Chapter 14, Take the Safety Off

There was no other option unfortunately, she was out of leads and desperate for anything, which was how she convinced herself to knock at this particular door. After waiting long enough for someone to come she knocked louder. "Are we going to have to do this the hard way, or are you going to open up?" After no response Yoruichi backed up a few spaces and ran forward leaping at the knob and striking right underneath it to break in.

"What the hell did you do to my door, are you crazy?" A messy woman ran down the stairs and glared at the intruder.

"I knocked."

"I was upstairs asleep!"

"Well, get a doorbell then."

"Yoruichi you're paying for that door."

"Yeah, I'll get right on that, but first, we need to talk."

"No." Yoruichi just stepped on the door, ignoring the sound of crunching glass beneath her feet and examined the inside, brushing past its owner.

"Ok here's the deal, I'll let you in on a secret, but you have to agree to help me alright?" The other woman simply turned around and picked up her phone, dialing a three digit number. "You can't." Yoruichi grabbed the phone and threw it on the ground. "They're looking for me."

"Oh, and you're wanted too, that's lovely, how can I help?"

"Nanao, Soi's in danger. I mean really serious danger." The black haired woman scowled and walked over to the door pulling it up and leaning it against the frame.

"Want some coffee?"

--

"You are crazy."

"I don't care, just give me a name."

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Don't you have connections? Can't you find out where he is?"

"No."

"What kind of photographer are you?"

"To be honest I like to keep my work and personal life far apart, and this isn't exactly working."

"Well do something!"

"Yeah, let me just pull some brilliant idea out of my ass and donate it to your helpless cause."

"Well you must have a ton of them up there because you act like a bitch all the time."

"Yes, that's a perfect way to get someone who dislikes you to help them."

"You aren't helping me!"

"Regardless. I think you should leave."

"Why do you think I'm here? You're my absolute last chance, you must know someone." Nanao sighed and released hold of her coffee mug.

"I'm already working on it."

"What now?"

"I'm not a photographer, I work for the L.A. undercover police, and I've been tracking Soi for a while now because of her connection to Yamamoto."

"What now?"

"Can you at least show some intelligence please? Yamamoto has been on our radar for over 15 years since he moved here from Japan under curious circumstances. His great wealth helped the transition go over smoothly and after all this time we've gathered little to no information. All his subordinates we've managed to capture either were killed or committed suicide while under questioning.

"Each member is required to have a capsule filled with poisonous liquid surgically placed in their tongue. It's rather hard, but by focusing a bite on the area, they can pop it and instantly kill themselves. We've found no way to remove it without bursting on its own."

"Every member?"

"Yes, even Soi has one, that's why I was so desperate to keep you apart. Any dangerous pressure on her tongue could kill her."

"Think this would have been great to mention in the first place? Maybe a, 'hey Yoruichi, by the way, if you shove your tongue down her throat she'll die'."

"It's obviously not that sensitive, but oral sex would definitely do it."

"Yes, because that's so different."

"Tch."

"Well me where he is already so we can kick his ass."

"We're still looking for him. If we knew where he is, he'd already be dead trust me. We have one of the best assassination teams in the entire country, the only reason he's escaped us is his many sacrificial cronies that blow themselves up on my men."

"How come I've never heard of anything like that on the news?"

"The media knows, they've all been threatened into silence."

"So we can't do anything?"

"There is one way…"

--

"Yoruichi let go of me!"

"Sorry Soi, doctors orders, you've come down with a case of bullshit and I hear it's quite dangerous if not treated immediately." Yoruichi exited Soi's apartment after slinging the girl over her shoulder and nodding to the doorman as she threw the girl into the back of a black van.

"This is ridiculous, where are you taking me."

"You know they said bondage would have been a good way to keep you calm, but I thought it would have the opposite effect." Soi's face turned bright red and she looked away from the siren and glared at the metal around her. "You're going to use me to get to Yamamoto, Nanao's on our side; she'll help with the rest once we find where he's hiding."

"Damn it I told you not to do this, now we're both going to be killed, you stubborn…"

"Stubborn…?"

"I refuse."

"You don't have a choice, this is important to me, and you're not going to ruin it." Soi kept quiet and Yoruichi took this time to stare intently at her lips. Without warning she grabbed the back of Soi's neck and shoved her tongue in the girl's mouth, pulling back breathless and satisfied. "So it's true you have a capsule, can't believe I missed it before."

"You… know?"

"Yeah, that's what I was looking for."

"Liar, you just did it because you had the excuse."

"That too." The goddess winked and pushed her back against the van grinning devilishly to herself as the vehicle sped on.

--

Stepping out Soi showed no indication of surprise, completely opposite of Yoruichi who almost had a heart attack. The inside of this organization was under the worst part of town and looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. Everything was eerie white and beeped.

Nanao marched forward with a translucent folder in her hand and held it out for Yoruichi to take. "This is all the information we've managed to gather on Yamamoto thus far." The older woman opened it and inside was a picture of said man and a name, along with some various random facts.

"This is… everything?"

"I told you, he's a hard man to track down, even that picture was pure luck, but not for the agent who died shortly after."

"Perfect."

"Soi, I'm sure you have a lot of questions for me."

"Not really."

"None…?"

"Nanao, I am among the walking dead. It has been pre determined that in a short amount of time I am to commit suicide or be murdered and fulfill my duties as directed by Yamamoto. In no way will I to reveal any information as to his whereabouts or any information of anyone else in connection with the order. Upon torture I will take death, upon force, I will perform the same result, upon-"

"Soi shut the hell up, we both know you aren't doing anything like that, and if I have to I'll cut your damn tongue off, so just listen to what Nanao has to say and then you're going to do it."

"Yoruichi, you're a bitch."

"Welcome to the truth babe, I can't wait to get married." Soi scoffed and turned away from the two women around her. "Nanao tell us what to do."

"It's fairly simple, from what Yoruichi has already told me I'm assuming you still have contact with Yamamoto, correct Soi?" There was no response. "Exactly, so you notify him and tell him you're bringing Yoruichi. When he bites we'll swarm the place and take him out."

"That's it?" Yoruichi looked shocked.

"What do you mean that's it? This plan was well thought out and highly organized! We spent hours to even get there." Yoruichi and Nanao got so close their faces were almost touching.

"Yeah well I could have come up with that myself. Heck a brain-dead photographer could have… oh that's right."

"What did you call me?" Soi sighed and turned around, quite possibly she was the only sane person in the facility, and even she was contemplating chewing on her tongue.

"Will you two grow up and act like adults for a second. I swear you fight like children."

"But Soi, she started it."

"Yoruichi you called her brain-dead."

"Well if the shoe fits." The siren looked off to the side crossing her arms.

"Hey!"

"Quiet! Nanao, I'm not going to contact Yamamoto."

"Soi, you will do this."

"Or what? You going to kill me?"

"No, but I will kill Yoruichi." Nanao grabbed Yoruichi's arm and twisted it around the older woman's back shoving a gun at the base of her jaw.

"You wouldn't." Soi's eyes closed dangerously as she watched.

"Hey, I thought you were on my side!"

"Shut up, Yoruichi and get out your phone." With her free arm the tan-skinned woman retrieved her cell and held it behind her. "Give it to Soi."

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Dial Urahara and tell him, now."

"You're not going to kill her." Nanao pulled the gun from under Yoruichi's chin and fired, striking her in the chest as blood instantly shot out and splashed Soi under the eye. "Yoruichi!" Said woman sank to her knees, gasping for air and clawing at the damp fabric.

"The next shot kills her. Now, dial the number." The raven haired woman growled and did as she was told.

"I have her." She spoke into the phone looking Nanao in the eyes patiently. "I understand, she'll be there alive." The cell shut and she clenched it tightly before dropping to the floor and flipping Yoruichi over.

Nanao raised her left hand and motioned for someone to come towards them. "What did he say?"

The worker spoke softly, looking slightly intimidated by what he had just witnessed. "Urahara stated that they would meet in area 47, that she would obviously come without assistance, and if anyone was found following they would be taken out immediately with no questions asked."

"Thank you." The man left. "I appreciate your cooperation," she directed these words at Soi. "Yoruichi you can get up now." And the woman did, brushing off her stained hands.

"I don't…" Soi stammered.

"Sorry, but it was all a plan from the start. She's wearing a blood pouch, and I didn't shoot her." Nanao held up the gun and pulled the trigger showing a quick piece of metal dart out and go back in as Yoruichi reached into her shirt and ripped the tan bag off her chest dropping it onto the floor. Soi remained still until finally she let out a quiet chuckle.

"You're… laughing? Nanao, quick, call a doctor!"

"Yoruichi, you're a horrible actor."

"What, I was incredible." The younger woman continued to smile even after.

"Sure you were."

"Convinced you didn't I?"

"You're just lucky I let my feelings take over."

"What feelings." Soi walked over and swiped Nanao's gun away from her and pulled the trigger on Yoruichi's thigh. "Son of a bitch, the hell did you do that for?"

"Can we please get on with this?"

"Right this way."

--

"Over all your safety is not of great importance to us, but regardless you will both be hiding vests that cover your torso to prevent bullets from hitting any vital organs. We aren't supplying you with any weapons- you will enter the building without them. If you get in the way, we will not hesitate to shoot you. If you survive you will not mention what happened to anyone, are we clear so far?"

"You might as well just shoot us once we get there."

"Would you prefer that?"

"No…"

"Then shut up and let me finish." Yoruichi obeyed and waited for Nanao to continue. "Ok I'm finished."

"Then what-"

"We won't be following you for our own safety," The goddess threw her hands up in the air and sat back, pouting as Nanao did finish, "instead, you both have tracking devices in the soles of your shoes, once you reach the location we'll surround the building with snipers and garrison a swat team around the perimeter. When the alarm on your shoe beeps stay away from all windows or you will be killed."

"Done now?"

"… Yes."

"What happens to us after all this?"

"We will change your name, your faces, and move you to a new location where you will be paid money by the government each year to support yourselves."

"And what happens if this plan doesn't work the way you want?"

"Are you expecting to deviate from the plan?"

"Depends."

"For your safety I would recommend against it."

"For my safety? You just spent the last 10 minutes telling us that we're probably going to die and you will be the ones to do it!"

"Your point?" Soi glanced over at Yoruichi, the two making eye contact before Soi jumped up and slammed Nanao under the chin, ramming her elbow into the older woman's neck successfully knocking the breath out of her. Yoruichi opened her mouth and ducked as a foot swung round and knocked out both armed men on either side of her. The truck skidded to a stop, the driver and passenger up front getting out and running to the back, throwing open the door as Soi jumped out and kicked one man in the face, crouching down and spinning her other leg, connecting with the other's ankles and he fell forward, her fist coming up and hitting him square in the gut. He collapsed on the floor and the girl looked back into the van to see Yoruichi peak out from underneath her hands.

"Jesus Christ, think next time you could warn me?"

"You're alright aren't you? Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"Take off your shoes." Yoruichi did as she was told and Soi threw them into the van along with her own and ran off down the street with the other woman close behind.

AN: Can you say ACTION and SUSPENCE!?

I mean yeah, probably, but look! An early update, I'm so good to you guys. (Ignore the fact that not much happened)

PiP 14