Soul Drive: Ignition

The sun dipped low in the sky as Hiro met Osamu at a small park nestled within the bustling streets of Osaka. It was far from where they had had their stand-off, but they had agreed to talk somewhere more private and without Machs. They stood side by side, their civilian clothes blending seamlessly with the passersby. The scent of fresh cherry blossoms wafted on the gentle breeze, momentarily distracting Hiro from the fact he had to convince Osamu to let him go. He thought it was best to start at the beginning.

"Osamu, there's something I need to tell you," Hiro said, his voice heavy with emotion. "My parents... they created the Mach technology." He glanced over at Osamu, who stared back at him with rapt attention. "But as they worked on it, they grew to fear what others could do with such power. It was their dying wish to have all the Machs destroyed."

"We knew about your parents, Mary was one of our own. But that was her dying wish?" Osamu asked, astonishment evident in his voice. "Who told you this? Our intel has no records of Mary dying," He hesitated before continuing " The Canadian government was told she fled along with your father and their schematics for building Machs."

Hiro's eyes widened, his heart pounding like a wild drum in his chest. "What? That can't be true."

"I agree, it seems the Japanese government is lying to one of us," Osamu replied solemnly. "Their actions in all of this seem to trying to hide something but if your parents did die, as you say they did then when cover that up."

"What do mean?" Hiro asked, his anger flaring. He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging into his palms.

"If they died in an accident then the Canadian government would have taken that as fact, as long as there was proof," Osamu explained. "But reporting them as missing has kept my government searching for them all these years, tracking down every clue they could find. So why not just report them dead to prevent us from stumbling across anything they don't want us to see?"

Hiro breathed deeply, trying to process the flood of new information. He thought about his uncle, who had always been there for him. Could they have lied to him, did their own government cover up what really happened to his parents?

"Osamu, let me keep my Mach," Hiro said slowly, his gaze fixed on the ground. "I know you have your orders but who's to say you actually found anything in South Africa? I need to find out the truth about my parents, and I know I will need it because I doubt they are just going to tell me willingly."

"Understandable," Osamu nodded. "But I need this to be mutually beneficial, anything you find you relay to me. You do not engage with the enemy until we know what we are really dealing with here."

"I will, Osamu," Hiro whispered, still unsure if he could trust this government agent, and be sure not to give him too much information.

"then take this number and go," Osamu handed Hiro his number, "And remember if you double-cross me on this, will carry out my mission with extreme prejudice."

Hiro swallowed hard as the threat lingered in the air, he nodded in agreement and Osamu gave him a dismissive wave. With that, Hiro set off, heading to the bus stop.

-----

Daiki's footsteps were silent, a skill honed by years of experience, had he trailed Hiro and Osamu through the bustling streets of Osaka. He clutched his phone tightly in hand, capturing photos of Hiro for the Canadian government. Despite the noise of the city around them, he strained to ensure each photo was crystal clear.

Daiki watched as Hiro pulled out his phone, quickly adding Osamu's contact information. Hiro's guard had dropped so fast, that Daiki marveled at Osamu's ability to gain trust. This teenager was a pilot? It still didn't make sense to Daiki, who would choose a pilot like that?

"Osamu, now that you know who I am, I will have to be more careful than ever," Hiro muttered to himself as he walked away from the man, determination shining in his eyes.

"Hey Hiro, one last question before you go," Osamu called out, causing Hiro to freeze on the spot. "Tell me, how did you come across a Mach yourself?"

Hiro hesitated, his fingers tapping nervously against his phone. "On my birthday, there was a package on my doorstep. I don't know who left it there, but it contained a Mach and some handwritten instructions on how it worked. I thought my parents maybe had it set aside until I turned 16."

Osamu furrowed his brow but accepted the explanation. "I'll look into that for you, Hiro. We need to uncover every last detail of this, someone out there may have more Machs."

"Right, that wouldn't be good," Hiro said, the thought he may have just made Yutaka a target without trying crossed his mind. As they parted ways, Hiro couldn't help but glance back, his eyes betraying a lingering mistrust.

Daiki remained hidden, his thoughts racing as he considered the implications of their conversation. They were one step closer to collecting the Machs, but if a third party had one, who's to say they didn't have more? He had to report back to Stark, this information could change everything.

As Hiro disappeared into the bus, Daiki's mind turned to his own mission, according to the data he had discovered that Japan had tried to remove data on five Mach systems. They were stupid if they thought they could hide them from him.

-----

As the bus vanished into the bustling street, Osamu remained rooted in place, his eyes calculating and sharp. Daiki emerged from the shadows, his steps swift and silent as he strolled up to stand next to him.

"Why not follow him home?" Daiki asked, his voice low and cautious.

"Because we have his identity now," Osamu replied, watching the sea of faces around them. "There's no need. We want to gain his trust so that he calls us for help with the other Machs. Once we've got them all in one place, we'll destroy them."

"Still," Daiki mused, his gaze following the spot where Hiro had disappeared. "I can't help but wonder how someone as average as him can pilot a Mach with such skill. There's more to him than meets the eye."

Osamu nodded, his expression contemplative. "It's fascinating, indeed. But for now, we have our orders. Report back to Stark about what we've learned today. Keep Hiro's name out of it, though. We don't want to tip our hand too soon."

"Our hand? Stark needs to know everything," Daiki said, determination etching itself across his face. "I'll be heading to the embassy in Tokyo for the next phase of our plan. If I can get the Machs from the Japanese government, we'll be one step closer to putting an end to this whole mess."

"Something isn't adding up with the story behind creators of the Machs, until we know who is involved we trust no one," Osamu replied, before clapping him on the shoulder. "Stay focused on the mission. And remember, we're a team here, I will let you know when you can fill in Stark on who the boy really is."

Daiki nodded and walked away, his mind churned with thoughts of the mission. Hiro Kobayashi seemed to have Osamu seeing something he didn't, for now, he would trust Osamu's instincts. But his patience was limited, their loyalty was to Canada, not some boy.

-----

The train screeched to a halt, and Daiki stepped onto the platform in Tokyo. The bustling city seemed to vibrate with energy, its sights enveloping him as he began his walk toward the embassy.

As he turned a corner, the unmistakable sounds of a struggle reached his ears. A man was attempting to mug a young woman, her long black hair whipping around her face as she fought back with fierce determination. Daiki didn't know who she was, but his innate sense of justice spurred him into action. He sprinted forward and delivered a swift kick to the mugger's side, sending him stumbling away before he could react.

"Are you okay?" Daiki asked the woman, taking in her pale skin and striking features. It was clear she was a young and injured runaway, though her pride seemed to prevent her from admitting it.

"I'm fine," she replied stubbornly, her eyes flashing with gratitude but also a hint of defiance. "I don't need help."

"Who are you?" Daiki pressed gently, unable to quell his curiosity. "Are you from around here?"

"Doesn't matter," she muttered, looking away. "Things are complicated at home."

"Look," Daiki said, his voice softening. He couldn't help but see a little bit of his sister in the teen, "At least let me get you off the street and buy you some food."

The woman hesitated for a moment, her gaze darting between him and the retreating figure of the mugger. Finally, she nodded, acquiescing to his offer. As they walked to a nearby restaurant, Daiki found himself struck by her beauty.

Over steaming bowls of ramen, Daiki couldn't help but ask, "Where are you staying?"

"Uh... I don't have a place yet," she admitted, her eyes downcast.

"Listen," Daiki said, struck by an idea. "I'm a government employee, and I travel a lot for work. I have a two-bedroom apartment here in Tokyo. You can stay there if you'd like, until you get back on your feet."

The woman's eyes widened, and she hesitated, clearly torn between her lack of trust and the practicality of the offer. Finally, she accepted the key from him with a murmured thanks, promising to think about it.

"Let's get you checked out at a hospital," Daiki suggested, his mind briefly flashing back to his duty to report to Stark. But the memory of his sister compelled him to take care of this woman – perhaps it was guilt over what happened to her or because he had wished someone would have done this for his sister had they found her.

"Fine," the woman agreed, a small smile gracing her lips. "But only because you insist."

As they left the restaurant, Daiki couldn't shake the feeling that their paths had crossed for a reason. He hoped that in helping her, he might find some semblance of redemption for his past.

-----

Hiro stormed into Yutaka's dimly lit apartment, his fury a physical presence that seemed to darken the room further. The older man looked up from his desk, cluttered with Mach schematics, and blinked owlishly behind his glasses.

"Yutaka, you lied to me," Hiro accused, his voice tight with anger. "You said you only had one Mach, but there's no way Kimiko could've stolen one from the government." He could feel his anger bubbling over and was practically shaking on the spot.

Yutaka sighed, rubbing his temples as if trying to ward off an impending headache. "I lied to protect you, Hiro," he admitted, his voice weary. "Yes, I had another Mach – it used to be mine. But since my accident, my body has been too weak to use it. I had no choice but to keep it hidden."

"And Kimiko?" Hiro demanded, his eyes narrowing.

"Kimiko... she stalked me, found out about the Mach, and took it for herself," Yutaka explained, looking pained. "She threw hot coffee on me, and I didn't have time to react."

Hiro considered this, his arms crossed over his chest as he studied Yutaka. Then, something clicked in his mind, and he focused on another inconsistency in the older man's story: "Are my parents really dead? Because the Canadians were told they are missing, which one is it?"

Yutaka's expression crumpled, and he looked away, unable to meet Hiro's gaze. "They are dead," he murmured. "But it was no accident. I was there in the lab when they died."

"Tell me everything," Hiro demanded, his voice cracking with suppressed emotion.

"Your parents were working on the Mach technology when the government stormed their lab, killing everyone inside," Yutaka began, his hands shaking slightly as he recalled the events. "They were desperate to download all the research data and confiscate the Machs." Yutaka seemed close to tears as he recalled the events of that dark day.

"Your father... He died activating a computer virus that wiped the hard drives clean, ensuring that the government couldn't create more Machs," Yutaka continued, his voice thick with grief. "And your mother, she bought me time to escape with the Machs we'd already built."

Hiro's heart clenched at the thought of his parents' final moments, and their bravery as they tried to stop their technology from being used for war.

"Someone betrayed us, though," Yutaka said, his eyes darkening. "Soldiers were waiting for me in the secret evacuation tunnel. They shot me and left me for dead." He paused, swallowing hard before continuing. "They didn't notice I'd dropped two Machs in the tunnel when they ambushed me. Those soldiers set the building ablaze, and I was able to crawl to one of the Machs and activate it, saving my life... but not before suffering these burns."

The room fell silent as Hiro digested this revelation, his mind reeling from the weight of it all. Finally, he found his voice: "Why didn't you just tell me all this from the beginning?"

Yutaka nodded, his eyes pleading. "I'm sorry, Hiro. I never meant to hurt you. I still have nightmares, I can still feel the flames against my skin, I can hear the screams of my friends and coworkers. I know I should have told you sooner but I wanted to spare you from the horror it was. Can you ever forgive me?"

Hiro looked at the man who had looked visibly traumatized, the events of that day had clearly shaken him to his core and made his decision.

"Of course, I can," Hiro whispered, his anger dissipating as understanding took its place.