Ice Chronicles
Chapter 37: The Plan Pt. 1
I made it to the top of the hill like my caller told me. I was all alone because my sekirei are doing something different at the moment along with Jason and his party. I looked around, but no one else was here. I checked my phone for any clues, but that's when the sound of grass crunching emanated. I turned around, only to see the bespectacled man from the hospital.
Earlier
"Let me go! Let me go! I have to save her!" Uzume exclaimed. I held her arms to keep her from running.
"Uzume calm down," I told her. She stopped trying to break free, but gritted her teeth.
"Calm down? Calm down?" She asked. She shot her head towards me with her eyes full of anger.
"Don't ever tell me to calm down when Chiho is in danger!"
"Wait a minute, who is this Chiho person?" Jason asked. I explained the situation to everyone, getting an angry face from Tsukiumi the minute I said Chiho is a girl. I explained how she has been hospitalized due to illness. Uzume managed to calm down by the time I finished and buried her face in my chest.
"So what are you going to do?" Matsu asked. I thought about it for a while, but found no other way out.
"I have no choice but to go."
"Even though you know it's a trap?" Jason asked.
"If I don't go, Chiho will die; I know it. They wouldn't be using her as a hostage if they weren't planning on killing her if things go sour," I replied.
"Either way, we need to come up with a plan first," Matsu pointed out.
Now
"So you came after all," the man stated.
"I wasn't going to risk Chiho's life," I replied. He fixed his glasses.
"How very noble of you; but, that is what I'd expect from you."
"Enough chit-chat; I want to know two things. Who are you and why have you called me here threatening to take Chiho's life?" I interrogated.
"I suppose we should get down to business. First off, my name is Kakizaki," he greeted. "Ad for why I called you here, it's about the item you won against Master Higa."
'So he's the man uncle told me to watch out for.' I said in thought.
"Yes, I work for Higa. I am his secretary as well as a fellow ashikabi."
"I see. So what do you want with me? Is it about revenge?" I asked.
"No, it's nothing like that. More like a bargain I should say," Kakizaki replied.
"So you want to bargain with me?" I asked.
"Correct; and it's a win-win situation so you shouldn't refuse. The Jinki you have obtained, hand it over to me," he demanded. I narrowed my eyes.
"And why should I relinquish it to you? I won it fair and square so I'm afraid that I'm keeping my jewel."
There was a moment of silence, until Kakizaki let out a sigh.
"I was afraid that you would say that."
He pulled out a small remote from his sleeve.
"What is that?" I asked, getting a little nervous.
"A detonation device," he stated bluntly.
"WHAT? Don't tell me you plan to blow up the hospital," I stated.
"Will, but only if you still refuse my offer. Hand me the Jinki and I promise to spare your friend and all the people inside the building. Refuse and all those people will die because of your stubbornness."
I was torn on what decision to make. If I give him the Jinki, who knows what will happen; but if I don't, innocent people will die because of me. I tightened my hands to fists.
'I'm sorry uncle.' I thought. I looked at Kakizaki.
"If I give you the Jinki, do I have your word that everyone will be safe?"
"Yes, you have my word," he confirmed. Slowly, I took the Jinki out and looked at it one last time before I walked over to Kakizaki and reluctantly placed it in his hands. He drops the remote and stomps on it, destroying it completely. He smiled at me.
"Glad you see things my way. Pleasure doing business with you; and as I said, you friend is spared as well as the innocent."
He left me behind with the Jinki in his hand. Once he was completely out of sight, I let out a sigh. I tapped on my hidden earpiece.
"Jason; I handed over the Jinki. Now it's your turn."
"Roger, and don't worry; there's a chance to get it back. We already got the plan thought out and everything," he replied.
Hiyamakai Hospital P.O.V Jason
Ren and I finished going over the plan. Now I'm walking to Chiho's room after talking to the receptionist. I hid the earpiece behind my hair and then knocked on the door.
"Come in," a female voice said. Opening the door, I saw the girl Uzume showed me sitting on her bed; and to be honest, she was very cute.
"Who are you?" She asked. I silently closed the door behind me and leaned against it.
"Hello, my name is Jason Dax. Are you Chiho Hidaka?" I asked back.
"Yes, I am," she replied with a nod. "But how do you know my name?"
"I'm a friend of Uzume and Ren," I answered.
"Are you Ren's love rival?" Chiho asked. I burst out laughing.
"No, I'm not his love rival, hahaha."
Earlier Again
"Okay Jason; I want you to check up on Chiho. Here's a picture of her," Matsu told me. She handed me the picture as Ren explained what else I needed to do.
"So you want me to check up on her every day until you guys figure out everything else?" I confirmed. Matsu and Ren nodded.
"Uh, I hate to point this out, but it sounds like you're trying to get me another girlfriend."
"Huh?" the females said. Ren started snickering.
"I see how you're making that connection; but that's not what we're trying to do. We just want someone who doesn't know her to look after her. That way, no one could use the relationship against you."
"Alright, leave it to me; I'll report anything suspicious."
I was about to leave, but my sekirei, except Homura, stopped me. Before they said anything, I gave them their kiss, except Ku, whom had to settle for a kiss on the cheek and reassurance. I kept the earpiece off until I arrived at the hospital.
Present
"I've been sent here by Ren and Uzume to keep an eye on you for a while."
"Why?" Chiho asked. I thought about where I should start the story.
"Let me answer with a question of my own. Did you watch the fight between Ren and Higa Izumi?"
"Umm, yes I did," she answered. I sat down in the chair.
"Did you see the girls that were fighting?"
She nodded.
"Uzume and those girls are beings called sekirei."
"I heard that over the TV," she said. I explained everything she needed to know in a way we both understood. She was actually fascinated by it all.
"But why didn't Uzume tell me she wasn't human?"
"If she did, then you would've been thrown into this mess as well; and I know Uzume wouldn't want that considering your ailment," I replied.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Well, from what Ren told me, there's a high possibility that you may perish from your illness. If Uzume was your sekirei and you were to die, Uzume too would perish," I answered. Her eyes expanded as she let out a loud gasp.
"Is that true?"
I nodded. "Ren's uncle is one of the higher ups at M.B.I and he told Ren what I just explained."
"But what exactly is happening to me now?" she asked. I changed to a serious expression.
"You're being targeted," I stated.
"What? Why?" She asked surprised.
"Remember how I mentioned Higa?" I asked back.
She nodded.
"He wants revenger for being beaten and so threatened to kill you if Ren refused to abide by his demands."
"Why me though?"
"He knows how close you are to Uzume, who is Ren's sekirei."
"But everything is alright now right?" she asked. I scratched the back of my head and looked away.
"Not…exactly."
"What do you mean?" Chiho asked. I sighed and sat on the bed.
"In order for me to answer that, I'm going to need you to trust me."
"With what?" she asked.
"I know we just met, but you're going to have to trust me if you want to make it out safely. You need to have complete and utter trust in me, okay?" I asked back. She took a while, but then nodded her head.
"Okay, I trust you."
I smiled back at her.
"Good, now the answer to your question is, we managed to buy you some time; but not that much. Right now, Ren is working with his smartest sekirei to help you out. My job is to make sure no else gets to you, as well as see how you're doing."
"Can talk to Uzume or Ren please?" she asked. I shook my head.
"Sorry, but we can't risk someone finding out about us."
She nodded her and looked down. I placed my palm on hers, making her look back at me.
"Don't worry though; you'll see Uzume very soon. Ren's smart; and with his brain-type he will definitely save you."
"Thank you Jason," she said. "How long will you be staying?"
"Until Ren gives me the signal; but it's going to be a while. So how about we get to know each other in the meantime?" I suggested.
"Mm-hmm, let's start with you. You too have sekirei don't you?" She asked.
"Yeah, I have eight to be exact," I replied.
"Why do you have so many?"
"In all honesty, my sekirei reacted to me. Well except one who I saved from an abusive ashikabi."
"That's terrible; how did you do it?"
"That I'm afraid can't be said because the man who told me how to use it practically threatened to kill me if I said it to anyone," I said. I whispered to her.
"Ren doesn't even know."
"So you're the only one?" Chiho asked.
"That I know of; but I only did it because of how that ashikabi treated his sekirei."
The thought forced an image of Sabrina in my mind.
"Tell me about yourself now Chiho."
"Well, I …really forgot what I like. I've been here in this hospital ever since I was little so I barely remember what I enjoy."
"That's too bad; I would be going nuts if I stayed here for as long as you," I pointed out.
"I get to go outside when I'm feeling healthy enough, but today isn't a good day," she said.
"Then what about your parents? Do they visit you often?" I asked. My question caused her to look down with a sad expression.
"My parents don't visit me or more like they can't. My parents aren't…around anymore. They died when I was young."
I gasp softly.
"Chiho; I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"
"No, I's alright; I'm over it now," she interrupted.
"Still, I'm sorry for bringing up harsh memories."
"It's okay Jason; you didn't know. The only people who visit me are Uzume, Ren, and now you. I've spent so much time with Ren and Uzume that I practically consider them to be my parents."
She blushed red.
"I-I'm sorry; I shouldn't have said that."
I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Chiho, how old are you?"
"I'm fourteen," she said.
"Wow, so young; I can see why you think that now."
She smiled and nodded.
"Uzume always makes sure I'm feeling well and acts like a mother around me. Ren is like the big and strong father that will do anything for his family. I feel safer when they're with me; and when I try to remember my parents, all I see are Uzume and Ren."
"Well at least you found that void in your heart," I said.
"Mm-hmm; but what about your parents Jason?" she asked back. The smile immediately faded from my face as I told Chiho my story. She too broke into tears at my past.
"I still have nightmares about it, but my sekirei are there to comfort me."
She wiped her tears away.
"One of my sekirei reminds me a lot of Sabrina so I don't need to be sad; but I still remember her as if she's still here with me."
Before anything could be said, my earpiece received a call.
"Jason here, what is it?"
"Jason, it's me; how is Chiho doing?" Uzume asked.
"She's fine; we were just getting to know each other," I replied.
"Is that Uzume?" Chiho asked. I nodded, and she requested to speak to her.
"Uzume, did Ren say it was okay to call?" I asked.
"Yes, I did," he said all of a sudden. "I said it's okay, but they have to make it quick."
"Alright then, I'm handing over to her now," I responded. I gave the piece to Chiho, and she started talking to Uzume.
Ren's House P.O.V Ren
Matsu and I have completely modified the plan. Jason's sekirei were at the inn, letting Takehito know of our predicament. My sekirei, except Matsu and Uzume, were in the war room doing some more training. As I watched them, my phone went off with Takehito calling.
"Hey Takehito, what's up?"
"REN WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH! WHY DID YOU GIVE UP THE JINKI?"
I held the phone away from my ear and groaned in pain. His voice was so loud that Matsu and Carmen heard it. After a second, I put it back to ear.
"Takehito, calm down please," I said.
"Calm down? Do you have any idea what you've just done?" he interrogated. I put the phone on speaker to avoid having my eardrums explode.
"Yes, I know what I did; but I wasn't going to risk Chiho and all those innocent peoples' lives when they're barely hanging on to it."
"I understand that you wanted to do what's right, but giving up the Jinki was a huge mistake," Takehito replied.
"Yes, I know; but what did you expect me do?" I asked back.
He sighed. "Now that you mention it, I expected exactly that."
"I'm sorry for giving up such a dangerous artifact, but when the lives of innocent are at stake and I have the power to save them, I'm going to save them," I declared. "There was nothing else I could've done."
"Ren, stop acting and tell him already," Matsu stated.
"Oh come on Matsu, you had to ruin it," I replied.
"What's going on?" Takehito asked. I put on a smile.
"I still have the Jinki."
"What? But you said you gave it up," he pointed out.
"Nope, that was a replica; I still have the real thing," I said.
"Was it Matsu?" he asked.
"It was Matsu; and she did a fantastic job," I told him as I hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek, causing her to giggle.
"Jeez, don't scare me like that. If the Jinki gets in the wrong hands…"
"I know, major damage and who knows what else will happen," I interrupted.
"But there's something I implanted in the fake," Matsu spoke up. "The orb inside is and E.M.P grenade that when activated, will fry every electronic in Higa's building."
I hugged her tighter.
"That's my girl."
She giggled again and rested her head on my chest.
"That reminds me, won't they be able to intercept this call and found out about the fake?" I asked.
"No, I had Carmen set up a barrier to block foreign calls. Only Takehito, Jason, and Chiho can call us," Matsu explained. I kissed her cheek again.
"This just keeps getting better and better."
"Alright then, I'll see what I can do on my end. I'll talk to you uncle about this as well," Takehito notified.
"See you later Takehito," I replied. We hung up the phone, and I saw Uzume looking out the window. I proceeded over to her.
"Uzume, are you alright?"
"No I'm not alright; I don't know when Chiho will be harmed or not. I knew you should've let me go to her," she stated.
"Uzume, you need to have faith in Jason; he knows what he's doing," I reassured her.
"And what makes you think that? Huh? Jason doesn't know the first thing about Chiho; he doesn't know her like I do," she said. Uzume turned to face me, her eyes starting to fill up with tears.
"This is the best course of action; if you went, Higa would be able to figure how to use her more effectively," I told her.
"I still say you should've sent me," she repeated. We stared each other down, until I let out a sigh.
"You hate me now don't you Uzume?" I asked. She gasped softly at my question.
"It's okay; I understand that you're mad at me."
Uzume looked at the ground.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, looking back at me. "I'm sorry Ren; I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. You're only trying to help, and I took it out on you. I'm sorry; I'm not mad at you and I don't hate you either. It's just I'm really worried about her."
I placed my hands on her shoulders.
"I understand that you're worried about her Uzume. Believe me, I'm worried too; but at the same time, I have to keep a cool head. If not, I'll only be endangering her more. If you want her to stay safe, then you have to listen to me. I have both you and Chiho's feelings in mind, but I don't want the enemy getting an advantage over us. Once the plan works, you'll be reunited with Chiho and you won't have to worry about her being in the hospital anymore."
"What do you mean?" she asked. I cupped her cheeks and gave her a reassuring kiss.
"We're going to cure her," I stated. Uzume's eyes expanded.
"But her virus is incurable; it can't be cured," she pointed out.
"Not with modern technology; and who has the most advance technology right now?" I asked.
"M.B.I," she whispers in realization. I nod in agreement.
"With their advance technology, we will be able to cure Chiho."
Uzume looked down.
"But we can't just waltz in and just ask for it. More than likely, we will have to fight for it."
"If that's what it takes then so be it," I said. I tilted her head up.
"Uzume, listen to me; we WILL save Chiho. I'm not trying to build false hope; we will save Chiho. This I swear; Chiho will be cured and saved."
Her eyes start to water up again, but I wiped them away.
"Everything will be alright; I promise. Now, no more crying and show me that beautiful smile."
She wiped her face and showed it to me, her most beautiful smile.
"That's it; you have to be strong, for Chiho. We're doing all this for her; and we WILL succeed."
She whispers my name as she thanks me by passionately kissing me. I held her close as I grabbed her hand and intertwined our fingers, embracing her tightly. I broke the kiss, and she rested her head on my chest.
"It'll be okay; I promise."
"I believe you," she said, nuzzling her head in my chest. I tilted her head up again and kissed her passionately once more.
Hiyamakai Hospital P.O.V Jason
After she finished talking to Uzume, I let Chiho listen to the conversation between her and Ren. Hearing how she will be cured made her smile happily; and hearing Ren's speech made cry out of happiness. I wiped her tears away and slid a strand of hair behind her ear, but she suddenly hugged me as she sobbed on my shoulder. I blushed from the sudden embrace, but returned my own. I stroked her hair as I rubbed her back.
"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you, thank you so much Jason; no one has done something this special for me."
"Thank Ren; he's the one who thought of it," I replied. She continued our embrace, not easing up.
"Um, Chiho; I'm happy for you and everything, but…"
"Please, let's stay like this for a while longer," she interrupted.
"Okay," I said softly.
"Thank you Jason; what you've done means so much to me. You have no idea how grateful I am," she stated.
"I'm glad you feel that way," I replied. I received another call.
"Jason, you can leave for today now," Ren said. I groaned softly.
"Sorry Chiho; I have to go for today."
"Oh, I see," she said sadly. "Will I get to see you again?"
"Mm-hmm," I answered. "We'll see each other tomorrow; but it may be short because the next contestants will be selected and I might be chosen."
"I understand," she said. We let go of our embrace, and I stood up to leave.
"If I'm chosen, I'll be sure to win for you as well."
"Okay, good luck," she said. Chiho got out of bed and hugged me once again.
"Chiho, you sure you should be out of bed?" I asked.
"It'll fine, as long as I don't over exert myself then I'll be fine," she reassured me.
"Still, you should get as much rest as possible; you'll need it," I replied.
"Okay," she complied. She got back into bed and pulled the covers over her.
"I'm going to leave you the phone Ren wanted me to give you. If you ever get lonely, Uzume and I will be happy to talk. Talk to Ren if there's a problem," I said.
"Thank you Jason; I appreciate everything you've done for me. It was a pleasure meeting you too; I'll see you tomorrow," she said. I nodded.
"The pleasure was all mine; now you get some rest. Oh and if anyone comes and says they know Ren or me and is named Takehito, let him in. He will help you with your condition."
"Okay, and thanks again Jason," she repeated.
"Anytime; I'll come back tomorrow at ten so try to be up; but I'll come again after the match if I'm selected," I notified her. She nodded and lay down. I walked out the door and closed it behind me. I made sure I wasn't being followed as I talked to Ren.
"Is everything okay Jason?"
"Yeah, everything is good on my end. What about you?" I asked back.
"We're all good," he replied. "So how was your time with Chiho?"
I blushed a little after remembering how intimate we were a few minutes ago.
"It was nice; she is a nice person."
"Did you learn anything about her?" Ren asked.
I sighed. "Yeah, but it's not my place to say. She did say thanks for helping her our and it means a lot to her."
"No problem; did you give her the phone?" he asked.
"And told her about Takehito," I added.
"Awesome, everything is coming together," he replied. I remembered how Chiho felt about Uzume and Ren.
"Ren, when we see each other tomorrow, I have something important to tell you and Uzume. What time do you usually get up in the mornings?"
"About five; why not just tell me now over the phone?" He asked.
"It's better if we talked face-to-face. I'll be over there around six so listen out," I answered.
"Oh, alright then; I'll see you tomorrow," he stated.
"See you later," I replied and hung up.
'Don't worry Chiho; I'll see that this operation is a success.' I declared in thought.
A/N: And here is the next chapter everyone. I'm sorry if it's too short and not any action in it; but it will come soon just you wait. Also, I'm debating whether or not I should do this; should I have Jason and Chiho get together. I'm thinking about that; and if you want, you can vote for it. With something to think about, this has been MalevolentDarkness16, wishing you another great chapter.