Part 31
The agony of defeat.
OooOOooOO
Carrot growled in frustration as the Black Cat dove across another rooftop with Kei swooping in on her. She'd taken cover on a roof that was covered in tall air conditioners and air vents. "No! Dolt she's a ninja!" He growled under his breath and jerked on his line flinging himself towards the mess ahead. It looked like Kei's knife was melting the bricks and metal she was slashing as she made dives at the thief.
The Kunoichi stopped at the edge of the rows of metal and pipes the other girl had taken cover in. He looked at her palm and frowned at the smoking burn scars. "He is near." She strolled boldly into the cover of the air conditioning units. The corners of her lips turned up in a rather crazed smile.
The Black Cat was gasping for breath with wide eyes as she peered around the corner of one of the larger pieces of cover around her. "Great. Who the hell is this chick? Crazy bitch." She didn't look very secure in her position, but wasn't about to back down.
"You know, you look like you might be thinking you're on equal footing here. You're not." It was the crazy girl's voice. "In here, you won't even see death coming."
The thief whirled around and caught Kei's wrist as the knife came down. The center of the blade was starting to turn red as the ninja girl tackled her prey to the ground. The girl brought her knee up before they hit the ground and the stab lost it's leverage as the kunoichi's stomach tightened up as she bent over and rolled to the side.
Black Cat put up her fists and faced her as she rolled away at the same time and frowned. "Well, looks like I've found you." She kicked Kei in the face before she stood all the way up and sent her head back into one of the machines hard enough to dent the metal. She took a step back as the crazed girl popped right back up with a mad grin on her face. Her palm was smoking as she gripped the nasty looking knife, it was starting to glow a little from the heat it was generating. "Doesn't that hurt?"
Kei nodded once. "A great deal." She kicked her opponent in the stomach and spun into a back kick in her face. The thief was sprawled out on her back with Kei diving at her in the air before her back hit the ground. She put up her hands t try and catch the strike as best she could, but just realized she couldn't move away fast enough.
The ninja girl stopped in mid air and was jerked away. She sailed about ten feet back, crushing the side of one of the large metal boxes on the rooftop in from the impact. Her knife rolled out of her palm as she staggered and floundered to pull herself up.
Spiderman landed between the crazy ninja and the thief. He didn't bother looking back at Black Cat. "Get lost. Don't come back around here again. This place is more trouble than it's worth. Stick to your home range kid."
The woman frowned at him a little as she stood up and dusted herself off. "Thanks, I guess." She rushed away from the scene glancing over her shoulder as he stood waiting for the ninja girl to move closer. She was taking her time and glaring at him as she returned from where he'd thrown her.
"I'll be catching up to her later." Kei snarled at him and put the knife away in her belt. Her clothes were torn and dirty, and she looked like she hadn't been taking care of herself. "It seems our roles are reversed. This time, I'm the one who's really living on the streets."
"Yeah. Stop bothering other people with this. It's between you and me."
"It ends when one of us dies. I don't really care which one of us dies." Kei kicked off of one of the nearby vents and hooked her leg at him. The boy ducked away and hopped over her other leg as she spun into another kick as soon as she landed, when it missed she spun into another kick and found it blocked by his forearm.
"You're going to get dizzy doing that."
"You've made light of this long enough!" Her palm slipped through and nailed him right in the chest before he could jump away, he'd moved enough to avoid the full force of the strike, but it still hurt. He hopped back as she rushed him, flipping away down the center of one of the columns of vents and electrical boxes. She kept up just behind him making repeated forward jumps while punching or kicking at him. He dipped out of the way of every strike as she left several dents in the rather flimsy metal used to house the machines on the rooftop. The girl smirked as she noticed he was moving straight towards a small gap and a wall just outside the rows. He continued flipping up the side of the wall as she skidded to a halt just in front of the gap.
"Yeah. No such thing as a dead end for me." Carrot was gasping for breath. She was going full steam to keep him from catching his breath.
"I'm going to kill you."
"Man, you're not even good at banter anymore." The boy was getting frustrated with her He didn't want to back down and run hike he was thinking he should. She was getting worse, and he needed to do something about her one way or another. It was hard to be confident about it.
She jumped up and kicked off his former position pushing herself back onto the rooftop with her kick three times before giving up on that tactic as he moved out of the way with little trouble.
"Harder when you can't go back home and stock up on new things to throw at me isn't it?" Carrot had a feeling she would have been lobbing anything she had at him by this point. She was frustrated and growling at him like an animal. Drool was running down her chin as she paced back and fourth keeping her eyes locked on his position.
"Destroy me or die! I don't care which!" she screamed at him as she leaped towards the wall again. She caught him by surprise again as she stabbed her knife into the wall where he had been and hung there. He'd jumped away of course, but she snagged his leg and ripped him free off the wall, tossing him away from the roof and into one of the windows of the building they had been on top of before diving inside after him.
The boy fell twenty feet and landed in the middle of a crowded dance floor. He landed on his chest in a shower of glass as the patrons of the club they had once been fighting on top of scattered away screaming. The DJ abandoned his post with the rest of the crowd as the boy in tights shook his head and pushed himself up to his feet. The landing had hurt, and the loud rock music was a bit disorienting. Marylin Manson was blaring from huge speakers in the corners of the room as "Kaboom Kaboom' blasted through the room.
He got his bearings just in time to notice Kei punching him in the face. He reeled back and landed on top of a table, spilling drinks and sending more club goers around. There were a few standing in the back of the room, but most of the crowd was flowing out the doors.
"What the hell is..." An angry looking man in his thirties dressed in a white suit stormed up to the edge of the fight. Kei put her foot into his gut and flipped over to kick him in the face.
"Stay out of this."
Carrot was off the table and edging forward. "We never talk anymore."
"Just die." The girl jumped at him and he went over her head and behind her. He was forced to shift his weight to avoid the table she tossed at him just before he landed. He sent out a web line and pulled himself out of the way as she jumped up to hook one of her legs into an eight foot speaker box and send it crashing down at him. He was sprawled on the floor for a moment and growled as he rolled back onto his feet as she came down from above, cracking the tiles and denting the floor with her landing. Her knife was drawn in an instant as she slashed at his chest to keep him off balance and flipped it around her wrist to stab at him.
The boy grunted as he stuck the soles of his feet to the floor and sent two web lines behind him before jerking his arms back and then jumping away as the ninja stabbed at him in a diving roll.
She gasped as two of the large speakers almost crashed into her just after he'd moved.
The boy was thinking it was clever until both speakers fell in half and landed on either side of her. The edges along the cuts were smoldering orange and melting. "Fuck."
Kei didn't waste a moment, he had relaxed expecting his attack to keep her occupied longer. He ducked out of her jumping slash, but got caught in the gut by the follow up kick just as she landed. He was thrown into the side of the bar, bending a few metal stools in his wake. They fell in half just after he pushed off one of them with his feet and sent himself sliding for a few feet on his back before flipping over his shoulders to his feet. The impact on his legs jarred a bit more than he was expecting and he found himself unable to step away in time as she jumped at him after her missed strike and drove the knife into his left shoulder before punching him in the face hard .
The boy screamed in pain as the knife cut through the flesh in his arm, leaving a deep bleeding hole in his shoulder. His whole arm was numb as he kicked back with both feet and hit the entrance to the club with his back as she hacked at his throat. The doors gave way and he flipped on one arm back to the edge of the sidewalk. Police sirens could be heard in the distance as the authorities started responding to the disturbance.
The crazed girl growled as he jumped onto the side of the building and started climbing again. She rushed away from the doors through the parting crowd of displaced patrons and into the alley at the side of the building. The fire escape was a metal set of stairs, and she started running up after her prey in a full sprint. "You'll not escape."
Carrot reached the roof and rushed to the other side. "Goddamnit." He was clutching his wounded shoulder, he wasn't losing much blood through the wound, but his whole body was strained from the fight. Kei had gotten stronger, and lost what little sanity she had left. He turned to look back just in time to see her rush off the fire escape and make a bee line towards him with her knife held high.
"Die!"
He jumped off the roof and swung away towards the side of a large church. The girl dove off after him, but rather than chase him, she swerved off and cut the line he was swinging from.
"Aw man." Carrot realized that his line had gone slack and turned to look back to see her clinging to the wall and watching him with a smile on her face. He was still moving forward from the momentum of his swing. His senses behind him didn't need to warn him that what was about to happen would really hurt. A massive impact exploded across his back as he hit wood and clay. Tiles from the church roof slid away as he started sliding right after landing. It didn't take much to stop himself, but he staggered to his feet and started backing away from the edge of the roof. Kei was gliding over to the opposite end of the roof and landed in a crouch on the apex of the angled roof. Carrot walked up to the opposite end of the roof and stared her down. Behind him was the bell tower to the small christian building, there was a gold cross at the steeple to the tower.
"Are you prepared to die?" She giggled to herself as she looked at him with a wide grin on her face.
The young hero clenched his fist, his left arm felt a little funny, but it still seemed to work. His right arm was fine.
The girl started stabbing at the rooftop, leaving orange lines as she dragged the knife along as she moved towards him in a slow and crouching walk.
"You know, there are easier ways to get a guy to the altar." His hand went up and closed around the grip of the sword on his back as he drew it and held it in front of him.
"Always joking around. Even in death." She didn't seem to notice what he'd done despite the fact she was staring at him with an unblinking stare.
Kei rushed him from about five feet away by throwing herself forward. The girl screamed as her knife glowed bright orange. The blades met as the boy moved to block the strike rather than dodge. His feet dug in as the tiles shifted a bit as he pushed back. An intense heat flared as the two edges met, flakes of glowing orange floated away as they both pushed.
The girl grunted in frustration as she realized she was starting to lean back and jumped away. She went up over him, forcing him to block another strike, but snagging the fabric on the back of his neck as she landed and shifted her weight down and forward. Carrot was tossed into the air and twisted before extending his body. He passed between the bell and the wall and landed with his feet, catching himself on the wall in the stairwell that led up to the top of the bell tower. The kunoichi dove in after him trying to pin him to the wall with her knife again and forcing him to push off and down. They bounced their way from wall to wall, clashing with their blades as they descended to the small door that led into the building.
Rows of seats and a high ceiling, with a large isle through the middle that went up to the raised altar at the end of the church. Carrot had a new hole on the forearm of his costume. Kei was breathing hard, covered in sweat, and looked like she was having a rather nasty reaction to speed. She rushed forward, all of her muscles tense. It was obvious she would run herself into the ground, and wear him out.
His sword clashed with hers again as they met in the center of the church. He was forced back, as a few chunks of the wooden seat fell away as they clashed their way towards the altar. The boy flipped back to the opposite end of the table as he reached the elevated stage.
Kei screamed in rage as she rushed forward, the altar table fell in half as the boy landed on the wall looking down at her next to a giant set of legs. "That's an impressive trick." There was no way the knife should have been large enough to do it.
The girl gave an small frustrated growling sound as she threw herself at him again. He flipped onto one of the support beams that moved across the room near the ceiling. The church wasn't very large, but it was still fifteen feet to the floor. She pushed off of her own landing on the wall and followed him up forcing him to jump back to the next beam as her landing also caused a nasty slash in the support.
The ninja girl hopped across after him deftly and they both slashed at each other a few times as they staggered to keep balance on the wood. They were pounding on each other, and neither one of them looked like they would be able to stand much longer.
Carrot was in pain, his ribs were bruised, if not broken, his shoulder was almost screaming at him, and he was still feeling small pops in his back. "I've got to end this."
"Yes. You do." Kei's face was emotionless as she continued to press her attack. The boy blocked, made a wide sweeping slash and ran over her on the ceiling in the same motion. He came down behind her and slashed downwards again. The beam started to fall away, and the boy jumped onto it before it separated from the roof. He rushed down by running down it at the stunned Kei.
The girl had enough sense to put up her knife just as he pushed off as the beam slammed into the ground. The benches on the left side of the church shattered beneath them as the mess came crashing down into them.
Carrot was growling , splintered wood surrounded them as he screamed using the force of his impact to drive home his strike.
The ninja girl hit the ground hard, but somehow managed to keep her knife up and fight the slash.
"Die!" she screamed as she started to push back. She managed to lift her shoulders and put her leg into hos belly in an attempt to push him back..
Spiderman said nothing as the blade in his hands glowed blue as he pushed against her. The blade in her hands had gone from orange to bright red as the weapons both spit sparks in every direction.
The girl's eyes went wide as she stared at the point of contact between the blades. "It...can't be..."
There was a bright flash of light and then, nothing.
OooOOooOO
"Hello friend. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were looking for someone as well." Mao Lin was sitting on a park bench with a tired looking smile on her face. A small white cat she'd seen around town was looking up at her. It had been walking by and seemed to respond to her speaking. She stroked his fur as he hopped up on the bench next to her. "Here, you can have this. I don't care much for fish." She had a half eaten smoked fish on a stick and set it down on the bench in front of him. "I've seen you around, but I'm pretty sure you're not following me. Maybe it's just that little mark on your head, makes you easier to notice than other cats."
She leaned back and looked up at the sky. Her search hadn't been going well. She'd been in Japan about a month and a half, and had only found destruction and dead ends in her search. The cat curled up next to her on the bench and she scratched between his ears with her fingernails. The cat settled a little more and started purring. It wasn't the first time she'd run into the animal, and she'd fed him a few scraps before. "I'm looking for my sister. I found out she got a job at a newspaper, but the address I got from them was an empty destroyed building. No one there has seen her in two weeks either. I fear what she may have gotten involved with."
"Well I can't get out of the house when he's home! You know how he is!" A large bag of cat litter being held aloft by two skinny legs. "I hate having to sneak off in the middle of the night. Yeah, with wings." There was a small plastic bag hanging from one of the arms hefting the bag. Despite the size of the carrier, it was being moved without difficulty as she continued to talk on a cell phone as she walked. "Well they don't sell Fancy Cat there. Well, how should I know what the difference is? Why don't you ask her? I don't use the litter box." The girl seemed annoyed at whoever she was talking too. "Look, no one is following me. Jeez, you're getting as bad as he is Gia. No, they didn't have tuna. Luna is just going to have to settle on salmon. Yeah, you do that, I'll see you in the morning then. We'll be fine, relax all right?"
Mei Lin found herself peering around the bag as she walked into someone standing in front of her. "Oh, excuse me..." She froze as she looked up at the woman who had grabbed her shoulders and lifted the bag from her arms. "Hey! What are you...Mao Lin?"
"I've found you!" screamed the older woman as she lifted her younger sister into the air and tried to squeeze her eyes out of her skull by crushing her back after tossing the bag of liter onto the bench.
"Gack!" cried the younger girl. "Wh...what are you doing here!?" She pushed herself away and back to her feet as the older girl let her down and loosened her girp.
"I'm so glad I found you!" The older girl was almost squealing as she grabbed her sister in another hug and shoved the younger girl's face into her rather ample chest cutting off any response.
Mei Lin gasped as she staggered back after wriggling her way out again. "Cut that out! I'm glad to see you too, but it's not safe out here."
"What?" muttered the older girl, her sister was smiling at her. "What happened to you? What is happening here?"
"Huh? Sorry I haven't written in a few weeks. I got a little busy. I'm a reporter! Isn't that cool!" Mei Lin grabbed the litter again and hefted it onto her shoulder. "Mom said you went missing? What are you doing here anyway?"
"Looking for you. Grandfather is worried, I'm here to bring you home." The older girl frowned at her sister as she started walking with her.
"Well, there's no way I'm going home." Mei Lin stopped and stared at the older girl. "I'm afraid I'm busy fighting darkness in Japan. There's something going on here, and it's really important."
"Wait!"
Both girls turned to look back at the rather panicked looking animal behind them. "Huh? Hey..." Mei Lin was looking down at the cat.
"What? Who's there?!" Mao Lin looked alarmed as she glanced around at the area.
"It's the cat. It talks." The younger girl crouched down in front of it and pointed at it's nose with her free hand as she looked up at her sister.
"Be serious! I can't let you..."
"You know where Luna is!?" cried the animal. "Please! Take me to her!"
"..."
"I told you there's weird stuff going on in Japan did I? I'm not going anywhere. Come on, I'll show you where I'm staying." The girl seemed cheerful. "I thought I recognized that bald spot! You know Luna? Are you her brother or her boyfriend or something?"
The cat was walking in impatient circles around her. "She's all right? Where is she?"
"..."
"Come on, both of you then. Luna is staying with us." Mei Lin looked over her shoulder towards the clinic. "It's getting crowded there. I hope Carrot doesn't get too upset."
The older girl snapped out of her stunned silence. "Who is this, Carrot?"
"Look, I'm not supposed to be out. We'll talk about this when we get there all right?" The younger girl hung her head. "Come on. I want to get there before he gets back."
OooOOooOO
Carrot found himself lying on his back with his sword still gripped in his hand. He stirred slowly and shook his head as he stabbed into the floor and pulled himself upright without standing. He was in the middle of three broken benches and a high pitched sound was grating at his aching skull. He coughed, and felt the front of his mask become wet with a spattering of blood. He gripped at his ribs as he almost fell onto his face, but managed to lean against his sword and push himself to his feet.
There was a glowing orange spot on the ground about ten feet away. "Crap." He struggled to shift towards it and took a few staggering steps before collecting himself enough to keep his balance. He peered down at an odd sight. Three silver pools of hardened metal were losing heat in the middle of the shattered benches in the mess the trip from the ceiling had caused. Kei was on her back and not moving. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the ceiling and clutched her wrist with her free hand. The inside of her palm was one big blister and burn scar, tears were flowing down her cheeks, and she was shivering and gasping in short breaths. They had both been blasted away by what had happened.
He moved over and she just watched him approach without moving from her spot on the floor. She just stared at him as he staggered over and looked down at her. He pointed his sword down at her, and she made no move to react beyond looking up at the ceiling again in a rather vacant way.
The boy took his mask off and glared at her as he pointed the tip at her neck and simply looked at her.
"End it."
Carrot frowned at her and looked back over his shoulder at the mess. The place was destroyed. "Shit."
"After all of this you would turn your back on me now?" gasped the girl as he looked back down at her again. "You are a fool. It is time for this to end. My life is now yours, take it."
He snorted at her and put his sword back onto his back again. Without another word he turned away and started towards the doors.
"If you don't kill me, my clan will. I would rather die at your hands. Finish what you have started." She didn't sound angry, but struggled to speak through her tears.
The boy glanced back over his shoulder. "That knife was cursed." He was looking down at the pools of melted metal, they had cooled and weren't glowing anymore. He pulled his mask over his face again and looked back at her. "Don't worry about your clan. They aren't allowed to kill you. Get lost." He walked away and pushed open the front door with a loud cracking as the deadbolt broke through the heavy oak. Both doors drifted open and he staggered outside and sat down on the steps. He shuffled down the steps.
Kei sat and watched this, for a moment she sat in silence, staring at the broken wood around her. Without a word she pushed herself up and wavered for a moment before walking out after him holding her hand in a ginger manner. "Aren't allowed?" She was confused and her head was far from clear. "Wait..."
"I'm finished with this fight." He glanced back at her over his shoulder in a deep frown as he realized she was moving after him. It was annoying to realize her legs were working better than his were and his hand went back up to his blade. He didn't draw it, as she kept back a bit and leaned against the door frame with her head hung low.
"Please, kill me. I have nothing, you've taken all of it." She was sobbing again and huddled her shoulders as she rubbed at her arm with her one good hand. "Let me die with honor. My life is yours, please, destroy me."
He continued staggering down the stairs away from her. "Stop begging."
She followed after him keeping her distance as he moved away and into an alley across the street. He knew he needed to disappear before any attention was drawn by the mess. There were already police nearby because of the fight in the club. He moved in the opposite direction for several blocks, staggering through puddles, tripping over garbage, and generally stumbling with Kei keeping pace a short distance behind him. He wanted to collapse, but the girl behind him kept him pressing on. "Get lost would ya?" He snapped back at her as he looked over his shoulder towards her.
She wasn't even looking at him, but had a vacant wide eyed stare, still blotched from her tears. She looked somber, and was still shivering and trying to keep her hand from touching anything by holding it away from her body. "I won't leave until you kill me. I will follow you as long as I have too."
He snorted at that and started staggering forward again. "Fine, stay there then." With that, he tripped over a torn plastic bag and landed face first on the pavement, with a plastic jug jabbing him in the belly.
Kei watched him lie there for a moment standing back and watching him sprawled out on the ground. He wasn't moving. She didn't look happy, or sad to see it as she moved closer after about three minutes. She also didn't seem afraid as she rolled him over onto his back and peered into his face. He was out cold.
OooOOooOO
Michiru stretched her arms as she woke up and smiled. Her parents had returned from out of town. Her mother and father were up, she could smell coffee as she rose from her sheets and yawned as she put on a pair of slippers. Her parents had been gone for weeks, and would only be home for about a week before leaving on more business in the future.
She'd been there to greet them, and her father was a bit more quiet than he had been after returning in the past. They had spoken as if they'd had a good time, and soon after her parents had gone into their room for the night.
The girl had missed them, and she was looking forward to speaking with them about the trip. It was unusual to have both of them home at the same time, her mother wasn't expected back for a few days after her father had arrived.
When she entered the kitchen, she found both of them sitting around the table. Her mother was looking at the man sitting across from her with a cup of coffee in her hands and her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?" She'd walked into the middle of a conversation.
The man was grinning at her, but it looked forced. "Ah. Let's ask. Michiru, what do you think about moving to Yokohama?"
The teen arched her eyebrows and popped her back as she sat down. "Huh? Why?"
"We're fine here. What's wrong with you?" Her mother slapped his shoulder. "You've been acting off since we met at the airport. You still haven't explained why meeting you here was so important? Do you know how much money I lost on that client?" She didn't seem very upset with him, but was put off by what he was saying. "I'm sure Michiru doesn't want to leave her friends behind either."
"What's going on?" asked the girl.
"Nothing, your father is just excited about nothing again." The woman rolled her eyes and walked into the living room.
"Problems at work?" asked the girl as she looked at him as he hung his head a little.
"Yeah." He gave her a smile that didn't look very happy.
The girl gave a somewhat nervous laugh. "What? You didn't get fired did you?"
"People with my job, don't get fired."
"What are you worried about then?" She was confused, but her father was being cryptic as usual. He never spoke about what he did, beyond it had something to do with consulting.
"It's nothing. I want to talk with your mother about it for a bit first. Don't worry." The smile he gave her after saying that was pleasant, and he seemed to be cheering up a bit.
"I guess I understand." She shrugged and stood up to leave him to sit alone. It was obvious he thought he needed a bit of time to think.
She was going by the living room on her way to the stairs after leaving the kitchen. She'd not gone three feet past the door when a firm but methodical knock started on the door. She paused and turned to look over at the window by the door. There were three men standing outside on the porch, all of them were dressed in suits and ties. The man in the middle was wearing a fedora, and all three had on expensive looking sunglasses. She opened the door and they all looked up at her. "Yes?"
There was what sounded to her like a ripping sound, and it felt like someone had pushed her hard in the chest. None of the men had moved and she fell back onto the foyer floor. When her back hit the ground she tried to take a breath, she saw the legs of the three men stepping around her just before the world went black.
OooOOooOO
Haruka sat up in bed. She looked over at her clock and frowned. She'd only gotten about five hours sleep. "Shit." She felt tired, but it was obvious she wouldn't be getting any sleep soon. "I wonder what happened to that jerk last night?" She'd spent a bit of time flying around to let off some steam, but hadn't found anything of interest once Spiderman had taken off. Now it was morning, and she had to start getting ready for class.
About a half hour later she walked outside, putting on a pair of sunglasses more to ease the ache in the back of her head more than fashion. It was a sunny day, and she found herself looking down at the dented mess her car was. The windows had been repaired, and it ran, but there was still a lot of work to be done on it. She hadn't had time to worry about it as of late either. Seeing it again didn't help her mood. "Stupid jerk. I should have slapped him around a bit when I had the chance."
She'd had a restless night, the sleep she'd gotten hadn't been very good. Her dreams had been less than pleasant, and she had a bad feeling about the day ahead.
With a heavy sigh she moved behind the wheel of her car. It choked and sputtered a bit as she turned the key. After a moment, it started and she rested her head against the steering wheel for a moment before pulling out. "My life sucks."
OooOOooOO
Michiru woke up on the floor, her clothes were wet, and a heavy pungent aroma filled her senses. Her shoulder and chest were screaming with a burning pain as she staggered to her feet, almost collapsing as one of her arms gave out as she attempted to put her weight on it to pull herself to her feet. "Wha?" There was a familiar crackle and rumble around her. The moment she made it to her feet, she realized something was wrong. The air was smoky and a dangerous haze clouded her vision and burned at her eyes. "Fire!" she gasped. She stumbled further into the home. "Mom! Dad!" She struggled further into the home, fighting back her coughs as she squatted down beneath the smoke. She walked into the kitchen and froze. The floor and walls were covered in flames, but worst of all, her mother was sprawled out across the kitchen table. There was a large hole in her head, and her dress was pushed up above her waist with her legs spread eagle. The girl was frozen in shock, unable to speak, scream, or even move.
"Michiru!" The voice was quiet and weak. The girl fell back on her rear, causing the pain in her chest and shoulder to flare up. She looked at the floor as a line of flames moved between her legs along a trail of liquid that ignited a path back to where she was lying when she'd woken up. She screamed in fear and horror as her dress caught fire and flames raced up her clothing. She staggered back trying to pat the fire out with her hands, but only managed to burn her palms as the heat began to get through.
She felt something slam into her side and hit the floor hard as something covered her. She felt herself being tossed and forced to move in an almost violent manner. When she got her bearings straight, she was outside on the lawn, half covered in a blanket and looking at her father.
He was lying on the lawn on his back, their home being consumed by flames behind them. She was in tears as she looked on at the building as it burned. "What's happening?"
"I'm sorry, Michiru."
"Dad!" She pushed herself over to his side, the ache in her body hindering her. "What?"
"Something happened at work...Hisami died...I lost my cover." He coughed and tried to catch his breath. It was about this point she noticed his chest was covered in red, with no less than seven distinct dark red spots visible in his shirt. "I'm sorry Michiru. I lost my cover, something happened."
"What are you talking about? Dad?" The girl couldn't see straight, tears clouded her vision, and her voice was hoarse and wavering.
"They can't find out you've survived honey. You've got to go, run away...please..."
"Daddy! I won't leave you! Please tell me, what's going on?"
"Heh. You've always made me so proud...go. Live, forget about this and be happy..." He had tears in his eyes as he reached up and cradled her cheek It was sudden when his eyes went glassy, and his arm went limp.
"Dad? Daddy? Wake up! Daddy?! No! Wake up! Please! Don't...don't leave me! Please! What's going on? Dad!" She was trying her best to shake him awake. Tears ran down her face as she tried her best to wake him. The sounds of sirens in the distance caused her to look over her shoulder with the man still in her grip. She was confused and afraid, unsure of what to do, she stood and ran away.
When she reached the top of the small hill her street was on, she turned and looked back one last time. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her right arm was crimson from the blood she'd lost. The flames were shooting out of the windows of her home. She clenched her fist and gritted her teeth before gritting her teeth and falling to her knees. The sound of the sirens in the distance gave her more urgency, she stood up and rushed away into the streets.
OooOOooOO
The door to Jiro's bar burst open. The old man behind the counter almost jumped out of his skin. It was early, and only his employees had arrived as of yet. His hand moved behind the counter as someone almost fell through his door and almost managed to brain themselves against the bar. "What the?"
Michiru was gasping for breath and clutching her shoulder. "Uncle Jiro...I..."
The old man rushed around the corner. "I need some help in here!" he called firmly.
Spike, and two other large men stumbled from the back room in confusion. "Somethin wrong boss?"
"Help me." Jiro was lifting the girl onto his shoulder.
"What happened?" Spke realized who he was looking at. "Michiru? She got shot?" He took the weight off the old man's shoulder and started carrying her into the back room. Jiro looked at one of the other men. "Call the doctor, get him here soon."
The man nodded and moved over to the phone.
The last man had already pulled out a mop to clean the small pool of blood that had already settled on the floor.
"What happened?" Spike laud her on a cot in the back room. "You think..."
"Don't worry about it. Just take care of her for now. If she survives, I've got a few things to tell her about her father." The old man clutched at her hand and stroked at her forehead as Spike handed him a cold cloth. Her clothes were burned, and she had a fever. "It's amazing she survived at all."
"Da kid ain't gonna like dis. He'll be after whoever done it." The man was opening up a first aid kit and laying a few bandages out for his boss to dress her wounds until more capable help arrived.
Jiro nodded at him. "We'll discuss it later. It's best if we keep this quiet for now. There's more to this than you realize. You can tell her boyfriend, but I don't want you or the others talking about her being here. It would be best if it was thought she didn't survive."
Spike looked at him and nodded. "Sure ting boss."
"Help me get these clothes off of her, and then go up and take care of the bar. I'm going to be out sick today it seems."
OooOOooOO
Carrot woke up with the sun in his eyes. He squinted and shielded his face from the rays of light that warmed his face and took away the comfortable darkness that let him keep his eyes shut. He sat up, and fell right back on the small mat he was lying on as his injuries made themselves known. "What the?"
He was in an open traditional Japanese room. There was a sliding door in front of him and nothing more than the mat he was lying on in the room. His sword was laid out beside him and he touched it with his palm just before realizing it was there. "Where am I?"
"The school."
The boy shot up like a rod with his eyes bloodshot and wide. Kei was standing in the doorway looking down at him with an emotionless expression. "You've been asleep most of the day."
He tried to jump to his feet, but ended up squatting and unable to move. The girl was dressed in fresh clothes, a simple Kimono, and her hand was wrapped. "Ouch."
"Welcome back."
"You brought me here?" He popped his back as he stood up, each crack was an obvious source of new pain.
"I didn't know where else to take you. You're safe here. It is your school after all."
OooOOooOO
Mamoru Chiba was sitting in his hospital bed with his closed eyes looking towards the window. "Yes?"
"Ah. Mr. Chiba. How are we doing today. I take it that prescription took care of the ringing?
"Yeah." It was a lie. He could still hear the flood of voices all around him, he could tell where the man was standing, he could hear the glass of water sitting on the table next to the hospital bed. His eyes were bandaged shut, and they'd already told him he'd never see again. "Can I go now?"
"There's no need to rush. You've got a bit of adjusting to do I'm afraid. You can live a normal life, but it's going to require some changes..."
The young man nodded. "I can't stay here."
The doctor sighed, Mamoru could hear his blood pressure rise. He was testing the man's patience a bit, but didn't care much. "I'm afraid..."
"I'm leaving this evening. I'll be fine. I can't really afford to pay for a long stay here."
"You shouldn't be concerned about that right now. You'll be able to work, and I'm sure..."
"I'll be fine." Mamoru stood up and walked over to the window, feeling the sun's rays warm his face. He could hear a bird fly close by to the window, and a few more moving about the grass with a few chipmunks. The doctor pulled a pen from his pocket and started writing on his note pad.
"Well, we'll see. Are you sure there isn't any family we can..."
"I live alone. I'll be fine."
The man was frustrated, but seemed to take the hint that his patient wanted some time alone. "Very well. We'll speak later Mr. Chiba."
There was no hope for his sight, the chemical had burned out his retinas and killed most of the nerves in his eyes.
He had other concerns though. "Usagi." He knew something was wrong, he knew he had to find her. Something was going on, and while he was blind, somehow he hadn't been crippled. He didn't understand it, but things were too urgent to allow them to keep him here. It would be easier to leave in the evening after visiting hours, but he had to find out what was going on. He knew she was involved, and he wasn't sure if she was in danger or not. "What was that thing? Why did it try to make me think it was Usagi? I hope she's all right."
For the moment, he was being watched by a careful staff. He thought he should have played along a bit more, but there was little he could do about it now. He needed to get out, and his best option was to wait until nightfall.
"I swear, I will find you." He turned back towards his bed and sat down on the mattress. He could be patient, for now.
OooOOooOO
"Our clan is the oldest in Japan." Kei walked beside Carrot. She wasn't showing much emotion as she stayed just ahead of him and a little to his left. The boy was rather impressed. The village was inside a forest in Japan. It appeared less than modern, with large groups of very well kept, but also very traditional housing. It was almost like walking around in an ancient palace for a rich noble. They had passed quite a few people dressed in traditional informal clothing on the way to the mountain palace. It was halfway up a small mountain covered in trees. There were several other mountains around it that looked much the same. A stone path, like one found at a large temple led up to the ornate gates. Every single person they passed turned to look on with a shocked expression on their faces. It continued as the girl showed him to the front doors. The traditional doors opened and she had led him to the room he was in to start the tour of the grounds. They had passed about fifteen people to get there from the door, and every single one looked surprised to see the pair. No one had done anything but watch them walk by though.
"Whatever. I'd probably hear the same thing from any place like this I'd visit." The boy was less than impressed with her claim as he took note of a large traditional painting that looked very old. It was behind protective glass and hanging prominently on the wall of a room just beside a rather impressive traditional Japanese garden, complete with koi pond and waterfalls.
Kei nodded once and said nothing. She didn't look like she was feeling much of anything at the moment. It was like talking to a jaded bank executive.
Carrot glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes and hunched his shoulders a bit. "Look, I'm warning you now. If some kid in an orange jumpsuit says 'Believe it!' while I'm here, I'm cutting him in half." The boy didn't know what to make of her yet, but didn't feel like letting on. He ignored her and looked up at the painting, more to be looking at something besides the rather wooden girl. His eyes went wide and he almost choked.
"You've noticed something?" she asked him as a hint of confusion appeared on her face for a moment. She looked up at the painting. "Most of us regard it as something of a fairytale to be honest. We don't speak much about that though. Would you like to hear it?"
"No. I think I should anyway though." His eye was twitching as he turned to glare at the wall behind him for a moment. He was ignoring her now. His fist was balled up and shaking in front of him as he glared at it. "Go ahead and tell me. I already know I'm not going to like it." He slumped down to the floor and crossed his legs so he could put his fist up against his chin as he pouted.
The girl was looking at him with wide eyes, unsure of what to make of his behavior. "If you'd rather not hear about it, I understand."
"Go ahead, I'd like to get it over with please." Sarcasm was dripping from his voice.
The corner of her lip was jerking a little as she stared at the back of his head. "What the hell is he doing? Does he want to hear it or not?" She wasn't so sure she was glad he'd spared her at the moment. It was like he was trying to get her to attack him. Was it a test? Did he think she was stupid enough to not see through it? Was he really that much of a jerk? She found herself wishing that he'd ended the whole affair. She couldn't even make a fist with her hand, and felt her skin cracking under the wrapping as she forced herself to relax it.
"Well, the story is easier to understand if you're looking at the painting," she ventured with a slight strain in her voice.
"Fine." He pushed himself around on the floor and glared at it. He didn't look happy, and it seemed to get worse as she started speaking.
"Well, a long time ago, before recorded history begins, there was a great Shinobi called Enduran."
"Strange name." Carrot rubbed at his temple a little.
"He was a noble warrior, and served a great Queen in a kingdom before time." She pointed at a figure, with a familiar sword, kneeling before a young and beautiful looking woman with long flowing golden hair.
The boy had leaned in close to the painting and was bopping his forehead against the glass a little. "No. No. No. No. No."
"Should I continue?" Kei was getting flustered and looked unsure of what to do or say.
"I wish I could say no. Keep going." He looked almost in tears.
"The great Kingdom fell, and he was cast from the sky by his Queen before the end. She had sent him to defend the royalty of this world in the wake of the great darkness. His heart became heavy as he realized she had sent him away to protect him in the wake of the coming disaster. He continued to serve the families as a powerful and noble force, bringing great honor upon his name throughout his life. His sword, which you now wear, was not strong enough to help his former queen, but it is very powerful. We do not know much about it, but this legend makes it very clear."
"Oh, good news." Carrot seemed a little less irate and stopped belting his head against the thick glass pane for a moment.
"Yes." Kei's voice was a little spaced out as she looked back up at the painting and continued to tell the legend."However, when he died, he made an unusual decree."
The boy's head started pounding against the glass in an distinct rhythm.
"Rather than follow a master, we were to follow the one who possessed his sword. It was given to the noble family, and so we have passed from then. The nobles lost the sword somewhere along the way, and it has drifted since. None of our clan may possess it unless they are able to draw it. No one has ever succeeded in drawing that sword."
"There's a bit more isn't there?" The boy stood up and pressed his nose and palms against the glass. Small children were given a sound smack if they tried within the clan.
"Yes. He claimed that he would one day return..." Kei was forced to pause as the boy climbed up onto the glass and pounded his fist against it lightly as he simply hung from the top of the pane and glared at it with his lip turned out in an angry pout. "He would reclaim his sword, and either destroy us, or bring us into a new age of peace and prosperity."
"Please tell me that's all." The boy turned to look at her without jumping down.
"No. Well, he claimed to be the Queen's Grandson. There isn't much to the story. It is very old, we aren't sure how old. One of the things we managed to find out was that the Princess in question wasn't married and was probably too young. That may be why he was sent to them for protection, probably to protect the bloodline. "
"She had to trick him into going." The boy belted himself on the head against the glass a few times.
"This painting is ancient, but not that ancient. The sword is impressive and all, but it is the only evidence we have left. Just about the only thing most clan members really believe in is the Spider's Fang. It's the basic style of our clan, and it has been lost for centuries. All of our techniques are said to have roots in it. Most of the clan, with few exceptions, believes Hisami's family had some sort of wire in the stand keeping the blade charged. The martial arts are the only reason the story is still told at all. Gives students a sense of history I guess. We all get a little shock when we're about eleven, it would come to the school once a year for three days. Technology has made faith more jaded though." Kei stopped talking. She was starting to sound like one of the old men and it gave her a small mental twitch to realize it.
Carrot wasn't saying anything as he hung frozen in place with wide eyes. He had started shaking a bit, but wasn't moving. Kei took a cautious step forward as she realized he'd gone white as a ghost. "No. No. No..." He was muttering it under his breath as his eyes became locked on the golden haired woman seated on the throne. "I was way too old, I mean. There's just no way! Right?" A great relief flooded him as he remembered the dream with the woman. It grated on his mind for a moment and he seemed to relax a bit. "Oh, thank god. I was way too old for that." In fact, he was pretty certain. It was irritating and relieving at the same time somehow.
"We could ask old man Tatsuki. He's the records keeper, and head of education for the clan members." Kei shrugged. "He says it's a mistranslation, and it really means she's his mother. It's been told wrong for centuries according to him. No one bothers arguing about it."
"Aha! That's it..." The boy raised his finger into the air as he peered at the golden flowing hair of the woman in the painting. A look of shock crossed his face and he fell flat on his back off the painting screaming out loud. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
Kei had her fingers plugged into her ears and looked down at him. She seemed to realize that he believed the story for some reason. It felt very strange, but a moment after that, she realized that she did as well. "This is a bad thing?" It was kind of confusing.
The boy was sniffling on the floor as tears poured down his cheeks. "...but, but...I wanted to be lazy. It's all I've ever wanted. Why? Why can't I?" He beat his fist and feet on the ground in what appeared to be a tantrum. "...I wanna relax...sit back...enjoy my life! Why do you hate me damn it!?" He was pointing at the sky and screaming at the top of his lungs.
The kunoichii's face seemed to relax all at once. She wasn't sure what to do, but had figured out he seemed to understand something she didn't. It wasn't something she needed to think about.
Carrot had his arms and legs spread out on the ground and was staring up at the ceiling with a glazed look on his face. There was a bit of drool dripping down his cheek as he lie there and spaced out.
"I hope he doesn't do this for the whole tour," the kunoichi muttered under her breath.
OooOOooOO
TBC...
Next Time: The Fearless Devil.
Yeah, a lot of set up this chapter. Well read readers should know what's coming though. Heh.