Chapter 2: Too slow, Windslow.
New York Financial District, 10:00 A.M.
As IX got off the bus, he looked around the tall skyscrapers, and the throngs of people in suits.
Wearing a black business suit and tie which surprisingly fits him, IX now looked like one of the business guys in Wall Street.
The reason why he wore such a suit is that Windslow Bank allows people inside if they are respectable in clothing which is reflected to their prestige. Which is why Janet thankfully gave him a suit and tie, he asked where the suit is from and explained that Janet had an ex-fiance that cheated on her during engagement, and the suit is now his.
As IX walked through the district, he asked directions to Windslow Bank and was pointed to the right direction.
Finally, IX arrived at the Bank which is colored in white and gold, and neo-classical in architecture compared to modern architecture.
IX then stepped inside after getting his body inspected by security.
As he was inside, he approached one of the receptionists.
"Good morning." IX greeted.
"Good Mo-Oh!" The receptionist looked surprised as he sees IX
"Mr. Roland!? It's been a long time!" The receptionist said, happily.
'Roland!? Is that my name?' IX thought to himself as the receptionist casually blurted out his name.
'Have I been here before?'
"I assume that you're here for your deposit box?" The receptionist asked.
"Y-yes." IX replied awkwardly, "I have my key."
IX handed over his key.
"Very good, right this way sir."
Then, the two men make their way to the safe room.
"As you can see Mr. Roland, we have upgraded our state of the art security system" The receptionist explained, "You can never be careful in today's world, right?"
'I highly doubt that.' IX ruefully thought.
Then the receptionist approached a locked security door panel and pressed the code.
The door opened and they went down till they reached the vault.
"Hello James, Mr. Roland would like to access his safe." The receptionist asked the guard safeguarding the safe room.
"Hello Mr. Roland." The guard greeted which IX returned with a small smile and a nod.
As the guard opens the safe door, The receptionist hands back the key to IX.
"Your safe is located at the far end of the room."
As IX steps inside, the receptionist tells IX to call him if he's ready to come out.
As IX is inside the room, he heads for the far end of the room. When he reaches there he sees the safe box number '999.'
"999, this is it." IX said as he used the key and opened the safe...
What he finds is a briefcase, a few stacks of Benjamins (100s), a gun (.44 magnum), some passports...
...And a time bomb.
Then he clutches his head as it suddenly hurts, as a memory suddenly comes back...
Memory sequence...
IX and a woman were looking at a
the contents of the briefcase.
"Carrington was right, they took the bait!" The woman was dark-skinned, with an afro, and wore an elegant blue dress.
"As was expected, Jones, they never thought that their fall guy would come back from the dead and hunt them down." IX said, as he sees the briefcase.
"And these are?..."
"The motherload, the XX would kill to get their hands on these files." The woman replied.
"We'll incriminate all of them, from Number XX to Number I."
"I'm not sure just these files are enough to incriminate these people, these are some of the most powerful people in America."
"Which is why you joined this mission, you are THE best the SPADS has ever trained, the best amongst all of us. Don't tell me you're be afraid of a few power-hungry men are you?" The woman, Jones, replied with a smirk.
IX answered back with a similar smirk as well. "No, I'm just worried that I may not see your nice ass again, would you weep for me if I die?"
"Oh shut it, you dick!" Jones scowled before making a saucy smirk, "But maybe a good luck kiss would suffice."
Then Jones approached IX and kissed on the lips, and IX returned back with a french snog.
After a few seconds, they separated and went back to the briefcase. They then placed the briefcase with a few things inside such as cash and a gun.
"So what you plannin' on doin' on that boat?"
"Sorry Jones, that's confidential."
"Confidential huh? All right then" Jones shrugged but then scowled, "But if it's another of that girl's ideas, I'd watch your six, she's nothing but trouble."
"I know Jones, I don't trust Kim that much either. But she's our only direct link to Number I. So we have to put up with it sadly..."
"Alright, I got the bomb set." Jones said, "Set the timer..."
Memory end...
As he was brought back to reality, he saw the bomb going at 5 seconds.
Realizing this, he immediately grabbed the briefcase, the gun, and the money and took cover behind the wall behind him.
BOOOMM!!!
(Begin XIII Soundtrack (Lionel Gaget) - Winslow Bank)
The loud explosion flickered the lights of the entire bank and sets off the alarm.
As IX got out from cover he looked and saw a hole in the wall which leads to a sewer.
"Mr. Roland, what's going on?!" The receptionist's voice was heard from the other side.
'Shit' was all he can say, IX knew he's in trouble and so his only option now is to go through the hole he had just made.
So he went in, and jumped into the hole and into the wet sewer.
IX then ran through the sewer and found a ladder nearby, he immediately started climbing up and found a ventilation shaft and started crawling through.
'State-of-the-art-security my ass' IX thought sarcastically, 'And ironically, I've fallen into my own trap.'
As he crawled and reached the end of the shaft he breaks through the rusted grates and got out.
As he moved he spotted a security guard with his back exposed while trying to fix the power breaker.
'Well well...'
IX then silently creeped behind the guards back, and immediately knife hand chopped him in the back of the neck, instantly knocking him out.
After that, IX started going up a flight of stairs until he was in the atrium, He spotted a guard with his back exposed.
IX spotted a chair beside him, and grabbed it. He then creeped up behind the guard and swung the chair behind him, knocking out the guard.
"Huh?!" One of the guards spotted IX for a split second and went to investigate.
IX, seeing this he immediately grabbed another chair nearby and in throwing distance he threw the chair at lightning speed at the guard coming in.
The guard immediately saw the chair coming towards him but it was too late as the chair hit him squarely in the face, knocking him out as well.
"What!?" IX was perplexed, he never thought he can throw something that large, and so far before, and such as in a flat trajectory.
Unbeknownst to him, a certain fox chuckled.
"Your chakra training with me throughout the years has enhanced your physical and mental capacities exponentially. It appears you don't need my help for a while, friend."
The fox knew he would have to return significant parts of IX's memory to make him remember the jutsus he trained his jailer.
But now, that's not the time.
Back to IX, he ran through the corridor avoiding security guards and knocking them out.
At the end of the floor hallway he reached an open room, which is the office of Winslow Bank's founder and Director JasperWinslow.
IX immediately went inside, and as he went inside he heard voices inside. He saw a see through window with to men inside, one man was holding a phone angrily and the other a security guard.
Curious he went in to investigate, and what he heard caught his attention.
"Are you deaf!? I said Number IX is still alive!!" Jasper Winslow shouted through his vintage phone, "Inform the Mongoose, get him over here now!!"
'The Director of Winslow bank wants me dead!?' IX was alarmed, however a flash of memory started to come back to him.
Memory flash...
IX sees the documents Jones had with her, then a name flashed before his eyes...
Jasper Winslow.
Memory End...
'This guy knows something about me, better make sure he doesn't run.' IX thought, as he knew that the old man might have answers.
"Bunch of pissants!"
Winslow cursed as he dismissed his guard to another room. Now he's alone in his office when all of a sudden...
"Hey! Uhhhh..."
"What!?" Winslow panicked from the noise from the other side, but then the door was violently kicked open.
Winslow's face then turned white in horror as he sees the person at the door now pointing a gun at him.
"Number IX!?" Winslow shouted.
"Hello Mr. Winslow." IX calmly greeted him.
"L-look, we-we can t-talk about t-this." Winslow then slowly backed away towards his desk as IX then moved slowly towards him.
"Oh really?" IX said in heavy sarcasm, "From what I've heard in your phone call, you wanted to do away with me? Isn't that what I've heard?"
Winslow sweats profusely as he tried to reason with him.
"Listen!! I can vouch for you to Number I, I'll even bring you to him just don't kill me!" Winslow lied as he was now sitting on his desk, his hands up on the air while underneath his desk his feet are on a button ready to be pushed.
"You've got to do better than that you son of a bitch!" IX growled as he can sense he's lying, "Now, answer my question: Why do you want me dead?"
However IX will get no answers as Winslow pressed the button underneath the floor...
*BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!*
The office is now filled with siren alarms noises, and red lights flashing.
The alarms caught IX off guard for a second, giving Winslow a chance to grab his shotgun from his desk drawer and instantly points at him.
"DIE IX!!"
*BLAM!*
Winslow fired, but IX in a split second dodged the close range shot by stepping to the side. Reacting immediately IX he shot Winslow in the shoulder.
*Bang!*
"AARRGH!!" Winslow howled in pain, dropping his shotgun and cluthing his left shoulder.
"Nice try, but too slow Winslow." IX said snidely, he then grabbed the old man in the collar and pulled him to his face with a gun to the chin.
"Now, answer my question before the painting behind you get's a new shade of red: Where are your friends and why do your friends want me dead?!" IX snarled, his eyes glowing red.
Winslow spat and retorted in defiance.
"If you think I'll give up the names of my sworn brothers, think again IX" He haughtingly said, "And even if you do try to stop it, you will only delay the inevitable. You will not stop our Noble Cause Number IX, and if I were to die for the Noble Cause, then so be it..."
Then, Winslow pulled IX's gun into his mouth...
*Blam!*
The bullet penetrated Winslow's skull and then exited out of it, the blood, brain matter, bone fragments painted the self-portrait of him with red, red as blood.
As just IX threatened.
IX, looked at Winslow now bleeding corpse, in anger and surprise. Angry because Winslow didn't comply, and surprise as he didn't expect to kill himself.
'Just who am I dealing with right now?' IX thought. 'The fact that Winslow killed himself...'
IX then searched the dead man's suit and found a metallic card in the back pocket.
The card had a symbol: a large circle, inside the circle is a swaztika with it's arms disconnected. At the back of the card is a bar code and the roman numeral X below it.
'X?' IX thought, he then looked at Winslow's shoulder and found a roman numeral.
'X'
"Winslow's Number X" IX stated, 'There had to be more people who wanted me dead, he mentions Number I. He might be the guy calling the shots.'
"THERE! IT'S HIM, HE KILLED WINSLOW!!"
The guards managed to get inside the room, IX knew this and decided to get out of the bank fast.
In a flash, he grabbed his briefcase and proceeded to run for the emergency exit.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
IX ran for the nearest exit which is through the library.
He then encountered more security guards.
"Hey! Stop!" Then the guards started firing.
IX, with his near inhuman reflexes, dodged the prohectiles, whilst moving which shocked the guards.
"!!!"
Then IX gets close to the guards, he gave them a mean punch in the gut or a flying kick.
"Argh!"
"Uhh..."
At last, IX reached the end of the library hallway, he tried to open the door but it's locked.
"Damn!"
However, he spotted a ventilation shaft just beside him. Knowing what to do, he broke through the grate and proceeded to crawl through.
As he crawled he made it through the other side of the room, which leads through the hallway.
He kicked the grates open, and jumped off the vent. He then spotted a woman at the end of the hallway which leads through an office.
"Ah! This alarm is driving me crazy! If the robber would just take a hostage, then we could shut this damn thing off!" The woman said frustratingly.
IX sweatdropped, he then quietly approached the woman from behind.
"Be careful what you wished for, honey." He whispered right behind her ear.
"What!? Oh my God!" The woman shouted in surprise and in fear, as she turned around and saw IX pointing a gun at her face.
"Alright, turn around and hands behind your head." IX ordered as he took a pass card from the table in front of her.
"You're coming with me."
He then grabbed the woman, and locked her neck with his right arm and a gun pointing at her head with his left.
He then ordered the woman to use the pass card to unlock the exit door which leads to the atrium.
She complied and they moved out of the offices.
"Freeze!" Then a group of guards then come down on them.
"Don't do anything stupid or this lady gets it!" IX points the gun at her head, showing that he's serious.
The guards can't do anything as of this point since IX had a hostage.
Then, IX and the hostage moved through the hallway with the guards following them until they reached the elevator doors.
IX then ordered the woman to use the pass card to open the elevators.
"Oka okay okay, just don't kill me!" The woman whimpered in fear as she used the card.
The elevator doors went open and the two went inside, with the doors closing and separating themselves from the guards.
"You did good honey, excellent job." IX whispered, "But this where we part ways."
He then knocked the woman out cold, and then gently laid her down.
He then pressed the button which leads to the next floor up.
As the doors opened he heard an explosion...
*BOOM!!*
"Hey what are you...!?"
"Calling all guards, we have multiple unknowns with guns coming in from all sides!!"
"Hey you drop the piece!!"
"MAN DOWN, MAN DOWN!!!"
'They sure took their time' IX morbidly thought, as he knew these were the Mongoose's men.
As he ran through the atrium, he saw the armed men shooting and killing the Bank guards.
"Fucking..." IX grumbled angrily.
"Hey look, THERE HE IS!! KILL HIM!!" One of the armed men spotted IX.
"SHIT!"
He then proceeded to shoot his way out of the bank, shooting the bad guys and not the guards.
As he reached at the stairwell he noticed there was a hole where a large explosion had taken place.
"This might be where these guys came in." IX then decided that the only way out is through there.
He went through the hole and came out of the otherside, he's now out of the bank and now in the back alleys.
He spotted a bad guy above him and shoots him which he falls to his death.
IX then proceeded to get down the stairs nearby and down the ladder.
As he got down, he was then greeted...
"Freeze! FBI!"
By a group of armed cops, and a dozen SWAT teams surrounding the rooftops.
'Fuckfuckfuck!!' IX cursed, seeing that he's surrounded.
"Michael Roland..."
IX then looked at the source of the voice, it belonged to a man with a red suit and red bowtie.
Colonel Amos.
"You are under arrest for the Assassination of President William Sheridan, and murder of Jasper Winslow."
Chapter 2 END
Epilogue...
1991.
01:53 P.M.
Saddam Hussein's Presidential Palace.
Baghdad, Iraq.
'This is it, the motherlode..."
Captain Nathan "Naruto" Fly looked at the files he's acquired.
"Lion, this is Fox" Nathan whispered through his wireless comms, "I've got the files."
"Copy that Fox, proceed to extraction ASAP, you're now in danger of being overrun."
"Copy that, Fox out."
"You know kit, this is perhaps the riskiest mission you've ever taken" The voice at the back of Nathan's head stated.
"C'mon Kurama, when have I been the type of guy that played it safe." Nathan smirked.
"But still, you've airdropped yourself into the enemy's capital city, genjutsu'd the guards, and quite literally you've searched the entire room while the human is sleeping right next to you."
Nathan is in the bedchambers of Saddam Hussein, said Dictator is sleeping quite soundly in his bed.
"Sleeping pills, worked like a charm."
"Looks like you've got what you wanted, what's your escape plan."Nathan smirked as he made a few hand signs.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
"Henge!"
More than 10 clones of Nathan, all disguised as Saddam's troops lined up and saluted.
"All right guys, you know what to do..."
"Yes Sir!"
"Kurama, Let me say this once: Shadow Clones are awesome." Nathan grinned
"You should be grateful that I taught you these things, kit" Kurama scoffed, "I don't want a weak ningen as a jailer."
"Of course you don't." Nathan cocked an eyebrow.
As he was done talking to the fox, Nathan then henged himself into Saddam.
"Alright, time to get this show on the road." Nathan said in Saddam's voice.
With Nathan/Saddam and his "entourage" of clones disguised as Saddam's bodyguards, they quickly got out of the Presidential Palace with the guards saluting him as they moved past by, which almost made Nathan laughed.
Then, by using Saddam's favorite limo, Nathan and his clones drove out into the streets and out of the city. The city's troops andcguards letting them through.
As the city of Baghdad now disappeared from view, Nathan, who is at the back of the limo with his clone chauffeur driving, checks to see the files he's got from Saddam's safe.
It's a detailed report from Saddam's military research divison, the location of Saddam WMDs, the location of many storage facilities of Sarin Gas...
The blueprints of a second nuclear research facility from North Korea. The Israelis have destroyed the first Nuclear facility in Operation Orchard in 1986, Saddam is oping for a second time...
And the bombshell, a joint operation plan between Hezbollah and the Iraqi Military, the plan in the documents is a coordinated strike in all of Israel's major cities, with the Iraqi military providing air cover while Hezbollah does it's own thing.
The attack is called 'Operation Red Vine' is a revenge plan by Saddam against the Israelis for their 'Operation Orchard.'
What's more, they intend to use Sarin Gas bombs in populated areas in Israel, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths.
"The Mossad needs to be warned of this." Nathan muttered.
END