Hey everybody. It's me, Silverlocke980, once again prepared to bring you the joy that is "Night of the Mark!" (Cue trumpet flourish).
(Scratches head) Okay, so maybe it's not that good... but still! I am bringing it to you! Nice and hot! Woooo! (dances)
Anyway, to the reviewers:
VGuyver: (smacks head) Damn! I knew there was something I left out of the last chapter... thanks for pointing it out to me. Likewise, sorry about the female reference. Odd, considering how I thought you were male before you said anything... must have slipped up :).
Thanks for the notes on Kohryu. I always thought he was the stupidest damn thing they'd done in the game (how the hell do you make a Robotech Zoanthrope? Anybody know?) but hey, if he's there, why not use him. Besides, I've had the idea in my head for a decaying monstrosity for some time now, and Kohryu seemed like the best way to write one.
Front Mission 3 was a crazy cool game. Never played Xenogears (I've heard it's got a lot of religious elements, so I'm a little "ehhh" towards it anyway, since most people can't add religious things without making them "evil" or "backwards" in some way) but have seen the rave reviews it and the prequel (Xenosaga Episode 1) received. 'Course, FM 3's beat by Wild ARMS 3, but then again, nothing can stand up to the coolness that is WA3. I love that game. (Big stupid grin)
Ah well. Thanks for reviewing!
Tiger: What's wrong with bumping up Bakuryu's ego? I like the murderer. He cheers me up on bad days. :) Don't worry, Tiger; the Bakuryu stuff will resolve itself in a most beautiful way (one that harkens back to a special little RPG you once played....) in the sequel. It won't get resolved here much, but that's okay; I don't need it resolved just yet.
And if you're confused, here's a hint: the main character was also called the "Rude Hero".I think you'll get it soon. ;)
Soundwood: (smiles) Read your profile, kid. Very nice. Glad to know I'm being stalked! (chuckles) Ah well. I read about your own original character, and I must say I'm impressed. I'm seeing echoes of myself in her (the weight from the polar bear form harkens back to Yugo's wolf heat weakness) but she seems to be a very strong, very unique character to base a fic on. And....
I don't usually do this, but I've decided to extend a hand to you. If you ever need help, Soundwood, I'm willing to give you ideas, storylines, characters, and just about anything else you'll need (I even work well as a sounding board :) to write your story. I'll understand if you think this is incredibly overbearing of me to offer this, but it's just a gesture of friendship. My e-mail's on if you want to talk, but remember this: I'm very busy, both on the Net and in the "real world" (How I hate that term...), so don't think I'm not listening when three days pass without e-mails.
As for Kohryu- I screwed that up. Kohryu doesn't bleed (note that, when Uriko slashed him, only four little lines appeared on his face instead of bleeding gashes)... thanks for the reminder.
Kudos to everybody who reviewed! If I forgot you, blame the heart and not the head.
So! It's...
"SHOWTIME!"
Chapter Nine
And In Darkness We Dream
Room 350, Our Holy Mother Medical Hospital, near heart of Tokyo, Japan. 2:48 a.m., Night of the Mark.
Kenji has let out a silent call into this room, and as a team of doctors and nurses gather outside, trying to figure out what has happened here (they've been hearing all kinds of noises, and about a minute ago- about the time Kohryu screamed- the windows all over the hospital rattled) it seems to him that time slows down and all the world spins to a stop. Which is does, for him- and here I will break off for a second, to talk of something that humans have suspected for centuries but never really understood.
Time is a man-made thing. Time has no existence, no meaning, no purpose in the eyes of a flower, born to live and die in one year- time has no power over a star, born to live for millenia and support the life of others. Time does not exist, save in the minds of humans. Henceforth...
In Kenji's mind, what is about to happen will take minutes. In the "real flow" of time, what will happen takes barely a second.
Let us go into his mind.
We spin and the world falls apart...
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kenji's Mind. No time.
Kenji stands on a black, broken wasteland dotted by fires. Every so often a tree is placed in these fields, with the dummies he trained upon (in those nightmare days when he was but a child under Busuzima's control) hanging from them, eyes made of jelly to mimic the popping sensation that occurs when one drives one's thumbs into an opponent's eyes. In like manner, bundles of sticks were stuffed into the dummies arms and legs, to allow students to fully mimic the act of breaking those limbs. This is Bakuryu's home, and whether Kenji likes to admit it or not, there is a lot of him left here- left in the training rooms and darkness that Busuzima preferred when teaching his young pupil. Left in the pain and torment of being forced to kill others, mostly captured prisoners, whenever Busuzima ordered him to. Left... here...
" Well, well, well. Fancy seeing you here."
Kenji turns around, and behind him, an exact replica in body but an exact opposite in soul, Bakuryu stands. Unlike Kenji, who is wearing a hooded jacket and pants (before any of this occured, hooded jackets were his favorite attire- as you already know, Kenji has shyness and people issues), Bakuryu is wearing the half-armor Busuzima designed for him. Busuzima had trained Kenji in Ninjitsu because of the great emphasis on stealth it required (that, and he wanted to finally train someone as a real Ninja, not as a commercialized toy), but he realized that even the best spies sometimes get caught, often through no fault of their own. So Busuzima built this armor, based off of old Samurai designs (the Ninja were many things, but blacksmithing was a talent far beyond them) for the sole purpose of deflecting bullets. The armor was made of Kevlar mixed with small slivers of titanium designed to strengthen it. The way it was designed, Kenji could get shot in any unprotected part and, so long as the rest of him was functioning, he would survive. For obvious reasons, Busuzima was not afraid of Kenji being wounded in hand-to-hand combat.
The armor still exists in the "real world", inside Yugo's house where he has kept it since the day he met Kenji. Yugo has been keeping the armor for reasons he himself has never really been sure of (Yugo has often felt that he should just throw it away, but he never quite gets to it), but Kenji does not know this. Kenji associates the armor, just as he associates his beast form and fighting style, with Bakuryu. He will not wear it, in the real world or in his mind.
Kenji speaks. His voice is slow and solemn, weak and hurt.
" Bakuryu. Come with me. I need you."
Bakuryu cocks his head to the side, looking at his other with amused interest.
" Oh really? And why do you need me? What can the almighty Kenji not do by himself?" Bakuryu grins at him.
" I cannot defeat Kohryu," Kenji says. " Help me."
" You could if you changed," Bakuryu says.
" You know I cannot do that," Kenji says, slowly shaking his head. " That power belongs to you."
Because Kenji so fears Bakuryu, he fears anything connected with Bakuryu. And nothing is deeper to Kenji's heart (and, henceforth, Bakuryu's) than his beast form. Kenji, try as he might, cannot and will not forget all the lives he's ruined at the ends of the ten sharp points on his hands. His fear of Bakuryu is so strong that those memories, memories that belong to Bakuryu, overtake him every time he even considers changing. Unlike Yugo, who loves his beast nature (his run earlier this night is a weekly -sometimes nightly- thing for him), or Uriko (who shifts every time she becomes angry, frustrated, or otherwise strung out in some way- she has relatively little control over her power) or even Alice (who merely accepts her beast nature and goes along with it), Kenji fears his beast form, and has never shifted once in his "true" form. Every time he has turned into a Zoanthrope, it is Bakuryu, not Kenji, who has initiated it.
As it is now.
" Fine then," Bakuryu says, smiling. " I'll tear him apart for you. But, a deal..."
" A deal?" Kenji says, a rebuttal already on his lips. " What do you mean?"
" Simple," Bakuryu says, smiling. " The first time you and Uriko make love, I get to be part of it. Deal?"
" What?! No!" A wave of negation flows through the land around us.
" C'mon," Bakuryu says. " It's not like I won't be part of it anyway. Your memories are my memories, regardless of what those memories are about." His grin spreads wider.
" No," Kenji says, even more firmly.
" Please," Bakuryu says, and madness and want flows through the land about us. " You never let me live you never let me be! I always want to reach out and touch the world, taste it, smell it, see it.... but you keep me locked up inside. It's been so long since I've touched another human being..."
" You slay all you touch! A monster such as you should never be let loose in the world!"
" Wait! Please!" Bakuryu is pleading now, arms spread out and palms up in supplication, and as he does this we see another side of him- the young child who was broken under Busuzima's control. " It has been so long since I've been able to do anything... I can see out your eyes, but I can't control them. I can feel your legs moving, but I don't know where we're going. Help me! Let me out into the real world. Let me touch Uriko..."
" Never." Kenji's negation is so strong that it blankets this world, momentarily shrouding this land in darkness. " I would die first."
" Then you will!" Bakuryu shouts. " You will die! And Uriko will suffer more than you know! She loves you, for whatever reasons exist in her heart. And your death will cause her more pain than you can imagine!"
" Will it?" Kenji asks, his eyes soft and sad. " Or will it simply free her to find someone else, someone better for her than me?"
" I don't know," Bakuryu says, shaking his head. " But neither do you. Let me out. I won't ask for Uriko," he says hastily, seeing darkness flash over the horizon as Kenji rages at the very idea, " but I will ask for this. Let me out. You can keep some control over me, I guess- I'm not stupid enough to assume you'd just let me have my fun- but let me out in the real world. That's all I ask."
" When?" Kenji says, mulling this idea over. It is something he would actually consider, and in his belief that he can control Bakuryu, it is not something he is too afraid to give. " When do you want to be free?"
" Any time," Bakuryu says truthfully. " You pick the time and place. I will obey your orders and be on my very best behaviour." He says this last with a touch of mockery, believing he is winning the argument and may very well gain what he wishes.
" Very well," Kenji says. " If that is what you ask for, so be it. Now come. We must save Uriko."
The world spins and falls apart....
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Room 350, Our Holy Mother Medical Hospital, near heart of Tokyo, Japan. 2:48 a.m.
It has been but a few seconds since the strange, hurried conversation in Kenji's mind began, and now that the dealing is done (and this deal may stretch far beyond itself) the work can begin. The light fades in Kenji's eyes, only to be replaced by a far harsher light. Kenji lifts his head, grinning and laughing to beat the devil.
" Ah! Yes!" Bakuryu says, standing up and flexing. " I forgot how a real body feels! Oh this is GREAT!" Bakuryu stretches, and when Kohryu slashes at him, he flips out of the way. " Oh yeah, forgot about you. Kenji told me all he had to- guess I got to kill you now! So...."
Bakuryu grins, and his entire body begins to shake. The light of change comes over him, and right before his voice is taken from him (as a Mole, he cannot talk since his mouth is too deformed), he says, " IT'S SHOWTIME!"
The light leaves, and before us stands Bakuryu in the form his enemies and his victims know best. His shirt is torn and rent; the Mole form is too large for the shirt he was wearing and has split it. Soft brown fur covers the upper torso and what little we can see of the legs. The body is shaped like an upside down bowling pin; it is medium sized at bottom, small in the waist, and huge in the upper body. Two long, strong arms extend from the sides. Each ends in oversized hands with even more oversized claws. The head, which is simply that of a mole with red eyes, should look absurd on that huge torso; but the strange malice and cool evil radiating out from it dispel any notions of hilarity and make it a dark, gruesome thing. This is Bakuryu the Mole. Also sometimes referred to, in both Busuzima's reports and on the street, as the Claw.
A strange, gurgling chuckle emanates from the creature before us. Bakuryu is laughing. This is the sound many of his victims heard right before he killed them. Kohryu, who in his madness knows no fear, merely gazes at Bakuryu curiously, as if he is some new and strange sight that Kohryu is busy computing. Computation (or whatever passes for thought in that strange, muddled mind) complete, Kohryu rushes forward with his claws outstretched. Bakuryu dodges, moving so quickly that it seems he is not even there. Bakuryu catches Kohryu's outstretched claw in his own (delicately palming it, making sure that his knives do not touch his victim) and flings the beast into a nearby wall. Beds crumble and lamps snap as Kohryu flies into them. Bakuryu's strange, bubbling chuckle comes purring out again.
Kohryu barely manages to rise before he is thrown down again, this time by Uriko, who does not know that it is Bakuryu, not Kenji, who is now in the driver's seat of her love and henceforth needs very little help (with the possible exceptions of Long, Gado, and Shina, Bakuryu is the most dangerous of the Zoanthropes in terms of both combat abilities and sheer will to kill). Uriko flings herself on Kohryu and proceeds to scratch his strange, metallic face. She breaks several of her claws in the process, but ignores the pain in her hands. Kohryu shakes and jitters as Uriko assaults her, but then his programming kicks in and he dashes forward. Uriko is slammed straight into a wall, and as Kohryu's unforgiving metallic form shoves her forward, she screams in pain.
Bakuryu, who, despite the fact that he doesn't love Uriko, does feel some emotion for her (lust would probably be a more fitting description, but that's beside the point) and henceforth rushes forward to save her. Having noticed in the ruckus that the human doctors, after getting over their initial fright, had run bug-eyed to the nearest guards shouting "Monster! Monster!" and that said guards were approaching with pistols drawn and nerves snapping, Bakuryu decides to do the polite thing and take the fight outside. Barreling into Kohryu, Bakuryu tackles him and flings him out the same window through which he entered earlier this night. We rush out with them, eager to see the conclusion of this fight, whether both combatants will simply fall to their deaths (or not; knowing Bakuryu's luck, the assassin will merely break a few bones and be forced to hobble off for healing) or whether the fight will continue in mid-air.
The answer turns out to be neither; both Bakuryu and Kohryu have dug their claws into the side of the building and are continuing the fight while hanging from the building. Bakuryu performs an odd half-swing by pushing off with his right arm, digging it in, then pushing off with it again, moving him forward in strange little hopping jerks. Three of these little hops bring him to Kohryu, and he proceeds to use his momentum to give Kohryu a solid kick in the face. Kohryu takes it quite stolidly and proceeds to swing his claw arm. In a completely instinctive reaction, Bakuryu ducks his head and moves his hand to protect his face- which also makes him lose his grip and causes him to fall. Hurriedly grabbing back onto the concrete walls of the hospital, he looks up and sees a sight that momentarily boggles the assassin. After all, even Zoanthropes don't expect to see flying cats drop on their heads.
Uriko had ran to the window upon seeing Bakuryu fall out, the pain in her lower back forgotten in her worry over Bakuryu. She looks down, and seeing what she assumes to be her love still locked in battle with the thing, she does the best thing she can. Uriko is very brave, but more so than that, she feels that Bakuryu is down there because he had been saving her. Of course that's not the full truth, but with both the assumption and the assurance that teenagers always have, Uriko is sure that Kenji had just valiantly risked his life to save hers, and she would be damned before she would forgo payment of such a debt. Ergo, Uriko leaped straight out the window, claws down, caterwauling (if you'll forgive me a little pun) loud enough to wake the dead. Bakuryu is momentarily stunned; Kohryu, whose brain doesn't work all that well in the best of situations, is completely dumbfounded and merely watches as Uriko plummets like a furry comet straight at his head. The impact makes a sickening crunch that causes all of us to wince. Metal or not, that had to hurt. As Uriko slams into Kohryu, the mutant beast loses his grip and falls down. Uriko plummets with him, almost knocked cold by the force of impact, her dazed mind registering nothing as Bakuryu stretches out a single clawed hand and almost gently catches her. Pulling her in close, Bakuryu enjoys the feel of her body and wishes fervently that he had both the time and the ability to enjoy her further himself. Having to content himself with a few choice squeezes (most of which Uriko doesn't register in her daze, and those few she does notice, she assumes to be accidents caused by Kenji trying to avoid slicing her open on his claws). As Bakuryu essentially palms the half-beast, he looks up and sees Yugo performing small jumps from window to window of the hospital. From the window of Room 350, the confused screams and hurried shouts of the guards can be heard. Although Bakuryu does not see it, we watch as Kohryu spins through the air, clutching at the side of the building that is too far away for him to touch. His fall seems to be in slow-motion, and we circle him as we fall. Yet even as we watch him plummet, we watch Yugo reach the hanging Bakuryu. Abandoning the still falling Kohryu, we rush over to hear what he says.
" We have to leave," Yugo says, still dazed and badly hurt by Kohryu's assault. From below there is a noise of metal scraping, than a horrendous crash. Yugo, who is still deaf (though healing; even Zoanthropes on the verge of death have been known to recover fully when given enough time), feels the impact in his bones and looks down. Bakuryu, knowing full well what the sound was, emits his strange little chuckle and looks down.
Below the building, a hunk of wrecked and twisted metal, Kohryu lays dead, twitching and shivering as his unlife leaves him. The metal twists and burns and shakes and jitters and then, as it seems that Kohryu must get up, that he must be badly hurt but not dead, the metal gives one last groan and gives up with a twisted shriek. Kohryu's dead (or it that re-dead?) carcass lays still, bones busted and laying in odd angles, metal jutting out where it refused to break, tearing the skin and bones it had underlaid. The glass that made up Kohryu's face is broken and busted, and a slowly dying whirring noise, like the sound of a long-running machine finally being put to rest, comes from the figure. The whirring finally stops with an audible click, and it is over. Electricity sizzles, sparks, dies. People stand staring around on the street nearby, looking at the corpse, and as their eyes travel upwards someone screams and runs to a nearby telephone. Bakuryu considers killing that person before they can get to the police, but decides it would be too much trouble in a night that will apparently consist of nothing else.
" Head to... park," Yugo says, working through the pain in his head. Bakuryu notices the blood dripping from Yugo's ears and wonders uneasily if Yugo will die. Bakuryu personally has no stake in the matter, but Kenji thinks of Yugo like a surrogate big brother/father, and he's suicidal enough as it is without a family member dying. Thinking rather wryly that Kenji only dragged him out for the hard parts, Bakuryu listens to Yugo explain where they will meet at, in more human form. Yugo takes off, clearing the distance between the side of the hospital and a nearby building in one leap. Landing somewhat uneasily, the wolf staggers a bit and then runs off. Bakuryu switches Uriko to a more comfortable position on his shoulder and begins climbing down the building. As he does so, he hears the sound of sirens in the distance. Cursing, he drops down at a rapid pace, eventually landing on the questionable safety of the sidewalk. Taking the still unconscious Uriko with him, he heads off into a side alley.
We follow him into darkness while, all around us, sirens whoop and scream.
-R & R please!
(Scratches head) Okay, so maybe it's not that good... but still! I am bringing it to you! Nice and hot! Woooo! (dances)
Anyway, to the reviewers:
VGuyver: (smacks head) Damn! I knew there was something I left out of the last chapter... thanks for pointing it out to me. Likewise, sorry about the female reference. Odd, considering how I thought you were male before you said anything... must have slipped up :).
Thanks for the notes on Kohryu. I always thought he was the stupidest damn thing they'd done in the game (how the hell do you make a Robotech Zoanthrope? Anybody know?) but hey, if he's there, why not use him. Besides, I've had the idea in my head for a decaying monstrosity for some time now, and Kohryu seemed like the best way to write one.
Front Mission 3 was a crazy cool game. Never played Xenogears (I've heard it's got a lot of religious elements, so I'm a little "ehhh" towards it anyway, since most people can't add religious things without making them "evil" or "backwards" in some way) but have seen the rave reviews it and the prequel (Xenosaga Episode 1) received. 'Course, FM 3's beat by Wild ARMS 3, but then again, nothing can stand up to the coolness that is WA3. I love that game. (Big stupid grin)
Ah well. Thanks for reviewing!
Tiger: What's wrong with bumping up Bakuryu's ego? I like the murderer. He cheers me up on bad days. :) Don't worry, Tiger; the Bakuryu stuff will resolve itself in a most beautiful way (one that harkens back to a special little RPG you once played....) in the sequel. It won't get resolved here much, but that's okay; I don't need it resolved just yet.
And if you're confused, here's a hint: the main character was also called the "Rude Hero".I think you'll get it soon. ;)
Soundwood: (smiles) Read your profile, kid. Very nice. Glad to know I'm being stalked! (chuckles) Ah well. I read about your own original character, and I must say I'm impressed. I'm seeing echoes of myself in her (the weight from the polar bear form harkens back to Yugo's wolf heat weakness) but she seems to be a very strong, very unique character to base a fic on. And....
I don't usually do this, but I've decided to extend a hand to you. If you ever need help, Soundwood, I'm willing to give you ideas, storylines, characters, and just about anything else you'll need (I even work well as a sounding board :) to write your story. I'll understand if you think this is incredibly overbearing of me to offer this, but it's just a gesture of friendship. My e-mail's on if you want to talk, but remember this: I'm very busy, both on the Net and in the "real world" (How I hate that term...), so don't think I'm not listening when three days pass without e-mails.
As for Kohryu- I screwed that up. Kohryu doesn't bleed (note that, when Uriko slashed him, only four little lines appeared on his face instead of bleeding gashes)... thanks for the reminder.
Kudos to everybody who reviewed! If I forgot you, blame the heart and not the head.
So! It's...
"SHOWTIME!"
Chapter Nine
And In Darkness We Dream
Room 350, Our Holy Mother Medical Hospital, near heart of Tokyo, Japan. 2:48 a.m., Night of the Mark.
Kenji has let out a silent call into this room, and as a team of doctors and nurses gather outside, trying to figure out what has happened here (they've been hearing all kinds of noises, and about a minute ago- about the time Kohryu screamed- the windows all over the hospital rattled) it seems to him that time slows down and all the world spins to a stop. Which is does, for him- and here I will break off for a second, to talk of something that humans have suspected for centuries but never really understood.
Time is a man-made thing. Time has no existence, no meaning, no purpose in the eyes of a flower, born to live and die in one year- time has no power over a star, born to live for millenia and support the life of others. Time does not exist, save in the minds of humans. Henceforth...
In Kenji's mind, what is about to happen will take minutes. In the "real flow" of time, what will happen takes barely a second.
Let us go into his mind.
We spin and the world falls apart...
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kenji's Mind. No time.
Kenji stands on a black, broken wasteland dotted by fires. Every so often a tree is placed in these fields, with the dummies he trained upon (in those nightmare days when he was but a child under Busuzima's control) hanging from them, eyes made of jelly to mimic the popping sensation that occurs when one drives one's thumbs into an opponent's eyes. In like manner, bundles of sticks were stuffed into the dummies arms and legs, to allow students to fully mimic the act of breaking those limbs. This is Bakuryu's home, and whether Kenji likes to admit it or not, there is a lot of him left here- left in the training rooms and darkness that Busuzima preferred when teaching his young pupil. Left in the pain and torment of being forced to kill others, mostly captured prisoners, whenever Busuzima ordered him to. Left... here...
" Well, well, well. Fancy seeing you here."
Kenji turns around, and behind him, an exact replica in body but an exact opposite in soul, Bakuryu stands. Unlike Kenji, who is wearing a hooded jacket and pants (before any of this occured, hooded jackets were his favorite attire- as you already know, Kenji has shyness and people issues), Bakuryu is wearing the half-armor Busuzima designed for him. Busuzima had trained Kenji in Ninjitsu because of the great emphasis on stealth it required (that, and he wanted to finally train someone as a real Ninja, not as a commercialized toy), but he realized that even the best spies sometimes get caught, often through no fault of their own. So Busuzima built this armor, based off of old Samurai designs (the Ninja were many things, but blacksmithing was a talent far beyond them) for the sole purpose of deflecting bullets. The armor was made of Kevlar mixed with small slivers of titanium designed to strengthen it. The way it was designed, Kenji could get shot in any unprotected part and, so long as the rest of him was functioning, he would survive. For obvious reasons, Busuzima was not afraid of Kenji being wounded in hand-to-hand combat.
The armor still exists in the "real world", inside Yugo's house where he has kept it since the day he met Kenji. Yugo has been keeping the armor for reasons he himself has never really been sure of (Yugo has often felt that he should just throw it away, but he never quite gets to it), but Kenji does not know this. Kenji associates the armor, just as he associates his beast form and fighting style, with Bakuryu. He will not wear it, in the real world or in his mind.
Kenji speaks. His voice is slow and solemn, weak and hurt.
" Bakuryu. Come with me. I need you."
Bakuryu cocks his head to the side, looking at his other with amused interest.
" Oh really? And why do you need me? What can the almighty Kenji not do by himself?" Bakuryu grins at him.
" I cannot defeat Kohryu," Kenji says. " Help me."
" You could if you changed," Bakuryu says.
" You know I cannot do that," Kenji says, slowly shaking his head. " That power belongs to you."
Because Kenji so fears Bakuryu, he fears anything connected with Bakuryu. And nothing is deeper to Kenji's heart (and, henceforth, Bakuryu's) than his beast form. Kenji, try as he might, cannot and will not forget all the lives he's ruined at the ends of the ten sharp points on his hands. His fear of Bakuryu is so strong that those memories, memories that belong to Bakuryu, overtake him every time he even considers changing. Unlike Yugo, who loves his beast nature (his run earlier this night is a weekly -sometimes nightly- thing for him), or Uriko (who shifts every time she becomes angry, frustrated, or otherwise strung out in some way- she has relatively little control over her power) or even Alice (who merely accepts her beast nature and goes along with it), Kenji fears his beast form, and has never shifted once in his "true" form. Every time he has turned into a Zoanthrope, it is Bakuryu, not Kenji, who has initiated it.
As it is now.
" Fine then," Bakuryu says, smiling. " I'll tear him apart for you. But, a deal..."
" A deal?" Kenji says, a rebuttal already on his lips. " What do you mean?"
" Simple," Bakuryu says, smiling. " The first time you and Uriko make love, I get to be part of it. Deal?"
" What?! No!" A wave of negation flows through the land around us.
" C'mon," Bakuryu says. " It's not like I won't be part of it anyway. Your memories are my memories, regardless of what those memories are about." His grin spreads wider.
" No," Kenji says, even more firmly.
" Please," Bakuryu says, and madness and want flows through the land about us. " You never let me live you never let me be! I always want to reach out and touch the world, taste it, smell it, see it.... but you keep me locked up inside. It's been so long since I've touched another human being..."
" You slay all you touch! A monster such as you should never be let loose in the world!"
" Wait! Please!" Bakuryu is pleading now, arms spread out and palms up in supplication, and as he does this we see another side of him- the young child who was broken under Busuzima's control. " It has been so long since I've been able to do anything... I can see out your eyes, but I can't control them. I can feel your legs moving, but I don't know where we're going. Help me! Let me out into the real world. Let me touch Uriko..."
" Never." Kenji's negation is so strong that it blankets this world, momentarily shrouding this land in darkness. " I would die first."
" Then you will!" Bakuryu shouts. " You will die! And Uriko will suffer more than you know! She loves you, for whatever reasons exist in her heart. And your death will cause her more pain than you can imagine!"
" Will it?" Kenji asks, his eyes soft and sad. " Or will it simply free her to find someone else, someone better for her than me?"
" I don't know," Bakuryu says, shaking his head. " But neither do you. Let me out. I won't ask for Uriko," he says hastily, seeing darkness flash over the horizon as Kenji rages at the very idea, " but I will ask for this. Let me out. You can keep some control over me, I guess- I'm not stupid enough to assume you'd just let me have my fun- but let me out in the real world. That's all I ask."
" When?" Kenji says, mulling this idea over. It is something he would actually consider, and in his belief that he can control Bakuryu, it is not something he is too afraid to give. " When do you want to be free?"
" Any time," Bakuryu says truthfully. " You pick the time and place. I will obey your orders and be on my very best behaviour." He says this last with a touch of mockery, believing he is winning the argument and may very well gain what he wishes.
" Very well," Kenji says. " If that is what you ask for, so be it. Now come. We must save Uriko."
The world spins and falls apart....
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Room 350, Our Holy Mother Medical Hospital, near heart of Tokyo, Japan. 2:48 a.m.
It has been but a few seconds since the strange, hurried conversation in Kenji's mind began, and now that the dealing is done (and this deal may stretch far beyond itself) the work can begin. The light fades in Kenji's eyes, only to be replaced by a far harsher light. Kenji lifts his head, grinning and laughing to beat the devil.
" Ah! Yes!" Bakuryu says, standing up and flexing. " I forgot how a real body feels! Oh this is GREAT!" Bakuryu stretches, and when Kohryu slashes at him, he flips out of the way. " Oh yeah, forgot about you. Kenji told me all he had to- guess I got to kill you now! So...."
Bakuryu grins, and his entire body begins to shake. The light of change comes over him, and right before his voice is taken from him (as a Mole, he cannot talk since his mouth is too deformed), he says, " IT'S SHOWTIME!"
The light leaves, and before us stands Bakuryu in the form his enemies and his victims know best. His shirt is torn and rent; the Mole form is too large for the shirt he was wearing and has split it. Soft brown fur covers the upper torso and what little we can see of the legs. The body is shaped like an upside down bowling pin; it is medium sized at bottom, small in the waist, and huge in the upper body. Two long, strong arms extend from the sides. Each ends in oversized hands with even more oversized claws. The head, which is simply that of a mole with red eyes, should look absurd on that huge torso; but the strange malice and cool evil radiating out from it dispel any notions of hilarity and make it a dark, gruesome thing. This is Bakuryu the Mole. Also sometimes referred to, in both Busuzima's reports and on the street, as the Claw.
A strange, gurgling chuckle emanates from the creature before us. Bakuryu is laughing. This is the sound many of his victims heard right before he killed them. Kohryu, who in his madness knows no fear, merely gazes at Bakuryu curiously, as if he is some new and strange sight that Kohryu is busy computing. Computation (or whatever passes for thought in that strange, muddled mind) complete, Kohryu rushes forward with his claws outstretched. Bakuryu dodges, moving so quickly that it seems he is not even there. Bakuryu catches Kohryu's outstretched claw in his own (delicately palming it, making sure that his knives do not touch his victim) and flings the beast into a nearby wall. Beds crumble and lamps snap as Kohryu flies into them. Bakuryu's strange, bubbling chuckle comes purring out again.
Kohryu barely manages to rise before he is thrown down again, this time by Uriko, who does not know that it is Bakuryu, not Kenji, who is now in the driver's seat of her love and henceforth needs very little help (with the possible exceptions of Long, Gado, and Shina, Bakuryu is the most dangerous of the Zoanthropes in terms of both combat abilities and sheer will to kill). Uriko flings herself on Kohryu and proceeds to scratch his strange, metallic face. She breaks several of her claws in the process, but ignores the pain in her hands. Kohryu shakes and jitters as Uriko assaults her, but then his programming kicks in and he dashes forward. Uriko is slammed straight into a wall, and as Kohryu's unforgiving metallic form shoves her forward, she screams in pain.
Bakuryu, who, despite the fact that he doesn't love Uriko, does feel some emotion for her (lust would probably be a more fitting description, but that's beside the point) and henceforth rushes forward to save her. Having noticed in the ruckus that the human doctors, after getting over their initial fright, had run bug-eyed to the nearest guards shouting "Monster! Monster!" and that said guards were approaching with pistols drawn and nerves snapping, Bakuryu decides to do the polite thing and take the fight outside. Barreling into Kohryu, Bakuryu tackles him and flings him out the same window through which he entered earlier this night. We rush out with them, eager to see the conclusion of this fight, whether both combatants will simply fall to their deaths (or not; knowing Bakuryu's luck, the assassin will merely break a few bones and be forced to hobble off for healing) or whether the fight will continue in mid-air.
The answer turns out to be neither; both Bakuryu and Kohryu have dug their claws into the side of the building and are continuing the fight while hanging from the building. Bakuryu performs an odd half-swing by pushing off with his right arm, digging it in, then pushing off with it again, moving him forward in strange little hopping jerks. Three of these little hops bring him to Kohryu, and he proceeds to use his momentum to give Kohryu a solid kick in the face. Kohryu takes it quite stolidly and proceeds to swing his claw arm. In a completely instinctive reaction, Bakuryu ducks his head and moves his hand to protect his face- which also makes him lose his grip and causes him to fall. Hurriedly grabbing back onto the concrete walls of the hospital, he looks up and sees a sight that momentarily boggles the assassin. After all, even Zoanthropes don't expect to see flying cats drop on their heads.
Uriko had ran to the window upon seeing Bakuryu fall out, the pain in her lower back forgotten in her worry over Bakuryu. She looks down, and seeing what she assumes to be her love still locked in battle with the thing, she does the best thing she can. Uriko is very brave, but more so than that, she feels that Bakuryu is down there because he had been saving her. Of course that's not the full truth, but with both the assumption and the assurance that teenagers always have, Uriko is sure that Kenji had just valiantly risked his life to save hers, and she would be damned before she would forgo payment of such a debt. Ergo, Uriko leaped straight out the window, claws down, caterwauling (if you'll forgive me a little pun) loud enough to wake the dead. Bakuryu is momentarily stunned; Kohryu, whose brain doesn't work all that well in the best of situations, is completely dumbfounded and merely watches as Uriko plummets like a furry comet straight at his head. The impact makes a sickening crunch that causes all of us to wince. Metal or not, that had to hurt. As Uriko slams into Kohryu, the mutant beast loses his grip and falls down. Uriko plummets with him, almost knocked cold by the force of impact, her dazed mind registering nothing as Bakuryu stretches out a single clawed hand and almost gently catches her. Pulling her in close, Bakuryu enjoys the feel of her body and wishes fervently that he had both the time and the ability to enjoy her further himself. Having to content himself with a few choice squeezes (most of which Uriko doesn't register in her daze, and those few she does notice, she assumes to be accidents caused by Kenji trying to avoid slicing her open on his claws). As Bakuryu essentially palms the half-beast, he looks up and sees Yugo performing small jumps from window to window of the hospital. From the window of Room 350, the confused screams and hurried shouts of the guards can be heard. Although Bakuryu does not see it, we watch as Kohryu spins through the air, clutching at the side of the building that is too far away for him to touch. His fall seems to be in slow-motion, and we circle him as we fall. Yet even as we watch him plummet, we watch Yugo reach the hanging Bakuryu. Abandoning the still falling Kohryu, we rush over to hear what he says.
" We have to leave," Yugo says, still dazed and badly hurt by Kohryu's assault. From below there is a noise of metal scraping, than a horrendous crash. Yugo, who is still deaf (though healing; even Zoanthropes on the verge of death have been known to recover fully when given enough time), feels the impact in his bones and looks down. Bakuryu, knowing full well what the sound was, emits his strange little chuckle and looks down.
Below the building, a hunk of wrecked and twisted metal, Kohryu lays dead, twitching and shivering as his unlife leaves him. The metal twists and burns and shakes and jitters and then, as it seems that Kohryu must get up, that he must be badly hurt but not dead, the metal gives one last groan and gives up with a twisted shriek. Kohryu's dead (or it that re-dead?) carcass lays still, bones busted and laying in odd angles, metal jutting out where it refused to break, tearing the skin and bones it had underlaid. The glass that made up Kohryu's face is broken and busted, and a slowly dying whirring noise, like the sound of a long-running machine finally being put to rest, comes from the figure. The whirring finally stops with an audible click, and it is over. Electricity sizzles, sparks, dies. People stand staring around on the street nearby, looking at the corpse, and as their eyes travel upwards someone screams and runs to a nearby telephone. Bakuryu considers killing that person before they can get to the police, but decides it would be too much trouble in a night that will apparently consist of nothing else.
" Head to... park," Yugo says, working through the pain in his head. Bakuryu notices the blood dripping from Yugo's ears and wonders uneasily if Yugo will die. Bakuryu personally has no stake in the matter, but Kenji thinks of Yugo like a surrogate big brother/father, and he's suicidal enough as it is without a family member dying. Thinking rather wryly that Kenji only dragged him out for the hard parts, Bakuryu listens to Yugo explain where they will meet at, in more human form. Yugo takes off, clearing the distance between the side of the hospital and a nearby building in one leap. Landing somewhat uneasily, the wolf staggers a bit and then runs off. Bakuryu switches Uriko to a more comfortable position on his shoulder and begins climbing down the building. As he does so, he hears the sound of sirens in the distance. Cursing, he drops down at a rapid pace, eventually landing on the questionable safety of the sidewalk. Taking the still unconscious Uriko with him, he heads off into a side alley.
We follow him into darkness while, all around us, sirens whoop and scream.
-R & R please!