13 - Three Of Twos

In Warsaw, in an abandoned warehouse...

“Alright, we’re gonna split into groups to make the search as efficient as possible.” Jian said. “We’re gonna have three groups, each searching different regions. We suspect three regions to have him based on soulful activity reports.”

“Run me through the reports.” Sakuto said.

“Activity was detected in the west of Prague...that’s gonna be the riskiest area to search. The kidnapping itself took place in Bratislava, so there’s a chance they’re somewhere nearby. The trails, however, led to Krakow, where we suspect the highest chance is.”

“Myself and Yuuka will investigate Bratislava. Ichigo and Zawadski, you will search the identified suspected areas, as well as the outskirts of Prague. You can come close to Prague, but do not enter it.”

“Hold on, what do you mean not enter it?” Ichika asked. “What if he’s there?!”

“Prague is where the devil’s stronghold is.” Zawadski yawned. “It’s fine, forget what she said. We’ll investigate it if we need to. There’s a reason I’m being sent there.”

“Ichika, Sakuto, you two will investigate Krakow. Do you copy?”

“Right, sounds good.” Sakuto said, quickly grabbing Ichika by the hand and rushing outside. “You’ll send me the rest of the info.”

“Ichika, come on.” Sakuto told Ichika as they left. “We’re gonna find him, alright?”

“Huh, those two...” Jian pondered.

“What’s wrong, Jian?” Yuuka teasingly asked. “Notice anything unusual about them? Hm?”

“I have never seen this level of intimacy amongst operatives.” Jian said. “They have been holding each other one way or another the whole time I was giving the briefing.”

“Yeah, it’s this nice little thing called professionalism.” Zawadski said. “How well do you think we’d fight if we thought about banging each other?”

“Sakyuto is probably thinking all kinds of perverse stuff about his girlfriend.” Yuuka said. “And yet, he’s stronger than all of us combined.”

“That’s not the case.” Ichigo sighed. “Come on, let’s move out. They think about each other all the time and apparently they care more about the mission than us.”

“Say, Lightbulb, have you ever had a girlfriend?” Yuuka asked.

“I’ve seen a few girls before.” Ichigo said. “Nothing much came out of it though.”

“She’s calling everyone everything except their actual names...whatever, I’ve gotten used to it at this point.”

“The Heisei now feels more like an actual family to me now.”

Ichigo gave a quick look to Jian, and quickly dispersed it once the eye contact became shared instead of one-sided.

“I’d like to think we had a lot of time to bond, especially after our battle during the war, but she’s still a complete mystery.”

“Yuuka, didn’t you hear the man?” Zawadski asked. “Come on, let’s move out. Someone doesn’t want to become the second most reliable agent.”

“You mean third?” Yuuka intervened. “Jian has always been at the top of her game.”

“In that case, it’s fourth.” Zawadski said. “There’s a reason I’m the most vital resource.”

“Not anymore.” Yuuka said. “You forgot that I’m the Heisei’s secret weapon, Kouhai.”

“You? The one who can’t do a mission with us?” Zawadski asked.

“Yes, me who wiped out half of Adler’s strike force with one ability.” Yuuka said, both of them engulfed in a flaming yet exciting argument. It was an everyday occurrence for them, but nonetheless, it was fun to watch.

“Both of you, recollect yourself.” Jian finally commanded, her voice intimidating as thunder yet delicate as a blooming spring flower. “Move out.”

“Aye aye, captain.” Zawadski said, leaving the two alone. “Hey, if I feel another soul presence jumpscare, I’m assuming that Sakuto used his nuke and whatever battle he was in is over.”

“Hey, Jian, I know how you were looking at those two.” Yuuka smirked, standing on her tiptoes and pinching the captain’s cheeks. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Yuuka, please focus.”

“Never seen something like that before? Two lovebirds at work, makes you curious, doesn’t it?” Yuuka asked.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“...it is interesting.” Jian said. “But you did not hear me say this.”

“Hey, Jian.” Yuuka said, her voice sounding a bit more serious. “Did they make you feel alone?”

“...”

“It’s okay.” She smiled, embracing her. “I’m sure you’ll eventually find someone that will treat you the same way those two treat each other.”

“...”

"You'll see.” Yuuka embraced her a little tighter. “Heehee, you can be a captain, but you're like a little kid.”

...

[NOVEMBER 6TH, STARACHOWICE]

“Ugh, it’s already nighttime.” Zawadski said, While Ichigo was carefully navigating the surrounding terrain, Zawadski was slacking off and felt completely relaxed.

“Why the hell are we here in the first place? This is nowhere near Prague.” Ichigo replied.

“Aw, but it is a nice place! I know a few bums in this city, they told me everything always happens here. And they might just have the kid here, you know?” Zawadski said. “Hey, do you want to stop somewhere? I gotta get a drink.”

“Don’t drink on the job.”

“Relax! I’m gonna use savestate!” Zawadski said. “God damn, can I not enjoy myself in your presence?”

“Look, just...let’s do the job, okay?” Ichigo said.

“Right, right. Of course.” Zawadski said. The streets were empty-ish, they were a few hours early to stumble upon the nightlife. Maybe even lucky, because retrieving Zawadski from that mess would be impossible. “Hey, do you wish you got paired up with Jian instead of me?”

“Why's that?” Ichigo asked, before interrupting himself. “Actually, yeah. I do. She wouldn’t be goofing around and asking to drink in the middle of a mission.”

“Ouch...” Zawadski said. “I’m generous, you know? I’m not using savestate to pick the right dialogue options with you. Maybe I should’ve asked why she has been so fixated on you.”

“She what?” Ichigo quickly asked.

“Hah! Nothing!” Zawadski laughed. “I made it up to see your reaction. Looks like there is a little something special between you two.”

“We shared a near-death experience together.” Ichigo said. “We obviously hold each other in high regard because we managed to survive that mess.”

“What do you think of her as a person, Ichigo?”

“She’s a good person. Very reliable, mysterious.” Ichigo said. “She deserves the best, especially considering how bad her childhood was.”

“Wait, she told you about her childhood?!” Zawadski asked, shocked. “Dude, do you know how long it took us to get to that point of knowing her?”

“Yeah, well, if you’re nice and supportive towards someone, they tend to tell you about themselves more.” Ichigo said. “I take it it doesn’t happen to you that often.”

“Ouch, that one actually hurt!” Zawadski said. “Hey, let’s hit this bar. Let’s freshen up.”

“We’re not getting drunk.”

“Yeah, we’re not.” Zawadski said. “I said freshen up not get shitfaced. Come on, in we go. I gotta hit my daily vitamin intake.”

“Your what?”

“Just get in, man!” Zawadski said, now sounding more infuriated. The two entered the bar, it was a nice place. Most of it was surprisingly empty.

“Huh, this place doesn’t look too bad.” Zawadski said, as he and Ichigo sat down on the stools. “Hey, no one even gives a shit that we have these uniforms on.”

“Because the people here are too drunk to acknowledge it or just don’t care.” Ichigo sighed and yawned.

“Getting sleepy? What, you need some coffee?” Zawadski asked while signaling the bartender to approach them.

“Now that we're here, might as well.” Ichigo said.

“Anything for you, boss?” The bartender asked.

“Yeah, get me a strong black coffee.” Ichigo asked.

“Black with nothing?” Zawadski asked, both surprised and disgusted at the order.

“Yeah. A habit from the old days.”

“Alright, here’s what I want you to do, big guy.” Zawadski told the bartender. “I want you to grab some cold sparkling water. As cold as ya got, and lots of it. Then, squeeze one whole lime in it, mix in a little orange and grapefruit juice, and throw in some ice cubes. And now, hear me out, add in a sprinkle of chili into the mix. Add some more ice and serve it right up, if you get it right I’ll be so happy you’d think there’s a supermodel under the table.”

“First time I ever hear about something like that.” The bartender said, heading back to work his magic. “Whatever’s on your mind, boss.”

“Three times.”

“What?”

“You used savestate three times to make sure you didn’t pause while placing your order.” Ichigo said, disappointed. “And what the hell did you order in the first place?”

“Let a man live his life and have fun.” Zawadski said, annoyed. “And what I ordered is a secret refreshment drink that gets you alive and kicking no matter the circumstance. It’s that magic juice, ya feel me?”

A minute or so later, Ichigo’s coffee arrived. He took a sip of it and seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. Zawadski also got his unhinged drink, and chugged almost half of it in one go.

“Looks like your recipe is good, ey boss?” The bartender asked.

“Of course it is!”

“Mind if we add it on our menu, boss?”

“Sure thing, but I gotta get my royalties.” Zawadski laughed. Once the bartender turned around to sort some alcohol, he leaned in closer to Ichigo. “Hey, you hear what he calls me? You hear how he admits my drink is awesome?”

“Yeah, they tend to do that.” Ichigo said, taking another sip. “They’re trained to have lengthy conversations with you and praise you like there’s no tomorrow.”

“Huh?!”

“I’ve worked as a bartender for a while. I know all these tricks.” Ichigo said. “Can’t trick the beverages, though. This coffee tastes pretty damn good.”

At that moment, another man entered the bar. He sat down on the stool next to Zawadski, not taking off his dundee hat. Ichigo got a little alert, sensing his soul presence. Zawadski, who was in the middle of the two, continued chugging his drink.

“Aaah, I wanna get another one...” Zawadski almost moaned. “I’m telling you man, you’re sleeping on this thing. I know the local food doesn't have the best reputation, but come on, you gotta try this stuff. Hey, let me get you a glass too.”

A moment later, there was a machete piercing through Zawadski’s head, and as his limp body hit the bar table, the man in the dundee hat was revealed as the culprit of the assassination.