Kagaku Ninja-Tai Gatchaman Fan Fiction ❯ The Timepiece ❯ Chapter 17 ( Chapter 17 )

Chapter 17

Jun's cup landed on the Recreation room's tiled floor in a big crash and shattered. She grabbed onto the towel rack nearby and tried to steady herself. The sudden nauseating feeling that made her dropped her cup was still going strong.

It had been almost an hour since Yuki was first found to be missing. The boys had immediately set up for search. At first, Joe was reluctant to go along. But after much persuasion, Ken succeeded in dragging him along. Jun and Jinpei had opted to stay behind as a point of contact and also in the case that Yuki returned on her own, there would be somebody there to notify the others.

As the nauseating feeling subsided, Jun knelt down and absentmindedly tried to pick up the broken pieces. A heavy feeling of uneasiness had been bothering her ever since they found that package of cyanide next to Ken's medication. She had not been able to concentrate at all for the past two hours.

"Ouch!" Jun `s mind was abruptly drawn back to the present as blood oozed out from her finger. She looked down to see a deep cut on her left ring finger.

Ken had just entered the room with Joe. On seeing the blood on Jun's finger, Ken rushed over and took a hold of her hand. "You okay, Juni?" Joe however, resigned himself to his infamous thinking spot by the wall.

Ken took Jun over to the couch and carefully examined her finger. Turning to Jinpei, he instructed, "Jinpei, get me some clean water and the First Aid Box."

"Hai, Anike." Jinpei answered as he rushed off. He soon returned with the supplies Ken asked for.

"You should be more careful, Juni, this cut is rather deep." Ken chided as he knelt on one knee by Jun's side, gently washing Jun's finger.

"I know, my love. It's just that I have been feeling this strange uneasiness all evening. It is really getting on my nerves." Jun pursed her lips. "Have you been able to find her?"

Ken shook his head, "The nurses in Medical said that she had been around asking for Pepsi. But since Pepsi had checked herself out, Yuki had left. The guard at the front entrance said they saw her left the building with Adam Brown, the driver. Dobby and Ryu are still trying to get in touch with Adam to find out where he took her." Ken finished dressing her finger and got back up, sitting himself beside her on the couch.

Jun frowned and sighed, "I hope she is okay, I don't why but I have been feeling rather edgy the entire evening. You know, sort of feeling like something bad is going to happen."

"Correction, Jun, something bad had already happened. That girl had tried to off Ken! And you are worrying about her safety?" Joe smirked. He had been watching Ken listening to their conversation. He was wearing his usual scowl. He did not like the look of things at all. This witch, Yuki, who appeared from nowhere had been upsetting the balance of the team. He could not quite understand his feelings towards her at all. Ryu and Jinpei were literally eating out of her hands. Ken had trusted her with his life and now Jun had a mental link with her? And they were worried about her even when she had obvious tried to murder Ken? He shook his head in disgust.

"No, Joe, something is definitely wrong here. Yuki had been expending such a lot of effort in making Ken well, why would she suddenly want him dead? Also she had been so helpful with the researches, she just could not be an enemy of ISO." Jun countered with a determined look.

Ken nodded, "Yes, and you saw that shocked look on her face when you confronted her? She looked as if her heart was breaking there and then."

Jun glanced sideways at Joe, "And who said it wasn't anyway."

Joe snorted, "Didn't you hear what Dobby say? She loved Ken too much!"

"Yes, and what's the problem with that? Should I say she loves you too much instead, Condor?"

They turned round to see Dobby and Ryu walking in through the doorway with Adam Brown. Joe sprang towards Dobby and would have knocked the humanoid onto the floor had Ken not grabbed Joe from behind at the last minute. Ryu in turn had grabbed a hold of Dobby.

"Now what's wrong with you, Condor? Can you not deal with the fact that she loves Ken?" Dobby challenged.

"DOBBY!" Ken barked. "You know very well that is not true!"

Dobby turned away, rolling his eyes. He muttered, "What the heck do you guys know?"

Jun disregarded the guys and turned to the driver, "Adam, where did you take Miss Yuki?"

The driver told them that he had taken both Yuki and Pepsi to the Villa. But so far, neither one of them had paged him to take them back as yet.

Jun looked at Ken and the others, "Should we go check it out?"

Before any of them could reply, Ken's wristban blared up and Dr. Kamo's voice came up, "Ken, I want your team in my office as soon as possible. Have you seen Dobby around?"

"He is with us right now, Hakase." Ken replied.

"Ask him to come along too." Dr. Kamo instructed.

"Hai, Hakase"

Shortly afterwards, they gathered in Dr. Kamo's office. Joe habitually leaned against the wall whilst the others scattered around the room.

Dr. Kamo slowly swept his vision across the room stopping briefly at each of the young people and then finally stopping at Ken "I don't know what happened this evening. But you all owe me a detailed report after the current situation is resolved." Leaning forward towards his desk, he continued, "I have just got a call from Mrs. Mott, the housekeeper of the Villa. She reported hearing some gunshots from the direction of the cliff. She said that a short while ago, both Yuki and Pepsi had headed that direction. But as of her call, neither of them had returned. Mrs. Mott is worried that either or both of the girls would be in danger. I need you all to go and check it out. I want both girls back safe and sound."

Jun paled a bit and slumped back in her chair. She remembered that nauseating feeling that she felt back in the Recreation room just a short while ago. Could it be an omen of some sort? Could it be that the girls are in danger? Jun shook her head trying to reject the scary thoughts. She thought that it would be irrational anyway, since she had only met both Yuki and Pepsi a couple of months ago. She reasoned that she should not have such a strong bond with either of them.

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