[Mushball Universe, Dark!Shinkengers plot]

[interpolate]

After my up-close-and-personal encounter with Messiah's lieutenant, I found myself waking up in a world of pain, back at base, and sure of exactly one thing: I have to save him.

I let Takosawa mother-hen at me for three days, which is three whole days more than I want to put up with that kind of behavior, and is about six months less than Takosawa bargained for. It'll be a while before the octopus in question forgives me for undermining his authority by going directly to the commander and requesting to be placed back on active duty as soon as possible, which, considering there's only four of us equipped to do this job, is basically guaranteed as soon as I'm capable of standing.

Of course, I'm still not combat ready, what with this limp, and the semi-frequent headaches, and the still healing bruises. But I'm well enough to return to deep cover at the High School, which is precisely what I want anyway.

Comments

[sushisamurai]

I keep my cart setup outside the Amanogawa High School. It seems to be the center point of all the darkness that's plaguing the area right now, so that's where I'm going to stay until Ryuunosuke tells me where we're needed.

I can't help it if I'm a little more subdued with my customers. You can't blame me, a piece of my soul is missing.

I glance up from where I'd idly chatting with Ebi-kun just in time to spot Etienne shuffling away from the school. He seems about as unenergetic as I am, and that makes me curious.

"Oi, Etienne!" I wave to the boy, hoping he hears me and comes over.

[interpolate]

It was a really, almost insufferably long day. My limp isn't getting any better, I'm getting tired of regaling anyone who asks (teachers mostly, but the occasional student I became friendly with) with a purely fabricated tale of my own clumsiness and stupidity. Not to mention Hiromu's worry and misplaced guilt hitting me at random times throughout the day.

Takosawa isn't here to pick me up yet, there's a surprise. However, Genta's little sushi cart is still there, where it was when we met. There's a hasty patch job on one of the panels, I wonder what caused that little accident.

I muscle up a smile (not too hard, I've already learned that Genta brings out the best in everyone) and limp up to the cart.

"Salut, Genta."

[sushisamurai]

"Salut," I tilt my head at him, concern furrowing my brow. "You're limping. Come here, have a seat, rest your leg. I'll make you anything you like."

My hand has mostly healed from my little outburst against my cart. My knuckles are stilled bruised though, and my movements with that hand are slowed because of it. Luckily it's not my dominant hand.

[interpolate]

Well, it's not like he wasn't going to notice. I have a feeling he expects me not to notice the healing scrape and bruise across his knuckles, though.

"Are you alright?" I ask softly, reaching across his little counter to touch the wrist of his wounded hand. "What happened?"

My eyes are drawn to his tank. Takosawa still hasn't told me what he discussed with the little robotic squid. I think he's keeping something important from me.

[sushisamurai]

He touches my wrist and I hesitate, not sure of what I can tell him. Technically speaking, I'm not sworn to secrecy the same way the other Samurai families are.

"Someone I love is in a lot of trouble." I let out a slow sigh, glancing at Etienne. "And I guess I was just feeling pretty helpless."

I nod toward the hastily repaired panel of my cart.

[interpolate]

"I'm sorry to hear that." I say softly, glancing at the panel I'd noticed earlier and nodding. "I've felt that way sometimes."

I sit back on my stool again, extending my sore leg carefully. "I must admit, I'm not terribly hungry. But if you had some tea or something, I'd gladly accept that."

[sushisamurai]

I nod, moving about fixing him a nice cup of tea. Business has been slow today anyway, so I fix myself one too and then move around to sit beside him.

I hold my cup between my hands, and the heat is doing amazing things to the soreness in my poor abused hand.

"So what happened to you?"

[interpolate]

I don't want to lie to Genta. I don't know why, exactly. I just sort of trust him. He's usually so upbeat and happy, from what I've seen, and he's very down today. Loss I can understand. And then there's Takosawa's relationship with his squid. Hell, his squid in general makes me more inclined to trust he wouldn't exactly ruin my cover.

I'm still not sure though. I take a sip of my tea. It's very good. He's talented, even with little things like that. "Traffic accident." I mutter, and I know it doesn't sound very convincing. I've been getting more and more weary of the lie the more times I had to repeat it.

[sushisamurai]

I nod, humming thoughtfully as I take a sip of my tea. It's hot on my tongue and it makes the roof of my mouth tingle. I hold it there for a moment, then swallow, glancing at Etienne after.

"Mundane or otherworldly?"

[interpolate]

I'd never witnessed him actually communicating effectively with his Ika-chan, but I wonder if there is some way that wasn't obvious at first. And I wonder whether Takosawa told her something, as sure as she spoke to him. And why he kept the entire conversation from me.

I clear my throat and glance around, but no one else is approaching the sushi cart. We're effectively alone. "More along the lines of... otherworldly." Sort of. Well. Messiah's subdimension is technically another world.

[sushisamurai]

I stare down into my tea. This is more or less the answer I expected, giving Etienne's less than organic friend.

"Thought so," I sigh, because really, how to you even begin to have this conversation? Hey, did my evil, mind controlled, sort of boyfriend, Samurai Lord, best friend attack you?

[interpolate]

I take another sip of my tea, hoping that I didn't just curse myself, or break my cover, or otherwise screw up in a massive way.

"It's nothing, really." I insist. "I've definitely dealt with worse." Have I? I'm not so sure. Physically, probably not. But mentally, oh most definitely. Being drugged and tortured by an agent of Messiah is sort of... if not expected, at least it's not a surprise. As one of precisely four people who can take care of the Messiah problem for good, I'm obviously a bigger target than any other humans.

[sushisamurai]

I look into my tea for a long moment. I know I'm taking a huge risk, but I also know that there are other at this school, drawn here by the darkness. I know about the Kamen Rider Club, at least in name. I know they're kids fighting the problems at the school, but I also know there are other evils, adult evils that have taken my Take-chan from me.

I take another scalding sip of my tea, holding it in my mouth until the roof of my mouth is numb. I'm basically committing a small form of treason with this, but it needs to be said. I need to know.

"How old are you really, Etienne?" I look at him, my eyes far more serious than I think they have been since Kaoru first showed herself. My voice is soft, no one is nearby, so I'm not scared of being overheard, but for his benefit I keep is quiet. "How long have you been fighting?"

[interpolate]

He's quiet for a while, and I know what's coming almost before he says it.

Secret is out, I suppose. I wonder how much I can tell him without getting in serious trouble with the higher-ups. I wonder if they even care. Takosawa should have warned me, since I have a feeling his robotic friends have something to do with his odd perceptions of reality.

I clear my throat and look into my tea as I speak softly. "I'm twenty-four." I sigh and shake my head. "And we've been in place, preparing, for thirteen years." I'm not sure how well he'll take that admission. Most adults are not particularly okay with the idea of children being trained into elite government backed soldier-spies. Even Ryuuji at fifteen was too young.

[sushisamurai]

I glance at him, noting that he does look older than even a third year should, if you know what to look for. He does a remarkable job of passing as a student though.

"Your secret is safe with me," I tell him, voice still serious. I think he needs to hear that, needs to know I'm not going to report him to... I don't even know who I'd report him to.

"If you can keep mine." I laugh softly at myself over that. "Though I'm not technically descended from a long time of samurai sworn to protect this world from evil. I am, honestly, a sushi seller. I just happen to also be an honorary samurai."

[interpolate]

"Samurai?" I repeat softly, blinking at him. It's good to know he's not planning on ratting me out to anyone, though.

But I'm not actually a computer, I can tell he's trying to hint at something important without stating it outright, but I haven't a clue what it is. I don't know past Sentai the way Takosawa does. I know they exist, or existed, or whatever. That's about it. But I think that's what he's hinting at.

"I can keep a secret." I promise him.

I lift a hand to run through my hair, hesitating when I encounter the still healing bruises there.

[sushisamurai]

I notice when Etienne winces as his fingers brush against a nasty bruise just under his hairline. I get up from my stool and move back around my cart, gathering a bit of crushed up ice into a clean cloth. I twist the end and hand it to Etienne, much like I did just recently with Ryuunosuke.

"For what it's worth," I sigh, trying not to sound so damn serious, but it's hard, with everything going on. "I'm glad we met. It's always good to find out you have more allies than you thought."

[interpolate]

"Oh." I accept the makeshift ice pack he makes me with a little bow of my head. "Merci," I hold it carefully to my head and sigh a little as the cold helps ease away some of the pain.

"Yes, I agree." I say softly with a little smile. "There's... a great deal of evil concentrated around this school. I just want to stop it. Most of the... villains, I suppose you could call them... they're as innocent as the rest of the students, in some ways."

[sushisamurai]

Oh, my hands are shaking. That can't be good.

"Yes," I say tightly, nodding once. I look for something to grip, something to busy my hands with to make the shaking less obvious, but of course I'm not thinking straight right now. "They are that."

[interpolate]

His hands are trembling quite suddenly, and my breath catches in my throat. I set down the ice and reach with both hands to press them over one of his, holding lightly.

Samurai. Shiba's sword.

Oh merde.

"Oh. Oh, Genta, no..."

[sushisamurai]

I laugh, a tight little laugh that's just this side of hysterical. I haven't completely lost it, not yet, it's just... it's hard. It's hard to deal with, now, after everything.

I try and force myself to stay calm, and I even manage to keep my voice even when I speak. "As I said earlier, someone I love is in a lot of trouble. A lot of trouble."

[interpolate]

I panic for a moment, because I'm really not sure how to react in this sort of situation. He's upset. Someone he loves... Shiba, I'm almost sure of it.

Then I remember that Genta has spent time in France, he's not as straight laced as many Japanese men I've come to know. I throw my arms around his shoulders and pull him into a friendly hug.

"I'm going to save him, Genta. I know he's in there, and he's trying to fight. I'm going to help him, I promise."

[sushisamurai]

I lean into Etienne. I can't quite bring myself to return the hug, my arms won't move right now. I sigh heavily, drawing as much comfort as I can from his comforting gesture.

"At least I'm not alone. Not all out team has turned. We have some allies." I sigh again, pulling back a little. "You should come to the mansion with me, meet Ryuunosuke."

[interpolate]

Oh, this is terrible. I try to imagine losing Hiromu to Messiah. It's unthinkable, absolutely. Just the theoretical idea of it makes my stomach turn to ice.

I pat his back and then pull back to meet his eyes. "That's good. That's really good." I lean close, lowering my voice. "He's reachable. I can tell. We'll save him."

I lean back again, tilting my head slightly with a little smirk playing at the corner of my mouth. "A... mansion?"

[sushisamurai]

"Well, it's not a mansion in the strictest sense," I try and smile, and I mostly manage it, a lazy, lopsided smile pulling at my lips.

"It's the Shiba house, our base of operations, but Ryuunosuke usually calls it a mansion, so." I shrug. "You're welcome to come with me sometime. Might be best if we pooled our efforts."