Eleven hours, seven minutes, twelve point four one seconds. The amount of time it'd taken his strike team to finally check in after their dismal failure. They were a sorry sight to say the least; like they'd been through trainwreck and an incinerator. If he didn't know better, he'd have sworn it was Shayla's doing. Jinnai did his best to hide his disgust, but it wasn't working. He stood facing them, arms folded in expectancy.
"Well...?" he quired.
The largest of them, the one he'd dubbed "Groucho", spoke up in what sounded like unitelligible gibberish. But, thanks to the super ability he'd been endowed with, Jinnai understood perfectly. As the large orchid colored Bugrom relayed the details of the operation, Jinnai listened intently. In most cases, Groucho would say something asenine or completely off point and get himself chewed out. That and maybe a whack on the noggin. Yet he actually gave a decent report, for a change. Jinnai was genuiely surprised.
"So, despite the loss in power, you still couldn't beat her?" he asked Groucho. More gibberish and several gestures later, Jinnai cut in again. "I know that. What I need to know is: who from?" Here Groucho shrugged and shook his head, clearly indicating he had no idea. Jinnai was about ask another question, when Groucho added something that Jinnai hadn't expected to hear.
"Say that again?"
Groucho repeated the last bit of info for him and shrugged again. "So you say his person was from Earth, like myself." Jinnai said, clearly thinking out loud as he began pacing the floor. After a moment of reflection, he paused. "Did they have power?" Groucho replied as Zeppo and the others nodded in agreement. After hearing what he had to say, Jinnai snapped.
"I can see that you idiot!! I meant did-he-have-super power?! Like Makoto or those priestesses!" he roared.
Groucho shook his head, but added something more. Jinnai nodded every so often and and "mm-hmmed" once or twice. "So you're saying this person was super strong like my old history teacher." he said when Groucho was done. "Damn. I didn't expect anything like that. It was bad enough when it was just sensei."
Jinnai grit his teeth. "Arrgh! Damnit! Why is it that everytime I come up with a genius plan someone like that busybody Makoto always gets in my way?!"
Zeppo and the others nodded in agreement.
"That's no excuse! If you'd have captured her, before that other guy came along, this wouldn't have happened!!" he ranted. Groucho and the rest looked crestfallen, but it was shortlived. Jinnai calmed himself, straightening his tie before going on. "I'll let it slide, this time. The important thing is that we know Kalia's still alive and that she hasn't regained her full power yet. So long as we can get to her, before that happens, capturing her shouldn't be a problem." Jinnai rethought that last bit and rescinded it.
"At least, it shouldn't have been."
Though the remark was aimed at them, they realized that it was directed more toward Ryoga's interferrence. The Bugrom were certainly strong, even superhuman. In most cases, that is. But against the likes of Fujisawa, Afura, and those Demon Dolls, there wasn't much they could do. All they had going for them was brute strebgth and the tatics Jinnai devised for them. The opposition had power... and lots of it.
With Miz and Fujisawa out of the picture, it'd given them two less things to worry about. It never occurred to them that someone else with super strength would show up. What they didn't know was that Ryoga's strength was the direct result of years of martial arts training and self discipline. Then again, even by those standards, Ryoga's physical strength and stamina were considered near Herculean. So it was no wonder the Bugrom believed he'd been endowed with the same gift as Fujisawa.
Of course, they hadn't counted on Kalia being able to put up that much of a fight either.
While they were pondering this, the same mini Bugrom from before buzzed into Jinnai's office with another message from his communications network. Jinnai took it and loked it over then handed it back. They didn't know what was in it, but it must've been something good. Jinnai chuckled then burst into his trademark bout of maniacal laughter.
Behind him, Zeppo, Gummo, and the rest exchanged concerned glances and sweatdropped. "It seems that, only moments ago, our friends from Roshtaria set out to find Kalia themselves." he smirked. Groucho spoke up at this point and made an inquiry, causing Jinnai to arch an eyebrow. "What's that?"
Groucho repeated the question.
"I was being sarcastic, you nit! Of course they're not our friends!" he retorted angrily. Groucho offered what was, no doubt, an apology. Jinnai scowled and muttered under his breath, "Bonehead." Typical Groucho. "Anyway" he began again, "it's nothing to worry ourselves about. I knew it was only a matter of time before Mizuhara got involved."
This time, the one called "Margret" had a question. Jinnai remained nonplused. "What're we going to do?" Margret nodded, wanting to know the answer. Jinnai's smirk never faltered as he smuggly replied:
"Not a damn thing."
___________________________________________________________________
At that same time, in the wilds of El Hazard, another evil had begun to stir. The foliage had been reduced to decaying wood, the few leaves that remained had become dried and brittle. A faint breeze caused them to dissolve into ash and scatter in the wind. Even the fire, which had been going strong, had died. Meanwhile, the cause of the decay slept on.
By now, her power was near enough for reactivation. Already, her individual functions were being systematically brought online. Her restoration rate was at ninety three percent and rising; not much longer now.
All this went unoticed by the still unsuspecting Ryoga who had gone off in search of a hotspring in order to bathe. Funny how he always seemed to chose the most inopportune times to either be absent or absentminded. Had he been present, he might've realised that there was more to the girl than he thought. A fact made evident by the purplish red bands of energy that had begun to pulse along the length of her body....
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(Posted Thu, 27 Sep 2007 07:32)
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