Chapter Six: It all Started with a Night in a Cell
Sunlight filtered in through the prison bars onto a pained figure trapped in a dingy one mattress cell. The figure, with a streak of red on her otherwise dark hair, had her head buried in her hands, elbows propped on knees. It was eight in the morning and Ryuko Matoi was finally sobering up, as for Senketsu, she didn't know. They must have taken him from her at some point in the night, as well as her scissor blade.
"Damn it," Ryuko pulled at her hair one last time and finally sat up on the mattress, straightening her back. She had to bust out of here, save her friends, and run away from this academy, but she didn't have Senketsu or her blade, and pulling on the bars and yelling at the top of her lungs hadn't accomplished anything so far. She didn't know what to do.
Her blade, if only she had at least that. She pounded her fist into her open hand. That's right her blade! She would have it! Why a couple days ago Senketsu had shown her a trick. That she could keep her blade close to herself by attaching a single fiber to it. This fiber would allow her to draw back her blade, preventing her from losing it like in the match against Omiko, while also making her look cool, as if she could call back the blade at will. But could it work now? Looking at the finger where her string was usually attached she found it was gone. Well, there goes that plan. She slumped back into her original position a sigh escaping her lips.
"Lady Satsuki, these are the reports about the incident regarding last night." An old butler approached Satsuki's desk which was right in the middle of a giant stark white room. Light from the windows behind her made her figure hard to discern and he could see a delicate hand reaching out for the manila file he carried, before it disappeared again.
"Thank you Soroi. Bring me some extra tea," the lady's cold clipped voice reached the butlers ears from amongst the light and he knew he was immediately dismissed. Satsuki looked over the papers as her butler scurried away and the frown on her face became even more and more pronounced. "Thousands of dollars in damage from homemade fireworks, intoxication of students, distruptance of peace and order… Matoi and Mikisugi are the main culprits here. I'll have to punish them accordingly. But it troubles me so that she can't seem to control herself. This Matoi girl would be a formidable warrior. I guess I should've expected this when I brought her here." Satsuki snapped the folder back shut and rose to her feet ready to carry out a speech before the public punishments were carried out, when a knock came on her door. "Come in."
Iori, a small blonde haired boy entered and gave a small bow, the light blinding him from seeing her visage. "Lady Satsuki it appears we have a problem. The kamui we have captured was stolen."
Satsuki's mouth twitched. "Did you at least take measurements of it down? Were the copies made?"
Iori nodded his head. "Yes, Inumuta made sure of it. We no longer need the original in order to further our plans."
"That's good. And who exactly stole back the kamui? Matoi is still in her prison cell."
Iori visibly squirmed and looked as he was struggling to form words with his mouth, which flapped around like a fishes. "Yes she still is," he said at last.
"Then what's the issue?" Satsuki said but she had an inkling of what Iori was getting at and she didn't like it.
Iori squirmed even harder. He was certain that she was starting at him with her penetrating gaze even though he couldn't see it now. At last he decided to just let it all out, the words coming out in a rush. "We caught a girl with a frilly pink dress on camera taking the kamui. It was her."
Satsuki didn't say anything and Iori wondered if she had not heard him. He was steeling himself to repeat it again, when she raised a hand.
"Did she find out about the project?"
"I don't, I don't think so," Iori squeaked out. "She only came for the kamui it seems."
Satsuki contemplated this, her heart and mind racing hard but no sign of her fear could be heard in her voice. She only let anger and hatred tinge her words. "Make sure to step up security. Tell Inumuta and Ira to keep an eye on things. Or several if possible. Also send Maiko to take care of Ryuko."
"We're using her?" Iori asked.
"Yes, it's time she was put to use. You are now dismissed; carry on with your duties. I want those uniforms done even faster than ever."
"Yes my lady," Iori bowed again and left, leaving Satsuki standing by herself. "Nui," she hissed.
"Don't look so down in the dumps, pig. Could it be you're sad about being put back in your pen?" the singsong voice Ryuko immediately recognized and she jumped up, pointing a finger at the girl in the frilly pink dress in front of her.
"You from that day! What are you doing here? How the hell did you get in?" Ryuko looked at the locked cage door and back at the girl who had magically appeared inside without a sound. "I still owe you a beating for that stunt you pulled with my sandwich."
"Oh, is that anyway to treat a friend?" the girl faked a hurt look, a teardrop glistening in the corner of her eye. "Especially if she brought someone for you?"
"Who?" Ryuko's confusion faded after the girl pulled out Senketsu from behind her back.
"Senketsu am I glad to see ya! I mean, I'm not glad, just you're my property and I don't wanna lose ya," Ryuko muttered as the jacket jumped into her open arms.
"Sure, sure, I understand," the jacket smiled as he hugged Ryuko back before letting her put him on.
"Where have you been?" she asked as she gently ran her thumb over his lapels. His red gold eye swiveled up to look at her. "I don't quite recall. I remember being in a lab and people poking and prodding me and then I wake up to see her running her fingers all over me." Ryuko listened intently. "I don't like her Ryuko. I feel like she did something."
Ryuko stopped to process this, than glanced back up at the girl.
"Where'd you get him from?" Ryuko asked as she glanced at the girl who was now rocking back and forth on the soles of her feet, hands clasped behind her back.
"That is a secret moi cherie. For now worry about the task at hand. You wanna free your friend's right? Do so and everything will become apparent in the meantime." The girl giggled and Ryuko felt shivers. She couldn't trust her right? Her gut and Senketsu were telling her this but she was clearly helping them.
"Okay…" Ryuko slowly started "But I want answers, and I'm gonna get them out of you even if I have to beat them out," Ryuko threatened, her finger wagging at the girl who just looked more pleased if anything.
"Oh, please do, but first do me the favor of getting out of here. I didn't go through the trouble of getting your jacket here only for you to stand around. Oh, but I am forgetting you need this." The girl pulled out Ryuko's scissor blade from her dress. The blade glinted red in the light from the window and Ryuko was about to ask the girl where she had gotten this from but thought better of it.
Ryuko grasped the blade reveling in the feel of its weight. The girl looked at Ryuko's content face in interest before she walked over and opened the cage door. "After you moi cherie," she gestured for Ryuko to leave and Ryuko smiled. "Ready to do this Senketsu?" she whispered. Ryuko was about to teach this shit head school that no one told Ryuko what she could or could not do. She was Ryuko freaking Matoi. Trouble personified. She was done playing a little goody two shoes.
Ryuko walked out through the bars but it felt as if she was not only freed from prison but from the restraints placed upon her by this school. "Are you gonna fight too or are you," Ryuko turned around to see if the girl had followed her from out the cage but it was empty, no trace of her being there at all. "-just gonna disappear." Ryuko and Senketsu both tried to suppress the shivers they felt.
Ryuko ran from cell to cell, smashing open the cages and the prisoners, all with confusion etched upon their faces, exited them, lining up in the long hallway they were in.
"Ryuko, what's going on?" Aikuro pushed his way to the front of the crowd.
"I'm here to free all of you. It's time we stopped letting the school dictate what we can or cannot do. I'm planning on fighting the school back for what they do to us, this is simply abuse! The worst I'd get in high school was suspension and now I have scrape gum off the sidewalks just cause I chewed some in class? I don't know if ya are gonna be willing to fight with me but I'm not asking you too. I'd be nice to have the support though."
"Heh, I'm with you, Ryuko," Aikuro crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"So am I," came a gruff voice as Kinagase came to the front of the crowd too. "But that speech was terrible."
The rest of the crowd slowly began to look at one another and nodded their heads. "Yea we'll help," came their answer as one collective voice and then the alarms went off.
"Quick we gotta get out of here, the guards are coming!" Ryuko turned her blade to the door behind her and blew it open with a swing of her blade revealing mobs of guards coming their way. The crowd of prisoners hot on her trail followed her, as she smashed through wave after wave of guards. They finally made it to the buildings exit, but this was where the real challenge began. They now had to make it to the gate that separated the discipline department from the rest of this campus. In front of it was a swarm of guards heading their way. Ryuko debated whether to take them on, but it would take a lot of time and what if some guards snuck up behind her and took the prisoners back?
"Hey, I can help!" a small mousey girl with brown hair pulled on Senketsu's sleeve. "I know my way around here."
When Ryuko looked at her skeptically the girl added, "I snuck in here to check out what was on the other side, but they caught me just as I was going to escape. If we go past that row of buildings," the girl gestured to a row of buildings in the opposite direction of the gate, "then we can make them think that we've retreated. And on those streets is a bunch of sewer systems we can go through."
Ryuko hummed. It did sound like a reasonable idea. "Okay, everyone let's go," Ryuko gestured the group to follow her and they did, running at full speed with the girl directing them until they ended up in a narrow street with a dead end and no sewers to be seen.
"Oi, girl I think you lead us into a dead end."
"I think I did too," the girl's sweet voice had now changed into something more malignant.
Ryuko turned to glance at her when she felt something hard hit her head. She woke up on the ground, the cold gravel kissing her face.
"Let go off me, you assholes!" the girl's voice sneered as she grunted to escape. Ryuko sat up slowly her heart pounding in her ears and her vision blurry. They were still in the same place as before and the girl had been restrained by Kinagase and two other guys from the crowd.
"Boss," the one with a heavy mustache started. "She tricked us."
"I can tell," Ryuko grumbled and reached for her scissor blade which was laid out next to her. She used it to support herself as she stood, the blurriness on her vision going away.
"What was your purpose in betraying us?" Ryuko asked to which the girl laughed a high nasally laugh.
"I'm Maiko and I'm actually one of the guards. I was sent by Lady Satsuki to infiltrate the group, to prevent you from escaping and to get your kamui." With that a magical wind surrounded her and the guys were flung off of her as she transformed.
"My kamui…you mean Senketsu?" Ryuko glared at the now transformed girl. She was wearing Senketsu but it looked all wrong, the clothing ill-fitting on her. His eyes were different sizes and the skirt was upside down covering almost nothing of her crouch. How'd she get him to transform, that's impossible. And in a tight space like this how can I fight her! I'll be powerless against her.
"Ha, you didn't even know what your jacket is. Shows how educated you are. We studied him when we took him from you, and now we know everything about him." Ryuko let out a nervous gulp. Senketsu had been her one advantage in the fights, but if they knew how he worked, or if he had weaknesses…. Shit even Ryuko didn't know his weaknesses yet.
"Now I'm gonna squash your half assed rebellion," Maiko raised her fist to strike at Ryuko but suddenly found she couldn't move her body at all. "What's going on?" she barked. "I know how this thing works. Why isn't it working?"
"Ryuko, don't worry. I would never allow anyone else but you to use me," Senketsu explained.
"You better not," Ryuko mumbled with a relieved grin. She should have known Senks wouldn't betray her. Approaching the girl she started punching her in the face with her free hand. The girl's body couldn't move so only her head snapped back and forth quickly from the impact. The prisoners cheered until Ryuko finally stopped. Maiko's face was a mess of purple bruises; her lips were split and dribbling blood, as was her nose. Then Ryuko grabbed the girl painfully by her messed up face and lifted her up. "If you ever dare to wear Senketsu again, I swear it won't just be your face that gets fucked up." The girls defiant stare was cut short when Ryuko smashed her head into the pavement hard, causing the ground to crack. The girl was already unconscious by the time the rest of her body joined her head on the ground.
Senketsu untransformed and hopped away from the girl spitting out her blood as he went. "I can't believe she made me drink her nasty blood." He hopped back onto Ryuko's willing shoulders before he added, "I think we have company." Ryuko heard the march of hundreds of feet and raced through the fugitives, standing in front of them just as the enemy pulled through.
"Give up your surrounded," one of the guards notified Ryuko as she snapped her head back and forth to analyze her chances. She had managed to free Aikuro, Kinagase and about everyone else from the prions and they had run, but now they were cornered. They were stuck between two narrow rows of buildings in what ended up as a dead end. Ryuko stood in front of the group of prisoners, whose backs were to the buildings, her sword held in front of her and feet in a defensive stance in her transformed state. Guards piled up in front of her slowly approaching, and more guards stood lined up on the roofs of the buildings.
Could she manage to somehow pull off an attack? Not in this tight of a space-she could hurt her own people. "Ryuko don't do it." Senketsu cut into her thoughts as if he had read her mind. "Actually I can read your mind."
"Wha-?" Ryuko announced her face blushing red. Sometimes she liked to think about not so pure thoughts.
"Don't worry its only when we're transformed." But Senketsu shifted uncomfortably on her skin and she knew he'd at least heard something.
"Ryuko Matoi, surrender now," the lead guards voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Like hell I will. Me and these people are tired of your hard ass ways. You wanna live life with a stick up your ass, go ahead be my guest. But don't make others do it too."
The guard shook his head and then placed a small white square on the floor. Touching it with the tip of his fingers he stood back and watched as the box evolved into a megaphone on wheels about the height of Ryuko.
"Ryuko Matoi!" Satsuki's voice came through loud and clear, sending Ryuko's hair flying back from her face. "And Aikuro Mikisugi," she added a bit more subdued before roaring back in volume not letting anyone's ears get a chance to recover. "Both of you are largely responsible for the damage of school property as well as the endangerment of the school staff and students. Not only did you proceed with reckless abandonment and selfishness in fulfilling your own desires, you both conspired to bring others down to your own level. Therefore pigs like you in human clothing deserve to be punished publically for your crimes where everyone else will learn and laugh at your mistakes."
"Actually I hate clothes, so just call me a plain old pig," Aikuro's wise cracking voice sounded from somewhere behind Ryuko followed by a loud crack. "Be serious idiot!" That was Kinagase. Ryuko snorted, her grin threatening to break out on her face. She barely knew those two idiots and the rest of the crowd, but she was willing to fight for them to the last drop of her strength. They were united under their struggle.
"Listen here Lady Satsuki, Smatsuki whatever you wanna call yourself," Ryuko started addressing the now silent device in front of her. "I don't know what kind place your running here but it ain't right. Locking students up for stupid shit like chewing gum. Maybe that would've flied in the 1920's but it's not that time period anymore. It's the 21st century. So I suggest you start treating us 'pigs' in clothing a whole hell of a lot better or else we might start to fight back." Ryuko jammed her sword into the ground for emphasis as the prisoner's cheered.
There was a short silence before the device crackled back to life. "So you seem to know what time period you are in, that means you aren't delusional. You must just be stupid." At this Ryuko let out an indignant "Hey!" which Satsuki ignored. "Tell me Matoi, would you be willing to put your life on the line for your comrades, for each and every one of them?" Ryuko took a good look into her crowd. All of them had hope written on their faces. In the short amount of time that Ryuko had freed them from the cages they were entrusting themselves into her hands.
"I would fight any enemy you laid in front of me a thousand times over!" Ryuko yelled and the crowd behind her roared.
"…I see. Then let's put this to the test shall we?" the crowd of guards in front of Ryuko parted row by row until the space was free for Ryuko to feast her eyes upon her next enemy-
"Mako," she uttered out her voice strangely strangled. She couldn't believe it; her friend had been working with the discipline department the whole time. How had she not known?
Mako was standing there innocently, sneaking a few croquettes into her mouth. "Oh no, am I in trouble?" she asked as she stopped in mid-bite. "I swear I'll stop eating on the job," she twisted her head back and forth to look at the silent guards before noticing Ryuko. She zoomed up to her friend completely unaware of the situation she was now in and gave her a hug before pulling away. "Wow you look so sexy in this outfit. If I didn't know better I'd date ya. Man I haven't seen you in so long, how's everything going?" Mako stared up at Ryuko with shinning eyes.
"So what'll be Ryuko? Will you choose to shatter your most precious bond over a handful of people's loyalty that will crumble away as soon as the wind blows?" the device jeered, its every word squeezing tightly around Ryuko's mind. Would Ryuko fight her best friend for the safety of others? Ryuko swallowed hard, her heart hammering. "You don't have to make this choice," Senketsu offered. "Just run away," but he knew it was futile, Ryuko never ran. She had to stay strong for her people, for her revolution, yes her revolution. That's what it would be. She'd call it the Kansai Crimson Tide.
"Ryuko if you win, I will grant you and these vagrants amenity. But should Mako win you will all be punished swiftly and accordingly. And Mako," Mako turned her face from Ryuko to look at the machine, "Yes Lady Satsuki?"
"I need you to fight. If you win, I can grant you and your family all the luxuries they could ever need. Truckloads of money will be at your disposal." As to cement her point a dump truck full of money appeared from behind the guards and Mako's eyes were shining. "I can buy so much food and clothes and a proper bathtub, maybe even some underwear. I can actually have underwear now! Instead of wearing Ziploc bags with holes cut out in them. Man they get so hot in the summer, it's like a sauna. And Ryuko can get some cute underwear too instead of those granny panties she wears."
"Oi Mako stop," Ryuko stammered feeling embarrassed but Mako didn't stop. "Underwear with cute little teddy's for all. Alright who I gotta fight?"
"You have to fight Ryuko," the speakers cut Mako's celebration short. She froze with her hands in the air and mouth gaping open. "Ryuko…"
Mako's face contorted in tortured thought as she absorbed what the machine told her. "If I win I can have money, I can buy my family everything they ever wanted. But no I mustn't be greedy. I can't hurt Ryuko. She's my friend, and family." Mako trailed off and shook her head to clear her thoughts, but was clearly struggling.
"Watch Ryuko, as your only friend will betray you for money," the machine jeered. Ryuko didn't let that dig hurt her. She knew if she didn't have so much riding on this fight she'd let Mako win. They both knew their family needed stuff.
"Mako," Ryuko started softly placed her hands on Mako's shoulders and looking into her face. "We're gonna have to fight now, okay? Its okay if you fight me, I'm gonna fight you too. I have to do it for the sake of these people."
"Sure, Ryuko we can just play fight, like we did with Mataro, our brother." Mako tried to come up with a way to escape the situation.
"Remember Mako, the fate of your future education rides on this. You are a member of the discipline council. Act like it! If you do not win, or even refuse to partake in this fight, your expulsion from this University will be immediate!" Satsuki's yelled and Mako's face scrunched up.
"Discipline her. Discipline her." The guards chanted in gravelly ominous voices. Mako only looked more and more stressed out.
"No Mako, real fighting," Ryuko intoned. "And if you don't hit me first I'm gonna do it. Don't lose your college position over me. I know how important it is to you. And I know how much our family needs the money. It's going to be okay. Go for it." Mako warred a bit more before she finally looked Ryuko in the eyes.
"Okay," Mako resigned herself to the duel. If Ryuko wanted the fight to happen then Mako would do it for her friend. She gave her pal a smile to show she still loved her before her eyebrows nosedived and she brought up her fist. "I won't hold back on ya, just because you're my sister and friend."
"Same here," Ryuko felt relieved that Mako seemed to understand, and then Mako's fist hit her hard. She flew back and the prisoners parted to let her slow down by digging her blade into the floor.
"Not bad, what was that brass knuckles?" Ryuko recognized the taste of cold hard brass.
"Yup, these are supposed to be the weapons I use." Mako raised both hands to show brass knuckles with her name spelled on each. Leaving her sword behind Ryuko zoomed towards her friend. "Ryuko why'd you leave your sword behind?" Senketsu asked, but Ryuko mentally shushed him. You can read my mind, you'll know.
She's your friend, I got that. I can see how much you care for her, Senketsu's eye closed in respect briefly.
Mako and Ryuko traded blows as they danced a deadly dance. Both crowds cheering for when one side would get a good punch in.
"How come you didn't tell me you joined the discipline department?" Ryuko asked as she dodged Mako's jab.
"They told me I couldn't say anything about it," Mako blocked a flurry of Ryuko's fists before she sent her own volley back catching Ryuko on the chin with one of her hits.
"And it doesn't bother you what they do?" Ryuko aimed a well-placed hit, sending Mako a good distance back.
"I never get to do anything there. They just send me for errands and sometimes they practice their moves on me," Mako did a backflip over Ryuko and then kicked her into a building as her friend tried to twist around in time. The crowds ducked and swerved trying to avoid the fighting girls.
"Mako you poor thing." Mako had been mistreated too and she didn't even realize it. She pulled herself from the wall and cocked back her fist, but the punch that Ryuko threw at Mako suddenly felt wrong. There was too much power in it. She tried to withdraw her hand but Senketsu stiffened around her arm, holding it there. Mako hit the ground hard and didn't move.
"Mako no!" Ryuko stood rooted to the ground. "Senketsu how could you do this?" she screamed.
"I'm sorry Ryuko I didn't do it on purpose, I wasn't… I don't know."
Ryuko finally managed to move over to Mako's body and slowly cradled her in her arms, her face one of utter horror and disgust at her actions.
"R..Ryuko?" a soft voice came from Mako and Ryuko answered, "Yea?"
"I'm sorry I had to fight you, the money isn't important. After all we're here in college to learn so that we can make our own money like that. You're my family too. And I don't care if I get expelled. If you get kicked out then there's no point in me being here either. We were supposed to do this together." Mako's voice was weak and her eyes half lidded. She struggled to get words out. "But that last punch was very mean." Mako grabbed Ryuko's shoulders and headed butted her hard with her last remaining strength before collapsing into unconsciousness. Ryuko's head snapped back and she hit the ground unconscious too, her body, exhausted from being overwrought by emotions, finally using the chance to knock out.
"Hmmm, well I didn't expect that. I guess nothing changes in the end. Guards retreat after clearing up the area. Prisoners return to a regular school week schedule." The megaphone announced before it deflated.
The guards lifted Mako's body up and took it with them while the students took Ryuko's. With the sun lowering in the sky, the two best friends were separated unknowing if they would ever see each other again.