Chapter 112 - Land of the Free
[JSS Hakugei - Hospital]
"Do we know who placed the contract on me and where?"
"There was limited intel from the cellphones and laptops we recovered from the van. We found emails regarding the contract and contact information that led us to nowhere. However we managed to track the previous call that was connected to one of the phones thanks to Assam-kun."
"Where are we headed to this time?"
"The land of the free and home of the brave." Tsuneo said
[Private Airport - New York, America]
(Gero and his team then rode their private plane to America and landed at a private airport at midnight. Everyone was there except for Kal who was still in the hospital recovering. They were welcomed by a small group of people as they were disembarking from their plane.)
"There they are! Welcome to New York!" greeted one of the people
"Long time no see West!"
"Good to see you again G!"
(Gero and West shook hands and did a brotherly hug)
"Didn't expect you guys to be the ones tagging along with our op." Erika said
"Looking good as always, E! When we heard that you were headed here we volunteered right away!"
"G and E?" Klara asked
"It's their nicknames for us when we worked together a year ago." Erika said
"Oh right, these are the new members of RYOBU that I told you about before."
"Nice to meet you all! I'm Master Chief Westley Mason, please call me West, and this is my team, SEAL Team Bravo."
(Gero's team then bowed and greeted the navy seals when suddenly Mika appeared out of nowhere and spooked them all)
"Nice to meet you all!" Mika said
"Jesus Christ! W-Where did you come from!?" Westley reacted
"I was here from the start.."
"Ahaha, West I'd like you to meet my fiancé, Shimada Mika, she will also join us."
"Oh! G's fiancé! Congratulations!"
"Thanks!"
"..."
"W-Wait! Fiancé?! What about E?!"
"I'm his fiancé too!" Erika smiled
"You have two?!"
"It's a long story..I'll tell you on the way.."
"Ro-chan, we might have a small problem." Mika suddenly said
"Problem? What problem?"
(From behind Mika they saw Maho slowly peeping and hiding)
"Maho!?"
"H-Hello onii-sama..c-coincidence seeing you here.."
"Like hell it is! What are you doing here?!"
"P-Please don't get mad at me.."
"Calm down Ro-chan, she personally asked me to take her with us. I'll make sure nothing happens to her." Mika said
"And why didn't you say anything to me?"
"Because you would've said no." Maho said
"Damn right I would've! We're not here to sightsee!"
"I know, you're about to attack Pandora right? I want to help you."
"You were helping me by staying safe back at the carrier where Pandora can't touch you! I can't see how you'll be of any help here!"
"I..I'm sorry.."
"Don't be so hard on her, Eri-chan noticed her hiding behind me before we boarded the plane and she didn't say anything." Mika said
"Erika?"
"Not my fault you couldn't sense her." Erika said
"Oh so it's my fault then?!"
"U-Uhm..I hate to interrupt G but we have to get moving now. Maybe you can continue this back at the hideout?" Westley suggested
"Right..sorry for this but we suddenly have a plus one.."
"No worries! Please follow me to the vehicles this way."
"O-Onii-sama-"
"We'll talk later.."
(Gero then walked away towards the vehicles leaving behind Maho who was very worried she had angered her brother.)
"Don't worry about him, he'll get over it after a while." Erika said
"I think this is the most angry he has been at me.." Maho said
"You were prepared for that right?" Mika asked
"I thought I was..but it still stings seeing him angry at me.."
"Your brother is just worried about you!" Alisa said
"I do hope you know what you're doing by being here. The things we did back in Africa and the things we are about to do now. Gero doesn't want you to see those things and he's afraid that it'll change you for the worse." Ono said
"I'll be fine.." Maho said
"That's what the princess said just before she puked all over the desert after getting a taste of reality.." Takashi said
"Ain't that the truth.." Naomi agreed
"Come and ride with us, for the time being let's think about how to make your brother's mood better when we get to the hideout!" Assam said
"Okay.."
(Everyone then rode to the hideout provided by the Navy Seals. After they arrived they went to their assigned rooms and would rest for before they started their operation. Gero then took this time to talk to Maho, Erika, and Mika about their situation before they rested)
"Do you have anything you want to say to me?"
"I'm sorry onii-sama for not talking to you and doing this suddenly.." Maho said with a sad tone
"What is the reason that pushes you to do this? You know how dangerous it is and yet you act like you don't care."
"I don't want to get left behind!" Maho shouted
"Left behind? What are you.."
"I'm the only one..that hasn't awakened Sacred Possession.."
"Maho.."
"You have and now even Miho has awakened it. As for Erika, even though she was never born into the Nishizumi Family, I know she can use it too."
"Wha- how did you-? Erika!"
"Don't look at me, I never told her about it." Erika said
"She's not lying, I deduced it all on my own that if she had the same blood as yours then she probably could use Sacred Possession. Of course it was all assumptions but your reaction just now proves it."
"So you wanted to fight alongside your brother in an attempt to awaken?" Mika asked
"Yes.."
"Why? Why go so far for something that even Miho herself said that she doesn't want to use anymore." Erika asked
"It hurts, it hurts so much to see that okaa-sama, Miho, and Erika have the same golden eyes as onii-sama, and I don't. I just couldn't stand it anymore." Maho said
(Gero then looked at his little sister and saw how she was really burdened by the fact that she hasn't awakened Sacred Possession. She must've felt that all of her hard work for the past three years was for nothing. It's the same as being the only one in the family that hasn't had an achievement in life yet. You feel like you don't belong in the family at all. Gero knew that Maho felt like she was no longer a Nishizumi because of that.)
"You two come over here.."
(Gero then told Erika and Mika to approach him. He then gave them both a painful forehead flick as punishment)
"Ow! What the hell did you do that for?!" Erika shouted
"Ro-chan..Domestic Violence is bad!" Mika pouted
"That's for deciding things on your own without telling me. Please promise me that from now on, no matter how small it is, I want you to tell me."
"Yes, I'm sorry Ro-chan.."
"Geez, I understand, I apologize as well.."
"You two then will be responsible for Maho. Make sure she learns what she needs to and guarantee her safety."
"Eh..does that mean?"
"Yes you can stay with us. But if I deemed the situation to be too dangerous I will send you back to the carrier right away. Even if I have to knock you out to do it. Is that understood?"
(Maho then jumped and hugged her brother tightly with tears on her eyes)
"Thank you..thank you so much onii-sama..I promise to listen to everything you say.." Maho said
"Good girl..now get some rest..I'll introduce you to the others tomorrow.."
(After getting a good night's rest everyone was now ready to start their operation but first Gero introduced Maho to the team)
"Listen up everyone! I'd like you to meet Maho, she'll be tagging along strictly as an observer. She will help in any way she can as long as it's away from danger. Erika and Mika will be responsible for her safety the whole time."
"I'm Nishizumi Maho! Thank you for allowing me to join! Looking forward to working with you all!"
"Welcome to the team! Wait, Nishizumi? Are you also one of G's fiancés?" Westley asked
"Yes!" Maho smiled
"No! She's my sister!"
"You're going to get married to your sister?!" one of the SEALs reacted
"Yes!" Maho answered again without hesitation
"MAHO!"
(Of course the morning starts with Gero being bullied by his team.)
"Ahaha sorry onii-sama, couldn't help but tease you.." Maho smiled
"Yes yes..my demise is your happiness..before we start there is another person that will be joining us as an observer."
"Eh? There's another one aside from Maho?" Erika asked
"You can come in now!"
(The door opened and the person that entered was the princess of Britain, Charlotte)
"Good morning to everyone." she greeted
"This is-"
"The princess that almost got you killed in Africa." Westley said
"She almost what?" Maho asked with a scary tone
"I'm really sorry for that." Charlotte lowered her head
"Heard you won against South Korea, congratulations!"
"Thank you, congratulations on defeating France as well." Charlotte smiled
"Why are you here?" Erika asked
"My mother sent me here to be of help to you."
"The Queen? Why? I don't recall us being so weak to be getting help from you."
"That's what I told her but she insisted. I too want to atone for my wrongdoings."
"Fine. You'll be in charge of carrying our stuff for now. Load everything to the vehicles. Nana and Sakurai will keep an eye on you."
"Understood."
(The three ladies then exited the room and the SEALs were surprised at how Erika easily bossed her around)
"That's E for you! Ordering the princess of Britain like a slave!"
"She is my slave."
"Eh?" the other SEALs reacted
"Erika, please start the meeting.."
"Alright, we are here for one objective and one only. That objective is the complete eradication of Pandora in this country." Erika said
"Since you specifically traveled all the way to this city, does that mean their last base is located here in New York?" Westley asked
"Normally it would be impossible to hide such a base in the middle of a busy city like this. But in a different perspective it's the perfect place to hide a base since the amount of people, vehicles, and goods that flow in and out of this city acts as a camouflage."
"Thanks to our recently deceased informant back in Africa, we found out that a shipment of kidnapped Africans was about to be delivered to America. We have been monitoring every harbor in the country ever since and checked previous records of shipments. The results have specified New York Harbor to have the most shipments from."
"The question now is, where the hell did all of the previous shipments of people go?" Westley said
"We know that every shipment happens every six months. We were able to stop the latest shipment but the shipment six months ago probably arrived without problems. You all know that a lot can happen during that time frame."
"Do you think anyone is still alive?" Shun asked
"After years of fighting Pandora, you know that the chances of people surviving after being taken by Pandora is slim to none. However, if there are still people alive then we will save them no matter what."
"Damn right we are! So where is their base exactly?" Sanada asked
"Smack center of the city. "
(Erika then turned on the laptop and displayed a satellite photo of two small islands near Rikers Island. )
"This is Rikers Island, a 400 acre island that contains New York's largest jail located in New York City's East River. The two small islands beside it are the North and South Brother Islands. The two small islands will be our target for this operation."
"Brother Islands? Why are they called that?" Alisa asked
"The islands were originally named De Gesellen in 1614, which means 'the companions' or 'the brethren' hence they were called Brother Islands. North Brother Island was once the site of the Riverside Hospital for quarantinable diseases but is now uninhabited. The islands were once privately owned but were purchased by the government years ago. Public access is not allowed but sometimes people such as researchers and journalists are given permission."
"What are the sizes of these islands?" Takashi asked
"North Brother Island has about 20 acres of land, and South Brother Island about 6 acres. The north island has a dark history way back 1904 when a steamship burned and claimed the lives of a thousand people. After World War II, the island housed war veterans who were students at local colleges and their families. The island was again abandoned until the 1950s, until a center opened to treat adolescent drug addicts. It was the first to offer treatment, rehabilitation, and education facilities to young drug offenders." Westley said
"Sounds like a fun place to go.." Klara said
"I don't see any kind of structure big enough to hold thousands of people. Should we expect some kind of underground facilities?" Klara asked
"That's right, we believe that the north and south islands are interconnected in some way via underwater caves. We'll approach the islands with rubber boats and infiltrate both at the same time under the cover of darkness."
"Take your pick West on which island you guys will infiltrate then RYOBU will take the other."
"Well then, Bravo Team will take North Brother Island, if you don't mind!"
"RYOBU will take South Brother then!"
"Will I go with you to the island as well onii-sama?" Maho asked
"Absolutely not, you'll stay back at the command post in Barretto Point Park with Charlotte and Mika. Remember, you are an observer and not a soldier."
"Okay.."
"Did you have to be that harsh to your sister/fiancé?" Westley asked
"Sister! Just sister!"
"Fiancé..hehe.." Maho smiled
"Maho!"
"This is the first time I've seen Maho-san make a creepy smile like that.." Alisa whispered
"Same.." Naomi answered
"Okaaaay..I think that's it for the meeting! Get prepared and get ready to leave! We head for Barretto Point Park after sundown. The mission begins at midnight. Dismissed!"
"But I want to continue the meeting more!" Ono teased
"Ono! Come here you little shit!"
(Gero then started chasing after Ono who ran as fast as he could outside the meeting room while everyone was left laughing. The day went by fast as they prepared themselves for the mission. Just after the sun went down they arrived at Barretto Point Park and set up their command post. Commander Bryson rendezvoused with them at the park and set up a perimeter around the park so that nobody could enter)
[Barretto Point Park - New York City]
"Commander Bryson! So glad you could join us tonight!"
"The last mission to finally rid our country of Pandora? Why wouldn't I be here?" Bryson smiled
"That's the spirit! You'll be monitoring everyone's helmet cam from our command post and assisting us with the things that we can't see."
"Understood! I'll be your eyes and ears!"
"Appreciate it! You'll also be assisted by these young ladies over here. This is my sister, Maho and my fiancé Mika."
"I believe we saw each other briefly in Africa, Lady Mika, it's great to meet you properly this time and congratulations on your engagement!"
"Thank you very much! It is nice to meet you as well Commander Bryson!" Mika smiled
"It is a pleasure to meet you as well Lady Maho! Sir Gero talked a lot about you when we worked together before."
"H-He did!?" Maho blushed
"Why are you blushing all of a sudden?"
"No reason..it's great to meet you also Commander Bryson! Thank you for allowing me to join you tonight."
(Charlotte then entered the command post carrying a heavy box. After placing the box on the ground she walked up towards the group)
"Oh yeah, Princess Charlotte will also be observing as requested by the Queen!"
"I do hope I won't get stabbed in the back while watching the monitors, or will I?" Bryson reacted
"Of course not, you are not my enemy therefore you need not to worry." Charlotte said
"You'll be fine Bryson! Erika has her on a tight leash so she'll behave."
"If that's the case, welcome Princess Charlotte."
"Alright I'll leave you guys here for now. I have to get ready with the team. See you later!"
"Good hunting, Ro-chan!"
"Please be careful onii-sama!"
"I will!"
(Gero then left the command post leaving the girls and Bryson alone)
"He'll be fine, it's him we're talking about here." Charlotte said
"What the hell do you know about my onii-sama?" Maho said with an angry tone
(Maho then approached Charlotte and stared at her face to face with a very angry expression)
"Let's get something straight, we are not friends, you tried to kill my brother so that makes you my enemy."
"Point taken."
"If I catch the slightest intent from you to get in his way, I will kill you without hesitation."
"Is that so? Then let me tell you this as well, you may be his sister, Nishizumi Maho, but as far as I can see you are weaker than both Gero and Erika-sama. So even if you tried to kill me, you wouldn't be able to." Charlotte said
"How about we find out now?" Maho threatened
"Alright alright, that's enough, you two. If you don't stop bickering then I'll inform Eri-chan and Ro-chan about this." Mika intervened
"..."
"Hmph.." both reacted
(Charlotte and Maho then got away from each other since they were both afraid of what Erika and Gero would do to them. Meanwhile on the other tent, RYOBU and the SEALs were having their final meeting before the mission)
"Double check your gears! Make sure you don't forget anything!"
"We'll head to the islands ten minutes before midnight and when we get near them we'll release the Hornets."
(Gero then showed the teams tiny helicopter drones that are smaller than the human hand)
"What are those!? They look cute!" Klara said
"These are nano UAV Drones that we'll serve as our eyes and ears on the islands. We'll fly these little guys over the island and have them sweep the area."
"I remember these guys, we used them back in Afghanistan as well." Westley said
"These drones are also customized to have an EMP charge built into them. So using these, we'll locate all CCTV cameras located on the island then we'll detonate the small EMP charges and disable their eyes as we infiltrate. Is that clear?"
"Yes sir!"
"Good, after checking your gear, get some shut eye while we wait for midnight. Pray that we don't get a full moon tonight."
(As midnight drew closer, the weather also worsened in New York. It started to rain hard but the clothes also covered the moon therefore giving them even more cover)
"I thought I said pray we don't get a full moon and not get a storm!"
"Sorry about that!" Kaito joked
"This actually works in our favor! Let's use it to our advantage!" Erika said
"Agreed! All teams man your boats now!"
(RYOBU Team and SEAL Team now got on their rubber boats and headed towards the islands. They stopped as they were nearing the islands and deployed the Hornets as planned. The little drones then were controlled by other members of the teams and started searching for every CCTV camera they could find on both islands.)
"All cameras located, all set!" Westley radioed
"Same here!" Assam radioed
"On my mark.."
(Gero waited for a lightning to strike and timed it perfectly with the sound of the thunder)
"Execute."
Coming Up Next : Chapter 113 - Miracle
Author's Note:
Hi everyone! Here's the chapter! Gero and his team are now in America, the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave! Maho and Charlotte are also with them and we have a scene where Maho is fooling around with her brother. In the next chapter they will infiltrate another Pandora base and whatever is inside it. See you all in the next chapter!
