Wrote this one about two weeks ago, but forgot to post it. As usual, written on my lunchbreak when I had nothing better to do. -- DBK 7 March 1999 Adric's New Role Another Silly Lunchbreak Fic, more or less in the TTR universe (and then some). ***** Kagato was back. Somehow he'd survived, and now wanted revenge on Tenchi and the girls. Washu was gone, Sasami was missing, and Ayeka... Tenchi had no idea where Ayeka was, and there was a part of him inside that dreaded to find out. As for the other part of his heart... it was currently chasing him, throwing energy bolts and causing her usual inordinate amount of property damage. Only this time, all of her ire was being directed at him. "Ryoko!" Tenchi shouted over his shoulder, dodging another piece of flying debris that had once been part of a classroom wall. "This isn't you! This is Kagato controlling you!" Ryoko merely gave him that vacant, zombie-like stare that sent shivers up and down his spine. "I... obey Kagato. Kagato is my Master..." A flash of light, and the floor of the hallway collapsed around them. Tenchi stumbled, lost his footing, and fell with the concrete to the floor below. Ryoko, typically, merely hung in mid air and slowly floated downwards toward him. From the ground, he looked up at the girl he... no, he couldn't say it, not now, not ever, no matter how much he sometimes thought about it. But yet, that was why he couldn't do it, couldn't fight her. The Juryai-powered sword was in his hands, and he couldn't bring himself to use it. Not against her, not the one he... If there was any part of the Ryoko he knew left in the person hovering over him, it wasn't visible. Slowly, she raised her hands above her head. A small, red glowing light began to form... "CUT!" Ryoko and Tenchi both froze, then relaxed. The alien girl brought her hands down slowly and helped her fellow cast member to his feet. "How'd we do?" Tenchi asked, as their Director approached. "Good job, good job!" the Director said, clapping as he walked towards them. "We're going to go directly to the next take." The Director turned to the crew behind him. "Cue stunt man!" he shouted. Tenchi gave his stunt double a high-five as they passed each other . Ryoko smiled and waved an arm energetically. The dark high school uniform fit the double much better than that garish yellow-green thing he usually wore. "Ohayoo, Adric-kun! How's it going?" she remarked as he approached. "Well, I'm working again. Can't complain." Ryoko laughed. "Still bartending at that dive?" Adric shrugged. "It's a steady income. Besides, they'd all suspect something was up if I suddenly stopped working there." He sat on the ground and began to lay himself into something like the position Tenchi had been moments before. Some of the continuity people knelt beside him and helped place his legs and arms into approximately the correct position. The next shot was going to be a long-field one, so there really wasn't a need to get it exactly right. But still, there was the professionalism of it all. "This is still much better than what I usually get on ADWC, at any rate." Adric opined, as they handed him a Juryai power-sword prop. Ryoko nodded in sympathy. "I believe it. I had a look at some of that over the weekend." She shivered. "And I thought the things RAAC did to Kunou were bad." "Places, everyone!" The Director shouted. Ryoko raised her hands above her head. "Ready?" Adric-as-Tenchi looked upwards in mock fear. "Give me your worst!" The Director started to shout. "Ready, set... ACTION!" A ball of red energy began to form between Ryoko's hands. "Tenchi Musaki..." she spat, her voice rising. "SHI-NEEEE!!!" ********* NOTE: Shi-ne!! = Die!! RAAC = Rec.Arts.Anime.Creative