There Will Be Bloodshed
Prologue: Minuano
February 2008, MBI Tower, Japan
"You're hired."
"What?"
"I said you're hired." A bespectacled man adorned all in white with equally white hair grinned at the man in front of him.
"No, no, I heard you. But for what? You just had me escorted here and now you're saying I'm hired." The man was young and not a native to Japan. For all intents and purposes, the foreign man had been abducted, though rather politely as far as kidnappings went. He'd been on his way out of an izakaya after getting a bite to eat, when suddenly a black sedan stopped by him, and two large, black suited men stepped out and asked him to come with them.
He, however, was no stranger to abductions and strangers stopping him for nefarious purposes. He'd never been abducted himself, but he'd saved plenty of people who had, and when dealing with the cartels of Central America, it always paid to be careful with people getting too close.
By habit, his hand went for a sword hilt that wasn't there, having left it at the hotel room he was staying at. Then instead of being alarmed, one of the men produced a business card, white with the letters 'M.B.I' embossed on the surface, with 'Mid Bio Informatics' in smaller lettering underneath.
He was told that he was to meet with the CEO and president of the company personally for an opportunity "unlike any other", as it had been put by Hiroto Minaka, said CEO of the up-and-coming pharmaceutical mega corporation.
So there he stood, totally underdressed for such a meeting, though he hardly cared about appearances. He wore a salary man's office wear, with a loosened tie and no suit jacket, his shirt untucked. His sleeves were rolled up scruffily. He'd just come off of a job dealing with some stray Yakuza, and was relaxing after a fairly easy job by his standards. The suit was both a formality and a means of blending in, though being taller than most Japanese and a Brazilian diminished his disguise somewhat.
"Samuel Rodriguez, age twenty-five. You were born in Brazil in 1983 to Carlos Rodriguez and Yukio Sahashi. No records on formal education, but your family owned and ran a kenjutsu dojo, known as the 'Rodriguez New Shadow School'. You've operated as a mercenary for five years, going all over the world doing odd jobs. You're a master swordsman and a master of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, with a passing interest in Capoeira. You're 182 centimetres tall, weighing in at 86 kilograms. Your record for completing jobs is exemplary in mercenary and underworld circles, leaving you in high demand."
In through the door behind Sam stepped four women and one man, each looking like they wanted to be intimidating, but failing. Only one of them pulled it off, the lavender-haired one, but only because she was the only serious-looking one among them. The ashen-haired woman looked like she'd rather be anywhere else, while the similarly ashen-haired man just looked bored. The black-haired woman was too busy staring dreamily at Sam's strange new employer. And then there was the one who spoke. A bespectacled, orange-haired woman who was looking at Sam with a satisfied smile as she'd rattled off his personal information.
Aside from the lavender-haired one, they all looked quite young. Even then, she didn't look that much older. They were each dressed in a grey uniform, each with their own little personal affectations.
"Someone's done her homework." Sam noted as he stroked his chin.
"You could call finding information my specialty. I'm Matsu." The redhead said brightly.
"Which brings me to why I called you here, Mr. Rodriguez. You see, the people stood before you are not what you'd call ordinary. They are actually extraterrestrial beings." Minaka said as he threw his arms out dramatically.
Narrowing his eyes, Sam looked from them to Minaka. "Aliens. These kids are aliens." He then laughed and began clapping. "You almost had me for a second," then he glared at the bespectacled man, "but there are less dangerous ways to waste my time, Mr. Minaka."
"Kazehana, dear?" The black-haired girl's face lit up as she stood to attention. "A demonstration if you would."
"Of course." She purred. With a gesture, a great gale was stirred up within the large room. Sam had to shield his eyes as the wind threatened to dry his eyes out, and the breath was almost pushed from his lungs. The sound was deafening as papers and various bits of stationary was ripped away from Minaka's desk, though the man sat perfectly still, his fingers tented and a smirk on his face. The man signaled for Kazehana to stop and the wind suddenly ceased.
"Very good, Kazehana. You're getting very good at controlling your powers. Why, it wasn't that long ago you almost sent poor Mutsu to the moon." Kazehana's face flushed red and she nodded.
"Always a pleasure, sir. Now whenever I want to send Mutsu to the moon, it'll be on purpose." She replied, getting a narrow side-eye from the ashen-haired young man.
Sam fussed with his hair for a moment before speaking. "So wind powers? You know how easy it could be to stage that. I'll need a bit more proof."
"Minaka, why not just tell him why he's here?" The lavender-haired woman spoke. Her voice was hard and controlled, that of a professional soldier.
"But Miya, I wanted to surprise him first!" Minaka jokingly whined. "But I guess it can't be helped. Samuel Rodriguez, your reputation has indeed preceded you. We have watched you very carefully for quite some time, and from a whole list of candidates, you appear to be the most qualified."
"For what, babysitting?" he scowled, thinking how young the others beside Miya looked. "Listen, if you're using kids to fight or for your own purposes, this conversation is over, and your life with it."
"Heavens, no! MBI isn't a private security contractor or a PMC of any kind. We aren't arms dealers either. However, we are innovators in medical technology and in material sciences and engineering. However, MBI is on the cusp of something grand, and we need to be ready." He stretched a hand out to the five behind Sam. "They will be the shepherds that keep their younger siblings safe, as there are forces in this world that would do anything, sacrifice anything, to acquire them. But you see, while they are powerful already, they are untrained. They need to be tempered and honed, and I believe you, Minuano, are the man for the task."
"You know that nickname? You have been doing some digging, haven't you. So you want me to... what? Train them?"
"Precisely. They possess physical capabilities and otherworldly powers beyond that of any human, but without the necessary direction and guidance, their overall effectiveness will fall short of their potential." He stood abruptly. "I believe introductions are in order!"
"In numerical order; Miya, Sekirei number one. Matsu, number two. Kazehana, number three. Karasuba, number four. And finally, Mutsu, number five. This fantastic quintet make up the Discipline Squad. Peace keepers and guardians of their yet unborn siblings." Minaka introduced each of them. Miya have a stoic nod, Matsu smiled and raised her glasses a little, Kazehana never even looked at him, and Mutsu gave a nod of his own. One stood out however, and this one held Sam's attention more so than the others.
Karasuba's gaze set the hairs on the back of his neck on edge, as she eyed him with a mix of curiosity and a kind of strange excitement. Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes, but within those stormy grey orbs, there was a glint in them that Sam found impossible to read. It wasn't quite danger he felt, but caution was definitely something he would exercise around her, at least at first. He wondered if this was what lion tamers felt when they first began applying their craft.
Looking away from Karasuba and the others, he addressed Minaka.
"Alright, I'll humour you. I'll take up this little gig, and if things are as you say, I'll stick around for a while. But if this is all bullshit and you're wasting my time..." Sam's voice was hard-edged.
"My, my, so mistrusting. But in your line of work, being gullible is a death sentence, no? How about this, then? The contract laid out for you covers all of your costs. You'll be issued a company credit card with unlimited credit, and you'll have lodging here, meals and amenities included. You'll be free to come and go as you please, with a monthly pay of five-million yen."
Sam gulped. Everything sounded pretty damn good, and then his pay was five million per month. He ran some quick maths in his head, and while he wasn't totally accurate, he estimated that was roughly forty-thousand US dollars. Every month. He suddenly became suspicious.
"All of that is good, great even. But no one offers those kind of work benefits to someone like me without a serious catch. So out with it."
"Oh, you should consider your pay... hazard pay. After all, your new students aren't human, and will likely kill you without intending to. But fear not, I have something in place for that." Minaka was giddy as he got to unveil a new toy that MBI had been developing in its material science and personal protection divisions. He pushed a button, and a circular section of the floor rose up, revealing a containment capsule. Within it was a strange suit of armour, coloured in beige and olive. ''Also, should you mention this to anyone, nobody will believe you. But regardless, I've the resources to make you disappear should you make that mistake.''
"Hah, I'm sure.'' Sam said flatly. He whistled appreciatively as he looked over the suit. ''An exoskeleton, eh?" He'd never seen one before, and had only heard things about them in passing. He wouldn't lie, he was very interested in finding out what it could do.
"Indeed it is! I am proud to present for your exclusive use the cutting edge in powered exoskeleton technology! The MBI 977-AZQEE powered exoskeleton armour system!" Through speakers around the room, a recording of clapping and cheering played, making Sam look around bemused.
"There is no other exoskeleton like it in the world! And how could there be, when nobody else has access to advanced alien technology?" Minaka burst out laughing, his head thrown back as he cackled like a Saturday morning cartoon villain.
Man, this guy's as hammy as they come, huh? Sam thought. "There you go with the alien stuff again."
February 2008, MBI Tower, Japan
Week one of employment
So. Aliens were real. Who'd have thought the nuttier-than-squirrel-shit CEO of Mid Bio Informatics was right about that.
As instructed, he'd worn the exoskeleton and begun training with the young Sekirei, as he'd learned they were called. While Japanese wasn't his primary language, that being Portugese, followed by English, his mother had ingrained into him to near fluency. So learning that the aliens were called 'wagtails' was pretty weird to him.
A sparring session and one Sam-shaped hole in a wall later, the Brazilian mercenary came to quickly understand that his new students were indeed not at all human. The closest to human was Matsu, as her physical abilities were only slightly better than the average human's, but her immense intellect and sheer brainpower more than made up for it. Sam wasn't sure how much he could teach her. She was leagues smarter than him and she wasn't a combatant, so maybe just making sure she got regular exercise was enough for the time being.
Miya took to his training fairly well, but her movements were lifeless, without passion. She learned quickly, but without something to stoke some kind of fire within her, she would quickly lag behind the others.
Kazehana... well, getting her to show up would be a start.
Mutsu was awkward. He didn't know what weapon he wanted to use, going from a spear, to an axe, to a club, with none of them fitting him. He said they each felt like they were made for someone else, before moving onto another weapon with no success.
Then there was Karasuba, the one responsible for creating the Sam-shaped hole in the wall. She'd been far too happy about sparring with him, though they were unarmed. She'd not waited for any kind of announcement, instead pouncing like a cat upon a mouse. Sam's powered armour had kept him alive and kicking, and so once he'd shaken off the initial assault, he'd quickly subdued the alien girl with his jiu-jitsu. While her nostrils flared and her teeth gritted in frustration, Sam could tell that she was enjoying herself. She had learned from that brief encounter, and Sam had the sneaking suspicion he was going to be on the receiving end of his own techniques sooner or later if he wasn't careful. So far, Karasuba was the most engaged of his class, and the most interesting to work with.
2012, Kamakura Island, Pacific Ocean
"So it's finally happening." Sam stared off into the distance from a cliff, seeing a convoy of unknown battleships and helicopters on the horizon. They could have belonged to anyone these days. Shadow governments, PMCs, government task forces, joint terrorist cells. Maybe World Marshal or The Patriots had come sniffing around. Either way, they weren't giving up the island without a fight.
Sam wore his exoskeleton armour, and his high-frequency Murasama and rifle sheath was mounted at his hip. Behind him was his charge, one Takehito Asama, a researcher he had befriended several years ago before leaving MBI once he was finished training the Discipline Squad.
"It was only a matter of time before someone came looking for them. I can only speculate where they got their information, but the case remains that we can't let them get near the ship." Takehito said calmly. Nothing ever shook the man, Sam had noticed. No wonder Miya liked him so much. Since Takehito had entered her life and began performing adjustments on not just her, but the entire Discipline Squad, the lavender-haired Demon of the Sword had seemingly had new life breathed into her.
"To think that my life would take this course." Sam chuckled. "Here I am defending an alien ship full of alien babies from tanks, warships, helicopters and Metal Gears. Life is strange sometimes, eh?"
"It certainly seems that way." Takehito said.
"So did you give anymore thought to what I said? About that big empty house in North Tokyo. It needs work, but I think it'll be worth it." Sam said as if there weren't invading forces bearing down on the island.
"Miya thinks the same. She keeps poking and prodding me over it, and I think I know who to blame for that." The researcher's words were pointed, and Sam felt a sudden chill on the air, and saw... something, trying to manifest over Takehito's shoulder.
"Ay, don't do that weird thing you do! I don't know what you're teaching her, but Miya's trying to use it on me as well. You know it would mean the world to her. She's planning on leaving MBI, and really who can stop her? Might as well take a chance with it."
"Like I said to her, I'll think about it. It's not like it isn't tempting, but I'm just exploring my options. It isn't good to jump at the first thing just because it looks nice." Takehito said.
"Point taken."
"While we're talking about my plans for the future, what are yours, Sam?"
"Mine? Same as always. Travel the world, take dirty jobs and sharpen my skills." Sam shrugged.
"No thoughts of settling down?"
"Pfft, no. I'm twenty-nine, my friend. Not time to settle down yet. While my sword arm is strong and there's justice to be dealt, I'll keep fighting until I'm unable. That's just the path I've taken and I'm not planning on changing it." The samurai's words were resolute.
"I see. I only ask because a certain little bird seems incapable of going five minutes without mentioning you." A wry smile played at Takehito's lips when Sam's shoulders fell.
"Ah... yes. That could be an issue."
"Karasuba thinks you're her Ashikabi. Any time I perform adjustments, she asks about the relationship between Sekirei and Ashikabi, if I can adjust her to better match you. I think she has a crush."
"Ugh, don't put it like that! I don't know where this came from, but the sooner it goes away, the better!" Sam groused, causing his friend to frown.
"Awfully cold of you, Sam. She is reacting, you know. And is it any surprise? You taught that girl how to hold a sword. You taught her your own techniques and the style of your family. I don't think you realise the impact you've had on her."
"I taught Miya and Mutsu the exact same things, and do you see them reacting to me?" Takehito chuckled.
"For your sake I hope Miya isn't reacting. As for Mutsu, well... who knows? But Karasuba always was the star of your class, wasn't she? Didn't she only pick up a sword because you use one?"
"Something like that..." Sam scratched the back of his head.
"And didn't she ask you to watch her closely when the invasion hits landfall? And don't get me started on when she heard you were coming back-"
"I get the point! What do you want me to do, eh? I can't take her with me. Sometimes my jobs require some subtlety, and you know she doesn't do 'subtle'. She's better off at MBI." Sam sighed. "I'm very fond of her. I really am. But I know what kind of monster I've made, Takehito. I had a chance to nip her tendencies in the bud, but instead I nurtured them and created a killing machine. It wouldn't be right to unleash her on the world. It's better she stays contained."
Takehito was quiet for several moments. "All of them deserve love, Sam. It's what drives them, whether they know it or not. Karasuba is no different, and she deserves a chance to find happiness. I'm afraid of what might happen if she doesn't find it, or if she is winged by the wrong person. In the many times we've spoken about you, I've seen a young woman talking about the man she likes. It's night and day to her usual self. She generally dislikes humans for some reason, but with you..."
Sam was silent.
"I won't pressure you. You're my friend, so it wouldn't be right, but I think you'd be making a mistake if you left without at least settling things. Don't hurt her, Samuel."
"I'll... try not to."
"On another topic, I hear you've connected with some family."
"Ah, right. Takami's a cousin of mine, as it turns out. Small world, eh? Has two kids of her own too." Sam gave an honest smile. Minato and Yukari were his little first cousins, twelve and ten respectively. They were both such bright kids, but Yukari was a lot more boisterous and outgoing than her brother. He'd met them in 2009, when he'd properly gotten acquainted with and connected with Takami. It warmed his heart that both the kids thought he was the coolest guy in the world with his stories about traveling the world and the things he'd seen, even showing them his sword and giving them a demonstration. He'd had to lie and tell them he was an Iaido practitioner and kendo champion who travelled the world attending tournaments, and they'd believed him without hesitation.
Since then, he and Takami had remained in semi-consistent contact, with her updating him on the kids' schooling or whatever achievements they'd made. Meanwhile, he didn't talk much about himself. He didn't want to bother her with talk of his jobs, as he didn't want to worry her.
And with that, the first salvo began as shells from the battleships' cannons opened fire. Sam drew his sword, and the blood-red blade hummed to life as the high-frequency module became active.
"I think this conversation will have to wait for now. The fireworks have started, and I'm expecting quite the show." He grinned as he saw the lumbering form of a Metal Gear RAY stomping towards them. The lower face plate of his suit sprang into place. ''Let's have some fun!''
2013, Maison Izumo, Japan
"Ah! I'm stuffed." Sam leaned back and patted his stomach as he finished his meal. In front of him at the table sat Miya and Takehito, the former having prepared dinner for their unexpected guest. "I look away for five minutes and you're cooking up feasts like this? My student has grown up so fast."
"Why, thank you, Sam. Since I left MBI, I had to replace my sword skills with something. I'm glad you liked it." Miya smiled proudly.
"It took some time and experimentation, but she's really come a long way." Takehito looked lovingly at Miya, who flushed and looked away. Sam smirked.
"Ha, lucky devil. I see this place has come a long way too. Glad to see you saw sense and bought this place." Sam gave the place a once over. Maison Izumo had really transformed under their care. On the wall, he saw a framed picture of himself, Takehito and Seo smiling dumbly at the camera around a table. They'd been on vacation, each of them wearing disgustingly colourful shirts and shorts. Several empty glasses were between them. If Sam recalled correctly, they'd been quite drunk when the photo was taken.
"With no small amount of... insistence, on my part." The first Sekirei said.
"I was just being cautious. I mean, the state it was in was a little worrying, but luckily Seo just happened to be out of work so I hired him to work on the place."
Sam shrugged. "At the very least if this didn't work out, you could have flipped it. I reckon it would fetch a nice price with a bit more touching up." He took a sip of his tea. "So what's this about Seo?"
"That scoundrel left MBI and decided to be a NEET." Miya's words were scathing despite her amusement.
"Now, now, Miya. He did take the job I offered. And he's going back to university next year." Takehito's defense of his friend was flimsy at best.
"To spend time avoiding responsibility and be a bum. And besides, he only took the job because it's you." He couldn't really argue with that. She looked at the clock on the wall and saw it was getting late. In mid-winter, it was already dark in the early afternoon, but was approaching eight o'clock. "Did you already have somewhere to stay, Sam? We've got a couple of the rooms ready for use."
Sam did have lodging already. At MBI in fact. His sword and armour were at the very top of the tower, and Karasuba had made it a real pain to leave, saying they should train or just spend the evening together. He had to lie to get out, saying he was going to meet up with some old mercenary friends for a few drinks and head back to the tower. If he didn't return, he already had the idea to say he got too drunk and stayed at a friend's place. It technically wasn't completely untrue. It didn't help that Karasuba was texting him every hour. That girl needed a hobby.
"Sure, thank you. Since I'm staying, why don't we bust out the sake, eh?" The three talked and drank well into the night, reminiscing and talking about better times ahead.
2018, MBI Tower, Japan
"Well, well, isn't this an interesting development." Minaka grinned and tented his fingers as a notification on his phone came through.
"What is it, Minaka?" Takami asked with narrowed eyes as the sound of his voice irritating her.
"Oh, just the opportunity to cash in on a long-term investment. Samuel's heartbeat just flatlined. I knew installing his suit with a remote vital monitor was a brilliant idea!" A clipboard struck the side of his head wit almost lethal speed.
"Don't you dare joke with me, bastard! Are you saying my cousin's dead, and you're sitting here gloating as if it's all a part of some master plan!?" Takami seethed.
"Relax, Takami! As soon as he flatlined, it signaled the Colorado branch to dispatch a recovery helicopter. They'll stabilise him and bring him back here, and that's where you'll come in." Minaka said as he rubbed the sore spot on the side of his head.
"What? Me?" The white-haired woman asked in confusion.
"The suit gave a full report of damage to itself and to Sam, and I'm afraid that whatever killed him has caused severe internal burn damage. A high-frequency blade sounds like the most likely cause. If he isn't stabilised with medical nanomachines quickly, then even if we do revive him, the deprivation of oxygenated blood to his brain will render him a vegetable."
"And you can guarantee that he'll be fine?"
"The helicopter is outfitted with the medical equipment necessary. In fact, it's so fast that it should be loading him up right now." At that, Takami's shoulders relaxed slightly.
"And what exactly is my role?" She asked, her voice tense.
"You remember that Armstrong fellow from a few years back? Given the damage to Samuel's heart, I think it's best he undergoes the same procedure."
"To the same specifications? Armstrong's were pretty extreme. He died four times on the operating table, Minaka." The white-haired researcher frowned.
"No, no, that's unnecessary. Just a high capacity replacement. However, there is a caveat. You see, I have a special role in mind for Sam upon his return, and as long as he behaves himself there won't be any problems. But, I'll hold his leash. I want a kill switch installed." Minaka's glasses flashed as he adjusted them on his nose. Takami's eyes widened and she snarled.
"You monster... holding a man's life hostage like that!"
"Think of it what you may, but I can't have someone like him having free reign, can I? If not Samuel, then who? Maybe the boy would be a good fit."
"You leave Minato out of this!"
"Choose, Takami. The age of the gods won't be stopped by minor choices like this. Someone must handle the Discipline Squad, and who better than the one who helped build it.'' He laughed. ''Karasuba will be ecstatic."
Takami scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I see. You want an experienced handler for MBI's attack dog. Someone capable of making her roll over and beg on command."
"Precisely. A strategic stroke of mastery, if I do say so myself." The eccentric man grinned widely. "And don't even think of letting anything slip, Takami. I'll know. Sam isn't to know who holds his leash until I say so. Understood?"
"Fine. Have it your way, you damn maniac." Takami said tersely through gritted teeth. She really needed a cigarette.
"I always do, my dear. Now, I do believe you should go and prepare your tools and a room for our guest. He'll be arriving soon." Wordlessly, Takami left Minaka in what amounted to his throne room, slamming the door loudly behind her. His grin never wavered. His plan for the Sekirei still had some time before it was ready to begin, and so having Sam around until that time would prove interesting.
He pushed a button on his desk and a channel opened.
"What is it, Minaka?" Karasuba's bored tone came through.
"Ah, Karasuba! So nice of you to pick up for once, and a good thing you did too," He licked his lips, "I have some wonderful news for you."
Short little prologue to start things off. With my interest in Metal Gear Rising resurrected through the power of memes and it coming alongside rewatching Sekirei, I decided to start this, featuring everyone's favourite cyber samurai and Colgate promoter. The way the chapter is structured may seem a little jumbled, but it's just meant to establish a timeline of Sam's involvement with the Sekirei and MBI until the events of Revengeance. There are going to be some alterations and things that will be addressed, such as the use of high-frequency weapons and cyborgs within the setting. The story isn't intended to be anything too serious and a bit of fun. Please leave a review and tell me what you think. BrutalAftershock out.