did everything right, she could prevent the next bombing entirely.
All of her actions now were based off of a simple suspicion, a feeling… But her team was behind her. If she was wrong, then nothing would happen and it would be a little wasted time. But, if she was right and did nothing, it would mean a lot of civilian deaths.
To her, it wasn’t even a choice.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Date: March 22, 2068
Time: 7:14 AM
Location: South Ashfield Hospital, Room 302
“Ayane, you look terrible!”
Ayane smiled wryly, looking at her friends as three of them entered the room. “Thanks, Yuri. I really needed that uplifting comment this morning!”
Her pink-haired friend put a hand to her lips. “Oops! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it!”
A more mature-looking woman with softly curled brown hair and intelligent green eyes passed by the younger girl. “Not even two steps into the room and your foot is in your mouth already. I’ve seen better starts, Yuri.”
“It’s not my fault, Mikoto!” Yuri huffed, her magenta eyes glaring at the thirty-year-old. “I was just making an observation.”
“No one’s surprised,” Kyo said, uselessly brushing his black bangs out of his eyes as he, too, stepped past Yuri and moved to lean against the wall.
Yuri sighed. “Am I the only one here who’s concerned for Ayane?!”
Ayane grinned. “Use your inside voice, Yuri. You don’t want to get thrown out again.”
Mikoto chuckled as she took a seat beside the bed. “Are you sure you want to warn her against that? I know it’d improve my mood.”
Ayane looked at her. “Why does your mood need improvement?”
“Well as it turns out, representing your company in court becomes a bit harder when they lie to you.”
“Oh, I can imagine. Does this mean you’re switching companies again?”
Mikoto sighed. “I’m not sure yet. Although it’d be nice to be with one that was relatively sane for once,” she said in a dry tone. “Still, it isn’t like there’s a shortage of companies looking for lawyers these days.”
“Especially good ones!” Yuri put in, hugging Mikoto from behind. “You should relax and stop worrying for once.”
Mikoto smiled and patted Yuri’s hand. “Thanks, I’ll try.”
Kyo put his hands in his pockets. “Maybe you could represent the company I work for.”
Mikoto narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him. “Why, what’d you do?”
“Hey, why do you automatically assume I did something?”
Ayane looked at Mikoto. “It’s alright, we’ll just watch the news and find out.”
“ One time I get on the new - two, two times I get on the news – and no one ever lets it go.”
“Two?” Yuri began counting on her fingers.
“Okay! Not important!” Kyo waved his hand. “Minor details, we don’t need to focus on them. Besides, it’s not like I’m causing things like that attack this morning.”
Mikoto sighed. “Ah, yes. That was a depressing start to the day.”
Ayane looked between them. “You guys saw that?”
“On the news, yes.” Mikoto looked at her. “You learned about it another way?”
Ayane nodded. “Katsumi’s leading the investigation.”
“Oh,” Mikoto sighed and squeezed her hand. “I’m sure she’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, they’re saying it looked kinda amateur,” Kyo added. “And I’ve never heard about your sis having trouble with amateurs.”
Ayane smiled. “Thanks. I hope you’re right, although from what I hear a lot of things about it don’t make sense. Not that I can say any more about it.”
“Conspiracy stuff?” Yuri tilted her head. “Is the government censoring you, Ayane? Ooh, can I do a story about it?!”
Mikoto rolled her eyes. “Put the reporter instincts away, Yu. Try to remember what ‘no’ means.”
“Oh, right… Sorry!”
Ayane smiled at her. “Yeah, I don’t think Sumi would appreciate my being an information leak.”
“Still,” Kyo put in, “it’d be pretty cool to know this stuff. You’re lucky for
All of her actions now were based off of a simple suspicion, a feeling… But her team was behind her. If she was wrong, then nothing would happen and it would be a little wasted time. But, if she was right and did nothing, it would mean a lot of civilian deaths.
To her, it wasn’t even a choice.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Date: March 22, 2068
Time: 7:14 AM
Location: South Ashfield Hospital, Room 302
“Ayane, you look terrible!”
Ayane smiled wryly, looking at her friends as three of them entered the room. “Thanks, Yuri. I really needed that uplifting comment this morning!”
Her pink-haired friend put a hand to her lips. “Oops! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it!”
A more mature-looking woman with softly curled brown hair and intelligent green eyes passed by the younger girl. “Not even two steps into the room and your foot is in your mouth already. I’ve seen better starts, Yuri.”
“It’s not my fault, Mikoto!” Yuri huffed, her magenta eyes glaring at the thirty-year-old. “I was just making an observation.”
“No one’s surprised,” Kyo said, uselessly brushing his black bangs out of his eyes as he, too, stepped past Yuri and moved to lean against the wall.
Yuri sighed. “Am I the only one here who’s concerned for Ayane?!”
Ayane grinned. “Use your inside voice, Yuri. You don’t want to get thrown out again.”
Mikoto chuckled as she took a seat beside the bed. “Are you sure you want to warn her against that? I know it’d improve my mood.”
Ayane looked at her. “Why does your mood need improvement?”
“Well as it turns out, representing your company in court becomes a bit harder when they lie to you.”
“Oh, I can imagine. Does this mean you’re switching companies again?”
Mikoto sighed. “I’m not sure yet. Although it’d be nice to be with one that was relatively sane for once,” she said in a dry tone. “Still, it isn’t like there’s a shortage of companies looking for lawyers these days.”
“Especially good ones!” Yuri put in, hugging Mikoto from behind. “You should relax and stop worrying for once.”
Mikoto smiled and patted Yuri’s hand. “Thanks, I’ll try.”
Kyo put his hands in his pockets. “Maybe you could represent the company I work for.”
Mikoto narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him. “Why, what’d you do?”
“Hey, why do you automatically assume I did something?”
Ayane looked at Mikoto. “It’s alright, we’ll just watch the news and find out.”
“ One time I get on the new - two, two times I get on the news – and no one ever lets it go.”
“Two?” Yuri began counting on her fingers.
“Okay! Not important!” Kyo waved his hand. “Minor details, we don’t need to focus on them. Besides, it’s not like I’m causing things like that attack this morning.”
Mikoto sighed. “Ah, yes. That was a depressing start to the day.”
Ayane looked between them. “You guys saw that?”
“On the news, yes.” Mikoto looked at her. “You learned about it another way?”
Ayane nodded. “Katsumi’s leading the investigation.”
“Oh,” Mikoto sighed and squeezed her hand. “I’m sure she’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, they’re saying it looked kinda amateur,” Kyo added. “And I’ve never heard about your sis having trouble with amateurs.”
Ayane smiled. “Thanks. I hope you’re right, although from what I hear a lot of things about it don’t make sense. Not that I can say any more about it.”
“Conspiracy stuff?” Yuri tilted her head. “Is the government censoring you, Ayane? Ooh, can I do a story about it?!”
Mikoto rolled her eyes. “Put the reporter instincts away, Yu. Try to remember what ‘no’ means.”
“Oh, right… Sorry!”
Ayane smiled at her. “Yeah, I don’t think Sumi would appreciate my being an information leak.”
“Still,” Kyo put in, “it’d be pretty cool to know this stuff. You’re lucky for
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