Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not even the shirt on my back.
A/N: I wish I could make some sort of excuse about why this took so long but sadly, I can't. The plain truth is that I started working full time and then bought a whole bunch of anime that I still haven't finished watching yet. In any case, here's the next chapter of Memories of Light. Some of the scenes are rushed but it is entirely on purpose. I'm trying to pull off the kind of storytelling I saw in RahXephon where each bit of dialogue provides a little bit of hint into what's coming up next. Anyway, there are about two chapters and an epilogue left to this fic.
Oh btw, on the off chance you wandered in here wondering about the Final Battle, don't worry about the fic. I'll post the next few chapters when I am done with the whole thing. Meaning, you'll get about four or five chapters at once.
All right, on to the show….
I would just like to say one thing; jumping out of a window is a bad idea. However, jumping out of window when that window is located on a very high floor is the king of all bad ideas. However, being given little choice that's what I had done. On my way down, I had a brief moment to kick myself for my stupidity before my survival instincts took over.
Twisting my body in the air, I reached out one hand and grabbed a ledge. My shoulder wrenched but amazingly held as I came to an abrupt stop. Bracing my legs against the wall kept my body from slamming against the side of the building. A look down revealed that I was only about ten feet or so from the ground. A look up showed a scowling Ruki Makino glaring down at me.
And that's when the alarm went off.
Letting go of the ledge, I dropped down the rest of the way and landed on the floor. The pain in my shoulder was already beginning to fade. It must have been a residual effect of the drug I had taken earlier today. Turning around, I started running towards the main gate. They had shut the gate in response to the alarm but the maintenance truck I had hitched a ride on was parked beside the gate. Apparently it had been in the process of leaving right when they had shut the gate.
There are shouts behind me followed by energy blasts. I dodge back and forth and make it to the truck unharmed. However, as I am jumping up, a blast catches me in the side. Grimacing, I roll up over onto the trucks roof and start running towards the gate. One short jump later, I'm outside the gates.
I nearly lose my balance as I land but ignoring the pain in my side, I start sprinting towards the high grass. There will be pursuit and I need to find some place to hide.
"Are you afraid?"
A low chuckle sounded from the computer monitor. "Events will proceed as I have dictated. I am too old to be so easily cowed."
"And yet, there is a certain hesitancy in you. It is amusing. Does he make you that apprehensive?"
"If it were only him, it would not be such a problem. But there is Ryo and now Ruki Makino as well."
"Using two lovers against each other. Old age has made you cold."
There was silence for a moment. "Just make sure everything goes according to plan." The connection terminated as soon as the sentence was finished.
"Fancy that," Victor drawled. "I seem to have struck a nerve."
Throwing open the door, I stumble into my small apartment. It slams shut behind me as I stagger to the lone computer desk. Grabbing the roll of syringes, I take one out and plunge it into my chest. The feeling of drowsiness hits immediately and I slump onto the floor. As my eyes drift shut, my mind wanders back to the past day.
I managed to give my pursuers the slip as night fell but I have not learned anything about my mission. The only curious thing was that I stumbled onto a base full of IDCF agents. The obvious conclusion, given my history with Gennai, is that there must be a traitor somewhere in that base.
It is my last thought as darkness consumes me.
'You have been feeling uneasy.'
"There is a presence out there. Such a mix of emotions. It intrigues me."
'And you want to see this person.'
"I do."
'The unbelievers are hunting you.'
"I see."
'What will you do?'Ryo smiled, gazing around at the dark empty room. "Give them what they want, of course."
1 Day Later
Ruki looked down at the small portable receiver. "You are sure its him."
"Yes," Victor replied. "Our agents are certain of it. For some reason he's come out of hiding."
"Send me the coordinates." Ruki said impatiently. "And tell your men to back off. Let me confront him first."
"As you wish."
"It is such a pretty day, isn't it?" The woman gazed down at the man whose head was lying on her lap. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be asleep. Grinning, she reached down and pinched his nose shut. He jolted awake with a snort moments later. The woman giggled as he turned to glare indignantly at her. After a moment, he sighed and settled back against her again.
"Isn't it enough that you kept me awake all night," he grumbled sourly. "You said you would let me sleep today."
"But it's such a beautiful day," she protested. "I would never forgive myself if I let you sleep through it."
"Oh, ha ha." The man rolled his eyes. "Just admit that you can't sit idle for one minute without putting me through something."
"The is not true at all. I will have you know it has been exactly ten minutes since we sat down under this tree."
"I'm impressed. That's probably a new record."
The woman laughed, leaning down and brushing her lips across his. "So, come on," she said, straightening, "let's talk."
"What do you want to talk about?"
The woman shrugged. "Tell me about yourself. What did you do those six years you weren't with us?"
A single cherry blossom floated down from the branches above.
"I... that's not something I want to talk about." The man said uneasily.
"Why not? I would love to know what it feels like to kill your parents."
His eyes widened. Another cherry blossom floated down.
"I mean you didn't actually pull the trigger but you were responsible. You worked so hard to get your revenge, leaving so many people dead but really, you were at fault all along. I wonder how many people would still be alive and happy if you had never been born."
A slow wind picked up, causing a steady rainfall of cherry blossoms around them.
"Wha... I.." He tried to sit up but she curled her fists in his hair and pulled back hard. Grunting, he stared up in confusion at a pair of crimson brown eyes, which had been twinkling with laughter just moments earlier. Those same eyes were staring at him with unmasked hatred now. There was a grim expression on her face.
"What did it feel like to murder our son?"
He closed his eyes at that. He could not block his hearing though.
"I told you once that you would burn for me," she whispered, her lips inches away from his ears, "and now, you will."
His clothes burst into flames, his mouth opening in a soundless scream. And through it all, the cherry blossoms continued to fall.
With a start, my eyes snap open. My heart is beating like a drum inside my chest. Taking a deep breath, I struggle to my knees. The computer beeps suddenly and the monitor flickers on. Raising my head, I turn towards it.
"You don't look so hot."
"Bad dreams," I mutter softly. Quickly regaining my composure as best I can, I turn towards the computer. "What do you want, Gennai?"
"Just checking on your mission status. Where do you stand so far?"
"On uneven ground."
"What was that?"
I sigh quietly. "Nothing. I investigated the company as per the file on the computer. Only, I encountered a base full of your agents there. The discharges from the force lance's were a dead giveaway."
"And your conclusion?"
"Ryo is not the only reason you sent me here. You just sent me in to stir up a hornets nest."
There is a soft chuckle from the computer speakers. "I have not heard that saying in quite a long time. Yes, I did send you in because there is a traitor in that base and I wanted to see if you could get him to come out of hiding."
"So, what's next on the agenda?" I question, not making any effort to mask my sarcasm.
"Ryo has come out of hiding."
That statement gets my attention immediately.
"From our current reports, he is headed towards the New York Harbor District via the subway. The train he is on should be passing your nearest location in about thirty minutes. I suggest you find the nearest subway outlet right now."
"And what should I do when I engage him?"
"I'll leave that up to your judgment." The computer screen went blank.
Sighing again, I stare down at my hands. One thing I know immediately is that there won't be a happy ending to this. There rarely is with people like us. Not in real life and not in dreams.
The end, for now.
