I don't own anything.
Detective Ikari
Chapter Eight: Invitation
"I will send an agent to collect him," Gendo stated as he stared at the report on his desk.
"What if he doesn't agree to come?" Kozo asked.
"They will make sure that he comes," Gendo answered. "Do not worry Sensei. He will not fight."
"You really should try reading the reports on him sometimes," Kozo commented.
(:ii:)
Spades set down the telephone in its cradle and leaned back on the bed. "Well?"
"Reservation's for six o'clock," Spades replied. "You'll have to figure out something to do until then."
"That shouldn't be too hard," Amber commented. "So how did you get reservations the day of?"
"The owner of the restaurant is the nephew of a Yakuza boss in LA," Spades replied. "I just blew a favor on getting us a place to eat."
"Don't think of it as blowing a favor," Amber stated. "Think of it as using your connections to get us into a nice restaurant."
"I'd rather save my connections for more serious situations," Spades replied as he ran a hand over the thick stubble on his chin. Pretty soon it would stop being stubble and be a beard. He glanced up and watched as Amber compared two nearly identical dresses.
"So," she began. Spades could tell by the way that she stared at the dresses that she was trying to decide whether or not she should bring something up.
"Go ahead," Spades urged. "Say it now or you're just going to say it later." Amber finally set down the dress.
"That girl Horaki mentioned. . ."
"Asuka Sohryu?" Spades asked.
"No," Amber replied. "The one you dated in college. She's the one, right? She's the one who screwed with your head."
"That's right," Spades replied.
"So I can blame her for you being the way you are," Amber stated.
"The way I am?" Spades repeated. "You know, I tend to think that having a dead mother, absent asshole father, drunken guardian, manipulative friends, and an abusive roommate had something to do with it." Amber stared at him and Spades frowned. 'Gave away a little too much,' he thought.
"You're different from back then," Amber stated after a moment. "Horaki said so."
"Well being the expert that she is," Spades commented.
"Don't get snappy at me," Amber growled. "I just want to know so that I can help."
"Help your own curiosity," Spades corrected sharply as he stood up. He pulled on his shoulder rig and cinched it tight to his button down. "I'm going out. . ."
"She cheated on you, didn't she?" Amber asked. "You were having a serious relationship and she cheated on you." Spades froze. "That's it, right?" Amber asked. "You were betrayed by so many, but she was the last straw. That's why it's so hard for you to trust anyone."
"You're looking into this pretty deep," Spades commented.
"You said that if I came along then I might understand," Amber replied. "That's all I'm trying to do."
"Good for you," Spades said tiredly. "I'll have you know that I've always had trust issues." He opened the door and stepped out.
"Hey! Wait up Spades!"
(:ii:)
"This city is pretty nice," Amber commented as she looked around the nice city park. "Are those lakes manmade?"
"They were created by the self-destruction of a massive humanoid fighting machine." Amber's jaw dropped slightly and she stared at the man sitting beside her. Then she began to laugh.
"I didn't know you could tell a joke."
"A joke," Spades repeated. Amber's laughter died almost immediately.
"That was a joke, right?" she asked.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Spades replied.
"Being cryptic doesn't suit you."
"You just don't like it because you can't get strait answers to all the questions you keep asking." Amber scowled at him and Spades stared at the lake, quite content with ignoring her.
"Hey Spades?"
"Yeah?" Spades asked. He was beginning to think that he should have ditched her back at the hotel.
"Why did you agree to come work with me?" Amber asked. "You know, when I decided to leave college before getting my Master's and take over my dad's business."
"Well," Spades began. He frowned. Nothing was really coming up in his mind as a good reason. "I don't know."
"You must have known that it would have made getting your Doctor's degree really hard," Amber pressed. "It would have been easier for you if you had just stayed completely in school."
"I did know that," Spades agreed. "I really don't know why I agreed to work for you."
"That's not like you," Amber pointed out.
"It's not like how I am," Spades argued. "I was a different person four years ago."
"You really are," Amber replied. Spades could tell she was thinking about something she didn't particularly like. "So, would you do it again?"
"In a heart beat."
(:ii:)
Hikari stared at the number on the door and checked the paper in her hand. It was the right one. She raised her hand and knocked. A moment later the door swung open and Shinji stood in the doorway. "Hi Ikari."
"Good evening Horaki," the tall man replied as he stepped aside. "Come in. Chief is just finishing getting ready."
"Alright." Hikari stepped into the small apartment and sat down in one of the few chairs. Shinji sat down across from her and picked up a canter filled with amber liquid.
"Drink?"
"No thanks," Hikari replied. "I don't drink alcohol."
"Good for you." Shinji poured a large amount of the liquid into the glass and picked it up. Hikari glanced at the single bed and blushed slightly. Shinji must have followed her gaze. "We aren't like that."
"What?"
"We aren't like that," Shinji repeated, gesturing to the bed. "We're grown adults and I'd like to think that we can keep our hormones in check enough to share a bed."
"Right, sorry."
"Not a problem," Shinji replied as he took a drink from the glass. "Ready Chief?"
"Yeah!" One of the doors opened and Amber stepped out. "Let's get going, alright?"
(:ii:)
Spades frowned as his phone continued to vibrate. He finally picked it up and flipped it open. "Spades Ikari speaking."
"It's me." Spades recognized that voice automatically.
"What do you want?" Spades asked. "And how did you get this number?"
"Talk around NERV is that they're going to try something," Yuuske stated, ignoring Shinji's second question. "Keep on your toes."
"When?"
"Tonight some time," Yuuske answered. "Try to keep in well-populated areas. Maybe that will discourage them."
"I don't want to discourage them," Spades stated. "What will they be carrying?"
"Automatic pistols at most," Yuuske answered. "That's plenty."
"I can handle it," Spades stated. "Keep me informed." He flipped the phone shut and tucked it in his pocket.
"Who was that?" Amber asked.
"I fail to see how that is your business."
"I'm just curious," Amber stated. "Like you said, there's no one you'd want to talk to outside of LA."
"We're here." Shinji stared at the restaurant through the windshield of Hikari's car. "Well. . .it's big."
"This is a lot bigger then the place I work," Hikari added.
"That's because the owner is part of the Yaku. . .mph!"
"No more talking," Spades stated as he removed his hand from Amber's mouth. "Pull up front. They have valet parking."
"Okay," Hikari replied. She pulled up to the front and Spades climbed out. One of the valets took the keys from Hikari and drove off. The front doors were opened and Spades stepped inside, finding a man in a tuxedo blocking his path.
"Do you have reservations sir?"
"Yes," Spades replied. "They're under the name of Ikari."
"Sir!" Spades frowned as the man bowed lowly. "I shall take you to your table right away."
"Well he seemed happy to see you," Hikari commented.
"I know his boss," Spades replied as he followed after the man. He led them to a table in what was, Spades supposed, a good location. He slid his reading glasses on and picked up one of the menus. Now he had a problem. "It's all in French."
"Don't order anything that sounds like frogs, snails, or puppies," Amber commented helpfully.
"Yeah."
"Americans," Hikari grumbled. "I mean. . ."
"I am an American," Spades interrupted. "Have been for a while now."
"I'd like to know how you got citizenship so fast," Amber commented.
"You have your connections and I have mine," Spades stated flatly.
"So you really plan on staying in America for the rest of your life?" Hikari asked.
"Don't see why not," Spades answered as he stared at the menu, trying to puzzle out what several of the more obscure sounding words were. "I still want to do some post doctorate classes. Maybe I'll join a practice if I ever decide to quit being a private detective."
"I didn't know that you wanted to open a practice," Amber commented.
"What else would I do with a bunch of fancy diplomas?"
(:ii:)
"This is incredible." Spades glanced up at Hikari. "I have got to find out the recipe for this."
"We'll add that to the list," Amber commented.
"What?"
"You said the same thing about every thing that they've brought out," Spades explained.
"I have?" Hikari asked in surprise. Spades nodded.
"Mister Ikari?" Spades eyed the man standing beside the table. "May I have a word with you?"
"I've been waiting for you to come over," Spades commented.
"May we speak in private?" the man asked.
"No," Spades replied. "Anything you can say in front of me you can say in front of them."
"Your father wishes to speak with you," the man stated.
"Tell my father that I don't want to speak with him," Spades said flatly. "I was hoping that he'd be intelligent enough to figure that out from all the letters he sent that I ignored, but I guess that was expecting too much."
"Is that your final answer?" the man asked.
"First and final," Spades stated. The man looked around and opened his coat slightly to reveal a pistol holstered under his arm.
"I'm going to have to insist that you come with me."
"Is there a problem Mister Ikari?" The NERV man spun and stared at the two new men.
"No," Spades answered calmly. "He was just leaving. May I ask that you two show him to the door?"
"You may," the man who had already spoken replied.
"Thank you," Spades said. "And thank your boss for me."
"We will," the second man said. "This way sir."
"This wasn't a wise move Ikari," the man from NERV stated.
"Now please," one of the other two snapped. Spades watched as they walked away.
"What the hell was that?" Amber asked. Spades glanced at her. She was following the man carefully with her eyes.
"He was from my father," Spades explained simply.
"And the gun?"
"Megalomaniac, remember?"
"You didn't tell me that he was that kind of megalomaniac," Amber replied.
"There's another kind?"
"He just threatened you with a gun." Spades turned to Hikari. She was sitting stock upright and her eyes were nearly bugging out of her skull.
"Not the first time," Spades said soothingly. "Don't worry about it."
"But. . ."
"Don't worry," Spades repeated. Hikari stared at him.
"He was from your father?" she asked. "From NERV?"
"Yeah," Spades replied. "NERV secret police."
"Too bad he didn't try something," Amber commented. "It would have been gratifying to see that arrogant shit get knee capped."
"Really," Spades replied as he speared another piece of chicken on his fork and ate it.
-End
(:ii:)
-Author's notes. Not much action, none at all really.
