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Chapter 10
Trying to cure one bad habit with another bad habit is probably not a good thing. But, in the short term, cigarettes were far less malignant than drunken binges. Of course, the fact that I'm using them to cure a hangover is not promising for either habit.
I smirked with dark humor. The tip of my cigarette burned bright in the darkness of my living room. I hadn't had much time to personalize the place. No pictures, no art work, nothing to say that anyone lived here, except a bed, a TV, and an office workspace. I drilled the cigarette out in a newly purchased ash tray and buried my head in my hands.
At a certain intellectual level, I had known that I could not avoid my past forever. It catches up with everyone. Emotionally, however, things were far more muddied and now my past was nipping at my heels. I had woken up hours earlier with the dreadful premonition that a robbery would happen down the hall. Understandably curious, I had dressed and taken a walk in time enough to catch a man lockpicking the door to my neighbor's apartment. After roughing the criminal up a little bit and sending him off, I padded back to my apartment with the old feelings of situational awareness coursing through my veins.
Although not comparable to the full range of detecting capabilities of Nephrite's stars, I had a low level magical awareness. It's a nice thing for melee combat and life, simultaneously preventing people from sneaking up on me, and foiling pranks of all sorts.
In fact, it reminded me a little bit of a favorite Marvel superhero, though I don't bear much resemblance to a campy newspaper photographer nor a red and blue clad hero in a spider suit. Suddenly, every muscle in my body constricted and my mind snapped into razor sharp focus.
Somewhere in the city, a youma was prowling the streets. Given the busy Tokyo nightlife, casualties might be high if the senshi didn't respond quickly. I grabbed my sword and dagger and then donned a black cape with a heavy pull-over hood.
Flinging open the door to the terrace, I stepped outside to feel the cold air brush against my skin. Now technically, I can't fly. A small skill that I had avoided learning for the majority of my education. Of course, it is a crippling deficiency, especially when one lives in a very tall apartment building. However, there are ways around it.
First focusing on a building ledge, I then leapt out off t he balcony. Telekinetically tethering myself to building, I swung past, gaining distance with each skyscrapper. How to find a monster. Follow the screams.
Mamoru's eyes flashed open and they danced to each side. He stared up at the ceiling. Usagi was at her parents' house and he was left alone. Normally, he would have felt a little lonely. But now, he began to enjoy the solitude. To be certain, he loved Usagi with every fiber of his being, but paying attention to her, along with studying for medical school, was draining him of energy.
But now sleep would not come. Mamoru sighed and sat up. There were times when even in the midst of his best friends, he felt utterly alone. He had beer buddies, sports buddies, and a good friend in Motoki. But there were days when he wished for a comrade to share his deepest thoughts with, even those he could not impart onto his lover.
A dull throb pulsed in his forehead and it took him a minute to take note of it. He hadn't felt it since..."Kuso."
Upon arriving on the scene, I spotted a grey armored figure swinging a long sword through a crowd of panicked people like a reaper through grain. Forgoing safety, I dove right on top of the youma, tackling it to the ground and allowed a few more victims to escape. I grinned idiotically as I sized up the situation.
The armored monster was roughly humanoid in proportion and stature, although no human hyped up on steroids could reach the dangerous proportions of this behemoth. I didn't see a face, but I thought I caught the glimpse of two gleaming eyes in the confines of the helmet. In a single sweeping motion, the monster flung me into the air. I looked around desperately for purchase and grabbed onto a conveniently placed lightpost. I was jolted around a little bit, but I slowly slid to the bottom and took note of my situation.
It was not especially promising. The enemy towered over me by at least two feet and outweighed me by about a ton and a half of raw hulking muscle. Additionally, he had the longer range of his sword and lest we forget, a set of full body armor for me to deal with. Not fun.
With typical bravado however, I gave the monster a superior smile and wink, "Ugly, you picked the wrong guy to mess with."
To my surprise, it answered back in a rumblingly deep voice, "Perhaps. But I would caution you, not to underestimate me." And with a speed that belied his large form, the attacker lunged at me with the outstretched long sword.
I danced back a step, pulling free my own sword and parrying the blow. It would prove to be a long battle.
Tuxedo Mask watched the battle with a mute interest. Although he had arrived too late to figure out who was the good guy and who the evil one, he had an inkling that the huge malevolent man-at-arms was probably the one to blame for the several civilian casualties. The paramedics hadn't arrived quite yet, but the med student's eye had told him that the few that were hurt badly would survive until help arrived.
For now however, he took a unique interest in the hooded figure that held off the armored figure with consummate skill.
Holding my sword low with both hands, I studied my enemy closely. Pound for pound, I suspected I was the better fighter. However, given the excessive weight advantage he had over me, he didn;t really need to be a qualitatively superior warrior to beat me into a pulp. The youma merely needed to swing.hard and-
The long sword came around and jarred my grip on my weapon. I welcomed the clash as it brought me back to my senses. I had always been a good fencer, and my years at military academies had honed those skills well. Now, many years since I had last used a sword in battle, I felt the training come back.
Disengaging quickly, I again studied my opponent, this time for weaknesses. Although big and fast, he was a massive target, easily targeted and sliced to pieces. Now to get through the armor.
I pushed back the enemy, and then set into a classic position, with sword at my center of gravity and my feet spaced for both stability and flexibility. The attacker leapt into the air and brought the sword down in a cleaving motion.
"Amateur." I sidestepped and whirled around, bringing my own blade in a smashing attack on his unprotected side. In a belated motion, the enemy twisted in mid air to block the blow, but I had already moved the other away, letting him land awkwardly on the ground. He twisted back to confront me, but I had already driven my sword deep into a joint in his thigh. The monster howled in pain and backed off awkwardly. In a quick sweeping motion, I hacked off its sword arm and then withdrew, this time to wait for blood loss and anemia to set in before I took another go at it.
Sensing its terribly disadvantageous position, the youma looked around for some sort of salvation. As there was none to be found, the enemy lifted his remaining wrist slowly and spoke into it with a language I did not understand. A second later, the youma disappeared in an obvious teleportation.
You know, I'm going to need to learn how to do that.
The fighter lifted his sword in a strange salute and then sheathed it. He seemed to stare out into space for a moment, then turned to gaze directly at Tuxedo Mask. Mamoru backed up a step.
There wasn't anyway for him to see, was there?
I muttered quietly to myself, "I should have known. Alright, evasive manuevers."
Instinctively, I turned into an alley, to avoid the surveillance above. Most unfortunately, as with many alleys, it ended in a dead end. "Alright. Time to be creative."
I lifted a hand and whispered a half remembered spell. A wisp of smoke emanated from my outstretched palm and reached out to swirl around me. Light began to bend around my form, fulling cloaking myself from view. Slowly and carefully, I reached out telekinetically and began to scale the wall. After getting to the top, I saw Tuxedo Mask staring at the spot which I had just exited, then look around slowly. He knows I'm still here.
Flight was my greatest ally and I ran quickly and leapt off the opposite edge. I turned a couple of random streets then entered a dark allyway. I dropped my cloaking magic and then doffed my hooded cape. I checked myself carefully for any revealing clues, then wrapped my cape around my sword, like a package. After I was done, I merely looked like the odd American on a Japanese street, carrying a bunch of curtain rods back home. After walking a couple of blocks, I saw a black figure soar over the building. 'He's a good tracker'
Of course, that I should have expected. Endymion of Earth was one of the more accomplished hunters of his age with few beasts or a men able to shake his pursuit. However, an urban environment like Tokyo is infinitely more complex and varied than a forest or any reasonable hunting grounds.
In a moment or two, I would be on a subway, underground and away from scrutiny. However to be sure I had shaken him, I would have to double back a couple of times and make my route back home circuitous and random. I got off on the next station and crossed over to a parallel train that would take me into the heart of Juuban and then back.
Mamoru grimaced slightly, as he rode the subway back home. Very close, but not quite close enough. He had seen the out of place American walking out of a dark alley but hadn't taken notice until after he had entered the subway. The blond haired man had matched the hooded warrior's height a nd profile and was carrying a suspicious looking bundle in his h and.
After transforming back to civilian status, he had entered the same subway station, only to see him board a filled train going towards the Ginza. But at the next station, he had lost the American, not knowing which of the many trains he might have taken to evade his pursuer. He was good. Too damn good if you asked Mamoru.
Which meant that he knew he was being pursued, which was a feat in itself. Mamoru prided himself in having rather normal features, shared by most other Japanese. Once for fun, he had trailed Usagi all the way home from Tokyo U, never straying more than ten feet from her without her ever having picked up on his presence.
It was a vexing problem, but one whose solution could wait. The stranger didn't seem to be a bad guy, especially with his concern for civilian casualties. However, it was something new and unexpected and merited some sort of response. Mamoru's frown deepened. And he had exams coming up next week. No time to deal with anything it seems.
I wiped a quivering hand across my forehead as I reached my apartment. That was far too close. Tuxedo Mask had indeed managed to follow me through several train switches, and only by getting out of the subway itself and walking several blocks to the next subway station did I manage to shake him in the dark streets.
Not my idea of fun. But a grim smile of satisfaction creased my mouth. My sword had been blooded, as had been my much atrophied evasion and counter surveillance skills. For a quick fix, it wasn't actually a bad one. I would outmatch the youma in the present, and work towards stopping their entry in the future. For now, I had an early day on the morrow and I needed sleep.
Chapter 10
Trying to cure one bad habit with another bad habit is probably not a good thing. But, in the short term, cigarettes were far less malignant than drunken binges. Of course, the fact that I'm using them to cure a hangover is not promising for either habit.
I smirked with dark humor. The tip of my cigarette burned bright in the darkness of my living room. I hadn't had much time to personalize the place. No pictures, no art work, nothing to say that anyone lived here, except a bed, a TV, and an office workspace. I drilled the cigarette out in a newly purchased ash tray and buried my head in my hands.
At a certain intellectual level, I had known that I could not avoid my past forever. It catches up with everyone. Emotionally, however, things were far more muddied and now my past was nipping at my heels. I had woken up hours earlier with the dreadful premonition that a robbery would happen down the hall. Understandably curious, I had dressed and taken a walk in time enough to catch a man lockpicking the door to my neighbor's apartment. After roughing the criminal up a little bit and sending him off, I padded back to my apartment with the old feelings of situational awareness coursing through my veins.
Although not comparable to the full range of detecting capabilities of Nephrite's stars, I had a low level magical awareness. It's a nice thing for melee combat and life, simultaneously preventing people from sneaking up on me, and foiling pranks of all sorts.
In fact, it reminded me a little bit of a favorite Marvel superhero, though I don't bear much resemblance to a campy newspaper photographer nor a red and blue clad hero in a spider suit. Suddenly, every muscle in my body constricted and my mind snapped into razor sharp focus.
Somewhere in the city, a youma was prowling the streets. Given the busy Tokyo nightlife, casualties might be high if the senshi didn't respond quickly. I grabbed my sword and dagger and then donned a black cape with a heavy pull-over hood.
Flinging open the door to the terrace, I stepped outside to feel the cold air brush against my skin. Now technically, I can't fly. A small skill that I had avoided learning for the majority of my education. Of course, it is a crippling deficiency, especially when one lives in a very tall apartment building. However, there are ways around it.
First focusing on a building ledge, I then leapt out off t he balcony. Telekinetically tethering myself to building, I swung past, gaining distance with each skyscrapper. How to find a monster. Follow the screams.
Mamoru's eyes flashed open and they danced to each side. He stared up at the ceiling. Usagi was at her parents' house and he was left alone. Normally, he would have felt a little lonely. But now, he began to enjoy the solitude. To be certain, he loved Usagi with every fiber of his being, but paying attention to her, along with studying for medical school, was draining him of energy.
But now sleep would not come. Mamoru sighed and sat up. There were times when even in the midst of his best friends, he felt utterly alone. He had beer buddies, sports buddies, and a good friend in Motoki. But there were days when he wished for a comrade to share his deepest thoughts with, even those he could not impart onto his lover.
A dull throb pulsed in his forehead and it took him a minute to take note of it. He hadn't felt it since..."Kuso."
Upon arriving on the scene, I spotted a grey armored figure swinging a long sword through a crowd of panicked people like a reaper through grain. Forgoing safety, I dove right on top of the youma, tackling it to the ground and allowed a few more victims to escape. I grinned idiotically as I sized up the situation.
The armored monster was roughly humanoid in proportion and stature, although no human hyped up on steroids could reach the dangerous proportions of this behemoth. I didn't see a face, but I thought I caught the glimpse of two gleaming eyes in the confines of the helmet. In a single sweeping motion, the monster flung me into the air. I looked around desperately for purchase and grabbed onto a conveniently placed lightpost. I was jolted around a little bit, but I slowly slid to the bottom and took note of my situation.
It was not especially promising. The enemy towered over me by at least two feet and outweighed me by about a ton and a half of raw hulking muscle. Additionally, he had the longer range of his sword and lest we forget, a set of full body armor for me to deal with. Not fun.
With typical bravado however, I gave the monster a superior smile and wink, "Ugly, you picked the wrong guy to mess with."
To my surprise, it answered back in a rumblingly deep voice, "Perhaps. But I would caution you, not to underestimate me." And with a speed that belied his large form, the attacker lunged at me with the outstretched long sword.
I danced back a step, pulling free my own sword and parrying the blow. It would prove to be a long battle.
Tuxedo Mask watched the battle with a mute interest. Although he had arrived too late to figure out who was the good guy and who the evil one, he had an inkling that the huge malevolent man-at-arms was probably the one to blame for the several civilian casualties. The paramedics hadn't arrived quite yet, but the med student's eye had told him that the few that were hurt badly would survive until help arrived.
For now however, he took a unique interest in the hooded figure that held off the armored figure with consummate skill.
Holding my sword low with both hands, I studied my enemy closely. Pound for pound, I suspected I was the better fighter. However, given the excessive weight advantage he had over me, he didn;t really need to be a qualitatively superior warrior to beat me into a pulp. The youma merely needed to swing.hard and-
The long sword came around and jarred my grip on my weapon. I welcomed the clash as it brought me back to my senses. I had always been a good fencer, and my years at military academies had honed those skills well. Now, many years since I had last used a sword in battle, I felt the training come back.
Disengaging quickly, I again studied my opponent, this time for weaknesses. Although big and fast, he was a massive target, easily targeted and sliced to pieces. Now to get through the armor.
I pushed back the enemy, and then set into a classic position, with sword at my center of gravity and my feet spaced for both stability and flexibility. The attacker leapt into the air and brought the sword down in a cleaving motion.
"Amateur." I sidestepped and whirled around, bringing my own blade in a smashing attack on his unprotected side. In a belated motion, the enemy twisted in mid air to block the blow, but I had already moved the other away, letting him land awkwardly on the ground. He twisted back to confront me, but I had already driven my sword deep into a joint in his thigh. The monster howled in pain and backed off awkwardly. In a quick sweeping motion, I hacked off its sword arm and then withdrew, this time to wait for blood loss and anemia to set in before I took another go at it.
Sensing its terribly disadvantageous position, the youma looked around for some sort of salvation. As there was none to be found, the enemy lifted his remaining wrist slowly and spoke into it with a language I did not understand. A second later, the youma disappeared in an obvious teleportation.
You know, I'm going to need to learn how to do that.
The fighter lifted his sword in a strange salute and then sheathed it. He seemed to stare out into space for a moment, then turned to gaze directly at Tuxedo Mask. Mamoru backed up a step.
There wasn't anyway for him to see, was there?
I muttered quietly to myself, "I should have known. Alright, evasive manuevers."
Instinctively, I turned into an alley, to avoid the surveillance above. Most unfortunately, as with many alleys, it ended in a dead end. "Alright. Time to be creative."
I lifted a hand and whispered a half remembered spell. A wisp of smoke emanated from my outstretched palm and reached out to swirl around me. Light began to bend around my form, fulling cloaking myself from view. Slowly and carefully, I reached out telekinetically and began to scale the wall. After getting to the top, I saw Tuxedo Mask staring at the spot which I had just exited, then look around slowly. He knows I'm still here.
Flight was my greatest ally and I ran quickly and leapt off the opposite edge. I turned a couple of random streets then entered a dark allyway. I dropped my cloaking magic and then doffed my hooded cape. I checked myself carefully for any revealing clues, then wrapped my cape around my sword, like a package. After I was done, I merely looked like the odd American on a Japanese street, carrying a bunch of curtain rods back home. After walking a couple of blocks, I saw a black figure soar over the building. 'He's a good tracker'
Of course, that I should have expected. Endymion of Earth was one of the more accomplished hunters of his age with few beasts or a men able to shake his pursuit. However, an urban environment like Tokyo is infinitely more complex and varied than a forest or any reasonable hunting grounds.
In a moment or two, I would be on a subway, underground and away from scrutiny. However to be sure I had shaken him, I would have to double back a couple of times and make my route back home circuitous and random. I got off on the next station and crossed over to a parallel train that would take me into the heart of Juuban and then back.
Mamoru grimaced slightly, as he rode the subway back home. Very close, but not quite close enough. He had seen the out of place American walking out of a dark alley but hadn't taken notice until after he had entered the subway. The blond haired man had matched the hooded warrior's height a nd profile and was carrying a suspicious looking bundle in his h and.
After transforming back to civilian status, he had entered the same subway station, only to see him board a filled train going towards the Ginza. But at the next station, he had lost the American, not knowing which of the many trains he might have taken to evade his pursuer. He was good. Too damn good if you asked Mamoru.
Which meant that he knew he was being pursued, which was a feat in itself. Mamoru prided himself in having rather normal features, shared by most other Japanese. Once for fun, he had trailed Usagi all the way home from Tokyo U, never straying more than ten feet from her without her ever having picked up on his presence.
It was a vexing problem, but one whose solution could wait. The stranger didn't seem to be a bad guy, especially with his concern for civilian casualties. However, it was something new and unexpected and merited some sort of response. Mamoru's frown deepened. And he had exams coming up next week. No time to deal with anything it seems.
I wiped a quivering hand across my forehead as I reached my apartment. That was far too close. Tuxedo Mask had indeed managed to follow me through several train switches, and only by getting out of the subway itself and walking several blocks to the next subway station did I manage to shake him in the dark streets.
Not my idea of fun. But a grim smile of satisfaction creased my mouth. My sword had been blooded, as had been my much atrophied evasion and counter surveillance skills. For a quick fix, it wasn't actually a bad one. I would outmatch the youma in the present, and work towards stopping their entry in the future. For now, I had an early day on the morrow and I needed sleep.