same words uttered by Jane Gado as she patrolled the streets with her father Alan and Jenny. The group had decided to split up to cover more ground, so Long and Uriko had went back to the school where Kenji had first been kidnapped, while the others combed through the city looking out for anything suspicious. They had only been apart for a few minutes before Jane began to bitch about men, in particular Long.
'I mean, what is WITH him?' She said, kicking an empty soda can across the street, crushing it under the savage impact. Jenny (who was still giggling about Long's suit even after thirty minutes) didn't say anything, but Alan gave his daughter a calculating look.
'Is there something wrong with Long? Granted, his behavior has been confusing, but then again so have you. Is there something you're not telling us?'
'No! Well, sort of,' She said, scuffing the toes of her combat boots, 'I don't want to talk about it.'
'Oh go on,' Said Jenny in a break from her private humor, 'We won't tell. Hell, one of the people you're going to tell is your father, and the other is one of your best friends.'
'Well,' Said Jane uncertainly, torn between the need to gossip and her hidden secret passion for Long. Being a women, the gossip side won.
'Alright, but you've got to swear that you'll never tell a soul,' She hissed. The other two nodded.
'OK then. Well, it's just….I really have the hots of Long.'
There was silence.
'And?' Said Jenny expectantly. Jane blinked in surprise.
'What!? But how did you…..I didn't say……Oh my God, is it that obvious?'
'I'm afraid so,' Said Alan, laying a huge hand on his daughters shoulder, 'We probably knew a lot longer before you even realized it yourself.'
'But I don't know what to do!' She wailed, 'Long doesn't like me! He's all dressed up to put me off and he's talking really funny!'
'Yes, that is rather odd,' Said Alan, rubbing his chin, 'I wonder what's got into him?'
'Oh please, isn't it obvious?' Said Jenny, 'Look Jane, Long is ga-ga over you, but he doesn't know how to win you over, so he's taking advise from the nearest source to the outside world.'
'Do you mean he's taking dating tips from Uriko!?' Said Jane, 'So THAT'S why he's been acting strange.'
'Exactly, so what we have to do is get the old Long back. And fortunately for you, my love-sick little friend,' Said the bat zoanthrope, tapping her little nose with a long finger, 'I think I know just how to do that…..'
Kevin tugged at the bars again, for the sake of it. He knew they wouldn't budge; each one was as thick as his arm, and made of something VERY solid indeed. Slumping back to the floor, he wiped the sweat from his brow, and winced as the back of his hand brushed against the large lump he had over one eye.
He didn't know how long he had been down here, but by the very small amount of light that filtered through a window set on the wall of the room outside his cell, he would guess it was about three o'clock in the morning. And judging by the increased sounds of activity coming from above, they were getting ready to release the clones.
'Damn it!' Cursed Kevin, kicking a foot against one of the bars, 'I wonder where the hell Vincent is? God knows what they're doing to him right now? I gotta get outta here!'
Suddenly, there was a bang from the metal door of the cell, and Kevin looked up just in time to see three guards walk in. One was holding a gun straight at him, while two others were man-handling a sack into the room. The sack seemed totally against this, and was wriggling around madly in the men's grasp. One of them dropped their end, and got a blow across the kneecaps for his troubles. The other guard pulled a baton from his belt, and gave the bag a hefty wallop, knocking whoever (or whatever) was in the sack unconscious. As the other guard picked himself up off the floor, the three of them wondered out the cell again, closing it tightly behind them.
'Good riddance to that bloody thing,' Said one gruffly, shoving the baton back into his belt, 'At least there was only one that had gone faulty.'
'Those things give me the creeps,' Added another one, 'The way they just stand there when they don't have a command, and those eyes…..'
'Forget the eyes, it's the rest of their face that freak me out.'
The three guards headed up a flight of stairs, and their voices became indistinct. Kevin stood up, and watched the bag cautiously. As he crept towards it, trying to peer down the sacks neck to catch a glimpse of its contents, the cloth began to shift, and from the bag came…….
Kenji was perched on the end of a tall wall, his nostrils flaring as he picked up Urikos scent from the other usual city-type smells. He took another deep sniff, and grinned triumphantly.
'That way!' He called down to Stun, who was looking up at him from the pavement nearly forty feet down, 'Only three more blocks and we'll be right behind them!'
'Good going kid,' Called Stun, watching as the agile ninja leapt down and landed neatly on his feet, 'With any luck they'll have found the others, and we can go trash that Mr. Kouto's place.'
Kenji nodded, and set off at a fast run in the direction of the smell. His mind was racing with thoughts about his beloved Uriko; it seemed like an eternity since last time they had seen each other, yet it had only been a day or so. When he found her, he was going to……well, he wasn't quite sure WHAT he was going to do, but needless to say they would both enjoy it a lot. He didn't even hear Stun cry out for him to slow down, he was so caught up in his fantasy world.
A good distance behind him, Stun jogged along, wiping the sweat from his brow with the end of his dirty scarf.
'Damn it, why is he always rushing around so much?' He complained.
Back in the mansion, Mr. Kouto was pacing slowly around the room. Before him stood three men; the first two were Horn and Tusk, still mildly bruised from their encounter with Vincent and Kevin, and the last one was a very different character altogether.
Kouto came to a halt in front of the stranger, and looked him carefully up and down. The man was not as tall or heavy set as Horn or Tusk, but he still loomed over the elderly old man. He was wearing a long dark trenchcoat, and a large brimmed hat covered his face in shadows. Although his features were hidden, upon closer inspection two small points of light could be made out amongst the darkness; small, evil little points of light.
'I see I have need of your services, Mr. King,' Said Kouto, staring at those points of light, 'It seems that while my nephew and his friend have been dealt with, there are others they have contact with who are now on their way here. They may present a…problem.'
The figure reached into one of his coat pockets with a hand, clad in a black leather glove, and pulled out a cigarette. He put it somewhere in the shadows, presumably where the mouth was, and lit it with a match.
'It would appear so,' Said the man, his voice tight and rasping, like he was constantly being strangled. He breathed out, and a gust of smoke blew into Mr. Kouto's face. Horn and Tusk took a step forward, snarling angrily, but Kouto held a hand up and they backed off, grumbling and cracking their knuckles.
'You are cocky, Mr. King. That will not do at all; remember how you came to be in my services to start with?'
There was a blur of movement, and suddenly Kouto pulled a long sharp sword from his walking stick and sliced the cigarette into three neat slices. The figure, Mr. King, staggered back, the end of it still in his mouth.
'Do not presume that I have become weak in the past three years,' Said Kouto warningly, 'Or I shall have to teach you another, more painful lesson than the last.'
'S-sorry Mr Kouto,' Said King quickly, 'Didn't mean to step out of line sir.'
'Excellent. Well, as I am detained due to the reviving of my army and my……other "matters", I need you three to halt their advance until the clones can all be revived. Tusk, I want you to take the young girl and the old man, they're heading up Green Avenue. Horn, you go for the other three, around the City Center. Go now.'
The two hulking brutes bowed solemnly and headed out the room.
'And what about me Mr. Kouto?' Said King. Kouto smiled.
'Ah yes. It seems Busuzima and Barry Serpent have gone missing. If my spies are correct, then it seems that a bounty hunter sent by my enemies has captured them both. For the moment, they are not a concern of mine, but two of Busuzima's prisoners have escaped. They may or may not know about my secret project, but I cannot take that risk; dispose of them.'
'Yes Mr. Kouito,' Said the dark man, before crouching down and leaping forward, out an open window and bounding away into the night. Kouto watched him go.
'Ah, the Zoanthrope,' Said Kouto wistfully, 'Our natural superiors, a step up in the food-chain. How I wish I was one of them.'
He grinned for a moment, and slid his hidden sword back into his cane.
'And soon I will be like them. But far, far stronger…….'
'Hello, you,' Said Long, and for the hundredth time, Uriko slapped her forehead.
'No Master Long! You're meant to say "Hey dude". It's what COOL people say!'
'But how do they know?' Said Long, puzzled.
'Know what?'
'If they are a dude. If I were to say "Hey dude" to anyone, I might say someone who is not a dude IS a dude, thus providing much confusion to all parties.'
'…….Master, I didn't understand a word of that,' Said Uriko, but Long didn't seem to be paying attention.
'And what about masculine and feminine tenses? Should I call a woman or young lady a "dudette", for example?'
Uriko shook her head. Maybe she should have started on something a little more simple.
'Okay, forget about the dude stuff for now, Master. We have more important things to do.'
'I agree. Perhaps it would be best to focus on the task at hand,' Said Long, thoroughly relived that his lesson had ended; it was almost like being a young man again, training Kenpo under his fierce teacher. They walked in silence for a little while, peering into the dark corners of the streets as they made their way towards the City Center.
There was a saying, that Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn. Right now, Yugo would have agreed with it.
'God, doesn't she ever shut up?' He muttered to Barry, as Beth ranted on a Busuzima. Barry shook his head.
'Nope. Ssshe'sss a very sssstrong minded woman.'
'Iron hard minded by the sounds of things. She's even worse than Alice when I leave glasses on the table with no coaster!'
'Harsssssh, is ssssshe?' Asked Barry. Yugo grimaced.
'She once kicked me out a top story window when I said I wanted to carry on boxing. I had to have therapy before I could see her again. I'm telling you, I should have put my foot down on the matter.'
'But insssstead sssshe put her foot down on your head,' Chuckled the snake zoanthrope. Yugo glared at him.
Busuzima winced as Beth waved a finger under his nose. It may have been nearly twenty years since they had last talked, but he still knew better than to think that she wouldn't hit him just because there were people watching. In fact chance of her hitting him were INCREASED because of that fact.
'And why didn't you say anything about those two looking at my breasts?' She snarled, pointing at Yugo and Barry, who suddenly tried to look a lot more inconspicuous.
'Well I've already ssssseen them anyway,' Protested Barry, 'And wolf-boy over here already hasss a girlfriend, so he hasss no excusssse.'
'Hey, don't drag me into this!' Growled Yugo, slugging Barry on the arm.
'Neither of you should have been looking,' Snarled Busuzima, 'She's MY wife!'
'Your ex-wife as soon as you sign that damn divorce paper,' Beth pointed out.
'That's not the point! It's the principle of the thing!'
'Look, everyone shut up!' Yelled Yugo. Everyone fell silent, and turned to look at the wolf zonathope stand up, 'Look, I don't know why the hell I'm still here, but I've gotta job to do; my friends are all in danger, and I'm the only one who can save them!'
'Delusions of grandeur,' Muttered Barry.
'Hey, I'm gonna look that up after I'm done, and if it's not something REALLY nice about me I'm gonna kick your @$$! Anyway, like I said, I've got stuff to do, and there's only one thing I've gotta say to you people. Who is the real enemy here? Is it that bastard Kouto, or is it each other?'
There was a reflective pause from the three others.
'Er, is it each other?' Busuzima guessed. Yugo sighed.
'And you have the nerve to call ME dumb. Look, I'm going into this mansion and I'm going to mess up whatever it is he's got planned, so are you guys coming with me or not?'
'What, and go up against Mr. Kouto? Are you insane!?!?!?!?!' Said Busuzima.
'That'ssss what I told him, but would he lissssten?' Said Barry.
'What you're suggesting is pretty stupid,' Said Beth, 'Recon reports given to me for this mission say that he's got at least fifty guards inside the mansion itself, all armed and ready to kill. Add to that the hired scum he's bound to have tucked away somewhere and his force of clones, and you've got yourself a nasty little army in there. Are you really wanting to bust in there and kill him?'
'Er, yeah. Anyone wanna lend a hand?'
'You're crazy,' Said Busuzima, 'Me, I thought I was crazy what with all the cooky experiments and all, but YOU take the cake my friend!'
'I like the idea,' Said Beth.
'WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?!' Said Barry and Busuzima together.
'I like it. My employers would pay me well for taking such a leap of "initiative" and actually eliminating their enemy from inside his own stronghold.'
'Look, Beth, I like money asssss much asssss the next guy,' Said Barry Serpent desperately, 'But thiss issss jusssst plain sssstupid! Money isssss only worth it if you're alive to sssspend it!'
'I hate to agree with him, but I do,' Said Busuzima, 'You can't go in there alone!'
'I wont be. Yugo will be there with me.'
'Him!?!?! He can't even tie his shoelaces! He thinks "stealth" is a type of after-shave! His way of grace is to cough politely before hitting them over the head!'
'Hey, I'm standing right here butt-munch!'
'Yeah, I can see that,' Said Busuzima. Yugo growled, and bunched his fists up.
'Beth, are you sssure you want to do thissss?' Said Barry. Beth nodded.
'Okay, then I'm coming along too.'
'Oh God, not you too!?!?! I may hate you, but I thought you had at least some brains!'
'Hey, ssshe wantsss to go, so I'm going too, to make ssssure ssshe comessss out again,' Said Barry, 'If you're her husssband, you'd go too.'
Busuzima opened his mouth to reply, but he didn't say anything. After a moment, his shoulders drooped.
'Oh what the hell,' He sighed, 'We're all dead anyway.'
'That's the spirit,' Said Yugo, 'Okay then, let's got kick some @$$!'
Marching boldly forward, Yugo headed off down a tunnel. The others waited for a moment, until Yugo came marching back up the tunnel.
'Er, did I just go the wrong way?'
'Yep,' Said Barry, grinning.
'Alright then,' Said Yugo, quickly gathering his wits, 'Lets head down the RIGHT tunnel, and then kick some @$$!'
As the set off, Busuzima leant over to whisper to Barry.
'Why is he the leader? He's one of the enemy after all!'
'Beatssss me, but let him have hissss fun. He'ssss not going to be alive for very much longer.'
And there you have it, another chapter down, and oh so many more to follow J. I'm sorry I didn't get some of the things I promised in the last chapter into this one; Jane bitching about men, and we never really find out MUCH about Vincents sudden change of sides, but hey, I just ran out of room J. But never fear, all these things shall be answered in the NEXT chapter (promise), along with some other things; just who is Mr. King, and what is he doing with Mr. Kouto? And, get ready Keniko fans; Kenji and Uriko finally get back together! Hurray, hurrah, sounds of bells ringing, people singing the streets, ect. Join me next time, won't you?