AN: Now, before any of you start gunning me down, please let me explain, for the last few months I've been at university and it's been hectic so I never really had much free time and when I do I use it to rest, that's reasonable, right? Heh heh, sorry, I wanted to update more that wasn't possible, epp… Well, now that I've finished my exams I have a couple of days to myself so I started writing again, first I'll apologise for the degrade in quality because it's been a while and the only writing I've done thus far is writing up reports… er, so, for those who are still reading, thank you my loyal fans, thank you… cries and without ado let us begin the next chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not owe love hina
Chapter 13: Unknowing pawns
We shall die alone.
Blasise Pascal 1623-62: Pensees (1670)
-Hinata town, red light district-
"Yuki-chan, are you sure we're in the right place?" He walked closely behind his partner, he looked down an alley and saw a man and a woman performing foreplay with each other before getting to the more intimate 'adult' things. "Epp!" His face flushed and leaned forward a bit hoping that would allow more room for the region below his belt.
"Ohh, aren't you a cute little boy?" A skimpily dressed woman approached them " I'll make you a man, and for you I'll make it cheap cause you're cute!" She winked suggestively.
"He's not interested." Yuki replied for her partner who was now perfectly incapable of doing anything but babble and drool like a fool.
"Move little girl." She ignored Yuki "I can satisfy you more than this whore." She cupped her breasts "see?"
"!" That blew the final safety circuit in Keitaro's head, never in his life had a girl been so suggestive to him, not even Kitsune was that forward, sure the woman in question is a whore and he knew it was wrong but it was still a completely new experience to him "!£&!&?" He mumbled incoherently shaking on the spot spluttering about it has to be pure and there has to be love etc.
"Isn't that cute…" as her hand almost got a hold of Keitaro the woman found a gun jabbed at her head.
"I'm not in the mood today, so unless you want to die, get loss." Yuki looked at the whore dead in the eyes with a soul freezing death glare. Before she could even blink the whore had ran away, the people around saw the sight and began to step away also fearful of what might happen, being killed was a possibility in this place and none of them wanted to risk it. "Kei!" She nudged her dazed friend who was now going on about sexually transmitted diseases "Kei!" She repeated conking his head with the handle of her gun "Snap out of it!"
"Eh? Where did she go?" He looked around
"Let's just get going." She shook her head disapprovingly wondering if Malachite had played a sick joke on her and she knew he would do something like that. "We're not far from our destination, it should be a few more minutes away." She pointed up the road.
"OK." He follows "So, Yuki-chan, what are we trying to get from this guy?"
"This man is a high profile criminal, he's very well connected to the criminal underworld, and the SWP have been trying to prosecute him for years but he keeps by passing the law either through money or force… I just want some info from him." ("If what Malachite says is true, which I doubt, then in order for boss to make that weapon she would need to acquire the parts illegally because if she got them through normal means it would show up and there would've been a inquiry. Hmm, to make something that powerful, if it exists, it would require special parts and this guy is probably the only guy I know who can supply them. I hope I make in time before he leaves.") She grew more anxious ("I'll get to the bottom of this, and I'll make you pay Malachite for questioning my faith in boss like that!") She picked up her pace and made a run for it.
"Wait for me!" Her partner sped up his footing to catch up to her but stopped a bit when he felt someone familiar behind him "Nah, she wouldn't be in an area like this." Keitaro shrugged it off turning around to catch up with the runaway inspector. From behind a wall Motoko peered her head.
"Did that fool just sense my presence? Impossible, he can't do that." She told herself and went after the duo.
-Long legs strip club-
"Damn!" Yuki skid to a halt
"Wah?" Keitaro was pushed against a wall "What's wrong?" He saw Yuki look around the corner.
"It can't be!" She looked up to a near by roof "We need a better vantage point. Kei, we need to get up there, just concentrate your SE into your legs and jump." She leapt onto the roof, 3 floors up in one go.
"OK…" Concentrating Keitaro leapt up following her onto the roof but missed his step during the landing and fell backwards but fortunately Yuki caught a hold of him.
"Tch, I can't believe I lost sight of them." Motoko looked around "Since when can Urashima run that fast?"
"Thanks." Motoko looked up and caught a glimpse of Keitaro's leg being dragged up on to the roof.
"The roof?" ("But there are no stair cases around, then how?") She shook her head and jumped onto a near by roof careful to avoid detection.
"Kei, did you just…"
"Yeah, we're being followed aren't we?" The two looked at the opposite building
"When I say so…" She readied her gun and…
Bang! Bang!
"Gunshots?" Yuki divided down and crawled to the edge of the roof closest to the strip club.
"What's wrong?" Keitaro laid next to her.
"Kei, look!" Keitaro looked down and saw several heavily armed men rushing into the club
"They look like the SWP commandos from this morning."
"They're the SWP secret corps, what are they doing here?" She stared at the scene wide eyed
"The what?"
"The SWP is actually a military police organisation and such it has many sectors, you and I serve the public sector among the many out there. The secret corps is a high covert group specialize in carrying out black ops."
"What's a black op?"
"Illegal things, Kei. Like murder." She stared into his eyes
"Then why are they here… wait, you mean they…" She nods "But why?"
"I'd like to know myself, it'd be stupid for the SWP to just kill him like this in a raid as it'll cause retribution in the criminal underworld, unless they're trying to silence him…"
"Yuki… what's going on?"
"Argh!" Screams emitted from the club and a few of the SWP members were hurled through the windows, of course as they were spirits the glass did not shatter.
"The Hell?" Just then the roof of the club burst open and by some powerful force. "What's with that SE? Kei! Let's go!" Yuki jumped off the roof and Keitaro followed suit. The two had their back on opposite sides of the door, Yuki held up three fingers and Kei nodded. After 3 seconds the two dived through the door guns at the ready.
"God…" Keitaro looked at the carnage, there were human bodies lying around some people were still alive some not, the souls of the recently deceased stood over their former bodies wondering what happened, majority of the SWP team had either been over souled or unconscious . "…!" Keitaro side stepped avoiding an attack, twisting slightly he fired a shot and it hit the thing that attacked him.
"Kei!" Yuki ran up to his side "Come out, Volt!" From the shadows a tall humanoid emerged his shoulder bleeding.
"…" Keitaro stared at the creature in front of him, it looked human but he, Keitaro figured, was tall, small horns coming out of his forehead, his hair was gold and he thought he saw electricity sparked in his hair, the creature's silted eyes darted between the two. ("He looks like Frankenstein.") He suddenly thought.
"Heh." It snorted, electricity sparked from the stubs on the side of his neck. "Is this how you apprehend people, Inspector." Volt flexed his arm and the bullet was ejected out of his wound. "Better." He adjusted his suit and looked back at a badly damaged body. "Do you know how much these bodies cost these days? One that fits anyway." He snapped his fingers and the body was incinerated by sparks. "I'll be sure to ask the SWP for compensation and press charges also. To think SWP suddenly attacking a civilian whilst he was enjoying himself in the human world…" Yuki cut him off.
"You, civilian? Hardly and you know it's illegal to be in the living world without a permit. She looked at some of the dead souls who were slowly becoming crystals, she recognised a few of them "So, why are you and a few crime lords doing here? It's got to be more than enjoyment." She asked suspiciously.
"What's going on in there?" Motoko had followed the duo all this time and when the roof was blown off she was momentarily stunned by the amount of SE causing her heart to miss a beat but when she regained herself she immediately jumped down and was ready to confront the two but stopped when she saw Volt and hid behind the door. ("Such evil, that's definitely an evil spirit, one who has consumed souls but how is it that Urashima and Yuki-san can see it?") She decided to stay put and observe further.
"I recognise you Inspector but who's the geek next to you." Volt clicked his neck as his wound miraculously healed in front of the two.
"He's my partner." Yuki replied
"Ha ha, HA HA HAAA!" Volt burst out laughing "Oh my God! Is-is the SWP, so short on man power that, that they hire people like that?" He pointed at Keitaro, Volt clutched his sides as they were hurting too much for him at the moment.
"…" Keitaro lowered his gun and looked to the side the insults had struck hard.
"The hell does it matter!" Yuki shouted and nudged Keitaro to raise his gun.
"Ok, ok." Volt wiped the tears from his eyes. "But I can't believe that Shima would send you to do the dirty work."
"What do you mean?"
"You know, you're leading that squad to silence me."
"I want info."
"?" Volt looked at her peculiarly "What info?"
"Have you been dealing with the SWP?" Both Keitaro and Volt stared at her.
"Of course I've…wait," He stopped "You don't know do you?" He laughed again "This is rich!"
"What's so funny?"
"You don't have a clue, do you little girl? Feh, fine I'll tell you, since she's already stabbed me in the back but that's what I expect from the SWP." Volt stepped back to a chair.
"Don't move!" The duo shouted
"I'm just sitting down." And he did so "Now, where should I start. Hmm, I know." Sparks flew from his eyes "It was 5 years ago when I was cornered by the SWP back at Neon district, a gun at my head, ready to go to the abyss but low and behold Shima Yumiko popped out of no where and said to me if I'd supply her with materials she'd let me off."
"That's a lie, boss would never make deals with criminals."
"Really now? Don't you think that after all I've done that I'd be dead or in Hell by now?" He stopped to let her think "But I'm neither, you know why? Because I kept doing deals with your boss and she kept bailing my ass. She kept asking for these weird parts, hell knows what she's making." He saw Yuki's face contort to anger and her hands reddened from clenching her gun "If you don't believe me ask her. But back to where I was getting at, anyhow, recently our business relationship has gone sour and she wanted to silence me, preventing me from talking about her shopping spree and this is the result of that." He spread his hands to his side "A spectacular failure, it's…"
"I don't believe you!" Volt looked at Yuki
"What they say is true, you really do follow her around obeying your master's orders blindly." He smirked
"Bastard!" She opened fire. The bullets stopped inches from Volt.
"Electromagnetic waves, Inspector. Nothing metal can hurt me." Volt redirected the bullets at her but she increased the intensity of her barrier and blocked them all.
"Then I'll rely on skills!" She slammed her palms onto the ground and the entire place erupted in ice and mist covering everything.
("What power!") Motoko was blown away from the blast ("Never have I felt such power!") She struggled to her feet inching her way to the building, she fell to her feet when she felt another blast of SE. Volt was sent flying through the air engulfed in fire landing with a heavy thud next to Motoko he rolled around desperately trying to put out the fire.
"You think I over did it?" Keitaro asked coughing slightly stepping out of the now burning building with Yuki right by his side.
"Didn't know you could do that. But let's finish this…" She stopped have way through
"What's wrong?" Keitaro wondered why his friend suddenly hesitated when he saw the shocked look on her face, he tilted his head to see why, and instantly knew the reason. "Motoko-chan? What are you doing here? Never mind, get away from him he's dangerous!" He attempted to make a lung for her but was too late as Volt shot up from his position and wrapped his right arm around Motoko's neck.
"You prick." Volt spat, half his face disfigured "Because of these burns sealing my wounds I can't regenerate… who would've thought such a geek like you would be a soul master. I can't believe a powerful soul eater like me has been humiliated by you SWP dogs…" he heaved "So you know this girl, eh?" He opened his mouth allowing his long wiped like tongue to lick Motoko's cheek. "She tastes good, high SE too." He smirked at the angry looks on the two's faces "Heh. That's right, you can't do a thing." Volt stepped back "Fools." He opened his mouth and went straight for Motoko's throat.
"No!" Keitaro with all his might dashed forward but he knew he wouldn't make it in time.
Splat!
Crimson blood flowed to the ground.
"Heh." Volt snickered.
"Yuki-san…" Motoko with blood on her face looked to her right and saw Volt's fangs embedded into Yuki's right wrist. Yuki winced a bit as Volt sank his fangs deeper into her arm causing more blood to flow, the bone was already broken Motoko can clearly see that. With a swift kick Yuki managed to free Motoko from Volt's hold and onto the floor but even such a simple move took a lot out of her, she had already lost too much blood that night and the current situation wasn't making things better.
"That's a low move, taking a hostage like that." Yuki struggled to even stand at the moment but she toughed it out, she had a plan in mind, if she could just distract him for a bit more she would be fine. Volt's wicked grin grew even wider he was enjoying the taste of Inspector Kagura's blood. ("Now") Volt shuddered slightly as a sudden chill went trough him and mist started forming around him.
"Hargh!" He drove his fingers into Yuki's chest, as the mist cleared two people stared at the horrible sight before them, Yuki's lifeless body lying on the floor the blood slowly oozing out, there was silence "I did it, I killed Inspector Kagura Yuki, the famous soul master of ice. Ha ha ha hah!" He stood over the corpse like a dominating God. "Oh." He noted Keitaro's blank expression. "Don't worry kid, I'll get to you soon after what you did to me but first…" He turned to Motoko and reached his blood soaked hand towards her bearing his fangs, Motoko frozen in fear, her samurai training forgotten she could only watch…
As Volt's arm went sailing through the air. The soul eater gave out an incredible roar of pain as he held onto his stump of an arm trying to halt the blood from flowing.
"I'll kill you." Keitaro said with an even tone as he stood in front of Motoko, his spirit weapon fully drawn and covered in blood.
"Cocky punk!" Volt was now beyond enraged. He raised his remaining arm and gathered SE in the form of a ball "Eat this…" Keitaro disappeared from his sight only to reappear to Volt's left.
Swish.
The Hina blade sliced through Volt's remaining arm and the sphere flew up and exploded bathing the night sky in yellow.
Volt bellowed in utter agony as he staggered back, the look of anger gone from his eyes now replaced with fear. "What the hell are you?"
("I don't know who's the real monster here, that thing or Urashima. What happened to him?") Motoko looked at the two but then she felt something wet touching her hand ("Yuki-san.") she looked to her side and realised that the wetness was Yuki's blood. ("Because of me you…") she went over to the body ("I'm sorry, I thought you were an assassin, I'm sorry.") She cried over her fallen friend.
"Wargh!" Volt fell to his knees after the Hina sliced his face rendering his left eye useless for good. "Don't kill me. Please, spare me!" He begged staring at the enraged fire soul master.
"Never." He spoke with the same even voice and that terrifying blank face, there was no anger, no sadness, no mercy and that was what made it so frightening his face was emotionless, something that occurs to a killer when they've killed so many, they lose their emotions. Keitaro raised the Hina blade above his head, ready to deliver to finishing blow
"No!" A pair of arms wrapped around his shoulders "Stop this!"
"!" Keitaro turned to the person restraining him "Yuki? How did you?" His face returned to normal.
"Never mind that, we need him alive." She told him and released her hold. "You." She pointed to Volt "You're coming with us, you're better off to us alive. There's still things I need to know."
"Yes." Volt gladly complied, relieved that his pathetic life will be spared. "I'll…" he stopped dead as blood sprouted from his head.
"The hell?" Yuki quickly spun around scanning the area with expert eyes "Kei, grab Motoko, we need to get out of here ASAP." She grabbed her body and jumped off with Keitaro hot on heels and Motoko slung over his shoulder.
-Hinata city centre-
A man dressed in the same fashion as Malachite stood on the tallest building looking at the blaze through a pair of binoculars.
"That was a good shot, if I do say so myself." He let the binoculars hang around his neck and rubbed his eyes. "Getting old my ass, I'm just as good when I was young." He looked at the night sky "But boy, oh, boy, does Malachite like to stir things up." He clicked his tongue "But he sure makes things interesting." He chuckled slightly before bending down picking up a long rifle and slowly vanished into the night.
#-#-#
("There it was again, that unknown spirit signature.") Yuki narrowed her eyes trying to locate the source ("It's gone.") She landed on the roof of a video shop "Kei, this should be far enough."
"Right." Keitaro landed next to Yuki and gently let Motoko on to her feet. "Are you alright?" He rushed to Yuki.
"Huh?" Yuki dropped her corpse "Not really." She looked at her bloodied arm, the wounds looked quite severe. "I might need to see Kisaragi."
"I mean that!" He pointed to the corpse.
"Oh, that." She smiled "It's only a fake body." She inspected it "But God! Look at it! It's absolutely totalled! Do you know how much they cost these days? And I liked this one too! They gonna chew me out on this!" She slapped her hand to her face.
"I don't get it." Keitaro looked at her dumbfounded
"I told you before, the body I had wasn't my real body like yours. The one that's there is a hollow body, one I had made for me to match my appearance so I can walk around in the living world and conserve SE."
"So you're not dead?" He asked her sceptically
"Do I look like a soul crystal to you?" She smacked him lightly.
"But Volt…"
"Remember that mist? That was a smoke screen for me to get out of that body, since he was a spirit not only could he damage my physical body but also my soul itself, so I had to get out. Thankfully I did, otherwise." She rolled her eyes up and stuck her tongue out "When I was out I was only standing a few meters away but you lot were so preoccupied that you didn't notice me. By the way, you kick ass!" She gave him the thumbs up. Before she knew what hit her she was caught in a deep embrace.
"Don't worry me like that! I thought you died!" Keitaro cried into her shoulder.
"Hey… don't worry, you know you can't get rid of me that easily." She stroked his head but then her attention went else where "Er… Kei, we have another problem." She tapped his back and pointed to Motoko.
"Oh… yeah." He let her go and wiped the remaining tears away "What do we say?" He whispered to her.
"We could use this." She produced a small spray canister from her jacket "It's a memory eraser, it'll erase her memory depending on dosage." She whispered back and the two continued their whispered debate.
"Are you from the spirit world?" Motoko finally managed to speak.
"Erm…yeah." Yuki looked shock ("That's right, she's an Aoyama. The legendry demon slayers, of course they know about the spirit world… but what was up with her performance back there, they Aoyamas I've seen are very powerful and would never freeze over like that in battle… but that was a century or two ago, perhaps she has no real battle experience, eh, it'll make explaining things easier.") Sighing deeply Yuki answered. "Yes, you're right, I'm from the spirit world."
"!" Keitaro was about to protest when Yuki held a hand out to stop him.
"Kei, it's easier if I tell her the truth and it'll help us as well." She inhaled and began "You see…"
"So, you're both SWP?" Motoko asked as Yuki finished her explanation, the two nod heir heads "Urashima died but was brought back to life?" They nod again "And this scientist turned back time?" They nod a third time "And since Yuki-san moved in, the two of you continued your SWP work?" Again they nod "This is rather hard to take in."
"Yeah, it was for me too." Keitaro scratched his head "To think I died. But here we are." He shrugged applying the last bandages to Yuki that they got from nowhere but no one questioned it as if were the norm.
"Hmm." Motoko looked at the floor "But it does explain the odd feeling I've been sensing around Yuki-san."
"By the way Motoko-chan, why were you following us. It's not like me and Kei were off for a tryst." Keitaro blushed.
"It's not like that." Motoko shook her head "It's just that Naru-sempai heard your conversation from the hole in her room and rushed to me. When she explained it to me I thought you two were about to commit a crime… but you were to prevent a great threat… I'm sorry." She bowed her head.
"It's OK…"
"You mean Narusegawa over heard us? What do we do?" Keitaro clutched his head "She isn't going to believe anything we say and think we're nuts!"
"You have a point." Yuki rubbed her chin "Hey, Motoko-chan, could you lie to her for us?"
"I don't like to lie to Naru-sempai, but I know it's for the best. What should I tell her?"
"Tell her we went paint balling." Her house mates stare at her "Hey! I lost a lot of blood tonight! There's not enough of it going to my head at the moment, it's the best I can come up with, OK?" They quickly nod "Good. Listen, it'll be about a week before I can get my body repaired, could you tell the others I've got family business to tend to. That way it'll avoid suspicion for now but if this keeps happening I don't know what we'll do."
"I think we shall leave it till then. Right now, our priorities are your health Yuki-san."
"Yeah, Kei, help me to the gate." Keitaro put Yuki onto his back and held her body under his arm. "Motoko-chan, you can get home from here, right?"
"Yes… um, Yuki-san, thank you for saving me." She blushed.
"It's OK, we're friends." She smiled "Let's go." Keitaro leapt off the roof and dashed away.
Walking over to the edge focused on the two soul masters' disappearing forms "SWP… I wonder if I could join? Would I get stronger?" Motoko mused.
-SWPHQ-
"Boss." Kisaragi spoke as she walked into the office of the head of the SWP.
"What's wrong Kisaragi?" Yumiko asked as she knew that Kisaragi rarely stepped out of her lab and when she did something was up. "You could've just used the telecom."
"The squad has failed their mission. Volt has eliminated them." She sensed the anger emanating from her superior "But he died as an unknown assailant killed him." She reported in her usual monotone voice.
"Who?" She was genuinely curious and worried at the same time.
"I do not know because Volt was killed by a long range weapon, possibly a sniper rifle. Should I investigate?
"No, what matters is Volt is dead, we'll leave it for now." She didn't speak for a while. "Were there any witnesses?"
"Only humans with low SE, they could not have possibly seen the squad. The human police force at the scene have treated the fire as a gas explosion and nothing more."
"Good." She nods "Delete the files of the people in that squad."
"That will be a problem. Personal files are encrypted personally by Edison, to bypass his encryption would be difficult."
"But can you do it?"
"Yes, but it'll take a week and Edison has to be away from the main computer for that time to avoid suspicion."
"That long? Even for you?"
"Edison is a masterful programmer. There is no doubt of that."
"Fine, I'll give him a break or something. Just get things done."
"Very well." Kisaragi bowed and left closing the door behind her. Taking a step forward she looked back at the door "It'll take me a week but it'll only Edison a few minutes if I asked him… this will give him time to operate without being detected." Her face showed the faintest hint of a smile, Yumiko had acted just as she planned. The queen will soon be gone and the so call 'pawn' will be promoted to take it's place.
End of chapter 13
AN: Again, sorry for the incredibility slow update and it being a short one too… erh… heh heh…Let's move on shall we? Ha ha…
But seriously this is about the last review I got, Gundam Chief, right? You mentioned the S & W .50 cal magnum, correct? I've heard about it but I thought there weren't many around because not many guns uses the bullet types that they do and they are literally a monster of a handgun, they're as big as your forearm and very heavy, from what I heard… BTW what are you doing with something that dangerous? I know the American constitution allowed the possession of guns but I thought there was a limit… but then again I live in the UK where not even the police are armed… difference in culture I guess. But anyhow, my goal was to give Malachite a gun everyone can 'picture' that properly portrays his character, I'm sure everyone has seen a Clint Eastwood movie at one point or another and can instantly picture the guns he uses and that was what I was looking for, something everyone can imagine and it's not everyday you see a .50 cal mentioned in movies and TV correct if I'm wrong. But thanks for the info, this is what I like about reviews, people pitching in with all their opinions and giving these little pieces of their info, it's so nice, heh heh.
I promise I'll TRY emphasis on TRY to update soon, it's just that I started 2nd semester and I have free time which will soon be eaten up by projects… at least I don't have any 6 hour particles anymore.
Until next time, bye!
