Intro Song: / Crests of Waves By Coldplay
"You're not welcome here anymore..."
"Get out of here!"
"But- You know I had to do it! or else-"
"More people would've died! I- I-!"
"Shut the fuck up..."
"Get out of here..."
"Before I kill you myself..."
.
.
.
A figure jolts his head in pain, its footsteps clacking on the marble floor
The orange hue lighting the long hallway leading to an almost uncountable number of corridors beyond it
Anyone...
Anyone would get lost here
But to him...
It's just another visit
It's just work
It's just protocol
As usual
But not today...
Today...
It starts...
The Final War...
Is set into motion...
He steps into multiple empty rooms, an almost dizzying amount of random directions that acts as some sort of code
The final door opens up
A sort of rectangular glowing floating portal
He raises his legs upwards to meet it
He steps in
A blinding light flashes before his eyes
Every time he checks in
A certain report of recent events is flashed before his very eyes
"Welcome back Agent Reckoner"
He's in...
He's in the ICA...
"Please report to the reception area for your current mission briefing"
.
Multiple loud noises are heard, an electronic droning sound, a PA system blaring, multiple people bustling inside, rushing to deal with the current situation
"Protocol 999,999,999 is set into motion! I repeat Protocol 999,999,999 is set into motion! Please report to your respective stations and act accordingly!"
"Protocol-"
The futuristic almost indistinguishable structure inside looks like it's straight up from a sci-fi or cyberpunk film!
Multiple crowds bump and fill the main hub before Suzushii
A gigantic reception that has the same design as an airport check-in desk, that reaches for almost about half a kilometer is filled with lines upon lines of people
Multiple telephones ringing and people talking
It might as well be white noise to those involved, for what they have to be facing...
The day they have been warned about for so long...
Today, is that very day...
Suzushii cuts the line in the absolute main reception, multiple agents aggravated by this, shout at him, but then look shocked as they see who it is
"Uke-san, where is my team?"
"Oh Agent Reckoner, it's you!"
"Right about time, as usual"
"They're prepping up at your office, every other station in the entire ICA is crowded!"
"Ok ok, tell me what "agents" do I have on me?"
"Checking..."
The man clacks on his keyboard, Suzushii pities upon his sore eyes and trembling hands
"It says here, you have two Assistant Ishiins, a medic and an analyst"
"Damn, we're that short on agents?"
"You know we are, you know what day this is, your mission may be difficult, but we can't use any manpower for you"
"I'm sorry... get going!"
Suzushii nods as he cuts through crowds upon crowds of people
With him feeling like a fish inside a pack of sardines
A flock of people all rush towards the same portal he saw earlier, the line behind it never stopping
He cuts through to the start, the same white flash filling his eyes
.
He's in his office
Two of the aforementioned assistants are seen prepping up by the couches facing his mini library of documents and books
A panoramic and gorgeous view of Tokyo is seen behind his desk
A terrifying drop can be seen, when looking downwards
A familiar stern-looking man in a suit, holds a magazine in his hands, filling it up with bullets
His entire body filled to the brim with all sorts of ammo and communication equipment
Something Suzushii has never seen this man ever have on his person
Likewise the girl is seen fixing her bag of medical equipment, she is also wearing a suit
She is also armed well, but not as much as the man
"Are you two ready?"
The two of them suddenly stood up facing him, with their straightened backs and their salutes literally being reflexes every time they come into contact by a superior officer
Which is mostly everyone
They are only assistant Ishiins after all
"We are about to be, sir!" the man exclaimed
"Agent Reckoner!" the girl said, acknowledging his presence
Suzushii nods
"Good"
"You must be aware, this mission is far above your capabilities"
"Hell!"
"It is far above what ranked B to even A agents can imagine to handle!"
"Yes we are sir!" the man said in attention
"Alright at ease you two, don't be so tense"
"Though I understand why two would be" Suzushii goes up to his desk and boots up his desktop, to brief them for their mission
The both of them loosen up and return to preparing their equipment
"So, Musen-kun"
"It's nice to see you once again"
"It is! Agent Reckoner!"
"Jeez just call me what you do usually, you don't have to be so formal!"
"Umm it is Kakomi-kun"
"Much better"
"So, who's the girl?"
"U-umm! My name is Keikou Haruki! At your service!"
"Okkkk, what are your abilities?"
"I can only simple augmentation and healing, sir!"
"That will do, have you two got to know each other?"
"Just a bit Kakomi-kun, in fact we only just arrived a few minutes ago" he says this while he inputs the last bullet on his magazine, inserting in into his AR, cocking it
"Alright, we have the whole journey to do that then!" he types in his desktop, the keys clacking
"We have a long trip ahead of us, not to mention"
"Every city is locking down and on high alert after the events of today"
"Reaching Fukushima will be hard, we have to assume it is a battlefield there right now"
"Musen!"
"Yes sir?!"
"What information do we have on the situation there?"
Musen uses his abilities, multiple lines of text and UI pop up right before everyone's eyes
A sort of hologram ability is projected everywhere all across the office
"Not much, strangely enough, for the past two weeks, there hasn't been any sort of way to know what is happening there, all my information is from months ago, the latest just a few weeks before... it's like-"
"There is somebody blocking- jamming all possible coms to reach out from the inside and outside!"
"It's them, it's definitely them"
"I knew it"
"You did sir?"
"I do, Atsushi..." Suzushii mutters
"SHIT!"
He forcefully slams his hand on his desk
The girl suddenly fidgets in reaction to this
"Umm Kakomi-san?"
"We might be too late..."
"There is still a chance though... a slight one..."
"Hear me... this mission is personal, as much as Atsushi is important to us all, with his valuable abilities and all, no wonder he's been sent to kill 3 birds with one stone"
"This is your final chance to back out now, as much as I need your help, your lives are at severe risk, getting out of this alive, the chances are slim..."
"Not to mention, getting there, we will surely be attacked on the way..."
"By one of them..."
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
"Are you two sure you want to come with?"
"Of course we are! We are at war! We need every possible help or outcome of stopping them to be acted upon!" the man said righteously
The girl however stayed silent
"Keiko-san?"
The girl whimpered
"I don't want to die..." she muttered
The both of them looked at her with concern
"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" she screamed in panic, her voice echoing all across the room
"Calm down!" Musen went closer to grab her back, her body was trembling massively, her whimpers get louder by the second
"This mission was given to us by of higher-ranked intelligence, I know you're scared, but this specific mission..."
"You know the consequences of it... don't you?" Musen looked at her straight, her eyes wandering, her thoughts swirling
"You know what they'll do to you- no!"
"What they'll do to your family..." Keiko repeatedly shakes her head, about to scream in pain
"Please... DON'T EVER SAY THAT TO ME!!!" she snaps at Musen, he backs away, with her anger about to break him in half
"That's enough!" Suzushii's voice booms right through her, she whimpers in fear
"Musen, you're right, but I have the authority to protect her, I'm special grade" he states, Musen bows to him in shame
"Keiko-san, you don't have to come with us... you don't have to at all"
"I'll make sure of that, your family will be safe" Keiko tears up, Musen looks over in guilt
"Y-you'll do that for me?" she muttered under her weary breath
"I will" Suzushii nods
"I'll keep my word"
"So what is it? Will you come? or will you stay?"
Keiko caught in this ultimatum, shakes her head, grabbing her head in pain, sobbing
"I'LL COME WITH!" she screamed
"I'll come with..."
"Just promise me, my family will be safe" Keiko stared at him
Suzushii pats her back
"They will be"
"And you two will be safe too"
"In fact-" Suzushii opens his closet to grab two black jackets with an ICA insignia plastered on the back
His hands glow as the both of the jackets absorb his aura
He hands them over to them
"Wear this at all times, it'll protect you, it may not be the most formidable defense, but it'll most certainly help"
Musen and Keiko nod repeatedly, they both put them on
"From this very moment, Operation Atsushi Retreival starts, you got that?"
"Yes sir!"
"Good"
"Musen, before going to the inevitable battlefield that is Fukushima, we'll have to survey it from Sendai"
"But why that far, Kakomi-san?"
"That's cause the crater is that large... you've heard of it, yes?"
"I have, the Fukushima Incident..."
"In fact... it was you who did it..."
"That's correct, in this war we've been raging for decades now, that day was a huge blow to them..."
"The Insurgents..."
"Since you two will be going with me on this likely suicide mission, you deserve to know what we'll be fighting against"
"I was one of them, you see?"
"Me and Atsushi... we were both once Insurgents, we ratted them out"
Musen and Keiko both stare at him blankly, not sure how to process that information
"Do you know understand why Atsushi is so important?"
"With his knowledge of the Insurgents, some I don't even know, he is a huge asset for us, hell"
"He knows all about the omega grades... those old geezers... and all of our security measures..."
"Most importantly... possible clues... about the next alpha grade..."
"W-What's that?"
"Those are Ishiins who have lived for more than a century, and the other one is an anomaly... something with enough power that can be used to obliterate either one of our sides... and yes"
"Those do exist"
"Why are you telling us of this?"
"That's because this mission is that important..."
Suzushii then opens his desk drawer, sticks in a USB in his desktop
"Aaaand- There we go" he takes out his USB and grabs his laptop case
"Got everything you need?"
The both of them nod
"Our mission is to retrieve Atsushi Suzuto from Fukushima, relieve the Insurgent forces against him and evacuate the civilians near that area"
"We're going to Sendai to ask for any backup from an ICA branch there, and to survey the situation in Fukushima from there"
"Got that?"
They both nod once again
"Then let's go"
His phone rings, he picks it up
"Hello?"
"Nayumi-san has been informed of what happened to her daughter, he said he will be coming over later this evening" the operator stated
"Good, I would also want to call in another, personal request... place Assistant Ishiin Keikou Haruki's family in my protection"
"Done, is that all Agent Reckoner?"
"Yup"
"Ok then, good luck on your mission"
The call ends
"Come on, before we go, we've got one more matter to attend with"
Suzushii walks off the office, with the two right alongside his back
The door glows, all of them step right into it
.
.
The electric hum of the fluorescent lights fills his ears
He walks up upon hallway upon hallway
Filled to the brim with the wounded
Fuyu-san said multiple citizens not just students were affected, any number of civilian structures are compromised, not just anywhere...
But Tokyo!
The capital...
The world... is gonna learn of this...
They're gonna soon learn...
The existence of Ishii, and how everybody has this ability...
Rushiko shakes his head, sighing
He steps inside the escalator, pressing the 17th floor
He's nervous to see them...
To let them know of how they're gonna be Ishiin agents...
If they'll even accept...
But considering how the final war has been set into motion...
It's either they join Rushiko and Suzushii, or the ICA when they get desperate-
Will have to forcefully draft new soldiers...
Preferably younger soldiers...
He steps out the escalator, a huge corridor leading to many possible directions is right before him
He has to go to Room No. 209...
With bated breath, he grasps the door knob of the room
And in exhaling, he slowly opens the room
Slowly revealing the state of all three of them...
All three of them are facing the wall, with the window to their sides
They are lying down, except for Koyo, who seemed to be gazing out the window
Jisei which is right next to Rushiko, is strapped to a ventilator, his wounds covered with multiple bandages, somewhat hidden by his hospital clothing
He is in bad shape, just barely holding
Unconscious, but living
Manaka around the middle of the two also had multiple bandages all across her body, she seemed better off
Also was unconscious...
Koyo with the least to no amount of injuries looks at him silently
Her face clearly shocked by him, she looks at his jacket's side
Gigantic letters with clear bright yellow saying: ICA
She grows scared of him
"It's ok, I'm not here to hurt you" Rushiko calmly said
She however starts to back away from him further, she drops to the floor, crawling desperately, being trapped by the corner near the windows, like a cornered cat
Her eyes stare at him with a vengeance, her hand gripping and shaking into a fist
"I want nothing to do with you people!" she loudly said
Rushiko holds his hand up, urging her to calm down
She's having none of it
"I want to go home!"
"I don't want to see any of you bastards near me!"
"Actually..."
"That's gonna be difficult..."
Koyo clearly confused by this... stands up and gets closer to him...
But she keeps a little distance between them...
Frustrated by this...
By everything...
"What do you mean "that's gonna be difficult"?!?!?" she raised her tone, her anger seeping through her...
Unable to leave her...
"The attack on your school isn't the only one, every civilian structure with densely populated people have been attacked..."
"Tokyo is in lockdown-"
"I mean christ! The entirety of Japan is in lockdown!" Rushiko exclaimed, Koyo turns her back on him, scoffing...
She looks towards the window...
Her eyes slanting ever so slightly...
"What happens now?"
"You'll soon know, you've just got to calm down"
"They're gonna soon be here"
"Who's they?"
"You'll find out soon enough"
Koyo sits on her mattress, with Rushiko sitting beside her...
She doesn't resist this however...
She...
She...
"You do know what I've done right?"
"I do..."
"I've hurt all of them... so many of them..."
"I almost killed Manaka!"
"And some part of me, wanted it!"
"I didn't feel like that was me... I would never do that!"
"Or would I have?"
"Koyo-san, it wasn't you, it was an insurgent that did it, she did all of this!" Rushiko raised his hands towards the windows
Koyo shakes her head...
Her look contorting...
Fighting for some control in all of this...
"No, atleast for me... some part of me could've done it, she just acted upon it..."
"I might as well have done... she just pushed me over the edge..."
"Hey-"
"Hey!"
Koyo looks at him, a bit shocked
At his sudden tone...
"You couldnt've done it, believe me, I know what wanting to kill is like"
"If you have doubts like that... you still haven't been "over the edge""
"It's when you forget the boundaries of what's right and wrong..."
"That's when you would've definitely done it..."
Rushiko raises his head down...
His reaction...
His expression...
Says it all...
Koyo looks over intensively...
Those same slanted eyes...
Now faces him...
"Tell me..."
"How is it working for people like them? Making you kill?" she bluntly said
"I know even if it's for the greater good, it's still taking many lives..."
"But I'm too far in to stop now... this is what my life is..."
"He told me, my senpai..."
"That I have the power to do something about all of this..."
"I've gotta believe that-"
"No, I do believe that!" he stood up
"Without people like me, who knows how many more would they have killed?"
Koyo stammers trying to speak
"M-my..."
"My mom"
"She was an agent..."
"She died fighting them..."
Rushiko looked at her, her eyes staring down at the floor
Her tears soiled the cold hospital floor by her feet
Rushiko grabs her by the shoulder, pushing her closer to him
"I'm sorry..."
"I-it's alright"
"I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier... you're just trying to help..."
"I should've seen that"
"Hey, don't worry "
"Koyo-san, what would you do if I told you"
"We know who killed Omoi"
Koyo's eyes widen, her entire world opening
Rushiko continues on
"The Scar-Giver... as she's been called"
"She's a political legend..."
"Her last duty... mission... pertained to the Osaka Conflict..."
"That's where..."
Rushiko hesitated... for a moment...
He sighs...
"That's where she died..."
Koyo looks at him... fiercely...
She instantly gets closer to his face, he reacts by backing away a little
Koyo ignores this by grabbing both of his shoulders
Shaking and grasping them hard...
"You know how to find her killer?"
"We do..."
"I'm in"
"W-what?"
"I said I'm in, you want me to join you, don't you?"
"And how would you know that?"
"I don't, it's just feeling... my heart knowing what this is supposed to be"
Koyo holds her chest hard, leaving marks on her hospital garments...
She breathes hard...
Rushiko stares at her...
Seeing...
Something he used to-
No...
This is...
Something that still burns inside of him...
To this very day...
"I see..."
Rushiko checks his phone, reading a text message
"They're close"
"You should tell your dad first... that you'll be an Ishiin..."
"He's coming?"
"He is..."
"But for now, let's cool off a bit" Rushiko sighs
"This is just the start, of something more..."
Koyo nods
"Thank you..."
"Thank you for giving me this..."
The both of them stare outside, the deep orange hue right before their eyes, seeping through the windows
Seeping through the Tokyo skyline...
"Don't overdo it"
"Don't overdo your revenge"
"Trust me"
"We're on the same page about that"
"About what we both really want..."
She looks at him confused, about what he really means
She'll soon know enough...
They'll soon know enough...
.
.
.
The door busts open, a rushing little girl goes to Jisei's side, and a middle-aged concerned woman walks slowly in dismay to see her poor son...
She looks at him and immediately embraces him, the little girl joins her
The three of them united after today's tragic events
Both Rushiko and Koyo look over to them, Koyo hangs her head in shame, looking downwards in the floor to hide her face from her
Rushiko stands up and grabs Koyo's hand, pulling her towards Jisei's side
Inari notices both of their presence, Natsuno looks over in curiosity
"Hello Inari-san, I'm glad you're able to be here today" Rushiko politely said
"Why hello there Hirotsu-kun!"
"May I ask where is Suzushii-kun?"
"Oh Senpai's on his way!"
"Umm I would like to-"
Koyo rushes in front of Rushiko, bowing instantly to both Inari and Natsuno, her breaths bated and her figure trembling
Inari covers her mouth in shock
"Koyo-san! What are you doing?"
"I'm sorry!" she said out loud
"I'm sorry for hurting Jisei-kun!"
"I don't expect to be forgiven..."
She stays with her back shown to them, Inari sighed and hugged her
"Koyo-san... I know you somewhat had a hand in what happened today... But that... That wasn't you!"
"You're a kind girl! I believe you are... Jisei cared for you so much!"
"I'm not... I'm not kind... I'm not-"
"But you are dear..."
"Why would you go out of your way to apologize to me, to his little sister here" Inari says, patting Natsuno's hair
Koyo tears up silently, Inari coos her slowly, staying with her...
Koyo isn't used to this much care...
She shakes...
Trembling...
The door busts open once again
A middled aged man in glasses wearing an expensive and extravagant but generic looking suit grasps the door knob
In seeing the scene, he calls out
"Koyo!"
Inari and Koyo let go of each other, Koyo looks in shock, her eyes in disbelief, not knowing what feeling to show in this situation
"D-dad?"
"God... I- I-" he stammered
He comes nearer, holding Koyo close
Her face still in shock, in not having seen this side of him, ever since... They were still together... All happy...
"I thought-"
"I thought you were dead!" He loudly said, his voice all broken and full of emotion
"I saw the news... Seeing your school in the news... And then receiving a call from the ICA themselves!"
"I swear!" He tears up, holding Koyo tighter
Her eyes wide open, her mind all shaken
"I love you... Koyo..."
"I'm sorry..."
"For everything..."
"After Omoi- your mom passed..."
"I couldn't bring myself to face you..."
"I'm a terrible father... Surely I've disappointed her... And you..."
Koyo's face tenses up, frowning, remembering all the times of neglect, all the times of her deep descent into madness
But she realizes something...
Right now in this very moment...
She has what she's always wanted...
This intimacy... This care... This connection...
Her father...
"Dad!!!!!!" She breaks down, crying her heart out
Both father and daughter share in their pain together
After all these years of loss...
They're finally together...
They're finally family...
"Hello?"
"helloooo?"
A knocking is heard as multiple people come flooding into the room
A man with his two daughters, and an agent with his team of two
Fuyu rushes to see his unconscious daughter, as Fuu grasps her hand, holding it tight, she shakes her head in disbelief
Kana looks at her, her eyes unchanging
"Manaka..."
"m-manaka!"
"Manaka-chan..."
Suzushii looks at everyone, seeing them all reunited with their loved ones, he slightly smiles and sighs
He needs to protect them...
No matter what...
At all costs...
Both Musen and Keiko stay at the edge of the door, knowing that this isn't their business, but still looking all the more concerned about all these families
"Everyone!" Suzushii, exclaiming for the room's attention
"I am very sorry for what had happened to your loved ones in this very tragedy that is today"
He shows and leads his hand to his team
"Later... Me and my team will be going into the frontlines to save... Not only a valuable asset to the ICA... To all of us..."
"But to save a dear friend..."
Inari looks at him, nodding
He looks at her, determined
"I just wanted to say that, Jisei, Manaka and Koyo... Have all agreed to become Ishiin agents..."
Yanou's eyes widen as he turns his head over to Koyo, who looks at him with a fiery look that reminds him...
Of her...
His beloved...
"I... I won't be here to train all three of them"
"But my well trusted... My son..."
Rushiko warmly smirks at this
"Rushiko will"
"Your children now know him, they can trust him, he will take good care of them"
"On this very day, this is the day all of us agents have been fearing..."
"The final war we dub it... To bring the end to them..."
"Our enemy..."
"Tokyo is in lockdown with the rest of Japan following suit"
"I can't stay here for longer..."
"I know it's abrupt but-"
"Please put your trust in us..."
"We need to put a stop to them..."
"To all of this"
Everyone ponders over their uncertain future, their fates left in the dark
With everything and everyone they know held at stake
Rushiko went closer to Suzushii
"The process of becoming an agent isn't easy... But with their experience..."
He held his head down
"They can do it'!"
"We'll start once Jisei and Manaka have been fully healed, but in the current state of Japan..."
"We'll have to rush their training... They'll have to work harder than they have ever have in their life..."
"This... Is for our future..."
"This... Was inevitable..."
Suzushii continued one last time
"We'll have to go now..."
"Inari, we'll save him... No matter what"
"Please tell me when Jisei and Manaka will be awake Rushi-kun"
"And Yanou-san"
"We're sorry... About Koyo..."
"But she needs to learn the truth... About Omoi..."
Yanou's eyes left the room, understanding the situation but still traumatized
Koyo held his hand tight
"Dad... I've got to avenge her... For us..."
"I know..."
"I know"
Suzushii and his team left the room as everyone stood and sat there in silence, taking everything in
The cold wind chilling their bones, their souls seeking for warmth
In this calm... Before the storm...
.
.
The tires screech before the snow covered asphalt, ploughing through it all
Their trajectory clear...
Towards Sendai they go...
Towards the unknown...
And pain...
Do they face it all...
"Atsushi... Please..."
"Hold on..."
"I'm coming..."
.
.
.
-End of Aftermath I Arc-
- - - - - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - --
-To Be Continued-
Ending Song/s: / Spies (Early Version) By Coldplay
https://youtu.be/WPApiFhKFsg?feature=shared / Souvlaki Space Station By Slowdive
