[FIC] Gang and Girl Visit Hinata: Havoc Ensues (part nine)

[dd]

Motoko sat alone in her room, staring at the empty suit of samurai armor. It was the armor of a warrior. It seemed to be mocking her. She had spent so much of her life in training, but what was she? She certainly was not a warrior.

Her sister had been the greatest fighter she had ever seen. She worshipped her sister. She had once wanted to follow in her footsteps. If Tsuruko could see her now, wallowing in self-doubt and self-pity, she would walk away in disgust. Why had she fallen? How could she have fallen so far?

Her anger boiled up inside. MEN!!! They spoke kindly. They made promises. But they all viewed women as weak. They simply wanted to take advantage of the female sex. Keitaro was a man. She had hated him. Then, she had learned to accept him, even trust him. He had told her that the way she looked did not matter. He had led her to believe that love and femininity were not weaknesses. But that must have been a trick. A lie! Some ruse to get her to lower her guard. A way to make her weak. It seems to have worked all too well.

Motoko had been stopped again by a weakling and by a turtle. What was worse, she had arrived at the conclusion that the men visiting the apartments were dangerous and not to be trusted. No one would believe her. When she tried to stop them---for the good of all of her friends---she had failed and failed miserably. Naru, Shinobu, Su, Kitsune…they were all at the mercy of those fiends.

The more that she thought, the worse that she felt. She had embarrassed herself in front of friend and foe alike. Her phobia had taken over. The sword her sister gave her lay somewhere downstairs. It could even be in the hands of her enemy. In fear, she had thrown it away. Her last vestige of strength and courage had gone with it. When Naru had mentioned that Kaname had been possessed and Motoko was needed, she had refused to help.

Bang bang bang bang bang. It was not the gunfire she had heard earlier. It was not the gunfire that she had ignored, not knowing if it were her friends who were getting shot.

Someone was knocking at her door.

“GO AWAY!!!”

No answer.

Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang.

“I said GO AWAY. I don’t want any supper. I don’t want to do any planning. I DO NOT want any visitors.”

Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang

“WHY WON’T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!!”

“There is a great danger coming. You will have a role to play. The talents that you possess may prove crucial.” It was that stranger’s voice. That man! Sousuke Sagara.

“You have no business being here. I do NOT have to talk to you. You cannot force me to. If Keitaro will not stand up for my rights as a tenant, then I will call the police!!!” Motoko was angry, but she was also frightened. What did he want? If he assaulted her, could she stop him?

“Calling the police would do no one any good, least of all the police. If by chance they managed to lock up my comrades and myself, the Apartments….the city….the world itself would suffer for your actions. We all face self doubt some time. But, we do not all bring down the innocent with us when we embrace our fall.”

Those words stung. He sensed her weakness. It was merely a ploy to put her off balance.

“Talk all you want. I will NOT open the door. If you try to break down the door, I will scream for help.” Motoko wished she had her sword. Wait. She had an old katana. It would suffice. Searching for it, she came across her sister’s kimono. She threw it aside. It was a sign of failure again.

The door exploded. Fragments of wood and wood products rained down upon Motoko. When she turned, Sousuke stood in her room. He carried her sword.

Voices called out. The sound of many feet running could be heard. Naru, Kitsune, and Shinobu stood outside the room. Sara showed up as well. If there was any destruction going on, she did not want to miss it. Keitaro did not come. Sousuke had told him of his plans.

“Sousuke, honey, was that necessary?” Kitsune asked.

“Yes” Sousuke reassured her.

“Was this Keitaro’s idea?” Naru’s fist was shaking.

“No. It was mine.” Sousuke noticed that Naru looked disappointed.

“Why didn’t you wait for ME? I thought you liked me!” Sara stomped her foot.

“I ask your pardon, Sara. This is a private matter, between myself and Miss Aoyama.”

“I wouldn’t actually call a grenade private, sugar.” Kitsune had a very large grin.

“It only took out the door” Sousuke replied, feeling that should be explanation enough.

“Try not to blow anything else up, OK?” Naru left after making her request.

“Unless it’s Keitaro!” Sara left too.

“I am certain you had good reasons, Sousuke. I need to do some cleaning in the kitchen. If you need help, let me know.” Shinobu went downstairs.

Motoko was flabbergasted. “I thought you all were my friends” she managed to spit out. No other words could get off her tongue. She hadn’t thought that her world could crumble any further. It just did.

“We are, Motoko. This is for your own good. You’ll see.” Kitsune headed off to her room to get a fresh bottle of sake.

Glaring at Sousuke, Motoko swung her katana fiercely. “Secret technique, air-splitting sword!!!” Nothing happened. She hung her head, crestfallen. What more did she have to lose?

“To defeat a thousand enemies is good. But the samurai who defeats herself is the greatest of warriors.” Sousuke attempted to put things in terms she might relate to.

Motoko brandished her sword, looking as if she would use it to bludgeon Sousuke into submission if necessary. “What would you know of that? You hide behind a gun and explosives. Any coward can do that. There is no ki needed in a weakling’s weapons.”

“You are incorrect. Weakness is not reflected in the choice of weapons. You should know this. To be swayed by neither the opponent nor by his weapon was the essence of swordsmanship to the samurai.” Sousuke talked as if he was lecturing a recalcitrant child. That fact was not lost on Motoko.

“You have no right to speak such words. You have not spent your life training to be a warrior. You have no idea where my true weakness lies!” Motoko shivered in self revulsion, a single tear making its way down her cheek.

“You are mistaken. Very much so. I have been faced with battle. I have had to fight to survive since I was a young child. My training did not come in moments of safety and seclusion. It came amongst blood, pain, and death.” The words carried a truth and conviction that threatened to humble Motoko. Sousuke threw her sword to the floor at her feet. “You do not face your true weakness, and that is something that you must do. Unless you know your weakness, you cannot move yourself forward. That is the way to true strength.”

“I DO know my weakness. I have seen it in my sister, and it destroyed her as a warrior. She could challenge the very elements themselves. No demon could stand before her. She threw that away. For a man! I will NOT let that happen to me, no matter what else happens.”

Sousuke sighed. This was difficult. The words he needed came to him, but he felt like a hypocrite. With so many issues of his own to deal with, should he be trying to lecture anyone else? Perhaps he was talking to his own needs as well.

“A warrior must bring up his sense of values. He must consider deeply what is worthwhile.” Sousuke saw the look in the young woman’s eye at the use of the word ’he.’ “She must know others’ pain. Before one should judge another’s actions, he or she should try to realize the reason for those actions. You should not judge your sister based on your own values. You should not judge yourself without perceiving the true root of your behavior.”

“My SISTER…” Motoko was cut off by Sousuke.

“Your sister does indeed highlight your weakness as I understand it. If your friends’ account of you was in error, then perhaps I am wrong as well. It will be for you to decide. In thinking of your sister, you need to distinguish between gain and loss in worldly matters. For yourself, you need to understand that you are not your sister, and have no obligation to live your life in a manner you believe she abandoned.”

“You do NOT understand!” Motoko’s hands were tight fists. Her arms were rigid and her body trembled. “My sister was the greatest warrior our family had seen in generations. It was her duty to be the head of the Divinity School of Swordsmanship. She selfishly threw…that…all…away.”

“Another thing a warrior must do is develop intuitive judgement and understanding for everything. I myself suffer in this regard. That is my burden to bear. Nevertheless, from what I have heard, I can see this truth: your sister’s act was not selfish, it was courageous. She faced her choice like a true warrior. She did not cling falsely to someone else’s expectations. When she realized her own path, she had the strength to follow it.”

“No! But…” Motoko’s mind scattered in so many directions, like a group of butterflies in a gust of wind.

“The selfish one was you.” Sousuke saw the dawn of understanding in her eyes. “You had a vision of what your sister needed to be. You are afraid to disappoint that imaginary sister, the one that exists only in your mind. You believe deep inside that your true sister failed you and that image. You are afraid that you will waste your hard-earned abilities and avoid your duty.” Sousuke decide to take thinks one step further. “I will offer this supposition: the Divinity School of Swordsmanship is better off not having a headmistress whose heart was not in that role.”

“I…I…”

“Keitaro may seem like a weakling and a fool, but he has talents that I myself lack. He has already shown you the truth about appearances. The dress that you once wore did not make you weak. You defeated a fiercesome foe clad in that fashion. He showed you kindness when you treated him with contempt. That was a strength that many people lack.”

Motoko hung her head. “Yes.”

“He has also shown you that love is a strength, not a weakness. You need not fear love. Be thankful that you may some day grow to understand it.” It was Sousuke’s turn to hang his head. “There is nothing I have to teach you about that. It is one of my great failings, as others perceive me. I am not afraid of love. I do not know if I can feel it. I do not know if I can feel much of anything.”

Motoko stood stunned. He was clearly a warrior, and he did not fear love. He mourned his inability to love. She felt her heart begin to thaw. He truly had been trying to help her. This was difficult for him.

“Thank you.” She blushed. They both remained quiet for a while.

“I think you go against one of the philosophies. Do not think dishonestly." Motoko surprised herself, considering what a man might be feeling. "You DO have some feelings for Kaname Chidori, don’t you?” She saw his reaction. It was reassuring. He was a proven soldier, and he was uncertain.

“Uh---”

“Yes.” Motoko felt as if she were developing a bond with the young mercenary. Perhaps that was not such a terrible thing.

The two of them sat silently again, each immersed in his or her own thoughts.

Motoko broke the silence. “Turtles.” She shuddered when she said the word.

Sousuke remained silent, looking at her face, waiting. She continued. “I am afraid of turtles. I cannot control that fear. How can I be a warrior? Conquer the self, and you will conquer the opponent. If I cannot face a small turtle, how can I remain confident that I will not fail when I face a more important challenge?” She reached her hand towards her sword, but could not bring herself to take it up.

Standing, Sousuke reached down to pick up the sword. “The sword is not just a blade. Each piece plays a part. To make use of the blade, you must accept the hilt.” He ran his hand over the smooth dark inlays. “Beautiful craftsmanship. A true work of art. It should not be thrown away.” Motoko got the impression that he was talking about the sword, but not only the sword. She felt the blood rush to her face. “Do you see my point?”

“Yes. But…”

“An unpolished crystal does not shine. An undisciplined samurai does not have brilliance. You cannot control an irrational fear. You can attempt to control your reactions. Yours fears and aversions are part of you. You need not embrace them; but, you must accept them.”

Sousuke threw the sword. Motoko caught it, forcing herself to maintain her grip.

“I will leave you now. I shall look for a suitable replacement door. Like everyone else under this roof, you have matters to think about. The battle will not wait for your decision.” Souske nodded to Motoko, then walked out into the hallway.

Kaname was standing there, waiting.

“Kaname?”

“I’m very proud of you, Sousuke. “ Her look was tender, almost amazed. “In some ways you are so wise. Who would think it, since you are so clueless about so many things.” She smiled. “That was a wonderful thing that you did there.”

“Kaname, I was simply being a good soldier. We need all of the fighters that we can find.” There was a truth in what he said. The falsehood resided with the words he did not say.

“I see.” It was obvious that Kaname was not convinced. She walked up closer, acting nonchalant. “Oh, and about your trouble understanding your feelings? Don’t worry. I’m certain there is some girl somewhere who will be willing to wait….”

“Uh---”

“You are dismissed, soldier.” Kaname walked slowly down the hallway, emphasizing the movement of her hips. She stopped to toss her hair, then disappeared down the stairs.

“Uh---”


************************************************************

Kurz lay on the couch, his eyes shut. An empty sake bottle was cradled in his arm. His chest rose and fell steadily. Kitsune sat at the foot of the couch, spinning an empty bottle with her foot. She looked up at the reclining soldier. It certainly looked as if he were asleep. No one else was in the room.

Kitsune thought about the horror story they had all been told. It was up to her to decide whether she stayed and helped, or walked away. She was no good at fighting. She had no wish to die. What could she possibly do? Sousuke had mentioned that non-combatants could play an important role too. Medical care. Logistics. Spotters.

She thought about the life she had led. She really didn’t have any clearly defined goals. She didn’t do much work. Where did she direct her efforts? In finding excuses to party. What had she done to win the people she wanted in her life? She had given up, and let others win. What did she have to show for her life? A bunch of great friends, and a closet full of empty bottles. She could always get more bottles. Friends were a different story.

She sighed. She upended that last bottle. Still empty. She didn’t have enough energy left to walk up the stairs for another one.

“I don’t know what to do.” She said aloud. “Most people don’t think I can amount to anything. The others expect too much of me.” She spun the bottle again. “What’s wrong with wanting to have fun? Do I have to be so serious, like Naru, Keitaro, Shinobu, and Haruka? Do I have to throw my life away?”

“Seems to me I’ve heard something like that before.” Kurz was awake. “Maybe your answers will come easier than mine.” His eyes were still closed.

“There I go making a fool of myself again. I guess that’s what I’m really good at.” Kitsune threw the bottle into a garbage bin. “Pretty sneaky of you, pretending to be asleep.”

“Well, if I was still sitting up, I’d have to use up all my strength beating off all you girls.” Kurz had meant it to be a joke…flippant. He was too tired. It had come out as sarcasm…honest.

“Oh. Looking for affection, are you sugar? Not just attention? Welcome to the lonely side of the street.” Her voice sounded tired, not her usual ebullient self. “If you have a story to tell, I can get another bottle or two.”

“I’d appreciate the company.” Kurz sat up, happy to see that the pain in his back and side had subsided significantly. “The night before a battle is a lonely time, no matter how many people are around.”

Kitsune returned with two bottles and a can of candied chestnuts. “Seta mentioned something about your being a model? Was he right?”

“Yes, for a while. A girl I had been chasing wanted to be a model. I followed her to a shoot one day. She never made it. They signed me to a contract that day.” Kurz shook his head remembering the incongruity of it all. “It certainly got me a lot of attention. None of it was lasting or satisfying. Maybe I had hoped to find another family. Maybe I was just looking to score babes. I don’t know.”

“Did you lose your family, sugar?” Kitsune had a sympathetic look in her eye.

“No. They lost me.” Kurz downed his cup of sake in one gulp. “I have family in Austria and Germany. Dairy farmers and Inn owners. My father was the next in line to the thrown, so to speak. The family had his life all mapped out for him. He didn’t want it, and ended up in Japan. Not before he had made a compromise. My father promised that his firstborn would take the reins some day. Me.” Another cup followed the first.

“Slow down, give yourself a chance to come up for air. If you finish that bottle too fast, I’m sending you up for the next one.” Her smile was open. So were her eyes. “You didn’t want anyone to make your decisions for you, right? You didn’t want to lose your freedom.”

“Yes. As a result, nothing I wanted ever mattered. Nothing I did was ever good enough. I couldn’t take it any more. Maybe I would have tried, if my father hadn’t run from the very same that thing he intended for me. I ended up hating them for putting me through that. I hated myself for running away.” Another cup of sake disappeared.

“That’s when you went into modeling?” Kitsune handed the can of chestnuts to Kurz, her hand lingering on his.

“No, babe. I tried my hand at barkeeping and waitering. I was a roadie for a no talent garage band. Then I gave modeling a try. It was good for a while, or so I convinced myself. Everyone was concerned about what they wanted. No one gave a damn about me.” Even after finding a career he was happy with, Kurz found the memories painful. “The more they pushed me away, the more attention I sought. The less affection I got, the deeper I sunk.”

“How did you wind up a soldier? I can’t think of anything more different than modeling.” Kitsune was truly curious. Here was a story that paralleled her own---the difference being that Kurz had found something he wanted to do.

“I had taken very heavy to drinking. Very similar to you.” The look that Kurz gave Kitsune was pointed, but not judgmental. He had been there and earned the right to talk about it. “If I hadn’t quit modeling, I would have been thrown out. I became too much work for the make-up people, and nothing could cover up the look in my eyes.”

“You wanted to kill someone? You wanted to die?” Kitsune hoped she never sank that low. She caught herself. She was rushing to judgment.

“No. I wanted to become a lover, not a fighter. But, my true talent lay in drinking. I became unwanted at the trendier bars. I ended up hanging out in some rough joints. I like to think I was shanghaied, but it was really a matter of too much drink and too little common sense. Recruiters for a mercenary unit stopped in one night I was feeling my oats. I talked too much. I made promises I shouldn’t have. I woke up in the hold of a transport ship, registered out of Tunisia. A rather rough education began.” Kurz smiled. He had not accepted his hazing without a fight. He had quickly earned the respect of the men he fought with. It was a dysfunctional family. But, it was a family of sorts. That family taught him to shoot and to kill.

Kitsune blushed. She was feeling a little foolish. All of her maudlin nonsense was nothing compared to that story. No. It wasn’t. She shouldn’t write off her own pain and disappointment. Too many people had already. “That’s how you ended up where you are now?”

“Not directly. The group I fought with were true mercenaries. Morals and ethics took a back seat to money. Some of the jobs we took literally made me sick to my stomach. I had to leave. It was harder than skipping out on my real family, but I had no other choice. I did not want to end up like them.” Kurz’ voice was tinted by pride.

“I’m glad to hear that, sugar.” Kitsune found herself hoping that she would hear nothing that would make her dislike Kurz. She caught her breath when she realized that. What was she thinking? He was just another person who would walk into her life and walk out again.

“Things worked out for the best. I had earned quite a reputation in my short time. The group that sought me out was first rate, a real class act. I would be fighting for people, even more than I was fighting against injustice, evil ambition, and threats to humanity.” Kurz smiled. It was dazzling because it was heartfelt. “It didn’t hurt that I got to play with the newest and best toys. Just a boy at heart, I guess.”

They enjoyed a few moments of small talk before Kurz asked Kitsune about her past. She had known it was coming. But, it truly helped to talk with someone else who had walked down the tough side of the tracks. Her family had thrown her out. Her father and mother did not get along, and neither wanted to take care of a child on their own. She had looked for love in all the wrong places, as the song goes. She wasn’t cheap and easy, but that label had stuck. No one who she wanted to get close to could ever see beyond that. So, instead of hoping for something meaningful, she dedicated her life to having fun. Live for the moment. Regret nothing. Help others find their happiness.

“It sounds like you gave up.” Kurz said, an uncharacteristic gravity in his voice. “It sounds like you are afraid.” He looked into her eyes, before she closed them tight again. “What a shame.”

Kitsune rebounded as if slapped. She felt close to tears. “I…I…I thought you, of all people, would understand. I opened my heart to you. I knew I shouldn’t have. Damn this battle.” She stood to leave. “Damn you!” She resisted the impulse to slap him. She tried to walk away, but he grabbed her wrist firmly, even painfully. “Let me go…”

“SIT……DOWN……AND……SHUT……THE…..HELL……UP” Kurz was angry. Very angry. It had been a long time since he had felt this way. “You can slap me all you want when I am done. You can hate me forever. You can run along to the next good time and I won’t stop you.”

Kitsune sat.

“I’m a joker and a flirt, so I may not be any good at this. At least you know that I have earned my right to speak. It's up to you whether or not you take me any more seriously than most people do.” Kurz stood up with a grimace. He looked down at a defiant Kitsune. “You gave up. You are afraid. And it is a shame. Which of those is not a true statement?”

Kitsune lowered her face. She did not answer. Her silence served as an acceptance of all claims.

“Your only goal is to find some way to mask the pain and disappointment. Distraction is more important than finding any lasting happiness. I’ve been there. I could have died there. But I got lucky. I found a way out. I don’t claim to have earned it. I can’t say I was smart enough to figure anything out.”

Anger rose up in Kitsune. Anger and an unwillingness to face any truth that opened her up to more pain or abandonment. “Who are you to judge what’s right for me? Who’s to say that the life I live is the wrong one?”

“You are.” Kurz’ answer caught her entirely off guard. It shouldn’t have, she realized. She had not learned all she could have from his story. “Can you honestly tell me you are content? Is this all you want in your life? Or, is it all you are willing to risk?”

Kitsune’s head felt as if it were going to burst. “Why are you doing this?” She said, barely above a whisper.

Kurz sat down next to her on the floor. “Beacause I would hate myself if I didn’t. I want to think that some good can come from the difficulties I lived through. Sometimes a single word is all it takes to start the dominoes falling. There are no guarantees, sugar.” Kurz winked. “But if you keep looking, you might find something that feels right.” He looked around the apartment building, so uncharacteristically quiet. “You’ve made a pretty good start. You have a great bunch of friends who care about you for who you are. They all seem destined to find good things in their life by taking chances or making changes. Why should you be any different?”

Kitsune remained silent for a number of minutes. Kurz had said all that he knew to say.

“I’ve decided that I’m staying.” Kitsune had wanted to say more than that. The words would not come. Maybe later. It had been hard enough just to arrive at a decision. “I don’t know what use I can possibly be. Do you think you can help me there?”

“Yes, I can.” Kurz smiled. Mission accomplished, he hoped. The serious stuff was out of the way. Sore, and tired of all the heavy stuff, he needed to indulge his easy going side. “Hey, little girl, if we both live through this, you wanna visit a submarine? There’s plenty of beer. We just need to figure out a way to swipe it from Sgt. Major Mao.”

“Why sugar, are you trying to corrupt a fine flower like me….?” Kitsune opened her eyes as wide as they would go.

“Well….”

“Because if you’re not, I see no reason to come.”


************************************************************

Shinobu was feeling tired. There had been a lot to clean up in the kitchen, especially after Su’s impromptu Armageddon. After that, she had brought the laundry in. She had almost forgotten that, with all that was going on.

Everything was so quiet. Motoko was walking outside, after her talk with Sousuke. Kitsune was talking quietly with Sgt. Weber. Naru and Keitaro had gone off to their respective rooms. Su, her hands full of bowls and plates of food, had run off to tinker in her lab. Sara was searching high for her father and Haruka. Shiro was chasing after Haitani and Shirai. Kentaro had shown up with a bouquet of flowers, then disappeared again. Mutsumi was aleep in the guest room, watermelon safe in her embrace.

She was on her own. It was just as well. She needed to do some thinking.

She looked around her room, eyes lingering on the signs of her remaining childhood. The stuffed animals. Her make-up kit. Adolescent novels and activities books. The flower comforter. Her school uniform and training bra. The CDs popular with the young teen crowd. They all seemed out of sink with the things on her bed. She had borrowed clothes from Kitsune and Haruka, a black pair of shorts and a black shirt. They lay next to a satchel Sousuke gave her, one to hold her grenades, ammo clips, a combat knife, and the P-90.

Picking up her sketchbook, she busied herself with pencils and pastels. She worked quickly, drawing two entirely different pictures. One sketch showed her holding a comfortable rabbit doll, standing in the shadow of a cherry tree. The other sketch showed her in black face, gun in hand, surrounded by smoke and fire. Did she have to choose one? Was there room for both? Would the one survive if she didn’t embrace the other?

She looked around the room, looking for a giant arrow. Maybe someone or something would tell her which direction to go. Maybe someone would tell her what she should do. Part of her wanted to grab a suitcase and start running away. She had done that before. It had brought her here. She had run as far as she could from her parents divorce. She had done what she could to avoid the big move.

No. She would not run any more. The last time she ran, she had run to something better. She found something that gave meaning to her life. People cared about her here. She would not abandon that. She would not let Keitaro down. He had told her that she could do anything if she tried hard enough. She would not disappoint Sousuke. He had believed in her. He trained her.

Not too long ago she had been worrying about her first kiss.

Tonight she was worrying about her first battle.

She picked up the telephone and called her mother.


************************************************************


Melissa sat strapped into her M9. She had radioed Sousuke earlier and gotten an update on everything. Hungry, she asked him to put together a picnic basket. There was no way she was going to leave station. It was unlikely that the enemy would try anything tonight, but should refused to take that risk. She had piloted her Arm Slave about the grounds, watching in amusement as the Bonta-Kun mecha ran through one wall and back in again.

There was a knock on her canopy. She didn’t bother turning on her outside lights. It was probably Sousuke with her food. At least it had better be, if he knew what was good for him. She pulled down a lever, listening to the hatch hiss open. A spotlight zeroed in on the figure outside. Where had that come from.

Unhooking her restraining belts, she leaned up and out of the cockpit. It wasn’t Sousuke. It was that Kentaro person. He held a bouquet of flowers, a bottle of champagne, a block of cheese, and two fluted glasses.

“A woman as beautiful as you should not be left alone in the dark, not when the moon is as glorious as it is tonight. The muses cried out. Their humble servant , I had no choice but to obey. Though, it would never be a painful duty to be with one as lovely as yourself. I but ask that you accept me as the one who can make all of your dreams come true this final night.” Kentaro bowed with a grand flourish.

Melissa’s first response was to swear. She didn’t. She could always do that later. Her second urge was to laugh. That could wait too. She smiled.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a real gentleman. You’re the only one who mad an effort to think about me. I’d be glad to accept your champagne. Let me have a look at that.”

“Certainly, let me open it for you my lady. I shall fly up with it as if I had wings.” Women loved that romantic turn of phrase.

“That’s OK, just toss up the bottle. I want to see how good your taste is.” She caught the bottle. “Very nice.” She had to fight to keep from laughing. “Now let’s see that cheese. You’re all aces so far.”

“Gladly. The champagne. The moon. After we nibble on the cheese, perhaps we can nibble on one another.” He turned on his most captivating smile.

“Gotta see if the cheese is worth nibbling on, first. Toss it up.” She broke off a small piece. “Excellent. Really hit’s the spot. Did you bring any bread?”

Kentaro snapped his fingers. There was a rustling in the bushes. An arm thrust its way out, holding a warm French bread bagette. That made its way up into Melissa’s M9 as well.

“Is my lady satisfied? Have I proven myself worthy of you?” How could anyone resist all this?

“Let’s see. Wine. Cheese. Bread. And thee.” Melissa smiled and blew Kentaro a kiss. She winked. “Not too shabby. Three out of four ain’t bad!” She pushed the lever back up. The canopy closed. She turned on the outside sensors and speaker system. “I thank you, good Sir” Melissa affected the airs of faux nobility. “That will be all.”

“B-b-but. You. Me. Us….” Kentaro waved away the minstrels as the stepped out unannounced.

“That…will…be…all…” Melissa’s voice echoed about the lawn area. The Arm Slave came to life. One arm grabbed the anti-armor dagger, raised it high, then plunged it deep into the earth two feet from Kentaro.

“I-I-I’ll be leaving now.” He said. He had gotten the point.

He also needed a dry change of pants.


************************************************************

Sara was asleep in an armchair, a ring of broken pottery fragments surrounding her. A flower vase sat in her lap. She had nodded off in mid throw.

Seta and Haruka sat on a nearby couch, lights down low, reminiscing. Haruka remembered something.

“Kitsune passed along your message. Bangladesh. Was that because there are terrorists deep under the ground, as there were under the ruins of Mahasthan? Will we need to try something as drastic as we did then?” Haruka lit up another cigarette.

“Oh, no. That’s not it. I was just thinking about how we celebrated our victory. We could do that again. Maybe even pretend it was our honeymoon!” A good-natured grin appeared on Seta’s face.

Haruka pulled her arm back against Seta’s face, hand balled into a fist. With a loud crash, he broke through the back wall. He must have gone pretty far. She didn’t hear him land.

“Some people never learn.”


************************************************************

Naru sat alone in her room, note pad in front of her, sorting through the stacks of study books on her table. She new this was not the time to do this, but she couldn’t help herself. She did not want to think about tomorrow. It wasn’t fair. She hadn’t gotten all the things she was hoping for, and could lose everything come the dawn. Keitaro was staying. Shinobu was staying. Motoko, too. Su. Haruka. Seta.

She heard the tell tale sound. The thump of a chair. The sliding noise the wooden cover made. Mr. Chupi falling over.

Keitaro’s head popped up through the hole in the floor.

“Hi, Naru!!! Are you studying now? Talk about dedication. You’re really something.” Climbing out of the opening, his trousers and undergarments became stuck on a sharp piece of wood, sliding off him as he stood up. He didn’t have time to blush.

“What are you DOING. You…you…you PERVERT!!!” Naru’s anger died abruptly. She had been much more furious than usual. Things were really getting to her. “Oh! Keitaro.” Looking through the opening, she saw him spread-eagled on his futon. The poor baby!

What? Four arms? Four legs? Keitaro was laying on top of a sleeping Mutsumi. “KEI-TAR-O…you…LOSER!!!” Jump down below. Assume the proper stance. Follow through. Lift off. She watched as the flailing form cleared the tree line.

“Did I just hear Keitaro?” Mutsumi asked, rubbing her eyes.

“HMMPPFF!!! Naru replied, hopping on the chair, and pulling herself back up into her room. She was furious again. Her fury broke, and she was left quivering and biting her lip.

“Oh My!” Mutsune picked herself up and went off to slice up some melon.

After a while, Naru heard the door to Keitaro’s room slide open, then close again. “Naru, are you still up there?” Keitaro sounded somewhat subdued. “Do you have time to talk?”

“Wait. I’ll come down.” Naru jumped down, landing with catlike grace. She did a slow turn.

Keitaro was thunderstruck. Naru had changed into a very racy outfit. Why had she done that?

“Do you like it, Keitaro?”

“Yes. You’re so beautiful, Naru.” He stared. Naru let him. “Tomorrow’s the battle. Are you staying? I’ll protect you if you do.”

“Do you remember the little girl you made your promise to?” Naru’s voice wavered as she spoke, changing the subject.

“Of course. We made a promise to get into Tokyo U together. Just like we did, Naru.”

“Keitaro. I may not be that girl. If I’m not, I’m so afraid that you’ll abandon me. I can’t take the thought of losing you tomorrow before we find out, before we have a chance to….” Naru stopped, blushing.

“Naru, I will never abandon you. I care about you, not about a promise to a girl I can’t remember.”

“So! You’re just going to throw away that promise?” WHAM!!! “You know how I feel about promises….” It looked like Keitaro had passed through three adjacent rooms. Why is he always screwing things up when it counts….



“Well, what did I tell you?” Kitsune said in the next room over, accepting the money from Mutsumi.

“Shhhh….” Shinobu said in reply. “She’ll hear you.”

Su did a cartwheel. “It does not matter. It will be fun either way.”

Kitsune smiled when Keitaro walked by, oblivious to them all. “Go get her, tiger” she said, laughing.



“I’m sorry Keitaro, it’s just a reflex.” Naru looked sorry.

“It’s OK, I’m used to it. Is there something on your mind, Naru?”

“Uh, No….” Naru shook her head, then looked Keitaro in the eyes. “Yes, there is. There’s so much we may not have time for. I don’t want to die, never doing certain things together!”

“You mean getting into Tokyo U?”

“Not that. I know it’s early. We haven’t been to Hokkaido yet, so it’s not time for our long make-out sessions. But we should at least kiss before we die, Keitaro.” Naru got out her lipstick.

“But Naru, I haven’t even told you that I love you yet. That was supposed to wait until the Christmas special. And you weren’t going to tell anyone how you felt about me until the Spring special. How….” Keitaro did not have a chance to finish his question.

“You call yourself a man?” The Naru punch made quick work of him again. “There’s no time for your usual nonsense.”



Motoko had come down and joined the other girls. “What’s going on here?”

Kitsune answered. “Naru’s trying to get Keitaro to kiss her. She probably has other things in mind too.”

“Oh! No no no no….” Shinobu fell over, eyes spinning again.

“I really didn’t need to hear that.” Motoko said, a look of disgust on her face. “At least it’s not later in the story. I’d be freaking out, trying to steal him for myself, if it was. Whew!”

“Why doesn’t she just kiss him? I did.” Mutsumi added matter-of-fact. “Maybe I should do it again, if she’s going to take so long.” Naru heard that. She started looking very worried. What if Mutsumi made a move first. What if she didn’t stop at a kiss? Wait. Keitaro would never do that. He’s still a virgin. He knows where his loyalties are.

“If she’s worried about time, Naru should just get him wasted and take him!” Kitsune added.

Shinobu, finally coming to, keeled over again.

“Take him where?” Su asked. Kitsune and Mutsumi looked at each other and laughed. “Can we go with them? Will it be fun?”

Kitsune smiled, holding up a number of drills. “Oh yes, Su. It will be a lot of fun.”



When Keitaro stopped rolling, he found himself at Haruka’s feet. Sara was standing nearby, the vase still in her hand. Smiling, she brought it down on his head. “DORK!!!”

His head spinning, Keitaro asked “Is that you, Aunt Haruka?” His cousin responded in the usual fashion. When Keitaro came to, he told her about Naru’s behavior. “I’m not certain why she’s acting this way. I went as far as to give her hints of how much I care for her.”

“It’s not enough, Keitaro. She doesn’t know if either of you are going to survive the fighting. She can’t afford to wait for what she needs.” She sighed, thinking about Seta.

“But, I’m happy just being around her. Why shouldn’t she feel the same way?” Keitaro rubbed his head, looking perplexed.

“You’re as big of a dunce as Seta. You don’t know jack about women. She wants more than your telling her that you love her. There's no time to find out who the promise girl truly is. She's probably expecting you to go all the way and do ’it’ with her. ” Haruka dreaded this conversation.

“Do it? What do you mean? As in the it it?”

“What’s it?” Sara asked.

“When I say ‘it,’ I mean IT, Okay?” Haruka sighed. “You’re twenty, Keitaro. You should get it by now.” Why did she get stuck with this part?

“Oh. I see.” I guess Aunt Haruka’s right. A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. He was not going to let Naru down. He was keitaro Urashima, apartment manager and future Tokyo U student. He could do this.

“Tell me!!!” Sara tripped Keitaro and started banging on his head with her shoe.



“You know, Keitaro” Naru said , hands on hips. “This isn’t exactly rocket science! If you're even half a man, it ought to come naturally!” She snapped her fingers and pointed to the floor next to her. “Come here. SIT!!!”

“Naru….”

“HERE! SIT!!!” She had that look. Keitaro moved quickly. “Good boy.”

“Yes, Naru,”



“S-s-she’s training him like a dog!” Shinobu said, biting on her fingers.

“Men ARE dogs” Motoko added helpfully.

“You GO girl!” Kitsune said, proud of Naru.

“Do you think that would work on Sousuke?” Su asked.

“I’ll let you know” Mutsumi said, smiling at the look on Su’s face.



“Keitaro, we should take our relationship to the next level while we still can.” She gave him what she thought was a come-hither look. “After all, we’re not kids any more, right?”

She really DOES want to do ‘it.’ Keitaro thought. “OK, Naru. Here we go!”

Naru almost fainted with excitement. Keitaro reached over and kissed her. When he finished, he said “There we go. We did it!”


Naru was flabbergasted.

“What kind of moron are you? A girl gives you the green light and you think all she wants is some kiss on the lips? What the Hell do you have those magazines for?” She kicked him in a particulary sensitive spot. Falling forward, his face ended up between her breats. WHACK. “You do not have touching privileges!” Uh oh. Reflexes again.

Naru looked over to the wall. Someone had drilled a number of holes. She walked over and stuck her finger in each of the holes, hearing exclamations of pain. HMMPPFF.

Keitaro picked himself off the floor. “I’m sorry, Naru. I wasn’t sure what you meant. I’ll get it right this time. You can put your trust in me. You’re all I think about….”

Something rolled by, catching Keitaro’s attention. Sara had tossed a rare artifact of her father’s into the room. “Wow! What’s THAT?” Keitaro said. “I bet Seta would….” SLAMMM

“PAY ATTENTION DAMMIT.” Naru watched as Keitaro crumpled to the ground.

“Punish him!” Sara yelled from out in the hallway before Haruka clamped a hand over her mouth and carried her away.

“As I was saying, Naru. After this is all over, I want the two of us to be together. We can move our things into the Tea House, and Aunt Haruka can move her stuff back into the Apartments. I’m sure the others will understand. And…” He stopped when he saw Naru’s face.

“You must be kidding me! Was that a proposal?” She fought hard not to laugh, to no avail. “BWAHAHAHA.”

“Look. Haruka said something about you wanting me to do ‘it,’ so I thought she meant I should ask…” Keitaro made it sound as if it was an understandable mistake.

“That’s NOT what I meant, you idiot!” What did she have to do to get through to him. He is so dense!

“Uh. You mean she meant something else?”

“That's right, Sherlock. Did you finally get a clue?” She had to laugh to keep from crying.

“Oh. OH. The other ‘it.’ I see.” Keitaro blushed, feeling foolish. “Well then Naru, I’m ready. Let’s do ‘it’ together.”

“About damn time. I can’t believe you put me through all that!” Her reflexes took over again. Keitaro took a Naru punch straight on the chin. He moaned, twitching spasmodically.

Naru knew that moan. She knew that twitch. Keitaro was out for the night.

She put her head down into her hands.

*************************************************************

Kaname turned off the TV monitor. She was glad Sousuke had taught her about surveillance equipment. The cameras she had secreted in Keitaro’s and Naru’s rooms had worked like a charm.

“I hope you took note of all that, soldier. Some day it might save your life.” Kaname smiled, halisen caressing Sousuke’s cheek.

“Uh. I did. There are many things that I did not understand.” Sousuke had a very uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“You still have time, Sousuke. I’m a reasonable woman.” Her look dared him to challenge her on that point. “There’s one thing you should remember above all. I’m not like Naru. She’s much too kind-hearted.”

Sousuke began to sweat.

*************************************************************


The final work on the mammoth Arm Slave was proceeding as scheduled. It had only taken four deaths to sufficiently inspire the technicians. So many things they once claimed were impossible magically became quite achievable.. Imagine that!

Gauron bit the end off of a fresh Cuban cigar. He started to count. It took eleven seconds for his aide to reach his side and get the stogie lit. Speedy little son of a bitch…he’d get to live…at least a little longer.

Walking around the perimeter, he looked for subtle signals from his long term associates. They were all placing explosive charges about the underground facilities. He chuckled. His two ‘nieces’ were already dead. Their necks broken. They had served their purpose well. They deserved a quick death. The busy technicians…the unethical scientists…the greedy craftsmen…the dedicated support crew and guards…they would not be so fortunate. When the time came, the whole cavern would be blown asunder. Those who were not incinerated, crushed by falling rocks, or torn into smaller bits, would all die a slow and agonizing death by suffocation. Payment in full, for a job WELL done!

He held out his hand. His aide passed him a clipboard. Most boxes had a checkmark. Helicopters fueled and armed. Check. T-90s with the welded type turret and Ainet remote detonation system. Check. BMP-3s with 100mm cannon and AT-10 Stabber missiles, loaded and ready. Check. BMP-3 Krizantemas, with AT-X-15 missiles, armed and ready. Check. Modified MT-LB Armored tracked vehicles with SA-13 Strella 10s. Check. GAZ-3937s, troops mounted and armed. Check. RPVs and controllers ready. NO check.

“Anatoly.” Gauron called his aid, deceptively calm in tone and pitch. It was more bloodcurdling than a curse or shout would have been. “Who's in charge of the RPVs?”

“Lejon, sir.” Anatoly almost felt like an informant.

Gauron turned to a group of nearby guards. He waved one over. “Where is Lejon?” The man scanned the floor of the enclosure, then pointed. “Take him out.” The guard did not hesitate. Bringing his rifle to his shoulder, he sighted, then pulled the trigger. Lejon’s head now sported a small hole in the back and a larger hole in the front. “Find his second. Tell him to have the RPVs ready within the thirty minutes. Stay by his side. Your fate is now linked with his.”

He finished the checklist with only two more fatalities. After crossing the elevated walkway, he stopped to stare longingly at the Arm Slave. It needed a name. Guaron grinned. He should name it Buttercup, or something like that. It suited his twisted mood. No, Ahriman, in honor of Kashim. Destructive thought. He chuckled. That meaning of the god’s name was quite apt. The ancient peoples of Persia, including the region currently known as Afghanistan, had feared Ahriman. The people of Japan…of the entire world…would now follow suit!

“Kashim. Are you still alive? If you are, it will be such a touching reunion.” His eyes shown with manic intensity. “If you survive the assualt, perhaps I will let you watch me put that blue-haired girl to death. Wouldn’t that be just splendid, Kashim. Of course, she might prove useful, with that knowledge in her head. She might get to see you put to death.” It was going to be such a fine day! He realized that he was personalizing things. Good. I thought I was losing my ability to enjoy the finer things in life.

Guaron considered his course of action. If he followed the advice of his employers, he would test the Arm Slave and its new technologies on the city of Hinata, the JSDF, and whatever forces from Mithril got in his way. He wasn’t surprised to find he had different priorities. He would obliterate those fools in the Apartment House, put an end to Kashim and his comrades, and then move on to other things. His superiors---he laughed at that word---would also want him to capture the creative young girl, that Kaolla Su. Well, he would do his best, wouldn’t he? Accidents happen in the heat of battle.

He had a good idea what the police forces could bring to bear: shit. The JSDF was not much better. His spies told him that the Mithril AS with lambda driver capability was in for repairs. That meant the worst he could face would be M9s. The TDD-1 would likely try to project air power, but there was no weapon carried by Harriers that he need be concerned about. Cruise missiles were also a high likelihood, but he had nothing to fear from them. Even if they did the unthinkable, and used some of the new generation mini-nukes, he would stand a good chance of walking away. It might spoil some of the thrill of battle, this near invulnerability. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it.

The only joker in the deck would be that young girl. Could she have designed and built anything that could counter the new weapons and defensive systems he had at his command? Perhaps, on a small scale. There was simply no way she would have the capacity to field something that could match Ahriman.

“I’m coming Kashim!” He laughed, loudly. The men around him took a few steps back. “It will be great to see you.” One last time….

*************************************************************
End of part nine.

[dd]

Part nine is now modified and complete.

Part ten will be GunBunny stuff.

[HELLFIRE]

IT it? huh?

...and Naru more kindhearted than Kaname... that'll be the day

Now it's GunBunny TIME!! Oh wait, wasn't Tessa supposed to make
an appearance first?





Regards

[dd]

Tessa, of course, will arrive AFTER the battle is over. IF the good guys win.

[HELLFIRE]

IF the good guys win.

This is anime... the good guys always win... oh, wait. This is
FMP! universe... different rules apply





Regards

[dd]

IT it? huh?

You do get it, don't you?

No, I'm not asking if you get IT. That would be too personal.

Haruka's 'it' is what Naru's hoping for. Keitaro's interpretation of it keeps moving in the right direction until he finally gets it. Not that he actually gets it before he's knocked out. He was about to get it before he got it.

Hope that makes things clearer.

The whole 'it' business is from the manga.