NOTE: Surprise! A new chapter!
Honestly, I should've brought Kamiko back sooner. My fault for letting her fall into the background so much, because she is an important character. You'll read this chapter and find out why.
Enjoy and Review!
Chapter 20: Kamiko the Freak
A Week Ago
Kamiko Kimura tied her hair up into a ponytail, sweat pouring down her face as she concentrated her mind. The notorious bully was dressed in a white tank top and black shorts, in front of her was a toaster. Kamiko huffed a loud breath before extending her focus back into her fingertips.
ZZZTZ!
Small sparks of light burst out of her fingertips, eliciting a sudden squeak from the girl. Kamiko watched as the energy entered the toaster, making it shake violently from the sudden intrusion. She backed away as the electronic device bounced around the floor before sitting still. Kamiko carefully crawled over to the toaster. "D-did it work-"
DING!
"EEP!" Kamiko squealed, scurrying away from the toaster. She closed her eyes, covering her face just in case it exploded. When a delicious smell entered her nose it made the bully give the toaster another look. The sight of a freshly cooked piece of toast brightened up her face as if it was Christmas. Grabbing it with her warm fingertips, Kamiko proudly held the piece of toast into the air. "I did it! I finally managed to pull it off!"
KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Kamiko! What was that noise!?"
She flinched at the knocking at her bedroom door. "N-nothing, Grandma! You can go back to bed!" Kamiko waited until she heard her grandmother's footsteps disappear before releasing the air in her lungs. She examined the toast before biting into it, loving the taste. "I'm gonna need a better way to practice this. I don't need grandma finding out about my abilities and whatnot. But where can I practice this?" Kamiko hummed as she took another bite of the toast.
Suddenly, an image of Emi Sendou popped into her head and a devilish smile graced her lips. "Oh. I know the perfect target. Hahahahaha!" Kamiko laughed as she devised her own plans to both practice her abilities and humiliate the youngest Sendou.
Kamiko snuck through the hallways of Miyaji Academy, her two lackeys right behind her. The bully and her posse were watching the Vanguard Circle Club converse by a water fountain. "What's this prank of yours, Kamiko?" The taller one whispered.
"Yeah, what are you gonna do to embarrass those dorks this time!?" The shorter one exclaimed.
"Shut it!" Kamiko hissed at them both, shutting the girls up. "I told you two to shut up and watch. You're about to see something amazing." Kamiko grinned evilly. She raised a single finger, pointing at the water fountain. Her companions were shocked when they saw the spark of electricity leave her fingers and flash towards the fountain.
TZZT! BZZTS!
"Eh?" Rekka turned to look down at the water fountain as it began to spark. "Uh, guys?"
"What is it, Rekka?" Emi asked as she and Mai turned to her.
"That." Rekka pointed at the sparking water fountain until it exploded, spraying the three down in a massive blast of water.
"KYAAAAA!" The three shrieked as their uniforms and hair was soaked to the brim.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The three heroines' attention was taken away from their distress for the moment and brought over to the very familiar mocking laughter. Rekka snarled at the sight of Kamiko and her cronies. "Kamiko…!" Neither Emi nor Mai was happy to see her as well.
Kamiko wiped away a tear from her eyes. "W-what, Tatsunagi? You're gonna blame me for a freak accident?"
"Yeah, it's not like Kamiko has powers or any-guh!" The short girl grunted as Kamiko elbowed her in the gut.
Kamiko stunted up to the humiliated trio, pulling out her phone and snapping a photo, much to the three's shock. "Hey! What are you taking a picture for!?"
"Why else?" Kamiko responded as if it was obvious. "Posting this on my social media should bring me a few followers. Nothing screams funny like humiliated losers."
"You can't post that, Kamiko! People will laugh at us!" Mai protested.
"Yeah, that's the point." Kamiko scoffed.
Emi released a puff of air through her nose and stood up. Kamiko wasn't intimated in the slightest, in fact she was still grinning. "What's wrong, Sendou? You gonna run away crying like last time-" Kamiko stopped talking when Emi held her hand out to her.
"Let's stop this, Kamiko."
"What?"
"All this bullying stuff. It's immature and only hurts people. You think that the satisfaction you'll get out of it will be worth it, but all you're going to do is bring yourself more trouble. Everything you do has consequences and not all of them are good." Emi lectured.
Kamiko blinked a few times, silent by Emi's action. This wasn't what she expected to happen at all, she was hoping to see Sendou running away like a baby like she did at camp. Why was she suddenly acting more mature? "Tch. As if I need to be lectured by some childish loser like you!" Kamiko slapped Emi's hand away.
TZZT!
Kamiko and Emi both flinched as a stinging spark was shared between them both. Both girls held their wrists as the pain lasted for a few moments. Kamiko stared down at her hand, remembering this sensation. "T-this feeling… it's just like…"
Unknown to her Emi was sharing the same thought as she held the Omnitrix. "T-this feeling… It's just like…"
A faint memory of their last day at camp resurfaced through their heads. "Just like at camp!"
Kamiko didn't understand exactly why that memory came back to her, but the bully's eyes were drawn to the bulky watch on Emi's wrist. "She had that back at camp too… just what the hell kind of toy is it?" Kamiko stepped back from the three, glaring at Emi. "I don't know what you just did to me, Sendou, but I'm not going to let you get away with it!"
"B-but I didn't do-"
"Shut up!" Kamiko turned around. "C'mon, you two. Let's get away from these losers." The bully and her posse scampered away from our heroines.
Rekka hissed at Kamiko's retreating form. "We don't see her for several chapters, and this is how she reintroduces herself!? Ugh, I'm gonna lose it!"
"Calm down, Rekka. Let's get out of here and find a way to dry off…" Mai said. She looked at Emi, who was still staring at Kamiko's direction. "Emi, what's wrong?"
"It's just that Kamiko-"
"Don't focus on that no-good bully, Emi. She isn't worth a single thought." Rekka cut her off. "Now c'mon. I have longer hair than you guys and let me tell you that soaking wet hair is not fun at all." Rekka turned for their club room with Mai close behind.
Emi stayed in her spot for a few more moments before following her friends, she clapped a hand over the Omnitrix, gripping it a bit tighter.
After school Kamiko and her cronies were standing in front of a vending machine, trying to get themselves some snacks. But unfortunately the machine was busted. "Oh, come on! That was the last of my allowance!" The taller one cried. She banged her fist against the machine. "Give me my chocolate bar!"
"Tch. These cheap machines always break at the worst times." The shorter one complained.
Kamiko rolled her eyes at the two. "Move it." She pushed them out of the way and placed her hand on the machine. Sparks burst from her hand and into the machine, causing it to go haywire. It shook violently from the energy overload before spewing out all of the snacks it held.
"Score!" The other two exclaimed, helping themselves to whatever they could grab. Kamiko just nabbed herself a candy bar. "Seriously, Kamiko, these powers of yours are great!" Shorty beamed.
"For real, you gotta tell us how you managed to do it!" Tallest begged.
Not seeing the harm in humoring her subordinates, Kamiko shrugged. "Why not. I only recently figured it all out back during that robot attack at camp."
"When?"
"When that diamond alien showed up and saved us. I felt some kind of spark shock me, not only that I felt a bit more energized too." Kamiko saw just how engrossed the two were. "When I got home I didn't try anything at first, thinking it wasn't important. But then whenever I touched some electronics like my tv, computer, and video games they started to freak out and break. Almost as if there was too much energy zapped into them."
"Like, overflowing a bathtub with water?" Shorty asked.
"Pretty much. My curiosity got the better of me, because I was starting to get pissed about all of my stuff breaking. Thus, I tested out my abilities on a lightbulb and ended up draining all of the life from it." Kamiko placed a hand back onto the vending machine. Her hand sparked as she sucked out a bunch of energy from it. "Then I tested pushing energy back into stuff with my toaster." Kamiko pushed the energy she absorbed back into the vending machine.
Her companions were awestruck by her story. "How does it feel? Taking in energy and stuff like that?"
Kamiko didn't know how to answer that one at first, she would be lying if she said that it didn't feel good. Whenever she zapped the energy from some electronics she felt as if she could run three marathons at once. Even then it didn't feel like she would ever hit a limit, that taking some power from a toaster or tv would never fill her up. Not even that vending machine filled her up before she had gotten rid of that extra energy. "It feels invigorating. Like, I just ate the most delicious meal you could imagine."
And she wanted more of it. So much more than a toaster could supply.
"So, it's kinda like food? What's the best tasting one?" Tallest asked.
"Best tasting…" Kamiko had to think about it, because if she was honest all of it felt the same to her. None of the appliances she's tester her power on had given her any different of a taste-
"Are you alright?" Diamondhead reached forward to grab Kamiko, but a sudden spark flew in between the two, shocking them both.
Kamiko and Emi both flinched as a stinging spark was shared between them both. Both girls held their wrists as the pain lasted for a few moments. Kamiko stared down at her hand, remembering this sensation.
No… that wasn't right. She had felt something good.
Not 'good'…no that wasn't a powerful word to describe what she had felt. Those small little tastes were delectable. She needed more just to be sure that it's all that great. A food that will finally fill her up to her maximum limit. But there was one thing buzzing in the back of her mind as she realized this.
Why did it all lead back to Emi Sendou?
Then the more she thought about it her mind drifted back to the watch on Sendou's wrist. The weird hourglass shape looked just like the one that… "Wait a minute…!" Kamiko gasped and took out her phone. Her companions were confused by her panic.
"What's wrong, Kamiko-"
"Shut it! I need to focus!" Kamiko hushed them both and focused on the news video she had found. It was an old report of a highway chase scene from a few days ago. Where one of the alien heroes that had been appearing all over the city had intervened. It was the diamond alien that had saved their lives from the giant robot. She paused the footage and zoomed into the hourglass symbol on the diamond woman's chest. "It's the same as Sendou's watch, but then…"
Kamiko then searched for other news footage of the other aliens as well. Seeing the exact same symbol on different parts of their bodies. The bully almost dropped her phone once she had confirmed her suspicions.
Her companions grew concerned. "Uh, Kamiko? Are you okay?"
She ignored the two of them, allowing her emotions to grow a bit more, sparks danced across her fingertips as she thought about Sendou. "Sendou is connected to these aliens somehow and that watch of her's has something to do with it. I don't know how she does it, but it doesn't matter. What matters is getting another taste of that energy." Kamiko started giggling as she imagined the full taste of her soon-to-be-meal.
"Um, Kamiko?" Tallest and Shorty were getting a bit scared by the bully's laughter. Tallest got a bit closer to Kamiko and grabbed her shoulder. "I think you should calm down some-"
ZAP!
"KYAAA!" Tallest went flying back into a wall, sending Shorty into a frenzy.
"W-what the hell, Kamiko!?" Shorty exclaimed, backing away.
Kamiko turned around, a sort of crazed look on her face. "Don't think too much of it. I just realized what I need to do, but you two would just get in the way." She touched the vending machine again, taking all of its energy for herself. Kamiko's body glowed brightly as the extra energy made her hair stand up (Picture a Super Saiyan) and her eyes turned bright white.
"K-Kamiko…!" Shorty fell on her rear.
Kamiko raised her hand at Shorty and grinned maliciously. "Do me a favor and pass a message to Sendou for me."
"What the hell?" Rekka muttered as she, Emi, and Mai stared at the damage dealt to the wall. The heroines had been dragged to the location by Shorty, who had found them in their club room.
The wall across from the broken vending machine was cracked and burned, an outline of Tallest's body was still present at the scene. Tallest had been taken to a hospital after Shorty had called the emergency contact number.
Mai covered her mouth. "W-what could've caused this?"
Emi touched the wall, small sparks of electricity shocked her fingertips. "Ow!"
"Emi!" Mai exclaimed.
"I'm fine." Emi waived off her hand. "Why did you bring us here? I get that your friend was hurt, but that couldn't have been the only reason." Emi turned to Shorty.
Shorty pressed the tips of her index fingers together, fear written all over her features. "I-It was Kamiko!"
The reveal shocked the heroines. "Kamiko!?"
"Kamiko did this?" Rekka pointed at the wall. "Like, I know she's a bitch-"
"Rekka!" Mai scolded.
Rekka ignored her. "But even I don't think she's capable of doing that much to someone."
"I-I-I-" Shorty stuttered some more. She would've fallen over from the stress if Emi didn't place a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Breathe. Take as much time as you need." When it looked like Shorty finally regained enough of her composure, Emi continued. "Okay, can you tell us how Kamiko did this?"
"H-her powers…"
"Powers?" Mai repeated.
Shorty nodded her head. "Y-yes. Kamiko showed us these powers of hers earlier. She was able to absorb energy from machines. It was her powers that caused that water fountain to explode on you three earlier."
"Ha! I knew it was her!"
"Not now, Rekka!" Mai hissed. She turned back to Shorty. "Please, continue."
"W-we thought it was pretty cool. Kamiko explained to us how she was able to do it, that she discovered these abilities back at camp."
"At camp? When would this have happened?" Mai wondered.
Emi thought the same thing until the realization struck her, flashing back to when she as Diamondhead touched Kamiko. The spark that had briefly shocked them both, then the shock they received back in the hallway. "Oh… I-I think I know."
"Emi?" Her friends turned to her.
"I'll tell you guys later. Can you please continue?" Emi asked Shorty.
While the scared shitless girl found their behavior strange, she didn't bring it up. "After that, things got weird."
"Weirder than her having absorption powers?" Rekka asked.
"Yes, we had asked her about how it felt to absorb all of that energy, and she described it as eating food." Shorty shuddered for a moment. "A starving look appeared in her eyes a few moments later, as if something had snapped. S-she grew obsessed…"
"Obsessed with what?" Emi asked.
"Obsessed with you, Sendou." Shorty answered, shocking the heroines.
"With me?" Emi repeated.
"I-I don't know why. All that happened after was her attacking us and telling me to give you this message."
"Message?"
"To meet her at the Koshien Stadium tonight. Alone."
"Emi, you can't seriously be considering this?" Rekka and Mai followed Emi to the Koshien stadium. It was now nighttime, meaning that Kamiko would be waiting for her.
"What? I'm not going alone. You two are with me." Emi said.
"Obviously, but you still plan to confront her alone while we wait in the back. This could be dangerous." Rekka said.
"We don't know everything about Kamiko's abilities, Emi. What if something bad happens?" Mai worries.
Emi understood her friends' concerns, but the responsibility in her was screaming at her to face Kamiko. "I'm the reason Kamiko is doing this. Interacting with me activated her abilities, and her obsession with me caused her to hurt her friends. I have to confront her, or she'll do something even more dangerous."
"Then what's the plan? Beat her up?"
"No, Rekka. I'm going to try talking to her. Fighting isn't going to solve anything here." Emi responded. The three of them reached the stadium, everything had been shut off considering it was after hours.
"How do you think we should get in?" Rekka asked.
"Maybe, I could go Upgrade and activate the doors?" Emi suggested.
"Yeah probably-"
SLIDE!
Both Emi and Rekka turned to see that Mai had slid the doors open. "It would seem that the security system isn't on."
"How'd you figure that out?" Rekka asked.
Mai shrugged. "If Kamiko wants to meet Emi here and she isn't outside, then it only means that she managed to get inside. And since she can absorb energy, she must've deactivated the security system."
"Good thinking, Mai." Emi praised her.
The trio entered the stadium, quietly moving through the halls to make sure Kamiko wouldn't get the drop on them. As they made their way, burn marks could be seen streaked down the sides of the wall. "I guess she's leaving these here for us to follow." Emi said.
Eventually, they reached the main stage of the stadium, through the windows on the doors the girls could see Kamiko sitting on the grass. "Well… there she is." Rekka said.
Emi turned to her friends. "I know you guys don't agree with it, but please let me handle this. I'll talk Kamiko down and we'll all go home. And if not…" Emi didn't want to think about if things didn't work out.
"Don't worry about that, Emi. Just do what you do best and it should work out." Mai encouraged her best friend.
Emi smiled softly at Mai, appreciating her encouragement. "Thanks, Mai." She turned back to the door and walked through. "Here goes nothing."
"I was wondering if you would ever show up, Sendou." Kamiko stood up from the grass. Still dressed in her school uniform. Her hair and eyes were still changed from the effects of her powers.
Emi examined her bully's body. "Kamiko… you don't like okay."
The bully rolled her eyes. "Tch. And as always you're an emotional dork. Seriously, I'm getting sick of your goody goody act."
"It's not an act!" Emi exclaimed. "Y-you shouldn't be doing this, Kamiko! Stealing items, breaking property, and hurting your friends is wrong!"
Kamiko stepped towards her, small sparks popping around her body. "First of all, they aren't my friends. Those two were nothing more than some followers, I felt nothing but pleasure when
I finally removed those flies. Secondly, you have no right to tell me how to use my abilities. My powers, my rules."
"Not when they're hurting other people! Messing with me and my friends is one thing, but if you continue doing what you're doing it'll only lead to innocent people getting hurt!" Emi shouted.
"As if I care if a bunch of randoms get hurt. If the idiots get in my way then that's their problem!"
"What about your grandmother!?"
That made Kamiko stop, her blood running cold. "...What?"
"Your grandma! What would she think if she saw you doing all of this!?"
"H-how do you…?" Kamiko inquired until realizing that Shorty must've told Emi about her situation. "I'll make sure to kill that dumbass after this."
Emi continued, not noticing the anger growing on Kamiko's face. "You can stop this right now! It's not too late! Just calm down and then you can apologize to your friends, turn the security back on, and release all of the energy you stole." Emi lifted her arm, mistakenly it was the one with the Omnitrix. "Just take my hand."
Kamiko stared at Emi for a solid minute, before her eyes trailed down to the watch on her wrist. There it was just right out in the open for her to feast on. And the idiot didn't even realize how stupid of a choice that was. "Y-you're right…" Kamiko stuttered, turning her hair and eyes back to normal.
Emi blinked. That actually worked? Mai was right! "I'm glad you agree, Kamiko. I know we have our differences, but we can still be friends."
"Really?" Kaimko asked, walking towards Emi.
"Yup! It might take some convincing for Rekka, but Mai won't object!" Emi said.
Kamiko chuckled. "That reassures me. I have a lot to apologize for, huh?"
"Yes, but it'll all be fine in the end. We'll do it all together, Kamiko. You made the right choice." Emi smiled as Kamiko took her hand.
"...Yeah." Kamiko said, closing her eyes. She then snapped them open, her eyes turning pure white. "And you made the stupid one!"
"Eh?" Emi could only gape before Kamiko's grip tightening, locking their hands in place. "K-Kamiko…! What-"
"Shut it!" Kamiko exclaimed, shocking Emi.
"KYA!" Emi screamed, painfully.
"EMI!"
Kamiko turned to the door to see Rekka and Mai bursting through. She growled in fury. "Of course, you can't go anywhere without your little posse!"
"Friends don't abandon each other, Kamiko! Something you'll never understand!" Rekka yelled.
"Understand THIS!" Kamiko used her free hand and sent a powerful blast of energy at the two.
"REKKA, MOVE!" Mai screamed. The two jumped down out of the way before the attack could hit them, however the shockwave sent them flying into the opposite wall. The impact knocked the two of them out cold.
Emi stared in horror at her unconscious friends. "NO!"
"YES!" Kamiko grinned madly, she gripped the Omnitrix with both hands. "This is it, right!? The thing you use to turn into those aliens!?"
It would seem Emi's horror had no limits this night. "W-what!? How do you!?"
Kamiko scoffed. "It's not that difficult to figure out once you've put the pieces together. Not that it matters anymore. Because, I'm taking all of this energy!" Kamiko began absorbing power from the Omnitrix, causing it to start glitching out in response. Green and white sparks vibrated between the two girls. Kamiko could feel the watch's power merging with her own, the unfathomable meal was like nothing she ever had before!
SHE NEEDED MORE!
Emi, however, didn't feel the same. "LET GO OF ME!" Emi raised her leg and kicked Kamiko in her stomach, abruptly cutting off the bully's absorption. As a result a big explosion occurred between the two, sending them flying across the field.
Emi groaned painfully, sitting up on her knees. She looked down at the watch, seeing that it was still slightly sparking. "Hopefully you aren't broken. I don't exactly know who could fix you." Looking over she saw that her friends were still out. "Rekka! Mai!"
"I wouldn't worry about them if I were you."
FWOOSH!
Emi had to duck down as a massive fireball almost incinerated her. Blue eyes were wide with fear as she stared at the approaching Kamiko. Well, it sorta resembled Kamiko. "K-Kamiko?"
Kamiko's skin was now dark red with her body being morphed into that of a Tetramand. Her eyes were unevened, two large ones and two smaller ones. Not only that, but one of her upper arms was just like Heatblast. The bully had been transformed into a fusion of two of her strongest aliens.
Kamiko examined her new body. "T-this feels awesome! There's so much energy coursing through me!" Kamiko flexed her arms. "I'm invincible! And I need more!" Her eyes flashed hungrily at Emi.
"K-Kamiko, just stop!"
"No way! C'mon here, Sendou!" Kamiko charged at Emi. The heroine rolled out of the way to avoid getting grabbed by the mutant. Kamiko crashed into the wall, slightly surprised by her new strength.
Emi quickly activates the Omnitrix as Kamiko recovers from her crash. "Please, don't give me Gray Matter!"
"I got you now, Sendou!" Kamiko exclaimed, charging like a raging bull.
FLASH!
"Gah!" Kamiko covered her eyes as the bright flash of the Omnitrix almost blinded her. "What the-GUH!" Kamiko grunted as she was uppercutted into the air. She crashed into the ground, then looked back up to see Four Arms cracking her knuckles.
"One last chance, Kamiko. Stand down." Four Arms warned her.
"Tch. As if, freak!" Kamiko roared and charged back at her. The two Tetramands clashed, creating a massive shock wave that shook the stadium. Kamiko grunted as Four Arms struck her in the gut repeatedly. Snarling like an animal, Kamiko grabbed Four Arms' lower arms and slapped the heroine with her fiery hand.
"AHHH!" Four Arms screamed as her face was being burned.
"Take it, Sendou!"
"RAAAH!" Four Arms roared, using her upper arms and clapped them against the sides of Kamiko's head. When Kamiko was staggered, Four Arms landed a devastating right hook into the mutant's jaw, sending her flying into the wall across the stadium.
Kamiko wiped off the blood from her lip and blasted a powerful fireball at Four Arms. Four Arms' eyes widened for a brief moment before she jumped into the air to dodge the fireball. Kamiko gasped as Four Arms crashed right on top of her.
"Get…OFF!" Kamiko screamed in fury. She blasted another wave of fire at the heroine's face, forcing her to back off. "I've had enough of you, freak!" Kamiko took her fiery fist and bashed it into Four Arms' sternum.
Four Arms gasped for air, but before she could do anything Kamiko grabbed the back of her shirt and tossed her into a wall. The mutant laughed wickedly as she rushed at Four Arms, sending a barrage of punches at the female Tetramand. Her fun didn't last long as Four Arms grabbed her arms, forcing them back.
BEEP! BEEP!
Four Arms gasped. "It hasn't been 10 minutes yet! Gotta end it now!" Four Arms raised her legs and kicked Kamiko away from her. The mutant skids across the field, but before she could do anything Four Arms was already on her.
A relentless barrage of punches with the force of a wrecking ball smashed into her skull like never before. Kamiko thought that her head was going to explode any moment with how hard she was getting hit. Four Arms tossed one last punch that sent Kamiko flying through the walls of the stadium.
BEEP! FLASH!
Emi bent over, breathing heavily from the fight. "Kamiko…!" Emi hurried through the hole that she sent Kamiko flying through. "KAMIKO!" Emi screamed as she ran through the holes. However, no matter how hard she looked she couldn't find Kamiko anywhere.
The mutant had completely disappeared after she had lost the fight. When she was certain that Kamiko was not around, Emi hurried back to her friends to check on them.
Unknown to her, Kamiko was hiding behind a wall. The mutant had lost her transformation after losing the battle, thus hid herself to avoid dealing with Emi. The mutant sent heated glares at the heroine's retreating back. "This isn't over, Sendou. I'll pay you back for this. I swear it!" Kamiko made her way out of the stadium, clutching her burned hand. Suddenly, a small spark of fire bursts from the palm of her hand. The sight of the ember of power made a sadistic smirk spread across her lips.
Chapter End
NOTE: I am not entirely satisfied with how this chapter ends, but not much I can do. I couldn't figure out how else to end it, but the aftereffects of it will be brought up next chapter.
Again, I regret not foreshadowing Kamiko's descent into madness better. The girl got drunk off of power and her own dislike for Emi fueled it.
We're close to Vilgax. Maybe or two chapters left until Emi and Vilgax finally clash.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving.