Chapter 8 - Element of surprise.

The Shimura Family Dojo was as always very quiet. Maybe even a little too quiet. A sign that something was bound to happen, after all.

Since it was her day off, Tae wanted to spend it quietly with Kyuu-chan. But it was already late, and it was already dark. And Kyuu-chan was probably already sleeping.

She could have stayed alone, watching TV, or doing some tidying up. But she definitely didn't plan the phone call from her little brother, telling her to invite the stalker of a gorilla (1) to drink tea.

At first, she had taken it as a joke of very bad taste, but when Shinpachi had affirmed that it was an order from Gintoki, she had naturally removed any doubt from her mind. Hence, she had sent an e-mail to the Shinsengumi Commander, thinking that there must be a good reason behind it. But now, she bitterly regretted having followed without question the instructions of the perm-head.

She even regretted it twofold when she saw the other freak arrive in front of her door.

"OTAE-SAAAAAAAAAAAN!" Kondo shouted. "HERE I AM!"

'Hold it... hold it from hitting him... Yes, that's it... Invite him over...' Otae thought.

She was really trying hard to avoid beating him to death in the first few seconds. And her face wearing a tight smile indicated the internal struggle she was undergoing.

"G-Gorilla-san... "She pronounced tensely, restraining herself from acting violently. "E-Enter... Please..."

Her mouth was half-slit, as if saying nice things to this repulsive being was scratching her face.

"Otae-san! You finally realized your feelings for me!?" Shouted the stalker with joy.

"Not at all, you filthy gorilla-stalker-pervert!" Tae blurted out, all smiles.

She was really trying to control her anger, really.

So she invited the gorilla inside to sit down, waiting for her to prepare and bring some tea to serve. And soon, the young woman returned with a tray containing a teapot and two cups. What a miracle!

'O-O-Otae-san! No Dark Matter in sight! Could it be... The strength of our love?! The curse of Dark Matter would finally be defeated?!' Kondo thought.

"THANK YOU! OTAE-SAN!" He shouted before grabbing the cup she had placed in front of him, and drinking it in one gulp.

The scalding liquid went down his throat, and...

'Huh? What the... Huh? This tea tastes like heaven... Unless... No... I'm the one going to heaven?!' Kondo screamed inwardly.

He was now silently screaming, his face scarlet; and rolled to the ground while holding his throat.

"Oh, sorry..." She said with a fake helpful smile. "It seems I put a little too much strain on the tabasco..."

"A little too much? Didn't you just empty the entire bottle?!" Protested Kondo in a barely audible voice. "And what is tabasco doing in tea!?"

"Don't you like my cooking, you horrible Gorilla?" She asked with a smile and a murderous look on her face.

"Y-Yes!" Hiccuped Kondo. "Your cooking is fantastic, Otae-san!"

"Then surely you'll have another cup, you perverted Gorilla?" She smiled.

It seemed to Kondo that he could see a dark aura emanating from the body of the older Shimura sister. He wasn't a Stand (2) user though, but he could clearly see something there!

'She wants to kill me! That smile is that of an assassin! What to do!? If I ever refuse, I die! If I ever drink another cup, I die too!' He thought in panic.

He seriously thought that his time had come, when his attention was drawn by a noise. Outside the building, in the courtyard of the dojo, a branch had just cracked. And Tae had noticed it too, looking with a worried look towards the dark garden.

With the situation serious again, and his hand on his sword, Kondo looked outside. Someone was standing there in the darkness...

GINTAMA

Several minutes had passed since Sadaharu had started following the scent of the missing women... The three Yorozuyas finally had a serious lead, and they didn't intend to let it go. They zigzagged between the main streets and the side streets, following without dragging the big white dog, which seemed to accelerate more and more the pace.

"Hey! Slow down a little, Sadaharu!" Kagura shouted.

But the dog didn't seem to mind. He felt that there was an emergency, and he was speeding up accordingly.

"OI! Just wait, damn it!" Gintoki shouted.

Sadaharu dashed into an alley, and having stopped abruptly, was quickly joined by his three masters.

"Hey, why are you stopping, Sadaharu?" Asked the perm-head.

For answer, the dog started to growl, staring at a point in front of him. Light was scarce in this part of town, so Gintoki had to get his eyes used to the darkness in order to make out what was in front of them. Frowning, he saw a silhouette. A woman's silhouette, suspended a few feet off the ground.

"What the... What the hell?" Gintoki exclaimed.

The kids needed to avoid seeing this. But first, they had to try to save what could still be saved. In this case, the life of this young woman.

"Kagura! Shimpachi! Go get help! Anyone will do!" He ordered.

The two yorozuyas behind him didn't understand why he was taking that authoritative tone so suddenly. They too were trying to see what was just a few feet in front of them, but the permanent one was obstructing with his body.

"Go ahead!" He shouted.

At the same time, a sinister laughter sounded in the air. It lasted only a moment so brief, that all three believed to have dreamed. But someone was there. The nearest light, buffeted by a gentle breeze, showed for a moment the lifeless body of a woman, suspended in mid-air.

He didn't know if she was still alive, and it was hard to tell in these difficulties, but the samurai wanted to know for sure. He began to approach, Sadaharu growling louder and louder at his back.

"Sadaharu! Go find Tsukuyo! Hurry!" Kagura ordered.

"Hey I told you two to go!" Gintoki repeated.

None of the yorozuyas wanted to leave after catching a glimpse of the woman's body, convinced that they could still save her. Even the dog, as stubborn as his masters, continued to growl menacingly at the stranger, teeth out between his upturned lips.

But something was wrong. And that's when he saw it. A silvery glint piercing the gloom.

"Look out!" Gintoki shouted.

In an instant, Shimpachi and Kagura were thrown to the ground by Gintoki, not understanding what was happening to them. And when they looked up, they saw their boss standing motionless in front of them.

"Gin-san!"

"Gin-chan!"

The two kids had shouted their Boss's name at the same time.

The permanent employee didn't answer. He still remained motionless. His body was covered by a multitude of tiny threads that were wrapped around him. These threads prevented him from moving, and the slightest movement made to breathe made the threads tighten, which then began to cut the skin and muscles.

"You bastard! What are you doing to Gin-chan!?" Kagura snarled.

She was about to lunge at the figure standing a few feet in front of the permed, when she was suddenly stopped.

"Don't move!" Gintoki shouted.

He had shouted with difficulty, in the urgency of the situation; letting the threads tighten even more, and his clothes dye red.

"Gin-chan!" Kagura shouted.

A voice was then heard. It seemed to come from everywhere at once. A quiet, ominous voice melting into the surrounding darkness.

"A flower is picked because it is beautiful. But because of that, it ends up wilting faster... It only took a few wilted flowers for the White Demon to finally show its face..."

"Who are you, you bastard?" Said Gintoki with difficulty, full of rage.

To be continued...

Comprehension notes:

(1) A stalker/stalker is a stalker: it can be a woman or a man, obsessed with another person, and going so far as to spy and follow the person every day. More extreme cases can also lead to the aggression of the targeted person.

(2) Stand: This is a reference to Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, yes.