In honor of 9/11.
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In Memoriam
Aspirator
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One thing Alice Academy has drilled into their graduates was that Alices can be anywhere and can do anything. Therefore, they are everywhere. They may be in your everyday life without you even realizing it.
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Beep beep.
Faint noise from above sounded, causing a carefully permed head to lean back, and a beautiful face to look up. Sumire Shouda glanced warily at the newly lighted up seatbelt sign.
She sighed as she settled back into her economy class seat (ugh), raising the latest Vogue magazine to her face. At least she had a window seat to herself. Why did she choose such a small plane?
Oh right, the things she does for her oh-so-amazing best friends Koko and Mochu.
She supposed it would be worth it, though. Alices meeting intentionally is a hard-to-come-by, few-times-in-a-lifetime thing. (Except for certain, cough, couples. In their case, it's an everyday thing.)
Sumire tried to focus on the stunning fashion at her fingertips, but her cat/dog sense have been tingling so badly since the beginning of the flight.
She checked her watch, good, we're almost there.
Just then, a man passed by, rudely bumping her elbow from the armrest. Sumire tsked, muttering a name under her breath, and daintily brushing off her elbow. But what really bothered her was that her cat/dog senses is in full alarm mode. She narrowed her eyes as she conspicuously followed the man's figure up the aisle and towards the cockpit. She didn't fail to notice another man doing the same thing from another aisle.
Sumire moved to set her magazine down, then paused.
"You go to the spa and gossip. That's not relaxing, Permy. You know drama stresses you out. Just relax. Don't over-think. Forget everything. Have peace. Y'know? And the best part will be to come hang out with me and Mochu!"
She shook her head of Koko's voice through Skype. Rolling her eyes and sighing for the nth time, she picked up her magazine again. See Koko? I know how to relax. Immersing herself in its pages, she didn't take special note of two more men walking up the aisle, but strangely loitering around the first seats.
Suddenly, the plane jerked to the left, causing Sumire to drop her magazine. Her head shot up sharply...and focus on the barrels of a machine gun.
She didn't scream like everyone else, nor was she sitting in shock. Instead, she gauged the situation quietly and almost calmly. A men in each aisle up front, each with a machine gun. She casually glanced back, noting that there are also men in the back. Four men total guarding 300 passengers. From what she noticed earlier, another two men in the cockpit. That's six men total.
And there's only one of her.
There's a certain gene that an Alice has. She's known this since her time at the academy - and yes, the Academy has indeed served it purpose in training everyone's alices. And for her in particular, she's reached her maximum - that in which her cat/dog can not only sense from afar but also alices.
So she knows that out of 300 passengers, there's only one of her kind.
She faintly tapped her new Prada boots, making sure her swiss blade is still there. Ever since certain incidents in the Academy, she's always had the swiss blade. And with her constant traveling, by now, she's an expert in sneaking through even the toughest airport security.
(That which may have been a bad thing considering that there are six armed men on her plane.)
The passengers have finally been controlled through fear. There were whimpers here and there but mostly, it was quiet. Sumire could feel the plane altering its course. She eyed her phone, swiftly taking it out from her pocket.
But a crude laugh from above caused her to glance into the rough face of a member of the Taliban. Her eyes widened, then she glanced back at her phone. A plastic bag was shoved in her face and she stared at it.
"Give phone." The man spoke in a thick accent.
She struggled internally, but the man continued smirkingly, "or die."
Lifting her chin, and sniffing snootily, she slowly, and with the most dignity, placed the phone in the bag.
The man moved on.
Sumire glanced around before taking out a smaller device from her bra. She inwardly smirked, ha, they think they can take my phone. She paused before correcting, they did take my phone...but I can still communicate, hmph! She pressed a button on the small device, dialing emergency to all Hotaru Imai's close friends.
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Koko never thought driving to New York from D.C. would take so long. Having completed his work the night before, he promised to meet Sumire and Mochu in the centerpoint of all their positions.
As of the moment, he was in New York and headed for Manhattan.
Since he's got a little time before both Mochu's and Sumire's planes land, he thought he might visit another part of their gang.
It took about half an hour to get there and another half hour to park his car. Koko shook his head at the parking meter, inserting spare coins.
Then he grinned, looking up at one of the Twin Towers. He looked between the two, then decided, from a map he printed off and a passerby's annoyed answer, that he was looking for the one on the left.
As he walked, he heard snippets of conversation that he wasn't interested in. When it comes to Koko, 'lost in thought' would have a literal meaning.
A secret device handed out by an inventor he knew from his school days suddenly came to life. He looked at it in astonishment, his brows furrowing as the screen flashed Sumire Shouda in red.
He stopped in his tracks but didn't register what he saw. Instead, he unhooked the back of the small device to transform it into a headset.
"We got hijacked, dumbass! We have to do something!" came Sumire's annoyed voice. It seemed like she was trying to convince another to fight back. Another annoyed deep voice shouted in response. Imai's good quality products picked up the shout as "STOP TALKING!"
Koko's brow furrowed, he listened, but he didn't what to do. Just then, thoughts from the ground jumped at him.
"OH MY GOD!" "LOOK!" "It's flying too low!" "HOLY SHIT!" "WHAT THE FUCK?!"
He glanced up momentarily to notice that a) he's pretty close to the World Trade Center now, and b) a plane that's flying way too low is about to hit it.
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Natsume Hyuuga sat in floor 87 of the World Trade Center. He was expecting Koko today, but of course, he was late.
Getting some paperwork done, he wondered how Yuu's first presentation since his promotion was going. Which led him to remember that Hotaru Imai was in the city today for a business deal. Tsubasa and Misaki are or should be visiting their beloved student council president, Sakurano or something. And his Mikan just finished a big project in one of the smaller World Trade Center buildings. He never thought that a majority of their gang would end up staying in New York. Or three of them anyway.
He absentmindedly like twirled a fountain pen around his thumb as he recalled a conversation with Mikan merely ten minutes ago. He knew she'd be mad, if not annoyed, if he didn't let her know one of theirs is coming to visit.
She said she'd be over in a few minutes.
Just then, there was a crackling noise as his secretary buzzed in, "Sir, it's -"
He faintly heard a familiar, "He knows me! Just let me in!" To which he smirked at. Before his secretary could finish, he interrupted, "Send her in."
The door immediately swung open to reveal a bright-eyed brunette. "Honestly, Natsume, you need to get a less uptight secretary. I've never seen a male secretary before, anyway." she glanced around the minimally furnished room, "where's Koko?"
"Late." He replied curtly. "So are you."
"I said a few minutes - I think ten minutes counts as a few." She rolled her eyes. Before neither could continue, however, something they both carry around with them everywhere came to life.
They both took out a small device to see Sumire Shouda flash through the small screen. In synchrony, they transformed the device to an earpiece and hooked it on their ears.
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"A-as you can see, a small investment as such could potentially," Yuu blinked rapidly as he struggled to hold back from fiddling with his fingers, "grow larger and bring in," he faced twenty professional faces, "m-millions. It would be a good investment."
He took a deep breath as he prepared himself for the grand finale. He really wished that he would just present a presentation instead of having to present himself and the presentation. He had always been good presentations anyway.
He pressed his clicker - just in case anyone is really watching because the machine had actually failed to function a while ago - but they didn't know that. "It may not seem like a-an impressive idea at first but in the long run -" something that only he could hear sounded. His brows furrowed at the tone of the emergency phone.
Yuu completely turned off his Alice, then blinked at the screen, as if puzzled, "I-I'm sorry, it must've-I'll go get it fixed." He ran out hurriedly as businessmen and women glanced at each other. Stalking quickly away, he didn't bother to look at the screen before hooking the device onto his ear.
"We're flying too low!" came a hysterical voice that he didn't recognize.
"We won't be if we had tried to overthrow those guys!" Sumire's annoyed voice came through. Then she continued, "We're in Manhattan right? You said you know it well? Can you name the buildings?"
And the lady did - shakily. Yuu's eyes widened as the building names passed, and he broke into a sprint. He didn't bother being covert, but screamed, "A plane's about to hit the twin towers!"
"Hit what?" Sumire's confused voice reacted quickly.
"Us." Came Natsume deep voice.
"I see it! I'm outside!" Koko's voice rose an octave in panic. "Sumire you're on that plane?!"
"Go to the back!" Yuu instructed, just as he decided the elevator could get him quickly to the intercom system.
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Koko instructed as many people as possible to call 911 as he rushed towards the building. He ran around, telling people to be calm and just get away. Not that they already aren't.
He considered whether or not to go in as he pushed pedsetrians away. But Natsume's voice in his ear decided for him, "Koko, stay outside. Yuu, intercom system?"
"No, Yuu don't waste your breath, I'm hacking it now." came Hotaru's calm voice throughout all the chaos, "I'll get it. Koko, live feed, now."
Koko pressed whatever buttons he felt until Hotaru spoke, "good." There was a long two second pause before she continued, "heading for floor 67 to 70, Yuu are you close?"
"No, I'm at 68," Natsume interjected closely in contrary to the faint sounds of him yelling at people to get away.
"I'm here too!" came Mikan's voice. "we'll get it. Yuu, go down and try to clear people out, do anything, make an illusion! Natsume's making harmless fire that I'm nullifying if anyone touches it."
"Five minutes to hit," Hotaru's voice cut in.
Yuu, from the 10th floor, heard the fire drill shriek and the intercom system come to life, "This is not a drill - everyone get out."
A new voice entered the conversation, "This is Kits, I'm with Mochu, we're heading there now."
"No." Natsume replied firmly, "Get away from the area. We have enough people's lives at risk."
"Kits can fly and Mochu levitates! People won't notice in all the chaos!" Sumire interjected now that she's safely in the back of the plane out of gun's point.
"We're coming no matter what you say, Natsume, we want to save lives too." Mochu spoke determinedly.
"Five!" Hotaru nearly yelled. "Four,"
"Sumire!" Yuu's voice came through, "the moment you hit, head for the middle or the front! You have to hurry!"
"I'll sprint!" Sumire confirmed, "And bring as many people with me!"
"Don't die!" Mikan's voice encouraged, causing Natsume to look at her incredulously.
Koko shooed the strays away from the building, rushing back to look up at the tower, "one" he whispered.
A loud crash hit his ear along with the sound of chaos. He ran away from the building as chaos ensued, pushing New Yorkers out of the way of debris.
First responders arrived, with policemen running in the building and firemen setting up ladders.
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Natsume had already calculated the trajectory of the plane, leading Mikan hopefully out of the way. When they started counting down, he grabbed her hand and quickly ran up the stairs. When the plane hits, he'd rather they be on top instead of under so they won't be crushed. If they're on top but only slightly, they can get down fast, find Sumire, go save lives.
Mikan wouldn't stop jabbering, however, and it was pissing him off. (Not the jabbering, of course he was used to it, but the sense of goodbye in her voice.)
When it hit, the floor fell, and Natsume wrapped his one love in his arms, sending an umbrella of fire to burn any debri threatening to hit them, and threw himself down. Mikan screamed, "Sumire!"
Luckily they landed not too far from from the crash site of the plane.
"I'm coming out the front emergency doors!" Sumire's very alive voice came in, "I don't know I think I've got five or so able bodies?"
"Mochu got us a firetruck and we're two minutes in!" Kitsueneme checked in.
"Don't use your Alices until you're inside!" Hotaru warned, and they knew she meant that the news is watching.
Natsume and Mikan ran over the obstacle course to receive Sumire and seven other passengers. Mikan led them inside the building, quickly setting up a quick exit route to the lower floors. Natsume went inside the plane to check if there were any more alive. He came out with one man who had crushed his legs and an unconscious child.
Sumire and Mikan left first, carrying the child, and Natsume followed with the man.
They quickly brought the survivors to the first responders and helped with rushing businessman out.
As he jumped over a large hole in the ground, Natsume spied Kitsuneme flying up and Mochu levitating a heavy weight from on top a woman .
A plan formulated in his head. "Kitsuneme, head to the floor above the crash site and get survivors from there. Mochu, you're their escape route."
"Got it!" the two responded quickly. Mochu knew it meant that he had to levitate people into his or any first responders' arms.
Mikan rushed to get to the stairs but was startled when Natsume caught her waist and twirled her into him. Without a word, he brought her around a hole in the ground and jumped down, still holding onto her. With an 'oof!' she landed on top of him, not failing to notice his wince. She got up quickly, indignantly, "I can definitely do that by myself!"
"I'd rather you not," Natsume got up just as quickly.
"Stop holding me! I can take care of myself! Now I'm going to save lives!" Mikan moved to stomp off but couldn't find the heart to do so.
Natsume didn't allow her to hesitate as he reeled her in with his arms, "Polka- Mikan."
"Natsume?" Mikan looked up into soft scarlet orbs.
"Mikan, I-" he dodged and moved her aside as more debris fell, "Mikan I love you."
Mikan blinked, but the screams around her broke her trance quickly, "Natsume!" She smacked him in the chest, causing him to frown. "We're gonna get out alive!"
Natsume looked at her incredulously, as he pulled her down the next floor, "I just said-"
"I know!" Mikan smiled, "I love you too."
A small smile graced Natsume's face, but didn't last long, for Mikan continued, pulling him along to travel across the 56th floor, "but now's not the time, let's go save lives!"
She turned to go, but he didn't let go. "Natsume, what-" He enveloped her in a passionate kiss.
"Natsume," she whispered when they parted for air, but he glanced around quickly, sprinting for the stairways and sliding down the railings of the stairs with her giggling beside him.
He didn't give her space to talk or let alone breathe as he pulled her along to go down floor by floor.
Once they've reached the 39th, he stopped suddenly, facing her, "Let's separate."
Mikan response was immediate, "no!"
"You want to save lives? We have to split."
"I know, but -"
"You go to the lower floors, i'll work around here."
"I know what you're doing! I'm closer to the exit!" Mikan scowled.
"You do floor fifteen and under, and I'll do thirty to fifteen, I'll move fast, happy?"
"No."
"Meet you on the first floor." He looked at her square in the eye. Mikan knew that splitting up, they could save more lives. She nodded silently, and with a quick kiss, he was gone.
Mikan quickly headed to the down in the quickest ways possible as Natsume disappeared behind the smoke.
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Kitsuneme was on the 87th floor getting out the still alive, but injured people first, throwing them out for Mochu to catch.
He never thought such a useless ability as flying could do so much good.
He had a glimpse of the faces of these victims, these people who had family, lovers, children, spouses...The faces that showed gratitude, incredulity...the faces that prayed to God...the faces that are still alive.
He was returning these people back to those who loved them, and he couldn't feel more happier as he weaved through smoke and broken concrete, broken glass, and chaos.
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Mochu had never felt important. It was a sad thing to say but it was true. He had always been a follower, or just one of many. He went to the military after AA, served as an excellent secret service agent, but he was just always one of many.
Today, however, he was being selfish. It was sort of a paradox; feeling selfish doing the most selfless thing, but it was because he was doing it for himself. He was no Mikan, or Natsume, or a saint. he was doing this because he wanted to pride in saying he made a difference.
He smiled into the face of a small child.
Now, he was important. And that was important to him.
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Sumire had been instructed to go ahead and find Yuu. Sumire had found shame in revealing weaknesses. Right now, however, she blatantly didn't care.
Frantically, she listened and communicated with Yuu as she moved form floor to floor, dragging out an occasional survivor.
She kept her lofty attitude as she denied assistance from policemen or firemen, being able bodied. Instead, she passed off injured survivors as if they were a burden.
She really didn't care about random people anyway. She cared about her people. Class B from Alice Academy. Thought not many people know, except for maybe Mikan, Koko, and Mochu, she was a big worry wart.
"Sumire!" A familiar voice called from behind, and she was so happy to find her old class president.
Though she tried not to show it, she was panicked, and she hated chaos. Sumire Shouda was clean, looking good, smelling good, and she was organized in a way that she liked to keep track of where everything was. Chaos was not that.
She couldn't keep track of where everyone is and they'd better be safe and her thoughts are just running more than the legal speed limit on a highway. She wondered how she kept it together before she saw Yuu. Because when she saw Yuu she nearly broke.
Yuu, always understanding, patted her arm gently, "It's okay, let's just get out of here - they'll be fine."
Sumire nodded, but stopped, "No." she looked into Yuu's surprised face, "no, there's someone over there, under the table!" Yuu furrowed his eyebrows at her but said nothing as they rushed over and rescued the man.
They quickly found a policemen handling three survivors to hand it off to.
"What?" Sumire turned, sensing Yuu's stare.
Yuu smiled slightly, "I think we could save some lives here."
She can smell out people and together they can rescue them. Sumire swallowed the information. Sumire Shouda's french manicured hands are about to get really dirty.
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Koko was praying, honest to God praying. He didn't like not being in the action in such a crucial time, but the again, he was never in the action.
He may be in the loop but never in the action.
That was the definition of Koko. He could read minds so he always knows what's going on, but he's never truly part of it.
He may be sought for company, but that was it.
Now, he was just doing what he always does. Helping, but in a discreet manner.
He smiled to himself after he calmed down a hysterical mother.
A passerby patted his back, "that's one less source of chaos to worry about."
Koko straightened, looking at the retreating back of the passerby. Suddenly, he realized that he may have told others to look on the bright side, but never for himself. Now he saw that he was helping, and it shouldn't matter how much.
Koko grinned.
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Hotaru worked non-stop as she followed the aerial, topographic, heat map, and all kinds (even the tv) of views of the twin towers.
She watched from her hotel room as the second plane hit the second tower.
She watched as the heats of hundreds turned cold.
She watched as the towers slowly came apart.
Having three screens out in front of her, she mainly watched the first tower, keeping track of the gang's whereabouts, and occasionally giving guidance.
She quickly stylized a topographic, interactive, and live view of the tower. She sees every floor and the condition of each floor. She integrated the heat map to see any living, breathing thing.
She saw it coming. She warned them, she almost lost herself yelling at people she cared about to clear the building.
The buildings' strongholds are weakening.
"THE BUILDING'S GOING TO COLLAPSE! GET OUT! NOW!"
Yuu and Sumire's heats made it to the fifth floor, caught a ladder down, and carrying two injured with them.
Kitsuneme was deep into the building rescuing a small heat signature. Though he may not be using it, the floor has been quickly collapsing. Mochu had to change his position lower, and lower.
An increase in smoke nearly clouded the screen and Hotaru gripped her fist as she heard Kitsuneme cry out and his signal die. She could barely see, but the small heat signature that had been in his arms is traveling fast outside and Hotaru could only hope Mochu could see and levitate Kitsuneme and the kid away.
But her hope died when the entire upper half of the tower collapsed and Mochu didn't see the large piece of glass coming when he focused on levitating everything else out of the way and squinting to see the little boy.
Her hope swelled, however, when Natsume's heat signature saved the boy, but was too late for Mochu. He quickly guided the boy to the nearest firemen.
Hotaru (and Yuu) saw a second too late as the smoke and debris knocked Sumire from the ladder and heading fast towards the hard concrete.
Hotaru watched as her own best friend pulled out survivors ahead of her but didn't make it before the rest of the tower began to collapse.
Hotaru watched as similarly, the great Natsume Hyuuga saved hundred of lives but couldn't save his own.
The crack in her heart deepened as she saw Koko push a reporter from debris coming on but was thrown by the explosion of the entire building's collapse into the ground fifty meters away. He lay unmoving still when debris covered his body.
Hotaru squinted, and under the body lay a little boy. Perhaps the same little boy that Kitsuneme, Mochu, Natsume, and now Koko saved.
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Years later, many would respect and honor the memory of those who have fallen, and those who were heroes.
But few could name the names that saved so many lives but not their own.
Though Hotaru's heart broke that day, she stayed strong, and she grieved with what remained of Class B. She helped the United States Secret Service to track down the antagonists, not out of revenge, but out of duty to her people.
Every year, on that day, her heart squeezed a little more than usual, but she stayed strong, because she knew they would want her to…and also, because she needed to be strong for a little boy named Youichi.
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This is for the lives taken and the lives saved.
11:35 P.M. 9/11/12 Finished.