The Kenji Files; Ibarazaki and Setou (Updated 08/08/13)

[Helbereth]

I was bored about an hour ago, so I opened up a new OpenOffice file and started writing something based on this forum thread post I made a few days ago. If this goes anywhere, you can all blame Hoitash for putting the idea in my head.

That makes two stories of mine you can blame him for, actually.

Story #1: Dark Garden
Part 1 - Darktide (on this page)
Part 2 - Inconvenience
Part 3 - Deniability
Part 4 - Out Of Eden
Part 5 - Hovering Spies
Part 6 - Parent Conspiracy
Part 7 - Into The Breach
_____________________________________________________

The Kenji Files:
Dark Garden Part 1
Darktide


Soaked with perspiration, the suit-jacket rubbed against her sides and her arms – and some more sensitive areas. The polyester coat was slowly stripping away her sanity, chaffing against her skin wherever it touched, but, being only piece of clothing left in the abandoned shed where she awoke, Emi had taken it unquestioningly. Beginning to regret her concern for modesty, the desire to retain some dignity was overriding the need to be free from its torturous grip, but she was close to going native.

In the back of her mind, she realized the sight of a naked, legless woman crawling through the woods might be too much for a hiker, if any should happen to find her, but it almost seemed worth the risk. Maybe they would have extra clothes to let her borrow; or they might have a history of sociopathy and a knife. Reconciled with the streak of terrible luck she'd been having of late, the latter seemed more likely.

This was Kenji's fault.

Her poplar-green eyes flicked around, following the random noises coming from the darkened woods, and she secretly wished he were there so she could throw him at whatever beast seemed to be stalking nearby. Kenji Setou was an impossible man to get along with, but he was her assignment; straight from the top of the organization. Well, maybe not assignment so much as punishment. Emi growled at the dark and let out a frustrated sigh as another twig dug into her hip - always in the same place it seemed.

Biting back the groan, having no desire to make her position any easier for some ferocious beast to follow, she gritted her teeth and rolled over to check for blood. Brushing pine needles from her sweat-covered hip, she found no skin breaks, but the image of blood in her mind conjured a fantasy about the bloody mess she planned to make of Kenji's stupid face. Even without her legs, she could probably wrestle him to the ground and pummel him to death; assuming he wasn't already dead.

Of course, this wasn't her first time working with the bespectacled, frustratingly obtuse and potentially insane Agent Kenji Setou. They had a long and colorful, on again, off again relationship that went as far back as her Academy days. A professional relationship, not a romantic one, mind you. Back then he was about twenty times more volatile and hopelessly reclusive, but at least he hadn't become a thorn in her side quite yet. Fate, it seemed, had a nasty way of bringing people together, and set them to meet in University.

Having calmed a bit by then, he even managed a narrow social life, but Emi didn't actually come into contact with him until they both took a Psychology course. They recognized each other and gravitated toward the familiarity of a former classmate. Having only met a few times in their three years at Yamaku, she didn't know Kenji personally, but she had heard plenty of stories from Hisao about Kenji's antics. He had mellowed enough by then to be capable of an interesting conversation without peppering his speech with accusations and rhetoric.

He was fun to talk to back then – witty even.

Seeing him again right now, though, she would probably break his giant coke-bottle glasses and use the shards to stab him to death – starting with his spleen. Kenji's spleen could sense danger, he often claimed, and told him when a case file was worth investigating; and it got them both in trouble - a lot. As a rule, If Kenji suggested it, they were probably going to get in trouble. That's why he led them up to this God-forsaken backwoods establishment, and it's why he insisted they check around without calling in their position.

His spleen only had about a fifty percent success rate when it came to predicting the future, which seemed to her like the same level of accuracy anyone else had at foretelling events. Perhaps he just misinterprets his spleen's warning against doing stupid things, but to hear him talk about it, you'd think he inherited a sixth sense. Whatever the case, listening to Kenji's diatribes was almost worse than agreeing to go along - almost; it's a close call every time.

Whoever grabbed them both and stuffed chloroform in their faces, they weren't kind enough to leave a note explaining their reasons. Whatever platitudes may have been in their kidnapper note, Emi figured they probably weren't completely saccharine, and likely would have resulted in their quick fatalities had their identification not been discovered – and stolen. Emi wasn't looking forward to explaining how they managed to get in this situation, assuming they made it back alive, but the details were hazy even with her head clear - relatively clear.

“Some expert secret agent I am,” Emi spat as she rolled over to start crawling again.

Waking up drugged, naked, and tied to a chair in the pitch dark was not the best way to start the night; at least not when it wasn't intentional. They had apparently strip-searched her, and probably Kenji, taking their guns, identification, and even her prosthetic legs, before carting them off to God-knows where for whatever sinister purpose they had planned. Quietly laughing, Emi wondered how desperate an outfit they were considering their willingness to steal a cripple's legs. Leaving her in that shed, apparently deciding she couldn't escape without her legs, she managed to roll out of the chair and slip right out of the ropes - it was almost too easy.

Noticing the forest noises seemed to be growing nearer, Emi quietly berated herself for grunting her frustrations into the darkness. Whoever took them was probably still around, and likely looking for her. Not having seen any lights flickering in the darkness, Emi felt somewhat secure that her kidnappers weren't in pursuit just yet, but, based on the outlandish file Kenji described during the car ride, it seemed likely the group was funded well enough to use modern night-vision or thermal technology, perhaps even bio-scans, to find her in the darkness. Those methods had few indicators to show the source of the pursuer, a fleeting red or green light in the distance at best, and those would be difficult to spot from her low angle through the trees.

A nearby snapping sound like a breaking tree branch caused her to stop crawling and roll over to look around. Peering into the darkness, she tried to focus, but the overcast sky and complete lack of moonlight just left her staring into blackness. Nothing but dark shadows resting across the umbral gloom greeted her searching eyes, and for a moment she understood what it might be like being legally blind - like her audacious partner.

Held in suspense, time seemed to slow as Emi concentrated on her aural sense; listening for additional sounds. Even the insects seemed to fall silent as she focused, but, whatever had broken the branch, it was apparently stopped in place, and likely searching the darkness in much the same way. Soon, it would come to a decision; whether to run away, or press its attack, and Emi wanted to be ready for either event. Sidling backward on her elbows slowly, she placed her back against a fallen tree and felt around for a blunt object to use as a defensive weapon. Finding a narrow branch, about three feet in length, she levied it in front of her. Barely able to see the stick in her own hand, she steeled her gaze, peering into the darkness and praying she didn't have to try and fight something off blind, and from a prone position – the odds were decidedly against her.

Rushing wind caught in her ears and a distant mournful wail from a coyote found its way across the vale, but the area around her was otherwise deafeningly silent. Holding her breath, Emi was still startled by a sudden rustling coming from her left as a barely-visible bush started shaking violently. There was a groan, not a growl, and several snapping noises like breaking branches, followed by the sight of a shadowy figure falling out from between the bushes. Landing in a heap on the ground about ten feet away, it seemed to just lay there for a few seconds before leaping up onto its knees, coughing and sputtering. Evidently brushing at its face and head, perhaps to push pine needles away, the figure was distracted and hadn't noticed her.
Coiling like a spring, Emi rested the stick along her forearm and held it in front of her like a nightstick, deciding to stay still and observe the creature - no, the man.

Beginning to notice details about the haggard figure, Emi stayed silent, carefully assessing whether this was friend or foe. It was a man, a skinny man, and, from what she could tell, he was naked as the day he was born. His messy hair and a narrow, pointed chin were obvious even in this pitch darkness. Still cautious, as he started to stand, Emi made herself as small as possible; desiring to remain the only one who knew someone else was nearby. Tentatively, holding his hands out to balance himself, or perhaps to feel around for something to stand up against, the man stood and began glancing around in animated fashion. Grunting and sputtering, he seemed to look straight at her, but evidently his eyes were rather effective; she wasn't that well hidden. Then he calmed and stood straight-backed, bringing his fist up to his side as his head began looking around in a familiar side to side motion – Emi nearly threw the stick at him.

“Kenji?” she whispered, trying not to let the angry edge into her voice. As much as she was contemplating his assassination, it was good to see him alive - well, mostly.

He leaped around and faced in the wrong direction exclaiming, “Who's there?”

Definitely Kenji.

“It's Emi you idiot!” she yelled, letting the anger flow through her.

“Ibarazaki?” he asked, still trying to follow her voice.

“Who else? I'm over here,” she answered, trying to direct his gaze toward her. She thought for a second about her predicament and added, “don't look.”

Kenji finally faced toward her, but she noticed he was without his distinctive glasses. “They took my legs,” she explained, “you're getting me new ones!”

“Sorry,” he said. “My spleen let them get the jump on us," he explained, asking, "did they strip-search you too?”

Emi didn't want to answer that question, but figured it was important he understood the scope of the situation. “Yeah... all I have left is my suit-jacket,” she explained. She let out a groan and added, “it's fuckin' killing me, though.”

“All I got left is a sock,” Kenji said. “I put it to good use, though,” he gestured downward and Emi looked away. “Gotta protect the junk,” he said crudely.

Not wanting this particular subject to remain active, Emi shook her head to try and clear the mental image before asking, “any idea where we are?”

“No idea,” he admitted. “But my spleen thinks there's a road...” he spun around and gestured into the pitch black, “down that way somewhere.”

She didn't trust his spleen, but it seemed to be pointing him in the same direction she was going. “Well, I've been crawling for about half an hour this way,” Emi explained as she tried to push herself up against the log. “I'm not exactly thrilled to be looking for civilization in my current state, but we need to find a phone somewhere.”

Kenji offered a nod, or at least it looked like he nodded, and inquired, “well, I seem to need your eyes and you need my legs. Wasn't there an episode of Star Trek like that?” Holding up and shaking his hand dismissively, he continued, “never-mind. If you don't mind me carrying you, we can probably get to the road faster.”

Emi frowned and grit her teeth. He had a point, she knew, but the thought of being naked and carried by a naked man, especially Kenji, through the woods was a grim prospect; not to mention embarrassing. However, the thought of staying out here through the night and likely being mauled by a bear was somewhat less appealing. Still, if they were going to die, she wanted to have the chance to stab Kenji, or bludgeon him to death, and she could do that more easily by starting so close - tactical advantage outweighed her pride.

Tightening the grip on her stick, she pushed herself to sit on the log. “Fine,” she said, “just don't get any ideas.”

Kenji gave a bow and seemed to smile saying, “I'll be a perfect gentleman... I can't guarantee all my parts will be so gentlemanly, however.”

Emi rolled her eyes at the lewd compliment. “As long as the parts that count remain gentlemanly," she admonished, "you'll probably survive the walk down to the road.”

“Probably?” he questioned.

“There could be bears,” she explained sheepishly.

“I didn't force you into the car, Ibarazaki,” he said. That was his typical excuse when he got them in trouble; it was pure bullshit, though. If he didn't get her to go along right away, he would pester her until she agreed, and Kenji was an expert pest. He was legally blind and relied on her to do the driving, so, unless she agreed, he couldn't pursue whatever ridiculous lead he had found, and, over the years, he learned how to press her buttons.

Sighing with exasperation, Emi shook her head and grimaced. “Just pick me up so we can get the hell out of here,” she commanded.

"Right," Kenji replied. Taking a few tentative steps closer, he reached down to lift her by the legs while she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Hefting her up, Kenji grunted and fumbled as his hand ran under her thigh, nearly causing him to drop her immediately. Finding a somewhat comfortable perch in his arms, Emi was happy she at least had that suit-jacket as a barrier between them, or Kenji might not be able to control himself.

Smiling inwardly at that notion, she leaned close to his ear as they started walking and whispered, “If you tell anyone about this, I'll murder you in your sleep.”

With that cleared up, the two of them started trekking through the darkened woods, headed toward what Kenji's spleen said was a road. Emi peered into the darkness, watching for pursuit, and tried to ignore his wandering eyes. Kenji kept eerily quiet as they walked, but Emi figured he was concentrating on not overreacting to having a woman in his arms; it was a rare event. Figuring his inability to see was probably saving her modesty, she couldn't really do anything about it unless she wanted to crawl all the way back to civilization; dead Kenji couldn't carry her, after all.

She could murder him before calling in, though.
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Top|Next

Awkward!

So, whaddya think?

[LOL WUT]

Well... Uh... I can't say I am not interested.

It is a rather strange story, but it has a kinda mystery story vibe to it.

So... Uh... Keep up the good work?

I don't know how to digest this story so I am just going to say this:

It is fucking weird,But, interesting.

[Helbereth]

Well... Uh... I can't say I am not interested.

It is a rather strange story, but it has a kinda mystery story vibe to it.

So... Uh... Keep up the good work?

I don't know how to digest this story so I am just going to say this:

It is fucking weird,But, interesting.

It's like the X-Files meets Katawa Shoujo. Mulder and Scully are Setou and Ibarazaki.

The particular situation is a spirited introduction to their long-term partnership. It's a science-fiction-mystery angled story that assumes the two of them attended University together and ended up joining an FBI-type organization.

Coming into this, Kenji led them to a cabin somewhere based on a tip about some kind of secret society and they were captured, stripped and left in the woods.

I'm fond of starting stories in the middle, I guess.

[Hoitash]

If this goes anywhere, you can all blame Hoitash for putting the idea in my head.

That makes two stories of mine you can blame him for, actually.

.

MWAHAHAHAHAH~

Welcome to the Dark Side, we have pie. And scotch!

Oh, and:

I'm fond of starting stories in the middle, I guess.

It's called in media res, or "in the midst of things" but you probably knew that

Never liked the X-files- creeped me the frak out- but this I like very much. Good luck, good sir. May the Force- and a very large gun- be with you.

[Helbereth]

we have pie. And scotch!

Just pie, thanks. I don't drink (yeah, I know... a writer that doesn't drink; what the fuck?).

I'm fond of starting stories in the middle, I guess.

It's called in media res, or "in the midst of things" but you probably knew that

I did not. I haven't studied writing formally since High School English class, and we never covered that kind of thing.

Never liked the X-files- creeped me the frak out- but this I like very much. Good luck, good sir. May the Force- and a very large gun- be with you.

I was 13 when the X-Files first started airing, and my older brother (then 16) was immediately obsessed. I didn't get into it until I was about that age, but I got caught up on the early seasons. I'll probably steer away from aliens, personally, because it's just way too broad a subject.

Oh cool, I just figured out where Emi and Kenji are... nothing to do with aliens. *ahem*

I didn't know where this story thread was going until just now when I thought of the title I gave it (which was on a whim). Awesome, now I can actually take the story somewhere.

And yes, I blame you, Hoitash.

[Hoitash]

/Salute.

You flatter me, good sir. I deserve every bit of it, of course, but you flatter me

I'll cover the aliens, then. Well, certain, well known aliens, at least .

[Oddball]

The characters and tone seem realistic and serious, but the subject mater seems rather out there. It created a bit of a disconnect in the mood. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be looking at it as a serious story or a parody.

[Helbereth]

The characters and tone seem realistic and serious, but the subject mater seems rather out there. It created a bit of a disconnect in the mood. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be looking at it as a serious story or a parody.

That confused feeling you have is completely normal - intended, really.

Believe me, things will start making sense soon enough, but I wanted to start the story with an extreme situation - something that feels completely out of left field.

The fact that they react to it without batting an eye is really more an indicator of how normal the situation feels to them - like it happens all the time.

[Total Destruction]

I SWEAR I commented on this yesterday, but a weird storm happened. So dammit.

I was a big X-Files junky when I was a kid, and this fits, sexual tension and all.

[LOL WUT]

I SWEAR I commented on this yesterday, but a weird storm happened. So dammit.

My ass you Fucking liar.
I kid, I kid.

No really I do.

I'm serious!

Oh God! Please don't hurt me! I am to young to die!

Please!

[Helbereth]

This fic is going to come in short bursts. Much shorter than TD or FYI. Like a weekly serial sort of deal - about weekly, anyway... I think it's only been a few days.

Anyway, let's catch up a little with Kenji and Emi, shall we? Toward the end you should pick up on some hints as to where this might be going.

Previous|Next
____________________________________

The Kenji Files:
Dark Garden Part 2
Inconvenience


The air was feeling cold, but that had more to do with Kenji choosing to borrow her blazer and adjust his sock before going into the store to seek out some assistance. Seated behind the flagpole near the road, Emi was stark naked. Crossing her legs and wrapping her hands across her chest, her eyes followed Kenji as he approached the little convenience store set behind the gas pumps. Watching Kenji walk through the door, Emi wondered just how strange things had a tendency to get in this backwater part of the countryside; the clerk seemed to barely bat an eye at his disheveled, sock-and-women's-blazer-wearing appearance.

After an hour on the road, a car going by now would be pure irony; bitter, horrible irony. Huddling herself tighter, but knowing little really stood between someone's wandering eyes and her naked form, she contemplated what she might do if that irony became a reality; it wasn't a good prospect for Kenji. The only thing really keeping him alive by that point had been his ability to walk, but that would soon be immaterial. Although, the paperwork involved with explaining Kenji's death remained a reasonable deterrent. Emi grinned at the irony of bureaucratic red tape saving the fervent conspiracy theorist's life.

Staring through the door as her half-blind partner attempted to explain how he ended up naked in the middle of the woods, Emi assumed a pensive expression. They had agreed on making up a story about college shenanigans, but Kenji wasn't great at sticking to a script. The way he was gesturing wildly with his arms over his head, she thought it equally likely he was describing a bear attack – or a zombie apocalypse.

After a few minutes of ranting from her partner, the store owner stepped out of view and returned with a bundle of some kind, offering it to Kenji – likely just to get him to go away. Kenji stepped out a moment later, bowing thanks to the store-keeper, then quickly turning and walking across the lot to where Emi sat, carefully averting his half-blind eyes.

“He said there's a payphone out here,” Kenji said as he approached, digging through the bag. “He gave me some pants and stuff,” he described, pulling a pair of pants that looked about two sizes too big from the bag and tossing the rest to her.

Emi dug into the bag, quickly finding a big sweatshirt, and pulled it on before bothering to look for anything else. Kenji leaped into the pants, dropping the sock in the motion, but Emi was too late to avert her eyes. Groaning, he blushed, commenting, “it's cold out here, isn't it?”

“Yeah, sure,” Emi agreed noncommittally, digging into the bag, but only finding a pair of orange shorts and a box of Tic-Tacs remaining. Never having been one for high-fashion, she doesn't offer any complaint, quickly pulling the shorts on and sitting on her knees. Looking around the lot, she inquired, “where's that phone?" Tossing the bag back to him, she added, "and what's with the Tic-Tacs?"

“Other side of the building, he said,” Kenji pointed behind him, but nowhere near the building. Emi didn't bother pointing out the inaccuracy of his directions. As an afterthought, he mumbled, “The Tic-tacs are field rations.”

“You're an idiot,” she remarked.

A few minutes later, sitting on the ground next to the phone, Emi was listening to the ring through the receiver. Suspecting it would take a while for the ops center to clear the line, she waited impatiently, wanting the conversation to be over and done with as soon as possible. Kenji leaned against the phone box, gazing up at the trees – or maybe he had fallen asleep.

Finally the line connected and a clear, feminine voice broke the silence, “Sally's Pizza, thanks for calling.”

“Two large pepperoni and a coke,” Emi answered, using the coded response. “Ibarazaki, eight-eight, three-five-nine, wolf.”

The line is silent for a moment, followed by another connection sound and more ringing. Finally a familiar voice started yelling, “Ibarazaki, you better have a damn good explanation why you haven't checked in for three days!” While she was happy to hear Laromy's voice, his screaming soured the reunion - not that it wasn't expected.

Emi was quiet for a second, considering the revelation. “Three days?” she asked absently, her bewildered tone hard to hide.

“Where the hell are- wait, we already know. What the fuck are you two doing in Maine?” he barked. His mechanical keyboard could be heard over the line as he typed furiously. “Is Kenji with you?” he asked, sounding more annoyed than concerned.

Deciding not to be cordial, Emi barked right back, “shut the fuck up, Laromy, and listen. Trace this line and send an evac for two. We still have business out here, but fuck if I know how we're supposed to do anything in this state.”

“Maine,” he said flatly.

“Your attention span is encouraging, jackass,” Emi blurted, “just send the damn team and tell them to bring clothes and equipment for me and Setou.”

“Clothes?” Laromy inquired.

“Don't fucking ask!” Emi yelled, glaring at Kenji, “I'm sitting on the ground, legless, and Kenji's without his superfluous glasses.”

Kenji moved to say something, but Emi swatted his shin with her stick and he backed away, bowing apologetically. Laromy coughed and grunted, then the keyboard started making noise again for a few seconds. Emi rolled her eyes, waiting for him to finish. “Bureaucracy...” she muttered under her breath.

Laromy finally spoke, his voice somehow sounding less angry after Emi's tongue-lashing. “Chopper's on its way,” he explained, “tell Setou I expect a full report-”

Emi Interjected coldly, “when we're good and ready.” Glancing at Kenji again, she sighed. “Three days?” she asked again, this time expecting an answer.

“Yeah,” Laromy replied. Sounding bewildered, he inquired, "the hell happened?”

“Kenji happened,” she remarked, “you probably don't need to know the details.”

“I'll still expect that report,” he said, quickly adding, “I can imagine, though. Your evac should be there in twenty, so look sharp.”

“That'll be hard with Kenji wearing my blazer...” she muttered under her breath.

“What?” Laromy inquired.

“Right, wouldn't want to embarrass the agency by letting the grunts see us agents under-dressed,” she balked, rolling her eyes.

“This line isn't gonna stay secure, so contact me again when the chopper arrives,” Laromy requested. Pausing a moment, he started to say, “tell Kenji-” but Emi hung up before he could finish.

Rubbing her temples for a few moments as Kenji fidgeted in place; giving her an expectant look, but trying to be coy, she collected her thoughts. Admitting it was hard, but whatever gut feeling Kenji had about this place, it was apparently worth investigating. Noticing an inconsistency, she leveled a questioning glare on her fanatical partner and asked, “just to clarify something for my own sanity; we were in Massachusetts when they bagged us, right?”

Kenji raised an eyebrow at the question, but answered quickly, “yeah, in some po-dunk town near Purgatory Chasm.” He held up a finger to add, “Sutton or something.”

Nodding, recalling the little hovel, she inquired, “okay, so how the hell did we end up in Maine three days later?”

“A truck, probably – or a train,” he replied, making Emi scowl.

“No, you idiot-” she stopped her self and frowned, “what's the connection, I mean?”

“Well...” he started, but, backing away out of stick range, he looked at her pleadingly before finishing the thought, “it was in the file, but that's gone. I was going to suggest they bring the file, but you-”

Throwing her stick at him, she let out a frustrated grunt. Hitting his knee squarely, the stick bounced and rolled away. Kenji stumbled forward, reflexively grabbing his knee and wincing in pain. Evidently he was going to mention that while she was on the phone with Laromy. Now they were going to have to go back with the evacuation team, retrieve the file and find out what the hell this dark corner of Maine has to do with a geological anomaly three-hundred miles to the south.

Looking up at a sign near the entrance to the gas station, Emi noticed the name of the place; Kingsmouth Gas'n'Go. For some reason, the thought came to mind that this little town might become very important in the following days. At the very least, she wanted to know the name of the place where she murdered Kenji – for her memoirs.
___________________________________________
Previous|Next

Yes, I'm combining multiple realities. The organization Kenji and Emi are in will be populated from KS to some extent with some OCs (Laromy being the first of those). I'm going to have them step into some of my favorite worlds - if only for a little while.

[LOL WUT]

Emu blurted,

Now I imagine this

Mixed with this


WHAT HAS BEEN SEEN CANNOT BE UNSEEN!

[Helbereth]

Emu blurted,

Now I imagine this
*Emu Image*
Mixed with this
*Emi Image"
WHAT HAS BEEN SEEN CANNOT BE UNSEEN!

Ha!... fixed. Spell check doesn't underline words that are spelled right...

[Hoitash]

Interesting plot development you have there. Why does creppy stuff always happen in New England?

[Helbereth]

Interesting plot development you have there. Why does creppy stuff always happen in New England?

Chiefly, because I wanted to use a familiar place as a backdrop.

I'm not sure if you caught the reference, but Kingsmouth is a fictional town... Sutton is not.