In Gods' Good Time: Chapter Nineteen of an Angel Beats Fan Fiction Story
by
C V Ford
Chapter 19: Hide and Tag, Seek! You're It!
As ordered by Yuri, Operation Drop Out individually commenced the moment any of the Front members opened his/her eyes that morning.
xxxxx
Target aquired.
With folded arms, Shiina nonchalontly leaned at the cafeteria entrances' side watching ... HIM.
Sitting alone at the Battlefronts' usual tables in the cafeterias' main room, no doubt feeling safe in the knowledge that it would take most of first period before Angel would deduce something was up and go searching for one and all. Probably thinking he had the rest of the day to himself and nothing to worry for the time being.
As far as the ninja was concerned, HE had the rest of the day to HERself. Being that Operation Drop Out was to be an all day affair so it would also be for hers ... and his.
She continued watching as he scanned about the vast room, seemingly trying to take in as many details as possible. Looking everywhere but in front of him. Nervousness evident, as he had every right to be ...
But it wasn't Angel who would be catching him today.
What amazed and amused Shiina about ordinary humans was their inability to focus their minds even though their eyes were. They could be such easy prey. Many was the time when standing out in the open made for the best concealment as now. Just a part of the "Game" she was trained and forced to "play" when alive. Though the kind of violence she had in mind at this moment was to be even more ... satisfying.
On finally seeing her, his startled reaction had her smiling in that feral, open lipped, teeth revealing fashion reserved only for him. The combined pall of primal fear and "little boy lost" aura, luxuriant in its' aroma, she inhaled slowly, .
Yes! ... he always ... "tasted" ... good.
The trajectory of her vision rifled straight into the young mans' eyes. Feline intensity from her registering on his brain that it was all over but the feasting.
Not that he never put up a "fight". The first time he tried evasion early in their "relationship", on tracking and finding him, she made it known, (In "actions" if not words.) in no uncertain terms what the penalties would be if done again. The second time, she concluded that, at times, he liked it ... rough.
She thoroughly enjoyed this game ... and relished in his being "game" even more.
Pulling on his collar to loosen it, his vision was inadvertantly taken off her. The huntress made her move, halving the distance between before his looking up.
A laugh she stifled on seeing his reactions. First relief at not seeing her at the foyer then turning to in-place panic upon espying the threat sitting at a table so near.
He blinked.
Another thing about the density of the general human population that amazed her, was their tendancy to look everywhere but ... up.
 |
| ... the humanoid panther she was, gracefully sailing over ... |
Had he done so, he would have seen the humanoid panther she was, gracefully sailing over.
Soundlessly rolling to the ground and somersaulting to her feet, she spun 'round, again suppressing a laugh on seeing him frantically looking under the table.
In less than a short breath, the predator was upon him, tracing her right middle finger from the tip of his, across the arm and shoulders. His fear she could sense, mixing with the cool sensual heat rising within. Fingertips' journey ending in a light caress up the neck and a whisp of a trace about the ear.
"Well ... Hellooo ..."
The afore-mentioned ear recieving her greeting in a whispy breath of softly heated purr.
Letting escape a half stifled gasp, the would be spotter bolted upright in his seat. Slowly, his head swiveled on its' neck to the left ... Into the very eyes of the "menace" seated immediately next.
The ninja savored fully, the wonderful taste of his apprehension on sizing him up at such an
un(?)comfortably close proximity. His helplessness, a delicacy she never tired of partaking, spiced the moment moreso as her depthless burgundy eyes ... slowly ... lovingly ... RELENTLESSLY ... unfurled his captive soul ... letting it stream in the ethereal breeze of their one sided struggle.
"So ... uh ... Shiina," squeaking in a medium rasp. "You ... eh ... run across anything ... cute ... and ... interesting ... lately?"
The clumsy, forced rejoinder, coming from the belief ANY response, even a weak one, being better than none, only made him more her victim of choice. A ... CHOICE ... victim indeed.
"Yes ... ," purring huskily, left forefinger oh so delicately drawing a voltaically charged spiral down the back of his right hand. Maneaters' visage but an inch away. " ... exactly ..."
Shiinas' hand came up, fingers lightly brushing across her victims' lips, forestalling further utterance. Her own wafting a soft pronunciamento hotly in his ear.
"I know ... where she can NEVER ... find us."
Feral eyes making a declaration of their own:
"Even IF you had a choice ... the outcome ... would be the same."
Heated clutch of the succubus' hand on that of her captive, zephyr light in leading him away.
xxxxx
"Un-believable!"
Going about his duties, Duffy couldn't help but notice ... At LEAST one out of every ten students, about two hundred, PLUS the whole of the Battlefront (40+), NOT attending class.
One tenth the student body! Some, he noticed, were NPCs ... or at least thought were. He might have to make revisions on a few.
Well into first period, it dawned on him as to why. A quick talk in passing with Hinata confirmed it.
A couple days before, Yuri informed him there would be no "meal ticket run" thanks to his purchases from the previous two months. In an off handed, joking remark, he suggested she take it easy and skip school that day. If it had occured to him she would take it as an idea and run with it, he would have kept his mouth shut.
His apprehension settled somewhat by second period as no gunplay being evident. The goal seemed to be in wearing the "angel" down.
Kanades' presence was felt by end of first period, trying as best she could to persuade, then escort, as many students back to class ... Only to find the very same ones back out a short time after. She soon started concentrating on Battlefronters, deducing them to be the instigators. It was a losing battle as she was only a force of one. The other members of the "morals commitee" (Mostly NPCs.) also making a valiant effort to no avail.
The start of third period found Duffy, toolbox in hand, trudging the courtyard between tiers 3 and 2 of Class C when the sound of running feet drew his attention.
Turning his head toward the southwest corner, seeing Matsushida and TK stomping through.
"Hmmm ... Looks like she's after 'Darwin 'n Dudley' this time," he observed.
Laughing and rushing by, Matsushida called out," hey Duffy-san! Lend us a hand, will ya'?"
"Help a homey out bro!" TK
An incredulous Jack Duffy watched as they rounded the southeast corner and out of sight.
"Looks like they're trying to double back on her," in speculation.
A sound of lighter running feet turned Jacks' attention back to the southwest corner where he saw the "force of one" tearing around incredibly fast in hot pursuit.
"She must have been down by the retaining wall when she spotted them, otherwise she'd have caught up by now ... 'Least she doesn't have her blades out."
Lending a hand, Jack held it out, pointing to the NORTHeast corner.
 |
| Kanade zipped by, giving him a frowny, eyebrow raised "Who you tryin' to kid look and flashed around the southeast corner. Credit: Willwaldart |
Kanade zipped by, giving him a frowny, eyebrow raised "Who you tryin' to kid?" look, and flashed around the southeast corner.
From three stories up, the pair of the greenest eyes Duffy had ever seen before or since, glared balefully down on the scene just transpired.
"Un-believable!"
xxxxx
Duffy decided to take an early lunch but heading to his apartment instead of the food court. It wasn't hunger prompting him as much as it was curiosity in how this "Operation Drop Out" was going. He wished he could take his scanner with him to work but wanted that still kept secret from Yuri. As it was, the radio was in his quarters thus being the only place he could use it.
Turning the device on, he fixed himself a sandwich and listened in.
"I'm at the top of tier 1 of Class A, Yuri. Can pretty much see the same as you."
"Looks like you'll have to change position if the action shifts."
"Doesn't seem so."
"Seems like Angels' gotten smart," observed the Leader.
"Yeah, gathering everyone in groups then accompanying them all in at once."
"Well let's see what happens. I expected something like this and-"
"Yup!" Yusa exclaimed. "There they go, like you planned, in ALL directions!"
"Hah! Look at her! Can't decide which one to chase ... Okay! She's picked one."
"She's after Sakaki. Nope! Just broke off. Going after one of the slower- ... Yeah. Going after Takamatsu."
While Angel could eventually catch up to Sakaki ... a big maybe ... the rest would be scattered over a wide area. She obviously decided on an easier "target".
"By the way Yusa ... Have you seen Shiina since this started?"
"No, not since last night in fact. She must think this is hide and seek instead of tag or something."
"Or something." Yuri answered and went on. "It seems like someone else is missing but I can't figure. It's one of the guys, I know THAT."
"Well, there's twice as many guys as us girls in the Front. Harder to keep track of."
Duffy gave himself a knowing grin.
"Yeah," he thought. "Shiina gone to ground and one of the guys not accounted for ... (sing-song) I know who it iii-is!"
xxxxx
Entering the classroom, Duffy couldn't help but notice Kanade in front of Rachels' desk. The conversation seemed concluded as the petite one turned and started walking away.
"Uh ... Ms. Tachibane?"
Looking up she spoke.
"O'Hara-san informed me. It is not your fault."
Duffy was about to say something when Kanade concluded.
"I must go now. Student business to be done."
With that, the tiny one unceremoniously left.
The man turned toward the desk.
"Considering what transpired earlier, I was wondering if things were still on for tonight."
Rachel sat back in her chair, left corner of mouth up in an eyebrow raised, dubiously affirmative look.
"Oh don't worry, it' still on," she assured semi-sternly. "Almost wasn't ... Put a lot of work into that lasagna after all."
"Oh?"
"I almost cancelled everything ... Until I called Yuri. Turns out it all came from something you said in passing. It's not like you sat up with her cooking up this scheme."
"I can imagine what you were thinking as it went down."
"You wouldn't know the half of It!" She now smiling fully. "For a moment there ... well ..."
"And?"
"First thing I notice, Half the students not showing up for homeroom ... At the beginning. They start filtering in some minutes later, I guess a lot were relenting and decided to attend class. The period's half over, most are in but still a few missing. If it weren't for some of the kids informing me what was going on, I would have thought a mass transcendence happened with the missing."
"Consider the alternative. It was about due."
"Yes, you've mentioned that."
"I was debating with myself about wether to take you to see it or not when Ms. Nakamura told me they weren't going to do it this time. Seems they had enough meal tickets to tide them over.
"You wouldn't have liked it. Quite violent ... messy."
"So you've said. Maybe today was a good thing after all."
"I guarantee. Anything we would have done tonight would have been absolutely impossible."
"Would nothing ... ARE! I put a LOT into that meal.
"So," she continued, "It's the start of third period, I'm looking down into the courtyard and I happen to see you going by. Suddenly those two show up, running like a couple of soccer bums."
"Oh ... You must be talking about Darwin and Dudley."
"Uh ... Matsushita and TK," smiling. "They go past you and then I see poor Kanade ... uh Tachibane ... ramming after."
She paused.
"Poor thing," sidetracking herself. "She was quite upset when I talked with her."
"How can you tell?" Duffy skeptacle. "Kid has all the emotional range of a doorstop."
"YOU! ... ," Rachel continued, "start pointing away from where they took off to, trying to get the girl confused. I was looking for something to throw at you, I was so mad."
"Well ... Hey! ... I mean ... They asked for help ... And I'm not a rat."
"Oh ... But you ARE a rat dearie," teeth showing through her smile. "A nice one but a total rodent nonetheless.
"At any rate, she didn't fall for it and caught up with them."
"How do you know that?"
"They were scheduled for my class that period, that's how."
"I take it she escorted them here."
"You got it. Have you any idea how weird it looks seeing two big-"
"Jerks?"
"-STUDENTS! being escorted to class by a tiny, little girl?"
Duffy had seen it before, but Rachel was right. The sight never failed to amuse.
"So they sit down, big crap eating grins on their faces and she leaves. I ask what the heck is going on and they tell me about this ... what is it? Yes! ... OPERATION or whatever it is they call it ... and implicating ... you. Needless to say, I was furious.
"And stop that smiling!" Said she smiling. "You look just like they did."
Duffys' face settled into an insincere frown, twitching to keep from grinning.
"Then they did something that totally blew me away!"
"Which is?"
They get up, go to the windows and ... and ... JUMP OUT!"
"So?"
"So ... NOTHING! ... It's ... It's three stories up! Three ... stories!"
"Again ... What's the big deal?"
"I thought they were committing suicide! ... eh ... Stop laughing!"
By this time, Duffy was sitting on a desk in a vain attempt at suppressing the giggles.
"I run to the windows, screaming my head off, the other students laughing and I see those two-"
"Morons."
"Yes ... MORONS! ... Scrambling into Second Tier, laughing their fool heads off, never to be seen again."
"Oh don't worry, you'll see them again."
"Never would be too soon! And how ... could they ... jump and ... "
"This school ... This place is ... how can I put it ... Well ... This IS the afterlife ... or something. The laws of physics or whatever only partly apply. You could trip over your own feet and 'die' from a broken neck. By the same token, you can deliberately jump from a building and hit the ground running with no ill effects."
"Have you ever ... ?"
"Me? No. I'm just happy to take 'em ten at a time going upstairs if the mood hits me."
"You know," she cautiously advised, "being as to what this place is and all ... You've got to be CAREFUL of what you say to these kids."
"Then I guess it's a good thing I DIDN'T mention anything to Hisako about ditching Mahjong and taking up strip poker."
"You really ... ARE ... Impossible!"
xxxxx
Kanade slowly left third tier of Class A and proceeded down the walkway. Much thinking to be done.
They had found a weakness. One they could exploit in the future with impunity. They as well as she knew she wouldn't even attempt another try at restoring order if they did it again. Failure had value in that at least it could tell one what doesn't work.
Several non-aligned students, a couple having been participants in todays' fiasco, passed her. Whispered conversation, punctuated by giggles, could be detected.
Though she knew jeers and insults were immaterial, especially in light of the fact she was physically, practically invincible, they did hurt to some degree.
A weakness revealed, a solution to be found.
Having turned into tier one, she passed the light music room a couple doors after. GiDeMo missing, they must be out with the rest of the "movement" celebrating. Reaching the piano room next, she entered and sat at the Yamaha by the windows, her favorite, and proceeded to play.
Claire de Lune helped calm her and Gymnopedie One helped her to think and these she played in that order.
A solution, something, had to be found and made. Something in helping restore system, order and-
Harmony.
 |
| Her fingers halted in their ballet with the keys. Credit: Williamtio |
Full note, half note, quarter note.
Like in radio and electronics. Harmonic frequencies.
Full wave, half wave, quarter wave, etc. Full wave, double wave, quadruple wave, etc.
Resonance. Infinite up or down.
She thought further.
Size might be a problem, most would be too large or small.
Sideband. Like Ham radio. Could beat frequency oscillation of a sort be a solution to that?
Pulling a notepad out of a skirt pocket she started swiftly jotting down notes, as many as came to mind, no matter how strange or impossible an idea might seem.
Yes.
Resonance, system, order ... Harmony.
A new guard skill could be formulated, tested and utilized.
Harmonics.
Done scribbling, she immediately got up and left the building for her dorm room where her computer and Angelplayer awaited.
Little knowing that several months later, the BETA program for the new guard skill would be inadvertantly "tested" by someone else ... With near disastrous results in its' working all TOO well.
xxxxx
Her opening the door in response to the knock revealed a very cleaned up, smartly dressed gentleman holding a large paper sack.
"Right on time!" Rachel exclaimed, taking the bag. "Lasagna's just about done baking."
"Excellent!" Duffy entered the apartment.
"So ... Just what do we have here."
Setting the bag on the coffee table, the teacher started fishing through the bag.
"The salads from the cafeteria and some other stuff."
"Haven't seen this for a few weeks," she stated, pulling out a bottle of Coca-Cola and examining it.
"The last four."
"Really ..."
"You'll also find some REAL popcorn and the cooking oil to make it. None a' that microwave junk from the cafeteria."
"Wait a minute! ... What the ?"
Duffy saw her looking sharply at one of the two disk cases she just removed from the sack.
"Just what ... on earth ... is this?'
Concerned, puzzled look on her face, she held up one of the two disk cases. The man smiled at her seeming perplexity.
"You said something by Frank Capra, right?"
"Know Your Enemy Japan," reading the title slowly, semi-shocked look on her formerly radiant face.
"He did ... THIS?"
"Sure!" Smiling further as he saw his joke going as planned. "Part of his World War Two 'Why We Fight' series. You being a history teacher and all-"
"You're kidding ... right?"
"Well hey, nothing like a little war time propaganda to-"
He cut himself off, noting her increasingly serious look. Time to let her in on the spoof.
"Of course I'm kidding hon. I'm absolutely sure it's the other one you'd rather see."
Wry, knowing set to her mouth, she placed the offending case in the bag and read the other.
"It Happened One Night."
"Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable. An early romantic comedy Capra did."
"Looks old," she speculating. "Black and white ... hmmm."
"1934, in glorious monochrome."
"So ... any racism?"
"'Course not!"
"Are you sure?"
Failing at keeping a straight face, he held up his right and took an oath:
"Honest injun!"
Smile/frowning, an eyebrow raised, she looked straight at him in faux exasperation.
"Sigh!"
To be continued ...
 |
| Credit: Matthugh1000 |
Storyline and original characters (only) copyright © 5-1-14 C V Ford
In Gods' Good Time chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18.
Go C V Fords' profile page and anime fan fiction stories list on fanfiction dot net here.
Go to fanfiction dot net here.
Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here. If dere be a buncha' artikulars under this 'un then you done already be dere ... here ... whatever ... maybe ...
Disclaimer: The preceding is a NON-PROFIT work of fan fiction for entertainment purposes only. I make no claim to ownership of the names/characters, places, & events mentioned in this work that are the intellectual properties of others. They are the sole properties of their respective owners. Please, by all means support the owners of such properties in the purchase & enjoyment of their works.
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