Chapter 12: It all Started with a Troll
"Ready to face the music, delinquent?" the short pink haired girl approached Ryuko who tried not to giggle at her height.
"The entrance for the local elementary school was that way." Ryuko jerked her thumb behind her, inciting the already foul tempered girl.
"Watch your tongue. You won't be able to use it much after you hear my music."
"If its shit, then yea, I won't wanna say anything," Ryuko smirked and Senketsu warned her to keep cool headed. She couldn't feel too cocky or else she could lose.
"Symphony Regalia Grave!" the girl's outfit which was comprised of a gray dress with three stars and a conductors hat with a monkey skull on it transformed into something raunchier. She was standing in the cavity of a huge pink heart shaped machine with massive woofers. Holy shit, that's her outfit?! Ryuko was not expecting the tiny pipsqueak to have heavy machinery at her disposal.
"Don't worry lady Satsuki I will defeat her, unlike those fools before us. As your long time best friend I will do this in your stead."
Jakuzure had been Lady Satsuki's best friend since elementary school. Even back then she had known her lady was destined for greatness and so took every opportunity to help assist her lady with it. One day they had built giant sand castles in the sand box but some boys came and knocked them down, laughing gleefully as they ran off leaving Nonon shaking her tiny fist at them. "You'll pay for this!"
"Pay them no mind," Satsuki said her voice already clipped and harsh, even at this young age. "One day I will construct castles and monuments that they can only ever marvel at seeing. These buildings will be the toughest in the land, nothing will be able to take them down. And you will be there, standing by my side as we gaze down on these peasants who dare crush our dreams."
"Yes," Nonon said eagerly as her lady rose from the sandbox, dusting off her white pants. "Come let us leave this child's play and forge ahead in this world." She said and Nonon followed her friend out of the sandbox and into the real world. And ever since then she had followed her lady closely making sure they were always in the same class and schools. Nonon still remembered her lady's promises and despite the fact that there had been others that she had invited to join her cause Nonon knew she was special because she had known Satsuki the longest and therefore her opinions had a heavier weight over the others. But now Satsuki was disregarding her opinions over this stupid troublemaker named Ryuko who probably couldn't even spell her name right. The others didn't know Satsuki like she did, and so she knew that Satsuki was really impressed by this girl and really wanted her on the team despite not talking much about it.
How dare this delinquent replace her in terms of worth in front of Satsuki's eyes? She was going to show that she was better than her.
Spinning her baton in the air she got ready a speech. "Prepare to feast your ears upon Beethoven, you uncultured swine. I'll teach you the true sound of music, and the true sound of pain." She readied her baton to fire her orchestra canons when she felt a breeze and her dress ruffled as Ryuko appeared next to her. "I think I'll pass. That old farts not really my taste in music, ya dig. I prefer the sound of victory." And just like that Nonon's outfit disintegrated around her as her machine fell apart.
"Decapitation mode!" Ryuko's blade had extended to deliver the finishing blow, leaving an undressed and very pissed off tiny being next to her.
"Wa…wa…wa!" Nonon looked at her tattered clothing and then at her hands and at Ryuko.
"Who's the tongue tied one now?" Ryuko smirked. She placed her now shortened blade over her shoulder, one hand placed on her hip.
Satsuki placed her cup down a little too hard on her saucer, the only indication of the shock she felt. How was it possible? This battle had barely started and she had already defeated her head!
"How could you!? I was supposed to defeat you, you whore, you slut, you skank!" Nonon's tortured cries filled the air as she hurled every insult known to man at Ryuko. She ran at her but Ryuko just put out her hand and held her there, Nonon's small arms too short to reach her. "Calm down troll doll."
"I was supposed to prove my worth to her, to show her I'm more important that you. How could you do this to me?" Nonon's voice eventually quieted down and became more strangled.
"Hey you guys down there ready?" Ryuko called over her shoulder at the two dots that were Inumuta and Gamagori.
"What is it Matoi?" Gamagori demanded, his eyes squinting angrily at her.
"She's going to- according to my calculations- throw the snake down here to accompany us," Inumuta informed and Gamagori turned with an incredulous look to his friend, "What?"
"It's not highly improbable and oh look- there she goes." Inumuta intoned still staring at his phone screen.
Gamagori turned his head back to the stage in order to witness Ryuko lift the now passive small girl by the head with one hand before tossing her straight down
Gamagori ran around as Nonon let out a long "Fuck you Matoi!" followed by a stream of tears, before Gamagori caught her in his massive arms.
"Are you unharmed Jakuzure?" Gamagori asked as he gently placed her to the ground and provided her with extra clothes.
"She'll be fine. It's only her pride that's been hurt," Inumuta deduced and Nonon tossed him a withering glare.
"Your number two on my shit list, right after Matoi," she informed him before changing with a huff and sitting down as far away as she could from both of them.
Meanwhile Mako was running around crazily looking for a seat amongst the bleachers. She had overslept and hopefully Ryuko wouldn't be too mad about her missing her most important matches yet. In her struggle to find a seat she realized there was an open one next to Gamagori-senpai. She launched herself at him startling him.
"Senpai!" she squealed and he threw an embarrassed look at her before pulling her off of him and into the seat next to him.
"Mankanshoku, don't disrupt the audience."
"I'm sorry," she apologized making a pouty face before she returned back to her smiling face. "I came to support Ryuko but I'm such a bad friend. I overslept and then I couldn't find a seat. This was the only one I could find. What happened so far? Did Ryuko win?"
"Yes Mankanshoku, she did. She managed to beat me first and then Inumuta forfeited allowing her to win her second match as well. She just finished her third one and is now on her final match." Gamagori grudgingly explained.
Mako craned her head up to see the match but had a hard time focusing on it. She scrambled up her senpai's back to which he stammered out "Hey what are you doing?" but she just sat on his shoulders her hands making binoculars around her eyes.
"I can see Ryuko better this way," she replied and settled down comfortably to watch the game while poor Gamagori blushed and resigned himself to his fate.
Ryuko stood on the stage letting the sound of her name being chanted by the students envelope her in a cocoon of confidence. The crowd had gone ballistic over her latest victory. The pillar with Uzu, her last opponent reached the stage and he hopped off, his back held in a relaxed cocky position.
"Ready to taste defeat by my shinai again?" he smirked and Ryuko smirked right back. When she'd been hospitalized, she had some time to think about her duel with him and she knew she could win this.
"I apologize in advance Senks"
For what? he asked getting his answer a split second later when her thoughts flooded into his mind. I see. That's quite the plan.
Uzu quickly transformed and lunged at her but she stood perfectly still, at the last moment she quickly cut off some of Senketsu's fiber and he flew straight into the holes in Uzu's armor, blinding him.
He stopped mid run and clutched at his face, trying to get the fibers to come out. "Hey get off," he grunted but the pieces of Senketsu held firm.
"How about you taste defeat brought to you by my blade?" Ryuko offered as she launched into offense. She thrust, jabbed, slashed and pummeled him with various attacks and he was blind to them, not being able to dodge them for she moved with ever increasing speed.
"Your special ability isn't much use to you now is it?" Ryuko taunted and then launched herself high into the air above his crouched form where he lay breathing hard and sweating profusely.
Her blade elongated in the air. She called out the name of her finishing move and landed hard, her impact shattering most of the stage around them. Uzu collapsed to the ground with his uniform gone and being absorbed by Ryuko's own. He lay on the floor in shock before he slowly got up. He couldn't believe it. He had completely destroyed her days ago and now she had completely owned him. He had relied on his ability for far too long, he could see his error now.
"Well fought," he offered her his hand to shake and she did. "You have humbled me. I see I have much to learn, especially in the face of a kamui." He then turned and before leaving the stage he turned to Satsuki "I see that despite training hard I still am not worthy of many fights, but I promise you I will change so that I can be worthy to still fight you." He gave a wry smile before leaving the stage where his friends were waiting for him with extra clothes.
"So the monkey lost too," Inumuta pushed up his glasses "I'm not surprised. I told you all she was rapidly evolving."
"Then why didn't you tell us how to defeat her, you dog?" Nonon snarled.
But Inumuta shook his head. "I only know she is evolving, I can't predict exactly how. There's too many variables and fluctuations."
Mako cheered wildly from atop Gamgori's shoulders, "Settle down or you'll hurt yourself," he ordered and she immediately calmed down.
"Well what's going to happen now?" Uzu asked as he changed into his clothes.
"That's up to lady Satsuki to decide," Inumuta typed something up on his phone before raising his eyes to the stage where Satsuki sat. "And I can't predict her response. It's too varied."
Ryuko enjoyed the applause and let out a sigh. Despite taking on all four she didn't even feel tired or worn out.
Your heart beat is slightly elevated and so is your body temperature, other than that everything is normal.
I'm shocked. Who knew that discovering I was made of life fibers would help me work better with you unconsciously.
Satsuki placed her tea in the hands of her butler who had appeared at her side. She straightened out her dress and then addressed the crowd trying to calm them down.
"Students of Honnouji, that concludes the fight between Ryuko Matoi and the four heads of department," a loud cheer came from the crowd as they chanted the victor's name. "But," Satsuki cut them off, her voice ringing out on loudspeaker. "The fight between me and Ryuko will start now."
Ryuko froze. Had she heard right? Was she going to fight Satsuki now?
The elite four all froze too.
"Did I hear right?" Uzu asked, his mouth wide open.
"Is lady Satuski really going to fight that heap of moving trash?" Nonon asked her voice tinged with disbelief and disgust.
"Satsuki what are you doing?" Ryuko asked as the president of the school hopped on her own pillar that lead her to the stage where she would take Ryuko on.
"This wasn't in the agreement," Ryuko clutched her sword harder.
"I am fully aware of that, but after seeing you single handedly destroy all my heads you really think I'll let you slip away that easily? You'll have to win against me too." The black haired girl transformed and pulled Bakuzan out in front of her, the black blade gleaming menacingly.
"I refuse to do so."
"Then I'll count that as your lose and the result will be the same as if you had lose one of your previous matches."
"This is utter bullshit!" Ryuko muttered but got her body in a battle stance. "I'll just have to crush you like the others."
With that the two girls charged at each other, their swords ringing loudly in the air as they crossed with one another.
Can't give up on her can you? The slimy voice of Junketsu interrupted Satsuki's thoughts. You just can't stand the fact that she's better than you. You're jealous of her abilities.
Shut up, I will not listen to your poison, Satsuki grunted as she took a hit to the stomach.
The girls continued to trade blows and Ryuko found that Satsuki was much stronger than she expected. She couldn't get a critical hit in, there were no openings. The very air around them was vibrating with power and their heels left dent marks in the ground as they launched themselves at each other and then away from each other in a deadly dance of blades.
How much longer is this going to go on? Ryuko asked annoyed. Her high from fighting the four was fading and she could feel weariness settle into her bones. Her foot stumbled on a piece of debris and it was all the advantage Satsuki needed. She butted the sword out of Ryuko's hand and then bitch slapped her open palmed across the face. The slaps resounded in Ryuko's head and she could taste the salty tang of blood as her lip split open. Then she was grabbed roughly by the hair.
"Matoi I want you to join me. Look at the potential you have. You defeated four of my very best without so much as batting an eye. Can't you see this is what the rebellion needs?"
"Or maybe what you need," Ryuko spat "For all I know you are evil and just trying to use me to further your own goals. I won't let you use me for your own ends, and I sure as hell won't let Nui decide either. I'm going to do my own thing and no one can stop me!" With that Ryuko sent a kick straight into Satsuki's gut causing the taller girl to loosen her grip on the smaller girls hair, but Ryuko forgetting how close she was to the stage edge had put too much force into that kick.
"Shit!" she yelled as she was sent spiraling down towards the ground.
"Oh no Ryuko!" Mako cried, jumped off her senpai's back and tried to determine where her friend was going to fall, holding her hands out to catch her.
Gamagori was by her side. "Stand back, you won't be able to catch her." he informed Mako and Nonon seeing this exchange almost barfed. "What's up with him?"
"He seems to be developing something called a crush," Inumuta pushed up his glasses all knowingly.
"On her?" Nonon couldn't keep the disgust out of her voice.
Senks do something! Ryuko panicked.
Hold up I got this and suddenly he was retransforming. She got jets on the bottom of her shoes and was soaring upwards. Great job she praised her kamui and Senketsu wiped a sweat drop away relieved.
Satsuki peered over the edge to assess Matoi's damage when said girl zoomed right past her face and did a twirl in the air before diving back down to the stage and retrieving her blade. She held the blade out at Satsuki who just smirked.
"I see that my demanding of you will clearly not change your mind, therefore I beg of you," with this Satsuki gave a small bow and all elite fours mouths gaped wide open, Nonon's especially wide.
"What is she doing?" Nonon was confused by her best friend's actions. The unbendable Satsuki bending for a complete pile of trash?
Ryuko was just as shocked.
"Matoi Ryuko I beg for your assistance with ridding the world of life fibers, I cannot do it without you. And I know you still do not trust me, so if you ever feel like I have betrayed you," at this Satsuki extended her hands with her blade held out on them. "You have my permission to take my head."
The elite fours mouth opened even wider and Inumuta's phone short circuited. "This outcome I truly was not expecting," he murmured at last tearing his gaze away from the electronic and looking at the scene above him.
Ryuko was flabbergasted, she didn't know what to say or do. At last she uttered out "Oi, are you alright in the head?"
Satsuki straightened up, her eyes burning with determination "I am always right in the head," she stated and Ryuko let out a snort before erupting into full blown out laughter.
"Does my determination amuse you Matoi?"
"Nah, it's just you said that last part with such a straight face I couldn't keep it in anymore." Ryuko wiped away a tear from her eye.
"The offer stands Ryuko. Are you going to take it?" Satsuki's determined expression did not change.
"Wait before I say anything can you say in that deep voice of yours with the same expression, 'Ryuko the offer still stands, I want you to grab life by the balls!" Ryuko barely managed to stay this as giggles over took her again.
"She's making fun of lady Satsuki after she showed her so much respect!" Nonon gritted her teeth "I ought to go up there and slit her throat for just breathing the same air as the lady."
Gamagori nodded his head "How dare she make a mockery of Satsuki's generous offer."
"No, no, no!" an angry voice filed the stadium and Ryuko looked up into the sky where a pink figure slowly floated down toward the stage using an umbrella. "You're not supposed to act all buddy-buddy with the enemy Ryuko-chan!" Nui had a frowny face as she folded up her umbrella.
"I'm not anyone's buddy, except for Mako's."
"Aw you're gonna make me sad," Nui fake cried.
"Nui, I suggest you get yourself out of her before I resort to using violence against you." Satsuki threatened and the elite four were on their feet, trying to come up with a way they could help their lady.
Gamagori turned to Mako, "You and I will evacuate the students. Inumuta and Nonon go get the counter measures ready."
"And what about me?" Uzu asked.
"You- don't do anything stupid," Gamagori said before he rushed off with Mako who had pulled out a megaphone and was announcing that the students had to leave.
"Great, I'll try to do that," he huffed, angrily.
Meanwhile Kinagase and Aikuro who had been watching the fight from the crowd, while shrouded in cloaks to hide their identity, raced towards the exit.
"Now's our chance to show everyone what Nudist Beach is capable of!" Aikuro announced as he whipped out his phone. The two discarded their cloaks and ran off.
Dark clouds began to swirl over the stadium, as if Nui's arrival had somehow brought them along.
"Ryuko you don't wanna join up with Satsuki right? She's a murderer."
"Refrain from making false allegations against me you psychopathic whore."
"Uh, uh, mama will not be proud to hear her little girl is calling her grand courtier such names, she also won't be happy to hear her daughter planning a rebellion against her."
Nui tsked as Satsuki hefted her blade. "You wouldn't dare to tell her. I swear I will draw out every last one of your screams as you lay dying at my feet and begging for mercy."
"Hmm she sounds just like a murderer now, isn't that right Ryuko? Like the murderer who slaughtered your father."
"Nui I thought you said Satsuki was working with her mother not against her." Ryuko slowly started. Nui placed a finger as she thought about it. "Yes I did."
"But right now you just said something different. Nui I may be stupid but I'm not deaf." Ryuko growled and clutched her blade tighter. "Now which is which?"
Nui rolled her eye to the heavens as if trying to think of something to explain this, but then thought better of it and stuck out her tongue. "Silly me, I could never keep my lies straight. Mama always said that was one of my problems." Nui giggled and Ryuko felt her blood began to boil again.
Ryuko... Senks started.
"Yea I know, not to get too angry, but that was before when she put you under my influence."
"See now for yourself how double tongued this serpent truly is." Satsuki said as the clouds around them continued to swirl casting deep shadows.
"Well since it seems I've been found out, I might as well come clean about everything. I've been lying to you the whole time Ryuko. You see Satsuki isn't the bad guy, she is indeed trying to save the world from these life covers, but me and mama don't like this. We want our plans to succeed and then you came along and it just would make our plans so much easier to have you on our side, so I made up the whole thing about Satsuki being your dads murderer so that your anger would activate the stiches I put in your kamui that would make you on our side. In fact Satsuki didn't even come anywhere close to your home town. I have to say the honor of killing Isshin goes to me!" Nui said cutely before pulling the purple scissor blade out of her dress.
Ryuko's blood was boiling and she was filled with an even more intense rage than before.
"Ryuko calm down," Senks pleaded as steam began to come out from the seams on his clothing.
But Ryuko let out a huge roar. "You fucking lying piece of shit!" she flew at Nui and Satsuki cried out in warning, "Matoi!"
Nui blocked Ryuko's attack without so much as batting an eyelid. Ryuko started swiping at her left and right but Nui with a simple flick of her wrist would just move her blade to counter Ryuko's. Satsuki felt it disheartening to watch the dark haired girl struggle and went to aid her. She flew at Nui, blade raised but Nui just moved to the side, and as Satsuki passed by her, she felt the blonde's hand run down the length of Junketsu's back. The jacket shivered before it untransformed and she landed on the ground hard. How was this possible?
Ryuko thinking Nui would be distracted for now aimed a swipe at her head but she ducked, her eye closing in glee before using the handle of her blade and lightly tapping Ryuko's stomach. Ryuko's eyes opened wide and her feet left the ground, her arms stretched outwards as she seemed to be suspended in midair by the hit. The bleachers behind her, a good fifty feet away were suddenly crushed by an intense impact of air.
Ryuko finally hit the ground her legs and arms stuck in her previous position for a couple good seconds before they dropped down to the ground, her mouth in an shocked expression before she turned her head to the side and let out a stream of blood.
"Nui leave her alone," Satsuki hissed finding her legs and rushing at the blonde haired girl who simply kept her at bay with her sword while she fixed her attention to Ryuko who lay whimpering on the ground. All the damage Ryuko had taken before was nothing to this hit she had taken now, she was certain all her internal organs had to be crushed. Pain radiated through every fiber of her being. She wanted nothing more than to pass out so she wouldn't have to feel this pain.
"Now since you don't want to be a good girl and join me you leave me no choice." Nui smiled.
Magically summoning a thread from her hand she laced it around Ryuko's brain forming a mesh cocoon on her brain. The thread immediately changed Ryuko's demeanor, her whole body turned ashen, even Senketsu falling to the influence. She got up as if she was a puppet, pain forgotten and stared blankly at Nui who smiled. "There all better now."
Gamagori and Mako who had just finished escorting the last of the people out of the stadium, noticed the arrival of Nudist Beach on their DTR's and some on foot with needle guns.
"What are you doing here?" he barked his eyebrows furrowing.
"We're here to show off and blow up stuff," Aikuro answered as he rolled up on his machine towards the stage. "Ryuko's in trouble and you four schmucks can't help her."
Nui noticed that there was a swarm of people flooding in through the gates. "Looks like I have some pests to take care off. Ryuko fight Satsuki for me will you?" with that she leapt off the stage and slowly floated to the ground. Nudist Beach immediately surrounded her and went to work firing needles at her. To their surprise suddenly multiple versions of her appeared. All giggling and twirling their umbrellas they pranced around as the members tried to shoot them down.
"Damn it Nui, quit it!" Kinagase yelled as he shot down three of them. Nui just smiled. "Your fighting is futile. Ryuko's already under my control."
Kinagase gasped out "What?" and turned his attention to the stage where Ryuko had raised her blade against the school president.
Satsuki knew she stood little chance while Ryuko was in her transformed form and she was not. All she could do was hope to dodge her.
"Ryuko snap out of it. I know you can overcome her control!" Satsuki shouted as Ryuko's blade came closer and closer each time she tried to dodge. The ground around them shook with the impact of Ryuko's blasts and Satsuki struggled to keep her balance. She hopped to the left to avoid Ryuko's blade but Ryuko had faked the move and turned the blade around at the last moment catching Satsuki off guard. Satsuki was flung off the stage, freefalling to her own doom if Gamagori wasn't there to catch her.
"My lady are you alright?" Gamagori asked as he placed her gently on her feet.
"I'm fine, but we have to stop Matoi and get Nui. If she escapes then mother will know of our plan."
"I sent Inumuta and Nonon to get the special device; we should be able to keep her here."
"Good-now move!" Satsuki exclaimed as she pushed the giant to the left while herself dodging to the right. Ryuko landed in the middle of them, her landing causing a crater. She disregarded the giant and went straight for Satsuki who was unable to stop the flurry of blows sent her way. She was pushed backwards her feet not even able to touch the ground because Ryuko did not pause in her blows to even let Satsuki's body be affected by gravity.
"My lady!" Ira yelled when he was pulled back by a bunch of Nui's copies. He swung a whip at them and they dispersed before floating back closer to him and he kept swatting at them before they retreated and kept returning.
Uzu who had grabbed his kendo stick approached Nui, the real one.
"Your copies may fool the others, but not these eyes," he growled and lunged at her. "I will redeem myself in front of lady Satsuki's eyes!" Nui using very little energy and minimal movements dodged his wild strikes at the last moment, her hands folded behind her back and her head tilted at an angle that said she found this amusing.
"Your eyes look like they need some surgery, it seems their a bit mistaken."
Uzu let out a low growl. She barely used her muscles making it hard to predict her moves.
"Here," she pulled out the blade and held it up to her face. "I'll make them better," and then she trust her blade at his eyes.
"Mako punch!" Mako punched the nearest Nui copy next to her and watched it disintegrate before her eyes. She turned her head when Ira's angered cries reached her ears.
"Get out of my way you annoying pests!" Ira cried as he knocked out three copies, but the others just danced around him taunting him. "I must go help my lady!"
Mako sprung to the rescue, her uniform transforming. She was wearing a black jacket hanging off her shoulders and a black hat, with a piece of grass sticking out her mouth. In her hands were her trusty brass knuckles. This was the first time she'd get to test her new uniform. She jumped around knocking out some of the copies surrounding Ira. It was pretty decent.
"Mankanshoku," he grunted. "I thought I told you to leave, it is unsafe for you to remain here."
Mako shook her head. "I'm not leaving until I can make sure Ryuko is safe." Then she punched an additional Nui that had drifted closer to her.
At some point Ryuko had knocked Bakuzan out of Satsuki's hands and all she could do was lift her arms up to protect her face as Ryuko's hits left cuts and bruises on her skin.
"Stop this and regain control of yourself this instant!" she commanded but Ryuko pulled back and using the handle of the blade hit her hard with it. Satsuki hit the stand wall hard, Ryuko following her, her sword digging into the metal, just an inch next to Satsuki's head. Ryuko stood breathing hard, over Satsuki, her thread growing even redder. Satsuki felt sweat drip down her back, if only Junketsu wasn't such a worthless piece of shit she could transform and defend herself.
Ryuko clutched Satsuki's throat intending to hold her in place as she slowly wrenched her blade from the wall.
"Ryuko!" came a gruff cry from behind her but she didn't turn around. Kinagase was running after towards her, his two machine gun style needle guns cocked at her. He let lose a barrage of needles that struck Ryuko right in the uniform. She turned around angry, her uniform reverting back to its old state. Satsuki took this chance to elbow her hard on the head while kneeing her back. Ryuko fell to the ground as Satsuki ran towards where she had last dropped her sword.
"Kinagase, cover me. Ryuko's under Nui's control yet again and I have to fight her to get that thread off of her."
"Got you," Kinagase nodded, refocusing his guns as Ryuko stood up. She lunged at him and he shot at her, but she managed to evade a good chunk of his needles. These needles were special and they could stop clothing, but could they stop her now that was untransformed?
Satsuki grabbed Bakuzan and returned to face Ryuko once more. But she was surprised to see the girl down on her knees.
"What's happening?" she asked Kinagase as she approached him.
"I don't know. She suddenly stopped moving and seems to be pulling on her head."
Uzu fell to his knees clutching the empty sockets that once contained his eyes. "You bitch!" he stammered. "You have no idea how important those eyes were!"
Nui held up one of the eyes with her fingers next to her face and observed it. "Hmmm, I don't think this will make a good fit for my eye socket," she concluded and then dropping it to the floor stepped on it with her heel, the jelly popping. "I'm bored now. I wonder how Ryuko's doing."
"Nui, we have a little gift for you," Inumuta's cold voice came and she turned to see the blue haired boy followed by a pink haired midget.
"Oh I love surprises, but of the good kind!"
"Then you'll absolutely love this." Inumuta who had rolled up a cannon with the help of Nonon activated it. It was modernized, with white trim and blue lights. "Although it's only a good surprise for us," then he let it rip. The cannon jumped backwards as it let out a huge blast. Nui who hadn't even moved was dead center of the blast which consumed her and continued onwards, going through the stadium and leaving a 20 foot hole in the wall before it finally fizzled out.
Inumuta and Nonon who had covered their ears to shield them from the sound of the blast looked in marvel at the damage it had caused. There was a deep furrow in the ground where it had struck, the dirt was steaming from the heat of it.
"Wow, this toy is pretty cool. How do you work it?" Nui was standing behind the cannon, finger twirling a screw she had taken from it.
Inumuta and Nonon both jumped in surprise. How had she survived the blast?
"Whoops I think I broke it," Nui announced as the machine gave out a groan and shivering twice it fell apart completely at their feet.
"All those months of research!" Inumuta cried as Nui jumped away from the machine.
"You bitch!" Nonon added unhelpful as she raised a baton ready to strike back against the blonde haired girl.
Ryuko let out a grunt of pain which turned into a shriek as she pulled the red thread from around her mind. At last it was gone with a pop, and she stood up triumphantly holding it into the air.
"I did it. And without any brain damage, damage, damage." she uttered and Satsuki who had been watching cringed. "Well, there go her last useful brain cells." She commented.
Kinagase pocketed his guns and approached his friend. "Glad to have you back."
"Tanks," Ryuko announced. "Now where's gooey, I have a fight to pick with her."
"You mean Nui?" Kinagase scratched the back of his head.
"Yea that's the boy I'm looking for."
"Maybe you should sit this fight down and let us take care of it Matoi. Pulling that string straight out might have caused some unwanted effects on your brain." Satsuki pointed out but the smaller girl waved her away.
"I'll be fine lady Satsuki," the girl ran off towards where most of the fighting was happening.
"Did she just address me as lady Satsuki? Something is definitely wrong," Satsuki muttered before running after Ryuko, with Kinagase right behind her.
Mako had appeared next to Nui, with her hands folded in front of her chest. "You hurt my friend Ryuko a lot and I'm going to get you back for it!"
Nui giggled. "Your friend? Ryuko is now my friend. She told me she was tired of having such a stupid, ugly person as you as her friend."
"That's, that's not true. Ryuko would never say those mean things about me. "But Mako had slightly wavered in her resolve.
"Don't listen to her Mankanshoku, you and that delinquent are bestest of friends. Ryuko would never be inclined to be friends with this pyscho here." Gamagori approached brandishing his whips.
"Exactly. According to my calculations, Matoi has no other friends and nor does it seem like she will make any, any time soon given her behavior." Inumuta approached pushing up his glasses. "So your position as her best friend is secured."
"..." Nonon also approached standing with her hands on her hips.
"Nonon say something nice too," Gamagori prompted.
"Do I have to?" She asked pouting.
"Yes," he insisted. "It'll help Mako feel better.
"Ugh, fine. That Neanderthal is your friend Mako," Nonon quickly said.
All these comments made Mako feel better. "Your right, Ryuko is my friend. My bestest friend."
"As well as mine," Aikuro had drawn closer to Nui in his DTR. He and the elite four was forming a circle around her that was slowly getting closer.
"My dearest and humblest of gratitude's. You have filled the very cockles of my heart with warmth at hearing your deepest proclamations for your friendship with me." Ryuko appeared a smirk on her face and with a full blown Irish accent.
Satsuki and Kinagase were right behind her, confused looks on their faces.
"What happened to her?" Gamagori asked.
"Apparently the string severing caused her brain synapses to fire off randomly resulting in this." Inumuta informed after taking a quick gander at Ryuko.
"You wee lassie, you thought you had gotten the best of me, well you're wrong." Ryuko pulled up close to Nui, her blade pointed straight at her face. "You ready to taste my vengeance, eh?"
Everyone looked at Nui menacingly, ready to take her on as they closed the circle around her. She closed her eye in joy and let out a little giggle.
Suddenly the dark clouds that had gathered above them let out a streak of lightening so bright it blinded everyone temporarily. And when they could open their eyes again, they saw Nui had disappeared.
"Where is she?" Ryuko asked as everyone gazed around, thunder rumbling loudly above them. At last they looked up where they saw a lone figure floating up and away on an umbrella.
"I have no intention of staying now that my puppet is broken, until next time. Au revoir." And with that she disappeared into the clouds. Rain immediately poured out of them and drenched everyone immediately.
"She got away milady!" Gamagori threw himself at his lady's feet. "We let her get away, now all our plans are in jeopardy."
"Not to fear, all is not lost." Satsuki turned to Uzu who was being helped up by Inumuta who murmured "we told you not to do anything stupid." She looked at all the faces around her, of her elite and of Nudist Beach. Hard expressions stared back at her, eyes bright with life and determination; she couldn't let this one mistake take away these faces from her vision. She would have to do something she hoped she didn't have to but it would be worth it if she could save their lives.
"I want everyone to return to my mansion, and by everyone I mean even Nudist Beach, there are things we must discuss. But first I will be heading home."