Darkness descended on Tokyo as the night fell on them. A small group outside the hotel Pina and her group stayed in sat in a nearby restaurant eyeing the place. They didn't make a move, not yet anyway, they needed a place for them to carry out their mission without interference. As they ate, one of them looking at his bowl of ramen with a disgusted look, another man joined them.

"Gentlemen," he said calmly. "I am your driver for today,"

The men nodded before leaving some money on the table and walking out. The waitress just looked on dumbfounded as the five men left. Walking close together, the group walked up to a van and climbing in. Once in, and the door shut, the van took off.

"Ok, so here's the intel I managed to acquire," the newcomer said as he pulled up a laptop and turned it to face his friends. "They are off to Hakone tomorrow, to spend the night at an Onsen. That will be the perfect time to grab them. Security will be lax, and the other world guests will be sleeping here," he pointed out a room to the west of the building. "We gab them and get them to Neos China, then the plan will be set,"

"Good, what about the weapons," one of them asked.

The man set aside the laptop and pulled out a briefcase containing a set old HK MP5 supressed sub machine guns.

"The rounds are taser, so if you need to shoot any of them feel free. They won't die," the man side with an evil smile on his face.

OOOOO

"I'm not looking forward to this," Bond's partner said as she and him waited on the platform of a train station.

"Well, you've been at work for so long," Bond replied. "I think you need a break,"

"It's not that…" she muttered as the sounds of chatter met her ears.

"So, what's this sinkensen?" Pina asked with a yawn.

The previous night had her and her group failed to fall asleep due to the heart pounding excitement of the concert. So, the tiredness they had was understandable, but they were amazed ad the stamina of the EDF soldiers as they didn't even look tired. Those years fighting the aggressors must had imbued them with something.

"The sinkensen is the fastest train on the planet," Kyon explained as she cracked her neck. "You know the railguns we use?" there was a nervous nod from the others. "Well similar concept. We use what's called maglev or magnetic levitation to hold the train up and move it along the rails. It goes around 600 miles per hour,"

The faces of shock that Pina and the others showed was priceless making Kyon laugh. "Oh your faces," she smiled before she ran into Itami's back. "Hey," she said before moving around him. "What's up?"

Itami gulped as his eyes fell on Bond and the woman next to him. The others also followed his eyes.

"What's up?" Davies asked.

"Hi Itami…" the new girl with glasses said shyly.

"Hi Risa…" Itami muttered.

"Ok what's going on here?" Kyon asked.

"This is Risa Aoi," he said after a moment. "My wife…"

Those words echoed in their ears for a moment. "What…..?" everyone yelled looking from him to Risa. "Your wife?"

"Well…ex-wife…" Risa clarified.

"You….your…. your married?" Kyon asked before fainting. "How…why… how is that possible? Does the universe hate me? Why is this no-good otaku married?"

As she spoke the train arrived.

OOOOO

Soon after that little incident, the group arrived at the Onsen. They got divided up into their rooms, men on one side women on the other. The girls also got first call in the hot spring while the two men waited.

"Ahhh this is relaxing…" Pina said as she sank into the hot spring.

"Tell me about it," Risa replied as she sank too.

"Say Risa…" Rory asked. "How did you and Itami meet?"

"Well…" the intel officer said shyly. "We knew each other during school, same interests, and one day I said you better marry me and take care of me. But something happened that made it more than that, it was during the war,"

OOOOO 12 years ago, Beijing, Chinese Wasteland.

People moved out of the way as EDF trucks moved in. Unlike normal four wheeled trucks, the EDF used half-tracks to get past the traitorous terrain of the wasteland. While half-tracks were used during the last world war as a stop-gap between cars and tanks. Mostly because of the lack of people who could drive them. But they still had a use for supply chains, and that's what the EDF used them for. The pulling power of a tank with the driving ability of a car.

Beijing was one of the few places that people still called home. With the absence of any major government, the EDF was the de-facto world leader. But this wasn't by accident as the UN allowed for this to happen, understanding that a civilian government would complicate matters. There was also a caveat with this as well, that being once the war had ended new civilian governments as close to the original as possible.

The trucks stopped outside one of the cities warehouses with the occupants of the vehicles exited and began to take the crates out of the trucks. Agent Risa Aoi got out as well and made her way inside with a few of the soldiers. Unlike the regular soldiers, intel agents weren't expected to wear PA gear but were expected to carry a sidearm just in case. As she walked in one of the EDF commanders looked to her and saluted.

"Agent Aoi, it's good to see you again," he said as she saluted him.

"Same Capitan, but we need to harden the defences. They're on the move," she said matter-of-factly. "I need to speak to General Chang, the bastard has been stone walling me,"

The Capitan nodded. "How long until the attack?" he asked.

"Three days by estimates," Risa replied making the officer frown. "We need to tell the general," he muttered "Itami! Get your butt over here!" he yelled.

Yoji Itami ran over and saluted the Captain before his eyes fell on Risa. "Hi Ri," he smiled while just gave him a disapproving look.

"I told not to call me that until we are married," she said with a pout.

"Oh," the Captain smiled. "You two getting married,"

"Yep," Itami said with a shallow smile as he pulled his fiancée close to him. "She's my beautiful wife,"

"Keep holding me like this, and I'll add you to my next manga," Risa said making him pull away but she smiled.

The Captain did as well, a bit of teasing was to be expected. "I would ask how you to meet, but we need to make a move," he said and lead the two of them to a raven.

As they climbed inside, the Capitan flagged down one of the other officers. "Were off to HQ, he general may not be willing to commit resources. Pass it on to the other commanders, attack alert, three days,"

The officer nodded and made a moved while the Capitan climbed into the raven. As he closed the door, he looked to the two lovebirds.

"So… spill," he said.

"We…." Itami muttered. "We've known each other from school," he finally admitted as the raven moved.

"Same hobbies, interests…" Risa continued. "So, we decided to get married," she then lightly embowed him in the ribs. "So, he'd better take care of me,"

"Which I will, I promise," Itami insisted making the Capitan keep his smile.

"Sir," a voice called over the radio. "We have a problem, we got the word out, but the General has issued and order to stand down. He's also cut off contact with High Command,"

"Shit," the Capitan muttered. "Ok, get the rangers to HQ. I suspect there will a disagreement,"

"Understood sir," the three fell silent after that as the raven moved though the streets.

It didn't take long until they reached the Great Hall of the People. Originally China's Capitol building (Feel free to correct me), it had been taken up by EDF Asia command to coordinate operations in and around China. As the three climbed out, several more ravens arrived and unloaded their compliment of rangers. Several of whom nodded in Itami's direction, to which the Sargent nodded back as he pulled out his own ranger mark.

A blood red beret now sat on his head with an emblem of a skull crossed with anteater AR's behind it. The words: Oderint dum metuant, let them hate, so long as they fear, was placed under it. With that on, the rangers join the three armed with their anteaters. The guards let them in, but as soon as they entered red several red and black armoured troopers walked to them.

"Sir, the general has ordered not to allow anyone into HQ at this time," the lead trooper said.

Risa walked up to him pulling out her tablet and showing it to the officer. "Do you know what this is?" she asked as the officer took it.

"Troop movements for the aggressors," he said handing it back to her.

"Those movement indicate that they are heading this way," Risa informed, but the expression of the officer didn't change. "And the general has refused to mobilise, that is a dereliction of duty against humanity. Do you know the charge for such a crime?"

"Execution, sir," the officer responded. "However, I remain unconvinced that the aggressors are heading this way,"

"Do you really want to tell me, an intelligence officer, how to do my job?" as she spoke, she inched closer to the officer. "Are you sure you are telling me, that you do not see the troop movements of the aggressors on this pad?" she showed it to him again, but this time widened the view making it clear as to where the aggressors were heading. "Because if you don't, then you might lose more than just your rank," she didn't yell, but spoke in a clam tone with a very cold edge to it.

Itami shivered as he listened to her threaten an officer, bigger than she was. Despite the officer's calm attitude, it was clear how much he was sweating. Here was an intel officer, someone who could make your life a living hell backed up by rangers. One of the EDF's elite units, those were odds no one would wish on their worst enemy. The officer gulped before speaking in Chinese. The guards moved to the side letting the rangers and Risa though.

"Thank you," she smiled as she followed the others.

The way up to the command deck was short, but as soon as they entered the room, they were faced by the general as well as several more red and black armoured soldiers. But this time their weapons were aimed at them.

"Captain," the general smiled. "Stan down,"

"No," the Capitan said as the rangers readied their weapons. "Intel has…"

The general just cut him off by laughing. "What, you listened to this Japanese whore?" he asked. "She's lying. If we were to put this city on attack alert, then Highcom will move forces from Japan to reinforce us. And once the war is over, China will no longer be a nation of its own. It will be a Japanese puppet," his eyes then focused. "Like how China is currently the puppet of the EDF,"

"That's no…" Risa tried to say, but the general cut her off.

"Don't you dare say it's not true!" he yelled. "Our once proud nation has ceded power to the EDF like a submissive whore. We will defend this land with nothing but Chinese blood and tears, not from damned foreigners like yourselves!"

Risa's eyes narrowed. "Have you been feeling well general?" she asked calmy.

He looked at her with venom. "You don't have the right to ask me that!"

"Then you shouldn't mind this," she said as she pulled out her phone and pressed something.

All of a sudden, the general began to cover his ears and yelled in pain shocking his own men. "SHUT IT OFF! I COMMAND YOU, SHUT IT OFF!"

"Thought as much," she said as she pulled out her pistol and fired.

The round hit the general in the heart, killing him instantly. The confused guards looked to one another unsure of what to do as the rangers moved up and took their weapons. Risa moved up to the general's body with a knife and cut open his side. She then pushed her hand inside looking for something. A few of the newer rangers turned slightly green as she did. But it didn't take long for her to find what she was looking for and pulled it out.

"Here we are," she said holding up what appeared to be a woodlouse.

The bug fit the shape of her hand with ease and had a red colouring to it. It didn't have legs but instead tentacles, most of which were torn off.

"The general was an infiltrator," she said as she crushed, he bugs with her hand. "They've been popping up recently within isolated cities," she wiped her hand on her uniform. "They react to high frequency sounds. Harmless to humans, but they play havoc with aggressor ears,"

"Then why don't we use it all the time," Itami asked.

"Because other animals hear it, and it makes them go crazy. Cat's, dogs…" she muttered. "We want people to have as normal a life as possible while this war ranges,"

"Good to know," the Capitan said before looking at the Chinese guards. "We need to establish contact with Highcom, help us with the upcoming attack, and I'll ignore this little incident,"

The men nodded and began to move across the room, reconnecting to highcom. But as they did the general stood and grabbed Risa by the neck.

"No one move or I'll pop this whore's head," he yelled as guns aimed at him.

"H….howww…." Risa choaked.

"The aggressors made me a deal, let them into Bejing and they'll ignore the rest of China. Allowing me to rebuild as I see fit," he slowly squeezed her neck. "This nation only belongs to the Chinese, not your imperial invaders!"

The rangers couldn't fire, less they hit Risa. Itami, however just moved on pure instinct and charged in. Due to the momentum od his PA gear, he managed to not only knock the general down but push him so far that he slammed the general into the wall breaking all his bones and crushing his organs. That killed him, but the Sargent was more focused on his future wife as he ran up to Risa who was still coughing.

"You ok?" he asked helping her up.

But she responded by pulling him close and locking lips with him.

OOOOO Present day.

Pina and the other guests just stared at Risa as she looked up at the ceiling. "The battle went fine after that, but it showed me what kind of man he was. Caring compassionate…" she trailed off. "More then I deserved. He maybe an oktau, and that's the main thing in his life, but deep down there's always something more to him then a lazy manga fan,"

"Sounds like you loved him," Rory said.

"I did, and a part of me still does," she admitted. "But it's not the same love as one might share for a husband. A friend yes, but not a husband,"

"Why did the two of you break up?" Leiei asked.

"Well, it was mutual. After Ginza, Yoji just felt like I could do better then him," Risa smiled. "I didn't fully agree but it was what was best for both of us,"

Before anyone else could speak, something smashed though the glass and a green gas quickly came out.

"EVERY…." Risa tried to say but she fell asleep in the hot spring as four masked men entered.

"Grab the princess, intel officer and elf!" one of them ordered.

The other three followed as they grabbed their intended targets.

"STOP HERE!" Itami yelled as he and Davies pulled up their SMG's.

But they didn't fire in fear of hitting one of the hostages. But the only man who was armed fired his shotgun making the two move back before running with the others.

"The others," Itami muttered as he ran into the hot spring and pulled the others out of the water before they drowned.

As they did, the sound of an vehicle took off met their ears.

"Damn it, get in contact with HQ," Itami said. "We have a hostage situration,"