Author: Mirrordance

E-mail: mirror_dance@hotmail.com

Title: "Eye of the Storm (Ground Zero)"

Type: series, action

Warnings: violence, language

Spoliers: not much that I could think of

Teaser: When Japan gets involved in an unnatural virus outbreak, Kritiker's best team is sent to the United States of America to try and stem the disaster

Keywords: Weiß, action

"Eye of the Storm"

Part 2

a WKff by Mirrordance

don't own anybody…

      Ran flanked Yoji, who headed straight for the desk, where a lady was looking at them in avid interest.

      Old trick, Ran figured, for the blond to charm his way into some useful information.  The flirtatious opening, the sexual double-meanings, and eventually the useful stuff.

      Eventually.

      It took Yoji three minutes.  Ran counted because he couldn't help but keep glancing at his watch.

      The woman handed them keys to a room.

      "Come on," Yoji said in a low voice, "She says the man checked in three days ago, right after he had arrived from the cab.  He paid her a big advance, then has not been out of his room since.  She says he doesn't ask for anything, just in the beginning when he said he didn't want to be disturbed.  And uh… she said she passes by that door all the time and uh… doesn't smell a body"

      Ran nodded, and the two men walked briskly, following the number of the room, and the directions the woman had provided.

      "By the way," added Yoji, "I told her the guy's my dad, so she gave me the keys.  Just so you know, in case she asks you or something"

      Ran's uncle, Yoji's dad.  This was getting more and more colorful.

      They opened the door with extreme caution.

      An inhuman exclamation was sounded, seemingly from the bottom of the very pits of hell.  The creature that stood before them looked as if it came from there, all right.

      It was bipedal, tall and muscular, tainted a shade between black and green.  The eyes were wide and a glowing yellow.  It was somewhat scaled, had claws and sharp teeth on a wide head.  It was wearing clothes that tattered at the edges from his big size.

      Yoji could distinctly feel Ran frozen beside him, looking at the creature that seemed just as afraid of them. 

      With a growl, the creature made a lunge straight for the window, shattering glass and plummeting to the ground below.

      "Shit!" Yoji muttered, dashing towards the window and looking gown.  The creature was nowhere to be found.  He looked past the parking lot below, into the horizon.  The motel was built next to a forest, not surprising since they were out of the city and nearer to the country here.

      "Shit, shit, shit!"
      Yoji whipped around to look at what Ran was doing.  The redhead was standing where the creature had, in front of a long, low cabinet.  There were vials there, and tubes and improvised gear that looked scientific.  A mini-microscope that could be purchased in a toy store too.  In their shock at seeing a… a… monster, they hadn't even noticed what it was doing.

      "Is this for real or what?" whispered Yoji, "We have a freaking monster-doctor"

      The two men turned at the sound of running.  Ken, Omi and the motel owner appeared in a quick succession by the door.

      "What have you done?!" the lady exclaimed hysterically.

      Ran looked to Yoji for an answer.

      The blonde grinned and shrugged.  "Domestic problem"

      "Cass?" Omi called to the American Kritiker agent over the phone.

      "Yup?"
      "I want you to send me everything you can round up about Darrell Pharmaceuticals," said Omi, shifting on the bed inside what had been Dr. Izumida's room.  Weiß were camping in.  "I've got some stuff," he continued, "But since you're I and R, I think you'll be so much better at it than I am"
      "You got it," she said.  Omi could hear her rapping at a keyboard. 

      "Thanks," he said as he hung up, and started to download the information.  As he waited, he used the number Race had left them with.

      It took him seven rings before answering.

      "What?" Race asked, sounding annoyed and tired.

      "I'm sitting in Dr. Izumida's hotel room," said Omi, "There's no Doctor Izumida, and you won't believe what we found in his place"

      "Is the cure there?"
      "We have no idea what the hell is here"
      "I'm flying over"

      Ran squinted against the sun, shading his eyes.

      He, Yoji, Ken and a local ranger made their way across the forest, looking for the monster.  The ranger was a man with financial troubles, and was all-too-pleased to yield to the desires of three Japanese tourists looking for some adventure for a decent price.

      Briggs headed the troupe, finding no need for a map for he knew the place 'like the back of his hand.'  The three men followed him cautiously as he ratted on about local history and bears and wolves, weapons concealed but at the ready.

      The last monster they had dealt with was an engineered version of one of the Takatoris.  That had been hellish, to say the least.  A tentacled, big mass of disgusting sewer green.  Ran had a profound distaste for biological tampering.  First with the Takatori's mutations, and now this virus…

      "How long'll you boys be gracin' our community?" asked Briggs.

      "We're not sure, really," Yoji replied distractedly, looking around for any sign of movement.  "There's a whole lot of America to see"
      They surveyed the forest 'til the sun set, at which time their guide said he would have to take them back; even the most experienced can get lost after dark.

      They found no doctor, nor the monster that seemed to have taken his place.

      The plastic that covered the shattered window, however, was screaming proof that the monster did exist, and had escaped.  The scientific mumbo-jumbo on the cabinet was proof that the monster had to have had at least some knowledge of science.

      Race examined it cautiously, with gloves and some other protective gear.

      "Well," he said, tearing of his gloves and found it safe enough to throw in the room's garbage bag, "He was definitely working on big stuff.  The gear's improvised, but works perfectly.  He was setting up for some cultured samples.  He left two, actually.  I'm going to need a better microscope than his little toy, but I have a feeling I'm looking at human hybrid cells"
      "So we did see a monster," Yoji said with relief.

      "So Izumida didn't sell out," murmured Omi, "he's here, he's a mutant"
      "But where's the cure?" pointed out Ken, throwing open some cabinets; it was done more out of frustration than search, because it has been done hours before, fruitlessly.

      "This is getting screwier and screwier," muttered Race, sitting on the bed.  "The seven cases have it all right.  Same strain as the others"
      "Anyone else looking for a cure?" asked Ken, "In case we don't find the good doctor monster guy?"

      "Of course," Race replied, "but without much success.  Izumida had a huge head-start.  The others have to secure samples, take them to the proper labs, legitimate search for cures have to have papers and wages and legalization blah-blah's, map out a sequence, find out how to kill it… we're looking at a pretty long time, here.  Much, much more than four days"
      And four days were all the seven people had left.

      "Any connection between the victims?" asked Yoji.

      "None that we can find," said Race, "save for the relative closeness to a Darrell lab.  I'll give you the names, so you can go have a look yourselves"
      "Thanks," said Omi, studying what Cass had sent in.  There were twenty-five branches of Darrell in America, spread out evenly.  It was an old company that had recently expanded, too quickly, in Omi's opinion, which was justified enough in light of the company's losses.

      Darrell Pharmaceuticals used to be a promising group, associated with a certain Panorama Industries until the deal went sour and both execs walked away from it, Darrell on top.  Now, years after that, Panorama was nowhere, and Darrell plunging in the markets.

      The strange thing was… dying as the company was, someone WAS buying up Darrell stock.  Of course, this can be attributed to opportunists who are buying up controlling shares, then hoping the value will rise again someday, and what they bought cheap they could sell at a higher price.

      Omi frowned, looked up who was buying the stock and found… ghost accounts.  Names in banks that all belong to one man…

      "Don't you look serious," Ken told him lightly, then shushed when Omi told him to.  No one wants to interrupt a frustrated genius…

      That one man was Panorama Industries' old chief executive officer, Michael Madden.  Panorama hadn't died, Omi found out.  It changed its name to One World Industries, and became a conglomerate.  Which meant it was a group made up of various companies, ranging on the eclectic.  But One World, while extremely successful, is known for tainted acquisition programs-- basically, that they have been accused of stock manipulation, and hostile takeovers of companies.

      Madden knew how to play the game.  First, he unleashes a virus to frame up Darrell Pharmaceuticals.  The company closes down, sells out stocks at a cheap price.  He buys controlling shares and eventually owns the entire company.  He resurrects it with a cure.

      So, if all goes as he planed, he has his revenge, he has the company, he has the cure, eventually the money and the recognition.  The plan had been elegant, and nearly perfect.

      The only flaw, was that he has now been found out. 

      "So," asked Ken, after Omi told them of what he had discovered, "Where does Dr. Izumida fit into all this?"
      "I don't know," Omi admitted, "What I do know, is that Madden is out there, infecting people.  We may not have the cure yet, but we can prevent anyone else from being infected"
      Ran mulled it over.  "Where the hell is Madden?"
      "In his palace over in Beverly Hills," Omi said.

      "Wait, wait," Race said, suddenly remembering that he was in a room with TRAINED ASSASSINS.  "I'm finally getting the thread of this conversation," he lowered his voice in a panic, "You're actually going to kill the guy?!"
      "That's what we do," Ran said pointedly.

      "I'm not going to stand by and let you!" snapped Race, voice still ridiculously lowered, "Damn it, we're going for legitimate stuff now, not, not… poetic justice!"
      "It depends on how cooperative he will be," decided Ran, "We won't kill him outright, that's not how we work.  Answers first"

      Race sighed.  "Shit."

      His phone rang, and he pulled it out of his pocket and excused himself.

      He came back looking grim.  "Three more cases.  In Hawaii, this time.  I have to go there"

      Ran nodded and turned to Omi.  "I want you with me in Beverly Hills.  We're going to get answers from Madden.  Ken and Yoji, stay here and look for Doctor Izumida"

      Another phone call.

      "Cass?" asked Omi, settling himself on the seat of the airplane, just before taking off.  "I need to get in contact with Michael Madden"

      "That's a tall order, buddy"

      "What? Can't do it?"
      "No, I just want you to remember it's tough, and I could"

      Dawn was just breaking, when Ken and Yoji ventured into the forest in cautious steps.  Ken's weapons were raised and ready, backing up Yoji, whose hands were full.

      With a tray filled with food.

      "Breakfast of champions," he declared boldly earlier that day, after rousing their host to come up with deliciously lethal set of bacon, eggs, sausages and whatever else they could find.

      The mood then had still been light.  But here in this forest… everything changes.  They had been here just yesterday and yet nothing was familiar.  Fog seemed to come out of everywhere, obscuring their view after three feet.  The trees looked like ghosts and shadows.

      "Tell me," Ken said through grit teeth, "What the hell we're doing here again"

      "Courting," Yoji said softly.

      "And why just now?"
      "The idea just came to me," said Yoji, "that the doctor must be famished after a night out here"
      They walked for awhile in silence, before Ken paused to regard their environment. 

      "What?" Yoji asked, wondering what the brunette could have sensed.

      "Nothing," Ken said, "It just occurred to me that we shouldn't go too far.  We don't know the way back"

      "…Good point"
      "Yoji…"
      "When we find Izumida," said Yoji, "He'll get us out"
      "Maybe he's as lost as we are--"

      A sudden movement, just beneath their line of vision.

      "Shit!" exclaimed Ken, falling to a ready stance, as Yoji lowered the tray cautiously to the ground and did the same.

      --

      "Dr. Izumida?" Ken called out warily.

      But it wasn't.  A roar made him turn quickly toward the sound, and a paw came out of the fog to lash out at his back, sending him tumbling forward and colliding against a tree.

      Yoji turned too, to look straight at a rampaging bear.

      "Ken?" he called out, but the soccer player was still seeing stars.  Besides, one couldn't outrun a bear…

      "Stupid plan," he muttered, not doubting the fact that the bear had been attracted by the food.  He wished he had thought about Briggs and his wolves and bears from yesterday, before coming up with this shit of an idea.

      So what do all the survival guides say? Pretend you're dead and… hope for the best.  That's what they say in National Geographic and Discovery Channel.  That's what it says in Aesop's Fables too.

      Muttering a curse, he slowly sank to the ground and lain there, shutting his eyes close, never thinking in a million years that this would be the horrid way he would die--

      He felt the weight of the bear, coming, coming, coming… he fancied he could feel its warm breath too, though that could have been his imagination, for the next thing he knew, he heard the bear roaring in the near distance--NOT, thankfully, on his face.

      He opened one eye, then another.  He raised his head and stared in wonder as the monster doctor fought against the bear, easily.  The first idea that crossed Yoji's mind was that he should take Ken and run for their lives; these were two predators fighting over a meal (and he wasn't just thinking about the food on the tray).  But even if the monster was more animal than human, Yoji decided to hold his ground.  They had a mission.

      The bear was downed without much trouble, and eventually just quit and ran away.  The monster focused glowing eyes on Yoji.

      "You all right?" asked the gruff voice.

      "Yeah," replied Yoji, pushing himself up and moving towards Ken, who was conscious but confused, slumped against the tree.  "You okay, Kenken?"
      He blinked a few times, focusing on Yoji's face, catching his breath.  "Give me a minute"

      Yoji nodded, and looked at the doctor, who was staring at the meal. 

      "That wasn't very smart of you," the doctor commented.

      "We got to you, didn't we?" Yoji asked with an insufferable grin, "thought you might be hungry, doc"

      The three men sat in a loose triangle, as the monster doctor wolfed down on breakfast.

      Ken and Yoji politely waited for him to finish before they began their questioning.

      "Ah…" the doctor said with satisfaction, looking even more frightening when he actually grinned at them. 

      "Would you mind telling us," Ken said, rubbing at his sore back, "What the hell happened to you?"
      Did those golden eyes dim, for just a moment?

      "I started to have strange symptoms in the airplane," he replied, "I thought I was just sick.  Then I started seeing… the scales"

      "Why'd you hurt Ran?" asked Yoji.

      "I was afraid," the doctor admitted.

      Yoji's eyes narrowed, understood.  A scientific mind, of course, would fear what would be done to HIM if he were suddenly an object of scientific interest.  No doubt of it, the doctor must have had swirling thoughts of, of being dissected or some such thing.

      "And the thing was," said the doctor, "I had the cure for the virus, right? So it hadn't been that hard to come up with a vaccine.  I injected myself with the vaccine before leaving, knowing I would be exposing myself to danger.  Then the scales started to come.  I thought maybe my cure has that side effect.  So I was a mutant, without a cure.  I had to run away, at least, until I could find the answers"

      "So was it?" asked Yoji.

      "Was it what?"
      "Was mutation the side effect?" asked Yoji.

      "That was what I had been trying to investigate," said Izumida, "I was testing my cells in that God-forsaken microscope, when you came along.  But I was also starting to look at the possibility of… sabotage"

      "By whom?" asked Ken.

      "I don't know"

      Yoji nodded, assimilating this.  "So where's the briefcase? The one where the supposed cure is?"
      "I hid it," replied Izumida, "So no one could steal it, and so no one can get exposed to it, if indeed it were a mutagen"

      "More cases have just been reported," said Yoji, "We don't have much time.  If we can get you access to a lab… how long would it take you to investigate and re-create a cure?"
      "Two days, no more," Izumida guaranteed boldly.

      Yoji nodded, and dialed Race Gardner's number.

      Yoji's face appeared on the screen of the computer.

      "What are you wearing?" Omi asked, eyes wide as he looked at Yoji, wearing a white coat, with the background as a laboratory.  A… monster was working there too.

      "We have Dr. Izumida," Yoji reported, "I called Race, asked him how much he's in charge of this disaster, and told him I needed a lab.  He gave me a portable one, communications gizmo included.  Of course, I had to pretend I was some brilliant Japanese doctor, so he would have justification of leaving this to me.  We're still near the motel; we couldn't really take Dr. Jeckyll very far"

      "I heard that"

      "I'll explain at length later," said Yoji, grinning at the monster, "How are you guys doing from that end?"
      Yoji looked at where Omi was; the kid was dressed in an elegant tuxedo, sitting in what looked to be a hotel suite.

      "Cass got us contact," Omi replied, "As of today, while you're over there playing doctor, we're over here playing…Takatori"
      "What do you mean?"
      Omi winced.  "The only way we could get into the Inner Circle of High Society out here, is to be powerful and rich.  So we rigged the records, had the rumor mill going, that the only surviving Takatori is inheriting everything, and going to pick up where father left off"
      Yoji looked intensely at the younger man's face.  Deprived of his memories, Omi had discovered that he was part of the evil dynasty that was ruling Japan's underworld.  He had to kill his own brothers.  That had been hard enough, to turn away from blood.  And now here he was, claiming it again for a mission.

      "Are you okay?" Yoji asked.

      "Yeah," Omi replied, "I just want to get this over with"

      "Where's Ran?"
      "He's playing my personal bodyguard," Omi answered, "He's outside, making the final arrangements.  Where's Ken?"
      Yoji chuckled.  "He hates me, but understands.  Ol' Clumsy will NOT get within a meter of a glass test tube with an incurable virus in it, if you know what I mean"

      "Yeah," Omi laughed, "Well, I have to go.  Wish us luck tonight"

      Ken kicked at a stone, miserably strolling in a nearby park with his hands in his pockets.

      Of course he understood why Yoji wanted him OUT of that lab-- but he didn't have to like it.  Around the shop, he had always been the one to break things, spill 'em, drop 'em.  It's surprising how he never screws up that way in missions, or in a soccer field.

      Jutting his chin up at some internal encouragement, he told himself, that he's good wherever it matters most.

      A soccer ball came flying his way, and more in instinct than anything, he took control of it with his head, bounced it twice, lowered it to his knees, then to the ground.  A bunch of kids were watching him, running after their ball, looking fascinated.

      "How'd you manage that?" one of the boys asked him boldly.

      Ken grinned and answered.

      He's good wherever it matters most…

Beverly Hills, California

      "Ready?" Ran asked him, before the they stepped out of the limousine.

      "As ever," Omi breathed, with a slight smile to assure the older man, "Let's just do this"

      "Good luck," Mabel said, giving them a wink from the driver's seat, where she sat, wearing a chauffeur's uniform.

      The limo stopped by the wide rotunda of the big white mansion where Michael Madden was having a luncheon party.  Even from outside, Omi could see the expensive cars lined along the landscaped gardens, and glamorously dressed people coming in and out of the house.  From outside the gates of the estate, Omi noted the society photographers who snapped pictures of the Inner Circle.

      "Here we go," Omi said as Ran opened the door and stepped out first, then flanked Omi as he strolled down the red carpet to the door, holding onto his invitation.

      The doorman greeted Omi warmly, and nodded warily to Ran, as the two Japanese men walked coolly across the lobby following the long red carpet down to the ballroom where everyone was.

      Omi's eyes scanned the room for their host, and found the well-built, middle-aged man laughing amongst friends.  Madden emanated raw power in his voice, his stance.  Omi's eyes cooled, even as his blood burned.  He had a ruthless side too.

      Madden met his gaze, and excused himself from his party, making his way toward the young man.

      "Ah…" said Madden, "Mamoru Takatori"

      "Yes," nodded Omi, "Mr. Madden"

      "It's Mick to my friends," said the older man, putting a hand on Omi's shoulder and ushering him forward to the thickening crowd, "Because of my bonds with your late father, that courtesy is extended to you"

      "I accept it," Omi said, "I'm young, Mick.  But I'm a man of vision.  Once my inheritance of all the Takatori assets is well-founded, I plan to expand it to heights even my father never imagined"

      "Of course," agreed Mick, "I think I have the proposition for you, my friend.  But not tonight.  Pleasure must always come first, before anything else"

      Omi's eyes narrowed in irritation.  Ran fondly thought that Omi was playing the spoiled child extremely well.

      "I've not much time for such trivialities," he said.

      Madden's brow rose.  There was a distinct tension in the air, of two stubborn men vying for what they want.

      Madden was the one who gave in.  Takatori was a valuable investor, and he would need all the friends in high places internationally, for when he springs his big cure on the market.

      "Very well," he said, "to my office, then?"

      "Yes," agreed Omi, following the host.  Ran tailed them both indiscreetly.

      "You alone," Madden said, looking pointedly at Ran.

      "He is my bodyguard," said Omi, "You do not have anything to worry about"

      "Alone," Madden insisted.

      "Very well," Omi said, deciding he should be the one to give in this time.  It made Ran stiffen, but so as not to cause suspicion, followed Omi's orders to await his return.

      The door of the study closed.

      Omi scanned the room.  It was obviously the most private of Madden's quarters.  It really was his main office, then, predictably.  A businessman of Madden's sort knew he had to butter up the possible clientele, and gave Mamoru Takatori the absolute best.

      And, being the most private of quarters, it also would mean that the room would not be bugged.

      Perfect.

      Omi brought out a dart from his sleeve, and released it against Madden's arm.  Mick had but a moment of surprise before he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

      Keeping calm, Omi headed for Mick's computer and started to access the security files, finding out which place was guarded and by how many men.  Then he rigged the security cameras into a fifteen-minute loop, to give him and Ran time to escape with Madden.

      "We're clean," Omi said into the hidden communication link on his collar to Ran.  Within a minute, Ran stepped into the room and looked at the fallen Madden.

      "Tell Mabel to be there the moment we're out the secret exit," Ran said, studying the layout of the house in the computer, which matched the one Cass had sent them before they planned the mission.

      Omi did so, then grinned at Ran.  "Wow.  We have ten minutes to spare.  Piece of cake"

Atlanta, Georgia

      Ken laughed as the kids tried vainly to copy what he had just done with the soccer on his head.

      "Look at what you're doing!" he advised with a grin, "keep your eye on the ball, not too much, not too much! You'll break your nose that way--"

      The ball rolled away, and the entire group of kids ran off after it, each one wanting to be the first.  Ken remained where he stood, waiting for them to get the ball and come back.  But his eyes narrowed cautiously as the group paused in the near distance.

      "Hey!" he called, "what's going on?"
      They turned to him and motioned for him to come over.  Ken jogged towards where they stopped, and found a man lying on a park bench half-obscured by overgrown trees, with his back to them.

      "Back up, back up," he told the kids.  Ken figured the man had to be some kind of a bum, if he was just sleeping here like that.  Ken sighed and headed for the ball, which had rolled under the bench.

      His fingers had just brushed it when the man on the bench grabbed him by the shoulder.  Ken held his breath at the grotesque sight.

      "Help me…" the man said.

      Ken could not get his stare away from the man's face.  There were patches of red and purple there, as if he was bleeding inside, though there were also tracks of blood from his eyes, nose, ears and the corners of his mouth.

      "Help me…" the man begged.

      The man's grasp on his shoulder dug as its owner's desperation grew.  The warmth of his flesh burned through the fabric of Ken's clothes.  In that instant, he knew the virus had hit Atlanta.

      "Kids…" Ken said cautiously, "Back up, okay? Go home.  I'll take care of the sick man"

      "But my soccer ball--"

      "You don't want to get sick, do you?" Ken said, "Come on.  Go home.  It's okay"

      He breathed relief when he heard them scamper off.  Ken looked at the man's face.  "What happened to you, sir?"
      "I don't know," the man croaked, then started to cough.  Ken was suddenly acutely aware that he could be next, but the man's grip was tight and unyielding.

      "Shh," Ken said, "I'll get help, okay? I'll get help"

      With shaking hands, Ken pressed for his communication link with Yoji.

      "Yup?" replied the blonde.

      "Yoj…" Ken said, "Call for an ambulance, will you? And go for those who know the precautions in handling a hemorrhagic fever"

      "What the hell have you gotten yourself into now?"
      Ken winced, almost laughed at the scold.  "You know those pictures of victims we've been seeing? I'm face to face with the real thing right now"

      "Ken…"
      "I'm fine," said Ken, "it's not airborne, right? I'm okay.  But this man isn't.  Hurry up, Yoj.  He's real sick"

      Yoji arrived in the scene just as the paramedics he had sent in did.  What was different was that the paramedics were wearing biohazard suits, and that no one would let him get close to Ken.

      "What the hell--?" Yoji asked.

      "Just a precaution, sir," he was told.

      "Ken!" he called out, when he saw his friend being loaded in a separate ambulance.  Ken waved and grinned, before the doors were sealed.  The paramedics left, but some crew remained to seal up the area.  Yoji watched the unfolding events with a bad sense of foreboding.

      His phone rang, and he answered it.

      "Race," he said, recognizing the number.

      "Bad news," said Gardner, "Yoji, the virus in Hawaii… there's no connection to a Darrel lab at all.  It's gone airborne"

      Yoji's fingers numbed, and the phone fell to the floor, as he remembered Ken's smiling face.