"...Mikaaaahh."
My name has a habit of sounding like an violent sigh in these situations. Or a drawn out curse under the breath. Either way, it's really not fair because I'm always doing my damn best. In fact, right this second my foot is pressed down on the gas as far as it will go.
"...Mik-"
"RAIZO. I know they're chasing us. Let me drive." I signal left before I screech through an intersection. I miss a taxi by a hair.
"We need to go faster."
"Think you can do better?" I growl as I shift gears and pump the clutch. My next turn isn't so smooth, and while my head almost hits my window because motion physics, Raizo just compensates in that maddening calm way he does everything. He'd probably give off hammock-on-the-beach vibes if I ever got him on a roller coaster. "Then why don't YOU get a license and handle the getaway part?"
I can feel his stare on my face now. He does that whenever he can't decide if I'm kidding around. In the good old days, he would simply ask - Mika, was that a joke? - but lately he's taken to deadpan snarking as a catch-all response.
"Maybe you are right. Perhaps it would be best for my picture to be all over government databases."
"Yeah, yeah." He has a point. The point, in fact. But I still make a show of rolling my eyes (after scanning my mirrors for suspicious, little-green-coupe-following shadows).
"When someone asks 'Where should we send our clan assassin today?' Siri could tell them our last known location. Saves time."
That one makes me snort. "A lot of sass from a guy with a lifetime of stoic warrior training and only like, one week of the new iPhone ads."
I pull into the parking facility, pick a spot near a well-lit stairwell door, and immediately reach for my handgun. It's not as cool as his chain 'n blade kyoketsu-shoge he swings around, but it's badass enough and I know I can use it without hurting myself. Listen, forensic researchers like myself only study ancient warrior clans - we don't actually learn the moves. That's what Raizos are for.
He's next to me before I'm fully out of the car, head already on a swivel. Watching my six, as always. "Ready?" He asks.
The shadows are getting darker, which means we aren't alone anymore. I turn my head to reply and nearly get a face-full of kyoketsu-shoge as Raizo blocks and parries the first open attack of the evening. Well, alright then.
We make a break for the door as I cock my gun and send up a small prayer. Please let my rental car not be worth totaling without ninja targets sitting in it.