Disclaimer: Don't Own Crap but the idea and D.
CHAPTER SEVEN:
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
D was still with Shinji in the hospital room. This wasn't the first time Shinji had been shot and it wouldn't be the last time. Of that he was sure.
Flame had proven to be a major problem. It got D to thinking just how far this plot to kill Shinji went. First that guy in the restaurant, now one of his own people. D had suspected that there might be bad blood between him and Shinji, but this was beyond his comprehension. If someone had gotten to Flame, then it would only be a small matter to convince him.
As for Asuka... she was unstable. And for obvious reasons, so D had her monitored around the clock.
D looked back to Shinji and noticed the young man was coming to. The blue-eyed commander saw D and blinked to get a clearer image. He saw the look on his face and recognized it. They needed to talk about this, and Asuka was the only thing on Shinji's mind right now.
"D, how's Asuka?" Shinji asked the man.
"You know that you should be worried about yourself right now." D stated.
"These little bullet wounds can't do shit to me."
D just smiled at that. "Well Asuka is fine, a little worried but that's about it."
"What about Flame?"
"Oh, he fell down the stairs a couple times. That's all."
Shinji tossed him a look. He knew what D meant when he said that he 'fell down the stairs'. It meant that D turned off the camera's and had a little fun. They didn't call him 'Sin' for nothing.
'You really enjoy your work, don't you D?' Shinji thought. "So, how far up do you think the plot to kill me goes up?" he asked.
"Well, to be honest, I don't think there is a plot to kill you. Knowing Flame, it could simply be revenge for what happened with him and Kari."
Shinji sighed. "That wasn't my fault, one life was better than five."
"I know, but you know Flame. They were going to get married after that mission." "If I'd had another choice I would have taken it." he said solemnly. "So he wanted to kill Asuka to give me the feeling of what it would feel like to loose the person you love."
"Apparently so."
The pair were off to Flame's cell to talk to him after Shinji was fully dressed.
Holding Cell
Flame was laying on the nice and warm bed that NERV agents had given him.
'A.k.a. a piece of shit cot'
He was still waiting for the doctor to come and put his shoulder and some of his finger's back in place. He still couldn't open his left eye. Another reminder of the way D handle a prisoner.
He knew he would never make it out of this country alive. He had accepted that the second he took aim at the redhead.
His mind drifted back to the events some years ago. To the mission where he had lost Kari.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
The Mission had been simple: retrieve a stolen vial of an experimental virus that a UN scientist had developed as well as the scientist who had been kidnapped.
The team: Shinji 'Reaper' Ikari, D, a.k.a. 'Sin' , Keith 'Flame' Jericho, Kari 'Ice' Scott, and David 'Switch' Rogers.
They were referred to as Shadow Team 6. Of course that was an unofficial title.
Each of them were selected for this mission specifically.
Sin, as he was called, could get rough on anyone. He lacked a certain... moral restraint when it came to certain people. Reaper was called as such since he knew more than a couple dozen ways to kill a person. Switch could pilot/drive anything. Flame was hot-headed and aggressive, which came in handy in certain cases. Plus he was a damn good sniper. And Ice seemed to be the only person who could keep him under control. The girl had incredible patience and a talent for hacking.
The group was fairly balanced and had worked together in the past.
Dropped behind 'enemy lines' in the former republic city of Prague, the quintet made their way to the large mansion, situated on a large cliff overlooking the main river through the country.
(Remember the badguys mansion from the xXx movie?)
They had entered through the river entrance that lead up to the underside of the mansion itself. When they found the underground lab where the stolen virus was being processed, they each set out to do their jobs.
Shinji and D would locate and secure the scientist and the virus. Ice would hack their computers and wipe out all information pertaining to the virus itself. Flame would plant the bombs to destroy the lab and cover them all. And Switch would secure a way to get them out of there.
The mission had gone off rather smoothly, everyone doing their parts, until one of the guards stumbled onto Flame, causing the man to kill said guard.
After that their retrieval mission turned into a firefight.
"Damn it! I thought I told him to bring his silencer!" Shinji shouted as capped two more guards.
"You know he doesn't go in for subtly!" D shouted as he pulled another throwing knife and impaled a third guard.
"Get to the boat!" Shinji shouted as the team started to withdraw.
The guards were slowly gaining ground. D had the scientist secured in the speedboat. Switch was already there. Flame and Ice were the last ones.
"MOVE IT YOU TWO!" Shinji shouted as he took down three more guards.
A shriek paused his gun work. He turned his head and saw that at the end of the dock, Ice and Flame were pinned down by a trio of men. Flame was halfway to the boat than Ice was, himself also pinned down.
"Ice, what's your status?" Shinji said into his communicator.
"Pinned down. Lost my gun. Leg's been hit."
"Damn it!" he cursed.
"I don't have a clear shot. But I can get to her." Flame said.
"No, Flame! You're injured!" Ice said.
"I won't leave you!"
"You have to!"
"I won't!"
"Reaper. You know what to do." Ice said.
"DAMN IT KARI! Don't..."
"If I'm caught, you know what they'll do to me. And I'd rather die than let anyone but Flame touch me. You know they'll try to take me alive."
"We can get you out." Shinji said.
"No, you can't. The virus info was scrapped. Job completed. Please, Shinji." she said sadly.
Shinji sighed deeply as he hefted his gun and took aim.
"IKARI, DON'T!" Flame shouted as he rose up and was about to rush them, and his girl, when the guards fired at him. He ducked back as they kept firing.
The bullet fired from the gun, striking the tank behind her and exploding with tremendous force. Kari and the enemy guards died in a flash. Flame, being farther back, was thrown back by the force landing on the dock next to the boat.
"Get him in. Let's go." Shinji said as D grabbed the sniper.
Switch launched the boat, no one speaking as they made their escape.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
The door to his cell opened and out of his good eye he saw Shinji and D standing there.
"You know you're going to be executed, right?" Shinji asked, doing Flame the favor of skipping any form of formality.
"Yeah. I was really hoping you'd be dead right now." Flame said with indifference.
"I know. But I can't die yet. I have someone important to protect." Shinji replied.
"I wish you'd never seen that fucking dot!" he growled.
"I wish you'd aimed it at me and not Asuka."
"I'm still going to kill that bitch."
Shinji's eyes narrowed.
"Who gave you the order to try and kill Asuka?"
"No one. I just wanted to see you suffer." he said.
Shinji looked into his eyes and noticed nothing resembling deception. It was anger. Shinji nodded to the sniper and turned to face D. D pulled his sidearm and handed it to Shinji.
"So you're not going to make your doll do it?" Flame mocked.
Shinji watched as D's hand gripped the gun tighter.
"No I'm going to do you a favor." Shinji said as he took the weapon from the man.
"And what would that be 'Reaper'?"
"I'm going to send you to Kari."
"DON'T YOU EVER SAY HER NAME!" Flame roared as he practically sprang from the cot.
"Safety off, one already in the chamber." D said as he started to walk out.
He may have a tendency towards being rough, but he hated things like this.
"Give her my best when you see her." Shinji said.
Flame closed his eye has Shinji brought the gun up, leveling it at him.
'Kari.' Flame thought as he heard the shot.
The gun kicked back in Shinji's hand as the bullet left the chamber and embedded itself in Flames head. Shinji sighed as he walked out and turn to the agents present. He nodded at them and then turned back to D who was waiting with them.
"Make sure he is buried right next to Kari." Shinji said.
"Yes sir." D said.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Flame had been unconscious when the lab had exploded. He was still unconscious when Shinji had left, on his own, to retrieve Kari's body.
Shinji searched for hours until he found her. She was dead, and her left arm and right leg were gone. He tried to find them, but only succeeded with the arm. She was badly scarred and amazingly only slightly burnt. Apparently the force of the blast had killed her, not the fire that followed it.
Shinji carried her back the entire way so that she could be buried with appropriate honors.
Flame hadn't even thanked him for retrieving the body, or disobeying orders to do so.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Shinji and D left NERV as soon as possible, driving back to Misato's apartment to check on Asuka.
The elevator ride was made in silence, neither having anything to say on the subject at hand. When they got to the apartment, Shinji actually took time to hug Misato and calm her fears that he was alright. He then made his way to Asuka's room as D spoke to Misato and Kaji.
Inside he found the redhead crying on the bed. When she saw him she somehow found the strength to get up and race to hug him.. He pushed her back a little, and removed his shirt, showing his bandage and the price he had paid to save his Angel.
Asuka wept a little and kissed him again, before wrapping her arms around him and crying onto his shoulder. He carefully lifted the girl in his arms and carried her to the bed. He set her down gently and got in with her.
He kissed her on the forehead as he looked at her. "Don't cry, Asuka. The bad man's been taken care of." he said to her, knowing that it would ease her mind that that particular person wouldn't bother either of them again. "I love you and I will protect you no matter what. That's a promise."
Asuka couldn't reply to that, so she just kissed Shinji gently on his lips. But every second the kiss grew in passion and need. When they pulled apart, Shinji laid his forehead on hers and nuzzled her nose with his as she giggled. He kissed her again.
"As much as I would love to keep making out with you, I'm very tired."
"I'm sure." Asuka said. "I love you Shinji."
"I love you to Asuka. Now lets get some sleep."
"Yes, my love."
-End