Spriggan Fan Fiction ❯ The Solitary Trooper ❯ Encounter ( Chapter 2 )

THE SOLITARY TROOPER

By: rx79guntank

Disclaimer: All characters of of Striker/Spriggan are under the copyright of Hiroshi Takashige and Ryoji Minagawa. All other characters unless stated otherwise are obviously owned by me.

Author notes: The 2nd chapter is done! More on ARCAM's predicament and the fate of Jean revealed in his chapter. Also I would like to thank Ominae for his first review of my fanfic. Thanks!

 

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“What did you say?!!!!!”

 

The glass halls of the ARCAM Foundation's Japan office resonated with a voice of protest on that sunny morning. New secretaries cringed, old ones yawned in boredom… Yup, it was just the beginning of a new day… Yu Ominae, ARCAM's top Spriggan paced the floor of Yamamoto's office in exasperation at the recent events, and especially what had happened last night.

 

“I can't believe it, Yamamoto! What was Headquarters thinking?! Did they have to bring him here?! He's just bad news!”

“Calm down, Ominae… Just because that he's around doesn't mean the end of the world does it?” replied Yamamoto as he lit a cigarette, his first of the day. “Besides, with Jean missing, we're understaffed as it is…”

 

Jean Jacquemonde, another of ARCAM's top Spriggans had been missing for weeks. A month ago, ARCAM had received news that a fire-orb; much like the one that had caused the sudden eruption of Mount Fuji a year ago, had been found. ARCAM quickly sent its agents, including Jean to recover and seal the artifact, but no news had been heard from them since. Even more recently, ARCAM facilities all around the world were being targeted in random attacks that seemed to be aimed at reducing their military strength.

 

“Until we know who is responsible for the recent attacks, headquarters have ordered all units to stand down in case of further incidents…”

 

“And you want me to hang around Tokyo while my friends get killed?! No way, Yamamoto! I'm going to hunt those bastards down to the ends of the Earth!!!” Yu shouted, slamming his fist on the table. They were indiscriminate, robbing the lives of both civilians and soldiers alike. Yu lost a lot of friends in those attacks, and he swore, there would be hell to pay.

 

That was exactly what headquarters was afraid of… Yamamoto sighed, rubbing his forehead. “But still, we need you to take care of Professor Mayzel's visit. He's in Tokyo for the Annual World Physics Meet and I want you in charge of his security detail.” Better keep him busy. A little more and he would be off the fringe…

 

Yu groaned. “Does that old man have to come now?!” Babysitting; Yu's most hated type of mission. And taking care of an eccentric old man was the worst of it. Nice try, Yamamoto, Yu reasoned. With his hands now newly tied, revenge would have to wait.

 

“Fine, fine, Yamamoto. I see what you're getting at…” Yu said as he slumped down onto the guest couch. “But after this, they're mincemeat!”

 

Looking at Yu's devilish grin as he said those words, Director Yamamoto sighed once again. It was not like he could compete with a hot-blooded headstrong teenager anyways… And it seemed that the Spriggan Corps were just full of them. People like Yu… It was their life, their choice to take the path they had led now. Would they all die young, unloved and unacknowledged? Yamamoto wondered.

 

“Hey Yamamoto!!!”

 

Yu's voice broke his trance. “H-huh? Sorry Ominae, I got lost in my thoughts there…” Yamamoto replied with a slight reddening of his face as he was caught off guard. “What is it?” He asked, trying to regain his composure.

 

“So how's he doing?”

“Oh, he's following up on another lead right now… It's bit like your current assignment, really.” Yamamoto answered as he stubbed out his cigarette.

“Him? Doing babysitting? That would be something I'd wouldn't see in this lifetime.” Yu snorted in contempt, folding his arms.

“Well we really can't debate his experience in urban warfare for this one…”

 

Yu was about to fire off another wisecrack when he happened a glance at his watch. It was 10AM. School started at 8AM. As soon as he saw it, Yu's face expression ran the gamut from downright bewilderment to pure horror. Grabbing his bag, He sprung out from the couch and bolted from the office and down the hallway and scaring the secretaries.

 

“Damnit!!! It's the third time this week! Catch you later, Yamamoto!" Yamamoto could have sworn that the entire action couldn't have been more than 5 seconds…

 

With Yu gone, Chief Yamamoto reflected on his earlier thought. Experience in urban warfare… If the rumors are true, He'll need them…

 

Somewhere in the back streets of Shibuya, a lone motorcycle roared down the morning streets. The rider rode helmetless, his hair and camouflage jacket billowing in the wind. The bike, a Honda CBR1000RR produced a pleasing rattling sound as it sped around corners, its inline four-cylinder engine hammering away mightily, its pistons enduring the controlled explosions that worked in concert with the rest of the other engine mechanisms to produce a harmony of horsepower that formed the lifeblood of the bike itself. However somewhere in the covered pedestrian lanes nearby, a pair of panicked legs ran, as the bushes behind them rustled violently. At a traffic light, the motorcycle and its rider stopped as it turned red. Noticing that an identification tag he was wearing was sticking out, he quickly put it back within the folds of his jacket. However, one could clearly make out the words `ARCAM' as he stuffed in his left pocket… He glanced at his watch as he waited there. The green light should be turning soon. He got his foot oh the throttle, ready to accelerate when the unexpected happened…

 

Suddenly, a massive weight impacted at the back of his bike, throwing it up a bit. Instinctively, he reached for his side holster and turned around-only to come face to face with an anguished-looking girl…

 

“Hey! What-”

“JUST GO!!!!”

The ear-shattering shriek from the girl propelled the rider to kick into gear and speed off. At the place where the girl got on, the bushes rustled and parted, to reveal a… cat.

 

“Hey.”

“What?”

“What do you think you're doing…?”

“What does it look like I'm doing?! I'm taking a ride on your bike, that's what!!!”

 

Another ear-splitting scream threatened to send the bike spinning. However, the rider was annoyed, yet amused. He'd been expecting to look for her, not having her suddenly popping in front or rather, behind him. At least it made my job easier…

 

“You don't have to shout you know…” ”Besides, who were you running away from?”

 

The girl hesitated for a while. “Well, it was a… a… cat.”

 

The rider nearly face-faulted. “A-a cat? You were running away from a cat?!! You're not for real, aren't you?”

“How dare you say that!!” The girl shouted back, obviously miffed. “I don't even know who you are yet!”

 

I should be asking you that… “You can call me Ta- I mean, Jonathan if you want. And no, I don't have a last name.” Damnit, that sounds so cliché. But then again…

“Jonathan?? That has got to be one of the strangest names I've ever heard…”

I knew it.

“To each his own…”

 

“Anyway, I'm Mai…”

“Mai? That's even stranger.”

“Yeah? But not at strange as yours…” Mai ended with a mischievous tone in her voice.

 

Jonathan smiled at that as he did a sharp turn. So far the information had been spot-on; fear of cats, attitude, name, her flaring pink hairstyle… The job now was to keep her in one piece, something he knew that as mundane as it sounded, was going to be very interesting indeed…

For Mai, she lost count of the number of times she was nearly thrown off the bike as he sped through the streets. She agreed that suddenly jumping onto an unknown person's bike was a bad call, but what could she do? She extremely hated cats… She had been expecting him to be a good samaritan, but now, she wasn't so sure…

 

“Don't you wear a helmet…? The police are going to go after you, you know…”

“A helmet?” Jonathan scoffed. “Helmets are for pussies and the police can go suck my balls for all I care.”

At Jonathan's reply, Mai's eyes opened wide with fear. “Don't tell me you're a… Bosozoku?! Though you look more like an EGA…” said Mai, drifting off.

“Boso-wha? EGA?! What the hell are those?” Jonathan deadpanned in reply.

This time, it was Mai's turn to almost face-fault. “What do you mean by that?! Don't tell me you've been living under a rock for all these years!!!”

“For your information, I'm not-“

 

Mai was about to give him a sharp one in the ribs for being so simplistic when the bike came to an abrupt halt. Looking up, she found that they were at the Mizuno College of Arts-her college.

“Hey, how did you know where I was going?”

“I didn't.” Jonathan replied as he parked his bike in the college lot. “This is my stop.”

Wait, that means… Her thought trailed off as a sinking feeling set in. Gingerly, she felt she could do nothing but to just walk to class… which somehow happened to be the same direction that Jonathan was now walking along. By the time they had reached the lecture hall her class was in, her head was already swimming in denial. Having him as a classmate was the last thing she wanted.

 

“S-say, you're not going in there are you?” Mai nervously asked as Jonathan approached the door.

“Is there a problem?”

“Well, uh… Nothing! Nothing at all!” Mai hesitated, before letting him through. With nothing left to do, Mai follows him into the lecture hall, flushed and trying to keep her face hidden from the rest of the lecture hall students. While Jonathan took a seat in the isolated back row, Mai predictably joined her friends.

 

The resident group of the most popular girls on campus was huddled around the central part of the lecture hall, eagerly and excitingly chattering on all things that young girls would usually talk about, when Mai abruptly dropped in with a loud sigh. Seeing their leader arrive, the group cheerfully greeted and offered her, the customary morning can of oolong tea. As Mai drank it, anyone could see that she was visibly weary.

“What's wrong, Mai? Did one of those Ganguro bitches do a jump on you?” asked a concerned member of the group who was rather predisposed to violence. The rest of them motioned in agreement but Mai shook her head. As much as she would have wanted to teach them another lesson, her fear of felines was another matter. She kept that secret from her group and enemies, lest it showed her weakness and usually attributed her morning encounters with cats to the weather or some other nonsensical excuse. She was going to concoct another stupid excuse to satisfy her friends' insatiable pestering when the bell for class abruptly rang, saving her and releasing another large sigh of relief from Mai.

 

Professor Uchiyamada was known to be one of the strictest lecturers in the college. The very mention of this scholar of scholars would send even the most delinquent shivering in their shoes. As he approached his class, the students in the lecture hall felt a dark storm coming which proved true when he burst into the hall loudly. The students sat in silence, afraid at what would happen next. Despite being a school of arts, physics was mysteriously an important part of Mizuno's syllabus, earning the eternal loathing of the students.

 

For the next one hour the students endured a one of the most mind-numbing subjects ever known to man. Uchiyamada however, kept on going, each time addressing the students with a hiss of contempt. From time to time Mai looked behind, afraid that Jonathan might do something stupid, and nearly face-faulted when she found that he was sleeping despite the lesson. Shaking her head, she didn't really know what to make of him… Soon after the class was lunch. While most students met up with their friends and went out to eat, Jonathan sat by his bike, fiddling with a takeaway bento he bought. Despite being Japanese, Jonathan had never eaten or seen a bento before. He looked strangely at the piece of wood that he was supposed to break into chopsticks, not knowing what to make of it. Taking a deep breath, he plunged it into the rice and tried to balance a piece of chicken into his mouth only to fail miserably and have it end up on the floor. Pissed, Jonathan began eating the only other way he knew how: with his hands.

 

“My, you're hopeless aren't you…?”

 

Jonathan looked up as a long shadow fell on him. Mai stood there, hands on hips, looking at him disdainfully with her own bento in her arms.

“Let me guess… You've never eaten a bento before?”

“Well-ah-I did… Maybe it was a memory lapse…” Jonathan replied as he laughed, starching his head in the classic clueless pose. Mai gave a sigh and sat down on the kerb with him.

 

“Here.”

“What's this?” Jonathan asked as Mai handed him a plastic fork.

“I-it came with mine… you can have it if you want.” Mai couldn't help but blush slightly at this moment. It had been a long time since she had offered something to a member of the opposite sex.

 

“Thanks,” Jonathan looked away, surprised at the awkwardness of the situation, before he gave in to his hunger and wolfed down the bento.

As he ate, Jonathan felt that she was watching him, her own bento unattended. Although he rarely cared what others did, he'd preferred them to do something else than to look at him like he was some sort of curiosity.

 

“Aren't you going to eat? It's going to get cold.”

“Where are you from actually?” Mai countered.

 

Oookaay… Jonathan thought He'd like to tell her off, but then he couldn't let her get out of his sight...

 

“If you really want to know, I'm from the US. I was born here, but I don't know where…” He said, trailing off. There was too much things he in the past that he'd rather keep secret and he wasn't going to start now.

 

“OH MY GOD!!!!! YOU'RE FROM AMERICA?!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! THAT'S SO COOL-“

 

Great. Jonathan thought as he closed off his hearing to the high-pitched wails. Of all the things she had to turn into some rabid fangirl… Perhaps it would be better if I had kept his mouth shut. Cursing his luck, Jonathan started towards his bike to leave before he went insane. Unfortunately, Mai kept on following him.

 

“Look, don't you have any friends to hang out with rather than bugging me?!”

Mai hesitated for a second.

“Uh… no…?”

 

Meanwhile at a trendy Starbucks in nearby Shibuya, Mai's group waits impatiently for their leader…

 

“I give up… Say whatever you want. I leaving,” Said Jonathan as he got on his bike. He began starting it up when he felt a massive weight on the back, something he felt before. Gumbling, he turns to the back.

 

“And what are you doing now?!” he asked angrily at Mai who suddenly was now on his bike's back seat.

“Since you made me miss lunch with my friends, you (emphasizing it) are now going to accompany me.

“You, are insane.”

“And you, are going to do it. Besides, I'm your only friend here…”

 

She was right. Jonathan was helpless. Grumbling once again, he set his bike into gear and headed of to wherever Mai wanted him to, which was kind of beneficial since he couldn't let her out of his sight. He really hated these bodyguard missions…

 

And so they finally found themselves in Mai's favorite arcade. While Mai and her friends hung around the machines, Jonathan distanced himself like a socially awkward teenager. He watched as the teenagers around him immersed themselves in their respective games, partially wincing from the noise and the flashing lights in the dim environment. He hadn't been to many arcades and now he remembered why. A sudden tap on the shoulder breaks his thoughts and Jonathan turns towards the source, ready to kill if needs be.

 

“Hey! Is that how you treat old friends?”

“You're supposed to be taking care of Mayzel, Yu. What are you doing here?

 

Yu came out of the shadows of the darkened arcade, this time wearing ARCAM's standard battle dress of a vest over his armored muscle suit. In its current inactivated mode, it could easily pass off as any normal leather jacket.

 

“Relax. Besides he's holed up in HQ right now, working on god knows what for his talk.” Yu replied as he headed towards an arcade machine.

“You do remember what happened the last time the last time you kept someone at HQ…”

“Yeah…” Memories of Rie Yamabishi's visit and his battle with the US Armored Corps came to Yu's mind. If he'd have been fast enough god knows what would have happened to her… “But even the CIA would be insane to attack a target so near the head of government.” Indeed ARCAM offices were now located just directly adjacent the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building as a precaution against these incidents.

 

“So, how's yours going?”

 

Jonathan's face contorted in a rather comical display of exasperation as the experiences of the past few hours came to him.

 

“Don't… ask.”

“That bad huh?” Yu replied with a grin.

 

As Yu filled him up on the latest news, they started up a Time Crisis 3 machine and started playing, walking through the popular shooting game with the concentration and experience gained only through years in the battlefield. By the time they had finished and reached the highest score in the game, the spectators gathered around were left dumbfounded and wordless at the speed and ferocity which they finished the game at.

 

“They make games too easy nowadays.”

 

Suddenly, a female pair of arms came seemingly out of nowhere and glomped on to Jonathan, nearly frightening the life out of him. Yu on the other hand knew the trouble that was coming next and immediately made himself scarce.

 

“Hey, Jonathan!!!”

 

Stay calm, stay calm…

 

“Can't you ever say said hello properly?! I nearly died there!!!” Jonathan shouted, despite his previous vow.

 

“Say, who was that guy you were talking to just now? He looked kind of cute!”

 

She ignored it…

 

Jonathan groaned as he felt Mai's protective hold grow tighter. It had been a few hours, but Jonathan knew he had to endure for as long as the mission dictated. Looking around, he got another fright when he saw Mai's group. He didn't really catch onto the Gothic Lolita fashion sense but seeing an entire group of girls in dark makeup and frilled dresses was rather unnerving. Japan was indeed crazy.

 

“Hey Jonathan!! We're going to club next! Wanna come?”

 

Clubs. Dark, smoky, and noisy. He hated them.

 

“Uh, maybe we should try something else-“

 

Before he could even finish, Jonathan was yanked away by his bubbly captor, who had not even heard a word he said…

 

But while resisting Mai's efforts to bring him to her favorite nightclub outside the arcade, Jonathan noticed something strange. On the opposite street was a black Mercedes E-class tinted and looking menacing. It was one of the newest models, something you didn't see in Tokyo often. Luxury cars weren't uncommon in this part of Tokyo, but he had a bad feeling about this one. As he watched it while he was manhandled by a hyperactive girl, the car slowly departed as if it knew it had been discovered. Jonathan knew that it was sent by those responsible… but who?

 

It was almost 2 in the morning when Jonathan finally returned to his room, and collapsed on his bed.

Damn, He thought, this was almost as strenuous as a combat mission. In over a few hours he had visited 3 arcades, 2 clubs and had spent the better portion of an hour napping at the local Starbucks' while Mai and her friends chatted on… whatever they talked about. Jonathan let another groan when he realized that he had to do it all again tomorrow. Despite being her supposed bodyguard, he doubted he had enough energy to keep up with Mai. Now he knew why those guys from Okinawa talked about those girls so much…

With Mai now safely back at home he felt he could relax… Feeling lazy, Jonathan started to wriggle out from his armored muscle suit, trying to do it with as little body movement as possible. But soon, a soft snoring sound filled the room. Sleep had claimed him at last.

 

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Misc. Notes:

1) As with most modern skyscrapers in Tokyo, a majority of them are covered in glass.

2) If you read the mangas, Yu has a problem with truancy…

3) A cool-looking bike that is the personal property of Jonathan. Pic here: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/roadtests/cbr1000rr04/

4) Bike-riding gangsters in Japan which terrorize the roads at night. Usually they are loud, rowdy and always like to swing the Japanese flag around.

5) Sounds familiar? I wanted to portray an ass of a teacher, and that bald-headed guy from GTO fit the bill…