Juna Ariyoshi quietly adjusted her clothing and prepared to track down and rejoin her friends. She patted her hair to check that it was in place, then stepped out from behind the flame tree where she had sought shelter.
"Hold it right there." A woman with braided black hair and dressed in a hard-angled, shiny red-and-white plastic uniform emerged from behind a nearby tree and blocked her path. She was quickly followed by another one, who stood beside her, held out a gloved hand and flashed her badge of office, and said, "Police. We'd like to ask you a few questions."
The Avatar took a step back, startled by the appearance of the two ladies. Police? she thought confusedly. How come they're wearing those strange get-ups? The thought struck her that the two who were confronting her might be lying. Maybe they're SEED agents in some new armor. Maybe they've come to take me in because I've been using my powers indiscriminately!
"Y-yes?" she inquired. "I haven't done anything wrong, have I?"
The woman who had flashed her badge blinked. She turned to her companion. "Miyuki? Has she?"
"Well, disturbing the peace the past couple of days," answered the long-haired woman.
"Past couple of days? But this is my first time here!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." The other officer stuffed her badge down behind the plastron of her armor, stepped forward, and clapped a hand on Juna's shoulder. "Come on. Who are--"
"Hey, you bullies!" came the bass-key taunting shout, and the two women turned around. Juna saw Katsunari and Yuuki standing some distance away, giving them the finger. "F--- you, you government swine!"
"Why you... Stop right there!" the short-haired one snarled. Both of the armor-clad figures began heading towards the pair. While they had their backs turned to her, the teenager quickly used the opportunity to fade back behind the tree she had come from.
Juna! Run!
Ka-chan! What about you and Yuuki?
Don't worry about us! We'll see you back at the apartment!
For a moment Juna admired Katsunari's courage. I'm not going to the apartment! I'm going to Koganei! I'll see you later! Her hair stood up in a vee as she exerted her powers, and she began to rise into the air.
One of the women who had accosted her turned around in time to see her lifting off the ground. She shouted, "Natsumi! Take care of the teenagers!" and ran back to Juna. With a mighty leap she caught hold of one of her ankles.
"Stop!"
"Sorry, I can't!" said Juna. "I've got people waiting for me!" As she rose above the trees she saw that Yuuki, who was running along a footpath near a fountain, was about to be cornered by the woman in the green-trimmed uniform and another in civilian clothes.
Another thought knocked on the door of her mind. I can't have them being thrown in jail! Ka-chan left her medicines at the apartment! Like most non-transplantees, Juna was unclear on how often Katsunari needed to take her various medications. She thought her friend needed to ingest them as often as she did just after her operation.
A tremulous "H-hey, don't drop me!" interrupted her train of thought. Juna felt the grip on her ankle slipping.
"Oh, no..." With a cut-off scream the lady in the outlandish uniform lost her hold.
Juna's arm flashed downwards and gripped a plastic-covered forearm. "I've got you! Don't struggle!" Using her Avatar-reinforced strength, she hauled the woman up. "Cling to my back, please." The woman shifted and did so.
"I've got to be dreaming," Juna heard her mutter as she adjusted herself. They were now floating some hundred feet above Yoyogi Park, and the people below looked like ants.
Juna searched again for her friends and saw them in the hands of her passenger's companions. Oh, crap! Her brows came together. No one touches Ka-chan like that! She raised a hand. "Asura! To me!"
Without warning a gigantic four-armed figure coalesced in the middle of the park. Juna heard faint screaming below her and saw some people beginning to run away from the monstrous apparition.
------oOo------
Miyuki Kobayakawa had strange days occur in her life as a guardian of the law, but never one like this. A portion of her mind tallied up the impossible events happening to her as she watched the huge figure stomp through the park towards them.
"Would you mind telling me what you're doing?" she meekly asked the girl she was hanging on for dear life to.
The teenager didn't answer. The giant paused and looked at them, then nodded. Then it moved towards Natsumi and the rest of the gang.
------oOo------
Down on the ground, near a large fountain, the little bunch of police officers saw the colossus taking threatening, earth-shaking steps towards them. Yoriko Nikaidou decided that it was in her best interest to join the general populace and started shrieking. She let go of her captive and ran for safety. Ken Nakajima's reaction was a little more lucid. He determined that doing as his four-eyed fellow did would be a shameful breach of his duties as a police officer. Therefore, to avoid shirking his all-important obligations as a member in good standing of Bokuto PD, he raised a hand, palm outward, and shouted, "Stop! You're under arrest!"
Beside him, the sentai-clothed Natsumi Tsujimoto nearly fell on her face in awe at Nakajima's supreme display of idiocy. "Oh, nice, Ken," she muttered. "That'll surely work."
"Hell, Natsumi," the tall man wearing the monster costume shot back, "what do you want me to do? Call the daikaijuu worker's union and tell them to collect their miscreant member?"
Level-headed Aoi Futaba spoke. "Uh, guys? I don't think you need to do any of that." He pointed. "Look."
Natsumi turned from glaring at Nakajima and stared at the sight. Her jaw went slack, and had there been a film-related contest being held around them just then, she would have won the award for 'Best Shocked Expression In A Super Sentai Movie.'
The giant was breakdancing.
------oOo------
Somewhere else in the park, two elderly Caucasian gentlefolk were ambling along, enjoying the spectacle.
"Mmm," croaked one, a man with a pinched-in face. He was wearing ridiculously short pants, a striped shirt and a bowler hat. "Min... I say, it's quite nice of them to be filming a movie in this place, isn't it?"
"Y-y-yes, Henry," stuttered his female companion. "Look at all these extras rushing around. Look at their faces. Such r-r-realism."
"Yes, yes." Henry Crun stopped a man running past them and attempted to talk to him, but the language barrier was too great and the man simply ran off again, waving his arms as he disappeared around a bend in the road.
"You know what, Min?"
"What, Henry? Such a rude fellow that was, that was."
"I don't think this is a movie set."
Minnie Bannister let out a wavering moan. "Ooohoohoohohohohoh. Y-you mean it's real?"
"Yes." Henry looked up at the giant figure. "In which case I should have brought my elephant gun along."
"Oh dear. I don't know why you'd want it here... y-you can't shoot elephants in Japan, you know, buddy."
"Oh? And why not?"
"They're out of season."
"Oh." The antiquarian face scrunched up. "Then I'll risk it. I'll shoot an elephant out of season."
"You can't do that, buddy," Minnie dissented. "Elephants mustn't be hurt..."
And they continued walking down the lane, arguing vociferously with each other while the people in the park scattered hither and thither around them.
------oOo------
"Oh, dear," Miyuki heard the teenager say as they landed on the rooftop of a nearby building. "The ground's going to be messed up quite a bit. Well, there's no helping that now." The policewoman clambered off her ride's back, and the raven-haired youngster turned to her, smiling, and asked, "Are you okay?"
Officer Kobayakawa nodded. "Thanks. But just who are you?"
"I'm Juna." The girl did a formal bow. "I'm sure you can see your way down from here. I've got to go find my friends." She turned into the pink glowing being Miyuki had seen earlier and began to levitate off the roof.
"Hey, you can't just go flying off like that," objected Miyuki, stretching out a hand, imploring her to stop.
"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but I have to go." Juna stared into the distance for a bit, then shook her head. "He does have feelings for you, after all," she said.
"W-what? Who are you talking about?"
"A man named... Nakajima?"
Miyuki blushed and remained silent. Seeing that she wasn't going to get anything out of the police officer now--Juna already believed her to be one, albeit dressed very strangely--she flew off and tried to reach Ka-chan telepathically.
Ka-chan, she sent as she flew over the various buildings in the area. Where are you?
Over here, Juna, came the reply. Look down. Arjuna did so and saw the fugitive pair waving at her as they crossed the busy street below. Thanks for distracting those policemen long enough for us to escape. Did you say you were going to Koganei? Where's that?
Yes. It's just west of Tokyo. Anyway, I've got someone to guide me. I'll be back soon.
Right. We'll be waiting for you. Arjuna saw KatKat look all around, and she found other faces upturned and staring at her. Better hustle off, Juna. You're attracting way too much attention now.
Don't I know it. Keep yourselves safe, okay?
Roger. We're going back to the apartment. I'm bushed.
That's because you're a crazy girl, trying to take on Tokyo's finest. Don't forget your drugs. So long. Arjuna waved farewell and flew away to catch up with the wind-rider Nausicaä and her companions. As she passed over Yoyogi Park, she made Asura disappear. The area had had enough surprises for one day. She was sorry to do so, though; her four-armed friend had seemed to be enjoying itself immensely.
(Posted Sat, 12 Mar 2005 19:49)
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