Soul Drive: Ignition

Nori's footsteps echoed in the silent city streets, the sound barely audible above his own thoughts. His mind buzzed with thoughts of Hiro, ever since the festival, and he knew Hiro was Mach 1 which meant eventually they would cross paths again but he wasn't sure if it would be as enemies or allies. A low rumble caught his attention, but he quickly dismissed it as people being stupid. As Nori muttered under his breath, considering possible strategies, his eyes remained glued to the pavement.

"Damn," he whispered, feeling an odd weight settle in his chest. "I need to clear my head, Hiro is nothing more than a distraction from my goals."

In his preoccupied state, Nori walked straight into a man who stood gazing upward at something. The impact sent both men reeling, and Nori looked up, ready to unleash a tirade. Instead, he followed the man's gaze to the large holographic monitor displayed above them. The running caption said: the Canadian Embassy was under attack by a Mach.

"Is that...?" Nori trailed off, as he squinted to try and see the image of the Mach better.

The Mach wasn't Hiro; he knew Hiro's Mach intimately, every curve and angle. Yet, this other Mach posed a threat to him, if it was from the Japanese government, it could be after him next. But this incident could also bring Hiro to the scene and Nori knew he wouldn't have the strength to do what needed to be done. This Mach needed to be removed from play and he was just the person to do it.

"Perfect," he said, a grin spreading across his face. "Looks like I will be paying the Canadian Embassy a visit."

"Are you crazy?" the man beside him asked. "That thing is attacking and you want to see it in person!"

"Mind your own damn business," Nori replied, leaving the man behind without another word.

He sprinted toward a secluded alleyway, his heart pounding with anticipation. In the darkness, Nori began the process of powering up. He felt the familiar hum of energy as his cybernetic armor enveloped his body, a surge of power flowed through his veins. Nori couldn't help but smile as he thought of the upcoming battle. Destroying this Mach would prove he capable of taking on the government, ensuring they would bow down to him when the time comes or perish.

"Time to end this," Nori said, his voice barely above a whisper as the last piece of armor encased him. He stepped out of the shadows, ready to take out his complicated feelings on this new Mach.

-----

The sound of screams and crumbling debris filled the air as panic engulfed the Canadian Embassy. Osamu continued to search the interrogation rooms one by one. His sole focus: finding Kimiko and getting her out before the fight escalated.

"Where's Daiki?" he muttered under his breath, glancing around for any sign of his partner. He worried the man was still watching over their captives, and Osamu couldn't shake the idea that he may have to fight him. If so, freeing Kimiko would become a Herculean task.

As he navigated the floor, the destruction thinned out, replaced by an eerie silence. Osamu's eyes darted from door to door, searching for the one that would lead him to Kimiko. Finally, he found it – interrogation room 57, seemingly abandoned amidst the turmoil above.

"Kimiko," he whispered urgently as he stepped inside, relieved to find her still handcuffed to the table. Her eyes narrowed with suspicion as she took in his unfamiliar face.

"Who are you?" she demanded, steel in her voice. "If you think you can get me to talk, you would have better luck finding a soda in the desert."

"Relax," Osamu said, raising his hands in a non-threatening gesture. "I'm working with Hiro. I'm here to rescue you."

At the mention of Hiro's name, a flicker of guilt crossed Kimiko's face. She swallowed hard, remembering the trouble she'd caused – stealing a Mach, attacking a school, refusing to back down.

"Look, I don't need you or Hiro to save me," she retorted, defiance returning to her voice. "This is my mess, and I'll get myself out of it. I owe him too much already, I don't want to owe him for this too."

"Listen," Osamu implored, his gaze locked onto hers. "A Mach is attacking the Embassy as we speak. We only have a few minutes before its deadline passes and this place is reduced to rubble. Without my help, you'll die."

The gravity of the situation seemed to hit Kimiko like a ton of bricks. Her eyes widened, her resolve wavering. Finally, she nodded, "OK I'll go but on one condition. You let me go before Hiro sees me. He can't see me, not yet." She looked into Osamu's eyes and he could feel her guilt.

"Fine," Osamu agreed and Kimiko slid over allowing Osamu to unlock her from the table.

As they made their way back through the labyrinthine corridors, Osamu's thoughts raced. He knew time was running out, and now he would have to go back for Hiro. The destruction above them served as a constant reminder that if he failed Hiro could be dead and the truth would go with him, these thoughts pushed him forward to the point he was practically dragging Kimiko behind him.

"Come on," he urged Kimiko, his voice seeming impossibly loud amongst the silence. "We need to get out of here. Now."

The tension in the air felt like a noose tightening around Osamu's neck as he led Kimiko through the dimly lit halls of the Embassy, no longer concerned with cameras catching them. Every scuffed shoe and every hurried breath threatened to betray their presence to the agents protecting the building. As they moved, Osamu couldn't shake the weight of the small object in his pocket - Kimiko's Mach.

Ducking into a shadowy stairwell, they paused, listening for any sign of pursuit. Osamu's mind raced, torn between returning Kimiko's Mach to him or keeping it until the time was right to give it to someone else. He looked at the girl cowering beside him and thought about how this same girl attacked a school full of kids. Maybe the Mach really had warped her mind, he decided to keep her Mach, focusing instead on getting her out of the building.

"Is Hiro safe?" Kimiko asked, her voice trembling with concern. It was clear that she had been wanting to ask him for a while.

"Of course," Osamu lied, his heart twisting at the deception. "He's fine. I made sure he stayed away from this one, I told him I would take care of everything."

Kimiko nodded, but her eyes remained clouded with doubt. She knew Hiro too well to believe he wouldn't try to come get her. Pushing onward, they ascended the stairs, the din of destruction outside growing louder with each step.

Osamu and Kimiko reached the main floor, its once-polished surfaces now marred by debris and the signs of a hasty retreat. They moved cautiously, avoiding the frantic activity of those still working to evacuate the building. They tried to stay in the shadows to avoid drawing any attention to themselves, getting caught now would most likely be a death sentence for both of them.

"Once we're out of here," he told her, "you need to get as far away from the Embassy as possible. I am a Mach pilot and I will take care of the Mach attacking the building."

Kimiko hesitated, biting her lip before nodding reluctantly. The fierce determination that had once defined her seemed to have faded, replaced by a new vulnerability born of guilt and fear.

"Thank you," she whispered, her gratitude beating out her pride for a change.

As they stepped out into the chaos of the city streets, Osamu knew he made the right choice keeping Kimiko's Mach from her, it was clear she couldn't handle it and now he could find a pilot of his own to help him with his invesigations.

-----

Daiki's boots thudded onto the rooftop, the pounding of his heart echoing in his ears as he surveyed the wreckage-strewn battleground. The once pristine helipad now lay in ruins, twisted metal and shattered glass providing testament to the explosion that had rocked it earlier. He felt a surge of anger at the thought of the enemy Mach using an underhanded tactic like explosives instead of facing them head-on.

"Show yourself," Daiki muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he activated his own Mach. Its sleek, dark blue armor enveloped him, heightening his senses and transforming him into a formidable warrior. A digital display flickered to life within the confines of his helmet, as he scanned the airspace for the Mach.

"Nothing," he said, frustration creeping into his voice. "Where are you hiding?"

His mind raced with possibilities, each darker than the last. The enemy could be anywhere, lying in wait to activate the remaining explosive devices and cause the building to collapse on every agent left inside. If that were the case, then time was of the essence.

"Think, Daiki," he whispered to himself, forcing his thoughts into focus. "If I were them, where would I go? What am I after?"

As the seconds ticked by, a horrifying realization dawned on him - the Mach user might have powered down, hidden among the chaos, and infiltrated the Embassy's interior. They were after the Machs being held inside so this only made sense. If they gained access to the Machs then it would all be over.

"Damn it," he growled, clenching his fists. "I have to find them before it's too late."

He knew the building was only standing because they hadn't gotten what they wanted yet. He also knew that Osamu had been ordered to stay with the diplomats so the Machs only had the usual guards to protect them, meaning it would be easy for a Mach pilot to tack them out. With a determined glint, Daiki launched his from the rooftop, his Mach scanning every inch of the building below. He would search every corner, every shadow until the threat was located.

"Protect our people, Osamu," he thought, their mission could not fail. "I'll take care of this."