Why would these people randomly come together, you ask? It's a good question, and I admit it's one I hadn't thought of…sadly… I guess it might be a good idea to slow down at least a little bit… can't have everyone running off right away, ne?
~*~
'Well, now that Kenshin and jou-chan know how interesting this place is, I think it would be a good idea to see what those guys are up to...' Sano decided there must have been more to the Israeli kids than they were letting on about.
Chava was the first one to notice his return. "Oh, Sano, I'm glad you're back. We decided that since we're so far to the north already, and rather than spend a whole day traveling before we get to do anything, we're gonna head a little farther north first and work our way down!" She practically exploded with excitement before Dina placed a calming hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that... Look, I'm a fighter. It's really all I know how to do. From what I can tell, the country's beautiful, and reminds me a lot of home. That's why I can't travel with you guys." The Japanese teen chose to ignore the astonished looks he received. "I'm gonna get you guys in trouble... Don't worry about me, I know how to handle myself... I have been most of the way around the world, after all... I need to do this on my own, without having to worry about protecting you guys."
The four Israelis sat in a stunned silence as the man they were sure would befriend them, walked out the door.
~
Benny was the first one to find his voice, so he took the liberty of breaking the silence.
"Geez, the nerve of that guy... I can't believe that of all the people on that ship, the Agency had to assign us to him."
"We tried. I wouldn't be surprised if we run into him again."
Dina was the most affected of the four. She gave Adam a hard glare. "You're always the optimist. It scares me to think of what might happen if that comes to pass..."
"We've been through basic training already. Don't forget this is shanat sherut – we'll be able to handle ourselves if it comes to that..."
In the following couple minutes, one could hear a pin drop if listening closely enough, until Chava found the words to voice what they were all thinking.
They won't let it come to that.
~
Meanwhile, Sano made sure to get a good look at the apartment building before he really left. 'I know it probably won't make a difference with my sense of direction, but hey, it's a meal ticket!'
The mountains looked inviting. He started to wander off towards them when he realized that the prospect of leaving town wouldn't be so easy to accomplish. In the foothills already, the streets didn't go straight.
"Kuso... How'm I ever gonna find my way out of this city?" He was about to turn back, but thought better of it after remembering what he'd said to the Israelis.
The Japanese teen looked around him. "I'm such a baka sometimes. Now I'm stuck wandering around until my luck changes, I guess... Who'm I kidding? I have the worst luck of all the people I know." He sat down on the curb. "Well, one thing's for sure, Sagara Sanosuke doesn't dwell on anything long enough to regret his actions. I guess it's time for me to find some food and maybe a place to stay overnight. I can continue my journey tomorrow."
With that, he stood back up and made his way down the street in the opposite direction of Chava's apartment. [It wasn't on purpose, it was just the way he felt like going…]
~
"We should go after him…"
"Correction, ONE of us should go after him, and I don't think it should be you, Dina." Adam gave the girl a look that all but screamed 'Don't start with me.' "We all know you have a crush on him," he continued for the benefit of the other two. "And I don't want to put him in that kind of situation. Even though he doesn't want to admit it, I sincerely believe he has someone waiting for him back in Japan."
"So, who do you think should go?"
"I thought I might go myself, but after contemplating a little longer, I figured Benny would be the best choice. Is that alright with you?" He glanced over at his friend, receiving a small nod in response. "Good, thank you. In the time we've been deliberating, who knows how far he's gotten. We're counting on you. You're the fastest one out of the four of us. I think you also made a special connection to him back at the mall, so please us that to your advantage. If any of us can bring him back, it's you."
"Geez, Adam! I don't think you intimidated him nearly enough," Chava replied after the way-too-serious (for her taste) monologue. "Would you mind sharing with me why exactly this guy is so important?"
"Yes, I would mind! I'm not exactly at liberty to tell you yet, but believe me, as soon as I know it's okay, you guys will be the first ones to know. For now, you'll have to be satisfied with that."
The other two could tell he'd ruffled her feathers quite a bit with that retort. They couldn't be surprised that the Agency had only told one of them, though. Judging by Sano's behavior in only 24 hours, it was easy to tell that he was no mere world-traveler. That was why they were the ones assigned to him, after all...
Benny was growing impatient. "Alright, enough stalling. I'll be back in a little while, hopefully accompanied," he said.
"B'hatzlacha," Dina mumbled to his quickly-retreating figure.
~*~
End Chapter 5
A/N: Will Benny be able to find Sano? And what will happen between Sano and Dina? Even I haven't contemplated that yet… And anyway, what is the Agency, and why are they so interested in our Japanese friend? Trust me, there's plenty more to come!
Tune in next time, 'same bat-time, same bat-channel!' (I just love quoting movies and TV!)
B'hatzlacha – good luck, literally in success