The Hinomoto Rebellion (41 page)

Just as Andrea was about to look behind her again, she heard someone walk up behind her. Before she could turn around to see who it was, an arm came around in front of her holding a photograph so that she could see it.

Andrea’s eyes widened as she stared at the photograph. A small girl looked back at her with blue eyes. A smile was across her face, despite the large bruise across the side of her head and the bandage that was wrapped over her forehead. She had been laughing at something when the picture was taken. The girl’s hair was mostly dark brown, though in patches it was turning silver. The photograph itself was dog-eared and taped back together in spots, with white splotches on it that had been worn off the photo.

“You remember how it was, don’t you?” a voice whispered in her ear, making her silver hair brush against her face. “Me and you, together. The best of friends, right?”

The
ronin’s
skin crawled. She was trying not to stare at the snapshot, but it was such a shock to see that it was still around after all this time. The arm that held the photo withdrew, and the person that was behind her finally walked around in front of her and crouched down to look her in the eyes.

Andrea “The Tiger”, and Daimyo Ran Yasakuto were finally face-to-face. She glared at Yasakuto with all the hatred she could muster, fantasies of breaking the chair in pieces under her and smashing his face with her fists filled her mind and made her blood boil.

“If anyone should be looking at someone like that, Andrea, it’s me. You have no reason to hate me, my dear. Don’t you remember? We were best of friends, childhood sweethearts even. Which is why I’ve kept your picture for so long. You do remember the day that I took this, don’t you?” He held the picture up again, mocking the bound
ronin
with it.

Andrea had to admit to herself that she did remember that day clearly.

 

“Tony said that I can start my martial arts training tomorrow.”

A lanky, pale-faced boy looked at Andrea through the viewfinder of an instant camera. “Oh really? Are you sure that’s what you want?” He said, sounding uninterested as he waited for the perfect shot.

The young girl with the bandages around her forehead and the graying hair nodded enthusiastically. “Of course, Ran! I want to be strong enough so I can defeat anyone! I’m going to show everybody what I can do!”

The camera clicked and flashed just as she finished speaking, a slot on the back of it spitting out a piece of paper with a dark square in the middle. Ran Yasakuto pulled the undeveloped photo out of the camera and waved it back and forth, trying to speed the processing time along.

They were an odd pair, a young girl that was about six or seven years old, and a boy nearly ten years her senior, yet the two had become fast friends when Andrea had started living with Tony. They were both outcasts from the rest of the underground society, Ran because he was rather sickly, and Andrea because up until then she had been terrified of nearly everyone that was bigger than she was.

Everyone except the man who had saved her life, and the little sickly boy who was too small for his age, that is.

Ran looked down at the photo. “Hey, it turned out really well!” he said, handing it over to the girl. Andrea scrutinized the picture in the waning light of the sunset.

“It’s not bad,” she said, handing it back to the older boy. “You keep it, Ran. So you have me near you even when I’m training and can’t be with you.” She smiled almost angelically as she held the photo back out to the boy, the yellow-orange light of sunset giving way to the purple cast of the coming night.

“That was the last day you ever talked to me, Andrea,” Yasakuto sneered as he put the photograph back in his inside jacket pocket. “At first, it hurt. You were so busy training that you had no more time for me. And then I realized something,” Yasakuto stood up and moved to the window on Andrea’s left. He stood there for a moment, taking in the view and allowing the anticipation to build before he continued. Andrea’s anger filled eyes followed his every movement.

“I realized that you were testing me, my clever little Tiger. After all, no weakling would be worthy of a strong woman like you. Your sudden disinterest in me was simply a hint for me to get stronger and become man enough for you.” He turned to look over his shoulder at Andrea. “Which is why I struggled to become a Daimyo, and to take over this country. I did all of this for you, Andrea.”

Andrea felt a shiver go down her spine as she looked into Daimyo Yasakuto’s eyes. There was no insanity behind those pupils, which was what Andrea had expected. Instead there was only a cold seriousness that seemed more terrifying than any madness could be.

He honestly believes what he just said. He really did do this as some sick attempt to win me over. Everything that’s happened has been because he has some...
infatuation
with me!
The mental image of Tony’s bloody corpse and her former homes in flames hit her so quickly that they nearly made her vomit. She choked down the bile that threatened to rise up behind her gag.

Yasakuto crossed the room again and knelt in front of Andrea. “I really don’t want to have you tied up like this, Andrea. I was hoping that eventually you would come to me of your own free will, once I had made myself enough for you. But I guess that you’re like any jungle cat; a hunter must snare it before they are truly worthy of having their prey.” He ran a hand down the side of Andrea’s face, which the
ronin
tried to turn away from. Her skin was crawling from his touch and she felt like she was going to wretch again.

“Are we still playing at this ‘rebellion’ game, Andrea?” Daimyo Yasakuto made a clicking noise with his tongue. “Well then, I suppose I’ll have to foil that for you as well. Maybe then you’ll see how much I care for you,” he moved his face in close to hers, so that his dark eyes filled Andrea’s field of vision, “I’ll keep you from going to jail by making sure that these rebels you’ve stirred up have no reason to attack. See how much I cherish you, my Tiger?”

Yasakuto was steadily leaning forward as Andrea tried to lean back and get away from him, but with her feet lashed to the chair she found that she couldn’t push off the floor and lean back to escape his approaching face. And there was only so far she could move her neck back though, even with stretching it to the point of incredible pain.

The Daimyo put one hand on either of Andrea’s bare shoulders, caressing her skin lightly as he moved in and pressed his lips against the gag that was covering her mouth. Andrea felt like someone had dumped a vat of grease over her. Her skin crawled where he touched her and felt like he’d left some sort of slime behind.

“Excuse me, sir, I hate to interrupt your moment with the Tiger but Shogun Kunota is on the way.” Andrea recognized the voice behind her as Ryoku. And as she listened harder, she realized that she could pick up the noises of at least three other people in the room.

Probably Aki, Bear... and Foxfire? Most likely. How did they stay so quiet?
Andrea wondered to herself.
I must still be groggy from the fight if I didn’t hear them...

Yasakuto stood up straight and adjusted his jacket. “Excellent. Let’s get this over with then,” he said.

Andrea looked up at the door as Daimyo Yasakuto stood next to her. The doorknob began to turn as tension filled the air. Andrea tested her bonds another time but there was no getting out of them on her own. She would have to count on the talk she’d had with the Shogun the night before to keep the plan on track.

You’d better not fail me, you stupid Shogun!

 

“You be careful, 26!”

The teal-haired
Kemono
looked up at the manhole opening above her, which was framing Roni’s cheerful face. “Hey, don’t you worry! This furry army won’t let you down!” she shouted up, raising Andrea’s sword toward the cover. Streaming along the tunnel behind 26 was a huge line of
Kemono
. Most were carrying some sort of weapons with them to either use themselves or to hand off to other
ronin
when the time was right. D had wanted to take Andrea’s sword, but soon gave in to the fact that he’d have no place to hide the blade on him and agreed that 26 could hold it until the fighting began.

“Come on, Roni, we’ve got to get going,” said Kanjou as he hefted the manhole cover back into place. The girl moved back and let the brunet slide the metal lid into the grooves it was designed to fit into.

“Okay, so the
Kemono
are going to move into place using the sewers-“

 

D interrupted Fushi, “And using the navigation system that Andrea showed me when we were down there-“

 

”While we take the upper streets and get to the press conference.”

Kanjou stood and nodded at D and Fushi. “Yup. And then, when we move to strike, the
Kemono
will attack right behind us. If what Foxfire told Andrea was right, we’ll also have
ronin
help as well.”

The four Aka Ryuu stood for a minute in what used to be the parking garage underneath the old shopping mall. “So then... This is it.” said Fushi.

“No turning back now,” D commented.

There was another silence, one which Roni broke. “Come on guys! We’re not getting anything done standing around here!” she exclaimed as she began to skip away.

And with that, the four remaining members of the Aka Ryuu turned and headed out into a day that was ignorant of what was about to transpire.

Oh that’s right, she has off today. I remember now,
Shogun Kunota thought as he walked past his secretary’s desk. He reached for the handle to his office door and turned it, his attention more on the newspaper that he was holding than anything else. He nudged the door open and went inside, pushing it closed again before he looked up.

He promptly dropped both his paper and the cup of green tea he was holding. The tea splashed all over the rug and onto the Shogun’s shoes, making a steaming puddle on his office floor.

In the middle of the room was Daimyo Yasakuto and the
ronin
girl he had met the night before. Andrea was tied to a chair, a gag over her mouth and a spot of dried blood on the side of her head. Behind the Shogun’s desk stood four people he’d never seen before, two of which looked like
ronin
hoodlums, one that looked like he hadn’t seen a bath or a barber in six months, and one dark-skinned man that seemed to want to melt into the floor and disappear. Kunota stared at the assembled company with his mouth agape, unable to think of any words to say.

“Good morning, Shogun!” Yasakuto said, his voice dripping with malice and obviously faked cheerfulness.

 

“Wh... what?” Kunota stuttered, his eyes darting around the room at the invaders.

Ryoku came across the office and locked the door as he pushed the Shogun further into the room. “Please, stay for a little while, Shogun Kunota” he said as he took up a position guarding the door.

“I decided that I needed to talk to you before the conference, Shogun Kunota. You have, of course, met Andrea ‘The Tiger,’” As he stalked around behind the captive
ronin
, the Daimyo ran a hand along her neck and brushed some of her silver hair off her shoulders. “I wanted her to be here for our discussion, since it involves her, after all.”

Andrea looked up and stared straight at Kunota, her brows furrowed.
You promised. Don’t break your promise, no matter what he does. Please, don’t break your promise,
she thought as she looked into the Shogun’s eyes, hoping that he was somehow getting her message. Considering he looked to be on the verge of panic she realized that it was stupid of her to even try sending mental messages, but that didn’t stop her from trying.

“I know that you plan to reveal me as a treacherous, murdering, lying, black-mailing bastard today, Shogun Kunota,” Yasakuto was running his fingers through Andrea’s silver hair as he spoke, “And I also know that if you do that, an entire army of pesky
ronin
are going to show up to defend you. I was the one who made sure there would be a large gathering of them here today. However, since I have my beloved Andrea back– and would very much not like it if I had to kill her to make an example of the
ronin
community– you are just going to announce the voting results and not say anything about me.”