Soul Drive: Ignition

Daiki's fingers tapped rapidly on the edge of his Mach control panel as he scanned the building for any sign of an active Mach. The dim, flickering lights of the nearly abandoned facility, and the thick smoke were a reminder that their side was losing. His mind was racing, there was only one other time in his life when he had been this close to losing everything. The day he got the call that changed everything and his mind pulled him right back to that moment.

"Minako!" Daiki shouted as he burst through the door of their small apartment, only to be met by a sea of stern-faced officers. Panic welled up in his chest, his heart nearly stopped as the frantic questions started tumbling from his mouth. "Where's my sister? What happened? Is she ok? Please someone tell me something!"

"Daiki," one officer sighed, shaking his head, "Minako didn't show up for work today. We're doing everything we can to find her, but so far, there's no trace." with those words Daiki simply sat down on the couch unable to get back up. His sister was gone, she had called him just that morning to talk about weekend plans that never would come to be.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. The case grew cold, most people giving up on finding Minako – everyone except for Daiki. His eyes grew dark with determination, dedicating every moment he could spare to asking anyone who knew her, searching for any clue to her whereabouts.

"Nothing," a friend would mutter, shrugging helplessly. "I'm sorry, Daiki. The last time I saw her was the weekend before."

"Me neither," another would add, avoiding Daiki's gaze. "I wish I could help you."

He gritted his teeth each time, vowing never to give up on her like the rest of the world had.

A year passed before the breakthrough finally came. An anonymous tip led the police to raid the docks in Vancouver, uncovering a human trafficking ring operating out of a hidden pier. Among the several women found huddled together in terror was Minako, her once-sparkling eyes now dull and haunted.

"Minako..." Daiki choked out as he enveloped her in a tight embrace, tears streaming down his face. "You're safe now."

"Daiki," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I can't believe it's really you."

He made a silent promise that night to never leave her side again, watching over her as she tried to heal from the horrors she had faced. The vibrant, bubbly girl he had known was replaced by a fragile shell of a person, and his heart broke for her.

"Thank you," Minako murmured one night as Daiki stroked her hair, the moonlight casting a soft glow on her face. "For never giving up on me."

"Always, Minako," he replied solemnly. "I'll always be here for you."

As Daiki's scan came to an end, he found himself back in the present, alone in the empty facility once more. The weight of his sister's memory weighed heavily on him, what side would she have chosen if she were in his shoes? Would she be proud of her big brother or horrified by the things he had done to climb the ranks and stay on top? These thoughts caused him to pause for a moment, temporarily overwhelmed by the memory of the last time he saw his sister.

-----

As time had passed, Daiki couldn't help but notice the silence surrounding Minako's case. There were no visits from the police to discuss the matter and no calls for the family to testify in court. Frustrated and seeking answers, Daiki began his own investigation into why the case was taking so long to reach trial, using his connections as a lawyer.

With unwavering determination, he uncovered the truth: the police had made arrests, but all of the suspects had taken lesser pleas and received lower prison sentences in exchange for information on the leader of the trafficking ring. The man responsible for Minako's abduction would serve only three years behind bars – a disturbingly light sentence in Daiki's eyes.

"Three years? That's it?" Daiki muttered to himself, his fists clenched. "This isn't justice; this is a mockery."

Fueled by anger and a desire for true justice, Daiki made a life-changing decision: he would become a defense attorney. He worked tirelessly, honing his skills and biding his time, waiting for an opportunity to have a client in the prison holding his sister's abductor. He hoped that fate would grant him this chance before the man's release.

Luck was on Daiki's side. A week before the scheduled release of Minako's attacker, he was called to the very prison where the man was held. Daiki's heart pounded with anticipation and a newfound sense of purpose.

"Justice will finally be served," he whispered under his breath. Daiki was patient, looking for an opening.

Three days later, the man was found dead in his cell. His death was ruled accidental, as it appeared he had choked to death on one of his prison meals. As he read about the mysterious death on the holoprojector, Daiki vowed to end all the injustice plaguing the world.

"Minako," he murmured, "I'll make sure no one else suffers like you did. I promise."

-----

Daiki stood in the stairwell, his eyes locked on the tablet displaying the results of the building scan. The energy reading from the medical bay was all that appeared on the scanner – there was a definite radiation signal, but it wasn't strong enough to be a Mach and was most likely coming from another piece of medical equipment. He couldn't shake the idea that it would be the perfect cover to hide a Mach signal among the rest of the background radiation.

"Guess I need to investigate further," he muttered, pocketing the tablet and making his way toward the medical bay. As he descended into the darkness, his mind followed making its way into the darkest parts of his memory.

-----

When he had gotten home, Minako was watching the story of her abductor's death playing on the glass countertop. There was an odd look of concern on her face.

"Minako, you don't have to worry anymore, I took care of him," Daiki recalled saying as he approached her, expecting gratitude and relief to wash over his sister. Instead, her face twisted into a look of horror.

"You didn't," she whispered, taking a step back. "Tell me you didn't."

"I did it for you," he insisted, trying to explain the injustice that had driven him to take matters into his own hands. "The system abandoned you, but I couldn't let him walk free. I couldn't let him hurt anyone else."

"Daiki, you don't get it," Minako said, her voice shaking. "By killing him, you let him win. His poison seeped into you, into our family... and now you're a murderer."

"Minako, please..." Daiki pleaded, reaching out for her, but she recoiled from his touch.

"No!" she yelled, tears streaming down her face. "You did this for yourself, not for me. I never asked for this. I never wanted this!" Her eyes said it all, he had hurt far worse than her captors ever had.

That moment had been their last conversation. The next morning, Minako was gone again, leaving Daiki alone with his thoughts and the consequences of his actions.

-----

As he neared the door to the medical bay, Daiki shook off the painful memories and focused on the task at hand. With one hand on the door handle, he took a deep breath, bracing himself for whatever lay on the other side. He swung the door open and stepped inside, his eyes scanning the room.

"Who's in here?" Daiki called out, his voice firm but laced with curiosity. "Show yourselves!"

A handful of scared doctors, nurses, and civilians emerged from various hiding places, their faces etched with fear. Daiki knew that one of them could be the Mach user who attacked the embassy. But which one? He looked over each one of the people standing before him, but their shared look of fear made it hard to determine if one of them was afraid of him or simply the situation they were in.

"Stay where you are," he warned, as he approached the small crowd. "I'm looking for someone, and I won't hesitate to do what's necessary."

As he studied the individuals before him, Daiki couldn't help but wonder – what would he do once he found the spy? The thought of killing them popped into his head but so did the thought of sister. He was right to have killed her attacker, he didn't understand why she didn't see it and why he felt this guilt now.

The sharp smell of antiseptic permeated the air as Daiki each individual medical staff member's badge, his boots echoing on the polished floor. He felt a shiver run down his spine – hospitals had always made him uneasy.

"Keep it together," he muttered to himself, forcing his thoughts back to the past.

-----

After Minako's departure, Daiki threw himself into his studies, in a desperate attempt to escape the crushing guilt and loneliness that threatened to consume him. He became a lawyer for the prosecution and quickly gained notoriety, propelled by an unyielding determination to make a difference in the world – to bring justice where the system had failed.

As a prosecutor, Daiki was ruthless. Witnesses who refused to cooperate found themselves blackmailed; private investigators were paid handsomely to dig up dirt; even judges weren't immune to his machinations. The ends justified the means, or so he told himself.

"Justice must be served," he whispered, repeating the mantra that had guided him through countless legal battles. "I won't let them win."

His relentless pursuit of victory had caught the attention of the government, leading to a fateful meeting with Kenneth Stark. The man was imposing, not just in stature but also in presence. Yet there was something about his manner – a blend of confidence and cunning – that made Daiki feel strangely at ease.

"Your record speaks for itself," Stark began, his voice low and measured. "But I know how you've achieved such success. You're willing to do what it takes to win – even if that means crossing lines others won't."

Daiki tensed, prepared to defend himself, to fight for his career. But Stark simply leaned back in his chair, studying him with a keen eye.

"I need someone like you," he continued. "Someone who isn't afraid to use... unconventional methods to get results. That's why I'm offering you a position as our department lawyer."

"Using the Machs to enforce justice... it's a dream come true," Daiki murmured, recalling the awe he'd felt when Stark had first revealed the program to him. He hadn't hesitated to accept the offer, embracing the opportunity to take his crusade for justice to new heights – quite literally.

Later, he requested to become a pilot himself. The thought of personally delivering what he believed to be true justice was intoxicating, and he couldn't resist the allure.

-----

"Please, don't hurt us," a trembling nurse pleaded, her hands clasped tightly together. He took the badge from her pocket and scanned it without a word, she checked out and he moved on. He didn't have time to waste calming their fears.

Daiki's brow furrowed, all the medical staff checked out. He turned his attention to the civilians, it could be one of them but he had no way of determining who they were. Even if they were all Canadian citizens that doesn't mean one of them wasn't playing for the other side. But there was a group he could eliminate as suspects.

"Is anyone here injured?" he asked, focusing on action rather than intimidation. A few hesitant nods met his question.

"Show me."

As the small group parted, revealing a young man with a bloodied bandage wrapped around his arm, Daiki analyzed their reactions. His senses were sharpened, attuned to any hint of deception or malice.

"Everyone else, sit down and stay quiet," he ordered, his voice firm but not unkind. "I am going to check out the injured before I interrogate the rest of you."