"All right," Shinobu Nagumo, captain of Police Special Vehicle Section 2, Division 1 addressed her team, "we're having a tech team from Shinohara Heavy Industries in to go over the Labors. I expect full cooperation from the staff and officers." "Yes sir," was chorused back, the men and women saluting. Shinobu smiled slightly, her black hair neatly tied back. "The techs will be familiar to some of you," she added, "give them a warm welcome." With that she headed back to her office, smiling as she noticed her friend lingering within. Kiichi Goto smiled slightly, the almost sleepy looking captain of Division 2 sitting casually at his desk. "You know," Goto noted, "I'm almost looking forward to seeing them." "I never thought either of them would leave," Shinobu noted. "For a bird to fly, it must first leave the nest," Goto noted. He paused, "I understand they've done pretty well, too." "I'm glad for them," Shinobu noted as she sat down at her desk. "Personally though, they've not done so well," Goto added. Shinobu looked at him with barely concealed amusement. "I still find it surprising how much you keep informed," she noted. "They are my people," Goto noted, "I keep an eye on them." "Hmm," Shinobu murmured, turning to her paperwork once more. Treacherously, the thought teased the corner of her mind, ‘I wonder what it'll be like, seeing her again?' "So, who do you think the techs are?" One of the maintenance men asked their chief as they worked on one of the massive Labors, "Officers who moved on to the technical side?" "Maybe," Shigeo Shiba pushed up his cap, the chief shrugging as he sat back on the gantry leaning up against the Labor's mid-section, "but hopefully they'll know what..." He trailed off as a jeep arrived and a young woman climbed out. "What?" the young man blinked at his boss. "Noa!" Shigeo cried out as he clambered down the ladder and ran across the hanger and over to her side. Noa Izumi laughed as the taller man hugged her, other old timers gathering around to exchange greetings. "It's good to see you," the redish brown haired woman said, dressed in a simple white and black jump suit. "Damn, you're the one working for Shinohara Heavy Industries?" Shiego asked, looking down at her in surprise. "Hey, I'm pretty good at this stuff," Noa said as she took a offical id badge out of her pocket and clipped it to her clothes. She dropped her voice, "Heard about Ohta?" "Instructor at the police academy," Shiego nodded, "I'm sure they'll be turning out lots of little Ohtas any day now." "And isn't THAT a scary thought," Noa agreed. She smiled, "Hate to cut this short, but I should check in." "Want to bet he knows you're coming," Shiego nodded as he stepped aside. Noa smiled wryly as she went by, "I'm not that foolish." Noa found herself retracing her steps up to that office by memory, moving through the buildings with the ease of old familiarity. She hesitated at the door a moment then knocked firmly, comforted by the old wood beneath her knuckles. "Come," Goto called and Noa entered, looking around before fixing her eyes on her old captain. Goto hadn't changed much, still a thin man in a orange and white uniform shirt and blue pants, his eyes half closed and face largely unmarked by age. "Noa Izumi, reporting," Noa smiled slightly as she threw a picture perfect salute. Goto chuckled softly, "No need to do that." "It's good to see you, sir," Noa said with a smile, hugging the man and actually getting a startled look from his normally calm face. Shinobu fought back a chuckle, watching as Noa pulled back from the taller man. "It's nice to see you've done so well," she noted. "Ma'am," Noa nodded to her respectfully, "I'm doing all right." Shinobu felt a surprising quiver within her at meeting the younger woman's eyes, a unusual falling sensation. Deciding it might be safer to stick to business she said, "So, what can we expect from you?" "With the rest of my team we'll be examining the labors mechanical systems and how they relate to the new operating system," Noa said, "as well as confirming reports from your own pilots and mechanics." "Fascinating," Goto noted blandly. "I get the fun job," Noa's eyes twinkled, "in addition to supervising many of the tech boys I'll be test piloting the Labors." "Will Asuma be assisting you?" Shinobu felt compelled to ask. "No," Noa hesitated a moment, "we don't work together anymore, not since we broke up." Her cellphone rang out into the silence, "Excuse me." "Well, well," Goto murmured so softly only Shinobu could hear. Noa closed up her phone, "Looks like my team's arrived, I'd better get to work." She bowed slightly, "Excuse me." "Good luck," Goto nodded as she headed out. Shinobu frowned, "I'm sorry to hear about her and Asuma." "Me, too," Goto conceded, "though maybe it's for the best." "Oh?" Shinobu gave him a look but Goto just smiled. Over the next few days Shinobu found herself working closely with Noa, possibly more closely than when they served together as officers and quickly found herself coming to certain conclusions. Firstly, Noa was as capable in her own way as Shinobu, she was just less obvious about it. Secondly, Noa easily commanded the respect of her crew, despite her informality, rather unlike Shinobu. Three... well. Three, Noa was even cuter than she had been when Shinobu first noticed her, years ago. Blushing faintly Shinobu made herself confront that thought. Despite romantically sparring with Goto for years, not to mention the abortive fling with a married man years ago, she still found herself feeling uncomfortably drawn to Noa. In fact, if she was going to be honest, she had been attracted to the boyish young woman way back then, too. "So," Goto calmly asked her once she was done confessing to him, "what are you going to do about it now?" "You're taking this awfully well," Shinobu noted. "I know you pretty well," Goto noted, "and we're friends. I'd like to see you happier, if that's possible." "Thanks," Shinobu smiled slightly. "So, are you going to ask her out?" Goto asked. "WHAT?" Shinobu blurted.
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