Okay so, I've been working on constructing this for a while now, and after extensive research, I finally decided to start writing it out. This IS my first cross-over, so I hope I can get some good constructive criticism, so that if I ever decide to do another, I'll know where to fix my faults. Also, since I have other projects I'm working on as well, this story won't be updated very frequently. I do already have other stories that take priority, but thankfully, I don't plan on this one being very long, so it's all good. Thanx for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy the ride!

Mika Kuruyame

Chapter 1 - After The Fall

Can't stop fallin'
Heartaches callin'
Finds you after the fall
Saints or sinners
Take no prisoners
What's left after you fall
Not much no

Hindsight is 20/20. He'd often heard such a saying after missions that had gone less than smoothly. And though he'd always known that such an expression was only meant to encourage learning from one's mistakes, he didn't need to be told such things right now. No, he was living his difficult lesson, and every breath he took was serving as just another reminder to it as well. He'd lost. He'd never ruled out the possibility from previous missions, but to have lost the one time he had needed more than anything to succeed...

The very moment it happened would forever be etched in his mind. Every detail, no matter how insignificant, rang loudly through his thoughts. The ear piercing screech of metal as the Arbalest was peeled open, the light smell of machinery fluids and smoke from the sparking wires, the feel of the wind as it rushed inside the once sealed cockpit, and the absolute desperation as he took hold of his Glock and tried firing in vain at the impossible Armslave in front of him. He could still see its mechanized face, its eyes glowing as it continued enjoying its rather condescending glare, watching him the same way parents would an insolent child.

That's when she reappeared. As if materializing from the very air itself, she stood tall and proud, demanding a trade. His life, for her surrender. Yes, every single breath, every beat of his heart, it was all because of her. It always had been really, since the day they had first met. He would have gladly given his life for her, and at times, he had tried. But her orders were ones that mattered most, and every time he'd prepared to sacrifice himself for her, she had ordered him not to.

This time however, she willingly sacrificed herself for him. It was never supposed to be that way. Countries churned out soldiers by the hundreds every day. If needed, he could always be replaced, possibly by someone with more experience, or someone more covert than he. Yes, he could always be replaced. Mithril could have done so at anytime anyway.

But no one could replace Kaname Chidori.

The circumstances that ultimately shaped her into the person she was, they happened every day. But no one could ever, or would ever be Kaname Chidori. There was only one. One brilliant, fiery, confident, beautiful, caring, and wonderful young woman like her. That's all there ever would be as well. Such a person like her was worth dying for, and it would have been an honor to do so. Fleeting images of the last moments he saw her continued to plague him, replaying as if on a broken record, and still, every time it only continued to spread the pain in his heart.

Her long dark hair blowing in the wind, the sadness in her eyes as tears ran unchecked down her cheeks, and her final message to him, lost forever in the wind and dust as she was carried away from him on the palm of that silver monster. So ashamed of his failure, he hadn't left his apartment for days. He had just sat there, only checking outside sources twice before receding once more into the depths of his mental suffering. He didn't need anyone else to tell him that he'd lost everything. He'd once had similar feelings back in October, when he was recalled, but now he knew better. Back then, the city he had come to treasure wasn't in shambles. Back then his classmates thought he was a harmless military otaku. Back then he knew exactly where she was, and that she and her fellow students would be fine, with or without him.

Now they knew everything. Everyone had looked at him with the same fear she had once before. Then they were angry. He saw it coming though. They had every right to be furious with him after all. He'd lied about everything, right from the start, especially to his closest civilian friends. Still wallowing in his guilt, he allowed them to vent their anger and fear of him. He'd sworn to her that he would protect them too, because just as she was precious to him, they were precious to her.

Then Kyoko got hurt, and the pristine world he'd tried to keep so far from the truth was cracked.

His 20/20 was that he had taken on too much at once. With so few resources and no back-up he had done his best to save her city, and the people she valued most in it. Looking back, he should have followed his instincts and ran away with her. Taken her to some foreign land and hide themselves under the veil of anonymity. Hidden so that neither the arms of Mithril nor the shadows of Amalgam could ever be able to take her away from him again. Now though, it was all just a fleeting dream.

Sousuke sat unmoving in his seat near the window, the clouds whisking by as the plane jostled about in the turbulence, dipping slightly as it gradually began to descend. He still had another ten minutes before they would reach his destination, and once again he wondered at what fate his comrades met as he fought for her city. What had become of Mithril he didn't know, but those few he had grown close with, he wondered if they survived. Was Kurz, Melissa, Tessa and the rest of them out there somewhere? He was fairly certain that Kalinin was dead. Even the private communications they had set up outside of Mithril had remained silent. Their loss was also weighing heavily on his heart, though significantly lighter than the weight of failing Kaname so thoroughly.

It sounded cold to say such things, but it was true. He had long ago accepted that comrades came and went, whether it be by choice or death. But since before he could remember, he'd never dealt with a lost love before. But then again, he'd never loved before either. It almost felt at times as if part of his chest was hollow, though he knew such comparisons went against all logic.

"Better strap in Sagara. We'll be landing soon."

"Roger." Pulling his seat belt tighter, the small plane's nose dipped, taking it under the clouds as it began its descent. It was just past four in the afternoon now, and if he was lucky, once on the ground he might be able to get in touch with an old comrade from his days in Myanmar. He already assumed that after four years, his business would have found a better location then the one he had started in. Looking out the window again, the thick foliage gave way, and the glow of city lights became clearer. From the sky, the city looked just as he remembered it.

The slums that separated the city from the edges of the thick jungles, each one prowled by the undesired of even this city. The main streets with their glowing stores, restaurants, and casinos. The cluster of tall business towers in the heart of the city, each one belonging to a different mafia, and crawling with loyal grunts. The shipping yard that reeked of illegal weapons and other such pirated goods. And beyond, in the sparkling water of the bay, the giant carved Buddha statue, greeting those who dared to venture into the city with its face marred by multiple bullet holes. And even though he had still yet to land, he could already imagine the sign on the side of the road, just past the bridge with an old noose hanging from its beams.

Welcome to Roanapur.

The tarmac coming into view, Sousuke needed no reminders of why he was here. Her sweet face coming to the forefront of his mind, he braced himself as the plane's wheels made contact, the pilot putting on the brakes and bringing it to a slow cruise. It wasn't long after that the plane docked, the workers giving them the signal to disembark. "Well Sagara, here you go."

"Thank you. The money should post in your account before tomorrow. If there are any issues with the transfer, call me."

"Will do man. Watch your back though. This ain't a city you wanna go steppin' on folks toes alright?" His eyes hardening, he waved to his former comrade as he turned and made his way to the building. The small airport was nice enough, probably not one that normal people would find welcoming though. Once inside, Sousuke could feel the eyes of the locals burning into his back, inspecting him as a predator might inspect a piece of meat before devouring it. Once on the street, he took a moment to assess his surroundings. A clear view of the tall buildings in the center shone brightly in the descending sunlight, and if he had been in any other city, with a different purpose, he might have been able to appreciate the view. Glancing over at a small display of local maps, he was almost tempted to take one, until he remembered that such an action was more than likely useless.

This was a town that flowed like the ocean tides, and at a moment's notice could change and wash away anything and anyone that was deemed unfit to be there. And besides that, walking around with a map would be akin to painting a large target on his back. If anyone thought he was anything less than he was, it could stir up more trouble than he felt like dealing with. Repositioning his rucksack on his shoulder, Sousuke calmly descended the steps and began walking down one of the roads. It wasn't long after that the sun dipped low enough to shadow all but the main roads, the neon signs painting the streets in a constantly changing prismatic display. It was only too bad that it couldn't improve the looks of the multiple whores that now lined the streets.

Filing out of their respective houses, each of them made up as much as possible so as to appear beautiful, and cover the evidence of their unsatisfied pimp's 'love'. Sousuke grimaced as a few of them noticed him, trying to flip their hair and stand in ways that other men might have found enticing. "Hey sweet boy, you lost?"

"Come on over here baby. Let's make you a man tonight!"

"I may cost ya, but I'm worth e-v-e-r-y penny honey!"

"Hey stud, let's you and me dip that banana in some hot chocolate!" Sousuke cringed as the whores continued calling out vulgar innuendos as he passed by, their tune quickly changing as soon as he walked by without acknowledging their efforts. Instead of enticing him though, the only thing he felt now was intense nausea at the thought of their dirty hands and cracked fingernails running along his body in their sloppy attempts to 'please him'. Finally reaching the end of the long, whore lined street, Sousuke spotted two slightly older men engrossed in a chess game in front of a noodle shop. Deciding that they may very well be his best bet at the moment, he approached them, waiting patiently for them to notice him.

"Hm? Get lost kid, we're busy here."

"I'm sorry to bother you in the middle of your game, but I'm looking for someone and need some assistance."

"That so? And just who're ya looking for? Your Mommy?"

"Yeah, what do we look like, a fucking information booth?" Stroking his short beard, the man moved his rook to the next available square, jumping his friend's pawn and taking it out of the game. More than a little annoyed at their words, Sousuke had to remind himself that this was just how things were here. Roanapur was decidedly not a nice place, so it only made sense that if you were to interact with those who lived there, sometimes being courteous didn't quite fit the bill. His gaze hardening, Sousuke kicked over the small table, the chess pieces scattering in the rising night lights before falling to the blackened concrete. "Fucking prick!"

Moving faster than the old man in front of him, Sousuke brought up his leg and kneed him in the stomach before a swift punch under his chin brought him to stumble back down in his chair. The old man tried kicking Sousuke's leg out from under him, but even as Sousuke was brought down to a knee, it only brought the old man a fierce punch to the gut instead of his face. The force from the hit nearly bent the old man in half as he leaned forward, the pain radiating from his stomach as Sousuke stood and drew his knife under the old man's throat. Normally Sousuke wouldn't have bothered going to such measures against an old man, but if he was an old man in Roanapur, he was more than capable of taking care of himself. Leaning over, he met the old man's furious gaze directly, his grey eyes cold as he stared the man down, letting the cool metal of his favorite knife press against his jugular. "Perhaps you didn't hear me. I asked if you could kindly give me assistance in finding someone."

The old man tried staring back at him, his pride wounded for not being able to teach the little punk a lesson like he had wanted. Unfortunately, he had not been in the service for a while, and his muscles didn't have the same strength they used to. Sousuke's stare was intense and focused as he awaited the older man's answer, the other man sitting across from them watching exchange with amused disinterest as his hot-headed friend tried to out match the young man. A few tense moments later, the old man broke the stare, sighing at his realization that Sousuke was not going to back down. "Alright ya little shit, you win. Who the fuck you looking for?"

"I'm looking for a man called Dutch." Finally getting his way, Sousuke put his knife back in the sheath on his belt, very aware of the shady characters now observing them as he awaited the answers he wanted. It seemed that Roanapur wanted a taste of him earlier than expected.

"Dutch? You mean the guy runnin' the Lagoon Company?"

"Affirmative. Now where can I find him?" The man ran a hand through his beard again, leaning back in his chair as he contemplated his answer. Sousuke remained unmoving, taking note that if he was going to make it through this city quickly, it might be a good idea to keep some of his less appealing traits, specifically those he had tied to his other self, close to the surface. If the people he needed to speak with didn't tread carefully, he was sure that Roanapur might have an exponential amount of fun trying to contain an angered 'Kashim'. If there was one thing about this city, it was that every killer who wanted it could find a place here, you just had to be wary of who's toes you stepped on to do it. The old man meeting his cold grey irises once more, he leaned forward with a grin.

"Well I ain't got no clue where the office is, but about this time of day you could probly find him down at the Yellow Flag Bar. Place is down near the pier, owner's a guy called Bao. If Dutch ain't there, he'll know where ta find 'em." Carefully looking down at the older man, Sousuke assessed that he was more than likely telling him the truth. And besides, there would be no benefit to him if he was lying, except that he would have a very dangerous young man after him who was out for blood if he did. With a curt nod, Sousuke then picked up the chess pieces from the gutter and righted the table before placing them back on the board. With a quick thanks, he turned and headed down toward the boardwalk. Once there, the last glaring rays of sunlight highlighting the street, Sousuke could spot a lone building a little under a mile from his current position. Guessing that that would more than likely be his destination, he shoved a hand in his pocket and began making his way down the road, readjusting his rucksack on his back.

You meant more to me than I let you see
You held on somehow
All your tenderness and your sweet caress
I miss you now

The colors from the sunset intensified as the light continued to disappear below the horizon, their vibrancies reminding him of a happier time, her laughter drifting over the sounds of the evening traffic as the two of them stood on a bridge, the fading light dancing over her hair as it moved in the light breeze. The ache in his chest got worse for a moment, his frown growing deeper as he tried to fight the pain's paralyzing feel. Now was not the time to allow his emotions to render him useless; he would have plenty of time for that after he had fulfilled his promise and taken her back to her city, and the people she cared about. Then, if she wished it, he would leave. It would be better if she could be happy without him there to mess up her life more than he already had, repeatedly causing her grief every time he perceived a threat.

Sousuke now understood just how much she meant to him, and if he was honest with himself, he would like nothing more than to be with her the rest of his life. But her happiness would always come first to him, and if she wished it, he would leave without any hesitation. If that was what made her happiest in life, then he would accept it. He had no right to make demands of her with everything she had been through, so with another weight added to his heart, Sousuke took a deep breath and continued his trek toward the structure down the road.

The sounds of loud music and boisterous patrons drifted over the sound of the ocean that crashed not far from the sidewalk. The large neon sign had activated when the last rays of the sun had dipped below the sea, letting him know that his first stop was within sight. Idly he had to wonder if Dutch had changed much since their days in Myanmar. He was the kind of man who others just seemed to gravitate to, someone who nearly anyone could find themselves liking, even if you were at odds. He was even able to grow a little on Sousuke while they served, so much so that he had followed the man to his first stay in Roanapur. Sousuke hadn't stayed very long, but Dutch had been able to carve out a place for himself, and had decided to stay.

As he approached, a small gang of thugs exited the bar and crowded around a car as they continued conversing loudly. Sousuke heard their conversation die down a few notches as they noticed his approach, coming to a full stop as he began passing them by to enter the bar. A few feet from the door, one of them decided to step in his path, and already Sousuke could feel his irritation building. There were a few very good reasons why he had left this city when he did, and one of them was that every time he turned around, another person was right there ready to assume that he was nothing but a helpless young boy.

Sousuke tried stepping to the side, and every time he did the man stepped in front of him again. "What's up little man? You lost or somthin'?"

"Please let me through." Sousuke wasn't even trying to keep the growl of irritation out of his voice. Lifting his gaze to stare daggers at the taller man, he tried resisting the urge to burn the large afro right off his very skull.

"Please? Ha! Did you hear that boys? Little shorty here actually said 'please'!"

"Aw, ain't that cute?"

"Seriously man! What the fuck's with that?" The man in front of him leaned down to glare at him more closely, the toothpick in his mouth nearly poking Sousuke in the nose as he grinned smugly. "Go on home little man. Yer momma ain't here tonight. Don'tcha go worryin' though, if she shows up ol' Roy'll give her a good fu-"

The man was a lot lighter than Sousuke would have guessed at first glance. He had been reaching out to lay a hand on his shoulder, when Sousuke's irritation at his delay finally reached its head. Grabbing hold of the man's wrist, he quickly turned and launched him back toward his gang, landing hard on the rooftop of the car the thugs had gathered around. The other four stared a moment, surprised that a young man of his size could so easily launch their six foot friend through the air without even breaking a sweat. Sousuke simply stood and stared coldly at the group, knowing that any second now, they would be reaching for their guns to try and kill him for his apparent transgression.

"Fucking prick!" Just as predicted, each one of them reached for their firearm at the same time. Thankfully though, Sousuke already had his Glock in hand from the second the first thug had hit the vehicle, and began returning fire as he took cover behind what appeared to be a classic Pontiac GTO. He sighed to himself as his first gunfight back in the city began, amazed that it really had taken as long as it had to happen in the first place. 'Guess this place must have calmed down since I left,' he thought to himself as he reloaded the clip. With a sadistic smirk he hadn't worn since long before he joined Mithril, he turned to return fire as the words written on the sign at the side of the road came back to him. 'Hm, welcome to Roanapur indeed...'

But a headstrong stubborn man
Only works it out the best he can
Valentines he never sent
There's not enough time, he's a workin' man

The crowd had gathered as once again Rock and Revy had entered into yet another drinking contest, tipping back another two double shots of tequila and rum. Dutch and Benny sat over to the side, watching as their friends and fellow associates tried to drink each other under the table, knowing smirks on their faces. With a short growl, Rock joined Revy in slamming down the shot after swallowing the last bit from the glass, both of their faces already very red as the hard liquor made its way through their systems. "I told you Revy! You can't out-drink a Japanese business man! Drinking is second to breathing by the time you get to my old job!"

"And I told ya you got shit for brains asshole! Bao! Where's our drinks ya dumb fuck!"

"Stop shrieking already you fucking bitch! Just take the damn bottle and shut the hell up!" Throwing the large bottles of rum, tequila, and vodka their way, Bao furiously started cleaning some of the mugs, his only reprieve being the thoughts that he knew he would be repaid for the loss of his bottles thanks to the brothel upstairs. The drinks were just starting to flow again when the bottle Revy held onto shattered, the echoes of bullets filling the air. While this was nothing new to anyone currently in the bar, immediately the response was to duck and cover, and in Bao's case, blame Revy. "Dammit Revy! What the fuck did you do this time!"

"How the fuck should I know! I've been on jobs all week!"

"I can vouch for that Bao! Revy's been working all this week on three jobs for me! She didn't have time to piss people off!"

"Bullshit!" Strangely enough, just as quickly as the gunfire had started, it was quiet all over again. Revy already had both cutlasses in her hands as people began carefully peering over whatever they had used to take cover. Rock stayed behind the bar, hunched over and covering his head with his hands, making Revy snort at the cowardly display.

"Fuck Rock, how long have you been here and you still shit you pants when someone pulls a fuckin' gun out?"

"Well excuse me if I happen to like living at the moment!"

"Fuckin' whiny-ass piece of shit! I'll kick your ass if you keep-"

"Excuse me." Not having realized that the gunfire from before had silenced, Revy turned, bringing the barrel of her cutlass around to fire before her gun was halted by a young man leaning over the counter. She had even pulled the trigger to shoot, but the young man had simply brought up his gun near the side of his face to block the continued swing, thus avoiding a bullet to the face. Eyeing the teenager carefully, Revy could feel her short temper rise back up to meet the challenge in his eyes. This kid has just blocked her shot as if it had been nothing! She was the best gun in Roanapur, and if word got out that some random kid had been able to block her shot, others would be swarming trying to prove that they could do it to. The barrel of her cutlass still smoking, Revy sneered up at the young man, his only expression being that of boredom and heavy annoyance.

"So who the fuck are you kid?" Revy almost wanted to pull the trigger when she heard an annoyed sigh come from him, the look on his face alone already beginning to rub her the wrong way.

"I am looking for someone and am in need of some assistance."

"Well whoopdi-fuckin'-doo! What the fuck do I look like huh! A fucking phone book!"

"Uh, Revy..."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP ROCK! GOD DAMMIT WHO THE FUCK DO I GOTTA BLOW TO GET SOME FUCKING RESPECT AROUND HERE! HUH!"

"Sagara?" Revy's tirade was brought to a halt when Dutch was finally able to get a good look at the one responsible for the shoot up in the parking lot. It may have been a few years, but if he remembered right, the boy's appearance hadn't changed much at all. If there had been any doubt in Dutch's mind who the boy was, the moment he turned and laid cold steel eyes on him, and the cross-shaped scar on his cheek coming into full view only confirmed it. The young man Dutch had addressed turned away from the cutlasses barrel, coming to lean on the edge of the bar with only the faintest of smirks on his face, but even then, anyone looking would be able to notice that his expression held no mirth.

"It's been a while, Dutch."