10 - Yashida
August 30, 2008 Stacy residence, New York City 9:00 AM
Summer vacation had been divine. Spending as much time as possible with Nate and Peter, she felt more ready than ever headed into her final year of Elementary school. All three of them had been enrolled already to attend Midtown Middle school, situated on the same campus as the elementary and High schools. She had already made tentative plans to spend the evening with both boys as a celebration before their return to school. Peter had already agreed to her plans, but with Nate becoming less and less available with his conflicting priorities, it was becoming more and more difficult to arrange anything with him.
Of course, that would not keep her from trying. She dashed downstairs into the living room, grabbing the phone off its cradle as she went. She hastily dialled her best friend's number, hoping against hope for an answer. on the fourth ring, just as she was expecting to get the regular dial tone, Nate's voice answered, though he sounded frantic. In the background, she could hear wind rushing by, as well as screaming.
"Hey," Nate greeted her, clearly yelling down the phone, "can I call you back once I've handled things here?" She nodded, then sheepishly remembered he could not see her through the phone.
"Yeah. Talk soon?"
"Yep".
–AoS–
Nate slipped the phone back into his boot, straining under the weight of the jet as he held it in one hand only. Returning his second hand to its original position, he took a series of shallow breaths. Carefully lowering the plane through the atmosphere, he scanned the ground below for a safe place to land. Spotting a nearby open field, he nodded to himself, before briefly releasing the plane and flying towards the cockpit. He gestured to the pilots, pointing out the makeshift runway.
"Lower the landing gear," he shouted, mouthing the words as he did so. The captain nodded, and a glance at the bottom of the plane revealed it had worked as intended. Nate shot the captain a thumbs up, which she returned, walking uncomfortable as she did so. Nate nodded to himself, dropping back down to the bottom of the plane, stabilising it once more.
From inside the cabin, he heard the captain as she turned to her co-pilot.
"Di-Did he seriously just give me a thumbs up right now?"
"Yeah, think so". Nate grinned to himself. He carefully guided the 130 ton aircraft towards the ground. As it approached, he hastily performed a barrel roll around the body of the plane, wrapping his hands around the top to better lower it to the ground below. the plane buckled slightly as it hit the grass in the field, though he was sure everyone inside was fine. he glanced around, wondering where they were. A sign on the side of the nearby road indicates they were 50km from Aveiro. He spun around as the door to the plane opened, the first shaken passengers exiting. An elderly woman clutching her carry-on luggage in one hand, and the hand of a small child in the other approached him, speaking quickly in a language he did not understand. He smiled at her as she released the girl - presumably her granddaughter - to pull him into a hug.
He quickly returned the hug, wrapping one arm around the old woman. She smiled, speaking quickly, clearly shaken. As she released him, taking the hand of the toddler once more, he smiled at her.
"Don't worry, there's no need to thank me," he assured her, hastily glancing at the other passengers to make sure they were unharmed. "This is just the sort of stuff I do". The old woman beamed at him, the child stood next her staring at him unabashedly. He grinned at the little girl, gently ruffling her hair. Rummaging around, the old lady withdrew a small box from her bag, handing it to him.
"Pastéis de Belém" she stated, pushing the box into his hands. Nate shook his head, trying to return it. The woman violently shook her head, and without understanding the words, her expressions made it clear she was not taking no for an answer. Still, it felt wrong to take payment for saving them. He wasn't doing it for payment. If he started accepting goods from people, what sort of precedent would that set? The lady continued to insist, and Nate did his best to keep his expression calm as he took the box from her hands. Well, no one's perfect I suppose. He took a step back to ensure none of the smiling cheering passengers were harmed by the updraft as he took off. He smiled and waved back before lifting off the ground and turning in the direction of home.
–AoS–
"So, where exactly did you get these?" Gwen asked, chewing on the creamy pastry with custo. She let out a contented sigh, Nate grinning at her slightly as she did. Gwen rolled her eyes, slapping her hand on the shoulder as she reached for another pastry.
"From an old lady in Portugal." He replied, biting into his own. Unlike her, who had devoured two already and was on a third, he was still on his first.
"What were you doing in Portugal?" She asked, frowning slightly in confusion.
"Just passing through on the way back from a fire in Liverpool. Helped stop a plane from crashing. One of the passengers was feeling grateful so she insisted on me taking these".
He grinned, brushing the crumbs of his hands as he did so and reaching for the box. She snatched it off his hands, poking her tongue out as she did so.
"You said you didn't want to take goods for saving people. That it might set 'a bad example'," she stated. He glared at her.
"Yeah? So? You've already had three of them! I only got one!" Gwen nodded.
"Yeah, that's right. See if I eat them for you, it removes any pressure to expect payment for helping, and you no longer feel bad". He grinned, rolling his eyes.
"Is that how that works?"
She nodded, still chewing on the crispy pastry and licking the sweet cream off her fingers. "Umhm" she replied, "sounds right to me". Nate snorted.
"Sure thing pal, just don't come crying to me when you can't fit through doors anymore".
She glared, slapping his shoulder once more. She laughed, pushing the box back into his hands.
"Here, I'm not that mean," she giggled. "You still coming tonight?"
"Wouldn't miss it for the world."
–AoS–
August 30, 2008 Kyoto, Kansai, Japan 10:15 PM (9:15 AM in New York)
He shot through the air, descending into the city below. The earthquake had damaged the infrastructure, splitting roads, writing off vehicles, and damaging several buildings. He dropped out of the sky, landing carefully as he did. He made his way over to the startled police.
"Do any of you speak English?" He asked. Two of the three nodded, both hurriedly stepped forward. Good, he thought, that makes things easier. I could probably stand to spend a bit of time learning languages. He pushed that thought to one side. One thing at a time.
"What can I do to help?" He gazed around at the city as he spoke.
"Search and rescue" the younger of the two quickly answered. The older instantly agreed, before turning to the third officer and translating. The man nodded as Nate flew down the street, searching for survivors. He stepped carefully into a severely damaged office building, following the sound of a nervous heartbeat. Digging through the rubble, he found a young woman buried under a sheet of plaster and concrete. He lifted her free, using his enhanced vision to check for internal injuries. Careful not to harm her further, he gently lifted her out of the building and returned her to the officers, placing her into their care.
Over and over he went through houses, cars, shops, and more office buildings. Each time he found someone, he would bring them directly to help, before returning to look for more. Over two dozen in all, men, women and children alike. When he was done, the younger of the two officers he had spoken to earlier bowed, thanking him repeatedly. Nate patted the other man on the shoulder after bowing in return, assuring him it was no problem. Just as he was about to leave, a bullet rang through the air. The officer quickly shoved him out of the way without warning, taking the shot in the shoulder. Nate swore, calling for assistance before turning in the direction the shot had come from.
The shot wouldn't have harmed him, yet still to try and shoot him was strange. What reason could they have had? Had someone taken out a hit, perhaps? He frowned, flying in the direction of the shooter once the injured officer was accounted for. He flew through the open window at the top of a six storey tower that had been unharmed by the earthquake. The shooter had gone. The only evidence of anyone else being there was a burnt out cigarette and two left over bullets.
He knelt against the window frame, picking up the bullets. He swore as the metal burnt his hand, letting them fall at his feet. He stared at his hand in wonder. A bright red mark stretched across the width of his palm. "What in the world…?" He muttered to himself, glancing around something to pick the bullets up with. After a few moments, he found a grease encrusted rag lying abandoned on the floor. Picking it up, he knelt , picking both bullets up and wrapping them tightly up with the rag. Slipping it into his boot, he shot out the window, headed once more for home.
–AoS–
He sat at the bench in the barn, gazing at the metal shavings under the microscope. He hummed softly as he adjusted the settings. Music played in the background. He nodded to himself, jotting down more data on the laptop at his side.
"There's definitely something very off with this metal" he told VIOLET, sitting back in his chair. "Problem is, I don't know what it even is, so there's no way of knowing if they've done something else to it. There is a bit of steel in the chemical composition, but there's a hell of a lot more in here. Whatever it is, it doesn't even fall on the periodic table," he picked the remaining bullet up off the table with a pair of tweezers, frowning as he peered at the metal
casing. "There's also this strange symbol as well. The red circle with the six lines jutting out. It reminds me of the Japanese flag, a little bit, but there's this strange Kanji in the middle of the sun here too." He sighed, if he was going to get to the bottom of this, he'd need an expert. Someone in law enforcement, most likely.
–AoS–
NYPD 9:55 AM
George Stacy liked to think he was a diligent man, and a good cop. He worked hard at his job, doing the best he could to make sure the bad guys got locked up and stayed that way. It was to make sure his family and home were safe. He never complained, but with all these superhuman criminals coming out of the woodworks, it just seemed to make for more and more work for his officers. He shut the laptop screen, removed his glasses, and ran his hands through his hair. Maybe a cup of coffee would do him some good, he told himself. A knocking at his window made him jump, twisting around in the chair.
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. He swore at the sight on the other side of the window, leaping to his feet. Piles of paperwork cluttered to the floor as he struck the desk. He scrambled to pick them all up, dropping them l back onto the centre of his desk, sitting them far enough from the edge they wouldn't fall off again. He hoped. Still, the figure on the other side waited, a slight grin on his face. George frowned, stepping forward to unlatch and open the window. Sentinel floated forward a few inches, but he still didn't enter the office. After a moment George realised he was waiting for permission. Glancing around to make sure no one was watching them, he nodded.
"Come in". The other man nodded his thanks, ducking his head as he flew through the window, landing softly on the carpeted floor.
"Nice to officially meet you, Captain". He offered a hand. After a moment's hesitation, George took it. They shook hands.
"What can I do for you, Sentinel. Besides already telling my man to try and arrest you on sight?" The vigilante nodded.
"Thanks for that, by the way. I imagine it's causing some grief with the mayor". George shrugged.
"The mayor's office needs to understand, this is my precinct, and my officers. In this building,what I say goes". He glanced at Sentinel pointedly. The younger man nodded.
"I can respect that". George nodded, moving once more to sit at his desk. He turned his attention up to the still standing hero.
"Now, what do you need?" Sentinel reached into his boot, retrieving a small tightly wrapped piece of cloth. He placed it on the table between it, gesturing to it. George sat forward, unwrapping it as he did. Lying in the centre was a silver bullet, a good size for a high calibre sniper rifle, by the look of it. He reached out, picking it up before the other man could say anything, waving his hands wildly. George frowned.
"Problem?"
"When I picked that up, it burnt my hand", the vigilante explained. George peered at it, before glancing up at Sentinel once more.
"Seems perfectly harmless to me. Not sure why anyone would want a silver bullet though. Are you a werewolf?" He joked. Sentinel shook his head.
"It's not actually silver. It's some kind of unidentifiable alloy. There's a bit of steel in there, though". George nodded once more, placing it back down on the desk.
"Well, I'll have my guys keep an eye out for more. I'll let you know if anything turns up". Sentinel cut him off.
"I got it in Japan. I was hoping you could tell me if you knew what that symbol meant, since you're an experienced cop. Thought you might have seen it before". George slid his glasses back on, peering closely at the bullet once more. He nodded to himself as he spotted the symbol the other man was talking about. It was either Japanese or Chinese, most likely the former.
"I don't know what it is. I've never seen it before, but I do know someone who might. Wait here?" The hero nodded, and George left the office, pulling the door shut behind him.
–AoS–
Nate glanced around the office while he waited. There wasn't a lot in the way of personal effects. It was rather sparse actually. A single mug sat on one corner of the desk, proclaiming the captain to be 'THE WORLD'S BEST COP…NOT A BAD DAD, EITHER!' He grinned. A framed photo sat on the other side, depicting the captain, Mrs Stacy and Gwen grinning for the camera. The photo had been taken at Disney World, in the magic kingdom to be precise. The mouse ears on Gwen's head had been knocked askew. He chuckled softly at the sight.
The door opened, the captain stepped through, holding it open for someone else to follow. A woman who looked to be in her early to mid twenties entered, the captain closing the door
behind her. She wore a black denim jacket over a blue shirt, with a black three quarter length skirt and black riding boots. Her shoulder length brown hair was fastidiously neat. She blinked as she saw him stood there, brown eyes momentarily widening before she regained her composure. She was obviously of Asian descent, though when she spoke, he could not detect an accident.
"Sentinel. Yuri Watanabe. Big fan" she stuck out a hand for him to shake, which he happily took. She bounced the silver bullet in her other hand, catching it deftly before standing it on the table. Captain Stacy returned to his seat.
"Yuriko here says she's seen your bullet symbol once before". Nate turned to regard the other officer, who nodded.
"It's the Yashida Clan. They're Yakuza. I wasn't aware they were in the business of murdering American superheroes though. You sure they were shooting at you?"
He nodded. "Pretty sure, yeah. Might even have hit me if I hadn't been pushed out of the way". She hesitated, obviously alarmed.
"Are you going to look into this?" He nodded, glancing at the offending bullet with a frown on his face. He needed to know what these people were up to. If they had bullets they thought could hurt him…"today?" Yuri asked.
"Well, I've got nothing else to do" he replied.
She turned to Captain Stacy. "Sir, if there's nothing I'm needed here for, I'd like to request to investigate this with Sentinel". Both man turned to her, shocked by the declaration.
"Why?" He asked her. She turned to him.
"I spent a year in Tokyo as a student. I know the language, which you probably don't. Plus, I've got a better idea of what we're looking for. I could be of some help". Stacy frowned, but eventually nodded.
"Finished your paperwork?"
"Yes sir".
"You can go then. Dismissed" she saluted, before turning to him.
"Meet you on the street?" He nodded, still dumbstruck.
She left, shutting the door behind her. Gwen's father shook his head.
"That girl is entirely too obsessed with action for her own good. Look after her, would you? She's a good cop". Nate nodded as he made his way to the window once more.
–AoS–
Tokyo Prefecture, Japan 11:20 PM ( 10:20 AM in New York)
They touched down in Tokyo, on the edge of the city. She grinned as he realised his grip on her. She glanced around in wonder.
"Sure beats Jetsetting everywhere". She grinned. He smirked.
"It's faster, that's for sure". She nodded, humming as she did. He glowed slightly for a moment, his suit transforming into a blue shirt, red jacket, and dark jeans with white converse shoes. He held his arms out.
"How do I look?"
"Like Sentinel in civilian clothes' '. He snorted.
"Everyone's a critic". She giggled.
"So," he began, gazing around at the massive city. "Where do we start?"
"It shouldn't be that difficult, actually," Yuri replied, as she linked her arm with his, "there's not a lot of violent crime in Japan, so they should stand out a bit. We'll do some digging, see if we can find someone to tell us where they're based from now". He nodded thoughtfully, pretending to examine the clothes in the window of a shop as they made their way past. They must have looked odd, Yuri mused, with him towering over her, and her arm wrapped through his.
"So," he asked, speaking soft enough that only she could hear, "where are you from?"
"New York, born and bred," she stated proudly, "my great grandparents immigrated from Japan, before my grandfather was born. How about you?"
"I was born in New York. Lived in the city til I was adopted, then moved upstate." She nodded.
"What do you do for a living, you know, when you're not beating up Gorillas and guys with gravity powers, catching falling planes, or cleaning up after earthquakes?" He was obviously a couple years younger than her. Old enough to be working, but still young enough to be a college student if he'd gone straight there from high school.
He remained silent for several moments, presumably weighing up whether to trust her or not. Finally, he answered. "I'm a student."
She nodded, humming with a smile. That was an important clue. "What's your major?"
"Chemistry. It's how I knew that bullet wasn't regular metal".
"That, and it actually hurt you," she offered helpfully. He nodded.
"That too".
–AoS–
They had been wandering through the city for hours. Watanabe had managed to dredge up several contacts and leads that, whilst promising, had led nowhere. It was as though the illusive 'Yashida Clan' did not really exist. Everyone they had interviewed had sworn to anyone who would listen that they had never heard the name. It was beginning to grow tiresome, though he knew they needed to find these people. Watanabe yawned, rubbing her eyes. He glanced at her.
"You alright?" She nodded stiffly.
"D'you think it's worth booking into a hotel though, trying again in the morning?" He shook his head, patting his chest.
"No wallet. No wallet, no cash, no cards". She blushed. Obviously it had never occurred to her that superheroes didn't typically carry cash.
"Right. Of course. We better keep looking then". He nodded, apologising for the inconvenience. She waved him off. They turned down a side street, heading towards a local 'exotic goods' store one of their previous informants had suggested to Yuri. He could see the store from here. A small, squat timber, nondescript. No different to a dozen other stores they had seen already.
He held a hand out in front of the detective, who stopped abruptly. She frowned up at him. "What is it?"
"I hear something" he hissed back, speaking softly.
"You must have bloody good ears then".
"You could say that".
There it was again, he thought. A soft pattering, almost like raindrops on a tin roof. It was coming from all around them, a constant grating sound on the edge of his hearing. He frowned, scanning the rooftops and using his enhanced vision to peer though walls. There was no one on any of the rooftops. He frowned as his vision fell on the store they had been heading towards. He couldn't see through its walls. It was as though the entire building wasn't really there; all he could see was black static.
He quickly explained to Watanabe. The detective drew her gun, keeping it pressed against her side to conceal it. They approached the door of the building, Nate stood in front of her. He reached for the handle. A small silvery metallic canister rolled up the street from behind them. Yuri frowned, and before he could stop her, knelt to pick it up. As she did so, a thick silver gas leaked out of both ends. Yuri coughed, dropping her gun. He heard it clatter and go off, the bullet slamming into a wooden post.
He smacked the face of his watch, skinsuit materialising over his clothes instantly. As soon as it did, however, he felt light headed. Staggering and clutching Yuri's shoulder in an attempt to keep upright, he fell to his knees. His skin felt like it was on fire. He scratched at his face, then his neck. His back arched violently as his entire body began to spasm. His legs locked together, creating a shockwave as they did so. The pain wracking his body was so agonising he couldn't even focus enough to cry out. He turned to Yuri, snarling at her to run as his jaws seized up.
A second pallet came flying through the air, releasing a thick cloud of sleeping gas mixed with a paralytic. He felt his muscles clench as he slowly lost consciousness.
–AoS–
Stacy residence, New York City 5:50 PM
There was only thirty minutes left until the drive in her mom was taking her, Peter, and Nate was due to open. She'd been trying to call her best friend for the last twenty minutes, only to receive no answers. She'd left multiple messages, even called the phone at the ranch. No one was answering. Her mom knocked on the door, shooting her a sympathetic look.
"No answers huh kiddo?" Gwen shook her head.
"Well I hate to say it, but if we don't leave now, we won't make it in time. Pete just arrived as well. Why don't you come down and say hello?"
Gwen nodded, huffing slightly. She'd known that life as Sentinel would make it harder for Nate to spend time with them, but he'd made her a promise. He never broke those. Despite
herself, she felt dread in the pit of her stomach. Something had to be wrong, she just knew it. But what could she do?
She sighed, running a hand through her hair as she slipped her phone back into her draw. There was nothing else for it. Whatever was wrong with Nate, he would need to handle it on his own, as he always did. She would be no help from here. The best thing for her now was to enjoy herself. Turning to her mother with a plastered smile, she followed her downstairs.
Pete stood in the hall, waiting patiently. His hair was gelled and neatly combed. In place of his normal joke T-Shirts, shorts and ratty sneakers, he wore a neatly pressed buttoned shirt, jeans, and dress shoes. On his wrist was a silver antique watch. He still wore the same thick rimmed glasses. He grinned when he saw her descending the stairs. She waved, and he waved back.
–AoS–
August 31, 2008 Yashida Compound, Japanese Alps 7:12 AM (6:12 PM August 30 - New York)
"Wh-where am…I?"
"Ssh. Hush, Sentinel-San. All will be revealed soon enough, hai?"
"What the hell…did you…use on me?"
"This is not important for you to know".
"Tell him". A firm voice came from somewhere further away.
"Hai,Yashida-Sama", the first voice replied. He felt something being shoved into his nose, and groaned. "Do not worry, Sentinel-San," came the soft, almost soothing voice, "this injection will help purge your system. You will still be dazed, but will be in no danger". Sure enough, he felt the lead weight on his muscles lifting. Slowly, he raised his head, eyes adjusting to the light. He was restrained to a gurney, which had been wheeled up and placed against a wall. It had been sealed into some kind of glass pod. The room beyond had been completely sterilized. Stood in front of him and peering at him nervously was a bespectacled man dressed in slacks with short black hair and black eyes. The man blinked once, turning to a monitor beside the glass pod he was sealed in.
"Doctor?" The harsh voice from before spoke once more.
"Just checking his vitals, sir. All stable." The doctor replied, clearly nervous. He turned to Nate once more.
"There is an extremely rare metal alloy, whose formula was lost long ago. It is all but indescribable, and exceedingly toxic. We do not possess the original formula. However, with the aid of one of our allies, we have been able to produce this metal. It is what our man used in his bullets when he attempted to shoot you. This same compound in a gaseous state was what was used to incapacitate you before you were brought here to the compound. If you attempt to break the glass, the entire pod will flood with the gas. Should you escape the pod, the room will be fumigated. If exposure is concentrated enough, or long enough, it may prove fatal to you."
"Where…where is…Yuri?"
The other voice responded. "Your associate is alive, but currently incapacitated, as you are".
"And why…am I…here?"
"So we can make you an offer".
"Whu..what?!"
"You are a warrior. One we have watched for some time. You are worthy of the Bushido code. There is honour in you. This is something we can respect". Need to keep him talking, while I think my way out of this.
"So what, honour among thieves?"
"A stupid saying. And refutable in this case. You are no thief. Nor am I". He gazed around the room, walking for an escape route. There was only one door, which was closed.
"No. You're no thief, just a murderer". There was a thin, almost imperceptible crack in the lining of the door. It would probably have been impossible to spot by the naked eye of anyone else. Perhaps he could somehow use it?
"I admit, I have killed before. I have ordered a man to kill on my behalf, many times. I am a soldier, I have witnessed terrible tragedies in my time. You are a soldier too, you know. We both are. We fight for the same thing; a better world to give to others, to those too weak to fight for themselves. I am a man of principles. I do not kill children, or those who are defenceless, unless given just cause. The same is true of my warriors. On this I insist".
"What's this got to do with me?"
"As I said, we are men of honour, you and I. The world our fellow man has built, and will continue to build, spits in the face of our honour. We are a dying breed. We must find our place in this new world, or perish, no?"
"If you say so". The other man chuckled. Even the doctor smiled, though he looked less certain.
"I do say so. But that is about to change. The world changed once, with the help of our new ally, the Yashida clan stands on the precipice of changing it again. Consider it, my friend. A brave new world. A world for man of honour. Men such as you and I. I am offering you a chance to be a part of this new world. If you would but stand with me". A plan, or at least the beginnings of one, had begun to take root in Nate's head. If it worked, he could escape and free Yuri. And hopefully stop this mad man in his tracks, too.
"What happens to all the people who aren't 'like you and I'?" he demanded.
"It is rather simple, yuujin. They can either accept our new world, or they can die in their old, broken one. The choice, as history has always shown, is theirs".
"Doesn't sound like a world I want any part of". He replied bluntly.
"So be it. It may be difficult, then, to secure your survival when he arrives. Kazuo!"
Yes, Mr. Yashida?" The doctor replied, looking stricken.
"Complete your experiment. Then give our friend a second dose. Make it fatal this time".
A/N: Well, there you have it. This is the first half of the first two part story line in the story so far. They'll be plenty of action in the next half, don't worry.
The reason that Nate couldn't see through the building in the side street (which was set up only as a diversion) will be explored further next chapter, as will the metal they've been using. (I imagine you can guess already though).
There's also another poll up for people to vote on btw.
As for actors
Yuriko "Yuri" Watanabe - Jamie Chung
Doctor Kazuo Sato - Yoshi Ando
Shingen Yashida - Hiroyuki Sanada