Tuesday 1.7 - Mission Orders

[pichi.livejournal.com]

While the other three settled themselves in the mission room, Omi woke up the computer and printed Sato's e mail, along with the attachment of the image of the disk. It was strange, standing in front of the television instead of sitting on the couch or in the poofy chair along the wall. Like there was suddenly an invisible barrier between them, and now he was on one side, and everyone he cared about was on the other.

He didn't like this at all.

None of it showed. Omi closed his eyes and took a final couple of breaths to gather his thoughts. They were still slightly fuzzy after the scramble from waking up.

"I'm sorry for the short notice, everyone. I didn't get the notice myself until late last night. I should have told everyone this morning but..." Man this was going to sound so unprofessional. He ducked his head and ashamedly averted his eyes. "I fell asleep and only just woke up a few minutes ago.

"I've prepared us as much as possible for everything already. I'd appreciate having as many of you as I can... This isn't going to be an easy one. A compound for Gold Corp Research, Inc is performing research on humans for hostile purposes. Their names and the location is on this paper."

Omi handed the sheet to Aya, simply because he was closest. "Kritiker wants us to carry out the mission at 8 pm tonight. The security varies within the building, but I didn't find anything we haven't faced before. The catch is... that disk in the picture. We have to retrieve it."

And that still simply did not seem fair to Omi. Why couldn't Kritiker send someone actually trained to do that kind of work? As if it wasn't delicate enough to orchestrate a triple homicide without playing fetch? Omi could only brood silently about his own frustration and confusion-- and the nagging understanding that something was missing besides a secretary in red. Something even beyond the standard procedures and job description.

Details. Niggling at the edge of his mind, details and the distinct lack of them. Omi had asserted to them all human research was taking place for hostile purposes. What if they asked for what kind of research? What kind of hostile purposes? He didn't know. How were the victims dying-- they were dying right? He didn't know-- could only assume that they actually were. What if they asked where the disk was? He didn't know. Why is it so important for Kritiker to have it, they'd be well entitled to ask. He didn't know. He didn't even know for certain-- suspected to be in building at 8-- that they would find all three of the targets in the building that night. He didn't have any clearer definition for hostile but terrorist, and it made him extremely uncomfortable to have so little information. Current awkwardness aside, the less you knew, the more that could go wrong.

And it really didn't help that Kritiker completely endorsed this lack of knowledge. Down beneath the faith Omi had in them, a very intelligent mind argued that something here simply was not adding up. There ought to be a clear connection between research and terrorist activities. A clear reason that so much had changed over the last month without explanation, that all their familiar liaisons with Kritiker had been reassigned and removed from their contact, that Sato had chosen to introduce himself with a surprise break-in and Omi STILL felt uneasy from that... That Manx-- reassignments be damned-- had a very good, very solid reason for not visiting him anymore even to... say hi. Tell him everything was okay.

Off the top of his head, Omi couldn't come up with one.

Comments

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran's eyebrows shot up. Asleep? They had little to no time to prepare. And not to mention he had had no sleep himself.

He was disgusted with himself. How had he become so irresponsible? It didn't matter that he had Aya-chan back. His life hadn't fallen back into normalcy. His past hadn't been eradicated. Everything was still the same. He still killed people for his living.

Omi passed the paper to him. He frowned. The men in the picture didn't look particularly notable. He passed the sheet on to Ken.

"Security for the building?" He asked Omi.

[plotbunnytiff.livejournal.com]

Ken took the paper, scanning over it with narrowed eyes. Something churned deep in his belly; simultaniously, the pads of his fingers tingled where they held the sheet. It was an unsettling sensation, made even more so because he couldn't place what it was.

Fear? No, fear was different than this, fear was tight, cold, dry. It wasn't judgemental anger either. Yes, these men were involved in something that was experimenting on people--

[ there it was again, that bottle, the gas in her tank that made her go go go,one drop shimmering innocently as it escaped from the corner of her mouth ]

Was it anticipation?

Ken held his arm out to Yohji without looking at him, the sheet pinched loosely between his fingers.

[pichi.livejournal.com]

Omi felt a measure of relief. Aya had asked about the one thing he felt most solid answering: security. He looked in Aya’s direction.

“It varies based on the contents of the rooms. Sato suspects the disk is either with target three or that he’ll know where to find it. Failing that, one of the areas on the higher security end is the best lead we have. A fence runs the perimeter of the compound. No sign of electrical current through it from my research, but the usual smattering of security cameras and couple of guards watch the exterior. They’re easily handled. A keypad lock is on the outside, and magnetic contacts are guarding most of the windows. We’ll scramble the keypad to get inside. From there, additional cameras and guards are waiting inside, as well as some rooms guarded with card keys on the outside, and the maximum security rooms contain motion sensors that will have to be disabled from outside. I’ve already unearthed the fuse connections to the control box. All we need is for someone to visit the utility room and pull the fuse.”

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji struggled to focus on Omi's instructions. This was expected. He hadn't really thought that their hiatus would stretch on forever, that he'd start thinking of himself as a florist and not a...killer. No. This was coming and it was no big deal.

Why then wouldn't his brain click back into mission gear like it always had before?

He'd let himself get too self-absorbed. He'd actually started thinking like he was a normal person with problems that mattered outside of missions. Focus. FocusFocusFocus, damnit. The photo Ken handed him was easier to wrap his mind around than Omi's words, and he stared hard at it. Why did the bad guys always look so generic?

One of these days I want to kill a proper super villain, someone that any idiot off the street could see was evil, no grey areas at all.... Stop daydreaming and listen to Omi, Kudoh.

Yohji set the paper down and pinned his attention to Omi's face. It was easier to concentrate that way.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran gave a short nod. "If Yohji pulls the fuse and you find the disk, Ken and I can take the scientists."

It made the most sense. Ken needed the kill, and he could easily take on two scientists if Omi was distracted with the disk. And Yohji -

It was almost as if he were being protective.

It made the most sense.

It put Ran on edge to have so little time to prepare. But this was a small assignment, an easy one.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Ran's words cut clearly through the jumble of disjointed thoughts vying for Yohji's attention.

Not having so much trouble paying attention now are you?

Pull the fuse?

Was Ran picking up on his distracted state, and handing him the job he'd thought was easiest so that he won't fuck up? Probably, yes.

Yohji opened his mouth to protest, but hesitated and closed it. He hadn't quite listened closely enough to the instructions to make a coherent objection. He was going to have to ask Ken for a replay before they left tonight.

He chewed on his lip while he waited for Omi to evaluate Ran's proposal, half hoping that it would be shot down.

[pichi.livejournal.com]

Omi hesitated, slightly uncomfortable with the position Aya had put him in with his suggestion. It wasn't a bad one; he agreed with the basis of the tactic: division of tasks amongst them. But there were a couple of other things that needed to be addressed.

First and foremost was the usual question he desperately wished Manx was asking instead. He looked at Yohji, then at Ken. Finally back to Aya.

"You're all in, then?"

After his talks with Ken and Yohji, it really wouldn't be fair to make assumptions about that.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

No, his brain protested, something about this doesn't feel right.

But the words spoken were automatic. "Of course," Yohji said with a nod, "though I'm not so sure about the pulling the fuse bit."

His ego just wouldn't let well enough alone.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Aya glowered at that.

It didn't matter. Yohji was an assassin, just as he was, although questioning his suggestion without an apparent reason rankled him. But the idea of the three of them taking on the targets together, with what Yohji had told him about Omi and the strange tension amidst the other members of Weiss - it didn't feel right to him. It felt very wrong, in fact.

He leaned back against the wall, head off to the side. He could take care of himself. Let the rest of them decide what they wanted to do.

[plotbunnytiff.livejournal.com]

There really were a thousand questions surging through Ken's head, but he silenced them forcefully. All but one.

He looked over at Aya,raking him over with a long hot glare while Yohji was distracting him. His suggestion of how the teams would split...it was a test. It had to be. The bastard was singing siren songs to his bloodlust like he knew--

He inhaled, exhaled, slow and easy.

Aya knew nothing. Nothing to know. Just had a job to do, and Ken would do it. Aya wanted to dance, they'd dance alright.

Everyone was tense, but they all seemed to be in agreement for the most part. Ken clenched and unclenched his hands, already feeling the ghost weight of bugnuks and blood.

"I'm in."

[pichi.livejournal.com]

Omi slowly nodded, as though needing those extra few moments to process their joint consent. He had all three of them. Good... That would at least help. From there, he once more reviewed Aya’s suggested tactic.

“I understand Aya-kun’s strategy but... I’m concerned about how long it will take to find the disk. I’d rather not try to do it while fighting security; I think it would be better to keep the risk of discovery to a minimum until we have it. I designed a mission plan last night and I agree that division of labor is our most sensible choice. I’ll slip inside and disable the security devices. From there, we can split into two task teams. One pair of us will stake out the first two targets and shadow them one to each until the second team’s signal, which will come once their job is complete.

“The second team is responsible for the third target and the disk. Ideally, he’ll have it on him, but if he doesn’t then we’ll have to search the building. Aya-kun has a very persuasive force of presence.” Omi paused briefly to shyly smile as he looked at Aya. “It could come in useful with the third target if he knows where it is, so I think you would be very suited to the second team. Ken-kun is our best fighter and quick on his feet; he’s more suited to the first team.

“That leaves Yohji-kun and myself. I would rather have him with Aya-kun interrogating the third target and acquiring the disk.” Omi paused to smile again, this time much wider and not altogether innocent. “I have a few surprises ready for the targets if we run into trouble. A less active duty frees me up more to watch and respond as needed.”

That was the reason he’d share. The other half was that being paired with Ken would make it easier to keep an eye on him, as he was becoming increasingly emotional and prone to breakdowns. And it had the added benefit of removing murder from Yohji’s duties. Omi hadn’t forgotten Yohji’s confession: the job was getting to him. He had to accommodate that however he could.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran considered. The plan was sound - but the idea of Omi paired with an unpredictable Ken left him feeling unsettled. Not that he didn't trust Omi - but he wasn't convinced he would be able to make the decision or even have the means to control Ken if he went beserk.

Ran didn't look sideways at Yohji. They would be fine if his teammate didn't do anything idiotic. A small, nearly silent part of him was glad he might be able to make up for Yohji's missing sense of self-preservation, the majority - and only part he recognized - was irritated at being put on reconnaissance duty.

It wasn't anything he wanted to be called out on for arguing about. He gave a short nod and pushed off the wall, intending to leave unless one of them brough anything else up.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji felt himself start to relax a little at Omi's instructions. With Omi directing the mission, it began to feel more like regular business and less like some kind of trap. And the sense that his faults were being catered to didn’t bother him with Ran accompanying his assignment. He hoped that the others couldn’t tell just how relieved he was to be unexpectedly paired with Ran.

“Sounds excellent,” Yohji gave a slightly smug smile, “I happen to excel at interrogating.”

His smile slipped a little though, as the reality of how soon they would be leaving on the mission sank in. He had barely gotten four hours of sleep, and quite frankly felt like shit. Going on a mission in such shabby condition made him uneasy, even before taking into consideration that he might be slightly out of practice. He glanced at his watch, wondering if he could somehow manage to crash for a quick nap before they left.

[pichi.livejournal.com]

Omi noticed Aya’s start for the stairs and moved after him, catching his arm and lowering his voice for a more private word.

“Aya-kun. Be sure to isolate the target where he isn’t likely to be discovered before questioning him. It won’t do if we don’t get any help on where the disk is and have to leave his body somewhere conspicuous. Also... I want you to be the one to kill him. Okay?”

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran's face remained blank, though Omi's words confused him. The first of his requests - well, that was a given. But the latter -

I want you to be the one to kill him. Was that the leader talking, and if so - why - or was it a part of what Yohji had mentioned to him before, when he'd alluded to some sort of problem between him and their youngest teammate?

He would do what was in the best interests of their team, certainly. Questioning Omi's motives would accomplish nothing. He gave a brief nod.

The prospect of work - and money - was heady, but it didn't overpower the unusual tension in the room. Yohji looked grim at best, Omi stern, Ken downright edgy.

You can do this. They all could. Three targets, one disk. A handful of security guards and a security system Omi was sure to have cracked.

He hadn't slept.

There'd been many nights he hadn't slept. It would be fine. He exited up the stairs.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

The secret exchange being held at the stairs made Yohji uneasy. Was it just his paranoid imagination, or was Ran looking at him sideways while Omi talked? He didn't like it.

Yohji ripped his attention away from them and turned to Ken. "Ah, could you run that whole security bit by me a second time?" He tried to keep his voice nonchalant.

[plotbunnytiff.livejournal.com]

Ken looked up at the sound of his name. He brushed a few stray hairs from his eyes and turned to get a better look at Yohji.

"Like Omi said, there's a fence but it's not live, should be an easy scale. Once the keypad is scrambled we should be able to..."

He looked Yohji in the eye and frowned. "Hn. You alive over there? You look beat."

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji blinked as the instructions he was struggling to focus on cut off into a question. Was he really that obvious?

"It's been a stressful week," he shrugged, "hard to concentrate on no sleep."

None of them had been getting much sleep though, Yohji knew, and the others all seemed to be handling this fine.

[plotbunnytiff.livejournal.com]

Ken sighed. "Idiot. You're no good to us exhausted." There was no bite behind the remark, just simple truth.

"Go rest. I'll wake you up before we have to leave." Ken ruffled his hair a little, as though he were Omi or one of his soccer kids.

"Don't worry. From now on everything's going to be ok." Ken leaned in, a warm grin in place that didn't quite meet his eyes.

"I promise."

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji winced.

He didn't mean to, and he certainly didn't want to.

But the last person who had promised him "everything's going to be ok," was Asuka. Everything was definitely not okay for Asuka. Things were never going to be okay again, as far as Yohji was concerned. 'Not okay' was his permanent state, and he was managing it.

And Ken knew better than to make that kind of empty promise. The fact that he even felt a need to reassure Yohji only reinforced that things were wrong.

He looked at Ken sadly, wishing he were capable of just smiling and going along with it, like he usually would have. "Don't make promises that can't be kept, Kenken."

[plotbunnytiff.livejournal.com]

"I don't."

It was as simple as that, at least to Ken. And thinking that way eased something in him, like flipping a switch, or suddenly getting the hang of something that seemed too tough. Ken looked surprised for a moment.

Don't make promises that can't be kept. A promise is easily broken. But the world is what you make of it. He would just have to make the world fit him.

Isn't that what they were supposed to have been doing all along? Bringing a fitting justice to those who bring darkness to the world?
These missions...they fought in the darkness so that other people didn't have to.

And that's why he was so anxious to get back to work.

Exactly.

He swiftly hushed the whisper of Schwarz that hissed in the back of his head.

If you don't like something...

His eyes twitched towards the space Aya and Omi occupied, then snapped back to Yohji's weary, tired face.

Fix it.

The smile finally reached his eyes, and he allowed himself the luxury of trying to smooth away the creases on Yohji's forehead with his fingers.

"Stop worrying so much, idiot," he said quietly, a faint wash of humor tinting his words. "Heaven forbid you ruin that pretty boy face with wrinkles or something."

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

"Yes, mom."

Yohji smiled at Ken, a little baffled as to how the other man could be so confidant all the time.

It wasn't that Yohji was worried. It was more of an underlying sense of off-kilter-ness that wouldn't let him relax. You have to actually know what's wrong to effectively worry about it.

Speaking of off-kilter.... Ken was being a bit more... hands on than usual, Yohji noticed. He wasn't sure how to react to that in front of Ran and Omi.

"I'm going to crash for a quick nap I think," he shrugged, "I'm going to hold you to your offer to wake me up."

[plotbunnytiff.livejournal.com]

"Will do. Sweet dreams." He gave Yohji a brief wave.

He could use a few minutes of repose, but he could feel the low steady thrum of anticipation over his skin. Nothing to do but let it run a course; there was no way he'd be able to sleep.

He pulled himself out of the seat and retrieved his bugnuks from their usual spot. They were primed for action, of course. Ken would never let his weapon fall into disrepair. At some point they had become an extension of himself. But he'd been neglectful of them in the past few days.

He slipped one on, the glove fitting like original skin on his hand. A few test grips, one, two, and the thrust of edged steel slid over suede with barely a sound.

Ken frowned a little. They needed a bit of sharpening, an oiling, just to be completely sure that they were mission ready. He released his grip, watching the blades retreat into their proper places.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji nodded at Ken and watched as the room emptied out of the last of his companions. He could follow them...but now alone, Yohji didn't really care for the possibility of rejoining the others, even for merely a brief 2 minutes passed in the hallway. With no more distractions, his exhaustion fell on him like a smothering blanket. There seemed no reason to fight it when the sofa he was already on was just as good a place for a nap as his bed.

He stretched out and closed his eyes, trying to rehash the mission plan in his head while he rested. But his thoughts were disjointed and muddled.

You didn't get as much info from Ken as you needed.

Ran doesn't trust you for missions anymore.

He has reason not to.

It's not fair for Omi to get saddled with yet another responsibility.

Couldn't we retrieve the disk -without- killing?

Since when does Ken care about my looks, anyway?

I wonder what Ran will tell Aya-chan if one of us dies....

When sleep finally pulled him under, it only offered restlessness and stressful dreams.