> G
> I awoke slowly - more so than usual - and spent an
> inordinate amount of time sorting out the memories of the previous
> day. Two fights, a big meal and a lengthy carouse. OK... oh Christ,
> did I really say that to Janet? I hope she doesn't remember it.
> A quick systems check indicated that I'd managed to escape a
> hangover, which was good. In fact, I felt pretty good for a guy who'd
> had the proverbial stuffing kicked out of him the day before. That's
> what comes of being drubbed by a considerate professional.
> I pulled on a clean T-shirt and a pair of decently unratty
> shorts, brushed my teeth, and prowled into the living room, expecting
> to find the last of our guests gone and the house quiet again.
> Instead, I found Sakura Kasugano, who was just in the process of
> pulling the drawstring on her duffel bag shut. As I entered the room,
> Zoner, who was standing near the corner, shot me one of those warning
> looks, though the reason didn't register on me at the time.
> "Heading out?" I asked.
> "Yep," Sakura replied. "Ryu left before I got up - I have to
> get moving if I want to catch him."
> "Catch him? You aren't going home?"
> Sakura snorted. "I wouldn't be welcome, not after coming all
> the way over here. Not that I care much anyway... it was time I got
> out of there."
> "You don't want to go back?" I asked, incredulous.
> "That's right," said Sakura, folding her arms and looking
> determined. "I don't want to go back."
>
> Eyrie Productions, Unlimited
> presents
>
> A Third Universe from the Right Production
> of a
> Straight On Till Morning Film
>
> STREET FIGHTER: WARRIOR'S LEGACY
>
> BATTLE 04: THE GREAT PLANE ROBBERY
>
> Benjamin D. Hutchins
> MegaZone
>
> with the gracious assistance of The Usual Suspects
> and a bit of cadging from Warehouse 23
> <http://www.sjgames.com/warehouse23/>
>
> (c) 1998 Eyrie Productions, Unlimited
>
>
> "Wait a minute, what do you mean, you don't want to go back?
> You have to go back, it's your home!"
> Zoner shot me a glare that said he wasn't buying that line,
> and doubted she would either.
> "No it isn't," she replied, her eyes dark and serious. "It's
> just a place where I used to sleep. Everything I really need is in
> that bag. I can take care of myself on the road... just like Ryu."
> "Won't your parents miss you?"
> Sakura snorted. "Not likely. My father would throw a party
> if I didn't come home. Half the time he doesn't even notice me, and
> the other half he wishes he had two sons."
> "Well... " I paused, realized I was at a loss, and sighed,
> frustrated. "Look, you can't just hit the streets. Even for someone
> with your skills, at your age it's just not safe."
> "So what do you care?"
> "You might just be surprised," Zoner interjected before
> Sakura's look made him think the better of getting in the middle of
> this one.
> "I don't want you to get hurt, believe it or not!" I replied,
> then paused again, trying to calm down. I didn't want to lose my
> temper with her - that would just make her leave, and I really didn't
> want her to get hurt. She thought she was tough enough to hack it,
> and it's even possible she was, but it wouldn't be a pleasant
> experience for her either way.
> "Listen," I said after regaining control. "Will you at least
> let me call your folks? I can't imagine any parent not wanting their
> child to come home."
> She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine, if you want, but I'm
> telling you, they -don't- want me back." She rummaged in her bag and
> handed me a card. "Dad's probably at work, go ahead and call him if
> you want. But you're wasting your time," she added.
> "Well," I replied, "it's my time to waste." I picked up the
> phone, dialed the number, punched the extension when a voicemail
> system answered, and hoped.
> "Kasugano," a man's voice answered, gruffly, after two rings.
> Ack. I hate opening phone conversations, and this one
> promised to be more awkward than most.
> >Er... hello, Mr. Kasugano,< I said, frantically dusting off
> my Japanese. I probably sounded like an idiot, but I've found that
> many Japanese will at least give you points for making the effort.
> >My name is Benjamin Hutchins, I'm calling you from the United
> States.<
> >Yes?< he replied, in a tone of voice that added, "Spit it
> out, I haven't got all day."
> >Ah... yes. Well, uh... This is kind of awkward, but... I,
> uh, I have your daughter here, and I'd like to send her home.<
> >If this is some kind of a joke - < Mr. Kasugano began, outrage
> creeping into his tone.
> >No joke, Mr. Kasugano,< I replied. >She turned up here
> Saturday evening, and... well, now she's at a bit of a loose end.<
> Zoner cringed a bit; I suppose I could have phrased that
> better.
> >You mean she's given up chasing after that lowlife street
> fighter?<
> I suppressed my natural reaction at such an unkind
> generalization, especially toward a friend of mine, and replied,
> >Uh... In a manner of speaking... <
> >What is -your- connection, then?< he snapped.
> His peremptory tone was beginning to grate on me, so I'm
> afraid I was less than 99-44/100% smooth, replying dryly, >I'm the guy
> she came here to see that lowlife street fighter fight.<
> >I see,< he replied, his tone chilly. >And she's been staying
> with you?<
> >In my guest room,< I qualified, in case he was drawing -that-
> conclusion. >Since Saturday evening, yes.<
> >I see,< he repeated, tone even colder. He paused, then
> replied flatly, >Then I wish you well of her. Good day.<
> I couldn't have been more shocked if somebody had cuffed me
> upside the head with a large-mouthed bass. >Wa, wah, wait a minute,
> what?!< I blurted, managing to keep him from hanging up right away.
> >Sakura is no longer welcome in my home,< replied Mr. Kasugano
> flatly. >If you choose to take her into yours, then I hope for your
> sake she is more thoughtful of you than she was of her own family.
> Now, if you will excuse me, I am a very busy man.<
> >Hold it, hold it!< I replied. My Japanese, I noticed, was
> becoming smoother as I got more agitated - a good sign that I hadn't
> let it get too rusty between visits. >I don't know what issues you
> and your kids have, Mr. Kasugano, but it's none of my affair! She
> turned up on the eve of my fight with Ryu and I gave her a place to
> sleep because I'm not the kind of guy who puts little girls out in the
> street, but I'm not looking to adopt a kid just yet. She's your
> daughter - you can't just give her away!<
> >She has been a constant source of disappointment and anguish
> to me and to her mother,< Kasugano growled. >And YOU PEOPLE are to
> blame! You street fighters have made her what she is - now she is
> YOUR problem. Not mine! Not any more! I wash my hands of her. I
> have no daughter.<
> >You can't DO that!<
> >Do not call me again,< said Kasugano flatly. >Good day.<
> Click.
> I stared at the phone for several seconds in mute
> incomprehension, which gave way slowly to a wave of red-hot rage that,
> as it peaked, made me slam the phone into its cradle so hard the bell
> rang.
> "Son of a BITCH!"
> "That could have gone better," Zoner observed.
> "See?" said Sakura. "I told you."
> I looked at her, spread my hands helplessly. I had nothing to
> say to that. She picked up her bag with studied nonchalance, threw it
> over her shoulder, and headed for the door.
> "Well, so long. Thanks for everything."
> "Wait," I said, trotting across the kitchen to keep up with
> her. "Where will you go?"
> "What do you care?" she replied.
> I shrugged, exasperated. "Call it a character flaw."
> I hadn't noticed Zoner beside me until he spoke. "We're just
> caring guys. Not everyone you meet is an asshole, just most. Call us
> crazy, but we worry about our friends. Even if we have just met."
> "The bus station, if you must know."
> "I see. How much money do you have?"
> "Umm... " She pulled out her change purse and counted.
> "Seven fifty-three."
> "Uh-huh. Well, you should be able to make it all the way
> to... oh... " I paused and looked thoughtful. "... the other side of
> the bus station parking lot or so, on that." She glared. "OK, let's
> take another tack on this. Where were you planning on catching a bus
> to, or had you worked that out yet?"
> She shrugged. "I dunno. Boston, maybe. Or New York."
> "To do what?"
> "... I dunno, exactly. What does it matter? You don't want
> me here any more than my father wants me back."
> "Would you believe me if I told you that wasn't true?"
> Would -I-? Zoner's jaw was set, I took that to mean he agreed
> with my statement.
> She looked long and hard at me, and for a moment, I thought
> I'd really gotten through; but then her eyes narrowed stubbornly and
> she replied, "Yeah, as if. See you around."
> "All right, I won't try to stop you from leaving. But I don't
> think it's a good idea." I dug one of my cards out of my wallet and
> gave it to her. "Keep this. If you need anything, call me anytime."
> I wished I had some money to give her, too, but as it happened the
> previous evening's extravagance had left me cashless.
> She gave me a sidelong look.
> "Anytime," I repeated.
> She cracked the faintest hint of a smile. "OK, I'll take it.
> See you."
> "Hold it," Zoner added. Sakura looked ready to fight if he
> tried to stop her; Zoner held up a hand to show he wasn't going to
> try. "Here, take this - and I won't take no for an answer. If you
> won't stay, you're going to let us help you somehow. There are few
> ways an attractive underage woman can make money; none are very
> pleasant." With that he pressed a few bills into her hand. Looked
> like a couple of hundred.
> I showed her out, and as the door closed, I turned and slumped
> against it, looking at Zoner.
> "She'll be back," he said simply, and went to his room.
> "Christ," I muttered.
>
> Twenty minutes later, I was sitting in the den, staring
> morosely out the picture window at the rain and thinking bleak
> thoughts. Considering the luck of the draw. My parents love me,
> although they don't really understand me or my need to do what I do.
> My mother doesn't approve, but she would never turn her back on me.
> Even if the unthinkable were to happen, I'm out on my own, fairly
> well-established, with a sizable nest egg in the bank and a good
> income from the interest. Wipe that out and I'm left with a network
> of friends, good friends, all around the globe. What did Sakura have?
> A pretty good grasp of something resembling Shotokan karate, a handful
> of money, a passport and my telephone number.
> I couldn't help but feel that I had done the wrong thing
> letting her walk out of the house like that... but if she didn't want
> to stay, it was hardly right to make her...
> ... wasn't it?
> I sighed, turned away from the window and lay down on the
> couch, draping an arm over the side to scratch Fury's ears. He made a
> contented noise and leaned a little closer to the sofa.
> I couldn't imagine how it must feel to be a teenaged girl
> abandoned by her family, all alone in the world.
> But that didn't stop me from trying...
> I sighed again and got up, cursing under my breath. Zoner
> looked up from the kitchen table, where he was perusing his newest
> issue of "Popular Mechanics", as I passed through the room, muttering
> darkly and pulling on my outback oilskin, Fury trotting at my heels.
> "Can't leave it alone, can you?" he said matter-of-factly.
> "No," I replied, grabbing the matching hat from the hatstand by
> the door. "I can't."
> "Me neither," said Zoner, standing up and dropping the
> magazine. "I'll drive."