Author's Note: *big sigh* this fic's not going the way I planned, chapter wise. Looks like S+S will be in the next chapter, I felt like going into detail about Tomoyo's, Takashi's and Nakuru's break in. I feel so bad about what I have to do to S+S next chapter, so I've put in a sort of happy moment in this chapter, unfortunately not a S+S moment…call me a sucker for happy endings, but I am… Review please?
Thanks to Riley S (where have you been?), Shi no Tenshi, Rhea-chan (hope the wait was worth it…), pokey, Caoilfhionn (feel free to kick my butt in gear if I start lagging…), Jurei (I hope you're well rested; don't be disappointed if the action sequence isn't that good…).
You know this person really has been most gracious to review my fics and I feel unbelievably bad that I've not given them the proper thanks. So this chapter is dedicated to mya. I really appreciate your input…=)
Disclaimer: CCS is a wonderful anime, in which I have neither the talent nor the creativity to own…*pops chocolate in mouth* ov courfse fnot!
Slipping AwayChapter 4: Reunion
Tomoyo's head appeared from an opened drain, swiveling to survey the surrounding lands for The Corps. Seeing only blackness, she hoisted herself up effortlessly allowing the rest of the group to ascend behind. "We're a few meters from the perimeter fence."
As they approached the grounds, doubts fended off for so long came rushing back in a wave of unstoppable apprehension. Would they be able to pull this off? What they saw was a fortress, in the truest sense of the word, a monstrosity of concrete towering like a massive cube. A few scattered windows betrayed a glimmer of light, many eyes peering. Around the main stronghold were scattered countless other low buildings: weapon armories, soldiers' quarters, security posts. The imposing fence hummed with evidence of latent electricity.
Yamakazi met Tomoyo's expectant gaze, extracting a card from his pocket. Flinging it against the fence, the rectangular device sparked to life, its glyph glowing in activation. "Overload." The icon became a solid bead of light as it brightened, energy building across its silver skin. In a flash, the card and the surrounding fence had disappeared into a bubbling pool of molten metal, draining into the soil.
Tomoyo checked her watch, the second hand sweeping midnight. "Once I activate 'Interference,' you've all got 30 minutes to check your target for the tunneling device and return to this spot. After that, the alarms will sound and the cameras will turn on again. If you're not back here in 45 minutes; I'm assuming you've been caught; we'll leave without you." All bowed their heads in silent acceptance before scattering into the compound. She looked apprehensively at Yana's tower, the vast cube: palace, prison, scaffold all in one. She breathed in the cold air. The snow had stopped; it was unfounded but she swore there was the taste of death in its aftermath. She watched the 'x' shaped symbol glint under her touch. "Disrupt." The card glowed fleetingly before turning dark, emitting a low humming noise. She quickly adhered it to the nearest wall, looking at her watch. Thirty minutes…
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Tomoyo looked urgently at her watch, herself flush against a concrete wall. The fluorescent markers of her timepiece crept by at one-second intervals, her target dead ahead. And between her current position and her goal was a guard station. She crept along the shadows reaching the edge of the security post, careful to remain low to the ground. There was commotion in the small office, disembodied voices drifting past her ears.
"What do you mean the cameras are all out?"
"Sir, just take a look. They've all just stopped working; there's only static."
"I can see that. Fix it! If Yana finds out about this, he'll have our heads."
Tomoyo cleared the station, watching not without slight amusement as the panicked silhouettes paced nervously within. Twenty minutes… She finally reached her targeted building, its door stolid steel, formidable, cold against her touch. She fingered her gun cautiously. There would be an alarm, but they wouldn't hear it for another twenty minutes… Making up her mind quickly, she pointed the barrel to the lock, anticipating the high whine as the gun charged. With a quick explosion, a sphere of energy discharged, burning its way straight through the door. She pushed it open, stopping before a labyrinth of halls. Fortunately she knew the way by heart: three flights up, two doors, down the right, two doors left side.
The halls were deserted, the smell of chemicals in the air, only her slight scraping footsteps and the soft hum of the air ventilation system to break the silence. Up the stairs…turn right…first door…second door…left side. The laboratory door was simple wood, surprising, considering everything else seemed to be stainless steel. A small code access panel flashed its red light, barring her way in. She knocked on the door, smiling at her correct guess. The sharp echoes said as much…only a wood veneer…solid steel beyond it. The gun presented itself as a solution again, bringing it up to full power.
Burn marks scarred the door, the metal slowly being bored through at an alarmingly slow pace, the barrier much thicker than the previous. Fifteen minutes… The cartridge had run out; she inserted another. At this rate, she'd be caught. Tomoyo let her head thump against the wall in frustration, hearing the thud reverberate along the tinny surface. She smiled; the architect must've been an idiot. She aimed the gun to just underneath the access panel, a gaping hole appearing. Stepping through she noted the empty space between walls, the two thin metal sheets dripping molten drops.
The laboratory was dark, save for a red warning light flashing over the chemical storage room door. She quickly scanned the work surfaces, all meticulously cleaned and everything probably stuffed away in a drawer. Luckily she was looking for something that wouldn't be easy to hide. She flicked on a flashlight as she ran down the aisles, peering in the darkness for the tunneling machine. Seven minutes… "Shit." She had turned up nothing; it wasn't here. Looking out to the window, a small army of soldiers were patrolling on their way toward Yamakazi and Akizuki's lab. This mission couldn't fail. She picked up a stool, waiting for the force to pass underneath the window before crashing it against the glass. The shattering pieces dropped from their frame raining down on The Corps. Amidst shouts from below, Tomoyo charged her gun dashing out the hole into the building's depths.
Footsteps were approaching, hissed commands directing them toward her. Tomoyo spied the flashlight's brightness as it wobbled closer. She breathed deeply, tensing her muscles to position. The stairwell lay directly across from her; she backed up a few paces needing the extra momentum if she was to survive what she had planned. The circle of light grew larger as its bearer approached Tomoyo's hiding spot. She hurtled through the darkness, tumbling out into the hall into a kneeling position. Before the guards had a chance to absorb her presence, she had already discharged two shots, bringing down two guards. Avoiding their shots, energy burns sliding across her arms, she continued to fire, rolling toward the open stairwell. Without a second look, she threw herself over the railing into the open abyss falling to the ground below. She worked her way into her thigh pocket, taking out her last card. It wouldn't be wasted after all. "Float." The cloud symbol awakened with a yellow burst, it's lights' dots swirling about her falling form, pushing up on her feet. She landed upright softly, taking a split second to catch her breath before charging off toward the entrance. Rounding the corner, she heard the many footsteps indicative of a patrol. "Damn." In one fluid motion she had changed cartridges again, and was blasting a hole through a nearby window. Ignoring the dripping liquid glass around her, she dived through just as a guard rounded the corner, his weapon discharge flying through the wisps of her hair. Three minutes… Her ponytail destabilized, hair cascading about her wildly, streaking across her face with a deadly beauty. She quirked an eyebrow, twisting her body to face the guard, smirking in triumph in the wake of a burst of energy as she fired off the rest of the cartridge.
It was coming down to the end. Fifteen seconds… Tomoyo was near the perimeter fence, dodging the blasts from behind her. Every now and then a shot would graze her arm or leg bringing forth blood and burned flesh. Two seconds… All stood near silence just as the alarms blared their warning, loud wailing filling every crevice of the facility. Taking advantage of the guards' distraction, she disappeared into a ditch, burying herself in the dirt. The Corpsmen stood unaware over her, screening the land for her figure. She held herself still, like a corpse, fearing to breathe.
"Where the hell did that bitch go?"
"I don't know. You go left; I'll go right." With that, both guards dispersed into the farther reaches of the complex.
Completely sure of her relative safety, Tomoyo arose from the pit, letting out a heaving sigh. She ran straight into the darkness, unaware of the action around her. The opening in the fence stood before her as her escape. There was no one else there. 10 minutes until 45… Through the dark, two figures emerged, encumbered with something burdensome, but nonetheless alive, Takashi and Nakuru.
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Thirty minutes… Takashi was nervous; with good reason. Every corner he found himself against the threat of a patrol. He looked to Nakuru on his right side. She on the other hand, slinked with confidence, gun still retained in its holster, maneuvering quietly from shadow to shadow, stopping abruptly every now and then. "Why'd you stop?"
She silenced him with a 'shh' as three Corpsmen passed their hiding spot. When they disappeared into an adjoining building, she signaled for him to follow. "First rule in getting in and out undetected: pay attention to every little detail." She turned her head back and forth trying to distinguish specific sounds or spot deceptively insignificant clues. "The spotlights are on the western border; we have two minutes to make our way to the lab before it sweeps around again. Got it?" Takashi nodded in silence, both waiting for the sphere of light to move outward. As it passed, they ran into the shadows, feet crunching on the icy snow.
Nakuru stopped short of the main entrance, holding up a warning hand to Yamakazi. Hidden in the dark, she silently approached, looking up at the surveillance camera. They couldn't see her, but just to be sure, she pulled out a pouch from an inner pocket, revealing a cube packed tight, a lattice of grains similar to sand. Holding it flat in her palm, she blew lightly against the object, the grains suddenly becoming unstable and scattering into the wind like a shifting sand dune. As they descended, the air grew warmer and heavier until only a thick fog could be seen.
Takashi watched in wonder, surrounded by the mysterious mist, no visibility in any direction. An arm jutted from the unknown, yanking him forward, jolting him out of his reverie. Nakuru looked satisfied, letting Yamakazi's arm drop to his side. "Follow me."
"What was that?"
"You don't get to be Yana's assassin without a getting a few useful…tools." She put a finger to her lips as she led Yamakazi to the entrance.
Guards sounded close as they passed, their nervousness apparent in quivering voices. The one on their right questioned, "What's with this fog? Where are you?"
A second voice emanated from the other side. "Still at my post. I can't see a thing…"
Nakuru reached the door, placing a card flat against the thick barrier. Three lines blinked as she whispered to the wall. "Through."
"Did you hear something?" The guard moved like he was getting closer to their position.
She jumped through the translucent door dragging Yamakazi with her, the door materializing behind them, a remnant cloud of fog dissipating into the lit hallway.
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Yamakazi peered cautiously around a corner, gingerly taking a step out into the open. Beyond the door ahead were the cells, and in that maze of wrought iron was a ventilator shaft that led into the lab. Before his raised foot fell against the tiles, an arm wound around his neck suddenly, a firm grip restraining his two hands. He caught the sight of cherry red lips before being forced against a wall. Nakuru? A guard appeared, rounding a corner stopping dead at the sight of the two figures.
"Nakuru Akizuki? What're you doing here?" He drew his weapon keeping an intense gaze level on her. He could afford no mistakes; there was a reason she was the best of Yana's assassins.
She merely shrugged a strand of hair from her face, pulling Takashi from against the wall and forcing him ahead of her. "I'm bringing a prisoner to Yana. What's it look like I'm doing?"
Takashi's eyes widened, his quiet demeanor lost to an encompassing rage. "You bitch! I thought I could trust you."
She smiled coldly, her painted lips thin. "You thought wrong." She shoved him a few steps forward, pushing up on the guard. "Are you going to let me pass?"
The guard remained in their way, weapon still drawn. "The word's that Yana got rid of you."
A scowl of irritation passed her features. "Of course he said he got rid of me; how else was I supposed to infiltrate the resistance?"
The ghostly remnants of intelligence passed through the Corpsman's face, enlightened for a moment before disappearing behind a blank stare. "You can pass." The gun returned to his holster, letting Nakuru continue into the cells. She subdued the struggling Yamakazi with a sharp twist of his arm eliciting a groan of pain.
Turning to a deaf to ear to Yamakazi's venomous curses as he spat threats at her, she directed him into the depths of Yana's personal prison. "I don't think you're in the position to make threats."
"I knew you couldn't be trusted, you're one of Yana's little pawns. A coward."
"Whatever you say." She dragged him down a dark corridor, rows of rusty chambers flanking both their sides. The sound of dripping water echoed sickeningly through the emptiness, the rank smell of human waste and rotting food hanging repulsively in the air. The dim lights quivered as the lanterns swayed. Every now and then, a dingy emaciated face would appear in the light's path, features hollowed out by starvation and distorted by a kind of misery unimaginable. Takashi reflected grimly that he would be one of them soon enough.
When they had reached an unguarded corridor of prisoners' quarters, the pressure against Takashi's limbs relieved. He whirled around in confusion, immediately drawing his weapon. Nakuru remained without emotion, speaking in a low monotone. "Put the gun away. We're here to find the air vent." He blinked despite himself, giving her enough time to snatch the gun from his hand. "Let's go." She held the gun out to him; giving him an insistent look.
Takashi took the weapon offered him, confusion restraining his feet from moving. "But you're working for Yana…"
A deadly gleam awakened in Nakuru's eyes. "He killed my family; I've sworn to have my revenge on him. Pretending you were a prisoner was the only way we could get in her without a fight."
"You could've at least told me."
"It wouldn't have been the same; I needed your reaction. The guard needed to see the betrayal in your face."
Takashi rubbed his sore shoulder. "We could've taken the guard out."
Nakuru had to laugh at his naiveté, as if everything was solved by a gunfight. "And start a firefight here? This is a fucking armory; there's guards everywhere. We'd be dead in less than a minute. We had to do it my way. We're here aren't we?" She took off at a brisk pace, boots hard against the concrete ground.
Yamakazi followed wearily behind, taking short glances into the darkened cells, many of which were empty, others with a solitary figure huddled into a corner, unseeing. "Why aren't these cells all full?"
The detached answer echoed from ahead of him. "Because this is the last stop before being executed."
Takashi stopped in his step, taking a deeper consideration at a figure half shrouded in darkness, crouched on the floor, leaning listlessly against the farthest corner. All the prisoners had seemed without hope; this was the reason. They had accepted that death was their future and given up. Just then the overhead lamp swung in a wide arc, a flash of illumination baring the huddled mass to his view. Thin matted strands of hair clotted to the person's dark neck; a feminine figure barely discernable under the tattered rags she wore. Streaks of dirt marred her features, rimming her eyes and clawing their way across her cheeks. Takashi stared even harder as the lantern took a second swing. Bleak eyes met his, the prisoner's mouth trembling with an overwhelming emotion, recognition flickering in her gaze.
Takashi flung himself against the metal bars with an inhuman strength, his voice losing all its support, a hoarse cry amidst a terrible echo of clanging iron. He thrust his arms into the darkness, a sense of urgency overtaking his actions. "Chiharu!"
Nakuru's footfalls stopped immediately then quickened, her running strides taking her to Takashi's side. "What are the hell are you doing? You'll alert the guards."
He didn't hear her, instead pressing himself harder against the bars, the rust rubbing an orange smear against his coat. "Chiharu!"
The figure inside the cell stirred, her frail arms falling from their locked position. Unsteadily, she crawled toward the bars, a desperateness in her actions. Her voice was rasping, cracked lips parted in anticipation of the first words she would say in so long. "Takashi?" She extended a bony arm to touch his outreached hand, but fell short. Too weak to support herself, she collapsed forward landing in a heap, a thin trail of tears dripping from the corners of her eyes.
Takashi dropped to his knees, straining his arm to touch the rough skin of Chiharu's face. His voice softened in profound horror seeing her condition, salty drops staining his cheeks. "Chiharu." Resolutely, he straightened, removing his gun, keeping his gaze as the weapon charged.
Nakuru's grip abruptly pulled him back, sending him face to face with her. "We don't have time for this. The mission."
He pulled away with a jerk, discharging against the iron bars, molten metal puddling on the floor. "Forget the mission." He rushed into the cell, cradling Chiharu's weak body in his arms, lifting her painfully light figure into his embrace. "You complete the mission; I'm taking her out of here."
Seeing no way to convince him to help her, Nakuru sprinted down the corridor. Fifteen minutes…
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She pulled herself along the ventilation shafts, the smooth cold metal numbing her skin. She knew this map by heart, taking turns without a second's hesitation. The striped light glowed before her, facing the lab's air vent. She watched the various scientists testing machines and mixing chemicals inside, all absorbed in their painstaking work. Taking off a bracelet, she pulled the beads into her hands, ten round bead-like spheres in the creases of her palm. She let them drop through the grate, hitting the ground below with light clicking sounds. Some looked up from their work at the sound, but too late to avoid the effusive green gas. Within minutes, Nakuru had landed soundless on the tiled floor, carefully avoiding the unconscious bodies at her feet. Seven minutes…
Her eyes scanned the room wildly, suddenly focused on something on the nearest workbench, a cube-like object about the size of a crate, a raised circle fused to its top. A small remote lay adjacent; this was it. She removed her final card, peeling off a little wax backing strip. Adhering the card to the object, she secured the remote, strapping it to her right calf. "Float." Dots of light enveloped the device, brining it a few inches off the table. She effortlessly shoved it off the bench, the device wobbling up and down before remaining hovering steadily in the air at stomach level. Five minutes… She rushed through the maze of hallways, pushing the tunneling machine along with one hand, the other gripped tightly around her gleaming gun. She blurred past the guards, taking each one down with a seemingly natural pull of the trigger.
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Takashi flew down the cell corridor, Chiharu in his arms. His last card locked between his teeth, he cursed his luck. Why couldn't he have gotten Shield? He reached a dead end, the overhead lantern flickering mysteriously from some unknown influence. He placed his face near the wall, hoping it was what he thought it was. As he neared, a low whistling and a breeze of cold air proved him right. Gingerly propping Chiharu's semi-conscious form against a cell, he slapped the card to the wall. "Collapse." Its central yellow zigzag glyph activated, a low rumbling sounding from the wall. In an instant, the barrier seemed to be not stones, but water, rippling with some power channeled through its matrix. With a crash, stones cracked and shattered, exposing a gaping wound in the wall. The night lay beyond, perimeter fence a few meters off. He picked up Chiharu, taking off as fast as he could, the wire fence coming up in his vision. Ten seconds….
The sirens wailed endlessly, all hell rising up around him. He was still a good distance away from safety, the loud echoes of running and gunshots approaching. Stumbling across the field, tripping over stones, his arms tightened around Chiharu's form, he made for the edge of the compound.
As he approached, a voice shouted from behind him. "Duck." The next thing he registered, a mass had crashed into him sending all three figures sprawling to the ground. He opened his eyes quick enough to catch two energy discharges flying past overhead. Nakuru stood up defiantly, a plan formed in her mind. "Take her and go; I've got an idea." Takashi watched her for a moment before taking Chiharu in his arms, running to the meeting point. Nakuru gave a quick look making sure the device was still hovering near her. Seeing its gleam, she whipped her body around to face the approaching Corps. She directed her weapon to the ground a few feet in front of her, firing a continuous beam of energy. The vaporized soil impregnated the air with an opaque cloud, choking all life in its path. She smiled grimly, turning from the thick mist, taking hold of the device and following Takashi's retreating back. When they both reached the perimeter, Tomoyo was waiting with an anxious look. "Syaoran and Sakura?"
"Not here yet. Do you have it?"
Nakuru brought the device out for Tomoyo's inspection. "Good. Who's that?" She pointed at a limp figure in Takashi's arms.
"Chiharu." Tomoyo nodded grimly checking herself from reprimanding him for disobeying orders. Inwardly, she allowed herself a small sense of joy; two lives torn apart had been rejoined.
The minutes ticked by, tension and fear tangible in the air. Unfamiliar shouts and commands emanated from within the compound, the alarm screaming terribly. One minute… A light blinked on from Tomoyo's wrist; time was up. She caught eye contact with Nakuru and Takashi, giving a mournful nod of the head. "We have to go."
Nakuru swept her coat about her, walking briskly toward the storm drain, face impassive. Takashi's shoulders sagged as he plodded after Nakuru, the loss of two lives for one. He looked down at Chiharu's sleeping form; gazing lovingly at her haggard features. He was ashamed at his happiness, at the expense of two lives, but for the person in his arms, he would let the whole die without regret. He too disappeared into the sewer. Tomoyo gave a last gaze toward Yana's looming palace, dropping her barriers for a second to let a quiet tear slip down her face. Two more casualties. "Forgive me; I've failed you." Her figure faded as she lowered herself into the hole, completely disappearing beneath the surface. A ghostly echo rose from the grate, haunting in its low quality. "Forgive me…"
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Author's Note: Rather a long chapter don't you think? I think the next one's going to be the same length, but then again, I don't know anything…*sticks out tongue* oh well, next chapter is definitely S+S, may a thousand needles prick me until I die, if I should break this promise. Quick…which episode is that quote from? =)