Bubblegum Crisis Post 2040 Files

Continuation Fanfic Series

File #7: Web of Lives

Part 1: Hourglass of Blood

by P. Kristen Enos

Posted 12/31/08 (Still Happy New Year's Eve – Pacific Time!)

Special Thanks to my beta Analogk37.

SPOILERS WARNING!!!

Most of these stories take place AFTER the TV Series! So DON'T blame me if I ruin the ending for you because you read these stories first!

Lesbian/Yuri/Shoujo Ai Warning! (Non-explicit -- at least in the "PG13"/"R" sort of way.) Just not written for children because they probably wouldn't get half of it.

All rights belong to JVC/AIC, ADV Films and the other creative powers that be. I just want credit for writing the story.

* * * * *

Chapter 7: Fissures

10:43 p.m., April 20th, Los Angeles

In the moonlight of the open curtains, Reika took a deep breath and forced herself to sit up in the bed, even though she could have easily convinced herself to stay.

"You're really leaving?" Leslie asked from the pile of sheets.

"Yes. We're flying back to Tokyo first thing in the morning. Since there are several people going on a private jet, including my in-laws to be, I don't think I can delay."

Leslie sat up to kiss the back of Reika's shoulder. "But that's in the morning. That's still several hours away."

Reika started to feel some tingles of déjà vu. While the physical contact had been nice, something in her was preventing her from actually orgasming. She didn't know if it was just too much stress, not having had sex in a very long time, or that the last time she had seen Leslie, the latter woman was on her knees begging and crying for Reika not to end their relationship. Of course, it could have been everything.

"It was nice, but I really have to go and take of things before I leave tomorrow," Reika said honestly. "The deal was no strings, no drama, remember?"

Leslie noticeably stiffened and then withdrew. "You're right… Do you plan to come back to L.A. any time soon?"

"I don't know. My schedule is going to become very hectic very soon. Densuke and I are supposed to be married in June."

"Oh. Well, it was nice seeing you. Take care," Leslie said as she made sounds of rolling over in the bed and wrapping herself up in the sheets. There seemed to be a little tension in her tone.

"You too."

* * *

With her heels in hand, Reika walked into the grand suite and was glad to see that the lights were off, meaning that no one was waiting for her. She made her way to the bedroom, yawning all the while. She flipped on the lights and almost jumped out of her skin at the sight of Densuke planted in the chair in the corner.

"You scared me to death!" she proclaimed, clutching at her pounding heart. "And what the hell are you doing here?! This is my suite!"

He stared at her with such forceful intensity that she knew she was now seeing a side of him that she had never seen before. She noted the apparently empty bottle of wine on the table beside him.

"Where were you?" he asked sternly.

She stared at him in surprise before regaining her composure and said, "Did someone ask?"

"I did… No one would tell me. But it was clear that they knew where you were."

Reika frowned, trying to brush off his uncharacteristic seriousness. "I didn't think I had report my every move to you. After all, you've had your share of disappearances. Now would you leave? I'm very tired."

"I'm just one big joke to you, aren't I?!" he said, his anger starting to brim over.

Her own anger was ignited. "Densuke, you've never given me a reason to treat you as anything but a joke!"

"I understood Sylia because I knew you two genuinely loved each other. But I didn't realize that your taste ran into cheap whores."

"You're being incredibly hypocritical right now. And I am not in the mood to deal with this!" She pointed to the door. "Leave!"

Glaring at her, he slowly stood and took steps forward.

Instinctively, Reika braced herself as she realized he would have to walk by her to exit. But her stubbornness kept her planted. He strode forward and paused when he was right in front of her. Now seeing him so close that she could smell the alcohol on his breath, she was surprised that he was looking at her with such hunger.

Suddenly, he tackled her to the floor, his greater weight and size easily pinned her down as he held his hand over her mouth and nose, which not only kept her from fully crying out but also made breathing difficult. In a mad frenzy, he smothered her all over with kisses of a starved man who was finally offered a feast. Her heart pounding furiously, Reika tried to twist and kick herself free as she heard her dress start to rip underneath his roaming hands.

Densuke forced her legs apart with his knees when he was jerked off of her completely.

A furious Kou had him in a headlock and easily dragged the now choking man to the bathroom.

Taking deep breaths to clear her mind and calm her pounding heart, Reika remained on the floor as she felt someone gently place her wrap around her shoulders as an attempt of modesty.

For several minutes, the only sounds came from the bathroom, where Kou repeatedly forced Densuke's head into the toilet bowl.

A stunned Jun didn't know what to say except, "I'm sorry."

"It's all right," a grateful Reika said. "Better to have arrived now rather than later."

Finding focus to speak, Jun explained, "We knew Densuke had entered your room earlier this evening. I told hotel security to let me know if Densuke hadn't left by the time you came back. It was just a precaution."

"I assure you that I'm not complaining." She then paused to listen to the noises of the struggle in the bathroom. "I suppose I should go in there to keep Kou from accidentally him… Maybe I'll wait for a few more minutes…"

* * *

9:12 a.m., April 21st

A very haggard looking Densuke stood quietly off to the side as family and hotel staff were busy trying to load the train of cars and limos with everyone's luggage. With sunglasses to protect his bloodshot eyes from the sunlight, he kept his hand underneath his blazer to press against his ribcage, which was throbbing with pain from being slammed against the toilet bowl several times. At least Kou kept his temper enough in check to keep from damaging his face.

He glanced around warily to make sure he stayed well out of the way of his fiancée and her entourage.

Then, to his surprise, Reika walked up to him, not looking at all pleased. "Get into the limo," she said in a low voice, not really caring if anyone else could see the unspoken drama that was going on. "You and I are going to have a talk on the way to the airport."

He meekly did as he was told. Reika was going to step in with him when she noticed Kou was right behind her.

"I need to talk to him alone. Please ride in the front." She glanced over at the anxiously watching Jun, whom she had already given orders to ride in the other limo.

Kou was clearly reluctant to heed the orders of the woman who was like a daughter to him.

Seeing his clear concern, Reika gave him a gentle smile and stepped forward to kiss his cheek. "Thank you for last night." She then discreetly reached underneath his coat and pulled out one of his revolvers from the shoulder harness to take it with her. "Will you ride in the front now?"

"… Just make certain the safety is off," he stated as he finally did what he was told.

* * *

"I'm really sorry," Densuke said when he and Reika were finally alone in the limo as it cruised along the freeway. "It won't happen again. I obviously had too much to drink."

Reika kept her vision focused on the passing L.A. scenery. "You are not to ever touch me again. Any children we have will be through artificial insemination."

"I understand," he said softly as he kept his head bowed. "I also understand if you want out of the marriage."

She was quiet for a moment before she said in an annoyed tone. "No, you don't understand, Densuke. I'm at a point that I need to be married to you. My life and safety depends on it. And you have no idea how lucky you were that it was Kou that stopped you. My next bodyguard may not have such discretion…

"But the thing that really irks me the most is that I still don't give a shit of what kind of husband you're going to be. However, it finally occurred to me that I really do care about what kind of a father you're going to be to our children. And an alcoholic rapist is not going to cut it. Understood?"

"Yes."

- End Chapter 7 -


Chapter 8: Looking Forward

8:23 a.m., April 23rd, Tokyo

"Welcome home!" Irene declared at the appearance of her sister at the dining room doors. She was happily enjoying a full Japanese breakfast with the excuse of 'eating for two' that her pregnancy offered. "How was L.A.?"

"Just another hotel opening," Reika answered lightly as she took her place at the head of the table. She ordered a light breakfast from the waiting servant before letting out a deep sigh.

"Well, that sounded heavy," Irene remarked. "Did it make you miss America?"

"No, not really… It made me realize how much I'm not that person anymore."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" her sister asked carefully.

Reika gave her a slightly pained smile. "I'm not too happy with the person I am now so I don't know. Since the attack, I've been fantasizing a lot about not having this life. Where I can't eat in public without taking anti-poison precautions. That I can't go the restroom without fear of an ambush. Or that I have to wear a bullet-proof vest under my business suits. But now I don't know what life I'm meant to have….

"Would it bother you if I tried to groom someone else to be the new leader? So that we both can finally have a peaceful life?"

Irene stood and embraced her sister from behind. "I want you to be happy. I've always been proud of you as someone who can do anything. But I don't want you to do it at some ludicrous price."

"Funny you should say that when I feel like such a failure. And I think that's the one thing that's keeping me from really taking steps to putting someone else in the place of leadership. I feel I'll be letting our father down. He worked so hard to build up our family esteem and yet I'm dragging it through the mud."

She paused at the appearance of the servant with her food.

"I don't see that," Irene said firmly as she sat back down. She waited for them to be alone again before stating, "I think Dad and Mom would be very proud."

Reika studied her for a bit. "Do you like our lifestyle? I mean, you've been trapped on the compound since you've come back. And when you leave, you have an entourage of four bodyguards following you everywhere. Don't you feel like a prisoner? I used to feel so sorry for Mom when I would see her sit by herself in the garden."

Irene shook her head. "I'm at peace with this life. In fact, I've been much happier here than I've been in London, even though the circumstances are a little different. This is home, with all of its flaws. And even though I spend a lot of time here, it's not as if I'm constantly surrounded by people. I can still have my peaceful, private moments. Just like Mom.

"I admit I don't think I can ever have a casual shopping day in Tokyo again, but that's what we grew up with. And we both know that even if you give up the Clan leadership, we're both still in danger of kidnapping and revenge. I don't want to give up who I am again, like I did when I tried to live as a 'Chen'. I guess expecting a child makes you realize what's really important… Still, if you give up the leadership, you won't have to marry or have children. That should be a huge relief."

"I know…" Reika said softly. "I know I have to decide soon what I should be doing with all of this. I'm making all of these plans that feel so permanent. But honestly, I can't imagine what kind of life I would have if I didn't have this. Even when Dad let me play hooky in L.A., I always had it in the back of my mind that this is where I would end up…"

"By the way, thank you for the new job offer you gave Sho." Irene then held up her hand, "I still don't want to know the details. But I haven't heard him be this excited since when I first dated him."

"He does seem like a kid in a candy store. I envy that about him. I don't recall ever feeling that kind of excitement about anyone or anything."

Irene looked a little confused. "Not even about Sylia?"

Reika thought carefully about her words before answering, "She'd always been there. I remember panicking when I thought she wasn't going to be around but to be truly excited about being with her? I don't think so. We were already so comfortable with each other by the time we became lovers. Maybe I took her for granted."

"Well, I think a solid, deep love is more enviable."

"Yes, I suppose so," Reika said cryptically as she took a sip of tea.

* * *

That afternoon

Standing in Reika's office, Jun stood over the computer to double-check that the calendar entries were synchronized between her and Reika's portable data pads.

She glanced up at the sudden appearance of Densuke standing at the open door, clearly looking around the otherwise empty room. Though still impeccably dressed in fresh casual clothes, he still had the haggard look on his unshaven face.

She felt her heart beat a little furiously at the awkwardness of witnessing what he was capable of. "Um, sh-she's not here. She might be up in her bedroom."

"Oh," he said softly. He looked a little distracted as he glanced around the hallway before he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. "Well, I need to talk to you too."

Jun unconsciously started to position herself behind the desk as a safety precaution.

Densuke took a hesitant step forward. With a fortifying breath, he gave her a deep bow even though it caused a sharp pain at his rib cage. "Thank you for keeping me from going too far in L.A. I understand that you were the one that had hotel security on standby with me."

Quite startled, Jun blinked. "Oh. You're welcome."

"Of course, being the staff of my family's hotel, they told my brother what had happened last night. So I got a good talking to from him that let me know that my actions would not have been acceptable from my own family."

"Oh. Sorry, about that," she said genuinely. "I didn't mean to have more people know than necessary."

He gave her a sad smile and said. "Don't apologize for doing the right thing. If I had not been stopped, I would have regretted everything. Honestly… But, I guess you must think I'm a complete asshole now."

"I wouldn't use the word 'complete'," she answered, and then blushed at how callous that sounded. "I – I just think you have a lot of opportunity for improvement."

He actually chuckled. "That's the kindest thing anyone has said to me in a long time."

Her long-burning curiosity now giving her some confidence to speak, Jun opened her mouth but then shut it.

Seeing this, Densuke gave her a prompting look. "If you want to tell me off, you definitely have a right to. After all, I attacked your boss and gave you an up-close view of the lifestyles of the rich and idiotic."

She shook her head and said hesitantly, "I just… feel that you're very much in love with her. Am I wrong?"

The man was clearly startled at her words, but turned completely beet-red in response. "It just makes me be more pathetic, doesn't it?"

Jun felt compelled to ease his embarrassment. "I have a lot of experience with unrequited loves, so I know the signs."

Getting his composure back, Densuke smiled and said, "A pretty girl like you? I find that hard to believe."

They both then blushed when they realized how that sounded like a come on.

Densuke cleared his throat and said, "Well, I have to go. I've been ordered to 'dry out' in a clinic in Hawaii for the next month. If Reika needs me for any appearances, just let her know that I need at least three days notice… Oh, and you're doing a good job of taking care of her. Thank you. Goodbye. I'll see you later."

He opened the door to exit and almost jumped out of his skin to see Kou standing menacingly on the other side. The huge mountain of a man wasn't going to move from his place in the doorway so Densuke was forced to squeeze his way by him.

Once he was gone, Kou looked at Jun questioningly. "Did he behave himself?"

She nodded and gave him a genuine smile. "I sincerely think he's learned his lesson."

The bodyguard looked skeptical but gave a nod before stepping away.

- End Chapter 8 -


Chapter 9: Precautions

9:14 p.m., April 29th, Tokyo

"… Very impressive," Reika commented as she walked around the stone-still Caucasian boomer and eyed him up and down. She unconsciously flexed her right hand, relishing the freedom of not having a cast. "And you actually got rid of the rest of your bodyguard detail because of him?"

Kentarou Tsuji nodded from his spot on the plush couch in the center of the hotel suite's living room. With his bowtie undone and his shirt unbuttoned enough to show a distinct patch of chest hair, he was a man who prided himself in projecting the full aura of physical virility and social power. What he had thought would be a very boring event of the reopening of the earthquake-damaged Watanabe Grand Hotel in Tokyo provided a very unexpected opportunity.

"A lot more discretion and freedom, if you know what I mean," he said with a wink. Though he spoke of the boomer, his eyes never left the form of the woman in the blue evening gown before him. "He even protected me from a car accident the other day."

"An accident or an assassination attempt?"

He shrugged casually. "We'll never know. He dispatched the driver in the process. Better safe than sorry."

"True… Well, I must say that seeing such a model up close does make me want to get one myself," Reika surmised.

"He's also fully functional down below. It just takes one command from me to make him available for a test drive for you."

Reika looked at the man coyly and asked, "Now what makes you think that would be something I'd be interested in?"

He chuckled and motioned to the empty suite. "You can't tell me that after all these years you've finally consented to be alone with me just to check out my boomer. After all, did you even tell Densuke that you're here with me?"

"He doesn't need to know what I'm up to every hour of the day," she said as she continued to look the boomer over.

"So, how about it, Ms. Chang? Want to try him out?" he asked, with a certain more lecherous intensity in his words.

She looked at him pointedly and asked in response, "Are you only going to watch or are you offering to join in as well?"

He looked momentarily stunned at the counter comment before bursting out into a raucous laugh. "I just knew those dyke rumors about you weren't true! Though you could improve a little in your taste in men. You know I could twist Densuke into a pretzel with my pinky."

She actually laughed herself. "That may be the case if we were to do a man to man comparison. But you know full well that the Watanabe family money and fortunate trumps yours any time."

He had to concede on that point. "Ah, that female pragmaticism just makes you all the more sexy in my eyes. As if that was even possible. How about we forget the boomer and just make it a passionate encounter of two equals? There's not going to be a better time and place. It might be my last chance to convince you that you're going to tie the knot with the wrong man."

"Then what about him?" she said, pointing to the bodyguard. "Do we just leave him out here?"

Seeing the opportunity was near, Kentarou jumped to his feet and his glass of scotch in one gulp. "I can leave him out here on standby mode. It's not the first time I've done this."

Reika looked a little concerned. "What exactly does standby mode mean?"

"He'll stay put as long as he doesn't hear or see anything alarming."

"So we shouldn't do anything involving screaming?" she asked with coy innocence.

The man looked momentarily speechless before he swallowed the sudden build of saliva in his mouth. His mental wheels spinning furiously, he said to his boomer, "Arnold, go to reserve mode. Ignore any noises you'll hear, until I give you the order to reactivate. Oh, and that includes anything you might see."

"Yes, Sir." Not moving from his spot, the boomer shut his eyes to confirm his understanding of the order.

"Now," Kentarou declared as he looked at the woman ravenously, "where do you want to start?"

Giving him a focused smile, Reika walked up to him and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. She easily led the man into the waiting bedroom, which automatically lit up the lamp lights upon their entrance.

Once they were by the bed, she toyed with his chest hairs with a playful finger. "How much time do you have?"

"As long as you want. I came alone. Well, Arnold doesn't count. What about you?"

"At this time? No one is going to dare to question my absence."

"Perfect."

He pulled her to him and gave her a gentle kiss. He was amazed how perfect she felt in his arms as she returned his kiss with as much passion. With skilled fingers, he undid her back zipper and slid the straps off her shoulders to let the dress fall to the floor. To his pleased amazement, he quickly realized she wasn't wearing any underwear.

"Well, aren't you just full of surprises?"

She gave him a coy smile and pulled him to her for another deep kiss.

With surprising ease, he picked her up and placed her on the bed. He stretched her out on the bed like a trophy as he worked to remove his coat and undo his shirt.

As he stretched out on top of her, he looked at her face and saw that her expression was very sleepy, like she was quickly losing consciousness. No sooner than he thought that, she stopped moving completely, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.

His heart started pounding from panic than desire. "Reika?! Are you all right?"

He tried shaking her when he noticed that he couldn't think clearly as his own brain started to shut down. Seconds later, he collapsed on top of her.

* * *

Triggered by the awareness of intense pain in the back of his head, Kentarou struggled to consciousness in the darkness caused by a blindfold of some sort. He aware he was sitting up in a chair and his hands and feet were bound to the arms and legs.

"What's going?!" he declared angrily, as he felt his heart start to race in panic. "Where's Reika?!"

"Hush now," an electronically altered voice ordered from nearby. "No one can hear you. Even Arnold. We just need you to do say a few things in order for us to get what we need."

In instinctive defiance, Kentarou clamped his mouth shut but was horrified to feel and hear himself speak the words, "Testing. Testing."

Somehow they were controlling his muscles. That must be the reason for the pain in the back of his head.

His whole body started to shake with the pounding of his racing heart. He'd never felt so helpless. He'd been in the underworld long enough to know the signs that his captors were extremely professional.

He wanted to beg for his life but instead felt and heard himself give the order for Arnold to go into active mode.

* * *

Collapsed on the suite's couch and wrapped in a bathrobe, a groggy Reika continued to sip the hot beverage that was the drug's antidote. She could still taste the lingering traces of the laced lipstick she had tried to wipe off, a mild taste that could easily be hidden under stronger substances like alcohol.

From the bedroom, she heard occasional metallic and hissing sounds, showing that the operation was fully underway. Suddenly, one of the Watanabe henchman appeared from the bedroom with a briefcase handcuffed to his hand. He gave her a nod before being escorted out the door by three other men.

Still dressed in an evening gown herself, Yoshiko emerged from the same bedroom, typing some things into her datapad. Sounds of activity could be heard coming from the bedroom as the team continued with their tasks.

"What was that?" Reika asked curiously as she pointed to the group that had just left the suite. She knew it couldn't be the tissue sample because Sho was waiting at a nearby lab to do the extraction.

"It's the decoy beacon for Arnold. As long as it's still relaying signals back to Genom, there shouldn't be anything to alert them that something wrong. I've told my men to take it to airport so that we can dump it in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. By then, we'll have everything covered."

"So it was a success?"

She nodded. "We're putting Arnold in the stasis chamber now. We got a bonus boomer out of this."

"And what about Kentarou?"

"We're draining his blood in the bathtub right now to minimize any chance of drug testing showing something positive. Once that's done, we'll do a chemical trace wash and then dump him in the bay."

Reika was genuinely stunned. "You killed him?!"

Yoshiko actually paused in her task and gave the woman a very focused look that on anyone else would have translated to "Did you just ask what I thought you did?"

"That wouldn't have been necessary!" Reika insisted angrily even though she was barely able to sit up herself.

Yoshiko replied evenly, "You were the last person he saw before losing consciousness. If he didn't figure out you were an accomplise, Genom certainly would have. Given what we're trying to accomplish, I don't think you want to take such risks until you have the right protection. And even then he would have been unnecessary threat."

"You could have kept him alive until then!"

She brushed off the angry tone and stated, "For every time you're faced with a life or death decision, and you choose to live, it's a guarantee that someone is going to take your place. The sooner you grow up and accept that, then the easier it will be for all of us. But if you're willing to take such frivolous chances, wait until you and Densuke are married. We Watanabe's are more than willing to take care of your Clan if you won't."

Reika could only glare in response.

Seeing that nothing more needed to be said, Yoshiko left the room and the other woman to her stunned thoughts.

- End Chapter 9 -

- End Part 1!!! -

Target for the next update: Ummm… (for real)… How about you check back Jan 15th?