by S D Rogue
“Did he give you the speech about wanting to recreate powers?”
Hana nodded.
“He’s harmless—and he never could.” Bashir said. “York has just always been a little—jealous—of our powers. Who wouldn’t be? You work with us all the time and see what you can do; of course you have to at least wonder what it would be like. But he’s really safe.” Before Hana could say more, he changed the subject. “So what do you say we skip York’s SUVs and see Japan the real way?”
“Could be exciting—but what is the real way?”
“Subways, of course.”
###
Hana was no stranger to subways. She had spent short periods of her life in London, New York, and San Francisco. But nothing could have prepared her for a Tokyo subway at rush hour.
There was a crowd of people making their way quickly down the stairs, and at the bottom it looked more like a packed music festival than a subway terminal. People were shoulder to shoulder trying to make their way to the appropriate lines.
“I guess I should have warned you,” Bashir said loudly over the noise of the station.
Hana didn’t answer. She stood amazed that something like this existed. She couldn’t imagine having to do this every day to get to work.
“It’s not too late to turn around and get one of York’s drivers to take us,” Bashir hollered.
Hana smiled. “And miss experiencing Japan the real way? No way!”
Bashir looked up at a side that said Mita Line. “This way then.”
They got as close as they could to the tracks, but there was already a crowd several people deep in front of them. “I guess we’ll have to wait for a couple,” Hana said.
Bashir smiled. “Just stay close.”
A subway car approached and as the doors opened, chaos began. Hana felt people pushing up against her and looked towards Bashir who seemed to be enjoying the insanity. “Just keep pushing forward.”
Somehow, Hana did not fully understand how they made it on. She looked at Bashir, relieved, but his eyes were still determined as he continued angling and pushing forward. “Try to get more towards the middle.”
“Why?”
“So you don’t get pushed out when people get off at the next station.”
“Sumimasen,” Bashir said politely as he maneuvered around people. Hana did her best to follow his lead.
On other subways, she would have looked for something to hold, but on this train there were so many people she had nowhere to actually fall. Everyone seemed fine being a cushion for the person next to them.
When they were finally in the middle, they were at the next station, and Hana watched as people pushed their way off the train while others pushed their way in. In any other culture, Hana would have thought the entire scene was rude—yet here…it almost seemed graceful.
As the train moved again, she noticed for the first time how quiet the train was. Unlike other metro subways where people listened to music or just shouted, the Japanese seemed at peace—even in the chaos. She also noticed most of the men kept their hands near their chest—or held onto top bars if they were within reach. Even Bashir was doing it.
“Next stop,” Bashir leaned over and said into her ear, then as the train slowed, he began moving forward and politely saying, “Sumimasen. Orimasu,” Japanese for, “Pardon me. I’m getting off.”
“Why did all the men keep their hands up?” Hana asked as they made their way up the stairs out of the subway.
Bashir shrugged and explained, “Unfortunately, groping is a problem on these trains—especially when they’re crowded. So men usually keep their hands up so they aren’t accused of anything.”
“How do you know all this?”
“I used to live here—for several months, I worked out of the EHA here.” At the top of the stairs, Bashir turned and looked ahead. In the distance was Tokyo Tower—an observation tower that resembled a more colorful version of the Eiffel Tower. They’d be meeting in the building next to it. “It’s about a fifteen minute walk from here.”
###
They were led by a security officer to a lobby on the ninth floor, and Hana did her best to listen to what was being said.
“There’s a girl,” she could hear the woman on the phone at the reception say. “She doesn’t look like a Paladin—too weak.” This made Hana smile.
“They’ll be with you in one moment,” she said after hanging up the phone.
They smiled at her. Hana stood and walked to the reception desk so she could be closer to the door. “What’s good to eat around here?”
The woman started speaking, but Hana tuned her out as she tried to hear what was being said on the other side of the walls.
“Find out what you can on the girl,” a voice said. “Prepare to take prints off her cup.” They started speaking Japanese.
Hana returned to the girl who was looking at her blankly. “Those recommendations sound wonderful.”
Bashir looked at her. She whispered, “Apparently I caught them by surprise. They’re scrambling trying to figure out who I am.”
A few minutes later, the phone rang and the reception got up and led them into a conference room. A dozen men in expensive suits were seated around the table looking anxious. When Hana and Bashir walked in, they all stood and politely bowed.
“I don’t want to waste your time,” Bashir said, taking a seat. “As I’m sure you know, our base in California has been infiltrated.” He slowly continued, “We think your company has information.”
He really does cut to the chase, Hana thought.
The man at the end of the table smiled. He leaned to the person to his right. “They’re bluffing,” Hana heard him say. “Go alert security that there might be trouble.”
“Bashir, we’ve been in business many years with Mr. York. He will tell you that you have no reason to believe we are behind this.”
Bashir smiled. “York is the one who sent us here.”
“Well then Mr. York is mistaken.”
Bashir leaned back in his seat and there was an uncomfortable silence in the room. Hana decided to break the silence. “So you don’t know anything about trying to recreate Paladin powers in non-Paladins?”
Bashir looked over at her oddly.
The man at the end of the table, who seemed to be in charge, shifted uncomfortably. “Is that what Mr. York has sent you to find out?”
Hana shrugged. “You tell me.”
A man left the room, and Hana tuned everything but him out; she heard him pull out a phone and say, “Find out why York thinks we’ve cracked the code. Something is wrong.”
“Ms…I don’t think we were even introduced—what is your name?”
“Hana.”
“Hana, you and Bashir seem tired. Can we offer you tea?”
Hana shook her head. “Just answers, and we’ll be on our way.”
He stood. “Then I’m afraid this meeting is over. It was nice meeting you, but you can tell Mr. York we aren’t behind whatever this is.” He looked to the man to his right. “Have security show them out.”
“We know the way,” Bashir said, standing.
“I’m sure you do.”
As they left the building, Hana leaned over to Bashir and explained, “I don’t think they had anything to do with this.”
“Why is that?”
“Because that’s what the man said in the hall.”
Bashir nodded. “I didn’t think they did—I’ve known this guy a few years. They lack the resources to pull off what York said.” He said. “So now that that’s done, I owe you a little sightseeing.”
###
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden was a Japanese national park. The large public park contained several different gardens.
They strolled through the park until they got to the English Landscape Garden. Bashir motioned for her to take a seat. “I’ll be right back.”
Hana slipped off her flats
and sat on the grass, then took a minute to admire where she was. It was a large open field that was surrounded by cherry blossoms. There were children running and playing all around her. Her hearing was on sensory overload as she heard them shout and laugh, but she enjoyed the sound. It made her forget everything that had happened.
Five minutes later, Bashir returned with two bento boxes containing salmon sashimi, chicken teriyaki and gyoza. “Seems like a nice day for a picnic,” Bashir said.
“Your powers do have their perks.” Hana smiled.
“Too bad you don’t date Paladins.”
“Too bad.”
“What if my powers are going away—would you date me then?”
Hana looked at him, concerned. “Do you feel that’s happening?”
“No—I just want to know if there’s ever a situation where I stand a chance.”
Hana didn’t answer.
“He must have been some dick.”
“Who?”
“The Paladin that made you come up with that rule.”
He was, Hana thought. But it wasn’t just Victor. She explained, “It wasn’t one person—it’s just a type of person. I work with Paladins every day. They’re nice, but they also have egos like you wouldn’t believe.”
“And that’s how you see me?”
“Maybe you’re a little different.”
“Then give me a chance.”
“How about lunch,” Hana said, “then see what happens?”
“I can work with that.”
“What did you do here?”
Bashir shrugged. “I was actually all over Asia, but this was my hub. The usual diplomatic stuff mostly. Occasionally, they’d actually use my speed to steal intel.”
“Do you use your speed to do anything else but steal?” Hana laughed.
“Sometimes I use it to help old ladies cross the street.” He looked down at the bento box and asked, “So—what do you think?”
“I have to be honest—I’m not usually a fish person, but this salmon is pretty incredible.”
“Everything is fresher here,” Bashir noted.
After they ate, Bashir stood and held out his hand to help her up. When she was up, he didn’t let go of her hand, and she didn’t pull away. It felt right. They strolled hand-in-hand through the park.
“Are you ever scared when you’re out there—fighting crime?” Hana asked as they passed one of the lakes.
Bashir shrugged. “Not at what might happen—but there was one time where I was almost caught—my ability, that is. That’s what I’m scared of. Being exposed. Having the world know that there are people out there that aren’t like them. I’m terrified of how people would react.”
“I don’t think people would be that hard to deal with—at least you could outrun them.”
“All my life, I’ve been raised in government facilities—people running constant test trying to figure out how they can have what I have. Nobody wants to know there’s someone out there that’s better than them.”
“Is that what you are?” Hana teased, releasing his hand. “Better than everyone else?”
Bashir’s face got red. “I guess that did sound bad.”
“Yeah.” Hana smiled, taking his hand again. “But I know what you mean.”
“It does make dating difficult,” Bashir said.
“Why is that?”
Bashir laughed, “Nobody wants to be with a guy who is literally fast in bed.”
Don’t be so sure, Hana almost blurted out. She instead asked, “Don’t date much?”
“Not as much as other Paladins,” Bashir continued. “Most of my time is spent training.”
“Story of my life—minus the training.”
“The last girlfriend I had—last date I went on—was a year ago.” It was silent for a moment and then Bashir asked, “So, Hana, you rarely date—what is it you do for fun?”
“Does work count?”
“I know working around beefy Paladins all day has its thrills, but what about when you’re not checking out our amazing figures?”
Hana rolled her eyes. “I like the beach—I used to live right by it. We’ll see what my landlord says when I get home and have to explain why my door was kicked in and two thugs were shot on the ground. I might not live next to the beach any longer.” She said. “I’m a bit of a bookworm—I like to lay on the beach reading. I try and read a book a week.”
“What do you read?”
“I usually tell people the classics—Hemmingway, Austin, Joyce,” Hana said. “But if we’re being honest, I haven’t read those since college—I’m a sucker for cheesy romances.”
“There’s no shame in that.”
“What about you?” Hana asked, “What do you do when you’re not working on your body—or is that pretty much all you do?”
Now Bashir was the one rolling his eyes. “We aren’t that shallow—not all of us anyway.” He paused. “I like to read. Not a book a week, but I try to get out a history or two a month.”
“I didn’t picture you for a history nerd.”
“Well I’m just full of surprises.” Bashir smiled. “On Saturdays—when I’m not out in the field—I volunteer at a group home. I’ve always been pretty good at math, so I do tutoring for the kids. Sundays I usually just do housework.”
“I am impressed,” Hana said. “I didn’t picture you for the mentor type.”
Bashir shrugged. “I know what it’s like. I didn’t grow up with parents. You don’t really stand a chance without people stepping up to fill that void in your life. I see a part of myself in most of those kids.”
“That must have been hard.”
“That was a long time ago.” Bashir quickly changed the subject. “I promised you a fun day. Come on.”
###
They took the subway across the city to Akihabara. This time it wasn’t as busy. Rush hour was over and most of the people riding were moms and kids, the elderly, and tourists.
“Do you like video games?” Bashir asked as they walked out of the station.
Hana nodded curiously.
“What about Mario Kart?”
“Who doesn’t?” Hana smiled, intrigued.
“Ok, good,” he said, pulling at her arm. “We don’t have a lot of time to get there.”
“Where are we going?” she asked, trying to keep up.
“You’ll see,” Bashir laughed. As they jogged, he said, “I’m afraid I didn’t come fully prepared—a lot of people like to do this in cosplay.”
“Now I’m definitely interested.”
Not far down the street, they came to several go-karts. “It’s a real-life Mario Kart race.”
Hana looked at him, confused. “Where’s the track?”
He pointed at the city. “That’s the track.”
“Like on the street?”
He nodded. “Don’t worry—it’s safe.” He added, “It’s a great way to see the city!”
The “Street Karts” were painted to mimic Mari Mobility go-karts. They were unofficial, but did well enough to bring back the nostalgia she had for the game; as she looked at them setup at the starting line of the street, she couldn’t help but think back to all the times she had played with her brother growing up.
They were given a short course on safety and hand gestures. They would be the only riders, but there was a guide to ensure they didn’t go too fast or hit anyone. He reminded them that there was no racing. Hana laughed at this. Her competitive streak took over as soon as they started going.
It was an odd feeling at first, riding knee-high on a street next to cars and trucks, but Hana got used to it quickly. As they passed people on the street, tourists snapped photos of them cruising next to cars. To Hana, it felt geeky and absolutely cool.
The course took them around the Tokyo Skytree—a communication tower that was the tallest structure in the city—then took them across the Ryōgoku Bridge, and finally wrapped around A
sakusa, the home to several traditional style temples. She looked over at Bashir several times—he seemed to be paying more attention to watching her than the sights they were passing.
The course lasted a little more than an hour.
“Impressed?” Bashir said when their ride was over.
“Definitely not what I thought we’d be doing!” Hana laughed.
“And what did you think we’d be doing?”
“Typical tourist stuff.”
“You deserve more than typical.”
“What else do you have planned?”
Bashir sighed, disappointed. “Dinner, I’m afraid—with a bunch of Paladins.” He explained, “I promised York we’d be there.”
“I feel like I’ve only seen a small part of this city,” Hana whined playfully. “Maybe you can take me on another date later?”
Bashir’s face got brighter as he smiled and said, “I’d like that.”
Chapter Nine
A
s the elevator made its way up the shaft of the EHA, they could hear talking and music; even without Hana’s super hearing, the noises echoed in the elevator from several floors below.
“Is this a dinner or a party?” Hana asked.
“A little of both,” Bashir explained as the doors opened, and a room full of laugher and talking unfolded before them.
Hana knew many of the faces, but there were several that were unfamiliar to her. Most the people were large and well-built—the easily recognizable frames of Paladins. Several of them turned to the elevator as Hana and Bashir exited.
“That must have been some meeting,” a Japanese woman with straight shoulder-length black hair said over the noise as she walked towards them.
Hana noticed Bashir seemed caught off guard by the woman.
“We stopped for lunch,” Bashir explained, then asked, confused, “What are you doing here?”
“That’s not the kind of welcome I hoped for,” she said, playfully disappointed.
“York said you were in South America.”
“Was,” she explained. “So are you going to introduce me to your lady friend?”