Well, I'm forgoing that for the most part here. There will still be a stand-off, but it will be with the help of friends (which would make better sense
anyhow). This rewrite starts out the same way the previous version did, only it ends much differently.
I'm probably going to wind up devoting a chapter or two alone, maybe more, just to Zeke getting Rei wrapped around his finger (or at least as much as she
'allows' herself to be. Not to mention meeting up with the other Senshi...
"So, you're either insane or just plain
stupid," I said.
The boy made a confused face at me. "Pardon me?"
"That stunt you just pulled with the gun. You honestly think that sort of thing is alright around here?"
"I'm a trained military professional," he said
in a matter-of-fact tone. I would come to realize later on that he uses this tone a lot. "There is nothing that could go wrong."
"Are you serious!?" I said, giving him my best
look of shock/horror.
Again, the confused look.
"Should I be?"
I switched to a WTF expression. "Later, you and I, are gonna talk."
"I don't understand," came the boy's
reply. I ignored him and went on.
As I went on to exchange my shoes for school slippers (they
had to special-order a pair my size) I noticed that I was being watched by the gun nut.
"Glad to see you made it, Zeke," said a familiar
voice. "What's with that guy?" I glanced over and found Rei
changing her shoes next to me.
"Good to see you too, Rei," I said. As I slipped on my school shoes, I said in a quiet whisper, "Be careful around him.
Something about him is incredibly screwy."
Rei tensed visibly.
"Like a Cardian?"
"No.
Potentially worse."
"What could be worse?" she asked as she slipped on
her own shoes and rose to join me.
"You ever heard the stories of people that stumble
across information they're not supposed to have?" I explained as we walked into the main passage way.
"They learn too much for their own good and they wind up disappearing quietly in the night."
Rei digested that for a moment. "Chikuso!"
"Tell me about it.
I'll be keeping an eye on him and if he seems to single anyone out, I'll let you know so that you and the girls can keep an eye on that
one."
"Right. Be
careful, Zeke, or else if you live through it I will kill you instead."
"My word is my bond, milady." With that, Rei and I parted ways.
The strange new boy sat with me in the office as the last
bit of our paperwork was processed. Ironic that he and I were both starting on the same day. Things seemed to be going well - he wasn't talking at all, except that I noticed that he was staring at me
intently.
A pointed glare fixed that.
"Sagara-san, Darkwood-san, we have your
placement. You will be in class 1G. It's a small class, but I'm certain
that you two will do alright there. The teacher has been informed of your arrival, so you may go now."
With only a bow of respect, I left. Sagara thanked the secretary and left behind me. There was a tense silence between
us. I knew that I was being analyzed - sized up. Not that it wasn't
mutual. This guy… he moved in a certain way that only thoroughly trained gound-pounders moved. And the look in his eyes told me that for all his foolishness, he was a person who could easily kill if he had to. The Thousand-Yard Stare - I'd seen it on enough Marines to recognize immediately.
My main question was why was this soldier here?
I paused at the door.
It was the same door Rei went through when she and I parted ways.
"Why do you hesitate?" asked the boy behind
me.
I almost glared at him once more. "Because there's someone I know in this classroom."
With that, I opened the door and strolled in. Sure enough, there was Rei along with Usagi, Makoto, Ami, and Minako, all occupying their own little corner of the
room. And they were all staring at me in surprise.
"Well now!" said the teacher
pleasantly. I already knew about her - Miss Haruno. She was nice enough, but
poor Usagi-chan grated on her nerves horribly. "Class, it seems that our new students have arrived. First, I would like you to introduce yourselves, starting with you," she said, gesturing at me.
Shrugging mentally, I stepped forward. "I am Darkwood, Ezekiel. Forgive me if my Nihongo is not the best, as I am an American. I chose to come here in hopes of
bettering my Nihongo and gaining a better understanding of the culture of Japan." The class was small indeed, but it was already buzzing.
"Well that is wonderful. Perhaps you can help the other students with their English. What about you
now?"
"Yes, Ma'am!
Sergeant Sagara Sosuke, reporting."
This guy was some special breed of moron. He had to be.
A boy with huge eyeglasses spoke up. "When you say Sergeant, you mean like in the military?" Ah yes, the infamous
Umino. Usagi warned me about him.
"Quiet now," said Miss Haruno sternly. "Let's all wait until he's finished. Please Mister Sagara, no more jokes."
Sosuke glanced at me - I could practically see the sweat beading at his forehead. I simply gave him an
I-told-you-so look.
"I- I'm incredibly sorry. I'm Sousuke Sagara.
Everyone please disregard the Sergeant part as it was my mistake. That's it."
"Okay, questions for Darkwood-san?"
"Hey, can you say something in English for us?"
asked Umino.
I raised an eyebrow at the boy who screamed
'nerd'. "Yes. Your glasses
make you look utterly ridiculous. Have you ever thought to try laser eye surgery or even contact
lenses?"
You could tell here who knew English better. They were the ones that laughed. Rei was one of them, while Usagi looked hilariously
clueless.
"Darkwood-san!
Be more polite."
"Hai,
sensei."
"Where have you been?"
"Quite a lot of places, including England, Germany, and
Italy. My father is a commanding officer in the US Navy, so I've been to quite a few exotic
places."
"What was your favorite?"
"That's easy.
My home back in the United States. During the summer I'd go spend time with my Grandfather on the
reservation."
"Reservation?
What is that?"
"Oh, that is land reserved by the US Government solely
for tribes of Native Americans who were displaced by settlers in the nineteenth century."
"So you're one of those guys? Why don't you wear feathers in your hair or something?"
"You're Japanese?
Why don't you carry one of those katana or something?"
The classroom burst into laughter at Umino's expense. I didn't really care; the little schmuck had it
coming.
"Okay, I think that's enough for
Darkwood-san. Questions for Sagara-san?"
And then the scene pretty much finishes out the way it does in the anime. Later when Sosuke breaks into the girl's changing room, Zeke is there to stop
that nonsense before it even begins with the help of Rei and Makoto.
Can anyone ID the gun that Sosuke had in his bag in this episode?
anyhow). This rewrite starts out the same way the previous version did, only it ends much differently.
I'm probably going to wind up devoting a chapter or two alone, maybe more, just to Zeke getting Rei wrapped around his finger (or at least as much as she
'allows' herself to be. Not to mention meeting up with the other Senshi...
"So, you're either insane or just plain
stupid," I said.
The boy made a confused face at me. "Pardon me?"
"That stunt you just pulled with the gun. You honestly think that sort of thing is alright around here?"
"I'm a trained military professional," he said
in a matter-of-fact tone. I would come to realize later on that he uses this tone a lot. "There is nothing that could go wrong."
"Are you serious!?" I said, giving him my best
look of shock/horror.
Again, the confused look.
"Should I be?"
I switched to a WTF expression. "Later, you and I, are gonna talk."
"I don't understand," came the boy's
reply. I ignored him and went on.
As I went on to exchange my shoes for school slippers (they
had to special-order a pair my size) I noticed that I was being watched by the gun nut.
"Glad to see you made it, Zeke," said a familiar
voice. "What's with that guy?" I glanced over and found Rei
changing her shoes next to me.
"Good to see you too, Rei," I said. As I slipped on my school shoes, I said in a quiet whisper, "Be careful around him.
Something about him is incredibly screwy."
Rei tensed visibly.
"Like a Cardian?"
"No.
Potentially worse."
"What could be worse?" she asked as she slipped on
her own shoes and rose to join me.
"You ever heard the stories of people that stumble
across information they're not supposed to have?" I explained as we walked into the main passage way.
"They learn too much for their own good and they wind up disappearing quietly in the night."
Rei digested that for a moment. "Chikuso!"
"Tell me about it.
I'll be keeping an eye on him and if he seems to single anyone out, I'll let you know so that you and the girls can keep an eye on that
one."
"Right. Be
careful, Zeke, or else if you live through it I will kill you instead."
"My word is my bond, milady." With that, Rei and I parted ways.
The strange new boy sat with me in the office as the last
bit of our paperwork was processed. Ironic that he and I were both starting on the same day. Things seemed to be going well - he wasn't talking at all, except that I noticed that he was staring at me
intently.
A pointed glare fixed that.
"Sagara-san, Darkwood-san, we have your
placement. You will be in class 1G. It's a small class, but I'm certain
that you two will do alright there. The teacher has been informed of your arrival, so you may go now."
With only a bow of respect, I left. Sagara thanked the secretary and left behind me. There was a tense silence between
us. I knew that I was being analyzed - sized up. Not that it wasn't
mutual. This guy… he moved in a certain way that only thoroughly trained gound-pounders moved. And the look in his eyes told me that for all his foolishness, he was a person who could easily kill if he had to. The Thousand-Yard Stare - I'd seen it on enough Marines to recognize immediately.
My main question was why was this soldier here?
I paused at the door.
It was the same door Rei went through when she and I parted ways.
"Why do you hesitate?" asked the boy behind
me.
I almost glared at him once more. "Because there's someone I know in this classroom."
With that, I opened the door and strolled in. Sure enough, there was Rei along with Usagi, Makoto, Ami, and Minako, all occupying their own little corner of the
room. And they were all staring at me in surprise.
"Well now!" said the teacher
pleasantly. I already knew about her - Miss Haruno. She was nice enough, but
poor Usagi-chan grated on her nerves horribly. "Class, it seems that our new students have arrived. First, I would like you to introduce yourselves, starting with you," she said, gesturing at me.
Shrugging mentally, I stepped forward. "I am Darkwood, Ezekiel. Forgive me if my Nihongo is not the best, as I am an American. I chose to come here in hopes of
bettering my Nihongo and gaining a better understanding of the culture of Japan." The class was small indeed, but it was already buzzing.
"Well that is wonderful. Perhaps you can help the other students with their English. What about you
now?"
"Yes, Ma'am!
Sergeant Sagara Sosuke, reporting."
This guy was some special breed of moron. He had to be.
A boy with huge eyeglasses spoke up. "When you say Sergeant, you mean like in the military?" Ah yes, the infamous
Umino. Usagi warned me about him.
"Quiet now," said Miss Haruno sternly. "Let's all wait until he's finished. Please Mister Sagara, no more jokes."
Sosuke glanced at me - I could practically see the sweat beading at his forehead. I simply gave him an
I-told-you-so look.
"I- I'm incredibly sorry. I'm Sousuke Sagara.
Everyone please disregard the Sergeant part as it was my mistake. That's it."
"Okay, questions for Darkwood-san?"
"Hey, can you say something in English for us?"
asked Umino.
I raised an eyebrow at the boy who screamed
'nerd'. "Yes. Your glasses
make you look utterly ridiculous. Have you ever thought to try laser eye surgery or even contact
lenses?"
You could tell here who knew English better. They were the ones that laughed. Rei was one of them, while Usagi looked hilariously
clueless.
"Darkwood-san!
Be more polite."
"Hai,
sensei."
"Where have you been?"
"Quite a lot of places, including England, Germany, and
Italy. My father is a commanding officer in the US Navy, so I've been to quite a few exotic
places."
"What was your favorite?"
"That's easy.
My home back in the United States. During the summer I'd go spend time with my Grandfather on the
reservation."
"Reservation?
What is that?"
"Oh, that is land reserved by the US Government solely
for tribes of Native Americans who were displaced by settlers in the nineteenth century."
"So you're one of those guys? Why don't you wear feathers in your hair or something?"
"You're Japanese?
Why don't you carry one of those katana or something?"
The classroom burst into laughter at Umino's expense. I didn't really care; the little schmuck had it
coming.
"Okay, I think that's enough for
Darkwood-san. Questions for Sagara-san?"
And then the scene pretty much finishes out the way it does in the anime. Later when Sosuke breaks into the girl's changing room, Zeke is there to stop
that nonsense before it even begins with the help of Rei and Makoto.
Can anyone ID the gun that Sosuke had in his bag in this episode?