Betraying My People Chapter 38:
Cookies
Everyone was sitting in the main room of the Ikisatashi's house, trying to figure out what to do next.
"I think we need to find out what, if anything, happened while Kisshu was sleeping," Hiro-sama said.
"How?" Ichigo asked. "I don't think it's a good idea to just go to the rest of the Council and ask if Gen's been by, especially if he already brainwashed them."
"You've got a point there," Siria-sama said. "I think we need some indirect way of finding out what's been going on. Hiro, what about your wife? Would she know?"
"I can try to find out," Hiro-sama said. "I'll go now." He teleported out.
"I guess we wait," Kisshu said. "We can't do anything till we know the situation." The others nodded.
One hour later: "It shouldn't take this long," Kisshu said. "Maybe something happened. Pai, can you check?"
Pai closed his eyes and concentrated, then said, "You were right, Hiro-sama apparently got captured. They might have expected this. His wife is also there, tied up. In fact, they're both tied up in the Council room." Pai concentrated harder, then said, "The Council members all have blank eyes. I think we're too late."
"I hope there's a way to reverse that," Aunt Hamaya said.
"We need to focus on taking down Gen and rescuing Hiro-sama," Siria-sama said. "Most of the Council members won't really be a threat, but Gen is a different matter." She turned to Ichigo. "Do you think your friends on Earth would be willing to come back and help us?" she asked.
"I think so, but we have to let Keiichiro know," Ichigo said. "Pai, go call him, and explain the situation."
Pai nodded and teleported out. Ten minutes later, he came back and said, "We need to go to Earth now. Keiichiro will inform the Mews, and come up with something to placate their parents. Who's coming with me?"
"I will," Taruto said. Pai nodded and said, "I think that some of you should stay here, to handle things while we're gone."
"Good plan," Kisshu said. "Ichigo and I will stay."
"Alright," Pai said. "I think you two will be fine, so Mom, Dad and Siria-sama should come with me and Taruto."
"Fine," Siria-sama said. "Kisshu, Ichigo, stay safe."
"We will," Ichigo said. She and Kisshu bowed as the others teleported out.
When everyone was gone, Kisshu sighed. "We might have to stay here for a while," he said. "If Gen gets to more people than just the Council, we'll be in danger if we leave."
"You're right, but what about Hiro-sama and his wife?" Ichigo asked. "Do we just wait till the others get back?"
"We might as well," Kisshu said. "It won't take too long for them to get back, and then we can rescue Hiro-sama, his wife, and the Council, and take down Gen."
"I think we should at least get a better idea of what we're going to be getting into," Ichigo said. "Can you see where Hiro-sama is?"
Kisshu closed his eyes and concentrated, then said, "That abandoned building is getting popular. Hiro-sama and his wife are tied up in the basement. I don't see or sense anyone else there, though."
"Should we go get them?" Ichigo asked. "If there's no one around, we could get them, and teleport back here."
"Sounds good," Kisshu said. He took Ichigo's hand and teleported to the basement of the old abandoned building, and looked around. Hiro-sama and a middle-aged Cyniclon woman –his wife-, were tied up and unconscious in a corner. Kisshu and Ichigo ran over and started untying them. Then Ichigo tapped their foreheads, and they woke up. "Ichigo? Kisshu?" Hiro-sama asked. "You found us?"
"Hai," Kisshu said. "We need to get out of here, can you both teleport?"
"Hai," Hiro-sama said. "Let's go back to your place, it's safer there." Kisshu nodded, and they teleported back to the main room of the Ikisatashis' home.
Hiro-sama sighed. "All the Council members have been brainwashed," he said. "And Choji went along willingly. I guess we've got two traitors on our hands. Where are the others?"
"On their way to Earth, to bring the Mews back to help," Ichigo said. "They're safer there than here right now."
"Good," Hiro-sama said with relief. "I think we'll need all the help we can get. Especially if Gen decides to brainwash more than just the Council."
"You mean he'd start brainwashing our people?" Kisshu asked.
"Right," Hiro-sama said grimly. "I hope the others get back soon; we need more help."
A knock on the door caused them to jump. "Hiro-sama, hide," Kisshu whispered. "Ichigo and I will handle this."
Hiro-sama nodded, and he and his wife went to a nearby room and closed the door. Kisshu went to the door as the knock sounded again. He cautiously opened it, and saw Taruto's best friend, Yusuke. "What's up?" he asked.
"My mom is acting strange," Yusuke said. "She said yesterday that Taruto could come over, but today she said I could never see Taruto again. I don't know what's wrong, but I came to see Taruto anyways. Is he here? And why do you look worried?"
"You'd better come in," Kisshu said. Yusuke, puzzled, came in, and Kisshu closed and locked the door. That done, he sighed, and said, "Did you notice anything else strange about your mother recently?"
"Now that you mention it, her eyes looked different," Yusuke said. "Did something happen?"
"Hai," Kisshu said. Then he turned and called, "Hiro-sama, it's safe."
Hiro-sama and his wife came out of the room they were in, and Hiro-sama said, "What's up?"
"I think Yusuke's mother was brainwashed," Kisshu said. "From his description, it sounds like she was brainwashed by Gen."
"Mom was brainwashed? Why?" Yusuke asked, sounding scared.
"It may not just be her," Hiro-sama said grimly. "Gen has brainwashed everyone on the Council besides Siria-sama and myself. We were worried he might start brainwashing others, and what you've said proves it. I'm guessing he's starting with people close to the Ikisatashis. Frankly, I'm surprised he didn't brainwash you, Yusuke."
"Yusuke, when did you first notice your mom acting differently?" Ichigo asked.
"After she came back from her friend Mei's house, about three hours ago," Yusuke said.
"Mei is Gen's wife," Hiro-sama's wife commented.
"Yuna, you think Gen brainwashed Mrs. Amaguchi while she was visiting?" Hiro-sama asked.
"Hai," Yuna said. "It's a good thing Yusuke got away; he might have been the next victim, being so close to Taruto."
Yusuke was looking really scared. Ichigo came over and said, "Yusuke, we'll get your mom back to normal, I promise. You might be safer here for now, though. We can't let Gen get to you."
Yusuke nodded. "I'll stay," he said. "Where's Taruto?"
"He and Pai took my parents and Siria-sama to Earth to enlist some help," Kisshu said. "They should be back tomorrow morning."
"What if my mom comes looking for me?" Yusuke asked.
"I've been thinking about that, and I think we should put a spell on this house so only those we know are safe can get in," Hiro-sama said. "Locking the door is good, but if Gen breaks it down, we're all screwed."
"How do we do that?" Kisshu asked.
"Yuna and I can do it, you can go do something else," Hiro-sama said.
"Okay," Ichigo said. "I'm going to make cookies. Yusuke, do you want to help?"
"Sure," Yusuke said.
"Can I help?" Kisshu asked as they walked to the kitchen.
"Not after the last time," Ichigo said. "You ate half the cookie dough, and then you got sick, because there was raw egg in there. And I only got to make one batch."
"Fine…" Kisshu grumbled, and went back to their room to sulk.
Ichigo sighed and got out some measuring cups. "Yusuke, can you help me find the ingredients?" she asked.
"Sure, what do you need?" Yusuke asked.
"I need flour, sugar, milk and eggs to start," Ichigo said. "I'll get out a bowl, can you get the other things?"
"Yep!" Yusuke said, and went to a cabinet while Ichigo opened another and got out a big mixing bowl. Then she turned the oven on, and went back to the table. Yusuke had gotten the flour, sugar and milk, and was getting out the eggs. He brought them to the table, and said, "Is this good?"
"There's one more thing I need," Ichigo said. "Go into the little drawer to the left of the sink, and get out one of the bags in there. And don't tell Taruto about that drawer, no matter what."
"O-okay," Yusuke said. He went and got a bag out of the drawer, then closed it, and brought the bag back to Ichigo. She had already mixed the dry ingredients together, and was cracking the eggs in. She poured the milk in, and took the bag from Yusuke. "What are these, anyways?" Yusuke asked.
"It's something I brought back from Earth, called chocolate," Ichigo said. "It's really good. These are small pieces of chocolate for baking. And Taruto keeps looking for that drawer, because he's obsessed with chocolate. Don't tell him you know about it, okay? He'll eat the whole thing, and that's not good for him."
"Okay, I won't," Yusuke said. "Can I try a piece before you put it in the bowl?"
"Sure," Ichigo said with a smile. She opened the bag, took out a chocolate chip, and handed it to Yusuke, then poured the rest into the bowl.
"This tastes GREAT!" Yusuke said excitedly. "I can't wait to try the cookies."
"Can you grease a baking sheet for me?" Ichigo asked. "Then we can put the cookies in the oven."
"Sure, are the baking sheets in that drawer under the oven?" Yusuke asked.
"Yep," Ichigo said. Yusuke went over and got one, then took out a stick of butter, and started rubbing some onto the baking sheet. When he was done, Ichigo started forming the cookie dough into balls. Then she pressed each one down onto the pan, and put them in the oven. "Now we have to wait," she told Yusuke. "Let's get a cooling rack, and then go check on Kisshu."
"Okay!" Yusuke said.
Ichigo smiled and got out a cooling rack, then set a timer for twenty minutes, and said, "Let's go check on Kisshu."
Yusuke followed her to her room, where they found Kisshu lying on the bed, sound asleep. Ichigo went over and put a hand on his chest, making sure he wasn't sick. Luckily, he had just fallen asleep. Ichigo got an evil idea, smirked, and started tickling Kisshu. At first nothing happened, but then Kisshu woke up and sat bolt upright. Then he noticed Ichigo snickering and sighed. "You scared me," he said in a disgruntled tone.
"I'm sorry," Ichigo said, calming down a bit. "Did you have a nice nap?"
"I did until you started tickling me," Kisshu said.
"Are you still sulking?" Ichigo asked.
"Maybe…." Kisshu said.
"Well, the cookies will be done soon, so you can stop sulking," Ichigo said.
"Did you remember to swear Yusuke to secrecy about the chocolate drawer?" Kisshu asked.
"Of course," Ichigo said. "He promised not to tell- right Yusuke?"
"Hai," Yusuke said. "Kisshu, I didn't know you were ticklish."
"Don't get any ideas," Kisshu said warningly.
"Don't worry, I wasn't planning on tickling you," Yusuke said. He sniffed, and said, "I can smell the cookies. Should we go check them?"
"Sure," Ichigo said.
"Can I come?" Kisshu asked.
"Are you going to burn your mouth again?" Ichigo asked warily.
"No, I'll just look," Kisshu said sulkily.
"Then you can come," Ichigo said. She walked back to the kitchen, followed by Yusuke and Kisshu. Then she looked in the oven, and said, "Those look done." She took out a pair of oven mitts, and took the cookies out. She put the cookie sheet on the stove, and turned off the oven. Then she carefully slid the cookies onto a cooling rack. When she turned around, both boys were staring at her hungrily. "You two are drooling," Ichigo commented.
Both boys turned red and wiped their mouths. "It smells good," Kisshu said. "I can't help it."
"Jeez, how come every time I make chocolate chip cookies, you act like a little kid?" Ichigo asked.
"I do not!" Kisshu said.
"Yes, actually, you do," Ichigo said. "Although, to be fair, the last time I made them, I spotted Pai drooling too."
Kisshu burst out laughing. "PAI was drooling?" he asked.
"Yup, I guess he liked the smell too," Ichigo said. "Now we have to let the cookies cool."
"Awww…." Kisshu and Yusuke said.
Just then, Hiro-sama and Yuna came in and said, "We finished the spell. Now unwanted guests can't get in, but we can get in or out, and the others will be able to get in when they come back. Hey, what's that smell?"
"Chocolate chip cookies, they're cooling," Ichigo said. "You can all have some when they're done."
"Great, thank you," Hiro-sama said. "I guess we just wait for the others to come back."
Okay, so no action again. But I wanted the Mews to be there before the fight, so…. yeah. I think Kisshu sulking is cute, though. Review!