Akane started to rush forward but Kuno held her back. "Do not run blindly forward," he warned. "There is more to this than first appears."
She looked at him a little worried, very determined and nodded. She would allow him to go first.
Kuno stepped into the dark room; it was without windows and any visible light source. It smelled of dust and mildew and mice. His gaze swept back and forth, with Akane close behind him. She was also looking around but her eyes kept returning to the statue.
They got within five feet of the statue when a voice came out of the darkness. "Who are you?"
The two tensed and turned in unison towards the sound of the voice. "Show yourself," Kuno commanded.
A woman with grayish skin and long blonde hair stepped out of the darkness. She was wearing a sheer white dress and expensive looking jewelry. Her arms were crossed across her chest and she had long red nails. "Who are you?" she asked again.
Kuno levelled his sword at her. "Who we are is of no importance. We are here for one reason so please step back so we may take possession of this statue."
The gleam in her eye went unnoticed. She got a concerned look on her face. "You mean take it from Alexander?" She sounded very upset and took a step towards Kuno.
"We have an important purpose for this statue, and since we have been deceived by its owner, we will be taking it."
Akane nodded, staying behind Kuno. Damn straight they'd be taking it since Alexander had lied to them.
"Oh please, take me away from this house!" She stepped towards Kuno again, her hands clasped in a pleading gesture.
"What? You are a prisoner here?"
The woman looked fearfully at the statue and nodded. "He... is a monster." She looked at Akane, her eyes shimmering. "You'll take me out, won't you?"
Akane didn't say anything. The woman sounded like she needed help, like she was extremely frightened. Akane started to nod.
The woman almost squealed with delight. "I knew you'd save me! Thank you!" She stepped around Kuno's sword and advanced on them, smiling.
"Hey! You can't..." Alexander's voice came from behind them.
Akane and Kuno both turned, startled. The woman smiled darkly from behind Kuno at Alexander. Alexander just looked surprised; it wasn't quite what he had expected.
"You lied to us!" Akane yelled, her temper threatening to explode.
Alexander ignored her and concentrated on the woman. "You! What are you..." His eyes narrowed and he bared his teeth.
The woman daintily ran forward and grabbed Kuno from behind. "Don't let him get me! Please save me!" she screeched in Kuno's ear. "He wants to kill me!"
"Damn right I do, you lying bitch," Alexander hissed, his fingers curved into claws. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
The woman smiled at him, her fangs showing, but she continued to screech. "Don't get any closer! I don't want to die!"
Akane and Kuno kept their eyes on Alexander, but Kuno was extremely aware of the woman behind him, the way she was clutching at his sword arm. "Why did you lie? Your life may depend on your answer," Kuno said, feeling none too gracious.
"Just hand that woman over. She's not who you think she is."
Kuno didn't like the way he was being ignored. "What is it about her that so interests you?"
"Just hand her over. I've got a score to settle with her."
"No! I don't know you!" she yelled at Alexander. "He kidnapped me. He wants to sacrifice me to that hideous statue," she whispered to Kuno.
Kuno stared at Alexander, the look of fury on the slim man's face. There was a nagging voice in his head. 'Don't trust her...' He didn't particularly trust the woman, but he had a very clear reason not to trust Alexander. Then a leap in logic that might have been Kamiko. 'She was speaking Japanese!' She didn't look Japanese and Kuno didn't think it was her native language.
He advanced on Alexander. "I do not trust you. You have lied to us once. Who is to say you are not lying once again?" The tip of his katana was pointed at Alexander's heart.
Alexander retreated into the hallway. "I don't give a damn about the statue. You can have it if you want! But she is going to pay!" He pointed at the woman, his gaze darkening as he looked at her.
Kuno continued to force Alexander back, Akane staying by his side. Once in front of the stairs, he spoke to Akane quietly, his eyes never leaving Alexander. "Retrieve our things and wait outside."
"But what about..."
"Go. I will take care of matters here. Do not worry." He pushed her away, trying to get her to go down the stairs.
Akane looked at him for a moment then turned and ran down the stairs. She ran through the house trying to remember where the room was. She was running down halls blindly, beginning to panic, when she came upon the stairs to the first floor. She skidded to a halt and regained her breath.
Slowly, she made her way to the room and picked up the bags. She was walking back to the stairs when she heard thumps from above her. She arrived at the stairs and was about to go down when there was another noise.
Trying to hold down her panic, she went towards where she thought the other set of stairs were. She was walking down a hall when she heard a series of shouts and screams. There was a flash of light from around a corner at the opposite end of the hall and a statue rolled into view. It stopped against the wall and there was silence once more.
What sounded like thunder ripped through the hall and shook the entire house. With a crunching noise, Kuno hit the wall and fell on top of the statue. Akane gasped and took a step back.
Kuno rose slowly, one arm hanging uselessly at his side, and picked up the statue. He maintained his grip on his katana and stumbled down the hall towards Akane, one foot dragging. "Go," he said, picking up speed.
Akane turned and began walking quickly back to the down stairs. "Hurry, Kuno-sempai," she called behind her. Her only response was Kuno's labored breathing.
They had reached the stairs and were partway down, Kuno recovering slowly, when a group of voices could be heard. They were heading in the pair's direction. "Back up," Kuno said, his voice hoarse.
Akane spun and started back up. She got her first good look at Kuno and wrinkled her nose. One side of his face was all black and purple, his limp arm didn't seem to be connected to his shoulder correctly and there was a considerable trail of blood behind him.
She reached the top of the stairs with Kuno a few below her, and was about to ask which way she should go when the voices came from behind her. "There!" It was the only warning before the hail of bullets started.
Akane screamed until she was surrounded by Kuno and pulled away from the stairs. Even as he held her, she could feel the bullets strike his body. She almost collapsed under his weight as his pelvis was nicked and cracked by something heavy caliber.
She ended up dragging him down the hall, testing every door until her only exit left was the window in front of her. She was struggling under Kuno's weight as he was continuously hit with gunfire. She was lucky there wasn't anything too powerful, or she would have been hit as the bullets passed through Kuno's body.
She peered out the window, seeing the roof of the first floor a few feet below her. It was her only chance so she opened the window and tossed out the bags. She yanked the statue from Kuno's hand and tossed it out as well. She got one leg out and sat down, holding up Kuno as a shield.
She got her other leg out and prepared to jump. She only hoped she could get a good enough yank on Kuno to pull him out after her. She took a quick breath and dropped to the roof below. Unfortunately, Kuno got stuck in the window as his head hit the upper half and he got himself wedged in it. A shotgun blast did something unpleasant to his chest, however, and forced him through the rest of the way.
Akane shrieked as Kuno slammed down on the roof next to her and rolled off the edge. Breathing heavily and sweating even more, Akane kicked the bags off after him. She grabbed the statue and scooted over to the edge of the roof. The drop was only about ten feet and she could see Kuno starting to recover below. She tossed the statue down and gave silent thanks when it hit Kuno and didn't break. Then she jumped.
Her feet hit the gravel and she bent her knees to absorb the impact. She grunted a little as what little breath she had was forced out her lungs. She half crawled over to Kuno, who was groaning and trying to sit up. "Kuno-sempai," she said urgently. "We have to hurry. They're coming."
Akane grabbed her bag and the statue, impatiently waiting for Kuno to get to his feet. There was a big black car off to her right, most likely used to transport all the men with guns. She briefly considered getting in it, but she had no driving skills. "Please, Kuno-sempai!" She could see people moving around in the house.
Kuno got to his feet, wincing slightly. "The statue!" he said suddenly.
"I have it. Now can we go?" Akane was inching away from the house, ready to run as soon as Kuno was able to follow.
He looked around, his knuckles white on the hilt of his sword, and stooped to get his bag. He decided at that moment that he didn't want to get shot again. It hurt like hell and made a complete mess of his clothes. Slowly, he began to follow Akane away from the house, down the drive.
Akane kept looking back, expecting to see men all in black burst out the doors and start shooting at them. The men never came but what she saw scared her even more. She pointed one trembling finger towards the house. "Look."
Kuno turned, finally getting his second wind. There was an eerie red light coming from the gaps around the doors. Before his eyes, the doors started to bulge. The thick oak creaked audibly and the doorknobs shot off. He turned to shield Akane, and none too soon.
The doors exploded outwards with such force that they demolished the car when the hit it. The car was up on two wheels for a moment before it slammed back down, the side completely caved in. Alexander was revealed in the doorway, glowing with fury.
"I didn't really care about that stupid statue, but after that little fiasco, I think I owe you something." His shoulder was oozing from a deep cut.
Kuno met Alexander's hateful stare with one of his own. "Foul demon."
"Boy, I should have finished you off while I had the chance. I won't pass up a second opportunity." Alexander pointed his hands at the ground and a fountain of flame burst up from underneath the car.
The car rose the fiery blast for 20 feet then was tossed off towards the house. Alexander paid no attention as the car crashed through the roof of the house and landed inside, flaming. He returned his anger to Kuno.
"Now it's your turn." He grinned viciously and extended his hands.
"But he's..." Akane realized her mistake too late and clamped her hands over her mouth.
"Quit right, my dear," Alexander said, pointing his hands at her instead. "And so I shall finish off both of you. If only that stupid wench had known it would be so easy." His hands glowed red, then yellow. "And I did rather like you. Even if you are a sanjiyan." Little sparks jumped from his fingertips.
Akane found herself immobilized, even as the car in the house exploded. Debris rained down around Alexander as a ball of flame shot up from the roof of the house. But she couldn't take her eyes off his hands; she was facing her death.
Now that Alexander's attention was turned away from him, Kuno was rapidly going through his choices. There weren't very many. He looked at the gash on Alexander's shoulder and knew it was the only option since his body would not stop Alexander's blast this time.
He changed his grip on his sword and cocked his arm back. If he missed, it would be the end. He would not miss. He took a breath and held it before throwing his katana. He watched it fly as if it was in slow motion towards Alexander. It's path never wavered as it pierced Alexander's neck and skewered his throat. Kuno got a tight-lipped smile on his face.
Alexander's hands flew up to his neck just as the pain caused him to lose control of his power. The energy in his hands was suddenly released into his face and turned his head into a busted pinata. A rainbow of power streamed from his neck and dispersed harmlessly into the sky.
Akane dropped to her knee, her near death experience taking its toll. She groaned a little, sitting on the verge of mental breakdown. A tear slid down her cheek and she wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. She closed her eyes, shutting out the sight of the decapitated body and the burning house. Slowly, she began rocking herself as her last method of holding on to her sanity.
She didn't know how long she sat there, but as long as she was away from the fire and the bodies, she didn't care. A gentle hand on her arm caused her to open her eyes.
"We must leave, Akane. Authorities are most likely on their way. It would be unwise for us to be caught here." Kuno pulled on her arm a little.
Akane looked up at him, tears shimmering in her eyes. Without speaking, she stood up, her hold on reality a bit firmer than before. She wiped her eyes across the back of her arm and inhaled deeply. "I... I'm ready." She sniffed a few times, her hands tightening around her bag and the statue. The statue was her reality; it was the reason she had to keep going.
The pair began walking away from the house, the fire inside spreading rapidly, sending smoke into the air. They walked down the winding drive quickly, but not panicking, and heard the sirens. They were very faint but would be getting louder.
"As I feared. We must make our way with stealth." Kuno grabbed Akane's arm and pulled her off into the trees and underbrush lining the drive. Akane, looking a bit glassy-eyed, didn't resist and kept up with his hard pace.
They had been walking for only five minutes, the way more difficult than Kuno had estimated, when the sound of a car on the gravel could be heard. Akane had recovered minimally in that time but ducked into the bushes with him. If they were caught, especially with the statue, they would be in a whole mess of trouble that they didn't need.
After the car passed, a police vehicle, they finally made it down the hill and were at the roadside. An older man walking by stared at them and gave the statue a hard look.
"Sempai," Akane said, seeing the man look at them. She knew they couldn't blend in at all looking like they did and carrying the statue.
"I know. A change of clothes is in order. And a covering for the statue; it calls attention to itself." Kuno looked both directions down the road for any more police or emergency vehicles before opening his bag and pulling out a piece of canvas.
Akane looked at it strangely. "Why were you carrying that?" she asked.
"For this very reason. Though I had not anticipated needing it until we were at the airport." He pulled the ningen from Akane's grasp and wrapped the canvas around it. "It will not be easily identifiable if we place it in a bag as well." Finished concealing the statue, he handed it back to Akane.
She adjusted her hold on the bulky statue, then slung her bag comfortably over her shoulder. They started their long walk back towards Hong Kong, heads bowed to avoid eye contact.
At the edge of the city they found a small clothing store and stopped in to buy something that would help them blend in better. Most of the people they had seen on the road were country folk and would not be easily located for questioning by the authorities. It was only in the city they would have to watch themselves.
They walked out of the store into the burgeoning darkness dressed in simple yet functional clothes. Akane was in a red and black dress that was almost revealing, but not too tight. It was full, but not overly billowing. Kuno was wearing something close to a peasant's outfit, but all in black. Loose fitting pants and a large button-up shirt with a wide, open collar completed his ensemble.
"Let us head to the airport with all swiftness," Kuno said, already heading down the street.
Akane was giddy at the prospect of returning home, even after only being gone a few days; she had been prepared to be gone much longer. She couldn't believe how easy it had been. "I'm going to call home," she said, pulling out the cel phone.
"I would not celebrate prematurely. We have yet to discover the true nature of the statue. And we must still return home, and even there we may not be safe." he looked around at the sidewalk, people pushing past them. "I do not think we are safe here."
"I swear, if you were more paranoid, we wouldn't have made it out of the house." Akane just hadn't quite learned. "What do you think's going to happen to us in the middle of Hong Kong?"
"Akane, do not be so confident. Luck is not in our favor. We have been assaulted at every turn. It is unlikely we will make it back to Japan without another confrontation."
"Feh," Akane said and rolled her eyes. "I'm calling anyway. Everyone will be happy to hear that we're OK anyway." She dialed the appropriate number and listened to the phone ring.
"Hello?"
"Kasumi! It's me!"
"Akane? Where are you? How have you been?"
Akane could hear her father crying in the background and smiled. "Say hi to Dad for me. We're in Hong Kong right now and we've got the ningen!"
"I do not think it wise to count our chickens..."
"Quiet, sempai. So we're on our way to the airport now."
"That's wonderful, Akane. We'll be looking forward to seeing you when you get back." Kasumi was laid back as usual.
"I'm looking forward to seeing you, too. Say hi to Nabiki for me, too. And Ranma. Bye, Kasumi."
"Goodbye, Akane."
Akane closed up the phone and stowed it. She looked at Kuno, who was frowning at her. "Why are you such a grouch?" she asked, a bit annoyed. "Why don't you lighten up a little?"
"I am only concerned for your safety."
"Well I'm sick of it. You're worse than Dad. Why don't you just..."
The sound of motorcycles very close by quieted Akane. She could hear the whining engines very close by. She looked down the street but didn't see anything. They sounded like they weren't more than a block away and they were growing louder, heading in their direction.