By: Ominae
Rating: T
NOTE:
All characters of the Full Metal Panic! series are under the copyright of Shouji Gatou/Koichi Chigira/Yasuhiro Takemoto, GONZO Studios, Kyoto Animation Studios and Kadokowa Shoten.
To all readers:
- I think some of you guys want a Melissa Mao chapter as the next chapter to Impressions. So I'm granting your wish now since the votes of the majority are taken to consideration. Drumroll please!!! Hope you all like this chapter. As for blackwolf, LOL. Thanks for the offer. However, it'll be more than Metal Gear characters showing up. I plan Tom Clancy here too with some others too. Since I've already heard of the Metal Gear Solid Drama CDs, I plan to put some of them in my FMP AU story too.
Right now, here's my gift to all of you. Featuring... Sergeant Major Melissa Mao, Uluz 2, of the Special Response Team! Let's give it up! (I don't hear anyone clapping their hands in front of their computer screens...)
Chapter 4: Melissa Mao
This takes place after the last episode of Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid
Cafeteria, Merida Island, Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean
Man, did I just hear the strangest news ever on Sousuke.
Just after getting back from the Hong Kong operation, I heard that he was in a showdown with General Mayer Amit, the head of MITHRIL's Intelligence Division and an Israeli Army officer and veteran of the Lebanon War and the Israeli-Palestinian Intifadas, grilled Sousuke down for breaking his orders of non-contact with Kaname. Just sitting down in the cafeteria with the other off-duty Special and Primary Response Team members, maintenance and other non-combat personnel while waiting for Sousuke to be free from the meeting suddenly brought back some memories about me and him.
I don't know about the future with Sousuke though. I just simply can't play as his big sister any longer. In a few more years, Sousuke will have to decided what he has to do on whether he wants to pursue the normal life that was taken away from him ever since being a child soldier in Soviet-occupied Afghanistan or simply stay on with MITHRIL 'till he decides that he's simply sick and tired of it.
I'll never forget seeing his face.
How long has it been? I think it was only a year since I saw him in MITHRIL's secret camp in Belize when I recruited him alongside Kurz. Sousuke sure was pretty smart when he pretended to be a third-rate Arm Slave pilot. I saw the potential in him and got him into the SRT. Now it's been a few months since Belize and I became attached to him as sort of a family figure to him.
You can say, for one thing, that he's the only family I've got alongside Kurz, Allen and Belfangan. Those guys are the real brothers that I'd consider to be considering him back in New York and what he did to set up my damn wedding prior to joining the Marine Corp before hiding in Hong Kong. Thinking about it just makes me want to smash something with my fists.
But coming back to Sousuke now instead of my jackass dad...
Ever since he, Kurz and I were assigned by Tactical to take up the Tokyo assignment, I saw something that changed from within him. He doesn't seem to yearn for combat as a MITHRIL SRT operative after 6 months of being in Tokyo and passing himself off as an ordinary high school student, though I hear that Sousuke gets into trouble with the teachers due to his antics day after day. It most likely started after Admiral Borda passed the orders to Tessa to have him replaced by Wraith.
After seeing the change from his eyes every time Tactical Command summons him to do a mission away from Tokyo on their orders forwarded by Tessa, I kept seeing Sousuke feeling more and more depressed as the days passed us by. That moping face... Darn it! I just couldn't help but simply scold him and give him a piece of a mind on Kaname. I swear, I bet that thinking about her was the main reason why he can't focus all of his attention on the Arbalest, not to mention his grudge on that Arm Slave.
At that point, I simply didn't know what to do in order to solve this problem. Eyeing the cup of water on my tray, I emptied its contents while I began to think about Sousuke's progress since leaving Kaname behind. Damn! I need to think with water in my system. Darn air conditioning in my room just malfunctioned a while ago. I then placed my cup back on the tray. Right now...
When I think about it, I can't help but sympathize with him. But as an SRT operator, personal feelings can't be placed too much to the point that they interfere with our jobs. Even if they're a tiny bit...
Sigh. I don't know how I should have spoken to him at the time when he was in the chopper transporting Bruno or back in Hong Kong. Should I have spoken to him as like a sibling ever since I recruited into the SRT or should I just have shouted at him as his commanding officer? Just by leaving the mission, I suddenly panicked since we were partners for the Hong Kong mission.
Despite all that, I eventually had to continue the mission without him. I felt pretty bad not trying to call him back and tell him to get his butt into the mission, but I'm with MITHRIL and I can't simply let my feelings get in my way. My guess is that his disillusionment with MITHRIL was primarily due to his removal from Tokyo, which broke down his spirit.
I even heard from Tessa that she felt terrible when she gave Sousuke the sermon that could make a teacher jealous over his feelings of guarding Kaname. But I heard they made up now, so I don't think that's a problem.
But I still worry if Sousuke wants to at least experience what it feels like to be a high schooler. At least he still has a chance to live a normal life in the near future. Unlike me and Kurz, since we've decided to hang on with MITHRIL.
"Hello Sergeant Major."
When I turned my head around, I stared at Sousuke entering the cafeteria.
"Hey Sousuke." I greeted him. "You seem to be in a good mood."
"Yes I am." Setting his tray down next to me, Sousuke took his seat down and was about to eat when I decided to ask him something about the meeting with the top brass.
"How'd the meeting with General Amit go?" I asked him. Suddenly, Sousuke grinned at me after I asked him about him.
"It went well." Sousuke replied, still grinning. "Let's just say that my terms on my contract went well with Lord Mallory even after I made myself an enemy of General Amit."
I don't believe it. Sousuke getting backed up by the Lord Mallory. I just can't believe it. I heard many things about him, but I didn't think that his terms for his own contract with MITHRIL would be agreed on by that geezer...
"Wow..." I whispered, placing my right palm under my chin. "Didn't know you got that much help."
"I actually didn't realize that too." Sousuke replied.
"So does that mean you're heading back to Tokyo again in a few days?" I asked on whether he'd be deployed back to Jindai. I'm pretty sure that Kaname would be very happy to welcome him back.
"Yes I am." Sousuke nodded in reply at me.
It appears that Sousuke was happy as he ate his food from his tray. But it seems that I have to say something.
"Sousuke." I gently said, waiting for him to stop eating and face me.
"Yes?" I noted that Sousuke had finished eating his food and was waiting for me to say something.
"I just want you to know that I'll always back you up." I told him, letting all my feelings out as a sister to him. Something that Sousuke should have had. "Remember that you're my only real family, Sousuke." I gently placed my right hand on his left shoulder and smiled at him. "I'll be there for you when you need a shoulder to lean you."
And that's when finally Sousuke smiled at me. A real smile that I haven't seen.
"Thank you, Serg... I mean Melissa-neesan."
I was really happy when he smiled. But wait a second... I'm not sure if I was imagining things, but...
Is it just me or did I see a teardrop fall from his right eye?
Chapter 4 END
PS - Back to a female civilian perspective, this time from one of Kaname's friends. You guys, when you review, can still give your opinion on who should I do a write-up on. I'm counting on you peeps... You know, I could still post a Youko Wakana chapter. She's the copper in the Honda Today and had the voice of Akiko Hiramatsu from the You're Under Arrest series and is coming back for the upcoming Full Throttle aka 3rd Season this October. I might most likely lean on Kyoko. She should be easy for me to do, especially with that camera of hers. He he... You guys can still say if you want to see Kyoko, Mizuki or the crazy Youko or maybe some other female that I should give a shot on when you review. On a side note for a while, any of you peeps excited to watch the 3rd season of You're Under Arrest?
Anyhow, I enjoyed how the FMP series would portray Sousuke and Mao with the latter providing the sister-type of support for Sousuke in and out of MITHRIL. There'd be no way I'd picture these two as a romantic pairing unless a major AU is written to overhaul their history.
I didn't think I had a hard time writing a chapter on Mao's perspective towards Sousuke. This was too easy. I based some of it from my experience in my Military Police cadet days in high school. However, the Military Police cadet platoon's commanding officer at that time was a buddy of mine. So unlike Melissa who had a problem with Sousuke in Hong Kong, I didn't have a problem since my CO and I were friends ever since attending summer MP cadet training.
Ah... those were the days...
Well, I should further brainstorm my upcoming FMP AU story anyway. I welcome ideas in your reviews as well aside for the next chapter on one of Kaname's female friends. For now, let me know if I did well or not on this chapter.