The Whisperer
Disclaimer:"…"
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Chapter 7
-Jindai High School-
Kaname wasn't happy, but she wasn't angry. Sousuke had just run off again. He didn't look too pleased when he left. She asked Kurz and Melissa if they knew anything but they didn't
"Sousuke ain't part of Mithril anymore." Kurz had whispered in her ear. Things were worse from there.
"He's probably off doing Mr. Hero Mercenary for the secret group thing. Let's see how many innocent people get hurt this time." Ono-D was obviously still mad. Since Sousuke left months ago he couldn't be angry at him then. He just worried for Kyouko. Kaname figured he must be referencing his comment to that. Sadly Melissa walked by the classroom just then.
"WHAT?" Everyone jumped as the door burst open. Melissa's rage and her deep breathing caught the attention of a few boys including Kurz. Melissa was too angry to notice.
"What did he tell you exactly?" She had Ono-D by hem of his shirt. He simply raised his hands in surrender. "A few months ago before he left he told us he was a mercenary for some secret group he couldn't tell us about. He said he'd promise to bring Kaname back but…that's all he said he didn't go into detail or nothin'. I mean those two groups were on the news and all."
Melissa let him go and he fell back onto the floor. "When I get my hands on him! He shouldn't be doing that. Ever since Hong Kong he'd been more disrespectful than usual. F#!king little prick." Then she smiled. "Thank god he's finally doing what's right for him."
"That incident in Hong Kong. That was Sagara-kun?" Melissa turned around. Shinji was right behind her. "Shit." Melissa had a lot of explaining to do.
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-Nagasawa Harbor- "Don't say anything"
-6 minutes later-
Sousuke had run as hard as he could to get here in time. He was breathing hard. Luckily he had made it. That would mean he had 20 minutes to get to the Southern end of Japan. He hadn't totally expected this but he doubted that they would have been so quick or reckless. What could they get from a factory? Then something clicked. They couldn't get anything. They were taunting him. Making sure he was still on his toes. He sighed.
"They're just trying to waste my time. Sending 3 of such weak units." He didn't have time to ponder on that anymore as Al landed beside him. Sousuke was awed by what technology could do. But he didn't have time for that either.
Suddenly the chest opened, and Sousuke entered the invisible machine. Disappearing with it.
"Good morning Sousuke" Al quickly greeted as Sousuke was fixed to the machine.
"Morning, Listen we have no time. Show the coordinates exactly." A map appeared on the screen showing the location of enemy units and there supposed destination.
Sousuke clicked a few buttons. "Okay initiate fly mode, and let's get there as fast as possible." Sousuke's eyes had the red tint to them again.
Roger. Initiating flight mode.
No noise was made as openings appeared on the legs, arms, and body of the machine. Suddenly the machine was hovering. Of course being invisible no one could see it. Its head looked straight up and stayed that way. The arms reached backwards at a slant. The legs crossed at the toes of the machine.
"Flight mode initiated. Heading to destination point now." Al's voice reverberated throughout the cockpit.
Sousuke sighed. He read as the screen anticipated 10 minutes to get there.
"Kaname won't be happy." The cockpit was strange. Not like a regular AS. The area for hand controls was a long rubber glove reaching up to the shoulder. It had a strange wire, and little lights running over it. Two metal restraints were holding it along the upper arm, and fore arm. A small silver ring was around the wrist. Two panels were emitting light at the end where the hands could easily access it.
It was similar for the legs. The restraints were around the sigh, and calves. But there was no light screen on the floor. The seat lightly hugged Sousuke as it seemed to attach to his body. Suddenly green lines of light ran throughout the cockpit.
"Sir, system fully synchronized. How are you feeling?" Al's voice was blank. Obviously this was a ritual for the two.
Sousuke grunted. "Still a little tighter than I like but that is necessary for it to be efficient."
"Roger. Sir how have you been doing in Tokyo?" Al sounded worried. Also a hint of sadness was there. Sousuke sighed. Al was getting too human. He worried and was developing emotions. Sousuke just hoped he wouldn't want to be a real human like in a story he heard somewhere. A little wooden boy wanted to be human. He also heard retold versions with the boy being a robot amongst other things. But it was okay. Al was Sousuke's partner. He could live with it.
"I'm alright Al, how are you?" Sousuke didn't smile but he did look up as if he were looking at the machine.
"I am okay." Al didn't sound so sad anymore.
Al had a not being around Sousuke complex. He always had one especially after their first fight together in Khanka, but now he was more emotional about it. Sousuke almost chuckled. Referencing emotions to an AI system. Of course he no longer thought of AL as an AI.
"Sir we are about to reach target destination. Turning off fly mode." With that Sousuke felt as the machine fell to his control and to the shore. The strange AS turned toward the ocean. There they were clear as day. Three thin capsules were coming right at him.
"Al estimated time of arrival." As Sousuke was waiting for the answer the machine pulled a long rifle off its lower back. Sousuke pointed the sniper at one of the opponents.
"Estimated time to arrival…5 minutes left. Distance is 20 kilometers. Al went quiet after issuing the information.
"…" Sousuke was a little surprised. That was faster than usual he thought. Right now Kurz would nice to have around. With that thought Sousuke pulled his finger, the strange AS simultaneously pulled the trigger. The large bullet tore through the one in the center.
"One down." Al counted.
"Shut up." Sousuke was still concentrating however. His next two shots missed.
'I'm going to need to practice that.' Sousuke thought. The machines were close now. Sousuke replaced the sniper on the machines back. He was still invisible.
"Sir the area is clear. The factory is also empty. You do not have to worry about casualties." Al showed Sousuke a map on the main screen.
"What…?" Why would they be headed to an empty area? Sousuke didn't have time to finish his train of thought. One Raptor burst from the capsule. It was a beige thin Arm-slave about 1 yard smaller than Sousuke's AS. It quickly crashed into Sousuke as the other capsule flew by.
"Damn!" Sadly Sousuke had to grapple with the machine in front of him. The raptor had a thin machine. But it had wide shoulders. The head was a triangle shape and had one red eye in the middle. The arms were large as well. The legs were thin until it got to the lower legs which were as wide as the arms.. The cockpit was obviously in the large chest.
Sousuke thought the machine was absolutely awkward. It was meant to use the thin body to curve around an opponent then crush or destroy certain parts in an instant with its' large appendages. The machine was a bit harder to hit due to the thin body but the rest of it made up for that. Unfortunately he didn't have time for this. The other was still on route to a small farming area nearby. Sousuke didn't have time to be angry about the false information. But he did have time to be angry. Suddenly the strange AS ripped the opponent in half. Then light burst from the strange AS's hands as the raptor was crushed together then launched in a ball of light into the ocean.
Sousuke grunted then turned the AS. That was meant as a distraction. Unfortunately it worked. His AS quickly took off after the other offender.
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-Jindai-
It had been 40 minutes, and Sousuke still wasn't back. Kaname was huffing. Her friends the remaining few who didn't want to totally castrate Sousuke, and even the ones who didn't like him had asked Kaname if they were together. The class went silent, postponing their conversations to hear her answer. Even Kurz and Melissa were listening. Kaname figured Sousuke hadn't let it slip to them either. Though Kurz had caught them that once he never saw any progression. She had made sure to quickly reassure she had no feelings for him stronger than a good friend. Since he saved her she owed him that much. That had been ten minutes ago. No one really knew how much it bothered her he was gone again. At least with Mithril she knew he was on missions with teammates, and she could contact him, now she couldn't. Kyouko was sitting next to Kaname, she had probed Kaname for more information from her vacation. Kyouko ended up telling Kaname about her time in the hospital, and afterwards when she returned to school. Now Kyouko was talking to Mizuki, Maya, and Shiori. She decided to leave Kaname alone seeing she was upset. Suddenly a light bulb appeared over her head. She had a cell phone. Sousuke gave her a new one resembling her old one. Except this phone was modified like Kurz and Melissa's. She quickly dialed Sousuke's number.
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-Somewhere in Southern Japan-
Sousuke had almost caught up to the enemy AS. The capsule had opened 30 seconds ago. The AS, though much slower than Sousuke's had a large head start. Sousuke refused to leap towards him just in case there was life on the ground. He didn't want to accidentally crush someone because he had no air brakes. He finally caught the enemy. He pulled the machine backward , and on to the ground.
"Al find his frequency!" The Strange AS was now holding a large pistol to the Raptor's head. The machine did not move. Sousuke was disgusted with how easy this was. He expected this to be more of a problem.
"Frequency located, connecting now." Al confirmed Sousuke's command.
Suddenly the man's scared unsteady breathing could be heard over Sousuke com link.
"What is the point of this?" Sousuke's voice was demanding. If his opponent could see his eyes he'd probably notice the demand in them too. The man didn't reply obviously still too afraid to speak. Sousuke knew asking who he was would be pointless. He knew who he worked for already. He just needed the reason for this.
Suddenly Sousuke's phone began to ring. "Al take over." The strange AS's grip on the trigger loosened a bit indicating Al was in control of that hand.
Sousuke wondered who the hell would call him now. If it was Kurz…
His thoughts fled as he read the caller I.D. Chidori Kaname it read.
"Don't move!" Sousuke ordered his pinned opponent. Unfortunately some locals were coming outside to see what was caused the loud noise, and shaking of there houses.
Sousuke flipped open the phone with his free hand. "Sagara speaking…"
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-Jindai-
"Sousuke." Kaname wasn't in the mood to scream or get anyone's attention. She had been worried this whole time. He was lucky he gave her the damned phone.
"Where are you…and why did you run off?" Unfortunately Kaname's nearby friends. Kyouko, and that decided to try to eavesdrop.
"Uhh…" Sousuke would be sweating now, she knew it.
"Sousuke not this again just tell me what is going on." Kaname was beginning to get irritated. She was living with just the name he gave her. She wasn't going to prod him for too much information too fast. But if this was going to happen, he'd better be able to give her answers soon, if not now.
"I'm afraid that is…"
"Soooouuusuke…" Her voice was sweet too sweet. Not as sweet as when she woke up next to him but still sweet nonetheless. But Sousuke heard the danger in her voice. If he didn't come up with answers he'd have hell to pay, or worse.
"Uhh…Kaname I'm in the middle of an interrogation right now." Luckily Sousuke had made sure his opponent couldn't hear him or he might take advantage.
"Why are you interrogating someone?" Her voice was still sweetly sinister. She had a the look of a content cat on her face. Luckily he didn't know that.
"Kaname…" she listened as he took a moment to swallow. "I left to…"
"OKAY I"LL TALK JUST DON"T HURT ME!" Kaname removed her ear as a mans' voice screamed into the phone but it still sounded a bit different.
"Kaname one moment." Sousuke was about to turn on his communications to the man when he heard her talking again.
"Don't you dare put me on hold! What the hell is going on?" Now she didn't care who heard. Lunch would be ending soon, and she needed answers now.
"Uhh…Kaname may I explain later. This is important." He was determined a moment ago then Kaname calls, and it's gone.
Kaname sighed she made sure Sousuke could hear it.
"Fine but you better explain later. Bye" Kaname didn't give Sousuke a chance to say goodbye as she quickly hung up, and closed her phone. She turned to Kyouko and her friends.
"It's not a problem."
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-Outside a small farming village in Southern China-
Sousuke sighed. He needed to learn to overcome her. He decided he'd try later. Now was not the time to be thinking how to overcome Kaname. He reopened communications with the man.
"Tell me the point of this." Sousuke was focusing on him again. The finger to the Arm-slave pulled the trigger as Sousuke blew off the thin upper arms and legs of the machine. He heard the man's croak of fear.
"I don't know. Some test run. Just don't hurt me. I wasn't told anything beyond come here and do some damage." The man began to cry. Sousuke glared at the screen. The upper body of the Raptor still in view.
Sousuke figured the man would be just a grunt but was hoping for at least a little information.
The man began to speak again. His voice still upset.
"Hey..buddy sob…Good…bye." Sousuke was confused then he realized what he meant. Sousuke quickly looked at his screen. The casualties were small but one casualty was too much.
He heard the man chuckle. Suddenly the machine in front of Sousuke lit up.
"Damn it!."
Suddenly the machine blew up. Damn instant self-destruct buttons. The people faces were in shock as they realized their doom. Mothers were holding children. People quickly grabbed each other. The explosion quickly rushed to them.
A strange sound could be heard as the explosion crashed against a wall of light. People watched in fear as the explosion dissipated, and the light vanished. When the smoke finished disappearing into the air the people saw nothing but the destroyed area. Trees were gone grass was destroyed but at least it wasn't an actual farm spot. They could go on.
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