AN: So this fic is my Nanowrimo project, though I don't think it will even be that long but we'll see. This means that the story is being posted as I write it, so it is completely unbeta'd and there is a level of, for lack of a better word, bullshitting to ensure I keep writing. Hopefully nothing so glaringly awful but if so let me know. Thanks for reading!
The 00 cyborgs didn't know if it was a sign of respect or paranoia even two years after the Blessed incident that Director Igarashi managed to take time from his schedule to meet with them personally. Joe accepted it as a little bit of both.
He couldn't say their relationship was strained, but it wasn't as lax as he'd like it to be, and yet he understood it. There had to remain a line between them. They were not bound by any government or organization and that meant Igarashi could not expect them to follow his or the UN's wants, but neither could he allow them to run amok unchecked.
When dealing with smaller issues or even when invited by governments to solve a problem, Igarashi left them alone. On larger issues or international problems they did their best to work together; it was a way for them to both achieve their ends but also allowed the UN to keep tabs on them. So far there hadn't been problems with this arrangement, mostly due to Igarashi and the respect for them he held and what he'd earned from them in turn. Joe hoped this continued to last a while yet.
Technology was gaining on them, faster and faster and would soon surpass them and undermine their power and position. Joe tried for a peaceful life only to fail at every turn, but someday they would become obsolete and could stand down, if anything because they would lose their advantage as cyborgs.
Until then, they'd all agreed to continue fighting for justice best they were able, both large and small. The smaller things allowed them to pick and choose who could or even wanted to go on missions, giving the team scattered chances for a break and to go off and make their own lives if they wished, though always 'on call' as small things had a tendency to get large on them.
And then sometimes Igarashi himself would summon them. They met up with his carrier on the eastern coast of South America and allowed him entry to the Dolphin 3.
"You're aware of the civil war that's been going on for ages. The UN Guardians have been dealing with it so far but now I need your help."
"We don't interfere in civil issues like that," Joe said, "we'll help overthrow obvious tyrannical regimes at the behest of the people if we must, but the issues here are too grey and no offense but we can't trust UN bias on this."
"I understand, but that's not what I meant," Igarashi assured, accepting the mug of coffee offered him by Francoise. He took a sip and smiled, "It's not at all fair that the coffee you have on a flying warship is better than the stuff they serve at my office. Anyway, as the war progressed, the usual profiteering occurred. We tried to keep it under control but there is an organization taking advantage of the gap left by Black Ghost and is selling arms and technology to both sides and possibly infiltrating among the government and populace to stoke the proverbial fire when necessary."
"Is it really a new organization or another branch off of Black Ghost, I wonder," Great mused, "they have all the qualities of cockroaches in that it doesn't matter how often you spray or stomp on them they come right back."
"I honestly don't know; they've managed to elude us so far. I'm not asking you to deal with them, just look into the matter and share what you find. You have access to avenues I do not."
"No red tape to block the way, you mean," Pyunma said.
Igarashi shrugged and took another sip of coffee.
Joe sighed. "And if we do look into the matter and decide not to share anything with you? Or to move in and do something about them of our own volition?"
"There's not much I can do about it, unless you start breaking international laws and so far you've been pretty good at that. Or at least not getting caught. This isn't an official meeting, I'm asking as a favor. The Guardians finally succeeded in getting the rebels and the current government administration to agree to sit down and talk."
Albert smirked, "And why would either side bother to go through with that when someone's offering them an outcome where they have all the power and don't need negotiations?"
"Exactly. I want the bloodshed to end, but if this meeting falls through without even a chance that won't be any time soon."
Joe glanced around to his teammates, gauging their reactions. One by one they met his eyes and nodded. They didn't need to discuss it.
But then, with another possible Black Ghost on the rise, would they need to?
"We'll look into it, but I can't promise anything."
It took a lot of GB playing shapeshifter roulette to even get a hand on some of the technology offered by the new arms dealing organization. This was a very careful and paranoid organization that was taking into account that there were other people out there with their own tech and methods willing to oppose them and adapted accordingly. GB could take the form of a deliverer but he didn't know the passphrases. He could take the form of a local but if it wasn't a known face people got suspicious, and the local communities involved on the rebels' side were very tight knit and picked up quick when someone wasn't acting themselves.
This early in their investigation, and still unsure of who they were dealing with, the team pulled GB back from doing anything riskier. He had, however, managed to take the form of a local pulling guard duty over their armory and grabbed a small targeting system.
"I don't think they're Black Ghost," GB said as Gilmore snatched the item from his hands and looked it over, "They don't have that cultish mentality their minions were known for."
Joe nodded, "So even if they are a Black Ghost branch off they're making a new name for themselves."
"There were many among Black Ghost's ranks, including scientists, who had no issue with their goals or profiteering, just how things were done. It makes sense that with Black Ghost's fall any remaining would seize their chance," Gilmore agreed.
After examining the targeting system, cleverly disguised as a pair of high-tech binoculars that had to be reassembled correctly for use, their theory of a branch-off organization became more plausible as Gilmore uncovered Black Ghost coding within the computer chip. It was almost the same type of coding used for robotics and cybernetics, close enough that the cyborgs could read it easily and from there were able to track down a manufacturing location.
The targeting system could be attached to any weapon, but was useless without the specially made ammunition. Great had been unable to grab any and the rifles stored in the armory were standard AKs. This was their only lead.
"It's a start," Joe said, "Let's track this place down and take a look."
They were bounced off several fronts in North America before they found the weapons manufacturing plant in Europe. The targeting system was indeed officially patented as advanced binoculars for bird watching, though none of them were surprised that they were unable to find the exact same item on the public market.
They waited until nightfall to infiltrate the building. There were no guards though the security systems were still intact. These were not as advanced as the cyborgs were expecting and Francoise was easily able to override them. The company that owned the plant was a front selling high-tech items for various hobbies, from bird watching to video games, and the first floor and offices reflected this, or should have.
This place looks abandoned, Albert transmitted, They packed up and left a while ago.
GB shrugged at him from across the large assembly room. Who knows when that targeting system I grabbed was sold. The war's been going for years.
Or maybe we're wrong again and this is just another dead end, Joe added, already getting frustrated. 003, do you see anything?
Francoise's eye glowed eerily in the dark as she scanned the building beyond the other cyborgs' sight. Yes, there are several floors underground. I don't see anyone, it looks abandoned as well, but the security is still running and the storage rooms are not empty.
It might be something useful, or can at least give us some new information.
And if there are weapons down there? Albert asked.
Grab anything useful and then blow the place. If they're still storing weapons here they might come back. 005, 008, you two keep looking around up here. If there are any computers left, check them out. Give a heads up if anyone shows up.
Pyunma acknowledged him and moved towards the upstairs offices while Geronimo vanished into the back rooms. The rest of the cyborgs were guided by Francoise to a storage closet that hid the entrance to the basement levels. The security proved more impressive and Chang and Great took turns inputting passwords that were just insults towards each other until Francoise snapped at them.
"Do you want to set off an alarm?" she hissed.
Finally she opened the door and the group descended. Joe split them into two groups, the sorting of which no one was surprised, sending Chang and GB to investigate the first floor while he, Francoise, and Albert took the next.
The second basement floor consisted of labs, smaller development and assembly rooms, and storage units. The assembly rooms were mostly bare, some belts and gutted computers left, as well as some trash no one bothered to pick up when they left. The computers in the labs looked intact and Francoise leapt on them only to report they'd been completely wiped.
"You said the storage rooms weren't empty, shall we look?" Albert suggested.
"Our luck hasn't been good so far," Joe said.
The first storage was unlocked and held nothing but furniture, presumably shoved into the unit when the plant was abandoned. The second was a bathroom that held more toilet paper than Joe had ever seen in one spot in his life.
"Remember to grab some of that on the way out," Albert whispered to him.
The third storage room had been converted into an office, the electronic lock online but like the last eventually gave to Francoise's ministrations. There were several computers and the three cyborgs tried to get them online.
007, you find anything? Joe asked.
Bits and pieces but nothing one could call a weapon on its own. Any computers left were wiped. We should be finishing up here soon.
Come join us on the third floor when you do.
"No luck here," Francoise sighed.
"Or here."
Joe sighed. "This trip's turning out to be a bust too."
The remaining two storage rooms yielded nothing of interest. Like the first floor, there were parts on shelves but nothing immediately noticeable. The three headed down to the last floor, the space split into two large storage units.
Francoise frowned as she worked on the lock to the first door.
"What's wrong?" Joe asked.
"I don't know. Something's wrong with the unit, it's unresponsive."
Albert strode up to the electronic lock interface and punched in 'iamawesome'.
Joe glared at him. "Really?"
"I figured it was my turn to fool around."
The three turned at the clunk of the electronic lock opening.
Albert gaped, "What the…"
"I guess you lucked out," Francoise grumbled.
"No, look it says the password's incorrect."
Joe pushed open the door. "It's probably malfunctioning. Come on."
The beams from their uniforms split into the dark and illuminated many rows of shelving and lockers against the walls. Upon the shelves glinted the dark, metallic outlines of laser pistols, high-tech rifles, and what appeared to be parts for larger turret guns and missile launchers.
"Is it wrong that I'm glad to see this stuff? It means at least we were right this time," Albert said, walking into the room and picking up a pistol. "No power cartridge, ammo, or missiles. I'm betting they're in the next storage room."
"Or manufactured elsewhere," Joe said, "That would be safer, both in traceability and, well, stuff blowing up."
"Well we got our weapons, we'll take a few back to Gilmore. Is it possible there are any computers stored down here that are actually useful?"
Francoise's eyes moved in that far off way that meant she was scanning. "There are some still online in the back of the room, but those control security and…" she trailed off, her eyes widening. She gasped, her hands clasped over her mouth in horror, and then took off towards the back of the room, disappearing from the other two's light beams.
"003!" Joe called then ran after her. He could hear Albert's heavier frame behind him.
They caught up to her as she hurried along the lockers, her hand trailing against them as she sought the right one. She stopped at the only one that had a simple padlock.
"Open it!" she cried.
Albert didn't question the franticness in her voice or waste time pointing out she could probably rip that padlock off by hand. His laser knife glowed in the dark and with a single swipe the lock fell in two pieces to the floor.
Francoise threw open the door and three sets of lights lit the interior as they peered in.
Wires curled around a mess of matted, once-blond hair, wound their way into an empty eye socket and came back out a wide, broken mouth, the lips long cracked and split in places, dulled to a waxy white. A blackened hole gaped in the right cheek as necrosis spread. Torn flesh hung off what was once a neck, partially burned, more wires connected into and coiling around a few dangling, naked vertebrae. The long, familiar nose was bent from being broken multiple times.
A single, sunken blue eye cracked open and stared at them.
"Oh shit," Albert breathed, his disbelief carrying verbally and over the brain waves.
What's going on? Chang called, his presence getting closer as he and Great descended the stairway.
"It's Jet," Joe whispered.
