My command of English is only average. So, if anyone wants to scream at me about butchering the language, PM me.
And there's some strong languages towards the end of this one, so y'all watch out.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Full Metal Panic! Enjoy...
Whispered Reign: Chap 1 (Prologue)
The streets of Tokyo were crowded with people who had just finished work and were on their way home. It was already dark for this time of day. Signboards lit up prettily lighting the streets with colors. Young teenagers were strolling around from one department store to another, spending their allowance on CDs and clothing. Even if they could not afford such items, they would spend long hours just looking and trying on the clothes, wishing they had enough money to purchase them and show off their new wardrobe to their envious friends. Traffic was heavy, coming to a crawl at certain times. Express busses were ferrying tired businessmen home after having successfully negotiated large contracts with their clients.
A man stood in an alley watching all this. No, he was not interested. He had more important matters to attend to. He was an Arabic foreigner, wearing a long coat and a hat so that people wouldn’t pay special attention to him. He rubbed his mustache and looked at his watch.
6.35p.m., Wed, Nov 3. Where was that phone call? It was getting late and he was getting irritated. His flight to Osaka will be leaving in two hours. That might seem like plenty of time but traffic was getting worse by the minute.
Just as he was about to leave, his phone rang. He searched for the phone, then answered it.
“Speak,” he said, almost in a commanding tone of voice.
“He’s coming around the corner, sir.” replied the person on the other side.
“Good. Get the car ready. We’ll be leaving soon.”
“Yes, sir.”
He ended the call and walked out alley scanning the people walking by. He pulled his hat down to cover his eyes, leaving just enough for him to see in front of him. He started walking slowly carefully looking at faces, trying to identify them.
Where is he? It’s been so many years. He doubted if he could still recognize the person he was looking for. The previous phone call had informed that his target was wearing a school uniform walking with a girl in a sailor suit.
Yes… There they are. Two students.
He wasn’t interested in the girl but rather the young man. He looked intently at the boy but still he could not recognize him. He asked himself if this was really the one he was looking for. Could his subordinates have made a mistake?
Then, his gaze fixed upon the boy’s chin. There was an X-shaped scar. There was no doubt anymore. He had found his man. He kept walking though. Right until he bumped into the boy’s shoulder and still, he did not stop.
“Sorry, sir.” the boy said in all sincerity.
The man stopped instantly, pausing a moment and then said in Arabic “So, the rumors are true…. You are still alive. I would have never thought it possible…. Kashim….”
“…”
Sousuke was caught by surprised. But he did not show it. Instead, he checked out the man who had called him by the name he had used while he was fighting along side his fellow Afghani rebels. Who is this man? From his posture he must have had military training. It can’t be Gauron, can it? No, he saw him die. He put six bullets into Gauron himself before Gauron was blown to bits. He reached for his Glock but did not pull it out immediately. The man turned around and took off his hat.
“…Omar? Is it really?” Sousuke almost couldn’t believe his eyes.
“I’m surprised you could still remember me. Yes, it is me indeed.”
“I thought you had died when Gauron attacked your family’s estate.”
Omar paused, as if trying to keep his emotions under control.
“No. My brother and I had survived. After the incident, our mother moved the rest of our family to Israel. We studied in Tel-Aviv for six years.”
“How are you doing now?”
“Not too bad. My brother and I managed to wrestle over control of my father’s company from another company who had swallowed it up after my father’s death. Now, we own 60% of the company’s share. But enough about me. What about you?”
“Oh… erm… I’m now a studying at Jindai High School.”
“Ha ha ha… from a fighter to a student. It’s pretty ironic.” Omar gave a hearty laugh.
Passers-by were looking strangely at these two speaking in Arabic but did not stare rudely or anything. Most lost interest and continued their journey. Others looked a while longer and whispered secretly in to their friends ears, giggling away.
Minutes later, a black car pulled over beside them.
“Well, I’d love to talk but I’ve got a plane to catch. See you later. Here’s my card if you need anything.”
Omar took out a card from his pocket and handed it to Sousuke who accepted it politely. It wasn’t in Arabic but in English; it read:
Jibril Industries
Omar bin Faraday
Chief Executive Officer
Tel: -----------------
Fax: ----------------
omar_faraday@jibril.com
He got into the car and shut the door. Sousuke was still reading the details on the card. Jibril – Archangel of Allah. Omar winded down the tinted windows and told Sousuke with a wink:
“Your girlfriend is very pretty. You are very lucky, my friend.”
“N-”
Sousuke didn’t finish his sentence as Omar told the driver to hurry to Haneda Airport and the car sped off. He watched as the car took off and stored the card in his pocket.
“So… who was that?” Kaname who was surprisingly quiet during their entire conversation, asked.
“That was an old friend,” Sousuke replied shortly.
“That’s it!? An old friend!?” Kaname was expecting a more detailed explanation.
“I’ll tell you about it later.”
“Fine… Besides, we have to get going and buy the supplies we need. We need to get the door fixed. Are you sure you know how to repair a broken lock?”
“Affirmative. Security must not be taken lightly.”
“Well, we won’t need to fix the lock on my glass door if you didn’t shoot it!!” Kaname’s voice was rising steadily and towards the end of the sentence, she was nearly shouting.
“But, Chidori… I heard screaming and I-” Sousuke tried to offer an explanation but was cut short by Kaname.
“It was the radio!!”
Sousuke looked down, feeling ashamed that he, a specialist, had made such a mistake and caused damage to her property. Looking at him like this, she calmed down. At least he’s sorry.
“I’m sorry, Chidori.”
“It’s alright. Let’s just go get the parts we need.”
They entered a hardware shop and picked out all the necessary tools. Actually, it was Sousuke who picked out everything they need. Kaname was just accompanying him. After paying for all the items, they took the train back to Choufu-Shi and walked the rest of the way to Kaname’s house.
She unlocked the door and invited him in. Sousuke immediately begin fixing the broken lock without wasting any time. Kaname watched for a little while in curiosity and then went to her room to change. Sousuke worked quickly and soon he had finished repairing the lock. He wondered if he should set a trap but decided against it at the last moment.
Kaname cooked a light dinner and they ate together. After dinner, she cleaned up and Sousuke who didn’t like the idea of Kaname doing all the work, helped wash the dishes. Having finished cleaning up, they sat down and Sousuke began to talk about Omar.
Omar’s father was a weapon’s dealer. He wasn’t just any illegal gun-runner. Omar’s father, Faraday, owned a legitimate company. He was a sympathizer of the Afghani rebels and he provided weapons to aid their cause without the government’s knowledge. This happened even before Sousuke had joined the rebels.
When he did, Faraday was already one of their major suppliers of weapons. The leader of the rebel placed much trust in Faraday. Sousuke remembers ever once in a while, the rebels’ leader would bring some men and him to go pick up weapons at a secret place they had been using for years.
Faraday was a strict man and since the war was still ravaging on, his children, Omar and Jaafar, did not go to school. So, he would bring them along hoping they would learn the tradition of the trades. Sousuke, known as Kashim back then would play with the two when the adults were dealing business.
Then one day, Faraday had betrayed them.
He disclosed the locations of the Afghani rebels’ hideout to Gauron. He had a hand in wiping out the whole camp and killing his comrades. Kashim hold a grudge against Faraday but not his family. They were innocent after all.
Still, killing Faraday had not been a priority. Tracking down Gauron was his first priority then. He tracked Gauron to Faraday’s estate and was surprised to find that Gauron had killed everyone there. The servants, Faraday’s parents and of course, he found Faraday’s body at the front lawn. His wife and kids were nowhere to be found. Sousuke had presumed them dead.
“But they survived,” Kaname finished his story.
“Yes. That man just now was Omar, two year older than me.”
“Well, they seem to be doing quite well. Very well, actually.”
“I agree.”
They continued to talk a little more and when the clock struck 9.00 p.m., Sousuke went back to his apartment where he gave in the day’s report, finished his homework and checked the perimeter defenses.
It was late when he finished. Just as he was about to go to sleep, he thought about the brothers again. Omar should be 19 years old and his younger brother, Jaafar, should be 16.
He peeked out through the curtains and looked at Kaname’s apartment, checking to see if everything was alright. He could see Kaname’s silhouette and was compelled to stay and watch as if in a trance. Only when she switched off the lights did he snap out of his thoughts. He too went to sleep at his usual spot, under the bed.
*****
November 3rd, 2310 Hours (Japan Standard Time)
Osaka Bay, Japan.
A limo pulled over and General Philip Émile of Mithril’s Intelligence Department exited the vehicle with two mean-looking bodyguards in black suits. He told the driver and his bodyguards to stay where they are. He was going for a slight stroll by the bay. General Philip was one of the officers of Mithril’s Intelligence Department. His cover is a Japan expatriate in Japan. He was a businessman and he runs one of Mithril owned front companies.
He was walking very fast and nervously for someone just taking a stroll but his bodyguards kept to their orders. General Philip walked quickly and soon saw a man already waiting for him. The man looked out over the sea. A sudden gust caught the edge of the man’s coat and flipped it about wildly. General Philip noticed the gun under the man’s armpit. He gulped and headed over to the man.
“I have what you want,” the general spoke to the man in English and gave him a mini-disc together with an envelope.
“Good, General. I thank you. Cold, isn’t it, today?” the man replied in English with a slight Arabic accent.
“Yes. Yes. Stop playing games with me, Omar. You have what you came for. Now let my family go. They have nothing to do with this.”
“Of course, General. Straight to the point. I will honor our deal.”
Omar took out his cell phone and dialed a number. After the line has gotten through, he commanded in Arabic to the man on the other end of the line.
“My men have pulled out. Nobody is targeting your family now. Don’t look so worried. Oh, right. Meet my brother, Jaafar.” Omar pointed to a man behind the general.
The general turned around and was startled to see someone standing so close behind him. The man was young, probably just a teenager. He held out his hand politely.
“Nice to meet you, General.”
The general hesitated but shook his hand nevertheless. When his grip was firm, he suddenly felt something like an electric shock. He couldn’t move. It felt like someone was forcing their way into his brain. This boy- he was accessing his mind by mere touch. Despite his efforts, the boy was reading him like an open book. As soon as it started, it had stopped. The general staggered and leaned against the railing.
“He was telling the truth. That mini-disc is valid,” Jaafar told his brother, putting his gloves back on.
“Just precaution, General. Sorry for the trouble.”
The general was about to lose his temper when he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Cold steel pierced his skin and muscles and finally reached his heart, and there the blade remained. The general writhed in pain. Jaafar had placed the combat knife in his chest. Jaafar stuffed his hand into the general’s pocket and removed him of his wallet. What? They are into petty theft, too? That was the general’s last thought before Jaafar removed the knife. Walking a small distance away, Jaafar turned and threw it at the general striking him in the neck. The general tripped over the railing and fell into the sea.
“Show off,” Omar remarked. Then, he added “Throw the wallet away. They’ll think that it’s a robbery.”
“You don’t have to tell me,” Jaafar answered with a grin.
“Are the men ready?”
“Yes. We begin our assault tomorrow.”
“Be careful.”
“I will. So, how was your previous meeting?”
“The bastard says that Gauron killed our father. He didn’t know we saw him standing over our father’s corpse.”
“If we hadn’t had took off to play, mother and the both of us would’ve been killed by him, too.”
“Enough about him. Let’s go. Rayhan has readied the ticket to Malta.”
Thanks.
