Terminal

Chapter 10

I don't believe in luck. But I would say what happened next was the luckiest thing that ever happened to me.

The officers in front of me collapse to the ground, a smoking hole in each one of their chests. I was confused, and I flick Kamira out, ready to defend myself in any means. A new group approaches me, with more advanced rifles and recon helmets. They appeared to be wearing armour also, but it wasn't very noticable. The rifles let out a familiar charging sound as the group aims once again at my chest. My swords flicker to life, a low hum coming from their blades.

"Stand down." A man walks forwards, holding his hand up. He probably led the small squadron here, as the armoured soldiers obeyed, lowering their rifles. He takes his helmet off, and squints at me in disbelief. "I can't..." he murmurs, and lets out a small laugh.

"What do you bloody want," I snarl.

"There's literally no way..." he continues talking to himself.

"How about you shut up and-"

"General Akira Shimitsu." My heart skips a beat. I was stunned. How does he know who I am?

"Now that, my friend, is a name I haven't heard of in a long, long time." He walks towards me, a smile forming on his face.

"Do you remember who I am?"

"Not particularly." He does look familiar though...

"We met when you just became Oroxu." My mind flashes back to that day. My first day in True Power and I already somehow managed to get a promotion.

"You sat in the bed next to me-"

"-and I offered you cookies and you declined-"

"-and then I later beat you in training-"

"-but then I beat you." I let out a small laugh.

"That's only because I let you." He shrugs.

"Made me feel better that day."

"Oh, Hattori," I breathe. I rush up to him, embracing him in a hug. Tears streamed down my face, and he tightly hugged me back. "I-I assumed you were dead... I assumed everybody was dead..."

"I thought you were dead too, but I didn't want to believe that." We stood silent for a few seconds, before I finally backed up.

"I thought Power was disbanded."

"It is."

"Then why all of... this?" I gesture at his armour and gun, along with the rest of the group.

"We formed a new group; Ren leads it, Orion's-"

"Yeah, I know who he is." I start pacing. Ren Ogawa, Orion's son. I don't remember him much, mainly because I didn't see him often. "What's the group called?"

"Uh, Phantoms." So that's the group the news keeps mentioning. This whole time I thought it was another name for me, in reality, it was Power's revival group. My thoughts get interrupted. "Akira."

"Yeah?"

"Are you going to come back?" My smile fades. I longed to return, but I vowed when I left to never join a group again. The mood shifts, as Hattori's eyes slowly dim, waiting for my response. "Please? I missed you Akira." My mind continues to flip between my choices. I didn't want a repeat of last time, I didn't want to lose everyone again. I sigh, placing my hands on his shoulders.

"Give me two days. Same time, same place." I didn't want him to leave, and at the same time, I never wanted to see him again. Disappointment and a touch of sadness flashes in Hattori's eyes.

"Okay..." He turns around. "Let's go." He walks off without looking back, the rest of his group trailing him. A little bit later, a red and black plane lifts off, quickly disappearing into the distance. I track it with my eyes until it disappears from sight. The last traces of sunlight disappear, the sun finally under the horizon, and I start heading back, with one of the biggest decisions of my life weighing on my shoulders.