The Hinomoto Rebellion (10 page)

The government district of Shibasaki was beginning to warm up in the light of the rising sun. A light rain had fallen during the night and was now evaporating, adding some humidity to the uncomfortable heat.

Interns, secretaries, and personal assistants raced around the streets, some talking on pen-sized cellular phones, others talking into headsets that were automatically typing memos into their digital organizers. A few news crews blocked up the corners of the main streets, shooting various stories for the morning or evening news with the austere and clean buildings of the government district as their backdrop. Each structure looked as though it was competing with the next to be more grand and more showy, with columns, brickwork, statues, fountains, and towers of glass that rose to the sky in defiance of gravity. Along the roads, street vendors were peddling quick and easy food for the busy workers to grab on the run, making the smell of food waft through the air.

Inside one large white building, the air conditioning units worked overtime trying to keep the great rooms comfortable for the politicians and their visitors. On the third floor Daimyo Yasakuto’s secretary worked on a memo as her boss held a meeting with Ryoku behind the closed wooden doors. Every once in awhile she answered the phone and took a message for the Daimyo, then went back to the endless memo writing and filing that needed to be done, completely oblivious to what was being discussed in the next room.

“So, Densetsu and The Tiger have met up,” Daimyo Yasakuto absently put his left hand in his jacket pocket and rubbed a piece of paper inside of it. “She’s always been good at getting away from police.” he muttered.

“Will this have any effect on our plans, sir? They’re a rather competent group, from what I saw. I know Densetsu’s abilities so he will be easy to predict, but the others are wild cards,” said Ryoku.

“Don’t worry about it, we already have someone on the inside to take care of it.”

 

Ryoku gaped. “Who?”

“That’s none of your concern.,” Yasakuto said in an amused yet firm voice. “Besides, we picked up two more associates after last night’s raid. They may need a little convincing to help us, but I believe they can be of some assistance. I think you’ve already met Bear.”

The side door of Yasakuto’s office burst open and two men came in. Bear looked as indignant as ever, if not a little more sober than he had the night before in Tony’s Place. Foxfire, however, had a look of rage on his face as he stalked toward the Daimyo.

“I demand you release me
now
! My family will not let my disappearance go without an investigation! No charges have been presented, so you are holding me illegally!”

Yasakuto cut him off just as Ryoku stepped in front of the larger man and stopped him from getting any closer. “If you continue with your threats, I’ll make sure that there is no one left to miss you!”

Foxfire gritted his teeth and took a step back. Yasakuto laughed. “Now that we’ve come to an understanding, you two are going to share every bit of information you know about Andrea the Tiger. You will not skip even one tiny detail about her. I want to know her strengths, her weaknesses, her favorite hangouts and her contacts. If she snores, I want to know about it. If she’s ticklish, I want to know about it. If she has any secrets whatsoever
I want to know about them
. Is this clear?”

Bear coughed. “I’ll tell you whatever I know.”

 

“Can’t you just order your filthy policemen to take care of anyone you want,” growled Foxfire.

Yasakuto stared directly at him. “One more outburst out of you, and I will make sure you watch your family die in front of you before I kill you personally.” He smirked at the helpless and enraged expression on Foxfire’s face. “You know I would do it, too. Ryoku!”

Ryoku snapped to attention. “Yes?”

 

“Take these two into the other room. I will be there momentarily.”

 

“As you wish.” He escorted the other two out. Yasakuto turned to look at the sunset outside his window.

“Ah, Andrea.. I so look forward to seeing you again soon.” He sat down at his desk, putting his elbows on it and resting his chin on his folded hands. “I’m going to enjoy catching you, my little wild cat. And once I catch you, I will watch your eyes lose their fire.”

“Shouldn’t someone go get Andrea?” Fushi asked as she settled down at the table.

 

“I’ll do it!” Roni scrambled up and raced out of the dining hall, her little feet thundering down the hallway toward Andrea’s room.

26 smiled as she put some bread and a covered serving plate down in the middle of the table. “She sure does like Andrea,” she commented.

Kanjou knelt down at the table. “I think it’s good for Roni to have a role-model. Gives her something to aspire to.”

“I think she could pick someone with a personality.” D mumbled under his breath. Kanjou shot him a look that communicated his disapproval, and Fushicho had to stifle a giggle.

They sat in silence for a minute until Roni came back, a blearyeyed Andrea trailing behind her. The two settled in their spots and then breakfast commenced in relative silence. Andrea yawned a few times and looked like she was about to fall back asleep at any second.

“Not sleep well?” Kanjou asked her.

 

Andrea didn’t even look up from her food. “Not used to getting up this early.”

D watched her warily as she ate, observing her every move. He had spent nearly 24 hours trying to figure out why Ryoku was after this girl, only to come up with no answers other than her link to this rebellion. Was Ryoku working for the government now?
No,
thought D, tearing his eyes away from Andrea,
He couldn’t be. He at least believes that the government took us away from our parents, despite his disbelief in the two of us being one soul. He wouldn’t go to work for them. There has to be another reason, something I’m not seeing.

After breakfast was over, Andrea spent some time in the training room doing stretches and some exercises. Though she tried to avoid it, she had an audience. Roni wouldn’t leave her alone and seemed intent on studying her every move. Andrea told her to either follow along or get lost, and so Roni stood a little ways off and did her best to imitate the silver-haired woman.

Outside, the sun rose along with the temperature until it was too hot to be inside the stagnant air of the temple. Kanjou and 26 opened all the sliding doors and tried to get as much airflow through the building as possible, but it only helped minimally. Finally, Andrea stopped practicing and mumbled something about having somewhere to be.

As the Tiger began to walk down the path that led away from the temple and toward the fence of the Gardens, D came outside and followed her for a few steps. She stopped and turned to face him. “Yes?” she asked, putting her hand on her hip.

“I’m coming with you.” he replied, walking up next to her. “Oh you are, are you?” She put her hands on her hips. “Says who?”

“I do.” D put his face close to hers. “I told you yesterday,” he snarled, “that if Ryoku is after you, I’m going to stay by your side. So, if you leave, I follow. I’m your shadow either until I rejoin with him or he stops attacking you. So deal with it.”

Andrea raised an eyebrow. D glared straight into the cold blue eyes, unwavering in his resolve. He knew backing down now would mean being left behind, possibly with injuries. He stared at her without blinking and remained serious, letting her know that this matter wasn’t up for debate.

Finally she looked away. “Fine,” was all she said as she continued walking. “Just keep up, Wakame.”

D rolled his eyes as he fell into stride with Andrea. They walked through the forest to the exit, made sure the way was clear, and then headed out in to the city.

They traveled through the concrete and asphalt labyrinth of the city, venturing into downtown and headed toward the bar where Kanjou and Roni had met Andrea. She led him past the alleyway that held the entrance to what had been Tony’s Place without even giving it a glance. D couldn’t help but take a long hard look at the blackened carcass of the building. The fire had been so great that even the buildings next to it had been charred. D wondered if Andrea had thought about the floors above the bar before she’d struck the match. At the end of the street she took a right and headed down a narrow, crowded neighborhood. They then turned left, and halfway down the block Andrea turned to a set of concrete stairs led down to a yellowed door with paint chips flaking off of it.

Andrea turned to D. “Wait out here.” she ordered.

D started to protest, but Andrea cut him off. “No. They know me, not you. So, you stay right here,” she pointed to the ground where he was standing, talking as though she were addressing a disobedient puppy, “and I’ll be out in a minute. Trust me, Ryoku isn’t waiting in there so there’s no reason to protect me from him.” She turned and headed down the short flight of steps, then took a deep breath before she knocked on the door.

After a minute or so, an older woman with dark skin and raven hair that was pulled back into a ponytail opened the door. She was wearing a simple, stained white shirt and old blue jeans with a green apron over them. The apron was covered in flour and various other cooking ingredients. She looked surprised to see Andrea standing there. “What are you doing here?” she asked, seeming to be half afraid. She was shorter than Andrea and definitely had the look of one who didn’t spend their life doing martial arts, though she wasn’t overweight she definitely wasn’t toned and muscular like the silver-haired
ronin
was
.

Andrea had no intentions of beating around the bush with the dark eyed woman. “I’ve got news, Asanagi,” she hesitated a moment, “It’s about Foxfire.”

Asanagi’s eyes widened. “Please, come in.” The woman moved away and let Andrea enter. As soon as the door shut behind her Andrea heard several pairs of feet run toward the back of the basement apartment. For some reason it caused her to smirk.

“They don’t like me, do they?” said Andrea.

“You’ve only been here once, and you weren’t exactly a pleasant ray of sunshine.” Asanagi replied flatly, wiping her hands on the apron.

“I remember, trust me.” The smirk died on her face. “I’ll get to the point quickly.”

“Well, hold on just a moment. Can I get you something? I just finished baking brownies, and we have some milk.” Before Andrea could keep Asanagi’s hostess instincts from kicking in she was running off to the kitchen.

Andrea sighed and walked into the living room. The room was small and crammed, with wallpaper that was peeling off the walls and cracks in the ceiling. The carpet was stained and mashed down from years of traffic and spills. The only furniture in the room was a couch, a chair, a small table in front of the couch, and a table holding a small television that had scratches in the plastic and a few on the screen, and one video gaming system that was several years out of date.

Andrea gently sat in the chair facing the couch. Both pieces of furniture looked ready to crumble into pieces, seams split and stuffing sticking out of them in various places. Broken springs made them rather uncomfortable, but they were more cozy than the floor, so the family made do with them. “I really, really don’t want to do this.” Andrea said to herself, looking around at all the happy family photos hanging on the walls.

The other woman came back with a plate of fresh, warm brownies and a tall glass of cold milk. Andrea glared at them as she set them down in front of her. “You know.. I’m not six anymore, Asanagisan.”

The dark haired hostess sat down on the couch opposite Andrea. “I understand that. It doesn’t mean you don’t still enjoy some sweets though, right?”

Andrea gave in and took one of the brownies. It was delicious, as was to be expected from this house. Foxfire had a legendary sweet tooth, so Asanagi was always baking something for her husband. It was a wonder the entire family wasn’t grossly overweight. “So what brings you here, Andrea?”

The
ronin
suppressed a sigh as she reached for another brownie. “Foxfi- erm.. Nobegane,” she paused, both as a way to make sure she’d remembered his real name correctly and to let herself think about how to keep from putting her foot in her mouth, “he hasn’t been home at all, has he?”