"No Need for an Attack"
Ryo-ohki let out a loud "Miya!" as she flew out the room she was
contained in and into a portal Washu had designed for her to be able to fly
in a large area and still be unnoticed by Earthlings. Ryo-ohki was ecstatic.
She had never felt so free, she was now free of the limitations that Kagato
had put on her.
"Wow! This is amazing, Ryoko!" said Tenchi gawking at the interior.
A lot of the walls were covered in a reflective coating. He grinned as he
looked in one of the walls. It was distorted making it sort of a fun house
mirror. "Hey, Ayeka! Check this out," said Tenchi as he flexed and used the
wall to make his biceps appear to tower over his head.
Ayeka giggled. "Tenchi, do you ever take anything seriously?"
"Nope," Tenchi replied.
Ayeka locked arms with Tenchi and leaned her head against his
shoulder. She loved him. Yeah, sure she had always loved him in that
brotherly kind of way when they were kids. But this was different.
Something had changed her mind over the past few days. Maybe it was that
he was cracking jokes even though there was a good chance he would die
tomorrow. A tear fell down her face. thought Ayeka.
A tear streamed down her cheek and onto Tenchi's arm.
At this point Tenchi was used to having a girl attached to his arm and,
beyond a slight blush, it didn't affect him much anymore. "Hey, what's the
matter, Ayeka?"
Ayeka quickly responded, "Oh, nothing. Come on, let's go see the
cockpit."
"Um... OK..." They caught up to Ryoko in the cockpit. The cockpit
was amazing. The walls above and to sides of the riders were transparent
giving the impression that there was nothing between them and the stars.
Also in the cockpit were several crystals surrounding a chair that Ryoko was
sitting in.
"Hey, slowpokes, what to-" her sentence was cut off when Ryoko saw
Ayeka basically hugging Tenchi's arm. "Hey! Hey! Hey! What do you think
you're doing?!" Ryoko demanded.
"Remember our promise, Ryoko. No more fighting today," warned
Ayeka with a sneaky smile across her face.
Ryoko growled under her breath, but suddenly a mischievous gleam
appeared in her eyes. She suddenly
clamped on Tenchi's other arm and led him to a transparent wall. "Aren't
they beautiful, Tenchi?"
Outside were several bioluminescent creatures flashing in an array of
neon colors. "Wow, they are."
"Yeah and I hear the lights of Tokyo are also beautiful at night," she
said followed by a devilish chuckle.
"Yeah, they call it the 'Metropolis of Neon,'" informed Ayeka.
Tenchi turned to Ryoko and said, "You aren't thinking about..."
Ryoko's response was an impish grin.
"No way, Ryoko! We are definitely _not_ going to Tokyo!" said
Tenchi.
-One hour later...-
"I can't believe we're flying over Tokyo..."
"Oh come on Tenchi. Just sit back and enjoy the show it's not like
anyone is seeing us anyway. We are black on black," reassured Ryoko.
"Yes for once I agree with Ryoko. Tokyo's lights are very beautiful
and romantic," replied Ayeka. She squeezed Tenchi's arm tighter.
Tenchi thought. He
sighed.
"You now what you guys? You're right. I should just relax. Like you
said they are rather impressive, aren't they."
-Meanwhile... in space...-
Kagato gently rolled his glass of wine around. "Now let's see how
Ryoko and Washu are doing," Kagato suggested to no one at all. He pressed
a small button on a glass keyboard and an image of Washu appeared before
him. She was, of course, working away at some project. Kagato frowned
when he noticed Ryoko wasn't in the house or Tenchi's. He waved his hand
over another control panel and the computer locked onto Ryoko's biosignal.
He growled and crushed the glass he was holding in his hand. He did _not_
like what he saw. For one thing, she was in Ryo-ohki and he had not given
the order for it to be activated. If that wasn't enough she was holding...
HIM! Kagato fumed. Kagato mused. An evil
smile slowly crept across his face. Kagato threw his head back and
laughed maniacally. "Enjoy yourself Ryoko. Your beloved Tenchi dies
tonight!"
-Back in Ryo-ohki...-
"Miya! Miya! Miya!" Ryo-ohki uh... said.
"Huh," said Tenchi. "Ryoko, what's she saying?"
Ryoko groaned. "Incoming transmission from the lab. Probably
Washu telling us to come back."
A panel appeared on the wall in front of Tenchi, Ryoko, and Ayeka.
"What is it, Mom?" Ryoko asked sternly.
"You might want to get back here now," Washu said.
"And why's that?" Ryoko wondered.
"Because you're almost out of fuel!" Washu shouted. "I didn't have
enough time to fill the tank before you took off."
"Oh, heheheh," Ryoko chuckled nervously.
Tenchi sweatdropped and said, "Yeah, that's something kind of
important, huh?"
"Sorry. We're on our way back, Mom. Over and out."
Washu kicked back and put her feet on the desk. She didn't want to
break off her joyride with Tenchi and Ayeka, but it was that or become
Tokyo's newest pothole. Suddenly a gloved hand clamped over Washu's mouth and pulled
her out of her chair. She bit down hard on it and turned around to see her
assailant.
She gasped. The figure picked up a heavy tool and hit Washu hard
across the face sending her crumpling to the ground. "Ka...Kagato... you
bas..." she slumped into unconsciousness.
-A few minutes later...-
"Mom, we're home!" Ryoko called. There was no response.
"Little Washu!" Ayeka yelled.
Tenchi heard soft crying. "Sasami?" He walked towards the source of
the sound. He found Sasami hiding in a dark crevasse in the wall. Her
cheeks were streaked with tears.
"Sasami? What's the matter?" Tenchi asked the scared little girl.
She rushed forward and embraced him. "Oh, Tenchi. It was terrible,
he took Washu and..."
"Shh, now calm down Sasami. Who took Washu?"
She sobbed, "I don't know his name. He had green hair and white
gloves and... wait! I think Washu called him Kagato."
"Kagato! Damn him," Tenchi cursed.
"Tenchi, I'm scared!"
"Don't worry, Sasami. You're safe now," comforted Tenchi.
Suddenly Tenchi heard screaming. He gasped, "Ryoko! Ayeka!" He made a
mad dash towards the origin of the cries. He froze dead in his tracks when
he arrived. Ryoko's and Ayeka's limp bodies levitated three feet off of the
ground. Hovering near them was an adult male with long green hair.
The man laughed sinisterly, "Ah, Tenchi Masaki. We finally meet.
I've been watching you boy for a long time now."
"You must be Kagato," said Tenchi. "I've been waiting a long time to
meet you face to face. Well... two days... but that's beside the point..." He
withdrew Sword Tenchi from his back pants pocket.
Kagato laughed and shook his head. "No, there is not enough room
for me to fight you here. I'm taking Ryoko and this other one to my ship. I
will fight you there. Unless of course you which for harm to come to your
friends and Washu."
"Kagato, you coward! Leave them out of this!" Tenchi demanded.
"I think not. Consider them insurance to make sure you show up.
Good-bye, Masaki," he laughed one more time as he grabbed Ayeka and
Ryoko and pulled them through a portal that appeared out of nowhere.
"No! Kagato, come back here!" he lunged at the gateway, but it
dematerialized before he could enter it. The frustration came over Tenchi.
"DAMN HIM!" He attempted to slow his breathing to calm himself down.
"Ryoko, Ayeka!" He clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth. The time
for waiting was over. It was time for the confrontation.
"T-T-Tenchi?"
"Sasami!" He turned to see her quivering. She was _really_ scared.
"Where's Ayeka? And Ryoko?"
"Sasami, Kagato's got them."
"Oh, no!" she cried as she began to bawl again.
"Sasami, you've got to calm down. They'll be OK. I'll make sure of
it," Tenchi consoled. He stood up and turned to walk back to Ryo-ohki.
"Come on follow me. I'll take you home."
Sasami sniffled and replied, "OK." She followed him until they came
to a giant ship.
Tenchi
recalled. "Um... Ryo-ohki? I got the name right didn't I?" he said timidly.
The only way he was going to have a chance of operating this thing was if
he got her to be, for lack of a better word, a friend. "Ryo-ohki, this is
Ayeka's little sister, Sasami," he presented.
"Um, Tenchi. Who are you talking to?"
"Sasami, this is Ryoko's _living_ ship. Its- I mean- her name is
Ryo-ohki. Ryo-ohki, your master's in trouble."
"Miya!" Ryo-ohki yelped.
"Yeah, Ryoko, Washu, and Ayeka were captured by Kagato, and I
need to get them back."
"MIYA!" Ryo-ohki growled.
Tenchi gulped. He hoped she was growling at Kagato and not at him.
"Can you take me to him?" Tenchi asked.
"Miya!" she said affirmatively.
"But first we got to drop of Sasami at her house, OK?"
"Miya, miya!" Ryo-ohki said in almost an impatient tone.
"Thanks. Come on, Sasami," instructed Tenchi as he stepped through
the hull.
"Huh?" said a confused Sasami. She gulped and timidly followed
Tenchi.
"All right Ryo-ohki, I'll lead you to Sasami's house then it's after
Kagato."
"Miya!" exclaimed the ship as she launched from the lab.
Unfortunately, neither Tenchi nor Sasami has time to strap in and it sent
them sprawling across the floor. Fortunately for Sasami, Tenchi's stomach
broke her fall.
"Whoops! Sorry, Tenchi," the blue-haired girl apologized.
"It's OK."
"Ummm... could you get off my ponytail?"
Tenchi chuckled nervously and stood up. He made his way to the
chair in the middle of the cockpit and sat in it. He directed Ryo-ohki to
Sasami's house.
-Meanwhile in the _Souja_-
Ryoko slowly opened her eyes and found her own vague reflection.
Beyond the reflection she saw Kagato, her back to her. She growled and
attempted to form her energy sword, but found it impossible to even move.
She looked down and saw that she was submerged in a blue, putty-like
substance from the chest down. She had seen this before. When Kagato had
captured somebody, he sometimes put them in a large glass structure and
trapped them in this same substance. Then he would force them to watch
some horrible event, like the destroying of their planet. Ryoko thought horridly.
In the corner of her eye she saw movement. Ayeka was also in a
similar structure and was waking up.
"T-T-Tenchi..." she heard her mutter. Apparently the structures were
somehow linked for some reason in Kagato's warped mind.
"Hey, wait a sec... Where's Mom?!" Ryoko demanded.
Kagato turned to face the two girls and replied, "Ah, dear Ryoko I see
you're awake."
"Don't give me that 'dear Ryoko' crap! Where's Mom?!" she
repeated through gritted teeth.
Kagato smirked and turned the chair next to him to reveal an
unconscious Washu constrained to it with energy binds. Dried blood
streaked the right side of her head. "You happy now?"
Right as Ryoko was about to make a snappy retort Ayeka interjected,
"My house!"
Ryoko looked up at the large view-screen in front of them. It showed
a large residential area with Ayeka's household in the middle of it all. A
gleam caught Ryoko's eye. "Ryo-ohki! But who could be driving it?"
Ryoko mused.
Ayeka gasped, "Tenchi! It has to be I can feel it."
"Yes, it is the boy. You see I used you two as bait to lead him to me."
"But how'd you know he'd be here?" Ryoko wondered.
"Well, you see when I attacked Washu, I saw a young blue-haired
girl. I paid her no mind as she ran to hide, but afterwards I decided to find
out who it was..."
"Sasami!" Ayeka exclaimed.
"Yes, you're little sister. I found out by reading all three of your
memories. After gathering more information on Tenchi's nature, I figured
he would take your beloved Sasami home so she wouldn't be in danger, so
here we are." Kagato grinned. "I'll give him a welcome he won't soon
forget."
"Kagato, you wouldn't dare..." Washu piped from the chair. "He
doesn't know how to use Ryo-ohki's weapon systems..." Washu paused
obviously in pain. "He won't stand a chance..."
Ayeka and Ryoko's eyes filled with fear as Washu revealed this piece
of information.
"Then I guess he won't be much fun then." Kagato sighed. "But if
what the legend says is true then the boy will defeat me, so I propose a
theory, Washu. What is stronger fate or the _Souja_'s cannons? Let's find
out."
"No... Kagato you can't... he's just a boy..." Washu pleaded.
As Ryo-ohki's image enlarged in the view-screen a small dome
opened up on one of his keyboards revealing a small red button. "Say
good-bye to your precious ones, girls." Kagato slammed his fist onto the
button. All the cannons on the exterior of the _Souja_ trained their lasers on
the small crystalline-shaped Ryo-ohki and fired. The blasts hit Ryo-ohki,
engulfing it in flames.
Ryo-ohki let out a loud "Miya!" as she flew out the room she was
contained in and into a portal Washu had designed for her to be able to fly
in a large area and still be unnoticed by Earthlings. Ryo-ohki was ecstatic.
She had never felt so free, she was now free of the limitations that Kagato
had put on her.
"Wow! This is amazing, Ryoko!" said Tenchi gawking at the interior.
A lot of the walls were covered in a reflective coating. He grinned as he
looked in one of the walls. It was distorted making it sort of a fun house
mirror. "Hey, Ayeka! Check this out," said Tenchi as he flexed and used the
wall to make his biceps appear to tower over his head.
Ayeka giggled. "Tenchi, do you ever take anything seriously?"
"Nope," Tenchi replied.
Ayeka locked arms with Tenchi and leaned her head against his
shoulder. She loved him. Yeah, sure she had always loved him in that
brotherly kind of way when they were kids. But this was different.
Something had changed her mind over the past few days. Maybe it was that
he was cracking jokes even though there was a good chance he would die
tomorrow. A tear fell down her face. thought Ayeka.
A tear streamed down her cheek and onto Tenchi's arm.
At this point Tenchi was used to having a girl attached to his arm and,
beyond a slight blush, it didn't affect him much anymore. "Hey, what's the
matter, Ayeka?"
Ayeka quickly responded, "Oh, nothing. Come on, let's go see the
cockpit."
"Um... OK..." They caught up to Ryoko in the cockpit. The cockpit
was amazing. The walls above and to sides of the riders were transparent
giving the impression that there was nothing between them and the stars.
Also in the cockpit were several crystals surrounding a chair that Ryoko was
sitting in.
"Hey, slowpokes, what to-" her sentence was cut off when Ryoko saw
Ayeka basically hugging Tenchi's arm. "Hey! Hey! Hey! What do you think
you're doing?!" Ryoko demanded.
"Remember our promise, Ryoko. No more fighting today," warned
Ayeka with a sneaky smile across her face.
Ryoko growled under her breath, but suddenly a mischievous gleam
appeared in her eyes. She suddenly
clamped on Tenchi's other arm and led him to a transparent wall. "Aren't
they beautiful, Tenchi?"
Outside were several bioluminescent creatures flashing in an array of
neon colors. "Wow, they are."
"Yeah and I hear the lights of Tokyo are also beautiful at night," she
said followed by a devilish chuckle.
"Yeah, they call it the 'Metropolis of Neon,'" informed Ayeka.
Tenchi turned to Ryoko and said, "You aren't thinking about..."
Ryoko's response was an impish grin.
"No way, Ryoko! We are definitely _not_ going to Tokyo!" said
Tenchi.
-One hour later...-
"I can't believe we're flying over Tokyo..."
"Oh come on Tenchi. Just sit back and enjoy the show it's not like
anyone is seeing us anyway. We are black on black," reassured Ryoko.
"Yes for once I agree with Ryoko. Tokyo's lights are very beautiful
and romantic," replied Ayeka. She squeezed Tenchi's arm tighter.
Tenchi thought. He
sighed.
"You now what you guys? You're right. I should just relax. Like you
said they are rather impressive, aren't they."
-Meanwhile... in space...-
Kagato gently rolled his glass of wine around. "Now let's see how
Ryoko and Washu are doing," Kagato suggested to no one at all. He pressed
a small button on a glass keyboard and an image of Washu appeared before
him. She was, of course, working away at some project. Kagato frowned
when he noticed Ryoko wasn't in the house or Tenchi's. He waved his hand
over another control panel and the computer locked onto Ryoko's biosignal.
He growled and crushed the glass he was holding in his hand. He did _not_
like what he saw. For one thing, she was in Ryo-ohki and he had not given
the order for it to be activated. If that wasn't enough she was holding...
HIM! Kagato fumed. Kagato mused. An evil
smile slowly crept across his face. Kagato threw his head back and
laughed maniacally. "Enjoy yourself Ryoko. Your beloved Tenchi dies
tonight!"
-Back in Ryo-ohki...-
"Miya! Miya! Miya!" Ryo-ohki uh... said.
"Huh," said Tenchi. "Ryoko, what's she saying?"
Ryoko groaned. "Incoming transmission from the lab. Probably
Washu telling us to come back."
A panel appeared on the wall in front of Tenchi, Ryoko, and Ayeka.
"What is it, Mom?" Ryoko asked sternly.
"You might want to get back here now," Washu said.
"And why's that?" Ryoko wondered.
"Because you're almost out of fuel!" Washu shouted. "I didn't have
enough time to fill the tank before you took off."
"Oh, heheheh," Ryoko chuckled nervously.
Tenchi sweatdropped and said, "Yeah, that's something kind of
important, huh?"
"Sorry. We're on our way back, Mom. Over and out."
Washu kicked back and put her feet on the desk. She didn't want to
break off her joyride with Tenchi and Ayeka, but it was that or become
Tokyo's newest pothole. Suddenly a gloved hand clamped over Washu's mouth and pulled
her out of her chair. She bit down hard on it and turned around to see her
assailant.
She gasped. The figure picked up a heavy tool and hit Washu hard
across the face sending her crumpling to the ground. "Ka...Kagato... you
bas..." she slumped into unconsciousness.
-A few minutes later...-
"Mom, we're home!" Ryoko called. There was no response.
"Little Washu!" Ayeka yelled.
Tenchi heard soft crying. "Sasami?" He walked towards the source of
the sound. He found Sasami hiding in a dark crevasse in the wall. Her
cheeks were streaked with tears.
"Sasami? What's the matter?" Tenchi asked the scared little girl.
She rushed forward and embraced him. "Oh, Tenchi. It was terrible,
he took Washu and..."
"Shh, now calm down Sasami. Who took Washu?"
She sobbed, "I don't know his name. He had green hair and white
gloves and... wait! I think Washu called him Kagato."
"Kagato! Damn him," Tenchi cursed.
"Tenchi, I'm scared!"
"Don't worry, Sasami. You're safe now," comforted Tenchi.
Suddenly Tenchi heard screaming. He gasped, "Ryoko! Ayeka!" He made a
mad dash towards the origin of the cries. He froze dead in his tracks when
he arrived. Ryoko's and Ayeka's limp bodies levitated three feet off of the
ground. Hovering near them was an adult male with long green hair.
The man laughed sinisterly, "Ah, Tenchi Masaki. We finally meet.
I've been watching you boy for a long time now."
"You must be Kagato," said Tenchi. "I've been waiting a long time to
meet you face to face. Well... two days... but that's beside the point..." He
withdrew Sword Tenchi from his back pants pocket.
Kagato laughed and shook his head. "No, there is not enough room
for me to fight you here. I'm taking Ryoko and this other one to my ship. I
will fight you there. Unless of course you which for harm to come to your
friends and Washu."
"Kagato, you coward! Leave them out of this!" Tenchi demanded.
"I think not. Consider them insurance to make sure you show up.
Good-bye, Masaki," he laughed one more time as he grabbed Ayeka and
Ryoko and pulled them through a portal that appeared out of nowhere.
"No! Kagato, come back here!" he lunged at the gateway, but it
dematerialized before he could enter it. The frustration came over Tenchi.
"DAMN HIM!" He attempted to slow his breathing to calm himself down.
"Ryoko, Ayeka!" He clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth. The time
for waiting was over. It was time for the confrontation.
"T-T-Tenchi?"
"Sasami!" He turned to see her quivering. She was _really_ scared.
"Where's Ayeka? And Ryoko?"
"Sasami, Kagato's got them."
"Oh, no!" she cried as she began to bawl again.
"Sasami, you've got to calm down. They'll be OK. I'll make sure of
it," Tenchi consoled. He stood up and turned to walk back to Ryo-ohki.
"Come on follow me. I'll take you home."
Sasami sniffled and replied, "OK." She followed him until they came
to a giant ship.
Tenchi
recalled. "Um... Ryo-ohki? I got the name right didn't I?" he said timidly.
The only way he was going to have a chance of operating this thing was if
he got her to be, for lack of a better word, a friend. "Ryo-ohki, this is
Ayeka's little sister, Sasami," he presented.
"Um, Tenchi. Who are you talking to?"
"Sasami, this is Ryoko's _living_ ship. Its- I mean- her name is
Ryo-ohki. Ryo-ohki, your master's in trouble."
"Miya!" Ryo-ohki yelped.
"Yeah, Ryoko, Washu, and Ayeka were captured by Kagato, and I
need to get them back."
"MIYA!" Ryo-ohki growled.
Tenchi gulped. He hoped she was growling at Kagato and not at him.
"Can you take me to him?" Tenchi asked.
"Miya!" she said affirmatively.
"But first we got to drop of Sasami at her house, OK?"
"Miya, miya!" Ryo-ohki said in almost an impatient tone.
"Thanks. Come on, Sasami," instructed Tenchi as he stepped through
the hull.
"Huh?" said a confused Sasami. She gulped and timidly followed
Tenchi.
"All right Ryo-ohki, I'll lead you to Sasami's house then it's after
Kagato."
"Miya!" exclaimed the ship as she launched from the lab.
Unfortunately, neither Tenchi nor Sasami has time to strap in and it sent
them sprawling across the floor. Fortunately for Sasami, Tenchi's stomach
broke her fall.
"Whoops! Sorry, Tenchi," the blue-haired girl apologized.
"It's OK."
"Ummm... could you get off my ponytail?"
Tenchi chuckled nervously and stood up. He made his way to the
chair in the middle of the cockpit and sat in it. He directed Ryo-ohki to
Sasami's house.
-Meanwhile in the _Souja_-
Ryoko slowly opened her eyes and found her own vague reflection.
Beyond the reflection she saw Kagato, her back to her. She growled and
attempted to form her energy sword, but found it impossible to even move.
She looked down and saw that she was submerged in a blue, putty-like
substance from the chest down. She had seen this before. When Kagato had
captured somebody, he sometimes put them in a large glass structure and
trapped them in this same substance. Then he would force them to watch
some horrible event, like the destroying of their planet. Ryoko thought horridly.
In the corner of her eye she saw movement. Ayeka was also in a
similar structure and was waking up.
"T-T-Tenchi..." she heard her mutter. Apparently the structures were
somehow linked for some reason in Kagato's warped mind.
"Hey, wait a sec... Where's Mom?!" Ryoko demanded.
Kagato turned to face the two girls and replied, "Ah, dear Ryoko I see
you're awake."
"Don't give me that 'dear Ryoko' crap! Where's Mom?!" she
repeated through gritted teeth.
Kagato smirked and turned the chair next to him to reveal an
unconscious Washu constrained to it with energy binds. Dried blood
streaked the right side of her head. "You happy now?"
Right as Ryoko was about to make a snappy retort Ayeka interjected,
"My house!"
Ryoko looked up at the large view-screen in front of them. It showed
a large residential area with Ayeka's household in the middle of it all. A
gleam caught Ryoko's eye. "Ryo-ohki! But who could be driving it?"
Ryoko mused.
Ayeka gasped, "Tenchi! It has to be I can feel it."
"Yes, it is the boy. You see I used you two as bait to lead him to me."
"But how'd you know he'd be here?" Ryoko wondered.
"Well, you see when I attacked Washu, I saw a young blue-haired
girl. I paid her no mind as she ran to hide, but afterwards I decided to find
out who it was..."
"Sasami!" Ayeka exclaimed.
"Yes, you're little sister. I found out by reading all three of your
memories. After gathering more information on Tenchi's nature, I figured
he would take your beloved Sasami home so she wouldn't be in danger, so
here we are." Kagato grinned. "I'll give him a welcome he won't soon
forget."
"Kagato, you wouldn't dare..." Washu piped from the chair. "He
doesn't know how to use Ryo-ohki's weapon systems..." Washu paused
obviously in pain. "He won't stand a chance..."
Ayeka and Ryoko's eyes filled with fear as Washu revealed this piece
of information.
"Then I guess he won't be much fun then." Kagato sighed. "But if
what the legend says is true then the boy will defeat me, so I propose a
theory, Washu. What is stronger fate or the _Souja_'s cannons? Let's find
out."
"No... Kagato you can't... he's just a boy..." Washu pleaded.
As Ryo-ohki's image enlarged in the view-screen a small dome
opened up on one of his keyboards revealing a small red button. "Say
good-bye to your precious ones, girls." Kagato slammed his fist onto the
button. All the cannons on the exterior of the _Souja_ trained their lasers on
the small crystalline-shaped Ryo-ohki and fired. The blasts hit Ryo-ohki,
engulfing it in flames.