Kaorin: Jay! This story sucks! Why is it always me that gets picked on!?

Jay: (smoking post-coital cigarette) It's cuz I like ya!

Kaorin: You don't like me! (crosses arms indignantly)

Jay: Yea, I like ya. Otherwise you'd still be with him. (holds up picture of MC Hammer)

Kaorin: (shivers) I love you too...

Jay: Excellent, now back to the story.

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"If we move quickly we can get in through the fire escape.", Sakaki informed me. She was indeed correct. The fire escape door was on the side of the school we were facing. If we ran, the soldiers would never see us.. Well, as long as we kept our heads low that is. I followed Sakaki's military-like squat walk across the narrow road and behind the wall of the school courtyard.
Another loud snap echoed amongst the buildings and I cringed at the thought of another person being executed. I only hoped that it wasn't someone I knew. The fire escape door loomed before us and Sakaki grasped the handle and opened the heavy door with a mighty pull.

Scanning the hallway expertly, Sakaki nodded for me to enter. The school seemed to be in good shape. Nothing was broken as far as I could see. With more confidence I followed Sakaki up the stairs headed to the second floor and Yukari's classroom. All the doors were shut and I assumed locked tight. I had to pound my fists and shout that it was me many times before Yukari opened the door to us, her face aghast.
"Of all the places to go. Why the hell did you come HERE!?", she said.
"I..I need to talk with Yomi.", I told her.
She swung the door wide and simply sighed before letting us in and locking it once more.
Without another word I ran straight to Yomi who was standing by the window with her best friend Tomo, gazing and making comments about the assembled group below.
"Yomi! Yomi! Remember that device that you told me Mr. Prior threw away?", I interjected into their conversation.
"Yea, what about it?", she asked.
"It worked! That's why they are here!", I said, inferring to the soldiers.
"You're kidding...", Yomi's eyes went blank.
"God damn Kaorin! Why didn't you say anything before!", Tomo exploded.
"I um...wasn't here?", I said, a bit confused.
"Fine, fine! Make up excuses!", Tomo said, waving her hand dissmissively and walking off.
"So that stupid thing actually worked?", Yomi asked, incredulous.
"Yea...", I said.
Yomi sighed. "Mr. Prior left weeks ago didn't he"
"Yea, but I think...", I began but was interruped by one of the boys in the class yelling.
"Miss Yukari! They're doing something weird"
Everyone rushed to the window, but crouched down a bit so as not to be seen. Indeed, what tehy were doing did look strange. A man in a blue robe with a double-headed golden eagle, wings outstretched was holding one hand towards the building. The other was on his head as if he was in pain.
"Damn, if this can't get any more retarded than it already is.", Yukari said, sounding witty and confident.
The man dropped his arms to his side and nodded to one of the maroon-clad soldiers who in turn spoke into a handheld device.
Moments later a sound not unlike the crackle of electricity seemed present in the room. It made me feel unstable and a bit nauseated. Then a voice boomed, and I mean BOOMED, literally inside my head. It wasn't heard as much as simply present in my mind. I fell to my knees. Looking to my right I could see that many people were falling, clutching at their heads in pain. The voice said in absolutely perfect Japanese:

"By orders of Lord General Kimril, your city is now under the occupation of the Harkoni Warhawks, 5th regiment, Tetra Sector. All citizens are to remain inside upon penalty of death. Evaluation process is underway. Communications and all power sources have been deactivated. Any attempt to disobey a representative will be met with harsh punishment. Consider yourselves under the control of the Imperial Army. That is all."

The voice repeated itself two more times before finally stopping. Tears had begun to run down my cheeks as I lay prone on the floor. It took a few shaky moments to regain the ability to stand.
Apparently, Miss Yukari had either recovered abnormally quick or was unaffected at all because she had thrown open the window and yelled to the men below.

"You bastards! Get the hell away from my school! What gives you the right to come here and think you can rule the place huh!? I oughta' break all your necks!"

She huffed and puffed after this rant. That was until the man in blue motioned for two soldiers to enter the building.
"Holy crap! They're coming to kill me!", Yukari panicked. Panic begat the classroom as everyone sputtered their worries about being killed off. "They're not gonna kill ya Yukari! Cheer up!", Tomo patted Yukari on the back happily. Did nothing ever faze that girl?
"Bullshit! How do you know?", Yukari retorted, rummaging through her purse and finally pulling out nothing other than a stout, black pistol.
"Holy crap!", Tomo exclaimed. "Where the hell did you get that from"
"Bought it for times like these.", Yukari grinned, cocked the hammer and stuck the gun in her waistband, conveniantly covered by her lime green shirt.
I rushed quickly to Sakaki-san who was speaking calmly to Kagura, despite the general clamour of her surroundings.
"Do you think they're going to kill us, Sakaki-san?", I asked, hoping for a 'No.
"I certainly hope not.", Sakaki said.
"I dunno.", Kagura gulped. "I've seen movies about people who say the wrong thing and BOOM...dead"
A knock at the door nearly made me scream. The room went silent. Dead silent.
"Open up!", a metallic sounding voice said.
Yukari gingerly approached the door and pulled it open a crack.
"Please, do come in!", she said with a wide grin.
Two maroon men hoisting rifles entered the room. Both looked very similar, yet one may have been taller. I can't quite remember clearly. What I do remember though is the strange apparatus that covered each of their mouths. It looked as it they were wearing a scuba diving breather over their mouth, obscuring the entire bottom half of their faces.
The men looked about the room. We were all frozen in fear. Not one person registered any sort of movement. Then one spoke.
"You wanted to know our reasons behind all this, huh?", the device around his mouth made his Japanese very metallic sounding. I guess it was some sort of translator.
"Sure!", Yukari agreed happily.
The man immediately shoved Yukari so hard with one hand that she fell flat on her back.
"That's too damn bad!", the man said with venom.
"Consider yourselves captives. Captives have no right to ask questions!", the other mans said, focusing his attentions on the other 10 or so people in the room.
"We're not against raping and pillaging you know.", the first man said with a ravenous look in his eyes.
"You wouldn't dare!", Tomo screamed. I guess she really couldn't help herself. To her credit, Yomi immediately clamped a hand over Tomo's mouth before she could make the situation worse.
"Do you want to be the first?", the man spoke with a hint of laughter.
"No, Sir! I apologize for her! She is foolish. Please forgive us!", Yomi said as she tried to control the struggling Tomo.
The first man gave his friend a look before the second man advanced towards Tomo and dragged her bodily from Yomi's arms, despite what Yomi tried to do to stop him.
My breath caught in my throat. I wanted to help. God, I wanted to help. I would just be shot though. Laid out like a ragdoll.
The man grasped Tomo by the collar of her uniform while she kicked, cursed and flailed at him. He shoved her up against the wall and pressed his body close. I could anticipate what was going to happen next and I didn't want to watch. So, I closed my eyes tight. Tears leaked out to spite myself. I couldn't believe what was happening.
Then came a loud bang. Followed by a sharp intake of breath by the memebers of the class. I forced my eyes open. I could see the body of the man who had grabbed Tomo crumpled on the floor on his back, blood pooling beneath him. Yukari stood with her gun still smoking. Even Tomo was in shock.
I heard the remaining man growl as he began to hoist his rifle, his aim was Yukari. But the shot never fired. He was blindsided by Kagura, who tackled him to the ground. The impact sent his rifle skittering behind Yukari's desk.
As if being led by example, one of the boys in the class, Ikiru by name, also mounted the man's back. He was held down fast, no manner of struggling would allow him to escape.
"Fuck all you bastard kids!", the man cursed. He would have continued, but Ikiru pressed the man's face into the floor.
Yukari stood over him, gun at the ready when a sharp beeping noise was heard. I scanned the room looking for the source. Yomi was holding Tomo, comforting her, certainly a rare scene but the noise was not from their direction. It was neither Sakaki or me who were plastered against the back wall. The right side of the room was looking about as well, making them innocent.
Yukari had knelt down and located a microbead communication device within the man's helmet. I was beeping loudly.
"Answer it. Tell them everything is fine.", Yukari said to the man at gunpoint.
A moment of static broke through before a voice spoke. "Corporal Meyers? Do you read? This is Central Command. Over"
Corporal Meyers narrowed his eyes and spoke.
"Alert all troops! The city bears the Warptaint! Begin extermination!", he shouted loudly.
Yukari shot the man dead. His blood running beneath our feet. My eyes, sore from crying,gazed out the window as the turrets of the assembled tanks turned in our direction and I knew the barrels spelled our doom.

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The true terror begins!

-peace-

-Jay