Chapter 12: At War With Love, Part 1

"Get down!" Captain Hamaguchi cried as the Molotov cocktail sailed towards his junior officer. Hamaguchi pushed his subordinate down behind the police car just in time as the deadly projectile whizzed over their heads and impacted into the parking lot behind them.

"Thank you for the save, sir!" the rookie police officer shouted.

"Don't thank me yet, rookie!" Hamaguchi hollered. "Move forward with the rest of the officers! This fight isn't over until all of them have surrendered!"

Hamaguchi tried to get up and advance, but just as he did, a storm of bullets pinged off the car doors and he was forced to stay put. Discovering the location of the criminal gang had been half the battle. Now, Hamaguchi and the other police officers just had to find a way to breach their fortification.

The fortification being his old middle school.

"Captain Hamaguchi, this is Agent Nishikata," Hamaguchi heard a voice crackle over his radio. "You and your officers have done your part and the criminals are trapped inside. Agents Kimura, Takao and I will handle the rest."

Right at the last part of that sentence, Hamaguchi heard the roar of helicopter blades overhead, and a huge grin came over his face as the aerial war machine unleashed a barrage of chain-gun fire on the school. Much of the third floor was reduced to smithereens as the helicopter found its mark, and Hamaguchi gave the long-awaited order at last.

"Officers, advance!"

Onboard the helicopter, Nishikata and his two friends readied themselves for the jump. Although Kimura and Takao's primary roles were that of long-range assistance from the chair, the two CEA agents also had a wealth of combat experience from their first two years as agents. The trio looked at each other and nodded. Their orders were clear.

The escaped American convict, who had been confirmed as the leader of this gang, was to be brought back to US soil alive. Anyone else besides him were to either be eliminated or arrested.

"Prepare for jump," Nishikata shouted as he opened the side door. Even over the whirring of the helicopter blades, the chaos of the battle could be heard below. In just seconds, the helicopter was hovering high above the roof of the school, and Nishikata gave the command.

"Jump!"

The bodies of the three agents moved with perfect instinct as they rolled forward out of the door, tucking their bodies to ensure they did not get chopped by the blades. Nishikata felt the wind tearing at his face and uniform as he spread out his arms and legs. The countdown felt like an eternity, but it was essential to activate the rocket boots at the right time if one did not want their joints ripped out of their sockets.

"Now!" Nishikata yelled, tucking his knees to his chest and thumbing the activation switches on the sides of his boots.

With a loud swoosh! the boots jolted the three agents for a moment before stabilizing their flight and easing their descent onto the roof. As soon as Nishikata and his team touched down, the door from the stairs to the roof began to open, and Nishikata brought up his assault rifle.

"Halt!" Kimura's voice barked behind him. But the two criminals refused to comply, and only brought up their own weapons in reply. They were fast, but Kimura was faster, and six shots from his rifle later the two of them dropped dead.

"Takao, cover our rear as we enter the building!" Nishikata ordered. "I'll take point! We clear out our—I mean, the school floors one by one until we capture the escaped convict!"

"You got it, Nishikata!" Takao agreed.

Nishikata bit his lip. He'd almost allowed sentimentality to slip through. It'd been years since he'd set foot inside this hell hole of a school. The only reason he, Takao and Kimura had been selected for this mission was because their time here as students meant the building would be more familiar to them.

Nishikata shook his head to clear his mind. He was an agent of the CEA, and he had to complete the mission. Upon entering the door, Nishikata heard the shouts and hurried footsteps of many criminals as they ascended the staircase.

"Kimura, mango!" Nishikata yelled.

Reaching into the grenade pouch on his black flak vest, Kimura undid one safety pin with a sweep of his thumb before pulling out the second pin with his teeth. He dropped the grenade down the stairwell, and the trio of agents ducked down and covered their necks as the grenade detonated a few flights beneath them.

'Mango' had been the predesignated keyword for grenade. No need to reveal their moves to the enemy.

It did not take long for Nishikata and his friends to reach the third level, and Nishikata took point without hesitation as he stepped out to make sure the hallway was clear. Fiddling with the buttons on the side of his infrared goggles, he identified five targets in the classroom fifty meters down. He held up five fingers to indicate as such. Kimura and Takao loudly tapped their shoulders five times in reply. Perfect; the message had been relayed and understood.

The three friends moved down the hallway with Takao guarding their rear, clearing every single classroom each time. By now, Nishikata had received word from Hamaguchi that the first floor was clear. Only two more to go before their target was found. Soon enough, the trio reached the door of the room where the five criminals were hiding, and a short but bloody firefight broke out.

"Drop your weapons and put your hands in the air!" Takao yelled, as was proper protocol.

One of the criminals fired his handgun in reply, followed by shots from the other four. The thugs had sealed their own fate; the three agents would just be the ones finalizing the decision.

Takao rolled out of the way just in time as Kimura tossed a flashbang into the classroom. The five criminals yelled in surprise as the agents stormed in and opened fire. Nishikata saw one thug level his pistol at him, and fired three rounds, two to the man's chest and one into his head. The man dropped to the floor, his vitals flatlining on the HUD of Nishikata's goggles. One criminal scum dead; a few more to go.

The fight was over thirty minutes later. The escaped convict from Guantanamo Bay and ten thugs who'd surrendered were lined up and made to kneel on the curb just outside the front entrance as police cars, helicopters, and armored trucks swarmed around the scene. Hamaguchi and his officers handled the ten thugs, while Nishikata and his friends escorted the escaped convict off to the side.

It was an ironic sight really. For all the files, briefings, and warnings that HQ had given them, the escaped prisoner was quite a pathetic sight. Five feet tall, a mustache twisted in an odd shape, and a balding head that looked more like the head of a Shaolin monk than a criminal mastermind. Again, though, Nishikata cared little for those details. He and his team had accomplished their mission. He'd be leaving this forsaken place that reminded him of his foolish wish soon.

A large black van emblazoned with US CEA on the side roared up to the scene, and the three agents came to attention as Director Lauren Kolb exited the vehicle along with two Japanese police officers and two FBI agents.

"Well done, agents," Lauren nodded as she looked over the escaped convict. "Takao, Kimura. Show this man to the back of our luxury shuttle."

"Right away, ma'am!" the two agents said in reply, pushing the handcuffed convict over to the back doors.

"And as for you, Agent Nishikata," Lauren said, her brown eyes flashing daggers as she looked at him.

"Yes ma'am?" Nishikata said flatly, meeting her gaze with equal resolve.

"I hereby discharge you from the Criminal Elimination Agency. You are to relinquish your uniforms and weapons immediately."

"Wait, what? Why!" Kimura interjected.

"Silence, agent!" Lauren snapped.

"It's okay, Kimura," Nishikata said, removing his helmet and goggles.

"No, it is not!" Lauren shouted, her eyes alight with even more fury. "You will never speak of your insubordination in such a cavalier tone again, do you understand me!"

"Of course, ma'am," Nishikata said, his voice devoid of any genuine penitence.

"I only allowed you on this last mission because your familiarity with this location would aid in mission accomplishment!" Lauren berated Nishikata. "But oh how I wish the executive pencil-necks at the FBI would've let me given you a harsher punishment! They only let you off with a discharge because it was your first offense, and because the civilian press is hailing you as a hero! You betrayed our agency, Nishikata! Violated our protocol! All for what! Unauthorized humanitarian aid?"

Nishikata said nothing as the red, blue, and white colors from the sirens and spotlights painted the front entrance to the school a myriad of colors. He had accomplished his goal. He had killed Krampus. That was none of this woman's business.

"Answer me, Nishikata! Your outstanding performance and exceptional service thrown away in an instant! Why!"

"I thought you just told me I was discharged from the agency?" Nishikata replied.

Kimura and Takao reeled back in shock.

"I don't take orders from you anymore."

"How dare you!" Lauren roared. "You will answer my question this instant!"

"No, I won't," Nishikata answered, maintaining his determined, stoic stare. The enraged director bit her lip. She'd never expected this kind of insolence from Agent Nishikata. But if he was going to be this difficult after all the CEA had done for him, so be it.

"Do not expect me to treat you with courtesy if I ever see you again," Director Lauren growled.

Unslinging his rifle, Nishikata cleared the weapon before handing it off to one of the FBI agents. His flak vest, belt, and rocket boots followed, and the once mighty Agent Nishikata was left standing on the curb in white socks, black jeans and a blue t-shirt as Director Lauren re-entered the armored van.

"Agents Takao and Kimura, report to the CEA liaison in Tokyo no later than 0800 tomorrow," she ordered.

"Yes ma'am!" the two replied as the van sped off.

Kimura and Takao looked at their friend, their concern apparent on their faces.

"I'll be fine," Nishikata muttered.

"Are you sure?" Kimura said. "My parents still live near here. I could get in touch with them and—,"

"I said I'll be fine," Nishikata insisted.

"Nishikata...Director Lauren has a point," Takao spoke up. "Why did you go off the grid? And how can you just be so nonchalant after she just discharged you?"

"That's none of your business," Nishikata growled, turning to walk away.

"We're you're friends Nishikata!" Takao shouted.

Nishikata stopped in his tracks.

"If you don't want to tell the Director, then fine! But what about us! The three of us have known each other for years, Nishikata! We studied with you, fished with you, trained with you, fought with you! All your honorable years in the agency, and you threw it all away! Why!"

"SHUT UP!"

Kimura and Takao's battle-hardened faces broke down into expressions of sorrow as their longtime friend's hidden hatred came to the surface. Nishikata whirled around to face them, his once permanent stoic expression now contorted into one of resentment and rage.

"You may claim to have been my friends, but what did you do for me that day when I came to this school and told you what I'd done to Takagi!"

Kimura was flabbergasted. "What? Nishikata, that was—,"

"The only thing you two ever did back in that time was laugh at me in unbelief as I tried to share my guilt with you!" Nishikata yelled. "I needed someone to turn to when my own parents wouldn't believe me! And yet you both did nothing!"

Takao felt an odd, watery sensation coming into his eyes. What was it? Rain?

That was when Takao realized how long it had been since he'd cried.

"Both of you get the hell away from me!" Nishikata growled, stomping off with a newfound hate in his step.

"Wait! Where are you going!" Kimura shouted after him.

He had to pay someone a visit.

Someone else who had done him wrong, many years ago.

....................................

"Oh dear daughter!" Emiyo wailed as she ran into the hospital room wrapped Takagi into a tight embrace. Her father Benjiro followed close behind, and the reunited family shared elated, joyful tears for five minutes before Takagi finally spoke.

"Mom...dad...I'm remembering more now!" Takagi sniffed. "I've missed you both so much!"

"We've missed you too, Takagi!" Benjiro sobbed. "We are so glad you're safe!"

"You've gotten so big!" her mother cried, easing up on her hug.

"Please don't tell me you were tortured in whatever horrid prison it was that you were in!" Benjiro added.

"I'm fine mom and dad, really," Takagi laughed through tears. "How is home? Are you guys okay?"

Outside the room, Yukari couldn't help but smile. The past few hours had been the most chaotic shift of her life. Yet even in the midst of it all, there were still some rays of hope such as this happy reunion.

At first, the conversation between Takagi and her parents was indeed very delightful. However, when Takagi mentioned Nishikata's name among those who had been her friends in middle school, her mother's expression darkened.

"Mom? Dad?" Takagi stopped short. "What's the matter?"

"That boy Nishikata is a horrid boy, Takagi," Emiyo warned with a scowl on her face.

"What? But back when I knew him, he was so sweet and—,"

"Don't you remember?" her father interrupted. "The day you were first taken away? When you were in the ambulance with us?"

Takagi willed the memory to come forth. Yes, that had indeed happened...but what did Nishikata have to do with it?

"It was he who wished you to be taken away, Takagi," Emiyo reminded her. "He wrote down in a book that he wished you were gone."

Takagi's eyes grew wide in shock, and more tears began to flow down her face.

All the taunts from the demon elves when her globe had been shook, all the repeated chants that Nishikata had been the one who'd sent her to that awful place.

All that suffering she had endured...

Had been caused by the boy she'd loved.