AN

Jeez, I wrote chapter five in like, an hour and a half. Just, non-stop. It's mostly action and combat, which is probably why it got done so fast, meaning I can post this chapter a day after my last update.

By the way, I post updates when I get done writing. I can't promise they'll always be this fast or this regular, so fair warning.

But seriously, holy shit. I had so much fun writing chapter five. Can't wait to share it with you guys. *pointless egoistic stroking*


The door to Yuuko's office slid open without resistance, and a hurried but light set of footfalls trailed into the room. With a chagrined expression on her face, Yuuko turned toward the noise, a flare of irritation lighting up in her voice once more.

"Again, Yoroi-san? What do you want this-" As soon she saw the mans face, she fell into an immediate silence, the barest spark of surprise running through her. "Ah? Shirogane? It's been a long time since I've seen you in my office. Could this be about the chemistry homework you 'forgot' two years ago?" She asked sardonically.

Slowly, solemnly, he nodded in agreement. "I only wish I was seeing you for something as carefree and stupid as homework, Yuuko-sensei." He said, voice low and sad. "This is about Sumika."

Yuuko feigned ignorance. "Sumika? She's here too? Tell me, how is she?"

Takeru felt an amount of his patience snap, and he quelled a sudden urge to throttle his old science teacher. "Please, Yuuko-sensei, don't play dumb. I know you're this base's XO."

"Oh?" She hummed speculatively. "And pray tell, who told you that? I can't imagine you learned it down in that shelter of yours, hiding away from reality."

He shook his head. "It's not exactly a well-hidden piece of information, Yuuko-sensei. Does it matter how I learned it?"

She leveled a look of icy calculation on him, her gaze piercing through every layer of Takeru's resolve. For several seconds, Yuuko assessed him, trying to glean as much as she could from his expression. And yet, his face was an unreadable mask, impenetrable and stoic, and she saw nothing but the most superficial of information.

"I see." She muttered to herself. "You've grown, haven't you Shirogane? I wonder where you learned to hide your emotions so well..." Yuuko pondered to herself, tapping her fingers together.

Takeru redirected the conversation. "As much as I appreciate the praise, I need to talk to you about Sumika." He told her bluntly, not bothering to beat around the bush. "Sumika attacked two UN officers, I know that. But all the same, I want you to stop the execution."

"And what makes you think she'll be executed?" She asked in turn.

Takeru paused. "Call it intuition."

"Hm?" She hummed as she pulled open a desk drawer. She pulled out a single white document, filled to the margin with text. "Well, Shirogane, your instincts are right this time. Here's the report Isumi sent me, feel free to read it."

Cautiously, he slid the document toward himself and picked it up. Skimming the text, he focused on the keywords and filtered out the jargon.

Assault with intent to kill... capital offense... sustained severe injuries... He tallied, growing paler with every word. Sumika... He thought as a feeling of hopelessness crawled it's way up his throat.

"Wait a second..." He muttered. "Request lenient sentencing?" He read, at once both surprised and relieved. "That can't be right."

"Mm. It just so happens that you did read that right, Shirogane." Yuuko told him, the corner of her lips down-turned in an expression of displeasure. "I'm just as surprised as you are, in fact." She remarked.

"Why?" Takeru asked, putting the paper back on the desk.

"Because Isumi usually isn't this lax when it comes to punishment. She's never been the type to go easy on criminals, even if they only committed minor felonies." Yuuko paused. "Which is why I'm so baffled. She and Munakata were attacked, brought to the brink of death even, and all she wants is twenty years of incarceration?"

Takeru winced. It appeared his and her definitions of 'lax' were pretty damn different.

"Well, what would you suggest, Yuuko-sensei?"

She leaned back into her chair, hand at her chin. "A summary execution." She said harshly, her tone severe and final. "Kagami may have been my student once upon a time, but I can't tolerate an attempted murder. Not on my best soldiers."

Execution...

Anger rose up like a boiling tide, sweeping through the entirety of Takeru's mind and nearly taking his composure with it. Yet, some faraway voice, coming not from his own body but another world entirely removed from this one, told him to hold steady. So he did. He remained silent, regulating his breathing and holding his patience with an iron grip. And slowly, very slowly, the bright crimson wave receded and his mind cleared.

"I... see." He said after a time. "And what about a trial? What about the due process?"

Yuuko shook her head, almost regrettably. "Times have changed, Shirogane. Ever since the BETA invaded, the lawyers have been drafted and the courtrooms have been turned into munitions stockpiles. No one has time for a trial of peers."

Takeru was actually rather pleased to hear this, though he hid it behind a layer of impassivity. "So you're the only one presiding over her punishment, then?"

She raised an eyebrow. "If I'm not mistaken, you're plotting something, Shirogane. I've had that same expression on my face before; I can recognize a schemer when I see one."

A small smile creased Takeru's face. "Answer the question please, Yuuko-sensei."

Yuuko sighed. "I'm not obligated to give you any answers, Shirogane. In case you've forgotten, you're standing in the heart of my stronghold. Giving me orders may not be in your best interest." She paused. "And neither would threatening me, for that matter."

Slowly, so maddeningly slowly, he put his hands in front of him defensively. "No, of course not. I wouldn't be that stupid. But, if I said it was for old times' sake, would you answer my question then?" He smirked deviously. "More specifically, that time."

To his own twisted delight, Yuuko flinched. "That's a dirty, dirty move, Shirogane. I'll admit you've never been ugly, and if I was going to fuck anyone, I'd rather it be you than some stranger, but... You and I were both drunk at the time, and I'd hoped you wouldn't remember.

"I've never been drunk enough to completely forget anything." He said flatly. "You said the same thing to me once, Yuuko-sensei."

"Using my own words against me. I'm impressed."

"Impressed enough to answer my questions?" He probed, immediately drawing her back to the topic at hand.

She said nothing and tapped her fingers on her desk idly, hoping to drum some sort of reaction out of him through her inactivity. To her combined irritation and pleasure, he was completely stoic. "Very well. I'll answer three questions of yours. Choose wisely." She said, giving him a tantalizingly limitless offer.

Yuuko knew on some level that it wasn't at all wise to give anyone, least of all of a strangely mature Shirogane such a blank check. And yet, on a deeper, more subconscious part of her mind, she was curious to see what he'd do with what she'd put in front of him. Would he force her to reveal confidential information, having only used Sumika as a ploy to gain her attention? Would he blindly follow his emotions, forgetting the bigger picture entirely in the face of his own selfish desires?

With the strange paradigm shift that seemed to have taken place in the psyche of her former student, there truly was no way to predict what he'd do. That lack of control bothered her, which was why she'd acquiesced to him in the first place. Of course, if he did turn out to be a spy of some kind who was only after data, she'd shoot him on the spot.

"Well, Shirogane? I've given you an offer, so what are you going to do with it?" She asked, faking a tone of impatience. A tone that was just petulant enough to give him an incentive to speak, but not enough to grate on his nerves. She was no psychologist, but manipulating people was easy enough, and if she could force an answer from him without giving him time to think or strategize, she'd have been able to see his true motives.

"Three answers, eh?" He muttered. "Alright, I'll take you up on that offer."

He closed his fist and stuck up one finger.

"First. How deep does your control over this base run?"

Yuuko frowned. An easy, surface-level question. If he has some kind of ulterior motive, I won't be able to glean it from just this alone.

"I have full administrative power." She answered. "If I ordered the immediate destruction of this facility, the UN would have no choice but to comply. If I wanted the lunch menus to consist of nothing but rice gruel and water, the logistical officers would fulfill that whim to the letter. If I declared someone a traitor, no matter how high their rank is or how well liked they may be, this entire base would hunt them down." She rested her head in her palm. "Does that answer your question?"

Takeru nodded. "Very much so."

"Glad to hear it. Now, as to your second...?"

"Now now, Yuuko-sensei. Patience is a virtue, don't be so hasty." Takeru said, a sickeningly reserved smile on his face.

Irritation. That was the emotion she felt at the moment. All the same, she refused to let something as petty and inconsequential as her feelings affect what she said. "Patience may be a virtue, Shirogane, but you understand that I'm the one making the offer here. You're in no position to demand things."

"True, very true, but you did agree to answer my questions, no strings attached. I can trust that you're a woman of your word, can't I?"

Yuuko sighed a bit harder than normal. I can see what you're trying to do here, Shirogane. Riling me up to loosen my tongue. She stretched her shoulders. If I don't stop him here, you'll become yet another Yoroi Sakon. And, as she wholeheartedly agreed, the world could do with as few Sakons as possible.

"Emotional manipulation doesn't suit, you, Shirogane." She said bluntly.

Faking an expression of dismay, he deadpanned, "I've been seen through."

"Indeed you have." Yuuko agreed sarcastically. "Now, if you would kindly get to the point?"

"Alright, sure. My second question. What's your favorite type of coffee drink?"

This time, the irritation returned in full. Yuuko felt indignant, almost angry, but with merciless efficiency she buried those feelings somewhere deep in her head, where they'd be unlikely to resurface. All this mental fortitude, she'd learned herself. One conversation with Yoroi Sakon and his infuriating method of speech had been enough to teach her the value of controlling her emotions.

"Shirogane, if you're going to treat this lightly, then I have no time for-"

"Yuuko-sensei." He said, his tone deep and authoritative. "Answer the question."

Sighing, she sank her head deeper into her hands. "Cappuccino. I would've thought you'd know that, Shirogane."

"Oh, I did, Yuuko-sensei. I was just wondering if you knew." He answered cryptically.

She bit back a sound of confusion. "Well, it just so happens I do know what my own favorite drink is." She said sarcastically. "Well, Shirogane, you've wasted two questions for worthless answers. What's your third?"

He rolled his shoulders, listening to the satisfying popping sound of his tensed shoulders. "Alright, Yuuko-sensei. Here goes."

"I'm listening."

"What do you need me to do?"


One hour later

Mitsurugi Meiya was the daughter of one of the few remaining Zaibatsu families that still held power in the post-BETA Japan. She stood in the hangar of Yokohama Base, clad in a uniform that felt far too comfortable and far too light to have been made from normal cotton. Hand-sown from a carbon-fiber weave, she speculated. Made from superior materials, despite her own desire to have gear no better than the average recruit's.

Her entire stay had been like this. Differential treatment from the staff and her peers alike, despite her repeated insistence that she wanted nothing more than to be normal. A private room stocked with officer-grade luxuries, despite only being a mere cadet. A specialized cafeteria menu filled with non-synthetic food, for her and her alone. A custom-built training TSF, a Takemikazuchi, delivered straight to the hangar for her to use.

It sickened her. It made her angry and sad and lonely, all at once. She'd said time and time again that she wanted no advantages, that she wanted to be just like everyone else. And yet, for once in her life, she didn't get what she desired. At what was arguably the most important moment, she was denied the only thing she truly wanted.

Normality.

Leaning against the platform's railing and watching the hangar crew down below doing their job, she hoped for change for the umpteenth time. Meiya understood that her being allowed to join the UN military was a huge concession on her family's part, and that her survival was their top concern, thus necessitating all the special treatment, but all the same, she was bothered by the pampering.

How was she supposed to gain an understanding of the world, of the soldiers' plights, when she couldn't even use the same equipment as them? How was she supposed to empathize with her comrades when she wasn't even in the same training programs as them?

Suddenly, she was greeted by a strange sight. A man, dressed in the standard regulation black armored suit, walked purposefully down the pathway toward the launching bay. What made her look twice was the gear he carried; a large dark bag at his back and a long dufflebag in his right hand. His suit was decked to the nines with tactical harnesses, pouches, bandoleers, and satchels as well.

TSF pilots rarely brought that much gear with them, seeing as how most engagements were short, several hour-long affairs that required little in the way of added provisions. However, the amount of supplies carried in those bags must have equaled to several days, if not weeks worth of food. Whatever mission he was deploying on, it was certainly going to be a long one.

Yet, it wasn't what the pilot carried that caught her attention. It was the pilot himself.

Takeru. It was him, it had to be. Meiya's heart sped up as emotions ran through her chest, fast as quicksilver. She wanted to walk toward him, to run toward him, but traitorous fear rose up in her chest as a thousand questions bombarded her.

What if he doesn't recognize me? What if he's not the boy I used to love? What if he has someone else? But most of all, What if he dies on this mission?

So, even as her heart told her to go, her mind told her with even more force that she had to stay. It pained her greatly, seeing him just walk by, but she knew it would have been foolhardy to open herself to him now. It had been many years, somewhere around a decade if she remembered right, since she'd last seen him. While she remembered him fondly and held a great deal of confusing feelings for him, there was very little guarantee that he felt the same.

"Goodbye, Takeru. I hope I'll see you again." She whispered sadly. "Good luck on your mission."


Takeru set his bags to the side of the terminal and stood at the TSF calibration terminal. He cracked his knuckles and tensed his arms as he waited for the command prompts to display. Then, a mechanic, grease-stained and rough looking, shouted at him from across the platform.

"Hey! Don't mess with that! If you mess up the engine tuning, it'll take hours to fix it again!" He yelled angrily.

Takeru held up a hand and looked him in the eye, a dead serious look on his face. "I know what I'm doing, sir. This isn't the first time I've modified a TSF." Something in his tone of voice screamed authority, and the mechanic backed down.

Exasperation abated, at least for the time being, he asked cautiously, "Well, alright, but what sorta mods were you thinking of makin'?"

The terminal lit up blue and the first command prompt opened. Takeru began to type. "Just going to disable the automated protocols and heighten the controls' sensitivity. Maybe hyper-optimize the knife sheathe, too."

I'll also be installing Yuuko-sensei's shady software, but he doesn't need to know that.

He scratched his head and shrugged. "Might not be the best idea, you know. Those programs exist for a reason..." Just before he trailed into silence, a light-bulb seemed to go off above his head. "And what are you thinking, trying to mess with the sheathe. Might be cool to launch knives like missiles, but if you take out your machine's leg accidentally, you'll wish you hadn't bothered."

"They're a crutch. I need to be able to make my own maneuvers on the field without auto-prots slowing me down. Not mention how dangerous it is to execute override codes mid-battle." He explained as he hit the enter key. "And as for the sheathe, well, there are times when you need the range." He said, not really explaining anything.

Quelled, the mechanic leaned against the wall, no longer angry, but rather, concerned. "You seem to know what you're doing, I'll give you that much at least." His eyes lingered on the two large bags at Takeru's feet. "Why do you have all the supplies?"

Takeru stepped back from the machine, stretching his arms for a moment. "I asked Commander Kouzuki to give me a mission. I'll be out solo for awhile, so food's probably gonna be at a premium." He lied.

The mechanic's eyes widened in surprise. "God, you're doing one of the Commander's missions of your own free will? And solo, too?!" After the briefest of pauses, he continued. "Now what in the name of hell makes you want to die all of a sudden?"

"Is they really that bad?"

Nodding furiously, he continued. "Hell yeah they are. Commander's mission might as well be a synonym for suicide around here. You'd have a better chance of surviving if you went hand-to-hand with a Tank-class."

Whistling appreciatively, Takeru asked, "So, give me a rough estimate. What's the survival rating for these special missions?"

"Ah, shit, well..." He paused and thought for awhile. "If I were to give you my best guess, I'd have to say somewhere around twenty percent."

Takeru grinned. "Hey, that's better than I thought." He finished typing the last command prompt and hit the enter key. With a smooth, soundless movement completely befitting a well-maintained machine, the type-94 Shiranui's cockpit opened with ease. "Wish me luck, mechanic-san!"

The mechanic saluted. "Don't die out there, Eishi!"

Takeru laughed. "Hey, c'mon now. A couple thousand BETA aren't gonna drop me!" He replied cheekily as he threw both his bags and then himself into the TSF. Moments later, the doors closed on him and his engines came online, blazing into life with a satisfying roar.

"Besides, I can't die." He said, much more quietly this time, as he slipped his hands into the controls. "Because I've got a girl to save."

Cameras online... Radar online... Communications array online...

Yuuko's voice broke out over the intercom, completely drowning out the electric hum of the machinery. "Indeed you do, Shirogane." She said in a serious voice. "Do you need me to brief you on the mission again?"

He shook his head. "Nope. I got it."

"Are you absolutely sure? Once you reach the site, the connection's going to get spotty, so I won't be able to talk to you."

"I'm one hundred percent certain of what I have to do. Fight my way up to the Sadogashima hive, hook the parachute to the box, and throw the thing right down the Monument's launching shaft. Should be easy enough."

Yuuko sighed. "Something makes me think you're not taking this seriously..." Her voice trailed for a moment. "Well, never mind then. If you fail, Kagami Sumika dies, so, do this job right."

"Of course I will. Have some faith, Yuuko-sensei."

Without another word, Yuuko cut off the transmission, leaving Takeru to his thoughts. It would be a fairly long while before he reached the transport ferry, so he'd have plenty of time to wait in boredom.

He leaned back into his chair and released one hand from the controls, massaging his tensed muscles. His shoulders were still stiffened, he realized, from his visit to Yuuko's office.

It had been a stressful one, alright. Manipulating people had never really been his cup of tea, and he'd have rather just asked her straight out if there was any way to gain her favor. But he didn't. There were things he had to ascertain first, because as the faraway voice told him in it's wordless whisper, it would have been colossally stupid to reveal his cards straight out.

Takeru couldn't have just asked for a mission outright; it would have made her suspicious of him. Then there were also two major things he had to confirm. First, whether or not she would have actually had the power to waive away Sumika's punishment. Second, whether or not she was still human enough to want to do so. Hence his first two questions.

Though, in hindsight, maybe asking her about cappuccinos wasn't the greatest way of learning the second bit. The heartless, the psychotic, and the merciless alike still enjoyed coffee, no matter the state of their minds. But with that said, he figured he'd done a decent job of it, and he'd even managed to gain a chance at saving Sumika.

"Ah, but dammit, couldn't she have given me something a bit easier?" Takeru groaned, mostly out of humor. "A lone-wolf clearing mission would have been one thing, but assaulting a hive is just plain suicidal." Then, he slapped himself in the face, hard. "Nope, don't think that way. If you get depressed now, you'll never summon up the courage to actually get this done." Think positive, think positive.

In keeping with that theme, he reassessed his odds. The mission was going to be difficult, extremely so, but it wasn't impossible. If he could keep the noise level low, cap his engine emissions, and avoid burning his thrusters, he might just be able to stay under the radar long enough to reach the Monument. Keyword being might.

Escape is gonna be a bit tricky, though. He thought lightly. I might even take a scratch or two on the way out. Takeru laughed weakly at himself. He knew it was stupid to try and pretend, especially when there was no one else around to see it, but he also knew that he had to have something to cling to, lest he end up floundering in panic and depression.

If that something just so happened to be false bravado, then so be it. What else did he have to rely on?

The fields and hills gradually came to a slow, receding end, replaced instead by the mostly abandoned towns and farmlands of the south Japanese coastline. BETA had invaded this place from Sadogashima, and though they were for the most part repelled, they'd slowly but surely managed to kill, devour, or scare off the entirety of the indigenous population. The only life, be it human or otherwise, to be found here were trees, shrubs, and the occasional patrolling soldier.

Within a few more minutes, Takeru managed to spot the corpses of a few BETA, mostly Warriors and Soldiers, being burnt to a crisp by a mixed team of UN and Imperial soldiers. It was a relatively small battlefield, only holding about three dozen bodies, none of them TSF or infantry, but all the same it was proof. Proof of the near-constant struggle the soldiers faced in keeping the borders safe.

Takeru's TSF came to a halt as it reached the port. A ferry-boat, about as large as most aircraft carriers, stood waiting in the harbor. He stepped into the registry section and dismounted from the cockpit, leaving his bags where they were. Climbing down the shoulder and arm, just like Mitsuki did earlier, he landed on the ground and faced the young-faced receptionist below.

"On a solo op?" The blonde receptionist asked. "I don't envy you, I'll tell you that. Sadogashima's rough. Real rough. Can't imagine what kinda commander would send you out alone like that. Bound to be a suicide run." She said tactlessly. "Er, I mean, a real hard mission."

Takeru flashed the girl a winning smile. "Gotta earn your paycheck somehow, right?" He passed her his ID, which she put in the scanner.

"Shirogane Takeru?"

"That's me."

She passed back the card and hit a button. The large gates that led into the harbor opened, rusty metal screeching horrifically as it did. The receptionist winced, and Takeru gave her a sympathetic look.

"Ugh, I hate that sound." She muttered. "Anyway, good luck on your mission, Shirogane-kun. Get back here in one piece, alright?"

He laughed heartily. "If there's a pretty girl like you waiting for me? Of course I will." Takeru walked back to his TSF, climbed up the knee, and mounted the cockpit.

The doors closed behind him and he slipped his hands into the controls. Walking through the gate with slow, ponderous steps, he moved past the reception and into the harbor. And within that shipyard was a whole lotta silence. Whether it was out of anxiety or out of genuine worry, he checked his gear again, making sure he had everything he needed for the mission to come.

Twelve knives, two swords, one rifle, one S-11... He listed as he looked over the data logs. And a fuck-ton of fuel.

He boarded the ferry slowly and carefully, trying to make sure he didn't damage something important. His TSF came to a slow stop as he stepped onto the deck, and Takeru powered down the engine.

"Alright then. Let's see if I can get some shut-eye before we get this thing started." He said as he opened up the cockpit. "Sometimes I forget that it's only been eight hours since this whole thing started."

Once he got his feet on the deck, he greeted the mechanics with a small grin. "Hey there. Would you mind getting my fuel tanks topped off while I catch some shut-eye? Both me and my machine need to be in top condition when this op gets started."

One of the mechanics nodded. "Yeah, sure. I'll start hooking up the pumps."

"Great, wonderful. I'll be in the crew quarters if you want something." Takeru said cheerfully as he walked off. "Thanks again, guys."

Once he reached the bunk room, he picked a cot at random and collapsed into it, all the strength leaving his body immediately.

"It feels like forever has passed since I woke up this morning." He groaned. "I'd hoped just one nap would be enough, dammit."

Takeru threw up his arm, covering his eyes from the suddenly glaring overhead light. He turned on his side and faced the wall, burying his face in the hardened white pillow. Slipping his eyelids closed, he counted to ten and back down repeatedly, lulling his mind into complacency.

Good night, universe. Please don't bother me. He thought drowsily. 'Cause I fucking hate distractions.


Mitsuki stormed into Yuuko's office, anger present both on her face and in her body language. "What the hell, Kouzuki?!" She shouted furiously.

Yuuko, who was sitting in her chair and writing equations, looked up impatiently. "Ah, 2nd Lieutenant Hayase. What brings you here?" She asked in that annoyingly cold voice she knew Mitsuki hated.

"You know what this is about, Commander. Why'd you send him out on another mission, dammit?! He was only here for two hours!"

Drumming her fingers on her desk, Yuuko smiled patronizingly at the soldier in front of her. "My my, aren't we getting emotional."

Mitsuki bit back a sudden urge to slam her hands on the desk, and instead reeled back her emotions, no matter how difficult it was or how angry it made her feel. "He's just a kid. He's not ready for this."

"The 'kid' is only three years younger than you, Hayase. And whether or not he's ready is something for me to decide, not you, wouldn't you say?" She asked rhetorically. "And besides, it isn't like you to get emotional over a person like this."

"Takeru's different!" She protested. "If it were some other Eishi, I'd understand. But dammit, he hasn't even been officially drafted yet. Do you even have the authority to send him out like this?" Her voice was uneven and high-pitched, proof of her wavering control.

"My authority is absolute, Hayase. You know this, don't you?"

"Goddammit, Kouzuki. I don't know what kind of mission you sent him on, but why'd you make him do it alone? TSFs operate in two-man elements; if he goes alone, he'll get chewed up in no time."

"Don't patronize me, Hayase. I know what I did." She sighed. "Truth be told, I don't know whether he'll live or die, and honestly I'm betting on the former. All the same, he asked me to send him out. So, I did."

With all the bluntness of a sledgehammer, Hayase replied, "Bullshit. No one, not even Takeru is crazy or stupid enough to ask for a suicide mission."

"Then I'd advise you to reconsider either your definition of crazy or your beliefs about Shirogane." Yuuko shot back. "Anyway, Hayase, we're done talking about this. Leave unless you have something further to report."

Mitsuki bit her lip almost hard enough to draw blood. "Very well." She said stiffly. "I'll leave, then."

"You do that." Yuuko said disinterestedly as she returned to her equations.

As the doors closed behind her, Mitsuki let all her anger rise up and out of her throat in one solid roar of anger. Incoherent curses and shouts escaped her mouth as she let her traitorous emotions out. "Goddammit, Takeru! If you die out there..."

She shook her head one final time before straightening her posture and walking away. It was stupid to get so emotional, she knew that, but at the same time, it wasn't as if she could just let someone die so easily without at least throwing a tantrum or two. Takeru wasn't someone she knew well, wasn't even someone she'd call a friend yet, but knowing that he was deploying solo, just a couple hours after taking on a horde, it pissed her off.

"Hey, Mitsuki!" A voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and Mitsuki looked up to face a concerned-looking Kashiwagi Haruko. "Jeez, took you long enough. I've been trying to talk to you for the past five minutes."

Mitsuki rubbed the back of her head and smiled sheepishly. "Oh, sorry about that, Haruko." She laughed nervously. "I've been a bit distracted lately, I guess."

"Hmm?" Haruko took a closer look, staring blatantly at Mitsuki's face. After an extended period of silence, she concluded, "It's about a boy, isn't it?"

"Huh?" Mitsuki made a sound of confusion. "What does Takayuki have to do with this?"

The blue-haired girl hummed appreciatively. "So his name is Takayuki, then. Glad to have that out of the way!" She grabbed the 2nd Lieutenant by the arm. "Now c'mon, let's get you to the PX!"

"Eh? Why? Also, this isn't about-"

"Oh shut up. I can tell something's bothering you, Mitsuki, so let's go and talk it out real quick. And if nothing else, maybe I'll buy you a drink or something." She pulled a little harder. "Trust me, I know about this wonderful juice that's absolutely delicious."

Without being given so much as a chance to complain, Mitsuki was dragged forcibly through the halls. "Jeez, Mitsuki. You're pretty heavy, you know that?" Haruko complained innocently. "Better slim down a bit, or this Takayuki guy's not gonna give you the time of day."

To her disappointment, Mitsuki did not hit her. Didn't even yell at her, actually.

Something's really wrong with her. She thought seriously.

"H-hey, Haruko? I think I'll be fine, really. You don't need to worry about me." Mitsuki offered.

"Tch." Haruko clicked her tongue. "This is Valkyrie squadron, in case you forgot. We make it our business to worry about each other." She grabbed onto Mitsuki's arm with her other hand. "Now, if you wouldn't mind..." She pulled. Hard. "Start walking! You're heavy, you know that!"

"Oh, um, sure." Mitsuki answered awkwardly.

Haruko smiled lightly. "Good. Now then, you wanna tell me what's bothering you?"

Mitsuki scratched her head. "Didn't you just rule it out as boy troubles?"

"Nah. Just seeing if I could get a rise out of you." She answered bluntly. "Seriously though. Is it about the operation? I know Munakata and the 1st Lieutenant got hurt pretty bad, but it's not your fault-"

She shook her head. "No, that's not it. Actually, it's about the pilot we recovered."

"Ah, that guy?"

"Yeah. Takeru. The thing is, he was only here for about an hour before the commander shipped him off on a solo mission. I know I shouldn't care, but, it just feels..." She trailed, trying to find the right words. "Wrong, I think. It feels wrong to send someone out so soon, y'know? And without any support or anything either."

Haruko's smile dropped, replaced instead by a frown. "Where'd you learn all this, anyway? I haven't heard anything about the pilot; didn't even know he was in the base before you told me."

"I saw him leave. Stacked with bags and gear, too. It looked like he was going to be out of supply for a week or two."

"And that bothers you, doesn't it?" She said bluntly.

Mitsuki nodded in agreement. "You're damn right it does. No one, ace pilot or not, goes out solo. Especially not for weeks on end. I don't like it one damn bit."

"Then why don't you do something about it?" Haruko offered, voice low and conspiratory. "Take things into your own hands, Mitsuki. You've always been that kind of girl, haven't you?"

"A-are you saying I-"

"Tsk, tsk. I'm not 'saying' anything, 2nd Lieutenant. I'm merely 'suggesting' a course of action." Haruko said as she pushed through the PX's twin doors. "And a tiny little suggestion can't hurt anybody, right?"

"Haruko, this isn't like you..." Mitsuki trailed.

"And you think you're normal right now?" She asked sarcastically. "You're not you right now, Mitsuki. You're quiet, you're timid, hell, if I didn't know any better, I might even call you halfway sane. Not one of those things fits the Mitsuki I know." A pause. "The point is, this is bothering you, and I can see that. So, no matter what it takes, I want to see you be yourself again."

Mitsuki was silent.

"Even if I have to crawl into a horde of BETA with you, even if I have to suffer through an hour of Isumi's punishment, I'll help you."

Then, Mitsuki looked up into Haruko's eyes, searching and prodding deep to see how well her convictions matched her words. "You're serious, aren't you Haruko?" She said after several moments of silent deliberation.

Haruko offered a grin. "As serious as I'll ever be."

"This could get us both killed, you know." She warned.

"When have we ever not been in danger of dying? Even your drinking parties usually puts someone in the hospital."

"We're probably gonna get punished pretty badly when all is said and done."

"Who cares? What's one or two beatings in the face of a life saved, am I right?"

Mitsuki sat down in her chair, directly opposite to Kashiwagi. A pervading silence, heavier and more tense than anything she'd felt before, fell over them, despite the ambient sound of the PX.

"This is a stupid idea." Mitsuki said bluntly.

As if it were totally natural to her, Haruko had a comeback for every sentence. "Well then we must be pretty stupid people, because I'm not backing out."

"You're serious?"

She smirked. "Didn't I just say that I was?"

"...Alright." She conceded, her voice small. "I believe you."

Haruko clapped her hands together as a wide smile spread across her face. "That's all I ever wanted from you, Mitsuki-chan! Let's get this show on the road!"

Pushing in her chair, Mitsuki turned back toward the exit as well. "Yeah. Sounds good." And after a moment of silence, she added, "Let's go kick some ass."


So, that's done and done. I'll start writing chapter six now. Also, are any of you guys been addicted to the Alternative opening as well? Because I've been listening to that on a loop and also memorizing the Romaji lyrics. It's gotten to the point that I can pretty much sing it from memory without any musical accompaniment.

...My friends think it's creepy how I randomly burst into (Japanese) song when I'm at the archery range.

Anyway, that outta the way... I actually have a review to respond to down here!

Labulabu: Glad you liked it. As you can infer, this is an alternate dimension that comes somewhere before Alternative, so Takeru is more or less destined to die. Although, I can always use a bit of Bullshit Magic™ to make him live. But, even if he does end up in the ground/eaten/blown up/recycled into another BETA, at least we'll have a nice long chunk of narrative to read beforehand.