Still Waters Another Turn, Chapter 16
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Clowns To The Left Of Me, Jokers To The Right
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Everyone gathered around the table in Eva's resort. The table was covered in maps of various towns and cities as well as folders full of details on the people they would be facing. Negi stood as tall as he could, looking over the people around him. He hoped this information from Mana's contact was correct; if it turned out to be wrong, he didn't know what he would do with himself. "Max-sensei, Jennifer-san, Akira-san, you will go after the first group, which should include Konoka-san and Setsuna-san," he said, pointing out the place on the map. "Kaede-san, Misora-san, Cocone-san, you will travel with them until you reach your destination, where you will free the four hostages held by this Mochizuki-san. He should have a lot of people with him, so please be careful. Takamichi, Kotarou, you two will go where Haruna-san is being held, ok? Please be sure to check very well, they probably have more people than Haruna-san there. And finally, Asuna-san, Mana-san, you two will come with me, we will free Nodoka-san and any others who are held there."
"But Negi-kun, what about me?" Yuuna asked, annoyed at being left out.
"Myself as well, Negi-sensei. I want to be a part of this…" Ayaka said, looking more than a little hurt that she had been excluded as well. After learning of all this, she understood the reasons well enough, but that didn't stop the feelings of being excluded.
Negi looked a bit put out until Takamichi spoke. "Don't worry, Ayaka-kun, Yuuna-kun. You can come with the surveillance team with Chisame-kun and watch over things. It should be a valuable experience for both of you."
Eva broke in. "Chachamaru, you will also go. I want you to record everything so I can see my apprentices in action," she said, shooting an evil grin at Asuna, Kotarou, and Negi in turn. "If you disappoint me…" she said threateningly.
"Ah…ah, yes, Master," Negi replied quickly.
Takahata cleared his throat. "Well, let's get moving, shall we?"
Everyone nodded in agreement as they took last minute looks at maps and profiles and diagrams.
Ayaka looked around and sighed. She had hoped to be a part of the action, to help free her precious classmates from the villains that held them captive. Chisame took one glance at her and snorted. "Don't even think about it, Iincho. They're all way over your level. Yours too, Akashi," she added. "Dammit why do I have to be your babysitter?!"
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Natsumi and Chizuru were waiting when Negi's group exited the woods.
"Kotarou-kun, come here a moment, please?" Chizuru asked politely.
Kotarou looked at the others and shrugged, then trotted over. "Yeah?"
Chizuru gave Natsumi a little push and stepped back.
"Ah…um…" Natsumi mumbled. "I…I hope you can find them, a-and…and…Good luck!" she shouted and then covered her face in embarrassment. 'What's wrong with me!?' she thought frantically.
Kotarou looked surprised for a moment, then tugged on Natsumi's arm until she lowered her hands, blushing furiously. He grinned confidently. "Don't worry about it, Natsumi-nee-chan. We'll get 'em all back, and I'll get a good fight out of it too!"
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Ayaka took some time and wandered through the dorm, stopping here and there in the rooms belonging to the kidnapped students. So many were missing… It bothered her more than words could convey. As the class rep, she was in charge of them, it was her responsibility; and that was something she had been raised to take seriously. And…and they were her friends. Most of them had been in the same class for years, they knew everything about each other.
She sat down on Ku Fei's bed and looked around. The other girl had been in the process of changing her clothes when she had been kidnapped, and the shirt she had been planning on wearing was still lying on her bed. Ayaka straightened it out carefully. It was just a yellow shirt, but it fit the girl's personality so well that Ayaka found her eyes tearing up. She lowered her head to her hands and just sat there like that, trying to figure out what she should do.
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Chisame snuck out behind the dorms and over to an unused storage shed she used from time to time to escape the insanity of her classmates. She took a quick look around to make sure no one had followed, then entered and shut the door behind her.
"What am I doing…?" she wondered aloud as she took the key to Hodge's Bar from her pocket. It was just the same old, unremarkable key. She looked around for something to try it on, and settled on a large portable broom closet. She put the key into a keyhole clearly not designed for it, and was only a little surprised when it fit perfectly. "Here I go," she said to herself as she gave the key an experimental turn. The lock clicked, but she didn't open the door; opting instead for a final look around. She took a deep breath, opened the door, and stepped inside as the maddeningly familiar music greeted her ears.
"Welcome back, Hasegawa-san," Hodge said. He put the glass he had been polishing on the counter and looked at her. "How may I help you?"
Chisame gulped and closed the door behind her. "I want to know…" The other patrons looked up at her. "I want to know everything. About this key, about my power, about you and this bar…I want to know it all."
The old man in the back leaned forward. "Hey girlie, are you sure about that? There are some things you're better off not knowing."
The elegant looking woman tapped her pipe irritably on the bar. "He is right, you know. Once you understand…nothing will ever be the same." Her tone was that of someone recalling an ancient sadness.
The old woman by the window just shook her head resignedly and turned her attention back to her drink.
Chisame shrank back for a moment; her instincts were screaming at her to leave this place, to get out immediately, and her mind agreed. But something else…her heart and soul, maybe, was already ensnared in the dreamy and mystical feel of the room. It felt…it felt like coming home.
Chisame eyed each patron in turn, finding a sense of togetherness, friendship, perhaps a concept like nakama; as cheesy as it sounded in her mind, it certainly seemed to fit. She finally turned to the bartender. "I want to know."
Hodge nodded and closed his eyes. "So be it."
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By the time the various groups of fighters left the campus on their way to their targets, Hakase had finished her modifications to the Rally program. "Now to see if this works…" she said as she began installation.
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Gaze hung up the phone and looked blankly out through his office window. When his secretary entered the room, he spoke to her without turning around. "There are two types of people in this world, Akiko-kun," he said.
"Two types?"
"First, there are those who, when confronted with a window in a high place, look down at the world below and feel as though they have power. The second type, when confronted with the same window, look up at the sky and wish to fly," he said. "I am afraid that I started as the latter, and over time became the former."
The secretary thought about that for a moment. "Is that from anime…?" she asked.
"Nevermind, Akiko. I am in a dark mood today; I think I shall go for a drive. Cancel my afternoon appointments, I will be late coming back."
"Yes sir."
"Oh, and Akiko? Here, take this," he said, handing her a large, thick yellow envelope he took from his desk. "If I am not back by closing time tomorrow, open that envelope and follow the instructions inside."
"Mister Gaze…?"
"Don't worry about it. Just business instructions. Goodbye, Akiko-san," he said, the words sounding somehow final as he walked through the door.
The secretary looked worriedly at the folder she held and wondered what her boss was about to do.
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"This is where we part for now, Max-dono," Kaede said as the train slowed to a stop. Misora grumbled as she rose from her seat, but Cocone remained silent as usual.
Max grinned his usual ugly grin at her. "Have fun out there," he said as he held out a hand.
Kaede matched his grin with a much better one. "Don't worry," she said as she clasped his hand. Max, Jennifer, and Akira watched as the three girls exited the train and stood on the platform. Cocone gave a little wave which Akira returned, and then the doors closed and the train started moving again.
"Don't worry, Akira-chan, you'll do fine," Jennifer said to the blue eyed girl. "You've had more training than either one of us had before our first missions."
Max nodded. "That's true. At the end of my first mission, I got lost in the bad part of town and some guy mugged me," he said with a grizzled laugh. "I was so scared of being mugged that I didn't even realize I could have chased him off or beaten him up with barely any effort. He didn't even have a weapon!" he said and laughed again.
Akira loosened up a little at the somewhat amusing mental image of some random guy actually trying to mug Max-sensei and watched the early afternoon scenery fly by outside the window. They were heading for some private manor in the countryside, and it would take several hours to reach the place, so they had a lot of time to kill.
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Takahata and Kotarou sat in silence in the back of the car. Occasionally Kotarou snuck peaks at the teacher, looking away quickly when he thought he might be caught.
"What is it, Kotarou-kun?" Takahata suddenly said.
"Nothin," Kotarou replied. "Well, I was wondering about kanka, really. Just how strong is it, anyway?"
Takahata smiled. "You remember the tournament, don't you?" He waited until Kotarou nodded. "The masters make what I am capable of seem like a single gust of wind in a typhoon."
The two fell into silence as Kotarou thought that one over.
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Ayaka sat beside Chisame in the back of the van, facing Yuuna and Chachamaru on the other side. They sat in silence except for the steady *taptaptap* of Chisame on her laptop. Chachamaru sat in perfect silence, her eyes blanked out in sleep mode while Yuuna squirmed around almost constantly, unable to wait until they were in position.
About thirty minutes ago, Ayaka had gotten a series of text messages from her father that explained many things. The true nature of the Yukihiro Group, the connection between the Yukihiro Group and Mahora, and the truth about her potential and family history. It was quite stressful to realize just how much had been hidden from her until now, how her servants had been hand picked agents chosen by her father, and that it wasn't just Negi and Asuna's small group that was…'unique', but everyone in the class. In fact, a great many students throughout the school were not exactly normal. She looked again at Chisame until the girl distractedly asked what she wanted. Even Chisame-san was different, this quiet, angry girl with her nose buried in a computer screen.
Ayaka knew she would never look at another person the same way again, but would always wonder, 'Is that person one of them?'
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Asuna looked at Mana, who glanced at her before turning back to the window. She glanced back at Negi, squished in beside her in the back seat of the car. The boy was entirely too quiet, and the serious look on his face didn't fit a ten year old brat at all. In fact, the boy was almost glaring. After a moment, he caught Asuna staring.
"We have to save them, Asuna-san," he said so fiercely that Asuna had to laugh.
"Don't worry, Negi, we'll find Honya-chan and anyone else that's there. No problem."
Negi turned his attention back to the seat in front of him, but stealthily grabbed Asuna's hand. She was surprised, but let him cling to it anyway. Soon, Negi, drowsy from the car ride, fell asleep and leaned on Asuna's shoulder. Asuna soon followed suit, her head leaning on Negi's.
When she was sure they were both asleep, Mana looked over at the two of them and made a slight smile. Even in his sleep the boy retained that serious expression, contrasting nicely with Asuna's blank, dazed and slightly drooling sleeping face. It seemed she needed him almost as much as he needed her.
Mana leaned back in her seat and gazed out the window.
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"Here we are, de gozaru," Kaede said as she glanced at the long, low building. It seemed to be a standard shipping warehouse with a three story addition in the back. She checked her watch. Almost time. She turned to her companions, who nodded.
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Max took point, weaving through the woods, dodging the occasional guard, and finding ways around the occasional obstruction. He finally settled down behind a shed just past the treeline, then motioned Akira and Jennifer forward.
"Here it is," he whispered. "Everyone remember the plan?"
Jennifer nodded and Akira answered "Yes."
"Ok, wait 'til the countdown's over."
"Ok."
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Takahata and Kotarou stood under an umbrella, looking across the street at a rundown hotel in a rundown town.
"Ugh, what an ugly place," Kotarou growled. The whole town stank of garbage and neglect. This wasn't a place people lived, it was a place people died…and the stench of death was prominent.
"My sentiments exactly," Takahata said and took a long drag on his cigarette, dropping what was left on the cracked sidewalk and snuffing it out with his shoe. He checked his watch. "Almost time," he said indifferently.
Kotarou smiled as he felt his adrenalin flowing again. It had been far too long since he had a serious fight. This would be fun!
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Negi wanted to rush up to the huge warehouse and blast his way in, but Asuna held him back.
"Hey, hey Negi, what are you doing? We can't go until it's time, remember? Everyone has to go at the same time so they don't have any warning!"
Mana finished checking her guns and glanced at her watch. "Two minutes, Negi-sensei."
Negi finally calmed down enough to listen to reason. "Nodoka…" The girl had confessed to him but he had put her off, neglecting to give her any sort of answer. It was shameful, and he found his face turning red in embarrassment at the mere thought of his behavior. Even if he was too young to really understand such things, he knew she deserved a real answer at the very least. "We'll save you, I swear it!"
Asuna's amused expression made him turn red again. "Ho ho, look who's a big hero now, huh? How much more time, Tatsumiya-san?"
"Thirty seconds. Ready?" The other two nodded.
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Natsumi sat on the couch in the dorm room, listening to the sounds of students returning for the night. "Do you think they'll be ok, Chizu-nee?"
The other girl held her hand reassuringly and nodded.
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Ayaka nervously watched the monitor. The video feed came from tiny cameras and microphones that each member of the attacking groups had been equipped with beforehand. The monitors were separated into groups, but Ayaka only had eyes for Asuna's screen, which currently showed Negi-sensei.
"Aw, don't worry Iincho! It'll be ok," Yuuna said as she clapped the other girl on the back.
Chisame looked up in annoyance, then turned back to her discussion with one of the techs. Chachamaru was currently interfacing with the computer system and was unavailable for comment.
"They'll bust in, beat up the bad guys, and save everybody, it'll be fine."
Chachamaru's eyes opened. "Operation commencing in ten seconds. Ten, nine, eight, seven—"
Ayaka almost screamed in frustration when Asuna's view turned away from Negi and back to the warehouse.
"—three, two one. Commencing operation."
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"It's time, let's go!"
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Author's Note: Aaaaand…a cliffhanger. How was that? Was that a nice buildup? Are you tense now? Should I drop the story for two months before I post the next chapter? Nah, I wouldn't do that.
Nakama: If you've watched much anime, you should know this. It refers to people who share a connection deeper than just friendship; it's something more like war buddies, or people who grew up together…that sort of thing.