Post by More than Music on May 18, 2011 12:06:35 GMT -5
Alrighty! Here's the bachelor party, courtesy of both Mascii and I – I wrote the boring parts and she edited in some action ;D – so I hope you enjoy it! All of the characters actually in the story belong to us, but you already knew that. xD
“So are you gonna tell us what this is yet or what?”
Clarence smirked at Preston, leaning on the door. “Just go in there and put them on, got it?” he said, seeing Yukito's eyes flash from behind his two friends. Preston just blinked, and that girly kid – Kagayaki, if he remembered Cassie's hassling right – had an incredibly dumb look on his face. “Just do it, okay? I've gotta go put on mine too. And be careful, will you? These aren't made like blue jeans.” He gave Yukito's shoulder a strong pat on his way by, noticing how tense it was.
This, he was sure, was the best way to repay Yukito and Erin for what they'd done for him and Timmy. He'd been working hard to make sure this would be one of the best times Yukito ever had – something he didn't usually do for anyone. And when Clarence put his mind to something, he succeeded. That was all there was to it.
It was a bachelor party, after all. Fun was required.
As all the doors shut, each guy going in a different room, Clarence waited for the reactions. It was pretty quiet for about half a minute until a dark murmur from the other room came, which was clear and distinct: “What the crap?”
That was why he liked Yukito. He kept it real.
Smiling, Clarence spilled the contents of his own bag across the floor.
Lilith was the only person who knew what he'd been planning, all this time. Raiu knew a few details, but not about this part. Nope, just Lilith, since she'd made the suits herself. And they were definitely something else. Adapted replicas of the ones from TRON Legacy, which Clarence considered a perfect movie for part-macho/part-nerd guys like them. There were even discs on the back, although they didn't come off. Managing to get in, Clarence felt the fabric with a smug grin. It fit awesome, and when activated, lit up orange. That was right; he was CLU, wasn't he? Preston's was orange too, probably making him Rinzler. Yukito was Flynn, of course, his and Kagayaki suits sporting LED white.
She'd outdone herself. Of course, he had too, with renting the cabin and four-wheelers from his army buddy, Scottie – who was an idiot, but at least he had this place.
Taking a deep breath, mostly to hide how proud he was of how this was turning out already, Clarence went out into the living room. Waiting for him were two rather-sporty looking Users and a snazzy Program, if he did say so himself. It was a small party, but Yukito was the type that only needed a few close friends. Together, they were a rebel force to contend with.
Preston seemed to like the suit, but he was more concerned with the helmet as he sat on the little brown couch. Kagayaki looked he felt naked, which made Clarence roll his eyes. Why did he have to be so awkward? Well, he was Yukito's best friend, and there was something to say about the battle between loyalty and brute strength here. Clarence had both, of course, but Kagayaki had the loyalty down, from what Yukito had said.
Yukito, of course, looked smack between extremely ticked off and more amused than anything.
“Okay, I'll admit it. I wasn't expecting this,” he said, leaning back on the couch with his trade-mark smirk. “So tell me what you're up to, fattie.”
“I guess I'll tell you,” Clarence said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Hey, Buttercup, grab that backpack by your feet and toss it at me.” Kagayaki just blinked for a minute before pointing to the bag stupidly. Clarence raised an eyebrow, nodding. “Yeah, that one, as opposed to the hundreds of other bags you see? Seriously, man, get with the program.” Preston snorted, and Clarence smirked as the bag came flying at him. “Oh, you got that, did you?” He caught the bag a little uneasily with his left arm, noticing Yukito's eyes flash with concern. “It's cool, it's cool.” Clarence shifted a little, positioning the bag in the crook of his right arm and trying to be careful with the shoulder joint. “Okay, then you'll probably get what... this... is.” He pulled out an object.
Preston's eyes lit up. “Laser tag?!?”
“Two points for the Marshmallow Boy!” Clarence said, throwing the laser gun at Preston, who caught it pretty well. It was a modified set from an old friend of his, and the gun was modeled after a sniper rifle. Fitting. “Yes, laser tag. This is a totally awesome set I snagged a few years ago.” He threw the other gun at Kagayaki, who barely caught it and went tumbling after it, head-first off of the couch. Rolling his eyes, Clarence tossed a sensor harness at Yukito, who grabbed it with both hands and quickly began to inspect it. “It gives you a good match, you see. Get shot three times, it beeps like an alarm clock on a Saturday morning, and you're out. Pretty bad if you ask me.”
“Cool, but why's there only two guns and stuff?” Preston asked, aiming the gun pointlessly at an offending chair. “There's four of us.”
“That's the thing,” Clarence said, touching his right shoulder subconsciously. “There'll only be two of us firing at once. The other two... will be driving.” Preston's eyes grew wide. “Remember that shed that you asked about on our way in?” They all nodded, even Kagayaki as he crawled back onto the couch. “We'll be on two teams. Preston, you're with me, and Buttercup's with Yukito.”
“Why you call me that?” Kagayaki asked, frowning as he pointed his gun at Clarence half-heartedly. Clarence sighed.
“Act like a flower, I'll call you one. Now shut up.” That made Kagayaki slink back into the couch so Clarence could go on. “Anyway, that's why we have helmets. Because we're riding on borrowed – meaning don't crash – machines, and we need to be safe. Squirrelly here,” he reached over to give Yukito's head a playful little shove, “has to live to see the wedding we're giving him a bachelor party for, after all.” He eyed everyone carefully. “Got it?”
“It's pitch black out there,” Yukito pointed out, standing up. “These things aren't bright enough to see with. Especially if we're driving.”
“Listen, if you could see well, it'd be too easy,” Clarence said with a laugh. “That's why you and I are driving.” He ruffled Yukito's hair, bugged by how long it was. “Just kidding. There's headlights.”
“Wait, what?” Preston asked, leaning back a little.
“You, Rinzler,” Clarence said, very seriously, “have a gun already. You and Buttercup will do the first round, with Yukito and I driving. Whenever you finish, the groom-to-be and I will have a face-off, Flynn-versus-CLU epic. Anything else?” He looked around at the guys, seeing them considering this.
“What if... if...” Kagayaki focused hard, as if his brain had to catch up with his mouth. “Get hurted? Hurt?”
“Easy, Buttercup,” Clarence groaned. “Easy. Don't.” Clarence took the other sensor harness out and threw it at Kagayaki, who again tumbled off the couch. “Yukito, give the one you have to Rinzler and get ready to drive faster than granny-speed, because I'll be driving over you if you do that.”
“Your arm,” was all Yukito said, their eyes meeting.
Clarence shrugged. “It's cool, dude. It'll be fine. Just trust me.”
Yukito nodded, handing the sensor harness to Preston nicely – which was why Clarence knew this party was a good idea; Yukito spent so much time being responsible, he needed to chill out and be a teenage boy for a while. Clarence could admit it, he'd like to be a kid again too. So, one night, being idiots in light-up suits, playing laser tag on four-wheelers in the dark. Fun, and legal. Victory.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
It was looking as if bringing Kagayaki along for the ride was going to be more trouble than it was worth. He gave them enough trouble just getting onto the blasted thing. He kept whining that he was going to fall off, that it was too loud to hear each other over, that he didn't know how to use a laser gun...anything to delay the party. Preston kept trying to do tricks with his, flipping it over and aiming at an invisible assassin in the corner of the room. Yukito just went to his vehicle, bringing it to life with a roar. Kagayaki appeared even more petrified at this, looking towards Clarence. In response, Clarence sent him a dark glower, taking his fist and slamming it into his open palm demonstratively. To anyone with half a muscle in their body, it would have been laughable. But Kagayaki let out a cry and leapt on the back of the four-wheeler, mirroring Preston's backward position on the vehicle – feet propped up against a lip on the rear shelf, laser gun held in both hands across his chest. Clarence hopped over to his own ride, revving it up with gusto and sending Yukito a smirk. The groom-to-be already had his helmet on, looking ready for anything. Clarence chuckled, tossed his own helmet into the grass with a vague “oops,” as both gunmen put on their headgear and held on tight, their expressions unreadable beneath the dark visors.
“Ready?” Clarence shouted over the roar of engines, earning three nods – though not all of them were equally whole-hearted. He led the way out, going slowly and heading off deep into the trees at the edge of the yard. After several minutes, Clarence hopped off again to open up an old metal gate, sliding it aside so they could drive through. Before he getting back on, he wandered off the path towards were he remembered the cords being. It was hard to see in the dim light, but the eerie orange glow of his suit helped a little. It took a moment for everything to power on, then came suddenly, the bombastic melody of a familiar rock song he was sure they all knew pretty well. Music began to blare out of speakers placed around various parts of the track, screaming out,
Let the bodies hit the floor!
Let the bodies hit the floor!
Yeah, he'd had fun with this.
Clarence looked back at them, gave a shrug and a laugh, and crawled back onto his four-wheeler. “A party needs music!” he bellowed over the cacophony of noise, “And it'll make it harder to hear the engines!”
“What?!” Yukito shouted back.
“I said–”
But before he could reiterate his reasoning, Yukito shot off into the darkness, a distant hum underneath the music and a strange glow ahead that was quickly buried in the trees. Clarence shook his head and took up chase.
Push me again
This is the end
Here we go! Here we go! Here we go!
Natural enemies of all sorts – craggy rocks, embankments and roots – yielded easily to their quick race through the dark. For a long few minutes, Clarence was able to keep Yukito in sight, but eventually they lost each other. Branches and shadowy leaves reached down to slap him in the face as he drove in and out of the tree trunks, trying to search in all directions while still keeping them from tipping over or face-planting a tree. 'Ha... face-planting a plant.'
His shoulder was starting to hurt. He grimaced, shaking his head. 'Not yet, you don't,' he thought to himself. 'You better not wear out yet.'
“Any sign of them?” Preston called out in a moment of quiet.
“Nope,” Clarence shouted over his shoulder. “But keep an eye out.”
And a word to the wise when the fire dies
You think it's over but it's just begun
But baby don't cry
“Roger!” Preston chirped, clutching his gun at the ready. He drove on for several more minutes, but slower this time. The music quieted down between the songs, changing to “A Little Piece of Heaven” to keep the fun going. The engine grumble was low enough for him to hear the leaves rustling loudly as they passed. Coming across a dry creek bed with a large rock shelf at its base, he decided to follow it for several minutes. Some sort of creature jumped through a nearby bush, the sound quiet enough that Clarence knew it wasn't something big enough to worry about, but Preston jumped anyway.
“Scared of the Asians or the dark, Marshmallow Boy?” Clarence chuckled, earning him an elbow in the back.
“Where'd they go, anyway?”
“They couldn't have go–” An engine roared just above their heads, cutting him off and making them both look up in surprise. Yukito and Kagayaki must've been waiting up ahead, because now Clarence could see the glowing white of Kagayaki's suit shifting nervously. He was trying to get in a shot, and they were pretty much sitting ducks in the creek.
“Shoot!”
“Drive!” Preston shouted, and Clarence obliged, kicked into gear, breaking the silence. The four-wheeler growled like an angry animal as they rushed out the embankment to try to get out of clear shooting range. They were trapped in the creek, and it suddenly seemed like a very stupid idea to follow it. Fallen trees and high edges made it nearly impossible to exit where they were at. Preston let out a groan and an annoying beeping commenced – he'd been hit. Clarence swore several times under his breath, but it soon bubbled over into laughter. They weren't going to make it an easy victory, even if Kagayaki had definitely taken long enough to get his shot in. That was good. It would just be more fun to beat them now.
Finally, he found a spot low enough to drive out, and they shot off on the other side of the creek.
“How come we couldn't see them?” Preston shouted, perplexed. “They were in plain sight!”
“They got behind a tree so we couldn't see their suits,” Clarence said, matter-of-factly. “Squirrely knows his forests. It was a good play.”
“Yeah, but Kagayaki's a terrible shot,” Preston told him with a laugh. “I could see him shaking, even in the dark. And I got him once before they went off. He had a spazz attack.”
“Next time, you get him good. We'll show them who rules The Grid,” Clarence ordered, earning a salute and a cry of glee. Up ahead, they could see the glow of Kagayaki's pale blue suit. Preston turned in his seat to peer over Clarence's head, clutching the edge of the four-wheeler carefully as he re-situated himself, balancing the edge of his laser gun on Clarence's good shoulder. He leaned forward and pulled the trigger. They obviously hadn't thought of themselves as within range of Preston, judging by the surprised shout. Defensively, Yukito gave a sharp turn and whisked around a corner.
But, apparently, the turn was just a smidgen too sharp, because the next thing that could be heard was a loud shriek of “AIYEEEEEEE!” that faded out into the woods. Clarence stopped, turning a bit as he did to face Yukito as he approached. Yukito came to a stop and took off his helmet, breathing hard.
“Holy–!” Clarence half-laughed, half-shouted, as he whipped the vehicle around to circle around the spot Kagayaki had landed. Preston let out a cry, gripping more tightly to the metal rack he was using as a seat as they flew around. The wheels dug into the soft ground, kicking up dirt with a satisfying sound.
He fell off! Idiot.
“Hey, you still got your gun?” Clarence queried over his shoulder. When Preston gave the affirmative, Clarence gave him a rough shove. “Go get 'im, Rinzler!” Oh so resilient, Preston rolled off and tumbled into the foliage without so much as a word of protest. Preston was soon running in a low crouch along the dirt track as Yukito sent Clarence a glare.
“He could be hurt.”
“No Buttercups allowed, man,” Clarence said with a shrug. If Kagayaki was hurt, Clarence knew Preston would lend the kid a hand, but the loud whine of an alarm told him otherwise. Kagayaki came hurtling out of the bushes, nearly colliding with Clarence's four-wheeler. “Welcome back, ma'am.” Preston came close behind, and Clarence gave him a nod of approval and said, “Good job, Rinzler.”
He could tell Preston was having a blast with this whole thing. It was another choice he'd made for the evening that he was proud of. When Yukito had said he only planned on having himself, Clarence, and Kagayaki there, he knew that wouldn't do. No, he'd have to find someone fun. And Preston Brailsford was just the guy, there was no mistaking it. Kagayaki, on the other hand, made it more like babysitting... which Clarence only justified doing because then Yukito didn't have to. Bringing Miss Buttercup had been Yukito's idea, after all. Clarence guessed he couldn't blame the guy. Kagayaki was allegedly Yukito's best friend, and yet Clarence was the best man for his wedding. So letting the kid come along didn't seem so bad when he thought about it.
Not that he planned to think about it much.
“Now it's our turn,” Clarence declared, “Head straight back to the portal with Fairyboy, Rinzler. We'll see you there.” He looked over to see Yukito with a puzzled expression. “Race you to the shed, Squirrelly!”
It didn't take long for him to catch on at that. Yukito nodded, putting on a smirk of his own as well as his helmet. Soon, they were racing through the woods. The continued faint beeping behind them made Clarence laugh, and he let the four-wheeler pick up some speed. Yukito was letting loose, going fast enough to keep up.
Interestingly enough – to Clarence, at least – it wasn't his dexterity or experience at driving above school zone speeds that bested Yukito. It was sheer luck of the field. They weren't twenty feet from the shed when they both realized that the worn pathway into the yard was barely wide enough for one vehicle at this kind of speed. There were large trees and brush on either side, and there was no way they would both fit. Playing chicken for a few seconds of adrenaline-rushing uncertainty, Yukito pulled back just as Clarence suddenly shot forward and through the gap. He twisted the four-wheeler around, digging the wheels deeply into the damp earth and uprooting the grass in a wide arc, ending up with his back to the shed and he turned off the machine while sending Yukito a broad grin of delicious victory. As the engines died, it became apparent how far away the speakers were, a dim whisper of the music filtering through the trees but otherwise leaving the air strangely void of the racket and rush of the last couple of hours.
“That... is for beating me at tennis,” he said, proudly. Yukito took off his helmet again, arching one eyebrow at the reminder of the day they'd met. “You don't remember?”
After a second, Yukito chuckled. “Still holding on to that? It was a long time ago.”
“Yeah, I know, since it's your party, I should let you win.” He shrugged, which kind of hurt his shoulder, but he didn't care. “But I won. It was fair.”
“It was not,” Yukito said, crossing his arms over his chest. “If you hadn't threatened violence of a crash against your own rules and slowed down enough, we could have both made it through and I would have won.” A pause, then, “But I guess we're even now.”
They both looked over as a cry came from the woods. Kagayaki came running, Preston in tow – still wearing his helmet, which told Clarence that he was really getting into this Rinzler business – and all he could think was it looked like Preston was trying to tackle him... The harness was still beeping, and Clarence couldn't help but laugh once Preston finally caught up, pushing Kagayaki to the ground and wrestling him until the beeping finally stopped. Clarence clapped – as well as he could, with the half-gloves these outfits had – and got off his four-wheeler so he could lean against it.
“Good job, Rinzler!”
The two little warriors got to their feet, Preston taking off his helmet to bend into a flourish of a bow, and Kagayaki running to hide behind Yukito as he too got off his vehicle.
“Chill out, Buttercup,” Clarence said, unhooking the cords that gave power to the music – and, though the rest of the party didn't know, to the cameras – but he'd get Raiu to clean those up later. “He was just trying to turn off your alarm.”
“Yeah, yeah, he jump at me!” Kagayaki whimpered, making Yukito laugh and slam his face into his palm. “Did! He did!”
“And that's why I'm the best man,” Clarence said, pointing at Kagayaki with a smile, who stiffened at the remark.
“He'll be better once you give him something to do.” Yukito said, gesturing for Kagayaki to go with him. “Hey. Fattie. You have any food around this shack?”
Clarence nodded, feeling his shoulder. It was really starting to bug him. He hated this. They couldn't have been out more than a couple of hours... “Yeah, food. It's inside,” he said, quietly.
Preston came up from behind, putting his hand over Clarence's hand that rested on his weak shoulder. “You okay, man?” he asked, his voice and face full of the expressive concern that Clarence had gotten used to seeing there. He gave his Rinzler a playful shove to make it go away.
“Me? Heh, I'm always fine.” He smiled, and Preston put his hands in his pockets, seeming satisfied. “Don't waste your time worrying about me.”
“Pizza?” Yukito's cry from the kitchen that Clarence could hear from the doorway. “Eh..Aidousan can't have pizza.”
Clarence took in a deep breath, leaning against the open doorway after Preston went through. “A little birdie let me know that. There's a Subway sandwich in there for him. Birdie got it, I just made sure to pick it up.”
Though he couldn't believe he'd made an exception for that twerp.
Kagayaki looked up at him with wide eyes. “... Thank you...”
Clarence shrugged, which hurt his shoulder a bit. “Whatever, man. Whatever.” He reached up and rubbed the joint a little, wandering into the living room to get his cast. Sitting down, he looked at the guys in the kitchen, standing over the box of pizza with boyish smiles. Yeah, this had been a good move. Clarence Morgan had pulled through after all. Cool, very cool.
He didn't notice Yukito until an elbow nudged him in the head. Clarence looked up to see Yukito holding a plate of pizza out to him. Smirking, Clarence took it with his left hand, nodding a little. Yukito sunk down next to him on the couch, leaning back.
“You already eat?” Clarence asked, setting the plate in his lap. Yukito nodded, staring down at the half-glove on his right hand. “Pretty wicked, aren't they? These outfits.”
“Yeah, they look like you put a lot of thought into this,” he said, smirking. But he looked down at his hand again. “And money.”
“Hey,” Clarence said, mouth half-full of pizza – something Erin had teased him about more than once. His face became very serious, pizza aside, and he held up a hand. “You're not allowed to ask about that. Not allowed.” He gestured to his chest. “My job, man. Mine.”
Yukito nodded. He had one of the laser guns in his lap, and he lifted it up, squinting through its scope. “Okay. And this was pretty cool. Just to get out and have a little fun, you know.”
“Says the man who's about to be a husband.” Laughing, Clarence set down his half-finished pizza. “Honestly, I wanted to do something great for you. You deserve it.” Yukito sent him a look, and Clarence frowned. “So shut up about it, will you? I don't wanna insult you in front of your buttercup.”
“Buttercup,” Yukito chuckled as he got up, shaking his head. Kagayaki actually looked up, which made Clarence smile. “Thanks, man.”
“Hey, thank you,” Clarence said, holding up his plate. “I wasn't going in with that vulture hovering over the rations.” Preston looked at him and grinned. “Yeah, you. Wipe your face before I stick your head in the sink.” Looking a bit lost, Preston took a swipe at his face with the back of his hand, and Clarence looked back at Yukito.
This was good. They would look back at this later and not be completely ashamed, which was a success. He felt he'd done good by Yukito.
But wait till the girls got to those pictures. That was when the fun would start.
Here We Go, Here We Go – Yukito Maki's Bachelor Party – June 20th
“So are you gonna tell us what this is yet or what?”
Clarence smirked at Preston, leaning on the door. “Just go in there and put them on, got it?” he said, seeing Yukito's eyes flash from behind his two friends. Preston just blinked, and that girly kid – Kagayaki, if he remembered Cassie's hassling right – had an incredibly dumb look on his face. “Just do it, okay? I've gotta go put on mine too. And be careful, will you? These aren't made like blue jeans.” He gave Yukito's shoulder a strong pat on his way by, noticing how tense it was.
This, he was sure, was the best way to repay Yukito and Erin for what they'd done for him and Timmy. He'd been working hard to make sure this would be one of the best times Yukito ever had – something he didn't usually do for anyone. And when Clarence put his mind to something, he succeeded. That was all there was to it.
It was a bachelor party, after all. Fun was required.
As all the doors shut, each guy going in a different room, Clarence waited for the reactions. It was pretty quiet for about half a minute until a dark murmur from the other room came, which was clear and distinct: “What the crap?”
That was why he liked Yukito. He kept it real.
Smiling, Clarence spilled the contents of his own bag across the floor.
Lilith was the only person who knew what he'd been planning, all this time. Raiu knew a few details, but not about this part. Nope, just Lilith, since she'd made the suits herself. And they were definitely something else. Adapted replicas of the ones from TRON Legacy, which Clarence considered a perfect movie for part-macho/part-nerd guys like them. There were even discs on the back, although they didn't come off. Managing to get in, Clarence felt the fabric with a smug grin. It fit awesome, and when activated, lit up orange. That was right; he was CLU, wasn't he? Preston's was orange too, probably making him Rinzler. Yukito was Flynn, of course, his and Kagayaki suits sporting LED white.
She'd outdone herself. Of course, he had too, with renting the cabin and four-wheelers from his army buddy, Scottie – who was an idiot, but at least he had this place.
Taking a deep breath, mostly to hide how proud he was of how this was turning out already, Clarence went out into the living room. Waiting for him were two rather-sporty looking Users and a snazzy Program, if he did say so himself. It was a small party, but Yukito was the type that only needed a few close friends. Together, they were a rebel force to contend with.
Preston seemed to like the suit, but he was more concerned with the helmet as he sat on the little brown couch. Kagayaki looked he felt naked, which made Clarence roll his eyes. Why did he have to be so awkward? Well, he was Yukito's best friend, and there was something to say about the battle between loyalty and brute strength here. Clarence had both, of course, but Kagayaki had the loyalty down, from what Yukito had said.
Yukito, of course, looked smack between extremely ticked off and more amused than anything.
“Okay, I'll admit it. I wasn't expecting this,” he said, leaning back on the couch with his trade-mark smirk. “So tell me what you're up to, fattie.”
“I guess I'll tell you,” Clarence said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Hey, Buttercup, grab that backpack by your feet and toss it at me.” Kagayaki just blinked for a minute before pointing to the bag stupidly. Clarence raised an eyebrow, nodding. “Yeah, that one, as opposed to the hundreds of other bags you see? Seriously, man, get with the program.” Preston snorted, and Clarence smirked as the bag came flying at him. “Oh, you got that, did you?” He caught the bag a little uneasily with his left arm, noticing Yukito's eyes flash with concern. “It's cool, it's cool.” Clarence shifted a little, positioning the bag in the crook of his right arm and trying to be careful with the shoulder joint. “Okay, then you'll probably get what... this... is.” He pulled out an object.
Preston's eyes lit up. “Laser tag?!?”
“Two points for the Marshmallow Boy!” Clarence said, throwing the laser gun at Preston, who caught it pretty well. It was a modified set from an old friend of his, and the gun was modeled after a sniper rifle. Fitting. “Yes, laser tag. This is a totally awesome set I snagged a few years ago.” He threw the other gun at Kagayaki, who barely caught it and went tumbling after it, head-first off of the couch. Rolling his eyes, Clarence tossed a sensor harness at Yukito, who grabbed it with both hands and quickly began to inspect it. “It gives you a good match, you see. Get shot three times, it beeps like an alarm clock on a Saturday morning, and you're out. Pretty bad if you ask me.”
“Cool, but why's there only two guns and stuff?” Preston asked, aiming the gun pointlessly at an offending chair. “There's four of us.”
“That's the thing,” Clarence said, touching his right shoulder subconsciously. “There'll only be two of us firing at once. The other two... will be driving.” Preston's eyes grew wide. “Remember that shed that you asked about on our way in?” They all nodded, even Kagayaki as he crawled back onto the couch. “We'll be on two teams. Preston, you're with me, and Buttercup's with Yukito.”
“Why you call me that?” Kagayaki asked, frowning as he pointed his gun at Clarence half-heartedly. Clarence sighed.
“Act like a flower, I'll call you one. Now shut up.” That made Kagayaki slink back into the couch so Clarence could go on. “Anyway, that's why we have helmets. Because we're riding on borrowed – meaning don't crash – machines, and we need to be safe. Squirrelly here,” he reached over to give Yukito's head a playful little shove, “has to live to see the wedding we're giving him a bachelor party for, after all.” He eyed everyone carefully. “Got it?”
“It's pitch black out there,” Yukito pointed out, standing up. “These things aren't bright enough to see with. Especially if we're driving.”
“Listen, if you could see well, it'd be too easy,” Clarence said with a laugh. “That's why you and I are driving.” He ruffled Yukito's hair, bugged by how long it was. “Just kidding. There's headlights.”
“Wait, what?” Preston asked, leaning back a little.
“You, Rinzler,” Clarence said, very seriously, “have a gun already. You and Buttercup will do the first round, with Yukito and I driving. Whenever you finish, the groom-to-be and I will have a face-off, Flynn-versus-CLU epic. Anything else?” He looked around at the guys, seeing them considering this.
“What if... if...” Kagayaki focused hard, as if his brain had to catch up with his mouth. “Get hurted? Hurt?”
“Easy, Buttercup,” Clarence groaned. “Easy. Don't.” Clarence took the other sensor harness out and threw it at Kagayaki, who again tumbled off the couch. “Yukito, give the one you have to Rinzler and get ready to drive faster than granny-speed, because I'll be driving over you if you do that.”
“Your arm,” was all Yukito said, their eyes meeting.
Clarence shrugged. “It's cool, dude. It'll be fine. Just trust me.”
Yukito nodded, handing the sensor harness to Preston nicely – which was why Clarence knew this party was a good idea; Yukito spent so much time being responsible, he needed to chill out and be a teenage boy for a while. Clarence could admit it, he'd like to be a kid again too. So, one night, being idiots in light-up suits, playing laser tag on four-wheelers in the dark. Fun, and legal. Victory.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
It was looking as if bringing Kagayaki along for the ride was going to be more trouble than it was worth. He gave them enough trouble just getting onto the blasted thing. He kept whining that he was going to fall off, that it was too loud to hear each other over, that he didn't know how to use a laser gun...anything to delay the party. Preston kept trying to do tricks with his, flipping it over and aiming at an invisible assassin in the corner of the room. Yukito just went to his vehicle, bringing it to life with a roar. Kagayaki appeared even more petrified at this, looking towards Clarence. In response, Clarence sent him a dark glower, taking his fist and slamming it into his open palm demonstratively. To anyone with half a muscle in their body, it would have been laughable. But Kagayaki let out a cry and leapt on the back of the four-wheeler, mirroring Preston's backward position on the vehicle – feet propped up against a lip on the rear shelf, laser gun held in both hands across his chest. Clarence hopped over to his own ride, revving it up with gusto and sending Yukito a smirk. The groom-to-be already had his helmet on, looking ready for anything. Clarence chuckled, tossed his own helmet into the grass with a vague “oops,” as both gunmen put on their headgear and held on tight, their expressions unreadable beneath the dark visors.
“Ready?” Clarence shouted over the roar of engines, earning three nods – though not all of them were equally whole-hearted. He led the way out, going slowly and heading off deep into the trees at the edge of the yard. After several minutes, Clarence hopped off again to open up an old metal gate, sliding it aside so they could drive through. Before he getting back on, he wandered off the path towards were he remembered the cords being. It was hard to see in the dim light, but the eerie orange glow of his suit helped a little. It took a moment for everything to power on, then came suddenly, the bombastic melody of a familiar rock song he was sure they all knew pretty well. Music began to blare out of speakers placed around various parts of the track, screaming out,
Let the bodies hit the floor!
Let the bodies hit the floor!
Yeah, he'd had fun with this.
Clarence looked back at them, gave a shrug and a laugh, and crawled back onto his four-wheeler. “A party needs music!” he bellowed over the cacophony of noise, “And it'll make it harder to hear the engines!”
“What?!” Yukito shouted back.
“I said–”
But before he could reiterate his reasoning, Yukito shot off into the darkness, a distant hum underneath the music and a strange glow ahead that was quickly buried in the trees. Clarence shook his head and took up chase.
Push me again
This is the end
Here we go! Here we go! Here we go!
Natural enemies of all sorts – craggy rocks, embankments and roots – yielded easily to their quick race through the dark. For a long few minutes, Clarence was able to keep Yukito in sight, but eventually they lost each other. Branches and shadowy leaves reached down to slap him in the face as he drove in and out of the tree trunks, trying to search in all directions while still keeping them from tipping over or face-planting a tree. 'Ha... face-planting a plant.'
His shoulder was starting to hurt. He grimaced, shaking his head. 'Not yet, you don't,' he thought to himself. 'You better not wear out yet.'
“Any sign of them?” Preston called out in a moment of quiet.
“Nope,” Clarence shouted over his shoulder. “But keep an eye out.”
And a word to the wise when the fire dies
You think it's over but it's just begun
But baby don't cry
“Roger!” Preston chirped, clutching his gun at the ready. He drove on for several more minutes, but slower this time. The music quieted down between the songs, changing to “A Little Piece of Heaven” to keep the fun going. The engine grumble was low enough for him to hear the leaves rustling loudly as they passed. Coming across a dry creek bed with a large rock shelf at its base, he decided to follow it for several minutes. Some sort of creature jumped through a nearby bush, the sound quiet enough that Clarence knew it wasn't something big enough to worry about, but Preston jumped anyway.
“Scared of the Asians or the dark, Marshmallow Boy?” Clarence chuckled, earning him an elbow in the back.
“Where'd they go, anyway?”
“They couldn't have go–” An engine roared just above their heads, cutting him off and making them both look up in surprise. Yukito and Kagayaki must've been waiting up ahead, because now Clarence could see the glowing white of Kagayaki's suit shifting nervously. He was trying to get in a shot, and they were pretty much sitting ducks in the creek.
“Shoot!”
“Drive!” Preston shouted, and Clarence obliged, kicked into gear, breaking the silence. The four-wheeler growled like an angry animal as they rushed out the embankment to try to get out of clear shooting range. They were trapped in the creek, and it suddenly seemed like a very stupid idea to follow it. Fallen trees and high edges made it nearly impossible to exit where they were at. Preston let out a groan and an annoying beeping commenced – he'd been hit. Clarence swore several times under his breath, but it soon bubbled over into laughter. They weren't going to make it an easy victory, even if Kagayaki had definitely taken long enough to get his shot in. That was good. It would just be more fun to beat them now.
Finally, he found a spot low enough to drive out, and they shot off on the other side of the creek.
“How come we couldn't see them?” Preston shouted, perplexed. “They were in plain sight!”
“They got behind a tree so we couldn't see their suits,” Clarence said, matter-of-factly. “Squirrely knows his forests. It was a good play.”
“Yeah, but Kagayaki's a terrible shot,” Preston told him with a laugh. “I could see him shaking, even in the dark. And I got him once before they went off. He had a spazz attack.”
“Next time, you get him good. We'll show them who rules The Grid,” Clarence ordered, earning a salute and a cry of glee. Up ahead, they could see the glow of Kagayaki's pale blue suit. Preston turned in his seat to peer over Clarence's head, clutching the edge of the four-wheeler carefully as he re-situated himself, balancing the edge of his laser gun on Clarence's good shoulder. He leaned forward and pulled the trigger. They obviously hadn't thought of themselves as within range of Preston, judging by the surprised shout. Defensively, Yukito gave a sharp turn and whisked around a corner.
But, apparently, the turn was just a smidgen too sharp, because the next thing that could be heard was a loud shriek of “AIYEEEEEEE!” that faded out into the woods. Clarence stopped, turning a bit as he did to face Yukito as he approached. Yukito came to a stop and took off his helmet, breathing hard.
“Holy–!” Clarence half-laughed, half-shouted, as he whipped the vehicle around to circle around the spot Kagayaki had landed. Preston let out a cry, gripping more tightly to the metal rack he was using as a seat as they flew around. The wheels dug into the soft ground, kicking up dirt with a satisfying sound.
He fell off! Idiot.
“Hey, you still got your gun?” Clarence queried over his shoulder. When Preston gave the affirmative, Clarence gave him a rough shove. “Go get 'im, Rinzler!” Oh so resilient, Preston rolled off and tumbled into the foliage without so much as a word of protest. Preston was soon running in a low crouch along the dirt track as Yukito sent Clarence a glare.
“He could be hurt.”
“No Buttercups allowed, man,” Clarence said with a shrug. If Kagayaki was hurt, Clarence knew Preston would lend the kid a hand, but the loud whine of an alarm told him otherwise. Kagayaki came hurtling out of the bushes, nearly colliding with Clarence's four-wheeler. “Welcome back, ma'am.” Preston came close behind, and Clarence gave him a nod of approval and said, “Good job, Rinzler.”
He could tell Preston was having a blast with this whole thing. It was another choice he'd made for the evening that he was proud of. When Yukito had said he only planned on having himself, Clarence, and Kagayaki there, he knew that wouldn't do. No, he'd have to find someone fun. And Preston Brailsford was just the guy, there was no mistaking it. Kagayaki, on the other hand, made it more like babysitting... which Clarence only justified doing because then Yukito didn't have to. Bringing Miss Buttercup had been Yukito's idea, after all. Clarence guessed he couldn't blame the guy. Kagayaki was allegedly Yukito's best friend, and yet Clarence was the best man for his wedding. So letting the kid come along didn't seem so bad when he thought about it.
Not that he planned to think about it much.
“Now it's our turn,” Clarence declared, “Head straight back to the portal with Fairyboy, Rinzler. We'll see you there.” He looked over to see Yukito with a puzzled expression. “Race you to the shed, Squirrelly!”
It didn't take long for him to catch on at that. Yukito nodded, putting on a smirk of his own as well as his helmet. Soon, they were racing through the woods. The continued faint beeping behind them made Clarence laugh, and he let the four-wheeler pick up some speed. Yukito was letting loose, going fast enough to keep up.
Interestingly enough – to Clarence, at least – it wasn't his dexterity or experience at driving above school zone speeds that bested Yukito. It was sheer luck of the field. They weren't twenty feet from the shed when they both realized that the worn pathway into the yard was barely wide enough for one vehicle at this kind of speed. There were large trees and brush on either side, and there was no way they would both fit. Playing chicken for a few seconds of adrenaline-rushing uncertainty, Yukito pulled back just as Clarence suddenly shot forward and through the gap. He twisted the four-wheeler around, digging the wheels deeply into the damp earth and uprooting the grass in a wide arc, ending up with his back to the shed and he turned off the machine while sending Yukito a broad grin of delicious victory. As the engines died, it became apparent how far away the speakers were, a dim whisper of the music filtering through the trees but otherwise leaving the air strangely void of the racket and rush of the last couple of hours.
“That... is for beating me at tennis,” he said, proudly. Yukito took off his helmet again, arching one eyebrow at the reminder of the day they'd met. “You don't remember?”
After a second, Yukito chuckled. “Still holding on to that? It was a long time ago.”
“Yeah, I know, since it's your party, I should let you win.” He shrugged, which kind of hurt his shoulder, but he didn't care. “But I won. It was fair.”
“It was not,” Yukito said, crossing his arms over his chest. “If you hadn't threatened violence of a crash against your own rules and slowed down enough, we could have both made it through and I would have won.” A pause, then, “But I guess we're even now.”
They both looked over as a cry came from the woods. Kagayaki came running, Preston in tow – still wearing his helmet, which told Clarence that he was really getting into this Rinzler business – and all he could think was it looked like Preston was trying to tackle him... The harness was still beeping, and Clarence couldn't help but laugh once Preston finally caught up, pushing Kagayaki to the ground and wrestling him until the beeping finally stopped. Clarence clapped – as well as he could, with the half-gloves these outfits had – and got off his four-wheeler so he could lean against it.
“Good job, Rinzler!”
The two little warriors got to their feet, Preston taking off his helmet to bend into a flourish of a bow, and Kagayaki running to hide behind Yukito as he too got off his vehicle.
“Chill out, Buttercup,” Clarence said, unhooking the cords that gave power to the music – and, though the rest of the party didn't know, to the cameras – but he'd get Raiu to clean those up later. “He was just trying to turn off your alarm.”
“Yeah, yeah, he jump at me!” Kagayaki whimpered, making Yukito laugh and slam his face into his palm. “Did! He did!”
“And that's why I'm the best man,” Clarence said, pointing at Kagayaki with a smile, who stiffened at the remark.
“He'll be better once you give him something to do.” Yukito said, gesturing for Kagayaki to go with him. “Hey. Fattie. You have any food around this shack?”
Clarence nodded, feeling his shoulder. It was really starting to bug him. He hated this. They couldn't have been out more than a couple of hours... “Yeah, food. It's inside,” he said, quietly.
Preston came up from behind, putting his hand over Clarence's hand that rested on his weak shoulder. “You okay, man?” he asked, his voice and face full of the expressive concern that Clarence had gotten used to seeing there. He gave his Rinzler a playful shove to make it go away.
“Me? Heh, I'm always fine.” He smiled, and Preston put his hands in his pockets, seeming satisfied. “Don't waste your time worrying about me.”
“Pizza?” Yukito's cry from the kitchen that Clarence could hear from the doorway. “Eh..Aidousan can't have pizza.”
Clarence took in a deep breath, leaning against the open doorway after Preston went through. “A little birdie let me know that. There's a Subway sandwich in there for him. Birdie got it, I just made sure to pick it up.”
Though he couldn't believe he'd made an exception for that twerp.
Kagayaki looked up at him with wide eyes. “... Thank you...”
Clarence shrugged, which hurt his shoulder a bit. “Whatever, man. Whatever.” He reached up and rubbed the joint a little, wandering into the living room to get his cast. Sitting down, he looked at the guys in the kitchen, standing over the box of pizza with boyish smiles. Yeah, this had been a good move. Clarence Morgan had pulled through after all. Cool, very cool.
He didn't notice Yukito until an elbow nudged him in the head. Clarence looked up to see Yukito holding a plate of pizza out to him. Smirking, Clarence took it with his left hand, nodding a little. Yukito sunk down next to him on the couch, leaning back.
“You already eat?” Clarence asked, setting the plate in his lap. Yukito nodded, staring down at the half-glove on his right hand. “Pretty wicked, aren't they? These outfits.”
“Yeah, they look like you put a lot of thought into this,” he said, smirking. But he looked down at his hand again. “And money.”
“Hey,” Clarence said, mouth half-full of pizza – something Erin had teased him about more than once. His face became very serious, pizza aside, and he held up a hand. “You're not allowed to ask about that. Not allowed.” He gestured to his chest. “My job, man. Mine.”
Yukito nodded. He had one of the laser guns in his lap, and he lifted it up, squinting through its scope. “Okay. And this was pretty cool. Just to get out and have a little fun, you know.”
“Says the man who's about to be a husband.” Laughing, Clarence set down his half-finished pizza. “Honestly, I wanted to do something great for you. You deserve it.” Yukito sent him a look, and Clarence frowned. “So shut up about it, will you? I don't wanna insult you in front of your buttercup.”
“Buttercup,” Yukito chuckled as he got up, shaking his head. Kagayaki actually looked up, which made Clarence smile. “Thanks, man.”
“Hey, thank you,” Clarence said, holding up his plate. “I wasn't going in with that vulture hovering over the rations.” Preston looked at him and grinned. “Yeah, you. Wipe your face before I stick your head in the sink.” Looking a bit lost, Preston took a swipe at his face with the back of his hand, and Clarence looked back at Yukito.
This was good. They would look back at this later and not be completely ashamed, which was a success. He felt he'd done good by Yukito.
But wait till the girls got to those pictures. That was when the fun would start.
