There's more to Ken that meets the eye, though. I'm not sure how much of his back-story will make it into this fic… I can tell you that he's connected to the Dragons of Heaven and Earth somehow though. Anyway, thanks for the feedback and I hope you enjoy this new chapter… it was a long time coming… Okay, a very long time. Also, I had to make a very small correction to the prologue. The story takes place in 2014, not 2013. Sorry about the mistake.
The Season of the Witch
By Angel Maxwell
Chapter 7: Rescue
Shit, Ken thought to himself as he looked furtively down the hallway, to the left and then the right. What have I gotten myself into?
Although the young man was a member of the secret organization Ressurectors, he was in no way loyal to their leader or to their ideals. Ken had joined for his own reasons, which, until recently, had not included Subaru Sumeragi. Now the teenager found himself risking his life for the sake of the captured onmyouji. Ken possessed some spiritual powers of his own, not enough to stand in a fight against Seishirou, but enough to put a seal on the door he was guarding. What Subaru needed now was time to recover and regenerate. Ken could at least give him that.
The hall was dead silent. It had been over an hour now without any sign of Seishirou or his creators. It appeared that the trio had not even pursued Subaru. Ken, however, knew better. He knew that Ishida was planning something sinister and getting Mr. Sumeragi out of headquarters alive would be a dangerous task. He didn't want to wait too long, however, and after some quiet deliberation he decided to get Subaru and make their escape. What he discovered upon opening the door stunned him.
In the corner of the darkened room sat Subaru, knees drawn up to his chest, hands covering his face. Ken couldn't get over how small and vulnerable the supposedly all-powerful onmyouji seemed. But there was no time now to let Subaru sit and cry any longer. They had to move now.
"Sumeragi, come on!" the younger man said in an urgent whisper. "The coast is clear. If you're strong enough then we should run for it."
The man in the corner said nothing. He merely raised his face and stared at Ken with icy detachment. The young blonde shuddered. This was his first good look at Subaru Sumeragi and his frighteningly mismatched eyes, and it scared him. After a long pregnant pause Subaru finally got to his feet. "Alright, let's go," said Ken. But Subaru wasn't paying attention to him. He brushed past the young Ressurector and stalked purposefully out the door. Ken trailed after him.
"Where the hell're you going, Sumeragi?" he huffed as Subaru strode down the hallway. "You're going the wrong way! That way leads back to the laboratory! Ishida and Silver are probably there just waiting to ambush you!"
"I'm counting on it," Subaru replied coldly without even looking back.
"Ah, look who's back!" Ishida's sinister drawl was unmistakable as Subaru stepped back into the cavernous lab. "And we didn't even have to chase after him."
Subaru looked around. Mr. Ishida and Dr. Silver stood casually in the middle of the room, as if Ken and Subaru's previous escape hadn't even stirred them. Something was different, however. Someone was missing. Seishirou.
"Where is he?" the medium growled, walking right up, face-to-face, with Ishida. "Where's Seishirou?"
"I'm afraid he stepped out," Ishida answered. "Had some business to attend to. He should be back soon, though. Believe me, I am quite eager to see you two' duke it out,' as they say. Now that you've regained your health it should be quite a fiiiiiii…"
Before Tetsuo Ishida could finish his sentence Subaru's hand shot out and grasped his throat, silencing him.
"Sorry to disappoint you," he growled. "But I've changed my mind. I no longer plan to kill Seishirou… I do have something I want to say to you, though. And I want him to hear it too…"
As if on cue, the ominous sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the room and all of the hairs on the back of Subaru's neck stood on end. He didn't even have to turn around to know that Seishirou had entered the laboratory. Exhaling slowly, Subaru relinquished his severe grip on Tetsuo's throat and the breathless criminal sank to the floor with a gasp. Ms. Silver, however, quickly helped him to his feet.
"Welcome back," she said, addressing her creation. "I take it your first assignment was a success?"
"Aye," Seishirou responded, though his gaze was fixed on Subaru. The biomechanical assassin was now clad in a handsome black suit, just like the real Sakurazuka had once worn. With a pair of dark sunglasses hiding the anomaly in his eyes, this man-machine hybrid was indistinguishable from the man Subaru had known. The gentle plip plip sound of dripping liquid touched Subaru's ears and he stared, horrified at its source. Thick red liquid coated Seishirou's hand and dripped off of his fingertips, pooling around his shiny black shoes. Blood.
"You… You've already killed somebody…" Subaru gasped. Sakurazuka didn't answer. He merely stood there as if he couldn't speak his own thoughts.
"Of course he's already killed somebody," Ishida sneered. "That's his only purpose."
"But why didn't he…" Subaru began, but Ishida interrupted him
"Why didn't he go after you? Simple. Because I didn't tell him to. I knew you would be coming back, even if that brat had gotten you out of here… your connection to Sakurazuka was sure to draw you back. So why waste time chasing after you when there are important people to be killed? He does whatever I tell him, you know. The perfect, mindless killing machine."
Within an instant, Subaru was back in Ishida's face, gripping his shoulders with talon-like hands, nostrils flared in rage.
"So is that why you killed her?" he spat. "Because she had a mind of her own and couldn't be used as your pawn?"
"Who the hell are you talking about?" Ishida snorted, narrowing his eyes indignantly.
"You know who I mean!" Subaru barked, his anger reaching a new peak. "My daughter! Or, I should say, Seishirou's daughter!"
At this, Ishida's eyes widened and even the impassive scientist, Dr, Elizabeth Silver, took on an expression of pure shock.
"What is he talking about?" she asked softly. But Subaru gave his reply loud and clear.
"You mean you didn't tell her? You didn't tell your partner in crime that the little girl you murdered was the product of your artificial insemination experiment? Carried out on an innocent woman?" Subaru's eyes grew moist as his fury mixed with grief. "You made her and then you destroyed her! To you she was just another failed experiment! Midori… Midori and her mother weren't even human beings to you!"
Ishida's reply was slightly confused, but still calm. "I don't know what you're talking about. The insemination project never resulted in any live births, so we abandoned it. How you got the idea that that girl was Seishirou's daughter is beyond me."
Subaru lunged forward, shoving Ishida to the ground with a scream. "Liar!" Then he turned to Seishirou, who was watching everything unfold silently. "He'll do the same thing to you. If there is any trace of humanity in you, do not take orders from this man. The minute you outlive your usefulness he will dispose of you like a piece of trash."
"You're wasting your breath," Silver interrupted. "Seishirou has no will of his own. You can't reason with him. It's all programmed into that device in his eye. Seishirou can only do what Tetsuo or I tells him to… and he can't feel any emotions…"
"Let's end this now!" Ishida growled, rubbing his bruised skull. "Seishirou! Kill him now!"
That was all the encouragement the assassin needed and he quickly advanced upon his prey. With minimal effort, he had Subaru backed into a corner.
"What's wrong with you?" a voice shouted from across the room. It was Ken. "Fight back, Sumeragi! It's your only hope!"
"Shut up you traitorous worm!" Ishida yelled back at him. "And I would run if I were you, because you're the Sakurazukamori's next victim!"
Subaru refused to fight back, and continued to try to talk to his enemy, even when he had no escape route left. Seishirou was now mere inches from his face, a grin of pure bloodlust on his lips. "Please, Seishirou," he pleaded desperately. "Please, if any part of the real Seishirou exists in you, stop this now! You don't have to kill anyone else! Don't sink to the level of these criminals! These criminals who slaughtered your own daughter!"
Seishirou's hand had been raised and ready to deal its fatal strike, but as Subaru spoke his last plea, the deadly hand fell back at his side. Subaru, who had been prepared to die, as well as Ishida, Silver, and Ken all watched Sakurazuka in a mix of awe and horror as he clutched his artificial left eye and dropped to his knees.
"… My… daughter…" he spoke in sickly staggered speech. Then he let out a primordial howl that sent shivers down the spines of everyone watching.
"What the hell is going on, woman? What's wrong with him?" Ishida screamed desperately at his partner. "You said he had no will of his own! I didn't tell him to do that!"
"I don't know what's happening," the scientist answered, her voice just as shaky and panicked as his. Regaining some composure, she barked another order at Seishirou. "Get up and kill Subaru Sumeragi! Now! Do not listen to his words! Just destroy him! And try to cause him as much pain as possible!"
The artificial Seishirou, who had seemed to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown, listened to the order, then got up and dusted himself off. He seemed reluctant, but he couldn't resist his masters' voices.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, or at least Subaru thought he whispered. Then, with lightning reflexes, his hand shot out and struck Subaru in the abdomen. He didn't pierce his victim's flesh, however. Instead he dug his fingernails deep into Subaru's belly, twisting as he did, until Subaru felt himself turning inside out with pain and let out an anguished scream.
"Okay, it's time for you to tell me exactly what's going on. And I want the truth."
Kusanagi and Sei'ichirou were surprised and dumbfounded by Fuuma's bold demand. Midori, however, was curious. All evidence seemed to indicate that Mr. Munou had been deeply involved with this evil organization. And yet he apparently had no knowledge of it. Fuuma's stare was penetrating, but Mr. Aoki finally managed to speak up and attempt an explanation. His voice was calm and deliberate.
"I don't quite know how to say this… Many years ago a very evil man stole your identity and used it to commit terrible atrocities in your name. And he did this without you ever knowing."
"But you knew," Fuuma accused. "And how did you know about this evil man? And why? Why did he choose me? And how did poor Kamui get involved? This just… none of this adds up."
"I wish I knew the answers to all of those questions," said Aoki. "But the truth is…"
Before the baffled wind-master could think of an answer, however, a bloodcurdling scream echoed down the corridor ahead of them. Midori recognized the voice immediately.
"Dad!" she gasped, dashing recklessly forward. The young lady easily slipped past Fuuma's barricade and through the doorway, leaving her older companions to scramble after her.
"Wait Midori!" Kusanagi shouted. "We should proceed with caution." All three men knew, however, that such reasoning was pointless. There was no caution now. It was time for quick action, so the small team charged onward.
He's alive! thought Midori as she ran down the long hallway. He's alive and he's in pain! Her head was filled with the pounding of her own heart and the rhythmic slapping of her sneakers on the concrete floor. No matter how hard she tried to force her legs, she couldn't seem to run any faster. Hang on Dad! I'm coming!
At its end, the hall opened up into another huge room and Midori slowed to stop. She stood there breathing heavily, framed in the doorway and looking in awe at the huge laboratory in front of her. For a moment she was too shocked at the sight to enter, but she quickly snapped back into action when she caught sight of the person she loved most, collapsed in a pitiful heap in the far corner.
"Dad!" she cried without thinking first as she ran into the room. Instantaneously, Ishida and Silver spun around at the sound of the interloper.
"You!" Ishida roared. "You're supposed to be dead, little girl!"
Midori didn't waste any time in explaining how she survived their previous encounter. Instead she immediate inquired after Subaru. "What have you done to him? Why isn't he moving?" She wanted so badly to run over to his side, but Ishida and a woman she had never seen were standing in her way.
"I'll just have to kill you again!" the dark-suited man yelled. Then he snapped his fingers as he had before and his cronies Takashi and Ritsuko appeared, along with about a half-dozen other anonymous Ressurectors. By now, however, the adolescent girl was not alone. Midori had been joined by three adult men who stood beside her in solidarity.
"We'll take these guys," Aoki told her confidently. "You go to your father."
"Alright," she answered, though her trembling voice gave away how scared she was. "And good luck." She took a deep breath and was prepared to run when she felt a strong hand on her shoulder and turned to see who it was. "Mr. Munou."
"I've got your back," he said, smiling kindly even though he hadn't gotten any answers to his questions. In his other hand was a long piece of metal pipe that he must have picked up from the floor. "Let's go, Miss Sumeragi."
The pair took off through the crowd of villains, Midori using her size and speed to dodge the foes, and Fuuma using his makeshift sword to beat them away from her. Meanwhile, Sei'ichirou and Kusanagi were fighting the black-suits in their own styles. Aoki raised his hand and a swirl of razor sharp wind whirled around him and whipped out to strike a hapless flunky. The man groaned and then was reduced to a small piece of paper.
"They're not real!" Aoki gasped. "They're just paper spells, Kusanagi! They shouldn't be too hard to take out!"
Mr. Shiyuu was just discovering this on his own. He had decided not to use his control of earth in this fight, as it might damage the building, and was fighting with shear physical strength. The massive man picked up an enemy by the collar and threw him roughly against a wall, turning him back into paper.
Midori and Fuuma were making their way across the room when Takashi and Ritsuko, the two named henchmen, jumped out in front of them.
"I'm going to strangle you to death with my bare hands," the female soldier growled.
"You'll keep your hands off of her!" Fuuma roared back. "Run, Miss Sumeragi! Leave these two to me!" In a truly awe-inspiring display, Mr. Munou twirled and swung his sword in perfect form. Aoki and Shiyuu, who had effectively eliminated the rest of the enemies, watched wide-eyed. These two enemies were clearly a cut above the rest, but Fuuma was handling them splendidly. Within a minute, both were unconscious on the floor. "I guess those two weren't paper after all. Oh, and I guess I forgot to mention that I've studied kendo since I was five."
The former Dragons didn't have much time to savor their victory, however. Seeing how the trio laid waste to his first batch of henchmen, Ishida snapped his fingers again and summoned a second wave of paper spell warriors. The wind-master, the earth-master, and the kendo-master all snapped back into action. And there was a new person who had joined the fray. Aoki noticed that fighting alongside of him was a blonde-haired youth with a very familiar face. He wore the same uniform as the enemy, but apparently he wasn't one of them.
Thanks to the heroic efforts of her friends, Midori made it across the lab unscathed and practically threw herself on the limp form of her father. "Dad! Dad!" she yelled, cradling his head. "Wake up, Dad!" There was no response. Panic struck the young lady as she inspected the man's motionless body. His shirt was bloody. But his chest was moving. He was alive. Midori continued to call out his name with renewed vigor, and gently slapped his unconscious face. Finally, after several tense minutes, Subaru's eyes opened a crack.
"Mi-Midori…" he said in a weak, trembling voice. "You're… you're alive…"
"I'm alive, Daddy. And I'm right here," she responded, crying simply from the magnitude of the situation. Their touching reunion was cut short by a looming shadow and a sinister voice that went along with it.
"I'm sorry little girl," Seishirou told the petrified Midori. "But I have a job to finish. Don't worry about getting out of the way, though. I've been asked to kill you, too."
"Noooo!" the girl screamed. She had never seen this man before, yet he seemed eerily familiar and altogether terrifying. Still, Midori had just gotten Subaru back, and she was not about to let this dark stranger take him away. Slowly, she got to her feet. "I won't let you touch him."
Seishirou laughed at his diminutive opponent. "What power do you have to stop me?" Then, with a vicious grin, he removed his sunglasses and revealed his mismatched eyes, a mirror image of Subaru.
"Your eyes," Midori gasped. "Just like my father…"
The assassin's expression immediately changed from cunning and evil, to panicked and helpless. Midori cringed. She had no idea what she had done to trigger such a reaction. She actually found herself feeling sorry for this strange man, who was now clutching his face and wailing like a madman.
"Are you alright?" she asked, extending a hand. But she never made contact with Seishirou. The enraged Mr. Ishida crashed onto the scene, violently shoving Seishirou to the ground and seizing Midori's small wrist.
"How many times do I have to kill you?" he roared. "I'm going to end this once and for all! I'll cut you into so many pieces they'll never be able to put you back together!"
Midori's eyes darted from the man who had tried to kill her, kidnapped her father, and was about to kill her again, to the barely conscious man on the floor behind her. Why am I so weak? her heart cried. I need strength! I need a way to protect him!
Then something incredible happened. Midori felt a surge of energy coursing through her body, radiating from her heart and gathering in the center of her free left hand. In a beautiful glow, a glistening glint of metal emerged from the young girl's palm, growing outward and ending in an ornate hilt. Ishida relinquished her other arm, and all eyes turned to the teenage girl now wielding a magnificent weapon.
"A… a sword…" she gasped. "A sword from the palm of my hand…"
Subaru looked up with pride, his weary eyes sparkling with tears of joy. "Just like your mother," he beamed. "Just like your mother."
To be continued…