"Hmm, looks like you're about to wake up," Fukurō stated, lazily swinging her legs back and forth from atop a tree branch.
Ichika stood up, brushing the sticks and dirt that clung to his pants. "How do you know?"
Fukurō shrugged. "I just feel it."
She jumped down from her branch, kicking up a small dust cloud. "You're lucky it was your sister who defeated you. Anybody else and you were probably dead."
Ichika pursed his lips. "I know that fukurō."
"You're not the only one who's upset you know. I am first and foremost a hunter. To be crushed so easily by the first core's pilot is humiliating," Fukurō sighed with a slight frown.
Ichika didn't say anything in response.
"It's alright my pilot. In the end, your wellbeing is what I care most for," Fukurō declared. She stood on tips of her toes as she reached her hand up to Ichika's head, giving it a few pats. Even if it was awkward, Ichika couldn't help but feel heartened by his IS's attempt.
"I'll always be here by your side Ichika. Your victories are my victories and your losses are my losses. As long as you give yourself to me, I will always devote my entirety to you. We won't be beaten next time Ichika," Fukurō said with a nod.
"We will be the hunters next time."
Ichika's eyes opened slowly only to hastily shut as he heard the sounds of a door opening. High heels clacked on a hard floor as an unknown person walked into the room.
A full minute of silence ensued as Ichika listened for audible cues that would signal his need to react. Surprisingly, he still felt the familiar feeling of Fukurō on his index finger.
"Eagles that fly," the unknown person began.
Ichika's eyes snapped open, recognizing the sign.
"Are the strongest," he replied. The woman standing across from his bed was beautiful with long flowing blonde hair.
"Hmph, so you really were awake. You know, this is the last place I'd expect a Hound pilot to show up," the woman grunted.
Ichika's eyes narrowed. "I don't know you, how much do you know?"
"I'm only privy to their existence. Don't really know much else but I have encountered a few of its operators over the years," the woman stated, inspecting her nails. "The name's Natasha Fairs, U.S representative candidate. Your sister must love you a lot, it was quite hard finding a time when she wasn't literally hovering over you."
Ichika looked around the room suspiciously.
"It's not bugged, I've checked," Natasha stated.
"How long have I been unconscious?" Ichika demanded.
"Two days give or take. But let's talk about the future shall we, Hound pilots simply don't get discovered, much less captured."
Ichika nodded.
"The little warehouse scuffle you guys had is being swept under the rug. The common agreement is that IS Academy members mobilized against Phantom Task, no U.S involvement. While America blatantly broke the Alaska Treaty, Japan's turning a blind eye for the sake of their precious Brunhilde. They'd also look bad if they called treaty violations to attention, it's not as if Japan hasn't dabbled in the idea of breaking the Alaska Treaty."
"So the situation has blown over?"
Natasha nodded. "Pretty much, you're lucky your comrades got out. The Japanese government seems to care more about you being the first male IS pilot rather than the fact that there were three IS pilots not bearing any insignias operating in their airspace."
The blonde woman put her hands on her hips. "However it does have some drawbacks. Too many people have taken notice of this incident and the Japanese government would throw a fit if you just went back to the states. It would be a bad idea for you to go back to the organization with all these eyes on you. Therefore…"
Ichika connected the dots. "I'm to be stationed here in Japan?"
He connected more dots. "In… in the IS Academy?"
"Ho? You caught on fast. You are a Hound pilot I suppose. Tell me, is Watchdog still around?" Natasha asked.
Ichika hesitated before answering. "Yes, why?"
"Oh just curious, I saw her a couple times back when I did army stuff. Man, she was a total psycho back then. Glad she's on our side," Natasha reminisced with a flat smile. "Anyways, those are your orders. You are to attend the IS Academy until further notice."
"Understood."
"Huh, that was easy. Don't you Hound pilots hate the IS Academy?"
Ichika shook his head. "If those are command's order, I will follow them."
The two were interrupted however as the door to the room slammed open, revealing a livid Chifuyu Orimura.
"What are you doing here Fairs. More importantly, what possible business do you have with MY brother?" Chifuyu growled with narrow eyes.
"Calm down Orimura, I was just catching my compatriot up on today's politics. I'll take my leave though, I'm so crude as to keep brother and sister from reuniting after all these years," Natasha stated, avoiding Chifuyu's withering gaze.
Chifuyu sighed as Natasha Fairs left the room, closing the door behind her. She collapsed in the chair by Ichika's bed and simply stared at her brother in disbelief. Eventually, the icy expression thawed and she allowed six years of repressed emotion to seep out.
No words were exchanged as she leaned in and gently pulled Ichika's head into the crook of her neck. Ichika wrapped his arms around his sister in response. Only the slight tremble in her shoulders told Ichika that she was quietly sobbing.
"I… I looked for so long. I searched and I searched and I searched and yet… w-where have you been Ichika? Why, after so many years, could I not find my precious little brother until now?"
Ichika swallowed. "Chifuyu-nee I'm sorry, I'm sorry I never came back to you. Back then, back when Phantom Task kidnapped me-"
"Please Ichika, you can tell me later. Right now… just let your big sister have this moment. Just a little longer," Chifuyu pleaded, holding her brother tight in her arms.
Ichika complied, sinking into his sister's embrace. No more words were exchanged as the two relished in the catharsis. However in the back of Ichika's mind, the FOXHOUND operator in him was crafting a cover story. Six years was a long time.
Four Days Later
Ichika carefully sliced the beef with his borrowed kitchen knife, gently placing the strip of meat onto a plate.
He'd been confined to his sister's house for a few days while his enrollment was finalized. For his short stay, he decided to take over the house chores like the old days. Eventually, he couldn't resist the kitchen's call.
As he poured gravy over the beef, he heard the pattering of feet coming from the stairs. His sister was out doing errands so this could only Laura Bodewig, his sister's pupil, and the set of eyes watching him when his sister couldn't. He recognized the silver haired girl as the one who had blasted him point blank with her heavy railgun.
Unsurprisingly, the two had gotten off to a rocky start, but they'd managed to settle into a relationship of begrudging respect as they discovered each other's military upbringing.
Laura's nose twitched and she approached her mentor's brother. Even if she wouldn't admit it, Ichika Orimura interested her. He seemed unremarkable at first glance, but his eyes betrayed his true self. Laura identified not only a fellow pilot of skill, but a fellow experienced soldier in his eyes alone.
As she peeked over his shoulder, her lone eye widened. "Is that… Sauerbraten?"
"Indeed, do you want some?" Ichika offered, sending a sideways glance at the girl.
The boy struggled not to tense up in the presence of Laura Bodewig. He knew somewhere in that uniform of hers she was holding onto some very sharp and very lethal weapons. His instincts practically screamed at him to put his guard up.
Laura Bodewig was the last person he thought of when thinking of an IS Academy student. She was disciplined, she was strong, and she carried herself like he did.
"I… I would indeed like some. What must I give in exchange for this meal?" Laura questioned.
"Nothing really, I just made a lot and figured you'd want some," Ichika retorted.
"Why would you cook in such excess? Is it to acquire my favour?"
Ichika sighed. "Even if it was, would you really turn down this free meal? I just cook to take my mind off things, it's not as complicated as you're making it out to be. But if you really don't want any-"
"No! No, I would very much appreciate a portion of your Sauerbraten Ichika Orimura," Laura spluttered.
Ichika nodded in relief, finally getting a straight answer out of the girl. "You're the one who's supposed to be monitoring me and yet it feels like you're the one on edge."
Laura tisked. "I shouldn't even be here, I should be training with my unit. The only reason I'm here is because your sister stubbornly refuses to return to Germany with me."
"Why is Chifuyu-nee the reason? Sounds to me like you can just go home whenever you want. I'm on the other hand, stuck here to attend the IS Academy for the foreseeable future," Ichika sighed, placing two plates of Sauerbraten on the dining table.
Laura stamped her foot. "Because it is unacceptable! These… These rotten schoolgirls are a complete waste of my mentor's precious time. Her place should be in Germany, with my unit, with me!"
"You're right on the first part. But I'm sure my sister has a reason, I think it would be best for you to respect that fact before demanding anything of her," Ichika snorted.
Not receiving a response, Ichika shrugged before beginning to dig into the tender beef on his plate, something Laura copied. The two sat in silence, only the clanking of silverware filling the void. The German meal seemed to simmer Laura's mood and soon the stoic girl Ichika was used to sat calmly opposite him.
"You're not like them Laura, I can tell," Ichika suddenly stated, looking directly into her eye that wasn't covered by her eyepatch. "You were trained as a soldier before you were trained as a pilot weren't you?"
Laura didn't respond, a small frown maring her face.
"You're special. What was it, KSM, KSK, GSG9?" Ichika asked.
Laura's expression became more guarded. "I… I've come to respect you some Ichika. You are yet to gain my trust however. America is not the only nation that has monsters hiding in their closet. Don't forget that I was at the warehouse that day, I know you have your own secrets."
"I suppose I did get carried away," Ichika admitted with a shake of his head. "Perhaps one day we will have the liberty of sharing stories."
"Perhaps," Laura agreed. "Either way, thank you for the German meal. The food at the academy is fine, but it has a terribly low selection of German cuisine."
Ichika stood up offering to take Laura's plate.
The girl nodded in appreciation. "Danke."
"No problem," Ichika muttered before beginning to wash all the dishes he'd created. As he washed in silence, he sent a sideways glance at the girl. She was still sitting at the table, inspecting a combat knife she pulled out from who knew where.
Ichika slightly grimaced. He'd spent a vast majority of his time the last four or so years fully equipped in tactical gear. It was an unspoken norm in FOXHOUND to wear your gear wherever you went to avoid the hassle of putting it on and taking it off. Gear was simply cleaned when operators cleaned themselves. Ichika doubted he had ever been ten feet away from his bullet-proof vest since he became an official operator.
That was until now. He honestly felt naked being in the same room as Laura who he was convinced was a walking armory. The only comfort he still had was the small silver ring on his index finger.
His sister had given him the small mercy of keeping his IS. Speaking of his sister, he and Chifuyu-nee had a… strange relationship at the moment. Chifuyu knew he was hiding things and Ichika knew she didn't fully believe him. His sister didn't press him too hard however, she didn't want to ruin what they had.
Likewise, Ichika felt a bit strange when he spent time with his sister. Most of the time he used a sort of persona. He talked about what happened that day, he talked about dinner, he talked about the weather. He talked like a civilian.
He just couldn't talk like he usually did with his fellow operators. It was like there was an invisible line that separated the two. Ichika could pretend like he could cross that line, like he could be 'normal', but he knew it all as an act in the back of his mind. His brain just didn't work like normal people, not anymore.
There was fear too, a fear that she would figure him out. A fear that she would see past the pretty words and careful smiles to see who he really was.
He knew many people would consider him evil. He'd long since been desensitized to this fact as he realized only the organization's validation truly mattered. But would his sister think that? Would Chifuyu-nee think he was an evil person?
His sister was smart, eventually she would figure it out. Doubt welled up inside his chest as his mind raged in conflict. This was like when he first started killing. Back then he just kept killing, just kept following orders, and he kept receiving positive reinforcement for his actions. Eventually it all stopped mattering to him and he learned to kill with a straight face. But how would he solve his inner turmoil now? He couldn't just kill his way out of it…
"Ichika?"
"Huh?" Ichika asked dumbly. He was holding a plate, water from the faucet streamed down its already clean surface. How long had he been standing there?
"What's wrong with you?"
Ichika shook his head. "N-Nothing. Sorry, I was just thinking about some stuff."
Laura raised an eyebrow in disbelief but didn't comment. Instead, she ended up going back upstairs after once again giving Ichika a thanks for the meal.
The boy shook his head once more, sighing deeply. He wished he would stop being so introspective. Questioning himself wasn't resulting in answers, just more problems. He missed the simple life, he missed his friends. He was more focused when he was working.
Even though he slept in a soft bed, cooked food whenever he wanted, and saw his sister every day, he missed his life of comfortable discomfort.
"Man, I'm so jealous. I bet Orimura's living the high life right now with the Brunhilde," Finley complained, dumping sand out of her boots.
"With the way Wyler is acting, you'd think he was captured by terrorists and getting his eyeballs plucked out. I bet he gets to shower and eat restaurant food every day," Summers said wistfully.
"Lay off her Summers. Wyler just feels responsible for Orimura getting captured. With everything going on, Orimura might not even be able to come back to FOXHOUND."
"Defending Wyler? That's rare York, usually you're the first one to criticize her," Summers huffed,
York looked to the side and scoffed. "I'm not saying she isn't also overreacting. It's just that I can empathize with her. I'd be pissed if I had to leave behind one of you guys to get captured. It doesn't help that she and Orimura were inseparable."
"She made the decision to leave Orimura behind because of Schaefer right?" Finley asked as she massaged her blistered feet.
"Yeah, how did Schaefer even get so messed up?" Summers remarked.
"Heard it was the Brunhilde who cut Schaefer open. Orimura's got a bitch of a sister," York tisked.
"I'm just glad she's not on our hit list, can you imagine having to kill the Brunhilde? There would definitely be casualties even for our most senior operators," Finley sighed.
"You think Watchdog could kill the Brunhilde?" Summers wondered out loud.
"My money's on the Brunhilde, I saw footage of her win at the Mondo Grosso. She's seriously not human, not even the cameras could keep up with her," Finley snorted.
York shook her head. "Don't count Wyler's sister out. There's a reason she's considered the organization's best."
Their conversation ended however as Monika approached the group, holding a severed head and caked in blood.
"...How was the renaissance Wyler," York asked, eying the severed head wearily.
"More importantly, what the fuck? You smell terrible," Finley added, pinching her nose.
Monika shrugged. "There was a haji spotter six klicks east. He saw me so I chased him down."
"That doesn't really explain all this," York remarked, gesturing to Monika's bloody form.
"Don't worry, I buried the body. I think we should mount the head outside that village that helped the terrorists since we're not allowed to burn it down. It would send a message to those who would aid our enemy."
York slapped her forehead with her palm. "Don't you dare do that Wyler. That'll just encourage more anti-American sentiment in the locals. In other words, it'll make it that much harder for the army when they roll in."
Monika's eyes narrowed. "Is that an order from the team captain?"
"YES! Jesus Wyler, I know you're upset, but you need to calm down. Thinking back won't do anything but make you more angry and upset. Focus on the here and now."
Monika bit back a harsh reply and took a deep breath. Her face contorted into a mask of apathy. However York could tell the girl was still very upset, but at least now she was being professional for the mission's sake.
"Whatever… sorry, I guess," Monika huffed. "Give me your shovel Finley, I'll bury the head."
"Make it quick, it's only a matter of time until they notice their spotter isn't coming back," York ordered.
York hoped that Monika's mood would blow over soon for all of their sakes. She dealy hoped that this would be the one and only spontaneous murder this mission.
"If only Orimura was here," York muttered with a sigh.