Carbon Fibre Tears-Chapter 1 [18+]

Carbon Fibre Tears- Chapter 1- A wave in the dark.

And so here I sit agitated; albeit in comfy chair. In a train to a city I don't know, albeit a quick train. To fill the crappy role of my boring job, yet one which might see me through another day. Of course I feel nervous. It wasn't my fault that heavy snowfall came to the airport I was at back in the UK, and it certainly ain't my fault that the Automated Aviation Computer in my flight decided to play up! And even if it did I don't think it needed 4 hours to fix! But what I know about programming ain't worth learning, I'd probably be a better murderer then an A.I programmer.

Yet it isn't so bad. I got a damn good view of where I'm heading. "Osaka" they call it, but I like to think of the city as the door to the stars. If only because it's the only place in the world with a space elevator. It's a thing that stretches into the sky, like a tower of babel except the powers that may or may not be never got round to destroying it. And if they do exist they'd probably know better then to-

Suddenly my awestruck mental vacation was tarnished like a stiff breeze knocking over a old senile lady. My smart phone was going off and I wouldn't even need to guess it was my arsehole manager, who doesn't seem to understand that people are not dumb machines that get mad and don't want to work all the time. So I started up my phone. The light blue light dimly lit my face compared poorly against the beautiful bright dusk out the window with the aforementioned space elevator standing in the middle, I'd want to be looking out there again and let my mind wander but it's my job on the line.

I sigh; somewhat annoyed and open up the call to a unsympathetic cough before the manager spurts out, "Rhys you still haven't managed to clock in at the offices in Osaka. You realize I retain the right to fire you this month if you don't get here in time; you have 2 hours from now before I talk with the big boy on the leather chair."
It's not hard to see why I fucking hate this guy. I sigh and tell him that,
"Look I'll get there as quickly as I can, the offices are not too far from err..."
My brain seems to pause, trying to peak out the right word of this foreign language which I struggle to grasp. Even after a almost 9 hour corporate learning session. I confusingly mumble to myself;
"Tenn.. Temm ugh."
I hear the manager state, "Tenn?ji Station, and yes; your offices are 35 minutes away from the station but I don't want you using company funds for a taxi. That's what your phone is for, directing morons like you to their rightful place in this wonderful company."
I restrain myself long enough to say, "Well I'll see you there." Before I hastily turn the damn call off and switch to a interactive city map.

I then realize that if this city is one thing, is that it is dense and compact much like the brains of my manager. And navigating this neon maze is going to be far from easy. I gulp nervously, but tighten my tie with some strange vigor and hastily get out of the seat as the train pulls into the station. I step out and see the wonder and bustle of the city before me. Nothing like my home Wales, the rolling hills replaced with concrete and steel while the skies crowded by aircraft. Yet this was far from a time to let the mind wander as much as I wanted to. I navigated past the local people, drawing ire due to my attempts to rush. Once I got out of Tenn?ji station, I saw the bustle of the xenon lit streets and I oriented myself to figure out where to go from my phone.

So I headed down many alley ways and many streets, trying to reach the offices I work at. "Birmingham Genetics". What they are doing in Japan I don't know. All I do know; is that I'm here to replace some guy who wanted to start a family, but my company can't understand human emotion like a shitty bit of pre-2020 software, so they fired him and gave me the funds to make it here. I hope this is a temporary thing, I'd like to go home. especially since what happened in fra-

Thunk.

I didn't realize that I had blundered into a wall down one of the alleyways. I said to myself, "That's what I get for letting the phone do all the directions." with some sarcastic humor even though there's no one to hear. Then I hear some men snickering at my blunder. I hoped I just waltzed into an alternate route to the office that since has been converted into a garden or something; and that these men were just dickheads laughing at my mistake. But something didn't seem right, they weren't laughing like it was funny. They were laughing like they caught their next catch...

"Hello Mr, you going to marry the wall?" a raspy voice spoke in semi-broken English from behind me. I turned around to witness 3 men walking towards me, stinkin' of cigs and looking like they came straight out of the Japanese version of Rhyl...

Crap. Crap. Crap. Thugs. I need to leave now! So I stated with a tense tone, "Okay it's funny and all that, but i'm going to be late for my work."

The shady dude in the middle just put his hand up swiftly, pretty much telling me to stop.

He spoke with surefire confidence and told me, "You aren't leaving with those goodies in your pockets and bag."

Now my anxiety was becoming palpable, shit was going to go down. But not if I could help it!
So I told the thugs "Then I ain't leaving." in the deepest voice I could muster. I'm pretty tough, so I picked up some spare piping that was left down the alleyway and made a defensive stand. I hope I look imposing but to these thugs; I probably look like I'm shitting myself and barely keeping composure.

The ringleader rolled his eyes with annoyance; and motions the other two to jump on me while he says with some kind of sadistic glee, "I didn't know stupid Gijin could fight back, I'll let my 'Friends' deal with you."

As he smiles I hear the distinctive noise of switchblades being pulled out. Despite my obvious fear due to the sweat on my face and the shaking in my hands I knew one thing. I wasn't about to back down.

The thug to my right jabbed in my direction with speed but no grace so I was able to dodge his attack. The thug on my left did the same and I deflected his attack with the pipe. The ringleader laughed in a creepy way and told me that, "Feisty prey is fun prey." Little did he know that I was going to show him that I was far from prey! So I waited for the next thug to try and attack me. Again, the thug on the right tried to get me but this time I sidestepped his attack - by stepping to the right of him and smashing the pipe into his head. His head crashed against the restaurant door behind him, splattering blood like paint on a canvas. I hope to god I didn't kill him, but my gut tells me that's exactly what happened.

The ringleaders face changed rapidly; from mild amusement to rabid fury. Almost as if he were a new era demon. The other thug pulled back; while the ringleader scrambled in his coat with his cybernetic right arm until he pulls out a fucking gun!

In his rage he spurts out, " Okay this game is over you fucking gijin freak, you just murdered my friend!" I dropped the pipe in objective fear, part of me knew I was going to die without even seeing my mum or friends again. I knew I was better then to close my eyes and give up; but I was spooked to the core like a deer in the headlights. I just couldn't move my body!

And then the alleyway was welcomed by a massive roar like someone just fired a big fuck off cannon right in my ear, the sound reverberating off the walls. I opened my eyes to see my fate. I was then quickly surprised as I looked ahead to see the ringleader's arm and gun shatter across the floor while he lay there in intense pain while the other thug, realizing better days lay ahead, ran out of there like a motherfucker. The whole time he was whimpering in Japanese instead of the semi-broken English he'd previously been using. He had a look on him as if he saw a ghost; and then an unexpected feminine voice came from the shadows behind me on the wall. It was Japanese but I clearly knew what it meant.

"Go home or the rest of you goes."

The voice belligerently said in a oddly melodic tone making the air still with fear for both me and the ringleader. It seems we were united in the grand cause of shitting ourselves. The ringleader struggles and gets up, barely able to stay up and scrambles out of the alleyway just leaving me, whoever this deus ex machina is and a soon to-be corpse.

The adrenaline finally wore off and I fell to the floor not in pain but in exhaustion; and because the anxiety I am feeling is so great that it feels like it's actually weighing me down. I then notice the figure jump down from the wall and enter the neon lighting of the alleyway. I look up to see my savior and our eyes lock onto each other. She's a Japanese lady with raven black hair and eyes like jade and skin paler then most.

She reaches out her hand confidently and asks me, "Hey you alright?"

I look up to her with still obvious fear but she smiles at me and tells me, "I'm not gonna hurt you, I want to check if you're OK."

I nervously smile back as I calm down a little, even though I'm obviously very tense. I reach my hand out to this stranger and with her help I pull myself up.

I then promptly spout out, "The fuck was that?!"
She looks at me in a confused manner and tells me, "Well what was I gonna do? Leave you to get mugged by some thugs? Clearly you are a guest here in our country; and they should have showed you some better hospitality."

She then smiles and says, "As for what I did, just Vigilantism at it's best with some Japanese zest."

She then turns and points to the guy I decked and asks, "What about you?"

I turn to the mess I made and barely keep myself from freaking out. I mutter "Well... I also didn't want to be mugged and that's urr...."

The woman goes over to the body and points out some facts. "Yeah he's definitely dead, no why you'd survive that unless you got a cyberbrain or a tough alloy skull, this guy had neither and that's that."

I started to panic; didn't want to get arrested for murdering someone so I just stood there tense as hell unsure of what to do.

But this woman just remained calm and told me, "Don't worry, I'm no policewoman or anything, just a dirty merc for hire. It's why I'm not really freaking out because for me this is close to business."

What the hell?

She stops looking at the corpse and turns to me again. She asks me in a composed manner, "What's your business then? Office work?"

Now I calm down a bit more, something about this woman relaxes me, maybe it's because I think she's pretty and welcoming, maybe it's because she saved my ass. I'm not so sure.

I reply, "Yeah office work, far from fun."

She gets a devilish smile and tells me, "Well that explains the murder, can't begin to imagine how damn dull that must be. Maybe this was a culmination of all the times you've been pissed off at work?"

I try not to giggle; even though its pretty dark humor and reply with a simple; "Yeah probably."

She then turns to me and tells me her name, "My name is Hitomi. And yours?"

And I reply, "Rhys, My name's Rhys."

She then gestures at me and tells me, "We should probably leave if you want to avoid being arrested. It isn't like other countries where you can actually do stuff in prison after all. Japan's harsh."

So me and Hitomi walk out of the alleyway back into the streets and Hitomi asks, "Hey Rhys, do you mind chatting to me? I got nothing better to do."

I shrug my shoulders and say, "Sure go on ahead as long as I get to my work, I think my ass of a manager will rip my skin off if I took any longer."

She snickers and asks me, "Do you even have anywhere to stay while you're here?"

I tell her, "My work will hire out a hotel for as long as I'm here. I admit I don't know how long I'll be here."

She looks to me and states that, "Well if they never give you a place you're OK staying at my base."

I thank her unsure on why this merc is taking such a interest in me, "Well thanks, but why do you care so much about a person you've never met?"

She lifts a finger and tells me, "Ahh well I'm always on the lookout for more members for my merc group, you'd look pretty good as a recruit to me; tough, brave and intimidating, the badass' trifecta. That and I feel that you're gonna save my ass too one day."

I'm not sure that career path would suit me, especially after what I did so I turn to her and say, "I don't want to be a murderer on the run all my life."

She raises a eyebrow and asks, " You think you're going to be a office guy forever?"

I actually don't have a answer to that so I just shrug and ask her, "Why's your English so good?"

She points to the hi-tech headphones on her head; which are blurting out fast paced chiptune and tells me, "Listened to a a lot of music, I used to be a DJ and a damn good one too. I made my own music as well. I had to have good English because many venues were full of celebrities from around the world. That and I dunno, I just did better in my English lessons back at school."

I wondered how she got into merc work if she was already successful. I was about to ask before I realized I pretty much got to the office. Before I headed in to my inevitable office BS Hitomi tugged at my arm and told me,

"Before you go in. I want to make you a business proposal."
She then put her hand in her armored hoodie; and put out a business card or calling card with her merc corp's name and logo on it and gave it to me. Her merc crop's name is the "Shadows of Osaka".

Then she told me, "If this doesn't work out; or if you change your mind, call this number and I'll take you into the shadows. I'll let you in at any time 'Dragon'."
She smirked before she walked off to leave me to my fate.

I walked into my work, "Birmingham Genetics" which is clad in concrete and glass - a stark contrast to the Japanese style of architecture; as I could tell from a mile away that a British architect made that concrete turd. I made my way to glass filled reception to be surprised to find it's a robot rather then the usual human like back home, I guess robotics here are more available. It asks for my work card and sure enough, I give the card and it takes a second to scan before it blurts out;
"Welcome Unit Manager Rhys Edwards. The Branch Manager has requested your presence in room 22 on the third floor."
"Oh crap." I sighed.
"We do not appreciate swears in the workplace." The machine spouts back.
"I know damn it." I say.
I get my card back and make my way to the glass elevator which gives me a neat view of the offices, with many biological symbols and statues thrown around; especially the large DNA statue being the centre piece spanning through 2 floors. Meanwhile the many workers toil away below; answering many frantic calls and confused customers. I arrive at my floor and find the room. I knock on the door and hear a abrupt;
"Come in, Rhys."
I oblige and walk in with my confidence sapped.
The room is lavish yet bleak; a opposite to the rest of the building which in comparison sparks with life. My manager sits agitated and eerily still so it's best that I don't annoy him further; so I sit down on the fancy post-modern chair in front of his curvy desk and reach for the report he craves for so damn much. I take it out my suit and he just stares me down as I awkwardly pass it over to him. After that he flicks through the report with a face full of scorn and turns to me and says;
"So I see that you made it."
I reply with a meek,
"Yeah so I did, with the report and all so you're gonna keep me on?"
He then just rolls his eyes and simply states,
"I would if the performance in this report wasn't so shoddy and lets face it, you're a crappy employee whose organization skills leave something to be desired. Our company can now buy artificial intelligences far better then yours so the job title you have will become redundant. I just feel like firing you first because you're the weakest link in the unit managers of this company and I admit, I never really liked your stupid arse."

What?! So I came here, to Japan from across the globe just to get fired?!
My rage was unexhaustible but my body stayed still with restraint.

He then has the gall to say, "Oh and we will be taking the remaining company funds off you and you'll be given your last wage today."
I jump out of my seat with rage in my eyes and spurt out, "But I... But I'm not going anywhere!"
He then just looks at me, throws me what little I earned and clicks his fingers. Out from behind me emerge two hulking security guards who promptly drag me out of the building sans my work card and most of my remaining money. I was stuck on my own in a country I didn't know an-
Wait... the business card! I reached into my pocket which I had hastily shoved the business card into and yanked it out. I didn't even look at it before because I at the least had my job but now I was running desperate. That and my mind was beginning to lose some moral fiber. Just how much is a human soul worth to a mercenary or assassin? The business card was surprisingly intricate, more so then anything back home. I found a dark alley behind a restaurant and called the number which lay below a quote stating, "Silence follows the shadows" which is cryptic as hell. I phone up and sure enough the voice of Hitomi greets me again confidently asking me;

"I probably know why you're calling Rhys or am I mistaken?"
I stumble a bit before asking her how she knows it's me. She giggles and tells me;
"It's a one way bypass onto your phone, my hacker friend made that functionally so I can tell between members, customers and so on. It's not only saved my ass but can also help deal with targets which in a nice way is you this time."
I scratch my head and ask her if the offer still stands and that I was desperate, my money had gone, my job had vanished and I was all alone without a place to go. I hear her talk to someone in the background before I hear a quick,
"I'll see you outside your office!"
I wondered what that was about while I idled on my phone. I spent barely 20 minutes waiting until I see her ride in on the sexiest damn green motorcycle I've ever seen. And I'm a car guy! Hitomi then gestures onto the seat space behind her and shouts;
"Get on man!"
I quickly reply-
"Gladly!"
I quickly jump on, taking a spare helmet Hitomi was holding although I noticed she didn't have one herself so I queried her;
"Why don't you have one?"
She sputtered and replied,
"I don't need one!" She points to her neck revealing a thin strip of cloth. "Compressed air helmets are better, and I like the feel of the air on my face. Now hold on!"
As she finished her line the motorcycle sprang into action and Hitomi began to drive us quickly out of there. Now let me say something, Hitomi is like a nuclear reactor when it comes to driving; perfectly safe, efficient, fast but god damn it it's scary. She wove in and out of the busy Osaka traffic flawlessly while I sat there terrified but impressed at the same time; the neon lights flashing by as a blur. We reached a tight traffic jam though and were brought to a halt by jammed up cars for a bit so I took in the sights. Hitomi noticed my touristy look and see and asked me;

"You like it here? I thought you were a countryside kind of guy."
I exit my trance and say,
"Well I used to be; but it could be really boring so I moved to the cities when I left sixth form."
She let out a hum and told me that, "I've lived here all my life; I've watched it grow from a pretty big city to one of the most prosperous in the world. It's funny as I've grown up with the city. I know every nook and corner even the new ones. But I'll say one thing has never changed."
I ask her, "What never changed?"
She temporarily gets off the motorbike and reaches into a compartment behind me and pulls out a small bag and passes it to me. I look inside to see this battered shrimp which smells beyond divine. Hitomi then looks at me while smiling and simply replies;
"The food of course!"
She quickly jumps back onto the bike and slowly coasts through the traffic while I if my helmet visor and tuck in. She was not kidding! Sorry fish and chips, I think another battered meal stole your thunder!
Soon after the traffic picked up and we were on her way while my mind raced about today's events like a record. I could not even believe I was gonna do this after killing a man in cold blood but I felt like it could work out somehow. My mind then drifted off that topic and began to wonder about what Hitomi's base looked like, would it blend in with the surroundings? Be hidden in a sewer? Be a big section of a skyscraper? Be a big obvious base with machine guns everywhere? Or would it be-

A love hotel?!

We had arrived yet I was in abstract shock, like it was some shitty joke. Hitomi then drove into a quiet underground parking space just underneath the "Base" until we come across a empty space with V.I.P on the space. We both get off and take our helmets off. I turn to Hitomi exasperated and confused, asking her;

"What the hell is this? Are you trying to shag me?!"

She doesn't even turn around but looks back at me saying with complete, cold confidence-
"First lesson of the shadows, silence can be found where there is plenty of noise, you just have to hide it." She then places her hand out on the concrete wall, lighting up a hidden panel which then activates, opening a well lit hidden grey garage, which Hitomi promptly pushes the bike into. She then leaves the garage and it closes behind her. She's got a big devilish smile on that screams 'told you so'. At this point I calm myself down and go with her up a flight of stairs to a reception with no one in sight.

"Where is everyone?" I ask.

Hitomi looks at a touch pad in front of her and begins to type in some passwords and the such.

"Love hotels base themselves around privacy, no good if someone's at the counter. Everything from cleaning to food making is done by robots. Well except the little deal I have with the owner. No robot was involved with that. Or the cosplay wardrobes for that matter." She tells me. I giggle a little, wondering if she had walked in on something she shouldn't have to know that information. Hitomi then finishes up the password typing.

"There we go, now we can go to the 'VIP' suite." She says in a sarcastic tone pointing to a shady elevator. Me and her went in swiftly without a second thought. The elevator started to move with no input from either of us. We quickly arrive at the top floor but the doors do not open until Hitomi whispers into a intercom hidden behind a fake fire alarm button. The doors then swiftly open giving me a very quick glimpse of 2 sentry guns, laser sights flickering, being packed up into the plain grey walls of the dark hallway. Lights flicker on, revealing a armored sliding door which slowly opens up revealing the hidden base within. Me and Hitomi exit the elevator and begin walking to the base. Once we were inside she quickly locks the door behind us and I can hear the sentry guns re arm themselves outside. I then took a quick look around to witness a very nicely furnished grey and green living room with some modern couches, sleek coffee tables and some impressive electronics including a Sony 12HD holoscreen; a custom made gaming console and a extravagant sound system. Hitomi looks at me with a smile and asks me;

"It's a pretty nice place don't you think?"

"I'm inclined to agree, what else is here?" I reply.

Hitomi then clicks her fingers and tells me;
"Well lucky you I'm here to show you around and introduce you to the other 'residents'." She then drags me along to see all the various parts of the base beyond the living room. First stop, the workshop/armory. Inside lay all kinds of workshop machinery; and many a layer of gun racks organised neatly from small self-protection pistols to massive anti-material rifles. Inside lay two bickering guys fiddling with their machinery. Hitomi pointed them out and shouted;

"Hey Kenji and Kyou, can you two stop arguing for a second and come greet Rhys the new guy?!"
The two shut off their equipment and came to greet us at the door. The two look completely different from one another, one of 'em looks like he just left a prestigious university of engineering while the other looks like he just came out of a greasy garage.

The greasy guy grabs hold of my hand and shakes it energetically blurting out, "Hey! Name's Kenji! And this is my workshop."

After he lets go the second, more well dressed guy lightly shows his hand and states, "Our workshop Kenji! My name is Kyou; sorry about that we butt our heads together quite often." While I shake it softly.

"Don't worry about these twins, they are our resident engineers, damn smart too. They've worked for me ever since I got them out of trouble with the police. They're not the ones to actually fight though but they'll get you ready to do so." Hitomi states before whispering to me;

"Oh yeah and by the way it doesn't look like it but Kenji's actually the smarter one just don't tell anyone I said that." Before winking at me. She then turns to the pair and commands;

"Right you two; I need a few guns prepared for when we go to the gun range so ready up a MP7 JPC and a few other guns too for our newbie here." The twins then reply with a;

"Sure thing boss!"

As we are about to head over to the door Hitomi stops and turns around again and asks the twins; "By the way. How's the Vector camo coming along?"

Kenji starts to get excitable while Kyou tries to calm him down. Kenji spurts out, "It's coming along great; it won't be finished for another month, but once it is done you'll have something not even the military utilize!"

Hitomi smiles and replies with a swift thanks; before taking me out of the rusty workshop door and taking me to the next site of interest. That being a sleek and clean clinic not too far from the workshop. Inside it was almost pristine with a slightly short, if professional looking figure toiling away at her work. Hitomi and I walk through to a... interesting welcome;

"If you are coming in I ask you to knock Hitomi and... who are you?" the Woman asked. I reply with a meek;

"Well I'm Rhys; the new guy." The woman puts her hand out as if to shake it before realizing she's wearing some stained gloves so instead she bows telling me;

"My name's Izumi. Izumi Shimazu. I'm the medical expert of the mercenaries here and Hitomi's childhood friend. If you ever get hurt in any way it'll be my job to patch you up but if you do your job right I won't have to."

"Always full of heart aren't you?" Hitomi cheekily replies.

"Well I cannot be kidding when people's lives are at stake." Izumi coldly replies back.

Hitomi scoffs before saying, "Fair enough."

"Anyway Rhys, once you're done being shown around I'll need to do some routine tests on you. Don't freak out, it's just stuff like blood typing and all that." Izumi tells me.

I thank Izumi before once again being led out of the room and being taken around the base to see the other sites; the well stocked if chaotic kitchen, the hallway with the sentries, the duo bathrooms, many bedrooms one of which will become mine and the sodding Jacuzzi!

"All we need to do now is to check up on our resident oracle of the net." Hitomi interjects upon my sight seeing tour of the base. We head to a door labeled with many rock and metal stickers I do not recognize but I could tell from the lettering that it was Swedish. What's a swede doing in Osaka? Hitomi then opens the door to reveal a room much like the other bedrooms we had seen but this time covered with wires and a couple high tech screens with a woman slouching on her computer chair before swiveling around to greet us. This person looked out of place and not just because she was European, but because she looked like a traditional punk with two-tone black and yellow hair and a few piercings on the ears. This was the kind of person I'd expect to be a mercenary.

"Well hey there handsome, never thought I'd see someone else from Europe here. What's your name?" The woman asks surprised at my presence. I thought I could hear Hitomi scoff but I think that was just a message popping up on the woman's many systems. I reply to her question while reaching my hand out for a shake with;

"My name's Rhys. Yours?"

She reveals a high-tech cybernetic arm and shakes mine calmly while answering; "My name's Freja Jennifer, if you need some evidence snuffed out or some disruption to come to someone's net I'm your gal."

I proceed to ask her more about her hacking since I know so little about it.

"So can you hack robots and make them fight for you or something crazy like that?" She looks at me confused and then starts to laugh.

"It isn't like in the movies dude. Robots come with some tough anti-virus software, though I am screwing around with some viruses I made to see If I actually can bypass their antiviruses. But I'm not sure if anything will come of it. Also I'm pretty likely to come along any missions of yours or Hitomi's; if they involve a lot of electronically locked doorways. I can pass through those. Quite easily if I may say so." Freja summarizes.

"She's right about the tagging along part, the three of us will probably try to get on a task when you've completed your training Rhys. Both to supervise your ass and to keep you safe if things go wrong." Hitomi swiftly adds.

Freja nods and gives a thumbs up before returning to her tinkering, politely shutting the door on us. Me and Hitomi return to the living room where we sit down at the couch. She turns to me and asks me one thing.

"Do you want to leave now? It's your last chance if you're on the fence about all this. After this you'll be one of us, a certified mercenary. A Shadow of Osaka. Are you ready?"

I think to myself briefly. Of all the events that transpired today. Of all the circumstances that led to today. Surely I should just head for home and forget this day happened and continue living a life of innocence?

I told her quite simply;

"I'd be damn glad to join up."

Hitomi's face lights up as she gives me a devilish smile before stating with complete confidence,

"You've made the right choice, 'Dragon'."