The search was all but over. Despite how many times he insisted that she was still out there they government officials assigned to deal with the T.A.C. wouldn't believe him. Somehow they had uncovered Kusanagi's report about feeling the Kushinada's power, so now they were convinced that she was dead.
And now almost all their time was being tied up by some strange occurrences in town. Numerous animal attacks growing in ferocity and numbers kept occurring down town and on the border of the dead zone. Many times during the night Kusanagi was woken up by a strange feeling in his matamas.
Phantom pains he'd thought, but as they continued on into morning, he started to doubt that. The phone ringing snagged his attention off his matamas as he scooped it off the base by his bed.
"Kunikeda here." he hadn't even said hello before Mr. Kunikeda burst out. "Kusanagi we need you down at the TAC building right away." He ordered. Kusanagi gulped.
"What is it?" He asked fearing the answer. Kunikeda did nothing to relieve his fears.
"Just get down here and hurry." Kunikeda hung up as Kusanagi flung the phone on the bed. He headed out the back door to the basement leaping into the air his coat flapping behind him. His face was clouded by emotions but the most prominent one was surety. The Aragami were back and with Momiji gone there was no way to win.
She woke up when she rolled off the bed, well she'd thought it was the bed but she landed on dirt. Bleary eyed she stood up reaching to scratch her head. She really needed a shower and a change of clothes. Her hand froze. She wasn't outside but in one of the warehouses obviously constructed for only one use. There were fake trees and platforms along with chains and bars hung from the ceiling. She guessed they were for hanging or grabbing on to.
She heard a slight whirring and turned to see a gun looking device raising from the ground. It swiveled for a moment before training on her. There was a short whine before a green laser bolt struck the ground at her feet. It stopped then raised a few inches to hit just below her toes. Momiji got the point and quickly looked for a place to hide. The nearest platform was almost twenty feet away. As she took a step in that direction the laser shot the dirt in front of her.
"Fine!" She hissed as she took another step and leapt toward the platform. She reached out to grab a bar that would let her swing on to the platform, but the bar turned out to be another gun. Unable to stop her forward momentum she hit the ground hard going to her knees a hand on the ground. A whirring told her that a gun was being trained on her. She quickly looked for somewhere else to go when she felt a sharp pain in her calf.
Gritting her teeth she leapt up moving from fake tree to fake tree in rapid succession as she had seen Kusanagi do. It really wasn't as hard as it looked just a case of quick footing and hold herself upright. A laser came close to hitting her hair and getting ticked she leapt up grabbing a chain to swing forward to another one dodging as many bolts as possible another singing her arm just above her elbow. Gritting her teeth she looked daggers at the guns, now numbering in six. She knew there were more just waiting and the pain was really getting on her nerves. She took a moment to think.
Kusanagi had triangular blades on his forearms, Murakumo had swords from his wrists so it would make sense that she would have some sort of weapons too but how? How did she find out what they were? She really needed to have a chat with Kusanagi. Maybe if she suggested it to her captors they'd see the wisdom of it. First she had to get out of here alive.
Letting go of the chain she hit the ground hard she rolled over and regained her feet taking off at a sprint. The closest laser trained on her but she lept before it could fire. With a thud she landed behind it and watched it turn towards her, but before it got halfway she spun and kicked the top off. Exposed wires cracked and the gun made a few clicking noises before stopping all together.
She took off for the next one leaping on the platform and taking this one off with her own hands. It came apart rather easily and she tossed it on the ground with disgust. To think, not to long ago she'd been aiming bazookas at Aragami and preying for Kusanagi to love her. Now she was trapped without him destroying guns to survive a training room. She laughed as she moved to the next one knowing she was probably the only one who would see the irony.
The once scared little girl who could do next to nothing but always had her protector near now was filled with an awesome power but all alone. Who would have thought. She shook her head feeling the absence of her old hair and knew that she was changed forever. Maybe somehow she could make it up for Kusanagi for getting him killed. Maybe she could use her new powers and disguise to help him fight whatever was out there. To many maybes. She destroyed another gun almost without thought. She could take off the choker and she absolutely knew he would sense her, but as what? The Kushinada she used to be or as the Aragami she now was?
Absently she raised a hand to feel the small stone of ceramic above her blue seeds. She could take it off, either way he'd come, but as it was he would more than likely attack her and she didn't know enough to fight him, nor did she want to. But what if she hung around here to learn more? They seemed to know more than she did, not that it would be hard but she would learn even more from Kusanagi. She sighed knowing that her thoughts were going in circles. There was no way to convince him that she was a friend. Not with her blue seeds, or her new looks.
A small twanging in her leg as she stepped on it reminded her of why she was here and she glared at one of the last guns. Taking a rock by her feet she flung it at the weapon and was rewarded by a small puff of smoke as it damaged the circuits and burned them out. She turned to face the last one, but it was powering down retracting on it's little pole into the floor. She felt like sticking her tongue at it, but didn't. A door in the wall she hadn't noticed before opened and the man with the ice blue eyes entered. He was wearing his white jacket and Momiji morbidly wondered if he lived in the thing.
Warily she leapt over to him making a slight show of her agility. She landed a few feet before him and he stopped trying to determine her mood, but she just stood looking at him. After a moment he cleared his throat and tried to talk. He cleared it again.
"We have some clothes and other things for you in a bathroom so you can change. If you would just follow me, we need to hurry." Momiji tilted her head to the side and he took this as affirmation and lead the way out. She followed him into the sunlight that shone between the buildings. Fresh air filled her lungs and it was remarkably unpolluted since they were in the dead sector where there were no factories. She had a sudden urge to kneel down and let the presence of the earth pervade her senses but doubted the ice man would tolerate it.
He led her inside the metal door they had entered the first night but instead of going to her little room he lead her further into the building where it seemed that dorms were set up. At the far end of the row of rooms was a large bathroom with a sunken tub and showers. Enough of them to serve maybe ten people at a time. Quickly he opened the door for her and when she stuck her head in to look around she was forcefully shoved into the room where the door was locked behind her. Momiji angrily shoved her elbow into the door just at the height where the man's face would be before turning and taking in the room and the pile of clothes on a counter top.
"Ah hot water!" She exclaimed almost leaping for a shower. They had said she needed to hurry and although she looked at the sunken tubs longingly she stripped and turned on the facet letting it quickly drench her. Shampoo and Conditioner were supplied and she used a generous portion of both trying to get her hair to fell like something other than straw. When she was satisfied that it was all she could do, Momiji toweled off and stalked over to where her clothes were sitting.
A large mirror was on the wall beside the stack of clothes and Momiji caught sight of herself in it and stopped to look at herself. She had masses of muscle tone, more than she'd ever seen on a woman and she flexed for the fun of it and was rewarded with bulging muscles. She knew that matama's somehow made a person stronger but the ones she had seemed to have doubled the effect. She relaxed the muscles frowning when they were still obvious. She didn't look very feminine anymore, and most certainly not like the petite girl she used to be.
"What have they done to me?" She asked wanting to cry. She looked almost wiry to her point of view although in actuality she looked very lean and muscled not wiry. Momiji couldn't stand the view and turned away from it distracting herself with her clothes. They'd found some of her old clothes, the pants and boots, but her bra and underwear along with her shirt had been replaced with some not her own. The dimensions were accurate but awfully lacy and strapless. Her shirt, an electric blue just like her hair, was also strapless and she felt very uncomfortable in it. Uncomfortable seemed to be something she was going to have to get used to.
She rapped on the door signaling she was done but no one opened it. Five minutes passed and Momiji finally had enough and took the door handle in both hands and propped her leg against the outside of the frame for leverage. She pulled twice before she heard the metal bar in the dead bolt start to strain. On the next pull she managed to bend it enough she could pry the door open. She did so and flung it open and strode out into the hall just in time to see the man in white rounding the corner. He hadn't expected her to be there and his steps faltered.
"Why do you keep doing this to me?" She asked harshly not sounding anything like she intended to. "You've kidnapped me, implanted mitama's in me, tried to get me killed by a bunch of lasers and locked me in a bathroom not to mention the fact that I wasn't asked what kind of clothes I'd like to wear. This is damned itchy." She scratched her side where the tag to the shirt was as proof. The man didn't seem repentant in the least.
"It was necessary now if you'll come with me." He turned around to lead her somewhere else. Momiji's better nature was being challenged by this and it took all her self control to not yell at the man. She felt so hassled that she could have ripped what was left of her hair out and it wasn't going to stop. These people had blatant control over her life and didn't seem to hide the fact. Just days ago she'd been a free loving if not happy person and she was now a prisoner. Anger smoldering in her eyes she followed him down and out of the building where the crossed to one that looked more like a business complex.
Metal and glass glinted in the morning light seeming much to cheerful but a chill wind blew across the face of the building making Momiji shiver. The man in white noticed and once inside the building he had one of the women there get her a coat. Remarkably enough it was a large black leather coat that fit pretty well. She shrugged into it happy for it's warmth against the blast of the air conditioned air that for some reason had to be set for at most at sixty degrees.
Once he'd seen to her comfort the man in white motioned for her to follow him into an elevator where he punched in the penthouse. Momiji went to the back side of it which was a window facing the outside to see a small stream of cars trailing through the gates and heading for the building she was now in. Her sharp eyes picked out every detail of the cars and she knew even from far away that one of them was Matsu's car and the other was Kome's. What on earth were they doing here?
Eyes wide she quickly turned away from the window in case they spotted her. What was she going to do if they saw her? They couldn't recognize her, not with the changes the matama's had wrought let alone her own actions but how was she going to keep them from discovering who she was? Did she want them to know? No, that would keep her from finding a way to make it up to Kusanagi and they would be mad, incredibly mad at her. It would also give her away to her captors who had not believed her no matter what. How could she prove that she was Momiji?
Genetics. that was what the woman had meant. The matama's had changed her genetic structure and there was no way to prove she was Momiji Fujimia anymore. She wasn't Dorien either but it did provide her with an excellent cover. If she played into being this Dorien person they wouldn't know and maybe she could use the T.A.C. to get her out of the governmental facilities. But that didn't answer the question as to why they were here. With that thought fresh on her mind the elevator reached the top and she was ushered out.
Down a long hallway they came to a set of double doors made of expensive wood and polished enough she could see her reflection. Those doors were opened for her and even cooler air wafted over her along with a scent of gardenias. Momiji hated that scent and the moment she saw who the scent belonged to she knew why. It was one of the ministers who had once aided in her capture to be sacrificed for the Aragami. She couldn't remember his name nor did she really want to but she knew he was behind this.
"Ah Dorien." The man, shorter than she was, came over and held out his hand for her to shake. Momiji stared at it then at him until finally he dropped it. "Ah why don't you take a seat. The others will be here soon and then I'll explain why you were pulled from your training." He motioned to a seat across the room at a long conference table as he himself moved to the head to take a seat. He had placed her on his left and Momiji couldn't bring herself to sit next to him.
"I'll stand." She replied in a rough voice. Placing her feet with care she stalked down the side of the table to lean against the wall next to a tree. The man looked about to argue but just them the man in white came in so he said nothing. Once her position was discovered the man in white approached her yet again this time holding something a very dark blue almost black in his hands.
Momiji looked at him then at the items when he held them out to her. They were mitts or driving gloves with the fingers cut off. Her eyes stung as she took them from him and covered her hands from the mitamas on them, not that it would help much since anyone who got a look at her could see the ones on her chest. The shirt she was wearing didn't cover them at all. She nodded to the man who then took a seat on the ministers right hand side. He sat down just as Momiji picked up voices coming from down the hall, familiar voices.
She tried not to panic and ran through her feeble plan one more time going over her new Dorien identity and making sure she would remember to speak in a rough voice. Hopefully it would be enough for them, how she hoped so and she watched them through the foliage of the tree next to her as they came into the room.
First was Mr. And Mrs. Kunikeda. They both looked hassled and a bit rumples but they were straitening their clothes and quickly looked decent enough. Momiji could see bags under both their eyes and wondered what had caused them sleepless nights. Before she could get to caught up in it though Kome and her husband walked in. Kome looked her usual self in her old pink jumpsuit instead of the blue skirt suit she had adopted the year before. That in and of itself surprised Momiji because the woman rarely wore anything else to work.
Then came Sakura and her friend the detective. They looked exactly as they had the last time she'd seen them, Sakura in a skin tight red miniskirt and matching top and with all the men's eyes on her. The two sitting at the table sure seemed to get something out of her outfit. Then came Kusanagi. Momiji's eyes widened for a moment until she got herself back under control. She hadn't known that he would be here and indeed he didn't look like it either. He was wearing a pair of black pants a black shirt and his red trench coat. His hair wasn't quite pristine though and that gave him away to Momiji. The group from the TAC stood at the end of the table waiting for instructions which the minister gave telling them to sit. They arranged themselves at the far end each looking very out of place.
"Let me begin by telling you how appreciative I am for you to make it here in such short order." The minister stood up and started pacing around his area at the head of the table. "Secondly I would like to tell you why exactly I have asked that you come. First of all I'm sure you've figured out that the Aragami are back." He dropped this as some sort of bombshell, or at least it was to Momiji. She stood there in shock but everyone else nodded solemnly. "With the Kushinada gone we have no trump card to hold if we should fail to kill them this time so we must do what we can, as fast as we can to squash the Aragami before it gets out of had." They thought she was dead. Momiji allowed herself to feel sorrow for a moment but some new sense of rationality kicked in.
That was what they would have seen and felt when she'd blacked out on the operating table. The conflicting powers within herself would have given off the same effect except it wouldn't put them to sleep for good because it was tainted. The people who had kidnapped her had effectively taken away the one way she had ever possessed to keep those she loved safe. They had given her something that she didn't know how to use if she even could. The minister continued speaking and Momiji had to listen to what he said.
"And of course the other reason is, we need your help. Not only in defeating the new Aragami threat, but we need the help of you Kusanagi to train our new, er, weapon." That brought only silence. Kusanagi shot him a look that clearly said why me? Momiji, angry as usual and using that as a shield, stepped out from where she was blocked by the tree and turned into their view so that they could see the matamas on her chest. Pandemonium reigned.
It stuck Momiji that maybe they expected her to be ashamed of what she was. Among the first questions they managed to ask was how she had managed to get this way and why. Kome was almost livid because she had assumed that Momiji had done this to herself, how that was possible she didn't know. After that everyone seemed to come up with their own theory each as amazing and radical as the previous one. She looked to the Minister but he continued to stand there win an amazed look on his face. He was actually enjoying this.
The only person who hadn't said anything was Kusanagi who just sat in his char staring at her. She couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes so she she turned away and cleared her throat loudly. Immediately she had everyone's attention.
"The Minister can explain how it is I'm here." She told them using her gruff voice. The attention shifted off Momiji back to the Minister who didn't look happy with her interference. As quickly as possible he explained about the search and preparation of the subject, leaving out the the details of her supposed escape and recapture. To Matsudera's obviously delight he had the man in white, a Mr. Smith, explain briefly the application of her mitamas. The whole while Momiji stood there watching their faces as they listened.
Ryoko was clearly horrifed and her grip on her husband looked painful. Daitetsu was confused although about what she couldn't guess. Matsu was jotting things down on a notepad looking up at the Minister every few lines. The detective was checking Momiji out which made her want to squirm as his eyes lingered over various assets. Sometime, at a later date, she would have to remember to slap him for it. Sakura was bored. Most of what was said was over her head and once Sakura was sure that she was no contest she no longer cared.
Kusanagi only continued to watch her like he would an insect. Momiji had thought that she was good at reading his expressions but she couldn't figure him out so he was either putting in an extra effort to hide his feelings or she had never seen him like this. Both were possible and even likely. The Minister had finished off where Mr. Smith stopped ending their speech with these final words.
"And so we need help teaching Dorien how to be a proper Aragami. Maybe with both of them on our side we can keep this new menace from getting out of control." With that he sat back down and rested his chin on a hand to look at them. Kusanagi glared back showing the first sign of emotion she'd seen on him but it wasn't exactly what they expected.
"After all that this country has been through," His voice was soft but intense and Momiji thought his eyes glowed just a bit, "After all we as a people have been through how dare you pretend to know what to do with the Aragami. Don't you realize that it could very well be that what you've done to Dorien was what woke up the Aragami? Didn't you think that there would be repercussions for your actions?" His question took the minister by surprise. He hadn't thought about it and now it was to late to find out.
"It's to late to worry about that now." Kunikeda broke in trying to keep everyone calm while echoing Momiji's thoughts. "What we have to worry about now is the Aragami. I know you aren't going to like this, but it does seem like you're going to have to help us on this Kusanagi. We need both of you." Momiji couldn't help but notice that no one asked her if she wanted to help. She could have felt resentful but instead she felt lost.
"All right . We'll find somewhere near your current residence for Dorien to live and supply her with a car so she can reach both you and the T.A.C. I want daily reports on her progress Kunikeda." The Minister stood meaning the meeting was over, but no one else rose.
"She doesn't need a car." Matsudera told him packing up her notebook and pen. She stood up and tucked in her chair being the first to do so.
"Excuse me?" Mr. Smith said baffled.
"She has eight matamas." She explained in her soft voice. "She can fly." Matsu looked pointedly at Momiji who inadvertently took a step back shaking her head.
"Dorien had been an Aragami for all of two days. Our reports say she doesn't know how yet." Mr. Smith sounded smug lording what little information he had over them. Ryoko sighed.
"Well deal with that later. Right now we need to get the apartment and necessities and familiarize her with the TAC. Shall we go?" Ryoko pulled her husband up to stand beside her while Momiji looked between her and the Minister. She didn't know what she was supposed to be doing or saying but the frustration was building in her. She wanted to just yell or scream or something but she was trapped by the people around her to the point of helplessness. She was startled when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Take a few deep breaths and we'll get out of here." Kusanagi's voice brought her back from the point of hysteria. She nodded and did what he said. It helped a little. "We'll meet you at the TAC building. Is there a balcony here?" He was directed to an adjoining room and he steered Momiji by her shoulders till she was standing out in the cold morning air. Automatically she zipped up her jacket.
"You really don't know how to fly?" He asked running his fingers through his hair. Momiji tried not to look at him and just shook her head. "It's okay. Took me years to get there." It wasn't the entire truth and if Momiji didn't know the real story it might have helped. Truth was he'd been able to fly, with her help, before he had eight matamas. Instead of making her feel better she felt worse.
"For now I'll take you." He told her. An arm wrapped around her waist and she felt the familiar rush of air past her face. The air didn't sting her eyes like it used to and almost happily she looked out to where they were flying instead of just looking at Kusanagi like she had in the past.
People and cars rushed by them as they flew between the buildings of the inhabited part of of Tokyo. It wasn't to long before he was setting her down on the roof of the TAC building. Momiji took a step away trying not to get lost in the memories of the time she'd flown with him before. When she had her emotions under control she turned to find him watching her.
"What?" She asked sounding slightly paranoid. His eyes and look unnerved her and for a second she though he might know.
"Just trying to decide what to do." He said looking away. His hands were hidden in his pockets and he stood resigned a scowl on his face. Momiji watched him for a moment then dug the tow of her boot into a soft patch of tar on the roof.
"About what?" She asked hiding her own hands. She finally understood why he was always doing that. She was completely aware of the new differences between her and the rest of human kind and how her matamas made her stand out. God how could Kusanagi could stand it all his life. She wanted to go comfort him, hug him or anything but that was what Momiji would have done. She wasn't Momiji anymore.
"About helping you I guess. I've been like this for over twenty years. You can't match that in two days." He sighed pushing off from the wall to prowl around her. Momiji tried to shrink in on herself to keep from being criticized. She thought that she knew it was coming. "Well first i had better warn you about a couple things." Whatever she expected it wasn't that. Kusanagi went back to leaning on the wall while Momiji looked at him with curiosity. Warn her?
"First of all, and you may have already noticed this, but the matamas will pick up on and amplify your emotions, all of them. That's why you almost lost it back there. Even with years of training you can still lose your temper and cause a lot of damage. Believe me I've done it." This explained a lot to her. Like why she'd gotten so angry so easily and as he'd mentioned the frustration. It also explained many of the things she'd noticed about him. Like when he got really angry he could do the most amazing things.
"The next thing being that the matamas will effect how your able to do things. You'll have to be careful because you don't know your own strength, or your own abilities. You could very well hurt someone without realizing it both physically and mentally. I haven't used the mental and telepathic portion of my abilities much, but yours are more powerful so you'll always have to be on your guard, and it will be tough." He watched to see how she would take his words and to give Momiji credit, she spent a long time going of them.
It was true enough that she was much different from what could be considered a normal Aragami. Not only were each one different because of personality and physical attributes but now even more so because of the tinkering done to her matamas. Not even Kusanagi could predict what all was going to appear in her. Momiji was overcome by helplessness and she flopped down on the roof to bury her face in her hands. She managed to keep from crying but just barely.
"And here i thought that once I had your help everything would be okay." She whispered hanging her arms over her knees and looking up at him. Kusanagi looked shocked his eyes wide.
"Me?" He asked. "Why me?" He self consciously ran a hand through his hair again and Momiji watched almost smiling at him.
"I've seen you fight before, you've always seemed so sure of what you were doing, being exactly what and where you should be. I thought if anyone could help me it would be you." It was all true enough even if he didn't know exactly how close up she'd seen him fight. Her words seemed to stoke his ego just a bit hearing that people had been watching him. At any other time Momiji would have been so flustered by his very presence that she couldn't say or do anything of that sort, like say what she meant, but now she was using the Dorien identity as a shield. It was kind of nice.
"I wish I could tell you everything to expect what to do, what's going to happen, but I can't. I just don't know." He sighed again and stood offering her a hand up. Momiji looked at his gloved hand for a moment before placing her own gloved one into it. Kusanagi easily lifted her to her feet.
"The others should be here shortly so let's head down, oh and I'll warn you now. Matsudera's going to try and corner you. I'm sure she's thought of a million tests to run and all the best ways to analyze them. She'll have coerced Yegashi and the others as well. I wouldn't let them if I were you. He tried to make it sound dreadful but Momiji already knew all this. Because of that she'd already thought of something else.
"But won't the tests actually help? If they compare the results of those to the one's you've taken maybe they can tell me a little about how I'm different from you." All the research she'd helped compile and complete was finally paying off. Kusanagi looked at her suddenly a sharp feel to his gaze. "What?" Momiji asked softly unsure why he was looking at her like that.
"Sorry, you just reminded me of someone i used to know. She sometimes sounded like that." Pain was etched in his voice and features. Momiji couldn't help but place a hand on his arm wondering who had cause him so much pain. Wait, had known, he thought she was dead! Quickly she withdrew her hand hoping he hadn't caught her look. No he was to caught up in his thoughts and pain. Momiji skirted past him to open the door to the stairs then gently, so he didn't know she was doing it, she led him down the stairs to the main office room which, thankfully, was open. She went in and Kusanagi Absently followed her taking a seat by the door. Momiji looked at him closely now that he wasn't paying so much attention to her.
He looked positively haggard once one looked closely at and past his physical appearance. His eyes were sunken in and his shoulders drooped in a defeated way. He would have felt the power release from her matamas, no matter how perverted it may have been by the aragami presence. God how she regretted running away, but there was no hope for it mow. She left him to rest for a bit and started exploring the office just like anyone who's never been there would. She was looking out a window when the others finally arrived. When they saw her they trouped in silently moving to their respective desks. Their entrance brought Kusanagi out of his reverie and he stood to lean against the wall taking on an indifferent pose. Kome, never one to stay silent for long, finally broke the silence by storming over to Momiji and holding out her hand.
"Hi, I'm Kome Yegashi's wife. You can just call me Kome. Welcome to the TAC I guess." She was trying very hard to be friendly so Momiji smiled wryly and took the hand to shake it. What she didn't expect was the emotions she felt from the older woman, Sorrow, remorse, fear, anger, aggression, resentment, and a small touch of interest in Momiji's new identity. She couldn't let go of her hand fast enough and hoped it wouldn't be taken as she was being rude. Next Yegashi introduced himself, then the Kunikedas. Then the detective and last of all Sakura who of course made some snide comment about her wardrobe. From each of them including Sakura she got the same emotions although Sakura also felt bored and a little threatened. Momiji hugged her leather jacket closer to her body looking for Mrs. Matsudera but just as she was going to ask the door burst open. Mrs. Matsudera walked in trailing an over burdened cart of medical supplies. Momiji knew where this was going and caught Kusanagi rolling his eyes. As was expected she took a step back eyeing the cart warily. Matsudera didn't even notice as she started unloading things like and arm cuff and stethaschope. The computer was next.
"I hope you don't mind Dorien but I need to run a few tests on you so that i can get an idea of how the governments chemicals effected your matamas. Kusanagi I could use your help as well." She didn't even look at him but expected compliance.
"Do i have a choice?" He asked sardonically. Everyone else in the room looked at him a couple people even grinned.
"Well this is Dullsville, I'm outta here." Sakura said pulling her purse over a bare shoulder and obviously leaving over to get her keys. Momiji looked away in disgust.
"I think I'll go with you." The detective, hanging on her every word, held the door open for her. Sakura stuck her head back in and shot a jibe at Kusanagi using her favorite term, carrot boy. Kusanagi ignored her pissing her off.
"Knowing Matsu, this will take al day and we have some errands to run. We'll be back later if you need us." Kome and Yegashi moved to the door urgency in their stride. Momiji had a feeling that it wasn't just their errands but she'd begun to get the impression that they thought she was Momiji's replacement if that made any sense. To her it did and that was enough to get a little resentment from anyone. She wouldn't be surprised if Kusanagi felt that way as well. Ryoko and Mr. Kunikeda remained taking up chairs by his desk to talk to each other.
Momiji went and sat where Mrs. Matsudera instructed taking off her boots, coat and mitts as well. She felt very exposed without her coat but knew very well that Matsu couldn't check her matamas with it on. It didn't take the scientist but a moment before she found something odd.
"There is so little scaring around these." She had taken Momiji's hands in her own and was looking at the tissues around the matamas. Momiji almost started chewing on her lip before catching herself. That could have been a dead give away.
"It's because of the way there were er installed for lack of a better term." She didn't really want to talk about it but Matsudera found it important so she told about the surgery and the exact way she'd been sliced and diced even going so far as to describe the color of the liquids her matamas had been soaked in. This Matsudera jotted down on her notepad before she checked over the matamas on Momiji's knees.
"Squeeze this." She handed Momiji a soft plastic ball with wires coming from it. Momiji gave it a quick squeeze making the computer connected to it start printing sheets of data. Matsu looked them over then glanced at Momiji. "Squeeze this as hard as you can." She sounded affronted thinking that Momiji should have of course known that's what she wanted. Momiji complied squeezing the ball until her arm muscles bulged. She kept squeezing until the computer gave a squawk and the readouts stopped. Sheepishly she handed the flattened and destroyed back. She had broken it without reaching her full strength. Kusanagi let out a low whistle before she handed him one. He had to try to destroy it which he did do.
"Well, there are some obvious differences." Matsu told them after hooking them up to electrodes that connected to the same computer. Two readouts printed off and she was comparing them. "Although it is quite obvious that Dorien is stronger, many of the things that should be higher than Kusanagi's aren't. They apparently need practice just like a human's muscles. I'll see if i can devise some sort of training for both of you which should help. Some of it though you're going to have to figure out own your own." She unhooked them both putting the computer away and pulling out a silver box filled with syringes and vials. Momiji didn't dare let them get a blood sample so she pretended to be afraid.
"I'm sorry... I.. I can't. Not after them implanting the ... m.. matamas. I'm sorry." She wrapped her arms around herself tears quickly forming in her eyes. Matsu took pity on her and put the case away to finish clearing up. The phone rang and Ryoko answered it quickly writing on a small slip of paper. She then thanked whoever it was and hung up.
"Here's the address." She said coming over and placing the slip of paper on the desk besides Momiji. "They've also give you a small account so you can get clothes and groceries, whatever you need. It's all at your apartment which I was told is furnished. Do you want me to call you a cab?" Momiji had grabbed her mitts and coat was putting them on as Ryoko talked. When she was done she opened her mouth to say sure.
"I'll take her." Kusanagi cut her off. He was pulling on his trench coat. "Until she learns the limits of her abilities I'd better stay with her to clean up and messes that she might cause." Momiji prickled at that but anything she might have said would sound like something Momiji had said once before so instead she shoved her hands in her coat pockets and scowled.
Ryoko nodded faintly before going to collect Daitetsu so they could leave. Momiji glimpsed the dial of a clock and was surprised to find it almost five o'clock. No wonder they were all ready to go. Kusanagi headed for the stairs to the roof without looking back and so remembering to grab the slip of paper she followed him gritting her teeth the whole time.
She had barely stepped on the roof when the paper was taken from her fingers and she felt his arm around her waist. They were airborne so quickly that her stomach dropped to her feet and she felt slightly sick. Part of this was due to the fact she hadn't eaten yet that day and the other part was because the skin at Kusanagi's wrist was touching her bare stomach and that was how he felt. His stomach was twisting and he felt ill about something, what she couldn't tell. Turning in his grip she tried to tell from his face but it was more impassive than ever. She had barely a moments notice before his grip slackened.
"Don't you dare-" Was as far as she got before she was falling. Panic rose with the bile in her throat as she watched the buildings get closer and closer below her. A scream tore itself from her throat and Momiji started to black out. She had flown plenty of times but never before had it been an uncontrolled fall like this. With enough sense to curl up she tried to protect her head with her arms and cringed waiting for impact. It never came as strong arms caught her a scant fifteen feet from the top of the building. Kusanagi had snatched her out of the hair but Momiji's stomach didn't believe it and she felt it heave. Desperately she pushed herself out of his arms to land on all fours atop the building that had almost killed her. Her stomach wretched painfully but there was nothing in there to come up. Instead she knelt there painfully until it stopped and when she was finally able to lean back it was only to fix Kusanagi with an almost hateful glare. Never in her life had she been as mad at him as she was now.
"I'm sorry, if I'd known you were going to react like that I never would have done it. It's just that you didn't even blink at flying and I thought you could handle it." He looked very sincere and Momiji wanted to forgive him but he had just dropped a complete stranger from over a hundred feet up to see if she could fly. If it had been Momiji as herself it never would have happened. She tried to think of something to say that would even come close to expressing her anger but words failed her.
Her stomach muscles screamed in pain as she stood up glaring at him the whole while. Gaze never wavering she snatched the address back from him and with a running leap she jumped to the next building never looking back, never wavering in her direction. Miraculously she knew how to get to her house without reading street signs and a block away she lept to the street itself reading the address in her hand for the first time. It was indeed just around the corner and she walked there with a sure, deep stride. Some of her anger had burned off but she was still very ticked.
The military agent waiting at the apartment complex for her took a deep breath before approaching her with the keys to her apartment, 113. Momiji thanked him and mock saluted him before striding off to the elevator. ON the second floor she found the right door and used the key to open the door.
"They shouldn't have." Momiji muttered to herself looking at the apartment before her. The place was clean, but not somewhere she would have happily called home. The Linoleum was coming off the floor and the carpet had huge brown and red stains as if someone had dumped tea and punch out to give it more color. A futile attempt at best. The bed was a death trap and probably flee ridden to boot. Hopefully they had given her enough money to hire a cleaner and by bedding.
She should have expected it but the open window came as a small surprise. She turned and found Kusanagi standing next to the doorway to the bathroom.
"Go away." She told him exhaustion and anger creeping into her voice. Hoping he would listen she went over to the bed and began stripping the sheets. No flees, but little black bugs that were really called bed bugs. "That's disgusting." She said flinging the sheets out the window. She would have to buy a new mattress as well.
Pulling it off the bed with one hand she dragged it to the door and tossed it into the hall. Maybe one of the other tenants could use it. The metal frame on the bed was decent enough. Then she turned to the kitchenette area where a stove, sink, and refrigerator stood. There was mold in the fridge the freezer was completely blocked up with frost and the stove had food caked on the burners. If she used it the whole place would smoke up.
"What did I do to deserve this?" She asked the air going through the packet the agent had given her looking for the card. She could call the number on the back and see what the limit was. Hopefully it would be enough.
"Nothing that I can see." Kusanagi answered her rhetorical question. She looked over at him gaze heated.
"I thought I asked you to leave or do you want to try and kill me again?" She didn't wait for an answer before searching for a phone. There was one by the door but the cradle didn't work.
"I won't try that again I assure you. Please accept my sincerest apologies." He pushed off the wall walking toward her. Momiji felt her usual flustering coming back and the closer he got the worse it was. Unable to deal with it she moved away looking for something to fix the phone.
"Okay, if I can ask you a few things." Technically she wasn't supposed to know who he was or anything about him. She could use this as leverage. Her conscious tried to kick in here telling her that she'd never been like this before that she'd never try to use anything she had or knew against anyone she cared about, but she squashed that thought quickly. She wasn't who she'd been. Kusanagi took the phone off the wall and sat on the floor looking her over through silted eyes before finally nodding. He started taking the phone apart looking for the broken pieces.
"Where's the Kushinada? I thought she was supposed to be with the TAC as well, but I haven't seen her yet." This was the best way to find out what they thought, but she knew it would hurt him. He looked up at her for a long moment before going back to his phone.
"As far as we know, dead. She was kidnapped a few days ago and the Kushinada pulse was released a day or two after that. That only happens when she dies." Despite his best efforts to sound uncaring his voice wavered each time he said death. Momiji bit her lip as she thought catching herself just before he looked up.
"I'm sorry. She must have meant a great deal to you." That was a underhanded way of saying it. She knew he cared for her it was the other way around that always seemed to be in jeopardy. He continued to look at her as he formed an answer.
"More than she'll ever know." He sounded so lost when he said it that Momiji had to check the impulse to go to him and tell him the truth. She'd always known how much he cared even if he didn't always show it. It was just that she wasn't worthy of him, she'd betrayed him and he'd paid for it with his life. Turning away so he couldn't see this in her eyes she walked away a bit before sitting down on the carpet and laying on her back to stare at the ceiling. It had water rings covering most of it although at some point in time they'd tried to paint over it.
"Why do you feel you have to be my baby-sitter? I may not know my own strength yet, but surely I can handle myself pretty well." She turned her head to look at him stabbing herself in the neck with a spike earring. She'd forgotten that it was in her ear until just now. Kusanagi continued to busy himself with the phone.
"Honestly, I needed something to do along with the hope that maybe I can get you to help me search for the Kushinada. Even if she is dead, I'd like to see her body, know for sure before I bury her in my heart." It was completely honest and the most revealing thing he'd ever said to her about his feelings. He seemed to be able to tell a complete stranger more than he'd told her when she'd been the closest person to him. It hurt just a little.
"Oh." Was all she said and she turned to stare back up at the ceiling. An uneasy silence filled the room as she tried not to let his words depress her to much and he tried to not get buried by his emotions. After a bit he fixed the phone and told her so moving away from where it was hung.
Momiji got up and first called information to see if she could find someone to clean the apartment. Luck was with her and someone was still open so she called the landlord letting him know that she was going to be out and that he needed to let the cleaners in. Next she called the number on the card happily surprised by the amount in the bank. It was more than enough to supply her with everything she needed for a couple months.
"I suppose you're coming shopping with me?" She said not really asking but more affirming. He nodded thrusting his fists back in his coat pockets and she opened the door motioning for him to proceed her. She didn't bother making sure the door was locked. Personally she hoped someone would ransack the room so she could move somewhere else but she knew it wasn't likely. Despite her earlier need to have her stomach empty it started growling halfway down the elevator. Kusanagi noticed and smiled a bit.
"We should get something to eat first, my treat." Momiji favored him with a wry grin before leaving the elevator. Technically if she'd had a full stomach she would have lost it thanks to him so it was nice of him to offer. "Care to fly?" He asked as they stepped outside. The sun was setting early because there were storm clouds on the horizon. Momiji didn't give them a second glance and shook her head eyes wide with horror. Kusanagi chuckled softly then lead off down the street joining the crowds of people hurrying home.
Instead of taking her to a moderate restaurant he went passed them to a very expensive steak house. He'd never taken Momiji here but they'd rarely gone anywhere. Inside he insisted on ordering for her and the amount of food placed before them was monstrous.
"I can't possibly eat all this." She said having never seen so much meat in one place before. The waiter smiled politely before firmly handing her a steak knife and leaving.
"You'll be amazed at how much you put away. Eventually it will wear off a bit but I'm afraid to tell you that you're now doomed to eating like a horse." He laughed at her obvious disbelief. Momiji had never seen him eat like a horse, although if it really did wear off after a while, it was possible she wouldn't have. The smell of food did make her stomach growl so taking her knife she dug in.
Kusanagi was right. She ate her entire portion plus a large desert. She wasn't hungry anymore but she was by no means full. He offered to get her something else, but it was rapidly getting dark and she needed to buy the other things if she was going to sleep in any sort of comfort. He left to pay while Momiji waited by the door looking outside at the stormy weather.
He hadn't talked about Momiji during the entire meal, but she could tell that she was on his mind. It was almost as if he had come to some conclusion about her being missing that as Dorien he wasn't willing to share with her. If she touched him she might be able to discern what it was but that would be invasion of privacy. And if it was something Momiji didn't want to know, well maybe it was better just to not mess with it. She felt him approach behind her and they stepped out onto the street without saying anything.
The maturate store was closed but Momiji's luck was with her when they went to get the bedding. They had blow up air mattressess and she could put it on the floor instead of using the rickety bed. They also had some warm sheets and a comforter to go with it and she bought those as well as some basic groceries. Tomorrow she was going to have to get some plates and utensils but they didn't have the hands to carry that much home tonight. They made it to her apartment just as the first fat drops of water hit the ground.
And now almost all their time was being tied up by some strange occurrences in town. Numerous animal attacks growing in ferocity and numbers kept occurring down town and on the border of the dead zone. Many times during the night Kusanagi was woken up by a strange feeling in his matamas.
Phantom pains he'd thought, but as they continued on into morning, he started to doubt that. The phone ringing snagged his attention off his matamas as he scooped it off the base by his bed.
"Kunikeda here." he hadn't even said hello before Mr. Kunikeda burst out. "Kusanagi we need you down at the TAC building right away." He ordered. Kusanagi gulped.
"What is it?" He asked fearing the answer. Kunikeda did nothing to relieve his fears.
"Just get down here and hurry." Kunikeda hung up as Kusanagi flung the phone on the bed. He headed out the back door to the basement leaping into the air his coat flapping behind him. His face was clouded by emotions but the most prominent one was surety. The Aragami were back and with Momiji gone there was no way to win.
She woke up when she rolled off the bed, well she'd thought it was the bed but she landed on dirt. Bleary eyed she stood up reaching to scratch her head. She really needed a shower and a change of clothes. Her hand froze. She wasn't outside but in one of the warehouses obviously constructed for only one use. There were fake trees and platforms along with chains and bars hung from the ceiling. She guessed they were for hanging or grabbing on to.
She heard a slight whirring and turned to see a gun looking device raising from the ground. It swiveled for a moment before training on her. There was a short whine before a green laser bolt struck the ground at her feet. It stopped then raised a few inches to hit just below her toes. Momiji got the point and quickly looked for a place to hide. The nearest platform was almost twenty feet away. As she took a step in that direction the laser shot the dirt in front of her.
"Fine!" She hissed as she took another step and leapt toward the platform. She reached out to grab a bar that would let her swing on to the platform, but the bar turned out to be another gun. Unable to stop her forward momentum she hit the ground hard going to her knees a hand on the ground. A whirring told her that a gun was being trained on her. She quickly looked for somewhere else to go when she felt a sharp pain in her calf.
Gritting her teeth she leapt up moving from fake tree to fake tree in rapid succession as she had seen Kusanagi do. It really wasn't as hard as it looked just a case of quick footing and hold herself upright. A laser came close to hitting her hair and getting ticked she leapt up grabbing a chain to swing forward to another one dodging as many bolts as possible another singing her arm just above her elbow. Gritting her teeth she looked daggers at the guns, now numbering in six. She knew there were more just waiting and the pain was really getting on her nerves. She took a moment to think.
Kusanagi had triangular blades on his forearms, Murakumo had swords from his wrists so it would make sense that she would have some sort of weapons too but how? How did she find out what they were? She really needed to have a chat with Kusanagi. Maybe if she suggested it to her captors they'd see the wisdom of it. First she had to get out of here alive.
Letting go of the chain she hit the ground hard she rolled over and regained her feet taking off at a sprint. The closest laser trained on her but she lept before it could fire. With a thud she landed behind it and watched it turn towards her, but before it got halfway she spun and kicked the top off. Exposed wires cracked and the gun made a few clicking noises before stopping all together.
She took off for the next one leaping on the platform and taking this one off with her own hands. It came apart rather easily and she tossed it on the ground with disgust. To think, not to long ago she'd been aiming bazookas at Aragami and preying for Kusanagi to love her. Now she was trapped without him destroying guns to survive a training room. She laughed as she moved to the next one knowing she was probably the only one who would see the irony.
The once scared little girl who could do next to nothing but always had her protector near now was filled with an awesome power but all alone. Who would have thought. She shook her head feeling the absence of her old hair and knew that she was changed forever. Maybe somehow she could make it up for Kusanagi for getting him killed. Maybe she could use her new powers and disguise to help him fight whatever was out there. To many maybes. She destroyed another gun almost without thought. She could take off the choker and she absolutely knew he would sense her, but as what? The Kushinada she used to be or as the Aragami she now was?
Absently she raised a hand to feel the small stone of ceramic above her blue seeds. She could take it off, either way he'd come, but as it was he would more than likely attack her and she didn't know enough to fight him, nor did she want to. But what if she hung around here to learn more? They seemed to know more than she did, not that it would be hard but she would learn even more from Kusanagi. She sighed knowing that her thoughts were going in circles. There was no way to convince him that she was a friend. Not with her blue seeds, or her new looks.
A small twanging in her leg as she stepped on it reminded her of why she was here and she glared at one of the last guns. Taking a rock by her feet she flung it at the weapon and was rewarded by a small puff of smoke as it damaged the circuits and burned them out. She turned to face the last one, but it was powering down retracting on it's little pole into the floor. She felt like sticking her tongue at it, but didn't. A door in the wall she hadn't noticed before opened and the man with the ice blue eyes entered. He was wearing his white jacket and Momiji morbidly wondered if he lived in the thing.
Warily she leapt over to him making a slight show of her agility. She landed a few feet before him and he stopped trying to determine her mood, but she just stood looking at him. After a moment he cleared his throat and tried to talk. He cleared it again.
"We have some clothes and other things for you in a bathroom so you can change. If you would just follow me, we need to hurry." Momiji tilted her head to the side and he took this as affirmation and lead the way out. She followed him into the sunlight that shone between the buildings. Fresh air filled her lungs and it was remarkably unpolluted since they were in the dead sector where there were no factories. She had a sudden urge to kneel down and let the presence of the earth pervade her senses but doubted the ice man would tolerate it.
He led her inside the metal door they had entered the first night but instead of going to her little room he lead her further into the building where it seemed that dorms were set up. At the far end of the row of rooms was a large bathroom with a sunken tub and showers. Enough of them to serve maybe ten people at a time. Quickly he opened the door for her and when she stuck her head in to look around she was forcefully shoved into the room where the door was locked behind her. Momiji angrily shoved her elbow into the door just at the height where the man's face would be before turning and taking in the room and the pile of clothes on a counter top.
"Ah hot water!" She exclaimed almost leaping for a shower. They had said she needed to hurry and although she looked at the sunken tubs longingly she stripped and turned on the facet letting it quickly drench her. Shampoo and Conditioner were supplied and she used a generous portion of both trying to get her hair to fell like something other than straw. When she was satisfied that it was all she could do, Momiji toweled off and stalked over to where her clothes were sitting.
A large mirror was on the wall beside the stack of clothes and Momiji caught sight of herself in it and stopped to look at herself. She had masses of muscle tone, more than she'd ever seen on a woman and she flexed for the fun of it and was rewarded with bulging muscles. She knew that matama's somehow made a person stronger but the ones she had seemed to have doubled the effect. She relaxed the muscles frowning when they were still obvious. She didn't look very feminine anymore, and most certainly not like the petite girl she used to be.
"What have they done to me?" She asked wanting to cry. She looked almost wiry to her point of view although in actuality she looked very lean and muscled not wiry. Momiji couldn't stand the view and turned away from it distracting herself with her clothes. They'd found some of her old clothes, the pants and boots, but her bra and underwear along with her shirt had been replaced with some not her own. The dimensions were accurate but awfully lacy and strapless. Her shirt, an electric blue just like her hair, was also strapless and she felt very uncomfortable in it. Uncomfortable seemed to be something she was going to have to get used to.
She rapped on the door signaling she was done but no one opened it. Five minutes passed and Momiji finally had enough and took the door handle in both hands and propped her leg against the outside of the frame for leverage. She pulled twice before she heard the metal bar in the dead bolt start to strain. On the next pull she managed to bend it enough she could pry the door open. She did so and flung it open and strode out into the hall just in time to see the man in white rounding the corner. He hadn't expected her to be there and his steps faltered.
"Why do you keep doing this to me?" She asked harshly not sounding anything like she intended to. "You've kidnapped me, implanted mitama's in me, tried to get me killed by a bunch of lasers and locked me in a bathroom not to mention the fact that I wasn't asked what kind of clothes I'd like to wear. This is damned itchy." She scratched her side where the tag to the shirt was as proof. The man didn't seem repentant in the least.
"It was necessary now if you'll come with me." He turned around to lead her somewhere else. Momiji's better nature was being challenged by this and it took all her self control to not yell at the man. She felt so hassled that she could have ripped what was left of her hair out and it wasn't going to stop. These people had blatant control over her life and didn't seem to hide the fact. Just days ago she'd been a free loving if not happy person and she was now a prisoner. Anger smoldering in her eyes she followed him down and out of the building where the crossed to one that looked more like a business complex.
Metal and glass glinted in the morning light seeming much to cheerful but a chill wind blew across the face of the building making Momiji shiver. The man in white noticed and once inside the building he had one of the women there get her a coat. Remarkably enough it was a large black leather coat that fit pretty well. She shrugged into it happy for it's warmth against the blast of the air conditioned air that for some reason had to be set for at most at sixty degrees.
Once he'd seen to her comfort the man in white motioned for her to follow him into an elevator where he punched in the penthouse. Momiji went to the back side of it which was a window facing the outside to see a small stream of cars trailing through the gates and heading for the building she was now in. Her sharp eyes picked out every detail of the cars and she knew even from far away that one of them was Matsu's car and the other was Kome's. What on earth were they doing here?
Eyes wide she quickly turned away from the window in case they spotted her. What was she going to do if they saw her? They couldn't recognize her, not with the changes the matama's had wrought let alone her own actions but how was she going to keep them from discovering who she was? Did she want them to know? No, that would keep her from finding a way to make it up to Kusanagi and they would be mad, incredibly mad at her. It would also give her away to her captors who had not believed her no matter what. How could she prove that she was Momiji?
Genetics. that was what the woman had meant. The matama's had changed her genetic structure and there was no way to prove she was Momiji Fujimia anymore. She wasn't Dorien either but it did provide her with an excellent cover. If she played into being this Dorien person they wouldn't know and maybe she could use the T.A.C. to get her out of the governmental facilities. But that didn't answer the question as to why they were here. With that thought fresh on her mind the elevator reached the top and she was ushered out.
Down a long hallway they came to a set of double doors made of expensive wood and polished enough she could see her reflection. Those doors were opened for her and even cooler air wafted over her along with a scent of gardenias. Momiji hated that scent and the moment she saw who the scent belonged to she knew why. It was one of the ministers who had once aided in her capture to be sacrificed for the Aragami. She couldn't remember his name nor did she really want to but she knew he was behind this.
"Ah Dorien." The man, shorter than she was, came over and held out his hand for her to shake. Momiji stared at it then at him until finally he dropped it. "Ah why don't you take a seat. The others will be here soon and then I'll explain why you were pulled from your training." He motioned to a seat across the room at a long conference table as he himself moved to the head to take a seat. He had placed her on his left and Momiji couldn't bring herself to sit next to him.
"I'll stand." She replied in a rough voice. Placing her feet with care she stalked down the side of the table to lean against the wall next to a tree. The man looked about to argue but just them the man in white came in so he said nothing. Once her position was discovered the man in white approached her yet again this time holding something a very dark blue almost black in his hands.
Momiji looked at him then at the items when he held them out to her. They were mitts or driving gloves with the fingers cut off. Her eyes stung as she took them from him and covered her hands from the mitamas on them, not that it would help much since anyone who got a look at her could see the ones on her chest. The shirt she was wearing didn't cover them at all. She nodded to the man who then took a seat on the ministers right hand side. He sat down just as Momiji picked up voices coming from down the hall, familiar voices.
She tried not to panic and ran through her feeble plan one more time going over her new Dorien identity and making sure she would remember to speak in a rough voice. Hopefully it would be enough for them, how she hoped so and she watched them through the foliage of the tree next to her as they came into the room.
First was Mr. And Mrs. Kunikeda. They both looked hassled and a bit rumples but they were straitening their clothes and quickly looked decent enough. Momiji could see bags under both their eyes and wondered what had caused them sleepless nights. Before she could get to caught up in it though Kome and her husband walked in. Kome looked her usual self in her old pink jumpsuit instead of the blue skirt suit she had adopted the year before. That in and of itself surprised Momiji because the woman rarely wore anything else to work.
Then came Sakura and her friend the detective. They looked exactly as they had the last time she'd seen them, Sakura in a skin tight red miniskirt and matching top and with all the men's eyes on her. The two sitting at the table sure seemed to get something out of her outfit. Then came Kusanagi. Momiji's eyes widened for a moment until she got herself back under control. She hadn't known that he would be here and indeed he didn't look like it either. He was wearing a pair of black pants a black shirt and his red trench coat. His hair wasn't quite pristine though and that gave him away to Momiji. The group from the TAC stood at the end of the table waiting for instructions which the minister gave telling them to sit. They arranged themselves at the far end each looking very out of place.
"Let me begin by telling you how appreciative I am for you to make it here in such short order." The minister stood up and started pacing around his area at the head of the table. "Secondly I would like to tell you why exactly I have asked that you come. First of all I'm sure you've figured out that the Aragami are back." He dropped this as some sort of bombshell, or at least it was to Momiji. She stood there in shock but everyone else nodded solemnly. "With the Kushinada gone we have no trump card to hold if we should fail to kill them this time so we must do what we can, as fast as we can to squash the Aragami before it gets out of had." They thought she was dead. Momiji allowed herself to feel sorrow for a moment but some new sense of rationality kicked in.
That was what they would have seen and felt when she'd blacked out on the operating table. The conflicting powers within herself would have given off the same effect except it wouldn't put them to sleep for good because it was tainted. The people who had kidnapped her had effectively taken away the one way she had ever possessed to keep those she loved safe. They had given her something that she didn't know how to use if she even could. The minister continued speaking and Momiji had to listen to what he said.
"And of course the other reason is, we need your help. Not only in defeating the new Aragami threat, but we need the help of you Kusanagi to train our new, er, weapon." That brought only silence. Kusanagi shot him a look that clearly said why me? Momiji, angry as usual and using that as a shield, stepped out from where she was blocked by the tree and turned into their view so that they could see the matamas on her chest. Pandemonium reigned.
It stuck Momiji that maybe they expected her to be ashamed of what she was. Among the first questions they managed to ask was how she had managed to get this way and why. Kome was almost livid because she had assumed that Momiji had done this to herself, how that was possible she didn't know. After that everyone seemed to come up with their own theory each as amazing and radical as the previous one. She looked to the Minister but he continued to stand there win an amazed look on his face. He was actually enjoying this.
The only person who hadn't said anything was Kusanagi who just sat in his char staring at her. She couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes so she she turned away and cleared her throat loudly. Immediately she had everyone's attention.
"The Minister can explain how it is I'm here." She told them using her gruff voice. The attention shifted off Momiji back to the Minister who didn't look happy with her interference. As quickly as possible he explained about the search and preparation of the subject, leaving out the the details of her supposed escape and recapture. To Matsudera's obviously delight he had the man in white, a Mr. Smith, explain briefly the application of her mitamas. The whole while Momiji stood there watching their faces as they listened.
Ryoko was clearly horrifed and her grip on her husband looked painful. Daitetsu was confused although about what she couldn't guess. Matsu was jotting things down on a notepad looking up at the Minister every few lines. The detective was checking Momiji out which made her want to squirm as his eyes lingered over various assets. Sometime, at a later date, she would have to remember to slap him for it. Sakura was bored. Most of what was said was over her head and once Sakura was sure that she was no contest she no longer cared.
Kusanagi only continued to watch her like he would an insect. Momiji had thought that she was good at reading his expressions but she couldn't figure him out so he was either putting in an extra effort to hide his feelings or she had never seen him like this. Both were possible and even likely. The Minister had finished off where Mr. Smith stopped ending their speech with these final words.
"And so we need help teaching Dorien how to be a proper Aragami. Maybe with both of them on our side we can keep this new menace from getting out of control." With that he sat back down and rested his chin on a hand to look at them. Kusanagi glared back showing the first sign of emotion she'd seen on him but it wasn't exactly what they expected.
"After all that this country has been through," His voice was soft but intense and Momiji thought his eyes glowed just a bit, "After all we as a people have been through how dare you pretend to know what to do with the Aragami. Don't you realize that it could very well be that what you've done to Dorien was what woke up the Aragami? Didn't you think that there would be repercussions for your actions?" His question took the minister by surprise. He hadn't thought about it and now it was to late to find out.
"It's to late to worry about that now." Kunikeda broke in trying to keep everyone calm while echoing Momiji's thoughts. "What we have to worry about now is the Aragami. I know you aren't going to like this, but it does seem like you're going to have to help us on this Kusanagi. We need both of you." Momiji couldn't help but notice that no one asked her if she wanted to help. She could have felt resentful but instead she felt lost.
"All right . We'll find somewhere near your current residence for Dorien to live and supply her with a car so she can reach both you and the T.A.C. I want daily reports on her progress Kunikeda." The Minister stood meaning the meeting was over, but no one else rose.
"She doesn't need a car." Matsudera told him packing up her notebook and pen. She stood up and tucked in her chair being the first to do so.
"Excuse me?" Mr. Smith said baffled.
"She has eight matamas." She explained in her soft voice. "She can fly." Matsu looked pointedly at Momiji who inadvertently took a step back shaking her head.
"Dorien had been an Aragami for all of two days. Our reports say she doesn't know how yet." Mr. Smith sounded smug lording what little information he had over them. Ryoko sighed.
"Well deal with that later. Right now we need to get the apartment and necessities and familiarize her with the TAC. Shall we go?" Ryoko pulled her husband up to stand beside her while Momiji looked between her and the Minister. She didn't know what she was supposed to be doing or saying but the frustration was building in her. She wanted to just yell or scream or something but she was trapped by the people around her to the point of helplessness. She was startled when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Take a few deep breaths and we'll get out of here." Kusanagi's voice brought her back from the point of hysteria. She nodded and did what he said. It helped a little. "We'll meet you at the TAC building. Is there a balcony here?" He was directed to an adjoining room and he steered Momiji by her shoulders till she was standing out in the cold morning air. Automatically she zipped up her jacket.
"You really don't know how to fly?" He asked running his fingers through his hair. Momiji tried not to look at him and just shook her head. "It's okay. Took me years to get there." It wasn't the entire truth and if Momiji didn't know the real story it might have helped. Truth was he'd been able to fly, with her help, before he had eight matamas. Instead of making her feel better she felt worse.
"For now I'll take you." He told her. An arm wrapped around her waist and she felt the familiar rush of air past her face. The air didn't sting her eyes like it used to and almost happily she looked out to where they were flying instead of just looking at Kusanagi like she had in the past.
People and cars rushed by them as they flew between the buildings of the inhabited part of of Tokyo. It wasn't to long before he was setting her down on the roof of the TAC building. Momiji took a step away trying not to get lost in the memories of the time she'd flown with him before. When she had her emotions under control she turned to find him watching her.
"What?" She asked sounding slightly paranoid. His eyes and look unnerved her and for a second she though he might know.
"Just trying to decide what to do." He said looking away. His hands were hidden in his pockets and he stood resigned a scowl on his face. Momiji watched him for a moment then dug the tow of her boot into a soft patch of tar on the roof.
"About what?" She asked hiding her own hands. She finally understood why he was always doing that. She was completely aware of the new differences between her and the rest of human kind and how her matamas made her stand out. God how could Kusanagi could stand it all his life. She wanted to go comfort him, hug him or anything but that was what Momiji would have done. She wasn't Momiji anymore.
"About helping you I guess. I've been like this for over twenty years. You can't match that in two days." He sighed pushing off from the wall to prowl around her. Momiji tried to shrink in on herself to keep from being criticized. She thought that she knew it was coming. "Well first i had better warn you about a couple things." Whatever she expected it wasn't that. Kusanagi went back to leaning on the wall while Momiji looked at him with curiosity. Warn her?
"First of all, and you may have already noticed this, but the matamas will pick up on and amplify your emotions, all of them. That's why you almost lost it back there. Even with years of training you can still lose your temper and cause a lot of damage. Believe me I've done it." This explained a lot to her. Like why she'd gotten so angry so easily and as he'd mentioned the frustration. It also explained many of the things she'd noticed about him. Like when he got really angry he could do the most amazing things.
"The next thing being that the matamas will effect how your able to do things. You'll have to be careful because you don't know your own strength, or your own abilities. You could very well hurt someone without realizing it both physically and mentally. I haven't used the mental and telepathic portion of my abilities much, but yours are more powerful so you'll always have to be on your guard, and it will be tough." He watched to see how she would take his words and to give Momiji credit, she spent a long time going of them.
It was true enough that she was much different from what could be considered a normal Aragami. Not only were each one different because of personality and physical attributes but now even more so because of the tinkering done to her matamas. Not even Kusanagi could predict what all was going to appear in her. Momiji was overcome by helplessness and she flopped down on the roof to bury her face in her hands. She managed to keep from crying but just barely.
"And here i thought that once I had your help everything would be okay." She whispered hanging her arms over her knees and looking up at him. Kusanagi looked shocked his eyes wide.
"Me?" He asked. "Why me?" He self consciously ran a hand through his hair again and Momiji watched almost smiling at him.
"I've seen you fight before, you've always seemed so sure of what you were doing, being exactly what and where you should be. I thought if anyone could help me it would be you." It was all true enough even if he didn't know exactly how close up she'd seen him fight. Her words seemed to stoke his ego just a bit hearing that people had been watching him. At any other time Momiji would have been so flustered by his very presence that she couldn't say or do anything of that sort, like say what she meant, but now she was using the Dorien identity as a shield. It was kind of nice.
"I wish I could tell you everything to expect what to do, what's going to happen, but I can't. I just don't know." He sighed again and stood offering her a hand up. Momiji looked at his gloved hand for a moment before placing her own gloved one into it. Kusanagi easily lifted her to her feet.
"The others should be here shortly so let's head down, oh and I'll warn you now. Matsudera's going to try and corner you. I'm sure she's thought of a million tests to run and all the best ways to analyze them. She'll have coerced Yegashi and the others as well. I wouldn't let them if I were you. He tried to make it sound dreadful but Momiji already knew all this. Because of that she'd already thought of something else.
"But won't the tests actually help? If they compare the results of those to the one's you've taken maybe they can tell me a little about how I'm different from you." All the research she'd helped compile and complete was finally paying off. Kusanagi looked at her suddenly a sharp feel to his gaze. "What?" Momiji asked softly unsure why he was looking at her like that.
"Sorry, you just reminded me of someone i used to know. She sometimes sounded like that." Pain was etched in his voice and features. Momiji couldn't help but place a hand on his arm wondering who had cause him so much pain. Wait, had known, he thought she was dead! Quickly she withdrew her hand hoping he hadn't caught her look. No he was to caught up in his thoughts and pain. Momiji skirted past him to open the door to the stairs then gently, so he didn't know she was doing it, she led him down the stairs to the main office room which, thankfully, was open. She went in and Kusanagi Absently followed her taking a seat by the door. Momiji looked at him closely now that he wasn't paying so much attention to her.
He looked positively haggard once one looked closely at and past his physical appearance. His eyes were sunken in and his shoulders drooped in a defeated way. He would have felt the power release from her matamas, no matter how perverted it may have been by the aragami presence. God how she regretted running away, but there was no hope for it mow. She left him to rest for a bit and started exploring the office just like anyone who's never been there would. She was looking out a window when the others finally arrived. When they saw her they trouped in silently moving to their respective desks. Their entrance brought Kusanagi out of his reverie and he stood to lean against the wall taking on an indifferent pose. Kome, never one to stay silent for long, finally broke the silence by storming over to Momiji and holding out her hand.
"Hi, I'm Kome Yegashi's wife. You can just call me Kome. Welcome to the TAC I guess." She was trying very hard to be friendly so Momiji smiled wryly and took the hand to shake it. What she didn't expect was the emotions she felt from the older woman, Sorrow, remorse, fear, anger, aggression, resentment, and a small touch of interest in Momiji's new identity. She couldn't let go of her hand fast enough and hoped it wouldn't be taken as she was being rude. Next Yegashi introduced himself, then the Kunikedas. Then the detective and last of all Sakura who of course made some snide comment about her wardrobe. From each of them including Sakura she got the same emotions although Sakura also felt bored and a little threatened. Momiji hugged her leather jacket closer to her body looking for Mrs. Matsudera but just as she was going to ask the door burst open. Mrs. Matsudera walked in trailing an over burdened cart of medical supplies. Momiji knew where this was going and caught Kusanagi rolling his eyes. As was expected she took a step back eyeing the cart warily. Matsudera didn't even notice as she started unloading things like and arm cuff and stethaschope. The computer was next.
"I hope you don't mind Dorien but I need to run a few tests on you so that i can get an idea of how the governments chemicals effected your matamas. Kusanagi I could use your help as well." She didn't even look at him but expected compliance.
"Do i have a choice?" He asked sardonically. Everyone else in the room looked at him a couple people even grinned.
"Well this is Dullsville, I'm outta here." Sakura said pulling her purse over a bare shoulder and obviously leaving over to get her keys. Momiji looked away in disgust.
"I think I'll go with you." The detective, hanging on her every word, held the door open for her. Sakura stuck her head back in and shot a jibe at Kusanagi using her favorite term, carrot boy. Kusanagi ignored her pissing her off.
"Knowing Matsu, this will take al day and we have some errands to run. We'll be back later if you need us." Kome and Yegashi moved to the door urgency in their stride. Momiji had a feeling that it wasn't just their errands but she'd begun to get the impression that they thought she was Momiji's replacement if that made any sense. To her it did and that was enough to get a little resentment from anyone. She wouldn't be surprised if Kusanagi felt that way as well. Ryoko and Mr. Kunikeda remained taking up chairs by his desk to talk to each other.
Momiji went and sat where Mrs. Matsudera instructed taking off her boots, coat and mitts as well. She felt very exposed without her coat but knew very well that Matsu couldn't check her matamas with it on. It didn't take the scientist but a moment before she found something odd.
"There is so little scaring around these." She had taken Momiji's hands in her own and was looking at the tissues around the matamas. Momiji almost started chewing on her lip before catching herself. That could have been a dead give away.
"It's because of the way there were er installed for lack of a better term." She didn't really want to talk about it but Matsudera found it important so she told about the surgery and the exact way she'd been sliced and diced even going so far as to describe the color of the liquids her matamas had been soaked in. This Matsudera jotted down on her notepad before she checked over the matamas on Momiji's knees.
"Squeeze this." She handed Momiji a soft plastic ball with wires coming from it. Momiji gave it a quick squeeze making the computer connected to it start printing sheets of data. Matsu looked them over then glanced at Momiji. "Squeeze this as hard as you can." She sounded affronted thinking that Momiji should have of course known that's what she wanted. Momiji complied squeezing the ball until her arm muscles bulged. She kept squeezing until the computer gave a squawk and the readouts stopped. Sheepishly she handed the flattened and destroyed back. She had broken it without reaching her full strength. Kusanagi let out a low whistle before she handed him one. He had to try to destroy it which he did do.
"Well, there are some obvious differences." Matsu told them after hooking them up to electrodes that connected to the same computer. Two readouts printed off and she was comparing them. "Although it is quite obvious that Dorien is stronger, many of the things that should be higher than Kusanagi's aren't. They apparently need practice just like a human's muscles. I'll see if i can devise some sort of training for both of you which should help. Some of it though you're going to have to figure out own your own." She unhooked them both putting the computer away and pulling out a silver box filled with syringes and vials. Momiji didn't dare let them get a blood sample so she pretended to be afraid.
"I'm sorry... I.. I can't. Not after them implanting the ... m.. matamas. I'm sorry." She wrapped her arms around herself tears quickly forming in her eyes. Matsu took pity on her and put the case away to finish clearing up. The phone rang and Ryoko answered it quickly writing on a small slip of paper. She then thanked whoever it was and hung up.
"Here's the address." She said coming over and placing the slip of paper on the desk besides Momiji. "They've also give you a small account so you can get clothes and groceries, whatever you need. It's all at your apartment which I was told is furnished. Do you want me to call you a cab?" Momiji had grabbed her mitts and coat was putting them on as Ryoko talked. When she was done she opened her mouth to say sure.
"I'll take her." Kusanagi cut her off. He was pulling on his trench coat. "Until she learns the limits of her abilities I'd better stay with her to clean up and messes that she might cause." Momiji prickled at that but anything she might have said would sound like something Momiji had said once before so instead she shoved her hands in her coat pockets and scowled.
Ryoko nodded faintly before going to collect Daitetsu so they could leave. Momiji glimpsed the dial of a clock and was surprised to find it almost five o'clock. No wonder they were all ready to go. Kusanagi headed for the stairs to the roof without looking back and so remembering to grab the slip of paper she followed him gritting her teeth the whole time.
She had barely stepped on the roof when the paper was taken from her fingers and she felt his arm around her waist. They were airborne so quickly that her stomach dropped to her feet and she felt slightly sick. Part of this was due to the fact she hadn't eaten yet that day and the other part was because the skin at Kusanagi's wrist was touching her bare stomach and that was how he felt. His stomach was twisting and he felt ill about something, what she couldn't tell. Turning in his grip she tried to tell from his face but it was more impassive than ever. She had barely a moments notice before his grip slackened.
"Don't you dare-" Was as far as she got before she was falling. Panic rose with the bile in her throat as she watched the buildings get closer and closer below her. A scream tore itself from her throat and Momiji started to black out. She had flown plenty of times but never before had it been an uncontrolled fall like this. With enough sense to curl up she tried to protect her head with her arms and cringed waiting for impact. It never came as strong arms caught her a scant fifteen feet from the top of the building. Kusanagi had snatched her out of the hair but Momiji's stomach didn't believe it and she felt it heave. Desperately she pushed herself out of his arms to land on all fours atop the building that had almost killed her. Her stomach wretched painfully but there was nothing in there to come up. Instead she knelt there painfully until it stopped and when she was finally able to lean back it was only to fix Kusanagi with an almost hateful glare. Never in her life had she been as mad at him as she was now.
"I'm sorry, if I'd known you were going to react like that I never would have done it. It's just that you didn't even blink at flying and I thought you could handle it." He looked very sincere and Momiji wanted to forgive him but he had just dropped a complete stranger from over a hundred feet up to see if she could fly. If it had been Momiji as herself it never would have happened. She tried to think of something to say that would even come close to expressing her anger but words failed her.
Her stomach muscles screamed in pain as she stood up glaring at him the whole while. Gaze never wavering she snatched the address back from him and with a running leap she jumped to the next building never looking back, never wavering in her direction. Miraculously she knew how to get to her house without reading street signs and a block away she lept to the street itself reading the address in her hand for the first time. It was indeed just around the corner and she walked there with a sure, deep stride. Some of her anger had burned off but she was still very ticked.
The military agent waiting at the apartment complex for her took a deep breath before approaching her with the keys to her apartment, 113. Momiji thanked him and mock saluted him before striding off to the elevator. ON the second floor she found the right door and used the key to open the door.
"They shouldn't have." Momiji muttered to herself looking at the apartment before her. The place was clean, but not somewhere she would have happily called home. The Linoleum was coming off the floor and the carpet had huge brown and red stains as if someone had dumped tea and punch out to give it more color. A futile attempt at best. The bed was a death trap and probably flee ridden to boot. Hopefully they had given her enough money to hire a cleaner and by bedding.
She should have expected it but the open window came as a small surprise. She turned and found Kusanagi standing next to the doorway to the bathroom.
"Go away." She told him exhaustion and anger creeping into her voice. Hoping he would listen she went over to the bed and began stripping the sheets. No flees, but little black bugs that were really called bed bugs. "That's disgusting." She said flinging the sheets out the window. She would have to buy a new mattress as well.
Pulling it off the bed with one hand she dragged it to the door and tossed it into the hall. Maybe one of the other tenants could use it. The metal frame on the bed was decent enough. Then she turned to the kitchenette area where a stove, sink, and refrigerator stood. There was mold in the fridge the freezer was completely blocked up with frost and the stove had food caked on the burners. If she used it the whole place would smoke up.
"What did I do to deserve this?" She asked the air going through the packet the agent had given her looking for the card. She could call the number on the back and see what the limit was. Hopefully it would be enough.
"Nothing that I can see." Kusanagi answered her rhetorical question. She looked over at him gaze heated.
"I thought I asked you to leave or do you want to try and kill me again?" She didn't wait for an answer before searching for a phone. There was one by the door but the cradle didn't work.
"I won't try that again I assure you. Please accept my sincerest apologies." He pushed off the wall walking toward her. Momiji felt her usual flustering coming back and the closer he got the worse it was. Unable to deal with it she moved away looking for something to fix the phone.
"Okay, if I can ask you a few things." Technically she wasn't supposed to know who he was or anything about him. She could use this as leverage. Her conscious tried to kick in here telling her that she'd never been like this before that she'd never try to use anything she had or knew against anyone she cared about, but she squashed that thought quickly. She wasn't who she'd been. Kusanagi took the phone off the wall and sat on the floor looking her over through silted eyes before finally nodding. He started taking the phone apart looking for the broken pieces.
"Where's the Kushinada? I thought she was supposed to be with the TAC as well, but I haven't seen her yet." This was the best way to find out what they thought, but she knew it would hurt him. He looked up at her for a long moment before going back to his phone.
"As far as we know, dead. She was kidnapped a few days ago and the Kushinada pulse was released a day or two after that. That only happens when she dies." Despite his best efforts to sound uncaring his voice wavered each time he said death. Momiji bit her lip as she thought catching herself just before he looked up.
"I'm sorry. She must have meant a great deal to you." That was a underhanded way of saying it. She knew he cared for her it was the other way around that always seemed to be in jeopardy. He continued to look at her as he formed an answer.
"More than she'll ever know." He sounded so lost when he said it that Momiji had to check the impulse to go to him and tell him the truth. She'd always known how much he cared even if he didn't always show it. It was just that she wasn't worthy of him, she'd betrayed him and he'd paid for it with his life. Turning away so he couldn't see this in her eyes she walked away a bit before sitting down on the carpet and laying on her back to stare at the ceiling. It had water rings covering most of it although at some point in time they'd tried to paint over it.
"Why do you feel you have to be my baby-sitter? I may not know my own strength yet, but surely I can handle myself pretty well." She turned her head to look at him stabbing herself in the neck with a spike earring. She'd forgotten that it was in her ear until just now. Kusanagi continued to busy himself with the phone.
"Honestly, I needed something to do along with the hope that maybe I can get you to help me search for the Kushinada. Even if she is dead, I'd like to see her body, know for sure before I bury her in my heart." It was completely honest and the most revealing thing he'd ever said to her about his feelings. He seemed to be able to tell a complete stranger more than he'd told her when she'd been the closest person to him. It hurt just a little.
"Oh." Was all she said and she turned to stare back up at the ceiling. An uneasy silence filled the room as she tried not to let his words depress her to much and he tried to not get buried by his emotions. After a bit he fixed the phone and told her so moving away from where it was hung.
Momiji got up and first called information to see if she could find someone to clean the apartment. Luck was with her and someone was still open so she called the landlord letting him know that she was going to be out and that he needed to let the cleaners in. Next she called the number on the card happily surprised by the amount in the bank. It was more than enough to supply her with everything she needed for a couple months.
"I suppose you're coming shopping with me?" She said not really asking but more affirming. He nodded thrusting his fists back in his coat pockets and she opened the door motioning for him to proceed her. She didn't bother making sure the door was locked. Personally she hoped someone would ransack the room so she could move somewhere else but she knew it wasn't likely. Despite her earlier need to have her stomach empty it started growling halfway down the elevator. Kusanagi noticed and smiled a bit.
"We should get something to eat first, my treat." Momiji favored him with a wry grin before leaving the elevator. Technically if she'd had a full stomach she would have lost it thanks to him so it was nice of him to offer. "Care to fly?" He asked as they stepped outside. The sun was setting early because there were storm clouds on the horizon. Momiji didn't give them a second glance and shook her head eyes wide with horror. Kusanagi chuckled softly then lead off down the street joining the crowds of people hurrying home.
Instead of taking her to a moderate restaurant he went passed them to a very expensive steak house. He'd never taken Momiji here but they'd rarely gone anywhere. Inside he insisted on ordering for her and the amount of food placed before them was monstrous.
"I can't possibly eat all this." She said having never seen so much meat in one place before. The waiter smiled politely before firmly handing her a steak knife and leaving.
"You'll be amazed at how much you put away. Eventually it will wear off a bit but I'm afraid to tell you that you're now doomed to eating like a horse." He laughed at her obvious disbelief. Momiji had never seen him eat like a horse, although if it really did wear off after a while, it was possible she wouldn't have. The smell of food did make her stomach growl so taking her knife she dug in.
Kusanagi was right. She ate her entire portion plus a large desert. She wasn't hungry anymore but she was by no means full. He offered to get her something else, but it was rapidly getting dark and she needed to buy the other things if she was going to sleep in any sort of comfort. He left to pay while Momiji waited by the door looking outside at the stormy weather.
He hadn't talked about Momiji during the entire meal, but she could tell that she was on his mind. It was almost as if he had come to some conclusion about her being missing that as Dorien he wasn't willing to share with her. If she touched him she might be able to discern what it was but that would be invasion of privacy. And if it was something Momiji didn't want to know, well maybe it was better just to not mess with it. She felt him approach behind her and they stepped out onto the street without saying anything.
The maturate store was closed but Momiji's luck was with her when they went to get the bedding. They had blow up air mattressess and she could put it on the floor instead of using the rickety bed. They also had some warm sheets and a comforter to go with it and she bought those as well as some basic groceries. Tomorrow she was going to have to get some plates and utensils but they didn't have the hands to carry that much home tonight. They made it to her apartment just as the first fat drops of water hit the ground.