Gunsmith Slayers

Chapter 5

Back at Square One

Amelia sighed as she started to unlock the door of the Gunsmith Cats shop that she was running in Lina's absence. She couldn't help but think about her friend and business partner Lina Inverse. 'I hope Miss Lina is alright...If that chimera has done anything to her then I'll give him something to worry about,' she thought as she opened the door. She moved towards the counter but stopped when she heard a low moan from behind the area. She pulled a sap from her purse as she creped towards the end of the counter. As she rounded the corner all wants to do bodily harm left her being as she saw the mound of flame red hair that belonged to her now found partner. "Miss Lina you're ok," Amelia shouted as she latched onto the half awake red head.

"Wha...What! Amelia what do you think you're doing," Lina yelled as she flung her over-excited partner to the other side of the room.

"But...But Miss Lina, you were gone for so long that we thought they had killed you," Amelia explained as she moved back to her partner.

Lina turned up her nose and scoffed, "It takes more than a drug runner to take me out," before her knees buckled slightly because of the effect of the chloroform still hanging on.

She caught a hold of the counter and held herself up as she turned slightly to Amelia and said, "Well it takes a drug runner and some chloroform," as she regained her balance.

"Well at least your alright Miss Lina. We thought that you wouldn't make it back," Amelia said with relief in her voice.

"What do you mean wouldn't make it back. Are you trying to say that I'm weak, that I can't protect myself? Is that what you are saying Amelia," Lina almost screamed at the young brunette.

"I...I was only saying that in the past when the chimera took hostages that they where either found dead in a river or not found at all," Amelia stuttered while she backed away from the enraged Lina Inverse.

Lina glared at her partner as she huffed while trying to control her temper. After a few moments she regained what bit of calm that Lina Inverse can display. She then turned around and while walking towards the back room said, "Well looks like I beat the odds again."

Amelia sighed with relief again as Lina walked into the back and the thought, 'At least she's alive and still the same Lina,' before shouting, "Wait for me miss Lina."

The chimera looked down from the catwalk of another abandoned warehouse as a deal was finalized by Valgaav. He smiled from under his mask as more money was handed over for his wares. 'Soon, soon I shall have what I want, and no one will be able to stop me,' he thought while gripped the rail a bit. He was brought out of his thoughts by Zolf's voice calling, "Master we are done here and our next shipment is to be in the next few days. At this rate we will reach your goal in no time."

The chimera turned and said in a somber voice, "Don't get too cocky Zolf. We still have the Gunsmith Cats to contend with. They are the only ones who have a chance at stopping me now."

"I don't mean to criticize you master but if you had killed Lina Inverse when you had the chance then the Gunsmith Cats would be out of the picture," Zolf said tactfully as he followed the chimera.

"No, killing her would have just have made the other two angry. Besides, Lina Inverse can be a powerful ally if I can just remove the wool from over her eyes," the chimera rebutted Zolf's advice as he walked onto the roof of the warehouse.

The light quickly shot into the warehouse as the chimera opened the door and shielded his sensitive eyes from the bright light. As he got onto the roof he pulled his hood over his head and walked towards the edge. When he got there he looked out upon the city and waited for Zolf to join him. When Zolf got to the edge the chimera spoke, "Look at it Zolf. This city continues to function normally and has no idea of our existence. It would be easy to manipulate this city as I wanted but I don't want to control this city. All I want is to finish this and then I will be able to disappear for a while."

"But why give up after we finish this job master? We could continue and then you could get your...," Zolf was cut off by the chimera's tense gaze.

"Don't even say it Zolf. I have no want to complete that design. That was back when I still thought that I was totally unstoppable. I now know I have weakness," the chimera explained as he placed his hand over where Lina had shot him during their confrontation.

"We know you have vulnerabilities, but that shouldn't hold you back from what you deserve," Zolf said passionately towards the chimera.

The chimera sighed as he looked at his follower and said, "Zolf, if you only understood. My usual job was to get in without being sighted, get the job done, and then getting out undetected. It is hard to break old habits and if I were to make a move here then the city would truly suffer from my actions."

"I say that we go through. So what if the citizens are hurt. They don't care for anything other than themselves so why worry about them," Zolf shouted.

The chimera turned and stared at Zolf coldly before replying, "Are you ready to give a command that will destroy the lives of hundreds even thousands of innocents. The main reason the populace doesn't care is because they don't know and many leaders know that it is better that most of the populace doesn't know every threat and action that is taken within their society. That way the people will go on with their little lives and the leaders can continue to manipulate them from backstage. Are you ready to be like that Zolf, like the leaders you hate?"

Zolf backed away from the chimera after he had made such a valid and interesting argument of pathos. He then rebalanced himself and said, "Well it seems I can't dissuade you from your decision," as he disappeared back into the warehouse.

The chimera sighed heavily in frustration as he continued to look out upon the city as it went about its day to day activity. He frowned at the city as he turned and said, "I will not bring a ground war to this city over things in the past."

With that he disappeared back into the warehouse to finish up the deal.

Lina came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body and a haze of steam following her. She walked down the hall while commenting, "Ah, that's what I needed a nice hot bath."

She went into her bedroom and came out wearing a white t-shirt and cotton jogging shorts that consisted of her pajamas. She then walked down to her living room where Amelia was watching the news. "Today a police chase ended in a major wreck as local police and ATF agents chased a group of criminals that were transporting weapons and drugs into the city. So far all the criminals were killed in the accident and a few others were injured in this high speed chase. This is Anna Hatfield for KYSE News now back to you Mike," came the report over the television.

"I wonder if that was part of the chimera's gang in that wreck," Amelia asked out loud.

"Well it's either that or he's got some competition," Lina remarked jokingly.

"How can you kid around like that Miss Lina," Amelia asked surprised at her partner's mood.

"Because, I know those are his men," Lina said somberly.

"How do you know," Amelia continued to belt out the questions.

"I've meet the chimera and from what I could tell about his personality he wouldn't allow for any kind of competition ," Lina informed her partner.

Amelia sighed and then said, "Man, whatever happened to the whole honor among thieves idea."

Lina huffed and said, "That cliché of a phrase has never been true even when the thieves guild was founded in the ancient times."

Amelia sighed and said, "Oh yes, Filia wants to meet with us at the shop tomorrow," as Lina started to walked towards her bedroom.

"Sure, sure whatever. I just want to go to sleep right now," Lina replied while heading of to bed.

Lina tossed and turned in her sleep as she kept replaying the same statement over and over. 'No we are the same. We are both soldiers of fortune in a way of putting it. You are paid by the government, like a mercenary so to speak, to go after those that break the laws of the government. I am the same, except I am a mercenary for the underworld, a criminal's hired gun and that usually means going after people like you.' Lina couldn't put the chimera's words away. She kept revisiting them in her head whenever she tried to doze off. "Damnit, why can't I keep from hearing him over and over in my head," Lina asked the darkness.

She rolled over on her stomach and covered her head with her pillow as if to muffle out a noise. But, this evening noise couldn't be drowned out by the loudest music or muffled out by the best sound proofing. Lina couldn't help but think over his words as she laid in the bed. 'In a way he is right. We bought hunt our quarry for money and we are bought hired by another party to do so. The thing is who hired him? Why is he a criminal gun for hire? He seemed to be a man of honor yet he offers his services to evil. What could of twisted his sense of justice so,' Lina asked so many questions that still went unanswered. "I guess next time I'll have to be a bit more talkative when we have a conversation," Lina commented to herself as she rolled again and finally found sleep.

The next mourning found Lina and Amelia running the shop as usual. As they were restocking a few ammo shelves; Filia came walking in the door. Filia rushed forward as Lina stood up and hugged her tightly while saying, "Oh Lina, It's good to see you again. I thought they would kill you for sure. I'm so happy that your alive..," until Lina elbowed her in annoyance.

"Yes, yes I know but you don't have to get that excited," Lina replied in an uninterested tone.

Filia picked herself up from the floor and composed herself, "Yes, and now on to what I wanted to talk to you two about."

"What is so important Miss Filia," Amelia asked as she came over to the two.

"It has come to my attention that there is a leak somewhere either in the ATF or the government," Filia started to explain.

"No, friggin duh," Lina interrupted, "The chimera was just waiting for us. He knew we were going to hit that warehouse. He also knew the ordnance we were packing as well. I mean how else can you explain the sunglasses with the flash bang trick?"

"I know, I know," Filia began again, "I continually kicked myself when I heard what had happened. Somehow the information leaked out of us but how?"

"Could be like last time. You know a mole in the ATF," Amelia put forward a suggestion.

"It may but it will take a while to follow up on that. Let's go over our plans here, and make sure to check for bugs everyday," Filia said as she sat down to share a cup of coffee with Lina and Amelia.

"I'm back," Vladimir called as he entered the room that had a desk and a high backed chair. The chair turned to Vladimir the reveal the chimera sitting there with his mask still on.

"Did you silence the survivors," the chimera asked as he stood up.

"The only person their speaking to now is L-sama," Vladimir replied confidently.

"Good now down to the rest of our business," replied the chimera as he walked out the door with Vladimir behind him.

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