Chapter 7: The Ropes

Sector 1: STAM HQ

“Are we going to have to do more of these patrol missions?” Kenji whined as they walked through the front doors to the STAM building.

“Shut it-” Kyou barked at him with a clenched jaw as they were suddenly surrounded by cameras and media crews.

“Rank 1 Container!”

“Kawamiya Kyoushirou- would you care to make a statement about your new partner?”

“Are you concerned about having a partner from sector 21?”

“Many are saying that STAM is accepting bribes from the Light Party- care to comment?”

Kyoushirou smiled stiffly and dropped a hand on Kenji’s shoulder, “As Rank 1 I can assure you that there is no one more suited to being my disposer than Reikokuna Kenji. Blue’s decision to add him to the Ranks was based on his ability and his passion to work for STAM,” he nudged Kenji forward slightly,”Now if you’ll excuse us-” he pushed Kenji through the crowd to the security desk. He kept his hand on Kenji’s shoulder until they were out of the media’s sight inside the elevator.

“What was that?” Kenji smirked, “I’m the best fit for your-”

“We can’t allow the media to find the smallest flaw with our unit,” Kyou interrupted, “We agents need to be spotless in order to operate the way we do,” he shot a glare at Kenji, “If I had it my way you would still be in that poisoned sector you come from.”

The doors opened and Kyou stepped out first, “I’ll show you your room,”

Kenji scoffed and followed him. The way he saw it this sector was the poisoned one.

“The other ranks all share rooms-” Kyou waved at the doors as they walked passed them, “Shou and Seiji are there, Hiro and Ryu are there.”

“We have to share a room?” Kenji groaned.

“Rank 1 is special. We get our own rooms,” he pointed to the door at the very end of the hall, “That’s mine- and this,” he opened the door next to his room, “is yours. Your dogtags are your keys. Just tap them on the sensor.”

Kenji nodded, “Is that it are we done?”

Kyou turned to walk back to the elevator, “Patrol was our only mission. Now we are on call incase there is an emergency. Do whatever you want.”

“Where are you going?!” Kenji called after him.

Sector 27: MRPA's interrogation room

After Arisa and Aku had found all of the MS in Ping’s house, they brought him back to MRPA HQ for questioning...but he didn’t seem very keen on talking.

"Listen Ping, you better start talking. I'm getting rather impatient here," 014 paused to look at Ping's unchanged face, "Why did you have over 100,000 doses of MS in your garage?" she paused again hoping he might answer, "Who do you bring these to? I know you don't sell them yourself so who is your dealer?" she growled in frustration as Ping sat, unwavered by her questioning. She looked down at her watch and sighed deeply, "Alright, fine. Let's see if you figure out the answers after a night in a cell, get up and start walking," 014 pushed Ping forward through the doors and walked him down further into the basement and into the holding cells of MRPA, "Keep walking," she pushed him again down rows and rows of cells until they were at the farthest cell back, "Welcome home," she faked a smile as she locked the cell tightly, "Maybe in a few hours your lips will loosen up a bit," with that 014 angrily walked away.

Ping listened carefully as her heavy footsteps faded; it wasn't until they were out of his range that he let out a breath of relief, So far I've been lucky...but Kimaru-sama probably doesn't know that I'm gone...if I don't show up for the delivery tomorrow Kimaru-sama will be behind on his sales, and if I ever get out of here...I will have to pay for that mistake...

"Pssst,"

Ping was suddenly pulled from his thoughts as he jerked his head to the cell to his right, "Durim?!" his eyes were wide at the familiar face.

"Oh? You know who I am?" Durim grinned at the younger boy.

"Of course! You're the only-" Ping looked around and lowered his voice before continuing, "You're the only one of us suppliers to make it to dealer. You're like a legend to us below you,"

Durim grinned and ran his hand over his head, "It's good to know they keep you suppliers so well versed," his face turned down and he looked seriously at Ping, "Listen Kid, you and I both know what will happen to you if you don't make your delivery,"

Ping nodded, fear creeping over his face, "They'll kill me,"

Durim nodded solemnly, "I know what it’s like..the threats, “his face grew dark,”so I'll tell you what: you tell me where to go and I'll make your delivery for you."

Ping, though happy about the proposal, remained skeptical, "How are you going to do anything locked up here?"

Durim scrunched his face and make a loud clicking sound with his tongue, "You think this operation would have lasted if we weren’t able to void MRPA? I have my ways you just need to trust me."

Ping nodded, "If you would help me out then..."

Durim nodded with his eyes closed, "You just have to give me some instruction,"

Ping looked around again and lowered his voice further, "I'm pretty sure MRPA has taken my entire stash so you'll have to go to one of the pick-up points. The ones that you used when you were a supplier are still green...I'm supposed to make my delivery tomorrow night at 11. Kimaru-sama's men pick up the delivery and bring it to him,"

"Where is the delivery take place?" Durim whispered back.

Ping looked down seriously, "Sector 6, the back alley's of the factory district,"

Durim stood up suddenly and pushed several buttons on his watch, "014!!!!"

Ping fell back shocked at the voice that came out of his mouth. It wasn't the voice of Durim, but of a girl.

"Oh 00, did he talk?" from down the hall Ping could hear the footsteps of the agent 014.

"Yupp!! Now let me out of here, these cells are dirty,"

Ping stared in horror at the person he thought was Durim, 00? As in Agent 00?!

014 opened Durim's cell, "Are you gonna stay looking like him forever?"

Durim smiled as he hopped out of the cell, "Oh, I guess I can change back," he took out a small mirror and immediately his body bubbled over and morphed in into a shape that matched the voice; as agent 00. She held tightly onto the pants that were now much too large for her body.

Ping gawked at the shapeshifter, "But your voice! Shapeshifter's can't change their voices!!"

00 stuck out her tongue at Ping, "With Omnibook I can sound like anyone see," she pulled up the interface on her watch and started speaking again, her voice just like Durim's once more, "The only problem is that the nerve connection hurts," she clicked more buttons and turned to 014, her voice back to normal, "I don't know how 013 keeps it on all the time...."

014 grinned at the shocked Ping, "Come on, it's late and we need to get back,"

Ping screamed after them, “You dirty agents! You’d sell out your own kind for some fucking humans?!”

Arisa turned back around, her face serious even in her oversized wardrobe, “You are protected. What do you think STAM would do if they had found you instead of us?” she bit down hard against the tears welling in her eyes, “But murder is murder.”

The Infirmary

"Can I go yet?" Keiko sighed as several nurses tended to her wounds.

"Agent 013, you need to be more careful! Those STAM agents weapon's are designed to do a lot of damage to we mutants," the head nurse glared at 013 as she rolled her eyes, "Now listen here if you continue to fight that agent with the gun, you will have your body paralyzed and they will capture you!!!" she shook the receptacle holding one of Seiji’s daggers, “Do you even know how much blood you lost from just one of these?!”

"Yes, yes I understand Head Nurse. I can't avoid it, sometimes I just have to fight them..."

"013!!!!!" Arisa suddenly ran into the room, "Are you alright? I heard you ran into Shou and Seiji??," her eyes immediately found the bandage around Keiko’s calf and the many sensors stuck to her body.

Keiko immediately swung her legs off the bed and smiled, “Nothing to worry about,” she plucked the sensors off one by one, “We’re done here aren’t we?” she asked the head nurse behind her.

The nurse sighed and shook her head as she walked off.

Arisa pouted, “You should be more careful when you fight them...”

Keiko grinned, “Is Aku waiting for us by the Epsilon Gate?”

The Epsilon Gate

The Epsilon Gate was a thirty foot giant that resembled a Torii gate. It was a massive gate in a small corner of the MRPA building. Arisa happily jumped into a rolly chair after having had changed back into her school uniform, "Say, do you have a mirror?" she turned to one of the white coats.

"Of course agent 00," the man pulled out a small mirror and handed it to her.

She smiled happily, "Thank you very much," Arisa held the mirror between her knees and started shifting her hair and face back into the human "Kuma Arisa" shape.

"Can we go through yet?" Akumako yelled across the room to the many white coats tapping on screens.

"Just a second, Agent 013 needs to go first,"

Akumako rolled her eyes and sighed deeply, "...but I was here first..."

"Haha, step aside 014," Keiko grinned widely as she pushed in front of her, "Just say the word and I'll walk through,"

"OK, we are ready....now!" suddenly there was a fuzzy mist that filled through the gate and Keiko stepped in. Arisa tried to look to actually see the change happen. But it was too blurred. When Keiko stepped through the thick mist she was no longer the MRPA agent 013, but Kuma Keiko.

"Ugh this shell always makes me feel stiff," Keiko complained as she stretched out her shoulder.

"At least you don't have to take MS," Arisa stuck out her tongue, "They taste gross,"

Akumako quickly walked through the Epsilon Gate and braided her long blonde hair loosely, "Come on, we should get going before it gets too late,"

"Did you pick up your doses for the week?" Keiko looked at Arisa as she picked up her school bag.

"Hmmm, I've got them,"