It was Monday again. I knew because my sister was forcibly pulling me out of bed with that boundless energy of hers. To tell you the truth, I was envious of that childlike energy that she still had. At least when she gets to high school she won't have to deal with someone like Haruhi.

I hope.

Anyway, after being woken up by my sister, I took a shower, brushed my teeth, got dressed and left for school. I was hoping to get there before Haruhi so that I could put the folder on her desk.

No such luck. Haruhi was at her desk. Her head was lying on her desk, her hair covering her face so that I couldn't see it.

Now, usually, I would greet Haruhi, but today I just sat down and took out my notes. She didn't move until lunchtime. When lunch rolled around, she stood and walked out of the room.

Now was my chance. I reached into my backpack and took out the folder. I was about to take the stories out when Taniguchi came up to me.

"Hey, Kyon, did you and Suzumiya have some sort of lovers' quarrel or something? I've never seen her looking this down before, and I'm not kidding, man."

Oh, shut up. "I wouldn't have any idea," I lied, "considering the fact that we aren't together in the first place."

"He is right, though," Kunikida said. "Ms. Suzumiya looks sadder than I have ever seen her."

"If you're really that concerned, go and ask her yourselves, you idiots!" I said louder than I meant to. All conversation in the classroom stopped and everyone looked at me wide eyed. Taniguchi and Kunikida backed up startled at my sudden outburst.

"Who there, buddy. Take it easy…"

At that I snapped for the second time. "No! I won't take it easy! I am sick and tired of these damn rumors about me and Haruhi floating around the school! Well, I am going to make one thing clear right now! WE ARE NOT A COUPLE!"

I was hyperventilating by this point. Ignoring everyone's shocked expression I sat back down and stared angrily out the window. After a few minutes I looked around. No one was looking at me. Now was my chance. I took the unmarked folder and swiftly placed it on Haruhi's desk.

Just in time too as Haruhi walked silently back into the room. She took notice of the folder. I heard her open it. Then she closed it and put it away. She returned to placing her head on the desk. I didn't hear her do anything for the rest of the day.

After I got home, I turned on my computer and, like the day before, began to pour all of my anger and frustration into the second chapter.


The room was mostly dark, but was filled with the smells of alien fluids. The only light was over a small floating semi-transparent globe. Inside the globe was the form of a naked genderless human. Two humanoids were standing before the globe, staring at it intently

"Are we ready to begin the implantation procedure?" one of the beings said with a toothy smile.

"We are, Mistress," the smaller being replied.

"Then begin, Myguin."

The other raised her fist in salute and began to press at the skin of the sphere. A groan escaped the mouths of the laboratory as spikes began to poke out of the hairy walls. Eventually, they pierced the thin shell that surrounded the human. The form inside began to writhe and try to break the bonds that held it.

"Implantation process twenty percent complete," one of the mouths announced as the form began to change. The human began to take the form of a female of the species. The formerly clear eyes began to change color. Hair began to quickly grow on the head.

"Fifty percent."

The sphere became completely transparent and the human appeared. Her body continued to change. The hair continued to grow and eventually stopped at almost shoulder length.

"Seventy percent. Beginning memory reallocation."

The spikes pierced the head. The fully formed female began to scream, but no sound was heard through the soundproof shell.

"Memory reallocation complete."

The shell disappeared, the bonds fell off the female as she collapsed in the liquid that had held her for the past three months. The taller being walked up to the female and smiled evilly.

"Welcome to the war, Yuki Nagato."


"I still can't believe you want her. I mean, she's been Augmented!" the short female figure said as she glanced in the white cell at the sleeping figure.

The man, who was a head taller than the woman, smiled.

"That is precisely why the Security Branch wishes to recruit her."

"What for?"

"I'm afraid that's classified."

"Of course you people would say that."

The man smiled. "I'll be back when she wakes up, which should be in a couple of hours."

"How do you know?"

The man smiled. "Call it a hunch." And he walked out.


Mikuru moaned as she began to wake up. She rubbed her eyes and opened them. At the sight of where she was, all that had happened began to pour back into her memory. Tears welled up in her eyes and she curled into a ball and began to cry.

"Not easy, being an Augmented human, is it?" a voice said. Mikuru looked up to see a man standing on the other side of the cell. He had an eye patch over his right eye.

"Please leave me alone," Mikuru pleaded.

The man smiled. "How easy do you think that's going to be?" he asked. He reached over and pressed a button. The bars lifted and he stepped in. As soon as he did, the bars lowered again.

"Who…who are you?" Mikuru asked nervously.

The man smiled and sat next to her. She shrunk back.

"I am from the Terra District Security Branch. I am Agent John Smith, by you can call me Smith."

Mikuru was even more scared now. She knew that she was going to be executed for being an Augmented. Smith apparently saw the fear in her eyes.

"You do know that manipulating your body is a crime by Terra District law. Over the years we've had to deal with people who have Augmented themselves, people who have made themselves able to fly, shoot lasers like you, and even grow claws. There are plenty of normal humans out there who would kill to be like the other Esper half of the human race. By all our laws, you should be executed. However, we are willing to give you a chance. We're willing to wipe your record clean of all your past crimes if you help us."

Mikuru's fear dissipated a bit as curiosity crept into her.

"What k-kind of chance?" she stuttered.

"Come with me. My boss would like to speak to you personally about it, but only if you want to. I'll give you awhile to think about it. I'll be back in an hour and a half." he smiled and left the room again.

Mikuru was unsure of what she should do. On the one hand, she was afraid of what type of "chance" the Security Branch would offer her. On the other hand, she didn't want to die. She thought about it long and hard before making her decision.

When Agent Smith came back an hour and a half later Mikuru had an answer.

"I will go with you."

Smith smiled even wider. "Good. Come with me, please."

"Wait, what about my clothes?"

Smith paused and frowned. Mikuru's waitress uniform was in a state of disarray since no one had bothered to give her a change of at least some uniform clothes. That was how badly Augmented were treated.

A few seconds later he nodded.

"I'll get you some clothes." With that, he walked out of the cell again. A few minutes later he handed Mikuru a fresh set of standard civilian clothes. After she changed, Smith led her out of the detention center. He took her through a series of corridors and elevators so many times that Mikuru didn't know where on the station she was anymore.

Eventually he came to a set of doors. Smith led her in. The room was immense. It was a large dome with what looked like a perfect simulation of the sky of some planet projected onto the ceiling. Even the alien sunlight felt real on Mukuru's skin. In the center of the room stood a large white marble desk and at the desk was a woman.

"Mikuru Asahina, may I resent the head of the Terra District's Security Branch, Director Haruhi Suzumiya."

Mikuru's eyes widened. Haruhi Suzumiya was well known throughout the Terra District as one, if not the most powerful human Esper ever. There were even some who thought she was the next step in human Esper evolution, since her godlike powers seemed to be limitless.

Haruhi stood and walked over to where Mikuru was frozen, hand extended.

"It's an honor to finally meet you. I must admit, Smith wasn't lying when he said you were very beautiful. In fact, I'd go so far as to say you're damn sexy!"

Mikuru blushed both in fear and embarrassment. Smith saw her blush and stepped in.

"Careful, Haruhi," he said, a hint of warning in his voice.

Haruhi glared at Smith, who glared back. Eventually, Haruhi's glare disappeared and she smiled.

"If you were anyone else, John, I'd have you flogged. But that is not the point." Haruhi re-extended her hand. Mikuru took the hand and shook it, still trying to figure out how an Esper as famous as Haruhi Suzumiya got to be in such a secretive position without rousing any suspicion.

"Um, why do you want me?"

Haruhi glared at Smith again. "Looks like someone's been talking too much." Smith pointed at himself and made his face as innocent as possible. As before, Haruhi's glare disappeared. Mikuru got the impression that it was all an act of some sort.

"Come, have a seat. There is much we should talk about." Haruhi pointed towards two empty chairs in from of her desk. Mikuru timidly took a seat. Haruhi took the seat she had before and Agent Smith took a standing position beside Haruhi, his hands behind his back.

"John, you can sit down too, you know. It's not illegal."

"Thank you, Dir–Haruhi," he said as he walked over and took a seat next to Mikuru. Somehow his presence beside her had a calming effect on her.

"Now, I assume John told you that we are willing to give you a chance to erase your record if you do us a very large favor," Haruhi asked

"Yes, yes he did. What do you want me to do?" Mikuru asked.

"Before I explain, I need to give you a little background information." Haruhi pressed a button on her desk, and the room instantly darkened. A simulation of a starfield appeared on the domed ceiling. At the apex of the dome hovered an obviously human crafted space station. To the side, a dim red star hovered serenely.

"This is Bernard's Star Research Station as it appeared a month ago. It was one of the most advanced installations in the entire Terra District. Of course, it was mostly civilian run. The man who ran it is called Doctor Robert Jenkins. I assume you've heard of him before?"

"Of course! He's the scientist who's always going on about how time travel is possible and how it could change the world and such."

"You're right. He received a degree in Advanced Theoretical Temporal Physics from the University of New Harvard in 2537. Since he was rich, he was able to buy the rights to build a research station orbiting Bernard's Star twelve years ago. He gathered others like him to help with his research. Five months ago, I received a tip that Dr. Jenkins might have had a breakthrough. I sent him a message, asking if I could send one of my best agents over to make sure nothing happened to the research in case he succeeded. Being the true patriot that he is, he complied. I sent Agent Smith here to watch over him.

"A month ago I received an emergency communique from John. Apparently Dr. Jenkin's had created a working prototype time machine, or, as he calls is, a Temporal Plane Destruction Device. The same day that he finished it, the station was invaded by Star Witches. All of Dr. Jenkins research was stolen and his computer system was wiped clean. Fortunately John had thought ahead and had asked Dr. Jenkins to forward a copy of the doctor's research to him. He managed to save the data and the prototype T.P.D.D., which he is currently wearing."

Smith held up his left hand. He was wearing what looked like a standard wristwatch.

"Unfortunately, in the fight, Dr. Jenkins was lost and John lost his eye. He will have it back after the lab grows him a new one at the end of next year."

"Uh, okay, but what does this have to do with me?" Mikuru asked, clearly confused.

"Hold on, I'm getting to that. Unlike every other race in the galaxy besides the Star Witches, humanity is the only race that has members who are Espers. The Star Witches feel threatened by us. From what we've been able to gather, they managed to convince one of the scientists at the station to betray the others over to the Star Witches. We think they are planning to use our own technology against us to wipe out the First Esper."

"Itsuki Koizumi," Mikuru gasped.

"Yes. They will most likely try and clone a human and send him or her back in time to eliminate him. Without his powers awakened, the Star Witches could easily wipe us out of they wanted to. And that's where you come in."

Mikuru's eyebrows shot up.

"We can't send one of our own agents into the past because the Star Witches somehow got a hold of all our personnel files while raiding the research station. We still don't know how that happened, but their agents in the past would surely be aware of any of our agents. We can, however, send someone like you because the Star Witches would never suspect that humans would send a convicted criminal on a mission. And besides, your Mikuru Beam, I think you called it, is one of the most extensive Augmentation's we have ever seen. We want you to go into the past and stop the Star Witches from eliminating Itsuki Koizumi."

Mikuru's fear had intensified at every word that Haruhi had said during the explanation. She was so scared that she had completely frozen in place. John placed a hand on her shoulder and she relaxed a bit.

"We wouldn't send you anywhere without some type of training first. According to our projections, the Star Witches will take about three months at the least to complete their version of a T.P.D.D. As such John will be your personal trainer. He's the best agent I've got!"

Agent Smith bowed and said, "Why thank you, Director Suzumiya."

Haruhi turned and gave Smith a fake glare. "John, I told you to call me Haruhi."

"Sorry," he replied.

"Now, will you accept this mission?"

Mikuru forced herself to breathe. "I…I don't know…"

Haruhi leaned back. "I understand that this is a bit much to ask of you, but we are really desperate here. We're not going to force you to– "

"I'll do it."

Haruhi and Agent Smith stared at her in surprise. There was a look of determination on her face where mere seconds before there had been fear and confusion.

"Are you sure?" Smith asked. Mikuru nodded.

"Well, uh, okay then!" Haruhi took a few seconds to come around after the shock. "John will begin training you as soon as possible. How does tomorrow morning sound?"

"Sounds good," Smith replied. "Do you have any problems with that, Mikuru?" she shook her head.

"Very well then, it's settled. Tomorrow morning at 0900 hours you will meet John in the training room."

"Understood," Mikuru said with a nod.

"Now, John will show you to your room for the next three months," Haruhi said. "Dismissed."

Mikuru stood and began to follow Smith out. But before she left, she heard Haruhi say, "Oh, and Mikuru?"

She turned and faced Haruhi again, who smiled.

"Welcome to the Security Branch."


I looked at the clock. It read seven thirty at night. I sighed and began printing up the copies of the story. I grabbed four more folders and wrote the names of the S.O.S. Brigade members on them. After organizing the pages in their respective folders, I did my homework. Finally, at around ten thirty, I put all my homework away and went to bed.

I was asleep in minutes.


It's been awhile since I uploaded anything, but I've been busy with other stuff. Anyway, enjoy!

morbiusgreen