Frenzy & Torch

Chapter 32: Ballistic

It was two in the morning on New Year's Eve. A stolen small merchant ship entered the atmosphere of an earth-like planet named Edo. It descended upon Kyoto-84, a megalopolis on the coast of a giant landmass. The skyline of neon lights and gargantuan advertisements cast a pink and purple sheen against the evening sky.

Inside the passenger compartment, Elizabeth mulled over the jump device that had been destroyed by shrapnel in Beijing-49, while Annabelle laughed at a video of a man in a speedo who was eating random foods with mayonnaise and relentlessly farting.

"That's fucking nasty," Elizabeth said. "I don't know how you find that shit funny!"

Annabelle turned off the video and wiped away a tear. "Farts will never not be funny."

"Glad to see you found something to unwind with between our little shitstorms. I get the feeling this Governor Kobayashi guy is gonna tell us to fuck off after we take care of this damn 'yakuza' gang and get his little nuclear missile back. I really don't feel like being anybody's errand girl. Why doesn't he carpet bomb the city and send in the troops instead of waiting for us to do all the work?"

"Because that would be too much of a mess. Besides, we should at least see if he really knows where Lord Yin is or not," Annabelle said as she gazed out the window. "At the very least, we'll take care of this world's yakuza problem."

Elizabeth found herself staring at the sorceress longer than she intended; the pink light was hitting her in all the right places. She was the epitome of perfection. "Uh ... right."

Annabelle noticed the stammer and looked at her with curiosity and a sly grin to boot. "You lose something over here, Lizzie?"

"The hell are you talkin' about?"

Annabelle sat close to her. "This."

"You're fuckin' with me right now. Stop fuckin' with me."

"I'm not doing anything except holding a conversation with you."

Elizabeth was sure she could hear her heart beat profusely with those special elf ears. Her stomach did a swan dive when the ship suddenly jerked from turbulence and Annabelle fell onto her and her face was smushed between her breasts.

"Sorry," Annabelle said with a blushed face as she lifted herself off Elizabeth.

"Don't be," Elizabeth said without thinking, which she regretted as soon as the words left her mouth.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"But— "

"I said nothing!"

"What's going on back here?" Robert entered the bay.

Elizabeth shoved Annabelle off her and crossed her arms. "We're just ... hangin' out."

"Hanging out?"

"You always this inquisitive?"

"When I suspect something greater is afoot, I am indeed!"

Elizabeth stood and pressed the button for the ramp. The air whipped into the ship and nearly shrouded out what she said. "I'm fuckin' outta here." She leapt out and flew away.

"Were you and Elizabeth about to kiss??" Robert asked.

Annabelle chuckled and rose from her seat. "I don't think she's ready for that yet, Bobby."

The entirety of the 1,000-square-mile megalopolis was under the control of the ruthless and well-equipped Tanaka Family. The mayor's power was only symbolic and the police were undermanned and overworked. In the center of the city was a tall office building; the cannibalistic middle-aged don, Mr. Tanaka, was watching a game show in his penthouse while chewing on a human arm. His neutral expression made it so that nobody could ever tell whether he was about to smile and joke around or shoot somebody dead.