Sapphire II: Chapter 13

13. Marriage Attempt #2

After the debacle that was their first wedding attempt, Alec and Ivanka wanted their wedding to be as low-key as possible.  All the same, Alec could not help but try to invite Director 2 over.  Over the years in which Alec served him, the two had become great friends.  Director 2 had even given Alec plenty of counseling the time Ivanka was kidnapped.  Besides, Director 2 was about to attend the debriefing for the mission that had just taken place, so Alec thought that it should be no trouble for him to stay over a little longer.

Indeed it was not.  Alec called Director 2 just as he was packing for his short stay in Japan.  When asked to attend the wedding, he told Alec, "Yes, I'd be delighted.  And congratulations on another job well done, Agent Langley."

"Aw, thanks, Director, you've got me blushing.  Oh, but I have a favor to ask...  I let you hold onto the rings from that first wedding, am I right?"

"So you did.  I'll look for them before I set out."

"Thank you so much, Director.  See you tomorrow."

April 19th, 1982

Alec's level of anticipation for the coming wedding was astronomical, but sadly, he had to wait.  The official debriefing was to take place first, at Delta's Asian headquarters in Kyoto.  Alec arrived in the midmorning, insisting in bringing Ivanka with him to keep her safe, to which nobody objected.  They both sat down in a conference room, along with Director 2, Hajime, Japanese Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki, and the North Korean Premier Jong-Ok Li.  After a round of greetings, the Korean premier opened up the discussion by announcing, "I would like to start off by letting everyone know that Chairman Kim and I both maintain plausible deniability in this whole affair.  Neither of us have authorized this unprovoked attack on Japan."

"Is that so..." Director 2 mused out loud.  "I don't want to sound accusing, but would you happen to have any leads as to who led the attack?"  He secretly was sure that Boris Rubanenko was behind it all, but he wanted to see how much the premier knew.

"Yes," answered the premier.  "From the evidence we have gathered so far, we believe the attack was led by one of our own military leaders, General Kang.  However, might I remind you, he was acting without the permission of either myself or Chairman Kim."

Alec did not seem satisfied with this answer.  "Have you, by any chance, heard of a terrorist named Boris Rubanenko?"

"No--" the premier started to answer, only to have a sudden thought come to him.  "Actually, our intelligence reports that General Kang may have been working with this mister Rubanenko you mentioned.  Who is he, is he from the Soviet Army?"

Director 2 answered this question.  "He used to be a ranking officer for the Soviets, as a matter of fact.  Turns out it was all a cover, however.  A few years ago, we helped reveal to the Soviet government that he had intended to betray them.  He has no one's interests in mind except those of his own faction -- or rather, race.  You must take me seriously when I say this: Boris Rubanenko is a psychic, and he wishes to eliminate all non-psychic people from the face of this Earth."

The Japanese prime minister did not seem to comprehend what Director 2 had just told him.  "What kinds of psychics would you be talking about?" he asked with suspicion.

Alec put up a hand to Director 2 and spoke.  "These psychics I am talking about are no mere fortune tellers, gentlemen.  You can read the briefings that my Director has prepared, or you may ask another psychic who is in this room as we speak. I would like you to introduce you to Ivanka Rubanenko, Boris's sister and my fiancée.  And let me assure you that she is on our side."

Ivanka stepped forward and bowed for everyone, and then Alec led her around the table to shake everyone's hand and share some proper greetings.  "Prime Minister Suzuki, Miss Rubanenko.  ...Premier Li, Miss Rubanenko.  ...Director 2, Miss Rubanenko... although you've met before, I think I remember."  Once they went around the table, Alec pulled out a chair for Ivanka and gave her a pen.  He whispered to her, Do you think you could bend this pen for me?, and Ivanka nodded, picking up the pen.  After taking a deep, calming breath, she stared at the pen for a few seconds and, with the greatest of ease, bent it with telekinesis.  Everyone applauded her as she tossed the pen back to the middle of the table.

Once the applause died down, Alec explained to the two world leaders, "So now you know what we're dealing with -- only on a much, much larger scale.  Why, just a couple of years ago, he -- his organization, rather -- stole some nuclear warheads from East Germany, I think it was, maybe France, and threatened to attack major cities on both sides of the Iron Curtain.  No demands -- he was trying to create World War III.  And once one the fighting slowed down, his army of psychics would be poised to take over the world.  But he was stopped before he could launch the missiles, obviously, and you're looking at the two people who did just that.

"So anyway, just yesterday I helped foil yet another of his plans.  My squad defused a nuclear bomb set to detonate right here in Kyoto.  By the way," he asked to Hajime, "How did you find out how to defuse the bomb?"

"We sent a squad over to Sigma's office before you woke up that day.  The CEO, Artemis, was it?  Well, he cracked under pressure real easily.  He didn't know the details of the bomb himself, but he told us who to talk to -- which we did."

"Good for you.  Now, back to my story.  I didn't see Boris personally, but one of my colleagues was mind-controlled by him, so he can't be far away.  In fact, I have a strong hunch as to where he could be.  There's a place called the Yamazaki Buddhist temple and monastery.  That colleague I mentioned, well, I rescued her from that place a couple of days back, and we saw a whole division of weapons and forces, and they were all from North Korea.  So at the very least, if we don't find Boris, we should find your man, Premier Li."

"So what is it that you propose?" asked Premier Li.  "Do you want us to send in a unit to capture General Kang for you?"

"It would be nice of you to work with us.  That way he could be delivered to the proper authorities as quickly as possible."

"That would be difficult.  I wouldn't be able to dispatch a unit from Korea soon enough."

"You don't have to worry about that, sir.  I have a unit of my own we can send in.  Or rather, Hajime does."  To Hajime, Alec whispered, Do you think we could send in the ninja clan to invade the monastery?

Hajime nodded.  Pleased, Alec responded, Good.  We'll do it tonight.

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That evening, at a small shrine in Nara Park, the wedding of Alec Langley and Ivanka Rubanenko was about to re-commence.  Alec chose Director 2 as his best man, and was able to request Michiru Murasaki's presence as Ivanka's bridesmaid.  He also asked Prime Minister Suzuki and Premier Li to attend as guests of honor, but the Japanese leader had to head back to Tokyo on official business.  Hajime went to ask master Kusanagi if he and some other members of the ninja clan would attend the wedding as well, and he graciously accepted the offer.

Although the wedding was a Western-style affair, Alec and Ivanka had insisted on wearing traditional Japanese formalwear.  As Alec stepped out in his decorative black robe, he surveyed the beautiful scene.  Sakura and ume trees scattered their blossom petals everywhere like pink and white snow.  The setting sun added just the right tinge of orange to the scene.  The guests of honor seated themselves on the ground in front of the shrine, leaving a walkway for the bride.

A priest headed down the walkway first, followed by Alec and Director 2.  Ivanka and Michiru were a bit farther back in the procession.  The priest then stood in front of the shrine, with Alec and Ivanka facing each other right in front of him, and Director 2 and Michiru off to either side.  Alec finally had a chance to see what Ivanka had chosen to wear as a bridal gown: a very silky white kimono and a tall headdress that draped over her face like a sort of veil.  Her face was powdered white, resembling the makeup of a geisha woman.  Alec did not have much taste for her face powder, but apart from that he found her to be very, very beautiful.

The priest announced in English to all the guests, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to witness the union of Alec Langley and Ivanka Rubanenko in holy matrimony.  For reasons not explained to me --" Alec and Director 2 shared a smirk -- "I have been instructed to speed up the proceedings.  Thus, each person shall recite his or her own vows."

Alec spoke first, looking deep into Ivanka's veiled eyes and holding her hands.  "I, Alec Langley, take you, Ivanka Rubanenko, to be my wife, for better or worse, until death do we part."

Ivanka then repeated the vows to Alec.  "I, Ivanka Rubanenko, take you, Alec Langley, to be my husband, for better or worse, until death do we part."

Wasting no time, the priest intoned, "I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Langley.  You may now kiss the bride."  Brushing aside her veil, Alec embraced Ivanka tightly and shared an excited, passionate kiss with her.  The moment he had waited three years for was now at hand.

After what seemed like an eternity in each other's arms, Alec and Ivanka leaned away from one another to the sound of applause from everyone present at the wedding.  Director 2 proudly handed Alec the wedding ring he had asked for, and asked Premier Li to stand for a picture along with himself, Michiru, and the newlywed couple.  Hajime took the photograph as everyone stood up straight with proud smiles on their faces.

After the camera flashed and the shutter clicked, Premier Li went back to his seat as Ivanka held out a hand and conjured a drinking glass wrapped in cloth, which she placed on the floor and stepped on, saying, "Mazel tov."

"...What?  I didn't know you were Jewish!"

"Then I guess you've forgotten a lot over the past three years."

"And I can't wait to start refreshing my memory."  With a slight nod to Michiru, he said to everyone, "I think it's best we made like a ninja and vanished."

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Now a happily married couple, Alec and Ivanka Langley chose to celebrate their long-delayed wedding with a tour of Japan.  They planned on traveling from Osaka to Tokyo, exploring whatever cultural sights they could find out about.  As night fell on the first day of their honeymoon, the couple was looking for a place to stay and eventually settled on a ryokan inn in the suburbs of Kyoto for its rustic, intimate charm.

Upon entering the inn, Alec was able to book a room from the concierge with what little Japanese he knew.  Alec almost did a double take when he first heard how cheap the price of the room was -- he was not expecting anything under $100 a night -- but accepted it graciously.  The concierge asked if they were a newlywed couple, which he thought he could tell by the way Alec took his wife by the hand, and Alec responded positively.  "My congratulations to you two," the concierge replied before bowing and seeing himself out.

Alec led Ivanka into the room, put what little luggage they had aside and sighed, "Oh, I'm bushed, darling.  Being married is hard work," he added with a chuckle.  "I'll be taking a bath now."

"Sure, you do that," Ivanka replied with a nod.  "I'll just finish unpacking and I'll be with you in a minute."  Alec acknowledged this before disappearing into the bathroom.  In the bathroom, he found a boxy wooden tub, which to his surprise had been filled with hot water before he came, a stool above a drain, and some cotton robes neatly piled on a shelf in the corner.  Doing his best to remember Japanese bathing etiquette from what Michiru told him, he took off his clothes, filled a bowl with cold water from a faucet, and rinsed himself with it.  Only then could he enter the tub.  He removed the lid and got into the tub, sitting with his knees drawn to his chest and letting his shoulders fall below the water level.

Fifteen minutes passed before Alec, now beginning to feel refreshed, got out and started washing himself.  He got out of the tub, sat on the low stool and filled the bowl with water once again.  As he picked up the soap and started rubbing himself with it, he was startled when the door behind him suddenly opened.  But it was just Ivanka, dressed only in a light robe that had been left outside the bathroom.  "Ah, ah, ah," she interrupted, leaning on the doorway with a seductive look on her face.  "Washing yourself is a no-no in Japan... when somebody else can do it for you."  Now that she had Alec's full attention, she gently tugged on the sash of her robe and let it fall to the floor.  Her body shone in the moonlight that fell into the room from the slit-like windows high on one of the walls.

Alec playfully questioned this rule.  "Where did you hear that?  That's not what Michiru told me about bathing in Japan."

"Michiru?  Who's she?"

"That bridesmaid from the wedding."  After thinking for a moment, he gave a possible explanation.  "Perhaps she knew I might see you again, so she didn't want us to be together so often."  Ivanka said nothing, but nodded as she took the soap out of Alec's hands and began to wash him, starting with his back.  "But we can forget about her.  The important thing is, I got to you before she did, so we can follow our own rules."

After she was done washing Alec's back, Ivanka continued on his chest.  As she washed him from behind, as if in an embrace, she kissed him under his ear and softly inquired, "By the way, about that girl... you didn't happen to sleep with her, did you?  Don't worry, love, I won't get upset if you say you did."

"Actually... we started to, one night.  I still had hopes that I would see you again, so I told Michiru to take it slowly.  But it didn't even matter -- we were rudely interrupted by another ninja.  Michiru's ex-boyfriend, as it happened.  We got some information out of him, so it all worked out in the end."

"Thank you... thank you for holding on to that hope."

"And that's not even the half of what I can do for you," Alec teased as he finished washing Ivanka and kissed the back of her neck.  Together they stepped into the tub and, after struggling with its small space, started to embrace.  But as Alec leaned in to kiss her again, she drew back sharply, sloshing some water out of the tub.  "Honey, what's wrong?" he asked her softly, but she would not answer.  She merely brought a hand up to her mouth and hyperventilated, until eventually breaking down into tears.  Alec did nothing to stop her as she ran out of the bathroom, but stayed in the tub, brooding over his bad luck.

When Alec finally got out of the tub, Ivanka had already left the bathroom.  He slipped on one of the robes in the corner and got out to look for her.  At first there was no sign of her anywhere in the bedroom, but when he saw a long lump under the covers of the futon bed, he pulled them back a little, down to her shoulders.  For the most part, she had stopped crying, but her face was stained with tears and a sob escaped from her every once in a while.  Laying down beside her, he caressed her along her hips and asked softly, "It's okay, Ivanka darling.  Would you like to tell me what's been troubling you?"  Ivanka did not respond, so Alec added, "You can tell me anything.  I'll still love you."

Gradually losing her fear, Ivanka sighed and began to tell the story of exactly what happened.  "You see, Alec, it happened when I was a captive at Boris's harem, not even a year ago.  One day, I just got fed up with all the advances everyone made on me, being used by them...  I got most of the girls together and we organized a revolt.  A lot of people got hurt on both sides.  We were beating them down... until Boris came.  He just... used his power to fight back...  He completely overwhelmed us, single-handedly.  All the girls were punished harshly, from what I heard, but as for me...  I think I got it worst of all.  I was put into a room without any clothes on, my arms and legs were chained...  I'm sorry, I can't go on, I just can't!"

Alec understood the rest of the story without needed to be told it.  More than likely Boris, or some other of his men, had her way with Ivanka.  No doubt the experience was a traumatic one.  "I'm sorry to hear that," he told her empathetically.  By the way, something's gotten my curiosity...  Were you able to use your powers while you were cooped up in that harem?"

Unable to speak at first, Ivanka merely shook her head.  When she got up her courage once again, she answered, "Boris placed some psychic wards on me to keep me from using any powers of my own.  I was able to break them through meditation from time to time.  Sure, he would just place another one on me, but it wouldn't last.  I just made him angrier and angrier..."

Sensing Ivanka relapsing into sadness once more, Alec told her, "Well, if you were able to break one of Boris's spells anyway, you deserve a pat on the back!  With your help, I may be able to defeat him yet.  Wouldn't you like that?"

Alec's little pep talk began to work wonders on Ivanka's morale.  "Why... yes!  Nothing would give me more pleasure, Alec.  Except maybe..."

"Right.  Now, we both know I want him dead, too, but I've got to ask you this.  Are you sure you'll be okay with killing your own brother?  I want you to think hard before you answer."

Ivanka mused on this prospect for just a brief moment.  "I still remember all that he taught me about using my psychic powers, but the way he did it, all that abuse...  Yes.  I think it would be best."

"That's the spirit.  Of course, I'm not just in it to make you happy, you know.  He's a threat to world security, so I wouldn't have taken 'no' for an answer."  This made Ivanka giggle a bit.  "There, now there's the laugh I've been waiting for!"  Then, with a heavy heart, Alec told her, "I have to go now, so I can finish the job.  When I meet with my... allies, I'll send someone to watch over you.  I promise, all the bad times you've dealt with are dead and gone."  As he kissed his new bride and walked out the door to face his destiny, Ivanka fell fast asleep and, for the first time in her life, felt truly safe.