Adventures in Parodyverse: A Random Shooting, Part 4


    Lara giggled at Jay as they drove along the roads of Paradopolis, headed toward the Lair Mansion.  He seemed to be having a little more fun than usual, driving Chiaki’s high-powered Jaguar.  While he was usually satisfied with simplicity, this was a rare treat for him, and he was enjoying it.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Can I drop you off at the side entrance at the Lair Mansion?”  he asked.  “I...kind of don’t really want to get caught up chatting with everyone.  I feel like I need to get back to the Foundation.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Chiaki solved that problem already.”  Lara said.  She showed him a plastic credit card shaped key, like hotels use.  “She gave me a key for her place, so I can shower and nap there, and also return the car.  Soon as you take me there I’ll get you back to the Foundation in a split second.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“You’re too tired to be using energy like that,”  he noted.  “I can take a cab.”

    She meant to object, but Jay was right - she didn’t really have that kind of energy.  She sighed, and protested instead with, “You’re doing so  much for me, I feel like I should do something for you in return.  Sure you can’t stick around for some down time till I wake up?  Chiaki’s place has games and stuff.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“No, I really need to get back--”  he started to say.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“When was the last time you gave yourself a few hours off?”  she asked pointedly.  “And don’t you want the Foundation to be able to go a few hours without you?”

    Jay pulled into Chiaki’s reserved spot beneath her condo complex and turned off the engine.  He looked into Lara’s tired eyes, and he sighed.  “If I do that, I’ll spend the whole time worrying and wondering.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“You could call them,”  she suggested.  But in spite of her suggestion, she finally sighed and crumbled.  “If you really need to get back, though, I’ll just...call you when I wake up, okay?  So you don’t have me to worry about at least.”

    He finally relented a little.  “If I can find time to come back out here, maybe I’ll bring you dinner.  It is kind of a long trip, though, so no promises.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“That’s good enough.”  Lara agreed.  “You’ve been so good to me today--”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I won’t take any paybacks.”  Jay interrupted her.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I know.”  she replied.  “I know, I’m going to accept it and say thank you.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“You’re welcome.”  Jay got out of the car, and then Lara did.  She took the keys from him and locked the doors with a button on the remote.  Then she headed toward the elevator.  “Good luck,”  she called after him as they parted ways - he went up the stairway to street level.


---


    The Psychic Samurai waited patiently in the waiting room with stark white painted walls, and dark office carpeting which made her blend in with her dark blue semi-formal clothing.  She had a bright yellow folder neatly placed in her lap, and unusually, her sword had been left in her car.  It was a secure building.

    She had been waiting a while, but stubbornly refused to show any sign of wear or frustration.  She would not be worn down by bureaucrats, or by their assistants.

    The waiting room was isolated.  It had comfortable chairs, dark leather to match the decor, but was trapped between two heavy wood doors.  Earlier, Chiaki came through the outer door, which said nothing on the inside.  The inner door had the name of the person she came to see, and the assistant’s name below it.

    That door opened, and the assistant stepped through, dressed even more formally than Chiaki.  She was an older woman with a very severe voice, making Chiaki’s own sound timid by comparison.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“The Senator will see you now.”  she said.

    Chiaki stood, and then bowed slightly before following the assistant.  She didn’t speak at all, even as she was lead through the assistant’s large office to another wooden door which had just the Senator’s name on it.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Come in, please.”  an older, heavy set man said as he waved her into his wood paneled office.  He was smiling, seeming pleased that Chiaki was younger and more attractive than he thought.  “Sit, please.  Anything to drink?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“No, thank you.”  Chiaki replied with a calming smile as she sat down in front of the polished wood desk.  “I would like to get right to the point, if I may.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Sure, go ahead.”  The Senator looked at his desktop clock.  “I have a meeting in a half hour, so that would work fine.”

    Chiaki pulled a single photo out of the folder and slid it onto the desk.  “That’s a close friend of mine, Lara Night.  You probably know her.  Apparently someone has allocated government assassins to kill her.”

    The Senator’s smile disappeared.  “She brought this on herself, you know.  Publicly supporting super-heroes that have no regulation whatsoever.  Especially that CrazySugarFreakBoy!, he’s the scariest one of all.  All I’m saying is, this was bound to happen.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Nevertheless, this is wrong.”  Chiaki pointed out.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Now, I’m not saying I have any part of it,”  he backpedaled slightly.  “But you have to understand, there’s a lot of support--”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“There is zero support for targeted assassinations.”  Chiaki interrupted him.  “I came here to make an appeal, to end this quietly so I don’t have to take things public.  I would rather the assassins be silently recalled so their sponsors are left without teeth.”

    He frowned, then squinted and leaned back in his chair.  “Take things public?  That sounds like a threat, Ms. Bushido, and I don’t take well to threats.  How’d you like to be deported before tomorrow morning?”

    Chiaki frowned, and a moment of anger flashed across her dark eyes.  She flung the yellow folder and the rest of its contents onto the desk precisely so they spilled out into a rough spread.  “Then your wife, and the press, receive copies of these.”

    She noted that his face drained of blood, and went pale, and that’s when she chose to rise to her feet.  In a characteristically soft voice, she politely said, “Now there are things each of us wish would disappear.  I’m hopeful we can both be accommodated.”

    The Psychic Samurai turned and strolled out of the office confidently, ignoring the shocked assistant as she went by.  She didn’t stop until she was out of the building.

    This was the true test - she made it to her car.  If the Sentator would have decided to go to war, the police would no doubt have been waiting for her outside the building.

    But it wasn’t over yet.  Even if the Senator found a way to recall those assassins, there were bound to be more assassins out there who didn’t get the message, or would do the job anyway just for the prestige of killing a super-hero.  This part would be much harder - killers had no fears, no leverage.  She would have to use the one thing she found most distasteful, but the only language they understood...violence.  She hoped that wouldn’t be necessary.

    Her thoughts then turned to Lara, to checking on her and giving the blonde a promised update to what was going on.  It was time to stop at home.


TO BE CONTINUED


-- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2010 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