11Tactical Retreat
By Lord Raa
Chapter 1
Disclaim-me-do: To not gamble is also a gamble.
Sousuke Sagara did not consider himself a complicated young man. He just felt that there were boundaries that needed to be respected.
Unfortunately, it seemed that there were an increasing number of people who couldn't understand his position and enjoyed invading his personal space.
The mercenary's memory told him that it had started when he was eight years old, soon after the death of his parents. While he had appreciated the comforting embraces and words, there had been more than a few times when things had started to get weird. Especially after he met Gauron.
Sousuke shuddered at the way his former mentor had grown increasingly desperate to spend time with him. Their relationship had started to get creepy a long time ago, but as a soldier, Sousuke had endured it as he had so many of the other hardships that came with his line of work. That said, his fellow guerrillas only had to deal with bad food, trench-foot and dysentery; the threat to their chastity was quite low.
Gauron had stepped things up from the "come to my camp, Kashim, we've got food, ammo and AS spares" to the kidnap attempts. He'd even kidnapped Kaname in an attempt to get his hands on Sousuke.
It was something that had upset the scarred youth. He knew that he was a "grunt" and that it wasn't his place to question the orders; his was to carry them out to the best of his ability. He was OK with being used as a pawn in the grand scheme of things.
But that didn't mean that he liked it when people he had grown close to were treated like that; especially when they were non-combatants like Kaname Chidori.
"Chidori," Sousuke said quietly as he thought about his current assignment.
Kaname Chidori was something of an enigma to the young mercenary. There were times when she was nice to him; her cooking certainly tasted better than the MREs he usually ate and her notes on Japanese history and literature had proven invaluable. However there was another side to the Whispered girl; one that seemed to speak of untold frustration and it was hard to say what frustrated her the most.
The fact that she was a Whispered meant that she had an intelligence greater than most of her peers and it was well documented that the intelligent felt frustration with those less able than themselves. So was it that?
Was it the dangers that had arisen from her status as Whispered? The kidnapping attempts that she and those like her suffered would stress anyone to breaking point.
Perhaps it was him and his lack of social skills? There had been several times when he had felt like a fish out of water, and if their positions had been reversed, it was conceivable that he'd been frustrated with a non-combatant trying to help out, only to end up risking the lives of everyone in the combat unit.
Yawning, Sousuke decided he would not get to the root of why Kaname Chidori seemed so conflicted that night and tried to get some rest.
Meanwhile; Kaname Chidori was also preparing to get some rest. She had spent most of the evening doing her own homework and preparing some notes for Sousuke. While she didn't have much trouble with Japanese literature, she knew that the "Military Maniac" in her class was struggling.
"He better appreciate this," the blue-haired girl muttered good-naturedly as she placed the notebooks in her schoolbag.
Safe in the knowledge that if she remembered her bag, then she'd be able to help out a fellow student, Kaname undressed for bed. She caught a glimpse of her body in the mirror and turned to face it, striking several poses. It was no wonder that she was considered by some to be an idol at Jindai.
Laughing off her effortless attractiveness as youthful silliness, the Whispered girl slipped into her pyjamas and climbed into bed.
The next day at Jindai, Sousuke found himself standing out in the corridor as punishment. His history teacher didn't appreciate how difficult it was to pay attention to a surprisingly dull lesson delivered in a monotone that could send insomniacs to sleep and keep an eye out for threats to Kaname.
Not that he could explain why he thought it was necessary to visually sweep the room for threats more than normal.
During the morning briefing, the mercenary had received warning about a new threat towards Kaname. Kurz had begun to tease him about the need to shadow Chidori throughout the day, but Mao had put a stop to that.
Then the sprinkler outlet he was standing under failed spectacularly, drenching Sousuke's torso.
The class rushed to the doorway to see a stoic young man sigh before stripping off his soaked shirt to reveal a well-toned physique. After a second take, they saw the scars.
There were scars from countless missions; from faded ones from his days as a child soldier in Helmajistan, to the one near his hip that he got when he rescued Kaname during the hijacked school trip.
"Is something the matter?" Sousuke asked, wringing his shirt out of the window.
"Y-your body…" the teacher stammered. "W-what happened to it?"
"I can't talk about it," the mercenary said, wringing more water out of his shirt.
"B-but…"
"I think we have more pressing matters to attend to, Sensei, like shutting off the water."
"What? Yes, of course, Kazama-kun, get to the janitor's office and tell them to shut off the water to the sprinkler system," the history teacher ordered with a surprising amount of emotion in his voice.
"Yes, Gatoh-sensei," Shinji Kazama nodded before rushing off
As the bespectacled youth hurried off to get the water shut off, the class returned their attention to Sousuke's shirtless form.
"Sagara-kun, I…" Tetsuo Gatoh said, suddenly feeling bad about the way he'd treated the mercenary. "I'm ordering you to the Nurse's Office. You need to get dry before you catch a cold."
"Yes Sensei," Sousuke nodded before walking down the corridor, his scars moving with his taut musculature.
Kyoko Tokiwa quickly got some snaps of the departing youth. As she reviewed them on her camera, she noticed that she was being crowded.
"I-is something the matter?" she asked nervously.
"I don't think you should be taking pictures of Sagara-kun without his permission," Gatoh said. "It's not polite and he's obviously someone who appreciates his privacy."
"But what if he needs our help, Gatoh-sensei?" a female voice asked. "What if he's too ashamed to ask for it?"
"…" It occurred to the teacher that in many cases, abuse victims were too scared or ashamed to speak up. But a few scars aside, there was no evidence that Sousuke Sagara was an abuse victim, so what should he do?
"Look, I know that as his friends, you all have his best interests at heart, but you have to understand just how delicate this sort of thing can be. I'm not even sure what the best thing to do is in this case."
"But Sensei…"
"If you interfere, you might make it worse," Gatoh cut off the protests. "I'll discuss things with the Principal first. In the mean time, you're not to talk about this with anyone."
Nurse Ami Kawamori was finishing up some paperwork when the door to her office opened. She looked up to see a buff, shirtless young man standing there.
"Oh my, I… is something wrong?"
"I'm sorry to bother you, but do you have a towel I could use? One of the sprinklers in the corridor ruptured while I was standing under it."
"Y-yes, of course," the young woman said, rising from her chair. "Are you alright?"
"Yes," Sousuke answered as he took the towel from the nurse and began to dry himself off. After a few minutes he turned to the attractive redhead. "I don't suppose you have a dry shirt I could borrow for the rest of the day, do you?"
"I'm sorry, but I don't," Nurse Kawamori apologised. "I don't mean to pry, but were you in a car accident?"
"No, not that I can recall. Why do you ask?"
"Your scars," the redhead said, pointing to the left side of Sousuke's abdomen.
"Oh, these, don't worry about them. They've all long since healed. If you don't have a shirt I can borrow, do you know where I can find one?" the mercenary asked.
Before the nurse could answer, the door slid open an in walked the president of the student council, Hayashimizu Atsunobu.
"Sousuke Sagara, I presume?" the bespectacled young man greeted with a smile.
"Yes, and you are?" Sousuke asked as two more people entered the room. "Chidori-san, is there something the matter?"
"No, I… well, it's just that…" the Whispered girl trailed off, unsure of what to say next.
"There was some concern for your well-being, Sagara-kun," the Council President explained. "Several students reported that you had been standing under the sprinkler when it failed."
"I was, but I am now dry. Do you know if there are any spare shirts that I could borrow for the rest of the day?"
"I keep one for sports in my locker, please follow me," Atsunobu instructed. "Forgive me for not introducing myself, but my name if Hayashimizu Atsunobu, I'm the President of the Student Council."
Ren Mikihara was the other person to enter the room and she looked at the way Sousuke managed to maintain his dignity, despite the obvious embarrassment of having to walk the corridors of Jindai without at shirt on.
She couldn't help be feel attracted to the handsome, though somewhat intense young man. 'His eyes tell of so much hardship and sorrow…'
Kaname found her eyes drawn to the wound Sousuke had sustained during her rescue. It had bled considerably, but still the "Military Maniac" had continued on and brought her back safely.
It was only the fact that he was leaving with the president of the student council that prevented her from giving him a reassuring hug.
'He needs help,' Kaname decided.
Tessa Testarossa sat in her office and looked questioningly at her second-in-command.
"Mister Kalinin, do you really think that I need some time off?"
"I… I did not say that, Captain, but if you wish to take some leave while the Tuatha de Danaan is in dry-dock, then it's your decision," the grey haired man answered diplomatically.
"Yes, but where could I…" the teenager paused as she thought about where to go during her time off. A thought entered her head. "I could go to visit Sergeant Sagara. Isn't he due a performance assessment about now?"
Kalinin raised an eyebrow.
"Well, maybe I just made that up. But I… I miss him," Tessa replied with a blush.
"I see," the Russian man nodded. "I think that we can arrange for a short visit."
"Thank you, Mister Kalinin, I'd consider this a personal favour if you could arrange it for me."
"I'll personally contact Sousuke now to see if there's any possibility."
Sousuke had just finished hanging out two freshly washed shirts to dry when he received a call from Kalinin.
"¬Sergeant Sagara, there's something I need to talk to you about.¬"
"What is it, Sir? Is there a mission you need me for?" the young man asked, eyeing the weapons he was planning to clean that evening.
"¬Captain Testarossa is coming to Japan,¬" the Russian man said.
Sousuke frowned. "Why? I was not aware of any problems with my mission."
"¬The Captain and I aren't aware of any problems with your mission or how it's been conducted,¬" Kalinin explained.
"Then why is she coming to Japan, Sir?"
There was a faint rustle of papers before the older man answered. "¬Sergeant Sagara, what I'm about to tell you is not to be repeated; is that understood?¬"
"It is, Sir," Sousuke answered, snapping to attention.
"¬Good. It seems that it's not your performance that's being questioned. It's the Captain's. She's a good person, but I think that we both know that she's not someone you'd want to take with you into combat.¬"
The scarred youth nodded as he thought back to the previous time he'd helped out the Captain during her bet with Mao. "I see. What sort of training did you have in mind, Sir? The training facilities I have access to in Tokyo are limited."
"¬I think it would be best for you to help her with tactical awareness training, rather than physical fitness. Do you think you could assist her with that?¬" Kalinin asked.
"Yes, Sir. When will this new assignment begin?"
"¬Soon, I shall contact you again with more details in the next few days. The rest of Urzu team may be called upon to assist you.¬"
"Understood, Sir," Sousuke replied.
Half an hour later, Kaname Chidori was preparing herself to knock on the door to Sousuke's apartment. She wasn't sure if it was the "done thing" for a girl to visit a boy like this, but she did feel obligated to be nicer to Sousuke for saving her life.
Even if he did make it difficult at times with his random acts of violence and demolition.
The blue-haired girl took a deep breath and made sure she could be clearly seen in through the peep-hole before knocking on the door.
There was a pause before the chain was removed and the door opened.
"Can I help you, Chidori-san?"
"Good evening, Sousuke," Kaname smiled. "I was wondering if you've eaten."
The mercenary looked down at the container of food that his classmate had brought with her. "I haven't yet, I was busy performing maintenance."
"Then would you like some of this? It's curry."
"Thank you," Sousuke bowed in appreciation as he took the dish off Kaname. He was about close the door on her, when he realised that he hadn't given her notebook back. "Please come in and close the door. I'll get your notebook."
Kaname grimaced for a moment before stepping inside and closing the door behind her. She glanced around, unsure if she should be surprised or not that Sousuke hadn't done more to personalise his living space.
"Sousuke," she said after slipping off her shoes, "is everything alright?"
"Yes," the mercenary answered. "Why is everyone asking about my status today?"
"It's… well, it's because you're you," the Whispered replied. When it became clear that he didn't understand, Kaname clarified her point. "Let me explain that a bit better. Today, you were drenched by the sprinkler system."
"I've been colder and wetter," Sousuke countered.
"Well, maybe, but that's when you were on a mission."
"My mission is to protect you, Chidori-san. Besides, it's been quite warm today."
"I…" Kaname sighed. "I was talking about your scars, Sousuke. Today was the first time that a lot of people saw them. They're worried about you."
Sousuke blinked in surprise. He was used to people being concerned about him, whether it was as a child soldier in Helmajistan or a member of the Team Urzu, but these were people who had a vested interest in keeping him alive.
Compassion from strangers, however, seemed alien to him. And to be perfectly honest, it reminded him of the time he worked with Gauron.
"But why?"
"Because it's natural to feel compassion for your fellow human being, you big jerk!" Kaname shouted. She slapped her hand over her mouth as she realised what she'd just said. "I'm sorry, Sousuke. I didn't mean it like that, I just… Can't you understand why people want to make sure that you're OK?"
"I do, I just don't understand why these people are worried about me. Mao and Weber are my teammates; they've risked their lives for me, and I've risked my life for them."
"But you've helped out people who aren't your teammates or when it's not your mission," the blue-haired girl countered. "…"
"Is something the matter, Chidori-san?" Sousuke asked, noticing the sudden change in his guest's expression.
"Y-you never really had a childhood, did you?"
"I've been a soldier for as long as I can remember."
Kaname struggled to hold back the tears as she thought about the tragedy that was Sousuke Sagara's life so far.
"Oh Sousuke!" she cried as she rushed to embrace him.
"C-Chidori-san?"
"It'll be alright, Sousuke. Just let me hold you."
"C-can't b-breathe…"
"Oh, sorry, Sousuke," the blushing girl apologised as she loosened her grip, but still kept her arms around him. "I guess I got a little carried away."
It wasn't the first time that someone had "gotten a little carried away" when it came to showing affection to Sousuke, although, it hadn't happened for a while. Not since he'd joined MITHRIL.
Sousuke's posture stiffened as he realised something was wrong. "Chidori-san, why are you rubbing your cheek against my chest?"
"Because hugging you like this is nice, silly," the Whispered girl answered with a happy sigh.
The mercenary frowned; he couldn't spend the evening being hugged by Kaname, he had work to do! "Chidori-san, I don't mean to be rude, but I have several things to do this evening. Please release me."
"Sorry, Sousuke," Kaname finally let the slightly confused young man free. "But if you ever need someone to talk to, you can come to me."
Kurz Webber and Melissa Mao were off-duty, having decided to relax via one of their preferred methods: gossiping about friends and co-workers and teasing each other like there was no tomorrow.
"Do you think that there's something different about Sousuke lately?" the blonde man asked.
"In what way? I haven't seen him for over a week."
"Well, it was weird. I saw him yesterday, and well, something was different."
"You're making a great deal of sense here," Mao said, her voice thick with sarcasm. "You're telling me that you've got some vague gut feeling about Sousuke being a bit different, but I haven't seen him in over a week so I wouldn't know what you're talking about. Do you want to try that again?"
"OK," Kurz nodded. "I caught up with Sousuke the other day, after he'd been in the gym. He seemed a bit distant and distracted."
"Sousuke was never the most social of people, Weber, you know this. He's not the sort to easily open up to people," the Sergeant-Major replied. "It's not surprising, given what he's been through over the years."
"Yeah, but this was different," the sniper insisted. "It was like I had to go over to him and talk to him. Do something, anything make him feel better."
Mao blinked as she tried to process what her lecherous subordinate was telling her. It was a good thing that he was concerned for Sousuke's well-being, but she was beginning to get a little worried about the sniper's own mental health. 'It's like he's trying to tell me something.'
"By the way, just so we're clear, I'm not asking, so you don't have to tell, you know."
"That's not what I mean," Kurz sighed, rolling his eyes.
"What's not what you mean?" Kalinin asked as he approached the two NCOs.
"I…, it's nothing, Sir," the blonde insisted, hoping to save face. "We were just… bonding. You know how it helps soldiers develop the necessary trust in life or death situations."
"I do," the grey haired man nodded sagely. "It reminds me of the time Sergeant Sagara and I were reunited."
A wistful smile appeared on his lips for a brief moment. "But, that's not why I'm here. The Captain will be leaving the ship for some shore leave. As you two are currently unassigned, I've volunteered you two to escort her to Tokyo. Is that a problem?"
"No, sir," Mao replied, giving a crisp salute. "How long is this assignment?"
"Two weeks, the amount of time it will take to overhaul the palladium reactors on the Tuatha de Danaan."
"Two weeks? That's…" Kurz trailed off. "Wait – are you sure about this? I mean, two weeks sitting around watching the Captain visit Sousuke sounds like a waste of our skills to me."
"It's not just babysitting duty, Sergeant Weber; you will be assisting Sergeant Sagara provide some tactical awareness training to the Captain," Kalinin explained. "Prepare yourselves; the three of you are leaving in the morning."
"Sir," the sergeants saluted.
Things were still a little strange for Sousuke as he found himself walking to the train station with Kaname and Kyoko.
"Is something the matter?" he asked the two girls. "Both of you seem concerned about something."
"No," Kaname insisted.
"Well, there is one thing," Kyoko said, her cheeks turning pink.
"What can I do to help you, Tokiwa-san?"
"I was wondering… would it be possible to take some photos of you?"
"Photos? Of me? Why would anyone want photos of me?" Sousuke asked, clearly surprised by the request.
"Well, Gatoh-sensei said that I should ask for your permission if I'm going to take photos of you," the bespectacled girl answered.
The mercenary considered the request. Kyoko was a friend of Kaname and it would make his job easier if he remained on good terms with her friends. However, he was still a MITHRIL field operative and there were sensitive materials in his apartment; regular visitors would be troublesome.
"I have to be careful about being photographed," Sousuke said moments before the train pulled into the station. He waited for the train to pull to a halt before continuing. "But if you took the photographs at Jindai and only when there are several people in the photograph, then it might be alright."
"Thank you, Sousuke-kun," Kyoko smiled as she boarded the train with her friends.
Kaname wasn't sure how she felt about her friend suddenly taking an interest in Sousuke. Kyoko had a habit of documenting almost everything vaguely interesting she encountered and Sousuke certainly was interesting.
She didn't want her friend to get mixed up in the craziness that seemed to follow him. Kidnapping attempts, giant robots and other terrorist acts were hard for a girl to deal with.
And that didn't even consider the countless traumatic events that Sousuke had endured over the years. It would require a delicate touch and a great deal of patience in order to heal the emotional scars.
And maybe, just maybe, when the time was right, she would be the one on the receiving end of the delicate touch?
The blue-haired girl smiled enigmatically as the train left the station.
To be continued?
