XIII:MISSING
She knew it was them the moment the banging came from the door. She had expected them to come—especially after her visitor had just left her without even properly saying goodbye and especially after hearing the rumors that they had been consistently rocking the others' houses down in search of this previous visitor of hers.
All the more was she expecting the shocked faces of her guests when she welcomed them with her knowing smile as she opened her door.
"Took you this long to have come to me," she sarcastically said as she went into her house first, leaving the door open, obviously waiting for them to follow suit.
Though still shocked, the get backers and the observer was left with nothing more to do.
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(FLASHBACK)
Her eyes opened instantly just as the first rays of the sun filtered through the curtain in her window. She silently stood up, and as part of habit, made a quick run-through of her surroundings. Finally sure that nothing was amiss, she went out of her bed and quietly decided to bathe and change, making sure that her movements would not disturb the other person sleeping in the other side of the room.
No need though. A quick glance at her direction and she realized that the woman she's with has woken up earlier than she did.
"Hey…did you even sleep?" she asked a little groggily.
She was only rewarded with a slight nod. And a slight smile. "I don't sleep much."
"Really, huh?" she asked a little incredulously, fully awake now.
"You were heading to the bathroom?" the woman in question just asked evasively, some of her spunk already coming back.
"And I thought I'm thehost here, and not the guest," the woman grumbled a little. Really, if she were to remember what had happened last night, never in her dreams would she expect this. So she treated this new situation of hers in the only way she knows how: simple conceding.
She hurriedly went to the bathroom after stealing another glance at her visitor who simply nodded her reassurance, still smiling slightly. A few fumbles and steps. Then the door closed. Then the shower slowly turned on.
"Oh, and Himiko?" her visitor called up a little louder this time.
"Yeah?" came the muffled reply from the bathroom.
"Thank you."
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"And what happened afterwards?" asked Ginji a little anxiously.
Instead of answering though, Himiko just raised her cup to them. "Tea, anyone?"
"You never drink tea," Ban cut in, who chose to stand up at the side of her doorframe.
"It looks like I'm drinking tea now, right?"
"Himiko—" Kagami suddenly said.
"Besides, what good is a gift if you won't use it? Hevn left a box for me after all," Himiko continued, relishing every moment.
"Himiko—" now Ban was a bit impatient. They could see though, that instead of listening, Himiko was hosting a frown on her face.
"Oh yes, she left me a box of tea. Of all things. She does know how to spite people, no? She left me with only a box of tea, not even a note telling me that she'd love to leave!! Not even a goodbye!! As if I'm going to stop her!! I should have commended her sense of gratitude!!"
Himiko drank more from her cup.
"So I'd better tell you now that you can't get anything from me other than that. You're wasting both our times and I do have so much more to do."
And with that, Himiko stood up, ending any more conversation. The three men were silently watching her move as she finished her cup of tea and placed it in the sink. She then moved to what they assumed was her room—concealed by a bulky wooden divider—and a few more minutes returned with her vials. Then she stood up and looked up at them expectantly.
"You really did not believe me, did you?"
"Himiko, please—"
"Couldn't you get it inside your peanut of a brain that your Hevn obviously doesn't want to be found? She left, Ban. Got it? One moment I was in the shower and she was gone the moment I got out. Leaving nothing but her box of tea, which I have no damn interest in. Don't tell me you still couldn't see the implications?"
When she was met with only repressed, pressurized silence, she hastily walked outside her door. "And don't even think of assuming that I ever wanted to be tangled in your stupid situation. I already told you about this Kagami. I just never realized the woman you're referring to was Hevn. Really, I don't. Now I know, though. So I assume you know the way out?"
Again, confused, repressed, pressurized silence.
"And oh," Himiko called out, her back still towards them as she slowly took more steps away from her house, "that damned box of tea is at the top of the cupboard. My offer still stands. You're right, Ban, I don't have much time for tea, especially one that stimulates the worst of places. You can have it if you want. If not, throw it for me, will you?"
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Hevn sat with the old man who was lying on the bench, snoring. They were both under the mercy of the afternoon light. On one side, she could vaguely see images coming towards them: it was an image of two people, drunk, red-faced, visually-stimulated, vulnerable.
Men. And now their eyes came to rest on her features, obviously showing spiteful interest as they leered into her eyes. She taunted them to go on, giving them her own seductively cold ones. Plus a lazy seductive killer smile. A few moments later, the victor was announced.
The men left empty-handed—except their crushed egos.
She gazed back at the shoreline, silently remembering the past that she never wished she had and the future that she never wished to experience. She gazed solemnly at the still waters in front of her and breathed the breeze in, as she closed her lids in silent repose.
She never slept in Himiko's place, afraid that a slight slip would cause her failure. For a moment she let her guilt eat her, but she extinguished it before it got too powerful.
At least she was able to give her two agents five million yen each. At least she was able to give three promising projects to Shido. At least she left those three with a new efficient mediator.
She finally looked down on the slightly bruised man and stood up.
A few moments later she stood still and allowed the breeze to sway her, eyes still closed, as she gradually raised her arms sideways, moved them in front and toward her chest and let her hands linger there, palms upfront. The gradual onslaught of the specter of lights engulfed her form in a few moments. She allowed her fingers to dance their rhythm as they took any excess light they could get…from the harshness of the rays of the sun to the silent light infused with the heat of the sun that grazed the sand.
It took effortless potential on her part to clump all of these together in one big ball of amber light…all the while fingers moving as she deform and transform them into one full energy source. When she felt that it was ready enough, she gently released the ball of light, and gently offered it to the old man she's beside with.
A few minutes more the man was cocooned with her none light and it lingered there…until it finally seeped into the pores of his flesh and was immediately gone.
The change was much recognizable: the man was looking healthy, happy, and fully healed inside and out. With her accomplishment, she smiled inwardly.
Never mind that her actions would only hastily lead her to her doom…to her union with Shuukra. She was feeling helpless, but at least in her moments of helplessness she was able to help a lot of people.
It would never be enough. Compared to how many have died and why, her act of atonement could never be enough.
The only consolation that she could ever have is the fact that sooner or later she will die a miserable death…she just hoped that the pain she'd feel then would be enough to answer for the others who have so innocently suffered.
She looked at the man for the last time before she carried her bag and moved on with her course, the remnants of her memories the only one guiding her towards her destination.
The sunset is lovely, tempting and sweet.
But she had miles to go before she sleeps.
Miles to go before she could sleep.
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Ban is getting all tired with this circumstance of theirs, having to go home—for one week now—and still not being able to accomplish anything.
He refused to believe that it would take him this long with still zero improvement. He refused even more to believe that Hevn is that sneaky enough to be able to evade them this successfully.
Damn it, Hevn, what do you think are you doing?
He looked at his side-table and absently pondered on the two pocket-sized notebooks which are to be their supposed bank accounts. Each of those contained about eight million yen (together with the five million that they just got) which they supposedly got from their previous missions. It seemed that Hevn has been keeping this in her custody so as to "assure that they spend their money wisely". Spend it, alright. They have three million yen, alright. Yet almost all their professional life, they got nothing to eat as they continually disgrace themselves.
Damn you Hevn, we don't need this!!
He finally grazed his vision on a small piece of paper tucked on a stand he got in an earlier time. It was the paper, together with those passbooks, hastily left by that man named Shikyo—or was it Shishio?— after he bellowed him with curses, almost choked him to death with his snake bite, and threatened him with his Jagan right after the poor man had introduced himself as Hevn's replacement mediator.
It didn't help that the man—another handsome one—added that he had known Hevn for years and had in fact become very acquainted with both her and Eiji before.
Even until now, he also refused the fact that she'd dispose them, too. Never. He looked back from where he took off to glance at Kagami and Ginji, both having grim expressions and both having their minds full of something.
They're all damn frustrated, the three of them.
Especially this other one, Kagami. Not even frustrated, but sad and panicky altogether.
For some reason, looking at his expression only made him more frustrated.
But he'd rather focus on finding her now. So he fixed himself a cup of coffee and asked his co-hunters.
"Where will we be next?"
That made both their heads go up. Then Kagami sighed inwardly. "Mr. Takatori still has not arrived after that meeting when you returned RE005. I couldn't contact him. And I'm sure that Hevn is looking for a way towards Zebulon."
"Then why won't we go to Zebulon now?!! For all we know, Hevn's already found Shuukra!! It's been a w—!!" Ginji suddenly prattled.
"We can't, Ginji. Not without Takatori. Not without a keyright."
And they knew that Kagami was right.
"Damn him!! If he really is what he claims he is, then why is he gone now?! Of all times—!!"
"Unless we look for another way," Ban said all of a sudden, cutting off Ginji while giving him a look.
"What are you talking about?" Ginji asked, frustration easily wiped away by curiosity.
"Kagami, who else could open the portal to Zebulon?" Ban suddenly asked, while giving them all a look which states 'why haven't I thought of this sooner?'
At first, Kagami started, but quickly regained his resolve. "Other than the selected people who live inside Babylon City, nobody at all."
"What about Sakura? That doctor—"
"I was the one who opened up the portal for him. And only Takatori has the keyright."
"So…practically there is no one…?"
"Practically, yes."
That drew out a very dark look from Ban. Which came out unsuccessful for Ginji is not regarding him intently now while talking to himself. "Keyright?"
"To open up Zebulon, we need a very specific type of energy source to open it. That energy is called the keyright. Others called it the amber light. And only very strong people are specially trained to be able to manipulate that energy so it could be used to open up Zebulon. One mistake in controlling it and the energy eats you and everything it could touch alive, leaving nothing, not even your soul."
That drew a sharp intake of breath from Ginji. "It's that deadly?"
Silence.
"In SAKURA's case, only Takatori's team was able to duplicate that energy years ago. He clearly ordered that the keyright stays to him. Nobody knew where he kept it. As for Hevn…"
"What about Hevn?" Ban suddenly asked. Kagami looked at him straight in the face. "She naturally has all the keyright she needs. She only needs someone who could transform it for her."
"Why couldn't she do it herself?"
"She was not trained for it."
"I believe there's another one who had the keyright and who could manipulate it all by herself," Ban suddenly said, putting his glasses back in his eyes.
They both looked at him, a sharp look in their eyes. Ban was looking too cocky for his comfort, as if he just reached the jackpot. Then he lazily fingered his glasses.
"What the hell do you mean by that?" Kagami glowered.
"I meant exactly what I said."
"Impossible!"
"Think what you care to think. As for me, I just decided to take a vacation."
He then looked at the miffed Kagami and the hopeful but nonetheless surprised Ginji.
"How does going to see my grandmother sound to you two?"
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He blandly arched an eyebrow and tipped his hat when the knob of his new home suddenly opened. When the figure emerged, she seemed to be as surprised to see him as he is to her. He took the time to study her while she slowly regained her senses. All the while smiling that deathly smile of his.
"Oh, you're here. I was thinking that I would have to wait for you just like last time."
The doctor only gave her a lazy upturn of lips—quite akin to a smile—as his black eyes took the leisure to devour her curiously, thoroughly. She continued to stand there, in his doorway.
"Hevn-san, what a surprise. What brings you here?" And with that he stood up, fingers twitching, his quiet smile never leaving him as he took small deliberate steps toward her.
Hevn never left her place but waited for him to fall in front of her. Eyes never leaving his. Stance dead serious, all business. Until her eyes gave way and a pleading gave way there.
"Akabane-san," she started, leaving the 'Doctor Jackal' for good like a sign that she's not here for any business means at all.
"Akabane-san. I would like to ask something from you."