Where We Belong
Raiji hoisted his duffel bag onto his shoulder and was on his way to the front entrance when he saw the sight of the achingly familiar blond hair in the Arcology garden. He told himself it was not necessary to say goodbye—it would only make things harder, and besides it was not like he was gone forever. At least not yet. The International Police Organization and International Rescue Organization often worked hand-in-hand, and unless he was transferred to some other colony, it was likely they would still see each other as the spearhead of their respective teams. But he owed Catherine an explanation, especially after he'd so inconsiderately left her out of the loop and she'd had to learn about his decision secondhand. And then there was the unforgivable way he'd dismissed her questions outside Commander Simpson's room. Sighing, Raiji stepped into the garden. Even if Catherine had heard him coming, she did not show any sign of it.
"Have I told you how my parents died?" he asked quietly as he sat on the bench beside her.
Catherine shook her head slowly. All team members knew that Raiji lost his parents at six and that he grew up in an orphanage until the age of sixteen, but it was all that had been discussed on the subject.
"They were accidentally killed in a bank robbery."
Catherine's head whipped round. "Oh, Hidaka, I didn't..."
Raiji raised a hand to stop her. "You couldn't have known. That's why I've always wanted to be a police. So I can prevent other kids from experiencing the same fate."
"But if you've always wanted to be a police, then why..."
"I enrolled to IRO training program?" Raiji smiled wryly as he shook his head. "I almost didn't, actually. After flight school I applied to be a police cadet, but I...kind of screwed it and didn't make it past the screening. Somehow one of the senior officers was impressed with my piloting skills and suggested that I try out for IRO. Despite my initial goal, I have always admired IRO and dreamed of flying to outer space as a kid, so I followed his advice. At least I would still get to rescue people. And I did." He sighed. "I probably would've forgotten my first dream if it hadn't been for what happened last month."
Catherine swallowed. Raiji had often been at odds with Commander Simpson, believing that rules and policies must come second before justice and humanity. But last month had been their worst disagreement. She and Raiji had been sent to salvage a sabotaged cryolite shipment, but when they were about to chase the saboteur, his submarine exploded by itself. Raiji smelled something fishy in the incident and suspected that it had to do with the company itself. However, the Commander flat-out refused to meddle with the company's internal business, and while Raiji was less than happy with this, he managed to hold his peace until the second sabotage incident, in which the old man carrying out the deed become a victim of it instead. Against order, Raiji went to investigate and pursue the mastermind, nearly killing himself trying to stop the man from running away with his helicopter. Though the Technoboyger team finally helped him, there was no escaping the Commander's wrath. Simpson believed he'd been needlessly reckless and had taken him off duty for a week. Raiji had dutifully accepted the punishment, and there were no hard feelings when he gave his last regards to the Commander, but Catherine knew that the mission had been the last straw.
Raiji continued, "It's not that I think joining IRO was a mistake. There was not a moment in our missions that I will ever regret. But I just feel like I can do so much more. All this time we've been saving many lives, but we couldn't always stop lawbreakers, criminals, people who intentionally want to hurt others. Those who may cause innocent people irreparable loss for the sake of their own selfish desires. There are limitations in what IRO can do and I understand that. I just...I guess I just want to figure out where I belong, the person I am supposed to be."
For a moment neither of them spoke. Catherine was the first to break the silence. "You said you failed the police cadet screening test. How was that even possible?"
It took Raiji a moment to answer. "It was this simulation test where we had to take down a criminal refusing to surrender. I could not shoot him dead, so I aimed for his leg instead."
Catherine looked at him squarely. "That's because you are not a law enforcer. You are, and have always been, a rescuer at heart. Like us."
Raiji shook his head impatiently. "I just didn't understand then. If it had been a real-life scenario, the criminal could have hurt other people on the run. Like my parents. I was too naive and soft-hearted when I took the test. Now that I am much more experienced, I can do this much better."
Catherine shook her head slowly, her eyes sad. "You yourself said that every person can change if given a chance. Don't let your past hurt and anger drive you into someone you're not."
"The world has changed, Catherine," Raiji replied curtly. "That's what I learned after a year of rescue missions. I am not becoming a killer, if that's what you meant. I just want to save innocent lives from people who are out of hands." He sighed and stood up. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. Would you please give my regards to Eric and Sammy? I couldn't find them anywhere."
Catherine only nodded listlessly.
"Well...goodbye for now." Then, awkwardly, "I'll come and visit whenever I have time."
Raiji started to walk out, but then could not help pausing and glancing one last time at his now former teammate. Catherine had her back on him, but he could see the slight shudder of her shoulders. He felt as if a piece of his heart broke. Before he could stop himself, he reached into his jeans pocket and pulled something out. Gently he took Catherine's hand and pressed it to her palm.
"Take good care of yourself."
Their eyes met one last time before he broke contact and headed for the door.
When Catherine was finally able to tear her gaze from where he'd disappeared, she looked at her palm to see what had been pressed there.
It was a worn-out, yellowed Japanese weather doll.
Sitting in the cafeteria with the brawls and crude jokes of the police officers around him, Raiji began to wonder if Catherine was right. Not even two months had passed and he already missed home. At the IRO, everyone seemed to be working with high sense of integrity, honesty and compassion. In contrast, here he'd seen little else but greed, corruption and ruthfulness. In his first week alone he had seen how the police had treated all lawbreakers indiscriminately, reducing them to codes and numbers instead of individuals with various problems. The leaders were mostly more concerned with protecting the interests of the states than public good, and those in lower ranks were too busy with securing favor to work their way to the top. Humanity took the back seat, and while there were exceptions, Raiji had seen enough to be convinced that the police force might not be as glorious and honorable as it had seemed.
He missed the camaraderie he had with his team back at the IRO. Gran's wise insights, Sammy's good-natured jokes and antics, Eric's dry humor, and the peaceful, almost idyllic life in-between perilous missions. He missed flying with TB-1, maneuvering the black-and-white craft over the glittering sea before linking up with TB-2 and 3 and soared together into the blue sky.
More than anything, he missed Catherine.
At least he could take consolation at knowing that his position in the TechnoBoyger team had not been replaced. Many speculated he had done such a good job in the team, too well in fact, that cadets already felt intimidated at the mere thought of filling his shoes. There were other theories, however, that Commander Simpson purposively left the seat vacant so that his youngest captain could still return if he changed his mind. Raiji did not know what to make of that, but he secretly felt a selfish satisfaction in knowing that nobody was piloting his beloved space shuttle and possibly trying to make moves on Catherine. At least for now. Perhaps he would suggest a female pilot as substitute...he knew a few who were excellent fliers during his flight school years...
The loudspeaker suddenly crackled and boomed, interrupting his thoughts.
"Attention...all Space Patrol squads to report for duty in ten minutes. There has been prison break by some recently caught criminals heading to Stargate Colony ..."
Raiji froze. No way, he groaned inwardly as he pushed his untouched plate aside and got up. Seemed like his plan for a weekend out with Catherine would have to wait.
"The fugitives are heading to Rosenante Space Colony, Commander Simpson. Your Captain Hidaka is pursuing them but he could use some help as the rest of the squads are incapacitated at the moment."
Catherine slipped through the sliding door just in time to catch the last sentence. Heart hammering in her chest, she walked up to the control room behind the rest of her team.
"The Space Patrol is in trouble," the Commander turned to look at them. Catherine was all too aware of the boys' eyes on her. "Some fugitives have stolen a space patrol jet to escape and damaged several space ships on the run, leaving the squads scattered. Whoever the pilot is, he must be very skilled. Captain Hidaka is now chasing them to Rosenante colony. Get those TBs moving and give them a hand."
"IROS," the team chorused their signature salute. As they leapt onto their air boards, Catherine could hear Eric muttering, "Some things never change."
Catherine suppressed a smile despite herself. Hidaka, the household troublemaker. She flew behind the others to the hangars, praying that her former teammate's well-known ability to escape death's grips unscathed had not failed him.
Raiji wiped the sweat from his brows. He'd just avoided a narrow collision with a large space craft as he swooped into the Rosenante Colony launch base hot on Jan and his gang's tail. He remembered all too well his first encounter with the motorbike gang leader, happening as it was on the day he decided to transfer to IPO. Raiji was on his way home from the police headquarters after screening test, which he'd aced brilliantly, when the gang made a chaos on the highway, destroying cars and frightening some civilians. He'd managed to take all the gang members down single-handedly before the police came just when things started to get ugly. Jan was captured, but not before he screamed the words that now echoed inside Raiji's head: 'You'll pay for this!'
Was Jan one of those lawbreakers who were disappointed with the system of the society? Since their first encounter, Raiji had wondered that there was more to the young man than what met the eye. He'd checked Jan's file and saw, with surprise, that he'd once tried for admission to Space Patrol. Jan had been rejected because of his questionable background: his father had been ex-convict and he did not finish school. Feeling that the society wanted nothing to do with him, he'd joined the motorbike gang and had since caused much troubles. When Raiji raised the issue with his colleagues, they'd dismissed Jan as a mere punk who needed some straightening up.
"Come on now, Captain, why waste time pulling your hair out on social scums like him? Neglected-kids-turn-street-brats like that are classic cases, and if the police were to deal with them one-by-one, we would never get any job done!" Captain Brenton bellowed in his American redneck accent.
"I know, but don't you think the Space Patrol needs to reassess their selection process to give these underprivileged kids a chance and turn them into positive assets? I mean, where they come from does not necessarily determine who they will be."
"What are you, Dalai Lama? No offense Cap, but I guess the year at IRO has made you all soft and philosophical. Now why don't you act your age and join us at the Saturn Club tonight? There're plenty of girls and booze to choose from. Haven't got any steady girlfriend, have you?"
Affronted, Raiji had curtly excused himself, faintly catching Brenton muttering to his cronies behind him, "Little prick. Bet he thinks he's so above us, being the golden boy in IRO."
Shaking the unpleasant thought away, Raiji hopped down from his jet and loaded his gun, hoping as he searched for Jan that he did not need to use it.
"Thanks," Inspector Stewart said gratefully to Catherine as she finished bandaging his arm. TB-2 had arrived at the place of incident and used walkers to pick up the damaged space patrol jets as well as their injured pilots.
"No problem," she answered, wondering if she should ask about Raiji. As if hearing her silent wish, the Inspector's wrist comm link suddenly beeped and a young man's voice came through, "The fugitives have entered the Colony, sir."
"Pursue them, Hidaka, and if they refuse to cooperate, put them out."
"Yes, sir."
Catherine looked on, horrified, as the Inspector coldly gave the order and Raiji's voice answered in the affirmative. She was glued to the spot, not knowing what to do, when Grant suddenly appeared.
"Catherine, you may be needed in Space Colony in case the fugitives wreak havoc in there."
She looked up at the giant man, wanting to tell him everything she'd just heard, what Raiji had just agreed to do, but then she saw she did not need to. Grant's eyes told her he knew everything, and he was sending her to help Raiji with it.
"IROS!" she answered elatedly and hurried out to pick up TB-1.
Where are you, Jan, Raiji thought as he stepped ever so quietly to the empty generator room. Good thing the rest of the motorbike gang were still unconscious back in their stolen jet after they'd crashed during landing, leaving Jan as his only problem. As he cautiously approached the first door on the left, his sharp ears heard a very soft scraping noise. He risked a peek just in time to see a slight movement in the dark.
"Hold it right there!" he shouted as he stepped forward and aimed at the shadow now moving quickly amongst the generator sets. "Hold it or I'll shoot!"
"Go ahead, Captain!" Jan taunted. "You won't dare!"
Raiji fired his laser, missing him by inches, but Jan, either desperate or no longer caring, continued to run and disappeared at the back entrance.
Cursing under his breath, Raiji followed, his movement as quiet and agile as a big cat. He slipped into the server room, trying his best to stay in the shadows. His sharp eyes again caught a movement behind a pillar, and he reacted swiftly enough to beat Jan to it and knocked the other man's gun off his hand with a well-aimed fire.
"It's over now. Come out and let's have a talk," he said as he fired once into the air, letting the fugitive know his location.
Which did not bring the result he expected. As he approached Jan's hiding place, he saw that the young man had disappeared with a taunting laugh, and when he wheeled around, a figure came out from the shadows and lunged at him with an iron rod.
Raiji could have ended it then and there, he knew, for Jan had attacked him upfront, practically giving him the license to pull the trigger. But at that split second, as he watched the unarmed man nowhere any older than himself, he realized he would never be able to do it. Not before, in that police screening test years ago, not now, when his life and ambitions were on the line, not ever, because, as Catherine had so aptly put it, he was, and would always be, a rescuer. For people who needed protection not only from other people, but also from themselves.
The realization hit him just as the iron rod squarely whacked his right shoulder, knocking the gun and sent its laser beam blazing to the power panel behind them.
Catherine inched slowly to the source of the commotion and peeked around the corner. Her heart raced as she saw Raiji, her Raiji, sitting on the floor in his blue police uniform with left hand clutching his right shoulder. His face scrunched up as if in pain, and some kind of street kid stood before him, holding him at gunpoint.
"No smart move, Captain, or I won't be as generous."
The kid stepped sideways, gun still trained at his opponent, moving closer to where Catherine stood. She readied herself to pounce at him, knocking his gun off so Raiji could seize it. Before she had the chance, however, she saw fire sparks flying from the power panel just behind the kid.
"LOOK OUT!" she screamed, throwing herself at him and sending them both to the ground just as the panel exploded with a thick smoke.
"Catherine!" Raiji cried out, heart leaping to his mouth at the sight of his former teammate narrowly escaping danger. He scrambled up, ready to grab her to safety, but froze as Jan sat up and pointed the laser gun at the woman in front of him.
"Eric, Sammy, get us moving to the Rosenante Colony. I just picked up a distress signal from Catherine and then she disappeared. Perhaps her comm link is broken."
"IROS!" The TB-2 duo answered in unison. Sammy fired the rocket and they zoomed off to Rosenante. Grant repeated his attempts to contact Catherine with no avail.
"Come in, Captain Hayward. We're on our way, do you copy? Catherine?"
Eric and Sammy exchanged worried glances.
"Catherine, can you hear me? Catherine?"
There was a crackling sound and an all-too-familiar male voice suddenly spoke through intercom, "TB-1 to TB-2, TB-1 to TB-2, do you copy?"
There was a split second of stunned silence before the three men at the end of the receiving line cried out, "Hidaka?!"
"Hey fellas. Catherine is safe with me. We sustain some minor injuries but otherwise fine. The Space Patrol is here and the fugitives have been recaptured. I would love to drive the lady home myself but I need to make reports on Jan."
"No problem, Hidaka. She'll be fine with us. What was going on in there?" Grant asked.
"Jan had gotten me in difficult situation but Catherine managed to tackle him down and save the day with her usual negotiating tact. Also saved us all from getting fried by generator explosion. Jan has voluntarily surrendered. Make sure the lady runs for president next year."
"But then she won't be around anymore to save your butt. What's wrong, have you lost your magic touch at the IPO?" Sammy joked.
"Not really, just needing to get my head straight, as usual." Eric thought he heard a hint of a smile in his young ex-teammate's voice. "Gotta go for now, guys. Thanks for your help."
"See you again, buddy," Sammy answered for the three of them. The transmission crackled and ended.
"Well, what do you think happened in there, Chief?" Eric glanced at the older man.
Grant smiled. "I think Hidaka has just figured out the answer he'd been looking for."
"Missing your girl?" Catherine asked as she returned from the changing room, having patched up some cuts and bruises. Raiji looked up from where he'd run his hand lightly over TB-1 control panel.
He smiled. "She's in good hands I see."
Catherine blushed at the compliment. When he was still in the team, they sometimes shared the duty of piloting the space shuttle, and it was widely known that she'd come to regard it as her second 'baby' after TB-4. When she looked up again, she saw his smile had faded.
"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, frowning.
He sighed deeply. "I'm just wondering if I have done the right thing. If he had pulled the trigger on you...if he hadn't mentioned his girlfriend's name for you to knock some sense into him..."
Catherine sat down beside him in the passenger seat. "Do you really believe that? That Jan could've hurt me?"
Raiji threaded his fingers through his jet black hair. "I...I don't know."
She smiled. "He couldn't, and you know that. Otherwise you wouldn't have looked up his file. Deep inside you believe he is not beyond redemption. And I believe Jan actually admired you, otherwise he would have killed you instead of just hitting your shoulder."
He looked at her, his eyes skeptical. "Really?"
She smiled and nodded. "And regardless of what could have happened, the most important thing is you've done what your heart told you to do. That will never change, no matter where you are."
He sighed and closed his eyes. "I was such an idiot."
"Eric would give his right arm to hear you say that."
He laughed, his first real laugh in months. "Never thought there'd be a day I miss the old chap."
"Don't worry, the feeling is mutual," Catherine replied. "From all of us."
Raiji fell silent. "You think the Commander...?"
She winked. "Come on. Why do you think he hasn't assigned anyone to replace you in the team after two solid months?"
Raiji's eyes widened. "I...but that was just a rumor, wasn't it?"
"There's always a grain of truth in every rumor," she said. "Commander Simpson might be cross at you, but he never wanted you to leave. Besides, an incredibly skilled pilot like you doesn't come every day."
Raiji remembered the Commander's expression when he reported to him before leaving for IPO. Despite the stoic face, a hint of somberness had crossed the older man's eyes. "But I am too hot-headed. And we don't often see each other eye-to-eye. He would be better off with someone with more tact and insights."
"He recruited you in the first place because, as you've proved today, you have the soul of a true rescuer," Catherine explained softly. "Even if you crossed the line a million times, he would still rather have you than anyone else. He knows your heart is in the right place and that's the most important thing in IRO. He just doesn't want you—or any of us—to jeopardize ourselves."
He sighed. "Thank you, Catherine. I don't know how I can ever repay you."
Catherine smiled. "Consider it paid with the weather doll. It looks like it had seen better days, but I love it."
He smiled sheepishly. "No wonder. I've had it since I was five."
"A kindergarten project?"
"No. My mother made it for me one rainy day. I was complaining because I couldn't play outside and she made it and hung it on the roof to chase the rain away so I could play again." He looked into her eyes. "I was hoping it would chase away the rain for you too."
Catherine was at loss for words. To give her his most prized possession, the only memory left by his late mother, was the sweetest gesture he could have ever made. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she captured his hand and squeezed it tight. Raiji returned the gesture, allowing his thumb to gently stroke the back of her hand, his dark brown eyes never left her crystal blue ones. They savored the moment for a second before he let go. "Guess I have to run. You sure you're okay?"
Catherine nodded. "How about your shoulder? He hit you pretty hard."
"Not a problem." He rolled his right shoulder around. The pain had receded into a dull ache. "Should be more than enough to drive that baby home."
"OK." Then, "Shall I warm the seat for you?"
He winked, knowing they were not talking about the Space Patrol jet. "That'll be nice."
With that, he got out of TB-1, and Catherine, holding the weather doll in her hands, watched as her friend's jet plane zoomed out of the Rosenante Colony and sailed smoothly into the star-dusted space.
Back at the IRO Headquarters, Commander Simpson checked his email and read the full report on the Rosenante incident. Thanks to Catherine, Jan had been committed to Social Service instead of jail and subjected to psychological therapy. As he finished the report, his telecomm beeped.
"What is it, Peter?"
"Chief Gordon is on the line, sir. He wants to talk to you immediately."
"What is it about? I already said I'll be reading the reports."
"He didn't specify but he didn't sound too happy."
A rare small smile surfaced on the Commander's face. He was almost sure what topic the IPO Chief Commander wanted to raise. "Alright, hook him online. And Peter, get the engineers to install the new radar in TB-1 by tomorrow."
"New pilot coming, sir?"
"Oh, there'll be a pilot alright."
"Right away, sir," Peter responded breezily.
As he listened to the call getting transferred, Simpson wheeled his chair around to face the twilight sky outside his window, the clouds looking like a phoenix spreading its wings to fly home.
(The End)
Story Notes:
Raiji Hidaka = Dylan Beyda
Catherine Hayward = Kallan James
Eric Jones = Jesse Rigel
Sammy Edkins = Jonathan Jordan Jr.