Disclaimer. Kanashii no Imi was a fanfic (though I use the term loosely) originally written by the author using the alias Leaf-chan. I first heard of it when reading an MST done by KsaWarrior. When I investigated it, I intended to do an MST of it, but so dark and disturbing was it, that I, who am never at a loss for a smart-assed thing to say, was unable to make light of it. This is not the first draft that I wrote of this. I sent drafts to my pre-readers, Peter Suzuki, who still owes me an MST of my MST, and Glyph Bellchime of the JEDRI. The message I got back was clear. "You let the bastard off too easy." There was only one thing for it. I went back and included the crew of the JEDRI in on the fun. None of the characters I will be using are mine. Most belong to AIC and Pioneer. There are also some that belong to Sunrise, Funimation, ADV, Gainax, and probably just about every other company that does anime.Defiant and Soveriegn Class starships are the copyright of Paramount. Jeff was created by Leaf-chan. All are used without permission. Please don't sue, as I am not making a profit off of this, and it's done out of love of the characters, one in particular. And most importantly, this is therapy, damn it! Warning: This is my tangent on a lemon darkfic. I have, for accuracy in this endeavor, left a good deal of Leaf-chan's original text in here, especially those dealing with the thoughts and motivations of Jeff. For that reason, this fic is still under lemon warning, and if you are not of legal age, are not permitted to download this in your area, or with your server, or have no desire to read anything of a graphic, sexual, or disturbing nature, hit the "Go Back" button now. One more thing. I don't know Leaf-chan. I don't know the motivation that inspired this one. This is not a judgement of the author, but rather, my way of venting steam at a story that really, really disturbed me (something I previously thought impossible). Without further delay, I give you No Need for Grief. by Bryan Weber, Glyph Bellchime, and REBB01 The USS Brian Drummond had previously served as a home base for MSTing silly, lousy, and lemony fanfictions posted at the Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction Archive. It's master, a man who called himself Weber-san, sat in the command chair, and waited for his first face to face meeting with his MSTers, all of whom he has asked to join him on the bridge. There are four of them at the moment. Prince Vegeta, Ryoko, Rei Ayanami, and Zechs Merquise. All enter the bridge of the ship, and are surprised by what they see. Weber-san is a young looking man, early twenties. His eyes are concealed behind thick, dark lenses. His body is thin, frail looking. On his face is a smile, but it isn't an amused smile. Instead, it seems to be filled with sarcasm, outrage, and even malice. Indeed, the overall impression conveyed by the man they see before them is one of contempt for anything and everything. "You're the one who's forced us to MST those works!" Vegeta demanded. "Surprised?" "Why did you send for us?" Zechs asked, "Usually you keep us in the shielded theatre so that we can't get out of an MST. Why have us come to the bridge?" "Because awhile back, I asked you to MST a work for me, and you couldn't do it. So now, I want to try something different. I want to do a self-insert into the story in question, and set right what went wrong. I wanted to know if you were interested." "You mean Kanashii no Imi, don't you?" Ryoko asked, "You mean to go there, and stop Jeff from..." "Indeed. Are you in?" Ryoko nodded, her eyes looking grim, "You can count on it." Vegeta crosses his arms, "I'm all for it." Rei tilts her head slightly, "I will assist you." Zechs Merquise nods as well, "I'm in." "Good." "Why's it so important to you, anyway?" Vegeta asked, "Sure, we couldn't MST it. So why bother with it?" "Let me tell you a bit about myself, Vegeta. See these glasses. They're the result of a long ago cataract surgery, from well before lasers were being utilized. I'm legally blind without these glasses. But since the operation was so primitive, they damaged the eyes' ability to constrict in bright light, and so I'm vulnerable to sunlight, and thus the tint. "I spent my childhood being beaten up, roughed up, and made fun of, all for these glasses. I came to hate everyone and everything. I became sarcastic, cynical, and condescending. Then, a few years ago, something happened to me, and I came to see that I was hurting people I cared about. Since then, I've made it my business to stick up for people who are constantly being bullied and tormented. "Sasami reminds me of my little sister, and she's the frequent target of lemons and darkfics. I got a bit tired of it. This Kanashii no Imi took it to a whole new level. "Now, I'm going to ask a favor of all of you. Don't get involved unless I say otherwise. Leave this to me. Let me do the talking. And most importantly, don't lay a finger on Jeff. I know you all hate him, and so do I, but don't touch him unless I say otherwise." "How do we get in?" Ryoko asked. "Just step this way, and I'll show you my latest toy..." The JEDRI was pulled out of subspace with a sudden jolt. As it was a modified Defiant-class ship, and ridiculously overpowered to begin with, this wasn't a good thing. "Washu, status?" Glyph Bellchime called out, rubbing her aching head. "Just a minute," Washu called back, "The navigational sensors took most of the beating, but the engines aren't happy with sudden stops, y'know." "What happened, anyway?" Cypher asked, looking at his panel, "I don't see...wait, there's a Sovereign-class vessel off our starboard bow. No registry number. And the thing isn't bearing Fed insignia." "Well, they're responsible for this," Washu said irritably, "There's a dimensional breach aboard that ship, distorting subspace for two parsecs around it. We just ran right into the wake." "REBB01, Hail them." "Right. Unidentified ship, this is the JEDRI. Acknowledge." "Shit!" Ryoko moaned, "Not the JEDRI!" She put her hands over her head for a moment, as if shielding it from a blow. "You know them?" Bryan asked. "Mom's on that ship!" Ryoko said with no lack of urgency. Bryan, Vegeta, and Zechs all looked worried, "Washu?" "Well, how many mothers do I have?" "Now's not the time to get into that," Bryan said, "JEDRI, this is the USS Brian Drummond. State the nature of your business." "Brian Drummond, this is Glyph Bellchime, captain of the JEDRI, leader of this group, and the person you almost killed with that dimensional distortion aboard your ship. Care to explain that?" "Um...Sorry about that, JEDRI. The shielding was out of alignment, or you'd never have noticed. My name is Bryan Weber, and I'm..." "I know you!" Washu spoke up, "You're that nut who keeps insisting on spelling my name with two "u"s! Hey, Ryoko, hey! I know you're on that ship. I can still read your mind, you know!" "hi mom," Ryoko said weakly. "JEDRI to Brian Drummond. We are beaming over. Washu informs us that we can't leave until your shielding is back in place," Glyph said. "But I didn't..."Washu began, and then stopped and grinned when she saw the mischievous look in Glyph's eyes, "Oh, right. Could be awhile, too." "Drew, hon," Glyph turned to the helm of the JEDRI, "you gonna be okay just with piloting?" "Gotta study for that test anyhow," he said, "Besides, Pathos will be here." "Should we allow them to do that?" Zechs asked. "Rei, what does the computer say about the JEDRI and its crew." Rei Ayanami punched a few buttons, "The computer lists the JEDRI as an MST capable ship. It is a modified Defiant-class, with Washu based technology. The crew is an unusual assortment, as well. The captain is Glyph Bellchime. There is also a shapeshifter named Cypher, a Cybertronian named REBB01, a female named Ukyo, a male named Andrew, and some sort of creature named Mew. Washu is also aboard." "Tell them that transporters are not a good idea, and ask them to dock in the main shuttle bay. When they get here, direct their leader to my ready room, and make sure the others are comfortable." "So, you're the one," Glyph stared at Bryan Weber as he sat behind his desk in the ready room, "who nearly killed us all." "It was an accident, to be sure," Bryan said, "And I'm sorry about that. Let me ask you something. If there was something that went horribly wrong, and you had the ability to go back and undo it, would you?" "Are you talking about time travel?" "In a sense." "I suppose I'd have to look at it case to case to decide." "I see. Well, since Washu is a member of your group, I'm sure you know who Sasami Jurai is." "Sure. Cute kid. Good cook. What of it?" "Read this file, and then I'll explain," Bryan handed her a PADD. "This isn't an ordinary Sovereign class ship," Washu said. "No," Zechs confirmed, "It's been modified. The first major modification is the computer. Since this ship is built on technology stolen from the Federation, we can't really hire a crew." "Stolen?" Ukyo asked, wondering what sort of people she and her friends were dealing with. "Well, data that was used without the Federation's permission, anyway," the computer said in Bryan's voice, "The materials used were legally obtained." "What was that?" REBB01 asked curiously. "The ship's run by a sentient computer, the brain waves based on the ship's owner, Bryan Weber. The computer is called Zod, and it's extremely sensitive. "The second modification is the dimensional oscillator, which is what caused the problem to begin with. It allows us to jump from dimension to dimension, and can even be used for time travel. "The final modification is the Zero System, utilized in my Gundam Epyon. We copied the system and hardwired it to the command chair. Bryan can operate any system he chooses from that location, with utmost accuracy." Glyph Bellchime emerged from the ready room, her face deadly serious, "Group, we have a proposition." And she explained to them what was going on. .The expressions on some of their faces were very dark indeed. Ukyo even took the PADD, and scanned it over just to be sure, her lips contorting in a grimace. That expression had only been seen by Ryoga Hibiki, when she was really in a bad mood, and he had damaged her back wall to the restaurant, again. "So, who's in?" Glyph asked. "I think I speak for all of us," REBB01 said, "when I say, LET'S GET THAT PERVERTED BASTARD!!!!" "Ready to do this?" Bryan asked. "Damn straight," Glyph replied. And with that, they stepped into the light... It was not a normal day in the Tenchi Masaki household. First off, Ryoko had *not* tried to latch onto Tenchi when he came downstairs (late, if I may add) for breakfast. Aeka was also strangely absent from the household; in fact, she hadn't *been* anywhere in the house for at least a day or two. Ryo-ohki was sitting on the couch, asleep; Mihoshi and Kiyone were in space on an assignment. Washu was probably the most normal thing going on that day. She was in her lab as always, fiddling and diddling with this and that. Lights flickered, photons burst, people died, and stuff happened as she experimented with her latest invention, something that she termed the "Reality Distortion Transportation Thingamabob". Hours and hours passed as she worked.... and all the while, the reader was left in total boredom. After she finally finished, she sat back, a small smirk of satisfaction on her rather-puerile face. "Heh," she cackled. "*This* will prove me to be the Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe (TM)! Now, my pretty... I will destr- erm, get to work!" Washu reached over, and flicked the ubiquitous Activation Switch that's always marked and conspicuous on such devices. Nothing happened. "Agh, damn it!" Washu muttered, and delivered a sound Boot to the CPU (TM) on the side panel of the device. With an almost-human groan of annoyance, the machine sputtered and puttered to life. A control panel lit up, the readout blank. Washu grinned in triumph and began to program in some obscure coordinates into the panel. [-----] Jeff sighed in annoyance as he backed away from his keyboard yet again. His dad, being his usual capricious self, had decided at *that particular moment* to pick up the damn phone, thus cutting off the connection to his ISP, and thereby ruining the incredibly intense RP that he had been in only mere seconds ago. In all actuality, it was a few minutes short of midnight, and the chat hall on IRC was quite dead. Occasional non-sequitor comments came from those who were still actually in the hall. Jeff himself had been downloading porn from some obscure site linked from the Anipike, hoping to hell that his dad wouldn't notice. Of course, *that* idea's gone, he thought as he stumbled to his feet in order to sternly reprimand ("Uh, dad... could you please not do that?") his father on Internet etiquette. Per usual, his dad was the one to reprimand him before striding stridently back into his room. Jeff, sighing, returned to his room in disappointment. At least he'll be asleep now, he thought. That way, I get lots of time to masturbate. Mmmm, Pfil... Jeff's visions of fairy fetish heaven were cut short as he blinked out of existence in this universe in inimitable Revenge! style. [-----] "AGH! What the hell is this thing!" Jeff opened his eyes, half-expecting to be dead and in hell ("Okay, Satan, I'll mop the floor, just quit poking me with that trident"). Instead, he was in a subspace pocket inside a spare dimension that happened to pass for the laboratory of this Universe's Greatest Scientific Genius (TM). "Uh... hello... who are you..." he muttered quietly. Damn, there goes my erection. Washu, meanwhile, was still blinking at the lump of flesh and fat that had materialized in the middle of her lab. She hadn't expected to pull something *this* bizzare; for one, he was *way* too chubby... and his hair, despite being somewhat-longish, simply didn't look cool at all. "Who the hell are you?" she spoke in the ubiquitous language of anime universes, Japanese. Jeff blinked, then suddenly realized a few things all at once: 1) He was in a really complicated-looking lab when he had been in his room about three seconds ago; 2) the girl standing in front of him was speaking Japanese; 3) she had *HUGE* eyes; and 4) she was staring at his...... He quickly tucked it back in and zipped up his pants. "Eh... heh.... sorry." Washu looked, and said something. Even with Jeff's rather-limited vocabulary, he still recognized the words "chan" and "diiku" anywhere. "Look," Jeff said, hoping to hell that she hadn't seen *too* much. "I don't know what you're saying, and I was about to... well, hell, since you saw it, I was about to enjoy myself. Now what the hell-" Washu raised a hand up to silence him, and touched a few buttons on her portable laptop. A few seconds later, she began speaking English. "I believe that this is what you would call a 'plot contrivance'," she said rather seriously. "Uhm... yeah." Jeff abruptly realized that either he was speaking Japanese, or that everyone in the place suddenly understood English. Contrivance, indeed. "Anyways... I brought you here with my invention, the Reality Distortion Transportation Thingamabob," Washu continued. "Great name." "Ain't it?" she said with a wide grin. "At any rate, here you are, and so I've got a coupla questions to ask you." "Uh..." Jeff quickly remembered what had happened in the Tenchi Muyo videos he'd borrowed from his friends. "What... *kind* of questions?" Washu's grin grew wider. "Judging by what I saw when you got here, they'd be the kind of questions you'd like!" ".... right." Jeff sighed. "Alright, come on... since I'm here, I might as well make an idiot of myself." The genius blinked. "Um, right. Now, if you'll just stay still..." As she spoke, she pushed a few more buttons on the laptop, and the requisite tentacle-demon-like machine popped up from under Jeff and promptly tied him up. Jeff himself just sat there, looking rather amused and bemused. "Nyehehehe... maybe *you* can give me that sample I've been looking for..." Washu muttered as she typed furiously on the keyboard. "Uh, right... I thought you wanted that sample from *Tenchi*, not me..." Washu blinked. "How'd you know about Tenchi? Who are you?" Her eyes narrowed and she began to regard Jeff with a suspicious gaze. "Long story. Can we leave it at that?" Washu reached over and flicked the machine onto idle for the time being. She regarded Jeff with a serious look. "... y'know, I don't think that's a good idea... I want to know who you are right *now*." "I don't think I can explain that myself," Jeff mumbled as he looked nervously around the room. Lights, machines, and weird bubbling stuff... nope, nothing to help him. Washu pushed a button, and the machine abruptly dropped out of sight, dumping Jeff unceremoniously to the ground. "You come in here and you already know who Tenchi is... I know there's something you're not telling me here, and I wanna know what it is." Jeff sighed. "Okay, I'll try to explain, but you're probably not gonna understand it anyways, and even if you do understand it, it'll come off sounding like a really lame excuse." "What? You think that the *Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe* won't be able to figure this out? HA!" Washu posed proudly, and settled back down in her bench a few seconds later. "So spill it already." "Hm, all right... let's see... I'm from a universe where you are products of imagination... basically, you exist only in a graphic and text medium, and serve no other purpose than to amuse us. Basically, your lives have no meaning." Washu blinked. "*You* *don't* *exist," Jeff reiterated slowly. Washu blinked again, then began to smile in that decidingly disturbed fashion. "Nice try there... but not good enough." "Of course... I didn't expect it to work," Jeff sighed. "Well, I guess I'm gonna die now." "No, no, hold on..." Washu interrupted. "As weird as you are... I find you really interesting. I think I'm gonna keep you around- as a specimen!" Her eyes glinted dangerously, and she began to push a few more keys on the laptop. "Hey, wait a minute... what're you gonna do? Just keep me around until I die?!" Jeff exclaimed, suddenly *very* worried. "Sounds about right. Heh... you know me pretty well... maybe you're actually telling the truth." "I *am* telling the truth, damn it." "I'm still gonna lock you up." Jeff managed to conceal his look of abject terror. "Well, if you're gonna do that... can I at least get to say hi to the others? You know... Ryoko, Aeka, S-Sasami, and Ryo-ohki...? Oh yeah, and Tenchi too." Washu paused again, and for a second Jeff thought that she was simply going to kill him then and there. She then whirled on him, expression intent. "You're either really powerful or *really* stupid," she said. "And you don't feel powerful at all. I ran a scan on you and it showed nothing... so I'm assuming you really *are* telling the truth here with this 'we don't exist' stuff." "I'm glad you think so," Jeff mumbled, somewhat relieved. "However," Washu continued, "if I *do* catch you doing something, I'm sure you know what we are all capable of." Jeff nods. "Right. I won't do anything. Trust me." "This time, I will," Washu acknowledged. "But *just* this once. And only because I'm feeling generous." Jeff smiled, managing to not make it look like a smirk with great effort. "Thanks, Little Washu." Washu looked back at him with a measure of mild surprise. "Somehow, I saw that one coming." "Um... can I go now?" Jeff gestured meekly towards the "door" of the lab, which was sitting by itself, jamb-less, in the middle of space. "All right, but I'm keeping an eye out, Jeff. Remember that." "Thanks," he said, and quickly ducked out of the lab. After he left, Washu paused in her work for a few moments, staring at a beaker in dumb amazement. "I really don't believe this," she muttered. >>"You did fine, Washu-chan," Bryan said, emerging from behind a specimen case, "So far, nothing has changed, but then, I want to confront him when he's alone." "I wouldn't trust you at all if Ryoko hadn't insisted on it," Washu- chan eyed Bryan warily, "How can you let him wander, knowing what he's going to do." "Because as sick as he is, I can't hate someone for something they *might* do." "I still want a piece of him,"REBB01 said, cracking his knuckles, "Treating an innocent kid that way...and then killing her. I may be demented, but I'm not that sick." Vegeta smiled. He liked demented people with axes to grind. "A rape is still a rape," Glyph growled, "I'm not easy with this plan of yours, Weber." "I know how all of you feel," Bryan said softly, not wanting to provoke any outbursts from anyone, "But as sick as he is, he's still a human being...in the loosest sense of the word. And I can't just kill someone outright. I know it sounds stupid, but I want to give him a chance to rethink what he's doing. There's still time to prevent it. You did take the liberty of preparing the safeguard, like I asked, right Washu- chan?" Washu smiled, "Of course." "We're gonna get this guy, right?" REBB01 asked. Bryan smiled, "As Glyph said aboard the Drummond, if the bastard won't listen, then he's all yours. There's nothing to worry about."<< [-----] Walking out of the lab was a big mistake. During the course of time that he and Washu were having their merry little chat, the dynamics of the Masaki residence had suddenly decided to return to normal for a while. Thus, when Jeff walked out, he nearly got his head sliced off by a blade of orange energy. Being the epitome of people with lackluster reflexes, Jeff just stood there as he watch the blade hum by a bare centimeter from his chin. The realization didn't set in until a few seconds later, when he ducked quickly- and ended up sprawling over the couch, nearly squashing Ryo-ohki. The cabbit leapt aside, yowling and meowing in protest. Jeff, unaccustomed to such a lifeform back on his version of Earth, popped right up from where he was about to sit with a loud yelp of astonishment. He rammed face-first into Aeka's backside, sending the older Princess of Jurai flying back onto the floor with a surprised squawk. Ryoko, meanwhile, had noticed that someone was actually foolish enough to interfere in her argument; and so, for once, she relented, letting the orange energy-saber fade into her hand. "Who's this guy?" she said, peering over at the currently-frozen-in-place Jeff. As for Jeff himself, he was bending over Aeka carefully, hoping to hell that he didn't a shock from those Juraian wood-cylinder-things right up the ass. "Princess? Are you okay?" "I- hey, who *are* you?" she muttered, rising up from the ground. "That's what I'm wonderin'," Ryoko said. "Uh... heh," Jeff mumbled, smiling nervously. "Y'see... Washu was fooling around with some invention of hers... and she kinda brought... me... here." Ryoko and Aeka regarded him oddly. "You look really... strange," Aeka remarked. "Your eyes are quite... um, small." "Don't remind me." "Look, if you're just gonna barge in on us like that, whoever you are-" Ryoko began. "Jeff," Jeff mumbled. "The name's Jeff." "-Jeff," Ryoko continued, "then you can at least stay the hell away from me and Aeka." Jeff sighed. "I really didn't want to barge *in*, y'know. Your mom's kinda unpredictable when she decides to yank people from other dimensions." "Don't remind me," Ryoko said sourly. "Please, make yourself at home here," Aeka said charmingly. At least it's not some girl that would distract Tenchi from loving me, she thought. Unless he's gay. Which would not be good at all. "Sasami should be in the kitchen, so if you're hungry you can go ask her." Jeff's expression remained stoic, but his mind began to slowly drift out of focus. "Sasami? Your little sister?" he said, feeling something inside of him depart. "Yes, she... how did you know that?" He smiled wryly. "It's kinda a long story... go ask Washu whenever she comes out from her lab." "That could take *days*," Ryoko muttered. Jeff shrugged, and quickly ducked into the kitchen. "What a strange little man," Aeka murmured, sitting back down on the couch. >>Ryoko met Bryan and Glyph at the door of Washu's lab, "Can we trust him in there?" "He won't act until tonight. Everything will be ready by then." "I really don't feel right, letting him go free like this. And not telling Aeka? I think she should know." "NO!" Bryan hissed under his breath, "Aeka would kill him in an instant. I don't want that. Not yet. Trust me, Ryoko. Please." Ryoko crossed her arms, "If you're wrong, and something does happen to her..." Glyph's growled at the thought that ran through all their minds at that moment. She gave the signal, and Vegeta and Cypher exited the lab, and Mew began his psi scans of the house, monitoring everything. "Then my head is yours for the asking," Bryan said to Ryoko.<< [-----] The kitchen. The kitchen. That's where she was. Jeff peeked in across the doorframe... and sure enough, there she was... the younger Princess of Jurai, Sasami. She was wearing that adorable pink apron with a giant carrot across the front again. And ponytails. Gotta love the long hair. She walked back and forth quickly, touching this up, turning the heat down just a bit on the soup, and finally topped it off with a decisive wipe-down of the countertop. Sasami. She took a moment to sit back, sighing to herself, a content smile on her freckled face. Jeff walked in that moment, smiling a bit himself. "Hi," he said, waving hesitantly. Sasami blinked. "Who're you?" she said. Jeff gritted his teeth. Okay, so maybe the voice was still as abrasive as ever, he thought. Nothing can be done about that. At least I could've been sucked into the dubbed version of this reality, but nooooo.... I gotta get dragged into the subtitled version. Sheesh. "I'm Jeff," he said. "Little Washu brought me here with one of her inventions, so I guess I'll be staying for a while." "Oh... great! I'm Sasami!" She bowed her head slightly in traditional pose. I know. "Hi," Jeff repeated, smiling like an idiot now. "Anyways, whatcha cooking?" The classic Adam Christopher Leigh line, he thought. At least *I* like Mihoshi- the OAV version, anyways, since the TV version was a complete putz and she- "Nothing special," Sasami replied, getting up and smoothing out the front of her apron. "Just some soup, and rice, and... oh, you know, the usual stuff." "Right... so, when's dinner? I'm kinda hungry..." For more than just food. "It'll be in an hour or so. Are you going to eat with us?" "I... guess so, if that's okay." "Oh, sure!" Sasami beamed at him brightly. "I'll be happy to cook for you. And I hope big sister and Ryoko won't mind, either. Say, have you met Tenchi yet?" I have, actually. "Nope," he said. "But I'll see him at dinner, right?" Sasami nodded. "Yup. He's letting us all live here. It's very nice of him." Jeff smiled uneasily- he was losing it, quickly- and began to back away towards the door. "Anyways, I've got something to do right now, Sasami... so I'll see you at dinner, then... right?" "Right! Nice to meet you, Jeff!" She turned back to her cooking, and Jeff would have survived unscathed, had not the following occurred. As she reached over for a ladle, she accidentally knocked a measuring cup over. "Oh, no," she said, and bent over to reach it. Through the wonderful powers of the deities above who decided that Jeff was to not live a peaceful existence, he just happened to have a perfect view... as her apron and shirt billowed downwards, allowing for a darkened but definitely clear view of her braless, immature chest. Jeff's eyes widened... his gaze shot towards her bottom, which was rounded and sticking out in that pert way... then towards his pants... and he quickly left, bolting away. >>-Damn it-Cypher thought-I could spit on the dickweed, he was so close!-<< I saw it, he thought. Like a kid who sees his first issue of Penthouse... it brought about an unimaginable thrill, a rush of sensation... and an incredibly painful erection. Jeff quickly ducked into the backyard, hoping to find a secluded niche around. There were none, of course; none that he could see, so he dashed back indoors (Aeka and Ryoko were just staring at him by this point), and into the bathroom. He couldn't go out again. Not after what he'd seen. It was his fantasy, his dream... and he could not allow himself to go through with it because to do so would mean the ending of someone else's dream. He'd have to resolve this on his own... as he had many times before. He could already feel himself stiffening, in anticipation of the event. Jeff sat on the toilet seat, noting how small the damn thing was, trembling. Pictures were one thing. Seeing it in reality- well, *relative* reality- was completely different. It was as if he was altered anew... the dream flared back up to life again, demanding to be sated. He unzipped his pants, and tugged out his old friend, the one who had been the source of satisfaction from his fantasies so many times before. He wanted to love her. Her small breasts. The rosy nipples. Her rounded butt. Her small breasts. The rosy nipples. Her rounded butt. Her small breasts. The rosy nipples. Her rounded butt. Her sm- "Jeff? Are you in there?" Aeka's voice came drifting from across the door, snapping him back into a harsh state of reality. Jeff, however, could only give an incoherent groan as he climaxed, sending semen all over his hand. He quickly unrolled a few generous sheets of toilet paper and managed to wipe his hand off, then flushed the toilet quickly, sending the paper down with it. Jeff walked back out, looking around. "Are you all right? You sounded very... um... pained in there," Aeka said as he walked out. "Oh, no... no... I'm fine," Jeff hastily mumbled. "I just- had constipation, or something. Wouldn't come out, you know?" He tossed her a nervous smile. "... yes, I understand," Aeka muttered. "Now, please... it's almost time for dinner. Sasami's cooking something wonderful for us, you know... it's-- " Jeff stopped listening to her at that point and drifted off into thought. Yeah, I know. Something wonderful. >>Ryoko stared at Jeff with a gleam of hatred in her eye, but she was careful not to let him notice. She whispered into the comm watch Bryan had provided them all with, "Vegeta?" "The pervert was checking her out in the kitchen. Neither of them saw me. I was moving around too fast. Damn Weber-san. I could have killed the fat fuck a hundred times over by now!" "Only if I didn't beat you to it," Glyph said, her teeth grinding. Bryan looked nervously at her, thankful that he wasn't actually on the receiving end of THAT glare. She smacked her fist into the wall, "Damn pedophiles! I hate this!" "I didn't think humans could move that fast," Vegeta said. "Stow that, Vegeta," Bryan's voice came, "I'll make my play after dinner. We have until a little after one in the morning to avert this."<< [-----] Dinner passed by with a barrage of questions for Jeff: the usual entourage of "how are you", "where are you from", "how can you speak Japanese so well", and the ubiquitous "did you have problems finding the bathroom". Jeff managed to paste a somewhat-bland smile on his face as he politely answered the questions, munching on his food quietly. His attention was really focused on one thing: the paragon of innocent beauty before him, Princess Sasami. Jeff watched every single nuance of her actions: the way she chewed her food delicately (sixteen times, fourteen times, seventeen times, a drink of water, a sip of miso soup, fourteen times, eighteen times) and the bulge in her throat as she swallowed the masticated mass. Yes. Swallow. He didn't know how long he'd be able to control himself; he didn't know that he even had to, until that moment in time when he had watched his own semen-covered hand in mild horror. After a few moments, he had gently placed one finger in his mouth experimentally, tasting the flatness of his own ejaculate. This sweetness stems from Sasami, he had thought. I gorge myself upon it. Now, as she sat before him, he couldn't help but wonder... how would he do this? And what were the repercussions going to be? Of course, he didn't expect to get out of this alive... if he was even alive anymore. Raping a little girl who had connections to the greatest scientific genius in the universe, a notorious space pirate, and a royal princess of a powerful empire was a damned stupid idea. Still... there was that feeling, that *throb* that he couldn't shake. Somewhere in him, he wanted to feast himself on her, physically, mentally, until his lust was satisfied. It wasn't a lust he could fully explain... hell, he knew it was stupid, and yet he was going through with it-- Wait. *Was* he going to go through with it? His mind didn't give him a response. There was only a matter of time before his body would dictate his fate. "Hey, what's the matter with you?" Ryoko called out from her bowl of udon noodles. "See somethin' you like?" >>"Ryoko," Bryan's voice sounded in her ear, "Don't push it. Remember, right now it's only a sick fantasy in his head." "At least he isn't staring at her with that awful leer," Ukyo said, her body trembling with rage, "Definitely one sick puppy." "Mew, what do you think?" Glyph asked. The pokemon was rubbing its head, ### I got sick from seeing what was in there. ### "Uh... sorry," Jeff mumbled hastily, burying his own face in a pile of California rolls. It wouldn't do at all, really, to have his plans discovered before he even brought them into actions. Was he really going to do this?! Yes. No. No. You can't. Yes. Of course not. You do this, and you violate every ideal that you claim to uphold... being a lover of children, a defender of innocence and youth... Lover.... What a joke. It was all a mask, really. Beneath that mask lay the same thing that had been Humbert's undoing... an unsatiable, burning lust for something that was forbidden and taboo, something that was unspeakably beautiful in a way that no one else could understand. No one understood him. They hated him, for his desire that he wanted everyone and no one to know about. He would tease them with it, and pretend to flaunt it.. only to withdraw at the last moment and reerect his face of seeming-indifference. There were those who went beneath that face.. but even then, they didn't not reach behind further to see the ugly truth that even Jeff himself hated to admit. He wanted to fuck Sasami. >> ### I did NOT just hear that thought. Please God in Heaven, that wasn't what I heard ### Mew felt ill. << But it would have to wait. Jeff finished up his dinner, then quietly let Aeka and Yosho guide him to his room. The princess looked at him oddly for a few brief moments; the elderly Juraian remained impasse. Nevertheless, Jeff thanked them both for their hospitality and curled up on his futon, sweating, his heart pounding. He knew that there was no way he would sleep tonight, not with this opportunity in his grasp. >>"So that's how it is," Bryan said to Yosho, "I came here with the self-same dimensional oscillator that I dreamed up for one of my own tales. Ryoko and Washu know, and aside from Glyph here, I have Vegeta, REBB01, Cypher, Mew, Ukyo, and Zechs Merquise here, waiting for my signal. Rei is back on my ship, waiting to bring us back. Someone had to stay behind, and she pulled the short straw. I think Aeka suspects something about him is off, but I told Ryoko and the others not to interfere unless I said otherwise." "Why?" Yosho asked. "As a master of a shrine, I think you, of all people should understand. I want to attempt to redeem him, before he takes that final step. I want to try to make him see that what he wants is wrong, and that he should abandon it." "And if you fail?" Yosho asked. "Sasami will come to no harm, I swear to you that. I've had Washu give me one extra security precaution, and if it's triggered..."here, Bryan trailed off. "I'll kill the bastard with my own two hands before he knows what's going on," Glyph said with meaning. "So, you offer him a chance for redemption and if he fails to do that, you are ready to kill him. You and my father have much in common, Bryan." "I'm not asking you to like it, Yosho. But I'm a pragmatist. If he won't abandon his goals, then he's too dangerous for society. Some would claim that he's sick, and with that, I'd have to agree. But a rabid dog is sick, too, and we shoot them down without a thought. That's how it is for me with these people." "I understand. I appreciate your telling me." "Well, seeing as how you caught us off guard and put this sword to my throat, I don't see as how I had a choice." "Nor I, though I'm glad it's not me with the new neck jewelry." Glyph said, trying to smile. Her hands were upright. "You're good."<< He remained there for the better part of the night; so did his erection. The mere thought of actual, real action did wonders for it. There were a few moments when he caressed himself to make the pain ease away, but it only served to excite him even more. He glanced over at the clock. It was 1:13. As he stared, the three clicked, and turned into a four. Now or never. Do or die. The first, the second. Jeff quietly got up from the futon, and made his way over to the door, sliding it aside easily. The hallway was totally dark and quiet... aside from the chirping of the crickets and the heat, which was almost palpable. Tiptoeing, he padded down the hall and gently situated himself in front of the door he knew would lead to her room--after all, he'd watched the series countless times, and there was simply a feeling in his (mind) heart that told him where it was. Where it was.. >>"Jeff," A voice said behind him. He jumped, but somehow managed not to scream. "Who are you?" he asked, turning to see a ghostly apparition that looked like a young man with glasses standing behind him. "I'm just another world-hopper, like you. And I know what you're thinking about doing. And this is for your own good. Don't. If you do this, you won't be able to look at yourself in the mirror ever again. Just turn around and walk away." And with that, Bryan faded out. Jeff stood there for a moment, and then decided, after much consideration, that it had been an hallucination.<< >>Bryan stepped out of Washu's holographic projector, "I've given him his chance. Now let's see what he does with it."<< Where was he? He stayed there for the better part of fifteen minutes, milli-metering the door open so slowly that it might as well not even have been moving. The sight did not manifest itself like Camelot emerging from the mists of time. In fact, the room was totally dark, and Jeff couldn't see a thing; he'd have to be extra-careful so as to not wake anybody up. Finally, he silently, silently arched one foot over the threshold, being infinitely careful not to stub his toe against the bottom railing and hurt himself and start cursing which would wake everyone up and they would ask him what he was doing-- Creeeeeak. Of all the bloody things, the floorboard just *had* to be-- It didn't matter. Nothing mattered, anymore. He'd crossed the threshold, in more ways than one; beyond a physical concept, it was a blatant metaphor for what he was about to attempt (not attempt, he *will* succeed and die for it or die trying--either way it was a lose/lose situation... except he wouldn't have lost, will he? He would've gotten what he was searching for his whole life, and in such he had won the battle. What a fucking trite way to look at it). There was no turning back now. Yes, there was. He'd been lying to himself again. But he wouldn't do it, would he? One way to look at it was his strength: it took fortitude to do something this wrong... and it took weakness for him not being able to hold out against what he himself could not control and looked upon as a curse of his existence. Yin and yang, two sides of a coin. Life. Death. There would only be death in this consummation. On both sides. Of the coin. He made his way closer, closer, ever closer. His heartbeat was racing, the noise pumping in his ears like a rhythmic, muffled hammer pounding on a piece of pus-filled flesh. He reached out. He sought. He gently lifted the cover back, unaware of all else.... "Hi Jeff." She was awake, and had been looking at him. What to do.. what to do?! Sasami giggled. "You couldn't sleep, huh? What are you doing--" "Shhhh," he shushed gently, looking around. Aeka wasn't around-- apparently the older Princess had decided that Sasami, being eight-hundred and eight years old, was old enough to sleep by herself. How convenient. For him. "Uh... Sasami...?" "Huh?" "Can we play a game? Right now?" This wasn't right, the exploitation of such an innocent and untainted mind... "I'm *sleeping*, Jeff," Sasami chided gently, and turned around. This would NOT DO. He felt anger rise in him, and that was what conquered him--the horrible anger, which he had sworn never to allow come up ever again, rising within him almost as fast as his penis had. Without thinking, his hands shot out. One caught her by the cheek in a vicious slap that would leave a bruise in the morning. (if she is still there by then) The other clamped over her mouth. The little girl struggled, and that's when Jeff maneuvered himself onto her body, crushing her with his obscene weight. "I want to *play*," he whispered hoarsely, and gently licked the tip of her nose. The girl elicited another scream that was muffled by his mouth, and that's when Jeff pressed his hand at her throat, cutting off her air supply. Within a half a minute she was motionless and limp in his arms. Almost giggling madly to himself, Jeff picked her up easily in his arms-- love gave him strength--and made his way back out, with nowhere near the care he took to get in. He stepped back on the creaky floorboard again. He stepped on it multiple times. When nothing happened ("They probably think that it's Ryoko sneaking around again," Jeff thought), he made his way out of the house, unobstructed. ###STOP THIS!### his mind (?) blared at him. ### ST--### Shut up. She's mine now. All, all, mine. Her body... her soul... mine. ###But not her love. ### YES, her love. I'll *make* her love me. ###Poor thing... don't you know that love can never be forced? ### Fuck off. I've got my piece coming to me. The sensible side faded, and Jeff threw himself over the fence and onto the not-so-green side. >>>Mew wept ### I couldn't stop him ### Glyph Bellchime hugged the little Pokemon, "You tried, honey. You tried."<<< [-----] Darkness. He laid her out gently, gently, like a lover (she *was* a lover), onto the dewy grass. Carefully, he began to remove her sparse clothing, which was already matted with the wet. The light pink pajama pants came off first. He took a brief moment to look longingly at her crotch, hidden by her white panties, then continued to unbutton each and every button on her top. When all was done, Jeff parted the sides like water, revealing pure, warm and unblemished flesh underneath. Nipples--barely formed, no different from that of a young boy's, and yet so ultimately different... the faint ridges of her collarbone standing out slightly below where he had applied pressure to knock her unconscious... her little bellybutton, a nice, neat indentation in the otherwise-smooth curve of her flat stomach. Jeff ripped the pajamas and flung them aside savagely, not caring where the hell they landed. It wouldn't matter, in an hour... or two... or three... however long it took for him to quell the thirst. Slowly, he bent down, and looked at the hidden prize: she was wearing white panties, as most girls did in these types of situations. White panties, with a little blue ribbon on the elastic strap of the underwear. He smiled gently, and moved back up towards Sasami's chest, flicking the tip of his tongue over her budding nipple, tasting the essence of her, what he had longed for ever since he came to his sense (ever since he went insane, depending on how one looked at it) three years ago. It didn't taste like much... but his mind wanted it to, and believed it to. To him, it wasn't just the physical taste of her skin, but the idea and concept of what he was doing to her, something forbidden, fruits taste sweet. He continued to circle the small, pink areola, and gave a barely-audible snort of contempt as her tiny nipples began to harden. They were so different and yet not, he thought. The naivete of youth and the sensuality of maturity shattering that naivete, that glass window, into a thousand shards which melt away into sweet nothings in a lover's ear... Jeff ran his hands gently over her, then decided better of it. He wasn't worthy to touch her bare body with his hands; she would be soiled beyond all in a few minutes, and further defilation wasn't what he wanted of her. He wanted... he wanted... .. *her*. >>"And just what are you planning on doing with that doll?" Bryan asked. This time, he was no ghostly image, but his solid self. He'd meant to ask the question in a humorous tone, but it came out as a furious growl of rage. Jeff, for his part, with sudden tears in his eyes, realized that he'd been had. The thing he was holding wasn't Sasami. Never had been .It was one of Washu's simul-dolls, made up to resemble Sasami. Bryan's call had triggered the return signal, wiping out the illusion once and for all. "Sasami is with Tenchi's aunt tonight, playing with little Taro. Washu set it up for me right after I got here, a couple of minutes ahead of you."<< Jeff slowly turned around, wiped his tears, and began smirking. "Heh." >>He turned and ran, knowing that if he was caught, it was the end for him. "The sicko's running," Bryan said into his comm watch, "You're up first, REBB01.Cypher, good work. The creaking floorboard was the perfect disguise." Cypher laughed, actually sounding pleasant, but then he hid by sliding down as a gold cloth, joining the roots for a moment. Glyph was right behind Bryan, her blue hair flashing with the light of the weapon she carried in her hands. It looked like Ryoko's light sword, but she handled it like a staff. She gave a growl. And started running. Another growl. This time Jeff heard it. He had dove in to the woods, heading up into the shrine. He had hoped it would hide him, or lose that now furious group after him. Then he saw it. A large beast jumped in to his path. Since when did Japan have mountain lions? Jeff dodged to the side, just as the large creature swiped at him with long bird claws. He heard it screech, then realized that it was no big cat. Then he felt where the claws had made contact, he realized he had started to bleed, his left arm. What the hell had that been? He didn't have time for an answer; he kept running, the adrenaline pushing his huge frame further into the dark. "Damn, the trees are making it hard to maneuver," REBB01 snarled, then folded his wings. He transformed. He steadied, reaching for a weapon and raising his flame-thrower. Jeff finally screeched to a startled halt. The large robot was getting ready to fire. It looked extremely dangerous. He eased the trigger back. Jeff thought of dodging. The trigger came together with a snap. Nothing. Jeff didn't even think about it, he rolled to the side, his arm hurting worse. "Son of a bitch!" REBB01 swore. Cypher kept low. He remembered a trick his first mentor taught him. He slid, gelatin-like, and latched onto two trees in front of where he heard a man's really rough breathing coming through the trees. Rope. He thought as he congealed. Rope. Jeff took a tumble, unfortunately downhill. But not on the trip rope. Cypher felt something grab onto him. He jerked, still hanging onto the trees. Jeff. Cypher wanted to recoil out of disgust, but then he noticed the guy was getting to his feet. Jeff picked up the rope quizzically. It seemed to have been left there on purpose. He thought that maybe the gods hadn't forsaken him entirely. . . Cypher then began to change. Jeff screamed, seeing the rope morph into a very convincing, very poisonous snake. He tried to drop it, only to have it latch onto his hand. He felt the fangs penetrate, but he felt already too scared or hyped on adrenaline to feel the pain. He swung, banging the snake into a tree. The thing loosened. Jeff began to run downhill, even faster than before. Cypher morphed again into his humanoid self. He clearly looked to be sore, and very furious. "That," he growled, rubbing his neck, "was foul." Then he rubbed where Jeff's blood had stayed near his cheek. Or where it had landed on the snake's. REBB01 then caught up with him. "You want to do Phase 2?" he asked. "Damn straight," Cypher then molded onto the cybertronian. Jeff banged into something very large and very dark. He fell onto butt, gaining a quick breath. Zechs had followed him, readying his move, but then this big figure had puzzled him and he stopped. Jeff stared at the face. It was contorted, moldy, worms running along it in every direction. It held a very elaborate sword. It smiled. "I'll be with you in a few moments," it said in a very sociable voice. Then it phased out of sight. Jeff looked down. He swallowed, then realized he had lost bladder control. Zechs smiled, "Boy, when he said demented, he meant it." Jeff got back up onto his feet. Zechs had made a special modification to the Gundam Epyon, hardwiring the Zero System into his trademark helmet, the mark of shame that hid his true identity as Milliardo Peacecraft. He pressed a button on his comm watch, and Rei Ayanami sent the Gundam from the hangar aboard the Brian Drummond to the woods behind the Masaki shrine. Zechs willed the Epyon into its dragon mode, and ordered it to get a target reading on Jeff. Jeff watched in horror as a demonic looking two headed dragon soared overhead. It gleamed in the moonlight. It's whiplike tail slashed at the trees in front of him, and he missed being crushed by the falling lumber by a few mere inches .He didn't waste time. He ran as fast as he could. Zechs pressed the switch again, and Ayanami recalled Epyon. It was just too large for a manhunt. But he hoped it had thrown a good scare into Jeff. Mew had his turn but his was simpler. Since Jeff already had been scared out of his wits, he was jumpy. All Mew did was let his eyes glow. >>>Then two big red eyes, joined his, they were closed. Ukyo watched fascinated with seeing the attack. They opened, sharply. But this attack only affected pokemon, but it did scare humans! "Aww, crap, now what?" Jeff muttered. But since it didn't come towards him, he edged to the side. "Good one, Mew-chan," Ukyo giggled. Jeff, at least, had stopped before he hit another dark figure. It seemed to be unrolling a scroll and reading from it. It turned to face him. Shit! That dream. Shit! It was real. He was looking in to the face of. "Ahh, Jeff, where were we?" then it started to laugh a very insane laugh. "FUCK!" He turned around, and sped off. REBB01 let the hood fall off and the changeling slid into his hand. Then Cypher formed into his humanoid form. "Now wasn't that fun?" REBB asked. "Hell yeah, " Cypher joked, "I'm glad Mew pointed out that dream to me." Jeff paused for a minute, breathing hard. Wait a minute, that last one. It was about the same size as the dude that had tried to fire at him. "Shit!" he growled. "Those bastards! They weren't real, just the big guy with different masks." He also considered the rope to be just a product of his imagination, and the lighted eyes were just probably large flashlights or colored floodlights from the same damn pair. And the dragon...probably another of their tricks. "When I find them, I going to murder them!" he stormed off, except he saw something aiming a red dot at his hand. He watched it as it moved up his arm to his face, right between the eyes. Then he ducked it, realizing what it was. Zechs moved fast. He fired a blast after the fat bastard, but he let it fall short. He saw Glyph ahead. She dodged it. But then Jeff and her tangled. She dropped the light bo. He grabbed her, taking her head in one hand. He stood up, applying pressure to neck enough that she got up with him. "Listen, girlie, tell your friends to back off!" Glyph clamped her mouth shut. He turned her head a little further, but not enough to break it. He then saw Glyph's eyes blank. Her left leg started to curl funny. "BACK OFF! Or I break her neck!" Jeff yelled, still uncertain why she was acting this way. She had felt this way before. Glyph relived the moment. Her friend Rachel and her were flying kites with her little brother. Back then she wasn't Glyph, she was Sue, very timid and very aware of the surgery to her left hip. She had broken it during a fall down a rough hill in the neighborhood. The crutches were still needed. She had strength in her arms, and words in her heart. This was before Andrew. This was before the group. Before the JEDRI. A group of older boys, a year older came onto the field. Gangs did roam the area, but Glyph had wisely stayed away. Until then, when they were coming to her. Danny's kite had lost it's wind, and it floated near them. They saw where it had come from. The string broke because the boy stepped on it. She signaled to Danny to let it be and move on. But the boys followed. She had grown scared. She couldn't outrun them. Danny couldn't either, being eight. Rachel could, but she didn't want to leave her friend. Suddenly they were only a few steps from the apartment. That's when they knocked her off the crutches. She had felt one grab her, hold her, while they tried to get Danny. "Get away!" Rachel yelled at him. He ran, getting ahead of the boys. But her and Rachel were caught. One started to feel up Rachel from under her shirt. She was pretty, so they all watched. "So who wants Gimpy here?" the one holding Sue asked. Glyph then found the screwdriver she had in her belt. Earlier she had fixed the kite by taking it and fitting the screwdriver to open up the hole in kite. Now she moved, slowly, taking it into her hand. Every self defense course ran through her mind. Every time she had been teased, made hurt, when she retreated into her world of Anime, regular cartoons, fantasy books, and writing. All of it echoed into her mind. It mattered. Something had snapped. That same something snapped in her again. She had fought back then. She was going to fight back now! The screwdriver had stabbed into the boy's leg so easy. >>>If only her aim had been as good as she had hoped. Then Mr. Cardamon had shown up, still in his cop uniform. He had just gotten home from work when Danny had run up to him. The boys fled. Jeff suddenly realized something had changed in the woman. She wasn't limp anymore. She still had her head ridged, but the rest of her had become angry. "Let go, Hentai." She growled. Jeff jumped, but only slightly. Then he saw a faint glow, but couldn't tell from where. . . Until it had rammed him in the groin. Actually it had missed, and had hit him in the thigh. Jeff let go, but knocked the young woman off her feet. His knee had come up and smacked hard into her hip. But Glyph then, since her head was free, jerked it towards him, hitting his face. Jeff reeled back, but then got the light bo loosened from his thigh. Glyph jumped clear of him. >>>Jeff gripped it, to pull it free. He felt the weapon singe his hand before disappearing. Jeff realized he was starting to loose too much blood. He was few steps away from the grassy fields. Jeff still ran, but he was breathing hard. His leg was smarting. Suddenly something jumped from the trees. Jeff didn't recognize the form, only saw the silhouette of an Anime female. But then he saw the large weapon before it connected with his ribcage. "BATTER-UP!" the voice was unmistakable. "WHUFF!" Jeff gasped, being knocked back down. For some really understandable reason, he was suspicious about it. His only thought was: How the Hell did Ukyo Kuonji get here? Jeff finally ran out of steam. He held his ribs, gasping in and out. He now saw the whole group coming towards him, converging. Each had their own weapons out, or were ready to smear him into oblivion. But he looked at the two main leaders. Glyph crossed her arms, she had put the light bo away into her gauntlet. Bryan stood by her, his arms crossed. Jeff said nothing, staring at them all. "I gave you a chance to give up on this," Bryan said harshly, "And you ignored me. I think I'm going to have to kill you now, Jeff." "So what," Jeff said, "Like I care." "Oh, I think you care a great deal," Bryan pulled out the pistol, which he had borrowed from Zechs Merquise," This whole, 'I don't give a shit' attitude of yours is just an act. Not that it matters anymore. See, you were going to cross the line, and I don't think that merely raping her was going to satisfy you, was it. No, you wouldn't stop until she was dead. Yes, of that I'm quite sure. So do us all a favor, Jeff." Bryan threw the pistol to Jeff. "Kill yourself." "Say what?" "I could kill you, sure. But I think you know just as well as me that you are a sick bastard, and that you need to die." Jeff picked up the pistol, and a sudden idea occurred to him, "I have the only weapon here, don't I?" "Not really" Glyph said, but still Cypher, REBB, And Zechs were still a good distance away. Jeff pointed the pistol at Bryan. Glyph backed, but readied the light bo. She paused, being a little wary. "Why don't I just kill you guys? Then I can have her at gunpoint, and I'd have you to thank for it." "First you have to kill us, Jeff," Bryan shrugged, "Somehow, I don't think you're up to it." Jeff pulled the trigger. Bryan never even flinched. The bullet never reached him, caught in the hand of Prince Vegeta at a speed no human eye could detect. "Did I mention that we brought help?" Bryan smiled, "How rude of me. This is Prince Vegeta, Saiya-jin. He's in a bit of a pissy mood, so I'd watch it. Oh, and Ryoko is alerting Ayeka and Washu. Jeff, you wanted to be royally fucked, and we're granting your wish. Just not the way you wanted." Glyph pounded her fist in her hand, barely keeping her voice from cracking. She had put the light bo back into the gauntlet. She obviously was one step away from either frying him with her light bo, or . . . "Like an old co-worker of mine used to say, 'This is going to be up the ass without any Vaseline.'" She still nursed her left leg, still feeling where the pins had originally been. She was breathing hard. Jeff's blow to her thigh had apparently hurt yet. But there was a certain look in her eyes. She had seen something that had unsettled her. Jeff sneered to Bryan's direction. He was the one that seemed unarmed. Jeff was about to fire the gun again, a futile gesture, to be sure, but it didn't matter, since Zechs Merquise drop kicked him, sending the pistol flying. Zechs smacked him in the face with the back of his hand as roughly as he could, "That girl is special to a lot of people. And monsters like you aren't even fit to lick her boots!" "I say we fry him right now," Vegeta said, raising his hand at Jeff, "Boom, and it's all over." "He's mine, Vegeta," Bryan said, as he walked over to Jeff. He picked up the gun as he went, and pressed it into Jeff's head. Glyph, Cypher, REBB01, Ukyo, Zechs, and Vegeta all watched in utter amazement. Glyph had even gasped. Sure this man had used her as a shield to get the others to back off, but it hadn't worked. She was now nervous. This wasn't like the Bryan that had brought them here. They understood his rage, but it still shocked them to see it unfold. "DO YOU THINK THIS IS SOME KIND OF FUCKING GAME? You were going to rape Sasami. You were going to kill her. I won't let you hurt her, do you hear me?" Bryan pointed the gun at Jeff's head, and began squeezing the trigger. "NO!" Ryoko showed up, carrying Aeka. Washu teleported in, "No, Bryan. It's not your style." "He deserves it!" Bryan said, his gaze fixed on the target. "Right," Glyph said, calmly, "He does. But it's over. Sasami is safe. He can't touch her. You stopped him, and if you want, I can have REBB01 cut off his balls before we send him back where he came from." "Bryan," Ukyo said, "You aren't the type to shoot a helpless enemy. We beat him." "You're right," Bryan said, throwing the gun away in disgust, "Sasami is safe, and I'm not a killer." "Right. I am," Vegeta slammed his fist through Jeff's chest faster than anyone could follow. He reached in and crushed his heart in his hand. Jeff looked at the others, the fear in his eyes all too clear. He then began to shudder, as the pain and the cold washed over him. He convulsed, and fell to the ground, dead. Vegeta spit on the body, and then pointed at the corpse. "Bang," Vegeta said in a quiet voice, summoning up the brunt of his fury in a single blast. Bryan looked at Vegeta, his face asking the question he couldn't voice, "Why?" "You shouldn't have to taint your soul on the likes of him," Vegeta said, for once no contempt on his face, "What's one more life on my hands?" "Vegeta....thank you." "Someone please explain this to me," Ayeka said, "What's going on here?" "Well, it's a long story," Bryan said, "But for starters, I think we sent a message out to anyone who'd hurt Sasami..."And he explained everything to her. She wept, and hugged them all in turn, until she came to Vegeta. She was uncertain whether or not to embrace this man. "I don't need thanks," Vegeta said, in his most regal manner, honoring the Juraian princess with his own prince's charms, "I did what I did because it suited me." "Thank you, so much. Sasami will thank you too, of course, when she returns." "Sasami must never know of what took place here. She's too innocent to be told of what he was, and what he intended." "Ryoko," Ayeka nodded, "Thank you for your help. It means a lot." Ryoko made a dismissive gesture, "It was nothing. Sasami is the heart of our little family. I don't think we'd get by without her." Bryan looked at his watch, "It's time for us to go. C'mon, everyone, let's get back to the ship. We'll see you around, Ryoko." And with that, they vanished. As for Jeff, there was nothing left of him, save for a charred crater on the ground. [-----] Aboard the USS Brian Drummond, Bryan spoke with Glyph Bellchime on the viewscreen. "I almost lost it. I almost killed someone." "You did what any of us would have done," Glyph said. She kept quiet about her own encounter with Jeff, about the violence she herself had felt welling within her. It would do no good to bring that up again. "Perhaps," Bryan said, "At least we did what we set out to do. Thank you, Captain Bellchime. Thank your crew for me, too. The JEDRI is one hell of a ship. I hope we meet again someday, though, hopefully, under better circumstances." "Copy that. The Brian Drummond is a fine ship too. You guys take care." Glyph turned to her guys, "Let's go," Then she bent over to give Andrew a hug. "What was that for?" he asked, looking puzzled. "I just needed it, okay?" she smiled, then walked off the bridge. Andrew shook his head. As the screen went dark, Bryan hooked himself into the Zero System again, wondering where the future would take them all... The end. Send comments, critisicms, and opinions to bryan_weber@hotmail.com or to babcoch2313@uni.edu. WARNING. MSTing this one will be taken as a sign that you support Jeff.