Full Metal Panic Fan Fiction ❯ Codename ANNA ❯ Burning Envy ( Chapter 2 )

Date: May 29

Time: 03:00 hrs

Location: East Berlin, Soviet Germany

 

 

The ear-splitting sound of grenade detonations and the pop of rapid fire gunfire faded as he slipped into the enclosure. The guard who'd been standing watch at the door collapsed to the floor with a muffled groan and Sousuke stepped easily over his body, tossing the used stun gun aside. With his eyes shifting back and forth between the shadows he silently retrieved his piece and rested his finger atop the trigger.

 

 

It doesn't feel right.

 

 

He frowned and slipped into a dimly lit alcove to check his ammunition - a full clip less one bullet. He slipped the clip back into the gun with a sharp `snap.' Every shot had to count. There was no room for error. Weaon in hand, he slipped to the edge of the wall and surveyed the empty corridor before stepping out. His footsteps were silent atop the well worn linoleum floor.

 

 

Nothing about this mission is going the way it's supposed to! he lamented.

 

 

There was no one to be angry with but himself. He'd underestimated the enemy and it'd cost him the lives of his men. He, the lone soldier left from the original six that'd been sent, ran towards the mission objective with a heavy heart. His eyes narrowed at the junction at the end of the hall and he slowed his pace. There was time to feel guilt and remorse later - for now he had to focus. It was up to him to complete the mission. Only he could ensure that their deaths weren't in vain.

 

 

He paused at the end of the hall and listened hard. Swallowing thickly, he pulled in a deep breath through his nose and let it out slowly. The blood rushing in his ears made it difficult for him to hear the enemy. He pressed his head against the wall and held his next breath. There…He'd heard it - the sound of a shoe scuffing against the floor. The question now - how many were there?

 

 

Dropping silently to the floor, he fished a small mirror out of his breast pocket and slipped it along the edge of the wall. With a frown of concentration he tilted it to the right.

 

 

Two guards. Lightly armed.

 

 

With a satisfied nod he turned the mirror the other way.

 

 

Nothing.

 

 

The other end of the hall was deserted, but that didn't mean there weren't reinforcements close by. He'd have to make this quick.

 

 

He slipped the mirror back into his pocket and stood. His eyes closed slowly in an effort to regain his focus. Kaname's face flashed unexpectedly into his mind. She was scowling at him, telling him that he better come back safely or else. He felt himself smile at that.

 

 

Don't worry Kaname. I will most definitely come back.

 

 

All he had to do now was get past those two hostiles. It did seem odd that a hostage would be so lightly guarded. He'd expected at least half a dozen guards to be staked outside the door and perhaps more waiting in the wings, especially considering all the hostile fire they'd taken outside, but so far nothing. His frown deepened and his gut turned with the notion that something definitely wasn't right.

 

 

Everything has been wrong since the minute we landed here!

 

 

They'd had no prior warning that the enemy possessed arm slaves. Their light munitions weren't even enough to penetrate their armour. It was a miracle he'd made it inside alive, and now that he was here there were next to no hostiles?

 

 

It doesn't make sense!

 

 

With an irritated `tsk' he raised his gun and braced himself to step into the enemy's line of sight. If I can get to a good vantage point I should be able to take them both out before they realize what's going on…

 

 

With a `hup' he somersaulted into the hall and aimed his gun.

 

 

One.

 

 

Two.

 

 

The sound of his gunfire ricocheted throughout the otherwise silent space and rang loudly in his ears. The guards folded like a deck of cards and collapsed limp and lifeless atop the floor. He stared hard at them for a good minute, his gun at the ready. They didn't move. It felt too easy. They hadn't even been looking his way when he'd shot them - they probably didn't even know what hit them. Well, there was no use feeling bad about it now. Though normally he didn't feel right shooting someone in the back, in this case he felt he was warranted in making an exception.

 

 

Wasting no time, he collected extra guns and ammunition from the fallen guards and tucked them into his boot and at his back. Gun held at the ready, he pressed his back against the wall and quickly turned the knob on the door. It was unlocked and easily clicked open; the door itself swung ajar a few inches. He waited with bated breath for all hell to break loose.

 

 

More than a few of his comrades had fallen victim to such a tactic. The enemy would post minimal guards outside the door and have all the reinforcements in the room with the target. Thinking the coast was clear they'd enter the room only to be gunned down in a barrage of bullets. His face was grim as he waited. No sound came from inside but that didn't ease the tension in his shoulders. Using his boot he kicked the door open, fully expecting gunfire to erupt at any minute. The hallway remained silent.

 

 

A radio clasped to the belt of one of the fallen guards clicked on and buzzed with static before going dead. Cautiously and with hesitant steps Sousuke made his way to the edge of the wall and peered into the holding cell. The room was empty with the exception of a table, a dim overhead light and a chair. He felt a sense of relief flood through him when he noticed the mission objective handcuffed to the chair. There was a chance yet that they both might make it out alive.

 

 

After giving the room another quick scan he stepped inside and quietly shut the door behind him. He stepped quietly towards the woman in front of him, moving in a wide arc around the table just in case she was armed. Stopping about halfway down the table he dropped to the floor and stared up at the underside, searching for any bombs or explosives that might've been planted.

 

 

Nothing.

 

 

Slightly less wary, he stood and looked towards the mission objective. His grey eyes took in the defiant jut of her chin and her ramrod straight posture. With that kind of expression there was no way she'd cracked. The higher ups would appreciate that little tidbit of knowledge. A dark bruise coloured her right cheek and her lip appeared swollen and bloody, but despite those minor signs of rough treatment there was nothing to suggest she'd been horribly abused. The lack of fear in her eyes struck him. Her jade green orbs regarded him coldly, sizing him up. Had her expression not looked so defiant and hard, her delicate features and long golden hair would've made her quiet pretty.

 

 

Moving silently, the sergeant stalked towards her and inspected the handcuffs binding her wrists with a calculating eye. Taking careful aim he shot the chain linking the cuffs, freeing her instantly. She sat still a moment, her eyes staring forward. It was then that he realized he hadn't identified himself as a friendly yet. For all she knew he was just another hostile.

 

 

Just as that thought ran through his mind a sharp pain shot through his right thigh. Wide-eyed he stared down at the switchblade embedded in the flesh of his leg, nearly to the bone. He hadn't even seen her move.

 

 

Apparently that one second of distraction was all she needed. He didn't have time to react before she was on top of him, struggling for his weapon. Though she was a lot stronger than she looked he managed to overpower her quickly and pinned her squirming form beneath his body. His chest was heaving from the exertion and it was only then that he noticed the barrel of a gun pressing hard against his pounding heart. Apparently in their scuffle she'd managed to rob him of one of his secondary pieces, which was just as well because his glock was currently resting in the center of her forehead.

 

 

“Identify yourself,” she demanded tersely and cocked her trigger.

 

 

“My codename is Urzu-7. I've been sent by MITHRIL to retrieve you.”

 

 

“Urzu-7? I've never heard of you before. Where are your men? MITHRIL would never send one of their own to a place like this without backup.”

 

 

With her girlish appearance he'd expected her to be soft spoken like the Captain, but there was more Mao than Tessa in her tone. The thick accent wrought by her Eastern European heritage made her words sound hard and commanding. Her voice did not match the sweet face that was paired with it and he found it hard to relate the two.

 

 

Sousuke's expression hardened at her words of suspicion. He didn't like to be reminded of the fact that five men had just lost their lives under his command. They'd died honourably in the line of duty but that wouldn't make it any easier to return without their bodies. His voice had a noticeable edge to it when he spoke and the barrel of his gun pressed hard into the skin of her forehead.

 

 

“My men are dead. We're stationed on the Tuatha de Danaan - a multi-billion dollar test submarine currently scouting in the South Pacific. I'm agent Urzu-7 and I've been sent here to retrieve the agent codename `Anna'.”

 

 

The stolid expression on her face told him he didn't need to question whether she was their missing agent or not. She didn't even bat an eyelash. “You are to return with me to the Danaan or you will be classified as a traitor with all the standard repercussions.” He cocked his gun pointedly. “Do I make myself clear?”

 

 

Her eyes searched his, doubt glimmering in their wide, green depths. He understood her reluctance of course. Given the circumstances she wouldn't be fit to be a soldier if she wasn't suspicious of him. Considering their current predicament though he hoped she could push aside her doubts long enough for them to both get out of there alive. After a moment of tense silence he felt her withdraw her weapon.

 

 

Breathing an inward sigh of relief he pushed himself off the floor and offered her a hand up. She stared at it a moment before choosing to ignore it completely. With a tiny grunt she pulled herself sturdily to her feet. While she brushed the dirt from her clothes he studied the blade sticking awkwardly out of his thigh. If he removed it, it would most likely bleed and he couldn't be certain she hadn't hit an artery, but could he run with a three inch blade embedded in his leg?

 

 

The sergeant's face frowned as he contemplated his predicament. If he bled out from arterial bleeding neither of them would stand a chance. He still couldn't comprehend how she'd done it. He hadn't even seen her move and yet somehow she'd been able to get past his guard and compromise him. If she'd had a gun on her instead of a knife he was certain he'd have more serious problems to worry about. He'd heard rumours that the European sector was a “shoot first ask questions later” bunch, but to actually see that kind of reckless fighting methodology in practise was something else entirely.

 

 

Looking up from his injury he regarded her with new eyes - ones filled with something akin to appreciation. It was refreshing to meet a soldier who could match his skills in hand to hand combat. Despite the fact that she'd probably never been in one, he couldn't help but wonder if she'd pilot an AS with the same lightning quick speed and agility. No doubt she would make a fine AS pilot.

 

 

“Let's go! We haven't got all day!” She demanded impatiently, sounding annoyed by the fact that he was taking any time at all to consider his injuries. Apparently she didn't think the knife was anything to be concerned about. Deciding that he would deal with it later he straightened up and reloaded his gun.

 

 

“Right! We need to head for the south west corner of the compound. Any questions?”

 

 

`Anna' shook her head to the negative. Ejecting the clip from the piece she'd stolen, she hastily counted the bullets left before ramming it back into place. He already knew how many were there and how dismal their chance of success was. There were six…six bullets plus one in the chamber. Every shot would have to count. He just hoped she was as good with her aim as she was with her knives.

 

 

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Author's Note: Well I wrote this chapter, posted it, hated it, took it down, re-wrote it twice and now I'm finally posting it again. This story didn't really have direction before but I have a plan of action worked out now. The chapters should be a lot easier for me to write and I'm nearly done the next one as it is.

 

Please take a minute to leave a review if you like what you've read so far. I'm curious to hear what you think of `Anna'. She's going to be a very interesting character in the chapters to come so definitely stay tuned.