Adventures in Parodyverse - Saving the Future Part 28.4


    Yuki Shiro was leaning back in a chair and reading when there was a gentle knock at the door.  She dropped the chair’s front legs to the floor and walked over to check who it was.

    When she opened the door slightly, she saw Jay Boaz standing there.  No, it wasn’t Jay...it was Hatman.  He looked very sure of himself, like a man with a solution to a problem.

    She smiled and opened the door.  Behind Jay was Liu Xi Xian.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Is Chiaki awake?”  Jay asked.

    Yuki opened the door wider.  Toward the back of the room, Chiaki Bushido was sitting quietly inside the deep window well, eating a bowl of cereal.  She paused to glance at the door as it opened, before resuming her snack.  Her sword was leaned against the glass in the window next to her.

    As Jay and Liu Xi entered, Yuki shut the door.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Last time this kind of thing happened, Mumph offered you Lair Legion membership to protect you, Yuki.”  Jay said.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Are you serious?”  Liu Xi finally spoke up.  “You think Chiaki would accept that?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Why don’t I ask her?”  Jay argued.

    Chiaki looked up from her cereal bowl.  She stood and put it down gently on the dining table as she crossed the room.  “I don’t believe I’m qualified.”  she said quietly.

    Jay nodded.  “As I was saying...it’s a possibility, okay Liu Xi?  But a last resort.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Wait wait.”  Yuki held up her hands to stop the conversation.  “Are you saying you’re going to try to get Chiaki out of trouble without dragging her off to jail?”

    He frowned, and looked at Yuki, and then at Chiaki.  “Can I speak to Chiaki alone?”

    The purple-haired legionnaire pointed, offering her bathroom to the two.  Chiaki followed her lead first, and then Jay followed.

    Jay shut the door quietly.  He then remembered that Yuki had excellent hearing, so he also turned on the sink.

    He was a little surprised, then, that Chiaki faced him so courageously after all that happened.  It was kind of reassuring...even a little attractive, as it brought back memories of how strong she was when they were an item.  

    Her dark hair cascaded down past her shoulders, and her brown eyes remained silently fixed upon him, though he was a lot taller than she was.  She wasn’t carrying her sword - that was left leaning against the window in the other room.  It was a subtle expression of trust for her to do that.  To leave herself vulnerable.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Remember all those times you talked to me, and Liu Xi, about balance?  About doing good to balance out the evil in your life?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yes.”  Chiaki replied quietly.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I called Commissioner Graham.”  Jay began.  He didn’t smile at all as he spoke.  “It’s not really his area, he says, but he’s willing to try an interesting compromise.”

    Chiaki perked up at that.  It was the first time in a while that Jay had seen her better than chronically depressed.  “Which is?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“If it works out.  And I still say if, Chiaki...you’re going to be the new warden of the Safe.  Your ‘punishment’ is going to be making sure nobody can ever do...whatever you did...again.  The catch is you have to remain there until--”  He paused and then added more quietly, “Until you think you’ve paid enough.”

    She nodded.  Chiaki understood what he meant.  After a pause, she asked in a near whisper, “How...how did you manage it?”

    He looked at the door, as if he were looking through it.  “I used up every favor I had.”  he replied sadly.  “Favors I could have used to help the Lair Legion someday.  I did what I promised I never would, and blew all of it on one person.  Because I can get more favors...I can’t get another Chiaki.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I’m sorry.”  Chiaki apologized again, her head lowered sadly.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Don’t be sorry.”  Jay replied quietly.  “Just make it worthwhile.”

    She nodded.  Then she bowed to him deeply, thanking him in a more traditional way, or as best as she could in such a small space.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“And Chiaki.”  he said in a more cautious tone, “I know I wasn’t the one who saved you...and I...I can’t really tell you what to do.  But please...please don’t ever do what you did yesterday again.”

    Chiaki nodded again, indicating she understood.

    That simple answer, however, wasn’t enough for Jay.  He leaned close to Chiaki so nobody outside would hear.  “I couldn’t sleep last night.  I kept seeing...it was one of the worst nights of my life.”

    The Samurai’s blank expression turned into a frown, and her eyes began to tear, but she said nothing at first.  Then she whispered, “You still love me.”

    Jay looked down, but he didn’t reply.

    Chiaki then embraced him tightly, hugging him close to her body.  She held him for the longest time, the only sound in the room the running water in the sink, and an occasional sniff from Chiaki.

    Once she let go of him, she wiped her eyes, looked up into his, and wished she could make love to him to soothe the pain she caused him.  Instead, she gave him a single, gentle kiss on the lips.

    For a fleeting second after that, Jay was almost smiling.  It faded when she let him go.  They each cleared their throats then, first Jay and then Chiaki.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I suppose I should tell Yuki what you’ve arranged.”  Chiaki said.  She thought for a moment calmly, and then said, “Perhaps I can offer you dinner...or something.  To thank you.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I...guess that would be nice.”  Jay said with a shrug.  He then turned off the sink and opened the door.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Well?”  Yuki asked, standing right outside the door.  “What’s the deal?”

    Jay told her.  And Yuki smiled.  Something in her eyes convinced him that he indeed managed to live up to her challenge.


---


    The two police officers guarding Commissioner Don Graham’s room stood as Hatman approached.  They waved him in as if her were an old acquaintance.  When he entered the room, Commissioner Graham was wearing glasses and reading a newspaper.

    Hatman closed the door gently and walked over to the bed.  “I told Chiaki the proposal.”  he said.

    Graham looked up.  “You were just speaking to her?”

    The Capped Crusader nodded.  “Maybe ten minutes ago, now she’s with Liu Xi.  Before that she was with Yuki eating breakfast.”

    Graham frowned.  He then yelled loud enough to cause himself pain, so he cringed, “Robertson!”

    One of the two officers outside burst in quickly.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Call off the search.”  he ordered.

    The officer nodded and left the room.

    Curious, Hatman asked, “What’s going on?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“This morning someone snuck into the Safe and triggered the fire alarm again.  A couple of prisoners escaped, but this time the guards were better prepared.”  He sighed deeply and shook his head.  “Chiaki was right.”

    Hatman thought quickly, looking for some kind of hole in Chiaki’s whereabouts from that morning.  There was none.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“A copycat?”  Hatman asked.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Whoever it was used the stolen keycard of a guard named Michael Tolland.”  Graham explained.  “Ironically, he’s the same guard who was on duty the night Chiaki was there.  He’s the one who opened the gate for her to leave.  We thought he was dead...turns out he’s in a coma, and Phantomhawk Memorial had him misidentified as one of the prisoners.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“And you haven’t heard the best part.”  Graham handed Hatman the newspaper so he could see the headline.

    Mayor Killed Leaving City Hall, By Safe Escapee

    The article went on to explain that the Deputy Mayor would be sworn in at the end of the week.  A new election would be called in a month.  There were two candidates running:  Antony Vendredi...and Visionary.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Not Vendredi.”  Hatman groaned.  He also made a mental note to find out exactly what scam Kerry pulled to sneak Visionary onto the ballot.  Possibly to make him shoot milk out of his nose while eating breakfast and reading the newspaper.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yeah, I know.”  Graham sympathized.  “More importantly...this whole thing seems unusually convenient doesn’t it?  Another Safe escape, and the Mayor turning up dead when he’s the one pushing for Chiaki to go to jail.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“It is.”  Hatman agreed.  “But Chiaki had someone watching her all night and all morning.  And she works alone.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Could be Akiko Masamune.”  Graham theorized.  “Though we’d never prove it...because she’s highly organized, and never works alone.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“You think my proposal will still work though?  Hatman asked.  While he asked, the officer who came in earlier returned.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I called off the search.”  he said.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“All right.  Thank you...return to your post, please.”  Graham told him.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yeah.”  Graham agreed with Hatman, shifting uncomfortably in the hospital bed.  “Yeah, the Safe needs more help than ever.  And it sounds like your friend Chiaki does too.”

    As the officer left the room, unseen to the two other occupants, his eyes flashed green.


---


    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Visionary for Mayor?”  Chiaki looked up slowly from her newspaper.  “I didn’t know you had a sense of humor.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Indeed.”  The Hooded Hood leaned back in Yuki’s chair.  The purple-haired Legionnaire was downstairs checking on an urgent situation that mysteriously needed attention just before the Hooded Hood appeared.  Apparently there was a near-escape at the Safe.

    She put down the newspaper and weaved around the room toward him, holding her sheathed sword horizontally at her side.  “I see that you managed to interfere in my situation.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I did as I promised.”  he said.  “Michael Tolland is alive.  You accepted the consequences of your actions.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yes.”  Chiaki agreed.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“And you did not take Boaz into your bed last night.”  The Hooded Hood shook his head.  “Ironic, how it was the only act of which you feared the consequences.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“You’re not going to unnerve me with inappropriate comments.”  the Samurai replied coldly.  She walked closer.  “It’s amazing, the perspective one gains when one gets close to death.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Indeed.”  the Hood agreed.  Then he guessed, “I see you’ve learned the futility of threatening me with a sword.”

    She nodded.  “Either kill, or don’t.  With you, that’s all that matters.  Threats mean nothing.  You are all about the decisions.  The experience.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yes.”  He seemed genuinely proud as he said that.

    Chiaki narrowed her eyes and paced as she put something else together.  “You’re going to force one of us to kill.”  she theorized.  “I’m going to have to decide whether saving Liu Xi from yet another killing is worth my honor.”

    He steepled his fingertips and leaned forward.  “Am I not...the Hooded Hood?”

    With that, there was a flash of green, and the room was empty except for Chiaki.  The chair was back where it was previously, as if he had never been there.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Or perhaps we’ll both be forced to, and the choice will be futile.”  Chiaki whispered to herself, trying to anticipate the Hooded Hood’s usual tricks.

    She then heard her cell phone indicate a text message.  She picked it up and read the screen.

    The election is a power struggle.  I have one request of you, sister.  Make sure Visionary wins the election.  - Akiko

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“So it wasn’t Kerry.”  Chiaki whispered to herself.  She erased the message and put the phone away.  That power struggle Akiko referred to was most likely for control of Paradopolis.  It was either going to be Vendredi himself, or Akiko through Visionary.

    That choice was easy.  Chiaki didn’t trust Vendredi.

    Liu Xi Xian entered Yuki’s quarters quietly and smiled at Chiaki.  “Ready to see how I set up my new apartment?”

    Chiaki nodded.  She then slowly smiled at her friend.  “I’m ready.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Were you just visited by the Hooded Hood?”  Liu Xi asked.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“No,”  Chiaki replied, hoping to avoid questions about what he wanted.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Me neither.”  Liu Xi obviously lied also.

    Chiaki took the elementalist’s hand, and the two of them vanished from the Lair Mansion.


TO BE CONTINUED?


-- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2008 by Jason Froikin, and may not be 
--    reprinted without permission.  
-- Yuki Shiro designed by Jason Froikin, based on designs by Masamune Shirow
--  Liu Xi Xian and the Psychic Samurai are original design by Jason Froikin
--  Lara Night is an original creation by Jason Froikin