Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Gate, all rights goes to the guys who created/wrote the damn thing. Talking about that I probably should do some research on the original author and the director of the anime.

Anyway, onto the story.


'It's a good day to train.' John thought as he pulled up to the checkpoint that led into the military base.

It wasn't a widely known base, not like Osan Air Base or any of the other bases that dotted the Korean peninsula. It was a relatively small one because there wasn't a need for a large base.

Only a small handful were selected to even come here, with 90% of the candidates being denied during the 10 day screening period. There was a reason why the 707th Special Warfare Battalion is considered to be Korea's premier counterterrorism unit and the only reason why he and Jong Han were able to come and go as they pleased was because of their mentor. Though he had to persuade him to allow the girls to see the training grounds, most of it being obstacle courses and various ranges for shooting and areas for hand to hand combat.

Most of the base didn't hold any information beyond information that could be found on the Internet but even so with the other two in tow he had a limited amount of places they could go.

The guards gave the occupants a cautious glare, almost daring them to do something stupid. Which in all honesty Shino might with the way she was bouncing up and down in her seat. With a slightly nervous smile John gave the guard a thumbs up before pushing through the checkpoint.

Behind him Shino pressed up against the window as she took in the passing scenery. She was giddy with excitement. Didn't matter if they were only staying for 2 hours, that was 2 hours spending time with people who were hard enough to push through the grueling year long training to become a 707.

It was a great opportunity for her, one she'd make sure to remember. Besides her however Kim Han Yoon looked around with no small amount of apprehension.

All throughout yesterday and today she'd been trying to think why John had a sudden change of heart. That wasn't like him and it made her apprehensive about the entire trip.

She didn't want to be here but didn't say anything. The reason was simple, this was a test. John wanted to test her ability, to see her potential.

'Well, I'll show you what I'm capable of John.' She thought bitterly as she glanced at him. His refusal to support her decision was a harsh blow, more than her family shunning her for her decision to join the Marine Corps because he'd been there for her ever since recruit training.

He was her squad leader back then too, she fondly remembered. Always supporting her choice of a military life, it made her happy to have at least him. Then after graduation she found Checkmate, a company that wholly supported her.

She was happy but now that happiness turned into something else, a grim determination to join the 707th. 'I have to, I can't fail now.' She was broken out of her thoughts by John, who had turned around his seat.

"Everyone out and remember stick close to me and Jong Han. Don't wander." The last bit was directed at Shino who had given him a nod, a distracted one at that.

Sighing John straightened his eyepatch before getting out of his sedan.

It wasn't the self driving cars that were flooding the market the last several years. He found some joy in actually driving where he was going, a trait that was rapidly diminishing with the rise in autonomous vehicles.

Then again, the self driving cars was still welcomed by him because some of these people didn't need to be on the road. Period. How some of these people passed their driver's exam was a natural wonder on its own.

Locking the car, he made his way to the office of the "old man" as they liked to call him. Also known as their sadistic ass mentor.

The trip was silent as the group of four walked through the hallways. Coming up to the office John stepped forward and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Came the short reply.

Glancing at each other the two best friends heaved a silent sigh before opening the door and stepping inside. The two females followed close after the two male marines.

Surprisingly to the girls neither John nor Jong Han saluted the man. In fact they seemed relaxed, kind of. There was underlying tension between the trio that the two females could only just make out.

"So," The older man started off. "What kind of asinine bullshit are you pulling this time?" His tone was a low drawl, as if he was done and over with the duo's "bullshit."

John shrugged. "Nothing much just wanted you to put these two through their paces today." He jerked a thumb behind him and the girls. A frown crossed his face afterwards. "Speaking of which, no warm welcome for your two favorite students?"

Sarcasm at its finest.

The man closed one of his eyes in a mocking manner. "Would've given you two fucks a hot shower and meal if the smoker didn't end up with a arrow to the eye."

"Smoker?" Shino mumbled, first time she heard anything about smoking.

A confused frown crossed Kim Han Yoons face. As far as she knew neither John nor Jong Han smoked, were they keeping it a secret? That didn't make sense though, it wasn't as if it was illegal.

"Vape." John defended simply.

The man gave an annoyed grunt. "Same shit."

"No," Jong Han defended, cutting in. "We don't use nicotine in our vapes. Total difference."

For a while trio fell silent before the older man pointed at the girls. "In any case, who are the ducklings?"

The two females looked at each other. Duckling?

"Oh right." John mumbled, remembering their purpose for their little trip. "This is Shino and the other is Kim Han Yoon. Guys, say hello to the old man, Su Won."

"Good morning sir!" Shino exclaimed, complete with a salute.

John held a grimace, figured the fangirl side of her was still there. 'Knowing the old man though, I doubt that it's gonna last long.' He was positive Shino would hate the old sadistic bastard before they walked out of here.

Well he and Jong Han were gonna walk out, the girls would probably be stumbling and wobbling out like a bunch of drunkards. Noodle limbs at its finest.

"Aren't you a little ball of sunshine and energy?" Su Won sarcastically replied before standing up.

"Just excited to be here sir." Shino said happily, not catching the instructors sarcasm.

This time neither John nor Jong Han bothered to hold back a grimace. That was most definitely the exact thing you absolutely do not say to an instructor.

Nodding Su Won turned to face Kim Han Yoon. "I take it you're Kim Han Yoon?"

She gave him a subtle nod. "Yes sir."

Walking around the desk Su Won came to a stop in front of the females. Giving them a look over he faced the other two males in the room. Are you sure, was the unspoken question.

Two silent shrugs was the answer given.

"Alright so you two want some training done?" Two quick nods was the final answer he was looking for. "Good, now follow me and don't wander off. Better for your health that way."

With that he opened the door before making his way out the office. Unbeknownst to the girls a wicked smile flashed on his face before disappearing.

Time to break some bitches.


2 hours later:

The two females collapsed in heap of limbs as they crossed the finish line of the obstacle course. Looking up they found the two amused faces of the "Dipshit Duo" as their mentor had lovingly named.

"So….that 3km obstacle course, hope you know you failed." John snickered, enjoying their exhausted expressions.

"Quite miserably I might add but don't be embarrassed. You need some serious physical conditioning for the course anyway, it's a testament to your training that you even finished." Jong Han added in a low drawl. He wasn't lying, in order to pass you needed to finish the 3km obstacle course in under 12 minutes.

Most people couldn't run 3km in 12 minutes on flat ground. Doing so through an obstacle course meant you had to be in peak physical condition and then some.

Like many have said before, humans don't join the special forces. Only monsters did and that superhuman facade was compounded by the augmentations that special forces operatives went through.

Finally finding the strength to sit up the two females greedily gulped down the water bottle that had been tossed down next to them.

"What was our time?" Shino gasped out, still trying control her pounding heart.

"19:22 for both of you." Su Won said disappointingly. Then again he wasn't expecting too much either. In the end they had been able to..keep up during their little 2 hour session. Though he found even that to be a bit of a stretch.

"Damn." Shino cursed under breath. Next to her Kim Han Yoon stayed silent, focusing on calming down.

She had barely been able to keep up with Shino. In fact she'd come a couple seconds after her, not that it really mattered considering they were way over the time limit.

Rubbing away some of the sweat that threatened to get into her eye Kim Han Yoon found John's hand in front of her. Silently grabbing the hand she pulled herself up not before stumbling a bit as her leg wobbled.

Her limbs felt like noodles. She just wanted go home and fall asleep under a warm blanket. The cold was starting to seep in too, with the sweat causing goosebumps on her skin as the cold winter wind rolled in.

All in all she felt miserable, not that she'd complain. She learned early on that complaining rarely achieved any good, more often than not it proved your weakness to the world.

Suck it up and push forward.

John gently gripped her shoulders, not minding the sweat that had seeped through her hoodie. "Come on, you can rest inside where it's warmer." He said, gently ushering her along.

People often forgot that cooling off too quickly could often result in getting a cold. The best way to cool off was to do so under room temperature and with some cool water.

He sighed as they felt the warm air of the building. All along the way he held his hand there on the small of her back, silently supporting her in case her legs gave out.

Their walk was slow. The walk itself was meant to act as rest simply because other than the barracks there wasn't any other place to rest.

Seeing the tired expression on Kim Han Yoon's face John craned his head around to Jong Han. "Hey think you can find a ride for yourself and Shino? I want to take her somewhere else for a bit."

"Yeah I can," He replied quickly before frowning in confusion. "The hell are you taking her?"

John shrugged in response, he wanted to keep that a surprise. "Nowhere much."

As they reached the door John turned around to face Shino and Jong Han. "Alright, I'll see you two later." With a wave to his mentor he opened the door before walking towards his car.

Sliding into the drivers seat John took a glance at Kim Han Yoon as she slumped down in her seat. With a small groan she leaned against the cool window before closing her eyes.

Honestly she just wanted to go back to the hotel, going off to some little side trip wasn't on the to-do list but at the same time she didn't have energy nor the desire to argue with John.

She kept her eyes closed as she felt the car lurch forward. With a yawn she slowly drifted off to unconsciousness.

When she opened her eyes she found a large lake in front of them. Looking around she found that they were the only ones there, with the area around them being empty of life.

"Where are we?" She mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"At a camping spot, usually more full around this time of year but whatever. Lets get out and stretch a bit." Following Johns suggestion Kim Han Yoon opened the door and stepped out of the car.

Sighing as the cold wind hit her she began to stretch her tired muscles.

'I'm going to feel this tomorrow.' She thought sourly. From head to toe she could feel her muscles ache in protest, even walking was a pain.

"Hey John, what are we doing out here? You trying to have sex with me or what?" She spoke lightheartedly. Though she didn't put it past him to try.

"Nah, we're here for something else."

She raised an eyebrow. "Well care to tell me the reason?" Instead of an answer she saw him simply lean against the hood of his car, silently staring ahead at the lake.

Apprehension slowly filled her, outside of combat this was the most serious she'd seen him.

"Strip." He finally said.

She blinked at the order given. "What?"

"Strip." He repeated in a neutral tone. "Down to your underwear."

And expression of confusion etched on to her face. What the hell was he saying? Strip? In this cold for no apparent reason? She wanted to lash out at him for the command yet she held her tongue.

Always think before you speak.

"John….tell me what's going on here. You're only confusing me further without an explanation." She worded her words carefully, this was a side of John she wasn't at all used to.

For the first time since they had met, she felt uncomfortable around him.

A frustrated frown came onto Johns face. "I won't repeat myself, strip."

She opened her mouth to retort but held herself back. The subtle tensing of his muscles, an angry if conflicted expression and the low but authoritative voice he had used all directed that following his order would be the best course of action.

She knew she wasn't in any physical danger, he wasn't the type to strike her down. Still she felt uncomfortable, like she had no choice but to follow his order despite having free will to say otherwise.

With an awkward glance in his direction she began strippong off her clothes, tossing them aside. As she stood in her underwear she rubbed her arms together in vain effort to keep herself warm.

Stilling leaning on the hood of his car John directed her at the lake. "Get in the lake and don't fucking ask any questions." He added as he saw the incredulous and questioning look she gave him.

Biting her lips she walked to the edge of the water before testing it with her toes.

Freezing, was the first thing that came to mind. If she went into this water, there was a very good chance of getting hypothermia afterwards. A simple t-shirt and hoodie wasn't enough.

Swallowing her spit she slowly walked into the water.

"Chest deep and stop." Hearing the next command she grit her teeth and pushed deeper into the lake.

She hated this. Why was he making her do this? Was there some point he wanted to make? Or was this for his own amusement? Those thoughts stopped abruptly when she heard a splash behind her.

John had jumped in too.

She stopped as told when she reached chest deep water. Her body shook as it tried to create heat to combat the winter cold water. Soon her teeth began clattering together. However all that stopped when she felt Johns hand at the back of her head.

"John ple-" Before she could finish she was violently pushed underwater. Immediately her body thrashed about, a desperate attempt to push him away and regain some control.

Grunting a bit he held her head down and began counting. He hit just under a minute before he began to feel her body slowing down. She was beginning to lose consciousness and feeling that she was at the precipice he pulled her head up out of the water.

Gasping for air she gurgled and coughed, desperate to fill her lungs with air. Suddenly she let out a cry of pain as she was pulled along by her hair. Reaching the shore she was tossed down onto the dirt ground.

Bracing her arms against the ground she rested her head on her arms. For the moment she didn't care about his actions, she didn't care about training or the 707. She didn't care about the Marine Corps or anything else.

All she wanted was air.

For several moments she merely laid her head there on her arms, greedily sucking air in and trying to calm herself down.

She looked up at John in anger. "What fu-!" Once again she was shut up when he suddenly reached down and held her mouth closed.

Her eyes lit up in fury.

She threw her arms in a punch but there was no power behind it. She was simply too worn out from earlier.

"What did you want most during the last few minutes?" He asked unbothered by the punch before removing his hands, allowing her to speak.

"I wanted air." She snapped at him. "Because decided tossing my ass into the freezing cold water was a good idea. Oh and it's fucking winter too, did you think about that? You fucking meat head."

"How bad?" He simply asked, not bothered by her hate filled rant.

She flared in further anger. How bad he asked? "Pretty fucking bad Lee. We humans need air to survive and you nearly made me drown."

Despite the attitude John stayed calm, he had expected it.

"How bad you wanted to breath was how bad you should feel about joining the 707th. So desperate that you can't stop thinking about it, so desperate that you'd willingly break your body trying to achieve it. That's how much you need to want the Black Beret….and even then it's not enough."

"...what's your point?" She asked numbly, somewhat calmer now.

"My point," John leaned down so they were nose to nose. "Is that, that fire wasn't there today. Shino had it but you didn't." He gripped her by the shoulder.

"Why the fuck do you want to be a 707?"

She bit her lips and looked away. Or tried to before a hand jerked her face back around so she met his oppressive gaze.

"...I don't want to talk about it." She finally said in a low voice.

A look of annoyance and frustration flashed onto John's face. She braced for the incoming backlash, most likely in the form of a verbal assault.

To her surprise he sighed before letting go of her face. Standing up he rubbed the bridge of his nose before making his way to his car. As she watched him walk away she finally let herself curl up in vain effort to combat the cold.

The dirt that was smeared onto her limbs and body didn't bother her. She just wanted to get warm. To get away from the gnawing stress that had been eating away at her for the last couple days.

At the height of it all, between it and the physical abuse she had endured all she wanted to do was cry. But she held back her tears that threatened to fall.

She stiffened in surprise as she felt a towel being wrapped around her. Keeping quiet she felt John's arm slide under her covered body before getting picked up bridal style by the Korean squad leader.

It was only after being laid down on the back seat of his sedan did she notice the car was turned on. She also noticed that John was right besides her.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him reach for her. She tensed as she waited for the blow but to her surprise he merely began to dry her off, not caring for the dirt getting on the floor and seats of his car.

He was surprisingly gentle during the affair and it was only after he finished drying her off did he show her a bag of extra clothes. Silently nodding at her he slid out of the car and closed the door behind him. Seeing him turning his back to her, she began taking her drenched underwear off and begin the quick process of putting on the clothes given to her by her squad leader.

The t-shirt was slightly too big and the sweat pants were a bit long but she didn't mind too much. Reaching inside the bag she found a grey hoodie. Putting it on she tapped the window, signifying her being dressed.

For the second time he sat next to her. The awkward silence was maddening.

She struggled to form words out of her mouth. Fortunately for her, she didn't have to say anything.

"It isn't worth it you know." He mumbled with his elbows on his knees. Seeing his marksman glance his way he continued. "Whatever reason you have for joining the 707th, it isn't worth dying in some foreign land forgotten by your government."

More silence.

Sighing he continued. "Being hard on you was the only way I can think of in trying to steer you away from that lifestyle. You have a bright career as an officer right in front of you. You'll have money, respect and the adoration of a lot of people." A small twitch, he wasn't used to talking his feelings like this.

More often than not he chose to keep to himself about his personal issues. He wasn't some high up general or even an officer but he was a squad leader. And squad leaders were the backbone of any military organization because at the end of the day, it all started with them.

Squad leaders knew their squad the best, they knew their soldiers the best. In return those soldiers followed their squad leader. A squad leader couldn't waver, they had to accept their orders and push forward. Personal issues had no place in the chain of command.

That was what he believed and followed and this was a small step beyond what he was comfortable of.

"...it's worth it." She whispered, hugging her leg close to her chest.

"What?" He asked, not hearing the whisper clearly.

"It's worth it." She repeated in a firm voice. All the pain and suffering would be worth it in the end, she firmly believed that.

"It's worth being thrown away by the government? Being in the shadows, following every order without hesitation and getting killed in some land away from family and friends? Is it really worth it?" He asked, pushing her for a definite answer.

She nodded, not looking at the man next to her. "It's worth it….but what about you Lee? Do you deserve being thrown away? Deserve a lonely death?"

John frowned at the question. "Better me than you."

"You said the same thing at Hakone." She said in a sad tone. She didn't him living that kind of life either.

John let out a grunt. "Yeah and the same could be said about you."

Hearing those words she merely braced her forehead against her knee. She wanted to tell him but at the same time it didn't seem like a good idea.

However much like she took the plunge into the ice cold water, she sucked in a breath before plunging into uncharted waters once more. "I think you're worth it Lee."

Out of the corner of her eyes she saw him stiffen in surprise. "Wha-"

"You're worth it Lee." She said with conviction, finally staring at him in the eyes. "You've been my squad leader since recruit training...and after that you've been my squad leader for the past 4 years."

"That doesn't mean shit." John retorted in a gruff tone.

"It means everything to me, Lee." She responded back, not caring for his attempt at dismissal. "You've been supporting me ever since the day we met. Often times I feel as if your hand is on my back, always there, always guiding me along."

Which was why…

"Which was why I was confused and angry when you took away that hand. I wanted your approval Lee, I wanted you to be proud of what I'm trying to do." Even if many would scoff and laugh at her true rationale, she didn't care. All she needed was him and nothing else mattered.

For a while John kept silent, having no response to the confession of his squad mate. Out of all the reasons he could think of, him being the reason she wanted to join the 707 didn't even register in his mind.

He wasn't some inspirational leader. He wasn't particularly smart nor was he anything exceptional besides the training he received under Su Won. With his personality, physique and the way he acted most often had people thinking he was a meat-head.

And they weren't too wrong, if he was honest actually.

"Is that all?" He asked numbly, though he already knew the answer.

She frowned as she heard the question. Was that all? Was the status quo enough for her? No regrets?

She sighed, no she hadn't been satisfied with the status quo for a while but changing it was a step she had been unwilling to take. Always hiding it beneath the facade of Kim Han Yoon, the Marksman of 1st squad 3rd platoon.

Today that status quo would be broken.

Hesitantly she leaned forward. Her heart beated rapidly as she prepared herself for what she was about to do. With hardly a gap between her and her squad leader she gently pressed her lips against his cheek. After a moment she pulled away from the unmoving soldier.

After he saw her retreat from his peripherals he let out a sigh. This was….beyond what he expected.

Oh he had an idea of Kim Han Yoons feelings the moment she confessed. He just didn't think she would answer his final question. What he expected was silence and he was ready to take that silence as her answer.

The actual answer he received shocked all words or thoughts into nothingness. Even so he had to give her a response back, for himself and for her.

"I won't lie to you nor will I string you along with false emotions and hope." He started off bluntly. "I...don't share the same feelings as you do. However….that doesn't mean you don't mean anything to me."

His hand twitched in discomfort. "I….you mean a lot to me. You're a friend, a sister and someone I can rely on but...a lover? You ha-" He cut himself off. His expression softened as he reached over and a ran his thumb across her cheeks, wiping away the tears that had began to fall.

She leaned into his hands, rough and worn from training. His calluses and faint scars showing his own physical hardships but despite their roughness she didn't mind. Unconsciously her hands reached up and put themselves over Johns.

Suddenly she was pulled into an embrace, a surprising gesture from her squad leader even in this situation. Feeling his warmth envelope her she pressed herself against him, nestling her head into the crook of his neck. Her silent tears never stopping.

As he held her he thought back to his previous words. Doing so made him question himself for the first time in years.

In all honesty if there was one person he would choose to be coupled with, it would be Kim Han Yoon. Shino was a little fling, a one time deal.

He would not and could not treat Kim Han Yoon the same way. So...what if he changed his mind? Went back on his words and...well tried "it" out?

He could do that but it wouldn't look good to her. She might accept and then she may feel doubtful about their relationship, doubtful about his feelings. It wouldn't even start before everything went downhill. There would be no solid foundation for that relationship and afterwards there would be nothing but a shamble of emotions between them.

He couldn't go back now. His words were set in stone. So he did what he hadn't done in a very long time.

He apologized. For this, for nearly drowning her and for the physical pain of today.

"I'm sorry." He choked out, holding her tightly, not caring for the growing wet spots on his shirt. For a long while he simply sat there, holding her.

It was only after when the quiet sobs died down did he dare make a move out of the embrace.

"Come on, we have to go now. It's starting to get late." He softly whispered to her. Indeed, it would take them a while to get back to the hotel. If they left now they would most likely arrive around nightfall.

Finally releasing his hold on her he made his way out of the car. Walking around to the drivers side he opened the door and slumped into the seat. Looking back he found Kim Han Yoon still in the same spot, gazing at the floor of the vehicle.

Breathing out through his nose he reached back and tapped her shoulder, getting her attention. "If you want to, take a nap. There's a blanket and a small pillow in the trunk. Just pull down the seat and reach in there."

Nodding she did as she was instructed before putting the seat back up and lying down on across the seats. Closing her eyes she found herself rapidly falling asleep. The emotional and physical stress had exhausted her energy to an all time low.

Seeing her falling asleep John turned around and started up the car.

Time go "home."


Inside the dark hotel room John laid on his bed, awake and unable to fall asleep. No, it was better to say he wasn't allowing himself to sleep despite whatever his body felt.

He just wanted to figure everything out before going back into the Special Region but doing so would be incredibly difficult if not impossible. They were leaving tomorrow morning after all.

He glanced over at the digital clock besides his bed. No make that this morning, it was 2 in the morning already.

'Time sure passes when you've got a heavy mind.' He thought to himself in a vain attempt to amuse himself.

Today's or rather yesterday's events had been...trying to say the least. His original purpose was twofold, either break Kim Han Yoon's desire to join the 707th or to light the fire under her. He achieved none of that and the only thing he received was a mess of emotions and drama that most definitely didn't need.

Even so, he hated calling it drama. It felt...wrong to call things between him and her a "drama." That was the first time he had seen her break down like that and initially he had no idea what to do. His body had moved without thought when he embraced the marksman tightly. Hell it surprised him more than anything else.

Sighing for what seemed like the umpteenth time that night John leaned against the headboard of the bed and drank a sip of water that was placed on the nightstand.

The cool fluid felt refreshing in his mouth. Tilting his head back he let the water trickle down his throat. He swallowed the last bit left in his throat before drinking the rest of the water in one large gulp.

"This sucks donkey dick." John grumbled out in a low whisper, not wanting to wake his roommate.

Why oh why did things escalate so damn quickly?

Truthfully he knew the answer to his own question. In the end it all came back to him. It was he who had forced the issue after all. He should've known that the little last step he took was a step too much. No, he did know but he simply chose it ignore it.

'And now look at this fucking mess. What the actual fuck.' He cursed to himself.

He hated this, all of it. And it got even worse when he started second guessing himself. Thoughts of "what if" had plagued his mind ever since the long drive back to the hotel and had stayed on his mind through the darkness of night.

What can I do in this situation? Was the question that was being constantly repeated in his mind and so far, there wasn't a concrete answer he could think of.

He bit his lips, should he wait until morning? At least then he could get some sleep. He shook his head in a violent manner, getting rid of the thought. No, procrastinating wasn't the answer. He had to find a way, something.

There had to be a solution. 'I just have to clear my mind for a bit, getting some fresh air will help.' Indeed, he needed to take a step back and analyze this in a different way.

The bed groaned as he swung his legs off the edge. Quietly sliding out of bed he made his over to the balcony door. Opening the door silently he walked out into the bustling nightlife of Seoul.

As he leaned on the balcony railings he let out an involuntary shiver at the cold winter air that had been consuming the city. For a moment he let his mind wonder as he gazed upon the towering skyscrapers.

Even to him who never had the best of thoughts about large cities, he could still admit to the unique somewhat ethereal beauty of the city around him. So for a while he merely stood there, uncaring for the cold wind that slammed into him. It only enabled him to think more clearly and organize his thoughts better.

Personally speaking he didn't realize the time winding past. Too far lost in his inner thoughts did he not realize his aching feet until the small rays of sunlight had began to fall upon the city. Despite it however a small smile grew on his face. It was simple really, the solution that was. He was just so wound up in the complexities that he missed the solution. It wasn't the best nor was it the prettiest but it would serve him well.

Because he still cherished the friendship and camaraderie that developed between him and Kim Han Yoon.

The solution was simple, just tell her what he thought and they would work it out from there.

Simple, yes but it was the truest course of action because Marine or not he was still human. He could only do so much, that much he realized from his night of contemplation.

He was squad leader yes but that didn't mean he had shoulder all of the burden. He had his fellow Marines to fall back for support and in this situation, he needed his marksman.

With a significantly lighter heart he pushed off the railing and made his way back inside, out of the cold and to rest his aching feet. Before he did however he raided the bag of drinks he had bought on the way home.

Pulling out an energy drink he cracked open the can with a satisfying pop. Even today Monster was going strong, didn't mean it was good for you however. Which was why he limited his intake of the drink though during times such as this he was sure he could give himself some leeway.

He sat down on the chair next to his bed with a relieved groan. Standing up for the majority of the night had done a number on his feet. It wasn't too bad but it was definitely something that he had a hard time ignoring.

Bringing the can of Monster up to his mouth he drank a large mouthful before glancing down at his phone. It was 0652 and he knew that Jong Han would be well awake by now, most likely down at the indoor gym or eating some breakfast.

Chances were though Jong Han was out of the building by now, he had expressed about wanting some McDonald's breakfast before heading back to Japan and then subsequently the Special Region. Truthfully he could understand his friends desire for Mcdonald's breakfast, they had some good stuff on there. Well at least in the morning they did.

He put the can on the nightstand before taking off his eyepatch. Opening his eye, his dark brown eye moved rapidly as it took in the environment.

No visual anomalies so far which was a good sign but it wasn't all that surprising. The eye had been fine within the last couple days or so, no irregularities within his vision. What worried him were the migraines that struck whenever he opened his new eye.

After about ten minutes and with no signs of a migraine John pumped his arm into the air.

'Hell to fucking yes! I'm back in business!' As the excitement died down however a frown soon marred his face. It would be wise if he put on the eyepatch for another day or two.

The reason being was simple, handheld technology.

Most people didn't realize just how much of their daily lives was spent staring at their phones. Yes, mobile devices such as smartphones and watches had become an essential part of their life but it didn't mean it was healthy for you. The consequences of staring at a small screen for hours on end ruined your eyesight. However the consequences have become much less with the rise in affordability of corrective surgery.

His new eye was still fresh, not used to smartphones and the like. So he would have ease his way back into the grind of things by limiting his usage or at the least using the eyepatch. A fitting compromise he supposed.

For a while John sat there in silence, letting his mind wander. It was...peaceful to say the least. By the end of the day he'd be back in the Special Region, taking orders and doing shit that these political fucks decided was necessary. Chain of command was the law of the military, even if there were some leeway given by the NCOs. Good bit of those guys had been enlisted before so they knew what was what.

Personally speaking he hated the fuck faces that came out of college and went straight in as an NCO. Guys his age were bossing around guys who had been enlisted for 10 years. It wasn't right, not seniority wise at least but that was the nature of the military. Ranks, chain of command and carrying out your orders were what mattered, age was secondary at best.

Sighing for what seemed like the umpteenth time he stood up and began preparing for the day. Namely getting his uniform ready though that could come after cleaning himself up. He needed to presentable after all.

Strangely enough he didn't feel tired despite being up all night. Perhaps it was due to him standing outside or maybe it was because of everything that had been on his mind. Either way he didn't feel the lethargy that usually came with staying awake through the night.

Reaching into the small closet he pulled out his uniform before placing it on his bed. Looking over the uniform with a critical eye he found various wrinkles forming throughout the uniform. It wasn't bad but even so it would be for the best if he went ahead and ironed it. Besides that however he found everything else in good condition but before he did anything, a nice hot shower was in order.


Pulling her cover off her head Kim Han Yoon sat down on the leather seat of the private jet. It was the same one that had brought them to Korea, she noticed.

She peered out of the window port to see a wave of reporters and the Korean president along with his security forces standing outside. The farewells had been brief and few questions were asked, all the paparazzi wanted was some photos anyway.

Turning away she found the others doing the same as they slumped into their comfortable seats. The girls still seemed to be in awe of the wonders they had witnessed, mainly the jet itself. They still haven't gotten used to traveling at such high speeds at such high altitude. It wasn't as if they were scared, no it was better to say they were fascinated more than anything.

Lelei in particular had been adamant in asking how they had been able to fly. Explaining it had been tricky to say the least but even so Lelei had been able to catch on the rudimentary basics. She was smart, perhaps too smart if the higher ups had to say anything about it.

Despite everything that happened thus far it was her, Chuka and Rory that was marked as the most dangerous individuals. For good reason too with Lelei and Chuka with their potent magic and Rory with her Apostle status and abilities.

Rory in particular due to her healing abilities along with her superhuman strength. It was under debate whether or not special forces would be enough to match her in a physical fight. Some said yes, most said no.

There wasn't any denying that physical augmentations had come a long way, a far cry from the high mortality rates a decade ago. However even with the augmentations, performance enhancing injections and powerful exoskeleton suits it was highly unlikely that any one or group of individuals would be able to stand toe to toe against Rory. There were outliers of course, those being considered to be absolute monsters in combat.

Then again regardless of opinion it all boiled down to a simple tactic should the apostle turn hostile. Hose the bitch with lead or blow her to kingdom come. A rather crude choice of tactics but it would work. Getting hit by a bullet was a nasty ordeal after all, not like the movies where the exit wound was the same as the entrance.

A bullet's exit wound was a magnitude larger than the entrance wound, caused by the tumbling of the bullet as it passes through the body. Simply put it wasn't all that inconceivable to think you wouldn't be able to saw a man in half with gun.

The same idea applied to Rory, cut her down and make sure to separate the body parts to prevent any form of healing then incinerate the body parts. Of course it was all easy to say it, carrying it out on the other hand was a different story.

Shaking her head she got rid of the errant thought. She didn't want things to escalate to such a degree. She had grown to the joy the girls company though there were times where she felt Rory was worth more trouble than she was worth.

Looking over she saw John relax into his seat. Her jaw clenched at the sight, yesterday was still fresh on her mind. This morning he'd approached her and for the most part it went well.

He expressed no desire to get into a relationship, at least not now, that was what he said. For now, everything between him and her depended on the future and what it would bring.

She had nodded and told him that she understood. She wasn't going to press the issue anymore, not until John decided to do so personally.

The highlight of the morning, at least for her was when John told her that he'd help her train. It was a surprising turn of events, one she was quite happy about

"I will run you into the ground, make you hate me and make you question your resolve every single day. So prepare yourself Kim Han Yoon." Was what he told her. His eye had a hard look back then, not the usual carefree if deviant look he carried himself with.

That look was intimidating, it felt like she was staring down a wild tiger, oppressive in nature. It was a side of John that she'd seen more of lately, in fact during the Battle of Italica was the first time she'd seen that look. The fierce expression that promised pain like no other. It was that expression that made her realize that she had underestimated him and Jong Han.

They had been trained since early childhood by one of Korea's best. They were prospects of the 707th and she didn't doubt that they would receive the coveted Black Beret.

'I'll catch up to you one day Lee.' She thought with grim determination.


For the first time in nearly two weeks John was greeted with the lush and peaceful scenery of the Special Region. In a way he had missed this. The peaceful world was a polar opposite to the one they had just left. One where a city was alive for 24 hours and 365 days

Stepping off the bus he took a deep breath of the fresh air. Letting out a satisfied sigh he began to walk ahead of the group, knowing that they'd catch up sooner or later.

Catching up to besides him Itami fell in stride with John. "Hey, how are you feeling?" He asked in a relaxed manner.

"I'm feeling fine, eye could be better though." John replied honestly.

"Is it bad?"

John grunted. "No, not bad. It's almost healed actually. My only issue is that I still have to wear the eyepatch out of caution."

Itami sighed. "Well it could be worse…."

"True." John admitted. "Now I don't know about you but I've gotta go report in with my company commander. Tell him that my ass has returned safely and all that bullshit."

Itami nodded, probably wise to tell Yanagida that he and everyone else arrived safely. Lightly patting John's back, Itami turned around and walked away, leaving the Korean squad leader by his lonesome once more.

Sighing John lightly pulled on the collar of his uniform in discomfort. He wanted to get out of his dress blues and into his BDU as fast as possible. Those were leagues ahead of his stifling dress blues in terms of comfort.

After a few minutes of walking he arrived at the spot which his company commander was usually found at during this time. Which was the office doing paperwork like the good captain he was.

One of the reasons why he enjoyed his position as squad leader and as a Sergeant First Class as much as he did. There was little paperwork involved his position. Oh there were some of course, a tad bit more than his previous rank of Staff Sergeant but nowhere near the amount of the higher ranks such as the NCOs. They practically lived, breathed and ate paperwork. Hell there were times where the amount of paperwork for his position was a pain in the ass, he couldn't imagine the hell the captain went through on a daily basis.

Standing in front of his company commander's office he knocked on the wooden door a few times. Hearing the order to come in, he did so in a brisk manner.

Standing at attention he snapped into a salute before calling out his rank and name in loud clear voice.

"Sir! Sergeant First Class Lee Jun Hyung!" A customary practice when addressing a higher ranking officer. Well for the Korean military at least.

Not looking up from his paperwork the captain waved John off. "At ease."

Dropping his salute John lowered his arms and waited and waited…..and waited. It was only after 15 minutes did the captain give him his full attention.

Seeing the captain's face John had to hold back a snort of amusement. The captain was just barely older than Itami if he remembered correctly, about 35 or 36. Couldn't really remember since that was mostly irrelevant information. His face was that of a career soldier. Somewhat thin from stress and worn from the years of bullshit that came with being in the military. Shaved head as per usual and lips that were pressed tightly together in annoyance. From what it remained to be seen.

His onyx eyes however were that of an eagle. Sharp and calculating but at the same time relaxed.

"So," He started off. "How was the 2 week vacation?"

John crossed his arms, a gesture many officers frowned on when being talked to by enlisted. Korea was like that. "Well to be fair I was drugged up most of the first week." A vain attempt at defense.

"Oh yeah? Well then how was my wife? She treat you well?"

Ah yes, his doctor who happened to be the wife of the captain. Too bad, he would've liked to see her without any clothes on.

John nodded, not showing any emotions about his thoughts. "Yeah, she treated me well. Got my eye fixed and everything." Despite it however the captain had been around John long enough to know what he was thinking. His reputation was rather well known after all.

"Mmhm and I'm sure you wanted her to 'treat' you a little bit more huh? You horny shit."

John shrugged in response, he was who he was.

Sighing the captain took a look around the office. "You know, if the higher ups heard us talking so informally they'd have an aneurysm."

This time John didn't bother holding back a snort. "Yeah, it's all about rank and file with those old fucks. Which is why I am glad that you're my company commander."

The captain raised an eyebrow. "Really is that so….well you're not going to like me for much longer."

A sense of foreboding fell on John. "...what hell is it now?"

"Countess Myui of Italica wants to meet with the unit that defended Italica. So that being said, Recon Team 3 is going back to Italica, like right now." Seeing John's dejected expression he continued. "If it's any consolation, you'll get to eat some fancy food."

"I can care less about food 'cause in the end, food is food, it keeps me alive." John griped in response.

The captain leaned his head on his arms. "...how about the girls? The maids, from what I heard from the guys stationed in Italica, are considered pretty exotic and varied. Even for this land."

"Maybe." John mumbled, not entirely convinced yet. "Anyway, is that all?"

The captain shook his head. "No, I've got one more thing." His posture straightened, causing John to fade into a more serious demeanor. "After you're done with your business in Italica you'll meet up with an ambassador from both Korea and Japan back here, then you will escort them to the capital and they'll begin the process of engaging in diplomatic talks with the king. You and your squad is charged with the protection of the Korean ambassador. You'll have a squad of engineers to help set up shop in the capital and to provide extra support should the need arise. Initially we're looking at discretion, we don't want the Empire knowing about our plans so keep things quiet."

"What about the natives?"

"They won't talk, they dislike the Empire more than we do, establish friendly relations with them. You'll be setting up shop in the red light district." The Empire could care less about them, a sound decision in Johns opinion. Before he could speak however the captain continued. "We also have a squad of the Japanese SFG and Korean 707 in the capital. They'll be conducting their own operations but they'll be your backup in case shit hits the fan."

"Will we be in contact? Or are they completely off the radar?"

"Callsigns will be provided en route to the capitol." He waited a second before continuing. "You'll be in charge of our side of military actions in there, including the engineers. A group that size is usually given over to a higher ranking personnel but for now you'll have to do."

Silence. The question went unsaid. Can you do it?

John's mouth twitched upwards slightly in a small grin. No problem.

Nodding at the confidence displayed the captain continued. "Right, well that's just about it. Work with our ambassador and get us a peaceful resolution."

"Understood." Johns expression tightened. "What about the Japanese ambassador?"

"Secondary." He responded tersely.

"...Understood." With that John saluted before smartly about faced and walked out the office. Presumably to get ready for the trip to Italica.

Seeing the door close the captain let out a sigh but before he could return to his paperwork the phone rang. Grunting in mild annoyance he begrudgingly answered the call, not that he showed it in his voice.

"Captain Yi Hong speaking."

From across the line he heard the distinctive gruff and worn voice of Brigadier General Bak Myun Jie. "Afternoon captain, hope your day has been well."

Immediately he straightened up in his seat, whatever form of annoyance disappearing. "Yes sir, what can I do for you?" His voice clear and concise.

"It's about Sergeant First Class Lee Jun Hyung and his detail of the Korean ambassador. That being said I assume he's reported in?" Blunt and straight to the point, that was the general for you.

Yi Hong furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Yes sir, he has."

"Well, shit." He cursed. "Guess you've gotta tell him otherwise now, oh well. In any case, the plan has been changed a bit. Instead of the good sergeant only providing security and overall command of the group, he'll now be in charge of assisting the ambassador with whatever political bullshit he can pull out of his ass."

The news stumped the captain for any words. John playing the politician? Why? That didn't make any sense, the man was a Marine not a politician. Hell out of everyone he knew John had the biggest grudge against politicians.

"Sir," He started off carefully, not to sound demanding. "Why the sudden change?"

The general scoffed at the question. "Because these backwards fucks are most comfortable with royalty, especially other royal folks. To put it in simple terms the sergeants dad is President Lee Gan Hu, the president of Korea, making him the closest thing to royalty we have. With him being the bloodline of our esteemed leader the Roman copycats have something they're familiar with." In other words….

"We're using him as a card against Japan…." Was the startling conclusion Yi Hong came to. It made sense, the two nations were always competing against each other. This was of course no exception.

Japan didn't have any royalty in the Special Region, no civilians were allowed here. Only the joint task force along with the advisors from the UN were present. If John really was the son of the president which was surprising to say the least then he really would be seen as royalty by the Empire.

"Indeed," The general grunted however he continued before any questions could be asked. "So pass the word to the sergeant and start spreading the rumors of his status now. By the time he begins his operation with the ambassadors, word should've spread far enough for the people to know his name."

He accepted the order reluctantly, not really wanting to see one of his own being used in such a fashion. "...Yes sir." And with that the connection was cut. He ran a hand through his shaved head and let out a sigh. Questions ran through his mind. The most prevalent being the reason why Johns status as the president's son was kept in silence. That didn't happen, presidents were too high profile of individuals, privacy was something they lacked in many situations. Yet for some reason Johns identity was kept in the dark. Potential answers raced through his mind but in the end they were merely speculation, he would have to wait to ask him directly. Even so the thought didn't help any.

His teeth clenched and his grip tightened on the edges of the table as frustration continued to mount. "God damnit…."


Annnnd that's a wrap. Sweet Jesus this chapter took a while but hey on the bright side my shipping date got moved up from August 8th to July 25th. All I've got left is to graduate in May and prepare to go to hell at Paris Island for my Marine Recruit training. Which means I won't able to update the story for at least 4-5 months. Why 4-5 you ask when recruit training is 3 months?

Well for one, I've got MCT after boot camp which is only about a month since I'm not infantry or a combat MOS. After that I go to MOS training, at least that's how I think it goes but I'm not too sure. Either way I won't be able to write for a good while but that's something a few months down the road, I should be able squeeze out a few more chapters before that.

In any case, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Peace.