Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Armored Core series. That belongs to Agetec and From Software. I only own the original characters. Thank you.

In TALON's Grasp

by: T.R. Fanatic

Chapter 12: H.P.

Tsubasa sat down, across from where Kaze sat at the meeting room table. "You know what Project H.P. is, correct?" he asked.

Kaze silently nodded. "What's worse is that I, along with my older brother were witnesses to one such experiment."

"When was that?"

"Two years ago. When our father gave us a tour of Murakumo. The day before B-3 was attacked by Nine-Ball."

"And you refused to be a part of this experiment?"

"Of course. After seeing what sort of hell the patients go through..."

Tsubasa sighed. "You are a smart one... I wished I had the chance to go back and tell my father the same thing..."

Kaze's eyes widened. "You mean... you've undergone the experiment?"

Tsubasa nodded, emotionless. "I cannot believe you did not noticed... The way that I look and the way that I act around others are the side effects that I have endured over the years..."

"I thought that was the way that you naturally looked and acted."

"That is what I let you think... I have not told anyone else at the base about this... You are the first."

"Why are you telling me this, aside from the fact that we're the only ones that know about the H.P. Project?"

Tsubasa took a deep breath. "What I will tell you might shock you... It is about what you said when you were recovering in the hospital..."

Kaze swallowed. "What about it?" he asked with a nervous tone.

"I remember... You came in unconscious and only with minor injuries: a few broken bones and a gash along your right eye... It should not have taken you six months to recover from injuries like that..."

Kaze's jaw dropped and he fell silent... He knew where Tsubasa was going with this. "You mean..." he said, fighting back tears. "...That I'm just like you?"

Tsubasa nodded. "And what is worse is that I witnessed you endure hell... Not once... but three times..."

"...And that was without my consent!" Kaze hissed in anger. "Who ordered those experiments? Do you know?"

Tsubasa nodded. "Ryouken Ishikawa. One of Murakumo's top executives and father to oldest son, Hiro and youngest, Kazuma."

"My father... and don't call me by that name!"

"Sorry..."

Kaze sighed, trying his best not to let this news get to him, when he was hit by an observing question. "If I'm like you, how come I don't act like you?"

"Everyone reacts differently to these experiments... Out of the one-thousand people, including you and me, the most common side effect documented, at twenty-five percent, was loss of feeling emotions, followed by loss of natural hair color... I am considered to be one of the twenty-five percent...

"However, we are among the lucky ones. In uncommon cases, patients that were recovering from the experiment somehow were driven into insanity. And half of them, to such extremes, were executed, either by the help of a task force or by themselves..."

Maybe ignorance is the key... Kaze thought to himself. "But, I still don't get it..."

"What do you not get?"

"I don't feel any different than before all of this had happened..."

Tsubasa folded his arms and closed his eyes. "Then I guess you are just one of the very lucky ones, right?"

"I guess..."

Tsubasa slightly nodded. "I do not know if this has happened to you at any given time, but... have you ever sensed the presence of Nine-Ball?"

"I can't say that I have... Why do you ask?"

"The two encounters of that certain AC that Chief talked about... Before those missions even started, I knew that he was going to appear. A prophecy, if you will."

"If you knew he was going to come during this mission, why didn't you join us?"

"I had to make sure this time... The first time I prophecized this, I did not take it seriously."

Kaze nodded. "Okay... Listen, if you do get one of these 'prophecies' again, could you join the team that Chief sends out? I mean, you're a good pilot... Hell, one of the best!"

"...Of course. That was my plan all along. Besides, I have some unfinished business of my own to take care of, as well..."

"You've had a run-in with Nine-Ball, too?"

Tsubasa got up from his chair. "I am sorry." he said walking to the hallway where the sleeping quarters resided. "I have said too much..."

The silent Kaze got up as well. But instead of going to his room, he walked over to the garage where his AC, Mecha, stood on the platform, awating the next mission.

The Human Plus Project... he thought, looking into the AC's eyes. Next generation of humankind? Yeah, right. Just forced to be gifted. To be better than everyone else! He hung his head sadly. I didn't even know it, bro. I'm sorry for not keeping our promise about that... He looked up at Mecha again. As for Nine-Ball...

"We'll get 'em..." Kaze said. "We'll get 'em next time, bro... I promise!"

To be continued...