Chapter 9

Splitting Up

After they had all finished lunch, Ryker offered to dispose of the trash. It was both a gesture of appreciation for sharing in their food and an excuse to get away for a few minutes. Takashi's questions had been simple and innocent enough. He had asked about when and why Ryker had come to Japan as well as what he had done while staying here. Kohta had, unsurprisingly, asked him about his military career and weapon proficiencies. When Ryker showed him his simple M9 the gun-nut's eyes sparkled. Not that an M9 was a miraculous weapon of great rarity but the knowledge that it was an American military model that had actually seen use. Ryker however, refused to divulge in how he had maintained the sidearm.

Ryker had briefly explained finding Saeko and rescuing her but kept it simply at that; he was a private person and didn't feel the others needed to know their relation- 'Relationship? Is that what we're in? I mean I certainly am enamored by the girl and she is at the very least attracted to me. What is it though? Maybe it's just some kind of White Knight Syndrome.' He sighed as he finished bagging up the trash and made his way for the door. 'I wish things weren't so confusing.'

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a female clearing her throat. As he turned around he was surprised to see the pink-haired girl, Saya, standing behind him with a small bag of her own. Offering her a warm smile, he opened the door and held it for her as she passed through. Ryker quickly averted his eyes when they got to the stairs at the sight revealed by the short skirt she wore but not before noticing the silver and white stripes beneath.

When they had thrown out the garbage in a nearby dumpster, Saya stopped and looked away while tugging idly at the wrist cuff of her shirt. Ryker noticed this and stopped as well; he figured she had something to say or she'd have just given him the bag back in the garage.

"About before…" She started quietly.

Ryker smiled and crossed his arms casually. "It was no problem at all Saya-chan. No one should attack a girl; nightmare world or not."

Feeling her face heat up, Saya shook her head. "Not that. About what you said. That you felt that doing nothing was just as bad as being one of those things out there." She looked up and met his eyes, her orange eyes glistening with restrained tears.

Stepping close but stopping himself from embracing the girl, Ryker shook his head slowly. "I heard that you had to leave your parents behind Saya-chan and I understand how difficult that must be. However you did not do nothing in this instance. Your parents acted to protect you and you, from what I hear, have been instrumental to the survival of Takashi and the others." As she sniffled he brushed a tear from her cheek. "You have been incredibly brave and have done more than most. Sometimes actions take form other than physically helping someone."

Saya stared at him for a moment before looking away again; a blush present on her cheeks from his bold gesture. "And people think I'm the genius."

Ryker laughed softly and placed a hand on her shoulder. "From what I hear Saya-chan, you are. Now let's get back before the others worry."

With a simple nod, she followed him back to the garage. Upon entering she immediately went to the Humvee and sat in the front, alone, to think things over. So much was happening and she needed some time to go over what their next move would be. With Ryker here they had another strong fighter, at least according to Saeko. And coming from Saeko that carried a lot of weight.

The question was: Was he going to stay with them? Logically a larger group, to an extent, was safer. As long as they could maintain supplies it was a great idea and the others seemed to get along with him without a problem. Rei was the only one who had not had one-on-one time with him and honestly, Saya didn't care what Rei thought. The girl was so self-involved it would be impossible to use her considerations.

A knock on the window startled her, causing her glasses to fall into her lap. Her glare immediately withered when she saw Ryker was the intruder. As she opened the window she tilted her head to the side. "Yes Ryker-san?"

"Your cut. If we don't do something about it, it could get infected."

Putting a hand to her cheek, Saya frowned. It was a small cut and the thought of him touching her face again made her stomach flip. 'Stop being weird!' She chided herself. Seeing that he had not budged during her contemplation she let out a sigh. "Fine but be quick about it."

Ryker smiled and produced a small pouch that he set beside her on the seat. He pulled out a red packet, similar to a wet-nap, and a band-aid. When he tore open the small packet, the smell of ethanol stung Saya's nose. "This will sting but only a little. It will disinfect the area." He looked hesitant. "Okay?"

She frowned and nodded, jumping with a squeal when the alcohol touched the open wound. "That is not a little!"

Unable to hide the smirk, Ryker shook his head. "Sorry. But if I had said 'this is going to hurt a lot' would you have let me do it?" Seeing her glare as an answer, he finished wiping the area before placing the simple band-aid over the cut. "I don't have any of my antibiotics with me so just keep the area clean."

Saya nodded, a blush working its way into her cheeks as he continued to survey her face for any other injuries. "Yes, yes. I'm fine. Now shoo. I have thinking to do and I can't do it while you're bothering me."

Bowing his head with a smile, Ryker made his way back behind the Humvee to allow the flustered girl to think in peace. 'She is certainly strange.' His thoughts quickly changed course when a pair of steely-blue eyes met his. "Oh uh… Hey Saeko-chan."

She looked past him at the girl settled in the front of the Humvee before returning her gaze to his. "Everything alright?"

Ryker nodded as he put the pouch he had used back in the bag on the ground beside him. "I was just making sure Saya-chan was fine. It seems your friends here have plans to find their families." He looked up at her. "I think we should help them."

Seeing Rei sitting by herself a short distance away she raised an eyebrow to Ryker and ignored his comment. "Miyamoto looks to be lonely. Maybe you should go check up on her next." She turned and walked away, leaving Ryker standing there hopelessly confused.

"What was that all about?" Kohta had walked over and was stretching; an after lunch nap having just ended.

Shrugging, Ryker let out a sigh. "I have no idea."

Alice just giggled and shook her head from atop the Humvee.

When Ryker walked off to speak with Takashi about the group's plans, Kohta nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand touched his arm. When he spun around he saw Rei standing there and immediately relaxed. "Jeez Rei-san. You scared me!"

Rei scowled. "For being such a tough guy with a gun you sure are a scaredy-cat." Ignoring his response, she gestured towards Ryker who was engaged in conversation with Takashi. "So what do you think of our guest Kohta?"

Surprised by her use of his first name, Kohta took a moment to respond but his eyes were nearly star-like in appearance. "He's a real hero! An American soldier who fought in Afghanistan not once but twice and has already saved both Saeko-san and Saya-san from danger!" He gestured to the bag behind the Humvee. "He's also proficient in medical skills and his knowledge of weaponry is actually on par with mine!"

"Are you like, going to ask him out or something?"

Kohta blanched. "No, no! I am just glad to finally have another person present who I can talk to and won't think I'm a weirdo."

Rei crossed her arms and tilter her head, watching Takashi as he interacted with the American stranger. "Well his record is impressive and Saeko-san mentioned he is as lethal in combat as she is. Not to mention he's a gentleman and fairly intelligent."

"I think he could really help us if he stays. It'd be nice not to be the only one who knows how to use a gun."

She nodded. "I just want to find my family. If he will contribute to that I am more than willing to let him stay. Besides," a sideways glance saw Saeko was sitting by the exit, sharpening her sword. "it keeps Saeko-san away from Takashi."

Kohta looked from Saeko, to Rei, to Takashi and smiled in understanding. "We'll find your families Rei. You and Takashi."

Offering a smile before heading over to the two men talking, Rei winked at Kohta. "You're alright Kohta. For an otaku."

Her giggle as she walked away made Kohta feel less insulted by her comment but he still wished they saw him as more than that. "Well, I better get to work loading magazines." He looked up and saw Alice watching from the top of the Humvee. "Want to help me Alice-chan?"

With a wide smile accompanied by Zeke's bark, the young girl jumped down. "Of course Kohta-san! Let's go Zeke!"

Looking over as Rei approached, Takashi smiled and halted his and Ryker's conversation. "Hey Rei. Ryker-san and I were just talking about you."

"A… about me?" She looked from Ryker to Takashi in confusion.

Takashi nodded but Ryker was the one to speak. "When Takashi told me during lunch that you both wanted to find your families I offered to help."

"And with our numbers where they are, I figure we could split up and go to both places at once." Takashi finished.

Rei's eyes widened. This was better news than she had hoped for. "How would we split up?"

Takashi ran a hand through his hair. "That's the thing we're discussing. My concern is that I don't think either of us should be the one to enter our own homes." He averted his eyes. "Just in case."

She swallowed hard at his statement and nodded. "I… I guess that makes sense." She was not a fan of being apart from Takashi but she was not sure she could witness her own mother or father being one of them.

Ryker leaned against the wall behind him with a sigh. He knew this was going to complicate things but there was no circumventing it. "There's only one way to do this then."

After dinner, everyone sat around in a half-circle while Takashi stood before them with his arms folded across his chest. To Takashi's right sat Rei, then Saya, Saeko, Miss Shizuka, Alice, Kohta and finally Ryker at his left. "As you all know, Rei and I have not given up hope on finding our parents. We've been kept busy with numerous sidetracking events but now that we're settled down it's time to act. The longer we wait the slimmer our chances become at reuniting with our families." He looked over to Ryker who was on one knee beside him. "We were very fortunate that not only Saeko-san returned but she brought with her someone who is able and very willing to help us in this endeavor."

Ryker rubbed his neck as attention focused on him. Warm greetings or not he was still uncomfortable with the amount of attention he received. 'I guess it's understandable. I'm some new add-on to the team and I'm not even from this country.'

Takashi continued. "Because of this we have enough people to split into two groups and get to both of our families at the same time. With Ryker-san's help I was able to pick out the two groups. We'll be splitting up based on our strengths and also to avoid the possibility of having to deal with our own families if they have turned."

Everyone nodded; it seemed like the most logical course of action. Their universal question was suddenly blurted out by the youngest of the group. "So what are the teams?"

Smiling at Alice, Takashi nodded. "I don't like splitting up but with the teams we discussed I feel our chances of success are very high. Ryker-san will go with Saya, Rei, and Alice-chan. I will be going with Miss Shizuna, Hirano and Saeko."

At hearing her name, the dark-hair girl stiffened. She did not look to spend time away from Ryker already let alone on such a dangerous mission. "Takashi…"

When Takashi looked over and saw her disappointment he got the feeling there was more to her and Ryker than she let on. "The teams were split this way to maximize our fighting strength on each side. Miss Shizuna and Ryker-san are the only ones with medical knowledge and Ryker-san has firearm knowledge similar to Kohta. Rei and him are both great fighters as well so they can protect Saya and Alice-chan." He gestured at Saeko. "You are our best martial fighter and I will hold my own as well. This way we have the best chance of getting our families and getting back safely."

Saeko grit her teeth but remained silent. Not only was she being split from Ryker but he was traveling with both Rei AND Saya! The situation was made worse by the fact that Ryker was giving her an apologetic look, as if he understood her frustration.

Scanning everyone for their reactions, Takashi nodded in satisfaction. "Good, I see there are no objections. I suggest everyone tries to get some sleep tonight. We leave at dawn."

As everyone made their way to the Humvee, Ryker stopped Saeko with a hand on her arm. "Saeko-chan…"

Turning to face him, the indigo-haired girl struggled to keep her emotions in check. It was unlike her to have such difficulty in controlling her emotions but lately everything was changing. "Ry-kun, I don't want to lose you!"

Ryker's eyes widened at her outburst. "Saeko-chan, you will not lose me. I promised you I would never leave, remember? This is the best thing for the whole group and the sooner we succeed the sooner we all get back together. "

She sighed and looked away in frustration. "How can you be so calm and sure all the time? What if something goes wrong? What if-"

Her question was silenced by his lips meeting hers for the briefest of moments. "Saeko-chan. Nothing will go wrong. Have faith." He smiled and after a moment she was unable to resist smiling herself.

"I don't know how you do it Ry-kun but you always find a way to make things seem better than they are." She hugged him tightly before stepping away. "You had better come back." With that said, she turned and walked back towards Miss Shizuka; the need for some new clothes finally winning her over.

A few hours later, Ryker woke up and relieved a tired-looking Rei who offered him a weak smile before crawling into the Humvee to sleep. Rather than sit atop the Humvee, he made his way over to the door and stepped outside for some fresh air. This was the only viable entrance so there was no need to remain in the enclosed garage.

Walking up the steps, Ryker sat half-way on the concrete wall beside the stairs, one foot still on the ground. "At least the moon is out tonight." He said to no one in particular as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Lighting one and taking a deep drag he exhaled with a sigh. He hated smoking; after all it was what killed his father. Sometimes though he just wanted to remember that taste of menthol that he had only ever gotten second-hand from her.

As he took a second drag he hopped down from the wall and slowly scouted out the surrounding area. The buildings were completely abandoned and in no shape to house anyone now. The fires had destroyed most of the infrastructure and the rains had handled the rest.

Ryker sat back on the corner of the wall he had perched on and let out another sigh. This was not what he had hoped for when he decided to move to Japan. He didn't expect an easy transition from America to Japan but over the months he had grown quite fond of the place. Japan had been an interest to him for years; during his first deployment he had begun self-teaching himself the language simply through watching various anime and listening to the music while using language software.

It was a slow process but over time he figured out the subtle nuances and with the help of pen-pals and eventually college, he was comfortable moving to the country. Everything he learned helped but nothing could match up to how useful it was speaking to people on a daily basis in a learned language. Most were forgiving of his mistakes and were willing to correct him without being rude or condescending. His willingness to learn and enthusiasm garnered a lot of respect from those he worked with.

As he finished the cigarette, he rubbed it against the concrete and nearly flicked it away before stopping. 'The world is enough of a mess without me adding to it.' With that thought he tucked the butt into his jean pocket.

"I was going to scold you for smoking but the fact you refused to litter just blew that out of the water."

Ryker nearly fell from his haphazard seat as he jumped at the sudden voice. Looking over he saw Saya standing with her arms crossed under her breasts, eyes studying him curiously. "Saya-chan, you startled me." He smiled warmly despite his comment and hopped down from the wall. "You don't have shift tonight. I was to be the last one."

Saya blew a stray hair from her face. "You volunteered for that. I was supposed to be the last one. Miyamoto told me that you offered to simply stay awake."

"Second shift is the worst. You sleep a little, wake up, and then fight to get back to sleep knowing you need to be awake in just a few hours. I knew I'd never fall asleep. Besides, you had a rough day."

"Do you always do that?" Saya's voice was quiet but it had a string of emotion in it. "Do you always put others before yourself? Busujima-san told us about what you did. How you throw caution to the wind when you see someone in danger." She looked away, a blush creeping into her cheeks. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful but what happens if you take on too much?"

Ryker eyed the pink-haired girl for a moment before answering. "I would gladly give my life in the protection of someone I cared about."

He spoke without even the smallest hint of doubt in his voice and it was frustrating Saya to the point she actually gripped her hair in her fists. "That's not fair to others! What about people who care about you?!" She was again showing signs at her regrets for leaving her parents but was that all?

"I've already watched someone I care for die right before my eyes when there was nothing I could do about it Saya-chan. I could not live with myself if I was in a similar situation and chose to do nothing." Ryker sighed and shook his head, tears burning at his eyes.

Saya turned back and saw the man before her in an unusually vulnerable state. Though she had known him less than a day she had never thought he was someone to come unglued after seeing him, talking with him and hearing Saeko's tales of him. "I'm sorry Ryker-san. It's just that I'm scared about tomorrow. Miyamoto is a competent fighter but aside from her, you're it. If you get injured or killed we all die."

Ryker nodded and away from the wall, closer to Saya. "I promise Saya-chan. You and Rei-chan and little Alice-chan will return here tomorrow alive and well. I've never made a promise I cannot keep."

Looking up into his brown eyes, Saya felt reassured but also noticed his wording. She was, after all, a genius. "And you?"

He smiled. "I've never made a promise I can't keep Saya-chan."

She stood there for a moment, amazed at his ability to talk so casually about dying for people he met just hours before. 'Is he really this selfless? Does he place our lives so high or is it that he values his own life so low?'

A door closing not-so-subtly startled them both into looking down the stairs. At the bottom stood Saeko, face devoid of emotions as she looked from Saya to Ryker. "I came out to keep you company for the last hour." Her eyes narrowed as the slid to Saya. "But I see you already have some." Without another word she turned and went back inside, leaving both in stunned silence.

"What was that all about?"

Ryker ran his hand down his face in frustration. This was becoming a 'thing' now. "I don't even know."

Saya tilted her head to the side. "Shouldn't you go after her?"

He shook his head. "No. She's been acting strange all day. I'd rather not have a confrontation right before we head out in separate groups."

Nodding slowly but keeping her eyes on him, Saya thought it over for a moment before leaning back against the wall behind her in silence. There was a lot she wanted to know about Ryker and now, with Saeko's strange behavior, her curiosity was piqued. 'Just what exactly happened in the past few days?'

Saeko sat down behind the Humvee in a huff. 'Why is this bothering me so much? It's none of my business who he talks to. It's not like they were making out or anything. And so what if they were? It's not like we actually are a couple. Are we?' She let out a loud sigh and ran her hands through her hair in frustration. 'I'm acting like a child. What he does is his business. If we are to become something… more, I will make that decision at a later time.' Shaking her head she thumped it against the Humvee bumper. 'But what if he decides to like someone else? Miyamoto is beautiful and way less complicated. Well, she has the thing for Takashi but that aside she's a perfect girl; young, sweet, innocent. Ugh! And Takagi is a genius and has no emotional ties! I don't even know what to do. What do I want to do?'

"Saeko-san?"

Opening her eyes, Saeko looked over and saw Rei kneeling beside her. "Yes Miyamoto?"

The brunette smiled. "Are you okay? You seem distraught."

'Great. Even she can see I'm losing it.' She smiled in return. "I'm fine Miyamoto. Just thinking about today."

Rei nodded and stood. " Okay. Well, be careful okay? And if you see my parents have… have…" She looked away. "You know. I want you to be the one to do it, okay?"

Saeko looked up in surprise. "Why me?"

Brushing her hair back, Rei shrugged. "I don't want Takashi to bear the guilt. He knows them. For you they'd just be more of them." She saw Saeko's expression darken and quickly added. "Not that I expect it to be so easy for you just-"

"I get it Miyamoto. I'd not want someone I had feelings for to be the one to kill my family either." Saeko stood and brushed the dust from her legs. "I will do as you request if it is needed Miyamoto. But let's hope it's not."

A quick nod was her only response as the others began waking up noisily. Takashi quickly got out of the vehicle and adjusted his simple outfit of slacks and a long-sleeve shirt; both dark blue. Miss Shizuna stumbled out of the front seat in a daze, her long blonde hair completely disheveled.

The door opened and the two members from outside entered. The sun was coming over the horizon and that meant it was time to get ready to go. Rei would lead Ryker, Saya and Alice to Takashi's home since she knew directions while Takashi would lead the other group to Rei's.

As they set out from the garage in opposite directions, Ryker looked back and caught Saeko's eyes for a moment. He smiled and nodded at her; a silent 'be safe' towhich she, despite her frustrations, returned. Something about his smile just forced her to smile no matter the conditions.

Author's Note

Well. That was something. I totally skipped writing my Ruby Eyes chapter for this on my LAST day off. So I really hope people liked it. I kinda liked it, kinda didn't. I enjoy giving information and having people interact but I know people are most likely going "WHERE DA ZOMBIES AT?!". Don't worry. I PROMISE much more eventfulness in Chap10. When I'll get it up is the question… will I make it before I leave country or will it wait the weeks of demobilization?! I'm 100% positive that reviews will influence this.

Hope you enjoyed the little drama I tossed in. Much more to be had of course. Also: I recognize I'm not doing a full-on Saya too well. It's going to be touch and go for her. I promise, she's still arrogant and snooty… just not all the time. Especially not when she feels so confused. Also this is a shorter chap, next one will be the longest of the story thus far I am assuming.

Now, to the massive majority of WHY I wrote this chapter today instead of my FFX-2 one…

Loki'sBird: Your review single-handedly pushed my desire to write anything but this story today out the window. Waking up to that totally had my day start off in fantastic fashion. I am SO glad you love Ryker. Especially since his personality is derived from yours truly. Just way, way better. So please feel free to 'fangirl' all over the place because as you can see, results! I admit these last two chapters were not as exciting as Make Love, Not War but I hope they are enough of a build-up to keep you reading. Next chapter is going to have all kinds of craziness.