Black Bone Tower Part 22

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He could hear her humming, even singing a little bit. She was rocking him to sleep in her arms, as he lied on her lap, as tiny a kitten as anyone could hope for. His eyes were tightly shut as he pretended to sleep, but he was really lying awake so he could listen to her. Her fur was so soft, and her arms barely moved as she turned the page of one of her books. He nuzzled closer to her bosom as she looked down at him, and smiled as she saw his eye crack open to look up at her from her lap. She promptly closed her book and picked him up in her arm, calling him a little devil and nuzzling him close, purring in sync with him. Her beautiful gray fur on her cheek rubbing against his and her big, green eyes looking into his as he gazed at her with his golden irises, and wide pupils. He closed his eyes once again and cuddled his dear mother.

When he opened his eyes again, he was beside her while she lied in bed. He was still young, but he stood with her while she lied there, her green eyes so weak, and her fur was discolored with illness. Still, she smiled at him as his paw held hers, and his eyes were drowning in tears as they ran torrents down his cheeks. He could not bare to see her like this, and yet she worked up the strength to put her hand on his cheek. He quickly held her arm with both his hands and let out another flow of tears.

Panno: Dear Rinji...

Rinji: M-m-mom... please...

Panno: You are so strong already, and life has only just begun. It may be time for me to go, but you are born anew where I left off. I want you to promise me that you will walk the path as far as it will go.

He closed his eyes, and let her hand back down onto the bed, and followed it. His tears rolled over it, and she gently placed it on the back of his head while he sobbed.

Rinji: I promise [Sniffed]

Panno: There's my good boy. You're going to be such a brave little soldier. Now, open your eyes, Rinji.

Rinji: What? [Sob.]

Panno: Open your eyes.

Rinji opened his eyes and looked around to see that he was now on top of a square light fixture that hung down from the ceiling in a completely pitch black room. He kept his balance on it, and looked over to see that the others were on the light fixtures that lined the room, all of them were out. That's when he heard a robotic voice after a very loud crunching sound, followed by sparks.

Blue Angel: Arm Damage: Critical.

KAR-2099: Reporting back to quarters for repairs.

Blue Angel: Affirmative.

Rinji looked behind him on the light fixture to see that Dala was still knocked out behind him on top of the light fixture, and wasn't even stirring yet. That was when the androids were beginning to leave. That was also when Rinji did no more thinking, and jumped into the air, and poofed into a cloud of purple vapor and vanished.

Just as the androids made it to the door, there came a face with green eyes, and a big, fangy grin, followed by purple vapor coming up all around them.

Blue Angel: Scanning environment, multiple subjects detected, unknown substance in optic sensors.

Rinji: Mewhahahahaha! [Said through the fangy grin.] It's about to become known, right now!

His purple and white striped paw appeared underneath his face and opened toward them.

KAR-2099: Subject identified, Catman Rinji.

Unbenounced to them, the purple vapor behind them also produced his paw which opened up and started to power itself.

Rinji: Mewhahahaha! We've had our fun, now get ready for this! [The power emitting from his paws began to slow their movements completely, and soon it started to push them completely back as he concentrated.] Neko Neko nooooo!

That was when they started shake, their tremors became violent and jarring. Balance became impossible. Then the front paw unleashed its power and pushed them completely back, only to be caught by the force of the back paw.

Rinji: Narashi!

The force behind them pushed them all forward into the other beam, and their already damaged bodies began to flail and fall to the floor, denting them even more. That was when the paws started shooting them back and forth in a horrible sort of dance floor where no one was in control. They smashed into one another, hit the floor hard and started breaking apart, and splitting apart when their swords collided with their own counterparts. At the end of it, both paws emitted the same amount of energy and bunched them all up into the middle of one another, and even started to crush them into each other.

Rinji released them, and they all fell to the floor, twitching and trying to get back up to no avail. He came out of his vapor form and stood up.

Chio: Rinji?

Rinji: Yo! Chio, how's it hanging?

Chio: The light fixture is comfortable, but I would rather not try this again. What the hell was that you just did there?

Rinji: Mewhahahaha! Just something I thought up. [Stomped on one of the androids' heads as they almost got to their feet.]

Usagi: That's really quite grim if you think about it. [Jumped down and landed on her feet, looking at the carnage with all of the broken and destroyed androids on the ground.]

Alice: Oh, my, how dreadful a mess. Shall we tidy up? [Jumped down from the fixture, along with Dala who was stretching and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.]

All of them were up and around, still deciphering how they got to the lights without the androids noticing, and many of them becoming heeps of scrap metal.

Rinji: It looks like Gonzo Lee was a little more resourceful than even I expected.

Nikk: He destroyed around nineteen of them [She was going through the motions as she could decipher them with what little light was available to her.] Judging by the bullet holes in the wall, he never missed a shot. The blood here suggests he was wounded by one of their swords. It was a very deep cut, and that was about the time he could not fight any longer. [She walked over to the wall and stood as he did. She noted that the part of the wall was a completely different texture from the rest of the structure.] He activated a secret passage by accident, and was carried away before they could finish him. [She tried to press the button again, but it did not work this time.]

Chio: Well, at least we know he's okay. Still, with a wound like that, he may not have much consciousness left.

Jana: Some of us need to go get him.

Rinji: Agreed. [He looked at all eight of him.]

Kimi: I'll go get him.

Rinji: Right, Nikk, Chio, and Jana go with her. The rest of you will come with me, and we're going to find that bastard Doctor that brought this bastardized plan on us, and deal with him.

Dala: Yeah, great plan, but that wall is solid steel, how are you plan---

Chio: Oni... [Drew everyone's attention to him. He cringed as he stood in his fighting stance, his leg shaking a little bit.] KATAI!!! [Jumped straight for the wall, and smashed the center of it with one solid kick, causing it to fold and snape the cord and axle that allowed it to spin open. The passageway fell, and opened up for all of them.]

They stood in silence for a moment, and they all could have sworn that Usagi had gigantic hearts in her eyes as she gazed at Chio with the brightest of smiles.

Dala: ...Well, alright then, lead the way, fearless leader! [She gave a nervous chuckle.]

Kimi: Right! [Found her axe buried underneath some of the heavier android carcasses, obviously not on Lee's list of top things to carry at the moment.] Let's get going, shall we?

Ellis: Jiro? [Looked into his room on the ship, and he was not in his bed, then she looked into the living room, and he was not there either. That was when she opened the door to the deck, and finally saw him. For some reason, he was not playing his guitar, and he had removed his bandages.]

His wounds and burns were much better now. He even started to grow little stubbles of hair that had burned off before. Still, the scabs were very noticeable, and she could tell that he was still scratching them against her instructions.

Ellis: Jiro, you know I told you to stay in bed another day at the very least, ya damn cat.

Jiro: I'm tired of sleeping, and I smell something rotten.

Ellis: What'dya mean? [She lit a cigarette and looked at the tower as she walked up beside him.] Like for real rotten, or ya smell a rat?

Jiro: The rat one; I smell several rats, actually. Something tells me they are going to need us.

Ellis: Don't suppose I can tell you to fugget'bout it and get your furry ass back in bed?

Jiro: No, I'm afraid not. [He pushed his green sunglasses up the bridge of his nose and narrowed his eyes toward the tower as they reflected from the lenses.] You coming or not?

Ellis: Damn right I'm comin'!