I do not own the series Martin Mystery.
Please enjoy my completely fan-made work of FICTION!! :D
After lunch, Taki managed to corner Diana and tell her about her ransacked room and missing book, "Taki, this is serious, why didn't you tell us about the book?" Diana was more then a little upset with Tatsuki.
"Because I wasn't supposed to have brought it to this country in the first place." Taki said solemnly.
-The Red Monarch-
M.O.M dismissed the Center agents; she wanted to speak with Tatsuki alone. Taki stood there, knowing that she would be getting one of the worst verbal beatings of her young life. "Ms. Miyabe," Taki prepared herself, "I'm very, very disappointed. Why didn't you give me the book when you arrived?" M.O.M. was only just beginning to get angry, "Did you not trust me? Or Colin, to protect it for you?!" Tatsuki winced at the name of her guardian; he had left her with the Center thinking that all he had to watch after was that book until it was safe enough for her to return home. "Tatsuki, do you know how stupid it was, not trusting us? Now not only do Sousuke's followers have the book, they know where you're supposed to be hiding!" Taki bit her lip, noticing this M.O.M. backed of a tiny bit and sighed, "I know you were only trying to protect us Tatsuki, but I assure you, we can handle ourselves."
"I guess you're going to be calling Mr. Price, now, huh?" Tatsuki asked with her eyes glued to the tile floor.
"I believe Colin has the right to know, don't you?" M.O.M. asked Taki rhetorically.
Taki nodded numbly 'yes' to M.O.M.'s question, her guardian had every right to know what she did.
-
Martin was pacing back and forth almost obsessively, "I mean, why didn't she tell us at the beginning Di? We're supposed to be protecting her! What was she thinking?!"
Diana sighed at her brother's ranting, he had been going on like this since they had left M.O.M.'s office. In fact, it was almost as if he had kept it bottled up inside until the doors slide shut behind them and then exploded out of his mouth. "I don't know Martin, but if I had my guess, it's probably something along the lines of 'the less people who know about the book, the less chance it has to be stolen, the less chance it has of being stolen the safer every one will be."
Martin's eyes narrowed, "She still should have left it with M.O.M." he said, "or with that guardian she has."
"I didn't say she shouldn't of have." Diana said with a frustrated sigh. I wish we knew more about Sousuke, too Diana thought, Taki usually tried to avoid the topic of her brother, and when forced to talk about him she usually gave very short answers. Diana's eyes widened, Wait, I vaguely recall M.O.M. and Taki conversing solemnly about the people trying to bring Taki's brother back, I'll bet…Diana made a grab for Martin's U-watch.
"Hey! Diana, what're you??" Martin pulled away from his sister.
"Martin, check the Legendex for Sousuke Miyabe! I have a feeling the Center has dealt with him before!" Diana said quickly. I don't know why I didn't remind him sooner!
"Okay, Okay, keep your pants on, Sis." Martin said as he turned to the U-watch and selected the Lengendex and looked up Sousuke Miyabe. For once, true horror manifested itself on the teen's face. "Oh my –"
"What? What is it Martin?" Diana asked impatiently, whatever it was that made her brother make that face had to been truly horrible.
"Okay Diana, think Sweeney Todd," Martin said, giving a weary look to his sister, he knew that Sweeney Todd was one particular movie that gave Diana nightmares for a month. Nodding that she had the demon barber in mind, the brown haired girl shivered in disgust, "now, take away every ounce of motivation Sweeney had," Diana's eyes widened into saucers, "and that's Sousuke Miyabe."
-
After coming through the Center portal Colin Price was more then just a little angry with his surrogate daughter. His forest green eyes flickered to M.O.M. for a moment, "It's a pleasure to see you again, Olivia," he said, "I just wish the circumstances weren't what they are, but a pleasure all the same."
Taki cocked her head to the side, "Olivia?" she looked at the dark haired woman, her eyes big with curiosity. M.O.M.'s eyebrow twitched on an irritated impulse.
"I'd prefer it if you called me M.O.M, now Mr. Price." She said.
Colin mirror matched Taki's curious face, "but, Olivia, you're nothing like my mother!" M.O.M. was absolutely positive that Colin was trying to piss her off, he gave it away with his 'I know I'm getting under your skin Olivia Mandell' smile.
"Colin, don't make me hurt you." M.O.M. said with malice tingeing her words. Colin continued to grin.
"Ah, that reminds me of the good days, working for the Center, going on missions, and my lovely partner threatening to boil me alive in a vat of oil then throw my charred remains over a cliff into the ocean below…" Colin gave an overdramatic sigh, "I really have grown to miss those."
"We can reminisce later, Colin, right now we have business to attend to." M.O.M. said. Colin nodded in agreement and turned to Tatsuki again. Taki flinched under their gazes, "Taki, considering the situation I think it would be best if you were to go back to Japan, there you'll be safer now." Taki bit her lip, she knew M.O.M. was right.
-
Martin was bored and it was obvious to everyone in the room, and it was the waiting for what was to happen to Taki, and to them, which was really what was getting to him. "What do you think M.O.M.'s gunna do about Taki?"
"Taki probably get send back to Ja-pan." Java said, he was sitting on a box across from where Diana was leaning against the wall.
"It makes sense, if Sousuke's followers are here, then the logical option would be to send Taki back to Japan." Said Diana.
Martin felt somewhat depressed, Taki had become a good friend despite how it started in the beginning, now it seemed like they'd be losing her way to soon.
"Unless, that's what Sousuke's followers want us to do." Billy came from the hallway, his human shell on. His sudden appearance caused everyone in the room to jump.
Martin was suddenly missing from the group, but they had a good idea where he had gone. He was trying in vain to get the sliding doors to open, "Come on, you stupid doors, open!" he tried to physically pry the doors open, "I have... to stop M.O.M. from… sending Taki away!" he said between pulls.
"Um, Marty…" Billy sweat dropped at the blonde.
"Not now, Billy! I'm busy!" Martin said, his thoughts completely focused on trying to pull the doors apart.
"Martin, there's a little purple button here that says 'open'." Diana said as she pushed mentioned button. The sliding doors opened causing Martin to fall through the now empty gap.
"Whoa!"
"Martin Mystery what part of 'I want to talk with Tatsuki alone' didn't you understand?" M.O.M. asked, though her expression betrayed the aggravated tone in her voice.
Martin didn't pay any heed to the tone, "You can't send Taki back to Japan!" he said from his place still on the floor. He had taken no notice to Colin or Taki, he focused on M.O.M.
M.O.M. raised an eyebrow, "Oh? And why not, Agent Mystery?"
"Because that's what Sousuke and his posse wants you to do!" Martin sounded urgent. "That's why Taki has to stay with me!"
Colin smirked, Me thinks my Taki has an admirer. He thought looking at Tatsuki, who seemed utterly lost at this turn of events.
M.O.M.'s narrowed, "Martin, this isn't us just trying to get her out of Sousuke's war path for a certain amount of time."
"Then what is it about?!"
"The final ingredient needed to bring back that bastard –" Tatsuki interrupted M.O.M.'s furious growl.
"-is my blood, Martin." Tatsuki said darkly, her reddish colored eyes clear and devoid of what emotion one would expect to see. The room fell silent as those last words settled kindly into the thoughts of everyone now in the room.
Martin could feel his heart sink, even Taki wanted to leave them behind. His teeth bore together as he turned to look up at M.O.M again. "You're the one that gave us the mission in the first place! So what, now you think we can't handle it because some stupid book was stolen?! We don't even know if it was Sousuke's groupies that took the stupid thing!" Martin was standing now.
"Martin-"
"No, let me finish! You trusted us to keep Taki safe, we'll Martin Mystery never gives up on a mission! I'm going to protect Taki with my life!" those words hung in the air for a few moments as everyone digested them, even Martin.
Java came forward first, "Java protect Taki with life, too." He said with self-confidence."
"As much as it pains me to say this M.O.M., Martin is right, you trusted us with this mission and now we have to see it through to the end!" Diana said, "Even if it means putting our lives on the line!"
Colin covered his mouth as he yawned and stretched his side, "Well, that's good enough for me." He said and turned to his adopted daughter, "Well, I'll be seeing ya, Taki, have fun!" he said as a portal to his and Taki's home in Japan appeared behind him. He kissed her forehead as he exited through it.
"COLIN YOU IMBECILE GET BACK HERE!!" M.O.M. shouted after him, unfortunately the portal had closed, she turned her glare to the agents. "I really hope you know what you've gotten yourselves stuck in agents!" she said.
Martin broke out into a big grin, as did Diana, Java, and Billy, they had prevailed, Taki was staying with them! "And you thought you could get away from us that easily!" Martin said slinging his arm over Taki's small shoulders. Despite the other's joy Taki still seemed down.
"O-baka desu." She said. The group gave her a questioning look.
"Now remember our promise, Taki, speak English." Martin said with a smirk as he guided her through the portal back to Torrington. Taki just gave a fake smile.
She turned to Billy, "Is that you Billy, I hardly recognized you!"
-
"Is something wrong Taki-chan?" Arashi asked while waving a hand in front of the girl's face. Taki blinked back into to reality, "You seem kinda out of it." He said, "Maybe even depressed."
Taki forced a grin, "I'm fine, Arashi-kun." She lied. Arashi bit his lip as he watched her walk off, he didn't like it when Tatsuki lied to him, that much he knew. He watched as she met up with her blonde friend, the one called Martin, he had noticed it the passed couple of days that Taki was hardly ever alone, either Martin, the brown haired girl, the blonde kind with the mohawk, and even the janitor/ cafeteria man was always with her. I wonder why that is? Arashi thought as his eyes narrowed at the pair.
-
It was lunch and once again Taki had chosen not to eat. "Taki, that's not healthy you know." Diana took a pause from her own lunch to say.
"What's not healthy, Diana?" Taki asked, not once glancing up from her novel. She turned to the next page.
"Ugh, Taki I swear, when it comes to trying to drive me up a wall you and Martin are a real pair." Diana sighed, Taki's expression of indifference didn't waver, and she turned another page in her novel. "What, are you ignoring me now?"
"I'm listening, Diana, I just didn't feel the need to respond to that comment." Taki said coolly as she finished up with yet another page in the book. "Speaking of your brother, Diana, where he?" Taki asked.
Still somewhat peeved, Diana responded, "I don't know, probably off getting himself rejected by Jenni again, or some other girl."
"Ah." Acknowledged Taki, "Does he flirt with everything in a skirt?"
"Pretty much."
As if on cue, Martin arrived at the table, sporting a mysterious red handprint on the left side of his face. Billy, in human form, was not far behind him. "What'd I miss?" Martin grinned as he sat down.
"Taki, why aren't you eating?" Billy asked curiously.
"I'm not hungry."
"Seriously? This is like the fourth time this week you've gone with out lunch." Martin said, his eyes relayed suspicion and concern. Taki was already as thin as healthily possible, and she definitely didn't seem like the kind of girl that would starve herself, so what was the real deal here?
"And what's your point, Martin?" Taki looked up from her book with an eyebrow raised, as if to say, 'so what if I haven't been hungry lately?'.
Diana answered for her brother, "It's not good for you, Taki, I tried to tell you that earlier." Taki snapped her book shut and stood.
"If I'm going to be harassed about my eating habits, then I'm going back to my dorm." She said and began to walk away. As she reached the edge of the cafeteria she was joined by Java, who was on his way out anyway.
"Well at least she isn't going alone." Martin said off-handedly as he stuffed his face.
"Have you noticed that Taki's been acting, I don't know, a little different lately?" Diana asked her brother. He didn't answer.
"Believe me, Miss Lombard, with Taki, this is only the tip of the ice burg." A strange, yet familiar voice said suddenly from behind Diana causing the group to nearly ump out of their skin. "Hello!" grinned the adult.
"Hey you're-"
"Colin Price, Tatsuki's parental guardian." Said the man.
"What are you doing here, I thought we saw you go back to Japan. And what you mean this is only the tip of the ice burg?"
"Yes, wel, M.O.Mmy dragged be back by the ears." Colin sighed, "and as for what I meant about 'the tip of the ice burg', if I know Tatsuki like I know I do," he smirked, "I believe she's trying to make all of you wish you had let her go back to Japan with me."
Martin's teeth gnashed together, "and why would she want that?"
Colin stole an apple slice from Diana's plate, "because she doesn't want you guys to risk your lives to save hers." He stated a matter-o-factly. "Oh, and as far as Taki not being hungry goes, she's lying."
-
As Java and Tatsuki reached the entrance to her dorm, Java handed her something, "Java make special. Taki's favorite!" the caveman grinned. Taki opened the container to reveal her favorite Japanese meal. She looked up and him and smiled.
"Arigatou." She said sweetly.
Please Review -Goes to listen to Zombie by Versailles-