Static
Chapter 5: Temporary Alliance

Disclaimer: I do not own Kill la Kill or any of the characters involved except Garet and Jaret

Ryuko was waiting in the courtyard, her scissor blade planted firmly in the dirt. She was waiting for her attacker to return.

The day before, she had been attacked by a man who was trying to destroy Senketsu. He had suddenly and inexplicably left in the middle of his assault but warned her that he would return the next day. She was standing, ready for a fight, and contemplating why he would be attacking her.

"You know, standing in the middle of the courtyard gives people a really easy shot at you," Jaret called as he walked up from behind.

His comment ripped her out of her thoughts and back to the present.

"What are you doing here?" She asked her voice tense.

"Satsuki asked me to apprehend you and your attacker. Figured I could use it as an excuse to get close again and talk," He explained.

"Don't you two have to keep up appearances?" She asked.

Jaret tilted his head in acknowledgment.

"We do, that's true, but in this situation, I think Satsuki's not watching too closely. She trusts that I'll get the job done," He explained.

Ryuko grunted acknowledgment before turning back to the gate.

"You ok?" He asked.

"This guy's good, he took me down in less than a second yesterday," She explained.

Her mind flashed back to his original attack. He had pinned Mako with a barrage of needles and used Ryuko's surprise to his advantage to pin her to the ground.

"Well, your fighting style isn't exactly complex. I'm not surprised to hear he got the upper hand," Jaret replied.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Your primary attack is to rush people down and swing that big scissor blade of yours. You have no tactics, no strategy."

"I don't need any of that," Ryuko answered quickly.

"Then don't be surprised when people who do use that stuff get the drop on you," Jaret answered back.

Ryuko growled in frustration before turning on him.

"What do you know? I've already beaten plenty of these school club presidents, and they were plenty strong! I didn't need any tactics or strategy for them!" She shouted.

Jaret went to reply when his eyes shot toward the gate.

"He's here," He said.

Ryuko's anger subsided for a second, "What?"

Suddenly, rockets came screaming from the gate and slammed into the ground around them.

Both transformed into their combat forms as Ryuko's attacker, Tsumugu Kinagase, came rushing into the courtyard.

"Not bad, more Garet's thing, but I can work with this," Jaret said as he leaped back, his cowl flapping in the wind.

He slid to a stop and hoisted his rifle up to his shoulder and took aim at Tsumugu. Before he could get a shot, however, Ryuko charged him, locking her blade with the rocket pod he had been carrying.

"Damn it Ryuko, I had a clean shot," Jaret said to himself as he hefted his rifle up and moved to a better position.

"Why are you attacking me? Why do you want to destroy Senketsu!?" She demanded as they held each other at bay.

"That uniform is killing you, I'm destroying it for your own good!" Tsumugu shouted back as he managed to shrug Ryuko off him. He threw his rocket pod at her, and she caught it he pulled out his sewing machine guns and unleashed a barrage of needles at Ryuko.

"Ow! Damn it!" Ryuko shouted as the needles bounced off her, "That stuff hurts!" She shouted.

Tsumugu stopped firing before taking off at a sprint, reloading his weapons as he went. He suddenly leaped into the air as Jaret fired a round that slammed into the dirt.

"Damn, he's faster than I thought," Jaret said as he slid the bolt of his rifle back.

"Found you!" Tsumugu said to himself as he spun in the air and unleashed a barrage of needles at Jaret who leaped back from his shooting position and dropped a smoke grenade.

Tsumugu turned from the smoke cloud back to Ryuko who was flying through the air at him.

"I won't let you destroy Senketsu!" She shouted.

Tsumugu blocked her stroke with his machine gun before kicking Ryuko back toward the ground. He landed on the roof where Jaret's smoke cloud was dispersing and rushed down into the school.

"Damn, he's getting away!" Ryuko cursed to herself as she landed. She rushed toward the door of the school Tsumugu had entered.

"Ryuko! Why are you running towards him?" Senketsu asked.

"Because he's trying to destroy you, and I have to stop him," She explained.

"He's obviously a lot stronger than you, leave this to Jaret and get out of here," Senketsu replied.

"Like hell!"

She sprinted up the stairs and stopped as she almost ran into Jaret.

"Where is he?" She shouted, looking up and down the hall for Tsumugu.

"I don't know, I lost sight of him when he entered the building," Jaret answered.

"Some sniper you are," She muttered as she pushed past him and into the hallway. She began to make her way down the hall when Jaret saw something.

"Look out!" He shouted as Tsumugu came crashing through the window. He had rappelled down from the floor above and slammed into Ryuko sending her crashing into the restrooms nearby. She slammed up against the wall as Tsumugu pointed his machine gun at her.

"Last chance kid, take off the uniform, and no one gets hurt," He said.

Jaret turned the corner and aimed his rifle at Tsumugu.

"Stand down, on orders from Lady Satsuki you are to relinquish your weapons and come into custody quietly," Jaret told him.

"Calm down Jaret, I'm not here for her. I'm just here for the Kamui," Tsugumu answered.

Jaret tensed as he said his name, "How do you know who I am?" He asked.

"You and your brother, you're the double agents, right? Makes sense considering how you fight. Look, stand down, and walk away. This is between me and the Kamui."

Jaret slowly entered the restroom, his rifle still trained on Tsugumu.

"I can't let you do that, Ryuko needs Senketsu, and I'm not about to let you interfere with that," Jaret answered.

"If you don't stand down now, I'll be forced to deal with you," Tsugumu threatened.

He lifted his other machine gun and aimed it at Jaret.

"Seems we're in a bit of standoff," Jaret said.

Neither of them budged, they all sat in silence for a minute until Senketsu spoke to Ryuko.

"Ryuko, I'll try to distract him, you need to get out of here," He said.

"What? But what about you?" She asked back in her mind.

"I'll be fine, I don't think Jaret will let him destroy me," Senketsu answered. "On my signal, run!"

Senketsu waited a few more seconds before ripping himself off Ryuko and lunging for Tsugumu.

"Run Ryuko! Now!" He shouted at her.

She was stunned as she watched Tsugumu's eyes dart from Jaret to Senketsu and he fired a barrage of needles that pinned Senketsu to the floor. Jaret fired a round at the gun aimed at him and knocked it from Tsugumu's hand. Tsugumu growled with the pain before gripping his remaining weapon with both hands and aiming at Jaret, he fired a burst but Jaret ducked it and slipped to the right as Tsugumu's weapon clicked to show it was empty.

"That's better," Jaret said as he racked another shot with the bolt of his rifle and aimed it at Tsugumu.

"You think you can take me at this close range?" Tsugumu asked.

"I can get a shot off before you close the gap," Jaret replied.

Tsugumu grinned, "Confident, good. That'll make you sloppy."

"What-" Jaret began before Tsugumu rushed him. He was on Jaret faster than the boy had anticipated, Tsugumu shoved the barrel of his rifle upward, so as Jaret pulled the trigger the shot just went into the ceiling. Tsugumu then kicked him in the stomach, sending him crashing into a stall. He took the opportunity to load his weapon and turned back to Ryuko and Senketsu, who Ryuko had picked up from the floor.

"Are you seriously still defending that thing? It's killing you! Can't you see that!" He demanded.

Ryuko was staring at him in shock.

Tsugumu took a step towards her, stretching out his hand to rip Senketsu away when a vision appeared before his eyes.

Senketsu was glaring at him, "Leave. Ryuko. Alone." He threatened.

A shiver ran down Tsugumu's spine, then he was back in the bathroom looking at Ryuko.

"Wow, you really are incompetent aren't you?" A voice asked from behind him.

Everyone in the bathroom turned to see Nonon Jakuzure, the leader of the Band Club, and one of Satsuki's four generals standing in the doorway.

"Jakuzure? What are you doing here?" Jaret asked.

"Lady Satsuki thought this was taking too long and sent me to secure the attacker and Matoi's uniform," Nonon replied with a smile.

"I have the situation well under control, I was about to apprehend both Matoi and the attacker," Jaret replied as he stood up and aimed his rifle at Tsugumu.

"I'm sure, but your chance is gone. Stand down, I'll be bringing them in," She said.

Jaret held his weapon for a few seconds before sighing and lowering it.

"That's a good boy," She said as she hefted her baton. A slew of band girls appeared behind her.

"Come quietly, all of you, and things won't have to get nasty," She said to Ryuko and Tsugumu.

Tsugumu smiled to himself.

"As if."

"Fine, be that way," Nonon said as she pointed her baton at him. A girl with a large tuba slid into the doorway beside her.

"Nice try kid, but I'm not going to be captured today," Tsugumu said as his gear began to expand rapidly.

"What-" Nonon started but was cut off as an explosion ripped through the bathroom.

When the smoke cleared she looked up to see Jaret had been blown into the wall and knocked unconscious, and that Tsugumu, Ryuko, and Senketsu were nowhere in sight.

Nonon sighed before having some of the band girls grab Jaret.

"Bring him to Lady Satsuki, I'm sure she'll have questions," Nonon said to them.

Meanwhile, across the city

Ryuko's eyes slowly opened and she saw the ceiling of an apartment.

"Where?" She began.

"We're safe Ryuko," Senketsu said to her.

"Senketsu! You're ok!" She shouted looking down to see her uniform on her body again.

"Yes, that man. Tsugumu. Brought us here, he said you'd be safe until you awoke."

Ryuko looked up at the ceiling again and then sighed as she laid an arm across her forehead.

"Did he say anything else?" She asked.

"Only a warning: Don't let Satsuki take me from you, or he'd come and kill you himself."

Ryuko chuckled at that, "Seems about right. What happened?"

"I'm not sure. There was an explosion, and in the confusion, he grabbed us and escaped. Then he brought us here,"

"And Jaret?"

"I don't know."

Ryuko sighed as she went over the information in her head.

"There's something they're not telling us," She said after a few minutes of silence.

"Agreed, the next time we see one of the twins, we'll need to ask them about it," He replied.

"Assuming we see them again, Satsuki won't like that he didn't bring me in," Ryuko answered back.

"I have a feeling this isn't the last time we'll see either of them."