WARNING mentions of sex and rape in this chapter. Don't read if you cannot handle it. It's mostly implicit but just be warned.
Chapter 11 Rebellion
"What do you want, military? We'll fight ya 'til the end."
With every click the tension rose between both groups.
"I'm here to negotiate."
"We don't negotiate with military's. We fight them. How the fuck do ya not know that?!" The black haired rebel raised his automatic rifle further.
Kaito looked the weapon over with a contemplative look.
"If the AK-74 is the best you can offer to kill us with, then you're doomed." Pointing to his ear, he crossed his arms in front of his chest in patient annoyance. "I have a sniper up there, just one, and that sniper could eliminate all 24 of your soldiers within two seconds. If we wanted to fight ya, you wouldn't be standing here now talking to me."
Kaito pointed leisurely behind him to the tall building in the far distance.
"Stop blabbing bullshit!" the black-haired rebel yelled. "You came here on orders to kill us, didn't ya?!"
"That are my orders, that is true."
"Then what is keeping you from doing it?!"
Kaito was glad those rebels were coopering as much as he expected them to. They usually didn't trust him – not in the beginning anyway. But the fact that none of them opened fire meant that they were as desperate for these negotiations as him. Not that he would tell anyone that he was desperate.
"My goal is to eliminate the military's. And the best way to do it is making alliances with rebels. That is what I'd like to negotiate with you." After a contemplative thought, Kaito continued. "I think you've heard about the Black Death, am I right? If it makes your decision any easier – the very same Death is standing right in front of you."
As usual the mention of the Black Death did the trick and while he sometimes felt bad about using the name, it got the deal done.
"Another successful mission. I'm proud of ya, cap."
"Oh, is that so?"
Kaito put his arm around the girl lying next to him in his bed and pulled her towards him, earning him a quiet giggle.
"Yes. That was just marvelous. They had no chance against the charm of our precious, lovely cap."
Her voice was like honey to his ears and he couldn't get enough of it. He kissed her soft lips in a long ago made promise. She tasted like the freedom he so much yearned for. And he couldn't get enough.
"I love ya, Aoko."
He couldn't remember how many times he told her and how many times she'd just smile at him coyly as if telling him she knew that and she quite liked it. And Kaito couldn't say he didn't revel in her smile even if he knew she'd never be truly his.
"Run away with me."
He had told her so many times. And always her answer'd be the same.
"You know I can't." Because there were things keeping her here, at least that was what she told him time and time again, but what that was she didn't say. "But I'll be more than happy to aid in your flight. Take as many people as you need. Whenever you are ready, I'll be there."
But she wouldn't come with him.
"You know I won't leave without you."
He wouldn't. It was neither a promise nor a threat. It was the simplest of facts that he couldn't leave this girl behind no matter what. One day she might be able to let go whatever was holding her here in this prison. And until that day he would wait for her and assemble as many allies as he could, building up a network of rebels, uniting them in a way that no one else could.
She kissed him and stopped all his thoughts at once. Her kisses were addicting, so much that he felt a high whenever he tasted her lips. It was an addiction like no other as he could forget what he was doing, what he was supposed to do – what this world made them to be. He hated every second of it, he hated himself most of those seconds but whenever he was with Aoko, he felt safe. He figured it must be the same for her because she came back to him, time and time again.
Kaito wished Aoko'd say yes. He had gathered enough allies to survive the first year outside in the world without getting killed by the other military units. He had gathered enough people in this unit that he would free, too, and together they'd make yet another rebel unit. All the preparations were done and ready and all he was waiting for was her acceptance.
He kissed her neck, letting his hand travel all over her upper body.
"Kaito…" she moaned.
"I love it when you say my name." Because they weren't supposed to call each other by their given names. They were supposed to call each other L-637 and S-837637 but Kaito didn't care. They also weren't supposed to have any feelings and most definitely was Aoko not meant to be in his bed but here they were and he couldn't be any happier.
Everyone of them had just one task. The snipers were best at sniping. The intels were best at intel gathering. Strategists at thinking up strategies to defeat the enemy with least risk and loss. Combats were best in fighting hand-to-hand. Leaders might be the only exception as they were usually good in everything but best in leading people. They also had scientists and medics, cooks and inventors but basic of those traits were taught all around.
Aoko was the unit's sniper, the best sniper that unit ever saw, and thus she wasn't trained much in anything else.
Due to being the best she was often sent on different missions with different teams unlike most of them who were put in one team until it was obliterated. She was also the favorite of this military unit's boss. It was one of those things why she couldn't simply leave with Kaito.
She wanted, oh she wanted to leave this life behind her and start something new, with Kaito and the others. She couldn't put in words how much she longed for that but she couldn't. Aoko loved Kaito dearly, more than she could ever imagine loving someone but he was this pure, blood-shed avoiding angel and she wasn't. She exceled at killing while he at talking and protecting. She had too much blood on her hands already to drag him down with her. Though Aoko knew that her squad cap didn't care one ounce about it – that was the life they were made to live, nothing to be done about that.
Still, running away with him would make him a target – a target she'd protect at all cost – but it was an unnecessary risk she didn't want to put him through. If he just left without her she'd be made to track him down, or at least she'd be on the squad, and from behind the scenes she could make sure no one ever found him if he didn't want them to. Kaito was skilled enough to hide even from her but because it was her, he wouldn't and both knew that.
And Kaito was this pure, too pure for this world human being, who was too stubborn to leave her behind and sometimes Aoko hated him for it. He was risking himself and his sanity and all the others for her when she didn't think she'd ever change her mind. She was the unit's star sniper and no one would let her go without a fight. A fight that might cost her friend's life's, a risk she wasn't ready to take.
"How was your mission?"
The squad leader was waiting for the young sniper at the gates of the unit. He usually did whenever she was put on a different team or given a solo mission to kill someone. He always knew when she was due to come back and patiently waited for her. With as much power as he held within the unit, he had worked hard for that, he made sure it was enough that she reported to him and no one else.
Aoko shrugged in indifference. "Went as smoothly as always."
He took her to his room without another comment. They both hated talking about their job, about her targets and everything in entailed and so Kaito tried as much as he could to avoid it. They had nicer topics to talk about anyway.
"Come with me." He told her, again and again while pressing his body against hers, pressing her against the wall and pressing his lips against hers.
And she'd give him the same answer again. "You should go. And forget me."
But he couldn't forget her. And he couldn't leave her behind. He'd never get tired of telling her that. "I'm only leaving with you."
Kaito hated how people were calling her behind his back. How they thought of her as his whore and only being where she was due to her sleeping with him. It was never about him, only ever her. Her hated it when she'd want to leave his room to get back to her own as people would see her sometimes and then things would only get worse. Mostly because there was hardly anything Kaito could do about it, about the whispers and Aoko's wished, that he wanted to leave the most. He knew that even his protection wouldn't protect her all the time.
Sometimes her resolve wavered, usually when the mission didn't go as planned or whenever something happened – not that she'd tell him but he'd know anyway. During those times Kaito tried his best to talk her into changing her mind as both knew that leaving was the only possibility for people like them – people with a heart and a brain, not order following braindead machines. And though she'd waver she'd never change her mind. And Kaito loved her too much to not respect her decision.
Aoko wasn't a mastermind like her squad leader who she came to love so much and she stuck to orders when she was given any. If it was a solo mission or assassination mission with a team she wouldn't usually work with, she'd follow orders. Sometimes orders clashed as Kaito gave her different orders than what their mission goal was but she was okay with it. In that moment he was the leader, the person in the highest position of power and his word was law. During all other times the mission goal was the exact same as her orders and the young girl had no trouble fulfilling her mission.
She'd never botched a mission before and she was wavering between being proud and disgusted with herself. She never planned to botch one, either.
Except, sometimes things happened and situations changed.
"So, how does it feel to be L-637's whore?"
She looked up sharply. Usually those remarks only left a bitter taste in her mouth but nothing worth to get rid of. She could live with it, probably even for the rest of her life. However, this seemed to become something else entirely. No one ever had dared to speak to her like that before.
She was currently on a new mission on a different team, perhaps the only team she couldn't work with well. The team consisted of only arrogant, dangerous predatory males – not that she was scared of any of them but she wouldn't be able to even close her eyes during the duration of the mission.
They were eight together with their leader. Half of them were spies and the other combats. She was only backup from the distance in case things went awry.
"How about you show us how you satisfy the great leader every single night. I'm honestly jealous. I also want my personal whore."
Aoko hated them with a passion and with every word they said her disgust of them only grew exponentially.
Tensing, she grabbed for her gun as this was going into dangerous territory.
"I don't give a fuck what ya dumb fucks think. Leave me the hell alone and get on with your mission."
"Or what? Are ya gonna tell on us to your great leader?"
Sometimes Aoko did. When things got too much and she couldn't take them anymore she'd confide in Kaito for he was the rock above the high waves trying to swallow her.
Aoko never bothered to learn anyone's unit names much less the real names. "I'm sure if ya botch this mission ya all will be in a lot more trouble than I'll ever be." She just wanted to get this shit over with and go back to Kaito. "How about doing your job, dumb shit one and dumb shit two?"
"What did ya slut call us?" Dumb shit one asked in a threatening voice and Aoko pulled out her gun, pointing it towards him though it was already too late. She was no fighter and probably even if she was, she wouldn't have been able to fight off four combat masters.
Dumb shit two jumped on her, kicking the gun out of her hand, while dumb shit three hit her head against the floor making her vision go dark for a second. One second which was enough for them to jump on her, holding her arms and legs down. It was one second later that Aoko realized what was happening wished, for the first time ever, she'd left with Kaito a long time ago. Cursed be all the risks that went with it. She'd have been with Kaito, the master of plans and leading. They'd have been safe – or as safe as one was in this world.
Parts of her clothing was ripped off, the other parts were cut off. No screaming, no threatening and no trying to fight them off got them off of her and they didn't stop for the longest time.
Mouri Ran was the first member of Kaito's squad when he was put on a trial to see if he could lead a team or not. They fulfilled the mission with superb results. That was seven years ago and he was just a ten year old boy.
After that Kudou Shinichi was put onto their team as the strategist and while Kaito was very well-versed in strategizing himself, he was happy about another smart head on his squad. Later Shiho was grouped with them as their scientist. Then Suzuki Sonoko was assigned as their spy and only one year later Aoko made up their whole team.
When Kaito was fourteen he told everyone of his plans of leaving this place. They were mostly reluctant to agree with him and so the idea was laid to rest. Over the years the boy kept planning and planning and the more missions they were sent on the more he realized his friends' changing view. They were still reluctant to agree to his idea but he knew they'd go without hesitance were he to tell them he's leaving now.
He saw it in the way they were longingly looking at all the rebels smiling and laughing and interacting with each other. In the way they seemed all like one big family and friends being happy and at peace. In the way that the rebels waited for the enemy to make the first move and not like they were taught to just shoot without thinking. In the way their own interactions changed as soon as they left the corrupting walls of the unit.
He watched Ran chat happily with a girl from the rebel unit they were supposed to annihilate. It had been a great surprise when the rebels had been expectantly waiting for them instead of fearing yet another military assassination attempt. The alliance was formed quite quickly with a lot of amicability and Kaito and his team used the rest of the days they had for completing the mission forming bonds with the rebels.
Aoko had been sent on a different mission and therefore wasn't with his small group and he missed her greatly. He was sure she'd be able to socialize with Ran, Sonoko and that other girl. He could relax for a second and just enjoy drinking beer with Shinichi and Heiji, the leader of this small group of rebels.
As far as Kaito knew she'd be just a day's travel away now, about one week away from the unit and he itched to just take the car and drive to meet her. His gut was telling him to go find her and usually when his instincts screamed at him, he listened. He knew his friends would be safe here, he trusted his new alliance partner.
He left them under the pretense of going to the toilet because he knew his band of misfits would only demand to accompany him and while he usually didn't mind, this time something was telling him to go alone.
Kaito especially knew that Aoko probably would be angry since he might botch her mission and the talk would become only worse because he came for her but truth be told, he didn't give a shit. Aoko could be as angry at him as she wanted to be as long as he knew she was alright he was, too. But until he didn't know that he'd put up with it.
It took him less than a day and it was nearly morning when Kaito arrived. The track was parked haphazardly in front of a ruin and all the bells in his head went of at the same time. They were all well trained in assassinating and this was not how they were taught to handle things without being detected. Something must have gone horribly wrong.
Leaving his car parked in front of the building because damn he had no time for precautions, he took out his Gatling gun and left the car. The building looked abandoned and there were no traces of a fight as far as he could see.
The ground floor was as empty as he'd expect it to be and they were taught to take shelter on higher floors as that way they'd be able to hear enemies and had time to prepare for them. They also had a better view for enemies. Kaito expected to find someone on the the sixth or seventh floor but when he reached the forth, he barely avoided a knife to his throat.
Kaito threw his gun away when he realized who was attacking him and tried to calm his racing heart.
"Aoko!" He knew she'd recognize his deep voice everywhere and it seemed to halt her movements. She looked at him with empty eyes and desperation.
It took him a while to understand what he saw.
She was naked and all the dirt and black sooth he saw? It was blood.
She was still gripping the knife tightly in her hand, shaking badly as if just keep standing were taking too much strain on her body. He wondered if maybe that was the thing here.
Taking off his jacket, he took a slow and considerate step towards the girl, not out of fear of getting hurt but because he needed her to see he was no threat to her.
It was when he was at her side and pulling the clothing over her body that he saw the bruises and dirt and all the other things staining her body.
It made his blood boil. Kaito never felt rage like this and there were a few times when he felt like going on a killing spree when Aoko came back from a mission hurt in any way or shape. But this – this was on a whole different level of rage. If those people behind her weren't already dead, he'd kill them himself.
"They raped me. And then I killed them."
Her voice was barely anything more than a whisper, a broken sound carried by the wind. In that moment he saw red. He wished so much they were still alive so that he could rip off their dicks first, then push in their eyes, then slowly cut off finger by finger until they lost enough blood to finally kill them. And even then he'd keep them alive as long as possible just so they'd never forget who they started a war with.
Kaito pulled the hurt girl into a hug and lay his hand carefully on her head. For the first time in his life he had no words to offer her.
He wanted to scream, to rage, to kill someone and he would. He needed to calm down now, help Aoko survive this night and then he'd make sure people would never forget what happened if they hurt one of his. The world would burn.
"Let's run away, Kaito."
That night a monster was born.
When they arrived at Hattori's camp a day later he found a mob of angry people waiting for him. Under normal circumstances he would have anticipated this but right now all he could think about was how to hurt those assholes the most. He'd take out the military unit and then take his squad as far away as he could.
"Where the fuck did ya go, Kaito?" Shinichi was usually the most level-headed person and for a second Kaito wondered if maybe something happened here while he was going for Aoko but then put it away to sort out later. He ignored Shinichi and turned to Hattori.
"Can I leave my woman and my team with you? I'll be back in two weeks and pick them back up. We'll leave then."
Hattori frowned and looked behind him to the car. Aoko was still inside, not really feeling trusting enough to get out. He had told her it was fine but she'd have to leave sooner or later because he refused to take her back to the hell they left from.
The request took Shinichi by surprise and he too looked behind his leader and gasped in shock. Kudo went around Kaito to the car but the leader grabbed his arm and kept him back.
"Leave her alone." He growled dangerously and though he knew Shinichi meant no harm he didn't know what kind of constitution Aoko was in mentally. She accepted him but would other guys scare her or did she feel as safe around the other team members as around him? He didn't know and didn't have the nerves to try it out right now.
Shinichi seemed to understand an accept the order without complaining.
"Why?" Heiji inquired suspiciously.
"I'm going to eliminate the military unit and need someone to take care of my people during that time."
Heiji snorted. "Are ya fuckin' crazy? How tha hell can ya eliminate a whol fuckin' unit by yaself? Are ya fuckin' kiddin' me?"
"Come on, Kaito. That's not like you. Besides," Shinichi turned to Hattori. "we'll go too. It'll be just Aoko who needs shelter. If ya really meant what ya said about the alliance then this is the first thing we ask of you."
Heiji narrowed his eyes in annoyance but before he could retort something, Kaito interrupted.
"No! You are not coming with me. I need someone, possibly Sonoko, to go back to Aoko's mission place and clean up. No fighting, just collecting things and cleaning up. There's a van you can have, Hattori. It's one of the unit's better ones."
Kaito watched as Ran, Sonoko and the girl they seemed to get along to well with came out and stopped in front of him.
"Oi, what's going on, leader?" Sometimes, Sonoko wasn't easy to get along with but she had great spying skills and was best friend with Ran.
"I need ya to do some cleaning up." Turning to Hattori who was still watching him with a contemplative hostility, he frowned. "I'd be grateful if you could provide company and a car for Sonoko."
In that moment that the car door behind him opened, more gasps were heard and he watched everyone with hawk-like carefulness. He wouldn't let anyone hurt Aoko anymore than already she was.
Hattori's girl next to Ran blanched when her eyes landed on Aoko.
"Oi, Heiji." She started and walked up to him. "Heiji! It's her. It's tha girl who saved me. I toldcha 'bout her. I'd be dead without 'er."
It was weird how those few words changed the situation completely.
"Are ya sure?"
Turning around to the girl, he looked her straight in the eyes. Hattori didn't sound like he doubted the girl, more like he just wanted to make sure it really was the truth.
"Of course I am! I'm not stupid, ya aho!"
With that Hattori nodded and turned back towards Kaito and now Aoko who walked up to him.
"Alright. Sonoko will go with Kazuha." When he saw the protest in the girl's eyes, he continued. "I need ya here in case this place gets attacked. Ya might make it back in just a day an' half. Be quick."
Then he turned around an called out a few names. "We are all accompanying ya. Ya wife is safe here. leave whoever else ya wanna stay here. My only condition is ya give us time 'til early tomorrow. I need ta prepare my men if we wanna eliminate a 1000 soldier unit."
Kaito felt like refusing his condition, telling him to go after them whenever he felt it but then he felt the small girl next to him and his protests died instantly. He couldn't just leave her here with foreign people after what happened to her. Though one day was all he could take.
"Beside, ya need ta rest. We'll be gone two weeks, that is not to underestimate."
Not that Kaito ever underestimated anything but he also wasn't thinking right at the moment.
"Alright."
She was clean again. The dirt and the blood were all gone.
Weirdly, she didn't feel anything like clean at all.
She still felt their hands all over her body and she ached in places she's never ached before.
She felt empty inside and though Kaito's presence felt reassuring, it didn't quite fill the void. Not like before. Not like when he used to be her rock. Now suddenly the waves were much higher and she was slowly drowning in them.
She guessed Kaito must feel it too because he was checking up on her every chance he got, sometimes coming up to her every two minutes. Strangely, it didn't bother her at all. Nothing bothered her if she was being honest. Nothing but the feeling lingering in her head and on her body.
"Hey." He said softly, again, as if afraid she might break if he were too loud. "Do you think you'll manage here? Sonoko will be back soon after we left and Shiho will stay here. I'll try to hurry it up and come back as soon as possible."
Yeah, she knew that. He'd do everything for her, wouldn't he? She understood why they needed to go back but also, Aoko didn't want him to go, deep down.
"It's a suicide mission."
It was. Because the truth was, Kaito never once killed a single soul. How was this guy supposed to take out the whole military unit? He knew how to use a gun but whenever he was supposed to do it, as in protecting himself or his friends, Aoko had been there to protect him from the distance. She was sure, he'd hesitate and that'd kill them all. She, on the other hand, never once hesitated. It was that one small difference between them that made her so reluctant to leave with him – or even to be with him. But if he stuck to her even after what happened then maybe he wouldn't leave her in the long run. He knew what he was getting into, didn't he?
"Not with these many people and our knowledge."
"But you're not thinking straight. Even Shinichi thought up the perfect plan who says you'll stick to it? You're too angry right now, Kaito."
"And I have all the right in the world to be angry."
In fact, he probably knew it would happen. Maybe he even heard the whispers how it would happen during that exact mission. Maybe he just hadn't consciously realized it to be true.
"I have more right to be angry."
"But you're not!" He countered angrily and Aoko saw him clench his teeth in frustration. Probably with her.
Lowering her gaze to the ground, Aoko sighed. "I was angry. I was so angry I killed them with Dumb Shit Two's knife. I'm not trained in wielding the knife. But I killed them with it. I just feel…" she was looing for the correct word but not quite finding it. "empty. Maybe. I don't really understand how I feel."
She got quieter again.
Putting his arm around her small frame, Kaito pulled her to his side.
They were sitting on the roof of the tall building they were currently residing in Hattori's camp.
"It's alright. It's enough if I'm angry."
Maybe he was right. Maybe it was.
