Soul Drive: Ignition

Osamu's heart pounded in his chest as he navigated the chaotic hallways of the Canadian Embassy. The impending Mach attack had people scrambling to the exits, Osamu was calm though as he made his way back to interrogation. He clutched Hiro and Kimiko's Machs tightly, he had no doubt he could save the teens as long as the building remained standing.

"Where do you think you're going?" an officer shouted over sounds of terror, grabbing Osamu by the arm as he neared the stairwell.

"Officer," Osamu began, feigning calmness. "I'm just—"

"Don't you have your earpiece on? Your orders are to report to the safe room and protect the diplomats inside," the officer cut in, eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Daiki will handle the Mach outside."

"Understood," Osamu replied, nodding gratefully. "Thank you. I'll head there immediately." His mind raced, calculating the time it would take to free Kimiko and Hiro before anyone in the safer room grew suspicious of his absence. With a curt nod to the officer, Osamu descended the stairs, leaving the chaos behind him.

As he ventured deeper into the lower levels, the number of people dwindled, allowing him to quicken his pace. He knew Hiro would never leave without Kimiko, so his priority was to set her free. Turning a corner, he found the access to the interrogation floor sealed off, his keycard rendered useless due to the heightened security measures. A cold sweat formed on his brow as he considered the implications - this wouldn't be easy, and time was running out. He knew the Japanese government was itching for a fight, and the Canadians would never willingly hand over their Mach technology so in a few minutes the Embassy would become a full-on war zone.

The stairwell offered little cover, making another hacking attempt too risky. Instead, Osamu pulled a small vial from his jacket pocket, his fingers shaking ever so slightly. Carefully, he let a few drops of the potent acid fall onto the control panel, which began to hiss and smoke. Alarms blared, signaling a malfunction in the door's security system.

"Damn it," Osamu muttered under his breath, heart pounding even harder as he anxiously waited for the door to open. As soon as the guard emerged to investigate the commotion, Osamu acted swiftly, grabbing him by the collar and hurling him down the stairs before slipping through the now-open door.

"Sorry about that," he whispered to the fallen guard, knowing time was of the essence. Focused on the task at hand, Osamu steeled himself for the challenges ahead, determined to save Hiro and find out the truth about the creators of the Machs.

-----

Outside the Canadian Embassy, news crews swarmed like vultures, their cameras trained on the building as they reported live on the unfolding crisis. Inside her office, Mao sat back in her chair, a sly smile spreading across her face as she watched the chaos she had orchestrated. She had leaked information about a former government employee, Masato having created the Machs and his plans to attack the world powers, and the press was eating it up.

"As you can Masato is currently attacking the Canadian Embassy," one reporter exclaimed, playing right into Mao's hands. "We have had unconfirmed reports that the Canadians are hiding more Machs inside the facility and we can't help but question if this is the result of their business deal gone wrong."

Mao's smile grew wider as she watched Prime Minister Mamoru being interviewed. He claimed that all the Mach incidents were caused by Canadian technology, accusing them of illegally testing weapons on Japanese soil which only added to the confusion. The seed of doubt had been planted, shifting blame away from the Japanese government and casting suspicion on the Canadians and Masato.

Meanwhile, in his office in Ottawa, Ken Stark watched the same news coverage with a furrowed brow. He wasn't worried about the claims being made - confusion and conspiracy theories would ultimately lead to people dismissing the whole situation. No, his main concern was the UN's reaction to Canada possessing Mach technology without disclosing it beforehand. He knew they would have to defend themselves and that meant exposing their Machs to the world.

"Damn bureaucrats," he muttered under his breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Always making things more complicated than they need to be."

Back in Japan, Mao leaned forward, her eyes glued to the screen. She knew this was just the beginning. The stage had been set, and now it was time for the real show to begin. As the tension mounted both inside and outside the Embassy, she reveled in the knowledge that her plan was coming together perfectly.

"Let the world watch," she whispered to herself, a wicked gleam in her eye. "This is only the beginning."

-----

Atsuko's heart raced as she powered down her Mach in the narrow alley, the whir of the machine quieting to a faint hum. She couldn't help but marvel at the chaos unfolding before her - panicked civilians stumbling out of the Canadian Embassy, their faces etched with fear. Her lips curled into a predatory smile; this was her opening to get inside.

"Stay hidden," she whispered to her Mach, more for her own reassurance than anything else. Silently, she approached the building, her senses hyper-alert, seeking an opening that would allow her entry without drawing suspicion. The embassy gates were guarded by armed men, and she knew they wouldn't just let her walk in.

As she neared the entrance, Atsuko's hand slipped into her pocket, fingers closing around the speaker. She needed another distraction to get past the guards, and with the click of the volume-up button, the second-floor windows shattered in a deafening blast. Smoke billowed forth, thick and choking, as screams echoed through the air. The Guards turned their heads attempting to find the source of the blast.

"Perfect," Atsuko thought, seizing the moment of distraction. She slipped past the guards at the gates, unnoticed amongst the pandemonium. As she made her way towards the main building, she saw more guards helping people out of the smoking structure. She knew she couldn't just walk in - even in this chaos, someone trying to enter a building under attack would raise alarms.

"Time for Plan B," she muttered, eyes darting around for another point of entry. Her gaze fell upon the ground level of the embassy, and a new plan began to form in her mind. With a deep breath, she prepared herself and pressed the volume-up button on her speaker, triggering another explosive.

The detonation rocked the embassy, sending debris flying and filling the air with smoke. Amidst the chaos, Atsuko sprinted towards the gaping hole in the wall, adrenaline coursing through her veins. As she neared the breach, she took a final breath and hurled herself through it, landing hard on the ground on the other side.

"Made it," she thought, gritting her teeth against the pain that shot through her body. She knew there was no time to waste - every second counted in this deadly game. And as far as Atsuko was concerned, she had no intention of failing her country.

Atsuko lay amidst the rubble, her heart pounding as she heard footsteps approaching. She knew that selling her cover was essential, and so she conjured up an image of herself as a terrified civilian caught in the chaos.

"Over here!" one officer shouted, rushing to her side. "Miss, are you okay?"

"Wh-what happened?" Atsuko stammered, feigning confusion as they helped her to her feet. Her legs wobbled convincingly, and she gripped the officer's arm for support.

"Looks like you were caught in the explosion," the officer said, concern creasing his brow. "We'll get you out of here."

"Thank you," she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes as she played her role to perfection. As they began to walk, she winced and grabbed her leg. "I can't... it hurts too much."

"Damn," the officer muttered. "All right, we'll take you to medical. You'll be safe there."

"Thank you," she repeated, her voice quavering with gratitude. "You're all so kind."

As they led her through the embassy, Atsuko committed every detail of the building to memory. Her sharp eyes darted from one corner to the next, making mental notes of potential escape routes and weak points in security.

"Watch your step," the officer warned as they approached a staircase. As Atsuko pretended to stumble, she deftly swiped a key card from the back pocket of the other officer without him noticing.

"Thank you again," she said, smiling as they reached the medical bay. Inside, she knew she could use the computers to locate where they were storing the Machs they stole. For now, though, she had to keep playing her part - a helpless victim in a terrifying ordeal.

"Here, let me help you lie down," the officer said, guiding her onto a cot.

"Thank you," she murmured one more time, struggling to hide her satisfaction as they left her alone in the room. With every step of her plan falling into place, Atsuko couldn't help but smile inwardly. Soon, she would be in possession of all the Machs, and she would save Japan from war with Canada.

-----

The scent of smoke filled Daiki's nostrils as he raced through the dimly lit corridors, heading for the roof. His heart pounded with anticipation, destroying this Mach in battle would prove his value to the government. He gritted his teeth at the sound of the two other explosions ringing out within the embassy.

"Damn it all," he muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible over the chaos. "I'll make sure this pilot doesn't leave with their life."

As he pushed past fleeing civilians, Daiki couldn't help but feel a little guilty for forcing them out of his way. They were innocent in all of this, and yet, they were in the way of their own salvation.

"Please, move!" he shouted, trying to navigate through the panicked crowd. "Head for the exit!"

Daiki knew about all the currently activated Machs and had spent hours studying their fighting techniques in anticipation of a moment like this. He believed that this particular Mach was Mach 2. Confidence swelled within him as he thought about his plan to exploit this pilot's rage, using it against him before delivering the final blow.

"Once I get to the roof, it'll be over quickly," he told himself, his thoughts racing alongside his pounding footsteps. "This one has no self-control." But his thought was cut short when a woman threw herself at him.

"Officer, what's going on?" a distraught woman wailed as she clung to him, her eyes wide with fear.

"Please, ma'am, I don't have time to explain. Just leave the building and find safety," he replied hastily, gently pushing her away before continuing his sprint. She yelled something after him but he didn't care enough to turn back, the Mach was all that mattered.

As Daiki ascended the last flight of stairs, he could hear the wind howling outside, its fierce gusts tearing at the doors leading to the roof. The air felt heavy with thick black smoke, and the weight of the responsibility he bore pressed down on him like a suffocating blanket.

This is it, my moment to show the world my power. Daiki thought, gripping the cold metal handle of the door, Daiki steeled himself for the confrontation that awaited him. He knew the outcome would determine the fate of everyone in the building and possibly change the world.

"Time to end this," he whispered, taking one last deep breath before throwing open the door and stepping onto the roof.