The Devil Inside Ch.24

[Shinobi]

Notes: Wow! Everyone's worried about Crispin. I'm happy to hear that!
Any way here's the next. Only one more to go!

and stuff

The Devil Inside
Chapter 24

?Come in.? Kalinin said at the unexpected knock at his office door. It had been four days since the successfully retrieval of Angel. He looked up and saw Sousuke Sagara step inside. The sergeant?s left arm was in a sling. ?Shouldn?t you be in the infirmary Sergeant??

Sousuke came to attention and saluted. When Kalinin returned it he spoke. ?I was released today sir.? Sousuke had torn the muscles of his shoulder when Kaname pushed him down. ?And I am fit for light duty sir.?

?At ease Sergeant.? Kalinin nodded at the empty chair in front of his desk. ?Have a seat.?

Sousuke did as instructed. He sat ramrod straight with feet and knees pressed together. The two soldiers sat quietly for several moments before Sousuke spoke. ?I wish to apologize sir. For disobeying your orders.? Sousuke of course was referring to the Field-17 command relayed thru Cpl. Daniels.

?I won?t pretend to be happy about it.? Kalinin said. ?But considering Gauron was the mastermind, in the end you did the best thing.? Kalinin was amazed the ruthless mercenary was still alive. ?There?s no need to apologize.? Kalinin regarded the young man before him. ?However, I?m curious what made you reveal yourself to Dhalin?? Kalinin referred to the old apothecary.

?I-I don?t know sir.? Sousuke?s eyes were shadowed by his bangs. He didn?t understand why he had acted the way he did either. All he knew was that the thought of Kaname in danger drove him to desperate acts. ?I apologize for my actions.?

?Accepted.? Kalinin said. ?Think no more of it. You?ve performed your duties admirably.? The Russian had some idea what drove Sousuke to disobey his orders, and he was not overly concerned. ?And to be honest I?m more worried about Gauron. If he?s still alive then we must be extra vigilant.?

?Yes sir.? Sousuke agreed whole heartedly. He had never faced a man more vicious or dangerous.

?I?m also concerned about this fourth man you reported.? Kalinin pulled out a file. ?According to Urzu-2 there were only three bodies in the ravine. All of whom were active duty US Marines on leave.?

?Could he have been Gauron?s partner?? Sousuke asked. He was certain two men had grabbed Kaname at that night club in Naha.

?Yes, that is the most likely explanation.? Kalinin nodded. ?If that is the case he is a formidable opponent as well. Both he and Gauron managed to evade detection by a dozen Mithril Operatives and escape the area while severely wounded.? Kalinin had to admire the skill and fortitude such an act took. ?Though I think it?s safe for a while. At the very least those two will spend a long time recovering from their wounds.? Kalinin nodded at Sousuke, ?Once again sergeant, you?ve done an excellent job.?

?Thank you sir.? Sousuke hesitated. ?However, Daniels was instrumental in the rescue of Angel.?

Kalinin regarded Sousuke. There was something in the sergeant?s demeanor. ?What?s on your mind sergeant? Speak freely.?

?Thank you sir.? Sousuke looked up and hesitated. He was surprised how difficult it was to ask what he wanted to ask. ?How is Ms. Chidori?? Sousuke shut his mouth with an audible snap. He didn?t trust himself to say anymore.

?Ms. Chidori is doing very well.? Kalinin actually smiled at the question. ?She was transferred to a hospital in Tokyo. I understand her friends and family were quite anxious to see her.? Kalinin trailed off and waited for Sousuke to speak again. The young man showed no visible signs of anxiety, but Kalinin knew the sergeant well enough to see Sousuke?s internal struggle. However, what Sousuke actually said caught Kalinin completely off guard.

?I?d like to testify at Daniels?s tribunal.? Sousuke starred straight ahead as he spoke.

?Excuse me?? Kalinin blinked.

?I wish to be a witness at Daniels tribunal.? Sousuke repeated himself. ?If that?s alright with you sir.?

?Well, as you know Daniels suffered several gunshot wounds to the shoulder and chest. The Chief Medical Officer tells me he may be ready to face trial after a few month?s recovery at one of our permanent medical facilities.? Personally Kalinin was surprised the Lance Corporal was still alive. He had read both Sgt. Major Mao?s field report of Daniels condition when they found him and the CMOs medical report when Daniels was brought to the medical bay. The corporal had been shot three times in the chest at point blank range and twice in the upper arm and shoulder. ?Though to be honest it?s uncertain he will recover at all.? Kalinin confessed. Even now Daniels was still in critical condition.

?I see.? Sousuke lowered his head.

?Correct me if I?m wrong sergeant.? Kalinin turned his chair away from Sousuke and glanced sideways at the sergeant. ?But I was under the impression your deposition had already been taken. The prosecutor said your presence wasn?t necessary at the trial correct?? Sousuke was the one who had ultimately subdued Daniels during his homicidal rampage in the AS hanger. His testimony was a key part of the prosecution?s case.

?That is correct sir.? Sousuke nodded and looked back up. ?But that?s not what I meant.?

?What do you mean then?? Kalinin turned back toward Sousuke. This was getting very strange.

?I want to testify on his behalf.?

Kalinin starred at Sousuke a long time and finally asked. ?Why??

?What happened to Daniels sir?? Sousuke asked instead. He recalled Daniels?s hysterical episodes when Kaname was missing. The corporal had been paralyzed by what he believed to be Kaname?s fate. A fate Daniels knew had been shared by others.

They?ll tear her apart!

?You know I can?t answer that.? Kalinin simply said.

?But something did happen?? Sousuke pressed. He knew the commander would never divulge personal information about any of the crew, even a criminal like Daniels.

?Yes.? Kalinin finally agreed. He was interested to see what Sousuke was getting at. ?However, I fail to see what that has to do with the current situation.?

?Sir, without Daniels?s foresight. Without his technical skills.? Sousuke trailed off. It was difficult for him to admit this. ?I-I never would have been able to rescue Ms. Chidori.? Sousuke?s jaw clenched at the thought of Gauron escaping with Kaname.

?It became clear to me after Chidori?s abduction that Daniels is not well.? Sousuke continued, ?but despite his? difficulties he carried on with the mission. He fought hard. Harder than most men I?ve seen to accomplish his mission. A mission you assigned him sir.? Sousuke pointed out.

?Yes, sergeant. Yes he did.? Kalinin agreed. ?What do you hope to accomplish??

?I know what he did and I believe he should face the consequences of his actions.? Sousuke explained. ?But I want the tribunal to know what he?s done and suffered for this mission.? Sousuke starred at Kalinin. ?I think it?s the right thing to do.?

?Commendable.? Kalinin smiled again. At that moment he was extraordinarily proud of Sousuke. ?It?s an easy thing, natural even, to hate a man like Daniels. It?s much harder to understand them. That takes a different kind of strength.? Kalinin paused to let that sink in. ?Most men lack that kind of strength. I?m glad to see you do not?

?Thank you sir.?

?Very well.? Kalinin agreed. ?I?ll see that you have a chance to speak on Daniels behalf.? Kalinin stood and Sousuke did the same. ?However, before you leave.? Kalinin walked toward his door. ?I have something I wish to show you.?

**

?What is it?? Sousuke stared at the sleek and powerful looking humanoid machine stored in a secluded section of the secondary AS hanger. Sousuke was fairly certain it was an Arm Slave, but it was far different than any AS he had seen.

?This is one of Mithril?s greatest secrets. A prototype Arm Slave, ARX-7 Arbalest.? Kalinin turned to study Sousuke?s reaction. He was not disappointed. The sergeant starred up at the glittering white AS with wide-eyes. ?If what R&D claims is true, then this AS may be the most potent weapon in our arsenal.?

?Most potent?? Sousuke starred at Kalinin. ?More so than TDD-1?? At Kalinin?s nod Sousuke felt light-headed. He would never have believed it possible and yet?

There?s something she knows. Some secret that could change the balance of power in the world.

Sousuke recalled Daniels words as they searched for Kaname and what it was whoever hired Gauron wanted. Looking at the Arbalest, somehow Sousuke knew what the commander said was the truth. ?I understand.? Sousuke nodded.

?Good, because I want you to pilot it.?

?What?? Sousuke starred at Kalinin. ?Me? There must be someone better suited!?

?No Sergeant. I disagree. You are the one best suited to pilot the Arbalest.? Kalinin frowned as he regarded the AS in question. ?If it can be piloted at all.?

?If it can be piloted?? Sousuke parroted the commander.

?Yes, we?ve had difficulty during activation tests.? Kalinin explained. ?It?s appears unable to boot up properly. It?s very bizarre. The Madam Captain has been trying to sort the problem out. It?s too sophisticated a machine for our normal techs.?

The thought of the silver-haired captain made Sousuke pause. He knew she was quite capable. Rumor had it she had designed the Tuatha de Danaan. Sousuke had never paid much attention to the rumor but he was suddenly struck by the incredulousness of the idea. A young girl with the knowledge to design and build the most powerful naval vessel in the world.

They think Kaname?s one of the Whispered.

Sousuke stiffened as the conversation he had with Daniels about Kaname rang thru his mind.

She probably doesn?t even realize she knows this stuff.

It was crazy but somehow it made sense. Could this be what Daniels meant?. That Kaname actually knew about these kind of things? Things no person should know.

There?s something she knows. Some secret that could change the balance of power in the world.

?Sir, does this have to do with the Whispered?? Sousuke finally asked.

?How did-?Kalinin stopped and looked at Sousuke sharply. ?I couldn?t answer that either way.? It appeared Cpl. Daniels had been talking about things best left unsaid.

?I? understand sir.? Sousuke did not push the issue. He was certain now. This is what they wanted Kaname for. And somehow he suspected the blue-haired girl might share more than age with the de Danaan?s Captain.

?Our intelligence bureau has disseminated information that the kidnappers failed to find what they were looking for in Kaname Chidori. That should buy us a little time.? Kalinin sighed. ? However, with Gauron is still alive we can be sure he will try to capture Ms. Chidori again.?

Sousuke felt his stomach grow cold at the thought. He showed no sign of the concern he felt. Instead he apologized. ?I?m sorry I failed to finish him off sir. Both times?

?Don?t blame yourself Sergeant.? Kalinin regarded Sousuke. ?There was no way to know he was still alive. Both times.? Kalinin frowned. ?And to simply have riddled his corpse with bullets would make the two of us no better than he.?

Kalinin starred at the silent form of the ARX-7. ?We know our foe. He is blood-thirsty and relentless. Drastic measures need to be taken.? Kalinin nodded as if deciding something. ?That is why I?ve set an insurance policy in place.?

?Insurance policy?? Sousuke asked in confusion.

**

?W-where am I?? Kaname groaned. She looked around groggily. She was in a white bed in a bare white room. It looked like a hospital room. She tried to sit up and gasped in pain. Her side and back throbbed painfully.

?You shouldn?t try to sit up. At least not yet.? A feminine voice said.

?Who are you?? Kaname saw a dark-haired women with lavender eyes sitting on the edge of her bed. The woman was dressed in a nurse?s uniform, but for some reason Kaname didn?t think she was a nurse.

?It?s good you?re awake.? Melissa smiled at the girl and ignored her question. ?We were starting to get worried. You were asleep for five days? Melissa leaned forward and grabbed Kaname?s wrist. ?Now hold still.? She placed two finger?s on Kaname?s wrist and checked her pulse. ?So how are you feeling??

?Wha?? Kaname stared at the woman. The whole situation seemed surreal. Like reality had stepped outside for a moment. ?I got shot! How do you think I feel?? Kaname snapped and winced when pain shot thru her lower abdominal area.

?I?d say your doing pretty well then.? Melissa sat back with a smile.

?Just? what?s going on?? Kaname starred at the women and held her side. Kaname noticed the IV stand next to her bed. There were three different bags of clear liquid. A lot of tubes ran from them, but only one came to her wrist. ?Where do the rest go?? She wondered.

?Your persistent.? Melissa chuckled. She liked Kaname?s attitude. ?And to answer your question I?m with Mithril.?

?Mithril!? Kaname starred wide-eyed at the women. Questions and thoughts of Sousuke ran thru her head. ?Sousuke! What about Sousuke? And what in the hell is Mithril?? The questions came out all jumbled and Kaname snapped her mouth shut in embarrassment. ?Sorry.? She looked away.

?Sousuke?s fine. In fact he?s already been released from the hospital.? Melissa explained. ?As for Mithril? Think of us as an army for hire. Except we?re real particular about who we work for. We spend most of our time fighting petty dictators and drug lords.? Melissa tilted her head in thought. ?I guess you could call us champions for justice or something.? She shrugged at the last.

?How come I?ve never heard of anything like that?? Kaname felt more confused than before. ?Champion?s of Justice? What the hell?? She thought.

?It?s a lot easier to do our jobs if no one knows about us.? Melissa leaned forward slightly. ?Think about it. You can?t defend yourself from a threat you don?t know about right?? Kaname nodded and recalled how similar to her own situation that was. She shuddered at the thought.

?Sorry. Didn?t mean to bring back any unpleasant memories.? Melissa patted Kaname?s hand comfortingly.

?It?s okay.? Kaname clenched her eyes shut. After she regained control of herself she looked back at Melissa. ?So why are you telling me this? Am I your prisoner or something??

?No.? Melissa laughed at the idea. ?You?re not a prisoner! You?re in a hospital in Tokyo. We brought you here yesterday.? Melissa nodded at Kaname?s wide-eyed stare. ?In fact your family?s been notified and are on their way to see you as we speak.?

?My father?s coming?? Kaname was shocked. Her father was EXTREMELY busy and a workaholic.

?Yep and your sister too!? Melissa beamed at the girl. ?They should arrive in Tokyo in about five hours.? Melissa double checked her watch.

?Wow! That?s unbelievable.? Kaname felt stupid as soon as the words came out. She HAD been kidnapped after all. And she was shot on top of that. Why wouldn?t they come. Kaname sighed at her short-sightedness.

?Listen Ms. Chidori. This is very important.? Melissa starred intently at the girl. When she was certain Kaname was paying full attention to her Melissa carefully explained. ?There are certain people in this country and abroad that know about Mithril. If they knew you were rescued by us that could cause a lot of trouble for you and your family. Understand??

At Kaname?s wide-eyed nod she continued. ?The kidnappers knocked you out with some kind of drug and when you came to you were here. You were knocked out and don?t remember a thing. No matter how hard you?re pressed you MUST stick to this story. Do you understand??

?Yeah, but I?m kinda wounded here.? Kaname gestured to herself. ?Won?t it seem weird that I don?t remember getting shot?? It was certainly a memorable experience for her.

?Not really.? Melissa smiled and pointed out. ?There are anesthetics that can keep you unconscious while being operated on. I don?t think it?ll be hard to convince anyone you don?t remember getting shot.?

?I guess.? Kaname conceded the point. ?But what about my rescue? My father?s going to be pretty upset and he?ll demand to know everything that happened.?


?We?ve spread a story that a small group of American soldiers on a training mission found and rescued you.? Melissa shrugged. ?The kidnappers panicked and started shooting. The Americans had no choice but to fire back. Unfortunately you were wounded during the confrontation.? Melissa added. ?All of the kidnappers were killed during the fight.? Melissa hated to lie to the girl, but it was easier to cover up the incident if no one believed two of the kidnappers were still at large.

?I understand.? Kaname stared at her bed sheet and sighed. ?I?ll do as you want.?

?Good. Well I have to be going. Your friends are waiting to see you.? Melissa stood up to leave.

?Wait!? Kaname called desperately. ?What about Sousuke?? Kaname blushed at her outburst and looked away. ?Will I get to see him again??

?Sousuke?s already received his new assignment.? Melissa said and moved toward the door.

?Oh. I see.? Kaname starred at the floor in disappointment. ?Did he?did he leave any kind of message?.? Kaname voice quavered slightly. ?For me??

Melissa turned back and regarded the girl. ?No. Not that I know of.? Melissa finally answered. When the girl said nothing she opened the door. ?Goodbye Ms. Chidori. I doubt we?ll see each other again.?

Kaname said nothing as the woman walked out. Somehow she felt worse than she did before. The pain from her injuries was insignificant compared to the disappointment she felt. Kaname starred miserably at her lap for several minutes. She was roused from her misery when she heard a gasp.

Kaname looked up at the sound and stared in surprise. In the open doorway of her room were her friends: Kyouko, Maya, Mayuko, and even Kazama. They all looked extremely relieved. Especially Kyouko whose eyes pooled with tears.

?Kaname!? Kyouko cried out and flung her self into her friend?s arms. ?Your alright! I were so scarred!? She clung to her best friend and cried.

?AH!? Kaname gasped in pain at Kyouko?s grip, but the bespectacled girl didn?t let go. Kaname sighed and stroked her friend?s hair. ?Hey, it?s okay. See I?m just fine. There?s nothing to be scarred of.?

?We were really worried.? Mayuko said. Maya and Shinji nodded in agreement. ?We all came down as soon as they said you could have visitors. It took forever to find you. After you were rescued, they wouldn?t tell us what hospital you where at.?

?Kaname.? Maya?s eyes began to tear up. ?I?m sorry!? She threw herself on the girl as well. ?It?s all my fault you were taken!? She wailed alongside Kyouko. ?I?m so sorry!?

Kaname winced in pain from the two crying girls. ?Hey it?s okay. I?m okay. So will you stop that already?? She was ready to start crying herself. From the pain that was.

?That?s right.? A new male voice said. ?After all, the hospital wouldn?t let us see Chidori if she wasn?t recovering.?

?Yeah, ya see.? Kaname said in agreement. Both girls stopped crying and looked up.

?But we should be careful around Ms. Chidori for a while. We may aggravate her injuries.? The male voice continued.

?That?s right. I?m injured. So you better be nice to me!? Kaname nodded and smiled at her friends. Both girls wiped their eyes and stood back up.

?I?m glad you?re okay Kaname.? Kyouko smiled.

?We should be grateful to those American soldiers.? The voice continued.

?Yes we should-? Kaname gasped as the voice registered. She looked up and saw Sousuke Sagara standing behind her friends looking as clueless as ever.

?I guess. But why would American soldiers be on a training mission that far south? There aren?t any military reservations in southern Okinawa.? Shinji spoke while Kaname gaped in shock. ?It just doesn?t make any sense.? Shinji was ignored as he was the last three times he pointed out the flaws in the story of Kaname?s rescue.

?Sousuke?? Kaname starred at the boy, afraid it was a dream. ?Is that you??

?Yes.? Sousuke answered in his usual monotone. ?Why wouldn?t it be??

?Go ahead.? Kyouko grinned and stepped up behind Sousuke. ?It?s okay!? She shoved the dark-haired boy and sent him stumbling right to the edge of Kaname?s bed.

Sousuke caught himself before he fell on top of Kaname. ?Ah, yes.? Sousuke coughed and straightened up. ?This is for you.? He held out a package.

?Thanks.? Kaname said dubiously. It looked like a gardening book. She reached for it and blushed when Sousuke leaned forward.

?I?ll be around for a while.? Sousuke whispered as he handed her the package. ?I?m ?your insurance policy.? He stood back up.
Kaname starred wide-eyed at the boy. At his nod she smiled and threw her arms around him. ?Sousuke!?

Sousuke stood awkwardly. He had no idea what he should do. He decided on patting the girl?s head gingerly.

Maya and Mayuko giggled at the sight. Shinji sighed and wondered about his friend.

Kyouko took a picture.

End chapter 24

[Eden]

That was great! I'm glad that Sousuke is going to help Crispin out at his trial and all, and I like the way you tied this whole thing right back into the series! Tre cool.

So what does the next chapter have to hold? Well hopefully we won't have to wait long to find out.

Till next time!

~Eden

[darkbane]

sweet. very sweet. very good

although the last few sentences felt a bit rushed, but that's probably just coz i still have the overly sentimental episode 7 very well in my head.. and you can't really ocnvey it that way without it becoming all mushy..

your work is excellent, can't wait for that last chapter. i'd wish you write another 25 chapter story, but with the trial of crispin it might become difficult... but maybe he'll be pardoned and assigned to guard chidori, too? then we'd have a very interesting situation at hand.. would he become friends with sousuke after all, and what about his relationship with kyouko (who doesn't seem to miss him at all, i'm sure you simply overlooked that part towards the end)

anyway big kudos to you (i think that's the right term of praise?)

edit: oh and i forgot, very nice that shinji points out some problems with the obviously fabricated story... shinji's non-reaction to the problems happening in season 1 that he should be noticing as an AS otaku always bothered me, and it seems like you at least made if more real, if not planted the seeds for another story or more character development here.. nice

[necowaffer]

Phew! Crispin lived!

This chapter is just as sweet as the episode. Great job. I can't believe this story is coming to an end. Perhaps there will be another one?

[pilot03]

Good chapter. Will Kyouko and Crispin meet up in the last chapter? I can't wait for the next chapter!!

[AngelOfDeath]

Aw. Sousuke and Kaname sitting in a tree....

I mean.... good times. Stupid Gauron always getting away. That guy never knows when to stay dead. Yarg. And how noble of Sousuke to want to testify for Daniels. That made me smile a lot.

[Shinobi]

Everybody's worried about Crispin. Won't he be surprised!

I believe that Sosuke is ultimately a nice guy (if a little socially inept). It seemed natural to me that he would try to help Crispin in his own small way. He's just that kinda guy!

Anyway, I do plans for a sequel we'll see how that goes. However the sequel may go... Crispin's trial won't be a big focus of it. Why? Becasue he's GUILTY. The only real question is how long will Crispin rot in the MDC.

And I never forgot about Kyouko worring about Crispin, but her concern for him was overriden by the joy of reuniting with her best friend.

and stuff