Author's Note: I know I may be pushing Kaname's experience in America up to the forefront a bit in these chapters, there's good reason for it... in my preplanning I wrote a short story that we'll get to eventually focusing on Kaname and Sousuke visiting America after September 11th. That story has the preliminary tittle "Everyone is now Sagara Sousuke".
Sword and Shield
Chapter 9: Sword and Shield
Sword 1. n. (weaponry) A long-bladed weapon having a handle and sometimes a hilt and designed to stab, cut or slash. 2 n. Someone paid to handle a sword.
Shield 1. n. A broad piece of defensive armor, carried on the arm, formerly in general use in war, for the protection of the body. 2. n. Anything which protects or defends; defense; shelter; protection. 3. n. Figuratively, one who protects or defends. 4. n. (obsolete) A coin, the old French crown, or écu, having on one side the figure of a shield. 5. n. A field of energy which protects or defends.
26 March 2000, 13:43 hrs
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo
Room 404, Mansion K Apartments
Wraith swallowed down a lump in her throat as she put the phone to her ear. The voice that came through was clear and unfiltered by a voice filter, and she recognized it immediately.
"Opera House to Wraith."
"Wraith here." She breathed and glanced at Sousuke and Kaname as they stared at her.
Admiral Jerome Borda's voice let out a sigh. "Mithril is disbanding, you are hereby released from your current contract. However… Angel and other whispered require continue protection. If you so choose we'd like to offer you a contract with the subsequent replacement organization."
Wraith's eyes narrowed as she glanced at Kaname and bit her lip. Damn it, the situation is bad. I can't really be expected to keep doing this without a contract can I?
"Opera House, be advised… Angel is currently under surveillance by hostile forces. Identity is unconfirmed but I suspect Delta and SOAR are involved." Wraith ran her tongue along her teeth. "Can I expect any reinforcements?"
"Negative Wraith, has Urzu Seven been informed of the situation?" Admiral Jerome Borda answered quickly.
"He has."
"Very well, we'll have to move quickly. Be advised that White Gold and the Old Mariner are on their way to you. We're hoping to negotiate with the Japanese government for sanctuary."
Wraith nodded as she sorted through what were clearly improvised call signs: White Gold, platinum… that must be Tessa with her distinctive hair color and Old Mariner… that must be the Admiral. She rattled her brain for a moment as she thought about what the Admiral was saying. They were going to negotiate with the government. It could work… and depending on what sort of protection they offer it could make these damn vultures back away. However, for them to target Kaname when her father was a player at the United Nations…
"Wraith, your answer if you please?"
She focused on her immediate problem and let out a sigh. "I'm not the sort to sign a contract without reading it over… what would my duties be?"
"For now you would simply continue with your current duty as being Kaname's less visible protector and sniper support for Sousuke in-case of an abduction attempt. We'll be open to renegotiating the contract at a later date."
Wraith closed her eyes. "Understood, provisionally I accept."
"Understood, written orders will arrive within the next few hours for you and Urzu Seven, you may then inform him of the new organization." Admiral Jerome Borda said.
"Acknowledged." Wraith said. "Will an ETA be enclosed?"
"Yes, thank you Wraith, out." With that, the link clicked shut.
"Wraith?" Sousuke asked as she slipped her phone into her pocket. "Are there reinforcements en-route?"
She shook her head. "No, there are no reinforcements because there is no organization." Wraith glanced between the two of them. "Admiral Borda just disbanded Mithril, officially. He's working to assemble a replacement organization from the remnants to protect… well… people like Kaname."
Both of their faces dropped somewhat at the news. They'd known it was coming but for it to be official now… Sousuke shook his head. "Does this mean you'll be…?"
"No, you're stuck with me. They're going to offer the two of us a contract to well… keep doing what we've been doing." Wraith folded her arms over her chest. "You're her bodyguard still and I'll be the one that figures out when real threats are about since you're obviously terrible at it."
Sousuke's eyes flared with anger but he said nothing. Instead, Kaname spoke up. "Really? What did you do when Sousuke tried to save me from Amalgam? Where were you when that bastard Leonard Tesstarossa walked into this room like he owned the place?"
"My orders did not permit me to intervene. I did help save Kyoko after-all. Once it was clear High Command was incapable of organizing a rescue." A smirk appeared on Wraith's face. "Now that Mithril is disbanded, they haven't given me any rules of engagement to follow so if shit gets serious…"
"It's already serious!" Kaname yelled. "There are two CIA Operatives outside just waiting for me and Sousuke to step out the door! You said so yourself."
"If they try anything Miss Chidori they'll get a rifle round for their trouble." Wraith stated tapping the SVD and heading back to the door. "I've got to go before one of them looks in a window and sees me here."
Kaname scowled as Wraith shut the door behind her.
"This is bad." Kaname said as she glared at the door. "Really bad."
"Affirmative." Sousuke said quietly. "I was hoping that Kurz and Melissa would be on the way." He tapped his side and frowned.
"Sousuke, would it be better if I took your backup? Two guns maybe?" Kaname asked quietly. "A stun gun won't stop a team of Delta guys will it? I mean it's only a one shot weapon…"
"No! Absolutely not!" Sousuke said shaking his head vigorously.
"Sousuke?" Kaname blinked and stared at him for a moment. "I don't understand… You used to encourage me to…"
Sousuke closed his eyes and shook his head again. "No… no Kaname, please don't ask me to dirty your hands like that… please." Kaname's eyes widened somewhat and he swallowed. "I didn't understand then… but now… now… I don't want blood to be on your hands."
"Sousuke, there already is blood enough on them!" Kaname said. Her voice breaking as she spoke. "You know Sophia made me shoot you and Tessa… but, I shot Leonard!"
Sousuke froze, his eyes widening as she continued. "He, he gave me a pistol… some sort of revolver and stood between me and you in Mexico… he said all I had to do was to get past him and he slowly started counting down… I tried to shoot him and I couldn't and then when he reached out to take the gun back, smug as ever, as if he'd just made a huge bet and won… I shot him!" Tears streamed down her face and she swallowed back a lump. "I… in… in the forehead, and that son of a bitch lived!" She squeezed her eyes shut trying to stem the tears. "And then… then… your father showed up and threw me in the helicopter with him. I thought they'd kill me so I stole a gun from one of them and threatened to bring down the helicopter with it if they didn't let me talk to you."
I thought she was delirious when she said she held them hostage for the radio. He swallowed back the lump in his throat. "I… I remember." Remember he did, it had been a moment that was burned into his brain, her pained voice crackling through the radio lines. It was at that moment we both admitted the truth… it was when we confessed we loved each other. He felt his eyes water for the first time since he was a child and looked down at the floor his hands clenched into fists. His heart seemed to groan with pain as he looked back at her. Leonard, that bastard… I wish I had been the one that shot him instead of Kalinin. Dirtying her hands with his blood like that, trying to make her a killer… like him… like me.
A single tear ran down his cheek. "I… I never wanted that."
"Sousuke, you once told me that to a third rate person was one who: 'licked their lips before the enemy'. What does a first rate person do?" Kaname asked quietly.
"He pulls the trigger…" He edited the phrase as he spoke erasing the mantra that the KGB instructors had drilled into him as a child as he did. "A first rate person pulls the trigger, not because he likes killing, not because he hates the enemy, but so others don't have to…"
Kaname fisted his shirt and looked up into Sousuke's pained eyes. She'd once asked him how many people he'd killed, he'd given a terrible number and yet the man, and she now knew he was very much a man, had remained the gentle timid soul he was. Any other man who killed for a living she'd met would have turned their pistol on her after the first strike with the harisen. She'd once hated the stoic expression he'd worn, the mask… Melissa had once joked about being on 'Sousuke watch' trying to figure out his emotions. Now she'd seen the mask slip before, his raging hatred at Gauron, the stunned and broken expression at the sight of her in Hong Kong, and the cocky smirk that had slipped out when he'd arrived at Jindai High School just days before.
Now the mask had shattered. He'd fought to keep her from having the pull the trigger, he'd fought to protect his friends, to keep his comrades alive, and he'd fought for nations and for pay. A heavy weight seemed to descend upon his shoulders as he looked down at her, a tear running down his cheek soon joined by another one.
"I… I never wanted that." The words had bounced around inside her head as she stared up at his stricken face, understanding him better than she had before. He wasn't a mercenary, not really… those fought for pay and pay alone. He wasn't a hit-man or assassin, a murderer or serial killer. Other terms like warrior or terrorist failed to fit him. Even bodyguard failed to fit him since he cared and protected her from more than bullets and knives as best he could. No, the one word he'd always used to describe himself did like a glove. He was a soldier… a soldier fights to protect others because it's their duty.
And he felt like he'd failed her yet again.
Kaname slowly reached up and ran her hand along his cheek rubbing away tears. "Sousuke… if it means one less time you'd have to stain your hands I'd pull the trigger. You've spent so much time protecting me, let me return the favor."
He shivered under her touch. "Kaname… you, you've saved me already. I can't ask you to do that, not for me." Sousuke's head dropped and he let out a long sigh refusing to meet her eyes. He looks so vulnerable, so… hurt.
She leaned against him and stood on her toes and whispered in his ear. "You don't have to ask." Her hand slipped into one of his pockets and pulled out the Glock subcompact. As it left his possession he leaned forward and settled his forehead against hers.
Guilt and inadequacy flowed from him as he stood there with his eyes closed and Kaname sighed, her hand wrapping around the pistol and lowering it to her side. His voice cracked as he whispered. "I'd do anything to protect you."
"So would I… you baka." Kaname said quietly slipping the gun into her pocket.
26 March 15:03 hrs
Mithril Headquarters, Sydney, Australia
Communications Room
Tessa nervously toyed with her braided hair as she watched the Admiral type on the laptop sitting atop a table in the middle of the room. Overall the communications room had survived relatively intact, the computers and encryption systems sitting idle until the small team that had arrived weeks earlier had moved in and setup a generator bringing the place back online.
"Should we abort Melissa and Kurz's mission? Sagara alone is not enough to hold off an attack by Delta Force." Tessa said quietly as she watched the Admiral work.
"I know, but we only may have one opportunity to remove the TDD-1 from the picture." He sighed and his one remaining eye shifted to gaze at Tessa. "Our best hope is to get the Japanese government to offer them sanctuary. Once they do we can use that as leverage to hopefully end Washington's attempts to secure the whispered."
That may work if they declare their intentions to the United States, there is probably information they could release that would be worrying to the Americans. Tessa closed her eyes and nodded. "Won't our destruction of the TDD-1 push them to continue… perhaps focusing more on me to get a replacement?"
"Maybe." The admiral conceded. "Still it needs to be done."
"I know."
The Admiral finished typing on his laptop and let out a long sigh. "It's done." He tapped a key and the machines in the room buzzed to life as a message was sent to every Mithril facility across the globe. Swallowing back a lump Tessa leaned over one of the machines as it printed a copy of the message.
TO: All Mithril Personnel
FROM: Mithril Command Authority
In response to the attack by the United States and preceding casualties and losses to the forces of Amalgam all personnel are hereby released from service as per contract stipulation 182-92-C: The compromise and inability of Mithril to operate as originally conceived. All equipment checked out and issued to individual soldiers is hereby released to those individuals who utilized it. Non-Disclosure Agreements for security levels 1 through 5 are also hereby terminated. All documents and data of a nature consistent with security levels 6 and higher is to be destroyed as well as equipment containing military secrets. Pilot crews and ground staff now have full ownership of their aircraft if of the MV-22, MH-6, G. IV or other types with non-military applications, all other aircraft and military vehicles should be destroyed.
Good Luck and God Speed… It has been an honor to serve with you.
Effective Commander-in-Chief, Mithril
Jerome Borda, Admiral (Ret.), United States Navy
Then the admiral picked up the phone once again and selected a number from the list of contacts.
"It's over then." Tessa said quietly, thinking of what her life had been for the last few years, the missions the fighting, and the undeniable experience that had brought her to this point and the one organization she served that was now no more.
26 March 2000, 15:07 hrs
Kings Cross, Sydney, Australia
Room 209, Springfield Lodge
Mao cursed and scrambled across the bed, her hand reaching for the satellite phone as its keening tone echoed in the small room. Kurz leaned back in a chair balancing an empty Fosters beer can atop his head and sighed.
Gritting her teeth she picked up the receiver and lifted it to her ear. "Urzu Two…"
"This is command, report to Mithril Headquarters for equipment pickup and briefing." The gruff voice of Admiral Jerome Borda answered.
"What's this about contract termination I just got?" Mao said as she lifted the crimpled print out in her hands.
"It's true. We're organizing a smaller elite team to serve as a replacement organization. We'll fill you in once you arrive."
"Understood." Mao said as the connection cut. Grinning she set the phone down and turned to Kurz. "Come on, we've got a ferry ride to grab. The rendezvous is at the old base headquarters."
"Shit, got some oxy pills… we hit the Fosters hard." Kurz said before he toppled out of his chair and the beer can he'd been balancing on his forehead rolled across the floor.
"Yeah, instant sober pills… of course I've got some." Mao said with a devious grin. "Come on, they can't taste as bad as the next set of pills we'll be taking."
Kurz sighed. "Yeah, what would those be?"
"Anti-rad." Mao said with a smile.
"Fuck!"
26 March 2000, 16:09 hrs
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo
Den-en Supermarket, Kan-Pachi Dori
Kaname glanced around as she picked up a small basket at the entrance while Sousuke nervously did the same. Seeing no one following them for the moment Kaname slipped inside, her hands nervously gripping tightly to the plastic and took a deep breath.
Calm down… calm down. If we're being followed tipping them off would be bad, right?
She picked up a set of coupons as she stepped inside and glanced around. Great, they remodeled over the last year… She pursed her lips and glanced at Sousuke. We need just about everything since well… nothing keeps in a refrigerator for a year. I wonder who cleared it out while I was gone, not dad or Kyoko since she was hurt… maybe Maya?
"Kaname?" Sousuke asked as he glanced over at her.
"Hmm?" She murmured and turned to face him. "What is it Sousuke?"
"You looked distracted…" Sousuke said quietly.
"Oh, I was just wondering who cleaned out my refrigerator while I was gone." Kaname shrugged. "Is there anything in particular you'd like me to make Sousuke?"
"No. I'll eat anything you make, it's not a problem." Sousuke ran a hand along the hem of his shirt and glanced at the various foodstuffs laid out on the shelves.
Kaname sighed. He looked so lost and confused amongst the goods as if he had no idea what they were. Maybe he didn't… he's such a clueless otaku sometimes.
She flinched at her own thoughts and squashed them as best she could, he'd bared his soul to her… to find fault with him afterward felt like a betrayal. I betrayed him once to save him and everyone else at the school. Never again, not after all he went through for my sake. She let out a sigh and glanced at the produce her mind slowly turning over the options.
What do we do next? Kaname asked herself as she picked up a small tub of wasabi. I mean, no Mithril just this new organization. America is watching me, the whispers are back… She sighed and glanced over at Sousuke as he ran a hand along the counter before coming to a stop at a jar of pickles.
Hell, I had no idea what I'd do with my life when I went to school a few days back just in time to see all my friends graduate. She pursed her lips and frowned as she glanced over at Sousuke once again. When he got off that bike I was so glad, another year with him in school that sounded like a plan. Maybe during that time I could figure out what to do with my life.
"Kaname?" Sousuke asked quietly. "Is something wrong?"
"No… nothing." Kaname said and when his concerned expression failed to dissipate she sighed. "I was just thinking about what's next? What should I do with my life?"
The blank expression that greeted her from Sousuke told her that he hadn't really thought of that either. "I do not know, all I really care is that I'll be by your side."
Kaname blushed at that and sighed. Typical, most girls go looking at their future being a wife of a businessman or something. What sort of future do I have being the wife of my… bodyguard? Oh God! What'll dad do when he finds out Sousuke is living with me?
"Kaname?"
Maybe I could be a scientist or something, find a way to cure the whispers or use them to make something besides war machines. Maybe a Lambda Driver as a backstop to a gun range or… a safety system to contain a nuclear meltdown or something. I wonder if I could make a non-lethal ray gun… good for a police officer, stupid tazer and its single shot, Tessa said my specialty seemed to be the Lambda Driver though, stupid device… Maybe I could make one powered by human stupidity, it'd have to be stronger than the one on Arbalest or its replacement… the Laevatein?
"Kaname?"
"Nani?" She asked her mind snapping back to the here and now.
"Do not look, but it seems one of the operatives has found us." Sousuke said as he leaned against her.
Kaname's brow twitched in irritation. Why can't they just leave me alone? Damn it! Her irritation growing she glanced at the basket in her hands and the few ingredients she'd managed to pick up. Food first, evil American spies later. "Let's finish picking up some things and we can try and throw them off on the way home."
"Understood." Sousuke said slipping a hand into the pockets of his cargo pants and pulling out a smoke grenade and rolling it in his hand before returning it to the pocket.
Kaname's eyebrow twitched again as she caught sight of the grenade being slipped into his pocket. "Sousuke… don't use your equipment, if you do they'll know you are more than just my…" She blushed. "Than just my boyfriend…"
Sousuke swallowed once then nodded. "Very well, it'll be more difficult for us, but the advantage of surprise may be valuable enough to warrant taking your advice."
So otaku… so Sousuke…
She grinned and walked along the aisle to the meat section and skimmed through them… everything seemed more expensive. With a shrug she picked up some chicken breasts and a set of side pork… it wasn't bacon like she tried in America but it would be something nice instead of the usual. As she set the two items in the basket she glanced at the polished metal of the freezer and caught sight of a long haired Japanese man perusing the aisles.
That must be him. I wonder where the other one is. Maybe being a gaijin would make following us in stupid, he would stick out.
Kaname swallowed down a lump in her throat and picked up a carton of eggs as well as some shishimi grade salmon that was on sale.
This is going to be expensive, but Sousuke always says money is no object. She shrugged again then glanced down an aisle looking for her favorite brand of rice and some of the spices she used in her curry rice recipe.
Such a simple dish, maybe that's why Sousuke likes it so much… who else eats plain rolls? She bit back a snicker as she picked up the rice and closed her eyes. Sousuke appeared at her side with a number of juices and tea mixes. Smiling Kaname nodded her approval of the selection and he blushed slightly.
"I have an idea." Sousuke whispered quietly.
Uh oh.
"When we get to the cash register, I'll claim that I saw our pursuer slip some of the wares into his pocket. When they stop and question him we should be able to elude them, so long as his backup is not within line of sight."
That… She felt her cheeks heat up and she glanced at him. So simple, it'd probably work too. She grinned because she knew that those that worked here were familiar with her 'bodyguard' so if they found nothing there'd be no trouble.
"Perfect." She said as they stepped up next to the dairy aisle and she glanced at the available wears. Not much, some yogurt, some milk, and a few things of cheese… I almost miss the American fetish with cheese I learned to do so many things with it in New York. Sighing she picked up some butter, a block of parmesan, and some heavy cream. She felt stressed and some good comfort food might help.
Americans and Italians are masters of that. She rolled her eyes and glanced back at the aisle with noodles. I doubt they have it… but maybe I'll be lucky. My luck has to even out today somehow. Sighing she shook her head as she ran a hand along the shelves.
Nope… I'll have to improvise then… She picked up some egg noodles and nodded, they'd do the part.
"That's enough for a couple days, come on… lets head home."
"Roger." Sousuke said following in her wake.
The two of them stood in the checkout line as the longhaired Japanese man perused through some boxes in an aisle opposite the checkout. Kaname couldn't catch him looking at them but still, she felt eyes on her back as she unloaded the baskets and smirked at the cashier's stunned expression on seeing her face and Sousuke's.
"You're back? I thought you moved away or something." She said as she started to bag up the items and glanced over at Sousuke. "You're both back…"
"Yeah… It's good to be back." Kaname said as she glanced at Sousuke.
"I noticed store security has not improved since last time I was here, I observed the man in the aisle behind us slipping some goods into his suit." Sousuke stated.
The cashier sighed and picked up the phone beside the machine. "Manager to aisle three, code 2-S, thank you." Setting it back down, she smiled at Kaname. "He hasn't changed has he?"
"Maybe a little." She said as Sousuke stepped forward and pulled out his wallet to pay for the groceries and the cashier blinked before accepting the money from him.
"Really?" She said as the two of them slipped out the door as the store's manager approached the long-haired man.
"Uh-huh, see you." Kaname said as she grabbed the bags and headed out the door, glancing at the reflected glass to see that the manager was accosting the man with long black hair. She smiled. "Good job Sousuke."
"It's not over yet." He said, his gaze focusing on the bench behind them for a minute. "The backup is now on us."
Kaname felt her eyebrow twitch in irritation. "Don't tell me… the whole paper with a hole cut out trick right?"
"Partly, he has a paper but there does not appear to be a hole for observation." Sousuke glanced at her for a moment. "You remembered that I used that technique?"
"Yes, and I watch a lot of action movies." Kaname sighed. "And now as we cross the street he'll start following right?"
"Affirmative."
She glanced up at the overcast skies and sighed, letting out a puff of air before glancing at the crossing for the street. "So now we'll try and shake him then?"
"Affirmative, since this is the only busy street between us and the objective it may be best to cross it in a manner…"
"Run across…" Kaname's scowl grew. "With groceries?"
"That… is troublesome." Sousuke admitted glancing down at the bag in his hand. "Perhaps we should proceed normally and just look for an opportunity en-route."
"Yes, I'd rather not have to do this twice because we dropped something on the way." Kaname said as she turned toward a pedestrian bridge down the road. "Sousuke… what would happen if I called him out as to following me?"
"I do not know, that would depend upon his orders and training. As well as how much information they have on you." Sousuke stated. "I would not advise it."
Kaname nodded slowly. He's probably right. She sighed as they clambered up the bridge and across. A crackle of thunder echoed overhead and she scowled.
"If it starts raining, running home doesn't sound like such a bad idea." Kaname said.
"Chidori, it seems your priorities need to be examined… how is it that evading this man is not more of a priority than not getting wet?"
"I told you, call me Kaname…" She said as her lip quivered and she glanced at the ground. Damn it, he's right. He's the expert when it comes to things like this.
"Sorry." He said quietly. "Old habits."
Kaname closed her eyes as they stepped off the bridge and the sidewalk toward home. Letting out another sigh, she shook her head again. Glancing up she shivered as a cold blast of wind whipped down the street and tore at her clothes.
"Sousuke…" Kaname breathed as she walked along the street and swung her bag trying to give off a happy carefree impression, not so much for Sousuke as for the agent that was watching them.
He arched an eyebrow at her as they walked along, his gaze shifting every once in a while to some glimmer of metal or reflective object to monitor the man trudging behind them. He looked almost like Kurz with that blond hair and pleasing features, but his position some fifteen meters behind them made him a threat.
Why is Kaname acting so… so… happy? If I didn't see the expression on her face I'd think she was downright giddy. Maybe it's a ploy… trying to lure the operative into underestimating her or making it seem less likely we've been spotted?
As they walked Sousuke pursed his lips trying to find some way out of their current predicament without alerting the man to the arsenal hidden within his trousers. A flash bang may be mistaken for a firework by an amateur but this man clearly is not an amateur. No, I need to find a way to distract him long enough for us to break line of sight without using any of my equipment. Kaname is right. It is better to reveal as little about ourselves as possible.
"Sousuke?" Kaname asked as they began to approach Denenchofu Train Station and the turnabout that was outside of it. "You got any ideas yet."
"Possibly, Kaname did you know that roundabouts were originally conceived of as a means of confusing invading armies." Sousuke said glancing around as they came to a stop at the first crossing.
"Huh?"
"I will explain later." Sousuke said as he walked across in a gap in the traffic and continued across the island of cement in the middle of the traffic circle with Kaname following right behind him. Then they crossed the street once again heading south-west.
Kaname shrugged for a moment as Sousuke glanced over his shoulder and scanned the area behind him. He almost smiled as he saw the operative scrambling around the edge of the circle to reach them, stopped cold by traffic time after time. Then they lost sight of each other through a set of well-manicured bushes.
He turned back to Kaname as she slid a mirror back into her purse and smiled. "He lost sight of us that means…"
"We put as much distance between him and us as possible, hiak!" The two increased their pace to a brisk run, their groceries swinging in their hands as they scrambled past some curious pedestrians and turned east onto a side road for a block before relenting their pace and heading southward once more.
Kaname caught her breath fitfully as they slowed to their previous stroll. I'm out of shape… damn Sophia and Leonard had me so focused on their computers and that damn Omni-sphere… I let myself get weak. She sighed as she glanced at Sousuke who wasn't even breathing hard after the swift run.
Damn him, he's in better shape than ever! She squashed the thought immediately blushing slightly. So what? That's how he saved me.
Another thunderclap echoed overhead and the heavens opened… rain began to fall, starting as a light sprinkle and swiftly increasing to a full-fledged downpour. Scowling to herself she pulled out an umbrella from her purse and opened it.
Sousuke held a water proof poncho in his hand for a second before stuffing it back into his pocket and huddling beneath her umbrella. Smiling she leaned against him and sighed. "Sousuke?"
"Yes Kaname?"
"How is a road circle supposed to confuse an invading army?"
Sousuke smirked and leaned beside her to explain.
25 March 2000, 21:30 hrs
Pearl Harbor, State of Hawaii, United States
Los Angeles-class submarine USS Pasadena (SSN-752)
Commander Killy B. Sailor sat on the dock beside the ship, his hands rolling three ball-bearings idly as he watched the dock crew go about the monotonous task of resupplying the vessel. The group of ditched Mithril personnel they'd picked up in the Pacific three weeks earlier were long gone.
One of the seamen tripped on the ramp and dropped a crate filled with strawberries into the water between the submarine and dock swearing after a moment. He stood and set one hand on his hip before shaking the ball bearings at the seaman.
"Jonsson, strip down and get those strawberries. I don't care what happens to you just get them you damn fool."
"Commander Sailor?" A man asked behind him and he spun snapping off a salute as he caught the admiral's uniform.
"Sir!"
"You are hereby relieved of command of the Pasadena and reassigned." The admiral held out the folder and Sailor swallowed down a lump as he took it.
"Sir? Why have I been removed from command?" He said swiftly. "If this is about the incident with the Mithril personnel a few weeks ago or…"
"You're getting a different boat Commander, a much nicer one once we get her fully functioning and you're the only man we know of that has a grasp of her capabilities."
"Sir?" The commander flipped open the folder and his jaw dropped open. The Toy Box!
26 March 2000, 16:40 hrs
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan
Room 404, Mansion K Apartments
Sousuke let out a sigh of relief as the door clicked shut behind them and he wiped his brow of the sweat and rainwater that had covered it for the last ten blocks. He took a deep breath and watched Kaname pant for a moment in the entryway before reaching down to remove his shoes.
"Mission accomplished." Sousuke said as he carried one of the bags of groceries into the living area and set it down before dropping into the couch.
This is quite pleasant, if it weren't for those American spies. He rubbed his head and sighed, spies were among the enemies he'd trained against, and unlike a terrorist, a sniper, a soldier, or the plain old street thug he seemed to find himself squaring off against all too often… They weren't a threat to Kaname directly, and attacking them directly would only attract unwanted attention.
It was whoever they were reporting to that was the threat. AH-6s from Delta Force or CIA Operatives, I wonder how long until they decide to make their move. The situation here can't swing further in their favor. I really do not know how skilled Wraith is in a battle but I definitely would not expect Kurz quality marksmanship.
She may have been identified when she warned us as well, in which case they'll seek to eliminate her first.
Kaname's voice broke through the fog of his thoughts and he smiled. "Sousuke… I figured I'd make something special to try and calm our nerves, although…" Her voice faltered. "It's been awhile since I made this particular dish."
"It's not a problem." Sousuke said as he pulled at his shirt to dry it off.
What is it? I have never had anything she made that used that cheese… in fact the only foods I remember that used that cheese were the Mithril Mess's issued Spaghetti or Pizza. I do not believe she procured the ingredients for either of those items.
A tired sigh slipped out of Kaname's mouth as she walked over to the stove and set a pot on it and began to reduce the heavy cream and butter inside it to a sauce. As the smell of melting butter filled the room Sousuke saw her pull out the bag of egg noodles and a larger pot full of water and set it to boil.
It certainly is not palau or roht… Perhaps it is some form of stroganoff. Kalinin used to make that occasionally, it was certainly better than his borscht.
The thought of his old mentor made his fists tighten in anger. I don't understand… why did he try and keep her from me? He had to know what she means to me… why? And then after that chopper crashed… he said he was teaching me one last lesson.
I really am a lamb raised by wolves. Sousuke shook his head and sighed forcing the thoughts away. Thinking about things like that with the enemy so close was dangerous. He had to keep alert.
Kaname glanced over her shoulder at Sousuke and sighed as she caught his expression. He was thinking that much was clear and something about it seemed to be disturbing him. I know I'm worried but seeing him like this…
She sighed as she checked the two pots and closed her eyes, focusing on the rich smell rising from the sauce. "Sousuke? You look troubled."
"I'm sorry Kaname… I was just wondering what it was you were making and my thoughts… well, I thought of stroganoff and that made me think of Kalinin." The audible sigh that slipped from his lips made her shoulders shrug. She could understand. The man that had raised him as his son had betrayed him to Amalgam.
"I shouldn't think about things such as that… not with the enemy so close. If I let my guard down… you…" He fell silent and Kaname let the quiet hang around the two of them for a moment.
"I know Sousuke." Kaname closed her eyes and sighed. "It's not stroganoff anyway. You might have had it in Italy."
"I was not there long enough to sample the local cuisine." Sousuke stated flatly.
"So you'll get to try something new then." Kaname smiled and glanced over at him. "I know you're worried. This always made me feel better when we had it in America with my family..."
"Thank you." He said quietly before closing his eyes.
"Sousuke, it's not a problem." She said with a smile. "It'll be ready in just a few more minutes, okay?"
"Understood."
26 March 2000, 17:43 hrs
Mithril Headquarters, Sydney, Australia
Communications Room
Tessa smiled as Melissa Mao and Kurz Weber stepped inside the room, their smiling faces brightening her day.
"Tessa-chan! Now that Mithril is no more, Captain just sounds wrong!" Kurz Weber said and opened his arms in a pantomime of a hug.
Mao silenced him with a jab in the ribs and sighed. "I hoped the russians would give him back to us cleaned up… but alas his mind is just as dirty as ever."
"If he wasn't it wouldn't be Weber." Tessa said as she giggled and glanced over at the Admiral his hands still typing away on the computer. "We've managed to requisition some equipment from the storage rooms here and assemble some false IDs for you to use, unfortunately since we lack the resources we once had they're not exactly as high quality as normal." She sighed and glanced at the table where they'd set out the gear. Fortunately their records had included sizes proper for them.
Two Marine Corps woodland uniforms were laid out, one with the badge of a sergeant and the other with that of a lieutenant.
"Tessa, you know that LTs in the Corps tend to be younger than me, like a lot younger than me." Mao said as she looked at the gear.
"You are correct Mao, mostly because battlefield commissions are unheard of these days. You can test to become an officer but not that many do in the Marine Corps. This has all been worked into your cover." The old admiral stated without looking up. "Kurz will be the Lieutenant, you will be his platoon first sergeant."
"You hear that nee-san! I get to order you around…" Kurz said with glee as he picked up his uniform. "Why are these so stiff…?"
"All American uniforms are like that, it's from the chemical warfare protection that they're treated with." Mao said. "And you won't be ordering me around that much LT… I'm a platoon sergeant. My job is to teach you your job. Sort of like how Mardukas worked with Tessa."
"Oh… crap. You're supposed to be XO hardass… you're right you did work all that into our cover." Kurz said as he picked up the uniform and examined it. "Wait… Isn't there regulations on your hair in…"
He fell silent as Mao pulled out a combat knife and grinned. "Come here. Let me shorten those golden locks for you!"
"I think I'll just stuff it up under my helmet." He said backing away from her.
Tessa giggled and the Admiral shook his head and chuckled to himself before leaning away from the computer. "I believe I've organized this enough to properly brief you on the organization that is replacing Mithril." As he spoke he tapped the print key and one of the printers in the room sputtered to life printing off three sheets of paper. "This is all subject to revision of course, but the basics are pretty much set in stone."
Kurz pulled the paper from the printer and handed one each to Tessa and Mao. Melissa smirked as she lifted the page up and quickly scanned it. "This seems really workable."
Tessa pursed her lips in thought as she read the paper.
SWORD AND SHIELD:
SWORD DIVISION:
Objective: Tasked with Military Defense of Whispered Individuals and their Families.
Methodology: Small Military Special Reaction Forces with rules of engagement similar to commandos and police SWAT are used to rescue whispered individuals held by force. Identified whispered will also be provided personal protection in the form of bodyguards.
SHIELD DIVISION:
Objective: Support of Identified Whispered Individuals.
Methodology: Provision of legal protection, monetary support, educational opportunities, and health care to identified whispered individuals. They will also act as intermediaries between military contractors and the whispered under their protection to allow for fair and honest use of their talents. A small research branch should be attached for the creation of proof of concept devices and allow for a moderate amount of independent research.
FRONT COMPANY: SWORD AND SHIELD SECURITY
Objective: Act as the fiscal network behind the organization and handler of assets.
Methodology: The Company will act as a full security company, however its primary clients will be known whispered and those informed of their condition as Sword and Shield operates.
She smiled slightly as she read the objectives and how it would come about. They were in the founding moments of the creation. "Yes, I think this will work. Smaller objectives for a smaller organization but still very important work."
"Sounds like we'll do much more cloak and dagger type stuff then we used too… I guess that's why the intelligence guys aren't being invited to the party, they hated when we did stuff like that." Kurz said with a large smirk. "Plus I like pretending to be James Bond."
"You do know the shaken not stirred bit is a trick to make it so he didn't get drunk as fast as the other people at the party right?" Mao smirked.
"What? Well… that doesn't work now cause everybody does it to look cool now." Kurz sighed. "So, Tessa-chan… what do you want us to blow up?"
Tessa twirled her braided hair and smiled despite herself, Kurz's commentary while always flippant definitely helped lighten the mood in briefings. "The United States has sent a company of Seabees to Merida Island along with two or three companies of Marines as security. Over the last week they've uncovered the Tuatha De Danaan intact, buried in the wreckage and are working to recover her. Danaan must not fall into American hands, nor can we let that ship be reverse engineered… America already has an edge in submarine warfare over the soviets, do we really want to widen the gap… someone is bound to do something stupid then and…"
"Tessa-chan, we're operators… you don't need to tell us why. It was nice on the TDD-1 to hear but we get it." Kurz sighed. "So you want us to go to Merida, infiltrate the camp, and blow up the TDD-1."
"Basically." Tessa said. "More exactly, I'd like you to use the self-destruct system… it should destroy the boat completely without causing unnecessary casualties. If it's non-functional you may use whatever means you want to destroy the vessel." She sighed. "There are many things aboard that could do it… torpedo magazine explosion or…" She started wilting.
"Tessa-chan, we'll get it done." Kurz said quickly.
"Damn right we will." Mao said with a grin. "Should be easy as pie, you don't hire marines to be smart."
"Freaking knuckle-draggers…" Kurz leaned away from Mao. "Except you Mao."
Melissa rolled her eyes. "Don't you forget it… all you're good for is pointing a rifle. I'm glad your german accent is almost non-existent."
"Are you sure sis? All they'll do is ask me to say: 'I'll be back', right?"
Melissa closed her eyes and sighed. "Alright, enough jacking around… First off, transport… second off…"
"I will have two bottle of red wine ready for your return." Tessa said and smiled. "The Osprey crew outside will provide both ingress and egress to the objective and is ECS equipped."
Kurz's eyes went wide. "Awesome, I love this organization now!"
"Kurz, that's not what it's for… I'll explain later." Melissa said as she picked up the M16A3 from the table and loaded it with practiced ease. "Now gear up!"
Tessa swallowed. "I have to ask that you accomplish this mission as quickly as possible, once you've returned we will be proceeding directly to Chofu."
Melissa's gaze snapped back to her and she scowled. "Tessa? What's going on… is something up with Angel?"
"Wraith reports that a pair of CIA Operatives have begun following them and she believes a Delta Force team may have been deployed there as well." Tessa's good mood evaporated. "Please do this as quickly as you can so we can shore up her defenses."
"Understood." Kurz said. "Damn Americans going after Kaname like that."
Melissa, Tessa, and the Admiral all fixed him with a glare.
"No offense intended…" Kurz muttered under his breath as he felt their gaze on him.
26 March 2000, 17:03 hrs
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan
Room 404, Mansion K Apartments
Kaname smiled as she set down the plate of pasta before Sousuke and giggled at his arched eyebrows. The egg noodles were covered with a garlic, cream, butter, and parmesan based sauce and she'd even sprinkled some basil atop it.
"So… what is it?" Sousuke asked as he picked up some of the noodles with his chop sticks.
"It's called fettuccini alfredo, but I couldn't find any fettuccini so I guess that makes it egg noodle alfredo." She smiled at the confused look on Sousuke's face. "Fettuccini is the name of a specific type of noodle and alfredo is the name of the sauce."
"I see." Sousuke quietly ate some with his chopsticks and Kaname watched him like a hawk.
"How is it?" Kaname asked as she leaned over toward him at the table.
"It is… good, I do not believe I've ever eaten anything this rich." He said as he ate another bite.
"So you like it?" Kaname asked as she glanced down at her own plate and picked up her chopsticks.
"Yes, very much so, it is almost as good as your curry rice." Sousuke said.
Kaname felt her heart thunder in her chest… Sousuke… you can be so sweet sometimes. I suppose I could make this more often. She smirked and nibbled at her food for a moment before glancing up at Sousuke scarfing down the food like a starving man.
"Slow down sergeant… you won't be able to taste anything if you eat that fast." Kaname said.
"Sorry, I am used to taking meals with little time to savor them." Sousuke said as he forced himself to slow down.
"Well, I suppose if you like it I'll just have to make it again so you can taste it properly." Kaname joked as she returned to her meal.
26 March 2000, 18:40 hrs
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan
Tokiwa Residence
Kyoko sighed, leaning slightly against her hand and stared down at the mass of photographs before her, newspaper clippings, and magazine articles. Beside them sat a pair of photo books, one two thirds filled and another half filled. Her heart ached remembering the pained look on her friend's faces that she'd witnessed and she swallowed uncertain if she really wanted to know what the two had been whispering to each other about.
Maybe Shinji knows… If Sagara told anyone more than the rest of the class about who he was and what his life had been like it'd be him.
"Kyoko-san?" The spectacled boy asked from across the table where he'd been scanning the photos that she'd taken with a laptop.
Slowly she lifted her head and sighed. "I don't know Kazama… something they were talking about made them look hurt at lunch."
"You mean after Sousuke mentioned his friends in Alaska?" Kazama said quickly glancing at his laptop and tapping the control pad.
"Yeah… they started whispering and…" Kyoko's voice fell slightly as she rubbed her shoulder where one of the handful of scars she suffered from the night Kaname had surrendered to Amalgam was hidden under her shirt.
Shinji nodded slowly and sighed. "I saw, I don't think we want to ask about it Kyoko…"
She slowly nodded. I don't want to hurt them… they have to have gone through so much. Shinji tried to keep track of the fight against Amalgam and Sousuke but… he found so little. Now they were back at least and clearly together… finally.
"Shinji… what do we really know about Sousuke? I mean…" Kyoko leaned against the table and blushed. "I've been trying to get Kana and him together forever but I never really thought about how much I knew about him."
Shinji nodded slowly. "I know, he didn't tell me much to go on but I've managed to track down some things…" He smirked. "Though I think I just got lucky on this one. I was cruising the internet, looking up some information on the RK-92 Savage and I saw this… I haven't shown anyone this, partly because I'm not sure it's him but…" Shinji pulled a large photo from his laptop case and set it down before her. "This was taken in 1993."
Kyoko picked up the photo and blinked. It was taken in some rocky terrain and the people in it wore funny clothes, mostly grey and drab greens or light blues. The older men each wore a beard of some sort. There were six people sitting around a squat table in the sun, one of them was grinning broadly his hands interwoven in front of him and bright brown eyes seemed to twinkle.
A boy that looked to be about twelve years old sat beside him with pewter eyes and a cross shaped scar on his cheek, a rifle was grasped between his small hands and an olive drab cap topped his head. He was clearly the youngest of the group and two more young men sat to his right, one looked to be around fifteen while another looked to be a year or two younger. Each held rifles but there were smiles on their faces, except for the boy with the cross-shaped scar and watchful eyes.
Sagara Sousuke?
"Is that really him?" Kyoko said studying the picture closely. The way the hair laid, the watchful expression, and the perpetual frown on the child's face all seemed to claim that it was.
"I'm not sure, but Sousuke did say he lived in Afghanistan." Shinji glanced at the image. "I was thinking you might want to use it in your project Kyoko if I could find a way to confirm it was him."
"How would you confirm it without showing him the picture?" Kyoko said quietly.
Shinji smiled, "Well, I can see if he knew anyone in the picture by dropping names. The most famous one…" He tapped the smiling man. "Is this guy, his name is Ahmad Shah Massoud. If he lived in Afghanistan and met him he'd remember." His expression wilted somewhat. "The caption actually gave the name of everyone in the picture. It called the guy that looked like Sousuke… Ahmad's adopted son, Kashim."
"His son?" Kyoko scowled. "No way…"
"Well, most people would say there was no way that one school class could endure a hijacking, a ship jacking, a terrorist attack, a kidnapping, and have one of its members turn out to be a mercenary Arm Slave pilot." Shinji sighed. "Sagara-kun is so touchy I should be able to find out pretty easy."
"Yeah, when he starts sweating buckets you know he's really nervous… or about to get smacked." Kyoko grinned wickedly then slowly sighed picking up the picture book and flipping through it to last pages that had been filled. She'd made one for each class-mate and scrawled notes and jokes in the margins, but these two stopped at the events of a year ago. Shinji had helped with Sousuke's slipping in news clippings and images he'd found of the fight with Amalgam as well, but before that was a singular picture that showed the change in the books.
She wasn't even sure who took it, having gotten it in the mail soon after she'd gotten out of the hospital.
He stood at the front of the classroom his head hung low and his hands clenched into fists. The other students watched him, some angry, some upset, and some to shell shocked to display any of their feelings.
Maybe I shouldn't have included this for Kana-chan… he looks so broken and angry. Then she looked at the quoted scrawl that sat beneath the image… It was a combination confession and promise, the sort of thing that one like him would make.
"…I'll bring her back…" Kyoko bit her lip as she stared at the words and felt a tear run down her cheek.
You did Sousuke… you always keep your promises.
"Kyoko?" Shinji asked quietly.
She snapped her eyes shut and wiped away the tear. "It's okay… just memories and all."
Shinji nodded slowly and pulled another folder from his laptop. "I… also found some other images from the last year, some people in the AS fan community published this online about an AS competition group that was active last year… I think it has Sousuke in it as well. I also got some images via an unlisted e-mail… it was the same one that asked us to record something for Sousuke and Kaname."
Kyoko blinked remembering the time the whole class had talked in front of the camera one after another and then as a group. She didn't know for sure where the tape had been sent but she knew that Shinji had something to do with it. He'd been doggedly chasing down every lead on the whereabouts of the two of them.
Taking a deep breath she glanced down at the image of a group gathered around a broken down RK-92 Savage. Along the bottom the name 'Crossbow' had been added through some digital program or another. Studying the faces she caught sight of a girl that looked to be her own age kneeling over the knee joint, a wrench in her hand and a smirk on her face. Opposite, leaning against the arm of the mech was Sousuke, a scowl on his face all the same despite the celebratory look on the others in the image.
He looks meaner than he did in school. Kyoko thought to herself as she tapped his image with a finger. Scary actually.
"The caption called him Sousky Segal, but I'd guess it was just an alias. From what I heard Amalgam had some sort of connection with the group." Shinji sighed.
"He…" Kyoko bit her lip. "In these pictures he looks a lot more unhappy."
"Wouldn't he be? He's trying to find Chidori for a year." Shinji shakes his head as Kyoko moved to the next picture which showed an Arm Slave surrounded by scaffolding. It was painted red and white and over the top of the Arm Slave a crest was emblazoned showing a sword and shield over a globe with the word Mithril written in curving script along the edge. Leaning over to watch Kyoko, Shinji shook his head. "I don't know where they were taken, but after today I'd guess Alaska."
Kyoko searched the image for a moment then found Sousuke beside the mech's massive chest on the scaffolding talking with a girl that looked to be about the same age with curly red hair and green eyes. Kyoko cocked her head then pulled out the next image which showed Sousuke in what she guessed was the cockpit of the same mech with the girl leaning over him pointing to a set of switches. He seemed to be concentrating intently on the instruments, the scowl for once easing to a simple frown.
An eighteen year old Arm Slave designer? That… that must be Sarah Miller then.