Catyph
Author: Nekocin
Warnings: none other than OoC, Kai is so stiff.
Pairing: very mild implied HitoshiBrooklyn
Additional notes: (not yet) yaoi, Kai's PoV, loosely based on "Kill the crows of three thousand worlds", manga-styled writing n.n;
Disclaimer: Beyblade belongs to Aoki Takao. "Kill the crows of three thousand worlds" and the name Purple Heaven belongs to Tsumori Tokio. Gucci doesn't belong to me. The fanfiction belongs to me though.

1.

13482
M-HQ - Tenth Shock
359 AM - Military Time

It's in the early hours of Thursday when Kai and Takao report themselves to the Tenth Shock's Military Headquarters. They aren't surprised when the receptionist mentions that the Colonel would be expecting their presence at eight--4 hours later.

It isn't quite uncommon to be at the destined place much earlier than expected for it was Kai who did the driving. He is the one who makes sure that they are always on time. But for some reason, still unknown to his partner, Kai has decided to haul Takao's snoring ass before the first sun rays winks above the horizon. There isn't any daylight yet!

Takao had sleepily slipped on his uniform, did not complain about the ungodly hour at which he was rudely awakened and ignored Kai's snide comment about his body odor. Usually, he would complain, complain and complain some more about his partner's heartlessness and painstakingly always-on-time habit, until Kai cuffed his head several times for being a brat (who is obviously twice the age of an average brat, really).

As soon as the receptionist has turned her attention to other incoming on-duty soldiers, Takao sags into one of the uncomfortable plastic waiting chair and falls asleep, head leaning against the wall and murmuring nonsensical things under his breath.

Kai shoots his partner a dirty look for his rudeness, but resists kicking his partner's feet to make the other slip off his chair. He is a -considerate- guy too--after all.

In the wee hours between four going to five o'clock in the morning, the military headquarters has already started bustling with soldiers reporting on duty. Occasional 'how are you?'s; 'how is your family doing?'s; 'Did you know about the latest developments?'s are blatantly (and rudely) exchanged in front of him.

Other than the buzzing of whispers and curious pointed looks that were sent his way, Kai has had a normal morning. As far as normal could be defined in his book--which is equivalent to 'not needing to put up with Lieutenant Kinomiya's howls for food' in truth.

And still there are two more hours to go.

Looking over at said lieutenant, he envies his partner for falling so easily asleep within an unknown environment. Sighing soundlessly, he lowers his chin to his chest and...

...glares at the extra pair of feet in front of his.

The new pair of feet is clad in black high heels: trademarked Gucci. Gucci had once been a very expensive trademark that not everyone could afford (now, they're common shoes that lost their qualities as decennia's have gone by). To wear these shoes during on duty is perhaps the most idiotic thing he had ever come across. How would the soldier run with such things? Sure these sorts of shoes kick ass in close combat of one-on-one, but what about morning trainings?

How he knew all this stuff one might wonder. Simple. When he was still a rookie, the older military officers had stuffed him into woman's clothes in order to infiltrate enemy's bases. He couldn't run properly with those high heels, no matter how athletic he were. He couldn't kick with them on for the pressure of his feet being encaged by the material disabled him immediately out of the action field.

"I can't help but notice you standing in this position for a long time. Aren't you a tough guy, eh?"

He lifts his eyes up, just barely enough to observe the soldier standing in front of him from under his bangs.

She's lower in rank, compared to him.

The lady's wearing the usual female military uniform--a long sleeved navy blue vest buttoned up to the neck with Shock Ten's Military HQ's emblem sewn on the left vest pocket and the ends of either sides of the sleeves; Lieutenant-ranking stars are pinned on either shoulders, indicating the rank of the owner of course; not to mention the black skirt that reaches over the knees with long splits on either sides--to give, no doubt, more room for her legs to move freely.
Or perhaps to make it convenient to seduce her male-comrades.

The flicker lights of the fluorescents in the ceiling reflect the soldier's big pair of round glasses.

"Second Lieutenant Kudou (1) Emily," She introduces herself, saluting lightly and then throws him a coy smile. A few strands of flaming orange-red hair frame her left cheek instantly.

He answers her with silence, though. Vermouth-colored eyes unmoving. Face impassive. What Kinomiya would call the cold look number 89, for some reason. The look that annoyed people without really meaning to.

A pregnant silence followed.

Her eyebrows twitches.

"Well--a bit rude, aren't you?" She huffs, offended at getting no response, and plants her hands on either sides of her hips. "Or did a cat cut your tongue? I wouldn't be surprised. He has the most admirers in this division. Recent statistics has proven he has about 299 going to 300 worshipers here. But he's dangerous. Don't you know how many people are scared of him?"

Kai loosens his defensive stance, pushes himself away from the wall, walks to his partner and sits down on the chair next to the sleeping lieutenant's. At least, the snoring comforts him some what compared to that stranger's nonsensical talk to get him interested. The other lieutenant is easily ignored afterward.

He really envies Kinomiya. The guy didn't have female officers running after him on daily basis.

The receptionist laughs suddenly out of the blue.

"I'd rather not have you talk about me behind my back, Emily. You'll never know what I might slip into your food. Could be acid, could be poison. could be--," Someone else other than the receptionist and the second Lieutenant remarks.

There 's a certain masculine timbre within the tone those words that were spoken. Almost mellifluous to his ears. But Kai did not care about to whom this feminine-cross-masculine voice belonged to.

"What can I say, you're just easier to target, darling," The 2nd lieutenant jokes.

The receptionist giggles for some reason. "Good morning, hakase (2),"

"Besides," the 2nd lieutenant continues, "You were kind of scary towards my cadets. I believe one of them had even shit into his pants, as he had put it, when you leaned over to him with your gleaming butcher knife in hand and that really creepy smirk of yours,"

"Did I?"

"Mh-hm. Please keep your blood thirst in check, hakase. I'm worried that my cadets won't be able to make it being fathers of their first born,"

The receptionist burst out giggling.

"I really don't see the connection between my work and their marital life,"

"That's the problem! you probably sexed them with your trademark pokerfaced-murder look,"

"Heh, sexed them up?" the doctor feigned outrage.

"Yes! As their commanding officer I have the right to see those young chicks up in the fields without fearing their own doctor would cut them open to exchange their organs with other bodies," Second Lieutenant persists.

"Ew" the receptionist comments in disgust.

"That's because Emily is a bit too interested in my work, aren't you? Hm?" the doctor lets out an amused snicker.

"--you have that gleam in your eyes again, hakase!" She points out bluntly.

"Really? I'm oh-so-sorry for that look,"

"Whatever, Rei. go back to your work before Max steals your stuff,"

"You don't say...,"

"Shut up!"

"I think you really like Max,"

"Ha-hakase!"

"See, you're blushing! Oops. I'm sorry for interrupting your dreams, Emily. It's time for the checkups,"

"Rei--,"

"Hm?"

"That look--,"

"Oops--hehe, sorry,"

"Yeah, see you at lunch,"

"Can't. I've a date,"

"A date? Already? With who? Don't tell me it's Boris. Please, don't. He is even scarier than you,"

"--I've a date with a corpse,"

"...Riiight. Get going, hakase!"

The doctor laughs.

Kai only catches a glimpse of the ends of the doctor's white coat, before showing faint interest to the magazines on the chair next to his. Three magazines babbled on and on about births of military departments and their developments throughout the passing ten years. And the rest were fashion magazines called "Purple Heaven--Side A", the latest issues. Seeing the number of Purple Heavens in the stack, it is possible that it's the most popular magazine in HQ. In other words... did Tenth Shock M-HQ have more women than men stationed here?

Issue 481, September 13000 LYA
- How to make your man want more
- He tore our relationship apart!
- Do the test: Are you bilingual?
- Astronomically seen: New Planet Xs discovered!

Issue 989, May 13250 LYA
- Newest PH-side B preview
- Interview with King of Darkness (a.k.a. Brooklyn)
- OMG! He swings -that- way!
- CENSORED ARTICLES!

PH-side B, issue 5, January 13482 LYA
- Between Heaven and Hell! Read the newest work of the Queen of Slash
- Dirty secrets as told by the NOTEBOOK (a.k.a. Kudou Emily)
- Secret (hot!) conversation between King of Darkness (a.k.a. Brooklyn) and Shippu no Jing (a.k.a. who the hell cares!)

... he stopped looking through side B as soon as he caught a glimpse of the content page. It wasn't even funny.

- - - -

"Ah, Lieutenant Hiwatari! And Lieutenant Kinomiya!"

Both of them straighten their stances and salute. "Sir! Good morning, sir!"

"At ease, men. At ease,"

The Colonel of Tenth Shock M-HQ is strangely a kind old man around his fifties or sixties, already going bald and will planning on growing a long beard perhaps. Why the word "kind" is associated with the Colonel is still a mystery. Higher officials cannot be called "kind old men" for they had dealt much worse case scenarios than catching mere rebels that blew up abandoned building, jeopardizing the main electricity circuit and illegal cyberpunks who would kill just to unravel the secrets within Hac's systems. Perhaps it's the smile. Or those kind blue eyes.

- - - -

Shock Ten--the district known as Cyber Kingdom. Over the years it had produced thousands of Computer Experts, all trying to plant their seeds illegally within the government's network. It's not uncommon to hear friends brag about their latest 'treasures'--secret passages to the most secured networks of the district's business centers or about wives hacking into their husbands' accounts to get a number of allowance for their latest shopping sprees.

Which is where all sorts of crimes begin.

Oblivious bystanders receive banknotes stating their bank credits have turned red; companies bankrupt each other with just a few clicks here and there; sneaky inhabitants dodge tax pays and other sorts of government requirements. The police force of Shock Ten had to merge with the military force in order to keep the district under control. They just didn't have the latest equipments to keep track of every cyberpunks within the district like the military have.

- - - -

The Colonel has offered to give them a grand tour through Shock Ten's M-HQ. There's actually nothing interesting to see in HQ unless one counts the uncommon structure of the building's insides, the unevenly-divided spaces and the very gray, bare walls that surround each room or facility.

"I'm so glad you are on my force, Lieutenant Hiwatari, Lieutenant Kinomiya. We've been having a decrease in manpower here ever since the Insomnia Plague had first appeared in Shock Ten 2 months ago," Without further ado, the Colonel goes right to the point of the reason behind their transfer.

Takao blinks, uncomprehendingly. "Insomnia Plague, sir?"

"It's scientifically known as 4032XZA. Doctors had dubbed it Insomnia Plague, Pulp Soma, Sleeping Death--call it whatever you want--it's still a plague, because the virus--we have yet to determine whether there's a new kind of virus or bacteria developing itself through electric lines or not,"

"Sleeping... Death..." Kai murmurs.

"Yes, yes. So far the cause of this -thing- to spread was caused by many the electromagnetism found in our men's headgears. Doctors believe that communication signals create--let's say, unhealthy brainwaves that urge our brain cells to produce strange substances that result to fast aging of these cells themselves," the Colonel elaborates.

"But how?" Not surprisingly, it's Takao who did the inquiry.

"The brains would go on overload and at some time when the waves are too chaotic within they would shut down like a 21st century old computer Windows XP would," Kai explains.

"I see Lieutenant Hiwatari must have read the latest reports in the PH-Side A magazine,"

"PH-side A?"

"It's short for Purple Heaven side A,"

"..." What about Side B?

"The symptoms are rather difficult to see by untrained eyes for they are similar to colds, headaches, unstable body temperatures and so on. By the time our doctors notice the frequency of illnesses associated with Sleeping Death, it might be too late, regrettably," The Colonel continues his long story.

Kai suddenly stops walking. "One of the articles in that magazine had mentioned there was nothing wrong with the headgears the military use. No outside wires for spying. No nifty gadgets to see make it look cute. No extra chips to turn it into a ticking bomb,"

The Colonel nods. "We are most likely dealing with someone who is messing with Military facilities through a third party, possibly via our main satellites,"

"A cracker--someone who hacks into systems to steal codes and programming secrets," Kinomiya realized.

They stop walking further from the metal door on their right that has an obvious sign painted across the surface, saying Test room MCXL.

-- to be continued --

1) Anyone know her family name? I just made this one up. "Kudou" is the family name of Youji from Weiss Kreuz and from Shinichi from Detective Conan.
- vermouth -- I saw the color of vermouth wine in a cook book. Kai's eyes does really look like that...
2) Hakase -- another word for doctor or professor. Think Detective Conan where Conan always calls the professor hakase. I could be wrong though...

TheNekoTalks:

Uhm... yeah, that's it for now. Short chapters are easily written, but are deceptive in their own ways :grins:.
The ranking isn't really that important, but I'm trying to keep it a bit realistic seeing as I've just started going ga-ga with Fullmetal Alchemist where there's obviously lots of noting about military ranks. I might be wrong with the whole ranking.

Thank you for taking your time reading this (and reviewing too) ! Any Clarification?

.:Nekocin:.