Chapter 8
"Got the proof my friend. Time to give up."
"And why does that photo change anything? My buds here shoot you and destroy the photo and you get yourself killed for nothing." The boss said, leaning back with a cold smile hovering on his lips. Himura shrugged his shoulders.
"What makes you think your friends can shoot me?" Himura asked, sliding the camera into his jeans pocket.
"You have twelve guns trained on you right now. There's no way you can avoid being shot at some point." The boss met Himura's eyes, neither looking away.
"Actually, ten guns. Your two friends by the door won't be shooting anyone soon." Himura gestured at the two boys behind him with a jerk of his head. The boss glanced at them and shrugged.
"They look they can still fire a gun to me." He retorted, just as the boys fell forwards flat on their faces. The entire room stared in shock at the two unconscious boys. "How did you do that?" The boss demanded, his voice shaking a little. Himura let loose a quiet laugh.
"I hit the nerve bundle at the base of their spines when I came in. They've been paralysed from a few seconds before I started talking." Himura glanced at Elena and Hinagiku before his eyes returned to the boss who was recovering his posture.
"You can't hope to beat everyone else without the element of surprise." The boss glared at Himura, now seeing him as a threat.
Just then there was a click as the door opened.
"Ah, here you go Hayata-kun." A girl said, pushing the door open with Hayate and Nagi following. Guns swivelled to point at the trio. The girl, Miki, put her hands up, her face as unreadable as usual. Hayate stepped in front of Nagi protectively. Himura nodded slightly to Elena who grabbed the arms of the boy who had her in the banned wrestling move and threw him over her shoulder to crash head first into the sofa the boss sat on. It rocked back with the momentum of the boy and threw the boss backwards as the sofa toppled in the same direction.
Without a moment's pause Elena had stood up, twisted and her hand had flown like a knife to crash against the neck of the boy holding Hinagiku. He crumpled instantly, unable to breathe. The other mob boys began to turn around at the commotion, guns swerving.
By the door two more goons lay crumpled on the floor and Himura was upon a trio. He struck like lightning, his fist rocketing up into the chin of one and sending him flying back into a wall before collapsing on the floor. Himura had already spun around to whip his knee into the second goon's stomach, winding him and forcing him to the floor. The third goon was neutralised when Himura darted around him and his hand chopped like an axe onto the back of the goon's neck.
Elena had grabbed Hinagiku and dragged her to the floor as gunshots rang out across the room as the remaining goons opened fire on the Englishman. Hayate retreated out into the corridor with Nagi and Miki now that their distraction had been made.
Himura dodged around a pillar, bullets clanging off it and chipping off small chunks of marble. He stopped for a moment, disconcerting the goons before rushing out again, advancing on the last trio and dispatching them with terrifying ease. As the last boy dropped to the floor the boss stood up, pistol in hand aimed right at Himura.
"That's far enough, I think." He declared. Himura raised his hands into the air, stepping over a squirming goon who was still spreading out as his body went limp from lack of consciousness. "You're good. Oh, so very good."
"I swear those are the exact lines Tommy Lee Jones says in Under Siege to Steven Seagal before they end up fighting with combat knives." Himura remarked, completely composed.
"Oh? So what happens after that?" The boss asked with vague interest. Himura grinned.
"Tommy Lee Jones ends up with a knife in his head and then being pushed into a computer terminal." The boss pulled back the safety on the gun.
"Well I'm afraid films aren't like films." He said coldly, just as a sharp blow hit him in the back of the head and he toppled forwards. Elena stood behind him, her arm raised in the blow she had just executed.
"Well, I think we're done. We done?" Himura asked, poking a boy with the toe of his shoe. There was no response.
"That's a film line too you know." Elena turned around to help Hinagiku to her feet. The door creaked open and the trio outside stuck their heads into the room before moving in, assured it was now safe.
"How did you do that?" Hayate asked in amazement, staring around at the defeated mob.
"I told you, trained by the best." Himura grinned and dialled a number on his phone. "Yup, you can come upstairs now." He hung up and slid the phone back into his pocket.
"The police are coming from downstairs; they'll make all the arrests. We have the proof on camera so it's over." Elena explained to Hinagiku as the sound of the elevator's doors opening drifted into the room. Six or so armed policeman rushed into the room, firearms in front of them followed by the police officer who had questioned them at the start of the whole thing. The policemen looked around the room, jaws loose in amazement, firearms lowering.
"It looks like you cleared up, as promised." The officer said, holding a hand out to Himura who shook it.
"Wait, does that mean we were bait?" Hinagiku demanded furiously. Himura shrugged but Elena shook her head.
"Nope. Hina, they would've come after you anywhere. It just made more sense to prepare for it here where we had the best chances of winning." She laid a comforting hand on Hinagiku's shoulder and led her away from Himura and the police officer who were talking about sorting the case out. Himura handed him the camera and the officer nodded. The goons were handcuffed and dragged from the room until it was back to normal. The officer thanked them all and then left.
"This room is in a mess. Look at it!" Hinagiku complained, waving her arms at the pock marked walls and destroyed sofa. Elena glanced at Himura.
"You want to do it or shall I?" She asked, Himura made a suit yourself gesture so Elena stepped up to the sofa and clapped her hands together before touching it. The broken pieces picked themselves up, reforming and repairing until a brand new looking sofa stood in place, undamaged. She did the same and touched the floor. Blue light stretched from around her, spreading across the walls, fixing the areas behind them until the entire room revealed no marks of the fight.
"You really do have powers!" Nagi exclaimed excitedly, her eyes sparkling. The couple nodded and looked around the room at Elena's handiwork.
"So it's all over, we can go back to normal again?" Hinagiku asked.
"Yes. Now that everything's alright we won't stay much longer." Elena said. Himura had moved away to stare at a painting on the wall, intelligently staying out of the parting.
"What! But you only just got here Ellie, can't you stay longer?" Hinagiku asked, clasping Elena's hands in her own but the girl shook her head.
"Sorry Hina but we have to move on. We don't have much time left before we have to go home and fight again; but," she gave a rueful smile, "we're not going just yet."
"We're not sure where we're going yet. Although we have to move on, the question is where to?" Himura interjected to explain before turning back to the painting.
"So we'll get to work on that other problem." Elena whispered so that only Hinagiku could hear and winked. Hina blushed and began to mutter protests but Elena shook her head.
"No, no. No excuses!" She proclaimed.
"I think for now I'll head back to the mansion. As you said, I can't be seen around in these clothes." Himura said, gesturing at himself. He turned to go to the balcony before he glanced back at Hinagiku. "Incidentally, it was entertaining skipping around your security measures." He grinned before vaulting over the balcony.
"What's he doing? He'll die!" Hinagiku exclaimed but Elena held her back with a hand on her shoulder.
"He's just swinging down to the floor below." She explained. She turned to Hayate and Nagi who had stood by through the entire exchanged and her eyes twinkled mischievously. "Nagi-chan, I need to talk to you for a moment. Come with me will you?" She asked, grabbing Nagi's hand and leading her from the room quickly. As she turned to close the door behind them she gave Hina a wink which made the girl flush red.
Miki had left with the police leaving Hayate and Hina alone.
"I wonder what Elena-san wants to speak about with milady?" Hayate said, more to himself than anyone else. Hina fidgeted with her fingers, trying to pluck up the courage to speak but not finding it. "Oh, by the way, Hinagiku-san, Himura-san told me this morning there was something you wanted to talk about?" Hina flushed brighter red; there was no way of backing out now. Her heart pumped furiously and her face burned as Hayate turned to look at her, his gaze as uncomprehending as usual.
"Hayate-kun… you know, there's something I've been meaning to say for a while."
"Oi, Elena! What's this about?" Nagi demanded as Elena took the younger girl to the lift.
"Nagi-chan, you like Hayate-kun, right?" Elena asked. The sudden question embarrassed and silenced the younger girl.
"H-how do you know?" She demanded. Elena winked.
"Not really a secret is it? Maria-san filled me in when I asked her about it. I think we need to talk about it, since you're a little confused."
"Confused?" Nagi questioned, quietened with curiosity now.
"Yes, Nagi-chan. You need to think about whether you love Hayate, or are in love with him."
