"It is unfortunate that Dr. Namahs didn't reveal who he had placed the implants into last year, but two days ago our spies found out who, and also where, the person is hiding." "What do you want me to do?" "Kill him…" ***** Akisame began working his way up to the lady, he knew something wasn't quite right, "Nac...this is weird...what do I do?" [[It looks like she's asleep, let's try not to wake her up first of all.]] Suddenly she began to stir, simultaneously Nac and Akisame both said "Too late." ***** A block from the Tendo Dojo stood a person dressed all in black. Black overcoat. Black hat. Black shoes. Black scarf, wrapped around their face. *This must be the place...* As the person approached the Dojo's entrance, they noticed two people standing in the door. *Ok, I'm guessing the first is the one, and the other...* A sharp pain came to their head. They dropped to their knees and held their head. |*| Don't' do this... |*| *Who are you?* The person ran behind a bush and held their head tightly. |*| I know you're better than this... |*| *Get out of my head...* The voice was somehow familiar. Like someone they've known all their life. Like an old friend. But they couldn't place the voice. |*| Don't let Umbrella do this to you. Break free of their grip. You can do it! It is possible! |*| "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" the person screamed at the top of their lungs. ***** "What the...?" Akisame turned his attention away from the woman at the door and ran into the street. He looked up and down the road, yet saw nothing. "Hey Nac? You hear something? Sounded like someone was yelling..." he scratched his head, looking around in confusion, "...I don't see anyone though." [[I wouldn't worry about it, this is a strange place. People yelling and screaming all over, you couldn't even get to the Dojo without something weird happening.]] Akisame shrugged, "I guess your right, can't be anything I haven't seen...I can't stop thinking about that last tournament..." [[I'll agree with you there, something is definitely going on.]] ***** |*| If you wish for me to go, then I will... |*| As the voice said this, it started to fade away until it eventually went away. *Get a grip...now you're hearing things. They said different things might happen to me in the next five years. I guess that was one thing...* The person stood up and looked out from the bush to see if anyone heard them. *No one around...* The person started walking toward the Tendo Dojo once more. ***** Akisame replayed a few scenes he remembered from the tournament. People and creatures flying around, debris falling from the sky like rain, spectators running and screaming, "I'm gonna need to ask some questions when that guy from the tent gets back...I haven't seen him since. What did he say his name was? Eh...I can't remember, ah well I'll run into him sooner or later." [[So what about our large friend at the door?]] "I think...hmm...I think I'll leave her be. I'm still hungry though, better catch a bite at the eatery..." he dug into his pockets until he came up with a small drawstring pouch. He looked into it and seemed a bit disappointed, "I also gotta find a way to get more money, won't be long till I've got nothing left." He closed his pouch tightly and slipped it back into the folds of his pants. ***** *Good. Now that he's alone, I'll just have to follow him until he's alone, then lead him to the other factory...* As the target walked away, the person followed close behind. ***** "Man...I wonder how long it's been since the last time I've eaten." said Akisame as he turned and began to walk down the road to the local eatery. [[What you need is a watch.]] "Hmm..." Akisame looked down as he walked, absently brushing all of the dust off of his shoulders and vest. He began whipping his head back and forth, sending his beads clanking together, trying to shake the dust out of his braids, "Gah...I gotta take a shower when I get back as well." [[Good idea.]] ***** *How long is this guy going to take? I guess here's as good a place as any...* The person stepped out of the shadows and spoke up. "Hello there..." the person said, standing right behind Akisame. ***** "Eh?" said Akisame, turning around to meet the person. He watched as they took off their hat and scarf, revealing a female face bearing a striking resemblance to Ukyou, with bright brown eyes and long brown hair. Something was different though, she dressed in all black. Akisame suddenly became embarrassed in the current state he was in, "Uh...hi" he said quickly and extended his right arm to shake hands, then he noticed his hand was also covered in dirt, he quickly drew it back scratching his head, "Eheh..heh...I'm Akisame...didn't I see you around before? Like in the audience at the tournament?" The woman smiled slightly, "That's not important, what IS important however, is a bit of a job that I have for you..." "Oh..." Akisame began trying to wipe his hands off on his pants, "A job? What kind of job?". ***** The person began to take off her gloves, one finger at a time. "A job that pays..." she said as she put away one glove in her coat. "Ever hear of Umbrella?" she said, starting to take off the other glove, one finger at a time. ***** Akisame thought for a moment, "No...Umbrella is some kinda business or something?" [[You mean your actually going to get a job?]] "Shut up" Akisame said to himself, quickly he noticed he said it out loud, "Err...no! I mean...I'm not telling you to shut up...I just talk to myself sometimes, heh heh..." [[You think you'd learn by now.]] *Shut up!* Akisame thought to himself. [[Better.]] He brought himself onto the main subject, "Anyways...what's it pay?" ***** *This guy's more screwed in the head than Weber said...This'll be easy...Men can't resist a pretty face...* "Enough to last you for years..." she said, putting her other glove away. "Umbrella is a pharmaceutical company. All you need to do is break into their factory in Kawasaki and retrieve the ingredients for their next line of flu pills." As she said this, she unbuttoned the overcoat. ***** "Oh...a pharmaceutical company...whoa.." Akisame continued, "But...one question, why do you want to break into it? I mean I'm no business expert, but I just figured to myself 'what's the point of breaking into one of your own factories?' ya know? Don't you just use a key or something?" [[I'm surprised you missed the old 'why me?' question.]] "Good idea.." He said to himself again. [[You're breaking records of idiocy here...are you nervous around this girl?]] Akisame was just about to slap himself on the forehead, "I mean...I think it would be a good idea to ask, why me?" ***** She smiled at the dope. She never seen anyone trip over their words as much as this one. "I work for a competitor company which will remain nameless for the time being. This formula will provide my company with the information to put Umbrella out of business for good. All you need to do is walk in the front door, stop the one security guard, break into one of the labs, avoid the infrared, and download the information to a floppy. All you have to do is simply that. Just that, for twenty-five percent of the profits from this pill. It may not seem like much, but we have location all across the globe." She pause for a minute, catching her breath. "What do you say?" ***** *Ahha...see, she's smiling at me.* Akisame said to Nac in his head. [[She's trying to contain her laughter.]] *Shut up.* Akisame went over the plan, "Ok..g.o front door, get past guard, break into one of the labs, the infrared part sounds tricky...but I know plenty about computers." *Loser.* [[Spaz.]] "But the money...I need to see some of it up front, ya know, just for an insurance type of deal." ***** "Ah, yes. Money. Money rules all. Well, here's a _small_ amount up front..." she said reaching into one of the coat pockets and pulling out an envelope. Smiling once more, she handed the envelope to Akisame. "There's one million in American dollars in there. That should be adequate enough for now..." ***** Akisame almost choked as he was handed the envelope, "Whoa hoo...consider it done! Oh yeah...um...do you got a map to get to this place?" ***** *Idiot...* "Yes, I have a map right here..." she said, pulling out a map of Kawasaki. "You do know where Kawasaki is, don't you? Anyway, once you get the job done, you can meet me at this restaurant I saw a little way down the road that serves...um...Japanese Pizza..." ***** "Yeah...I know just were it is..." he said somewhat unsure of himself as he received the map. [[Lair.]] *Bah, c'mon...which way am I facing?* [[North East.]] *Ok, so I just follow the map, how hard can it be?* Akisame's eyes followed the path he would take on the map, setting his course, "Ok...so I guess I'll see you at the Japanese Pizza place, right?" ***** *This is too easy...* "See you then..." she said, turning around and flicking her hair up and letting it drop as she walked to a nearby car. ***** Akisame watched as she left, then looked back at the map, "Alright now...let's see...if I'm facing North East then this place should be..." he took a moment to position himself with the map, "this way." He rolled the map in one hand and began running down the street, "It's a good thing we're meeting at a Japanese Pizza place...man I'm starving. On the plus side however, we got enough money to last us for quite a while, and I won't have to worry about making the payments to Nabiki." [[Seemingly your right...but something seems wrong about this.]] "Nah, you worry too much, that's all." After some time he finally arrived at a large building, he took a second to look back at the map, "this must be the place..." he said, walking toward the front door, "I remember she said there'd be a guard too..." ***** "Sir, he just left. He must be half way across Tokyo by now...Yes, I double-checked to make sure the trap was set. Everyone knows what to do..." After a few seconds of talking with Weber, she put away the cellular phone. ***** Akisame looked at the door in front of him, simple and glass, "Heh...gotta love this pharmaceutical business." quickly his PETs laced themselves around his hands and he formed 1 talon on his left index finger. He then drew a circle on the glass and simply removed the piece he had cut, allowing him to step inside. Just as he got through the door a guard stood in front of him, shining a flashlight in his face, "Hold it right there...". Akisame began, "I...ya see I just um...ah the hell with it" he gave up trying to give a reason for his intrusion, bolted forward and cracked the guard in the jaw with his fist, sending him tumbling to the floor. [[Wow...you're a real master of deception. You didn't kill the guy did you?]] "Shut up, I just knocked him out, he's fine. Now then...I gotta find this pill." [[Remember she spoke of inferred as well, they've probably got a nice security system around here.]] Akisame looked down the hall he was met with, doors lining each side, "I guess you're right...they certainly didn't invest much in the whole security guard system." [[I'm activating the infrared detection system on your BLADES.]] "Fire um up..." Akisame said. Quickly a light flashed in front of his eyes, blinding him for a moment. When his vision returned, he could plainly make out the steams of color that the human eye was never meant to see. As he glanced down, he saw the floor lined with infrared censors, one of which he was almost stepping on. "Yikes..." ***** She drove down the highway to the little town of Kawasaki. Why Umbrella had set up a factory there was unknown to her. *But I must do this...or I'll never remember...* Finally she came to the outskirts of Kawasaki. She could see the factory in the distance. "He's probably seen the inferred by now..." she said to herself. *Wonder when they're going to unleash the hunters...?* "Damn...other...how...could he...do that...to me!?" A figure stepped out onto the road back to Nerima. "And...those other...people...with him! They...were...too powerful!" The figure forced each word out. He was in more pain than ever before. He did think he could feel worse than at the tournament, but he was wrong. "I...need...hostages!" "Ah, there's our friend now!" Far below the ground in a secret room in the Kawasaki Umbrella factory, a man sat, looking at a wall with twenty video screens. "I think I'll wait for his to reach the pens..." ***** "Geeze, what a nice little obstacle course they got here...I feel like I'm back at Namahs' lab." He began to carefully step over each individual line of light. [[Just don't get too cocky, smart money says it gets harder.]] Finally he came to his first door, "Guess I better rummage around until I find this pill." [[If it's so technologically advanced, I would guess it's farther into the complex.]] Akisame looked at the advanced system that served as a lock for the door, "Maybe so, but I just gotta make sure...if not then I'll keep moving on. Activate the magnetic resonance, I gotta get a better look at the kind of lock they got here." The infrared deactivated and the whole became normal again in his eyes. He stared at the lock for a moment, then before his eyes it appeared that the outside casing was stripping away, giving him a clear look at the chips and wires within. "Ok that's fancy...where brains fail brawn must succeed." [[You use brawn allot then, don't you?]] Akisame rolled his eyes, pulling back his hand and slammed his fist into the door, forcing a large dent into it, "Namahs put you into my head just to annoy me, didn't he?" he continued to pound away until the door tore from it's hinges and fell backward into the room. He looked around, it somewhat reminded him of Dr. Namahs' labs, just the thought of it gave him a chill, "let's see here...". After rooted around with nothing to show for it, he exited the room, reactivated the infrared detection system and continued further down the corridor. "You're right, it's probably deeper in, with a lab room devoted just to the pill or something. Will probably have extra heavy security too." ***** "Well, it looks like it's going to take him another hour just to get down the damn hall!" The man at the chair watched the monitor as Akisame went from door to door, smashing it down, then moving on to the next. Finally Akisame made it to the end of the hall. While he sat watching the screens, the man enjoyed a donut. "At least he's finally gotten to it..." As he watched Akisame smash the door in, he pushed the button to collapse the floor. ***** "Gah!" Akisame shouted and he plummeted downward. He landed on his feet, but the force pulling him downward caused him to fall onto his rear. He groaned and got back to his feet, "They really gotta invest more in the maintenance of the building." He looked down the cement hallway, lined again with doors. [[Do you just TRY not to use common sense? That floor collapsed for a reason, I think someone's playing with you.]] "Hmm...you could be right" Akisame said agreeingly, "I better just make this an in and out thing." He looked around, noticing the sensors had been doubled in number if not more. "That's not good...ain't no way I'm walking passed that...hmm...idea!" He forced talons to sprout from each of his fingertips, leapt up and dug the razor-like nails into the ceiling, "Sometimes I even amaze myself" he said, continuing to use the ceiling as a child would a set of monkey bars. Finally he came to the end of the hallway. ***** "The idiot! He walked right into the lion's cage!" The man hammered his fist on a large red button, laughing. "What was that?" [[What was what?]] Before Akisame could tell NAC what he thought he heard, the door before him started to open up. As the door opened, he could make out the shape of something. When the door opened fully, out stepped a humanoid shape. It stood seven feet tall, with tiny, shining eyes. The thing had reptilian skin, colored gray. It wore nothing, and Akisame noted that the thing seemed to be genderless. The thing raised a hand, and Akisame saw the three inch talons on each of it's fingers. The thing threw back it's head and howled. Akisame had to cover his ears to prevent becoming deaf. As the thing charged at Akisame, he noticed two others coming out the door. She drove up to the factory entrance, then killed the engine. *Well, Hunters should have finished him off by now...* //No...// She dropped to the ground as before and grabbed her ears. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" //You must help him...// "STOP DOING THIS TO ME!" //You know not what you're doing...// "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" //Check the files. Find me. Find yourself...// ***** "Naaaac! Large problems here!" yelled Akisame as the thing began rushing toward him. [[This things got a body chemistry like you wouldn't believe.]] Akisame face faulted, "I don't care about the body chemistry, turn RAGE up! Boost my adrenaline, watch my body temperature and by god if there's anything else that you can do, do it!" [[RAGE up 25%, adrenaline and natural pain killers boosted by 85%, body temperature nominal, make this quick.]] "Right..." Akisame half-grinned, half-growled. He wasn't sure whether to be scared or excited, he decided he was going to try beating it with strength. As the creatures claws came down Akisame grabbed a hold of them with his own, the force drove him down to his knees and cracked the floor beneath him. "My...god...it's...not possible..." Akisame strained as he felt his muscles beginning to fail him. The other two were closing in quickly and he had to think of something fast, "Nac...it's too strong...put...RAGE to 30...percent." [[Akisame, you can't win with strength, use Sensei Kinkou, use your speed!]] In one lightning fast motion Akisame let go of it's talons and dove through it's legs, hearing it tear through the ground where Akisame was once kneeling. He leapt off the ground and somersaulted in the air, "DRILL SANCTION!". He came downward, right foot cutting lines into the air itself and came into contact with one of the things, however it wasn't enough. Upon impact the creature backed up a bit, and Akisame hit the floor. "NO way!" he cried as he rolled to the side, avoiding another claw coming to tear him in half. He spun to his feet and sliced one of his own clawed hands at the creature, but he couldn't even break the skin. In his daze, the back of one of the creatures hands came in contact with Akisame's face, knocking him past the first one into the cement wall. The wall cracked as his form hit it, and he fell to the ground face first. Shaking his head, he spit out a mouthful of blood and got back to his feet, seeing whatever he was fighting was not about to give him the chance to regain himself. Three at once, he flipped on his hands, his feet, anything he could remember to try and stay away from their claws. ***** *I don't know what the hell I'm doing...* She ran into the factory, then jumped into the air. "RAY WING!" She flew down the hall toward the hole in the ground. When she dropped down the hole, she canceled the spell, landing on her feet. "Shit..." She could see down the hall. Akisame was jumping around, avoiding the hunters blows. "REVITATION!" She rows from the floor a few inches and floated toward the fight. *BAM* She had grabbed her magnum and fired one round at the hunter closest Akisame. Her aim was true and hit the monstrosity right in the left eye. The thing dropped to the ground and roared. *BAM* The second round hit the second hunter, and it dropped to the ground, roaring in pain. *BAM* The last hunter dropped to the ground, next to the first. "Get out of here!" she shouted to Akisame, pointing the gun at the open doorway, waiting for the other hunters. From behind her she heard a shriek. When she turned around she saw the door at the other end of the hallway opening up. "I'm very disappointed in you 'Tish. Weber will hear about this..." came a voice from speakers hidden in the walls. ***** [[We heading back or what?]] "Not yet, can't just leave her here, she saved me. Besides didn't you see, they do got a weakness, the eyes...yeah...I just gotta hit the eyes..." Akisame said and dropped into his animalian stance, blood still dripping down the side of his face from his nose and mouth. "Annnnnd....NOW!" he bolted forward, somersaulted onto his hands, rebounded back up and sliced a clawed hand across one of the things face's. Akisame got the desired result as it reeled back. Seeing it beginning to weaken he ran up it's chest, over it's head and launched himself off of it's back, stabbing his claws into another. [[Even I'm impressed.]] He began to draw back, "Do your thing lady!" ***** *Great, he's not leaving! Damn!* "GET BACK!" she shouted. Akisame did as he was told and ran behind her. "Shadow snap!" She threw the imaginary dagger at the two standing Hunters. One of the Hunters tried walking towards her, but it couldn't raise it's legs. The other Hunter advanced towards them. "Forget this one! Run!" she told Akisame. ***** [[Seems it's time we took our leave.]] "Yup!" He leapt up through the hole in the ceiling and took a running start, diving head first down the hallway and over the sensors. Finally he hit the ground and slid shoulder first into the glass door shattering it. Quickly he got back to his feet, "Where's the lady?" ***** "'Tish, 'Tish, 'Tish...I'm afraid I must now end your life..." the voice on the speakers said calmly. "Shadow snap!" she said, casting the spell on the last Hunter. "Shut up! You couldn't hurt me if you tried!" "Ah. Confident to the last..." the voice said, cutting out. From behind the other doors in the hall she could hear moaning. *Shit...this is bad...I don't have enough bullets...* The doors slid open into the walls, and she could see about ten zombie behind each of the twenty doors. *Two hundred!* She was about to fly up through the hole in the ceiling, but a metal sheet shot out from inside the concrete ceiling, trapping her in the long hallway. The zombies started exiting the rooms, limping toward her. //Hide...// *BAM* She ran into one of the rooms and shot out all the zombies left in that room. "Dimil arwin!" The zombies in front of the door stopped in the opening. The spell created a hard block of air... *Modified a bit...* ...That acts as a sort of invisible wall. *She needs help...* He opened his eyes, noted that Scimitar was wearing less clothes than when he last saw him, Kailan's clothes were torn to shit, Ryoko was still a bird, and Azel was there with Gordon, who looked beat up a bit. In one swift motion, he jumped up and ran towards the ruins of the factory. "What just happened there?" Scimitar said aloud. One second Noname-san was lying on the ground, the next he stood up and started running towards the ruins of the factory. He ran to the factory and jumped into his car, started up the engine and drove to were she was...