Warning: Rated for language, violence and adult behavior.
The main characters of this story are based on characters from the cartoon 'Code Lyoko.' I do not own, nor do I claim, any copyright to these characters.
This story also uses characters from the graphic novel 'Sin City' by Frank Miller. I do not own, nor do I claim, any copyright to these characters.
This story also uses characters from the movie 'Wasabi', directed by Luc Besson. I do not own, nor do I claim, any copyright to these characters.
References to 'The Goon' in this story do not refer to the character of 'The Goon' by Eric Powell.
Author's Note:
This story takes place sometime during the second season of Code Lyoko. It is not related to my story, 'Stand' in any way or form.
This story also takes place before the events described in the Sin City story, 'The Hard Goodbye."
Lastly, this story takes place after the events of the movie 'Wasabi.'
The big man stood on the stern of the ship, watching the shoreline shrink away.
I'm gonna miss the place, he thought to himself.
He had lived there all of his life, except for a few years spent in the military, and he had no illusions about it. Sin City was a hell hole, with more crime, poverty, sorrow, despair and perversion per square mile than any other city in the country.
But it was his hell hole.
A couple of hours ago, he did something stupid. He Pissed Off The Wrong Person. Usually, he didn't care whether or not he offended someone, but in this case, he did. Not because he was afraid of retribution, though that was part of it. He wasn't afraid of anybody; most people were afraid of him, and rightly so. But there are a few people he respected, and it was one of them he offended. When he ran out that night, he didn't stop until he was safely on board the outbound freighter he was standing on, heading for France.
Hopefully, putting a continent and an ocean between us will be enough, he thought, I don't think she's that upset. Of course, I didn't hang around long enough to find out.
The shore line of Basin City finally disappeared into the night. Marv turned and walked back to his bunk. Later on, he would have to help the other hands with the evening chores, and otherwise work his passage to France.
Well, they say that travel broadens the mind, Marv thought, I hope this trip is a little more enlightening than the last one I took.
"Yumi, what are you doing? It's time to go to bed!" Mrs. Ishiyama yelled down at the girl.
"I'm on the computer, mom!"
"Well, wrap it up! It's a School Night, you know!"
"Oh-kaay!"
Yumi was sitting at the computer in the family room, chatting with a friend on the Internet Go Server. The two had just finished a game, which Yumi won, and were talking about life in general.
longbow14: so, what's up? You haven't been on in a couple of days.
guardangel: nothing. Work, mostly. Been bummed out the last coupla days.
longbow14: what happened?
guardangel: something stupid. I had a misunderstanding with a friend, and now he's gone.
longbow14: boyfriend? ;-)
guardangel: no, nothing like that. He is a good friend, though. Helps out around here. I really overreacted about something the other night and he took it the wrong way.
longbow14: go apologize...
guardangel: wish I could. He's gone, outta town. Outta the country, I heard.
longbow14: what did you do?
guardangel: tried to kill him...
longbow14?
guardangel: ;-)
longbow14: oh... Look, girlfriend, I gotta logoff, mom's getting on my case... 'night!
guardangel: 'afternoon, here anyway!
Yumi Ishiyama, a.k.a. longbow14, logged off IGS and went to bed. She really liked chatting with guardangel, all the way over in America. She was a good go player, and a challenge to beat. She remembered the picture guardangel sent her months ago, showing a pretty oriental girl leaning against a rock somewhere, wearing a yellow sun dress, smiling for the camera and at life. Miho, the caption said, Miho was guardangel's real name. It was interesting hearing about her exciting life in the United States, working as an entertainer. Yumi almost wished she could travel to Basin City one day and see her friend perform. As she settled down for the night, Yumi thought, she's such a sweet girl, I wonder what that jerk did to her?
On the other side of the world, in Basin City, Washington, Miho, a.k.a. guardangel. logged off her IGS session. She liked chatting with longbow14, all the way over in France. She was a good go player and a challenge to play. She looked up at a picture pinned to her wall above her monitor of a pretty young Japanese girl, standing there with her four friends. Yumi, the girl had written on the picture and drawn an arrow to her. Longbow14's name was Yumi Ishiyama. It was interesting hearing all of the mundane things the girl did, things that Miho never got a chance to do. If only she knew how really good she had it, Miho thought to herself.
She got up, stripped off her clothes and showered. When she finished, she dressed in a dark kimono, then got her 'tools': her bow and arrows, her two swords, her knives and throwing stars. She turned out the lights of her apartment, and left.
I hope it's quiet, tonight; well, not too quiet, the girl thought as she skated into Old Town, I don't want to get out of practice. I wonder what happened to Marv, anyway? I need to find him and apologize somehow; I really overreacted the other day.
