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Aya♥
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Posts posted by Aya♥
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"You really mean it? I can become just as hard-boiled and tough as you Kozenigata-danna? Frankly, I don't trust Tama to win the million dollars to get me my sick new abs."
"Boss, what are we doing with this guy?" Haji said she she put her head against the "Liquid Egg" van. The three were standing in front of a large mansion just outside of the village. Heiji took a puff of his cigar and blew it in the robot's face. Luckily, he has no lungs so it did not effect him.
"He's the main character of this story isn't he? I think it will be a cakewalk to get into the Globberian Village with him tagging along. A very hard-boiled plan that will go over-easy." Haji face palmed at the horrible pun and misinformation.
"That ISN'T the main character Boss! That's just some clunky robot that freeloads off everyone he meets!" Haji banged her head against the Liquid Egg van yet again. Kintoki ripped the cigar from Heiji's mouth and took a puff himself.
"What do you mean I'm not the main character? Don't you see me in every arc? Wavy perm hair, dead fish eyes. You know, I'm hard to miss." Kintoki accidentally swallowed the cigar after he couldn't puff it. Heiji frowned as he lost his last cigar.
"Only the main character could do something so magnificent. In fact, I might even say he is most certainly the main character of this specific arc. Haji, this is big, bigger than we both could ever imagine." Haji interrupted him by shoving her phone in his face. It showed Gintoki picking his nose next to a passed out Enshou in the shelter.
"HE'S ON THE CURRENT SEASON OF WURVIVOR, THE NAME OF THIS ARC!" Haji yelled. Heiji took a look at her phone and tossed it over the fence of the mansion. Haji shook her head and produced another phone she had stolen. "Who's mansion are we in front of anyway? It's getting dark out so I think their motion sensors or something will go off." Heiji put his foot on the bumper of the van and pointed at the name on the address,
"Some fool named Dragon. I figured he was out of town so I parked our van in front of his gates." Heiji said. But, as Heiji said this, a loud HA could be heard coming from the mansion. The three jumped into the van and peered out the passenger side window at the mansion. The watched as the front door of the mansion opened up and they saw a red-haired pirate with an umbrella step out with a man sporting a large nose.
"It's always nice catching up with a friend of a friend, Kamui." Jackie Chan patted Kamui on the back while the Harusame leader took a sip of a red slurpee.
"Well, I'm not really friends with Shinsuke's husband! I really hope Monika crushes both of them under her feet in Wurvivor!" Kamui said, smiling. Jackie just nervously chuckled as Kamui twirled his umbrella. "So, we're good on the deal, yes? I'll borrow some of your men and we can open up that Long Wohn Silvers just up the road? After building that OLD BASTARD'S house for an entire half of an arc, I've gotten pretty nifty at construction!" Jackie nodded and Kamui smiled back at him. He turned around and noticed the Liquid Eggs van parked out front. Unbeknownst to the three hiding there, they failed to notice the giant ship parked next to them. "Who parked in front of my ship? HA, I'LL JUST DEAL WITH IT MYSELF!" Kamui jumped over the fence and kicked the van. It went spinning down a hill and crashed through one of the drive in theater screens at the base of the mountain.
"THIS WAS A RENTAL CAR! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO PAY FOR THE DAMAGE AND THE RENTAL!" Heiji yelled as he kicked one of the windows out to crawl out of. The van was sitting upside down, as Haji was hunched over the backseat and Kintoki was in pieces.
"I'm guessing you didn't even have the money to rent this in the first place, and took a loan out eh Boss?" Haji said, as she was tossing Kintoki out of the van piece by piece.
"Watch the merchandise man! HEY, THAT TORSO IS ABOUT TO PACKED TO THE BRIM WITH ABS!" he yelled as she tossed his body parts in the snowy ground. Haji got his last piece out of the mangled vehicle and climbed out herself. She stood over the discombobulated robot before looking up and seeing Heiji crying on the ground.
"It's OK Boss," Haji put her hand on his shoulder, "No matter how much debt you're in, nor how much trouble with the law we're in; the payoff for this humongous job will be enough to keep you afloat." Heiji nodded and stood up,
"It's a good thing I was paid a quarter of it in advance Haji." Heiji adjusted his sunglasses and reached into his pocket.
"And that's only 1/4th, magnificent no?" Heiji smiled.
"I ASSUME YOU JUST STOLE THAT FROM A BOARD GAME?" Haji yelled, knocking the Wonopoly Money from his hands.
"No! It was under my pillow when I woke up. I swear on my badge." Heiji began to form a thought bubble:
"There I was talking to the man named B.O.D." Heiji began,
"THAT IS MOST CERTAINLY NOT YOU! YOU DON'T HAVE LUSCIOUS BLONDE HAIR OR BULGING BICEPS!" Haji interjected. "He poured me a glass of tea, which I vehemently denied. As if a hard-boiled detective such as myself would drink tea. The posh British man was stern when I refused his disgusting beverage. So, I showed him I meant business."
"Why are your dreams so simplistic and stick figure like?" Kintoki asked. Heiji ignored the disassembled robot.
"He was shocked at my defiance, perhaps scared even. So he said he would back off, and split my cut when I woke up. I'm glad we can find some middle ground, and I'm guess finding this 5000 smackers under my head was the sign I needed. I still got it, hard-boiled blood runs even deep enough to effect my dreams." Heiji said, proud of himself,
"Or, your dreams are being hijacked by something with much greater power than we could ever imagine Boss." Haji commented. Heiji waved his finger at her,
"Impossible, no one that powerful can interject themselves in a comedy plot line Haji." Heiji picked up Kintoki's lower half, while Haji carried his torso and head. The three made there way back up through the mountains, passing Jackie Chan's mansion, which was now absent of the giant ship. "So, should we dispose of this?" Heiji asked Haji. Kintoki's eyes darkened,
"YOU CAN'T THROW ME AWAY! HEY!" Kintoki yelled as Haji opened up a trash can next to the Chan mansion. But as she looked down, she stopped,
"WHY ARE THE MOST RANDOM CHARACTERS SHOWING UP!" Kintoki yelled as Haji attempted to close the lid, by Tatsumi stopped the lid,
"Oi, don't blow my cover. There's been a spree of arsons in the surrounding area, and Chief David asked me to take post on the outskirts of the Globberian Village. Don't ask why I chose a millionare's trash can, I just figured he wasn't home." Heiji's interest got peaked,
"A spree of arsons you say? Seems like a hard boiled case for a scrambled detective like myself." Heiji said, scratching his beard,
"They all appear to be by the same person too, they leave a tag behind at each scene. It isn't huge arson, but they're targeting higher up officials, mainly burning a small portion of their government buildings. We suspect they'll target Yuka-danna next." Tatsumi said, adjusting herself in the trashcan. "Us lesbians have to stick together in these trying times!" she grabbed her bicep and flexed. Heiji nodded and jotted down 'less bean' in his notepad.
"What does the tag look like?" Heiji asked. Tatsumi pulled out her phone and showed the detective, it was that of a peacock's tail feathers. "We have a lead, but we can't be certain." Heiji smirked. He reached into Kintoki's pockets and pulled out a cigar he hid on him. He lit it and took a big puff,
"It isn't anything a little hard boiled evidence collecting can do. Leave it to me maam, I'll catch the culprit. Just after I-" but before he could finish, Tatsumi sprayed him down with a fire extinguisher.
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"Welcome back everyone! Are you guys ready to get to today's immunity challenge?" Ketsuno looked at the tribes and noticed that Kibou was missing a member, and one looked completely different. "My! It seems King transformed into an old man and wounded our cameramen and producers! And where is Prince Enshou?" Gintoki stepped forward,
"Ketsuno Ana, oh great one, we attempted to wake up Enshou but he would refuse to budge. It seems he's in a coma." Gintoki said, saluting. Ketsuno smiled and pointed her finger at Jirochou.
"I would expect a lot more from one of the 4 Devas of Kabuki-chou! Sneaking and cheating your way into the game, and then pulling a sword on staff! Tsk, tsk. We can't have that on Wurvivor! Jirochou, I'm sorry, but we're going to have to pull you from the game." as she said this, a sword came wizzing by her head. She smiled at Pirako, who was the culprit. "I don't want to have to kick two contestants, now would I?" Pirako began to cry as she hugged her dad.
"I'm so sorry you have to go-" Jirochou stopped her and gave her a hug.
"It wasn't my fault that I cheated my way into this game. It was against my will...I feel disgraced, but I humble accept the consequences. Pirako, win this game for the both of us." Jirochou nodded as he stepped into a helicopter that was waiting for him. Ketsuno turned her attention back to the tribes,
"We're still vying for immunity. Someone from the losing tribe is still going home. Considering Enshou is asleep back at camp, we have even tribes today! Today we're going to take a dive in this frozen lake! The tribe who can stay completely submerged the longest wins!" the tribes looked nervous but they had to do it regardless. They all got in position in front of a giant ice hole in the middle of a lake, "Wurvivors ready...GO!" they all jumped in at once, the icy touch of the water tingling their skin...well except for Tama and Monika. Most of the contestants only lasted a minute under the water, coming up for oxygen and climbing out shivering. Katsura and Shinsuke were huddled together on the sidelines, ignoring the tribes. Ketsuno picked up Shinsuke and placed him in the arms of Eren who gave him a big hug. The only remaining players in the water were Monika, Tama, Stephen, and Pirako. The teams were cheering for the respective Tribemates. Eventually, Pirako had to come up after 2 minutes under the water. The contestants cheered for her, while Stephen was the next to come up after 3 minutes,
"Helps being a fisherman and stuck with Enshou for years." Stephen said in a confessional. The scene cut back to Tama and Monika doing patty cakes in the water.
"I don't think those two are coming up." FDL said, putting her chin in her hands. Ketsuno walked over to the hole and peered down to see the two ladies shaking hands, Tama coming up first. Ketsuno threw her hands up,
"Yuuki wins Immunity!" Ketsuno helped the two out of the water, both getting a huge ovation.
"Monika-sama and I agreed that sense their tribe hasn't won yet, that we would take the fall tonight!" Tama said, displaying sportsmanship.
"Kibou, I'll be seeing you tonight at tribal, Yuuki, you guys get immunity and comfort!" Ketsuno dropped a huge chair on top of Shinsuke, who popped up like an accordion. The camera followed Kibou back to camp, where they all sat around Enshou in the shelter as he remained sleeping. The scene cut to Katsura in confessional:
"It's pretty obvious that we must get rid of Enshou-dono. He may rule his planet with Monday Elizabeth, but he completely flaked out on his during this challenge. Plus, he really isn't apart of my alliance. Working with Gintoki, Matako-chan, and The Boss Lady benefits me the best before I can hook back up with Shinny-bear and Monday Elizabeth." the confessional cut to Enshou who was passed out:
"LET ME OUT OF THIS CAGE YOU BLITHERING MONGREL! I COMMAND YOU AS MY SUPERIOR BROTHER!" Enshou shook the cage he was in, knocking Suave to the ground.
"Could you calm down dude." Suave said, but Enshou lifted him up off the ground.
"I'M FUCKING FINE, LOOK AT MY MY MY POKER FACE."
Suave just kind of sheepishly smiled at Enshou and picked his sax up. The two sat there in silence for a few moments before a portal from beneath them opened up. "Just what I fucking need, a portal. Ol rick and morty shit." Enshou said. He was staring down at it when Roberta flew out of it and landed hard on the marble floor. Enshou narrowed his eyes and wiped his mascara away, "Worm Lady. You return from the dead to haunt my nightmares. I'll have you know I got over my fears of Freddy Wuger years ago." Enshou said. Roberta face palmed,
"That idiot teleported me to an even bigger idiot's dream." Roberta got to her feet and brushed off. "I see you two are in quite the pickle." she looked up at Suave and Enshou.
"Can you just let us the hell out. The God of Sexophone is getting on my last nerve." Enshou said, causing Suave to look weary.
"Yeah, that damned Jebediah is on the loose! I need to get in touch with my brothers as soon as possible." Suave said. Roberta looked at the cage with perplexity, but a thought occurred to her
"Well, I am free from Hell right now, so maybe I can just-" she transformed into her worm form, "Nice!" she opened her mouth and ripped the cage from the ceiling, violently shaking the two inside. However, the cage would not budge. "Well what the hell am I supposed to do?" Roberta went back to her normal form and looked at the two banged up in the cage. In the waking world, the tribe had pretty much all but decided to vote Enshou off. However, Pirako was restless. She was frustrated and decided to lift Enshou out of his bed. The rest of her tribe looked confused and concerned, and didn't even notice the glowing purple crystal. The cage Enshou was in opened and he scrambled to the outside, Suave following close behind.
"Finally! I'm getting the hell out of here. Never sleeping ever again." Enshou vanished, causing the room to turn to an empty void. Suave and Roberta stood in the emptiness before Suave took a deep sigh,
"Let's go back to hell and get Billy." Roberta nodded as Suave played some notes to open a portal back to Hell. In the waking world, Enshou woke up to Pirako slapping him in the face.
"What the makeup." Enshou said,
"Your makeup is AWFUL, YOU'VE BEEN CRYING THE ENTIRE TIME YOU'VE BEEN ASLEEP!" Pirako said. Enshou walked over to the water well and looked at his reflection,
"Well shit, you're right." Enshou shook his head, deciding to keep his stained make-up. Pirako slapped him again,
"They want to vote you off tonight! You slept through the whole challenge today and we lost! Plus, my dad got kicked from the game!" Enshou scratched his chin, "King." Enshou's eyes grew 3 sizes that second.
"My...minion was removed from this game..." Enshou hardly couldn't believe it. Pirako slapped him again,
"He was forceably removed...something is happening. I just can't put my finger on it. However, I can't let you go in this game Enshou. This is our time to shine. You know what this game is all about? Big moves and striking while the iron is hot." Pirako smirked while Enshou held his head. He leaned against the well.
"Look, my head f***ing hurts and I just want to get this tribal over with. I'll vote however you want me to vote." Enshou said walking off. The scene cuts to Pirako in confessional.
"I could pull off a huge move and rid the game of a huge threat. I've just got to do some light convincing and I think I can pull off the blindside." the scene cut to Gintoki who was narrowing his eyes. He leaned over and whispered to Katsura,
"Oi Zura...I think we should consider splitting the vote tonight." Gintoki said, "Pirako running off with Enshou like that has me really worried." Gintoki said. Katsura nodded in agreement.
"I'll talk with Matako-chan, you talk with Tama-dono." Gintoki put a thumbs up as they scrambled before tribal. Before long, it was time to head to the counsel area. The all arrived, dipped their torches in the fire and sat down.
"Alright everyone! Shall we get started?" Ketsuno looked at everyone, ignoring Gintoki's heart eyes. "Enshou! Glad to see you were able to drag yourself to tribal! Never have I seen anyone miss a challenge because they were in a small coma!" Enshou narrowed his eyes,
"I was trapped by my estranged brother who is threatening to cause so much damage to this universe that even I cannot begin to fathom. With that being said, my neck is on the chopping block. They'd be wise enough not to slice my head off just yet." Enshou said glaring at everyone around him.
"Tama, you stayed in that water over 6 minutes! Impressive, but you aren't human so that's to be expected. You gave up immunity to Monika in a sportsmanship-like ma-" but Ketsuno was cut off,
"YOU GAVE UP IMMUNITY? Well, if that doesn't show weakness I don't know what does!" Enshou said, throwing his hands up. Tama gave him a straight face,
"They needed a win, so I gave them one." Enshou rolled his eyes.
"Matako, Enshou has a point. She did throw the challenge," Ketsuno said,
"You're right, and it's a good way to look at it. Both of them are in the wrong one way or another." Matako said nodding.
"Katsura, is it hard to get along with everyone here?" she asked.
"Some more than others I would say Ketsuno-dono." Pirako rolled her eyes,
"Pirako, that comment got your attention did it not?" Pirako nodded,
"Some people here have friends on either tribe, and some of us are lone wolves. We have to fight from the bottom." Pirako said, Gintoki chimed in:
"Yet, that makes the lone wolves the most dangerous no?" Gintoki smiled,
"And with that, it's time to vote. Tama, you're up." Tama was the first to get up, and everyone else followed suit:
"I just really don't like you."
Matako was the last to come back,
"I'll go tally the votes," Ketsuno walked to pick up the urn and bring it back, "If anybody has the hidden immunity idol and you'd like to play it, now would be the time to do so." Nobody spoke up, "Once the votes are read the decision is final, the person voted out will be asked to leave the tribal council area immediately. I'll read the votes: First vote,"
"Enshou." Enshou glared,
"Enshou, that's two votes Enshou."
"Pirako, that's one vote Pirako, two votes Enshou."
"Katsura, that's two votes Enshou, one vote Pirako, one vote Katsura."
"Katsura, that's two votes Enshou, two votes Katsura, one vote Pirako."
"Pirako, we are tied. 2 votes Enshou, 2 votes Katsura, 2 Votes Pirako. One vote left....4th person voted out of Wurvivor Edo:"
"Katsura. That's 3, you need to come bring me your torch." Katsura stood up,
"WHAAAAT WHO I ASK! WHO FLIPPED!" Katsura demanded to know. As he asked, Matako raised her hand up high.
"No hard feelings when we get back to the ship, eh Katsura-sama?" Matako winked at Katsura who put his head down,
"I am disappointed in you Matako-chan...I thought me, you, Monday Elizabeth, and Shinny would be the final four. However, this is a game and I accept defeat." Katsura grabbed his torch and walked over to Ketsuno.
"Katsura, your tribe has spoken."
Katsura turned back to his tribe,
"Gintoki, Tama-dono, Boss Lady. I hope you three can carry the game with integrity. Matako-chan, I'll have a stern talking with you back home." Katsura turned back,
"It's time for you to go." Ketsuno said as Katsura waved back as he walked away.
"Well, it's about time, but I believe we got our first true blindside of the season. Grab your torches and head back to camp, goodnight." Ketsuno signed off the show.
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Yuka turned around in her swing and locked eyes with Jebediah.
"Oh! What a sight to behold! The quaint Queen of Globberius in her completed form! My, oh my a sight never to be seen in the waking for sure." Jebediah snickered as a cup of tea appeared in his hands. He snapped his other hand's fingers and a table complete with chairs, cloth, and a tea set appeared. "Care to join me, or are you too busy lollygagging in your dream. Your day to day life must be quite stressful indeed Madam!"
"The Wockphoto fits quite nicely for me, no?" Yuka stopped swinging and stood up.
"You look exactly like someone I've met in real life. Someone I don't like associating with. Whether this is just some wicked part of my dream, inserting his face on someone, then so be it." Yuka took a seat across from Jebediah as he poured her a cup of tea. "Well, at least you're more gentlemanly than that caterpillar browed freak." Yuka looked at her tea, seeing the reflection of her and Sofia combined. Something that always kept her comfort even in her most darkest days while dreaming.
"Well, that's most exquisite to hear, no? I haven't received such kind words in quite some time. But to hear something like that from you Madam, it's quite reassuring." Jebediah took a sip of his tea and gestured for Yuka to do the same. Yuka picked up her tea cup and stared at it for a few minutes. "Go ahead, I mean no harm! Besides, nothing bad can happen in a dream." Yuka narrowed her eyes as she took a sip from the tea. Jebediah smiled and sat his cup down. "I'd like to at least continue my generosity by being blunt with you and cutting to the thick of this. I'm here to ask you about your long time lover, Roberta." Yuka sat her cup down and gave Jebediah a look of discomfort. "I figured perhaps...you dream of this woman from time to time. She was in your life for a long time, and an important life at that! It's just so fascinating you know? How she has this other worldly ability to just come back to life." Jebediah smiled.
"No. I rarely dream of that woman. And if I did, it's a dream I don't remember." Jebediah adjust his cravat.
"Hmm, I figured perhaps she would get permission from that old Billy down below to come see you more often. Perhaps he's tightened up on his dream skipping! Either way, now that I have skipped host off that disgusting git I called my brother, I think this place will suit me nicely. Don't you think, Yuka? It is hard functioning as one half of yourself after all." Yuka slammed the tea up on the table, causing a bit of it to drip on the table cloth. "My, getting quite antsy aren't we Madam? Never mind me, but your dreamworld is prime for me to lay in. Your brain is under constant stress and anxiety. Those are easy for me to wall myself with and lay low from those pesky Gods." Yuka lounged at Jebediah, but he caught her by the arm and tossed her over his hip. "Don't even try Madam. I can read your movements, it is your brain after all!" Jebediah snapped his fingers and Yuka quickly raised herself out of bed. She put a green arm up to her head and let out a sigh. She looked at her door, which began to creek open,
"Uhm, Sorella. Yous were makin noise in your sleep. I hope you're doin alright." Valentino walked into the room, flanked by Heiji, Haji, and Kintoki.
"Who are those three people Valentino." Yuka said, rubbing her liquid eyes. Valentino rubbed his neck,
"Uhh, dees guyz say they're detectives or somethin. They seem completely haamless ya know?" Valentino said while shrugging. Yuka just put her head down,
"Fine, what brings you guys to my bedroom at 1am?" Yuka asked. Heiji slapped a map up on Yuka wall. It was adorned with yarn and pins with pictures all over it.
"As you can see Majesty Yuka, I have cooked my thoughts long enough for them to become completely hard boiled. Racking my brain over why I was sent here, the serial arsons, the peacock feathers."
"Uhm. Valentino...could you turn my lights on." Yuka interrupted. Valentino walked over the flicked the lights on. As they brightened the room, Yuka's face went dark.
"The culprit may very well be dressed just like this."
Yuka punched Heiji in the jaw, sending him flying to the floor. Haji picked her boss up and propped him up in a chair, putting a tooth back into his head.
"As I was saying, a lot of recent events have been connecting together. See here:" Heiji pointed at the words "Kabuki". "The Kabuki-cho in Edo is ran by 4 Devas. Otose, Saigou, Hime Kada, and Jirochou the Gallant. If you've been keeping up with the latest season of Wurvivor as Haji has been, you'll have seen that Jirochou was outed as faking his identity in the game for unknown reasons. Seen in the extra features online that the Wurvivor Woutube channel posted, we can see that he was complaining of a so called "red haired man"." Yuka's interest was perked now, "Otose's Snack Bar was completely obliterated, what caused it you may ask? The scrimmage with the Skolexians is a decent answer...but I have my doubts. Following leads given to me by this blonde haired bucket of bolts was enough yolk to get to middle of this mystery. As for Hime Kada...it's obvious she is behind these arsons....but is she really? Perhaps something, or someone, is trying to further tarnish her name. That leaves us with Saigou, the Divine Mademoiselle. How he is linked in all this is a mystery to this hard boiled detective...but I did happened to dig around and find out a certain red-haired Burian works there part time. That leave me to the boiling hot question...who is this B.O.D...this red haired man. Perhaps, you know something about him Yuka-sama?" Heiji turned to her. Haji clapped for her Boss's performance. Yuka was impressed too,
"I'm...quite shocked. I also know of this red haired man. He just visited me in a dream. Valentino, keep the capital under high alert for any suspicious activity." Valentino gave Yukes a thumbs up and headed out of her door. "As for you three, you can rest in the guest bedroom for the night. I'm sure you've had quite the long day." Yuka showed them off and sat in her room alone. The lights turned off as she looked out her window to the village she overlooked. "Maybe that red haired freak was right...I'm stressed out way too much."
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"I really hope they aren't looking for me." Elizabeth was looking at Isaburo and Tetsunosuke sitting at a table, grabbing a bite to eat. He pulled his hood over his head more, turning away from the officers but trying to eavesdrop on their convo. They weren't saying a whole lot, which made Elizabeth even more nervous. 'Please just leave, please just leave, please just leave.' he kept begging to himself. But, his thoughts were interrupted when the door to the bar opened. Isaburo spoke up,
"Skeleton Bonestein, Mutsu. Glad to have you guys." Isaburo shook both their hands as the couple sat down opposite of the two cops. Tetsu kept silent as he older brother was leading the questioning.
"Glad to meet up with you!" Skele said in his cheerful manner. Mutsu just looked annoyed. Isaburo pulled out his phone and began to text,
"So, you two were at the """egg restaurant""" the same day the Shogun was poisoned correct?" Isaburo asked.
"Yeah, we tried to help, but this really tough wrestling guy got in our way. Needless to say, Mutsu kicked his butt! She was a tough as I've ever seen anyone." Skele said, complimenting his girlfriend. Isaburo was still texting,
"Mhm, and was the wrestling guy perhaps linked to the culprit?" Isaburo asked.
"Well, he showed up claiming someone attacked his friends. Then he got sent through the window. Oh Mutsu, did you hear that Oboro had his wallet stolen? Tatsuma was texting me about it, but I just kind of shrugged it off you know? He's rich, I'm sure he can afford a new wallet." Mutsu rolled her eyes. This peaked Isaburo's interest as he looked up from his phone. He turned to his younger brother,
"Testu, this is your chance to make yourself useful. Got to Ikumatsu Ramen, I'm sure that Jizz Brained man will be there as he always is." Isaburo said. Tetsu reluctant stood up and made his way out the door. Ikumatsu Ramen was a few doors down, so it wasn't a hassle. But, Tetsu felt his brother was just trying to rid him so he could get his work done easier. He sighed as he pushed the flap open.
"Welcome! Sit anywhere you'd like!" Ikumatsu said with a smile. As expected, Oboro was sitting at the bar nearest Ikumatsu with Poe resting on the bar in front of him. Tetsu looked at the man, who gave up an aura he couldn't even imagine. Dark waves were coming off of him as he sat there, peaking at his ramen. The bird turning its head as he too was eating the noodles. Tetsu tensed up as he neared the man who did not look up from his bowl. An ever sense of dread coming over him, he was meeting someone so dangerous, so famous, and important. He was trembling as he inched closer, and before he knew it, they were within feet. Poe noticed and flew up to Oboro's shoulder. Oboro's waves began to give off an even stronger sense before he turned and made eye contact with the Shinsengumi.
"Oh hey, do you want my autograph or something mister police officer?"
Tetsu sat down next to Oboro and his face hit the bar. Oboro nodded and went back to his bowl.
"I was asked to come interview you about the day you had your wallet stolen. I just got really nervous because my brother expects so much from me...or so I think." Tetsu said pulled out a notepad. Oboro scratched his chin,
"Yes, that was an interesting day wouldn't you say Poe? I was telling Ikumatsu-dono all about it, vented to her about that whole day. Let me tell you, it just got weirder from there on out." Oboro said turning to the Shinsengumi.
"There I was, walking the snow streets with Poe. Sun-dono was out, smiling at us as I continued my stroll after running into that Lady who asked for eggs. My wallet went missing around that time, but I was too busy taking in the beautiful day in Edo. It's not often I travel here, it was a nice change in pace. I wrapped up the latest batches of TV filming and had plenty of free time. Poe suggested that since I lost my wallet, that I should head to the park and maybe play some ultimate Wrisbee with all the cute single guys and single girl birds. But, those plans were dashed the moment I bumped into a most peculiar individual. I knew he meant trouble the moment I locked my eye on him. I turned to Poe and told him to watch from above while I deal with this man."
""Sir, what brings you here, looking as though you want to start trouble."", "That's what I told him. Pretty cool right? Anyway, the man turned to face me, taking his straw hat off to face me mano y mano. That was when I knew he meant business. He picked me up by my shoulders and hoisted me in the air like I was a ragdoll. Never had been manhandled this much since Universe 4. It was perhaps one of the most terrifying moments in my entire life. The man was no mere human, he had to be part Amanto. However, the great and awesome Oboro would never back down from this challenge. He may have nearly dislocated both of my shoulder blades, but my warrior spirit would prevail. With my lack of male genitalia, I was able to split my legs apart and completely wrap them around his waist. A smart move on my part, hmph, he didn't even see it coming. Poe I could tell was in complete aw and shock as I managed to suplex the giant beast down directly on his head. The onlookers cheered and clapped as I stood triumphant over the foe. However...what came next was perhaps the most humiliating thing to happen to me in quite some time, and the reason I needed to vent to Ikumatsu-dono...the beast was still hungry for blood. And with my back turned, it striked. Before I knew it, my trousers were around my ankles and my boxers with bird print patterns was revealed for the world to see. Paparazzi was there to catch the whole act...I am ashamed but not surprised by what happened. So, I had to come here and spill my soul to one person I knew who would listen." Tetsu was staring blankly at him the entire time,
"So could you describe the person who took your wallet?" Tetsu asked. Oboro gave him the classic face,
"Uh yeah, it was a girl, had a scar on her face. Brown hair I think." Poe cawked in agreement. Tetsu stood up and bowed,
"Thank you, that's all I needed." he marched out of the ramen shop and quickly headed back to the bar. Oboro turned back to face Ikumatsu,
"I really do talk too much don't I Ikumatsu-dono...I heard from the Wurvivor Television Program that you were widow to Kurokuno-dono, the former Joui patriot. Your husband was a good man Ikumatsu-dono, you should be proud of what he accomplished that day on Koukan." Ikumatsu smiled as she was cleaning her wok,
"It has been hard...to have no one to talk to about this, but I think I may have found that person recently. We both get the same type of customers, always giving us their life story. Not that I don't mind Oboro-san, it's just that, I think we really understand each other on that level. He's a really nice guy." Oboro smiled at this and paid his tab plus tax.
"He is a good man Ikumatsu-dono, I hope he too can do what you do for me." Oboro nodded his head as he walked out of the ramen shop. Ikumatsu smiled, thinking of the newly kindled friendship she formed with Pakuyasa over the last few days, something she began to look forward to more and more.
TBC
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1
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"Welcome Edo TO THIS VERY SPECIAL EDITION OF WURVIVOR!" the camera zooms into a snowy mountain top,
The person turned around and faced the camera,
"I'll be your host for this season of Wurivor, Ketsuno Ana!"
"Can you believe this? She gets a TV gig this big and doesn't even summon me up there to be her assistant." Gendomaru crossed her arms as she leaned back in her Wazyboy. Billy rolled his eyes while Ungyou's tear was finally cleaned up by Roberta using a handkerchief. The scene goes back to the TV where Ketsuno gestures out to the empty air,
"16 Contestants will compete against the elements and against themselves to claim the prize of 1 million dollars and the title of Sole Wurvivor! Let's meet our contestants for this season!" Ketsuno smiled as the scene faded as the contestants were introduced,
"I'm Takasugi Shinsuke and I'm for sure not a terrorist and totally a peaceful activist. I'm playing Wurvivor to prove I'm better than Gintoki and win the million dollars. If I win, I'll probably just take my husband on a really nice second honeymoon. I plan to play ruthless, I was a villain in the first arc for a reason you know."
"My name is Doromizu Pirako! I'm playing on behalf of my father who is old and out of shape! We're mega Wurvivor fans, so this has been a dream of ours for a long time! I'm glad to finally be introduced to TBC this way."
"Nobume Imai, everyone should be familiar. The Dick-Slaying, Pussy Destroyer Elite of all Elite is here to play Wurvivor. What would I do if I won the million dollars? Probably move out and live by myself so Isaburo would just leave me alone."
"Why am I playing Wurvivor? Simple, Lord Enshou is playing and I just so happen to be living in Edo full-time to study TBC. I hope to be put on the same tribe as the Greatest Man Alive, but that remains to be seen. If I win the million dollars, I'm giving it all to Enshou."
"I'm Shimura Tae! I work as a hostess, it's the best I can really do for me and Shin-chan. I hope to win the prize money so we can help rebuild Otose's Snack Bar and perhaps open up our dojo! Not that way of course!"
"Kijima Matako. I'm only playing this stupid game because Shinsuke-sama and Kyuubey-chan said I had to. If I win the million dollars, I'm opening up my own music shop and ditching those smelly dudes."
"Z."
"Eren, of the Renho! Finally, getting the opportunity to compete in a game show, reality show hybrid! It's about time I got my moment to shine. Playing with my best friend, Zura is going to be so much fun. If I win the million? Oh, I'll fund my kids for the rest of their lives! No worries cause daddy's bringing the title of Sole Wurvivor home babies!"
"My name is Takasugi Kotarou, and that is totally just a coincidence that I have the same name and look very similar to this person. I swear I am not a terrorist. If I win the title of Soul Wurvivor, I'll use the money to sprucen up our ship and take Shinny on a very very nice date."
"I'm Lily, the real star of Lilymu! I'm playing just so I can totally blow this gig at Lilymu and work at the top with Tokyo's A-listers. I gotta play as dirt as like possible so I'm going to backstab everybody to get to the top, like I've always done!"
"The name is Stephen Harvestein, and I'm First Captain under Lord Enshou. Playing Wurvivor has always been a dream of mine, and I've got some people that need helping out back in the real world. Hoping we can secure that million dollars and get their business back afloat!"
"Just getting the chance to speak in TBC is enough to make me happy. If I win the million, I'm ditching Ozu's old ass behind and starting a new life in Wegas."
"I'm Monika! Hehe, I'm playing for the rest of my crew back at the Harusame! Go, Pirates Go! With my prize money, I'll be able to accompany each room on our ship with cherry slushee machines! I know what's what our Chief would want! I'm just a video game character so I don't have much need for money."
"Oi I'm Sakata Gintoki and my house exploded. I need the million dollars so I can sleep at night."
"I'm Tama and I'm playing on behalf of Genghai-sama and Otose-sama. And also...Kintoki-sama wants waxed on abs."
"Hello puny humans, I need no introduction. The million dollars I'm going to win is going straight to buying make up and more sex toys."
The screen fads back to Ketsuno Ana smiling,
"And there you have our contestants! Come on out guys!" Ketsuno claps as the 16 contests walk out in front of her. "Alright guys, are you ready to begin Wurvivor?" the contestants cheered excitedly, Gintoki even salivating at the sight of the host. "First things first, we gotta make two tribes. Everyone reach into this bucket and pull out a buff. Yellow buffs stand over on the Yellow mat, you'll be the Yuuki Tribe. Orange buffs stand on the orange mat, you'll be the Kibou Tribe!" the 16 of them all reached into the bucket and pulled out a small package with their buffs. "We made sure the teams were even, so you'll be getting 4 girls and 4 guys on each team! Everyone reveal your buffs." Everyone revealed, taking their place on the mats. Ketsuno walked in between them,
"For the Yuuki Tribe we have: FDL, Lily, Saitou, Monika, Eren, Nobume, Shinsuke, and Stephen! For the Kibou Tribe we've got: Otae, Gintoki, Pirako, Katsura, Tama, Enshou, Matako, and King!" the scene cuts to Shinsuke with his head down at confessional,
"Of course I'm playing the beginning of this game without Honey. To be away from him even until the merge, this is going to be heartbreaking. But I'm a big boy, I can do this." the scene cuts back to the contestants putting their buffs on. Ketsuno steps aside and shows the two tribes to their campsites.
"Tomorrow, you guys will compete for immunity and the following night, someone from the losing tribe will be voted out," Ketsuno turned to the camera, "39 Days, 16 contestants, 1 WURVIVOR!" Gedomaru turned the TV off and laid back in her seat. Billy sneered as he cracked the billiards on the table,
"Aw come on Gedo, why you gotta turn it off? Don't you want to see those numbskulls suffer in the cold?" Billy looked over as Ungyou blinked in his direction, "Oh yeah and you can just shut your fucking yap over there ya?"
"..." Ungyou retorted. Billy had to be restrained by Gedo and Roberta as he was lunging at the headed one.
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Skele and Mutsu were sitting in a quiet cafe by themselves, or at least so they thought. It was their first date since that fateful kiss they had at the cabin. Mutsu got away from work for the first time in what felt like forever, and crime was significantly down since the universe unreseting. A lot of goodwill, and happy people in the city, so it made Skele's job much easier. The two decided to meet up at this brand new cafe that sprung up in the middle of Edo while reconstruction was happening.
"So...all they serve here is black coffee and egg products? Doesn't seem vegan friendly you know. I have a few vegan friends in the Hero Association!" Skele said as he was scanning the menu. Mutsu put her hand on his free hand, causing him to blush,
"All that matters is we get to hang out on our day off you know?" Mutsu said, smiling at Skele. From beyond the table, a pair, who looked to be the owners of the cafe looked on,
"Boss, do you really think this is a good idea? Why did we build an entire Egg-based Cafe just to get information on these two? Can't we just do espionage or something?" Haji asked, but Heiji put a finger to her lips,
"We have to do this the hard-boiled way Haji. There isn't anyway around this conundrum. Take a look at these two...holding hands. Just what I'd expect." Heiji set the clipboard down on the counter and spread out a bunch of pictures of Skele and Mutsu together.
"Why did you even take this job Boss? This is just gossip magazine digest at best!" Haji said, but Heiji hushed her as he smiled.
"Are you two fine people ready to order?" Heiji said with a large smile. Haji sighed as she gathered up the pictures and stacked them neatly. Mutsu shot daggers at him while Skele smiled back,
"I think I'll take a coffee, with extra sugar and creamer if that's possib-" but Heiji snatched the menu from Skele's hands as a vein popped out of his hand,
"Boss what are you doing!" Haji whispered loudly. Heiji sighed and jotted down the order, almost sending the pencil through the notepad as he wrote.
"I'll take an order of 3 scrambled eggs, 2 egg Benedict, 2 poached eggs, 2 fried eggs, and 1 sunny-side up egg. Black coffee." Mutsu said. Heiji's face went dark as he wrote down the order. He bowed and took the two menus from them and quickly scrambled up to Haji,
"Haji...I only brought one egg into the kitchen." Heiji whispered to her. Her face went dark as she slammed the clipboard down. "You're going to have to sneak through the back and steal some eggs from that farmer next door." Heiji pointed out the window,
"What the heck are you looking at? I'm not even a damned farmer, me and BH are doing a skit!" Bores yelled, but the two detectives couldn't hear him from inside the cafe. Haji nodded, as she was a former thief, this was her expertise. She got down on the floor and began to crawl like Snake, but turned around when she heard the bell at the front door ring,
"IT'S THE SHOGUNNNNNNNNNN" Heiji and Haji both said in tandem. Haji scrambled as quickly as possible out of the back of the kitchen while Heiji raised the notepad in front of him as he shook violently, sweat beating down his face.
"Oi...you guys only serve black coffee? Sho-chan really like apple juice-" Pops was cut off as Heiji magically produced Apple Juice from behind his back. In reality, it was something far worse than apple juice. Shige took the glass and inspected it,
"Matsudaria-san, why do you suppose this apple juice is pixelated?" Heiji tugged at the collar of his shirt as Matsudaria looked at the glass himself.
"I'm not sure Sho-chan, maybe it's homemade?" Pops said, scratching the scruff on his chin. Pops picked up his menu, "I think me and Sho-chan will just get an order of scrambled eggs." Heiji quickly jotted down the order and scrambled to the kitchen. He attempted several times to light his lighter before eventually sparking up a cigar and starting up the gas oven. He opened to mini fridge he used personally and pulled out a single egg that was sitting next to a half empty bottle of Wack Daniels. He closed the fridge and looked at the coffee pot, dripping down to the bottom. He reviewed the orders and cringed at Skele's order. He walked next to the stove and brushed the dust and cobwebs from it. When he opened it he heard,
as bugs and dust scattered all over the kitchen. The sugar and creamer were caked in dust as he took it from its nearly final resting place. He poured three cups, and put the dusty and old creamer/sugar in Skele's cup. He sighed and walked back to the dining area and began to hand out the coffee. Pops took a big sip and gave a satisfied smile. Mutsu took a sip of hers as she still shot daggers at him, which caused him to gulp. Skele stared at his cup, as the sugar came up to the top lumped together. Heiji hurried back to the kitchen, leaving the couple to themselves,
"Why did you order that many eggs Mutsu?" Skele asked, examining his dreadful looking coffee. Mutsu downed her whole cup and shattered the mug against the table,
"I don't trust those two, plus I need to reach my macro limit before I work out later." Mutsu said, showing Skele her killer abs. Skele blushed, as did Mutsu as she realized what she did. The Shogun began to sip at the """apple juice""" while Heiji looked from a creek in the door. He hid behind it after seeing the Shogun do that, praying that Haji would quickly make it back with the eggs. The scene shifted to Haji hiding inside a hay bail, watching Bores and Hercules going over their script.
"Alright so you just stand over there and act like a pig or something," Bores said. BH nodded in agreement, but Haji just couldn't help herself,
"He certainly looks like one." she said just loud enough, still hidden.
BH swung his sword around, but ended up falling into a pile of snow.
"YOU IDIOT, YOU'RE RUINING OUR PROPS!" Bores attempted to get off the hay bail, but stumbled, "Woah!" he fell off the hay bail and knocked himself out on impact with the ground. Haji quickly looked around and ran past the two and looked around the farm.
"What the...these two aren't even real farmers!" Haji picked up a toy chicken that squawked at her.
"Hey, who's messing with Bore's pet chicken out there! Bores where are you? It's dark...I'm scared, really really scared." BH said as the audience clapped for his catchphrase. Haji threw the bird down, causing it to shatter into a million pieces, but that action caused an uproar. A bird flew in and started pecking at her,
"Hey, OW! WATCH IT!" Haji shielded herself, but heard a voice call out,
"Poe! Calm down, it was simply plastic." Haji looked up and saw the dumb face of Oboro walking up to her. He looked at me with his banter face before switching back to serious Oboro looking down at Haji. "What caused you the destruction of this plastic bird? Certainly it did nothing to you." Oboro said. Haji sighed,
"I need eggs to feed my...customers?" Haji said. Oboro nodded,
"Well, it just so happens that I have the whole month off since my co-star is competing in a reality television program. Ozu-dono was kind enough to give us the month off as he re-furnished his penthouse. I was about to go to the store and pick up an assortment of fruit and vegetables for me and Poe to cook. We don't usually have the time to make delicious home made meals like we used to with this extremely busy schedule of filming, media appearances, other filming for commercials and sponsorships. Not to mention having to save the entire universe on a near monthly basis. To say me and Poe are busy is a complete understatement. We had to shoot a scene the day I un-reset the universe, like are you kidding me? But, I love acting so it's something I can really sink my teeth into. Sensei always told me a day lost is a day wasted. So, I have to use each day to its fullest. Perhaps even meeting and talking to you today was just what I needed to push forward. Meeting new people is always great, since I always meet fans and giving them autographs. I'm not like most celebrates who push their fans away, I am very approachable. Perhaps you would like mine?" Oboro was too busy monologuing and staring off into space to not realize Haji was already long gone.
"She stole my wallet didn't she Poe." Poe simply beakwinged as Haji was sprinting to the small market down the street. She quickly bought two dozen eggs and raced past the stunned Oboro, dropping his wallet off at his feet. Haji kicked the back door and threw the eggs at Heiji who swiftly caught them and began to crack them gracefully into the pans. Each egg beginning to cook to perfection, both were following the instructions Mutsu had given them, each egg being cooked the way she asked. Heiji and Haji cleaned the sweat off their heads as they marveled at their culinary accomplishment. Each egg was cooked accordingly, seasoned perfectly, the aroma filling the kitchen as Heiji put his cigar out in an ash tray,
"Haji, in all my years of detective work, this has got to be my greatest, most hard boiled task I've ever completed...no, we've ever completed." Haji sniffed as a tear ran down her cheek.
"Are you ready to see those happy faces glowing with excitement Boss?" Haji asked. Heiji simply smiled as he tipped his Eggscellent hat before opening the door to the diner.
"SHO-CHAN, STAY WITH ME!" Heiji and Haji's eyes darkened as they saw Matsudaria bent down, holding Shige's head up. The """apple juice""" glass was empty and the "blood" coming from Shige's mouth dripped onto Pops.
"Matsudaria-san...I don't know what that apple juice was but...I could really go for some eggs right about now." Shige said, beginning to struggle to his feet. Skele and Mutsu stayed seated watching the madness unfold in front of them.
"Sh-should we just leave Mutsu?" Skele asked, but Mutsu closed his jaw shut and pointed at Heiji and Haji holding her eggs.
"Bring me my eggs." Mutsu said. Heiji slowed walked to the table, passing by Shige as he puked out the """"apple juice"""" thankfully, Pops did not notice him. He slowly placed the eggs in front of Mutsu before scurrying back to the kitchen. Haji walked over the placed the eggs on the table Shige and Pops were sitting at. Haji also booked it back to the kitchen, peering through to door at Mutsu who was downing her eggs. Pops lifted up Shige and yelled,
"IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE?!" at that, the front door of the cafe slammed open,
"Time is money...and I am the Doctor of Pain." Takatin ripped the door off the cafe and tossed it to the street outside. His snatched the Shogun from Matsudaria and hit him with a backbreaker and then did a leg drop on top of him. Takatin stood up, "I'm looking for the fool who disrespected my friend, Best Hercules. Someone who does my tag team partner wrong, does me wrong." Takatin glared around the cafe. Pops shot his gun at Takatin, but the large muscular man caught the bullet in between his pecs. Matsudaria was shocked and looked down at the Shogun, who was completely knocked out. Skele was sweating, somehow, as he turned back to his girlfriend who completely devoured her eggs. She stood up and met eyes with the large man. "So, it was you. BH did say it sounded like a woman." Takatin cracked his knuckles but was met with Mutsu punching him so hard that it sent him flying through the window and falling on top of Bores and BH while they were looking in.
"Come on Skele, let's go somewhere else for our date. Away from this chumps." Skele smiled nervously as she scooped him up and carried him out of the Cafe. Haji and Heiji's darkened faces looked on as Pops carried Shige out of the cafe, crying as loud as he could.
"Boss, who even sent us to document these two? This seems rather dangerous." Haji asked. Heiji lit up another cigar,
"Some sucker going by the name B.O.D." he said, taking a puff. "Let's continue tailing those two Haji, we can't let them slip through our fingertips so easily."
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"KIBOUU, WINS IMMUNITY!" Ketsuno yelled as she through her hands up. Enshou came to a halt and stuck his tongue out on a snowboard.
"I had no idea he was that good at snowboarding." Stephen said, pretty impressed with Enshou.
"There's a lot of things you don't know about me babe." Enshou said, throwing up a shakabrah.
"Kibou, come get your immunity. You guys are safe tonight, no tribal council. Head on back to camp. Yuuki, you've got a date with me at tribal council where someone will be the first person voted off Wurvivor Edo. I got nothing for you, head on back to camp." Ketsuno said with a smile. The Yuuki Tribe reached camp and Shinsuke plopped down in the shelter. It cut to a confessional with Stephen,
"Well today's challenge was pretty difficult. Having to hit a backflip off the slopes. How I didn't know Master Enshou knew how to snowboard is beyond me, but damn did he kill us in that challenge." Stephen said sighing. The confessional cuts to another one with Enshou,
"They doubted me, but now they'll see just how useful I can be." Enshou said, but the scene cuts to him sleeping in the shelter and not helping around camp. The scene cuts back to the Yuuki tribe who was scrambling on who to vote out. Lots of players were splitting up in pairs. Lily and FDL were standing just outside of camp in a small patch of the forest,
"So, OK, here me out FDL. We get out that old geezer and get some kind of girls alliance going. Though, we'd need one of the boys to flip." Lily said. FDL thought about it and it cut to her sitting at a confessional,
"I don't think that bitch even knows my real name. She's been working with me for years and years now and she's never once said 'hello' to me. Though numbers are important, so if I have to, then I'll work with her." Another confessional starts up,
"Couldn't trust that FDL as far as I could throw her." The scene cuts to Shinsuke laying in the shelter with Nobume and Eren.
"I miss Honey." Shinsuke said. Eren nodded,
"I miss Fumiko." he said. Nobume sighed,
"I should just vote one of your asses out tonight and go with the girls." Nobume said. Shinsuke glared at her,
"After all we've done together? You're always hanging out with me and Zura." Nobume rolled her eyes and got up out of the shelter. Eren shrugged at Shinsuke.
"So, who are we voting tonight? I assume we're going to work together to get to the merge right Shinny?" Eren asked. Shinsuke reluctantly agreed. The scene cut to a confessional of Eren,
"Me and Shinsuke haven't always got along, but I think we can let bygones be bygones and play a little co-op. Cause this game for sure isn't a single player one." the scene cut to Monika talking with FDL as the two tended to the fire.
"So Lily wants to get out Stephen? Well I suppose he's a threat later on down the line, but I'm not sure if it's the smartest decision. We need strength and well..." Monika peered over to Lily who was struggling to bring a small twig to the firepit. FDL and Monika both gave each other the look of, yeah she should probably go. Meanwhile, while everyone was distracted, Stephen had slipped out of camp and was looking for the hidden immunity idol. He was frantically searching each crevice and nook of the trees, rocks, river and everywhere in between. But unknown to him and everyone else, Saitou had found the idol without barely even trying,
(art by anele)
'I found this ugly thing laying by a tree and found an Idol inside of it.' Saitou signed, through the Elizabeth plush in the fire. Eren twinged in the shelter as his self was being burned unbeknownst to him. Stephen gave up his idol search and sat de-jected at the shelter. Saitou patted him on the back as he hid the idol in his afro. The day was waning, so it was time for tribal counsel. The 8 made their way to the site and sat down in front of Ketsuno.
The eight castaways walk into an indoor, tribal looking area with a fire brewing. The take their torches and begin to light them in the fire.
"Fire represents life in this game, go ahead and dip it in there and have a seat." Ketsuno said. The 8 took their seats,
"My, my, doesn't everyone look chipper?" Ketsuno asked. The contestants all groaned. "Eren, how's tribe life? Everything as chipper as this back at camp?"
"Well, I suppose. Lots of sleeping, lots of whispers, but I think everything is pretty alright past this murky surface." he replied. Lily gave him a confused look,
"Lily, you got an issue with that?" Ketsuno asked. She nodded,
"Some people are more difficult to work with than others, some don't even want to work at all. Just sit around and do nothing." Lily said rolling her eyes.
"Shinsuke, does she make a good point?" Ketsuno asked. He shrugged,
"Well, she just kind of looks at her nails all day. Reminds me of some other blonde on the other tribe." Lily growled at Shinsuke who just chuckled.
"Stephen, let's talk idols. You guys know they're out there, do you think anyone's got one?" Ketsuno leaned in,
"Well Ketsuno, I'm not really sure! Some people today I'm sure went looking but came up empty. Perhaps, there's just no idols this season?" Ketsuno nodded,
"Perhaps! Saitou, the challenge today, pretty tough. Snowboarding can take some learning curves but you performed pretty well out there today. Do you think being a physical threat poises danger?" Saitou sat there, with a sleep bubble. Ketsuno nodded and moved on to Monika,
"What about you Monika? You seem to be a physical threat too." she asked,
"Well, I was an athlete at school before I came to Edo, but having physically strong people early in the game is very important, perhaps weeding out the weaker ones are priority." but Nobume spoke up,
"Or get rid of the physical threats first and deal with the social threats later in the game." Nobume said, smirking. FDL added,
"She's right, it's not always the weakest person we should focus on, but perhaps the physical threat!" she said. Tension was building in the tribe as they were murmuring to each other. Ketsuno stood up,
"With that, it's time for our first vote. Lily, you're up." Lily made her way to the voting booth, as did everyone else in following sequence.
"You're way too dangerous to keep in this game, sorry old man."
"Rather you than me, hey my first voting confessional! Love you Fumiko!"
The rest of the tribe voted without confessionals. The last person took their seat,
"I'll go tally the votes." Ketsuno walked off to grab the urn. She brought it back and sat it upon a podium. "If anyone has the hidden immunity idol and you'd like to play it, now would be the time to do so." Ketsuno looked around, but no one stood up to play the idol. "Ok, once the votes are read the decision is final, the person voted off will be asked to leave the tribal council area immediately. I'll read the votes." she took out one parchment, "First vote,"
"Lily."
"Lily, that's two votes Lily."
"Stephen, that's 1 vote Stephen, 2 votes Lily."
"Stephen, we're tied 2 votes Stephen, 2 votes Lily."
"Shinsuke, that's 1 vote Shinsuke."
"We are tied again, 2 votes Stephen, 2 votes Lily, 2 votes Shinsuke."
"Lily, that's 3 votes Lily, 2 votes Stephen, 2 votes Shinsuke, 1 vote left." Ketsuno pulled out the last vote,
"First person voted out of Wurvivor Edo, Lily."
"That's 4, that's enough. I need you to bring me your torch." Lily shook her head and stood up,
"You'll all regret not voting out that Old Man." Shinsuke looked around,
"Who the hell voted for me?" Nobume smiled at him devlishly while Saitou Z'd. "A white and a black coat working together, I'll be damned." Lily picked her torch up and placed it in front of Ketsuno.
"Lily, the tribe has spoken."
"It's time for you to go." Ketsuno gave her a smile while Lily stormed off. "Well that was an exciting first tribal, hopefully keeping strength over social was the right moves. Grab your stuff and head back to camp, goodnight." the 7 castaways got their stuff and headed back to their campsite. Lily sat at the confessional and gave her farewell message,
"Well it was certainly something. I got away from the Lilymu cast for a few days, so that's really nice." Lily shrugged and walked away. The scene cuts to Enshou twitching in his sleep,
"A little rough tonight aren't Bro?"
Enshou stared down at B.O.D who was bowing to Enshou to say sorry,
"I won't be as rough next time oh Dark Overlord! Just please, try and bring that man into your dream! Think of the excellent o-" but he was cut off by Enshou,
"I have to focus on this game Idiot. I'll try tomorrow for sure, but I'm pretty beat from that snowboarding." B.O.D looked dejected as Enshou vanished. Enshou had woken up to relieve himself. B.O.D stood up and sighed, pouring himself some wine, swishing it in the cup.
"Oh Jeb, Jeb, Jeb, Jeb. You're getting closer and closer to that Saxophone Wielding Git. But, once you do, their healer is out, you make your move." he smiled to himself as the classical music played in the background. "Now, if those detectives would just do their job and get me more intel on the Globberians and the Joushishi..." he put his fingers to his chin. "I'll have to contact my liaison in the land of the waking to get my updated." he quickly put the wine away when he heard the bedroom door creek open.
"Ready for Round 2, Idiot." Enshou asked. B.O.D. nodded in acceptance.
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"Yukes ain't come outta her room ina few days. I'm gettin kinda worried bout her." Valentino was leaning on a carhood in the Wrooklyn part of Globberian Village. The Shinsengumi were stopping by in the efforts to calculate the damage of both Edo and Tokyo. Valentino was leaning against Hijikata's car as the Vice Chief looked solemnly at the village.
"You know, I'm glad you guys got your village restored. I know a lot of samurai that helped fight in the Great Solid Wars, as they're called now." Hijikata said, Valentino smiled,
"Well, yous samurai have helped our people immensely. We even owe some of ya our lives." Valentino said.
"Don't worry about your sister Valentino, I think alone time will do her best right now. I've never had an actual sister, but I've grown up around someone I'd consider one...maybe even closer." Hijikata sighed. "Just, make sure to knock on her door every once and awhile and ask how she's doing." Hijikata smiled at Valentino and got back in his car. He leaned out the window, "And if you guys are ever in any trouble, just let us know." Valentino nodded as Hijikata drove off.
"Jus check up on her sometimes huh? That's too easy for a nosy fratello like myself."
TBC
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3 minutes ago, Majesty Yuka said:
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"How hard is it to get service around here?" Joe sat down at the table Yuka and Valentino were at. Their wine spilled across the white table clothes. The two Globberians stared in horror at the sight of Roberta laying limp on the ground at the feet of Joe. The Tendoushu withdrew their weapons and stepped away from the group. Joe looked back at the Tendoushu as they whipped their cloaks and turned about face.
"We can't be bothered to deal with this being. He's out of our control and much more powerful than us. Plus they're here." one of the Tendoushu pointed at Oboro, Poe, and Stephen. Oboro gave the Tendoushu the classic banter face as they passed by. Poe caw'd at them as they passed. Joe tapped his fingers on the table.
"You, jizz head in the back." Joe pointed at Oboro. Oboro stepped forward as Joe continued to stay seated.
"Joe-dono. You are sinister, causing the reset of the first TBC universe." Joe narrowed his gaze,
"I have no idea what you're even talking about. All that I know is that you're in the way of me getting to that damn man who ripped Her away from me." Joe shifted his eyes to the red wine, dripping to the floor of the restaurant. Oboro stared at Joe as silence filled the joint.
"Captain-dono." Oboro did not break his gaze from Joe as he spoke to Stephen, "I'm sure you are powerful enough to hold Joe-dono down while I go somewhere. I need purple Altana." Oboro began to walk out of the restaurant, but Joe grabbed his arm.
"Where the hell do you think you're goin?" Joe tugged hard at the jizz head's arm, causing a small amount of pain. Oboro yanked his hand away from Joe while Poe grabbed a tuff of Oboro's curly hair.
"You're going to have to deal with someone in your past Joe-dono, regardless if you've met him or not. Poe, to the cabin." Poe lifted Oboro up and flew out the door with him in his beak. Stephen's face darkened as he realized just how powerful Poe could be. Stephen turned his attention to Joe who turn his attention back to the wine dripping from the table. Yuka and Valentino were the only other two in the building as Stephen stepped forward to face Joe.
"Joe, you can choose to believe me or not, but I know you...personally from the outside world." Stephen took his captain's hat off and put it to his side. "I'm good friends with Wilford." Joe's eyes shot up from the wine and met the Captain's gaze. "I knew your parents, very well. Our families were so close Joe." Joe got out of his seat and stood across from Stephen. "Let's just put this little thing aside so we can get back home." Stephen said. Joe walked up to him and with the blink of an eye, lunged at Stephen. Stephen caught the punch from his metallic arm. Joe opened the palm of his hand within Stephen's grasp the create a sword, but Stephen channeled his powers into his own hand and sent Joe flying across the room, crashing into a table with spaghetti plated.
"Whata waste of good noodles!" Valentino said, receiving a slap from Yuka in return. Joe looked up in surprise,
"Gosh! It's about time I got someone as strong as me! If I can't get Utsuro, then you'll have to do Old Man!" Joe shot up and began to rush towards Stephen before the scene shifted to Poe flapping his wings while Oboro flipped through a small pocketbook he had.
"Poe, I know he's going to be there. However, it's the only place I can find purple Altana in this universe. I'm terrified to face him again...not after that dream I had. Do you think he knows about that dream Poe? I'm sure he does, he is Sensei after all." Poe slowed down as the two spotted Utsuro's cabin, indeed emitting smoke from the chimney stack. Oboro planted his feet in the snow as Poe started panting on his shoulders. Oboro let out a sigh as he put his pocketbook back in his breast pocket. He trudged through the thick snow and faced the door of the cabin. He gave the wood three knocks as his heart was racing. The door opened and Oboro made eye contact with his Sensei...for the first time in what felt like a lifetime.
"I figured you would be knocking at my door Oboro." Utsuro gave Oboro and smile, allowing the two inside his cabin. Oboro hesitated at first, but stepped inside. It was warm in the cabin, the firewood crackling just like it was hours ago in the present universe. "Not but 5 minutes ago, you two just vanished from your chairs! I was quite shocked at first, but I figured something happened with time and space and all that." Utsuro put on his "Kiss the Chef" oven mitts and opened the oven door. "This batch came out really well I think!"
"Why don't you try one Oboro?" Oboro looked at the cookies, hot steam coming from the freshly baked snacks. He shook his head as he sat down. Poe flew from Oboro's shoulder and landed on the table in front of Utsuro. Utsuro turned and smiled at the bird as he sat the cookie tray down next to him. "I'm dead, isn't that right Oboro?" Oboro put his head down, staring at his lap. Utsuro took the mitts off and sat opposite of him at the table. "It's ok Oboro, I understand if you don't want to talk to me. It must be difficult for you, from whichever universe you hail from. I'm guessing someone caused a little ruckus and spilled the cookie batter! No problem really, I know pretty much exactly what's going on Oboro so you don't have to explain anything. I'll gather up the crystals and let you be on your way." Utsuro reached into his pocket and pulled out a small sack that was glowing purple. "I hope you remember what I told you in that dream."
Oboro covered his face with his hands after that last line. "In death, I may not be there physically Oboro. But, rest assured that my essence lives on somewhere in this plain of existence. I just hope that you are happy. I'm glad to see that you continue to live on without me." Utsuro slid the bag across the table, hitting Oboro's arms while his face rested in his palms. "You can fix this mess you're in without me Oboro." Oboro removed his face from his hands,
"You were the only person I could come to with purple Altana, Sensei. I...I've become stronger than maybe I realize. I've accepted myself for who I am and began to embrace the people around me. I have friends now...a life outside of your own." Oboro grabbed the pouch and put it next to his pocketbook. Utsuro smiled at Oboro as he stood up.
"My, you have grown haven't you Oboro. I can't say for sure how many times I've reset the universe up until your point in time, but with those crystals, I sense you are willing to prevent a reset. It shows me how happy you are there, and that's all I can ask for. You still make me proud." Utsuro stood up and faced away from Oboro as him and Poe began to head out of the doorway. Oboro was fighting back tears, but he couldn't cry, not now. He had to help save the universe he called his permanent home. Utsuro smiled to himself as his cabin door closed, the crackle of his fireplace the only noise he heard. "Keep living Oboro, for both of us." The scene shifted back to Joe, who was shooting knives from his arm at Stephen, who ducked and dodged, grabbing a hold of his hat so it didn't fall off.
"Phew! You're wild aren't you Joe! Shame this'll be the last time I see this version of you! Though, I much prefer the one that doesn't try and murder me." Stephen caught one of the blades flying at him and chucked it back at Joe. The blade got lodged into his metal arm, causing it to spark. Joe rushed at the Captain, morphing his hand into a blade. He began slashing at Stephen, but he was stopped at his legs. He looked down and saw green strands weighing him down.
"Fratello, I told you not to interfere!" Yuka yelled. Stephen took the opportunity to grab Joe's metal arm and rip it from his flesh. He tossed it aside while Valentino let go of Joe. Joe staggered in front of Stephen when they heard Poe and Oboro crashing into the window outside. Oboro took the pouch from his pocket and flashed it to Stephen. But, while the Captain was distracted, Joe gave him a huge uppercut from his normal hand, causing a tooth to fly from his mouth. Joe took down the Captain and started to throw haymakers on him. Oboro quickly rushed inside the diner, and held Joe back, tossing him into a booth. Yuka stood up from the back of the diner and walked over to the dis-figured Roberta. She bent down and stared at the woman, who's head was nearly completely destroyed.
"Why is this happening..." she said to herself softly.
Yuka let tears come from her eyes. Valentino was shocked, he's never seen his Godsister openly weep like this. "It feels like...this is all my fault." her head fell to Roberta's cold chest.
Joe adjusted himself in the booth he landed in while the only sounds filling the building were the open sobs of Yuka. Oboro walked over to her,
"Yuka-dono, it is not your fault. Roberta-dono was clouded by guilt. We all are at some point...but her grief made her succumb to fate. I'm positive the Yuka in the present will understand she was never at fault for this. The best I can do now, is help reverse the effects of Roberta's actions. Go, take your Godbrother and be happy here. He won't be much of a problem for long anyway." Oboro shifted his gaze to Joe, who was still groggy from the toss.
"Yo, Captain over there." Stephen climbed to his feet, placing the teeth he lost in his coat pocket. "What does he mean by that? I'm not a problem for long?" Joe asked, leaning in the booth.
"You're a changed man where we live Joe. You accepted Her death, the death of your parents. You even-" but as Stephen was talking, the door to the pizza joint opened up and a hefty, elderly gentleman stood in the doorway.
"Joe, I've been lookin up and down f-" Brimley met eyes with the Captain. Stephen, a man he knew years ago in his past. "So..this is where you ran off to all those years ago? Hmph, could have at least told me. Someone you'd considered a brother. I can't stay here Joe, I'll be on my way when you're finished." Wilford shut the door and headed up the street. Stephen stared at the door, and putting his head down. Joe rested in the booth he was sitting at,
"You weren't lying when you said you knew me...I'm just confused man. Where did you even come from? Why are you guys even here? That thing I killed brought you all here? God." Joe put his head down on the table. Oboro was silently reciting the Latin from his pocketbook while the crystals in his bag began to glow. Stephen let out a sigh and walked over to Roberta's corpse. He bent down next to Yuka and put his hand on her shoulders.
"Everything will be alright in the end Ms. Yuka. I'll make good on that promise when I get home." Stephen picked up Roberta's body and placed her next to Oboro. He stuck his hand through the closed up sword wound and materialized green crystals from the sword she was stabbed with, dust particles still resting inside the stab. Stephen grabbed the small crystals he created and placed them in the small pouch alongside the purple Altana. Yuka looked up, tears still running down her face, Joe looking at Stephen somberly, and Valentino turning his back to the three. "We'll see you on the other side." Stephen said, picking Roberta up as a small portal began to form in front of Oboro. He stopped his phrases,
"This is our only moment to get back to present time Stephen-dono, we have to go now." Oboro said, as he and Poe grabbed the small pouch. Stephen nodded, still thinking of the last thing Wilford ever said. The last thing he'd ever hear his long time friend from the real world say. 'Someone you'd consider a brother'. Stephen smiled through his busted up mouth and jumped through the portal with Roberta's body on his shoulder. Oboro and Poe bowed to the three in front of them and jumped into the portal as it closed up behind them. The landed in a crowd of people as time had began to resume. They were cheering on Sadaharu and the Gods as they were using all their might to hold back the power of the Altana.
"Jesus, it's about fuckin time you 3 showed back up! Did you get that worm or..." Billy was in his titan form, sending energy to Sadaharu when he noticed the body that Stephen was carrying. Oboro brought himself to his feet and continued the ritual. He stopped for a second cause he saw one of his co-workers,
"Raj-dono, give me one of your megaphones." Oboro said.
"YOU JUST ASSUME I HAVE A MEGA-PHONE BECAUSE I'M LOUD? Of course I do, here you go." Raj handed Oboro a megaphone, as he continued the ritual. The sky was beginning to shift in favor of the blue, warm hue everyone was used to. The cheers and roars from all of Edo and Tokyo cheering on Sadaharu, Ane, and Mone as they were further harvesting the Altana back to its stable state. The cracks in the Earth beginning to shift back into place. Dylan stared from the outside world as the sky around him began to calm, the ocean was fading in color. He smiled, walking out of the cave and feeling the warmth of the Sun. All the people surrounding the core began to hug and cheer, even some of the Skolexians began to shift to human forms and cheer on the three and Oboro as the universe was shifting back into place. Ane and Mone released their cast as the Altana had finally became stable enough, and Sadaharu had enough strength to hold it together.
"Alright everyone! Great job!" Ane and Mone both said as all the characters cheered, hugged each other, and celebrated. Oboro was still completing his chanting while Tatsuma patted him on the back from behind.
"AHAHAHAHA! NICE WORK OBORO! You really helped save our butts back there!" Oboro smiled through his chants. He finally finished the enchantment and closed his book. He looked to his right and saw Stephen carrying Roberta through the crowd of people. He saw Skele/Yuka following him close behind. He sighed to himself as he followed the three of them. The scene shifted to Yorozuya who were standing by Ane and Mone, watching Sadaharu.
"So, how long is he going to be in there for?" Shinpachi asked.
"He should be stable enough to stay in there while construction is being done. We'll keep him company just in case." Mone said. Gintoki stepped away from the kids as he met eyes with Katsura a few feet away.
"Oi Zura, have you seen Shinsuke?" Gintoki asked. Katsura looked away from and turned his back, "O-oi..." Gintoki looked in horror as Shinsuke dragged himself from the back alley Katsura happened to be standing in front of.
"Gintoki..."
"I...lost." Gintoki dropped to his knees,
"SHINSUKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Gintoki yelled as his voice cracked with despair. Shinpachi looked down at Gintoki and back up at the white stains on Shinsuke's face,
"OIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII WHAT WERE YOU TWO DOING DURING THIS WHOLE THING! WHY ARE YOU CRYING GIN-SAN?!" Shinpachi yelled. Shinsuke leaned against the wall of the alley and coughed up white blood. "THAT IS MOST CERTAINLY NOT WHITE BLOOD!"
"It was one of those worms...they attacked me." Shinsuke said, adjusting his belt.
"YOU DON'T EVEN WEAR A BELT! AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY WORM?!" Shinpachi yelled.
"Shinsuke..." Gintoki caught his friend as he fell to his knee. Shinsuke looked up at Gintoki, the sun shining down for the first time in a few days.
"You two are absolutely ridiculous." Shinpachi said, storming off. The scene followed him until it stopped on Enshou, who was still knocked out from earlier.
"Mmm, come on bro...not here..." he mumbled to himself. No one was around him at all. The scene caught up to Sweetcheeks as him, Yuka, Skele, Oboro, and Poe all made it back to Utsuro's cabin where Valentino's ashes sat. The all entered the cabin, as Yuka removed herself from Skele. She sat on the couch in her glob form, next to Sophia.
"How did she die." Yuka asked, not looking at her former lover's body.
"It was Joe, well not the Joe that lives here but one from another universe. She...she died in your arms Yuka. You and Valentino were at the place we battled that Joe." Stephen said. Yuka's gaze clouded as she continued to stare at her solid. Oboro walked up to the small coffee table in front of Yuka and sat a small cookie jar in front of her.
"Yuka-dono, I placed Valentino-dono inside this jar. You may do with it as you wish." Yuka looked up at the cookie jar with a small turtle on it.
"Oh Valentino..." she grabbed the jar and held it close to her. Her glob form pretty much absorbing the jar. Skele looked down tentatively. Oboro snapped his fingers, doing so caused Poe to bring out the small pouch. It was glowing a small grayish color.
"Bonestein, I'm sure you don't remember, but back in Okinawa when Sensei resurrected you; he used this. He completely reshaped your skull that he ground into ashes. Poe placed you back together and brought you back to life." Skele nodded as he remembered the moment he came back to the land of the living. Yuka put the jar back on the table, "What I'm trying to say Yuka, is that we can either bring Valentino-dono back to life...or we could fix your solid half. It is impossible to bring Roberta back to life, that is up to Billy-dono from now on. I see her stay in Hell to be a permanent one. But these two, these two can be saved." Poe sat the pouch down next to the cookie jar while Yuka squirmed on the couch.
"Life is never easy, is it Oboro. We just fought to stop a universe where I could have all three of them again, yet you prompt me with this. Making me choose between the two beings closest to me. Two of a handful that truly understood me on a personal level." Yuka lamented on that last statement. Stephen stepped forward,
"I can always help, you know I do have the purple Altana running through my body. Shouldn't that be enough to save them both?" Stephen asked. Oboro scratched his chin as he looked at the pouch on the table. However, Yuka used her liquid tentacles to grab the pouch herself.
"Stephen, you needn't worry about me. Sophia...Sophia has been long dead. If you couldn't tell by my disfigured appearance when I was in my solid form. But...I just don't know how I feel about abusing powers like this. Roberta, she did the same. Look where that got her. She became a shell of herself, misguided by her fate and her stubbornness." Yuka said, solemnly. Skele approached her at least and sat on the couch next to her,
"Yuka, I understand why you're hesitant in bringing him back, but I want to at least say my peace before you make any decision. I've gotten to know Valentino very well over the past week or so. He's...one of the most caring beings I've ever met. He'd always talk about you, you know that? He was worried sick you might do something you'd regret, or that you'd get hurt. And by the look of it, he died because of that worry. I had no time to stop him, he threw himself in harms way just to protect not only you, but to protect us. He's a hero Yukes. Just as much as Stephen, as Oboro, as....Hitsugi, and even as you. We all saved the universe from collapsing. It may sound selfish of me, and that's completely against everything I was brought up on; but I really miss him. He...he is just like how our species are. We're co-existing, not co-dependent. You...may not realize it but you really brought together something I was missing to this planet. I'm sorry if I may sound rude, but I figured I would just share with you how much your Godbrother meant to me. Please, do what makes you feel most at ease." Skele gave her a smile, but as he was about to give up, he felt Yuka yank him towards her. She didn't morph with him, but she simply gave him a hug, a tight hug that she didn't want to let go.
"All I wanted to do was make my people happy...never did I think we would be able to, as you said, co-exist with the mammals living around us. I was scared we were going to get pushed away, like we always have. Regulated to nothing but pawns...but here on Earth, people view us as equals. To be called a hero...I don't deserve such a moniker. But, he does." Yuka let go of Skele and she grabbed the small pouch. "I'm ready Oboro. I want to bring Valentino back to life." Oboro nodded as he pulled out a small book from Utsuro's bookshelf. Stephen smiled as he began to walk out the door,
"Skele, do you know where Hitsugi is?" Stephen asked. Skele looked somber,
"He's in the hospital...but his injuries are fatal. He fell into a coma when he arrived." Oboro's eyes went dark as he held the book. Stephen looked down at the ground and nodded his head.
"Then, there is no need for me to see him. I shall pay visit to others in his place." Stephen said, closing the cabin door behind him. He made his way through the snow, a few mile walk was nothing, but he was still hurting from his fight with Joe. He was adjusting his jawline and rubbing his cheeks most of the way towards his destination. He saw the fence, and large gate drawing nearer to him as he was trudging along through the snow. He picked a few flowers that hung from trees along the way. He opened the cemetery gate and headed towards the middle part of it. He looked down to see "Hitsugi Family" written on the headstone. He placed a single flower in the vase, remembering that day he ran into Hitsugi here. He continued to the back of the cemetery, reading each headstone to find the name he was looking for. Eventually, he came across the one he came to find,
Stephen sighed as he laid the rest of the floors down at the foot of the tombstone. "I'm sorry for leaving you guys Wilford...I wish everything could have been different. I...I was just afraid to face you again while you were still here. God, I have so many regrets in my life....I should have been there for a friend. I try, try as I must to put flowers on your grave. Yet, I can never get your forgiveness, nor do I deserve it. I have to leave, and return this book home." Stephen went down to one knee and wiped the tears from his eyes. But, he heard a familiar voice from behind him,
"So, you really are leaving Sweetcheeks."
Stephen turned around and saw Enshou staring down at him. "You still have that minichip I put inside you, so I knew you were out here. Alone, I assumed. No one comes to a cemetery with friends...well unless you're into that stuff." Stephen stood up and faced Enshou. Before Enshou could speak, Stephen embraced the redhead. Enshou put his hands up in shock. "What is this about..." Enshou asked.
"You should know, you didn't come all this way out here for nothing, Sir." Stephen said, looking up to smile at Enshou. "I won't be gone forever Sir. I just have to get the comic book and that kid back to safety." Enshou put his hands down, still not accepting the embrace. "And yes...I did hear your song Enshou. It was beautiful." Enshou's heart jump, just now realizing he could feel the heartbeat of his Captain's against his. Enshou finally gave in and embraced Stephen.
"You know how much it pains me to say this Captain, but...I've really missed you. Please be safe out there." the two stood in each other's embrace for awhile until Sweetcheeks spoke up after giving Enshou a small kiss on the cheek.
"I promise, I'll be back for you Sir." Enshou nodded as Stephen broke off from him. Stephen looked up and gave a thumbs up, "Blue skadoo'd, we can too!" Stephen jumped out of the comic book and landed in front of Dylan.
"Alright wise guy, Dylan had had it up to here with all this smadoo nonsense. It makes number 1 on his top 11 weirdest and most annoying things list." Dylan said, tearing at his beard. Stephen sighed,
"It's alright kid, I'll get ya home." Stephen said, patting Dylan on the back.
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The scene shifted to the Keiheiti/Joushishi ship sitting opposite of the Harusame ship as the Yato continued to rebuild LilyMu Towers. Katsura was whistling in a bubble bath, washing off after the attack from the Skolexian earlier. Shinsuke was laying on the couch, while Gintoki snickered counting the money he won from winning the NNN bet. The shot shifted deeper into the ship, landing on Bansai and Elizabeth's bedroom. Bansai was leaning up against his bed, Elizabeth not present in the room.
He peered down next to him, that note he only just read after his big Tokyo Wome performance. That note that Kyuubei had left for him in his dressing room. "We're not just colleagues, band members, nor friends. The 5 of us, we are family." that was all the note said with a picture of the band, Kyuubei, Katsura, and Shinsuke all posing together. Bansai smiled as he picked the note up one more time just to read those two sentences. As he sat the note down and picked his guitar up, the scene shifted through the citizens of Edo. Joe hugging Josh in his hospital bed, while Steve and Hijikata entered with flowers. The royal family were gathered with white coats and black coats (and Barkas!) celebrating, perhaps he was celebrating because Enshou had left him alone. Soyo hugged her brother and he in turn gave Nobunobu a hug. Nobume crossed her arms, pouting as Isaburo patted her head. Sougo smiled at Hata, as he gave his brother a hug at the legs. Ozu put his arm around Kiyoko as they marveled at the sparkingly, new building being built for them. Kamui spit red slurpee down on Saitama's head while they worked. The couples in the Harusame were taking a break, eating lunch together and enjoying the sun. No Man was alone. The scene shifted back to the cabin, where Oboro finished saying the small chant. He opened the cookie jar that contained Valentino and dumped the dust from the crystals on top of his ashes. He shut the lid, as it began to rubble a little, and then a small "poof" came from within it. Yuka's eyes began to swell as the jar settled,
"Hey, waz the big idea? It's all dark alluda sudden!" she began to sniffle as the lid burst open and a green liquid squirmed out of the jar,
"F...Fratello..."
"Yukes!" the two Godsiblings embraced each other as the fire crackled once more, the two letting the love for each speak through actions, and less than words. Family coming together once more. "I...I was dead and gone Yukes, I tried to protect ya from her!" Yuka looked at her Godbrother, then to where Roberta's body laid. Valentino looked past her to where she was and slowly nodded.
"This ma...Oboro brought you back to life. I'm truly indebted to you." Yuka said. Oboro simply shook his head,
"No, this was something I had to do. Selfish reason for you, may just be an even more selfish reason for myself. Come on Poe, let's head on home." Oboro said, as Poe landed on his shoulder. The two left Yuka, Valentino, and Skele alone in the cabin. Skele sat back down on the couch and hugged Valentino. But as Valentino settled back into the world of the living, he was gathering his surroundings. He noticed the bones of Yuka's solid laying on the floor. He looked back at Yuka,
"So...you's chose to bring me back to life and not Sophia huh. I oughta scold you, but I undastand Yukes. Skele, what's gonna happen to Roberta back theaha?" Skele looked at Roberta and gave his response,
"We could send her back home with her people, but we're not sure they're willing to accept her." Skele said. Yuka looked back at Roberta, but put her liquid head down,
"If they won't bury here...then we will." Yuka said. Valentino nodded in agreement.
"Well Yukes, it's up to you...I know how much pain she caused ya." Yuka hugged her Godbrother again,
"She's taught me a lot about myself Valentino...she was closer to me than anyone even you. It's only right that she gets a proper grave, one that gets tended to...one that gets remembered." Yuka said, through tears as Skele got up to leave the two siblings alone as they embraced within the living once more.
TBC
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"Bansai, the show starts in 5 minutes and you haven't even done your makeup." Bansai looked up at his manager but tilted his head back down. It was still on his mind, that envelope that Kyuubei handed him just prior to him coming to the big show in Tokyo. His biggest gig since becoming solo. It was eating him up, even though he never opened it. Just what he had said to her in the dressing room, his manners, and her body language. It was all eating him up.
"David, I don't think I'm going to be able to attend the show tonight. Haven't you seen the news reports of the Amanto Invasion? It's not safe here, even with all the security." Bansai said, showing Snake a photo from his phone of the giant worm creatures causing havoc in the city. Snake shook his head,
"Don't worry about that, we have the highest of security here. You, nor none of your audience will be hurt." Snake reassured him, putting a corner of his codec screen on Bansai's shoulder. Bansai stood up and turned his back to his manager.
"It's not my safety I'm worried about David. It's bigger than that." Bansai walked up the stairs that led to the left side of the large stage in the Tokyo Dome. He turned back to face Snake, "This may as well be my last performance." Bansai turned back and walked on the stage as the whole crowd erupted in cheers and applause. The Dome's roof was damaged from the Skolexian attack, but was heavily guarded by several persons in white coats. From the right side of the stage, a car squealed and parked just out of site of the audience. Isaburo stepped out, texting, and gave Bansai a thumbs up. Bansai nodded and walked up to the microphone. As he was about to introduce himself to the audience, half of a giant worm creature landed behind him from the damaged roof, splattering blood all over him. Bansai turned around, shocked and saw a man with red hair emerge from the worm's body.
"Oh, sorry about ruining your set loser." Enshou brushed himself off and flung guts off his laser beams. The other half of the worm followed a few seconds later, this time with a sax covered in guts. "Hey Sex God, I got some cuts on me." Enshou snapped his fingers and Suave managed to play a single note with the little power he had left after the purple crystals halted his full potential.
"I can't heal you fully man, so don't get too hurt!" Suave said, panting exhaustively. Bansai narrowed his eyes at the two,
"You two interrupted my biggest show of all time." Bansai pinched the bridge of his brow. Enshou's ears perked up at this,
"So, you're playing a show? Biggest of all time? Maybe, broadcasted world wide?" Enshou asked. Bansai nodded. Enshou smiled,
"Maybe they'll hear this. Mind if I play with you? I've got some music I need some people to hear." Bansai shrugged as Enshou took his robe off and picked up his trumpet from a cartoon pocket.
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"Sorella, ay, Sorella!"
"Fratello..." Yuka's eyes were red, she was curled next to her Godbrother's ashes. The snow was beginning to cover her, not caring much anymore about what nature would do to her already fragile state. Her emotions completely overflowing, her mind drawing blanks. She was whimpering, a sad state for a leader to be in. Through the noise of the snow, the battle raging in the forest, and the voice of her Godbrother in her head; she did not see the foresight of something swooping in and picking her up from the snow. She did not have the energy to struggle, or do anything in the state she was in. Whatever picked her up, however, landed at the door of the cabin. She was still looking at the white snow blanketing the ground as the door opened, and she was picked up again. It placed her on a small bed next to the unlit fireplace. She heard a match strike as dead wood began to crackle. She moved her eyes to face the creature as it sat at the bedside table,
She stared back at this bird, familiar looking. She realized soon that it was the same bird that sat upon that man's shoulders in the village. She was confused as to why it saved her, but she soon remembered the story Roberta told her,
"You...must be Poe." she managed to say. Poe hopped around the small table before flying over to the other side of the cabin.
"Not many people come here anymore." Yuka faced where Poe flew to and saw Oboro standing at the fire place. He was looking at the dusty pictures lining the mantle. He picked up a photo of him and Utsuro after a sparing session, long ago in his youth. He sat it back down and turned to face Yuka. "I saw what happened to Bonestein's liquid half...I'm sorry this had to happen to you." Yuka eyed her solid half, still laying in mangled pieces near the living room couch.
"Poe and I, we didn't just come here by chance. We figured something terrible was happening here, near this cabin. I also see that Roberta-dono has plans to reset this universe." Oboro walked over to the bookshelf, to the right of the fireplace. The crackle of the fire, and several loud crashing sounds were the only things breaking the silence of the cabin. Poe flew to the bookshelf and cocked his head at the missing book. "She can try to say those phrases...but I'm afraid there's no way she'll be able to reset the universe." Yuka managed to speak up,
"Is that...really a bad thing to do? Wouldn't that mean I get to see my Fratello again?...Sophia?" Yuka coughed as she was struggling to speak. Oboro turned to face here and walked up to her.
"I understand that you've just gone through trauma. You've lost someone close to you...and one who appears to have been apart of you. I understand that you want them back. I understand your pain." Yuka mustered enough energy to slap Oboro in the face. She quickly retracted her goo as it was extremely painful for her to move any more than she was already. Oboro place his hand to his cheek,
"You'll never understand what I've been through mammal..." Oboro shook his head.
"I've lost people in my life more times than I can even count. I'm sure Roberta-dono told you about Sensei. How he is...was an all powerful being. Living for hundreds of years. He's reset this universe dozens of times, yet after each reset I got used to losing people I grew up with. People who fought with me and Sensei. Then...I had to kill the 2nd most constant in my life. I killed the man I gave my life to. The man who let me be apart of his journey every universe after the next. I didn't just give him my life...he provided me one. I know why you think I don't understand what you've gone through, because I haven't. But just as much as any creature, mammals can love to." Oboro took a seat at the dinning room table he had sat at many times before. Poe sat on top of the table, hopping around the cold wood. Yuka coughed more, but couldn't think of words to say back to Oboro. "I will collect Valentino-dono's ashes so that he does not get lost in this storm. Please rest here." Oboro stood up and walked out the door. He walked to where Valentino's ashes were piled up. "Sensei...I'm sorry but I cannot fulfill your wish. I failed to protect Roberta-dono from herself. However, I believe I can fulfill a similar task." Oboro collected Valentino in a small, empty cookie jar and headed back to the cabin.
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"Dylan, was terrified. Perhaps he was going mad. Hearing strange voices calling out to him, and the sea growing such a menacing color."
The audience laughed at Dylan, but he was struggling to understand what was happening around him. He was staring at the comic book as it sat upon a small rock. The madness was beginning to get to him. "Maybe, he could just toss this book in the ocean and be done with it." Dylan lamented. The audience responded with a chorus of boo's. "Maybe Dylan shouldn't have listened to the crazy man in the book. These crystals are doing unspeakable things to him. Going mad and perhaps will do something he'd regret." Dylan said. He peered into the book to see what was happening. He noticed a large green hue coming from one of the panels. The camera zoomed down to show the Skolexians raiding the Altana station, destroying everyone and everything in their path to get to the Altana. Roberta led the charge, her face full of determination, anger, and sorrow. It was a tiring mixture, but she wasn't going to be stopped.
"St-stop! AHHHHG!" the guards were shooting at the Skolexians, but their gunfire merely ricocheted off the giant beasts. Almost as suddenly as they infiltrated the terminal, they were at its core. They were ready to erupt Earth and suck its energy source. The worms all formed a semi-circle around Roberta, she stared at the core. Her mind was at break-neck speed, but she knew she needed as much raw Altana as she could. She morphed back into her human form, but heard a small round of clapping coming from the top of the stairs that led down to the core. She narrowed her eyes,
"Tendoushu..."
"Nice work Skolexians! I applaud your destruction and chaos. You've done much more to help us than that hapless hack who went into business for himself. You especially Roberta! You disposed of Yuka quite nicely. She was merely a pawn in our game to control her people more easily. She was always a weak leader...always denying our help. Can't say I'll miss her." one of the men stepped forward from the group. Roberta watched as the man came up to her and offered a handshake. She looked down at the hand, "Are you ready to collect this Altana? Earth's perhaps has the most pure in the entire galaxy...the same Altana that bore Utsuro." Roberta thought back to her stay at his cabin, how much she knows. "So what do you say? Let's get this started." Roberta nodded and extended her hand. However, instead of a handshake, she ripped the man's arm completely off and used the arm as a bat. She cracked the Tendoushu's head so hard that it split nearly in half.
"I don't bow to anybody. I have to do this on my own. My fellow Skolexians, if you're too afraid to join me then be my guest. But if you're tired of being held down by this counsell, then rise up and help me change the world." Robert raised the dismembered arm in the air and tossed it into the Altana core. The other Tendoushu members stayed put. One simply sighed,
"I guess we'll just have to cancel your mission and collect this Altana for ourselves, like we were going to do anyway. I commend your efforts to thwart us anyway." the Tendoushu began to de-robe and readied their blades. Many of the Skolexians were confused, conflicted, and just stood around while Roberta began to charge headfirst at the Tendoshu. She was shocked as all the Tendoushu ran past her and sliced through half her small army right then and there. Electrical explosions and black blood spewed all around the terminal's core. Roberta quickly turned around but was grabbed at the top of the stair case by two Tendoushu members. She struggled, kicking and attempting to shape shift back into a human, but their grip was too powerful. As she was struggling, she noticed that only their arms were grabbing onto her. She turned to see their bodies tumble down the stairs.
"Who's here?" she looked at the other end of the terminal and saw a man dragging himself towards her.
"It took me way too long to get here, you're way too fast Roberta. Though with one arm, I still have some tricks left up my sleeve." Hitsugi flung the blood off his arm blade and stood up to face her.
"Shouldn't you be with the binding? I still need that purple Altana to reset the universe. And I see you took your stash back from that Captain." Hitsugi's pockets were lined with lumps, glowing a faint green.
"I'm getting rid of these Roberta...and you're the only thing standing in my way. I'm already exhausted from hustling to get down here, and of course all the Skolexians you left to fight us...sometimes I underestimate my ability. Now...will you let me pass?" Roberta shook her head.
"I'm going to take those crystals from you even if I have to kill you." she said, narrowing her eyes.
"And what of your people below you, surely getting slaughtered by those Tendoushu. I'm certain that's just a messenger group sent by the top members. Now please, let me dispose of these in their proper resting place." Roberta morphed into her worm form and completely blocked the path downstairs.
"So, it's come to this Roberta. You're making the same mistake I once did. You're trusting nobody." Hitsugi was cut off,
"I cannot trust, not anymore. Not after what I did to Valentino." Hitsugi was shocked,
"You...killed her Godbrother?" Hitsugi gave her a look of surprise.
"I just want all this to start over...I won't make the same mistakes I've done in the past. This is my 3rd chance at life...I have to make things right Hitsugi."
Hitsugi closed his eyes and got on his knees. He placed his head down, bowing in her direction,
"I beg of you...not to make the same mistakes I've done in this life. You've already done irreversible actions, but I can't sit and watch you do more harm. What you may think is right, isn't right for everybody around you." Roberta shape-shifted back into her human form. She began to walk up to him, as he still laid his head down on the floor. She stood over him, peering down at him. She thought about what he told her, about having done irreversible actions already in this third life.
"I don't need you to beg at my feet Hitsugi. Stand up, and fight me like a warrior." Hitsugi, still kneeling down answered,
"Very well Roberta. If I cannot convince you here, then there's only one person who can. I will not be able to strike you down, not in the shape I'm in. However," Hitsugi pressed against the ground and slowly raised to his feet, standing mere inches from Roberta, "If you want to fight me, then I accept. I will not hold back." Roberta nodded and stepped away.
Hitsugi held his hand in a stopping motion and took his vest off. He tossed the crystals to the side of the room, and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small picture and gave it a smile. He stuffed it back into his pants and signaled for Roberta to make the first move. Roberta transformed into her worm form and charged at Hitsugi, who held his arm blade up to hold off her tackle. His feet skid across the ground, digging into the metal floor below as she pushed him further and further through the empty terminal. Eventually he hit a snag in the ground and flipped over, maintaining his balance. She charged again, but this time Hitsugi dug his blade into the ground and vaulted over her. Roberta smashed into the wall, ending up into the streets of Tokyo. Several people scattered as members of the Hero Association were escorting people to safety, including Skele who didn't get a good glimpse of the explosion from his distance. He was more concerned with helping the citizens. Roberta quickly retaliated and flung her body at Hitsugi, knocking him into one of the train cars. In his quick thinking, he rushed for the engineer's room. Roberta shifted back to her human self to get on the train, just to morph back into her worm body the slither through and destroy the inside of the train car. Hitsugi grabbed the lever to start the train, and it quickly snapped to life. It was an express track, catching Roberta off guard as half the train car sped at nearly 200 MPH. Hitsugi held onto the driver seat as the train car sped through the tunnel. Roberta flipped and tumbled out of the destroyed half of the car, sustaining several scraps and cuts. But her mind was already past the point of pain, she morphed into her worm body and squirmed through the tunnels. As she was nearing the destroyed half, the train car beeped,
"Arriving in EDO. Arriving in EDO" the train's PA system boomed as Roberta used her teeth the cling onto the train car and eventually flipping her human self back onto the intact half. He walked through the train as the windows blinked with the passing lights in the tunnel. She was silent, using her senses to gauge where Hitsugi was at. She headed for the engineer room slowly, but as she reached it and saw he was missing, the train slowed down and stopped at the Edo terminal. It was completely empty, evacuated by the Shinsengumi earlier in the night. She saw that the train would loop back to Tokyo in 5 minutes. She began to head back and check the rest of the passenger cars that weren't left back in Tokyo. She check the overhead compartments, under the seats, but he was nowhere to be found. She didn't have the energy to say anything, nor did she want to give away here location so easily. As she neared the torn up back half of the train, she peered out into the tunnel, but stepped back as Hitsugi fell from the roof of the train, slicing off some of her curly hair. Roberta smirked as she ripped a pole out from inside to train to block the slashes and hacks from Hitsugi's blade. Hitsugi stabbed straight through the pole, piercing Roberta's shoulder. She quickly morphed into her worm form and busted the train from the inside, causing glass and metal shrapnel to fly at Hitsugi. He managed to dodge and block all of it, but a metal plate had sliced his left leg open. Roberta shot her tongue out and wrapped it around Hitsugi, but as she did the train blared out,
"Departing for TOKYO. Departing for TOKYO." the doors slid shut and the train belted down the tunnel. It caught Roberta off guard, as Hitsugi stabbed into her upper jaw with his blade, causing her to drop him and morph back into her human form. Hitsugi began to slice in her direction, but she was swift on her feet. She ducked and dived over every swing. One went array and Hitsugi's arm was stuck in the wall of the train car. Roberta grabbed his arm and began kneeing him in the gut, and hit a swift kick to his arm. Hitsugi winced as his arm made a loud cracking sound as he ripped it from the train. The two stared off as the lights in the car flickered. It was brief, but it felt beautiful. The white noise of the train riding across the tracks contrasting with the loud scrapping and sparks just a few train cars down. Hitsugi made the first move, stomping through the train's floor with his right leg, causing the train to bump and send Roberta hitting the ceiling. Hitsugi pounced on her and began slicing. She put her hands up, getting them sliced up. She thrusted him off of her and scrambled to the engineer room as the train began to slow down,
"Arriving in TOKYO. Arriving in TOKYO." the train skid to a halt as Roberta ran for the staircase where Hitsugi tossed his vest. She was faster than he was, using her worm form. The Hero Association began to make their way through the terminal after evacuating all the citizens. Hitsugi hobbled out of the train car with his bad leg as Skele approached him.
"Aren't you Hitsugi? What happened to you?" Skele asked. Hitsugi leaned again a pillar in the terminal and faced Skele.
"Don't let her reset the universe Skele. Don't let my final wish fall on deaf ears." Hitsugi began to hobble quicker to where he encountered her from the start. Skele stood there confused at what he meant by "final wish", he wasn't sure what to make of it. Roberta slithered to the vest and morphed back into her human form. But, as she lifted the vest, she realized she had been duped. She emptied the contents in the vest, and it showed it was just green glowsticks. "The Captain let me borrow those...heh, said he used them all the time with that creep Enshou." Roberta dropped the vest and shook her head.
"It doesn't matter that you don't have those crystals. Me and my Skolexians are about to harvest the Earth's core Altana. I'll reset the universe within the hour." Roberta revealed the book she took from Utsuro's cabin. "I've studied the phrases he's used. I'll make everything right again Hitsugi. And, I'm sorry you can't understand why I must do this." Hitsugi lunged himself at Roberta while she was talking. She managed to dodge him and shove him into the wall of the terminal station. "You think you can pull a fast one on me Hitsugi? I've been around as long as you to not fall for something as simple as that." Hitsugi smiled under Roberta's hand,
"I wasn't aiming for you, Roberta." Roberta looked as Hitsugi had stabbed Utsuro's book. Roberta let him go and stepped back.
"I told you Hitsugi, I have that phrase memorized." Hitsugi threw the book from his arm and shook his head,
"It wasn't about you memorizing the book Roberta. I just...can't look at something he once owned. It reminds me of why I'm still here. The last link to my past." Hitsugi said, retracting his sword. Roberta looked down and pointed at Hitsugi's pocket,
"And what about that picture? You claim to want to rid that book, rid your past. Yet, you looked at that picture before we tussled." Hitsugi sighed as he felt for the picture in his pants.
"I...can't throw away that part of my past Roberta. It's the reason I decided against my original idea. It's not right for me to run away from the problems I've caused, the people I've hurt. We're more similar than perhaps you may think. We're always clinging to something." Roberta turned from Hitsugi and began to head to the core of the terminal again, where the fighting was still raging on. Hitsugi grabbed her shoulder, but it was a fatal flaw. A trap Roberta knew Hitsugi would fall for in a vulnerable state. She punched her fist directly through his chest just as Skele came down the terminal and met eyes with Roberta.
"He was in my way. News flash, I'm resetting the universe," she looked down at Hitsugi, "send your regards to Valentino in the afterlife. We'll meet again shortly." Skele's eyes widened,
"What happened to Valentino? HEY! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" Skele demanded. He began to sprint but Hitsugi managed to put his hand up. Skele slowed down as Hitsugi was slumping over on Roberta's arm. She ripped her fist out of his chest and headed down the stairs. Hitsugi's wound poured blood to the floor as Skele picked him up. "Don't worry, I'll get you help right away!" Skele said, but Hitsugi smiled.
"Please...take the photo from my left pocket. I want to see it one more time...." Skele obliged, reaching into the man's pocket and pulling out the picture. Hitsugi took the photo from Skele and stared at it, memories flooding back:
"You like it? I think this whole set up is pretty neat. Got the whole crew to myself! Never before have I had something like this man. We really worked ourselves up to the top." Kaname laid back on a bench in a small park in Edo. It was fairly empty, just a mere week before the Naraku invaded. Hitsugi was leaning against the bench, facing out to the bustling street. "What gives Big Man? We got our whole army ready! This is OUR MOMENT!" Kaname said, popping up out of his seat.
"What about him?" Hitsugi pointed to a small Amanto with a camera. Kaname chuckled and patted the guy on the head.
"He's just a little photographer. Figured I'd catch our great moments before the invasion, y'know?" Hitsugi slighty smirked at Kaname's energy. He'd never been around someone with so much vigor and pep. It was a stark contrast to the stoic Utsuro, or the goofy Oboro. It was someone that complimented his own stoic nature. He needed that, not just someone like Kaname, but Kaname himself. "Oh, I know! Let's break in that ol camera, what'ya say?" Kaname opened up his arms in excitement and extended them towards Hitsugi. Hitsugi didn't want to show it, so he covered his mouth with his hand as he accepted the embrace. The camera snapped as the little Amanto gave a thumbs up,
Hitsugi let his mouth go, producing a genuine smile for the first time in years as he hugged Kaname, a man he's been searching for. Hitsugi was staring at the same picture he took that day, laying in Skele's arms as the hero lifted him up to get him out of the terminal while the other heroes were just coming in. Hitsugi was feeling numb, a feeling he's never really felt before. Cold, yet he wouldn't let go of the photograph. Hitsugi let out that same, genuine smile he had that day at the park. He whispered, barely. He couldn't tell if Skele heard him, but it was no matter to him.
"I freed myself Kaname... I did what I felt was right for the first time in my life. The pain I've endured for hundreds of years...the hatred and sorrow. The regret in my heart can cease...there is no more pain. I am free...."
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Stephen and Steve were sitting on the cliff that overlooked the Globberian Village. It was in near ruin as the battle had spilled there between the Skolexians and themselves. Joe had rushed Josh to the hospital while the Gods were still fighting with the Globberians.
"Are you sure you're willing to go out there alone?" Steve asked Stephen. Stephen sighed,
"I'm the only one who can. I'm apart of those purple Altana crystals out there. You and Joe only have passed on DNA of it. You two aren't powerful enough in this condition." Stephen said, taking Steve's handy dandy Notebook.
"Will you come back...Stephen?" Steve asked. Stephen nodded,
"We have to get to know each other after all! Your parents gave you my name! Of course I gotta come back. I just need to get the book in a safe space, where I know it won't get harmed. Hitsugi is doing his part, as the Earth's core hasn't erupted yet. Glad he changed his mind when we needed him to most. But, you guys aren't the only reason I have to come back." Stephen's thoughts still flickered to that dastardly redhead once again, just couldn't escape his mind. Steve patted Stephen on the back.
"I'll see ya Cap'n! Please be safe." Steve said, giving the Captain a hug.
"Likewise kid." Stephen got up and took a deep breath,
"Blue Skadoo'd, we can too!" Stephen jumped through the bindings and tumbled out in the cave right next to Dylan who screamed at the top of his lungs. The audience clapped as Stephen landed.
"DYLAN WAS COMPLETELY IN SHOCK AT WHAT HE WAS SEEING. AN OLD MAN HAD JUMPED OUT RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM." Dylan yelled, but the Captain reassured him.
"It's ok boy, I'm not here to hurt you. I can actually help you. I know my way around the sea, so don't worry." Stephen grabbed the comic book, as Dylan stared stunned. "Hmm?" Stephen peered at the comic book and saw a small panel that caught his eyes. The Captain peered at it just enough to catch what was happening, and more importantly could hear what was happening. At the same time, Yuka was resting in bed while Oboro had the radio softly playing in the cabin. Poe was spoon feeding Yuka tomato soup, which was just kind of seeping out of her liquid state and into the bed. But she could faintly hear the radio,
"Could you please turn that up, mammal." Yuka asked, softly. Oboro turned the radio up, and could hear a broadcaster talking about a huge finale,
"That's right folks! The grand finale of Bansai Kawakami's first major show is coming up! And, it appears he's taking to the piano! Let's have a listen!" the broadcaster turned off and the mic cut to the stage.
"Alright, for my last number, I'm turning it over to our random and special guest tonight: Enshou, the Supreme Overlord of Burei!" Yuka sigh with agony while Stephen listened in carefully.
"This one...is dedicated to two people I care very much about. I've taken some time to find myself these past few days. Staring in Broadway Musicals, doing impromptu musical numbers in the streets, to even burning down an entire Wkea. This one is called, Thoughts of Love. To those two listening, you know who you are. I'm sorry for what I've said to you both, I hope someday you'll forgive me. I just want it to be like old times...we all wish it were. But, we can't have that. We need to look towards the future, one with more Enshou. And one with more peace. A war is raging just outside of this stadium, and I want to remind everyone how music can make a change. Hit it Bansai." Enshou pushed the microphone stand aside and took a deep breath,
Suave was backing up the rest of the instruments as Enshou poured his heart out for the world to hear, and even beyond. No words needed to be sung, but Stephen understood. Yuka hid under the pillow she was resting on, but couldn't deny the feeling portrayed by the estranged man. Stephen felt a tear form in his eye as he pressed the comic book against his chest. Dylan was confused and sunk further into the cave to get away from this crazy old guy crying and hugging a comic book. He placed the comic opposite of the green Altana he had stored in his coat. He walked out of the cave to the raging storm happening around him. He took in the beauty of the purple sky and sea and smiled.
"Thank you Hitsugi. I'm grateful you entrusted me with these crystals." Stephen stepped up to the sea and reached into his pocket. He fished out the last of Kaname's Altana Crystals and tossed the small sack into the ocean. Stephen booked it back to the cave as the green and purple crystals began to react with each other, causing a blinding light to shoot from the ocean and douse the sky in a muddy gray color. The result of the two colors mixing. Dylan was entranced by the light, but Stephen pulled him deeper in the cave. Everyone in the comic noticed the sky was dimming, turning into a wintery gray, instead of the intense purple. The Gods fighting along with the Globberians felt their powers mounting, but a few people did not notice. Roberta got back to the core and finished off the last of the Tendoushu's messengers. Her whole crew had perished however. The core terminal was like the scene of a massacre, something she did not want to think about. But, before she could continue with unleashing the Altana into the sky, a lone hero stepped down from the floor above.
"You must stop...what did you do to Valentino." Roberta turned to face Skele. She gave him a somber expression,
"I cannot express my regret for killing...who I presume was your liquid, through words. I can only change the past through actions." Skele clinched his fist and looked up at Roberta.
"Not if I have anything to say about it." Skele rushed towards Roberta as she was about to unleash the terminal controlling the Altana.
TBC
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1
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"Hmm? Man my phone is absolutely blowing up! But I can't check it right now, they're about to hit the big finale!" Lt. Simon was sitting in a balcony sit at a large theatre. The vibrations from his phone were from a number of different people: Mutsu, Guano, and from some unknown number.
"Why isn't that bastard answering my texts? I swear I'll ring both of their necks out when I get the chance." Mutsu was standing in Skele's living room. They, along with the rest of the Joui's/Terrorists had left the Skeleton Village the night previous, sure that Yuka wasn't coming back anytime soon. At least, to their knowledge.
"I'm sure Tatsuma is just uhhh busy?" Skele said. Valentino shrugged from within Skele as he was pondering about his Godsister. Mutsu glared at her phone before giving a sigh and sitting on the couch next to Skele. Guano, on the other hand, was standing on the street outside of their temporary house. It was chilly, and snow blanketed the winter ground. He was staring at his phone, waiting for his older co-star to respond,
"How hard is it to get in touch with those two idiots? I swear, these lead roles go right to their heads." Guano was furiously texting Oboro and Poe as well, but neither of them were responding. Guano spotted Mitsuki who was walking with two men in black coats. "Gonard! It's been so long buddy!" Guano and Gonard gave each other a hug and Yamazaki gave the director a handshake.
"I figured if we were going to get some help with the housing situation, that we call in some other close friends!" Mitsuki explained.
"Yeah, the blue haired lady explained the whole situation to us! You know, we're just so busy with Bansai and everything that we couldn't be apart of your sub-plot!" Gonard said. Guano and Yamazaki's face got dark.
"Yeah...I'm just glad to get out of his hair. I hope he just, you know, leaves me alone while he's starting his solo career." Yamazaki said.
"Well, I'm glad you're coming around to help some old friends Gonard." Guano said. Gonard shook his head,
"Anytime Guano! The Shinsengumi is always there to protect!" Gonard saluted. Guano scratched his chin,
"So, what exactly are you two going to do for us?" Guano asked. Yamazaki smirked,
"Well, we know where those Yato and other Arsonists are. Captain Sougo tipped us off in Wexico." Yamazaki explained.
"Wexico?! I mean, it's just arson...I guess I understand you'd want to hide from Ozu's wrath." Mitsuki said.
"We're sending our whole police force down there to get them! So, no issues whatsoever will arise from that!" Gonard said, smiling. The others sighed as the scene shifted back to Mikey, who was chowing down on some popcorn next to his fellow crewmates.
"OO! This is it boys! The final number!" Mikey threw his snacks up as the ensemble began to start up the piece.
The whole audience erupted in applause and cheers as the actors gave a curtain call and bowed out. Mikey got out of his seat and met up with them backstage with his VIP pass he has for all musicals.
"So, what'd you think Lieutenant? Am I a magnificent singer or what? AHAHAHAHA!" Sakamoto laughed. Mikey laughed with him, but questioned,
"How did you 5 become stage actors for a major musical like the Book of Worman in the span of three days?" Oboro chuckled and put his hand on the shoulder of his predecessor.
"I have connections Mikey-dono. Since production of LilyMu has halted, I figured I'd dip my toes in musical theatre. Plus, you know, we have royalty and a God to back us up in our lead role for our theatre troupe." Oboro gestured to Enshou and Suave who were fiddling with their respective musical instruments.
"What a night, our 2nd show. Thank you for introducing me into theatre, Suave-sama. It's rare that I admire someone as much as I do myself, but you sure take a close second." Enshou said, patting his co-star on the back. Suave played a small solo from his sax and laughed with his new-found friend. Poe and Oboro sat down and began to have their make-up removed.
"It's always been somewhat of a dream of mine, you know Poe. In no other universe did Sensei allow me to perform any sort of play. Well, I had heard he did a small play with his other students as Shoyou, but never for me." Poe plucked the eyelash extensions from Oboro's face, while Oboro plucked his extension feathers. Tatsuma reached into his bag and saw the constant stream of death threats he was getting from Mutsu and laughed. Mikey put his hand on his head as he remembered his phone blowing up as well. He scrolled past the usual messages of Mutsu threatening violence and Guano crying until he reached the unknown text,
"Simon-dono, we must meet up, and quickly."
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"That was was dedicated...to myself, Kawakami Stardust. I want to thank you all for attending my first show." Bansai sat the mic down on the stand and bowed as the roaring audience members in a sell out arena cheered and chanted "KA-WA-KA-MI!". Bansai blew a kiss to the audience and all the girls squealed trying to catch it. He sat down in his private dressing room and stared at the mirror,
"You've done it Stardust. You've proved all the critics wrong. We're going to be the biggest thing to ever grace entertainment and beyond." as he was monologuing, a knock came at his door. Bansai got up and opened the door and met face to face with his old manager, Kyuubei. "Kyuu-Kyuu..." she gestured,
"May I come in Bansai?" Kyuubei asked. Bansai pondered, but allowed his friend in. The two sat down opposite of each other in luxury chairs,
"What brings you here Kyuubei, you're not my manager anymore. Don't you have a meeting with that band or something? " Bansai asked, as he began to wipe his face with a rag. Kyuubei sighed as Jugem was crawling on her shoulder.
"Can't a friend come speak without bringing up business?" Kyuubei asked. Bansai removed the towel from his face and gave Kyuubei a look of regret.
"I'm sorry for being rude to you Kyuu-kyuu...what is it you wanted to talk about?" he asked, trying to sound more friendly. Kyuubei looked down at the carpet instead of at her friend,
"We've replaced you Bansai." she said bluntly. Bansai stared blankly at his friend,
"So, it was about business. I should have known. I can't even trust someone who I've been paired up with in duo scenes before. Get out of my dressing room Kyuubei." Bansai began to wipe his face again. Kyuubei's face changed to a look of regret, and hurt. She stood up, as Jugem left behind a small envelope for Bansai. Kyuubei stood up and walked out of the room without saying another word to her friend. Bansai tossed the towel in the back of the room, and noticed the small envelope. He was puzzled, but picked it up anyway. The front of the letter read, "Dear Bansai". He stared at the letter and rested his head back on the chair he was sitting on. He threw the letter in his bag without opening it up and headed out of the room towards his hotel. His new manager, Snake was sitting in the limo waiting for Bansai,
"Alright Mr. Stardust, are you ready to head to your hotel?" Snake asked. Bansai rested his hand on his chin as he stared out the window."Sure...sorry, I just got a lot on my mind tonight David." Bansai stared at the letter in the bag as the limo drove off.
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"Ano...Gin-san, Takasugi-san, are you feeling alright?" Shinpachi was standing in the living room, cleaning up some trash while Gintoki and Shinsuke were slumped on the couch. The two were staring blankly at the wall across from them. Gintoki looked over at Shinsuke, who's eyes look like they'd sunk into his head.
"Shinny...I don't know if we can make it this year..." Gintoki coughed up what appeared to be blood. Shinpachi quickly stopped sweeping,
"GIN-SAN!" Shinpachi ran over to Gintoki and knelt down next to him,
"Shinpachi-kun...take care of Kagura-chan for me..." Gintoki closed his eyes as the red substance came from his mouth. Shinpachi quickly grabbed a rag and cleaned up the "blood" but as the rag got close to Shinpachi's face, he could smell the distinct sweet scent of red beans.
"OIIIII WHY ARE YOU GUYS ACTING LIKE THIS?! WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING IN THE PAST 2 HOURS SINCE YOU'VE BEEN HERE TAKASUGI-SAN!" Shinpachi yelled as he threw his cleaning equipment down. Shinsuke turned his head to face Shinpachi,
"Listen brat...this is banter territory. You wouldn't understand." Shinsuke coughed up what looked like cooking oil.
"OI, WHAT A MINUTE, WHAT DID YOU JUST SPIT OUT OF YOUR MOUTH?" Shinpachi attempted to clean the oil, but the cloth got too sticky.
"My body is starting to deteriorate without Honey here to cleanse me..." Shinsuke attempted to get off the couch bet fell to the floor.
"CLEANSE?!" Shinpachi couldn't believe the words that came out of that man's mouth,
"DONDAKE!" Shinpachi yelled. Gintoki got out of his paralysis state and managed to sit up.
"It's been nearly half a week Shinpachi-kun...you could at least cut us some slack." Gintoki said.
"What if Yuka-san returns?! You guys are in no condition to fight!" Shinpachi said. Shinsuke managed to roll over to face Shinpachi,
"We might not...but Honey is." Shinsuke held up his phone showing Katsura wearing some scantly clad clothing to try and tempt his husband into failing the NNN. Shinpachi grabbed the terrorist's phone and threw it against the wall.
"HE'S IN CONDITION FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!" Shinpachi yelled, quickly cleaning up the phone bits on the ground. "You two never acted like this previously! The last two Novembers you've never acted so deathly!" Shinpachi said. Gintoki struggled to lift his weight off the couch and walk over to Shinpachi.
"If when the time comes Shinpachi...take my sword into battle." Gintoki then collapsed at Shinpachi's feet as he face palmed.
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"Next stop, Tokyo Station. Next stop, Tokyo Station." the train intercom rang out as Yuka sat alone in the back of coach. She was still thinking about what the Skolex told her about meeting one of their messengers. What it meant for her people and the other beings that lived with them. The rest of Earth and how by doing this, she'll make this planet home to just only her Globs and the Skolexian's. Two neighboring planets potentially becoming more than just allies, but one in the same. The weight was overbearing, but she understood that as a leader. She straightened her self up, adjusted her suit and tie, and began to depart from the train. As she was power walking through the busy station, her mind was drifting back yet again to a time long before any of these humans.
"Sorella? Yo! Are you even listenin to me?"
A younger Yuka turned to face her Godbrother. The two were standing outside the capital building of Globbus.
"You do know how busy I am, right Valentino? A leader's job is never done." Yuka took a drag from her cigarette and let out a puff of smoke. Valentino reached into his pocket and pulled out a carton, pulled out a cig for Yuka to light. He took a puff of his cigarette and let out a sigh.
"You know how much I care for yous, right?" Valentino asked. Yuka smiled and put her cigarette out on the ground,
"Of course I know how much you care for me. As if you don't make it evident every time we see each other. So, what did you want again fratello?" she asked. Valentino shifted his eyes down to his Godsister and gave her a hug. She was confused but accepted the hug.
"I heard yous and Roberta are going steady." he said, softly. Yuka nodded in his chest,
"You could call it something like that...I suppose. We haven't seen each other for a few days. So I guess it isn't too steady, just more than friends." Yuka said, removing herself from her Godbrother's embrace.
"It breaks ya brotha's haht to see his little sista grow up. I just hope you undastand what you're getting yourself into." Valentino pressed his cigarette against one of the large pillars and puffed his last drag of the cigarette. Yuka rubbed the back of her neck, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I love ya Yuka. We may not be blood, but you are family. Family is everything. Just remember that when yous feeling down, or lost. Family is everything." Valentino walked over and rubbed his hand on her head before walking down the steps of the building. He gave her a wave without turning as she watched him walk away. Yuka fixed her hair as the words of her Godbrother lingered in her mind then, and even now to present day. She hailed a taxi in front of the station and hopped in the backseat.
'I hope you can understand why I must do this Valentino...it's for your's and everybody else's sake.' Yuka thought to herself as she told the taxi driver the location where she was going to meet up with the correspondent. As the taxi was heading off, the scene shifted to her correspondent, driving a news van through dense woods. Roberta was checking each bush with her camera crew in toe, making sure to get the action on camera.
"If I can just find these God's and capture them for all of Skolex, I'll be the hero! The hero for my people." Roberta slithered around on the ground, trying to not make as much noise as possible. But, it was fruitless to search the woods for people with such power. Jazzy and Billy focused their energy in camouflaging themselves and the other 3 as they scowered the woods for Stephen and Hitsugi.
"Oh man, I'm getting fucking blown up over here bro. I can't keep using powers like you do." Billy said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. While they were searching, the two missing men were in a small clearing, several miles out from where they fell. Sweetcheeks was sitting against a tree, his leg wrapped in a tourniquet.
"Hitsugi, are you doing alright?" Stephen asked Hitsugi, who was drinking some water from a fresh stream just up ahead. The large man came over to pick Stephen up from his sitting position so they could continue their trek.
"Now that the snow has died down, we can continue searching for civilization." Hitsugi said, ignoring the question.
"Why did you use some of your blood to heal my leg? Your arm hasn't grown back yet." Stephen said. Hitsugi couldn't avoid the questions anymore, he turned his head to face Stephen,
"It's not going to grow back, Captain. What little healing my blood has left, I have to give it to someone who needs it. I've learned a lot since you've last seen me Captain. I don't want to be viewed as evil, menacing, or a villain. Some people may say my actions are not righteous, but to me, they are for the better of everyone around me. If helping your leg heal faster screws me and my plan up in the long run, then at least I can die saying I helped somebody." Stephen rested his head against Hitsugi's shoulder as his mind drifted,
'Why am I thinking about him again...' Stephen said in his mind,
"I haven't even known you for but an hour or so, and you've got me dressed up like this...God why did Utsuro send me here..." Stephen asked Enshou. The two were waiting to talk to Saigou, the Fearsone Mademoiselle, Eventually, the two were brought in to speak with Mama,
"Ah, I was expecting you here Emiko!" Saigou put his arms around Enshou and gave him a noogie. "Who's your little friend?" Saigou asked.
"Ah, that's Sweetcheeks, I just met her in the streets. She's pretty cool Mama." Enshou said. Saigou gave Stephen a big slug as a show of appreciation. Stephen chuckled and rubbed the punched arm. "So, I've got a show here tonight right? I figured I'd make it a duo bit tonight with Sweetcheeks here." Enshou said. Saigou pondered about it, but shook his head approvingly. Saigou let out a loud, roaring laughter as he hugged the two,
"I gotta keep one of my most requested girls happy, y'know? They get excited when they know you're in town Emiko!" Enshou nodded,
"I have quite the knack for performing, I love it so much so it's no problem when I'm able to fit it in the schedule." Enshou remarked. "In here, I'm not viewed as the Gunsmoke Prince, I'm not viewed as some villain. If my performance can make someone happy, then my day is made. I'm sure you'd say the same thing, right Captain?" Stephen's mind came back to the present as he heard Hitsugi saying "Captain" as he was regaining consciousness.
"Sorry Hitsugi...I've just barely had any food for the past few days. Just some berries and water." Stephen said, exhausted.
"Don't worry Captain, we'll get help soon-" as soon as Hitsugi finished his sentence, he was blinded by a camera flash, and saw several cameramen surround him and the Captain. A van quickly sped into view and came to a screeching halt.
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"Shinsuke janai, Katsura da. Look, my husband is not home right now. WELL WHY DID YOU CALL MY PHONE AND ASK FOR HIM?! LISTEN HERE LEADER'S BROTHER-" but Kamui quickly hung up the transmission. Katsura clutched his fist and turned to Elizabeth who was just kind of milling about. "November is THE WORST MONTH OF THE YEAR ELIZABETH!" Katsura yelled.
"You know, you don't have to always think about sex Katsura" Elizabeth signed. Katsura broke the sign in half and threw the word "sex" away. Elizabeth scratched his head and turned to Makoto and Takechi who were sitting down at one of the many couches in the ship's living room area. Otsuu and Kyuubei were discussing tours and other band related things in the opposite corner of the room.
"Why is she even on my ship to begin with? I thought I told you guys that she's the exact same character as me and we can't be in the same scene." Katsura said to Elizabeth.
"She's had a long day, as have you Katsura. Let's just cook dinner together, like old times yeah?" Katsura started to tear up as he hugged Elizabeth. The scene shifted to Kamui who threw his phone half way across Wexico.
"DAMN IT! WHERE ARE SAMURAI GINTOKI AND SHINDIOT WHEN YOU NEED THEM!" Kamui yelled. He lifted his sister from off the ground. Kamui had enough with the boring ossans and hopped over the foodtruck to see all the commotion. "AND YOU! HA! IDIOT SISTER! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN WEXICO!" Kamui yelled, violently shaking her. Kagura slugged Kamui and sent him flying through the taco truck, causing an explosion of beef and nacho cheese.
"I'm just trying to have a good time with my FRIENDS AND NOT BE ON THE LAMB FOR GRAND ARSON!" Kagura yelled, shaking her Popeye arm at her brother. The beef landed on Abuto, while the scolding cheese landed on No Man making his entire (sticky) body sticky. Monika sat there, not getting her nicely crafted yato outfit dirty in anyway. The author smiled at Monika, though he wasn't sure if she could see that or not. He was happy to be able to write about her without Abuto interfering this time, the meat covered bunny man. Anyway, Kamui managed to toss tortilla shells at Kagura, managing to throw so many that it wrapped her up like a burrito.
"HA! I GOT YA SIS!" but Kamui was swiftly met by Soyo and Hata tossing the Kagura burrito at Kamui, sending him flying through several other food trucks, and eventually slamming into the hood of the car that was passing by. The bald passenger quickly woke up and looked at the wreckage at the front of the car.
"Sensei, I believe we just ran over a bunny." Genos said, trying to diagnose the situation. Opposite of the crashed car was Isaburo walking to his car about to drive back to Edo.
"Hmm, I really hope Nobume got my emails. No one is guarding Nobunobu-dono, and she's supposed to be on duty while I'm gone. Though, I just can't leave the princess here by herself with these maniacs." Isaburo pondered about his decisions while leaning against a super eliteo mobile. He glanced over and saw Kamui pick up the Kagura burrito and start slamming it into Genos's car. He looked up and saw several black helicopters flying in. "Hmm, well this is my cue." Isaburo hopped in the Eliteo Mobile and started speeding off.
"OI WHAT THE?! THAT WHITE COAT JUST DITCHED US!" Hasegawa yelled, but was patted on the back by Sougo.
"Don't worry about it Hasegawa-danna. I brought some back up to help situate the whole problem, and lock up several criminals as well." he pointed to the lead helicopter,
"WAIT, SAITOU-SAN!" Sougo yelled, but it was too late, the helicopter quickly descended and crashed down on top of Genos, Saitama, Kamui, and Kagura Burrito. The other Shinsengumi members followed suit, crashing the helicopters down like lemmings. None of them blew up thankfully, or at least they would have if Sougo's bazooka hit them. Saitou stepped out of the wreckage and placed handcuffs on Genos, Saitama, and Kamui.
"YOU THINK SOME MEASLY HANDCUFFS WILL STOP M-" but Kamui was quickly cut off by Saitou sticking a red slurpee in his face. Kamui sucked it down through the straw, giving a warm and happy smile. A terrifyingly rare sight that made the rest of Kamui's crew hand themselves over to the Shinsengumi. Sougo gave lower ranked captain a thumbs up and met back up with Soyo, Hata, and Kagura Burrito.
"So my brother is going to get the chair right?" Kagura asked, now devoid of all tortillas from her body. Sougo shook his head,
"No, he and his crew are going to build a new LilyMu Towers. We're making huge bank off this y'know." Sougo said, trying to sound cool, but was once again ignored by Hata. Saitou looked at his phone as he Wacetimed Ozu.
"Good job! Finally, some criminals being brought to justice!" the camera switched to Ozu's perspective as he sat in a rundown shed.
He clicked off the Wacetime and sighed as he put his face in his hands. His only alone time now that his entire apartment complex was miss-placed was this small shed. It wasn't much, but he would use it as a work space, or just a place to get away. The only other person who visited was Yes Man, when he need to bring Ozu something or run a small errand. Yes Man sat on a small crate that was situated against the thin walls of the shed, just in case Ozu needed anything.
"Yes Man." Ozu said,
"YES OZU?" Ozu was silent, and Yes Man knew to calm himself down and take his seat back on the crate.
"I haven't had to face this much adversity ever since I left Kiyoko all those years ago...I've been so carefree and laid back these past few years that I had the thought I was invincible. Or, better yet, I was invisible. I just do my job as producer, I provide for my family, and sometimes I might get out and have time with my friends. The one time I try and get everyone together again, it ruins not only my life, not even my family's life, but the lives of everybody that rented from my apartment building. My staff, my crew, my stars and their families, all out of homes. I've lost my biggest star, Oboro hasn't shown his face here in a week. No replies to my texts, nothing. I feel I am responsible for all this." Ozu said, his face still buried in his hands. Ozu however, did not know Kiyoko was at the door of the shed, since Yes Man knew to stay silent. She put her hand on the door and opened it slowly. Ozu lifted his face up to meet hers, which had tears running down it. In a rare sight of vulnerability, she bent down and gave Ozu a hug while he was sitting in his chair. He wiped her tears away,
"It isn't your fault Ozu, you're doing everything you can to help all these people. It may not be a whole lot, but renting out this much space just to house these people from the cold...to provide them clean water and food every day. You aren't invisible, you're a hero. You're my hero Ozu." Ozu let a tear slide down his face as he embraced Kiyoko.
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Yuka tipped her cab driver as she walked out on the drive-in's parking lot. She looked down at her watch, which had a small GPS coordinate on it.
'So, they're already near my people...hm.' Yuka thought to herself. She saw that the location was deep within the woods. She morphed into a snake to slither quickly along the ground to reach her correspondent quicker, and to not be spotted by her people in the nearby village. She couldn't risk something like that, not now. She had to shapeshift back out of her liquid form, as it was beginning to hurt. She was clear from the sight of the village, so it was ok to start running in her regular form. But, something in her foresight started to get her attention. She hid behind a tree and sunk to the snow below.
'This isn't good, something isn't right...' Yuka thought to herself. She was clutching at her breast pocket, and peak around the tree. She saw a small spotlight and several people holding cameras surrounding Hitsugi and Stephen. She covered her mouth and hid back behind the tree as to not alert anyone. He stretched her ear to listen in on what they were saying, making sure to keep it hidden in the snow. It was muffled, but she could make out enough to gather information.
"I don't know....are, we're....get through the woods...." Yuka strained to hear anything more, she did however recognize it was Hitsugi speaking. Her attention was broken when she noticed the sky beginning to turn a weak, purplish hue as the sun was setting. She quickly snapped back focus, but heard a voice she couldn't quite recognize at first,
"I need....crystals...meeting up...a plan to..." she could guess it was the correspondent. It seemed they had Hitsugi and Stephen covered, so she didn't want to intervene. As she retracted her ear however, she heard several pair of footsteps running through the woods. She tried to blend into the tree and snow and hide herself as one ran past her. She knew she had to get up and do something to help the Skolexian. She left her hiding spot and ran behind the person who went past her and formed a sword with a globside to stick it at his throat. Josh froze and put his hands up as Yuka held him hostage. Jazzy, Billy, Steve, Josh, Hitsugi, and Stephen all turned their attention to her.
"Yuka...what are you doing here?" Hitsugi asked, now even more confused with the inclusion of everyone. Billy rolled his eyes as Jazzy put his hands together. But, the scene was interrupted by Roberta, who honked her horn from within her news van. She turned back and looked Yuka directly in the eyes. Yuka's whole body ran cold as she dropped her arms from Josh, who quickly scrambled away and held up his notebook.
"R...Roberta? You're my correspondent from Skolex? I...thought I would never see you again...not after what you did to the solids and me." Yuka was at a loss for words until Roberta walked up and lifted Yuka's chin up,
"I'm glad I was able to hear your voice once again Yuka, so beautiful...and soft like a melody." Roberta let go of Yuka's face and turned back to Hitsugi and Stephen, who's pockets glowed. Stephen looked around and saw Steve and Joe, his face growing pale.
"You two...look just like your parents." Stephen said, smiling as the fighting began to break out.
TBC
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1
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-
"Luckily, Dylan was able to grab the comic book in the nick of time." Dylan held the comic book up as he was parachuting down.
Dylan was slowly drifting down, a small island sat beneath him. "Perhaps, Dylan was going to land on an uninhabited island in the Bahamas. Or, just maybe, Dylan was going to land in tropical paradise. Who really knows?" Dylan shifted his body to land on a long stretched of beach, planting his feet down for a perfect landing as the plane he was riding crashed and exploded in the ocean several miles out. Dylan looked at the comic book and saw all the panels were shifted to the right. "Number 10, Weird Shift. The comic book Dylan currently possessed was oddly tilted. Dylan decided to shake the book and see if it shifted it back to its normal position." Dylan shook the book, and surprisingly the panels shifted to their original positions, and everyone in the book fell back in place after the shift. Dylan scratched his chin as he sat down on the beach, still completely mesmerized by the book and its mystical powers. He opened the book and peered through the bindings, seeing a red-haired man rubbing his eyes as he was sliding down the mountain. Inside the book, Enshou caught himself as he was sliding down the mountain. He turned his head towards the binding and didn't see Sweetcheeks anymore. He was concerned, but the feeling slowly faded as he remembered what his Captain told him.
"Whatever, I don't even want to think about him anymore." Enshou began to walk into the drive-in theater he parked his limo in and saw nothing. He put his head down and sighed. "Stupid dream, stupid flashback. I, the Dark Lord of the Universe reduced to tears and a humanizing backstory." He stared at the blank movie screen as snow was beginning to lightly fall in the cold, November morning. His gaze shifted to bunny hopping across the vacant parking lot. "So carefree, reminds me of Kouan and our fight months ago." Enshou reflected on his introduction chapter and how he too felt so carefree and comical. As he was lost in thought, he heard the crunching of leaves behind him. He turned around and saw Yuka walking up from the village's outer limits. "Lady TBC..." Enshou clutched his locket, but Yuka didn't pay him any mind. Enshou began to stand up, but felt his feet get stuck to the ground. He looked and saw green goop weighing him down.
"Don't even bother. The tilt in the universe and that conversation I had with my fratello has left me in a sour mood, and I don't want you to further ruin it." She released the Prince and kept walking. On the other side of the parking lot, Yuka got into an old fashioned looking car and revved up the engine.
"Where are you going Lady TBC? Won't you just please take me with you?" Enshou pleaded. Yuka shook her head,
"I need a place to think, and there's only one mammal pig I'm willing to vent my frustrations to." she peeled out of the parking lot, a cloud of dust covering Enshou as she sped away. Enshou sighed and brought out his phone to call a Wber driver to pick him up. The scene shifted to the crispy, unpleasant sight of Lilymu Towers. Ozu and his family sat on the curb outside of their building, all of them with their hands on their face. Many of the paparazzi were shoo'd away by Umibozu, who finally recovered from being choked out. Snake walked up to Ozu and took his fireman's helmet off.
"Well, it appears we got all the blaze settled, but the building's structure is completely unstable...from my professional opinion, this building has to be demolished." Ozu head fell between his knees as he began to tear up.
"All of my hard work...gone down in flames because of a stupid Halloween party." Ozu said with a tinge of sadness in his voice.
"Well, you should know by now Ozu that we shouldn't throw parties in there." Guano said, Ozu didn't even have the energy to get mad at his son talking back at him. Raj, Lily, and Mitsuki sat next to the Front Desk Lady on a bench just outside the apartments.
"Where are we going to live? I-I'm sure Ozu will get us a new place to live!" Mitsuki said. Raj shook his head,
"MY WHOLE LIFE WAS IN THAT APARTMENT! MY YOUTUBE SET UP, MY PEWDIEPIE DARTBOARD, MY LOVELY LADY PILLOWS! DON'T YOU GET IT BLUE HAIRED ONE?" Raj yelled, but quickly sobbed into his blonde weave. Lily rolled her eyes as she turned to the Front Desk Lady.
"Well, I guess you're out of a job FDL!" she said to the now unemployed desk lady. Front Desk Lady sighed, but before she could speak, the ground next to her began to rumble and crack open as 3 figures emerged from it.
"What's this?"
Suave's teeth shined as he twirled his sax in front of the Front Desk Lady. She rolled her eyes and stormed away. Jazzy shook his head as Billy put his arm around Suave's shoulder.
"You'll get her next time man." Billy said solemnly. Guano shot up and ran to the giant fish,
"Jazzy! You're back!" Guano hugged him as Jazzy returned the hug. Umibozu and Ozu walked up to the God and greeted him.
"What brings you down here Jazzy? Was Lilymu burning down such a troubling cause to...well have all 3 of you down here?" Umibozu asked. Jazzy shook his head.
"Something is happening outside the bounds of this book. I'm sure you must have felt a slight shift in the pages." Ozu nodded. "Ozu-dono, do you know of a man who resembles a captain? We are in dire need of his assistance." Jazzy asked. Ozu once again nodded,
"He drove us out to the bars and theater last night...though he went and disappeared up a mountain and we decided to steal his limo." Kiyoko's face went dark, as Jazzy just nodded. Billy laughed in the background, but stopped laughing after his cocked his head back and looked directly above him.
"Yo uh...is that that hot headed brat's ship? Why the hell do I always end up here dude." Billy shook his head, hoping Kamui wouldn't sniff him out. He turned his head and saw Steve, Joe, and Josh standing across the street with their detective gear on. "Oh great, and I'm stuck with these three morons again." Jazzy slapped Billy in the back of the head the caused him to reach for Jazzy, but the fish caught his arm and twisted it causing Billy to shriek.
"It's inevitable that we end up back with those three Billy. They'll help us fix this situation." Billy rubbed his arm and stared at Jazzy. "We'll head up to the mountain. Billy, get those three and let's go." Jazzy was interrupted by his younger brother Suave however,
"I'll stay back here Jazzster. Some people are hurt from this and I gotta attend to those wounds ya dig?" Jazzy nodded,
"Very noble of you Suave. I expect you to meet us on the mountain when you've finished however." Suave waved off to Jazzy as the fish walked over with Billy to confront Joe, Steve, and Josh. As the 5 began to walk opposite of LilyMu, a car pulled up and a red haired man stepped out, throwing a wad of cash at the driver.
"And I EXPECT TO BE TREATED LIKE THE ROYALTY I AM NEXT TIME!" Enshou slammed the door and turned to see his limo, in shambles and busted. Jazzy turned to Enshou as he was treating to some of the residents of the door and played a long drawn out note. Enshou's expression changed from anger to a look of sorrow. He was reminded quickly of that dream, the dream of his past.
"And what's troubling you, Prince?" Suave smoothly waltzed over to Enshou,
An entire backing band appeared behind Suave as he gingerly made his way to Enshou, who was starting to look uncomfortable. Suave threw his head back and lifted his sax in the air, note visibly flying out of the end of the instrument,
The onlookers were stunned and applauded the God, as the notes landed on the injured, making their burns and cuts fade. Enshou narrowed his eyes,
"Am I supposed to be impressed or what?" Enshou asked. Suave spun the sax around his body from the strap, it landed on his back as he extended his hand to grab Enshou's, "Hey what is-HEY! LET GO OF ME!" Suave pulled Enshou with him as the to twirled around in the empty street. The sax swung back around to Suave's mouth, as he began to play it without his hands. The buttons being pressed down with forces unseen. Enshou still wasn't impressed. "You actually expect to impress ME?" Suave smiled as the two twirled each other, dancing to the hard bop Suave was producing from his instrument. He removed his mouth from the reed,
"I'm not trying to impress you, I'm just showing you what you need to do Prince!" Enshou got curious at what the God meant, but his thought was broken as Suave passed him to the Front Desk Lady who caught him by the waist,
"NOW HOLD ON A MIN- WOAH!" FDL lifted Enshou up by his stomach and the two twirled, before Enshou was let down. The two twisted and shuffled their feet,
The Front Desk Lady began to sing to Suave's saxophone as Enshou dipped her in his arms and pulling her close to his chest,
"How the hell are you making me dance? I didn't AGREE TO A MUSICAL NUMBER!" Enshou yelled as FDL spun Enshou in a fast spiral, making him completely disorientated.
"Now come on Prince! You've gotta feel the rhythm in your soul! YOU GOTTA LET THOSE EMOTIONS OUT, YEAH!" Suave yelled as he snapped his fingers, and out of thin air a trombone fell from the sky and landed in Enshou's hands as his eyes finally corrected themselves.
"You better have quite the good excuse for this." Enshou said. Suave chuckled,
"You know, us Gods can peer into dreams Prince. I just so happened to stumble across yours." Suave pointed at the trombone and it stuck to Enshou's face. He struggled, but soon found himself blowing into it. He lifted the instrument from his mouth as the music all around him stopped. Everyone involved there stopped and stared at Enshou as a circle formed around him.
"I told you, I'm not going to be apart of your stupid musical number..." Enshou said. Suave broke from the crowd and approached Enshou. The God flung his sax to his back and tipped his shades down to meet Enshou eye to eye.
"Prince, you've got to believe me when I tell you this. When the time comes, I assure you, that trombone will save hundreds of people from tragedy. You hold it in your heart." Suave pointed at the locket in his breast pocket. Enshou turned his back to the God and put his head down.
"I hold it in my heart eh?" Enshou put the trombone to his lips and began to belt out a wicked trombone solo.
Suave, his backup band, and FDL all began to join in with Enshou as the crowd erupted in cheers as everyone was healing from their injuries. The instruments roaring out in celebration and jubilation as everyone was smiling and laughing. Enshou removed the trombone from his mouth and cracked a small smile of his own, more of his mascara running down his face.
"All these simpletons, making me cry." the screen was split between Enshou and Yuka who both said the same thing, but in different locations. The scene shifted to Yuka sitting at a stool in a small restaurant. The host turned around at this statement. He handed her the pumpkin espresso with a small shot of whisky sitting at the bottom that she had ordered.
"I don't normally serve alcohol this early in the morning, but what the hell, business is slow today." Pakuyasa turned to the framed photo of him and his comrades and wiped it down with a cloth. Yuka stared at the glass, her liquid hand resting on her head. She look up at the man, looking proudly at his photograph.
"I'm not comfortable around you filthy humans...but you're an exception. Many of us are mistreated by humans, killed and thrown in the trash like all other Amanto. But you, you showed our culture a deal of respect that day." Pakuyasa turned around, and finally pieced it together,
"Ahh! You're a Globberian! Gosh, it's been nearly a year hasn't it? March I believe!" Pakuyasa chuckled. "Your food was great maam! I'd love to go back someday, but you know, I'm anchored here for now. Gotta pay these debts off somehow! All worth it though." Pakuyasa gave Yuka a smile. She looked down at her drink and took a small sip of it, just enough for the whiskey to touch her lips. She sat it down and looked at the glass, whipped cream on her mouth.
"That damned Valentino...why's he always gotta screw things up. I don't want to have to things to harm my people...but they're just making it difficult." Yuka said. Pakuyasa had his back turned, cleaning some of his dishes while Yuka continued to monologue to herself. She took another drink, "They say they're happy there...but I know what's best for my people. I'll...I'll use force if I have to." Yuka's gazed shifted to the window of the shop, snow flakes dancing as they made their way to the ground.
"Winter's finally comin huh?" Pakuyasa remarked, also looking out the window. Yuka took another drink,
"I cannot allow my people to live among you scum sucking humans. You've already done so much to hurt my people, that I cannot bring myself to even allow such a thing." Yuka narrowed her eyes at Pakuyasa who had his back turned to her again, scrubbing his dishes.
"I think you're missing something with your people maam." Pakuyasa spoke up, but was met with a pound at his bar. He continued scrubbing his dishes as Yuka calmed herself down,
"Don't speak ill of my connection to the rest of the Globberians. I know what's best for them. I don't need some meat sack telling me what I'm missing." Pakuyasa shrugged at the comments, but continued to listen.
"Whatever it takes to get them home. Thank you for the drink human." Yuka tossed Pakuyasa some change and walked out the door. Pakuyasa watched her walked out and smiled. Yuka sat at a bench just outside the shop as the snow lightly fell. She pulled out her phone and began to make a call,
"Ayo Skele? I gotta take this!" Valentino split off of Skele and squirmed outside the hut.
Skele, Mutsu, Tatsuma, Oboro, and Poe were sitting in the hut together while Gintoki and the Kiheitai were making acquaintances with the villagers, Gintoki seeing some for the first time in years since the second war. Valentino pulled out a goo phone and answered it. "Ey Sorella! So, yous finally comin 'round to acceptin-uh huh. Well wait, hol on put the breaks on will ya! What do you mean we's gonna- huh! Come on sorella, you can't-" but as he was speaking, he looked up and saw Shinsuke tripping. He couldn't move in time and was abruptly cut off the phone as Shinsuke landed on him. Yuka looked at her phone from the bench and began to scream for Valentino to answer, fearing the worst.
"SHINNY BABY WHAT DID YOU DOOOOOOO!" Katsura yanked his husband off the ground and saw Valentino holding his head. Shinsuke's ass was covered in green electronic bits.
"Ah way ta go wise guy, you broke my phone!" Valentino scrapped the phone bits off Shinsuke's ass, which caused him to blush. Katsura took great exception to this and lifted the goop off the ground.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Katsura yelled, "WHY I OUGHTA!" Shinsuke held his husband back as the glob brushed himself off.
"You gotta problem with me touchin your husband's ass? He ain't even my type anyways." Shinsuke threw his husband aside and lifted the glob up himself.
"IT'S BECAUSE I'M SHORT ISN'T IT?" Shinsuke began to feel subconscious and sat Valentino down. Valentino shook his body and squirmed back into the hut and fused by with Skele. Gintoki's eyes darkened after witnessing his friends acting foolish. Elizabeth and Matako chuckled to themselves in the background. Oboro and Poe walked out of the tent much to the chagrin of the three Joui's.
"So, you idiots sat on Valentino-dono? I'm not surprised really. Me and Poe have great respect for the Globberians unlike you two." Oboro said, pointing at the husbands. Shinsuke rolled his eye.
"Don't you have anything better to do Jizzhead?" Gintoki asked him. Oboro gave him a dead serious look,
"Yes I do..." Oboro held up his phone and showed a picture of his badly burned Lennon-dono statue he had commissioned in Universe 7. "You could have at least told me my entire apartment was destroyed Shiroyasha...how insensitive. Poe lost his nest and everything. How can you stand there and not feel remorse." The three looked at Poe as he pulled a cigarette out from behind his wing and Oboro produced a lighter for him,
Shinsuke, Katsura, and Gintoki's eyes all darkened as Poe took a big buff and flicked the lit cigarette at Katsura, which caught his kimono on fire. Katsura began to scream as Shinsuke chased him,
"QUICK HONEY, TAKE YOUR KIMONO OFF!" Shinsuke tackled his husband to the ground and ripped his clothes off and and threw it in the leaves, but the leaves caught flame too and reached Shinsuke's kimono. Shinsuke quickly de-robed and stomped on both of their clothes, finally stopping the blaze. Shinsuke looked down at his husband, who was covered in leaves and patches of dirt with his bare abs exposed. Gintoki, smartly, grabbed Shinsuke and pulled him away from Zura before the village was subject to something horrendous.
"You two are not having sex in front of all these people, not in this arc." Gintoki said. Tatsuma soon exited the hut and laughed his head off.
"Kintoki! Don't worry, I'll take Oboro and his bird back home. Just don't start anymore fights or what have you! I've ordered Mutsu to stay with Skele, so it's just me and Oboro hangin out!" Tatsuma said. Oboro blushed but quickly hid his face. The three walked towards Tatsuma's ship as Skele and Mutsu also exited the hut.
"Why are you two half naked?" Skele asked. Zura and Shinsuke just turned around and walked the opposite direction, causing Skele and Mutsu to giggle. But, their giggle was interrupted by a flock of birds flying and causing a commotion from deep in the forest. The silence after the birds was broken when Takechi's phone began to go off. He lifted it up and saw it was a Wacetime from Bansai.
"Bansai-dono, where are you?" Takechi asked. The video popped up and showed Bansai in front of a giant poster of Eazy-E. He stood there in a kind of profile shot for some odd reason,
"I'm afraid I'm getting married again Takechi. My powerful aura cannot be contained. Tell the rest of the band...this might be it." Bansai threw his phone to the side, but never turning off the Facetime. Takechi decided it was a good idea not to turn it off either. Bansai quickly turned to face the Princess, who was beginning to walk down the aisle.
"Now, I done told you, you can't have yer phone out while yer gettin married." Nobu said, narrowing his eyes at Bansai.
Nobume and Isaburo rolled their eyes at the old school Eastern rap blaring in the chapel.
"We decorated this to be West Coast themed, and they still have the nerve to play East Coast." Isaburo said, looking at Sougo who was the lone black coat sitting opposite of them. Nobume pointed her sword at Bansai's neck, continuing to threaten the terrorist. Bansai was not phased, having to deal with this for two days straight. Soyo gingerly made her way down the aisle, being walked down Maizo, still half dead from the paintball shot earlier.
"If you as so much get your cherry boy lips near the Princess, I'll decapitate you without hesitation." Nobume said. Bansai let out a sweat drop, praying something would stop this. Just as Soyo stepped up to face Bansai, the chapel doors exploded as a cardboard limousine smashed through, running over several pews. Kagura let out a yell and Hata cheered as he saw his brother step out of the back seat.
"Mid-western rap, I love it!" Kyuubey said as she slammed the cardboard door.
"WAIT JUST A MINUTTTTEEEEEEEE!" Barkas yelled. The camera zoomed in,
"WHY AM I SO TINY??" the author turned his head and did not look Barkas in the eyes.
"Don't worry Barkas, you merely got hit in the desert by a Woopa. You shrunk like Super Bario!" Shige said. Hasegawa face palmed and Barkas's eyes darkened. Kyuubey reached into her pocket and produced a red mushroom.
"AND YOU JUST CARRY MUSHROOMS AROUND?" Barkas yelled. Kyuubey nodded,
"You never know when you might just shrink." Kyuubey shoved the mushroom down his throat and he grew back to his normal size. Barkas just put his head down on the cardboard and fell as it collapsed under his weight. Soyo threw her bouquet down in anger,
"Onii-san! You crashed my wedding!" she stormed over to Shige and started to punch him in the stomach.
"It was for your own good Soyo-chan! We can't have you marrying a terrorist, plus you're much too young. You need to mature, enjoy life!" Shige patted her head and walked up to Bansai. "Bansai-san, you have my deepest apologies. Please, you are free to go." everyone in the chapel gasped.
"BUT, HE'S MY HUSBAND TOO!" Hata yelled. Barkas ran up to his brother, but tripped and shrunk again. Hasegawa walked up behind them and put his hands on Hata's shoulder,
"It's time you let him go Hata, we have more important business anyway. I have to help you with your biology essay." Hasegawa said, pulling out a cardboard laptop. Hata clapped in excitement as Sougo sighed next to him. Bansai walked up to Kyuubei who greeted her friend with a non-contact handshake.
"Kyuubei-chan, I think I need to go solo." Kyuubei was shocked, as was Takechi who could hear that from his phone. He, Matoko, and Elizabeth all looked shocked at his phone.
"Doesn't that bozo know his PHONE IS STILL ON?!" Elizabeth aggressively signed. Matoko's eyes started to swell up, but before she could start crying, another swarm of birds flew from the forest.
"What is going on out there?" Gintoki pondered. The camera zoomed through the forest and trees, eventually landing on Stephen, who was breaking his leg back into place and screaming at the top of his lungs. He managed to crawl to the nearest tree and rest upon it. Snow was piling up next to him as he pulled out gloves and a scarf from his coat pockets. He pulled out his pocket watch and checked on the time, but as he looked up from the watch his eyes met another pair,
"That damned kid really titled the comic book. Well, I'm glad you at least kept those safe, Captain." Hitsugi gestured his one arm to Stephen's coat pocket, which was still glowing green. Stephen noticed that Hitsugi's left arm hadn't grown back. "It is what it looks like Captain, my healing abilities are taking a toll. I'm starting to run out..." Hitsugi helped the Captain up and gave him a piggyback.
"Hitsugi, I don't know what Yuka has planned, but it isn't going to be good." Stephen winced as his leg still pained him. Hitsugi looked back at the Captain and stopped dead in his tracks,
"I can feel them Captain, those who own the comic book are near. I can feel it in my blood." Stephen's eyes widened as he knew that he was going to face Steve and Joe face to face for the first time, the last remnants of his previous life. His face darkened,
"Take me to them Hitsugi...I have to face my past...so I can scrub the pain of the present." Stephen's mind flashed to what Enshou told him earlier, feeling a small pang in his heart.
TBC
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25 minutes ago, Majesty Yuka said:
You’re welcome you filthy mammals.
Thank you mommy yuka
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Forgive me lord, but I must get to the next page no matter the consequences.
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"Boys, that was a tour de force of film making." Gintoki wiped the tear from his eye and smiled up at the screen. Umibozu was hugging Gendo as the two men bawled like babies,"That reminds me of my little bunnies..." Umibozu pulled out a picture of Kamui, Kagura, and Kouka from his wallet, but somehow the Kamui in the picture reached out and punched him. Gendo smiled, also thinking about his two children. Ozu sat there stoned face.
"Oi, Old Man, doesn't this move you? Or do you hate your son so much?" Gintoki asked. Ozu shook his head,
"I feel...a disturbance." Ozu said, looking in the direction of his home,
"Haven't you already tried this before? What's your problem? I haven't seen you in like 6 arcs and you pull the same stunt." Saitama picked up Kamui's hand and removed it from his shoulder. Behind Saitama, the entire back half of the apartment was blown out, chairs and other various furniture falling to the street below. Kiyoko grabbed the Bansai tree before it fell out the hole, still recovering from the beating it took a year prior."See, my Sensei can not only take a blow from a pirate, but he didn't even lose his pizza hat." Genos said to Yes Man as he was reaching for some punch before the table fell out the building.
"YOU CAN HELP BY FLYING DOWN AND GETTING OUR STUFF!" Guano yelled at Genos. Genos looked down at Guano and picked him up. "What the? PUT ME DOWN!" Guano was struggling,
"This is your little brother, Yes Man?" Genos asked.
"Well, not really! But we're close enough to be brothers!" Yes Man told his friend. Genos nodded,
"Alright little one, I'll get your stuff." Genos flung Guano, sending him crashing into a sea of people. Abuto was making his way to Kamui to calm him down, but Genos stopped him. "So, you're the little red head's right hand man? The man who wants to defeat my Sensei so much more than even I...I say we test our strengths as those two are now." Genos then ripped off his Maluigi overalls,
"Yare yare, I don't want to fight you hunk of tin." Abuto said. Most of the ladies and some of the men there aww'd and ooo'd at Geno's naked, metallic body.
"I MUST DEFEND MY SENSEI'S HONOR!" Genos readied up his explosive arms, but stopped when Tama and Monika stepped in front of Abuto. Genos put down his busters,
"If you're gonna blast Abuto-san away, then you're going to have to go through me!" Monika said. Tama nodded,
"And if you do, may I please have your number Genos-sama?" Tama asked. Genos cocked his eyebrow at this, but got caught with a punch from Abuto, sending him out of the building. Sonic stood up and cheered at the defeat of one of his bitter rivals.
"HA! GOOD ONE OSSAN!" Kamui laughed, through a barrage of punches into Saitama.
"Can't I just game with my friends? Why don't you just be our 4th man?" Saitama asked Kamui. Kamui stopped punching and crossed his arms.
"As if I would game with YOU." Kamui stormed out of the apartment and slammed the door, causing it to explode on impact. Kiyoko shook her head and sat down next to the drunk ninjas and Sonic.
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"Don't I look devlishly sexy, Captain?" Enshou asked. Sweetcheeks stared blankly as Enshou and Yuka were fighting within themselves.
"Can't you play anything that isn't Edo Pop? I want something smooth, and fragrant. Something your pea-sized brain couldn't understand." Yuka said. Sweetcheeks peered over at Hitsugi, who was still keeping in contact with Dylan.
"Well, you're apart of something smooth and fragrant right now." Enshou pulled out his Dark Overlord Wold Spice deodorant. Yuka tossed the stick off the cliff, into the village below.
"NOOOO WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SMELL EVIL?" Enshou yelled. Sweetcheeks walked pasted Enshuka to speak with Hitsugi,
"Hitsugi, you know it's dangerous in that triangle. For past universes, I've lived that tragedy many times over." the Captain told Hitsugi. Hitsugi turned to the Captain.
"Captain, I'm only doing what my heart believes is right. I can't let this universe continue as is. I've...I've lost so much in so little time." Hitsugi turned back to the bindings. The Captain grimaced to himself at the thought of his many trips to that dreaded place.
"You're going to make that kid journey alone to that place Hitsugi? What about his family?" Hitsugi put his head down at the word "family". "We can't keep doing this Hitsugi...Utsuro died for a reason." the Captain lamented. "Everyone has died for a reason, or so Utsuro said." Hitsugi turned back around and left the bindings to confront the Captain face to face.
"That nameless man did not die with reason." Hitsugi stared at The Captain, who looked down at the mention of Kaname.
"No, he didn't Hitsugi. Kaname did not die in vain. You more than anyone should know that." Hitsugi backed off from the Captain, his mind flashing back months ago,
"Here big man, I poured some scotch...it'll help take the pain away. Free yourself if you will."
Hitsugi's memory caused him to clinch his chest, thoughts of the man sending pain to his heart. The sentiments from Utsuro also ringing in his heart.
"He never freed me from my pain, Captain. Utsuro was wrong, I have to do this myself." Hitsugi stepped back to the bindings.
---------------------------------------------------
"How are you today, my little Skeleton?" Shouyo looked down at his student,
"Good morning Sensei! I'm doing good, well I did just get bonked on the head by Gintoki earlier! Him and Shinsuke were fighting as usual, I just happened to get caught up in all of it!" Shouyo put his hand on Skele's head and rubbed it playfully.
"Do you remember that lesson of Bushido I taught a few weeks ago?" Sensei asked, and both at the same time said, "Those who lay cannot take in the true earnestness their opponent gives them. Share the goodwill and stand up with honor!" Shouyo chuckled, "You took that lesson to heart today, breaking up their fighting and being a hero in your own right." Sensei ushered Skele into his private room, where Shouyo would read and talk to his students personally.
"Why are we coming here? Usually the bad kids like Shinsuke come here...did I do something wrong Sensei?" Skele asked. Shouyo shook his head and sat down on his futon.
"As I said Bonestein, you were heroic today. I just wanted to share a personal lesson with you, one I hope you can remember when the time comes. "Just as we have two eyes,"" Sensei playfully put his fingers in Skele's eye sockets. Skele giggled, but listened intently. ""and two feet,"" Sensei plucked one of Skele's toes off, before putting it back into place, ""Duality is part of life." Some people may not be born with two eyes, two legs, two arms, two ears; but they are born with duality. It dwells in every being, Bonestein. Whether it be good, evil. Right or left. Liquids to Solids, we are all apart of two halves. Do you remember the day I found you, I'm sure it's a hard memory to bare, but it was one of the happiest days of my life." Skele looked down, remembering the slaughtering of his family. "It's OK my sweet student. In some ways, their spirits live on. I say that it was one of the happiest days of my life, because I got to meet you, and have the chance to be called your teacher. You will be more important in you life than I could ever be in this world. That's why I saved you that day, because you are not only special to me, but you're special to your friends-" Skele peered out of the room and saw Katsura, Shinsuke, and Gintoki all playing in the courtyard with the other students. Skele smiled as Shouyo continued, "You will be special to your future family, once you've grown up and helped your people." Skele's mind went to those who survived the attack on his village, the bodies that lay in dust and scattered bones. "Not through revenge, or hatred. You are my sweetest student, and I cannot let hatred take over the nice side of you as it has me before." Shouyo sat up and put his arm into his kimono. He pulled out a small medallion and handed it to Skele,
Skele's eye sockets widened as he recognized the necklace,
"I wanted to keep this until you were a bit older, but I thought now would be a better time than ever to give this back." Skele took the necklace and placed it around his neck,
"My father's amulet..." Skele stood up and rushed at Shoyou's leg, giving it a tight hug. Shoyou smiled, bending down to give Skele a proper hug.
Skele looked down at his necklace,
'It's just like my father's.' but quickly his thoughts were interrupted by the embrace of Mutsu as she run into him with a hug.
"Bonestein, I'm so glad you're okay." Skele accepted Mutsu's embrace and hugged her back. Tatsuma, who was laughing, also walked up to him with Oboro and Poe in tow.
"AHAHAHA! SKELE! You look great with skin!" Tatsuma said, but Mutsu punched him backwards, still holding onto Skele.
"Bonestein, to think you could have flesh just like the rest of us. How does it feel? I no other universe have I seen you like this, nor has Sensei told me this was possible." Oboro said, Poe fly up to Skele, inspecting him, picking at his flesh. Skele winced but shoo'd the crow away.
"Well, I didn't know I could do this either, until my liquid self fused with my solid form...hmph." Skele remembered back to Sensei's duality speech, knowing well that Utsuro knew of his other half. He held his head as the memories of his liquid self were coming back. As if he's lived two lives all at once. Tatsumaki landed on the ground next to Skele and Mutsu,
"Bonestein, do you think everything here is...settled? It doesn't seem like there's anything hostile." Tatsumaki said. Skele stared up at the cliff, seeing the faint silhouettes of 3 people.
"Why did Yuka want us to merge ourselves...why now? She has to have a purpose for reuniting us all here." the scene shifts back over to Yuka and Enshou still fighting within themselves.
"WOULD YOU JUST GET OUT OF MY BODY ALREADY!" Yuka yelled. Enshou shook his, er, their head.
"You're in MY body. HOW I CAN I BE IN YOURS! Sweetcheeks, REMOVE THIS WOMAN FROM ME THIS INSTANT!" Enshou yelled. As they were arguing, they could hear a song coming from where Hitsugi was standing,
"Dylan sat there at the Starbucks, trying to process what the ugly man was telling him." Dylan said to Hitsugi. Hitsugi ignored the comment, but moved on with his explanation.
"Look, I've been researching this for years. You're the only one who can do this, now that those detectives and Billy have entered the comic." Hitsugi said, rubbing his temple. Dylan leaned back, and flipped through the comic book.
"It seems he found some very funny parts to this story. Maybe, Dylan wanted to be apart of this." Hitsugi shook his head,
"You don't have the fundamentals, or the power to skadoo. You'll only be able to if you just go to Bermuda." Hitsugi further explained. Dylan's interested peaked at this,
"Skadoo? Dylan stood up and began to wonder about this crazy power. Maybe, he could use it for other reasons." Dylan said, perhaps accidentally out-loud. Hitsugi's eyes narrowed at this, but he knew this was his only shot at getting those crystals. "Alright, Dylan made the deal with the strange man from the book. Number 11, the Deal is Sealed."
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The chapel was becoming a warzone, but no casualties. The Shinsengumi was throwing water balloons, and shooting paint balls at the Oukoku's, while they were doing the same.
"YOU'RE NOTHIN OLD MAN! GIVE IT UP AND GIVE US THE GUITARIST!" Pops yelled, hiding behind one of the pews. He looked to his left and saw Kondo with a huge gash, and red paint.
"They got me good Pops...but this old Gorilla doesn't go down easily." he fell into Matsudaria's lap,
"KONDO-SAN!" Pop yelled, throwing water balloons in a fury at the Oukoku. But in the midst of it all, a light shot down in the middle of them, halting the action.
Both sides just stared as the 4 men appeared in the room, the light leaving them.
"Well, we picked an interesting place to jump into, what the hell is happening?" Joe asked. It wasn't mere seconds until Steve locked eyes with Hijikata, who was standing by the doors of the chapel.
"STEEEEEEEEEEEVVVVEEEEE!"
"TOSHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
The two friends hugged each other and did a sick handshake to end it on. Joe just face palmed and walked over to greet Toshi like a normal human being. Yet, they also did a sick ass handshake. Josh face palmed at that and sat at one of the pews.
"What the hell is happening in here?" Josh asked Barkas, who was trapped under a different pew.
"HOW ABOUT YOU HELP ME OUT OF THIS AND I'LL TELL YOU!" Barkas yelled. Josh heaved the pew up and helped Barkas to his feet.
"I don't know, that princess...wait where did she go?" Matsudaria looked around, but didn't see her nor Sougo. He spotted Kagura clinging onto Billy's jacket,
"WOAH DUDE, HANDS OFF THE MERCH!" Billy said, but Kagura had an iron grip on him.
"Soyo and that stupid coconut head left to the castle, uh-huh!" Kagura said, as Billy shot fire out of his mouth in sheer rage, trying to kick Kagura off of him. Barkas's face with dark, as did Yamazaki's.
"That isn't good at all." Barkas said, hustling out of the chapel,
"I can understand wanting to roleplay Bansai~but can't I at least know what I'm roleplaying as?" Hata asked. Bansai managed to get Hata out of the bathroom and slip on his emergency Yammy mask that he sometimes uses for pillows.
"It adds the the surprise man." Bansai said, strumming on his guitar. But, their serenity was interrupted by the bedroom door getting kicked in by Soyo and a bazooka blowing up the window next to Bansai's head. "WHAT THE HELL!" Bansai yelled. Hata was confused, trying to take off the mask, but couldn't remove it.
"What is this mask Bansai?!" Hata bumped into the wall and fell over, while Soyo stood over her friend's body.
"You're too easy Hata. I'll be taking your bride now." she stepped over him and hugged Bansai who looked down at her in surprise. Sougo climbed through the window and handcuffed Bansai.
"So like, you're a terrorists. I'm kind of obligated to arrest you, but I'm also doing it for Princess Soyo. As for you," Sougo bent down to face Hata, still wearing the Yamazaki mask. "I might have to place you under arrest for kidnapping." as Sougo was slapping the cuffs on Hata, Barkas rushed to the bedroom door,
"What are you doing to my little brother?" he asked. Sougo just looked at him deadpan and maced him.
"Let's blow this Popsicle stand Hime-sama." Sougo said. The two took their "suspects" out of the room and hopped in their space limo, without the Oukoku, nor the Shinsengumi seeing them.
"Who the hell is driving us?" Bansai asked. The divider window rolled down,
"I'm sorry Barkas's little brother, but my little sister tricked me into doing this. He's gonna kick my butt for this."
"IT'S THE SHOGUNNNNNN!" Bansai yelled. Back in the church, Joe, Steve, and Josh met up with Katsura and Shinsuke who were sitting on the steps of the chapel.
"Remember our wedding day Honey?" Shinsuke asked, holding his husband's hand. Katsura swung their arms up and down and nodded,
"Happiest day of my life. Oh, hello Steve-dono, Joe-dono, Josh-dono. I don't believe we've been formally introduced Josh-dono." Katsura stuck his free hand out to shake Josh's, as Shinsuke did the same.
"It's nice to see you two, but we've got some serious issues to look into." Joe said. Katsura looked puzzled.
"Do you two know of a naval looking guy, like a Captain?" Steve asked. Shinsuke spoke up,
"Yeah, there's that dude who works for that idiot Prince...uh Genshou?" he asked,
"No, you're thinking of Gunso, Weroro Gunso." Katsura had a thought bubble of him cuddling a plushy of Weroro Gunso,
"No, that wasn't it Honey. It was Enshou, that's it. I tried to get that stupid idiot's name out of my head. He's down in Edo right now at that Lilymu Party or whatever. I was invited, but I had babysitting duty. Tough, I know." Shinsuke said, kissing Zura's hand as they swung. Joe and Steve nodded, as they knew they had to go to Edo.
"We can take you guys there, we were going to leave after the wedding was over with." Zura said, hurrying Matako, Takechi, and Elizabeth onto the ship. The other 4 followed, Steve looking back as Hijikata waved to him.
"Toshi, should we follow them just in case?" Kondo asked. Toshi nodded,
"Those guys are never up to any good, so we probably should...better yet we should find out what the hell Sougo was doing." Toshi said, lighting a cigarette. Yamazaki scrawled out of the church, breathing a sigh of relief he was spared from Bansai.
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"ENOUGH!" Yuka finally snapped and forced herself free from the darkness, the evil bottomless pit that was Enshou's body. Enshou laid on the ground, and pulled out a cigarette. He sat up and lit the cig, puffing a large trail of smoke at Yuka.
"You're one hell of a lover Lady TBC...dare I say better than Captain Sweetcheeks." The Captain looked dejectedly at the ground at this comment. Yuka walked over and lifted Enshou up with her glob hand, high above head. "WOAH NILLY!" Enshou yelled, stilling holding the cigarette in his mouth. She tossed him towards Hitsugi, who caught him with one hand, dangling Enshou from his jacket over the cliff. "HELP MY SWEETCHEEKS!" Enshou yelled. Sweetcheeks gulped as he looked to his left and saw a violently angry Yuka, and to his right, Enshou flailing like a fish with Hitsugi at the bindings of the book.
"Out of my way Old Human, you are no concern of mine." Yuka said, sending her glob form arm past Sweetcheeks to get to Hitsugi, but Sweetcheeks stepped on her arm, causing her to stop and face him.
"I...I can't let you stop him. Not after what you did to Enshou." Sweetcheeks stood his ground against the Globberian. She retracted her arm and narrowed her eyes at the Captain. She flung her arm and grabbed the Captain by the neck, catching him off guard. She lifted him up high in the air as well. Hitsugi stopped his communication with Dylan and snapped around to see Sweetcheeks being strangled in the air,
"Let him go! YUKA!" Hitsugi yelled, but Yuka wasn't budging.
"Give me the crystals Hitsugi, or I end this pathetic human's life." Yuka said. Enshou was kicking and squirming, finally breaking free and barely landing on the cliffside.
"Enshou...wait..." Sweetcheeks could barely stop, but Enshou was transfixed with Yuka. He ran up to her, causing her to turn her head at him,
"Oh Lady TBC...how you've woah'd me so! I say...we work together." she raised her non liquid eyebrow at this. "Y'know, like partners in crime!" Enshou said, excitedly. "LLLLovers in crime~" at this, Yuka's head morphed into a sword and stabbed Enshou in the shoulder, knocking him to the ground. "OOOOHHH YEEEAAHHHH!" Enshou yelled, as he rolled around in his own blood.
"Filthy pigs. You'll never understand what my people have went through. You'll never understand what I've been through." Yuka lifted up the lapel on her jacket, "You'll never understand this." she turned back to the Captain, who was still struggling. "Well Hitsugi, are you going to hand over the crystals, or what? I'm doing this for your own good." Hitsugi stared at her, then at the crystals in his hand.
"I cannot allow that Yuka. I have to free myself." Hitsugi looked up to see Dylan rushing through an airport to board a flight to Bermuda. He nodded. "To free myself, and everyone who's suffered at his hands." Yuka sighed and flung the Captain way into the distance, near the village. Hitsugi's eyes widened but as he was watching the Captain's body fly through the air, he saw a familiar bird swoop in and catch him.
"CAW!" Poe said, with a mouthful of the Captain's shirt. He circled down and placed him in front of Oboro and the others. The Captain looked at all the Skeleton people around them, now in their complete form. He turned to face Skele, who he's seen before, and turned back.
"Is this why she wants to stop Hitsugi? What is her motive for causing this chaos..." the Captain brushed himself off, and started to head back for the cliff, but was stopped by Oboro.
"Captain, you're injured enough. You can't go back against her, think about her people here." Oboro said, the Captain looking at all the Liquids and Solids feeling their bodies and talking among themselves.
"I have to stop her and Hitsugi from doing something they'd regret...I have to get up there." Oboro's eyes darkened,
"Hitsugi-dono...is alive?" he couldn't believe it. Sweetcheeks began to head back,
"I'm the only man who can prevent this Oboro. Don't try and stop me again. Thank you Poe, you saved my ass back there." Poe saluted the Captain as he walked off. Oboro stirred in his thoughts about Hitsugi, as the Captain began a mad dash towards the hill. Yuka was nearing Hitsugi, moving as fast as she could with her form. Hitsugi held his ground slicing at her goop, but it wasn't enough. She wrapped herself around both of Hitsugi's arms, but he still wouldn't let go of the crystals.
"HAND THEM OVER PIG!" she yelled, but as she said this she turned her head and saw a pink laser slash through both of Hitsugi's arms, causing them to fall to the forest below,
"No one lays their hands on Lady TBC." Hitsugi was stunned as blood poured from his wounds. Yuka took back to her regular form and stood at the edge of the cliff.
"I kind of hand him beat you know." Yuka said to Enshou. Enshou shook his head. Hitsugi fell to the forest below himself, not able to maintain speaking through the binding without the crystals. The Captain reached the cliff but it was too late. She turned to the Captain, "It's too late Captain. I've disposed of Hitsugi, he's no longer a pest in my plan. That just leaves you." she eyed him, but Enshou stepped in between them.
"I...I'm sorry Lady TBC. Don't hurt Sweetcheeks. Only I'm allowed to do that, in bed." Yuka's face went dark as she shoved Enshou out of the way.
"My people are happy now Captain. They're complete, and that makes me happy. I, however, will never be happy. The pain the solids have done to the liquids is enough suffering. I know you saw I and Hitsugi's battle earlier. It's never peaceful, nothing can ever end peacefully. I don't know what you're trying to prove here, by standing defiant against me; a leader who's helped her people find their missing halves." Stephen looked past Yuka at Enshou, who was face down on the ground.
"Hitsugi and I go back, farther back than you can even imagine." Yuka cut him off,
"Of course I can imagine. My ability to have foresight and past foresight. Hitsugi's plan to use me was pitiful." Stephen shook his head,
"You may view me and Hitsugi as nothing more than pests in your grand vision, but we're more than that. He's someone who's hurt, deep down. Enshou cutting his arms off is the least pain he's probably felt in his life." Yuka interrupted again,
"Yet you don't think I've dealt with loss, and the pain of losing something you've loved most dear. Lose something as much as half of yourself, then maybe I can muster up empathy." Yuka said. Stephen's eyes darkened.
"And you don't consider losing your loved ones...your blood over and over and over again...just to fulfill what someone considers the "perfect" life...bullshit Yuka. You're just as selfish as me or Hitsugi, or any other human here in Edo-" Yuka grabbed Stephen and tossed him on top of Enshou, leaving the two men in a heap. Sweetcheeks looked up from the ground,
"I think our little conversation is over Captain. I'm going to go and meet with my people before any more road blocks get in my way." Yuka began to walk down hill as Sweetcheeks managed to crawl to the edge of the cliff where Hitsugi fell. Stuck in the rocks off the cliff was Hitsugi's left hand, perhaps thrusting it into the wall with his blades at the last second before he hit the Earth.
"Tricky bastard, as he always was. I'll be sure to get you back up here later." Stephen said to himself as he ripped Hitsugi's arm out of the cliff, collecting the crystals in his pocket.
TBC
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3 minutes ago, Dark Overlord Enshou said:
Bold of you author to assume I’d be done with a chapter six days in advance.
to what do I owe the honor, handsome
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1
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"Oh Mr. Bowie, what would you do in my situation?" Bansai sat his framed picture of David Bowie down on a nightstand next to the bed he was given. Bansai was sitting alone in a gigantic room within the Prince's Castle. Bansai laid down in his comfy as hell bed and strummed on his guitar. He didn't mind the company of the Prince, but he felt slighted. This was supposed to be his big break, the big time. Bansai strummed a long note that held for several seconds. 'This was it. I was going to break through as the greatest singles musician ever. Now I'm in this dress.' Bansai shook his head at his own thoughts. He couldn't let the fame get to his head, but he craved it. Was EF holding him back?
"Oh BANSAIII~!" Bansai snapped his head to his door and saw Hata standing there in a spiffy suit. "I brought your favorite sandwich! Tuna salad and eggs!" Bansai looked at the sandwich, his favorite indeed. Bansai stood up, lifting his dress so he wouldn't step on it and took the sandwich from Hata. Hata swooned as Bansai took a bite.
"This is pretty good little dude, but um, can I like leave yet? I think Matako wanted to get a pedi-medi tod-" Hata ripped the sandwich out of his hand and began to walk out the door,
"Do NOT mention her name on our wedding day." Hata shut the door in Bansai's face as he pondered what Matako was up to in his absence.
"Honey, do you have anymore of that formula?" Shinsuke was holding a baby bottle, examining the contents inside.
"YOU'LL NEVER GET ME FORMULER SHINNY!" Katsura said, cackling like Mr. Wabs. The little babies were crawling around the floor of their nursery as the terrorists babysat them. Shinsuke was checking his phone every now and again to get updates from Gintoki on the party.
"Honey look, Gintoki is hitting on two moms now. Man, I can't believe we got stuck doing baby duty." Shinsuke hung his head down as Baby Cherry bumped into his shins.
"Nonsense Shinsuke, taking care of the children is going to push the development of these little tykes even further! We should do all we can to help them while Eren-dono and Fumiko-dono are getting shitfaced." Takechi said. Matako oddly nodded in agreement.
"There's nothing like taking care of some squirts. I'm pretty natural at this y'know." Elizabeth signed. Katsura picked up Baby Alex and spun them around like an airplane. The baby giggled and Katsura joined in too. Shinsuke smiled at his husband who was having the time of his life playing with the children.
'Maybe missing the party was worth this.' Shinsuke thought as he wrapped his arms around Katsura.
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"Dylan, sat there incognito watching the 4 mysterious men take the even more mysterious book away." Dylan tilted the baseball cap to hide his face from the 4, plus the millions of his adoring fans. Steve, Joe, Billy, and Josh were all huddled at a table outside of a Starbucks.
"We're in the outside world Billy, we can say Starbucks." Steve said. Billy looked up at disgust of the real world version of his favorite coffee shop. Billy was twisting and turning the comic book, inspecting the outside of it, flipping through some of the pages.
"Yo, what's this?" Joe pointed at a small signature within the front cover of the book. It was a small hat with an unrecognizable signature attached to it. Joe snatched the book from him and nodded.
"Oh yeah, I know this. Check it out Steve." Joe showed the signature to Steve but Steve shook his head.
"Not really sure who's that is. I'm guessing it was the person who owned the book before me. I know that isn't either one of my parent's signatures." Steve scratched his scruff. Josh was sparkly eyed, admired by the coolness of his two cousins.
"It's Mr. Harvestein's. Y'know that Captain guy our parents were friends with." Steve was still a bit confused, but Joe realized, "Ah, yes, right. You probably wouldn't know, since Wilford was the one who told me about him." Billy put his hand out,
"A Captain that knows Brimley...he couldn't be the same guy. I don't want to believe it but damn if I'm sure he is." Billy leaned back and sipped his coffee. This perplexed Joe,
"You knew Mr. Harvestein? How is that possible? Unless he went into the book..." Joe rested his chin on his metallic knuckles.
"Well, I'm not sure if it's the same guy, but if I saw him I could probably tell you." Billy said. Joe straightened up and held the book out,
"Well, let me tell you what Brimley told me a few years ago about him." Joe said.
"So, you're taking that rickety old thing out to the Atlantic, Stephen?" Brimley opened up his briefcase and pulled out a cigar to puff on. Stephen nodded and smiled at Brimley.
"We're not afraid of these myths of the Bermuda Triangle. I hear there's some shit out there that'll make ya millions Wilford. Derek's already got the funds saved up, the research equipment and everything. Maria's got her fancy degree from college so she's got hookups." Stephen leaned back in his chair and popped open a comic book. Wilford tipped the top of the comic book down to look Stephen dead in the eyes,
"I don't think you understand the risks of this trip Stephen. Annabelle is due any day...you guys are so reckless." Wilford shook his head. Stephen just chuckled as he turned the page,
"I'm going whether you like it or not Wilford. It's fate if you will!" Stephen closed the book. "So, you're gonna watch over both the houses right? You're a good man you know that Brimley." Stephen packed up his stuff and began to head out the door. Wilford got up and stopped him before he left. The large man reached into his briefcase and handed Stephen a small pistol.
"Never know when y'll need it." Wilford patted him on the back and shut the door as Stephen waved goodbye. Wilford sighed and walked over to the window and saw Stephen pull away in his car. "Damn kids are gonna give this old man a heart attack with such foolishness." Wilford looked over at a picture that was sitting behind Stephen while they were talking.
"Please come back safe."
"And well that's the last time Brimley saw him. Says our parents named you after him, Steve." Joe finished telling the story. Steve was more fascinated and interested more than ever about what happened to his parents and Stephen on that venture out to sea. Billy sat his coffee down and beamed his eyes directly at Dylan.
"Whatcha looking at Billy?" Josh asked.
"Rats." Billy responded, as a small mouse ran across the busy market area. Dylan tipped his hat down further. "You know, that guy really really sounds familiar. Reckon that could be the same guy from Universe 22." the three stopped and stared dead at Billy.
"You mean...he was IN in the comic book?" Steve asked.
"Well I mean, something happened in that universe concerning a captain of some sort. Utsuro never queued me in on a lot about why he was resetting the universe. He kinda did that on a whim. Fuckin bastard." Billy tossed his cup in the recycling bin. "Not saying it's the same guy, because I never seen him. He obviously never died, so at least you know he's alive. I see everyone who dies cause I hang out in hell you know." Joe nodded his head,
"We gotta get back in here. We have to find this man, and I know exactly who to ask." Joe said, closing the comic book. The 4 decided to take it somewhere safe so they can skadoo without anyone seeing. Dylan lurked behind them, keeping his distance.
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"Enough is e-fucking-nough. We are GOING to Chipotle. We are GOING to eat burritos." Sakamoto pulled out a gun and pushed it against Marco's head. The host stepped back and snapped his fingers. The entire studio that was hosting Family Feud turned into a Chipotle.
"Better?" Marco asked in English. Sakamoto peaked inside the building and saw it completely empty. Gintoki put his hand on Sakamoto's shoulder to calm him down,
"Oi Tatsuma, it's o-" but Gintoki startled the crazed man, causing him to turn around and shoot his pistol, striking Gintoki directly in the head. Gintoki fell to the ground, blood running from the wound.
"GINTOKI!!!" Utsuro bent down and picked his limp student up. "Oh that's just wonderful Tatsuma, now I have to reset the universe, again!" Tatsuma's hand shook as he looked down at his dead friend, one of his best for a long time.
"What the fuck have I done..." Sakamoto looked at his friend as Utsuro stood up.
"You've done the unthinkable and broke his plot armor Sakamoto Tatsuma. I can't allow this man to die here, I'm going to be forced to reset the universe once again." Utsuro stood up, as Oboro and Poe flanked him.
"Well Poe, I guess we gotta brace ourselves again." Poe and Oboro nodded. Sakamoto shook his head.
"I-I..." he aimed the gun at Utsuro. "I can't let you do that." he fired 5 rounds right into the chest of Utsuro, sending him flying. Oboro jumped in and sliced Tatsuma's arm clean off. Tatsuma, on pure adrenaline and instinct, pistol whipped Oboro and Poe with his one arm and shot both one time, incapacitating them. Tatsuma dropped his gun and took out a small knife. He stabbed Oboro in his left eye and was about to stab Poe when he was grabbed from behind. It was Marco, he slugged Tatsuma and stepped on the crazed man's chest.
"Permíteme manejar esto, hombre." Marco stepped off Tatsuma and punched Utsuro as hard as he could in one of the bullet wounds, causing it to split open and leave a huge hole. Tatsuma was up now, holding his gun at Utsuro's head.
"Your move." Tatsuma fired several rounds into his head and walked back. Marco laughed and patted the crazed man on the back.
"Nice! Now, let's get some Chipotle!" Marco turned away from Utsuro, but it was a grave mistake,
Marco looked down at the blade going through his chest, as he was pushed off of it, leaving him in a heap.
"You won't kill me that easily with weak powers like that Marco." Utsuro ripped the sword from Marco's chest and was about to chop his head off, but Tatsuma shot several rounds that left his barrel almost simultaneously, hitting Utsuro in his right wrist. The power of the bullets were enough to rip his entire hand off, causing Utsuro to drop his sword. Utsuro turned to Tatsuma and flashed with lightning like speed to uppercut the man as hard as possible. Tatsuma flew through the air, Utsuro following him in close pursuit. "Sorry Sakamoto." but as Utsuro was about to deliver a killing blow, Marco regained his composer and flew up at Utsuro with his own speed and power, knocking him flying through the Chipotle building. Utsuro slid along the burrito station, causing meat and guac to go all over the place.
"Vamos a jugar!" Marco came in with a barrage of punches and kicks to Utsuro, laying into the all powerful being. He punched Utsuro through the building again, hitting his van, blowing up everyone inside. Suddenly, the Elite pulled up as the van was in pieces. Isaburo kicked it into reverse and sped out of there,
"Nobume, we cannot go there, we have to go to the next Chipotle." Isaburo felt a blade hit the back of his head, and veered off the road. Utsuro recovered from the wreckage to face Marco again. His hand re-attached itself and he gripped his sword.
"Vamos!" Marco gestured to Utsuro. Utsuro leaped through the Chipotle and began slashing at Marco, who dodged each attack. As they were fighting, the van began to squirm, as Tatsuma was laying on the ground after his fall. He saw a bloody, red headed man toss the destroyed vehicle out into oncoming traffic.
"RAAAAAAAAAAA FUCKING KILLED MY CREW!" Kamui stormed into the Chipotle and threw his umbrella right through Marco's eyeball as he was trying to dodge both Utsuro and Kamui. Marco fell into a heap and was about to get pounded on by Kamui, but before he could a shot rang out and Kamui looked down at his stomach and saw a bullet wound. He turned around to face Sakamoto and was met with a bullet between the eyes. The Yato was down, for good. Utsuro looked at Marco who was struggling to his feet, removing the umbrella from his face. He turned to see Oboro and Poe finally recovering from their bullet wounds, but Oboro's eye remained shut. He then turned to face Sakamoto again, who was aiming the gun directly at him.
"Pull the trigger Sakamoto, and see who dies first." Utsuro taunted the man. Sakamoto aimed and took fire, but at the same time, Marco threw the umbrella at Utsuro's back. The bullets hit his weak wrist again, and the Umbrella pierced his chest.
"Oboro, the plot armors are weakening. We need to take drastic measures." Oboro and Poe nodded in understanding. Utsuro ripped the umbrella out from his chest and jumped through the roof of the Chipotle. Utsuro pointed at Oboro who reached into one of his pockets and tossed something to Poe. Poe caught it in mid-air, dodging the bullets from Tatsuma. He dropped it off into Utsuro's hands. It was a purple crystal. "I don't like wasting one of these crystals, but I have to." He smashed the crystal with his hands and struck a hand pose. Utsuro began to hum under his breath, a sort of chant.
"What is that bastardo doing?" Marco asked aloud.
"Summoning from beyond." Oboro said, dashing at Marco. Marco blocked Oboro's slash, but Poe flew through the hole in his eye, plucking out bits of the inside of his head on the way out. Marco yelled, but was met with a swift beheading from Oboro to cease the man once and for all. Or so he thought. As Oboro and Poe turned around to face Tatsuma, Marco caught his head as it was flying through the sky. He dropped his head and kicked it like a soccer ball, hitting Poe off of Oboro's shoulders,
"POE!" Oboro reacted, but was ready for Tatsuma to shoot, and got out of the way. The stray bullets hitting Marco's body. Marco walked over and picked up his head as his body was slowly healing.
"Pretty neat huh?! I'm kinda like those guys y'know?" Marco said, but Sakamoto's mind was racing. The small stand still in the battle, Utsuro chanting. He peered down at the ground again and saw Gintoki's dead body once more. He winced but looked to see Marco screwing his head back on. Tatsuma remembered when Oboro took a crystal from his pocket and moved fast. He ran over to Oboro and pistol whipped him at full force, robbing his small fanny pack and shoved some of the crystals, both green and purple into Marco's neck hole.
"QUE?!" Marco yelled, but Sakamoto barrel stuffed his neck, shooting the crystals.
"TATSUMA YOU FOOL! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" Oboro recovered and dug his blade into Tatsuma's guts, sending him flying while dropping the crystals. Marco's body was reacting like crazy, light of green and purple were shooting from his body. As the light from him was intensifying, a huge beam of light formed around Utsuro. "Finally, we shall end this." Oboro said. Utsuro was yelling at this point, the skin on his hands peeling and ripping apart as the crystal dust fussed to his palms. Suddenly a huge flow of water fell from the sky, and a man wearing a captains uniform came with it. Utsuro collapsed to the floor of the Chipotle, while Oboro rushed to his side. The Captain was starting to gain consciousness after his fall into the comic book, and subsequently into the world of TBC. He looked up and saw Oboro and Poe standing over him. "You were the one Sensei called upon to save us, owner." Stephen was confused, but Utsuro managed to collect himself.
"I...think he looks more like a Captain, don't you think Obo?" Utsuro gave the three a smile, but as he did, a shot rang out and hit the Captain in the chest. Utsuro quickly stopped the bleeding and helped the Captain up. "You've been graced by the Purple Altana, Captain. Use it to end this." Utsuro looked as Marco was shaking violently, light shooting from his body. "There, in your waistband." the Captain shook himself to get concentrated, he knew who these characters were. But he couldn't believe it, perhaps a dream? But, he didn't want to act irrational.
"You got it, Utsuro." the Captain reached into his waistband and pulled out the gun Brimley gave him. It began to glow a menacing purple aura as he aimed it at Marco and fired. The bullet sped and hit Marco, causing him to explode in a bright, colorful display of purple and green dust. Tatsuma stood there as the dust was settling, facing the 4 in front of him, Stephen aiming his gun at Tatsuma.
"All of this over some stupid burritos." Tatsuma threw his gun down and raised his hand. Stephen lowered his gun to show sympathy. "I killed one of my best friends...on accident." Tatsuma looked back at Gintoki's corpse. "It didn't have to be like this, but then that man said something about resetting the universe...or something." Utsuro lifted his sword up and started to walk towards Tatsuma.
"Sakamoto Tatsuma of the 22nd Universe, you may have been the most powerful foe yet. You and that game show host pushed me to my utmost limit. For that, I commend you eternally. But, you have come in contact with these crystals. Something I cannot allow to happen. If you must, look away Captain." Utsuro raised his sword.
"Utsuro wait!" but Stephen's pleas were not enough. Utsuro's blade came down over the neck of Sakamoto Tatsuma, decapitating him. Stephen wretched away from the site, but was quickly consoled by Utsuro.
"Captain, if I may call you. I know who you are. You read our stories, but I needed you here, now. And, I see you have come in contact with the real world's Altana. I simply can't have you go back." Utsuro was surprised as Stephen got defensive.
"What about my kids?! I have to go back and see them!" Utsuro shook his head.
"You'll be with me. Resetting the universe as many times as I need. You'll relive the same events over and over again, Captain until I died to end it, or I find peace with my students. Every other universe before this, you drowned in that storm. But not here, not ever again. When you have me by your side, you'll be forever." Utsuro said, giving him a smile. Stephen was starting to get frustrated, he raised his fist and punched Utsuro right in the jaw. Oboro readied his sword and Poe got into a kung fu stance, but Utsuro put his hand up to them. "I understand you're resistant, but your fate is forever determined. And now, I want your fate to be intertwined with mine. Regardless, you will fall back into place when the time comes, and I'll be waiting. Waiting for as long as it takes." Utsuro took two of the crystals and smashed them together and began chanting. Oboro grabbed onto Stephen and smiled at him,
"This is going to be a fun ride, Captain-dono," Oboro said with a smile.
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"And that's pretty much the whole story Tatsuma-san." the three were sitting in the lobby of LilyMu towers. Sakamoto sat there, trying to take all the information in.
"Hmm, so I killed Kintoki and went completely berserk?" Sakamoto asked. Poe and Oboro both nodded. "AHAHAHAHA! That's crazy Obo! I would never do that to Kintoki or our friends, but I have seen what you and Utsuro were able to do, so I have no choice but to believe you!" Oboro blushed a little but put his mask back on. The elevator opened and a mountain of beer cans spilled out of them. The Front Desk Lady rolled her eyes as her boss, Gintoki, Umibozu, and Gendo all stumbled out of the elevator.
"Ah! That guy out there in the gimp outfit, that must be our Uber right?" Gintoki asked, slurring his words.
"There is no doubt in my mind Yorozuya." Ozu flung the door open and walked up to Enshou who was putting eyeliner on outside his limo. "You must be my Uber, well, we're here so let's hit some clubs!" Ozu yelled. The rest of the Dads cheered, but Enshou was not pleased.
"You dare walk up to Prince Emperor Enshou and CLAIM THAT I DRIVE DISGUSTING PEASANTS AROUND?" Enshou lifted Ozu up by the cruff of his plain white t-shirt, but several body guards talked Enshou and beat him senseless with nightsticks. "GAAAH SWEETCHEEKS HELP ME!" Enshou was getting wailed on, but eventually Ozu called them off.
"Now, where should we hit first boys?" Ozu asked. The Dads all crammed themselves inside Enshou's limo. Sweetcheeks shrugged as him and Enshou sat in the front seat.
"Can you believe THIS shit Captain?" Enshou's eyeliner was running and his lipstick was fucked up. Sweetcheeks chuckled to himself, but Enshou pushed his head against the window. "Now, laugh at me again Captain." Sweetcheeks just smirked and nodded,
"Certainly Sir." Enshou smiled and leaned back in his seat. Sweetcheeks looked at his phone while driving (don't do this kids!). He got a text from Hitsugi and opened it up,
"Captain, I may be getting followed by the Globberians. Their leader was very suspicious." Sweetcheeks opened up the attachment Hitsugi sent him.
Enshou snatched Sweetcheeks phone from him and checked out the picture.
"My, she's very pretty Captain. She almost looks like Lady TBC if I do say." he dropped Sweetcheek's phone in between the seats, before he could read Hitty's last two messages,
"Watch out for her, she is their leader. Her name is Yuka." the scene cut back to Oboro, Poe, and Sakamoto heading back up to the party. As they were standing in the elevator, Tatsuma’s phone began to ring,
“Oh, it’s Mutsu! Y’llo?” Mutsu sighed into Sakamoto’s ear.
“Chief, Bonestein would like to speak with you. He forgot to bring pockets, so he left his phone at home.” Skele could be heard thanking Mutsu and getting on the line with his friend.
“Skele! What’s up my friend? I thought you and Mutsu were going on AHAHAHAHA! A date?” Skele blushed on the other end, but quickly snapped out of it.
“We were but I...I got a really disturbing distress signal on my pager.”
“Skeleton Villages? Isn’t that your homeland, the place you liberated a few years ago?” Sakamoto asked. He remembered Gintoki talking to him about the Second Great Skeleton War he participated in over some drinks one night.
“That’s right Tatsuma. One of the heroes requested help, and I gotta get there since it’s the place of my people, but I have no way to get there. You dropped us off here in the park, so I have no way to get there.” Skele sounded worried over the phone but Sakamoto re-assured him.
“Don’t worry Skele, I’ll get the ship over there and assist you. I hope you don’t mind but I’m bringing Oboro with me.” Skele let out a small nervous sigh, but he knew Oboro was powerful.
“We could use all the help we can get. I don’t know what’s happening there, and I’m scared to find out.” Skele hung up the phone, while Tatsuma stopped the elevator. Oboro smiled as he got to travel with Tatsuma alone, but he wasn’t sure what they would confront at Skeleton Village.
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“Now, THE PARTY CAN BEGIN! HA!”
Kamui and his crew entered the Penthouse and began pillaging all the finger food and punch being served. Kamui walked over and was catching up with BUNHEAD! And talking about nothing in particular. Monika and Abuto were chilling out with the Ninja 5 as half of them were shit faced and the other half was Sonic. Ham-san and 4th leaned against the wall, acting like the cool couple who were too good for everybody. And there stood No Man in his potato costume. He stood behind the 4 gamers, who were duking it out in Super Bario Kart.
“YOU ARE NOTHING KING DUCK! RAJ WINS AGAIN!” Raj threw his hands up in the air, his wig flowing majestically. Eren, who was in second place after getting hit by a Blue Shell gripped his controller so hard it began to crack.
“Alright! THAT’S IT!” Eren ripped Raj’s hair piece off, wigging him.
“Come now, let’s be civil. I took 12th place and I’m doing just fine!” Mikey said, his make up getting smeared with tears.
“Yeah right you’re fine, you’re crying your eyes out!” No Man said. The 4 turned to him and they all gave him a weird look. Saitama turned back,
“Anyway, we have one more track left!” the 4 got back into position, isolating No Man again. The sad, lonely potato sat on one of the many couches set up. He sat next to a man wearing nothing but pixelated underwear.
“What troubles you small potato man? Want to talk with me and Barky about it?” No Man looked over at Barkus, who was dressed as Princess Weach.
“I’m not sure how much help I can be, I look ridiculous as is.” Barkus showed off his dress but No Man just looked away.
“I just have a really bad feeling about something, my half ass can feel it.” No Man put his (sticky) hand to his head. He wasn’t sure why, but something in his gut was stirring, and it wasn’t the curry Monika made last night. The screen zooms out of the Penthouse and flies over to a large mountain looking down a small village.
“If that mammal wants to mess with the past, then I’ll just have to prevent him at all possible points. I cannot cause such a disaster...yet. We aren’t easily defeated, so I only need to send a handful of you down there.” the figure said to a small gathering behind her.
“GLOOP GLOP!” the crowd chanted.
“You can’t re-write history so easy Hitsugi of the Naraku. Not when you’re dealing with someone much higher on the pecking order of you.” the figure turned to the crowd.
“GLOOP GLOP!” they screamed once again.
“Raise some hell boys. I’ll take care of Hitsugi, use yourselves as sacrifice if need be. Don’t let anyone get in my way of bringing him down.” Yuka threw her goopy hand in the air, causing everyone else to join in on the fist pump,
“GLOOP GLOP!”
TBC
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"Fumiko, it's ok! We're almost back to Edo." Tsuki was re-assuring her former right hand woman. The two, the eggs, and the rest of the Hyakka women were flying their escape ship back to Edo. The trip didn't take long, before Edo was in sight. Fumiko's mind, however, was still on Burei and her husband.
"He has to survive Tsukki. He has plenty of 1ups at his disposal!" Fumiko said confidentially. Tsukuyo smiled and directed the Hyakka stirring the ship to change course for Wix Flags where Kamui and his crew were waiting.
"Alright ladies, you did bring the slurpee machine just in case right?" Tsukki asked. One of them showed off a brand new machine straight off the presses of a Weven Eleven. Tsukki nodded, but when she turned her head to face the window, her face grew dark,
"AAAAAARRRRGGGGG ABUTO ME FIRST MATE! I THINK I SPOT SOME WENCHES APPROACHING US STARBOARD SIDE!" Kamui pulled out a telescope and looked at Tsukki, who threw a kanui threw it piercing his eyeball. "AHHHHHHHH THAT'S ME EYEPATCH EYE!" Kamui reached into his pocket and put an eyepatch over it. The ladies crashed their ship into Kamui's giant pirate ship that was already on fire from the destruction below. Tsukuyo blew open the hatch and stepped out of the ship, sending fractures through the metal. She lifted Kamui up by his shirt and stuck a kunai up to his throat,
"Just what the hell are you doing? YOU'VE SET AN ENTIRE AMUSEMENT PARK ON FIRE!" Kamui pushed off of her and brushed himself off. Abuto sighed and began to explain,
"Well, Chief here got a little over-excited to say the least. Yare yare. The owners of the Wix Flags kicked all of us out for causing a public disturbance." Abuto said, rubbing his temple. Kamui got into Abuto's face,
"THE TEA CUP RIDE WASN'T GOING FAST ENOUGH!" Kamui whined. No Man chimed in,
"Yeah, Chief went crazy dog. He spun Shinji so fast in the teacup, that the teacup flew through the whole park and smashed 3 others rides with the sheer force of the throw." No Man said, still covered in trash.
"So, I lit the Wix Flags on fire for being dishonest with their most loyal customer!" Kamui said smiling. He peeped behind Tsukuyo and saw the brand new slurpee machine. His eyes grew and sparkled as his eyes rest on a thing of beauty. "Aww, you guys shouldn't have! A new slurpee machine just for me?!" Kamui shoved Fumiko and the others out of the way to get his slurpage on. Tsukki was glad to have him out of her hair so she could talk to Abuto. She explained the whole situation to him and he rubbed his forehead even harder, nearly breaking skin.
"This could have all been prevented if we just went there with everyone, instead we're stuck with a burning Wix Flags and about 50 police cars beneath us." Abuto rounded up the crew and pressed a giant red button that transformed the pirate ship back into their regular spaceship. Kamui looked over, his face stained red,
"What's the big idea old ass man? We aren't done piligin!" Kamui said, lifting a slurpee in the air, acting as if he was drunker than a skunk.
"We're going to protect Fumiko-san and her eggs!" Monika said with a warm, beautiful smile. Kamui shrugged and stumbled his way to the ship's wheel and spun it, causing the vessel to do a 360,
"OFF WE GO MATEYS! HOLD ON TO YER EGGS!" Kamui shifted the craft into MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE, sending it bolting into space, evaporating Wix Flags in the process. Just off the road of Wix Flags, a group of wild looking people were staring at the burning coasters.
"Would you look at that Hime-sama...a beautiful blaze. It's almost like we're so close to civilization yet so far away. How long do you think we've been out here?" Yamazaki asked. Soyo shook her amazed,
"I'm just as surprised as you, though I thought you were supposed to be the straight man holding us grounded." Yamazaki's gaze did not snap from the blaze,
"We don't need straight men where we're at." Yamazaki turned to Gonard who had his head stuck in a tree.
"Jimmy, there's birds in here! OW!" Gonard yelled as one peaked his head. The three were interrupted by a loud honk sound, and a set of beaming highlights flashing just outside the trees,
"Your music choice is going to net you 10 more months." Isaburo said. Nobunobu shrugged it off,
"Reckon y'all got your precious screen time, you should be happy." Nobume tossed him out of his 18 wheeler, and slapped cuffs on him.
"Well yeah, you're still under arrest so it's whatever." Nobume said, pushing him out to the woods. Soyo ran up to him,
"Big cousin! I'm glad you came!" She gave him a hug, smearing dirt and mud on his clothes. The white coats separated the two and placed handcuffs on Yamazaki and Gonard (who was still stuck in the tree).
"WHY ARE WE GETTING ARRESTED?!" Yamazaki yelled. Isaburo place duct tape over his mouth to shut him up.
"You black coats endangered the Shogun and the Princess. We should have all of you commit seppuku." Isaburo said, yanking Gonard out of the tree.
"I don't know Jimmy, I'm not good at Sudoku..." Gonard said concerned. Isaburo and Nobume walked into the makeshift camp with Nobunobu behind them. Sonic swoop down from the tree and readied his blade at the sight of the newcomers. He lowered his hand when he recognized the three.
"So, help finally arrived." Sonic said smirking, "I know where everyone is if you want me to round them up." Nobu tumbled over trying to get Sonic's attention,
"Can ya at least bring me with ya?" Isaburo and Nobume sighed and uncuffed him. Sonic lifted him with one arm and jumped through the trees. At a separate campsite sat the rest of the stranded crew.
"Sho-chan...stay alert. I finally managed to get you clothes...yeah. Just be careful, those two look dangerous." Pops was hiding behind a tree, watching out for the shogun who had some large thing protruding from his kimono."Nobunobu! Have you come to rescue us! You can always rely on family." Shige bowed his head.
"AAAAAAAAAAAA SONIC LOOK WHO I FOUND ALL THE WAY OUT HERE, IT'S GIN-SAAAAAAAAAN!" Ayame present the man to them, however, her glasses were missing so she couldn't actually tell who it was.
"Uhh, look I'm not Gintoki, I'm Kintoki. You kidnapped me while I was having a picnic with Gengai." Ayame's eyes darkened as she sat him down. She reached down,
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" Kintoki malfunction and fell to the ground.
"WHAT HAPPENED TO Y'ALL?!" Nobunobu yelled. "Why you got yer...lil shogun out cousin?" he asked. Shige raised his eyebrow in questioning, but Sougo spoke up.
"Everyone here is insane...they've all gone mad." Pops got up to his face, but Sougo turned the tables on him.
"Not so fast Old Man, we're not gonna cause a scene. We're getting out of this god forsaken forest once and for all." Sougo tossed the gun aside and hit Zenzou in the head, blowing a bullet through his book.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO YOU SHOT GINPACHI! YOU BLACK COAT BASTARD!" Zenzou started punching Sougo, but the punches were not affecting him with the shield of his massive beard.
"Y'all know this forest is like a mile from them city slickers right?" Nobunobu said. Everyone stopped and looked dead eyed at him.
"Why didn't you tell us Sonic?" Ayame asked, throwing the metallic junk to the side.
"I tried but no one listened to me, they were distracted by the cl-" he received a shot from Pops in said posterior. Nobunobu picked up the wounded ninja and began heading towards the rest of the group. The deranged and unhinged followed them to civilization at last.
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"Oboro, I..." the Captain stopped in his tracks as he saw everyone peeping out from the room. He sat the AK to the side on the wall. Oboro was forming a tear in his only. Poe wiped it away with his wing and continued his salute.
"CAPTAIN WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! I DEMAND YOU TO TAKE ME TO THAT WHITE DEVIL AND GET ME OUT OF THIS FINGER PRISON!" Enshou was kicking at the back of Sweetcheeks. The Captain dropped Enshou to the floor of the hallway. The Captain turned around and started to hobble quickly back to where he came. "WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" Enshou banged his hands against the floor. "ABANDONING ME NOW? After all we've been through.."
'I can't be here...he shouldn't be here.' The Captain thought to himself. He was slowly picking up his pace, looking down at his leg. 'He can't see me like this.' the Captain rounded the corner, and reached into his coat pocket. He produced the keys to Enshou's ship, which included a miniature woopie cushion. He could still hear the cries and yells from his superior down the hall but forced himself through sheer will to push past it. Oboro and Poe put their hands down and began to chase the Captain,
"Oboro wait!" Lily could be heard crying from inside the room. Oboro ran past Enshou and tried tripping him but missed. Oboro rounded the corner and faced the Captain.
"Just leave me alone Oboro. What I did for you back then, it was out of sheer chance." Oboro looked stunned.
"You...know about Universe 22?" Oboro was at a loss of words. The Captain's gaze shifted to the floor,
"There's a whole lot about me that you don't know Oboro. Not even Utsuro told you." the Captain brought his eyes back to Oboro. Oboro was shocked at the revelation. "To think I let Enshou drag me here, and I meet someone I never wanted to face again. I thought maybe this would be my final break of life...God knows I needed it."
The Captain looked emptily at Oboro. "Utsuro not telling you about me reassures what I already know, Oboro. If destiny truly wanted us to reunite here, then so be it. But I can't stick around any longer, as much as it pains me to leave that man behind. After all he's done for me after Okinawa."
"You should really eat up. You've been sitting outside my bar for the past 2 days and haven't had a lick of food. Don't think I can just do this everyday, but I am used to feeding strays." Otose turned her back to the Captain who began to eat away at the food she gave him. The Captain pulled out his wallet, but Otose denied. "You don't need to pay me back, this is nothing. It's on the house!" she said, smiling back at him before entering the snack bar. The Captain sat the empty plate down and stared back up at the sky.
"Why did you send me here Utsuro? What purpose does this even serve? You appointed me as Captain...Captain of what? You-" but he was cut off by his phone ringing. He picked it up and heard a familiar voice on the other end,
"Utsuro...is dead. I can't give you any more details than that. Remember our deal Captain." the phone clicked as the Captain laid his head back against the wall. He punched the dirt next to where he was sitting and felt his eyes water up. He stood up and left the plate at the front door of the bar.
"Thank you maam...I'll kindly repay you next time I visit." the Captain began to wonder off in the streets of Edo. He had multiple things running through his mind, the double mission he was on, each mission directed by another man. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small note that Utsuro had wrote him,
"Go to Edo, the prankster will guide you." he stared at the note dumbfoundly. He couldn't make sense of what Utsuro wanted from him. The man stumbled along each little side shop, bumping into people accidentally. He was getting jossled by each person he was bumping into, and even at one point thrown into the mud. He lifted his head and saw a man with bright red hair staring at him.
"You look like a sorry, no good nothing. Scum like you don't even deserve to look at me."
The Captain looked back at the mud that was underneath him,
"You're right, I'm just a useless no one who's destined to walk this planet forever. Forever lost and alone." Enshou raised his eyebrow at this,
"I know of your pain. Your loneliness. I've been lonely for years and years...the destruction of my people." The Captain looked back up at Enshou who's face grew dark. "I've been traveling the universe to look for someone, anyone other than that bastard Shijaku to call a subordinate. Perhaps even a friend...the name is Enshou, the Gun Smoke Prince of Burei." Enshou extended his hand to the Captain. The Captain stared at it for a second, before grabbing a hold of it. However, when he grabbed Enshou's hand, he felt an electric shock run through his arm. Enshou chuckled to himself and showed the Captain a buzzer in his hand. It was titled on the buzzer itself "Sweetheart Shocker". Enshou picked him up from the mud and put his hand on the Captain's shoulder,
"Gotcha, Sweetheart."
The Captain snapped back to the present and turned away from Oboro again. He began to walk away, the limp fading. "Do not bother chasing me further Oboro, it will only cause more trouble for the both of us...until we meet again." Oboro started after him,
"But I have so much to talk about!" Oboro began but the Captain slammed his fist through the wall next to him. Oboro stopped this time for good,
"Oboro, please. I have to leave, we cannot do this here. I want the to meet you under different circumstances, a last meeting. Goodbye." The Captain retracted his fist from the wall and started to walk brisker out of the building. Enshou's men and the Renho were still fighting outside and in the building while the Captain made his way back to Enshou's ship. Enshou, still laying there, realized his pockets were turned inside out,
"HE...he stole my woopie key..." Enshou said, but as he said this, Eren stepped out of the room to confront the man bound by finger traps. "You dare face me after what you hideous monsters did to my home's ruins." Eren waddled up to him and released him from the finger trap. Enshou was in shock at how the gamer was able to free him from the trap so easy, "Only Dragonia knew how to unleash the binds of that hell trap..." Enshou said, looking at the trap in awe as it sat on the ground.
"Enshou, I never meant for this to happen. I-i didn't know this was your home planet at all!" Eren said trying to reason with Enshou. Enshou scoffed as he readied his lasers.
"It's always the same with you white devils, it's all destruction and conquering. You don't give two shits about my people and the suffering we've endured." Enshou slashed at Eren, who just managed to dodge the attack, but it cut open his suit partially. "ALWAYS BEING ABANDONED AND TOSSED ASIDE LIKE TRASH, BUREI IS NOTHING MORE BUT STOMPING GROUNDS TO YOU!" Enshou was slashing madly, but Eren used a technique he picked up in Wuper Mario Brothers and jumped high in the air, landing on Enshou's head. Enshou was knocked to the floor but got up quickly,
"Man, that usually kills goombas!" Eren said, angering Enshou even more.
"You step on my head with your dirty flippers one more time and I have your neck!" Enshou was slashing again, but was caught by both hands with Eren's flippers.
"I won't stop until I've slain your entire species, Renho." Eren stared back at the man,
"I can just give you this planet back, it's nothing really...we just don't have anywhere for our own to go to." Eren reasoned. Enshou unsheathed his lasers and Eren let go of his hands. "Why can't we just be civil about this? Do we really need to shed any more blood?" Enshou listened as the cries of his men and the sounds of the Renho getting slain in the other room. He reached into his breast pocket, which caused Eren to get in position to cast a Hadoken at him. Enshou however brought out his locket. He opened it up, moving the picture of Lady TBC, moving the restraining order from Bob Barker, and moving the picture of him and Shijaku. Behind that was an etching within the locket, 'Never forget your home'.
"Great, the author gives me sad OSTs now. Renho, this planet is my life. I may say I'm going to take over the entire universe. I may be the Dark Overlord of All Living Beings, but I am also proud of my planet. Proud to have walked its grounds. If the universe was my empire, this would be the capital. I can cause all the mischief...all the pranks, and all the goofs I want, but that won't bring my planet back. It won't bring my people back. Having already been out pranked by someone who I thought of as a he- no...I can't even say something so demeaning. And then...someone so close to you just leaving you for the wolves. The damn Captain...what is his problem. I can't do any of this alone..." Enshou dropped the locket to the floor, but saw a white flipper pick it up and hand it back to Enshou,
"Then why should you do it alone? Why can't we just live here together?" Enshou took the locket back and put it in his breast pocket. "We're both in pain from loneliness. I may have a family unlike you do...sorry, but my people are lonely. We don't have a home, but you do. After all my years living on Edo with Katsura, I've learned that loneliness is a void other help you fill. I reunited with my wife, I made life long friendships, and I've met people who would be willing to put their lives on the line just to save me for me. Why don't we fill each other's loneliness, Enshou?" Eren extended his flipper to Enshou. Enshou stared at the flipper for an extended amount of time, trying to process what Eren was telling him.
"But...I blew up your ships. I caused so much destruction towards your people, crashed your baby shower...why are you forgiving me? Why are you letting me have my planet back?" Enshou was confused, but Eren reassured him.
"You may have hurt me. You may have hurt my people. But I'm not the kind of person to let grudges last a life time. We all don't have extra guys, and sometimes, we just need to make it to the next level in order to continue." Enshou just put his head down and looked at his own hand. He saw the small buzzer sitting in the center of his palm and began to remove it. He dropped it to the floor and accepted Eren's handshake.
"THAT'S ALL IT TOOK?! YOU ALMOST HAD SEX WITH ME JUST FOR THIS!" Barkas interrupted their handshake.
"Dude, really?" Enshou said shaking his head.
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"Wow, well that was pretty crazy!" Billy said closing the book. Josh was tearing up while Dylan was standing at the window.
"Little did the three of them know, but a pair of deranged looking detectives were running through the parking lot. Maybe they're looking for someone?" Dylan commented. Josh perked up when he heard this,
"Steve and Joe?!" but as soon as he said that, the door busted down and there stood the two cousins nearly out of breath.
"FINALLY!" Joe said, coughing up a lung. Steve walked over and grabbed the book from Billy and Josh.
"Hey Stevie, what's poppin?" Billy asked. Steve rolled his eyes at the God.
"We finally found you, it took us this final clue to get the lead we needed." Steve took out a 500 dollar shirt that just said "Chills" in white letters. Dylan snatched up the shirt and continued to look out the window,
"The strange men had stolen his merchandise and was trying to sell it on the deepweb for some cheap bucks. Dylan was upset but not particularly surprised." the man said.
"Why are you talking like that dude?" Joe asked,
"The strange man asked him a strange question, to which, Dylan ignored." Dylan responded. Josh stood up to confront his cousins,
"L-look, I'm sorry for accidentally taking the comic! It was a mistake, honestly." Steve sighed and gave his cousin a hug.
"Josh, we're not mad at you, we just wanted to make sure you and everyone in this book were ok! Now come on, let's get back to campus so we can sort all this mess out and get you out of trouble." Steve said.
"What the hell about me? I kinda like it out here!" Billy said, stroking his beard. Joe shook his head,
"Sorry Billy, but you're gonna have to go back into the book when Steve jumps in there to meet with Toshi." Joe said. Billy shrugged, all that meant to him was that he could chill in his awesome man cave with Gendo. The 4 left the room while Dylan was staring out the window as they walked away.
"The 4 walked away as if they didn't give away disturbing evidence that made Dylan curious. Very curious indeed."
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"You take to the sword very well, my Captain."
The Captain lowered his training sword as Utsuro placed his blade into his sheath.
"Why are you training me now? I thought you were done with me after what happened at Chipotle." the captain said, remembering the horrifying events of that day. Utsuro handed the Captain a Good Boy Cookie and sat down, patting the mat next to him. The Captain knelt down and began to eat his cookie.
"My little ray of sunshine happiness, Joe, has done something that I cannot allow. I have to reset the universe for a 23rd time. The reason I'm telling you this is because I can't lose you to this universe's reset. Sure, it will be the same like the last reset-" the captain dropped the half eaten cookie at this and began to stand up.
"I can't do that again Utsuro. I can't bare to lose them again." Utsuro stood up himself and comforted the Captain.
"I know this is difficult for you, just as it is difficult for me. I have to live my own life over again, making the same mistakes each time, but hopefully improving everyone's life around me considerably." Utsuro said. The Captain shook his head and placed the training sword at Utsuro's feet.
"I cannot stop you from resetting the universe. Hell, I can't match your power at all. I swear I was just at the right place at the right time that day. I shouldn't even be here right now. Why not just leave me in this universe, have my memory forgotten in the next and let me move on." the Captain asked Utsuro. Utsuro smiled to himself as he placed his mask.
"You may not realize it yet, but you are important. You saved me in the last universe. You hold importance, somehow. It's my duty to protect that importance, no matter how small it is. I could not even tell Oboro nor Poe of your memories. You already contain the power to survive a universe reset, so it's not as if you can do anything. Let it happen, for as many times I deem necessary." the Captain thought of the aftermath of universe 22. "I'm afraid it's too late Captain. I'll see you upon the arrival of a newly formed world." Utsuro opened the door to his dojo and left. The Captain clutched at his wallet firmly placed in his pants pocket, as he did the same in the present day. The ship he stole from Enshou landed just a few meters in a field from where he wanted to visit. He passed by a picture hung up on the wall of the ship,
Sweetcheeks took the photo down and stared at it, before putting it in his pocket.
"I'll be back for you Enshou...sorry for leaving you." the Captain walked off the ship and walked the crisp, cold ground beneath his feet. It was dark in this part of Edo, but he knew this path exceptionally well. It was a small trail that led up to a small cemetery. Many tombstones and grave markers lined the trail, until at the very edge of the cemetery he rested to his knees in front of a small maker. There was no name, but a lit candle sitting in the incense burner on the grave. From the corner of his eyes, he could see someone leaning against another grave marker.
"So, came here to visit too huh? Surprised you ended up back on solid ground again after what happened." the Captain said. The figure was speechless, but nodded its head before speaking up.
"Both of our families lie in this graveyard. It's only natural trash like me ends up back where it came from." Hitsugi stood up and looked down at the kneeling Captain.
"Well, how has your mission gone, Captain?" Hitsugi asked. "I've been gone for awhile now, I just want to be kept up to speed. I haven't been able to get in contact with that Nameless man. Do you at least have some good news for me?" the Captain looked up at Hitsugi.
"Kaname is dead Hitsugi. He was killed after you were sent flying into space." Hitsugi's expression changed to a concerned, yet saddening look. He sulked back down to the tombstone and sat there as the Captain gave a small prayer before pulling out his wallet.
"I'm nothing but a ghost now Captain. I have no one, as I'm sure you are the same. Two souls wandering aimlessly yet again." the Captain shook his head, but did not answer the larger man. Hitsugi composed himself and shook off the news that hit him like a ton of bricks. "I'm sure we will be back in touch eventually, Captain. Until then, you'll know where to find me." Hitsugi placed his hat on his head and walked away from the graveyard. The Captain simply gave him a nod before pulling out a faint picture from the back of his wallet,
"Having to relive the same tragic memory 3 times over...seeing that frizzy head man and his bird just reminded me of why I'm here. Papa will always love you guys. No matter what." he flipped the picture over to read their names once again. The final words on the bottom left were scrubbed, but could read "Adopted by:" but his own name was smeared out. The Captain pulled a small pen from his pocket and scribbled down in the smudge "Sweetcheeks".
TBC
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1
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Team NXT 4 Life Brother
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"HA DO YOU SEE IT! IT'S WIX FLAGS SUSPENDED IN MID AIR!" Kamui ran through the gates of the park without paying, blowing the security guards 50 feet in each direction. The rest of his crew was trudging behind him, Abuto stopping to pay for everyone's tickets.
"Yare yare, why can't we just be at the baby shower with everyone else. We're standing out here in the burning sun with these long coats on." Abuto turned his head to see Monika wearing her summer dress. The white glisten of her beautiful fabric hitting his eyes, as she blinked her gorgeous emerald green eyes at his direction.
The author was enamored at the sight, and also slugged by Abuto. But he was ok with it.
"Chief never said we had a dress code. It's too stuffy in those coats out here!" Monika said, running into the park after Kamui. No Man caught up to Abuto wearing nothing but (sticky) swim trunks.
"Dude are you serious? You'll bake alive halfling" Abuto propped open his umbrella and tried catching up to Kamui and Monika. 4th and Ham walked hand in hand to a tea cup ride to have some big chill with the other lower ranked members. Kamui was standing in line for the "SUPER BONE CRUSHER", tapping his feet impatiently.
"HURRY UP! I WANT TO HIT EVERY RIDE AT LEAST 5 TIMES TODAY! HAAAAA!" Kamui twirled his umbrella in front of him, knocking people out of his way. Abuto face-palmed, he turned to see No Man's glasses sitting on a pile of ashes.
"NO MAN! I WARNED YOU WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WITHOUT YOUR UMBRELLA AND CLOTHES!" Abuto kneeled down and picked the (sticky) ashes up as they ran through his fingers.
"Dog, can you hand me my glasses, I dropped them in that pile of cigarette ashes." Abuto's face grew dark as he picked the glasses up and chucked them half way across the park. "DOG WHAT THE HELL?!" No Man started to run after the glasses, but accidentally bumped into Monika, sending both of them toppling over each other. No Man ended up on top of her in an awkward position,
"Ahaha, oh No Man, you're so clumsy."
No Man was thinking to himself in sheer fear, 'Oh no dog...this is worst case scenario number 1...Glitcherina is going to kill me but worse...Abuto is gonna hang my (sticky) ass above the mantle.' he gulped as he attempted to stand up, but was grabbed from behind by meaty ossan hands.
Kamui turned his head to see Abuto and Monika stuffing No Man into a trash can and smiled.
"I'm glad my crew are enjoying themselves so much! We needed a break like this." Kamui put his hand on the shoulder of the person in front of him. The person turned around and looked him directly in the eyes,
"Why did you angles follow us here...I swear I cannot escape you guys." Kamui was in such a rush he didn't even see Shinji at the front of the line, after Kamui threw everyone else out of the line first. Shinji looked back from his wheelchair and quickly turned around not to look at Kamui,
"HA LOOK WHO IT IS! IT'S MY TICKET TO THE FRONT OF EVERY LINE!" Kamui lifted Gendo off the ground and threw him in the sky to stand behind Shinji. Gendo was flying through the air,
"I just wanted to spend time with my son..." Gendo did not know when he would come down.
"H-uhhh, hey Kamui..." Shinji was nervous but Kamui slapped his legs as hard as he could and sat in his lap. Shinji's wheelchair squeaked with the added weight of Kamui.
"Come on kid! Let's hit the SUPER SKULL ANNIHILATOR or whatever this is!" Kamui said with a smile. Shinji reluctantly rolled his way to the seats of the coaster. The worker there was puzzled as only two people were there to seat. Kamui sat at the very front and dragged Shinji up next to him. "START THE DAMN RIDE, HA!" the worker saluted and cranked the shaft. Shinji prayed as the rollercoaster began to move. The coaster then zoomed at super high speed and Kamui lifted Shinji up like the scene in the Titanic,
"I'M THE KING OF THE COASTERS!"
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"Gin-san, we're at the Warty Wity." Shinpachi shook Gintoki. Gintoki awoke from his death state and screamed. He looked around and sighed,
"Those ducks are dangerous under those suits, I tell you." Gintoki stood up and brushed himself off. "Why don't we just leave? Shinsuke handed us 200 dollars. That's one months rent right there!" Kagura scratched her chin but Shinpachi objected,
"Come on guys, this is for Eren and Fumiko! Even though I'm not entirely sure they're even pregnant..." Shinpachi was also conflicted. Shinpachi shook his head and put his foot down, "No, we have to do this guys!" He turned to the rest of the Odd Jobs and saw Gintoki and Kagura entering a Wubway. "OI! WE CAN'T JUST GO ON A LUNCH BREAK!" Gintoki stopped and showed Shinpachi a list. It was a list Eren had given Kagura before they left.
"What's this?" He examined it and saw "4 foot long subs. Stuff some good classics from the Wega Genesis in there if you could. Buy Spongebob-dono pinata and banners for Katsura. Buy Easter Eggs. Buy something special for Fumiko, oh and pick up some Mountain Dew." Shinpachi crumpled up the list and threw it in a recycling bin, very responsible Shinpachi-kun!
"Do you think Fumiko-chan would like this empty WFC bucket here on the side of the road?" Kagura asked Gintoki. Gintoki nodded his head, while Kagura picked the bucket up to use as sandwich holders.
"DO YOU KNOW HOW DIRTY THAT IS?!" Shinpachi was getting enraged.
"Alright Shinpachi-kun, you go buy the Cheesepants stuff from the Warty Store, while me and Kagura get some old games from Wamestop." Gintoki said.
The camera shifts back to Eren and Katsura passed out on a couch together after achieving an "extra man". Fumiko slapped her flippers together and stared dead at Shinsuke. Shinsuke froze in fear. An intimidating duck lady, his worst nightmare.
"Hey, you aren't much of a cherry boy are you?" Shinsuke let his guard down and smirked,
"I've been around the block, but I'm only committed to Kotarou. Sorry duck lady." Shinsuke walked away to sit on his throne again. Next to him was Bansai strumming on his guitar, trying to write a song for Skele.
"Look man, I can only write songs from my heart! It's hard for me not to sing about my Yammy." Bansai sat the guitar down. Skele looked disappointed, but picked the guitar up himself. Bansai's eyes got dark. "Who said you could touch Yammy boneyhands." Skele strummed some beautiful chords and sat it back down. Bansai looked impressed. "Well I'll be damned, you made Yammy sound beautiful...giving me a little inspiration." Bansai started to pin down some ideas. Shinsuke looked back at Skele and gave him a thumbs up.
"Say Shinny, wanna grab some punch?" Skele stood up, as did Shinsuke,
"Didn't even have to ask twice buddy. It's not often we get to just hang out, the two of us that is." Shinsuke smiled and put his arm around Skele's shoulder blade.
"We should get together sometime after this party!" Skele said smiling. Shinsuke leaned against the punch table, collapsing it over and spilling punch and snacks all over the floor.
"So Skele, how about you and that Yato? You two have been real prickly lately. Do I have to show you the ropes or what? You seem more lost than when you were a child coming into Sensei's school." Shinsuke picked up a small sandwich soaked in punch from the ground.
"Aww come on Shinsuke, i-it's nothing like that...I've just never felt this way about someone." Skele blushed. Shinsuke just chuckled,
"You never change Skele, that's why I couldn't ever stay mad at you, even back then when I turned my back on everyone...I never really had the chance to tell you that I'm glad you came back into our lives." Shinsuke said, unexpectedly to Skele.
"I'm glad you feel that way Shinsuke, even if this is a comedy arc, that means a lot to me." Skele gave his friend a bro hug. From the other room, Makato and Mutsu were looking at all the nice...uhh cartridge based beauty packages they had.
"Barbie's Beauty Salon on the Wintendo DS?" Mutsu held it up, severely confused. Makato looked fed up and chucked her copy of Barbie across the room, hitting Eren in the head while he was laying on the couch. He woke up and scratched the wound on his head,
"What the...who threw perfectly good beauty supplies at me while I was sleeping..." He turned to see a bald man and a robot enter the building.
"Sensei, you have such a beautiful voice. Way more beautiful than that old man Yes Man barks about all the time." Genos clapped as Saitama was singing his lungs out. Eren sat up and greeted a fellow gamer in Saitama.
"Ahh, nice to finally meet you face to face EpicGamingEren." Saitama shook his flipper in mighty respect. Genos was in complete awe. Eren smirked,
"I was able to beat you a few times in Street Wighter...but that King guy is someone to reckon with." Genos came up to Eren and shook his flipper and bowed,
"Thank you for helping us Heroes protect Edo and the universe from those Tendoshu." Eren patted the robot on the head and walked past both of them to hand Matako back her beauty supplies. Saitama walked into the main room, accidentally stepping into the punch that was spilled. Genos quickly laid down in front of Saitama,
"Here Sensei, walk over me to a comfy chair." Saitama sighed and walked on Genos to a dryer spot in the room. He heard a laughing man from the distance get closer to him, and in tow with Tatsuma was his first lieutenant Mikey Simon. The two locked eyes as their faces got darkened. The two walked towards each other with such massive energy field forming around them, the ground was shaking and the air was whirling inside the building. The both extended their hands and grasped a hold of each other,
"Long time no see Mickeyiscool." Saitama said seriously. Mikey just laughed, and so did Saitama as the two old pals had been re-united.
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"uhhhg my ass hurts..." Sonic was laying in a heap at the bottom of a cavern. The limosine was torn to shreds and he saw no trace of anyone near him.
"How the hell did I end up in here..." Sonic looked around the cave and saw someone sitting there out of the corner of his eyes.
"So you're finally awake Ninja." Sougo did not break his stare from the wall. Sonic was taken aback by the Shinsengumi officer sitting alone in the cave with him.
"Why are we here Shinsengumi?" Sonic asked demandingly. Sougo sighed,
"After the wreck, you were the only person I saw left from it. I dragged you to this cave and patched up your ass wounds." Sougo said. Sonic grabbed his cheeks out of embarrassment and began to storm out of the cave. "Good luck find them...I've been searching all afternoon. I just wanted a chance to talk with him, I can't even find him." Sougo remained still in the corner while Sonic stood at the entrance of the cave.
"Don't worry, I'm pretty speedy, so I can get through this forest fast." Sonic leaped out of the cave and began dashing on top of the trees. Sonic peered down as he was running, and eventually spotted a small fire coming a little ways out of the cave. He slid down the tree and saw Soyo, Gonard, Yamazaki, and Prince Hata squatting around a fire.
"Jimmy...this has to be her." Gonard said running up to a tree.
"For the 20th time Gonard, no. That is a different tree." Yamazaki looked up and saw Sonic sitting on a branch above them.
"Oooo, a ninja!" Prince Hata said excited.
"Do you know where everyone is Mister Sonic?" Soyo asked, warming her hands with the fire. Sonic shook his head.
"I have to look for the others, stay put." the 4 nodded as the ninja began leaping through the trees. Eventually he came across a clearing with the waning sun shining through it, and there someone stood.
"Sonic! I'm glad to see a familiar face. Have you see everyone else? After the accident, I got separated from Barkas and Matsudaria-san. I'm grateful a long time friend like you would come along." the Shogun was buckass nekked in the middle of the clearing with nothing or no one around him. Sonic face palmed and walked up to Shige.
"You aren't safe here Shige, your little sister and her friend are just about a few meters back. Join them and for heavens sake put some clothes on." Sonic continued searching around the forest. Sonic then spotted not too far off from the clearing three more people huddled under a tree. He landed above them and spooked Pops pretty badly, which caused him to fire a shot through Sonic's hair. Sonic saw Sacchan making out with a tree that she painted with silver poofy hair, and Zenzou still reading the same comic he had in the limo.
"They have to bring him back, right Pops?!" Zenzou shook the older man, who was completely feral looking at this point.
"Can't trust no one in these here woods...just me and my gun...Sho-chan is probably safe...yeah he has to be..." Sonic shook his head and jumped away. He was still looking for one person, but the sun was setting fast. He decided it was best to meet back up with Sougo in the cave for the night.
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"Come on dude, just one more spin. What if one of these things has a clue on it?" Joe slapped his metallic hand on the slot machine button and won nothing again. Steve yanked him from the chair and started to lecture Joe.
"We don't have time for this! He hasn't come back to his dorm room yet, and you're here playing freaking slots!" Steve threw his notebook down in frustration. Steve shook his head and went to pick it up, but right next to it was something crumpled up with a huge clue on it. "Joe, it's a clue!" Joe reluctantly got up from his seat and picked up the clue.
"This is Josh's Bull's jersey...I'd recognize it anywhere." Joe said. The two were now getting closer to finding their cousin.
"Let's ask management for security footage." Joe nodded to Steve's arrangement and the two went to find some workers. Joe and Steve flashed their badges and were let into the security office. Joe started flipping through the footage from earlier in the day and the previous night. When he was rewinding though, he saw one screen that caught his eye,
"Look Steve, there he is! He was here earlier!" Joe paused the tape and pointed.
But both of them saw something that shot shivers down their spine,
"B-Billy...how did he get out of the book? Unless...oh no, no dude..." Joe shook his head, "I should have never told him that order." Joe put his hands on his face. Steve's face got dark with anger, but forgot about it.
"Those two are up to nothing but trouble...look Josh is getting escorted out of the building...what the hell were these two doing?" Steve was perplexed, but the security guard spoke up,
"Oh those two? They were causing all kinds of chaos. We asked them constantly to leave but never did. We had to force them out before anyone else got hurt. Police were called and everything." Joe and Steve looked at each other in horror.
"They didn't..." both of them said in unison.
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"So this is where you've been for the past like what, 500 arcs." Gintoki was looking dead fish eyed at the Wamestop Employee.
"What brings you all the way out here Gintoki? I wanted to travel and meet new people but somehow I end up right back where I left." Tsukuyo took a puff from her cigarette pipe.
"You're scantally clad and smoking while working inside a Wamestop. Not surprised really." Gintoki shrugged. "We need some retro games, you guys carry Wragon's Quest or what. Or maybe you carry some AO games in the back. You wouldn't mind taking me in the back room would y-" Tsukuyo kicked Gintoki and stepped on his head,
"Another word and I smashed your head like a watermelon." Kagura walked up to Tsukuyo and showed her a game that said "Cooking Mama, Super Mama Edition"
"Tsuki! Can I have this one?" Kagura asked. Tsukuyo smiled and rang up the game.
"150 dollars please." Tsukuyo said. Kagura unrolled the money and handed it to her.
"Do you think the 25 dollars we gave to Shinpachi was enough money?" Gintoki asked, still laying on the carpeted floor.
"For sure Gin-chan! Tsuki, do you have any boomer games for 25 dollars?" Kagura asked. Tsukuyo thought about it and brought out a game that said Muster's Revenge.
"OIIII WE CAN'T HAVE A GAME LIKE THAT IN OUR STORY! IT'S GROSS AND RACIST!" Shinpachi busted down the door carrying a cheap looking Spongebob pinata and a bag full of plastic eggs.
"Shinpachi, look what I got!" Kagura showed Shinpachi the Cooking Mama game and the price tag on the game case.
"OIIIIIIIIII 150 DOLLARS???? WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE? WHY IS TSUKUYO-SAN LIVING ON THIS PLANET?!" Shinpachi was close to busting a gasket at this point. Tsukuyo tilted her head at the party supplies.
"We're celebrating a baby shower Tsuki! You should come with us and make Gin-chan less of a lonely loser." Kagura said, popping her cooking mama game in her WS. Gintoki gave her puppy dog eyes but she shoved him into a display that toppled over and dozens of games fell on him. "There's a lot of booze!" Tsukuyo suddenly rushed over and lifted Gintoki on her shoulders,
"Let's blow this joint and have an awesome baby shower."
The 4 made their way back to the baby shower, which now looked like an absolute warzone. Furniture was broken, and no one had cleaned up the punch. Eren was sitting on his cartridge eggs in the back of the room keeping them warm, Mikey and Saitama were gaming on the large TV, Shinsuke and Skele were still talking at the broken table, and EF were tuning up their instruments on the stage.
"Ah, you guys are back! Just set the pinata up over the band, and hang the banner above the door outside. Put the sandwiches uhh...on the ground next to the punch bowl." Eren said. Kagura walked over and handed the empty WFC bucket to him and whispered,
"This is for Fumiko-chan!" Eren looked at it perplexed but Kagura walked off before he could say anything more. Tsukuyo walked over and grabbed an entire bottle of sake that was sitting next to the spilled punch bowl and began drinking it. Fumiko walked in and clapped her flippers loudly to get everyone's attention.
"Alright all my cherry boys and cherry girls~ I think it's about time we get this party officially starte-" but she was cut off by Eren,
"Dear, Shijaku hasn't arrived yet! We can't start without him." Fumiko rolled her eyes.
"I'll give him 20 minutes, and if he isn't here, we're starting regardless if his Super Cherry Ass is present." Fumiko waddled back to the couch Katsura was laying on and sat on him, crushing him into the couch.
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"To think the author would save me for last...smart man really."
"Uhm Sir, we have "slid" into Shijaku's DMs. Would you like the location?" Enshou's first captain said, shaking with nerves. Enshou grabbed him with one hand and lifted him off the ground.
"Certainly." Enshou sat him down while the coordinates projected onto his Wotel 8 wall. The grime and weird stains on the wall were fully illuminated from the projector. "Fairly isolate location wouldn't you say?" the location was in the middle of the forest.
"Uhm..yes he also ended the DM with the message "Please anyone save me."" Enshou's interest was perked at this.
"He dares block my number and then has the audacity to cry for help. I'll help you by snuffing you out underneath my boots Shijaku." Enshou threw one of his pillows in the air and punched it, causing it to explode on impact. The scene abruptly cuts to Oboro and Poe in front of a microphone,
"Good morning to all my LilyMu Loveys! It's me, your host, Oboro and my best friend Poe."
"Caw!"
Enshou looked at his first captain with complete disgust.
"You dare turn that shitty radio show on IN THE MIDDLE OF MY SUBPLOT." Enshou was enraged. However, the jizz haired man said something that caught Enshou attention,
"Me and the crew are going to be LIVE in the Bungan Galaxy in the newly reconstructed planet of Burei! Can't wait to see you guys there!" The Jizz Head said before Enshou crushed his first captain's phone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2lGv8bVDKQ
"They really want to trample my home planet like this...the burn this villainous fire in me even more. Those damn Renho thinking they can walk all over the bodies of my fallen men." Enshou stepped outside of his motel room and stood next to a homeless man. "What has the world done to me...fate can be cruel sometimes don't you agree? Being as you are homeless...I too am homeless." Enshou looked down at the man,
"Yeah, after being a hero and everything. Now I'm just back on the streets." Enshou ignored him and walked to the huge ship parked across the street.
"Come Captain, we've got a forest to attend." Enshou beckoned the man to come with him as the two walked up the ramp of their ship. Enshou gave the engine a good purr before it zoomed at near light speed, taking a mile of forest with it when it arrived.
"Th-this is the exact coordinates from his WPohne sir!" Enshou nodded,
"Good, good. I need a song to play in the background for this epic confrontation. AUTHOR, FETCH ME SOMETHING!" Enshou demanded from me as him and his first captain stepped off the ship.
"Stay alert sir...it's very dark." the captain advised Enshou. Enshou shrugged him off as he came closer to a smoke bellowing out of the night sky.
"This has to be the loser Shijaku, HE WILL ADD ME BACK ON WACEBOOK!" Enshou started to full on sprint to the fire, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his former friend sitting there,
"I figured you would be the one to find me. Enshou, I swear I can never escape you. First I try to ditch you, then all my friends and little brother exploded in a freak limo accident, and now I'm forced to live like a wildman." Barkas was sitting on top of Jii who was cramped inside of a suitcase. "Sometimes I still hear the cries of that old man." Barkas put some sticks in the fire as it crackled. He looked up at Enshou who was looking down on him,
"Your stupid sob story is nice and all, but I have a baby shower to attend to. You'll have no choice but to surrender yourself to me and take me to the Renhos." Shijaku stood up and stuck his hands out for the Captain to handcuff him. "Well that was pretty easy...VICTORY IS MINE! PHASE 1 IS COMPLETED!" Enshou laughed maniacally into the empty, dark forest.
TBC
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On 9/25/2019 at 12:56 AM, Old Man Jenkins said:
Time to dust off the Ayaverse chops for this one; how would you draft the new Raw and Smackdown rosters (or at least the wrestlers you consider the major players) in a way that makes both FOX and USA happy?
Brock for sure is going to Smackdown, does he win the title friday? Not sure, but I could see him sticking there. I think most of the rosters are actually pretty balanced as is. I could see Buddy going to Raw, in trade for Cedric to Smackdown that is he doesn't beat AJ tonight. If he does, I could see Cedric and Shinsuke getting swapped. I think tag teams are fine where they are currently, maybe swap some of the undercard tag teams. I see Shayna getting called up to Smackdown, that should be pretty cool. Hard to guess, but a lot of the major players I think are staying on their respective brands. Maybe have Roman be a cross-brand superstar like Cena
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"A peaceful time in Edo...what simple fools. Why sit back and relax when the greatest evil is just around the corner. Me, the Gun Smoke Prince of Burei opening up the brand new arc. It's poetic really, the one to bring down everyone's To Be Continued heroes in the blink of an eye begins the new arc. Sakata Gintoki will grovel at my feet, the outside universe will all bow down to me as I hold up their precious Joe, Steve, and Josh in my hands like puppets." Enshou was talking to himself in the public bathroom mirror inside of a Wenny's restaurant. One of his subordinates came out of the bathroom stall and began washing his hands. Enshou turned his gaze to his underling. He raised an eyebrow, "Good thing you're washing your hands Captain, I hear here on Edo there is a large outbreak of Ligma." Enshou's gaze darkened. His Captain looked up at him puzzled,
"What's Ligma? Should I wear a face mask while we're down here sir?" Enshou smirked and began to walk out of the bathroom. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an invitation to a baby shower. "To think Lady TBC would gift me with the easiest opportunity to strike down the heroes..."
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Gintoki was sitting at his desk, reading the latest Shounen Jump issue while his two loyal employees lounged around on the couch.
"Oiii Gin-chan, can't we buy a huge TV and the new Wintendo Witch. You're so old school and uncool. Plus, I'm still not at full recovery, please give me a mannie peddie, buy me the biggest sandwich you can find and groom Sadaharu for me." Kagura was whining as she kicked her feet against Shinpachi, nearly knocking him out.
"Kagura, it's been two weeks, you're just fine. We won't have to get into serious action anytime soon, so don't worry." Gintoki flung a booger and it landed on Shinpachi's glass.
"Oi! I just got these cleaned!" Shinpachi was furiously scrubbing his glasses when a knock came from the door. Gintoki sighed and removed himself from his chair and slid open his door,
"Gintoki, I know it's hard to believe but it's really me, Katsura. My disguise is of the highest quality, so I wouldn't blame you if you tried to pull your sword to me." Zura said, removing his mask and giving Gintoki a wink. Gintoki ripped his mask off and crumpled it in his hand, "NOOOOOOOOOO MY BEST MASK! NOW HOW ARE ME AND SHINNY GOING TO ROLEP-" Gintoki shut the door in Zura's face and began to walk back to his desk. Katsura slid the door back open,
"Zura, what could you possibly want? If you want me to clean your ship or something, we can do that but I'll charge you extra." Gintoki said. Zura shook his head and handed Gintoki a card from his pocket.
"Oi Zura, is this inviting me to a chicken farm? I didn't know you were a farmer." Gintoki took the invitation and crumpled it up,
"NOOOOOOOOOOO IT'S MONDAY ELIZABETH'S AND FUMIKO-CHAN'S BABY SHOWER!" Zura yelled, uncrumpling the paper. Gintoki shrugged and sat down, but Zura knew how to snag his friend into this. "They're very rich Gintoki...and need help setting up the baby shower." Gintoki, Shinpachi, and Kagura's eyes lit up,
"Finally! That's what I'm talking about Zura! Alright guys, let's get our baby shower game faces on." Gintoki threw on some shades, as did Kagura. Shinpachi pressed a button on his glasses that lowered shades down from the frame.
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"So, we have to attend a baby shower because the Princess is going?" Kondou was talking on the phone from the newly rebuilt Shinsengumi headquarters.
"Yes, you'll accompany her and that bubblegum looking prince around the entire time." Matsudaria said back. Kondou scratched his chin to think about it. "I'll give you til the count of three to respond, 1-" a bullet shot out of the phone past Kondou's head,
"OK, OK, WE'LL DO IT!" Kondou hung up the phone and huffed. Kondou got up and walked out of his room. Across the hall was Gonard and Yamazaki's room. "Oi, Zaki, Big Blue open up." Kondou waited, but eventually opened the door himself to see,
"Alright Jimmy, 5th time's a charm!" Gonard exclaimed. Yamazaki shook his head, and eventually noticed Kondou standing in his doorway, his face darkened.
"Oh, Chief, what's up? Gonard and I were uhh...it's a really long story." Yamazaki rubbed his neck. Kondou shook his head,
"Never mind that Zaki, I'm assigning you two and Sougo on a mission. You three are going to accompany Princess Soyo and her friend to a royal baby shower." Yamazaki's face went pale.
"Oh...oh no..." Yamazaki reached for the nearest Anpan and started nibbling on it frantically. Gonard ate the burger in one bite and gave Kondou a thumbs up. Sougo came sulking from down the hall,
"Well, at least I'll get some screentime...although it might be a bit awkward. Why can't you just make Hijikata do it, he's not doing anything." Sougo said. Kondou objected,
"Hijikata said he's busy, so I'll believe him honestly. He told me he hasn't heard from Steve or Joe these past weeks, so I let him off." Kondou said. Sougo, Yamazaki, and Gonard put on their nicest suits and began to head for the entrance where a huge limousine awaited them.
"Get in losers." Soyo said gruffly.
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"YAAAAAARRRRRRRRR YEE SCALLYWAGS THINK YE CAN HAVE ME DOUBLOONS!" Kamui threw chocolate gold coins at Ham-san's head, the coins scattering all over the metal floor. Ham-san stared blankly at his captain.
"Chief, what's this written on the cafeteria bulletin board." Ham-san had ripped the board off the wall and showed it to Kamui,
Kamui laughed and slapped his knee,
"I really got that half dick good! Ha!" Kamui smiled, but Ham-san shook his head.
"I thought we were going to the Renho's Baby Shower. We were invited by Katsura and Shinsuke to go." Kamui took the board and snapped it in half over his subordinate's head.
"Wix Flags is having a GRAND RE-OPENING AND WE ARE GOING." Kamui said, showing Ham-san the flyer for Wix Flags. Ham-san took the flyer and crumpled it up. He tossed it in the wastebin in front of Kamui's desk. Kamui's smile fell from his face and looked at the crumpled up flyer in the bin. His smile came back quicker than Ham could...uh blink?
"Ham-san! HA! You think you can barge into MY quarters after I just had the most traumatic 2 months of my life and you have the AUDACITY TO CRUMPLE UP MY WIX FLAGS FLYER THAT I WAS GOING TO FRAME IN MY ROOM!" Kamui blew Ham-san out through his door, leaving the 5th in command in a heap. He gave a big thumbs up letting the audience know he was ok. 4th came up and helped his partner up out of the hole he was resting in. Monika was called to come and help Ham-san to his feet. She was looking stunning as always, he locks flowing with such beauty and a smile that would melt anyone's heart. Especially mine, but suddenly I felt a glaring presence from the 2nd in command. I refrained from saying anything more about the lovely Monika.
"So, Wix Flags huh? I gotta say that's a little more exciting than a Baby Shower, plus we get a good side-plot out of this." Abuto said to Kamui. Kamui laughed,
"I KNEW ME FIRST MATE WOULD BE ON ME SIDE! HA!" Kamui placed an eyepatch over Abuto's eye.
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"Josh, did you wake up like that? That's like totally rad." a college girl was sitting at a table with Josh as he was drinking his coffee.
"Oh yeah, big Bulls fan." Josh said taking a sip. He was just getting used to settling in. He's got a dope ass apartment, and some pretty easy classes to start the semester. Josh pulled out his schedule on his notepad and flipped through it. "Yep, I've got English class in about 15 minutes. My first day of the semester so it really shouldn't be much." Josh sat his drink down and let out a refreshing "Ahh". The girl smiled and asked,
"So what'd you get? You seemed to enjoy it like a whole lot." Josh smirked,
"My go-to, but I put a small twist on it. Needed a bigger fill up this morning, so I got myself a Venti iced caramel frap, blended with coffee. Of course, I needed to lay on the whip cream." Josh chuckled. As Josh set his drink down, his phone went off. He checked it, and he received a text from his roommate,
"Uh dude, the whole apartment like lit up. I don't know what happened but I'm busy to check it out." Josh ignored the text and said his goodbyes to the lady at his table. He grabbed his bag and headed off for class. He reached his classroom after a 5 minute jog and opened up the door,
"Well look who's joining us class, if it isn't the dickbag that sucked me out of the FUCKING COMIC BOOK." Billy slammed the book he was holding and power-walked to Josh. Josh stammered and looked around before he got pressed against the door he just came in through. Billy lifted him up by his jersey with one hand,"How did you know that fucking phrase...do you know what I was doing? I was treating my brothers to a nice steak lunch against their will and you have the audacity to put me back into my field of employment. It's bad enough I have to deal with snot-nosed brats, now I have to deal with snot nosed college kids. Listen, if I'm summoned against my will, I just can't hop back into the comic book. I'M FUCKING STUCK HERE." Billy pushed Josh out the door and closed it behind him. Billy made sure the hallway was empty after checking both directions, "Wanna go waste your college savings on some slots dude?"
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"Hata, are you ready to head down to Edo? I've got everything packed, including Jii." Barkas showed a suitcase holding an object shaped like an angry old ossan. Hata shook his head yes, and jumped up in excitement,
"I get to hang out with Soyo again! And maybe even see...Bansai!!" Hata squeed and Barkas patted him on the head. Barkas loaded up his suitcase and Jii into his luggage compartment on their sweet space SUV. Barkas felt his phone vibrate and picked it up. He saw it was Enshou Wacetiming him. Barkas sighed and answered it,
"Shijaku, you are not prepared for what I have in store for Edo...this will be their reckoning. They think they're safe rebuilding and going into a state of peace...fools. Come to my lair when you arrive to edo...THE MOTEL 8 ON MAIN STREET. I am staying in ROOM 41...when you knock I will ask for a password. I will not tell it to you for privacy reasons. You do not know who could be listening into these calls." Barkas facepalmed,
"You pretty much gave away everything in just 1 minute." Barkas said. Enshou smirked.
"Sometimes being reckless causes the most chaos Shijaku. You'll see at the baby shower when PHASE 1 BEGINS. Oh by the way Shijaku, open your email I sent you." Enshou logged off the Wacetime call. Barkas sighed even heavier, opening his email. He saw one from Enshou entitled "FUNNY CAT VIDEO" he clicked on the Woutube link provided and his face got dark,
TBC
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"Yo Hitty, what's your deal? I've never seen that expression on your face before." the small ship was endlessly flying through space at this point. Hitsugi leaned against the only window the ship provided. His memories of Utsuro and his final days as his understudy were all coming back to him.
"Do you remember that day in Okinawa?" Hitsugi asked the Nameless man. Nameless's mouth was still bleeding, but he looked down, his face getting darkened. Nameless thought back, for what was only a few months ago when he learned the secrets of the Naraku and Utsuro. It wasn't, however, the first time Nameless crossed paths with the likes of this organization. His memory zoomed even farther back 5 years before the events of Okinawa.
"Prisoner 355-370. Do you like this old Western type OST?" Oboro grabbed a boombox and started to play a song,
The Nameless man was shackled at his hands and ankles, sitting against a rock. Oboro, Poe, and Histugi were the only three Naraku members watching him. For whatever reason, Oboro was tasked in torturing the prisoners to extract information. His method was to play songs he thought were annoying. "This song has absolutely nothing on Rocky Raccoon. Paul-dono's genius shines on that track. This however, is garbage. That perm headed idiot uses it sometimes, so it's tainted." Oboro beckoned Poe to peck at Nameless and pull on his goatee to torture him more. Nameless wiggled as his facial hair was getting tugged on. Hitsugi grabbed Poe and set him on the ground. Poe looked annoyed and flew up in the sky.
"Listen Joui scum, you've been imprisoned here for 5 years. Tell us what we want to hear or I'm going to have to get physical." Hitsugi cracked his knuckles, but the Nameless man just chuckled.
"I've already told you big man, I don't associate myself with those scum suckers anymore. After what they did to Kurokuno, I can never forgive them." Nameless smirked as his looked up at the much more threatening man. Oboro shook his head,
"Hitsugi-dono, I'll leave him to you. Let's go Poe, I heard Sensei is making fresh cookies in a few hours and I'm not going to miss the first batch." Poe picked up the boombox and the two walked out of sight. Hitsugi cocked his first back and slugged the samurai as hard as he could, leaving a very visible mark on his cheek. The Nameless man still smirked,
"You're rather strong...Hitsugi, was it? Look man cut me a deal here. I don't want to bring down your little organization, at all! I'm more thinking I need to do whatever is necessary to take these samurai schmucks out....who am I kidding," the Nameless man looked down at his feet, "Why am I even bothering preaching my story to you...I'm stuck in this place until I die a miserable death, perhaps even by your hands." Hitsugi stared at him for a couple of moments. He made mental note of how fragile, how afraid, and how alone this man seemed. He was a lost soul...much like himself. Hitsugi unballed his fist and kneeled down. The Nameless man's eyes grew in shock as the Naraku member pulled out a set of keys and began to unlock his shackles. The Nameless man stammered, "W-won't you be killed for this? Why are you freeing me?" Hitsugi stood up and offered his hand to the Nameless man. Nameless was still surprised, but grabbed the large man's hand and was helped to his feet.
"You and I...we are one in the same. We're lost souls. No one knows our name, no one knows our family." Hitsugi stared at Nameless with a serious expression. Nameless, still holding onto Hitsugi's hand, shook it up and down.
"We aren't the same. You don't know my story, only bits and pieces. I don't know your story, I only know your name. That's enough though isn't it...to have a name people can call you by, people can recognize you by. I remember that moment we first met, 5 years ago in the prison cell. I could tell you were hurting, but I don't know what from. I don't know what, but something between us sparks. Look at me saying something so weird and we've only had a few conversations...you wouldn't be letting me go if we didn't."
Hitsugi was staring back at the man, taking in his words by heart. It's as if the Nameless man had merged souls with him. He understood him, and vice versa. Hitsugi shook his hand back.
"If you ever need someone to get your back...you know I'll be there." Hitsugi tipped his hat and walked away, letting go of Nameless's hand. Nameless stood there, registering what to do with his new found freedom. Hitsugi's mind flashed forward back to the day after receiving the blood of Utsuro. He was sitting on the bed of Utsuro's hotel room, watching the battles outside raging on. Utsuro had told him specifically to stay out of the fight. His body was still getting used to Utsuro's blood flowing through it. He was groaning with each pain shooting all over his entire body, but he heard his room door begin to creak open. Hitsugi sat up, even through excruciating pain and drew his sword,
"Who's there...I'm not afraid to fight back..." Hitsugi lowered his sword as he saw a familiar goatee'd clad man walk into the room. "You're..." Hitsugi was at a loss, he hadn't seen this man since he let him go all those years ago.
"I have my ways...had to do a little ass kissing to get your room number. Listen, I'm just going to cut to the chase here...I need you big man." Hitsugi looked at him confused, "You know of Altana, do you not?" Hitsugi looked at the cut on his forearm and nodded. "I've been researching this stuff ever since I went on the lamb. Do you realize how difficult it is to run from two different sets of people? Well, not so much the Naraku since I've been pretty buddy buddy with them." Nameless said, sitting down in a chair opposite of Hitsugi. "I'm also informed that you're the new head of the Naraku. That old cumstain Oboro could live up to the title huh? I'm glad to see you're getting recognized for something Hitty." Nameless said, getting cocky.
"How have you infiltrated our ranks like this?" Hitsugi said, getting concerned. Nameless scoffed,
"It was easy really. Being so secondary that I was able to slip onto a plane to Okinawa and come here was a cake walk. I've studied these people Hitsugi, my former comrades, those beasts from the other world. I came here undetected, but of course there was one man who detected me. Utsuro." Nameless started to chuckle to himself. "He knew what I was doing, yet he didn't stop me. You know what he told me Hitty? He said, 'Please free Hitsugi of his pain.'" Hitsugi had a shocked look on his face when he heard what Utsuro said about him. Why did he care about him? "It seems you're important to him one way or another Hitty. He seemed to know you let me go too, like he was a fly on the wall of our conversation back then...hell, he could be listening in right now." Hitsugi was still thinking about the comment Utsuro made...free his pain.
"How can you free my pain?" Hitsugi asked the man. Nameless stood up and began to leave. Hitsugi looked distraught and reached for him, but the Nameless man turned around,
"It's simple. We take down those who wrong us. I hope you'll be ready when the time comes." The Nameless Man walked out of the room and shut the door. Hitsugi looked down at the floor of the hotel and pondered,
'Free myself of the pain...'
Hitsugi jumped back to the present,
"Here big man, I poured some scotch...it'll help take the pain away. Free yourself if you will." Nameless was downing his shot glass to ease his pain a little. Hitsugi reached over and grabbed a glass himself."Yeah, I gotta free my pain." Hitsugi took a shot himself.
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"AND I RECKON I'LL TAKE YOU OUT WITH THIS ONE!" Nobu was throwing a barrage of punches that all missed Shige completely. Nobu looked at his bloody knuckles after punching the hard, metal floor several dozen times. Shige pushed his cousin off of him and stood up.
"We don't have time to battle like this cousin. That kid in there is going ballistic." the small group could hear Kamui tearing the ship apart from the inside. A Yato rage flowing through him the likes of which only Umibozu have been witness to.
"RAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Kamui was yelling, thrashing about the ship. Umibozu lifted his daughter up from the ground and began to walk towards all the yelling. Shinpachi turned to Umibouzu, but Gintoki stopped him before he could speak,
"Shinpachi, let him go...we'll get Kagura back when they've finished with their little family reunion." Sadaharu was whimpering, but Gintoki laid his head on Sadaharu's. "Shogun-sama, what do you want to do with your cousin here?" Shinpachi asked. Shigeshige looked down at his cousin who was looking at his busted up knuckles.
"We have no choice but to bring him back to Edo. He's a criminal." Shigeshige said, putting Nobu into an armlock.
"Now come on cousin! Ain't this a little too much rough hou-" but before he could finish his sentence and explosion happened in the hallway where Umibozu went, and seveal Joui members including Katsura, Tatsuma, Skele, and Pakuyasa arrived to the small group.
"Sadaharu-dono!" Katsura ran up and hugged the giant dog. Skele walked up to Shinpachi,
"Skele-san! You guys are alive, thank goodness." Shinpachi said. Skele walked over to Gintoki,
"Gintoki...what happened to you?" Skele was looking at all the wounds Gintoki suffered,
"It's nothing...Skele, I've been through worse." Gintoki was fading from his blood loss, so the others hurried up on the large dog to get out of there. Sakamoto spoke up as they were racing down the halls,
"AHAHAHAHA! Take me to my ship please! We have plenty of medical supplies there! I'm sure Mutsu would love to see a certain someone here too!" Sakamoto said. The group finally reached the exit and saw the previous battlefield they were just in overrun by a bunch of Elizabeths
"OIIIIIIIII WHAT HAPPENED WHILE WE WERE GONE?!" Shinpachi yelled at Shinsuke. Shinsuke was curled up into a ball, sucking his thumb as all the Renho were taking down the Harusame.
"Th-they're everywhere..." Shinsuke was shivering but managed to look up and lock eyes with his husband for the first time in months. Shinsuke's body stopped shaking, and a different emotion began to fill his heart, love.
"K-Kotarou..."
"Shinsuke..." Katsura jumped off the back of Sadaharu and ran to embrace his love. Tears began to flood from the both of them as they were finally reunited after all this time. The two stood their in each other's arms as the Rehno were launching bazookas out of their duck mouths and blowing away Harusame fleets. Explosions, gunfire, and sword clangs were ringing in their ears as the two shared a passionate kiss."I missed you so much Kotarou...never leave my side again..." Shinsuke tugged on the back of Zura's kimono. Zura could feel a lump in Shinsuke's kimono, but not from the regular spot. Shinsuke opened up the breast of his kimono and showed Zura the wedding present from Skele. Skele could see it from where he was and smiled to himself.
"See Shinsuke...I've been with you this whole time." Zura said, taking the small figure. Zura looked back and nodded to Shinpachi. He motioned for Sadaharu to continue, leaving Zura back with his husband. Katsura looked around him and saw the smiling faces of his shipmates. Bansai, Matako, and Takechi all giving him a nod of "welcome home" while they continued to fight. Still in Shinsuke's arms, Zura looked around for one last member of his family, until he saw the familiar golden locks flowing from one of the back of the duck suits. Elizabeth turned around after taking out an Amanto and met eyes with Katsura. Elizabeth looked away with tears in his eyes and threw up a sign,
"Welcome Home"
Sadaharu was running, trying to avoid all the carnage in his way, barking up a storm, throwing some Amanto out of the way. Nobu was still complaining as his cousin had him by the arms,
"I can't believe yall broke my favorite keys...at least you ain't break ol Ruby's." Nobu said, smiling to himself. As they were running, Sadaharu skidded to a halt and stopped in front of a familiar Renho.
"Hey...aren't you Katsura-san's friend? Yeah, I remember you!" Shinpachi said. Eren turned to Shinpachi and waved,
"I wouldn't go too much farther if I were you guys!" Eren called out. He pointed up with his flipper as a giant mecha landed on the surface of the planet,
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! THERE'S MY SHIP!" Sakamoto laughed. Shinpachi's face darkened as the giant mecha grabbed one of the Harusame ships and flung it out of orbit.
"H-hey! It's Captain Sakamoto! What's up man!?" Lt. Simon was controlling the right arm of the mecha as he called out. Sakamoto waved at the head of the robot, which was controlled by Mutsu.
"Raj, lower the ramp." Mutsu called over the intercom.
"YES THIS IS WHAT I AM MADE OF! FINALLY, SOME USE OF MY GREAT FEATS!" Raj's crotch part of the robot opened up and a large ramp folded out of it and landed at the feet of Sadaharu.
"OIIIIIIIIIII WHAT KIND OF DESIGN CHOICE IS THIS SAKAMOTO-SAN?!" Shinpachi yelled.
"AHAHAHA! What are you waiting for?! Let's get on!" Sadaharu barked and went into the giant robot's crotch. The robot retracted its ramp and rocketed back off into space to fight the Naraku ships. Sadaharu ran through the ship, being pointed in the direction of the hospital bay. Sakamoto was directing his men to treat Gintoki as fast as possible. The gang reached the hospital room, where Gintoki and Pakuyasa were lifted into one of the stretchers.
"Gin-san..." Shinpachi stood by his side and grabbed Gintoki's hand. Gintoki smiled at Shinpachi.
"Don't worry Pattsuan. I've...I've got plenty of plot armor left on me. Just, take Sadaharu and wait for me...wait for Kagura." Gintoki let go of Shinpachi's hand and was wheeled away. Shinpachi sat on the ground, sobbing. Sadaharu gave him a few licks and laid next to him. Sakamoto was busy escorting Nobunobu to a prison cell when Mutsu came down from the head of the ship.
"AHAHAHAHA! DID YA MISS ME MUTSU?!" Sakamoto put his hand on Mutsu's shoulder and laughed,
Mutsu punched him so hard, it sent him flying through the robot and sent him straight to the pilot's chair. He was dazed, threw up a little, but managed to start piloting the Mecha. Skele and Shigeshige stood there with sweat drops coming from their heads. Mutsu looked over at Skele and began to walk towards him,
"Hey Mutsu! So glad to see you ag-" but before he could finish his sentence Mutsu grabbed him by his jaw bone and gave him a big kiss. She turned around and started to walk away, Skele left blushing.
"Don't ever leave again Bonestein. That's an order." Mutsu walked away, blushing herself after she couldn't believe what she did.
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"Kamui, please calm down." Umibozu was holding onto Kagura with one arm, and blocking Kamui's punches with the other. Kamui was unresponsive, throwing a barrage of punches his father's way. Umibozu was being pushed back, sent through walls, and eventually out of the ship with the amount of beat down that Kamui was providing. Umibozu caught an arrayed punch and flung Kamui meters away with the flick of his wrist. "I seriously don't want to fight you Kamui. I just want you guys to get home...not here." Umibozu looked at the barren landscape he once called home himself. Memories of his wife were flooding back to him, but he had to remain strong for his children. Umibozu began to walk towards his son, who landed somewhere between where the giant Orochi was being distracted, and the battlefield with the Renho and Harusame. Near the edge of the battlefield, the 7th division's fleet was parked with Abuto and No Man just receiving the massive Skadoo energy.
"Shit, my phone is fried...yare yare." Abuto sighed as Monika, Poe, Joe, and Josh all came landing out from his phone. Monika got up and hugged Abuto while the other three dusted each other off. Poe flew around the ship pecking at No Man's (sticky) hat. Josh was gobsmacked to be on a completely different planet than Earth. He was pretty much speechless.
"Ahh, you'll get used to it cousin." Joe said slugging his little cousin in the shoulder playfully. Abuto briefed Joe and Josh about Steve and what had happened. Mutsu relayed to him information from Shinpachi about the small ship that Nameless used.
"So, we just gotta locate that ship and I get my cousin back?" Joe said, sternly. Abuto nodded,
"It would seem so. We also got information from these two other Amantos." Abuto pointed to Barkas and Enshou who were giving orders to their own men.
"Ahh, the feeling when we take these dastards down and I, ENSHOU, THE GUN SMOKE PRINCE WILL BE THE BANE OF ALL OF TBC!" Enshou threw his fist in the air with the locket's chain interlaced in his fingers. Abuto rolled his eyes and brought his focus back to Joe and Josh.
"Anyway, it seems as if that small ship is somewhere past our line of attack, floating in space. It'll take a miracle to find them." Abuto said, shaking his head. But, as he said this Poe came over and started cawking at him. "What do you want you mangy bird?" Abuto asked, he received the hardest peck known imaginable, sending him crashing through the floor. Abuto stuck his hand out of the hole and gave a thumbs up. Poe sat down and reached into his feathers to pull out a phone,
"How does a bird...nevermind." Josh didn't even want to bother asking,
"Poe, are you there? Good. Ikari-dono is piloting us towards Koukan." Oboro said."Caw! Caw!" Poe replied.
"I see, so we should be on the look out for a smaller ship? Sounds good. Mukuro please, you're bogarting all the room in this thing." Oboro could be seen shoving Nobume's feet off of his lap.
"There's plenty of room there, you're missing parts jizz head!" Nobume said. "Hey small crippled child, put on some REAL music!"
"Hell YES! Now this is a real ride." Nobume could be heard saying. Oboro sighed and turned his attention back to Poe,
"Alright Poe, we'll be on the look out. I'll let you know when we find this bastard." Oboro turned off his Wacetime and Poe his phone back up. As the bird put his phone away, 4th could be heard yelling from the front of the ship,
"H-hey guys look! It's Chief! He's...fighting his dad?" 4th was looking with comically large binoculars at the family fight. Abuto face palmed,
"After all this time and yet he still has time to fight his dead, good grief."
Kamui twisted his arm back into place after landing from that huge hit from his dad. Kamui started running towards Umibozu, throwing dozens of punches and connecting, sending his dad flying backwards with Kagura still in his arms. He tried protecting her the best he could from Kamui's onslaught.
"That's enough Kamui, I won't allow you to hurt your sister." Umibozu laid her down, but got distracted by a large roar from behind him. He turned around and saw the large Orochi knocking a small object in the air. He squinted and saw a can being tossed miles away. "That's..." but before he could say anything else, Kamui hit him directly into the Orochi. The Mother Orochi bent it's neck down and roared at the two, but soon recognized Umibozu after his helmet fell off, revealing a rather convincing toupee of his former hair. The Orochi looked confused, but soon started roaring as it remember he was the reason Kouka left the planet.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Umibozu yelled while being picked up by the beast. "Please! I know I made Kouka leave, but you've got to help me! Help those two down there!" Umibozu pointed at Kamui and Kagura. The Orochi flung him down to the ground and got close to Kagura's face. The beast could tell the resemblance and began to purr. The soft murmurs began to make Kagura stir and awake from her unconscious state.
"Huh..." Kagura looked up and saw Kamui standing over her ready to punch her down, but the Orochi put it's head against Kamui. Kamui froze and looked at the beast with a look of murder in his eyes. But the soft purrs were beginning to calm him also. Kamui's eyes glazed over as he slumped down in exhaustion, landing next to his sister. Kagura rolled her head over and smiled as her brother was sleeping like a baby. Umibozu laid in a large crater staring up at the sky before a man walked up to the edge of the crater and looked down,
"It seems you three were able to tame the beast...I'll be on my way then." the man, whose face was hidden, walked away towards the battlefield.
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Kurokuno walked through the raging battle of the Renho and Harusame, explosions and blood waking in his path. He eventually made his way to the abandoned Naraku ship that he was once imprisoned in,
"Now if I know him...he'll have another one in here. Aha!" Kurokuno came upon the escape pod station of the ship and saw that there was a second one. He hopped in it and turned on the controls, seeing there was an active GPS with Nameless's coordinates bleeping on the radar. "Rather foolish of him if he wanted to remain hidden. I'll be sure to stop you Kaname, or at least toss up an ally-op for one of my comrades to take you down." Kurokuno started up the escape pod and launched into the planet's atmosphere, following his former comrade as fast as he could. He set the ship to go into MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE (a setting on the ship mind you) and made haste towards Nameless and Hitsugi. Within several minutes, he was right on their tail. The ship crashed right into the side of Nameless's, causing him to spill his scotch all over the floor and himself,
"WHO THE HELL?! HOW COULD THEY FIND ME SO..." Nameless looked at the GPS and saw the second blimp on the radar, "Damn it, SHOW YOURSELF!" the cockpit was crashed inside the ship, making it tight enough to not allow the suction of space to hinder the ship. The door of the ship flung open and there stood his former comrade,
"Kaname...it's time to end this...you cannot run away anymore." Kurokuno held up his phone and sent a ping to Pakuyasa's phone. Nameless couldn't believe what he was seeing. His dead friend after all these years of disappearing. He was getting worked up. Hitsugi stood up, but Nameless sat him back down.
"I killed him Kurokuno... there's no reason to send a prayer to a dead man." but as he said this, the ping was received. Nameless looked surprised at this, "But how..." the ping was picked up by one of the medical staff members, who relayed the info to Mutsu, who relayed it to Abuto,
"You got the location? Great, alright I'll send them." Abuto sent the ping to Poe, who ping it to Oboro. Oboro sent word to Shinji who shifted his mom into MAXIMUM SPEED! Nameless shook his head.
"Kurokuno...you bastard, what have you done? I should kill you myself...but for all those years I thought you were dead. Why now...why all of the sudden you show up after all these years just to stop me..." Nameless clinched his fist. Kurokuno lifted his kimono and showed a blade, a blade branded with "Kaname" on the hilt. Nameless looked down at his old blade with disgust.
"You threw your life away Kaname. I could not do the same. I forgave my comrades for their errors...but you could not. You tarnished yourself by being associated with these...villains. You aren't a villain Kaname, you're a hero. You're a friend, and you'll always be that to me. No matter how many people you cut down on your way here now, you are still my friend."
Kaname looked at Kurokuno with a somber look, "Hitsugi, take care of that on coming mecha. Let me deal with Kurokuno." Kaname pointed at a blimp on the radar that looked like Eva 001. Hitsugi nodded, grabbed a space suit and exited the space ship. Hitsugi launched himself at full speed towards Shinji, Oboro, and Nobume. He landed on the head of the Eva and punched a hole through the top of it. The three put on spacesuits themselves, as the emptiness of space was beginning to suck all the liquid from Eva 001. Shinji tried to control the mecha, but it was failing. But, as soon as the engine was beginning to fail, Sakamoto's mecha came to the rescue,
"AHAHAHAHA! I GOTCHA KID!" Sakamoto's mecha held up Eva 001 by the armpits and helped stabilize it. Shinji coward in the corner as Hitsugi climbed into the small cockpit.
"Hitsugi-dono...I should have expected you here..." Oboro looked at his former comrade with despair. Hitsugi grabbed Oboro by the neck of his suit and kicked Nobume to the side,
"You can't defeat me Oboro, you never will live up to the true power Utsuro had. My blood is richer, newer, and healthier than yours. You're a hack of your former self. Hitsugi began wailing on Oboro, punching him into the side of Eva 001 repeatedly. Nobume drew her sword and slashed into Hitsugi's suit, but he grabbed her sword and broke it in half.
"Mukuro, you're nothing either. Don't even get yourself involved in this fight. Oboro is the one I need." Nobume's face darkened at the mention of her former name. The three once being apart of the Three Wings of Naraku Crows.
"I may be of no use to you Hitsugi, but I know damn sure I'm not letting you take him away." Nobume lunged again, but at the same time, Oboro drew his blade and thrusted towards Hitsugi. The large man stuck both his hands out, catching both blades inside the palm of his hands, and exiting out the backs. He cocked back his fist and punched Nobume out into space,
"Mukuro!" Oboro yelled, but she was caught by Eva's left hand. Shinji got back in the controls and began to move the Eva. Hitsugi turned his attention to the small child and raised Nobume's blade up to him,
"Time to rid ourselves of this nuisance." Hitsugi raised his blade, but as he did, Shinji flung Nobume back into the cockpit, she tackled Hitsugi hard and sent him flying to the ground. Nobume rolled through and kicked Hitsugi in the air,
"OBORO!" she yelled. Oboro leapt up from the creases of the dents and kicked Hitsugi out of the EVA and into space,
"Now Ikari-dono!" Oboro yelled. Shinji nodded and knew what he needed to do. Shinji raised Eva's left hand and clinched her fist. He took a mighty swing and punched Hitsugi into the depths of space. Hitsugi's body was damaged, and flying at a rate in which he couldn't control. The large man was thinking to himself as he was defeated, knowing he could not die from this, only left to drift through space until someone finds him.
"Utsuro...what did you mean by those words...why couldn't you have told me them yourself? Was I...not good enough for you?" Hitsugi's mind drifted as he himself drifted through space.
"Will I ever feel pain again...or am I destined to live forever free from it?"
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Kaname stared down Kurokuno, as both men drew their blades. The two stood there in silence as they were locking eyes with one another. Eventually, Kaname broke his silence,
"Kurokuno...I don't want to kill you..." Kaname let his guard down and began to tear up, "You were always...you were always there for me. But now...now you're here against me." Kaname faked Kurokuno out and went with an upwards slash, but Kurokuno blocked him. The two traded slashes, each time the blades hitting each other with perfect harmony. The music of the blades grinding and clinking against each other as the men were at deadlock. Kurokuno smirked at his friend,
"Never one to back down from a fight...even if you use nasty tactics." Kurokuno came back with heavy strikes, but each time Kaname had an answer for them. Kaname managed to strike Kurokuno once in the shoulder, knocking his friend backwards a bit, but Kurokuno answered back with a slash on Kaname's cheek. Kaname put his hand on his cheek, and removed it revealing the cut was already healed. "You're Altana won't work much longer Kaname. You're on borrowed time." Kurokuno said. Kaname smiled and pointed his sword at Steve,
"That's why I have him." Kaname kicked Kurokuno back and threw his own sword at the glass tube. It shattered instantly and Steve came washing out of it. Kurokuno looked concerned,
"What are you going to do to him Kaname..." Kurokuno started getting closer to Kaname. Kaname bent down and picked the unconscious man up, reaching into his own pocket.
"You've got to come prepared Kurokuno...you never know what the enemy will have." Kaname revealed he had Steve's notebook and paper. Kurokuno rushed towards Kaname,
"KANAME!" Kurokuno's sword pierced Kaname's chest, but it was already done. Kaname used Steve's hand to draw a blade from the notebook. The blade stretched out long enough to stab Kurokuno in the neck. Kurokuno fell to the floor, a pool of blood forming around him. Kaname looked at his own blade dug deep into his chest, pulled it out and looked at the hilt.
"To think...you kept this blade all these years. Why Kurokuno...why me?" Kaname dropped the sword to the ground and looked down at his comrade on the floor. Kurokuno was alive still, the blade did not stick deep enough to cut an artery, but he was unable to stand and fight as the blood was flowing. Kurokuno managed his words,
"You...were my best friend Kaname...you, me, Pakuyasa...we were like our very own trio. You threw that all away...just to be a slave to your own shortcomings." Kurokuno coughed up blood. Kaname's wound was healing a lot slower than usual, the pain becoming overbearing. Kaname grabbed the sword from the notebook and pointed it to Kurokuno. Kaname's hands were trembling, looking down at Kurokuno, defenseless. His throat was getting choked up, but he managed to swallow.
"I'm sorry Kurokuno...you should have stayed dead." Kaname raised his hand, but before he could, Kurokuno's pocket began to light up. Kaname looked down, but before he could react, Josh skadoo'd from Poe's phone, to Kurokuno's phone. Kaname looked at the man confused,
"Who are you? How did you get here?" Kaname looked down at Josh's hand and saw the notepad. He smiled,
"So, you are the rumored 3rd user. Why come alone? I would have loved to see Joe again." Kaname said. Josh stood his ground and readied his notepad,
"I came here to prove myself...to everyone-"
"That I'm willing to earn my place in this world." Josh took out his notebook and drew a sword up for himself. It was glowing, and emanated such a powerful aura. Kaname stared at it in awe. He grabbed Steve's hand and quickly drew a shield to block the incoming attack, but Josh's blade was too powerful and Kaname had to step back before the blade cut through the notepad.
"Your technique...there isn't anyone like you is there? Your sword can't touch me.." Kaname coughed up blood, but was met with another quick drawing from Josh. Josh branded a small knife and threw it at Kaname, stabbing him in the arm as he went in to block it,
"LET GO OF STEVE!" Josh rushed Kaname and shoved Steve out of the way. Josh lifted Kaname up by the scruff of his shirt. "I hope you're ready for what I've got planned for you." Josh flipped open his notebook and revealed a small scenery. He skadoo'd both of them into it and used his abilities learned from Joe. He battered Kaname down with his flowing punches, a skill he picked up from the real world as a theater actor. He was graceful, but his strikes were dealing significant damage in his turf. The Skadoo'd landscape was completely devoid of any hiding Kaname could do. He was getting pummeled until Josh skadoo'd them back onto the ship. Kaname laid in a heap as his body'd regeneration was wearing off. He reached into his bag next to Steve and searched for more crystals.
"My crystals...where did they go..." Kaname looked over at Kurokuno who dragged himself into a sitting position, holding all the crystals in his kimono. Kaname reached out towards Kurokuno, but his hand was cleaved off by Josh. Kaname's right hand fell to the floor of this ship, blood oozing out of it. Josh stood over him, about to finish the job, but he was starting to get cocky,
"This is what everyone was worried about? I mean, I handled you pretty well." Josh said, tapping his chin, but that small moment of distraction was enough for Kaname to use the last of his regeneration to reattached his hand and hit Josh with a huge low blow. Josh grabbed his crotch and fell to the floor, dropping his notebook and sword in the process. Kaname stood up, grabbing Josh's sword. Kaname kicked the notebook out of the way and threw the sword at Kurokuno, who was just fast enough to dodge it as it lodged into the wall next to him. Kaname took Steve's hand and began scribbling again. This time he pulled a gun out of the notebook and pointed it at Steve. Josh's eyes widened in horror,
"Please...don't hurt him...him and Joe are all I have left..." Kaname looked back at Kurokuno, and pointed the gun at him.
"Give me the crystals Kurokuno. Or I'll kill everyone on this ship." Kurokuno looked at the crystals in his hands. He shook his head,
"Kaname, you are not going to threaten me with such claims. I cannot allow you to continue this quest of being immortal and killing the samurais. If you do succeed in that...then what's left of the samurai's will and the samurai's spirit will continue to haunt you." Kaname had flashbacks to earlier when he was fighting Pakuyasa, the same sentiments shared by their 3rd man. "I'm sorry Kaname...I cannot give you my final assist...Josh turned the ball over." Kurokuno removed the sword from the ship, leaving a hole to the emptiness of space. He dumped all the crystals in the small hole, shocking Kaname who didn't hesitate to pull the trigger. The bullet struck Kurokuno in the shoulder, but he managed to throw the sword to Josh in time for him to knock the gun away from Kaname. Josh turned the blade and drove it into Kaname's stomach. Kaname slouched over as the blade slid up inside of him. He was resting on the opposite wall of the ship from Kurokuno. The two were staring at each other, as if their souls were connected.
"Josh...thank you." Josh was shocked at Kaname's words. "Thank you for the best battle...I've ever had. You made me humble...and to think you are only so novice." Kaname hacked up blood. "Steve is...unharmed. He should be waking up any minute now. To think, there's now more than just one person in this miserable world...that knows my name." Kaname looked up at Josh. He looked back over at Kurokuno. "Kurokuno...I don't expect-" but Kurokuno cut him off,
"I forgive you Kaname. From the bottom...of my heart. You will always be the most special person to me. Not just some background character...not just a throw away placement holder...you were real. And you will forever be real. Others may look at you as a criminal...a man hell bent on destroying those who...wrong him. To me...you will always just be...Kaname." Kurokuno stuck his fist out in the air. Kaname was weak from the blade, but he struggled to his feet. Blood was dripping from the wound with each step he took. Josh got out of the way as Kaname dragged himself to the opposite side of the ship. A long trail of blood was following him, along with a steady flow of tears falling from his face. Along the way, he picked up his own sword, his name on the hilt stained in his own blood. The sword's blade dragging across the metallic floor, making a loud hissing sound as he crept closer to Kurokuno. Kaname came within inches of his comrade, arm still stretched out. Kaname fell to his knees, his legs giving out from the pain. He looked up at Kurokuno, who's head was tilted down. Kaname looked at his hand, and balled it up in a fist,
"Kurokuno...I'm glad we were able to live together one last time." Kaname stretched his hand out and connected it with Kurokuno's. The two's hands stayed like that for a few seconds until Kaname fell flat on his face at the feet of Kurokuno.
TBC
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1
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Ask the Great Aya anything
in Ask Me
Posted · Edited by Moxley♥
"RELEASE ME! WHY ARE YOU TRAPPING ME IN THIS CAGE?!" Yuka shook the cage she was in while Jebediah took a sip from his chalice.
" The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky...you think this would make a good backdrop for the rest of this chapter? Its Avant-Garde nature suits me rather well! Right then, shall I resume ruining Edo's reputation? It's quite fun really." Jeb put his arms down and took a deep sigh before sitting back down. "Now, my lady." Jeb snapped his fingers and it zipped Yuka's lips shut. He turned back in his chair to give Yuka a smile. Turning back, he faced out of Yuka's eyes from within her head to see the back of a space police van. She was being loaded in there, shackled by gooey handcuffs. Jeb turned Yuka's head to face Shige, who was looking at her concerned from outside the vehicle. He simply made her smile before the intergalactic police closed the doors,
"She's being transported to the Higher Courts of Oukoku to face trial. In the meantime Shige-Shogun, I advice you prepare for the repercussions of your ally's actions." the officer bowed as he entered the van and flew off. Shige looked down at the ground dis-heartened. His best friend was just shot, Majesty Yuka was carted off, and he didn't have his stunt double just in case more action spilled out. The entire council was empty aside from Umibozu who was walking up to Shige.
"I have reason to suspect that this wasn't entirely her doing, Shogun-sama." Shige turned to the Yato and just let out a sigh,
"I thought I could trust her. She helped save our planet from the biggest threat we've seen since Utsuro." Umibozu shook his head,
"I highly doubt she would intend to harm Barkas like that. I know there's something bigger at play here, trust me. Dealing with Altana beings, such as Utsuro has given me this sort of sixth sense. There was someone else there, we just have to prove it." Umibozu said. He began to walk away and turned back to Shige, "Go back to Edo and sort things out with the Globberians. I'll talk with Fumiko and head to Oukoku." Umibozu flung his cape as he turned around to try and act cool as he walked out of the building, but noticed his son saw him do it.
"HA! LOOK AT MY OLD MAN TRYING TO BE HIP!" Kamui yelled from the stand he was at. He began to laugh so hard that he was crying, leaning on No Man's (sticky) shoulder. "Half Dick, fetch me a towel! I'm crying so much, HA LOOK AT HIM TRY AND PLAY IT OFF!" No Man did as he told as the camera panned back to the police van driving through space. Jebediah was pleased with himself as his plans were unfolding just as he wanted.
"I do say, I'm rather good at what I do. I've been planning this for hundreds of years, so you know. I think I should be quite well at this." as he was swirling his wine, the record player scratched. "What the-"
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF-"
"Boss! You finally got out of that window!"
"Of course I managed Haji, I also found some paint on the ship so I can blend in."
"You don't really look like you blend in at all. You look like you belong with those Jouis." Kintoki said. Heiji took a puff from his cigar. He puffed out a cloud of smoke that hit one of the lower ranked Yato's in the face. He coughed and wiped the smoke away,
"Why am I even still working for this damn ship. That damned leader killed my...only brother." Heiji ignored him and turned his attention to Haji who was holding the notepad.
"Oh yes, I forgot that I got all this juicy information Boss! This is the big break I tells ya!" Haji said, getting really excited. "Apparently that Yuka lady we visited SHOT someone! I bet you anything it was that B.O.D fellow!" Haji said. Heiji rubbed the paint on his face and nodded.
"Excellent detective work Haji! This is bound to be a hard-boiled case that will end with a great explosion from all the heat." Heiji took another puff, but this time the smoke hit Kamui in the face who was smiling through it.
"Who the HELL are you and why are you talking with my crew mates?" Kamui asked smiling. Heiji's face scrunched up,
"I uh...I'm a lost bunny. Pyon pyon, look at me." Heiji began to hop like a rabbit, "As you can see from my face, I am clearly a Yato. I request to join your crew immediately." Kamui smiled as Abuto walked up behind him, re-attaching his arm.
"Chief, I don't think any of these people are Yato. They're obviously just freeloading off of us." Kamui cracked his neck as he turned to face Abuto,
"OLD MAN, clearly this man is of Yato origin! No one would ever lie about their identity would they?" Kamui turned back to the three of them as a sad trombone sound played. "Anyway, they're perfect for my newest business endeavor!" Kamui said smiling at the three. They smiled back and rubbed their necks.
"You don't mean that stupid Long Wohn Silvers idea you have, do you?" Abuto asked, but was met with Kamui ripping his arm back off right after he just re-attached it.
"Of course I mean the AWESOME Long Wohn Silvers idea I have. Remember those idiots that hoard around Shinsuke are going ice skating! I want to ice skate, and I want to build a fish restaurant. So, I now hereby arrange to have BOTH! A Long Wohn Silvers with an ICE RINK in the middle!" Kamui said, tossing Abuto's arm back to No Man as it hit him in his (sticky) face. "You two and Samurai Gintoki! You three will be my servers! The old, stinky man waiter, the young girl waitress, and the super cool samurai waiter!" Kamui smiled, throwing paper pirate hats on them.
"Well, this does match my apron pretty well." Kintoki took his Good Egg badge and pinned it to his hat. Heiji bent over to Haji and whispered to her,
"This is our opportunity Haji, this ice rink fast food joint will surely get us to the bottom of this intergalactic act of terrorism. More importantly, to the bottom of this B.O.D character who forced me to drink tea instead of Camus." Haji looked back at him in confusion.
"Alright Kozenigata-danna...why the hell am I still wearing your boxers-" Kintoki ripped the heart boxers off, causing Heiji to frown, "Whoever this dream hopping, Tendoshu wiener-head is, he isn't stopping me from getting my 8 pack." the three "Yato" detectives stood proud as the crew packed up all the merchandise they didn't sell into cartoon pockets.
"Well come on! Aren't you three DORKS coming or what?!" Kamui said, ushering them quickly onto the ship and flying back towards Edo. As the scene was transitioning to the Yato ship, it was quickly slapped back to face Jebediah in Yuka's mind,
"Do you honestly think this is funny? I think it's quite preposterous that those 3 hooligans changed my music and took over MY scene." Jebediah looked disgusted as he banged on his record player. The van was just now arriving to Oukoku, as was Barkas in the space ambulance. The van parked just outside of a large prison looking building, and the guards began to unload Yuka to the facility. The two guards held Yuka's goo arms as the carried her through the doors, as they entered the building, the scene transitioned back to the Harusame as they were landing just outside the Ice Rink,
"HA! HERE!" Kamui jumped from his ship and landed on some random ass civilian. Kamui then reached into his pocket and pulled out an entire Long Wohn Silver's restaurant out of it, landing it in the middle of the ice rink. Luckily, there was no floor to the establishment, so the people that were underneath the building, were now in line for some fish and chips ay Jebby? Among them were Pakuyasa and Ikumatsu who were just going around the rink for the first time. They ended up in a booth as a waiter skated up to them,
"Welcome to Long Wohn Silvers, what can I get a fine couple like you for today?" Kintoki said, spinning the sparkling champagne plate in his hands as he too twirled. Heiji and Haji looked on from the front cash registers. 4th was working the grill, making Haji nervous.
"I really hope he doesn't go in the cooler." Haji said, pushing her pin against the notebook. The two detectives looked attentive as the front doors opened up. Gintoki and Katsura both walked in, Gintoki just having been voted off Wurvivor.
"The Old Hag may kill me Zura, but at least I'm out of that chaotic game. I can actually spend the holidays with my family and friends. Shinpachi-kun is even letting me and Kagura stay in his dojo...yeah." Gintoki said as Katsura nodded. Gintoki's expression went blank as he saw the two "detectives" standing there with their goofy-ass hats on.
"W-welcome to Long Wohn Silvers! How can I help you?" Heiji said nervously. Gintoki just sighed,
"Whatever you two are getting up to, I'm just glad I don't have to carry that weight as the main character." Katsura nodded,
"I'll have the...Half Dick Ha Combo." Katsura said. Gintoki's face went dark.
"One Half Dick HA Combo coming right up!" Haji said, handing the ticket off to 4th.
"Uhhh, I think I'll have theeeeee" Gintoki lingered, but as he was, the door labeled "YER MANAGER" blew open and Kamui barged out,
"SAMURAI GINTOKI! Get back to work!" Kamui said, waving his finger at him. Gintoki gave him a slight smile before looking back at the menu, maybe just thinking this was one of Kamui's playful jokes. But this was far too real. Kamui slapped a hat and apron on Gintoki, pushing him through the Long Wohn. He skid and eventually bumped into Kintoki, causing the champagne to spill on the ice.
"Watch where you're going bucket of bolts." Gintoki said, pushing Kintoki,
"HEY MY ABS ARE GOING THERE! WATCH THE BUTTON NUMBSKULL!" the two were getting in a scuffle before Kamui came over and picked them both up. Kamui sat them both on their feet as he put his hands on his hips,
"Now THIS is fun. TWO SAMURAI GINTOKIS!" Kamui hugged them both tightly, nearly snapping Kintoki in half. Gintoki took his apron and hat off and skated for the door, but was knocked over by Kagura and Soyo slamming it wide open. The two were being flanked by Isaburo, Nobume, and Testunosuke. Haji and Heiji's eyes widened ever more as they ducked underneath the table.
"This is it Haji. We're toast. Kaput. Donezo. No amount of Camus can save us." Heiji said, rocking back and forth on the ice. Haji slapped him, knocking the pirate hat off his head.
"GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME BOSS! WE CAN DO THIS!" Haji said with fierce determination. She shot up from behind the counter and greeted Kagura and Soyo.
"Welcome to Long Wohn Silvers! What can I get for you?" Haji asked.
"Yeah can I get uhhhhh" Kagura said, drooling. Soyo smiled,
"I'll take the Hushpuppy Combo!" she said. Haji quickly jotted it down, trying to hide her face from Isaburo, however, he was busy.
"Isaburo-san, can I leave. This place smells like wet socks and BOOMERS. I want to skate with some hot chicks or something." Nobume said, crossing her arms.
"We have to catch two fugitives on the run from the law. This is a matter of national security Nobume-san." Isaburo said, looking at the menu.
"AND WHY THE HELL IS THAT SACK OF POTATOES FOLLOWING US?!" she pointed at Tetsunosuke. He just shyly went up next to Kagura to order his food.
"Y-yeah can I get...wait a minute..." Tetsu reached into his pocket and pulled out a sketch Oboro made for him of the wallet thief.
"Bad news dude, the FUZZ IS HERE." he said, practically yelling and pointing at the three police officers standing right next to him. Isaburo looked at him and narrowed his eyes. But, before he could say anything, the kitchen door busted open,
"HELLOOOOOO NURSE!" the three all yelled at once.
"Oh?"
"I think we will get going now." Heiji said, about to open the door. But, Jeb appeared behind him and grabbed his shoulder.
"What gives Detective? Why are you pulling your wank friends in the dream world with you? I didn't know you possessed such power...although you once again changed my music." Jeb looked at the record player. Heiji just coughed,
"W-well we were swimming in a lake and came across this door-" Jeb put his hand over Heiji's mouth.
"A lake you say? Hmph, that damned Utsuro I swear. He never fails to make me laugh you know? A lake this time, really?" Jeb removed his hand from the detective's mouth. Haji was secretly jotting down notes, as was Kintoki in his memory bank. Jebediah just chuckled to himself as he swished his wine back in forth. In his mind, small snipets of memory was flashing:
"So that's what he did with it...cheeky bastard really. Poured an entire lake over me. But how did you...ah yes I see. Bearded fellow! You were able to open the door, yes? Perhaps only because I've been in contact with you." Jeb scoffed as he sat back on his throne. "Never did I think people from the outside world would be able to open my casket. Alas, it appears only those certain few can! He hid it well I suppose, he had to keep it hidden for thousands and thousands of years for a reason, cause he knew he couldn't kill me." Jebediah smiled at the three, "You can depart if you wish, I'm not able to leave to the physical world in the state I'm in. Anyway, you three gits are not worth my time to even deal with. I have to concentrate with this one. The three hard-boiled detectives looked up and saw Yuka, who's mouth was zipped shut sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest. Heiji stepped forward,
"So, you're the one who started the chaos on Skolex?" he asked. Jeb simply nodded. Heiji lit his cigar and grabbed the handle to the door, "You'll be sorry you let us hard-boiled detectives go. We always crack the case." he swung the door open and jumped in along with his two cohorts. Jeb just smiled as the door shut behind them. The three had to quickly swim back up to the hole in the ice and get a breath of air. Unfortunately, they were met with 2 white coats and a black coat with 3 sets of handcuffs.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Welcome everyone to today's immunity challenge! As you can see, we have a very special guest. In collaboration with Lily Mu, we have its number 1 star Oboro here with us as the focus of today's challenge!" Ketsuno said. The scene cut to Shinsuke in confessional,
"Great, Honey and Gintoki are voted out back to back and now this jackass is the main focus of the challenge." the scene cuts back to Ketsuno explaining the challenge.
"Alright, so it's rather simple! All you have to do is make Oboro laugh. The first tribe to have at least one person makes him laugh, they win immunity for the whole tribe! Monika, since you won the last challenge, you can attempt first!" Monika stepped up to the microphone,
"What instrument do you think I play Oboro?" Oboro thought,
"I'm not sure Monika-dono. What do you play?" he asked,
"The HarMONIKA, hehe!" she said with a giggle.
"Alright, Otae-san, you're next!" Otae stepped up,
"Alright Oboro-san, are you hungry?" she asked.
"Well, I am famished." Oboro said.
"Hi famished, I'm Otae!"
"Saitou, you're next!" Saitou stood up to the microphone,
"Z."
"Next." Oboro said.
"Alright, Enshou, you're up next!"
"What happens when your third in dickmand gets ripped away from you in the middle of the night by your fantasy wife? Nothing but pain and misery."
"Uhm...ok Shinsuke, you're up!" Shinsuke walked up to the microphone,
"F*** you dickhead." he walked away.
"Uhhh, Tama-san, you're up!" Tama walked up,
"Processing funniest joke possible....calculating punchline...." Ketsuno cut her off,
"Sorry, you have to come up with it on the spot Tama-san! You're disqualified from this challenge!" Tama simple nodded and backed away. "Wow, none of you are funny at all I guess! Stephen, you're next!" Stephen walked up and cleared his throat.
"Where does a crow go to get drunk? A CROW-BAR!" Stephen said.
"I knew a bird joke would work."
"YUUKI WINS IMMUNITY FOR THE 3RD TIME IN A ROW!" Ketsuno said as the Yuuki tribe high-fived and cheered while the Kibou tribe groaned. "Kibou, you guys have a date with me at tribal counsel tonight, I got nothing for you." the tribes headed back to the respective camps. Enshou sat down in the shelter with his face over his hands, sobbing into the fire.
"You need to REALLY get a hold of yourself bro!" Pirako said, smacking Enshou on the back. "Work some magic and get us another hidden immunity idol! There's bound to be another one out here since you've played it!" Pirako is seen sitting in confessional, "If Enshou, me, or Matako find another idol; we are essentially set for the rest of this game. As long as we play well of course." the scene cuts to Tama looking through some foliage while Matako staring at Enshou from across the fire.
"Can't you just suck another guy's dick and get the idol again?" Matako asked. Enshou shook his head,
"Impossible. I'll be thrown off the show for sure." Enshou said, sadly.
"Well, we just need to decide who we're voting out. Tama or Otae. I think you know who we should boot." Matako said winking. Enshou obliged. He was just sick and worried about Shijaku to really care anymore. Matako stood up, but was confronted by Otae. She pulled the blonde aside to speak with her alone,
"Matako-san, I know that you are planning on either voting me or Tama-san out...but hear me out. The merge is soon, and just think about who is all on that tribe." Otae patted Matako on the back, leaving her a little conflicted. But, soon enough, tribal counsel came.
"Alright! Enshou let's get started, you cried like a baby during the challenge! Not a good look at all. What can you say in defense?" Ketsuno asked. Enshou sniffled,
"Shijaku got shot at a conference of leaders...but I have to block that out of my mind and keep playing this game." Enshou said.
"Otae, there's gotta be talks of idols! Two of them were played successfully this season. Has there been mention?" Ketsuno asked.
"Oh sure, people are still looking for idols. But I think we're more worried about tomorrow." she said.
"Ah, so I see you guys believe the merge is possibly tomorrow. Matako, what goes into planning for the merge?" she asked.
"Well, you have to factor in a lot, especially this season where a lot of us already know each other. There's bonds over there that carry on to over here." Matako said with a little weary.
"Pirako, you worried about the merge?" Ketsuno asked.
"Not really, I think my alliance is solid enough to take us to the end." she said with the utmost confidence.
"Alright, I love the grit. With that, it's time to vote. Tama, you're up." the contestants all go up to vote:
"I'm sorry Enshou-sama!"
"It's time to move forward and win the game."
Ketsuno stands up, "I'll go tally the votes." she goes and grabs the urn and returns, "If anybody has a hidden immunity idol and would like to play it, now would be the time to do so." Everyone looks at Enshou who just shrugs with a devilish smile. "Ok, once the votes are read the decision is final, the person voted out will be asked to leave the tribal counsel area immediately. I'll read the votes. First vote:
"Enshou. Second vote,"
"Tama. That's one vote Tama."
"Tama. That's two votes Tama, one vote Enshou."
"Enshou. That's two votes Enshou, two votes Tama, one vote left. 6th person voted out of Wurvivor Edo and the 1st member of our jury:"
"Tama, you need to come bring me your torch." Enshou let out a sigh of relief as Pirako patted him on the back.
"Tama, the tribe has spoken. It's time for you to go." Tama smiled and bowed to her friends and walked away to Ponderosa. The scene shifts to Otose turning her TV off in disappointment.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Why the hell am I dressed up like this Takechi? Don't we have practice?" Bansai said, furrowing his brows at Takechi. Takechi twirled his gun around, accidentally firing it off in the photo shoot they were in.
"Kyuubei-dono said we should take ridiculous photos together. Anyway, I figured you and I could go look for Elizabeth-dono. He's bound to be somewhere in the neighborhood. I doubt he's at the skate rink with everyone. So maybe we should try that new cafe that opened up. What was it again?" Takechi was scratching his chin with his gun.
"You mean that weird cafe two doors down from the new Lily Mu Towers? I heard it was a cat cafe, but also something else. Seems dangerous, so I assume he'll be there." Bansai said, struggling to walk in his high heels. The two made their way out of the studio and spotted the cafe. They both nodded as they entered. The two bandmates were greeted by only whom they could assume was the owner,
"Well well well, looks like some big hot shots are visiting the small guys! Welcome to TBC's Forgotten Cat Cafe! A place for people like me who, apparently appeared here once or twice. My appearance must have been before the elusive time skip. It's crazy we live in a world like that you know? All this shit coming to light is hitting all us lower ranked characters like bricks. Never thought it was possible." the Cat not Burglar Cafe Owner rambled on as Bansai and Takechi looked around at all the cats lounging around, playing with Tatsumi and Tetsuko as they drank coffee together.
"Yeah, we get a lot of characters that just haven't debuted yet in TBC. That Kyoushirou fella just hit the big time a few days ago, ain't seen em round these parts lately. Guess he got a bit with ol Enshou. Lucky bastard." Bansai and Takechi looked at who was talking to them,
"You youngins got it easy. Whole subplots dedicated to yourself. I ain't play like that y'hear. I'll stay here, with the kitty cats an ol outlaws." Bang said, drinking a mocha. Bansai just did a Jim face to the camera and walked out of the cafe. Takechi shook Bang's hand and followed Bansai.
"It's no use in there, he wouldn't associate himself with those people." Bansai said, sitting on a bench outside of LilyMu Towers. Takechi was leaning against the wall in front of the bench, watching the passing cars in the bustling Tokyo daytime. The looked at the doors of LilyMu as they opened up and some small people walked out of them.
"Hey! Can it with the short jokes would you!" said the insignificant director. Simplepachi was next out the door, followed by that dork Shinji.
"The whole crew is rolling together huh?" Bansai said, yawning on the bench.
"Well, we figured with all this free time during the holidays, we'd hang out and do some much needed catching up!" Shinpachi said.
"Yeah, whatever. Have you seen Elizabeth anywhere dude?" Bansai asked. Shinpachi pondered,
"No, I can't say I have Bansai-san." Shinji nodded, as did Guano.
"I think we should try somewhere else Bansai-dono." Takechi said as the Trio walked away. Bansai stood up and cracked his neck,
"Yeah, I could use a real nice scenery change. Maybe Paris with a certain black coat? Sounds like a good idea, how about we just go to Edo and meet up with him instead." Bansai said, but Takechi grabbed Bansai by both his shoulders. "Woah calm down man, what's with this lolicon strength you have?"
"Lolicon strenght janai, feminist strength. I have the power of every single, strong, independent woman in the universe in my biceps. You cannot leave your bandmate behind Bansai-dono. Remember what Kyuubei-dono told you." Bansai put his head down as he knew Takechi was right. Takechi let go of Bansai as their attention was caught by a bumping car pulling up to the stoplight next to them,
"What's up gay boy. Where the hell you been at the LGBTQ+ meetings dude? Flaking on a sister. Anyway, we just busted some idiots for trying to kill the Shogun or sumn." Bansai shook his head.
"Have you guys seen Elizabeth at all?" Bansai asked. Isaburo leaned out his window,
"Yeah, he was trying to hide from me and Testunosuke while we were in a bar at Edo. I would check there. Also, email me once in awhile Bansai, is my boomer memes not good enough for you?" Isaburo rolled back up the window as the two Elites (and Tetsunosuke in the trunk!) sped off with the three eggtectives in the backseat.
"You heard him Bansai-dono, it's off to Edo to capture our bandmate." Takechi said, striking pose.
"Come on man, I'm not doing that....seriously? Fine." Bansai also struck a pose.
TBC