Title: Procedure Operative Elite
Category: Anime/Manga » Digimon
Author: GataFairy
Language: English, Rating: Fiction Rated: T
Genre: Suspense/Sci-Fi
Published: 02-20-02, Updated: 04-11-02
Chapters: 5, Words: 11,781

AN:
I’m reading a fic like this one (and it’s incomplete!) and I teamed up with the author to write another one. Then, when my ever-flowing thoughts brought this thought to me, I couldn’t resist dwelling on it! Hopefully I won’t delete this like I did with another fic… I rather like this one. AU. Very AU.

I don’t own the characters. I also have to give credit to the creators of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I got the color-coding idea from the Poe Sisters of the Forest Temple, and, well, POE comes from Poe. (Cute fact: Meg is the name of the purple Poe Sister! How convenient for me!) AND! Author AngelofLight deserves credit for some of the more tech stuff here. (Read her stuff!)

Notes and Translations:
Violeta—Spanish for “violet”; pronounced “vyo-LEH-ta”(the h is silent)
Verde—Spanish for “green”; pronounced “VEHR-de”
Azul—Spanish for “blue”; pronounced “a-SOOL” or “a-THOOL”(Spain)
Rojo/Roja—Spanish for “red”(male form/female form); pronounced “RO-ha”

Pain threatened to shred her apart; crying out never helped lessen it, but forcing herself to use at least some part of her body was better than just taking the pain alone. Screaming was enough to keep her on her feet. The other woman in the room pressed a button on the device she was holding; the pain ceased.

“I’ll let this pass without further note of it,” said the one with the remote. “But only because there will be an addition to your division. However, do that again and I’ll see to it that you are removed from your priveledged position. Understood, Meg?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the one called Meg responded. It was like her actual name, Megumi Onodera, but this was her name. Her Rank Name, as the secret government organization called it.

The other woman brought her wrist communicator close to her mouth and spoke into it:

Her sapphire eyes never left the leader of Division Violeta, not even when the door behind her slid open. In stepped a teenage girl with two guards at either side of her and one behind her, the door closing afterwards. Her eyes were violet like the color of the division she was ordained to, and her hair was a firey orange.

The girl’s eyes were as cold as those of the High Directive member that stood at the center of the room. She stared at the woman wearing a black and violet uniform like her own—her Division Leader.

Meg eyed the girl. She looked about seventeen years old. ‘So young. Too young.’

The High Directive member continued, looking back and forth between the Division Leader and the young girl:

“In case you don’t know, I am Reika Ootori, your superior as well as that of every other division and its leader. If you must call me something, use Kai Rei. Meg will explain the division’s purpose to you. Doubts?”

“Do well, Fox. Insubordination will not be rewarded or tolerated,” she said, tone of voice matching her icy gaze. “Understood?”

Finally the girl spoke.
“Yes, ma’am.” It came out low, cold, and cut, much like Kai Rei’s voice. The auburn haired woman, however, seemed pleased.

Kai Rei turned and left, two of the guards exiting with her. The other one stood at the door, watching the two women. Meg hid a sigh and became serious.

“This way, Fox,” she commanded, turning and walking to a door to the right of the one Kai Rei exited through. The girl silently followed, her glaring eyes never leaving Meg.

AN:
You may have noticed that, for once, I wrote the names of the characters with their given name first. Why? Because this is so far into the future that I really had no clue how to write them. Also, it’s hard for me to say "Doctor So-and-so" with the family name first rule. You’d really say it, in Japanese, "So-and-so sensei". Another factor is that the fic doesn’t necessarily take place in Japan. I opted for a Western setting. Not sure why. Probably Novus Hispannia.

Last chapter’s disclaimer applies, with the addition of Joelle, the red Poe Sister. I don’t own her and the idea isn’t mine. She’s the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s baby.

Notes and Translations:
Novus—“new” in Latin.
Hispannia—old Roman name for Spain
Jianliang—That’s how Megchan would spell Lee’s name. It’s still pronounced Jenlya or Jenrya.
Jian—Pronounced “Jen”
Kitsune—Japanese for “fox”; It makes a nice nickname for Ruki, since she’s Fox.
Obaasan—Japanese for “grandmother”
**Lee’s name should be written Lee Jianliang, family name-given name. See AN comment.

The only difference between the uniform of a Division Leader and a Special Member was the silver belt around the waist of the uniform. Every Division Leader wore one; the belt had a thin band the color of the division at its center.

The corridor they passed led to a larger one that looked like a huge room with desks and computers, consoles and people. They were all color-coded: there was red, blue, green, and purple on the uniforms that would otherwise be completely black. The girl called Fox received several glances, which she ignored. All of them, including her Division Leader, wore electronic devices in the form of flat bracelets on their upper left arms, just like the one Fox herself wore. She assumed it was to keep track of them, or maybe to punish them if they got out of hand.

They all looked like they were trained to be void of all emotion. She would fit in just fine. Meg walked through another door after pressing some buttons on a panel to the side of it. She pressed another one on the inside of the room after Fox stepped through, the door sliding shut afterwards.

“Division Violeta specializes in powers of the mind. Though all the divisions have some sort of connection with technology, each one was created to govern a specific aspect of POE’s Special Members. Division Roja specializes in fire, Azul in ice, and Verde in electricity. Each division has its particular method of training to increase the individuals’ skills. Those methods are decided by either the Division Leader or the High Directive and vary from person to person.”

Meg picked up the report file on the table in the small room and flipped through it. The first page contained information such as her real name, Rank Name, age, place of birth, and the like. ‘Ruki Makino, Fox, seventeen, Novus Japan.’ The next pages were devoted to the tests practiced and their results. This one was overwhelming.

“Very impressive,” the Division Leader mumbled. She set the file on the table and looked at the girl called Fox. “I’d like to see you in action before I decide. Lift up the file.”

Fox looked at the folder and effortlessly lifted it from the table. She made it float in front of Meg. The Division Leader grasped the folder and its contents and gave the girl a look of approval.

“We’ll start you off at the third level of intensity and work up from there. I’m certain you can take it. Since this is going to be your first time, I’ll have to monitor your progress with one of our computers.”

Fox nodded. Again she had to follow her leader out the door, across the large hall-room and into a room where people in lab coats or division uniforms silently shuffled about. She observed them; there was something different about some of these people. Some had a sort of distant tint in their eyes. Others looked extremely dedicated. Some even lost. Fox herself wore a look void of any kind or gentle emotion: she looked calm and composed, yet strong and angry.

“Who performed the tests on you?” Meg asked distractedly as she searched the room with her sight.

“Kai Rei. There were some other people around, though,” Fox replied after a second of thought.

“I see…” She nodded to someone in a black and green uniform. Having received his nod, Meg escorted Fox to where he stood. “This is Hare, Special Member pertaining to the Verde Division. He’ll get you hooked up to the computer. I have some other matters to attend to, so I’ll be checking out your progress from another console.”

Fox nodded and received the same gesture from her Division Leader; Meg left after giving Hare a look that obviously told him to act properly. The seventeen-year-old’s gaze fell on the boy called Hare. He looked about her age. Then she saw his silver eyes and dark blue hair…

“Take a seat,” Hare said, motioning to a white reclining chair to his left. Fox did so. She recognized his voice, too. It was odd. She felt as if she’d seen those eyes, heard that voice. The odds were against that, but…

“What’s your name?” she asked as he worked on setting up the systems he would be using.

The grey eyed young man wrapped an arm pad around her upper left arm. A cable went from the base of the pad to a large console on the ground. Her eyes were locked on him.

‘Jian…’ It was him. One of the kids she’d actually opened up to, even if only for a short time, even if not completely. Her heartbeat increased, her eyes widened.

She noted the sudden build of tension. He knew. He had to have noticed. If he did, he was very good at avoiding conversation. That set off anger inside. If she hadn’t been where she was, she would’ve hit him for his rudeness. Then again, if they weren’t in the underground facility of the government organization, he would’ve been much more polite. She wasn’t the one who usually broke the ice, but she knew how obedient to the rules Jian was. She was new; she’d have an excuse to have “misbehaved”.

Hare shook his head. He moved to an adjacent table and searched for something. Fox couldn’t take the silence. If she couldn’t speak of her past, she’d find something for him to talk about.

“Why is Meg’s belt different? It’s silver, purple, black, purple, and silver again.”

“She oversees all the divisions, but is assigned to work with Violeta. Her abilities are mental.”

He came to the redhead with what looked to her like a visor and placed it on her head. It covered her ears and eyes.

Fox lifted up the visor to see Hare type a few codes into a keypad. A small holographic projection of Meg came up.

“Have her start on the basic program at the third level of intensity,” Meg said.

“Yes, ma’am.” He closed the link with that. Fox put her visor on again, though not quickly enough for him to not notice. He tapped the visor and cracked half a smile. “No peeking, Kitsune.”

Fox herself smiled softly, but quickly became serious, remembering where she was as the visor was activated and she encountered virtual foes. She still didn’t fully understand what happened or why…

Ruki was just lying down in the garden of her ancient Japanese style house. Despite the highly technological society of the year 2403, most families and individuals built houses that resembled those of older cultures. Either that or they moved into remodeled houses and appartments or remodeled old ones themselves.

That one day, though, she looked around, drinking in every detail. The lighting. The shadows. The colors. The sounds. The smells. She sat up to experience it all from another perspective and found that the light always shone brighter and everything looked warmer when she was upright. She stood, seeking yet another point of view, and found more clarity. If her grandmother were alive and there with her, she would’ve said something about life being that way. Get up, go on, and never give up. Everything is brighter when you try.

Ruki turned to face the owner of that low, crisp voice. It was an auburn haired woman whose eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses and whose expression was cold and distant. The teen had deeply rooted her grandmother’s teachings within herself, and politeness and courtesy rated high on that list.

“Yes? How may I help you?” she asked, her face almost equally void of emotion.

“The time has come for you to face your destiny and lend your services where they belong,” said the woman.

Ruki gave her a look of anger and confusion but didn’t budge. The auburn haired woman raised a hand and pointed to the seventeen-year-old. The men behind her walked up to the stunned girl and restrained her. She tried to free herself, but that quickly proved useless. Their grip was too strong for her to bare with.

She was taken by car and plane to what at the time was an unknown destination. There, scientists tested on her and spoke in terms she didn’t understand. Child 83. Success. Mind. Violeta. Fox. From there they traveled on plane and car, and there she was given a uniform. She was briefed—very briefly, at that—about being a Special Member of POE and having a Rank Name of Fox. She would be assigned to Division Violeta. She was taken down a long corridor and into a room where the auburn haired woman was standing before a blonde woman with a uniform like hers.

Fox pulled off the visor and sighed, glad it was over. For today, anyway. Looking around, she saw that Hare was gone. A young girl with light brown hair was pulling off the arm pad and electrodes she still wore. The girl looked around Fox’s age. She wore a red and black uniform and a Division Leader belt. Fox’s heart pounded with recognition.

The girl looked at Fox with wide eyes. After a few seconds, she, too, recognized the teen.

Joelle only beckoned to Fox with her eyes. The violet-eyed girl assumed it had to do with the other girl’s time with the organization. She stood and followed the Division Leader out of the room.

Meg sat at her office desk, Fox’s file in her hands. She read the papers over and over again, a sad, distant look in her eyes. Suddenly, the door slid open and in stepped a short girls in a black and blue uniform. Meg looked up at her.

Meg shook her head, looking down.
“There’s no such thing as ‘done for the day’ at POE,” she said.

Bunny gave her a look that both asked a question and tried not to. Meg noticed and smiled at the thirteen-year-old.

The burgundy-purple haired girl smiled back and quickly walked to the Division Leader. With Meg’s help, Bunny sat on the woman’s lap, her sparkling burgundy eyes looking relieved. Bunny was the youngest Special Member in POE. She arrived with her brother when she was only eight years old. Since they were assigned to different divisions, Meg had taken it upon herself to care for the girl.

“They’re information on the new Special Member. She’s from Novus Japan, just like you.”

“I know her. She’s my brother’s friend. I didn’t know she was chosen, too. What division is she in?”

Meg laughed and hugged the girl.
“Maybe some other time. Who knows? Maybe you can duel with her someday.”

“You’ve beaten people older than yousrelf, Bunny. I think you can take it. Don’t you think so?”

The thirteen-year-old’s eyes closed half way as she sighed. She knew. She really, truly knew…

AN:
I hope no one’s confused… You can think of it as an entirely original anime with the Tamers characters as the main characters. Ruki’s getting a lot of “screen time” but that’s only because I started out with her… No main character yet. I have a rough outline, but I’m not sure if I’ll put in some arcs. Who knows? Maybe Ryou can make an appearance later on… *clamps hand over mouth* !! Sorry… Spoiler… Oh! I selected a closing theme for this! I’ll do that later, though. ^.^

Should I use the characters’ actual names or should I keep the Rank Names? // All characters are mostly portrayed as seen in the American dub, but since they aged I felt I could make some necessary changes. Besides, it’s “what POE does to people.”

Thanks to AngelofLight!!!!!!!!! If you even slightly like this fic, read hers! It’s called Project A.X. I borrowed a lot from it, but she doesn’t mind… as long as I credit her. ^.~

Translations:
Nube—Spanish for “cloud”; NOO-beh
Oso—Spanish for “bear” (the animal)

“First, I have a request,” she said. “Stop treating me like your inferior. I’m not.”

“Fine, Joelle. Please excuse my ‘misbehavior’. I’m not used to this.”

Ruki raised an eyebrow at the Division Leader as the brown-haired teen sipped the contents of her cup. It would be harder to get answers than she had expected. Juri had changed. Maybe that was part of the adaptation process…

“You’ll meet them soon enough. It isn’t really my place to be telling you that.”

“Why? It’s not like I’m a leak or something. I’ve figured out by now that getting out of here is quite the task.”

“The High Directive. They’re the top executives and they make all the final decisions.”

“Okay… About that. The ‘High Directive’ is on a higher level than the Special Members, right?”

The redhead was interrupted by light beeps coming from a small panel to the right side of Juri’s marked division on the table. Seconds later, after that one had stopped, the one to Ruki’s right did the same. Violet eyes watched the Division Leader stand and walk to the trash bin to toss away a cup.

“Remember how I told you to activate the panel?” Juri continued after Ruki nodded. “Our lunch times are measured. That beeping is what tells you when your time is up.”

As if on cue, Meg called out Ruki’s Rank Name. The redhead thanked Juri for her help, even though it was almost useless, and followed the blonde woman.

That large room-like hallway, Ruki interpreted, was the center of the Special Members wing of POE. She scanned the room for familiar faces but found none. The two Violeta members reached two doors that were almost side by side. Megumi put her hand on one of the panels.

“This room is currently in use,” said a mechanical female voice. Megumi withdrew her hand and faced Ruki.

“Better, I suppose,” she said. “I was impressed by how well you did after just one session, so I want to introduce you to what some members consider the ‘fun part’ of being a Special Member. You get to duel with someone.”

Ruki nodded, not expecting this. Megumi proceeded to open the door to the right. Both stepped into the next room, where the duel in the other room could be seen.

“Wow…” Ruki muttered. Her gaze was fixed on the two who were fighting. One had messy light brown hair that looked like a mop and the other had dark blue hair. The brunette, who wore a black and red uniform, shot fire from his hands, which the other, in black and green, quickly dodged. He retaliated with a bolt of electricity from his own hands. The brunette barely dodged; from the looks on their faces, Ruki deduced that they had been battling for quite some time already. A woman in a black and green uniform with a Division Leader belt watched the two, as well as listened. They could be heard through the glass.

“Yes,” Nube replied. After watching the member of Division Verde get hit, she touched a panel next to the window through which they saw the fight. “That’s enough for now, Oso, Draco.”

‘Only “for now,” huh,’ Ruki wryly thought. She followed the actions with her eyes: Nube walking to the door, Oso, the one with blue hair, doing the same in the other room. No other words were exchanged, and frankly, Ruki didn’t care. Hate for this place was starting to grow inside her after her very short talk with Juri and after seeing the so-called “fun” her Division Leader had mentioned. Was she really going to stay here for the rest of her life? Her thoughts were interrupted by Megumi.

“Stay here. I’ll give you a demonstration and then have you come in.” That said, the blonde made her way into the next room. Ruki moved closer to the window and frowned deeply. ‘He fights almost as badly as his opponent,’ she thought in evaluation of the brunette.

“Not fair, Meg! I’m tired, and you’re really good at this!” the boy called Draco complained. His lips were in a playful smile.

Meg returned the smile, looking very sure of herself.
“It’s only a demonstration,” she said, not hiding a short laugh. “Now, come on! I expect a strong attack.”

Ruki rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms. ‘What kind of idiot smiles in this hell hole? The only person I know that would is Takato. And with the stupid coincidences of Juri and Jian being here, I wouldn’t be surprised if that is him.’

“All right, then…” Draco lifted his arms, flames traveling up his arms and collecting into an orb between his hands. Meg stood calmly, looking at him, waiting for his move. The boy released the attack by holding it only with his right hand and thrusting it forward. The fireball was large, but Megumi simply closed her eyes and waited. The ball of flames crashed into her and split, fading quite some time after the impact. When the fire completely faded, Ruki’s eyes widened. Meg looked the same way she had when she stepped in the room. Not a smudge was on her light colored skin or her uniform. She was intact. Draco’s jaw hung open.

“I knew it! Why do you even bother training anymore?” he asked. “You’re already a ‘perfect soldier,’ y’kno—AH!”

Ruki frowned over her surprised expression as the teenage boy’s left hand was clamped over his mouth, which had closed after his scream. She looked at the blonde woman, who tried her best to suppress what Ruki interpreted as anger.

“I train because I have to,” she said, releasing Draco from her mental grip.

The brunette panted from the effort of breathing through her powerful grasp. He rubbed his left wrist.

“As am I,” Megumi replied, head slightly hanging. There was a pause, after which the blonde lifted her head again, now smiling, but eyes a pool of mixed emotions.

“I want to see you go against Fox,” she said, gesturing to the window. Draco looked to the girl and smiled. Ruki hadn’t expected that, so she collected herself into her serious expression after he had seen her confused one. “She’s new, so be nice.” The blonde winked at the brunette. She stepped out of the room and showed Ruki inside, then went to the next one to watch.

“This is a lot like the simulations, Fox, so you shouldn’t have any difficulty,” the Division Leader said.

“If you insist,” Fox coldly replied. Since she was no where near Meg’s level of power, she had to make the motions with her body in order for them to work on any opponent. The simulation had been different, of course; however, the program gave her a small portion of text that prepared her for a real fight, like this one. That in mind, she aimed for his arm, wanting to toss him. But instead of him falling, she was the one that fell. On the floor, she grasped her right shoulder with her left hand and winced, getting up quickly.

‘So he’s a quick one.’ She decided against using her mental abilities and went at him for actual physical contact. She bluffed about hitting his face and kicked his legs after a spin, making sure she knocked him down. He did fall, but got up rather quickly, and was now greeted by the toss the redhead had originally planned on executing.

She unintentionally dropped her guard and found herself on the floor again after a fireball hit her. It was hot, yes, but it caused no burns. The front of her uniform sported black smudges. The seventeen-year-old again tried to hurt him physically. She was met with a small fireball on the way, which she easily dodged. She thrust her arm forward for a hit to the stomach; Draco’s reflex was quick, though. He blocked with his own arm and thrust his knee into her thigh. Ruki flinched as pain coursed through her leg. With the added pain of the impact with the floor, air escaped her, not letting her get up as quickly as she wanted to.

‘Damn…’ she thought as she slowly lifted herself up with her elbows. She still lacked the strength to fully stand.

“Stop.” Meg’s voice was clear through the hidden speakers. “Go on, Draco. I need a word with Fox.”

Draco nodded; he walked to Fox and held out his hand. She reluctantly took it and let him help her up, never letting go of her serious exterior.

“Takato,” she whispered back, eyes wide. She watched him leave and her Division Leader enter. No matter how much she had assumed that she was going to fight Takato, hearing it was still a shock. ‘And the wimp won!’ She mentally cursed at herself for that.

“You did well for a first time…” Megumi eyed the redhead. “Hm… Maybe I tried to rush you into this. My mistake.”

Ruki tried not to glare, failing miserably.
“You should’ve thought about that before sending me at him,” she complained. “In another time, I would’ve won with one blow.”

“The training is intense. It can change anyone from what they were,” said the blonde. “If you know him then you probably know who he was fighting.”

“Aren’t you people supposed to be keeping those things one big secret?!” the teen burst out. She received a fierce glare from her superior.

“Excuse me for trying to help,” Meg crisply replied. “I guess I should just act the way Kai Rei does, shouldn’t I. That’s how it’s supposed to be. I do have a guarder control unit in my office. I don’t have it with me because I see no need for it. But maybe I’m wrong about that, too.”

She saw the sudden hit of confusion settle into the girl’s face. It disappeared as quickly as it had come. “Oh, that’s right. You don’t know what a guarder is.” An emotionless mask was her reply to Ruki’s glare. “It’s that thing on your left arm. It sends a current of electricity through your body when activated to do so. The waves are harmful, of course, but none of the higher officials seem to care about that. You can’t use your abilities once you leave this room. A detection field has been installed on this room’s door that disactivates the guarder and allows you to use your abilities freely when you come in. Walk outside and the guarder is reactivated. Use said abilities outside this room and the results won’t be much fun for you. The only other possible way to inflict that pain is to activate the guarder manually, which I have permission to do. It’s your choice, Fox. I can be your enemy, or you can listen to what I have to say.”

Megumi seemed to straighten herself to look a bit taller, and succeeded.
“You’ll find out soon enough.”

Ruki looked down and stared at the floor. She refused to reply verbally, so she just nodded.

Ruki would continue dueling, but through their network of virtual reality training like the one she had gone through first. The only difference would be that she would be facing others through the network instead of a program. That program would be a sort of test. If she passed, she would advance to the next level.

That night in her room, the seventeen-year-old sorted through her many thoughts:

Meg was right: Fox did know the teenager Takato had been fighting first. He was Kenta Kitagawa. Juri had told her about others… Did that mean Hirokazu was here as well? Hirokazu Shiota. The outspoken one. If POE could get Takato in shape, surely Hirokazu should have learned, too. Then again, this was Hirokazu she was thinking about…

And what on Earth did Megumi mean about her finding out what she had to say? For a while, Ruki thought that it was something Division Leaders did. Juri had told her that she’d meet her friends “soon enough.” Then again, she had only met two of them. The other one, Nube, was just a quick acquaintance. She seemed equally mysterious, though.

And another thing about Meg. She was different, Ruki could tell. Even Juri had been more harsh than the blonde. The redhead hadn’t seen the brunette smile a single time that day, but the blonde had done so several times. Then there was the fact that Megumi was actually offering to be nice.

And Takato… Ruki thought about the demonstration. Why did Megumi interrupt him when he asked about her training? He mentioned that the Division Leader was “already a perfect soldier,” but what did he mean by that? Ruki thought it would be an honor to be called a perfect soldier. Maybe that had something to do with what the Division Leader had to say.

Takato winced as Juri applied a warm wet gauze to an abrasion on the boy’s arm.

“Man… Fox was pretty good for a first timer,” he said. He put his hand on the girl’s to keep the gauze in place, and she skillfully pulled hers away without letting the gauze slip.

“You don’t think you were a bit rough with her?” Juri commented as she put away the packet of steril gauzes.

Takato shrugged.
“It’s Ruki,” he said. “And even though it’s been two years since we got here, Ruki will always be Ruki, ‘special abilities’ or not.”

“Yeah,” Juri agreed and sighed. “Now that you mention it, she hasn’t changed much since the last time we saw her.”

Juri shrugged and tilted her head to one side.
“I don’t know. Maybe, considering the fact that she notices so many details about people. The only reason she told us was because Lee knew, and Lee found out from Shaochung.”

The Division Leader looked Takato straight in the eyes.
“Of course she would’ve. Do you honestly think you’d be able to keep something that big to yourself forever?”

Takato sighed and tossed away the gauze after the pain was gone.
“I guess not…”

“The others are working on that,” the male technician replied. “But since they’re all asleep, they won’t notice. It’s easier this way.”

“Acknowledged,” replied the same female voice. She turned her sapphire eyes to a screen on which there was a map of the underground facility. She observed it for a few seconds, then returned her gaze to the screen in front of the technician she had been speaking to. After a few seconds, she walked off and out of the room, down the hall and into another one. Once there, she sat in one of the comfortably cushioned chairs and sighed, leaning back.

“Oh? Well then why does humanity trust computers so much? What I believe in is different. It’s an ideal.”

By now, the blonde male speaker had seated himself on the large armrest of the chair Reika was in.

“What I believe in is a person. That’s you.” And having said this, he leaned forward and kissed the woman, after which she commented:

“Of course…” ‘Of course I’m persuasive. I’m that just as you are blind about what POE really is about. But you’ll find out…

AN:
I wasn’t expecting so many reviews!!! *sniff* Thankye! Ooo!! Now with the character function, I’ve selected my main characters! All the others play an important part, though. I just use Megumi and Ruki a lot more. (More Ruki, but just wait ’til we get further along… and be QUIET, AngelofLight!!! ^.~)

Now, this fic should last well past five chapters. I’ll see what I can do to make it longer than ten… if you readers would like that… (And you most probably will, after a while… I hope…)

Ruki lifted her gaze to the end of the hall. The residencial area was a few floors big and consisted of many halls and rooms. The one she was walking down was the so-called “mid-vein” and it led to a sort of recreation area. It was ironic to Ruki, but, then again, they wanted the people to stay.

Megumi’s voice was clear and strong as she demanded an explanation. Ruki continued her walk to the room and found that a small croud had gathered. They were slowly backing away, and the redhead interpretted this as being caused by Violeta’s Division Leader’s presence. The blonde was glaring at two Violeta Special Members, both male. Neither of them said a thing.

Still no reply. The blonde woman closed her eyes sighed, then opened them and looked at them differently. She looked concerned and seemed tired.

“Just because I can be looser about some things doesn’t mean you can slack off,” she said, eyes shifting from one to the other. “You can duel, not just fight, and in the assigned rooms. We’ve been over this before. Next time someone else might find out. And you know the person will probably be from the High Directive. He or she won’t be as nice as I am. Understood?”

The two nodded, still looking angered, and the rest of the croud dispersed. Megumi gave them a nod in return and walked off elsewhere. The two in question fed eachother final glares and went their separate ways.

‘What a way to start your mornings.’ Again Ruki noticed a difference in her Division Leader. Now she was certain there was more to the organization than she knew. ‘Juri must know too,’ she thought, ‘because she was so harsh when she told me about the High Directive. What’s that all about, anyway? If they’re all as cold as Kai Rei…’

Megumi sighed deeply. Falcon never listened. He was quick, stubborn, and even naive at times. She only hoped Shaochung had noticed and would just stop him. Although, he did deserve to get at least a little hurt… ‘Life dishes out its own punishments,’ she thought with a smile.

Shaochung was shocked. Did people think she was that weak just because she was so young? She’d show him…

Though she’d been trained to attack without using words, Shaochung, Rank Name “Bunny,” thought it would sound more fun this way. Besides that, it would be like the magical girl shows she watched before coming, and like the ones Megumi had been able to sneak in for them to watch. She raised up an arm and…

She lunged forward, looking like she was going to punch Falcon in the stomach, and then finished the swipe before hitting him. A ball of icy flames hit him where her fist would have, and the seventeen-year-old was pushed back. He doubled over in pain and tried his best to keep smirking.

Meg watched from the other room and shook her head while giggling. ‘Oh he really deserved that.’

“No excuses, Falcon,” Shaochung triumphantly said. “Admit your defeat.” Here she grinned and posed, giving him the “V for Victory” stance.

Having recovered, the spikey haired teen walked to Bunny and ruffled up her hair.

To complete that magical girl feel, Shaochung jumped and threw a punch into the air while cheering. Megumi contemplated the girl and prayed she wouldn’t have to stay long enough for POE to settle into her. That girl had brought her out of the hate she had shrowded herself in…

The blonde turned to face the owner of the voice. Roja Division Leader Joelle had walked in, apparently at the time Shaochung was cheering. The thirteen-year-old’s energy and happiness were contagious. Juri was smiling now too.

“Falcon wouldn’t listen again, and Bunny went magical girl on him,” Megumi informed.

“Hey! That’s mean!! I can’t believe it! And neither one of you is my Division Leader!! How do you think that makes me feel?!” the blonde protested.

“Oh, cut it out,” Meg said, smiling. “You know Aqua would say the same. Speaking of whom, both of you should go to Azul’s ward now.”

Shaochung giggled.
“C’mon Hirokazu,” she said more softly. The older blonde boy followed the thirteen-year-old out, and together they walked to the Azul Wing.

“Well, Meg? What do you say to a duel?” Joelle suggested after the other two were gone.

The two steppeded out of the room and into the next one. Megumi stood at the far end of it while Juri remained close to the door. As she gathered flames for her attack, she directed a question to the other Division Leader.

“I take it you know Fox knows our little chain of ‘secret keepers,’ right?”

Meg nodded.
“She mentioned something about us having to keep things a secret.”

Juri nodded and released her attack. Megumi held out her hand and blocked it just by willing it to hit an “invisible wall.” It was so simple and Juri was so used to the blonde’s control over her power that they continued talking as if nothing had happened.

“Is she trustworthy?” Megumi inquired as she stepped forward. Juri replied after being flung against the wall.

“Yes, she is.” She rubbed her lower back and groaned. “Could you be a bit more gentle?”

The two exited the room and went to Meg’s office. Taking their seats, they continued their talk.

“She was always the more serious one in our group of friends. So was Hare, but Fox was much more distant and untrusting. She opened up later, but she was always more aggressive. He was defensive. That’s how I can remember it so clearly.”

Megumi shrugged. The brunette detected the uncertainty, doubt, and a twinge of fear or pain—she couldn’t tell which one it was—in the blonde’s gaze.

“No.” The response was quick and flat. Meg realized this and was quick to try and correct the mistake. “Well, I mean… The fine details haven’t been completely laid out. It’s still quite a risk.”

“I told Bunny. She told you. When she felt guilty about lying to me she came back and told me who the so-dubbed ‘secret keepers’ were. Since it’s only a few people, I don’t mind. But there’s only so much you can know. The knight suits are one of the things I wish I hadn’t talked about.”

“The guarders were upgraded,” she said to change the subject. “Last night. Now the tracking devices are a bit better.”

“Oh? I didn’t notice…” The brunette sighed and looked at the blonde pleadingly. “We can’t stay here forever. Even more so now that we know the truth.”

“I know…” Megumi’s head was down. “But we need to get details into this.”

A smile pulled the blonde’s lips into a small curve.
“I already have and you’ve proven yourself. You decide who should talk to her about it.”

It was one of those weirder moments, thought Ruki. Unexpectedly weird, or maybe, perhaps, it was intentional that this “gentleman” Special Member of her division decided to turn on music and try to get everyone to dance. Most of them did; Fox, however, thought it useless. Why bother? They would either wake up to punishment or just another day of the torture. Well, at least she considered it torture. Not only for herself, at that, but for her family at well. Her mother. ‘She must be driving herself insane…’ They had grown very close when Seiko died and closer still when all of the girl’s friends had “disappeared” and were assumed dead. ‘She probably thinks I’m dead too… Ugh, those idiots! How can they be so heartless!’ She would train, Ruki decided. She would train and be strong enough to make the High Directive and CEO sorry for what they’d done to her mother and the families of every other Special Member.

She leaned against a wall, arms crossed, gaze set to a glare. The song itself wasn’t bad. It had a dancy, almost disco feel to it; the lyrics were downright superficial. She wanted to get out, but the way to the door was slowly growing more blocked as members of other divisions filed in for the party started by the “gentleman” of Division Violeta. “Gentleman” because, of course, he had the habit of wanting to apparently “start something” with Ruki. Her death glares and sarcastic remarks didn’t seem to ward him off. She thought that acting completely opposite that would be no different; trying would confirm any suspiscions, but the redhead was in no way willing to degrade herself to that level.

But even the knowledge of how Ruki despised him was not enough to keep him away—for this final time, at least. Vertically resting his forearm on the wall, next to Fox, smirking as he looked at her, he picked up a conversation. The usual, of course. Having been with the organization for only a day and already knowing what he wanted, Ruki considered him a moron for not stopping now.

“I’ll make this quick,” he began, acting as if he was actually worth her time. “Let’s dance.”

His “you know you want me” tone made it hard for the redhead to contain herself and her fists. She wanted to hurt him. Badly.

He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Azul Special Member Bunny. The smaller girl had squeezed her way through the large croud and began speaking while still in it and close to Ruki.

“Fox! …” she said and grunted as she freed herself from the people. “My brother and I have something to tell you.” She stood on the tips of her toes to whisper the next bit. “And Meg is coming to break up the party, so you’d better get out before she gets here. Since it’s so big, I think Kai Rei might show up. Not a pretty sight. Believe me.”

The violet eyed girl nodded and, completely ignoring the ever-pestering young man at her side, joined the thirteen-year-old in the swim, so to speak, through the river of people that had filled the room to capacity. They’d just exited the room when a very annoyed Megumi passed them and stood at the door. Shaochung was going to keep walking, but Ruki felt curious about what would happen now. The seventeen-year-old recognized the one who asked her to join him in a dance as one of the troublemakers of the morning incident. She wanted to see if the Division Leader would be as tolerant as she was then. The burgundy-purple haired girl sighed and watched with her.

Megumi’s narrowed brown eyes scanned the room for the source of the distraction. Having found it, she mentally pushed the off button and waited for everyone to look her way after turning the lights back on. The unexpecting Special Members found themselves caught in a fierce glare. The blonde woman made her hands fists as she tried to keep herself from lashing out. Quite the task it was, though.

“What… What happened here,” she almost growled. She looked around the room, at all the shocked, frightened, and ocassional rebellious-looking faces. At a corner, a certain black haired boy whispered something to a silver haired one. They were not saved; Megumi could read lips.

Calm, yet bubbling with anger inside, she stepped to them, people pulling away and watching her, forming a path to her destination and making her walk that much easier. She stopped when she was in front of the two who dared not speak the truth right to their Division Leader’s face. They tried not to look afraid, but were failing by the second.

“Juno, Pallas,” she addressed, trying her best not to shout. “If you have something to say, say it to me. I will not be the loose, tolerant, forgiving, naive Division Leader you think I am and want me to be. Now, what the hell have you two done.”

Silence. If they said anything, it would only prove their guilt. Not like silence would help, though. On the contrary. Their “response” brought the blonde woman’s anger higher. She slapped both of them.

“Answer me!!” she shouted at the now highly frightened two. But their fear wouldn’t let them speak.

“If you won’t tell me,” Meg pressed, “then you’ll have to tell… have to face—”

“Fun,” repeated the blonde. “If you wanted fun, you should’ve asked for permission.” She paused to breathe deeply. That seemed to let out at least some of her rage. “Pallas, don’t take the blame for him,” she instructed the black haired boy. “It’s noble, but you don’t have to be manipulated by him.”

“And… And I carried out the plan even though he told me not to,” Juno finished.

Megumi breathed deeply again as she pondered over the situation. She turned her head to her right and spoke to the crowd:

And all fearfully and respectfully obeyed. The room was emptied twice as quickly as it had been filled. But even then, Ruki was watching from outside. Shaochung took her arm and pulled her a few steps away, the seventeen-year-old’s gaze never shifting from the room. ‘How can she be so—’

A blurry figure hurridly walked into the room, interrupting the redhead’s thought. Her uniform was grey and burgundy. Her hair was a reddish brown—auburn. Fox’s eyes widened. ‘Kai Rei.’

“Oh no…” Bunny murmured as she released Ruki’s arm and followed the High Directive member with her gaze until she reached the three Special Members.

“The guarder upgrade has proven very useful,” stated the sapphire eyed woman. Meg still stood in front of Juno and Pallas, a bit off to their left. Now all three looked at their superior. “You weren’t aware of the upgrade, were you, though.”

“Then I’ll tell you.” The words stung the guilty two like ice. “Tracking devices were programmed into the guarders last night. At the communications center, we noticed a rather large group of Special Members in this room. A sophisticated scan informed us of quite some noise coming from here as well. Now, the strange part is that as I neared the room I thought I could faintly hear it. Very faintly. Then it stopped altogether.”

“And then that crowd I ran into and their conversations about a party…” She tsked. “I honestly thought you could handle all these people, Meg.” She stopped and raised an eyebrow at the blonde. “Really. I did.” She resumed her pacing. “But at least you’ve cornered the culprits, or so I assume they are. If that is so, then it shocks me even more that you, our most skilled member, couldn’t control them.”

“One can’t be in all places at all times,” she said calmly, gaze imperceptibly cast lower.

“I suppose it is excusable,” Kai Rei continued. She put a hand into her pocket and fished out the small black guarder controller. As quickly as she did that, she set loose the electric current of the Division Leader’s guarder. Instantly, the blonde let out a quick yelp, then cringed and tried to keep herself composed. This angered Pallas, who took a step forward with his fist held up.

He’d barely finished when the auburn haired woman activated the currents in his guarder. He, however, wasn’t accustomed to the shock, so he had to try very hard not to scream or shout.

“Stay quiet!” Kai Rei snapped at the nineteen-year-old. “I decide who I punish and what for. You I want to see in the intensive training ward now!—”

Cold sapphire eyes turned to the blonde.
“What do you deem important enough to interrupt me in order to tell me about it,” she said, tone matching her gaze. She pressed a button on the controller and the pain ceased for Pallas.

The brown eyed woman struggled with herself to try and speak.
“Don’t… do that to him. Thi-” she gasped for air, “-This is his first… infringement of code.”

Kai Rei stopped the surge of electricity that affected the Division Leader and kept her in an unshifting glare.

“How sickeningly noble,” the blue eyed woman muttered. She straightened herself out. “Fine, then. You two are free to go. But don’t ever do anything like this again.” She stared at Meg as the two left. “You can follow me.”

Ruki and Shaochung had turned and begun to walk away when Juno and Pallas had begun their walk to the door. The girls darted to a corridor on their right and hid behind the wall as the boys passed. After them came the proud and erect Kai Rei, and behind her went the noble and obedient Meg. Some time after the pairs passed, the two young girls stepped out from their hiding place. The redhead looked down the hall in awe.

“What’s the… ‘intensive training ward’?” Ruki asked, ignoring the other girl’s request.

Shaochung lowered her gaze a bit.
“It’s a nicer way of saying ‘punishment chamber’… Or that’s what we call it, at least.”

“And Meg knows that…” The purple eyed girl faced the younger one and met her sad gaze with her own almost fearful one. “…right?”

Bunny only nodded quickly before walking behind Fox and giving her a push.
“Now let’s go. I’ve been trying to take you with me somewhere for a while now.”

“Great…” muttered Bunny. She turned around to face a teal haired woman with platinum eyes who wore a Division Leader belt. The woman sighed and shook her head; she was at the other end of the hall.

“I know you like being with Meg, but you are a member of Azul,” the woman said as she neared them. She smiled at Ruki and then at Shaochung when she stopped in front of them.

“Ah… Well, I was just answering some of Fox’s questions,” Shaochung said.

“I see,” replied the Division Leader. “Anyway, Bunny, I want you to start your next session.”

The thirteen-year-old sighed.
“Yes, Aqua,” she said, exaggerating boredom. The woman just laughed and play-slapped Shaochung along, giving Ruki a look and a smile to let her know that she wasn’t being ignored. The redhead watched them disappear around a corner and let out a short sigh hereslf. So much had happened; there was so much to think about.

‘I guess Shao-chan’ll have to tell me what she wanted to later…’ She shivered when she recalled what they’d seen and heard. The reality of it all was a grim thing to face. Kai Rei’s show of arrogance was impressive, but what Ruki marveled at was how composed Megumi was. She hoped that she wouldn’t be with the organization long enough to be able to stand that.

Seeing the innocent oppressed angered the violet eyed girl. These people were so heartless; didn’t they care about their Special Members? Obviously not… So Ruki would train and become stronger, so strong that the High Directive would fear her. She’d see them go under and the innocents rise. ‘Grandma would be proud… And so would Mother.’ For her family. For her friends. Shaochung, and Megumi too.

Kenta, Hirokazu, Takato, Lee, and Juri patiently waited for Shaochung to come. Well, most of them did…

“The Division Residentials aren’t that big! How could she get lost?” Hirokazu complained.

“Hm…” Juri pressed her lips together tightly as she looked at the ceiling in thought.

Takato leaned forward, supporting his elbows with his legs and his head with his hands.

All eyes fell on Juri. They looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. She blinked a few times to completely return from her thoughts and blinked a bit more when she saw everyone’s looks.

“Not fully, no, but,” Juri answered, “I do think she may be somewhere else. You all know training and sessions are the ‘business’ here. Maybe Aqua or some other Division Leader found her.” She paused to sigh and look slightly saddened. “It’s a shame Ruki can’t find her way here on her own yet.”

“Maybe today isn’t the best time,” Lee commented. “She’s been here for way too little time to just bombard her with the facts.”

“Are you gonna agree with everyone, man?!” Hirokazu wore a smirk as he teased Kenta.

A short collective laughter shook off some major tensions, but the real ones wouldn’t leave until later that day.

AN:
This here is my sneak peak of what I had planned for Procedure Operative Elite… *sniffy* I just really want to introduce you to this couple… The italicized text in the beginning is Megumi speaking to Shaochung. This chapter would’ve been placed anywhere after chapter 8.

Original AN:
This chapter is very angsty. I saw it (part of it) in a dream and planned it out that day. (February 28, 2002—here for my reminiscing). I almost cried!…

“We are… like brother and sister. We grew up together ever since I was six years old. But I… couldn’t help falling for him. He was probably the only one who ignored the fact that my parents were dead and I was a foreign girl. We didn’t grow closer when his father died because his mother, Astrid Alicea, CEO of POE, had already introduced me to the Special Members program.

“…But he told me the truth, about how the organization was really evil, and we planned a campaign against it. Every day I grew more and more in love with him, but he only saw me as a little sister. He loves someone else the way I love him, and since I love him so much, I choose to stay silent…”

“The campaign has begun. Ruki, Hirokazu, Takato, Jianliang, Kenta, and Juri—I refuse to use their Rank Names anymore—are the Outsiders, preparing the way for our internal crushing of POE. Kai Rei herself has seen the truth. Shaochung, your brother and the others will be just fine. We planned this completely. The escape went through flawlessly, and I thank you for choosing to stay here with me… I need the support. I don’t think I can face him alone… with… her in the room…”

Knight Luna stood tall and proud. Its coloring was black and silver. There was a blade sword at its side and a shield at its other side. The room adjacent to the hangar was currently occupied by two Special Members. One was the Division Leader of Violeta, the other was a member of Azul.

The small one, called Bunny, conducted a quick health scan of the older one, called Meg. Once that was done, Meg, Megumi Onodera, emerged from the scan chamber and stood before Bunny, Shaochung Lee.

“The results are done printing,” Shaochung said. She picked up the papers and handed them to Megumi.

As the older woman looked at them, Bunny peeked at the results. Her eyes widened and her pupils shrunk slightly in surprise. Just then, Megumi abruptly lowered them. The thirteen-year-old looked at the Division Leader; the woman’s eyes were closed and her head was down. But then she looked up and out the window, at Knight Luna.

“Come on,” she said with determination. “Earth’s armed forces will send Knight Terra out and attack first if we don’t. If we don’t want people to die… we have to act now.”

She took a few steps forward, then stopped, not turning to look at the young girl.

“Don’t tell anyone about the results. Not a soul, understood? As long as I’m in POE, don’t tell anyone.”

A door slid open and then closed after two uniformed figures stepped through it. It was a large communications room. Other than those who had just entered, a blonde man and auburn haired woman were the only people in the room. Both looked up from their respective seats. The man, Taiyou, Mitsuo Yamaki, stood, followed by the woman, Kai Rei, Reika Ootori.

Shaochung looked at Taiyou, and then at Meg, focusing on her eyes. She didn’t know if it was because of what Megumi had confessed, but she knew she saw a deep sorrow in the blonde woman’s eyes. Being the young and maybe naive teen she was, Bunny wondered why Meg interrupted the man instead of opting to hear his voice. She sighed silently, hoping to understand someday.

Megumi made the move to turn, but then seemed to regret it. She took a step forward and embraced Mitsuo, not letting herself shed tears or rest her head on his shoulder. He also held her close, and at that, Megumi could stand there no longer. She ripped herself away and let her back face him. Her head was hung slightly.

“Knight Luna is waiting for me,” she said softly. “I only have one last thing to say.” She paused as if waiting for a prompt. She got it, too. It was from him.

Shaochung held her breath. She watched Taiyou for any reaction, but there was none. He just seemed to soften up a bit.

Meg closed her right hand into a fist. ‘You misunderstood. I knew you would.’ Not giving it a second thought, she ran off to board Knight Luna.

Tears fell down her cheeks as she thrust her hands into the almost glove-like controls in the knight suit’s cockpit. She wiped them away before lifting her hands in an X over her chest, palms facing out. She closed her eyes and was surrounded by a violet aura. Luna’s eyes glowed the same purple; Megumi thrust her hands out to her sides, eyes narrowed, and the activation sequence was complete.

Back in the communications room, the suit and pilot’s stats were monitored. Progress in what concerned location and distance were seen on a large screen above the keyboard panels. A purple dot exiting an orange square was Knight Luna. A grey dot that suddenly came out of an unmarked building was assumed to be Knight Terra.

“Meg, the Earth Forces have just sent out Knight Terra,” Reika said. “You’ll encounter it in less than 120 seconds.”

Shaochung watched in nervous excitement as the two finally met. Skillfully, Megumi blocked and hit enough to keep the other person at bay. Shaochung thought about how hard it probably was to pilot that suit. The results of the health scan flashed in her mind again. Her heart sank. She needed to tell someone…

“Well, Meg told me not to tell anyone while she was still in POE, but technically she’s not in POE right now, so…”

Taiyou blinked twice, then turned to one of the screens. Sure enough, the pilot’s stats were horrendous. No one, not a soul who was thinking clearly, would go out in a knight suit when in her condition.

Metals clashed. With a powerful shove, Meg moved Knight Terra away from her long enough to draw the knight’s sword. She stopped when the sword was only half out. He had yelled at her.

“No!” she shouted, pushing the sword back in its sheath and blocking a punch.

She finally had the chance to pull out the sword. The knight suit moved the way she moved in its cockpit. She kicked, it kicked, sending the other knight suit to the ground.

Shaochung’s heart felt like it was being squeezed. How could he react this way? He was supposed to be worried, kind, understanding… Here she realized that she was still just a child and shouldn’t mingle in adults’ problems.

Even so, she knew that the only way to try and redeem herself was by telling him the truth. The ultimate truth.

“Stop that!” she screamed at him. He met her with a glare that would’ve silenced her any other day. But her determination then and there kept her firm and able to speak.

“Not like that! I mean she loves you!! She loves you the way you love Kai Rei!”

Luckily, Reika had been too involved with the battle to hear that. An odd sort of silence fell over them, and realization filled Mitsuo Yamaki’s eyes. He turned to the panel behind him and rested his hands on it. He watched the battle from the corner of his eye; and then he gasped.

A thought filled his head. The mission objective… was to… He punched a key…

Glad with the silence from the other side, Megumi had fought the horribly tiring battle. She felt like she was going to explode, like her heart was going to stop beating, but she fought on.

‘I have no real thing to live for. All the Outsiders have their families, and Reika and Mitsuo have eachother. I’m the only one who’s alone!’

“Pilot of Knight Terra!!” she cried, shoving the other suit back. There was no response. “Exit the suit now, or your life will be taken with the knight’s!”

There seemed to be a hint of indignation from the other side, but in reality the other pilot had just accepted her offer. A dark brown haired boy exited the suit and ran off.

“Proceeding to fulfill mission objective!” She directed that to Taiyou and Kai Rei. She raised the sword and placed a foot behind herself to steady the knight. And then—

—she slashed through the other suit. Everything seemed to move in slow motion after she heard him that. As the sword went through Knight Terra’s body, tears flowed from her eyes.

‘You… called me Megumi… You haven’t used my real name since… since I joined POE…’

Maybe there was a reason to live her life. When she finished passing through the other knight suit, she made a motion to turn. She had her back to the other suit and had pushed away with her foot just as Knight Terra exploded. She screamed.

“How is she?” asked a very worried Mitsuo to the doctor and nurse that came to the waiting room where he, Reika, Shaochung, and the Outsiders were in.

“We are uncertain of whether she is in a coma or simply sleeping, but she is unaware of her surroundings,” said the male nurse.

Mitsuo stepped past the door and walked right to the side of the bed Megumi was in. The door slid closed.

“I was told that you aren’t aware of your surroundings; they said you may be in a coma. But I know you’re just sleeping.”

He moved closer and pulled up a high chair. He sat and observed her closed eyes.

“You’re having a sad dream,” he said while carefully wiping away her tears. “Or maybe your dreams are showing you the reality that you so passionately despise.” A pause. “Shaochung told me what you really meant to tell me. I started to hate myself, but then she told me that you never said what you really felt out of respect.”

His fingers slid in and out of her hair, making quick, gentle contact with her cheek. He sighed.

“I never realized. You’re so pretty, Megumi. I just never saw it. But I’m sure you know why. Because we were so close. We grew up together. It must have been killing you to stay silent about it. You probably knew that I only saw you as a younger sibling. Augh! And when I introduced Reika to you, how did you keep yourself from screaming at me? You never hated her, though. She could’ve been cruel to you, like she was, but you never once said you hated her. You have always been kind, full of love. You have so much love to give! Like when you took in Shaochung, treating her like a daughter, almost. No one else I know could’ve done better.

“I wish that I could stop making you so sad. But… I love Reika and you know that.” He paused to look at her more closely. “Whoever you end up with will be the most blessed man in the world. That is, if you can allow yourself to fully accept reality. I’m sorry. I really am. Thank you for being you, for caring enough to respect the truth you hate. I really do love you, but the only way I can see our relationship is like that of an older brother and his younger sister. I try to protect you.”

Through it all, he never ceased to touch her face and hair. He stood and nestled his hand deeper into her hair; he leaned forward to kiss her forehead but stopped, pulling back to just see her. She looked exactly the same way she had when he’d walked in. And then he decided to do something that he knew she co uld never have when in consciousness. He leaned forward and kissed her lips; he let the contact last for a few seconds and then stood upright, touching her hand with his and sighing.

“Wake up someday soon,” he whispered. After contemplating her for a few more seconds, he walked out of the room, silence reigning again.

AN:
End of preview. That’s it. I just really wanted to write that Yagumi (Yamaki+Megumi) bit. There was going to be more… but now I’m serious. There will be NO MORE updates to Procedure Operative Elite. I really mean it this time. (Oh and, in case you were wondering, Ryo was the pilot of Knight Terra)