Le Jeu Sinistre Chapter 4/9

[grateful_days]

Disclaimer: I can’t think of a witty way to say “I don’t own Full Metal Panic. This is a parody” so I just won’t. Bite me.

Chapter Four: Hard-Boiled

When Tessa was a little girl, her older brother had given her a book of quotes for her birthday. This was right after she decided to join Mithril. He had highlighted a line from Ernest Hemingway that went something like “In modern war, you will die like a dog for no good reason.” Up until this point, Tessa hadn’t quite known what Hemingway was talking about.
Kalinin and the other Loyalists had escorted Tessa to the hangar. Originally, they had expected only slight resistance from Andelino’s people but things didn’t go as planned. Andelino had expected this and that very morning, three squads of heavy assault troops had been stationed aboard the Tuatha De Danaan. In comparison, most of the Loyalists were lightly armed with pistols, shotguns and submachine guns with little or no body armor.
“Goddammit… They’re slaughtering us…” growled Mardukas as Tessa and her escort arrived. The Loyalists had build a makeshift fortification out of several heavy containers used for transporting AS repair parts. Perhaps fifty or so soldiers were crouched down, popping up every once and awhile to get off a shot.
“Is there anyway we can gain an advantage?” Kalinin asked as he pushed Tessa down just in time to avoid a sniper’s bullet.
“It’s doubtful,” replied Mardukas as he squeezed off another two rounds. “I think our best chance is to get a hold of an AS but even that’s difficult.
Tessa peeked over the fortification and saw what Mardukas meant. The Arm Slaves were stuck in the middle of the “no-man’s land” between the Loyalists and Andelino’s men.
“Maybe we could use smoke grenades? Or a flash bang?” suggested Kalinin. Mardukas sighed.
“We tried. No use. Captain, what do you make of the situation?”
Both older men, out of ideas, looked to Tessa desperately. She was looking around, putting together parts of an abstract plan.
This is how Tessa’s plan went: She figured that, since they couldn’t break down their enemy little by little, they would have to annihilate them with a single strike. A full-scale charge was possible but would result in heavy casualties. Instead, she began to consider other possibilities…
“Is there a truck or something we can use?” she asked suddenly.
Mardukas nodded. “We have a few supply trucks that we can use…”
Tessa quickly spotted them and before either man could react, she was sprinting over to them. The two officers scrambled after her. When they reached her, she was in the seat of one of the trucks, trying to start it.
“Err…” she said shyly, blushing. “I’ve never driven. How do I start it?”
“You need a key. We don’t know where it is,” Mardukas said sighing.
“I can hot wire it if you two cover me.” Kalinin said, holstering his handgun and rolling up his sleeves. Tessa slid out of the driver’s seat, and knelt down, using part of the front of the truck as cover.
A minute later, the truck roared to life. Kalinin dove out of the vehicle as it started charging towards Andelino’s men.
The result was as one would expect: The truck picked up steam as it made its way towards its target. The men tried to shoot out the tires but it was to no avail. The truck smashed into the Mithril soldiers, crushing quite a few before colliding with the far wall and exploding.
“Not bad,” said Kalinin. He grinned at Tessa and she blushed. Mardukas was busy slapping another magazine into his Uzi.
“We should get her out of here. That can’t have slowed them down much,” he said, not to Tessa but to Kalinin who nodded. Mardukas saluted Tessa respectfully. “Captain, in case we don’t meet again, it was an honor and a privilege to serve under you.”
Tessa’s eyes went wide. “W-what?”
Kalinin gently took hold of Tessa’s arm. “Captain, unfortunately, we need to get you off the Tuatha De Daanan.”
“What? Why?”
Kalinin sighed.
“Because you are a Whispered, if you’re captured, you’ll be experimented on. It is of the utmost importance that you’re removed from this ship.”
Tessa opened her mouth to argue but at that moment, a grenade landed behind the fortification and detonated, tearing apart half the soldiers assembled there. Tessa covered her mouth in horror at the gory spectacle. Kalinin grabbed her and forced her to look at him.
“Captain, please listen. Those soldiers over there are sacrificing themselves so that you can get away. That’s been the plan from the beginning. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you but you would’ve objected anyway.”
“No…” whispered Tessa. She looked up at the Russian, angry and determination burning in her eyes. “This is my ship and I’ll go down with it if I-“
“This world is no place for romantic bravery!” Kalinin suddenly roared Tessa froze and stared up at the officer.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “But I won’t let you die for some foolish ideal. It’ll be better if you live on and take revenge for us rather than if you die here along with us! Now, will you come along willingly or do I have to subdue you?”
Tessa remembered Kalinin taking Andelino to the ground and beating the snot out of him.
“Alright,” she said finally. “Let’s go.”
The two ran off together, dodging gunfire. It’s like a scene in a movie, Tessa thought vaguely. A bullet struck Kalinin’s arm and his body shuddered against Tessa’s for a second but by the next, he was running as fast as ever.
And before she knew it, Tessa was secure in the cockpit of an M9. Kalinin was buckling her in and tapping keys on the control pads to set the auto-pilot.
“I’m sending you to Japan,” he explained. He looked at her solemnly. “Listen. There are only five people in this world you can trust now. The first is Chidori Kaname.”
“Well, I knew that…” Tessa muttered. Kalinin pretended he didn’t hear.
“The next three are Major Melissa Mao and Sergeants Kurtz Webber and Sagara Sousuke. Yes, they are alive. We have conclusive proof the would lead us to believe that Sergeant Sagara is in Japan with Chidori and Mao and Webber are in the United States.”
Tessa tried to find the words but her throat was getting tight fast. She thought she would start sobbing again.
“Finally… You can trust the terrorist Gauron.”
Tessa stared at the Russian. “What?”
“Gauron. It doesn’t make any sense but you can trust him. For the time being, he’s on our side.”
The words didn’t register with Tessa. Maybe he said Gao Lun, a Hong Kong Cop. “What?”
“I know Gauron. He has his reasons and if you find him, he’ll protect you better than anyone else. He hates the people who’re doing this even more than we do.”
“But… But…”
“I know. But please, believe me. For your own sake, put aside your hatred of him. He could very well be your only hope. But, until then, try to find Sagara. He’ll protect you almost as well as Gauron.”
“I… What’s going on? It seems like everyone’s in on some secret that I don’t know about!”
Kalinin smiled sadly.
“Not everyone. We’re all wondering what’s going on. We only know fragments but nobody can see the big picture.”
Tessa was silent. She looked down at the controls for the AS. She felt the tears coming to her eyes again.
“Alright. I believe you,” she whispered.
Kalinin nodded. “Good. Until we meet again, Captain…” He saluted and shut the cockpit. He deftly leaped down from the AS and was yelling at some technicians to open the hangar door.
As the M9 launched, Tessa was overcome equally with sorrow, confusion and relief.

Back inside the Tuatha De Danann, the launch of the AS was met with cheers from the Loyalists. Kalinin sprinted back to them, bullets whizzing by like crazed sparrows. He made a spectacular leap and broke into a roll, coming to rest behind the containers.
In a moment, Mardukas was beside him. He had a bloody piece of medical tape wrapped tightly around his shoulder and held a heavy-duty revolver in one hand and a cut-down assault rifle in the other.
“She’s away,” Kalinin said shortly. He picked up the AN-94 from a fallen Loyalist, checked the magazine and propped it up. He began picking off the heavy troops one by one and spoke as he did so.
“Her life is in “God’s” hands, then?” muttered Mardukas as he took up his placed next to Kalinin. The cracking of the rifles in the hangar was growing louder as the battle intensified, the Loyalists having received a morale boost, knowing that their captain was safe.
“That’s not even funny,” muttered Kalinin in reply as he dropped a particularly annoying sniper.
“It’s true if you believe what Gauron said.”
“I believe what he said because I know it’s true. Still… It’s only one way of looking at the situation.”
The rifle clicked empty and Kalinin dropped down to find a new magazine.
“It’s disturbing none the less. To be so young and have to bear such a burden… It’s painful to think about. I feel sorry for those three.” Mardukas’ voice was quiet.
Kalinin located a magazine. He slapped it in and took up his aim again.
“Then don’t think about it.”
And so, the battle raged on.

~

My life has become a made-for-TV movie, decided Kaname.
After Sousuke executed the last soldier, he had gone to the kitchen to wash the blood off his hands, leaving Kaname in the living room, totally shocked at what had just happened. Her mind had all but shut down and it was a miracle she didn’t faint.
When Sousuke came back in, he had clean up his arms and face so he didn’t totally look like some sort of serial killer. He turned on the lights and knelt to begin harvesting the weapons and body armor of the soldiers. It was then that Kaname realized they had all been killed by shots to the head. Her stomach lurched and she leaned against the couch for support.
“Pack some things,” Sousuke said again. He looked up from the body of one soldier sprawled lewdly on the floor. “Clothing and money. American bills if you have them.”
Kaname nodded numbly and stumbled off to her room where she changed and now sat, neatly putting all the clothing she could into a single suitcase.
A made-for-TV movie. That was it. This was such a stupid, absolutely idiotic set-up that the only logical conclusion was that her life had become a mediocre movie they run late on Sunday nights that nobody watches because they have better things to do.
By the time she pulled out her savings jar, her mind was beginning to get over the shock and the wheels were turning again. Instead of being horrified by the bodies lying around her (she hadn’t noticed but there were two dead soldiers in her room), she ignored them and began planning.
We’ll take everything I have, she figured. Since we might not come back for awhile… And with that thought in mind, Kaname poured two years worth of spare change, saved allowances and odd job money into her suitcase.
When she had everything in order, she went back to the living room. Sousuke had stripped the kevlar vests off the dead soldiers and lined then up on the couch. Then, he began checking their guns. He was busy with one when she came in. He looked up at her, totally expressionless. He had gone from “clueless but relatively harmless” Sousuke to “efficient soldier” Sousuke in the course of less than half an hour.
“Chidori. Put one of those on.”
He gestured to the kevlar vest.
Kaname didn’t argue. She picked one up that didn’t seem to be covered in too much blood and started strapping it on.
“No. Under your clothing.”
It was at that precise moment that Kaname found all her marbles.
“Under my clothing?” she repeated.
“Yes. Take off your-“
A wicked, twisted grin was forming on the girl’s face. “You just want to-“
“You’ll attract too much attention if you wear the vest over your clothing. They’ll know to aim for your head.”
Kaname froze. Her stomach felt very tight and uncomfortable.
“My head?”
“Yes. Or your legs. Or your arms. Or-“
“Who’s aiming for my head or my legs or-“
Sousuke stood up suddenly, making an angry grunting noise.
“You heard what he said. Mithril.”
“But, you’re-“
“I am no longer affiliated with Mithril. They consider me an enemy and I regard them likewise.”
“Sousuke-“
“Put on your vest and take two handguns.”
Kaname dropped the vest and grabbed one of the handguns Sousuke had checked. She pointed at him. Sousuke stared at her. He had expected her to argue with him, not pull a gun on him.
She instantly regretted the move. Sousuke had a weird sort of hurt look in his arms and she had the strange feeling that he thought she had betrayed him.
“Sousuke, I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “But what’s going on? Really, what the hell’s going on? I need to know. I heard what these guys-“ Kaname’s eyes darted to the corpses on the floor. “-said. They were looking for me, weren’t they? I have a right to know, since I’m caught up in this too.”
And then she lowered the gun. Her eyes were locked on Sousuke though.
Sousuke started to say something but then he stopped. He picked up one of the vests and began fastening it.
“That mission in North Korea on the news. You’ve heard about it, correct?” he began.
“Yeah…” said Kaname slowly, not liking where this was going.
“Put on your vest and choose your guns. That was a mission executed by Mithril that failed. Sergeant Major Mao and Sergeant Webber as well as myself are all considered Missing in Action, believed to be dead.”
Kaname had picked up her vest again but at this revelation, she dropped it.
“What?” was all she could manage.
“Both of them are alive, of course. We believe that we were… set up by Mithril so as to get us out of the way.”
He’s using phrases from the Yakuza novel, thought Kaname through her muddled mind as she began taking off her shirt. Even though Sousuke was busy checking the last of the guns, she turned around to take it off.
“Because of some things that happened aboard the Tuatha De Danaan, it seems plausible that Mithril intended to take control of the ship away from Captain Testarossa and feared a mutiny or possible rebellion. Either way, they almost certainly intended for us to die on that mission.”
“But you didn’t.” Kaname looked over her shoulder and made a half hearted attempt to get Sousuke to look her in the face. He was still absorbed by the gun.
“Exactly. And because I was here, another thing for them has gone wrong. I can only speculate as to why they would want to kidnap you. Most likely, it’s because you are a Whispered.”
Whispered. Kaname really, really hated that word.
“So, what now?”
Sousuke really, really hated that phrase.
“We need to get out of Tokyo. Mithril will send a follow up team if we wait too long.”
Kaname turned around, having finished putting on her kevlar vest. She put her shirt on over it and looked in the mirror. It looked exactly like what it was. That is, it looked like she was wearing a bulletproof vest under her shit.
“We are we going?”
“Anywhere but here. Perhaps Hong Kong or Canada. Eventually, I want to get you to Switzerland. Every member of Mithril has a Swiss bank account with a balance of thirty thousand dollars American that can’t be touched by anyone else. That should be enough for us to live on for awhile.”
Us. The word sent shivers down Kaname’s spine. She was suddenly blushing. She bent over, looking at the handguns, not wanting Sousuke to see her face.
She chose the two that felt lightest in her hand. She stuck one awkwardly in the waistband of her jeans and the other in her pocket. It wasn’t comfortable but, she decided, it would have to do.
“How’re we getting out of the country? Boat? Plane?”
“For now, we need to get out of Tokyo. We can take a train south. From there, we can go to Canada. And from there, it won’t be difficult to get to Switzerland.”
As they finished packing and left, Kaname felt an incredible rush of emotions. She was sad that she was leaving the apartment her father had given her. And she could very well be leaving her life, as she knew it, behind. But, on the other hand, she would be with Sousuke. And, as he had told her before, as long as they were together, nothing was impossible. At that moment, more than ever before, Kaname wanted to believe his words.

~

Even by night, Tokyo was still livelier than most cities are at day. There certainly weren’t nearly as many people out but Kaname and Sousuke ran into quite a few on their way to the train station. Mostly couples out on late-night dates or drunken salary men stumbling home.
Despite the general harmlessness of most of the passersby, Sousuke kept his hand on his gun at all times. He was wearing a jacket but didn’t put one arm through its sleeve. Instead, he held onto a concealed Beretta, ready to draw it at a moment’s notice.
Kaname was in a state somewhere between incredible excitement and petrifying fear. She was looking over her shoulder every time she heard a noise. On the other hand, it was comforting to have Sousuke next to her. They were huddled close together as they walked. She was wondering whether or not to hold his hand but eventually decided that it might hinder reaction if they were ambushed.
That thought surprised her. Partly because she was considering holding Sousuke’s hand and partly because she was beginning to think like him.
When they reached the station, there we only a handful of people there. Kaname bought their tickets while Sousuke kept a look out. She bought two tickets for Yokohama without event.
It was as they were hurrying to catch the train that they ran into trouble. It was leaving in only a few minutes so both teens were sprinting full speed through the station and didn’t notice the half dozen or so men following them.
When they finally found their train, Kaname sighed in relief, brushing hair away from her face and panting.
“We just made it, Sou-“
And then a bullet whizzed past her face, denting the side of the train.
Kaname cried out and ducked instinctively. Sousuke drew his pistol with one hand and grabbed Kaname by the arm and half-dragged, half-pushed her into the train. He closed the doors behind them and crouched down next to Kaname.
“It looks like the found us,” he muttered.
Kaname straightened up just enough to peek through the window. Seven men, in full combat regalia, were advancing slowly, assault rifles bearing down on them. Suddenly, a burst of fire shattered the window. Kaname immediately ducked back down, covering her head with her hands.
“Our only chance is if this train leaves before they get to us. I can’t hold them off,” Sousuke whispered to her quickly. Even as he said this, he fired out of the broken window.
There was no one else in the car, Kaname realized. Would they be able to get to another car, maybe? Another volley of bullets flew through the window. No, they’d be cut down the second they exposed themselves.
So, it’ll end like this, then, Kaname thought. She shut her eyes tightly, not wanting to face the men. The train station became a far away thing. Sousuke trading shots with the Mithril soldiers… It seemed as though she were hearing it on a static-filled radio.
It was in this dazed state that Kaname’s mind seized on one thought: If the train moved, they would be safe. As if a mantra, Kaname started repeating the word in her mind.
“I’m sorry, Chidori,” Sousuke muttered as he dropped the magazine from one of his guns and slapped in a new one. “This is my fault.”
Kaname didn’t hear him. She was beginning to whisper now, in a sort of tortured whimper.
“Movemovemovemovemovemovemovemove…”
Sousuke raised an eyebrow, looking at her.
“Chidori, what’s-“
“MOVE!”
Kaname’s head shot up from her hands. She was glistening with sweat, some of her hair plastered to her forehead. Her pupils had all but disappeared.
And then, the most peculiar thing happened. To Sousuke, it felt as though a fierce wave of invisible energy, bearing a command, had emanated from Kaname. A second later, the train lurched to life, the gears beginning to turn.
The Mithril forces ceased firing and just stared at the train as it began to move. It slowly picked up speed and soon, it was out of the station.
When he was sure they were safe, Sousuke fell back, sitting down across from Kaname who was staring at the floor.
“Chidori,” he said, his voice calm. They both had a vague understanding of what had happened: Somehow, Kaname had willed the train to start moving.
She suddenly grabbed her stomach and stood up unsteadily.
“I’m gonna’ be sick…” she murmured before turning around and throwing up on one of the seats. Sousuke gently held her hair back for her and when she was done, he guided her to another car.

~

Many thousands of miles away, in Rome, Padre sat at his desk in his dark little office, looking over plans on his computer and talking on his phone. Fatima wasn’t there. She’d been having nightmares and they had to give her a heavy tranquilizer to get her to fall asleep. It was most inconvenient, seeing as their patients had to have a certain degree of mental stability for information to be extracted.
“Yes… Yes, I understand. No, it can’t be helped. It’s only a minor setback… Launch a full-out assault on it as soon as possible. Use tactical nuclear weapons if you have to. About the prototype… Excellent. I’ll be waiting.”
And with that, he hung up the phone. Smiling to himself, he clicked through the blue prints pulled up on his computer. At the top, the schematics were christened with the title “Arbalest Mk. II.”

End of Chapter Four

Author’s Notes: Not much to say. Didn’t really like the end of this chapter. Just wanted to get through it, you know? I probably should’ve sat down and made it better but it can’t be helped.

Anyway, it seems like the whole thing is about half-over. At least the set up is nearly over. Once the characters are in place, the real fun can begin…

Heheh. I’m rambling. This would’ve been out sooner, had I not been twitching as a result of SEED 45. *shudder*

[dd]

Hey...that's one great thing about this site and its format...you can always think...listen to advice...or both, and then go back and edit.

One word of advice...take your time and savor things. Don't overdue it...
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Seriously, keep striking while the iron is hot. Good tale. You will no doubt be receiving threats from @darkbane if you do not continue. You never know exactly how much he has stored under lock and key

[darkbane]

@dd

actually, his story is already complete. he posted it at the BI forums a while ago. it's also in the anthology. so i see no reason to threaten anyone