Friends In High Places
A shot at Patlabor fanfic writing by Xelan
<xelan@linainverse.com>-<http://www.xelan.cjb.net>
(Certain characters copyright Masami Yuki / Headgear / Shogakukan,
as all fans well know. Original characters (if any) belong to me.
No copyright infringement intended. Remember: suing people is a bad
thing.) ^_^
This will most likely stay a one-shot story.
---------------
At the Labor Special Training Facility 48 miles from New York
---------------
In a dimly lit room, a beautiful woman with long dark hair sat behind
a desk in a plush-covered chair. A manila folder rested upon her legs,
but the woman paid little attention to the evaluation reports. After
all, she had written them. All that was left was to file them away.
She had filed hundreds of reports just this year alone. There was no
reason to postpone such an insignificant task, but something was
stopping her. A feeling of melancholy had settled over her and now had
her firmly in its grips. The feeling wasn't exactly new to her. She
had experienced feeling exactly like this off and on for her entire
life. Every time she recovered and every time she had a period of
youthful exuberance that followed. This time she wasn't so sure that
she was going to recover. Everything around her - every part of her
life was just routine - boring. So what if she had been placed in
charge of this Spec. Ops. training facility. She was trying to teach
snot-nosed brats what it had taken her almost ten years of intense
real-life labor combat to learn. They thought they knew everything,
and when they failed to measure up to her expectations, they laughed
it off. She strongly began to suspect that she would not be sane when
the time came for her to begin active patrol in Manhattan again.
Kanuka probably would have kept feeling sorry for herself, if not for
a helpful phone that at that moment decided to ring. She lifted the
receiver and brought it to her ear.
"Hello? Oh! It's you! I've been wondering what happened to you since
you got married," she said.
A heartfelt smile spread across her face. She had been meaning to give
her a call, but her mind had been feeling a bit fuzzy lately. She
shook her head slightly to clear it and began a spirited conversation.
Considering that it wasn't very often that the only person in the
world who had ever defeated her in fair labor combat was on the other
end, the choice of topic, labors, was to be expected.
"So, how is Alphonse holding up?" she asked with genuine interest.
"And for that matter, how's your husband? I imagine that Asuma is
still running Shinohara Heavy Industries?"
They discussed the latest news on all their old friends from the SV2,
Ohta in particular. It was only when The Question came up. "Isn't this
call costing you a fortune? I mean calling all the way from Japan
costs kilos of yen. You're calling from where?! You decided to spend
your honeymoon here, in New York! I can't believe it. Why didn't you
let me know you were coming?"
At that moment, an idea began to form.
"Listen, I know that you must miss not being able to take Alphonse out
for a drive whenever you want to, and I've been having a bit of a
problem with my students - one in particular. I think it's time we two
old friends hold a reunion of sorts and teach my students a lesson in
humility. We use training-type Zeros, but we still have a few Ingrams
around that we keep in fair condition. Since I'm base commander for
now, I'll arrange a visiting VIP pass for you. It shouldn't be a
problem; after all, I can't just say 'no' to Mrs. Shinohara - Vice-
President of Labor Production and Sales for Shinohara Heavy
Industries, now can I?" a chuckle escaped her mouth and what could be
construed as a giggle could be heard coming from the phone receiver.
Tommorrow would be interesting.
---------------
The Next Morning after Morning Exercises
---------------
"ALL RIGHT!" boomed Kanuka through the speakers in her type Zero. "I'm
very disappointed in your performance. I've known first year cadets
that can handle a labor better!"
Jeers of laughter erupted after her venting of anger. If she had been
in Japan, she would never have lost her cool, but here, among her own
people, she wasn't faring as well. Maybe it was because she had been
trying so hard to make the Japanese see her at her very best, and not
some coward whose family had left the mother country because they
couldn't cut it. And she'd done it. She had reached heights that
almost no one in Japan could ever hope to match, she had been
instrumental in creating a person who could best even her in Labor to
Labor Combat. It was almost ironic that the first and only pilot to
best her would soon solve both her problems. Relief from boredom and
help in teaching her students a valuable lesson.
A long black Mercedes pulled up at the front gate. A short woman with
red hair stepped carefully out of the passenger compartment. She was
wearing a black and white jumpsuit and had a pair of green tinted
sunglasses on. Upon spotting the inactive labors, she began to walk
toward the lead labor.
Kanuka opened the hatch of her Type Zero and stepped out, intent on
meeting her special guest halfway. When they met, hugs were exchanged.
When the trainees activated their labor's sensors, it became apparent
that they were both speaking Japanese. They couldn't make any of it
out, except for the occasional English word that strayed into the
conversation. When they finished, Kanuka went back to her Labor and
the mysterious redhead jogged toward the maintenance hanger. That was
the most peculiar thing about it: the students couldn't understand why
someone who was so obviously important would spend time in a dinky old
aircraft hangar that was only used to house old labors and spare
parts?
Kanuka spent a few minutes running checks on her labor and then set it
to standby mode. She hopped down off of it and addressed her students.
"Listen up everyone! Mrs. Shinohara from Japan has come to determine
how effectively we are using her company's Labors. The information
gained here will be used to create Shinohara Heavy Industries newest
Labor, the Vulcan." Kanuka cleared her throat and continued speaking,
while pointing at three specific labors. It was no coincidence that
the three labor pilots in the three chosen labors were the three worst
troublemakers of all.
"The three people that I have selected, have been selected for their
'unique' approaches to labor piloting. They are to engage Mrs.
Shinohara, who will be fighting in one of the AV-98 Ingrams that we
have been keeping in storage. This will be a no holds barred, all-out,
free for all. I want none of you to hold back at all. No weapons will
be allowed, except for the inherent capabilities of each labor. The
objective is to incapacitate your opponent."
As Kanuka finished describing the match, the same grin that she had
flashed only a day before was starting to show once more. As the
students digested this new development, several labor entrance hatches
began to open. All three of the chosen labors' hatches opened as well.
Hand after hand went up. All were intent on asking a question that
they obviously felt was very urgent, judging from the way their hands
waved to and fro.
Kanuka called on the pilot closest to her.
"Yes? What is it?" she asked in a bemused tone.
"Well, Instructor... are you sure it's all right for us to be ganging
up on one little girl in an outdated labor? I mean, she is a vice-
president of Shinohara Heavy Industries, and the wife of the company
president. What if something happens to her?" he bowed his head
slightly as if unsure whether he had said the right thing.
This was exactly as Kanuka had expected. In a way she was actually
relieved. At least her motley crew of students still showed basic
concern for their fellow man or in this case woman. Now if only they
could get rid of the attitude and lack of respect. 'Oh well...' she
thought.
"Don't worry. Though Mrs. Shinohara may not look very challenging, but
she gave me a run for my money the very first time I competed against
her when I visited Japan. She can handle a labor better than anyone
here," she paused with a tiny bit of reservation. It had been hard for
her to admit that she wasn't the undisputed best. Her reputation as
the best was the only thing that got her lazy students to respect her.
It was safe to say that her students had taken it for granted that
Kanuka had included herself in that statement.
At that moment, Noa Shinohara (If you didn't figure it out, shame on
you) emerged from the inky black depths of the old maintenance hangar.
The labor she was riding in still looked as good as the day they had
retired it from active duty, the day when the first shipment of Type
Zero labors had arrived. Kanuka's eyes surveyed her monitor and
finally came to rest on the upper torso of the Ingram. The name
painted on the chest of the labor had been chosen specifically by
Kanuka herself. A sort of tribute for the only pilot to ever beat her
in a fair fight. In large black letters and accompanied by the
Katakana for the same, it spelled out clearly, Alphonse II. Noa must
be having the time of her life.
Alphonse II started out at a brisk run toward the assembled labors,
only to stop a few meters in front of Kanuka's Zero. Alphonse just
stood there, as if awaiting a sign to signal the beginning of some
grand party.
Kanuka addressed her students one more time.
"Alright. Mrs. Shinohara has just informed me that she expects this
will be an easy win. Not because she expects you to go easy on her,
but because she believes you don't know how to use your labors
properly. Those of you who weren't chosen to participate, back up to a
safe distance and enjoy the show. The rest of you... prepare to fight
- GO!!"
And with that simple one syllable word, the match (or possibly
slaughter) began.
---------------
Twenty-Five Minutes Later
---------------
Silence reigned across the exercise yard. There was absolutely no
movement, because the only labor standing was Alphonse II. The rest of
the labors were lying scattered across the yard. The first had been
taken down when the cab had been ripped from its frame, the second by
a quick jab to the processor, and the third had had its arms ripped
off in a modified full nelson. They had been no match at all for Noa's
superior reaction time, tactics, and experience. The fact that she
regularly used an AV-98 Ingram at home helped as well. A quick kick to
the torso had sent the last remaining arm-less Zero flying and left
Noa the indisputable winner of this little exercise.
Kanuka chuckled a little at the sight of the three cockiest of her
students hopelessly overwhelmed by a young woman that only minutes
earlier they had been worried about hurting. To top it all off, that
same women had done it using a model of labor that was technologically
inferior to their own in almost every way. Kanuka had a feeling that
they wouldn't be so hasty to judge a book by its cover again, and if
her guess was right, they wouldn't rest until they could at least land
a punch on Noa's labor. All in all, Kanuka guessed that they might be
at Noa's level in 9-10 years, if they really pushed themselves.
After calling in the repair crew to attend to the fallen Zeros, Kanuka
and Noa both headed toward Kanuka's office. Kanuka had been saving a
bottle of good sake for a special occasion, and if this didn't
qualify, Kanuka wasn't sure what would. They also had to make a call
to Asuma back in New York, Noa had suggested that Shinohara Heavy
Industries provide the replacement parts for the damaged Zeros as
thanks for allowing Noa to blow off some steam. As Kanuka stepped
through the doorframe, she had one last extremely pleasing thought,
"It's nice to have friends in high places."
The End
Author's Notes:
Thanks for reading my first official Patlabor fic. I want to
especially thank David A. Tatum. Since he is one of, if not the most
well-known Patlabor Fiction writers. I was greatly influenced by his
work. His fic, "Patlabor: On the Run" was my inspiration for this. He
also managed the FFML-R while the FFML was on hiatus. Now, if only he
would update his own page more often. ;)
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