Tokyo Girl

[Brian]

At the mental contact, Michiko tries to flinch away -- a bad move, when she's backed up against the tile wall.  She cracks her head against it hard enough to make her eyes water, and her mental reply is shaky.  Y...you came back?

Aloud, she asks, "Who are you?"

[Bjorn]

Bjorn says nothing, but keeps his small smile and continues to hold Michiko's eyes.

[Brian]

Meanwhile, back outside of the soapland, an unlikely group of tourists is following three conspiciously dressed individuals.  Tim and Tom come into sight of the men just as they reach the door of the soapland.  A quick jog could put everyone into combat in the entryway, anything more subtle is going to require more time.

As it is, one shaken looking guy in a suit is gesturing the trio inside, and there's a woman in a bathrobe with her back turned, talking on a cell phone.

[Bjorn]

Through Tom and Tim's eyes, Bjorn can see the strangers approach the soapland.  "Your 'help' is close, Michiko," he says quietly, echoing the words through the dream.  "But they won't be of any help at all.  There is still time for me to leave quietly, to disappear."  He leans closer.  "Tell me where to hunt, Michiko."

[Carthrat]

They're he-re! Er, things are gonna disintegrate real quick, Bjorn, I give it like five seconds. Fight or flight, for reals.

[Brian]

"Then, I have made my peace," the girl says resolutely, closing her eyes.

[Bjorn]

"Oh, no," Bjorn says, almost whimsically.  "You're not getting off that easily, Michiko.  I need to find the people who approached you, and until that happens, no escape for you."

To Tom, Five gets you one that I can make 'em unhappier than they can make me.  Let 'em come.  Once I get their attention, take them from behind.  Let's try and leave one in good enough shape to get answers and names out of him.

[Brian]

Inside: Tetsuo shifts his shoulders uncomfortably, and moves to stand to the side of the door, his ear against the wall to better hear through it.

Outside: Tim and Tom see the businessmen enter the soapland.  The distracted girl on the cell-phone is looking the other way, and the greeter doesn't seem to notice the group.  "So, uh, what should I do?" Mark asks.

[Carthrat]

So we're fighting... well, alright, replies Tom, sounding a little peevish.

"We're gonna wait," he adds to Mark, in a low voice. "Bjorn's gonna do something, and then we go in." He glances around for something that might make a decent club.

[Bjorn]

"Get away from the door, Tetsuo," Bjorn says calmly, putting back on his sunglasses.  "Let's avoid any misunderstandings when people start arriving."

As he says that, he steps away from Michiko and the bath, taking a few steps over to pick up a dressing robe, which he passes over to the girl.  "Here," he says urbanely.  "You might want to get dressed before your friends arrive."  He pauses, and then adds apologetically, "I hope you'll forgive the pretense."

[Bjorn]

Tom and Tim are privy to the following:

http://pishoque.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=1000850#1000850

[Brian]

Michiko's clothing consists of a bathtowel, which she puts on after she realizes she's not going to die.  Tetsuo looks confused, but steps away from the door as instructed.  Now what? he asks.

[Bjorn]

We wait, Bjorn replies.  And if I'm right, we'll then go off to meet the person who had the Kishimoto-gumi ended, and you can ask him why.

[Brian]

A few moments after Bjorn sends that thought, the door is kicked apart, flying into the room.  Michiko scrambles into the farthest corner of the room and huddles, hands over her head and curled into a little ball.

There are now two yakuza thugs standing in the doorway, both with drawn knives glaring around angrily.  The one on the left has short, spiky, blond-dyed hair.  The one on the right has neatly combed black hair.  Both are wearing neat black suits (no shades, at least, indoors), and are wearing shoes.  Behind them, the other door can be seen also lying in pieces, and beyond that, a trio of other Yakuza thugs looking into the room and watching silently.

Blond-thug then says in Japanese, "Who the hell do you think you are?"  He is fixedly glaring at Bjorn, while his companion gives Tetsuo an angry, wordless stare.

[Bjorn]

"Hello boys," Bjorn greets them, ignoring the rudeness.  "Take us to Prometheus."