Elizabeth: And the fact that you're cheating on us.
Bakacal: What?
Elizabeth: What's this "Bloodstained Memory" I've been hearing about?
Bakacal: (sweatdrops) Well, umm... (coughs) That's not the point! What are you doing, talking back to me?
Elizabeth: It's in my contract that once a sequel is written, I, and for a practical matter, all of your characters, can come to life.
Bakacal: (grabs paper from Elizabeth's hands) Let me see that. ( Sweatdrops) Oh. Right.
Elizabeth: (annoyed) You still haven't told me about "Bloodstained Memory".
Kasena: That's the name of Bakacal's new Advance Wars fanfiction.
Elizabeth: Who are you?
Kasena: My name is Kasena. I'm a character in "Bloodstained Memory".
Elizabeth: Oh. What's so special about you?
Kasena: You certainly get right to the point.
Elizabeth: (glaring) Answer the question, you black haired bimbo!
Kasena: (smiles sweetly) Just read "Bloodstained Memory" and find out.
Elizabeth: (under her breath) I ought to (bleeped) you little (bleeped).
Kasena: (oblivious) Hmm?
Elizabeth: Never mind. Anyway, why are you here?
Kasena: Bakacal invited me for this update.
Elizabeth: Why the bleeped did he do that?
Kasena: (smiles) To make you mad, of course. He said you're quite attractive when you're angry.
Elizabeth: (through clenched teeth) I'll kill him...
Bakacal: (smiles weakly, pops an aspirin) Great. Just great. Blatant ad, I know.
Disclaimer: If you've read this far, this means that you know that I do not own any of this stuff. For the record, I do not own Angelic Layer, Magic Knight Rayearth, the US Marines, Advance Wars, or anything other than my own characters.
Battle Four: Andrew vs. Kana
Honolulu, Hawaii
It was still dark when Ritsuko woke up the next morning. She yawned and looked at her watch. 12:30 AM Saturday Tokyo Time. She pressed two buttons on the side of her watch. It now read 4:30 AM Friday Hawaii Daylight Time. She groaned, rolled off the couch and stood up. Everyone else in the room was asleep. She felt a pain in her thighs and realized that she was wearing her pajamas. Funny. She never remebered changing. For that matter, all she remembered about the day before was that she and Elizabeth had fought each other at Angelic Layer and had tied. She yawned and tried to get back to sleep.
"Wake up, dear."
"Naa?"
Ritsuko woke up to see Misaki standing over her. She rolled her eyes and looked at her watch. 10:00 AM Friday Hawaii time. She almost jumped about a foot into the air.
"You must have been tired yesterday," Misaki said. "You were sleeping like a log."
"Naa..."
Ritsuko rubbed her eyes. Her body still felt heavy. She yawned as she got up off the couch. She got dressed and after a quick breakfast, she took Hikari and went down to the practice layers. There were a lot of people there. Most of the deuses had been up since sunrise, practicing. She winced as someone swore loudly in French. As she neared the end of the area closest to the beach, she saw Nahiyah and Elizabeth engaged in a tense battle. Nahiyah's angel, a balanced type named Mohammed, had taken 30 damage so far. Wasp had taken 25 damage. Mohammed was equipped with a scimitar and an white elliptical shield with a red cresent moon on it. The two angels were trading blows at the center of the layer. Finally, Mohammed broke away and pushed Wasp with the shield. Wasp ducked under the shield and used its scimitar to inflict 20 damage with a slash across Mohammed's chest. Mohammed moved quickly and pushed Wasp down and out of the inside of the shield. Mohammed then used the shield to push Wasp away. When Mohammed retracted the shield and Wasp charged with the scimitar raised, Mohammed used the shield to stop Wasp and knocked the heavy power type off balance. Mohammed then attacked with its own scimitar, inflicting 30 damage with a quick series of thrusts. Wasp rolled away from Mohammed, stood up, and charged with the M16. Mohammed was ready. With a quick sidestep, Mohammed avoided the worst of Wasp's attack and used the shield to channel Wasp's momentum. Wasp left the layer before Elizabeth could slow her angel down.
Nahiyah noticed Ritsuko and invited her to sit down with them. Ritsuko sat down next to Nahiyah as Elizabeth examined Wasp. The two dueses had been frinds ever since they met at the last Angelic Layer Global Cup, four years ago in Hiroshima. Nahiyah lost to Ritsuko in her first match of the finals, and had gone on to win the bronze cup after beating Naoki. Ritsuko had taken the gold after defeating Elizabeth in her second match. The three dueses spent the morning reminiscing about the last Cup and talking about some of the up and coming dueses in the next Cup. The opening ceremonies were scheduled for Saturday morning, so many of the layers were taken up by dueses getting in some last minute practice before the competition opened.
As the noon hour rolled around, the three friends heard shouts and cheering from the other side of the layer room. They joined the large crowd and tried to see what was going on. Elizabeth boosted Rituko on her shoulders. Two deuses were engaged in a fierce battle. One was a tall, handsome American with brown hair and blue eyes. He used a power type dressed in Marine dress blues. His opponent was a Japanese girl who had short brown hair and intense brown eyes. Her angel was a glasses wearing speed type in green and white clothes. Ritsuko recognized the two fighters.
"Andrew! Kana!" she called. They nodded quickly and returned to the fight.
With the time at two minutes left, both Semper and Fuu had taken about 30 damage each. Fuu carried a kodachi (literally, a short sword) and had a jet booster equipped. Semper's naginata made several jabs at Fuu. The speed type dodged easily and struck with the kodachi. While not a strong weapon by itself, the speed advantage that Fuu's jet booster gave was enough to work up enough momentum to inflict 10 damage on Semper with a hit to the chest. Fuu then backed out and prepared to attack again, but Semper had its naginata ready. The long halberd kept Fuu from aproaching close enough to make an effective attack. With a broad strike, Semper inflicted 15 damage and knocked Fuu to the ground. Semper pressed its reach advantage with impunity, jabbing at Fuu. Even though Fuu was able to use the kodachi to block Semper's attacks, it was kept from mounting an effective offensive. The seconds ticked down as the match entered its last minute.
Ritsuko was beside herself with worry as she watched Kana struggle. Don't give up, she thought to herself as each second ticked away. Fifty, then forty, then just thirty seconds remained.
Kana made her move. Fuu took a few steps back, then charged in. Semper lunged. Fuu jumped and twirled to dodge Semper's attack, then swooped in and began hacking away at the power type. While the naginata's length provided a good defense as well as a strong offense, that same attribute also made it useless in melee fighting. Fuu's mad rush of sword swipes, punches, and kicks inflicted severe damage on the power type, whose damage meter reached zero just before the clock did.
Andrew picked up his angel from the layer as the crowd cheered. Fuu did a little bow and tried to jump into Kana's hands, but missed and landed on her lap. The hedge next to the layer rustled slightly as a very flexible man in a white lab coat scurried away.
Andrew: Phew! That was tough!
Kana: Yay! I won! (smiles broadly)
Kasena: Well played, all of you.
Elizabeth: (fuming) I don't want to be told that by you!
Kasena: (with her brow wrinkled) You know, you're really starting to get on my nerves.
Elizabeth: (smiling arrogantly) That's the point, you little (bleeped).
Kasena: (twitches slightly) Why you...
Bakacal: (weakly) Someone, stop them please...
Nahiyah: Elizabeth, it's time to ask for reviews.
Elizabeth: Fine.
Kasena: May I help?
Nahiyah: Sure!
Elizabeth: (at same time) No! (Kasena looks confused)
Bakacal: Kasena, it might be a good idea to keep quiet for now.
Kasena: Sure.
Kana (happily), Andrew (tiredly), Nahiyah (cheerfully) and Elizabeth (angrily): Please R&R!
Bakacal: Sorry about the short chapter! Gomen ne! Ganbatte, Motokonobaka!