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(( who knows...))

(( yeah i know..))

After supper, Jon helped the old man clean up the table and wash the dishes in hopes that he would prove he wasn't dangerous. It worked, to an extent, because the old man started talking again.

"So, your father was involved in the Battle of Midway? What flattop was he stationed on?" War stories were always a topic of interest for the old man, from what he expressed.

"The Hiryu, actually. One of the biggest carriers in the Japanese fleet. It was from this ship that he flew his final mission." The old man looked down. He hadn't really known his father, but he always showed respect.

"That one was blown to bits, wasn't it?" The old man grit his teeth and was about to snap at Jon, but bit his tongue and shrugged it off as a young man's loose lips.

"Indeed it was. Please, show a bit of respect next time." The old man looked saddened by the memories of his father going off to war. His mother showed him the pictures of his ship, of the day he got on the train, the letters he sent, as well as the notice stating that his father had passed away. Jon lowered his head as well.

"I apologize, I tend to speak without thinking." Jon looked back at the old man, who looked at him. The old man smiled and Jon smiled back.

"It's fine. It's nice to see a young fella so gentlemanlike, such as yerself. I guess you're not bad after all." Jon breathed a sigh of relief. His personality was able to overcome the fear the old man had. He sensed a bit of caution still left over in the man, but it was almost completely gone. Jon yawned, and the old man noticed this.

"You look like you're a tired fella. Why don't you go to bed, and I'll clean up?" The old man was more than willing to share his space with Jon. This was a good sign indeed. Jon's response was nothing short of ecstatic.

"I thank you kindly for the motion of hospitality. I'll go hit the couch, that thing's comfortable." He chuckled and strolled over to the big sofa next to the fireplace, grabbing a pillow to prop his head up. The warmth of the fire, as well as the fullness of Jon's stomach, put him to sleep almost instantly.

Old Noriyuki finished up in the dining room, putting away the remaining dishes. After he was done, he quietly walked into the den to see Jon sleeping soundly on the sofa.

"Feller's asleep already? Damn, he don't waste no time at all." He retraced his steps back through the dining room to the small room he had upstairs. Undoing the covers, he removed his overalls and slipped into a pair of pajamas. Nori hopped into bed and shut off the oil lamp he lit earlier. The fullness of Nori's stomach put him to sleep almost as fast as Jon.

.....

Nori woke up feeling refreshed. He checked the old clock on the wall, which read 6:30 a.m. Time to get up, Nori thought to himself. He pulled himself out of bed and threw on a pair of bluejeans and a button-up shirt. He grabbed a pair of socks and threw his boots on, preparing to go outside for some stretches, as well as a morning drive to town for some shopping. Very carefully, he walked by the sleeping (more like snoring!) Jon and carefully closed the door behind him. He opened the door of his truck and climbed into the cab, digging in his pocket for his keys, only to realise he had left them in the house.

"Dammit, gotta head back in." He stepped out of his truck and was greeted by the end of a machine gun being pointed in his face.

"You. Who's here with you?" The soldier at the other end of the gun had a very deep voice, one that was booming and intimidating. Nori's nerves turned to putty with the man moving his finger to the trigger. He knew he had to tell the truth.

"He's a...a traveller. A fella that I stumbled upon last night." He didn't want to let on too much right away. Maybe if he beat around the bush a bit, they wouldn't notice, and wouldn't get what they were looking for. Unfortunately, that plan backfired.

"Don't toy with me! We know you're hiding a murderer!" Nori's face went white. Murderer?

"All I know is that this fella parks his car in the middle of the road, and I get out waitin' for the worst. Turns out he's a nice feller, so we head over to my cabin here," he pointed at the cabin, "and have dinner. Then I find out he's one o'dem horned thingymajiggers." Nori was in a panic at this point. The soldier grinned and lowered the gun.

"That's all we needed to know. Time to roll, boys!"

Jon awoke to the sound of the cabin door being slammed open. In a matter of seconds, half a dozen armored men with automatic weapons surrounded the couch where he lay, each one his finger on the trigger.

"Don't move a muscle. We won't hesitate to fire." Jon stayed completely still--these fellas meant business. Two soldiers who stood guard at the doorway moved aside to allow a young man wearing a white labcoat to enter.

"Long time no see, eh Jon?" Jon's eyes doubled in size. It was him. That b*****d scientist who oversaw his capture and containment at the lab.

"I can't say I'm happy to see you." Jon grit his teeth as the doctor neared. While he would like to show the 'good' doctor what's what, he didn't want to risk having his brains splattered all over the inside of the cabin.

"Now, now, Jon. Is that any way to greet your old friend?" Jon rolled his eyes.

"Friend? Are you kidding me?" The scientist chuckled and ordered one of the soldiers to restrain him. He grabbed Jon and took him outside. Jon didn't struggle. Actually, he couldn't. His body strength didn't match that of the two individuals holding him. They brought him outside and strapped him to a big piece of steel, one that featured a door covering his entire body.

"This time we won't mess around. The steel that makes up this restraint is so thick that not even vectors of your ability can break through. You can kiss your life as a free bird goodbye. From now on, you're mine." The doctor cackled, and Jon closed his eyes, aware that resistance is ultimately futile. No force on this Earth could set him free, now.

He looked over to the old man, who only had a sad look on his face. He couldn't say anything to the man, so he just shook his head.

"I'm...sorry, Jon." He hung his head and covered his face with his hands. But Jon understood. He probably had no choice.

They loaded him onto a truck and took him to the end of the road, where a Chinook helicopter was waiting to retrieve him. It was here that they unloaded him from the truck and wheeled him onto the helicopter. With the door closed and his small prison secure, they gave the green light to take off.

The chopper ride was smooth for all of ten minutes. Then things turned south.

"I can't control her! The rear engine's RPMs are falling fast!" The co-pilot shouted for one of the other soldiers to hurry over.

"Is it HIM?" They looked over to Jon's small prison.

"No, it couldn't be. It's far too secure!" Finally, the rear engine stalled out, sending the chopper into a spin.

"s**t! Mayday! Mayday! We're going down!" The engine exploded into a fireball, scorching three soldiers and undoing the locks that kept Jon's prison in place. A short-circuit opened the door, and the prison slid out the cargo door, into the shallow water below. It impacted the ground with a splash of water and sand, and the helicopter exploded into a brilliant flash of light, littering pieces of metal all over the beach.

Great, so I'm stuck in this big steel THING and nobody's around to get me out. Things couldn't get any worse.

((And you're ugly. domokun ))