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Chapter Sixteen: The Terrorist Hotline


Dannin nodds, "All right. We'll be ready as soon as we can."

Korin glances outside, "Fog is both good and evil. It will conceal us, but that goes both ways. This is not a good sign. Something foul is on the air."

"All right, where's a clock?" Sage asks, looking around.

Kento points to the television, which is tuned to CNN. "There's one on the screen there."

"Does it keep track of seconds?" Sage inquires, picking up a phone and dialing the number he'd seen on the webpage that told people to call about any terrorists.

"Yeah, though it keeps cycling through different time zones." Kento says.

"Okay, I need you to tell me when it gets to zero-zero seconds," Sage says. He hears one ring, then another.

After a moment, Kento says, "Zero."

Someone on the phone says, "This is the terrorist hotline. How may I help you?"

Sage took a breath and spoke, "I know where the bomb is."

There was a click, and the female voice returns, "You have information about terrorist activity?"

Sage grimaces and says, "Listen lady, I am a terrorist. I'm responsible for what you've been seeing on the news. I'm the reason you have to work overtime today. Now, I'm telling you I know where the next attack will be, and I want to meet with someone from the Japanese government to discuss what should be done about it."

"But, sir," The receptionist manages before Sage cuts her off.

"Enough. I'll call you back in ten minutes. Have your supervisor or whatever ready by then," Sage says, hanging up. "How much time was it?"

"Thirty-four seconds," Kento says.

"Way too long," Sage mutters to himself.

Korin and Dannin both watch as Sage calls. Both seem to hold their breath while Sage speaks, then let out a sigh as he hangs up.

"Korin," Cye asks after Sage hangs up, "Do you know where that Batrias person went?"

"C'mon, Cye," Kento admonishes his friend, "You know he's probably stuck in some hole somewhere, crying for help...awww, da liddle babee..."

"Cut it out!" Sage shouts at Kento. Then, he takes a deep breath and collects himself. "This is no time for jokes."

Korin nodds, "He said he didn't need our help and went out on his own."

---

Jennifer Kamazuke laid her headset softly on the desk, thinking what to do next. She had just received a call from a terrorist, someone claiming that they knew where a bomb was. Was the call recorded? She couldn't be sure. She had been working non-stop for nine hours, and wanted to crawl into bed and forget there were such things in the world as explosive bombs meant to kill people. But, she had a job to do, so she stood up and got the attention of her supervisor.

A nervous looking Japanese man strode quickly over and asked Jennifer what the problem was. She responded, "I've just got a call from a terrorist."

"Are you logged out of your system?" The supervisor asked.

"I set it for break," Jennifer said.

"Good, then come with me," Jennifer's supervisor pulled on her arm and led into a room where men in military uniforms were sitting at a table, talking things over.

One of the men looked up in Jennifer's eyes, causing her to freeze in place. She was sure the man's icy glare would be enough to burn her alive on the spot. However, he took his time and said to her, "You've got the call, have you?"

"Yes, sir," Jennifer said, looking about the room, trying to understand what she was supposed to say.

Everyone turned their heads to see the young girl from Montreal who had come to Japan to be a geisha girl only to marry a boy she had fallen in love with quickly. Now, she had an important job for the government, and she didn't want to let anyone down, least of all her husband. Jennifer took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

The general who had spoken to her said to the room, "Alert the Prime Minister."

---

Two minutes later, Rowen heard a phone ring in the distance. So far, he had managed to endure his torture without suffering any permanent injury. The worst he had gotten was a punch to the stomach, knocking the air out of him. He worried about the ropes tied around his wrists, whether they would cut his wrists open and allow him to bleed to death. That didn't seem too far away for Rowen.

A man shouted at something, or someone, and burst the door open. He said to Rowen, "One of your friends has called. Tell us everything!"

Rowen grunted, knowing that any information he would give would make him useless, and, consequently, expendable. He had to bide his time and wait. He had to endure as long as he could...

---

Batrias found himself outside the city. He had a great deal to think about, and didn't know where to start. "All of this is a mystery to me."

Then, he saw a flash of black lightning and knew suddenly that Kale, the warlord of darkness, had come to greet him. He saw the warlord in full armor, and, strangely enough, the Torn Shadow at the warlord's side.

"Batrias Kenketsu of the Holy Armor," Kale said, "We are well met this evening, are we not?"

Batrias, who had his full armor on himself, said, "No, we're not. I can tell by the company you keep what side you are on. I thought Kayura had taught you better than to serve an evil who wants only to kill you."

"Oh, but she has, Holy Warrior," Kale replied. "In fact, I am not always as I appear to be- and you should not take everything you see at face value. I come to you offering a chance to join our side, join the victorious side, before it is too late to do what must be done."

"And what is it you would have me do?" Batrias asked.

Kale told him, and Batrias accepted the offer.

---

Sage says quickly, "Okay, so, we can only assume that he's not on our side anymore, if he left us. Dannin, I need you to check on Ryo- see if he's doing any better. Korin, you've been around longer than I have, so I need information about this city. Where is a good place to have a meeting?"

Dannin nodds, walking up the stairs to the room Ryo had dragged himself to.

Korin seats herself on the floor, thinking hard before speaking.
"There is an old training ground outside the city, on the other side in fact," she says, "only the warriors know where it lies. There is the dojo we were at before. The training ground is in the open, but has the woods behind it."

"No, we don't a secluded area this time," Sage replies. "That gives them the advantage, as they could probably deploy somebody there faster than we could get there. What we want is a place full of people, somewhere crowded. Someplace where we could disappear into a sea of bodies if we needed to..."

Sage brushes blond hair out of his face and says to Korin, "After I make the second phone call, I think you'll need to give me a haircut."

Korin nodds, "The archade in downtown. It's always crowded."

She runs a hand through Sage's hair, "if you're sure..."

"Korin, getting Rowen back is more important than me keeping my hair," Sage replies, "I like my hair long and shaggy, but it's too noticeable. If I have to evade the police, they'll be able to spot me right off with my hair hanging over my eyes. We can't have that, Korin, I mean..."

Sage grabs her hand and squeezes it. "We're going to have to leave Japan eventually, I think, though I don't know where we'd go..."

Korin nodds, "All right."

Leaning on Dannin's arm, Ryo speaks from the stairs. "We can go to my place," he says, "not here I mean where I grew up in America, if we have to run."

"Yes," Sage says, "It's going to come to that."

"Man, we have to leave Japan?" Kento moans. "I just got here today, and we have to leave again?"

"You know," Cye muses aloud, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say someone wants out of this country."

"Here's how we'll do it," Sage says to Dannin, "You take Ryo to this place in America. Leave the address with Korin, and we'll find you guys once we get Rowen back."

"If we're wanted criminals," Cye asks, "How are we going to leave the country?"

"I'm already on top of that," Sage replies, "And I think I have a solution."

Ryo shakes his head, "No, we all go together."

"Ryo!" Dannin says, "you're still too tired to fight."

The Wildfire ronin shakes his head again, "As long as I don't call the Inferno, I can pull this off. I won't get left behind. I can use the Wildfire if I have to like this."

Korin sighs, "We can't risk everyone."

"Ryo, the main thing is," Sage explains, "That you're limping, and you're still a little hurt. If we have to run, you'll be slowing us down. It's better if you leave now and take a flight out of here so no one associates you with us. Besides which, if my plan fails, and all of us are captured, I need at least you and Dannin available to rescue us.

"This is not something open for debate, Ryo. Rowen's been captured, and we've got to get him back. Now, I don't know what's really against us, but that shadow-thing we faced earlier took your Rage of Inferno head-on and still was alive afterwards. What if another one shows up? Or more? No, Ryo, I'm sorry, but you have to go. I know you want to protect us, but in this case, the best way to do that is to leave. I'll make sure everything turns out okay."

Ryo goes to speak, but Dannin softly puts an arm around his shoulders. He nodds slowly, sighing and taking a seat amoung the others.

"I still want to know what's going on," he says.

Korin half-smirks, "of course. We're all warriors here, ronins in our own way."

"I don't have the full story, because our enemy hasn't shown itself yet," Sage explains, "But, as near as I can tell, someone sent a shadow-creature to kill us, and we fought it, wrecked parts of the city, and now the Japanese government thinks that we are terrorists and that we might strike again. They've captured Rowen, so I can't say if they know everything about us or not. If they've broken him, they'll show up here, looking for us. I think I have..." Sage looks at the clock on the television channel, "Three minutes before I have to call them again and set up a meeting place. If I can just get the location of where Rowen's being held, then all we need to do is-"

"Bust in there and break some heads, right!" Kento exclaims, exuberant at the thought of fighting.

"Actually, yes, that is what I had in mind," Sage says. "Ryo, I would like to have you in this, but you'd only slow us down with your injuries. It's best for you to go to America, heal up if you can, and we'll meet you there. Okay?"

Ryo nodds, "Sure, I can get the house ready. I really thing Dannin should stay -"

"Oh no you don't" Dannin says, "someone has to keep an eye on you. No way you're leaving without me."

Korin laughs, "they're cute."

Dannin and Ryo smile a bit, but Korin's own smile fades as she looks at the clock.

"It's time," she says.

Sage picks up the phone, looking Korin directly in the eyes as he does. He mutters under his breath, "Got to do this." Then, he hits redial and the same female voice on the end speaks.

"This the terrorism hotline. How can I help you today?"

"Your ten minutes are up," Sage says into the phone, putting a growl into his voice. "Now, I need to speak with your supervisor or somebody dies."

The receptionist didn't hesitate. "One moment please,"

---

Jennifer Kamazuke stood up at once. Her supervisor, nervous to begin with, put on Jennifer's headset and coughed into it. He heard a low growling noise in response.

"Hello? Are there animals over there?" The supervisor, Hiro Nagasami asks in Japanese.

The reply comes in English, which set Hiro's hairs to stand up. "No, I am the one growling. You have captured one of our loyal compatriots and we want him back. In exchange, I will give you the locations of five bombs located throughout the city, which you may dismantle and keep for evidence if you wish."

"Who am I speaking to?" Hiro says in the smooth English he learned while studying in California as a teenager.

"You're speaking to the man who's been blowing up half of Tokyo today," The man on the other end practically snarls back. "Now all I ask is that you either release our brother-in-arms or you tell us where he is located."

"Why would I tell you that?" Hiro demands.

"It gives you a strategic advantage," the terrorist responds. "You know where we're going to be, so can set up nets to capture us. If you release your prisoner, you have no guarantee that we'll ever show ourselves to you again. Frankly, sir, considering I have my finger on the button of over ten thousand lives, I'm giving you a good offer."

"But-"

The terrorist cut Hiro off. "No buts. I don't care. We're going to meet in twenty minutes on the arcade on Ranma street. You wear baseball cap and carry a newsapaper. I'll be carrying a suitcase. Inside the suitcase are the locations of all the bombs I've planted throughout the city. Tell me what I want to know, and it's yours."

"I need to know more, I need-" Again, Hiro is cut short.

"Sorry, it's eighty-five seconds. You're not tracing this call," The terrorist says, and then the line goes dead.

---

Sage exhales his breath. "Okay, Ryo, Dannin, time for you guys to go. You can't be hanging around here. It isn't safe."

Dannin nodds, running upstairs in a minute.

"We need to get some stuff at the house," Ryo says, "they won't suspect us, we've lived there a while and weren't there when everything happened. Fly into the SeaTac International Airport, it's in Washington state on the west coast. I'll meet you there if I can, or Dannin will. The house is a few hours south, near the mountians."

Dannin comes back down with a dufflebag over her shoulder. Ryo stands, a little uneasy, and looks at the others.

"Be careful," he says.

"You too," Korin says, "take care Dannin, I have a lot to ask you."

"Likewise young Wildcat," Dannin says, "see you later."

And the two are out the door.

Chapter Eighteen:The Base Matter

In the place of darkness, The Wisp appears before Sehkmet and Kale. Sehkmet says, "So, they are moving, and they do not have Tenku with them?"

The Wisp changes shape briefly, giving its response.

Kale says, "We must wait to attack until they have found Tenku. Batrias, are you ready?"

Batrias appears out of the darkness and kneels before Kale. "Yes, my lord," He says.

---

Korin takes up a run after him, easily keeping up with the bearer of Halo. They leave the city like a rush of wind, no one sees them, no one hears them.

He was flying along the ground and never falling. Sage wasn't too aware of his legs moving, the muscles inside taxing themselves beyond their limits. As he rushed through the streets, he only knew that Rowen was in danger; moreover, if Rowen told the military everything, all the Ronin Warriors would be in a worse spot than they already were.

Then, all of the sudden, Sage hit a wall of fog and fell back on his rear, splintering pavement. "That can't be solid, what is that?" He asked himself.

Korin watches Sage fall back and skids to a half, kicking up pieces of concrete as she does so. She halts, putting a hand to the fog.

"I don't know," she says, "doesn't seem human."

Running for Kento felt like plummeting sideways. He never could explain how his sub-armor made it possible for him to run at such speeds; he merely thought that Suzunagi had intended it to be so, and he didn't think about it any further. Mysteries, after all, gave him a headache.

Then, he bumped into something that wasn't there. "An invisible wall?" He asked aloud. He saw Sage sitting in a pothole, with Korin nearby; Cye was coming up close as well.

"Korin," Kento calls out, "This is not natural. I think we're gonna have to fight!"

"Don't call armors yet," Korin says, "perhaps we can unravel it. We don't want to attract attention to us until we're far from here, for Rowen's sake."

"This is very strange," Sage says to Korin. "This, whatever this is, natural phenomenon or something else- it doesn't seem to be sent to attack us. Almost like it's a spy...or it's trying to slow us down."

"We're not going to fight?" Kento asks.

"No, I don't think so," Sage replies. "Besides, how can you fight air? Korin, do you know anything about what we're dealing with?"

Korin slowly shakes her head, "Not, not really. There is a power behind it, but what it is, I cannot tell."

Sage stands up slowly and puts his arm out. The wall that he had felt previously was no longer there. "It seems to have gone. Well, let's go before whatever it is decides to come back."

Korin nodds, launching into a run again.

She skids to a halt just outside a tall wall leading into the complex. She stops the others, speaking in a wisper.

"Guards, lots of them," she says, "Armor on, masks down. We go in, get Rowen, and get out. Let's try to avoid as many fights as we can."

---

Rowen feels his body fall to the concrete floor as if his nerve endings are quite different and seperate from himself. He imagines briefly that he is dreaming, that the electricity sent through his body was just imaginary, and that he did not cry out in pain, did not scream as loud as his lungs could muster for the pain to stop. He finds that laying down is relaxing, and he doesn't mind the distant feeling that he's being carried away somewhere, his head drooping towards the floor. He imagines that he is floating on a cloud, that perhaps he has died, and that is a great relief indeed, for it is what he wants...

When the iron grating of the prison cell slides shut, Rowen snaps awake and remembers that he was tortured and that he is now being held by the Japanese government.

---

Kento rears his arm back and punches through the gate. He runs towards the base, not knowing exactly where he's supposed to go. Cye and Sage follow.

"Where is Rowen?" Kento asks, panting from all the running he's had to do.

"I don't know," Sage answers. "Can you sense him, Korin?"

Korin nodds, spreading her arms out. A wind kicks up around her, her eyes closed behind her silver mask. She mutters something, then her eyes snap open. She lowers her arms slowly.

"Underground," she says, "his armor still protects him from being broken. But it won't forever. Kongo, can you punch a hole in the ground just in front of me?"

"Kongo, is it?" Kento asks, smiling. He clenches his fist, rears back, and delivers a punch into the ground with all his force. The hole is so big that Kento nearly falls in. Cye grabs his friend around the waist and pulls him back.

"Hey, if you call me Kourin, we'll have the same name," Sage says, poking Korin in the ribs.

Korin smirks behind her mask, then jumps into the hold. Imidiatly, she is plunged into darkness. Only an aura from her armor lights the area around her. She draws one of her two twin katana blades and waves for the others to follow.

Cye clasps onto the grating of a prison, his other hand pointing his spear forward. Sage draws his sword, and a faint light emanates from the tip of it. Sage whispers in Korin's ear, "Where?"

Korin closes her eyes again, but only for a moment. She takes a step forward and her eyes snap open.

"This way," she says, "there are a lot of guards between us and him, be careful."

Kento slowly pounds his fist into his palm to show Korin what he means to do. On his face is a question: yes or no?

---

Rowen, sitting his cell, tries to figure out if they pumped him full of sodium pentathol, but he can't remember. The hours are like black stretches of space, unknowable and irretrievable...

---

Korin sighs, "Hurt, fine, but spare their lives if you can. Rowen is in pain, I can feel it."

She takes another step and suddenly lights come on with blinding speed. Korin tenses as she looks at the guards in front of them.

Cye's fist slams into the stomach of a guard. Sage, using the blunt edge of his sword, whacks one of them on the back of the neck. The guard collapses, unconscious. The sound of his body falling on the floor is enough for the other guards to raise the alarm. A shot rings out across the underground hallway. One of the guards yells, "They're here! In the prototype suits of body armor!"

Another guard yells back, "The terrorists?"

Sage shouts to them both, "Out of the way unless you want to die!"

Korin slides forward, her sword holding of the bolts as she stands inches from the nearest guard. One seems supprised to hear a woman's voice behind a silver mask.

"We aren't what you think," she says, "We tried to help, we're here for our friend. Out of the way, and no one is harmed, and me leave in peace. You don't and my friends here get trigger happy."

---

Asako had been off to find a key..... and White Blase was with her to guard. It was no accidentthat she had slid into that particular part of the cave, b8ut the awkward landing had sprained her ankle.

What she was looking for was there, in fromt of her.

Using the key was another matter.


Grasping the small, glowing golden object, she convinced White Blaze to be her mount, as she rode the large white feline free, and out.

"Well.... old friend, time to show my colors. They're going to need someone distractimg the governtment when they're trying their rescue... may as well give them something to see."


************ time passes ***************************

Just outside of the same building the ronins were in, a young woman walked up, flanked by a large, white tiger.

Needless to say, the guards wewre not happy with this.... even less so seconds later.

"Armor of Tamashi, grant claws to this dragon!"

A silver and black armor formed on the girl, making ker look like a bipedal dragon, fearesom facemask and all.

"You're looking for terrorists? I believe you have the wrong people. But you're quite welcome to try and take me into custody.... after all, I am the mastermind."

privately, she hoped the bluff helped. She was also happy top leave her facemask down.

---

"Sir, um, just who are going to capture?" One of the guards, looking to a man standing in back, asks.

"Capture them all," The commander orders. "I don't know who's a terrorist and who isn't, but we can't afford to take chances."

Then, all of the sudden, a voice: "Help!"

Sage shouts, "Rowen!"

"I'm here!" Rowen kicks at the door keeping him a prisoner.

"Korin, let's go," Sage says. "I don't care. I'm going to kill them all."

"That will only make matters worse Warrior of Light," Korin says, "I will handle what I can. Hold your rage a moment longer."

Korin draws her second sword, causeing the guards to step back. She does not call an attack, but casts a blinding light on all but her and the Ronins. Eventually however, the light grows until only she and Sage can see inside it.

"Quickly!" Korin yells, "the others with us will recover first."

And with that, she runs to the door holding Rowen and slashes at it with both swords.

Kento hauls Rowen onto his shoulders and runs awkwardly away. Sage, following says to Korin, "If we jumped down to get here..."

"Don't worry about that," Rowen pants. "I can take care of it."

Then, suddenly, Kento and Rowen begin to float. They rise up through the ceiling and into the light.

---

Meanwhile, the warrior in black and silver was wreaking havoc on the area, not actuslly hurting anyone beyond bruises and contusions, but definately making herself the biogger threat here.

I hope this is a good enough distraction- when they're gone, I can get away and see why they came here in the first place.

she gestured with her scimitars, and plants that had been small began to grow at an alarming rate, further pulverizing the remains of a fountain.

---

The effects of Rowen's ability begin to affect the other Ronins as well, but Korin last of all. Just as her feet leave the ground, one guard gets a lucky shot. It hits her shoulder in the one place her armor doesn't cover. She almost cries out, but bites her lip until she gets top-side.

"Quickly!" she says, "out of the city while there is still time!"

Sage growls under his breath as he sees what waits for him on the other side. An array of tanks, the shadow creature, something that looks like fog, and...Batrias.

"I am sorry, but I cannot let you pass before The Wisp here absorbs the power of Tenku," Batrias declares, "Forgive me if this causes you inconvience."

"Inconvience, nah," Kento shoots back. "We were just leaving a military base full of armed soldiers to rescue a friend and we find that there are a bunch of tanks, two creatures and you waiting for us? Nah, that's no big deal. C'mon, are you crazy?"

"Some have said so..." Batrias remarks.

"Listen, I don't care," Sage says. "Either get out of our way or be destroyed. Korin just got injured, and I won't allow you to stop us. I don't care whose side you are on-"

"By your standards, I am on the side of evil," Batrias says, "Though I assure you this is not the case."

"Like hell it isn't!" Sage shouts, his sword pointed at Batrias. It glows light blue, and Sage quickly rushes forward to meet the warrior of Holy. The sword of Nimbus meets the Blade of Vengeance in a quick succession of strikes and slashes. One of the tanks flies into the air, as if hit by a gigantic punch.

Sage then holds his sword above his head and shouts, "Rei Ko Zan!!"

Batrias, doing the same thing, shouts, "Divine Vengeance!!"

The two attacks meet, flinging away tanks and soldiers alike. The fence surrounding the military is soon blown apart, as green battles with white. The light is so blinding that, for a moment, Sage has to squint to see. He hears a strange noise, something that sounds like a sound effect from a B movie, and sees that his attack quickly overwhelms Batrias's. The Thunderbolt Cut impacts Batrias in the chest, sending him flying deep into the sky.

"Anyone else want some, huh?" Sage asks, even though there is no one left.

A cleverly armored apparently taloned hand rested on Sage's shoulder, as the masked wearer of a silver and black armor shook it's head.

"Let it go, Sage of the Kourin. Escape while you yet have the chance, and care for your wounded."

With a grace belonging to the dragon her armor made her look to be a hybrid of, she stepped back, and drew her scimitars.

"Now GO before he recovers, and let me play a distraction."

She looked for anyone who might hinder the ronin's progress.

"I will find you all later. We need to talk."

Korin could feel a line of blood tracing under her armor down her arm. Slowly, drops fall from her hand to the ground. Her hand is limp, one sword having fallen to the ground and the other still in an iron grip in her hand. Her face is slightly pale.

"She's right," Korin says, "besides, I'm all right, it's not as bad as it looks. We have to get Rowen out of here. Follow me, I know the fastest way out of the city!"

She turns to run, glances at her sword, sheathes the one in her hand, and picks up the other.