[FIC] Class Act (part 4)
Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2004 2:50 am
There’s a reason why overly talkative villains usually fail in the movies.
Wakana, close to gloating, took precious time to quip “I will always remember our time together.” There was no attack that would drive her back, and she had targeted a lethal blow towards a Dim Mak point.
Sousuke was quite aware that it is sometimes better to be lucky than to be good. The same thing could be said for being observant. He knew he was a hair’s breadth away from death. Any conventional attack might let people say ‘he didn’t go down without a fight,’ but it was unlikely to prolong his life much longer.
The stub of a small broken branch gouging into his back, the young soldier caught sight of a large branch hanging over the policewoman’s head. It was thoroughly cracked. Small vines and branches were all that kept it from falling down to the ground. It was a longshot. But, he had made those work on numerous occasions.
His leap would have done a lemur proud. Sousuke’s weight brought the branch crashing down across Wakana’s face. Hands working furiousless, she pushed small branches away, frantic to block whatever attack the young man would follow up with. But, he was no longer there. Why? She had been open to attack. He had gone for his weapons!
High on adrenalin, a small trail of saliva coursing down her chin and stringing out behind her, Wakana sprinted towards her weapons. The nearest one was her grenade launcher. She had replaced the tear gas canisters with fragmentation grenades. If she was going out, she would quite literally go out with a BANG!
There! She caught sight of Sousuke. He had just finished throwing something. Probably a grenade. Time to fight fire with fire. Running sideways as fast as she could, she fired grenades one after another. There was an explosion…overhead. Wakana barely had time to cover her head and start falling when the nail bomb detonated.
Stainless steel nails sped along in all possible directions. Loud spangs sounded as they ricocheted off of the police cruiser. Leaves on a nearby tree were shredded. The tinkle tinkle tinkle of metal hitting the highway was drowned out by the sound of rushing traffic. A number of projectiles were stuck into the policewoman’s back, neck, and left thigh. If she hadn’t put her Kevlar vest on when she went to set out her weapons, she would be in much more critical shape. True, the pain was still excruciating. But, she loved pain.
A number of widely spread explosions further away thrwe up clods of dirt and handfuls of gravel. Running, CAWS gun in hand and Glock 17 stuck inside his waistband, Sousuke caught some shrapnel on the back of his right calf, causing him to stumble. Standing quickly, he grimaced in pain, but said a quick prayer of thanks. The wound would not slow him down.
Wakana fired off her remaining grenades, dropped the launcher, and ran to one of her shotguns. Smiling, she saw Sousuke throw himself the the ground. The grenades couldn’t have done much damage, but they had bought her time. If she could close the distance, the battle would be something like a modern version of the shoot out at the OK Corral. “I’M the Earps!!!” she screeched.
Sousuke was not crazy. Closing the distance might make his weapon more effective, but it would take away some of the advantage of his greater firepower, and it would place too much into the hands of Fate and Luck. He ran for tree cover, willing to expose his back from that distance. When he was out of her effective range, he would bring her down with the pistol or the flechettes...the down side being his chance for a non-lethal victory dropped slightly with every step he took.
“You COWARD!!! Stand………. and……….. fight………. me……….” Wakana shouted as she fired, knowing she was too far away yet to do serious damage. It just felt great to be shouting and firing. Then, the light of sanity went on. She realized something that Sousuke had uncharacteristically overlooked. A short dash would bring her over to the young operative’s remaining weapons stash. “Thank you………. thank you………. thank you………..”
“Shithead!” Sousuke yelled at himself. He fired off five rounds of flechettes in rapid succession, shouldered the CAWS, and drew his Glock. With steady hand, he squeezed of round after round. She’s going for the TMP! The grenades had driven him away from the place he had left the submachine gun. It would have been foolhardy to run for the gun, but he had charged into the face of fire before and walked away unscathed.
As if she could hear or feel the flechettes coming, Wakana did a one-handed cartwheel, grabbing the TMP. Her hat shredded entirely by the swarm of metal projectiles, she kept moving---there was no time to grab any of the spare clips of 9mm.
Heels digging into the soft ground, the policewoman stabilized herself and wheeled about, firing towards Sousuke even as she avoided his last spray of pistol shots.
The tree took the brunt of the crazed woman’s assault. Bark fragments and chips of wood jumped out from the trunk and lower branches. Tree pulp stung Sousuke’s eyes, blurring his vision momentarily. Pulling the pin on a powerful concussion grenafe, he lofted it high over the tree, hoping Wakana wouldn’t take notice. Shouldering the CAWS again, he fired off five quick shots, hoping to injure his adversary or drive her in a direction he chose.
Jumping and twisting in midair, Wakana returned fire with surprising accuracy, forcing Sousuke to fall flat onto his back to avoid being hit. Down, he quickly changed clips.
"That HURT!!!" his maniacal opponent shouted. Her skirt was shredded on one side and blood welled to the surface of a swath of superficial gouge marks. One of her ears was pierecd, but not for jewelry.
The exploding grenade threw Wakana roughly to the ground and set up a terrible ringing in her ears. Hitting on all fours, she cursed as the TMP bounced out of her hand, landing a few feet away. Cawling swiftly towards the weapon, he stretched one arm out. She stopped and remained still when the submachine gun jumped and the dirt around it fountained upward.
"I suggest that you remain unmoving." Sousuke spoke in a very stern voice, laying on his belly, the CAWS clearly aimed at the policewoman. "Ah ah...I know what you are thinking...he finished off a clip, but does he have any left?" Sousuke was a big fan of the first Dirty Harry movie. "I have NOT forgotten myself, in all of the excitement. But, being that the flechettes in this 12 gauge weapon can tear your head clean off, you’ve got to ask your self a question...."
"Do I feel lucky?" Wakana jumped in to ask the question before Sousuke could.
"Well, do you punk?" Sousuke’s jaw was set and his eyes were steely.
"I like that movie" Wakana said, almost in a conversational tone. She raised both hands into the air. There was no way that she would forget what happened to Scorpio, the psychotic character inspired by the Zodiac Killer of late 60s San Francisco. "Looks like you are the winner...this time." She shook her head somewhat sadly. "If we had stayed with unarmed combat...."
"Yes" Sousuke said, standing up. Walking towards Wakana, he bent over to pick up the TMP. When he reached his bag, he began putting all of his weapons away after handing his erstwhile adversary a bottle of disinfectant and a roll of bandages.
"As you correctly surmised, I AM a woman of my word."
When Sousuke dripped the CAWS into the bag, it struck a small device he had left packed away.
"Fumo Fumo FUMOFFU!!!" It was an improved vocal ibnterface for the Bonta-un A.S. One of the Bonta-speak phrases had been triggered. "Fumo Fumo FUMOFFU!!! Fumo Fumo---" Sousuke kicked the bag, silencing the noisy little box.
Wakana kept looking between Sousuke and the bag and then back again. "You-ou-ou-ou-ou...." Her hands twitched and her eyes narrowed. Then abruptly, she smilled, a sight that triggered unpleasant memories in Sousuke.
The crazed look, so nonchalant and filled with some inner source of humor, reminded Sousuke of Gauron. He could only wonder what a full out battle between the two crazed individuals might have been like. Or, God help him, what might have happened if the two of them met and teamed up...or had fallen in love and had children. Involuntarily, he shuddered.
"Well, I really should be more careful about what I promise." Wakana’s laughter startled a flock of birds into flight.
"Yes. So, what happens now?"
"You mean today?" Sousuke definitely did NOT like the sound of that.
"Precisely."
"As per our agreement, you are free to go. The rumors about the bus are false. This fight never took place. I will visit the Emergency Room after an accidental explosion of discovered ordinance. You will discover the great joys of hitch-hiking."
"I see." Sousuke shouldered his weapons bag. His injuries were painful, but would not require professional attention.
"Of course...." Wakana put in, her voice sounding somewhat eager. "There may be a way that we can both get something we want. I could give you a ride."
"And me?" Sousuke was almost afraid to ask.
Wakana smiled and began to unbutton the remnants of her skirt.
"Uh...." Sousuke had perspired very little during the heat of battle. Sweat poured down his neck now.
Smoothing her hands along her thighs, Wakana marvelled at Sousuke’s facial expressions. Priceless! Finished teasing him, she reattached her skirt. "You can let me fire off a full clip from the CAWS!"
Sousuke blinked. "Uh...certainly." He had answered rather quickly, causing Wakana to chuckle happily.
"If that gets me feeling frisky, perhaps there is something else we can discuss...." She eyed Sousuke up and down.
"Uh...."
***********************************************************
The Jindai High School students had gotten used to the peace and quiet. A few still spoke about Sousuke in hushed tones, wondering what might have happened to him at the hands of that bizarre and violent police officer.
Kaname was staring out her window absentmindedly. She barely responded to any of her friends’ attempts to distract her or to cheer her up. Depression welled up inside of her. Depression and guilt. SOUSUKE. She had been so angry at him before. There had been a point where she had wished that he would not be included in the trip roster. But, when he stayed behind for the benefit of that entire group, she found her self no longer obsessing over the fact that he had been the one responsible for the trouble in the first place.
“If Sousuke returns, I promise to treat him better” she swore to herself.
“What was that Kaname?” Kyouko had heard her friend mumbling.
Kaname just shook her head, not wanting to verbalize her private thoughts
“I’m sure Sousuke will be OK…” Kyouko’s camera was nowhere in sight.
“HERE WE GO AGAIN….” A voice came from the rearmost seats. “GREAT. JUST GREAT. WHO’S SHE GOING TO GET THIS TIME???” The resultant chatter was edged with obvious fear and concern.
“It’s the same car” Ren added, when she looked out of her window.
“She’s back. That Devil Woman is back!” Mizuke looked close to panicking.
“Yes, it has the same number on the side.” Kyouko was snapping pictures with the flash off.
Kaname, still somewhat lost in the fog of her thoughts and recriminations, took little notice of the police cruiser, lights spinning. She stared at the blue and red patterns running up and down her arms like living tattoos. The sudden sound of the siren caused her to jump and snap out of her trance.
“Oh no!” Could that wacko be after her now? If that woman was here now, that must mean that she won. Kaname was not the only one thinking that thought.
“Sousuke. What happened to Sousuke?” Shinji asked the question in a concerned tone of voice. He was worried about his friend’s welfare. He was also concerned about what might happen to the rest of them, without him there to protect them again. “Can anyone see him in the back seat?”
“No. The back seat is empty.” Mizuke’s words filled everyone with dread.
“She probably offed him!” One of the rugby ruffians said “He’s probably laying face down in some ditch.”
“Yeh, she probably broke his neck or capped him in the head” another boy added.
“Or threw him into traffic…TAXI!!!!!!!!” That last statement brought certain memories to Kaname’s mind.
She stood up slowly. Taking her halisen out of the overhead bin, she cradled it for a moment. Her anger growing, she strode to the back of the bus. She forgot all about the policewoman.
“Hey, Chidori, if your boy is vulture chow, you’re gonna need a new jockey.” Another flippant rugby tough.
“Or a whole bunch of them!” A group of guys slapped each other on the back.
“Giddy up, horsie!” Someone made neighing noises.
No one could ever say that the Junior Rugby Club was guilty of discrimation---they had certainly admitted a fair number of mentally challenged individuals into their ranks.
“He………. is………. NOT………. my………. boyfriend!” Kaname knocked one joker back into his seat, his nose pointing off to the side. “I……….” She hit another, ripping his sports magazine in two. “Have………” A third student had his cup of soda spashed all over his face. “Told you that BEFORE!” Four more boys received instruction by halisen. “HMMPPFF!!!”
“Yet” Mizuke whispered to Ren. The quiet girl smiled.
Walking away, Kaname stopped and turned back again. “You better all hope that Sousuke is NOT dead. He’s probably the only one who has a hope of keeping you all in one piece when we get back home.”
“Oooooooooooooooooooh!” The rugby squad did not seem too concerned by Kaname’s proclaimation. “I... want... my... Mom-meeeeeeeee….”
“If Sousuke finds out that you have been bothering Kaname, you may all have to deal with HIM.” Kyouko’s statement stopped them all in mid laugh. Complete silence reigned in their little corner of the bus. They hadn’t thought about that.
Kaname smiled.
“You better hope he doesn’t catch up with the rest of us any time soon!” Mizuke laughed when she got a look at the expression on their faces. “Your Mommies won’t want you back when he’s done with you.”
Kaname tossed her hair happily.
The bus was now on the side of the road, slowing to a complete stop. Footsteps could be heard outside. Someone rapped hard on the bus doors.
Miss Okibasu, trembling uncontrollably, pushed the door lever to the side. Looking at the foot of the stairs, she saw a disheveled looking Wakana. “O-O-Officer….”
“I’m back” Wakana said, letting that sink in. She savored the looks on the faces she could see. He smile grew when she heard a number of people groan.
“W-W-We…” The teacher straightened her back and lifted her chin. It was time to set an example. “We have done nothing wrong since we last saw you.”
“Good. I’m happy to hear that. I’ve had more than enough exercise for one day. I’m just here to make a delivery of sorts.” Wakana’s words left everyone puzzled.
“Delivery?” Miss Okibasu shivered when a dark though crossed her mind. Could she be talking about Sousuke Sagara’s broken body or remains? She gasped, when another person stepped into view. “Mr. Sagara! I am so relieved to see you!”
“There is no problem.” Sousuke sounded as if he were returning from a trip to the restroom, not from a near death experience.
The noise level on the bus skyrocketed. Everyone was talking at once. A number of students were hurrying towards the front of the bus.
As Sousuke began to climb the stairs, Wakana tugged on his arm. “Remember…call me if you change your mind. Any time.” The whole bus heard that. The whispering started soon after.
“Uh….”
“I’d tell you to stay out of trouble, but you wouldn’t be as much fun that way. Later.” The policewoman turned and headed back to her car. She blew the busload of students a sarcastic kiss.
Kaname had made her way forward with the others. At first, her only concern was to see if Sousuke was OK. That concern was temporarily placed on ‘hold.’ When she spoke, it was in a slow chill voice. “Sousuke, why were her clothes like that?” She couldn’t help but see the long slit in Wakana’s skirt or her unbuttoned blouse.
“Errr….”
“And what did she mean by ‘any time’?”
“Kaname?"
Tapping her foot, she scowled, waiting for his answer.
************************************************************
Miss Okibasu insisted that she was fine driving. She looked at the state of Sousuke’s clothing, including areas stained with blood, and told him to sit down and take it easy after he told her that he did not require professional medical attention.
“Sousuke…as class representative…is there anything I can do to help you.” Kaname made certain that everyone saw that her motives were purely school related. “After all, you may have saved us all.” The class showered Sousuke with a long round of applause.
“But, he was also the one who got us all in grbll grbll mrfll” Mizuke had no appreciation of the moment. Empty food wrappers and plastic bottles rained down on her from all angles.
“Chidori, the only assistance I require is an extra pair of hands to help with wound care and bandaging. I have the necessary medical items here.” Sosuske removed the disenfectant and bandages from his bag.
“OK Sousuke, I’ll help.” Kaname sounded very cheerful again, having gotten over her earlier fit of pique.
“It is very much appreciated. Here…” He handed Kaname the supplies, then turned his back to her.
“Sousuke, where exactly are the wounds you need….” Kaname got her answer in an unexpected manner.
The young soldier dropped his pants and undergarments and bent over. His voice came up from somewhere near his ankles. “The worst injuries are on my buttock and upper thighs. Please begin there.”
Kaname was speechless at first. She blushed as a thunderous wave of laughter followed a moment of shocked silence.
“Now’s your chance, Chidori. Pucker up!” The rugby squad all made kissing noises.
“S-S-S-S---” Kaname began to tremble. If she were a cartoon character, steam would be coming out of her ears. “SOUSUKE SAGARA!” She kicked Sousuke hard, between wind and water. He flew forward, landing hard on his face and chest.
“Kaname…that hurt!”
“It BETTER HAVE!!!” Kaname shook her halisen at Sousuke. “You…you…you…PERVERT.” Turning away, she said “Baku!” No one was certain whether that last was meant for Sousuke or herself.
“But Kaname….” Sousuke sounded bewildered.
“Here Kaname….” A quiet voice seemed intent on restoring some semblance of order. “We shouldn’t keep a hero waiting.” Ren took the bandages out of Kaname’s clenched fist and bent over to retrieve the medicinal solution. “I’m not affected by the sight of Sousuke’s backside.” Looking over at Kyouko, she asked “Ky, do you want to help?”
Kyouko dropped her camera.
“Yeh Kyouko, why don’t you get a few dozen shots of that?” Ryo fell back into her chair laughing, after seeing the look on Kyouko’s face.
When Ren was finished playing nurse, Sousuke needed to find a place to sit.
“You can have my seat, Sousuke” Kyouko offered. She fought hard to keep a look of innocence on her face.
“SIT DOWN, KYOUKO!” Kaname spat out. “If you think that I am going to sit next to this…flasher…you are greatly mistaken. Hmmppff!!!”
“It’s OK, Kyouko, he can have my seat.” Maya stood up, one place in front of Kaname. “I’m going up front to keep Miss Okibasu company.”
“So Sousuke, tell us EVERYTHING. What happened….” Shinji could barely contain himself. Numerous people spoke up with similar requests.
“There was a physical confrontation…” Sousuke started.
“Isn’t there always?” Kaname sniffed. “Big idiot!”
“But Kaname, don’t you want to hear Sousuke’s story? You seemed very worried about him when he was gone.” Kyouko was just stating the obvious.
“Why would I want to hear anything that military freak has to say? Get real!” Kaname turned to look out the window, counting the street lights as they passed.
“Sousuke?” Shinji brought Sousuke’s attention back to the story.
“Yes. A physical confrontation. I started by throwing a flash bang at officer Wakana’s feet. She was unaffected, being nimble as a minx! She took three shuriken out of her hat and threw them at me…”
“This is going to be cool!” One boy exclaimed. He was answered by a chorus of “Yeh” “Alright” “Dig It” and “Ooooh.”
“BOYS!!!” Mizuke said with disgust.
“I evaded two and blocked one, but that left me open to a fierce Aikido strike to the flank. When I attacked, she moved out of the way, then threw me to the ground. A weighted chain shot out towards my head.” Sousuke had collected Wakana’s manriki. He handed it to Shinji.
“Oh wow!” “Let me see.” “Too damn cool.”
“Up to this point, I had not been able to do much of anything…” Sousuke picked up with the story.
“Moron!” Kaname didn’t bother looking.
“SHHHHHHHHH!!!” At least half of the passengers shushed Kaname at the same time.
“Hmmppff.” Kaname’s look got even more sour, if that was possible.
“Later, I managed to counteract one of her chain swings and bring her down to the ground.. I thought I had her then…”
“YES!!! Shinji pumped his fist in the air.
“SHHHHHHHHH!!!”
“But” Sousuke said with a serious voice, “She had another surprise. A Tiger’s Claw. The bagh nakh.” He described the weapon and swung his arm the way Wakana had. “I gave her a knee to the chin and gained some breathing room. She was impressed. She asked me if I had a girlfriend.”
Kaname had just taken a mouthful of juice. She spat it out against the back of Sousuke’s seat. “G-G-Girlfriend?”
“You’re not interested, remember.” Kyouko whispered in her friend’s ear. Kaname held her hand like a bagh nakh.
“WHAT DID YOU TELL HER?” It seemed that every girl on the bus spoke up at once.
“I told her that I had not been assigned one yet.” Sousuke looked puzzled when all of the girls sighed in exasperation. “She said that was very fortunate and unbuttoned her shirt.”
Kaname squeezed her juice box too hard. The contents flew out through the straw, drenching Mizuke behind her.
“You stud!” The rugby players were all impressed.
“Boys are pigs!!!” Maya shook her head.
“I had a moment to catch my breath as she raised up her skirt and mentioned that even tiger’s needed mates.”
Kaname did not look overly pleased.
Ren handed Kaname a pair of cotton balls. She pointed to her ears. Her offer was clear enough. Kaname tried to look apathetic.
“I do not understand why she licked the Tiger Claw then. She slit her skirt all the way up, perhaps for greater freedom of motion.”
Kaname put the cotton in her ears. She started to jab her straw into the back of Sousuke’s chair repeatedly.
The boys were near frenzied.
“Then she started to get dead serious. She used the Dim Mak---the Death Touch.” Nearly the entire bus listened, enraptured. “A hit to one vital point, and I would be knocked unconscious, laying totally at her mercy. A jab to another, and I would have died immediately. A strike at others, and I would have collapsed dead some time later.”
“Sousuke, you are The Man!” The guys were impressed. This was better than anime. “How did you manage to get out of that mess?”
“I jumped up and pulled a large tree branch down on her. While she was disoriented, I ran for weapons she had laid out.” Sousuke was not about to place any emphasis on the weapons that he was carrying. “I hit her with the tail end of a nail bomb blast. We then traded grenades.”
“Grenades? Awesome!” A number of the boys began pulling the tabs off of their soda cans and hurling them around. The girls were not amused, Kaname least of all. A can hit her shoulder, causing its carbonated contents to spew all over her clothes and seat.
Slowly, Kaname stood up. She took her makeshift earplugs out. In a very scary quiet voice she asked “Who?”
The perpetrator moved quickly, pointing at Shinji. His friends did likewise. The other boys followed suit. Just before Kaname struck out with the halisen, she saw all of the girls shake their heads. They pointed at the true perp.
“Guess who gets to clean up the bus after we reach the hotel?” Kaname asked. The boy groaned.
“May I finish with the story now, Chidori?” Sousuke asked.
“Why are you asking me? I’m not your keeper. Jerk!” Kaname sat down in a huff. Kyouko looked at her and shook her head.
“After a heated shotgun and pistol duel, I emerged victorious by means of better tactical maneuvering. She kept her word and admitted defeat. She was considering making me hitch-hike.”
“Why’d she end up giving you a ride, then?” Kyouko asked, curious. “Was it because she thought you were cute?”
"Probably" Kaname said with a loud laugh. "She was crazy, after all."
“Uh….” Sousuke sought the appropriate words. He couldn’t tell them about the CAWS. “There was something she wanted to try.” He didn’t realize how inflammatory that nondescript answer would turn out to be. “I gave her permission. She took advantage of the opportunity until she was spent.”
“WHAT?” There was no doubt what Kaname thought he might mean. She grabbed the halisen. Both Kyouko and Ren grabbed ahold of her and held on tight.
“SOUSUKE…SOUSUKE…SOUSUKE…SOUSUKE…” The boys had all taken up a chant.
“Are you saying you shot your load?” One guy asked the obvious question.
“No” Sousuke answered. Kaname sighed and relaxed. This was Sousuke after all. He didn't even pay attention to girls in new white bikinis. “She did….” Kaname broke free of her friends clutches and clobbered Sousuke with the paper fan.
“Sousuke…you…you…you…” For good measure, she smacked him again.
The boys were clapping and stomping their feet in a victorious rythym.
“Kaname, why? All I did was give her the gun…” Sousuke looked shocked that he had let that bit of information out. That wasn’t the problem. It was his choice of words.
“BAKU!!!” Kaname whacked him repeatedly. Not wanting anyone to see the tears coming to her eyes, she ran back to use the restroom. She wasn’t certain why she was reacting this way, but she’d be damned before she would prove more entertainment to the people who were dead set against her.
When Kaname finally returned, Kyouko explained what Sousuke had told her. It was a shotgun he had been talking about. She thought that Kaname owed Sousuke an apology.
“Sousuke, I’m sorry. I can be an idiot myself sometimes. I just wanted to know if you would forgive me.”
“There is nothing to forgive, Kaname. It was my mistake. I must have said something that upset you. We have all been under a lot of pressure lately. Think nothing of it.”
Kaname smiled. Sousuke really was sweet, in his own way.
On his way back to the toilet, a boy gave Sousuke a pat on the shoulder. “I guess we all know what that crazy babe meant when she said ‘Any time.’ “ He was chuckling as he continued on his way.
Kaname’s smile vanished.
************************************************************
The remainder of the bus trip went relatively smoothly. Everyone was glad when Miss Okibasu announced that they were entering the city that held their hotel. The class had had only one opportuity to stretch their legs at a rest stop near the half way point. It would be great to get off that bus.
Away from such cramped quarters, life should be less hectic, less juvenile. As they pulled into the hotel parking lot, Kaname's spirits rose considerably.
This should be a safe haven.
************************************************************
End of part 4
Wakana, close to gloating, took precious time to quip “I will always remember our time together.” There was no attack that would drive her back, and she had targeted a lethal blow towards a Dim Mak point.
Sousuke was quite aware that it is sometimes better to be lucky than to be good. The same thing could be said for being observant. He knew he was a hair’s breadth away from death. Any conventional attack might let people say ‘he didn’t go down without a fight,’ but it was unlikely to prolong his life much longer.
The stub of a small broken branch gouging into his back, the young soldier caught sight of a large branch hanging over the policewoman’s head. It was thoroughly cracked. Small vines and branches were all that kept it from falling down to the ground. It was a longshot. But, he had made those work on numerous occasions.
His leap would have done a lemur proud. Sousuke’s weight brought the branch crashing down across Wakana’s face. Hands working furiousless, she pushed small branches away, frantic to block whatever attack the young man would follow up with. But, he was no longer there. Why? She had been open to attack. He had gone for his weapons!
High on adrenalin, a small trail of saliva coursing down her chin and stringing out behind her, Wakana sprinted towards her weapons. The nearest one was her grenade launcher. She had replaced the tear gas canisters with fragmentation grenades. If she was going out, she would quite literally go out with a BANG!
There! She caught sight of Sousuke. He had just finished throwing something. Probably a grenade. Time to fight fire with fire. Running sideways as fast as she could, she fired grenades one after another. There was an explosion…overhead. Wakana barely had time to cover her head and start falling when the nail bomb detonated.
Stainless steel nails sped along in all possible directions. Loud spangs sounded as they ricocheted off of the police cruiser. Leaves on a nearby tree were shredded. The tinkle tinkle tinkle of metal hitting the highway was drowned out by the sound of rushing traffic. A number of projectiles were stuck into the policewoman’s back, neck, and left thigh. If she hadn’t put her Kevlar vest on when she went to set out her weapons, she would be in much more critical shape. True, the pain was still excruciating. But, she loved pain.
A number of widely spread explosions further away thrwe up clods of dirt and handfuls of gravel. Running, CAWS gun in hand and Glock 17 stuck inside his waistband, Sousuke caught some shrapnel on the back of his right calf, causing him to stumble. Standing quickly, he grimaced in pain, but said a quick prayer of thanks. The wound would not slow him down.
Wakana fired off her remaining grenades, dropped the launcher, and ran to one of her shotguns. Smiling, she saw Sousuke throw himself the the ground. The grenades couldn’t have done much damage, but they had bought her time. If she could close the distance, the battle would be something like a modern version of the shoot out at the OK Corral. “I’M the Earps!!!” she screeched.
Sousuke was not crazy. Closing the distance might make his weapon more effective, but it would take away some of the advantage of his greater firepower, and it would place too much into the hands of Fate and Luck. He ran for tree cover, willing to expose his back from that distance. When he was out of her effective range, he would bring her down with the pistol or the flechettes...the down side being his chance for a non-lethal victory dropped slightly with every step he took.
“You COWARD!!! Stand………. and……….. fight………. me……….” Wakana shouted as she fired, knowing she was too far away yet to do serious damage. It just felt great to be shouting and firing. Then, the light of sanity went on. She realized something that Sousuke had uncharacteristically overlooked. A short dash would bring her over to the young operative’s remaining weapons stash. “Thank you………. thank you………. thank you………..”
“Shithead!” Sousuke yelled at himself. He fired off five rounds of flechettes in rapid succession, shouldered the CAWS, and drew his Glock. With steady hand, he squeezed of round after round. She’s going for the TMP! The grenades had driven him away from the place he had left the submachine gun. It would have been foolhardy to run for the gun, but he had charged into the face of fire before and walked away unscathed.
As if she could hear or feel the flechettes coming, Wakana did a one-handed cartwheel, grabbing the TMP. Her hat shredded entirely by the swarm of metal projectiles, she kept moving---there was no time to grab any of the spare clips of 9mm.
Heels digging into the soft ground, the policewoman stabilized herself and wheeled about, firing towards Sousuke even as she avoided his last spray of pistol shots.
The tree took the brunt of the crazed woman’s assault. Bark fragments and chips of wood jumped out from the trunk and lower branches. Tree pulp stung Sousuke’s eyes, blurring his vision momentarily. Pulling the pin on a powerful concussion grenafe, he lofted it high over the tree, hoping Wakana wouldn’t take notice. Shouldering the CAWS again, he fired off five quick shots, hoping to injure his adversary or drive her in a direction he chose.
Jumping and twisting in midair, Wakana returned fire with surprising accuracy, forcing Sousuke to fall flat onto his back to avoid being hit. Down, he quickly changed clips.
"That HURT!!!" his maniacal opponent shouted. Her skirt was shredded on one side and blood welled to the surface of a swath of superficial gouge marks. One of her ears was pierecd, but not for jewelry.
The exploding grenade threw Wakana roughly to the ground and set up a terrible ringing in her ears. Hitting on all fours, she cursed as the TMP bounced out of her hand, landing a few feet away. Cawling swiftly towards the weapon, he stretched one arm out. She stopped and remained still when the submachine gun jumped and the dirt around it fountained upward.
"I suggest that you remain unmoving." Sousuke spoke in a very stern voice, laying on his belly, the CAWS clearly aimed at the policewoman. "Ah ah...I know what you are thinking...he finished off a clip, but does he have any left?" Sousuke was a big fan of the first Dirty Harry movie. "I have NOT forgotten myself, in all of the excitement. But, being that the flechettes in this 12 gauge weapon can tear your head clean off, you’ve got to ask your self a question...."
"Do I feel lucky?" Wakana jumped in to ask the question before Sousuke could.
"Well, do you punk?" Sousuke’s jaw was set and his eyes were steely.
"I like that movie" Wakana said, almost in a conversational tone. She raised both hands into the air. There was no way that she would forget what happened to Scorpio, the psychotic character inspired by the Zodiac Killer of late 60s San Francisco. "Looks like you are the winner...this time." She shook her head somewhat sadly. "If we had stayed with unarmed combat...."
"Yes" Sousuke said, standing up. Walking towards Wakana, he bent over to pick up the TMP. When he reached his bag, he began putting all of his weapons away after handing his erstwhile adversary a bottle of disinfectant and a roll of bandages.
"As you correctly surmised, I AM a woman of my word."
When Sousuke dripped the CAWS into the bag, it struck a small device he had left packed away.
"Fumo Fumo FUMOFFU!!!" It was an improved vocal ibnterface for the Bonta-un A.S. One of the Bonta-speak phrases had been triggered. "Fumo Fumo FUMOFFU!!! Fumo Fumo---" Sousuke kicked the bag, silencing the noisy little box.
Wakana kept looking between Sousuke and the bag and then back again. "You-ou-ou-ou-ou...." Her hands twitched and her eyes narrowed. Then abruptly, she smilled, a sight that triggered unpleasant memories in Sousuke.
The crazed look, so nonchalant and filled with some inner source of humor, reminded Sousuke of Gauron. He could only wonder what a full out battle between the two crazed individuals might have been like. Or, God help him, what might have happened if the two of them met and teamed up...or had fallen in love and had children. Involuntarily, he shuddered.
"Well, I really should be more careful about what I promise." Wakana’s laughter startled a flock of birds into flight.
"Yes. So, what happens now?"
"You mean today?" Sousuke definitely did NOT like the sound of that.
"Precisely."
"As per our agreement, you are free to go. The rumors about the bus are false. This fight never took place. I will visit the Emergency Room after an accidental explosion of discovered ordinance. You will discover the great joys of hitch-hiking."
"I see." Sousuke shouldered his weapons bag. His injuries were painful, but would not require professional attention.
"Of course...." Wakana put in, her voice sounding somewhat eager. "There may be a way that we can both get something we want. I could give you a ride."
"And me?" Sousuke was almost afraid to ask.
Wakana smiled and began to unbutton the remnants of her skirt.
"Uh...." Sousuke had perspired very little during the heat of battle. Sweat poured down his neck now.
Smoothing her hands along her thighs, Wakana marvelled at Sousuke’s facial expressions. Priceless! Finished teasing him, she reattached her skirt. "You can let me fire off a full clip from the CAWS!"
Sousuke blinked. "Uh...certainly." He had answered rather quickly, causing Wakana to chuckle happily.
"If that gets me feeling frisky, perhaps there is something else we can discuss...." She eyed Sousuke up and down.
"Uh...."
***********************************************************
The Jindai High School students had gotten used to the peace and quiet. A few still spoke about Sousuke in hushed tones, wondering what might have happened to him at the hands of that bizarre and violent police officer.
Kaname was staring out her window absentmindedly. She barely responded to any of her friends’ attempts to distract her or to cheer her up. Depression welled up inside of her. Depression and guilt. SOUSUKE. She had been so angry at him before. There had been a point where she had wished that he would not be included in the trip roster. But, when he stayed behind for the benefit of that entire group, she found her self no longer obsessing over the fact that he had been the one responsible for the trouble in the first place.
“If Sousuke returns, I promise to treat him better” she swore to herself.
“What was that Kaname?” Kyouko had heard her friend mumbling.
Kaname just shook her head, not wanting to verbalize her private thoughts
“I’m sure Sousuke will be OK…” Kyouko’s camera was nowhere in sight.
“HERE WE GO AGAIN….” A voice came from the rearmost seats. “GREAT. JUST GREAT. WHO’S SHE GOING TO GET THIS TIME???” The resultant chatter was edged with obvious fear and concern.
“It’s the same car” Ren added, when she looked out of her window.
“She’s back. That Devil Woman is back!” Mizuke looked close to panicking.
“Yes, it has the same number on the side.” Kyouko was snapping pictures with the flash off.
Kaname, still somewhat lost in the fog of her thoughts and recriminations, took little notice of the police cruiser, lights spinning. She stared at the blue and red patterns running up and down her arms like living tattoos. The sudden sound of the siren caused her to jump and snap out of her trance.
“Oh no!” Could that wacko be after her now? If that woman was here now, that must mean that she won. Kaname was not the only one thinking that thought.
“Sousuke. What happened to Sousuke?” Shinji asked the question in a concerned tone of voice. He was worried about his friend’s welfare. He was also concerned about what might happen to the rest of them, without him there to protect them again. “Can anyone see him in the back seat?”
“No. The back seat is empty.” Mizuke’s words filled everyone with dread.
“She probably offed him!” One of the rugby ruffians said “He’s probably laying face down in some ditch.”
“Yeh, she probably broke his neck or capped him in the head” another boy added.
“Or threw him into traffic…TAXI!!!!!!!!” That last statement brought certain memories to Kaname’s mind.
She stood up slowly. Taking her halisen out of the overhead bin, she cradled it for a moment. Her anger growing, she strode to the back of the bus. She forgot all about the policewoman.
“Hey, Chidori, if your boy is vulture chow, you’re gonna need a new jockey.” Another flippant rugby tough.
“Or a whole bunch of them!” A group of guys slapped each other on the back.
“Giddy up, horsie!” Someone made neighing noises.
No one could ever say that the Junior Rugby Club was guilty of discrimation---they had certainly admitted a fair number of mentally challenged individuals into their ranks.
“He………. is………. NOT………. my………. boyfriend!” Kaname knocked one joker back into his seat, his nose pointing off to the side. “I……….” She hit another, ripping his sports magazine in two. “Have………” A third student had his cup of soda spashed all over his face. “Told you that BEFORE!” Four more boys received instruction by halisen. “HMMPPFF!!!”
“Yet” Mizuke whispered to Ren. The quiet girl smiled.
Walking away, Kaname stopped and turned back again. “You better all hope that Sousuke is NOT dead. He’s probably the only one who has a hope of keeping you all in one piece when we get back home.”
“Oooooooooooooooooooh!” The rugby squad did not seem too concerned by Kaname’s proclaimation. “I... want... my... Mom-meeeeeeeee….”
“If Sousuke finds out that you have been bothering Kaname, you may all have to deal with HIM.” Kyouko’s statement stopped them all in mid laugh. Complete silence reigned in their little corner of the bus. They hadn’t thought about that.
Kaname smiled.
“You better hope he doesn’t catch up with the rest of us any time soon!” Mizuke laughed when she got a look at the expression on their faces. “Your Mommies won’t want you back when he’s done with you.”
Kaname tossed her hair happily.
The bus was now on the side of the road, slowing to a complete stop. Footsteps could be heard outside. Someone rapped hard on the bus doors.
Miss Okibasu, trembling uncontrollably, pushed the door lever to the side. Looking at the foot of the stairs, she saw a disheveled looking Wakana. “O-O-Officer….”
“I’m back” Wakana said, letting that sink in. She savored the looks on the faces she could see. He smile grew when she heard a number of people groan.
“W-W-We…” The teacher straightened her back and lifted her chin. It was time to set an example. “We have done nothing wrong since we last saw you.”
“Good. I’m happy to hear that. I’ve had more than enough exercise for one day. I’m just here to make a delivery of sorts.” Wakana’s words left everyone puzzled.
“Delivery?” Miss Okibasu shivered when a dark though crossed her mind. Could she be talking about Sousuke Sagara’s broken body or remains? She gasped, when another person stepped into view. “Mr. Sagara! I am so relieved to see you!”
“There is no problem.” Sousuke sounded as if he were returning from a trip to the restroom, not from a near death experience.
The noise level on the bus skyrocketed. Everyone was talking at once. A number of students were hurrying towards the front of the bus.
As Sousuke began to climb the stairs, Wakana tugged on his arm. “Remember…call me if you change your mind. Any time.” The whole bus heard that. The whispering started soon after.
“Uh….”
“I’d tell you to stay out of trouble, but you wouldn’t be as much fun that way. Later.” The policewoman turned and headed back to her car. She blew the busload of students a sarcastic kiss.
Kaname had made her way forward with the others. At first, her only concern was to see if Sousuke was OK. That concern was temporarily placed on ‘hold.’ When she spoke, it was in a slow chill voice. “Sousuke, why were her clothes like that?” She couldn’t help but see the long slit in Wakana’s skirt or her unbuttoned blouse.
“Errr….”
“And what did she mean by ‘any time’?”
“Kaname?"
Tapping her foot, she scowled, waiting for his answer.
************************************************************
Miss Okibasu insisted that she was fine driving. She looked at the state of Sousuke’s clothing, including areas stained with blood, and told him to sit down and take it easy after he told her that he did not require professional medical attention.
“Sousuke…as class representative…is there anything I can do to help you.” Kaname made certain that everyone saw that her motives were purely school related. “After all, you may have saved us all.” The class showered Sousuke with a long round of applause.
“But, he was also the one who got us all in grbll grbll mrfll” Mizuke had no appreciation of the moment. Empty food wrappers and plastic bottles rained down on her from all angles.
“Chidori, the only assistance I require is an extra pair of hands to help with wound care and bandaging. I have the necessary medical items here.” Sosuske removed the disenfectant and bandages from his bag.
“OK Sousuke, I’ll help.” Kaname sounded very cheerful again, having gotten over her earlier fit of pique.
“It is very much appreciated. Here…” He handed Kaname the supplies, then turned his back to her.
“Sousuke, where exactly are the wounds you need….” Kaname got her answer in an unexpected manner.
The young soldier dropped his pants and undergarments and bent over. His voice came up from somewhere near his ankles. “The worst injuries are on my buttock and upper thighs. Please begin there.”
Kaname was speechless at first. She blushed as a thunderous wave of laughter followed a moment of shocked silence.
“Now’s your chance, Chidori. Pucker up!” The rugby squad all made kissing noises.
“S-S-S-S---” Kaname began to tremble. If she were a cartoon character, steam would be coming out of her ears. “SOUSUKE SAGARA!” She kicked Sousuke hard, between wind and water. He flew forward, landing hard on his face and chest.
“Kaname…that hurt!”
“It BETTER HAVE!!!” Kaname shook her halisen at Sousuke. “You…you…you…PERVERT.” Turning away, she said “Baku!” No one was certain whether that last was meant for Sousuke or herself.
“But Kaname….” Sousuke sounded bewildered.
“Here Kaname….” A quiet voice seemed intent on restoring some semblance of order. “We shouldn’t keep a hero waiting.” Ren took the bandages out of Kaname’s clenched fist and bent over to retrieve the medicinal solution. “I’m not affected by the sight of Sousuke’s backside.” Looking over at Kyouko, she asked “Ky, do you want to help?”
Kyouko dropped her camera.
“Yeh Kyouko, why don’t you get a few dozen shots of that?” Ryo fell back into her chair laughing, after seeing the look on Kyouko’s face.
When Ren was finished playing nurse, Sousuke needed to find a place to sit.
“You can have my seat, Sousuke” Kyouko offered. She fought hard to keep a look of innocence on her face.
“SIT DOWN, KYOUKO!” Kaname spat out. “If you think that I am going to sit next to this…flasher…you are greatly mistaken. Hmmppff!!!”
“It’s OK, Kyouko, he can have my seat.” Maya stood up, one place in front of Kaname. “I’m going up front to keep Miss Okibasu company.”
“So Sousuke, tell us EVERYTHING. What happened….” Shinji could barely contain himself. Numerous people spoke up with similar requests.
“There was a physical confrontation…” Sousuke started.
“Isn’t there always?” Kaname sniffed. “Big idiot!”
“But Kaname, don’t you want to hear Sousuke’s story? You seemed very worried about him when he was gone.” Kyouko was just stating the obvious.
“Why would I want to hear anything that military freak has to say? Get real!” Kaname turned to look out the window, counting the street lights as they passed.
“Sousuke?” Shinji brought Sousuke’s attention back to the story.
“Yes. A physical confrontation. I started by throwing a flash bang at officer Wakana’s feet. She was unaffected, being nimble as a minx! She took three shuriken out of her hat and threw them at me…”
“This is going to be cool!” One boy exclaimed. He was answered by a chorus of “Yeh” “Alright” “Dig It” and “Ooooh.”
“BOYS!!!” Mizuke said with disgust.
“I evaded two and blocked one, but that left me open to a fierce Aikido strike to the flank. When I attacked, she moved out of the way, then threw me to the ground. A weighted chain shot out towards my head.” Sousuke had collected Wakana’s manriki. He handed it to Shinji.
“Oh wow!” “Let me see.” “Too damn cool.”
“Up to this point, I had not been able to do much of anything…” Sousuke picked up with the story.
“Moron!” Kaname didn’t bother looking.
“SHHHHHHHHH!!!” At least half of the passengers shushed Kaname at the same time.
“Hmmppff.” Kaname’s look got even more sour, if that was possible.
“Later, I managed to counteract one of her chain swings and bring her down to the ground.. I thought I had her then…”
“YES!!! Shinji pumped his fist in the air.
“SHHHHHHHHH!!!”
“But” Sousuke said with a serious voice, “She had another surprise. A Tiger’s Claw. The bagh nakh.” He described the weapon and swung his arm the way Wakana had. “I gave her a knee to the chin and gained some breathing room. She was impressed. She asked me if I had a girlfriend.”
Kaname had just taken a mouthful of juice. She spat it out against the back of Sousuke’s seat. “G-G-Girlfriend?”
“You’re not interested, remember.” Kyouko whispered in her friend’s ear. Kaname held her hand like a bagh nakh.
“WHAT DID YOU TELL HER?” It seemed that every girl on the bus spoke up at once.
“I told her that I had not been assigned one yet.” Sousuke looked puzzled when all of the girls sighed in exasperation. “She said that was very fortunate and unbuttoned her shirt.”
Kaname squeezed her juice box too hard. The contents flew out through the straw, drenching Mizuke behind her.
“You stud!” The rugby players were all impressed.
“Boys are pigs!!!” Maya shook her head.
“I had a moment to catch my breath as she raised up her skirt and mentioned that even tiger’s needed mates.”
Kaname did not look overly pleased.
Ren handed Kaname a pair of cotton balls. She pointed to her ears. Her offer was clear enough. Kaname tried to look apathetic.
“I do not understand why she licked the Tiger Claw then. She slit her skirt all the way up, perhaps for greater freedom of motion.”
Kaname put the cotton in her ears. She started to jab her straw into the back of Sousuke’s chair repeatedly.
The boys were near frenzied.
“Then she started to get dead serious. She used the Dim Mak---the Death Touch.” Nearly the entire bus listened, enraptured. “A hit to one vital point, and I would be knocked unconscious, laying totally at her mercy. A jab to another, and I would have died immediately. A strike at others, and I would have collapsed dead some time later.”
“Sousuke, you are The Man!” The guys were impressed. This was better than anime. “How did you manage to get out of that mess?”
“I jumped up and pulled a large tree branch down on her. While she was disoriented, I ran for weapons she had laid out.” Sousuke was not about to place any emphasis on the weapons that he was carrying. “I hit her with the tail end of a nail bomb blast. We then traded grenades.”
“Grenades? Awesome!” A number of the boys began pulling the tabs off of their soda cans and hurling them around. The girls were not amused, Kaname least of all. A can hit her shoulder, causing its carbonated contents to spew all over her clothes and seat.
Slowly, Kaname stood up. She took her makeshift earplugs out. In a very scary quiet voice she asked “Who?”
The perpetrator moved quickly, pointing at Shinji. His friends did likewise. The other boys followed suit. Just before Kaname struck out with the halisen, she saw all of the girls shake their heads. They pointed at the true perp.
“Guess who gets to clean up the bus after we reach the hotel?” Kaname asked. The boy groaned.
“May I finish with the story now, Chidori?” Sousuke asked.
“Why are you asking me? I’m not your keeper. Jerk!” Kaname sat down in a huff. Kyouko looked at her and shook her head.
“After a heated shotgun and pistol duel, I emerged victorious by means of better tactical maneuvering. She kept her word and admitted defeat. She was considering making me hitch-hike.”
“Why’d she end up giving you a ride, then?” Kyouko asked, curious. “Was it because she thought you were cute?”
"Probably" Kaname said with a loud laugh. "She was crazy, after all."
“Uh….” Sousuke sought the appropriate words. He couldn’t tell them about the CAWS. “There was something she wanted to try.” He didn’t realize how inflammatory that nondescript answer would turn out to be. “I gave her permission. She took advantage of the opportunity until she was spent.”
“WHAT?” There was no doubt what Kaname thought he might mean. She grabbed the halisen. Both Kyouko and Ren grabbed ahold of her and held on tight.
“SOUSUKE…SOUSUKE…SOUSUKE…SOUSUKE…” The boys had all taken up a chant.
“Are you saying you shot your load?” One guy asked the obvious question.
“No” Sousuke answered. Kaname sighed and relaxed. This was Sousuke after all. He didn't even pay attention to girls in new white bikinis. “She did….” Kaname broke free of her friends clutches and clobbered Sousuke with the paper fan.
“Sousuke…you…you…you…” For good measure, she smacked him again.
The boys were clapping and stomping their feet in a victorious rythym.
“Kaname, why? All I did was give her the gun…” Sousuke looked shocked that he had let that bit of information out. That wasn’t the problem. It was his choice of words.
“BAKU!!!” Kaname whacked him repeatedly. Not wanting anyone to see the tears coming to her eyes, she ran back to use the restroom. She wasn’t certain why she was reacting this way, but she’d be damned before she would prove more entertainment to the people who were dead set against her.
When Kaname finally returned, Kyouko explained what Sousuke had told her. It was a shotgun he had been talking about. She thought that Kaname owed Sousuke an apology.
“Sousuke, I’m sorry. I can be an idiot myself sometimes. I just wanted to know if you would forgive me.”
“There is nothing to forgive, Kaname. It was my mistake. I must have said something that upset you. We have all been under a lot of pressure lately. Think nothing of it.”
Kaname smiled. Sousuke really was sweet, in his own way.
On his way back to the toilet, a boy gave Sousuke a pat on the shoulder. “I guess we all know what that crazy babe meant when she said ‘Any time.’ “ He was chuckling as he continued on his way.
Kaname’s smile vanished.
************************************************************
The remainder of the bus trip went relatively smoothly. Everyone was glad when Miss Okibasu announced that they were entering the city that held their hotel. The class had had only one opportuity to stretch their legs at a rest stop near the half way point. It would be great to get off that bus.
Away from such cramped quarters, life should be less hectic, less juvenile. As they pulled into the hotel parking lot, Kaname's spirits rose considerably.
This should be a safe haven.
************************************************************
End of part 4
Yikes!