Foreign Touch 2 - (Post-Tokyo Ghoul :re, OC-MC)
Tokyo is... quite the looker.
While Japan itself was a strange 'step-up' when compared to most of Europe, the sight of a city that still bore the scars of the 'Dragon War' and yet lived in modernity through those felt... well, odd. Getting off my flight and then getting a cab was a smooth transiction.
I was still drowsy as I got off the vehicle and got checked in for my new place. The flat was surprisingly bigger despite the fact I paid the same amount of rent back in Germany. It was indeed something else, and I spent a solid hour just setting it up.
Part of me, due to my Italian blood, wanted to 'explore' the city, but I felt my common sense screech it down. Sure, I was planning to check Tokyo thoroughly once I got properly settled down for as long as the task demanded, but I knew that going out in this state of mind would warrant more trouble for me than not.
The jet-lag was bound to hit me up for some extra sleep hours quite soon, so I decided to keep indoors. The windows' curtains were lowered almost fully down, and I turned on the TV while getting a few of my packed tools out to pass some time.
Knives and a few of my guns were soon out in the lengthy small table as I prepared for a lengthy gun-cleaning session. This was the kind of hobby that had been drilled in my brain when I first joined the AGSF - never leave your weapon too dirty.
Jamming was a fright when you had to heavily rely on those tools as melee weapons were not a thing. Quinques? Those things were despised by Germany due to its 'barbaric' practice. Plus, producing bullets was something the gun-makers had petitioned to see subsidized.
So, guns were on a pedestal in Germany as much as the Quinques were for Japan when it came to Ghoul-hunting. And for me, a clean gun was the best thing to use when against a monster - less worry of jamming due to dirt and other shit, and it was also prettier to look at.
I am unsure how long I spent with the chore. I was done with the knives, finished the bigger guns at a slower pace, and then I was finishing assembling my trusty Korth Combat when the current TV broadcast about a report on the national parks was interrupted by a familiar alarm.
Dragon Orphans Warning! Stay indoors!
That was a bit spooky as it was very similar to the kind of alarms televised back when Reiner was very active and launching random attacks to the major German cities. Still, things were different here in Tokyo since... well, there were no patrolling forces around this Ward.
So, the civilians didn't have enough coverage for a while. This wasn't pleasant since those buildings may be resilient to earthquakes, but were not 'ghoul-proof'. Without hesitation, I picked up my SCAR-H and my Korth Combat plus several rounds and magazines to be stuffed in a gym bag I carried for situations like this one.
I finished the 'preparation' by putting on the cheap leather jacket with hundreds emblems on it. It was a gift from years ago, and one that actually felt nice to wear even now.
Once I was all done and ready to go, I walked out of the flat, whistling as I moved to the ground floor and- proceeded to headshot a ugly red-blood humanoid that was terrorising a man and a little girl.
I walked through the glass door I just pierced through, pausing to look at the two. "Agent here, get inside and find shelter. Now."
The man nodded, familiar with the need to respect authorities as he picked up his terrified daughter and bolted inside the building. I spent a moment looking down at the twitching creature, aiming my gun at it and shooting a few 'safe shots' on its head.
This time, the twitching ended for good.
This was... a bit unpleasant. How many of those things were around?
Rather than lose myself in my habits and expect my 'direct helping' to be sanctioned wholeheartedly by the government, I picked up my phone and called the number I was given for the TSC Director Itsuki Marude. Didn't take too long for the man to answer and he was in a 'barking mood'.
"I don't know who's calling but-"
"Balsamo here, agent from the GFG. My area is under attack by mutated ghoul- what's going on, chief?"
I admit that I could have been a little more respectful- but in this line of work, respect could be put aside during a time of stress such as this one. And with the lack of irritation from Director Itsuki, I could tell this mindset wasn't lost to the Japanese here.
"As if things couldn't get more- Look, kid. I am not in the mood to waste time- the area is currently being attacked by a sudden appearance of Dragon Orphans. Either you make your way beyond the blockade or you find a way to help."
"I can start cleaning up. How extensive is the blockade?"
"Enough to cover all waypoints for the 6th Ward outward."
"Got it, I will start work now. I'll get in touch every ten minutes."
I closed the call and sighed, readying a fresh round for the Assault Rifle, and truly 'got to work'. While I wasn't exactly wearing a proper amount of protection at the moment, my mindset had slipped into my usual 'mask' when it came to face this sort of monstrosities.
Truth be told, I kind of expect more since Reiner's experiments were all unique, while those I was facing around felt 'cheapened' by how common some types were. I drew a lengthy sigh and then I was off.
To the locals, this was a tragedy. To me, this was just another day at work.
Yonebayashi Saiko looked around with an annoyed look as she had expected two things from this unexpected mission she was being hurled at: 1) Finding trouble and 2) Finding this so-called foreigner agent from Germany.
Either of those two things were currently eluding her as she boringly strolled the 6th Ward. She had been at work two hours after she got the call with the job and, admittedly, Saiko had been lazy as usual. So, she got there quite late and had expected to find more dead civilians around but... no. None of that.
The place was under quarantine- she had seen this happening enough times to know the procedure by memory alone. Yet, while the civilians were all barricaded in their own houses, there was no trace of the monsters they were trying to evade.
In fact, all that remained were stains of blood that showed signs of combat that had ended without a 'winner'. Or a visible winner at that. Saiko only had her 'minder' keeping her aware she had to deliver frequent reports. It was a nag, but she knew it was a big rule, so she delivered without much of a whine.
Still, nothing came to sight for a very long time. And then, almost annoyingly, she got patched up with the Director himself. He sounded at ease, an odd attitude for a man that was known to be easy to irate.
"Yonebayashi, you will find Agent Balsamo at the bar around the Seventh and the Eight Street."
A simple statement, but one that really burned up on her butt as she had been moving around fo so long and yet she was given the 'answer' to her main question like that. Frustrating, but the girl focused to give a piece of mind to the cause of her grievance.
It didn't take as long to find him. And the bar. And proof that what she had heard of the man was not a 'silly propaganda tale'. Saiko turned the corner, and almost jumped in fright as her eyes widened at the sight of something tall made by multiple Dragon Orphans... only moments later she realized what it was.
A large pile of decaying and rotting Dragon Orphans was sitting right beside the bar, and the sole customer was currently listening and nodding silently at the owner's rapid talking.
Was it gratitude? Annoyance? Saiko couldn't pick up on the spot, but she mustered her courage to step through the gate and face the one she had been looking for and- the guy that had single-handledly butchered a large contingent of Dragon Orphans.
That was not a big feat for a Quinx or a well-trained Ghoul in the United Front, but... but this guy was a human. And one that was reportedly known to not use Quinques.
Despite all those thoughts, the annoyed look plastered on her face remained. Saiko marched in, eyeing the sitting man as he was drinking from a cup filled with coffee and... She gave him a slap behind his head. He tensed up, an annoyed look plastered on his face as she took a seat beside him.
"Are you Balsa-guy?"
"...Who's asking?"
"The one that has been tasked to find your butt in the ward," Saiko flatly replied, holding her gaze from straying at the delicious snacks in display. Her belly was already drumming the need for sugar. "I thought you would be sticking around rather than sit at a bar."
"Jetlag kicked in," He flatly remarked, yawning as he resumed drinking his coffee. "Didn't expect for Tokyo to be so troubled."
The girl was surprised by his accentless tone, and the way he voiced those words so... properly in Japanese. She expected to face one of those English-speaking foreigners, but beyond the European appearance, he appeared to be quite 'Japanese'.
"It is not." Is it?
Saiko's response was instictive. After all, she was still speaking of her 'home'. Sure, it was far from peaceful even after so long but... it was home.
"Objectively speaking, yes. Now, how can I help you?"
"Why did you pile up all the Dragon Orphans outside the place?"
"Standard procedure for the GFG: you don't leave the carcasses of deceased ghouls in plain sight. Civilians should be spared of horrors, and not reminded of them."
It made... somewhat sense. Still, the cleanup process was usually given to a specific unit, not to active combatants.
"So, you just took them all here? Then what?"
"Someone can get them without getting noticed and they can burn those monsters for good."
Harsh, yet honest. He didn't seem too 'shaken' by what happened but- Saiko was still morbidly pissed off!
"W-Well, you could have said this before I was told to find your ass here!"
He hummed, then scratched his chin. "Fair. Can I offer you something as an apology?"
"As a bribe more like," The blue-haired girl huffed, then finally stole a glance at the menu and felt her own mouth salivate. "And I will have a big slice of that velvet cake. He is paying for it."
The owner nodded, smiling nervously as he moved to get a plate with the asked snack. One that Saiko was soon melting over at a first bite.
"So, what's your name?" The man asked and she huffed.
"Saiko."
"Mario."
"...Pfft!" She snorted, then produced a smug grin. "Like the plumber?"
"I am also Italian," He aruged with a nod, causing her to giggle at how ridiculous this was. The agent she came to pick was literally named like the famous gaming figure. "And you are a childish woman, Saiko."
"Yeah, so what?"
Despite that shaky first meeting, one could say that Saiko made a new friend out of this new element at work. And it wasn't even the first official day at work for the guy!
AN
Ma-baaaakkaaaaa!
Also, First Contacts happen. And next time will see Mario being given a big shock in the form of what is really going on with the TSC and this so-called 'United Front'.