A/N 1: Ideas for fic and character development, questions, plotbunnies, suggestions, flames, character pictures, ficlets, corrections, additions, comments, and everything in between can be mailed to hack_heaven@usa.net.
Italics indicates thoughts/telepathy
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Seventeenth Interlude: Darkest Hour
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The distinctive sound of metal against metal rang through the otherwise silent room as the cartridge clicked into place. Hands moved across the gun with confident movements, examining every part of the weapon, eyes narrowing in a search for any possible flaws in either metal or design. Finding none, the gun was raised and aimed experimentally at a humanoid-shaped paper target at the end of the practice course. A pause, getting used to the aim and the feel of the weapon, then a silencer was picked up and attached on the gun with carefully practiced movements. Again the gun was raised, this time followed by the soft hiss of two bullets being fired in quick succession, tearing through the thick paper.
Kyle watched silently as Blade lowered the gun again and placed it on the table, apparently satisfied with the result. A similar - untouched - gun lay on the table as well, still waiting for Kyle to pick it up. Despite what a possible spectator might think, it wasn't that Kyle afraid of guns - he wasn't particular fond of them, but he'd use one if he had to. He just wasn't in any hurry to try out their new weapons, especially not with the knowledge that there was a real risk that he might actually have to use it on someone. Instead he had settled for watching Blade practice with the guns, sizing up the man's skills. They had to work together, after all - knowing each other's skills and weakness would be a good idea.
Finally starting to get annoyed with Kyle's look, Blade turned around, raising an eyebrow. "You *do* know how to use a gun, don't you?" he asked, part of his annoyance shining through the words.
"Of course," Kyle half-snapped in reply, his tone matching Blade's. The tense situation, combined with the lack of sleep had already affected his patience more than a bit, and being talked down to by someone like Blade didn't help on it.
Blade watched him for a moment, not looking very convinced, but dropped the subject. Kyle waited, expecting a comment of some sort, but Blade turned his attention to the second gun, carefully examining it before repeating his earlier action, firing the gun twice at one of the targets.
Slowly the gun was lowered, and Blade turned his head slightly. "What about Twilight?"
Kyle eyes narrowed, his protectiveness towards Suzuka resurfacing. "What about her?" he asked, a hint of suspiciousness in his voice.
"Does she know how to use a gun?" Blade clarified, turning to face Kyle.
"I..." Kyle hesitated, then sighed almost inaudibly. "I don't know," he admitted. "She's never mentioned it, and I've never seen her use one."
"Then teach her," Blade replied, pale eyes watching him coldly. "I'm not going into a situation like this with someone who can't even use the most basic of firearms."
"You know, it's limited how much you can teach someone in one day," Kyle pointed out, not entirely friendly.
Blade snorted. "How hard can it be? Aim at target, pull trigger...even *she* should be able to figure that out." He smirked faintly and continued, "of course, I *could* teach her myself, but I doubt that she'd appreciate a lesson from me."
The dark humor in Blade's words didn't sit well with Kyle, but he knew that it was true - Suzuka and Blade could barely be in the same room without getting into an argument. Having Blade actually *teach* Suzuka anything...Kyle shook his head, making a mental note to make sure that Suzuka would know how to use a gun. He himself could use his powers for protection, Blade and Melee had experience working for them, but Suzuka, powerful as she was, didn't exactly have a mutation that would give her an edge in a situation like this.
Kyle eyed the guns again. Suzuka would probably hate to use a weapon like that, but in this case they didn't really have a choice - they needed all the help they could get, whether they liked that help or not.
Pushing aside the thought, he focused on Blade, a thoughtful look entering his eyes. Much as he hated to admit it, they would need his help, untrustworthy as he probably was. Of all of them, he was the one most likely to have experience with something like this, and that could mean the difference between success and failure.
"How do we do this?" Kyle asked.
Blade shrugged, the casualness of the gesture completely at odds with the subject of their discussion. "We do what they want us to - go in and take over the place...and then get out again before we get killed."
"And the details?" Kyle asked, not in the mood for any games.
Blade raised an eyebrow. "You've seen the blueprints and photos; you know what to expect." He paused for a moment, watching the human-shaped targets thoughtfully. "We'll have to kill his bodyguards - they'll cause too much trouble otherwise."
"We can't-" Kyle started to object, but Blade continued, ignoring his protests.
"Maybe the ordinary guards, too," he added. "...depending on their reactions. The reporters shouldn't prove much of a problem, and neither should the senator himself.""
Kyle's eyes narrowed. "I won't kill anyone."
Blade shrugged again. "Then Jordane and I will handle that. Just keep an eye on the guards and make sure that nobody will get the chance to shoot us...and keep an eye on Suzuka as well. If she gets in my way, I'll kill her myself, temporary truces be damned." The last was added with a hint of anger in his voice that made it clear that this was far from an empty threat.
"Can't we use sedatives instead?" Kyle objected. "We can't just kill half a dozen people in cold blood."
Blade sent him a cold look. "Sedatives take too long to work. If you want to give them an extra chance to shoot you, then go ahead - just don't endanger the rest of us just because you feel suicidal. Besides, they're bodyguards - they know the risks of their profession."
"And that justifies killing them?" Kyle asked sharply.
Blade's eye narrowed. "I don't need to justify my actions, Sanderson. The guards are in the way, so they'll die. It's that simple."
"And the thought of executing them in cold blood doesn't bother you the least?" Kyle demanded.
"Should it?" A faint smirk, and Blade continued, "If we want them to believe us, we have to show that we're serious. Sedatives won't accomplish that."
"You shouldn't incidentally have tried something like this before?" Kyle asked icily, the careless dismissal of human lives not something he was willing to let lie.
Blade smirked again, then picked up one of the guns. "Go find Twilight," he remarked. "Have a talk with her. Rant a bit about the injustice of the world. Complain about the psychotic cellmates you suddenly got, if that makes you feel any better. Because here are the facts, Sanderson - we're going to go through with this. When we do, someone will die. And I assure you - I will do whatever it takes to make sure that Jordane and I am not among them."
The gun snapped up and fired at the target again repeatedly, tearing through the place that would have been the heart on a normal person. For a moment it was silent, then Blade tossed the weapon carelessly on the table and left the room, leaving Kyle behind with the still-smoking gun.
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