075 - Reunion

[JasonPaul]

Miwan arrived in Harrison, Ohio in a semi with Yue the Mesian priestess and Khali the Mystic riding shotgun. Blue and Red were brought along as well, at Michael Wight's request, although they were relegated to riding in the trailer. What she saw when she arrived was quite a sight. A large contingent of One Nation and Ohio soldiers were each stationed at their own camps (and surprisingly not trying to kill each other). For all appearances, Wight appeared to be true to his word.

"They really are trying to stop this war," Miwan said.

"That or one side is trying to set the other up," Khali remarked.

Miwan sighed at her friend's remarks. "Always the pessimist."

They parked at city hall, where Wight said he would be waiting. However, Wight was not at the front door. Miwan reasoned that he must be inside. She got out with Yue and Khali in tow.

"What about Red and Bl...I mean Blue and Red?" Yue asked.

"Let them stay in there for a while," Miwan replied. "It ought to teach them not to pull knives on people they don't know."

Inside, they found the place mostly empty. However, from another room they could hear people talking.

"Well, I squared everything away with Reynolds," spoke one voice. "I don't know how much damage was undone, but it looks like Ohio isn't going to go after New Belexes."

"Well, that's something anyway," spoke a second voice. Khali immediately winced upon hearing it. Miwan noticed this and questioned what was wrong.

"I know that voice," Khali hissed.

Miwan's ears perked up a bit at this. Out of curiosity, she opened the door and found Andrew Lizar and Anwyn Ganymede in an office discussing matters. Andrew and Anwyn, caught off guard, blinked at Miwan out of confusion.

"Miwan?" Andrew asked, after a few seconds of silence. Her appearance changed a bit since he last saw her, but he'd never forget an old face.

"Andrew?" Miwan replied.

Once the confusion wore off, Miwan quickly entered the room and hugged Andrew tightly. "Andrew! It's so good to see you again!"

Andrew was just as happy to see Miwan, who'd vanished for the last six months looking for Akira. "It's good to see you too. You really need to stop disappearing like that, you know. You're getting as bad as Akira."

"Sorry, sorry," Miwan said as she let go of Andrew. "I've been from South Africa to Alaska to Sweden to Japan to Ohio and back looking for him."

"Any luck?" Andrew asked, hoping to hear some news of his friend.

Miwan shook her head. "Nothing. I found this in Alaska, though." She pointed out the gold crucifix necklace that she wore.

"That's Akira's!" Anwyn exclaimed.

"Yeah, I found it at an old Global Harmony Movement compound where our old 'friend' Volg Stalin was hiding out."

Andrew winced. "Please tell me that freak is out of the picture."

Miwan just smiled and said, "Unless he's some kind of mutant who can reattach his torso to his body, he won't be bothering anyone anymore."

"Good to hear," Andrew said with a sigh of relief.

"But what do you think Akira was doing there?" Anwyn asked. "Aside from, of course, getting rid of Righteous' leftover thugs."

Miwan shrugged her shoulders. "Apparently a large number of Kendou and Mesia felinefolk were interned there. We found none when we got there, though." Miwan pointed to the Mesian priestess who entered the room and bowed politely to Andrew and Anwyn. "This is Yue Ling of the Mesia tribe," Miwan said. "I met her in Alaska. She helped me in raiding the GHM compound and she's helping me find Akira."

"It's good to meet you," Yue said with a smile. "Miwan has spoken favorably of both of you."

After Andrew and Anwyn exchanged greetings with the priestess, Anwyn spoke again. "And what's she doing here?" he asked, pointing towards the Mystic witch standing in the doorway with a look of disinterest on her face. "Did she get tired of watching from the box seats or something?"

"I asked for her help in looking for Akira," Miwan answered. "She's an excellent clairvoyant, but she hasn't had any luck, unfortunately."

"And she agreed to help?" Andrew asked, genuinely surprised, considering that Khali had long blamed Akira for Soljin's death, and had a rather unfriendly history with him.

"I have my reasons," Khali interjected. "Can we leave it at that?"

"Fair enough," Andrew replied. He then turned to Miwan. "So what are you doing here anyway?"

"Some guy named Michael Wight said he had information on Akira's whereabouts," Miwan answered.

"Are you serious?" Andrew asked with a look of shock on his face. Finding Akira was almost as important to Andrew as it was to Miwan, but his duties as UN president prevented him from looking for his friend himself. "He's upstairs if you want to meet him."

"Thanks," Miwan said. "He's agreed to give me the information in exchange for sending a couple of his cats home."

"That's a strange request," Anwyn remarked.

"They call themselves Blue and Red," Miwan replied.

Andrew interrupted. "Wait a sec. Black leather? One with glasses? Kendou tribe?"

"Well, they're not Kendou, but everything else checks out. You've met them?"

"They helped us deal with a couple of mages," Anwyn replied. "How do you know them?"

"They tried to jump me."

"It was really all a big misunderstanding," Yue added.

"Well, let's find out what Mr. Wight has," Miwan said, leaving the room.

"I'll come with you," Andrew replied. "I'd to know what he's got too. That and I'd like to know what he hired Blue and Red for in the first place."

***

Miwan and Andrew entered the room where Michael Wight was working from. Blue and Red were with them, without their weapons. Aside from Red's glasses now being held together with masking tape a la the Hanson boys, they were none the worse for wear.

"I brought your cats back, 'Big Daddy'" Miwan said. "Now, your end of the deal?"

"Right," Wight said. "I'm having it delivered here as quick as possible."

"It?" Andrew asked.

"Data's internal hard drive," Wight answered. "it has something very interesting on it."

"Mafioso's Data?" Andrew asked.

"The very same."

"Why don't you just tell us what it is?" Miwan asked impatiently.

Wight sighed and spoke in an ominous tone. "I think it best if you see this with your own eyes..."