The Rising Sun & the Morning Calm

While Shinnosuke headed back from the airport, Ryuzo knocked on the door to Noboru's office. "[Donno], may I show you something?"

"Certainly." Noboru leaned forward to get a better look at the tiny object he placed on his desk. When Ryuzo removed his hand, he saw a small silver object that looked like a miniature .50 caliber bullet but only a few millimeters wide. "What is this?"

"It's the delivery system," Ryuzo explained. The pointed tip is to allow easy access into deep tissue. Behind it is a dose of the antivirus. This sits atop a small explosive that is linked to a remote detonator. The molecular biologists in Seoul did a good job. Fast, too."

"Why a remote detonator?"

"It's a precaution to ensure that even if the antivirus falls into the wrong hands, it will not result in an infection unless the capsule is detonated."

"Very nice, Ryuzo. Very nice," he mused holding the tiny bullet between his thumb and forefinger. "Tell me how you plan on testing if this works."

"I will probably be satisfied if we can cure five of Saburo's men. I'll ensure that the antivirus has worked by running genetic analyses on the men in the post-infectious period. I have also taken the liberty of adding other promoter sequences to speed the replication time of the antivirus. If the genetic analyses confirm that they are indeed no longer harboring the virus, we will confirm by having them fight to the death with one of our men. If the test subjects can still transform, then obviously the experiment was a failure. If they do not, we know that this will work, and there will be no one to warn Saburo otherwise."

"Obviously you have given this a lot of thought," Noboru observed with approval. "See to it."

"[Hai]."

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"Ladies and gentlemen, you will notice that the captain has turned on the fasten seat belt sign in preparation of our descent towards Incheon International Airport. The current temperature in Seoul is a balmy..."

Linnsa stretched in her seat with a contented sigh. "I've never flown first class before," she noted appreciatively. "It's nice having all that legroom." Her sister appeared to be staring out the window, lost in thought. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Huh?" Linnsa's voice startled Angela back to the present. "Oh, yeah, everything's fine. Just daydreaming I guess." She hoped that her sister had no inkling of the worry she was feeling. Angela couldn't be more grateful that it was a short flight from Tokyo to Seoul.

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As the small party made their way to the baggage claim, Angela saw Genzo lift his head suddenly and was surprised to hear him let out a low groan of exasperation out of nowhere. "Still alive and kicking, eh, Genzo?" a deep voice asked in Japanese. The three turned to see a man who appeared to be about their age smirking at Genzo with his arms crossed. "At least your assignments are getting more attractive." He nodded towards his two charges. Though he spoke Japanese, he looked very Korean.

"Fuck you, Sang," Genzo shot back irritably. "Continue trying my patience and the next thing that I'll be kicking is you." Hearing him swear at the stranger, Angela turned her eyes back to him as he bowed his head in greeting.

"[Ahn young hashim nikka]?" He straightened and offered his hand. "Kim Sang Nam, at your service. It is a pleasure to meet you Dr. Baek. And Dr. Baek," he bowed again at Linnsa. "I'll stick to English though if that's easier."

"You speak both languages?" Angela noted as she took it.

"In the immortal words of Sun Tzu, in order to defeat your enemy, you must first know your enemy." He flashed Genzo a wry look over his shoulder as he shook Linnsa's hand before turning his full attention back to his pretty charge.

"But we're not enemies anymore," Angela corrected.

Sang Nam smiled conspiratorially. "When I began studying Japanese a hundred years ago we still were. For a while I had to go by the name of Takahashi." Jerking his head at the scowling countenance of Genzo, he added, "Though Genzo would probably tell you that some contention still exists between our two countries, [neh] Genzo?"

"[Fuzaken-na]," he muttered under his breath. "[Kankoku-jin] piece of shit."

"No love lost between the two of you, eh?" Linnsa remarked.

Genzo's ire at having to tolerate Sang Nam only worsened when he saw the roguish look he gave Angela's sister. "There was none to begin with." Sang Nam gave her an easy smile which only irritated him more. Turning back to Genzo, he grinned and asked, "So, shall we make our way over to where they will be staying?" Genzo grunted by way of reply. "As always, your way with words defy description. I'll take that as a yes."

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ahn young hashim nikka: hello (Korean, formal)

neh: eh (Japanese)

fuzaken na: quit fucking around (Japanese)

kankoku jin: Korean person (Japanese)

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As they drove into Seoul, Angela sat shotgun while Genzo and Linnsa rode in the back. "So, Sang Nam, tell me about how you met Noboru."

He drove with one arm lazily draped against the window. "I was a teenager when the Japanese first invaded. Your boyfriend helped me out when I got into a spot of trouble with the [Ilbun sekkies]."

Linnsa glanced over and saw the muscles in Genzo's jaw tighten. "How dare you refer to Noboru-donno with such lack of respect!" he snarled.

"Look, man," Sang Nam shot back over his shoulder. "I'm not saying that I'm not grateful that our mutual friend Nagamori-san saved my life, but I don't have to act like the sun shines out of his ass like you do."

Angela exchanged a worried glance with her sister who instantly read her thoughts and placed a soothing hand on Genzo's arm. "Genzo, hey, it's okay. It's not worth getting upset over." Momentarily forgetting his anger at her touch, he settled back in his seat and met her eyes. Seeing the tentative smile on her face, his own relaxed a bit and he vowed quietly to take the matter up with Sang Nam at a more private opportunity.

"He saved your life too?" Angela was amazed that stories such as this even continued to surprise her.

"Indeed he did. I can thank him for not looking a day over a hundred and one." He chuckled and lit a cigarette.

"Those are bad for you," Angela admonished, the doctor in her kicking in.

Taking a long drag, he joked, "What do I have to worry about, lung cancer?" before exhaling a plume of smoke.

"Um, Sang Nam, would you mind opening a window?" Linnsa inquired softly. She and her sister both greatly detested the smell of cigarette smoke and it didn't help that she was prone to getting carsick as well. Registering a little bit of surprise at her request, he recovered quickly and flashed her a wink before opening his window a crack and throwing out the cigarette.

"You didn't have to throw it out," she protested.

"It's a point of principle that I honor the requests of all beautiful [agashies] I have the pleasure of meeting." Sneaking a peek at the rearview mirror, Sang Nam noticed that the vein in the center of Genzo's forehead was becoming more prominent. A look of bemused understanding began to spread across his face and he asked, "[Ski]?"

"[Urusai!]" Genzo shouted, more loudly than he would have liked. When he saw the two women watching him with worried expressions, he muttered his apologies and tried to make a show of looking out the window, but Angela knew that Sang Nam had picked up on Genzo's feelings towards her sister.

"Why so tense, Genzo?" he asked playfully.

Not wanting a potential homicide on her hands, Angela muttered for Sang Nam to can it in Korean. At this point, Genzo figured the best strategy would be to avoid engaging him at all and he continued to stare stonily out the window for the remainder of the ride.

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ilbun sekki: Japanese bastard (Korean)

agashi: young lady (Korean)

ski: you like (Japanese)

urusai: shut up (Japanese)

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When they had arrived at the place where the two women would be staying, Sang Nam and Genzo carried their luggage into their rooms while Angela and Linnsa had a look around. "Why don't you two relax and get settled in?" Gesturing to Genzo he added, "I just need a word with our esteemed friend here."

Angela couldn't help giggling at how he continually coaxed scowls from Genzo. Though almost a half foot shorter than him, Sang Nam seemed not in the least bit intimidated by the large shinobi. "That's fine. Come on, Linns. Let's see if they have Eastern or Western potties."

"If' it's a hole in the ground, you can count me out," Linnsa warned. "I ain't squatting to pee."

Pulling Genzo outside, Sang Nam lit another cigarette. "So, how long does it look like you'll have to be holed up here?" he asked in Japanese.

"I am not sure at this point," Genzo replied curtly.

Taking another drag, Sang Nam flicked a bit of ash off the end of his cigarette and exhaled slowly. "What does Noboru need in Seoul? I mean, what do we have that Japan doesn't?"

Genzo gave him a condescending smile. "Less stringent ethical standards for stem cell research and human cloning, if I had to make a guess" he retorted.

He blew a line of smoke out the corner of his mouth and dropped the butt on the sidewalk. Crushing it under his heel, he replied, "So, I guess our friend doesn't want to tarnish his pristine international reputation by doing the work in his own labs, whatever it is."

"Be careful, Sang," Genzo growled.

"Whatever, man. It is what it is." Unlocking the car door, he got in and added, "Tell the ladies that I said goodbye for now and I'm around if they need me."

"Good riddance," he muttered under his breath.

"Super sensitive hearing, Genzo, remember?" Grinning impishly he called out, "No kiss goodbye?" and gunned the engine, drowning out the sound of Genzo's curses.

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"What's with you?" Angela asked when Genzo slammed the door shut upon re-entering. She couldn't recall the last time she saw him so annoyed.

"[Nan demonai]." Walking into his room, he closed the door with a firm kick.

"He's not too much for communicating his feelings, is he, Unnie?" Linnsa undid the zipper on her suitcase.

"That's an understatement." She watched her sister unpack for a few minutes before saying, "Although you seem to have found a way around that. He really has taken to you, you know."

Linnsa paused, a half folded shirt in hand. "I know I should feel grateful to him for saving my life, but I still feel violated in a way. I never asked for this, and now that I'm unable to die, it's not like our religious beliefs will allow me to commit suicide. Now I'm stuck and I can't help but be upset with him a little still."

Hugging her from behind, Angela sighed. "I know. But he did it because he cares for you. He's a good man, and I don't know...he seems...more alive around you."

She turned around at this. "What do you mean?"

Sitting on the bed, she replied, "Since I've known him, he's always just sort of gone through the motions of life. He does what he has to but it feels devoid of any passion or meaning. Genzo's only known you a short while, but I can already feel that you're as important to him as Noboru or me." She gave a small laugh. "And in Genzo's case, earning such a special place in his eyes is quite an accomplishment."

"I AM grateful," she admitted. "But I still wish this hadn't been decided for me."

Two rooms down the hall, Genzo sat down on his own bed and put his head in his hands. Both sisters had apparently forgotten that his hearing was very acute even from his ninja training but it was that much more so given their shared condition. He'd heard every word Linnsa had said and each had carved painful wounds into his mind. Gripping his head with his hands, he wished he could crush his own skull. If there was a God, such as Linnsa believed, why would He force him to live in such torment? The only constancy he had known in his life was pain and loss. Without thinking, he let out an angry cry and smashed his fist through the end table adjacent to him. The minute the door flew open, he regretted his impulsivity.

"What happened? Genzo, what is going on?" Angela stared at the ruined remains of the table and then at his bloody fist.

Avoiding her gaze, Genzo tried to answer casually as he picked shards of glass out of his hand. "That Sang Nam really pisses me off. That is all." Feigning calm, he changed his hand into a paw until the bleeding stopped.

Angela was about to say something when she realized what was really going on and closed her mouth. "Okay, Genzo. We'll leave you alone to simmer down." When she had left, he felt a sudden wave of loneliness and found himself wishing that he too could give up his immortality.

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nan demonai: it's nothing (Japanese)

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Heishiro and Shinnosuke strode into Ryuzo's office as he was packing a kit for their first test subject. "What do you have there?" Heishiro asked.

"A few necessities," Ryuzo answered. "A muscle paralytic, chloroform. You find us an unlucky victim?"

Heishiro nodded. "I found out that he's been shacked up with this girl since Genzo last ran into Saburo. He shouldn't be too hard to find."

"Good." Shouldering his bag, Ryuzo grinned and announced, "Well, let's go hunting."

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Kenji leaned back on his elbows as Ritsuko sucked his cock. He especially enjoyed how she stared at him as she took all of him into her throat. After a few minutes, he decided he'd had enough of her deep-throating and pushed her off him. Taking her by the waist, he threw her face down on the floor and hiked up her hips. "[Onnegai]," she panted, presenting her wet labia to him. Happy to oblige, he slipped his cock into her and began pounding away at her. "Ahhhh, [kimochiiiiii]," she wailed as she rutted beneath him.

Clenching his teeth, he moaned, "Ritsuko, [ikku]!" As he unloaded his first round, the sound of wood breaking behind him caused both of the to turn around to see three men burst into the room, Before he could get a good look at them, one had placed something over his face and in a few seconds he was out. Another did the same to his woman.

As Ryuzo injected him with succinylcholine, he made a disgusted face. "The stupid idiot got his cum on my shoes." Pulling out the needle, he motioned for Heishiro to pick up the unconscious man and leaving the sleeping girl behind, they headed back for the lab.

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onnegai: I beg you (Japanese)

kimochi: feels good (Japanese)

ikku: I'm cumming (Japanese)

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Strapping Kenji to a gurney, Ryuzo made sure that he had enough succinylcholine and chloroform to allow him to work unimpeded before loading an ampule into the special gun that would implant it into the test subject's arm. Taking the left deltoid, he held the tip of the gun to his shoulder and heard a hiss as he implanted the antivirus capsule. "[Tsugi]." Shinnosuke handed him a small remote and when he hit the detonator, he saw Kenji's shoulder spasm as the antivirus was released into his body. "Now we wait."

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tsugi: next (Japanese)

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Kenji awoke to find himself in a strange room with only a large mirror. When he tried to sit up, he found to his surprise that he was strapped into some sort of table. Confused and afraid, he attempted to shift, but was shocked when nothing happened. Not understanding, his head jerked up as he heard a door open. He watched a man he had never seen before walk in wearing only a pair of boxers. The hair on the back of his head began to stand, as the man took off the boxers and began growing.

From behind the one way mirror, Noboru, Shinnosuke and Ryuzo watched as Heishiro finished his change and stood up. Narrowing his yellow eyes threateningly, the grey hybrid bared his fangs and stood over Kenji, growling. "He is not breaking free or changing," Noboru observed with awe. "You are sure he had been infected?"

"[Hai]. We ran assays on the antibody and he came up positive."

Noboru nodded. "Let him loose and see if he fights."

Leaning forward, Ryuzo pushed a button that was connected to a speaker in the room. "[Hanaseh]" he ordered.

Slinking to the side of the gurney, Heishiro slashed at the leather straps on all four extremities as if they were made of tissue paper and almost laughed as the man scrambled to a corner and cowered, shaking. "Fight," he snarled. When the man made no move, he raised a clawed hand and brought it down with surprising force onto the man's chest, clawing four deep furrows into the flesh. Yelping in pain, the man ran to the door, banging in a futile attempt to get it open.

"I have seen enough," Noboru said with satisfaction. "Heishiro, kill him."

Kenji's eyes went wide as he heard the order and before he could cry out, the room spun and he was looking up at his own headless body as it sprayed jets of blood from the empty stump.

"Finish your trials and call me when all have been successful," he ordered. "Then we will let Saburo know of my travel plans."

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hanaseh: release [him] (Japanese, imperative)

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In their hotel room, Angela and Linnsa had both finished getting cleaned up when they heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" they both asked together.

"Sang Nam."

"Give us a second." Angela opened the door and Sang Nam stood leaning against the doorway with a box of pastries in his hand. "Thought you might use a snack."

"Any chocolate ones?" Linnsa asked, perking up.

"They are ALL chocolate," Sang laughed.

"Ooh! Gimme gimme gimme!" Angela grabbed the box from Sang Nam and she and her sister proceeded to examine the contents with great interest.

"Where's the happy ninja?" Sang Nam inquired mischievously. Almost as if on cue, Genzo walked into the room, a sour expression on his face at seeing the other Korean there. "Aw, no smile for me?" Angela couldn't make out what Genzo was saying under his breath in Japanese, but she was sure that it wasn't anything good. Turning back to the women, Sang Nam flashed a smile at Linnsa and asked, "So, no [nam ja chingoo] for the pretty [agashi]?"

"[Nam ja chingoo]?" Genzo repeated, not understanding.

"Boy foh-ren-doh," Sang Nam drawled lazily in a Japanese accent, turning his eyes back to Linnsa.

"Uh, Sang, that's kind of a touchy subject. I really wouldn't go there if I were you," Angela tried to warn, but the damage was done.

Looking back at Linnsa who looked as if she suddenly wanted to cry, Sang Nam's demeanor lost all mirth. "[Mee yan heh], Linnsa. I meant no disrespect. I was just trying to make light chitchat."

"It's okay," she replied, but her lower lip began to shake a little and she ran into her suite to hide her embarassment at crying.

"Linnsa, are you okay?" Angela followed her into her room to sooth her.

"Oops," Sang Nam mouthed with an uncomfortable expression.

"Oops?! Linnsa-san has been through a very hard few days. That was the worst question you could have asked her, you imbecile!" Genzo thundered.

"Hey, calm down, man. I thought you Japanese were supposed to be the level headed ones while us Koreans had the tempers. It was an honest mistake."

Taking advantage of the fact that both women were out of earshot, Genzo decided to talk shop. "How many people have you got watching the area?"

"About ten for now. That was all I could pull together on such short notice."

"I suppose that is adequate for the time being."

"So glad you approve," Sang Nam said sarcastically. "When's your boss getting here?"

"He will call when he is ready." The Korean's cavalier attitude was so irksome.

"Fine. Let me know." No longer in a joking mood, Sang Nam didn't bother with a goodbye before taking his leave.