Chapter 18: One Small Step For Man:
Shibuya Underground – WildCAT Café:
The popular café in Shibuya, Japan was as crowded as usual today. As if none of the people around him could sense the rising tension while the battles to come drew nearer with each passing day. The young man – who wasn’t young at all but still preferred to look like it – smiled at the sight. It was a ray of hope in these dark times that despite all the conflict and change occurring from here to the Keyblade Graveyard, life still went on as close to normal as possible. But that couldn’t go on forever. Between the exposure of the magical community, the Inhumans coming out of hiding, and the Daybreak Coalition revealing itself to the people of Earth, the World was on the brink of a new age. One way or another, the next few days would decide the planet’s fate and shape the course of its future.
He was looked up at the sound of a bell ringing at the front of the coffee shop to find a woman in black who he hadn’t expected to see within a million years. Glancing over at the counter to confirm that Sanae was busy helping another customer, he quickly waved the newcomer over. While Mr. H would respect his privacy, he didn’t want to take any chances. Even through his altered form, the fallen angel could tell who he was, and despite his promise to stay out of his way, the man was known to barge into a conversation at the most inappropriate moments, and he didn’t want Hanekoma to overhear anything other than general embarrassment.
“Agent Romanov,†he greeted suspiciously. While he bore no ill will towards his old friend he had no idea if this visit was supposed to be as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, an Avenger, or as herself. While he had not encountered her in her current incarnation, he knew enough of her past to recognize the look in her eyes as she sat down across the table.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it, J?†she replied in fluent Japanese as she took her seat. “Don’t worry about H overhearing. I cast a silence spell around our table. Noboby can hear us except each other.â€
“As much as I’ve missed talking to you,†the angelic being answered. “I have to ask. Why are you here?†Natasha groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.
“A thousand years later and you’re just as cynical I am,†she whispered regretfully. “Can’t a girl bother to check and see how her ex is doing? We’re about to go to war with the entire Legion but checking on the Game isn’t exactly a priority right now, Kiryu.†Joshua sighed. She always called him by his last name whenever she was stressed. Even after a thousand years apart he still remembered that.
“Says the master assassin working for an international government organization who’d never leave me alone if the existence of the Reaper’s Game was ever made public,†he retorted teasingly. He’d missed this banter between the two of them. The two immortals had met when their paths crossed on assignment out near Israel. Natasha had been stationed at the local Unchained outpost at the time, and Joshua was travelling the world with his mentor training in preparation for his eventual role as the Composer for the Shibuya Underground. They had become fast friends from there, and they’d even dated a few times over the next few decades, before ultimately deciding that they were better as friends. Since then, they’d developed more of a brother and sister dynamic before Josh’s promotion to Composer required him to stay in Japan full-time.
“Touche,†the international spy conceded with a smirk as she sat down. “So how are you holding up? Anyone other immortal girls grab your eye lately? Or guys? I know a few S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who swing both ways. â€
“No, No,†Josh replied with a chuckle. “You know me. Eternally single. Congratulations on you and the Winter Solider, by the way. I’m happy for you two.â€
“Thank you,†Natasha responded. “I’d have invited you to the wedding, but I don’t think inviting the ex would have gone over well with the groom, even if it had been two thousand years since we broke up. Besides, if you’d showed up looking like you usually do, someone would have tried to press charges.†Joshua Kiryu laughed at the joke. As a being of the higher planes, he could take any form he chose, yet everyone was always surprised that he was most comfortable in the body of a teenager. And since he used that form almost exclusively, someone would have inevitably jumped to the wrong conclusions if he’d shown up at his ex girlfriend’s wedding as a sixteen year old.
“How are things over at S.H.I.E.L.D.?†he asked. “Or do even celestial beings need security clearance?†Natasha laughed, loudly and genuinely. There were only two people on Earth who could make her laugh. She’d married one, and the other was sitting right in front of her.
“Unfortunately, yes,†she answered, still giggling. “Although given the fact that the S.A.C.K.’s getting into the ring with us for the next few fights, I expect we’ll be seeing each other around a lot more.†Joshua glanced around, nervous about meeting her gaze.
“Actually…†the angel replied slowly. “I’m… going to sit this one out.â€
“Like hell you are!†Black Widow snapped. “Josh, your friends are about to go into battle against Dark Elves, the Hellfire Club and the full might of the Unchained Legion… I know Sakuraba helped you get out of your funk but are you still so jaded that you’d just abandon them to die like that!?†The rebuke stung, although given his previous attitude she did have a point. He had spared Shibuya despite winning the bet all those years ago, but undoing millennia of jaded cynicism didn’t happen overnight. He’d been better about being more optimistic about the future of humanity, but there still the occasional bad days where he was tempted to slip back into old habits. This was not one of those days, however.
“That’s not it!†he retorted. “Orders came from Up Top to let things play out.†Natasha nodded her head in understanding. Her knowledge of the Higher Planes was limited, but she did understand that when Josh or another angel were ordered not to do something, they were bound by their oat of service to obey, personal feelings on the matter be damned.
“Right,†she finished as she put a supportive hand on her old friend’s soulder. “Forgot that angels weren’t allowed to interfere when free will was part of the equation. I’m sorry you can’t help. I remember how you got the last time that happened.†The last time the angel had been barred from interfering, he’d been torn up inside having to watch an innocent man die and being unable to do anything about it. The despair and helplessness he’d felt then had been the catalyst for the path that drove him to trying to destroy Shibuya in the first place. He’d gotten into a boat load of trouble with his superiors after those three weeks, but thankfully his mistakes weren’t enough to get him Fallen like Hanekoma.
But that’ll never happen again, he promised to himself as he looked up into his old friend’s eyes. I’ve come too far to slip back into the dark. But there was something in Natasha’s eyes that said she wouldn’t be fighting either. And he had a pretty good idea as to why.
“Yeah,†he replied. “If it weren’t for that I’d be right there on the front lines with all of you. But something tells me you won’t be out there either. I can feel it too. Everyone in the Higher Planes can. The Unchained are getting ready to make their play for the Gauntlet. And since you and the former Huntsgirl know more about them than anyone, you’re hanging back from the conflict with the Hellfire Club to get everyone ready for when the Legion makes its move.â€
“Spot on as usual,†she answered with a solemn look on her face. “We’re keeping a portion of S.H.I.E.L.D. and S.A.C.K.’s forces in reserve so we can start making preparations. Bucky’s just disappointed I won’t be flying out with him tomorrow night.†A buzz in her pocket alerted her to an incoming phone call, likely one of her colleagues trying to get in touch with her regarding the imminent attack on the Hellfire Club’s last stronghold. “Sorry, J. Wish we could hang out and chat some more, but I gotta take this and get back to planning. I’ll have to invite you to Avengers HQ sometime, assuming that we don’t all wind up dead or erased from existence.â€
“Good luck, Nat,†Josh called out as the undercover superhero stood up and slipped out of the coffee shop so quietly that nobody except Sanae Hanekoma noticed her leave. Josh sighed as the fallen angel fixed him with a curious glance. He was not going to enjoy discussing his love life with the coffee shop owner.
The Moon – Hellfire Club Compound; The Next Day:
Thanks to unrestricted access to technology from Atlantis, S.H.I.E.L.D., and the Global Justice Network, the Society of Advanced Cultural Knowledge had managed to construct a fully armed and operational Orbital Helicarrier to protect the Earth from external threats. When Earth became a full time member of the Galactic Federation, the O.H.C. was kept hidden from view behind Earth’s moon and kept cloaked almost constantly. Once the Society came out of hiding and revealed their presence to the world, the spacecraft carrier was quickly pressed into service serving as an orbital launch pad for operations in the ongoing war against the Hellfire Club and the Unchained Legion.
Now, the carrier glided through the space between Earth and its only moon. When constructing her lunar compound, Maleficent had placed it on the near side of the moon, so that the sun’s radiation would discourage transport up to the moon except during the times when the Earth was between the moon and the sun. Because of this, the attack on the Hellfire Club stronghold would have to be carefully timed. Fortunately, the days lined up and they were only three days away from a full moon. So all they had to do was fly up at night when the Moon was closes to the Earth and strike while the compound was exposed.
As the Orbital Helicarrier approached the lunar surface, spaceships of all makes, models, shapes, and sizes swarmed out of the larger craft’s hangars and dove towards the tall metallic spires of the base. While they had originally hoped to strike and take the Hellfire Club by surprise, the situation now was even better. While Maleficent and Malekith launched their respective invasions of Asgard, Demona had slipped into the command center of the dark fairy’s lair and destroyed the compound’s cloaking systems. This left Maleficent’s loyalists wide open as Malekith and his remaining allies laid siege to the iron citadel.
The element of surprise was no longer necessary. With the two factions busy fighting each other, all they had to do was hit everyone while they were distracted with their own petty power struggles and things would proceed much more smoothly. The atmosphere inside the dropships ferrying strike teams down to the surface was so thick it would take a battle axe to cut through it. As the troop carriers began their landing sequences, long triangular pods were flung down to the surface from the Helicarrier, where they implanted themselves in the lunar soil on impact before unfolding to reveal fully active DCNs. Inside one of the lead troop ships, Sora leaned over and kissed his fiancé one last time for luck as the doors opened and the strike teams charged into battle.
Explosions filled the airless sky around them as the combined forces charged into battle while Coalition Gummi Ships and Earth space fighters clashed with Dark Elf and Lorwardian spacecraft overhead. Moon rocks and lunar dust burst into the air as lasers and spell fire shot back and forth across the battlefield. Despite the distance from Earth and Asgard, Thor managed to call down a massive bolt of lightning that fried Hellfire and Dark Elf troops alike. Beside him, the Hulk launched himself into the air and began to cause as much chaos as possible. Dr. Banner’s green-skinned alter ego leaped from space ship to spaceship before rocketing back down to the ground and throwing enemy combatants around like Loki back in 2012.
Meanwhile Iron man circled the battlefield, firing lasers, missiles, and repulsor blasts at enemy forces both above and below. Captain American hurled his shield at an oncoming Dark Elf before leaping up in the moon’s lighter gravity to catch it as it drifted back towards him. Hawkeye found a high point on the iron tower and began firing arrows into the crowd of villains. Falcon weaved his way around the battlefield while Scarlet Witch flung the bad guys in every direction. Quicksilver continued to dispatch the enemy forces with super-speed punches while War Machine flew around with Iron Man. Coalition troops stayed outside to guard the entrances and keep anyone from escaping while Loki and Vanitas tore through the enemy ranks.
As all of this was happening, the second strike team finished regrouping in the entrance hall of the lunar fortress. Sora did a head count to make sure that they had everyone assigned to this part of the mission. Ant-Man, Wasp, Kim and Ron, Stitch, Black Panther, Violet, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, and the rest of their team sounded off on the comms before he turned to Riku and nodded. It was time to do this. Once everyone was ready, the second strike team charged into the base, ready to end this once and for all.
So yeah, I came up with the idea of a conversation between Joshua from TWEWY and one of the good guy Unchained at the last minute, covering topics ranging from immortality to why Josh and the other denizens of the higher realms aren’t getting involved in the conflict. And one thing led to another and I concocted the idea of Black Widow and Josh being old friends. I figured that because of the whole immortality thing, the Unchained and other immortal beings in the KH universe would have a relatively smaller dating pool to choose from.
The angels not being allowed to interfere with free will thing is a reference to the Dresden Files. Anyway, this is it. The final battle of KH 5 has begun. There will be no epilogue for this fic because I want to leave you all in suspense after the cliffhanger ending I’ve got planned. But I will be doing a sort of sneak peak trailer for KH6 to tide you over while I work on Cloak and Dagger.
Shibuya Underground – WildCAT Café:
The popular café in Shibuya, Japan was as crowded as usual today. As if none of the people around him could sense the rising tension while the battles to come drew nearer with each passing day. The young man – who wasn’t young at all but still preferred to look like it – smiled at the sight. It was a ray of hope in these dark times that despite all the conflict and change occurring from here to the Keyblade Graveyard, life still went on as close to normal as possible. But that couldn’t go on forever. Between the exposure of the magical community, the Inhumans coming out of hiding, and the Daybreak Coalition revealing itself to the people of Earth, the World was on the brink of a new age. One way or another, the next few days would decide the planet’s fate and shape the course of its future.
He was looked up at the sound of a bell ringing at the front of the coffee shop to find a woman in black who he hadn’t expected to see within a million years. Glancing over at the counter to confirm that Sanae was busy helping another customer, he quickly waved the newcomer over. While Mr. H would respect his privacy, he didn’t want to take any chances. Even through his altered form, the fallen angel could tell who he was, and despite his promise to stay out of his way, the man was known to barge into a conversation at the most inappropriate moments, and he didn’t want Hanekoma to overhear anything other than general embarrassment.
“Agent Romanov,†he greeted suspiciously. While he bore no ill will towards his old friend he had no idea if this visit was supposed to be as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, an Avenger, or as herself. While he had not encountered her in her current incarnation, he knew enough of her past to recognize the look in her eyes as she sat down across the table.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it, J?†she replied in fluent Japanese as she took her seat. “Don’t worry about H overhearing. I cast a silence spell around our table. Noboby can hear us except each other.â€
“As much as I’ve missed talking to you,†the angelic being answered. “I have to ask. Why are you here?†Natasha groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.
“A thousand years later and you’re just as cynical I am,†she whispered regretfully. “Can’t a girl bother to check and see how her ex is doing? We’re about to go to war with the entire Legion but checking on the Game isn’t exactly a priority right now, Kiryu.†Joshua sighed. She always called him by his last name whenever she was stressed. Even after a thousand years apart he still remembered that.
“Says the master assassin working for an international government organization who’d never leave me alone if the existence of the Reaper’s Game was ever made public,†he retorted teasingly. He’d missed this banter between the two of them. The two immortals had met when their paths crossed on assignment out near Israel. Natasha had been stationed at the local Unchained outpost at the time, and Joshua was travelling the world with his mentor training in preparation for his eventual role as the Composer for the Shibuya Underground. They had become fast friends from there, and they’d even dated a few times over the next few decades, before ultimately deciding that they were better as friends. Since then, they’d developed more of a brother and sister dynamic before Josh’s promotion to Composer required him to stay in Japan full-time.
“Touche,†the international spy conceded with a smirk as she sat down. “So how are you holding up? Anyone other immortal girls grab your eye lately? Or guys? I know a few S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who swing both ways. â€
“No, No,†Josh replied with a chuckle. “You know me. Eternally single. Congratulations on you and the Winter Solider, by the way. I’m happy for you two.â€
“Thank you,†Natasha responded. “I’d have invited you to the wedding, but I don’t think inviting the ex would have gone over well with the groom, even if it had been two thousand years since we broke up. Besides, if you’d showed up looking like you usually do, someone would have tried to press charges.†Joshua Kiryu laughed at the joke. As a being of the higher planes, he could take any form he chose, yet everyone was always surprised that he was most comfortable in the body of a teenager. And since he used that form almost exclusively, someone would have inevitably jumped to the wrong conclusions if he’d shown up at his ex girlfriend’s wedding as a sixteen year old.
“How are things over at S.H.I.E.L.D.?†he asked. “Or do even celestial beings need security clearance?†Natasha laughed, loudly and genuinely. There were only two people on Earth who could make her laugh. She’d married one, and the other was sitting right in front of her.
“Unfortunately, yes,†she answered, still giggling. “Although given the fact that the S.A.C.K.’s getting into the ring with us for the next few fights, I expect we’ll be seeing each other around a lot more.†Joshua glanced around, nervous about meeting her gaze.
“Actually…†the angel replied slowly. “I’m… going to sit this one out.â€
“Like hell you are!†Black Widow snapped. “Josh, your friends are about to go into battle against Dark Elves, the Hellfire Club and the full might of the Unchained Legion… I know Sakuraba helped you get out of your funk but are you still so jaded that you’d just abandon them to die like that!?†The rebuke stung, although given his previous attitude she did have a point. He had spared Shibuya despite winning the bet all those years ago, but undoing millennia of jaded cynicism didn’t happen overnight. He’d been better about being more optimistic about the future of humanity, but there still the occasional bad days where he was tempted to slip back into old habits. This was not one of those days, however.
“That’s not it!†he retorted. “Orders came from Up Top to let things play out.†Natasha nodded her head in understanding. Her knowledge of the Higher Planes was limited, but she did understand that when Josh or another angel were ordered not to do something, they were bound by their oat of service to obey, personal feelings on the matter be damned.
“Right,†she finished as she put a supportive hand on her old friend’s soulder. “Forgot that angels weren’t allowed to interfere when free will was part of the equation. I’m sorry you can’t help. I remember how you got the last time that happened.†The last time the angel had been barred from interfering, he’d been torn up inside having to watch an innocent man die and being unable to do anything about it. The despair and helplessness he’d felt then had been the catalyst for the path that drove him to trying to destroy Shibuya in the first place. He’d gotten into a boat load of trouble with his superiors after those three weeks, but thankfully his mistakes weren’t enough to get him Fallen like Hanekoma.
But that’ll never happen again, he promised to himself as he looked up into his old friend’s eyes. I’ve come too far to slip back into the dark. But there was something in Natasha’s eyes that said she wouldn’t be fighting either. And he had a pretty good idea as to why.
“Yeah,†he replied. “If it weren’t for that I’d be right there on the front lines with all of you. But something tells me you won’t be out there either. I can feel it too. Everyone in the Higher Planes can. The Unchained are getting ready to make their play for the Gauntlet. And since you and the former Huntsgirl know more about them than anyone, you’re hanging back from the conflict with the Hellfire Club to get everyone ready for when the Legion makes its move.â€
“Spot on as usual,†she answered with a solemn look on her face. “We’re keeping a portion of S.H.I.E.L.D. and S.A.C.K.’s forces in reserve so we can start making preparations. Bucky’s just disappointed I won’t be flying out with him tomorrow night.†A buzz in her pocket alerted her to an incoming phone call, likely one of her colleagues trying to get in touch with her regarding the imminent attack on the Hellfire Club’s last stronghold. “Sorry, J. Wish we could hang out and chat some more, but I gotta take this and get back to planning. I’ll have to invite you to Avengers HQ sometime, assuming that we don’t all wind up dead or erased from existence.â€
“Good luck, Nat,†Josh called out as the undercover superhero stood up and slipped out of the coffee shop so quietly that nobody except Sanae Hanekoma noticed her leave. Josh sighed as the fallen angel fixed him with a curious glance. He was not going to enjoy discussing his love life with the coffee shop owner.
The Moon – Hellfire Club Compound; The Next Day:
Thanks to unrestricted access to technology from Atlantis, S.H.I.E.L.D., and the Global Justice Network, the Society of Advanced Cultural Knowledge had managed to construct a fully armed and operational Orbital Helicarrier to protect the Earth from external threats. When Earth became a full time member of the Galactic Federation, the O.H.C. was kept hidden from view behind Earth’s moon and kept cloaked almost constantly. Once the Society came out of hiding and revealed their presence to the world, the spacecraft carrier was quickly pressed into service serving as an orbital launch pad for operations in the ongoing war against the Hellfire Club and the Unchained Legion.
Now, the carrier glided through the space between Earth and its only moon. When constructing her lunar compound, Maleficent had placed it on the near side of the moon, so that the sun’s radiation would discourage transport up to the moon except during the times when the Earth was between the moon and the sun. Because of this, the attack on the Hellfire Club stronghold would have to be carefully timed. Fortunately, the days lined up and they were only three days away from a full moon. So all they had to do was fly up at night when the Moon was closes to the Earth and strike while the compound was exposed.
As the Orbital Helicarrier approached the lunar surface, spaceships of all makes, models, shapes, and sizes swarmed out of the larger craft’s hangars and dove towards the tall metallic spires of the base. While they had originally hoped to strike and take the Hellfire Club by surprise, the situation now was even better. While Maleficent and Malekith launched their respective invasions of Asgard, Demona had slipped into the command center of the dark fairy’s lair and destroyed the compound’s cloaking systems. This left Maleficent’s loyalists wide open as Malekith and his remaining allies laid siege to the iron citadel.
The element of surprise was no longer necessary. With the two factions busy fighting each other, all they had to do was hit everyone while they were distracted with their own petty power struggles and things would proceed much more smoothly. The atmosphere inside the dropships ferrying strike teams down to the surface was so thick it would take a battle axe to cut through it. As the troop carriers began their landing sequences, long triangular pods were flung down to the surface from the Helicarrier, where they implanted themselves in the lunar soil on impact before unfolding to reveal fully active DCNs. Inside one of the lead troop ships, Sora leaned over and kissed his fiancé one last time for luck as the doors opened and the strike teams charged into battle.
Explosions filled the airless sky around them as the combined forces charged into battle while Coalition Gummi Ships and Earth space fighters clashed with Dark Elf and Lorwardian spacecraft overhead. Moon rocks and lunar dust burst into the air as lasers and spell fire shot back and forth across the battlefield. Despite the distance from Earth and Asgard, Thor managed to call down a massive bolt of lightning that fried Hellfire and Dark Elf troops alike. Beside him, the Hulk launched himself into the air and began to cause as much chaos as possible. Dr. Banner’s green-skinned alter ego leaped from space ship to spaceship before rocketing back down to the ground and throwing enemy combatants around like Loki back in 2012.
Meanwhile Iron man circled the battlefield, firing lasers, missiles, and repulsor blasts at enemy forces both above and below. Captain American hurled his shield at an oncoming Dark Elf before leaping up in the moon’s lighter gravity to catch it as it drifted back towards him. Hawkeye found a high point on the iron tower and began firing arrows into the crowd of villains. Falcon weaved his way around the battlefield while Scarlet Witch flung the bad guys in every direction. Quicksilver continued to dispatch the enemy forces with super-speed punches while War Machine flew around with Iron Man. Coalition troops stayed outside to guard the entrances and keep anyone from escaping while Loki and Vanitas tore through the enemy ranks.
As all of this was happening, the second strike team finished regrouping in the entrance hall of the lunar fortress. Sora did a head count to make sure that they had everyone assigned to this part of the mission. Ant-Man, Wasp, Kim and Ron, Stitch, Black Panther, Violet, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, and the rest of their team sounded off on the comms before he turned to Riku and nodded. It was time to do this. Once everyone was ready, the second strike team charged into the base, ready to end this once and for all.
So yeah, I came up with the idea of a conversation between Joshua from TWEWY and one of the good guy Unchained at the last minute, covering topics ranging from immortality to why Josh and the other denizens of the higher realms aren’t getting involved in the conflict. And one thing led to another and I concocted the idea of Black Widow and Josh being old friends. I figured that because of the whole immortality thing, the Unchained and other immortal beings in the KH universe would have a relatively smaller dating pool to choose from.
The angels not being allowed to interfere with free will thing is a reference to the Dresden Files. Anyway, this is it. The final battle of KH 5 has begun. There will be no epilogue for this fic because I want to leave you all in suspense after the cliffhanger ending I’ve got planned. But I will be doing a sort of sneak peak trailer for KH6 to tide you over while I work on Cloak and Dagger.
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