Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Indiana Matt and the Jade Tokomon ❯ Part 3 ( Chapter 3 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: dareru 
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.30.2001 | Pages: 4 | Words: 3.9K | Visits: 238 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.30.2001 | Pages: 4 | Words: 3.9K | Visits: 238 | Status: Completed
PART 3
CHAPTER 7
Sora groaned as she felt drops of something cold and wet splashing her face. She opened her eyes to see Short Round, holding a cup of ice water over her. She gently pushed him away and sat up.
"Well, well, the star of the show is up," said a grinning Matt, lounging on the other bed with Tai. "How you feeling, Miss...er..."
"Sora," she said. "Sora Takenouchi. Who the hell are you, and why am I here?"
Matt stood up. "My name's Dr. Matt Ishida, 'Indy' to my friends, but you can call me that too. I'm taking a trip up to the Ichijouji Weapons Company tomorrow morning. Apparently the welcoming committee already caught up with me."
"You mean, you and your...girlfriend, and this kid are going to try and do something to Ken Ichijouji?" She laughed. "You're nuts."
"No, we already covered this, I'm Matt, and this is Tai, and that's Short Round."
She gave a mirthless laugh. "So, you're a comedian? Well then, what are you going to do in Wuchang?"
Short Round spoke up for Matt. "We're going to get back the Jade Tokomon and all the other stuff that Ken stole!"
At the mention of the relic, Sora's eyes widened. "You mean, the Jade Tokomon? Possibly the most valuable piece of rock in the whole world?"
"Whoa there, since when are you an archeology expert?" said Matt.
"I'm not. But I do like to know when rare and valuable artifacts make their way into this country." She stared at Matt. "So, you're gonna try and steal the Jade Tokomon from Ken, huh? And, what are you gonna get out of this? Fame? Fortune?"
Matt grinned. "A grant for the archeology department, and maybe a little column in National Geographic. Oh, yes, and maybe, just a little bit of worldwide recognition. But only a little bit. You wouldn't be interested."
"Too late, you piqued my curiosity," said Sora.
"Not so fast, there," interjected Matt. "We don't want you getting in the way. If we get into trouble..."
Sora reached down into her bra and pulled out a Luger pistol. "If I get into trouble this little fella will make sure I get out of it."
Tai laughed a little bit.
"What's so funny?"
Tai opened his suitcase; in it was a Tommy gun. "If we get into trouble, Miss Takenouchi," he said, a little superior smirk on his face, "that'll be about as useful as a peashooter. This baby is our insurance policy."
Matt sat back down on the bed, turning out the lights. "You're welcome to spend the night, Sora, but we leave bright and early tomorrow morning, so you should get your beauty sleep now. Oh, and I'm sure you won't mind letting Short Round have his bed back."
Short Round smiled and climbed onto the bed. In a few minutes, he was fast asleep, unconsciously cuddling with Sora.
She spent the rest of the night on the floor.
* * *
"Wake up, Miss Sora," said a voice, accompanied by gentle shaking.
"Go 'way, it's not even light out," she whined, digging her head into her pillow.
Crack!
Sora awoke with a start, the bullwhip coming so close to her head she could feel the air move.
"I'm up, I'm up!" she said. "Jeez, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"Come on, we'll be late for our appointment."
Matt cut quite a figure in his usual outfit - leather jacket, khaki pants, leather boots, trademark snap-brimmed hat - and the bullwhip coiled off of his belt added an aura of danger about him. Tai wore a dark blue blazer, a knee-length skirt, and a pair of high-heels, which contrasted jarringly with the Tommy gun case slung over his shoulder; in addition, he sported a pair of goggles clamped loosely over his agglomeration of hair. Short Round had on, as usual, his Yankees baseball cap, sweater, and jeans, looking as if he just stepped out of the Bronx.
"Nice day for a little archeological espionage, don't you think? Be down in 5 minutes, or we're leaving without you," said Matt, as he walked out the door, the other two in tow.
She grumbled about not having makeup and a clean dress. Before he closed the door, Tai poked his head in.
"My makeup's in my purse. I think have everything but lipstick. Traveling light, you know." He winked at her and shut the door.
~~~
CHAPTER 8
The way to Wuchan was relatively uneventful. Sora tried to sleep as best she could as the sedan bounced along the dusty, undeveloped roads, Matt drove, and Tai tried to teach Short Round how to play poker. After a few hours, though, Tai gave up because Short Round kept beating him.
"All right, ladies and gentlemen," announced Matt as he brought their car to a stop, "welcome to Wuchan."
The city looked every inch like it was industrial. A thick layer of smog obscured most of the city center, where the factories were, and almost every building had a layer of soot or ash clinging to its walls and roof. Even at the outskirts the air was choking and polluted.
"Wow...does it always smell like this, Short Round?" asked Tai, rolling up his window with one hand while plugging his nose with the other.
"No," he replied, "it's usually worse. Today most of the factories are closed for the holiday."
"All except Ken's, I bet," said Matt.
"All except Ken's," confirmed Short Round. "So, what's the plan, Indy?"
"Easy. We say we just flew in from the US and we're here to help at the excavation. I bet we can walk right through the gates."
Surprisingly, it was easy. The guards let them into the headquarters compound and gave them a map of the building. Matt parked their car and they walked through the corridors, eventually finding their destination. Inside the small, windowless room was a frail-looking old man at a desk, who looked as if he was waiting for someone or something. As the four of them entered, he smiled and inquired as to what their business was.
"We're here to help at the excavation. We're from the United States," said Matt confidently.
The old man dug through his paperwork, peering over his thick glasses. "Er...ahh, yes. Yes. We've been expecting you. Please, have a seat, and I'll get you on track right away." He indicated four chairs in the corner of the room and scurried out.
Matt and company sat down in the chairs and waited.
Suddenly the lights went out, and the four of them barely had time to leap out of their chairs before they were knocked unconscious.
* * *
Matt was the first to come to, and he immediately wished he hadn't. He was in the heart of the weapons plant, suspended by a loading hook about 10 meters from a vat of molten steel. Not only that, he was tied to the other four, minus his whip, jacket and hat, with about as much hope for escape as a lobster in a restaurant tank.
He closed his eyes and tried to free his hands, but just succeeded in causing the hook to sway back and forth enough to convince him that it would be best to stop moving. As the rope came to a halt, he felt the person next to him stir, but before he could see who it was, a harsh peal of laughter echoed throughout the room.
"So glad you could join us, Dr. Ishida."
Standing at the rail of a nearby catwalk was a young man in a dark business suit, backed by a pair of massive thugs with menacing scowls and equally menacing guns. There was no question in Matt's mind - it was Ken Ichijouji. Standing at his side was Mimi Tachikawa, the relic hunter, dressed in a slinky black leather dress which made her vibrant pink hair stand out even more. Matt glanced wildly around the room, and spied Daisuke Motomiya, complete with a cast and several burn marks on his face, standing ready to lower the unfortunate quartet into a pool of red-hot liquid metal. Ken smirked as he saw Matt struggle against his bonds.
"As you can see, it's not much in the way of a torture room, but for now it'll have to do. I'd love to stay here and watch my archeological competition go down in flames, but I have a dig to supervise. Sorry it's not going to be quick and painless. Good day, Dr. Ishida. Try not to scream too loud."
He laughed and spun on his heel, walking out of the factory with his two goons following.
"I'm going to enjoy this," spat Daisuke, pressing a button on the control panel. The chain suspending the four lurched, then began to lower. Tai's goggles slid off of his head and landed in the burning vat below, catching fire before sinking into the liquid with a hiss. "You nearly burnt down my entire club, stole my star attraction, ruined my family's heirloom gong and almost had me killed. Death is too good for you." He chuckled, staring intently as the distance between them and the steaming metal decreased.
By that point the heat from was becoming almost unbearable, and sweat began pouring down everyone's face. Sora began whimpering, and Tai's hand fished around for a moment before finding Matt's.
"Is this going to be...it?" whispered Tai.
"I don't know...but I don't think we're licked yet," said Matt. "Look."
Occupied as Daisuke was with watching Matt and company get ever closer to their demise, he didn't see Mimi sneak up behind him. Before he knew what hit him, she delivered a series of blows to the back of his neck and he slid back from the railing, out cold. She sniffed contemptuously and stepped over his prostrate form, pressing the button to stop their descent with barely a meter between the soles of their shoes and the bubbling molten metal. All four of them sighed with relief.
* * *
With Mimi's help, the four managed to untie themselves and get onto the catwalk safe and sound. They glanced at Mimi, still unsure whether to trust her or not as they wiped the sweat off of their faces. Finally, Matt decided to ask the question running through all of their minds.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because I'm not really one of Ken's flunkies," replied Mimi. "I work for the US Government. We knew that he was planning something, just not exactly what he was doing, so I was ordered to infiltrate his 'inner circle' and find out what was going on. Now that I know...well...I can't take him on by myself. I need your help."
"Sounds like a plan. What do want from us, then?"
She laughed. "You get the dirty work. Twenty miles away from here, in the jungle, is a temple almost identical to the one your Professor Kido found in Egypt and the other ones, only this one is much bigger. This place has to be where they were meant to be brought together. Inside is the eighth and final artifact - the only one that Ken doesn't possess yet."
"But," interrupted Tai, "what happens when Ken gets the eighth one?"
"Government research says that if the eight are ever brought into room and placed a certain way, they'll open a gateway to another world, or dimension, or something. It's all a bit fuzzy to me, actually, but the general consensus is not to let him get that far in the first place."
"So all we have to do is somehow sneak into his heavily-guarded dig site, get past hundreds of gun-toting maniacs, and somehow get all eight of these relics?"
"Not quite. All you have to do is sneak into his dig site, get past the hundreds of gun-toting maniacs, and just snatch one of these things. That way, he can't get all eight in the same place, and the government will have enough evidence to crack down on him and his goons. You up to it?"
Matt grinned. "As always."
"Great. Here's a map of the site. I'll keep Ken's security off your back, just get down to the site quick." She turned and walked away. "Oh, one more thing..."
She looked over her shoulder and tossed a set of keys to Matt. "Your sedan won't be much good in the jungle. Try this. It's parked on space J7 in the back lot. Good luck."
The new set of wheels ended up being a large jeep with a brand new machine gun mounted on the back. Matt whistled as he saw it.
"Awright...let's take this baby for a test drive."
~~~
CHAPTER 9
An hour later, Matt, Tai, Short Round and Sora parked on the edge, watching the hundreds of scurrying people work in and around the jungle-covered temple from a hilltop.
"Explain to me how we sneak into the temple, again?" asked Sora.
"Very carefully, and with a lot of luck," replied Matt. "After all, we wouldn't stand a change if we tried to muscle our way in there. Short Round?"
"Here, Indy!"
"I want you to stay here, and the second we get in, get us out of here. You do remember how to drive."
He grinned and nodded, pushing his cap bill-backwards. "Yep. You just give me the word and we'll be out of here in no time."
"Great. All right, you two," Matt said, looking at Sora and the machine-gun-toting Tai, "Let's get us back a Tokomon."
* * *
"Hiya, boys, mind giving a lost gal a hand?"
The two guards were rather surprised that a lone woman in a beat-up nightgown would show up this far from civilization. They both looked at each other, shrugged, and were about to go over and help when the stock of a Tommy gun and the handle of a bullwhip knocked them out.
Matt and Tai looked at each other and grinned.
"Not so bad, was it?"
"Well," said Tai, laughing, "I did break a nail...but otherwise I'm good."
"Perfect timing," said Matt. "I think they're all on break or something. They're all going somewhere..."
His good luck was cut short when he realized that they were all going inside the temple, where the Jade Tokomon surely was. He swore under his breath - their task just got that much harder.
"Well," said Sora, "We might as well do as everyone else. At least now we're not as suspicious-looking."
The three of them walked into the temple with bated breath, trying to force their way to the front of the crowd, and eventually they shoved, elbowed, prodded, and squeezed their way into the heart of the temple.
At the center of the temple was a huge chamber with a raised altar towering over the rest of the room. Standing at the altar were Ken and a small band of his bodyguards. Each of the seven guards had one relic - the only missing piece was the Jade Tokomon.
"How are we gonna get that hunk of rock back?" asked Sora.
"I have a plan. Listen carefully."
* * *
"Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time since ancient times these seven relics are being brought together." Ken paused for a moment, his dramatic flair temporarily getting the best of him. He watched, smiling, as the seven guards set charges onto the altar.
The first one was put into place. Nothing happened.
The second one was put into place. Nothing happened.
The third one was put into place. Nothing happened. An expectant hush fell over the crowd, and no one really noticed three people edging their way ever closer to the altar.
The fourth one was put into place. This time, there was a quiet clicking sound, and then the four began to hum. A murmur broke out in the crowd as Ken motioned for the fifth to be laid down.
The fifth one was put into place. Now all five started to glow faintly, as if some unknown force was powering them.
The sixth one was put into place. The humming intensified, and the glow was very palpable.
The seventh one was put into place. Arcs of energy leaped between the seven artifacts, and a ring started to form, slowly growing larger and brighter.
Ken motioned for the Jade Tokomon to be brought forward.
"Now, my faithful employees, watch, and you will see a sight that has been closed to man's eyes for over ten thousand years!"
"Not so fast, Ken!"
Matt, Tai and Sora decided that now was the time to make their move. Immediately Tai began firing indiscriminately at the altar from behind a stone column, being sure not to hit the artifacts. The crowd panicked and started scattering, while the bodyguards, unsure of what to do, looked for any available cover to return fire.
But Ken was not to be interrupted this close from achieving his goal. His eyes blazing, he carefully lowered the Jade Tokomon into place a fraction of a second before Matt tackled him around the legs.
Immediately a huge flash filled the room, and a massive bolt of lightning struck the altar, and a huge gateway began to open in the center of the ring.
"You can't stop me now, Ishida!" laughed Ken as he wrestled with Matt. "You're too late!"
"We'll see about that," countered Matt. He delivered a pair of blows to Ken's stomach before getting kneed in the gut and hit in the face. The two combatants broke apart for a moment, circling, then Ken dove for Matt's midsection, and again they went down. This time Ken forced Matt's shoulder in contact with one of the sputtering relics. Matt cried out in pain as the electricity burned, and his leather jacket began to smoke as it was exposed to the raw energy. With a great effort he shot out both of his legs and Ken flew off.
Matt picked himself off of the ground and was about to make a move when a huge shadow fell over him. One of Ken's bodyguards was about to put him in a stranglehold when a bullet from Tai's gun hit him in the thigh and he went down, clutching at it. But as Matt refocused his attention to Ken, he realized that he was now staring down the barrel of a dangerous-looking weapon.
Before Ken could blink Matt's whip wrapped around his wrist, tearing the gun from his grasp while reeling him in like a fish. Matt kneed Ken in the groin and figured that now was a good time to run for it before the situation got any worse. He ran for the artifacts and was about to reach for the Jade Tokomon when he realized that if he tried to touch it, it would burn him like it had earlier. He swept the whip tightly about the Jade Tokomon and pulled. To his relief it shot backwards, breaking the circle. The ring of energy began to fade, and the portal instantly closed. Ken howled in dismay and tried to get up, but the pain from Matt's groin shot was too much and he collapsed back onto the ground. Quickly, Matt tore off his shirt and wrapped it around the Jade Tokomon, making sure no remaining electricity had the chance to come in contact with his exposed hands, and ran for it.
"Come on, you two, let's get outta here!"
Tai squeezed off his last few rounds before following Matt and Sora out. The three shot out of the temple like a trio of bats out of hell, the remaining bodyguards running after them, trading shots with Tai. They clambered their way through jungle, dodging people who were trying to get out of the way of the shirtless archeologist, vocalist-turned-bandit, and their gun-toting, dress-wearing accomplice.
"Gun it, Shorty!" shouted Matt as he leaped into the passenger seat, followed by Tai and Sora.
"Okie doke, Indy!"
Short Round peeled out into the road and floored the pedal, throwing all four of them against the back of their seats. Behind them, a trio of jeeps, bristling with armed guards, pulled out and began to close the distance between them
"Look!" screamed Sora, pointing to their pursuers.
"Tai!" shouted Matt.
"Already on it!" came the reply. Tai got up, steadying himself against the mounted machine gun, and began trying to figure the monster out. In the meantime, bullets began whizzing past his the car, a handful even hitting the back. Sora ducked down behind the seat while Matt held on gamely, and Short Round concentrated on driving the car, his little frame not really exposed to the gunfire anyway.
After a while Tai figured out how the thing worked and he fired back at the approaching cars, riddling the engine of the rear car full of holes. It immediately dropped back, its passengers screaming obscenities and waving their weapons in the air.
Tai began gamely trading fire with the second car, trying to avoid being hit while also aiming his big, bulky weapon. A bullet grazed his dress and another made a furrow through his hair. Finally Tai got off a good shot that shattered the windshield of the car, and the driver swerved off the road and landed in a patch of ferns.
Only one more jeep trailed theirs, but by the time Tai realized this he also realized he was out of ammo. He swore under his breath, when suddenly it hit him.
He reached down the front of Sora's dress.
"Hey!" she squealed. "Watch it! For chrissake, I'm not that kinda girl!"
Tai came up with the baby Luger she kept hidden. "Neither am I," he replied, and with a few accurate shots took out the tires of the remaining car. The four of them sighed with relief. Safe at last.
~~~
CHAPTER 10
"...and now we have enough evidence to put Ken Ichijouji behind bars for a long time. I'd like to congratulate you and your associates, Dr. Ishida. You've done the world a great service."
It had been a few days since Matt, Tai, Sora and Short Round had taken the Jade Tokomon from under Ken's nose, and at the request of Mimi Tachikawa had had it returned to the United States, with them accompanying it. Now Matt, Tai, and Professor Kido, all of them rested, were in a meeting in the Pentagon with a trio of bureaucrats and military brass, both of the professors deeply dissatisfied with the results of the discussion but, nevertheless, forced to accept it.
"I trust that you have found the settlement agreeable?" asked one of the officers.
"Yes," replied Matt. "Er...when can we study the Tokomon, and the other artifacts? They are quite powerful relics."
"Not to worry, Dr. Ishida, we have top men working on it in a very safe location."
"Who?" demanded Professor Kido.
"Top men."
Jyou sighed and leaned back in his chair. Trying to get information out of the Pentagon was like trying to strain water from a rock.
"If you would like our help," began Matt.
"We won't hesitate to call you. Thank you, again, gentlemen. Good day."
Irritated, Matt and Jyou walked out of the building, Tai clinging to Matt's arm.
"Matt," said Tai, "they're never gonna call you, so instead of getting steamed about it, why don't you forget about the Tokomon and think about something else?"
"Oh yeah," replied Matt, "like what?"
Tai made a face, then reached over and planted a kiss on Matt's mouth that went on for a while.
"Like that."
"Well," said Matt, a smile gradually spreading across his face, "I guess it'll have to do."
~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~*~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE END
CHAPTER 7
Sora groaned as she felt drops of something cold and wet splashing her face. She opened her eyes to see Short Round, holding a cup of ice water over her. She gently pushed him away and sat up.
"Well, well, the star of the show is up," said a grinning Matt, lounging on the other bed with Tai. "How you feeling, Miss...er..."
"Sora," she said. "Sora Takenouchi. Who the hell are you, and why am I here?"
Matt stood up. "My name's Dr. Matt Ishida, 'Indy' to my friends, but you can call me that too. I'm taking a trip up to the Ichijouji Weapons Company tomorrow morning. Apparently the welcoming committee already caught up with me."
"You mean, you and your...girlfriend, and this kid are going to try and do something to Ken Ichijouji?" She laughed. "You're nuts."
"No, we already covered this, I'm Matt, and this is Tai, and that's Short Round."
She gave a mirthless laugh. "So, you're a comedian? Well then, what are you going to do in Wuchang?"
Short Round spoke up for Matt. "We're going to get back the Jade Tokomon and all the other stuff that Ken stole!"
At the mention of the relic, Sora's eyes widened. "You mean, the Jade Tokomon? Possibly the most valuable piece of rock in the whole world?"
"Whoa there, since when are you an archeology expert?" said Matt.
"I'm not. But I do like to know when rare and valuable artifacts make their way into this country." She stared at Matt. "So, you're gonna try and steal the Jade Tokomon from Ken, huh? And, what are you gonna get out of this? Fame? Fortune?"
Matt grinned. "A grant for the archeology department, and maybe a little column in National Geographic. Oh, yes, and maybe, just a little bit of worldwide recognition. But only a little bit. You wouldn't be interested."
"Too late, you piqued my curiosity," said Sora.
"Not so fast, there," interjected Matt. "We don't want you getting in the way. If we get into trouble..."
Sora reached down into her bra and pulled out a Luger pistol. "If I get into trouble this little fella will make sure I get out of it."
Tai laughed a little bit.
"What's so funny?"
Tai opened his suitcase; in it was a Tommy gun. "If we get into trouble, Miss Takenouchi," he said, a little superior smirk on his face, "that'll be about as useful as a peashooter. This baby is our insurance policy."
Matt sat back down on the bed, turning out the lights. "You're welcome to spend the night, Sora, but we leave bright and early tomorrow morning, so you should get your beauty sleep now. Oh, and I'm sure you won't mind letting Short Round have his bed back."
Short Round smiled and climbed onto the bed. In a few minutes, he was fast asleep, unconsciously cuddling with Sora.
She spent the rest of the night on the floor.
* * *
"Wake up, Miss Sora," said a voice, accompanied by gentle shaking.
"Go 'way, it's not even light out," she whined, digging her head into her pillow.
Crack!
Sora awoke with a start, the bullwhip coming so close to her head she could feel the air move.
"I'm up, I'm up!" she said. "Jeez, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"Come on, we'll be late for our appointment."
Matt cut quite a figure in his usual outfit - leather jacket, khaki pants, leather boots, trademark snap-brimmed hat - and the bullwhip coiled off of his belt added an aura of danger about him. Tai wore a dark blue blazer, a knee-length skirt, and a pair of high-heels, which contrasted jarringly with the Tommy gun case slung over his shoulder; in addition, he sported a pair of goggles clamped loosely over his agglomeration of hair. Short Round had on, as usual, his Yankees baseball cap, sweater, and jeans, looking as if he just stepped out of the Bronx.
"Nice day for a little archeological espionage, don't you think? Be down in 5 minutes, or we're leaving without you," said Matt, as he walked out the door, the other two in tow.
She grumbled about not having makeup and a clean dress. Before he closed the door, Tai poked his head in.
"My makeup's in my purse. I think have everything but lipstick. Traveling light, you know." He winked at her and shut the door.
~~~
CHAPTER 8
The way to Wuchan was relatively uneventful. Sora tried to sleep as best she could as the sedan bounced along the dusty, undeveloped roads, Matt drove, and Tai tried to teach Short Round how to play poker. After a few hours, though, Tai gave up because Short Round kept beating him.
"All right, ladies and gentlemen," announced Matt as he brought their car to a stop, "welcome to Wuchan."
The city looked every inch like it was industrial. A thick layer of smog obscured most of the city center, where the factories were, and almost every building had a layer of soot or ash clinging to its walls and roof. Even at the outskirts the air was choking and polluted.
"Wow...does it always smell like this, Short Round?" asked Tai, rolling up his window with one hand while plugging his nose with the other.
"No," he replied, "it's usually worse. Today most of the factories are closed for the holiday."
"All except Ken's, I bet," said Matt.
"All except Ken's," confirmed Short Round. "So, what's the plan, Indy?"
"Easy. We say we just flew in from the US and we're here to help at the excavation. I bet we can walk right through the gates."
Surprisingly, it was easy. The guards let them into the headquarters compound and gave them a map of the building. Matt parked their car and they walked through the corridors, eventually finding their destination. Inside the small, windowless room was a frail-looking old man at a desk, who looked as if he was waiting for someone or something. As the four of them entered, he smiled and inquired as to what their business was.
"We're here to help at the excavation. We're from the United States," said Matt confidently.
The old man dug through his paperwork, peering over his thick glasses. "Er...ahh, yes. Yes. We've been expecting you. Please, have a seat, and I'll get you on track right away." He indicated four chairs in the corner of the room and scurried out.
Matt and company sat down in the chairs and waited.
Suddenly the lights went out, and the four of them barely had time to leap out of their chairs before they were knocked unconscious.
* * *
Matt was the first to come to, and he immediately wished he hadn't. He was in the heart of the weapons plant, suspended by a loading hook about 10 meters from a vat of molten steel. Not only that, he was tied to the other four, minus his whip, jacket and hat, with about as much hope for escape as a lobster in a restaurant tank.
He closed his eyes and tried to free his hands, but just succeeded in causing the hook to sway back and forth enough to convince him that it would be best to stop moving. As the rope came to a halt, he felt the person next to him stir, but before he could see who it was, a harsh peal of laughter echoed throughout the room.
"So glad you could join us, Dr. Ishida."
Standing at the rail of a nearby catwalk was a young man in a dark business suit, backed by a pair of massive thugs with menacing scowls and equally menacing guns. There was no question in Matt's mind - it was Ken Ichijouji. Standing at his side was Mimi Tachikawa, the relic hunter, dressed in a slinky black leather dress which made her vibrant pink hair stand out even more. Matt glanced wildly around the room, and spied Daisuke Motomiya, complete with a cast and several burn marks on his face, standing ready to lower the unfortunate quartet into a pool of red-hot liquid metal. Ken smirked as he saw Matt struggle against his bonds.
"As you can see, it's not much in the way of a torture room, but for now it'll have to do. I'd love to stay here and watch my archeological competition go down in flames, but I have a dig to supervise. Sorry it's not going to be quick and painless. Good day, Dr. Ishida. Try not to scream too loud."
He laughed and spun on his heel, walking out of the factory with his two goons following.
"I'm going to enjoy this," spat Daisuke, pressing a button on the control panel. The chain suspending the four lurched, then began to lower. Tai's goggles slid off of his head and landed in the burning vat below, catching fire before sinking into the liquid with a hiss. "You nearly burnt down my entire club, stole my star attraction, ruined my family's heirloom gong and almost had me killed. Death is too good for you." He chuckled, staring intently as the distance between them and the steaming metal decreased.
By that point the heat from was becoming almost unbearable, and sweat began pouring down everyone's face. Sora began whimpering, and Tai's hand fished around for a moment before finding Matt's.
"Is this going to be...it?" whispered Tai.
"I don't know...but I don't think we're licked yet," said Matt. "Look."
Occupied as Daisuke was with watching Matt and company get ever closer to their demise, he didn't see Mimi sneak up behind him. Before he knew what hit him, she delivered a series of blows to the back of his neck and he slid back from the railing, out cold. She sniffed contemptuously and stepped over his prostrate form, pressing the button to stop their descent with barely a meter between the soles of their shoes and the bubbling molten metal. All four of them sighed with relief.
* * *
With Mimi's help, the four managed to untie themselves and get onto the catwalk safe and sound. They glanced at Mimi, still unsure whether to trust her or not as they wiped the sweat off of their faces. Finally, Matt decided to ask the question running through all of their minds.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because I'm not really one of Ken's flunkies," replied Mimi. "I work for the US Government. We knew that he was planning something, just not exactly what he was doing, so I was ordered to infiltrate his 'inner circle' and find out what was going on. Now that I know...well...I can't take him on by myself. I need your help."
"Sounds like a plan. What do want from us, then?"
She laughed. "You get the dirty work. Twenty miles away from here, in the jungle, is a temple almost identical to the one your Professor Kido found in Egypt and the other ones, only this one is much bigger. This place has to be where they were meant to be brought together. Inside is the eighth and final artifact - the only one that Ken doesn't possess yet."
"But," interrupted Tai, "what happens when Ken gets the eighth one?"
"Government research says that if the eight are ever brought into room and placed a certain way, they'll open a gateway to another world, or dimension, or something. It's all a bit fuzzy to me, actually, but the general consensus is not to let him get that far in the first place."
"So all we have to do is somehow sneak into his heavily-guarded dig site, get past hundreds of gun-toting maniacs, and somehow get all eight of these relics?"
"Not quite. All you have to do is sneak into his dig site, get past the hundreds of gun-toting maniacs, and just snatch one of these things. That way, he can't get all eight in the same place, and the government will have enough evidence to crack down on him and his goons. You up to it?"
Matt grinned. "As always."
"Great. Here's a map of the site. I'll keep Ken's security off your back, just get down to the site quick." She turned and walked away. "Oh, one more thing..."
She looked over her shoulder and tossed a set of keys to Matt. "Your sedan won't be much good in the jungle. Try this. It's parked on space J7 in the back lot. Good luck."
The new set of wheels ended up being a large jeep with a brand new machine gun mounted on the back. Matt whistled as he saw it.
"Awright...let's take this baby for a test drive."
~~~
CHAPTER 9
An hour later, Matt, Tai, Short Round and Sora parked on the edge, watching the hundreds of scurrying people work in and around the jungle-covered temple from a hilltop.
"Explain to me how we sneak into the temple, again?" asked Sora.
"Very carefully, and with a lot of luck," replied Matt. "After all, we wouldn't stand a change if we tried to muscle our way in there. Short Round?"
"Here, Indy!"
"I want you to stay here, and the second we get in, get us out of here. You do remember how to drive."
He grinned and nodded, pushing his cap bill-backwards. "Yep. You just give me the word and we'll be out of here in no time."
"Great. All right, you two," Matt said, looking at Sora and the machine-gun-toting Tai, "Let's get us back a Tokomon."
* * *
"Hiya, boys, mind giving a lost gal a hand?"
The two guards were rather surprised that a lone woman in a beat-up nightgown would show up this far from civilization. They both looked at each other, shrugged, and were about to go over and help when the stock of a Tommy gun and the handle of a bullwhip knocked them out.
Matt and Tai looked at each other and grinned.
"Not so bad, was it?"
"Well," said Tai, laughing, "I did break a nail...but otherwise I'm good."
"Perfect timing," said Matt. "I think they're all on break or something. They're all going somewhere..."
His good luck was cut short when he realized that they were all going inside the temple, where the Jade Tokomon surely was. He swore under his breath - their task just got that much harder.
"Well," said Sora, "We might as well do as everyone else. At least now we're not as suspicious-looking."
The three of them walked into the temple with bated breath, trying to force their way to the front of the crowd, and eventually they shoved, elbowed, prodded, and squeezed their way into the heart of the temple.
At the center of the temple was a huge chamber with a raised altar towering over the rest of the room. Standing at the altar were Ken and a small band of his bodyguards. Each of the seven guards had one relic - the only missing piece was the Jade Tokomon.
"How are we gonna get that hunk of rock back?" asked Sora.
"I have a plan. Listen carefully."
* * *
"Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time since ancient times these seven relics are being brought together." Ken paused for a moment, his dramatic flair temporarily getting the best of him. He watched, smiling, as the seven guards set charges onto the altar.
The first one was put into place. Nothing happened.
The second one was put into place. Nothing happened.
The third one was put into place. Nothing happened. An expectant hush fell over the crowd, and no one really noticed three people edging their way ever closer to the altar.
The fourth one was put into place. This time, there was a quiet clicking sound, and then the four began to hum. A murmur broke out in the crowd as Ken motioned for the fifth to be laid down.
The fifth one was put into place. Now all five started to glow faintly, as if some unknown force was powering them.
The sixth one was put into place. The humming intensified, and the glow was very palpable.
The seventh one was put into place. Arcs of energy leaped between the seven artifacts, and a ring started to form, slowly growing larger and brighter.
Ken motioned for the Jade Tokomon to be brought forward.
"Now, my faithful employees, watch, and you will see a sight that has been closed to man's eyes for over ten thousand years!"
"Not so fast, Ken!"
Matt, Tai and Sora decided that now was the time to make their move. Immediately Tai began firing indiscriminately at the altar from behind a stone column, being sure not to hit the artifacts. The crowd panicked and started scattering, while the bodyguards, unsure of what to do, looked for any available cover to return fire.
But Ken was not to be interrupted this close from achieving his goal. His eyes blazing, he carefully lowered the Jade Tokomon into place a fraction of a second before Matt tackled him around the legs.
Immediately a huge flash filled the room, and a massive bolt of lightning struck the altar, and a huge gateway began to open in the center of the ring.
"You can't stop me now, Ishida!" laughed Ken as he wrestled with Matt. "You're too late!"
"We'll see about that," countered Matt. He delivered a pair of blows to Ken's stomach before getting kneed in the gut and hit in the face. The two combatants broke apart for a moment, circling, then Ken dove for Matt's midsection, and again they went down. This time Ken forced Matt's shoulder in contact with one of the sputtering relics. Matt cried out in pain as the electricity burned, and his leather jacket began to smoke as it was exposed to the raw energy. With a great effort he shot out both of his legs and Ken flew off.
Matt picked himself off of the ground and was about to make a move when a huge shadow fell over him. One of Ken's bodyguards was about to put him in a stranglehold when a bullet from Tai's gun hit him in the thigh and he went down, clutching at it. But as Matt refocused his attention to Ken, he realized that he was now staring down the barrel of a dangerous-looking weapon.
Before Ken could blink Matt's whip wrapped around his wrist, tearing the gun from his grasp while reeling him in like a fish. Matt kneed Ken in the groin and figured that now was a good time to run for it before the situation got any worse. He ran for the artifacts and was about to reach for the Jade Tokomon when he realized that if he tried to touch it, it would burn him like it had earlier. He swept the whip tightly about the Jade Tokomon and pulled. To his relief it shot backwards, breaking the circle. The ring of energy began to fade, and the portal instantly closed. Ken howled in dismay and tried to get up, but the pain from Matt's groin shot was too much and he collapsed back onto the ground. Quickly, Matt tore off his shirt and wrapped it around the Jade Tokomon, making sure no remaining electricity had the chance to come in contact with his exposed hands, and ran for it.
"Come on, you two, let's get outta here!"
Tai squeezed off his last few rounds before following Matt and Sora out. The three shot out of the temple like a trio of bats out of hell, the remaining bodyguards running after them, trading shots with Tai. They clambered their way through jungle, dodging people who were trying to get out of the way of the shirtless archeologist, vocalist-turned-bandit, and their gun-toting, dress-wearing accomplice.
"Gun it, Shorty!" shouted Matt as he leaped into the passenger seat, followed by Tai and Sora.
"Okie doke, Indy!"
Short Round peeled out into the road and floored the pedal, throwing all four of them against the back of their seats. Behind them, a trio of jeeps, bristling with armed guards, pulled out and began to close the distance between them
"Look!" screamed Sora, pointing to their pursuers.
"Tai!" shouted Matt.
"Already on it!" came the reply. Tai got up, steadying himself against the mounted machine gun, and began trying to figure the monster out. In the meantime, bullets began whizzing past his the car, a handful even hitting the back. Sora ducked down behind the seat while Matt held on gamely, and Short Round concentrated on driving the car, his little frame not really exposed to the gunfire anyway.
After a while Tai figured out how the thing worked and he fired back at the approaching cars, riddling the engine of the rear car full of holes. It immediately dropped back, its passengers screaming obscenities and waving their weapons in the air.
Tai began gamely trading fire with the second car, trying to avoid being hit while also aiming his big, bulky weapon. A bullet grazed his dress and another made a furrow through his hair. Finally Tai got off a good shot that shattered the windshield of the car, and the driver swerved off the road and landed in a patch of ferns.
Only one more jeep trailed theirs, but by the time Tai realized this he also realized he was out of ammo. He swore under his breath, when suddenly it hit him.
He reached down the front of Sora's dress.
"Hey!" she squealed. "Watch it! For chrissake, I'm not that kinda girl!"
Tai came up with the baby Luger she kept hidden. "Neither am I," he replied, and with a few accurate shots took out the tires of the remaining car. The four of them sighed with relief. Safe at last.
~~~
CHAPTER 10
"...and now we have enough evidence to put Ken Ichijouji behind bars for a long time. I'd like to congratulate you and your associates, Dr. Ishida. You've done the world a great service."
It had been a few days since Matt, Tai, Sora and Short Round had taken the Jade Tokomon from under Ken's nose, and at the request of Mimi Tachikawa had had it returned to the United States, with them accompanying it. Now Matt, Tai, and Professor Kido, all of them rested, were in a meeting in the Pentagon with a trio of bureaucrats and military brass, both of the professors deeply dissatisfied with the results of the discussion but, nevertheless, forced to accept it.
"I trust that you have found the settlement agreeable?" asked one of the officers.
"Yes," replied Matt. "Er...when can we study the Tokomon, and the other artifacts? They are quite powerful relics."
"Not to worry, Dr. Ishida, we have top men working on it in a very safe location."
"Who?" demanded Professor Kido.
"Top men."
Jyou sighed and leaned back in his chair. Trying to get information out of the Pentagon was like trying to strain water from a rock.
"If you would like our help," began Matt.
"We won't hesitate to call you. Thank you, again, gentlemen. Good day."
Irritated, Matt and Jyou walked out of the building, Tai clinging to Matt's arm.
"Matt," said Tai, "they're never gonna call you, so instead of getting steamed about it, why don't you forget about the Tokomon and think about something else?"
"Oh yeah," replied Matt, "like what?"
Tai made a face, then reached over and planted a kiss on Matt's mouth that went on for a while.
"Like that."
"Well," said Matt, a smile gradually spreading across his face, "I guess it'll have to do."
~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~*~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE END