A and K Chapter 85: Have you Seen This Cat?

Kei sits at home waiting on news. No one had seen hide nor hair of Athena. She was just gone. Almost like she had vanished off the face of the earth. Shigure walks into the room. Kei stands up at the sight of her.
Kei: Any news?
Shigure: Nothing. She’s just gone.
Kei: (sighs) Where did that cat disappear to?
Shigure: I don’t know.
Kei: Did anyone catch her leave or anything?
Shigure: No. Not one of us saw her sneak out.
Kei: Damn.
Shigure: She had to have a good reason for vanishing.
Kei: I’m sure, but what? What did she have to do?
Shigure: Do you think it was related to her job?
Kei: Barely speaks about her job. Why would it contact her out of the blue like that?
Shigure: We might have to get others involved.
Kei: You think we need to go find Saori?
Shigure: She’s probably the only one who could tell us anything.
Kei: I guess we don’t have a choice.
With that, Kei and Shigure depart for the home of Rin. With Rin and Aria still out, travelling to visit Aria’s brother, the two felt it was better to simply leave her out of this. Kei knocks on the door.
Josh: Who’s there?
Kei: Kei and Shigure here to see Saori.
Josh opens the door and lets them in. He seems to be in a good mood.
Josh: Hey. Good to see you guys.
Kei: Same.
Shigure: Same to you.
Kei: Sorry we’re not here just to visit, but we’ve got to speak with Saori on a matter.
Josh: I kinda guessed you’ve not come here to drink tea with me. Okay, I’ll call Saori here. Wait for us.
Kei watches as Josh goes to fetch Saori and notices Shigure slightly staring at him.
Kei: What?
Shigure: Couldn’t hurt to come over more often for less serious matters.
Kei: ...We could, but I’m horrible at small talk.
Josh comes in along with Saori.
Josh: Okay, everyone you need is here.
Kei: Hi Saori, you wouldn’t have seen Athena lately, have you?
Saori: I’m sorry, I haven’t.
Kei: Damn.
Shigure: We’re worried because no one’s seen her.
Saori contemplates this for a second.
Saori: I think I know why she’s suddenly vanished. Please come in and have a seat. Josh, please retrieve Kana as well, and I’ll tell everyone.
Josh: Yeah, sure thing.
He walks up the stairs and knocks on Kana’s door.
Josh: Kana, come on. Kei wants to talk to you.
Kana: About what?
Josh: Hell if I know. Ask him.
Kana: Jeez, fine.
Kana comes out of her room and walks downstairs with Josh.
Kana: ‘Sup?
Kei: Hey, good to see you.
Shigure: Hello Kana.
Saori: This is all we have at the moment, Karin and her mother have gone on a bit of a vacation.
Kei: They deserve one.
Saori: As far as Athena goes, I can explain why she has likely gone off on her own, and it is likely for the same reason that Kana once did.
Kei: Really?
Saori: To start from the top, Athena and I, we’re undercover agents for a man named Ame. However, I’ve taken a short break while I relax here with Josh, Kana, and everyone.
Kei: She’d always mention her job was that, but it was hard to believe that goofy cat.
Josh: The dumber they act, the less suspicion they cause.
Saori: When we’re teenagers, our mother was killed by a murderer.
Josh: You don’t say?
Saori: This man had no care for his victims. Simply murdered anyone in his way, and our mother sadly met that fate. He was put away for his crimes, but of course that was little solace to us.
Kei: Can’t blame you.
Kana: Wait a sec-- so you and Athena are sisters… like in step-siblings or blood-related?
Saori: We are in fact blood. Born from the same mother. We...don’t talk with our father much anymore.
Kana: Okay… go on.
Saori pulls out a piece of paper.
Saori: Her disappearance likely has to do with his sudden vanishing from prison.
Kei: He escaped?
Saori: That’s the likely bet, yes.
Josh: So we’re dealing with an escaped convict… doesn’t bode well.
Saori: Worse part is, its very likely Athena will take things into her own hands. Ame informed me of his escape as well as Athena.
Kana: So you think Athena is going to kill him?
Saori: If we don’t stop her, I wouldn’t doubt for a second her murderous intent for that man. Athena was very close to our mother. You could say she lost a bit of happiness that day.
Kei: No surprise.
Josh: I can relate to that, as well as Kana.
Kana: Yeah… since Mom and Dad died, we couldn’t find a place in this world, so that’s why we’ve become who we are now.
Saori: We were lucky to have each other and our father. We managed to survive. Our family broke apart when our father became a drunk addict. Lost his spirit, probably in a bar somewhere slinging back a shot, but he stuck around for our sake. When we went off on our own, he likely just lost all his spirit.
Josh: Well, that’s sad to hear… what happened next?
Saori: We’ve fallen out of touch sadly. Last time the three of us were in a room, Athena and our father got into a shouting match. Athena complaining about how he was nothing more than an alcoholic, while our father complaining about real life stress and we were only adding to that.
Kei: That is sad.
Saori: Since then, its just been the two of us. Working under Ame.
Josh: Okay… and what about Ame? I mean, your time working under him.
Saori: Still do. Athena and I are contracted workers. We’re supposed to hunt down certain targets, some more undercover for others. I’m sure Kei remembers.
Kei: That was the trade thing, wasn’t it?
Saori: Yes, very quickly you took down that man, but I had already accomplished the goal in having all those he was using for his slave trade in one place.
Kei: I see.
Saori: I’ve already passed along to Ame that I was going to take a break and relax with Josh and he seemed content with that. He passed this message along to Athena and I likely because it was something we both would want to know considering our past with the man.
Josh: Well, you could’ve told it to me and we could figure something out, so Athena wouldn’t run away alone.
Saori: As much as I would’ve liked to stop her, I called her the moment I received the message. She won’t respond. I’ve called her a number of times.
Shigure: Same here, she disappeared from Kei’s home without so much as a goodbye.
Saori: Because Athena and the man know each other, it's likely the two are in contact with each other in some shape or form. Athena following the clues he’s leaving, and the man just tormenting Athena further with false clues on how to find him. If Athena does find the man, I fear she’ll take justice into her own hands.
Kei: Which would put her in a precarious situation, because he’s convicted for murder, its likely the jail wouldn’t care if he was dead or alive. Bounty will be paid either way. But if its shown she murdered him in cold blood, because she could, it won’t paint her in the best light either.
Saori: Exactly. She’ll follow every step he makes, simply because she has a grudge against him, she felt the prison sentence went too easy on him.
Kana: She’s not an officially appointed vigilante, so she’ll be convicted for this as well. Our justice system works great, I suppose.
Saori: Kana is correct. Athena would most surely be convicted.
Kei: Then we’ll have to stop her at all cost.
Saori: Then what do you plan to do.
Kei: It only makes sense to enlist you in this Saori, you know Athena better than anyone else.
Saori: If Josh and Kana are okay with me going.
Kana: Sure, I don’t mind.
Josh: You sure about that? You’re going to take this risk, so you have to think this through.
Saori: You’re right, and that’s why both of you should come with us too.
Josh: (Shrugs) Well, if you say so…
Saori: Besides myself, you two would likely have the best advice to give to Athena to convince her not to go through with this. We need moral support, but we don’t want to come off as judging her for her options either.
Kana: Alright… I’ll just tell Athena to break his arms before sending him to the police station.
Josh: (Sighs) Kana… you never change.
Kana: Jeez, I’m kidding. Of course everything will be fine.
Kei: Go ahead and get prepared. Shigure and I are ready.
Saori nods and heads upstairs to the guest room to retrieve her items.
Shigure: Please get yourselves ready as well.
Kana: Yeah, right… let’s go, Joel.
Josh: Fine.
They walk upstairs and head to Kana’s room. There they open a closet filled with various weapons and gear. Kana takes her kunais and collapsing swords, while Josh takes his military gear and various guns before retrieving his batons and dressing into a more combat-oriented outfit, consisting of a black shirt reinforced with kevlar strips and combat boots.
Kana: Armed to the teeth, eh, Joel?
Josh: Better to be prepared to die than to wait for death to come.
Kana: (Shrugs) Can’t argue with that.
When they finish preparing, they walk downstairs and sit down on the couch. It isn’t long before Saori’s footsteps can be heard as she walks downstairs as well. She had changed into a different outfit. She now wore a black shirt with white trim. She remained in the purple skirt. A pouch for a knife was wrapped around her lower left leg. A brown belt, drifting at an angle, held two more knives. She had tied her hair behind her head into a ponytail.
Saori: Sorry for taking so long.
Josh: It’s fine. You look great in this.
Saori places a kiss on his cheek.
Saori: You’re such a flatterer.
Josh: Thank you, ma’am.
Kei: You deal with this every day I bet, Kana.
Kana: Yeah, sure… I do my ninja exercises every day, so I wouldn’t lose my fighting shape. Joel and Saori are… doing some more interesting exercises.
Josh: Jeez, Kana.
Kana: What? Can’t hide everything from your sister.
Kei: (With his hands up in a stopping motion) No, that’s fine, no need to get into any more detail than that. (Nervously laughing)
With that, the gang proceeds onward, intent on heading toward the first stop on their location, an airship. Meanwhile, Rin and Aria finally reach the entryway of Aria’s brother’s apartment. They simply sit outside. Aria couldn’t seem to build up the nerve to knock on the door.
Rin: Are you going to knock?
Aria simply just stares, not sure what to do.
Aria: Do I have to?
Rin: Its really not that hard.
Aria: Yeah, it is.
Rin: I’m not going to just let you run away on this.
She reaches her hand up to knock. Aria pulls at her arm.
Aria: Please don’t.
Rin: Aria, what’s the matter with you?
Aria: I don’t want to do this.
Rin: Why are you so worried?
Aria: I just don’t think this is a good idea.
At that moment, the front door opens.
???: Who in the world is…
The man standing in front of her was definitely tall. He looked as though he was an athlete. He was taller than both of them. He wore a white tank top and athletic shorts. He had white socks and multi-colored sneakers. His short blonde hair and brown eyes stared a hole into Aria.
Aria: Hi, Ryota.
Ryota: Aria…
Category:A and K
Category:Novel Chapter