Transform Me (A "Shatter Me" Trilogy Fanfiction)

TWELVE: DRIVE

12: Drive

Right now, Kishimoto and I are preparing our things before going back to the base.  I’ve prepped him on what to expect, and he doesn’t ask questions, which I appreciate.  All throughout the briefing, he only had one query.

“Where’s the real General Isamu Watanabe?”

“He’s in a holding cell somewhere here in Souseiki Dousa.”  I tell him as I slide the sling of my bag over my shoulder.

“You have a holding cell?”  He sounds surprised.  “At Omega Point, we never had one—mainly because we never expected to deal with prisoners.  When we took Warner hostage, we had to detain him in one of the quarters, barred the doors and had two people guarding it round the clock.”

Despite myself, I snort.  “That was an uncalculated move.  You know how easy it would be for Warner to escape.”

“Well, back then, we didn’t know of Warner’s ability.  Neither did he.”  Smiling, he explained as he snapped on his belt bag.  “But, yes, he did manage to escape.  So General Watanabe is alive?”

I nod.  “He’s been held captive for almost a year.”

He looks fascinated.  “I’m impressed you’ve managed to keep up the charade for this long.  Was it hard at first?  Pretending to be him?”

“A little bit.  It’s the first time I’ve ever been a general.  Once Devin passed on his memories to me, I had to learn the ropes quickly.  I’ve been on my toes ever since.”

            “So where exactly is this holding cell?”

            “Why are you asking?”  I eye him suspiciously.

            He shrugs.  “I might have a question or two for this general.”

            “We’ve already interrogated him multiple times.  He’s solid—won’t budge one bit.  But he didn’t really need to say anything.  We have Devin, remember?  We don’t have to torture anyone to get the truth out of them.”

            “Point taken.  I’d still like to see him, though.”

             “I’ll take you to see him some other time, Kishimoto.  Right now, we need to go.”

             He stares at me for two seconds before nodding.  “Lead the way, Violet.”

 *          *          *

            As soon as we exit the eastern underground passage and climb out, broad daylight greets us like an old friend.  Eyes closed, Kishimoto’s head tilts upward, sunlight casting his face aglow.  He takes a breath, exhales. 

 “I’ve missed being out in the open.”  Then he slides me a glance.  “How are we going to get to the base?”

             “We’ll need to walk for three blocks.  There’s a tank parked there.”  I inform him.

             “A tank?”  He seems impressed.  “That’ll work.”

             After ten minutes, both of us are seated comfortably inside the military tank. 

             Kishimoto appraises the interior of the vehicle with unbridled awe.  “These are built differently from the ones we use back home.  I used to think ours were excellent, but this makes our tanks look like toys.  Incredible.  How do you even drive this thing, much less start it?”

             “That’s the sensor that activates the tank.”  I point to a flat glass screen on the dashboard.  “It only responds to a select group of people, like General Watanabe and some high-ranking soldiers.  That’s why I’ll need to transform—”