Chapter 9 - Retribution! Kanna's Last Stand

Happy Lesson - Extra Credit
By The S

Lesson 9 - Retribution! Kanna's Last Stand

Hazuki tried to stare down Kanna, but with her being atop of a giant robot, that was literally impossible. Instead, Hazuki decided to turn her sights on the enormous robot's body, trying to size up her enemy. She wasn't a proficient fighter, but she had learned some tricks from observation. Nevertheless, even she was not sure she would be able to stop the mech. But she had to try, for Hantou.

Hazuki tightened her grip on her mother's katana, ready for battle. She gritted her teeth and swallowed the fear welling up inside her.
"I am ready," she said in a monotone voice. "Come at me."

Kanna shifted a joystick and the Super Samurai Shogun Showdown Robot (Version 1.5) took one step forward with its left leg. Another shift and its right leg was positioned behind it. The psychotic scientist flipped a switch and the mech brought its sword above its head horizontally. Kanna then slammed her palm on a button and thrust the joystick forward, making the robot run toward Hazuki. Hazuki merely stood her ground, waiting for the moment when the robot leapt into the air, then casually blocked the mech's sword with Yayoi's. At first, it was easy to defend against the robot, but after Kanna mashed a few buttons, the robot's offensive stance changed, and Hazuki found herself on the losing side of the battle.

A loud clang startled both Hazuki and Kanna. Kanna's robot vibrated, causing both the robot and Hazuki to slip out of their posture. Hazuki took a brief glance back and saw Hantou, holding Chibisuke with one arm, and casually tossing a stone lightly into the air.
"I don't really give a crap what you said, hon. I'm not going to stand by idly while you fight something three times your size."

Instead of feeling anger towards Hantou, she felt relief. Hazuki had started to think that she was perhaps in way over her head. Hantou's impromptu assistance allowed her precious time to regroup, as well as to aid in Kanna's defeat directly.

As the distraction's purpose waned, Kanna, pulled a lever that made the mech draw its other sword, a wakazashi.
"Oh God, this isn't looking good!" Hazuki muttered, trying to find a stance that would give her an edge over the opponent. However, before she could react, the robot spun and swung both swords at her. She barely dodged the katana, but the wakazashi grazed her cheek. Blood gave a quick spurt on initial contact, then began dripping down her face. Hantou caught Hazuki with his spare hand when she staggered back.

"As much as I hate to say this, I don't think we're going to beat this thing," Hantou said. "But we can't give up. Somehow, we'll make it through..."

Kanna was doing some sort of victory dance high atop her robot. Hazuki attempted to take this time to lean the fight in her advantage, but had begun to feel dizzy. Hantou carefully set Hazuki on the ground, and the sleeping Chibisuke on her stomach.
"Don't worry, honey. I'll take over for now. You just rest," Hantou said.

Hazuki moaned weakly in reply.

Adrenaline pumped through every fiber of his being. It didn't matter that a dull pain roared throughout his body. He was ready to take a stand. It mattered not to him if he won this duel. The only though on his mind was to allow he, Hazuki, and Chibisuke to get off this forsaken island and return home alive.

Still a tad lightheaded, but determined, Hantou slid into his fighting pose and waited for Kanna to make a move. A slight warm breeze blew across the area. Finally, Kanna forced the robot to strike. The mech swung its katana, and Hantou leapt straight up, landing directly on the flat of the blade.
"Wh... what the? How did you do that?" Kanna yelled in obvious disarray. Hantou then leapt from the katana and aimed a jumping snap kick directly at Kanna, ready knock the pilot from the robot's cockpit.

Before Hantou could strike, the wakazashi came up from the opposite direction and smacked him across the head, shoulder, and body with the reverse side. Hantou went crashing to the ground hard enough to cause a miniature dust storm upon impact.

"D...damn," Hantou groaned.
Chibisuke, who had awakened just prior to Hantou hitting the ground, began yipping excitedly. At what, God only knows. But the fact of the matter is, his barking was consistant and rapid.

"What is it, boy?" Hantou mumbled, trying to shift his body so that he could look at the puppy.
A loud thumping noise occured at the same time as the island began shaking.
"Earth... quake?" moaned Hazuki. She tried to get up, but was becoming weaker by the moment from a combination of exhaustion and loss of blood.
"No, I don't think so!" Hantou yelled in attempt to make his voice heard over Chibisuke's barking. Two more loud thumps shook the island even more violently.
"God, what... is it?" Hazuki asked.
After the thumping/shaking event repeated itself about a dozen more times, Hantou was finally able to see the source of it.
"Is... is that Chitose's house?" asked Hantou as the object came into view above the treetops.

Indeed it was. Well, sort of. The house now had two large stone slab legs, each the size of Kanna's samurai mecha. It also had two arms coming out of the side of it that resembled semi-truck trailers. And a huge Voltron-eque head on top.
"What the Hell?" Hantou exclaimed in an unfamiliar, high-pitched voice.
A voice familiar to all people on the island rang out. "Kanna, I don't want to have to hurt you. But if you do not return my family to me, I will have to crush you."
"MAMA KISARAGI!" Hazuki yelled.
"Hello, Hazuki, Hantou," Kisaragi replied in greeting.
"Hey, we're all here and ready to kick butt!" came Satsuki's voice, also from inside the house-robot.
"Why did you do this to my house?" Chitose whined from the background. "I don't think these modifications are covered by the insurance. If you blow up my house, you owe me a new one!"

"KISARAGI!?!" Kanna shrieked, interrupting Chitose's ranting. "What are you doing here? Get off of my island! Get off get off get off get off!"
"Kanna," said Kisaragi. "Let me take Hazuki and Hantou back with me. And the dog as well. I am sure it misses its mother."
"Fine, then! Only if you give me Chitose!"
"It's a deal," Kisaragi said to her ex-friend. "I will send Chitose down immediately. In exchange, you must give me those three."
"HEY!" Chitose yelled, this time closer to the microphone. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? YOU'RE GOING TO..."
A soft click cut the young Hitotose off from outside the house-robot. There was not a sound or move made for several minutes, including Chibisuke.

After that period of time, a hatch opened at the bottom of the house-bot, and a platform lowered Chitose to the ground. Chitose, stone-faced, walked off of the platform and assisted Hazuki, Hantou, and Chibisuke onto the platform. He then watched as the platform lifted the three up into the house-bot, and walked away as the jet engines on the feet of the house-robot blasted it off high into the air.

"Ohhh, my darling Chitose!" Kanna cooed as she leaped from her robot to hug the boy. "I've finally got you in my grasp!"
"Sure. Let's do it. Let our love lead to adult situations."
"Ohhhhh!" Kanna's face turned red. "NAUGHTY!"

Back on the house-bot, Yayoi was treating to her rescued family's wounds. Chitose walked up to them to complain about how lousy he'd been treated.
"Wait a minute!" Hazuki exclaimed. "If you're here, then who's..."
The house-bot rocked softly from a sonic boom resulting from an explosion on the island. Kisaragi turned toward the rest of the family. "Short-Fuse Horny Exploding Bomb Son Chitose. Version 1.0."

*****
Rather than trek back to Hazuki's apartment after the tough ordeal, Hantou, Hazuki, and Minazuki boarded at the Hitotose house once more (after it transformed back to normal, that is). Hantou and Hazuki both fell asleep almost instantly after going to bed, but three hours later, Hantou was forced awake by the sensation of needing to use the restroom.

On his return trip, he spotted Kisaragi in the hallway. He padded his way over to her, and put a hand on her shoulder.
"What's up, Kisa?" he said in a whisper, as to not awaken the rest of the family.
"I woke up and needed juice. What are you doing up, brother mine?"
"Had to take a leak. Anyway, thank you."
Kisaragi finally turned her head to face her brother. "For what?"
"For saving Hazuki and I. If it weren't for you and your robot house thing, I'm pretty damned sure we'd have been killed by Kanna's scrapheap samurai."
"You do not need to thank me, Hantou." Kisaragi turned completely toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest. "I would gladly save you any day of the week. I did what any good sister would."
"I doubt that any sister would turn her son's house into a giant robot and make an exploding clone of him."
"I meant about saving you. Hazuki, as well. I love you all."
Hantou put his left hand on top of her head. "Well, I love you too, Kisaragi. I love all of you. Hazuki, Mina, the other moms... even that scamp Chitose. Two weeks ago I had nobody. I had left my family behind for fame and lost it. I was barely getting by on my salary as a dojo sensei. Then Hazuki came into my life and I have a new family, albeit with a member of the original family in it. My life has been changed forever, and for the better."

Hantou moved his hand and kissed Kisaragi on the very top of her head. "I'd better head back to bed. G'night, Kisa."
"Good night, little brother."
It was silent as they both traveled back to bed. Then, as they reached their respective rooms, they each whispered, "Sweet dreams." Neither of them heard they other say it, but they both knew what had been said.

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