RP LOG - Renji, An, NPC's
Date: January 9th, from noon to night.
Rating: PG-13/light R for violence.
Summary: What was supposed to be a quick and bloodless mission for a martial artist and a tech almost takes a turn for the worse when a hostage is thrown in their way.
An pushed up her glasses with a sigh. Her shoulders were slumped in a slightly disappointed posture as she scrolled one last time through her screen. The mission had gone so smoothly to this point; they had snuck in, gained access, gone undetected both physically and electroncially. But now she had hit a wall: an encryption that she couldn't seem to figure out. There was still just over half an hour left on their time limit, but her mind honestly couldn't think of anything more to try. Shaking her head, she looked to her partner.
"I'm sorry, Yanagi-san...I don't think this is going to happen today."
An sighed again as she covered her electronic tracks and closed her laptop. Pulling out the cables, she couldn't help feeling like the world's biggest faliure. Her brows knit as she continued to consider the problem.
As the one in charge of this mission, Renji could perfectly push her into action. But his top priority was to keep his partner safe, since she was the key player in this game. Possibly he'd be heavily critizised by others, but he wouldn't risk having either her or himself under fire because of sheer imprudence...
He quietly nodded. "Very well, Tachibana-kun," he murmured. He also was frustrated at how their mission had failed because of tecnical things, but it'd be even worse to have them being caught and very possibly killed.
An had been around Renji at the dojo enough to notice the disappointment in his voice, and having that levelled at her somehow felt like a punch in the gut. Stashing her equipment away, she nodded to him to indicate that she was ready to go.
They walked along the building's corridors, careful to use the route that the Agency had provided for them, but An's mind wasn't on her surroundings. It was still among all those streams of numbers. How was it that it could elude her so easily? She was supposed to be one of the best. Then again, maybe the bad guys were able to pay the big bucks for whoever was better. Sighing one more time as she ran through it all in her head.
She turned her head to look at a painting hanging in the hallway, and abstract sort with lines running vertically on it arranged in narrow and wide stripes. And then it hit her all of a sudden. How could she have missed it! She tugged on Renji's sleeve before turning around and starting to walk back, her pace picking up speed. "I've got it...I've got it..."
Eh? Totally taken by surprise, Renji's eyes went wide for a millisecond before he grabbed the woman's hand and followed her, trying to look like the typical male friend who was in the ride only to take care of the girl next to him. But soon he was back to the rhythm, poker face back as they walked back to the office where they had been working.
Even when An was his prime concern, he didn't miss the curious look shot at him by a person who just crossed them. A man around his same height, wearing a turtleneck instead of a shirt and a tie... could he be one of them...? Still, he managed to not let his mask slip again, keeping his guard as high as he could...
She couldn't help the small smile that came to her lips as they retraced their steps. Arriving back in the office, she moved at top speed to get reconnected. Her fingers flew across the keys like a woman possessed. They only had about half an hour left and there was no telling just how much data there was for her to download.
There. And now she was in. She allowed herself a big smile, deciding that it would be best to leave any cheering for when they were safely away. A little poking here and there and she had it all. Records, statements, communications. Now all she had to do was wait for it all to download to her computer. She glanced at her watch before looking up at Renji a little nervously. They were really cutting it close.
Not wanting An to share his worries, Renji smiled reassuringly at his partner and briefly placed his hand on her shoulder. Then, he stared at the door, ears trying to catch any sound coming from the outside.
"Too much silence... this can't be a good thing," the agent thought.
And after some minutes where the only sound he really heard were the noises that An made as she hacked her way... steps were heard, and the door opened very slowly. A young secretary with a rather child-like face and long black hair stepped in, bowing just a little and looking at them with scared eyes...
"Ehm... May I ask you what are you doing?"
Renji didn't answer immediately, and it was a good thing. He heard a male voice coming from the outside, saying something about how the girl *had* seen "these spy fuckers" around and didn't say anything out of fear, therefore she'd be punished along with them. And she was about to start crying and screaming in terror as she was nothing but a human shield to whoever was outside...
Another voice was heard. "Stop whatever you're doing, you two. Or you *three* will bite the dust".
An had just finished downloading when the secretary arrived. She could feel her heart pounding. They were so close...just a few more moments. As discreetly as she could, she started to log out and disconnect. It was the voices that followed that truly sent a chill down her spine.
Oh no...An could feel her panic rising. Despite her training, she really wasn't sure what to do in a situation like this. Noticing that she was hidden from view behind Renji, she silently packed up her things, and looped her laptop bag around her body.
She looked at Renji with wide eyes, silently asking him what it was they should do.
"Don't do anything," Renji hissed. "Wait for my orders."
First he had to get that girl away from the Yakuza who were using her to get to them. And then, he had to clear the way for both girls, so An could take both of them to safety. The office they were in wasn't too far from an emergency escape door, so that was covered... but they had to get there, and it wouldn't be easy.
The girl was crying now, trembling from head to toe. The figure of a large man was now looming over the door (damn, it was the man wearing a turtleneck, the same Renji had seen minutes ago...), staring at him and An mockingly; Renji couldn't see his hands clearly, but he was very likely pointing a gun at the poor girl's back. Maybe, just maybe, they could still have a chance...
"Come on, boy. You and your little girlfriend should come with us, lest have me shooting the little bitch and letting everyone know you're here..."
He poked the secretary with his weapon, whatever it was, and she gasped in between her tears, lightly reeling forward...
The idiot. He should've known better. As soon as this happened, Renji dashed forward and pushed the girl towards An and out of the way. He then applied a blindingly fast kote-gaeshi, throwing the man to the ground.
Without even turning, he spoke to An. "Take the witness and the info to safety, go without me! I'll join you later!"
Taking hold of the hysterical girl, An forgot all her own fear as she knew that there was now someone counting on her to make it out of here alive. The two young women ran towards the emergency exit, with An on her cell phone to their driver as soon as they were outside.
She tried her best to calm the girl down, making it look like it was just one girl consoling another after a bad breakup before helping the secretary into the car. She handed her laptop to the driver, giving him instructions to keep it safe. But she herself didn't get in the car just yet.
Take the witness and the info to safety, go without me! I'll join you later!
That was what Renji had said. An bit her lower lip with worry as she waited to see if her partner was coming. Another few minutes passed, and she couldnt' take it any longer and started to head back towards the exit she had just come from.
Renji was struggling to reach the emergency door, since despite being able to get free of the first attacker, others came to his aid. Fortunately, they were less numerous than he thought, so Renji still had a chance to get out and fulfill his word to join An and the secretary whom they rescued. Irimi nage against one, tsuki to the head against another...
Gradually, he was nearing to the door, leaving several sprawled opponents on his way. He hadn't used his physical strength and his Aikido techniques this seriously in quite a while, so almost all of them were laying disarmed and unconscious...
Except one, who managed to pull the trigger and shoot just seconds before Renji reacted, the bullet hitting the Aikido master on his left arm practically at the same time his partner (unbeknownst to him) had decided to return.
With the adrenaline starting to wear off but still going strong, Renji ignored the pain in his arm (thankfully not his dominant one) and applied a last tsuki to the man's head, knocking him out. But then everything came to him with a vengeance... at the same time he heard steps coming towards him from the exit. Friend... foe...?
He stared at the exit, now painfully placing his right hand on his arm, trying to apply pressure to his wound which was starting to bleed very seriously now.
An was approaching at a quiet walk when she heard it. A gunshot. All thoughts of being discreet went out the window as she raced towards the exit.
Renji...please be okay....
The sight that she saw in the entrance way made her heart stop. He was hit. Although his dark suit hid the blood stain, she could see it trickling down his arm. As she raced towards him, she tried to recall what she could of her first aid training. Pressure, tourniquet, 911...
"Renji..." she spoke quietly when she reached his side, ripping portions of her shirt at the same time. She didn't even notice that she had used his first name instead of the usual Yanagi-san. "C'mon...we have to get you out of the doorway..."
She helped him out before making leaning him against the wall for support. With her makeshift bandages, she quickly and securly tied off the wound, shoving away any nausea at seeing it for a later time. "Okay...let's get out of here..." She supported him as they approached the car before the driver came out to help the injured agent into the car. An quickly got in beside her partner as they raced for a hospital.
"Renji....I'm so sorry..."
He was breathing heavily, the pain was very intense, and despite An's treatment he was still bleeding. Yet Renji made an heroic effort to keep himself focused. They were on the run now, the info sitll hadn't been given to those who'd ber able to use it in court, and the witness they rescued was still with them... He couldn't allow himself to lose it.
Still, he smiled almost sweetly to his partner, eyes now more open than closed. "Don't worry, An... We have to... make it...
He groaned as the pain intensified for a second, but bit his lip and kept smiling. "Is... everyone... all right?"
Despite his efforts, An could tell things weren't getting better. The dressings she had applied were getting soaked with blood. She continued to rip more sections off her shirt to tie off his wound. She spoke quietly with him, keeping her cool so as not to make their witness fully hysterical.
"I'll stop worrying when your injuries have been treated and you're comfortable. We're all fine, Renji, thanks to you. Now you just rest and don't worry about us. I'll make sure everything is taken care of."
She ripped another piece of cloth, totally uncaring of how little was going to be left on her person by the time she was done. Tying off the last bandage, she gently swept some of Renji's hair out out of his eyes, looking at him carefully. She gave him a small smile. "You just hang in there okay?"
They were close to the hosptial now. It would only be a few more moments. And yet, even that seemed like it could be an eternity. An gave Renji's good hand a light squeeze before turning her attention to the witness, calming the young woman down as best she could.
The secretary girl had already used all her reserves of tears and fright for a long time, for she was much calmer now and even managed to spare An a shaky, diminutive smile and a nod of her head. Renji could see this and smiled at her, even when the blood loss was starting to make him *really* light-headed now...
With trembling hands, the girl took off a short jacket she was wearing and covered An with it. Renji nodded gratefully, just before he passed out of pain and blood loss... and right then, the car stopped in front of the hospital.
"We're here," the driver and fellow agent quickly told both women. "Please keep your wits and bring the paramedics here sop they can aid our team leader!"
Until the other woman draped the jacket on her, An was completely oblivious to the amount of her own skin she had revealed. Though her cheeks flushed a little, she didn't let any of her embarassment show in her demeanor. And a moment later, Renji lost conciousness. Knowing that the mission really wasn't over, An took a deep breath and fought for calm. She grit her teeth and steeled herself as they stopped at the hospital.
"Understood." Was the quick, calm reply that An gave the agent as she exited the car and head into the hospital. She showed her badge to the nurse, identifying herself and the emergency. In a matter of no time, medics rushed to the car to help Renji.
An turned her attention to the secretary. "Please come with me. I'd like the doctors to check you out. After that, the driver will take you to our headquarters. You will most likely have to be enrolled in a protection program." They spoke briefly, exchanging contact information, before An sent the girl to see a doctor. Lastly, An spoke to the driver, asking him to take the laptop back to the Agency along with the girl.
And with that done, she head back into the hospital to await word on her partner. Sinking into the waiting room chair, she covered her face with her hands. This wasn't how things were supposed to go...and it was all her fault.
Long minutes passed... and finally the driver (a tall man in his early 40's, with sharp brown eyes and a knife scar on the side of his neck) returned.
"Tachibana," he called out to her, discreetly ignoring how only the jacket was covering An's half-uncovered body. "The early medical reports say that the main trouble with Yanagi was the blood loss, and there seems to be less damage to his bones and muscles than we believed. What you did was very risky and reckless, and endangered the whole mission, so we'll have to report it as well; but without your first aid knowledge, Yanagi would've sustained even more damage."
He took a deep sigh before continuing. "Kasuga-san will be fine. The Agency will take care of her and her family, making sure her testimony can be useful to our cause, and that she'll be protected against the people who ambuashed us. The information has also been delivered..."
Finally, he smiled. "Mission has been succefully completed, Tachibana. Be proud."
Hearing her name called, An stood up from her seat in the waiting room. She bowed respectfully to the agent before listening to his report. Once he was done, she gave him a nod and a small smile before bowing again. "Thank you," was all she could manage. The older man seemed to understand and gave her a nod and a smile. "I'll see you at debriefing then."
It hadn't occured to An until she saw the driver leave if she was expected to return to headquarters as well. But seeing as the other agent hadn't mentioned anything, she assumed that it would be fine for her to stay at the hospital until she could see Renji.
Missions has been successfully completed, Tachibana. Be proud.
But how could she? The mission itself felt hollow in comparison to the fact that Renji had been injured. What if something more serious had happened? What if Renji hadn't made it? She should have left well enough alone, left when they were planning to and just requested to go back in at another date to impliment her algorithm. But even as she thought that, she knew there would be no guarantees that the encryption would have remained the same. But was that information really worth putting her friend at risk for? An wasn't sure she knew the answer to that question anymore.
The agent *was* going to leave, but then he took a step back and turned towards the younger woman. "Tachibana," he said, "you shall stay here. It'll be better for Yanagi to see someone familiar when he wakes up, someone able to tell him that the mission was a success. I'll finish the other details, call his father to tell him what happened and check on Kasuga-san one last time. He's in room 130, so go there now."
Not expecting any replies, the older agent bowed and left quickly.
Bowing quickly in return, An then made a beeline for Renji's room. He was still sleeping when she arrived, so she entered quietly. Standing by his bedside, An gazed at him for a long moment. Even though he was quiet by nature, he never looked this still to her, and she found that seeing him this way made her worry tremendously. She gave him a weak smile before unconciously reaching out a hand to brush away that hair which had fallen over his eyes yet again.
"I'm sorry, Renji..." She whispered these words as her hands moved away from his face.
Renji was only vaguely aware of somebody else's presence, his senses taking in the change of the situation as he regained conciousness. It was quiet... dark... somewhat cold... and as his eyes slowly adapted themselves to the semi-darkness, he could see that the woman next to him was his partner. If she was there, it meant...
"Tachibana-kun... An...," he called out to her softly. "We... made it...?"
An swallowed as she heard him, and moved instinctively to take his right hand, giving it a light squeeze. She gave him a small smile, nodding her head.
"The misson was a success....thanks to you."
She bit her lower lip. There were so many things that she wanted to say to him, but now didn't seem like the time. She just smiled at him, and didn't notice that she hadn't let go of his hand.
"And thanks to you too...," he murmured, still holding An's hand, the world slowly coming back to focus. "You were working real hard... and you helped save that girl *and* the info... and later me..."
After taking a deep breath, he managed to smile with lips that felt almost dry now. "So it's your success as well... Thanks, An."
An simply nodded her head in reply. "Just rest, Renji..." She watched as he nodded slightly before letting his eyes relax and close fully. It wasn't long before his breathing evened out, and An knew he was asleep.
Thoughts swirled through her head as she looked that the man how had saved her life today. She would go to the dojo after leaving the hospital to talk to everyone before heading home, but for now she just stayed by her partner's bedside, watching the the rise and fall of his chest, confirming to her that he was indeed alive. And all the while, she held his hand securely in hers.
Rating: PG-13/light R for violence.
Summary: What was supposed to be a quick and bloodless mission for a martial artist and a tech almost takes a turn for the worse when a hostage is thrown in their way.
An pushed up her glasses with a sigh. Her shoulders were slumped in a slightly disappointed posture as she scrolled one last time through her screen. The mission had gone so smoothly to this point; they had snuck in, gained access, gone undetected both physically and electroncially. But now she had hit a wall: an encryption that she couldn't seem to figure out. There was still just over half an hour left on their time limit, but her mind honestly couldn't think of anything more to try. Shaking her head, she looked to her partner.
"I'm sorry, Yanagi-san...I don't think this is going to happen today."
An sighed again as she covered her electronic tracks and closed her laptop. Pulling out the cables, she couldn't help feeling like the world's biggest faliure. Her brows knit as she continued to consider the problem.
As the one in charge of this mission, Renji could perfectly push her into action. But his top priority was to keep his partner safe, since she was the key player in this game. Possibly he'd be heavily critizised by others, but he wouldn't risk having either her or himself under fire because of sheer imprudence...
He quietly nodded. "Very well, Tachibana-kun," he murmured. He also was frustrated at how their mission had failed because of tecnical things, but it'd be even worse to have them being caught and very possibly killed.
An had been around Renji at the dojo enough to notice the disappointment in his voice, and having that levelled at her somehow felt like a punch in the gut. Stashing her equipment away, she nodded to him to indicate that she was ready to go.
They walked along the building's corridors, careful to use the route that the Agency had provided for them, but An's mind wasn't on her surroundings. It was still among all those streams of numbers. How was it that it could elude her so easily? She was supposed to be one of the best. Then again, maybe the bad guys were able to pay the big bucks for whoever was better. Sighing one more time as she ran through it all in her head.
She turned her head to look at a painting hanging in the hallway, and abstract sort with lines running vertically on it arranged in narrow and wide stripes. And then it hit her all of a sudden. How could she have missed it! She tugged on Renji's sleeve before turning around and starting to walk back, her pace picking up speed. "I've got it...I've got it..."
Eh? Totally taken by surprise, Renji's eyes went wide for a millisecond before he grabbed the woman's hand and followed her, trying to look like the typical male friend who was in the ride only to take care of the girl next to him. But soon he was back to the rhythm, poker face back as they walked back to the office where they had been working.
Even when An was his prime concern, he didn't miss the curious look shot at him by a person who just crossed them. A man around his same height, wearing a turtleneck instead of a shirt and a tie... could he be one of them...? Still, he managed to not let his mask slip again, keeping his guard as high as he could...
She couldn't help the small smile that came to her lips as they retraced their steps. Arriving back in the office, she moved at top speed to get reconnected. Her fingers flew across the keys like a woman possessed. They only had about half an hour left and there was no telling just how much data there was for her to download.
There. And now she was in. She allowed herself a big smile, deciding that it would be best to leave any cheering for when they were safely away. A little poking here and there and she had it all. Records, statements, communications. Now all she had to do was wait for it all to download to her computer. She glanced at her watch before looking up at Renji a little nervously. They were really cutting it close.
Not wanting An to share his worries, Renji smiled reassuringly at his partner and briefly placed his hand on her shoulder. Then, he stared at the door, ears trying to catch any sound coming from the outside.
"Too much silence... this can't be a good thing," the agent thought.
And after some minutes where the only sound he really heard were the noises that An made as she hacked her way... steps were heard, and the door opened very slowly. A young secretary with a rather child-like face and long black hair stepped in, bowing just a little and looking at them with scared eyes...
"Ehm... May I ask you what are you doing?"
Renji didn't answer immediately, and it was a good thing. He heard a male voice coming from the outside, saying something about how the girl *had* seen "these spy fuckers" around and didn't say anything out of fear, therefore she'd be punished along with them. And she was about to start crying and screaming in terror as she was nothing but a human shield to whoever was outside...
Another voice was heard. "Stop whatever you're doing, you two. Or you *three* will bite the dust".
An had just finished downloading when the secretary arrived. She could feel her heart pounding. They were so close...just a few more moments. As discreetly as she could, she started to log out and disconnect. It was the voices that followed that truly sent a chill down her spine.
Oh no...An could feel her panic rising. Despite her training, she really wasn't sure what to do in a situation like this. Noticing that she was hidden from view behind Renji, she silently packed up her things, and looped her laptop bag around her body.
She looked at Renji with wide eyes, silently asking him what it was they should do.
"Don't do anything," Renji hissed. "Wait for my orders."
First he had to get that girl away from the Yakuza who were using her to get to them. And then, he had to clear the way for both girls, so An could take both of them to safety. The office they were in wasn't too far from an emergency escape door, so that was covered... but they had to get there, and it wouldn't be easy.
The girl was crying now, trembling from head to toe. The figure of a large man was now looming over the door (damn, it was the man wearing a turtleneck, the same Renji had seen minutes ago...), staring at him and An mockingly; Renji couldn't see his hands clearly, but he was very likely pointing a gun at the poor girl's back. Maybe, just maybe, they could still have a chance...
"Come on, boy. You and your little girlfriend should come with us, lest have me shooting the little bitch and letting everyone know you're here..."
He poked the secretary with his weapon, whatever it was, and she gasped in between her tears, lightly reeling forward...
The idiot. He should've known better. As soon as this happened, Renji dashed forward and pushed the girl towards An and out of the way. He then applied a blindingly fast kote-gaeshi, throwing the man to the ground.
Without even turning, he spoke to An. "Take the witness and the info to safety, go without me! I'll join you later!"
Taking hold of the hysterical girl, An forgot all her own fear as she knew that there was now someone counting on her to make it out of here alive. The two young women ran towards the emergency exit, with An on her cell phone to their driver as soon as they were outside.
She tried her best to calm the girl down, making it look like it was just one girl consoling another after a bad breakup before helping the secretary into the car. She handed her laptop to the driver, giving him instructions to keep it safe. But she herself didn't get in the car just yet.
Take the witness and the info to safety, go without me! I'll join you later!
That was what Renji had said. An bit her lower lip with worry as she waited to see if her partner was coming. Another few minutes passed, and she couldnt' take it any longer and started to head back towards the exit she had just come from.
Renji was struggling to reach the emergency door, since despite being able to get free of the first attacker, others came to his aid. Fortunately, they were less numerous than he thought, so Renji still had a chance to get out and fulfill his word to join An and the secretary whom they rescued. Irimi nage against one, tsuki to the head against another...
Gradually, he was nearing to the door, leaving several sprawled opponents on his way. He hadn't used his physical strength and his Aikido techniques this seriously in quite a while, so almost all of them were laying disarmed and unconscious...
Except one, who managed to pull the trigger and shoot just seconds before Renji reacted, the bullet hitting the Aikido master on his left arm practically at the same time his partner (unbeknownst to him) had decided to return.
With the adrenaline starting to wear off but still going strong, Renji ignored the pain in his arm (thankfully not his dominant one) and applied a last tsuki to the man's head, knocking him out. But then everything came to him with a vengeance... at the same time he heard steps coming towards him from the exit. Friend... foe...?
He stared at the exit, now painfully placing his right hand on his arm, trying to apply pressure to his wound which was starting to bleed very seriously now.
An was approaching at a quiet walk when she heard it. A gunshot. All thoughts of being discreet went out the window as she raced towards the exit.
Renji...please be okay....
The sight that she saw in the entrance way made her heart stop. He was hit. Although his dark suit hid the blood stain, she could see it trickling down his arm. As she raced towards him, she tried to recall what she could of her first aid training. Pressure, tourniquet, 911...
"Renji..." she spoke quietly when she reached his side, ripping portions of her shirt at the same time. She didn't even notice that she had used his first name instead of the usual Yanagi-san. "C'mon...we have to get you out of the doorway..."
She helped him out before making leaning him against the wall for support. With her makeshift bandages, she quickly and securly tied off the wound, shoving away any nausea at seeing it for a later time. "Okay...let's get out of here..." She supported him as they approached the car before the driver came out to help the injured agent into the car. An quickly got in beside her partner as they raced for a hospital.
"Renji....I'm so sorry..."
He was breathing heavily, the pain was very intense, and despite An's treatment he was still bleeding. Yet Renji made an heroic effort to keep himself focused. They were on the run now, the info sitll hadn't been given to those who'd ber able to use it in court, and the witness they rescued was still with them... He couldn't allow himself to lose it.
Still, he smiled almost sweetly to his partner, eyes now more open than closed. "Don't worry, An... We have to... make it...
He groaned as the pain intensified for a second, but bit his lip and kept smiling. "Is... everyone... all right?"
Despite his efforts, An could tell things weren't getting better. The dressings she had applied were getting soaked with blood. She continued to rip more sections off her shirt to tie off his wound. She spoke quietly with him, keeping her cool so as not to make their witness fully hysterical.
"I'll stop worrying when your injuries have been treated and you're comfortable. We're all fine, Renji, thanks to you. Now you just rest and don't worry about us. I'll make sure everything is taken care of."
She ripped another piece of cloth, totally uncaring of how little was going to be left on her person by the time she was done. Tying off the last bandage, she gently swept some of Renji's hair out out of his eyes, looking at him carefully. She gave him a small smile. "You just hang in there okay?"
They were close to the hosptial now. It would only be a few more moments. And yet, even that seemed like it could be an eternity. An gave Renji's good hand a light squeeze before turning her attention to the witness, calming the young woman down as best she could.
The secretary girl had already used all her reserves of tears and fright for a long time, for she was much calmer now and even managed to spare An a shaky, diminutive smile and a nod of her head. Renji could see this and smiled at her, even when the blood loss was starting to make him *really* light-headed now...
With trembling hands, the girl took off a short jacket she was wearing and covered An with it. Renji nodded gratefully, just before he passed out of pain and blood loss... and right then, the car stopped in front of the hospital.
"We're here," the driver and fellow agent quickly told both women. "Please keep your wits and bring the paramedics here sop they can aid our team leader!"
Until the other woman draped the jacket on her, An was completely oblivious to the amount of her own skin she had revealed. Though her cheeks flushed a little, she didn't let any of her embarassment show in her demeanor. And a moment later, Renji lost conciousness. Knowing that the mission really wasn't over, An took a deep breath and fought for calm. She grit her teeth and steeled herself as they stopped at the hospital.
"Understood." Was the quick, calm reply that An gave the agent as she exited the car and head into the hospital. She showed her badge to the nurse, identifying herself and the emergency. In a matter of no time, medics rushed to the car to help Renji.
An turned her attention to the secretary. "Please come with me. I'd like the doctors to check you out. After that, the driver will take you to our headquarters. You will most likely have to be enrolled in a protection program." They spoke briefly, exchanging contact information, before An sent the girl to see a doctor. Lastly, An spoke to the driver, asking him to take the laptop back to the Agency along with the girl.
And with that done, she head back into the hospital to await word on her partner. Sinking into the waiting room chair, she covered her face with her hands. This wasn't how things were supposed to go...and it was all her fault.
Long minutes passed... and finally the driver (a tall man in his early 40's, with sharp brown eyes and a knife scar on the side of his neck) returned.
"Tachibana," he called out to her, discreetly ignoring how only the jacket was covering An's half-uncovered body. "The early medical reports say that the main trouble with Yanagi was the blood loss, and there seems to be less damage to his bones and muscles than we believed. What you did was very risky and reckless, and endangered the whole mission, so we'll have to report it as well; but without your first aid knowledge, Yanagi would've sustained even more damage."
He took a deep sigh before continuing. "Kasuga-san will be fine. The Agency will take care of her and her family, making sure her testimony can be useful to our cause, and that she'll be protected against the people who ambuashed us. The information has also been delivered..."
Finally, he smiled. "Mission has been succefully completed, Tachibana. Be proud."
Hearing her name called, An stood up from her seat in the waiting room. She bowed respectfully to the agent before listening to his report. Once he was done, she gave him a nod and a small smile before bowing again. "Thank you," was all she could manage. The older man seemed to understand and gave her a nod and a smile. "I'll see you at debriefing then."
It hadn't occured to An until she saw the driver leave if she was expected to return to headquarters as well. But seeing as the other agent hadn't mentioned anything, she assumed that it would be fine for her to stay at the hospital until she could see Renji.
Missions has been successfully completed, Tachibana. Be proud.
But how could she? The mission itself felt hollow in comparison to the fact that Renji had been injured. What if something more serious had happened? What if Renji hadn't made it? She should have left well enough alone, left when they were planning to and just requested to go back in at another date to impliment her algorithm. But even as she thought that, she knew there would be no guarantees that the encryption would have remained the same. But was that information really worth putting her friend at risk for? An wasn't sure she knew the answer to that question anymore.
The agent *was* going to leave, but then he took a step back and turned towards the younger woman. "Tachibana," he said, "you shall stay here. It'll be better for Yanagi to see someone familiar when he wakes up, someone able to tell him that the mission was a success. I'll finish the other details, call his father to tell him what happened and check on Kasuga-san one last time. He's in room 130, so go there now."
Not expecting any replies, the older agent bowed and left quickly.
Bowing quickly in return, An then made a beeline for Renji's room. He was still sleeping when she arrived, so she entered quietly. Standing by his bedside, An gazed at him for a long moment. Even though he was quiet by nature, he never looked this still to her, and she found that seeing him this way made her worry tremendously. She gave him a weak smile before unconciously reaching out a hand to brush away that hair which had fallen over his eyes yet again.
"I'm sorry, Renji..." She whispered these words as her hands moved away from his face.
Renji was only vaguely aware of somebody else's presence, his senses taking in the change of the situation as he regained conciousness. It was quiet... dark... somewhat cold... and as his eyes slowly adapted themselves to the semi-darkness, he could see that the woman next to him was his partner. If she was there, it meant...
"Tachibana-kun... An...," he called out to her softly. "We... made it...?"
An swallowed as she heard him, and moved instinctively to take his right hand, giving it a light squeeze. She gave him a small smile, nodding her head.
"The misson was a success....thanks to you."
She bit her lower lip. There were so many things that she wanted to say to him, but now didn't seem like the time. She just smiled at him, and didn't notice that she hadn't let go of his hand.
"And thanks to you too...," he murmured, still holding An's hand, the world slowly coming back to focus. "You were working real hard... and you helped save that girl *and* the info... and later me..."
After taking a deep breath, he managed to smile with lips that felt almost dry now. "So it's your success as well... Thanks, An."
An simply nodded her head in reply. "Just rest, Renji..." She watched as he nodded slightly before letting his eyes relax and close fully. It wasn't long before his breathing evened out, and An knew he was asleep.
Thoughts swirled through her head as she looked that the man how had saved her life today. She would go to the dojo after leaving the hospital to talk to everyone before heading home, but for now she just stayed by her partner's bedside, watching the the rise and fall of his chest, confirming to her that he was indeed alive. And all the while, she held his hand securely in hers.