Return Of The Dragon

Chapter 27

Kei couldn't believe what he was hearing. Nor could he believe she was in his arms so trustingly.

Don't lose it. Not now . He thought to himself, his own words lost on him as he drew her closer to his chest.

He could sense the group watching them. So could Belle, because she looked up at him. They both turned around at the same time. Everyone's inquisitive faces looked at them.

"I just needed a moment," she said, sniffing. "I was wrong. It is going to play out right here. Let's track her down."

Haru wheeled her wheelchair around with the precision of a soldier executing an about-face. "This office is now our war room. Seal off the floor."

"Roger that," said Otto.

"I'll grab a whiteboard from the van, dear," said Daichi.

"We'll go grab it," said Belle. "I have some nervous energy to work off."

Her voice carried an imperceptible quaver that only Kei picked up on.

"Be right back," said Kei.

They turned in unison and walked out of the office, moving quickly but not as fast as they wanted. They both wanted to run.

Kei and Belle got outside to the van and kept going. They both looked for a place to execute their plan, and they soon found one. A subway stop was blocked off for repairs.

Kei lifted the cautionary tape, and led them down the silent, unmoving escalator, firmly holding her hand. They walked down, down, down, until they were far removed from the street above.

After moving a good distance on the subterranean floor, they finally stopped.

Kei released her hand and looked around. "This is good." He crouched down and started setting up a small antenna device. He looked up at her. "So the headphones can get a signal down here."

Belle crouched near him and held up the headset. In the darkness, the red and blue connected lights were the only illumination.

"Don't you know by now that this headset is not your average tech?"

He abandoned the antenna and stood up, slowly. He moved in close to her and placed his hand on one half of the U headset. They regarded each other as best they could in the darkness.

They both knew this was never going to play out in the real world.

This was always meant to play out in U .

Kei felt her warm hand slipping into his, her small fingers wrapping around his long ones.

They lay down next to each other, sharing the headset. As soon as the headsets connected -

They stood in U again, in their full avatars. He still held her hand, completely swallowed by his huge paw.

Fishhead was waiting for them.

"My princess. After all this time, you figured out who I am."

"I did. But it doesn't matter who you are."

"What ?"

"You were Kaede. You still are. But now you are a monster too."

Fish Head was quiet. So quiet that Kei tensed for some kind of attack. But at last she laughed, the same nasty, burbling sound from their last encounter.

Slowly, she removed her avatar head, showing her real face.

"My wife is not only beautiful, but brilliant. U said you could be your true self. They didn't know how right they were. I don't need an AS to be my real self here." A wicked smile split her face.