Chapter 15: Chapter 15

She did subtle pretty well, it seemed. Kiko knew Bruyn was following her and yet she couldn’t point out even a general location. Not that she would, but still, damn good. And not pointing people out in crowds made her realize, she didn’t know where she was meeting Remmy. So Kiko rung the girl again, and it took quite the while to answer. On the other side was just breathing and waiting, so Kiko spoke first.
“So, I’m out. Where we meeting up, unless this was all an elaborate prank and I am dressed up in the middle of town for no reason other than to elect a few laughs. If that is the case, I swear there will be despondency and pulled hair” Kiko rambled into the phone, because she didn’t know what else to do. She was full of fire and fury when she was in SIR, but now she was actually out on an op, with a frigging gun under her jacket. What was she going to do, shoot someone? Generally, the idea of guns, yes, but could she do it? The answer was probably, if it was to protect Remokr. That whole love stint was not far from the truth, only dulled with age.
“The. Center. Of town. Is good” Remokr replied, with tone that flared the already burning fire in Kiko’s soul. They were going to pay for this.
“Sounds good, considering that is where I am. I’ll wait here” Kiko strained to keep her voice cheery, and then hung up and got a coffee.

Coffee came prompt, and was paid for promptly, but Kiko couldn’t taste it. She drunk and looked like she was engaging in the general coffee-shop stuff but she wasn’t. Her mind was totally elsewhere. The elsewhere where she was wondering what Remokr had gotten into and if people were going to be dead at the end of the day. The scariest part of that was that she could do it, and not think twice. What kind of situation where the Kitsunes in that made them go this route? That made them become such, monsters? How could anything be so bad as to make them into these unfeeling horrors, half a step removed from the creatures that SIR put down on a regular basis. The introspection wasn’t set to go anywhere, but she did it all the same, because she needed to pass the time. Before her friend arrived and she needed to rescue her from unknown villians. How did her life come to this?

She was meant to be a school girl, with the biggest problem being a group of jumped up twats who wanted to fight her because men reasons. This whole situation was way beyond what she was capable of dealing with, and if she wasn’t a Kitsune, she’d have no chance of getting pas the first week. Especially not with Mr Knife involved in that first week. Kiko checked her firearm was secure and hidden behind her jacket, made sure she could get to it in a hurry, and then finished her coffee. She wasn’t keeping track of the time, but it felt as if Remokr was late. Maybe Kiko was just being paranoid, but in this situation, she had a good reason to be paranoid. But, just as she was getting to the fighting stage of agitation, a girl sat down. A girl with a passing resemblance to her friend Remokr. Kiko didn’t need the scent of slowly healing flesh, didn’t need to see the tracks made by tears, covered up with makeup but not well enough to hide from her new eyes. She could feel her jitters, feel her anxiety, feel as if she was a second away from a hysterical breakdown.

So, not giving anyone any time to react, Kiko just stood up, hugged Remokr, and then grabbed her hand and pulled her up.
‘We’re running’ she whispered into the earbud, hoping it did what it was said to do, and then gave another tug. “Let’s go somewhere~” Kiko exclaimed. And then she did as she warned Bruyn, and started to run, giggling to herself like a young girl running off to a secret tryst with her boyfriend. Or in this case girlfriend. Queenie would be seething if she saw that, the girl was kinda possessive. But, Kiko would have to deal with that later. Instead, she ignored Remokr’s stuttered and stammered complaints and just dragged her along, running on instinct. Her ears picked out an exclamation of surprise, and then running feet next to hers. Which, not that she needed confirmation, did just that on the idea of it was a trap. It was slightly worrying that they didn’t care about making it believable, only that they got her out. But that wasn’t her worry, Bruyn would deal with her stalkers, she just had to get herself and Remokr out of here before the dealing with went down. She had no idea how a superzombie would deal with people, but didn’t want to stick around and find out. Her ears kept track of the running man’s steps until he suddenly let out a strangled gurgle and there were no more steps. Whatever Bruyn had planned, it wasn’t going to end well for her stalker. But it was good he was gone, because now she could stop running quite so frantically. Still running, but not as scared deer as before.
“What are you doing? Where are we going? Why are you running so much?” Remokr exclaimed from behind, firing off questions with no pause for breath. Maybe, Kiko hadn’t slowed down as much as she had thought she had.
“No idea, actually. Fun, isn’t it?” Kiko replied, quite an unhinged laugh that she didn’t really mean to be quite that nutjob-esque, but that was how it came out. She did have some idea where she was going, but it was hard to describe to Remokr, and so just saying ‘I am following something that might be a hunch if you squint hard enough’ was not going to help her any more than what she had just said. Remokr whined some more, but didn’t say anything else and just got dragged along.

Eventually they arrived, and Kiko ploughed through the door without much thought for who might own this warehouse. And then she was hit with a stench of blood, death and gunpowder. Immediately her brain sparked, and she knew where she was. Just as immediately, the Kitsune Mentality disassociated her thoughts and it didn’t bother her that here was where her life took a sharp – literally – turn for the worst. Kiko reached up and stroke the streak of white in her hair, but it was less of a terrible memory. Almost as if it had happened to someone else entirely.
“Kiko, talk to me. You are all white, your eye…your hair…what is going on?” Remokr asked, her tone tinged with fear and confusion. Kiko turned around suddenly and pushed her against the wall, kissing her softly on the lips.
“Well, that’s a story for another time. Right now, I want to make good on the claim that you, love, me~” Kiko’s teasing tone made Remokr blush and look away. Sharply followed by a yelp and a grimace of pain as the fox’s fingers slipped under the jeans she was wearing and scratched the still healing flesh. Swiftly stripping her of all lower garments, Kiko circled the wound with her finger. More accurate to call it a brand, really. Identical to her own. “And how it seems you are a slave now, Remokr. How did this happen?” Kiko’s voice had suddenly frozen, her eyes shining with intensity, and a sharpness to her tone she didn’t even know she possessed before this point. Her friend’s eyes widened, filled with emotion, and then burst into tears, and flopped on Kiko.

While comforting the hysterical girl, she got something in her earpiece. Something from Bruyn.
“Kiko, hole up wherever can and wait, you’ve got an entire cadre of Cultists on your position. Fuck, I know Kitsunes are good, but this is just too much…” Bruyn’s warning washed over an icy-cold Kiko, who then slipped a finger under Remokr’s chin and lifted it up, so they were eye-to-eye.
“Right now is when I need you to be a strong woman, Remokr. You can collapse later; Asha is really good for helping people with their hysterics. I know, from personal experience. But right now I need you to be, you. Not this terrified lamb of a thing in front of me” Kiko’s voice had a whip-crack tone, a command as much as a request. And regardless of actual feelings, Remokr obeyed before she realized what she was obeying too. Tears dried up and she stopped with the ragged, hitched breath. Which was good before a man appeared behind them, saw the two, and pulled out a gun. Kiko responded with alacrity, firing off a pair of bullets from her gun at the man, but not fast enough to avoid taking one to her own shoulder. Her bullet had thrown off his aim, but not enough.

Kiko was sure she had got hit, her body rolled from the force of the impact, but she couldn’t feel anything at this moment, so just looked to Remokr and pulled her on her as the blood splatter from the bullet covered the hall.
“We gotta go” Kiko growled, her teeth clenched tight enough to grind together as she turned and dragged Remokr into a room outside the hallway. Kiko had to show a brave face so that Remokr didn’t have to worry any more than she already was. The girl didn’t have the merits of the Kitsune Mentality, after all. The only good thing was that her own blood didn’t seem to set off her Blood Moon bullshit. That, would have been exhausting. And she really didn’t need to be going nuts in front of Remokr. That, was not what she needed. Didn’t stop the fact that she was bleeding rather profusely, and passing out would not do anyone any favors. So she spawned a tail and sparked up the fire, cauterizing the wound in her shoulder, and not quite managing to suppress the cry of agony.

“Tail? You…?” Remokr just stared, stunned at the sudden revolution. Apparently maids could carry guns, but not be Quasi-Humans.
“Yea, apparently I’m a Kitsune. Surprised me when I was told as well” Kiko replied, with an unduly cheerful voice. She was just winging it at this point. And, speaking of winging it, she felt…something. Pulling at her, calling to her, leading her. She stepped without thought, and then pushed off the lid to look inside. Mostly, just stolen bric-a-brac and other stuff looking to be sorted out what can be hawked and what can be scrapped. But inside, sat a sword. A sword that sung to her.
“Ki..ko?” Remokr asked, stuttering a bit as her friend just wandered off abruptly. It went unheard, as the fox girl grasped the sword, and pulled it out of its sheath. The Song then filled her ears. Deep, intense, loving. She couldn’t focus on anything that wasn’t it. She couldn’t see anything but the blade and its song. It was powerful, as if sung by a man with a hell of a set of lungs. It sounded, like it was half a song, like he was singing to a person who was absent. She wanted to know who he was singing to. Wanted to know what it was about this tarnished black blade that was so enticing. And then wanted some painkillers as her arm was wrenched out of its socket when the blade shifted itself into the path of a bullet. Fortunately, it was the shoulder without the bullet, but she had really not had good luck right now.

She had seen it on so many medias, bullets being deflected in the dozens by a sword with no issues at all. But the single bullet hit the sword with such force it threw her off balance. Along with jolting the dislocated shoulder. Today was pain, it seemed. The man was stunned by the lightning fast movement and blocking of his bullet, which gave Remokr time enough to shoot a lightning bolt at him, taking him out and causing him to flop about the floor like a beached fish before going still.
‘We’ve breached, keep your head down, Kiko’ Bruyn said through her earpiece. Probably to give her some comfort and explanation of the explosion that she heard down the hall. She was the head of the Rifles, so maybe she had brought some of her people in to help her. Scary thought when the Superzombie needed some help, but maybe it was a manpower thing. A dozen people could search and contain an area better than a single person, so it was worth the time to wait for them to arrive. Hearing the order to hold up, Kiko dragged a box over to the door and blocked it, so nobody could get in. Not something that was easy with one dislocated shoulder and another with a bullet hole in it.
“Barricaded the door. Give two knocks, and then two more knocks when you get to it” Kiko replied, then turning to grab Remokr and hurry into the shelter of boxes.

“Alright, seems like we have some time to sit, silently shriek in pain, relocate my shoulder, loudly shriek in pain, and talk. Mind helping?” Kiko asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. Bloody Kitsune Mentality made her out to be an absolute nutjob to Remmy, but she held her own well and placed her own hand on Kiko’s shoulder.

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“Gonna hurt” Remokr said, and then popped her shoulder back in. Remmy certainly didn’t lie about the fact that it was going to hurt. Kiko managed to restrain it to a loud grunt, and then settled for some deep panting.
“Holy shit, I hurt…distract me Remokr. Tell me where you got that brand” Remmy seemed rather nervous and feeling like she wanted to avoid the subject at all costs, but then there was no point avoiding it with Kiko, so just broke into a babble.
“It happened a few days after you left. I was walking home from school when this van pulled up next to me and I was dragged in. They were well prepared, I tried throwing some lightning but the interior was insulated and had rods sticking out of it that drew my bolts away. I don’t really remember what happened after that, just that it hurt. And then I woke up strapped to a table. They wanted to use me to get to you, and I don’t know how they knew we were connected. Probably the same way they knew what to do in the van to stop me frying their asses. I refused, hotly, and insulted their heritage, so they got in some guy with a mournful expression. He said he was sorry for what was about to happen. It brought him no pleasure because his brother had been killed the other day doing exactly what he was up to, and so the act just reminded him of that fresh wound. Did, stop him with the torture though. It was…was…just…” Remokr started to shake, and Kiko could intimately sympathize with what she was going through. Kitsune Mentality didn’t mean that things never happened, just that she could deal with it, whatever it was. So she took the girl, and hugged her softly. Comfortingly. It helped to soothe her.

“I know. I think I may have met his brother, and I think I may be the cause in a roundabout sort of way, as to why he was sad. But, I guess he didn’t try anything on with you, because of the sadness?” Kiko tried to find the light, but mentioning that just made her sob harder. Apparently the sadness had the opposite effect on the guy, and he did it to hopefully dull the ache of his brother’s death. Friendly sort of family.
“How…do you cope? With the memories? With what they did?” Remokr asked, her voice a hushed and terrified whisper.

“I cheat. Apparently Kitsunes are designed to deal with this sort of thing. Our minds dissemble overwhelming emotion to avoid undue stress. Doesn’t work perfectly, I will admit, seems a bit broken if you ask me. But it is better than what you have. Maybe. Thunderbirds are lightning oriented, and memories are just electrical impulses. Depending on how much you can’t bare it, you can always try get rid of it entirely”

Remokr looked at Kiko for a few moments, somewhere between horrified and amazed at the suggestion. And then Kiko’s hair started to stand on end as the static in the surrounding area skyrocketed. Remokr electrified, her skin becoming painful to hold onto. But hold on Kiko did, giving Remokr support that she needed while dealing with her internal issue. And then the pain stopped, and Remokr slumped in Kiko’s arms. So now she had a cauterized hole, a recently relocated shoulder, and a sword with a blackened blade. Looking to the edge, it was coated in a thin something that would stop it being able to cut. Somehow she knew that, even without knowing what it was. Then two knocks came, followed by two more knocks.
“Hey Bruyn. Just, give it a push” She spoke through her comms, trusting in the zombie superstrength to push aside the barrier. Which, worked like a dream. And there, in the doorway, was Bryun. It made her happy.

“Sat around with a half-naked girl clinging to you, and you say she’s not your girlfriend? Such a Cassanova, Kiko” Bruyn teased her, walking over to offer a hand up before seeing the bullet hole and grimacing. She got on her comms to the medic they have brought, and then crouched down. “So, what’s with the sword? Didn’t like my gun so decided to try something more manual?”
“To be honest, I have no idea. I just, need it. It’s mine. Gotta, keep hold of it.” Kiko rambled for a bit before staring at Bruyn, taking a few breaths, and then falling back onto the ground, eyes whiting out as consciousness slipped away, pain and exertion too much to survive any longer.

* * * * *

A new celling. That was no celling she knew. Was she meant to go through more of this? More strange ceilings, more getting shot, more watching her friends fall apart like Remokr. According to ghost-Drax, she was in for more of this. And how many times was she going to tell herself that she was in for more of this before she truly clocked onto the fact? Sitting up in bed, Kiko was dressed, but the clothing was so fine she could hardly feel it at all. Softer than silk could ever hope to be, softer than any material even. A red top and a white skirt that reached her feet was an interesting fashion choice, but she didn’t hate it. Something about it made her heart swell. Made her feel nostalgic and loved. Wiping away the tears that were forming, she threw the covers back and got out of bed, putting on the soft sandals at the foot of the bed, and walking out of the large tent. Something was missing, but the swell in her heart, the feeling of being loved, made it something impossible to put her finger on.

Once outside, she saw a strange sight. Something between an established town and a nomadic camp, it was large and sprawling with many distinct ‘buildings’ but made entirely out of tents of varying size and grandeur. The largest of which was one made with a crimson red silk and made Kiko feel somewhat in awe. It was just a tent, but the tent made her feel both comforted and amazed. With slow steps, she entered the tent, and saw a wondrous sight. The inside was considerably sized, and filled with tailed people of all manner. There were several dotted about talking with each other, a few at a masterfully carved statue of a tall woman with nine tails, and a woman. A woman with five tails swishing behind her, tended to a shrine, keeping it clean and talking to the people that seemed to be…praying to the statue. Her clothes had the same style as Kiko’s own, but with inverted colours. And a few other Kitsunes with one and two tails went about the tent seeing to tasks, wearing the same clothes as she was.
“Don’t just stand there, youngling, help out” one of them exclaimed, dumping something into her arms and sending her scurrying off somewhere and spent twenty minutes being lectured for her lack of sewing ability, before the shrine-tending woman appeared.
“Give us a moment” She told the other one, who nodded and went off to find something else to do. “So, struggling with the sewing?” she asked. Her voice was, so familiar, and comforting to boot.
“I don’t know what I am doing here. And not just the sewing but the tent and the whole place. I was with Bruyn last I remember” she dropped the sewing and let out an exasperated sight, staring at her pricked and bleeding fingers. Not really the worst she had ever felt, so it hardly bothered her, just the
idea that she was going to make a mess.

But that idea was proven false when the woman produced a napkin and wiped the blood off her fingers, and then applied a cream to the pricks to stop them bleeding further.
“Thanks….” She looked at the woman, properly, and her heart throbbed. This woman was, so……
“First thing I ever got to do. I don’t blame him, I understand exactly why he did it but it still hurt” the woman had a mournful voice, one that made Kiko want to cry. But, she managed to hold it back, if only just.
“I…I…was…never, really good at the pronoun game” Kiko muttered, too much focus going into not crying to be able to talk properly.
“Ahh, yes. No doubt he hasn’t told you anything about it, would kind of defeat the whole purpose if he did” The woman continued the pronoun game, as if teasing her or something. But from the tone, Kiko could tell she was just nervous. “I’m Yeni, your mother” and suddenly, Kiko could understand everything she felt about the woman. Could tell why her heart swelled to see her, and hurt to hear her so sad.
“Oh……”

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