Fugitive

Hiroto Nagasaki, the High-Ranking Official of The Eclipse Agancy, paced around the control room with his hands clasped behind his back. His usual calm and collected demeanor was replaced by a brooding intensity as he contemplated the betrayal by one of their most powerful assets. 

"I did not anticipate this, Kaze was our trump card.

Daichi Fujimoto, positioned at the circular table, concurred with a nod. "Indeed, Sir. However, our current priority is to halt his progress."

"Yes, now that our most dangerous Anomaly is out there. The implications of this are...severe, to say the least." Hiroto said. 

He turned to look at Rin Asakura, who was gnawing on her nails. A wide, unsettling grin was plastered across her face, her mind clearly elsewhere as Hiroto addressed her. 

"Rin! Have you been listening to a word I've said?" he snapped.

She blinked rapidly and shifted in her seat. "Oh yes, of course! Kazu's betrayal is truly shocking news. I can't believe he would turn his back on us like that after everything The Bureau's done for him." she said sarcastically

Despite her words, her voice rang hollow. In her mind, all she could think about was seeing Kaze again. How she missed him so much already. She needed to find a way to track him down, no matter what it took. The thrill of the hunt made her heart race with exhilaration.

Hiroto studied her with doubt for a moment before continuing. "We need to approach this situation cautiously. Kaze possesses knowledge of our operations that could be catastrophic in the wrong hands. Our first priority is to locate him before he has a chance to disappear or share classified intel." 

He turned his attention to the other two people seated at the table. "Sora Yamamoto, Mei Tanaka, I want you both analyzing recent surveillance footage to identify any clues as to where Kaze may have fled. We also need to shore up security across all our facilities in case he attempts to break in and access our systems."

The two A-Rank enforcers nodded without a word, already pulling up files on their sleek tablets. Sora Yamamoto's face was an unreadable mask as usual, his thoughts impossible to discern. Mei Tanaka wore a troubled expression, her brows furrowed in concern over the entire situation.

"Finding Kaze needs to be handled with the utmost care," Mei said hesitantly. "Despite his actions, he doesn't necessarily pose an immediate threat. Perhaps if we just tried to reason with him first..."

"Absolutely not!" Hiroto interjected. "He is a traitor and needs to be treated as such. You would do well not to sympathize with the enemy." 

Mei shrank back in her seat, chastised. She disagreed with Hiroto's characterization of Kaze but knew better than to press the issue. Sora glanced over at her, a flicker of understanding passing between them before they both returned their focus to the task at hand.

"Trust me, Kaze will be dealt with harshly for his betrayal," Hiroto assured them, his voice low and stern. "When we find him, I have...special methods planned to ensure he divulges everything he knows. His days of defying The Bureau are over."

A heavy silence settled over the chamber as the weight of his words sank in. Apprehending the powerful Anomaly would be no simple feat, but failure was not an option. The Eclipse Bureau would leverage their full resources to hunt down Kaze Jūryoku, no matter where his betrayal took him.

Kaze stared out the jet's window that he stole from the C rank enforcers, watching the world shrink below them. The clouds rolled past, obscuring the ground and its troubles. Up here, there was only endless blue sky.

A peal of laughter drew his attention back inside the cabin. Usagi was bounding about, leaping from seat to seat in childish glee. Kaze frowned, the boy's carefree joy grating on his frayed nerves. Didn't he understand the gravity of their situation? That they were fugitives now, cut off from everything they'd ever known?

"Sit down," Kaze snapped, harsher than he intended.

Usagi froze, eyes wide. He sank back into the plush leather seat, subdued.

Kaze sighed, regretting his tone. He was on edge, the weight of their predicament bearing down. This jet, their temporary sanctuary, could become a trap if their escape was discovered.

"Where are your parents?" he asked, attempting to distract the boy.

Usagi's face clouded. He shrank into himself, avoiding Kaze's gaze. Alarm bells rang in Kaze's mind. There was a story here, and a painful one. He waited, watching emotions play across the boy's face.

"They're gone," Usagi finally whispered.

"What happened?" Kaze prodded gently.

The words spilled out in a rush. "There was a storm. I didn't mean to, but I made it happen. Mama and Papa..." His voice broke.

Understanding dawned, cold and heavy in Kaze's gut. Usagi's weather powers, linked to his emotions. A tragic accident, one this child would carry forever.

Kaze saw himself reflected in those grief-stricken eyes. He too had lost his parents young, their deaths entwined with the emergence of his own anomalous abilities. Trauma had unlocked something within him, a wellspring of power governed by emotion rather than reason. Power he couldn't control.

"What you did wasn't your fault," Kaze said slowly. "Our...gifts...can be as much a curse. I understand how it feels, Usagi. More than you know."

The boy searched his face, a spark of connection lighting his eyes. In that moment, Kaze saw the potential for a profound bond, one that could anchor them both. He would protect this child, guide him where no one had done so for Kaze himself.

"Do you have any other family?" he asked.

"An uncle. Mom's brother. His name's Kaito."

Kaze went very still. That name cracked open the door to his past, releasing ghosts long kept at bay. Kaito Shinsei. A lead scientist for The Eclipse Bureau, and a man Kaze had many reasons to despise.

Unbidden, the memories flooded in. Needles piercing his skin, drugs pumping through his veins, all under Kaito's clinical gaze. Sessions in windowless rooms where Kaze's body and mind were pushed to the brink, triggering his abilities in explosions of uncontrolled power. And Kaito's voice, dispassionate as he ordered more tests, more treatments, all in the name of progress.

Kaze came back to the present, breathing hard. His hands had curled into fists, knuckles white. That name had awakened a cold fury and a visceral need for closure. What better way to achieve both than to confront one of his former tormentors?

Kaze crossed the cabin and rifled through a stash of stolen data pads. As an Enforcer, he knew how to crack The Bureau's encryptions. He bypassed firewalls until personnel files spilled across the screen. A few more taps and he had it—Kaito Shinsei's location.

Kaze smiled then, a sharp, feral grin devoid of warmth. He plotted their new course and sent it to the jet's autopilot.

When he returned to Usagi, the boy eyed him warily. "We're going to see my uncle?"

"Yes," Kaze said simply. No need to burden the child with the truth. Not yet.

He held Usagi's gaze, hoping the boy saw the resolve there. They would confront this specter from their pasts.

Kaze settled back in his seat as the jet adjusted course. He watched the horizon, steeling himself for the trial to come. The hum of the engines soothed him, a reminder they now controlled their own fates.