First a note: the idea this piece came as to me as i was getting ready for bed thursday night, and its been demanding to be written EVER SINCE!
agh! I was up half the night last night, and most of today, writiing this thing. And the craziest part is It still won't me LET GO! I'm already working on the second chapter. Bleh!
Ahh, sorry about the little rant there. Anyway, before you read there's a few points you should be aware of...
1. I haven't seen all of the series yet. (poor me) So it's possible I might contradict something from later in the series.
2. This is more of an alternate universe kinda thing, but not really. Confused? Good. While it does feature an original character, as far as i'm concerned Sousuke's still the hero and Kaname's still his girl. Or she will be, er you get the idea!
It might be better to call this a retelling of the series. *shrug*
3. This is litterally an idea that just grabbed me and wouldn't let go until i worte it. So I have no idea where it's going. Well, I have a some idea, but nothing nailed down yet.
4. And Stuff.
So here it is....
The Devil Inside
Chapter 1
Lt.Cmdr. Andrey Kalinin walked through the corridors of the Tuatha de Danaan with calm purposeful steps. In his right hand were several folders, the letters TOP SECRET stamped in red across the topmost file. He quickly made his way to the Assault Landing Submarine?s brig, giving only cursory nods to the Mithril personal that came to attention as he walked by.
"Dirty business." He thought darkly as he returned the salutes of the two on duty MPs in the detention area. "That it would actually come to this." He banished the dark thoughts and addressed the duty-sergeant
?What is the prisoner?s status?? His tone was crisp with a hard edge. He would accept no delay.
?Commander,? the MP sergeant, already at attention, become even more rigid, ?the prisoner has been?difficult.? The MP swallowed as the burly Russian stared at him. ?He?s refused his meals, and becomes violent when anyone enters his cell. We, uh, had to restrain him with leg and wrist cuffs sir.?
?I understand.? Kalinin nodded and looked away from the MP. (Much to the sergeant?s relief.) ?I will speak with the prisoner now.? He stepped past to the two guards and into the detention area.
?SIR!? Both guards called out. ?You can?t go in there, sir!? The MP sergeant elaborated, ?The prisoner?s too dangerous.?
Kalinin paused, one hand on the bulkhead leading into the detention center. ?I was not aware a sergeant outranked a Lieutenant Commander.? The gray-haired Russian said quietly and slowly turned around. The MPs fought the urge to flinch from Kalinin?s glare. ?Is that what you?re trying to say?? Kalinin took a step toward the MPs and repeated his question, ?Is it??
?No sir.? The MPs managed to squeak. ?We-?
?I don?t want to hear it!? Kalinin turned back toward the detention cell. ?Just open the damn door and leave us alone. That?s all you need to understand! Is that clear??
?Yes sir.? The MP sergeant couldn?t agree quickly enough. He pulled a ring full of keys from his pistol belt and stepped past the Marine CO. After unlocking the door to detention cell A-09 he stepped back,? We?ll be right outside if you need anything sir.?
?I know, ?Kalinin said and clasped the sergeant warmly on the shoulder as he stepped inside. ?And I appreciate your concern.?
?Thank you sir!? The MP stood a little taller as the Lt. Cmdr. closed the door to detention cell A-09.
**
?Well, well,? A harsh voice taunted as Kalinin stepped inside, ?It?s old man Russky himself.? Kalinin could see a figure slouched on the only bunk in the ten by ten cell.
?I?d offer you a seat, but as you can see,? the figure lifted his chained hands to indicate the bare room. Besides the bunk, a small sink, and a toilet in the far corner, the room was completely bare.
?That?s fine,? the Russian said, ?I won?t be long.? The prisoner snorted but said nothing.
After several long moments of silence, the prisoner sighed and sat up. ?What?d you want Old Man? Here to put a bullet in my head?? He said bitterly, ?You gonna be the good little Commissar. Make an example of me before the troops?? He laughed loudly. ?Go ahead! Like I give a shit!?
"I need talk to Sgt. Major Mao about that little book of hers." Kalinin thought irritably. "He certainly didn?t speak like that when he first arrived."
Kalinin repressed a sigh and studied the young man. With both legs and hands cuffed and dressed in a bright orange prison jumpsuit, the young man certainly looked the part of the dangerous prisoner. However, this prisoner was barely seventeen years old.
The young man had short dark hair that was snarled and in complete disarray. He was slightly stocky of build, in spite of his nearly six foot frame. He had an IQ of over 180, and he was a fully qualified field-engineer and Arm Slave mechanic.
Look what?s happened to him. Kalinin thought. The young man had had a promising career in Mithril, or at least until he tried to bash his superior?s head in with a fire ax. Kalinin grimaced, Believe it or not corporal, I understand how you feel.
The Tuatha de Danaan?s Marine Commander shifted one of the files in his hand to the top and flipped it open. ?Lance Corporal Crispin Daniels, you are in violation of Article?s 4, 12, and 16 of the MCMJ. The charges are: disobeying a direct order during combat. Willful endangerment of Mithril personal. Willful and purposeful destruction of Mithril equipment. Refusing to obey a superior officer. Two counts of Aggravated Assault. Three counts of Assault upon a superior. And attempted murder of a superior.?
Kalinin closed the file and continued, ?When we reach home port you will be transferred to the MCF where you will await your tribunal.?
?HA!? Daniels laughed. ?You forget about my quick wit and sparkling personality.? The lance corporal leaned forward and sneered, ?Tell me something I don?t already know ya fucking Russky!? He then leaned back and tried to lace his hands behind his head, but was prevented by the wrist cuffs. ?If you?re here to gloat go ahead.? He turned away from the big Russian and muttered, ?We both know you?ll be glad to see me gone.?
?Are you finished?? Kalinin calmly asked. The Marine Commander was unfazed by the youth?s harsh words. They only served to hurt Daniels and both of them knew it. When the prisoner said nothing he continued, ?Due to the severity of the charges and your?uncooperativeness, if found guilty the best you could hope for is demotion to the rank of Private one and a sentence of fifteen years hard labor at the MDC. At that time, if your lucky, you may be eligible for parole.?
Silence was the only response.
?Is this what you really want?? Kalinin closed the file with a sigh. ?What would Allie-?
?Shut up!? The young man sat up with a scream. He lurched to his feet and hobbled toward Kalinin. His eyes were wild and his breath ragged. ?Don?t you dare pull that crap with me!? He yelled at the Russian and raised his hands threateningly.
Kalinin stared stonily at the young man, but made no move to defend himself. ?Do you really think your sis-?
?Stop it!? Daniels grabbed the lapels of the Russian?s uniform and panted dangerously, ?I swear to god, if you finish that sentence I?ll fucking kill you!? When he received no response, he slowly lowered his hands and stepped back from the Mithril Officer, but his body language radiated barely restrained violence. Indeed, the knuckles of the youth?s fists had gone completely white.
CLANK! The sound of a door being thrown open. ?Sir!? The MP sergeant stepped in with his hand on his weapon. ?Is every thing alright??
?Yes, sergeant,? Kalinin straightened his uniform without taking his eyes off Daniels. The young man looked away. ?Everything?s fine. You may return to your post, Sergeant.?
?But,? the MP tried to protest.
?That?s an ORDER!?
?Yes sir,? the MP meekly ducked back out and shut the door.
?You still got the fire don?t ya Old Man,? Daniels said with a strained laugh and collapsed onto his bunk.
?Court-martialed. Jailed. Dishonorably Discharged. Is that what you really want Cpl. Daniels?? Kalinin asked with an almost hint of concern.
?Yeah,? was the listless answer. The youth hunched his shoulders and stared at the bare steel floor of his cell, ?It doesn?t fucking matter anymore.?
?Commander Mardukas thinks you should be shot.?
?He would. The prick.?
?I agree with him.?
?Heh, figures.?
?The captain, however, does not.?
?Wha,? Daniels looked up incredulously. ?You?ve got to be kidding?? Seeing Kalinin?s stern visage he knew the former Spetsnaz commander was not joking. He shook his head in wonder and a ghost of a smile almost touched his face, ?She?s too fucking soft.?
?On that, we can agree.? Kalinin answered with a slight smile.
Daniels laughed.
?Tell me corporal have you heard of the Whispered?? Kalinin asked.
?Eh?? the teen engineer straightened up and regarded the older man standing in front of him. ?You mean like the Captain??
Kalinin stared in surprise. While hardly top secret, such information was kept under wraps. ?You know? How?? Kalinin was impressed that the corporal knew of the Madam Captain?s unique nature and let it show.
?Ah, well she told me,? he scratched his chin and pondered, ?I don?t know, maybe six months ago. We were fabricating components for the X-7?s chassis. I was amazed at her design specs and told her so. She then mentioned something about her brother and how they at least had that much in common.? Daniels shrugged, ?the rest wasn?t hard to figure out.?
?Very astute corporal,? Kalinin was more than impressed. It was a well kept secret that Dr. Testarossa, the head of Mithril?s R&D, was in fact one of the Whispered. And given the Madam Captain?s insecurities regarding her elder brother?.
?Hey,? the young man smirked, ?I may be a jack ass, but I?m not stupid.?
?You are also a criminal, ?Kalinin said pointedly. When the teen?s smirk turned to a scowl he continued, ?what else can you tell me about the Whispered corporal??
?Uhh,? he tried to scratch his head and cursed when he was unable to because of the wrist chains. ?Isn?t it part of Mithril?s charter to monitor, retrieve and/or eliminate all potential Whispered candidates if they should fall into the wrong hands??
?Correct,? Kalinin nodded. ?I am also happy to say we have accounted for 100% of all Whispered candidates.? Kalinin paused, ?Of course, not all of them are still living.? At the last, Kalinin seemed to deflate. At that moment the big Russian?s age was readily apparent.
?Um,? the teen turned away. He was uncomfortable seeing the Old Man like this. ?That?s too bad.?
?What you may not know,? Kalinin continued with a cough, ?is that in the past year and a half, various political extremists, terrorists groups and totalitarian regimes have stepped up efforts to acquire the secrets possessed by the Whispered.?
?What in the hell does this got to do with me?? He trailed off at Kalinin?s frosty glare and muttered, ?Okay, sheesh! Excuse me for asking.?
?Our Special Response Teams have done an incredible job stopping these groups from meeting their objectives, and I am happy to say less than half a dozen Whispered candidates remain outside of our custody.?
?Wait a minute! I thought you said 100% of the Whispered were accounted for?? Daniels interrupted with frown, ?Can?t you just grab the rest??
Kalinin let the interruption slide and answered the young engineer?s question, ?We?re not in the habit of stealing people from their homes corporal.?
When the young man said nothing else he continued, ?After almost eleven months, we have uncovered what we believe to be the final list of Whispered candidates. Unfortunately, one of them has fallen into enemy hands and is located in the former Soviet province of Kahbarovsk. SRT-Urzu has been dispatched to rescue her, and I anticipate her arrival on the Tuatha de Danaan in 15 days.?
?Her?? The teen sat back up and faced Kalinin. He felt a cold knot form in his stomach, and sweat begin to trickle down his back as he regarded the Mithril Officer warily. ?What do you mean??
?Exactly what I said corporal,? Kalinin spoke with a neutral expression. ?For some unknown reason, many of the Whispered candidates are in fact young women. I am surprised at your confusion, the Madam Captain, as you pointed out, is one herself.?
Daniels closed his eyes and placed his head in his hands. The air in the tiny cell suddenly felt stifling, and his breathing became erratic. It was giving him a headache. ?Just tell me what you want.? He whispered.
Kalinin also closed his eyes. ?I want you to guard a newly revealed Japanese Whispered candidate.?
?WHAT!? Daniels leapt up. ?Are you insane? I?m a fucking mechanic! Not one of your goddamn bootlicking naval infantry commandos!? The young man began to pace and somehow managed not to trip over his leg irons. ?What am I supposed to do when someone comes for her? Talk them to fucking death! Crack them in the back of the head with an axel wrench!?
?You?ve done so in the past.? Kalinin observed dryly.
Daniels whirled back to the Marine Officer with a crazed, desperate look, ?It?s not the same! Look at me! What the fuck can I do??
?Fluent in almost a dozen languages.? Kalinin read from another file. ?Accepted to the MIT Gifted Students Study program at age thirteen. Received an honorary degree in Arm Slave, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering by age fifteen.
?It just made them fucking look good,? the teen scoffed.
?You lied about your age and then joined the United States Marine Corps. However, you were discharged just before your sixteenth birthday when your true age was revealed.?
?Goddamn pricks.?
?Soon thereafter you became a member of Mithril as an Arm Slave mechanic and field-engineer. You helped insure the completion of the Tuatha de Danaan and have been instrumental in the development of the ARX-7 Arbalest.?
?Bah,? Daniels snorted, ?I just turned some wrenches and followed Captain Testarossa?s blueprints.?
?I?d say your more than qualified Cpl. Daniels,? Kalinin concluded. He closed the file unfazed by the young man?s protest.
?Wha,? the young man stared and licked his suddenly dry lips, ?Why me? I don?t?. What do I get out it??
?You?re intelligent, resourceful, capable of adapting to almost any culture or environment.? Kalinin?s eyes pinned the young man?s as he continued, ?And your ?history and maverick nature makes you uniquely suited for the job.?
?As to what you?d get?? The gray-haired Russian paused for breath, ?the fact is, you are still a part of Mithril and are expected to follow orders.?
?You think I?ll-? Daniels face flushed with anger.
?AND!? Kalinin cut the glowering young man off, ?you?re conduct on this mission will become a possible mitigating factor for your upcoming tribunal.? He waited for the young man?s response. It wasn?t long in coming.
?Ha!? The youth snickered. ?HAHAHA!? He then dissolved into full-blown laughter and soon the youth couldn?t control himself. He was almost maniacal as he laughed and laughed and laughed.
?That-? Daniels gasped. ?Ow, my head.? He giggled, ?Your face. Your stupid face!? He started hiccupping and collapsed onto the bunk. ?I can?t?this has got---to be the Captain?s idea!? He clutched his sides and struggled to breathe, ?Only she could come up with something.? He shook and twitched with suppressed mirth, ?something this hair-brained!?
?Actually,? The burly Russian said, ?it was my idea.?
The laughter stopped.
?What?? Daniels stared intently at the Russian commander, ?you?re CAN?T be serious!? His eyes widened at Kalinin?s slight nod. Then they narrowed, ?Why the fuck me? Why don?t you get that little toy soldier of yours?? He sneered, ?Sounds like the perfect job for little Sousuke Sagara!? At the young Mithril sergeant?s name, he raised his voice to a falsetto, ?Oh, Sousuke you big stupid knight in shining armor. Save me!?
?That,? Kalinin?s eyes narrowed dangerously, ?is uncalled for corporal.? At the youth?s scoff he sighed and reached for another file. ?I don?t have time for these games.? He thought darkly. ?Corporal, if you wish to spend the rest of your life rotting away in the MDC that?s your business.? Finding the folder he was looking for Kalinin tossed it at the young man?s feet.
Daniels was about to retort when his eyes saw the file on the ground. The name Whispered Status Report was clearly visible across the top, and the letters ?TOP SECRET- were stamped in red over the title.
He stared at the folder for a very long time. The air seemed to be squeezed from his body as he regarded the file. He was frozen in place and couldn?t move. He licked his lips and rubbed his palms against the legs of his jumpsuit for several moments. His eyes slowly traced the large letters on the file. Finally, he closed them and turned away.
?Corporal,? Kalinin began not unkindly, ?I?m not unsympathetic to your situation.?
?Go.? Daniels cut him off, ?Just?go away and leave me alone.?
?As you wish,? he turned toward the door. ?I?ll be back at 0530 tomorrow for your final decision.?
Silence was the only response.
?If your wondering, your not the only Mithril soldier I?ve selected for this mission. As soon as one is back on the duty roster, I?ll deploy an SRT to watch over the Whispered girl as well.?
?Then why me??
The question was so faint Kalinin was surprised he?d heard it. ?I refuse to take any chances.? The Russian answered frankly, ?More is at stake than Black Technology. That file contains everything we know about the Whispered candidates and their fates. Everything.?
Kalinin turned back around to face the young corporal. ?Look at me Daniels,? when the young man complied he locked gazes with the teenaged boy and repeated himself, ?Do you understand? Everything.?
After the sullen teen nodded the Russian commander spoke gravely, ?Yours isn?t the only fate that will be decided tomorrow corporal. I?d imagine you, more than anyone else, could appreciate what I mean. If you don?t believe me, that file will clear any doubts you may have.?
After a long pause he turned back to the door, opened it, and stepped out. ?I?ll see you in the morning Cpl. Daniels. After you?ve read the file, I think you?ll agree with my assessment.?
?Fuck you,? the young man spat at the officer?s back.
Crispin Daniels did not move or look up as Kalinin stepped out, shut, and locked the door. Instead, he starred at the far wall of his cell, rubbing the palm of his hands on the legs of his jumpsuit.
**
Kalinin let out a long sigh as one of the MPs secured Cpl. Daniels?s cell.
?You all right sir?? The MP sergeant asked in concern. ?He can get kinda rough.?
?I?m fine, sergeant.? Kalinin assured the MP. ?There?s nothing to worry about.?
?If you say so sir.? Both MPs looked skeptical.
Satisfied for now, Kalinin turned and began to walk out of the detention area followed by the two MPs.
WHAM! A loud crash followed by screaming startled Kalinin and the MPs. They rushed back into the detention area where the noise originated from.
BANG! THUMP! CRASH!
Kalinin halted and stopped the MPs as they came to the door the noise, and screaming, was coming from. It was detention cell A-09: Cpl. Daniels?s cell.
CLANG! The cell door seemed to shudder under a heavy impact. All the while the corporal?s screaming echoed throughout the detention area.
White-faced the MP sergeant moved to open the door, but Kalinin put a restraining hand on his shoulder.
?Sir,? the MP weakly protested, ?he?s going to hurt himself.?
?I know,? Kalinin said somberly, ?but there?s nothing we can do to stop that now.? He?d expected a reaction like this when he showed Cpl. Daniels that file.
The big Russian checked his watch, ?Go to the infirmary. Get a medic, no better yet, get the doctor down here. Tell them I sent you.? He looked up to see the MPs staring at him blankly. ?What are you waiting for!? He snapped, ?Move! Now!?
?Yes sir!? The lower ranked MP turned and all but ran for the infirmary.
The MP Sgt. and Kalinin waited impatiently for the doctor to arrive outside of Cpl Daniels?s cell. After a seeming eternity, the screams and violence stopped and was replaced by a soul-wrenching sob.
Kalinin sighed deeply and glanced at his watch. He was a bit surprised to see that less than two minutes had passed.
As the sobbing continued, he turned away from the cell door and sighed again. At that moment he felt tired, very tired, and extremely old. ?I understand how you feel corporal. I really do.?
End Chapter one
Still here? All right!
*ahem*
Since certain facts about Mithril just doesn't come up in the show (at least that I know of) I made a few terms and acroynms up.
They are as follows:
Edit: Also changed this part alittle too
The Devil Inside-Glossary of Terms
MCMJ -Mithril Code of Military Justice. Basically the legal code and rules of conduct all Mithril personal are subject to.
CO - Commanding Officer (This is actually used by the US military)
MCF- Mithril Correctional Facility. Most ships and bases have their own brigs or jails, but those are only designed to keep a prisoner for a short period of time. The MCF serves as Mithril?s more permanent jail. It?s used to hold those who are awaiting their hearing or trail, and for those who?ve been sentenced for longer than a month, to a maximum sentence of a year or two.
MDC- Mithril Detention Center - basically prison. This is where Mithril throw's their hard-cases and long terms sentences. It's a great place where you get to spend twelve hours a day making little rocks out of big rocks. Sounds fun doesn't it?
Basically, think of it as Mithril's equivalent to Ft. Lebonworth.
Old Man - just an affectionate way the soldiers of Mithril have of referring to Kalinin. Of course, they'd never address him like that!
SRT- Special Response Team. Sousuke, Melissa, and Kurz are member of Mithril?s SRTs. The way I look at it, the Special Response Teams are Mithril?s equivalent of Special Forces. They do many of the same tasks as special forces: Recon. Infiltration. Sabotage. Lightning raids, Hostage rescue, and assorted other tasks.
If there's anything you're not sure about let me know.
This story was orginaly inspired by a half-baked idea I had a few weeks ago. It was basically: what if Sousuke actually had a friend his own age (and similiar temperament) on the Tuatha de Danaan?
And how would that freindship change things within the series? And how would the friendship survive and/or change once Kaname entered the picture?
Basically the idea I had a few nights ago was to flip the previous one.
What if these two *friends* hated each other instead?
Then all kinds of ideas started flowing and what you see is the first part of it.
As you've seen Crispin doesn't like Sousuke at all! And he's not afraid to say it either. (yeah, he's a little jerk!)
However, sousuke doesn't like Crispin either, but being the way Sousuke is he's more low key about it. Rest assured though, the feeling is quite mutal!
Moving on, despite how this chapter ended this is not supposed to be a dark fic or anything. It's actually a drama, which has everything. Action, silliness, WAFF, angst, et al.
The second chapter will be a LOT lighter. I promise.
