CHAPTER THREE: Revolutions
RAT-A-TAT! RAT-A-TAT! RAT-A-TAT! RAT-A-TAT! The sound was piercing to Shinji as his eyes widened in shock and Yutaka's placid body collapsed in front of him Boy No. 12, Yutaka Seto. Dead. Shock was the only thing he could describe as he began to sob. "Yutaka? Yutaka? I...I don't...I don't think I can...I can make it...make it okay...Yutaka!" He dropped the bomb and everything he was holding and stared at Yutaka's body. "YUTAKA!" He began to cough blood and he darted his hand towards his mouth, the blood sticking to his hand, "Shit. Not...n-not looking good...m-midget."
He felt a shear of pain and glanced down at his stomach where his intestines began to spill out of him. He almost vomited from not only the smell, but the sight as well. He quickly began to stuff them back in, trying to keep from vomiting on himself, holding his stomach (Stay frosty! Stay frosty! Stay frosty!) as he looked up towards a car lot, "Who? Who shot us? Who...?" He caught sight of a figure and finally realized. It was Kazuo Kiriyama (Boy No. 6). He pointed his gun, but Kiriyama beat it to him and he shot Shinji several times. Dammit, stay frosty! He glanced at Yutaka then dashed to the cover of the warehouse, "Fuck you! FUCK YOU!" he yelled as he began to shoot back, "FUCKER! Come and get me!" before he entered the warehouse, he made a point to grab the bomb.
"Shit," Shinji yelled as he ran quickly, "Figgurs the pain ain't workin'. Shit!" A trial of blood was left behind him as he slowed to a walk, finding a place where he could finish up the rest of the bomb. Guts 'r' poppin' and can't feel a t-thing, gotta be the shock...yea...the shock. Shock good...guts spillin' not so good. He found a place and began to assemble the bomb, changing a few things. Lessee. There n' there. Yeah. Fuck Fumiyo, not that I w-would. B-b-butt ugly...but fuck F-fumiyo and fuck Fumiyo's R-revenge.
Yutaka's Revenge. Yeah, I like it!
Fucker all shootin' me up, talk about element...element of surprise, for real! Goddamn cheater. N-not a fair fight. Fucker got a m'chine gun. How the f-fuck did that bitch get a machine gun? L-luck of draw, my ass. Hands shaky...can' keep still. Come on...come on...
A splurge of pain erupted in Shinji's abdomen section as his insides spilled out. He cried out in pain and quickly bit it down. No, no not now. Don't you start hurtin' now, ya hear me? Sorry midget...missed th' clutch shot...missed. He saw Yutaka's face in front of him...one more shot Mim, one more clutch shot. For us. For us, Yutaka. I see past myself...and I can do this. I can get that fucker.
He breathed heavy as he spotted some duct tape and made a grab for it as he began to tape his abdomen, preventing the insides from spilling out, ain't that a kick in the head? "When in d-doubt...d-duct tape I-it." Blood was stained on his clothes and his hands. Blood spilled from his nose and splashed all over his face as he attempted to wipe it from his eyes, only succeeding in smearing it more. He then noticed Kiriyama in front of him, "Great. Couldn't'a wait 'nother minute'r three?"
He barely managed to dodge the machine gun's bullets, but in the process of doing so, broke his toes as he tripped. "FUCK!" he cried and then covering his mouth. Shit! Why the fuck do the foot hurt more'an guts poppin'... No, no...don't, don' let him know...know th' pain. Don't let him have the satisfaction! He kept himself from screaming in pain and he hastily continued on working the bomb...making sure everything was right. His breathing increased as he quickly finished the touches. That right, fucker. You know you got me. Nice'n easy now, fucker. That it. Shit knows that I got your ass too.
From behind, he felt the sudden rush bullets coming through him and he quickly turned around. Then a smile appeared on his face. "FUCK YOU, Kiriyama! Fuck you and the assholes who put our butts on the line of death! Got yer grand fuckin' finale right 'ere, fucker. End game, m'man." He smiled again and pushed the cart he used earlier towards Kazuo as he pulled his gun out, "Fire in the hole, big boy!" He shot at the glass of the warehouse and instantly shot himself through it. "Frosty enough ya, unc?"
In the next instant, the entire building blew up in smoke and Shinji had just enough time to dodge a truck that flew from the warehouse. "I DID IT, YUTAKAAAAAA! FUCKIN' DID IT! Who the man? Who the fuckin' man now, bitches? Yes! Kiriyama has left the building. In pieces! We could'a brought them down. We could'a had their asses. We had them licked, hear that? We had your asses licked! Hear that, government fuckers! We had yer asses! We had them! Hear me! I know you can, fuckers!" He laughed triumphly.
His sight caught Yutaka...and suddenly it dawned on him. "Midget? We did it, see we did it, do you see?" He collapsed to the ground, ready to give up. "We did it, Yutaka. See? I...I got him."
Hurts again.
"Thanks for helping," the image of Yutaka and the young dog flashed into his mind...the first time he met Yutaka after saving his butt from two tough guys.
"Yes...but Fumiyo...she's different," the image of Yutaka smiling...a rare smile as he told Shinji of his crush on Fumiyo.
"Not like this," he said...tears flowing again, "Yutaka! You were supposed to be here!"
I am here, Mim. You can always count on me! Yutaka's voice penetrated his mind.
"Too late, midget. Too late..." he bent down, his head on the ground. "Midget? It's really starting to hurt now. How much does it take? Shot up...shot me up good. It did. Fucking Kiriyama. Ain't got the common sense to just sit down'n die."
Don't be like that, Mim. Maybe they need you now. Maybe they're looking for you. I mean...Shuuya and Sugimura...that's a team already. But add you in? Hell, anything better than that? Betcher ass not! After all, it's not a team without the clutch player.
"Hurts...Shuuya...Sugi...I can't...I can't. It's game over guys...no m-more tokens on this one. Wa-want to...but...b-but r-rain check? Yes?"
...Don't you remember? I can take your pain! Take some of my burden. We're in this together...like always, right? Go to them...they need you.
"...need me. They...need me." Another rare smile came up on his face. The door of the truck burst open and Shinji turned to find Kiriyama pointing that machine gun at him.
What the fuck? Oh shit, you gotta be fuckin' kiddin' me.
Before he could even shoot, Kiriyama unleashed more bullets into Shinji's body and he fell, crashing into the car behind him, his head tilted up. His body positioned awkwardly, but no pain came from his head down. The tears flowed like rivers down his face again, staining tears of pain and sorrow. Ow...not good. Not good. Missed...missed the clutch shot again...again.
"Mim! Over here! I'm open!" Yutaka held his hands up expecting the ball. Sorry, midget, fucking Iijima. Over a coke...nuh-uh. Too much riding on the game, y'know? Champs or chumps. Shuuya...Sugimura...tossed for baseball..Iijima? Nuh-uh. All up to me now, my clutch shot...my specialty, sorry midget. This is for the win!
Mi-mu-ra! Rah! Mi-mu-ra! The scream girls rooting for him.
"Your uncle...he was right about you. It's all superficial. He worried that you'd fall into your father's ways. That you'd never know love from the heart, only lust from the loins. His words, not mine." His aunt's voice shot into his mind. Wha 'spect, auntie, gotta make the clutch shot, nothin' but net, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout. Too much at stake to pass ball to girls.
"Make out pals, your words, not mine. Now you're coming up all jealous...copping attitude...exactly which part of 'make out pals' don't you understand?" That me? You understan' right, unc? Gotta ...You gotta do it yer'self or it don' count.
"Your uncle...he was right about you. It's all superficial."
"You break it off, break it off mean. Play the heavy...Give them that much...they deserve that much." Tha's my uncle's voice, ain't it? "If only for putting up with the likes of us." Girls...see past us...? Hah, learn sumthin' new ever'day. Not too...too much pride, tha' right? ...woner...wonner wha' they saw pas' me...huh...shouda asked...yea.
"No...no idea. No idea...how much...I needed to hear that. Thank you, Thank you." Sorry, Gura. Sorry...could'a said wha' ya needed ta hear. Don' worry...don' worry 'bout me. What'cha see past me anyway? Why? There'sa lotsa more guys out there suited more fer ya. Ya know that, so why...why me?
"Never find love? That sucks..." Gura? That you again? "What, Mim? What's the look for? Hey, you gotta have it. No matter what. Though it ain't for everyone. You know that." Yeah, I know. "But that doesn't mean you aren't gonna try. You know that too, right?" Yeh, I know tha' too. "And I'm looking at someone right now who's got potential...someone who doesn't realize just how good of a person he really is. Sorta sad, y'know?" Don' know fer sure, Gura. 'Hought I di' but ain't too sure now...
"Hey! HEY! That's my clutch shot!" Nuh? 'Zat you? Shuuya? Shuuya, no! The image of the basketball missing the basket as Shuuya jumped to shoot. What the hell? Shuuya? What were you aimin' for, cause it can't have been the basket. "Shooting for the moon, Mim. Nothin' more, nothin' less. That way, even if you miss, you're ahead of the game! Sure...I may miss...several times...but when I do...hell, better what your back!" Okay...assuming I buy into it...and I'm thinking I might just do that. Oh hell, let's give this moon thing of yours a try. Can't hurt, right? Fuckin' Shu...always givin' wit' th' pep talks. Yeh...Shu's always for the unnerdogs, eh? Uncle...uncle woulda liked Shu...ever'body liked Shu. No...mebbe not ever'one. Got kicked off'ta team fer sassin' coach. N-not good idea, Shu. B-bad time, then. Shu lost it...yeah. Then...then music...shot Shu back up. Shuuya...alwus sumethin' with Shu. Alwus sumthin.'
"Seek and ye shall find," hah? Wuzzat, unc? "People you trust to do right by you...friends." "...Friends...you mean Shuuya? I wouldn't go that far. He's fun to hang around with, sure..." "If you say so, Mim..." Sure...sure knew b'fer I did, huh unc? Friends who do right by me. Knew...knew I'd learn...sure did...Friends you can trust...friends who alwus see past ya. Shu, Sugi, Taka, Yoshi...even Gura'n some o' the girls. See past me to...more than ouside. Wish I learn'd earlier...
I get it. I get it now.
Yutaka, Shuuya, Sugimura, Kagura...with you guys I got it right. I'm comin' now...
"Shooting for the moon, Mim. Nothing less."
Nothin' less, Shu.
With the last of his strength, Shinji took his gun and pointed it at Kiriyama as the boy stood in front of him, reloading. "Clutch shot, mother-fucker!
"Gotta shoot as high as you can, that way, even if you miss, you're still ahead of the game! Sure, I may miss, but when I hit...watch out!"
"I'm looking at someone right now who's got potential...someone who doesn't realize how just good of a person he really is. Sorta sad, y'know?
"You break it off, break it off mean. Play the heavy...give them that much...they deserve that much."
"Mi-mu-ra! Mi-mu-ra! Mi-mu-ra!"
"Your uncle...he was right about you...it's all superficial."
"I'm probably going to do something...you know...unbelievably stupid...with the fuck up I am...but you'll be there, right? You'll be there to say it's okay. Just like always."
"Shooting for the moon, Mim. Nothin' more."
"Yeah..." a smile appeared on his face again, "This for you. To the moon, betcher ass!"