<FIC> Fox Hunt Chpt 6

[Reaper DXR-7]

Full Metal Panic: Fox Hunt
By: Azurathe

Disclaimer: I own nothing involving Full Metal Panic, except the DVD’s I bought ^_^, so anyway yeah. Read the story and I hope you enjoy.

By the way the portion between the two ***** is a flash back! It’s a point that will be explained in the next chapter, which will be Tessa’s chapter.

Fox Hunt...

Chapter 6

The cold midnight air sent chills through out my body; the blood moon stared at me as though trying to symbolize death, my death. On the battlefield I stood in weary anticipation for my enemy had yet to make a move. Towering above the dreary landscape the monster the stood before me. Cloaked by the darkest mist, shrouded by fear I truly believed that the Reaper had finally called my name, Sousuke Sagara.

To die here among the dense forest and heavy snow would show how weak I have become. To lose to a phantom was to show the world I was afraid of the unknown. For years I have dived headfirst into the unknown, but this time it was different. I had someone waiting for me, someone who cared for me, someone I wanted to return to so that I could make her happy.

My hands shook nervously on the Arbalest command console; I was beginning to feel numb. Memories flashed through my mind, both good and bad. I remembered the times I had spent in Helmajistan, my first mission with Mithril, and the first encounter with Gauron. Kaname, the memories of her are enshrined in my mind, cherry blossoms surrounding her. I love her... My first true love... I need to win.... I need to return the Japan with her and begin a new life, one without explosions, without danger around every corner, one with just Kaname and I.

“So, has the cold gotten to you already Sgt.?” The pilot’s voice burned in the back of my mind, “I can understand though; with out Miss Chidori you are nothing. You have no inspiration to fight, no will to live unless she is with you. You could die here and it wouldn’t faze you.”

His words ran through my mind. I came to the conclusion that maybe Chidori would be better off without me. ‘Even if I won this fight who was to say I would win the next one... NO, I must focus, I want to live, to live with Chidori.’ My thoughts of her drowned out the enemy pilot’s pollutant words. “So Sousuke, will you run, or have you decided to fight here and die.”

The pilots words stung, then I figured it out. This pilot was playing a mind game with me, trying to throw off my concentration, to create mayhem with in my heart and mind. I grinned, “No.”

Snow, it began to fall again. The forest blanketed in a quilt of fluffy white snow, this place did not deserve to be smeared with the wreckage and carnage about to befall it. “This is not the end; I will keep living!” Raising the Arbalest arm parallel to the enemy AS I held my gun firmly. “You are but another obstacle I must eliminate so the world can live in peace. I will defeat you;” I glared at the enemy AS. “You can count on it!”

I fired at the enemy AS; the explosion sent snow and trees into the air. The enemy AS appeared behind my, with a swift round house kick I was sent flying into the raining debris. “Oh my Sgt., haven’t they taught you to always watch your back?” A large scythe came flying down at the Arbalest cockpit. I narrowly managed to avoid the large weapon and retreated to the foliage behind me.

I sat in the dense forest; I was tired from the fight with the Shadows. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Do you really expect to kill me like that? I thought a pilot of your caliber could do better.” Laughter echoed from the opposing AS. I was glad Kaname was sent back to Japan, Mithril could keep better watch over her there.

“I’ll kill you, just like I did your mother, and your sister.” Sitting in the dense forest I stared at my comm link. How the hell could this pilot know my mother and sister, wouldn’t my father have killed this person before they could lay a hand on mother or sister? “I see, your wondering why your father didn’t stop me from killing them aren’t you,” the bastard seemed to be reading my mind, “the answer is quite simple...”

Before my eyes the enemy AS appeared, a massive explosion sent me flying to the wreckages of Kurz and Mao’s M9s. “Sousuke, your father’s real name was Sejiro Sagara.” I heard the entity laugh; the very presence of this pilot was sending chills down my spine. “I am Sejiro!”

What, this man, how could he do it. “Your lying, you bastard. My entire family is dead.”

He laughed again, “poor boy, Mithril’s dogs told you that didn’t they?” My silence left him no doubt, “well I have some news, and I’ve been in hiding. Living under a new identity, Gauron is my new name!”

“G-G-Gauron! I killed you!”

I was in shock, I was sure that Gauron had met his end that stormy day aboard the Dadanaan. “Yes you did, three times if I can add. I still have six lives left. The nine dragons do not die so easily.” Clenching my fist I growled. From Arbalest back sprout a blue aura, the Lambda Driver was activating.

“I do not care how you survived,”

If you are wondering why I am in this situation I best tell you the events that lead up to this conflict. As I have told you earlier Kaname and I had begun to realize how we felt about each other, I told her I loved her.

********************************************

The day after Christmas Mithril visited the cabin we were staying at. Kalinin was on leave so he had no control over the actions that Mithril was taking. Mardukas, Captain, and a high-ranking officer I have never met before arrived. Quickly Mardukas observed the surroundings, making quick notes of proximity mines, alarms, and other more primitive forms of traps.

“Well Sousuke, I see that your concern for safety has caused some trainees to take up residence at the local hospitals.” Mardukas stared at the high-ranking officer who had finally spoken up. “I can see why most officers’ call you bomb shell,” the man then let out a chuckle as he took off his hat.

I took his hat and whispered to him. “Sir, please refrain from talking about Mithril or any missions while staying at this cabin.” I took his bags and showed him to an empty room, I noticed the older man looking into the living room staring at the people down there.

Again the man chuckled; “well Sgt. I must say that the report I was given about you doesn’t match you very much. It described you as a ‘lone wolf’ who didn’t really enjoy parties or any kind off get together.” Sousuke frowned, “but you make up for it by being a dedicated, loyal soldier who would put his life on the line to finish any mission.”

“Affirmative,” I wonder if this man had heard of my mission in Tokyo? He probably heard it from Tessa on the way, maybe even from the High Command.

When we made it to the empty room he took his bags and put them away. With a smile he offered me his hand. “Well Sgt. Sagara, my name is Robert Judicia. Mithril high command sent me here to see how ‘close’ you really were to Miss Chidori.”

“K-Kaname?”

“Yes Sgt., the high command is worried that you may have grown to attached to Miss Chidori.” Damn it, how could the high command have caught wind of Chidori’s relationship with me, could Tessa have told them? No, she wouldn’t tell them. On second thought she has been acting strangely lately.

Tessa strolled up to me with a huge smile on her face. She grabbed my arm, “well Sagara; will you show me to my room?”

“ ‘Gulp’ Uh...” There are no other rooms.

“Are there any rooms available?” I swallowed another growing lump in my throat, how could I tell her there were no other rooms available.

“Uh...”

Just then a woman walked into the room, “well this should do for now. It’s not the palace but we won’t be here for very long.” The woman looked to be in her early 20s, she sighed then glanced at me. “Oh,” she jumped over to me and grabbed me away from Tessa, jumping around like a child who has eaten too much candy. Cuddling to me like a teddy bear she cooed, “oh Sousuke darling, I’m so happy to see you again.”

And if I didn’t have enough problems a certain girl walked into the room, “Sousuke I need a...” She dropped her Bonta-kun when she laid eyes on the woman that had me in a bear hug. “Ok... Sousuke... who... the... hell... is that?” I expected her to explode at that moment but instead she walked over to me and snatched me away from the woman.

“And who is this darling?”

Kaname gasped, “ d-d-darling!”

“Yes little girl, Sousuke and I were suppose to get married as soon as he turned 15 but then he disappeared during a fight in Helmajistan. I searched all the world for him, hoping to find my fiancee.” I took this time to walk out of the room, grasping Kaname’s hand we left the room and made it back to our room, it was not a very smart decision but if we had stayed those people would have faced a fate worse then death. Brutal hasilen beatings from Kaname Chidori.

I shut the door behind me and locked it. Sighing I glanced at Kaname, “it would be best not to inform them about our relationship yet Kaname.”

A look of confusion, and anger over took her. “W-what! W-why?”

With a look of concern I filled her in on the recent events that just took place. “That man that was inside that room was sent here from Mithril high command to check up on our relationship. The high command fears that my getting so close to you has indirectly caused my skills to fluctuate.”

“What?”

“Captain, Cmdr. Mardukas, and Mr. Judincia are here to evaluate how you and I interact.” Letting out another long sigh I gazed into Kaname’s eyes, “I fear if they found out just how close we are they may pull me away from you.”

“Then just leave Mithril!”

“Kaname, you know that I can not do that, not because I am some how obligated to stay with Mithril.” I embraced Kaname and lowered my head onto her shoulder. I whispered softly into her ear, “it’s because Mithril is the only place that I can feel good about what I am, other then here.”

************************************

And that’s how it started, “I can’t believe we let one of Gauron’s agents in to the cabin!”

Laughter erupted from the enemy AS, shattering the silence. “Well now that you and Chidori are in love your senses are being seriously affected.” Gauron laughed again, “I took advantage of this and sent another rat in the house of Mithril after you.”

“You are referring to Miss Gaushi?”

“Oh ho, you are still on the ball aren’t you son!” Laughing, I wish he would stop laughing. There is nothing funny about this situation, this is a serious matter involving life and death. Gauron needs to die... “Natsuki Gaushi was in fact the woman offered to our family as an arranged marriage for you. It was my friends last wish that his daughter live with a respectable family.”

Gauron continued to laugh, “you should have seen her face when I told her that you had fallen in love with some one else son!”

“Shut up Gauron! You needn’t worry about my life for you have given up that right a long time ago,” I growled, “when you killed my family!”

“And the problem is?”

Flying out from the dense forest I fired straight down into the foliage. “You murdered people that could have provided a sense of love to me. You are the reason for this curse that has been plaguing me. I have no family, my friends are all dead, and you are trying to take Kaname away from me!! You will die you bastard!”

Shards of AS’s were scattered across the field, fresh parts laying in the spot I had recently been residing I knew that I had hit Gauron. “Well well son, you are getting better with that thing everyday.” I heard him chuckle then burst out laughing, “but you are no match for the bringer of death, no mere mortal can defeat a Reaper!”

The black AS stopped near the highway and pulled out its assault rifle with M203 attachment. “How much blood would be needed to paint this area in red.” Gauron fired at the highway, the early morning traffic had been building up since before the fight. A massive explosion scattered hundreds of cars and bodies across the landscape.

“No!” I shouted in vain as hundreds of people were now dead. Their cold lifeless bodies adding to the necromantic atmosphere. Blood running off into the icy water, limbs scattered across the fields of snow. The field was now painted in blood, Gauron is a mad man, why did he enjoy killing so much.

“Ooh, it’s just like a scene from a Samurai anime! The field covered by scattered bodies, the sky raining blood. Now this is my kind of battlefield, hahaha!” How could someone enjoy seeing death the way Gauron enjoyed it, he can not be my real father!

The remnants of the shattered highway blanketed the areas not covered in blood. Arbalest and I stood above the Reaper, up on a hill shrouded by trees. The ground below was scorched and the debris stood out from the blood and snow. “So how do you like my little painting? Pretty aint it?”

“Shut up Gauron!”

“Ooh some one is a little feisty now, well son let our dance continue.” From his tone of voice I could picture him smirking right about now, “lets also continue this heart warming Father-Son conversation!”

“Al what’s the status on the Lambda driver?”

Quickly the a.i. responded, “fully functional Sgt. Sagara!”

“Good,” leaping from the hill top I pictured a katana. A katana formed in the Arbalest right hand, “you want to be in a Samurai anime well then here!!” Speeding down at Gauron with a katana in the right hand of Arbalest I readied my strike.

I saw a blue light swirling around the left hand of Gauron’s AS. “Well an old fashioned Samurai showdown, this flick just gets more exciting by the minute!” A long katana formed in the hands of the Reaper AS.

Sending a shockwave channeled through the blade Gauron was sent off balanced. Landing on the ground a ducked to dodge Gauron’s swift sideways slash. “Gauron... I... Will... Kill... You...” Tilting the blade I sent a fast, strong blow to the right arm of the Reaper.

The arm of Gauron’s AS hit the ground below him, it was completely severed from the Reaper. “Well that’s a first, time to get back to the 21st century.” He fired an energy wave at me, quickly I created a shield from the former katana. The two energies met a power struggle ensued, I materialized another energy wave in my right hand.

“This is for my family you bastard!” I fired the second energy wave through my shield, both energies were distorted and both my shield and Gauron’s energy wave were negated. My latent energy wave hit Gauron head on. Waves of energy engulfed the Reaper. Inside the ball of energy the black Arm Slave was tossed about like a rag doll. The explosion that followed engulfed the surrounding area in flames.

“Goodbye Gauron, hopefully all your remaining lives burn along with the innocent people you killed with no hesitation.” As I watched the black Arm Slave bath in the flames snow began to fall. “Mithril HQ this is Sgt. Sousuke Sagara. I have eliminated the threat know as Gauron and beginning to destroy all remaining Arm Slaves.”

“Roger Sgt., Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin will be waiting for your report upon return to Japan. Miss Chidori is safe in Japan and her family is currently under watch. Sgt. Major Mao, Sgt. Weber, and Sgt. Jenshisake have been picked up and are now undertaking medical treatment.”

“Roger, after completing my task I will call in and request pick up.”

“Roger Sgt. Over and out.”

The comm link went silent, “it’s time to finish the task assigned to me.” One by one I destroyed the remaining M9s and Shadows. “I’ll be home soon Kaname, I will not return to the Dadanaan if I can not protect you.” Gazing into the night sky, the moon glowing pale. The wind picked up as the flames died down, the snow began to fall.

As I gazed at the pale moon tears came to my eyes for the first time. These tears were shed for the family I have never known, who I could not remember. Tears for Kaname, how much I could not give her, and the past I can never escape. I can no longer love Kaname, she should not love a demon like I.

Just then a message came on my screen, “what’s this?” The message was from Kaname, ‘Sousuke... Make it back to me alive, I don’t want to be a widow before I am even married!! Love Kaname!’ I could barely smile, maybe Kaname could create a cage for the demon inside me... I mean she helped me through so much, what’s to say she couldn’t help me now.

“Sgt. Sagara, the is Cmdr. Mardukas speaking.”

I cringed, “what is it Sir?”

The mans voice lightened, “I am sorry Sgt., sorry that you had to fight Gauron again.”

My voice became cold, “you should not be sorry for that,” I sat in the snow staring at the moon praying that some where else Kaname was safe, staring at the same moon I was staring at now. “Be sorry that you have kept such a horrible secret from me, be sorry that I have found out the truth.” I glanced down at the wreckage of the Reaper, “and sorry that if you keep me away from Kaname,” I paused for a second then growled. “Be sorry that if you decide to keep me away from Kaname, you will make an enemy out of me.”

I heard gasp on the other side of the line, “it appears that you have people behind you that have heard what I have said. Give my regards to Tessa,” remembering what Tessa has done to keep me away from Kaname I shot the remnants of Reaper. “She will be an enemy as well, any one involved in keeping me away from Kaname shall become my enemy, even Kalinin!”

I heard a laugh on the other side of the line. “Well Sagara, it seems my decision to assign you to Tokyo paid off in the end.”

“K-Kalinin?? I thought you were on a flight from Russia to Japan.”

“Sousuke, you must understand that what are feeling is normal.” I couldn’t stop myself from crying, why am I so weak right now. “You are crying Sousuke, and do not be embarrassed. You have found something that you wish to protect for reasons other then your duties. I understand this feeling for I felt the same way when I had met my wife, you have found something that no one else could give you other then Chidori.”

“Kalinin, if you stop me from going home to Chidori I will kill you!” I growled when I heard the Russian man laughed.

Why was he laughing, I have never heard Kalinin laugh so why now? “Sousuke, I would never keep you away from Kaname. In fact Sgt., I will work to keep you with Kaname because she will make you a better soldier,” the older man paused for a second, “and a better man.”

I left the fields of snow and blood, and when I had made it to the sea I asked Kalinin something that no one would have ever expected I would ask. “Kalinin, will you accompany me when I go to see Kaname?”

A smile escaped me when I heard Kalinin’s answer, “Yes Sousuke...”