Recoil, a full metal panic fanfic

So, this is my first attempt at a FMP fic, and i didn't have it beta read, so i apologize for any mistakes. Turns out, it was actually a lot of fun to write for these characters, and if i recieve some demand for more, i think i will gladly continue this story. But you have to review and tell me what i did right and what i did wrong!

"Sousuke, are you feeling alright?" Kaname was looking at her protector with a worried expression on her face. He sat up straighter, took a long, deep breath, closed his eyes, and stretched, then relaxed and looked back at her, smiling reassuringly.

"I'm fine, Miss Chidori. I've just been having trouble sleeping the past few nights. It's not a problem."

"It most certainly is a problem if you fall asleep in class! You know you could get sick easier if you don't sleep enough. You'd be endangering yourself and others on missions. How can you say this isn't a problem?" Sousuke looked down and thought about it.

"You're right. I'll look into solutions right away. Do you have any suggestions?" Kaname looked surprised that the stubborn military maniac had responded in such a normal way.

"I... I don't really know. When I have trouble sleeping, it is either because I'm sick, or because there is something on my mind. If I'm sick, I take medicine, and if it is something on my mind, I either talk to someone, or write it in a journal. It usually helps." He smiled gratefully at her and she felt her cheeks warm slightly.

"Thank you, Miss Chidori. I'm very grateful for your help." He stood up and began packing his books neatly into his bag.

"Sousuke, we've been friends for over a year now... You can call me Kaname. Even at school. Please?" It always made her feel awkward when he addressed her so formally. It busted her illusions of intimacy to pieces and she enjoyed them too much to let him get away with that.

"My apologies Miss... I'm sorry Kaname. It's habit for me. I'll do my best." She smiled at him. He really had improved. He could at least see what he was doing wrong now, unlike when he had arrived. Back then, even when his mistakes were pointed out, he wouldn't acknowledge them as mistakes.

"Its alright Sousuke. Can we walk home today? It is a beautiful day outside, and I don't have any homework I need to do tonight." She hadn't been able to spare the hour to walk home in weeks because of a series of long and difficult projects, but now they were all finished and she intended to take full advantage of it.

"It's not a problem." She turned away so he wouldn't see her grin. She had gotten used to some of his quirks, in the way he spoke and acted. She even found some of them endearing. Kyoko was waiting for them outside the room.

"Hey Kaname! There is a horror movie marathon on tonight, want to watch it together?" Her hyper friend was grinning as always. Her happiness was infectious and Kaname found herself grinning as well.

"Sure sounds fun! We're walking home today, want to join us? You live along the way." Kyoko bounced up and down.

"Yeah it'll be fun! Shinji is visiting his grandparents, so I'm in no hurry!"

The three set off at a relaxing pace, talking about movies, school, sports, and anything that happened across their minds. Sousuke did his best to keep up with the conversation. Kyoko and Shinji had begun dating at the start of the term and had been nearly inseparable since then, so Sousuke had gotten used to being in the company of multiple civilians, and he had finally begun adapting to the peaceful way of life around him. Slowly, but still.

Most people saw Sousuke and Kaname as a couple now, including their best friends. He wasn't completely sure where they stood. Neither of them had ever physically or verbally expressed their desire to be more than friends, but they never corrected people when they referred to them as boyfriend and girlfriend. Normally the ambiguity in his, for lack of a better word, rank, would have driven him insane, but he was strangely content to just be around her.

It took them forty minutes to reach Kyoko's large house. The small girl was very wealthy, and typically played host to the others, but they decided that tonight they'd all go on to Kaname's house. This made Sousuke relax a little more. He wasn't as familiar with Kyoko's house or its surroundings. He was still responsible for protecting Kaname, and when they were around her, her friends.

Kyoko ran into her house to drop off her books and pick up a change of clothes before running back out to the sidewalk where her two friends waited.

"Hey Sousuke, when are you going to let Kaname cut your hair again?" The young soldier tugged at his bangs and examined the length critically.

"I'm not sure. It is not obstructing my vision yet, and I always disliked having extremely short hair when I was in official military capacities. I enjoy being able to grow it out some, but you're right, Miss Tokiwa, I should probably trim it soon."

Sousuke smiled warmly. Even though his statement was very objective and formal, it still made her happy that he felt comfortable voicing his own opinions now. It was another major improvement.

"If you like, I could cut it this weekend? You know I can trim it and leave it longer, then you can keep it that length and just let me cut it more often." Sousuke thought for a moment, then nodded to her, smiling.

"That sounds nice, thank you Kaname." She blushed slightly and turned to lead the way toward her apartment.

"You're hair looks nice when it is longer. I wish Shinji would go back to wearing his longer." Kyoko commented more to herself. After he had decided to pursue a military career like his father, Shinji had begun keeping his hair trimmed short.

"It is understandable for him to want to get into the habit now. It is easier to make such adjustments before hand so the change isn't so drastic. I've known many people who spent month or even years imposing very strict boundaries on their life before joining the military so that they would be better prepared than others. It normally worked, but not always." Kyoko nodded at the soldiers words.

"He's really trying his best to impress his father by being the top of his class when he enlists, but I don't understand how something so trivial as a haircut can make a difference. I guess I've just never had that experience." Kaname was happy that her protector could carry on a conversation about everyday topics with her best friend, but always surprised when Kyoko could carry on military oriented conversations with the soldier.

She'd done a lot of research when she had decided she liked Shinji and would win his heart if it killed her. Kaname wasn't entirely sure why she decided to date a guy she had nearly nothing in common with, but it had worked out better than anyone had expected. When they both wanted someone kind and patient and could deal with anything else, it made them fit together perfectly.

It helped that there was already overlap in their social circles, but no one would forget Shinji's face when the normally bubbly and spacy girl had sat down across from him and struck up a very serious conversation regarding his planned military career, ending by asking him to go on a date with her.

Kaname and Sousuke were far more complicated, and everyone knew that. There was no sitting down and forming an instant, calm, peaceful connection like their mutual friends had. Their relationship, whatever it was, was a constant struggle. Of course, neither would trade it for the world.

They finally reached Kaname's apartment just as the sun was beginning to sink behind the buildings. It was a nice evening so they had walked slower than planned. They'd be lucky to catch the start of the marathon. Just as they reached the room, Sousuke's cell phone rang.

"Hello. Sagara here." He was silent for a moment, then his irritation managed to shine through his forced calm and obedient exterior. "Roger. I'll be there in twenty minutes." He hung up and the girls knew what it had meant.

"You've got to go on a mission, don't you?" Kaname hated watching him go. She worried about him the whole time, and she was always afraid he wouldn't come back. That Mao or Kurz would knock on her door to report that he had been killed in action. She dreaded that day. She was also afraid of what could happen to her when he wasn't there to protect her.

"Affirmative. I'm sorry that I can't join you for the movies. Don't worry. I should be back before school Monday." He opened his mouth to add something, but stopped himself. He turned and headed down the stairs. Kaname almost called after him. Instead she closed her eyes for a moment, wishing fervently for his safe return, then turned and walked into her apartment with Kyoko.

"Hey man, sorry we had to call you away, but there's a good chance Amalgam is involved and we need a lambda driver on our side just in case. How's it going?" Kurz met him at the pick up point, seeming to be more sympathetic and friendly than usual.

"I have no major complaints. Is everything alright? You are acting strangely." Sousuke was always direct and to the point.

"I'm just a bit tired. Third mission in a row with no more than three hours in between." Kurz emphasized this by yawning and slumping back in the driver's seat next to Sousuke. "Mao's sick."

"Really? How badly?" This was the first Sousuke had heard of his commanding officer being ill.

"Nothing life threatening, but it was enough to keep her off this mission. She's got at least another six hours mandatory bed rest before the doctors will let her return to active duty."

"You're worried about her." Kurz blinked in surprise and spared a quick look at his friend.

"Since when are you so perceptive? A year ago, I could have told you I was worried about her and you wouldn't have put it together." Sousuke sighed. He knew it was probably true.

"I've been adapting better since the incident in Hong Kong. And I spend my days around people who's biggest worries are the health and safety of those they care about. It was harder for me to understand before, when I had never had the luxury of caring about anyone personally." Kurz gave his friend a half smile.

It always surprised him somehow, that the young man by his side had been a soldier for so much longer than him. He hadn't picked up a rifle till he was sixteen. His friend had been in war zone after war zone since his parents died and orphaned him at seven. He was barely twenty-one, and Sousuke was already eighteen.

"I'm glad you're getting to experience normal life. Well, at least normal for people like us. Have you considered leaving Mithril? I know we need you, but we're not the only ones, and maybe not even the most important. You've got a lot of life ahead of you. You could spend it in peace. You've given more to the military than anyone else I know. No one would think less of you."

Sousuke leaned back and closed his eyes.

"I've thought about it. Several times. But I can't. At least not yet. Maybe someday. Maybe even soon. But not until Mithril has a second lambda driver prototype working, and not until Amalgam is no longer a threat to Kaname. Until then, I'm going to continue to do everything I can to keep her safe from within Mithril's ranks."

"That's good to hear. I've thought about it, but I've only got two friends in the world and no family, so I don't know where I'd go. But if you left, I think I might feel better about doing the same. It feels like we've been doing this for decades, not just years, doesn't it?" Sousuke nodded at the blonde sniper's words.

"Yes, you're right about that. Have you talked to Mao about this? I think sometimes we are the only things keeping her there." Kurz laughed at that.

"Me tell Mao I am thinking about leaving? She'd blow a gasket! Besides, she is the only one of us who really chose a military life over something else. She could have been married to someone rich and respectable and have a family and everything. She gave up her normal life willingly. Why would she want to go back to that?"

"You don't think that her four years in Mithril may have changed her views about the ideal life? Only last year I was content to be a soldier until I died. Now... I'm beginning to want a life of my own. One I'm in control of. One where I choose who I serve and obey. You should talk to Mao when this mission is over."

Kurz drove in silence for a few minutes.

"Yeah. You're right. I dunno what Angel's been doing to you, but she deserves a medal. You're not the same guy I met a few years ago. You've really gotten a grip on yourself. I need to think about doing the same, I guess. Hey, we're here!" The two were out of the car and in the helicopter in under a minute. Soon, they were on there way toward the Tuatha De Danann.

The Captain greeted them both personally when they stepped of the helicopter.

"It is good to see you both made it here safely. Here is the briefing. Take a look and then get some rest. We'll be at the operation sight in three hours." She smiled warmly at the two, but kept her speech formal. She wouldn't risk losing command of her ship over a conversation that could wait until she was off duty.

"Yes Ma'am." Both soldiers responded immediately, taking the folders they were handed and heading toward their bunks.

Kurz began flipping through his packet as soon as he sat down.

"Looks pretty straight forward. A terrorist group is hiding out on an island with a half dozen stolen M9s and a dozen hostages. Quite a mix. Three soldiers, five politicians, two women, and two children. They have no idea that we know where they are, but the island has radiation levels that seem to indicate possible nuclear facilities underground."

"We're to rescue the prisoners, recover or destroy all M9s, capture or kill all terrorists, and scout for possible activity relating to Amalgam. If Leonard Testarossa is located, kill on sight." Sousuke finished the mission briefing.

It still bothered him that the man who posed the greatest threat to Kaname was the twin of his commanding officer. It bothered him more still that he was under orders to kill him on sight. He knew that order had to be very painful on the captain, and that it would be even worse when it was carried out. He hoped he wouldn't be the one who had to do it.

"Alright, let's get a few hours rest before they throw us into action." Kurz was out in a matter of minutes.

Sousuke wasn't far behind him.

The wake up call came too soon for the liking of the two tired soldiers.

"Sergeant Sagara, you will be deployed underwater in the Arbalest. You will wait just off shore for any sightings of Venom type AS units. Sergeant Weber. You will be taking an M9 along with Second Lieutenant Clouseau. You will sweep the perimeter while a separate force goes inside on foot. The stolen M9s are located on the east side of the island, which is closest to us. When the signal comes, you will either help the helicopter team move the M9s or act as cover for them, should the need arise. Remember the mission objectives. Good luck." Lieutenant Commander Kalinin finished speaking.

The mission went buy in a blur. The island had only the hostages and the stolen AS units. No terrorists. Immediately, the team was on high alert. This screamed set up. Despite the suspicious situation, the mission was completed with no interruptions, and Sousuke found himself on route towards japan less than twelve hours after leaving.

He managed to sleep through most of the helicopter ride and all of the taxi ride back to his apartment. By the time he arrived, he felt fairly well rested. He opened his door to drop his equipment before visiting Kaname just in time for his phone to ring. The secure line.

He rushed over and grabbed it up. He listened, then his heart sank.

"Sergeant Sagara, return to drop point immediately. Kaname Chidori has been taken. Amalgam involved. Urgent." He barely shouted an acknowledgment at the device before he was out the door, moving at a sprint. This was his worst fear. Something happening to Kaname when he wasn't there to protect her.

He reached the drop point at the same moment as the car. A man in Mithril uniform nodded silently before taking off at twice the speed limit. The whole mission had been a distraction. A way to get him away from Kaname's side. And it had worked perfectly. He clenched his fists. They would regret this.

"Wraith is dead. She was assassinated immediately prior to Miss Chidori's kidnapping. Miss Tokiwa is in the hospital with minor injuries. Head trauma. She was struck with a blunt instrument hard enough to knock her unconscious. Most likely, she was struck with a gun." The driver rattled off the facts.

"How did we find out so quickly?"

"Wraith missed her report. Luckily, she was scheduled to check in only minutes after her death. Although you would have reported her missing as soon as you returned. We have a good idea of where she has been taken. The De Danann is nearly there already. We will board a few miles out then move in underwater."

"Understood."

"We'll get her back man. Don't worry." Kurz was already suited up with his rifle slung over his shoulder.

"I know. We have to." Sousuke sounded more confident than he felt. Amalgam was not a group to take lightly. Mithril had no intelligence regarding the number of Venom type AS units they had at their disposal. All potentially armed with lambda drivers. And Kaname had told them they had another weapon. A miniature Arm Slave the size of a man. Semi autonomous.

"Come on. We've been excused from the official briefing. The captain wants to talk to us privately. And Mao's joining us. She wants the best on this mission. She's putting every resource she had available into this." They made their way to the captain's office quickly. Mao was already there, looking worried.

"I'm sorry to call you back here under these circumstances. If you are ready, we can begin." The captain looked exhausted. It was obvious she hadn't slept since the last time she had greeted him.

"How much information do we have?" Mao asked, patting Sousuke on the shoulder as he sat beside her.

"We know they have taken her to Amalgam's main base. They've issued a demand for the Arbalest and Sergeant Sagara. Needless to say, we intend to make them regret that demand. We also know that due to some internal struggles, they only have three Venom type Arm Slaves. They do still have the two miniature Arm Slaves though."

"So only five AS units to deal with? We've beaten better odds than that on a daily basis." Kurz tried to sound confident and calm. Sousuke knew it was forced, but he felt a little more sure of himself despite his logic.

"Yes, and we will have three AS units on the job ourselves. Urzu 1 and Urzu 2 will launch an attack on the front perimeter of their compound, while Urzu 6 will position himself with a good view of the west face of the main building. The Arbalest will be prepared, but Sousuke will not be piloting it directly. It has been upgraded with semi autonomous programming based off the AI and records of Sergeant Sagara's fighting and movement techniques."

"So Al will be taking orders and pretending to be me, so that I am able to sneak in?" Sousuke asked skeptically. He had learned to work with the AI, but trusting it to do things on its own was a stretch.

"Yes, Sergeant. I wrote the program myself. I've been getting involved with the R&D department again during downtime. I had hoped to be able to test my work more thoroughly before deployment, but I am confident in it. Urzu 1, Urzu 2, and the Arbalest will act essentially as distractions and cover fire. Sergeant Sagara will infiltrate the central compound and locate Angel. Sergeant Weber will act as sniper for Sagara."

"Understood." All three responded.

"Good. Go to the hanger and meet with Urzu 1 before deployment."

"So, Miss Kaname, will he come for you?" Leonard sat in his thrown of a chair, leaned back with his feet on his desk, watching her with interest.

"He will save me." She had no doubt in her mind. "And you'll die." She didn't like thinking of her protector as a killer, but she would not delude herself into denying what was coming. Sousuke would end this man's life without hesitation.

"Oh I think not. I'm still debating exactly what to do with you two once I have you at my mercy. Of course, we'll use the Arbalest to rebuild our organization, but personally, I'd like to see him broken before he dies." The silver haired man laughed.

"You can't break him. He's too strong for you."

"So naïve Miss Chidori! He's already been pushed to breaking once! Did he not tell you the details of his time in Hong Kong? I know that he did! All I have to do is make you suffer, and he will roll over like a dog." Kaname's stomach churned. Sousuke would figure something out. Wouldn't he?

"Mr. Silver, there is an attack in progress on the front gates. The Arbalest is among them. Three Arm Slaves total. Orders?" The intercom rattled off. The man pushed a button and responded.

"Destroy the other two, capture the Arbalest. Send in the spare Alastor as well." He released the button. "Well, that is a much more reckless move than I had anticipated. Shall we watch the fun?" He turned a large TV on and the attack was plastered across the screen.

She didn't want to believe it. She saw Mao and Bel and Sousuke charging the gates in their AS units. Sousuke's fighting was off. He probably still wasn't sleeping well enough, and she felt horrible about being right. At that rate, he would be captured, and they would both be doomed.

She smiled a little when she saw Sousuke smash through two Venom's at once, causing Leonard to grit his teeth in frustration. Then, one of the Alastors leaped off the roof and onto his back. It ripped open the pilot compartment and was about to reach in when Mao put her 30mm cannon against it and blew it into a million scraps. Kaname let out a small shout of joy.

"No! We only have tow of those!" He turned and pushed the button down again. "Quit fooling around! Use your lambda drivers! Kill them now!" He was enraged, nearly foaming at the mouth.

"We... we can't. We don't have enough fuel to run the lambda driver. And... we just ran out of ammo. We're very sorry Mr. Silver." The look on his face was something Kaname would cherish for the rest of her life, no matter how short it may be.

"I'd appreciate it if you would not move." Kaname and Leonard's heads whipped around at the voice. Sousuke stood there in the door way, his pistol aimed at Leonard's chest.

"You... how did you get here so fast? You were just out there!" The terrorist was trying to put two and two together and realizing he couldn't count past three. "No! You imitated my Alastors?! This is the work of my damn sister isn't it!?" Sousuke glared at the man and was about to shoot when he was struck in the back.

He tumbled across the floor like a crash test dummy, pulling up his arm and firing three shots through the central column of the miniature Arm Slave that had just attacked him. It dropped like a stone. Before he could recover from the attack though, Leonard kicked the gun from his hand and brought his own weapon to Kaname's temple.

"Stand up, Sagara." Sousuke stood, glancing around quickly before focusing again on Leonard Testarossa.

"I'll give you one last chance to let her go and come quietly. I swear to you, I will do anything, even let myself be shot through the chest to protect her. If you let me take you alive, your sister will not kill you. You know she won't. She still loves you. And I don't want to cause her the pain of hearing you die."

"Oh my dear sister is listening? Good. Tessa, I am going to kill your friends here, then I am going to make you watch while I destroy that submarine you worked so hard on. Then, when I have taken everything from you, I will kill you. Do you really think your sergeant can do anything? He has no gun. He is unarmed, and I have his very reason for living at my mercy."

"So you've made your choice." Sousuke closed his eyes and whispered something.

He knew this was bad. He stood up at the mad man's direction. His gun was across the room. His hand may have a few fractures in it. And he was between the target and the window. His communicator was buzzing in his ear.

"Urzu 6 here, I can't get a clear shot man! I know where he is, but you're in the way! I ended up with a low vantage point. Can you move to the side any?"

As he was looking around, he managed to whisper a negative.

"Urzu 1 and 2, we can't get there in time, our AS units are too badly damaged. The Arbalest is pretty beat up too."

"Sergeant, this is the captain speaking. Remain calm. You are the best in the world at this. Look around. Is there anything you can use?"

Sousuke took in his surroundings and focused back on his target. There wasn't a thing in sight that could help him. He judged the landscape he had glimpsed out the window with his knowledge of sharp shooting. He could guess Kurz' location with reasonable certainty from that. He would need to move 9 inches to his left to give him a clear shot at the target's head, and farther for anything else.

He addressed his enemy, putting as much confidence into his voice as he could, while concentrating on passing along his double meaning to his friend.

"Sousuke what the hell do you mean?! Absolutely not! I won't do it! You're asking too much!" Kurz was screaming in his ear. The target was speaking again.

Sousuke heard his captain let out a sob before she turned off her speaker. He knew she was still listening. Sousuke glared at the man with all the hatred he had ever felt towards Gauron.

"So you've made your choice." He closed his eyes tight, bracing for what was about to happen and whispered into his collar. "Kurz, please."

Kaname watched in horror as her dearest friend and steadfast guardian's chest seemed to explode in a shower of blood. She barely registered the feeling of wet warmth as her captor's head was reduced to fragments at her side. As soon as the gun dropped limply from her head, she leaped forward to Sousuke.

"Wake up! Please wake up!" She was sobbing uncontrollably. She reached into his ear and pulled out the transmitter, sticking it in her ear. "Kurz! Why did you do it!? You killed him! You killed Sousuke! You should have let me die instead!" She felt like vomiting. Her life was over. How could she face tomorrow without him by her side?

"Kaname? Take the cloth from his right lower pocket and press it to the wound, be sure he is laying on his back with his jacket under him. Apply pressure and hang on, I'm on my way." Her eyes widened as she saw the ragged rise and fall of her heroes chest.

She scrambled to follow the sniper's instructions. Within seconds, she heard help sprinting up the stairs. When he came through the door, all her anger towards the blonde man evaporated. He looked as sick as she felt. He was pale and sweating, with a look of nausea and self hatred on his face she would have never imagined on the normally cheerful man.

"Here, get his shirt off as carefully as possible. Cut along one side, not the middle. The Kevlar would slow you down." The sniper unpacked his first aid kit and began laying out medicine and bandages. Kaname did as instructed, and soon she could see the hole in all its glory.

"Alright, now what?" She was trying not to panic.

"Pour this over the wound and soak it up with this. Don't rub or you'll cause more damage, and don't let it pool up in there or it won't heal well." He handed her a bottle of liquid and a very spongy cloth. Sousuke winced and opened his eyes when the cool liquid touched his wound and began foaming.

"Glad to see you're alive man. I'm going to make you regret asking me to do that, you know, so you can't go and die before then, alright?" Sousuke only winced again as the cloth leached all moisture from his wound.

"Sousuke! You're going to be fine! You can't die on me!" Kaname was crying again as she continued to follow the snipers instructions. The two continued their treatment as well as there constant stream of encouragement, threats, and jokes until the soldier was bandaged from the bottom of his ribs to his shoulders.

"Mao? Can you hear me? Sousuke's going to be alright. We need a stretcher to move him, but we've treated the wound and the is no internal organ damage that I can tell. He needs to see a real doctor asap though." Kurz sighed with relief at whatever response came over the communicator and flopped back on the floor, panting.

"Thank you, Kurz. You managed to save us both. I'm sorry I yelled at you. I was panicking." Kaname smiled shakily at him. He just laughed it off.

"I deserved to be yelled at for listening to the moron, and believe me you were only the first of many lectures I'm going to receive for this." She could tell he wasn't as calm as he was trying to sound, but decided that under the circumstance, it was perfectly reasonable to be a bit shaken.

"Kurz, are you alright?!" Mao finally caught up to him. He had taken off on a jog as soon as they returned to base, and it had taken her twenty minutes to find him out on the cliffs. He was doubled over, throwing up violently into the grass.

"No, Mao, I'm not alright. I'm about as far from alright as I have ever been." She was shocked by the biting tone in his voice. Sure he was angry or sarcastic with her half the time, but he sounded like he actually hated her.

"Kurz... Talk to me." She put a hand on his back as he panted for breath and slowly straightened up.

"You know how you felt about Tessa, that time you challenged her? You thought she had it easy and was above everything because she wasn't in real combat? That is sort of how I feel about you sometimes..." Mao just looked at him, open mouthed.

"Why? You fight there right beside me!" He shook his head.

"Not all the time. I'm a sniper. I go on a lot of missions that you don't. When you fight, you're in an AS and you fight other people who are in them. How many people have you actually watched die at your own hands? How many of them have you actually watched as their life ended?"

She stood there for a moment, thinking over his words. He did go on missions she didn't go on, and sometimes didn't know about until after the fact, but he never talked about what he did, only the exploits of his teammates and friends.

"About four, I think." She finally answered, thinking about the few fights she had been in outside her machine.

"Two hundred and eighty three today and I've prayed for each and every one of them before I pulled the trigger, and number two hundred and eighty four was nearly my best friend... He's the first man I've ever shot that lived. Do you know how scared I was that he wouldn't be? Do you know how hard it was for me to pull the trigger knowing he would almost certainly die if I was even a fraction of an inch off?"

He looked at her with a desperate and pleading face. She put an arm around his shoulders and walked him over to a bench by the path, setting him down next to her.

"You're right. I don't go throw the same thing as you. I'd never thought about it before."

"I'm leaving Mithril, Mao. Sousuke and I were talking this morning, or maybe it was last night. It's hard to remember with all these missions in a row. I think now that Amalgam is finished, he may be leaving soon too. Especially with the new autonomous system for the Arbalest. He was only waiting for Mithril to get a second lambda driver unit and for Amalgam to stop being a threat to Kaname."

Mao couldn't believe her ears. "Leaving? You... you're both leaving?" She was surprised to find she was crying. She wiped her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" She looked at him.

"I thought you'd tear me a new one. But after talking with Sousuke about his plans, and after today's mission, I've made up my mind. I'm done. I'm sorry Mao..." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and surprised both of them by hugging him tightly.

"I might join you." Kurz pulled gently out of her embrace and stared at her.

"Do you mean it?" She'd rarely seen his passionate and sincere side, and cherished every moment that he let it show.

"Yeah. I think the three of us should talk to Tessa as soon as Sousuke is out of the hospital." He ran his hand through his hair, looking at his feet for a moment, then shakily stood up.

"Since I just threw up everything I've eaten in the past month, lets go get some food. We can pick up something for Kaname and Sousuke while we're out." She stood up and steadied him for a moment as he staggered his first step.

"Sounds good."

"Kaname..." She sat up immediately and looked at his bed. His eyes fluttered open and then focused, looking around slowly and cautiously. He saw her face and relaxed.

"I'm glad you're okay." She wanted to say so many things to him, but it seemed like enough to just see him awake.

"It was a small price to pay to get you out of there unharmed. It was far from the first bullet I've ever taken, although I can't pretend I was prepared for the impact. I had underestimated just how powerful Kurz' gun is." She took his hand and leaned her head down on his shoulder.

"He helped me bandage you up. I was so terrified... I thought he'd killed you just to kill Leonard. But he explained. After Mao catches him, and everyone in line gets to chew him out for doing something so reckless, I'm sure he'll be here to visit you." She rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb, marveling at how it could feel so gentle when those same hands had been in war for so long.

"Kurz will visit approximately 6 hours after I was admitted. How long has it been?" He turned his head slightly to look her in the eyes.

"Four hours. Why would he wait so long?" Sousuke smiled slightly.

"It is an agreement we made in training after we met. We both have a bit of a short temper with each other when we are tired and injured and off duty, so we agreed to give each other six hours unless it was definitely going to be the end for one of us. The doctors supported the decision after I tore my stitches punching him once."

Kaname laughed lightly. It sounded so ridiculous. Her perfectly obedient and professional soldier punching his best friend, or the carefree and cheerful sniper losing his temper with someone he got along with so well. She sat up and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Kyoko's doing alright. She called while you were unconscious. She's glad we're both alright and can't wait to see us." Sousuke smiled up at her at that.

"I'm happy she is not too badly injured. I felt bad I couldn't spare the time to visit her, but rescuing you was a priority. Do you think she will forgive me?" His smile faded quickly. She giggled and tugged his hair playfully.

"Of course! She doesn't blame you at all, and besides, have you ever known her to hold a grudge?" He relaxed again and stared at the ceiling. They sat together in comfortable silence for nearly two hours before the door opened and four people walked in.

"Only two visitors at a time! Draw straws or play rock paper scissors. I don't care, just do it outside, and do it quietly." The doctor glared at the group. Kaname stood up and grabbed Tessa and Kurz, dragging them out with her.

"Come on you two, lets let his direct superiors lecture him before you two go in with hugs and apologies." Bel and Mao laughed quietly as one of their superiors and one of their subordinates were dragged out like equals.

"Second Lieutenant, Sergeant Major. Good evening." Sousuke tried to salute but his arm wouldn't go that high. He settled for a respectful nod.

"No need for formalities, all of us are off duty right now, and if you injure yourself saluting, I'll make sure you're in here for another week." Bel glared at the soldier before smiling and patting his shoulder. "I'm betting that you don't need us to tell you how stupidly risky that was, so instead, I'd like to say well done sergeant. That was impressive, if stressful." The injured man relaxed again and nodded in acknowledgment.

"Thank you sir. It was the only option I could think of that would guarantee the success of the mission. I also trust Kurz' skills as a sniper, and was willing to take that risk. You are both uninjured?" Both nodded and then Mao knelt beside him and hugged him.

"You idiot, if you had died, I'd have had to fight Kaname for the right to kill you first." He stared at her for a moment then smiled.

"Thank you for your concern, but I am alright. I had no intention of dying. It would have been irresponsible to put you in such a situation. Kaname would win." Bel laughed and soon Mao joined him. Sousuke could only smile. His chest hurt too badly.

"We've got to go and report to Kalinin before we can sleep, so we'll let the next to take their turn. Get well soon, Sergeant." Bel turned and walked out, followed closely by Mao.

As soon as they were through the doorway, a sobbing Tessa was running toward him. He braced himself for the pain her embrace was about to cause on his wound, but it didn't come. Kaname had caught her by the shoulders just in time.

"He's injured, Tessa. Be careful!" The teenage captain nodded and slowly approached, standing next to his bed and staring at him.

"Sousuke, I was so worried about you..." She settled for hugging his arm and sobbing into his shoulder for a few minutes.

"It's alright captain. I'm fine. How are you holding up? Today was a hard day for you as well." She sniffed and tried to compose herself.

"I'm doing as well as can be expected. We had not spoken in a while, and I hardly even recognized him from the way he spoke. Amalgam twisted him into something horrible. My brother was gone for a long time. He wasn't the thing that died today. But it still hurts..."

Kaname put an arm around the young captain and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm sorry we couldn't bring him back alive." She shook her head.

"No, it is probably better this way. He was far smarter than me, and every second he spent alive was a danger to those around him. I miss him, but it is better that he died." She winced, just saying the words made her feel sick. Sousuke took her hand and looked at her.

"Tessa, you're a good captain. You're stronger than many grown men and you are still high school aged. You've lost your brother. No one will blame you for mourning him." She broke down and dropped into the chair next to him. It was twenty minutes before she finally stopped crying.

"Th-thank you. I needed that. I should go and finish the formal report and let Kurz have his turn." She stood and stretched, wiped her face, breathed deeply for a few moments, then smiled. "I hope you have a speedy recovery. Take good care of him, Kaname."

Kurz walked in as she left, the guilt evident on his face.

"Kurz, what caliber was that bullet?"

".300 Mag." Sousuke nodded.

"I thought you had shot me with your AS for a moment." Kurz grinned and let out a chuckle.

"Glad you can joke about it. I'm still going to make you regret asking me to do that someday."

"I don't blame you. I imagine I would feel the same in your place."

"No, I'd be dead, because you couldn't have made that shot in a million years." Kurz' pride decided to make an appearance.

"Also probably true." Sousuke looked over at his friend. "Thanks for doing that for me. I owe you."

"No debt between friends." The blonde sniper waved off the comment. Kaname smiled from her seat by the door. It was rare she got to see the two actually act like friends, not just coworkers or colleagues.

"Oh, I brought you both back some food. I figured you'd heal faster if they didn't kill you with hospital food." Kurz held up a bag.

"We're on land?" Sousuke looked around.

"Yeah, they wanted to keep you on the sub until you could walk, then move you straight to Merida Hospital." Sousuke nodded.

Several days later, Sousuke was released from the hospital.

"Hey Sousuke! I'm glad you're back! Thanks for rescuing Kaname!" Kyoko acted as if nothing had happened to her at all.

"I'm glad to be back, Kyoko." Kaname smiled and walked toward the train station with the two.

"I'll be missing class again tomorrow. I have to fly back to base in the morning." Kaname almost fell on her face as she came to an immediate halt.

"What?! They aren't even giving you a full day out of the hospital and they already want you back on an assignment?!" She was about to demand to see Sousuke's phone so she could yell at Tessa when he shook his head and smiled.

"I'm resigning." Kaname and Kyoko stared at him in confusion.

"You're... resigning..."

"Yes."

"But then... you won't be assigned to protect me anymore..."

"Negative. That assignment was rendered obsolete with the destruction of Amalgam. I will be staying purely of my own free will."

"What about money? School? Your apartment?"

"I haven't spent any money in the past three years, and Mithril has paid very well. I am now leasing the apartment complex from Mithril. I'm currently looking into a house near a college I'm interested in. It is conveniently located to remain nearby you when you proceed to college as well. I am permitted to complete me schooling."

Kaname couldn't believe what she was hearing. Kyoko accepted it first.

"That is amazing Sousuke! Kaname might have just forgotten how to talk, but I'm sure she's thrilled that you won't be in constant danger anymore!" Sousuke smiled and nodded.

"Kurz and Mao are resigning tomorrow as well. We've already discussed it. They have already purchased a house and will be moving in tomorrow night, so I won't be back until the morning after. I already promised to help them."

"They'll be living nearby too?!" Sousuke nodded to the hyper girl.

"Affirmative. They considered both Germany and China, but settled on Japan so we could more easily keep in touch. We should really keep moving, or we'll miss the train." That finally jolted Kaname out of her trance. She leaped on him, throwing her arms around his shoulders and pressing her lips against his. His arms reflexively came up to hold her close as his brain tried to process what was happening.

"Hey you two, people are starting to stare. Shinji and I aren't that bad, are we?" The two broke apart and looked at their friend with dazed expressions, then both turned red.

"Uh..."

"Idiot!" Kaname punched him lightly in the arm for his lack of eloquence before the three boarded the train.

"All of you, then?"

"Affirmative." All three responded. Sousuke, Kurz, and Mao stood across the desk from Captain Testarossa.

"Alright. I have one last order for the three of you. Keep in touch. If I don't receive a letter or phone call from each and every one of you at least once a month, expect to find me in your house when you get home one day." All four of them smiled.

"Roger that, Captain. At least once a month. Although, perhaps you should visit anyway." Kurz said and his friends nodded.

"Absolutely! But my down time may come at inconvenient times for you all, so don't make plans too far ahead. You know this will take a lot of paperwork, and finding replacements is not going to be easy, don't you?"

"Yes, we're very sorry about that. But we know you can handle it. There is no better captain in the world. It has been an honor serving under you." Sousuke saluted and the others followed suit.

"I'm the one who is honored. Not many people are lucky enough to have subordinates she can really trust with her life both in and out of the uniform. You're dismissed." They smiled and embarrassed their former superior officer one at a time.

"Thank you Tessa. We'll see you soon! The De Danann is due for a full maintenance soon, and that took two weeks last time!" Mao was the last to go. "Since Sousuke is waiting until he is ready to start classes in the fall to move to his new house, we'll have plenty of room in ours! We can even go to a hot spring again!"

"That sounds like a good idea to me! I'll let you all know when I can get away!"

It was their first Christmas break after starting college, and Kaname was curled up against Sousuke and the wall in a pile of blankets and pillows they had assembled on his bed. Sousuke had picked the movie for the night, and to Kaname's surprise, it wasn't a military movie.

"Princess Bride? Is this an American movie?"

"Yes, I must have watched it once when I was very young, and ended up tracking it down when I joined Mithril. It is one of my favorite films." Kaname smiled and cuddled closer.

"Thanks for inviting me over."

"It's not a problem."

After twenty minutes or so, Kaname giggled. Sousuke looked at her questioningly.

"He sounds just like you with 'It's not a problem' when he says 'as you wish'." Sousuke gave her a warm smile and held her closer. Soon after she heard the explanation, and turned red.

"Do you mean that, Sousuke?"

"Always."

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