I may have failed to mention this before, but the "[][][]" means that there's a brief skip in plot continuity.
Life As I Knew It
Chapter Six
"Prelude to Madness"
There exists in this universe quite the intriguing specimen that still remains anatomically mysterious to even the brightest minds. The specimen in question, of course, is named simply, "mass." But there is so much more to this seemingly sentient species then you'd ever witness under a microscope. It acts as a hive mind when it bonds with other pieces of mass. The more bonds there are, the stronger the intelligence becomes. This creates a problematic scenario, as you'd probably imagine, because eventually these little forms of life can (and will) overtake everything they can touch. Only a select few scientists have had the privilege of working with this form of life firsthand; even fewer have managed to publish written material regarding the subject. And there is only one, by the name of Doctor Washu Hakubi, who has managed to create something unlike anything ever seen before.
By far Washu's greatest achievement was the creation of her own daughter using the nefarious little life form. While mass may act within a hive mind mentality naturally, it can easily be swayed into becoming a single being. This action is performed by incorporating, like Washu's embryonic DNA for example, into the mass's genotype. Once the egg has been properly infused within the mass, the stem cell and DNA protocols take control, and the sentience becomes one. In other words, Ryoko is born. It is because of Ryoko's curious state of existence that she is able to survive for so long, rapidly regenerate her wounds, and of course retain her natural good looks. However, were it not for her mother's celestial prowess, Ryoko would have been dead thousands of years ago.
And were it not for her state of existence today, she'd be dead just the same. But Ryoko's uncanny ability for survival had come to no surprise to Washu. She had been through several grueling ordeals before, each one more terrifying than the last. And every time she managed to bounce back like nothing had ever transpired. But Washu felt as if this situation was different, at least psychologically for Ryoko.
Washu stared out into the emptiness of her lab.
It was definitely a hectic moment in time, something she wished could have been handled more gracefully. Just a few hours before dawn, Ryo-ohki had broken over the horizon, letting the entire region know that she was on her way home. Sasami was the first to wake up. Naturally, Ayeka followed in line until the whole house was wondering what all the commotion was. When Washu had made her way into the living room, everyone was already gathered outside and staring at Ryo-ohki hovering in the air. Washu had barked at everyone, demanding that they go back into their rooms. She constantly insisted that it was better if they didn't know; that it was for their safety.
"What a terrible excuse," Washu thought.
But none of them would budge, and there was no time to spare for the people on Ryo-ohki's bridge. With a heavy heart, Washu went in, and came out knowing exactly the kind of reaction that would follow. The questions: the constant barrage of questions and bewilderment on their faces. None of them would understand until a few days later of the entire situation. At that point, more questions still lingered, but the hysteria was temporarily quelled. It was obvious how concerned they all were, just by looking at their faces. Yet they waited patiently until Washu could reveal more; it was the best that could be asked.
She slowly sighed. There was no sense in dwelling on the past, not when the future needed her immediate attention.
Needless to say, the last two weeks have been a slow and winding one. Since then, both Ryoko and Justin have remained within a cold stasis under maximum security surveillance. Both of them lay suspended in a biological gelatin designed to not only heal the individual, but to preserve their cells as well. In a sense, an organism could remain unchanged for as long as the gel didn't expire in its effectiveness. This biogel was another one of Washu's unpatented and unknown lab experiments that yielded successful results, at least with Ryoko. Probability simply suggested that it would work the same with Justin; and so far her assumptions held true. According to the monitors, Ryoko and Justin had fully healed from their small skirmish only fourteen days ago. Even though Ryoko had suffered viciously more severe wounds, she had healed nearly three times faster than Justin – who had only sustained a few cracked ribs and minor internal bleeding.
Right now the outstanding issue on Washu's mind was the specifics of the attack. She had scanned Justin's body structure meticulously and repeatedly concluded that there was no physical way he could deal that kind of damage. There were absolutely no hints that he possessed super human strength or anything outside normal human physiology. And yet the image of Ryoko's beaten and broken body still flashed through Washu's mind. Whatever had attacked her was powerful and relentless.
Washu pulled up old video footage of when Justin had managed to sneak into her lab undetected. She had recorded the exact moments that his mind exhibited immense energy spikes, which eventually forced him unconscious. The image refused to leave her alone, mainly because this video directly disputes the idea that Justin was a normal human being. Something was going on here that desperately needed to be figured out. The only real way to understand it all was for the event to happen a second time. The best likelihood of that even happening, however, was the recreate the variables that lead to it in the first place. This would prove difficult, however, because it would not only entail reviving Justin from his slumber, but it would also mean he'd have to drink to the point of blacking out again.
Something sparked inside Washu's brain. That was precisely what was going to happen.
She hopped out of her chair and started pacing around the lab. The little scientist had an idea that easily started evolving into a series of possible tests. If Washu could study Justin while he was under the effects of large quantities of alcohol, then there stood a good chance that he would not only remain harmless, but also influence the singularity event to happen again. She believed that blacking out due to alcohol was the key here. It was possible that this event was caused simply by a loss of control by Justin's conscious. Perhaps, Washu speculated, that this strange force blocking Justin's memory during that exact moment caused something else to happen as well, somewhat of a chain of events. But that still didn't explain the idea of his superhuman abilities or even how he can get past maximum security lab doors. But it was a start; and a start that Washu would pursue until the end.
The only problem now was waking either of them up. If Washu revived Ryoko first, there is a very large possibility that she'd want to kill Justin in the very first chance she got. On the other hand, if she revived Justin first, it was equally plausible that he'd be hostile as well. The only way to be sure nothing fatal happened to either of them was to wake them up in special restraints. And the best way to retrieve information from both of them at the same time was to put them together in the same room. Washu believed that if two enemies were forced to participate in dialogue that it would bring up several interesting tidbits of information that until then would be unbeknownst to Washu. The idea was invaluable and needed to be done almost immediately.
At that moment, Washu went to work on developing a special restraining mechanism for both Justin and Ryoko. She didn't want it to be inhuman or uncomfortable, because it was likely the two of them would remain in the restraints for a long period of time, or at least until Washu was satisfied with the information. It would have to be a small, spacial chamber. She paid special attention to Ryoko's restraints. The material needed to be proofed to the point where Ryoko couldn't physically force her way out, or use her powers to get out either. That would be the tricky part, but for Washu any challenge is a good challenge. Justin's restraining device would be much more conventional, but just in case she incorporated many of the same properties used in Ryoko's. There was no room for error here.
She summoned machinery equipment and various computing systems from all around the lab to her location and immediately got to work amassing the restraints. Within minutes she already had blueprints drawn up, her hands racing across the computer screen with pinpoint precision. The computers kept up with the pace, scanning each new vector file into the system. This in turn prompted the machines to begin making all the needed assembly pieces for Washu's creation to come together. The smell of burning metals and silicates filled the room as each piece was accurately cut into shape.
After an hour of non-stop work, Washu had easily crafted together two chambers capable of holding back the might of ten Ryokos. It was overkill, by all means, but overkill was something Washy prided herself on. After all, it was better safe (and to be ridiculous) than sorry. The finished product looked much like the wire framing of a three dimensional, vertical quadrilateral. The top and bottom of the container was made from strong pieces of metal, along with the same material guiding up and down the side as support. There were no walls to speak of. Instead, the restraining part of the device was designed to emit a wall of pure, impenetrable energy from all sides.
Washu made her way over to the capsules that housed both Justin and Ryoko. She pushed the release valve button, which began draining the biogel from the containers. Next, fresh water was rushed into the capsules to wash away all of the sticky substances within the gel itself. Once the gelatin had been completely absolved, a secondary valve opened up to pump in fresh oxygen. Since their incarceration, Washu had been providing ample amounts of nutrients to the two of them through IV tubes, and oxygen through common respirator masks in order to keep them perfectly healthy. When they finally returned to the world of the living, Washu would be able to question them without having to worry about feeding them a meal first. Without wasting time, she began the process of getting the two deadweights into their restraining harnesses. Once they were locked in place, and safe from any potential dangers, she injected the two of them with a minor adrenal stimulant.
Ryoko slowly opened her eyes and started looking around the room in confusion.
"Mom, are you there?" she weakly asked, her voice hoarse.
"I'm right here Ryoko," Washu said as she walked next to her restraining cell, "Don't worry; it's going to take a few minutes before you can see anything with clear vision again."
"Where am I?"
"Back in the lab, you've been here for two weeks," Washu replied.
"Two weeks?" Justin interrupted as he rubbed his weak eyes, "Washu, why has it been that long?"
"What is he doing here…?" Ryoko asked, her voice slightly wavering.
"Please remain calm, Ryoko. He wouldn't be here unless it was important to all of us," Washu tried to reassured her.
Ryoko started to push up against the sides of the container. The energized barrier slightly buzzed as she struggled harder against it. But the stasis hadn't given her new muscle tissue time to condition itself. Ryoko was still weak, and unable to break through. Not even her teleportation would work here. Justin remained silent as he listened to the space pirate in front of him desperately try to free herself. He didn't know if Ryoko wanted to attack him, or rather run away to safety. It tore him up inside seeing this change in her seemingly indomitable attitude. Either way, he was entirely overjoyed to be awake.
"Just to clarify, I'm still alive right?" Justin asked.
"As alive as possibly can be," Washu responded.
"Not for long…" Ryoko muttered to herself, still trying to find a way out of her specially made cage.
"She's not getting out of there, right?" Justin asked worriedly.
"You underestimate me," Ryoko snapped back.
Washu rubbed her temples, "I knew this was going to be frustrating. Alright, here is how it's going to be. I'm going to ask a series of questions and the two of you will answer honestly and to the best of your ability. Until then, the two of you will remain here until I'm satisfied. So Ryoko, get over it and accept it, you're not escaping. And Justin? Everything you do is being monitored; remember that."
Ryoko scoffed at Washu's speech and turned her head away in disgust. She couldn't believe she actually had to deal with this. But what upset her even more, was that after being forced into a deep sleep for two weeks, she was finally brought back and stuck in a cage only to be put to questioning. In Ryoko's mind, she was the victim here. She deserved the right to freedom, a good meal and the strongest liquor she could find. Justin's head was pounding. Technically speaking, he was the first successful human to go through Washu's phases of medical rehabilitation. That in itself was worthy of some sort of celebration, he just didn't realize his own role as a guinea pig.
Washu walked over to her hover chair, positioned it between Justin and Ryoko, and sat down.
"Justin, did you or did you not attack Ryoko?" she asked with a straight face, wasting no time to get down to business.
"I don't know," he replied, "but I'm pretty sure she'll tell you that I did. I could see it in her eyes that day."
Washu spun her chair around, "And Ryoko, is this the person who attacked you?"
"I…I don't know," she said as well, "I know it seems crazy, but I couldn't tell."
"Couldn't tell what?" Washu asked.
"She couldn't tell if I was the real one or not," Justin responded, "That's what you told me, right Ryoko?"
"That's right," Ryoko answered, "And I still don't know looking at you right now."
Washu leaned back in her chair, "That's…interesting; interesting and befuddling. Justin, tell me everything that you remember."
He shuffled around in his cell, trying hard to think his way through the flurry of memories rushing back to him.
"Well, I know that I had been feeling a little down. You know, what with the identity crisis and all that. I imagine Ryoko detected that and wanted to try and cheer me up, at least that's what I first assumed…"
[][][]
This was somewhat comical for me, as I was finally venturing into a part of the house I was too cautious to tread earlier this morning. I now feel like I'm allowed to be up here, even though they are the private rooms of the people that I've just met. The wooden planks ached as I rested my weight on each board; it was a familiar and comforting sound, almost as if the wood wanted to creak. Strangely enough, Mihoshi and Kiyone were nowhere to be found. They probably have some work concerning their jobs in the Galaxy Police; or maybe it's that they are in town shopping or something; whatever girls tend to do in their spare time. A part of me wanted to get to know Kiyone a little better than what I had managed to discover while talking with her at breakfast this morning. Out of the entire bunch that lived in this house, she seemed the most…stable. Not to mention, if she's a police officer then she most likely has a weapon, and I wouldn't mind seeing what alien technology does compared to standard human tech. It had become a strange curiosity of mine. If Kiyone possesses any kind of abilities that Ryoko showed off earlier today, then I know I won't be disappointed. This entire house is full of aliens, and I'm perfectly fine with that. Does that make me a strange person?
The second story was pretty much what you'd expect, a small hallway leading through a series of doorways, which sequentially lead to people's rooms. Portraits of what looked like the Masaki's were hung throughout the dark hallway, until I could find a light switch it was difficult to make out any distinct faces. Strangely enough, there seemed to be a female in many of the pictures. It appeared odd to me, considering no one had mentioned this woman before. Could this be Nobuyuki's wife? I guess I'll never know unless I ask somebody. A quick glance below one of the pictures and I finally managed to find a light switch. With a simple flick the entire hallway was finally illuminated with light. It's not necessarily that I couldn't guide myself through the upstairs without the light being on, I did it more or less out of principal I guess. I made my way to the third door and stood in front of it, my hand hovering just inches away from the door itself. I was once again anxious to see her face again. I stood there motionless, my mind trying to determine what the next plan of action was. It was silly really, because I already knew what I had to do. This ridiculous mental block that I'm experiencing was seriously getting in the way of me and my resolve. It made me feel weak and seemingly undesirable to be around. I took a deep breath. My hand forced its way closer towards the door and prepared to open it.
"What do you think you're doing?" A stern voice called from behind the door.
"Uh…." Was the only thing that left my mouth.
The door slid open and Ryoko quickly appeared on the other side, her posture giving me the impression that she was still awaiting the answer to her pervious question. I stared at her quizzically, my eyes squinting from the suddenness of her appearance – again.
"It's impolite to just barge into a girl's room without permission first." she said sarcastically.
Again, I just stood there, this time my mouth hanging wide open and my eyes staring at her without a single hint of blinking. I honestly didn't know what to say. What does a man do in this situation, laugh or cry from the cynical humor that this woman was capable of?
Ryoko's face soon lost its luster when she realized that I wasn't excitedly following along with her humor, "Relax kid I was joking. Come on in and have a seat, make yourself at home," she said with a reassuring tone.
Relived, I followed Ryoko into her room and was instantly greeted with the exact anti-thesis of everything this house's feng shui stood for. To put it plain and simple, her room was a complete mess and Ryoko seemed perfectly satisfied with her current living conditions. She proceeded to walk over to one of the chairs in the room, tossed a random assortment of clothing accessories through the air and sat down. I made my way over to the edge of her bed, being careful not to step on anything on my way there. Without really giving it much thought I sat down on the front of the mattress facing her and waited as it slowly adjusted to my weight. In the silence I was able to pick up the faint smell of alcohol floating somewhere in the air. There was probably an open container hidden in the room.
I tried not to let my eyes wander, because I knew for a fact that Ryoko's eyes were fixated on my own, and she was just waiting for me to start judging her. In fact, I bet she was counting on it so she could find something to say to me and create more of an awkward situation. It's true, however, that you can learn a lot about a person by the arrangement of both their living conditions outside and inside of their homes. Regardless something told me that Ryoko chose to live this way, it wasn't because of some character flaw of laziness, at least I don't think, that made her like this. If I had to guess, I'd say that Ryoko preferred this as a form of expressing some form of vivid individuality that I currently am unable to see. Either that, or I'm dead wrong and she's a lazy bum. To be perfectly honest, the mess didn't bother me; and I definitely came to the realization that Ryoko doesn't cater to society's standards. I respect that. Or maybe I am forcing myself to respect it because I don't want to deal with any repercussions from Ryoko. Needless to say, I might be thoroughly confused from the lack of logic in this delightful conundrum.
"Well?" Ryoko asked, effortlessly breaking the silence between us.
I tried to formulate a cohesive sentence but metaphorically fell flat on my face. "On second thought," I said while getting off her bed, "I'll come back later. Sorry to disturb you." I could easily feel my face getting flush while a decent amount of blood went straight into my brain, giving me a slight head rush.
I turned my head away from Ryoko and made my way for the bedroom door. For some reason my mind went completely blank and I had forgotten what I wanted to talk to her about. As soon as I rounded the door I was greeted by Ryoko standing in front of me in the hallway. Both her hands rested on her hips, her gaze upon me was that of restrained annoyance. I wasn't quite sure what to say, but it looked like she had something to talk about as well. I didn't try and walk past her merely because something needed to be said, and we both knew that.
"Now just wait a minute Justin," Ryoko said in almost a motherly voice, "I may not be like other women you've been around, but I can still tell when something is bothering a person. Now, what's wrong?"
I think that was the first time Ryoko had actually called me by name, other than 'kid.' It was a good change of pace, even though technically speaking she was right in her calling me that. For some reason my mouth decided to go dry, almost as if my saliva glands ceased functioning entirely. A certain demographic would describe such a sensation as cotton mouth, and dammit that was a good description of what I was feeling. However, I couldn't discern the real reason for this. As far as I could tell, both my heart rate and body temperature were all functioning normal, and I didn't feel the slightest bit out of balance so to speak. Yet something was obviously wrong.
I looked Ryoko in the eyes, "I don't know to be quite honest."
"That's not a satisfying answer," Ryoko replied, crossing her arms.
I looked down at the hardwood floor, "Well, it's really the only answer I have right now. Maybe when I get my memory back I'll have a better one for you. But right now, I just have intangible sensations that don't make any sense. It's not just you, it's this whole place, so don't feel bad."
When I looked back up to see Ryoko's response I noticed that she was looking down at the floor. Her arms were still crossed and she remained perfectly silent. She was in deep thought; I could tell she was thinking about something, but I just didn't have the guts to ask what it was. I couldn't help but shove my hands deep down into my pockets and stand there, trying to ride out the silence. My hands didn't feel comfortable just hanging there by my side, it was too awkward.
"You know what we need?" Ryoko said as she looked back up to me.
I thought about her question for a second before remembering what she mentioned to me back on the ship, "Let me guess, a stiff drink?"
Ryoko's face lit up, "Bingo! I'll be right back. Don't you go anywhere now."
Within an instant she vanished from my view and then reappeared almost as fast, this time with two plastic bags in both her hands and the biggest smile on her face.
"Are those my bags?" I asked.
"Mhmm," Ryoko grinned.
"Great, so you know how to get into my room with minimal effort, fantastic," I sarcastically replied. That's the last thing I need, looks like I'm sleeping light tonight.
"Oh just shut up and learn to enjoy yourself kid," she retorted back at me.
"That didn't really have any correlation to anything I just said," I replied, my head slightly shaking back and forth.
"Doesn't have to," she quickly shrugged.
Ryoko pulled a full liter bottle of Jack Daniels from my bag and held it up in front of me, almost as if she was toying with my mind, like a person holding up a tennis ball in front of a dog's face. I knew deep down that Ryoko was right; there wasn't much of anything else I could do to lay back and enjoy myself. I've already put far too much stress on myself, especially considering this is my first day here. There's no reason for me to be so damned introverted during a time like this. Let loose and have fun, give the dice and roll and accept however they fall. This isn't life or death, after all.
"You know what Ryoko? You're right…again. I shouldn't be this uptight and closed off. Let's go enjoy ourselves shall we?" I said while walking up to take the bottle.
Ryoko released an energetic laugh and slung her arm around my shoulder; "This is great," she said enthusiastically, "Do you know how long I've been trying to find a drinking buddy? We're going to have so much fun tonight, just you wait! I promise you won't be disappointed."
"No, I really don't know how long," I said.
"Of course not, and the question was rhetorical dumbass," Ryoko laughed.
"Right…" I replied, realizing my goof up.
The two of us walked together down the hallway, her strong arm almost forcefully guiding me to the stairs. I had absolutely no idea what this crazy woman had in store for me; and that made me more anxious than anything.
"We're going to eat first, right?" I asked Ryoko.
"And let the food soak up all the alcohol?" she replied, "No, we'll start now before dinner starts. Then, when we're nice and trashed, we'll eat to curb some of the effects of the booze. Well, for you at least. And then? We'll drink some more!"
"Brilliant," I grinned.
"Don't worry kid, I'll take care of you if you overdo it," Ryoko smiled as she poked me in the ribs, "After all, I'm a professional."
"I don't plan on that happening," I replied seriously.
"Famous last words," she simply said in return. Another point for her.
When we got back downstairs, Ayeka was still elbow deep in her soap opera. I could already tell that Sasami was whipping together another delicious smelling meal. There was still no sign of Kiyone or Mihoshi, and I doubt that Nobuyuki had gotten off of work yet, that is considering he follows the traditionally scheduled work day. Nothing had changed since this morning; just like that, the people here had already gotten used to my presence.
As the two of us walked down the stairs, Ayeka noticed us and turned around. "Well Justin, it's good to see you've made a friend this fast."
"Too be honest," I said as I shrugged Ryoko's arm off my shoulder, "I don't really think Ryoko would have given me much of a choice otherwise."
"Yes well," Ayeka said while making eye contact with the bottle of whiskey in my hand, "Dinner should be ready soon, just make sure you're presentable. Yo… - Katsuhito will be joining us tonight and you're going to want to make a good impression."
"Oh don't be so prude Princess. This kid needs a shot or two to make him a little less stiff," Ryoko commented as she punched me in the arm, "Besides, he'll be under my care tonight."
"That's what I'm worried about…" Ayeka mumbled, "Justin? Just remember you have the power to say no."
"Of course," I replied, skeptical of both of these girls now more than ever. It was clear to see that these two didn't see eye to eye.
"Alright Justin, let's go," Ryoko said as she grabbed my arm.
"Where in the hell are we going anyway?" I asked.
"Relax," Ryoko said as she tugged me towards the door, "we're just going to enjoy the sunset outside for a little while."
Before I knew it we were both headed out of the house and onto the porch which overlooked the massive lake. The sun was setting behind the mountain range far off into the distance. Its rays were casting gorgeous colors across the sky, giving everything a warm and orangey glow. Even the clouds were in on the action as they lay motionless in the atmosphere. It was a brilliant display of nature, and even more beautiful to me, was the science behind how it all occurred. It takes a moment like that to make you appreciate the diversity of well, everything on this blue marble we live on. Well technically, I don't live here as a permanent resident, but the point remains.
"Alright now I'm going to need you to wrap your arms around my waist and hold on tight. And give me your bottle as well," Ryoko said.
"Do what now?" I asked, severely confused.
"Just do it," she demanded.
"Alright chill I'll do it," I responded with slight agitation, "Um, should I stand in front of you or behind you?"
"I don't give a damn just pick a spot," Ryoko replied, now her voice becoming annoyed as well.
"Well some people have a preference that's all; I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable. Damn," I said while walking behind her.
Without further conversation I wrapped my arms around her waist and locked them tightly. With zero warning Ryoko leapt into the air and continued ascending into the sky. I instantly locked my arms tighter around her waist, and could feel her abs adjusting to my pressure on them. Not even a second later and we were back on solid ground, so to speak. When I looked around I discovered that Ryoko had simply gotten us up onto the rooftop of the house. For a moment there I thought we were going on a serious sightseeing adventure, with no forms of safety whatsoever. Luckily for me, it was only a twenty foot increase in elevation. Wait a minute…
"You don't want me to get down from here do you?" I said, surprised.
Ryoko simply grinned, "Hey, I'm not taking any chances with you. And plus, you agreed to lighten up and unwind with me, I can't have you pussying out now."
I looked at Ryoko, and then down at the ground twenty feet below me, then back at Ryoko, "Fine, give me the bottle and let's get started."
"Hold on cowboy," Ryoko said while holding the bottle of Jack Daniels further away from me, "This isn't a one night stand with some college bimbo. You're in good company with good drink. You savor moments like these so they last longer in your memory."
"Yeah. Sure. That is considering you remember anything the morning after," I smirked.
"Stay here," Ryoko laughed, "I'm going to go get my own stuff. Don't go anywhere."
Within a blur of movement Ryoko disappeared from sight. I found myself standing alone on the rooftop with a full, unopened bottle of Jack Daniels in my hand. The dark colored, blended whiskey was glowing from the sun's rays that were penetrating through the glass. It reminded me of sweet tea for some reason, something that people in the southern region of the United States drink religiously. I removed the plastic covering that rested on the cap and shoved it in my pocket so it wouldn't blow away in the wind. A simple twist and the cap came right off. I brought the bottle up to my nose and took a quick sniff, the smell of alcohol instantly flooding my nostrils. The aroma was captivating, so I pressed the bottle to my lips and let the whiskey enter my mouth. The flavor was intense, the alcohol even more so. You could genuinely taste the barrel that the whiskey aged in, along with all the other flavors involved in the fermenting process. The very second I swallowed the liquid I could feel the sensation of fiery air making its way back up into my mouth from the depths of my stomach. With a quick exhale the fumes of the alcohol left my mouth, and for a moment there I childishly thought of myself as a dragon breathing fire. And just like that, the rumbling in my stomach began, as the alcohol was beginning to break down on the molecular level. On an empty stomach, this honestly wouldn't take long at all, not with liquor this strong. I just hope I don't get too out of control, this Katsuhito guy sounds like your typical stern grandfather figure who hates the idea of non-traditionalism.
"Well, what do you think?" Ryoko's voice called out from behind.
I turned around to see her holding a very large, vase looking container that heavily resembled a moonshine jug, "I think drinking this shit straight, without anything to mix it with is suicide."
"What's wrong? Not man enough?" Ryoko teased.
"It's not about masculinity at this point, but more or less common sense," I replied as I hypocritically took another sip from the bottle, "I don't suppose you guys have any Coca Cola I could mix this with?"
"Nope, looks like you're stuck with drinking it straight!" Ryoko grinned. Please, this is exactly what she wanted.
"So be it," I said while holding up my bottle towards Ryoko. I took yet another sip from the bottle and sat my happy ass down next to her. It hasn't even been five minutes and my metabolism was already betraying me. With alcohol, I feel like it always starts in your eyes, that feeling of inebriation.
Ryoko looked at me and nudged me in the shoulder, "Wanna have a drinking contest?"
I looked at her with a smartass look and stared for a second before responding, "You're joking."
Ryoko took the seal off of her jug and wafted the scent of her own liquor towards me. The gaseous cloud of alcohol being blown into my face made my eyes water just a bit, but enough to make me blink in surprise, "Holy shit what in the hell is that?"
"This?" Ryoko said while cradling the jug in her arms and slightly tapping her finger on the outside casing, "This is a special brew that you can't get anywhere but from a good friend of mine that I know. Want a taste?"
I took the jug from her hands and stared down to look at the liquid content inside. I was scared. Very scared in fact, mainly because I had no clue what this stuff was or what it could do to my liver. In the back of my head I could hear Ryoko's voice saying "Do it," repeatedly until I gave into her peer pressure. As I moved the jug closer to my lips, I could see Ryoko's face lighten up with a huge smile as she anticipated my reaction to tasting her 'special brew.' I put the jug up to my lips and slightly eased up so that the liquid would slowly trickle in for that small sample to taste. Suddenly I felt the jug thrust upwards and the alcohol rushed into my mouth, completely filling it to the brim. I pulled the jug away as quickly as I could, but couldn't avoid some of the alcohol splashing all over my face. I can't believe Ryoko just pulled a childish prank like that. But even more importantly, I couldn't believe just how strong this alcohol was. It was burning worse than my Jack Daniels was. I was dying, or it felt like it.
"Now swallow," Ryoko said, still grinning. Her sense of humor was…unique.
Breathing only through my nostrils, I took in a deep breath, and prepared for the inevitable. A second later I downed the entire concentration of alcohol in my mouth in one strong gulp. As soon as it touched my stomach I started coughing up fiery heat once again. The fumes even made their way into my nasal cavity, and for a moment there I was sure that I was going to vomit all over the place.
"What the shit woman?" I yelled.
"I honestly couldn't resist. Plus, now you'll be able to drink your own booze much easier. You can thank me later," Ryoko replied nonchalantly.
"What in the hell was that? Moonshine?" I asked, wiping the stuff off of my face.
"That's right, how'd you know?" Ryoko replied curiously.
"Moonshine has a distinct flavor, and it's ridiculously strong. And illegal," I said, adding in the last bit for reinforcement. However, I doubt she cared.
"Illegal or not, it won't stop me from getting it," Ryoko said as she took the jug from my hands and proceeded in drinking the moonshine like it was water.
There was no beating this woman it seems, only submission to her will. She was obviously too strong for me to handle, and yet she didn't seem to care either way. She was superhuman. It's just plain and simple who the victor in any confrontation would be. Honestly though, given that the confrontation was only a verbal one, I believe that I'd be able to stand my own ground given the proper firepower against her. Yet at this point I was still playing her game, in her field. By now the alcohol was beginning to take control of my behavior, it was only a matter of time before Ryoko and I would become a real problem for the people living here, that much I'm sure of.
"There's something that I'm confused about," Ryoko said, "It's about you and your amnesia."
"Fire away," I said while taking another sip of Jack Daniels.
"Earlier today you knew exactly where that mall was without a second thought, I guess I'm just confused on the full extent of your memory loss," she replied back.
I leaned back and rested my full body on the roof's surface whiling pondering over her question.
"Ask me my favorite color, favorite book, childhood idol, or even my family, and I can't remember a goddamned thing. However, ask me who won the Super Bowl last year, which celebrities are fucking their lives up, or how governments are screwing over the people they supposedly represent, and I can talk your ears off for hours. I guess when it comes down to it, I'm fully capable of remembering general knowledge and information anyone else could have on a subject. Make that memory personal, and that's when the blanks start to show up. My memory loss is isolated to information not well known to many people. Which brings up an incredibly interesting question that I've just now become aware of," I looked at Ryoko and waited until I had her eye contact, "Who are you?"
"I'm not sure I understand," Ryoko responded, slightly confused.
"Every gut feeling says that I know you, yet I can't remember. Like I said, if you were general knowledge, then technically speaking I shouldn't have a problem. But that's not the case at all, so the only logical conclusion to this situation is that you, and everyone else in this house, are somehow personally related to me in some way. It's the only thing that fits the bill," I said while downing another swallow of whiskey.
Ryoko sat there for a moment in contemplation, "Beats me kid…"
"Perhaps it's just the alcohol speaking?" I said reassuringly, "Sorry to dampen the mood."
"It could be…"Ryoko said as she looked me over, "Looks like the booze is starting to work its wonders on you eh?"
"Yeah I'm buzzing pretty good right now," I sneered, "No thanks to that gratuitous amount of moonshine that was forced down my throat by a certain somebody. Though I have to admit, drinking this straight has become much easier than earlier. Of course, I think that would have happened eventually anyway."
"So what is it like, living in America?" Ryoko asked, "Washu frowns upon the idea of taking Ryo-ohki and traveling the world. She thinks I'm going to cause an international crisis or some other lame excuse…"
"I can understand her cause for concern," I replied, "Well, I can't really remember what America was like thirteen years ago. I can't really speak for the entire country because we are so compartmentalized in regions and cultures. The issues are probably the same, except in my time period those same problems have escalated. Who knows? Maybe one day you could get a chance to live there for a few years and see for yourself."
"I'm not sure that I'd want to, I've got everything I'd ever want right here in Japan," Ryoko softly answered. Her eyes sort of wandered towards the sky.
"Well, if anything a visit to the major tourist attractions like New York City or the Grand Canyon would be good. I don't know, I live in a rural area of South Carolina, so I can't really speak like I have a good perspective on culture. Hell, come to think of it, I think I know more about Japan than I do my own country. But I digress," I rambled on.
By this time Ryoko's moonshine was really starting to get to me. That is, if you ignored the almost half gone bottle of Jack Daniels that I was still tightly gripped between my fingers. It was a good thing I was laying down on the roof or I fear we'd have some serious problems. I looked over at Ryoko and noticed that she was also experiencing the same comfortable form of inebriation that I was. She also looked like she was deep in thought. How odd.
"So Ryoko," I said, my speech already becoming slower and harder to annunciate, "What is a normal day at this place? I mean, I show up randomly and sort of invade your guy's lives and none of you really seem to have a problem with it. Where I come from if I showed up in someone's home they'd go straight for a double barreled shotgun loaded with buckshot. How come you people were so welcoming of me so quickly?"
I could tell Ryoko was laughing on the inside just by looking at me. It HAD to of been because of my poor ability to hold liquor unlike herself.
After a quick stretch Ryoko opened her mouth, "To be honest we're all sort of guests here except Nobuyuki, Tenchi, and Katsuhito. The rest of us just sort of showed up here uninvited. And several years later, we're still here. Nobuyuki probably sympathized with your situation, and well, since you're unlikely to cause any kind of property damage, probably agreed simply because you'd be the easiest to handle out of the rest of the people here."
"Property damage, do I really want to know?" I asked sarcastically.
"No, you really don't. There are so many stories…" she replied.
"Well NOW I want to know. Tell me." I said.
"I really don't feel like it," Ryoko sighed.
"Well tell me anyway." I demanded.
"No."
"Yes."
"NO."
"Uh…YES."
"Now I'm definitely not going to tell you," Ryoko responded as she took another gulp of her moonshine.
For a second I just stared at Ryoko in disbelief. I should have expected this. I wish I was able to just deny someone service whenever I felt like it. For a few seconds I trained myself in thought of what could possibly provoke Ryoko enough to get her to come out of her reclusive shell. Let's be logical here, Ryoko will take no time to crack a joke or embarrass someone, but when it comes to her own emotions she's very distant. I've got it.
"I've changed my mind. Let's have that drinking contest."
Ryoko busted out laughing, spewing the remaining moonshine in her mouth all over the rooftop, "You're serious aren't you?"
"You heard me. Let's have a drinking contest. If I win then you have to tell me all those riveting stories from your past, and no cutting corners!" I said, halfway slurring my words.
Ryoko looked at me with a devastating stare, "And if I win?"
"Hmm," I mumbled while stroking my pathetic excuse for a goatee, "You make a fair point. Well what do you propose? Nothing naked."
"How about this? I'll tell you what it is after we finish the contest. Take it or leave it," Ryoko replied.
I stared at her with my tired eyes, "Now we both know I'm getting screwed here in this contract, but sure, I'll agree to your terms."
"Fantastic," Ryoko grinned deviously.
"We're gunna need shot glasses," I smiled in return.
Ryoko laughed uncontrollably under her breath as she phased herself through the rooftop and down into the house. What the hell was I getting myself into?
Seconds later she reappeared in front of me with two tiny porcelain cups, most likely used for sake. "You ready?" she asked.
"First, I want you to make me a pinkie promise that you'll keep your end of the bargain," I stated.
I held out my hand, only my pinky finger extended outwards towards Ryoko. Without noticeable hesitation she extended her own pinker and sealed the deal, "Whatever, just make sure you keep your end as well," she said.
"Alright then, let round one commence!" I shouted with excitement.
Ryoko filled her shot glass up with her moonshine; I filled my own up with Jack Daniels. We both knocked the glasses together like we were drinking professionals and tossed the shot back. Within a moment round one was over and we were refilling our glasses up for round two. Another glass filled, another glass empty. Round Three. My stomach felt like it was a machine that was being pushed too far. Round four was over. I needed to get into the zone if I was going to beat Ryoko. Round five. The sun had now gone down behind the mountains as twilight was setting over us. Round six. Ryoko wasn't flinching. Round seven. I honestly can't even think properly anymore, my sentence construction feels like a guy in a car speeding down the wrong end of the highway. Something was wrong, Ryoko's eyes were sharp and clear, like she wasn't even being phased by the alcohol. Round eight. I had to piss really badly. Round nine. I'm seriously about to piss my pants. Round ten.
"Oh I should probably tell you, Ryoko giggled after our tenth shot, "That I metabolize alcohol faster than anyone on this planet. Good luck."
"You're…such a bitch," I said with my eyes halfway closed, "I mean like…I totally should have expected this much from you."
"You still good to go another few rounds?" Ryoko asked. Clearly she could tell I was in terrible shape.
"Oh hell yeah, babe I haven't even started yet," I boasted proudly.
"I like your spirit," Ryoko said as she refilled our glasses, "but you're pushing yourself a bit too far. And your word choice is starting to creep me out a bit."
Without flinching Ryoko downed the eleventh shot, while I struggled even holding my own shot steady. I stared intensely at the glass in front of me, my body was rejecting the very thought of it coming closer to my lips. But I couldn't lose to her; clearly I was obligated to retain my masculine nature. Losing to a girl would forever scar that beautiful complexity. I felt miserable, but I forced my hand to move the glass closer to my mouth until I was in a good spot to toss the liquor straight down my throat. I leaned my head back, opened my mouth and….
[][][]
"And that's all I can really remember," Justin said, exhaling deeply.
"I'm surprised you even remember THAT much," Ryoko added.
"That would explain a lot, "Washu responded, noticeably amused, "Well Ryoko, what happened next?"
"Well, as you could imagine, Justin was already drunk to no end at this point. The next hour was nothing special: we simply joined everyone for dinner. This kid almost embarrassed me around Katsuhito with the way he was acting. But then he started making fun of Ayeka, and that was probably the highlight of the conversation at the table. After that…"
[][][]
Nobuyuki popped his head into the room and looked around at all the hungry faces with a smile, "I'm going to go get father and let him know that dinner is ready. Be back shortly."
Justin was eyeing Kiyone with a stern conviction. He wasn't sure when the right moment to ask her about the gun would be. That is, assuming that Kiyone is even allowed to carry her weapon when off duty. Kiyone, too tired to noticed Justin's interest in her, was laying her head numbly on the table as if she couldn't wait any longer for Katsuhito to get here. Mihoshi was just as impatient, but still fired up with enough energy to distribute to everyone sitting at the table. Ayeka sat there quietly, but inside her mind was running around in hundreds of different places. Sasami was still roaming around the kitchen and getting everything ready.
Justin looked up at Sasami as she scrambled everywhere, "Sasami, do you need some help?" he said sincerely.
Sasami looked Justin over; she already knew the answer to that: Not no, but hell no. This was no time for a potential disaster in the kitchen. However, it wouldn't be the first time. "No it's fine, just sit there, relax and let me handle it," she lied with a gentle smile.
Ayeka, who was sitting right next to Justin, leaned over to his left ear. "Justin, you listen well now, be on your best behavior when Katsuhito gets here," she whispered sharply.
Justin looked back at Ayeka with tired eyes, "Easy princess. I got this," he reassured her, "I'll only speak when I feel it is absolutely necessary."
Ayeka pinched Justin in the arm, "And stop calling me princess; you're starting to sound like Ryoko."
"Ouch, listen here woman -"
As soon as Justin opened his mouth to speak his mind, Nobuyuki and Katsuhito entered the room, quickly gaining Justin's attention. His mind was now set on figuring out who Katsuhito was, and why specifically Ayeka garnered such respect for the man. With a sense of reckless abandon Justin got up from his seat and made his way over to Katsuhito.
Justin looked the old man in the eyes and extended his hand gregariously, "Pardon my current condition sir, I'm Justin and it's very nice to meet you." The poor fool still didn't realize that shaking hands wasn't exactly a custom heavily practiced in the region.
The others were practically stunned that Justin was able to put on such a convincing act. They all knew that not even seconds earlier that he was acting like that one guy at a bar who you just wanted far, far away from you. For some reason he had decided to present himself like a model citizen. Katsuhito looked Justin over, easily deciphering exactly what was going on. There was no doubt that this was Ryoko's doing. Ironically, there was zero collateral damage around the house or on Justin's person. The old man was impressed that Justin had been able to be around Ryoko and not end up in a galactic conflict.
"Hmm," Katsuhito grinned in his usual fashion, shaking Justin's hand in the process, "My, what well manners you have. Nobuyuki's told me a great deal about you already. Come and sit so we can eat, this old man is hungry."
The three men found their seats at the dinner table. Meanwhile, Justin looked back at Ayeka with a face full of sarcasm, clearly showing off to her that he had this entire situation under control. Ayeka on the other hand, become more nervous from Justin's comedic and potentially destructive behavior. She couldn't predict his actions; they were random to her. Yet to Justin everything he did was perfectly calculated. He would push further into the probabilities and properly adjust based on how the situation was going. In other words, he felt entirely confident in his abilities. Call them drunken optimism goggles. Or even call it blind stupidity.
Once again Sasami had prepared a meal fit for royalty, as she enigmatically does every single day. If it were ever called to question, Sasami's actions within the Masaki House were clearly ways of saying thank you for the hospitality that has been providing for all of these years. Still, it was rather odd that a young child would be in charge of preparing and maintaining the place like a stereotypical housewife would. However, at the same time Sasami was really the only person qualified to sustain a standard of living that everyone had been living under for through years now. Without her help, it would be just another spitting image of a bachelor pad; that is, except for the fact that it would be filled with women, rather than men.
"So Justin," Sasami said, directing everyone's attention towards him, "this was your first day here living with us. How has your day been so far?"
"Yes Justin," Ryoko added, clasping her hands under her chin, "How was your day today?"
Justin just sat there with a rice bowl glued to his mouth, looking around at all of the staring faces. What was this, an interview? With a smooth motion he sat the bowl down, swallowed the rice and refreshed his throat with some hot green tea. He leaned his head back and recounted his day, starting from where he awoke in the living room, all the way through his immature antics with Ryoko; and now in this moment, where he was enjoying a well prepared meal with a good group of people who he didn't even know. This could easily be the alcohol talking, but Justin hadn't felt this cheerful and warm inside in quite some time. After carefully considering what had happened to him, and what could happen to him, Justin decided that regardless of his memory loss that he was legitimately appreciating his time here, albeit only hours in.
Justin looked at Sasami and smiled, "All things considered, today was fantastic. It makes me extremely appreciative that I ended up in your company rather than being stranded somewhere else, like in the middle of Tokyo for example."
"After hearing about your dilemma," Katsuhito chimed in, "I think it'd be best if you stayed here for as long as you like. After all, one more helping hand around the house couldn't hurt."
Kiyone couldn't help but to laugh, "That's good, since Sasami does most of the work around here anyway."
"And then there are others who don't do anything at all," Ayeka said, looking directly at Ryoko.
"Well if I remember correctly," Justin grinned, "weren't you the one sitting on the couch all day watching soap operas?"
"That is completely irrelevant!" Ayeka hissed.
"I respectively disagree," Justin replied.
Katsuhito sat quietly at the head of the dinner table, his arms crossed loosely and his ears soaking up the exciting dialogue. The house almost seemed to be alive with conversation once more, during a time when one boy named Tenchi Masaki used to live here. That is, before that boy became a man and pursued his education on the collegiate level. It's amazing, all things considered, that Tenchi continually decides on a normal life regardless of all the events that have unfolded before him. Who could blame him? It's very possible that people not situated in his position envy his lifestyle greatly. And at the same time, those who have walked a similar path to his wish the same as Tenchi does: a normal, peaceful existence.
"Oh come now Princess, you know better than to argue a man who has been drinking. There's simply no talking sense into them!" Ryoko joked.
Justin, feeling Ryoko's sarcasm, decided to play along, "That's right. Just go ahead and try."
Ayeka realized that there was no hope, so she reluctantly backed off and went back to eating her meal. It was a small victory, but Ryoko would savor every second of it.
Still, Katsuhito was having just as much trouble figuring Justin out as Washu was. Sure, it's the first day that he's been here, but his mood swings have been all but readable. One minute he'll be staring off into nothingness, lost in thought, and the next he'll be very spirited like he doesn't have a care in the world. It was an obvious sign of someone who was truly in distress. Luckily for this child, he managed to fall into the right place at the right time. Katsuhito was certain that Washu would discover a solution; it was only a matter of time. Because of this, Katsuhito would let Justin's drunken stupor slide for now. Besides, it's a refreshing change of pace. It's a pity, really, that no one can ask Justin any personal questions, regardless of how badly everyone wanted to know. It was simply an uncomfortable situation that everyone at the table was trying to make the best of. Perhaps one day they would know.
"Alright, it's time to stop picking on Ayeka," Justin said.
"Yes," Ayeka replied, "please do."
"So, Justin," Katsuhito chimed in, "How are you planning to carry your weight around here?"
Justin looked at the old man, not knowing his hidden motives behind the question. Katsuhito on the other hand, simply wanted to know if Justin planned on persevering through this endeavor.
"Well," Justin replied, "I guess you could just tell me to do something, and I'll try my best at it. I'm relatively strong and manual labor doesn't scare me. As long as it's not life threatening by any means I'll attempt it. Actually….that depends on how exciting said life threatening task would be."
Katsuhito smiled at the boy's humbleness and humor, "That's good. We'll see where you skills are soon enough."
"Ryoko…" Justin said as he finished his last bowl of rice, "I have a favor to ask of you."
"Sure kid," she replied, "what is it?"
Justin stood away from the table, "If the rest of you don't mind, I'd like to take care of a personal matter."
Katsuhito nodded his head, "Please, don't let us keep you."
"Thank you sir," Justin said.
"What exactly do you have in mind?" Ryoko asked Justin.
"I'll tell you on the way," Justin answered as he left the kitchen.
Ryoko followed Justin through the living room and outside. He looked back up to the night sky, gazing at the infinite sea of stars before him.
"I need you to take me back home," Justin requested, "Something inside is begging me to return to the area and investigate."
"What? Right now?" Ryoko asked.
"Yes. If you don't mind that is. It'd mean a lot to me."
Ryoko rubbed the back of her head, "Sure kid, I don't see why not."
Justin turned around, and wrapped his arms tightly around Ryoko, sinking his head into her chest.
Ryoko instantly recoiled, "What…what the-"
"Thank you," he said thoughtfully, "Thank you for being such a good friend."
"What's with the sudden sappy attitude?" Ryoko asked, worried.
"I mean it," Justin said, finally released his grip on her, "I'm lost in this world, and you've chosen to help me through it. That means a lot, even to a person who has no idea who he is."
He was inebriated beyond his limits, yet his words rang sincere.
Ryoko felt humbled by his comment, "Well, then let's go! No sense standing around."
She summoned Ryo-ohki, and within moments they were already headed out into the darkness, making their way towards the eastern coast of America. For the first hour, Justin could only saw the darkness of the ocean before him. It was only when they reached the western shore that he got to see a dazzling display of the city lights from coast to coast. Ryo-ohki was able to travel faster in the dark, considering that she didn't have to resort as much power to her visible cloaking. The stealth systems were still online in order to avoid radar and other forms of electronic detection, but needless to say, she was flying faster than any jet made by humanity could muster.
Before they knew it, the three had already returned to the southern countryside. Justin was the first off the ship. He staggered around the ground for a few moments until his legs got used to a solid, non-moving surface once again. The remnants of his past life, at least in this universal plane, still remained absent. Nothing had changed. Still, he continued to walk around the property to feed his insatiated curiosity.
Ryoko teleported down from Ryo-ohki, "I brought more beer, not like you need it," she said as she tossed a bottle towards Justin.
Justin caught the bottle and twisted off the metal cap.
"So what are we doing here again, anyway?" Ryoko asked.
"Gut instinct is telling me I missed something," Justin answered as he took a large drink from the beer bottle. He was strangely more attentive then he was during dinner.
Ryo-ohki hovered overhead, illuminating the ground with one of her search lights. Justin continually walked around the perimeter of what was once the location of his house. Now, there only lay debris and a muddy pit.
"I don't understand," he said, "How would getting thrown into this Universe affect the lives of my relatives? Or even my property?"
"If there's one thing I've learned in my lifetime, it's that anything is possible…" Ryoko chimed in.
"Dammit, it's so hard to think with all this stupid alcohol clouding my head. Ryoko, lend me some of your sobriety," Justin said.
"Sorry, can't do that," Ryoko responded. She was off wondering the property as well, although nothing really interested her. After all, all she could see was grass and concrete. What was there to see?
Justin was now in the center of what was once his house. Ryoko observed him as he made his way about the area. Something didn't feel quite right in the air. There was a certain electrical current that she could feel running its way through the warm, humid breeze.
"Tell me something, what do you think happened to the other me?" Justin thought aloud.
"What other you?" Ryoko asked, stopping where she stood, "Are you okay? Something feels off."
"Parallel or alternate universe….which is it?" Justin asked himself as he stared up at the night sky, "There's evidence here that someone like me used to live here. What do you think happened to him? Surely Washu would have thought of this already…then why hasn't she told me yet?"
"Ryo-ohki do you feel that?" Ryoko asked.
The hovering cabbit answered with a weary meow. She could tell something was wrong as well. Justin was asking thought provoking questions that he didn't even seem capable of. Technically, his alcohol toxicity should have him on the ground and passed out by now. Yet he was functioning as if the exact opposite was happening, but for some reason only he was unaware. The electrical current was beginning to intensify. Even the clouds overhead seemed to be reacting to it. The space pirate's heart began to thump in her chest.
"Justin, get over here now!" she yelled.
"Man, where did this headache suddenly come from?" Justin pondered as he knelt down onto the cold cement.
A shadow suddenly emerged directly behind him. Electrical static crackled through the air. Ryo-ohki instantly shined her spotlight on Justin's position, but nothing could seem to penetrate the shroud of blackness around this ominous entity.
"Move you fool!" Ryoko shouted as she made a dash for the unknown enemy.
Justin collapsed onto the ground, his hands gripping his head, his fingers trying to pierce through his skull.
"It hurts like no other…" he mumbled in the dirt.
Ryoko phase shifted in front of Justin and drew her plasma blade. The shadowy figure stood defiant in the darkness.
"So you do care," the figure spoke, its menacing voice echoing through Ryoko's ears, "However, I have no time to deal with you. If you value your life, leave the boy and save yourself."
"Not a chance," Ryoko responded, clenching her blade tighter.
"So be it."
The shadow instantly disappeared.
Ryoko flinched in reaction, "Ryo-ohki, get Justin out of here NOW!"
Ryo-ohki hovered over and instantly teleported Justin up onto the bridge. A second later, she was already at max speed and thundering off into the distance. It all happened incredibly fast. Ryoko was now alone.
"Predictable."
"Where are you?" Ryoko yelled, frantically looking for a minute trace of movement.
"Look around you. Where there is darkness, I exist."
"What is that supposed to-"
Ryoko was interrupted with a powerful delivery of kinetic energy to the stomach. The blow sent her to her knees and left her gasping for breath.
"Silly girl, it means exactly what I said."
"That voice…" Ryoko stammered.
"That's right, think long and hard."
The voice sounded disembodied, yet a combination of two people talking in unison. They were both familiar, and it began to terrify her.
Ryoko finally got back up to her feet, her heart now racing.
"There's a good chance you would have survived a bit longer if you would've just let me have the boy. Now that I think about it, however, tormenting him further only helps me achieve my end goal. So I must thank you for that; and for your sacrifice as well."
"No one's getting sacrificed," Ryoko sternly insisted.
"We shall see."
Another wave of kinetic energy spiraled through the air. This time, however, it was clearly visible through a trail of blue haze. Ryoko dodged it and unleashed a barrage of energy blasts from the attack's origin.
Nothing was there.
Another wave of energy came from behind, hitting Ryoko directly in the back and sending her hurtling through the air. She collided with the ground with immense force.
"Your ship is still as fast as ever. I can feel it moving through the sky now. Consider yourself lucky."
Ryoko pulled herself up and took a deep breath. This was bad. She had no backup, and had just sent her contingency weapon off to save some boy she barely even knew.
"And why is that?" she asked.
The shadow once again manifested itself into a human form in front of Ryoko.
"While I may be free now, I'm afraid this is only temporary. When Justin returns, there's a strong chance he'll regain control of his mind. When that happens, I'll simply disappear until I can find other ways of escaping. Given the speed of your aircraft, I'd say you have two hours to entertain me. I know you won't disappoint me Ryoko, you've always been quite the courageous fighter."
Ryoko didn't quite understand how to soak up this monster's words. How did it know about her?
The shadow dispersed around her. Ryoko leapt into the air, instinctively awaiting the next attack. More semi-transparent waves of kinetic attacks started coming from all sides. Ryoko was trying her hardest to dodge, prepare, and predict where the next assaults would come from. But this was difficult. The shadow didn't appear to exhibit any form of predictable behavior. Everything was, oddly enough, systematically random.
"Why don't you face me coward?" Ryoko taunted.
"Is that truly what you desire?"
Ryoko began charging up another ball of plasma in her hand, "Fight me fair or don't fight me at all."
"As you wish."
The apparition manifested itself into a condensed, human-like form and began walking towards her. Ryoko took on a defensive stance, trying to get ready for anything. A strong light emanated from the energies burning intensively in her hand. The manifestation walked directly up to Ryoko, stopping just feet short of her.
Ryoko's face went ghost-white.
Justin's face became illuminated in the darkness.
"I have a feeling," he said, "that this will be the longest two hours of your life."
[][][]
Washu sat motionless in her chair, trying to let both stories sink in effectively.
"So what's what you meant," Justin finally said, ", when you said you were unsure if I was the real one. Ryoko, I'm so sorry."
"Save it," she responded.
"So there's two of you, Justin," Washu added, "Is that what you're saying Ryoko?"
Ryoko looked down at the floor, "I don't' know. That thing had two voices. It was hard to figure out the other one through the chaos."
"Things are starting to make sense, if at least piece by piece," Washu said in contemplation, "unfortunately for you Justin, the circumstances forbid me from letting you leave this lab."
He looked up at Washu with an empty stare.
Ryoko jumped up in her cell, "Washu, his eyes!"
"I see it," Washu replied, getting up out of her chair, "don't worry, we should be safe."
Justin stood up in his cell. He placed his hand upon the protective barrier. The wall of energy started popping in reaction to the pressure. Washu took a step back.
"Get me out of here!" Ryoko yelled, "I can protect you."
"Can you feel that?" Washu said, ignoring her daughter's plea, "there's nothing we can do at this time. Trust me when I say that you're better off in there than out here."
Justin's hand broke through the barrier, completely short circuiting the entire system.
"He must be in a unique state of despair right now," Justin's animated body said.
"What?" Washu asked.
Justin's shell looked around the lab.
"He can see everything right now; I've personally allowed that to happen. He's been listening attentively since Ryoko began her tale. Now that he knows the full story, it will make my victory all the better."
"Let me guess, you're the one who attacked Ryoko," Washu said.
"Ah, you're as perceptive as ever my dear Washu. It's a shame they won't let you back into the Science Academy, you could do so much for the galaxy. Yes, I attacked Ryoko because she wouldn't surrender the boy to me."
Whatever was controlling Justin looked up and smiled.
"I can feel his rage building up right now. The sensation is incredibly gratifying."
"You're sick," Washu scorned.
"Washu let me out!" Ryoko screamed, still insisting on her freedom.
"Relax girl," Justin interrupted, "I'm not concerned with you at this moment. Attacking a wounded animal isn't very tasteful. Now if you'll excuse me, I must be going."
Washu clenched her fists, "And where exactly…are you going to?"
Justin released a sinister grin.
"Tokyo."
Suddenly, a rift portal opened up within the lab, unleashing a vortex of unstable energy. Seconds later, it was gone, and so was Justin.