A/N: oops I accidentally write plot.
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MovSum: Ten years after, the dream team got together to solve an old case.
10 Years + Chahan (1830)
It wasn't easy. Nothing worth it ever was.
They were two men down, and Ban got a bullet in his right leg that he was starting to lose feeling in.
The medic had staved off the bleeding before attending to their fallen teammates, but they were running out of time even with Mari's ability.
Mari had blood marring on her face from a gash on her head, looking worse for wear as she pressed her back against the opposite wall, guns raised. She was coated in grimes and sweats as she clung onto the last bit of her energy like Ban.
Ban knew they had one chance to get this right, especially when they can't even access their Deka Suits, when backup was too far out for it to matter. Ban caught her eyes and she nodded, their thoughts syncing.
If they didn't return soon, if they didn't finish this soon, everything would have been for naught.
Ban held his guns firm and counted down. Three, two—
On one, they darted out from behind broken concrete, firing bullets and rolling away from lasers, and Ban screamed, tackling the Alienizer they've been chasing to the ground and trusting Mari to have his back against the band of Igaroid-grade mecha soldiers.
The air burned like gasoline and hot wind whirled around them, scathing open wounds as Ban struggled and punched and wrestled with aching limbs until he came out on top, magnum's muzzle pressing against the alien's chest, heart—it didn't matter anyway when a Strike-Out will obliterate everything from this distance.
"Where is the chip, Bartolov?!" Ban snarled, shoving extra force onto his pin against thick green scaly neck.
The dragon-like Alienizer smirked with thin lips and yellow slit eyes. "In the hands of people who know how to use it. You wasted your time Fire Squad Captain Akaza Banban—" He coughed up blue blood because he, too, was on the last of his strength from fleeing from Ban's team. No matter how powerful he had been before.
Special Police Commander Garganian Bartolov had been judged for abusing his status and stealing and selling sensitive SPD information to space mafia, and for multiple accounts of murder and human trafficking of witnesses—
"Let me tell you one thing, there are more of us—and last I heard, we got Hell's Guard Dog to join—"
—and he was approved for delete.
Ban didn't hesitate to squeeze the trigger. Then the world exploded in a fiery burst of orange.
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Ban came to Gyoku-san's face and relieved sigh.
"Welcome back," he said. "Bartolov rigged the place to explode when he died. Probably as an insurance in case his contact was going to double cross him at the pickup point. You're lucky that rescue found you."
"Mari?" Ban sat up and winced when pain shot to his entire body. Then he realized his leg and chest was wrapped up, and burns and cuts littered his bruised skin. His head was pounding hard and he forced down the urge to throw up with pure will.
"She's fine, knocked on her head and suffered some facial wounds, but she'll be back on her feet soon enough."
"What about Romich and Vexon—" Ban swung his legs over the bed in Fire Squad medical, and froze when his commander shook his head, blonde hair falling over his face.
"Noro got to them. He was a traitor. We found traces of his work in disabling the Suit System."
Ban heaved in disbelief breath—his teammates were dead, was a traitor—this was his fault, if he didn't send Noro back to Romich and Vexon, they might have been alive.
He bit his lips and tasted iron, fists clenched tight on his knees because it wasn't supposed to be like this, everything was so wrong even when they got the bastard. Where was the justice in this?
"Banban, I'm putting a different team on this case."
At this, Ban whipped up in indignation and he stood despite the sharp sting erupting everywhere, blinding his vision with white spots.
"No! Bartolov wasn't the end—I have to—" He stumbled as he tried to take a step, and Gyoku-san caught him.
Ban's eyes widened, and he hurried to grip onto the metal tab that was pushed into his hand.
"You failed to procure the chip holding SPD information, two of your teammates are dead, your medic is in containment for interrogation while you and your Second are in no condition to fight anyone, so tell me, Captain, with what team will you go chase down Bartolov's contacts.
"You're off the case until I say otherwise." Gyoku-san settled him back onto the bed, and their eyes met long.
"Go home to your husband. Get yourself healed. This is an order."
Ban received his message clearly, "Roger."
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Hoji greeted him at the dock bay with dark bags underneath his eyes. The situation wasn't too good on Earth either. But before he could lead Ban back inside, Ban shook his head.
"Not on base," he muttered, and felt something loosened in his chest when Hoji understood right away, focus sharpened as he nodded.
They went to the house that Miwa lived in before getting married. Small, two stories, but enough for a bedroom upstairs with a living room, kitchen and bathroom downstairs.
"Woah, so this is your home before DekaBase huh, partner?" Ban put on a smile as Hoji turned on the yellow light and tossed the key onto the shoe counter.
"So we're back to being partners now?"
"I was only joking before, you really can't let it go, can you?" He babbled as Hoji helped him settle down onto tatami flooring against the table in the living room, opening the window to let cool air of the late night flooded in.
Then Hoji brushed his thumb below the scabbing on Ban's cheek, eyes too aware as he dredged up a smile of his own.
"You hungry?" Don't try that with me, I know you.
Ban's smile slipped away and he nodded mutely, watching Hoji stood, stripping his jacket and making noises in the kitchen.
It almost felt like the first time—when everything was fine, and Ban's top concern was the state of his throat.
"I got leftover groceries last time I came here, lucky for you," Hoji said, filling up the silence when Ban was unable to.
"Miwa had been back to dust this place, too." Ban closed his eyes and let his Hoji's voice wash over the tension in his body. "She's expecting twins this time, can you believe it?"
The metal tab was a USB. In there was a case file on the SPD top brass they had uncovered to have had dealings with criminal—Eruvian Messia, Garganian Bartolov, both were destroyed by his team, and the latest, Anubis Doggie Kruger.
There was also information on potential suspects with ranks from Commander all the way to Commissioner.
"I'm tasking you to conduct your own private investigation on all personnel included in this brief," Gyoku-san had said in the recording. "You are officially on a medical break in your home planet. Unofficially, you will only report to me. Expect no backup.
"Teagle and I will comb through our rank for other infiltrators, we don't know who or where they got to, so operate with the entire Special Police as your enemy. Don't reveal yourself needlessly.
"Your order is to gather all necessary evidence for judgement. If you have to shoot, do it at the root. It is unacceptable for them to continue their crime within our force.
It is unacceptable for them to besmirch Boss's name this way.
"Find them. Bring them to justice. Got it, Captain?"
"Ban—" A hand shook him, and Ban jerked awake to see Hoji's towering over him in a blue apron.
Hoji placed a plate of chahan onto the table and knelt to the floor beside Ban.
"Smells amazing," Ban stretched the tightness out of his limbs. The first bite of fried rice made his chest ache because it was the first good thing that happened lately. "It's delicious," he said, shoveling more rice into his mouth.
"Of course, it's perfect." Hoji ruffled his short hair.
Ban had cut it off to remind himself of his shortcomings in this mission.
He knew Hoji had questions, but it wasn't until when Ban was coiled into Hoji's side that he told Hoji about all the reasons why his heart was blistering—words muffling against Hoji's chest when Hoji turned to hold him tight.
He told Hoji how close he was to giving up because for the first time, he was so tired.
Hoji listened, rubbing a warm hand on his shaking shoulder as they lied in the darkness, sleep eluding and time ticking too slowly.
After a while, Hoji spoke.
"You know, Tetsu became acting-commander, and he felt so grown up that you wouldn't think he was our Tetsu.
"He transferred Swan-san back to Cigno—she's working on decrypting technology privately.
"Sen and Umeko aren't believing it, they're alternating between holding vigils by Boss's side and following their own leads.
"Jasmine is getting married next month. But she's staying until two new Deka can get here at the end of the year. Holding down the fort.
"Everybody isn't giving up, it's because of you Ban. They believe that justice will prevail because it was you who inspired that.
"There's no way that Boss could have done this, we have to keep going for his sake."
Ban breathed deeply. "You're right," he agreed at last and pushed them far enough to find Hoji's lips. "I'm being sent undercover," he sighed when Hoji kissed him faintly. "I don't know when I can come back.
"It's related to Boss's case, and I'm technically on medical break on Earth," Ban rolled until he was atop Hoji, hands brushing his cheeks, tracing the aging lines and edges of Hoji's face to his memory.
"So my official reason for not seeing you after tonight is because we're 'separated,'" Hoji got it instantly, and let Ban kiss the corner of his mouth as an apology for such a cover story.
"You should be careful, too, if they know you're poking too far—"
"My clearance will be revoked and next thing you know your ex-husband is in containment for treason, right?"
"Separated isn't the same as divorce." Ban frowned down at him before Hoji flipped them over.
"That's not the point here," Hoji chuckled onto his ears, kissing down to his jaw. "It's fine—I'll just act a little crazy. Should I stop them as well?"
"Tell Sen-chan," Ban combed fingers onto Hoji's hair. "It's suspicious if Umeko stops questioning it. He'll keep her out of trouble. Tell Jasmine I'm sorry that I'll miss her wedding."
"Roger." Hoji brought their mouths together, breathing and talking and kissing— "It'll be okay, Ban.
"We'll make it through this. All of us."
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A/N: Takes place just after the incident, prior to the start of the 10 Years After Special.
I have to confessed that I've only seen Full Blast Action once. But Mari is cool, so I promoted her to F.S. and I'm a sucker for platonic married male-female relationship.