Gate: In the Company of Shadows
Chapter 12
Complacency Complaints
YOJI ITAMI - THIRD RECON JSDF, SHADOW CO.
SHIBUYA, TOKYO, JAPAN
NOVEMBER 9, 2022 - 10:00:00
"So let me get this straight… You want us to go and waste our time and money shopping around Tokyo while our lives are in possible danger?"
"Um… yeah…?" Itami responded hesitantly. When Graves said it out loud like that, the idea sounded a lot dumber. A sentiment that many of the contractors littered around seemed to share as they simply stared at him.
They were all currently standing at a decently packed Takeshita Street in Shibuya, most of their gear currently sitting inside of their vehicles which were parked nearby. Apparently Komakado was kind enough to stash bags in the trunk for them to store their equipment, although Itami was fairly certain that many of the contractors had their sidearms hidden on their persons just in case. After all, it wouldn't be smart to be possibly attacked and unable to defend oneself or others. What was that saying again? Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it? He couldn't exactly say he disagreed with that saying, but that's why he had them out in public view in the first place. No foreign enemies would dare attempt anything in such a crowded and busy location. That was just a plan begging to fail.
He voiced his reasoning, and it seemed that not everyone agreed with his thought process.
Graves groaned as he ran a hand down his face. "As much as I enjoy not being squished almost shoulder to shoulder with my men like a can of sardines, that suggestion makes no sense, and frankly, sounds like a horrible idea. I've got a company to run, Itami. We've got to get back to the gate as soon as possible."
"I hate to agree with him, but he's right, you know?" Kuribayashi spoke up from nearby. "A shopping spree? I get that being in public reduces the risk of us being attacked, but it doesn't completely eliminate it. Everyone in the world is staring at our VIPs with hungry eyes, we have no time to risk fooling around like this."
"I mean," Itami began with a slight frown. "If it isn't too much trouble… I've kinda got to follow orders here."
Graves blinked. "Follow orders? Leading us on a shopping spree is part of your orders?"
"Well, not exactly that, per say. It's more along the lines of showing our guests a good time in Tokyo. That will be accomplished when we get to the Hakone hot springs."
"So that's why we were headed there in the first place?"
"Exactly! And it doesn't really matter how I go about completing that, so long as I get you all to Hakone."
Graves rose a singular brow at him. "For someone so keen on avoiding work, you sure do like taking very roundabout ways to handle these things…"
Itami snorted and waved a hand dismissively. "Ah, I guess this old dog never learns, right?"
"Well I suggest that you learn quickly." Graves said to him. It appeared to be a warning of some sort, but not in the sense that it was a threat. Rather, a friendly word of advice from someone of his caliber. "Because there won't be many opportunities for you to be acting so laid back anymore."
Itami found himself with a small frown. He wasn't really going to argue with him, as Graves did kind of have a point. His world was quickly changing. First the gate and now the dreadful world politics, it seemed like there wouldn't be much room to breathe soon enough. His words struck especially harder when he recalled what he had said back at the Diet meeting.
That's right… didn't Earth go through World War Three on his side of the gate? He quietly thought to himself as experienced blue eyes bore into brown. That's… really freakin' depressing now that I really think about it…
Graves sighed as he noticed Itami's expression. "With that being said… I guess we won't have the chance to be here forever, so we might as well just get this done and over with."
From the corner of his eye, he saw Risa pumping her fist in excitement with a small and victorious, "Yes!"
He could only chuckle in amusement at the sight. At least someone else shared his excitement.
When was the last time Risa got to go shopping for fun? He mused to himself. Just hope she doesn't go all out…
"Well in that case, I'll be heading off to Akihabara or Nakano." Itami said, a small bit of excitement back on his face. "What about you guys?"
Graves stepped forward, "I'll be going with you. I trust that the rest of my Shadows got things covered?" He asked in an expectant tone, turning around to face his men.
That's gonna complicate things later… Itami did his best to prevent a wince from appearing on his face.
One of the contractors raised a thumbs up at him. "Yep, yep. Princess Pina and Ms. Palesti wish to view the books of this world. Bishop will watch over 'em."
"And I'll be leading these lovely ladies clothes shopping!" Risa exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Rory, Tuka, and Lelei in a big group hug.
Graves nodded at them. "Alright then. Sentinel, you'll be in charge of Risa's group. Carnival, you're with me and Itami. Lieutenant, where do you want your people?"
Itami contemplated the decision for a moment. "Kuribayashi, go with Risa. Tomita, go with the princess."
Kuribayashi and Tomita both glanced at each other hesitantly. "Are you sure about this Lieutenant? You'll be left alone with these guys." Kuribayashi asked.
Itami could see Graves rolling his eyes as he coughed awkwardly. "Come on, Sergeant, if these guys really wanted to do something, they probably would have done so by now, right?"
Kuribayashi sighed, realizing he had a point. "I guess so. Just…" She paused, likely struggling to find the right words to continue on. "Just don't get yourself hurt doing something stupid, alright?" She mumbled.
Itami found himself pleasantly surprised. From his short time with her, Itami quickly found that Kuribayashi was never one to show care in such a way. For her to do so now meant that their relationship was getting a little more tolerable to her, or that she really didn't trust Graves and his Shadow Company with him. It was probably both to be honest. Regardless, he took the opportunity to mess with her. "Awww, so you do care?"
"Alright, screw you, asshole…" She said while blushing. "I show a little bit of kindness and this is what I get in return? I'll be sure to give you the cold shoulder next time if that's what you'd like…"
"Hey, relax!" Itami laughed lightly. "I'm just teasing!"
Kuribayashi had a cute pout when she got embarrassed, a rare sight indeed. Her face quickly turned back up into an annoyed glare though. "Ugh whatever, just because you can joke around with people doesn't mean everyone else wants to…"
"Right… Well gang, let's meet up in front of Studio Alta at the Shinjuku Station at around 1400. Then we can go to Hakone for the onsen!"
"Yeah!" The rest of the group, save for the contractors, cheered in excitement.
This was going well so far. Maybe the rest of the day wouldn't be as bad as yesterday evening...
BOZES CO PALESTI - THIRD RECON JSDF, SHADOW CO.
SHIBUYA, TOKYO, JAPAN
NOVEMBER 9, 2022 - 10:38:47
Bozes and Princess Pina looked up in awe at the sight in front of them. Rows upon rows of shelves, all filled to the brim with this world's books! Bozes bounced slightly on her toes, excited to read more of that 'manga' that Risa had called it. There was so much… art… here, just sitting there waiting for someone to come along and open them up. And they practically had the entire library to themselves! They had so many choices in front of them, she doubted that even with the combined efforts of all of the Rose Order, would they be able to even cut through a quarter of the selection. It was as if she had wandered into a scholars domain.
To be honest, it was all a little daunting. It was a good thing they had guides though.
The thought of trying to go off on her own and getting forever lost in the maze of information that was a Japanese library was scary.
Regardless, the sight was truly something to behold. What did she do today to deserve this? She couldn't remember a time when she'd been able to simply sit and read, not since she had dedicated most of her time to training in the Order. Not that she often had the opportunity to read in the first place. Apparently it was unbecoming of a noble woman of her status to be seen reading, and that it was behavior better fitting for scribes and mages.
That was back then, but here and now? In this world with changing times? She had the perfect opportunity and a vast array of nearly unlimited books at her disposal to read.
she wasn't going to waste it by letting herself be bored again.
She would make sure to pick out the best book for her to explore every nook and cranny, including finding out if this library would have any of that yaoi or slice of life genre that Risa had introduced them to. Her eyes were already roving over the shelves, trying to find something she could possibly recognize. It was almost like looking through a kaleidoscope of color, every book imaginable in all different shapes and sizes.
As her gaze scanned over the shelves, her mind wandered back to her friends and family back home.
She knew that the rest of the girls back home would have most certainly enjoyed the types of stories that she and the princess read here in Japan, and they most certainly wouldn't let her live it down if she didn't at least attempt to bring some back. She'd at least have to try and ask Sir Itami for permission.
Or would she have to ask Commander Graves?
The moment that man came to mind, she found herself with a slight frown. Some field commander shows up, claiming he's emerged from the second gate, and has enough power to clearly put the princess, the Count, and the JSDF into a state of unease? What were he and his men capable of to be able to do such a thing? Why was he in Italica in the first place? What even was his long term goal?
She was taken out of her internal musings as Tomita, their Japanese escort for the time being, finished explaining the library. "-Anyone can freely read any of the books here."
"Even ordinary people?" Princess Pina asked.
"Absolutely. In fact, most of the people you'll see reading here are regular students attending classes."
"It must be a lot of work to transcribe all of these books…"
"Not really. Nowadays the work process for something like that is mostly automated." He commented before coming to a stop and turning around. "So… what kind of books are you ladies looking for?"
"Oh, right!" Princess Pina said excitedly, before reaching into a small purse that Risa had lent to them, and finally pulled out the manga she let them borrow. "We're looking for slice of life!"
.
.
.
Tomita stared at the cover before rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Ah… I see…"
One of Graves' men could be seen peeking around his shoulder to get a better view. Once he saw the art that covered the book, he chuckled to himself in amusement. "Aw, this is absolutely golden. Ronin!"
"Quiet down, we're in a library you idiot!" Ronin hissed from nearby. "What is it?"
"Check it out, mate."
Ronin squinted as he took a closer look at where his teammate was pointing. "Is that…?"
"Yep."
Ronin shook his head in disbelief before turning to the rest of the group and singling one man out. "Hey, Vipes, can you show the gals to the manga section?"
"Manga? What? Why?"
"Cause I don't wanna go anywhere near that stuff."
"And I do?"
Ronin shrugged at him. "You're the one with kids, not me…"
"Ugh…" He groaned as he shook his head. "C'mon, follow me…"
Bozes and Princess Pina glanced at each other before following him.
-O-
The group wandered around the large maze of books until Viper stopped in front of a shelf with some similar looking manga volumes in it. He picked up a few before inspecting the covers, and after flipping through a few, he nodded to himself in satisfaction. "Here you go, girls. This is the place."
Bozes reached down and picked up a book, sighing as she looked at the cover. "If only I could read these titles."
Princess Pina examined the cover of her book and flipped through the pages, reading a few lines and inspecting the illustrations within. "This looks remarkably good, though not exactly what I had in mind..." She muttered in slight disappointment.
"Hey, it's a public library, not a geek store." He said, eyeing them as he looked inside of another book. "You're lucky that there even was a manga section here in the first place."
"I suppose that's true…" Princess Pina said as she began looking up and down the shelves.
Bozes almost considered following her before immediately stopping in her tracks, her mind returning to the man that led them around. Viper... The name was an alias no doubt, but why? Why did he need to hide his real name at all? There were several things about him that concerned her; firstly, who exactly was he?
They already introduced themselves to each other, having come across him firing his weapon prior to the gate, but that was all surface level stuff. What made him think that it was a good idea to let her, a complete stranger, handle a weapon as dangerous as his? He was a complete enigma to her, both in identity and in character.
Secondly, who he worked for and their goals.
Shadow Company… judging by their interactions with the JSDF, were at least tolerating each other, rather than being on friendly terms. A touch concerning, especially when Princess Pina really hammered their destructive capabilities into her head when she messed up earlier. Two military powerhouses could have been butting heads over Special Region territory, and the Empire would have been caught in the middle of it. It's a good thing that the JSDF were the more forgiving and merciful type. She didn't know if that also applied to Shadow Company - but she wasn't really willing to find out how far she could test their limits anytime soon...
Lastly… he was handsome, no doubt about that, and the touch of ruggedness was very enticing.
And the way his muscles bulge from his shirt… Bozes thought before immediately shaking herself out of her daydreaming. No, don't start drooling now! You hardly know him! He could be crazy for all you know… or already spoken for!
Her eyes widened as she recalled some of his words the other day.
'Don't know if I'll ever see them again…'
He has children… She realized before pausing. Or… had…
She looked back over her shoulder at the princess and her escorts, all of whom seemed to be focused on something else rather than her inner turmoil. Seeing that the attention wasn't on her, she decided that if she didn't do anything about these questions soon, she would lose any chance of finding out more about him. After looking around and making sure that they were alone, the blonde girl approached the bookshelf next to him, discreetly pretending to pick out a book to read.
"So…" She whispered quietly. "Find anything that catches your eye?"
He chuckled softly to himself as he rolled his eyes. "I can think of someone… though she could most certainly work on her conversational icebreakers." He said, glancing at the girl beside him.
A slight flush of embarrassment crept across her cheeks at the comment, knowing that she was being flirted with.
"Uh well. I was just hoping to find something you might like," she said, trying to change the subject. "It's just that your friends seem really interested in all these books…" she trailed off as she followed where she assumed the man next to her was looking. The rest of the group they were with weren't looking at any of the books, aside from Princess Pina and Tomita. Instead, they all kept to themselves or conversed quietly with one another, completely disinterested by the shelves around them. "Oh…"
He laughed heartily at her reaction. "Yeah, gonna have to try a little harder than that. Anyways, what can I help you with?"
She blushed at having been caught, before remembering why she was standing next to him in the first place. She stood in silence, trying to figure out the best way to ask her questions, before deciding that the direct approach was the best one. "Back on the bus… you mentioned that you had children… three."
The small and easy smile on his face shifted to a muted frown as he glanced back down at the pages in front of him. She doubted that he was focused on the illustrations inside. "Ah, yeah… I guess I did. What prompted this?"
She did her best to keep her composure up, resisting the urge to wince as she had very clearly hit a touchy subject for him. "It's just… you also mentioned that you didn't know if you'd ever see them again… if you don't mind me asking? What happened?"
"I'd rather not say…"
"Why not?" She asked rather sheepishly.
He closed his eyes, giving an exasperated sigh as he shut the book and reshelved it. "Listen, Ms. Palesti, I'm sure that you're a wonderful and fair maiden. You've been good company so far, but I wouldn't say that you're trusted enough to be privy to that sort of information or the details surrounding it. You shouldn't be poking around in my business like that, yeah?"
She pouted at him. "I'm merely curious about the man assigned to watch over me."
"Well, you know what they say about curiosity and cats, right?"
"What happened to that pleasant man I was speaking to earlier? After hearing only a few of the details earlier, I just wanted to make sure that you were of sound mind."
He scoffed, "Pleasant? Sound mind? Lady, what are the mercenaries of your world like?"
She noted the abrupt change in topic, but decided to humor him anyway. "Bloodthirsty, ruthless, and greedy. Bands of mercenaries are only used by rulers who wish to sow chaos against their enemies and sometimes their own people. At least, the more infamous ones are…"
He nodded at her. "Shadow Company is a band of mercenaries, except we're not called mercenaries, and we're not outlawed. Still the same thing though. Legal mercenaries under a different name. That name being, private contractors. All the people I run into in the company are not pleasant or of sound mind, at all. In fact, I'd say that most of them are quite the opposite…"
"Oh please, if you're trying to scare me away in some misguided effort to protect either of us, then I'm afraid I'm going to have to tell you that it wont work. I'm a knight, I've endured my fair share of battle." She lied. Really, she was still green to combat, but she'd never willingly admit that. Though it didn't look like he believed her anyways. Regardless, she continued. "If you don't feel comfortable telling me, then you don't have to. But I'm going to learn about you anyway. Whether it's here and now, or further down the line."
Their gazes held each other for a moment, before his eyes finally softened.
"God… you're just like her…" He muttered before looking around to make sure no one was listening. "Fine… but whatever I tell you is for your ears and your ears only. That means no gossiping to any of your lady friends."
She nodded, doing her best to hide the small smile of success from her face.
"And I'm serious about this. Not a whisper. Not today, not later, not tomorrow, not next week, not ever. Got it?"
She rolled her eyes at him, "Yes, I understand. I'll respect your wishes for privacy."
"A bit late for that, but whatever. Where should I start?"
"How about the beginning?"
He looked slightly uncomfortable at the suggestion. "Too personal."
"Then somewhere familiar."
"Alright… you know how Itami mentioned that Risa is his ex wife?"
The conversation that Risa had with one of Graves' men last night came back to mind. Of course, she was very invested in the manga collection she had, but that didn't prevent her from keeping a keen ear in their direction. "Yes. From what I've heard, they both decided that it wouldn't work out between them, and they parted on good terms."
A sour look appeared on his face, almost as if he had bitten into some sort of lemon. "Right… Well, I used to be a married man too. Me and my wife both decided that it wouldn't work out between us, but unlike Itami and Risa, we parted on… less than stellar terms."
She tilted her head in confusion. "Why's that?"
"Simply put, she didn't like my profession. At all… When we had the first two kids, I was a complete and utter nervous wreck. I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I mean, some idiot freshly out from his special forces days with no real world fallback skills tryna' take care of other living souls? I'd rather be staring down the barrel of an AK rather then fuck it up for my blood."
"That's…" Idiotic? Noble? Understandable? What the heck was she supposed to say to that?! "I don't know what to say…"
"You don't have to say anything, cause I'm not done yet. But I guess that's where the problems started. I didn't really know what to do to support them, so I defaulted back to the one thing I knew that I was good at. Combat. I thought I had left the sweltering heat of sandy Middle Eastern countries looong behind me, but boy was I wrong. I signed on as a military advisor, instructing idiots on how to properly pick up a rifle for the first time in their lives. Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, South Africa, Japan. You name it, I've probably trained people there."
"I don't see the problem here. It sounds like you had good work to provide for them."
"Oh I did, but then we had the third kid, and then I started to delve into my work much more. Because of my job requiring me to travel around a lot, I wasn't exactly at the house that often. I wasn't spending any real quality time with them. I was basically a stranger to these kids, and it felt like I was letting them down by being like that. I found myself out in the field more and more, saying that I was providing for the family, but in reality, that was just a flimsy excuse to get away from that life."
Bozes furrowed her brow at him. "Did… did you not enjoy that life?"
"To be honest…?" He paused. "I-I did… but I'm not a family man. The kids wouldn't want someone like me, who cares more about pulling the trigger and splattering somebody's gray matter all over the windshield, than being there for major celebrations or first life events."
"Did you not try to be there for your children?"
He glared at her, slightly offended as she shrunk in on herself before sighing. "I tried, damnit. Long distance video calls, texts, even letters. I found myself answering them less and less as I receded back into my work. You can imagine how the conversations changed as time went on… Plus it was a bunch of other small things. Things that eventually piled up until the straw finally broke the camel's back."
"Camel?"
"Right, you've probably never seen one before…" He said, with a short mirthless laugh. "forget it. We had a fourth kid on the way, you know? That uh... that never came to fruition..."
What does he...? Oh... Bozes held a hand up over her mouth, her lips quivering. "I'm... I'm so sorry..."
"Yeah... Our conversations gradually devolved into arguments, until we both decided that a divorce would be in order. Your world has custody rules, right?"
Princess Myui and her older sisters immediately came to mind. "We do…"
Viper clicked his tongue. "Well, she has the kids. Haven't seen 'em since…"
She found herself frowning. Not at him or his ex, but for the children. "Are you not allowed to?"
"Oh no, I am. I'm just…" He paused, looking away. "Well I'd say I'm busy with work, but that wouldn't be the only reason. It's more complicated."
Oh my… this is the man I'm fawning over? She thought to herself. Do all the men across the gate have such deep rooted and complex issues?
He mistook her silent thoughts for contempt. "Ah, don't worry about them. I'm still helping them out. My ex is a tough girl and they should be living more than comfortably with the funds I'm providing."
"Yes but… are you?" She asked. "Living comfortably, I mean."
"It's not about me. It's about the people who depend on me. Hell, I've probably made enough to pay for their college, and then some."
I guess it sort of works out in the end… She bit back a sigh. "Supporting their future then… is that why you're still here, rather than being back home to witness it?"
He shrugged, not really knowing how to give a satisfactory answer for either of them. "Everyone has their own reasons for joining Shadow Company, but everyone knows they're personal reasons. Bristol drinks and smokes himself to death, but I don't ask him why. Simply not my business too. My reasons? Well, the hard truth is, I'm a coward. I'm… too scared to be a family man. I can't live up to the title of honorable father figure. Some crazy idiot like me wouldn't make for a good role model to look up to…"
She looked over at him critically. "Are you sure about that?"
"Of course. It's better this way," It sounded like he was trying to convince himself with that statement more than her, but he clearly didn't want any of her pity. "And besides, if there's something I can do to support my family, I'm going to do it. But I'm not showing my face around any of them. I don't deserve to…"
His voice cracked as he finished his words. He couldn't meet her eyes, opting to keep his closed as he did his best to force his hands to stop shaking. She felt awful just hearing his story. She could only imagine the pain he must have been feeling having actually gone through it all. Suddenly, she did something that surprised the both of them.
She hugged him.
It was a bit awkward, considering the height difference between the two and it was more of a side hug than a direct one - but it was still a hug nonetheless. Judging by the way he froze up for a moment, it was clear he hadn't really felt such an intimate touch, in any way shape or form, in a long time. Not since he parted with his former lover…
He blinked in confusion before briefly giving her a gentle pat on the back, though she was certain that he needed it more than she did.
She held the hug for a couple more seconds, not enough to be awkward, but enough to ensure that the message was clear. Eventually, he returned the hug, albeit reluctantly. Afterwards, she let go, and took a few steps back as she nervously rubbed her arm while glancing the other way.
"Um… thanks…" He mumbled quietly, almost hoarsely - unsure if that was the proper response to the action. He thumbed away a few tears from the corner of his eyes that she was certain weren't there earlier. "I guess I kinda needed that…"
That's putting lightly. She thought. She wouldn't say that out loud obviously. He didn't need that right now.
"Of course…" She replied simply.
They stood together in silence for quite some time, neither daring to say another word as they went back to perusing the shelves. Unbeknownst to the two of them, a set of rose red eyes were watching them from nearby, belonging to a certain red haired royalty.
[REDACTED] BOXER [REDACTED] - SHADOW CO.
TAKESHITA STREET, TOKYO, JAPAN
NOVEMBER 9, 2022 - 12:56:30
"So what's our balance lookin' like?"
Boxer turned his attention away from the crowded avenue in front of them, finding one of his men looking extremely bored. It wasn't hard to see why. They were certainly no strangers to playing bodyguard for clients, but entering an entirely new world with no official governing eyes to restrict them was supposed to be their opportunity to run wild. And then Graves decided that they were better off protecting VIPs and playing tourist in the middle of an alternate Tokyo. He wasn't entirely against the idea, but it would have been better if he were here on vacation, rather than for work purposes. Not like he'd complain about it to him…
There's too many people out here…
Remembering that his teammate asked him a question, he shrugged his shoulders in response. "Hell if I know. Does it look like I'm the one carrying Yen with me, Quill?"
"No, I suppose not…" The man sighed, turning to look at their VIPs. The elf and mage girl were both currently out of their Special Region clothing, and were instead dressed in the more modern street clothing of Japan, while the demigoddess was currently in a somehow flashier dress, probably meant for cosplay purposes. They all carried bags in their hands, filled with even more clothing and other miscellaneous items. "It just seems like we might have broken the bank with this amount of stuff."
"At least we're not holding their things like butlers," Boxer said. "It's already tiring enough holding a gun all day. I don't think I could carry any souvenirs."
"Good point. Hey Risa!"
"Hmmm, yeah?" She asked, turning around as she finished taking a picture of the girls in their outfits.
"Did Itami give you enough to cover for all of these expenses?"
"Uh..."
"Oh! There's no need to worry about that." Tuka exclaimed, cutting her off as she pulling out a card. "The JSDF has allowed us to acquire some of their currency for spending. The benefits of having a job."
He blinked dumbly at her for a moment. "You work for the JSDF?"
"Yep!" She beamed. "I serve as an environmental advisor."
"Should probably hide those numbers then…" Boxer said, lowering her hand down to her side. He turned to the other two visitors nearby. "What about you two?"
"Translator." Lelei said, showing a similar looking card peeking up from a small leather wallet.
"And I'm religious consulting and services!" Rory said.
Boxer cocked an eyebrow.
How long have these girls been with the JSDF to be entrusted with jobs? He thought. Must be playing to their hearts and minds…
"Well, then I guess there's no need to worry about pricing!" Risa remarked with visible relief. "I don't think I'd be able to survive the week if I spent any more…" She muttered.
After having paid for their clothing, the group found themselves squeezing through the busy avenue. People of all ages, tourists and citizens, all spoke animatedly and cheerfully while going out to shop or eat.
The sight was… familiar, but also foreign at the same time.
At first, Boxer couldn't place why. This normality was par for the course for a regular city, which is why it was so confusing when he felt nostalgic.
Is it civilian life that I haven't seen in so long? He asked himself. How am I feeling nostalgic for a city that I'm a foreign visitor to?
And that's when it hit him.
I'm not just a foreigner to Japan. I'm a foreigner to this world...
The climate of his world was bleak, serious, and dire. They didn't have the time for frivolity when all of their focus was on rebuilding after the despair of a World War. The United States, UK, Germany, and France were still far from being tourist destinations or attractions. Instead, construction sites still worked on repairing airstrikes and rocket damages while worthless war memorials were put up, honoring those who could never make it home to their families.
He should have been happy, if not indifferent, to the fact that this world didn't go through such hardships. But it honestly made him sick. It made him sneer, and all he felt was intense loathing. He'd say that he despised how casual everyone was, but that despise mostly stemmed from envy.
Where's their sacrifice? Where are their folded flags, their purple hearts, and their bloody dog tags? Where's their world unity…? He frowned. Shouldn't the world be uniting against one common enemy? Instead, the United States has clearly stalked them as if they were prey, waiting to pounce at any moment. If that's how the states were going to treat them, then he could only imagine what the other countries would be attempting.
"Are you okay there, sir?" A sudden hand landing on his shoulder jolted him back to reality, snapping him out of his thoughts. His jaw clenched and his brows furrowed in irritation as he got ready to throw them, before he looked down and stopped himself. The elf girl he was assigned to watch over was smiling sheepishly up at him.
Boxer nodded dumbly, still reeling from the fact he nearly just harmed her. "Uh… y-yeah. I'm okay, why? What's up?" He attempted to brush off her concerned gaze with false reassurance.
"Uh-huh…" She said, clearly not believing him. "You're okay? Which is why you're glaring a hole into the ground?" She asked pointedly. Boxer flushed, feeling awkward and exposed. She's really observant, huh…? Either that or I'm being really obvious.
"I… I don't look like that. Do I?" He asked in uncertainty.
"Yeah, you look really upset… Oh no, did I do something wrong earlier? Are you mad at us?" She asked frantically, trying to figure out what he could possibly be upset about.
Boxer couldn't help but smile at the sight. "No nothing like that," He reassured her.
Her shoulders sagged in relief. "Then… Why are you frowning so hard? You look as if someone kicked your puppy."
Boxer sighed, running a hand down his face. "You'll have to forgive me, miss. I don't do good with crowds." He lied.
The girl's smile turned into one of understanding, her gaze softened to match. "Ah, that's understandable. I've never seen so many people in one place before. Not even the city capitals are this packed." Her tone shifted back to something lighter. "And you can drop the 'miss,' sir. Everyone just calls me Tuka."
"Uh, sure then, Miss. Tuka."
She rolled her eyes, unimpressed by him still using an honorific with her name. "Your world has such strange name conventions…"
Yes, because Tuka Luna Marceau isn't strange at all…
She took her attention away from the man in front of her, instead scanning the area around them. She seemed to be on the lookout for something specific. What exactly, he didn't know. Moments later, her face broke out into a wide smile as Boxer assumed she found what she was looking for.
"Risa!"
"Yeah, Tuka?" Their guide asked, turning around to face her.
"Miss. Mercury and Lelei have both gotten something of their own." She said, referring to the frilly dresses, stockings, books, laptop, and tablet, in their bags. "I think we should get something for me, don't ya think?"
Boxer and Risa both followed to where her finger was pointing. It appeared Tuka wanted to enter some sort of thrift shop. Judging by the tourist traffic around it, it was a less frequented shop that not many people were interested in. Boxer furrowed his brow at the strange choice, before realizing just why she had chosen it.
She thinks I want to get away from the crowds. He nearly facepalmed. Me and my mouth. At least it'll be a little bit quieter…
"Uh…" Risa scratched her head, clearly confused by the location, but shrugged and chalked it up to her clueless naivety. "Sure, I guess. Maybe we can pick out some souvenirs."
"That would be splendid!" She responded with barely restrained glee.
-O-
Boxer watched as the blonde elf girl inspected everything in the shop closely. He imagined she'd be teleporting all over the place with stars in her eyes, like in those Japanese cartoons. The thought was enough to make him laugh to himself. Never in a million years did he ever think he'd be in a Japanese thrift store with a blonde haired elf girl, looking at pointless knick knacks… This really was something out of a Japanese cartoon. Maybe one of those slice of life filler episodes where nothing really happened.
Hopefully it didn't end up like one of those… what was it Itami called them? Haram animes? No, that didn't make sense, the man wasn't Arabic… Harem? Yeah, harem animes.
"Great, now I'm thinking like him…" He huffed to himself. "This is what happens when I'm in the vicinity of weirdos. I start becoming one myself."
"Becoming one of what?" Tuka asked casually, popping up next to him.
He jumped slightly at the unexpected movement. "Tuka! Please don't do that. My poor heart can only take so much."
"Oops, sorry!" She giggled up at him with her hands behind her back. "You were just talking to yourself, so I thought something was wrong."
"No, just random and aimless thoughts going nowhere. Nothing you need to concern yourself with."
"Hmmm, okay!" She chirped brightly.
God, this girl is too pure. "So, find anything here for yourself? Surely I'm not the most interesting thing in this shop, though I wouldn't blame you if you thought otherwise."
She put a hand up to her chin as she hummed in thought. "Well… there was one thing that I happened to see… Actually, come with me!" She said, suddenly grabbing his hand and dragging him along.
Geez, built like a twig and strong enough to haul my ass around?! He thought to himself in surprise. "Wait, why do I need to see?"
"I want a second opinion, silly!"
"And my opinion matters?"
"Of course! Now be patient."
He raised an eyebrow at that. With the way she was hyping this up, it sounded promising, though he wasn't sure what worth they could find inside of a thrift store. He never had any reason to shop in one with the amount that contracting work paid him. He sighed and nodded his assent. "Alright, alright. I'll go along and entertain whatever scheme you've got cooked up."
"Hey, it's not a scheme!" She said before rounding a shelf corner. She clapped excitedly as she drew near to her supposed destination. "Okay! Here we go! Close your eyes!"
"Close my eyes? Seriously?"
"Just do it." She pouted.
He rolled his eyes and did as she asked, closing them and waiting for her to get whatever it was that the young teen wanted him to see. It better not be clothes, I don't get paid enough for this…
As he stared at darkness, he heard the sound of shuffling before she told him to open his eyes again.
"Ta-da!" She said in a rather sing-song tone as she smiled brightly.
...
You're kidding me…
His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets upon seeing what the girl had pulled out for him.
"Is that…?"
"A bow! Well, technically it's called a compound bow, but we haven't invented something like this yet back in our world!" This was definitely some kind of joke that she had planned for him. A joke that she was very unaware of, judging by the wide smile on her face.
The weapon, as she had described, looked like a compound bow. The only major difference that Boxer could really see was that there was no space for a single arrow. Rather, a long and sleek magazine held on with the use of bearings, which rested low when not in use. It even had picatinny rails for attachments for God's sake!
Boxer wasn't a weapons expert, but the design looked extremely modern and somewhat new. It was sleek, compact, lethal looking at any range, and the only markings or insignias visible was the weapon name.
'Fenris'
"So, what do you think?"
"Uh, it's nice, I guess?" He offered, before shaking his head. "Wait, do you even know how to use such a thing?"
"Of course!" She said, before shifting her stance into what Boxer assumed to be a very professional looking archery pose. "Even though we live in peace, every elf tribe from the Forest of Lodo is trained in archery. My father saw to my training personally. Though the bows I am more used to are made of wood, rather than steel."
He was thankful that the magazine appeared to be empty, otherwise he'd have to be the one to explain to Graves why he was kicked out of a store for a shattered display case or why some random shopkeeper had an arrow lodged into their skull.
"I guess that's okay…"
Her eyes lit up happily. "Great! Can we pick it up now?"
"Hold up, hold up. We didn't come all the way out here for a bow!" He protested.
"Why not?" She asked, tilting her head innocently. "I haven't yet gotten something special of my own here yet."
"I-Is this even legal? You're purchasing a weapon! Where or when are you even gonna use it?"
She shrugged her shoulders in response. "You never know…"
"I…" Boxer facepalmed, groaning as he turned around. "Risa!"
"Yeah?" She called out absentmindedly from a few shelves over. She walked over to them, holding an odd looking ceramic cat statue in hand. "What's up- Woah! What's that doing here?"
"That's what I was thinking. Anyway, little Ms. Archer here wants to buy it. Do we need a permit or anything for that? I'd rather not get in trouble with the law here."
"Hmmm…" Risa hummed in thought. "Not that I'm aware of. It's not a crossbow but I'm pretty sure you're restricted in the types of arrows you can use. I'm fairly certain there's a real archery shop right around the corner if you want to get some arrows for that."
Boxer slowly turned back to Tuka, a pleading look on her face as she hugged the weapon close to her.
"Ugh… it's your Yen to spend, not mine…"
PHILLIP GRAVES - SHADOW CO, THIRD RECON JSDF
NAKANO, TOKYO, JAPAN
NOVEMBER 9, 2022 - 13:25:23
"Jesus, talk about bright colors…" Graves said, rubbing his eyes. "I swear I was gonna go blind back there. Remind me to avoid your tourist destinations the next time I visit Japan, Itami."
Itami laughed in response. "It's Akihabara. Advertisement central is kinda what it's known for."
"Really?" Graves asked sarcastically. "I couldn't tell with the massive posters of large breasted 2D women, flashy pachinko stores, and maids in thigh high striped stockings standing outside of cafes. Please tell me you weren't gonna visit that latter if I didn't come and tag along."
Itami said nothing, brown eyes unable to meet blue once more as he rubbed his neck in embarrassment.
Graves shook his head. "Jesus, Itami there's a time and place for R&R, but not while you're working…"
"I wasn't gonna go there! I-I've never even been inside of one of those places before."
"Uh-huh…" Graves said, unconvinced. "Now you wanna tell me why we're standing here on the sidewalk next to the city park? I find it very strange how you wanted to go off on your own, and I doubt you simply just wanted to take a leisurely stroll to view the scenery."
Itami froze up, realizing he had been caught before looking down at the ground sheepishly. "Sorry, we're just… standing here…"
Graves cocked a brow up at him, crossing his arms. He inspected him up and down, tapping his boot against the pavement impatiently before turning his attention to the rest of the city instead. "That so?"
"Yeah…"
"Mhm, I can see that… why?"
"Waiting for someone…"
The two stood in uncomfortable silence for a moment, enjoying the sun that provided warmth to their faces while Itami tried to gather himself. The only noise that surrounded them was the ambience of an active city. Planes overhead, cars passing by, people mindlessly chattering. A sense of normalcy surrounding two people who were far from normal.
The sound of footsteps came moments later, belonging to a larger, middle-aged man, with slicked back hair in a black trench coat over a matching formal suit. He cleared his throat quietly, keeping his eyes on the crosswalk in front of them as he stood side by side with Itami. Graves assumed this was the contact that Itami had wanted to meet, and he kept quiet as they began conversing with each other.
"How long has it been since that fateful day?"
"Twenty years… Same exact spot too."
"Hmm, yes… I'd just gotten married, lost an election, and then found myself looking for work."
"And at that time, I was in Junior High… Are you sure you're okay out here? You should probably have security with you."
"Like I need it," He laughed. "I'm standing next to the best badass in Tokyo, aren't I?"
Itami looked awkward at the praise. "I wouldn't really be counting on me if I were you."
"Nonsense, that kid I knew has grown up into a fine young man." He said, offering an outstretched hand.
Itami took it, shaking it gently as he smirked. "And that old man is now an honorable politician, huh? Should I call you your highness now?"
"Oh please, Itami. Honorable politician? There's no such thing and I'm far from royalty-"
Graves coughed nearby, getting their attention and reminding them both that he was still there. Their interaction faltered as Graves looked around, making sure no one was watching them.
"Itami, you mind introducing me to your colleague?" He asked, gesturing to the new man in front of him.
"Oh, right! Graves, this is Taro Kano, the Minister of Japanese Defense," He introduced. "He's also kind of my boss in a way."
Well, well, well, Itami. First you had my curiosity, but now you've got my attention. That introduction was surface level, Graves knew that, Itami knew that, and Kano certainly knew that. He wasn't getting all the details. The real question was, what did Itami neglect to tell him this time? He'd have to do some of his own digging on this supposed… honorable politician…
He didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he combined those two words in his head.
Kano turned his head in acknowledgement, offering his hand to shake. "And am I correct in assuming that you're the Phillip Graves I've been seeing all over the news?"
"I am…" Graves responded, ignoring his hand. "If you want to know more, then I'm afraid I'm gonna have to let you down. I'm a man who values his privacy."
Seeing that Graves refused to shake his hand, Kano lowered his arm, sighing. "As am I, Graves. Which is why we should discuss this somewhere that isn't on a public street, yes?"
"Agreed," He said, before turning back to Itami. "Let's go for that walk in the park that you so clearly wanted earlier, huh?"
Itami nodded.
-O-
Kano led them through the park entrance, following the trail that was covered in fallen leaves. The mix of green and orange leaves crunched under their boots as they walked on the path, passing by joggers, families, dog walkers and the like. They walked for about ten minutes before coming across a small fenced off pond by some benches. The only other living beings in the vicinity of their group were a couple of ducks, aimlessly swimming around.
"Alright, let's talk." Graves said, interrupting their conversation. "How do you two know each other? I don't mean to get personal, but it sounds like you two are… well, personal?"
The two Japanese men looked over to each other and nodded slightly. "Yeah… me and Kano go way back. Been friends for over twenty years now." Itami replied.
"You two seem like an odd pairing for the friendship shtick."
"We're actually more alike than you think," Kano said with a hearty chuckle. "We're both of similar mindsets."
Graves furrowed his brow before inspecting the two of them, really trying to find any similarities. Only one thing came to mind. Graves groaned as the realization struck him, and he looked up to the sky as if to ask whatever divine being that opened up the gate why it decided to choose Japan.
"Yes, we're both Otakus. Of course, I hide it better than Itami does." Kano said before looking at Graves strangely. "Though I've never gotten a reaction like that before."
Don't generalize people, Phil! Not everyone in Japan is like this!
"We used to come here to this park often, before life and work kept us too busy to meet up." Kano continued, oblivious to Graves' internal turmoil.
"Yep, he's actually the one who got me interested in my first manga."
"Heartwarming…"
"A failed politician meeting up with a high school junior teen in a secluded park to introduce him to manga is heartwarming?" One of his men asked nearby. "That just sounds… weird. And not the good kind of weird either."
Kano, for the first time since Graves met him, had actually been caught off guard by his Shadow's astute observation. "Ah… well, when you word it like that, it seems worse than it is…"
Itami cringed, not really knowing how to refute those words or come to his defense.
"Well, moving on, it looks like I'm gonna have to cut this meeting short," Kano said, quickly checking his watch and turning to Itami. "I'm on a tight schedule and I've got to get back to the office soon. Are your guests doing okay?"
"Uh, yeah. There's no need to worry about them." Itami reassured Kano. "Oh, and before I forget, here. I got this for you. Just like you wanted."
Kano took the bag from Itami's hand, peeking inside to see the printed colorful spine of a manga book staring back at him.
"Ah, you're a gem. Sorry to bother you about this. The honorable Mister Kano can't be seen visiting a bookstore nowadays. Too much risk…" He sighed. "Now for business. First Lieutenant Itami, I command you, by my authority as the Minister of Defense, to return to the original plan and to rendezvous at the Hakone resort. It's currently under the guard of our Special Forces. This is a direct order, I expect you to be there by sunset."
Itami snapped to attention, before bowing forward slightly. "Yes, sir!"
Under guard by Special Forces? He thought. Did Itami learn absolutely nothing from yesterday's game of cat and mouse? They better be trustworthy and capable enough…
"You'd best be on your way now, Lieutenant."
"Of course... It was nice seeing you again, Kano."
"Likewise, Itami."
They offered each other one last friendly smile, before Itami turned around to walk away. Graves made to follow, before Kano stopped him.
"Hold on, Graves. Before you go, a word, if I may?"
Graves didn't reply right away, looking at his men and gesturing to Itami. They got the message, and two of them left to follow Itami, while the other three stuck with him.
"Is this about the presence of my company?" He asked, turning around to face him. "Because I've already stated publicly that I wouldn't be pulling out of the Special Region."
Grimacing slightly, Kano shook his head. "No, it's… well I won't lie, while that is somewhat of a concern for me, it's not about that…"
Graves crossed his arms and looked at Kano with raised brows, waiting for him to continue speaking.
Kano sighed, staring at the back of Itami's retreating form. "I know you've probably got bigger things to worry about and you most likely don't care, but... would you please look after Itami for me?"
"What?" Graves asked in disbelief. "Seriously? He's a grown man, entirely capable of taking care of himself. If that Special Forces background of his is true, then he doesn't need me to look out for him."
"Be that as it may, he's just one man," Kano shot back. "And I fear that he is being saddled with too much responsibility on his shoulders."
Graves shrugged in response. "That's his problem then, not mine."
He stared at Graves critically. "The world wants to keep pretending, but we all know that Japan is technically at war with the Empire in the Special Region. I'll be the first to admit that. Itami's inexperienced, all of Japan is. Despite all of his training, Itami is entirely new to this scale of warfare, just as much as I am. With him leading the expeditionary force across the region, there's bound to be hiccups along the way for him and his recon team."
"And you want me to babysit them?" Graves asked. "Nuh-uh. I don't know how you do things here in Japan, Kano, but my people don't work for free. Law of equivalent exchange, you ever heard of it? Why would I want to waste my time and resources on an effort that I wouldn't be getting paid for? I expect returns on my investments."
"I understand that…" He nodded sagely. "I'm not just the Minister of Japanese Defense. I'm also the Minister for Problem Measures of the Special Region."
Graves narrowed his eyes at him. He was speaking to the Minister responsible for Special Region activities? That was concerning... "And I'm assumin' my Shadows are seen as problems?" He asked in a slightly cautious tone.
"At the moment…" He said, before shrugging. "But who knows? That could always change. After all, you're talking to the Minister overseeing the Special Region, one who holds some weight behind his words which could sway the government to focus on other matters instead."
Graves glared at him. Reducing the Japanese attention that pressed down on his company's neck? How was a man like Kano going to be capable of pulling off such a feat? This deal worked massively in their favor, and all for keeping an eye out for some random schmuck? It sounded too good to be true.
He genuinely believes that watching over Itami and ensuring his safety takes more priority than the security of Japan and the Special Region?
It wasn't hard to see that the man had ulterior motives with the deal, every politician did, but the request was simple enough. Graves was perfectly capable of carrying it out. Besides, the moment Itami popped up on his radar, he already had eyes watching him, even if he didn't know it. Now he'd somehow have to find a way to keep eyes on Kano.
"Alright, fine," Graves agreed, slightly exasperated. "You've got yourself a deal. I'll watch over your man, but I'll only be stepping in whenever necessary. I won't be holding his hand."
"Of course, I'd expect nothing less and nothing more." Kano said with a lighthearted smile, offering his hand once more. "Make good on your end, and I'll make good on mine."
Graves eyed the hand with disdain before meeting it with his, giving it a firm shake to finalize the deal. "You better not be lying about this." He warned.
A scummy politician shaking hands with the CEO of a private military? How shady... It was clear as clear as day that they were both using each other in the end. So long as the papers didn't get wind of this deal, no one would be getting the chance to use them either.
Funny how it seemed like everybody wanted to use each other nowadays.
-O-
"What the hell is all this…?"
The group was now standing just outside of the meeting spot, Alta Studio, right in front of the Shinjuku train station. It wasn't as massively crowded as the group had come to expect, but that's probably because it was the middle of the week. Still, workers and tourists wandered to and from their stops, going about their day as usual.
Risa had the decency to look embarrassed at his reaction. "Um… well... we might have gone just a little overboard with the shopping…"
"Just a little?" Graves stared at the myriad of shopping bags that the newly dressed group carried with them. Most were full of clothes, some were filled with electronics, while others were filled with…?
"The elf girl got a luggage case?" Graves asked in confusion.
"Nah," Boxer shook his head at him. "A bow and some arrows."
...
Whatever, who was he to judge? Besides, it wasn't the strangest purchase he'd ever seen.
He turned to face the other two, finding Lelei hugging a laptop box close to her chest while a tablet sat inside the bag that hung rather precariously from the tip of her staff.
A laptop and tablet? Graves thought to himself. Where the hell is the girl gonna find a power outlet in the Special Region?
"Knowledge is important. I've heard that these were just like books, but were more expansive."
Rory, on the other hand, held a smaller pink bag of her own. Seeing that Graves' attention was now on her, she smirked, before sensually running a hand down her thigh, which was now wrapped in newly acquired fishnet stockings.
"They were custom fitted by a tailor, you know?" She giggled. "I might need help taking them off later…"
Graves rolled his eyes before ignoring her like always.
Itami stepped forward. "Well it's a good thing we've got the trunk space. But now that we're all here, I think it's time we head to the hot springs, right everybody?"
"Yeah!"
As the group cheered happily at the prospect of some R&R in hot water, one of Graves' men stepped up to him. "Sir, we're being watched… red hoodie, beanie, tinted sunglasses. Just across the street."
He turned his head slightly, catching sight of the man described to him. He was pretending to look the other way, phone next to his ear as he spoke imperceptibly. They couldn't make out his words, but Graves was fairly certain that they were about his group.
How inconspicuous…
"Yeah, I had a hunch," He sighed, before turning back to Itami. "Y'all go on ahead, Itami. Me and my men will get our gear from the vehicles."
He nodded at him before pointing towards the stairs which led to the subway tunnels. "Alright, come on people! Down the stairs!"
"W-Wait," Rory stuttered in fear. "We're seriously going back down there?!"
"Yeah? Don't you want to relax?" Itami asked, gently shoving her forward. "C'mon Rory, if we don't take the train, we'll never make it there in time."
"Nooo!"
As Graves watched them disappear down the stairs, he was able to shift his focus to their tail. To be totally honest, Graves wasn't too concerned by it, if his relaxed mannerism was anything to go by. He looked over at his men, who looked just about ready to spring into action at a moment's notice, waiting for his order to discreetly deal with the spy. Gesturing to them, he said simply, "Leave 'em, but keep tabs. I don't want 'em knowing that we know."
They agreed without argument and started heading back to the cars which stored their gear. Graves had a feeling they'd need it real soon.
Author's Notes:
Angst, shopping, excitement! Yeah!
No? not really?
Understandable...
A lot of POV changes, which I need to learn to reduce, but considering that this was the shopping spree where the group split up, it makes sense. Not Hakone, I know, disappointing. But I did mention that it would be this chapter ONLY if things went to plan. Clearly they didn't, and I figured that we needed just a little bit more to burn through before we got to that. Next chapter is for sure going to be the hot springs.
Fortunately, I already have a decent chunk of action planned and already typed out.
Unfortunately, I'll be flying to Canada for the holidays and visiting family, meaning the next chapter probably won't be out until after the new year.
I'll still work on bits of it over there, but I work slower on a mobile phone. I'm predicted to be back home sometime around January 10, so the regular update speed you've come to expect from me will return then. (Which really isn't all that different now that I think about it.)
Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter before the nearing holidays, and that y'all stay safe while enjoying the festivities. Or stay inside wrapped up in a blanket with a mug of hot cocoa. Whichever you'd prefer. I'm probably gonna enjoy the snow for a few days before the novelty wears off, and then I realize I've gotta shovel it out of the driveway...