Episode 2: Wedding Crashers
Van tapped his leg as he and Lelouch stood out in front of a small, and quite quant, Japanese building. Van still had no idea what a "Japan" was, he figured it was a country, as Lelouch only said that his and Van's first mission was to go to Japan. The trial mission, as it was, and the mission where after it was done, he would tell Lelouch no more. The idea of being a mercenary felt dirty to Van. He didn't like it one bit, no sir. Lelouch, meanwhile, had his hands in his pockets and still had on that silly cloak; a smug smile was spread over his face.
Van still didn't know who Lelouch was, despite Lelouch knowing quite a lot about Van save anything personal. All that Van knew was Lelouch was smug, has seemingly magic eye power, and that he really needed to work on his legs as they were just too skinny. Both men stood outside the building in silence, not even bothering with small talk or making eye contact. It was only when five minutes had passed and the two were still standing in awkward silence did Van speak.
"Try knocking again." He said.
"That would be rude. She heard us the first time." Lelouch replied.
"Really? Cause if so, I'd imagine she would answer." Came Van's reply. He had no idea about this "she", except she was a doctor.
"Well she heard us."
"Well I'm knocking again." Van went to the door and pounded on it. "Hey!" He called out. "Anyone home?" He heard a commotion on the other side of the door before it slid open revealing a young girl in a lab coat. Her brown hair was styled to jagged points at the side and her face held a scrawl. She spoke in a unknown language to Van before pausing, seeing Lelouch, and then loudly sighing.
"You. Again." She said, her voice carrying a familiar accent to Van.
"Hello again, Yoshika." Lelouch greeted her, although she had folded her arms and leaned to one side. It was clear to Van that she was not happy with Lelouch in the slightest, and he couldn't blame her. "This is my new… associate. Van"
"Hi. I'm Van Flyheight." He reached out a hand. Yoshika in turn took it and shook it. "Miyafuji Yoshika. Although, in your language, it would be Yoshika Miyafuji."
"Anyhow, enough for meet-and-greet, let's get down to business." Lelouch interrupted the two. "You said you would work with me if I could convince someone to join me, and here he is."
"I said one trial mission and am I just a wager?" Van shot back.
"I stand by my word. Come in." Yoshika showed the two in. It was a home and a clinic, small but humble. The clinic side was first and it was stocked with drugs, papers, a waiting room, and everything else Van would expect of a clinic save computers or a television. The living area behind it was just the same, small but befitting its single resident. "This is my clinic and my home. Don't touch anything." Yoshika said as she led Van and Lelouch to the main living room in the house section. She withdrew herself to the kitchen for a bit and brought back a tray of tea with a few rice crackers. While she poured herself and Van a glass of tea, she left Lelouch off entirely as to force him to pour his own tea. "Now, let's discuss where we left off." Yoshika said, sipping her tea. Van noticed that, unlike him and Lelouch, she was kneeling instead of sitting. Not wanting to be rude, Van changed his posture.
"Mind catching me up first?" Van asked, taking a sip of the tea. Not the strong stuff he liked but it wasn't bad at all.
"Lelouch wants me to work for him as a doctor." Yoshika replied, bluntly. "He said I was of some 'dying breed'…"
"Yup. Same here. And some business about fighting bad guys, being a boogie man to them?" Van interjected. Yoshika nodded, and both turned their attention to Lelouch.
"What? I can't give personalized speeches to everyone."
"I told him that if he could find someone to work with, and do me a favor, I would consider working with him." She put her cup down and picked up one of the crackers. "How'd he… what did Shirley say? Ah, yes. How did he 'rope you' into this? Am I using that right?"
"You are." Van copied her, putting his cup down and grabbing one of the crackers. "He said this would be my trial mission and afterwards I can tell him to fuck off."
"I never said that!" Lelouch said, but his protest fell on deaf ears.
"I have a friend of mine, a very dear friend, who is getting married soon. I want the wedding broken up." Yoshika finished her cracker and went back to drinking her tea, Van looking at her confused. For a young girl, at least he assumed she was, that was quite a request.
"Mind telling me why?" Van asked. Yoshika pursed her lips and thought for a moment before answering.
"Back in the war me and Lynette, that's her name, were good friends. Very close."
"They were lovers, apparently." Lelouch spoke up, which caused Yoshika to go red in the face. "I read the files. They had a relationship that Lynette's father greatly disproved of." As Lelouch spoke, Van noticed Yoshika become more agitated. He couldn't tell if it's because of Lelouch cutting her off or because this issue made her actually mad. He figured it was a mix of both.
"Ahem." She spoke up to cut Lelouch off. "Yes, you could call us lovers. That's why I'm making sure this wedding can't go through."
"I don't mean to sound rude, but could it be that you're jealous?" Van asked. Yoshika shook her head.
"No. Pardon me for a moment." She got up and went to her office, coming back with a handful of letters. "There are some of the letters Lynette sent me. We've stayed in touch since the end of the war. They're written in English, so you can't say I forged them or made them up." She handed them to the two. While Van felt bad reading someone's personally letters, they told a good enough story that he began to trust her. By the wording, it was very clear that they had a fondness for one another, and one letter even ended in "your beloved". Van eventually found that the story they wove took a dark turn, despite her protests Lynette was being forced to marry a man many years her senior, her even complaining this was like a business deal than a ceremony.
"This is going to be the last letter I will ever write to you. I hope you live a wonderful life. I'm so sorry. Please, don't be sad for me." Van read aloud, taking a glance at Yoshika. Her face was solemn, and her fists clinched tight. The idea of being forced to marry someone was, well, absurd to Van. It seemed that way to Lelouch to, who shook his head.
"Arranged marriages. Bah! What a waste they are. Parents treating their children as mere pawns. It's sickening." He said.
"I can't agree more." Van added.
"So that's why I need you to wreck the wedding. Do whatever it takes, I mean don't kill anyone, but Lynette can't marry this man. He's twenty years older than her and I'm sure the moment they're alone he'll throw himself on her. I got that letter a week ago, the wedding is today. Not entirely sure how you'll travel across the world in time." Yoshika shrugged. "Wished Lelouch could have gotten here sooner."
"There's still time." Lelouch jumped to his feet, his cloak somehow fluttering as he did so. "With Geass, nothing is impossible! I swear that we will save your beloved from the fate that befalls her and reunite you with her!"
"Um, save the theatrics." Van interjected. But Lelouch paid his remark no mind as he gripped him by the hand.
"Close your eyes, Van. We have a wedding to crash!"
"Sure." Van closed his eyes and when he opened them, he found himself in a field of wheat warmed by a setting sun. "Um… outdoor wedding?"
"No, a weakness of the Geass. I can't jump from one location in the same world to another. I must make a detour. Like having a layover in Atlanta."
"A what where?"
"It's a joke. Close your eyes." Van sighed and did that again, the two then appearing not far from a Church. "Well, luckily with or without Yoshika's permission I was coming here anyway." Which Van interpreted as he read another file or record and just somehow knew which Church Lynette was being married in. Not far from them was a pile of duffle bags, which Lelouch immediately went two and began to open. "I stashed us some goodies." He threw Van a helmet and body armor. "You'll like this. Trico Experimental Body Armor. Mix of plating and special fabrics that can stop nine-millimeter rounds. The helmet is a full ballistic helmet. I guessed on the sizes, so it might be a bit tight." He said as he began to strip out of his clothes and into the body armor.
"Thanks, but are we crashing a wedding or entering a warzone?"
"You can never be too sure." Lelouch replied, pulling the helmet over his head. The armor wasn't very attractive looking, being colored in greys and blacks, but while wearing it Van felt it was sturdy and that it likely would stop smaller caliber rounds. The helmet itself fit just as fine. "Not asking where or how you got these, what else do you have?" Van asked, noticing Lelouch still digging in the bags.
"AKs." He said, surely grinning under his helmet. He tossed Van one of the carbines along with a magazine. He pulled out his own with a few magazines and tossed the rest to Van. "AKS-74Us, I got a couple for a great price. They're versatile, compact, folding stocks, can mount a rail."
"Um, thanks." Van paused for a moment. "OK, so we're about to crash a wedding dressed ready for war and waving assault weapons. Also you now are implying that you've done some black market style dealings. Are you positive we're not the bad guys?"
"Yes. Completely. We're not killing anyone. We're just going to waltz in, point our guns, fire a few rounds, grab Lynette, and get back to Yoshika."
"And you needed me because she didn't trust you unless you brought someone along?"
"Something like that, yes." Lelouch shoved one of the magazines into his carbine and cycled a round into the chamber. Van was now questioning his choices, but he had already started that as soon as he agreed to work with Lelouch; even if it was only once. "Just think of it like a hostage rescue." Lelouch added.
"Yeah." Van loaded his gun as well. "Rescuing her from her family. Man, I'd be piss if this happened at my wedding."
"Yea…" Lelouch paused. "You're married?"
"Yes." Van said, the two strolling to the church in full combat gear. "I pulled my ring off the moment I spotted you, least you try to drag my family into things."
"I wouldn't…" Lelouch decided to not complete the sentence as Van just stared at him, likely giving him a death glare behind the visor. The two approached the church, scaring the usher upfront nearly to death, Van just looking at him and shaking his head. The usher understood exactly what it meant and ran for it. They didn't encounter anyone else, must all be packed inside for the wedding. Neither men could hear any music either, so the ceremony must be underway.
"Alright. Follow my lead." Van said to Lelouch as the approached the main doors.
"Taking charge?"
"I don't want any blood on my hands. Besides, you said treat this like a hostage rescuse... except us being on the wrong side. Thankfully, I have training for this so this is my op now. Do as I say when I say it, and everyone gets to go home alive. And if I catch you trying to kill someone, I'm putting a bullet in your head. Understand?"
"Understand." Lelouch replied, at a lose for words. When he was serious, Van could be very scary.
"Now, you take the left and I'll go up the middle. On three. One. Two. Three." On that Van kicked the door open, the occupents inside all turning to see the two uninvited guests. Van cocked his gun again, causing a unspent cartridge to fly out, and fired off three rounds into the celling. "Everyone on the fucking ground now!" He yelled, the crowd yelling in unison. "Watch the side." He shoved Lelouch to the left as he strolled down the center aisle, his gun lowered at the wedding guests. "No one move! No one try to be a hero! I see anyone reaching for anything I'm blowing their brains out!" He fired his gun into the celling again, causing another yell. "Shut the fuck up!" The crowd was reduced to cowering in the pews, sobbing. On the alter was the bride and groom, with the groom doing the heroic thing and cowering behind the priest.
"L-Listen… this is a house of God." The priest said, slowly approaching the two with his hands up. "Do what you want to me but leave the others alone."
"Very heroic of you, father." Van said, gently pushing the priest aside. "Our beef isn't with you." He reached out and grabbed the bride, taking a moment to look at her. Behind her tears were blue eyes, her blond hair braided for what was suppose to be the happiest day of her life. It occurred to Van, as he looked at this woman, that he had no clue what Lynette actually looked like. By this time, Lelouch was behind him, slowly passing his aim over the crowd.
"Hey." Van said.
"Hey." Lelouch replied.
"Is this her?" He jerked his head to the girl he held in his grips. Lelouch took a moment to look at her and nodded.
"It's her."
"Good." Van gripped Lynette close to him and stuck the barrel of his gun to her head. "Anyone follows us, and we kill her! Got it? We have a trained sniper out right, and he will leave in fifteen minutes. Any of you even think about leaving before then will be dead? Do I have an understanding?" The crowd was still sobbing, as was Lynette who was loudly crying out for someone, anyone, to save her. Which was rather ironic as Van and Lelouch were supposed to be the ones saving her to begin with. No one made a move as the two made it out the church, Van hoping the bluff would work. Or at least long enough for the three to get out of here.
Once they were out, Lelouch gripped both Lynette and Van and told them to close their eyes. Seeing as Lynette was hysterical, Van covered her eyes with his free hand. But the jump went a little wrong as the destination wasn't somewhere nice, or heaven forbid back at Yoshika's clinic, but instead a warzone. The trio ended up in a crater and overhead missiles flew and the sounds of screams and roars filled the air. Upon seeing this, Van again looked at Lelouch with another possible death glare behind his helmet.
"Where the fuck did you take us?"
"I don't know!" Lelouch replied, a missile landing nearby and showering the three with dirt. Just then a giant of a man clad in ultramarine blue armor came clambering into the crater, reloading his giant gun and mummering some swear under his breath.
"Those foul beasts dare make fools of us? By the Throne I'll make them pay!" It seemed that he was completely unaware of their presence, which was just as well. No need to get caught in another conflict. Lelouch grabbed the other two and made the jump, this time arriving safe in sound in front of Yoshika's clinic. Van released his grip on Lynette, who's wedding dress was stained with dirt and the smell of battle while Lelouch pulled off his helmet to vomit.
"You OK?" Van asked.
"Never did that many people in a jump. Straining." He said, spitting some more bile out. As Lelouch and Van were talking, Yoshika opened the door to find out what was causing a ruckus outside and was surprised to find herself being hugged tightly by Lynette.
"Eh? Lynne-chan?" She asked. "What's wrong? Why are you here… in a wedding dress… covered in…" She saw the other two, and her face soured. "Lynne-chan, wait inside. My room is behind the clinic. I'll be right there."
"D-Don't leave me…" Lynette cried. "T-They…"
"I know. It's OK now." She hugged Lynette tight and ushered her in. But it seemed Lynette wasn't going to leave her spot. Yoshika gave up on trying to usher her inside and instead went up to Lelouch and landed a blow right into the side of his face. "What the hell!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.
"First off, ow. Second off, you're welcome." Lelouch replied, rubbing the side of his face. He never knew she had quite the punch, but like Van she was ex-military.
"You're welcome? You're welcome!" In anger she began to swear in her native tongue, likely adding in a few curses, threats, and maybe one or two insults about Lelouch's mother. Regaining her composure long enough to not start beating Lelouch right then and there she again ushered the two, along with Lynette, inside. There Van and Lelouch explained about what they had done; essentially, they kidnapped Lynette, threatened her entire family, brought her to an active warzone, and worst of all got an expensive dress ruined.
"What. The." Yoshika tried to think of the word. "Fuck?" There it was. "I ask you to break up a wedding. Never did I say anything about kidnapping." She was fuming as she marched around the room. "You pointed guns at people. For all they know Lynne-chan is dead! And you!" She pointed at Van. "I thought you were the reasonable one? Yet you march in shooting a gun in the air? Pointed a gun at Lynne-chan? Threatened to kill her?"
"Look." Van got to his feet and leaned in on Yoshika. "I did what I had to so no one would die. That's what you told us to do. Break up the wedding, not kill anyone. We did both. So on that end, we did our job. Happy?"
"Happy at what? That I left Lynne-chan in the hands of two insane men?" Yoshika was refusing to back down.
"Oh. I'm sorry. What would you have liked us to do? Walked in and nicely ask they cancel the ceremony?"
"I never said to use force or threaten people's lives!"
"You said break the wedding up and don't kill people. What did you think that implied? A pillow fight? And besides, you have no right to complain! You're the one wanting to ruin a wedding for selfish reasons!
"Selfish? Selfish!"
"Yeah, you heard me!"
"Stop it! All of you stop it!" It was Lynette who spoke up, mud still caked to her face and hair. "I'm mad at all of you!" Given that Lynette was generally a sweet-natured girl and not one for conflict, her getting mad was unexpected. "Yes. It's true. I was being forced into marriage but that didn't give you any right to barge in and kidnap me. In front of my family!"
"Alright, this is pointless." It was Lelouch's time to join the argument. "We did what we were asked to do. No one was hurt. Everyone here except Lynette isn't blameless. Yoshika was selfish. Van acted like a thug. And I guess I also enabled all of this to happen. Regardless, we're all here now and can't undo what we did. No one died so we can take some measure of happiness there, and you don't have to marry someone you don't want to." He turned to Lynette before returning his attention to everyone else. "So, we can yell and shout all we want, but like I said it's all pointless. He was right, so Yoshika and Van backed down.
"So, now what?" Yoshika asked.
"Whatever you want." Lelouch shrugged. "You can live happily with Lynette, let her go back home, work with me if you want. Same goes to you Van." He folded his arms and waited for an answer. Yoshika and Van took awhile to think, Yoshika going to another room to talk to Lynette while Van stayed in the same room and looked at the ceiling as if the answer lay there. Finally, Yoshika returned without Lynette and she and Van looked at one another and nodded.
"With the greatest regret, fine. I'll work with you." Van said.
"Same." Yoshika agreed.
"…What?" Was Lelouch's dumbfounded response. "Don't give me that, I thought you two would tell me no?"
"While I'd love to, it clicked on me. If I'm not around you're bound to get someone killed." Van answered.
"While I'm upset at what you both did, he was an awful person." Yoshika added, referring to the groom that was left at the altar. "We'll… work something out here." The two looked at Lelouch, waiting for his reply.
"Well, guess we have a team." He beamed. "I'm going to be in charge of course, but I'll find us the worst of the worst. Van, you're the muscle. Take them down a peg. And Yoshika, you'll be our resources. Ya know, to keep us alive if things get too hot." It was nice to see Lelouch was still egotistical. While both Yoshika and Van may come to regret it later, maybe their services should extend further than just their world. Maybe, just maybe, Lelouch was the key to helping fix a much larger problem neither one thought about. Or maybe they both got roped into a very bad deal. Who's to say?