Wounded Hearts

Takahiro and Gina was sitting in a tent. After JGSA arrived the battlefield, they set up a camp in the woods, between the sawmill and bunker. There was a bad mood in the air, and the silence was incredibly disturbing.

"I'm glad you survived." said Takahiro.

"Thanks to you, Lieutenant. Without you I was bleeding to death out there."

"And what happened when I was locked in there?"

"JGSA found my location and rescued me, they deployed a 4-man squad for it. Next day, when I was still unconscious, government received another information with the same origin. There was enough information to start an operation to the bunker. Patrols, number of enemies, their position, even every single detail of their plans. When they start, what they gonna do, how, everything. Then JGSA sent another 6-man squad to attack the bunker, and you know the rest."

'It should be Taki. I roughly know what was he up to.' thought Takahiro.

"I understand." said Takahiro. There wasn't much to say in that situation. Whole tent became silent again. Then, Shin entered the tent, with a folded paper in his hands.

"We confirmed his death." said Shin. He sat right in front of Takahiro. "We found this paper in his body."

Takahiro took and slowly opened the folded paper. He wasn't sure what to feel. His hands were shaking a little.

"Read it loudly." said Gina. Takahiro cleared his throat before reading.

"I don't know how to start, I've never been good with the words. But, well I think I'll explain everything, what happened few years ago, and what happened in the last few days. You do remember what happened on our last mission, right, Takahiro? We were ambushed and you and Takemichi hardly managed to survive there. Well, as you can see I also survived that day. I found myself tied up when I woke up, a man was looking to my face. You shouldn't forget this name: Takao Yuuichi, also known as Iron Fist."

"So they are the same enemy we fought on our last mission." said Shin. "Please keep reading."

"I was captured by them, and tortured to death. That's why my scar got bigger. Then they made me an offer. I would either join them or be brutally killed. I wasn't afraid of death, but I just didn't want to lose my chance to destroy them. I knew very well that our squad's journey came to an end that day. But I wanted to finish our last mission. And today, I'm finally so close to finishing what we've started.

After I saw you and Gina in the factory, I realised that I wanted my death from your hands. It was just a way to get rid of my sins. And I believe, you and Gina can end this job for me.

I provided all the information to the government. And I didn't expect you to come, to be honest. Maybe that was our fate, who could know?

What I said about Gina was mostly a lie. She's the best sister I could have. But, it's a truth that I hid my job from her, I just didn't want to worry my only family. Iron Fist let me contact with her because of this reason. She didn't know about my job and it would be suspicious if I disappeared suddenly. I'm really sorry to lie to you, Gina."

Gina's eyes filled up with the tears. She was trying her best to not cry. Takahiro flipped the paper and started reading the other side of it.

"Please take care of yourself, Gina, Takahiro, and probably Takemichi. I'm not sure what is he doing right now, though. But I was really worried when you and Gina got injured. I was just planning to capture both of you. That was the real reason I searched for Gina for last 3 days, I didn't even get much sleep because of that. Then, somebody within the organization found her and that JGSA squad, you can't imagine how hard was it to kill him without getting any attention. Oh and, yeah, I sent them all to death on purpose.

Also sorry for what I did to you, Takahiro. I had no chance but to keep acting my role. Now everything for me came to an end. It doesn't matter if I'm alive or dead, from now on there's no turning back from here. I don't still know where Iron Fist is, but I did my best to delay all the plans they made. It's not much, but if they don't change their current plans, you roughly have one more week.

Thanks for everything you guys had done for me, it was a pleasure to serve you, Captain. It's an honor to die from your hands. And please, take care of my sister...

My regards, Uchida Taki"

After finishing the letter, nobody said anything. Shin covered his eyes with his hat, and Gina was about to cry, but she kept holding herself, as if she didn't want to show her weakness to others. Then Shin got up from the round wooden chair he was sitting.

"Well, I better get some sleep. Goodnight, both of you." said Shin and walked outside.

Takahiro didn't even moved his head. His eyes were looking dead and empty. But then he realised how emotionally shaken Gina was.

"You can cry if you want. Holding your feelings inside won't gonna work. I tried that, believe me."

Gina suddenly started crying very loud.

"I didn't even see his face one last time.. and all the things.. he've gone through... I didn't even realise it..."

This time, Takahiro's eyes filled up with the tears.

"And I almost caused both of us to... d-die... When I woke up.. I was just too scared... I felt like... I was lost."

Takahiro got up and approached to Gina. As she looked at him, he hugged her.

"I'm with you, right next to you, Gina. I won't leave you alone. We're living in a cruel world, for sure. What your brother had done over the past few years was heroic. There aren't many people who could've done the same. But you know what? I never lost my faith, not in God but in myself and in the human lives within me. I never believed in God, I only believed in myself. What I have done so far is what I believe is right. Even though my hands are covered with the sins of my past, I have become a good person in my own way. And..."

Takahiro grabbed her cheek and lifted her face up.

"...I can only believe in myself, but you'll be the only thing I adore in this world."

Gina started hugging him tight and kept crying. As the night went on, they continued to stay in that position.