The Killing Touch

Switching sides

Wow, were these guys even trying? Kaoru thought. He watched the blue haired pilot hop out and grab the handle of the skid. He knew Joe's shoulder was better, why did the kid think he needed help? Kaoru scoffed, whatever it gave him an opening.

Running across the open field he dodged under the chopper. Fixing the bomb in place, he dashed away. Carla would be able to set it remotely. He slipped behind another building.

Watching, around the corner, he saw the kid skateboarding. Ignoring him, he watched as Joe surveyed the perimeter while the red haired kid did his thing. He activated Carla's diversion program, before letting the muscled bound gorilla know he was around.

It killed him to hear Joe flirting with him. Did he even like Kaoru? Or was Cherry his preferred love? The anger was pressed down. Maybe he could use it to kill the man, like Adam wanted. He set the chopper to explode if it got above two thousand feet. Not much room, but who cares. This was just another job, right?

Joe was flirting with Cherry. Kaoru used a recorded version of his once female voice to keep the play of Cherry being a female alive. At one time, she had been. He played his little game with Joe. Teasing and taunting about killing him. All the while his heart pounded. He wasn't sure if he could do it, in the end.

A bullet whizzed past him, super close. On instinct he raised his hand. He felt it ding off of his jewelry. No! He pulled his arm down.

"Stupid Gorilla!" he cried. The bracelet he always wore, the one that kept him linked to Carla, was toast. The idiot managed to hit it directly. This pissed him off.

He watched as the green haired primate rushed onto a rusted out jeep. How was that thing even able to move? Cherry wondered. He switched out his guns. Grabbing the grenade launcher, he climbed to the top of the hill. He aimed for the open tank hole. With a smirk he saw it go in. Then, those red eyes flashed back to look at him.

What had he just done!? Cherry couldn't move. He was frozen in fear as he watched the truck crane away. As it veered around a bend, Kaoru saw the red haired kid being tossed from the truck, his blue haired friend jumped after him. He stood frozen on the hill as the truck exploded. Had Joe gotten out?

"Good hit, get back to base." The voice in his ear commanded. So, daddy was watching. Kaoru turned a dead weight in his chest, where his heart should be bearing.

He climbed into the chopper as Tadashi rose up over the hills. His keen golden eyes searched the land below. He saw nothing of the S squad. Turning away, he pulled the busted bracket off of his wrist. His hands fiddled with it as they flew back home.

Hours later, and two bottles of wine down, Kaoru sat on his sofa. His dressing gown tossed open. The sliding door allowed a soft breeze to some in. It was all too hot anyway. Kojiro should be here soon, if... Kaoru's mind replayed the truck veering away, the huge thick muscled man in the back more worried about his friends then himself. His phone dinged.

'Sorry, love I need a rain check tonight. Something came up at work.' Kojiro! Kaoru's heart swelled! He was alive! He screamed out, laughing and crying so hard he could hardly reply.

"No problem, I'm swamped too. You can make it up to me with a bottle of wine." It was more of a command than a question.

"Deal. Dinner my place?" Kojiro asked. Kaoru hugged the phone to his frantically beating heart.

"Yes." Was all he could respond. Kojiro didn't reply for the rest of the night, but that was ok. Kaoru was thrilled his lover was still alive! He went into his workroom. It was the first time he was able to step foot inside it since he left this morning. He found the replacement bracelet. Sitting down he set to work configuring it.