Concentration: Part II
Minato's cry of horror rang out. Collapsing on his rear, the youth crawled away from the ghastly figure on his lean hands and feet, desperately clawing himself from the horror in the dark.
"Minato?!" The two Sekirei shouted the youth's name in unison…but it was only answered by his panicked hyperventilation.
"Minato, get a hold of yourself! What happened?!" Benitsubasa called out unsure of where she was as well.
He scrambled to his feet, only to tumble over himself in pure fright. His hands searched the ground for a path of escape, any direction that 'thing' was not in. He found something. A table leg, or at least he thought it was a table leg.
"Agh!" Benitsu screamed. "Get off me you pervert! What is wrong with you?!"
She jerked her foot away and stomped on Minato's arm.
"Argh!" he grunted in pain, rolling around in agony. "It's me Benitsu, it's me!"
"I know!"
As the pain subsided he went to get up knowing he was safe.
*Clunk*
His head collided with the table he unknowingly crawled under.
Another spark splashed the room with altering light. Not a soul was in sight. Whatever Minato encountered was gone...for now.
"Hold yourself together, dammit! Who was there?!" she pulled him out from the table and began shaking him about by the collar. "Answer me! Who?! What did you see?!"
"S-Shinigami…"
"Shinigami?!" she snarled. "There's nothing there!"
"It couldn't have been a Shinigami." Kazehana added. "If Miya was here, I'd be the first to know-"
*THUM!*
An ivory beacon erupts from a spotlight, deadlocking a path to the wind maiden; a miasma of swimming dust particles flittered about it like panicking fruit flies as if the heat itself had influence on them. They could finally see again. Kazehana's figure retracted, skin tensing as the oppressive radiation stuck to it like adhesive. The boiling beam washed through the cracks in her youthful visage, squeezing out drops of clear perspiration. She felt as if she were melting in an oven.
The foreign entity lumbered forth from the dark and the ground shook as the scattered rocks amongst the canvas cracked beneath his feet. The shrouded Oni angled it's surveillance to the Ronin.
"It's…" Minato swallowed his tongue on the next syllables, "the shinigami."
"It's the same guy we saw before…" Benitsu concluded. "Just how the hell did he get in there if he was standing right next to you? Is he some sort of phantom?!"
*BZZZT!
In the far corner of Kazehana's chamber, a monitor breaks up the reunion and silences them all.
"Hello and welcome," the puppet shallowly uttered through its clicking wooden lips.
The three each veered their heads in its direction. The shadowy golem froze, movements solidifying like a gargoyle. The 'wtf' expression on #03's face contorted to something more confused.
"First and foremost, I would like to congratulate Minato and Benitsubasa on ultimately looking past their prior grievances with each other and completing their first trial of teamwork. Well done. Now, onto the task at hand…"
"Th-the two of you have been working together?" Kazehana questioned in a perplexed voice.
"Shh, yes, now be quiet," Benitsubasa murmured, making a 'pipe down' hand gesture. "We only get to hear the instructions once. If you want to live, I suggest you keep your mouth shut until the tape finishes…"
"Sekirei #03, Kazehana. Throughout your life, you have made a habit of drowning out your sorrows. This self-destructive behavior became even more prevalent when your romantic gestures towards the game master, Minaka Hiroto, an insane scientist obsessed with enslaving your own race and dooming them to genocide for his personal amusement, were rejected. You did, however, remedy this when you accepted the young man before you as your Ashikabi. He, however, believes himself unworthy of such affection from you or anyone else for that matter. That being the case, in order erase all doubts in his mind of whether or not he truly deserves you, you must put your trust in him and his ability to concentrate under pressure and in essence earn you."
"In your left hand, a button is fastened. This button is directly synced with the firing mechanism before you. At the time this tape ends, my…muscle will activate it, and every time the button is pressed, a shuriken will be fired directly at the board you are strapped to with a laser pinpointing the precise location of impact. The catch, though, is that during this time, not only will the wheel be spinning…you will also be blindfolded."
"Think of it as…a deadly game of darts; a common recreational pastime amongst bars and taverns all throughout the world come to think of it. Given your alcoholism, you should feel right at home. Don't worry, your Ashikabi will still have his sight throughout the ordeal, and I'm sure he will be more than willing to lend you it for the time being…if you trust his word, of course. He is your Ashikabi after all, so trusting him should be second nature. Keep in mind that you will not be released until all twelve stars are fired. Just be sure not to hesitate, as the wheel will hasten in speed the longer you stall. I ask you, Kazehana, can the bond shared by Sekirei and Ashikabi shatter the shackles that bind you? Or will Minato's ineptitude at working under pressure ultimately skewer it? Will you live or die? Make your choice…"
Their advisor had spoken.
The youth's spine quivered as he relayed the message over and over again in his head; Distraught gripped his mind like a vice. Though it felt like it took forever, only mere seconds went by as he did so. He swallowed his fear and diverted his gaze back to his 5th Sekirei. The heated tears which cascaded over her sweat-greased visage were now stained by her black mascara.
"Don't worry Kazehana…" The tension in his clenched fists intensified. "I'll get you out of there. I promise."
"I know you will, Minato," she said, sniffing with a twitching dimple and tiny hopeful smile. "You'll be like my knight in shining armor…"
Benitsubasa couldn't help but gag at that line. The cheesiness made her want to throw up almost as much as the game did; let alone that bacon-faced maniac.
Like the rusty hinges of a timeworn door, an infantile laugh creaked through the TV speakers; a heated fume squealed from the ferocious boar's nostrils. The shrouded mute had awoken. Retracting its glare, the 'field general' hulked towards Kazehana. He reached into his robe on the lethargic approach. Every trudging step he took ramrodded through Minato's heart, nearly making him pass out the closer he came.
Within moments it was now mere inches from the wind mistress's nose. As she had been propped up by the wheel, they were of equal height of each other; neither had to look up nor down to maintain eye contact, and with her neck deadlocked as it was, made turning from him almost impossible.
He grumbled, searching her mascara-smudged eyes for the emotions he had lacked for so long. She motioned to gasp as he juts an arm towards her clasping that burly glove over the wind mistress' mouth and nose; curling his massive fingers to a smothering grip. Her gasp sank through the organic bandana, her hot breath caressing the palm beneath like a heartbeat which had just flat lined.
Her cerebral folds fully retracted into her skull, eyes bulging from the sockets. Squeezing Kazehana's cheeks to a pucker, muffled peeps escaped through the tiny thresholds of air as the swine wrenched her head from side to side, taking time to examine the specimen...and lean in to fill his nostrils with the scent of her hair…
As the snout slurped in the fragrance of her bangs, Minato felt the urge to vomit as he fought the urge to faint, all the while Benitsubasa held him steady and gritted her teeth in disgust. Disgust towards both the pipsqueak for not being more 'manly', and at the robed coward for his sick acts. Did she resort to taking advantage of those who were helplessly vulnerable? Sure, but they at least could do something to put up some sort of fight. This was a mugging.
"C'mon pipsqueak, my arms aren't feeling that good. Don't let your legs give out." Benitsu muttered to herself.
Kazehana wanted to scream; to cry. For the first time in her life she felt vulnerable, at another's mercy. There was no way out…no way to-
She couldn't break now. Despair was already clawing its razor sharp nails into Minato's mind; squeezing away hope and slicing deep. Succumbing to this monster was not an option. Her expression softened at the realization, eyelids submerging over her sight, tears juicing from the clamped corners… S-She had to stay strong for her Ashikabi's sake.
Mathis could sense fear and confusion in the wind maiden's expression…but it was not directed towards him…or being potentially dissected. This one was fearful of her Ashikabi's well-being. The spinal fluid in his neck cracked beneath his mask as the he realigned his pupils with that of the youth's. He on the other hand…he was scared out of his mind. He couldn't help but ponder how such a state would influence his ability to cope. How far he could push it before he was left in a heap. All without having to lay a single finger on the child.
"He's going to kill her…" Minato concluded. He shot a glance back at Benitsubasa. "Do something! What are you waiting for?! STOP HIM!"
"I can't!" She spat back. "It's a game, remember?! I'm forbidden from using my powers!"
"I don't want to lose her like Kusano!" He grasped her arms, suffocating them to her sides and shook. "Please, do something!"
She shoved him off and on his ass "Make like the pig head, and get a grip! He won't kill her! The message said that's your job!"
Then he remembered…the button in her hand! The field general was right in front of the firing mechanism! She could kill him right then and there!
"Kazehana!" He screamed, reaching out his hand as far as it could go. "Press the button! NOW!"
She nodded as best she could and tapped the button with her thumb.
Nothing happened.
"What, why didn't it fire?!"
Then he recalled the message again…
"…At the time this tape ends, my…muscle will activate it…"
Fuck… "He didn't even activate it yet… we're screwed..."
The field general tilted his head as he stared into the Ronin's ruined soul. But he felt no malice…he was impressed. He was expecting a lot of things, but critical thinking like that was not one of them. Willing to skewer him to protect this helpless bird. It would be a safe bet that beneath the mask, he would be smiling from ear to ear and beyond. This kid was smarter than he anticipated. And way more than he would ever admit to…
"Callidus…"
"Please…" the ronin begged. "Don't hurt her. Do whatever you want to me…just don't hurt her…"
Warmth rivaling the light which now bathed her spiraled from Kazehana's heart, expanding through her chest like a balloon that just wouldn't pop. The love she felt at that moment…the dedication Minato had…how much he would sacrifice; it overwhelmed everything. Pain was an illusion in comparison to this…this feeling.
'For you…I will endure anything…'
Mathis slid the glove from her face, smearing off the oily slick of melted mascara. The silenced bird gasped for breath, and coughed. He rolled the facial ink in his fingertips, pulling and stretching it like silly putty. The Ronin's heart paced faster. With all amusement squeezed from the sticky texture; he smeared it onto his robe, and after a moment, tucked the fingers of his other hand inside his balled fist and rolled out a pitch black ribbon. Pinching both ends with his thumb and index fingers, he encircled the ebony stained fabric around the bound Sekirei's cranium, tied a knot, and pulled it; TIGHT. The texture's friction burned her temples.
He stepped back, and waved his hand from left to right in front of her face. She could see no evil.
Her chest bounced as she forced a grin. "You weren't much to look at anyway."
A sense of humor in the face of death itself? Mathis liked this…
Minato fully expected the foreign golem to punch her in the stomach for that remark…but he backed away, trudging his tree trunk-sized legs towards a lever on the opposite side of the holding cell. Gripping the handle with both hands, he mounted his massive steel boot into the ground and shifted sight to the Ronin.
"Eorum Susceptione me," then tugged back. "…pueri."
A clicking choir of rusted gears whistled their searing torment and soon escalated to the tempo of Minato's cardio. The dart board began to turn. Their game had begun.
*Click…*Click…*Click…*Click…
*ERRRRRRK
Minato couldn't keep his eyes off the robed maniac despite this. He had now just crouched beneath a desk and pulled out a cardboard box. Just what the hell was this character up to?
Benitsubasa clasped Minato by the shoulder; he let out a startled gasp.
She whispered instructions. "Concentrate on the game, not the freak. If he tries anything after this game is over, I'll pound that pig's thick skull to bacon grease."
He swallowed his Adam's apple. "R-right."
"Alright Kazehana," Minato began. "When I tell you to press the button, don't hesitate. Understood."
"A-alright…I-I trust you, Minato."
The first orbit lapsed, then a second passed. Before long a red laser marked its territory on Kazehana's thigh, but as the roulette revolved, the beam remained stationary and her leg escaped its line of sight.
"Fire it now!"
"Okay!"
Her thumb twitched the firing mechanism and the shuriken cut through the air like a bullet…
XXX-Flashback-XXX
12 Days prior to Minato's trials
-Three Hours after Takami Sahashi's game-
"Just need to wrap this around a few more times…aaaannnnd, we're done!"
Takami Sahashi stared at her heavily bandaged orbital bone in the mirror beside her. Since arriving at Jigsaw's lair, Dr. Gordon had been kind enough to patch her up. One minute her daughter is trying to kill her, the next, they're working together. She couldn't blame her though. She had been horrible to those who mattered most. Today it bit her.
Swiveling in her stool, she took one long look behind her, studying the cot where her son slept. After a moment, she sighed and hung her head, whispering, "Minato, I'm sorry."
She felt a tap on her shoulder.
"Hey."
Dr. Gordon's voice yanked her back to reality. She had been trying hard to drown out the crappy elevator music the doc had playing with her thoughts of the good times she used to have before this mess came about. Takami turned back around, the humble doctor presenting a pack of cigarettes. She stared at them for a moment, then motioned to speak.
"Don't worry," he reassured her.
She looked back up at his cool expression, his warm and friendly smile melting into that of a gentleman.
"They're quite harmless." He snickered. "Believe me; I'd know a poisoned cigarette when I see one."
"Hmph, fine then…but only if you smoke one with me."
"Fair enough, I suppose."
She picks one out, puckering her chapped lips around the brown filter; The doctor flicks his Bic beneath the cylinder. One spark…two sparks…and at last, three. Her taste buds soak in the bitterness, the flavor intensifying as the tobacco burned at the open flame. He leaned in with his own cigarette, brushing the tip of her own. They breathed it in, and after a brief moment pulled apart, exhaling the remnants of their stress.
"How could you stand this cheap crap?" Takami asked, puffing out smoke rings.
"What? You don't like menthols?"
"They're mediocre and taste like year-old toothpaste after the buzz is gone."
The doctor inhaled more. "Eh, I make do with them. I like 'em minty…But…"
"But…?"
"But if you want something more fitting for such an elegant lady like yourself, then I have just the thing…"
He pulled a joint out of his coat pocket.
"Look Doctor," she began, thin stacks of smoke escaping through her nostrils. "if you're trying to come on to me with pot, don't. I've been involved with enough psychopaths and stoners in my life already, and after this situation with Minaka blows over, I'm cutting all ties with Jigsaw and his associates to start fresh with my family. Is that clear?"
"Crystal." He went on. "Provided they still want anything to do with you after it's all over that is. But what makes you think I'm a psychopath?"
"Hm, simple," she snorted. "You put my son into a coma by drugging him up in his sleep, brainwashed my daughter, kidnapped me, and are plotting to kill my ex-husband and think you can somehow pull it off without a hitch."
"Brainwashing? Kidnapping? Killing?" The doc leaned back, crossing his legs. "Is that what you think?"
"It's what I know. Are people not dead?"
"People die everyday. Everything we have shown and told Yukari up to this point has been based off of fact and irrefutable truth."
"A truth she was never meant to know about because I knew it would hurt her."
"But that's the thing, Miss Sahashi. The truth was hurtful, but she was even more heartbroken when she found out you've been lying to her about it; and even more so when we were the ones that had to show her as opposed to you; her own mother. Sure, perhaps telling her beforehand would have shocked her, made her hate you, but at least she would have known deep down that you cared and respected her enough as your daughter to give her the hard facts."
She grumbled. "…and I suppose you speak from experience?"
The blonde healer pushed himself from his seat. "More than you know…"
Leaning over, he reached behind the counter, extracting a cane. "I haven't used this thing in a while."
Takami looks on bewildered as he twirls it in his palm and drops its base to the ground. "Just what are you getting at, doctor?"
"What I'm getting at is that you never realize how much you really have and how much you truly love it…" Curling his wrist, he flipped the cane, its curved handle tapping his foot. "Until it's taken away from you. Between you and me, your game was originally supposed to involve more than just some small talk. You were going to need to put yourself through quite a bit of pain in order to earn that opportunity. But after Yukari pressed Jigsaw not to, he agreed."
"She did?"
"Of course. You're her mother. You should thank her the next time you see her. If we truly brainwashed Yukari like you said we did, you would still be in that room now, rotting away…much like someone I know. Reminds me of a story…"
Takami swallowed as he yanked up his pant leg; a circular scar orbited around the ankle. "You were tested?"
"I was." He said. "Thanks to MBI, I no longer need to use this cane. Amazing technology; absolutely amazing."
He furls the pant leg back over the scar and whirls the cane back to the base. He leans in to it, crossing his hands over the handle. "Anyway, about twelve years ago, I woke up in this mangy rundown bathroom. I found myself chained to one of the rusted pipes; kinda like how you were chained in that room ya woke up in. Another man was chained in the corner of the room across from me and in the middle of us…lays a dead body."
Takami was enamored at this point. She reclined, allowing him to finish the story.
"In one hand of the corpse was a tape recorder, the other, a loaded gun. Tape said; kill the man across from you by six o-clock…or your family dies."
"So you killed him?"
"No, shot him in the shoulder. My aim was off. That scar I just showed you? The gun was too far away for me to reach and because time had just run out, I had to saw my own foot off…with a hacksaw Adam found stashed away in a toilet tank."
"My, how pleasant. So is Adam still alive? And what about your family?"
The door to the main hall whisks open. Mathis released its handle and stood firm in the doorway.
"I take it this means Jigsaw has a use for her?" The doctor questioned.
A guttural grumble was all that resonated behind his mask.
"Well Miss Takami, looks like story time is over."
With a nod, Takami pushes herself up from the stool. Mathis stepped aside allowing her passage.
She peered over the shoulder at the doctor one last time before leaving. "Quite a story, doctor. Sorry I can't stay to hear the rest of it. Oh, and if anything happens to Minato while I'm gone," a mushroom cloud of smoke purred through her puckered lips. "I'll put out each and every one of those cigarettes in your empty eyesockets."
The hired muscle slid the door shut with her word of warning spoken. Her shadowy silhouette faded from the window.
"Fiesty woman she is." The doc said as he went back to tend his workstation. "Just like my ex."
XXXXXX
"Do you know any of these individuals, Yukari?"
"Ohhh yeah…" Yukari said through a scowl as she surveyed the dossiers of potential targets.
Shortly after they came back from testing Yukari's mother, John gave a more thorough analysis of his idea of sabotaging the Sekirei Plan. Many of Ashikabi in his eyes were very ungrateful, selfish; undeserving of the Sekirei their genes destined them to wing. Some of these Ashikabi were more powerful than others, and they would no doubt be hard to capture without more assistance, especially if he wanted to erase his tracks or at least make them harder to follow.
He handed Yukari three documents; The first; Seo Kaoru; a womanizer and freeloading slob who mooches off the kindness of others and begs for food. His Sekirei were also an issue; they focused on using their teamwork in attempts to outnumber their single and unwinged opponents. Although their numbers overwhelmed them to submission they had failed on each occasion. Still, their cowardly treachery must still not go untested.
The second; Nishi Sanada; Ashikabi of the West, was a more…presentable case. However, his reckless motorcycle driving ended up with him getting into many of accidents, one of which killed his youngest Sekirei, Shijime. These events would inadvertently lead to Takami's last minute changes to the tournament bracket and Kusano's death at the hands of The Black Sekirei.
Among the three of them, one tickled her fancy and brought the demon out in her.
"This guy." She bares an index finger down on the third mugshot in question; a rather gangly and smug-looking fellow by the name…
John leans in closer at the suspect's photo, then glances at Yukari. "Junichi Tanigawa… A safe choice as he's apparently been eliminated from the tournament….and has no Sekirei to protect him. Tell me, what is it about him that makes your stomach turn?"
"This son of a bitch deserves to be castrated." She rambled on as he inspected the file more thoroughly. "I had a run in with him a few months ago. Bastard horribly abused his own Sekirei right in front of me and Shiina, treated her like a slave in public no less. Then he sics her on us like a dog and Shiina had no choice but to put her down like one; Broke Shiina's heart having to do so. The sore loser then pulled a knife on us afterwards and went right after him after we won the battle. I gave him a nice punt to the lady parts for good measure."
"According to his file, charges were not pressed for that incident. He walked free."
"Psh, why would I press charges? I was too busy destroying his manhood!"
"That isn't the point, I'm afraid. The man was clearly dangerous and you let him walk away." Arching his head, John began massaging his temples. "Granted, from what I see here, he has been in and out of jail countless times after multiple run-ins with the law, and clearly has no remorse for the things he's done, but the facts remain. Whose fault would it have been if he ended up harming someone else that night?"
"His becaaaause…he's the perpetrator?"
"Yes, but if you turned him in, there would have never been another incident in the first place…if one were to have happened of course. Thankfully such a thing did not occur. That kind of irresponsibility is unacceptable, Yukari."
Heavy boot clamps soon echoed; John angled his gaze to the room's only exit.
"Hey, I'm telling you about the guy now so you can put him in one of your little gizmos. Isn't that…sorta responsible?"
He held his hand up as the steps got closer. "We'll continue this discussion at another time, Yukari."
The demon ashikabi threw her hands up in the air in frustration. Of all the people to tell her she was irresponsible, it had to be a serial killer? Un-fucking-real.
The creaking of the door put a halt to the verbal dispute before it could escalate the debate further. Mathis escorted the Sahashi matron inside, and shut the door behind him, leaning his massive frame into it as he pulled a rock from his garbs and began to sharpen his knife again.
"Takami, so nice of you to join us."
"As if I had a choice?" She couldn't help but feel perturbed by the masked man's disturbing fondness of that knife. "Does he really need to sharpen that thing all the time?"
Mathis halted the scraping and just stared at her. Presenting his arm, the beast gestured the point of his ka-bar to his superior and the youth before going about his business again. It was as if telling her 'Hey, your job is with them; go do it and I won't need to use this'.
"It is but a hobby of his, Miss Sahashi, no need to worry. In fact, Mr. Mathis is quite the gentleman once you get to know him. He has a real passion for photography wouldn't you know? Many of the photos you see around the room here were taken by him in fact. Now, care to join us?"
She took a moment to survey the dozens of photos plastered crudely over the walls. They were all of people she knew, many being closer than should have been possible from both low and high locations. Many were incriminating and compromising, and most certainly not taken with the subject's consent. She knew this because images of her were among them. Quite the voyeur.
She slowly turned around to the task and joined the meeting. "Uh…sure." Not like I had a choice. "What is it that you need?"
"Are you aware of the Jinki, Miss Sahashi?" John gravely muttered. "How they are apparently the key to putting an end to the Sekirei Plan? How they supposedly have the power to kill and revive all Sekirei?"
"My, aren't you well informed." She sneered. "I do. Let me guess? You want to go out scavenging for alien crystals? Look, those things are dangerous and unpredictable. Even I don't know how they work. A good friend of mine died because of them."
"…a good friend of yours died because of the Sekirei Plan."
"Point taken, but what I said remains true. Whenever those things are gathered all in one place, BAD. THINGS. HAPPEN. You may as well be setting off a nuke."
"Then we won't gather them in one place;" He said, pushing himself from the table. He turned around, approaching a safe. He began dialing in the combination. "we'll scatter them about the city in marked locations only I and a select few can access."
"Good idea, I assume we'll keep the first one we locate in your little hidey-hole?"
The safe clicked. "Already have that covered…"
Tightening his grip, John slowly pulled the safe open; a lucent ray of teal burst through the pressurized threshold. In a circular stand stood the otherworldly crystal; Jinki #5.
Takami was perplexed. "How did you-?"
"get it?" he asked. "This particular Jinki was earlier in possession of Natsuo Ichinomi. Karasuba did me a favor and fetched it for me while she was out kidnapping your son."
You son of a- "Fetched it just like the dog she is…Ugh, well that settles that then. And what about Minato's Jinki? He has two of them."
"I am afraid they are off limits for the time being." He snaps the safe shut. "With Minato captured, the residents are most likely on high alert. The landlady in particular poses the greatest threat. It'll be a challenge getting into her home without first planning an inside job…the first step of which has already been set in motion…"
…flashback/
John to Dr. Gordon: "Would you kindly deliver this to the inn after midnight strikes?"…"I'm sure the resident in question will find its contents…more than enlightening."
/end flashback…
"Hmph, well if that's out of the question for now, who do we go after first?"
"The individuals in these dossiers all have connections to the Sekirei Plan. Given your position in MBI, you should have knowledge of all of them, knowledge not present in the information provided before us. With Hayato Mikogami dead, all the Sekirei he has winged thus far have also perished, so attaining his Jinki should be relatively easy. However, Yukari has given her vote on the current target."
Yukari reached across the table, handing her mother Junichi's file. "Out of the three Ashikabi listed here, John gave me the choice of who to hunt down first. This asshole has it coming six ways from Sunday."
She took a quick glance at the ugly fuck's mugshot. "I know him. Guy put out a fake bounty on your head. One million yen."
Yukari staggered back. "Come again?!"
"Yep." She bit the cigarette's filter as she mumbled on. "Guy was so broken up about losing to a girl that he put a price on you and Shiina; one he never intended to pay off. But since you were so capable at handling yourselves, I figured there wasn't much to worry about. The guy is scum. Street trash. All I need to do is make a few phone calls and I'll tell you exactly where he is."
"I'm afraid our operation needs to be done out of MBI's earshot, Miss Takami."
"Who said anything about getting MBI involved?" she said, smirking. "I have an outside contact that I keep in frequent touch with. He also happens to hate Minaka Hiroto with a burning passion; no pun intended…"