[FIC] Class Act (part 2)
Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2004 2:42 am
Sousuke picked up the handset for the overhead speaker system. He turned on the speakers throughout the bus. “Welcome aboard Sagara Lines. I would like to explain the rules to you now. Our chief duty is to remain safe. That is best done by not allowing ourselves to be hijacked, robbed, captured, or killed…”
No small number of students looked at each other. They mouthed killed? or hijacked?
“Looks like Sousuke’s about to go otaku again,” Ren said to Kyouko.
“When did he ever stop?” Mizuke asked no one in particular.
“He’s SO cool.” Shinji said.
Miss Okibasu closed her eyes, making an effort to fall asleep.
Sousuke continued with his spiel. “I have altered our path of travel. It will not be a problem. It should not add more than fourty minutes to our travels. As it stands now, we will avoid all tunnels and large bridges that might prove vulnerable to rogue aircraft.”
Kaname had been scribbling down an itinerary for the next morning. The pencil snapped in her hands. “He’s about to go off the deep end again” she whispered angrily. “And he’s going to take all of us with him.”
“One of our primary goals will be to protect Miss Chidori, because she is a very special person, with unique talents. She…” Sousuke stopped before he said more than he should. “She is worth protecting. It is not easy doing the work of a class representative. All of us owe her thanks.”
The pad of paper fell off of Kaname’s lap. Sousuke she thought, Maybe I’ve misjudged you.
Some lunkhead in the back took the opportunity to quip: “Sagara and Chidori, sitting in a tree…”
“K…I…S…S…I…N…G” most of the bus answered in return.
The brakes slammed on, hard. Anyone even the slightest bit off balance was slammed against the seat ih front of him. Cars veered out of the lane as horns blew. A number of near misses occurred. A truck carrying high grade petroleum stopped inches short of the bus.
“Miss Chidori is worthy of respect, too. I hope I have made myself clear.” Everyone was thrown backwards as Sousuke started up again. “Don’t make ME use the whistle. Or something more effective." Most of the students on the bus were aware of the young soldier's propensity to use weapons at school.
“Yes sir!” The response was immediate, a herd instinct.
“Pssssst. Look at Kaname’s face. What’s up with her? That smile. It looks perfectly normal” Ren whispered back to Misuke.
“Yes, I know. Scary.” Mizuke smiled.
“Maybe she really DOES like Sousuke” Shinji ventured, a little too loudly.
Snapping out of her dreamy trance, Kaname stood, walked back to Shinji, and grabbed his copy of Arm Slaves Unlimited. After tearing it to pieces, she sprinkled it down on the startled boy like confetti. “I can do it with people, too” she said quietly.
Shinji had an urge to visit the small restroom in the back of the bus.
Sitting back in her seat, Kaname waited for Sousuke to say something else considerate or mature. Something any normal teenager might say. Maybe something more about her? No. What the HELL am I thinking about?! she came close to verbalizing.
“Now that we have settled with matters of propriety, we should move on to defensive strategies.” Sousuke’s voice was amicable, like a leader on a close knit sports team.
Defensive strategies? Kaname began to scowl again. Trust Sousuke to put her back on pins and needles.
Shinji ran back to his seat, tripping twice in his mad rush. He didn’t want the miss a single word. The long string of toilet paper attached to him drew a lot of snickers and rude comments.
“First, terrorist groups tend to have certain habits, traditions, or tendencies, whether they are domestic or international, politically oriented or mercenary. We will begin with Japanese factions. The Japanese Red Army, as well as the Aum Shinrikyo, favor mid-sized sedans, vans, and panel trucks of dark blue or green coloration, usually Toyota, Isuzu, or Mazda….” Sousuke’s voice droned on and on.
Kaname sank down low in her seat. It was going to be a long trip.
************************************************************
The ride was smooth. The pace of passing buildings, trees, and landmarks was as it should be. No one had any complaints about Sousuke’s driving. In fact, the other students were too busy with their own activities to even give the matter any thought.
Kaname had forcefully enlisted the assistance of a number of girls to pass out snacks and drinks she had stored away under lock and key. Shinji’s quip about stewardesses earned him an extra drink---poured over his head, down his shirt, and pooling in his seat.
Portable CD players and headphones were out everywhere one would look. Enough different magazines and books were around to start up a sizeable news stand. Not everyone was reading or listening to their favorite tunes. Groups of boys were singing drinking songs, even though they had nothing stronger than cold coffee, fruit juice, or Pepsi. Girls were busy with one of the oldest traditions known amongst females of the species: gossip.
Before long, the topic of whispered and hushed conversations wandered into territories Kaname would have liked to be left unexplored.
“Soooooooo, Kaname…how are you and Sousuke getting along?” The look in Mizuke’s eyes was pure mischief.
Kaname dropped her Pocky when her hand spasmed. “S-S-Sousuke?” She fought to keep her face straight. Her usually anger did not rise to the surface to rescue her.
“Yes, Sousuke. You know. Medium height, Tossled hair. Memorable scar. Destruction, damage, and daring do. That Sousuke.” Mizuke smiled a Cheshire Cat smile.
“I have some pictures, Kaname. Will that help your memory?” Kyouko grinned sweetly, holding up her camera. “There are a lot of pictures with you and Sousuke in them.”
“A lot?” Ren asked quietly. Her simple question struck with the weight of a seasoned boxer. As many girls who could crowd around, did. They all looked on expectantly.
“Mmmm-pphhhff-allmrph-llll” Kyouko couldn’t speak with Kaname’s hand over her mouth.
“You know Kyouko. Quite the kidder. The only pictures of me and the military maniac are ones where I am teaching him the error of his ways. Since there are so many errors, there would naturally be a lot of pictures….” Kaname looked at Kyouko. She put her finger on the erase all button on the camera. Kyouko’s eyes widened, then blinked dramatically. She got the point.
“Uh…yes…that’s all” Kyouko said. No one seemed very convinced.
“Well, if not Sousuke, then there MUST be some other boy.” One of Ren’s friends put her two cents in. “Who is it? Inquiring minds want to know…”
“Yeh!” “Yes.” “C’mon.” “We’ll keep it secret.” “You HAVE to tell us.” “Kaaaa-naaaaa-meeee.”
“Really, there’s no one. When you’re as busy as me, who has time? Besides, with that Freakazoid stalking me everywhere, what boy would every want to get within a hundred yards of me?” Kaname shrugged her shoulders. That should end the interrogation. All they had to do was picture themselves with Sousuke in tow.
“There was that really cute boy you knew before, the one who took you on the date to athe Amusement park.” Kyouko had been there with Sousuke, on a surveillance mission.
“Oooooooooooooooooooooh” That noise came from all of the girls at once.
The look Kaname turned on Kyouko could have melted steel.
“Oh, and don’t forget Shirai! He REALLY had the hots for you, girl.” The girl who spoke quickly put her hand to her mouth, looking troubled. “Oh. Sorry Mizuke.”
“It’s OK” Mizuke said somewhat sourly. “I’ve gotten over all of that. But, I doubt he’s finished paying off his credit card yet.” She sniffed and looked away.
“Ahhh. But you went out with Sousuke then, didn’t you?” Another girl stared intently at Mizuke, her chin on her arms.
“Yes, but…” Mizuke was getting agitated. Kaname was ecstatic. Mizuke deserved it, and it took the focus off of her.
“I heard he kissed you, right?” Three girls nodded their heads.
“He did, but…”
“Ooooooooooooooh”
“Was it good?” “Any tongue?” Where did he put his hands?” “How many times?” “Did you kiss him back.” The questions seemed to come from everywhere.
“HE KISSED ME. I DIDN”T ASK HIM TO. I DIDN’T WANT HIM TO. END OF STORY!!!” Mizuke brushed her hands together somewhat violently. “Besides, he came with Kaname and left with her too.”
All of the girls looked back at Kaname, like an alley full of cats looking in through a window at a caged canary.
“So Kaname, how many times have you and Sousuke kissed?” Maya said it louder than was necessary. All noise on the bus stopped. One of the cats had opened the door to the cage.
“We HAVEN’T!” Kaname said, equally as loud. She blushed when she realized everyone was looking at her.
“You want to though, right?” Kyouko had said that in her usual conversational tone of voice.
“Yes. Uh, NO! Why should I want to? He’s a moody, lame brained otaku! Hmmppff. Me kiss Sousuke? How ridiculous.”
“Why are you blushing, then?” Ryo smiled.
“I’m NOT!!!” Kaname turned beet red.
“Why are you yelling?” Five girls seemingly asked the same question at the same time.
“I…AM…NOT…YELLING.” Kaname reached for the whistle. Everybody’s fingers went in their ears.
Tweeeeeee eeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeee!!!!
“Keep it down, girls!” Kaname held her hand up to silence any rebuttal. “I can hardly hear myself think in here. Now, fair’s fair. Has anyone else here thought about kissing Sousuke? Ren?” Kaname knew the answer to that one. Still, she wondered why she asked that question. It wasn't as if she was interested in Sousuke....
"No.”
“That’s right, she’s got her heart set on someone else!”
“Mizuke? Changed your mind since then?”
“No way!”
Kaname made her way through the entire crowd. Seemed that no one was even the slightest bit interested in Sousuke. She breathed a sigh of relief, before realizing what she had done. She purposefully thought of some of Sousuke’s escapades, just to make herself angry at him.
“Hey, you forgot to ask Kyouko!” Mizuke was not about to let anyone go free.
“Oh, you’d never think about that, right Ky?!” Kaname laughed.
Kyouko remained silent.
“Kyouko?”
Kyouko stared out of the bus window.
“KYOUKO?”
“Yes, Kaname?”
“Do you want to kiss Sousuke?”
“Yes.” Kyouko was practically whispering. “It was so quick the first time, I can’t seem to remember what it was like…” Kyouko didn’t bother to mention that it had only been in a dream. Kissing Sousuke was not high on her list.
“Oooooooooooooh!”
“K-K-K-K-K-K-K….” Kaname couldn’t get the word out. Her eyes narrowed. Both hands curled up like claws.
“It’s OK, Kaname. Our clothes were on that night.” Kyouko couldn’t stop from smiling that time. Kaname didn’t seem to notice.
“Oooooooooooooh!”
Kaname sat very still. Ren checked to be sure she was still breathing.
“Just kidding.” Kyouko finally admitted. All the girls patted her on the back. They stared at Kaname. One girl in the back chuckled. “Oh no, Kaname's not interested in Sousuke, alright!” The girls all laughed. Looking at Kaname, Kyouko suddenly felt very afraid.
Naturally, boys are never interested in gossip. No, but they are keen on getting the scoop. It was their turn to play. If it got the girls all riled up, so much the better.
“HEY, SAGARA!!!” One of the members of the junior Rugby club yelled out. “HAVE YOU AND CHIDORI DONE IT YET???” That was the only question that had any meaning. No one cared if they had kissed yet. In fact, no one cared if they ever went out on a single date together.
Again, the bus went dead quiet. If there were any onerous duties to be assigned later, Kaname knew exactly who she would give them all to.
“It?” Sousuke asked. “What it?” Kaname felt a rush of relief come bursting through her when he said that. It was short-lived. “Miss Chidori and I have done MANY things together.”
Loud wolf whistles filled the bus. A soft chant started: “Sousuke Sousuke Sousuke Sousuke Sosuske.” The boys were laughing loudly together. The girls were whispering intently. The blood rushed through Kaname’s ears. She stuttered incoherently.
“ALL RIGHT, MAN. CLUE US IN!!!” This wasn’t gossip. It was ‘Guy Talk.’
Sousuke kept his eyes on the road. He wondered why anyone would be wondering about the things he did with Kaname. He would need to keep strict attention to his words. He didn’t want to give away any covert information.
Sousuke thought about the time he had been over at Kaname’s apartment a few weeks ago. He had been trying to fix her shower for her. It had been a cramped space, with him working and her making it a point to watch his each and every move up close. She was worried he might install a hidden camera or something.
“A few weeks ago, she needed me in her shower…” Sosuke didn’t understand why that statemnt caused such a commotion. “We were in really tight quarters. Things got extremely wet before either of us were ready.”
“YOU DOG, YOU!!!”
One girl looked to another. “It’s always the quiet ones."
“B-B-But….” Kaname couldn’t make herself heard over the crowd.
"NO WAY!"
A chorus of eager voices begged Sousuke to continue.
“Well, a week after that it was raining. So, we spent time at her apartment. It was almost as if I were her slave.” He and Kaname had spent the entire afternoon hanging pictures. Sousuke had felt like he was back in Mithril boot camp. “I was hammering away, doing my best. But, it never seemed to be enough for Miss Chidori.” With all the noise that followed that statement, no one heard him say “We had so many paintings to take down and move around, that I was exhausted by the time we were done.”
"IT’S A DIRTY JOB, BUT SOMEONE HAS GOT TO DO IT!” The guys all chuckled, knowingly. Or, at least most of them hoped it looked like they knew what they were smirking about.
“Oh my!” One girl said, fanning herself with her teen magazine. “I never would have thought Kaname would be like that.” She looked jealous.
“I was banging, banging, banging…but I’m a bit clumsy. I’m not all that experienced at the type of thing we were doing.” In fact, on one swing of the hammer, Sousuke missed the nail head and smashed Kaname’s finger. “Kaname's loud moaning made her neighbors quite irate, I believe. I needed to come back later to finish the job.
“But we were just hanging pictures!” Kaname exclaimed.
“I see. Is that what they call it, nowadays?” That one came from a temple priest’s daughter. “Tsk tsk.”
“MORE, DUDE!”
Sousuke was rather pleased at the response. He never thought that his classmates were the philanthropic type. It was gratifying to see that they appreciated someone willing to lend a helping hand to a fellow student.
“Well, the forecast called for rain the entire next week. So, Kaname went out to look for some rubbers. As her protection is an important issue with me, I accompanied her.” He was using a colloquialism. The two of them had went out looking for slip on rain covers for Kamame’s shoes.
Just about to blow her whistle, Kaname swallowed it in shock. She would have been in serious difficulty had it not been attached to a chain.
Mizuke was giving everyone high fives. Ren was looking down at the floor of the bus. Kyouko’s camera was busy again.
“And you tried to tell us that you to hadn’t even kissed!” A girl shook her finger at Kaname in mock reproach.
Cough. Cough. Tweeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeee!!!
“HE MEANS WATERPROOF SHOE COVERS!!!” Kaname was ready to run to the front of the bus and strangled Sousuke, whether or not he was driving in heavy traffic. “Right, Sousuke?”
“Miss Chidori is quite correct. Rain gear. What else would we be talking about?” Sousuke sounded honestly perplexed.
A number of girls put their hands to their chests, nearly swooning. “Oh, isn’t it just dreamy? He is SUCH a gentleman, trying to stand up for her honor like that….”
“WE’RE NOT WORTHY. WE’RE NOT WORTHY. WE’RE NOT WORTHY….” Many of the boys had stood up, hands above their heads. They were bowing towards Sousuke.
Tweeeee eeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeee eeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeee eeeee eeeeeeeeeee eeeee eeeeeeeee eee!!!!
“ALRIGHT! This joke has gone on for too much already. There is nothing going on between Sousuke and I. Especially not anything physical.” Kaname laughed her raucous laugh. “Besides, I wouldn’t even be surprised if Sousuke did even have a…you know.”
As the students seemed to be laughing with her and not at her, Kaname began to relax a little. Until a new girl she hardly knew spoke up.
“I don’t know. I was walking around the back of the school the other day. He was there. Changing clothes. He was switching from some kind of camoflauge uniform into the school uni.” She paused a moment, blushing up a storm. “When he was down to just skivvies, he…I mean…I guess he could have been keeping a weapon in there…”
Kaname’s eyes were narrowing again.
Mizuke caught everyone by surprise. “Wonder which it is? So Kaname, is Sousuke hung like a horse?”
Kyouko dropped her camera.
“W-W-W-What???” Kaname was at a loss for words. She couldn’t believe she heard what she did.
To the hooting and yelling teenagers, any response other than ‘HELL NO!’ meant ‘YOU BET YOUR ASS! And, ‘HELL NO! still would have meant that she had looked. Damned if she did, damned if she didn’t.
Sousuke spoke into a small voice recorder. After the trip was finished, he would ask Sgt. Major Mao or Sgt. Weber what ‘hung like a horse’ meant. He hoped that Mizuke’s statement did not imply a cruelty to animals. No. Captain Testarossa is an animal lover. He’d ask her.
The revelry soon stopped. Shinji’s shout caught everyone’s attention. “Sousuke! There are two dark blue Toyota sedans shadowing us!”
************************************************************
One thing was for certain.
The interruption saved Sousuke from a world of pain. Kaname brought herself up short. She was actually happy to know there were two suspicious cars in sight. Teenage angst she could deal with. Crises were not that big a deal any more. Dealing with a bus of hormonally challenged teenagers was more than she was prepared to handle.
Them, and Sousuke.
The bus was in an uproar. Rather than being worried, everyone was trying to get a look outside of one of the windows on the right side of the bus. Miss Okibasu must have been truly exhausted. She had managed to sleep through everything. The old man once destined to be their driver was also somewhere in dreamland.
One person took things very seriously. The bus driver. Sousuke Sagara, sergeant of Mithril. His classmates faced potention peril. Kaname could be at significant risk.
“Everyone be seated. NOW!” Sousuke had reactivated the overhead speakers.
Only a small number of students rushed to follow his instructions.
Sousuke jerked the wheel hard to the right…back again…then hard to the left. “TAKE YOUR SEATS IMMEDIATELY!”
Everyone sat down quickly, some in different seats than they had started out in.
“Brace yourselves. I will be attempting evasive maneuvers.” Sousuke cracked the fingers on both hands, then gripped the steering wheel firmly. It was time to judge the intentions of the two automobiles he could see in the side mirror.
Kaname was ticked off. Again. As class representative, she was not about to let Sousuke’s delusions of danger place her fellow classmates at risk. Especially since she would probably end up getting blamed for everything somehow.
“Sousuke, just what do you think…”
Sosuke stomped down hard on the accelerator. He pulled off the road and onto the shoulder. Dust, dirt, pebbles and occasional road signs flew about as a horrendous racket filled the bus. Rumble strips. Souske continued to gain speed, then when an opening presented itself, he swung the bus sharply back into the stream of traffic, crossing three lanes.
All that was readily visible of Kaname was two kicking legs, extending straight up out of the large lock box full of snacks and drinks.
“Kaname, when you’re done chowing down, could you bring me a bag of chips, please?” Mizuke didn’t miss a beat.
“I’ll take some pretzels!” Shinji was hungry. Things were getting exciting. Just like having a front row seat at an action flick. “Better yet, I’ll take popcorn if you have any.”
“Pepsi, please.” Ren said sweetly. “Diet, preferably.”
Everyone was fortunate that Kaname’s response was muffled and distorted by a mouthful of plastic bag.
Sousuke flexed his arms, feeling the tension drain out of them. He continued to scan traffic, but saw no sign of the cars he had been concerned about. “Everyone keep an eye out. Inform me immediately if you see any suspicious vehicle. Be prepared to place your head between your knees if you hear any gunshots coming from outside or inside the bus.” It was all said so matter-of-fact.
Kaname, unaware that she still clutched bags of snacks in her trembling hands, strode forcefully to the front of the bus. “I said, just what do you think you are DOING, you moronic military misfit! I…I…I…”
Sousuke spared a glance to his side. “Oh, snacks. Thank you. Chidori. That was most considerate. I would prefer the crackers.”
Kaname shook harder and harder. The bags, squeezed too hard, popped in her hands, showering chip and cracker fragments all over the floor. Her fellow students all watched with baited breath.
“S-S-S-Sousuke…”
“Oh. I should add. That you will need to clean up that mess on the floor. We do not wish to create a hazardous surface to walk on. Also, it would be preferable not to attract insects or rodentia onto the vehicle. There is a whisk broom in the recepticle to my right.” Sousuke returned his entire attention to the road ahead.
“Yes. That will do.” Kaname said through clenched teeth. Grabbing the small broom, she smacked Sousuke hard against the back of his head, causing him to twitch and turn the wheel sharply. Kaname fell face first into his lap.
“GET A ROOM, YOU TWO!!!” The whole bus erupted into laughter.
After Kaname quickly stood and backed away, she looked even more angry if that was possible. She raised the whisk broom again, unconcerned with any possible consequences.
“Chidori, is it you intention to put the entire class at risk?” Sousuke’s question ran through Kaname like a jolt of electricity. He was willing to deal with her eccentricties and occasional flashes of violence personally. It was part of his job. The other students, however, should be given their own choice. “Are they OK with this?”
Suddenly aware that she was on stage for all practical purposes, Kaname deflated quickly. Walking back to her seat, she stopped. “It’s OK. I have a very good memory. You won’t always be behind the wheel.” Her voice dropped an octave or two. “If you pull even one more crazy stunt while driving, you’ll have to deal with ME later, mister!”
“Ooooooooooooooooooooh!!!”
“That’s telling him, Kaname.” Kyouko said with a wink. “I feel so much safer now.”
“Yeh. Me too. Since Sousuke always seems to do the opposite of what you tell him to do.” Mizuke shook her head.
“There does seem to be some truth in that” Ren added.
Kaname’s response was interrupted by a loud yell from the back of the bus.
“HEY, SAGARA. THOSE TWO CARS ARE BACK.”
Sure enough, they were.
************************************************************
Sousuke considered his options. He wished he was strapped into the seat of an M9, but it was no time for daydreams or what ifs. There were no shots fired that he knew of. The cars had not made any aggressive moves. He had not caught sight of any slow moving fixed wing or rotary aircraft. There were no suspicious accidents or roadblocks visible ahead. It could all just be a matter of coincidence.
Coincidence. He pictured that word carved on Kaname’s grave stone. It made no sense to take undue risks now. Hesitation. That word did not look any more attractive, carved into marble. He would act immediately if there was any sign of trouble.
Tweeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeee Tweee eeeeeeeee eeeeee eeeeee Tweeeee eeeeeee eeeeeee!!!!
The natives were restless. Some of the boys were overly excited. A number of girls sounded as if they were ready to go into hysterics. Everyone seemed to be asking Kaname a question at the same time.
"We’re going to die-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie…."
“That’s enough! Everybody stay calm. Things will turn out OK. TRUST ME!” Kaname tried vainly to quiet the noisy rabble.
Tweeeeeeee eeeeeee eeeeeee URKkkkk!!!!
A boy stood up and grabbed for Kaname’s whistle. “I’ve had enough of that shit! HERE, GIVE IT TO ME.” He pulled hard, breaking the chain and sending the whistle into the air. His hand continued downward, accidentally ending up down Kaname’s blouse.
“PERVERT!!!” Kaname exclaimed.
Sousuke had been unaware of the actual event. Turning, he saw a boy with his hand down Kamame’s shirt. Her shout left little to his imagination. Quickly, he turned to survey the road ahead of him. It was apparently a long straight stretch. No cars were close up front.
He grabbed his heavy weapons bag and unzipped it. Grabbing a tonfa, he dropped the bag on the accelerator, holding it down. Orienting the wheel as necessary, he locked it in place by sliding the tonfa through its spokes.
Practically a blur, Sousuke launched himself down the aisle like a human missile. Grabbing Kaname’s apparent assailant, Sousuke swung him around and connected with a furious knee to the groin. In a feat of strength and skill, he flipped him upward, tossing him into an empty luggage rack. Could he be an accomplice to the men in the cars? This boy was not well known, having transferred to the school less than one week ago.
“SOUSUKE!!! What are you DOING?!!” Kaname sounded frantic.
“I am saving you, Kaname. You are safe now. He will not harm you futher.” Sousuke’s eyes were very bright. “I will NOT allow anyone to harm you, Chidori.”
“No Sousuke, what are you doing back here. You’re supposed to be driving the bus.” Everyone stared in abject horror at Sousuke and the empty driver’s seat.
“It is NOT a problem. We have at least twenty three more seconds before any course correction will be required on my part.” Sousuke started back up front, then stopped. “Miss Chidori, it would be best if you calmed down. You need to set an example for the rest of them.” He resumed his steps, calmly and slowly.
Kaname pulled a loafer off of the foot of the boy stuck in the overhead bin. Pulling her arm back, she prepared to launch it at the back of Sousuke’s head. Kyouko and Ren moved to restrain her.
For a few minutes after that, things went relatively smoothly. The students had been too stunned to carry on with their ruckus. Soon enough, however, boyish arrogance would place everyone back into the frying pan.
One of the blue sedans had moved up next to the rear of the bus. With the sun relecting brightly off of its windshiled, no one could get a good view of the occupant or occupants. One boy opened an window and ribbed his buddies in the chest. They’d show that driver a thing or two. Each boy gave the car the finger.
Sousuke did not catch his classmate’s part in the incident. He did take good notice of the driver’s act of retribution. The blue sedan’s horn blared loud and long. The car swerved briefly towards the offending boys, then back again.
“We have unfriendly action. They may be making their move. Everyone hold on!” Sousuke’s statement sounded like the voice of God over the speaker system.
The bus sped up considerably. So did the car, its horn still going. The bus went to the left. Ditto the car. The bus went to the right. The car followed right on its heels. Sousuke sounded the bus’ air horn, hoping that the traffic ahead of him would speed up or get out of his way. Instead, it looked like they were heading into an area of congestion.
If they had to stop, there was a good chance that a gun battle would break out. That could lead to an unacceptable number of student casualties. If he stopped the bus, or got trapped in deadlocked traffic, and they turned out to be after Kaname….He shook his head abruptly. He could not take that chance.
Reaching down, Sousuke took a pair of binoculars out of his bag. Looking up ahead, he saw an area where some road work was being done. Ahead of that bottleneck, there was fast moving traffic. Some bermwork and a couple of small ramps caught his eye. They would suffice.
“LISTEN UP. EVERYONE MOVE TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BUS. IMMEDIATELY!”
No one moved to comply.
Sousuke pulled out a pistol loaded with rubber bullets. He waved it over his head, then fired. At the loud noise, and the subsequent sound of the ricochet, everyone jumped out of their seats and huddled nervously on the left side of the vehicle.
“HOLD ON!!!”
This was going to be tight. Gunning the engine, Sosuke ran the right wheels of the bus up onto a long gradual incline. The bus tilted dramatically, running along on the left wheels only. Oblivious to the screams behind him, Sousuke worked the wheel like a maestro, keeping the vehicle up They stayed that way for a few seconds, but it seemed like an eternity.
“OK. EVERYONE CLIMB BACK ONTO THE RIGHT SIDE!”
Everyone did their best to comply. The bus came back down to the road, bouncing fiercely for a moment or two.
“Excellent work. You have contributed to our success. I must commend you all on a tremendous show of teamwork.” Sousuke moved the bus back to the center lane, cruising smoothly and evenly.
Everyone was too stunned to answer.
“How far along are we?” It was Miss Okibasu. She was finally awake. “I haven’t slept like that in weeks. I have to commend you, Mr. Sagara. You must be doing an excellent job.”
************************************************************
End of part 2
No small number of students looked at each other. They mouthed killed? or hijacked?
“Looks like Sousuke’s about to go otaku again,” Ren said to Kyouko.
“When did he ever stop?” Mizuke asked no one in particular.
“He’s SO cool.” Shinji said.
Miss Okibasu closed her eyes, making an effort to fall asleep.
Sousuke continued with his spiel. “I have altered our path of travel. It will not be a problem. It should not add more than fourty minutes to our travels. As it stands now, we will avoid all tunnels and large bridges that might prove vulnerable to rogue aircraft.”
Kaname had been scribbling down an itinerary for the next morning. The pencil snapped in her hands. “He’s about to go off the deep end again” she whispered angrily. “And he’s going to take all of us with him.”
“One of our primary goals will be to protect Miss Chidori, because she is a very special person, with unique talents. She…” Sousuke stopped before he said more than he should. “She is worth protecting. It is not easy doing the work of a class representative. All of us owe her thanks.”
The pad of paper fell off of Kaname’s lap. Sousuke she thought, Maybe I’ve misjudged you.
Some lunkhead in the back took the opportunity to quip: “Sagara and Chidori, sitting in a tree…”
“K…I…S…S…I…N…G” most of the bus answered in return.
The brakes slammed on, hard. Anyone even the slightest bit off balance was slammed against the seat ih front of him. Cars veered out of the lane as horns blew. A number of near misses occurred. A truck carrying high grade petroleum stopped inches short of the bus.
“Miss Chidori is worthy of respect, too. I hope I have made myself clear.” Everyone was thrown backwards as Sousuke started up again. “Don’t make ME use the whistle. Or something more effective." Most of the students on the bus were aware of the young soldier's propensity to use weapons at school.
“Yes sir!” The response was immediate, a herd instinct.
“Pssssst. Look at Kaname’s face. What’s up with her? That smile. It looks perfectly normal” Ren whispered back to Misuke.
“Yes, I know. Scary.” Mizuke smiled.
“Maybe she really DOES like Sousuke” Shinji ventured, a little too loudly.
Snapping out of her dreamy trance, Kaname stood, walked back to Shinji, and grabbed his copy of Arm Slaves Unlimited. After tearing it to pieces, she sprinkled it down on the startled boy like confetti. “I can do it with people, too” she said quietly.
Shinji had an urge to visit the small restroom in the back of the bus.
Sitting back in her seat, Kaname waited for Sousuke to say something else considerate or mature. Something any normal teenager might say. Maybe something more about her? No. What the HELL am I thinking about?! she came close to verbalizing.
“Now that we have settled with matters of propriety, we should move on to defensive strategies.” Sousuke’s voice was amicable, like a leader on a close knit sports team.
Defensive strategies? Kaname began to scowl again. Trust Sousuke to put her back on pins and needles.
Shinji ran back to his seat, tripping twice in his mad rush. He didn’t want the miss a single word. The long string of toilet paper attached to him drew a lot of snickers and rude comments.
“First, terrorist groups tend to have certain habits, traditions, or tendencies, whether they are domestic or international, politically oriented or mercenary. We will begin with Japanese factions. The Japanese Red Army, as well as the Aum Shinrikyo, favor mid-sized sedans, vans, and panel trucks of dark blue or green coloration, usually Toyota, Isuzu, or Mazda….” Sousuke’s voice droned on and on.
Kaname sank down low in her seat. It was going to be a long trip.
************************************************************
The ride was smooth. The pace of passing buildings, trees, and landmarks was as it should be. No one had any complaints about Sousuke’s driving. In fact, the other students were too busy with their own activities to even give the matter any thought.
Kaname had forcefully enlisted the assistance of a number of girls to pass out snacks and drinks she had stored away under lock and key. Shinji’s quip about stewardesses earned him an extra drink---poured over his head, down his shirt, and pooling in his seat.
Portable CD players and headphones were out everywhere one would look. Enough different magazines and books were around to start up a sizeable news stand. Not everyone was reading or listening to their favorite tunes. Groups of boys were singing drinking songs, even though they had nothing stronger than cold coffee, fruit juice, or Pepsi. Girls were busy with one of the oldest traditions known amongst females of the species: gossip.
Before long, the topic of whispered and hushed conversations wandered into territories Kaname would have liked to be left unexplored.
“Soooooooo, Kaname…how are you and Sousuke getting along?” The look in Mizuke’s eyes was pure mischief.
Kaname dropped her Pocky when her hand spasmed. “S-S-Sousuke?” She fought to keep her face straight. Her usually anger did not rise to the surface to rescue her.
“Yes, Sousuke. You know. Medium height, Tossled hair. Memorable scar. Destruction, damage, and daring do. That Sousuke.” Mizuke smiled a Cheshire Cat smile.
“I have some pictures, Kaname. Will that help your memory?” Kyouko grinned sweetly, holding up her camera. “There are a lot of pictures with you and Sousuke in them.”
“A lot?” Ren asked quietly. Her simple question struck with the weight of a seasoned boxer. As many girls who could crowd around, did. They all looked on expectantly.
“Mmmm-pphhhff-allmrph-llll” Kyouko couldn’t speak with Kaname’s hand over her mouth.
“You know Kyouko. Quite the kidder. The only pictures of me and the military maniac are ones where I am teaching him the error of his ways. Since there are so many errors, there would naturally be a lot of pictures….” Kaname looked at Kyouko. She put her finger on the erase all button on the camera. Kyouko’s eyes widened, then blinked dramatically. She got the point.
“Uh…yes…that’s all” Kyouko said. No one seemed very convinced.
“Well, if not Sousuke, then there MUST be some other boy.” One of Ren’s friends put her two cents in. “Who is it? Inquiring minds want to know…”
“Yeh!” “Yes.” “C’mon.” “We’ll keep it secret.” “You HAVE to tell us.” “Kaaaa-naaaaa-meeee.”
“Really, there’s no one. When you’re as busy as me, who has time? Besides, with that Freakazoid stalking me everywhere, what boy would every want to get within a hundred yards of me?” Kaname shrugged her shoulders. That should end the interrogation. All they had to do was picture themselves with Sousuke in tow.
“There was that really cute boy you knew before, the one who took you on the date to athe Amusement park.” Kyouko had been there with Sousuke, on a surveillance mission.
“Oooooooooooooooooooooh” That noise came from all of the girls at once.
The look Kaname turned on Kyouko could have melted steel.
“Oh, and don’t forget Shirai! He REALLY had the hots for you, girl.” The girl who spoke quickly put her hand to her mouth, looking troubled. “Oh. Sorry Mizuke.”
“It’s OK” Mizuke said somewhat sourly. “I’ve gotten over all of that. But, I doubt he’s finished paying off his credit card yet.” She sniffed and looked away.
“Ahhh. But you went out with Sousuke then, didn’t you?” Another girl stared intently at Mizuke, her chin on her arms.
“Yes, but…” Mizuke was getting agitated. Kaname was ecstatic. Mizuke deserved it, and it took the focus off of her.
“I heard he kissed you, right?” Three girls nodded their heads.
“He did, but…”
“Ooooooooooooooh”
“Was it good?” “Any tongue?” Where did he put his hands?” “How many times?” “Did you kiss him back.” The questions seemed to come from everywhere.
“HE KISSED ME. I DIDN”T ASK HIM TO. I DIDN’T WANT HIM TO. END OF STORY!!!” Mizuke brushed her hands together somewhat violently. “Besides, he came with Kaname and left with her too.”
All of the girls looked back at Kaname, like an alley full of cats looking in through a window at a caged canary.
“So Kaname, how many times have you and Sousuke kissed?” Maya said it louder than was necessary. All noise on the bus stopped. One of the cats had opened the door to the cage.
“We HAVEN’T!” Kaname said, equally as loud. She blushed when she realized everyone was looking at her.
“You want to though, right?” Kyouko had said that in her usual conversational tone of voice.
“Yes. Uh, NO! Why should I want to? He’s a moody, lame brained otaku! Hmmppff. Me kiss Sousuke? How ridiculous.”
“Why are you blushing, then?” Ryo smiled.
“I’m NOT!!!” Kaname turned beet red.
“Why are you yelling?” Five girls seemingly asked the same question at the same time.
“I…AM…NOT…YELLING.” Kaname reached for the whistle. Everybody’s fingers went in their ears.
Tweeeeeee eeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeee!!!!
“Keep it down, girls!” Kaname held her hand up to silence any rebuttal. “I can hardly hear myself think in here. Now, fair’s fair. Has anyone else here thought about kissing Sousuke? Ren?” Kaname knew the answer to that one. Still, she wondered why she asked that question. It wasn't as if she was interested in Sousuke....
"No.”
“That’s right, she’s got her heart set on someone else!”
“Mizuke? Changed your mind since then?”
“No way!”
Kaname made her way through the entire crowd. Seemed that no one was even the slightest bit interested in Sousuke. She breathed a sigh of relief, before realizing what she had done. She purposefully thought of some of Sousuke’s escapades, just to make herself angry at him.
“Hey, you forgot to ask Kyouko!” Mizuke was not about to let anyone go free.
“Oh, you’d never think about that, right Ky?!” Kaname laughed.
Kyouko remained silent.
“Kyouko?”
Kyouko stared out of the bus window.
“KYOUKO?”
“Yes, Kaname?”
“Do you want to kiss Sousuke?”
“Yes.” Kyouko was practically whispering. “It was so quick the first time, I can’t seem to remember what it was like…” Kyouko didn’t bother to mention that it had only been in a dream. Kissing Sousuke was not high on her list.
“Oooooooooooooh!”
“K-K-K-K-K-K-K….” Kaname couldn’t get the word out. Her eyes narrowed. Both hands curled up like claws.
“It’s OK, Kaname. Our clothes were on that night.” Kyouko couldn’t stop from smiling that time. Kaname didn’t seem to notice.
“Oooooooooooooh!”
Kaname sat very still. Ren checked to be sure she was still breathing.
“Just kidding.” Kyouko finally admitted. All the girls patted her on the back. They stared at Kaname. One girl in the back chuckled. “Oh no, Kaname's not interested in Sousuke, alright!” The girls all laughed. Looking at Kaname, Kyouko suddenly felt very afraid.
Naturally, boys are never interested in gossip. No, but they are keen on getting the scoop. It was their turn to play. If it got the girls all riled up, so much the better.
“HEY, SAGARA!!!” One of the members of the junior Rugby club yelled out. “HAVE YOU AND CHIDORI DONE IT YET???” That was the only question that had any meaning. No one cared if they had kissed yet. In fact, no one cared if they ever went out on a single date together.
Again, the bus went dead quiet. If there were any onerous duties to be assigned later, Kaname knew exactly who she would give them all to.
“It?” Sousuke asked. “What it?” Kaname felt a rush of relief come bursting through her when he said that. It was short-lived. “Miss Chidori and I have done MANY things together.”
Loud wolf whistles filled the bus. A soft chant started: “Sousuke Sousuke Sousuke Sousuke Sosuske.” The boys were laughing loudly together. The girls were whispering intently. The blood rushed through Kaname’s ears. She stuttered incoherently.
“ALL RIGHT, MAN. CLUE US IN!!!” This wasn’t gossip. It was ‘Guy Talk.’
Sousuke kept his eyes on the road. He wondered why anyone would be wondering about the things he did with Kaname. He would need to keep strict attention to his words. He didn’t want to give away any covert information.
Sousuke thought about the time he had been over at Kaname’s apartment a few weeks ago. He had been trying to fix her shower for her. It had been a cramped space, with him working and her making it a point to watch his each and every move up close. She was worried he might install a hidden camera or something.
“A few weeks ago, she needed me in her shower…” Sosuke didn’t understand why that statemnt caused such a commotion. “We were in really tight quarters. Things got extremely wet before either of us were ready.”
“YOU DOG, YOU!!!”
One girl looked to another. “It’s always the quiet ones."
“B-B-But….” Kaname couldn’t make herself heard over the crowd.
"NO WAY!"
A chorus of eager voices begged Sousuke to continue.
“Well, a week after that it was raining. So, we spent time at her apartment. It was almost as if I were her slave.” He and Kaname had spent the entire afternoon hanging pictures. Sousuke had felt like he was back in Mithril boot camp. “I was hammering away, doing my best. But, it never seemed to be enough for Miss Chidori.” With all the noise that followed that statement, no one heard him say “We had so many paintings to take down and move around, that I was exhausted by the time we were done.”
"IT’S A DIRTY JOB, BUT SOMEONE HAS GOT TO DO IT!” The guys all chuckled, knowingly. Or, at least most of them hoped it looked like they knew what they were smirking about.
“Oh my!” One girl said, fanning herself with her teen magazine. “I never would have thought Kaname would be like that.” She looked jealous.
“I was banging, banging, banging…but I’m a bit clumsy. I’m not all that experienced at the type of thing we were doing.” In fact, on one swing of the hammer, Sousuke missed the nail head and smashed Kaname’s finger. “Kaname's loud moaning made her neighbors quite irate, I believe. I needed to come back later to finish the job.
“But we were just hanging pictures!” Kaname exclaimed.
“I see. Is that what they call it, nowadays?” That one came from a temple priest’s daughter. “Tsk tsk.”
“MORE, DUDE!”
Sousuke was rather pleased at the response. He never thought that his classmates were the philanthropic type. It was gratifying to see that they appreciated someone willing to lend a helping hand to a fellow student.
“Well, the forecast called for rain the entire next week. So, Kaname went out to look for some rubbers. As her protection is an important issue with me, I accompanied her.” He was using a colloquialism. The two of them had went out looking for slip on rain covers for Kamame’s shoes.
Just about to blow her whistle, Kaname swallowed it in shock. She would have been in serious difficulty had it not been attached to a chain.
Mizuke was giving everyone high fives. Ren was looking down at the floor of the bus. Kyouko’s camera was busy again.
“And you tried to tell us that you to hadn’t even kissed!” A girl shook her finger at Kaname in mock reproach.
Cough. Cough. Tweeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeee!!!
“HE MEANS WATERPROOF SHOE COVERS!!!” Kaname was ready to run to the front of the bus and strangled Sousuke, whether or not he was driving in heavy traffic. “Right, Sousuke?”
“Miss Chidori is quite correct. Rain gear. What else would we be talking about?” Sousuke sounded honestly perplexed.
A number of girls put their hands to their chests, nearly swooning. “Oh, isn’t it just dreamy? He is SUCH a gentleman, trying to stand up for her honor like that….”
“WE’RE NOT WORTHY. WE’RE NOT WORTHY. WE’RE NOT WORTHY….” Many of the boys had stood up, hands above their heads. They were bowing towards Sousuke.
Tweeeee eeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeee eeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeee eeeee eeeeeeeeeee eeeee eeeeeeeee eee!!!!
“ALRIGHT! This joke has gone on for too much already. There is nothing going on between Sousuke and I. Especially not anything physical.” Kaname laughed her raucous laugh. “Besides, I wouldn’t even be surprised if Sousuke did even have a…you know.”
As the students seemed to be laughing with her and not at her, Kaname began to relax a little. Until a new girl she hardly knew spoke up.
“I don’t know. I was walking around the back of the school the other day. He was there. Changing clothes. He was switching from some kind of camoflauge uniform into the school uni.” She paused a moment, blushing up a storm. “When he was down to just skivvies, he…I mean…I guess he could have been keeping a weapon in there…”
Kaname’s eyes were narrowing again.
Mizuke caught everyone by surprise. “Wonder which it is? So Kaname, is Sousuke hung like a horse?”
Kyouko dropped her camera.
“W-W-W-What???” Kaname was at a loss for words. She couldn’t believe she heard what she did.
To the hooting and yelling teenagers, any response other than ‘HELL NO!’ meant ‘YOU BET YOUR ASS! And, ‘HELL NO! still would have meant that she had looked. Damned if she did, damned if she didn’t.
Sousuke spoke into a small voice recorder. After the trip was finished, he would ask Sgt. Major Mao or Sgt. Weber what ‘hung like a horse’ meant. He hoped that Mizuke’s statement did not imply a cruelty to animals. No. Captain Testarossa is an animal lover. He’d ask her.
The revelry soon stopped. Shinji’s shout caught everyone’s attention. “Sousuke! There are two dark blue Toyota sedans shadowing us!”
************************************************************
One thing was for certain.
The interruption saved Sousuke from a world of pain. Kaname brought herself up short. She was actually happy to know there were two suspicious cars in sight. Teenage angst she could deal with. Crises were not that big a deal any more. Dealing with a bus of hormonally challenged teenagers was more than she was prepared to handle.
Them, and Sousuke.
The bus was in an uproar. Rather than being worried, everyone was trying to get a look outside of one of the windows on the right side of the bus. Miss Okibasu must have been truly exhausted. She had managed to sleep through everything. The old man once destined to be their driver was also somewhere in dreamland.
One person took things very seriously. The bus driver. Sousuke Sagara, sergeant of Mithril. His classmates faced potention peril. Kaname could be at significant risk.
“Everyone be seated. NOW!” Sousuke had reactivated the overhead speakers.
Only a small number of students rushed to follow his instructions.
Sousuke jerked the wheel hard to the right…back again…then hard to the left. “TAKE YOUR SEATS IMMEDIATELY!”
Everyone sat down quickly, some in different seats than they had started out in.
“Brace yourselves. I will be attempting evasive maneuvers.” Sousuke cracked the fingers on both hands, then gripped the steering wheel firmly. It was time to judge the intentions of the two automobiles he could see in the side mirror.
Kaname was ticked off. Again. As class representative, she was not about to let Sousuke’s delusions of danger place her fellow classmates at risk. Especially since she would probably end up getting blamed for everything somehow.
“Sousuke, just what do you think…”
Sosuke stomped down hard on the accelerator. He pulled off the road and onto the shoulder. Dust, dirt, pebbles and occasional road signs flew about as a horrendous racket filled the bus. Rumble strips. Souske continued to gain speed, then when an opening presented itself, he swung the bus sharply back into the stream of traffic, crossing three lanes.
All that was readily visible of Kaname was two kicking legs, extending straight up out of the large lock box full of snacks and drinks.
“Kaname, when you’re done chowing down, could you bring me a bag of chips, please?” Mizuke didn’t miss a beat.
“I’ll take some pretzels!” Shinji was hungry. Things were getting exciting. Just like having a front row seat at an action flick. “Better yet, I’ll take popcorn if you have any.”
“Pepsi, please.” Ren said sweetly. “Diet, preferably.”
Everyone was fortunate that Kaname’s response was muffled and distorted by a mouthful of plastic bag.
Sousuke flexed his arms, feeling the tension drain out of them. He continued to scan traffic, but saw no sign of the cars he had been concerned about. “Everyone keep an eye out. Inform me immediately if you see any suspicious vehicle. Be prepared to place your head between your knees if you hear any gunshots coming from outside or inside the bus.” It was all said so matter-of-fact.
Kaname, unaware that she still clutched bags of snacks in her trembling hands, strode forcefully to the front of the bus. “I said, just what do you think you are DOING, you moronic military misfit! I…I…I…”
Sousuke spared a glance to his side. “Oh, snacks. Thank you. Chidori. That was most considerate. I would prefer the crackers.”
Kaname shook harder and harder. The bags, squeezed too hard, popped in her hands, showering chip and cracker fragments all over the floor. Her fellow students all watched with baited breath.
“S-S-S-Sousuke…”
“Oh. I should add. That you will need to clean up that mess on the floor. We do not wish to create a hazardous surface to walk on. Also, it would be preferable not to attract insects or rodentia onto the vehicle. There is a whisk broom in the recepticle to my right.” Sousuke returned his entire attention to the road ahead.
“Yes. That will do.” Kaname said through clenched teeth. Grabbing the small broom, she smacked Sousuke hard against the back of his head, causing him to twitch and turn the wheel sharply. Kaname fell face first into his lap.
“GET A ROOM, YOU TWO!!!” The whole bus erupted into laughter.
After Kaname quickly stood and backed away, she looked even more angry if that was possible. She raised the whisk broom again, unconcerned with any possible consequences.
“Chidori, is it you intention to put the entire class at risk?” Sousuke’s question ran through Kaname like a jolt of electricity. He was willing to deal with her eccentricties and occasional flashes of violence personally. It was part of his job. The other students, however, should be given their own choice. “Are they OK with this?”
Suddenly aware that she was on stage for all practical purposes, Kaname deflated quickly. Walking back to her seat, she stopped. “It’s OK. I have a very good memory. You won’t always be behind the wheel.” Her voice dropped an octave or two. “If you pull even one more crazy stunt while driving, you’ll have to deal with ME later, mister!”
“Ooooooooooooooooooooh!!!”
“That’s telling him, Kaname.” Kyouko said with a wink. “I feel so much safer now.”
“Yeh. Me too. Since Sousuke always seems to do the opposite of what you tell him to do.” Mizuke shook her head.
“There does seem to be some truth in that” Ren added.
Kaname’s response was interrupted by a loud yell from the back of the bus.
“HEY, SAGARA. THOSE TWO CARS ARE BACK.”
Sure enough, they were.
************************************************************
Sousuke considered his options. He wished he was strapped into the seat of an M9, but it was no time for daydreams or what ifs. There were no shots fired that he knew of. The cars had not made any aggressive moves. He had not caught sight of any slow moving fixed wing or rotary aircraft. There were no suspicious accidents or roadblocks visible ahead. It could all just be a matter of coincidence.
Coincidence. He pictured that word carved on Kaname’s grave stone. It made no sense to take undue risks now. Hesitation. That word did not look any more attractive, carved into marble. He would act immediately if there was any sign of trouble.
Tweeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeee Tweee eeeeeeeee eeeeee eeeeee Tweeeee eeeeeee eeeeeee!!!!
The natives were restless. Some of the boys were overly excited. A number of girls sounded as if they were ready to go into hysterics. Everyone seemed to be asking Kaname a question at the same time.
"We’re going to die-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie…."
“That’s enough! Everybody stay calm. Things will turn out OK. TRUST ME!” Kaname tried vainly to quiet the noisy rabble.
Tweeeeeeee eeeeeee eeeeeee URKkkkk!!!!
A boy stood up and grabbed for Kaname’s whistle. “I’ve had enough of that shit! HERE, GIVE IT TO ME.” He pulled hard, breaking the chain and sending the whistle into the air. His hand continued downward, accidentally ending up down Kaname’s blouse.
“PERVERT!!!” Kaname exclaimed.
Sousuke had been unaware of the actual event. Turning, he saw a boy with his hand down Kamame’s shirt. Her shout left little to his imagination. Quickly, he turned to survey the road ahead of him. It was apparently a long straight stretch. No cars were close up front.
He grabbed his heavy weapons bag and unzipped it. Grabbing a tonfa, he dropped the bag on the accelerator, holding it down. Orienting the wheel as necessary, he locked it in place by sliding the tonfa through its spokes.
Practically a blur, Sousuke launched himself down the aisle like a human missile. Grabbing Kaname’s apparent assailant, Sousuke swung him around and connected with a furious knee to the groin. In a feat of strength and skill, he flipped him upward, tossing him into an empty luggage rack. Could he be an accomplice to the men in the cars? This boy was not well known, having transferred to the school less than one week ago.
“SOUSUKE!!! What are you DOING?!!” Kaname sounded frantic.
“I am saving you, Kaname. You are safe now. He will not harm you futher.” Sousuke’s eyes were very bright. “I will NOT allow anyone to harm you, Chidori.”
“No Sousuke, what are you doing back here. You’re supposed to be driving the bus.” Everyone stared in abject horror at Sousuke and the empty driver’s seat.
“It is NOT a problem. We have at least twenty three more seconds before any course correction will be required on my part.” Sousuke started back up front, then stopped. “Miss Chidori, it would be best if you calmed down. You need to set an example for the rest of them.” He resumed his steps, calmly and slowly.
Kaname pulled a loafer off of the foot of the boy stuck in the overhead bin. Pulling her arm back, she prepared to launch it at the back of Sousuke’s head. Kyouko and Ren moved to restrain her.
For a few minutes after that, things went relatively smoothly. The students had been too stunned to carry on with their ruckus. Soon enough, however, boyish arrogance would place everyone back into the frying pan.
One of the blue sedans had moved up next to the rear of the bus. With the sun relecting brightly off of its windshiled, no one could get a good view of the occupant or occupants. One boy opened an window and ribbed his buddies in the chest. They’d show that driver a thing or two. Each boy gave the car the finger.
Sousuke did not catch his classmate’s part in the incident. He did take good notice of the driver’s act of retribution. The blue sedan’s horn blared loud and long. The car swerved briefly towards the offending boys, then back again.
“We have unfriendly action. They may be making their move. Everyone hold on!” Sousuke’s statement sounded like the voice of God over the speaker system.
The bus sped up considerably. So did the car, its horn still going. The bus went to the left. Ditto the car. The bus went to the right. The car followed right on its heels. Sousuke sounded the bus’ air horn, hoping that the traffic ahead of him would speed up or get out of his way. Instead, it looked like they were heading into an area of congestion.
If they had to stop, there was a good chance that a gun battle would break out. That could lead to an unacceptable number of student casualties. If he stopped the bus, or got trapped in deadlocked traffic, and they turned out to be after Kaname….He shook his head abruptly. He could not take that chance.
Reaching down, Sousuke took a pair of binoculars out of his bag. Looking up ahead, he saw an area where some road work was being done. Ahead of that bottleneck, there was fast moving traffic. Some bermwork and a couple of small ramps caught his eye. They would suffice.
“LISTEN UP. EVERYONE MOVE TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BUS. IMMEDIATELY!”
No one moved to comply.
Sousuke pulled out a pistol loaded with rubber bullets. He waved it over his head, then fired. At the loud noise, and the subsequent sound of the ricochet, everyone jumped out of their seats and huddled nervously on the left side of the vehicle.
“HOLD ON!!!”
This was going to be tight. Gunning the engine, Sosuke ran the right wheels of the bus up onto a long gradual incline. The bus tilted dramatically, running along on the left wheels only. Oblivious to the screams behind him, Sousuke worked the wheel like a maestro, keeping the vehicle up They stayed that way for a few seconds, but it seemed like an eternity.
“OK. EVERYONE CLIMB BACK ONTO THE RIGHT SIDE!”
Everyone did their best to comply. The bus came back down to the road, bouncing fiercely for a moment or two.
“Excellent work. You have contributed to our success. I must commend you all on a tremendous show of teamwork.” Sousuke moved the bus back to the center lane, cruising smoothly and evenly.
Everyone was too stunned to answer.
“How far along are we?” It was Miss Okibasu. She was finally awake. “I haven’t slept like that in weeks. I have to commend you, Mr. Sagara. You must be doing an excellent job.”
************************************************************
End of part 2
I see... lookin' forward to more!
So if she shows up, it wouldn't be much of an appearance unless