Golgotha part two: Throne of blood
A Tenchi Muyo Fanfic

by I.A.Howson

(Caleb.howson@virgin.net)

Disclaimer: I do not own any the characters in this story. (except a few.)
Those used are done so under the kind permission of pioneer. Sue me if you
wish.

Thanks to all those who read the first part, and to those who responded.
It makes this all worth while. Same rules apply, read it slowly with a big Mug
of coffee. And write with your comments, cheers enjoy the show.

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"You know what I think about violence. For me it is profoundly moral-more
moral than compromises and transactions."

Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) Italian Dictator 
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The silence was suddenly broken, the deathly hush that had ascended on the squad 
of soldiers was lifted in an instant and was replaced by an even more terrifying
sound. As the first of the enemy was seen, a hail of gunfire was there to meet him.
As if acting as a single body a sledgehammer hit the first troop, and the fighting
ensued, both sides ducking down to make themselves a smaller target. The guns roared
fiercely as metal and shrieking flack sliced the air and made it seem like the shots 
were coming in from every angle. It took a soldier of the highest calibre to rattle
off a shot in such a place, many staying pinned from the constant ricochet of bullet
and shrapnel. From his slightly more concealed place Tyler looked onto the battlefield,
muttering to himself as he saw the enemy take up strategic positions amongst the ruins
and rubble. He squinted and fell back as an incendiary devise landed a little too close
for comfort. The heat was incredible as it immediately sent plumes of thick bellowing
smoke soaring into the air, and choking anyone foolish enough not to have the correct
equipment. It was a good thing he was behind a barricade at the time he thought, as 
he noticed the burning corpse stumble onto the barricade like a drunkard. The flames 
consumed the body, and no sound protruded from the victims lips, his throat had 
already been turned to ash, and his soul escaped amongst the blazing fire that ripped 
his body. Tyler held a sub-machine gun low, looking over his shoulder with his back 
to the enemy. 
"Spread out!!!!!! Make use of the space!!!!" He screamed, pointing a shaking hand to either
flank. The soldiers did so, and they fired as they shuffled onwards to assume a better 
view. A squad of three rushed to Tyler, their clothes in an awful state and equipment 
looking like it had seen better days. But Tyler saw this as the sign of veterans, people
who were battle hardened and took pride in seeing his men fearlessly sacrificing their lives
for the good of the cult. The sergeant looked over with a small pair of binoculars ducking 
a few times as shots whistled past his head. 
"Daemons on the left, Sir." He said in a monotone voice. "They've come out in numbers today.
the forecast's pretty bleak." 
"Tell me about it." Tyler said, cigar in mouth reloading his weapon. 
"They got priests aswell...." He put the binoculars off from around his neck and sat them
on the ground. He took out a rifle and, using the tip of the barricade as a rest began
to get shots off. His weapon was far more powerful, the bang crisp and loud as each 
cartridge clinked on the floor as he systematically took out advancing troops. 
"They'll break through when the daemons reach us Sir." He said, reloading.
"Don't worry, We've got Skunky and Marcus on them."
"Think they can weaken them?"
"Lets hope so....." 
Immediately a wave of shock-troops wailed past, inches above their heads. The shriek
of the jet-packs screeched into their ears and they fell to the floor from the 
fright. Streams of vapour condensed above them, showing how close their pass had been. A
large number of genetically enhanced soldiers swarmed like flies around the area of slums,
laughing as they did so as they used their height to their advantage. Tyler immediately
span round trying frantically to find a target moving at a slow enough speed to hit. They
did not make an easy target, weaving through each other like a display at an air show and 
firing at the confused men below. Tyler wasted no time and fired a stream of bullets as 
he strafed the air, the rattle of his machine gun could be clearly heard through all the
commotion and bustle and the flashes as he pulled the trigger illuminating the few stood
nearby.
"Don't just fucking stand there!!!!!! Shoot the bastards!!!!" Screamed Tyler, shoulder 
barging one of the soldiers. The sergeant, getting to his feet adjusted the lip of his
helmet and hoisted the rifle to his face trying his best to find a shot that would hit
home. Tyler could only watch as the screaming hordes of aerial attackers swooped down 
and began to overrun the positions, with both grenade and pistol the shock-troops were
beginning to make a clearing in Tyler's men. Those running to give assistance did so 
in complete confusion and more often than not were taken out completely oblivious to 
the enemies' position. But one thing they did not count on was the grinding persistence
and blind ignorance of Tyler's tactical brilliance, as well as his unrivalled aim. A whole
line of bullets ripped through one of the trooper's chest, the steaming holes could be
clearly seen, the whole area being lit up by incendiaries and grenades as he flumped to
the floor. Tyler's men began to fight back. The problem with surprise attacks is they
don't stay so surprising for long, and the bulky equipment and crude flying masks 
worn by the troopers only hindered their already feeble visibility. The resourceful 
members of the cult hid under the sheets of iron, only their weapons poking out from
underneath their sanctuary. The next trooper fell to a well placed grenade, landing 
in what he thought was an ideal place to dig in, he had not expected the close proximity
of one of the Cult members. He screamed in horrendous pain as the grenade blew his leg 
apart, whimpering as he slid to the floor and clutching the stump where now was one 
long shard of bone, only half of his femur remained, the rest was spread over a radius 
of many metres. In agony, rolling on the floor he tried his level best to get to safety
but his screams were only amplified. Jumping from his trench the soldier raced towards
him, keeping his head down from inbound fire and carefully made his way through the 
rubble pulling out a Gurkha knife as he approached. Without any hesitation he held 
down the wounded trooper and with the serrated edge of his polished blade commenced
the painful ritual of sawing off his head. As he straddled and tried to fight his 
way free one may have expected a tinge of decency so as to let him die with dignity.
This was not forthcoming, spewing up blood as he hacked his way through the windpipe
and finally reaching the top end of his vertebrae. By this point he was long gone,
his kicking and struggling had ceased and the shrill cries of mercy had faded and 
banished. The flying mask once contained within two human eyes now showed screens
of red splattering. Reaching the end the soldier put the sword to its place and 
crudely twisted the head off, the last few pieces of flesh still refusing to give
way, but still had to succumb to the brutality. He proudly displayed to his comrades
the head of his adversary, a single piece of spinal chord still dangling, and the 
flayed and ripped skin on the back of its neck waved in the breeze like a cloak. 
He stood there proud at showing his loyalty, but there amid the cheers and jubilation
was were he met his end. Seconds after stretching to his full height with the head
above his, he was spotted by a shock-troop with a decimator weapon. The left side of
his body was effectively vaporised by the explosion, but his torso remained connected
to his body by the right side, acting as a hinge as his shoulders and head were flipped
over revealing a few ribs sticking out the side. The blue shock wave of the weapon
sent hordes of scurrying men back to the places in terror and caused those who could see the
assailant to drive forward in anger. Without a moments notice the armour-clad troop with
the bulky decimator weapon leapt skywards and away from the attempts at his life. He 
circled the panicking swarms of soldiers like a vulture eyeing a carcass and being joined
by more and more of their clan. Immediately they descended for the sword on sword 
conflict. Over the mounds of rubble came more and more, hacking into Tyler's men 
with reckless abandon. The meagre body armour worn by the soldiers would do little
against a bullet, never mind against a knife attack. The troopers sliced their way 
through the sparsely placed troops to engage those ready with weapons, although many
fell in the advancement they showed unearthly resilience. Tyler turned, and he and 
the three he was with, were set upon by more of them. Tyler was first to strike,
constantly on his toes he left little time in unsheathing his sword and swinging
it at his enemy, who was just as ready as he began to return blows just as hard 
as Tyler's. The sergeant and his troops too had their foes to contend with, and 
each were skilled with close combat weapon. Knives, pistols, shards of metal, rocks,
everything imaginable was used in an attempt to gain the upper hand against the 
opponent. The sergeant slipped, his heavy boot slid down the side of the barricade,
and he landed in a mixture of mud and steel a shard of steel perched itself into his 
back and he felt his spinal cord rupture as he tried to move his arms or legs. His 
opponent looked eagerly onto him, a clear smile forming on his face as he drew an
axe, all the sergeant could do was scream as he lay in wait for death, paralysed. 
No sooner had he raised his axe above his head then a bullet ripped through his 
heart and fell forward. The sergeant looked to see Tyler holding a smoking flintlock,
were he was, the seven corpses, three of his men and four of the attackers. Tyler
looked reluctantly at the bleeding man. 
"Bad?" He asked, fearing the answer.
"Afraid so sir......" Came the reply, the soldier turned his head.
"You've done me proud....." Said Tyler, raising the pistol at his head. Pulling the 
trigger, he executed the wounded sergeant and returned to gaining a foothold in the
battle. The menace from the sky was almost over, the valiant troops from the Cult had
prevailed in the face of danger and were gathering and re-grouping. During all this
time however Tyler had not thought about the approaching ground troops. He peered 
over the barricade, fears were in place. Hordes of undead beasts were just about 
in reaching distance. Tyler shot back in fright. 
"Flame units!!!!!! Incendiaries!!!!!! Grenades!!!!!! Anything!!!! Now!!!!!!!"
Immediately almost every man took to the perimeter in an attempt to establish a 
fire-wall. Flame units were taken to the barricade, hot burning chemicals were
spewed over the approaching hordes. The first few lines were consumed in an 
instant as the fire ate the flesh from bone, leaving bubbling charred corpses 
of stripped human mass. It created an almost impassable gulf as the fires raged
in defiance, holding back the hordes mangled, blood-thirsty corpses. The smell of
burning flesh was one to which Tyler held great comfort, to him that rancid stench
could only mean victory, but this was yet far away. The fire would make hand to hand
combat impossible for the hordes of daemons, but for the contingent fighters was an
excuse to dig-in and use ballistics. Tyler cursed this as his men fired upon them, 
the Zombies and chittering masses of skeletal remains were easy targets at a distance,
and grenades thrown into the centre of the throng made light work of them. Thrown into
the sky and shattered like a vase, the corpses were having trouble avoiding the explosives
of the Cult. The flames also meant they had to look for another entrance, and so as if
acting like a hive-mind they began to move along the wall, searching for somewhere to 
assault the wall, all the while their numbers dwindling as they fell to the Cult's mighty
weapons. Tyler walked behind the troops who were crouched over the ruins, assaulting
the enemy. Pacing up and down, with a machine gun slung over one shoulder and looking
rather content, he signalled for the company standard to walk by him. He did so, the 
mighty eagle served as a reminder to the troops on both sides who was in charge. It 
fluttered and creased in the wind, strips of material hanging from it elaborately.
The soldier carrying it however looked like everyone else, he was filthy, tired and
bore scars from many battles. He lifted his helmet slightly and wiped his brow before
placing two arms on the pole once again. The background was a firey wasteland and 
nothing could be heard except for gunfire, explosions and the deathly shrieks of
the damned. Even so Tyler began to speak in a very relaxed way that defied logic.
"Looks like we're winning, does it not?"
"S'pose Sir...." He spoke softly and with no intent.
"Now.....I.." Just then a soldier carrying a box of wires knobs and dials ran to 
Tyler with a pair of ear-phones over his head, waving his arms about and shouting.
"Sir!!!!! Sir!!!!!" Tyler calmly turned to face him, explosives continued to sound.
"What is it?"
"It's the reinforcements Sir....they're entering now!!!!" Tyler's face ignited with
fires of eagerness. This was the last piece of the puzzle, nothing would be able
to stop him with the help of the artillery and some new corpses-to-be to help build
up the numbers. With this power nothing that Seth could throw at him would suffice.
Tyler's grin widened.
"Excellent, go and set up the signal flares." The radio operator saluted and complied.
Rubbing his hands together, he turned to the standard bearer.
"Ahh, now you. Go check on the right flank, if Skunky's still alive, tell him I want
to see him...." 
"Yes, sir." And he proceeded to plant the standard in the soft ground before pulling 
a small pistol out and begin to climb through the rubble. Tyler began smiling again.
He watched as only a few men fell on his side, whereas hundreds were falling over the
wall. Occasionally a psychic blast would cause mayhem amongst his troops, killing the
occasional troop by boiling his brain in his skull, sending a thick, pulsating 
jelly flying out their nose and ears. He drew his flintlock and rejoined the battle,
watching as he saw the daemons and Zombies deviate towards the right flank. He stood
high as he surveyed the area.
"I hope Skunky's having as much luck as I am."

"Stop fucking dying!!!!!!! For fuck's sake!!!!!! Can't you cunts comply with one 
fucking simple order to stay alive!!!!!" Skunky shrieked as he took shelter behind 
a piece of stone rubble, bullets bounced off it and made an unmistakable 'ping' 
sound as they shot past another troop. 
"We can't sir....there's too many of them!!!!!" Came the reply of a soldier seeking
refuge at the other side of the little 'street' that they were in. Bodies littered
the street in a fashion that bordered the 'massacre' level. Both sides bleeding 
relentlessly as many wounded tried to claw their way free. Corpses were used as 
shields, limbs and the decapitated heads were brushed aside to find a good place
to lay down fire. Every so often a soldier would run across the street, strafing the 
pathway in the hope to inflict a fatal blow, none were forthcoming. Skunky and the
few members of the cult that remained were on a back heel and they fired only to secure
a retreat. Skunky noticed that they were not pushing forward and so ordered that they
did so. More Vladislav troops emerged slashing the odds even lower, as they pushed 
their weaponry to the full, laying down a blanket of pinning fire. Skunky blazed 
away, felling many of their number, but as if to spite a soldier on the side of the 
Cult caught a bullet in his brain, which exited via the small hole.
"Don't retreat!!!!!! Stay were you are or advance!!!!!" He cried out and bolstered 
the troops. In the face of death the troops prevailed, as a mixture of bullets 
and grenades began to make serious dents in the enemy. Entrails were sent vomiting
from their living cases as grenades exploded nearby, staining the already bloodstained
ground. The cover which the Contingents troops had made expert use of before, could 
not protect the occupants from explosives, they soon realised this under a rain of 
fragments as they were sent to their demise, searing in agony as small shards of 
metal were sent burrowing into their flesh. Their confidence shattered, the troops 
began to abandon their nests, scrambling from vantage points and falling in the
confusion. Skunky used this to his advantaged and pushed an advance, mowing down all
those who happened to be in the way with devastating cross fire from either flank along
the row of slums. Many small skirmishes broke out during the small advance, perpetrated 
by contingent troops too loyal or too stupid to retreat. No-one was dealt with lightly
by the advancing unit and close combat was their forte. Cutting a swathe through the 
badly positioned troops with great eagerness, Skunky managed to assemble a temporary 
barricade in the street, supported on either flank by skilled marksmen and quickly 
joined by the deadly assassin Marcus. Skunky saluted and the young man smiled, a large
scar reaching down his face.
"Just secured eh?" Marcus asked.
"Yeah, had a spot of bother in the process but that was to be expected. So where've you
been? Holiday?"
"I wish....we secured the left and so I've come to join you, heard some daemons were on 
the way, thought I'd give you a hand." He adorned his hideous skeletal mask and wired it
up, sticking tubes in his throat and securing it to his face tight. Skunky drew his 
fencing sword again and wiped the blade on his trousers. No sooner had he finished this
ritual his attention was diverted as several of his soldiers were dragged through the 
barricade by green, flesh-cleaved arms. They screamed and struggled as they did, but 
no-one could help them. The soldiers not taken jumped back in fright only to see their
comrades being dragged into a hundredfold sea of Zombies, walking corpses. They made
strange sounds as they did so, grunting and wailing and waving clubs and swords. Parts
hung off them in every place, skin seemed to peel like an orange leaving crimson muscle
and veins wrapped around bone. Eyes hung from their sockets suspended by only a small
tendon, and their internal organs spilled from their cages. Their victims were dragged
by their hair, screeching in the most fear-inspiring way as they were flung to the floor
and set upon. They were ripped apart and skinned alive. Limbs were torn from their 
sockets, the sound of breaking bone and flesh tearing followed by the panicking cries
of its owner resounded in Skunky's ears. The Zombies began to feast on the living
meal, they spared no time in putting their hands into the gut of the soldiers, 
taking from them deep red organs on which to feast. They began to chew strips of meat 
and muscle from the bone like a human would do with a chicken wing. Blood spilled 
from the group as they feasted. On the other side those not taken watched with terrified
expressions, however all this did was make Skunky and Marcus even more determined. The 
hunched figures began to cumbersomely climb over the barricade. Skunky allowed some to
make it through before signalling their demise. One flick of the wrist and the street
was alive with gunfire. It was not as one-sided as you may think, even though the Zombies
were slow to react to the attack, they emerged from every crack in the street like they 
had done to Tenchi not so long ago. The troops panicked as they noticed they were surrounded,
and some unfortunates were forced to fight with knives. Many were eaten alive, not able to 
cope with the huge numbers of slow but deadly dead fighters. Skunky remained vigilant and
Marcus slaughtered gleefully. But even they were shaken and had to reach into the very 
depths of their bravery as the thunderous roar of three mighty daemons approached. They
towered above all else, nine feet high and layered in muscle and decorated in skulls.
They approached, their mighty hooves throwing up clumps of mud and shaking the Earth. 
The Cult troops were surrounded and so could not flee, but some were so terrified they 
stopped and were then either eaten or shot by a very disgruntled Skunky. They came into 
close proximity and both Skunky and Marcus engaged, (these being the ones trained in fighting
the elite.) Skunky went to strike four-legged Sagittarius like fiend. Deep red and large 
horns, it not only produced an impressive mouth of razor teeth but also a misshapen sword
wrapped in barbed wire. Skunky instantly used his small, nimble stature as an advantage,
dodging several wild slashes. He slid along the floor and narrowly missed another strike,
he could hear the barbed wire whistle past his head with frightening force. Skunky then 
predicted its next move and ducked as the beast tried to donkey-kick him, but he was too
smart and it did not even come close. The fiend turned to meet him, and laughed evilly 
when he saw who he was dealing with. Skunky swiped the air with his rapier. 
"C'mon you stupid cunt!!! Gimme what you've got!!!" At that the Sagitarrean beast cut down 
with his sword, but was parried by an angular strike from Skunky. A second and third were
blocked as Skunky jumped from ledge to ledge, attempting to gain good ground. Just as he 
thought he did, an energy blast sent him flying into the ground. Green energy enveloped 
him as he writhed in agony, and his clothes singed. The monster laughed and lowered his 
hand. Skunky struggled to his feet and swished his sword. The daemon smiled and went in
for another attack. Skunky was sent hurtling into the side of the wall, as he crashed
into it fallen debris acted as cover. He began to struggle as he could hear quick, loud
footsteps getting very near. He managed to struggle free just in time to avoid being crushed
as the daemon stamped the ground. Skunky ran, his tattered leather coat suffering more than
he. He managed to make it behind a shield before the daemon unleashed the flames of hell
from the pit of his belly. The heat was tremendous, but he held firm under the daemons 
breath. As the daemon paused, Skunky seized his opportunity to get away from the flames,
he sprinted for safety, beating out a few flames on his back. The daemon gave chase 
laughing as he did, believing himself to being the victor, even though the battle was still
going strong. Skunky sped around a corner and signalled to a pair of troops stationed on a
mound, they nodded. The hasty daemon came around the corner. Immediately his face was hit 
by an R.P.G, and he roared in pain but this to him was a mere wound. He did not think he 
was leaving himself at a disadvantage as he held his eyes, but Skunky was quick to 
dodge the random attacks of the daemons stamping feet and could leap upon him. He did, and 
made a considerable gash along his throat. Skunky fell to the floor and staggered to the
side to watch as the daemon regained his composure. He held his bloody sword beside him as
the daemon began to laugh heartily, the attacks seemed to have minimum effect and the 
daemon had left the battle unscathed, whereas his opponent was beginning to tire. 
Skunky began to pant in exhaustion, his clothes were showing signs of wear and he 
was covered in a thin film of dust from his ordeals. Skunky however showed no signs of
turning to run, as if through blind obedience or just plain ignorance he struck an
aggressive pose. The daemon looked down upon him, he smiled and peered through yellow
eyes, narrowed. He smiled, showing his respect for a formidable mortal, his face had
completely healed and no-one could have guessed hit had recently been hit with a 
high explosive devise. Immediately the daemon vomited fire once more, but Skunky 
evaded using his fleet of foot to his advantage and scorched Earth was the only 
result of the potentially painful attack. Skunky ran to the side of his adversary, who
quickly swung his sword to meet him, but with a jump sideways was narrowly avoided.
The daemons face now showed anger as this 'pest' continued to annoy him, he was like
a small rodent that would not cease. He ran under the belly of the horse-like beast,
taking care to avoid the colven hooves, he sprinted onwards with his sword above 
his head, tearing a deep wound into the stomach of his nemesis. As the daemon 
faulted, trying to hold his intestinal tract from piling on the drenched ground Skunky 
leapt into action, pulling a small container from his pocket he threw it at the 
daemon. The small glass container smashed on impact, covering the daemons face in
a clear flesh-eating bacteria. He roared loudly, as if at once all the beasts of hell
were unleashed as the liquid started to devour the red skin. It slowly began to 
disappear, peeling away from the muscle in a stomach-churning display of blood. 
The limp body smashed into the mud, his skin still disappearing and his eyes rolling
towards Skunky who still breathing hard. As the rainwater around him turned a sickly
shade of red Skunky reached down with his rapier and pierced one of the eyeballs 
bringing it upwards so he could see it. The eye looked directly at him and all it 
saw was a rain-soaked man who had flayed the evil daemon and was lucky to still be
alive. Skunky left the eye on the sword as he returned to Marcus who was around the
corner who had engaged the other two. The sight before him when he turned the corner
was inspirational to say the least. Marcus was fighting a winged serpent upon the 
rooftops of the slums, the daemon obviously not knowing the tremendous power that
the masterful assassin contained. The body of the other daemon was lying in the 
streets and completely unrecognisable, Its body had been splattered over a 
large area. Skunky had to walk into the corpse of the daemon to get across, his 
boots and trousers quickly became soaked in thick clotting blood and pleural fluids
as he made his way through the body, his boots crushing the soft innards of his 
gut. They squelched as he splattered them, throwing up fine jets of blood. Using a 
rib as a step he climbed out of the daemonic carcass and surveyed how bad his clothes
had been encrusted with dirt. Marcus was easily dealing with his opponent, his 
expert use of both sword and his claw had seen him through and gave him good stead.
The serpent could only strike with its powerful talons as it hovered in the air. 
Marcus was laughing wildly as he gained better advantage, fighting furiously as his
body consumed more and more enhancing drugs. Skunky viewed the last of the battle
as Marcus crushed the wings of his opponent before pulverising the head with his 
machine-like claw. A thick goo of brain and shards of skull was all that remained
above the neck. Marcus jumped down to meet Skunky, they stared each other in the eye
and grinned insanely at each other. The lightning flashed as the two victors stared 
in silence in the pouring rain, the sound of battle seemed more in the distance than
before. Skunky sighed and sat for a moment.
"How long before the minor daemons come out?" Marcus looked at him through the eye 
holes in his malevolent death mask.
"I don't think they will. Do you?"
"S'pose not, they won't like what we did to their friends."
"We'll worry about that later.....don't you think you'd better put on some more 
appropriate clothing?" Skunky looked at him with a confused look on his face, Marcus
pointed to the sky at a red streak of light beginning to peak. Skunky jumped to his feet
and pulled out a respirator. He fixed it to his face and covered the rest of his skin
with layers of protective materials. He looked like some sort of enhanced warrior with
a thick tube hanging from his face-mask and with a dirt green over-coat on which seemed
had nigh seen the light of day. He fumbled with the various catches and straps that 
attached the cumbersome equipment to his face. With it successfully attached and secured
in place he reached into his coat and entered some commands into a concealed terminal.
Machines whirred and bleeped as the respirator kicked into action, filtering out the 
air which he inhaled and expelling the deadly toxins that could spell the end so easily
if ingested. He stroked his hair and wiped the lens of his mask, taking off the few 
splashes of mud that tend to be acquired when working in such a dive as his current 
residence. He looked around, he no-longer looked like Skunky, but like everyone else.
A billion soldiers just like him perish every day in the Cult, he now looked like a
member of a unit, a soldier not distinguished from the rest and probably just another
white cross in the graveyard. Marcus looked at him and listened to every inhalation and
exhalation that proceeded from his friend's lips, amplified by the primitive equipment.
"Not used to it are you?" He asked. Skunky shook his head.
"Hardly had to use them before.....shit they're irritating. I can't see a fucking thing.
How do you manage with these on?" Skunky's voice sounded distant, lost in the devise.
"You get used to it. With my line of work we have to wear them all the time."
At that the two began to slowly walk back as the airborne flash of light released a 
cloud of vapour which quickly descended upon the whole area. It rained down like a 
deadly blanket, completely indistinguishable from the constant rain. As it hit the 
moist ground, plumes of thick, green gas shot into the air. The rancid poison distorted
the vision of those covered by it, even those with respirators, as it consumed a large
area easily encompassing all the combatants. Skunky and Marcus walked through unswayed,
and so did all the troops on the side of the Cult. The gas, a derivative of mustard 
gas, which plagued the battlefields of world war 2 was not a very pleasant thing to 
behold. Death is probably the best thing it brings and many who ingest the noxious 
fumes often resort to suicide to halt the suffering and agony as the gas blisters 
the skin and peels it away. The Cult had nothing to worry, and neither did Tyler as
he stood behind his barricade on the front, gas-mask covering his bitter face, stood
beside two rows of his men, each concealing their faces with an array of breathing 
equipment all silent as the wind fluttered the company standard, still stuck in the
ground by its bearer. The faint tinge of green could be seen as the light passed over
it, the gas now taking up most of the air. He quickly surveyed the area, the enemy seeking
refuge from the lethal cloud of poison. With the mannerisms of an angry man he threw himself
back from the barricade and began a walk towards the encampment, leaving the few huddled men
standing there, ready to strike at anything that should move in the distance.

The Engines of the King's reserve's transport ship roared even more fiercely as it began
to cushion the landing. With the reverse thrusters on, streams of vapour tore into the muddy
ground outside the city walls. They screeched deafeningly loud, and the force threw up 
the soil and water, casting it to either side as the thrusters got nearer and nearer the 
ground. The soldier with the bright red signal flare stepped back, holding his ear-protection
even closer with one hand, the engines being too loud even for someone with the correct 
gear. He continued waving it, as the stream of fluorescent smoke poured from the slender
handle and highlighted the immediate area. His clothes were blowing in the immense wind,
and so too was his hair, as the ship got closer and he soon got covered in all the debris
the engines were throwing up. He put this to one side and continued guiding it in, despite
being dripping wet in mud and water. The huge ship was a mighty sight even to those of 
planets where space travel is commonplace. The pilot sat in reinforced cockpit which stuck
out from the front, giving him roughly 275 degrees line of sight which is a great advantage,
especially when landing the thing. In terms of the transports used by earthling man's 
military it was huge beast and the noise it made suggested this, as the huge engines hurled
their abuse downwards. It was an awesome sight, roughly 200 meters in length it could have 
transported an entire army. The sides were bestrewn in artefacts befitting a castle, the 
symbols and artefacts showing the pride in culture that this proud race showed. Along the 
side were pintle mounted weaponry each controlled by computer, they whirred and buzzed as 
they acted as a sentry, ready to strike if an enemy was to get too near. As the ship reached
ground level a number of supports emerged from the base of the ship. The ship was eased upon
them, they sank deep into the muddy ground as the weight of the ostentatious spacecraft was
spread upon them. The pilot sat in the tight cockpit, helmet, visor and a copious amount 
of sensory equipment. He fiddled and flicked switches inside this metallic tomb as he cut 
away the power of the engines, and the sound of rain could again be heard and of course the
menacing sound of the distant thunder. The soldier that guided it down extinguished the 
flare and slowly walked towards the machine. He signalled to the skilled pilot who nodded
and spoke something into a Comm-link before continuing to operate the many complicated 
apparatus. Without warning the central part of one side of the ship just fell open, a deep
boom sounded through the land as it flew open and stopped completely unaided by any 
computer or pneumatic devise. From within the artificially lit innards of the ship, three
engines roared with delight as they emerged, seemingly fresh from the conveyor belts. The
huge mounted artillery cannons from the Kings reserves drove carefully down the ramp that
the ship had made, and those feisty engines spoke words of contentment to their drivers.
One by one they turned on a cat-tread and loomed closer to the soldier, their lights 
highlighting him in the distance and the treads ripped up grass and dirt and shot it out
of the way as they tore through the land. The few engineers still in the ship waved to 
their machines, their whole life, their pride and joy were finally going into battle. 
The soldier looked round, and saw in the tracks of the three cannons the marching 
soldiers sent to them with the reserves. Although not requested by Tyler it is a very
good job that they were sent now, as nearly all of Tyler's men have been wiped out in
the bloodlust that followed Tenchi's departure. Tyler quickly joined the soldier outside
the city walls, his approach made the soldier jump in surprise, but Tylers face did not
alter one bit. He stood with his arms behind his back as the three behemoths growled 
closer and closer, the huge bulldozer blades glimmering in what little light caught them.
"Beautiful, ain't they?" Tyler asked.
"Y-yes sir?" Replied the hesitant soldier.
"Well get a good look at them, because there ain't gonna be a lot of them after this fight."
They screeched to a halt yards in front of the fearless captain and the engines continued 
to tick over in their eternal state. As they waited there, the approaching soldiers behind 
them stopped and the sergeant hurried over to Tyler, his face barely visible due to the 
amount of supports and equipment around his face, a soldier who obviously utilised and 
carried all the equipment issued to him. Tyler looked down on him. The soldier saluted.
"Sergeant Robinski of the Kings reserves reporting sir. I hear you have a spot of bother
that you need our help with just give us you orders and we will follow them." Tyler remained
stationary.
"Indeed. Now.....you and ten of your men climb on the artillery with me. We will go at 
once to the front, there we shall push on to the cathedral. You!!!" He points to the soldier
who guided the craft down. 
"Sir!!!"
"You lead the rest behind us, if all goes to plan it'll be just a pleasant stroll for you 
lot and you may not see any of the action. Now lets get going, the sooner we win the sooner 
we can move onto the next war-zone, this one's fucking depressing." At that the sergeant 
selected his men and the group clambered onto the machines. Tyler informed the tank commanders
of the current situation and the group of three sped off at maximum speed, throwing up an
even bigger amount of Earth as they did so. They were followed in the distance by the marching
troops led by an eager young soldier, trying desperately to show his captain what he is capable 
of. The three harvesters of sorrow entered the perimeter wall, showing their might as the
heavy-duty blades at the front hacked through the rubble as it made its way through the 
desolate wastes of the former battle-fields. The powerful searchlights illuminated the 
way through the dense black that night had brought in. Even walls presented no trouble
for these metal gods, those that stood in their paths were eliminated in due course and
did not even slow them from their terrifying approach. The huge caterpillar treads
crushed the human remains of fallen victims with no thought to their allegiance, they 
were merely in the way. Huge embankments proved to be of little hindrance, and the 
mighty engines inside the metal sarcophagus hardly had to increase its workload as the
tanks glided easily up the steep rubble, the back-end being thrown up as it reached the 
peak and the front hits solid ground once more. All of a sudden all three stop, they had
reached a small clearing but were still not at the front. The soldiers dismounted and so
did the ever-resourceful captain Tyler. Machines whirred into life as supports proceeded
from the tanks and planted themselves in the ground. Almost immediately after this the 
huge artillery cannons began to slowly move to a steeper gradient, huge mechanical cogs
grinding as it did so. As it reached position it clicked into place. That was the sign for
those nearby to take cover or take heed and wear ear-protection, soldiers scrambled into 
small ditches around the area and covered their heads. Tyler calmly walked in front of the
line of destruction and calmly pulled out his Comm-link to the front.
"Keep back...." Were the only words he said for the soon-to-be confused troops fighting
at the front. Seconds after saying this the cannons behind him erupted. Unbelievably huge
booms shattered the eerie still as systematically the artillery reigned down their hellfire.
Streaks of fire shot from the bowels of the unholy machines and Golgotha had never seen 
such light, light that poured from the sky to cause eternal damnation. Tyler did not 
flicker in his unshakeable courage, the noise, the heat and the shaking of the Earth as
another shot was launched were of little concern to him for he knew that the time had
come, it was all or nothing now they had to make an advance. He ordered that the artillery
to pack-up and follow him farther.

Immediately after the barrage, the line of troops looked up in a dazed stupor, their faces
black with the dirt thrown up by the aerial bombardment. They looked at each other totally
confused at what had just happened. They looked onwards, beyond the barricade. The ground
was smoking, nothing had remained. Nothing, just a pile of smoking shit and debris, mixed 
with the parts of their enemies bodies not completely destroyed by the explosions. Some had 
miraculously remained alive, but they stumbled around aimlessly, the whole ordeal leaving 
them completely detached from reality and found it impossible to come to terms with. These
were gunned down on the orders of Skunky who after finding the front, assumed command. He 
knew Tyler and knew his plan already, he could hear the oncoming engines behind and before
they arrived he ordered an advancement onto the newly flattened ruins. They come from their
holes, and trenches a throng of hardened warriors whose courage knew no bounds. They slid
down the sides of their embankment and made their way through the mess, the tanks behind
doing the same. All survivors were shot, and it was lucky they stopped there, the Vallachian
Cult had a reputation for cruelty to those who side with daemons or those who engage in 
magic of any kind. The tanks caught up rapidly and so led the advance, surrounded by a 
thinly spread mass of troops and back-up on its way. They made it a certain distance and 
then delight swept the face of Tyler, the cathedral was finally within his grasp, the 
wreckage of the slums showed the path, they were but a stones throw away from their target.
Tyler ordered the heavy-support vehicles upon the higher ground and told the commanders and
to aim for the cathedral. He jumped down and ran to Skunky.
"Sir!!!! Am I glad to see you." Skunky commented before Tyler had stopped running. Skunky
was looking a little worn-out and his face was almost pitch-black.
"Prepare yourself and the troops, when we attack you can expect a quick reply and I don't
expect it to be pleasant."
"That bad?" Skunky asked hesitatingly.
"Just don't expect to be on his Christmas card list when this is through. Mind you...."
Tyler looked at the troops, loading what remains of the equipment onto the ground. Soldiers
were re-stocking their depleted weapons and some were taking better ones. Mortars, grenades,
flame-throwers, even tactical nuclear devices. They were going to use everything in a 
smash-tactical manoeuvre. If they win it will be a great one, if an error is made they stand
to loose all, Tyler was willing to make that decision as a last-ditch throw of the dice.
".....don't expect to see Christmas." Tyler looked at him, his eyes remaining the only white
place on him, he looked like he had been down a coal-mine.
"I think that every year sir."
Tyler laughed. Skunky joins in, knowing full well they may never see each other again, but 
neither wanting to admit that the possibility of this was awesome, they preferred to make light
humour of it rather than dwell on the grim possibilities. When they had finished Tyler ordered
over Marcus and the young sergeant, Skunky polished his blade.
"Yes Sir?" Marcus said.
"Marcus, when we open up our attack on the cathedral I want you and Sergeant Smike Robinski 
here to enter it via the huge stained-glass window."
"Yes Sir! The mission?" Tyler stood tall and proud.
"The assassination of Seth, and the retrieval of our treasured relic." Marcus, looking through
the lenses of his death-mask nodded.
"It will be done. Smike." The young sergeant saluted and held his arms by his side, he had 
just arrived on the ship and was not used to Golgotha.
"Wait outside the window, I'll throw it up for you to catch."
"And then?" 
"And then run back here, I will take Seth from there." Marcus and Smike saluted Tyler and
moved swiftly through the smouldering mess towards the cathedral. Skunky continued to polish
his blade and Tyler stood in silence watching the two figures disappear into the unknown.
"Think he'll manage to kill Seth?" Skunky stopped polishing and looked down, and let out a
deep sigh. He dreaded what words were about to pass his lips.
"Not a chance......"
Tyler also looked down, Skunky had confirmed what he had thought all along but he wanted
to be sure. It was something he had done every day as a captain, sending young men to their
death, but for once Tyler regretted it, maybe he deemed the assassin to precious an asset to
waste on a suicide mission. If this was to be true the only man to return would be Smike,
they would never see Marcus again nor would they be there to record his glorious sacrifice
to the glory of the Cult. Like many assassins, his death would be forgotten. That's how it is,
assassins in the Cult are scouted by the priests. The most ruthless children of the nearby 
planets surrounding the home world, the ones containing desires to kill and those slightly
disturbed mentally. Once they are selected they are set upon their parents to prove their 
loyalty, those who are successful are taken into the depths of the home world for rigorous
training in all weapons of destruction and trained in every way of killing imaginable.
Those that don't succeed are killed, with their family to protect the secrecy of this 
organisation. When they emerge again they are no longer human, esoteric methods turn them 
into half-cybernetic killing machines. All their attributes enhanced through bionic 
implants and their systems increased by sickly chemicals pumped in through tubes. No-one 
knows what goes on down there, but no-one dare ask in the fear of an answer they cannot 
deal with. They are then assigned to a unit, the 452nd Saxon rifles were one of the best 
close-quarter assault forces in the whole of the Cult, and they needed a new assassin after
they tragically lost one after receiving a fatal wound in a battle on a barren planet.
His supply of whatever chemical kept his body working was depleted by the shot and 
his body soon deteriorated, rotting away while he was still alive. He was put to death by 
Captain Tyler, a fresh new captain with a certain edge that made him seem like he was 
going to go far in the squad. But now this assassin was gone, and there was no-hope.
"Don't worry Tyler..." Skunky commented. "Marcus knew he wouldn't be coming back, he ain't
stupid." 
"I suppose you're right, better get on with the plan then." Skunky finished. 
"The sooner the better. Oh but wait!!" Tyler commented and Skunky turned around. 
"Yeah." Tyler pulled out a small lighter and threw it, Skunky caught it in his hand. He looked
at it, an ivory coated metal case with the company standard etched onto it. 
"It's my lucky lighter. Keep it." Skunky took this as a great honour and saluted his captain. 
At that, both men embarked on the rear gantry of separate artillery pieces. Skunky did
just for somewhere to sit and prepare himself for the next wave, Tyler did so, to gain a more 
authoritative position within his men. 
"Assume your places!!!! Be prepared to face heavy resistance once we attack!!!" The men
fell silent and took up place like they had done twice before and trained their weapons 
on the cathedral. Tyler put his hand on the artillery loader, and they all prepared themselves
for the final attack. Tyler slowly raised his arm, the wind could be heard whistling as 
everyone waited in anticipation, swirls of drizzle surrounded the encamped men. He quickly 
dropped it and the cannons shouted their abuse towards the cathedral. The soldiers dropped 
their heads and covered them as the artillery pounded the cathedral, the smell of explosives
was awesome, and the sound of desolation was intense. Several shells exploded on impact 
with the ancient building, sending whole towers crashing to the ground and rubble to 
collapse inside the building. No doubt the occupants would now be aware of their position.
But the whole experience was too great for Tyler to look his normal self, and a great smile
of approval swept his face as he waited upon one of the tanks. They continued to fire from 
amongst the wasteland of the former battlefield. As they did, Tyler scanned the horizon,
waiting for the new enemy to emerge. It did not take long, he cringed as hundreds of 
bloodthirsty daemons and the savage troops of the Vladislav Contingent poured from their 
barracks in the depths of the cathedral. He cursed at their weighty number.
"Skunky!!!" 
Skunky jumped from his position with his fully polished fencing sword and a sub-machine gun
in his other hand. He was looking a bit worn-out, his clothes were torn and ragged, his 
hair had clumped together in places and his face was decorated in random splashes of mud 
from the fighting. He had also sustained several injuries, nothing serious but small injuries
can often provide your opponent the edge in hand to hand combat. Tyler shouted orders at them
and commented on how many there were. At hearing this Skunky braced himself and grit his 
teeth. This time however, they would not let them get so far. A salvo of all types of missile
and grenade weapon whined above and streaks of lightning torched the black sky. Missiles,
mortars, grenades, incendiaries, thermonuclear devises, gasses and rocket propelled cluster
bombs tore into the enemy's front line as one of the most bloody battles broke out. There 
was no time to think, as the bodies of the Contingent troops were ripped open and thrown 
about by the force of the weaponry, the troops behind them just about being blinded by the 
blood sprayed into their faces. Bone ricocheted and caused a few more fatalities as a
shard of one troop's skull, blown open head-on by a missile was sent flying and pierced the
eye of his comrade who fell clutching the wound as it burrowed into his brain. They had not
established themselves in the area and the Cult took advantage of this. Three flame units 
were sent into no-mans land to cleanse it and make things difficult, one centre two on 
flanking positions. Again the heat was intense for the soldiers with this job but the 
rewards were worth it. Burning chemicals were thrown upon the establishing troops, and stuck
to them. As they ran away, scratching their skin to get the horrendous chemical off but it
was no good as it scorched and blistered their skin and burnt them down to the bone, leaving
just a few bits of tough muscle clinging to blackened bone. They covered the area, so to make
their advance a bit harder. However these flame units are not very stable devises as it 
relies on the soldier carrying the flammable chemicals on his back, and because of the 
hellish heat of the fire this can cause difficulty if not used in small bursts. He did not
pay attention to the warning light on his pack and he duly paid the price. As he burned 
away at the ground his pack exploded, instantly vaporising his back. He screamed in 
agony, but these screams were soon drowned out by the gurgling of his bodily juices coming
out through his mouth and he stumbled to the ground, now a human torch burning away his 
flesh. The other two did wise to fall back under increasingly heavy fire from the opposition.
They easily did so, scrambling back into the ranks as the Contingent struggled to re-organise
itself, the whole first wave being torched. As they came into view the fighting commenced 
on both sides as they exchanged bullets at a huge rate. Ducking behind cover and using 
Iron shields were common on both sides as each one began to feel the blows. They fought hard
and fought well, even though outnumbered and fatigued, the Cult fought on. They had clawed
their way out of many a difficult situation through their gritty determination and they did 
not come more gritty than this. Both sides firmly entrenched amidst the rubble and the ruins.
Tyler was busy selecting strategic sites for the cannons to hit, so as not to kill any of
his own troops and because of this the cannons fired infrequently through the course of the
battle. The side sponson machine guns whirred as they cut down a swathe of sneaky Contingent
troops approaching via the left flank, armed with grenades in a mission to frag the big guns.
Skunky was amongst the ground troops, firing the sub-machine gun like there was no tomorrow
and rarely released his finger. His arm was feeling tired as it was pushed back with the 
recoil, his muscles having to do extra work to keep his aim steady. The shoulder-strap swaying
in the wind and the cases of the ammunition clinking as it piled up on the ground. Figures
emerged from the blackness and many were ripped to shreds by the misanthropic machines. 
Many had their faces torn off by the hail of deadly bullets. One contingent troop was having
huge success in picking off lone soldiers with a small pistol from a very concealed position,
having a view of no bigger than a rabbit hole, and was causing the Cult a few problems. 
However the spotter from a rocket-launcher team spotted the flash from his weapon when he 
killed another lone soldier. He signalled the firer and gave him the instructions, an 
incendiary missile was used. It flew from the tube making a beautiful swish noise as a tail 
of sparks followed like a deadly comets tail. The sniper let out a moments scream before 
being doused in burning fuels. He was burnt to a crisp, the metal he had relied upon for
protection turned traitor as it heated up like an oven, cooking the soldier alive. His 
bodily fat liquefied as he heated up and a thick yellow fluid seeped out the position he 
had been, which filled the air with the ripe smell of human flesh burning. The hiding-holes
of the Contingent were blew apart with the blast of the cannons. Skunky continued to help 
the brave men at the front to stop any attempt at a forward run by the enemy, it was hard
to get even near due to the two Brenn gun emplacements protected by a wall of sand-bags.
But the contingent had intelligence, one troop went unnoticed by the cult and was allowed
full freedom of the battlefield atop an embankment. He raised his portable rocket launcher
and took aim. The first of the three monstrous artillery pieces fell to the contingent.
A huge flame spewed out from inside as the fuel and ammunition ignited blowing the hull
to pieces in an instant, the crew dead immediately. The force of the explosion rocked the 
tank slightly and it stood on one track momentarily before gravity finally won and it 
regained full balance. The whole side were shaken by the loss, Tyler held one arm over 
his eyes, shielding them from the brightness of the huge fireball. He was angry, how could
they have not noticed the soldier carrying the rocket? His response was to bombard the enemy
immediately with random mortar fire. It had limited effect, taking few casualties as it 
aimlessly pounded the enemy positions, many of them dug too far in to make a difference.
Skunky looked at his clicking weapon, the ammunition finally depleted as the Contingent 
charge commenced. Like the times before they emerged in number from every position and
from under every rock like a swarm of locusts. Several were picked off by rifle fire but
the defending troops abandoned these when they realised it was impossible to defeat them 
all before they reached striking distance. The battle cries were sounded and both sides 
engaged and the sound of steel on steel began. Both sides cut down their opponents with 
knives and swords, Skunky fought with his fencing sword and pistol with great skill. 
It was so close that everyone was covered in each others blood, sometimes making it difficult
to see, when it gets in the eyes. The screams were incredible and the carnage equalled that 
of any war. Skunky shot a soldier in his face then disembowelled another with his sword, his
innards poured themselves on the floor. The Cult had great experience in this field and 
fought ceaselessly in the driving rain and pitch black and managed to gain the upper hand. 
As the enemy tried to fall back to re-group from their losses, but the whole squad was 
destroyed by the victorious Cult fighters. However the cult, seeing it had suffered many
casualties fell back amongst the remaining tanks, leaving a pile of mutilated corpses 
and two obliterated Brenn-gun installations. They all lined up for the next attack,
covering the tanks. The Contingent soon responded and the Cult was charge again in a more 
spread-out close assault. Soldiers fought over tanks, over rubble and anywhere they could get.
Tyler shouted. "Get out of the artillery!!!!!!!"
Mortar shots poured from the heavens, and some soldiers clambered away from the two remaining
tanks. Explosions tore into the two beasts, and they exploded in a huge fireball, sending
the caterpillar treads flying across the battlefield, one large piece took the leg of a Cult
troop clean off. The two sides, embattled in a bloody display of combat fought around the 
ruins, three pillars of flame that signalled the end of the cult. Tyler fought on with his 
pistol and those who dared to get near to him were hacked to death with the thick, heavy 
blade in his other hand. Although loosing his best assets he bravely stuck in. Skunky 
helped slicing many to death in the back. As he stepped back he turned and noticed the figure
running towards him. It was Smike!!! And he had what looked like a sceptre cradled in his 
arms. He sprinted over to him, puffing and panting, out of breath. he handed it to Skunky
as the battle raged on, bullets and explosions drowning out all the other noise.
"Here!! Skunky take it!!!!"
"well done Smike, I'm sure you'll get honours for this." Skunky said, marvelling at the beauty
of the object that he had fought so long for. Smike, clutching his chest looked up wide eyed.
"Really? Do you think I'll get a reward for this?" He seemed pleased.
"Of course!!! You are the saviour." The smile on the young sergeants face widened.
"Whe...." His sentence was cut short as a line of holes appeared down his side and his blood
spewed over the landscape, the bullets ripping his thin body into several pieces. Skunky 
jumped back behind the tank, holding tightly to the relic. He peered round the side of the 
track and saw a Contingent troop, searching the sergeant's body, with his mask off. Skunky
loaded in dumdum bullets and a sneer engulfed his face. He stepped out from behind the
tank, and took aim. He whistled to the squatting man who instantly looked up to see the 
barrel of a service revolver staring straight at him. He was blown off his feet and landed
on his back. Skunky holstered his pistol and began to walk away before he stopped. He walked 
over to the body, that was still making a noise. Skunky thought it was impossible but 
looked at the body. The face was a twisted mess, no skin remained, but the bullet had failed
to penetrate, instead spraying the soldiers face with the gunpowder taking every millimetre
of skin off his face. The reddened mess oozed thick gooey blood and all the muscle, tendons
and veins were on show. Skunky's eye was drawn to the two nasal passages, now just 
two holes in a red splattered face. A bubble formed in the blood over the hole, and then 
it popped, then it formed again then popped. The blood around his nose was bubbling, he was 
still alive, he was breathing. Skunky did nothing, he walked away. Still on a high about 
gaining the relic he climbed the embankment towards Tyler's position. The battle was still
raging as fiercely as before, the Cult gaining the reinforcements that had been told not 
to expect a fight. Skunky had made it roughly half way up the steep embankment when something 
made him turn around. To him, the battlefield fell silent, and everything went in slow motion.
He looked up to see a mortar shell, whining fiercely as its path peaked in the sky, the trail
of sparks swaying in the wind. Skunky had no time to run, no time to think as it began to 
descend, the whining becoming more ear-piercing, louder, and higher pitched. It blew into the 
ground on his left hand side. His arm was engulfed by the cloud of shrapnel, he made no 
sound as in slow motion he fell backwards to the ground and on his back he slid down the slope
for several meters. He lay still, not saying a word watching the clouds in the sky and 
studying the paths of each of the water droplets falling from on high. Out the corner of his
eye he noticed the legs of the soldiers running. No-one noticed him, a large Iron sheet 
covered him like a blanket. He remained silent, and fought back the screams of agony as
he felt the shock fly through his body and he failed to move his left arm. He reached 
into his filthy jackets pocket and pulled out a loaded syringe. Pulling off the cap in his 
mouth he inserted the long sinuous needle into the bloody stump of his arm. The morphine
pumped into his veins and arteries and he winced as he pulled it out, it felt like a cold
dagger and the pain was precise. He put his head back and remained in his position, holding
the relic waiting for the morphine to kick in or for him to loose consciousness, either 
one for blessed release. The rain battered his face as he lay out in the open but it didn't
matter to him any more, as he watched his life-blood drain out of him, mix with the rain 
and wind its merry way through the many tributaries in the rubble down the bank. The battle
continued, no-one aware of the casualties. The contingent pushed through with the aid of 
daemons and blasted apart the Cults defences. Tyler didn't last much longer either. As he 
looked over his position, he could feel death's Icy fingers touching his neck. 
"Not yet..." He said to himself, and took the gun off the body of the dead soldier next 
to him, a single circular wound in his head spilling the mashed contents of his skull.
Tyler raised it, and along with many other troops blitzed the approaching troops felling 
many of their number. He would have stayed with this small unit until the very end, and that
end was very close for them as swarms of undead beasts congregated amongst the ruins and 
whispered words of sweet death to each other. The only words uttered amongst the troops were
the shouts of their weaponry unleashing a ballistic hail of destruction. But Tyler saw 
something out the corner of his eye that made him hesitant. He refrained from his killing to
concentrate on the moving amongst the felled men and the smoking flack of battle in the ruins
on the left. He squinted as he struggled to see through the smoking corpses and bloodied 
limbs hacked from their torsos, and his eyes seemed to illuminate the darkness to meet with 
someone he had always wanted to meet. He left his troops to take the punishment as he scrambled
off to something on the flank. He crawled upon his belly through the stone cold lifeless men
of the Cult, and slid along the moistened gravel of the earth to reach his goal alive.
The sharpened jagged stones and shrapnel cut his skin open down his body as he did so and 
his clothes became little more than soiled rags, soaked with his own blood. He breathed 
heavily and pushed the body blocking his view over the slight embankment to view his nemesis.
His eyes grew wide and he held his breath as a great excitement overthrew his senses. He 
couldn't believe it, there he was the Contingent captain watching the battle. The contingent
captain!!!! The fucking fat slob who would watch the whole thing from the comfort of his own
armchair with a blazing fire and a large glass of Port whilst Mozart played in the background
giving some mood as he watched the slaughter. Always eager to try a new strategy even if it
was risking the lives of hundreds, it wasn't his arse out their having the shit blown out of 
it, it was some other poor bastard with the blind obedience to serve a Captain who is without
the balls to join in. He was going to pay in blood for his travesty and with his entrails 
liberated, the grounds of victory can be assessed. Tyler drew his sword, and stood up on the
mound, his eyes fixed fiercely on his enemy and predicting his every move with the military 
precision he was accustomed to. The enemy Captain had anticipated such an event might occur
and so was very calm when he noticed Tyler, he drew his sword also. A daemonic blade, with no
pattern of style, it seemed like a piece of sharpened metal with points arranged in a way
so as to cause maximum pain when it would penetrate the skin. Two-way hooks would mean that
a simple flick when retracting the blade from the opponents body would slice the torso into 
several pieces, either that or at least skin them down to the bone. Tyler jumped down and  
they fought fiercely with each other both trying to get the winning blow. Tyler was small in 
comparison, the Contingent captain was genetically enhanced, like his troops. He was roughly 
seven foot, and hid his face behind a respirator, but had all his medals on display over a red 
coat. However he was all show, the medals reflecting what was once a brilliant soldier would 
do nothing in the field. Past victories will not be of much use now. Tyler was enraged and 
put all his might into every single swipe letting out a roar as he made contact each time, 
he was constantly on the offensive. The Contingent Captain had grown fat off his success, 
and his bloated stomach was concealed in an armour plating which bore the markings of the 
Vladislav Contingent. The Captain was well adorned in a manner befitting that of a great 
war hero but the way he fought did not show his previous glory. He was cowardly and he 
stumbled out of Tyler's reach, Tyler was looking more and more determined, he bore his teeth 
in an insane grin.
"I'm gonna gut you, piggy." He swiped again and barely missed as he only caused wound to the
Captains scarlet cloak, fluttering in the wind as he waddled from place to place. Tyler's speed 
was impressive and this washed-up excuse of Captain was nothing to him. In the 
red ruins of the battlefield they danced their last deadly waltz as Tyler penetrated the 
armour and gashed a wounded across the belly of his enemy. He wailed in pain, muffled slightly
by the huge breathing mask, Tyler could just amount hear him cry under the pain of such a 
wound. The blade flicked water-like blood onto the ground and the rest slid of his polished 
blade of silver. He slowly walked towards the Captain who held up his sword as Tyler 
approached. He pounced on him but Tyler could see it coming a mile away and just moved to the
side and sliced the back of his legs open. Clutching them, the Captain fell to the floor.  
Tyler calmly walked over to the Captain and slowly took off the mask to see the panting face 
of the captain drawing in breath as he began to pass away. It was stained with blood and sweat
and his black hair had collected together with the stinking perspiration of fear. His eyes 
showed the primal fear deep inside as the wounded animal felt Tyler's cold steel stroke his 
cheek. Tyler looked at him without a single emotion on his face, it had been completely one
sided and it was now about to end. Tyler allowed him the dignity of seeing the face of his 
killer and gave him a solitary moment for reflection, before his body would become the home
of parasitic insects and those that reside in filth that would swarm through his body. 
As he began to choke on his blood he looked at Tyler and began to regret his few years of 
decadence, if only he had used it to hone his skill. But time cannot go back, he howled in 
fright as Tyler prepared to end the suffering of his physical body. The sword smashed into 
his face cracking it down the middle, like opening a tin of beans his face fell into two 
pieces with a cracking noise. Blood poured out of his ears and the thick lumps of flesh 
were ejected from the hole in his face as his body descended into muscular spasms. Through the 
maze of cartilage, bone and a crimson piece of meat formerly his tongue came the spewing of
his blood like oil from the ground, his voice box made the noise of struggling while his 
twitching limbs signified a struggle. But it was all over and his body was left to pour like a
fountain, soon to be feast for maggots who would turn his flesh into a thick soup for food and
his body shall be the breeding ground for flies. Tyler drew his pistol and walked back on to 
the main battlefield to see his men dwindling under pressure. He sighed and turned. Believing
it to be over, but nothing good can come from this place. Tens of bullets found home in his 
chest, piercing his light armour instantly and reducing it to shreds. The shock ran through 
his body and his officers hat flew to the ground exposing his short brown hair. He sank to the 
floor, clutching his throbbing chest. He crawled to a safe spot behind a barricade breathing 
heavily and whining at the back of his throat. He looked to his left and to his right only the 
bodies of his men lay there, killed in the Contingent charge. Back to the wall he took out a 
cigar and placed it in his mouth, and lit it drawing in as much as he could. He rubbed his brow
and looked at the sky. Several drops of rain going into his eye.
"It never stops fucking raining here!!!!! GODDAMNIT!!!!!"
He inhaled again, before slumping to his back, the cigar rolling out of his mouth and onto
the floor. It rolled for a while before resting in a puddle, extinguishing the cigar in a 
small hiss. And so it remained there, a single cigar in a puddle being added to by the 
rain as it splashed on the wet ground. The body of a dead officer on his back from where it
had come, remained still. The troops on either side, saw that the battle was over. The Cult 
troops (very few) saw that all was lost and so exited the field. The Contingent troops 
feared the backlash off Seth for letting them attack the cathedral and so fled leaving a 
very empty and still battlefield. A slight breeze whistled around the bodies of the dead
giving the field an eerie stillness, where just moments ago it was filled with explosions,
screams, shouting, pain and life.

Reality once, but a memory now thought Skunky as he clumsily fell along the road supported
on either side by two new acquaintances. Tenchi too was very tired and agitated, but he gave 
it his all to make sure the person who had helped him make it to a doctor. They were now miles
from Golgotha, down a dirt track cradled by lush green foliage that provided an amiable means
of guidance in their winding journey. Tenchi knew where they were, they were simply a few 
miles away from home. The whole journey towards Golgotha had been just more dirty trickery 
perpetrated by the heathens that took up residence there, it served as a means to break ones
spirit before they had even arrived. Tenchi didn't know whether to be happy that it had 
substantially reduced the length of their journey or curse it for such a malicious trick.
Tenchi beat on, his face gleaming slightly brighter than it had done before, but his face was
still pasted with dirt and dried blood and his clothes desperately needed changing. He walked
with a limp due to his injuries and extreme exhaustion. He panted wearily as he tugged on the 
arm of Skunky and supported his back with the other. Skunky however stared blankly into space
as his mind churned over the events prior to his exit of Golgotha, and the untimely 
death of his Captain and his Captain's men. Obviously skunky was in a worse shape than any 
of them, he had an arm missing and a large piece of shrapnel sticking out from his eye socket.
(They were to afraid to move it in as it was preventing a huge loss of blood.) The blood on his
face had all dried and only his nose remained red-raw with thick healing clots of blood that
remained fairly solid and collected on his top lip. His clothes were a different colour, the
walking on the dusty trail had accumulated a collection of gravel and small bits of dust had
stuck fast to his saturated clothing, especially on the leg of his trousers. Kiyone had the
slightly sickening job of helping Skunky on his left side, and had his bloody stump across
her back as she helped him to walk. She held her breath every time she turned to talk to 
Tenchi. She had suffered the least from the filth, but she looked only a flicker of her former
beauty, her face was still dirty from her living conditions and her usually ostentatious 
emerald hair was tangled and torn. However she had a certain glint in her eye. Neither one 
of the three could walk straight and upright, and so they zigzagged a path through the 
mountains and to were they were now, swaying to either side of the path. Strangely, no-one 
spoke, except the odd encouragement from Tenchi or a little complaint of tiredness which
of course could be expected from these circumstances. However you would expect the 
conversations to be wild, unbridled affairs of experiences and war-stories, but the silence
was strange, maybe talking required too much energy. The silence was only ever broken by 
a cough or Skunky slightly stirring in pain where for but a moment was too much to bare 
silently. This would be met with a re-assuring tight grip from Tenchi. 

It was another perfect summers day around the countryside that the Misaki house was situated,
just how it had been since Tenchi left. But how could its tenants reside in peace when a much
loved family member was so far away? No sign, No sight, No word had signified his being
alive and well. As you would expect the house had barely seen a days peace in all that time.
The family which it houses had been in uproar, every day for the past week one person would
stay in the house and the rest would look for him. They would scour the whole area for him
for hours, missing meals and sleeping for only the minimal amount of time needed to 
maintain a vigilant state of mind. These searches were tempered with the sweet desire to
embrace him again, to make him aware of how much everyone cares for him, then to knock his 
head off for making them worry so much. It was a bright morning and the sun began to warm
the Earth and the ground with its cosmic rays. The land was still and Ryoko enjoyed for 
a moment the sweet chill of rushing summers air as she swept the landscape for any sign of
her Tenchi. With all the grace of an albatross she swooped low, taking a closer look and
then pulled away, riding an upward current to help her. She scanned the horizon, narrowing
her eyes and surveying like a submarinal vessel would do when stalking prey. No luck. 
She levitated still for a moment and sighed. She straightened her back, hearing it crack 
into place and then rubbing it, letting off a slight groan in the back of her throat.
"Please Tenchi, come back to me....." She said softly to herself as she began to feel her 
eyes fill with her emotions which she had concealed behind a shroud of hostility. Physically
she was fine, except from a bad back obtained from days of sleeping on the couch in case
Tenchi came back, she could be the first to greet him and indeed the first to kill him. Love 
and hate in this household would often be joined, hand in hand and unlike a Muller rice pain
would always follow the pleasure. (well...sorta..)Ryoko had curiously chosen a rather 
flamboyant outfit to be flying in, some sort of tight but modest dress with all manner of
alterations, blouse and tie and a white suit jacket. Mind you, its hard to think of an 
outfit of Ryoko's that isn't flamboyant, even what she wears to bed can be considered 
a marvel of human (or Washu) engineering, and so outrageous that even the designers working
for Paris fashion shows would piss themselves laughing. Anyway, she straightened her tie in
order to keep her chin up and her tomboyish reputation intact. After adjusting herself she 
brushed down her clothes. White falls of cotton that shimmered where the light reflected
from the many sequins and a single blossoming rose embroidered upon the breast. Her frilly
blouse poking ruffled silk from the top of the jacket around her chest and her hair remained
that cyan blue emphasised by the sheer whiteness of her clothing. She swooped down again
farther on, no luck. She continued to duck and swoop for many hours until the sun grew fat
in the sky. Not a single cloud obscured her vision when she rose majestically to take an
aerial view. In a girlish stance she floated in mid-air, her delicate fingers feeling the calm
breeze brush through them, it felt relaxing and she almost forgot her troubles. Like an angel
ascending to heaven she hovered in the sky, the sun divinely illuminating her. She gazed upon
her Earth like a queen, and there it was. Ryoko snapped out of her moment of peace and she 
squinted down into a path concealed by trees. She concentrated, she could feel it, he was
near, very near. She lay her hand across her brow to shelter it from the sun and glared 
below. Three figures staggered on the path ahead, she lost altitude to look nearer, above the
treetops she sat and rubbed her eyes in disbelief. But it was true, there he was, Tenchi was 
there, heading home alive and tired. Ryoko was speechless in jubilation, but she descended
like a bullet and cried out to him.
"Tenchi!!!!! Tenchiiiiii!!!!!" She screamed in happiness at the top of her voice. Her mouth
was wide open with a smile from ear to ear and her tear ducts gave in and they streamed 
down her cheek as she raced towards him with her arms outstretched ready to embrace him.
Tenchi looked up at the noise of Ryoko ecstatically calling out for him. He could not help 
smiling in delight at the reception given to him by Ryoko who was racing towards him in tears.
Although filthy, in pain and tired Tenchi opened his arms and Ryoko ran into them and she 
clutched him tighter than ever before, Tenchi did the same. Kiyone propped Skunky up as they 
watched Ryoko and Tenchi comfort one another. Ryoko had her eyes shut tightly, with tears
still running freely down the side of her face. Her lips quivered as she struggled to spoke,
and she buried her head into his shoulder. 
"I.....I....thought I'd lost you forever." She spoke melodramatically.
"Don't worry Ryoko, I'm here now and that's what matters. I never wanted to leave."
Ryoko pulled herself away slightly to look in his eyes. Tenchi stared at hers and into those
pale cat-like eyes, red around the edges from grief. They quivered in the sunlight and 
Tenchi peered into her soul, they were so innocent and worried Tenchi could only feel for
her and what she had been through.
"I was so worried about you I haven't been able to sleep since you left. I thought you 
might have.....might have......." She broke into fits of tears and Tenchi pulled her in 
to console her.
"Might have what? Ryoko you know this is all very silly." Tenchi said calmly, trying not to
show an overriding sense of emotion, but showing enough that he was concerned.
"I'm sorry.....I've not been able to stop thinking about you all this time. Everywhere I 
looked I saw your face, everything I saw made me think of you. Ever since you left I swore
that I'd never let you leave me again, ever since I saw you when I was imprisoned in the cave
I only wanted to be with you. But your here now and I can't ever let you leave again. Promise
me you'll never leave me alone like that again." Her speech was broken up by the sniffing 
needed to produce such a copious amount of tears and her words resounded with the grief 
that she poured into every sentence. Tenchi stroked the back of his head.
"Well.....I..uh."
"PROMISE ME!!!!" She almost commanded as she shook Tenchi with a scowl on her face.
"Okay Ryoko." Tenchi said softly. "I'll never leave you like that again."
Ryoko cuddled him and closed her eyes her small mouth opened and she whispered words.
"Thank you" 
Skunky looked on in contempt. He had been in many gruesome battles, skinned people alive
burned them to death, watch his own people massacred and swam in the gastric juices of
daemonic entities, but nothing, nothing could prepare him for this stomach-churning display
of affection. It was so sickly sweet he felt himself cockling in an attempt to keep his 
own gastric juices from coming up. Maybe he had spent too long in the cold, dark confines
of Golgotha but this was really awful. His faced was screwed up like a bulldog licking
piss off a nettle as he watched from the side, with one arm around Kiyone who was looking
equally as disgusted. Ryoko had been holding onto Tenchi for some time, she was far too
busy reflecting on what had happened recently to notice Tenchi squirming to get free so
he could get home. As he pushed he felt his wounds and burns squeezed by Ryoko causing much 
discomfort. He winces slightly but Ryoko noticed instantly. Her face was awash with concern.
"What is it? Are you hurt? Your hurt aren't you? Where is it? Is it bad? Let me see."
Tenchi pushed her away slightly, not wanting to cause a fuss.
"I'm alright Ryoko, really I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me."
"Don't be silly Tenchi, let me see the wounds." She peeled back his shirt at the back 
to reveal the scarred and scabby area of his flesh wounds across his back and shoulders. Ryoko
gasped in concern.
"This is horrible, oh you poor dear you need treatment right away." 
"No really I'm fine, just a little scratch that's all, no need to be worried."
"No need to be worried? That's my big brave Tenchi.." She smiled sweetly. Tenchi looked 
embarrassed, Kiyone tried not to laugh and the look of disgust on Skunky's face worsened.
"We're gonna get you home, get you better and I'm gonna nurse you back to health day, and 
night I'll be by your side and I'll cater for your every need." She looked into his eyes 
once more. 
"Because you're my Tenchi....." Tenchi looked around to see the snickering face of Kiyone.
"Alright!!! we need to get back quickly. Its not far now, a few kilometres and we'll be home."
Ryoko flung Tenchi's arm across her shoulder and helped him walk, even though he didn't
need much help. Ryoko looked up and concentrated using her psychic link to Washu.
"Mom.......I've got Tenchi....I'm coming home." 
At that Ryoko ran with Tenchi at full pace, closely followed by Kiyone and Skunky.

The entire Misaki household had congregated outside the house, waiting anxiously for the
arrival of their friends. Kiyone and Tenchi had been sorely missed by all at the house
for the past few days, and to see them again would be a great relief for all. A few members
were growing impatient outside, as the excitement increased and the whole area buzzed 
with a feeling of great urgency. Ayeka, Washu, Mihoshi, Sasami, Nobiyuki and Katsuhito 
were turning their heads in every direction to try to see from what direction they would 
arrive by. It wasn't bad weather to be outside either, the sun was at its peak and the whole
valley brimmed with life. Sasami narrowed her eyes towards the distance, as she spied 
a moving shape. She turned to Washu who was standing with her arms crossed and her hips 
slanted to one side, Sasami waved as she called.
"Ohhhhh here they are!!!! Washu!!!! Here they are!!!!"
Everyone rushed to were Sasami was pointing here little fingers indicating the figures
emerging from part of the forest were who they thought they were. Nobiyuki and 
Katsuhito rushed to give aid to their family member. The four people were getting very close
and as they neared, Tenchi's father and grandfather relieved Ryoko of her responsibility 
and helped them towards the front of the house. Nobiyuki and Katsuhito let go of Tenchi and
patted him on the back as the rest rushed to greet him. Tenchi's head was lowered, and he 
held his arm with the other, as he averted his eyes from the approaching people.
"Lord Tenchi!!!!!!" Ayeka cried out as she grabbed him and began to welcome him home,
Sasami also ran to him and grabbed his waist from behind and snuggled into his back.
"Welcome back Tenchi, we were all so worried about you, but now we are so happy you have 
returned." Ayeka was very much restraining herself to keep her royal dignity, but she
succumbed to her stronger desires and broke into tears before Tenchi. Tenchi wiped them 
away with a soft smile.
"I'm home now." He said sweetly. Sasami continued to feel the warmth of Tenchi's body, Tenchi
acknowledged her. He patted her on the head and bent down. Ayeka stood beside her with 
her hands grasping each other. Sasami also cried and hugged the crouching Tenchi, she 
innocently kissed Tenchi's forehead and Ayeka smiled. The little blue haired princess
was overcome with emotion. 
"I missed you Tenchi." She said
"I missed you too Sasami, and your cooking."
"Then.....why did you run away. Did you not love us anymore?" She said, saddened.
"You know that's not true Sasami, the note said why I had to leave." Sasami was slightly angry.
"Then why did you not take us???" The tears, intermingled with rage streamed down her face
as she spoke, and the two braids of hair moved swiftly as she moved her head. Tenchi 
placed both hands on both her shoulders, to comfort the weeping child.
"Because I love you all too much, I could not live with myself if any of you were injured.
It would have been too great a risk to take and I did not want to have made that decision.
At that Sasami went into a full blown fit of tears and Tenchi hugged her hard. Mihoshi 
had spied Kiyone as they approached and so ran up to meet her partner. She cried most of
all, as that was just Mihoshi's way. So with waterfalls exiting her eyes she began to hug 
her partner. Blubbering and saying Kiyone's name and asking if she was alright. Kiyone
tried to pull herself free but it was no use, nothing alive could ever escape the clutches
of Mihoshi. Kiyone grimaced and patted Mihoshi on the head like you would a much loved 
dog. 
"Eh...heh...pleased to meet you too Mihoshi." Kiyone said in a monotone voice.
Meanwhile the sea of well-wishers around Tenchi parted as a very enraged looking scientist
made her way towards the subject of both her and her daughters affection. She looked 
deadly serious, her eyes were slanted with anger and her mouth was tight. Everyone looked
down on her as she looked up at Tenchi who could not bare to face her. You could see the
fear in everybody's eyes. Suddenly Washu struck Tenchi across the face with the palm of 
her hand. Tenchi's head turned with the force. A slap is a sign of insult, it's not meant 
to hurt, but for some reason this stung like a whip and the area soon became reddened with
soreness. This had cut him to the bone like a knife, and so kept his head turned, still 
not facing her or even daring to speak. He did not wish to retaliate or defend his actions
but his silence spoke his sorrow. Washu could not hold her anger for long, she smiled and
grabbed him by the waist. During all this no-one had noticed the twisted form of human 
known as Skunky, they were far to busy welcoming each other they failed to notice the 
small human clawing his way into the bushes out of sight. Washu spied him out the corner of 
her eye, and squinted suspiciously. In the thickets and undergrowth Skunky pulled himself
up and sat under a tree, out of sight of the rest. He was sweating and he could not stand
the sunlight, it burned his eyes and made him very uncomfortable, after spending the last few
years in pitch blackness. He brushed the black hair out of his eyes and peeled back the 
arm of his jacket to view his missing arm. They had crudely stopped the bleeding, and dragged
the skin over the protruding bone and fixed it together using instruments that somewhat
resembled large staples. This had caused all his other skin to become slightly tighter and
found moving slightly more difficult. He brushed the wound with his finger, clearing the 
dirt off and looking at the shapes the two flaps of skin made as they were fixed together 
with pieces of dirty metal rammed through his skin like a piercing only much bigger. The 
painkillers were wearing off and injections of crude disinfectants had only halted the
diseases which he was now carrying. He held his breath, as the pain became greater, then 
reached into his pocket and brought out an emery board. Acting in time, he began to shave
off big flakes of gangrenous skin from his wounded stump. Pieces of hardened pale green
flesh fell from his wound like inch long sickly shards of dandruff. Layer upon layer of
diseased green skin peeled away from his arm as he continued to rub with the file, causing
a burning sensation in his arm as well a great pain when a piece of infected skin would 
snap from a piece of living skin. He worked under the shade of a tree away from prying eyes
apart from one. Washu had watched him from behind the other bushes and had seen he was 
in need of medical attention. She approached cautiously wondering who sat before her. She 
coughed to get his attention. Skunky didn't stop filing but raised his eyes and then lowered
them again. Washu stood in front of him, not a bit scared and standing in a cocky stance with
her hands on hips and her mouth slanted to one side, her pink ribbon waving behind her.
"Bit of a nasty little nick you've got there." She said haughtily
"No kidding." Skunky replied without looking up.
"Oh and you've got something in your eye." Washu said pointing to the few inches of shrapnel
lodged in his eye. Skunky grew impatient.
"I can fucking see that!!!" He said pointing to his eye. "It's in my eye, how can I fucking 
miss it?" Washu stood back.
"Ooooooooh no need to get like that." 
"Sorry, just stop telling me the plain obvious please." 
"Y'know if I were you I'd see a doctor about that, doesn't look very healthy to me. In fact
it looks as if you need it all amputated to your shoulder." Washu walked closer and looked
at the stump in closer detail, slightly concerned at the way he was treating the infection.
"Yep, that will definitely have to come off." 
Skunky stopped filing and looked up at her slightly annoyed. 
"And what would you know about it?" He said hissing. Washu became arrogant.
"I happen to know because I am a doctor, in fact I am one of the greatest doctors to exist.
So I happen to know a damn sight lot more than you laddo." She stood in her little cocky 
manner before him. Skunky laughed under his breath and continued his filing.
"Yeah right. Run along little girl or make yourself useful and fetch a medic or something,
but don't waste my time with your stories of when you play doctors and nurses with your
little friends. Doctor indeed, you only look ten." Washu became much more angered by 
his scepticism and bad attitude but she bore with it.
"Do you Mind?" She pouted "I am doctor Washu, one of the most intelligent scientists to 
ever enter this Solar system and I don't see why I should put up with criticism from 
some mere grunt." 
"Hey!!" Skunky Shouted. "That's unfair, I'm no grunt I'm the last survivor from the 452nd 
Saxon rifles and I was their guide. And I helped your friend." Washu looked at Tenchi, still
being grabbed at by all the girls. She became significantly less hostile.
"You helped Tenchi did you?" She asked softly.
"Well, I showed him the way, but he was a great fighter so he did most of it himself." Skunky
answered quietly as he stopped filing. Washu put a friendly hand on his shoulder.
"Thank you, Thank you for bringing him back alive." 
Skunky shrugged off her hand tactfully.
"I think you've made a mistake missy, I didn't bring him back. He brought me back, if I had
my way I'd either be dead under a pile of rubble our still counting the seconds until I 
die. Tenchi said he knew a doctor who could help me, and well....he just was so optimistic
about my chances of survival. I thought I was dead there and then." 
Washu smiled.
"Well, you're in good hands now." 
"I will be when I get to a doctor." Skunky said, Washu sighed heavily.
"How many times do I have to tell you. I....AM.....A.....DOCTOR..Not...A...Child." She stressed
exhaustingly.
"Oh please..." Skunky said, shaking his head. "Come off it I'm in a lot of pain here and 
I'm not in the mood for your little jokes." 
Washu stood up and waved a finger. "Ok....Ok....I'll show you, oh yee of little faith."
Washu disappeared behind a tree. Skunky sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"Oh....What now???" He questioned strongly. Wahsu jumped out in front of him in her adult
form, with that red waistcoat on and so forth. Skunky nearly jumped out of skin when she
stood there showing off her form and flaunting her body as if parading to impress. 
"Taa-daaaa. Do you like it? See I told you I'm not a child."
"Okay...so I believe you, Sor-eeeee." He stressed, defeated.
"That's better." She said triumphantly as she bent down to her knees. "Now let me take a
look at that arm." She examined it wearing a pair of spectacles, not touching the wound 
but clicking her tongue and stroking her chin while deep in thought.
"Yep, just as I thought. Seems like a simple operation to me, just a quick amputation and
within a couple of weeks you'll be right as rain." Washu stood up again
and rolled up her sleeves. 
"If you'd just like to follow me to my operating theatre in the house...."
Skunky went as white as a sheet and sweat poured down his face, he shook his head nervously
and his eyes became transfixed like a wounded animal.
"N...n..no...." Skunky murmured. Washu looked into his eyes.
"Are you okay? You seem to be nervous about something? Or it could be a fever."
Skunky clambered to his feet resting his back against the tree as he did so, keeping Washu's
eyes as far away as his face as possible as he did so.
"Yeah....p..Probably just a fever...." He stuttered.
"It's just you look very worried to me." 
"I'd better be going, I'm sorry I can't stay. I thought Tenchi meant some sort of hospital
when he mentioned a doctor, I didn't know it was in the house." He edged away slowly.
"Tell everyone thanks, especially Tenchi. Oh and apologise for my absence, I..erm.....have
to be somewhere else and I don't wish to impose. Ta-ta." He swiftly moved after feebly 
waving the fingers on his hand. He zipped past the tree only to be stopped by the breasts
of Washu standing in the path of his hasty exit. She was considerably taller than he was,
and she had her hands on her hips and one eyebrow raised looking at him in all suspicion
and slyness of a fox. She hummed to herself as she tried to see what he was up to. Skunky
fell back after colliding with Washu who had impossibly moved in front to block his exit,
in the path. He clumsily regained his balance.
"Why so soon?" She inquisitively asked.
"Errrrr...because I'm late for a....erm....meeting!! That's it!!! I'm leaving for a meeting
and would you look at the time I'm gonna be late." Skunky raised his arm to read the time.
"Shit, my watch was on my other arm.....err...you see, I'll be much later now so I'll just 
run along if it's all the same to you..." He tried to walk around but Washu blocked his exit
again.
"No it's not all the same to me. You're up to something, I can tell." Skunky kept looking
over his shoulder while he tried to get past.
"Are you scared of something?"
"No....of course not."
Washu grabbed him and pushed him back down on the tree where he had formerly been. 
"Now, as a doctor I can not allow you to leave in the current state you are in, I'm sorry
but that is the way it is."
"But please....I must leave..." Skunky said almost pleading as he tried to get up.
"Sit down." Washu said authoritatively, pushing down on his good shoulder.
"You just think you can stroll over here in your wounded state and expect us to leave you 
to go off and probably die. Do you think for one moment we could have that on our shoulders?
We can't and I want to help you." Washu squatted down as she spoke, looking deep in his eyes.
"Thank you....I mean that its just you must believe me. I can't stay here....." 
Before Skunky could finish Washu placed her hand over his mouth.
"Look. You're coming with me conscious or unconscious.....Ok?" Washu took out a hypodermic 
needle filled with a clear fluid, it was tranquillisers. "So what's it to be pal?" Washu 
took her hand from his mouth and awaited his answer. As Skunky contemplated he looked over
to the area were Tenchi was being welcomed and panicked. 
"Arrr!! Please let me go....." He tried to wriggle free but Washu had tight hold.
"What is it? Why are you like this?" Washu said as she looked over at what he was trying to 
flee from. Washu didn't understand, he was trying to get away from Kiyone who was striding
her way through the bushes with a disgruntled look about her face.
"kiyone?" Washu said to herself. "He's trying to get away from Kiyone?" 
His struggling ceased as Kiyone put her hand on his shoulder tightly, Skunky knew he stood
as much chance of winning a fight now as Cannibal Corpse would have at writing a radio
friendly single. He sat back up and wearily gazed at the face of Kiyone, who had her serious 
face on. Skunky put his head down.
"I come quietly...." He said in sadness.
"You know why you're being arrested, I'll save everyone from hearing the list of charges 
against you, or we'll be here all night." Kiyone commented.
"I know my rights, you don't need to do that either. Just.....please take me to headquarters
now, I don't wish anyone else to see me like this." Skunky had always dreaded being caught
by the authorities, the shame of being led away in shackles was too much to bare. 
"I'm sorry, but the prison ship won't be here for a few days, and you need that arm sorting
out." Skunky was helped to his feet, and his arm was held tightly by Kiyone.
"So you're not going to put up a fight?" Kiyone asked. Skunky looked at her angrily.
"How the hell can I???? I've only got one fucking arm and how can I beat all of you?"
"I'm sorry, that was foolish of me." She brushed down his filthy dusty jacket. "I'd handcuff
your arms together, but I can see that won't be possible. So you'll have to be handcuffed 
to me." Kiyone put the reinforced steel handcuffs around his supple wrists and closed them tight
as she did to her wrist. They felt cold and restrictive and terribly undignified. In a single
clank of them tightening around him, Skunky felt all his freedom and liberties vanish in 
a solitary moment. Washu was still dumbstruck from all this she blinked in disbelief and 
stammered to her full height.
"Whaa...what??" Washu stuttered as Kiyone and Skunky looked at her. "You mean to say he's
a criminal? Was that why you tried to escape?"
"It's also why I wanted to stay and die where I was back in Golgotha, death would be much 
preferred to a lifetime in isolation." Kiyone tugged at his wrist and they both walked through 
the long grass back to where the main body of people were. Being smothered by several 
jubilant friends Tenchi paused when he spied the two figures creeping closer in handcuffs.
No-one else around him noticed but Tenchi froze and began to push himself free, his mouth 
wide open in disbelief. The girls around him dropped off his arm as he moved himself towards
him, hoping for a quick explanation as to why Kiyone had him handcuffed. Maybe she was a
pervert and had just found a new masochist, but that theory was doubtful to say the least.
Whatever the reason, Tenchi wanted to know and hoped that things were still Ok, but the 
creeping doubt ran through his mind. He left the whispering girls behind him as he jogged 
up to the pair, Skunky not raising his head for a second.
"K...Kiyone?" Tenchi asked.
"Tenchi." She replied. "There's something you need to know."
"Like what?"
"Well, do you remember why I went to Golgotha in the first place?" 
Tenchi thought for a moment, replaying his first meeting with Seth outside the shrine. He 
could still remember vividly every detail, the smell of his clothes, the breeze and that 
malicious scheming look on Seth's face.
"Yeah, I remember." He said. "Seth told me a wanted man was causing him some trouble, and 
that he told the Galaxy police so that they'd send you so he could not only capture the 
trouble maker, but also you so he could use you as bait." He looked at Skunky. "But I had
always suspected Captain Tyler as being the wanted man!"
"No Tenchi. Skunky was the man I was sent to capture, and as much as I'd like to release 
him for the favours he has done for you, I still have a duty to perform. Sufficed to say,
he won't be seeing sunlight for a very long time, in fact he will never be released."
Tenchi looked shocked, but could help but feel sorry for the guy.
"What did he do?" 
"We'll discuss that later, all we have to do now is get him fixed up and store him away 
until the transport arrives to pick him up." Kiyone said as she began to walk him to the
house.
"Follow me." Said Washu as she led the way, walking backwards with her arms behind her back,
leaning forwards to see Skunky's face which he kept hidden. Each time she tried to look, 
Skunky would turn his head to the other way, he was deeply angry to be treated like a 
prisoner he wished he had died long ago and now even death was an impossibility. Tenchi 
looked onward at them, still frozen with the shock. He couldn't believe it. This man, to
whom he had put in so much trust, someone he had depended and relied upon, someone who had
helped him so frequently and without question, someone he was about to call friend, was 
nothing more than a common criminal. Tenchi was hurt deeply, how could someone lie so
coldly about themselves, how could someone not mention something like that before? Never 
before had Tenchi felt so cheated and betrayed. Tenchi's heart was struck by an icy dagger
as Skunky looked over his shoulder, his once warm and friendly eyes were now cold and 
evil, completely devoid of human feeling, was this the true Skunky? Was all the niceness
and helpfulness just a charade perpetrated by a fraud who's only goal it was to make the
sentence on his head a little lighter? Ryoko put her arms around Tenchi's neck and 
snuggled into his face. When she saw he had done nothing in retaliation she stopped and 
looked up at him and saw him blankly staring. She looked at what it was.
"By the way Tenchi. We were all wondering, who's that?" She said, pointing at Skunky who was
about to enter the house. Tenchi sighed and pondered to himself.
"Y'know Ryoko...." He said. "I just don't know anymore."

Washu strode out of her lab, her face bright with success and her cheeks bright with a 
profound sense of achievement. She began to take of the long white gloves, with which she had
used in the operation just prior to her exiting of the lab. Grabbing the finger, she yanked 
off the whole glove and looked at her perfectly formed hands, checking to see if any blood
had managed to make it through the rubber sealant. None she thought, she also looked at how
beautiful her nails were, even her cuticles displayed the boundless limits of her brilliance.
"A 100% success of course." She boasted to herself. "I didn't expect anything different from 
myself, which I can say is as perfect as my work." Washu looked around to see if anyone was
around to hear her banter on about her brilliant work. Of course no-one was there to 
congratulate her success and to boost her ego, everyone was preoccupied with making sure Tenchi
was comfortable enough, no-one cared about the wounded convict. Seeing that no-one was around
Washu got miffed and stamped her little feet in red high-heel shoes against the floor. She
folded her arms and brought them high up to her face, the clipboard still in her hands.
"Rats!!" She exclaimed.
She had not notice Kiyone lying on the couch wearing a wet flannel across her temple. She
sat up, holding the soothing cloth to her head.
"What's wrong Washu?" Kiyone asked politely. Washu unfolded her arms and sat on the couch.
"Ahhhh, nothing it's alright. Just me being silly again I suppose. You just get some rest."
"How is he?" She said concerned.
"Who? Billy the Kidd? Yeah he's alright, although he did react badly to the local anaesthetic
I decided to knock him out after the operation was over."
"What? You used tranquillisers?"
"Well I did at first, but he had enough to knock out an elephant and he was still awake so I
just bashed him over the head with the heart rate monitor."
"It's nice to know he's in safe hands." Kiyone laughed to herself. "In fact its nice for all
of us to be back. I think Tenchi genuinely missed the attention he got here, I guess its true
what they say, you never know what you've missed until it's gone. I think Tenchi didn't 
realise how good he had it here."
"Well, he's certainly getting enough attention now. If I don't go up now, I doubt he'll get 
any sleep which is certainly what he needs now, more than anything I can give him he just needs
to recharge his batteries. Hopefully he'll feel more up to talking when he's had a good nights
sleep in his bed, I doubt he's had a mattress as soft as that one in a long time."
"Me neither, I've spent the last week crouched in a cramped cage. My back's still got cramp,
and I tell you what I'm really looking forward to a decent meal, all I've had recently is 
bread and water." 
Kiyone got up and Washu pushed her backwards onto the couch gently. She took off the wet flannel 
and replaced it with a cold one from the bucket next to the bed. She wrung it out, folded it
and placed it across Kiyone's head.
"Thank you Washu. I just hope Sasami hurries up with that food, it'll be the first family 
meal we've had in a week." Kiyone said as she closed her eyes.
"Don't worry, I think we're all looking forward to it." At that Ryo-Ohki bounced out of
the kitchen meowing to herself, she bounded onto the couch and sat on Kiyone's abdomen. 
Washu smiled, petted her and got up. Washu delicately made her way to the stairs and up 
to Tenchi's room. When she got there she saw that it was not the quiet recuperating 
atmosphere she had hoped for. On the contrary, it was swarming with life and noise, she rushed
into his room only to find Tenchi in bed trying to rest, Ryoko trying get closer to him in 
every manner possible, Ayeka trying her hardest to thwart Ryoko's efforts and Mihoshi eating
the 'get well' basket of fruit Sasami sent up to cheer Tenchi up. Washu growled to herself
before she finally exploded in the doorway.
"What do you think you're doing!!!!! Didn't I say not to bother him???? Can't you see that 
he's very tired and ill???" She shouted at the top of her voice. Everyone had stopped in a 
stunned silence, they stared at Washu who's face was red and was breathing heavily with her 
fists clenched and pointing to the floor. The silence lasted for a couple of seconds before 
it carried on exactly as it was before Washu had interrupted. Washu was taken aback that
no-one had responded, and the rage began to build up inside her again. Mihoshi was the first,
she skidded on her backside out into the corridoor and into the facing wall, still in the 
sitting position she was in before. Her eyes were wide in confusion as she was tossed out, 
and almost instantly she heard crashing, banging and finally Ayeka and Ryoko came flying 
out shouting as all three landed in a big pile, Mihoshi on bottom. Ryoko's face was flattened
into the wall. Washu looked at them from the doorway with her hands on either side of the
frame.
"Now stay out!!!! And if you do decide to come back in you'll have to get past me first!!"
At that Washu slammed the door, leaving the three girls in a crumpled pile in the corridor.
Ryoko picked herself up and rubbed her bruised cheek.
"Well how do you like that, saving Tenchi all for herself the greedy bitch!" Ryoko snapped.
"You're a fine one to talk." Ayeka shrieked. "Now at least I know were you get it from."
"What did you say to me?"
"You heard!!! If you hadn't been so clingy he might have never left in the first place!"
"Don't give me that!!! We all know that it was your stuck-up bitchiness." 
Ryoko and Ayeka stood up and rolled up their sleeves, still standing on Mihoshi, whose eyes
were spinning as little blue birds fluttered around her head.
"What so you wanna fight princess?? well come on, we'll fight if that's what you want."
"Anytime you're ready..." Ayeka said. "You over endowed daemon whore..."
"Lets go then..."
Ryoko and Ayeka grabbed each others throats, and rolled around on the floor, kicking and 
screaming at each other as Mihoshi mumbled the theme song from the Budweiser 'Real men of
Genius' in her Semi-conscious stupor. Inside the room Washu knelt by the bedside of Tenchi.
As she did she could hear another fight spark outside between Ryoko and Ayeka, she merely
tutted, she reasoned that they would fight their way downstairs at some point. Tenchi 
stirred and opened one eyed towards the kneeling scientist, and weakly smiled.
"Thanks Washu." He murmured.
Washu stood up and paced around the room. She looked at the many items in his room, some of 
them she picked up to examine them closer. Then she walked to the window and peered through
the venetian blinds at a world that seem so much more full than before. Tenchi sat up a bit
more, he swallowed hard.
"Miss Washu...." He said, Washu silently turned her head to him. "I'm really sorry for causing
you to worry so much. I promise I won't do it again."
The sunlight radiated onto Washu and made her look like an angel, albeit a strange angel in 
a nurse uniform but an angel nonetheless. She could not hold a polka face for long before 
she smiled.
"I know you are Tenchi, I know how painful it must be for you. To have had to leave us all
like that, to go through all you did without the knowledge if you would survive or not. And
then to come back to find that your most trusted friend was a bare faced liar, it's more than
some people should have to go through in one lifetime, and there it all happened to you in a
week." She closed the little slit in the blind and strode over to the bed and sat on it at his
feet, she bounced slightly on the strings like a young girl.
"It's a shame really..." She continued. "He looked like a really nice guy. It's just a shame
he turned out the way he did."
"Washu?" Tenchi strained. Washu turned to him.
"Hmmmm?"
"What exactly did he do?" 
Washu sighed and kicked her feet a little.
"Well we're going to discuss this all over dinner tonight, I expect you won't attend seeing as
though you seem a little sick."
"No, not at all. Everyone's looking forward to having a family meal, and that means everyone
myself included." Tenchi said and Washu grinned.
"That's a real nice thing to do, it'll be ready in a few hours, I'll tell them to leave a 
space, you just come down when you're ready." She jumped off the bed like a gymnast and
landed perfectly on the floor.
"I'm sure your grandfather will me so kind as to let you have a few days off work to get 
better, just make sure you use them wisely." Washu walked out the door and before she closed 
it heard Tenchi say something to her.
"Don't judge him too harshly, I can see that deep down he's a good person." She paused for 
a moment before closing the door just slightly. 
"I know, but maybe he can make his own body deceptive." Then she closed the door completely.
Tenchi was left in the darkness, he saw Washu's shadow move away and heard her heels click
as she walked, and as she stepped over Mihoshi. He began to look around before finally 
putting his head to one side to rest his brain, which had been running overtime for too long.

Everyone lingered over dinner, and before long day had passed into night without anyone 
noticing. The table was alight with well-placed candles that were burning low, their presence
not felt until the sun had finally set. Everyone was taking time to eat their meal, lovingly
prepared by Sasami. Who else? Ryoko held her bowl up and stirred it with her chopsticks as
she passed the time hoping for Tenchi to make himself known. Ayeka watched her through one
eye from over the other side of the table although made no attempt to point out her bad 
table manners. Mihoshi drank down the last bit from her bowl of...whatever it was, (I have
no idea what it is, the limit of my knowledge on other culture is Anime and Chicken Vindaloo.)
In several long gulps, before smacking her lips in delight. Tenchi's grandfather sat at the 
head of the table, looking his usual dominant self and setting a tone across the table that
demanded obedience. Ryoko and Ayeka were silent at one end, while at the other Kiyone was 
telling a story......
".....and so I flew across the open fields and over the trees looking for this place. I always
thought it was strange that such a big place was never on the map. But anyway almost suddenly
I hit a wall of rain and fog, flying so low I thought it would be best to land and continue 
by foot. When I got out there it was so cold and windy I had to go back in for more layers of
clothing. I'm tellin' ya, I was dressed for the arctic when I came back out. So I walked down
the path for a few Kilometres until I reached this huge city wall covered in all this weird
gothic stuff, y'know skulls and gargoyles." Washu, Mihoshi, Sasami and the two Masaki's were
hanging on her every work and so she took a sip of tea to add atmosphere.
"Well anyway, it was dark. I mean real dark, I could hardly see my hand in front of my face
but I persevered regardless. So I walked through this huge hole in the wall, it looked like it 
had been done fairly recently, maybe a week ago or something. But I knew my orders and I had
been given I had to capture or Kill the one known as Skunky, unfortunately for me once If I 
did that, unknown to me I would be instantly captured by Seth. That real evil guy I was talking
about earlier, the one who made Tenchi come to get me." 
"But...Skunky's still alive, so how come you were captured?" Mihoshi asked, confused.
"Well Skunky proved to be slightly evasive, I could see why Seth described him as a 'little
rat'. After I had identified him he could move like a rat through all the rubble in the 
streets. You see, I was given co-ordinates to reach and so I made my way through all these
really freaky dark streets until I reached the camp at which he was. But he proved evasive,
moving so swiftly in the dark, it was almost unnatural added to that he lived underground 
in a crypt, they say it's the safest place to be. Skunky was always in an underground cavern
or around his Captain, and so I argued that it'd be too risky to go in alone. I actually wished
that I had brought Mihoshi with me so she could watch my back."
Mihoshi giggled like a little girl and held her face.
"Hehehe, you mean that Kiyone?" 
"Yeah......sure." Kiyone said with a blank look on her face. "So.....I was about to leave
to get back-up when I was confronted with three really ugly looking cyborg-things, all I 
can remember about them is being really big build and wearing goggles. Oh yeah and some
contingent, Vladamir or something. Well they knocked me out and when I awoke I was 
in a cage like a parrot, and that Seth guy was angry, really angry."
"Ohhhh.." Mihoshi gasped. "That's terrible...You must have been so scared."
"Not really, I've been in those situations before and you just learn to deal with it. So 
to cut a long story short, Tenchi turned up we managed to get the sceptre back with the army
Skunky was involved with, we arrived at the aftermath of a huge battle and Skunky was
about the only survivor." Kiyone had finished her little tale and so leaned back and took
another sip of tea, with her arm lying across the table. The calm Katsuhito looked up 
from his meal.
"That's quite an ordeal you've been through, and hopefully one you'll never have to go through
again, for all of us. But it still leaves a few important questions, that we need answers to.
Like for instance the identity of that man in Washu's lab. Skunky." They were right, everyone
suddenly became interested in who he was. Even Ayeka and Ryoko came closer to participate in
this part of the conversation. Ryoko spoke out loud.
"Yeah I've been wondering who the hell he is, he just seemed to turn out of no-where and hasn't
spoke a word to anyone since he got here. He's not another one of them bounty hunters again...
because if he is...." Ryoko got up out of her seat with her fists raised, but she was silenced
by Katsuhito. Ayeka then spoke up.
"Well the she-devil may be like that, but he did help my Tenchi so he is a friend of mine."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that Ayeka, he did help Tenchi but I doubt he is any friend of 
yours." Washu said with a mouthful of noodles.
"What do you mean miss Washu?" Ayeka asked with a look of bewilderment on her face. But Ryoko
interrupted before Washu could answer.
"She-devil? Your Tenchi?? What do YOU mean by that...." She snarled.
"MY as in belonging to me....and She-Devil as in the female Satan that you are."
Ryoko growled and stood on the table about to strike, but Katsuhito slammed his fist on the
table and both of them could see now was not the time for petty arguments. Washu continued.
"Thank you. Now I have read Kiyone's briefing that she was handed and her report..."
Washu was suddenly interrupted by a surprised Kiyone.
"Washu! You read my report!! That was classified Galaxy police information!" She said in a 
stunned state. Washu sank into her seat and made a 'little bad girl' face with her shoulders
high and her finger touching the corner of her mouth. She laughed slightly.
"Errrr....you shouldn't leave things lying around like that...." 
"It was under lock and key in a lead box....." Kiyone said with her arms folded. Washu 
scratched the back of her head.
"Exactly, a box lying around anyone could have just made a copy of the key and then cracked
the 7 digit code, you should really be more careful." Everyone just stared blankly, Kiyone
sighed heavily. Ayeka stood to attention.
"Miss Washu really, I protest. Shouldn't we continue with the matter at hand instead of 
dilly-dallying away from the subject in a complete tangent. I am interested to know why you
say this gentleman bares a grudge against me, and the constant interruptions are beginning
to slow down this conversation to a halt." 
"Ok...ok. For a start Ayeka, this 'gentleman' does not bare a grudge against you or anyone.
Not only have I read his history in the briefing dossier handed to Kiyone, I also obtained
insider information from the man himself. He answered one or two questions voluntarily while
he was having the rest of his arm removed. It seems that his experiences have led him to a 
deep trust in medical personnel. Anyway, he was born on a small farming colony on a small 
green planet, in the same solar system as Vallachia, their home planet. In fact this is
one of the biggest solar systems in the known universe, with thousands of planets. 
The Vallachian Cult is the name given to their rulership, a hierarchy of Priests and Monarchs.
Their army is highly trained and really varied, they recruit from every planet they inhabit,
and have an innumerable army. Billions and Billions form their ranks, but everyday in wars that
span the expanse of space itself millions die. Our friend joined the army in an attempt to 
get away from the drudgery of his rural home. He was accepted into the 879th Light infantry
were he managed to make the rank of corporal. He was just one, in a million strong regiment
and for three years saw nearly every major battlefield, and nearly every one of his friends
killed. He survived by sheer luck rather than skill. After this time as front line troop he 
sought a change, and after he was awarded a medal along with 412 others for holding off a 
contingent force for three weeks, he asked to be transferred into the mounted cavalry. It was
accepted and days later he was on horseback, as a rear attacker. He excelled at this, whereas 
in the infantry he made it through each day by the skin of his teeth, everyday in the cavalry
he killed hundreds by the sword. He made it to Sergeant of the Kings 4th mounted cavalry in the
same year he joined, a record only held by three other people, one of them, a Sergeant Vincent
Tyler. Some say that the excessive killing drove Skunky into a depth of madness and would 
often lead seemingly suicidal charges, but his squad would always come out the other end 
intact. He was a semi-hero in his home country but ignored everywhere else, no-one paid 
any attention as his actions were nothing new to their world. In the eyes of the top 
authorities in the Vallachian army he was their secret weapon, who would fight on any world
against any foe. Swamp, mountains, desert, factories any place he would always win. His 
tactics were all very similar, running straight behind the enemy line and hacking them as 
they went over the barricades. Skunky carried two weapons, one was a chainsaw with a small 
flame thrower mounted in the blade, and the other his trade mark fencing sword touchingly
name Scorpio. His love for his army prompted him to take very serious actions, he hated 
the Cult's enemies with all his heart. En route to major battle, a damaged warp drive caused
a huge delay for his entire squad. They arrived days later to find the entire Vallachian side
in the battle had been destroyed. He was devastated to here days later it was partially due
to a gap in the forces his men were supposed to fill, it was filled with reserves but they 
were crushed easily. Skunky grew hot with anger and many say he went over the edge into a 
mental state. He and his men went on a personal vendetta against the people who damaged
the warp drive and caused their delay. The attempt to disable their vessel by bombarding
their engines with explosives was perpetrated by members of the army of Reyna, trading allies
of Jurai. Skunky, who was unofficially supplied with weapons by the Vallachian army retaliated
in a mass planetary genocide. Hundreds and hundreds planets were destroyed under his command
and he personally saw to it that every man woman and child was killed. He set up command
on a few planets and used torture to gain information to serve his dark purpose. I will not
go into the methods used as we are eating at this moment, but they are not very nice to say 
the least. One thing he always hated was the Jurai royal family, in fact both Jurai and
Vallachia had a mutual hatred of each other, but neither one had a just cause for hating 
each other. Skunky hated the elitism that the royal family had and claimed they should be 
killed for their crimes of 'Murder, fraud, biggamy and the most evil crime of all, Incest.'
The high ranking officers in the Cult army denied rumours that they were supplying the 
weapons to Skunky and at one point passed off his existence as being a fabrication of Jurai
propaganda in an effort to make Vallachia synonymous with the galaxies 'bogie man'. Because
he was working under the direction of no-one, no action could be taken against Vallachia
only the small group of troops perpetrating the crimes. Which is a very good thing as it 
avoided an all-out galactic war. After finally putting his craving for murder aside, he 
suddenly became content with his work and felt like justice for the killing of his army had
been served. He came out of his killing spree to find himself wanted in every sector of the 
galaxy. Three thousand counts of planetary genocide had left over five hundred billion dead
in the greatest murder spree in the history of the universe. The charges were piling up 
against him, homicide, regicide, infanticide in fact just about every crime was levelled 
at him, even arson and criminal damage!! Skunky's capture would certainly mean a lifetime 
in solitary confinement in the biggest hell-hole the Galaxy Police could find. Skunky 
protested that his actions were justified, but obviously no-one saw it the same way. Even
Vallachia had to disallow him entry back into their space. He had become a political nightmare,
someone who was so nationalistic he caused major embarrassment for his world's foreign 
ambassadors. Actually the officers were proud of the 'little monster' they had created but
decided not to let him back until the heat had died off. Finding the whole universe and the 
entire Jurai fleet after him Skunky fled. With nowhere to go Skunky had to take drastic action.
When torturing a victim once, Skunky learned about a place on Earth called Golgotha, he 
learned everything about it and how it was impossible to get there unless the person sought it.
He was also told about the city's dark past, and how it had been sealed off. In desperation
Skunky took refuge on Earth and so stayed in Golgotha, were he would constantly be watching
his back. He had no idea that the Vladislav contingent were also there but soon earned a 
reputation, and survived by drinking rainwater, sleeping in a crypt and eating what he could
find. He was presumed dead, and he was taken off the wanted list as they believed him to no
longer be a threat, and he was quickly forgotten. However Vallachia knew where he was and so
knew were they could pick up their 'secret weapon' could be found. His file was stored away
in the depths of the metallic planet of Vallachia, and awaited the day when he could return
to his home world. That's about as much as I know, but I think it's enough to justify his
capture and return to the Galaxy police, I'm sure you'll agree." 
Ayeka stood up suddenly.
"It's enough to justify his execution!!!! When I get to him....I'll make sure he never 
see's the light of day. That fiend!!! How can you even have such a creature in the house?? 
It makes me sick just thinking about him."
Ayeka shrieked loudly, even enough to make Ryoko fall back in surprise. Washu protested.
"If you do, you could spark off an intergalactic war. The safest thing to do is to hand
him over to the authorities and let him serve his sentence. I spoke with him earlier and
has come to accept the fact that he is going to be imprisoned. You'll just have to accept
that aswell." The tone of Washu's voice was becoming more urgent, perhaps she was running out
of ways to defend him. The whole table were shocked, except Kiyone of course who already knew
of the atrocities he had committed. But a deathly silence descended on the group as they
finished their meal. Ayeka sat back in defeat but was mumbling things under her breath. 
"I know what it's like..." Ryoko said. "I did some awful things in my past, but I managed to
be pardoned for my actions. Maybe they'll do the same for him."
Washu shook her head solemnly.
"No little Ryoko. You were merely a pawn used by Kagato to achieve his ends. I'm afraid 
Skunky acted upon his own authority and with his own frame of mind. Besides, he arrogantly
refuses to admit his grievous mistake, he regrets nothing that he does." 
Ryoko pondered for a minute and contemplated what it must be like for someone so guilty
that he has nothing to defend himself, nothing Skunky can say will protect him from the single
biggest sentence ever bestowed upon a single being.
"He must be going through quite a lot." She said whilst fishing her food with a chopstick.
"I knew you'd side with him, you criminals are all alike, you stick up for each other despite
the awful crimes that you do." Ayeka shrieked.
"That's not fair, and I wasn't siding with him. I just thought he must have a lot on his mind
at the moment."
"A lot on his mind??? And what about the amount of blood on his hands??? I hope his mind is 
tearing him apart with guilt, he deserves to rot in hell!!! I can't believe he says what he
does is for good!!!! How can good come from bad!!!!! You should have just let him die from
his wounds Washu, and then we could feel safe with his body buried upside down in a dung
heap!!!!" Ayeka jumped from her seat to convey the deep emotion she was feeling inside.
"Ayeka?" A voice called out from the shadows softly. Everyone on the table turned to see if
they could identify the source. In casual clothes, a loose shirt and baggy trousers, Tenchi
walked out from the darkness that the rest of the room contained in its four walls. He 
limped slightly as his muscles were burning due to the rest he had just had previous.
"Tenchi..." Ayeka said in a princess-like volume. "I...I.....I must leave." Ayeka got up
from her place and hastily left her place at the table. Covering her face at the anger she
had just displayed, she could not bear to see Tenchi after what she had said. As she ran up
the stairs they could hear her start to cry. Sasami followed her sister to attempt to calm
her down. Tenchi walked to the table.
"Is.....that true?" He asked.
"I'm afraid so Tenchi." Washu replied.
Tenchi took a seat at the table and looked at his meal. Somehow eating was the last thing he
wanted to. He felt physically sick at what his so-called 'friend' was. He stirred his meal
with no real intention of consuming it, but made it look like he was about to pick some up
at any time.
"Tenchi?" Ryoko asked, Tenchi responded with a look. "When you met Skunky did he act, strange
in any way towards you?"
"In what way do you mean?" He asked in return.
"Well...did it seem like he was uncomfortable to have you around, like he was disgusted with
your presence?"
"No...not at all. Although come to think of it, when I met Tyler he said something about "He'll
not like that." when I mentioned my royal heritage. Oh yeah and Skunky mumbled to himself 
about Jurai when I first met him. I guess now I know why."
"So you heard everything then." Washu added.
"Yeah, everything. I suppose it all makes sense now, why he was so vicious in battle and why
he was so respected by the troops despite just being their guide."
Ryoko put a caring arm around Tenchi, maybe she had come to realise that their relationship
should not be taken for granted.
"Don't worry in Tenchi, in a few days he'll be out of our lives for good." She said.
"I guess you're right Ryoko, I think I'm just being silly." 
Washu had finished her meal and so left the table.
"Well, I'll guess I'll check on Hannibal down there, should be waking up by now. So I'll
bid you good-day." 
Everyone said bye as she left and entered her lab. She seemed unchanged though, as everyone
would now see Skunky in a different light, they will almost certainly view him with a little
disdain. But Washu had a way of dealing with things that no-one else had, she had an 
ability to roll with the punches that life may inflict. She has had enough time to develop 
the skill, thousands of years. People in the Vallachian Cult are no different to people on
Earth, they live to about 60 and die, they have no special skills or traits. Skunky has
already outlived the life expectancy of someone in the army. A recruit at 16 should only 
live until 20. When Washu had left several small quiet conversations were started about 
various topics between the remaining members. Whilst groping Tenchi Ryoko could feel a
tinge of remorse pump through her veins. She pulled herself closer to Tenchi's ear.
"Y'know you should really check on Ayeka, she seemed pretty upset." She whispered. Tenchi
looked at her in surprise, even though she looked at him with eyes that made it seem like she 
was on the make as seductive as she can get. But Tenchi couldn't believe that Ryoko had 
suggested this act of kindness to Ayeka. 
"Huh??" Tenchi asked, astonished. "Are you sure Ryoko?" 
"Yeah..." She said, reclining in the chair relaxing. "The last thing we want in this house is
a princess in a strop with everyone, it can really get on my nerves." Tenchi could tell that
deep down she genuinely cared about Ayeka, but of course she could never admit it. As Tenchi
got up to go upstairs he knelt down beside Ryoko and Kissed her on the cheek.
"You've a good heart Ryoko." He said as he went upstairs.
Ryoko just sat back in a state of disbelief, her body tingling all over with sensations only
beheld by her in dreams. She melted into the chair as she continued to feel wooed and queasy
by such a shocking action.

"Does this hurt?" Washu asked cheerily as she prodded the inside of the hole that Skunky's
arm had left. As she did skunky roared fiercely in pain and pulled himself away from Washu,
placing his hand over the wound forcing her to stop. 
"YES it hurts!!!! What did you expect from loosing a limb? Mild discomfort?" He said 
sarcastically. He rubbed the sore wound whilst sat up on the operating table. Only his jacket
was removed, he had insisted that no-more was needed. Cult members were an exclusively male
army, so receiving treatment from a woman was an alien experience. Washu just smirked as
she looked up from writing something on a clip-board. 
"Just checking to see if your nerve endings were all intact, no need to get tetchy." She 
scribbled something on a piece of paper. "So we've sorted out your arm and eye, anything 
else you need doing?"
"Nah...the rest are flesh wounds so they'll heal up in a couple of days." He said as he 
stroked one scabby area of meat on his other arm. He seemed at home in the depths of the 
laboratory, there remained something gloomy about his persona that didn't suit his being
in the light. However the little light that did reach him created an eerie figure out of 
him that made Washu apprehensive about approaching. He was as messy as ever on the table,
his bulky boots still layered in thick mud and his hair scraggly, thrown in every direction
in a random way. As Washu entered information into a computer Skunky stared at her, the 
dark allowing only one eye of his to be seen. She looked up as she did and noticed, a chill
ran down her spine as she tried to brush off his piercing gaze. She shuddered in her
seat but continued to type regardless. Plucking up the courage she spoke from her place.
"What's wrong? Why are you staring at me like that?" She asked, hiding her apprehensions.
"Did you tell everyone who I am? What I did?" He asked, his eyes lowered.
"Yeah, I did as a matter of fact. Over dinner." She answered as she re-checked her data.
"So I take it they all want me out as soon as possible. Did anyone take my side?"
Washu looked over with a twisted expression on her face. Skunky grinned and lay down.
"Didn't think so. I hope Tenchi's mind isn't infected with that stinkin' Jurai shit they
seem to pump out. Wait a minute, that damn princess has an infatuation with him. she probably
spoon-feeds Jurai morality to him." He put his arms behind his head. 
"And what of Vallachian Morality? What morals govern your life?" Washu asked.
"That every action we do aids the Cult. The ends will always justify the means, no matter how
many lives or lost or who dies, if it is for the Cult nothing else matters. If it means 
sacrificing our lives or like me, our freedom then it is a small price to pay."
Skunky seemed amazingly relaxed, stretched out staring at the ceiling and listening to 
Washu type on her computer.
"It's a bit selfish then, the reasoning the Cult uses. I mean so long as they are alright, 
everyone else can go to hell and you can't care or less about who is hurt or whose toes you
step on." Washu argued swiveling in her chair.
"On the contrary, it's absolutely self-LESS. Each individual sees their existence as a gift
from God. To not fight to glorification of his name is a disrespect for the gift bestowed on
us. We are given life to serve. Not to say we don't enjoy life or we are constantly fighting,
after five years service, a soldier can retire to a nice green planet with oceans and 
wildlife. Bit boring for me though, holds no interest. So when I have to retire I was 
wondering what I would do. Thank God I don't have to make that decision now."
Washu had finished her seemingly endless bouts of work for another day and so just leaned
on the console whilst sitting in the chair.
"It's getting late, you should really get some sleep. Although...you haven't had anything
to eat or drink yet. Hmmmmm...I'll have to get Sasami to whip something quick up, or I
could make something myself......nah I'll get Sasami." Washu got up from her chair and 
patted Skunky on the forehead as she passed, causing him to blink and sneer. 
"I'll be right back with some food....don't go anywhere." She cheerily sang as she left 
her lab. skunky remained relaxing on the table. He looked at the huge chain attached to 
his legs, holding him to the table and at the security devises aimed at him. He wasn't
going anywhere. He shook his head and continued looking at the ceiling.
"Strange woman...." He said to himself. In the darkness he waited, taking no-note of all 
the worrying equipment scattered around the place. In an almost Ironic way Skunky began to 
whistle Slayer's 'Seasons in the Abyss', in an attempt to make the time pass quickly.
When he is sentenced, he'd need a huge play-list to relieve the years of boredom he'll have to
contend with.

He could hear the sobbing and the sniffs from the top of the stairs, as well as Sasami's
calming voice. He listened in momentarily, hoping to catch the brunt of the conversation.
Not likely, the only words muttered were hidden under the confusion of sorrow and completely
indecipherable unless they were repeated several times. Tenchi really didn't want to go in
there, not because he was angry at her for anything but there was just things he wasn't very
good at, expressing his emotions was one of those things. But he hated to hear her cry so 
much and although he could have gone somewhere he couldn't hear her, it would play on his
conscience and eventually drive him to this anyway, so he might as well do this now. He 
took a deep breath for courage and tapped his knuckle lightly on the door frame, making a
slight rapping on the wood. It went silent inside.
"Who....who is it?" Came Ayeka's apprehensive response from behind the door.
"It's me. Tenchi. Can I come in Ayeka?" He asked politely. There was a moment of pause.
"If you wish....." she said sorrowfully.
He slid open the door, and saw Ayeka sat on her bed rubbing her eyes in a blatant attempt
to look like she wasn't crying. She needn't have bothered, her eyes looked like they've had
lemon juice squirted inside, they were bloodshot. Her face too was red and she had been
wringing her hands so much it was as if they were about to bleed. Sasami was sat next to 
her sister, holding her arm almost pleading her to calmness. As Tenchi came in, Ayeka 
averted her gaze away from his, almost shyly. But this wasn't, it was fear of seeing any
kind of hatred in the face of Tenchi. If she had been looking though, she would have seen
that no such emotion was present in him, but she believed too much that he had taken the 
words as a threat rather than just an articulate outburst said in the heat of the moment.
"See, Ayeka." Comforted Sasami, she too had been crying. Sometimes all someone needs is
someone to cry with, but this was way too deep for that. "Tenchi doesn't hate you, none of
use do, please don't be like this." 
Ayeka could feel the tears swell again, but with all her might held them back in front of
Tenchi. 
"No...." Ayeka blubbed. "I can tell when he's angry..."
"But Ayeka, if you look he's not angry." Sasami said.
"That's right Ayeka, I'm not angry with you." Tenchi said as he knelt beside her. Ayeka
sniffed hard again, and slowly moved her head towards him to see his smiling face.
"R...r..really? You're not mad at me for what I said?"
"Don't be silly, of course I'm not mad at you. You had the right to say what you did and 
I don't blame you for it. We all get a little carried away with things we really believe in
from time to time and I'm not going to judge you for that." 
Ayeka smiled in delight and after rubbing her hot eyes she hugged him, laughing as she did, 
Sasami quickly joined in.
"I'm glad we've sorted out this miss-understanding and just promise me you won't make me
concerned like that again. I didn't mean for you to feel hated."     
She smiled even more and sniffed his shoulder.
"I promise....and I'm so, so sorry....."
"There...there....Ayeka." 
At this point Washu poked her head into the room, without knocking and so everyone jumped
when she did. They obviously didn't want to create another rift in the household so seeing
someone come in like that caused them to all stop, part and pretend that they were doing 
something else in a split second. Of course Washu noticed, it couldn't be more blatant if 
they all folded there arms, and began looking around the room whistling. Her face grew 
suspicious, and her brow came down almost over her eyes.
"Hmmmmm........" She slyly thought out loud. 
"Miss Washu.....err...to what do I owe this unexpected visit?" Ayeka said, thinking fast.
"Oh just wondering if I could borrow Sasami for a while, need her cooking skills. You don't
mind do you Sasami?"
Sasami got to her feet. 
"No, of course I don't Washu." She walked to the door and stopped at Ayeka. "Are you going to 
be alright now Ayeka?" Ayeka raised her teary face and smiled.
"I'll be fine Sasami, thanks." Sasami leaned over and gave Ayeka a kiss on the cheek. After
that she walked to Washu who was standing by the doorway. Sasami was ushered out and as 
Washu closed the door she peeked in, and gave a suspicious look to the pair. Noticing that 
there was nothing to be suspicious about she tightly closed it. The conversation had now 
completely dried up. The pair sat on the bed, looking around. There was a huge pregnant 
pause, and it was clear that Ayeka wanted to say something.
"What's wrong Ayeka?" Tenchi asked as he noticed she was watching him with eager eyes.
"I was just, thinking." She blushed slightly and she turned her head.
"About what?" He asked, although it should have been blatant enough.
"Well, when you were gone I was worried that I'd never be able to tell you....certain things
and so I swore that if you returned...I'd....." Tenchi looked at her, and saw that she was 
twiddling her fingers. She blushed far more deeply than before, she held her face and under
her breath she giggled to herself. 
"Ayeka?"
"Tenchi....." Ayeka said as she covered his mouth with one finger. "All I ask is......"
She went an even brighter shade of red and began to breathe more deeply. In an instant she
mustered up all her courage as she went closer to him, slowly. 
"A....kiss........" She whispered softly. Tenchi was slightly surprised to say the least.
Ayeka had always been so restrained and so regal and here she was, about to embrace Tenchi.
As their lips entwined, it was like an energy jumped from Ayeka's body into Tenchi's. He
accepted the sudden action, by placing his hand over her cheek. Of course Ayeka was not 
likely to ram her tongue down his throat but her tongue did meet with his and they danced
together in the passion of the moment. Ayeka made a sound in the back of her throat from
this pleasurable experience, but it was not to last and soon they parted. Ayeka was 
breathing heavily and in her face was nothing but delight and relief. Tenchi was still 
surprised by her sudden bout of courage, he always knew she had a thing for him, but he never
in a month of Sundays did he ever expect this to happen. All he could do was stare at the 
beauty of Ayeka, preening her hair seductively while looking at him. She was far more relaxed
and slightly 'experienced', with the shoulder of her garment hanging off, revealing a silky
skinned shoulder soft enough to kiss.
"Thank you Tenchi....." She said in a whisper of a voice. "I've wanted to do that for some 
time." Then all of a sudden she went quiet again and went beetroot. Another lengthy pregnant
paused ensued. Tenchi was still stunned....what could he say.
"I really should be going now." Tenchi apologised as he stood up. Ayeka, looked at him 
sadly, she almost tried to grab his arm.
"So soon?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'm really sorry, I'm still very tired from all the travelling." Ayeka looked at him 
on the bed on all fours.
"I'll see you in the morning then Ayeka." He said as he left the room, turning back to see
Ayeka on the bed in a confused state.
"Bye then..." She said softly, holding back a tear. The door shut and she rested on her back
in a saddened state. 
"One day......" She said to herself, and then she lost herself in a daydream.
Outside Ayeka's door Tenchi caught his breath and shook his head. He couldn't understand 
Women, and he couldn't believe what had just happened in there. He wiped the sweat from his 
brow. He was mainly glad that Ryoko hadn't walked in.
"What's with everyone today? Everyone seems so......I don't know, like a soap opera I guess.
Must be something in the water. I wonder if Washu's been experimenting with aphrodisiacs again.
I wonder if anything will change around here now." He stopped and started to smirk, the smirk 
quickly escalated into a full on laugh riot and was in danger of pissing himself.
"Change!!! HAHAHAHA that's a good one!!!" He laughed all the way to his room, and would 
probably be laughing until Christmas with that one.
     
Sure enough the next day started as normal. He opened one eye to see Ryoko with a huge smirk
on her face inches above him. 
"Morning!!!!!!" She cheerfully shouted, causing him to suddenly become more awake. 
He jumped, and darted a mile in a split second across to the other end of the room. He
leaned against the wall, his heart beating faster than it had ever done as he tried to catch
his breath. Ryoko looked at him, she was sat cross legged, levitating above his bed. He looked
at his clock, eight thirty three it read.
"Ryoko! How long have you been there?" He said in between breaths.
"Oh not long...." She said. "Since about seven."
"Seven???!!!" He shouted. "You've been waiting there all that time?"
"Yeah." She looked stunned. "I always do. Are you feeling alright."
"Yeah, I'm fine just still recovering from all those fl......wait a minute. What do you mean
am I alright???? It's because of you that I'm a nervous wreck!!! Ahhh!!! and look at me I
haven't put any trousers or shirt on yet!!!!" 
Ryoko smirked and landed on the ground on both feet like a cat. She purred to herself and
slowly edged her way closer to the frightened Tenchi, swaying her hips and her tail in 
perfect synchronisation. Tenchi, backed away closer to the wall but his backing distance was 
cut off when he felt the cold wall behind him.
"Y'know Tenchi...." Ryoko said, licking her lips. "You don't have to put any on, and you 
don't have to get dressed, and you don't have to get up for a while." She got closer and
put a warm hand on his face. Tenchi of course was shaking all over. 
"What do you say...." She asked as she blew down his ear.
Ryoko felt the wall again hard against her head yet again out in the corridor. It was sort of
becoming a habit.
"...and knock next time!!!!" Tenchi shouted as he slammed the door. Ryoko straightened herself
out again.
"I was right...." Tenchi said to himself. "Things are back to abnormality."
"Rats!!! Oh well....there's always tomorrow." She said to herself, grinning and rubbing her
hands, bearing her teeth.
"He's just playing hard to get."
Walking downstairs she met with Ayeka, who was walking around in a dazed state in a 
night-gown, she was still just getting up.
"Morning princess...." Ryoko said as she passed.
"What are you up to?" Ayeka asked in a suspicious tone.
"Nothing, just going down for breakfast."
Ayeka shook her head solemnly.
"I hope Tenchi's Ok. There's no telling what she's done."
The whole house was waking up to a bright new day. Downstairs, individual members began to 
file towards the dining area. Inside the kitchen the sound of cooking could be heard, the 
sizzling and stirring and the hurried patter of Sasami's small feet hurrying to get everything
ready on time. The sight was nothing compared to the smell, an aroma wafted in from the Kitchen
giving everyone a taster for what was certainly going to be another superb meal. The sunlight
penetrated the crystal-clear glass windows in the house and brightened everything, causing
spectrums of light to appear on the wall. The sun had also warmed the floor and Tenchi could
feel the heat radiate into his socks as he walked down to breakfast.
"Good morning." Nobiyuki said as he saw Tenchi make his way to a place at the table.
"Good morning." Tenchi replied and repeated it to each person in the house, even shouting it
through to the workers in the Kitchen. Sasami popped out from her work with a wooden spoon in
her hands to return the gesture. The birds sang a sweet melody and the lake lay still, the
perfect peaceful wonderland was still. This was going to be a perfect day Tenchi thought to 
himself.        
       
Elsewhere in the countryside was the same affair, the sun was shining like it had done for 
days previous. For one countryman it was sweltering heat and he rubbed the sweat out from
his eyes. He was a common man, no different from anyone else and was busy loading sacks
of vegetables he had just dug up from the ground into the back of a trailer. After just
about throwing the heavy sacks into the back he stopped for a moment, took off his straw
hat and stroked his balding head. His overalls were now filthy, covered in soil and mud
which is to be expected from such a farmer. His denim dungarees holding his cigarettes, he
took one out and tried to light it. As he brought the match close to the cigarette he had 
placed in his mouth a stray chilling breeze blew it out. A single stream of smoke floated
from the blackened end of the match. 'Strange...' he thought to himself and looked to the 
trees near him. A breeze caused the leaves to applaud in a strange way. He felt a sudden
cold sensation touch the back of his neck and caused the hair to stand on edge. He shook 
himself for a second and blinked. He felt a presence, looking over to the roadside he saw
the silhouette of a tall man. He couldn't make out any of the features on him, the sun was
far too bright and the man was stood in front of it. The tall man made a few calm steps 
towards the farmer. The farmer stopped leaning against his trailer and placed his hand 
across his brow in an attempt to block out some of the sun. 
"Hello? Can I help you?" The farmer asked in a friendly voice. A gravelly voice responded.
"Yes...you can. Are you a local?" 
"No...I live a few miles away."
"But this is your land isn't it?" 
"Oh yeah....." The farmer said leaning on a shovel and lighting another tab. "..got a fair 
bit of land around this area. Couple of acres here and there y'know." He said in a conversation
type way. The tall man nodded in a way of agreement.
"I was just wondering...." The man stepped closer, showing his scarred and battered face and
long matted hair. "....do you know Tenchi Misaki?" Seth said with a hint of evil in his voice.
"Tenchi Misaki...Tenchi Misaki...." The old man thought to himself. "Oh yeah, I know who he is
now. His grandfather runs that shrine up the road. Never talk to them myself, but they keep
themselves to themselves y'know. Nice plot of land they got aswell."
"Really.....how interesting...." Seth snarled, pretending to be interested.
"I was just wondering. Did he pass through here recently, in the past few days?"
The old man took off his hat and scratched his bald head and then put it back on.
"Now let me think......" 
Seth began to grow impatient, and his bandaged hands twisted into a fist as he growled under 
his breath.
"I remember!!" Seth relaxed again and let the old man continue. "I just got here yesterday, 
and they had already passed, yeah they took a shortcut through my field into the forest. 
Don't mind, as long as they don't ruin the crop." He spat onto the ground and rubbed it in 
with his hefty boots.
"Did you notice anyone with him? A girl by any chance?"
"Yeah I did. A real stunner y'know, lovely hair and really cute tight arse aswell. I really
love to get my hands on her...y'know what I mean like?" The old man laughed.
"Is that a fact?" Seth said, looking down his nose. He was just about to turn away when the
old man shouted for him. Seth slowly turned around with hate in his eyes.
"WHAT do you want?" He sneered.
"I just remembered. There was another guy with them."
"What????!!? What did he look like?" Seth asked, becoming tempered and surprised.
"Ohhh...hard to say really, I was a bit far away. All I can remember was that he had the most
jet-black hair I've ever seen and a great huge muddy jacket." 
Seth began to feel the anger come back to him again. He cursed and clenched his fists, and 
began flailing them like a madman sneering all the while. His trench coat flew open as he 
went in a fit of rage and his long hair seemed to go in every direction.
"Hey.....calm down there. Can't be that bad can it?" Seth looked at him with one eye.
"Well if you don't mind...I'll just get to more digging...." The farmer took a spade and sank
it deep into the soil. He lifted a mound of earth and tipped it over, he had become slightly
worried about the presence of this guy and so decided to work and hopefully he would go away.
So trying his best not to look over his shoulder he carried on. After a few minutes he could
still feel a presence, and out the corner of his eye, a dark figure. He felt that chill again
and could swear he heard breathing. He stood up and turned round to ask him finally to leave
as he is a bit busy, but when he turned there was nothing there. He looked to the roadside,
nothing.
"It's like he just vanished." The old man said to himself.
Suddenly a clammy hand grabbed the back of his neck, with great unearthly power he was picked
up off the ground. He was turned round to see the face of Seth holding him off his feet,
clutching his windpipe tightly. Seth grit his teeth and smiled a sadistic grin. The farmer
tried to take the hands off his neck, but they were like a vice. He then tried kicking at
Seth, but his legs were not powerful enough.
"Please.........don't......." He said as he began to get low on breath. Seth just frowned
and placed a hand over his face. Pulling forward from the neck and pushing his face
he broke his neck amid his pleas for mercy. Then he went further, continuing the push and
pull, the skin around his neck gave in and it was torn in half like someone had slit his 
throat with a razor. With the sudden liberation, the blood splattered out over Seth who
licked it from his face and began to laugh. The iron was so refreshing and left a 
heavenly taste in his mouth, the rest hit the ground in a muffled splash of enjoyment. He
continued to tear, his spine came out through his back and held the rest of the body down,
preventing the rib-cage from coming through also. Each vertebrae made a squelching sound as
it slid out of the mangled mess inside the overalls, and when the bottom one came out the 
head and spine dangled and swayed, with the few hairs on the old mans head in the tight grip
of Seth, who was enjoying the look on the farmers face as blood started to pour from the 
gaping mouth like saliva. The blood began to soak through the clothes, and soon it was a 
soggy bag of entrails and skin. Seth smiled and brought the severed head of the farmer to 
his face. 
"Who's going to finally make Skunky pay for all the inconvenience he's caused?" Seth asked 
the bloody head. He took his other hand and held the head's chin, moving it up and down so the 
mouth would open and close, so he could create a response.
"Seth is, and he's going to feed his corpse to Tenchi...then everyone will die, and the 
delightful corpses of the young girls will be defiled..." Seth said in another voice, with
the mouth of the head being moved to create the impression of speech. Seth was actually quite
a good ventriloquist. He suddenly began to grin slyly, and then he began to walk off, holding 
the head by the spine and swinging it around as he whistled a tune as if he was taking a 
walk in the park. He swung the head a few times in a circle and let it go...seeing how far 
it would go. It landed in the forest somewhere, quite a good throw, a blood trail waving
in the air like a comet's tail.  

Skunky fiddled with his temporary new arm, trying each one of the fingers and then trying 
to make a fist. Each one worked, it was of course one of Washu's fantastic inventions that
she had stored away for a while, just in case she needed it. It looked just like any normal
human arm, perfect skin colour, realistic feel. She had spent the best part of the morning
attaching all the nerves and tendons together, just enough for it to be as efficient as
any normal arm. No super human strengths, no special weapons that shoot out of the fingers.
As he examined it and gave it an impressed expression, Washu was finishing the last touches 
at the join in the shoulder.
"So do you like it? I think it's pretty good myself." She said in a boastful tone.
"Yeah, it'll do, if I ever get back to the Cult they'll give me one of theirs. So I'll return
it if I do." 
Washu looked slightly angry that he suggested such a thing as getting it replaced in the 
future, she was even slightly hurt.
"I don't think that's very likely though..." She said defiantly.
"There, now everything's finished." Washu proclaimed as she stepped back from the operating
table to view her handy work. She was quite impressed actually, before her sat the bandaged
and bloody form of a Soldier who she practically re-built. Except his eye, which had a huge 
hole in the Sclera, and looked potentially freaky. Skunky continued to work his arm, testing
it, swiping enemies with an invisible sword. It seemed that he had not lost anything in the
operation, he'd still be able to use it in a fight if he had to. 
"Thanks Washu, you really are a great doctor. I'm sorry for doubting you." 
"That's alright, I didn't really expect anyone to realise that in my usual form." Washu said
smiling and clearing away the many instruments she had used in the few days operation.
"I must say though, this lab is really something else."
"Do you like it?" She asked, on her hands and knees putting something in the back of a 
cupboard.
"Yeah, it's huge...and some of the animals you keep around here, I've never seen them before in
my life. Where did you get them?" 
"Just things I've picked up from expeditions and things." She got out of the cupboard and 
straightened out her clothes and hair. 
"Which reminds me.....you need to get some fresh air and sunlight." She smirked. Skunky looked
horrified, he sat up even more, his face whiter than usual.
"You mean go out in the day? No thanks, I kinda get the feeling I won't be welcome around here,
besides, me and the sunlight don't get on too well. It hurts my eyes, and causes my skin to
get irritable." 
"Oh come on! For such a dangerous criminal you are a bit fussy, you need it for the good of 
your health." She scolded, her arms folded. Skunky rose to his feet, still in shackles with
huge iron linked chains. A smirk ran across his face which showed his evil.
"Ok then, but I find it hard to walk in chains, let me go and we'll go together." Washu laughed
out loud.
"Yeah, I'm likely to fall for that one. I don't think you give me the credit do you? Come on
lets go, I need some fresh air myself." She grabbed one of the chains and led him onward.
"Well it was worth a try." He sighed. Slowly he crept through the door. The sunlight hit 
him like a brick wall, blinding him and causing him to fall back holding his arms in front of 
his face. It was way too bright, even the colours he did see seemed to be bleached and pale
due to the abundance of light. 
"Don't worry, you'll be accustomed to it soon." Washu consoled. Leading him through the rooms.
His big boots resounded on the wooden floor as he stepped his way outside. As the outside door
was thrown open a cooling waft struck him, and the welcoming throws of the outside world 
beckoned as he stepped out. The colour came back and for a moment he felt free, but he looked
at the chains that restricted him and the grinning impish girl stood next to him and all he 
could manage was a feeble smile. For hours he sat alone, watching the sky and the few clouds
that remain wind their way through the calm blue. On the porch area he relaxed, though 
bound and shackled he retained all his characteristics, his eyes usually covered by his fringe
revealing little about the man behind it. Washu had left him alone, giving him a bit of time 
to himself, but still kept a close eye on him just to be on the safe side. Skunky knew and he
didn't care, he just stretched out on the warm wooden area and sheltered himself from the 
irritation of the sun's heat. Not only did he observe nature, for which he had a passive 
interest, only because he hadn't seen it for some time, but he also observed the people of 
the house go about their daily business as normal. It was a new experience, he had little in
the way of a family life, save for his normal upbringing, which he still held in his memory.
Reclusively he watched as Ryoko swept the grounds, then someone would hang out washing, then
someone would chase someone else waving a broom around like a mad man. It wasn't family life
like he remembered it, but then again, he thought this wasn't the average family. He sat in 
in an emotionless stature as Tenchi wandered the premises, restless despite this being his
recuperation time. He basked in the midday sun in loosely arranged garments for comfort and
to take full advantage of the day's warming breezes. Skunky felt slightly out of place, here
he was, a man who had spent several years in military service and a few in hiding was now 
amongst the residents of possibly the most peaceable people on the planet. It didn't fit, even
the surroundings made him stand out. Amongst the bright lush countryside in the embrace of 
the sun was a fully black clothed man in chains, shaking due to the sunlight. Skunky for some
reason was a nervous wreck out of Golgotha. Back there he knew everything, all the places, 
how to get by, where to hide, where the best places to fight from where. But here in the open
he felt exposed and vulnerable, and every few seconds he would turn his head slightly, checking
on his back. Apart from the slight shaking he did not show his fear, but inside he was being
torn apart by his own mind. Across the way, Tenchi looked towards the house and spied on the
porch the crouched figure of someone who he used to trust and he was looking towards Tenchi 
with cold, menacing eyes. Not that Skunky was bitter towards Tenchi, but his eyes were 
constantly like that, and his brow almost fixed in the furrowed position. Tenchi immediately
averted his gaze, and shook his head. Finding no solitude outside, Tenchi went back inside, via
a way that did not lead towards Skunky. He remained outside, watching the mountainous sky-line
and a few birds fluttered past. Skunky listened to the voices from the house and tried to 
piece together a conversation, two sets of raised female voices stood out from the rest and
it seemed like a cat-fight had broken out. A continuous babble of high pitched screeching,
more raised voices and breaking ornaments ensued, Skunky laughed to himself and put his head
back. No sooner than he did so, the door slid open and a small figure emerged. Not looking
where she was going the young princess tripped on the trailing leg of Skunky. In a split second
Skunky jumped from his seat, and grabbed the little Sasami from landing face-down in the dirt.
She had obviously not noticed his lounging but Skunky, being so nervous due to the strange 
surroundings that he was on his toes and was able to react to stop her from falling. He 
grabbed her by the shoulders, quite roughly but steadied her and eased her gently to the
ground without injury. She looked slightly shaken by the fall, and her heart raced with the
adrenaline.
"Steady....you gave me a fright there, I guess you weren't paying attention." Skunky said as
he sat back down in the corner and shaded area. Sasami shook herself out of her daze.
"I'm sorry, you're right I wasn't looking where I was going." 
"That's OK, my foot shouldn't have been there anyway. You just run along." He said as he 
covered his eyes and leaned back. Sasami began to walk away, but she felt an unusual 
feeling. She stopped and looked back, there was something strange. She eventually decided to
talk to him, politely, him being a guest and all. She cautiously approached him, creeping next
to where he was sat.
"Ummm...excuse me?" She asked hesitatingly. Skunky opened one eye. Realising who it was he
sat up and rubbed both of his eyes. 
"Yeah?" He answered, while yawning.
"Are you the person for whom a meal I made yesterday...." He looked at her. "...because I was
wondering what you thought of my cooking. Was it Ok?" She shyly asked. 
"Well, despite eating nothing but Pulpatoon for the past few weeks and before that I lived off 
rainwater and the insects scraped from the ruins, it tasted like a dream." Sasami was knelt
down and looked disappointed. Skunky laughed and scruffed her hair with his good hand.
"Don't worry, that was a compliment. I have had home meals before and that was about the best 
I've tasted." He said in a friendly voice. Sasami brightened and cheered.
"Thank you, I always seek to improve my cooking and the comments I get are most helpful."
"Well, whatever you've been doing seems to be the right way of doing it." He patted her head.
"Mr Skunky?" She asked shyly. "What's a pulpatoon? I don't think I've ever made that." Skunky
fixed his posture as he thought for a moment and clicked his tongue. 
"Well, I don't think you can get the ingredients readily around here. It's duck, pheasant,
rabbit, fowl and various other animals cooked in meat gravy. Tenchi's had it ask him what it 
was like, he may have identified some of the other ingredients." He commented while scratching
his chest. He let out a deep cough and scratched his nose, a sign of a compulsory obsessive 
disorder. 
"It's Ok, I was just wondering. Maybe someday if you come back you can see one of the chefs
that you know and get the recipe for me." She mentioned innocently. Skunky looked at her 
confused. Did she not care for what he had done to people or did she not understand? But to 
mention if he returns, he knew he wouldn't be returning, ever. He could not tell her that he 
was to be incarcerated for eternity, not at that age.
"I will Sasami." He sighed. "So anyway.....where were you off to so fast?" He quickly changed
the subject and basically the tone of the conversation to a happier one. 
"Oh me? I was just looking for Ryo-Ohki, it's nearly tea-time. You know Ryo Ohki? My cabbit."
"Yeah, I've seen it scurrying around somewhere I think it went back inside a few minutes ago,
it was following Tenchi. I like them things, docile little creatures, but mean no harm." He 
paused for a moment. "So is it like one of the family?" 
"Ryo-Ohki? She's one of my bestest friends in the whole world." She answered in jubilant 
girlish glee, spreading her arms to emphasise how much she loved her. (or it)
"Ok, so I take it you really like the cabbit. What about everyone else?" He conversed.
Sasami patted the right of her lip as she thought momentarily.
"Well Ayeka's my sister, so I have a close bond with her. There's also....actually I love 
everyone the same, there's no-one I like less." 
"Cute....." Skunky said under his breath.
"Oooh I just remembered something, I was going to make a pot of tea and I wondered if you 
wanted some. You've been sat out here all day, you must be thirsty." Sasami asked caringly.
"Naaaah I'm fine, thanks for offering though." He replied.
"Sure?" She asked in a whining voice and making begging eyes at him.
"I'm positive and besides, I have this." Skunky reached into his coat pocket and fumbled a 
second, his face showing pure concentration and his tongue up one side of his lip. He found it 
and quickly brought out a canteen, a label on the side read 'Aqueous Vitae'. He flipped the
lid and took a sip. Sasami frowned.
"Does Washu know you have that?" 
"No. But it'll be fine, it's medicinal." He replied whilst swirling the bottle.
"Medicinal? I don't think Washu would approve, it might affect the painkillers."
"Sasami, this IS the painkiller, nothing else is quite like it. Here try some." He said holding
the canteen out at full stretch and shaking it a bit. Sasami took one sniff and went green,
holding her stomach and pushed his hand back.
"Errr no thanks, it doesn't smell very nice."
"Ignore the smell, just take a swig." He answered, holding it out again. Sasami took it off
him and sniffed it again. Her nose wrinkled in disgust. She looked at Skunky to see him 
waiting. She shrugged her shoulders and took a large swig. Her eyes went blank, a burning 
sensation went down her throat and churned in her stomach. The heat in her face became 
intense her gaze became transfixed. She handed the bottle back, Skunky took another swig.
"ooooohhhhhhh.....the worlds gone all blurry." She said, swaying on her knees.
"That's what I like about it. It helps to keep everything blurred, so did you like it?" He asked
"Uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh." She replied whilst nodding her head violently.
"You don't drink much do you?" 
Sasami got on her feet to talk and point, she swayed and almost fell but she regained balance.
"No no no no no no no... I'll tell you a secret." She whispered in a tipsy spirit. Skunky moved
his ear nearer, Sasami bent down covered one side of her mouth with her hand and moved to him.
"When Ayeka isn't around.." Sasami whispered. "Ryoko gives me some of her sake. And Ayeka 
doesn't have a clue." She started to giggle and then laugh as she twirled on the spot.
"I can't see how she wouldn't notice." He said to himself as he observed Sasami laughing.
She finally lost her balance and before falling onto her rear, tried re-balancing by flailing
her arms, no effect. She continued to laugh before groaning and rubbing her arse.
"Y'know I feel a little light-headed. I'll just take a nap, and if the potato people come to 
take me away tell them I'm out."
"Ok, I'll tell them you've gone to refit Mr Cotter, the magical giant banana's favourite gold
plated musical loo." He smirked back.
"Ahh good idea." She said as she rested her head against his shoulder and slipped off into a 
dream world. Skunky laughed and took another drink. No sooner than the liquid had been 
swallowed then a loud shrieking could be heard followed by feet running. Sasami blinked and
tiredly opened her reddened eyes.
"Sasami!!! Get away from there!!!" Ayeka screeched as she ran towards them. When she reached
Sasami she pulled her away from Skunky and kept tight hold of her, shielding her from a bemused
Skunky.
"You.....you've got a lot of nerve mister. What do you think you're doing to my sister? Speak
criminal and since you are our prisoner you will address me as 'Your Highness'!!" She ordered.
Skunky looked around and then at the canteen in his hands.
"Fuck off...." He said bluntly. Ayeka was shocked for a second but she became even more 
enraged, and her face began to grow red and she became hot with anger.
"How DARE you speak to me like that!!! If I were in your position I'd address me in the correct
manner as Your Highness, You're in enough trouble as it is so don't make it worse for 
yourself."
"But Ayeka....." Sasami mumbled from Ayeka's protective grasp.
"Be quiet Sasami, I'm dealing with this." She shot back. Skunky pulled himself up so that he
could look Ayeka in the eye and not have her look down on him. His chains clinked.
"Why don't you listen to the kid, I was only talking to her." Skunky argued.
"Well don't!!! She is a member of the Jurai royal family and she doesn't want to talk to the 
peasants. So next time just back off, we don't want killers near the children."
Skunky put his face centimetres from Ayeka's and ground his teeth.
"All the people I killed were for a reason, just because you can't see that because you're mind
is clouded with Jurai shit doesn't mean a thing. I'm not likely to kill the friend of a friend
am I?" He spat at her then stepped back.
"Well I'm just saying she doesn't need someone to talk to so don't approach her next time."
"What? She fell over and I picked her up!!!" He stressed.
"Well you shouldn't have even touched her....not by a filthy vagrant like yourself." She 
scolded, with her nose in the air.
"Watch your mouth princess." He said blankly, his fists twitching.
"I will not, do not tell ME what to do. You're just a soldier from a third rate backwater 
planet with nothing but donkeys for political leaders. You're the scum of the universe!"
His eye twitched and he could no longer stand his planet being talked about like that by Jurai.
"THAT FUCKING DOES IT!!!!" He shouted. "I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU, BITCH!!!!" 
At that he made a jump for her his arms ready to throttle her supple neck and strangle her.
When he got within a few centimetres a huge blinding flash off light hit him. In contact with
a painful energy field, his clothes began to singe and he was thrown into the wall by the force
of the energy. He looked up from the heap he was lying in to see Ayeka enveloped in an energy
field. Undaunted he stood up, and his body was smoking. 
"I'd advise you to keep you're distance." Ayeka commented.
"YOU'RE GONNA DIE AYEKA!!!!!" Skunky roared as he pulled out his fencing sword, Ayeka smiled.
"Help!!!! Help!!! He's gone mad!!! Someone help!!!!" Ayeka shouted at the top of her lungs and
then looked at Skunky and laughed slightly. In a moment Tenchi, Ryoko, Katsuhito, were on the
scene, quickly follwed by Kiyone and Mihoshi armed with laser blasters and Washu. Skunky shook
his head in astonishment. 
"What's going on Ayeka?" Asked Tenchi holding a sword.
"Oh Tenchi!!! It's him! I was talking to him and then he went mental and tried to kill me."
"Well give up, there's no way you can beat us." Ryoko said as they began to close in from all
angles. Skunky was looking in circles to see who would be the first swiftly moving from each 
side he shook his head. He held his weapon high and swiped at anyone he deemed too close for
his comfort.
"Get back!!!! Get back!!!!" He shouted as he stabbed the air in front of his advancers.
"Washu!!!" Kiyone scolded. "Why didn't you disarm him when I entrusted him to you?"
"I didn't realise he had that weapon!!! He handed me his pistol as soon as we entered the lab."
Washu replied as she tried to calm Skunky from a distance. Kiyone's trigger finger twitched.
"Put the weapon down!!!! I'm warning you!!!" Kiyone stated, in all authority.
"Yes, there's no way you can escape from us, not from the galaxy police." Mihoshi added.
Skunky's feet became routed in the grass as he could no longer hold them off all at once. 
He began to perspire and things went a little slow in his mind. Once again, he went over the
edge in full rage and hatred he cursed to the skies.
"DAMN YOU ALL!!!!!!!" He shouted. At that, Ryoko tried a rear attack, her energy blade nearly
coming into contact with the intended target. But a clever back-handed strike parried the blow,
and Ryoko continued forward, unable to stop due to her momentum. Skunky had to pirroet on the 
spot to deny a second strike from Tenchi, although blocked the shot shook all the way through
Skunky's arm, causing his bone to vibrate violently. He steadied his arm, wondering to himself
how he was to get out of this one. But Ryoko was thinking quick, summoning a great Energy ball
she fired one towards him. However she made the mistake of shouting a battle-cry first and 
Skunky fell to the ground to avoid it. A great streak of orange light whizzed past his head as
he fell and the intense heat burned his ear and singed the side of his hair. He was in a bad
position, face down in the dirt in a fight is not the best of places. Hearing people running 
nearer Skunky took the initiative and swiped a circle around him at knee height with the 
whip-like blade of his sword. A white circle of swishing air surrounded him and narrowly missed
Kiyone's shins. She jumped backwards to avoid it and Skunky once again was on his feet. 
Smashing the hilt of his sword into the chest of Tenchi, who foolishly tried to wrestle Skunky
to the ground, this hurt Skunky a little. Tenchi fell to the floor clutching his aching stomach, 
whilst bringing the blood that the internal injury had given him and making an awful choking
noise as he did. He was fine though and quickly got to his feet and was pulled out of battle 
by Washu. This strike had only served to hasten Ryoko's anger who growled as she used her 
vastly superior fighting skills against Skunky. She kicked at his head, but he was already
pulling back so it just scraped his nose. However the next strike didn't, almost immediately
missing with a precise kick she hit out with the palm of her hand against the back off his 
neck. He span as he hit the ground once more, rolling in pain and confusion he held the back
of his head, his vision becoming slightly blurred.
"Bitch!!!! That fucking hurt!!!!" He snarled as he lay on his back. He could narrowly see the
blade being swung onto his head and so held his sword across his neck to block the downwards
chop. The two blades collided in a huge sound of clashing metal. Then using every ounce of his
dwindling strength he tried to push against her. The blades were level as each pushed to 
their limit, and the strain of effort could be clearly seen on each of the competitors faces.
It was stalemate for what seemed several minutes, but a crude swipe from the leg of Skunky 
caught Ryoko and she lost her balance. He quickly got up and fought off those around him who 
thought Ryoko had won for certain. Although he was on his feet once again he wondered how long 
it could go on like this, he was constantly back footing and there was no way he could win. 
As he was thinking a laser shot whistled through the trailing ends of his jacket, immediately
he jumped back to see another fly past, her jumped again and again and again to see the shots 
narrowly miss him on each occasion. One though went too close to his skin and burned a line 
horizontally across his stomach. He let out a roar of pain and that's when the whole Misaki 
house took advantage. Seeing his disorientation, Katsuhito smashed his palm into Skunky's 
abdomen, and Skunky crouched in pain then in a deadly dance of martial art skill swiped his
legs from the front, causing Skunky to fall flat on his face. Skunky felt his limp arms being
grabbed and hands everywhere holding him down. His arms where pulled behind his back so 
fiercely they were almost pulled from the sockets. Then he felt the cold tight galaxy police
handcuffs being re-applied by Kiyone. Skunky held up a fierce resistance and struggled with all
his might, trying to wriggle himself free, it took every member of the house to restrain him.
"Get off me!!!!! Let me go now!!!!! I'll remember this!!!!!!"
"Calm down Skunky, it'll be alright in a minute." Kiyone said as she signalled to Washu. Skunky
lifted up his head as Kiyone held his body down, Mihoshi held his legs Katsuhito held his 
lower back whilst Ryoko taunted from afar, waving and smiling, pointing and laughing. This
angered Skunky very much, but he shook in fright as he observed Washu filling a syringe in 
front of him from a bottle.
"Don't you dare!!!!! DON'T YOU FUCKING SEDATE ME!!!!!" He shouted as he struggled even more.
"It's for you're own good." Mihoshi spoke, whilst having trouble keeping his legs still.
"Plus you don't have a say in the matter." Kiyone added.
"Ok, Ryoko his arm please." Washu said in a professional way as she examined the full syringe.
She put a little pressure on the handle and a small stream of chemical spurted out the top. 
Ryoko complied and forcefully pulled the sleeve on Skunky's jacket up whilst holding his wrist
tightly, bearing his bare arm. To keep his struggling minimal she held his head to the floor.
He couldn't stop, even when getting a mouthful of soil when he spoke he cursed them. He foamed
at the mouth and spat it out as he fought, but it was all futile.
"I'm warning you....don't touch me!!!" He said from the corner of his mouth, the other corner
being flattened into the ground. 
"This'll calm you down." Washu said as she knelt on Skunky. Slowly she inserted the icy needle
and even more slowly pushed the syringe. A viscous green fluid slowly filtered into his blood,
when the needle was empty, it was taken ever so carefully out of his arm. As the chemical 
pumped in, Skunky's eyes went haywire and the pupils went back over themselves leaving him with 
two completely white eyes as if he was possessed. Washu got off and everyone continued to 
prevent his struggling, despite his temporary loss of vision. 
"Get off me!!!!!! Get off!!!!! That does it!!!!! I'LL SEE YOU ALL BURN FOR THIS!!!!!! I'LL SEE
YOU BURN!!!!" He shouted at the top of his voice. It was said with such rage that he had the
energy to lift his head up against Ryoko's pushing. But slowly he felt his mind cloud with a 
sense of peace and serenity, and slowly he lost the will to fight. He grew weaker until he
could no longer lift his head on his own accord. Everyone saw that he was asleep and so gently
backed off and sighed with relief. Katsuhito took out a handkerchief and mopped his brow.
"How long until his transport arrives?" He asked Kiyone.
"Should be tomorrow." She replied, picking the dazed prisoner up.
"Good! Because I want him out of the house as soon as possible." He sneered as he walked back
to the house. 
"Washu, do you think you can use better restraints this time?" Kiyone asked as she dragged the
body of Skunky towards the house. Washu followed.
"Yeah, I've got some. I didn't think I needed them, I thought I could trust him. Sure taught 
me a lesson." She mused as she walked with her. Tenchi walked towards Ayeka who was standing 
in a sinister regal manner, with her nose held high, sheltering Sasami with the sleeves of 
her Kimono. Tenchi just wanted to make sure she was alright. However Sasami was quivering
within, she probably saw more than she wanted to see.
"What's wrong Sasami?" Tenchi asked, squatting to Sasami's level.
"I....I...." She replied with trembling lips.
"Isn't it obvious? She's just seen how much of a monster that man is." Ayeka added.
All of a sudden Sasami lost it and ran into the embrace of Tenchi, where she cried her heart
out. Ayeka smiled too and Tenchi comforted her like a loving brother.

As like every night, the day quickly changed to dusk, a blood red Sky surrounded the valley.
Eventually this also succumbed to the creeping darkness that spread itself, and with claws 
wrapped around the mountainous region. With the darkness at it's peak silence was the noise
that set the atmosphere, complete darkness, complete silence, a dulling of the senses. A 
weary shadow limped across the outside of the house. This lonely shadow was soon joined 
by its friends, and soon a myriad black streaks congregated and crept around the house. One
became ever so slightly more adventurous and stepped onto the porch. A foot of putrid human
remains squelched on the wooden floor. Through the many slits and open wounds baring bone 
and strips of muscle, a thick transparent goo oozed out of the skin and slid down the foot to
make contact with the floor. When lifted for the thing to move, a transparent wisp of 
festering substance was formed between the foot and the floor, but the stickiness was overcome
and the little wisp snapped. The maggot-writhing festering carcass moaned slightly, his face 
scarred and peeling off from every corner, and worms and insects crawling about underneath his 
skin, feeding off the decaying flesh. He rolled his tongue in a drunken state and a glob
of saliva ran from his mouth and down his chest. Raising a arthritis ridden bony hand he 
spread all five sinuous fingers and slowly slid open the door.
"Huh?" Sasami said to herself as she sat up in bed. She looked around and quickly got out of
bed and looked out of the window. Nothing except a dark sky and empty grounds befell her 
eyes. She thought to herself, and no sooner than she had started then she swore she heard 
the movements of something downstairs.
"Ayeka? Did you hear that?" Sasami whispered. 
"Mmmmmm......" Ayeka stirred, not facing Sasami she was too comfortable wrapped in a blanket.
"It was nothing Sasami, just probably Washu getting something to eat or Ryoko shedding her 
skin. Go back to sleep." 
"Ok Ayeka." Sasami cheerily replied and she curled herself back in bed. But something bugged 
her, something wasn't quite right.

The clouds filtered out, happy thoughts turned sour like a fine wine turning to bitter 
vinegar. Skunky opened his eyes and as he regained the power of sight made a groaning noise.
He lay on his back, blinking and checking that all his limbs were in proper working order. 
He sat up and shook his head, he looked down sadly and saw all the new chains and cuffs 
holding him down to the bed. He tried to get out of it but his struggling did not help, seeing
the hopelessness of the situation he sighed and stopped. He looked around him, encased in a 
glass sphere, there was no chance of escape. Not only that he was suspended from the ceiling.
"She sure doesn't trust me." He said to himself. He was about to lie back down when he noticed
something. The lab door was broken, removed from the hinges with what looked like a terrifying
force. Skunky quickly peered out of the glass container at the floor. He couldn't make out a 
thing, it just looked like the floor. All of a sudden the floor seemed to move, like a sea
or if it was alive. He thought to himself and despite the heavy restraints pulled out 
Captain Tyler's favourite cigar lighter. He pulled back the lever and sparked with the flint.
A small glow emanated from it. He shot back in absolute horror and fear, that wasn't the 
pattern on the floor, that was a mass of Zombies!!! He tried banging on the glass for help
but it was muffled out by the weird acoustics of the lab. He huddled himself up, hoping that
they wouldn't notice him and so made himself small. He cowered underneath the covers of the
operating table-bed thing, and prayed that they would pass by. All his hopes in an instant
were dashed. In a whirr of cogs and mechanical devises the glass orb was beginning to be 
lowered to the ground. He jumped out of bed, and watched as all the Zombies stopped and 
awaited their meal being lowered down to them. He went white and backed away as much as 
possible, holding his feet against the side of the glass. He began to quiver as he looked at
them with wide eyes. The faces of the dead stared at him, with white eyes and hungry hearts.
A congregated throng of limp corpses and rotting bags of flesh, some with limbs missing 
some absolutely dripping in with the blood of their last meal. All were staring at Skunky,
salivating like retards and making moaning noises at the back of their throats. Each one of 
them held their hands against the glass some trying to break it in an attempt to reach the
tasty morsel within. A sea of hundreds of hands pressed against the glass. Skunky laughed.
"Ha ha!!! You motherfuckers can't get me in here!!!" He flipped the bird against the cold 
glass of his cell, one zombie tried to bite it, but instead head-butted the glass. 
"Yeah, fuck off the lot of yeh!!!!"  He taunted as he bore his arm and held it against the 
glass. The zombies reacted as they all tried to grab it, and moaned like little children when
they realised they couldn't reach it, Skunky could almost see the disappointment on their 
faces. But he laughed as he teased and made gestures at them. Suddenly the smile disappeared
completely, another clunk and whirr of machinery and the glass began to open from the top
and slowly it began to disappear. Skunky looked over to the control panel, a small baby stood
there, its flesh covered in boils oozing puss and blood. It's fingernails were long and 
yellow, and razor sharp as it held the 'glass release' lever. It cackled like a maniac, 
its face deformed with a huge bulge in the forehead, two eyes of different sizes and a row 
of irregular knife-like teeth. It's laugh was like that of a high-pitch daemoness. Skunky
looked at it. 
"You little fucker!!!! I'll kill you when I find you!!!!" He shouted. The baby laughed and 
flipped the bird and toddled off into the dark. Skunky looked back to the hordes of zombies
now all still and ready to eat as soon as the glass was gone. They looked hungry.
"Shit...." Skunky said to himself as slowly the glass around him disappeared into nothingness
and they began to close in. Sat in the middle of the table Skunky beat off the hands with the
heel of his boot. Everyone that got a bit close he'd smash their face in with his heel, but 
he wouldn't be able to keep it up forever. Ever so slowly, they edged towards him, their
fingertips now trying to get a hold on his clothes but just narrowly out of reach. Skunky
began to panic. One zombie managed to get a hold of the collar of his jacket and with 
strange strength pulled him across the table to the corner. In an usual act of acrobatic 
ability Skunky chucked his legs over his head and kicked the attacker in his face. But Skunky
was on his back with his head over the edge of the table and Zombies at all angles. Looking
upside down Skunky saw one about to bite his face off, he quickly raised the chain between
his arms and shoved it in the zombies mouth holding him off for a bit longer. Skunky growled
as he pushed him back, but the Zombie bit the chain and it snapped like a twig. Skunky jumped
back to the middle and looked in awe at the snapped steel chain. Half of him was joyous 
that he could now move his arms better but half was in total fear at the strength of the 
zombies' jaws. Standing up in the centre Skunky swung the chain around, making them retreat
a couple of steps. The chain smashed into the head of one of them, cracking his skull open 
and a sharp edge of where the chain had snapped, and ripped off a small chunk of pink brain.
"Get back!!!! Get back!!!!" He shouted as he swung the chain. Skunky quickly concocted a plan.
He swung both feet at one and purposely missed, placing his foot chains in the zombie's mouth.
It was broken with ease, and Skunky proudly raised his stature as he stood on the table with 
hands reaching for him at all angles, he felt invincible now he was free, FREE!!!
"Alright motherfuckers!!!!! You had it coming." He declared as he began to swing the broken
chain in both hands. A zombie grabbed him by the ankle, and before he could drag him down 
Skunky swung the chain around his neck, it wrapped around and the zombie let go, trying to 
release the chain's grip. Skunky yanked it, and the head was removed in a flurry of blood, 
the momentum sent it across the room and the headless corpse fell to the ground. On his other
side one grabbed his jacket and pulled him down. Skunky twisted his body and grabbed the 
arm, he pulled hard, summoning an amount of strength he never thought he had. The skin 
ripped open, the muscles tore and the bone snapped, a few veins spiraled out of both wounds
when it finally pulled off. Skunky took the arm and used the wet end to beat up some of the 
surrounding enemies. Finally he pushed his hand into the soft, cold meaty remains of the 
arm and pulled out part of the bone. With his hand covered in viscous blood Skunky rammed the
shard of bone up the nose of another zombie, coming out the back of his head bringing up
pieces of bloodstained mashed brain as it did. Another one fell to the swinging chain, the
sheer force of the heavy chain simply smashing his face open, spraying blood into the faces
of the rest of them. Suddenly a hand grabbed his ankle, and what he always feared pulled 
him onto the floor. He hit his head hard on the cold concrete floor, but that was the least 
of his worries. Now every zombie began to crowd him, trying to pull him apart for a meal.
He shook the hands off and kicked a few away, but there were far too many of them. He could
feel the festering flaky fingernails of some rip up his skin like it was an orange peel, he 
had to act NOW. He reached out with his hand and pulled on Washu's medical tray, it fell to
the floor with a huge crash, and its many instruments scattered across the floor making 
and clashing noise. A zombie sat across him, about to open Skunky's still-beating chest with 
blunt, painful fingers. It would of done it like a packet of crisps, just sticking the 
fingers in, forcing them through the skin and between the ribs and then pulled them apart,
ripping his chest open so everyone could reach in and take his intestines out. Skunky's 
hand searched the floor in a blind panic, then his face showed an evil smirk. Quickly he
brought his fist up and stuck a medical scalpel into the face of the one on top of him. 
He didn't stop there, making a growling sound he wiggled the small blade in the small 
hole he had made, making it larger. The wound sprayed crimson blood and washed the floor
with it as he continued stabbing the thing in its face. Finally with his face a mangled 
wreck, it fell to the floor. Skunky used the scalpel to stab the rest of them off him,
but they were still only inches from him. One zombie stumbled towards Skunky on his own,
Skunky used the scalpel and punched a hole directly through the stomach. Skunky's hand 
went in, and using the blade to cut the insides liquefied everything with circular motions
of his hand. He just about lifted the blood-vomiting mass of human remains off the floor
as he circled with his hand purifying the cold squashy mess inside the body. He pulled 
his hand out and an orange juice poured out of the gaping hole. A thick juice of liquefied
intestines, his liver, kidneys etc spilled over the floor mixed with water, urine and 
blood. Skunky's hand was covered in the jelly-like remains of the zombie's stomach, it slid
down the side of his hand and collected on the floor, and it stunk of raw flesh. The blade
of the scalpel had come off so he dropped the handle of the now useless instrument into the
mass of entrails. He dived for a zombie in front, and put his hand in its mouth. The zombie
bit, and Skunky howled in pain, but instead of pulling out he pushed down and ripped the
lower jaw off, leaving the hole in the mouth to drip with blood, before he pushed it to
the floor. He beat off a few with his fists as he searched for a new weapon. Suddenly he
felt a set of teeth bury into the back of his neck, he whimpered slightly with the pain of
having such a blunt set of teeth penetrate his skin, streams of warm blood ran down his back.
Undeterred he grabbed the feasting maniac by the back of the head and swung him over his 
shoulder, the force of the whip-like impact caused the body to effectively burst open at 
the seams and his body's juices and innards splattered everywhere. It made a very fulfilling
'slap' sound as it hit the conrete and split open along every side, the skin being far too
decayed to withstand such force. Skunky stumbled and checked how much he was bleeding by 
placing his hand into the wound and looking at how much blood he had on his hand. He cursed
under his breath at being caught out like that. He looked at the body, but more importantly
at the tool next to it. Skunky grabbed it from the sticky pink throbbing jelly and shook 
some of the substances off. It was one of Washu's, a medical instrument that acted like a 
whisk but with rows of razor sharp serrated points. He began to laugh, turning the handle and
making the teeth spin. Some zombies backed off the crazed Skunky, but he went for them. He 
shoved it into the face of one, and twirled the handle at lightning speed. Bits of flesh
began to fly off the straddling zombie and the machine quickly tore through the cartilage
of his nose. Skunky laughed even more as blood splashed over his face like rain, he quickly
became drenched in it and it soaked into his hair and ran down his scowling face. Shredded
skin also collected on Skunky's face as he pulled the instrument out and a huge hole spewed
a mushy red soup out of his face. Skunky ran to the corner of the lab where Washu had been 
fixing equipment. He had considerably more room for manoeuvring now, as he frantically 
scoured the table. A blender, food mixer, some gun that didn't work, a T.V. but his hands
finally came upon a screwdriver. Which he held with a malicious grin on his blood-red 
face. A single zombie came from the mass, his arms sprawled, hungry for blood. Skunky 
pushed the screwdriver into the side of his head and continued stabbing the single steel
shaft into its head, giving it several holes. He reached up on the table again with the
zombie convulsing on the floor, he grabbed the handle of a butcher knife. Like an insane
butcher he scalped it, chopping the top of its head off, and the top rolled along the
floor finally coming to rest after a few rolls. Several more came for him, all met with 
the heavy blade of the knife, cutting across the kidneys Skunky felled another, another
met with its legs being hacked off. Skunky then proceeded to chop them to bits whilst on
the floor, laughing like a maniac as he did. Arms, legs, eyes everything was chopped into
tiny pieces as Skunky revelled in the blood of his enemies. He scattered the corpses about,
ripping off the skin with his bare hands and tearing it like paper, he threw one flap of the
skin at the throng and chucked the knife to one side. He shook his fists at the rest of them.
"Come on then!!!!! I'll take the fucking lot of yer on all at once!!!! With my bare hands!!!"
He shouted, spitting blood as he did so, half was his half wasn't. He had gone slightly insane
from the fight, like he does every time. He stopped and looked in silence at the mass of 
zombies not moving several feet away. He looked around and moved his weight from foot to 
foot as he waited, hearing the bodies and skin squelch under his feet. At once he felt 
a sharp pain in his leg. That daemonic baby took the butcher knife and hacked it into the
shin of Skunky. He growled and screamed with the shock as the blade burrowed half way into 
his bone. The rest of it sticking out of his leg, hot blood poured down his leg and out
of his boot. The daemonic baby laughed evilly and ran to the zombies, cackling all the while.
"You bastard!!!! Get back here!!!!" Skunky shouted as he got to his feet and limped a few 
steps, the knife still deeply embedded in his leg. Silently the zombies parted and Skunky 
felt sick. There she stood. A bloated heap of deformed skin and maggot writhing fleshy
innards. She had rolls and rolls of fat and several chins due to the excess blubber. Her 
mouth was tiny and so was her eyes due to the stinking mess of fat and she drooled as 
she licked her lips. Her arms were huge, like tree trunks with long strong claws already
dripping with blood. Her tits sagged, huge with the amount of fat stored in them and huge 
worms wriggled under her pale orange skin. The several growths that infested her skin made
farting noises and spewed a vile yellow liquid across the floor. She steamed with evaporating
chemicals and vomited on several occasions. Her short dumpy legs were like stumps and it 
didn't seem feasible that they could support such a frame as her. She belched, farted and
took a step closer, pissing on the floor in the most vulgar manner possible. Skunky took a
step back, his face contorted in the most awful expression of contempt. The baby that had 
attacked Skunky laughed at Skunky and then crawled back into his mother's cunt, pushing away
the rolls of fat and hair in order for him to get back into the womb. Its mother looked at 
Skunky and then pointed, breathing heavily as she slowly approached. 
"Fuck me!!!!! What the hell are you??????" He screamed in fear and confusion. She didn't
say anything, she just waddled closer. She made an awful sound at the back of her throat and
then vomited, spewing green chunky liquid across the floor. Skunky stepped back and grabbed
a smaller knife off the table, and a few sharp objects which he shoved in his pockets. 
He swished the knife and prepared to charge.
"In the name of God I shall wipe your presence from this Earth, and then I'll wipe my arse
with your face bitch." She belched and he became angry again. "FAT CUNT!!!!!" He screamed
as he charged. He ran as fast as he could at her, with the knife raised. She merely placed
her huge hand down and flipped him over her head. Skunky shouted as he span in the air and
landed right in the middle of the group of zombies who began to tear at him. The monstrous
woman laughed in a deep gritty voice. This was obviously what had led this group of
zombies and so wondered how the other group were getting on. She looked into the dark and 
saw the zombies crowded around one area and blood gushing out like a fountain whilst Skunky
screamed. She began to make her way towards the stairs. Suddenly out of no-where Skunky
grabbed her from behind. He held his arm across her throat as she tried to shake him off,
making choking and panicking sounds all the while. Skunky grit his teeth, his face not 
recognisable due to all the blood, flain skin and body pieces. 
"Heh..heh..fuckin' bitch!!!" He snarled in her ear, his voice twisted and sore. He then opened
his mouth and ripped off her ear with his teeth. She yelped and struggled faster as Skunky
spat out a floppy piece of skin, whilst blood poured out of her ear and down her pulsating
sweaty body. Still holding on he reached into his pocket and pulled out a hacksaw blade.
She pleaded, tears streaming down her face as she cried for her life to be spared. Skunky
gave no answer. He took the thin blade in both hands and place it across her neck, she was 
still shaking her head. Skunky began to move it back and forth, the slender blade easily
hacking through the rolls of fat. He did it faster and faster, enjoying her convulsing body
shake and quiver as he cut through her throat. Hot viscous, deep red blood poured over 
Skunk's hands, burning them as he moved the blade, the tiny serrated edge ripping through
the skin. The feeling of the blood on his hands heightened the pleasure of the killing, and
as he pulled more her body jerked to match the movements of Skunky's blade. A huge slit
poured all sorts of chemical substances across her body, and blood ran down her wrinkled 
saggy tits before dripping onto the newly skin-carpeted floor. He ran it through the bone
and stopped when he felt the spinal chord snap. He got off, she was now unable to struggle
but she was still alive. He walked around to the front so she could see him, her eyes 
so full of compassion and begging for mercy, her neck wide open and spewing blood. He 
stood like a daemon looking at her and slowly walked to the bench turning his back to her 
while he checked the table. With his body crouched over the table he looked over, the fringe
of his hair going several inches away from his head and his eye showing malice. He grinned
and picked up a 12 inch diamond disc cutting devise. He stood with it, feeling the devise,
then he pulled the lever and it fired up. The sound of a motor filled the room and drowned
out the screaming. She screamed in total agony and pain, but Skunky didn't listen and 
slit open her belly with a single diagonal motion, causing a wound an inch deep. He switched
it off and threw it to one side. In a fit of rage he plunged his hands into her stomach,
which was now throwing out a thick green acidic fluid. As the blood gushed out like a burst
pipe skunky pulled out the kicking screaming form of the small child. Holding it by the legs
Skunky stumbled to the table, the baby crying like new-born and frantically trying to claw 
Skunky. He smashed it against the table, trying to silence it, punching it in the face with 
his bare fist. It cried even more and its mother cried for it wishing to save it. Skunky 
put its feet in the vice connected to the table and pulled the handle. The cracking and 
breaking of the baby's wrinkled legs indicated it was tight enough. Skunky stumbled over the
still attached umbilical chord, (which ran straight up his mothers cunt) and reached the sockets.
Skunky plugged in all the plugs and pulled down on the trip switch. He stumbled back and
pulled the baby up. The clawing hit home and Skunky's face bore three deep claw marks. The baby
laughed and cackled. Skunky spat at it in the face and shoved the whole baby in the blender.
Pushing it down with his hand he heard it shriek for the last time. He flicked the switch and
the blades span, turning the baby to thick goo and sending the tiny innards of the child up
the wall of Washu's lab. The umbilical chord went around with the blades too, until it snapped 
and it fell to the floor, the baby no longer attached, the child now resembled a strawberry
smoothie. The mother lamented and cried, Skunky fell to the floor in pain and tiredness.
He held his gun that he had found on the table and checked the barrel. He loaded a dumdum
bullet and took aim at the crying woman. The single bullet splattered her features across the
room and the force of impact snapped the rest of her neck, sending her head backwards and
a little jet of blood squirted from the wound where her head had been. Skunky sighed, he 
was tired and he scratched his head with the barrel of the pistol. He was sat in a pile of
hacked limbs and layers of skin stripped from the bone, all around him were parts of people's
bodies and the floor was awash with a centimetre of bodily fluids, he looked around and
listened to the repetitive drip of blood seeping out of the corpses. He looked at himself,
not one inch of him was without blood, he was a mess and his hair was matted with it, organs
lined his pockets from when he was thrown into the zombies and he hacked them into bits with
a knife, and a long string of intestine had fallen down his black shirt. 
"I fucking HATE children. He said to himself. He stummbled to his feet and looked at the 
table before him. The blender, once a brilliant white was stained with red juices that
trickled down the sides and collected on the many dials. He picked it up and fell to the
floor again. He stirred the mixture that putting the baby in the blender had left and 
smelt the aroma. He cautiously looked around to see if anyone was looking and took a sip of
the paste. He smacked his lips to check the flavour, but his face turned sour, it didn't 
taste right. He poured it out onto the ground, a pinkish fluid and a single eyeball stared
at him as the mixture diffused onto the floor. Skunky turned his head and vomited, the 
natural reaction his bady gave. However as the saying goes, no rest for the wicked, and how 
true this became, no sooner than he had finished spewing his guts up then Skunky heard an 
ear-splitting, window-shattering female shriek that he had not heard before coming from 
upstairs. Skunky quickly rose to his feet, dripping in the contents of his enemies skin, 
and quickly loaded more bullets into his weapon. He looked around, on the table as he placed
six black-headed bullets in the appropriate cylinders. He poked around the table and knocked
something with the back of his hand. He pulled whatever it was from underneath the pile of 
machinery Washu was hoarding and there it was, wrapped in an oily rag and placed under the rest
of the mess was his sword. He unsheathed it and gazed at its unspoilt splendour. He attached
it to his belt and walked across the lab, listening to the squelching, as his foot depressions
caused juices to squirt out of the corpses. He stepped across the hacked limbs of his victims
to the twitching remains of the fat daemoness. It still bubbled as her insides continued to
dribble out of the huge gash in her stomach. She twitched, and the rest of her head fell to 
floor, splashing in the blood as it did. Skunky admired his handiwork and gently pushed the
bloated mess to the floor. It bounced slightly with the excess fat before coming to rest,
the bodies juices still running freely. He smiled and turned away, following the screams out 
of Washu's lab, his gun loaded and ready for action.

Ryoko had valiantly held off the creeping monsters, but despite the amount of times she 
sliced and injured them, they just kept coming back. She thrusted, swiped, hacked and 
chopped, but nothing she could do would stop them. Ayeka and Sasami cowered behind her,
retreating up the stairs as they swarmed around, biting and gnashing their decaying mouths
in an attempt to grab a tasty snack. Tenchi was helping and although they could cease the 
movements of individual monsters, there seemed to be a never-ending supply of them. Tenchi
had explained to them his previous encounters with them and how the only way to stop them 
was to hack off the head. However this was not something that come easily to Tenchi or 
Ryoko and although vastly superior in fighting ability to Skunky, neither of them seemed to
be able to get close enough to strike without myriads of sprawling arms trying to rip them
to shreds. Skunky had been used to it and so developed his weapon skill to match the perfect
slaying of zombies and other daemonic entities. Ryoko snarled as she held off another attack
as they would soon be at the top with no-where to go. She had attempted to use her powers
to rid the house of them but they seemed to be protected with a sorcerer's spell that nullified all
energy attacks, rendering Kiyone and Mihoshi's weapons useless as well as all of Ryoko's 
powers. Tenchi used his great power to fell one, chopping his head clean from the shoulder 
in a poised and calculated strike. Another one died, his neck severed from the rest of his
nervous system by an acute strike from Ryoko's fists. She retracted her hands quickly as the
claws attacked her clothes and ripped her sleeve off, showing her bare arms. She fell back
and the writing sea off filthy corpses stumbled their way forth, blindly. Sasami was crying
as they backed off, Ayeka comforted her with words that told of another day when this would
all be over. Mihoshi also was scared and Kiyone had no time as she held them off with her 
fists, it was getting desperate.

In the living room a few lonely corpses walked aimlessly, them being far too slow for the main 
attack group. As Skunky made his way through, they would see him and alter their course 
accordingly, stumbling for him, but they moved at a snails pace and Skunky simply walked 
past them. He took out his pistol and with a quick sharp bang they fell to the floor, a 
shiny bullet aimed directly into the forehead. A small thin cloud of smoke surrounded Skunky
as he fired. With a few gone he looked around the room and he noticed up the stairs was the
tail-end of the group that was attacking Tenchi and the others. A few of the zombies at the
rear peeled away to attack Skunky, but he limped away into the kitchen. He switched on the
light and felt a biting in his shin, underneath were the knife was embedded. A leg-less 
zombie gnawed at Skunky's flesh, and tore away the surface skin. He growled with his teeth
clenched before sticking a kitchen knife through its ear, scrambling the brain as it tore
through the nerves. He looked for weapons, through all the drawers and cupboards, quickly 
he filled his pockets with knives and sharp implements. But his keen eye caught something.
Someone had been doing some gardening and had left a variety of digging equipment and tools
lying on newspaper. He picked up a pair of shears ready for the next zombie to come through
the doors. No sooner than it had burst in then Skunky opened the shears and when in the 
right place closed them with full force. Blood sprayed over the refridgerator as he cut 
straight through the arm, and with several forceful hacks severed it from the torso. The same
was quickly done to the second arm, the clothes the zombie wore were nothing but rags 
smeared with his blood at the sides were the stumps that vomited the crimson fluid. Quickly he 
rammed them through its mouth, the blades coming out of the other side of his head in a 
loud crack of bone. He then began to open and close the blades, forcing the wound to open
and hacking through the head from the inside. After one final hard push the sides of his
mouth caved in and the top half of his head fell to the floor, and a concoction of bone and
blood went up the walls. The second one that had followed simply had a garden fork rammed 
through its chest and holding it against the wall. He struggled and clawed at Skunky for 
impaling him to the kitchen, but he was having too much fun. Skunky looked in one of the
cupboards and pulled out one of Ryoko's sake bottles. He unscrewed the top and took a sip.
"Tastes of piss." He scowled as he spat it out. He then covered the thing in this fluid 
before setting it alight by the feet with Tyler's lighter. He squinted and shielded his 
face as it went up like a treat. The burning corpse straddled and convulsed as it died, burning
as a human torch, impaled to the wall. Skunky laughed at its feeble attempts to escape, 
before picking up the axe which was lying with the group of gardening tools. He put his gun 
to its place and ran through the door and into the living room. He reached the base of the
stairs with the axe held tightly with both hands. He listened and heard the shouting and 
commotion from the top of the second flight of stairs. He growled like a maniac and a few 
zombies at the back turned to face him, he smiled and looked like a serial killer drenched
in blood and seriously pissed off. Skunky was about to make a run for it, and leave 
Tenchi, Ayeka and the whole house to get what he thought they deserved. But he knew that
these zombies were here because of Seth and he would obviously be waiting, plus he needed
to get the relic off Washu, he gave it to her for safe keeping and she had hidden it in one
of her inter-dimensional wormholes. He had to help them, but he was short on time if he 
fought them one by one Tenchi and everyone would be long dead. He would have to do something
rather stupid, and push past them. He braced himself mentally, took out a razor blade and 
held it in his mouth, the blade facing away from him. He charged at the two advancing him, 
smashed one to pieces in a single blow with the heavy axe against the wall and pushed the 
other over the banister with the handle, he then pushed into the throng of zombies. He forced
himself forward through the hordes of the undead, many of them not expecting him. The razor
in his teeth nicked the flesh of those in front as he ran in, head low. As a reaction they
pulled away from the pain, making a slight opening for him to push past. But they quickly 
noticed his presence and Skunky had to battle against the searching hands trying to grab
him. He hacked his way up the stairs with the axe, butchering many of them with irregular
strikes, not aiming for any particular part. He knew it was important to keep his mind 
focused and to ignore the attempts on his life, just keep swinging the axe and pushing 
forward. Arms, legs, heads were torn off the lifeless carcasses as he made his way through.
Blood trickled down the wooden steps in playful splashes. Heads also began to roll down the
stairs, whilst jets of watery blood flew from the wounds Skunky had opened, showing his 
position within the confusion. As he reached the first floor, (English first floor, the 
one he came from being the ground floor.) he was pushed by the collective force of hands 
along the corridor. He swiped and fell into the bathroom. Holding the door closed with 
his back in an attempt to keep them out. However a huge shove sent skunky flying forward 
and his head smashed into the mirror, sending shards of glass over the floor. Several 
strong zombies snarled and entered the room, their skin stained red and tightly packed 
around the bone. He hacked the axe at the one in the doorway, his thighs and legs came 
off in one fell swoop, and his torso fell to the ground. The legs, stumbled over and the 
intestines unravelled themselves like a coiled spring over the bathroom. The second had 
his head battered over the bathroom tiles by the blunt end of the axe, and his brain smeared
and ran down the white tiles, shards of skull and small pieces of brain gave the room a 
nice pebble dash effect. The third dived for Skunky, he side stepped and the zombie stumbled
over the toilet. He battered the back of his head with the axe handle and shoved his head 
underneath the toilet water turning it blood red. He finished by putting the blade directly
through his neck and a clean break snapped his skinny neck. He held the axe tightly again
as he started to leave he felt hands grab and claw at his heels, the zombie who he had just
rendered immobile was attacking Skunky's legs. He quickly threw down the axe and picked the
zombie up by his skin. He snarled and bit his teeth like a ravenous wolf but soon stopped
as he felt his internal organs slowly slide out of the huge wound. In a pile underneath his
liver, heart and kidneys lay, then his lungs began to slide out and slapped in a meaty 
pile on the bathroom floor. The lungs pulled his throat out and soon his rib cage began to 
slide out, squelching as it did so. This fell to the floor and as it pulled out the spine 
and spinal chord, his brain followed pulling the eyeballs from the sockets. Skunky waved the
flappy bit of skin around and chucked it to the floor, before mushing up the still twitching
pile of organs and bone with his boot, sending blood shooting up his leg and various fluids
shooting across the floor. He picked up the axe left the now eviscerated bodies in the bathroom
to barge back into the sea of undead beings, taking out a few of the wandering ones in the
corridor as he made his way back into them. He pushed into them again, and hacked the arms
that tried to grab him. Everywhere he had to push a against bodies trying to pull his apart
in the most horrifying manner possible. Some he pushed off with the axe handle, the others
he tore apart with the sharp edge of his axe. He fought his way upstairs and heard the 
screams getting nearer. Tenchi just about had his back to the wall in his room, as did 
everyone else for that matter. The attempts to hold them off had failed and it seemed like
the finish for them, Ryoko could escape and take someone with her but that would condemn the
rest. The whole group fearlessly fought on, but there was little chance. Tenchi, Kiyone and
Ryoko were now exhausted from the constant physical attacks the were having to make, and 
they were having little affect. With his back pushed firmly against the hard wall Tenchi 
braced himself. He looked at the form of his doom, many rotting forms of former human 
bodies bit and swiped their yellow fingernails. A mass of bloody corpses with flies feeding
off their wounds and burying the offspring underneath their skin. Their pathetic excuse for
a form barely able to keep their inner organs within the body. They all thought that was it,
and without saying it, they all noted a goodbye feel. That is, until they heard the snarling 
and maddening form of a deranged human being, hacking his merry way through. They couldn't
see him, just blood splattering from where he was. The spray got closer and closer until 
the blood soaked form of a man stepped out from the crowd with a stained axe clasped tightly
in his dripping hands. His eyes opened and his eyes showed he was human, he spat out a 
razor blade, congealed blood, thick like paste ran out of his mouth. Tenchi didn't know what
to say, 'hello', or 'thank you' or 'how did you get out?'. For some reason Tenchi knew that
he was here to help him. 
"Skunky?" He asked in stunned surprise. "Is that you?" 
"Who else?" He coarsely replied, his throat red raw and permanently damaged.
"Ryoko...." Tenchi ordered
"Yes?" She replied.
"Take everyone, one by one out the window and onto the grass." Tenchi said.
"But...." Ryoko protested, not wanting to leave Tenchi.
"Now, please Ryoko. I'm sure Skunky can keep them back long enough for all to escape."
Ryoko looked at the form of their salvation, a man who looked like he had every inch of skin
ripped from his bone. He bore his blood dripping teeth, skin and muscle caught between his
teeth. Her nose wrinkled from the sight but nodded in agreement. Ayeka handed her Sasami 
and Ryoko went about her mission as ordered. Skunky and Tenchi held them back, with
considerably more success than before. Skunky used his excellent reflexes and fearless ability
to chop them apart. Sometimes pulling out a knife to stab them in a single wound to the head.
Tenchi tried, but hacking people to bits was something he was not used to and it showed as he
was far more apprehensive. As they slew together a small conversation erupted.
"So why did you come back?" Tenchi asked, pushing back an attacker.
"Well. You saved my life, I just had to come back to thank you." He laughed as he slaughtered
another.
"You look like you've had a bit of fun." Tenchi said as he looked over at him.
"Oh yes!!!" He replied, moving his eyebrows. Then it was Tenchi's turn to leave, he patted
Skunky on the shoulder and Skunky nodded. Ryoko grabbed Tenchi, rather hard as you could
imagine, then proceeded out of the window, Ryoko of course enjoying the ride. Skunky was
left to fend for himself, he pulled out his trusty side arm. The room erupted with the 
sound of explosives as six more bullets felled the enemy, smashing through the skull and 
causing the head to splatter across the group. He holstered it and sat in the window, he didn't
want to wait for Ryoko. He looked over his shoulder, and said a few words to his adversaries 
before leaping out into the night. As he left the creatures ran to the window, trying to 
grab him as he fell but they were all too late.

Mihoshi wrapped her arms around Kiyone, her lack of self control had not abated and she 
still found herself sobbing uncontrollably in a manner that only Mihoshi could perfect. The 
whole family sat on the lawn, collecting their thoughts and trying their best to grasp 
what had just happened previous. Sasami was also in no condition befitting her previous 
cheery self, it was as if someone had died, the amount she cried as Ayeka tried to help her
forget the terrible ordeal that had just happened. Katsuhito took it all in his usual stride
and seemed completely unaffected, however he will now know how to deal with it, should this
problem arise again. He began to pace up and down, rubbing his brow.
"Who were these?" He said to himself. "Such primitive beasts could surely not have brought
themselves here unless they were attracted by something." A glint formed in his eyes as 
sudden realisation took full sway. Plus Ryoko was walking over, holding a bloody man by the
back of his collar. 
"Look who I found......trying to sneak away when my back was turned." Ryoko said angrily. 
Skunky walked over with a limp, a knife still deeply entrenched in his bone. Except he limped
a lot more now, having landed on his pelvis during the fall from the window. She let him go 
and he dropped to the floor, his face showing no emotion. Ayeka turned her face away in 
contempt, Tenchi got up and walked towards him, he knelt down. 
"Look, I want to apologise for the way I've been treating you the past few days, and if you'll
let me, I want it to be like when we were back in Golgotha. Brothers in arms." Tenchi said as
he patted him on the soldier.
"Yeah, I guess." He replied, and slapped Tenchi on the side of the arm. Ryoko strode over,
the look of trouble on her face and she stood with her arms folded.
"I still wouldn't trust him...." She said coldly.
"Well I wouldn't fucking trust you either, daemonic bitch. I've dealt with your kind on a 
daily basis." He shot back.
"What did you say?" She angrily snarled back as she raised her fists. Tenchi intervened and 
held Ryoko back.
"Look, just calm down please!! Please Ryoko, for me." He pleaded, she could seriousness in 
his tone of voice and so grudgingly complied, walking away still enraged. They did not even
have time to draw breath before any hope of calm. They realised this when a gritty laugh
penetrated the still and shot fear into the hearts of all. It came from all around like 
they were surrounded, but it all filtered back into one spot and out of the darkness came 
the lone figure. Seth looked up, his cape waving in the wind whilst making flapping noises.
He drew a sword, an ordinary iron sword, however it was rotten to the core, perverted with 
the black arts. Light emanated around him and the souls of the dead screamed in torment as
the invisible daemonic spirit creatures lifted him a few feet from the ground. Flames shot 
from the ground around him, ripping up the soil and causing heat so intense everyone stepped
back. In the flames clearly visible were the faces of those who had dabbled in this magic
before. Those whose mental power was not so finely tuned that daemons whom, they could not
control manifested themselves before their eyes and pulled them, kicking and screaming back
into the realms were they inhabit. The rising flames of hell surrounded him, making a 
pentangle below. Dark chants by priests echoed around the valley in constant monotony, and 
the sky filled with dark clouds. Skunky, whose cult forbids the use of magic was angry and
because of his previous encounters with Seth took a step forwards. Seth spoke, his voice now 
warped with the affects of having several daemons infest his body.
"So Skunky." He began. "You still live I see. Don't worry about that, I will soon remedy 
it. I guarantee."
"Awwww Fuck off Seth." He replied. "You know you do like talking out of yer arse don't you."
"You'll regret those words you pathetic weakling." 
"What you going to do? Bore us to death with your incessant talking?" 
A smile formed on Seth's face and the wind began to pick up. He levitated higher. 
"No.....for you see Skunky this is to be our last meeting. I will now kill you for a last 
time." He turned to the rest of them. "And you......I shall destroy the lot of you, and I 
fuck your still warm, twitching bodies." He said, with a touch of evil about his face.
"What? So you're into necrophelia now?" Skunky asked in surprise. "Well, at least you ain't
a shit-stabber. Anyway you can't have copulation without the corpse can ya?" He smirked.
"Enough!!!!" Seth finally shouted as he bore his sword, poised to strike. Tenchi boldly stepped
forward to protect his family, his emotions high as he sought to rid the world of this monster.
"Don't worry Skunky, I'll take care of him." He said as Skunky dropped to the floor with his
injuries. He would not let Seth win, and he would fight despite the overwhelming odds. 
Seth looked down upon him from his lofty position and laughed slightly. He raised an arm and 
a streak of fire ripped through the ground at high speed towards Tenchi, who gallantly leaped
from the spewing furnace in time. He landed on his feet only to have to move straight away
to avoid another line of fire shooting from the ground. He used his acrobatic fighting ability
to dodge the magic with the greatest of ease. After doing this a few times he made an 
advancing run with his weapon drawn. Seth levitated down to strike, and the metal clashed
once more as they engaged in a close battle. Tenchi thrust and jumped back as Seth savagely
attacked with great speed and power, causing several of Tenchi's strikes to miss completely.
Tenchi jumped over the lines in the pentangle that were now just embers glowing in the 
night and providing light. Seth struck, Tenchi defended and suddenly Tenchi was thrown back
by a white flash of static energy. Summoned from his fingertips, Seth had caused Tenchi 
to fly back several yards has a terrible force smashed into his stomach like a sledgehammer.
Tenchi rolled for a minute on the floor, holding his stomach. 
"Tenchiiiii!!!!" Screamed Ryoko as she sprinted with her sword summoned. Seth grinned as 
he saw this as another easy target. He prepared to strike, however Ryoko teleported behind 
before she reached him. However Seth was being aided by daemons, and this had given him
keener senses. He quickly turned before she could strike, and the look of horror could be seen
on Ryoko's face as she noticed her shot had been blocked. Seth pushed her away and began to 
throw streaks of fire at her. She dodged them well until he threw one to either side of her.
She dodged one and moved back, straight into the path of the second row of flames. Her arm 
became scorched in an instant and she wailed in agony as she grasped it. Seth couldn't 
contain his laughter. Kiyone and Mihoshi fired many shots at Seth, but all bounced from his
skin. He didn't even look at them, just raised a hand and the weapons melted in their hands.
Mihoshi screamed as the hot metal burned her hands and she dropped it, waving her hands around
to cool them down. Tenchi struggled to his feet and Seth prepared himself once more. Fuelled
with rage Tenchi ran at Seth and struck with fierce velocity, they continued to hack parry 
and thrust for several minutes each using their best attributes to their advantage. Seth 
quickly jumped into the air, out of sight of Tenchi. He quickly jumped back to see Seth 
come down from the Sky and attack the place were he had been stood. Tenchi retaliated, but his 
sword was nearly knocked out of his hands by the sheer force of the parry. Tenchi thought to
himself how it was possible that he could win. Pushing all doubt from his mind Tenchi battled
on trying his best to score a hit on the formidable opponent. As the swords clash, Tenchi's
years of training helped him spot a small opening in his defences, with a little flick of his
wrist, Tenchi scored a hit across Seth's Chest. The daemons in Seth's body grunted with the
uncomfort of the strike. Seth jumped back holding his bleeding chest, still with an
evil grin on his face. He quickly summoned a daemon. Before Tenchi's eyes, a ghostly 
apparition appeared. He tried to strike it, but all weapons seemed not to harm it. It slowly
raised a mighty claw and struck the confused Tenchi across his chest and once again down 
his back. His clothes ripped as the claws tore into skin leaving several streaks of blood 
down his chest and back. He almost fainted from the shock of the wounds he had just received,
the daemon faded away as Tenchi fell to the floor rolling around as he tried to nurse every
wound at the same time. Skunky meanwhile hobbled to his feet and limped over in the attempt
to buy him more time. He drew his fencing sword and held it close as he tried to strike the
omnipotent Seth. Seth struck the sword from his grasp with his fist, Skunky held his own 
hand, sore from the attack. Seth lifted him by the jacket and held him to his face. The 
look of determination had never ceased on Skunk's face, as blood streaked down it.
"I'll deal with you, you little bastard later." He spoke as he threw him towards the house.
Skunky hit the ground and felt dizzy from the excess adrenaline pumping through his veins.
He looked over his shoulder towards the house, the huge screen doors holding back the tide
of zombies that had now made their way downstairs. Ryoko took another attack on Seth, using 
her ability to fly she circled him, and she threw abuse as she shouted her revenge. Seth 
avoided her, but she came in close and struck him across the face. A streak of blood squirted
out as he moved his head back. His hair flicked as he did and the ends attached to the sticky
blood streaming down his face. He merely ground his teeth and swore beneath his breath. Ryoko
felt slightly better, but soon realised Seth was toying with her when he raised both arms.
The flames around him fired up and the wind fuelled this. The screams grew louder as they 
fed the flames, and the faces flickered and twitched. She span round in fright, and in but
a moment a huge spinning ball of energy engulfed her. She instantly fell from the floor, 
paralysed as her nerves began to shut down. She twitched and groaned in sweet agony as she
felt life slip from her, Seth smiling his deathly smile as he watched her energy filter
into his, and the daemons roared in pleasure as they feasted upon her energy. Tenchi couldn't
take it any longer, he got to his feet, using the sword as a support. He felt as angry as
he had ever been in his life, and he could no longer take the suffering of Ryoko, who 
continued to scream at the top of her lungs. He felt a strange Energy flow through his 
fingertips that caused him to draw his sword. He focused his mind as the energy guided his
aim, he was so furious that it had taken hold of his mind and he acted upon the feelings
that now surged his whole body. Ayeka looked on as she saw a brilliant white light shine 
from him, holding Sasami tight behind the forcefield her eyes grew wide.
"That's the......" She mumbled to herself.
Seth took a moment from his enjoyment to check out the glimmer of light before him. Quicker 
than he could react a blinding flash of light zoomed past him. The energy from all around 
poured itself into a singular point, lightning flashed and the winds howled. The focus of
energy quickly turned into a streak of blood and the levitating Seth fell to his feet. The 
fire disappeared from all around and the flange in his voice disappeared as the daemons 
abandoned their host. He stumbled in shock, focusing on the floor as his face went white.
Tenchi put away the sword and went to help Ryoko, from there he watched as Seth stumbled,
still alive but with a huge gash across his belly. He held the wound closed as the hot
blood seeped from between his fingers. He choked and coughed as he mumbled.
"Why.....did....you.....abandon...me?" He asked the daemons that were no-longer there. He 
looked up at the gawping onlookers, one though did not sit still. Skunky raced towards him,
momentarily forgetting his wounds and running through the pain. He grabbed Seth and began
pushing him at a large rate towards the house. Shoulder barging him at a constant speed,
Seth could not hold up any resistance, Skunky made noises depicting a massive effort
as he pushed him onto the porch. As it was such a fast pace they went over the porch step 
and smashed through the screen door into the horde of Zombies. The huge pane of glass 
smashed into thousands of tiny shards, and some large bits fell to the floor and broke there.
Seth was pushed into the floor and Skunky pulled himself back, fighting the momentum to 
go forwards as they stopped suddenly. Seth's fingers ran off his jacket as he pulled himself
away, falling backwards out the screen door as he observed the zombies surround Seth. 
"Bastard!!!!!! I'll fucking kill you one of these days!!!!!!! Next time!!!!" Seth screamed
as he began to be smothered by the festering bodies. Hundreds of hands tore into and under
his skin, ripping off huge flaps of his skin. Seth screamed in agony as this happened, his
voice becoming hoarse after a few seconds. Several more hands were plunged deep into his
stomach while he was alive, and pulled out huge strings of pink intestines. These were ripped
apart by the hordes as they chewed on his innards. His screams were drowned in blood as his 
head was ripped off and his skull broken as they fed on his throbbing brain, a huge crack 
sound informed Skunky of this. His arms were ripped off, and the zombies carried these away
tearing off huge mouthfuls of skin, with a multitude of blood gushing from the slits. They
tore his meat from the bone and they gnawed upon his ribs, still with large chunks of meat 
hanging off them. Skunky walked back to the group as they gathered around Ryoko to make sure 
she pulled through, which she did with great haste. Much to Tenchi's delight and he gave her 
a crushing bear-hug. Skunky walked from the sounds of profuse munching on Seth's carcass
only to be met by Kiyone, who was looking at him funny.
"What?" He asked.
"What happened to you?" She asked with a screwed up expression on her face. Skunky looked 
at himself. He had no clean skin, he was completely red with other peoples veins hanging off
him aswell as their organs. He had a few scars and a large meat cleaver embedded in his leg.
He fell to the ground, exhausted.
"Just another day." He sighed to himself. Everyone began to welcome Ryoko back and thank 
Tenchi for his bravery. Ayeka especially, who had been sheltering Sasami behind her 
protective shield thanked Tenchi for the valiant fight he had put up. He lay Ryoko on the
grass and looked up at him tearfully. She smiled when she saw everything would be alright.
"Tenchi..." She groaned as she raised a hand to touch his face. "I thought I'd lost you 
again." She slipped back and rested her hand on her chest, very weak and drained. 
"I said I wouldn't, didn't I?" Tenchi replied, and Ryoko felt safe once again. Sasami,
looked over the resting body of Ryoko, her small body still shaking. 
"Thank you Tenchi, for saving us...." Sasami whimpered. 
"Well, it wasn't just me." Tenchi replied. "Ryoko, Skunky, Kiyone, grandpa...." Tenchi stopped.
"That's something..." Tenchi turned to Katsuhito. "Why didn't you join in?" 
Katsuhito scratched the back of his head.
"This was as good as any time to test your skill.....plus I didn't have a clue what they 
were...." He said as he smiled, he looked over at the zombies. One had Seth's arm and was 
happily eating strings of muscle from the bone.
"Boy!! Dad's going to wonder what he's missed when he gets home." Tenchi concluded.   
Tenchi and the group walked over to Skunky, who was unaware of anyone else. 
"So what do we do with them?" He asked as he pointed towards the house. Skunky looked over
and then at Tenchi, and everyone staring at him with a repulsed look.
"Let me catch my breath then I'll sort them out." He replied, and sat back looking at the 
stars in the clear sky on his back in the grass. He wondered if he would ever see home again.
"I think they're looking at me funny...." Mihoshi said nervously as she hid behind Kiyone.
"Do you think..." She gulped. "They want to eat me too?" She whimpered.
"Sure Mihoshi, whatever." Kiyone answered.
"Hey!!!!!!!" A voice rang out from afar.
Suddenly everyone turned round to see a very VERY confused and agitated Washu running from
the back door towards the group. She was till wearing her pyjamas and she was panting, she
had been sleeping in one of her worm-holes again for the peace and quiet. She ran up to the
group and bent down as she tried to catch her breath.
"What's wrong Washu?" Tenchi asked.
"I have two questions that need to be answered." She began. "The most important being....
WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO MY BEAUTIFUL LAB!!!????!!!" Everyone looked at each other confused
and they shook their heads. Finally Tenchi spoke up.
"We don't know what's wrong with your lab." He replied. Slowly everyone turned round and
looked at Skunky who was still gazing at the skies on his back. From one side of his lip
he was grinning, bearing his blood red teeth, riddled with bits of meat.

End of Part Two

(see bottom for info)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------    
       
"In starting and waging a war it is not right that matters, but victory."

Adolf Hitler (1889-1945)German Dictator. 

Taken from 'The rise and Fall of The Third Reich' by W. L. Shirer.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A fitting Song:      "Am I Evil?" by Diamond Head

My mother was a witch, she was burned alive.
Nameless little bitch, Ohh the tears I cried.
Take her down now, don't want to see her face.
All blistered and burned, can't hide my disgrace.

Twenty-seven everyone was nice,
Gotta see 'em make 'em pay the price,
See their bodies out on the ice,
Take my time.

Am I Evil? 
Yes I Am!!
Am I Evil?
I am man....yes I am.

As I watched my mother die, I lost my head.
Revenge now I sought, to break with my bread.
Taking no chances, you come with me.
I'll split you to the bone, help set you free.

Twenty-seven everyone was nice,
Gotta see 'em make 'em pay the price,
See their bodies out on the ice,
Take my time.

Am I Evil? 
Yes I Am!!
Am I Evil?
I am man....yes I am.

On with the action now, I'll strip your pride.
I'll see you burn in hell, I'll see you writhe.
Your face is scarred with steel, wounds deep and neat.
Like a devil dancing before you, smells so sweet.

Am I Evil? 
Yes I Am!!
Am I Evil?
I am man....yes I am.

I'll set my residence, I'll watch your fire.
You can come with me, sweet desire.
My face is long forgotten, my face not my own.
Sweet and timely whore, take me home.

Am I Evil? 
Yes I Am!!
Am I Evil?
I am man....yes I am!!!!!!

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First things first as they say. I'm sorry for the delay for getting this episode
done, I've been really busy getting all me work done but hopefully I can do 
a little on all the next chapters. Next point I apologise if anyone didn't like 
the crappy wuss bit in the middle, that part probably took the longest and I was
stumped for ideas throughout, but it made all the none-sentimental parts better. 
So anyways, thanks for reading again I hope had as much fun reading it as I did
writing it. Again, anything whatsoever, hate it? love it? not bothered? Just 
tell me, any comments are welcomed. Just put down: caleb.howson@virgin.net and
post it to me. Remember it's the comments off everyone that help me to develop
into a better writer. So anything you want: You hated the middle, You hated 
everything except the middle, You hate diamond head, anything at all, I'll be 
happy to speak to you. Until part 3 then...... 

I'm Sunderland AFC 'till I die!!!!!!!!!!!!! FTM
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