The Kenji Files; Ibarazaki and Setou (Updated 08/08/13)

[Helbereth]

They say, "write what you know," right?

True, although if I followed that motto I'd be writing stories about Theodore Roosevelt and Ulysses S. Grant fighting zombies and werewolves.

...

Or Abraham Lincoln fighting vampires?

[Hoitash]

Or Abraham Lincoln fighting vampires?

That's been done. I like to be somewhat original in my shameless stealing from the better authors who came before me

[griffon8]

They say, "write what you know," right?

True, although if I followed that motto I'd be writing stories about Theodore Roosevelt and Ulysses S. Grant fighting zombies and werewolves.

...

Damn, I'd read that. And I'm not a big fan of zombies or werewolves.

[Hoitash]

Damn, I'd read that. And I'm not a big fan of zombies or werewolves.

Don't tempt me, I've already been inspired once by this line of discussion.

Although now I'm curious if Mutou is gonna show up with a katana and a Deagle.

[Helbereth]

True, although if I followed that motto I'd be writing stories about Theodore Roosevelt and Ulysses S. Grant fighting zombies and werewolves.

...

Grinning through the cigar held between his teeth, Teddy leveled his shotgun and grunted, "God dammit, Grant!"

Ulysses stepped to the side, ducking the blast, glaring at Roosevelt as another gush of gore coated his uniform. The creatures continued their shuffling pursuit, and they were running low on ammunition, but Teddy repeatedly fired his ridiculously over-sized gun into the crowds of flesh-crazed zombies with abandon, cackling madly.

"You're just wasting shells, Teddy!" Grant bellowed, shoving past the burly, monocle-wearing man. "Run, fool!" he commanded, tapping Teddy's shoulder as he passed, breaking into a heavy-footed run toward the dimly lit mansion in the distance.

Taking a moment to reload before following, Teddy rolled the cigar to the other corner of his mouth and drew a big puff of smoke from its burning tip. Firing one last shot into their pursuers, he spun and started clomping his heavy boots against the smokey field, hunching down to push through the golden wheat, chasing his new friend toward the relative safety of the looming white structure in the distance.

I hate you, Hoitash.

[Hoitash]

Grinning through the cigar held between his teeth, Teddy leveled his shotgun and grunted, "God dammit, Grant!"

He really hated being called "Teddy." TR was fine, though.

I am a historian focusing on Reconstruction and the Progressive Era, you know.

I hate you, Hoitash.

MUAHAHAHAHA~

You love it and you know it

[Oddball]

True, although if I followed that motto I'd be writing stories about Theodore Roosevelt and Ulysses S. Grant fighting zombies and werewolves.

...

Grinning through the cigar held between his teeth, Teddy leveled his shotgun and grunted, "God dammit, Grant!"

Ulysses stepped to the side, ducking the blast, glaring at Roosevelt as another gush of gore coated his uniform. The creatures continued their shuffling pursuit, and they were running low on ammunition, but Teddy repeatedly fired his ridiculously over-sized gun into the crowds of flesh-crazed zombies with abandon, cackling madly.

"You're just wasting shells, Teddy!" Grant bellowed, shoving past the burly, monocle-wearing man. "Run, fool!" he commanded, tapping Teddy's shoulder as he passed, breaking into a heavy-footed run toward the dimly lit mansion in the distance.

Taking a moment to reload before following, Teddy rolled the cigar to the other corner of his mouth and drew a big puff of smoke from its burning tip. Firing one last shot into their pursuers, he spun and started clomping his heavy boots against the smokey field, hunching down to push through the golden wheat, chasing his new friend toward the relative safety of the looming white structure in the distance.

I hate you, Hoitash.

This is part of the actual story, right

[Helbereth]

Grinning through the cigar held between his teeth, Teddy leveled his shotgun and grunted, "God dammit, Grant!"

He really hated being called "Teddy." TR was fine, though.

I am a historian focusing on Reconstruction and the Progressive Era, you know.

Well, my studies of History didn't extend past my senior year in High School - 14 years ago.

I imagine Grant wouldn't necessarily know that -nor care- in that moment, so his use of 'Teddy' is easily explained. With that in mind, perhaps TR could grimace at the use of the undesirable moniker.

I hate you, Hoitash.

MUAHAHAHAHA~

You love it and you know it

You can't prove that.

This is part of the actual story, right

Unfortunately not, Oddball. It's an inspired diversion courtesy of Hoitash's suggestive commentary.

Edited version:

Grinning through the cigar held between his teeth, Roosevelt leveled his shotgun and grunted, "God dammit, Grant!"

Ulysses stepped to the side, ducking the blast and glaring at Teddy as another gush of gore coated his uniform. The creatures continued their shuffling pursuit, and they were running low on ammunition, but Teddy repeatedly fired his ridiculously over-sized gun into the crowds of flesh-crazed zombies with abandon, cackling madly.

"You're just wasting shells, Teddy!" Grant bellowed, shoving past the burly, monocle-wearing man. "Run, fool!" he commanded, tapping Teddy's shoulder as he passed. Breaking into a heavy-footed run toward the dimly lit mansion in the distance, Grant glowered at the man's evident overconfidence and wondered how he had managed to survive this long.

Taking a moment to reload before following, Roosevelt grimaced at the undesirable moniker, but decided protesting during a desperate flight from a horde of moaning, brain-hungry ghouls wasn't worth his breath; he could correct him once they had found someplace safer to regroup. Rolling his cigar to the other corner of his mouth, he drew a big puff of smoke from its burning tip and exhaled as he locked the barrels back in place.

Firing one last shot into their pursuers, Roosevelt spun and started clomping his heavy boots against the smokey field, hunching down to push through the golden wheat. Chasing his new friend, apparently a General, toward the relative safety of the looming white structure in the distance, he marveled at how fleet-footed the man seemed, hurdling over hay bales and firing those twin pistols at his peckish pursuers.

I dunno why I'm so obsessed with making this sound right...

[Oddball]

Unfortunately not, Oddball. It's an inspired diversion courtesy of Hoitash's suggestive commentary.

I'll take that as a "yes" and consider it backstory.

[Helbereth]

Been kinda taking it easy for a little while, so I let this one slip behind. Here's part 4, fresh off the presses, ready for your consumption. Continuing to follow Kenji for this chapter, so far I've done 2 and 2; I'm not sure if that trend will continue.

Previous|Next
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The Kenji Files:
Dark Garden Part 4
Out of Eden

No matter how many times he looked out the door, the racing thoughts in his head wouldn't subside. Wracking his brain, recalling the base schematics he studied, Kenji remembered a flaw in the design and planned to use it to slip out of the base through a low-security area. Whether it would actually work or not, it was about the only way to slip out unnoticed; short of climbing through a ventilation shaft.

Unfortunately, he would need help, and Ibarazaki was his go-to person for assistance in all things conspiracy-related. Even though she didn't necessarily believe him most of the time, her curiosity usually worked in his favor. However, after being drugged, kidnapped, stripped, hog-tied, left for dead and then carried, naked, through the woods, she was probably not going to be happy to see him.

Getting out of his room was simple enough; he claimed Laromy was suffering a diabetic attack and that drew attention away while he wandered to the stairwell. He was free to roam the facility, really, but the diversion kept a fair number of people from looking his way; or noticing their coming escape.

Truthfully, he was probably being over-cautious in his approach. The NPC was a good-natured organization by all accounts, and he doubted they were involved in anything malicious, but they weren't above suspicion. Too many things about this escapade didn't sit right, and it seemed like his agency was somehow involved. Ibarazaki would understand that, he thought; she was always suspicious of coincidences.

That thought in mind, he finally knocked on the door and listened for her groggy, but cheerful reply, “Nurse, I'm fine, really! I just need sleep.”

Feeling a little bad about disturbing her, Kenji pushed through the door and replied, “it's not Nurse, Emi.” Using her first name, rather than the more formal surname, was how Kenji let her know he was serious.

“Oh it's you,” she replied in a mirthless monotone. “Whatever you want, don't even bother,” she balked, “we can figure this out after we get some rest; go back to your room.”

Her apparent willingness to investigate perked his frown up, but her intent to wait leveled his smile into a grimace. “We might not get the chance,” he explained, looking at her earnestly, “Laromy told me they're planning to black-book it.”

That made her eye him suspiciously, but her expression didn't seem annoyed so much as intrigued. Taking a few strides across the room, her new prosthesis remaining eerily silent, she reached for a hair tie on the small desk and wrapped her hair into a tight ponytail, sighing audibly. Looking at him squarely, she rolled her eyes and inquired, “I assume you're planning to go gallivanting off to figure it out before they start dropping napalm?”

Her reference to napalm made Kenji cringe; that was a long time ago, but the scarred patch on the back of his leg still kept him awake some nights. “Paper cover-up, mostly,” Kenji retorted, suspecting it wasn't a problem that needed a fiery cleansing, “I dunno about you, but I'd rather know who stuffed us in that shed for three days; if we uncover something else-”

“Fine, shut up, I'll help,” Ibarazaki interjected, slapping Kenji's shoulder and heading toward the door. “How's Laromy?” she asked as she twisted the knob.

“Delightfully complicit,” Kenji replied, hoping she didn't turn to see his smirk. Not that she'd likely have any problem with him choking their boss out and leaving him on the floor of his room, but there was no need for her to know those details.

Having expected more resistance, Kenji was somewhat perplexed by her unusually fast agreement, prompting him to inquire, “why so little argument?”

“Peace of mind,” she replied, shrugging as they stepped out into the darkened hall, “and this whole thing smells like shit; maybe your spleen isn't wrong this time.”

What she didn't tell Kenji at the time, was that Nurse had laid out the whole scenario while going over the new features on her new Cheetah Mach-Threes. Having browsed the file before it was rescinded, he was equally displeased with the apparent silence coming from his superiors, and advised that she should seek answers despite the likelihood of a cover-up. Kenji showing up and relating a similar tale was just the last straw pushing her toward seeking out the veiled truth about their waylay.

Inquiring about how he planned to get out of the acropolis unnoticed, Ibarazaki leveled a barrage of questions at Kenji, to which he had already worked out the answers. Once they got down to the bottom level, it was a simple matter of crossing the hydroponic bay and blasting a hole through a rock wall leading into the service tunnels. Since they were disused after construction finished, few patrols wandered the perimeter there, and their exit would probably go undetected.

Probably.

Walking through the halls of UQC-13, they were both respected agents of NPC. Well, maybe not respected, but they wouldn't be bothered. Kenji had a reputation for being sullen and confrontational, which meant few of the other agents wanted to associate with him, but he thought that was fine. Ibarazaki was the personable one, and that showed as they neared the armory.

Grinning through her distaste for the formality, the guards outside the door saluted Agent Ibarazaki, sneering at her cohort, as they slipped into the well-lit room stocked with enough firepower to arm world war three. Mostly a blurry mess of black, white and gray to Kenji, the room was not one they usually bothered with, but if they were going back to Purgatory Chasm, or Kingsmouth, they would want to be prepared.

Ibarazaki walked straight across the room to a rack containing the new M90-Z Light-Wave Disruptor Rifles; her personal favorite general-purpose weapon. Designed to imitate the look of a typical assault rifle, the M90-Z had a black stock and long barrel, hair trigger, sights, and protrusions along the bottom to imitate ammunition, but the internal workings were something to be admired. Using fractal light generated by a plasma power cell hidden inside its unusually thick stock, the internal workings were mostly classified, but, essentially, it shot bursts of highly charged particles using technology born from experiments at CERN's LHC in Switzerland.

Kenji hoped the safety was on.

Choosing a normal nine millimeter sidearm and strapping it on under her coat, Ibarazaki tucked the rifle into a suitcase and waited for Kenji to make a decision. Never being particularly handy with firearms, largely because of his poor vision, Kenji usually avoided carrying them; but this was no time to be gun-shy; especially with her disapproving grimace fixed on him. Deciding on a smaller K-21 “Jimmy” Focused-Laser rifle, the older model, he dropped that into a similar metallic case and chose another nine-millimeter Beretta for his sidearm.

Strapping it under his coat similarly, Kenji smirked and commented, “maybe we won't need them.”

“Whoever left us in the woods naked like that is at least losing a few limbs,” she quipped as they exited the room. The guards looked them over suspiciously, mostly at the cases, but Ibarazaki's smile and curt pace left them speechless; she had a way of ending conflicts without letting them start.

NPC was a vigilant organization, Kenji realized, and they certainly had secrets to keep. Keeping ahead of their security measures would be hit or miss, and a fair amount of luck was required for his plan to work. Ibarazaki seemed to agree. Keeping her usually bouncy gait subdued, she walked just ahead, watching for curious bystanders.

Few people were out this late, but anyone could be suspicious at this hour. Thus, like following the speed limit when you're smuggling weed in the trunk, they walked quietly through the halls and down the stairs, then across the courtyard toward the section marked as Hydroponics.

Taking the K-21 was actually partly because of this upcoming hurdle, Kenji figured the sustained setting could cut a gash wide enough for he and Ibarazaki to slip through. He hadn't counted on her expertise having been assigned to guard duty for her first year with the NPC.

Finding a hidden panel in the rock wall, she lifted away the keypad and reached her slender arm into the hole it left. Feeling around for a moment, she smirked when her hand found what she was looking for; apparently the rock wall was another illusion. The sound of crackling metal followed as she strained to pull something out of the wall. A moment later, a metallic crunch made it through the hole and she jerked away, still holding the wires she had ripped from their housing.

The rock wall fizzled and vanished, replaced with an oddly shaped door that opened into a dark hallway. Hefting her Beretta out of its holster and flicking on the front-mounted light, she gave Kenji a wink and began walking through the door. Following closely, Kenji shook his head at his lack of knowledge, lifting his own Beretta out of its holster to add a second light to their foray.

“This leads out to a hangar,” Ibarazaki remarks as they walk, keeping her voice low. “Nurse mentioned a package would be waiting there,” she continued, not taking her eyes off the diffused beam of white light, “whatever you stumbled on, even he thought I should help.”

Maybe Nurse wasn't so bad after-all.

A clicking sound from down the hall somewhere stopped their slow advance, and Kenji crouched, blotting out his light while Ibarazaki switched hers off, and waited, listening for more. If there was one advantage Kenji had over Ibarazaki, it was his hearing. Though he still relied heavily on his blurry vision, when in a situation where it became totally useless, his hearing was quite keen.

Hearing another clicking sound, this time closer, he patted his partner's shoulder and gestured in its direction. Still uncertain of its source, he stood and began leading toward the sound. Finding a t-junction, he flattened against the left wall while Ibarazaki took the right. Sidling to the edge and peering around it, the clicking sound became clear; there stood Nurse.

Fiddling with a handgun of some kind in one hand, he paced back and forth, lit by a hazy beam of light emanating from somewhere down the hall behind him. Rolling his eyes at Nurse's apparent lack of stealth, Kenji nodded toward Ibarazaki, and they slid around the corner, each taking a side of the hall as they approached.

“Nurse?” Ibarazaki whispered as they neared. He started and spun, pointing his handgun aimlessly into the darkness. “It's me, Emi!” she protested, “don't shoot!”

His shoulders relaxed and he dropped the gun down, recognizing her voice. “Those new spikes are damn quiet!” he remarked excitedly, “good thing you said something or I'd have plugged you both.”

“The safety is on,” Ibarazaki noted patting his shoulder as she passed by, “good thing you're not an agent.”

“Is he coming with us now?” Kenji inquired, still uncertain how the grinning man got word of their imminent departure.

“I texted him our plan,” she said nonchalantly, “while you were fumbling around in the armory.”

“You realize they'll track that,” Kenji lamented.

“Fuck 'em,” she retorted, “their red tape just makes getting things done a giant hassle.”

Her animosity was to be expected, but her tone seemed ominous. Kenji wondered what else she might be planning after this excursion, but perhaps it was better to leave it alone until they had a chance to finish what they started. Quieting his questions, Kenji followed the mismatched pair out to a loading dock constructed in a giant cavern.

Docked along the edge of a cement pier were a number of small watercraft, but they didn't hold his attention for long. Instead his gaze fell upon an angular, black helicopter parked on a raised platform. It appeared similar to the one they had been picked up in from Kingsmouth, though the only crew appeared to be a tall, skinny fellow with long sandy hair and a clipboard suspended under his left arm. Wearing a flight-suit and aviator sunglasses, despite being in a dark cavern, the pilot seemed familiar, but Kenji couldn't quite make out his face.

“Fueled and ready, Emi,” he remarked, his throaty voice echoing into the hollow cavern, “say the word and we're airborne in two minutes.”

“You remember Nurse, of course; and this is Kenji,” Ibarazaki stated as they crossed the platform.

“I remember him,” the man replied, “skittish guy in one-seventeen, right? Friend of that fellow you dated for a while, as I recall.” Evidently he knew who Kenji was, but neither his voice nor his face seemed to clarify anything.

Ibarazaki, springing ahead, wrapped the tall man in a friendly hug and then backed away to turn and introduce him. “This is Jun Yamata,” she stated, holding a hand out, “though you might remember him better as the Track Captain.”

Offering a quick salute of sorts, merely brushing his forehead with two of his grease-stained fingers, Jun nodded and added, “pleasure to make your acquaintance, again.”

“How did he get in past security?” Nurse inquired, apparently not having been kept informed of everything.

“Sora's a stealth chopper,” Jun explained, “armed with radar jamming, sonar deflection and the latest in hull design. Best not to go into too much detail, but suffice to say, the NPCs ain't got a chance of seeing her unless I want 'em to.”

“Fire her up, Jun,” Ibarazaki interjected, hopping into the cabin. Tossing her smart-phone out into the water, she added, “rather not give them any more time to find out we've gone.”

“On it!” Jun replied, already in his seat before Kenji could even close the distance and join Ibarazaki. Nurse following a moment later, they belted into the seats and closed the door. Until the chopper actually started lifting off, Kenji hadn't even considered how they might get out of the cavern, but he soon realized the plan was to follow the water, flying barely inches off the surface, through an opening leading out into a nearby bay.

Whatever else Jun knew, he was apparently a skilled pilot.

Slipping out into the night, Kenji looked around at the other passengers and wondered just how much trouble he'd really gotten them into. This business with Kingsmouth and Purgatory Chasm seemed like something sinister that needed to be dealt with, but he worried the cost might be too great.

Maybe his spleen had led them astray after all.
_________________________________________________
Previous|Next

Sort of a trend with Tomorrow's Doom, this is where I add some closing thoughts that might be kind of spoiler-like:
So, apparently, Emi has kept in contact with the Track Captain, who appears to have access to advanced aircraft. I might be setting some things up here, but who knows? I'm not sure if their next visit to UQC-13 will be quite so amicable, though.

[Hoitash]

Nice chapter update. Wondered what you were up to this past week

I still think the multi-barrel shotgun woulda been the way to go, but that's why I write my own shenanigans.

[Helbereth]

Nice chapter update. Wondered what you were up to this past week

I still think the multi-barrel shotgun woulda been the way to go, but that's why I write my own shenanigans.

Oh this I wrote this-morning. I started with just about the first 3 paragraphs, which I scribbled down sometime last week, and filled in the rest over a span of 4 hours or so.

Most of the week, I was working on the 11,000 word chapter 20 in Tomorrow's Doom... Among other things.

[Helbereth]

It seems I often find myself writing another part for this right after finishing a chapter in Tomorrow's Doom; I'm not sure why. Finally back on the ground, things are about to swing upward.


Previous|Next
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The Kenji Files:
Dark Garden Part 5
Hovering Spies

Leaning back in the comfortable seat, Emi let out a sigh and closed her tired eyes. Jun had kept in contact with her over the years, and she knew a lot about his financial prowess, but his helicopter seemed prohibitively expensive; not to mention illegal. Still, it was relatively well-insulated from the thrumming copter noise, and was leisurely furnished with large, plush chairs rather than hard benches; it was a cruise ship, not a military vessel.

Opening her eyes to have a look at the other two passengers, Nurse looked like he was a schoolboy on a roller-coaster, eyes wide with excitement or fear, clutching his briefcase with both white-knuckled hands. If his reaction to airplane travel was any indication, a helicopter ride was probably putting him close to a panic attack; he'd be fine, though. Kenji fidgeted in his seat, apparently finding the lavishly upholstered chairs less than comfortable; or maybe he was just nervous. Seeing his discomfort made Emi smile derisively; he deserved to feel a little uncomfortable after the hell he had caused.

Outside, the hull emanated a dull blue hue for a moment as Jun's voice over the headset explained, “we're now running silent to every detection method I know of.” Pausing as he threw a couple switches, he inquired, “what's our destination?”

Kenji, hearing the same query on his headset, stopped his anxious thrashing and held up a hand, opening his mouth as though to say something, but stopping. Emi raised a frustrated eyebrow at him and complained, “this is your expedition; though I'd go with Kingsmouth since it's closer.”

Watching him consider that for a moment, Emi shrugged and confessed, “I wouldn't mind catching some sleep on the way down south, though.”

Having only managed to sit down for a few minutes after Nurse finished their physical exams, and introducing the enhancements built into her new spikes, she felt the fatigue creeping over her, and the soft chair wasn't helping her stay awake. Evidently, Kenji had a similar thought on his mind as he nodded and replied, “we should start at the beginning. Take us down to Massachusetts, Mister Yamata.”

“Call me Jun; everyone do-” he replied, the radio crackling as it cut off his last word.

“Kenji still calls me Ibarazaki, so I wouldn't get your hopes up, Jun,” Emi sighed, turning a sardonic look at her bespectacled partner.

“You three catch some Zs,” Jun said cheerily, “I promise not to hit anything on the way down.” Jun's use of words like 'down' and 'hit' when talking about flying usally made people nervous. Evidently it worked on Nurse.

“How long will this take?” Nurse inquired, sounding barely coherent. Obviously the helicopter ride didn't agree with him, but Jun's flippant disregard for flight terminology etiquette was too much.

“Few hours, tops,” Jun replied, “don't worry; safest way to travel.” Nurse grinned faintly and tightened his seatbelt, clutching the briefcase tighter. A moment later Jun's sarcastic voice remarked, “unless I fall asleep.”

Nurse's eyes would have popped out of his head were that possible. Instead they stayed wide open as he sunk deep into the seat and glanced at Emi and Kenji, saying, “I-I'll stay awake... just in case.”

Rolling her eyes, Emi nuzzled against the headrest and sighed, “wake us before we hit suburbia.”

Kenji finally found a comfortable position, his frazzled hair leaning against the hull, and drifted to sleep almost immediately. Nurse, apparently determined to stay awake, kept peering around the cabin at every little noise, probably imagining a million different deadly scenarios as they flew. Shrugging, Emi sat there with her eyes closed for a few minutes before the fatigue finally washed over her, pulling her into blissful unconciousness.

Roused by a shove from Nurse's sweaty hand, Emi lolled her head and peered out at the hazy morning light. The sun barely crept up over the distant horizon, bathing the cabin with a soft, blue-gray glow. Looking over at Kenji, he was already awake, rubbing his eyes with one hand while the other held onto his glasses. Squinting and smirking, he pulled the headset back on and asked, “she awake?”

Nurse nodded, but quickly realized Kenji probably couldn't see that and added, “her eyes are open.”

“How poignant,” Kenji replied, smirking.

Sitting forward, Emi yawned and shook away the tired feeling, grabbing the microphone beside her face and inquiring, “did you set up a car, Jun?”

“Morning!” Jun replied, “and yes, a black sedan will be waiting for us near the landing zone.”

“Where's that?” Kenji asked.

“Schoolyard a few miles from your destination,” Jun replied, sounding apologetic, “area's too wooded to land much closer, but it's pretty deserted this time of year.”

“That's fine, we don't want to attract attention too close anyway,” Kenji replied. Taking the headset off and hanging it around his neck, he covered the microphone and leaned toward Emi, asking, “how much can we trust him?”

Emi sat back and thought for a moment. Jun was probably worthy of their trust, but imparting it would make him complicit in their venture. As much as she trusted him, she had no desire to put him through a firestorm of accusations if this went sour. “Plausible deniability,” she decided to suggest, “only what he needs to know.”

Nodding, Kenji pulled off the headset completely and hung it up to unbuckle himself and switch to the seat next to her. Wearing a stern expression, he explained, “we'll need to be covert. No mistakes this time, and no surprises.”

“I'm not planning to end up naked in the woods again, if that's what you mean,” Emi balked, crossing her arms defensively.

“I hate saying this, but we should go by the book for once,” Kenji added, looking sincere, “we don't even know who was behind our kidnapping, and I'm not going to underestimate them.”

“Agreed,” Emi replied, nodding, “that's why I asked Nurse along; he can back us up and call in the cavalry if something goes hinky.”

Turning to regard their flight-frightened compatriot, Kenji shook his head and smirked. “Guy Smiley looks like he's about to have a coronary,” he remarked, turning back, “maybe he has more in common with your boyfriend than you'd care to admit.”

Rolling her eyes, Emi gave Kenji a shove and sighed disdainfully, “watch it, bug-eyes, you're already on my shit-list!”

“Just lightening the mood!” Kenji claimed, “you look a little nervous.”

“Go back to your seat!” Emi ordered, “and leave Hisao out of this.”

“Fine, fine...” Kenji sighed as he crossed back to his original seat.

Nurse leaned forward, holding the headset to his ear, then and informed them, “Jun says we're two minutes out.”

The schoolyard was smaller than expected, but plenty large enough to land the chopper. Nurse practically ran out of the cabin, panting and nearly collapsing to kiss the ground as Emi and Kenji extracted their equipment.

“Gimme a call if you need another ride,” Jun said as they exited.

Emi grinned and reached forward to pat his shoulder, replying, “count on it!”

Finding the sedan parked in the nearby student lot, Nurse rested his briefcase on the hood and opened it, starting to clack away at a keyboard before the display brightened completely. A combination satellite laptop and medical suite, his case contained diagnostic tools, a broadly stocked pharmacy, and lab equipment designed for use in the field. The computer was linked into the NPC network, and he could relay all or none of their maneuvers through its various programs.

Usually, he just used it to play Solitaire, Emi mused.

“I'll be able to monitor your movements from anywhere within three-hundred miles,” he said absently, continuing to type. “Really a marvelous machine,” he remarked, “I wish I had the chance to use it more often.”

“You're about to,” Kenji commented, slipping into the passenger seat, “c'mon, Doc, we have a mystery to solve.”

“Right, right...” he replied, re-closing the case and turning his flat grin at Emi, “I guess it's too late to call shotgun.”

“Did you bring one?” Emi inquired, shooting him a raised eyebrow as she pulled open the driver's side door.

“No,” he replied.

“Then yeah,” she said, slipping into the seat, “too late to call shotgun.”

“Get in the back,” Kenji called out through his opening window, “we'll drop you off someplace secluded on the way!”

Finding a motel along the highway a few miles from the chasm, they rented a room for Nurse to use as a handler stage where he could watch from afar. Taking some radio equipment and ear-buds from his well-equipped briefcase, Kenji disliked using the irritating appliances, but grudgingly accepted seeing Emi's glare. Being connected so viscerally to technology bothered him on a fundamental level, but he was willing to bear it for the sake of not chancing fate; or Emi's wrath.

Leaving Nurse with his toys, they continued following road signs along the highway. Posted near every off-ramp, signs indicated how the chasm could be reached, though Emi didn't really need the reminders. Purgatory Chasm was a local landmark, part of the scenic countryside, and kept preserved by the state parks department, but, in her memory, it was the last place she was before being drugged and carted five-hundred miles to the north. Whatever else might be there, it was protected from industry and human encroachment, so whoever they did find was likely either a ranger or a conspirator; she liked the odds.

Seeing the signs indicating their destination was merely two miles away, and deciding to hike to the chasm instead of driving right up to the visitor's center like last time, Emi slowed and looked for a good place to turn off and hide the car. Finding an inconspicuous break in the tree-line, she shifted in to four-wheel-drive and turned into a grassy gully, aiming between a pair of oak trees, and drove straight into the wooded park.

Keeping an eye on Kenji as they rolled through the sleepy, mostly coniferous forest, Emi wondered what else he might be thinking. Remaining unusually quiet throughout the ride, his face was wrapped in a thinking expression that made her feel uneasy; Kenji thinking was rarely a good sign. Shrugging, she concentrated on avoiding pratfalls as she snaked the car between trees, finally coming to a stop under a pair of very large, old-looking pines.

Stepping out, the smell of pine and fresh air caught in her nose, much more powerfully than at the school or the motel. Unlike the wooded areas near cities, or suburbs, there was very little clutter on the ground. Although, the remnants of someone's recent visit were visible; paper cups and cartons. Kicking one of the cups away, Emi groaned, "some people are such slobs."

Kenji sniffed the air and nodded, remarking, “this is the place.”

“No shit, Sherlock!” Emi balked, rattling his calm demeanor, “did you think I was driving us to Tony's?”

“We could've gone to Tony's?” Kenji replied, “wait, what's Tony's?”

“I dunno, you're standing on a cup with it written on the side,” Emi mentioned, nodding toward the paper litter stuck to his foot. “C'mon, check your gear,” she said, shaking her head at his bewildered expression, “I'm gonna scout around.”

Heading off into the woods, Emi smirked as Kenji called after her, “remember where we parked!”

The morning light sent long shadows from the tall trunks, casting the needle-laden, rocky hillside in a zebra-pattern of light and dark streaks. A slight, foreboding mist hung lazily over the morning scene, and the still air felt damp, but not wholly unpleasant as she walked between the trees. Keeping her eyes focused, the darkened areas seemed much more sinister than on their last approach, but back then she hadn't really taken Kenji's warnings seriously.

Now knowing there was certainly something hiding in the nearby woods, she kept her eyes open and her mind alert, letting the sounds, smells and sights fill her senses. Pushing some stray limbs away, she frowned as her hand came back feeling sticky from the sap, but that didn't concern her much. A feeling of being watched settled over Emi, an unsettling sense of unease that tied knots in her stomach and caused her irises to dart around. Scanning the tree-line, she reached for her sidearm, but left it in the holster, deciding it might be better not to display her weapon before seeing the stalker.

As her hand left the inside of her jacket, a buzzing sound caught in her ears and she spun, looking for the culprit. Honey-bees were common in the area, she remembered Kenji mentioning; a number of locals kept small hives. However, the large, black and yellow creature she saw hovering between the boughs over a nearby pine gave her pause. Larger than any bee she had ever seen, easily three long inches from head to tail, it flitted behind a branch, then rose up to hover nearby.

Staying in place for several seconds, Emi had a crazy thought; that it was her stalker, but that didn't make sense. Although, nothing about their previous expedition had really made any sense, so maybe it wasn't that crazy. Whatever the case, it was certainly strange to see any kind of bee this far from blooming flowers, and its size indicated it wasn't indigenous. Never having been particularly frightened by bees, she wasn't allergic as far as she knew, so Emi approached the hovering insect to get a better look.

Still at least fifteen feet away, it backed away as she approached, mirroring her motion. When she stopped, it stopped. Pressing forward again, it retreated. Backing away, it followed; matching her movements as though it was observing her. Mesmerized by the strange behavior, Emi lost track of herself and started moving in different directions, seeing if the unusual bee continued matching her strides.

“What the hell are you doing?” Kenji's strained voice inquired, causing Emi to blink and spin to catch sight of him as he crested a nearby hill. Her lack of an immediate answer prompted him to add, “I waited for ten minutes, and got a little worried.”

Looking back over toward the bee, her face screwed up in confusion; it was gone. “There was a...” she started to say, trailing off as she ducked side to side, trying to find it again. “A bee,” she said finally, “but, it's gone, I guess.”

“A bee?” Kenji prompted.

Looking back at him, she frowned and explained, “yeah, a big one; it was following me, I think.”

Stopping his approach, Kenji glanced around at the surrounding trees before settling a bewildered look on her. “You're sure?” he asked, “weird place for a bee.”

“That's what I thought,” Emi replied, “It was mimicking my movements, too; almost like it was watching me.”

Hearing that made Kenji furrow his brow and hold up a finger. Something about the description was caught in his brain and Emi wasn't in any mood to wait for him to figure it out. “What's wrong?” she asked, her voice edged with frustration.

“Maybe it was a bug,” he replied.

“Of course it was a bug,” Emi retorted, not quite understanding.

“No, I mean like the listening and looking kind of bug,” Kenji explained, “like someone's been watching us.”

“Oh, right,” Emi conceded, screwing up her face in realization, “you mean like we're being watched?!”

“Maybe,” Kenji replied in a hushed tone, “here.” Holding out the case she had left in the backseat of the car, he motioned for her to take it off his hands, remarking, “we might need these.”

Checking around to try and find that bee again, she took the case and set it down on the ground. Drawing out the M90-Z and checking it over before tossing the strap over her shoulder, she turned a determined look at Kenji and grunted, “I've got point.”

Whatever was stalking them, she would be prepared this time.
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Lock and load! The next part will finally see some action, I'm pretty sure. I kind of like the idea of writing one of these on the tail of finishing a TD chapter, so I might just strive to do that instead of focusing on a schedule.

[Hoitash]

Welcome back, glad you were able to fend off that zombie horde in time to save the coffee supply

Nothing good ever comes from creepy forests with foreboding mists. Ever.

I'd suggest Exterminatus, but that might be a tad conspicuous.

[Helbereth]

Welcome back, glad you were able to fend off that zombie horde in time to save the coffee supply

I never really left, I've just been holed up behind a dam of confusion and doubt. Perhaps that could be an allegory of a zombie apocalypse, though.

Nothing good ever comes from creepy forests with foreboding mists. Ever.

Except the odd, chance encounter with a forest nymph; that's not likely to happen, though.

I'd suggest Exterminatus, but that might be a tad conspicuous.

I had to Google 'Exterminatus', and I still don't quite understand. Based on what I skimmed over in the search results and images, am I to assume that's some kind of large, foreboding, omnipotent being that wields the fate of entire planets with the sweeping reach of its impervious arms?

If so, yeah, that would be a tad conspicuous.