AN: Great Flapping Monkey Drawers! It's been a while, hasn't it. What's been the hold up? Well, instead of saying something like work, or Writers Block, I'll try something more believable, like I was kidnapped by aliens, and sent to a distant planet to fight in a 'To-The-Death' match against universal champisons. How's that?
Anyhow, should such great delays take place again, you'll know what's going on. PS, I've recently had an annoying bout with some shit head by the pen name, 'Frenchy Pommey,' sending flames against me in other people's pen names. Should any of you find that you've been block from reviewing my stories, let me know. I'll fix it as soon as possible.
Also, special thanks to those who helped out with Chapter 4. Your help is greatly apreciated. Now that's over and done with, let's begin.
Come over to my side of the argument, the view is always so clear from over here.
- Axident.
"Here we are," Kitsune said, looking up at the sign above the door. "2G. This is our room."
"Oh, goody," Keitaro said, as Kitsune unlocked the padlock on the door. She slid open the door, and giggled at the sight that greeted them. Keitaro's eyes bulged.
"Why are the futon's both in the same room!?!"
"I guess that you and I will be spending the night in the same room, eh?" She began to get way too close for comfort.
"Oh no we are NOT!" Keitaro said, quickly dislodging her from him. "Knowing you, you're going to get drunk, and end up climbing into MY futon with me while I'm asleep…"
"…And Naru will come in and find us together, and pound the living tar outta you?" She suddenly latched onto his chest, "I hate to break this to ya, K' Meister, but in case you haven't noticed, Naru's no where to be seen."
"No," Keitaro said, forcing her off once more, "I don't want to end up with you in my futon."
"Awwww," Kitsune said, grabbing his cheeks, and forcing him to smile, "You really don't mean that!"
"Yes I do, Kitsune," Keitaro said, forcing her off, so that she fell off him and landed on her futon. "No matter where I go, you've always caused me trouble. Way too much, that has resulted in unnecessary pain for me. Even your recent reappearance caused me to say things I never wanted to say."
"Yawn," Kitsune mocked a good morning stretch. "Do I have to listen to this boring old Soap again?"
Keitaro stared at her. "Don't you care about anything, Kitsune?" He finally asked.
"Of cause I do," she said, "I care about my merchandise, I care about my booze, and I also care about…"
"That's way too much information," Keitaro said, turning away. He then looked left, and right, and opened a door, that led into a bathroom. That was it. "Hey," he said, "This is a one room apartment!"
"So?" Kitsune said, coming up from behind, and sneaking her hands around his chest.
"So," Keitaro said, slapping her hands away, "We're going to be sleeping in this room together. And you're the last person I want to do that with."
"You sure about not sleep'n together, hon?" Kitsune cooed, moving closer to him, "You don't know what you're miss'n out on."
"Yes I do," Keitaro said, forcing her hands from the insides of his shirt. "Now, if we're going to be sleeping in the same room together, I'm going to set up a few things."
"Like what?"
KA-THUMP!!! A large portable wall was dumped down between the two futons. Keitaro pointed at it with a wagging finger. "Like this," he said sternly. "We don't cross this wall when we go to bed, and we get changed in there!" He pointed at the bathroom.
"You're no fun," Kitsune said, faking a depressed look. "So now that we've got the sleeping arrangements worked out, shall we get started?"
"Started on what?" Keitaro looked flushed. "Y-You aren't going to…?"
"Sell'n the merchandise, silly," Kitsune said, holding up some magazines. "Now, let's get go'n!"
Some time later, the two were down at the markets, standing behind a desk, with Kitsune shouting out like a newspaper boy, trying to sell newspapers.
It was embarrassing, but it worked. Girls of all kinds would turn their heads, and wonder over. The magazines sold rather fast, and Kitsune was only whiling to sell a certain amount of magazines per town.
A lot of girls went away in a bad mode, at not getting a magazine.
"Gee," Keitaro muttered, as the last of the girls left. "Are they really that desperate?"
"Keitaro, you have to understand the times. The repopulation programs aren't what they seem."
"What do you mean?"
"The repopulation centre isn't one big brothel, it's actually a huge artificial insemination centre. People estimate it should take roughly eighty to ninety years to repopulate."
"So that means…?"
"Geez," Kitsune groaned, slapping her face. "It means there's no sex involved you fool!"
"Oh," he then raised an eyebrow, "Then…"
"I don't know what goes on in those places, I only know from what I've heard from other women." Kitsune replied. "But many suspect that those in power, are gett'n it on with the remaining boys. If you listen around, a lot of women will agree with that theory."
"And the point of this conversation is…?"
"Even though women don't think about sex as much as men do, doesn't mean that we don't think about sex. Before the plague, we could pick and chose. Now, you'd be lucky to have sex once before you die of old age."
"B-But you said that the world could be repopulated in eighty to ninety years?" Keitaro said.
"That was an estimate, and that was only for this country, not the world." She shrugged. "And that's providing that Japan get's all the recourses she needs. Don't forget, we weren't swimmi'n in natural recourses before the plague."
Keitaro went pale. "Is this just a ploy to get into my pants?" He asked hesitantly.
"Keitaro, honestly, you should be ashamed of your self."
"I'm sorry, Kitsune…" She then grinned and interrupted him.
"If I wanted to get into your pants, I'd just go for it, not waist time yapp'n!" Keitaro made a face.
"Isn't that rape?"
"Maybe, but how's about we just call it surprise sex?"
"Everything about you is a surprise, Kitsune." Keitaro said with a mean expression, as he glared at Kitsune. "And there are some surprises I'd rather not find out, so let's just get outta here."
"Ooohhhh," Kitsune said, latching onto Keitaro, "Is that the secret code word tell'n me that you wanna do it?" She then began to fiddle around with his belt. "Why wait, let's just do it right here."
"Back off!" Keitaro then punched Kitsune right through the stall they were using and she sailed through the air, before landing in a tangled heap a few feet away.
A few women were giving them strange looks. "Freak." Someone said. Keitaro looked about, then quietly, slank back into the shelter of the stall.
"Way to keep a low profile, Keitaro," Kitsune whispered from behind him.
"And who's fault is that?" Keitaro hissed back, as they started packing. "Just keep your hands to yourself, please!"
"Awwww," Kitsune said, hugging him again, "You really…" She suddenly, paused, and then roughly shoved Keitaro to the ground. Keitaro couldn't see what was going on, but saw Kitsune smiling nervously, and waving frantically, for a minute, before she went back to normal. Or whatever normal was considered for her.
"What's the big idea?" Keitaro whispered up at her.
"Soldiers." Kitsune replied. "A whole squad of them."
"Soldiers?" Kitsune covered up his mouth before he could speak anymore.
"Quite!" She then looked left and right, and then motioned for Keitaro to get up. He looked about carefully, before getting up. Looking down at his outfit he began to wounder weather or not it was such a good idea.
"Why did you have to dress me up in this cock-a-mammee outfit anyway? The moment the soldiers spot me, they'll know it's me under all this!"
"Well, excuse me for not carry'n a costume that'll cover you up completely. Sorry but that thing was all I had. It was ether this, or walk around as your really are, and both know how far you'd get looking like that, so quit complaining!" She looked back in the direction of the soldiers, and gritted her teeth in thought. Keitaro didn't really think much about this, until she accidentally made her thoughts vocal. "This wasn't in my plan!"
"What plan was that?" Keitaro asked. That seemed to fluster her, and she suddenly shoved boxes into his arms, obscuring his view.
"Look, just carry all these boxes, and no one will be able to see your face, now, come on!" She then led him away, back to their room.
-----------------
"Just a castaway, an Island lost at sea. Another a lonely day, with no one here but me. More loneliness, than any man could bear. Rescue me before I fall into dispar." Keitaro sang in a low voice, as he lay down on the Futon, staring up at the ceiling. "I hope that someone gets my… Message in a bottle."
He quietened down as he heard footsteps walking past his door. They stopped, and the door opened, to reveal Kitsune. She looked around behind her, then, stepping inside, closed the door.
"Well?" He asked.
"The whole town is crawling with soldiers. More than necessary in order to keep law and order. No, no, no. They're look'n for something."
"Take three guesses," Keitaro said, looking back up at the ceiling.
"Well, ain't you just the popular guy." She lowered her voice. "Too popular for my like'n."
"Hmmm?" Kitsune hastily waved the comment away.
"Nothing," she said with a forced smile.
"What are you hiding, Kitsune?"
"Hiding? Me? Why, Keitaro, what on earth makes you think I'm hiding something?"
"Call it a man's intuition, Kitsune," Keitaro said, getting up. "Just what is it you're hiding?"
Suddenly, her hand went behind her back, and pulled out a sake bottle. "Ta-Da!" She cried out. "This! This is what I was hiding. And it's all mine!" She hid it away from him, "And you can't have any of it! MINE!!!" She then hissed at him like a cat.
"Whoa, calm down," Keitaro said, backing off. "I'm not going to touch your precious sake." He turned around, and sat back down on his futon. "Besides, one of the many purposes of alcohol is to bring out the asshole in everybody."
He wasn't able to lie down, when two strong arms wrapped around his neck and began to choke him. "What was that!?!" Kitsune said through her teeth.
"Ack…! Not-thing!… --ACK!!!"
"Good," Kitsune replied with a smile, as she let go, and Keitaro tumbled to the ground, gasping for breath.
"Where did you get that, anyway?"
"I won it at the tables."
"Huh?" Keitaro looked surprised. "I though you said gambling was dead?"
"You don't listen to anything I say. I said only gambling sports, not gambling all together. And besides, the only reason there are no gambling sports, is that people have other things to worry about at the moment. Once things are stabilised enough, I think that gambling sports will make a triumphant return."
SOMEWHERE, IN SOUTHERN JAPAN…
Two female soldiers are driving along in an army truck. The passenger is busy twisting the dials, receiving nothing but static, and armed forces chitchat.
"I wonder when they'll actually get some radio stations up and running?"
"What are you talking about?" The driver asks. "They've got that station on…"
"I'm talking about entertainment radio stations, not government run information programs."
"Well, let's look at things like this. Japan ain't exactly full of natural recourses, and power stations do require coal to run, something we don't have very much off. And don't forget, the plague killed off 95% of the world's commercial pilots, truck drivers, and ship captains, thus screwing up the wonderful world of transport. So, importing things like food, and fuel have become a priority."
"And the point of this is…?"
"We can't waist our precious few recourses on things like entertainment, when half the country is without power, and the other half, is without food."
"God, I miss the good old days."
"So do you, me, and three point one, billion others. However, unless you want to sit down and try to discover the secret of time travel, It'd be better if you just be quite and be grateful that you've got three square meals a day."
"I hate you." She then looked out the window, and sighed. "This shift would be a lot better if you were a man."
"Well, excuse me for being born," the driver said. "And since we're being honest, you aren't exactly someone I'd go out with ether."
"Oh, you're just saying that because…" She trailed off, as she stared out the front window.
A twin piston engine cargo plane was flying directly for them.
"What the…!?!"
"HOLY SHIT!!!!" The driver screamed, and swung hard on the wheel. The plane's belly hit the road, drawing a bellowing cape of sparks behind it, as it travelled directly for the truck. The truck swung violently, and went up on its side, half of its wheels in the air.
The plane bounced a bit, as if trying to gain some altitude. It barely passed the truck, it's wing just clipping the side of the truck, sending it back down on all wheels with a shuddering jolt that nearly snapped both axels.
The two women clung on for dear life, as the truck bounced from the impact, sending all wheels into the air.
Behind them, the plane started skimming along the road, and finally, after hitting a tree, was sent back up into the air. It did a barrel roll, before climbing into the clouds, and disappearing from view.
"Oh, my, God!" The driver cried out. "What the hell was her problem!?!"
"Jesse!" The passenger gasped out, clutching her heart. "Where'd she learn to drive like that!?!"
The driver was about to concur, when she paused. Then asked, "Huh? Drive? Don't you mean fly?"
"Yeah, fly? Why, what did I say?"
"You said drive. Where did she learn to drive like that?" The passenger frowned.
"Strange. Now, why would I say that?"
"Maybe that pilot is a really bad driver?"
They both shrugged.
NODA CITY…
Sitting on a foldout chair, a girl was happily leafing through a copy of one of Kitsune's naughty girl magazines. She paused, to turn the magazine sideways, and folded out the centre-fold.
"Ooooooh, yeah!" She mussed. Just then, a shadow passed over her light, and she made a face. "Hey, beat it! You're blocking my sun…!"
Just then, the magazine was snatched from her grasp. She was about to protest, when she saw the girl who'd taken it. She didn't seem interested in the magazine, but seemed to recognise it.
Her face showed anger, as she held its cover up to her.
"This! This magazine! Where did you get it!?!"
"That' mine!" She shouted. "Get your own…! EPP!!" She was suddenly cut off, as a rather large samurai sword suddenly appeared under her nose.
"Again, where did you get this!?!"
"It's all yours," she replied. "Just please, don't kill me!"
It was suddenly thrown back into her lap. "I don't want it! What I want, is to know where you got it!?!"
"T-two saleswomen, they were set up in the market about three hours ago. They're g-gone now. I don't know where they went. Honest!"
"Where about's were they?"
"Just s-seven stalls down from the main intersection." She looked down and pointed in the direction. "Honest!"
The sword withdrew and was hidden under a cloak. The woman then left without another word, disappearing into the crowd.
"Freak!" She muttered. Then went back to looking at the centre fold. "Ooooh yeah!"
-----------------
The White Fang inn's main bar was packed like it usually was in the afternoon. The two females in the dark corner of the room at their booth were talking among themselves, keeping a low voice so that they wouldn't be herd.
"Why are we the only people in this whole place wearing cloaks with hoods? We stick out like a sore thumb!"
"Oh shut up! Besides, I look really cool in this get-up!" The other woman snapped. "What's the point of dragging me out here?"
"That Fox woman girl approached me half an hour ago. She's nervous about all the soldiers in the town. She wants to call off our little deal."
"Call it off? I don't think so."
"Just as so. I let her keep the sake bottle we gave her as down payment. I just thought I'd let you know she plans on skipping town first thing early tomorrow morning."
"And with all the soldiers around, dose she obviously think she'll get past the check points without being searched?"
"She didn't tell me the details, she just told me her plans."
"Well, where is she going from here?"
"She didn't say!"
"Fine." The other woman snapped. "Then we move tonight. Do you at least know what room they are in?"
"2G," she replied. "I have some spare keys of my own." She reached into her cloak and pulled out what looked like a thick bobby pin.
"Let's try and make as little noise as possible doing this," the other woman said. "The last thing we need are more women finding out that there's a living male among them."
"Speaking of which, how are we going to get him past all the soldiers?"
"Through the sewer system," was her answer. "They aren't guarding the pipes that lead out of here."
"Well, with all that settled, when do we strike?"
"What dose your watch say?"
"5:16." The other woman looked at her watch.
"We'll meet back here at 8 o'clock on the dot. We'll wait for everyone to go to bed, and then," she held out her palm, and then quickly made a fist. "We strike." She then banged her fist down on the table, making everything on it jump.
There a was a few seconds silence, before, "Did that hurt?"
The woman shook her hand. "Oh yeah."
TOKYO: At that very moment…
Major Kiska stalked out of the council room in a temper. All women coming in her direction quickly moved out of the way. She ignored their looks, and walked over to a set of double doors, pushing them open, making a grand entrance into the room.
"Good evening, Major," Dr. Mela said, looking up from a packet of instant noodles. "You're looking as cheerful as I've ever seen you."
The Major didn't say anything, as she just saluted Mela with her middle finger, and made her way over to the sink, where a packet of instant noodles was waiting for her.
She then sat down at the opposite side of the table, and dug into her meal.
"Since your still in here with me, I take it you want to talk about something?"
The Major slurped up some noodles rather loudly, and swallowed even louder. She glared at the doctor, then said, "I'm sick of this job. Really, I am. It's getting on my nerves."
"Then quit!" Dr. Mela replied. "Wise man say, 'pick a job that you love, and you'll never work a day in your life," she ate another mouthful. "So what's stopping you?"
"My father," she said. "He's dead now. God I hated him. Always going on, about how women shouldn't be in the armed forces, and should be at home, looking after their husbands." For a moment, she almost smiled. Almost. "His death was perhaps the one good thing to come out of the plague."
"Yow!" Dr. Mela leaned back at bit from the Major. "So why did you join the army in the first place?"
"Just to piss him off," the major replied. "You know, I originally wanted to be a doctor! But my father wouldn't here of it. He was always going on about how I didn't need to work, and that my future husband would provide for me. My mother was no help ether. So, one day, I upped, and left for the army. I wish I could've seen his face when he opened the letter he got from me telling him that I got accepted into the army."
"You could've studied to be a doctor in the military, Major," Mela said. "So how come you aren't a medic?"
"That was the original plan." She said. "I so wanted to anger my father, showing him I could be just as macho as any man. That hatred made me fall in love with the training, and the heavy-handed stuff. I guess being in the regular army, and not the medical core was my way of proving him wrong about me."
Mela just blinked back at her. "Oh."
"What about you, Doctor?" The Major asked. "Any skeletons in your closet?"
"Just three bad relationships," she replied with a shrug. "Just one jerk after another. Did you know, my last boyfriend, dumped me for my sister?"
The Major chuckled. "Well, at least he stuck to family." Mela slapped her arm.
"That's not funny." The Major laughed again.
"But it is, don't you see?" Dr. Mela shook her head.
"See what?"
"Throughout history, women have been nothing but the objects of men. Slaves, or second-class citizens. Not taken seriously, always portrayed as weak, and not as smart as a man." She paused, and then pointed her shop sticks at the Doctor. "Did you know back in the nineteenth century, the reason women weren't allowed the vote, anywhere in the civilised world, was because it was believed that a woman's brain was smaller than a mans; there for, a woman couldn't possibly make the important decisions that a man could."
"And the punch line is?"
"Now it's reversed. Men are nothing but second-class citizens, with no rights. Just objects to us. Hell, I heard an interesting story about one man in the repopulation centre complaining he was no longer a human being, and nothing more than a slave." She let the word roll of her tongue, so that Dr. Mela would understand.
Dr. Mela just shrugged. "No wounder you relish your position."
"Throughout my life, men have always found a way to cause me problems." She stared around her noodles in the cup. "Just like Keitaro."
"Still MIA?" The Major nodded. "Nothing from Noda?"
"All quite on the western front," The Major replied. "I just got out from being chewed up by the Prime Minister over my failure to find him."
"Ouch!"
"There's been a few incidents in Europe, with governments stealing males from one another. The government here is just paranoid the same things going to happen to us."
"The submarine?"
"We've sent a few cables to Australia. They deny the whole thing. And of cause everything is made harder, by the fact that satiate photo's can't prove it ether."
"That doesn't make any sense, if the Australian's wanted to steal males, why not do it from some place closer, like New Zealand, or Indonesia, or New Guinea?"
"You don't think we've thought about that already? Although we can't rule stealing our males out, the fear is, that they know something we don't. But what?"
"Well, that place was the last to be infected by the Super Flu."
"That doesn't explain anything," the Major replied. "For one week straight, we've intercepted nothing but transmitions off the coast in a code the Australian Navy uses, and then, silence. Why would they hug our coast for over a week, and then disappear?"
"And if they're denying the presence of their submarines in our waters," Dr. Mela said, "Then it's something they don't want us to know about." She paused. "What if they're waiting for someone?"
"Who?"
"Don't know that answer. But what if they're waiting to someone, or something to appear? A currier? An agent planted in this country?"
"…And the list goes on, and on." The Major replied. "What else could they want?"
"We aren't hiding any advanced alien spaceships are we?"
"Doctor, please, this is serious."
"Okay," Dr. Mela said, then quickly looked back at the Major. "But really, do we?"
"No, we don't!" The Major snapped.
NODA CITY…
Keitaro and Kitsune sat cross-legged on their futon's, looking over a map of the whole city. They were discussing their plans to leave the city early next morning.
"Okay," Kitsune said, "This is what we are going to do." She then pointed at her futon. "I'm going to lie down there, and drink my sake, while you come up with a plan, Keitaro." She then stretched out, and lay down.
Keitaro just glared at her. "Why Kitsune? Of all the girls I could've run into, why her?"
"Say somethin' sugar?" She asked, pouring herself a drink.
Keitaro shook his head, as he looked back down at the map Kitsune had… browed from the public library, and scrutinised all the exits. "They're more than likely to have all roads and rail lines guarded. To just simply walk out of here, will do us no good."
"Already know that," Kitsune called out between sips.
"What about the sewers?" Keitaro asked. "Do the sewer systems lead out of the city?"
"Maybe," Kitsune said, getting up, and looking at the map. "But how am I going to get my wagon and merchandise through the sewers?" She giggled.
"I'm suggesting that I take the sewer route, Kitsune," Keitaro replied, ignoring her joke. "Are you sure you're not drunk?"
"Why," She asked, grinning at him. "You afraid I'm going to try and get into your pants?" She tugged at the waistline.
"Yes," Keitaro said, slapping her hand away. "Please, can we try to stick to the subject?"
"Awwww," Kitsune moaned, lying back down, "You're no fun." Keitaro turned back to the map at hand.
He pointed to a large red line that lead out of the city. "This line here! The map says that this is a major pipeline. If the soldiers aren't guarding this area, I can take it out of the city, and meet up with you, after you get past all of the check points."
"So, you still wanna hang out with me, huh?" Kitsune said, sitting up, and casting him a lustful look. "Are you sure you're not playin' hard to get?"
"The only reason I'm still hanging out with you, Kitsune, is that you're the only person I know around here, and I can't survive on my own." He was silent for a few moments, then thought to himself, Well, for the moment.
"What are you think'n 'bout, sugar?" Kitsune asked. "Are you thinking about how quite a couple we'd make?"
"Kitsune," Keitaro said keeping an eye on her movements, "you are well aware that I'm no longer capable of getting into Tokyo U?"
"I know that," Kitsune replied, "Just because I know that you can't support me, doesn't mean that I don't want you."
"Huh?" Kitsune moved closer to Keitaro.
"You know, the way you've matured over the past few months is very cute. This world is fast making a man out of you, Keitaro, and that makes you all that more attractive."
"R-Really?" Was it his imagination, or where the lights getting dim in here.
"Of cause," Kitsune replied, moving her face closer to his. "I must admit, that even though I've been trying to get you and Naru together, I've always held out that maybe," she turned away from him. "That maybe, I could get you."
"Kitsune," Keitaro started, but she placed a finger on his lips, silencing him.
"Come on, Keitaro." She said in a soft voice. "You didn't end up with Liu for a reason. Maybe fate, destiny, or God has kept you alive for a reason, after all, how did you survive the plague?"
"Natural immunity?" Keitaro suggested. "That's how all the other guys survived, isn't it?"
"Well, yeah," Kitsune said with a shrug, "But why you? What makes you special? Maybe it's the power of the Hinata House, or…" She removed her finger, and her face started to drift towards his. "Or maybe, it's something else." Her words drew of in a low hiss.
And then, she kissed him.
Her lips were locked onto his before he knew what was happening. His eyes bulged and his arms jerked slightly, but halted. Why? Why was he not preventing this?
One of Kitsune's hands cupped his cheek, and he began to tremble. What on earth was he doing? Accepting a woman's love, that's what one part of his brain was screaming at him, while the other half was shouting at him to stay loyal to Naru.
He closed his eyes. What should he do!?!
His right hand rose, to grip her arm, and tell her to stop. But he hesitated. He willed his hand to move, to push Kitsune away, but he couldn't. Instead, it just shook in mid air.
Then, slowly, reached over, and hovered above her breast.
Alarm bells were blearing out loudly inside his head. Enough sweat was rolling of his face to fill Lake Victoria. It was taking every ounce of self control to prevent his hand from lowering a few inches and gripping her.
Just a few inches.
Then, it all gave way. Like watching a tall tree collapse, his hand lowered, and touched her fabric of her shirt. The shirt was very thin, and the flesh beneath was warm, and felt soft.
He let out the air he was holding, and he reached up his other hand to cup Kitsune cheek.
"Kitsune…" He whispered.
One side of his brain was singing 'halleluiah,' while the other was as silent as a tomb.
"Keitaro…" She whispered back, drawing one hand down his shirt. He didn't stop her. IT created an electrifying tingle that travelled up his spine, and snapped his eyes open.
"No," he said softly, gripping her hands, "T-this is wrong." He removed her hands from his body.
"Is it?" Kitsune asked? She pulled one hand from his grasp, and if he hadn't acted as fast as he did, she would've grabbed his crotch. "Why so hesitant? Just a few seconds ago, you were ready to go the full monty."
"Please, Kitsune," Keitaro said in a stern voice, "I wish to stay loyal to Naru. Please, stop coming onto me!"
"Oh really, you think that's going to hold on the next girl? And the girl after that?"
"What are you saying?"
"You remember what Liu was like don't you?" Keitaro's face went almost deadly. "You were lucky Keitaro, she was nice and kind. But what about the next girl you run into? Don't forget, you're a very rare item now, among millions of women who have lost their husbands and boyfriends. What if the next girl you run into isn't as nice? What if you end up getting raped, or worse?"
"Then what can I do?"
"What can you do, Keitaro?" Kitsune asked. "What can anyone do? But I can tell you what you can do. The human race existed because a man and a woman can create another man and woman. And so on and so on."
"Yes, I ready know that," Keitaro said. "What's the point?"
"The point is that now, that there are very few men left at all, anymore. Do you really think that you are special enough to live your own life? Is that something you can live with? Running from one hiding hole to the next, like a hunted animal? Always looking over your shoulder, wondering when they'll be coming for you…"
"Shut up!" Keitaro cried out, as he covered his ears. "Why are you saying these things?"
"Because, you're just living in denial, Keitaro." Kitsune placed a hand on his chest, and suddenly pushed. Keitaro found himself laying on his back, with Kitsune hovering over him. "You want to live a life free of being hunted, the way I see it, you've only got two options. One, you can climb a bell tower and make a leap of faith, or…" She paused, holding up one finger, that she slowly lowered to his fly. "Accept the inevitable."
"No," Keitaro grabbed at her hands.
"Oh, wise up, Keitaro," Ktisune said. "Look, you're a good boy, Keitaro, and you really don't deserve the life you're living now, but if you want to live someplace where you'll have three proper square meals a day, and not constantly looking out for your self, then you've got to realise that the only way you can do that, is to go into the repopulation program, and that means that the only thing you would need to do for the rest of your life, is to fuck. A lot."
"That's not funny, Kitsune," Keitaro said.
"I wasn't trying to be." She replied. "I'm just stating the cold hard truth. Face it, you're nothing now. You have no rights, hell, as far as the government is concerned, you're government property."
"Stop it!" Keitaro's hand came across and slapped her. Hard. "Why did you say those things!?! Why!?!"
Kitsune placed a hand on the spot where he'd hit her. "I… I just didn't want anything bad to happen to you, that's all," she answered.
"By telling me my life would be better as a sex slave!?!"
"It's not that," she muttered, turning away from him, slightly embarrassed. "You see, Keitaro, I do have feelings for you. Honest to God feelings of love." She turned back to face him. Her face was slightly red, and getting redder. "Watching you grow up all these years, and watching you grow a spine, changing from the weakling coward we all knew…" She placed a hand over her mouth. "There have been times when I wanted to steal you away myself."
"But why should I give myself up?" Keitaro asked.
"When you told me your story, of how you ran away to look for Naru… I got jealous. Do you know what I would've done to have a boyfriend like you!?! I only wish I'd tried to come onto you earlier." Her hand lowered from her mouth, and meet with Keitaro's hand. He didn't stop her. "Even if I couldn't see you, being in the repopulation centre, I would know that you would be alive and well taken care off."
"Kitsune…?"
"I did feel something for you, during the days of the plague, when we all though you were dead. Did you ever stop to think; why I was the only person you came into contact with after the plague? Maybe fate has drawn us together. Maybe… you and I are destined to be together. Not you and Naru."
No words were spoken, as they looked into each other's eyes. Was it fate that had drawn them together? He did admit, when Kitsune had come onto him all those times before the plague, he'd been attracted to her.
Keitaro leaned over, and gently kissed her on the lips. Kitsune raised her hand to cup his check, and returned his kisses. His arms encircled her waist, while her hands snuck around the back of his head.
Slowly, Kitsune pushed him back, to that she lay on top of him. While, keeping their mouths locked together, Kitsune planter her hands on Keitaro's chest, and began to rub his chest, as his hands started exploring her back.
The pulsing from his pants was becoming painful, for Keitaro as Kitsune rubbed her hands all over his chest, while he hugged her close. He could feel her nipples harden as they pressed into his chest. She let out a soft moan, as she tilted her head back to face the roof of the room.
She then leaned back, and reached down, grabbed the bottom of Keitaro's shirt and pulled it off, over his head. Then, she grabbed the bottom of her own shirt, and pulled it off. She then reached around her back, and unclipped her bra, pealing it off, revealing her curvaceous breasts to him. Keitaro just stared back at her, looking up in stunned silence at her naked, upper torso. She then reached down, encircling her arms around his back, and lifting his back off the futon, hugging him to her chest.
Kitsune hugged Keitaro's head to her face, taking in the scent of his hair, and she moaned, ever so slightly.
"Kitsune," Keitaro whispered as he hugged her.
Suddenly, there was a click, and Keitaro's head shot up, looking over at the door. It slid open, and a darkened figure stood in the doorway.
"Arrggh!" He cried out, stumbling backwards. "Naru! It's not what you think!?!"
"Naru!?!" Kitsune said, turning around. "Here!?"
It wasn't. It was some woman Keitaro had never seen before. She had short black hair, and wore a cloak with a hood back.
"Hey, you're not Naru, who the hell are you!?!" Keitaro said, putting on his glasses, so he could get a better look at her.
"Oh, shit!" Kitsune said, rasing a hand to her mouth. "What are you doing here!?!" She then looked down at herself, and crossed her arms over her chest with embracement.
"You know this woman?" Keitaro asked.
"She should," the stranger replied. "She and I had a deal going! But she broke it off!"
"Now is not the time for this," Kitsune said pulling her bra and shirt back on. "I told you before, Deal's off!"
"What deal!?" Keitaro asked. "And dose it involve me?"
"Of cause it did," the stranger replied before Kitsune could.
"WHAT!?!" Keitaro shrieked.
"Keitaro," Kitsune whispered through a forced smile, "Not so loud, people will hear you."
"At this point in time, I don't really care," Keitaro cried out. "What deal did you make, Kitsune?"
"Oh," the stranger interrupted, "You mean she didn't bother to inform you?" Keitaro just shook his head. "It seems that your friend, was looking for a way to be set for life."
"Keitaro," Kitsune quickly interrupted, "Believe me, it's not what it looks like!"
"So, she approached my partner and I about the possibility of spending a night with the only male virgin left in Japan."
Keitaro just glared at Kitsune who was looking extremely embarrassed. "I'd like to scream and shout at you, Kitsune," he seethed, "Except I'm paralysed with rage!"
"But I called it off," Kitsune quickly added. "So why are you here!?!"
"No one backs out on a deal, especially from people like us." The lady answered.
"People like you?" Keitaro was puzzled. "Who are you? The military?"
"Nope," the stranger replied with the shake of her head. "Try the Yakoza."
"You," Keitaro said, turning to face Kitsune. "Tried to whore me out… To the mob!?!"
Kitsune tried to answer, but only managed a nervous chuckle. "What can I say," she eventually replied. "Old habits die hard?"
"But now, since you've tried to break a deal with us," she then reached into her cloak, and pulled out a revolver. "We're going to alter it." She pulled back the hammer, and pointed it directly at Keitaro. "We get him for keeps!"
"Kitsune," Keitaro said through his teeth. "If I ever get out of this, somehow, I'm going to kill you!"
"I seriously doubt it," the stranger said, walking into the room, and jabbed the gun at his belly. "Now, move it!"
It was then, that the only window in the room, shattered inwards, spraying the whole room with glass. Everyone ducked and hit the floor hard, as shards of glass came at them.
When it was over, they all looked up, to see a woman standing by the broken window, a large sword in hand. Keitaro blinked in surprise.
"Liu?" He said. "W-What are you doing here!?!"
"You!" She hissed, pointing the pointy end of the sword towards Kitsune, who swallowed nervously. "You must die!"
"Wait!" Keitaro cried out, but before anyone could answer, the Yakoza girl raised the gun, and took aim at Liu.
The shot rang out, and Liu moved. She rolled, just avoiding the bullet, but it still passed through her clothes, slamming into the broken window frame behind her. Liu poked a finger through the newly smoking hole in her shirt, and glared at the woman.
"You want a death wish, too?" She slashed the sword at her. "Bring it on!"
The Yakoza woman shrugged, and then fired again. Liu moved like lighting, bringing her sword up. There was a flash, and a loud clanging sound. She had blocked the bullet with her sword.
"Wow." Keitaro muttered.
"Shit," the Yakoza woman snarled, then pulled back the hammer, and fired three more times. Liu blocked all of them, but as she blocked the second shot, she drew back her free arm, and as she blacked the third, she flung it forward.
Something shiny spun through the air, and the Yakoza woman grunted as the gun was knocked from her hand. It flew across the room, where it hit the wall, a small blade stuck in the barrel.
Liu leapt through the air, knocking the gangster to the ground. She pined her to the floor, and held the sword at her throat. "Any more trick?" She hissed.
"Yeah," she said with a smile, and pursing her lips together, whistled loudly. There was the sound of a lever working, and Liu looked up at the door. Another woman stood there, holding a Winchester rifle. "I had some back up."
The gun fired. Liu was compleatly caught of gaurd, and didn't react in time to block the shot. She felt a shearing pain in her arm, and was sent reeling back, clutching her shoulder, a thick trail of crimson leaking through her fingers. The new stranger worked the lever. A brass cartridge case leapt into the air, then fell to the ground with a small clink. She aimed the rifle for another shot.
"Wait!" Ketiaro cried out, drawing their attention. "I give up! Please, I surrender, just don't hurt her!"
"Keitaro…" Liu moaned weakly.
The two mobsters looked at each other, then back to Keitaro. "Come on then," the newcomer replied. Keitaro got to his feet and the one without the gun grabbed him buy the arm, and lead him out the door. The one with the rifle, backed out, keeping both Liu and Kitsune in her sights, before fleeing as well.
There was a moment's silence, before Liu spoke. "Keitaro…! You still… care for me…?"
Keitaro was hustled down a different corridor, as they ran through the halls. "Where are we going?" He asked. "The exit's not this way!"
"But the fire escape is," the woman with the rifle replied. "Do you honestly think that little shoot out is going to go un-noticed?"
"Point taken," Keitaro replied, as he looked down at his own hands, which were being bound with rope by the other girl. "So where are we going?"
"We'll tell you when the time is right," the woman bounding his hands replied, as she pushed open a door, that lead to an outside stairway. "Right now, we've got to get you to our safe house."
The rifle girl checked the ally way, and then they all ran down the escape and down the ally.
-----------------
Curios guests were all standing in their doorways, when the soldiers stormed passed, making many close their doors.
"Is this the room where the shots came from?" The sergeant asked.
"Yes ma'am," the innkeeper replied. The door to the room hung wide open, and the trio of soldiers burst in, weapons raised.
The room was completely empty. They lowered their weapons, and scanned the room. There were signs of a fight of some kind. The window was smashed. There were a few bullet holes in the walls, and a trail of blood that lead to the window. The sergeant walked over to the window, and looked out.
Nothing. No signs of any escape, or blood.
The other two soldiers explored the bathroom, but found nothing out of the ordinary. "This place is secured, ma'am," a private answered. "What ever happened here, I think we missed it."
Whoever lived here, was long gone. No personal items were left, and only the things that came with the room were still around.
"I want to see the ledgers," the sergeant replied, stalking out of the room, "I want to know, who was in this room."
-----------------
Kitsune watched from the covered wagon, as the jeep of soldiers took of down the road. She then went back inside, to where Liu sat, her shirt and bar off, and with bandages around her shoulder.
"How are you feeling?" Kitsune asked.
"Like I've been shot, assface!" She said through her teeth. "How the hell do you think I feel?" She sucked in a deep breath as her movement cause pain to shoot through her arm. "So, what are we going to do?"
"About what?"
"Keitaro, you moron!!" She spat at Kitsune. She then whipped out her sword with her free hand and pressed the edge of the blade against her neck. "I should slit your thorat and leave you to die, for all the pain you've caused me, fox-woman!" Liu snarled. But she lowered the blade away. "However, I need you at this particular point in time. Alive!"
"Why?" Kitsune asked.
Liu snarled at her. "It's your fault he's in this mess, and you're going to help me rescue him!"
"Why me!" Kitsune said, placing her hands on her hips. "You're the one with the ninja skills!"
"Look at me," Liu breathed, clutching her shoulder lightly. "Do I look like I'm in any condition to leap from rooftop to rooftop?"
"And I have absolutely no fighting skills what-so-ever," Kitsune replied. "And besides, I don't think he's going to ever want to speak to me again, if we do rescue him."
"What on earth where you planing on doing, anyway?" Liu asked.
"Well," Kitsune shrugged nervously, and leaned over to whisper in Liu's ear.
"You WHAT!?!" She shrieked, and then winced as arm started to hurt.
"Not so loud," Kitsune whispered.
"Just out of shear morbid curiosity, how did you expect him to be your friend after you whored him out!?!"
"I was going to talk him into it willingly," Kitsune answered. "You know, try and convince him that it was the only way to get by."
"You scheming, two-timing…!" Liu started to say. But stopped, and shook her head. "Oh, Keitaro! I shouldn't have abandoned you."
"So what are we going to do?" Kitsune asked.
"Do you know where they have their base of operations?" Kitsune nodded.
"They run a warehouse over on the other side of the city."
"It's not much, but it's a start," Liu replied, shifting carefully. "Come on, let's get this thing moving to another location, before the soldiers decide to come back and thoroughly search the area." As Kitsue moved to help her, She raised the blad once more. "If you fuck this up, Fox-woman, or you cause me more pain, I'll finish the job i originally came here to do!"
Kitsune nodded.
-----------------
"Blood, but no bodies?" The Lt. Asked. The sergeant nodded.
"There were eyewitness reports of a number of people fleeing the Inn, but no one knows how many were involved."
The Lt. Wasn't really interested in the case. She had other important things to worry about. "Who was staying in that room?"
The sergeant pulled out a piece of scrap paper with two names on it. "Mistune Konno, and Naru Narusegawa."
"Fine, fine," she said with little interest, as she waved a free hand I the air. "Send out what's left of the police in this city and let them handle it."
"Yes, Ma'am," the sergeant said.
Suddenly, the Lt. Eyes flung wide open, and she spun around. "Halt!" She cried out. "What was that last name!?!"
"Ma'am?"
"That last name you read out! What was it!?!" The sergeant looked at the scrap of paper.
"Naru Narusegawa?"
The Lt. froze, and then ran back to her table, pushing asides folders, finally grabbing the one she was after. She opened it, and read through the papers inside.
"Naru Narusegawa." She repeated. There it was, the name of Keitaro's girlfriend. The missing one. She smiled.
JUST OUTSIDE THE CITY: A Few Minutes Later…
"Yes, Major," the voice crackled over the radio. "We've found the Narusegawa girl. She's here in this city. Over."
"Excellent, Lt." Major Kiska replied. "It's most likely Keitaro, using her name as a disguise. I'll send you some reinforcements, and I'll be along with them. In the meantime, I want you to tighten your grip on the city. Screen everything going out of that city. Search everything that can be searched. We can't afford to let him escape us again! Over."
"Understood, Major," the Lt. replied. "Over and out." Then, the radio was silent.
"Well," the woman said, as she lowered the radio, and put it back in her knapsack. "It seems that Haruka did the right thing in calling me to go look after him."
She then lifted her knapsack up onto her shoulders, and mounted her motorbike. She reeved it loudly, and pulled the goggles back down over her eyes.
"Don't worry, Brother. Kanako shall not let you fall into their hands!"
TO BE CONTINUED…