Illya clung to the boat's railing and took several deep breaths. There was a hand on his shoulder and he glanced back to see his temporary partner in crime, April Dancer.

"Are you…? Wow, it's true, people really can turn green." Illya breathed through a wave of nausea and nodded. "Isn't the medicine helping at all?"

"Not yet." The boat dipped and swayed as Illya returned to the point he'd been staring at for the last forty minutes. "How much longer?"

"Normally, we'd be there by now. The captain says we should make landfall in fifteen minutes…"

"But?"

"It might be too rough to land."

"I'll chance it. Give me a life preserver and I will swim ashore." April's hand squeezed his and Illya smiled weakly at her. "You'd better go in and not get chilled."

"What about you?"

"Trust me. It's better out here."

She started to make her way back to the roundhouse, then stopped. "Were you in the Russian Navy?"

"It's a long story." Illya swayed and closed his eyes. "Another time, perhaps?"

By the time they landed Hashima Meiji, the sea sickness medication had finally calmed Illya's stomach, but did nothing to quell the sense of uneasiness that prickled at the back of his neck. They climbed out onto dock and Illya repressed the sudden desire to drop and kiss the wooden planks. Instead, he cleared his throat, sore from vomiting.

"April, what do you know about this place?"

"Just what I read during the briefing. Hashima Meiji used to be a mining community of about 5,300 people. The Japanese government built housing here and during World War II, Chinese prisoners and Korean conscripted people were forced to work the mines under very harsh conditions. Finally, petroleum replaced coal as a major fuel and the island was abandoned." She hefted up her backpack and grabbed a rucksack. "No one is permitted here, except by clearance from the Japanese government."

"In short, a perfect spot for THRUSH." Illya gathered up his own pack and gear.

"If the reports are to be believed. Intel says that they are working on some kind of secret weapon."

"When aren't they?" Illya shaded his eyes from the lashing wind. "I believe our best chance of shelter will be in the structure just to the west of the major housing complex."

"Anywhere to get out of this wind and rain."

Illya led the way across a large open concrete pad. "It's hard to believe that many people, including women and children lived here. Perhaps it's pleasant when the weather isn't so hostile.

April looked over at the blockhouse of apartment, dull and gray in the October afternoon. "I couldn't imagine anyone being happy about living here."

"Many of them didn't have any choice." Illya pointed to a building up on a ridge, one of the few places there was greenery on the island. "The doctors and upper management lived up. These were for the workers." He stopped before a squat building, its windows boarded up. "This was the processing center for anyone coming onto the island. It also looked to be in the best shape." He forced the door open enough to squeeze inside.

He reached backward and April passed over a flashlight. "What's inside?"

"Mostly rubble, but there's a fireplace and with any luck, the chimney isn't blocked." Illya slipped inside and waited for her to join him. The flashlight played across the interior, hurrying from one spot to the next as if afraid to pause for too long.

April closed the door behind her and shivered in the frigid air. "Brr."

"I agree." Illya dropped his pack down on what had once been a table. "Help me collect some wood for the fire."

Within a matter of a few minutes, Illya had a fire crackling away. April squatted close, holding her hands to the flames. "At least there's enough wood to keep this going in here."

"I'm not sure the Japanese government would approve of us using tables and chairs for firewood, but what they don't know won't hurt them." Illya added a chair leg to the fire.

"And with the wind, THRUSH won't be able to see the smoke." As if to illustrate, wind buffeted the building, but the concrete didn't care. "Sounds like quite a storm raging out there."

Illya's stomach growled and he smiled, slightly embarrassed. "One in here, too." He opened up his pack. "Do you want beef stroganoff, creamed tuna and peas, franks and beans, or mystery meat and hash?"

"Mmm, you make them all sound so—" She stopped as Illya held up his hand and then brought a finger to his lips. He crept to the door and yanked it open. Two young children toppled in with squeals of surprise. Immediately they clung to each other, crying in fear.

"Ochitsuku, ochitsuku(calm down)," Illya said as he shut the door. The sound of Illya speaking Japanese seemed to reassure them. He continued, "Eigo o hanasemasu ka?(Do you speak English)?"

The boy, probably ten, nodded. "I do. They teached it to me in school. Mei does, too. I teach her. I am Hiroaki." He pulled his little sister forward and wrapped his arms protectively around here. "You won't hurt us." It was not a questions.

"No, we are your friends. I'm April and this is my friend, Illya. How did you get here?" April knelt before them, smiling kindly at them.

The two looked at each other, obviously confused.

"Hōmu?"

"Our home is here. We were born here."

"I thought you said this place was abandoned," Illya said, returning to his back. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes," Mei nearly shouted, but then her brother shushed her. "But I'm so hungry, Hiroaki."

"It's all right. We have plenty." Illya began to prepare the food. Mei watched him like a hawk.

"When did you eat last?"

"Two days ago," Hiroaki admitted. "When the bad men came and took Mama, we hid. That night we sneaked back in and took all the food we could. But then they burned it down and told Mama we were inside. They told her it was her fault for not talking to Daimajin and she started…" Hiroaki choked then and April pulled both of them into an embrace, hugging them tightly."

"Shhh, shhh, shhh. It's okay. We've come to help your mama. We'll get her away from the bad men."

"Really?" Hiroaki whispered.

"Yes, I promise." She glance over to where Illya worked on the food. "Tell you what. Let's get you cleaned up a little bit, okay?"

"Okay."

The four sat close to the fire as the wind roared outside. They could hear waves crashing against the steep cliffs. "Boy, what a storm. Hiroaki, does it do this a lot?"

"Only now. Mama said it's because the gods are angry."

"Why are they angry?"

"Because Daimajin is restless."

"Hiroaki, who is Daimajin?"

"He's the spirit who lives in the mountain," Mei answered, still slowly nibbling on her cracker. She was curled up against April. "Mama takes care of him."

"She tends his shrine." Hiroaki eyed Illya's chocolate bar and after a moment, Illya pushed it closer to him. "When the government came, we hid in the mountain. They caught Daddy and Isamu-"

"Your brother?"

"Uh huh. Daddy knew Mama had to stay with Daimajin."

"And you, why didn't they take you away?"

"They didn't know we were here. Mei is the next guardian and I'm her protector." Hiroaki patted his thin chest proudly.

"They must have kept the births hidden from the Mainland," Illya said. He stretched and yawned. "I'll take the first watch. Why don't you catch some shut eye while you can?" He looked pointed at the two children nestled against her.

"All right." April adjusted her pack and pulled a blanket around them. The interior of the building was warm, but the air seeping through the cracks was cold.

With just the wind and pounding surf for company, the hours passed very slowly. Shaking his head, Illya decided that he needed some fresh air. He opened the door just enough to slip out and hissed at the sudden rush of frigid air.

Illya shivered and hunched his shoulders against the wind. He took a few steps and looked from their shelter back towards the lighthouse. Its beacon sent out a beam into the night, warning ships to beware of Battleship Island, as Hashima Meiji was nicknamed. Then Illya froze as something moved in front of the beam, cutting it off. That would mean whatever moved was at least the height of the lighthouse.

Illya froze in place as the wind buffeted his face, making his eyes water. Then the shape was gone, back into the dark. For a moment, Illya didn't know quite what to do, then he retraced his footsteps back to the building and went back inside.

April's head came up as he neared the fire. "Illya, what's wrong? You are as pale as a ghost."

"Nothing," he whispered. "Go back to sleep." Illya threw more wood onto the fire. "We need to find THRUSH and quickly. I'm not sure what they are up to, but it can't be for any good."

"Now?"

"No. Even with these two as guides, I don't fancy our chances out there. It will be better to wait for daybreak. The wind is blowing against us, so there's no sign of us being here. With any luck, that will keep us safe for now." Illya started to gather things together. "We'd better be ready to move if necessary."

"It's okay."

Illya and April looked over at Mei. She was sitting up and blinking sleepily. "Daimajin won't hurt us. We aren't bad."

"According to THRUSH we are." Illya continued to work.

"But THRUSH doesn't know we are here," April said. She reached out to Mei and the child came willingly into her arms, seeking her embrace. "Mei, the bad men who burned down your house. Did they speak any Japanese?"

"No, just a few words." Hiroaki answered. He sat up and rubbed an eye. "The fire is warm. It's been cold without one." He yawned. "Mostly he just yelled at Mama in English."

"What did he tell her?"

"To wake up Daimajin."

"Did she?"

"If she did, it wasn't her fault." Hiroaki stood up and looked towards where the hill would be. "If they made her wake him, it wasn't her fault," he repeated.

"Hiroaki, is there a safe place to hide on the island?"

"The tunnels. That's where we were hiding and then we smelled your smoke.'"

"Does Daimajin kill indiscriminately?"

"What's that mean?" Hiroaki looked confused from one agent to the other.

"Because he wants to?"

"Oh no," Mei said. "Daimajin is good. People are bad."

"Talk about out of the mouth of babes." April settled Mai back in front of the fire. "I'll watch for a while. You'd better get some rest now, Illya."

"Like that's going to happen." Still he stretched out in front of the fire and immediately there were two children nestled against him. "They're like cats," he muttered, but there was a slight smile on his lips.

Illya woke with a start and looked around the small room. April was heating some water in a makeshift pot from her camping supplies. "Trust you to wake up at the thought of food," she murmured softly as she checked the coffee.

"Sorry. I didn't even realize I drifted off." He looked around the small building, but it was empty save the rubble of a former life. "Where are the children?"

"I sent them to try and find some dry wood. We've run out of chairs." She straightened and dusted off her hands.

Mei and Hiroaki burst into the room, their arms full of wood. "We found some," Mei said proudly, dropping her few sticks down onto the floor.

"Those are perfect, thank you. Come and warm yourself by the fire," April said as Hiroaki piled his wood neatly to one side of the fireplace. She pulled some breakfast k rations from the pack and began adding water to them. "We'll have some breakfast and then Illya would like you to show us the tunnels you were talking about."

"Okay."

The way the children ravenously dug into the food prompted April to bring out two more packs and open them. Illya watched her, frowning slightly.

"I figure whatever is going to happen, will happen today. They might as well have full tummies."

Illya nodded in agreement and walked a short distance from them. "Open Channel D," he said into his communicator. There was a blast of static and nothing else. "I can't get through to the mainland."

"The boat is returning tomorrow morning. We'll just have to wait for it." April slowly began to eat her own breakfast. "With any luck, the storm will have settled down by then.

Illya kept vigilant as they left the relative safety of the building and started along a trash-strewn road. Chunks of concrete and twisted metal hid in the weeds that threatening to over-run the path. Wind gusts pushed at them, nearly knocking Mei from her feet. She kept a strong grasp of April's hand.

As they rounded a bend, Mei started to hold back.

"Mei, what's wrong?"

"Our home is here… but it's not our home now." Hiroaki pointed to a pile of charred wood and stone. "The bad men burned it before..." The boy trailed off and both UNCLE agents looked at him.

"Hiroaki, what's wrong?" Illya followed the boy's stare. There was a large depression in the side of the mountain. "What do you see?"

"Daimajin is gone." Mei ran to her brother and hugged him. "Where is he?"

"Daimajin? The statue? Are you sure?"

"Mama said that he's watched over us for many years, longer than anyone knows."

"Why would THRUSH steal a statue, Illya?"

"You're asking me? I gave up trying to make sense of anything they do years ago." The rain was starting to fall again. "Hiroaki, can you show us the tunnels?"

"They are this way. The workers used them when the weather was too bad to get to the mine."

They wandered through a maze-like tangle of narrow corridors, some just barely big enough for Illya to squeeze through. Pots, clothes, books, remnants of previous lives littered the rough rock floor. The flashlights could barely cut through the murk and it was with relief when the dull grey of daylight beckoned ahead.

Illya held up a hand. "All of you stay here for a minute while I go take a look."

He cautiously approached the tunnels opening and looked around. What might have been a THRUSH outpost was in ruins. Modern equipment was tossed amongst the older rusted pieces. Then Illya gasped. A woman, naked and exposed to the elements, was tied to a stake. Her head hung forward and Illya turned back to April.

"Keep them here." He tore off his backpack and pulled an emergency blanket from one of the pouches, Tiny and lightweight, it would be enough to cover her. Illya moved quickly to her side and freed her. She crumpled in his arms and he broke the package open, quickly ripping the blanket out and wrapping it around her.

"Tasukete," she whispered. "Tasukete."

"Hai," Illya answered to her plea for help, pulling off his windbreaker and settling that over her as well. He caught something in the periphery of his vision and turned.

Not a dozen yards from him stood a statue at least fourteen feet tall, but it was more than a statue. Eyes glared at him and when it took a step, the ground shook. That was when Illya realized that the children had been telling the truth. Daimajin was awake.

It took another step and Illya scooped up the woman. He carried her back into the tunnels just ahead of the slow moving form. He slipped into the tunnel just as a fist came down behind him. The force of the impact blew him forward with a cloud of dust.

"Illya!" April screamed as he stumbled towards them, nearly dropping the woman in his attempt to stay upright.

"Daimajin!" Hiroaki cried, then noticed the woman. "Mama?"

The word seemed to wake the woman from her stupor and her head came up slowly. "Hiroaki? Mei?"

Suddenly the children were in her arms and she was kissing them fervently. "Watashi no akachan (my babies)!" she cried over and over and they clung together.

A huge face blocked the daylight and then a hand, clumsy and stiff reached in, grasping. Instinctively, Illya pushed his little group behind him as the hand just stopped short. The face appeared again and the woman broke from the children's embrace and threw herself down, sobbing and babbling.

"What is she saying, Illya?" April asked as the children joined her and cried.

"She's offering herself as a sacrifice if he will spare ourselves," Illya said, holding April close. Abruptly the face was gone and there was a noise, almost like a sigh. "Stay here. Help her." Illya cautiously approached the broken mouth of the tunnel. There was no sign of the statue, just a pile of gray dust, being blown away by the wind. "What the hell?"

"Daimajin has returned to the mountain. Mama's tears released him. We are safe now."

Illya looked down at the carnage below and nodded. "At least for now. Hiroaki, let's get your mother home."

The ignorant future

Not always the safest place

Past is often home.