Witch
Hunter Robin
False Echoes
Chapter XV - Setting the Board
Disclaimer: You know by now I don't own Witch Hunter Robin®, which belongs to
Sunrise® and Sci-Fi® Channel. You know this already.
Nor do I own the song False Echoes; I just borrowed its title.
Storyline, Plot, Kenny Avery©, Roger Williams©, Kichiro Wantanabee©, Rick
Richards©, Michael Campbell©, Rosalind Nichols© and Mr. Jackson David Rica© are
all mine.
-------------------
"These sewers were originally a escape tunnel used by Zaizen when he first
built the factory. He thought it would be a good way to get into the wood
across the street if he ever had need. The plan was abandoned, though, and he
flooded this tunnel with sewage. That didn't stop us."
Josh Osaka, once so handsome and pleasant that a much-younger Miho Karasuma had
crushed on him, was now dark and pale and could make even Amon look happy by
comparison. Josh was a different kind of dark than Amon, though. Amon was just
the typical brooding, depressed fellow from a childhood nightmare that wouldn't
leave his mind. But Amon still held faith in some things. Not love, not family
and not friendship, but some things were still sacred for Amon. If they
weren't, he wouldn't risk so much for so little.
Josh on the other hand was the opposite. Josh was a man who had believed in the
system. Josh was a man who lived in that gray area, believing that good and
evil lived in everyone. That can be a good thing, or a bad thing. Before he
used that gray sight of his to see the good inside even the worst people. Now
however he was using it to see the evil inside even the best people. Josh no
longer saw the good. He lived in a world of black and gray, and white was a
fleeting color that did not deserve to exist in his mind.
"Josh." Karasuma asked quietly as she walked across the room. The
floor was dry, thankfully, in this one particular pipe. The table was nothing
more than a poker table with fold out chairs on all sides. Some old oil lamps
provided all of the light in the room. She had a sad look on her face.
"What happened to you?"
Josh shrugged. "I got shot. Want some beer?"
Karasuma scowled, knowing that he was a different man. She sighed and turned to
Amon. Amon's expressionless face stared back at her with the same look his dark
eyes always carried. Karasuma felt like a different person here today. She had
felt different for a long time. Sighing a bit, she sat down in one of the
chairs. Josh had already explained about Orbo, and what it was made from. Amon
hadn't spoken since. Karasuma had felt so . . . odd. The normally reserved,
calm and always collected young woman who seemed so much older than her
nineteen years would normally carry, was gone. A new Karasuma was here. A
Karasuma who felt like a shy, scared schoolgirl again.
And it would only get worse for her.
----
Rica's katana was easily moved through the remainder of Kichiro's body. He
hacked the torso and arms into pieces and the legs followed soon after. The
head remained on the ground alone, looking up at him with those twin eyes. Rick
Richards would not be defeated that easily. He did not have a body, but he
would still avenge himself against Campbell, and now against Rica as well.
David ran a hand through his short black hair and he smiled his smug smile that
had become a sort-of unofficial trademark for himself. He had chopped the body
of Kichiro into countless ribbons, both to make sure it was unusable, and
because he rather enjoyed doing it after a while. He'd throw them up and swing
the silver blade in the black night sky and see if he could hit the piece of
flesh. Richards remained quiet.
"Very impressive David."
Rica stopped dead, allowing the piece of flesh he had been aiming for to sail
wide and land on the ground harmlessly. He gulped a bit when he realized who
had spoken and he turned around slowly to find a old man standing in the
darkness. It was Juliano, of course, and the old man was as expressionless as
ever. Rica's gun was now in the waist-band of his pants, and his sword in his
hand. The sky was dark and the grass was stained crisp beneath his feet.
"Father Juliano." Rica breathed. "So nice to see you
again."
Juliano did not move for a moment. He just stood still. And then a lot of
things happened very fast. As the wind passed over the two of them, Rica yelled
and spun around, grabbing his automatic-pistol and firing several shots. A
bright red light engulfed Juliano's forehead and a beam of crimson death
covered the sky. The bullets sailed into a red, eye-shaped hole in Juliano's
head and were absorbed. Rica felt himself being drawn towards it, and he
watched as bits of Kichiro's flesh flew into the eye hole.
Rica held the sword strong in his hand and attempted to hold himself back, but
it was useless. The head of Kichiro was now flying at the black hole of red
light that was sucking in everything in sight. Rica growled and watched as the
head vanished down into the light. For a brief second, Juliano gasped, and it
was just long enough for Rica to jump and let himself be drawn in. Mere feet
from death, Rica slashed the sword and pierced Juliano's throat, causing blood
to shower them both. The red eye closed and Juliano fell backwards, dead.
Rica dropped to his knees and began to pant, real fear breathing through his
body. He shook and his sweat seemed cold to him. A amused noise caught his ear
and he turned to see a woman with rich red hair leaning against a tree with a
smile of enjoyment on her face. Rica went for the sword, but she quickly shook
her head.
"I just want to talk, Davy."
----
"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Gentlemen."
In a room in the Factory, Zaizen stood. The walls, floors and ceiling were
black, and windows did not pierce the walls. Instead there was a large wall
filled with TV screens. One big one in the middle showed a aged, squat man who
looked European. Many others showed different men and women, a young redhead
with piercing green eyes, a Chinese man with gray hair and a small nose, a
American in a fancy suit with a annoyed look plastered on his wall- street worthy
face. The men and women on the screens were those of the Division Heads of
SOLOMON, and the man on the big screen was the Director of SOLOMON.
"We are busy Takuma. Unlike you, we are important people." The
Director said coldly. Many others shook their heads. All of the men were using
web cams to broadcast themselves to Zaizen, who grinned.
"Mr. Director, I know you sent David Rica to kill me." He said
frankly.
The Director sighed and shook his aged head from side to side. "It was my
son who revived Rica and gave him his mission. I had my son killed for it.
Still, I won't deny the fact that SOLOMON considers you and your Factory a
possible risk."
Zaizen gave a small smile on his aged lips and he walked slowly through the
room. His gray hair was slick with sweat but he didn't let it bother him. He
looked at the camera just beneath the screen of the director which broadcast
his own image and he smiled evilly before turning and walking to his desk. He
reached down and opened a briefcase that stood on the single, black, marble
desk. He pulled what looked like a can of air freshener out of it and held it
before him.
"This gentlemen, is the future." He said quietly. "This is
Operation Seven Trumpets."
"'Seven Trumpets?" The Chinese SOLOMON Deputy-Director asked from his
screen.
"Yes." Zaizen rolled his eyes. "From the Bible. It states that
the Seven Archangels shall play Seven Trumpets during Judgment Day. Those
Trumpets would be the doom and salvation of Mankind."
He held up the air freshener can with a father's pride and beamed his aged
smile around to the Director and his Deputies. "The difference here is
this Trumpet is the salvation of man, and the doom of witches. Bring in the
subject."
The doors at the end of the black room, which were black and blended into the
wall, opened and two Factory Agents came in. Between them they held a witch,
who had his face and hands bound. Zaizen waved his hand slightly and his twin
guards dropped the witch, who fell on his knees.
"This is Kibo Nishimura. He has the power to turn his hands into metal.
Watch."
Zaizen waved his hand again and the guards removed the clamps on Nishimura's
hands and face. Instantly Nishimura's swift reflexes caused his hands to
transform into twin sword-like blades and swipe out to his sides, slashing
through the stomach's of both guards, who screamed and fell down in a haze of
blood. The Irish Deputy-Director had to stifle a cry, and the American looked
sickened.
Nishimura turned around and looked at Zaizen. He growled and ran forward with a
screaming battle cry. Zaizen did not look worried, instead he took the can of
air freshener and sprayed it before him. The sound of something spraying came
out, but nothing was seen. Still, when Nishimura was about a foot from Zaizen
he stopped dead in his tracks and sneezed. A second later he screamed and a
sound like boiling water was heard. The directors all looked at their screens
but could only see Zaizen's back.
When Zaizen stepped away, all of them gasped. Some of them turned away in
disgust, and some covered their eyes. Nishimura's face was blistering and
boiling as small bubbles shot up beneath his skin. The skin was melting away in
several places and he was scratching at his face with his hands (which were
human again) and sobbing quietly. Blood was tricking down as the bones that
were clearly visible beneath the peeling and melting skin were burning a shade
of black. Zaizen smiled, the director and his deputies were now all looking
away.
"Using the same technology that created Orbo." He explained as he
adverted his eyes from Nishimura, who was now on the ground dead but still
burning, and turning them to the screens. "We created this. You saw what
it did to him, now watch this."
Zaizen held the can up to his own head. Many of the Deputies turned away, but
the Director himself did not. Zaizen sprayed himself and they could see a small
dabble of liquid on his face. Zaizen sneezed, just as Nishimura had done, but
he did not burn or boil or bleed. He just stood there and eventually let out a
second sneeze. It was obvious he was not dying, so the deputies turned back to
him.
"The substance of this spray is a corrosive nerve agent. However we have
altered it so that it only becomes active at the sight of a witch's genes.
Witches, as Professor Toudou discovered, have a extra gene in their DNA that
humans do not. This spray only becomes active when it detects that gene.
Meaning it kills witches, and does nothing to humans than give them a small
headache."
The Director's eyes widened with both fear and understanding of the abomination
which Zaizen was about to release onto mankind. He shook his head in disbelief.
Zaizen reached in his pocket and pulled out a cigar, lit it, and took a big
puff of the hoary haze of smoke from the end of his brown wonder.
"Imagine, if you will." Zaizen spoke between inhaling the sour love
of the cigar and blowing out the foulest of smoke. "A world without
witches. No, you cannot, because then you would have no job. That is your
problem. You hate me because I have the things needed to kill all witches in
the world. And tomorrow at midnight, I shall destroy all of the witches in Tokyo."
There were many shocked gasps and gaping looks from the directors. They were in
disbelief that anyone could be as evil or as cruel as Zaizen. To hunt violent
witches was one thing, but to eradicate the entire race was quite another. It
reminded them all of someone who had once tried to wipe out a entire race to
make a much purer race, and it scared them all.
"Gentlemen, the board is set. Soon I shall make my move. And when I do, I
assure you it shall be check."
Zaizen waved a hand and his camera went off. The screens on the wall lost their
images and instead they turned blue. Zaizen took a second inhale of the fume of
his cigar as he left the director and his deputies to ponder this new turn of
events. Soon the entire race of witches in Japan would be gone, and he, Zaizen, would be the
savior of mankind.
----
Michael had awaken once more after reliving his nightmare and now he sat on the
edge of his bed. Robin had gone down the street to a convince store to pick up
some ramen, since they were hungry and she was the best fighter among the
group. Michael sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the old band posters on
the wall and he continued to see the dream of Robin's death whenever he closed
his eyes. He knew that Robin was safe, and he knew that it was just a dream,
but that didn't stop him from having a worry. He couldn't help but feel that he
should be with her.
There was a ding from the corner of his bedroom, and he saw the computer screen
was now depicting a small mailbox with a envelope inside to show that he had
received a email. He walked slowly across the room, his shoulder still sore.
The morphine had worn off and he was now both sober and in pain. He asked for
some more, but Sakaki had gave him a no. Moving his hand gently so as not to
upset his wound, Michael used the mouse to click on the envelope. A new pop-up
popped up and he saw a letter from Amy in the STN-A offices in New Orleans's. She had been a Internet friend of his
for a long time, and recently she had met the STN-J he worked with when they
had hunted her old boss, David Rica.
Michael's sky blue eyes moved from behind the orange frames and peered down at
the letter. It had no words, only a IP number. Michael knew what to do and had
soon come to a new web page that showed a web cam feed. It was a recording of a
web cam. Michael saw as Zaizen spoke about Rica, and then as Zaizen melted the
face off of a witch. Michael watched as Zaizen talked about 'Operation Seven
Trumpets'. When the screen went black and Zaizen was gone, he was in horror.
"Michael."
Robin had appeared at the doorway to the room holding a shopping bag that was
undoubtedly full of ramen noodles. She had a unhappy look on her face, but it
was nothing compared to the sheer horror that was plastered on Michael's
once-happy lips. He looked down at her, searching for words but unable to find
them. She looked as if she wanted to say 'You should be in bed', but he knew
she could read the fear on his face. She walked over slowly and put her petite
hand on his shoulder, which sent a wave of warmth through his body.
"What's wrong?" She whispered.
Michael opened his mouth, but no sound came out. How could he explain to her
what he had seen? How could words describe this horrible new sin of Takuma
Zaizen, a man who is full of sins. He shook his head and returned to the
computer, pressing a button and allowing the horrible video to replay for the
woman he loved. Robin watched and she too fell into a gaze of fear as the video
ended. The two lovers looked at one another and did not speak. Words had
abandoned them both.
Before either of them spoke, the computer gave a ding and once again a email
appeared inside Michael's in box. With a gulp at what this one may bring, he
clicked on it to reveal it too was from Amy Adams in New Orleans. This time it had no link to horrors, but
instead it was a letter.
Dear Michael,
I hope you saw the recording of Zaizen's conference. He broadcast that about
half a hour ago. I was monitoring the New York office's stations. That man in the suit is
the Deputy-Director for America.
We don't know what Zaizen meant, but we believe he has some way to spread this
nerve agent into the public. It would kill witches and leave humans unharmed.
However, if every witch in the city is suddenly melted, it will scare people.
Perhaps even expose SOLOMON to the public. We can't let that happen.
The Director has already begun to muster a army. They plan to attack the
Factory. Every country supporting SOLOMON is planning a raid. The Japanese
branch, and your STN-J office will soon be notified. They want you to make a
attack.
I advise you tell your team not to attack the factory. They're only using you
so that Zaizen test his gas on your team, to see if it effects Seeds. If it
does then SOLOMON will have to launch a air strike on the Factory. We're
talking serious firepower.
SOLOMON also says to keep the attack on standby until tomorrow night. They want
to see if Zaizen is as capable as he says.
There is another way, though. Or at least their may be. Michael, are you still
involved with Robin Sena? There is something important about her you need to
know. If she's there, make sure she knows too. I've included a trans script of
a disc that was created by Professor Toudou before his death. If it's true,
then there may be something she can do that will turn the tides of this battle.
Below those words on the letter, Michael stopped reading and looked to his
side, where Robin too had stopped. Michael moved his hand up and placed it over
one of her own and gave it a small squeeze as he scrolled down. The two read
the transcript of Toudou's research, and when it was done they both stood in
silence. Below the words of Toudou were more words from Amy.
If it's true, if Robin is some kind of 'Super-Witch', then there is a way to
stop Zaizen. A man named Josh Osaka called the Director about a hour ago and
told him that Orbo is created from the DNA of Witches. He also said that Zaizen
dumps the waste of their bodies in a small lake near Mt. Fuji. I suggest that
you and Robin go there.
But first I suggest that you find out anything you can on Zaizen's Operation
for tomorrow night. We have to stop him if we're going to stop SOLOMON's
attack. If Zaizen becomes too dangerous, then SOLOMON will do anything to stop
him. I mean anything. They've talked about everything from sending in troops to
air strikes to nukeing the Factory if they have to. The Director is crazy. We
can't let them see how dangerous Zaizen is.
I don't know what that comment about Rica was about, but if he's alive somehow
and there I suggest you keep your distance. I don't have to remind you of how
dangerous he is.
I pray this letter helps.
Love, Amy
Silenced engulfed them once more.
This was the beginning of the end.
The beginning of war.
-------------------