Chapter 14 – Cleansing
"What do you mean, Yuki?"
"I have good news, you know… I know what causes Yoshika to flip out, and what's better, I have a way to heal her. But you should hear out the bad news."
"Hit me, Yuki…"
"Well then… It all began with your disappearance. Yoshika's despair and sorrow, after she'd lost track of you, accumulated and accumulated in her… After you were declared dead, she broke down. However, after she saw you, in some inhuman effort, she subconsciously pushed away all the bad energy that was accumulated in her body… But as you may know from physics, energy simply doesn't disappear. It got transferred… To Kuji… He managed to bear it somehow, but it overcame him soon… Whenever Yoshika is experiencing emotions like jealousy, the bad energy from Kuji leaks to her, and she goes psycho. Just like you would with the Impure Sacred Flame, but fortunately, it doesn't have such power up potential."
"What have I done…? I created a monster! Yuki, please, tell me how to cure Yoshika!"
"You bear only half of the responsibility, Toshiro. Or maybe a third… But anyway… To cure Yoshika, you must expunge Kuji out of Yoshika, fight him, and cleanse him with the Sacred Flame."
"Expunge… Do you mean…"
"I know that you have been taught a technique to rip familiars out of witches, don't even try to say no."
"I won't, now that you know it… But I don't know why actually…"
"Maybe because the goddess knew this would happen… But if I rip Kuji out of Yoshika then…"
"Don't worry, Toshiro. Kuji will still be connected with Yoshika with a string of magic. The problem would if you'd severe the connection…"
"So, what's the plan?"
"Evening, you get Yoshika to follow you to the beach under whatever excuse. Then, you rip Kuji out of her, slam him into the ground, purify him, and return him back into Yoshika."
"And that's it? That will work? It sounds too simple to work without a hitch…"
"Keep it simple, stupid, that's what some say. I don't guarantee it will work just like that, but who knows… Well, now it's time for you to sleep, Toshiro. Have a good night. Don't think too much about it…"
"You sound concerned, Yuki…"
"Why shouldn't I be concerned? We are talking about your girlfriend and my… well… boyfriend… It's natural for me to be concerned, you dolt…"
"Hah… Okay… Good night, Yuki."
"Good night, Toshiro."
After the morning jog, Toshiro decided to take a bath. Squeaky clean, he went to the hangar and pondered upon the matter with Yoshika. He came up with a failsafe, which he would use in a critical situation. Shortly after that, Shirley came by unexpectedly.
"Shirley? At this hour?"
"I'm making sure you won't start assembling the second leg without me, heheheh…"
"We'll stop for now, Shirley. Conserve your strength for the time being, you have a race to win, you know?"
"Awww… Well… You are right… But don't start without me, kay?"
"Sure, sure, Shirley. I won't move a bolt without you supervising me, heheh…"
"And you will give me a run in it… Right?"
"Yes, Shirley. But after I've done one."
"Fine… What to do now, damn it? I woke up so early… I know! I'll…"
"Don't even try; I don't want another series of rambling…"
"Okay… I'll just make a dry check…" Shirley sighed and went to her Striker. "But what will you do?"
"Me? Watch."
Toshiro fell on the table and started snoring.
Shirley sighed again, and started tinkering with her Striker. Toshiro indeed took a nap, and he was woken up by Yoshika.
"Toshirooo… Wake up, breakfast will be soon."
"Huuh… Oh… Yoshika… Must have dosed off… What's for breakfast?"
"Sandwiches."
"I'm not impressed."
"I can make you natto…" Yoshika sighed.
"Fair enough. Never ate natto and sandwiches together…"
Yoshika gave off a warm smile and went to prepare the meal. Lynne came in a minute later, and after greeting Toshiro, she went off to help Yoshika. Mio and Minna came minutes after.
"Hello, Toshiro." Minna greeted him.
"Hi, Minna."
"So today's the last part of the competition?" She asked.
"Yeah. A straight off speed competition. I'm rooting for Shirley, but the Karlslander part of me is cheering for Trude. Speaking of which…"
"You noticed?" Mio asked.
"Yeah. She's looked pale at dinner yesterday, and she didn't bother appearing at supper."
"What could be wrong…?" Minna pondered. "Toshiro, be sure to make a good decision here…"
"I will, don't worry. But first I have to get my hands on Trude…"
"That sounds… You know…" Minna blushed slightly.
"And I thought I'm the pervert here…"
"Speaking of perversity… Eila asked me to assign her to Sanya on night patrols, I hope you won't get mad I didn't tell you yet…"
Toshiro sighed and said, "Whatever… I told you I won't interfere with your job, right? Maybe Eila understood that too good... And how the hell did you connect perversity with Eila and Sanya?"
"Oh, well… You know yourself that they…"
"Yeah, yeah… Oh, it's Trudy coming."
Trude went into the hangar supported by Perrine and Erica. She looked like Death on a medieval painting, all pale and with swollen eyes.
"Mein Gott…" Minna gasped. "Trude, are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah… Maybe I just need a good breakfast…" She answered with a tired voice. "Miyafuji, could you make me a coffee that could kill a herd of elephants?"
"I can. But more than a teaspoon is too much, even for witches."
"Okay… But please, hurry… Uwaaaah…" She yawned.
Yoshika brewed Trude a cup of Joe in between slicing bread and ham, and gave it to her.
"Thank you, Miyafuji…" She said and sipped. "Huuuurgh… Bitter…"
"Oh, I forgot to add sugar…" Yoshika said with a small frown.
"No, no, a True Soldier of Karlsland is accustomed to drinking the raw stuff…"
Toshiro had a fleeting sensation of Minna's eyebrow twitching. After Trude drank her coffee, everyone ate.
"Toshiro… I'd rather you didn't let She-Man race…"
"Why's that?"
"She's exhausted beyond measure. She shrugs it off, and tries to conceal it, but she is tired as fuck as you would say."
"Really? Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Trude, I have doubts about you racing Shirley." Toshiro spoke.
"Why is that, Toshiro? Are you afraid Elwyn might lose three times in a row?"
"That's not the case, Trude. Contrary to others, my familiar helps me see various things, and right now, according to her, you are exhausted. I can't let you race is this condition."
"Toshiro… I want to race…" Trude said with a determined voice.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Wait a second."
Toshiro rushed to the offices, pulled out a piece of stationery, and scribbled down something. He returned to Trude, and gave the piece of paper to her.
"Here, read this aloud."
"What is thi…"
"Read it, Hauptmann." Toshiro said with a cold voice.
"Yes sir… Ahem… I, Hauptmann Gertrud Barkhorn, have been instructed of the dangers of undertaking further trials of the prototype Me 262 Jet Striker, and henceforth release my superiors and underlings of any responsibility for the events that may occur, including permanent disability and death of myself or any persons that might get involved. This release has been read in the presence of at least three officers, whose names will be revealed upon request." Trude lifted her head and looked at Toshiro with confusion. "A release? Why?"
"Trude… If anything happens to you, guess who will be the scapegoat? Minna and me. Personally, I feel that I would escape punishment by the skin of my teeth, but Minna with her sense of justice… I don't know… She could take the blame on herself… That is why I want you to sign this…" He said and pulled out a pen out of the pocket. "Until you sign this, you're barred from even looking at the Jet.
"Tsk… You are now behaving like a true Karlslander, Toshiro… Gimme that pen." She took the pen, and gave her signature, swift and simple. "Here you go."
"So you want to do it no matter what… Okay then…" Toshiro hid the paper and pen, and turned his head to the side. "Mio, since I can't fly by myself now, you'll take me on a piggyback ride. Francesca, you can start the two off, just find a flag or something."
"Yay!" Francesca cheered and scooted off.
"Toshiro, you have to be kidding me…" Mio grumbled.
"I'm serious. If you don't want to do it as my friend, do it as my subordinate."
"Okay, okay…"
"Come on then. Shirley, Trude, you too. The rest can do whatever they please until the race is over and we return."
"Not quite, Toshiro. Remember about yesterday?" Minna said calmly.
"Oh right… We are on standby, so don't sleep too much."
Shirley, Mio, Trude and Toshiro went to the Launch Units. The girls jumped inside, and put their engines on idle. Francesca rushed in, and wielding a checkered flag on a stick, she jumped into her Striker.
"Okay, listen. Francesca, you simply fly over the end of the runway, which will be the start line."
"Roger!" Francesca cheered and flew out.
"Mio, you take me on your back to a point five kilometers east. That should be enough for Shirley and Trude to gain speed. Whoever finishes first… is first, duh."
"Why do I have to carry you again?" Mio asked.
"I'll tell you later." Toshiro said, and gently mounted the back of Mio.
"Ooof, you are one heavy SOB…" Mio huffed.
"These muscles have to weigh some… Okay, go, Mio. See you at the finish line, girls."
During the flight to the finishing line, Mio asked, "So, wanna tell me what's going on?"
"I have a grim feeling that something bad will happen. And Yuki really warned be that Trude is on her last legs…."
"I sensed it too… So in case she crashes, you want to fish her out?"
"Yup."
"I hope that won't happen…"
After arriving at spot, Toshiro spoke through the transponder.
"Francesca, are the two with you on the starting line."
"Yup!"
"Then count them down, and let's get this over with."
"Roger!"
Although the distance was big, Toshiro saw that Trude didn't start. Shirley was already about a kilometer before her, but she waited.
"Francesca, what gives?"
"Dunno, I'm waving the flag like a madman, but WHOAAAAAA!"
He saw that Francesca was swept away as Trude finally started like a missile. Her acceleration was on mind-blowing levels. On the second kilometer, Trude overtook Shirley as if she was standing in place.
"Toshiro, you have to see this…"
"Whaaa…"
The Hebigan was activated forcefully, and Toshiro saw what the matter was. Trude looked like a barely iridescent husk, devoid of almost any sizeable quantity of magic.
"Holy fuck, Mio, brace yourself, Trude is running on fumes!"
As if to confirm his words, Trude suddenly started spinning wildly, and diving down.
"Gods!" Mio shouted and rushed forward.
Although Mio's new Striker was fast, he dragged her down. Trude crashed into the water in a big splash.
"Mio, go up, and drop me into the water like a dive bomber!"
"Roger!"
Mio flared up, and dived rapidly. Toshiro climbed on her shoulders with his feet.
"Steady… Steady…" He said to Mio.
Then, he concentrated magic in his feet.
"Please, Toshiro, save her…"
"I will!" He shouted and jumped off of Mio, soaring at over seven hundred kilometers per hour. He had to pull up the pike formed shield before crashing into the water.
The water was cold, but there was good visibility. There were ancient ruins everywhere underwater and something akin to a shipwreck, but archeology wasn't the focus of Toshiro right now. Thanks to the high speed dive, he found himself only five meters from Trude. He kicked his feet hard in the water, and started diving using his own strength.
He grabbed Trude by her collar, and quickly surfaced. He held her head over water, and checked her pulse.
Nothing.
"FUCK!" Toshiro screamed.
He gave her two breaths, and started pressing her ribcage. After fifteen presses, he gave her two more breaths.
"Come on, Trude! Don't die on me!"
Trude coughed and spat out the water from her lungs.
"To… Toshiro… Did… Did I win…"
"Yes you did…"
"Oh, okay… I'm tired…" She murmured and her head fell down partially into the water.
Toshiro checked her vitals, but found nothing to be scared of.
"Ooof… That was a close one…"
"Toshiro!" Shirley shouted as she dived to him. "Is Barkhorn… Is she…"
"She's alive… But she's unconscious now…"
"Thank God…" Shirley said close to tears. "Mio! Mio! Come here!"
"Is Barkhorn all right?" Mio asked.
"Besides being drained like a ten year old car battery that has been lying in water? Peachy. Come on, Shirley, you take Trudy, Mio will take me."
"Okay."
Mio gave Toshiro a hand, and he pulled himself up on her back.
"Crap, now you are a heavy, wet SOB!"
"Oh, pardon."
Toshiro dried himself using magic.
"Impressive…" Mio muttered. "Let's go, Shirley."
Trude was brought into the base infirmary, followed by everyone. She had to be stripped, because her clothes were dripping wet, and Toshiro somehow forgot to dry them. They all surrounded her bed and waited for Trude to regain consciousness.
"Uhhhh…" Trude moaned silently coming to consciousness. "What is it…? Is it something on my face? Why are you staring?"
"You had an accident, Miss Barkhorn." Yoshika said.
"Accident… Uhhhh… Right… Toshiro… Thanks…"
"Don't mention it, Trude. But you went overboard with the Jet Striker."
"But… I have to fly it… I have to test it… It could be a turning point… Prototypes always have some faults… You see…"
Minna placed her hand on Trude's and said, "It's okay, Trude… It seems that the Jet Striker is faulty beyond reason. Please, we will now move you to your room. Rest there, and don't bother your mind with anything. But I have to tell you this now: you are now officially sentenced to confinement in your room, is that understood?" Minna turned to everybody. "And the use of the Jet Striker is now forbidden."
"Roger." Everyone answered.
"But Minna… I… And the release I signed…"
"Trude… If you didn't hear it the first time, you are now to be confined to your room… If you start talking back, I'll add more to that, for your own good." Toshiro said with a firm voice.
"Oh… Okay…"
Trude drifted away. Toshiro rolled her in the bed sheets, and took her on his arms in a bridal manner. He placed her on the bed in her room.
"Take care of her, Erica." He said.
"Will do, bro."
"And for crying out loud, would you clean this mess up? I know it was cluttered when you got it, but it's making Augeas's stable's look clean!"
"Heheh… Okay, I'll try to clean this up someday, but please don't shout now… Trudy and stuff…"
"Oh, sorry…"
Toshiro silently exited the room, and faced the rest.
"Okay… Everyone go on standby… Shirley, come build that Striker with me."
"Sure…" She said silently.
"The rest of you, cheer up. Trude didn't die, and miraculously didn't sustain injuries." Toshiro said with a faint smile, and went to the hangar with Shirley.
On the spot, Toshiro said, "Shirley, jump into your Striker, I want to test something."
"Oh, okay…"
Toshiro activated the Hebigan, and saw Shirley bursting with energy.
"Okay, now go into high revs for ten seconds."
"Sure."
She revved up the engine, and kept it at a steady level of RPM for the designated time.
"Okay, stop!" Toshiro shouted.
The engines stopped momentarily.
"So, what was that all about?"
"No conclusive data for now… Now, Shirley… Do the same with the Jet."
"What?! I thought…"
"This is an exception, for research purposes."
"Oh, okay… I'm on it."
She jumped into the Striker, and revved it up in its entire vacuum sounding splendor.
"Shirley, stop, now!" Toshiro shouted after only five second.
She stopped the jet engines with a surprised face.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"Get out of the Striker."
"Kay…" Shirley responded and jumped out. "What's the problem?"
"I've analyzed the magic flow in you and the Strikers while you were revving them up. In the Mustang, the magic basically trickled inside of the engine, but in the Messerschmitt… Ouch… It poured like a raging whitewater. Your magic consumption increased tenfold compared to the reciprocating engine."
"Oh my God…" Shirley gasped. "That's why Barkhorn was so spent?"
"Yes. There must be some fault inside of the engines… But I don't give a fuck to be honest. Shirley, start building that Striker, I have to make a call."
"Okay. But be quick, or I'll build the whole thing without you!"
"Hah, you'd wish!"
Toshiro went to the office, and saw Minna writing up a report.
"Minna, is that what I think it is?"
"Yes, Toshiro. You know I have to report this…"
"Well, then this won't be needed actually…" He pulled out the release. It was water damaged, but still legible. He tore it into pieces.
"Why have her write something like that, when you tear it up now?"
"I don't want to put a smudge on Trude's record. Without the release, it will look like a perfectly random accident."
"Thanks… Trude really has a stainless record now… So, what did you want?"
"Just here to phone a certain somebody."
"Should I go out?"
"No, stay."
Toshiro grabbed the phone, and after a few minutes, he managed to hear the voice he wanted to hear.
"Hello? Toshiro?"
"Hi, Ursula…"
"Oh… I have a feeling this won't be a pleasant talk…"
"It sure won't, but I'll try to keep the obscenities to the minimum. Let's start from praise. The new cannon is very good, I like all the improvements you made."
"Oh, thank you. It's fitted especially for you, heehee…"
"And that concludes the praise, now I have to berate you. The engine block on my Akuma cracked while I was approaching to land."
"Mein Gott… Are you okay?"
"Yes, but only thanks to Yoshika, I still have my feet intact… I'm in the process of assembling that turboprop thing right now."
"Well… I hope you do it… It has been tested rather thoroughly, but not by my team…"
"About testing… That Jet Striker is a mother fucking deathtrap!"
"Wh… What happened?"
"Trude crashed into the see not even an hour ago. This piece of crap ravaged her magic energy like a horde of Huns did with Eastern Europe."
The only thing that could be heard on the line was silence.
"But… Is she… All right?"
"Yes, she is. Come quickly, and take this piece of junk out of my sight, or I'll personally recycle it."
"No, please, don't do it! It's crucial that we examine it!"
"Fine. But be sure to fly over by the end of the day."
"Yes…"
Toshiro laid down the receiver on the hook.
"Well, you certainly held back… I saw veins almost popping on your forehead…" Minna said.
"It seems that mechanical failures follow me… It can't be helped…"
"You should chain down the Striker by the way, so nobody can use it."
"Good idea, Minna… Oh, by the way… Is Minna your real name or just short from Hermina or Wilhelmina?"
"Hah… I knew you would ask this question… My parents gave me the name Minna just like that."
"Thanks, I just wanted to clear it up. Strange thoughts come to my mind all the time."
"Well, at least we know that that noggin of your works, heehee…"
"Yeah… Okay, I'm off to build my Striker."
"Good luck."
Toshiro returned to Shirley, who managed to pull out all the parts from the crates. Before they started the assembly, Toshiro chained down the Jet Striker so nobody could use it. Sometime after noon, they were about fifteen minutes from being finished, when Yoshika told them that there's dinner.
"No need to rush, Shirley. Let's eat."
"Yeah, I have to let my fingers rest a little…"
During the meal, Yoshika prepared a covered platter with food inside.
"Is that for Trude and Erica?" Toshiro asked.
"Yes." Yoshika replied. "I wanted to check on them with Lynne."
"I'll go with you, and see if she ain't doing anything stupid."
"Heehee, Big Daddy reactivated…"
Yoshika placed the platter on a cart, with a tea pitcher and cups and they went on.
Arriving at her room, they saw and Trude doing one-handed pull-ups from the wooden beam spread across the room. Toshiro also felt that they were not alone in the room.
"Hey, Trudy, I see your ass crack!" Toshiro said aloud.
"Whoa, whaaa!"
Trude fell down on her shapely ass.
"Why do I even bother… You've seen me naked anyway…" She stood up and resumed her workout.
"Um… Miss Barkhorn…" Yoshika tried to ask something.
"What are you doing?" Lynne beat her to the question.
"I'm training." Trude answered. "I didn't crash because of… the Jet Striker… I am to blame… I was too weak…"
"Huh, you still plan to use it?" Yoshika asked surprised. "But Toshiro…"
"I know that Toshiro forbade it. But if I can master it, I can turn the whole tide of this war. Maybe then he'll understand…"
"Impossible, give it up already." Shirley suddenly appeared behind their backs.
"Did you come to laugh at me, Elwyn? Crashing because I ran out of magic… You'd think I'm still a rookie…"
"Listen to me you moron. That Striker is way too dangerous. Toshiro and I conducted an experiment, and the Jet Striker consumes magic like it was nothing. Next time you might not come out of it with a blue eye…"
"I know you understand the military application of the Jet Striker. It's worth the risk."
"So you don't care if you die?!" Shirley shouted.
"I must become stronger…"
"You fool!"
Suddenly, the alarm siren started ringing across the base. Erica rose from her mattress half-naked, and said, "Oh, Neuroi…"
"Huh? Hartmann? You were here all the time?!" Yoshika shouted surprised.
"Yeah…" She said while pulling her uniform on. "I'll go ahead.
Shirley gave a fierce look at Trude's direction and she also ran away.
"Shirley! Please wait!" Yoshika said.
"But Yoshika, we are on standby!" Lynne said.
"Oh… Okay… But let's go to Minna!"
The two ran off, so Toshiro and Trude were now alone.
"Eat something, Trude. Working out on an empty stomach can be unhealthy, and you are still a bit flat on the energy gauge…"
"Thank for caring about me, Toshiro, but I know my body better than you…" She dropped down on the ground. "However, a sip of tea wouldn't be that bad…"
Silent as a cat, Erica ran into the room and plucked something into Trude's ears shouting, "An opening!"
"Wahh!" Trude shouted.
"You forgot something!" Erica cheered and ran off with her arms spread, imitating a plane.
"A transponder?" She muttered.
"Hah… Maybe Erica wants you to be on the battlefield as a spectator?"
"Maybe…"
"Okay, I'm off building that Striker of mine! I have a feeling I should complete it soon!"
Toshiro ran to the hangar, just to see the girls taking off into battle. He ran off to the table at which the near-finished Striker was lying. Rushing, but not too much, he started finishing the job he left off with Shirley. This was the most troublesome part, connecting all the cables. If he made one mistake, everything would go to naught.
Through the whole time, he heard Mio and Minna exchanging reports on the transponder. After a few minutes, he heard something that made him sweat.
"It split apart?!" Minna surprised voice was heard.
"What is it, Minna, Mio?!" Toshiro shouted.
"The Neuroi split in five. Not only is this fucker fast, now it multiplied!" Mio answered nervously.
"Crap! Hold on, I'm literally minutes away from joining you!"
Toshiro started connecting the wires faster than before, almost burning himself with the soldering iron. He heard Shirley swearing and panting over the transponder.
"This is Sakamoto. Shirley's got her hands full, we need emergency backup!"
"Roger! I'm sending in Lynne and Miyafuji!"
The girls didn't even need two minutes to appear in the hangar and to mount the Strikers.
"Please be careful, Yoshika. I'm just a few wires away from joining you!"
"I will, Toshiro!"
"You don't have to!" Trude's voice pierced the air in the hangar.
"Trude, what the fuck are you doing here?!" Toshiro shouted. "Go to bed! You look half-dead already, want to add the missing half?!"
"The two will never make it in time, I have to do it!"
"I forbid you! As a friend, a superior and supervisor!"
"Toshiro, I know that you know…" Trude changed her attitude as if she flipped a switch.
Toshiro sighed, returned to assembling the Striker and said, "Oh me, oh my… I'm so busy that I wouldn't see that somebody jacked the Jet Striker…"
"Thanks…" Trude said and ran up to the Jet Striker.
She ripped the chains as if they were made of paper. She fetched the BK 5 cannon, and jumped into the Striker.
"I'll deal with you later, Trude…" Toshiro said with a cold voice.
"Later, I won't care to be honest. Now, I have to save that stupid Shirley!"
"But you haven't fully recovered!" Yoshika shouted, but she was swept away by the blast from the Jet takeoff.
After a few seconds, he heard Minna on the transponder.
"TRUDE!"
"I'm sorry, Minna. Toshiro already promised to punish me, so you don't have to sweat."
"You have five minutes to wrap it up, you hear. Fünf minuten!"
"Plenty of time, Minna."
"FINISHED!" Toshiro shouted aloud as he closed the service door on the Striker.
He used time dilution and put the Striker in the Launch Unit. He put on the FFG-4 on his wrist, and fetched the cannon. After jumping into the Striker, he launched the engines. They sounded identically to the ones that Trude had, but they were a bit muffled. Toshiro could feel the raw and untamed power coming from them. He turned on the FFG-4, and the bars moved a bit. After the rev bar went to half the scale, he flipped one of the switches on the side of the device. This engaged the clutch, and connected the crankshaft to the Propeller Generator. The sound of the propellers slicing the air filled the hangar as they started churning violently, along with the ever-increasing volume of the jet engines.
"LET'S GET THIS ON WITH!" Toshiro screamed and pushed forward.
The acceleration almost toppled him, but he managed to straighten up. Just as he left the runway, he crossed the sound barrier.
"This is incredible!" He shouted.
After only half a minute, he was already doing Mach 1.5, and the Striker still had a power reserve according to the readings of the FFG.
"I can't overdo it… Who knows if the engines were broken in after assembly…?"
Toshiro flew in the direction of the battle at a steady speed of Mach 2. He saw Trude shooting a rocket shaped Neuroi multiple times, and destroying its core.
"Well… Guess I wasn't needed after all…"
He could hear cheering on the transponder, but Trude was silent.
"Hey, Trudy… Trudy… Come in…" Toshiro tried to reach her.
Suddenly the cannon she had in her hands fell into the sea.
"Barkhorn isn't responding!" Shirley shouted. "And she's still accelerating!"
"Gods! She passed out! Quick Shirley, stop her, or she'll burn all her magic!" Mio commanded.
"Roger!" Shirley responded.
Toshiro didn't need an invitation, and he flew in Shirley's direction, matching her speed in a matter of seconds.
"Oh, Toshiro! You are here! How is the Striker?"
"Marvelous! But I'm going light on it right now."
"How fast did you fly?"
"Mach 2 and it still wanted to go."
"Woah! Okay, but now we have to save Barkhorn! Lend me a hand!"
"Feel the power of the future, haha!" Toshiro grabbed her in the waist, and started accelerating.
"Yeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaw!" Shirley shouted with joy. "This is incredible!"
"Ain't it? Okay, we're nearing Trudy. Try to communicate with her first."
"Sure."
Toshiro flew besides Trude, and Shirley slapped her on the cheek, with no result.
"Damn, she's out cold! We have to pull her out!"
"Okay! I'll grab the Striker, and hold it tight! We need it for Ursula! You grab Trude and pull the emergency release!"
"Roger!"
Toshiro flew in so that Shirley grabbed Trude in her waist. Toshiro grabbed the Striker firmly.
"Stop damn you!" Shirley shouted and pulled the release cable.
Toshiro felt that the Striker detached from Trude's legs, and he pulled it off. He slowly made a circle around Shirley, who was now holding Trude like her lover. Trude on the other hand tucked herself into Shirley's breasts with a visible smile.
"Oh you…" Shirley said mildly and stroked Trude on the head. "Sleep now…"
"I see that Trude finally will get some rest today…" Toshiro said silently. "Okay, let's go back to the rest…"
"Heeeeey! Those are my breasts! Mine! Mine! Miiiiiine!" Francesca shouted as she approached.
Mio laid her hand on Francesca's shoulder and she said, "Shush, Lucchini… She deserved it…"
"Okay…" She replied disappointed.
They all returned to the base. Minna was waiting for them with a frown on her face, but she smiled when she saw Trude tucked into Shirley's bosom.
"Take her to bed, Shirley… I don't have the heart to talk about punishing her…"
"Yes…"
Toshiro and Shirley went to Trude's room. Shirley placed Trude on her bed, and latter coiled up in a fetal position. As the two were leaving her bedside, they heard a whisper.
"Thanks you, Shirley…"
"No, thank you, Trude…" She replied after a few seconds.
Toshiro spent the time until Ursula's arrival on studying the manuals of the FFG-4 and the new Striker. He learned something very interesting about the Jumo 022-004H Hy engine, a secret capability that even he didn't notice while he was assembling the Striker. In the meantime, Shirley and Erica managed to fish out the BK 5 cannon. The barrel was bent, so it's further use was impossible.
This will be veeeery interesting… Heheheh…
The sun setting in its orange glory, and Trude came into the hangar with Lynne and Yoshika.
"Ho ho, did you have a nice sleep, Trude?" Toshiro asked.
"Yeah… But I'm still a bit pooped."
"Yoshika, will you be doing supper right now?"
"Yes, why are you asking?"
"Could you make a potato themed supper?"
"Sure! But the potato peeling will take a while…"
"I have a solution for that problem." Toshiro turned to Trude. "Captain Gertrud Barkhorn, for breaching a direct order from your superior, I sentence you to KP duty for the next week."
"Jawohl!" She responded with a salute.
"That's the spirit! Now get a knife and peel those taters!"
"Jawohl!"
"I see justice has been served already?" Minna said from behind his back.
Toshiro turned around and saw her with Mio.
"Yup. Given her lack of previous offences, this is a just punishment. And the fact that she knows how to cook makes it beneficial for us. Of course I won't write a letter about the punishment, will you?"
"Heehee… No, not a single word…" Minna said with a mysterious smile.
After half an hour, Toshiro heard a voice in his transponder.
"Toshiro, we are going to land in a few minutes. Are we clear for landing?"
"Sure thing, Ursula."
"Thank you."
In a few minutes, the plane with Ursula landed. The first thing that they saw was an enormous crate of potatoes, easily a few tons.
"Potatoes!" Erica screamed from the top of her lungs. "And Sissy!"
Ursula appeared from behind the crate shyly.
"Hello…"
She went forward slowly, and stopped before Toshiro.
"I know this is nothing, but please accept this transport of potato's as compensation for all the trouble…"
"I should outright punch you in the gut, but that would be barbaric… Whatever, come on, assess the damage with your own eyes."
"Okay…"
They went to the damaged Akuma, and Ursula started looking at the damage to the engine.
"Hmmm… Yes… It must have been a fault in the metal… Impossible to predict…"
"Yeah… I don't blame you much for that, but you should look at that magic guzzler AKA Jet Striker."
Ursula approached the Striker, but she found nothing wrong.
"I assure you there is something wrong. It siphons magic as a vacuum."
"Have you checked it?"
"Yes. My familiar enables me to see the magic flow of living beings."
"Interesting… I have to thank you for keeping the Striker in mint condition; it will surely help us develop a better Striker in the future. By the way… How is the turboprop?"
"Fine. Do I have to break the engine in?"
"Yes, for the first half hour of operating don't go too wild. Have you seen the special function?"
"I've only read about it… Is it really so good?"
"Yes. But watch out, it has a really hefty magic consumption, as it's a stopgap solution. But we are working on something even better than the Me 262." She winked to him.
"Oh?"
"Yes, especially for you. But I doubt it will be finished for the next three or four months. Your uncle gave us a hefty grant after we showed him the plans, heehee…"
"That uncle…" Toshiro sighed.
"Hey, Hartmann, have some fries!" Yoshika ran up to the two.
"Oh, thank you." Ursula said.
"Hey, Miyafuji, can I also have some?" Erica asked from behind her back.
"Of course you can, Hartman Two... Oh, you are Erica, and that was Ursula, heheh…"
"Don't sweat it, Miyafuji." Erica responded.
"Here, Toshiro, I also have fries for you!" Yoshika cheered.
"Thanks, Yoshika."
Toshiro was chewing down on the fried potatoes with reverence, watching as Shirley and Trude battled over a single fry.
Welp, she's back to normal all right…
When Ursula was leaving, she wanted to take Toshiro's old cannon and the Mk 108's.
"Ursula, where are you taking the cannon and the two Mk 108's?"
"Back to Neue Karlsland. They will be assigned to somebody else who can use it."
"You know what… I promised a certain person that I would procure that cannon for them… And those two would also be a nice thing… Could you do that for me, Ursula?"
"And who is that, Toshiro?"
"Mami Inagaki from the 31st JFS."
"Is she capable of wielding those weapons?"
"Yup. She uses a Bofors and an 88 as her main armament."
"Then okay, I'll drop the weaponry in Tobruk then. Have a good night, Toshiro."
"And a good night to you, Ursula. And sorry for me being suck a dick…"
"No problem, Toshiro. You are just being concerned about Trude." Ursula replied with a smile.
"Toshiro, remember that you still have a mission to fulfil today…"
"Oh, right… Time to secure my failsafe…"
"What is it?"
"You'll see…"
Toshiro found Minna, who was scaling the stairs.
"Say, Minna… I have a request…"
"Fire away."
"I need your panties."
Her face turned red and her jaw dropped.
"Wha… What?!"
"Not just some plain panties, I need the kinkiest panties you have on the bottom of your drawer!"
"PERVERT!"
"Please, this is important…"
"Oh? How can my panties be important?"
"I don't want to entrust you with that knowledge, the less you know, the better you sleep…"
"Ugh, okay… Bottom drawer to the left… But if you show them to anybody, or rip them, you'll pay dearly, and I won't take heed that you're my superior…"
"Thank you, Minna. You are a life saver."
"You fucking pervert… What do you intend to do with her panties?"
"Kuji has a weakness for panties; do I need to say more?"
"Oh… OOOOH! Brilliant!"
Toshiro snuck into Minna's room, and procured the panties. He hung out outdoors until it became really dark, and he went to get Yoshika. She was about to enter the room with Lynne, but he called her silently and she followed him.
"What is it, Toshiro? You want a date under the full moon?"
"Sort of. Come on."
"Heehee…"
They went on to the beach in silence. Toshiro felt as Yoshika was trembling when they stopped.
"Yoshika…"
"Y-Yes?"
"Forgive me…"
"Wha…"
Toshiro turned around rapidly, and his hand shot pierced her chest.
"To… Toshi… Why… Wh…" Yoshika whispered as her eyes lost their shine.
"Bear with me…"
Toshiro laid her on the ground. He yanked out his hand out of her chest. No blood spurted out, nor was a gaping hole left behind. In his hands, a dark shining ball was shimmering, connected on a shining blue cord. The ball shuddered and forced its way out of his hand.
Before Toshiro floated Kuji, Yoshika's familiar, but one could debate if it was him. His brown-white fur was now black-grey, and his eyes glowed with fierce carmine.
"You… How dare you do this to Yoshika?!"
"I have to pound your ass into next week, and purify you, so Yoshika won't be a psychotic bitch!"
"It's your fault she became this way!"
"Let's get this over with already…"
Toshiro rushed at Kuji, but he dodged swiftly. For every punch, Toshiro threw, Kuji responded with a dodge.
"What, can't hit me? How terrible…"
"I didn't say my last word!"
Toshiro diluted time and rushed at Kuji, but he dodged the punch with ease.
"What the fuck?!"
"Do you think only Yuki can pull off time dilution? Pfeh!"
Time for my ace in the sleeve…
Toshiro pulled out the panties he procured from Minna. That dark laced panties, the epitome of sexy lingerie, waved in the nights wind.
"Oh look, I found something in my pocket…" Toshiro took a simulated sniff of the panties. "Hmmmm… The scent of an adult woman… It almost drives me nuts…"
Kuji's fur changed color back to his brown-white, and he rushed at Toshiro.
"Paaaaaantieeeees!"
"NOPE!" Toshiro shouted and landed a hook punch, driving him into the beaches sand.
He immediately stomped on him, securing him under his boot.
"But panties… Why…"
Toshiro hid the panties in his breast pocket, and enabled the Sacred Flame. He grabbed the beat up Kuji, and started purifying him. He squirmed around in his hands, shouting in a demonic fashion, but Toshiro held him in an iron grip.
"I sense no more evil in Kuji… Well, besides his lust for panties…"
Kuji was sleeping on Toshiro's hands. He placed him on Yoshika's chest, and he returned to her body on his own.
"Toshiro… What…" Yoshika started regaining consciousness. "What happened…? Why am I on the beach…?" He looked at him furling her eyebrows. "I hope you didn't violate me?"
"Nope. But I healed you, Yoshika."
"Healed me?"
"You won't have any more unexpected rage fits. Your body is your own now."
"Oh… Thank you…"
"You know you can thank me better…"
"Oh… Heehee…"
She reached out to him, and kissed him.
"Much better, Yoshika. Much better… Now go to bed. I'll just go to Minna and give her something back."
"Okay. Have a good night."
"You too, my love."
He followed Yoshika into the building, and split to Minna's room. Before he could even knock on the door, they opened.
"Do you have them?"
Toshiro pulled out the panties out of his pocket. They were snatched from his before he could even straighten out his hand.
"Did everything go according to plan?"
"Yes. Your panties may have saved a life, you know?"
"Really? Please tell me the details."
In a brief summary, Toshiro told Minna what happened.
"My my… Who would have thought that Miyafuji was a ticking time bomb… But you have defused her… With the help of my panties… I don't know what to say… Maybe 'Good night' will be enough for now, heehee…"
"Yeah, night, Minna."
Toshiro went to his room, and called it a day after a brief dip in the tub.
The Jumo 022-004H Hy engine is made up, but if you study the interwebz a bit, you may guess what's cooking. ;)
And there's an obscure World of Tanks reference hidden somewhere. Can't find it? How terrible!
And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]