hirikosaunders (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hirikosaunders) wrote2010-05-21 08:18 pm
hirikosaunders) wrote2010-05-21 08:18 pm
Entry tags:
Tears of Truth part 8
Please pay attention to previous disclaimers and warnings.
Summary: Sometimes you should listen to that voice that says you really don't want to know.
Hiriko spent most of the day watching the clock. She wasn't sure she was ready for another mission so soon, but she figured it was better to get it over with. It was a little silly when she thought about it, but it helped her deal at least. She had noticed that Omi had left the shop to the others, which was rare, and had spent all day downstairs. The sun was just beginning to set when he sat down beside her rubbing his eyes. "Hiriko, I think you should talk to Schuldig again as soon as possible." From the tone in his voice she knew it was bad. Maybe bad enough she didn't want to know, but she had realized long ago it was worse to imagine. Better to face what was going on then wonder what might be waiting around the next turn. She watched him for a moment then nodded.
"What can you tell me, Omi?" She said keeping her voice a whisper.
"I asked Nagi to give me the information he had found that brought Schuldig to you. I spent the rest of the day going through and finding what more I could." He glanced at her giving a weak smile. "I have a file saved for you whenever you have some time. You should know the basics though just in case. He's a powerful businessman, His public image is spotless, but he is definitely connected to some pretty dark organizations. I only found out about them because I managed to sneak into a page that had lousy security." He paused standing up and stretching slightly. "Schuldig probably knows the whole story. If he doesn't he needs to know."
Hiriko nodded. "You're right. I was so shocked about what he told me that I didn't even ask any questions about our father." Like how he ended up in Japan to meet her mother.
"He was married. His wife died not long ago." Whether she had expected that or not she didn't say anything. "And, I believe he has abilities of his own."
Her eyes widened. "What makes you think that, Omi?"
"Just reading between the line of his relationship with his competitors. They've been, at least on the surface, all legitimate. However, that all changes as one bothers to take a closer look. People selling when those around them claimed they never would, or naming a successor of someone who has never once agreed with them on business policy. There are people who are suspicious, but they aren't really speaking up." If that was the information she needed to know she wondered what else that file would contain.
She took a long time to think before she finally went downstairs and took the jump drive Omi told her he made for her. She didn't have time right now, and maybe she should look at it with Schuldig.
They closed the shop and headed to the warehouse. It was painfully easy. She wasn't sure she liked that, and she could tell it made the others nervous as well. No one was talking by the time they returned with the hard drive. Omi immediately left to work on it and send whatever he found back to Kritiker. He warned them it would take time before he made sense of it all and that they should probably get some rest if Manx was serious about them leaving. She hadn't said anything about where they were to be sent. Hiriko wondered exactly what Manx knew and what that meant for them. Was the information and connections this other person had really worth all of that? It took her a while, but finally as they all sat around the table she got up the courage to ask.
"Kritiker has never sent you out of the country before, right?"
Ken nodded. "Actually, they haven't sent us further than this area when they could help it."
Aya looked thoughtfully from Ken to Hiriko. "According to Botan Kritiker has agents in other areas so it shouldn't even be necessary."
"Whoever this person who specifically wants us to go along must really have Kritiker right where they want them. I mean honestly nothing we've gotten from the last two missions has been all that earth shattering." Yoji commented before taking a drink of his coffee.
"Yoji is right. I mean we won't know the country, might not even know the language so why us?" Ken offered.
"Do you think this could be some sort of trick?" Hiriko asked before getting some more coffee for herself.
"It could be." Aya said with a thoughtful tone to his voice. "But that doesn't matter. If they tell us to go we'll have to play it out. I don't think it is though. Manx would have warned us if that was all it was about."
That made her feel a little better, well that and the fact that Aya had given her a reassuring smile. If they went into the whole situation with their eyes open maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
The nervous silence eventually returned and before too long they all decided to take Omi's advice and turn in for the night.
It was late in the morning when she finally awoke to a knock at her door. "Hey, we aren't opening today." Ken said his voice slightly softer since it was coming through the closed door. "Manx set a message about fifteen minutes ago that we should expect her in about an hour. She said she'd explain everything then so we should all be ready." Hiriko nodded though she knew he couldn't see her.
"Okay, I'll be right down." She didn't waste any time getting ready figuring that there would be a mad dash of planning and packing should they end up having to leave.
It wasn't long after she got downstairs that Manx arrived holding another folder. "It seems as if we were right. Eszett is directly involved with Mr. Saunders."
Hiriko glanced at Manx not quite believing what she heard. This was all about one man?
Omi glanced at Manx before glancing to Hiriko. "Your father, Hiriko." He mouthed the words so that the others wouldn't catch on.
What? That couldn't be right. She had to admit that given what Omi had told her it made sense that Kritiker would be after him, but that still didn't explain why them specifically. Wouldn't it be a conflict of interest for her to go against him? And that still left...
"Now, imouto, I think you can guess by now why Weiss is perfect for this mission." Schuldig was leaning on the staircase grinning as Manx gave him a dirty look. "Aya's and Yoji's shields are brilliant. They will stand a fair chance against father. Chibi and Nagi will be able to break into anything and not leave a trace." He glanced to Ken giving him a smirk. "Ken's mind being so open will be an advantage as well, but I'm keeping that one to myself. And as for you, well it might distract father a little that his prodigal daughter has shown up on his doorstep."
"You can justify all you want, but this is just to play some game of yours." She said,knowing that she had picked up on concerns going through the minds of Weiss.
"Maybe, but I have no love for that man, I can assure you. So it's either work with us, and yes that means Brad and Farfarello as well, or send some group in that will just get killed." He shrugged already knowing what the answer would be.
"When do we leave?" Aya asked as he took the folder from Manx.
"The sooner the better. We want you in Paris before anyone has a chance to suspect. I think we've already lost the element of surprise, but who knows." Manx shrugged as she watched them.
"Paris?" Yoji raised an eyebrow.
"I hope one of you knows French. I don't want to spend all my time translating." Schuldig asked as he moved further into the room.
Everyone in the room shook their head which made the German curse under his breath. "Well, that might work for us. He wouldn't expect them to send people in who didn't know their way around." He still didn't sound happy about it. Hiriko hoped before they had to leave that she would get the chance to show him the jump drive, but it seemed as if he probably had a good idea of most of what was on it.
Manx turned to head upstairs. "I'll get things worked out. I suggest all of you spend the next little bit preparing. Have a cover story at least. If you can work out a plan of attack. I know it's short notice, but you will have a little time on the way over to at least talk it all out." While Manx didn't let anything show in her expression Hiriko managed to catch a stray thought that let her know the woman was worried about the assassins.
"I thought I was here to work against Schwarz?" Things always changed, her life had taught her that, but she wanted to hear the other woman's answer. It was more important than she dared admit.
"We did, or maybe we didn't. Eszett is the bigger danger. Schwarz seems to have turned away from them, so for now we are uneasy allies. She definitely didn't seem happy about having to admit that, but Hiriko decided it wasn't the time to press for answers.
"I'm already packed." Schudlig offered with a grin. "So I'll meet you all when we are ready to leave." Eventually, not long after he left, everyone busied themselves with the small details that went along with packing.
Hiriko was finally going to have answers to all the questions of her youth, and yet she was reminded of the adage, "be careful what you wish for you just might get it". It bothered her that there were so many unknowns. If the assassins of Weiss had similar concerns none of them said anything, and she didn't have the courage to go looking in their minds.
Summary: Sometimes you should listen to that voice that says you really don't want to know.
Hiriko spent most of the day watching the clock. She wasn't sure she was ready for another mission so soon, but she figured it was better to get it over with. It was a little silly when she thought about it, but it helped her deal at least. She had noticed that Omi had left the shop to the others, which was rare, and had spent all day downstairs. The sun was just beginning to set when he sat down beside her rubbing his eyes. "Hiriko, I think you should talk to Schuldig again as soon as possible." From the tone in his voice she knew it was bad. Maybe bad enough she didn't want to know, but she had realized long ago it was worse to imagine. Better to face what was going on then wonder what might be waiting around the next turn. She watched him for a moment then nodded.
"What can you tell me, Omi?" She said keeping her voice a whisper.
"I asked Nagi to give me the information he had found that brought Schuldig to you. I spent the rest of the day going through and finding what more I could." He glanced at her giving a weak smile. "I have a file saved for you whenever you have some time. You should know the basics though just in case. He's a powerful businessman, His public image is spotless, but he is definitely connected to some pretty dark organizations. I only found out about them because I managed to sneak into a page that had lousy security." He paused standing up and stretching slightly. "Schuldig probably knows the whole story. If he doesn't he needs to know."
Hiriko nodded. "You're right. I was so shocked about what he told me that I didn't even ask any questions about our father." Like how he ended up in Japan to meet her mother.
"He was married. His wife died not long ago." Whether she had expected that or not she didn't say anything. "And, I believe he has abilities of his own."
Her eyes widened. "What makes you think that, Omi?"
"Just reading between the line of his relationship with his competitors. They've been, at least on the surface, all legitimate. However, that all changes as one bothers to take a closer look. People selling when those around them claimed they never would, or naming a successor of someone who has never once agreed with them on business policy. There are people who are suspicious, but they aren't really speaking up." If that was the information she needed to know she wondered what else that file would contain.
She took a long time to think before she finally went downstairs and took the jump drive Omi told her he made for her. She didn't have time right now, and maybe she should look at it with Schuldig.
They closed the shop and headed to the warehouse. It was painfully easy. She wasn't sure she liked that, and she could tell it made the others nervous as well. No one was talking by the time they returned with the hard drive. Omi immediately left to work on it and send whatever he found back to Kritiker. He warned them it would take time before he made sense of it all and that they should probably get some rest if Manx was serious about them leaving. She hadn't said anything about where they were to be sent. Hiriko wondered exactly what Manx knew and what that meant for them. Was the information and connections this other person had really worth all of that? It took her a while, but finally as they all sat around the table she got up the courage to ask.
"Kritiker has never sent you out of the country before, right?"
Ken nodded. "Actually, they haven't sent us further than this area when they could help it."
Aya looked thoughtfully from Ken to Hiriko. "According to Botan Kritiker has agents in other areas so it shouldn't even be necessary."
"Whoever this person who specifically wants us to go along must really have Kritiker right where they want them. I mean honestly nothing we've gotten from the last two missions has been all that earth shattering." Yoji commented before taking a drink of his coffee.
"Yoji is right. I mean we won't know the country, might not even know the language so why us?" Ken offered.
"Do you think this could be some sort of trick?" Hiriko asked before getting some more coffee for herself.
"It could be." Aya said with a thoughtful tone to his voice. "But that doesn't matter. If they tell us to go we'll have to play it out. I don't think it is though. Manx would have warned us if that was all it was about."
That made her feel a little better, well that and the fact that Aya had given her a reassuring smile. If they went into the whole situation with their eyes open maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
The nervous silence eventually returned and before too long they all decided to take Omi's advice and turn in for the night.
It was late in the morning when she finally awoke to a knock at her door. "Hey, we aren't opening today." Ken said his voice slightly softer since it was coming through the closed door. "Manx set a message about fifteen minutes ago that we should expect her in about an hour. She said she'd explain everything then so we should all be ready." Hiriko nodded though she knew he couldn't see her.
"Okay, I'll be right down." She didn't waste any time getting ready figuring that there would be a mad dash of planning and packing should they end up having to leave.
It wasn't long after she got downstairs that Manx arrived holding another folder. "It seems as if we were right. Eszett is directly involved with Mr. Saunders."
Hiriko glanced at Manx not quite believing what she heard. This was all about one man?
Omi glanced at Manx before glancing to Hiriko. "Your father, Hiriko." He mouthed the words so that the others wouldn't catch on.
What? That couldn't be right. She had to admit that given what Omi had told her it made sense that Kritiker would be after him, but that still didn't explain why them specifically. Wouldn't it be a conflict of interest for her to go against him? And that still left...
"Now, imouto, I think you can guess by now why Weiss is perfect for this mission." Schuldig was leaning on the staircase grinning as Manx gave him a dirty look. "Aya's and Yoji's shields are brilliant. They will stand a fair chance against father. Chibi and Nagi will be able to break into anything and not leave a trace." He glanced to Ken giving him a smirk. "Ken's mind being so open will be an advantage as well, but I'm keeping that one to myself. And as for you, well it might distract father a little that his prodigal daughter has shown up on his doorstep."
"You can justify all you want, but this is just to play some game of yours." She said,knowing that she had picked up on concerns going through the minds of Weiss.
"Maybe, but I have no love for that man, I can assure you. So it's either work with us, and yes that means Brad and Farfarello as well, or send some group in that will just get killed." He shrugged already knowing what the answer would be.
"When do we leave?" Aya asked as he took the folder from Manx.
"The sooner the better. We want you in Paris before anyone has a chance to suspect. I think we've already lost the element of surprise, but who knows." Manx shrugged as she watched them.
"Paris?" Yoji raised an eyebrow.
"I hope one of you knows French. I don't want to spend all my time translating." Schuldig asked as he moved further into the room.
Everyone in the room shook their head which made the German curse under his breath. "Well, that might work for us. He wouldn't expect them to send people in who didn't know their way around." He still didn't sound happy about it. Hiriko hoped before they had to leave that she would get the chance to show him the jump drive, but it seemed as if he probably had a good idea of most of what was on it.
Manx turned to head upstairs. "I'll get things worked out. I suggest all of you spend the next little bit preparing. Have a cover story at least. If you can work out a plan of attack. I know it's short notice, but you will have a little time on the way over to at least talk it all out." While Manx didn't let anything show in her expression Hiriko managed to catch a stray thought that let her know the woman was worried about the assassins.
"I thought I was here to work against Schwarz?" Things always changed, her life had taught her that, but she wanted to hear the other woman's answer. It was more important than she dared admit.
"We did, or maybe we didn't. Eszett is the bigger danger. Schwarz seems to have turned away from them, so for now we are uneasy allies. She definitely didn't seem happy about having to admit that, but Hiriko decided it wasn't the time to press for answers.
"I'm already packed." Schudlig offered with a grin. "So I'll meet you all when we are ready to leave." Eventually, not long after he left, everyone busied themselves with the small details that went along with packing.
Hiriko was finally going to have answers to all the questions of her youth, and yet she was reminded of the adage, "be careful what you wish for you just might get it". It bothered her that there were so many unknowns. If the assassins of Weiss had similar concerns none of them said anything, and she didn't have the courage to go looking in their minds.