Oh look...another distraction from ToaHaHD. Seriously, I can't get through two chapters these days without posting something new. And this time it's a whole new story, not just some crazy oneshot. Although I will say a certain kender convinced me this was a good idea. Thankfully though, this story is different than what I usually write. In fact, it's way different, I should say buyer beware. But you'll get to that in a minute. Anyway, this isn't so much a story with a plot as it is a series of individual episodes all revolving loosely around the same story line. They are successive and connect to each other, but they are to be read by themselves. So sit back and enjoy, if at all possible.
Ike sighed and peeled away his armor, enjoying the breeze that washed over his upper body. His clothes were drenched with sweat, and he didn't want to think about how he smelled. Of course, as he looked around the room he knew no one was any better. Looking at Boyd, who had a five foot radius cleared around him, he knew the fighter was probably worse. Then again, Boyd rarely washed his gear.
"Well that was fun!" Mia said, bouncing over to Ike, her eyes a glow and her purple hair slicked back with sweat.
"Yes," he agreed, "It's not often we get an invitation from Elincia to train with the guard."
"You mean train the guard, not train with," Shinon muttered, "They were awful."
"Shinon!" Mia hissed, nodding towards the far side of the room, "We're not alone!"
The sniper shrugged, "So? Anyone with both eyes open and a brain to use 'em could see this was a waste of our time. We're doing Elincia a favor, not the other way around."
"Rude is rude, Shinon," Titania said, giving him a look that clearly said he was to keep his comments to himself.
"Besides," Mia laughed, "these were the newbies, what'd you expect?"
"These were supposed to be the best and brightest newbies," Shinon answered, "I expected at the very least some measure of competence."
"It was a good exercise for us all. It's good to make sure we don't forget the basics," Ike said, mandating it as more than just his opinion.
Shinon grunted and started cleaning his silencer.
"So what's next boss?" Mia asked after a moment, shifting from one foot to another.
Ike's eyes moved back and forth, a slight hint of a smile on his face as he watched her; she never seemed to stop moving. "We've got a job in Ohma. I'll be seeing if Nephenee wants to give us a hand on this one."
"Great," Shinon said flatly, "how about we see if Brom can come too? Get the whole Bumpkin Brigade on our side."
Titania dropped what she was doing and turned on the smaller man, "Shinon!"
The sniper shut up, but his gaze held venom as Titania turned back to her equipment. Things were tense around the company, and not just because of Shinon. With the so-called Goddess' War over and done with, things were quite peaceful in Tellius. Which was bad news as far as soldiers for hire were concerned.
"At least tell me it's not another training job," Shinon asked.
When Ike didn't answer Shinon stopped what he was doing and looked over his shoulder at the younger man. Ike didn't meet his gaze, but continued to pack his things. Shinon let out a bark of tired laughter and turned back around.
"I knew it. But whatever, it's not like there's work anywhere else. This whole blasted country is as dull as Boyd's wit."
"What?" asked the fighter, looking up from his shoulder pads. He had apparently been sniffing them, to decide if they needed a wash or not.
"Exactly," Shinon said, nodding his head slightly, "Thanks for the help-"
Shinon stopped talking as suddenly the doors burst open to reveal two young men standing just outside the room.
"-come on, it's not that big of a deal. You know it's right, let it go," said the first, his hand on the second's shoulder.
"No way!" said the other, jerking away from his grip, "There is no way this is right! I went through the academy with perfect marks, there's no way some backwater mercenary got me seven times!"
"Is there a problem?" Ike asked, looking from one to the other.
"No!" the first said, attempting to drag his friend away, "We just wanted to say thank you for today, it was a pleasure drilling with you. We've heard so much about you, when Miss Crimea said you'd be visiting, we almost didn't believe it. Come on-"
The second shrugged him off again, "I said no! And yeah, I do have a problem!"
Ike raised an eyebrow, "…yes?"
The man took a step into the room and pointed to the digital readout on a small touch screen in his hand, "Who's red_tresses32?! There's no way he nailed me seven times!"
The room fell silent, and all eyes went to Titania, who looked up from the Sig Sauer she held in her hands.
"That's me," she said calmly, meeting the young man's fiery gaze, "You don't believe I tagged you seven times? I'm sure you'll have seven bruises to prove it."
The man's glare suddenly grew less self-righteous, and he glanced back down at the screen in his hand.
"From what I've heard, the hit detection on the new vests is as close to perfect as you'll get. It should say I hit you seven times, with this," she said, toting the Sig Sauer handgun, "and if you don't believe me take off your shirt. Like I said, rubber bullets leave bruises."
"No Titania," Shinon said, walking towards the man, "I don't think he'll have seven bruises. I think he'll have just one, right over his heart."
Emphasizing the last word, Shinon poked the man in the chest through the vest he wore, directly over his heart. The man gasped and pulled away, rubbing the spot like he'd been punched with a pair of brass knuckles.
"You guys were a joke," Shinon continued, and then turned towards the security camera at the far end of the locker room, "A joke!"
The sniper stalked to his duffel bag and quickly finished disassembling his rifle before shoving it violently inside. Throwing the bag over one shoulder, he pushed his way through the two younger men, both of whom stood taller than him. After a moment of stunned silence, the first allowed himself to be led away, casting only a bitter glance over his shoulder towards Titania.
After a moment Titania sighed and went back to her work, quietly removing her training vest and packing it away.
"What a jerk," Mia said, spinning a P-99 lazily around one finger.
Titania shrugged, "Stave off World War III twice and you'll still have people who say you weren't cut out for it. It's how it goes when you're a mercenary."
Mia sat on a bench, propping her chin up on a closed fist as she stared at the older woman with a lopsided gaze, "That's what I always hated about the job, no one takes you seriously."
"That's the truth of it," Titania said, "but we know there's at least one person who takes us seriously."
"Yes," Ike interrupted, throwing his own bag over one shoulder, "And I'm sure Elincia will have a lot to say concerning today. Let's go."
Ike headed for the door and the others followed, making their way through the facility and out to the black SUV that awaited them in the parking lot. From behind the steering wheel Oscar smiled at them cheerfully, his green bangs hanging low over his face, limp in the summer humidity.
"Where to?" he asked as Ike got in on the passenger's side. Ike leaned to his left, eyeing Shinon in the rearview mirror before settling into his seat.
"Parliament. We have some things to discuss with Elincia, and we need to pick up Soren and Mist."
"What about Gatrie and Rhys?" Oscar asked, throwing the vehicle into gear.
"They left with Rolf, remember," Ike said as they rolled out of the parking lot and merged with the rush hour traffic.
"That's right," Oscar said, "I keep forgetting... So, how was the afternoon?"
"I think you shouldn't have volunteered to stay back," Ike answered, "Some of us were less than polite."
They heard a 'humph' from the back seat, and Oscar's smile widened, "If you kept him away from every situation where he could possibly offend someone, he'd never get any work done."
"I know," Ike sighed gustily, closing his eyes and slouching down in the bucket seat. He toyed with the tape around his index finger for a moment before speaking again, "How's Astrid doing?"
Oscar took the question in stride, changing lanes as he answered, "She's loving the academy. Although she insists she wants to join up with us when she gets out."
"Girl must be crazy," Shinon muttered from the back, "There's no work in the security business."
"Crazy for a certain someone," Mia sang, punching Oscar in the shoulder.
"Not while I'm driving Mia," Oscar said with a laugh, glancing over the shoulder she'd slugged him on before getting onto a freeway entry ramp.
As the vehicle lurched forward to match the frenzied pace of the highway traffic, Mia tilted in her seat, so that her upper half was on the arm rest squarely between Oscar and Ike.
"So when's Rolf coming home? I'm gonna miss the little guy."
Oscar shrugged, "The academy based out of Begnion has an intensive program, and airfare is expensive. I'm not even sure if he'll be coming home for Christmas. That's why Gatrie and Rhys went with him, to make sure he got settled in."
Mia wrinkled her nose, "But Rolf's already completed most of the program here, doesn't any of it transfer?"
"Yes it does," Oscar nodded, "It'll probably take him a year or so."
"He's been here longer than me," Mia continued, "It'll be weird without him."
"Pffft, I won't miss the little twerp," Boyd snorted, crossing his arms and looking out the window, "If he wants to ditch us for some academy, let him."
"Boyd, that's not fair," Mia argued, "No other academy could take him, Begnion was his only option."
"What do you mean? And why'd he need to go to a police academy anyway? I didn't, I turned out fine!"
"He wants to be legal with a sniper rifle Boyd, he can only get that at an academy."
Boyd threw his arms up, "That's another thing! Who told him to go join S.W.A.T.? Dirty little traitor…"
No one noticed as Shinon sidled further away from the irate Boyd.
"For the last time," Oscar said, and quite loudly at that, "He's finishing the academy and coming right back. He's not joining S.W.A.T., the marines, or anything else. The company means just as much to him as it does to you and me. I think if he can make it through the academy he should."
The car was silent as Oscar merged onto an exit ramp, coming to a halt at a red light as they neared downtown Melior. At five o' clock in the evening it was a sea of cars and people. Cab drivers sped through the chaos, people dashed along crosswalks, and bike messengers hurtled through the crowded streets. Oscar slowly eased them into the rush hour mess, heading for the parliament building. Thirty minutes and twenty city clocks later they pulled up outside the tall, stately structure and piled out.
With a high pitched, electronic chirp Oscar locked the doors and the group ascended the stairs. As soon as they entered the revolving door the world became still. Heels clicked on linoleum as cabinet members walked about, the outside world forgotten among the politics of the government.
Ike walked to the front desk, leaning heavily upon the countertop as he waited for the red headed secretary to look up from her computer screen. After a moment she spoke, her eyes glued to the screen all the while,
"Everyone here knows you by name now Ike; you were a member of the Lords for goodness sake. You don't have to get permission each time you want to come in, that's what the I.D. cards are for."
Ike laughed, "Right, thanks Anna."
As he led them through the security check, holding up their I.D. badges one by one, a familiar alto voice rang out through the lobby.
"Ike, you're late!"
The group turned to see Mist, emerging from a corridor which led deeper into the government building.
"We've been waiting, come on," she continued, tapping her foot impatiently.
Ike waved her off, waiting for Boyd to finish the biometrics scan before he joined Mist on the other side of the security barrier.
"You take forever, Soren's been here for nearly an hour," she said, leading them back down the corridor before taking the third door on the right.
Inside was a large conference room, with a wide oval table directly in the center. At one end sat Soren, his eyes dancing over a laptop screen with Elincia next to him, watching over his shoulder. His long, dark hair was in a loose tail, and the first button on his black collared shirt was undone, revealing his attorney's badge on a small silver chain around his neck. He had both sleeves rolled up in the summer heat, his white forearms flashing as he pointed at the computer screen.
He looked up as Ike entered the room and leaned back in the swivel chair, "Finally."
"Traffic was awful-" Boyd began.
"I'll ask Oscar if I want to hear about the traffic," Soren interrupted, sitting forward once again, "Take a seat, we have less than an hour to discuss the videos from earlier today."
"We killed them, or would have if this wasn't a training exercise," Shinon said, his tone unapologetic, "What's to talk about?"
"A lot, actually. Mist, get the lights please."
The room darkened as Soren waited for them to take their seats around the table before pressing a key on the laptop. A projector hummed quietly, and soon they were looking at a very large picture of Ike's back. Soren hit another key, and the image leapt into motion. Ike walked a few steps, crouching low behind a barrier before lifting an arm and snapping his wrist to the right, his first two fingers extended in a silent order.
A purple haired blur moved past the screen, followed by what looked like a walking red tornado of curls and cascading locks. After Mia and Titania had presumably taken up their positions, Ike directed a single finger to the left. Boyd shuffled past the hidden camera, crouched low to the ground, and after he had gone Ike raised a closed fist before following him.
After he had left the screen, the video feed remained glued to where he had been, the only noise the quiet static if silent feedback.
"What are we watching?" Boyd asked, staring up at the screen.
As if to answer his question, an audible sigh came from the video, and a dark red head of hair came into view as Shinon took up his position.
"Yeah yeah, I'll stay back here and cover Boyd's clumsy backside. Or maybe not…heh."
The video paused, and the whole room turned to look at Shinon, who gave them all a scathing glare.
"What? I was joking, J-O-K –ing. Besides, not like I knew the camera was there."
Boyd mouthed a silent threat towards the marksman before looking back up at the screen as Soren resumed play. Slightly labored breathing could be heard as Shinon climbed to a suitable vantage point, and then the camera switched to a top-down view, angled to show the movements of Elincia's men.
They fanned out, silently moving through the vast training room. At more than two miles long and a mile wide, and filled with barriers and vantage points of every kind, it served as a suitable location to pit forces against one another. It was a modern, albeit humane, coliseum.
Quickly, though, it became clear exactly how the afternoon had panned out. As the point man for Elincia's men ventured out from behind his barrier, a single bullet drilled him in the chest. He coughed, dropping to one knee as he relayed a final order to the men behind him. Three headed off to the left, and one made his way around to the right, alone.
"Now we move to a split feed," Soren said, and the group watched as the screen divided in two. One camera showed the group of three, the other showed the single man, creeping along quietly as he made his way through the maze of a training hall.
After a moment Soren lifted an arm, his silver ring flashing as he pointed to the right half of the screen. "Watch the single one."
As the words left Soren's mouth, the butt of an assault rifle lashed out from behind a wall, knocking aside the on-screen man's gun. The man dropped the weapon and went in for a strike, disappearing behind the wall that hid his assailant from the camera. The angle switched, though, just in time to show Boyd getting into a brief scuffle before putting the man in an arm bar. The pair dropped to the ground, Boyd securely on top, and Ike stepped out.
Ike drew a small pistol from a holster at the small of his back and shot the man in the ribs. Red paint splattered across his vest, and Boyd let him go, following Ike farther into the course. The right half of the screen disappeared just in time to cut off the man's quiet string of curses; now it was just the group of three.
For a few minutes the group watched in silence as the on-screen trio diligently navigated the mock battlefield. Eventually, though, the point man neglected a blind spot, surely out of ignorance rather than arrogance, and that was all it took. As he looked away and signaled for the men to move forward, the muted hiss of a silenced pistol could be heard, and a dull thump as one of the men took a rubber bullet the chest.
The remaining two dashed for cover, pulling up as Titania and Mia stepped out, guns trained on their hearts. The pair raised their hands in the air, and two seconds later Ike and Boyd appeared behind them, marking them with red paintballs. The two dropped their arms as the lights came on in the facility, shaking their heads as they began the long haul back to the opposite side of the room.
Soren paused the video and turned to look around the table. "Mist, lights please."
As the room lit up, he continued. "There's more, but that might as well have been the entire afternoon. You took on three different teams, rotated throughout the course of the exercise, and that was the result each time. I believe Boyd took a hit once, and Mia was got painted once during the last round, otherwise we performed flawlessly."
Mia laughed, "I should actually apologize for that. I admit, I got a little bored at the end. I stepped out and let him mark me while Titania got him from behind. It was a stupid move though, one I would never do if it was the real deal."
"I should hope not…" Soren said offhandedly, trailing off as he closed the video and shut down the laptop, "But what we really have to talk about is where this leaves the Royal Guard. Elincia?"
"Thank you, Soren," Elincia said, smiling at the stoic young man, "Getting straight to the point…most of the Imperial Guard died in the Mad King's War, not to mention the Goddess'. I hate to be so callous, but I need to replace them. And as you can see, the newest academy graduates aren't performing well. Not that I expected them to against you, but I had hoped for something a bit more…spirited."
Boyd nodded his head in agreement. "They did just kinda curl up and die."
"They don't have the experience," Titania explained calmly, "They aren't used to people shooting at them, with rubber bullets or real ones."
Elincia nodded, "And that brings me to the point of this meeting. I'd like to hire you…again."
The room was silent for a moment before Ike cleared his throat, "Ahm, are you sure? Hiring an outside group like Greil Security…it was acceptable in the past. The country was in ruins and you had no other choice, but now…won't it be seen as a sign of weakness? Not that I'm going to turn you down, but you're sure you want to do this?"
"You're right, and normally I wouldn't do this. But you're not just a security company. People know you, they love you. I think it will help, actually. And with you on my payroll, you'll have more time for things like this afternoon."
"All right then…we'll need some time to clear up our schedule though. We won't be truly available for the next two months," Ike answered.
"Oh? What about today?" Elincia asked.
Ike smiled, "Today was a favor for a friend, I wasn't expecting this. We'll get back to you as soon as possible."
Elincia nodded her acknowledgment and the group stood, getting ready to leave the room.
"So," Boyd said, fiddling with his wristwatch, "When do we leave for Ohma?"
"Tomorrow, why?" Ike asked, looking at him dubiously. He could already guess what this was about.
"No reason…" Boyd said, trailing off as he watched Mist and Mia out of the corner of his eye. As soon as the two women left, he grabbed Ike by the shoulders, "I forgot to get Mist an anniversary present!"
"I thought so," Ike said, shrugging off the man's panicked grip.
"First anniversary's an important one too," Soren said, brushing by the pair and making his way out into the hall.
"Gee thanks, as if I didn't know that," Boyd grumbled.
"How did you forget anyway?" Ike asked, the two slowly walking from the room and down the hall.
Boyd stalled for a moment before answering, "Uh…I didn't really forget, I knew it was today, it just snuck up on me."
"Right," Ike sighed, "Then you can take the SUV out tonight and get her something. And you two can stay back from the Ohma job."
"But what do I get her?!" Boyd pressed, his problem hardly solved.
Ike raised an open palm, pushing Boyd away, "Nonono, don't ask me. I'm just her brother, you're married to her. Anything I would get for her would not even count as a present coming from you."
As Ike walked away, Oscar stopped next to his brother, "I heard Jill and Mist on the phone the other day. They were fawning over the new Serenes clothing lines."
"Clothes?" Boyd said, an expression of dismay settling over his features, "You think Mia will come help me?"
Oscar laughed, "I'm sure she'd love to, but have you seen her on off days? She wears boxers and t-shirts; she knows as much about clothes as Ike. Ask Titania if she'll go."
"Right…" Boyd answered. He could already imagine Titania's face, that amused smile of hers she wore whenever he needed a favor.
Oscar left it at that, and the two brothers made their way through the lobby and down to the parked vehicle. Ike was behind the wheel, talking with Soren as Oscar and Boyd piled in.
"-he joking? Yeah right! You haven't done a case pro bono in your life!"
"And I made sure he knew that," Soren answered, folding his arms and looking out the window.
Ike, still laughing, took a quick headcount in the rearview mirror, "Everyone here?"
After a chorus of affirmations Ike shifted into drive, easing them into the flow of traffic.
"Are you going to accept?" Mia asked after a moment, voicing what was one everyone's mind.
Ike shrugged, "I don't see why not. There really isn't much lined up these days…unless you all want to be rent-a-cops."
A cacophony of groans filled the air, Ike grinning all the while. He shook his head and pressed down on the accelerator; of course they would take the job.
I felt kind of mean broadsiding you with an AU, I apologize to those of you who dislike AU's, but I really wanted to write one. And I also wanted it to be a surprise. That said, I do hope you enjoyed this. Like I said before, this is something new for me, all chapters will be connected, but not necessarily linear. And I'm afraid I'm doing a horrid job of explaining this, but if you stick around long enough you'll see what I mean. That said, I'm going to try to finish ToaHaHD before I post again here. Please give me your thoughts, I'd really like to know if you enjoyed it or if it's just another AU. Until next update,
Twilight Rurouni