Chapter 4: Guilt Ridden
She looked at them. Nine pair of eyes stared back. She cringed. She inwardly shook her head. She wasn't going to give in! She is a strong confident young woman of the 2000's. There was no reason to be scared! Just faced them like how you should. With a new resolve she looked up and glared at them only to crumble at their piercing gaze. She lost.
"Right…just let me recall what the password was." she mumbled.
"Wai! Finally nya."
Ryuzaki sweat dropped. Finally? It was forced… Her fingers ran briefly above the keyboard and access was granted. Inui then took over the computer, taking in all the info he could get from the site eagerly. She felt something important gnawing uncomfortably in her heart, trying to tell her something important but forgot it soon after.
"Put her back into the cell."
And with that she found herself back into the same boring cell.
- - - - -
"Our target for the week – the Saint Maria from the Louvre Museum." Tezuka said.
"Ehhh? Why? The Saint Maria is one big chunk of rock nya…it's going to be heavy." Eiji whined. Who would want to carry a big stone while trying to escape?
"It is not made of rock; it is made of bronze."
"Inui-sempai, you are not helping. I don't want to be the one trying to carry that…thing while running."
"Ne Eiji, would you like to be able to buy every soft toy you see?"
"Fuji, what's that got to do with that thing?"
"Right now, that thing is worth about ten million."
That's when everyone's head swivelled to look at Inui. Except for Fuji and Tezuka. Echizen tried not to show too much of his shock. Ten million. That thingy cost ten million. Whoa. Kaidoh recovered first, following by the rest of the ones who were stunned.
"THAT THINGY COST TEN MILLION?! HOW CAN A SHITTY PIECE OF ROTTING BRONZE COST TEN MILLION?"
"And don't forget the price for that 'thingy' is still increasing."
If they weren't afraid of dropping their eyes, it would have been on the floor. Only then they began to compose themselves. Eiji started muttering about how he should go about bribing people into buying his unwanted bronze materials as 'art pieces'. Momoshiro agreed with him. The idea was just ludicrous.
"Hey, who's going to take care of our captive when we leave to steal the item?"
Silence filled the room. They looked at each other.
Coloured sticks?
"Maa, if you want I will stay." Fuji smiled. The rest sighed. What was their tensai up to once again?
"Fuji. Don't let your guard down."
He replied with another devious smile.
- - - - -
"Hmm….if only I got a pin."Ryuzaki muttered.
The brunette entered the small enclosed space and observed his captive. Her eyebrows furrowed in a tight knot and a light pout graced her lips. He grinned.
"Ano…Ryuzaki, right?" Fuji asked rather innocently.
"Ah!" She looked shocked. Since when did he enter? She hadn't even heard his footsteps!
His smile widened. It was of course, an expected reaction. "How are you? I hope you aren't starving."
Ryuzaki was taken aback by his kind demeanour. Her heart thudded dangerously in her chest making her fidget uncomfortably. There was an ominous aura surrounding him that she could not place her finger on. She hesitated slightly before deciding to reply. "I'm…fine…"
- - - - -
There was it.
The prized statue proudly and all so magnificently in the centre of the hall. It was guarded by many security cameras and trip beams. One wrong step could have a severe consequence.
"Inui, cameras down."
Numerous tapping sounds and a satisfy click told them the security had been breached and lock down. The main power is cut off. The group swiftly made it through the many traps and encircled the statue. Oishi and Eiji secured the bronze with the metal coiled rope.
"Yosh, now to get out."
Echizen leaped onto one of the low lying beams and scouted the room. There it was. The grilled window. With a few jumps he landed under in front of it. He took out a metal cutter and started slicing the grills.
"You got a minute left."
Kawamura threw the latter end off the rope to Echizen. Echizen caught it and attached it to the edge of the hole. Momoshiro and Kaidoh climbed up and into the hole which leads to the roof off
the pyramid-shaped building and started reeling in the statue up. Oishi and Eiji climbed out of the tiny hole and helped Oishi and Eiji. Kawamura followed
"15 seconds."
Echizen threw the timed bomb and got out of the building through the hole as well. A beautifully crafted hovercraft propelled above them.
"10 seconds left."
They attached the ropes carrying the statue to the hooks on the ship.
"5 seconds."
Everyone boarded the said ship.
"4."
The hovercraft lifted.
"3"
And sped off.
"2"
A smirk, a smile and a chorus of cheers.
"1"
The bomb blasted.
The glass, not being able to resist the explosion within shattered. Glass pieces flew and scattered through the air reflecting the lights that are once again switched on, illuminating the dark night. For once, Paris was definitely not for lovers. Especially tonight.
- - - - -
"Maa, I'm not that scary am I?"Fuji said taking another step forward towards the petite sized girl.
She avoided answering by pretending she was obsessed with the loose string that came out of her shirt. He strained his smile and lifted her chin with pale index and middle finger forcing her to look at him. Ryuzaki blushed at the gesture. What was she doing?! Blushing at the presence of an enemy equals to showing weakness. Well, sort of. Was she trying to ask for a quick death?
Fuji removed his hand and grin could only widen at such a display of innocence. Sweet girl she was. Who would have thought at the first glance that she is a bounty hunter? It was really quite astonishing and unbelievable. Ryuzaki looked down to face the floor, focusing her hardened gaze from him to it. He moved out of the cage nonchalantly.
"Interesting…"
He spared another glance at the prisoner.
"You know, I wouldn't be thinking about that when I just betrayed my friends."
Ryuzaki's head snapped up to look at him startled. The realisation had hit on her fully.
"Or rather…"His voice tailed off. "Ex-comrades."
- - - - -
"Nya Fujiko! We got it!"
Eiji jumped up and glomped his friend. Fuji nearly toppled from the blow.
"Che. It was all rather easily."
"Echizen, you are really stuck up you know."
"Mada mada dane."
Momoshiro had engaged into another headlock with his kouhai.
"Itai-yo!"
"Fuji, what did you to make our captive so…depressed…?" Tezuka commented shaking his head with disapproval. Everyone paused before resuming to their activities. Their tensai was after all, namely sadistic in his ways of having 'fun' with people.
- - - - -
It felt as if someone threw a bag of rock at her face. She sat there stunned. She is a traitor. And a willing one at that. She hugged her knees together. What would Tomo-chan think of me now? Clear glistening tears fell to the ground.
"Plop…plop…"
A dead weight hung at her heart, making her feel heavy. If only she could remove it. She knew Tomoka would not be willing forgive her for such and act, even though they were the best of friends. She could even hear it ringing in her ears now; what she would say, the frustrated with a hint of remorse in her tone of voice. The furious eyes that showed she wanted to believe in her but couldn't. The tears of betrayal…she couldn't force herself to imagine anymore.
"I had believed in you Sakuno! How…HOW COULD YOU!"
For the first time, she felt utter loneliness tugging at her guilt-ridden heart.
For the first time, she didn't want to see Tomoka.
They once used to be the best of friends.
Now they were ex-comrades, or so they say.
Would they become enemies in the near future?
Oh wow. I'm getting really unattached to Prince of Tennis...I might actually discontinue this story soon enough. Anyway, enough lamenting and review! Muhahaha...erm...yea. Muhahaha.