Chapter Eleven – Make This Jump

(All characters are © Katsuhiro Otomo.  Oh, and, uh, in this chapter I have written my first yaoi lime/orange *blushes* please don't be too cruel about it!  Oh, and this is not the end of the fic.  There is one chapter left.  Please r+r!)

Kai opened his eyes, and stared at the ceiling.  A curl of sunlight was twisted across it, like a spill of honey.             

            The plaster on his jaw was itching, his teeth still hurt and the cut in his mouth was only partly healed, but they were just little specks on a thin mist of happiness oozing through his mind.  An odd happiness because he knew any minute he could fall back into the depths, but not at this moment – at this moment all was wonderful –

            I really like you…

            "Yamagata?" he whispered.  "You awake?"

            There was a pause, then, his voice clouded with sleep, Yamagata muttered, "No."

            "Okay."

            He glanced over at Yamagata, who was half-fallen out of bed, his hands almost touching the floor, and shook his head.  Down at casualty, they'd said Yamagata just needed rest and no excitement, and that he should go home and sleep.  So they'd stumbled back to Yamagata's place, and Kai had helped him lie down, and then he'd said So…see you tomorrow or something? and Yamagata, his eyes large and confused, had reached out to him and said Come on…stay…  And he'd asked why, and Yamagata had just shrugged and said, You're nice and warm…and besides, if you walk out, something might happen.  Just stay, then I don't have to worry 'bout you. 

            So he'd stayed, despite the fact that the bed had been intended for not more than one person, and lain in the dark, next to Yamagata, in warmth and silence. 

            Deep down he was glad he hadn't had to walk home alone.  The city was too dark.  The streets could swallow him

            But he wouldn't think about that.

            Suddenly there was a loud bang on the door.  "Yamagata, wake up!  This is important!"

            Yamagata groaned, and pulled the blankets over his head.  "Kai…door…needs answering…"

            "I'm going, I'm going."

            Kai got out of bed, straightened his clothes, pulled his tie back round to the front of his neck, and sauntered over to the door.

            "Kaneda?" he said when he'd opened it.  "What is it?"

            "Uh…"  Kaneda blushed.  "I just wanted to…um…talk to Yamagata and you…uh…"

            Tetsuo, standing behind him, sniggered.

            "For your information," Kai said, trying not to smile, "I stayed here last night on account of Yamagata's concussion and all.  Only safe, really."

            "Oh.  Right.  Yeah, well, can we come in?"

            Kai looked at his watch.  "It's eight o'clock.  How can you be so keen so early?"

            "This is important," Kaneda said.  "Besides, I'm your leader, you gotta let me in."

            "You're not our leader.  We're free.  The only person here you can boss around is Tetsuo."

            Tetsuo sighed, and said, "What Kaneda is trying to say is that he wants to tell you he's sorry."

            "He does?"

            "Yes," Tetsuo said.  "He does."

            "Yeah, and I want to get it over with as quick as possible –"  Kaneda yelped as Tetsuo elbowed him in the ribs.  "Uh, I mean, make you guys feel better.  So please let me in, it stinks of cabbage out here…"

            "Okay, okay.  Yamagata's still asleep, though."

            "Not for much longer," Tetsuo muttered as Kaneda shot through the door.

            "Yamagata," Kaneda said, shaking the other guy half-violently.  "Yamagata, wake up.  This is important."  He wrenched the blankets away from Yamagata, and shook him again.  "You awake yet?"

            Yamagata pulled his eyes open, and glared at Kaneda.  "Yeah, I am now."

            "Good.  Now, listen.  You too, Kai.  I…um…well, we've all had an, um, interesting week, right?  And…sometimes some of us have said things we didn't really mean.  Now, I forgive you for all the things you said –"

            "Kaneda!" Tetsuo yelled.  "Get to the point!"

            "I am.  Give me time, okay?  Anyway, as I was saying, yeah, some of us had have said things we didn't really mean.  And I forgive you, and…uh…"

            He muttered something in the general direction of the blankets.

            "Sorry?" Kai said.  "Didn't quite hear that."

            Kaneda flipped him off, then growled something that sounded basically like, "M-sorry-acted-like-jerk-just-freaked-Clowns-so-all-done, bye!"

            "I think that's the best we're gonna get," Kai said.  "Thanks, Kaneda."

            "Yeah, well."  Kaneda shrugged.  "Anyway, you guys okay?  Nothing broken last night, or, um – anyway?"

            "We're fine," Yamagata said.  "Apart from not getting enough sleep…"

            "That's cool.  There was something else I wanted to say, too."

            "You want them back in the gang," Tetsuo said.

            "That's it.  So, you in?"        

            "Yeah, why not?"  Yamagata grinned now.  "Least that way we'll know you'll turn up when we're about to be smushed – not that that happens much, of course."

            "Yeah, why were there so many Clowns in there?" Kaneda asked.  "It was like a bloody ambush or something."

            Yamagata frowned.  "I dunno…"

            "They were expecting us," Kai said.  "They were hiding.  It wasn't like we crashed their party.  And Chip – Chip was serving – they must've got the barman out the way.  They wanted revenge on you, Yamagata – for beating Chip – so –"

            "How'd they know you'd be coming to the Harukiya?" Kaneda asked.  "You didn't tell none of them, did you?"

            "They knew we hang out there, though," Kai said.  "Maybe they were gonna jump all of us."

            Yamagata was frowning still, and then suddenly he said, "Tetsuo, you knew."

            "Huh?"

            "You knew.  I told you, after I got kicked out, I said I was gonna go down the Harukiya last night.  You must've told 'em or something."
            "No, I didn't," Tetsuo said, scowling.  "I didn't speak to any Clowns.  I didn't tell – I didn't tell anyone."

            "You must've done," Yamagata said.  "They wouldn't have wanted to fight all of us.  They wanted to get me, and they knew I'd be there alone last night.  More or less alone, anyway."

            "I didn't tell them," Tetsuo snapped, turning to face him, fists clenched.  "I didn't."

            "Look, just cool it," Kaneda said.  "Both of you.  Tetsuo probably didn't mean to do it –"

            "I didn't do it!" Tetsuo yelled.  He'd gone very white, and he was biting his lip.

            "You can admit it," Kaneda said.  "No one's that pissed."

            Yamagata shrugged.  "If you say so.  Me, I ain't too happy.  He could've got Kai killed –"

            "I didn't!  I didn't tell any stupid Clowns!"

            "Don't lie, just cos you're ashamed –"

            "I'm not, cos I didn't do it!"

            "Just calm down!" Kaneda said.  "I don't want to have to say any more apologies, okay?  Or do I have to do a Jaws and slap you both one?"

            Yamagata snorted.  "Like you could touch me, Kaneda.  I'd cream you."

            "I would take you up on that, but your concussion would just make it too much of a massacre."

            Yamagata glowered at him, and Kai grinned. 

            "Fine," Tetsuo snapped, shoving his way towards the door.  "Don't believe me.  But I didn't do it, okay?"

            "Quit being such a baby and just own up!" Yamagata said.  "Then we can forget about it –"

            Tetsuo stared at him, silent and furious-faced.

            "Where are you going, anyway?" Kaneda asked.  "You don't wanna go riding round on your own, the Clowns are still alive, remember?"

            "Go fuck yourselves," Tetsuo whispered, marched out of the room, and slammed the door so hard that a small chunk of plaster fell out of the wall above it.

            "What's eating him?" Yamagata said, shrugging. 

            "I dunno.  He's been getting really touchy lately."  Kaneda sighed.  "Anyway, I better go after him – check out he's not run himself into a wall.  I'll see you later, okay?"

            "Sure.  Bye."

            Kaneda strolled towards the door.  As he left, he paused, and called over his shoulder, "Uh…glad you're okay.  And not dead or anything."

            "Ditto," Kai called, and as the door closed, came to sit next to Yamagata.  "So, you are awake now?"

            "Yeah.  Unfortunately."

            Kai leaned forward, and kissed him, and again his mind whispered this is okay cos it's nothing like that –

            "Okay, fortunately."  Yamagata put an arm round him, and pulled him down under the covers.

Tetsuo pushed open the door, and crashed into his room.

            "Fuck them…bastards…"

            The curtains were still drawn, with a slit of white light down them, and the room was soaked in shadow.  Tetsuo stumbled over the clothes on the floor, and stood in the middle of the room, feeling like the anger was trying to burst out of his chest.

            "Bastards," he whispered again, and felt tears burn his eyes.  "I didn't do it…I didn't…"

            He swallowed, and remembered.  Quit being such a baby…he could've got Kai killed…don't lie…you don't wanna go riding around on your own…

            "Bastards!" He kicked the wall, hard, and the small, rusty mirror fell off it and smashed at his feet. 

            They all thought he was such a kid…he wasn't a kid…he wasn't…he wasn't…

            He dropped down next to the broken glass, and his face stared up at him, shiny in the dark, fractured, tear-stained, a round baby face, with stupid sad eyes…

            "I'm not a baby!" he yelled, and hit out at the glass.  "I'm not!  I'll show you all!  I'll show you!  You all boss me around all the time, and I hate it!  You all think you're so smart, well, you're not!  I'm just as smart and tough as you…"

            Yeah, they all bossed him around, all acted so damn superior, all of them, including Kaneda and Yamagata…especially Kaneda and Yamagata…

            His hand was bleeding from a million tiny cuts off the glass.  As he stared at it, a tear dropped from his eye, onto a line of blood, and blood and tear started to ooze down to his wrist.

            They always tried to humiliate him…the only person who ever looked up to him was Kaori, and what was it with Kaori?  He should like her, but – when she was all sappy towards him he just wanted to squash her.  He'd never cry on her shoulder.  He could never tell her how he felt, how angry he was, how trapped and how it felt like they all kicked him down whenever he said anything…one of these days he'd be the one kicking them down.  Yeah, knocking them over, they'd look up at him.  They'd look up, and they'd be scared of him, and then he'd – then he'd – well, he didn't know what he would do, but it would be something they'd never forget, bastards, bastards…

Summer grew hotter until the days shrieked with the heat.  Windows blazed with white-hot light, tar melted and stuck to your shoes, and your eyelids grew heavy for most of the day.

            Slowly, Kai's nightmares began to fade.  They were still there, but not so strong.  The memories were weakening, maybe that was it.  He chose not to remember details now.  But he couldn't get rid of the dark, confused fear at the back of his head – the fear that still, even now, flared up when Yamagata kissed him – a tightness in his stomach and his skin crying out to be left alone, not be touched – the fear he knew he was going to do something about – admit to it, or drown it, or something.

            And then one night, he did.

            The city had started to slump into autumn.  Barely noticeable.  Just that the heat wasn't quite so powerful.  There was an emptiness in the air that you only noticed when you were sitting still.

            But on the night Kai remembered, it was still hot, and the warmth muffled the city and clung thick and dark to the buildings. 

            He and Yamagata had parked their bikes and were now hurrying up to Yamagata's room, hand in hand.  It had been a good night.  The gang had chased the Clowns from one end of their turf to the other, city lights rushing past them and the air torn into coolness over their faces. 

            But now it was just the two of them, and Kai was glad of that. 

            "It's boiling in here," Yamagata muttered as they stumbled up the stairs.  "What's wrong with having air-conditioning?"

            "You lot would vandalise it."

            "We would not!"  Yamagata glared at him.  "Not if it meant actually cooling down some."

            "I don't mind the heat." 

            "Well you're just plain weird."  Yamagata kissed him lightly on the nose, then wrenched his gloves off and rubbed his hands on his jeans.  "The rest of us don't want to be turned into roast chickens, you know."

            Kai pulled his own gloves off, and his palms cheered to be allowed to breathe.

            They'd got to the top of the stairs now.  Kai squinted at Yamagata's face in the darkness, decided he couldn't think of a smart answer, and so kissed him instead.  His hot skin rippled with pleasure as though someone had scattered cold water over it.  Who needed air-conditioning?

            Arms around each other, they stumbled back into Yamagata's room, which was even more like an oven than the landing was.  Kai felt beads of sweat start to patter over his face and arms.  It was hotter than normal.  But he didn't mind the heat…that, and Yamagata holding him, and the darkness…it was like the daylight world didn't exist any more.  It was like it was just them and the gasping sweat of the night.

            He slipped his jacket off, and his sweltering arms cheered. 

            "Oh, so you are too hot," Yamagata said, running his hands down them. 

            "Never said I wasn't.  I just like it is all."  He rested his head against Yamagata's chest for a few moments.  "You're baking."

            "At least I don't have a tie on.  Ain't your neck too warm?"

            Kai looked up at Yamagata.  Traffic shone in his eyes.

            "Yeah," he said at last.  "Yeah, it is." 

            Fumbling, he undid his tie, and pulled it off.  He was suddenly feeling strangely nervous – his stomach deliciously cold, a smile clambering onto his face.  But it wasn't a bad feeling. 

            Yamagata kissed him again, and the nervousness rose even higher – but it wasn't just nervousness – and it all felt good –

            Yamagata's fingers brushed at the buttons of Kai's shirt, then stopped, and their eyes met.

            "It's okay."  Kai found his voice was suddenly shaky, and his heart had sped up until it was making the world blur.  "It is too hot.  You're right."

            Yamagata froze a moment, then suddenly he began unbuttoning Kai's shirt, and Kai let it slide down his arms to join his jacket on the floor.  The air seemed so thin suddenly – it wasn't air, it was just warmth, stroking his damp skin, and that skin wanted to feel, for the first time in ages it wanted to touch and be touched –

            "Anyway, if you're complainin' so much, why don't you get a bit cooler?" he asked.  "Or is that T-shirt really part of your skin?"

            Yamagata laughed, then pulled his T-shirts – both of them – off over his head, sending his already tangled hair into his eyes.

            "So now coolness is okay?" he said.  And he kissed Kai again, and now it was even better because they could touch properly – because you could feel breath and warmth all over you –

            They stepped back, they'd reached the bed, which groaned deeply as they sank down onto it.  The sheets were soft on Kai's back, and they smelt warm and Yamagata-ish.

            We could just lie here like this –

            Or we could –

            It was like knowing there was an absolutely huge jump coming up, one where you'd see the entire world spread out below you as the ground was left behind – and you could take it – or you could turn to the side and keep your feet on the earth –

            Yamagata was kissing his throat, and his hands stroked Kai's ribs.

            Then he whispered, "Kai, if – if you wanna stop – I mean, maybe we better, it's just this is too good already –"

            He sat up, glanced away from Kai, and suddenly became very interested in getting his boots off.

            Kai swallowed.  Yeah, that was it, wasn't it?  If he didn't want to make the jump, he had to say so now – this was the last exit –

            Did he want to?

            He swung his feet up onto the bed, and scrabbled at his shoelaces while he thought.

            Far, far back, in time, in space, was an alley, and it was rainy and life hurt so much, and that was a bad thing –

            But right now, right here, there was Yamagata kissing him and touching him and being with him, and that was a good thing –

            The fear was still there and he knew it was –         

            But was he frightened now?

            He kicked his shoes off, and knew the answer.

            Only in a good way.  At the moment.  There was fear – there might be more fear – but there wasn't enough to stop him – not right now –

            And he trusted Yamagata.  If you did want to go take a dangerous jump, he was a good person – no, the best person – to do it with.

            It can't be as bad as it was then; it can't…

            And I ain't scared of them – screw them, fucking bastards –

            Their eyes met again as Yamagata lay back on the bed.  His face was glowing with sweat, and he had a streak of oil under one eye.  He leaned over, kissed Kai again, but he was waiting, he was cautious –

            Kai swallowed, and said, "No.  Let's not stop."

            Yamagata's hands, resting on his shoulders, tensed.

            "You serious?" he whispered.

            Kai shivered as fear rushed down his spine and his skin trembled – don't get so close –

            I won't be scared –

            "Yeah."

            "All right."

            Yamagata kissed him again.  It was an oddly wary, fumbling kiss.

            So now it had happened – now they were heading towards the jump and there was nothing he could do –

            "Kai," Yamagata whispered, "this is s'posed to be fun.  You've gone all tense."

            "I…"  Kai shrugged.  "So I'm a little nervous.  So sue me…"

            Yamagata sat up a little, picked at a hole in the sheet. 

            "I'm nervous too," he whispered.  "Never done this with a guy before."

            "I've never done it with anyone before.  'Cept – that one time…"

            And that wasn't doing it.  That was it being done, so it doesn't count. 

            "Guess it's like a new first time for both of us, then.  If you still wanna go for it.  I mean, we could.  I got, y'know, everything we'd need.  But – do you want to?"

            Now you can say no.

            But I – I don't want to.

            He was going to make this jump if it killed him –

            And adrenaline was being dragged through his veins like white-hot wires.

            "Yeah.  I do."

            Yamagata put an arm round him, and kissed him.  So gentle that even his terrified skin relaxed, because this wasn't scary, this was just being with Yamagata.

            …Kissed him.  Kissed his throat, his collarbones, the heat spread over Kai's skin and through his body, he was falling into it, into the darkness.  Kissed his chest, lips caressing old bruises.  Fumbled with his jeans, the last of his clothes slipped off onto the floor, and the heat sank over him like a blanket.  Yamagata caressed his stomach, then moved to below it – 

            Headlights rushed across the ceiling as, slowly, Yamagata kissed there too –

            And it felt so nice, and the pleasure rose, unstoppable, and –

            Kai wasn't sure if he cried out – he had to have done, surely, because his body jolted as if he'd been struck by lightning – and then he was lying there, the sheets warm under his back.

            Yamagata raised his head, grinning.

            "Better?" he said.

            "You're too smug…too smug for your own good…"

            "Yeah, so?  Yamagata the Great knows what he's doing."

            "Come on…"  Kai sat up, reached out to him, suddenly shaking.  "You're so smart –"  He took a deep breath.  He didn't know whether the aching terror was fear of how bad this could feel – or how good –

            "You make me feel better again…"

            Yamagata sat up, the street light edging through the broken blind behind him, and pulled off his jeans and boxers.  Then he lay down, and pulled Kai towards him.

            The ground was ending right now –

            There was a crash as Yamagata reached for the bedside table, sending several magazines onto the floor –

            There was waiting – second after second and then –

            And then together they were flying –

            It hurt – and yet at the same time it was the best thing he'd ever felt – was it?  So damn different I remember before – but – the neon lights outside blazed –

            I'm not scared – I think –

            But thinking was too hard – all you could do was feel – and what you could feel was the strangest, scariest, best, worst feelings you'd ever had –

            So close – so close – his skin was going crazy – Yamagata all around it, stroking it, kissing it –

            "Kai…are you okay?…"

            He looked round, caught a glimpse of Yamagata's face, shining, his hair tangled over his eyes.

            And the alley and what had happened in it rotted, died, because how could it be the same – because it wasn't – because that had been pain from the darkness, and this was nothing like it – this was Yamagata with him under city lights and thick heat – and the pain was only one part of millions of sensations which painted blazing colours over his mind –

            "Kai…"

            Fear and passion and confusion tangled in his brain and he closed his eyes – they'd jumped and they could see the world – and now they were falling, falling – and he was scared because this was too good, too scary, too painful, too strange – and he called out to Yamagata because – because –

            And then they'd landed.

            Kai lay still, listening to himself breathe.  He was shaking all over, but his chief feeling now was one of incredible pride.  He'd done it.  He'd done it.

            Ha.  Literally.

            "Kai!"  Yamagata tapped him gently on the shoulder.  "How – uh – you –"

            "Uh?"

            "Did I just completely destroy you, or was it actually not that bad?"  Yamagata was trembling too, his hand kept tensing on Kai's arm.  "Don't leave me in suspense…"

            "We…I…"  Kai tried to think straight.  "No, you didn't destroy me, we…"  He stopped again.

            "What?  I'm tired and I can't sleep if I don't know!"

            "That was the weirdest thing I have ever done."

            Yamagata stared at him a moment, then burst into helpless laughter.

            "Only you," he said.  "Kai, you're completely crazy sometimes."

            Kai wriggled closer as the laughter shook Yamagata's body. 

            "I didn't mean it that way," he said, grinning.  "It's just, it was just…we were like…I dunno."

            Yamagata rolled over, and yawned through a smile. "That made loads of sense.  But – you are okay, right?  Cos if you're not you can say –"

            "Oh, no.  I'm okay."

            "Good."  Yamagata put an arm round him. 

            "Uh – are you?"

            "Me?  I'm good."  He thought a moment, and then said, "You're right.  It was weird.  Cool…but weird…"

            "Glad we agree."  Kai yawned, wondering how you could keep having one-night-stands all the time.  If every time it was as strange as this, you'd be too tired to do anything.

            Too tired.  Suddenly he felt like the sleep was drowning him.  "Goodnight?"

            "Night."

            And he closed his eyes again, and sank into their private darkness.        

Yamagata yawned.  There was sunlight glowing on the other side of his eyelids.

            He blinked a few times as he rose up into daytime.

            Kai lay asleep against his chest, his hair tousled, his clothes absent.  The sun slid over his skin, and his breathing was deep and quiet against Yamagata's ribs. 

            So it hadn't been a dream.

            Last night had been…had been completely…

            Weird, yeah.  But weird because it had been so different.  He knew a lot of things two people could do in bed that made him feel great, and none of the last night's activities had been in the top ten. 

            And yet last night had been special.  It had been like fire dropped into his brain, eating it up.  Sex hadn't been special like that for ages. 

            Maybe just cos he'd never done anything like that with a guy before.  He had been nervous.  But that hadn't mattered.  He'd gone with his instincts. 

            And besides, it wasn't like Kai had any comparison.  Any proper comparison.  He'd been kind of surprised to find out the other guy was still a virgin, but not exactly bothered.

            In fact, kind of pleased.  For one thing, he didn't need to feel like he knew nothing cos Kai knew even less, and for another…hey, it was nice, okay?        Although if you were being picky, Kai wasn't exactly untouched.

            You dumb stupid bastards, he thought at those Clowns, smirking, you can't do a thing, I made him happy last night and he ain't scared of you no more.

            I was the first person to go with him who made him happy.

            He suddenly felt incredibly smug.

            He called my name.

            Oh, yeah.  He was good.

            But this had been so different.

            He'd never gone down on anyone before either.  Hadn't liked it, it made him feel like he was praying to them, worshipping or summat, and he didn't damn well see why anyone would deserve that.

            But Kai had been frightened, and Yamagata didn't want him to be frightened.   

            And anyway, he deserves to be worshipped if anyone does.

            "Sappy, huh?" he whispered to the back of Kai's head.  "You're turning me soft.  I mean, I ain't ever even said I love you before.  Not meaning it, I mean.  But…I think I want to say it now."

            And he did, whispering it, and then snorted at how cheesy he was being, and shut his eyes again, and, dozing, let himself float. 

Kai fell heavily asleep, and remembered nothing more until suddenly he was lying half-awake in the daylight.  The ceiling was blazing with sun.

            Yamagata lay curled up next to him, the sun turning his skin the colour of pale honey. 

            So we did do it.

            Kai suddenly felt a huge grin spread over his face.  Night had focused the memory, and now what he remembered most were the good bits

.           Yamagata shifted position, blinked, and focused blearily on Kai's face.  Then he smiled.

            "Cool," he said.  "Not a dream."

            "That's just what I thought."

            Yamagata hugged him.  "That's cool."  He yawned, hugely, like a lion, and continued dreamily, "And it's cool we did it.  And it's cool you're happy…"

            "Course I'm happy."  Kai lay against him, listening to them breathe.  The sun bathed his bare shoulders in warmth, Yamagata was absently stroking his back, and his mind drowsed in comfortable sleepiness.  He could stay like this all day.

            Suddenly there was a bang on the door.

            "Ah, bugger off…" Yamagata murmured, rolling over and burying his face in the pillow.

            The knocking continued, getting louder, and then Kaneda's voice hollered, "Yamagata, where the hell are you?  It's one p.m.!  Are you sick?  Are you dead?  Are you on strike?"

            "Is he even in there?" Tetsuo said.

            "Shut up – Yamagata, get your fat ass outta bed and open the damn door!"

            "Well?" Kai said.

            Yamagata shrugged.  "'M asleep.  Go on…door…"

            "I'm going, I'm going…"

            Kai stumbled out onto the floor, dodging magazines, clothes, and bits of old bike.  Clothes…clothes, needed clothes…he found his boxers by the side of the bed, fumbled into them…now what, shirt, or something…

            He picked up a random item of clothing from the floor, saw it was a shirt, pulled it over his head, and staggered over to the door, and wrenched it open.

            "Right," Kaneda began.  "Yamagata – huh?"

            Kaneda and Tetsuo stared at Kai, at his bed-head hair, his bare legs and feet, and at the rising sun symbol on the too-large T-shirt that was even now slipping down over one shoulder.

            Tetsuo smirked.  Kaneda blushed.

            "Just what the hell were you doing last night?" Kaneda demanded.

            Kai straightened the T-shirt, pulled the collar up over his shoulder again, shuffled his feet, and said, "Uh…studying?"

            Tetsuo snorted.  The hall was suddenly swept with shadow as the sun went in.

            Thinking it over, Kai was pretty sure that was the last point before time went crazy.

(Not the end!  Not the end!)