Chapter 7: Hidden
*Present Day, Hinata Sou*
"I wonder where she is." Naru asked herself worriedly. "Maybe something happened to her?"
Naru sighed and paced around the darkness of Kanako's empty room, wondering where the Black Panther known as Kanako Urashima was. Of course, part of her wondered why she even cared. She was despicable, dark and manipulative, a liar, a cheater, a thief, as Motoko once put it, a "woman with no concept of honor" but Naru couldn't help herself. In the end, she knew something that Motoko knew as well, Kanako represented everything they feared that they were deep inside themselves. She looked around, seeing the violin Kanako adored playing, the closet full of dark secrets and that journal. It was the journal that held every last secret of that shadowy girl, a journal which tempted Naru to look inside.
"Her journal…" Naru closed her eyes as she ran her fingers over the leather surface of the cover. "I wonder…"
"Myu!" Tama-chan flew in and stopped her.
"You're right, Tama-chan." Naru smiled. "She wouldn't want me reading her journal any more than I would want her reading my diary. Still…what sorts of things run through that head of yours, Kanako-chan?"
"Myu?"
"I suppose it won't hurt." Even with such simple logic, Naru pried the small thing open anyway, ignoring the warning and the words of her own conscience. She picked it up and began reading. "Narusegawa, I loathe her. It would give me no greater satisfaction than to cut off her hands and tongue, to take pleasure in butchering every last person she has ever held dear before her very eyes and then, to simply let her live."
"Myu?"
"My God…she's…she's…" Naru covered her mouth but she closed her eyes and decided to keep on reading. She turned a few pages ahead, trying to skip all the creative, slow and sadistic ways of torturous death that Kanako had no doubt concocted during the days after the events in the annex. "Again, she's wandered into my room. I've had it with her persistence on trying to come close to me. It frustrating and irritating. I just wish she's leave me alone, she has no place in my life except as an enemy."
"Is this how she thinks about me? Is this…"
Naru closed the journal and put it down, unable or perhaps, unwilling to read anymore of what was inside. And yet, her instincts, her women's intuition told her that what was written there wasn't how Kanako really felt. Something about those scorning, bitter eyes told her that underneath all the hatred, all the bitterness, all the overwhelming desire for vengeance, Kanako actually appreciated what Naru was trying to do. In the end, she had already extended the olive branch of peace, waving the proverbial white flag; it was now Kanako's move. Naru sighed and sat down in one corner of the room, the corner that was the darkest. There, within a few moments, she could almost feel the darkness encroaching her, protecting her.
"Kanako…" Naru muttered as she closed her eyes, feeling the loneliness and the encroaching sense of inadequacy come around her, as if the world hated her every existence. "Is this how it feels…to be you?"
[Yes, it is.]
……….
*Present Day, Psi-Corp Tokyo Laboratory*
[Yes, it is.] Kanako's telepathic message resonated a little in every telepathic mind there. She was still disoriented, mentally and physically, from the infusions. [Table…note…help…]
Ling had retired to her chambers for the time being, taking time to relax after a day's worth of torturous experiments performed on Kanako. It gave Naomi her chance to think freely for a second and to check on Kanako's condition. She regretted everything now, having brought this "innocent" girl to the clutches of Ling Xiao Yin. While Ling seemed to have allowed it, Naomi scanned her mind and was sure of what she picked up. Deep inside Ling's mind was fear. While Naomi couldn't really identify what she was afraid of, there was something in her mind that was directed towards Kanako. This made Naomi consider the question: did Ling have Kanako's powers sealed because she was afraid of them?
"Is that why? What sort of power could you possibly have that would make Ling afraid enough to have your powers locked away?" Naomi asked as she touched Kanako's pale face. "It's like she's afraid of being deposed as the world's most powerful telepath."
"Fear…" Kanako muttered, as if to answer her. "Her powers…sealed…"
"Could she be picking up Ling's thoughts? How is that possible? Ling's telepathic firewalls cannot be bypassed unless she allows it." Naomi put her fingers to Kanako' forehead, to scan just whose thoughts Kanako was muttering. "Yes, they are Ling's but…"
"Is that how you really feel about me, Kanako-chan? I wish I could tell you…" Kanako muttered blindly again. It seemed like she was receiving the thoughts of everyone around the world and muttering them at random in her pain-induced sleep.
"Narusegawa…Naru…" Naomi whispered, detecting the name amidst the scattered thoughts. The telepathic firewall that had been there seemed to have been de-activated. "She has…feelings for you."
Naomi closed her eyes, using Kanako to try and reach this Narusegawa person. The way Naru's thoughts seemed to resonate so much in Kanako's mind reminded her of the "reflection" theory. Basically, it revolved around the mystery of how some normal humans can act as mirrors of sorts. After conducting some experiments, the Psi-Corp research division discovered that some normal humans can receive and redirect telepathic messages and sometimes, even act as mirrors altering the direction of mental attacks. If the theory was correct, Naomi should be capable of using Naru to direct her telepathy. That is, if the theory could be proven right. Now, of course, was the perfect time to do so.
[Narusegawa…] Naomi said telepathically, trying to make contact. […are you there?]
……….
*Present Day, Hinata Sou*
"Have any of you seen Mutsumi-san?" Keitaro asked Shinobu, Motoko and Ema, who were all seated on the couch. The two younger girls managed to get Motoko to sit down and watch a drama that WASN'T a shogunate drama.
"No, not since she left for Todai." Shinobu answered, slowly putting a finger to her chin as she looked upwards. "Come to think of it, she should have been home by now."
"That is rather odd." Ema continued the train of thought. "She's always home by now."
"Where is she?" Keitaro thought worriedly.
"Come to think of it, I haven't heard any violin music today either." Motoko said as she put down her cup of tea. "I doubt Kanako-san's stopped due to arm strain. And Naru-senpai's been upstairs an awfully long time. I think she has a party to go to today, with Kanako-san, no less."
"Say, have any of you seen Mutsumi-san?" Kitsune asked as she went in through the door. She sat on the small chair near the door, leaning back and stretching her arms. "She promised to help me with the tea house today but I haven't seen her at all."
"I was wondering the exact same thing." Keitaro answered.
Keitaro sighed in worry; it wasn't like his Mutsumi to disappear like this. One could assume she had fainted on the way back to Todai but she always carried a small identification card with her with the note that told anyone who found her unconscious to take her back. It's never failed before. And while Kanako's violin music should have been playing by now, Keitaro didn't seem to notice. He was too preoccupied with Mutsumi to worry about his own sister, which showed just what kind of a brother he was. Then, Naru rushed down the stairs, waving a piece of paper in her hand. She looked frantic, nervous, alarmed, among other things. As Motoko held Naru and shook her to calm her down, a strange fog entered the room.
"What's going on?" Shinobu asked as she began to choke on the gas.
"Gas! It's some sort of gas!" Ema shouted as a warning. "Everybody start crawling!"
It was too late though, the gas had already begun to take effect. Shinobu was the first to drop to the floor, asleep. Kitsune tried to catch Shinobu as she fell to the floor but slowly, the fox herself dropped to her knees, she was falling asleep herself. Naru looked around; still clutching the note she had in her hands, slowly falling to the floor. However, as Ema began to fall asleep as well, Naru managed to point towards one of the windows, where a group of thugs in gas masks were standing. Motoko drew out her sword, preparing herself to attack their assailants, Keitaro not far behind but slowly, Keitaro's eyes grew heavier and heavier. By the time Keitaro fell, Motoko was down to one knee, using her sword for support.
"One of them is still awake, Comrade Eric."
"She can't fight the gas forever." Gustave smirked. "Still, knock her out manually. We can't afford to waste any more time here."
"Who…are…you?" Motoko asked.
"We, little girl, are the KGB." Gustave answered, kicking the weakening Motoko in the chest.
"Quite an assortment of cute girls we have here." Eric noted as he surveyed the fallen residents of Hinata Sou. "Then again, I forget that this is a girl's dormitory after all."
"Take them away." Gustave ordered.
……….
*Present Day, just outside Hinata Sou*
"The KGB has Mutsumi." Tyler, the iteki with a habit of coming on to Kanako said to his two companions. He leaned back and took a whiff of his cigarette. "They also sent a few thugs to get the other residents."
"Psi-Corp has Kanako." Sakura, stepping out of the shadows, said. "Do we make our move now, Chris?"
"I'm afraid both the KGB and Psi-Corp have forced or hands in this." Chris answered. "Ms. Winters…"
To Be Continued…
Kanako: Business has been really, REALLY slow lately. Which sucks. Damn twins are driving me nutty. Then again, I've been insane for a long, LONG time. No big change in that, now that I think about it. Kana always said it's one of my attractive qualities. The lemons have also been delayed due to time constraints. Mister err, well, the guy with a number for a name, those lemons are strictly for the authors that ended up being paired with someone in my project, the "Love Hina Fanboy War". Since Kana's co-writing them, he insists I keep it strictly among previous...err...victims. Though, I'll see if I can convince him. And to you, yes YOU, the one trying to sucker Kana into coming back: It's not going to work: fool us once, shame on you, fool us twice, shame on us. We're not idiots.