Request

Late afternoon

December 2nd, 2050

Asakusa Boundary, Tenno Hospital

“How is he doing, doctor?”

As usual, the smell of the room was pungent and heavy with death. Quite the depressing place to be in this ascendant city.

Ruby always stood near the window whenever she visited, arms crossed and unable to look at her grandfather. Her eye always found itself staring at the ECG monitor instead, watching the slow rise and fall of that fragile line, dreading for it to go flat.

“No change,” Doctor Kiefer said, his voice solemn. “He might last a month. Maybe a week. Did you find what you were looking for?”

“I did,” Ruby replied. “I don’t know how much it’ll help, but anything to give us an edge.”

The American doctor forced a smile and a chuckle. “Better than ‘I’m out of options’.” He proceeded to pack his medical instruments on the table next to the patient’s bed. “I’m surprised you’re able to find anything at all in this massive city. Nothing like the Nevada ascendant circle, I can tell you that much.”

“Tokyo’s always been big before the ascension.”

“True. My father used to go here on holiday before the big change. He never once visited after.”

Ruby raised an eyebrow. “Oh? I thought your family saw the ascension as an important spiritual phenomenon.”

“Did I say that? That’s my mother’s side of the family.” The doctor snorted. “My father saw it as the work of aliens. He never liked exalts. And Tokyo having the most of them made him… wary.”

Ruby lifted her right hand and made a small spark of fire. She spun it around until it blossomed like a flower. “It’s really more of a magic trick… you just never know what you’ll pull out of the hat.”

Doctor Kiefer laughed softly. “Spoken like Daiki.”

Ruby extinguished the fire and finally looked at her grandfather. Frail. Withered. Old. Daiki Tennojima was once a great man, the world’s leading researcher in Ascension Theory and the exalted. And now he wanted to give his life’s work away.

What exactly did he find? Why did he write that will?

Ruby looked out the window and saw some of her subordinates patrolling the hospital grounds. There were more of them than usual.

“I suppose I should get going,” Ruby said with a sigh. “Can’t have another commotion around the hospital.”

*

It was already sundown by the time the woman with the eyepatch arrived at the conference room.

Rei had been at his wits’ end waiting all afternoon, hungry, and with a dozen scenarios in his head on how to escape.

At least they gave him new clothes to wear—a simple black shirt and trousers, along with a yellow plaid jacket they ‘just happened to have lying around’. It was stylish, but an obvious ploy to make Rei stand out and easy to spot.

The door opened and the woman from yesterday came strolling in. By her side was Yukari and a man Rei hadn’t seen before, while Issei and the other guards waited outside.

The woman eyed the sandwich and coffee on the table, completely untouched. She smirked at the sight of it.

Even Rei knew it’d be stupid to bring him here just to poison him. But on the flip side they couldn’t let him starve to death either. It was a small protest.

“Ohh! The jacket looks good on you!” Yukari said. “I bought that for myself, but they accidentally delivered the men’s size, and it was too big for me.” She and other man took their seats around the conference table while the woman with the eyepatched walked closer to Rei.

The two of them stood face to face. They were roughly the same height, hers with a slight advantage because of her heels. She wore what looked like an office uniform—buttoned white shirt and black skirt, along with a burgundy jacket and the black eyepatch across her right eye. Upon closer inspection, the patch had a flower pattern embroidered on it, but with a similar shade of black.

“Maxim,” the woman said with a slight grin.

“Red-dressed woman,” Rei replied.

“Oh, is that what stood out to you?”

“You prefer ‘woman with the eyepatch’?”

“And here I thought I looked lovely that night. No, I prefer Ruby. Ruby Tennojima.”

Ruby extended a hand towards Rei. “It’s nice to properly meet you, Rei Tsukihara.”

“Weird to shake the hand of your abductor,” Rei said, but he took that hand anyway and gripped it tight. “I don’t know what you want with me or the chief, but this is a terrible start.”

“Oh, but I saved your life last night.”

Rei took his hand back. “Yeah, from the mess you made. I had the guy.”

Ruby rolled her eye. “And what were you to do with Shinozuka’s contacts?”

“None of your business,” Rei spat. “The man sells a drug that makes people explode with aether. He’s vile and he needed to be put behind bars. He could’ve told the police all that he knew, who he’s sold that drug to, and how he made the damned product. There could be more of it out there.”

“My people are already taking care of that.” Ruby turned around and sat herself at the head of the conference table. “Please, Rei, have a seat. We can discuss the rest.”

Rei eyed the table and the other two people in the room. Ruby was working with Shinozuka somehow, so he figured she must already know a few things about him, but her people were already taking care of it? Who was this woman? He took a seat closest to her.

“Now then,” Ruby said, “before we start with why you’re here, let me ease some of your fears. Kiyotaka?”

The man sitting across from Rei, Kiyotaka, took out a tablet computer and handed it to Ruby. He was probably in his late teens to early twenties, round faced, narrow eyes, unkempt hair bleached grey, and the same blue suit as the other men Rei encountered earlier. Judging by his name, he was probably the person Yukari mentioned watching over the hospital.

Ruby held the tablet’s screen for Rei to see. In it was video surveillance of—

“Chief!” Rei said in surprise. “Airi!”

Rei’s colleagues were situated in a small room with two beds, a bookcase, and a desk. Chief Ninomiya sat on the chair reading a book, while Airi was lounging on the leftmost bed playing her game console.

“Just where the hell do you have them locked up?” Rei demanded. Then it quickly dawned on him that he was the one they wanted all along. The chief and his daughter were bargaining chips.

“It’s a very comfortable vacation, I assure you,” Ruby said. “They are provided with everything they need.”

Yukari gasped from across the table, mouth half full of the sandwich they left for Rei. “Is that the limited-edition Samey-Same-Shark hoodie that girl is wearing? That’s practically one-of-a-kind! Boss, you gotta introduce us!”

Ruby chuckled. “Ah, glad you noticed, Yukari. Perhaps you’ll get a chance after all of this is over.” She turned to Rei. “I’m sure you know what this means.”

“It’s them,” Rei said, his eyes trained on the screen. He knows it’s them, despite the face and the clothes. He knows their mannerisms all too well. “So much for that stern talking.”

“We did talk,” Ruby affirmed. “You’re on loan from the Ninomiya Detective Agency. You’ll be working for us until we obtain what we want.”

“You need me for something?” Rei asked, sarcasm dripping over his words. “I’m an assistant.”

“An assistant with special eyes,” Ruby made clear. Her smile was almost malicious. So, she did know about Rei’s power. “Interesting way to manifest an exalt’s abilities,” she said. “Judging from how poorly you fared against Shinozuka last night, I’m guessing almost all your cards are on that skill alone. Is it by choice?”

“How did you even know I have this ability?” Rei asked. “I doubt either Ninomiya would’ve told a soul.”

“So trusting of you,” Ruby remarked. “But I have my ways. I even know what you’re looking for.”

Rei tensed. His mind was suddenly transported to that small, traditional house in the countryside. His father’s face, one he’s forgotten after all these years, appeared like a vague silhouette covered by a sunbeam from the dining room window. He stood there while breakfast waited on the table, urging Rei to come sit.

“You knew… about my father?” Rei asked, fear teetering at the edge of his voice.

“I’m afraid not,” Ruby answered flatly. “I’m sorry to say this, Rei, but this is not why you’re here today. It is how I learned of your ability but exactly how and why will remain a secret to me and me alone. If you cooperate, however, I am willing to share every information I have. That, and the freedom of your chief and colleague.”

Rei felt the floor fall beneath him. After all these years of searching for a clue… the clue found him instead. “And if I use my ability on you?” he asked, his voice shaking.

Ruby tapped the tablet with her index finger. “That’s what this is for.”

Chief Ninomiya stood up from his chair and walked across the room. He took two bottles from a small refrigerator, then handed one to Airi.

“You might learn what you want from my memories,” Ruby said. “You might even learn where your friends are held. But can you get to them? Can you make sure they remain safe?”

Rei stared at the woman in the eye. She had this whole thing figured out. But if she really knew how limited and unreliable his ability was, she wouldn’t have gone this far.

Rei leaned back on his chair. “If all you need is my help, you could’ve just asked the agency,” he said. “I’m sure the chief would’ve been glad to loan you my services for the right price.”

“Have I come to know you sooner, I might have,” Ruby replied, “but here we stand and I am nearly out of time. Let me cut to the chase, Rei. I need two things from you.” She turned the tablet screen off, then lay it flat on the table. “I need you learn of my grandfather’s secret. Watch him. Look at him. Do whatever it is you need to do.”

“Is it something specific I should know about?” Rei asked. “Who’s your grandfather?”

“Daiki Tennojima,” Ruby answered, hands clasped together. “I’m sure you’ve heard of the name.”

That Tennojima?

“Famous scientist,” Rei said. “Japan’s lead researcher into aetheric arts, the ascension, and everything else involving that. I’ve seen him on TV a few times, sure. He’s got a secret he’s hiding?”

“His research,” Ruby said, leaning in slightly. “Unfortunately, his health deteriorated five years ago, so he left the institute. His team continued his work to this day, but their progress has been less than stellar.”

“And you think your grandfather is hiding something from them?”

“I do.”

Rei stared at Ruby for a while, then at the two other people listening intently across the table. Neither spoke, and from what he could tell, neither knew any of what their boss was saying.

Pressing Ruby on why she believed there was secret was pointless. Assuming it existed, Rei’s goal was to simply figure that out using his ability.

And there in lay the problem.

“I don’t know what you think my ability can do,” Rei said, “but it’s mostly just a dump of information about a person’s life. The more aether I have the more I can withstand it, but even then, sifting through the vision is difficult. Sometimes impossible. I’d probably recognize a few details, but it’s entirely out of my control. It’s never once been useful to the chief or in any of the cases our agency handled. The only thing that sticks with me is… well, how a person dies.”

It was always at the end of Rei’s vision, so it was the easiest to remember. Cruel as it may be.

Ruby shifted on her seat as if to think. “I see…” she whispered. “I would like for you to try anyway. Look for anything related to the ascension itself. The seven circles, the chromatic clouds, the exalts. Can you focus on that?”

“I could try,” Rei said with a shrug. “But I might not be able to tell what is a secret and what is not. What about your second ‘request’? Maybe I could help more with that.”

“Perhaps you could,” Ruby said. “But that will only be necessary if—”

The door to the conference suddenly opened, followed by the panicked face of Issei.

“What is it?” Ruby asked sharply.

Issei held out a phone. “It’s Daiki Tennojima, ma’am. The head nurse said his condition suddenly worsened.”

“What?” Ruby stood up in shock. “I was just there half an hour ago! Is he having another episode?”

“I-I don’t know, ma’am, the head nurse just—”

“Call Doctor Kiefer back to the hospital if you haven’t already! He couldn’t have gone far!” Ruby groaned with her fists balled up. Rei could feel her aether flare up as if she was barely able to contain them. She turned towards Rei, her strong, mischievous façade completely replaced by pleading and pain. “Come with me, Rei. My time might be shorter than I thought.”

Rei didn’t really have a choice with the Ninomiyas safety on the line. He gave the woman a sharp nod.

“You come too, Yukari, Kiyotaka,” Ruby said to the other two. “He’ll probably want you there.”

They left the conference room, and after a series of hallways, elevators, and security points, they reached the other side of the hospital on its basement floor. The place was teeming with nurses, other hospital staff, and security personnel. Had Rei decided to go through with one of his escape plans earlier, he would’ve had more than one or two bullets to deal with.

As soon as they entered the room where Daiki Tennojima stayed, Ruby was quick to talk with a short, stern-looking woman he assumed to be the head nurse. Yukari and Kiyotaka hovered to the side, while Issei kept a close watch on Rei.

The room was spacious, perhaps more than one person could need, and there were lots of machinery there to monitor or treat the patient lying in the bed.

Daiki Tennojima was probably in his late eighties or nineties. White hair, long face, prominent nose. Tall and very thin, based on the silhouette of the blanket draped across his body. His leathery skin was drenched with sweat as he breathed heavily, turning slightly this way and that. He mumbled something, but it was too low for Rei to hear.

Ruby went over and took hold of the old man’s hand. She listened to what he was whispering, then, after some time, called for Rei to come over.

“Do it,” she said to him. “There might not be a second chance.”

Rei preferred using his ability in a more private place, but now wasn’t the time to be picky. Luckily his aether was at full capacity having rested all day. Considering the stakes involved, he channeled everything he had stored into his eyes… and began to see.

Youth living in a seaside town. Smiling faces. Festival dance. Fireworks at night.

The moon.

Darkness.

Tokyo barely fifty meters off the ground. School. Lots of students. Work. Work. Work.

Tokyo at two hundred meters. People. Work. Work. Work.

A woman with glasses. Work. Work. Work.

Tokyo at five hundred meters. A baby born. Work. Work. Work.

Rei could feel his head start to hurt. Flashes. Tokyo at eight hundred meters. A Shinto shrine. Research papers. Funeral. Couple grieving.

Shinjuku the highest peak at over a thousand meters. Young girl looking up. Work. Work. Work.

Work. Work. Work.

Work. Work.

Work.

Rei could barely hold on. Normally he’d use his blade to disrupt his own aether before he lost his sanity, but he forced himself to pay attention. He saw all sorts of research and studies. Some looked normal, others looked… difficult. Painful. Brutal. A man running endlessly. A woman in the deepest ocean. A young girl hooked up to cables. What was he seeing? More research. Work. Work. All the man did was work. He was so alone. Even with family, friends and colleagues, he was alone.

For a second, Rei thought he recognized somebody, but his brain could barely keep up.

Daiki in the mirror, his eyes wide with shock. Pain. The bronze clouds. Pain. Pain.

Eventually, the sickness. Paranoia. Fear. The man was scared. He was old.

And then—

*

Ruby made sure her security team did not interfere.

Rei Tsukihara stood at the foot of the bed, his eyes wide open, glowing a brilliant golden sheen. It was rare for an exalt to fully exhaust their aether to the point their eyes glowed as if ascending for the first time.

Eventually, the glow surrounding the man’s eyes and body disappeared, and he nearly collapsed before Issei caught him. The color of his eyes slowly turned back to normal, and he breathed heavily as if having done extensive physical labor. Face pale, Rei looked up at grandfather with a pained expression.

“He’s… he’s about to pass…”

Ruby turned to look at her grandfather, but before she did her eyes wandered again at that damned ECG monitor and steady rise and fall. It didn’t take long for it to finally go straight.