Chapter 3: Before the Storm
Kei sat alone at a table in the bar that she, along with Kaneda and their other new friends, often frequented. Sighing to herself, she wondered where her three comrades had gone. Don't tell me those idiots are off picking a fight with a rival gang again... After what Kaneda and Kei, not to mention the whole city, had been through, Kei had thought that this mindless fighting between gangs would at least slow down for a while. Instead, the fighting had escalated as various gangs vied for control in the chaos-ridden city. Kei gazed into her glass, shaking her head. It's humanity. She thought. As a whole, humanity always has been and always will be foolish. With every individual unit working for its' own personal gain, how can the whole survive? Whether it be governments, families, individuals, or even gangs, it's all the same. The group or individual thinks they can watch out only for themselves and somehow humanity will live on. If we as a species continue on this path, all we'll end up doing is destroying our rivals until there is no one left... And then we will simply destroy ourselves. That's how it is. Human nature. Human nature is to destroy. Its' unavoidable. Kei once again shook her head and laughed a low, silent laugh. "Wow, would you listen to me?" she murmured. "So philosophical tonight..." She was suddenly startled out of her musing as a rowdy group burst through the front door and into the bar. It was Kaneda, Sosuke, and Koji. Sosuke was nursing an arm that hung loosely in an obviously homemade sling. "Kaneda!" Kei growled, standing up from her seat. "You went out fighting again, didn't you?" Kaneda just grinned, that large toothy smile that looked like it came from a child rather than a teenaged street gang leader and partial world-saver. "Of course we did Kei," he replied happily, walking over to the bar. "What do you want us to do, let the fat, lazy gangs take over just because we don't feel like fighting? We have to do our part in the city cleanup, and I just choose to pitch in by getting rid of some of the human garbage. Whats' so bad about that?" Kei just pushed her face into her palm and sighed. "You know what Kaneda? Whatever. I don't care. Do what you want. Go get killed for all I care, because I give up. But when you die because your many enemies finally get together and kill you, don't expect me to attend your funeral." Kaneda grabbed a drink from the bartop and took a long swig from his glass. "Aww thanks Kei. That's so nice of you." Kei sighed and sat down, shaking her head as, on the TV, a new news report was made on an obviously makeshift system. The reporter wasn't wearing makeup, and the signal was frequently interrupted with short bursts of static, but it was all that could be expected from a still-recovering city. Had Kei not been so angry, she may have noticed the new broadcast. Had Kaneda, Sosuke, and Koji not been so elated after their recent victory over the Eagle gang, and their large bag of American money, they probably still would not have noticed. Kei was the only one that ever cared about the news broadcasts anyway. Despite the lack of attention in that particular bar, however, the haggard news-reporter excitedly informed the public about a series of recent and very disturbing murders. There seemed to be no evidence of any type of weapon used, and all the murders were very messy. The bodies, if they could even be called that, were far too mutilated and widely spread to be identified. Perhaps if Kei had been watching, she would have felt some apprehension. Perhaps she would have even been worried. As it was, however, the ominous news report went by without notice.
A young man in his mid-twenties walked down a very dark street that was littered with debris. As he walked he constantly looked around him, like he was afraid he was being followed. In between his worried glances up and down the street he read apartment numbers on doors. 629-632, 633-636... At last he reached a door with no number on it and walked up to it cautiously. He looked up and down the street twice more before knocking on the door. He waited as he heard footsteps approach the door from its' other side. Suddenly, he was surprised as the door flew open and he was grabbed by the neck and pulled inside, the door slamming shut behind him. The young man's arm was instantly pulled behind him and twisted against his back as he was shoved against a wall, and before he could utter a sound he heard the click of a pistol at his temple. "Who are you and what do you want?!" a harsh voice demanded. "I-I'm just... er... what I mean is- I..." The pistol was jammed harder against his head as the harsh voice tore at him, "Listen, if you don't answer me in 5 seconds I'll blow your brains against this wall here! I've been through enough crap to last me an entire lifetime, and I won't hesitate to pay you for it!" The man panicked, and the information poured out of him, "S-Sir, it's me! Private Yamaura! I was told to give you a package! I swear sir, it's really me! I'm just delivering this!" The gun was pulled away from Private Yamaura's head and he was spun around so that he faced the owner of the gruff hands. He saw a tall imposing man staring down at him over a mustache. "Really Colonel! It's me! Remember?! I was there with you on that day!" There was no doubt about what day that was, as there was only one day burned into the mind of every survivor of the recent incident. The Colonel released the young boy and took the package from his trembling hands. As the Colonel carried his package over to a table, young Private Yamaura slowly slid down the wall to a sitting position. Why does he have to be like that? He almost gave me a freaking heart attack before I could give him the package. Yamaura looked at the Colonels' back as the stern man sat opening his package. That day changed you. And I don't think you'll ever be the same. "Are you still here?" Demanded the Colonels' gruff voice. "Get out of here. And tell your commanding officer I said that if he ever sends me someone as incompetent as you again, he'll be hearing form me personally." Private Yamaura scrambled up off of the dirty floor and quickly saluted, then hurried out the door. Jeez, what a freak... As the door slammed closed with the privates' indignant escape, the Colonel finished opening the package. "No... It can't be!" The Colonel stood up straight suddenly, knocking over his chair. "This can't be! This is wrong!" The colonel pulled his chair back up and sat down, thinking with his head in his hands. It's not possible. This is a hoax. There's no way this can be happening...I... I'm being discharged?!
Kei sat alone at a table in the bar that she, along with Kaneda and their other new friends, often frequented. Sighing to herself, she wondered where her three comrades had gone. Don't tell me those idiots are off picking a fight with a rival gang again... After what Kaneda and Kei, not to mention the whole city, had been through, Kei had thought that this mindless fighting between gangs would at least slow down for a while. Instead, the fighting had escalated as various gangs vied for control in the chaos-ridden city. Kei gazed into her glass, shaking her head. It's humanity. She thought. As a whole, humanity always has been and always will be foolish. With every individual unit working for its' own personal gain, how can the whole survive? Whether it be governments, families, individuals, or even gangs, it's all the same. The group or individual thinks they can watch out only for themselves and somehow humanity will live on. If we as a species continue on this path, all we'll end up doing is destroying our rivals until there is no one left... And then we will simply destroy ourselves. That's how it is. Human nature. Human nature is to destroy. Its' unavoidable. Kei once again shook her head and laughed a low, silent laugh. "Wow, would you listen to me?" she murmured. "So philosophical tonight..." She was suddenly startled out of her musing as a rowdy group burst through the front door and into the bar. It was Kaneda, Sosuke, and Koji. Sosuke was nursing an arm that hung loosely in an obviously homemade sling. "Kaneda!" Kei growled, standing up from her seat. "You went out fighting again, didn't you?" Kaneda just grinned, that large toothy smile that looked like it came from a child rather than a teenaged street gang leader and partial world-saver. "Of course we did Kei," he replied happily, walking over to the bar. "What do you want us to do, let the fat, lazy gangs take over just because we don't feel like fighting? We have to do our part in the city cleanup, and I just choose to pitch in by getting rid of some of the human garbage. Whats' so bad about that?" Kei just pushed her face into her palm and sighed. "You know what Kaneda? Whatever. I don't care. Do what you want. Go get killed for all I care, because I give up. But when you die because your many enemies finally get together and kill you, don't expect me to attend your funeral." Kaneda grabbed a drink from the bartop and took a long swig from his glass. "Aww thanks Kei. That's so nice of you." Kei sighed and sat down, shaking her head as, on the TV, a new news report was made on an obviously makeshift system. The reporter wasn't wearing makeup, and the signal was frequently interrupted with short bursts of static, but it was all that could be expected from a still-recovering city. Had Kei not been so angry, she may have noticed the new broadcast. Had Kaneda, Sosuke, and Koji not been so elated after their recent victory over the Eagle gang, and their large bag of American money, they probably still would not have noticed. Kei was the only one that ever cared about the news broadcasts anyway. Despite the lack of attention in that particular bar, however, the haggard news-reporter excitedly informed the public about a series of recent and very disturbing murders. There seemed to be no evidence of any type of weapon used, and all the murders were very messy. The bodies, if they could even be called that, were far too mutilated and widely spread to be identified. Perhaps if Kei had been watching, she would have felt some apprehension. Perhaps she would have even been worried. As it was, however, the ominous news report went by without notice.
A young man in his mid-twenties walked down a very dark street that was littered with debris. As he walked he constantly looked around him, like he was afraid he was being followed. In between his worried glances up and down the street he read apartment numbers on doors. 629-632, 633-636... At last he reached a door with no number on it and walked up to it cautiously. He looked up and down the street twice more before knocking on the door. He waited as he heard footsteps approach the door from its' other side. Suddenly, he was surprised as the door flew open and he was grabbed by the neck and pulled inside, the door slamming shut behind him. The young man's arm was instantly pulled behind him and twisted against his back as he was shoved against a wall, and before he could utter a sound he heard the click of a pistol at his temple. "Who are you and what do you want?!" a harsh voice demanded. "I-I'm just... er... what I mean is- I..." The pistol was jammed harder against his head as the harsh voice tore at him, "Listen, if you don't answer me in 5 seconds I'll blow your brains against this wall here! I've been through enough crap to last me an entire lifetime, and I won't hesitate to pay you for it!" The man panicked, and the information poured out of him, "S-Sir, it's me! Private Yamaura! I was told to give you a package! I swear sir, it's really me! I'm just delivering this!" The gun was pulled away from Private Yamaura's head and he was spun around so that he faced the owner of the gruff hands. He saw a tall imposing man staring down at him over a mustache. "Really Colonel! It's me! Remember?! I was there with you on that day!" There was no doubt about what day that was, as there was only one day burned into the mind of every survivor of the recent incident. The Colonel released the young boy and took the package from his trembling hands. As the Colonel carried his package over to a table, young Private Yamaura slowly slid down the wall to a sitting position. Why does he have to be like that? He almost gave me a freaking heart attack before I could give him the package. Yamaura looked at the Colonels' back as the stern man sat opening his package. That day changed you. And I don't think you'll ever be the same. "Are you still here?" Demanded the Colonels' gruff voice. "Get out of here. And tell your commanding officer I said that if he ever sends me someone as incompetent as you again, he'll be hearing form me personally." Private Yamaura scrambled up off of the dirty floor and quickly saluted, then hurried out the door. Jeez, what a freak... As the door slammed closed with the privates' indignant escape, the Colonel finished opening the package. "No... It can't be!" The Colonel stood up straight suddenly, knocking over his chair. "This can't be! This is wrong!" The colonel pulled his chair back up and sat down, thinking with his head in his hands. It's not possible. This is a hoax. There's no way this can be happening...I... I'm being discharged?!