AN: I apologize for this taking over a month to get out. Been in a bit of a rut trying to write this. I swear I TRIED, it just refused to be written. It got to the point where I had to completely scrap the first three pages and rewrite them. Well, the following two chapters should be up within the week and I'll stop rambling now to let you get on with it.
Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Nineteen
Sousuke fastened the last few buttons on his uniform shirt, made sure everything was strictly aligned, and turned to face Kaname. She sat on the edge of the bed, watching him with a pout he found adorable. He sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in for a hug that she feebly fought against. Pressing his lips to her temple he spoke softly, "I have to go now, Kaname."
"I know," she muttered, giving in to lean against him, sighing when he held her tighter. "I still don't want you to."
"I know," he kissed her cheek, and then tilted her face up to him so he could kiss her lips softly. "I have to do this, though. For Shizuko, and for you, I made that promise, right?"
She smiled faintly up at him and nodded. The fact that he was going on an operation, risking his life, because of her made her feel almost guilty. She wanted him to stay safe beside her. That was selfish, though, and she knew it. She also knew that if he didn't do this, if this mission wasn't successful, then really he would be in even more danger. Day after day having to wonder if Amalgam would strike if they were still around, and he would protect her to his death, she knew.
Amalgam were the only ones that posed a real threat, the only ones that matched Mithril in technology. With Amalgam gone, it wasn't really that she could say she would be safe, but she would be much safer. Sousuke could handle anyone else. He had certainly proved that over and over. She would always fear for him, protecting her, but most of her anxieties would be gone with Amalgam and the threat they posed in the form of their superior technology and resources.
"It should not be long, Kaname. I'll be back by your side soon, I promise," he kissed her again to silence the protests he knew she would voice. It was never wise to make a promise one may not be able to keep, but he was feeling confident. He had a good feeling, a strong feeling, he felt empowered and capable of taking on the world. It was because he had Kaname, this wonderful, strong willed, amazing girl that never stopped surprising him to return to, and their unborn child. Nothing would keep him from them, not ever.
Kaname sighed against his lips and nodded, "All right. I'll hold you to that, you know."
Grinning, Sousuke nodded, "I know. I love you, Kaname," he smoothed down her hair, kissing her one last time before standing up reluctantly.
"I love you too, Sousuke. Take care," she stood up and saw him out, standing on the raised level in the entryway and watched silently as Sousuke tied his boots, leaning against the wall. He rose and looked at her solemnly, starting to set his mind to the task ahead of him.
They leaned in to share one more kiss and he pulled back and opened the door. "I'm leaving now," and with that, he was gone. Kaname returned to the room she and Sousuke were sharing while they were staying with her family, closing the door behind her even though no one else was home at the moment. She lied down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, placing a hand on her swollen belly and rubbed gentle circles. When she felt the baby stir she smiled, feeling cheered by the little one growing inside of her.
Kaname closed her eyes and took in a deep breath with a smile on her face. She realized that it really wasn't too much to say that the child was probably the best thing that could have happened to her and Sousuke. At first she had been so panicked, feeling as though they weren't yet ready for the responsibility, thinking about everything that could go wrong, the situation they were in – just everything seemed to be against it at first glance. Now, though, everything seemed to be going right. Sure, Sousuke was now gone on a mission and there was always the potential that he may not return, but if the mission was a success then life would be looking up.
Perhaps they rushed their marriage because of the baby, but she could not think of a single person that she would rather be with. There were no 'dream men' she could think of either. If she stopped to think about how she wanted her future to be, what kind of man she wanted it to be with, it was always Sousuke she saw. She had no worries about Sousuke losing interest in her as she knew that he was the kind of man that would never stray once he had made his choice on who he wanted to be with.
If she had to describe him, she would have to say he was like an eagle. They mate for life, they're fiercely protective and territorial, strong, fast, fierce, and – she grinned – their mating habits were beautiful but brutal at the same time. Eagles had the ability to take down prey far larger than them and that was another reason she could consider him like one. The technique didn't really match at all, but the ability was there all the same. While she had some fear about the mission because of the way he had returned after the last one, she felt much better about this one. He would take down this large prey, of that she had no doubts.
Grinning, Kaname cooed softly and resumed stroking her stomach when the baby started fidgeting. She dragged her head from the gutter it had fallen into upon thinking of eagle's mating habits with a regretful sigh. Her hormones would choose that moment to make her feel hot and bothered, and just after Sousuke left. She picked her thoughts back up from where she left off before she had distracted herself. The child was really an amazing thing for her and Sousuke's lives.
If not for her, there was the chance that the mission might not be on, as it was Sousuke who really started poking his head around. The source of the information was unknown and it was possible that it was someone he had contacted that wanted to stay under the radar. They would still be at Merida, she would be lonely and probably working in the Research and Development on random projects, checking math just so she would have something to do while Sousuke took routine missions or trained. They would not be married. They would not be able to consider a life without Sousuke needing to report to Mithril.
She would probably still be weak and frail, hating her weakness. Once their decision had been made, thinking of their future with the child made her stronger. She was to be a parent. She had to set her issues straight so she could concentrate on the young one. Once she had found the resolve, it was actually quite easy. She was letting the words of people who did not know the situation affect her. Making fun of her for being a 'freak' with her knowledge was, when you got right down to it, the same as poking fun at those on the opposite end of the spectrum. It was an accident of birth, she could not help being what she was, and if not for the fact that she never would have met Sousuke if not for it, she would give up near everything to never have had to deal with being a Whispered.
Her own frustration at the situation had allowed her to take the students' cruel words too much to heart. What they said were all things that, deep down, she was thinking. It had been hurting her enough to have those thoughts eating away at her; it was made far worse by having them flung in her face by people who had previously been friendly with her. Making peace with her situation had enabled her to push the insults aside and get on with her life. They had no right to judge and so she did not care what they said, not anymore.
The only way Kaname could be any happier with her current situation would be for Sousuke to return and tell her the mission was a success and Amalgam was no longer a threat. All the problems that had come up seemed so trivial now. They were handling them, one by one, pushing forward step by step together. They had taken their vows, promising to continue walking on together, forever. Smiling softly with tender thoughts of her future with Sousuke and their daughter, she drifted off to sleep.
Sousuke closed the door to Shunya's house and sighed, his breath a visible puff of air in the frigid winter weather. He adjusted his grip on the rucksack he had tossed over his shoulder, stood up straight, and started the trek to where he would be meeting his pick-up. He let his thoughts wander during the walk, as it was really the only chance he would have to think of things outside of the mission once he got to the Tuatha de Danaan. He lifted his gaze to the cloudy sky that threatened to give up its moisture, most likely as snow given the temperature. He bit back another sigh.
Kaname at least seemed to have been handling it well, but he could not help but feel guilty at that moment. It was something that had to be done, and quickly before things changed. That was why they had rounded up the resources and even got the US Military involved in the situation in such a short span of time. The quicker they were able to make their strike then the less time the enemy had to find out about it and come up with counter measures. Still, though, he was leaving his pregnant wife behind and there was the very real possibility he might not make it back. She would be well taken care of, sure, financially she would never want again if she managed the money smartly, but how would she feel were she forced into that situation?
Surely, she would hate him. He felt she probably hated him even just a little for putting her into the situation. He hoped he would never have to go through it again. He was considering putting in his resignation to Mithril once the mission was over and Amalgam was out of the picture. He would have to pay a penalty fee for breaking his contract, and he really didn't have any marketable skills outside of war and killing, but he was willing to try, if only so that he could be with Kaname more, and not have to put himself into danger and risk leaving her again.
He smiled softly as he pictured his wife as he had just left her, cheeks flushed and lips swollen from their frequent and often rough kisses before his departure, a hand resting unconsciously on her stomach to give comfort to their unborn child. It was weird, thinking about it, it made no logical sense, but she seemed to have a sort of glow around her lately, especially since she had started to show, and even more so from the first time she felt the baby move around inside of her. It made him feel, well, warm was the only way he could find to describe it. Prideful, too, he supposed, seeing her and knowing she was carrying his child. A little primal as well, he admitted to himself, knowing he was the only one and would be the only one ever to be with her like that.
The happiness he felt, the contentment, the excitement, the swirl of so many positive emotions just tightening in his chest until he could burst, the near constant pleasant buzz he had when he was with her, all of it was so much for him, it was an odd high, and he realized he did not want this to be the only time. He adjusted his hold on the cord, hefting the bag to sit higher up on his back and wondered what Kaname would say if he told her he wanted more than the one child. He felt he should wait, though, until their daughter was born, in case the pregnancy became hard on her. With four and a half months left it was far too early to be sure there would be no difficulties.
Sousuke bit his tongue to keep from feeling guilty again for leaving her. It was only for a week or so at most if everything went smoothly. Day of travel, briefing, being dispatched to stations, mission, debriefing, resting, returning, he could only hope everything would be all right while he was gone for the one week. Wraith was going to be watching over her again along with a raw recruit who would be taking his place as the bait guard for the time he was gone. No one that entered Mithril could really be classified as 'raw,' sure, the guy had combat experience, but not on the level that Mithril got involved in. With their strike on Amalgam they were expecting very little to happen, but another group could always try to get their hands on her, such as the KGB which surely had recovered their resources since their research center had been blown up nearly two years ago.
He arrived at the rendezvous and hopped into the transport when it dropped its ECS so he could spot it. The cloaking was immediately turned back on and the Pave Mare took off to bring them to the submarine. Kalinin was there which was a small shock to Sousuke, having expected to be alone as he usually was on these trips. He took a seat across from the older man and pulled a water bottle from his rucksack before shoving the bag under his seat. As it was just the two of them, they fore-went the military protocol, not standing on ceremony with no one watching. "Are you prepared for the mission, Sagara?"
Sousuke knew he meant mentally, and emotionally, and he nodded. "Yes sir, I'm ready to do this."
"Good," Kalinin leaned back in the seat and tilted his head up with a sigh. Sousuke's only reaction was to blink, though it made him wonder somewhat. The man seemed tired, and while Sousuke knew he wasn't as old as he looked, he figured Kalinin was probably feeling as old as he looked. After a few moments Kalinin righted his posture again and stared at the young man across from him. "You're probably wondering why I'm here."
He shrugged, "Not my place to wonder."
Kalinin nodded at that, "I was actually here because of you."
"Me, sir?" now he was curious. Did Kalinin get on the transport just to talk to him before the mission? That did not seem like something he would do.
"Yes, Sagara. See, in exchange for their man- and fire-power the US Military requested we do something for them in return. Seeing as how they are one of our biggest funders, monetary compensation does not make much sense. I was visiting one of the bases outside of Tokyo and discussing with the commanding officer the agreement." Kalinin paused, peering at Sousuke and seeing if there was any realization in his expression.
Sousuke took a swig from his water bottle, mulling over the words. "I am guessing I will be having some form of connection with this base, then, sir?"
Nodding again, Kalinin resumed speaking, "Yes. If you choose to accept, of course, else I could find someone else willing to fill the position, but I think you will find it to your liking. While of course those coming into Mithril have had previous combat experience, they still receive training once they have entered as we are far more intensive than standard military." Sousuke made a noise of agreement, having had to go through the rigorous training when he signed up three years prior. "Well, the US Military has decided that they desire our expertise.
"They will pick out their soldiers with the most potential and enter them into a special training program. Those soldiers will not be made aware of our existence. I'm sure you have guessed by now, but the position I want you to fill is that akin to Drill Sergeant. It will be your job to train these men and turn them into the strongest, most highly skilled, and efficient soldiers that they can be. It will be your job to drag out every last shred of their potential, as well as to scout them as possible recruits for Mithril. We do reserve the right to take one or two of the very best from these training programs. Understand?"
"Yes sir," Sousuke let out a breath of air he had not realized he was holding. He would not have to leave Mithril after all it seemed. The job seemed perfect. Other than the rugby team, he had never trained anyone before though, so he wondered why he was being chosen when there were others more qualified than he, "If you don't mind my asking, why me?"
"Don't you want the position, Sagara?"
"Yes sir, I do. But there are others better suited to it, those with experience to bring into it. I will be learning as I teach. Is it really all right, sir?"
Kalinin nodded stiffly and sat back again. "Yes, Sagara, of course it is. If I did not think you could do it, I would not have chosen you. While you are young and have not experienced teaching, I still think you are one of the best for the position. You will not be thinking of it as being demoted, for one. Secondly, you will do your best by those men and you will not be soft on them. Third, you have the most combat experience of, well, anyone I can think of. Your experience rivals mine and I'm twenty-five years or so older than you.
"Combat is second nature to you, you won't ever have to stop to think about how something goes, you are very sure of yourself, you know how to win with or without numbers, supplies, technology, ammunition on your side. The ground work on these men has been done for you, you need to show them all the ins and outs that one can only learn by doing, and you have been doing for near as long as I've known you. That is why you are the best suited."
Sousuke sat back and took another sip of his water, thinking about what Kalinin said. He lowered his arms and stared at the floor for a few moments before raising his head to nod. "Thank you, sir. I do believe I am very interested in this position."
Kalinin nodded, "Very good. When we have all of the details worked out, I will give you the information. I do believe it will be safe to say that this will be your last mission with us though, if you do choose to accept."
The information came as a relief to Sousuke. He would be able to retain a job, not pay the fee for breaking his contract with Mithril, and the job would have them in Japan still. If it was at one of the bases just outside of Tokyo then that was even better, since it meant Kaname would still be close to her family and Kyouko. Assuming the girl didn't go to college or find a job farther away. No more missions, no more risking his life, but he would still be doing combat related exercises so he would stay sharp. It sounded perfect, really, when he thought about it. All he needed to do was talk to Kaname, and he figured his wife would be agreeable. He closed his eyes and sighed with a small smile on his face, thinking about Kaname and the brightening future they had to look forward to together.
The briefing was to be held shortly, since Kalinin was in charge of it, there was some leeway given in the scheduling for transport and getting the materials prepared. Sousuke tossed his rucksack in its cubby and left the room he bunked in to take a quick shower. When he returned, Kurz and Mao were there to greet him with big grins on their faces. Kurz slapped him on the back first chance he got, "How's the married life buddy?"
Sousuke sighed and shook his head, realizing he really ought to have expected it from them. He sat down on the edge of his bed and looked up at the two, "Well, its only been a week, but it's been good."
"And just how good is that, Sou-hurk!" seeing his lecherous grin, Mao swept Kurz's feet out from under him, effectively laying out the blond on the ground. Sousuke's only reaction was to blink and shake his head, thinking that no matter what anyone said about how long it had taken him to learn some form of common sense, Kurz was far worse off than he was. Three years working with Melissa and he still managed to get knocked around several times a day. He was at two years trying to get on in society with Kaname watching over him and she had stopped carrying the harisen around with her several months ago.
Mao smiled at Sousuke in a way that suggested there wasn't a man rolling on the ground at her feet while yowling in agony. "I'm really glad for you guys. I guess, knowing you though, this will be the last time we're working with you," she spoke almost sadly. She liked working with Sousuke, he was reliable and smart, very highly talented and with a fantastic winning streak. The boy – no, man, she corrected herself – was like a little brother to her, and she had certainly watched him grow up in the past three years. It was good to see he had finally found a reason to live, though, instead of just surviving because that was what he had been taught to do from too young an age.
Sousuke nodded to her, "Yes. It likely is," he spoke curtly, but he actually found he felt somewhat forlorn at the thought. These people had been like a family to him, the closest people to him after his loss of Majhid and the Mujahideen he had been with in Afghanistan. They had been with him through one of the darkest times in his life and still accepted him even after he had abandoned them and left them for dead. Somehow, they knew when and how to be there for him, and how to get him thinking along the right lines. They had a lot to do with his maturing, he realized, as they didn't try to force him to their way of thinking, but instead guided him along into learning to think and make choices for himself.
Smirking, Kurz rose to his feet as though nothing had happened earlier and looked at Sousuke. "Well, just 'cause we won't be working together doesn't mean that we won't ever see each other again. You damn well better believe we'll be coming to visit you, and Kaname, and the little one." Their watches beeped, indicating that it was time to leave for the briefing. Still holding on to his mischievously jovial expression, Kurz turned to Mao and winked, "By the way, Lieutenant, may I just say that's a wonderful skirt you have on?" With that, he ran out of the room.
The two stared after him, and then Mao began to fume. "That, that, ooh, I'm going to kill him!" She chased after him, murder blazing in her eyes. Sousuke found the same thought from earlier passing through his head. Kurz really should have kept his mouth shut, Mao had never realized that she was wearing her female officer uniform with the skirt, and that she really had not inflicted enough pain for Kurz to be on the ground for so long. Maybe he was a masochist…
It was late in the afternoon with the sun hovering low in the sky when the news came in over their radios. Amalgam was crumbling fast. Their front companies were no longer capable of funneling cash to fund their research or to pay, well, everyone. Their cash flow had been altered, some accounts hacked, others frozen by the governments in the countries the business was in. The companies were defamed or destroyed, CEOs found dead or gone missing, clientele cancelling their business and demanding refunds. Those that helped to fund Amalgam withdrew their offers, saying it was too risky to continue working with them and froze money transfers or called in fraudulent transactions, continuing to ruin the reputations of whatever public entities Amalgam had.
What computers of theirs that were not on isolated lines were hacked and any research data that was there was destroyed, information on any VIPs in the organization were stolen, and powerful viruses were uploaded to further destroy the computer system. Not taking any chances that everything had been taken care of through those means, all of the research facilities and laboratories were destroyed. Some by bombs or computer viruses planted by moles, others by explosives planted soldiers, and still others were destroyed by cruise missiles launched by either Mithril or American ships. Everything was carefully organized so they were destroyed as close to the same time as they could calculate for.
Military bases were taken care of in whatever manner it seemed they could use the least man-power for. Some were taken care of similarly to the research facilities, with bombs or missiles. Others found dozens of M9s and hundreds of M6s of the A2 and A3 models storming them. One other base found itself faced with an all new Arm Slave, a white and red unit with a cooling unit similar to the type used in Amalgam's Codarl. The base was the same one that had taken out Sousuke three months prior, and it had been judged as the most dangerous.
Sitting in the Master Room of the ARX-8 Laevatein, Sousuke drew in a deep breath to settle the nerves caused by excitement. Things were going well based on the reports. That was why they had been broadcast, of course, to boost morale and show that they could, in fact, pull the operation off and destroy Amalgam once and for all. If things had not been going well, they either would have heard an order to withdraw or nothing at all. He readjusted his grip on the stick and stared at his nearly empty screen.
Communications with the others was going to be extremely important for this mission. Because of the size and complexity of all of the other devices installed in the Laevatein there had been no room to build in ECS or ECCS functions, or even most of the basic radars he had taken for granted in the M9s. The unit was by far the fastest and most powerful, but it lacked most of the baser technologies. He had a lambda driver and the Fairy Feather though, and with that latter he could have been in nearly any AS unit and still be able to win in the upcoming battle. It would come down to the skill of the pilot now and not their ability to use the lambda driver.
With how strong and fast the Laevatein was it would be even easier. He would not want to use it unless he came across that dark silver Arm Slave though, as the last thing he wanted was for his unit to overheat and become useless before that battle. He also did not want to show that they had such a weapon available to them, and ruin the surprise for that one pilot. No, after what had happened last time, he wanted the pilot of that unit to squirm in fear. Nothing wrong with some good old fashioned revenge if it did not get in the way of the objective.
Sousuke grinned, more prepared than ever to get started on the mission. He reigned in the eagerness, knowing that could very easily get him killed, but it felt like his blood was humming in his veins. His senses were sharper than usual, every little sound he could pick up, colors seemed more vivid and even if he had been in the more complex M9s or back in the Arbalest he would have been able to take in all the information on the screen at once instead of glancing from one item to another. He stretched his fingers again and gripped the joystick tightly.
"Here we go!" Mao shouted over the radio, and all of the units charged in with a 'Roger.'
After indicating his readiness over the line, Sousuke nodded to the screen and took one last steadying deep breath, "Let's do this, Al." He thrust the stick forward and he felt himself take off with an incredible speed, taking care not to bite his tongue.
"Roger, Sergeant."
It had begun.