[FFML] [AYA] Wild, WIld East - Chapter 8 - Tokyo Cowgirl

[GL Sandborn]

Apparently, I've had some time to write.  Here is the next chapter of 
Wild, Wild East.

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This story has been written without the knowledge or approval of Kou
Fumizuki - Hakusensha/ AIAO Project and Pioneer Animation. It is for
the enjoyment of Ai Yori Aoshi fans and written with respect for its
original creators and copyright holders.

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                      The Wild, Wild East
                   Chapter 8 - Tokyo Cowgirl
                                
                         by GL Sandborn



     Trapped in the basement of a burning and exploding building,
Tina clung to her companion.  Each explosion caused her to turn,
keeping Steven's body between her and the shower of debris that
always followed.  Her eyes continually moved as she tried to
anticipate from where and when the next explosion would come.
     She squealed as an explosion directly overhead showered her
with concrete, wood, and parts of the building's electrical
system.  A long groan warned her of a large section of
ventilation duct work tearing itself loose, one end dropping to
the floor with a loud 'bang'.  Faint screams and the sound of
running feet upstairs could be heard between explosions.
     Grabbing her arm, Steven pulled her to the fallen duct.  It
appeared to be still attached at its other end leaving a thirty
degree incline from the floor to another section that ran along
the ceiling.
     Steven bent over to look inside.  "Yeah, this will do.  Get
in."
     Tina froze.  "What will do?"
     "It's our ticket out," he said, pushing her towards its 
opening.  
     Instead of allowing herself to be pushed into the open end
of the duct, she slammed both hands on its upper corners and
braced her feet against its lower.  But it wasn't because the
opening was too small.  At a meter wide and a little less tall,
she could have easily crawled inside.  Instead, she went rigid
and fought further attempts to push her inside.
     "What's the problem?" Steven yelled.
     "It's dark in there!"
     "So?"
     Tina swallowed.  She could feel her palms sweating as the
duct opening looked like a giant mouth ready to swallow her in
its darkness.  "I'm... I'm afraid of the dark."
     "Are you afraid of dying?"
     Another explosion showered them with concrete bits and
wiring.  Tina ignored it, keeping her eyes locked on the open
duct in terror.  It was her worst nightmare - even worse than the
one where she was trapped in the burning mansion.  She shook her
head.  "I can't do this."
     Steven grabbed her arms and turned her towards him.  Looking
her in the eyes, his expression softened.  "I'll be right behind
you.  You won't get hurt and you won't fall.  Just use the joints
as hand and foot holds until you get to the level area at the
top.  There's got to be an exhaust opening somewhere at the end
of duct.  Just crawl towards it.  You'll be fine."
     She couldn't contain her trembling jaw as he tried to
reassure her.  Another nearby explosion and she threw herself
into his arms.  "I can't!"
     "Yes, you can," Steven insisted as he held her tight.  "You
can do this, Tina Foster.  I know you can.  You're tough -
probably, tougher than you know.  We'll get out of this
together."
     She certainly didn't want to die in the basement of some
strange building, with or without that strange device that makes
all your hair fall out only feet away.  "You won't leave me?" she
asked into his chest.
     "I'll tell you what.  When you start to climb, you can put
your feet on my shoulders and just pull yourself up by your arms. 
I'll follow and help you climb.  Okay?"
     Tina sniffed and rubbed her face against his shirt.  "You'll
do that?"
     He paused, looking down at the streak of tears and snot
across his chest.  "I'll be right there with you."
     Reluctantly, she released him.  With one last look his way,
turned to the dark tube that was their only escape.
     Taking a deep breath, she ducked down and worked herself
into the opening.  It was dark as anywhere she had ever been but
once her eyes became accustomed to the gloom, she could make out
the joints Steven had mentioned.
     Reaching up, she was just getting a grip on the first joint
in front of her when she felt Steven's hand on her butt.  The
sudden feeling of someone touching her so intimately caused her
to jerk, slamming her head on the unyielding metal duct overhead.
     "What are you doing?" she yelled, her voice echoing
strangely in the metal tube.
     "I was just helping you get started," Steven answered in
protest.
     "Well... watch where you put your hands," she warned,
rubbing her head.
     "Right.  Sorry."
     With a final warning look his direction, Tina slowly began
to climb the duct's steep incline.
     Her hands were sweating - as much from fear of the darkness
as trepidation of the climb - while her fingers found the first
inch wide joint.  Her feet, however, found it difficult to grip
the slick metal surface of the duct.  The distance between joints
being further than she could reach.
     She was about to say something when she felt Steven take her
ankles and direct her feet onto his shoulders.
     "Keep going," he warned, his voice echoing in the confined
space.  "I'll support your body on my shoulders.  All you have to
do is worry about getting grip on the joints with your hands."
     Easy for him to say, she thought.  She could barely see
inside the duct, having to feel her way from one joint to
another.
     She was just reaching for the next joint when the duct shook
from another explosion.  With a groan, it began to sag - bending
just below her.
     "Steven?" she whined.
     "Keep going!"
     "What if it breaks?"
     "It won't.  Just keep climbing."
     His urgency suggested he wasn't as sure as he sounded. 
Still, he was right behind her supporting her on his shoulders. 
That gave her the courage to go on.
     As she reached for the next joint, her hand found nothing
but free air.  "Just a little higher," she yelled.
     Steven obliged by dragging himself further up the duct until
she found the lip of the horizontal section of duct work.
     Banging her elbows and knees on the duct sides, she noisily
tried to haul herself up.  Just a little further and she'd be
past the worst of the climb.
     Another explosion caused the entire duct to shake.  Smoke
began to billow up from below.  In a panic, she kicked hard.  Her
knees banged on the thin metal as she kicked.  Scrambling up the
last few feet to relative safety, she heard a series of loud
bangs behind her.
     The duct she had just climbed through thundered, groaned and
began to sway.  More explosions, more smoke, and a loud crash
from below taunted her temporary victory.
     None of that mattered.  She'd made it!  Ahead she could see
light.  It had to be the outside.  Just a few meters and she'd be
free.
     Turning around in the duct, she peered back down the way she
had come to give Steven a hand.
     Instead of the American, she saw only darkness.
     "Steven?" she called.
     There was no answer.
     "STEVEN!"
     Her call was answered by a rumble from below, then flames
shot up the broken duct accompanied by great balls of smoke.
     With a strangled cry, she threw herself away from the
opening, covering her head with her hands.  After all she had
been through to get to safety, she was about to be fried by a
fire from the room she had just left.
     Instead of racing her way, the flames flew upward, licking
the duct above her before quickly receding.  Only the
overpowering smoke remained, hovered over her head like a hungry
demon.
     Despite concern for her own safety, she was even more
worried about Steven.  Coughing on the thick smoke, she turned
around and called down the shaft again.
     Nothing answered this time - only more smoke and groans from
the tortured metal duct that seemed to shake and weave about
below her.
     Gasping and coughing, she considered trying to climb back
down and find him, but more explosions nearby caused the duct she
was occupying to ripple and crack.  She could see it starting to
part at the nearest seam.  If she didn't move soon, the whole
thing would come down - taking her with it.
     Checking her exit, it appeared to bob about.  The duct was
about to collapse.  She couldn't wait for Steven, if she was
going to get out alive.
     Whining in frustration, she spun around and scrambled on all
fours for the square light ahead - banging her head on seams,
jamming her knees into other seams, and generally making a racket
that rivaled the explosions that seemed to be coming from
everywhere at once.  Smoke choked her, her eyes watered, and the
heat made the duct feel like the inside of an oven.
     Bouncing off the weaving sides, she slammed into a final
obstruction, a square grating the blocked her exit to an alley
way.  Pushing on it with all her might was fruitless.   It
refused to yield.
     In fear, frustration and anger, she spun around in the duct
and began to kick the grate with both feet.  Once, twice, and
then a third kick - each one accompanied by a shot of pain from
her reinjured ankles.  She HAD to dislodge the grate or die when
the duct finally collapsed.
     Scooting closer, she gripped a joint with both hands and
kicked as hard as she could.  She ignored her throbbing ankles as
she kicked one corner over and over again.  "OPEN!" she yelled
with each kick.
     With a scream of anguish, she lashed out one last time.  The
grate popped off and dropped away, clattering onto the surface
below.
     Crawling the last two feet, she hung her head over its edge
and gulped lungfulls of fresh air.  Coughing from all the smoke
she had inhaled, she painfully crawled over the edge and fell the
last two meters.  Landing with a gasp, her fall broken by a pile
of trash bags, her body rolled down to the concrete alleyway.
     Laying on her back, gasping for breath, she could hear the
ductwork tearing free and falling to the basement.  She was safe
but Steven was still somewhere inside.  She had to get back in
there.
     Painfully rolling to her knees, she heard sirens from the
fire engines passing on the street at the end of the alley.  She
couldn't go back in the way she got out.  If she could just make
it around to the front, maybe she could get back in that way.
     It took two tries to reach her feet.  The pain in her right
ankle caused her to gasp and reach of the nearest wall.  As she
steadied herself, she could feel the building trembling as more
explosions wracked the structure.  She had to hurry.
     Limping, she made it to the street, just in time to avoid
being run over by a passing police car.  Its screaming siren was
accompanied by a loud horn and squealing tires as it swerved
around her.  She didn't care.  All she wanted now was to get back
inside and find Steven.
     She staggered down the block to the front of the building
only to find complete bedlam.  People were milling about, looking
for friends or gawking at the carnage, Police cordoned off the
area with wooden barricades, pushing people further away from the
fire.  Thick black smoke poured from the center's open doors that
were at the top of a dozen or so shallow steps.
     Still limping, she tried to push past the police.
     "Hold it right there, young lady," one officer said.  "Where
do you think you're going?"
     "My friend is still inside," she replied, gesturing towards
the smoking doors.
     "Let the firemen worry about your friend.  You need to get
clear of the building."
     She could see the men he was referring to, standing together
at the back of the crowd, putting on protective gear, but making
no attempt to enter the still exploding building.
     "Why don't they go in?" she whined.
     "They'll go in when it's safe," the officer replied.  "They
have to wait until the explosions stop."
     With a angry cry of frustration, Tina spun around and
plunged into the crowd.  Maybe if she told the firemen of the
urgency, they'd do something - anything.
     As she got close, her eye caught on something more
promising.  At the far side of the crowd were a pair of white
horses, all saddled and standing under a clump of trees.  Those
police officers might be able to stop one little girl but there
was no way they were going to stop a charging horse with a
determined rider.
     Slipping through the crowd, she cautiously approached the
horses.  Looking around, she could see their riders - probably
part of the opening ceremonies or something - lounging against a
nearby tree and not paying attention.
     Keeping the horses between herself and the men, Tina got
close enough to carefully unhitch the biggest one.  Slowly, she
limped up to its left side and put her foot in the stirrup.
     "HEY!  What are you doing?" came a yell from where the
riders were.
     Swinging herself into the saddle, Tina kicked the horse's
flanks with her heels.  "Sorry, but I need to borrow him," she
yelled back.  The men started towards her.  If she didn't move
and move quickly, one of them would grab the reins and she'd be
caught.
     Spurring the horse again, it stumbled, hesitated before
finally lunging towards the building.
     "Get out of the way!" she yelled as the horse cut through
the crowd.  People scrambled to avoid being run over, parting in
front of Tina like the bow wave on a ship.  Snatching a shawl
from the shoulders of a finely dressed woman as she passed, Tina
waved it at her.  "I need to borrow this."
     Two policemen behind a wooden barricade waved for her to
stop, but Tina wasn't about to let them stop her now.  She had
her ride back inside and nobody was going to get in her way.
     All the time she spent in California during high school,
she'd taken riding lessons and was considered pretty good - even
if she had to say so herself.  She loved cross country riding,
with all the jumps and hills to navigate.  Back in the saddle
again, it was just like old times - except for the crowd of
people, the slippery concrete, and the approaching policemen.
     Hoping the horse she had chosen was trained right, she aimed
him towards the waist-high wooden obstruction and urged him
forward.  As if it were in a show ring, the horse launched itself
over the barricade and ducking officers, clearing them by inches,
before landing on the hard concrete - its steel shoes sparking
and clattering noisily as it landed.
     Horses don't usually do well on steps.  This one was no
exception.  It hesitated, dropping its head at the unfamiliar
path Tina was demanding it take.  Snorting, it picked its way up
the stairs.  She knew that if it hit a stair wrong, a broken leg
was a real possibility - for both of them.
     Slipping and sliding, the animal reached the top like a
champ, coming to a stop in front of the smoking doors.  It spun
around once - enough for Tina to see several police converging up
the stairs.  Throwing the shawl over the horse's face, she turned
him towards the open doors and urged him into the swirling smoke.
     Tina ducked to avoid the door frame and silently thanked the
building's designer for making the front doors larger than
normal.  She clung desperately to the horse as the now panicked
animal rushed further into the building.
     Choking on the smoke, she almost slowed its headlong charge
- not knowing exactly where to go now that she was inside. 
Steven had to still be in the basement.  But where was the door
to the basement?
     Before she could act on her indecision, the smoke was
suddenly gone.  She had ridden all the way through to the main
hall.  
     Pulling the horse to a stop, she looked around.  The room
was much larger than she expected - almost three stories tall and
bigger than any convention center she'd ever been in.  Most of
the roof had collapsed or was blown away.  That probably
accounted for the lack of smoke.
     Turning the horse in a complete circle, she jerked it to a
halt when she saw movement across the room.  It looked like
someone struggling with a section of the collapsed ceiling. 
     She didn't have time for survivors and was about to abandon
the lone figure to his fate when she heard a voice calling her.
     "TINA?"
     She spun the horse around once more before realizing who it
was calling her.  She hesitated only a moment before heading
towards Kaoru Hanabishi.
     "I need your help," Kaoru said, sounding more like himself
with her presence.  "Aoi-chan is trapped."
     Guiding the nervous horse around piles of rubble, Tina
picked her way over to him.  
     As she got close, on the other side of a rubble pile was Aoi
Sakuraba, on the floor sitting up against a section of fallen
ceiling with her legs trapped under some debris.  The whole mess
appeared to be held in place by a large I-beam that jutted from
the pile like a ship's cannon.
     Sliding out of the saddle, Tina tethered the horse on
section of rebar from the fallen ceiling.  She was there to find
Steven, but the lure of Kaoru in distress reluctantly drew her
like a moth to a flame.
     "I've got to find Steven," she said.
     "Just help me get this beam off of Aoi-chan," Kaoru replied
as he positioned himself for another attempt to lift the heavy
girder.
     Reluctantly, Tina moved to the beam.  Weight lifting wasn't
her strong suit.  With her damaged ankles, she didn't know just
how much help she was going to be.  One glance at the trapped Aoi
Sakuraba convinced her she had to try.
     Wedging herself under the I-beam, she turned so her back was
against it.  Gathering her legs under her, she prepared to give
it her best shot.
     "On three," Kaoru said.  "One-two-THREE."
     Tina groaned as she pressed upward, her legs quivering in
protest.  It was like trying to lift a car.  Her ankles burned. 
Strong stabs of pain ran up her legs causing her to whimper but
not enough to make her give up.
     Suddenly, she felt something pop in her right ankle.  It
felt like someone had stabbed her with a hot knife.  Crying in
pain, she dropped to the floor clutching her ankle.
     Kaoru was immediately by her side.  "Are you all right? 
What happened?"  Intense concern was written all over his face.
     Tina looked to him with tears in her eyes.  "I'm sorry,
Kaoru."
     "That's okay, Tina," he said.  "You rest and I'll try
again."
     Any other time she might have thrown her arms around his
neck, trying to hold on to what she knew could never be hers. 
Instead, she weakly nodded and shifted around to sit up.  Her
ankle throbbed but she had to get to her feet.  Aoi Sakuraba
needed them both, if she was to avoid death.
     Kaoru positioned himself to try once more.  His grim
expression told of his resolve.
     "Kaoru-sama," came Aoi's voice from the other side of the
rubble pile.  "Is Tina-chan okay?"
     "She just needs to rest a minute," he replied before trying
to lift the beam again.
     With a loud groan, his face twisted into a painful grimace,
he pushed as hard as he could against the immovable obstruction
holding Aoi hostage.  It didn't budge.
     "Kaoru-sama, please," came Aoi's calm voice.  "Please take
Tina and leave before it's too late."
     Gasping for breath, Kaoru slowly shook his head.  "Aoi-chan,
if you can't leave, I won't either.  I love you, Aoi-chan."
     Tina slowly slumped back to the floor.  It was finally out
in the open now.  She might have loved him, but his heart had
always belonged to Aoi Sakuraba.
     "Please, Kaoru-sama.  My spirit could never rest, if I died
knowing I was the cause of your death, as well."
     "I'll never leave you, Aoi-chan."
     Kaoru's words struck Tina like a falling section of ceiling. 
There was no doubt now, Kaoru would never - could never - love
anyone but Aoi.
     Tina painfully climbed to her feet, her right ankle making a
grinding noise as she did.  The pain almost drove her back to the
floor, but her will to see Aoi Sakuraba free drove her on.
     "At least, get her highness out," Aoi said as calmly as if
she were asking him to pick up something at the store on his way
home.
     Her highness?  Tina peered over the pile of rubble.  Nestled
against Aoi's left side was a little girl, no more than six or
seven.  Tina couldn't understand how she missed the girl in the
first place.  Wearing a yellow and indigo kimono, the child
appeared to be trying to hide behind Aoi.
     "Highness?" Tina finally gasped.
     "Yes, she's the Emperor's granddaughter," Aoi said with a
painful smile.
     "Where's all her guards, her attendants?"
     Aoi just looked to her left with a sad expression.  Tina
followed where Aoi was looking to see a large pile of roof
rubble.  A woman's arm hung limply from the mound.  A pool of
blood flowed from the debris.  The little girl must have been the
only survivor.  In all the confusion and rush for the exits, she
must have been forgotten by anyone else who should have thought
of her.
     "Please, Kaoru-sama," Aoi begged.
     "I'm not leaving you," he said again.
     "I'll take her," Tina heard herself say.  She wasn't sure
she really said it until she saw Aoi smile.
     Tina limped slowly around the other side of the rubble until
she was next to Aoi.  The little girl stared at her with
frightened eyes as she pressed herself tighter against Aoi's
lithe body.
     Certain her size must be further frightening the already
terrified little girl, Tina painfully dropped to a knee.  "Let's
you and me get out of here, okay?"
     The trembling little girl tore her eyes from the blond and
looked questioningly at Aoi.
     "Tina-chan is a good friend," Aoi said softly to the girl. 
"I know you can trust her."  She then looked at Tina with an
expression that suggested this was the last time they would ever
see each other.  "Just as I have always trusted her."
     Swallowing hard, Tina blinked to hold back a tear.  It
wasn't easy.  "Come... come on, kid," she said to the little
girl.  "We gotta go."
     The little girl reluctantly released Aoi and took Tina's
hand.  Together, they stood and turned to leave.
     As if she had forgotten something, the girl stopped, turned,
and bowed deeply to Aoi before allowing Tina to guide her away.
     "You're gonna have to help me," Tina said as she limped
badly, every step agony.  "I think I really messed up my ankle
this time."
     She had only hobbled a few steps when she got an idea.  "Can
you ride a horse?"
     The little girl stopped and looked at her like she was
talking nonsense.
     "I'll bet you ride all the time at the palace," Tina said
hopefully.
     With wide eyes, the little girl scanned the horse from
hooves to the top of its head.  It must have appeared to be a
giant to her.
     "You know, in America, I used to ride all the time," Tina
said with a smile.  "I know horses and this is a good one, just
made for a little girl like you."
     The girl looked between the nervous animal and Tina before
modestly nodding.
     "Okay, then."  Tina picked up the girl and swung her into
the saddle.  Her kimono was a bit of a problem, at first, but
with a little effort, they got it parted enough for her to fit
into the saddle.  It then became obvious the stirrups weren't
going to work.  They were much too long.  Tina improvised by
tucking the child's feet in the cinch loops.
     Turning the animal towards the exit, Tina pointed to the
wall of smoke.  "See that green sign over the door?"  The little
girl nodded.  "Ride straight towards it and keep going.  It'll be
a little smoky, but if you keep going straight, you'll be outside
in a few seconds."
     The little girl gripped the reins and stared at the sign
with a determined expression.
     "Here ya go," Tina said.  With a loud shout and a slap on
the horse's rump, the animal launched itself towards the exit. 
The girl settled into a natural riding posture, leaning slightly
forward and letting her legs cushion the horses gait as it
plunged onwards.  In a second, both rider and horse disappeared
into the swirling smoke.
     With a heavy sigh, Tina turned back to Kaoru and Aoi.
     "Tina, why didn't you go with her?" Kaoru asked.
     She lightly dropped a fist into her open hand.  "I guess I
just don't have enough sense to git while the gittin's good."
     "Well, I'm glad you stayed," Kaoru said.
     "Me, too," Aoi agreed with a nod.
     Rubbing her hands together, Tina drew a deep breath.  "I
guess we better figure out how to get Miss Landlord out of here."
     Kaoru started to smile when his expression changed and he
appeared to look past her.  Tina checked over her shoulder to see
movement in the hallway.  Fearing it might be one of the Koreans
still in the building, she slowly dropped down to let a pile of
rubble screen her from being seen.
     She was just about to disappear completely when the figure
emerged from the smoke.
     "STEVEN!" she yelled, struggling to get to her feet.  With
the pain in her ankles stabbing her all the way, she scurried
towards the reason she was back in the building.  He might be
limping and showing an obvious head wound, but he looked great to
her.
     Steven grunted as their bodies collided.  Wrapping her arms
around him she buried her face in his chest.  "I knew I could
find you," she said.  "I knew you were still alive."
     Patting her shoulder, he chuckled.  "It'll take more than a
kick in the head and a fall down a ventilator shaft."  When Tina
lifted her head to look directly at him, he smiled.
     "Kick in the head?" she asked.
     "Yeah, somebody kicked me and I lost my grip," he flatly.
     Tina hesitated.  "Did I do that?"
     "Unless there was someone else in that duct," he replied
with a wry smile.  "I bounced down the shaft to the floor. 
Luckily, I rolled away just before all the duct work collapsed."
     "How did you get out?" Tina asked, grateful he appeared
willing to overlook her potentially fatal footwork.
     "One of the explosions popped the door open.  I came up the
stairs," he said.  Looking past her, he frowned.  "What's going
on over there?"
     Remembering Kaoru and Aoi, she took his hand and started to
tow him towards the trapped pair.  "Miss Landlord is trapped.  We
can't get her free."
     As they reached the rubble where Aoi was pinned, Tina
hesitantly introduced him to Kaoru.  It was awkward doing it,
considering how she had felt about Kaoru.
     "Oh, you're the guy from the couch," Kaoru said.
     "And you must be the dream guy," Steven replied
     "Huh?"  Kaoru blinked between Steven and Tina. 
     "I'll explain later," Tina said.  "Right now, we need you to
help lift this beam."
     Steven eyed the pile and examined the I-beam.  Shaking his
head, he dropped to the floor next to the pile opposite Aoi and
started to burrow in.
     "What are you doing?" Tina asked.  "We don't have time to
explore."
     Steven sat back and pointed above.  "You have less time than
you know."
     Everyone looked where Steven was pointing.  A section of the
roof remained in place, hanging like a giant fist directly
overhead.  Small chunks of concrete fell as they watched.  There
was little doubt that one good shake from the building and it
would come tumbling down.  They had their own Sword of Damocles.
     Not waiting for anyone to comment, Steven burrowed back into
the pile - pulling out chunks of concrete, rebar, and an
occasional folding chair part.
     Pausing a moment, Tina saw him reach into the pile.  She was
about to ask what he was doing when Aoi's eyes went wide and gave
a little squeak of surprise.
     "Sorry, Ma'am," Steven said, his voice muffled by the
rubble.  "I'm just checking to see if your leg's broken."
     Aoi covered her face with her hands as if not looking at his
hands gently probing her lower leg would preserve her modesty. 
Tina bent over to get a better look.  A chunk of cement was
launched out of the pile where Steven was digging.  It missed her
head by inches.
     "Hey, watch it!" she growled.
     "Sorry," came Steven's voice from the pile.  "I think I've
got it now."
     Crawling out of the pile, Tina helped him to his feet.
     "Lifting that beam won't do anything," he said wiping his
hands on his jacket.  "That just presses it harder against the
folding chair that's holding her."
     "So what do we do?" Kaoru asked.
     "We need to get rid of some of that weight," Steven replied
as he began to undo his belt.
     Everyone watched as Steven pulled his belt free.  Turning it
around, he stripped off the belt's inner lining.  Inside was a
thin strip of what looked like putty.
     He carefully removed the substance and tossed the belt
aside.  Moving to the beam, he wrapped the putty around it and
began to gently press it so that it touched every millimeter of
its surface.
     "What's that stuff?" Tina asked.
     "It's got a fancy chemical name but to put it simply, it is
supposed to be able to cut through anything."  Steven checked his
work before nodding.  "You... uh, Kaoru, throw your jacket over
the lady's head and cover her with your body.  When I ignite this
stuff, don't look.  It'll blind you like an arc welder."
     Kaoru did as he was directed.  Tina limped to the opposite
side of the pile and crouched down.
     "Here we go," Steven said.  She heard a 'pop' and then a
loud hiss - like an angry giant serpent.
     The room was illuminated like a sun was being born.  The
hiss grew in volume until it included snapping and a long wail of
metal being melted.
     In seconds, it was over.  The light faded and Tina chanced a
look around the pile.  Steven launched a few kicks at the still
glowing end of the beam.  On his third kick, the beam broke and
slammed into the floor with a loud 'thunk'.
     "Okay, you two get hold of her.  Tina, you get her legs." 
Steven crawled back into the rubble and wiggled around to get in
as far as he could.  "One more chunk of concrete should do it,"
he said.  
     Part of the rubble seemed to shift slightly.  "Pull!"
     Kaoru and Tina eased Aoi's legs from the rubble.  "She's
free," Tina said.  There were angry abrasions on her left ankle
and a few cuts, but nothing that looked permanent.
     "Let's get out of here!" Steven yelled as he crawled back
out of the rubble and got to his feet.
     A sudden string of explosions shook the building as Tina and
Kaoru guided Aoi away from the pile.  They had only gone a few
steps when Tina heard the section of roof above them begin to
give way.  They had only gone a few more feet when it finally
fell.
     The whole building shook as massive blocks of concrete and
ceiling beams slammed into the wood floor.  Some punched straight
through to the basement.  Kaoru grunted and fell as a chunk of
concrete bounced off his head.  His grip must have tightened
because as he fell, he pulled Aoi and Tina with him.
     Tina landed hard on the floor.  In a flash, she wiggled
free.  Steven appeared at her side.  "You okay?" he asked.
     Nodding, she allowed him to gently pick her up.
     "No, you're not," he added as she flinched when her weight
settled onto her ankles.  "You've hurt your ankles again."
     "It's nothing.  I can make it," she insisted.
     Giving her a hug, he turned to the stricken Kaoru.  "You get
the girl and I'll take him."
     Tina helped Aoi up.  Wrapping her arm around the other
girl's waist, they started for the exit.
     Steven struggled a bit, but eventually got Kaoru over his
shoulders in a fireman's carry.
     "Is he all right?" Tina called, having gotten a sizeable
lead in their escape.
     "Just dazed," came Steven's reply as he started towards the
exit.
     Despite Kaoru's weight, Steven quickly passed the two girls. 
Having only one good ankle between them, their progress was
significantly slower.  Tina pressed harder to catch up, but could
only shuffle along as Aoi slowed them both.
     Steven reached the relative safety of the hallway first,
lowering the now reviving Kaoru to the floor.  "Hurry up!" he
called anxiously.
     The rumble of more explosions below was suddenly overtaken
by a strange and much louder sound.  The two girls hesitated as
the sound grew, much like a jet engine starting up.
     "The damn thing rebooted!" Steven yelled.
     "We're not going to make it."  Tina looked into Aoi's placid
face.  Smudged and gritty from all she had been through, the
Sakuraba girl seemed oblivious to what was unfolding.
     Together, there was no chance of them making it to safety. 
Perhaps alone, Aoi stood a chance.
     Without saying anything, Tina dropped to her knees, pulling
Aoi with her.  Spinning her around until she faced the hallway,
Tina muttered her apologies and gave Aoi a hard push.
     The combination of a slick polished floor and Aoi's silk
kimono did the rest.  Like a shuffleboard puck, Aoi slid quickly
to the hallway where Steven snatched her from the floor and
placed her next to Kaoru.
     Like a giant weight had been lifted from her, Tina smiled. 
Miss Landlord was safe.  Kaoru was safe.  Even Steven was safe. 
With a sigh of resignation, she slumped to the floor and waited.  
Her ankles were were unable to bear her weight and she was
exhausted. It no longer mattered what happened to her.  There was
no way she could crawl fast enough to make it to safety.  At
least, the others would get out alive.
     To the accompanying howl of the evil device in the basement,
Tina felt her hair starting to stand on end.  Her bare legs began
to feel hot, like she was standing in a hot springs.  It wouldn't
be long now.
     To her surprise, Steven appeared at her side.  What was he
doing here?  Didn't he know how dangerous it was?
     "We're getting out of here!" he yelled.
     Grabbing her wrists, he started to drag her quickly over the
smooth floor.  The burning sensation got worse the further they
went.  She tried to tell him to forget about her and save
himself, but all that came out was a tortured squeak as a more
sensitive region on her body began to burn.
     The pain increased, now burning her arm pits and threatening
the hair on her head and face.  It had to be effecting Steven as
well.  How he was able to endure such torture was a mystery she
had no time to consider.
     Just as the pain became unbearable, they were at the edge of
the hallway.  That was when the worst of it hit.
     She barely heard Steven's body hit the floor and felt him
pull her up into his arms.  On her back, with his arms around
her, she felt the pain strike the junction between her legs. 
Inside that pain, she felt a strange pressure.  The pressure
increased until the pain was replaced by a wave of sheer pleasure
that wracked her body.  The pulsing waves of energy surging
through the floor caused her to convulse as the strongest orgasm
of her young life shook her.  Then a second - and a third
contraction caused her to writhe in Steven's arms.  Flashes of
light seemed to spark in front of her closed eyes.  Her whole
body chilled suddenly before another orgasm struck with greater
force than the ones before.
     Somewhere around the fifth climax, her world went black.