2023-08-08: The End of Day by Day
- Log: 2023-08-08: The End of Day by Day
- Cast: Sousuke Sagara
- Where: The Mithril Safehouse at Tiger's Mansion, Nouvelle Tokyo
- Date: U.C. 0097 08 08
- Summary: Mission accomplished.
With Deculture Festival 0097 in full swing, Sousuke Sagara had accumulated an unusual variety of....things. Phone numbers, for various event contacts. Some souvenirs from friends now traveling about under the auspices of GUTS. Maps, with key information highlighted: Sight lines; optimal ambush locations; trash cans. He was the trash monitor, after all.
He felt a faint curl on his lips he was beginning to understand as he submitted his evening report, a light breath on his lips as he pulls away from the communications table and glances over to a side table - relatively new, part of the touches of hominess that had come when Commander Mardukas and Colonel Testarossa had stormed into his life. On it sits a box containing the kit for a brand new HG M9 - a gift from Shinji Kazama - and a bookmark depicting a barking dog. A faithful hound; Kyoko's a thoughtful young woman. His apartment had been changing, slowly. The Commander had made him add shelves, tables, and more. That had slowly been drifting out as he and Tessa had settled into their grooves; she hadn't needed it all anymore than he had. Still. He was beginning to understand the intent of a space that wasn't strictly a place to store equipment and guns.
A place you could live, day by day, as long as you liked.
An alert on his phone informed him that he should head out soon. That was traveling for you. He would need to head out soon to arrive early to help with construction of the Millymenator.
His laptop chimed. A new secure message. He opened it at once, assuming it would be a mission for the next few weeks. Not too unusual.
PRIORITY ORDER 98J005-3128
From: West Pacific Battle Group Command (Merida Island Base)
To: Uruz-7/Sergeant Sousuke Sagara
A: Operations leadership and battlegroup command hereby issue cancellation to priority order 98E001-3128 (Operation: Guardian Angel) effective today 1500 hours GMT.
B: Uruz-7 to withdraw from current safehouse, return ASAP to Merida Island Base via Route 3b.
C: Uruz-7 to submit letter of withdrawal by post to Jindai High School. Reason given for withdrawal to be left to discretion of Uruz-7.
D: Ongoing protection of Kaname Chidori to be entrusted to Shuffle Alliance. Reserve guard will be entrusted exclusively to codename Wraith.
E: Further contact with Jindai associates is prohibited effective today 1500 hours (GMT).
He reread the message again. He rubbed his eyes and read it a third time. 1500 GMT...that'd be midnight, local.
There was...no interpreting this. He was being removed from GUTS and Jindai. Kaname's protection was now in the hands of that Intelligence shadow, Wraith, and whoever the Shuffle Alliance could spare. The mention of leadership meant it was an order from above even Tessa or Kalinin, so he'd have no room to protest.
He stood, staring, as something that felt like ice flowed down his spine. All the little touches of home...the small signs of friendships he'd made. He could hear his teeth grinding. He didn't know how long he stood there.
Right. Of course. He'd never been one of them, had he? He'd always been a mercenary. Just a visitor to their world.
The computer shattered as his fist drove through it, keys leaping from their casings.