Chapter 24: Consequences

Thirty Minutes Later

The bathhouse was crawling with officers. All of the paralyzed mutants were detained and loaded into STAM’s custody- they would be taken in for processing, testing, and executing. Mei Lin’s body was documented and Kyoushirou had just gotten off the phone with Shizune to report on their successful mission.

As he hung up he looked at Kenji, his partner that had almost killed Arisa, he felt an anger boil up inside of him, “You better watch your place Kenji!”

Kenji turned to him and raised his eyebrow, “What do you mean? I did exactly what I was supposed to do.”

Kyou glared at him, he was more mad about Arisa having been in danger but couldn’t say that to Kenji, “I had to dodge your attack!”

Kenji remained confused, “You looked right at me! Besides YOU didn’t have to dodge- in fact if you wouldn’t have pulled that black agent out of the way I would have had a two for one,” Kenji grinned.

Kyou’s temper flared up but he found himself, “Our mission was to capture MeiLin and you killed her!” Kenji was technically right. He had been following orders. But Kyou- he had broken orders. If he wasn’t careful he could end up jeopardizing his rank, “Just be more careful next time,” Kyou huffed as he walked away.

“Hey where are you goin?! We have to oversee the process!" Kenji panicked as Kyou waved to him as he left.

Kenji grinned slightly, “Why, oh why would THE Rank 1 Container….leader of the STAM agents...why would you protect a mutant...”

Sector 27: MRPA HQ

“How could you do that?!?!” Arisa cried out to Keiko as they left the meeting with Red. They had all acted calmly and explained the situation to Red, but now that they had left the meeting room- Arisa finally was able to ask.

Keiko snapped her head around to Arisa, “What are you saying right now?”

Arisa held her ground. Normally she would have folded the moment Keiko took that tone- but she was serious this time, “Why did we retreat?!”

Keiko looked at Aku before looking back at Arisa, “Because your safety is more important than a few mutants-”

“How can you say that?! Aren’t we supposed to be protecting mutants?!! How can you put my safety above theirs?! We are supposed to sacrifice our lives for theirs!!!”

Keiko turned fully to face Arisa, “If you wouldn’t have been there I would have stayed!!!” Arisa froze- unable to believe, “If you wouldn’t be here- if you wouldn’t demand to go on these dangerous missions I could save them! I could protect them. But I have to protect you! YOU! I had to let those mutants become captured by STAM to save YOU!”

Arisa’s eyes welled with tears and Keiko’s anger immediately vanished, “...you don’t want me to be an agent? You don’t think...you don’t think I could save them?”

Keiko sighed, “No...I don’t,”

Arisa felt her heart break. She had been trying so hard lately. She had been working so hard to be an agent, to make her sister proud- but she was just in the way. She quickly turned and ran off, tears falling from her eyes.

Aku sighed and glared at Keiko, “Why do you have to be like that?”

“She shouldn’t be here, she isn’t cut out to be an agent….”

Aku sighed, “Don't you see that she is?” she turned and ran after Arisa.

Keiko ruffled her hair angrily as she turned the opposite direction and walked down the hall. She wanted to think about Arisa but the old man from the bathhouse was stuck in her head. Why was she drawn to him? Where did he vanish to after STAM arrived? She whispered to herself, “The true King will transcend onto the Queen Stone- and from their union shall the great evil finally fall…..what could it mean? Why does my heart race?....” she thought as she walked- the true King? She touched the scales on her face and neck as she walked; the true King.

-----

When Aku finally found Arisa she was in a training room. Arisa had curled up into a ball in the middle of the floor. Aku could only make out her occasional sniffle.

She walked over and sat down beside her in silence for a bit.

“Aku?” Arisa sniffled and wiped away her tears as she laid there.

“Hmmm?”

“Did she mean it?” Arisa sniffed again, “Am I holding you two back?”

Aku was silent for a moment. You shouldn’t be here- don’t get close. You shouldn’t let her- if you want her safe you should stay away from her...you’ll only hurt her. “Keiko is just bad with her words- you know that,” she looked over at Arisa, “She just doesn’t want you to get hurt-”

Arisa sat up suddenly, “I don’t want to get hurt either- but I want to help! I don’t want you two to get hurt!”

Aku nodded, “She’ll come around, you just need to prove it to her that you can do this- that you want to do this.”

Arisa wiped away her tears and nodded, “You’re right. If I could just show her that I am cut out for this-” she stood to her feet, “So what’s on the table for training today Master?”

Aku jumped to her feet, “That’s the spirit-” You’ll regret this decision- you’ll regret getting so close to them...you’ll only bring them pain.

STAM HQ

Seiji and Shou walked through the large glass doors to the lobby of STAM. It was 2 in the morning and yet the lobby seemed to be packed with reporters who formed a wall around the two agents upon their entrance, “Rank 2! Rank 2!!”

“Ichiro Seiji! Any comments on the capture of the drug house Dragon Steam that was shut down tonight?”

Seiji, who was only a little tipsy after walking with Shou, clenched his first, “Rank 1-”

“We cannot disclose any information that you don't already have,” Shou interrupted, “Please everyone leave the building and get your interviews in the morning.” he pulled Seiji through the crowd and into the elevator.

“Mission success huh?” Seiji asked.

Shou looked through the reports on the interface of his dogtags, “The report hasn't even been filed. How can those leeches know about our teammates before we do?”