Chapter 12

Chapter 12

[Tezuka Kejinto (Falcon) - 20 years old]
[Skylar Lawrence (Nightingale) - 24 years old]
[Ryu Mitsukai (Owl) - 20 years old]

CAMP KEY, VIRGINIA
YEAR 2046

Colonel Alvarez is tapping his finger on his table patiently. “I’m asking this one more time… Why the hell did you bring another woman? Are you going to save someone and bring them to the United States every single time?”

“No, sir!” The American soldiers yell at the same time.

“Explain,” The colonel demands.

“She was lost, sir,” Ryu says before Tezuka or Sky can say anything else. “We couldn’t leave her alone in the empty city with dangerous enemies, sir.”

“She’s French. Who in the world would attack her in her own country?” Colonel Alvarez scoffs at Ryu’s answer. He leans backward into his comfortable chair. “What are we supposed to do with her?”

“I --”

“It’s my fault, sir,” Tezuka interrupts Ryu. “I gave him the permission to bring the French woman to our country. Please allow him to take her home with him today instead of sending her back to France.”

“Specialist Kejinto…” Alvarez rubs his forehead. “You are the squad leader. They follow your example.  You brought the Chinese woman… and then your own soldier brought the French one this time because he had seen what you had done. Have you ever thought about your consequences?”

Sky widens his blue eyes in realization, “No, sir, you can’t --”

“You be quiet, Medic Lawrence!” Alvarez screams, standing up so fast that he almost knocks over the table.

“I know, sir. You’re going to let me go, aren’t you?” Tezuka says calmly and emotionlessly, as if getting fired does not affect him at all.

“I quit,” Ryu says all of sudden as he places his S.W.S badge on the colonel’s table. “Please keep Tezuka instead of me. He worked too hard to get this far, so I don’t think he deserves getting fired.”

Colonel Alvarez blinks in surprise a few times before getting himself together, “Do you realize that you will not be able to come back at all? We can always find another sniper in your place.”

“I’m well aware of that, sir,” Ryu says. 

“Very well, then,” Colonel Alvarez sighs lightly. “I’m sorry to see you go.”

“I apologize if I haven’t been a help to any of you lately. Have a good day, sir.”

~*~

“Why, Ryu?!” Tezuka yells, stopping the former S.W.S soldier from walking any further. As soon as he finished his report with the Colonel, he took off immediately in search of Ryu until he found him on his way to the parking lot. “Why did you do that?!”

Ryu closes his eyes tightly. “I don’t want to do anything with S.W.S anymore. I… I saw my brother in my dream when I was dying. With Double God. He told me everything. Double God was there, but he did not deny anything. That means Knapp told me the truth.”

“What? Everything? Is he the reason why you got yourself dismissed from your service?!”

“No!” Ryu yells angrily as he turns fast to Tezuka. “It was for my father! He died for his own country…! Yet… at the same time… he died for nothing! We are still at war! Not with Japan. Not with South Korea… We are in a war with someone far stronger than we are! Like that time traveler and that fire wielder!”

Tezuka clenches his jaw in anger, trying to come up with something… Something to stop him from leaving the squad.

“I’m sorry… we have to part,” Ryu says sadly when he does not get any response from Tezuka. “I… I think it’s best for us that we don’t work together anymore.”

“Quit bullshitting with me!” Tezuka snaps at his best friend. “We have to stop working together? Are you fucking nuts?”

“I know that if I die, then you will kill yourself!” Ryu shouts at him. “That’s why I accepted the power from the Double God so that he could save my life. It was for you!”

Tezuka is completely speechless. “Ryu… how did you…?”

“Never leave your comrade behind. That’s what the Army is all about.” Ryu clenches his fist. “That’s why I have to leave for a while.”

Tezuka sighs in defeat and looks away from him. “Fine. Do what you want.”

“Tezuka!” Sky says breathlessly after he had been running all the way from the office building to the parking lot. He frowns when he spots Ryu getting into his silver car. “What happened? Were you able to change his mind --”

Tezuka turns around and walks past Sky without saying a single word to him. 

~*~

FEW MONTHS LATER
AUSTIN, TEXAS

Ryu wipes his sweating forehead with his arm, as he exhales loudly after he puts down the last box on the floor. “That’s it, Rosa.”

“Oui!” Rosa says cheerfully, as she walks into the brightest room she can find as if she is dancing around. “New maison, oui?”

Ryu smiles at her. “Yes… yes, new home.”

The last few months have been hell for Ryu. Ever since he left the Sunny Wing Squad, he fell into deep depression, but Rosa was able to get him through the entire time somehow. He was always tired, and he never really looked forward to every single new day. He just wanted to go back to sleep and forget everything.

On the day after he left, he locked up all his weapons, soldier uniforms, and equipment in the attic. He never wanted to look at a pistol again.

Because it would always remind him of death. Every single mission was always fear and death. If it wasn’t for him… If he died back there, then Tezuka could have been killed by the fire wielder.

After Double God, Knapp, and everything, he could not handle it anymore. What was he supposed to do? Pretend that everything was ok?

The fact that his father was killed by his own squad… Killed by his own kind... it was way too much for Ryu, even if it was a possible lie.

Tokuso Mitsukai was the sweetest yet strongest guy Ryu had ever known. He was the only light in his life. He was never afraid to face any threat. He led his team to so many victories during the war with Planet Volesmash. Why would someone feel threatened by Tokuso who only wanted peace for his home planet?

“Ryu? Ryu?!” Rosa waves her hand in front of Ryu’s blank face only to startle him.

“Oh!” Ryu jumps at Rosa’s hand. “S-sorry! What were you saying?”

“Phone,” Rosa says worriedly, as she hands a smartphone to Ryu.

“This is Ryu speaking,” Ryu turns away from Rosa who then returns to unpacking. As he steps into his brand new kitchen, he freezes at a very familiar voice.

“I would like to speak to you as soon as possible. Please do not say my real name.”

“W-where are you?”

“Grandfather's."

~*~

Ever since the mission in France, Tezuka and Sky have not gotten any new missions yet. They wonder if it is because they are missing a sniper.

“I wonder if we need Ryu back --” Sky barely dodges a bullet, which flies fast past his head. “Wah! The target is on the other side!”

“I don’t want to hear a single word about that Japanese bastard,” Tezuka puts down his pistol. ”Or else I won’t miss next time.”

“He is not Japanese… Ok, ok! I’m shutting up!” Sky raises his hands up as soon as his partner’s weapon makes a loud click sound after reloading.

“What the hell is taking them so long?” Tezuka turns back to the target on the shooting field. 

After a few more shots, he turns to a table next to him only to realize that he has run out of ammos. “Sky, I’m done for the day… Oh!”

As soon as he looks up from his empty small ammo box, Colonel Alvarez has already arrived with a stranger, who is also wearing a soldier uniform.

She is a woman.

“What is going on, Colonel?” Tezuka asks, raising an eyebrow. “It’s not so like of you to come to the training field.”

“Specialist Kejinto, this is our new recruit, Garnet Stone. She will be our new sniper.”

Garnet quickly gives the whole S.W.S. a salute with a calm look on her pretty face. Her blonde hair is locked up in a bun. She does not even blink her hazel eyes… at least, not in front of Tezuka and Sky.

“So she is Owl’s replacement, sir?” Tezuka asks, as he looks away from the Colonel’s amusing eyes.

“That’s correct. Please treat her as you usually do Owl. She will be given a new codename by the end of day,” Colonel Alvarez places his hands on Garnet’s small shoulders, “But introducing her is not the only reason why I am here. Soldier, tell them the reason.”

“We have a new mission,” Garnet says. “It will be in Japan.”

“Please follow us,” Colonel Alvarez says.

Tezuka cannot help but feel excitement throughout his body, especially his own heart beating a little faster than usual.

~*~

Ryu has been staring at the half-round stone standing in the front for the past ten minutes. His dark eyes read a few words on the stone over and over again.

Rest in Peace
GOTSU MITSUKAI
Beloved Husband and Father
July 7, 1983 - January 27, 2015

“Ryu, here you are! I didn’t think you would come!”

Ryu turns away from the stone until his eyes land on a very familiar person. “Knapp.”

Knapp does not look any different from what Ryu saw him back in his dream with Double God. He is still wearing that ridiculous black and white outfit. He is beaming a big stupid grin on his face. “Ryu! I can’t believe how much you’ve grown!”

“Hm,” Ryu shrugs his shoulders carelessly.

“So, that’s Grandfather’s grave, eh?” Knapp walks past Ryu and kneels in front of Gotsu’s grave. “I wonder if it’s even his real body buried under there.”

“Knapp! That’s not a nice thing to say in front of Grandfather!” Ryu snaps.

“Sorry, sorry!” Knapp gives him a light-hearted chuckle. “Boy, you really changed, you know? You were so sweet back then…”

He makes a quick glance at Ryu who is now finding the ground more interesting. He cannot help but notice that his younger brother looks thinner than usual. “Hey, brother? Are you doing okay? Are you eating well?”

“What the hell are you doing here?” Ryu snaps.

Knapp sighs lightly. “You really had to ask me such a question after all those years we haven’t seen each other, brother --”

“Don’t call me brother! After you left…  you are not my brother anymore!”

Knapp softens his sad eyes. “I’m really sorry. I ran off without any explanation, didn’t I?”

“Damn right, you did!”

Double God was right. His… Ryu’s heart… It’s been tainted with darkness because of me. Knapp frowns at his own thoughts.

“If you don’t have anything important to say, you just wasted twenty minutes of my life,” the younger Mitsukai brother begins to walk away from the grave.

“Grandfather did not die of a heart attack,” Knapp says suddenly, making Ryu stop quickly. “He left his home planet in order to save the universe… Because he received a request from Double God.”

“Double God again?” Ryu turns to his older brother. “What is it with him barging into our family’s business?”

“What I’m trying to say is that… we may be facing the same threat as Grandfather did thirty years ago.”

Ryu clenches his fists in anger. “Why the hell are you saying nonsense things like that? Grandfather was an accountant, not a warrior nor soldier! He had a heart attack! You’re saying that he didn’t die of a heart attack? Then, how in the hell would you know?!”

“Your loved ones may be in danger!” Knapp exclaims in concern. “The Fifth guided me right to Double God. He told me everything. Including the truths about Grandfather and Father. Like I told you before, Father did not die in a bomb attack. He was killed by his own kind… by his own squad! Every single story they told you was a lie!”

Ryu scoffs. “You’ve gone crazy, haven’t you? How can you believe such things?”

“Have you visited Mother in New York City yet?” Knapp says softly, “Because when I did, she was already dead.”

Ryu stares at him in belief. “How? I was speaking to her just days ago! She was completely fine!”

“She was fine… until she was taken,” Knapp pauses briefly before he continues again, “She was killed. But the NYPD wasn’t able to find anything helpful that could lead to the murderer.”

The younger Mitsukai brother collapses to his knees, with fresh tears sliding down his face.

“Not only you but also your family and friends are in danger,” Knapp says. “Have you done anything to anger someone… within your so-called squad?”

“N-no… at least, I don’t think so,” Ryu shakes his head. “Where… Where is Mother right now?”

“The NYPD took her body for autopsy, but... “ Knapp frowns. “They said it was also a heart attack… but I knew that was not how it happened.”

He kneels down in front of his brother and wraps his arms around him. “Just getting revenge is not going to bring her back. That’s when I decided to find you instead.”

He glances at Gotsu’s R.I.P stone with a small smile on his face. “Grandfather and Father would’ve wanted us to protect the ones we love. That’s all they had ever done in their lives. Just looking at that grave just… makes me feel like I’m selfish. I abandoned you, Mother, Father, and everything the moment I became Universe Warrior..”

He pulls away from Ryu a little bit. “I’m really sorry.”

“You said Grandfather left here, right?” Ryu asks, his eyes still on the ground. “Then… where did he go?”

“I don’t know. He left Earth in 2015…” Knapp says. “It’s possible that he’s still alive out there.”

Ryu raises an eyebrow at him in confusion.

“Because Double God told me so many stories about two legendary Breakers,” Knapp stares at him with determined eyes. “I believe that Grandfather was one of the legendary Breakers.”