Soul Drive: Ignition

Chapter 18: A Pawn

Hiro's heart pounded in his chest as he burst from the guestroom, his face flushed with a mix of fear and determination. Yutaka looked up from the small table where he was tinkering with a piece of machinery, startled by Hiro's sudden entrance.

"Yutaka!" Hiro gasped, struggling to catch his breath. "The Canadian government has Kimiko! They plan to kill her once they figure out what she knows about Machs!"

"Slow down, Hiro," Yutaka said, setting down his tools and giving his full attention to the young man before him. "How did you discover this?"

"Osamu," Hiro replied, still panting. "He's a Canadian agent I made an alliance with. He tipped me off about Kimiko's capture."

Yutaka's eyes darkened in skepticism. "And you trust this Osamu? This sounds like a trap to me, Hiro. You know as well as I do that we cannot trust anyone except for each other. That agent's orders would be to kill all enemy Mach users, including you."

Hiro's mind raced, considering Yutaka's words. The older man could be right – walking into the Embassy would likely lead to his demise. But the alternative, leaving Kimiko to die, was unthinkable. Hiro clenched his fists, his resolve hardening.

"I have to risk it, Yutaka," Hiro insisted, his eyes pleading. "Kimiko's life is at stake."

"Kimiko isn't your friend," Yutaka countered, bitterness tinging his words. "She just wants power like everyone else."

"But I can save her," Hiro replied, his voice firm yet laced with desperation.

Yutaka stared at Hiro for a moment, then sighed, releasing his own tension. "Go on, then. Just... be careful, alright?" As Hiro turned to leave, Yutaka added, "I swear, you better make it back in one piece, or I'll never forgive you."

Hiro offered a small smile before dashing out the door, his thoughts consumed by the dangerous mission ahead.

-----

The crisp edges of the contract pressed into Prime Minister Mamoru's hands as his secretary handed it to him, her eyes downcast in a practiced display of deference. The sterile lighting of the office cast stark shadows on the official emblem embossed at the top of the document – an unwelcome reminder of the United Nations' interference in Japan's affairs.

"Thank you," Mamoru muttered, his voice barely audible. With a nod, his secretary retreated, leaving him alone with the weighty decision before him.

As he began to read through the contract, frustration bubbled within him. Termination of the Mach project and surrender of all its assets – how could they demand such a sacrifice after all his country had invested? He felt the warmth of indignation spread throughout his chest as his grip tightened around the pen in his hand.

"Is there any way out?" Mamoru mused aloud, his mind racing with possibilities. A loophole, perhaps, that would allow them to retain some part of the program?

His eyes scanned the pages with renewed focus, searching for anything that might offer hope. As he reached the section regarding the destruction of the Machs, a slow smile crept across his face.

"Interesting... very interesting," he murmured. The contract said nothing about how the Machs were to be destroyed, only that it needed to happen by year's end. This could be the opportunity he'd been looking for – a chance to bring the Canadians and the rest of the world to their knees, to demonstrate the true power of the Machs.

With a newfound sense of resolve, Mamoru signed the contract, each stroke of his pen deliberate and resolute. He called his secretary back and handed the documents to her as she re-entered the room.