A/N: Again, I've been busy lately.
Somewhere in the South China Sea, 10 a.m. the next day...
Koko waited expectantly, along with all of her men. Today was an important day for two interrelated reasons: it was the first time she'd invited an intelligence agent onto her her ship, and very shortly there would be a third being she didn't fully understand under her wing. One or the other would've had her doing her best to hide her nervousness, having both was enough for her to break out in a cold sweat. Being on the broad and exposed deck didn't help her mood, despite knowing the unfeasibility of being attacked.
She checked her watch, the ninth time in the last hour. Schokolade made her schedule and transportation plainly obvious, so there was no real reason for her to fret. Her agitation didn't go unnoticed to the two men flanking her. Ugo (for this meeting he was primarily chosen for his size) gave her a reassuring smile, while Valmet placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her. Normally an alarming gesture for its signature of danger, it did calm her down enough to take a breath.
Precisely five minutes after ten AM, she checked her watch one last time. Koko looked up once more to scan the horizon. At first she missed it, but upon a recheck she saw a tiny glint in the distance. She kept her attention on it, watching the shiny object slowly grow larger. Soon a distinctive "whup whup" was heard, growing louder at the same pace as the growth of the thing on the horizon. She pushed her worries aside to focus on the present, as the object came into view.
A UH-1 painted in a lackluster brown color swung around, its target obviously the ship. It proceeded to fly in a lazy circle around the front of the ship, its pilot making no mistakes. If he did, the two Stinger FAF (fire-and-forget) missile launchers and the twin M134 miniguns locked onto him would make sure he wouldn't live long enough to regret it. He slowed the chopper down as he lost altitude, approaching the ship one more time. The craft didn't entirely stop, it just slowed down enough for the cabin door to swing open and for a crewman to half guide, half push its two passengers out. If it wasn't only a couple of feet above the deck, the drop would have hurt.
No sooner did the passengers clear the door than the blades picked up, the Huey taking off again. The buffeting wind washed over her, even though she was a fair distance from it. In seconds the only sign of its presence was a rapidly diminishing throb in the air, vanishing with a glint in the sky. Koko watched it go for a moment, off into the landless horizon. She wasn't sure how close the nearest airfield was, so it must have been in a hurry to get back before it ran out of fuel.
She dismissed it and went to work. Neither Valmet or Ugo kept in lockstep with her; there was no point for such a showing after all (internally she found such behavior unsettling anyway). They did keep pace with her, sidearms at the ready. In the end that was what mattered. Lehm and Lutz grabbing their sniper rifles and taking positions overlooking the drop point was just to be certain.
Even before she reached them she heard bickering, from the two voices she knew well. Amusingly, they failed to notice her immediately.
"Do you realize how much that cost!?" Scarecrow shouted. Schokolade, unfazed, scoffed at him.
"How the hell else were we supposed to get out here? Going by boat would take hours" she countered.
"Why the fuck are we here at all you goddamn bimbo?!" he yelled. Koko wanted to watch the exchange, but alas, she had things to do.
She cleared her throat, catching both of their attentions.
"Hekmatyr" Scarecrow growled. A flash of fear went came over him when he recognized Ugo, who merely smirked at him.
"I'm not happy about this either. But, like it or not, you're services are required. So here we are" she stated flatly.
"Why the hell would I help you?" he snarled.
"To be accurate, I don't need your help specifically. I need hers" Koko pointed to the blonde "Just so you know, this is my ship. My home away from home. Try anything and I'll throw you overboard. And" she cut off his retort with a swipe "these are pirate infested waters. Play nice and I'll let you off in almost as good as condition that you arrived in. Don't, and you'll be just another field agent that got in over his head. Clear?" she stated, in a way that promised a swift reprisal. He looked to argue, but even he wasn't so stupid. Gulping, he nodded.
"Excellent. There's beer in the common room, don't do anything dumb. Schokolade" she invited. The man glared at everyone except Ugo as the blonde took of in a dandy trot after the pale woman, grumbling obscenities. He glanced at the muscular woman with an eyepatch, who watched him neutrally.
"Let me guess, you're a commando" he inquired dryly.
"Former RDF Jaeger regiment" she answered likewise. Scarecrow buried his face into his palm, groaning.
Thirty feet away and gaining, the two women exchanged pleasantries for a moment.
"By the way, how goes that project?" the blonde asked slyly.
"Still no luck. I've been meaning to ask, why do you want those pictures anyway?" the white haired woman asked.
"Well...I don't actually. But a contact of mine really likes that sort of thing. Hands out juicy information for any good swimsuit pinups. I actually met the guy by accident-" Schokolade started to tell Koko about her last adventure, but the woman cut her off.
"As much as I want to catch up, there's an important matter that needs dealt with" she interrupted. The blonde's grin faded.
"That new one, right. Right, em, where should I start?" she asked.
"Before you do, how about why you dragged Scarecrow along?" she asked first.
"No choice this time. I don't have the mandate or the funds to hire a private ride all the way out here. And, well, where we're going is a CIA playground. If you bring him along it might persuade whatever agents out here to stay away" she explained. Koko bobbed her head.
"Understandable. Let's just hope he doesn't do anything dumb while he's here. Now onto business: where are we going?" she asked her. Schokolade frowned.
"The greatest pisshole in Southeast Asia, about a day and a half sailing from here" she explained. Koko had a sinking feeling of what it could be.
The next day...
Another beautiful morning, with hardly a cloud in sight to ruin the picturesque view of the small coastal city. Koko wrinkled her brow at the sight, finding her worst fears realized. The city in the distance didn't look so bad from her vantage point, through a pair of high powered binoculars ten miles away. Rolling hills surrounded the urban sprawl, which laid around an oval shaped harbor. Most of the city was short, with only a few buildings rising more than a half dozen stories. In the entrance to it was a small rocky island with a broken and decayed statue of the Buddha, blindly welcoming any and all newcomers. At a glance, it wasn't so bad.
She knew better.
"This is it?" Valmet asked sourly. Fifteen people were watching the city: her crew, the two guests, and the CIA agents. There wasn't enough binoculars to go around, so they had to share. Lehm and Lutz had less of a problem, since they had their rifle scopes to look out of.
"Out of all places for one of them to show up, it just had to be here" Koko commented sarcastically, lowering the object to glance at Schokolade.
"I know. Just looking at this place makes me want to quote star wars" she agreed.
"Kaspar warned me about this place. Even he is wary of this dump" she added. A snort from beside her caught her attention.
"Roanapur" Scarecrow muttered, just close enough to hear. Koko gave him an odd look, which he huffed at.
"What do you know about it?" she asked.
"Its a goddamn toilet. Criminals, terrorists, anarchists, this is one of the places they tend to go. Along with any intelligence agent who fucks up badly. It's mainly a CIA hotspot, but there's NSA, MI6, French, Chinese, even some ex-KGB that filtered down here after the wall fell" he tersely explained. Koko looked back at the city, thinking deeply.
"That's not all. This place is the end of a long trail from the golden triangle. About a quarter of the drug trade flows through this one city" Schokolade piped up.
"I did an op here back in my army days" Lehm spoke "I'd take the worst pits of Africa or the Middle East over this place any day."
"That bad?" Jonah quietly asked.
"Yep. Honestly, someone should just nuke the place off the face of the earth" Wiley commented as well.
"No arguments here" Tojo agreed. Several nods met him.
"Alright" Koko called out, grabbing everyone's attentions.
"We'll take one of the lifeboats for this, I really don't want to risk taking the ship any closer. Ugo, Lehm, Wiley, Mao, and Valmet. You're coming with me. Jonah, Rock, keep an eye on Dead Master" she commanded. The horned girl snarled in indignation.
"What happened to trust?" she snapped.
"You're still on probation. Call it justified paranoia. Everyone else, grab a weapon. Huey, you too. If its not me, blow it away. Do either of you have a gun?" she turned to ask.
"Of course" Scarecrow said, flapping his coat aside to reveal his S&W .357 revolver.
"Classy. Schokolade?" The blonde blanched.
"I haven't shot a gun in years" she protested.
"That sucks. Better get reacquainted fast. R?" she called out.
"On it" he said, darting to the cargo hold.
"Now, this is why I said not retiring your old equipment yet. Old rifles or the Magpuls, your call" she said. True to form Lehm chuckled, but she could see the strain underneath.
"Trial by fire" he said.
"One more thing, grab body armor this time. I'd rather not, but this city..." Koko groaned. Nods and affirmatives greeted her before they all sped off, bringing up or uncovering very large weapons.
I hoped none of them will have to be used, but only a fool substitutes hope for preparation, she thought. Out of the corner of her eye Koko saw Black Rock Shooter coming closer, her ever useful phone already out.
Why am i staying here? she asked. She quietly sighed.
"No offense, but after last time I'm nervous about having you come into contact with another one of them. Odds say she'll be a stranger, and I'm just worrying for nothing. Still, better safe than sorry right?" she asked, noting the girl's glum look. Taking a chance she patted her on the shoulder, relieved that she didn't seem to mind this time.
"Besides, you're my best option for dealing with Dead Master if she decides to try something while I'm gone" she cheerfully lied, knowing full well that the half dozen automatic weapons the remaining crew would be toting were far more effective. If she thought otherwise, she chose not to make an issue of it.
The crew scrambled, every one of her men doing their part to make her orders happen. Several retrieved equipment, while the rest went to the ship's eight lifeboats to get it operational. Removing the tarp, clearing out derelict equipment out, testing the small motor, and so on. Not for the first time she recalled that she once contemplated buying a small interceptor speedboat for occasions such as this, but for many reasons she never went through with the purchase.
A pile of detritus was thrown onto the deck, making her purse her lip. She thought for a second about who to assign cleaning duty to, but a glance gave her the answer; Scarecrow stood by, looking confused by the goings on. He made no move to help, whether to help grab equipment or to help get the boat ready. Even Schokolade was helping, even though all she was doing was cataloguing the pile.
A yank and a rumble made the tiny engine roar to life.
"We're ready Koko!" Ugo yelled, looking triumphant at bringing the disused machine to life. She nodded and walked over, taking a deep breath.
"Last thing: if you don't hear back from me in four hours, it means come in guns blazing to save me" she called out to the assembled group. After all the tension of the last couple of days, they couldn't help but laugh. She thought she saw a grin on Jonah, but it could have been her imagination.
The pulley hadn't been used in months, but nonetheless it started to lower the boat to the water line (albeit creakily). Ugo alone stayed in the craft, while she and the others waited above. The hull slapped against the water and bobbed in the waves, while the large man checked once more to see if everything was in order. Once he was satisfied he looked up and waved them on.
Koko was the first one to scale the latter, the wheelman tastefully looking in the direction of the city to avoid seeing something he would deeply regret. Valmet followed her, with Lehm, Mao, and Wiley coming in one after another. Up top Lutz and Tojo held the lines as they disconnected the ropes, methodically yanking them up and giving a short wave. The engine roared to life, and the lifeboat made waves in the warm sea as it sped away.
"You nervous?" Lutz asked.
"A little" Tojo admitted. A few feet away both Huey and Dead Master watched the event, the former holding a close copy of the gun he wielded for the bank robbery, merely two weeks ago.
"Wait" she said suddenly, worry wracking her features. The three humans took their eyes off of the shrinking boat to her, looking on questionably.
"How far away does she have to be before the signal cuts out?" she demanded worriedly. Tojo was the first to react.
"Ah, I forgot to say earlier. Koko had me install a booster on the switch. Its good for thirty miles now, you'll be alright" he hurriedly explained. Huey was fortunate he was standing behind her, otherwise his dry expression could've given the entire charade away.
"Good. I'd imagine she wouldn't any of you killed either" Dead Master said, looking away once more. The two men discreetly sighed in relief.
"Killed who now?" demanded the boisterous voice. Again the men sighed, in patient loathing this time. With narrowing eyes they glanced around, seeing Scarecrow leading a tiny procession up to them. He was looking upset, possibly by the new handgun Schokolade was sporting, or Black Rock Shooter hefting a large green case, or perhaps it was the rifle Jonah had. Or perhaps it was the frighteningly large RPG-7 R was bringing in at the end.
"Oh, that, erm, Tojo?" Lutz quietly pleaded. The japanese man sighed and went to the pair to explain (quietly of course) the situation. Black Rock Shooter set the case down on the deck, popping the lid open as R set the launcher down next to her. Inside was four skinny rocket propelled grenades, ready and waiting for a target.
Meanwhile Jonah kept marching forward. Dead Master broke out in a cold sweat when it was clear he was coming for her.
"Stay put" Huey whispered. She sent a glare at him, but by the time she glanced back the white haired boy was upon her, leaving nowhere to run. Gulping, she pushed her fear aside to face him, putting on her bravest front.
"Yes?" she curtly inquired (she felt a flash of pride at keeping a stutter out of her voice). Instead of answering he reached to his side, where a pistol holster rested. He released the strap and drew the weapon. A dozen scenarios, each more unpleasant than the last, occurred to her.
Him flipping the grip around to offer it to her was not one of them.
"Here. Safety's on, there's a clip in already. Rack the slide and you're ready to shoot" he blandly offered. She gaped in utter astonishment.
"You need a gun, and I'm told you don't have much experience with them" Huey cleared his throat "Anything else will just fly out of your hands" he explained. Dead Master finally snapped out of her stupor, gingerly taking the gun from him while making sure to have zero contact with his hand. The pistol felt solid in her claws, an uncomfortable but oddly reassuring weight.
"Why are you giving her a gun? And why yours?" Huey butted in.
"First, Koko's orders. You don't want to be the only one without a gun. Second, that's the SIG SP. I got my Browning" from his belt he retrieved a new gun, similar but different.
"Talk to Lutz or Tojo if you want to learn how to use it" he said. Lacking anything resembling interest, he turned and walked away. Black Rock Shooter looked up from R's impromptu lesson on arming explosives, first to send a glare at Dead Master, then to welcome the boy over to them.
Once again, Scarecrow snorted.
"What kind of fucked up world do we live in that we have to put guns in children's hands?" he asked ruefully.
"Um, I don't think those two girls are actually human" Schokolade hesitantly corrected, sparing another glance at the new Glock she was provided with.
"So what? They're still kids" he argued. In that same moment Dead Master experimented with using the handgun and her large black scythe at once (under Huey's and Lutz's watchful gazes) while Black Rock Shooter summoned her cannon to keep at the ready with Jonah's Magpul Masada. He gulped.
"On second thought..." he said nervously.
From ten miles away Roanapur didn't look so bad. Up close, seeing the thugs and prostitutes that openly prowled the streets alongside the waves of diverse humanity that all shared a closed suspicious look on them, reminded Koko of how badly she didn't want to be there.
"Valmet, Lehm, Wiley. You're coming with me. Mao, Ugo, watch the boat" she commanded a few seconds after the latter moored the tiny craft to one of the numerous piers. Many other sea goers, ranging from fishermen to obvious smugglers, gave them a wary look before moving on.
"You sure Koko?" Ugo asked pointedly.
"Just one person is too inviting to leave alone. Besides, if something happens you're our best chance for getting us out" she answered blandly. Internally she asked herself again why she was doing this; there was certainly other options.
"Alright. Conceal our guns, or..." Wiley started to ask. He trailed off as his rimmed eyes beheld the sight of a shirtless fishermen toting an LMG to his boat, talking animatedly with a similarly armed and dressed man beside him.
"I don't think it matters" Mao quietly added.
"Its okay. Look fierce and try not to piss off the locals was the advice I got when I found out about this place" Koko joked.
"Hilarious. Let's get this over with and get out of here" Valmet urged. She was the first one out, sweeping her lone eye around for danger (amending that to immediate danger when she lost count of how many armed people she spotted). An extended hand helped Koko out, and even with the present circumstances she felt a flutter in her heart at the contact.
"If you don't hear from me in four hours, assume something bad happened" the pale woman said as the ex operators climbed out after her.
"Rodger" Ugo and Mao repeated, both hoping that it wouldn't be the last time they said that.
Koko straightened out her stance and faced the pier entrance, pointing a finger to the city and said "let's roll."
The group walked. The three bodyguards unconsciously made a triangle around the lady, keeping one eye open for danger. Having known the woman for so long each recognized the signs of discomfort, yet she powered on anyway. A few of the locals stared dangerously at her, a few even going to far as to leer, but one look at the dangerous men and women around her (along with their fancy rifles) made all but the most foolhardy back away. It continued until the four finally got off the pier and onto a street curb, where it became exponentially worse. In the center Koko quietly sighed in relief.
"Um, Koko?" Wiley went nervously, looking around the crowded street. It looked like one in four people walking the sidewalks had a weapon out.
"Don't want to risk a car here, so we'll have to walk" Valmet said glumly.
"Yeah, that, but what I mean to say is, well..." he turned to Lehm for help. The leathery man grabbed a cigarette, marveling that no one was telling him to put it away or how disgusting it was. It was certainly a nice change.
A gaggle of laughing children, a dozen in total, ran past the group. One bumped into Lehm, who suddenly snatched a kid's arm.
"Let me go!" the child cried out, struggling to get free.
"My wallet first" Lehm said, plucking his leather belonging out if the kid's surprisingly tight grip before letting him go. The child gave him a sullen look before sprinting off. He checked to see if everything was still in place before putting it back in his pocket.
"Anyway, what I'm guessing he was going to say was 'how are we supposed to find an inhuman killing machine in a place like this? Its a needle in a haystack.' Am I right?" he asked. The bespectacled man nodded. Koko grinned.
"Remember where you got the offer to join Delta Force?" Lehm reminded. He and Valmet both 'ah'd' in understanding while Koko hailed down a taxi, hoping that it was a real one and not a scam.
"I know just where to start" she proclaimed.
Dingy, smokey, dark, a microcosm of the city outside. Every patron in the cavernous bar that Koko could see was armed; mostly pistols, but she spotted a few rifles and shotguns scattered around. The few closest to the door eyed her and her three bodyguards with suspicion, but none of them rose from their worn out chairs. A pretty waitress in a skimpy outfit started to come greet the four, breaking off at the sight of the tan assault rifles they carried. Scanning around, she found her best option for information.
The dark toned japanese bartender looked up from cleaning a glass to level a blank look at the woman.
"Can I help you?" he asked blandly.
"A church?" Wiley asked aloud from the front seat. A twenty minute drive up an increasingly ruddy road, with the city itself falling away at the same rate, revealed a plain and ill maintained Catholic house of worship. The cabby killed the engine and leaned over the edge of the seat.
"This is the place you said you wanted to go" he said, directing his bored statement at the woman in the center. Koko gave the building a cautious look.
"This is the Church of Violence?" she repeated lamely.
"That is the Church of Violence. The best place for salvation in the whole city" he elaborated.
"Thats a disturbing idea" Valmet said quietly.
"I'm looking for someone" Koko said after a greeting. The bartender nodded.
"You're not from around here. If you're looking for someone who is, they must be some unsavory folk" he said.
"You can say that. I just need help to get in the right direction" she said.
"Alright. I'll see what I can do" he started. A crash from behind him was followed by a loud (and imaginative) curse. The bartender sighed and turned his torso around to the back.
"What happened!?" he called. Another loud curse echoed out.
"This bitch tripped me! I'm shooting her!" an irate woman, even out of sight she sounded dangerous, yelled back. Following that was a double click of a gun being readied.
"Put it down. It was just a mistake" he yelled, utterly calm.
"Fuck you!" the woman screamed.
"We're running a legit business these days. You can't shoot everyone who pisses you off" he yelled. Koko noticed the way he was acting, like it was a well worn routine.
"...Fine! Goddamnit, we never do anything exciting anymore!" the unseen woman lamented.
"Next customer that acts up can get a beating, deal!?" he offered.
"Deal!" she enthusiastically agreed. The bartender nodded in satisfaction before turning back to Koko, shrugging apologetically.
"My manager. Believe it or not she's a lot more mellow these days" he said.
"That's frightening" Valmet mumbled.
"Indeed. Anyway, who are you after?" he asked.
The four exited the taxicab, subtly bringing weapons to bear. The two men and woman bodyguards began to scan the area, looking for threats.
"Hey! You listening?" Koko stopped over the door to speak.
"I am, I am" he waved on dismissively.
"This shouldn't take more than twenty minutes. Stay here" she commanded.
"I will. Your meter will be running though" he reminded.
"As long as you're still here when I leave than I don't care" she said curtly.
Koko rose from the car to look at the run down church, sighing under her breath. Clinically, she knew that what she was about to do was dangerous, with a high chance of not walking away with her life. Both of her meetings with the bizarre girls had erupted into violence, yet she escaped mostly unscathed from both encounters. She dearly hoped the rule of three didn't apply for this one.
"Boss?" Lehm asked in concern.
"Lets get this done" Koko said, striding towards the large double doors, briefly leaving the trio floundering in her wake.
Oddly, but not unsurprisingly, the door was unlocked, allowing her to push it open into the dim light and stuffy interior of the church.
The bartender pursed his lips as he examined the photo Koko produced. It was actually one of Black Rock Shooter, but he didn't need to know that.
"Never seen this girl before" he declared at last, handing the picture back.
"It was worth a try I suppose" she said, feigning disappointment.
"However" she perked up "I've never seen that girl before" he repeated suddenly, shaking his head.
"But?" Koko prompted.
"But...I really shouldn't be telling you this" he said after a moment.
"I can handle it" she declared. The bartender looked around, searching for eavesdroppers. A gesture brought them both down over the counter, heads close.
Lehm gently closed the door behind them, while Lehm and Valmet swept their rifles around. For the area they were in, it was abandoned. She wondered if it was intentional, so the girl would have privacy. Koko deliberated on the best way to approach the situation, before finally making up her mind to yell. Just as she raised her hands to cup around her mouth, a door on the far side of the altar swung open. All three bodyguards snapped their weapons up, discovering a surprised man in priest robes standing there.
"Hi there" Koko casually greeted. His shock faded away, first to indignation at the group that brazenly entered, then changing into polite concern when it dawned on him that the balance of firepower was firmly in their favor.
"Greetings. I welcome you to the Lady of the Hill Church. I must ask you to leave your weapons by the door" he greeted as he approached, stopping a short distance away. When none of them moved he quietly sighed.
"If that's the way it has to be" he murmured.
"Who are you?" Valmet asked.
"I'm Father Ricardo. This is my church. Now, who are you?" he asked back.
"Who we are" Koko stepped around her "isn't unduly important. Why we're here, on the other hand, is" she stated. A layman wouldn't have seen the way his gaze shifted, deducing it's meaning.
"And why are you here?" he questioned lowly.
"I want to assume this is a legitimate church. But, going off of this city's reputation and what I've seen on the way here, I'm inclined to assume otherwise. That's correct, isn't it?" she posed. Instead of a sigh she was expecting, the apparent priest merely hardened his gaze.
"It is" he said in a near whisper.
"Good. But I'm not here to do business with you. There's a...resident here. A guest that's staying in this place, according to the rumor mill" she danced around the subject, waiting for his reaction. His widening eyes told her much.
"There is someone like that here. Showed up out of the blue more than a month ago" the bartender whispered.
"Let me guess, a young girl. Fourteen or fifteen. Behaves oddly, outfit is just weird. Also a complete badass" Koko responded in kind. He nodded carefully, his gaze narrow.
"How much do you know?" he pressed.
"A lot" she said simply. He frowned.
"Do you realize what you're getting into?" he questioned.
"I have a good idea, yes" she answered calmly. The bartender closed his eyes, expelling a breath through his nostrils.
"I don't think you do" he whispered.
"Do you want to hire her?" Father Ricardo questioned sternly.
"Perhaps. I want to meet her first, to see if there's any truth to the matter" she answered. He nodded in understanding.
The door he entered from banged open less than a second later, and his hard features crumbled. Koko recognized his expression: fear.
"Started just killing randomly. Didn't matter who they were or what faction they belonged to. Dead, all of them. A few days in it started to change. The bigger or tougher groups got targeted. The greater the challenge, the more likely she would go after them."
The dim light prevented Koko from seeing any great detail about the group that methodically walked their way. All she could she was the silhouettes. The figures were short, she guessed they were less than five feet tall, with the one in the center a head taller than the others. Their torsos and legs were slim, each one moving in tune with the other. The right took a few steps ahead, and the center moved, with the left last. An odd ripple effect that walked in step with incredible discipline.
It wasn't until they stepped into a beam of light that Koko realized she was wrong.
"After about a week, the local branch of the Russian Mafia hired some mercenaries to take care of her. They've been in a rocky way since their old leader died, and she was hitting them hard. Killed them of course, but one survived. Some witnesses reported what happened. He lived long enough to try to make a deal with her, to save his life. Ended up telling her how being a hired gun works, how tough it was. After she iced him, she ended up hiring herself out to whoever wanted her services."
The girl was alone. Her two 'companions' were actually enormous metal constructs, hugging close to her sides. Again she walked into a a beam of light, and Koko saw much more than she could believe. Like how the metal objects were in the shape of arms, each one almost as big as she was. Rows of fingers the size of her hands trailed near the floor, not quite touching it. A mechanism propped them a short distance from her as they attached directly to her actual limbs, which ended well before her elbows.
Koko was engrossed with the astonishing attachments, and it was with great difficulty she tore her eyes off of them to view the rest of her. It came as a relief that little about her was unexpected; what little skin was visible was oddly a brownish color, even if it had an alabaster tone to it. Her clothes consisted of a sleeveless dress that went a little passed her waist, knee socks that ended a few inch below it, and a large black and white striped scarf around her neck, all toped by a small black hood. Short tufts of white hair poked out, and orange eyes were visible as close as she was.
The inhuman girl stopped ten feet away, coldly scanning over the four.
"She doesn't care about money. Some groups around here have offered a fortune for her services, but she brushes them off. Only thing she cares about is fighting."
"Hello there" Koko greeted, noting Father Ricardo discreetly backing off. The girl's hood tipped forward for a second in acknowledgment.
"I've come a long way to come speak with you. Can I get a few minutes of your time?" she said cautiously.
Her response was a curt, methodical, and cold "Yes."
"Freelancer. Only accepts harder jobs, and you better be ready for collateral. Some player hired her for a piracy operation about three weeks ago, she ended up tearing half the target apart before they had to bail. She waited until they were docked back here before she slaughtered them all. They didn't deliver, she claimed."
"I'll start with the basics. My name is Koko Hekmatyr. Yours is?" she asked.
The girl was still for a moment. Their rifles twitched her way when her large faux arms lifted, going up to peel her hood back.
"I am called many names. Death, Diablo, Bitch, and No. But you" her arms lowered, revealing a pretty, unsmiling face that was fixated on the pale woman.
"You will call me Strength."
"I don't know why you're going for her. I want to convince you to leave her be, just get the hell out of here. But I know that look in your eyes. Nothing I say or do is going to stop you. So instead, I'm just going to say good luck, and be very careful. Can you do that?" the bartender questioned.
Koko smiled.
"Always am" she answered. He sighed.
"I'm sure you are. She's at the Church of Violence, just hail a cab to get there. Now get the fuck out of my bar."
"Strength" Koko repeated, mulling the words over. Her hard gaze examined her.
"Most stare at me when they come here. They find me unusual" Strength noted calmly.
"Do they now?" she said quietly, giving her another look.
"Not you. You're not surprised to see me" she said. Koko smiled.
"I've traveled around half the world. Believe me when I say I've seen some weird things" she replied. Strength didn't respond.
She started to walk closer, disregarding the three rifles not quite pointed at her. Koko stayed in place, wondering what she was up to as she stopped just out of arms reach.
For of a human anyway. Faster than any of them could react, Strength threw her arms out wide, all of her fingers splayed out. With a mighty heave she swung them inwards, her metal fingers clashing against their opposite number. Koko was trapped in a small circular hold, letting out only a muffled grunt as the snug hold coiled around her. Icy fear sunk it's claws into her when she realized she was trapped, completely at her mercy.
A twitch on her features was all the sign of exertion Strength showed. Her eyes swiveled around, calmly noting the bodyguards had their weapons pointed at her, close enough to touch.
"Let her go. Now" Lehm commanded.
"No" she said calmly. Despite her precarious position and the tight hold she was in, Koko managed a wry smile.
"You should really listen to him" she explained, her voice short from the lack of air.
"First, you will answer my questions" Strength retorted.
"I'm listening" the grip coiled tighter "I'm listening intently" Koko corrected.
"Good. You've had contact with my kind before, haven't you?" she started.
"That's right. Two of them actually" Koko said, deciding truth was the best route for now.
"Their names?" Strength continued.
"Black Rock Shooter and Dead Master" she answered. The corners of her mouth twitched upwards into a smirk.
"Really" she murmured. Her strikingly orange eyes closed, her head slowly shaking side to side in what she hoped was bemusement.
"Small world eh?" Koko prompted. Her eyes opened again, the smirk still in place.
"Final question. Your answer will determine whether you live or die" Strength said.
"Just want to point out, if you kill me there's nothing stopping these fine gentlemen and lady from gunning you down. They've dealt with your kind before, so they know how to counter you" she reminded.
"I don't care. The final question is: what are you going to do with them?" she inquired.
Koko took a moment to phrase her response, knowing that one false word would cost her life.
"Black Rock Shooter, I intend to keep, provided she wants to stay. Dead Master, I would like to send her back to her home. I was planning on extending that offer to you" she answered.
Strength was silent for a worrying span of time, musing over the answer. Finally her large hands loosened, falling away to leave Koko briefly unsteady on her feet.
It started with a snort. Another followed it, and another. It bubbled up from the back of her throat, a series of hiccuping sounds of her breath being interrupted. As Valmet helped her regain her balance, Koko realized what the sounds were.
Laughter.
Strength threw her head back to bellow with shrill laughter, sending chills through everyone that heard them. It was not the laughter of a sane human being.
"Shit" Wiley whispered fearfully.
After a long moment her head finally swung back down, fixating on them with an unhinged smile.
"Go back you say?" Strength repeated, snickers escaping her.
"That's right" Koko agreed, uncomfortably nervous. The girl dismissively waved one of her enormous arms at her, a twitch away from being filled with holes.
"Go back. That's hilarious. You can do whatever you want with them, but me" she licked her lips "I'm not going anywhere" she declared. Koko had to gulp down her nervousness before she could answer.
"Why?" she quietly asked.
"I like it here. You humans are soft and weak, but you're so intelligent to make up for it. It's never easy to hunt your kind. I can rarely use the same trick twice, and the number of guns you have! Its never easy, each one is harder than the last. Just the way I like it" she explained, that dangerous smirk never leaving her features.
"So I can't convince you to come with me" Koko stated.
"Unless you can show me a worthy enemy, then no. If that's all you came here for, then leave" she said with an air of finality. Her large hands lifted up to tug the hood over again, turning around to go back the way she came, revealing the existence of a short black metal ribbed tail that lazily wagged behind her.
"Wait" Koko said, and she stopped in her tracks.
"Why here? Why a church?" she asked.
"This is neutral ground in this city. One of the best places for two factions to meet and talk" she answered before walking away.
Koko tore her attention away from the encounter, finding Mao, Lehm, and Valmet looking at her for guidance. She shook her head, making up her mind.
"It's over. Let's get the fuck out of here."
Omake: Karaoke (warning, flanderization ahead)...
Koko stared in wonder at the large setup the men put together. A stage, several large speakers, a small screen, a stereo, and lastly, a singing mike.
"So, what do you think?" Tojo asked proudly. All ten were clustered into the small room, everyone but Jonah smiling at her amazement.
"I'm shocked. Where did you guys even get half this stuff?" Koko asked. A variety of waves brushed her question off.
"Give it a shot" Valmet offered. Koko was nervous, but she loved karaoke. She went to the stage and grabbed the mike, noticing a tablet in Lehm's hands. With a chuckle he tapped the screen. She recognized the song at once, it was one of her favorites after all. She started to dance with the electro tune, waiting for the words.
"~Time, to rock and roll, time to lose control~" she sang. They erupted into cheer, all save Jonah. She grinned the whole time, planning several escapades with such a machine.
"~Her name is Koko she is loco I say oh no~"
A random bar, Manilla...
The bartender had no idea what to make of the young woman in front of him. It wasn't just her appearance, though that certainly was bizarre: short pants, a short jacket, a bikini top, metal boots and legs that went above her knees, and horns (upon reflection it was definitely unusual). Nor was it the large red toned claws she had for hands, or her pale skin with blazing red eyes. It was her request that had him vexed.
"You want to use the karaoke machine?" he asked.
"Exactly" she agreed in a meticulous tone. He frowned.
"Do you think I'm just going to let any yahoo use my-" the woman slapped a twenty dollar bill on the counter.
"Use my-" he sputtered. She slapped another on.
"Use-" he tried one more time. A third bill joined the tiny pile. He gulped.
"Use my karaoke machine. Go ahead, the case has like four hundred songs on it" he invited cheerfully.
She smiled and nodded, spinning on her heels to march towards the stage. A few of the bar's patrons watched with bored interest as the odd woman easily set up the ready to go stage. In under a minute a long recorded guitar began to string, while she twirled the mike in preparation.
"~There must be some kind of way out of here~" she sang with skill, gently moving her body in tune with the music.
"~Said the joker to the thief~"
A lab outside Cape town...
"You're joking, right?" Karen asked, hoping it wasn't. Alas, the small stage with its mike and large speakers stayed in place, along with Dr. Miami's grin and Malin's guilty look. The short girl nearby looked baffled by the entire affair.
"Oh c'mon, you've never done karaoke before?" the kooky woman said playfully.
"I-I tried to stop her" Malin pleaded.
"You're not at fault Malin, relax. You are" she pointed at the scientist.
"~You didn't answer my question~" she sang off tune.
"I have never sung karaoke" she replied. Since basic, she mentally added.
"Fine" she pouted, turning to the odd looking girl. Even going by the loose standards they'd adopted since Dr. Miami found that thing in the hills, she was bizarre looking. She looked no more than twelve, wearing a gothic lolita dress with claws, a metal crown, and wheels for feet.
"No" the odd girl answered the unspoken question. Miami pouted more.
A/N: all Omake songs were used without permission.