I don't own anything.
Intelligence
-Chapter Sixteen: Mother
For Shinji, waking up was yet another thing that separated himself from most people. Shinji came to his senses sharply, but instead of opening his eyes, he listened. He could hear the steady beeping of some machine. He could also hear the quiet breathing of someone nearby. If they weren't asleep, they soon would be.
Shinji opened his one good eye slowly. He looked around the room and spotted the person sleeping by his bedside. "Rei?" The blue haired woman jerked awake.
"You're awake,"
"How long was I out?" Shinji asked.
"Three days," Rei replied.
"How'd I live?"
"Sohryu was on her way to the Geo-Front when the docks were destroyed," Rei stated. "She arrived at the docks before the authorities and called in to NERV. The Commander scrambled Section-2. Sohryu found you in the water and administered CPR."
"I'll be damned," Shinji murmured. "So, how exactly did I not die? The bomb was attached to the car. I was leaning on the car."
"The whole dock was wired," Rei explained. "It looks like they didn't have a lot of explosives and they weren't sure exactly where you'd be. The car shielded you from the blast until the dock gave way."
"What about Manfred?" Shinji asked.
"You were the only one found alive," Rei stated.
"Ah." Rei rose from her chair and walked over to the television.
"There's something you should see," she stated. "They've been playing it non-stop." Shinji stared at the news anchor and the picture of Nagao.
"And the search continues for government agents suspected of sympathizing with the traitor Nagao Kita," the anchor stated. "The government has released more footage of the raid on the building."
"Turn it off," Shinji growled. Rei did as she was told. She walked to the door and slid it open. Asuka nearly fell back in shock.
"Please come in," Rei ordered quietly. Asuka nodded and walked into the room. Shinji nodded to her and turned back to Rei.
"That's who you worked for, isn't it?" Rei asked. "The Commander has had to turn aside several inquiries about your location." Shinji nodded.
"What's the ISDF saying about him?"
"The story is he was recruiting disgraced soldiers for a military coup," Asuka stated.
"Of course it is."
"Why go through all that?" Asuka asked. "Why not a quiet take down?"
"Nagao wouldn't have gone quietly," Shinji stated. "The field officers were loyal to him. Any attempt to take them down would have devolved into a firefight."
"And they needed an explanation for all the good guys who were killed," Asuka finished. Shinji nodded and swung his feet out of bed. The pain almost sent him tumbling to the ground.
"Doctor Akagi said that you shouldn't leave your bed," Rei stated.
"I've been ignoring doctors for a long time," Shinji stated.
"Look," Asuka began, "cut the He Man shit. The only reason you aren't a mess of broken bones, is that you're almost half titanium. That aside, you still have six busted ribs and some serious lacerations."
"I've had worse," Shinji stated.
"You're the only man who can say that and have me believe them," Asuka commented.
"What about my eye?"
"You'll never regain any vision in it," Rei replied. Shinji nodded his understanding and tried to stand.
"Stay put!" Asuka snapped. The door opened and a gray-haired man stepped inside. Shinji straightened up as best he could.
"Listen to the ladies," the man ordered. "You ain't immortal, just too tough for your own good."
"Yes sir."
(:ii:)
"I will report that you have awoken to Commander Ikari," Rei stated. She nodded to the man and walked out.
"Who are you?" Asuka stared at the older man who had just put Shinji in his place.
"I'm General Shiro Kita," the man stated. "I'm the commanding officer of Sergeant Major Ikari's unit." Asuka turned to Shinji.
"Sergeant Major?" she asked.
"I've had a few promotions since I was booted," Shinji stated. "Why are you here, sir?"
"Well," Shiro began, "I was sitting at my home arguing with some dick head in the Diet about buying some new MR-Cs from the Americans when someone starts pounding on my door."
"Misato?"
"Yep," the General replied. "Of course, I didn't know her. All I know is that some lady was on my doorstep holding a sleeping girl. Anyway, I got the story out of her and grabbed one of my best teams. They're guarding her in Okinawa. Then I grabbed the next flight over."
"Thank you, sir," Shinji replied.
"Not a problem," Shiro stated. "What are we going to do about this?"
"I'm going to kill her of course," Shinji replied.
"The Chief of Staff for the ISDF?" Asuka demanded. Shinji nodded.
"Maybe we can get someone more useful in place, or at least someone who understands us." Asuka stared at the man.
"Shinji, you can't do that." Shinji turned to stared her back in the eye. "I know what you are and I know what your kind do. . ."
"You know what I am?" Shinji asked.
"You're Black," Asuka stated. "Shinji, this isn't some third world cesspool, this is Japan." Shinji and Shiro stared at her.
"I act in Japan's best interest," Shinji stated. "She isn't. She's acting out of a hatred of killing. She'll do anything to make it stop, including killing all the most dangerous people working for her. She's much rather pay off everyone than go against them."
"You think the only people we take out are outside the country?" Shiro asked. "There are threats everywhere, even in the highest echelons of own our government."
"You can't take out someone appointed by the people!" Asuka snapped.
"This isn't your country," Shiro stated. "It's not your problem."
"This is a democracy."
"Constitutional monarchy," Shinji corrected.
"Well, I'm talking about the constitutional part," Asuka stated. "The government is picked by the people. You can't do this."
"I can," Shinji replied. "And I will." Asuka stared at him. "What about me? The government is supposed to protect people."
"You're just one, Shinji. She was trying to protect everyone."
"Just one? What the fuck about my field officers? What about my boss? What about my daughter?" Asuka couldn't think of an answer. "The new person will be picked by the people as well. There is no problem."
"This sounds a lot like Rome," Asuka stated. "The soldiers can't kill everyone who goes against them.
"Not everyone tries to kill the soldiers," Shinji pointed out.
"What about the people's right to be taken care of by who they want to do it?"
"People don't really want their rights," Shiro cut in. "They may say the do, but they don't. All they want is to be protected and be able to pretend they're free. It's the exact same thing all over the world. Governments need to protect their people and they do." Asuka looked between the two soldiers.
"You're nothing but ordinary terrorists." Shinji smirked.
"Wrong. We're extraordinary terrorists."
"You're crossing your personal and professional lives," Asuka warned.
"Their fault," Shiro stated. "They attacked our personal lives first." Asuka stared at him and it hit her. Kita. He was Nagao Kita's brother. "Don't worry about this. Just go back to your country."
"This isn't right," Asuka stated.
"You were trained to be a General," Shinji stated. "You're a military politician. Of course you wouldn't understand the real world and what is necessary."
"He's a general!" Asuka snapped, pointing at Shiro. Shinji glanced at the man and actually laughed.
"General Kita is a general because they needed a general to run the unit," he stated. "The General is a mustang infantry officer with no breeding or connections. He left the military because of controversy surrounding him leading a select team of men after a death squad in Africa. They caught up with these killers of innocent people and took care of business."
"Then some fucking medic decided he had grown a conscience," Shiro stated. "He showed up at the division head quarters putting in a plea bargain and sold all of us out. Of course, that plea bargain meant what he did didn't matter and I can assure you, hell hath no wrath like a medic scorned."
"Hear, hear," Shinji commented.
"So the fucker wrote a book, got out of the army, and is, from what I hear, too scared to leave his house for fear of being killed," Shiro finished. "I'm about as much a general as you're a combat officer."
(:ii:)
Gendo Ikari glanced up as someone knocked on his door. A quick glance at the small television in one of his desk's drawers showed who was standing outside his door. Gendo pushed one of the buttons on his desk and the door swung open. "You're looking well for someone who was blown up."
"I'm a hard man to keep down," Shinji replied as he hobbled into the office.
"Indeed. Now, what do you plan to do about it?" Gendo asked curiously.
"Show off my bad temper," Shinji replied. He glanced back at the open door. Gendo pushed the button again and it slid shut.
"There are no possible means of hearing what is said here," he explained. Shinji nodded. "How is Kimi?"
"She's safe," Shinji stated. "Of course, it's the thought that counts. They were going to take her. I don't know what they would have done with her, but they wanted to take my daughter from me."
"What are you planning?" Gendo asked.
"The death of the ISDF's Chief of Staff," Shinji replied. "My. . .friend, Shiro Kita, has been unable to turn up the necessary equipment quickly enough."
"What do you need?" Gendo asked.
"What do you have?" Shinji asked.
"Anything," Gendo replied calmly. "I have anything you could want. Say it and you will get it."
"You'd do that for me?" Shinji asked. Gendo slowly leaned back in his seat and slid he glasses off.
"She attacked my family," he stated flatly. Gendo saw his son's eyebrow, the one not covered by bandages, rise in surprise. "Believe what you will," he began, "you are my son, Shinji. When I left you I made sure that it was with a good man, an old friend of your mother's. At all times I knew where you were and I knew your condition. I knew you were sad, but you were healthy. I took care of you the best way I could, by putting you in the care of a good, trusted friend. Kimi is my granddaughter and I will act with her best interests in heart. I will stay out of her life and kill all those who threaten it."
"I understand," Shinji replied. "I've understood for a while now, its just strange to here you say it."
"I understand that," Gendo replied. He pushed himself up to his feet. "Let's have a look at what NERV has on hand at the moment, shall we?"
(:ii:)
Asuka watched as the father and son walked out of the office. "You're really going through with this?"
"Yeah," Shinji replied.
"I'll help you," Asuka stated. She saw Shinji's eyebrow rise. "I sat down and I thought about it. I thought about it for a long time. You're right."
"This is going to be messy," Shinji stated.
"I'm fine with that." It really bothered her how true that was. Shinji stared at her.
"Your eyes are different," he stated. "You did something that should have horrified you and it didn't."
"I don't want to talk about it." A sick grin spread across Shinji's face.
"Maybe it did bother you, maybe you liked it." Asuka swung her fist as hard as she could. She hit Shinji on the uninjured side of his face and sent him stumbling. He hit the wall and managed to get his footing back.
"Alright. Let's go."
"Right," Gendo replied. "This way." Asuka fell in to step behind Gendo, pointedly ignoring the smirking man at her side.
"Where are we going?"
"Somewhere that doesn't exist," Gendo replied.
"I'm fairly sure this entire place doesn't exist," Asuka commented. Neither Gendo nor Shinji deemed that a response was necessary.
(:ii:)
Shinji looked around the massive room and whistled. There was really nothing else he could do. "You could start a war."
"I have started many wars," Gendo replied.
"You wouldn't know anything about the war in China about two years ago, would you?" Shinji asked.
"I had nothing to do with that," Gendo replied.
"Of course," Shinji replied. "I was there on business for a while. Messy little war; had all the earmarks of something personal."
"You would know things like that," Asuka stated.
"Of course I would," Shinji replied. "I've started enough wars in my time." He walked over to a large vault with a glass door. Inside he could see racks and racks of explosives. "Do you have any syntax?"
"Yes," Gendo replied. "Such an old explosive is useful for making it seem that a poorly funded group is responsible for the attack." Shinji nodded his understanding.
"Sniper rifles."
"This way." Gendo turned and led the younger man through the racks of weapon. "Here."
"Nice." Shinji picked up one of them, a cut-down, suppressed American M107 and looked it over. "M107CQ. Good rifle. What kind of ammunition due you have available?"
"Match grade armor piercing," Gendo replied. Shinji nodded and hefted the heavy weapon, checking it carefully.
"I'll take the shot," Asuka stated.
"You can't shoot worth a shit," Shinji stated. "I've read your record. You failed rifle qualification.
"I had a personal life," Asuka stated. "Several company and field grade officers had a long-distance shooting team. I can't shoot an assault rifle, but I can fire a sniper rifle fine."
"You can shoot a competition rifle," Shinji corrected.
"You can't make the shot in that condition," Asuka pointed out coolly. Shinji uncapped the .50-caliber rifle's scope and shifted it to his left hand. He kneeled and brought the weapon to his left shoulder, aiming at the far wall.
"Nice trick."
"Comes in handy." Shinji rose again. "This will do. You can be the spotter if you want, but this won't be the longest distance."
"Alright," Asuka replied. "What about the explosive?"
"General Kita will handle that. Man's got a serious yen for explosions."
"What is he going to do?"
"He's going to give us our distraction."
(:ii:)
Shinji stared out at the calm night beyond his window. Soon the night would become day. It wouldn't be too long until his target arrived. She would be standing in front of the ISDF's main HQ building to make a statement about the present situation. She could die defending her position. It was fitting enough.
Shinji flipped open his cell phone and punched in his boss's number. It only rang once. "Ikari?"
"We're set up here," Shinji stated into his wireless headset.
"I'm good down here," Shiro replied. Shinji took a deep breath and stared at where his target would be in a few hours. "What's eating you, Ikari?"
"I can't stay in the Black with this wound," Shinji stated. There was a long pause before Shiro spoke again.
"We could keep you as sniper support," he commented. Shinji had to smile.
"No sir. This kind of wound is life's way of telling you to slow down." There was a longer pause and Shinji sat down at the desk he had placed a few feet back from the window. He leaned into the Barrett's stock and stared at the area of operation.
"We'll miss you Sergeant Major."
"I'll miss you guys too. I'll get Misato and Kimi from Okinawa and then. . ."
". . .we'll never contact you again," Shiro finished. "Enjoy your life."
"I plan on it." Outside the streets were bathed in light. Shinji leaned back from his rifle. The sun was to his back, they'd never see it coming. "Range?"
"One second." Asuka pushed her eye against the range finger set up next to the rifle. "One-zero-two meters." Shinji adjusted the scope and eye-balled the distance for himself. That seemed about right.
"Wind?"
"Does it matter at this range?" Asuka asked.
"Buildings play havoc on the wind," Shinji replied. "Stories of rain going up on the top floors of the skyscrapers are true."
"Ah." Asuka returned to her range finger. "Three kilometers from the west." Shinji made a single click on his scope. "You're really going to retire?"
"You sound surprised."
"I thought men like you lived and died in the military," Asuka commented. "I thought you never got out."
"The military isn't my life," Shinji replied. "Being Kimi's father is my life." Outside, a crowd was beginning to grow. What was she thinking, making a public announcement at this time? Next to arrive were the body guards and the police. Finally she showed up. Shinji coiled around his rifle, one hand on the grip and one curled under it for support. His position also kept the pistol he had out of Asuka's sight.
"Last chance," Asuka stated. Shinji glanced up.
"Are you going to stop me?"
"No." Shinji let go of his rifle's grip and punched a number into his cell phone. "What are you doing?"
"I'm doing her a favor," Shinji stated. He watched her through the scope. She hadn't been announced yet and was standing to the side. She pulled out her phone and answered it.
"Hello?"
"Hello," Shinji replied as he set his phone down and took hold of his rifle.
"Who is this?" she asked. She sounded young. She looked young too.
"No one you'd know," Shinji replied. "I'm just a nameless face that you decided didn't need to exist anymore." Shinji saw her straighten up like a bolt of electricity had gone down her spine.
"You don't understand," she began.
"Of course I do," Shinji replied. He thumbed the rifle's safety. "Don't try to justify yourself. You'll only seem pathetic."
"What do you want?"
"I just wanted you to know why you're about to die," Shinji stated. "Everyone should know that, even if you don't think so yourself." Shinji saw her eyes widen and pulled the trigger. The massive slug hit her in the chest, causing massive amounts of damage before slapped into the concrete behind her. In an instant the scene was in chaos. Shinji ended the call and flipped his phone shut. He slipped it into his pocket and began to disassemble his rifle. Beside him, Asuka quietly packed up her scope. He knew she had seen the pistol he had been holding.
"You didn't trust me."
"Of course not," Shinji replied. He holstered the pistol. There was a massive explosion. Asuka jerked around and stared out the window. She spun back around. "There's our distraction."
"There were people out there!" she snapped.
"Exactly," Shinji replied. "Cops are life savers. They'll all be running to save people, not hunt down others." Asuka continued to stare at him and Shinji wondered if she was going to try to kill him. Suddenly the fire in her eyes was gone. She nodded her understanding.
"Let's go." Shinji nodded. He packed up his rifle and slung the pack over his shoulder. How her eyes had changed bothered him. He had trained hundreds to be soulless killers, but fore some reason, she bothered him more than any of them. Shinji pushed the door open and led them out. "Where are you going?"
"Okinawa," Shinji replied as they walked to the escalator. "You?"
"Back to Germany," Asuka replied. "I want to see my parents and friends. I haven't talked to them in too long. I think I want to find a new job. I don't think this one suits me any more than the military did." Shinji nodded his understanding.
(:ii:)
"Here we are." Shinji looked up at the mansion.
"Been spending funds on something other than guns and explosives?" Shinji asked.
"Just a little extra money I found during that Chinese incident," Shiro replied. He stopped the car and they climbed out. A man in tactical gear walked out.
"Good evening, General," he replied. He glanced at Shinji and nodded. "Sergeant Major." Shinji nodded back. "Are we done here, sir?"
"You're done," Shiro replied. The man nodded and spoke quietly into the radio. A dozen more men stepped out of the building after a few minutes. They nodded to Shiro and Shinji and made their way to several black vans parked outside of the puddles of light thrown out by the mansion's security lights. Shinji watched them disappear down the road.
"My old team," he commented.
"Still my best team," Shiro replied. He turned and led Shinji into the building.
"What kind of trouble do you think this will cause?"
"None." Shinji glanced at the man. "You remember that snake medic?"
"The one who fucked up your career?" Shiro nodded.
"He's an advisor to the Prime Minister," Shiro stated. "I gave him a call and made him an offer he couldn't refuse. He's going to launch an investigation. The investigation will discover proof that my little brother had found incriminating evidence of the Chief doing something she shouldn't have been doing. She attacked the department to recover the evidence and in return was killed by one of Nagao's officers."
"And the explosion?"
"Yakuza attempt to silence their partner," Shiro replied. "She's not the only one who can destroy a person's reputation." Shinji nodded. "They're down there. Third door on the left."
"Thanks." Shinji walked down the brightly lit hallway and found the right door. He pushed it open. Misato and Kimi were curled up in the middle of a king-sized bed. Shinji quietly pulled off his jacket and shoes. After a moment's thought he pulled off the shoulder holster he was wearing as well. He climbed onto the bed and pressed his lips against Misato's forehead. Her eyes opened and she stared up at him. Shinji had to give her credit for not flinching when her eyes traced the side of his face.
"Is it over?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah," Shinji replied. "I'm done."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm retired," Shinji replied. Misato smiled. She reached up slowly and wrapped an arm around his neck. Shinji let her kiss him. She pulled away. "I think Kimi needs a mom, what about you?" Misato stared at him.
"Yeah." Shinji smiled and lay down, wrapping an arm around his daughter and the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. "Rather sudden, isn't it?"
"All the years we've spent together?" Shinji asked. "I'm done with a chapter of my life. I want to start a new one. One with you and Kimi and nothing else."
"We'll talk more in the morning."
"Yeah."
-End
(:ii:)
Author's notes. Well here's the last one. I kind of enjoyed this one. This was my first real attempt of heavy plotting and planning in the story. It was kind of fun. I guess I just needed to escape what everyone kind of expects from me, i.e. Lycanthrope. Insanity is fun, but sometimes it takes a little too much out of me.