Operation Code 9-900
A week had passed since the successful completion of their mission and Kokami had yet to assign them a new assignment. Fox was grateful for the break. It gave him more time to wonder what he had been thinking when he took the paper with the girl's phone number from the bar. As planned, he had started to make his way to the blonde but before he was able to speak with her, another girl had taken over her job. Not surprised by the sudden switch, he continued his approach. She had noticed him coming towards her and frowned, no doubt expecting some lame pick up line and believing him to be drunk. Instead, he simply asked, if she had seen one of his 'friends' before describing a fictional person who she could not have seen. As expected, she replied that she hadn't seen such a man. Fox had sighed and looked around the bar as if searching for his friend in the masses.
"He had been drinking a lot," he muttered under his breath, knowing that the girl would hear him.
He had expected a look of fear that a man, drunk mostly likely, would be wandering around the establishment and causing trouble while she was working, but the girl just shrugged. "Seems like that's the new trend although I don't see what's so great about getting so drunk you can't see straight."
"Perhaps it's because they don't work at a bar and see the consequences every day."
She held up two fingers. "Twice every day. If I didn't need the money so badly, I wouldn't bother—" She had noticed 45 and Spirit then and told them to get away from the door. The two boys obeyed and she turned back to look at Fox. As she turned back to him, he noticed her small hairclip that was almost invisible in her brown hair. It was a small black clip with the letters "TZDM" written in red ink with the outline of blue flowers underneath. He complimented her on it and she self-consciously brushed some hair behind her ear. Fox continued to speak with her until just before the fire alarm started ringing. Figuring he had given Spirit and 45 enough time, he claimed to continue his search for his friend. It was then that she had given him her number and a second later that the fire alarm went off. He hadn't seen her since.
Fox sighed as he leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. The date had to go perfectly which meant the asking her out part also had to go perfectly if he wanted to get any form of information. He glanced around his room looking for inspiration. When he didn't find any, he searched for some clue as to what was the best course. What one woman loved another would hate so what should he do? He looked around the room once again looking for sudden understanding that would guide him. Pictures of nature scenes, including one of a forest of Pacific dogwood, stared back. Usually these would calm him down but today he was still restless. Heaving a sigh, Fox stood up. The clock on his desk said it was time for dinner and his medication.
Turning off his desk light, Fox left his room and went down the stairs to the kitchen. His mother was there cutting vegetables for dinner. She turned as he entered. Her smile seemed almost forced and he could almost sense her fear of how easily he could change.
"Hello Shuichi," she said. "Your medication is on top of the fridge."
Fox nodded and grabbed the small white bottle. He counted his pills before swallowing them dry and replacing the bottle. They wouldn't help, Fox knew. Nothing could help. Without a word, Fox moved to help make dinner but his mother blocked him.
"Don't worry. I'm almost done. Why don't you go watch TV?"
He nodded as he walked over to the sitting room. Since the night Youko first revealed himself, Fox's mother didn't seem comfortable being alone in the same room with him for long. Of course, that was to be expected when her sweet Shuichi transformed into a horrible Youko. Youko had even gone so far as to attack her. Although there were no physical scars, mental ones remained. Then his mother had gotten sick and he had helped rob a bank. The relationship still hadn't recovered and it probably never would.
"Shuichi," his mother called from the kitchen. "Mr. Hatanka and his son will be coming for dinner tonight."
He heard the unspoken plea of "Please keep yourself under control," and nodded.
"Yes mother," he replied as he tried to focus on the show on TV and not the voice in his head. The ringing of his cell and another at the door provided a welcome distraction. Trusting his mother to get the door, he retreated to the hallway by his room to answer his cell. When he flipped open the phone he found he had received a text from Spirit. It outlined a list of do and don'ts for his date. Fox smiled. It appeared having an older sister was beneficial at times.
Hearing movement at the door and the sound of voices including his mother's talking, Fox pulled the girl's phone number out of his pant pocket and dialled.