[FIC] Gang and Girl Visit Hinata: Havoc Ensues (part three)
Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2003 4:07 am
When will the gang find any useful clues? Will the Hinata Apartments remain standing? When will Keitaro get back. Will he be glad when he does?
Sousuke had been watching each of the Apartment tenants closely. He was not one to take things at face value, often at the detriment of some thing or some body. His inability to fit in exasperated Kaname and amused both Kurz and Melissa, but it did not invalidate one fact: he saw things that other people might miss. He spoke about things that other people might ignore or might be afraid to mention.
Shinobu seemed on edge. Much of the time. It could be that she was an insecure girl, with little knowledge of family or friends. Sousuke could relate to that. She might be incredibly shy and self-conscious. Sousuke did not know anything about that. The unlikely possibility should still be explored: she could be very clever, with an ulterior motive. She could have fooled everyone in the building.
“Miss Maehara, may I speak with you?” Sousuke made it a point not to move too swiftly or to stare at her directly.
“W-w-why would you want to speak to m-m-me?” Her eyes were very moist, and her lips quivered.
“Because you are very quiet, and do not join in the conversations. You are like me in that regard. As I understand it, you do menial chores here…does that anger you and make you feel resentful?”
“No! Not at all. I am too young to have a real job, and I do not want to live with my parents, who are divorced.” Her face shrank in on itself.
“I see. We share more similarities. My parents were killed when I was very young. I took to my profession to stay alive. You are a hard worker and a realist then. More similarities.” Unused to the feeling, Sousuke began to feel a slight kinship with the small frail girl.
Shinobu looked sad. “I-I-I've found friends here. They care for me like a family. I….”
“You do not wish to say anything that might cause them harm? That is commendable. You are perhaps the most conscientious person I have met here. I am not here to judge anyone. I am here to make certain many people do not get hurt. If you tell me the truth, and no one poses a serious risk, then there is nothing to worry about. I do not care about small or personal things.” Sousuke watched her face, her eyes, the motions of her hands. She seemed to be calming down.
“I see. I will tell you what I can.”
“Good. You seem frightened of a lot of things. I know a way to give you some confidence about yourself”
“W-w-what is it…?”
Before Sousuke answered, something or someone flashed into his peripheral vision. He raised an arm, but Su still managed to connect with both heels to his head, sending him tumbling.
“He probably wants to do things like THIS Shinobu !!! It looks like fun. Perhaps I can do it too…” Su showed Shinobu one of Keitao’s hidden magazines, opened to a rather voluptuous centerfold, barely dressed in a thong and a flimsy boa. “I know just what we need…” Su ran off.
Shinobu called out to Su as she ran. “Oh, no no no. He CAN’T mean this!” She turned to Sousuke, ready to run again. “Can you?”
“What did that hyperactive athletic girl give you?” Sousuke blushed when he saw. “Uh…you have nothing to worry about there…If I understood about THAT I wouldn’t get into so much trouble with Miss Chidori!”
“Oh. I’m glad. No, not that you get into trouble with Miss Chidori. I meant….”
“I understand. It is not a problem. Please come with me outside. If this goes well, perhaps you can teach me something about cooking.”
“OK. Should I tell someone where we are going?” Shinobu was not obsessing on her worries at that moment. Perhaps there was more than cooking that she could help this well-meaning young man with. He needed help with a girl, just like Keitaro did.
“No. It is not a problem. They will know where we are soon enough.” Sousuke took out his pistol and checked the clip. He checked his pockets to see how many extra clips he had. He could not afford to be too wasteful. It was not like this was a video game or ridiculous television show where the ammunition seems endless.
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Shirai Kimiaki and Haitani Masayuki had stopped by. They said they were looking for Keitaro, but Melissa did not buy that story. She watched them both very closely, making certain that they were not suspicious in themselves. She would also check out the possibility that they might serve as couriers or messengers for someone they were in cahoots with at the Apartments.
Both seemed to be harmless fools, testosterone driven and blind to their own inadequacies. In many ways, they reminded her of Kurz. When she got her hands on him….
The two young men were not overly concerned with being overheard. There voice carried quite well.
“I tell you, we must have died and gone to Heaven” Haitani said. “The usual babes are all here, and there are two new beauties. We might get lucky!”
“And Haruka is here! You can have everyone else if I can have Haruka. Or, maybe that fox in the tight-fitting jumpsuit. She could hurt me all she wants!” Shirai nearly drooled. He started siddling slowly towards Haruka, trying to appear like he was doing anything but that.
Haitani walked over to speak with Kaname. “Hey, babe. Have you ever wanted to go out on a date with a college man? You could choose a tall one or a short one!” Kaname just said “Hmmppfff” and walked away. Haitani then smiled and started walking towards Melissa. He stopped and reversed field when he saw her take out her pistol and check its movement. “I think the one in the jumpsuit wants you, Shirai!”
Shirai reacted much the same way as Haitani. They then looked at each other and sighed. Looking over near the couch, they both nodded their heads. “Naru’s here, too. It’s about time she realizes just how big a loser Keitaro is. We’d be doing him a favor too. It’s about time he forgets about his stupid promise and moves on…he’ll thank us, after Naru thanks us.” They walked towards Naru until she punched a chair, reducing it to kindling.
As they turned to leave, they found the door blocked by Motoko. She had her sword out. “What are you pathetic weaklings doing here. There are already too many perverts under this roof! As the heir to the Divinity School of Swordsmanship, I need to practice the techniques passed down in my family. You two will do just fine for now!”
Shirai looked frantic. “Didn’t I tell you, Shirai. We couldn’t sneak out anything for that man here today.. There goes our big chance. He said he was going to teach us how to be chick magnets if we found out what he wanted, and got him more of that stuff! And his nieces!” Haitani tried to clamp his hand over his friends mouth, but was too slow.
“Shut up! We need to get going now. If….” Haitani’s voice stopped when the sound of a quick whoosh and SNAP! filled the air near them. Haruka had her whip out. Melissa was standing, gun pointed at Haitani’s groin, and a pair of throwing daggers in her other hand. Kaname had the halisen swinging like a pendulum. Naru, a big scowl on her face, started walking in the direction of the two college students.
Haruka spoke in a deceptively calm and even voice. “You two boys said something about a man, a chance, and some stuff. Your future will look brighter if you were to tell us everything you know….”
“But it was Shirai who said….” Haitani was near pleading.
S-N-A-P ! ! !
“Yes, Haruka!”
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Kurz knew he was in serious trouble, looking like he was in for a whole lot of pain. No, he was not thinking about his memorable fall from the tree, himself and the two others bouncing off of branches like a ball in Nature’s pachinko machine. His fall had been cushioned by two of Kitsune’s more remarkable characteristics, and that almost made the aches and pains worthwhile. He was not concerned by the subsequent fall, when the weakened ground gave way, and the three misbegotten souls found themselves tumbling into a deep cavern. Kitsune had fallen on him that time, softening her own impact. Even the rabid army of small metal turtles---their eyes glowing---did nothing to dampen his spirit as he ran for his life.
What mattered was that he had been off on his own for quite a while. He KNEW what Melissa would do. He knew the who and the what, he just didn’t know the when. Anticipation is NOT always sweet.
The cavern had led into a confusing tangle of tunnels, branching and branching again. At one Y-shaped intersection, Kitsune pulled Kurz to the right while Kentaro ran off to the left. “This way, sugar. Hopefully, half of those little monsters will follow him.”
“Why is he going off on his own? Does he know where he’s going?” Kurz’ hadn’t gotten winded yet. He did feel somewhat weary, however. He was growing tired of self-recriminations. His weapons bag was sitting back in Kitsune’s room.
“Oh, that’s just Kentaro. He’ll probably end up at his fancy machine. That’s the way things work around here. Wherever we end up, I hope there is a LOT of sake there !!!”
Two small lights could be seen further down the tunnel. The closer that they got, the louder a metallic noise sounded. Soon they could see two people, one tall and one very short, each with a miner’s helmet on their head.
“Seta!” Kitsune cried out, running towards the taller of the two.
“Ah, Kitsune. What a coincidence finding you down here. Is this your beau?” Seta was totally oblivious to the doe-eyed look that Kitsune gave him.
“He’s probably just another LOSER!!!” The smaller of the two---an ornery looking little waif---swung her pickaxe, narrowly missing Kurz’ privates.
“I’m sorry if we don’t have time for formal introductions, I’m Kurz. There’s a tidal wave of small metal turles coming this way!!!” Kurz nervously looked behind him, wondering if he had survived numerous Arm Slave battles and other military operations, only to be done in by a hoard of turtles. At least Melissa would get a kick out of it. He could picture Tessa’s testimony.
“Ah, pleased to meet you Mr. Theresatidalwaveofsmallturtlescomingthisway. Your mother must have really loved your father if she kept THAT name! Oh, and unless I miss my guess, you were once a male model...."
“Sir, I assure you, this is no time for jokes. If you know a way out of here, we’d better hurry!” Kurz could hear a distant rumbling noise.
“Hello, I’m Seta” The archaeologist handed Kurz a pick and a shovel. “I’ve come across the most remarkable discovery. I think that it is the remnants of an ancient Turtle Civilization. Hard to believe I found it underneath the Hinata Apartments. Let’s see if we can get this giant door open.”
“But…but…”Kurz was flabbergasted.
“I understand, young man. I was very excited at my first discovery, too. I’ve been chased by a giant snake, lost in a deset, and hounded by a religious cult. The excitement never ends…you just get used to it! Now…ugh…let’s see…argh…what we…errrr…have in…argh…HERE…” The large doors swung open, leading to a smooth-walled tunnel, looking to have been cut by a modern tunnel-bore.
“Daddy! Shouldn’t there be a really big machine making those little metal turtles in there?” Sara, the young girl, sounded rather disappointed.
“No, Sara. That’s a different door. We’ll do that another day. This is very exciting too. Let‘s see where it leads…”
Kurz followed the fleeing characters as they headed off down the tunnel, the pursuit rapidly closing in on them all.
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Sousuke and Shinobu left the Apartments and walked alone to the back lawns of the estate. Shinobu felt very uncomfortable being alone with someone she hardly knew, but something about the young soldier and the similarities they shared set her more at ease than she ever would have expected. One of Sousuke’s main goals was to get some answers, and he would do that by getting to know this innocent seeming girl. He would share something that he had intimate knowledge of, as a way of making a connection. He had a strong suspicion that his efforts would prove crucial later on.
“I must admit to you, Miss Maehara, I am not good with people. But, there are things that I AM good at, and I will share one of them with you now. I will caution you, however: you owe firearms respect. If you do not treat them well, they may cause great injury to yourself or those you would not wish injured. This holds true for the non-lethal varieties, such as we will become familiar with today.” Sousuke spoke in a very authoritative manner.
“B-b-but, we d-d-don’t use guns at the Hinata Apartments! Well, Su does, but that is a different story. I c-c-can’t do that.” Shinobu shook her head violently, a frightened look on her face.
“I understand that. A skill need not be used. It is an option, a choice. Besides, my purpose today is not to train you to be a soldier. We do not have the time. Today, I wish to show you that you can stand up for yourself. Once you realize that, you can find your own way to defend yourself in the future. If you have trouble with people walking over you, simply learning to say “NO” may mean the difference between night and day.” Sousuke was more concerned in her ability to protect herself in the next day or so. There was as of yet no way to know what forces might be arrayed against them all.
“H-h-how can I learn that? I’m so frightened of things and people. Nothing seems to go right for me.” She looked close to tears.
“That is incorrect. You must think this: you were frightened of people and in the past nothing went right for you. It seems that the people here care for you, does it not? And, I will put my faith in you. I do not do so lightly. We begin with baby steps. When you are ready, some day you will run.” Sousuke handed Shinobu a Glock 17, loaded with rubber bullets.
“I-I-I’ll try….”
“Good. While I set up targets, you will simply get used to the weight and the feel of that gun in your hand. After I teach you the necessary safety knowledge, we will fire some rounds at the targets. During that time, I would like to ask you questions about this place and the people who live here.” Sousuke tried to sound relaxed. He did not want it to come off as an interogation.
“Yes. Okay.”
Sousuke once again learned never to judge a book by its cover. Shinobu seemed so timid, so sweet and innocent. No young girl like that had any business developing an affinity for weapons. And, true to his first impression, she struggled simply with the idea of holding a gun, aiming a gun, and firing a gun. But, once she settled it, she showed aptitude. And, like her skill at cooking, her growing ability with a gun began to strengthen her self confidence.
“Shinobu, that man over there is about to shoot Keitaro.” Sousuke threw a rock at the log he had stood on end. It took the young girl three shots, but she hit it.
“Maehara!” Sousuke shouted, and Shinobu looked ready to run, but she stood her ground. “That man behind you is about to grab you!” She spun, and brought the gun up, stopping when she saw no clear target. “No, that was a decoy, the man over here is after Naru!” Another rock thrown. Another target hit. She had reacted very well to a change in priorities.
“Hey! If you cook as bad as you shoot, do not invite me to a meal!” Sousuke watched her eyes and posture. “ALL THREE LOGS!!!” She hit one, but came close to the other two. She had not fallen prey to her emotions. Commendable. Was there a wolf in that sheep’s clothing?
“Very good, Miss Maehara. You showed more talent than many men coming through the training camps. You have accomplished the goal that I set for you, and I had set a goal I did not think you could reach. I am sorry if my methods were rough, but that is precisely the situation when true abilities come to light.”
“Thank you!”
“If you can learn to do something you find difficult or repugnant today, you can no doubt do it again with something else tomorrow.” Sousuke spoke with true enthusiasm, a touch of affection, and a sense of pride.
He had, perhaps, done something more than further his mission. He had found out what he wanted to know about Haruka, Keitaro, and Naru in the process. He would resume his information gathering in a place of Shinobu’s choosing.
The look in the girl’s eyes confused Sousuke. He had no way to realize that Shinobu had developed a strong case of hero worship. Sousuke had take the time to show her something, teach her something. He had not treated her like she was frail, a bother, or a hopelss.
“SOUSUKE!!!” Sousuke and Shinobu both turned to see Kaname walking in their direction.
“SHINOBU!!!” Naru was there too.
“Just what the hell do you think you are doing, Sgt. Sagara, teaching a girl her age how to fire a pistol! Has your little Sousuke brain finally blown its last fuse? Do I need to bring you back to the armory to be repaired?” Kaname was swinging the halisen in ever widening circles.
“And you, Shinobu! What are you doing, going off with a stranger? Who knows just what he might have tried if I did not come looking for you!” Naru’s eyes glowed red as she looked at Sousuke. Her muscles tensing, she drew her arm back.
Sousuke stood his ground, unflinching. Shinobu, at first, hung her head, wringing her hands. But, she brought her head up, a determined look on her face. “YOU…LEAVE…HIM…ALONE…!!!”
Both Kaname and Naru rocked back on their heals, as if they were physically struck. They looked at the petite girl in utter disbelief.
Rome wasn’t built in a day. Shinobu, shocked by her own outburst, blushed and bowed repeatedly. “Oh, I’m sorry, Naru. I’m sorry Miss Chidori.”
Kaname and Naru gave Sousuke looks that were better than promisory notes. Some day. Some place. He would pay….
Shinobu noticed those looks. She took Sousuke by the hand and started leading him away. “Don’t worry, Sousuke. I’LL protect you.”
Stopping to look at both Kaname and Naru, Shinobu spun the Glock around her finger before handing it back to Sousuke.
Finally out of Naru's and Kaname's sight, Shinobu hugged a pillar, close to passing out.
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When everybody was back inside, Sousuke noticed that there were two individuals in the gathering room that he had not personaly met before. One was a somewhat scrawny and gawkish looking young man of at best medium hight, large glasses resting on the bridge of his nose.
The other was a well-endowed yound woman with long brown hair, a few strand of which projected upwards like antennae. She had her right hand held up by the side of her face. She was looking fondly at the young man, swaying slightly back and forth, looking somewhat uneasy on her feet. In one hand, she carried a shopping net suspending a cube-shaped watermelon.
“I’m Keitaro Urashima, manager of the Hinata Apartments. Someday soon, I will be giving that up when I get accepted to TOKYO U!” He struck a pose, a test paper in his hand. “Let me welcome you here today!”
“He’ll probably be our manager for a really really long time!” Su came seemingly out of no where, kicking Keitaro in the side of the jaw.
“Yes, can you believe it. He failed the entrance exam THREE times” Naru added helpfully, a satisfied smile on her face. Keitaro looked as if he were being impaled by imaginary spears .
“Naru!” Keitaro was turning red.
“And, you idiot, we welcomed them all two hours ago. Just where were you? Goofing off again!” Naru, as usual, blamed Keitaro for everything. It didn’t occur to her to take any responsibility for the long distance he had to travel back to the Apartments.
“Don’t mind Naru, everybody.” Keitaro said in a personable manner. “She failed the exam last time, too. And, since she spent most of her time studying, she’s been rather unhappy since that time. But, we made a promise to get in together, and I KNOW that we will succeed some day!” At that point, Keitaro digressed, daydreaming about being at Tokyo U, Naru by his side, surrounded by a large crowd of admirers.
“Oooh! Thanks for telling them THAT, Keitaro. SNAP OUT OF IT.” She started strangling Keitaro, bringing him back to reality. “The only reason I made that promise is because you are so helpless. You know I have my promise with Seta….”
Keitaro’s gaze dropped. He bowed his head. “I know that….”
“And get THIS…he made a promise fifteen years ago with a girl he can’t even remember. That’s why he’s trying to get into Tokyo U. Have you ever heard of anything SO pathetic?”
Keitaro looked as if he were punctured by more spears.
Have you ever heard of anything so pathetic? Kaname looked at Sousuke, who pointedly ignored her. Wait a minute…fifteen years ago…and promise to get into Tokyo U….
“That sounds somewhat familiar,” Kaname said, quickly drawing everybody’s attention. Haruka in particular looked thoughtful. She left the room. “I remember something similar from my childhood, though I must have been about two years old at the time. There was something about a sandbox….”
Naru looked as if someone had dropped liquid nitrogen on her. Mutsumi, as yet unintroduced, smiled. Shinobu started biting her nails, but stopped, a stern look on her face.
“Really?” Keitaro said. “Were you ever at the Hinata Apartments?” Could this be another promise girl?
“Yes, she was. This is the second time I’ve forgotten about someone who had spent some time at the Inn when Keitaro was a young boy. Is the girl in this picture you, Kaname?” Haruka held an open photo album out to Kaname.
“Yes! That’s me…when I was very young…but…it’s all a blur now.” Kaname felt betrayed by her memory. Why had she been here? Who had she come with?
“Wow! What a coincidence.” Keitaro seemed overly enthusiastic for someone standing within arm’s reach of Naru. “We have to talk about that later. But first, as manager, let me offer you the use of all of our fine facilities. If you feel a need to relax, Miss Chidori, we have a very nice series of hot springs oooppfff….” Once again the victim of the Naru Punch, Keitaro left a rather large hole in the roof on his way to apogee.
“That lousy good for nothing Tokyo U wannabe PERVERT!!!” Naru yelled, rubbing her fist in her other outstretched hand. “He probably just wanted to catch you in a towel or with a wet shirt!”
“I do not understand…why would anyone want to see Kaname in a towel or a wet shirt? What...aaarrrhhhh….” Courtesy of the halisen, Sousuke had placed another hole in the roof, not too far from the first one.
Gasping, Shinobu ran outside.
Naru nodded at Kaname, who saluted in return.
Melissa just shook her head. “Some day, one of those two numbskulls is going to make a fine candidate for the Darwin Awards!”
“The Darwin Awards? What are those? Are they good to eat?” Su was bouncing up and down on one leg.
“No, Su. The Darwin awards are in very bad taste. They are a somewhat tactless award given out “honor” those individuals who improve the gene pool…by removing themselves from it. The honor is bestowed posthumously. They usually involve episodes of awe-inspiring stupidity.”
“We have some time before the boys make it back. Want to give us a couple of examples while we wait? We still have some beer left.” Haruka twisted the top off of a bottle and handed it to Melissa.
“Why not. I…” Melissa was interrupted.
“Excuse me, Melissa. Su! These are examples of things NOT to do. That also means they are not to be done to someone else, like Keitaro.” Haruka suddenly looked as if she had made a big mistake by putting any ideas in the young girl’s head.
“But Haruka, If Keitaro can’t make it into Tokyo U, wouldn’t be nice if he could receive at least one reward?” The look on Naru’s face was rather hardcore.
“Naru!”
“Yes, Haruka…”
“Su?”
“Yes, OK…”
Haruka nodded to Melissa.
“In 1995, in the United States, Arizona highway patrolmen were mystified when they came upon a pile of smoldering wreckage embedded in a Cliffside rising above a road. It turned out to be the vaporized remanants of an automobile. A former Air Force sergeant had gotten ahold of a Jet Assisted Take-Off unit, or JATO. Those are used to give heavy military transport planes an extra push on take-off from short airfields.
The sergeant attached the JATO to his car, drove to a long straight stretch of deserted highway, and set off the booster. He had ignited the device 3.9 miles from his point of impact, as evidenced by a large area of melted asphalt. It was estimated that he reached speeds of 250-300 miles per hour after the car became airborne.
Ironically, the remnants of his bumper sticker read How Do You Like My Driving? Call 1-800- EAT SH@T . Pardon my French!"
“That was very crazy. He should have used many smaller rockets. I have a design drawn up for Seta’s van. I could go get that now and….” Su looked very chipper.
“Su!”
“Oh, I am very sorry. Please continue.”
“In 1989, the Soviet Union was home to a growing number of psychics and mentalists, one of whom was convinced he could use his powers to stop vehicles in their tracks. He was said to be of the opinion that, faced by extraordinary conditions that posed a direct threat to his life, all of his reserve power would be called into action.
He started small, working with bicycles and automobiles. He decided upon the ultimate test of his powers. He tried to stop a frieght train in its tracks. The engineer had seen him step onto the tracks, lower his head, and raise his arms.”
“When do we get to the psycho part?” Su looked perplexed.
“SU!” That came from both Haruka and Naru.
“Please, do not let me stop you.” Su almost managed to sound contrite.
Melissa continued. “In 1999, three friends in Cambodia were sharing drinks and exchanging insults at a local café. Their arguing continued for hours, until one man pulled out an unexploded anti-tank mine he had found in his back yard.
He tossed the mine under the table and the three men began playing a game of Russian Roulette. Each would take turns downing a drink and stamping on the mine. The wiser villagers at the site had run away in terror. Minutes later, a tremendous explosion detonated at the café, and no remnants of the men were ever found.” Melissa finished off her beer and said in an offhand manner. “Actually, I’ve played that game on many occasions.” She kept a straight face.
“Miss Mao! Is this true? Many times?” Su looked shocked. Shocked and eager.
“No, Su. I was just joking.”
“You should NOT do such things. I am a very impressionable child. I might begin to have wild thoughts!” Su sounded insulted.
Melissa and Haruka looked at each other and broke out laughing. When she regained her breath, Melissa told of the next Darwin Award winner. “In 1995, in Poland, a farmer claimed to be the world’s most macho man. He had been drinking with friend, and he had convinced them all to strip naked and play some ’mens’ games.’ At first they hit each other over the head with frozen turnips. One man, very drunk, cut off two of his toes with a chainsaw. Not to be outdone, the inebriated farmer took the chainsaw and swung it at his own neck.”
“Did that really happen?” Naru looked shocked. Kaname just shook her head. Not even Sousuke would do that.
“I’m not certain.” Melissa said. “Someone said it was axes instead….”
“I do not think that was a very good idea.” Su said
“No Su, it was not.” Melissa kept a straight face. Su truly was a piece of work.
“There are just some things that should NOT be done!” Su did not understand why Haruka, Naru, and Mutsumi burst into laughter.
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End of part three
Sousuke had been watching each of the Apartment tenants closely. He was not one to take things at face value, often at the detriment of some thing or some body. His inability to fit in exasperated Kaname and amused both Kurz and Melissa, but it did not invalidate one fact: he saw things that other people might miss. He spoke about things that other people might ignore or might be afraid to mention.
Shinobu seemed on edge. Much of the time. It could be that she was an insecure girl, with little knowledge of family or friends. Sousuke could relate to that. She might be incredibly shy and self-conscious. Sousuke did not know anything about that. The unlikely possibility should still be explored: she could be very clever, with an ulterior motive. She could have fooled everyone in the building.
“Miss Maehara, may I speak with you?” Sousuke made it a point not to move too swiftly or to stare at her directly.
“W-w-why would you want to speak to m-m-me?” Her eyes were very moist, and her lips quivered.
“Because you are very quiet, and do not join in the conversations. You are like me in that regard. As I understand it, you do menial chores here…does that anger you and make you feel resentful?”
“No! Not at all. I am too young to have a real job, and I do not want to live with my parents, who are divorced.” Her face shrank in on itself.
“I see. We share more similarities. My parents were killed when I was very young. I took to my profession to stay alive. You are a hard worker and a realist then. More similarities.” Unused to the feeling, Sousuke began to feel a slight kinship with the small frail girl.
Shinobu looked sad. “I-I-I've found friends here. They care for me like a family. I….”
“You do not wish to say anything that might cause them harm? That is commendable. You are perhaps the most conscientious person I have met here. I am not here to judge anyone. I am here to make certain many people do not get hurt. If you tell me the truth, and no one poses a serious risk, then there is nothing to worry about. I do not care about small or personal things.” Sousuke watched her face, her eyes, the motions of her hands. She seemed to be calming down.
“I see. I will tell you what I can.”
“Good. You seem frightened of a lot of things. I know a way to give you some confidence about yourself”
“W-w-what is it…?”
Before Sousuke answered, something or someone flashed into his peripheral vision. He raised an arm, but Su still managed to connect with both heels to his head, sending him tumbling.
“He probably wants to do things like THIS Shinobu !!! It looks like fun. Perhaps I can do it too…” Su showed Shinobu one of Keitao’s hidden magazines, opened to a rather voluptuous centerfold, barely dressed in a thong and a flimsy boa. “I know just what we need…” Su ran off.
Shinobu called out to Su as she ran. “Oh, no no no. He CAN’T mean this!” She turned to Sousuke, ready to run again. “Can you?”
“What did that hyperactive athletic girl give you?” Sousuke blushed when he saw. “Uh…you have nothing to worry about there…If I understood about THAT I wouldn’t get into so much trouble with Miss Chidori!”
“Oh. I’m glad. No, not that you get into trouble with Miss Chidori. I meant….”
“I understand. It is not a problem. Please come with me outside. If this goes well, perhaps you can teach me something about cooking.”
“OK. Should I tell someone where we are going?” Shinobu was not obsessing on her worries at that moment. Perhaps there was more than cooking that she could help this well-meaning young man with. He needed help with a girl, just like Keitaro did.
“No. It is not a problem. They will know where we are soon enough.” Sousuke took out his pistol and checked the clip. He checked his pockets to see how many extra clips he had. He could not afford to be too wasteful. It was not like this was a video game or ridiculous television show where the ammunition seems endless.
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Shirai Kimiaki and Haitani Masayuki had stopped by. They said they were looking for Keitaro, but Melissa did not buy that story. She watched them both very closely, making certain that they were not suspicious in themselves. She would also check out the possibility that they might serve as couriers or messengers for someone they were in cahoots with at the Apartments.
Both seemed to be harmless fools, testosterone driven and blind to their own inadequacies. In many ways, they reminded her of Kurz. When she got her hands on him….
The two young men were not overly concerned with being overheard. There voice carried quite well.
“I tell you, we must have died and gone to Heaven” Haitani said. “The usual babes are all here, and there are two new beauties. We might get lucky!”
“And Haruka is here! You can have everyone else if I can have Haruka. Or, maybe that fox in the tight-fitting jumpsuit. She could hurt me all she wants!” Shirai nearly drooled. He started siddling slowly towards Haruka, trying to appear like he was doing anything but that.
Haitani walked over to speak with Kaname. “Hey, babe. Have you ever wanted to go out on a date with a college man? You could choose a tall one or a short one!” Kaname just said “Hmmppfff” and walked away. Haitani then smiled and started walking towards Melissa. He stopped and reversed field when he saw her take out her pistol and check its movement. “I think the one in the jumpsuit wants you, Shirai!”
Shirai reacted much the same way as Haitani. They then looked at each other and sighed. Looking over near the couch, they both nodded their heads. “Naru’s here, too. It’s about time she realizes just how big a loser Keitaro is. We’d be doing him a favor too. It’s about time he forgets about his stupid promise and moves on…he’ll thank us, after Naru thanks us.” They walked towards Naru until she punched a chair, reducing it to kindling.
As they turned to leave, they found the door blocked by Motoko. She had her sword out. “What are you pathetic weaklings doing here. There are already too many perverts under this roof! As the heir to the Divinity School of Swordsmanship, I need to practice the techniques passed down in my family. You two will do just fine for now!”
Shirai looked frantic. “Didn’t I tell you, Shirai. We couldn’t sneak out anything for that man here today.. There goes our big chance. He said he was going to teach us how to be chick magnets if we found out what he wanted, and got him more of that stuff! And his nieces!” Haitani tried to clamp his hand over his friends mouth, but was too slow.
“Shut up! We need to get going now. If….” Haitani’s voice stopped when the sound of a quick whoosh and SNAP! filled the air near them. Haruka had her whip out. Melissa was standing, gun pointed at Haitani’s groin, and a pair of throwing daggers in her other hand. Kaname had the halisen swinging like a pendulum. Naru, a big scowl on her face, started walking in the direction of the two college students.
Haruka spoke in a deceptively calm and even voice. “You two boys said something about a man, a chance, and some stuff. Your future will look brighter if you were to tell us everything you know….”
“But it was Shirai who said….” Haitani was near pleading.
S-N-A-P ! ! !
“Yes, Haruka!”
************************************************************
Kurz knew he was in serious trouble, looking like he was in for a whole lot of pain. No, he was not thinking about his memorable fall from the tree, himself and the two others bouncing off of branches like a ball in Nature’s pachinko machine. His fall had been cushioned by two of Kitsune’s more remarkable characteristics, and that almost made the aches and pains worthwhile. He was not concerned by the subsequent fall, when the weakened ground gave way, and the three misbegotten souls found themselves tumbling into a deep cavern. Kitsune had fallen on him that time, softening her own impact. Even the rabid army of small metal turtles---their eyes glowing---did nothing to dampen his spirit as he ran for his life.
What mattered was that he had been off on his own for quite a while. He KNEW what Melissa would do. He knew the who and the what, he just didn’t know the when. Anticipation is NOT always sweet.
The cavern had led into a confusing tangle of tunnels, branching and branching again. At one Y-shaped intersection, Kitsune pulled Kurz to the right while Kentaro ran off to the left. “This way, sugar. Hopefully, half of those little monsters will follow him.”
“Why is he going off on his own? Does he know where he’s going?” Kurz’ hadn’t gotten winded yet. He did feel somewhat weary, however. He was growing tired of self-recriminations. His weapons bag was sitting back in Kitsune’s room.
“Oh, that’s just Kentaro. He’ll probably end up at his fancy machine. That’s the way things work around here. Wherever we end up, I hope there is a LOT of sake there !!!”
Two small lights could be seen further down the tunnel. The closer that they got, the louder a metallic noise sounded. Soon they could see two people, one tall and one very short, each with a miner’s helmet on their head.
“Seta!” Kitsune cried out, running towards the taller of the two.
“Ah, Kitsune. What a coincidence finding you down here. Is this your beau?” Seta was totally oblivious to the doe-eyed look that Kitsune gave him.
“He’s probably just another LOSER!!!” The smaller of the two---an ornery looking little waif---swung her pickaxe, narrowly missing Kurz’ privates.
“I’m sorry if we don’t have time for formal introductions, I’m Kurz. There’s a tidal wave of small metal turles coming this way!!!” Kurz nervously looked behind him, wondering if he had survived numerous Arm Slave battles and other military operations, only to be done in by a hoard of turtles. At least Melissa would get a kick out of it. He could picture Tessa’s testimony.
“Ah, pleased to meet you Mr. Theresatidalwaveofsmallturtlescomingthisway. Your mother must have really loved your father if she kept THAT name! Oh, and unless I miss my guess, you were once a male model...."
“Sir, I assure you, this is no time for jokes. If you know a way out of here, we’d better hurry!” Kurz could hear a distant rumbling noise.
“Hello, I’m Seta” The archaeologist handed Kurz a pick and a shovel. “I’ve come across the most remarkable discovery. I think that it is the remnants of an ancient Turtle Civilization. Hard to believe I found it underneath the Hinata Apartments. Let’s see if we can get this giant door open.”
“But…but…”Kurz was flabbergasted.
“I understand, young man. I was very excited at my first discovery, too. I’ve been chased by a giant snake, lost in a deset, and hounded by a religious cult. The excitement never ends…you just get used to it! Now…ugh…let’s see…argh…what we…errrr…have in…argh…HERE…” The large doors swung open, leading to a smooth-walled tunnel, looking to have been cut by a modern tunnel-bore.
“Daddy! Shouldn’t there be a really big machine making those little metal turtles in there?” Sara, the young girl, sounded rather disappointed.
“No, Sara. That’s a different door. We’ll do that another day. This is very exciting too. Let‘s see where it leads…”
Kurz followed the fleeing characters as they headed off down the tunnel, the pursuit rapidly closing in on them all.
**********************************************************
Sousuke and Shinobu left the Apartments and walked alone to the back lawns of the estate. Shinobu felt very uncomfortable being alone with someone she hardly knew, but something about the young soldier and the similarities they shared set her more at ease than she ever would have expected. One of Sousuke’s main goals was to get some answers, and he would do that by getting to know this innocent seeming girl. He would share something that he had intimate knowledge of, as a way of making a connection. He had a strong suspicion that his efforts would prove crucial later on.
“I must admit to you, Miss Maehara, I am not good with people. But, there are things that I AM good at, and I will share one of them with you now. I will caution you, however: you owe firearms respect. If you do not treat them well, they may cause great injury to yourself or those you would not wish injured. This holds true for the non-lethal varieties, such as we will become familiar with today.” Sousuke spoke in a very authoritative manner.
“B-b-but, we d-d-don’t use guns at the Hinata Apartments! Well, Su does, but that is a different story. I c-c-can’t do that.” Shinobu shook her head violently, a frightened look on her face.
“I understand that. A skill need not be used. It is an option, a choice. Besides, my purpose today is not to train you to be a soldier. We do not have the time. Today, I wish to show you that you can stand up for yourself. Once you realize that, you can find your own way to defend yourself in the future. If you have trouble with people walking over you, simply learning to say “NO” may mean the difference between night and day.” Sousuke was more concerned in her ability to protect herself in the next day or so. There was as of yet no way to know what forces might be arrayed against them all.
“H-h-how can I learn that? I’m so frightened of things and people. Nothing seems to go right for me.” She looked close to tears.
“That is incorrect. You must think this: you were frightened of people and in the past nothing went right for you. It seems that the people here care for you, does it not? And, I will put my faith in you. I do not do so lightly. We begin with baby steps. When you are ready, some day you will run.” Sousuke handed Shinobu a Glock 17, loaded with rubber bullets.
“I-I-I’ll try….”
“Good. While I set up targets, you will simply get used to the weight and the feel of that gun in your hand. After I teach you the necessary safety knowledge, we will fire some rounds at the targets. During that time, I would like to ask you questions about this place and the people who live here.” Sousuke tried to sound relaxed. He did not want it to come off as an interogation.
“Yes. Okay.”
Sousuke once again learned never to judge a book by its cover. Shinobu seemed so timid, so sweet and innocent. No young girl like that had any business developing an affinity for weapons. And, true to his first impression, she struggled simply with the idea of holding a gun, aiming a gun, and firing a gun. But, once she settled it, she showed aptitude. And, like her skill at cooking, her growing ability with a gun began to strengthen her self confidence.
“Shinobu, that man over there is about to shoot Keitaro.” Sousuke threw a rock at the log he had stood on end. It took the young girl three shots, but she hit it.
“Maehara!” Sousuke shouted, and Shinobu looked ready to run, but she stood her ground. “That man behind you is about to grab you!” She spun, and brought the gun up, stopping when she saw no clear target. “No, that was a decoy, the man over here is after Naru!” Another rock thrown. Another target hit. She had reacted very well to a change in priorities.
“Hey! If you cook as bad as you shoot, do not invite me to a meal!” Sousuke watched her eyes and posture. “ALL THREE LOGS!!!” She hit one, but came close to the other two. She had not fallen prey to her emotions. Commendable. Was there a wolf in that sheep’s clothing?
“Very good, Miss Maehara. You showed more talent than many men coming through the training camps. You have accomplished the goal that I set for you, and I had set a goal I did not think you could reach. I am sorry if my methods were rough, but that is precisely the situation when true abilities come to light.”
“Thank you!”
“If you can learn to do something you find difficult or repugnant today, you can no doubt do it again with something else tomorrow.” Sousuke spoke with true enthusiasm, a touch of affection, and a sense of pride.
He had, perhaps, done something more than further his mission. He had found out what he wanted to know about Haruka, Keitaro, and Naru in the process. He would resume his information gathering in a place of Shinobu’s choosing.
The look in the girl’s eyes confused Sousuke. He had no way to realize that Shinobu had developed a strong case of hero worship. Sousuke had take the time to show her something, teach her something. He had not treated her like she was frail, a bother, or a hopelss.
“SOUSUKE!!!” Sousuke and Shinobu both turned to see Kaname walking in their direction.
“SHINOBU!!!” Naru was there too.
“Just what the hell do you think you are doing, Sgt. Sagara, teaching a girl her age how to fire a pistol! Has your little Sousuke brain finally blown its last fuse? Do I need to bring you back to the armory to be repaired?” Kaname was swinging the halisen in ever widening circles.
“And you, Shinobu! What are you doing, going off with a stranger? Who knows just what he might have tried if I did not come looking for you!” Naru’s eyes glowed red as she looked at Sousuke. Her muscles tensing, she drew her arm back.
Sousuke stood his ground, unflinching. Shinobu, at first, hung her head, wringing her hands. But, she brought her head up, a determined look on her face. “YOU…LEAVE…HIM…ALONE…!!!”
Both Kaname and Naru rocked back on their heals, as if they were physically struck. They looked at the petite girl in utter disbelief.
Rome wasn’t built in a day. Shinobu, shocked by her own outburst, blushed and bowed repeatedly. “Oh, I’m sorry, Naru. I’m sorry Miss Chidori.”
Kaname and Naru gave Sousuke looks that were better than promisory notes. Some day. Some place. He would pay….
Shinobu noticed those looks. She took Sousuke by the hand and started leading him away. “Don’t worry, Sousuke. I’LL protect you.”
Stopping to look at both Kaname and Naru, Shinobu spun the Glock around her finger before handing it back to Sousuke.
Finally out of Naru's and Kaname's sight, Shinobu hugged a pillar, close to passing out.
************************************************************
When everybody was back inside, Sousuke noticed that there were two individuals in the gathering room that he had not personaly met before. One was a somewhat scrawny and gawkish looking young man of at best medium hight, large glasses resting on the bridge of his nose.
The other was a well-endowed yound woman with long brown hair, a few strand of which projected upwards like antennae. She had her right hand held up by the side of her face. She was looking fondly at the young man, swaying slightly back and forth, looking somewhat uneasy on her feet. In one hand, she carried a shopping net suspending a cube-shaped watermelon.
“I’m Keitaro Urashima, manager of the Hinata Apartments. Someday soon, I will be giving that up when I get accepted to TOKYO U!” He struck a pose, a test paper in his hand. “Let me welcome you here today!”
“He’ll probably be our manager for a really really long time!” Su came seemingly out of no where, kicking Keitaro in the side of the jaw.
“Yes, can you believe it. He failed the entrance exam THREE times” Naru added helpfully, a satisfied smile on her face. Keitaro looked as if he were being impaled by imaginary spears .
“Naru!” Keitaro was turning red.
“And, you idiot, we welcomed them all two hours ago. Just where were you? Goofing off again!” Naru, as usual, blamed Keitaro for everything. It didn’t occur to her to take any responsibility for the long distance he had to travel back to the Apartments.
“Don’t mind Naru, everybody.” Keitaro said in a personable manner. “She failed the exam last time, too. And, since she spent most of her time studying, she’s been rather unhappy since that time. But, we made a promise to get in together, and I KNOW that we will succeed some day!” At that point, Keitaro digressed, daydreaming about being at Tokyo U, Naru by his side, surrounded by a large crowd of admirers.
“Oooh! Thanks for telling them THAT, Keitaro. SNAP OUT OF IT.” She started strangling Keitaro, bringing him back to reality. “The only reason I made that promise is because you are so helpless. You know I have my promise with Seta….”
Keitaro’s gaze dropped. He bowed his head. “I know that….”
“And get THIS…he made a promise fifteen years ago with a girl he can’t even remember. That’s why he’s trying to get into Tokyo U. Have you ever heard of anything SO pathetic?”
Keitaro looked as if he were punctured by more spears.
Have you ever heard of anything so pathetic? Kaname looked at Sousuke, who pointedly ignored her. Wait a minute…fifteen years ago…and promise to get into Tokyo U….
“That sounds somewhat familiar,” Kaname said, quickly drawing everybody’s attention. Haruka in particular looked thoughtful. She left the room. “I remember something similar from my childhood, though I must have been about two years old at the time. There was something about a sandbox….”
Naru looked as if someone had dropped liquid nitrogen on her. Mutsumi, as yet unintroduced, smiled. Shinobu started biting her nails, but stopped, a stern look on her face.
“Really?” Keitaro said. “Were you ever at the Hinata Apartments?” Could this be another promise girl?
“Yes, she was. This is the second time I’ve forgotten about someone who had spent some time at the Inn when Keitaro was a young boy. Is the girl in this picture you, Kaname?” Haruka held an open photo album out to Kaname.
“Yes! That’s me…when I was very young…but…it’s all a blur now.” Kaname felt betrayed by her memory. Why had she been here? Who had she come with?
“Wow! What a coincidence.” Keitaro seemed overly enthusiastic for someone standing within arm’s reach of Naru. “We have to talk about that later. But first, as manager, let me offer you the use of all of our fine facilities. If you feel a need to relax, Miss Chidori, we have a very nice series of hot springs oooppfff….” Once again the victim of the Naru Punch, Keitaro left a rather large hole in the roof on his way to apogee.
“That lousy good for nothing Tokyo U wannabe PERVERT!!!” Naru yelled, rubbing her fist in her other outstretched hand. “He probably just wanted to catch you in a towel or with a wet shirt!”
“I do not understand…why would anyone want to see Kaname in a towel or a wet shirt? What...aaarrrhhhh….” Courtesy of the halisen, Sousuke had placed another hole in the roof, not too far from the first one.
Gasping, Shinobu ran outside.
Naru nodded at Kaname, who saluted in return.
Melissa just shook her head. “Some day, one of those two numbskulls is going to make a fine candidate for the Darwin Awards!”
“The Darwin Awards? What are those? Are they good to eat?” Su was bouncing up and down on one leg.
“No, Su. The Darwin awards are in very bad taste. They are a somewhat tactless award given out “honor” those individuals who improve the gene pool…by removing themselves from it. The honor is bestowed posthumously. They usually involve episodes of awe-inspiring stupidity.”
“We have some time before the boys make it back. Want to give us a couple of examples while we wait? We still have some beer left.” Haruka twisted the top off of a bottle and handed it to Melissa.
“Why not. I…” Melissa was interrupted.
“Excuse me, Melissa. Su! These are examples of things NOT to do. That also means they are not to be done to someone else, like Keitaro.” Haruka suddenly looked as if she had made a big mistake by putting any ideas in the young girl’s head.
“But Haruka, If Keitaro can’t make it into Tokyo U, wouldn’t be nice if he could receive at least one reward?” The look on Naru’s face was rather hardcore.
“Naru!”
“Yes, Haruka…”
“Su?”
“Yes, OK…”
Haruka nodded to Melissa.
“In 1995, in the United States, Arizona highway patrolmen were mystified when they came upon a pile of smoldering wreckage embedded in a Cliffside rising above a road. It turned out to be the vaporized remanants of an automobile. A former Air Force sergeant had gotten ahold of a Jet Assisted Take-Off unit, or JATO. Those are used to give heavy military transport planes an extra push on take-off from short airfields.
The sergeant attached the JATO to his car, drove to a long straight stretch of deserted highway, and set off the booster. He had ignited the device 3.9 miles from his point of impact, as evidenced by a large area of melted asphalt. It was estimated that he reached speeds of 250-300 miles per hour after the car became airborne.
Ironically, the remnants of his bumper sticker read How Do You Like My Driving? Call 1-800- EAT SH@T . Pardon my French!"
“That was very crazy. He should have used many smaller rockets. I have a design drawn up for Seta’s van. I could go get that now and….” Su looked very chipper.
“Su!”
“Oh, I am very sorry. Please continue.”
“In 1989, the Soviet Union was home to a growing number of psychics and mentalists, one of whom was convinced he could use his powers to stop vehicles in their tracks. He was said to be of the opinion that, faced by extraordinary conditions that posed a direct threat to his life, all of his reserve power would be called into action.
He started small, working with bicycles and automobiles. He decided upon the ultimate test of his powers. He tried to stop a frieght train in its tracks. The engineer had seen him step onto the tracks, lower his head, and raise his arms.”
“When do we get to the psycho part?” Su looked perplexed.
“SU!” That came from both Haruka and Naru.
“Please, do not let me stop you.” Su almost managed to sound contrite.
Melissa continued. “In 1999, three friends in Cambodia were sharing drinks and exchanging insults at a local café. Their arguing continued for hours, until one man pulled out an unexploded anti-tank mine he had found in his back yard.
He tossed the mine under the table and the three men began playing a game of Russian Roulette. Each would take turns downing a drink and stamping on the mine. The wiser villagers at the site had run away in terror. Minutes later, a tremendous explosion detonated at the café, and no remnants of the men were ever found.” Melissa finished off her beer and said in an offhand manner. “Actually, I’ve played that game on many occasions.” She kept a straight face.
“Miss Mao! Is this true? Many times?” Su looked shocked. Shocked and eager.
“No, Su. I was just joking.”
“You should NOT do such things. I am a very impressionable child. I might begin to have wild thoughts!” Su sounded insulted.
Melissa and Haruka looked at each other and broke out laughing. When she regained her breath, Melissa told of the next Darwin Award winner. “In 1995, in Poland, a farmer claimed to be the world’s most macho man. He had been drinking with friend, and he had convinced them all to strip naked and play some ’mens’ games.’ At first they hit each other over the head with frozen turnips. One man, very drunk, cut off two of his toes with a chainsaw. Not to be outdone, the inebriated farmer took the chainsaw and swung it at his own neck.”
“Did that really happen?” Naru looked shocked. Kaname just shook her head. Not even Sousuke would do that.
“I’m not certain.” Melissa said. “Someone said it was axes instead….”
“I do not think that was a very good idea.” Su said
“No Su, it was not.” Melissa kept a straight face. Su truly was a piece of work.
“There are just some things that should NOT be done!” Su did not understand why Haruka, Naru, and Mutsumi burst into laughter.
************************************************************
End of part three
