I posted this at the same time as chapter 4, since it was too important. And chapter 4 was very short!
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE SCHOOL Q.
Chapter 5: A Revelation
Anubis remained calm at his master's sudden appearance.
"Hello, Master Ryuu."
"Anubis," said Ryuu in reply. "What's this about?"
"Pluto, of course. What else could it be?"
"It seems to be running perfectly fine without me," Ryuu quipped sarcastically.
"That's where you are wrong. We are still scattered. Divided. Leaderless. But, then again, you are right, in a sense. It's running quite well."
Anubis faced Ryuu. "However, our mission here is not only about your rightful place in Pluto. There is…something—or rather, someone—that has caught our interest."
Ryuu's pulse sped up. Who is he talking about?
Anubis chuckled. "Don't pretend you don't know, Master Ryuu."
"Actually, I don't," Ryuu replied.
"Really? Clearly DDS has slowed your mind. A pity. But it cannot be helped."
Ryu clenched his fists. "Don't drag DDS into this."
"But they are involved." Anubis paused. "Listen, Master Ryuu. I believe we have a guest arriving."
A girl's voice suddenly reached Ryuu's ears.
"Ryuu!"
Shizuko came through the open door and grabbed his arm. "They've found Yuki—who the heck is that?" she asked mid-sentence.
Anubis bowed mockingly. "Master Ryuu, are you not going to introduce me to your charming little friend?"
Shizuko immediately grew wary. "Ryuu, what's going on? You know this guy?"
"I..I.." Ryuu trailed off, torn between them.
An expression of pain suddenly crossed Shizuko's face.
"Ow!" she cried, slapping a hand to the back of her neck. She turned around to see a red-headed woman holding a strange-looking gun.
Her vision began to fade.
The last thing she saw before completely blacking out was Ryuu's disbelieving and furious face.
"Shizuko. Shizuko!"
She had collapsed right into his arms.
Ryuu brushed away the hairs at the nape of her neck and came upon an object partially embedded in her skin.
"A dart," he whispered to himself.
He pulled it gently out of her skin.
"WHAT DID YOU DO?" he demanded of Yurie and Anubis.
Yurie remained expressionless. "Calm down. It's only a tranquilizer shot."
"Wait a second. You would never use a tranquilizer unless…"
In an instant, he knew. "No…"
"So, you finally figure it out," said Anubis.
"You're going to use her! Why?"
"Surely even you must have noticed, Master Ryuu," said Yurie.
"What are you planning to do? And why her, of all people?"
"When she first got into DDS's Class Q, we thought that she would be just like your other classmates, childish and mediocre. However, we were wrong," said Anubis.
"We began observing her doings, not only in DDS, but also in her daily life," continued Yurie.
"You were spying on her?" Ryuu asked in astonishment.
"We found similarities between you and her. The intelligence, the genius, the resourcefulness. The talent for case-cracking that you both share," said Anubis.
"That talent is precisely what got her into Class Q," said Ryuu testily.
"Maybe so. But what exactly do you know about her?" Anubis asked.
"Aah…" Ryuu racked his brain for something that Shizuko might have revealed. "She went through a lot of different schools as a child."
"But do you know WHY?"
Ryuu couldn't say a word.
"Then allow me to tell you. She lived in New York for a few years, like you. Powerful command over English. Well-rounded in Maths. A sharp memory. Skill at several types of Kung fu. A multitude of artistic talents, with intensity in music. Computer expertise. An analytic mind," Yurie elaborated the abilities one by one.
"But behind all this excellence beats the heart of a true rebel, " continued Anubis. "She had a lonely life as a child. Although her aptness of academics would have made her an instant magnet for recognition and fame, her lack of friends drove her to rebellion. She used her intelligence to intimidate and wreak havoc on the schools she went to here."
"In Japan?" asked Ryuu.
"Yes. So she was transferred to New York in hopes that the change in environment would help her. She had relatives there who were willing to take her on."
"And it did change her for the better. There's no trace of that delinquent past in her now," said Ryuu firmly.
"Oh yes, the new atmosphere did have quite an effect on her. But now, knowing her history, we have come to believe that, with her skills at our disposal, she would be one of the greatest agents of Pluto that the world has ever known."
"You won't be able to do that. She would never do anything for an organization as evil as yours. She would never agree to work for you."
"Who says she has to agree? You see, this is the magnificent part of the whole plan. Despite all your similarities, there is but one factor that you do not share."
"And what's that?" Ryuu asked.
"She doesn't have a drop of blood belonging to the clan of you and Hades. So, we can manipulate her to do our bidding. Unlike you, Master Ryuu, whom we are sworn not to lay a finger on. We can't force you to be our leader. But her, she doesn't need persuading, or convincing. We can simply hypnotize her and unlock that same rebellious spirit that she has imprisoned inside her."
"You filthy, lying, cheating scum," Ryuu muttered under his breath.
"So here's the choice, Master Ryuu. Door number One: you can return to us, and we'll leave your precious little friend alone. Or Door number Two: you refuse, and we'll take her instead."
Ryuu was taken aback. How can they force me to make that kind of decision?
He held Shizuko's unmoving body in his arms. "And if I refuse both?" he challenged.
Anubis sighed. "I was afraid it would come to this. Yurie, do the honors."
Yurie went to one side of the room and pressed a hidden switch.
A siren blared throughout the compound.
Ryuu stared at Anubis. "What have you done?"
"This is Door number Three, Master Ryuu. This entire building will explode within several minutes. If you wish to escape, you'll have to find another way out of this maze of corridors. Or else…Good bye, Class Q."
Yurie pressed another button and a hidden door slid open. She and Anubis steped inside, and the door quickly closed.
Ryuu tried to follow them but the door they had gone through wouldn't budge.
Dammit, the genius thought to himself as the sirens continued to blare.
I have to get out of here. But first…
He ran to Shizuko's side and held her by the shoulders, shaking her gently.
"Shizuko. Shizuko!"
She was still unconscious.
He carefully stroked her cheek. "Please, wake up…" he muttered desperately.
Shizuko seemed to stir, her eyebrows furrowing.
He wanted to yell, "Finally!" but being the calm and rational person that he was, he kept his immense relief to himself.
Shizuko opened her eyes. "What happened?" she said weakly.
"Some Pluto members got you with a tranquilizer dart. But they're gone now, and we have to get out of here."
She still seemed a bit groggy, fighting off the effects of the anesthetic. "Why did that guy know you?" she asked persistently, trying to get to her feet.
"I...I can't explain right now. Can you walk?"
She struggled to get up. "My legs feel awfully stiff," she said.
Ryuu immediately pulled one of her arms around his own shoulders and lifted her to a standing position. "We have to get out. In a few minutes this place is going to explode," he said. Half-carrying her, they made their way awkwardly through the corridors.
"There's one thing I don't understand about all this," said Shizuko.
"One thing?" said Ryuu.
"What were you doing with those guys? And how are you involved?"
"That's two things," replied Ryuu, stalling.
"You're not answering my questions."
"Because I don't know what would answer them."
"You do, Ryuu. Otherwise you wouldn't be stalling. You can let go now, I can walk."
Ryuu released her. "Keep going."
"Why weren't you knocked out?" Shizuko continued to ask.
"I have no idea," lied Ryuu.
"You know. You're just not telling me."
"Because I can't."
"So you do know."
Shoot, thought Ryuu.
"You know why everything happened the way it did and I don't. and you're not even going to try and tell me."
"I can't tell you."
"Why not?"
"It involves too much."
"And it would explain just as much. How are you involved with Pluto?"
"I'm not involved."
"But you were once, weren't you?"
Ryuu remained silent.
"You can tell me," Shizuko insisted.
"It would be risking too much."
"So you'd rather leave me clueless about the whole thing. Wouldn't it be an even bigger risk not to know what you're up against?"
"All right," said Ryuu, "I'll tell you. But not HERE, and not NOW."
"Fine, fair enough. Do you promise to tell me?"
"Y-yes."
"All right. I trust you."
Shizuko picked up her pace. "Come on. You said that this place was going to blow."
Ryuu nodded, speeding up as well.
They ran down several more hallways, occasionally punching out several Plutonians. And Shizuko stopped her persistent questions for the moment.
Rants: this is so weird. I don't even know why I started this story in the first place.
PLEASE REVIEW!
Coming soon: Chapter 6: The Escape