Chapter Text
They just survived through a gruelling loss at the hands of Squad 8, and now they had just finished for the day when Suwa gets a notification.
“Listen up guys, I got a new assignment.” Suwa opened the assignment and frowned, “Weird, there are specific instructions.”
“Well isn’t that concerning,” Katori rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair, “Getting a special assignment on the last day.”
“This isn’t anything unusual,” Mikumo stated, adjusting his glasses, “Its the last day, they would want to test us with something.”
“Grrr,” Katori grumbled but did nothing.
“My, my, getting more patient are we?” Oki smiled, “Its a good look on you.”
“Shut up.”
“I just sent to you all,” Suwa said with a contemplating look on his face as he reads his instructions.
“This is-” Madoka glanced at Mikumo, and stops talking.
Mikumo raised his eyebrows in suspicion and proceeded to read his instructions, and narrowed his eyes, this wasn’t right at all.
***
Utagawa frowned at the special assignment he had just received. He couldn’t believe it, why would the higher ups do this? And why would Jin allow this? After all, his kouhai’s were in danger. He glanced towards Yuma, who had his duck face on as he finished off his assignments with Tomoe helping him.
“Yuma come here for a moment,” He waited until Yuma came over on his left side and whispered, “Your secret is in danger.”
Yuma widened his eyes, “What do you mean?”
Wordlessly, Utagawa turned his laptop to face Yuma, and let him read it. He watched as Yuma slowly made sense of the hiragana and the simple kanji written on the screen.
“They’re making us play guess the neighbour?” Yuma concealed his outward reaction, but Utagawa could tell there was a tide pool of emotions ripping through him, “And the ones who already know have to proceed to the operator's room?”
Utagawa nodded.
“Great,” Yuma sighed and got back to his seat, earning a look from Urushima and Tomoe.
Utagawa addressed the squad, “I just received a special assignment but Yuma and I cannot join you for this.”
“Why not?” Urushima demanded, not even bothering to read the assignment from his laptop while everyone else was.
“Because Kuga-senpai is in Tamakoma and Utagawa-senpai is A-Rank,” Tomoe stated, his tone neutral.
“What’s that got to do with this?” Urushima asked, confused.
“Have you even read the assignment Urushima-senpai?”
“Okay, okay I will, geez.” Urushima sat down and got to reading.
“Sayoko is in charge while we’re gone, okay?” Utagawa shouted out as he and Yuma made their way towards the operators room, leaving behind a distressed Sayoko, a confused Urushima, and an apprehensive Tomoe.
***
Ninomiya looked towards Azuma and Chika after he had sent the special assignment through to gauge their reactions. Azuma was acting normal, keeping his composure and staying calm about the new assignment. Chika on the other hand, was sweating bullets, literally. Ninomiya inferred that because she was from Tamakoma, she must know more neighbours in Border, if not all of them, than both himself and Azuma.
“Well it's time we excuse ourselves,” Azuma stated, glancing at Chika and Ninomiya and getting up.
“Wha-, no-, actually??” Ema stuttered out, “It's true?? There are actual neighbours in Border?”
“Yup,” Chika smiled nervously. Kagami regarded the 3 of them with a closed off look as they got up from their chairs.
“Good luck,” Azuma waved at them as they entered the door to the operator’s room.
***
Wakamura sweat dropped as he received a notification about a new special assignment. They just suffered a day full of humiliating losses, they got their only win to Squad 9, who were playing like they had just started the simulated battles. The rest of his team mates were finishing off the remaining universal tasks before they left tomorrow for the prolonged battle simulation. He quickly skimmed through the assignment, taking note to make sure Maori read it to Hyuse, seeing as though it probably would affect him. Scratch that, it definitely would, he’s in Tamakoma. All he wanted to know was who wrote this, and have they ever heard of tact?
“I’ve just gotten a new special assignment. Maori, please read it out for Hyuse,” Wakamura instructed his team.
Special Assignment
Surprise! Border has let 5 neighbours roam free in Mikado City!! The scandal, the shame, can you even imagine? Can you guess who? They’re people you see everyday in Border!! Whether it be agents, operators or engineers, who could it be?? Discuss with your remaining team members, because those who know even the identity of one, will be heading towards the operators room for further instructions!! =3=
Everyone looked up from what they were doing and proceeded to open the assignment, with Hyuse leaning over to Maori’s side so she could read it out to him. There was dead silence as they processed the information, all the members slowly raised their heads to uniformly gaze at Hyuse, who growled out,
“Jin.”
***
Osamu sighed and got up from his chair. But as he started taking his first steps to the operators room, Oki called out.
“Not even a hint Ossamu?” he raised his eyebrows twice, trying to convince him to spill the tea.
“Of course he wouldn’t tell you, Tamakoma’s secrets are being threatened,” Katori leaned forward to rest her head on her hands, “We finally get to discover what's going on over there.”
Osamu deadpanned at that and made his way into the operators room, his thoughts running free in his head, each one getting crazier and crazier. Jin, its obvious this is your doing and not the executives, so just what are you up too?
He sat down on the desk chair and held his head in his hands.
***
Yuma and Utagawa entered the operator's room in silence, contemplating the current assignment.
“This has Jin written all over it,” Yuma said casually, to start the conversation.
Utagawa glanced at Yuma, “In fact, I bet he wrote it.”
“Oh I know he did,” Yuma said, because who else puts in emoticons when talking to a bunch of people in an official setting? Only someone who didn’t care for the rules, someone who could disregard without any repercussions. Yuma realised a long time ago that Jin would never act in accordance with other people’s wishes, only in what would benefit everyone. And if this would benefit everyone, well, he would be damned to stop it. He trusts Jin, trusts him with his future, in more ways than one. (He knows Jin is doing everything he can to get Yuma into his actual body)
“What exactly is Jin’s plan??” Utagawa leaned his head against the wall, facing the ceiling.
“It can’t be anything bad if it's Jin,” Yuma grinned, “I trust Jin.”
Utagawa gawked at Yuma’s blind trust in Jin, before remembering Yuma can always see through lies due to his side effect and grinning, “Well, if you trust him, then so do I.”
***
“The executives promised they wouldn’t reveal their secret,” Chika sighed as she sat down in the operator's room, on the bed.
“So there are more neighbours in Border than just Hyuse and the engineer?” Azuma asked with a pointed eyebrow, leaning against the door.
“And all are under Tamakoma's protection?” Ninomiya questioned further, as he sat down on the desk chair.
“All except one,” Chika confirmed.
“I think Kido is targeting your squad,” Azuma said, pondering upon his thoughts, “Why else would the special assignment be this?”
“He only wants me on the ship, he’s said that himself,” Chika said miserably, thinking about how Kido said she would join the away mission with or without her squadmates, “He doesn’t want to risk it with Hyuse.”
Ninomiya looked aside as if he had just realised something, “What if that elite agent set this all up?”
“Jin? Would he do that?” Chika questioned.
“Jin would absolutely do it if it meant it would benefit all of us,” Azuma confirmed, having seen firsthand just how far Jin would go for the greater good of all.
With that, the room fell into an uncomfortable silence as they waited, for what they didn’t know.
***
Hyuse sat down on the operator’s bed, twiddling his thumbs as he waited in the dark for something, a sign perhaps, of something he yet does not know. He fell down onto the bed with his arms spread out, mind void except for one person on his mind, the person behind all his recent suffering, the person who got him stuck on this forsaken planet, the person who, admittedly, brought him some relief in his life, in the form of Tamakoma-2 and all of Tamakoma Branch. He would never experience this homely life back in Aftokrator, he never once did. He would always cherish Yotaro’s wise teachings, Yuma’s partnership with him, Osamu’s shaky leadership and Chika growing into her role with him. And here they are, trusting him with the identities of all the Neighbours in Border. Even though he was part of the invasion, at least Tamakoma trusts him, HQ can go suck-
The computer hummed as it opened remotely and gained Hyuse’s attention. It started opening up an application with some sort of camera image on it, he’s been told before its known as Facetime.
Hyuse hurriedly scurried over to the desk and sat down on the chair, as the screen started a loading sign as if he would be joining a call. He decided not to touch anything, there were times where one has to ignore pride for sake of curiosity, and since Hyuse was alone, he could admit that he was curious as to where this could go.
***
10 individual windows popped up onto the screen, each except one showing the same background but with different people. Osamu could see Yuma and Utagawa-senpai from Kazama Squad, Chika with Ninomiya and Azuma and Hyuse all by himself. He could also see Tsuji and Inukai; Kikuchihara; Kodera and Kitora and the operator from Ninomiya Squad, a name Osamu couldn’t recall.
Osamu sighed in exasperation as the last screen showed the rest of Tamakoma shoving each other for space. Konami and Usami were fighting for their lives while Jin, Reiji, Rindo and Micheal naturally took up majority of the screen. Karasuma and Yuri could be seen from the corner, watching the carnage.
Jin took command of the the video call, “Hello everyone, its your elite agent here, Jin!” He flashed a pose like an idiot, “How has the last 7 days been treating you?”
“You can talk you know, all rules are disregarded during this call,” Reiji stated, crossing his arms.
Inukai grinned and leaned forward in his seat, “Tsuji-chan, Nino-san, how have you been, have you missed me yet??” he pouted as Tsuji deadpanned him.
“No,” Ninomiya shot back
“You’ve wounded me Captain.”
Osamu addressed his squad, “Are you guys doing okay?”
“Ninomiya is a great captain,” Chika confirmed, sandwiched in between Azuma and said captain in bid to be seen.
“Its been good here with Utagawa-senpai!! What about you Hyuse?” Yuma said duck faced as he and Utagawa stood in front of the screen.
Hyuse grunted, “I’m surrounded by idiots.”
“You tell the stupidest lies.”
“I’m not lying.”
“Hello you guys,” Usami had lost the war and currently strained her neck to be in view of the screen. Chika waved.
“Okay enough chatter, lets get into the real reason why were all here today,” when Jin said that, all conversation stopped.
“As you can see, there are only Tamakoma members here with you right now,” Rindo started, “Well that’s because this assignment is from us.”
Azuma asked the question burning in everyone’s mouth, "I’m sure everyone would like to know why? This is already causing people’s worlds to turn up side down.”
“That is something I would like to know too,” Hyuse said, his knuckles going crack, crack under the pressure of his fingers.
“You’re too hot headed,” drawled the next most hot headed person, Konami, as she popped up from where she was sitting on the floor, in defeat next to Usami. Everyone except her could see the irony in her statement.
“We were given permission to make a special assignment since we’re considered Old Border,” Reiji stated, “As per Border's old values, Tamakoma consists of those who have the intention of befriending Neighbours first and defending our home second.”
“This is a way for you guys to discuss just how similar Neighbours are to us,” Karasuma continued, “Neighbours might not live like us, but they still go about their lives in the own way, whether it be defending their land, or seeking to improve it.”
“We want you guys to understand, do not be prejudice towards Neighbours on the away mission, or even if you guys stay here. Yes they have done some wrong towards us here, but we can’t expect everyone in the neighbourhood to have hatred in their hearts. Remember, we're the guests,” Yuri finished off.
“Now Tamakoma-2 understand this, mainly because Tamakoma have Neighbours and HQ doesn’t, kinda,” Jin rambled on, “But the assignment for everyone else is can you not be racist towards Neighbours?” He smirked at the screen as he shut up and started eating his rice crackers.
"Where did you bring that from??" Kikuchihara questioned.
"Best not to ask," All of Tamakoma said together.