Author's note: Thank you to the loyal few who cared to read and review! Your words were all very kind. I know we're a small group of fans, but that's what makes it all the more special when one of my stories is noticed. We are loyal worshippers of Library Wars, and so I hope I continue to do the characters justice.

-Kero (7/11/11)

Chapter 5: Heavy Metal

"Minako! What are you doing-?" demanded Iku upon seeing her civilian friend wander about the outside of the publisher's building just as the Defense Force arrived at the early dawn hours. Any moment, the rival MBC could arrive and surprise them. The tension in the air made Iku's hair stand on end, but that tension gave way to a frantic heart beat when she saw her friend.

"Did you get my present?" Minako asked nonchalantly, brushing her smooth ponytail over one shoulder, disregarding the fact that an armed squirmish was about to begin right where she was standing. If this was any ordinary day, her friend looked just like an ordinary OL dressed in a pencil skirt and designer pumps.

"Yes," said Iku anxiously, looking around to see if anything was about the happen. The Defense Force members were rushing about, shouting and taking orders, unloading their equipment and taking points, positioning their armored vehicles like temporary barricades. "You need to go back inside, and let me handle things out here. I'm not going to let that book of yours fall into the clutches of the enemy, even though you published that last picture without my consent," she grumbled.

"I think that was my best shot ever," smiled Minako. Her facial expression suddenly changed, and her friend threw her arms around Iku's neck in a firm hug. So many things were communicated in that embrace and they understood one another through their unique bond.

"I'll finish this, for the both of us," said Iku meaningfully, giving her friend a quick squeeze.

"I'm counting on you," said Minako quietly into her shoulder. Her pretty friend pulled away and took a good look at Iku, dressed from head to toe in helmet and fatigues. "This also suits you, somehow," Minako grinned and said playfully, "Don't die." Mina extended an open palm outward towards her and Iku raised and slapped her hand against it. The two had often performed the gesture before Iku's track meets in the past to rally spirits. Though the years made them older, their friendship remained the same. Iku fought back the emotion as she grinned at her friend, who had always supported her from the background.

"Kasahara!" called out her commanding officer, Doujo. Minako looked past Iku and sized up Doujo in one glance. Mina gave her the thumbs up sign and said, "Not bad." Iku turned pink and shooed her friend away.

As she went back to join the others, Doujo eyed her strange composure curiously and asked, "What was that about?"

Iku took off her helmet and ran a hand through her hair to put it back in place. "Girl stuff," she smiled cryptically and took her post.

"Focus," he commanded as he looked down the empty morning street. "They're coming." A quiet haze was still hovering but Iku could hear the eerie, muffled sounds of trucks coming closer.

-0-0-0-

The profundity of the scene was surreal to say the least. Mina and those who worked for the publishing house remained barricaded within the building watching from their windows the scene below. Rapid spurts of gunfire from both sides sounded, igniting flashes of light here and there in the morning mist. The cries and orders of those fighting below was muffed by the fog. Both sides had set up check points to keep civilians out of harms way. Somewhere on the sidelines, a passenger car was watching the fight while "Live and Let Die" blasted on the AFN through the car radio. Her nerves were as frayed and disjointed as the heavy metal riffs soaring through the air.

The fight was becoming desperate on the side of the MBC as some of its units had trouble staying together. The publishing house had purposefully waited the day before to give notice of the release of these controversial materials which had both sides scattering to move towards conflict. When the time for action came, it became readily apparent that the ones laying seige were having a tougher time than the ones being seiged. Some members of the MBC force broke free of formation and tried to rush the Defense Force barricades only to be taken down by Tezuka and his fellow snipers. This, however, caused Tezuka to have to frequently change positions as each time he fired, he'd give away his location and invite counter fire from snipers of the other side.

Iku, posted as the radio man for their unit, remained by Doujo's side, relaying his orders and demands through their secure communications relay as Doujo's group stayed put behind a low concrete wall. She looked up to the sky and knew exactly what she needed to do, and the clarity of her thought made her feel as if she could see everything, straight through the stratosphere. The Defense Force and the MBC were going at it as if their very existence depended on it. If the materials were not confiscated, the MBC would risk additional public scrutiny and ridicule through the scathing photos, essays and commentaries by the nations pop culture leaders whose very intent was to bring the MBC down and repeal the Media Betterment Act. If the materials were confiscated, the Defense Force risked public scrutiny for prolonging the conflict during business hours, right in the middle of Tokyo. The disruption of the ordinary lives of the citizenry would give rise for calls to disband the Library Defense Forces. Both sides were determined to not back down, to whatever end.

Her thoughts strayed just a little bit, recalling the day she had first met the man beside her. That fateful day that had changed her forever. Everything that had happened since then led up to this very moment, when Iku would do her best to protect everything. Suddenly, another corporal slid down next to her. She recognized him as a member of another unit.

"Sir," he greeted Doujo with a hasty salute. "We are about to be overrun on the east side. We're requesting that all members of other units that can be spared be transferred to Captain Suzuki's command."

"Where is your radio com man?" demanded Doujo over the gunfire.

"That's the thing, Sir. He went down and the radio equipment took a hit. We're requesting to borrow yours."

Doujo gave no response.

"I'll go," said Iku as she was about to follow the corporal back to his post, but Doujo caught her hand. She glanced back at him.

"You have to learn to let me go, Instructor Doujo. I'll be fine. I'm not the helpless school girl I was when we first met." Iku ignored the expression on his face as he let go of her hand and followed to corporal back to the other side of the barricade.

Iku immediately radioed for back up to the east side barricade among the dozens of units and hundreds of Defense Force Members even before she reached Captain Suzuki. Others started relocating to their position just as the barricade broke and MBC soldiers were coming through. The skirmish soon turned hand-to-hand as Captain Suzuki motioned for her to come assist.

"Snipers would help me pick them off before they come over the barricade. I also need more ammunition," he called out over the melee.

"Roger that," she acknowledged and radioed in the requests.

'I'm going to need you to secure the radio somewhere and take up arms," warned the captain before he drew his side arm and glanced over the barricade, shooting a man in the leg before he could climb over. She nodded once and did as she was told. Iku drew her rifle and positioned it over the hood of an armored vehicle and then fired indiscriminately. Knowing she had poor marksmanship, she aimed for their centers and usually ended hitting or grazing and arm or a leg.

"Are you doing that on purpose?" asked Captain Suzuki, rather impressed.

"No sir," she responded honestly. "I'm a horrible shot." Captain Suzuki chuckled and reloaded his handgun. They spend almost half an hour fighting side-by-side together. Iku had to reload at least twice before more reinforcements came as well as ammunition. She grabbed a few magazines for herself as Captain Suzuki told her to return to her unit.

"I'm jealous that Doujo has you all to himself," he smiled. "If ever he doesn't want or need you, I'll put in a request that you join my unit."

"No offense, Sir, but I hope it never comes to that," she smiled back and hoisted the radio back onto her shoulders.

As she crouched down and made her way back to her unit she thought she could hear Doujo shouting. Iku hurried her pace through the line of other Defense Force members returning fire, pausing only when chips of concrete and a barrage of bullets flew overhead. Just as she made a turn to the west side of the barricade her eyes fixed on him immediately. His back was turned towards her as he punched a Committee soldier he pinned down with one knee in the face. A ways from him, Captain Komaki was partially distracted with returning fire and keeping yet another MBC soldier from coming over the barricade. Komaki noticed the threat and yelled something at Doujo. An MBC soldier perched himself between Iku and Doujo, ready to jump him from behind. She cried out something incoherent to her ears and Iku rushed the soldier at full speed, regardless of the heavy radio she carried, and like a baseball bat she swung the butt of her rifle into his head. The soldier lost balance and fell and Iku went with him as the weight of the radio threw off her center of gravity. Her rifle fell out of her hands and she unbuckled the radio so she could re-position herself on top of him. All she saw was red as she punched him in the face to make sure he stayed down.

She could hear someone calling her name and when her vision cleared again, she heard his voice. Before she knew it, Doujo had pulled her off the unconscious man and the raspy, gritty noise in her ears was the sound of her own ragged breathing.

"Iku, focus!" he said as he gripped her by the shoulders and shook her slightly. She looked up at him and blinked.

"What was I doing?" she asked in confusion. He sighed and let go of her.

"You looked as if you were about to kill him," he said, nodding over to the unconscious MBC member next to them. She frowned as she didn't really recall much of it.

"But he was about to jump you," she recalled. "And then, I..."

Before she could finish, someone's voice came up through the noise on a bull horn. It was the commanding officer of the MBC announcing a cease fire to retrieve and treat its casualties littered across the no man's land between the two opposing forces. After nearly two hours of fighting the MBC force had been whittled down due to their lack of apparent coordinated effort. Perhaps it was the last minute notice and dispersion that made the MBC trip over its own feet. Perhaps they realized what it was they were up against and hence the desperation. Perhaps their commanding officers knew that this was the beginning of the end. Whatever frenzy the MBC had felt when they sent their main force against an entrenched Defense Force in the middle of downtown Tokyo, their commanding battle officers knew they needed at least twice as many men to successfully win a siege situation. Doujo had Iku relay the message to Commander Genda, who gave permission to accept the MBC's proposition. The Defense Force breathed a collective sigh of relief as the order came down.

As quickly as the MBC forces had come, they collected their casualties and left in the direction they came. Some members of Library Defense Forces gave out a cheer as the last of the MBC's armored caravan disappeared around the corner. The Head of the publishing house stepped outside when the coast was clear and transfered a copy of their publications from the list. Minako however, hand delivered a copy of her photo journal book into Iku's hands.

"Make sure you file it into your library database yourself. Don't mess it up, either. I want this filed in the art section, not the home and garden section or something," her friend insisted, tapping the book on Iku's helmet before handing it to her.

"What kind of idiot do you take me for?" asked Iku indignantly.

"I don't know what kind of idiot you are," retorted Mina playfully. "Someone who chases after a man's shadow for six years? Although, I'm in no position to judge." Her friend stole a glance over in Doujo's direction, knowing he was within earshot.

"He's a lucky man. Everyone's dying to find out what happens next." Iku scowled at Mina and turned red at the same time.

"Stay out of it from now on. No more snapping candid shots of me."

"How am I supposed to show off your true beauty to him otherwise? You certainly won't attract any dates wearing those," she said wrinkling her nose at Iku's fatigues. Iku stuck her tongue out at Mina before her friend walked away with a laugh.

Iku spent the rest of her time sipping iced coffee from a vending machine with Tezuka before he went to pack up his rifle gear. She had partially been using the cold can to ease the swelling in her knuckles. Though bandaged by the medic, her hand was still throbbing from when she beat that poor MBC soldier unconscious. Now alone, she looked up to the bright blue sky once more and fought back the tears that were welling in her eyes. She was relieved that it was over and that they had apparently won the fight. She was glad that she was able to finally tell him that she knew he was the one who saved her that day, long ago. She was glad that the publications were on their way to be distributed and it might mean the end of the MBC. The end was finally in sight and Iku felt as though she had been running towards this day for a very long time. Iku was filled with hope.

When the remainder of the Defense Force was heading out, Doujo approached her. She sniffled a little and wiped her eyes as he sat on the bench next to her.

"Why are you crying again?" he asked, a little concerned, offering her his handkerchief. The girl seemed to cry at the drop of a hat.

"I'm just a little relieved that everything turned out fine," she responded as she took the handkerchief and dabbed her eyes with it.

"That's something to cry about?" he asked incredulously. Iku shrugged.

"You know me. I get sentimental about a lot of things."

He offered with an open hand to throw her empty coffee can away in the recycling bin closest to him. She watched him toss the can into the basket with ease without leaving his seat.

"I have to thank you," he added. "You really clobbered that MBC soldier for me. You were actually kind of scary back there. I've never seen you so angry and I won't forget that look on your face when you shouted, 'Don't you dare touch him!' I was really surprised." Iku flushed deeply.

"Is that what I said?" she asked, rather embarrassed now.

She let out a little laugh. "It's the least I could do after all the scrapes you've saved me from. What kind of girl would I be if I didn't pay you back at least once?"

After a moment's hesitation, he asked quietly, "How long have you known?" Iku looked at him and smiled at her own impetuosity.

"For a while, now," she responded, looking away. "Tezuka's brother told me in his letter to rile me."

"All the way back then?" he asked, sounding a little disappointed. "You seemed like you were really despairing at the time. I couldn't do anything to help you. I'm sorry if you've felt disillusioned by the truth."

She looked at him, shocked that he would even say such a thing. It almost seemed out of character, but perhaps this was the Doujo that had been hiding from her all this time; the side of him that he didn't want to show her before.

"Not at all!" she exclaimed. He was a little taken aback by her fervor.

"If anything, I have to apologize for misconstruing your character for six years," she said with exasperation. "I was so embarrassed at what I said and thought back then, mortified even, that I wanted to be an ostrich and stick my head in the ground and hide there forever, actually." Iku gave out a little laugh as she pictured herself with her head buried in the ground. "You turned out to be a much better man than I imagined you to be." It was his turn to look a little shocked. She saw him slowly turn red at the compliment.

"After all," she added as she got up. "It wasn't the prince I wanted to ask out to tea. I wanted to ask you out, if you can spare the time." Iku looked at him earnestly and beamed brightly at him. "Are you free tomorrow?"

"Y-yes," he said, blinking at her. "I am."

"Would you like to have tea with me?" she asked without hesitation.

"Yes," he answered almost immediately, and then caught himself. "Yes, I would," he said with more dignity. "I'll meet you outside your dorm around 11." Her smile grew brighter and Doujo's discomfort melted away in its warmth. He smiled back at her and offered to help her with her gear.

Author's note:

I'm so in love with this couple! They are so adorable together. Doujo is so dense sometimes, it's infuriating. So I wanted him to know that Iku knew all about him and naturally, she would choose Doujo over her prince any day, hands down. I'm still waiting for melithiel to translate the rest of the novels and perhaps the side stories as well, but until then, we'll have to be satisfied with our fanfiction!

-Kero (7/11/11)