GunSmith Slayers

Chapter: 1

On the Case Again

Zangulus, another ATF agent, arrived on the scene of the execution of his fellow agent. He looked down at the body to examine it. Let's see, single shot to the head, and from the splatter I would say at point blank range. Man, Harold probably never saw it coming. Zangulus walked into the area where the transaction had taken place. He turned to one of the investigating team and asked, "Any clues yet?"

"Yes sir, we have found traces of a few narcotics in this area."

"Good, keep it up," Zangulus turned and made his way up to the cat walk.

Once up there he asked the same question, "Any clues here?"

"No sir, all we found was Agent Harold's badge. There were no figure prints or anything up here including the badge."

Zangulus walked back out to the car, "Have you found the bullet yet?"

"No sir, but we believe it to be lodged in the seat, see," the agent pointed out a hole in the seat that was equivalent to a bullet hole.

"Well, get it out of there, we'll need that," Zangulus demaned.

"Yes sir, we are working as hard as we can but it may take a while. If we go too fast there is a chance we may damage the evidence," answered the investigation team member.

"Ok, just get it out of there. Keep up the good work. I need to pay a visit to some contacts so hold down the place until I get back," Zangulus ordered.

"Yes sir!"

Zangulus headed towards his car so he could go meet the contacts. Man, not this routine again. Last time I got these two in on a case like this they were almost kill. That and they still owe me for the surveillance van they blew up. Zangulus got in and started up his car and started heading for a little known gun shop. Hope I can convince them to go along with it. From what Harold found out these guys mean business. Lina, Amelia, looks like we will need your help again.

The phone rings at a gun store known as GunSmith Cats. The phone is soon answered by a small redhead wearing an apron, "Gunsmith Cats, this is Lina, how can I help you? Oh yes, Mr. Johnson you gun is ready whenever you have time to pick it up. Ok, Tuesday at one o'clock sounds good, seeya' then bye bye."

A slightly shorter brunette walks in carrying a box as Lina hangs up the phone, "Lina, you know you can lend a hand with the new shipment," she whines at her partner behind the counter.

"Now Amelia, we've been through this before. One person must man the counter at all times. And since I was already back here you get the shipment this time."

"What do you mean this time?!? I have gotten the shipments the last five times," complained Amelia as the bell that hung above the door rang, announcing a customer.

"Welcome to Gunsmith Cats, how can I help..........YOU!!!" Lina yelled as Zangulus walked through the door.

"My Lina, is that anyway to treat an old friend like me," Zangulus asked with that bravado of his.

"Friend nothing! Last time we worked with you we almost got killed enough times that I have to count on both hands," Lina fumed at the coy ATF agent.

"What do you want anyway Zangulus," Amelia asked somewhat headily.

"Well you might want to go on break. This will take a while."

The three moved to the back room. Lina was actually in a good enough mood to pour Zangulus a cup of coffee. Zangulus, having learned from the last incident here, drank some coffee before talking. "I was wondering if we at the ATF would be able to get you assistance again in a case matter?"

"What type of case," Lina asked before taking a sip of her coffee.

"We need your help to bust a smuggling ring," and Zangulus was cut off by Lina spitting coffee all over the place.

"No way, I'm not doing another one of these," Lina was about to walk out without a second thought when Zangulus asked, "Do I have to resort to drastic measures again?"

Lina and Amelia looked at him and in unison said, "Like you have anything else to pin on us."

"I have my license things finished from last time and my records are clean," Lina said with a look of daring towards the ATF agent.

"And, I haven't used explosive since the last case we were on," Amelia protested.

"Need I remind you of the overlooked bill for the surveillance van you two blew up," Zangulus asked rhetorically.

Amelia blushed slightly and rubbed her hand behind her head as she chuckled dumbly. Lina turned and looked at Zangulus, "No way, Zangulus that isn't going to work."

"I thought so. So I brought you this note," Zangulus said as he handed Lina a small note.

Lina opened the note and shuttered and began to sweat in fear. She grabbed Zangulus by the collar and made him look at her pale white face. She then franticly screamed, "Ok, Ok I'll do it just don't tell Neechan I tried to refuse, please, please!!!"

Amelia sweatdropped at the site of the might Lina Inverse being conquered by a simple letter from her sister. "Well what's in this case," Amelia asked.

"We have been tracking a smuggling group for quite a while. We know little about them. Mainly they are very mobile; able to move from one part of the city to another quickly. The other bit is they are lead by this man. He calls himself 'The Chimera'."

Zangulus laid down a picture of 'The Chimera' for them to view. Lina looked at the picture. She saw a man covered head to toe in ivory. Not a bit of him was showing other than some bits of hair and his eyes. "Man, what kinda weirdo is he. I mean he is even wearing a mask over his face."

"We don't really know. Most of our people think it is one kind of a calling card, and others think he is just really paranoid of others knowing what he looks like."

"Anything else," Lina asked with a look on her face daring Zangulus to not tell her something.

"Well.....yes.....an agent has already been killed on this assignment," Zangulus admitted as he laid down a crime scene photo.

"As you can see he suffered a.....," Zangulus was cut off by Lina, "A bullet shot to the head at point blank range."

"Oh yes, I forgot I was talking to the gun guru Lina Inverse," Zangulus said somewhat mockingly.

Zangulus got up and left now that the deal was made. That and the looks those two were giving him told him they were ready to ripe him into pieces so now was a good time to leave.

He got out to a pay phone down the street and dialed a number. The phone rang twice before it was answered, "Gunsmith Cats, this is Lina, how may I help you?"

He smirked an said, "Oh yes, by the way, I will want to see you two in my office tomorrow first thing in the morning."

Zangulus could just imagine the look on Lina's face as she growled and replied, "We'll be there. Now leave us alone for the day will you?!?!"

Zangulus replaced the receiver and walked to his car and drove off.

Lina, Amelia, and Fillia had gotten together at Lina's home to discuss the newest assignment for the bounty hunters. "Fillia, do you have any information on this chimera guy or his crime organization," Lina asked somewhat irritated.

Fillia looked up from some papers she was scanning through and said, "I can maybe come up with some things, but it will take me at least a day. It all depends on what you want."

"I want to know as much as you can dig up. I don't want to be caught unprepared like last time. First thing, find out if he is really a chimera like his nickname suggest. If he is then he probably has some pretty big connections to get that kind of operation done. Also, try and see if you can find out what he is made of," Lina rambled on about what to look for.

Fillia waved her hand in front of Lina, cutting her off, and said, "Who is the research expert here? I will find what I can. In the mean time keep on your toes. This could be as bad or worse then the last smuggling organization."

Fillia got her things together and walked out to her car. As Lina and Amelia watched her drive off, Lina asked, "Do you have as bad a feeling about this as I do?"

Amelia only nodded as they walked back into the house. "Well I'm going to bed," Amelia informed Lina as she walked up the stairs.

Lina sat back down at the couch and looked at two photos Zangulus had given them. She first looked at 'The Chimera' photo and couldn't help but shiver slightly. Those eyes, they look so...so cold. This guy looks like he could care less at who or how many he has to kill. Lina shifted to looking at the crime scene photos of the ATF agent. Man, who ever did this is good. He was shoot right in the face. Had he been facing away it would've been an execution shot. That means that the guy was either aware or the assassin let him turn around before he shot him. I have a bad feeling about this, Lina repeated in her mind as she headed off for bed.

Inside a dark room sat two figures. One was seated behind a desk with his high backed leather chair facing the window. He hand shoulder length amethyst hair, and his eyes remained closed at all times. "So Zel-kun, you want me to keep the Gunsmith Cats out of your hair," he asked in what sounded as a mocking tone.

"Yes Xellos, The ring has begun and I don't need them stopping me now. Not when I'm so close," said The Chimera from the other side of the room.

"Well, that shouldn't be a problem. I can give that Fillia false leads, and sense she is their main tip off that should help mess them up," Xellos smiled wickedly as plans began to form in his mind.

"I don't care how you do it, just do it," said the chimera as he walked out the office.

Xellos turned his chair around when he heard the door shut, that smile still on his face. Yes Zel-kun, I will do it. I will have to thank you somehow for giving me something interesting.

Xellos looked down at his watch and decided to call it a day. Mustn't let the public know that their beloved senator Xellos is actually a Mazuko, now do we, he mused to himself as he made his way to his car.

Disclaimer: Any characters or ideas from The Slayers do not belong to me. I am not selling this material, just writing for the heck of it as I go.

GunSmith Cats belongs to Kenichi Sonoda. Any material used in this series isn't being use for any form of profit.

Feedback is requested, please send all comments to findelhe@hotmail.com