Chapter 7: The Obligatory Hot Spring Episode, Oh, And Explosion's...
The Laughing Dragon Hot Springs, Kyoto
Steam... John's world right now was composed of steam and warmth. As he sat in the hot spring, SPARTAN-117's mind filed through the event's of the day. One odd event after another. Whoever is running the opposition has a juvenile mindset, if how they have been striking at the class is any indication. Releasing a sigh, John let the hot spring work it's magic on his muscles. Few know this about SPARTAN II's but even they needed some down time once in a extremely rare while.
A few minutes later John's augmented hearing picked up someone coming into the spring, breaking him out of his musings. By the pattern of the step's, the way they where close together and the sound of the foot itself hitting the ground, the Spartan was able to deduce that the person was in his preteen's and male by the gait. Armed with this information the Spartan was able to quickly (And correctly) guess that Negi was entering the spring.
John decided to mostly ignore Negi for a while so he could think about his current situation. If any of the other SPARTAN II's saw him right now they would probably accuse him of going native, and the worst part for John was that he could not deny the accusation. He was gradually getting used to civilian life and deep down that bothered him.
Only one SPARTAN II had given civilian life a try, Maria-062, and the last report he had of her said she was still trying to acclimate. What bothered him the most, however, was one question that he had started to ask himself a decade ago after a particularly ugly food riot that the SPARTAN's put down. Would he have better served humanity if he had never have been conscripted for the program? Sure, his leadership had helped keep his fellow Spartan's and marines alive through thirty year's of hell, but he had always wondered if he would have helped more if he was a Admiral or a politician.
Hearing Negi and his familiar start discussing the strange event's that had happened made John realize something. It was mostly a moot point now as most of the Spartan's where dead and his time would better be served by living in the now. He started to move toward Negi when he heard the sound of someone else making their way to the spring. Peering through the steam he was able to make out the distinct silhouette of a young woman.
Listing to Negi whisper to Chamo, John was able to find out that the stranger was, in fact, Setsuna. After a few awkward moments moments, John heard the soft intake of breath and the sound of feet shifting. His combat instincts kicked in and before he knew it, he was riseing from the water and snatching up a nearby rock. Spartan time kicked in and Johns eye's tracked the shadowy form of Setsuna as she rushed at Negi with her sword drawn. With his mind calculating the necessary force and speed needed to accomplish what he wanted, John reared his arm back and let his impromptu weapon fly.
Setsuna was about to let loose one of her clan's techniques at who she assumed was a spy/assassin, when a rock traveling about three times terminal velocity sped past her head. This caused her to stumble away from where the rock had gone. Before she knew it a hand like a vise grip had clamped around her sword arm and a iron hard arm had snaked around her neck. A voice she knew spoke right into her ear, "Hold bodyguard. You where about to attack Negi."
Setsuna, now that the steam had cleared, realized that the voice spoke the truth. Ashamed she stopped struggling and the arm's restraining her let her go. Turning to the Spartan to apologize she noticed her unclothed state and promptly blushed from head to toe, a action soon copied by Negi. John shook his head slightly at the situation and turned so that Setsuna could cover herself with the towel she had discarded so she could bathe.
Once she covered herself she planed to once again try to apologize, but that plan was derailed by a very familiar scream. John responded instantly and all but flew to the entrance of the spring. He was fallowed after a few moments by Setsuna and after a second or so, by Negi. While John was running he removed his last resort, a non-reflective steel throwing knife that he had taken to storing in his braided hair (He had kept the hair style to better blend into the civilian population).
Flipping the knife downward John felt the familiar weight of command settle onto his shoulders. The last of the SPARTAN II's, Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 flew through the door to the dressing room preparing for the worst, but what he saw that day would forever be seared itself into his memory.
Monkeys?
For the first time ever, something caused John's thought processes to come to a complete stop. After a brief instant the only thought that rattled around his head was, 'wha?' before thought reasserted itself. Before him Asuna and Konoka where getting striped and/or molested by what looked like tiny monkeys. Setsuna and Negi bareled into the room shortly after John and shared similar reaction's before a round mutual embarrassment in sued.
John, who was able to quickly able to get over any hormone driven impulse, quickly garbed one of the tubs used to store people's clothes when they used the springs and chucked it at the monkey' attacking Konoka. The monkeys, who had knocked Konoka over and where busy carting her off somewhere, jumped over the tub while keeping their hands on the girl. Negi, with a quick flash of intuition, discreetly cast a levitation spell on Konoka with a training wand he had recently taken to constantly carry.
Setsuna saw her chance and quickly dashed over to Konoka and jumped into the air. Using her momentum, Setsuna caught Konoka and landed several feet away from the primates. John was about to attack the gaggle of monkeys when Negi latched onto his waist yelling something about how they where only poor animals. This stopped John for about 1.3 seconds before he simply dragged Negi over to the offending animals.
John quickly lashed out at one of the confused primates with a half strength kick causing it to pop like a balloon, scattering paper everywhere. Everyone but John stopped what they where doing while the Spartan played stomp-a-mole with the remaining monkeys, including the one's accosting Asuna. As silence descended on the occupants of the changing room, Konoka and Setsuna realized their respective situations.
"S-Set-chan?"
With a squeak Setsuna dropped Konoka and sped off like the devil was licking at her heels. John took the moment of silence that fallowed to quickly look around for more enemies and/or potential threats. Konoka sighed in dejection and Negi and Asuna looked at her concernedly. After a few pregnant moments Asuna realized her current unclothed state and promptly yelped and covered herself.
Negi, and surprisingly, John took a few moments to also realize Asuna's nakedness. Both male's fled the scene red faced (A/N: In John's case it's just hormones... or is it? HAHAHAH!) fallowed by several random objects and the word 'PERVERTS!'.
Two Hours Later...
John knew the line was cliche' but it fit the situation around the inn. It's quiet... too quiet. There was a super natural stillness to the air and it set John on edge enough to ready some equipment that he had managed to convince the Principle to get for him (A/N: John's broke people...). Slipping on the gray tactical vest over his school uniform and belting on a holster to his right thigh, the Spartan did one last equipment check.
One Colt 1911 modded to accept a silencer and extended mags, said silencer, two 6 inch non-reflective throwing knifes, one 14 inch double bladed combat knife, and one flash-bang. Grabbing his braid, John checked to see if the three inch shank (for lack of a better term) was still in place. John mentally sighed and wished he had more hardware at his disposal.
As John stood to leave through the window his left hand started to itch slightly and the whispering that had plagued him all day intensified for a second. He ignored it and hopped out into the night and into the shadows. About 15 minutes later John came upon Negi, Asuna and Setsuna all talking in hushed tones. Sticking to the shadows the Spartan was able to over hear what they where talking about.
After a few minutes listening in John shook his head. Talking about things like that in public, without making sure there are no ease droppers? *Sigh* Well, they are children. They'll learn one way or another. I just hope they are alive when all of this is done and that's my job. Shaking his head, John slipped deeper into the shadows just as the three did joined hands in some type of pledge.
A few minutes later John was shadowing Negi while keeping the inn in sight. John managed to overhear Negi's pet rodent (John still harbored a dislike for the animal/person/whatever) talk about one of the uses of the card in his hand. I wonder if another mage could jam the telepathic link? While John thought of the tactical applications of telepathy, Negi's cell phone rang. After a hurried conversation Negi put away the phone and turned to run back to the inn but something falling from the sky stoped him and John.
With a loud crash a... womeninamonkeysuit (Thinking about the situation quickly helped John distract himself from the absurdity) with Konoka in her arms landed in front of Negi while John stuck to the shadows. John was about to intervene when he remembered the conversation he had had with the headmaster before the trip had started.
The Spartan stood at attention in front of the Headmasters desk and waited motionlessly for him to finish his paper work. Five minutes later the older man placed the last bit of paperwork into the 'OUT' bin on his desk and looked up seemingly surprised that John was there. After taking a few seconds to regain his composure, the Principle smiled and started to stroke his beard. "Oh, John, good to see you. I assume that you are here to find out why I summoned you?"
At John's slight nod the Headmaster continued, "I called you here to talk about the trip coming up. Negi is going to under some pressure during the trip and I want to set up some rules for you or as you military types like to say some 'Rules of Engagement'. The first rule: You are to insure that the class comes to no harm during the trip. The second rule: Negi is to come to no PERMANENT harm. What this mean's is that during the trip I expect Negi to get into a fight or two, however if it seems that he, or any partners that he has, look like they could die or be crippled for life you are to step in. Other then that, shadow him and provide any discreet assistance as needed. The third rule: Lethal force will be allowed if the situation call's for it. But I'd like to get through this mess without any body bags."
After a few seconds the old man seemed to nod to himself and smiled up at the Spartan. "That's all for now. Bring me a list of supply's you'll need to carry out your 'Mission' and I'll see what I can do." The Headmaster swept his hand toward the door, "That will be all."
John gave himself a mental nod and faded deeper into the shadows. A few seconds later Asuna and Setsuna where pulling monkey... things off Negi. A brief round of discussion in sued and the trio where off after the monkey suited women, while John kept pace. A minute or two later the kidnapper had made her way to a train station and on to one of the train's while Negi, Asuna and Setsuna kept hot on her heels. John had taken to the train's roof and had used his enhanced hearing to keep track of the people inside the train.
After a hectic twenty or so seconds for Negi and co. John heard Setsuna say something about 'Charms of Warding' and a few seconds after that the Spartan heard monkey women mutter something. The sound of water filled the car bellow and the sound straining metal. Ten seconds later the Spartan was about to do something when the door to the next car over was split perfectly down the middle.
Monkey woman was caught in the sudden surge of water and was swept out of onto the loading platform along with Setsuna, Asuna, Negi and Chamo. A few words where exchanged and monkey woman was off like shot with Negi and co. hot on her heel's again. John saw that the kidnapper had also picked up a shadow as well and kept sending discreet glances at said shadow for reassurance. That meant her shadowy ally was in control or more powerful than her.
The chase abruptly stopped on a massive stair case with John crouched in the rafters of the train station ready to spring in to action. More word's where exchanged and the kidnapper ditched her monkey suit which made John feel a bit better about the whole situation (He did not know if the suit was armored or not). After a few more word's where exchanged Setsuna rushed the kidnapper.
The women held up a little strip of paper and chanted something, then threw it. Not even a second later the strip transformed into a flaming kanji character that would of burned Setsuna into a crisp had Asuna not grabbed the back of her yukata and yanked her back. While this was happening Negi had finished his own chant, sending a wave of air at the kidnapper knocking her back a few feet and dispelling her spell in the process.
So this is a mage's fight, John thought. Giving a mental shrug as Negi activated his contract with Asuna, the Spartan had only one thought, I've seen weirder. The kidnapper seemed to realize her tactical situation was not in her favor, with the use of two more charms to summon two giant animal things to help her fight against the uneven odds.
A few moments later Asuna had banished one of the large animal summons and was fighting the other with some type of battle fan. Setsuna was to busy dealing with another swords women named Tsukuyomi to get to Konoka and Negi was busy preparing a spell to deal with the monkey obsessed women.
John decided a half second later that a distraction was needed if Negi was to succeed in his little gamble. After taking out the flash-bang John quickly calculated the angle, speed and timing to get the little device to do what he wanted it to do. However right before he could implement his plan the itching on his left hand and the voices whispering to him both rose to a level that soon became hideously painful.
Call me...
Call me...
Call me...
Call Me...
Call Me...
CALL ME, AVATAR! CALL ON THE SONG OF SALVATION AND DESTRUCTION!
John, for the first time in a long time let his instincts totally guide him, if only to escape the pain. Words came to the Spartan, words of power, words he had known since he had awoken in the clearing a few weeks ago. Blue green flames consumed him as he fell from his perch in the rafters.
"SHRIKE WAR-SINGER! AIRES PROTOCOL!"
The situation below had been resolved in team Negi's favor, when John's shout had alerted the others to his presence. Negi, Asuna, Konoka and Setsuna all rushed toward the Spartan as he fell. Their rush faulted when John burst into flames while still in the air. A few seconds after the flaming mass that was the Spartan hit the floor, the flames died down allowing the others to cautiously approach him.
John's tac-vest, school jacket and under shirt where gone. His left hand now had a small green gem on the back, while his right hand now had a complex tattoo on the palm. Silence descended on the group as they stared at the still smoking Spartan.
Asuna voiced the groups thoughts, "Now what?"
End chapter 7
A/N: Hey all, sorry it took so long and how short the chapter is but I had some issues to deal with in RL. Anyway I'm going to start pumping out chapters weekly and/or every two weeks, so you won't have to worry about when I'm going to update next. Talk to you all later, bye.