At long last, the time had come. It was the day of the fated baseball game against St Hebereke! The Boy's Club from Furinkan High was ready, in girl form, with thermos ready in case of freak accident. All of them clad in standard baseball gear. A pair of sky blue trousers, a white shirt with a number on the back to differentiate them. Across the front, the words 'Furinkan High' were written in a darker blue than the trousers. The original plan had been sky blue, but that would have made it hard to read. Light blue on white isn't exactly visible.
Yuka reached for the door handle to their locker room, only for the sole boy in the room to grab her wrist, sigh wearily, and then poke the handle with a pencil. It burst into flames almost immediately.
"A taser on the other side of the handle, nasty," Akane tutted. She pulled out a pair of rubber gloves and carefully opened the door while making sure the doorway itself was clear, and then a brick flew out across the locker room. "Wow, those girls really are going all out, huh?"
The brick was easily caught by their sole cheerleader. Ranma Saotome, who was wearing a cute green outfit that really made her legs pop. Ranma easily tossed the brick in between her hands, testing its weight. "Yeah, this would've done a lot of damage if it had hit someone," she said. Then set it down, grabbed her pom poms, and performed a high kick that immediately set everyone's heart aflutter. "Alright, team! Let's kick their B-U-T-T-S!"
They all clapped in appreciation of that idea. Or the appreciation of Ranma agreeing to dress like that. Sayuri especially had some... designs on later artwork she'd absolutely love to get into involving this particular sight. Though it must be said, Akane was doing some work too.
For those that aren't in the know: In Japan, they don't just have the cute girly cheerleaders. They also have what is known as the ōendan. You're probably thinking "oh, the male equivalent of cheerleaders" based on the context provided by the first sentence of this paragraph - but that's not quite right. There are certainly plenty of girls who join an ōendan instead of the standard cheer squad.
Nonetheless, the stereotype is there, and Akane had arrived today with that mission in mind. Work up the crowd to cheer for the school! Rather than acrobatic displays to pump up the crowd they will tend to focus on making a lot of noise. Rally up the crowd. Maybe even playfully taunt and jeer the opposing team and crowd. All in good fun, for the sake of competition.
Except that Akane wasn't getting the impression that the opposing school was taking this in the spirit of good competition. Call it a hunch, but when you consider the fact this was the twentieth little jape that they'd uncovered this morning that might have taken someone out of the team, it's rather difficult to see any other conclusion.
"Listen, Ranma," Akane said. "I know we've got this competition going on between us, but... I've got a bad feeling about the other school. Okay? I don't want anyone getting hurt."
"Yeah, me neither," Ranma said. "But don't worry. I'm good enough that I'll be able to stop 'em in their tracks and beat you in this contest at the same time."
"In your dreams," Akane scowled, and the two of them entered into a posture that the boy's club was getting increasingly used to seeing. One of them towering over the other depending on which was in their cursed form, scowling right at each other, sparks flying between them. Hands on their hips, lips pursed, and their faces super close to each other. To the point that a stiff breeze might make them -"
"Kiss~" someone in the room whispered, and the spell broke. Much to the disappointment of everyone present. Yes, including Ranma and Akane. Not that they'd ever say it aloud. For now though - they had a game to take part in. A game they were certain they were going to win!
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One might think that Kodachi Kuno would want to see her own school win the day, but if one did think that, then one did not know her very well. She hated the coach, for a start. More crucially: It wasn't her pride on the line in this game. If she was part of the team it would be another matter entirely, but she was most decidedly not involved in the slightest.
Therefore: She would not normally care. She would let them do whatever it was they intended to do. Normally she would not be involved in the slightest.
Except this time they were playing against Furinkan. The school which her beloved, dashing, handsome new boyfriend attended. Oh! Fair Akane! Though that be the name of a girl (and one that sounded very familiar) what else could she do but pine over your absence? To gaze at you from afar in appreciation, in anticipation of the date to come this very night? To learn that you were to engage as a one man ōendan for the baseball club, what else could she do but betray her own peers, stab them in the back and ensure that you stood victorious in the end?
Kodachi had developed something of a poison, you see. It merely induced a temporary state of paralysis, nothing too serious. Ohohoho! A person would recover before too long, the effects would wear off. Until then they would be unconscious. Incapable of moving. All it took was inhaling or imbibing the stuff, and that was your lot.
Now. She wasn't foolish enough to simply prance around and dose the entire team in a blatant, public spectacle. Normally that is what she'd do - but then the coach would have her guts for garters! Any excuse would suffice for that power hungry maniac! Therefore, stealth was the order of the day. There was no need for a large dose. A few grains in a bottle of water would slow the body down sufficiently that it would, in essence, guarantee victory, and the effects would be temporary enough that nobody would suspect her or anyone of duplicity. Indeed, it was the perfect crime! All she had to do was sneak into the locker room, and -
Step right into a noose that left her dangling upside down.
"You!" a furious face appeared. "Yet still you vex me with your perpetual interference!"
"Asuka!" Kodachi seethed. With a flick of her wrist, she used her own ribbon to slice through the one Asuka had set in front of the door as a snare, then tumbled mid-air to land perfectly on her feet, squaring herself up to her mortal foe. "So! You interfere in my affairs yet again! How typical of you."
"Me, interfere in your affairs?" Asuka laughed, an obnoxious grating haughty laugh, and no, Kodachi was not nearly self aware enough to catch the irony. "It is you that seeks to drive a wedge between myself and Ranma-darling!"
"Please, your Ranma-darling was at the cinema just last night, watching a movie with the youngest Tendo daughter," whose name she could not quite recall at the moment for some reason. "He is a two-timing playboy, while my fair Akane is a beacon of chastity and loyalty."
"Is that why he kissed you on the first day that you met?" Asuka sneered. "Hohohoho! I fear that you are the one to fall for a playboy, Black Rose. But your efforts to interfere shall not avail! I am here to ensure Furinkan's victory over your crummy low class school. This shall surely set you in a foul mood for the dreaded double date, and ensure my victory in our contest!"
So that was her scheme! Kodachi couldn't - "Wait, you want Furinkan to win?"
"Of course, why should I ever want St Hebereke to win?" Asuka scoffed. "I mean, your name quite literally means 'drunk'. It's why you have the nickname St Bacchus, after all! The Roman God known for being drunk all the time! Hohohoho!"
"Actually he was also known for agriculture, and - Never mind," Kodachi said, feeling a headache coming on. "So, let me get this clear. Your plan was to set a snare trap for whoever entered the locker room first? That's hardly going to put a stop to the team for even a minute!"
"Of course," Asuka shrugged. "Which is why I'd set up <i>this</i>."
Hrm? <i>This</i>? She reached across and pulled out the very obvious pin holding up the snare, then stepped back... Right as something very heavy landed squarely on top of Kodachi's head, then rolled off. Ah. Right. That did seem like it would put at least someone out of commission. Good thing for her this place operated on sort-of-cartoon-physics rather than reality, otherwise she'd be experiencing a concussion right about now, which would be very bad for the old brainmeat.
"Ohohohoho! That dazed expression is a good look!" Asuka wailed, tapping her finger against Kodachi's forehead, making her tip over... And in the process, making her let go of the paralysis powder she'd intended to mix into the team's drinks. The powder flew up into the air, quickly dusting the entire room, and that's why - when the team arrived five minutes later - they found Kodachi and Asuka laying there twitching helplessly.
"Looks like Kuno caught a would-be saboteur from Furinkan," the coach growled. "Get a vacuum cleaner and some face masks. I've got a few things to set up in the opposing team's locker room..."
Needless to say but the game was off to a great start already.
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