Angels in Japan

An extra long chapter to make up for those I missed. I probably will have to start updating on just the weekends now as school's started seriously and workload is upping with the GCSEs so close. Thank you to everyone who reads or reviews the story. Shout out to Snowee who always leaves an amazing review. Thank you so much, darling!

Love M xxx

Chapter 29

Baba walked along the corridor on the 51st floor, a worried tension etched on his face. He was thinking about Soryu and Angel. After Eisuke's spectacular new revelation about who she really was, things had gone haywire. Soryu had practically lost his mind and in a fit of anger he'd agreed to Simon Lee's proposal that he marry Mei Ling. 'It's absurd,' Baba thought, 'He doesn't love her- anyone can see he's head over heels for Angel, though he'd die before he'd admit it. And poor Mei Ling- she's desperate not to get married. This is terrible! What should I do?'

As he strode past Soryu's old suite, he thought he suddenly heard a noise come from inside. He peered inside to have a look and was astonished to see Angel studying a photograph intently, an open, packed suitcase on the sofa beside her.

'That frown really ruins your pretty face.' Angel's head snapped up at the unexpected voice behind her.

'Have you come to kill me?' She asked, regarding him coolly, not a hint of fear in her eyes.

'What!' Baba looked aghast. 'Why would I-'

'You lot are surprisingly lenient with your enemies.' She remarked, realising he had no intention of harming her. She set down the gun she had taken out, and had been hiding behind her back, as Baba watched in shock. Turning away from him, she tossed the photograph she'd been holding back into the suitcase and quickly shut it, but not before Baba caught a glimpse of Soryu's face smiling up at him.

'Is Soryu the reason, you're so upset?'

'Don't be ridiculous. Why ever would I be upset over him?' She asked coldly.

'Same reason you were looking at his photo so sadly before I walked in. You looked a bit like a wilted sunflower.'

She sighed, suddenly feeling incredibly tired.

'How does it matter, Baba? He's going to marry Mei Ling and at least now he'll be happy with her. They're so alike. She'll keep him happy and anyway, the new alliance means Soryu's guaranteed a position as the next boss of the Ice Dragons.'

'Don't give up before you've even tried. You think Mei Ling's better for Soryu, even though you're in love with him. It might be difficult as you two lead such different lives but he loves you. The only time he ever smiles is when he talks about you.'

'Baba it's never going to work. I'm a spy- he's a mobster. It was stupid of me to even hope.'

'You can't give up before you even try. It could work out.' Baba persisted.

'People like me don't get happy endings!' She yelled, pulling off her white blazer and top to reveal the scars that littered her body, like delicate runes on an ancient, strong wall. 'I don't get happiness. I get these. My heroes badges. My stripes of honour.' She spat, and Baba felt weak at the pain in her eyes. Her skin bore what looked like horrific torture marks and yet, she'd never once let on the pain she'd been through in her life. She'd been so strong.

'These are… I … Is this why you keep all your skin covered up constantly?' He asked softly.

'My skin is a map of my experiences, and my experiences have not been pretty.' She looked down at her mutilated body with disgust.

'You're beautiful though. Soryu could see that and I don't know why you can't.' He said and she was surprised at the anger in his eyes. 'He doesn't want to marry Mei Ling and god knows Mei Ling is heartbroken at the prospect of getting married. The problem with the both of you is that you refuse to let yourselves be happy. I know you've had a difficult past, and I've seen how dear your fiancé was to your heart, but surely the fact that you developed feelings for Soryu, despite all that, shows that there is something much stronger here. You've lost your love once and there was nothing you could have done about that. Now, today, you have a second chance at love and you're letting it slip through your fingers? Again? I know it might be difficult given how different the lives you two lead are, but I don't think it's something you can't overcome.' Angel knew he was right. She loved Soryu. A feeling she'd never thought she'd ever experience again after Tom's death. Despite all she'd done, this man here wasn't ready to give up on her, so why should she give up on her own love.

'But what can I possibly do? He's probably married her by now.'

'Well, now that you've finally come to your senses, leave the rest to me.'

'Eisuke?' Angel and Baba looked round in surprise as the other bidders and Inui entered the room. Eisuke had a mischievous smile on his face and Angel knew he was up to something.

'Why would you help me? I was the one who brought the Interpol down on you. Besides, I thought you hated me…' She asked suspiciously. The friends she'd made here were too good to be true. She still had trouble believing it.

'I don't hate you. Well, I do, but I like Soryu more and if a no-good, stuck up little girl is his ticket to happiness, then I'm damn sure gonna make sure he gets it. He deserves better than what he's had.' Eisuke said passionately and Angel suddenly had a newfound respect for the arrogant man.

'Damn, kid. It's not that I'm not enjoying the view, but we got a plane to catch and you'll give the pilot a heart attack dressed like that.' Mamoru said and Angel realised that the men had been staring, captivated by her gorgeous breasts which were barely constrained by a sexy bra she'd actually gotten as a gift on a mission to save a Victoria's secret fashion show from a terrorist attack. 'Boys will be boys.' She thought with a smile as she pulled the shirt back on, while the others looked away blushing.

5 hours later they landed in Hong Kong airport where Angel expertly navigated the familiar surroundings.

'Have you been here before?' Ota asked in surprise but Angel just smiled enigmatically at him.

'I still can't get over how different she is.' Ota whispered to the others when Angel went off to get through passport control. 'And now that she's finally out of that awful uniform, it's easy to see how beautiful she is, despite the scars.' Ota smiled impishly as he remembered the sight of Angel's beautiful body, clad only in trousers and bra.

'She's got this whole sophisticated, but kick ass aura around her: totally different to the shy, timid little thing we first met.' Mamoru agreed as he blew out a puff of smoke.

'I think that's why Soryu was so attached to her. She's not like the other weak minded, money hungry women that usually cosy up to him.' Baba put in. They fell silent as Angel came back to join them.

'What happened?' She asked as she approached.

'Hmmm? Nothing. We were just talking about what to do next.' Mamoru said quickly and she shot him a suspicious look.

'Take Inui and go to this address. Baba, Ota, come with me.' Eisuke instructed.

'Wait! Where are you going? And what's at this address?'

'You'll see when you get there.' He said cryptically, before disappearing outside. With an irritated sigh, Angel strode off in the opposite direction to hail a cab, leaving Inui to hurry after her to keep up.

The address they ended up at had nothing but an ordinary looking office building.

'Huh? There's nothing here.' Inui said, disappointed.

'Come on, might as well go and take a look inside. Nothing's going to happen if we stay here.' Angel said as she strode unafraid, towards the entrance. Before she could enter, a familiar person emerged and called out to her.

'Over here you two!'

'Mei Ling?' Angel crossed her arms warily. Mei Ling knew who she really was no and Angel wasn't sure how she'd react. After all, her father was a mob boss and Angel was a threat.

'You came all the way here for Soryu, right?' Mei Ling asked, not a hint of grudge in her eyes.

'Yes…' Angel said, still a little suspicious. The tension was growing and Angel awkwardly looked away. After all, she had come to tell the man Mei Ling was about to marry that she loved him. Not exactly the best way to make friends.

'I know! Eisuke told me! Now, hurry up and come with me.'

'Huh?' What was happening? Mei Ling really wasn't fazed at all and Eisuke had obviously set everything up already. Still on high alert, Angel decided to go with it. Even if it was a trap she could certainly handle herself against them.

A few minutes later they're inside the building, which Angel now knew to be the Bell Cricket's headquarters.

'Mei Ling said Mr Oh is in the back room- over there.'

Angel hurried, along the deserted corridor to a door at the end. Her heart began to beat faster and she hesitated a little. What if Soryu, didn't even want to see her? She'd feel like such a fool…

However, the door they'd been heading for opened, and Soryu himself came out, flanked by two black clad men on either side.

'Soryu-' She began to call out, when she noticed something glinting on his wrists. 'Handcuffs? What the…' She thought to herself.

'You!' Soryu's eyes widen with surprise at the sight of her, but then he purses his lips and begins walking away.

'Sir, what happened? Where are you going?' Ryosuke asked anxiously.

Suddenly a strange man slips past them and mutters something to the two guards beside Soryu.

'Yes sir!' Angel watched in astonishment as the men hurry off somewhere, leaving them with the strange man. 'What the hell is going on?' she thought angrily, frustrated at her helplessness.

'Come in, please.' The man said, opening the door to the room from which Soryu had emerged. Reluctantly Angel and Ryosuke followed him in.

'Phew! That was a tough act- even for me!' The man was speaking in fluent Japanese now, Angel noted with surprise.

'Who are you?' Inui demanded.

'What you still don't know?' He asked.

'Alright Mitsunari, gig's up. Now do you want to tell me what the hell's going on and what Soryu's doing in handcuffs?' Angel demanded. Her perceptive senses had quickly caught on, though she was unamused by the act. Until Soryu was safe, she couldn't focus on anything else.

'W-what? What's going on?' Inui asked, frightened as Baba began to peel the realistic skin mask away from his face.

'Do you like it? Ota made it for me.' Baba said proudly. 'OK! Ok! Don't glare at me like that! I did all so we could help out that guy over there with the frown on his face. Sheesh! You two really are perfect for each other.'

Despite the serious situation, Baba and Soryu were acting like their usual selves and Angel threw up her hands in exasperation.

'Does somebody want to tell me what's going on?'

'I think I'll leave the explaining to Sor. A guard won't come by for a while, so you two go ahead and talk. Come along Inui.'

'But!' Inui began.

'Don't do anything stupid.' Baba winked at them, before dragging Inui outside with him.