Current mood:

victorious

Akemi Isamu -The Winner Takes It All -
"No!" she screamed, wrenching herself away from Tetsuo and falling onto the ground. "Someone has to live on!" Her voice was a screeching yell, and she lifted the pistol up.

"No, Akemi! We don't deserve this! Our lives are over!" Tetsuo screamed back, lowering his weapon to line up with Akemi's form.

She could feel the gun vibrate in her hands as she pulled the trigger, sending one bullet straight toward Tetsuo, wincing and closing her eyes as she saw him do the same. She didn't want to die now, not when she knew that Tetsuo didn't want to survive. And that meant she had to keep fighting, keep killing. He was just the last one to go. Just one more. One more and then she could go home and fight the government. Unless of course, she died too. If there was no winner to Battle Royale.

Then came the sick, but somewhat interesting noise. The splurting of blood coming from Tetsuo's chest, along with the pop of an empty gun going off. As she slowly reopened her eyes, Akemi nearly threw up. Standing, and looking very much like a young child who had just lost his favorite teddy bear, was Testuo, blood soaking his shirt, a fair sized hole in his chest. He looked at Akemi, his mouth moving without saying anything as he dropped the completely useless gun to the ground.

"Oh God..Tetsuo!" Akemi cried, dropping her own offending gun...which was-- unknowing to her-- the same one Shizuru used to kill herself. How fitting, that they both died by the same gun. She raced forward and grabbed Tetsuo, who seemed to be on the verge of falling. "No...wait..."

It's not supposed to end like this...Henji's plan was supposed to work. Kazuhiko was supposed to build that radio jammer...We all should have gotten off this island. No one else was supposed to die. Not you. Not Shizuru..Not Bella, not Ryouishi...none of us, dammit!

"Akemi..."

"Stop it, Tetsuo, don't talk...you're going to be okay!" The words were automatically coming from her mouth, without her giving it any thought whatsoever. Simple words, trying to comfort him. "Really," she continued. "It's okay..it's okay.."

Tetsuo shook his head and shuddered. "Akemi.." he repeated.

Slowly Akemi lowered Tetsuo to the ground, next to Shizuru's fallen form. "I'm sorry..I'm sorry..but someone had to win.." she whispered to him. "But you'll be okay...please..you'll be fine." She bit down on her lip as she kneeled down beside him, grasping his hand tightly. "You're going to be okay."

Tetsuo offered her a slight smile, and he coughed, blood pouring from his mouth with every spasm. "No I won't, Akemi. You don't have to lie to me.."

Yes I do! This isn't supposed to happen! "But..."

"But nothing," he interrupted, his calm voice still such, though a bit weaker than she was used to hearing. "I'm going to die soon. We both know that. Don't make your final words to me lies. Lies let him win too."

Him. The monster. The Lord of the Flies. The real winner of this game. The one who was within them all. The Lord of Hate. Fear. Terror. Anger. Jealousy. The ruler of the government, who pushed them to create this terrible program. A monster. The monster she had let win..but was still fighting. Her hatred and fear...they had their righteous beginnings. She wasn't entirely corrupted.

But then words that Henji had said to her came back to mind. "Monster" he had called her, after she killed Takara. But that had been to save Bella and Yenziru. It had been for a reason. Just like this..someone had to win. And that someone happened to be her. ...And then she looked down at the gun that Tetsuo had tried to shoot her with, and her blood ran cold. It was the gun she had taken from Toshigo's body. By all rights, she should have been the one to shoot with it, but through pure luck, pure chance, it had been picked up by Tetsuo.

"I'm not lying when I say I'm sorry.." she whispered.

"I know...and I'm glad it was you...that killed my demons..."

Akemi blinked. Glad it was me? Why? Why would you be glad that it was anyone!? "Glad it was me?"

"Indeed." Another cough. More blood. "Yours are just as dangerous. Be careful. And Akemi...don't forget. He watches still. Waits...you don't deserve it..."

It was unclear if he meant her win, or being watched forever by the Lord of the Flies...but Akemi took it as the former. She simply nodded and quietly leaned back. "I'm sorry.." she said once more, watching Tetsuo as he closed his eyes. That familiar feeling of anger was rising up in her..how dare he say she didn't deserve it!? She had to fight so much, she had to go through complete hell to pull this off. To make sure someone that would fight on would be the person that survived. But still..how could she be completely mad at him? He was dying right in front of her.

He said nothing else to her, and Akemi stood up as Tetsuo shuddered. So close to death, and Akemi didn't want to see anymore. As heartless as it was...same with Michiko, she couldn't bear to watch. She had seem too many people die already..and seeing the boy who had so much of her soul die..that would be too much. "Goodbye, Tetsuo.." she whispered, taking a step back.

Akemi closed her eyes for a moment and then walked a few years away, just out of sight. But Tetsuo's words remained. 'Yours are just as dangerous..' Dangerous? Dangerous how? She was beating down her demons. Her demons were the government officials, the ones that had made them do this in the first place! The ones that had taken her from her mother, someone who had already lost so much. The ones that had taken her sister. Her father.

The goverment...they were the demons! They were her demons, and the only ones who could incite such radical behavior in her. They had killed Kyo, a small boy who just wanted to go home. Yume. Kanaye. Best friends who just wanted to live their own way. Natsuyo, Natsuko...Eiji. Ryouishi. Nao...Shizuru. It was supposed to be rebels forever. Rebels forever, dammit! Kazuhiko, always listening to music and bringing in decent radio to them. Michiko, Takara, Okuni, Nobuyuki. Quiet students..like Yuri and Kenji. None of them needed to die.What about Kazuya or Ryouichi? Assholes the both of them, but still innocent. What about Henji and Bella? Finding love only to have it torn from them in such a spectacularily terrible fashion. Toshigo..Yukie...Hell, even Asuka and her crew, they were the ultimate in bitches but the government had killed them too. And Yenziru...the government made him lose his mind.

It was them she was fighting! But..perhaps that was what Tetsuo meant. Outside forces were sometimes even more dangerous than those within. And there, with that thought in her mind, Akemi dropped down to her hands and knees and promptly threw up the contents of her stomach-- which, unfortunatly for her, was little more than acids. She hadn't eaten much of anything during the entire three day period, nor did she drink a lot. The disgusting liquid ooze burned her throat and tongue and she coughed more up.

"It's over.." she whimpered, spitting out as much of the vile bile as she could. "I won..."

More stomach acid lurched out of her throat and onto the ground. She closed her eyes and trembled, just kneeling there for several long minutes until, for the final time, the voice of Kasumi Ren sounded over the island. The final list of kills...and the announcement that all of the danger zones had cleared and that she was to make her way back to the school. In the darkness, Akemi wasn't entirely sure which way that was. But regardless, she stood back to her feet and wiped her mouth with her hand and started southish.

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Akemi dragged herself into the doorway, her eyes tired, face pale. She was greeted by the sight of several more soldiers lounging around, armed, but not looking particularly interested in using them. They gave her a passing look, and a few even gave her a thumbs up. Apparently some of them had betted on her. She couldn't think of a reason why, unless they thought her determination to live for her mothers sake, who had lost both a daughter and a husband to the game, would spur her on to win. Or else they were just happy that someone had indeed won and they could all go home. Chances were the got about the same amount of sleep that she had.

But she couldn't feel sorry for them. Not after they had a part in the death of so many of her classmates.

And then...then her slightly blurry eyes rested on the one person in the entire world that she hated beyond anything else. Kasumi Ren. She was looking refreshed, as though she had just gotten a good night's sleep and was ready for the next day. But of course, it was roughly ten pm, and not the classroom on Monday morning-- which was, of course, the time when Ms. Ren seemed to be most happy. Preparing for a week of torturing her students.

"Congratulations, Ms. Isamu! You have proven to be the best in your class! You get to go home, you'll get a nice sum of cash for the rest of your life, and even a signed card from our great leader! Isn't that exciting?!"

No.

"I'm very tired, Ms. Ren. Forgive my lack of enthusiasm..I'm just happy to be alive right now," Akemi answered cautiously.

Kasumi grinned. "Oh, of course! I'm sorry, Akemi! But would you like to know how everyone did?"

No.

She nodded weakly, hoping that it would be noncommital enough that Ms. Ren wouldn't think something was wrong, but so that she wouldn't actually have to say 'Sure, of course I want to know who killed who!' or something equally terrible.

"Right then, have a seat," Kasumi ordered, and Akemi nearly collapsed on the couch. She offered a polite fake smile, as Ms. Ren took a seat on a chair opposite of her, a clipboard in hand. Her dark eyes glanced from it to Akemi a few times, before settling on the words. "Let's see here...First of all, you were the first to kill, and the last to kill. Quite a feat." She grinned, and the continued. "Although, you only came in second on number of kills. Ms. Akashita beat you with eight. Quite a vendetta, the girl had. Almost a pity, because she was so smart. But not a favorite to win, actually. Did much better than expected though. And then.." Another pause, as Kasumi scanned her clipboard. "Mr. Sematsu came in right behind you with five kills...he certainly surprised most of us. I never would have thought him to be the one to lose his mind...Or dear Mr. Tsukamoto, either."

It took every ounce of remaining self control in her body not to lash out and berate Ms. Ren for her calloused dismissal of her friends. But she merely nodded again, saying nothing. What was there to say? It wasn't like there was much to add to that. No 'oh, that's wonderful. I'm so happy for them'

"Anyway," Ms. Ren continued. "We were a bit worried there. Wondering if five people would be able to kill each other in the last period of time. I understand that most of you left after the last report were friends, right?"

Oh, that's cute. Acting like you actually care about us, Akemi thought bitterly. "We were," she replied simply, so glad that her lack of sleep was the perfect excuse for her few word answers. And I'll bet no you'll say you're sorry that we had to do that or some other bullshit like that...or not..I forgot. This is Ms. Ren we're talking about..

"Well, it will make for some interesting reports, that's for sure," said Ms. Ren, brightly. "We love to study what makes people tick, and what could cause people to kill like this."

Apparently Akemi had a shred of self-control left, because once again she managed to merely nod, but found herself needing to answer, at Ms. Ren's next question.

"Why did you kill?"

"Because I wanted to go home..."

No, that was certainly not the reason. Sure, it was part of it, but there was so much else. So many other things motivating her. Revenge. Protection. Fear. Granted, it all added up to her wanting to go home, but not just to survive. She needed to survive and fight on. Tear apart the government, piece by piece. Do everything she could to make them pay. But of course...she couldn't exactly mention that. "I wanted to go home..and I wanted to protect...and then I just wanted to live. To go sleep in my own bed." That would be a suitable explanation.

A nod from Ms. Ren, and then she stood up. "In about five minutes the helicopter will be here, to take us back to Tokyo. Then you'll smile for the news crews, then go home. It won't take too much longer, only another hour or so." Then she turned to face Akemi, a somewhat strange look in her eye as she leaned over the young woman. "I've also been reading your file. Your sister was killed in a previous Battle Royale...third to die, right? And your father was shot because of his anti-government remarks, when agents came to your house, right?"

Akemi could only nod.

"Well..it seems like since then, you've not been a fan of the government yourself. Quite a rebel, eh?"

Don't say that word. Rebel is too sacred a word to come from your mouth. Once more she nodded.

"I assume that you will be putting aside those silly notions now?"

"Sensei..I just spent three days in hell to survive. My file also says I'm intelligent..so I'm not stupid enough to die by saying anything bad about this government."

That answer seemed to satisfy Ms. Ren, because she smiled-- a nice smile, so unlike her normal ones. "Indeed. I have read that. I hope that it turns out to be true. It would be terrible for a winner who hadn't been hurt at all to suddenly die from..oh..overexertion or something terrible like that."

"Indeed," Came Akemi's tired reply. She vaguely understood the veiled threat, but was too close to falling over and sleeping for the next twentyfour hours or so. And then concentrating on completely fucking the government up. But of course..not actually mentioning that. She had no doubt that if she even made one peep of anti-government noise, then there would be some major trouble, none of which she wanted to go through. Everything had to be done in secret, until it was time to overthrow everything.

And lucky for her, before Ms. Ren could reply to that, the steady rythmic pounding of a helicopter interrupted them. Ms. Ren looked at her watched and clucked. "Tsk, a bit earlier than expected. But there's one more thing to tell you. Well...two. First of all, we'll be moving you and your mother to another city, not sure which one." She paused, to grin. "Such a good thing that Utsumi didn't do what your father did last year.." But without getting a reaction from Akemi, she just continued on. "And also, when we get out of that helicopter, the press is going to be waiting. When we get out, you are going to smile..but not answer any questions. Is that understood? No questions, and smile! SMILE, SMILE, SMILE!"

Akemi nodded once more and then weakly stood up. "Yes, ma'am." It was so...difficult to treat Kasumi Ren with the respect of a teacher, after she betrayed all of them to this game. After she delivered them to kill each other. The woman..how could she be a teacher? Weren't teachers supposed to care about their students? Help them during problems? Of course...She didn't deserve any respect..but after making it this far, after winning the game, Akemi knew she had to be careful.

Standing as Well, Ms. Ren picked up a small remote control from the table in front of them, and pointed it at Akemi's collar. For a moment the girl's face paled, thinking that everything had been done in vain, but only a small click sounded from it, rather than the incessent beeping she was expecting. "There you go, that should feel a bit better."

She reached up and the collar fell into her hands. The collar that had kept them all from living..the collar that had killed them all.

"Then let's go!" Ms. Ren cheerfully exclaimed, leading Akemi out the door.


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Eleven o'clock. Mura was in the kitchen, making a few sandwhiches for the road. Cho and Utsumi were upstairs, doing one more quick check around the house, making sure that everything of importance was packed. Shenji was sprawled on the couch, idly flipping through channels knowing that once the game ended, all networks would cover it. It was useless to just sit and wait on the news channel. Nothing but more depressing things.

Upstairs, Cho took one final look at Akemi's room. She herself had spent a few nights in this place, where they would giggle about boys and others. Occasionally one of Akemi's friends here in Tokyo would come over, usually Nao or Shizuru, occasionally Natsuyo or Yume. It held so many memories, none of which really made any difference in the long run. If Akemi came home...they would be leaving. If she didn't..they would be leaving anyway, to continue her legacy.

"What about this?" Cho asked, picking up a photograph on Akemi's nightstand. It was Akemi, Cho, Natsumi, and Risa, Natsumi's best friend, at a large shinto shrine on the outskirts of the city. All four of them were smiling and acting silly for the camera. And with a sinking feeling, Cho realized that it was from only a week before Natsumi and Risa both died. And that it was a decent chance that she was the only one left alive.

Utsumi looked up from the set of drawers and her face paled as she stared at that picture for several long moments. "I..uh..yeah. Take it.." she whispered. It was such a dark reminder of her other daughter, but if Akemi had kept it that close...

Cho tried to smile, but as she turned around to check once more, Shenji's voice called up to them.

"UTSUMI! CHO! GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

"Oh God.." Utsumi whispered as she hurried out of the room and down the stairs, followed closely by Cho. "This is it.." ...As they reached the bottom of the stairs, they saw Shenji standing up, with Mura right behind the couch, his hand covered in mayonaise. The television screen showed a helicopter landing at one of the airports and countless reporters standing there. The one that particular camera was aimed on was a young man in his mid-twenties, wearing a trenchcoat and grey wire-rimmed glasses.

"I'm here at Tokyo International Airport, where this years winner of Battle Royale is about to be announced! Details are quite sketchy at this moment, all we know is that it's a girl, and that the game came right down to the wire! As usual, students were taken to an undisclosed location where they fought until the end.." The reporter paused, then nodded to the camera as he pressed his finger to his right ear, where some sort of feed was coming in. "And this just in...this years winner has been reported as having no injuries, an insane feat for any student!"

Cho looked over at Utsumi for a moment. The woman was staring at the TV, barely breathing. "Please...please.." she whispered softly. "Please be Akemi..."

The man on the television once more paused, and then moved out of the way of the camera, to allow a perfect shot at the helicopter, from which Kasumi Ren had just exited. The teacher grinned from ear to ear and she then opened the other door to reveal the winner.

Tangled black hair, tied back in a ponytail. Torn jeans, half-opened white schoolshirt stained with blood, sleeves rolled up to the elbows. Green eyes. A smile.

"This years winner is Akemi Isamu!"

Mura, with his hand still covered with mayonaise, literally lept over the couch, nearly tackling Utsumi, while Mura and Cho immediatly embraced her, all three of them crying tears of joy. "She's coming home, she's coming home!" Utsumi repeated. "She's coming home." The three others just said nothing, as they continued their group hug. Nothing needed to be said. Akemi was coming home. She had survived. Nothing was going to stop them now..

Nothing.

Several long minutes passed, and finally Utsumi pushed herself out of the group and took a deep breath. "We have to be ready immediatly. The moment Akemi walks through the doors, I want you three to be halfway out the back door with all of the suitcases. Shenji, Mura, you can carry two, right?" At the nod, she continued. "Cho, quickly go help Mura finish the sandwiches, I need to make a quick phone call. She'll be here soon, and I don't want anymore trouble. Shenji...you take the suitcases to the back door now.

Quickly the three did as they were told, and Utsumi picked up her cell phone. A few moments passed, and finally she spoke. "This is Utsumi. Yeah..oh, you've watched too...yeah, looks like we'll need all five...thank you, yes, I am quite relieved. We'll be there within the next two hours. Make sure everything goes right. Seriously, Rina. After all this, I don't want anything to go wrong."

She hung up the phone and then took a deep breath. "My baby is coming home.." she murmured softly. "Akemi's coming home.."

"Utsumi!" Cho called from the kitchen. "Sandwhiches are made, and I'm putting a few bottles of water into the pack. Anything else food-wise?"

"No, Cho. That's fine. We'll get more to eat-- " she paused, then slapped her forhead. "Shit. We're going to have to get Akemi into different clothes and such before we leave, she was just plastered over every television station in the nation. Mura, can you grab her something from her room?" Utsumi shook her head. This was all crazy..absolutely insane. How could anyone in their right mind put people through stuff like this? Someone not...someone who had to go. For good.

A flurry of activity overtook the house, with one of the group randomly stopping to start crying at any given moment. It didn't last long, all of them knew that time was extremely important. The three young people had to be mostly out of the house by the time the black SUV pulled up with the winner. It just wouldn't look food for them to be there. She had to play the part of the greiving mother, all on her own. There probrobly wasn't any reason at all to think that way, but Utsumi was just as paranoid as her daughter in many ways.

And then...

On the quiet street, the rumble of several SUV's broke the silence. Just in time, Mura brought down a pair of jeans and a black hoodie and laid them on the couch, as he and raced out the back door. Cho and Shenji also fled back there, Cho with a backpack filled with water and sandwiches as well.

Knock, knock.

Utsumi bit down on her bottom lip, wiling herself not to cry, or to immediatly grab Akemi and hug her until she couldn't breath. She had to be mature and calm. "Calm..calm.." she murmured, as she opened the door to Akemi's teacher, two government agents in black and...Akemi. "I...oh..Akemi.."

As Akemi raced forward into her mother's arms, Ms. Ren smiled politely. "I just wanted to let you know, Ms. Isamu, that we'll be back to escort you to your new home in 24 hours. We can't exactly have Akemi going to the same school, can we?" A light laugh, one that basically went ignored by both of the Isamu's. "If you'd ike, we can send a moving crew in to help you pack so that you both can get some sleep."

"No, that won't be nessecary," Utsumi said softly. "We don't have that much to move. I can get a family friend over to help, if we need to. Thank you."

"Very well then, Ms. Isamu. Congratulations once more, Akemi."

With that said, Kasumi and the agents stepped away from the door and closed it behind them, leaving Akemi and Utsumi alone. "Mom.." Akemi whispered, buryign her face in her mother's shoulder. "Mom..I..I had to kill...my best friends...Mom...and at the end...I should have died...but I didn't..he did instead...he got my gun...without...and he said...glad..And that I didn't deserve..."

"Shh, Akemi. Don't think about that now." It broke her heart to see her daughter like this, and even moreso that she couldn't take the time to cuddle her, sing her to sleep like she did when Akemi was just a baby. "Right now I need for you to be strong for just a little bit longer..there's some clean clothes for you on the couch, change and then we have to go immediatly. Shenji, Mura, and Cho are here in the back, waiting."

At the confused look, Utsumi just smiled. "We're going to America. Now."

"Now?"

"Yeah, before something else happens."

America...now. To get away from this...to get support..to return..to fight.. Akemi smiled and she pushed herself forward. "America...perfect.." she said softly. I can get past this...I won't have to hide from the nightmare anymore..I can remember them without tears..but just with a fire to avenge them all. "And we'll then make sure that this.." she shook her head, a tear weling up in one eye, "that this doesn't happen again.."

"Exactly, now go get changed so we can get out of here immediatly. I don't trust these goverment types.."

Wiping away her tear, Akemi moved over to the couch and grabbed the clothes before heading to the bathroom to change. Utsumi watched her for a moment, finally allowing herself to cry once more. Her little girl, her baby...she had come home physically unscathed from the most terrible ordeal anyone could have imagined. Having to kill her friends and classmates, all just to simply survive. And Utsumi wasn't stupid enough to think that there weren't emotional and mental scars..but those would take time to heal.

Akemi emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, her hair soaked, but smelling and looking a bit better. "Okay.." she said softly. "I'm ready to go."

Utsumi nodded and led her toward the back door, where Cho was standing, waiting for them both. At the sight of her best friend, Akemi raced forward and hugged her tightly, and then looking over Cho's shoulder at Mura and Shenji, who were both grinning with tears in their eyes. "We're glad you're home," Shenji said, as Mura nodded his agreement. "But let's get out of here."


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One hour later, Kasumi Ren stood in the living room of the Isamu house, frowning. "I knew we didn't trust her for a reason! The little bitch ran out on us!" The eight soldiers with machine guns standing behind her didn't say a word. They knew better than to mess with Ms. Ren when she was in such a mood. "She should have just stayed here so we could kill her, dammit! Now we have a fucking rebel who knows how to fucking kill out there! Send out teams, we need to find her and get rid of her! This years winner is too dangerous, her ideals too radical!"

...But 30,000 feet up in the air, the rebel with the radical ideals was fast asleep, head resting on her mother's shoulder, en route to America, with a small video tape that would surely incite sympathy and support.

And because of that...the rebels would be remembered forever.