Chapter 6: A Prelude to Something Greater
Highway
8:42 PM
Approximately four hours before the start of Yoru's mission
*Vrooooooooon*
A white 2010 Ducati Multistrada sped down a seemingly empty highway, kicking up dust and other loose debris as it raced toward its destination.
A white full-face helmet comfortably sat on Hikaru's head and a navy blue motorcycle jacket was zipped around his white long-sleeve police uniform and navy blue vest, both articles being holdovers from his past as an assassin of the continental. Much like his younger friend's italian-style black three-piece suit and ceramic-plated vest, his helmet and jacket are also bulletproof. Despite his elder sister urging him to dispose of them, he couldn't bear to do so; after all, the pair saving his life multiple times during his short stint as an assassin added tons of sentimental value to them.
"Hey, Hikaru." the violet-haired teen suddenly called out to her blonde friend as the blonde made a left turn. "We haven't seen a car in a while."
"Hmmm… Yeah." The policeman affirmed with a nod, his voice slightly muffled by his white helmet. "The last time we saw a car was around… fifteen minutes ago I believe?"
"...Seventeen now." The teen corrected after she lifted her left arm and checked her watch. "Considering this road's usually pretty busy, I find that highly suspicious."
"You think we're driving straight into an ambush?" The retired hitman surmised as his grip tightened around the textured rubber handlebars of his hybrid motorcycle. "The lack of civilian vehicles certainly suggests that."
"Maybe." The violet-eyed hitwoman remarked as she unholstered her pistol, deftly flicking the safety off with her thumb and resting her pointer finger on the trigger guard. "Some people must've discovered I visit the Takachiho Hospital very often, and this is the quickest way to the airport from there.
Though, to shut down an entire highway at a time when most people are driving home… Even if the area we're in is pretty rural, they must be extremely influential."
"Speak of the devil and he shall appear…" Hikaru muttered under his breath as the pair raced past a suit-wearing person after entering a tunnel.
The sharply-dressed individual held a radio and Yoru saw them raise it to their lips moments before disappearing from view.
"You have a gun on you?" the violet-haired girl inquired after pivoting her body to face the front again, the hitwoman's eyes narrowing when she spotted the red backlights of several motorcycles in the distance.
"Just my service revolver." The officer answered as the outlines of several midnight-black motorbikes and their riders became visible in the dim moonlight. "But I can't reload it while driving, so it's going to be mostly up to you."
"Fine by me." The suit-wearing teen said as she took aim and rested her finger on the trigger, disengaging the handgun's trigger safety seconds before the violet-eyed girl squeezed.
*Bang* *Bang*
*Pewn* *Pwhoosh*
The crack of two gunshots echoed through the sparsely populated roadway as the violet-eyed assassin fired off two bullets at the back wheel of one of the motorcycles, the muzzle flashes illuminating her face twice with bright orange light.
The first shot slightly missed the mark and harmlessly ricocheted off the asphalt road, but the second was right on target and punched a hole into the back tire with a burst of sparks.
With his rear tire now defective, the driver of the motorbike slowed his motorbike down and Hikaru- already recognizing his younger friend's plan- accelerated his bike, the engine of his Ducati roaring as he closed the distance. When the two vehicles were almost side by side, the former assassin swerved his Multistrada closer to the black motorcycle and Yoru slammed the butt of her pistol into the man's exposed trachea.
The biker let out a choking gasp and his right hand instinctively reached toward the site of injury. The violet-haired teen immediately sheathed her pistol and her right hand shot toward the hitman's hand and collar, firmly securing the biker in her grasp.
Yoru wordlessly lifted the man clad in all black off his motorcycle and kicked the two-wheeled vehicle; a dull thump rang out as the now driverless motorbike veered wildly to its side and skidded across the road, a shower of bright orange sparks erupting as steel, plastic, and aluminum met coarse asphalt.
Moments after the gas-powered bike had been reduced to a pile of hot scrap, the violet-eyed teenager heaved the biker- whose left hand is now arduously gripping her forearm in a desperate attempt to hang on for dear life- higher into the air. Yoru's left hand reached into her left pocket and pulled out her Kershaw Launch 7. The assassin quickly deployed the monotone switchblade and plunged it into the cyclist's elbow.
The hitman's left hand loosened from her right forearm and the violet-haired girl roughly yanked the black knife out of his arm before throwing him onto the highway, his body impacting the road back-first and rolling for a distance before coming to a dead stop.
"Yoru, hold on." The blonde calmly advised after the teenager flicked the blood off her switchblade and quickly pocketed it.
The other bikers- having heard the gunshots and the subsequent crash- collectively drew their pistols and took aim at the duo.
The suit-wearing assassin instantly heeded her older friend's warning and wrapped both her arms around his chest.
Almost immediately after Yoru secured herself onto Hikaru's body, the policeman tightly clenched the brakes and rapidly decelerated his Multistrada. The rear tire screeched as it ground against the highway road, a thin plume of smoke arose as the rubber of the wheel burned. Once the motorcycle had slowed down enough, the officer turned his bike around and started speeding the other way.
"Alright, you have a bit of time before they catch up to us." The older man stated as the bullets harmlessly whistled past the pair. "Just tell me when to strafe."
"Okay." The violet-haired assassin affirmed as she unhooked her arms from the cop's chest and looked behind her, her brows slightly furrowing as she spied several harsh white headlights flash into existence in the distance. "Slow down a bit Hikaru, and only speed up when I start shooting."
The teenager unholstered and aimed her pistol while the policeman lightly engaged his brake, slowing his motorbike down enough for the people after them to catch up. Once Yoru saw one of the motorcyclists aim their pistol- a Glock 19 the assassin noted- at the two, that's when she fired.
*Bang* *Bang*
The violet-eyed hitwoman squeezed the trigger of her striker-fired handgun twice and rapidly shot two bullets in quick succession, puncturing the front wheel of the motorbike and rapidly deflating the rubber tire. Then before the helmet-wearing assassin could react, Yoru squeezed the trigger once more and shot him in his left hand.
*Bang*
"ARRRGH!!" The helmeted assassin screamed in agony as he harshly yanked his left hand away from the handlebars of his bike after another deafening crack noise broke through the air. However, that proved to be his undoing as pulling his hand away removed the only source of control the motorcyclist had over his vehicle and slightly steered the front of the bike to the left.
The front wheel motorcycle instantly lost any semblance of guidance and sharply skewed to the left, violently throwing itself and its rider onto the black asphalt highway.
The remaining six assassins all swerved out of the way to avoid their tumbling comrade and his out of control motorbike. After successfully avoiding them both, three of them slowed down, letting their allies take over them whilst unholstering their pistols in relative safety.
"Hikaru, move!" The smaller girl commanded as they started firing upon the duo; once again, the violet-haired hitwoman expeditiously wrapped both her arms around her taller friend's waist.
*Bang Bang Bang* *Bang Bang Bang*
*Bang Bang Bang* *Bang Bang Bang*
*Bang Bang Bang* *Bang Bang Bang*
*Bang Bang Bang* *Bang Bang Bang*
Without an ounce of hesitation, the cyan-eyed policeman swerved wildly to avoid a burst of nine-millimeter. The hail of bullets impacted the asphalt where Hikaru's motorcycle was just moments prior and each round kicked up a small plume of dust upon impact.
Yoru unclasped her right arm from her friend's torso and quickly turned around to unload six more shots at the hitmen and hitwomen tailing them.
*Bang Bang Bang* *Bang Bang Bang*
Two missed completely but the remaining four struck exactly where Yoru wanted them. The full metal jacket 9mm parabellum rounds explosively impacted the visors of the motorcycle helmets of two bikers and two spiderwebs of cracks spread throughout the bulletproof glass of their face shield, severely limiting their field of view and forcing the two cyclists to lift their visor.
"Yoru, I'm going to swerve to the right!" Hikaru shouted out a warning to the teenager and she immediately threw her arms around the blonde cop immediately before the motorcycle sharply weaved left and right, narrowly avoiding another volley of bullets.
*Bang Bang Bang* *Bang Bang Bang*
*Bang Bang Bang* *Bang Bang Bang*
*Bang Bang Bang* *Bang Bang Bang*
*Bang Bang Bang*
Even though the turquoise-eyed police officer wildly drove his bike in a zig-zag pattern to evade the gunfire, the three assassins managed to land several lucky shots upon Yoru's back. Fortunately, the violet-haired hitwoman's bulletproof suit and vest stopped the nine-millimeter parabellum from ever causing any lasting damage.
'And that's fifteen,' the teenager noted as her older friend stabilized his bike once more.
*Bang* *Bang* *Bang Bang Bang Bang*
Yoru whirled around and discharged the remaining six bullets left in her Glock 45, nailing the two assassins with cracked visors in between the eyes and forcing the remaining bikers to swerve wildly to avoid the shower of full-metal-jacket bullets.
The heads of the two motorcyclists jerked back and both their bodies quickly slumped forward. The backs of their lifeless corpses impacted the ground with a dull thud and their motorcycles slid sideways across the ground, a shower of bright orange sparks exploded from the vehicles before they skidded to a stop against the asphalt highway.
The violet-haired hitwoman's thumb pressed the textured mag release of her hybrid handgun and flicked the empty steel magazine out of the pistol. At the same time, Yoru's left hand reached to her waist and yanked free a fresh seventeen-round magazine from one of the mag holders strapped to her belt.
Almost immediately after the empty magazine was ejected from the violet-eyed teen's compact crossover handgun, the young assassin inserted the fresh magazine and pressed down on the slide release.
The customized aluminum slide slammed forward with a metallic click before Yoru took aim and fired upon one of the remaining three bikers in a two round burst.
*Bang Bang*
The front wheel of the motorbike popped and the motorcyclist threw away his empty pistol. Now with both of his hands on the right and left handlebars respectively, he tried stabilizing his motorcycle as the vehicle bled out its momentum.
The other two assassins followed suit and also threw away their empty firearms before both pulling out a knife. The two hitmen sped up their bikes and are now racing toward the pair of old friends.
"Hikaru, incoming!" Yoru warned as she fired off three more bullets at the biker coming toward their right, forcing the hitman to swerve and slow down the shots.
*Bang Bang Bang*
"Yoru, give me one of your knives." The blonde officer simply requested as he lifted his left hand from the handlebars and reached backward.
"Alright, here." The violet-eyed hitwoman intoned, reaching into her left pocket and placing her gray automatic knife into her friend's awaiting palm.
Hikaru's left hand closed around the switchblade just as the distinctive high-pitched whine of a motorcycle engine announced the assassin closing in to their left.
The helmeted hitman stabbed at the teenager with the army knife and she caught his right hand with her left, just barely avoiding being skewered. With the blade's silver edge stopped just half an inch from the young assassin's throat, she harshly yanked the motorcyclist forward.
The biker's body forcefully lurched toward the front and Hikaru plunged his borrowed switchblade straight into the man's defenseless throat. The cyclist let out a coarse gurgling sound and the former hitman harshly tore the knife out.
Yoru let go of the dying biker's arm and shoved him to the side, his body and the motorcycle tumbled across the black asphalt highway before crashing into a tree a couple yards off the road, the rider and the vehicle exploding in a shower of dirt and splinters.
The turquoise-eyed cop flicked off the crimson cruor that stained his shorter friend's knife and looked behind him, his eyes narrowing as he spied the final assassin sent after them.
The violet-haired assassin lightly tapped her older friend twice with the palm of her hand, signaling for him to slow down. The helmeted policeman lightly engaged the brakes of his motorbike and the violet-haired assassin fired four times at the front and back wheels as the final assassin passed on their right.
*Bang Bang* *Bang Bang*
Both tires instantly popped and almost immediately, the vehicle lost all sense of balance. The black two wheeler toppled to one side and slid across the road, throwing the hitman onto the road and reducing the bike into a burning pile of hot metal, glass, and plastic.
The blonde former hitman allowed his motorcycle to leisurely bleed out the rest of its momentum before he turned around and continued to drive toward the Aso Kumamoto airport.
"It seems like news of my retirement has spread further than I thought it would." Yoru observed as the pair sped past the other wrecked bikes belonging to the people sent after them. "But I shouldn't've been surprised. Of course something as high profile as my retirement would've leaked early."
"I learned about your retirement when a notification alert popped up on my Continental phone," The older man revealed while Yoru holstered her pistol with a click. "Someone has put a four-billion yen bounty on your head, so it's safe to assume one of your targets must've caught wind of your mission."
The shorter teenager pursed her lips and furrowed her brows in contemplation. She already knew that all of the enemies she and her father made who're still alive will come after her to settle things once and for all; the bounty just made an already daunting mission astronomically harder for her by painting a larger target on her back.
"Four billion yen… that's about fifty million USD isn't it?" The assassin commented after she did mental math and converted the two currencies. "That's one hell of a bounty, and with my mission likely lasting for several days, people outside of Japan will probably try a shot at it."
"You think you're going to be okay?" The retired assassin inquired, his voice laced with worry for the teen.
"This wasn't the first time something like this happened." The violet-eyed hitwoman replied while she started reminiscing about her past, thinking back to a time when her father was still alive, back when it was just her and her dad against what seemed like the entire world. "I promised Ai that I would come back, and what kind of a sister would I be if I left her behind?"
"Guess we both swore to someone we would come back as a civilian." The police officer noted as they whizzed past the burning wreckage of the first motorcycle the teen trashed. "For me, it was my niece and for you, your sister. I still remember waking up from my injuries after completing mine and the first thing I heard was my sister berating me."
"Yeah, you were pretty roughed up after assassinating that Yakuza patriarch in Tokyo." Yoru affirmed as she held out her left hand, motioning for Hikaru to hand back her knife. "And speaking of Tokyo, Takachiho is quite aways from where you live. Are you also going there to board a plane?"
"Yeah." The helmeted cop affirmed with a nod whilst he closed and handed back the gray switchblade. "My plane's set for nine-thirty and I'll make it back home at around eleven."
"I've got mine set for nine-thirty as well." The violet-eyed assassin disclosed as she pocketed the knife. "Had you not met up with me at the hospital, I would've called a cab. We both should be able to make it there on time."
The blonde deputy nodded at Yoru's words and the two continued onward toward the airport in silence, the only source of noise being the low-pitched drone of the motorcycle engine.
______________________________________________
Just outside of Aso Kumamoto airport parking lot
9:13 PM
"Thank you very much." Hikaru thanked the valet as he handed her seventy thousand yen.
The woman wearing a predominantly red uniform handed the officer a suitcase and swiftly counted the bills. Once she's done, the Continental employee nodded and hopped onto the motorcycle before driving the vehicle to its designated parking space. Despite being fully retired from his former occupation as a hitman, Hikaru still has access to those spaces and services; however, he now had to pay with cash instead of the gold continental coins.
"You know, I could've paid for parking." Yoru commented while she watched her taller friend pocketing his blue wallet. "You gave me a ride and helped me with the assassins back there."
"Nonsense Yoru." The former hitman heartily responded whilst shaking his head. "After all, it is common courtesy to treat a friend who's about to retire, no?"
"Yeah…" The assassin intoned, not really able to argue with the older man. Given that she had brought him a fully customized HK-53 in preparation for his own retirement mission. That's not to mention the teen took the cop's entire family out to eat at a five star restaurant after he's discharged from the continental clinic.
"Well, we should hurry." The cyan-eyed policeman said as the pair walked into the airport's parking lot. "Both of our flights are less than thirty minutes and…"
The officer trailed off as he spied the doors of several parked cars open and people wearing finely tailored suits bearing a mix of NATO style and kalashnikov assault rifles stepped out of them.
"Hikaru… get out of here." Yoru ordered in a low voice, the teen's right hand slowly reached for the grip of her PDW as the group of assassins cocked their rifles. "You only have a revolver on you and your jacket is rated for pistol- not rifle- calibers."
"Please... Come back from your mission alive, Yoru." Hikaru requested almost pleadingly, his eyes scanning the lot for all possible escape paths he could take.
"Oh, I will." The hitwoman simply replied, not a single shred of doubt laced her words.
With a nod, the former hitman quickly darted to the side, barely dodging a burst of rifle fire as he dove behind an orange car.
*Ratatatata*
*ThunkThunkThunkThunk*
And before any of the hitmen and hitwomen could even think of pursuing her turquoise-eyed friend further, the violet-haired assassin rapidly shouldered her belgian personal-defense-weapon and fired off a burst of suppressed 5.56.
*PewPewPewPewPewPewPewPew*
*ThupThupThupThupThupThupThupThup*
The supersonic brass bullets struck the chest of one of the assassins, temporarily stunning her as she gasped from the rounds impacting her chest.
The violet haired teen narrowed her eyes and squeezed the trigger of her suppressed rifle with her pointer finger twice, firing two shots straight into the woman's head after the Japanese hitwoman took a step back and leaned on the roof of the car for support.
*Pew* *Pew*
The woman's head jerked to the side as the two intermediate rounds blasted through her skull; crimson blood splattered all over the window and door of the vehicle when the bullets exited through the other side of the woman's head.
*Thump*
Just as their comrade's body hit the concrete facefirst with a dull thud, the entire company of assassins collectively opened fire on the violet-eyed assassin.
*RATATATATATATATA*
The teenager bolted in the opposite direction of her blonde friend and vaulted over the hood of a Nissan. She rolled over toward the car's rear as the hail of bullets shattered the car windows and pierced the vehicle's plastic hull, only stopping once they collided with the vehicle's metal internals.
*Ptewn Pewn Ptewn Pewn Ptewn Pewn*
The violet-haired hitwoman knew she couldn't stay here for long. Sooner or later, one stray bullet would hit the gas tank and make the car erupt in flames. The violet-eyed girl had survived through many things, but an exploding car was not one of them.
Yoru got up into a kneeling position, one hand on the cement parking lot floor and the other on her suppressed rifle. She took a deep breath and dove over the roof of a Toyota parked beside the Nissan she's taking cover with. The steel magazines on her person clacked together as she rolled to soften her landing.
*Thud*
*Clack clack*
The spray of automatic fire ceased and once the violet-eyed girl's hearing cleared, she heard the sound of several pairs of footsteps slowly encroaching on her location.
The assassin flicked her short-barreled rifle into safe and drew her pistol with her right hand, letting the black SBR hand loosely from her shoulders. Her left hand reached into her pocket at the same time and flipped open her automatic switchblade in a forward grip.
*Step Step*
*Step*
…
*Step*
The violet-eyed teen sprung into action the moment the foot of a hitman came into view.
With pistol in hand, Yoru brought her right arm down on the barrel of the assassin's armalite rifle and stabbed the man in the front of his shoulder. While the newest model of bulletproof suits can protect against all pistol and submachine gun calibers, a knife can penetrate the body armor if thrusted with enough force.
*Squewlp*
"Ahhh!" The taller man cried out in pain as the hitwoman dug the knife deeper into the hitman's shoulder.
The younger assassin then clocked the man's temple with the butt of her pistol and using the top of his right shoulder as an armrest, shot his ally behind him in the forehead.
*Thump*
*Bang*
*Rah Tah Tah Tah*
*Thump Thump Thump*
The teen let out a quiet grunt of pain as three shots of 7.62 impacted her side, her ribs cracking as the bullets effortlessly pierced through her new suit and transferring their momentum through her ceramic vest.
Before the assassin could fire off another burst, Yoru placed her right hand onto the front of his comrade's shoulder and shoved him toward the man. The first hitman landed face first, his head impacting the ground with a dull thump.
*Thud*
The third hitman hesitated to shoot in fear of accidentally shooting his ally and the violet-eyed teen capitalized on his diffidence by killing him with a headshot. After the AK-weilding assassin's body fell to the ground, she quickly dealt with the first assassin by putting two rounds of nine-millimeter through the back of his skull.
*Bang*
*Bang Bang*
The violet-haired girl then quickly scanned around her and caught sight of another hitwoman raising her rifle in preparation to shoot. The teen quickly dove in between the parked cars to avoid a fusillade of five-five-six.
______________________________________________
*Ratatatata*
The female assassin let out a short burst of bullets from her Galil Ace, the muzzle flash from her Israeli rifle illuminating her face in a bright yellow light. Once Yoru was completely out of sight, the hitwoman lifted her finger off the trigger and cautiously walked toward the cars the younger assassin took cover with.
The Japanese woman's left hand clenched the black steel handrail of her assault rifle more tightly and her right hand did the same with the grip and trigger.
The woman knew of the violet-haired teen's reputation as the Angel of Death, daughter of the legendary Baba Yaga. She knew that despite her young age, the girl was likely the most deadly assassin the underworld has to offer. Everybody the hitwoman knew spoke of the teen in hushed whispers, as if saying her name out loud would bring misfortune like a curse.
The asian assassin nervously swallowed as she remembered a story one of her now-dead associates told her about a time when the angel of Death was crossed by a member of the Austrian mob.
She was in a hotel room with the mafioso to receive payment after fulfilling a contract to kill members of the rival gang. The man had eight men point their guns at her head, ready to execute her to 'tie up any loose ends'. Even when outnumbered and weaponless, she managed to kill everyone in the room and threw the mobster out of the seven story building.
When the police came later to investigate following a civilian's call, three men had large pieces of intricately carved wood impaled through vital organs, two had been riddled with bullet holes, another two had their necks snapped, and the final one had a pencil impaled through his ear.
Upon learning of the 'unfortunate incident', the more senior and wiser members of the mob immediately paid the teenager the amount she's owed with extra on top for their former member's 'disgraceful conduct'.
The woman breathed in a deep breath to calm herself as she rounded a corner, her finger on the trigger ready to shoot the violet haired assassin at a moment's notice. Yet… The only thing the female hitwoman could see were the two lifeless bodies of her allies, the teenager had disappeared.
The click of a switchblade deploying echoed out behind her and the assassin whirled around just in time to see Yoru level her pistol at the woman's head.
The hitwoman instinctively dropped her assault rifle and her right hand pulled up a portion of her bulletproof jacket to block the oncoming bullets, not worrying about her torso due to her bulletproof vest.
*Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang*
*Squewlp*
The hitwoman gasped and let go of her jacket as she felt a blade pierce through her right armpit. The violet-eyed girl had rushed at her while shooting, the assassin wasn't able to hear it because the teen masked her footsteps with the sound of her gun firing.
As the black fabric of her suit jacket sank to reveal the chrome lined barrel of the violet-haired assassin's Glock 45, the hitwoman realized something she should have the moment she saw the teenager dispatch three of her companions within seconds.
Pursuing that four billion yen bounty, was a huge mistake they'll all pay for with their lives.
*Bang*
______________________________________________
Yoru yanked her M48 spearpoint out of the now dead hitwoman's oxter and simply shoved her lifeless carcass to the ground. After flicking off most of the blood coating its three and three-quarter inch blade, she retracted the knife's razor sharp edge and deposited it in her left pant pocket.
The violet-haired assassin holstered her Austrian handgun before flicking the PDW's safety off shouldered her short-barreled rifle. The teen then slowly walked out between the cars and looked around the parking lot, checking if the scene was clear.
Out of the corner of the hitwoman's eye, she spied Hikaru run through one of the airport's glass doors. Once the automatic doors closed behind the blonde policeman, Yoru let out a small breath of relief.
In the days after her father killed the Marquis de Gramont, the high table families siding with the Marquis used their dwindling influence to push for a new policy regarding continental affiliated airports across the world. Due to the fact they used the airports to travel across the world completely unimpeded, the high table families tried stripping all aerodromes of their neutral status.
Fortunately, the Ruska Roma used their growing influence within the underworld to push against the movement and limited the deconsecration to just the parking lots instead. The reason why the crime family stood against the decision was because most assassins saw it as a desperate power grab by the table and standing against it served to bolster the Ruska Roma's influence within the criminal underworld at a time when all the other crime families' power fell.
*Tunk*
The dull sound of something hitting the plastic cover of a hood rang out to the right of the hitwoman, a harsh reminder that the fight was still not over yet. The violet-eyed teen whipped around and leapt away from the parked cars, avoiding most of the bullets but two shots managed to clip her thigh.
*Ratatatatatatata*
*Squelwp* *Squelwp*
*Thud*
The instant the side of Yoru's body slammed into the concrete floor of the feeder lane, she placed two shots of 5.56 into the man's head before he could change the trajectory of his gun to land a headshot
*Pew Pew*
The man's head jerked backward and his body fell behind the gray Honda he was taking cover behind.
The teenage hitwoman rolled onto her back and scanned the area around her with her SCAR PDW in hand, only making any move to get up once she verified there's no immediate threat.
The violet-haired hitwoman sat up and breathed with a slight pant, taking a moment to catch her breath after her fight with the assassins wearing bulletproof vests.
Yoru winced as she put weight on her right leg, she needed to get that checked out when she landed in Osaka.
However, before she could fully stand up, the assassin's eyes widened the moment she heard the unmistakable screech of car tires rapidly accelerating.
*Skirrrrrrrt*
*Thump*
"Aargh!" The young hitwoman let out a grunt of pain as a white Lexus slammed into her right side and sent her tumbling across the cement parking lot.
"Urrgh…" The violet-haired teen groaned as she finally came to a stop, her ears rang as she strenuously lifted her head to look at the vehicle that crashed into her.
All four doors of the car opened and Yoru forced herself to sit up onto her non-injured leg. The assassin then shouldered her PDW and took aim at the vehicle.
*Thunk*
*Pew Pew*
The left front door was shut first and the violet-eyed hitwoman placed two bullets in between the hitman's eyes before he even had time to aim his rifle.
*Thump*
*RaTaTaTaTaTaTa*
*Thum Thum Thum*
The driver of the automobile leapt out of the cover provided by the steel door and opened fire at Yoru. Fortunately, they all dully impacted the young assassin's ceramic plated vest, just bruising her chest and cracking more of her ribs instead of causing any lethal damage.
*PewPewPewPewPewPewPew*
The violet-haired hitwoman fired her own burst of automatic fire at the driver and killed her with several shots to the head and neck.
After killing both of the people sitting in the front of the four-wheeled vehicle, the violet-eyed teen cautiously pointed her PDW at the rear doors. When neither of the doors made any move to close, Yoru aimed her short-barreled rifle at one of the hitmen's exposed shoes and shot both of them.
*Pew Pew*
"Arrgh!!" the japanese man hollered out in pain and tripped, exposing his head to the teenage assassin and allowing her to finish him off with a well placed headshot.
*Pew*
Following the death of the third assassin, Yoru slowly stood up. The teen clenched her teeth as her chest and right leg burned from their respective injuries. Once the hitwoman was sure her footing was stable enough, she started slowly trekking toward the white car.
*Step* *Step* *Step* *Step*
…
The assassin paused her walking once she reached the front driver-side door of the vehicle and slammed it closed with her left hand. She took note of the driver's body and carefully stepped over it as she made her way toward the back of the car.
*Thunk*
*Step* *Step* *Step*
Once the silencer of her rifle peeked over the car door, the violet-haired hitwoman leaned forward and whipped the barrel of her gun toward where the final hitman was supposed to be.
Except, there's no-one there.
*Stepstepstep*
*Thunk*
The violet-eyed teen barely had time to turn her body around before someone slammed into her torso. The last assassin had charged into her forcefully enough to slam the right rear door of the Lexus shut.
"Urgk!" Yoru let out a surprised grunt as the tackle harshly compacted the spare magazines and ceramic plates against her chest, causing her cracked ribs and bruised torso to flare up in protest.
But the teenage assassin quickly recovered from being tackled and dug both of her heels into the concrete floor, her right leg burning because of the extra strain she's putting on it.
The pair had stopped a short distance from where they originally were and the hitwoman quickly slammed her left elbow into the man's spine. A crack sound echoed through the empty parking lot and the shorter assassin threw him against the trunk of the car.
Yoru shouldered her SCAR PDW and directed the barrel toward the man's head; however, the japanese hitman knocked the gun away with his left hand just as she pulled the trigger and pulled out a knife using his right.
*Pew* Pew*
*Pewn*
*Squewlp*
*Aah!" The violet-haired hitwoman let out an agonizing scream as the gray damascus blade dug into her lower left thigh.
*Thwack*
*Thump*
The hitman followed up that stab with an overhead punch to the violet-eyed teen's face and landed a back kick on her chest, sending the assassin tumbling to the ground and forcefully ripping the knife out.
*PewPewPewPew*
*ThumThumThumThum*
*Click*
Almost immediately following being thrown onto the ground, Yoru let out a burst of fire from her PDW. Unfortunately, she aimed too low and the three remaining 5.56 x 45mm bullets struck his armored vest instead of the assassin's vulnerable head or neck.
After her PDW clicked empty, the teenage assassin's right hand reached for her knife and rushed at the dazed man. Yoru flicked the blade's switch with her thumb and moments after the three and three-quarter inch blade revealed itself with a click, the girl thrusted the dagger at the hitman's throat.
The male assassin recovered enough to desperately thrust his bloodied knife at the girl, but the tip of the weapon uselessly bounced off her bulletproof vest.
The razor sharp edge of the teen's blade effortlessly dug into the man's unprotected neck and she quickly slashed his throat open, taking several steps back once she's done the deed. The hitman's hand weakly reached toward his mortal wound before his body lifelessly fell to the ground, dead from blood loss within seconds.
The assassin took several steps forward before her left leg gave out, forcing the injured girl to lean on the white car for support.
*Pewn*
The sound of a bullet hitting the concrete startled the hitwoman and she instantly started limping toward the open left door as soon as she could.
*Pull*
*Clink*
Another bullet punched a hole through the car's window after Yoru yanked open the car door and dove onto the rear seats of the vehicle.
*Thunk*
The violet-haired hitwoman hooked the heel of her shoe onto the car's interior door handle and pulled it closed. The teenager then flipped onto her stomach and pulled herself toward the other door; once she's close enough, the girl pulled the door shut just in time to narrowly avoid another sniper shot.
*Pewn*
*Thunk*
Once both rear doors of the automobile were shut, Yoru used the grab handles to haul herself into an upright sitting position. After taking a couple of seconds to catch her breath, the assassin crawled in between the two front seats and plopped herself into the driver's seat.
After using her body weight to pull the door closed, the violet-eyed teen buckled her seatbelt and set both her hands onto the leather-covered steering wheel.
The teenage hitwoman's right foot stomped on the gas pedal and the wheels of the automobile began to accelerate. The Lexus quickly sped toward the airport entrance but seconds before it would crash through the glass doors, Yoru turned off the traction control and shifted the gearbox to sports mode.
'When you're done shifting to sport mode, brake to shift some weight to the front of the car.' The violet-haired assassin recalled her driving lessons with her dad. 'After that, flick the steering wheel to start drifting.'
The teenager's right foot lifted from the gas pedal and lightly pressed on the brake right as she flicked the steering wheel to the left. The vehicle turned ninety-degrees and stopped just a few feet away from the see-through doors.
Yoru pressed the red plastic button on the seat buckle and freed herself from the leather safety harness. After pulling on the silver door handle, the door opened and the hitwoman dove out of the vehicle. The sound of a bullet striking the concrete floor echoed throughout the parking lot as she rolled across the ground.
After the assassin placed her right hand onto the ground to stop her roll, she immediately bolted toward the glass doors of the continental-affiliated airport.
*StepStepStepStep*
*Swoosh*
The sliding doors opened as the sensor detected the hitwoman's presence and the teenager dug her heels into the airport's polished floors.
"Hah… hah… It's nine eighteen…" Yoru panted heavily whilst she looked at her watch. "I've still got time…"
"Need help walking?" a familiar voice offered.
"Hikaru…" The violet-haired assassin breathed out in mild surprise after she looked toward her right. "Thought you hah… left already."
"Well, we both still have time before our flights are scheduled to go." The turquoise-eyed policeman casually remarked as he walked closer to his younger friend. "Plus, you look like you need some help walking."
"Yeah… that… would be greatly appreciated." The teen affirmed as she looked at the ground, crimson blood had already stained the floor around her feet.
"Alright, come here." The blonde softly said, offering the shorter girl his shoulder for support.
Yoru wrapped her right arm around the cop's neck just as her adrenaline rush wore off. The violet-haired hitwoman winced as the pain from her injuries hit her with the force of a semi and the pair started walking toward their respective planes.
______________________________________________
Abram Tarasov's chop shop
New York
8:18 AM
"So, let me get this straight." Abram Tarasov- brother to Viggo Tarasov, uncle to Ioseph Tarasov, and the current head of the Tarasov mob- began after he took a deep puff of his cigar. "You, want to fly to Osaka and hunt down Yoru Wick?"
"Yes, that would be correct, sir." The man standing in the mob boss's office plainly affirmed the soviet's question with a nod.
"For the love of god Isaak, why?" The crime boss asked the brown-haired man, shaking his head in disbelief. "You know that we promised John Wick peace, and you know what kind of a man he was."
"In all due respect sir," The newly named Isaak replied as he placed both hands around his back. "John Wick is dead, and the Tarasov mob never got justice for what happened over two years ago. Your brother was murdered, your nephew could now barely walk, all the influence our organization had over the big apple was burnt to a crisp and that's not to mention all the men we lost."
"Phewww… And you believe that going after his daughter would fix anything?" Abram countered after taking another long drag of his cigar. "John Wick was a man of focus, commitment, and sheer fucking will. He was a man not even the High Table could put down without consequences. And I have much reason to believe his daughter, the Angel of Death, is much the same."
"Sir, you have to understan-" The Russian henchman began, only to be interrupted by his superior.
*Slam*
"NO, YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" The soviet roared, silencing his subordinate as his left fist slammed into the table. The younger man instantly shut his mouth, allowing his superior to continue.
"Phewww… Isaak, you must understand that going after her would be nothing short of suicide." Abram began, taking another long drag of his cigar to calm himself. "But, do you know why she is called the Angel of Death?"
"I don't, sir." Isaak replied honestly with a shake of his head. "I haven't been keeping up with the continental over the past two or so years."
"Well, the thing that sets little Yoru apart from her father is her willingness to take part in escort missions," The soviet crime lord began as he set his cigar down on a silver ashtray, the burnt tip of the stick still wafting thin smoke into the air. "And, she is as good of a bodyguard as she is a killer; good enough for many people to consider her a literal guardian angel for hire. High-ranking politicians, big-shot business executives, and even other heads of criminal organizations. The most high profile security contract the girl's ever accepted is to act as the sole bodyguard of the daughter of Gan'an Shinomiya."
"One of the largest business conglomerates in Japan?" The brunette quizzically remarked, the young man's head tilting sideways. "Hard to believe the man would ever let his daughter go anywhere without at least a dozen bodyguards monitoring the area at all times."
"That just shows how the Angel of Death is someone not to be trifled with despite her two years of activity saying otherwise." Abram continued as he reached for a three-quarters full bottle of vodka. "The Tarasov mob already lost too many good men in recent times and we still haven't fully recovered. If you walk out of this room before you can swear to me you won't hop on a plane and go after her, I'll be forced to cast you out."
Isaak looked down at his shoes before he looked up at his boss with conviction in his eyes.
"... I'm sorry sir." The mafioso sincerely apologized and made his way toward the exit. "I cannot promise that."
The soviet crime boss said nothing as the brown-haired Russian exited his office, only heaving a quiet sigh as he grabbed an empty shot glass.
*pop*
The man popped the cork off the glass bottle and poured himself a glass. Abram then downed the entire shot and set down the translucent container with a click.
The soviet inhaled a deep breath and leaned back on his leather chair. Isaak had always been a stubborn young man who held onto past grudges too tightly; he never quite got over the Baba Yaga's brutal rampage against their organization.
Abram would have wished the brunette good luck on his quest to slay the boogeyman's daughter, but even he knew that not even luck itself could even the odds against someone like Yoru.
The mob boss leaned forwards and picked up his cigar to puff on the cancer stick once more.
*Ffffffffffft*
*Phewwwwww*
______________________________________________
December 2004
Yoru's room
New York
7:11 AM
*Knock Knock*
"Yoru?" An exhausted, and familiarly mature voice rang out from outside the juvenile's bedroom door. "It's time to wake up."
The violet-haired girl's eyes snapped open instantly, all the drowsiness she would've felt vanishing the moment she heard her father's voice. Yoru's breath hitched and she slowly peeled her baby-blue off her person. The girl hesitantly swung her legs off her bed and haltingly made her way toward the dark-brown door.
The eight-year-old reached for the silver latch, but she paused once the tip of her fingers touched the cold metal. What if she had dreamt up her father's voice? What if, when she pulled open the door, there's no one there to greet her?
The violet-eyed girl took a deep breath and pushed those thoughts away. The juvenile wrapped her fingers around the handle and pulled open the door.
"Dad…" Yoru breathed out once she saw the familiar visage of her adoptive father. "You… you're really here…"
The long-haired man stood outside of the door, his right arm slung in a sling and bandages could be seen peeking out from his cuffs and collar. Though, miraculously, his face is only adorned with two band-aids on his cheek and forehead.
"...Yeah, I'm-" The now retired hitman began, but was almost instantly interrupted by his daughter throwing her arms around him.
"Sniff I… I was so scared…" The sobbing pre-teen whispered out, her face pressing into her father's torso. "I thought… I thought you wouldn't come back."
The soviet said nothing and instead, simply embraced his crying child with his left arm.
"... I promised, didn't I?" John whispered into his ward's ear, the young girl's tears of relief further staining his bloodied dress-shirt.
"Sniff Y-yeah. You did." Yoru affirmed after she lifted her face from the former assassin's stomach.
The edge of the girl's lips started to curl upwards into a smile reminiscent of a crescent moon.
"Thank you dad, for everything." The violet-haired juvenile breathed out intoned as her father gently wiped the accumulated tears from her eyes.
The bearded-man broke the hug and nodded at his daughter with a smile. Nothing more was needed to be said between the parent and child pair, for their mere presences are enough for each other.
______________________________________________
Over three years later
April 2008
Beach
4:23 PM
It'd been two years since John Wick had retired from being an assassin, and it also had been over two years since he proposed to and married the love of his life, Helen.
The wedding was relatively simple, the only guests being the photographer's relatives and close friends. The atmosphere surrounding was joyous, every one of the woman's relatives were elated at the fact Helen was marrying the love of her life.
Yoru acted as the flower girl, lining the steps of the church with a mix of rainbow confetti and flower petals. The photographer's relatives were aware of her relation to the former hitman and made sure the then eight-year old was welcomed as a part of their family.
If John was to be completely honest with himself, getting through his own wedding was a more daunting task than his retirement mission ever was. He couldn't recall the last time he was so nervous, so anxious, so… scared things will go wrong.
His suit felt tight despite the fact it was tailored to his exact measurements. But, all those feelings of apprehension melted away the moment he saw his wife walk up the steps in her white wedding gown with her father. The photographer's smile seemed to even outshine the blazing afternoon sun,
That was over three years ago and it had been three years of marital bliss since then. John had never felt any happier and he could tell Yoru was flourishing with Helen as her new mother figure.
Right now, the family of three were taking an afternoon trip to the beach. The couple's violet-haired daughter is recording the waves on the I-phone she recently obtained for her Twelfth birthday. The beach was completely devoid of people, as expected of such a place in the beginning of April.
*Step* *Step*
"What are you doing, John?" His wife asked, shaking her head with a radiant smile as he walked closer to her.
"...Looking at you." The former hitman plainly said, a small smile adorning his bearded face.
"Come here." Helen softly requested and John leaned in for a couple soft kisses.
The married couple only broke apart once the long-haired man noticed his daughter had turned her camera from the waves to the two of them instead.
"...Yoru." The soviet gently intoned.
The Japanese girl swiftly stopped recording and swiftly put her phone in her pocket.
"You know, most kids would feel repulsed at the sight of their parents kissing." Helen amusedly remarked as she turned to face her stepdaughter.
"Well, recording the waves got boring." Yoru sheepishly explained as she lightly kicked up some sand. " Might as well record the two of you while you're still young. You know, before you both become wrinkly like raisins."
"Gasp Are you calling us old?" The photographer asked after gasping in mock outrage at the violet-eyed juvenile's words. "How could you?"
After that the mother and daughter pair simultaneously burst out in laughter and John couldn't help but smile at the sight.
"Come on, let's go home you two." The retired hitman stated once his wife and child started gasping for breath after they laughed too hard.
"Haah… Haah.. Yeah… let's go." Helen affirmed.
The family of three left the beach with none of them ever knowing the video Yoru took that day will be the only way she would ever hear either of her parents' voices again.
______________________________________________
April 2008
Japan: Starbucks
3:20 PM
"You said you were scouting, so I got curious." A twelve-year-old Ai Hoshino remarked as she looked over a business card belonging to the sunglasses wearing man in front of her. "But an idol? Me? That's a funny joke."
The two sat inside a moderately busy starbucks, the place was also quite noisy with customers and baristas bustling around. Noisy enough to drown out the conversation they're having to the other patrons but not so noisy that a loud scream wouldn't alert everyone in the coffee store.
The blonde man had introduced himself to the violet-haired girl beforehand, but she had already forgotten his name. Originally, Ai had tried to blow him off. An overeager older man wanting to talk to her, a preteen who had been living in orphanages since she's six? Yeah, that sounds like a huge red flag if the girl had ever seen one.
But then he offered her a matcha frappuccino in exchange for at least hearing him out and the girl accepted under the condition they would talk inside the cafe. After all, she gets a free dessert out of it and he wouldn't dare to try anything inside such a crowded place.
"We're forming a unit with middle schoolers at my company." The blonde man elaborated further with visible excitement and passion on his face. "I think you'd be fit for the center role."
The sunglasses-wearing man was a scout from an idol company and based on the fact Ai had never heard of it, a pretty new one as well. Either that, or the company just wasn't very successful.
"I'm not interested." The violet-eyed girl flatly denied before taking a sip of her green drink.
"You're definitely cut out for it." The blonde maintained, pressing harder for the girl to reconsider the offer. "I guarantee it!"
Ai stopped sipping on her drink and pursed her lips. The scout stayed quiet, thinking that the violet-haired pre-teen was mulling over whether or not she should agree to join his idol group.
"... I think it's best if you give up." The hoodie-wearing juvenile began after a couple seconds of silence. "I grew up in orphanages. I also only had one parent but I had an identical twin sister, Yoru.
When I was young, I saw my mother stab my twin in her stomach and she fell out of a window. Just so she wouldn't get caught and arrested for attempted murder, we quickly moved places. Later on, she was arrested for theft and somehow, the police traced Yoru's… disappearance back to her. She got hit with a life sentence and I've been living in orphanages ever since."
Ai lifted her head and stared straight at the scout's face, gauging his reaction to what she said. The man was visibly taken aback and confident she almost scared him off, the girl pressed forwards.
"Not that I care though." The cap-wearing preteen continued with an almost carefree shrug. "It's a whole lot better to be in an orphanage than being beat up everyday.
My mother never loved me, and I don't know who my father is. My only memories of unconditional love was from my older sister. She always tried sticking up for me, comforted me whenever I'm scared, and took hits and beatings originally meant for me."
"You know, I considered her my other half." Ai remarked as she stirred her drink, not bothering to take another sip because the sweetness of the drink would taste like ash in her mouth while she recalled painful memories. "After she disappeared, I've never felt complete; I always felt like something was missing."
"A person like me simply isn't fit to be an idol." The violet-eyed girl declared, her starry eyes darkening as she set her slushie down on the table. "I won't be able to love my fans, and people wouldn't love a person like me."
After all, aren't idols meant to be pure existences who bring joy to the masses with sweet words and even sweeter smiles? The exact opposite type of person Ai was. Hateful, spiteful, dishonest, and brash are words that describe the girl to a tee. There is no way someone like her could ever-
"That's perfectly fine with me." The sunglasses-wearing man honestly asserted, no sign of judgment nor disgust on his face.
Now it's the violet-haired preteen's turn to be taken aback. She was completely caught off guard by the man's response, she was certain what she said had scared him off!
"This job isn't for normal people anyways." He continued without skipping a beat. "And your past gives you character."
"B-But idols say they love everyone!" Ai stammered out, trying to salvage the situation at hand. "And I- I haven't loved anyone since my sister! If I said that, that would be a complete lie!"
"It's fine even if it's a lie." The scout immediately responded, refuting the preteen's words. "Or rather, the audience is looking for a pretty lie. Being able to lie so well is also a talent. I think that's more than fine. Come on."
"... Is it okay?" The violet-eyed girl hesitantly inquired, the darkness in her eyes slowly receding as she took off and stared her hat, one of the few gifts she's received in the orphanage. "Even if it's a lie, is it okay for me to say 'I love you'?"
"You say all these things, but in truth, don't you want to love someone again?" The sunglasses-wearing man asked with a smile on his face. "You may not believe you could, but all you need to do is replicate your love for your sister for your audience."
"If you just sing and dance cutely, that's already showing love to your fans." He continued, elaborating on his point more. "If you become an idol, phrases like 'I love you' will come up in lyrics countless times. Plus, if you keep on saying I love you to everyone, maybe that lie will turn into the truth one day.
So, whaddya say?"
Ai's gaze fell onto her drink and after half a minute of contemplation, she gazed into the man's eyes through his sunglasses.
"Yeah, sure. Why not?"
End of Arc 1: Dispersion
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone