Rise of the Warrior

Chapter 7- Sojourn to Izumo Inn

Tetsuya blinked himself awake to find himself laying on an exam table in one of MBI's exam rooms with a heart monitor clipped to his finger. He gave the room a quick scan before noticing Karasuba and Takami standing over him.

"Oh crap... that wasn't a dream was it?" Tetsuya said as he remembered collapsing in Takami's office.

"Nope. Glad to see your handling the stress so well." Karasuba said dryly, obviously not pleased with how he'd taken the news.

"You know what Karasuba, cool it. I'm under more than a little bit of stress these past few weeks." Tetsuya said as he yanked the heart rate monitor off of his finger as he hopped off the bed with a thud as his armored boots hit the floor.

"Tetsuya maybe you should lie down again, you just got some pretty serious news." Takami said as she put a hand on his shoulder and tried to guide him back to the bed. Tetsuya shrugged her hand off as he turned to face her.

"No. We didn't. Listen Takami, I will do whatever it takes to keep this baby safe and out of Minaka's hands. Whatever. It. Takes." Tetsuya said as he punctuated each of his last words with a poke to Takami's collarbone area before turning and leaving the room hastily. Karasuba took the hint and followed him into the elevator as he rode back to his floor.

"So what are we gonna tell the rest?" Karasuba asked as the elevator doors closed behind them.

"About what?" Tetsuya asked as he watched the them near their floor.

"You know what."

"Karasuba, I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."

"Okay look, you're either brain dead or you're pretending. Either way we need to get a plan together about how we're gonna handle this, what with the Sekirei Plan still going on."

"You lemme worry about that. For now, not a word to anyone. Now, I need you to go get dressed in something else. Absolutely nothing that has the MBI or Sekirei Plan logo on it, meet me in my room in fifteen minutes." Tetsuya said as the door dinged open to reveal a deserted common room before her took off for his room and shed his armor and exosuit before changing into a gray hoodie and blue jeans as he fished out his tool bag where he kept his tools for working on his motorcycle. He pulled the zipper open as he began to fish around it for a very specific tool.

"Ah hah! Here it is!" he exclaimed as he found his slim jim, he hadn't needed that particular tool since his rebellious years back in middle school.

He poked his head out of his room to see that thankfully the floor seemed deserted, the rest of his Sekirei seemed to be out for the night. He ducked back in to grab a little gadget Matsu had made him a few days ago, it was an IR flare that clipped to his collar to obscure his face on electronic surveillance, he needed to be unrecognizable for the next few hours as he grabbed his spare, thankful now more than ever than Matsu had insisted on giving him a spare as he opened the door once more to see Karasuba standing in his doorway, dressed in a set of blue jeans and black tee as she fidgeted uncomfortably, obviously ill-at-ease at being out of her uniform.

Without the billowing cloak and black leather top and skirt, she looked less intimidating and much cuter. And for the first time since meeting her, he could really picture what life outside the game would be like with a girl like her. But, he had no time to daydream...

"Wow... you look really pretty in casual clothes. But, there'll be time for that later." he said as he clipped the other IR flare to her shirt collar.

"Tetsuya will you tell me what's going on finally?" she asked as he pulled her by the wrist into the elevator once more.

"Look, all you need to know this second is that I'm taking you someplace safe. Minaka's interference with our family ends with me. Karasuba, I promise I will do whatever it takes to protect you and our child." Tetsuya said as the door dinged open to reveal they were now in the parking garage.

"Tetsuya, I appreciate the thought but I can take care of myself. I am a first-generation member of the Disciplinary Squad, you know." Karasuba replied as Tetsuya scanned the garage before taking off towards a plain-looking compact car as he fished the slim jim out of his hoodie.

"Not anymore. You're fired from the Squad, effective immediately. Finally a useful perk of being the Squad Chief." Tetsuya said with a grunt as he put the slim jim in between the window and the rubber barrier as he pulled up with a clunk as the door unlocked and Tetsuya pulled the door open.

"Get in." he said as he gestured into the empty car.

"Will you at least tell me where we're going?" Karasuba asked resignedly as she took a seat in the passenger side as Tetsuya took a seat in the driver side seat as he gave the wheel a sudden jerk, snapping the locking pin in the steering wheel as he popped the hood and pulled out a flat head screwdriver as he made sure he wasn't touching the metal shaft as he touched the shaft across the two appropriate screws as he heard the engine roar to life. That would teach the owner to drive a pre-1990's car.

"Karasuba, you'll find out when we get there. Just be patient." He said as he turned around and put the car in reverse as he peeled out of the parking garage and made for Maison Izumo...

Fifteen minutes later, on the north side of Shintou Teitou...

Tetsuya silently slid the front door of the Izumo inn open as he and Karasuba slipped silently inside as they slid the door closed once more behind them. Tetsuya signaled Karasuba to wait in the foyer as he stole down the hallway to his mother's room as he slid the door open as noiselessly as he could manage when an almost inaudible sharp whistling sound caught his attention.

Tetsuya dropped low as he dodged the blade swing aimed at where his throat had been half a second ago. In one fluid motion he reached up and grabbed the bottom of the blade's handle before he pressed his palm into the abdomen of his attacker and pushing as hard as he could. His assailant was thrown bodily onto her bed with a thump as he switched the blade to his left hand and held it at the ready.

"You must be getting slow, mom." Tetsuya said as he watched his mother scramble out of her covers before righting herself as she hissed,

"Tetsuya! Why are you sneaking into my house at this hour?! I could've killed you!" she hissed shrilly as Tetsuya handed her sword back to her as she yanked it back.

"Reality begs to differ. Mom, you'd best get into something decent, we have a lot to discuss." Tetsuya said as he slid the door back open as he prepared to go retrieve Karasuba from the foyer.

"We? We who?" His mother asked quizzically as he left to retrieve the future mother of his child...

Three hours later...

"I hate this plan! Why do I have to sit out the rest of the game? This is such bullshit!" Karasuba pouted as she slumped against the wall of Miya's bedroom.

"Because you done went and got yourself knocked up!" Tetsuya shot back from his seat at the foot of the bed.

"I got knocked up?! I seem to remember you being the one doing the knocking on the night in question." Karasuba retorted hysterically with a wild wave of her arms. Tetsuya gasped in fake shock before spitting back,

"Remember this line: "Don't worry about protection. Everything will be fine!" that gem ringing any bells?" Tetsuya spat. Miya sighed as she held her hands up to silence the bickering couple before saying,

"Look Karasuba, Tetsuya is right. This inn is the safest place in the city for you right now. Unfortunately for you, I can't have you running around endangering my grandchild's welfare with your antics. So, for now you will have to stay here, you can share my room with me. Ku can room with Nanaha." Miya replied with an exasperated sigh.

"What if I say no?" Karasuba said with a menacing glare as she narrowed her eyes at Sekirei number one.

"It will make no difference, you can hardly go anywhere with broken legs after all." Miya replied sweetly as her trademark hannya mask made its debut.

"Look we all just need a good night's sleep. Look, I can crash in the living room. You two can do your sleeping arrangements now. We'll finish this in the morning." Tetsuya said as he opened the door and stumbled into the hallway to go crash on the living room floor when he stumbled face-first into Matsu's bosom.

Tetsuya managed to extricate himself from her bosom just in time to feel her throw her arms around him in a soft, yet oddly bone-crushing hug.

"Oh gosh! Tetsuya what are you doing here?" Matsu squealed excitedly as Tetsuya desperately shushed her. It took Matsu a few seconds to get the hint before she released him as he replied,

"I had something important to talk to my mom about. I decided to spend the night so I'm gonna go crash in the living room. Good night." he said with a yawn as he made for the living room once more. He stopped and turned around as he felt Matsu's hand was still wrapped around one of his wrists.

"No c'mon, you can crash with me. Besides it's been forever since we hung out, just the two of us." Matsu said eagerly, trying to hide her nervousness, thankfully the dark hallway concealed her blush as she nervously fidgeted, shifting her weight from one foot to the other then back again.

"Well okay, but it can't be too long. I am wiped." he said as he rubbed his tired eyes and followed Matsu back to her room and grabbed her spare futon from the closet and unrolled it next to her own.

"So c'mon, tell me what you and Miya were talking about at this hour." Matsu said as she propped herself up on her elbows as Tetsuya laid himself down and busied himself staring at the ceiling.

"C'mon, tell your old pal Matsu. If you tell me your secret, I'll tell you mine." Matsu said her telltale gleam appeared in her eye. Tetsuya frowned as he pondered the offer. He was pretty sure he knew all of Matsu's secrets, but it would be nice to unload on someone he wasn't related to or romantically involved with...

"Fine." Tetsuya said with an overly dramatic sigh as he sat up and set about to recounting his tale. Matsu was surprisingly quiet throughout his tale, suspiciously so during the sexy details he knew she wanted...

Tetsuya spent the next hour after he finished his story, getting Matsu's opinion on his situation. They got so wrapped up in discussing his dilemma he totally forgot to hear her secret before he passed out.

The next day...

Tetsuya was woken the next day by his work phone by an e-mail from Minaka. He groaned as he fished the phone out of his hoodie and examined the contents:

Last match of the Third Stage later today. Meet me in my office in one hour to prepare.

Minaka

"Damn it all! We just had one yesterday! What the hell Minaka?" Tetsuya groaned as he rolled off the futon before rolling it up and depositing it in the closet before sneaking into the thankfully deserted hallway before opening one of the windows and jumping out, landing dextrously on a fencepost before heading for the train station.

Back at Maison Izumo, Miya stopped in the middle of sweeping the walkway as she turned and watched Tetsuya make for the train station. Despite all the drama and stress he was under, Miya was glad to see Tetsuya handling it so well. Seo had certainly raised a fine young man...

Miya was distracted from her sentimental moment as Matsu trotted out to meet her,

"Miya, you might wanna get back in there. Things are getting kinda hot, I think a few of them are even ready to start throwing punches." Matsu said as she turned back to see several of Minato's Sekireis had surrounded Karasuba and were all in battle poses.

"One moment Matsu. I know Tetsuya bunked with you last night. Did you tell him how you feel?" Miya asked as she glanced at her old friend. Matsu frowned slightly as she scratched the back of her red hair absentmindedly and turned so Miya couldn't see her blushing face.

"Well, I was gonna... but then he told me about Karasuba getting pregnant... and I just don't feel right piling on to his already stressful life. Plus, with a baby on the way he's gonna be moving into a new part of his life, and I don't wanna ruin it." Matsu said uncertainly before turning to gaze after the rapidly shrinking Tetsuya.

"Besides, who knows how the Sekirei Plan will turn out? Maybe Tetsuya will strike it all down without unnecessary bloodshed. When this is all said and done, I'm gonna tell him and Minato my feelings, and we'll see what happens. Until then, I'll just have to do my duty as a Sekirei for Minato and help him out these last Stages. I did decide to choose him after all." Matsu finished as she turned around, a beaming smile now sitting on her face. Miya blinked twice in surprise, she had never known Matsu to choose such a hard path for her life. But nevertheless, Miya respected Matsu's choice.

"Well Matsu, I've never seen you like this but you obviously thought long and hard on your decision. I hope it all works out for the best." Miya said as she headed back inside to defuse the tension. Matsu stood on the walkway and watched until Tetsuya vanished from sight.

"Yeah, me too..." Matsu said before turning to head back inside...