(Mission 4C. November 15, 2013. 1046 hrs.)
...
(Martinez briefing room.)
…
"The enemy weapon was shot down, preventing any further damage to Tokyo area. My apologies for what happened with Rigel Squadron. As their commander, I have no one to blame but myself. In light of this attack, the international community is calling for worldwide anti-Valahia measures. I'm sure they will call us, but what happened today, I'm not sure how we will be received. We have to restore our good name! I'm counting on you!" Burford debriefs Angelo and André.
"How long we will stay on Tokyo?" Angelo asks.
"Just the time to confirm our participation. If everything goes right, we 'll be leaving by the afternoon, most likely around 16:00 or 17:00. We'll be heading for where they tell us to go, whatever where it is." Burford answers. Angelo and André's morale gets low.
"Seis ou sete horas… como eu digo adeus pra pessoa que eu mais amo... em tão pouco tempo...? (Six or seven hours... how I tell goodbye to the person I most love… in such few time?)" Angelo thinks.
"Something bothering you, gentlemen?" Burford asks.
"It's nothing…" They say.
"Come on, cheer up. I'm not sending the best pilots I have right now with a morale so low. Is suicide. If is because of someone special to both of you, you two are free to take a break. Just get back here by the specified time. Okay?"
"Yes sir… Permission to leave, sir."
"Permission granted." Burford dismisses the boys. "They're just kids…" he thinks as the boys leave.
The boys head to the bathroom. They wash their faces, trying to cheer up as they face the pure reality: They will have to be separated from the girls once again. This time, however, they not even know if they will at least make it back.
"E agora? Qual é o plano? (So, what's the plan?)" André asks.
"Não tem muita escolha, né? A gente vai atrás da Valahia, e acaba com eles o mais rápido possível... ou a gente arrisca ficar aqui, espera a Valahia voltar... mas...
(We don't have much of a choice, do we? We go after the Valahia, and end with them as fast is possible... or we take our chances staying, wait the Valahia come back…but…)"
"Mas aí , provavelmente a gente nem decola… agora não parece tão difícil escolher, né? (But the, we'd probably wouldn't not even take off... Now is not so hard to choose, eh?)"
"É… parece que não tem outro jeito… ( Yeah… looks like there's no other choice…)" Angelo says as he leaves, and André looks he walking, until he loses the sight of him, as Angelo leaves through the bathroom's door. Some feet ahead, however, Angelo stops, and thinks.
"Naruko…. Me desculpa… (Naruko… I'm sorry.)" He thinks, then A tear falls when he does so.
Some minutes later, Angelo is driving while André speaks on the phone.
"Alô? (Hello)" Jade says from the other side of the line.
"Oi amor, sou eu… (Hi honey, it's me…)" André says.
"Oi amor… Tá tudo bem? ( Hi honey... are you okay?)
"…."
"Amor…? O que aconteceu? Me fala! (Honey...? What happened? Tell me!)
"Jade…"
"O que? (What?)"
"Eu e o Angelo…. A gente... vai ter que viajar de novo... (Me and Angelo... we... will need to travel again...)
"Mas…! Vocês acabaram de chegar! V-vocês vão voltar quando?! Pra onde vocês vão?! (But...! you two just got here! W-when you two will get back?! Where you two are going?!)" She says desperate.
"Pra onde, eu não sei... quando a gente volta, menos ainda... (To where, I dunno... when we'll come back, much less..."
"M-mas...! Não tem outro jeito?! (B-but...! There's no other way?!)"
"...não... eu sinto muito, meu amor... (...no... I'm sorry, my love…)"
Jade doesn't reply. André gets worried and cries.
"Jade… meu amor… responde, por favor… (Jade… my love… answer me, please…)" André says.
Angelo then stops thinking, focuses his vision and speeds up to Colonel Noji's house. When he arrives, he gets a surprise: Tsunade, Jiraya and Kakahi were waiting for them. With the exception of Colonel Noji, everyone is with a, at least, intriguing: Above a blue shirt with a strange red whirlpool symbol on the side of the shoulder, there's a green flat jacket with three pouches on each side of their chests, a neck guard, extra padding over the shoulders, (which is fastened on by steel buttons), and a zipper down to the middle. The whirlpool symbol is integrated to the back of the jacket. Moreover, they're also wearing a strange bandanna with a metal plaque riveted to the bandanna. The plaque has a symbol of a whirlpool with a stalk and tip of a leaf.
"Um… what's going on here?" André asks.
"There's something which must be done before both of you leave again." Tsunade says.
"Which would be?" Angelo asks. Jiraya then gives Angelo and André a flat jacket and a headband to each one. Angelo's bandanna is black and long, ending on his shoulders. André's one is blue and slightly shorter.
"That means…" Angelo says,
"Yes. Congratulations boys. You're both enlisted." Jiraya says.
"Wow… thanks…" the boys say. "It's an honor." Angelo adds.
"Unfortunately, it appears that you two don't have time to celebrate it. It appears that the duty is calling." Colonel Noji says.
"I know, grandpa… still… there's something I have to do." André says.
"I see… she's on yours bedroom… try to comfort her as much as you can. Poor girl has been crying for a hour…"
"Okay…. Suminasen. (Excuse-me)" André says as he leaves for his and Jade's bedroom. As he leaves, everyone turns to Angelo, and get surprised as they see him already wearing the flat jacket and the bandanna, with the uniform suiting with harmony with his current clothes, a blue long sleeved shirt and blue pants. Everyone, mostly Kakashi, look at him with pride and joy. Angelo gets a little embarrassed by the attention, but also gets proud of himself.
Meanwhile, André enters the bedroom, and finds Jade sited on the bed. She notes him and turns her head away from him and he comes closer to her. She raises up and looks at him with a sad and angry face. He tries to raise his hand to touch her but, for his surprise, she slaps him on the face.
"Jade…" he says, shocked and almost crying.
"O que é mais importante?! Eu ou esse trabalho?! Eu não quero um freelancer que viaja pra qualquer lugar sem avisar! Eu quero o meu marido! (What's more important?! This job or me?! I don't want a freelancer who travels to any place without warning! I want my husband!)" She says.
"Jade…por favor, entenda. (Please, understand…)"
"Não, eu não quero entender mais nada disso! Você mal passou dois dias em casa antes de dizer que vai sair de novo! Agora você diz que vai embora sem saber quando vai voltar! Eu sou o que pra você, então?! (No, I don't want to understand anymore of this! You barely spent two days in home before telling you gonna leave again! Now you say you're leaving again without knowing when you're coming back! What I am to you, anyway?!)"
"Você é o amor da minha vida e eu te amo! Eu... só tô fazendo isso porque eu te amo! (You're the love of my live and I love you! I'm… only doing this because I love you!)"
"Então prove! Prove que me ama, ou não precisa me procurar se você voltar! (Then prove! Prove that you love me, or you don't need to look for me if you get back!)" André then thinks a little.
"Angelo… você me ensinou duas coisas... como realmente é voar...e como amar alguém... melhor isso não falhar daqui em diante... ( You teached me two things... how flying really is... and how to love someone… better this not fail from now on…)"
He then touches her cheek, cleaning some tears, and then touches her hair while his other hand touches her hand. Her eyes close and she lowers her head, but she raises it again and their foreheads touch seconds before they kiss each other. His hand raises, passing from her hand until slowly reaching her shoulder. She then holds his cheek and neck while her other hand holds his shoulder. Suddenly, he holds her thighs and raises her, while her legs wrap around his thighs. He then sits on the bed.
"Assim? (Like this?)" He says.
"É… como naquela vez, lembra? Só que agora é diferente... (Yeah... like that one, remember? But now is different…)" She says.
"Eu sei…(I know…)" He says. They kiss again, before laying on the bed.
Sometime later…
"Wakata, wakata…( All right, all right…)" Naruto says as he heads for the door, after being brought by the ring. There, he finds Kakashi and Angelo.
"Uh, yo…Kakashi-sensei, Angelo-san. What is it, 'ttebayo?" Naruto asks.
"Is your sister in, Naruto? Angelo-san here wants to take her to the mall." Kakashi says.
"Yeah, she is. Say, Angelo-san, why you're dressed like this. You're staying in Tokyo, 'ttebayo?" Naruto asks. Angelo looks at Kakashi worried, and Kakashi says.
"I guess it's better me and Angelo-san talk to Sensei."
Minutes later, Kakashi and Angelo are speaking with Minato and Kushina.
"…so when you get back?" Minato asks.
"I don't know. I not even know where I and André are going." Angelo says.
"And you're concerned about my daughter's reaction?"
"Hai, sir. I don't want to see her heart being broken again."
"Don't worry. You are a nice boy, Angelo-san. You really makes her really happy." Kushina says.
"Arigato, ma'am." He says blushing.
"I'm ready! Angelo-kun!" Naruko says from her room, before she leaves it. Angelo looks at her, and then looks back and Minato and Kushina. They node 'yes' with their heads, and Angelo leaves to Naruko.
"Where are we going? To the theater? No, to the music store! Wait, better! To the mall!" she says, overexcited.
"Um… why not all of those?" he says.
"Yay! All right!" she says. He holds her hands and they leave.
"So, why all of this, 'ttebayo?" Naruto asks.
"Angelo is leaving, Naruto." Kakashi says.
"But… he's getting back, ain't he?"
"We don't know. Not even he knows."
"B-but… what about imotousan?" Naruto asks, and everyone gets silent for a moment.
"Naruto, listen." Kushina says as he puts her hands on Naruto's shoulder. "Your sister… will have to be strong… and you will have… to stay with her and help her… to stay strong… will you promise that?" she adds.
"…wakateru, 'ttebayo." Naruto says, a little sad.
…
(15:25 hrs. November 15, 2013.)
"Tá quase na hora… (It's almost time…)" Angelo thinks, as he leaves the mall's theater. He's also caring some bags from some shops.
"That movie was so cool!" Naruko says.
"Sure it was." He says. "So, where you want to go now?" he adds.
"Humm… we ate a lot… we brought a lot of stuff… we can go play something!" she says.
"Like?"
"That!" she says as she points to an arcade, some meters ahead of them."
"Okay, let's go." He says, as they head and enter the arcade. She points to one of the dancing games there. Angelo then chooses the max duration available and pays it.
"Não importa o que aconteça, ela continua sorindo... eu não posso... eu não tenho o direito de fazer ela trocar esse sorriso por lágrimas de tristeza... não sei se é o jeito mais fácil... ou o mais cruel, mas é o único jeito...
(No matter what, she still keeps smiling… I can't… I don't have the right to make her change that smile for sadness tears… I don't know if that is the easiest way… or the cruelest one, but is the only way…)" he thinks.
He then sits and watches her playing. She often calls him, wanting to know how she's going. All the times, he smiles and says she's doing great. Behind his smiles, however, he cries intensively from inside. Every time she calls him, although he smiles, he feels like a knife cutting through his heart.
She then leaves the game's platform tired.
"I'm so thirsty… can we take a snack again?" she asks.
"Sure." He says, and then they leave.
Meanwhile…
"Não é justo…( This is not fair…)" Jade says as she wakes up, awakening André as she speaks. Their clothes scattered through the bed, and only being covered by the blanket. His arm is around her neck, and she lays her hear and arms on his breast. "Você só ficou aqui por esses dois dias. Esse foi o único momento só nosso... (You just stayed here for those two days. That was our only moment only ours…)" she adds.
"Prometo que quando eu voltar, vou te dar todo o tempo do mundo. ( I promise when I get back, I'll give you all the time of the world.)" he says.
"André…desculpa… ( I'm sorry...)" she says.
"Por que? (Why?)"
"Quando meus pais morreram... foi você que sempre cuidou de mim... e quando você não sabia o que fazer, o Angelo te guiava, te dizia o que fazer... e você sempre continua cuidando de mim... desculpa... (When my parents died... was you who always took care of me… and when you didn't knew what to do, Angelo guided you, told you what to do… and you still keeps taking care of me… I'm sorry…)"
"Ei, não fica assim. Eu te amo, Jade, e vou te amar pra sempre. Não importa o que aconteça, eu vou sempre cuidar de você. (Hey, don't be like that. I love you, Jade, and I'll love you forever. No matter what, I will always take care of you.)" He says, then they kiss, and hug each other.
"Também te amo. Me promete que vai voltar. (I love you too. Promisse me that you will get back.)" She says
"Prometo, meu amor. Prometo. (I promise, my love. I promise.)" He says.
…
(15: 45)
"There we go." Angelo says as he lays a sleepy Naruko on her bed.
"Arigato…Angelo-kun." She says as she yawns. He then kneels down and cleans a little of her hair falling on her head. Their faces get close from each other and their foreheads touch.
"Aishiteru… sweet dreams." He says.
"Ai…sheteru…" she says yawning. He raises up and heads for the door. When she isn't looking, he looks at his watch. Suddenly, Minato approaches him.
"What time is it?" Minato asks.
"15:45…" Angelo answers.
"Almost time, isn't?"
"Hai…." Angelo gets silent before looking at Naruto's room and asks.
"Should I talk to him?"
"As his father, I would say you must."
"Okay."
Angelo then goes to Naruto's room. Like a normal teenager, Naruto's bed, and the room itself is a mess, with clothes, mangas and even ramen noodles packages scattered across the room.
Naruto is sited on his bed, looking at the floor. When he notices Angelo entering, he turns his eyes to him, before looking to the ground again.
"So you're leaving now?" he says, in a low voice, both angry and sad.
"Yeah… Naruto…listen…" Angelo says.
"Of everyone I thought you were different… but no… you're leaving like mom and dad did…" Naruto said, forcing his hand and eyes. Angelo doesn't understands what Naruto is saying, but:
"I… I need to ask you something…Naruto."
"Nani desu ka? (What is it?)"
"Promise me… you'll take care of your sister…will you?" Naruto gets surprised and turns to Angelo.
"N-nani?! Nandatto?!"
"I don't know when I'll get back… I don't know if she will be allright when I'm out…! I need you to keep her safe, Naruto!"
"If you are so worried about her, why you're leaving anyway,'ttebayo!?"
"Because…!... is the only way! If…if there was a way to keep she and everyone safe that would keep me here, but there's not..!... I'm sorry… I'm sorry, Naruto…"
"…wakateru, 'ttebayo…. But, is not for you or something… is because she's my sister… just get back here once this is finished…"
"Arigatou, Naruto…arigatou." Angelo says as he leaves. Outside, Minato and Kushina wait for him.
"How is he?" Kushina asks.
"He's a little down… I'm sorry, to you both… never wanted to leave him like that…" Angelo says.
"Is all right. He will be feeling better soon." Minato says.
"I… I also wanted to thank you both, for everything… I'll never forget that…thank you so much…!" Angelo says. Minato and Kushina smile.
"You're welcome. Remember we all will be waiting for you. And I think you are going to be late." Kushina says.
"Right. Sayoonara. (Good bye.)" Angelo says as he bends down.
"Good bye, Angelo. Good luck." Kushina says, as she and Minato bend down too. Then he says from the door.
"I'll be back."
Somehow, these words make Minato have a resemblance, and on his look, it is a bad one.
Then suddenly…
"Nani…? Kachan…Touchan… ain't Angelo-kun going to sleep here…?" Naruko says as she leaves her room, yawing and stretching her arms.
"Naruko…" Kushina says.
"Nani desu ka?" Naruko says.
Seconds later, her world goes down. All it can be seen is her forcing her hand. Then the sight changes to her mouth, showing her forcing her mouth too, showing her teeth, and tears pass at her mouth's sides.
Then she runs to outside and keeps running down the street as the sun goes down. She passes her arms on her eyes, trying to clear the several tears falling from them. As she opens her eyes again, she yells:
"ANGELO-KUN!"
…
(4:00 pm. "Zero Hour." November 15, 2013.)
…
"Colonel? Lieutenants Feitosa and Noji are here." A Martinez corporal informs Burford, who is almost boarding the E-767 'AWACS Canopus.' Close to it, there is a Martinez C-17 being loaded with Antares Team's planes. Burford walks towards it. He sees Angelo and André waiting before the C-17.
"Are you both done with your business?" Burford asks.
"Yes sir." They answer.
"Good. This is gonna be a long trip."
"Where are we going, sir?" André asks.
"A little place on the desert with pyramids and a sphinx." He answers.
"Egito? (Egypt?)" Angelo says.
"Não é você que perito em história? (Isn't you the specialist on history?)" André says.
"You both finished? I said is a long travel." Burford says as he leaves.
"Yes sir." They say as they walk towards the C-17. However, before they get close to it, the boys hear something, like a far scream. Then they hear it again, a little closer.
"ANGELO-KUN!"
"Hey, you girl, there! This is no place to run like this!" A SDF ground worker runs after Naruko.
"ANGELO-KUN!" She yells again.
"…vamos (…Let's go)" Angelo says.
"Angelo?" André asks. He then looks at Angelo. The sun makes a shadow cover Angelo's eyes, but André can see tears falling on Angelo's chin and around his mouth. As he, at least tries to walk forward, Naruko hugs him from behind as she cries heavily.
"Angelo-kun! Please! Don't go! Don't leave me alone! I need you!" she says.
"…you don't understand…" Angelo says, also crying.
"No…! Y-you who doesn't! I already saw mom and dad…!.. doing this before when I was a little girl! T-they left me and niichan alone! And left just like you are now! So please! Angelo-kun!" she says, still crying. He can't hold anymore, and starts to cry at the same rate as her.
"I-I…need to go…! N-Naruko…I… I must…!" he says.
"But...! I-I need you! I love you!" she says.
"I…I love you too! I… love you more than anything! Naruko… you're the best thing ever happened on my life, and I love you! I have to go… to keep you safe…! And to protect you…! Please…let me do this…" he says. She then closes her eyes and releases him. Then she opens her jacket and removes a necklace made by a green crystal on wrapped on a simple black rope.
"Here…" she says as she gives him the necklace. He picks it and wears it.
"A-arigatou… it's beautiful. I'll keep it with care…" he says. Then he kisses her forehead, before kissing her lips.
"Will you be okay…?" she asks.
"Uhum…"
"Promise?"
"Hai…". He says as she hugs him.
"I love you…! I don't wanna lose you…!" she says.
"I love you too…! I'll be back…!" he says. Then André helps him to walk onto the plane. And then he looks back and nods. The person he nodes is Tsunade, which is seen the departure from far, with Jiraya.
"This scene is repeating so many times that she will get traumatized with this base. She and the brother." She says.
"We also have to see the good side of it. The boys there will get a experience they will never would have here. You just saw them performing." He says.
"Still. Wished to had given one last order."
"What would be?"
" 'Get back here in one piece.'"
"We're all hoping for it…" he says, then they enter, as Canopus and the C-17 take off to Egypt.
