---The Battle for Tokyo--- As they began to get closer to the more inhabited areas, the group started noticing large pillars of black smoke rising high up into the sky. The sounds of gunfire could be heard in the distance. Chief Toodou slowly shook his head. "Damn, this isn't good. It wasn't even this bad when Wong and I left." He said angrily. Weighing his options, he turned to Officer Kenji Sasaki. "Right, new plan; go back to the Police barracks as fast as you can." he ordered. "The barracks?" Kenji asked, disappointment evident in his voice. Toodou ignored his tone and continued. "Tell them we need every available officer we can get to meet up with us as soon as possible. Then, get over to the British compound. Explain the situation, tell them we need help, and Colonel Nicholas Roland is with us. Try your best not to be detected; if any of Genom's men should suspect what's happening, we're all as good as dead. Then..." "Yes, but chief, consider this; you're all worn out, while I'm still fresh. Surely I should stay to..." a stir from the wagon behind him, and the look in the young officer's eyes, told Chief Toodou that Emperor Meiji had come out into the open. Officer Sasaki immediately got off his horse and bowed nervously before the Son of Heaven. The Imperial Ruler of all Japan put his hand on the officer's shoulder. "Young man, I understand that you wish to protect me, and for that I am grateful. But this is not the part fate has chosen for you. Today you're being called upon to do a great thing. It won't be with us, but it will be a great thing nevertheless. If you succeed, your name will become renowned throughout all Japan, and you will inherit the gratefulness of your sovereign ruler. Should you fail, however, we all fail. It's a heavy burden for anyone, I know. Will you do this for your Emperor? For me?" Kenji felt his breath catch at being addressed thus by Meiji. His Emperor needed him. His Emperor, the Imperial Ruler of all Japan, needed him! "My lord," he gasped out, his voice choked with emotions, "I will not fail you, even if all the demons of Meifumado (Buddhist Hell) should stand in my way." Meiji smiled down upon his subject. "Good. Now go, with the Imperial blessing." The usual cool and cocky Officer Sasaki immediately leapt upon his horse and galloped off at full speed. From the woods, unseen by the weary group, a second rider emerged, taking a quite different route. The trail he took was to a nearby telegraph post. Meiji was back. The Knight Sabers were back. Mason had to be told. ------ "What?" "Sir, the telegraph came not more than five minutes ago." Mason clutched his teeth as he brought his fist slamming down on the table. Kiyoshi was still missing, and now the rightful ruler of Japan had returned. He'd sent yakuza. He'd sent ninjas. He'd sent a small army. "What the fuck does it take to kill them?" he asked in frustration. Turning back to the secretary who'd given him the news, "Mobilize everyone and everything we have. Send it all!" "B... But sir, should the crowd out there suspect that we..." "Fuck the bloody crowd! The gunship's due today, isn't it? We'll take the city by force if we have to. We'll make all of Japan into a bleedin' colony if necessary! We... I won't be defeated!" His secretary turned white. Mason was ranting like a lunatic. "We've got cannons, we've got Gatling guns, we'll show them! They're not superhuman, damn it." Figuring retreat to be the better part of valor, the secretary left, leaving Mason to babble to himself. He quickly gave Mason's orders to others, and Genom's forces were mobilized. ------ After the lookout had sent the telegraph, he mobilized a few of the other scouts, and they raced back to find the Emperor's caravan. Nene sat next to Mackie as he discussed his travels with her, but she wasn't listening. Her eyes were on the young woman in the green armor. She didn't know what had happened between her and Priss, but Linna's spirit seemed to be gone. She couldn't get the images of two nights ago out of her head. As she watched, Linna suddenly stopped her horse. The rest of the group stopped as well. Linna looked off in the distance to her right, as if she heard something. Priss slowly pushed her dotanuki out of its scabbard with her thumb as Linna continued to stare intently off to the grove at the edge of the city. Tension began to fill the group. Suddenly, she raised her faceplate, bit down on her reigns, and drove her heels hard into the horse she was riding. The mare took off as she reached back and pulled out her two katana. Seconds later, at least eight men armed with swords and daggers emerged from the grove, charging at her. Sylia quickly pulled the hood of her poncho up over her head, a scarf covering her features, and rode after her. Priss likewise took off, with Chief Toodou and Nigel following. Leon decided to wait behind for now, to protect the Emperor and the others. As Linna reached the first man, Priss was coming at a distance. She'd seen Linna's double handed fighting style several times by now, and thought she knew what to expect. Linna would block with one sword, and slash with the other. This time, however, Linna simply took the sword in her right hand and threw it at her opponent like a dagger, the blade going clear through his chest. Sylia, watching from a distance, was just as mystified by the move as Priss. "Linna!" she shouted as she was blocking her own opponent, "What the bloody hell are you doing?" Linna either didn't hear her or didn't care. She charged at another opponent as Nigel and Chief Toodou each killed a man with their guns. Using her single sword, she ducked under her opponents swing as she slashed his chest open. Priss and Sylia each killed a scout, and Nigel shot two more. As the others all struggled to catch their breaths, Linna silently rode back to where the first man was killed to retrieve her sword. She then rode back to the wagon, under the worried gaze of her companions. Setting off again, the houses and structures told them they were entering the city. From his vantage point in the wagon, Meiji looked around at the devastation to his city that had taken place in his absence. Henderson looked on as Roland and Daley both began loading their weapons. Meanwhile, the group in front of the wagon was warily looking down the side streets and at the rooftops. The gunfire off in the distance became louder, and closer. Suddenly, the ground in front of them exploded as a cannonball struck the earth, followed by several gunshots fired their way. They were under attack. Yakuza began to come from every direction, along with locals they had stirred up through false stories of armed Europeans raping innocent Japanese girls. As Nene painfully removed her arm from its sling in order to reach back into the wagon and grab her naginata, Nigel, McNichol and Toodou began firing their weapons at those closest to them. Sylia suddenly brought her horse out in front of the group and shouted to the crowd. "Make way! Make way for the Imperial Ruler of Japan, Emperor Meiji Mutsuhito!" While the yakuza pressed forward, everyone else in the angry mob stopped. They were fighting Knight Sabers? And the Emperor was with them? The yakuza began to look around nervously, as they were loosing their grip on the crowd. "It's a trick!" one of the gangsters shouted as he turned back toward the crowd, "The Knight Sabers are with the British..." he stopped when he saw the shocked and mystified expressions on the faces of those before him. Turning around, he saw a man in his late twenties who, although disheveled, had an obvious regal heir to him. He was standing up in the seat at the front of the wagon, holding his hands up to silence everyone. As all around hushed, he finally spoke. "My subjects," he began, "My people, you have been duped and deceived by wicked men. Neither the British, nor the Americans or any other foreign nation had a hand in my disappearance. It was Brian J. Mason, head of Genom International in Japan who..." One of the yakuza, in a last ditch effort to salvage the situation, shot at the emperor with his pistol, missing the Emperor by mere inches. The reaction of the crowd was instantaneous. The man, and his yakuza compatriots, were attacked and murdered on the spot. Word spread like wildfire, and within no time half of Tokyo was mobilized. The Emperor was back. He'd been kidnapped, but he was now back. Genom was to blame. Brian J. Mason was to blame. As the crowd angrily began to realize just how much it had been used by Genom, British troops led by Major Jose Collins arrived, along with several police officers. Sylia shouted to the crowd again. "Support the Emperor!" she screamed. "Support the Emperor!" the crowd shouted back. "Death to Brian J. Mason!" she yelled again. "Death to Brian J. Mason!" ------ "What the fuck happened?" Mason screamed as yet another brick was flung through the window. "Sir," one of his men said, "the crowd has turned on us. They want blood." Mason stared angrily at the man before turning away. Victory had been so close. He had everything planned out down to the last detail. How did he loose? Where did he foul up? A young man with a nasty head wound rushed in. Mason glared at him. "What the bloody hell do you want?" "Sir, it's about Kiyoshi, he..." "Kiyoshi! It's about bloody time that slob showed up. Everything's crumbling apart. Where is he? The messenger looked around nervously, as Mason's face turned red with rage. "I said where is he?" He bellowed. "He... He's dead, sir." All the color drained from Mason's face. "What?" "He was murdered at one of the brothels in the red light district by a group of prostitutes who were trying to make an escape. Three of them were killed before they could escape the bordello, but two made it out, one of whom was seriously injured. According to the owner, a Miss Shizue, the two who escaped were named Anri and Sylvie. We've taken the liberty of placing prices on their heads sir, and... Sir? Sir?" The crowd had turned on him. The Emperor was alive and coming. The British troops and the Police force had joined forces with the Knight Sabers. And now, his man, his puppet, Kiyoshi, was dead. Despair gripped at Mason's heart. "Sir!" a young man shouted as he ran into the room smiling. "Good news, the gunship is here!" Mason looked at the man, whose expression changed when he noted his boss' manic appearance. Screw Genom, screw the Emperor, and screw Japan. If he could somehow make it through the angry mob headed his way to the gunship, there was still a chance he could get out alive. Rushing down the stairs past his employees, he came out a back door entrance. A man on a horse spotted him, but before he could do anything, mason whipped out a gun and shot him. Using his good arm, he pulled himself up and took off. Coming out into the street, the crowd saw him, and those who recognized him pointed him out to the others. As Mason raced to the docks, through the streets of Tokyo, he looked over his shoulder to see a large group of angry people chasing him. And, sure enough, in front of the mob were three women in samurai armor. "Damn you!" he yelled over his shoulder. "Damn you all!" Finally reaching the loading docks, his face covered in sweat, he raced to where the large cargo ship bearing Genom's emblem was. The gangplank had already been lowered, and Mason leapt from his horse and ran to the plank just as the Knight Sabers had reached the loading docks. Looking up, he saw an older man standing on the bridge of the ship looking down at him. Mason's eyes opened wide in shock and horror as his brain registered who he was looking at. "Ch... Chairman Rosenkreutz!" The old man looked down at him from the top of the gangplank. "Ambition." He said, meeting Mason's gaze. "What did I tell you about ambition, Mr. Mason?" "B... But..." "Terrible storm we had once we left port." Quincy said with a malicious grin, "Lost several good Japanese sailors over the side. Luckily we made it to port, where a fellow Genom board member was waiting." As he spoke, a man came up from behind him and smiled down at Mason, who took a step back. "No..." he muttered, not believing his eyes. As he turned to run away, he ran into the sword held by the silver Knight Saber. Her eyes narrowed as she drove it in deeper, twisting the handle as she did so. "That's for my father Steven Stingray, you son of a bitch!" "Mason looked at her and whispered, "S... Sylia?" before falling backward off the blade, dead. The rest of the crowd, as well as the police and British forces, now arrived on the scene. The man standing alongside Quincy stared at the angry crowd for a moment, assessed the situation, and smiled. "That," he said, pointing at the dead former head of Genom International in Japan, "Is how all those who would harm your Emperor should be dealt with. We at Genom only recently learned of this man's treachery, and were returning to set your Lord free and deal with this scum ourselves. I'm glad to see this will no longer be necessary." "Wait just one bloody minute!" Major Jose Collins yelled out, coming up from behind Priss and Linna who were standing next to Sylia, "If you think you can sweet talk your way out of..." "And," the man continued, "With the help of the British forces, who rely so heavily on our goods, we wish to help in the rebuilding of Tokyo, as a good will gesture on the part of Genom International. But for now, let us go back to the Imperial Palace. Several more traitors are there in hiding, who bear responsibility for this tragedy as well." Sylia and the other Knight Sabers glared at the speaker. She'd caught the slight emphasis in his speech about The British reliance on Genom goods. They were in no position to stop Genom. Looking down at the dead man at her feet, she frowned. They'd taken care of a symptom. The disease was still at large. Quincy turned to the man after the crowd started for the Imperial Palace. "What did you say to them?" Smiling, the man began to chuckle, "I just offered them some beads and shiny trinkets." Quincy returned the smile, "Good work, Mr. Largo." Back on the dock, Leon was tending to his horse. He didn't want to go off to the palace with the others. He didn't care anymore. All he wanted was a shave, a hot bath, and to forget the last three weeks ever happened. He began to smile as he thought of how good it would feel to be clean again. Priss stood to Sylia's right, Linna to her left. Even now, Linna thought sadly, Priss was keeping her distance. Linna turned to Captain McNichol and walked over to him. From where she was, Priss looked over and glared. Leon looked at the green figure coming towards him and lost his smile. "When?" she asked, her voice devoid of any emotion, any life. Leon took a breath. "Tomorrow, at ten in the morning. In the Temoui park." he answered. She then turned away, got on her horse, and rode off. ---The Next Day--- Nene was walking down the halls of the British Military compound, trying to help with the cleanup effort, when Daley rushed in on his crutches. "Where is he?" he asked frantically, "Where's McNichol?" "Leon poo? He said he had to stop somewhere to..." "Shit, then he's going through with it!" "With what?" Nene asked, alarmed by Daley's tone. "The duel! He's supposed to meet her this morning in the Temoui park. He asked me last night to officiate, and I told him to go screw himself." Grabbing Nene's collar, Daley looked at her with fear in his eyes. "You have to stop this. Because of my leg, I'm no good, and besides, I don't know where to look for her. Stop Linna! Don't let her go. It's too late to stop Leon, but we can still stop her!" Nene, now filled with fear, ran out of the building and grabbed a horse. She rode to the only place she could think of that Linna might be. ------ Priss woke up in the house that her mother had left her, and looked around. Linna hadn't tried to come over last night. She hadn't spoken with her since the expulsions of the traitors from the palace yesterday, and even then Linna didn't say much. Then again, why would she. Looking back, Priss had to admit with some remorse that she had blown things all out of proportion. Linna had asked Priss to have faith in her, why was that so difficult? Then again, why was there such a need for this blasted secrecy? "Linna-chan." Priss mumbled, "Why can't you just tell me what..." she was cut off by the sounds of galloping outside her shack. A few seconds later, the door to her house was flung open as a near-hysterical Nene rushed in. "Linna, don't do it! Don't go... Linna?" "She isn't here, Nene." Priss said, puzzled and alarmed by Nene's actions. "No. Oh God no..." she whispered. "Priss, how could you let her do it? How could you let her go to Leon to..." Priss face turned red as she clenched her fists. "I knew it!" she screamed, slamming her fist into the wall beside her, "Every time I open up to someone, every time I try to love... You know what, fine! Fine! She wants Leon, she can fucking have him! She can have him, damn it! After all we've been through, all we..." Priss was cut off by a hard slap to her face. She took a step back in shock as she saw the anger in the usually timid Russian. "You idiot!" Nene screamed, "She hasn't run off with him, she's gone to fight him!" It took a half a second for what Nene had said to register. "What? Fight him? Why?" "He challenged her to a duel. She's on her way now, you stupid jerk!" Nene yelled, shaking with rage. In her confusion Priss began to panic. "Wait, this doesn't make any sense. Why would he challenge Linna to a duel?" "For you!" Nene growled. "He was angry you chose her over him, and challenged her to a duel. And she accepted rather than let you go. And now, she's gone off to face possible death, and you... You don't even care, damn you!" Priss was stunned into mournful silence as Nene continued her angry tirade. "You turned her out of your bed and out of your life, you've given her the cold shoulder, and... Four nights ago I went by her tent, and do you know what she was doing? Do you? She was crying Priss, crying over you. I had to hold her, to console her, because the woman she's in love with was too busy being a bitch to be there for her!" Nene, finally having said her peace, was breathing heavily as Priss looked away from her "W... Where are they Nene?" she finally asked. "I don't know. I think Daley said something about a Tamoy or Temoi park or something." Priss looked at Nina, tears forming in the corners of her eyes, "You mean the Temoui park?" she asked. Nene nodded. "Yeah, that's the one, but..." Priss didn't stop to think. She rushed past Nene and leapt upon her fellow Knight Saber's horse. Digging her heels into its side as she smacked it hard on the rump with her right hand, she soon had the animal at a full gallop in no time. ---To Be Concluded--- For those playing at home- Reika Chang, from last chapter, was from Bubblegum Crisis OVA 7. And Largo was the main bad guy in the Bubblegum Crash OVA, as well as episodes five and six of the Bubblegum Crisis OVA.
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