Please read the author's note at the end, thank you!

The Long Road Ahead

Act II

Episode IV

Stowaways

Mithril wasted no time in dispatching three of their top operatives to Chicago. David's resurgence was like the striking of a match on a powder keg or a turning of a key on an automobile. The image of him walking through the Chicago air terminal was the match, the key, to Mithril's engine. David stood out in plain daylight, walking freely as he left the plane where the picture was taken. He made no effort in hiding himself. Mithril wasted no time in setting their plan in motion. Having their group assembled, their operatives were to capture David Reed and return him to Merida Island for questioning, or use deadly force if necessary. Sousuke Sagara, Melissa Mao, and Kurz Weber were swept away onto a plane bound for the United States. Little did the three know that two stowaways were on board…

Kaname Chidori and Teletha Testarossa, after learning that the captain would be shut out of the operation by the Mithril Council, took matters into their own hands. On Merida Island the pair was quickly separated from their friends. The rest of Mithril moved too fast for the captain to counter. She was swiftly having the control of her command taken away from her by the Mithril higher-ups. All of this due to her supposed earlier interactions with the man. Many in the Council deemed it wise to remove Tessa's idea of having David as a friend from the equation. It only served as a barrier in their plans. They didn't trust her anymore. Tessa's only hope remained that if given the opportunity she could convince Mao, Weber, and Sagara that David was not the real threat, at least not anymore. And with the assistance of Kaname, perhaps she could pull it off.

Tucked away in the empty box on the C-17, Kaname and Tessa hide in darkness. Such a strict uniform might go be too noticeable in a highly populated area of Chicago. Tessa had stripped herself of her Mithril Uniform and switched it out more civilian attire, a dress she had bought long ago on a trip to the States. She sat on her duffle bag, as did Kaname. Both of them had stuffed an array of clothing into those bags. Not only were the disguises going to prove useful, they doubled as seats on that long flight to the States.

Sitting in darkness, Tessa turned her head to what she assumed was Kaname's direction. "Kaname…" She whispered. "…I'm-I'm really thankful you're with me on this."

Kaname could only groan. They had been sitting in that cramped and darkened box for hours now. "Yeah, sure. Don't make me regret this though; my back is going to be killing me for weeks after this ride."

Tessa, having no better option than to agree, nodded in the almost pitch-black world that surrounded her. The only light that was coming into the container was through the small crack in the door. Kaname had propped it open for air, and it was their only way to get out. Teletha leaned forward, scooting up closer to the line of light, a window to the interior of the C-17. She could see Mao, Weber, and Sousuke seated across the way, faces painted with confusion. Kaname and Tessa could tell that this mission was eating at them as well. Sagara was flipping through a bundle of papers in his hand, things he needed to know about David before they began their hunt. Those three were the only ones inside the plane besides the pilots and an array of boxes. The trio talked to one another, the words almost unable to be heard by Tessa over the drone of the giant plane's engine. Kaname leaned in right behind her. She wanted to know what Sousuke was thinking. With a turn of her head, Tessa moved her ear for better listening on their conversation…

"I don't you about you guys, but this mission seems messed up to me." Kurz mumbled as he leaned back in his chair. He ran his fingers through his mop of long blonde hair, giving the back of his skull a rub. "Mithril shutting Tess out a mission smells fishy to me. This entire op sounds bogus. We have to hunt down, David?! Ouch, talk about a blow to the head right?" Weber's head turned to Mao and Sousuke. "What do you guys think or am I the only one having second thoughts here?"

Mao ran both of her thumbs down the back of the straps that kept her in her seat. Her head pivoted from side to side as if the woman was looking for anyone who might be listening in. "You're not the only one. Maybe this is just Mithril playing it safe, but I sure as hell don't like it. I feel like we are pulling the trigger too early. Tessa wouldn't have approved this, no way. Probably why they shut her out in the first place." Mao then turned to Sousuke, waiting for his input.

It took a few moments for Sousuke to actually come up with any reasonable response. The young man was too busy flipping through the briefing packet that was assembled for them. In particular he eyed the photo of David walking through the Chicago airport in plain daylight.

"Yo, Sagara, say something!" Kurz bellowed over the C-17's engines.

"Interesting." Was the only reply Sousuke gave in his usual emotionless military style voice with a small sliver of intrigue.

Mao had to prod him in the shoulder to draw his gaze away from the papers. "What're you thinking? You're the newest one to all of this. You have to have some idea or something."

"Hmm…" Sagara began; he moved his arms to show Mao and Kurz the photo of David at the airport terminal. Like always he was straight and to the point. "…For someone who specializes in being undercover, it seems like this David Reed is making himself pretty well know…"

From inside the container, the words perked both Tessa and Kaname's interest. They leaned forward even more.

Kurz blinked at Sousuke's words. "Huh?" He didn't understand.

Sousuke Sagara moved his free hand and pointed at David in the photo. He was in the middle of the terminal, surrounded by a crowd of people. David had a black bag slung over his shoulder, grasping it tightly with one hand. "He isn't trying to hide himself. David isn't wearing a disguise, not even a hat to cover his head."

"Yeah, so what?" Kurz murmured as he leaned back in his seat.

"If what our information says is in fact correct, David's training should discourage this behavior…most of the time. He wouldn't be moving in such a populated area like this, especially one with so many cameras."

Mao blinked in surprise. Sousuke might be onto something. "What are you getting at, Sousuke?"

Sousuke returned the photo to his lap, still staring at it. "David would know that after what he accomplished on Merida Island would put him on our wanted list. He went off the grid for weeks. Mithril couldn't find him…So now, he shows up at a Chicago airport in plain sight. Don't tell me this isn't adding up for you." His eyes darted back to Mao and Kurz.

Weber scratched the side of his head and nodded. "Sagara does have a point."

Back inside the container Tessa cranked her head back to Kaname. "You hear that?" He whispered softly.

"Mhmm!" Kaname purred in return. Both of their attentions turn back to the three in the seats.

Mao bit her bottom lip. She was furiously thinking it all over in her head trying to find a logical explanation. "Maybe it was just a screw up?"

"Unlikely." Sousuke barked simply. "David managed to stay off our radar for weeks after the event at Merida. He knows how to disappear. I highly doubt he would change his behavior so suddenly without reason…"

Tessa leaned in with anticipation. What Sousuke might say could help her convince those three to join their cause. She could feel Kaname's hands on her shoulders as the pair pushed themselves as close as they could to the crack in the box.

Sousuke took in a deep breath before folding all the papers up together. "…I think he wants to be found."

Kaname had put just a little too much weight on Tessa's shoulders.

Buckling under Kaname's added weight, Tessa slipped off her hands. She stumbled forward. The door of the box they had propped open swung outward. Both young women fell out onto the metal grated floor of the C-17 with a pained "Ack!"

"Ouch-Ouch-Ouch!" Tessa mumbled frantically. Her face was being pressed into the metal floor by Kaname's body that was lying on top of her.

Rolling away, Kaname attempted to right herself. Their cover was blown. She saw it when Mao, Kurz, and Sagara nearly leapt out of their seats.

"K-Kaname!" Sousuke blurted, sounding half worried and half angered. He wasted no time in unbuckling himself and running toward the blue haired woman with outstretched arms to help her up.

Teletha pushed herself up to her knees. Red faced she now had to deal with the issue of being a stowaway earlier than she wanted.

Kurz and Mao also wasted no time in unbuckling themselves from their chairs. In no time at all they were both standing over Tessa Testarossa. Mao had her hands of her hips and a half-smirk on her faced. Kurz was simply smiling, apparently finding the scene funny.

"Looks like we got ourselves a couple of stowaways." Kurz chuckled with a bright smile that showed his pearly white teeth. He didn't seem angry at the appearance of Tessa and Kaname.

Sousuke was too busy helping Kaname to her feet to say anything to Tessa.

Tessa's head went low on her shoulders. Cringing, the only sound she could make was an "Er…"

"Even though Mithril cut you out…" Mao said, holding out a hand for Tessa to grab. "…seems you refuse to be shut out."

Apprehensively, Teletha took Mao's hand. With a swift pull from the woman the Mithril Captain was on her feet. "I-I don't want to see this to end the way Mithril wants it to." Tessa began quickly, brushing herself off.

Kurz glanced from Kaname and Sousuke to Mao and Tessa. "Don't worry; we were discussing the same thing. But I guess you heard that now didn't you." He sneered smugly.

Looking to Kaname and being met with eyes of worry, Tessa took in a deep breath. "I don't think David did what he did to make enemies with Mithril…Kaname and I…We found something."

Kaname started to shrug of Sousuke from her arm. She mumbled something in his ear that no one else could hear. Sousuke's posture stiffened and one of his eyebrows rose at whatever Kaname had said. They strode up together to the rest of the group and waited on Tessa's confession on what they had found.

Folding her hands in front of her casual dress, one similar to Kaname's, Tessa started to speak. "Earlier this morning I found a journal left for me by David."

Sousuke, Melissa, and Kurz all perked up and seemed taken aback by what their Captain had just said. Kaname took her place behind Tessa. It was a gesture showing that she was backing her up like she said she would.

"It belonged to Bethany Reed." Tessa continued. "The journal held entries that revealed a bit more information upon what exactly happened in the years David had joined the CIA. In addition to those entries, Kaname and I believe that the notebook contains proof that Bethany Reed is…A Whispered."

Kurz immediately started to cringe. He ran a nervous hand through his hair again. "That sure complicates things now doesn't it?"

Teletha Testarossa didn't let up on her waterfall of information. "With that in mind, what I'm about you tell you might be hard to stomach…From what I've been able to piece together, I've come to the assumption that David's father was in fact working for The Collective during his time in Arm Slave research. It was also during this time that he discovered his daughter's Whispered ability." She cringed a little about what she was going to say next. "I-I think that David's father sold that little girl out to The Collective. Soon after I believe that the group murdered Bethany's father and kidnapped her."

"That's some pretty sick stuff." Mao mumbled with a distressed frown. She started to shuffle her feet against the grated metal floor.

Sousuke really didn't have a change of emotion on his face like the rest. But the way he tightly closed his fist did say that he felt something. "But where does that leave David?"

Turning her head, Tessa took in another long deep breath. "Bethany originally left the journal for David to find. That's how he figured out what happened to his sister once he returned from the CIA…I believe that David has joined The Collective in an attempt to get his sister back and find out where she was. He put on a show for them in an effort to show is loyalty."

Plopping himself back into his seat, Kurz Weber gave a long sigh. "Right-Right, but where does all that leave us now? I mean, I believe you, but I'm not sure where to go at this point. Mithril wants us to catch David, right?"

It was then when Sousuke spoke up. "What if David is looking to be caught?"

Mao shook her head like she didn't understand. "Wait, what?!"

"If what our Captain said is correct, it might not be too outlandish to assume that he is looking to be caught by someone. Particularly, I think David was seeking to be caught by you, Madam Captain." Sagara nodded at Tessa.

"M-Me?" She stuttered in a reply. Tessa felt her face turning a light shade of red.

Sousuke stood up a little straighter. "Yes, it's only reasonable to assume that David did in fact trust you. Perhaps that is why he left you that journal in hopes that you would figure it out…I think that David is now showing himself in an attempt to make himself open. He wants to be found by you, Tessa. If he found his sister, he wants your help to get her back."

Tessa started to twiddle her thumbs. She had to think a good long while before deciding what to do next. Now that her cover was blown she knew that there was no way she and Kaname could track down David on their own. They didn't have the skillset. Wincing, Teletha spoke up again. "Mr. Sagara, Melissa, Weber, if what you say is true, Kaname and I cannot do this on our own…While I don't want to drag you into my shoes, I can't do anything else but ask for your help." The young woman gave a long sigh. She didn't want to drag anyone else down with her. "I know full well that I'm already in deep with the way I've aligned myself with David. But I can't let Mithril lock him up for doing something right. I-I want to help him. But Kaname and I won't be able to find him on our own…" Tessa's bottom lip began to tremble, the poor girl was nearing tears. She truly hoped she was doing what was right. "If you deny my request, I won't think any less of you as a coworker and friend…But, I'm asking as a friend for you to help me. I-I don't want this to end the way Mithril wants it to."

Mao and Kurz stiffened up at their captain's short speech. The pair looked to one another with a look of debate in their eyes.

Yet Sousuke was the first to speak. "Madam Captain!"

"Y-Yes?" Tessa whispered, head still hanging low on her shoulders.

Sousuke gave the young woman a swift salute and a rare grin. "You're my captain and my friend, I'll follow your orders to the letter, ma'am."

Kaname wasted no time in jumping in. She leaned up against Sousuke, gave Tessa thumbs up, and an eager cheer. "You already know I'm with ya, Tessa! Let's find David and help him get his sister back!"

It was Kurz who spoke next, walking and standing next to Sousuke and Kaname. He was trying his hardest to conceal a smile. "Well…I always thought this mission was bogus anyway. I always liked David anyhow. If the guy is doing all of this to rescue his sister…Count me in!"

Melissa Mao was the only one who was left. She stood apart from the rest of the group. Her eyes glanced between her friends. Chuckling, Mao finally gave a nod. "You know I was with you from the get go, Tessa. If Mithril wants to lock David up for trying to save that little girl, then they can go screw off. They might come after us after this, but…You can count on me!" Melissa barked happily with her hands on her hips. Chuckling again she uttered a joke. "I hear Chicago has some nice pizza too. No sense we can't take a little vacation from Mithril business while we search for David ourselves!"

"Mmm…Pizza…" Kurz purred under his breath…No one else heard him…

Author's Note:

Well, here is the next chapter, I hope you liked it!

As of this moment, this chapter was originally supposed to be longer with two parts. But in an effort to make everything flow a bit smoother, and not having a gigantic chapter to read, I've split the original idea up. The next part will be the next chapter, and thus everything will resume as normal.

(If I made that too confusing, I simply just added another chapter after this one to make everything flow better).

Anyways, please leave a review. I love to hear what you're thinking of this chapter and the story. Every single review means a ton to me no matter how small. This is one of my favorite stories I've ever written and feedback is always welcome.

Thank you for reading,

MrWatch

P.S – If you find an error, please PM me and I'll fix it ASAP!