But that's OKAY! We had a nice discussion on the definition of lazy. And it's ALL better now.
At least I feel better!
Enjoy!
Oh, and the glossary will actually be useful. I promise!
The Devil Inside
Chapter 5
Lance Corporal Crispin Daniels of Mithril fought to stay awake in his Jindai High classroom while the teacher droned on about Trigonometry. It had been three days since he made contact with Angel and he was now enrolled in her school like a good little soldier. There was only one problem: he wasn?t in Kaname Chidori?s class!
?Damn! I should?ve known this would happen.? Crispin thought bitterly and resisted the urge to curse. With a sigh he drummed his fingers on his textbook. Crispin didn?t bother taking notes. He mastered trig when he was twelve.
Class five-Year THREE!
Crispin scowled as he recalled the sign hanging over the classroom door. He had done so well on the placement tests the School Board had decided to place the young Mithril Agent as a third year student! Not a second year like he was supposed to be!
He?d learned his mistake the same day he?d met Kaname Chidori and Kyouko Tokiwa. When he told them his class and year assignment they were very impressed.
?The teacher for Class Five is supposed to be really good,? Kyouko had explained.
?Yeah,? Kaname agreed. ?You?re really lucky. Nakumura-Sensei is supposed to be one of the best! I hope I get assigned to her Class next year.?
?Wait! What do you mean NEXT year??
Crispin grimaced and looked out the window. Class Four-Year TWO! That was the class and year assignment of Angel and her best friend. Keeping an eye on the blue-haired girl just got a lot more difficult.
On his first day, after he parted ways with the two girls, he tailed Kaname Chidori from Jindai High to her apartment. Fortunately, he had thought to change shirt tops and cover his head with a cap, or he probably would?ve been spotted. He had to admit, Kaname Chidori surprised him.
From her file he expected a spoiled princess living a life of luxury bankrolled by daddy. Instead, Crispin found a very independent girl determined to make her own way in life. She worked hard and wasn?t afraid to get her hands dirty. With her father?s money she could have gone to any number of prestigious private schools but instead choose a public one. And while she lived in a nice big apartment. (bigger than his anyway) it wasn?t extravagant or ostentatious.
She was also very cognizant of the dangers faced by an attractive young girl living alone. She was aware of her surroundings at all times. And at night she made a point of walking in well lit and populated areas. It?d take a lot of work for someone to kidnap Kaname Chidori. Unfortunately, that also made protecting her extremely difficult.
For the past three days he?d been following the blue-haired girl to and from school. Each time he wore a different outfit and even with that precaution he had to be careful. At night, when Kaname retired to her apartment, he paced thru the neighborhood to determine the best paths to approach her apartment and the best escape routes in case of an emergency. He found three different buildings, one unused parking lot and a park that could serve as a safe house and LP/OP for the SRT and as a FARP for a fully equipped M9.
Crispin fought back a yawn. It was exhausting work, but it had to be done. Without detailed information on the surrounding terrain even a Mithril SRT would fail spectacularly. ?Now I know why the Old Man sent me.? He thought sourly. ?Nobody else wanted the fucking job!?
?Mr. Daniels!? The teacher?s stern voice interrupted his musings.
?Yeah,? Crispin looked up blearily.
?Since we?re obviously boring you, could you please tell the class the answer to question six??
Crispin ignored the muffled laughter of his classmates as he sat up in his desk and peered at the blackboard. When he saw the question he smirked. ?Uh, it?s sixty-two degrees.? His smirk widened. ?Or did you want the answer in radials??
The blonde Nakumura-Sensei blinked and glanced back at the board. ?No that won?t be necessary, Mr. Daniels. Glad to see you?re paying attention.? The class gaped at him a moment and reluctantly turned their attention to the front.
Crispin leaned back in his chair. ?At least try to make it hard when you want to embarrass me!? He thought smugly. Hopefully no one would bother him anymore today.
**
Later that day, when classes were finished, Crispin made his way to the bleachers that overlooked the school?s athletic field. The girl?s softball club had practice today and he had asked Kaname and Kyouko to meet him here afterwards.
He sat down on the nearly-empty bleachers (the girl?s softball club wasn?t the only one practicing today) and pulled out a copy of his favorite book: A Soldier?s Guide to Cursing, by Melissa Mao. Book in hand, Crispin settled himself for a long wait. Sports didn?t interest the AS engineer. ?Although, I dig those uniforms!? He thought with a grin.
Soon the girl?s softball team moved out onto the diamond and began their practice.
?Hey, you there.? A shadow fell over Crispin as he half-read and half-watched the girls warm up. ?You?re Daniels from 3-5 right??
?What if I am?? Crispin looked up to see two boys his age standing over him. They were a most unlikely pair. One was gangly and had bulging eyes. The other was a long-haired bishonen type. Unsurprisingly, they wore the Jindai High boy?s uniform and both looked to be seniors like himself.
?I?m Toshi from Class 3-2,? the bishonen pointed to himself and then his companion. ?And this Nokigawa from 3-4.? The gangly boy bowed slightly
?That?s nice, but why tell me?? Crispin sat up and regarded the two. They weren?t here to pick a fight. That he was sure about.
?You seem to be quite friendly with Tokiwa and Chidori of Class 2-4.? Toshi began.
?I talk to them. They talk to me.? Crispin shrugged and turned back to his book. ?Why should I care either way??
?Well, don?t think it?ll improve your chances any.? Nokigawa spoke this time. ?Chidori won?t go out with you even if you?re nice to her friend.?
Crispin snapped his gaze back to the two seniors. ?You?re joking right?? At their negative shakes Crispin did the only thing he could think of. He laughed.
?HAHAHA!? He dropped his book in his mirth. ?You think-? He guffawed at their stunned expression and laughed even harder. After a while he slowly gained control of himself and shook his head. ?If you could?ve seen your faces just now.? He chuckled at the image.
Toshi chuckled as well. ?This just makes things easier then.? At the Mithril agent?s confused look he explained, ?Everyone likes Chidori, but she can be a bit of a hand full.? He shrugged at the last part and Nokigawa?s head bobbed in agreement.
?What are you trying to say?? Crispin had the impression he was missing something.
?We?re just trying to help you out.? Nokigawa said. ?She may be one of the most popular girls in school, but you definitely don?t want her as a girlfriend!? This time it was Toshi who?s head bobbed in agreement.
?That?s great to know,? Crispin was really confused now, ?I think.?
?Glad to hear it, but here?s the best part!? Toshi grinned and held up a finger, ?You get to continue Jindai High?s proudest tradition!?
Crispin sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. ?Just say whatever the hell you gotta say!?
?You must test your courage!? Toshi explained. ?Sneak into her apartment!?
?And procure her silken fleece!? Nokigawa finished.
?Huh?? Crispin?s confusion deepened and he looked between the two.
?Panties,? Toshi said slowly as if he were talking to a child. ?You?re supposed to steal her panties.?
?Like hell I am!? Crispin shot to his feet and grabbed the bishonen by the collar. ?Is that how you fuckers get your kicks? Stealing panties!? He started shaking the long-haired boy hard enough to rattle his teeth.
?Take it easy!? Nokigawa tried to pry the American off his companion. ?It?s no big deal! She?s so high and mighty! It?s not like she doesn?t deserve it!?
?Deserve it!? Crispin voice turned cold and fury washed through him. Keeping his grip on the bishonen, he faced the gangly boy. ?She deserves it?? He whispered dangerously. His right hand shot out and gripped the boy?s collar in a vice-like grip. He felt no pain in his hand. ?You know what I think?? He dragged both boys to eye level. His lips curled cruelly. ?I think you deserve to die.?
With a disturbing gleam in his eyes, he addressed the few gawking spectators still on the bleachers. ?I?d leave if I were you.? At the cold fury in the Mithril operative?s voice they took his advice and ran. With a vicious laugh Crispin turned and dragged Toshi and Nokigawa behind the bleachers.
?No! Please! We?re sorry!? Both boys started desperately pleading.
?Shut up!? Crispin threw them against the supports of the bleachers. They tried to run, but he grabbed them again and slammed them back into the supports. ?You think you can do that to my sister and live!?
?S-sister?? Toshi babbled in terror, ?W-we don?t know your sister!?
?SHUT UP!? Crispin screamed. They blanched and clung to each other. Crispin laughed at the sight and both boy?s shuddered. ?Allie begged and pleaded, but that didn?t stop you.? He grinned at their fear-stricken faces. ?And it won?t stop me.? His clawed hands reached for the two.
Toshi and Nokigawa whimpered.
?Argh!? Crispin suddenly clutched his head. There was a buzzing sound in his head and it kept growing and growing until he couldn?t stand it anymore. He fell to his knees and clenched his teeth. His blood felt like it was boiling!
At their tormentor?s cry of pain both boys shared a look and bolted.
?Stop!? Crispin writhed on the ground in agony. ?Get the fuck out of my head!?
Judas-1 a voice called from far away.
The AS engineer clawed at the ground and bit back a scream. ?Go away!? He whimpered.
Judas-1 this is Golden Goose, due you copy? Over!
Crispin?s eyes snapped open. ?It?s,? he exhaled through his nose, ?fuckin-Russky!? With a groan he rolled onto his stomach, the earth cooled his fevered skin, and tried to concentrate. ?What?d you do to me??
Judas-1 this is Golden Goose, due you copy?
G-Golden-n G-Goose, Crispin wheezed in pain as he tried to focus his thoughts. Th-this is Ju-Judas-1. Over!
Judas-1 this is Golden Goose. What is your status? Over.
Slowly, between gasps of pain, Crispin reported his condition. What he?d learned. About the Whispered. About Kaname, her habits and environment. Strangely, as he ?talked? the pain seemed to lessen. It never went away completely, but it wasn?t as intense as before.
When his report was done, the lance corporal received a final ?message? from the far-off voice.
Judas-1. An SRT will deploy shortly. ETA ninety-eight hours. Secure site bravo as LP/OP and site delta as FARP. Compile all relevant data for the NCOIC. Over.
Roger Golden Goose. Over. Crispin grunted as the edges of his vision began to darken.
Golden Goose. Out.
Suddenly the voice, and pain, was gone. Crispin wilted in relief. He was exhausted and drenched in sweat. As he tried to recover his strength, one thought rolled thru the Lance Corporal?s mind?
?Highly uncomfortable my ass!?
**
?Cris!? A feminine voiced called desperately. ?Are you alright? Cris wake up!?
?Go away,? Crispin moaned and tried to roll over. He was prevented by a pair of hands on his shoulders.
?Hey, Crispin,? Another voice asked worriedly. ?Can you hear me??
Crispin Daniels opened his eyes and saw two shadowed faces hovering over him. ?What?? he muttered. ?Where am I??
Kaname and Kyouko exchanged looks of relief.
?You?re behind the athletic field?s bleachers.? Kaname explained. ?We found you passed out on the ground after practice.?
?We were so worried Cris!? Kyouko was on the verge of tears. ?What happened?? She had his head on her lap and ran a hand through his damp hair.
?I?d-? Crispin ran his lip over his chapped lips. ?I?d rather not say.?
?We saw a bunch of students take off from here half an hour ago.? Kyouko explained. ?We didn?t know what to think.?
?It was that third year Toshi from class two wasn?t it?? Kaname?s eyes narrowed. ?I saw him and his friend running away from here a couple minutes after everyone else.? She stood up. ?Wait till I get my hands on him!?
?No!? Crispin sat up, or tried to, and sank back to the ground when he became dizzy.
?Cris!? Kyouko said worriedly. ?Don?t try to move. You?ll hurt your self.?
?Argh!? He groaned in frustration. ?Kaname, don?t do anything. It?s-? He stopped and both girls looked at him questioningly. He couldn?t say what really happened, but he hated lying too. Damn! He grit his teeth and decided on his course of action. ?It?s, it?s kinda embarrassing.? At her dubious look he added, ?Please!?
?Oh, why me?? Kaname sighed. She glanced at Kyouko who was clearly torn and reluctantly agreed. ?Okay, I won?t say anything.? At the boy?s grin she added, ?This time!?
?Thanks,? Crispin relaxed, ?I owe you one.? He laid on the ground for several minutes before he asked, ?Uh, you think I can get up now??
?Aww, come on!? He had to beg before the two girls, reluctantly, agreed. Crispin slowly got his feet under him and carefully stood. He swayed a moment but quickly gained his balance.
?I?m okay.? He held up his hand to ward off their protests. ?No really! See?? He took a tentative step, and when he didn?t fall over, he took another. ?All better now!?
?Are you sure you?re okay?? Kyouko asked. She and Kaname followed him to the front of the bleachers.
?I?m fine really!? Crispin waved away the girl?s concern and retrieved his book bag. He opened it up and frowned. ?Where?s my book??
?Is this it?? Kaname picked up a book that was laying on the ground. She eyed the title with a frown, ?It?s yours alright.? She glared at him reprovingly.
?Oh, what is it Kaname?? Kyouko moved to get a look.
?Hey,? Crispin snatched the book out of Kaname?s hand before the bespectacled girl could see the title. ?That?s private!?
?Come on Cris!? Kyouko?s curiosity was peaked. ?You can tell me!? She pleaded with the boy.
?No!? Crispin snapped. He was irritated now. ?And stop calling me that!?
?Oh, please,? Kaname was exasperated, ?both of you give it a rest!? She turned to her best friend, ?It?s ?A Guide to Cursing? or something.? Her tone critical, ?Pretty disgusting if you ask me.? She glared at the older boy.
Kyouko nodded.
?Hey!? He protested. ?You think a witty repartee as polished and sophisticated as mine comes easy?? At their reproachful looks Crispin shoved the book back into his bag, ?Fine! Like I give a shit!?
WHACK! Kaname?s book bag slammed into his head.
?OW!? Crispin rubbed the top of his head, ?Watch it. I?m injured here!? This wasn?t helping his exhaustion any.
?Don?t you have any manners?? Kaname berated the Mithril agent. ?Talking like that! And in front of two ladies too!? She planted her hands on her hips. ?You can?t talk like that in front of us and expect to get away with it!?
Kyouko nodded in agreement.
?Wha-? The AS engineer stared incredulously at the pair. ?What is she getting all high and mighty about?? He wondered. ?So you bash my head in!? He yelled. ?What about being all concerned and draping yourself all over me??
WHACK! ?That was for being lewd!?
?What the fuck-!?
WHACK!
?Stop that!? Crispin snapped at the blue-haired girl. ?That?s hurts!?
?Hmph!? Kaname sniffed and folded her arms. ?How do you think we feel
listening to you talk like that?? She turned to her friend, ?Isn?t that right Kyouko??
Kyouko hesitated a moment and nodded, ?Yeah.?
Crispin scowled at both girls. ?Then why don?t you stop bothering me!?
Kyouko gasped and Kaname?s lips thinned, ?Fine.? The blue-haired girl spun on her heel and stalked away. ?Come on Kyouko! We?ve got better things to do than talking to this jerk!?
Kyouko hesitated and followed after her friend. She cast a sad look at Crispin as she walked away.
Crispin gaped at the two girls. He stood paralyzed and watched them quickly cross the athletic field and exit the school?s gate. He picked up his bag and noticed his book was about to fall out. When he tried to repack it the crinkle of paper made him freeze.
?Shit! I AM a jerk!? Crispin swore and hurried after them.
**
Kyouko followed her fuming friend miserably. While she agreed with the blue-haired girl, she still felt a cold knot in her stomach.
Stop bothering me!
Fine! Come on Kyouko!
?Do you think we did the right thing, Kana?? Kyouko asked.
?Of course we did!? Kaname whirled on her friend. ?I tired of listening to his garbage!? The brown-haired girl winced and Kaname calmed slightly, ?Come on, Kyouko. I don?t have to put up with that. YOU don?t have to put up with that!?
?I guess,? Kyouko sighed. ?But we were looking through his things.? She bit her lip and asked, ?Don?t you think friends should respect each others privacy??
?Yes, I do Kyouko,? Kaname confessed. ?But friends should also show more respect-.?
?Wait!? A male voice interrupted Kaname. They turned to see Crispin running to catch up to them. Kaname scowled and whirled away when Kyouko grabbed her hand.
?Let?s wait, okay?? Kyouko pleaded.
?Okay.? Kaname sighed in agreement.
The older boy quickly caught up and rested his hands on his knees. ?Geez!? Crispin wiped his brow and grinned at the two girls. ?You guys move pretty fast when you?re mad!? He faltered at their quiet stares.
?Right.? He coughed and tried again. ?Look, I know I?m a jerk, and I know when I?ve fu- messed up.? He fidgeted and continued, ?I told you I didn?t know how to keep my mouth shut!? This was harder than he?d expected.
?Yeah,? Kyouko smiled slightly. ?You did.?
Crispin returned the smile. ?See, what I?m trying to say is? I mean ?That is ?.? He struggled to find the words and did what came naturally, ?God Fucking Damn!? Shocked at the outburst, he slapped a hand over his mouth. ?I?m sorry!? He mumbled thru his hand. ?I?m really really sorry!? Crispin bowed his head and braced for impact.
?HaHaHa!? Peals of laughter made Crispin looked up in shock. Both girls struggling to stand upright in their merriment.
?Oh my god!? Kaname fell against Kyouko. ?Did you see that look on his face?? Her shoulders shook with mirth.
?Yes!? Kyouko giggled. ?And when his forehead scrunched up-?
?It was SO CUTE!? Both girls burst out in another fit of giggles.
?Bah!? Crispin sulked. ?I?m glad you find it so amusing!? He turned away with hunched shoulders.
?Awww, don?t be like that Cris!? Kyouko said fighting back her giggles.
?Yeah, you?re macho, tough-guy image is still intact with us!? Kaname snickered.
At their words both girls collapsed into another fit of laughter.
?Are you done now?? Crispin glared. ??Cause if you?re not I?ve got better things to do.?
?No! It?s okay!? Kaname waved her hand reassuringly. ?We?re done now, really!? Both of them started snickering again. Eventually they controlled their laughter and bowed to the boy.
?Thank you very much!? They said in unison.
?Uh sure.? Crispin stared at the two expecting them to sprout extra heads. ?So what now?? He asked intelligently.
?We,? Kaname indicated herself and Kyouko, ?are going shopping!? She then pointed at Crispin, ?And you are going to help us with our Biology report that?s due tomorrow!? Kyouko nodded in agreement.
?When the hell was this decided?? Crispin protested. ?I never agreed to-?
?Hold it!? Kaname cut him off with her upraised hand. ?What did I say earlier? And a gentleman should never disagree with a lady! Right?? She drew the last word out in warning.
?You should know I?m no gentleman,? Crispin scratched his head. At both girl?s glare he relented. ?Okay! I get it!? At their triumphant smirks, he looked upwards beseechingly. Why me?
?Good, now that?s settled.? Kaname nodded toward her best friend, ?ready to go??
?Ready!? Kyouko chirped.
?Wait!? Both girls halted at Crispin?s protest. ?I kinda forgot about this during all the excitement.? He dug into his bag and withdrew a plain-white paper bag. He handed it to Kyouko. ?Here ya go.?
?What is it?? The girl looked at the bag dubiously. At Crispin?s prompting she opened it and was shocked at what she found. ?A camera!? She exclaimed. ?But it?s not mine.? She looked quizzically at the boy. The camera in her hand was half the size of her old one. It easily fit in the palm of her hand, and the outer casing was bright pink, not black.
?Your PowerShot was ?well shot.? The AS engineer shrugged apologetically. ?I couldn?t really do anything with it. So,? he trailed off in embarrassment. ?So, I sorta?built you a new one.? He grinned sheepishly.
?Built one!? Kaname was wide-eyed in amazement.
?Crispin, I can?t accept this.? Kyouko reddened in embarrassment at the gift and held out the camera. ?It must?ve cost a fortune.?
?No, it didn?t cost me a dime!? Crispin held up his hands and stepped away from the proffered camera. ?I, uh, a few guys I used to work for hooked me up with some spare components.? He continued to bluff, ?And they helped me put it together too!?
It was technically true. While he?d never worked with them, Crispin had talked shop with several owners and repairers of personal electronics. It was a good cover while following Kaname around the city. He managed to procure some high grade materials to build the camera Kyouko now held at zero cost. Of course, he put it all together.
?Really?? Kyouko asked in amazement. At his vigorous nod she smiled and threw her arms around the boy. ?Thank you, Cris! Thank you so much!?
?ARGH!? Crispin yelled in pain. Kyouko had grabbed his right arm again. ?Get the hell off me! And stop calling me that!?
?I?m sorry!? Kyouko bowed in apology
Kaname just sighed.
End Chapter 5.
..........Thanks a bunch. I can't wait for the next chapter.