Ch. 9: Gotterdammerung pt 2: The Return Of The Son Of Nothing
"I have nothing left to live for." Kenji thought to himself. "No, I do. I have one last thing left to do."
Kenji picked up the handgun and looked deeply at his own reflection. "ShenLong..."
Paris, 1998:
Kenji ran as the police chased him, through the mud-filled streets of Paris. Three years, and he'd never gotten caught. "Must be careless." Kenji thought. "I have to lose them.
Without warning, three shots rang out, and the three officers fell dead. Kenji looked to the source of the shots, a man clad in violet with short brown hair.
"Thank you, sir,"
"You're getting sloppy Bakuryu. Maybe it is that weapon. Not very accustomed to guns, are you?"
ShenLong took Kenji to ZLF's Paris Headquarters, and down into a small, linen lined room. "I've been keeping this for a while. It has little use for me, but maybe for you, it'll make you a more perfect killer."
"What do you wish of me in return?" Kenji asked.
"To do as you have done, Bakuryu. To kill in my name, faithfully, unquestioningly."
"I will, Lord ShenLong."
"But that's not what happened, is it Bakuryu? Or is it 'Kenji' now? You defied me, betrayed me. What makes you better than me?"
"Sir?" a black clad thus asked.
"Yes?"
"He's here."
Kenji stood before the gates of the ZLF headquarters. With a heavy sigh, he approached, walking into the front door. The guards stood in shock of this brazen act. Two approached, reaching for their guns. Without a word, Kenji Kenji threw two shuriken at them, his aim deadly accurate. They fell dead, and several more approached. Kenji ducked behind a nearby desk as bullets tore apart the ground he stood once stood on.
Kenji peered his head out from the desk and let fly several shots, taking out several more guards. They fired back, hitting him in the sholder. Kenji slumped back under bar and cursed himself "Shit, what was I thinking? The lone gunman invading the bad guy's base only works in the movies.
Kenji hear several shots ring out, aimed at his foes. He frantically scanned around him, spotting an almost familiar face. He had short brown hair and a kind yet fierce face.
"Yugo?! Is that you?"
"No, it's me, Fang."
"Fang? Oh, now I remember."
"ShenLong is waiting on the roof. I'll cover you while you get to the elevator."
Kenji nodded. Fang rose and opened fire, allowing Kenji the distraction needed to reach the elevator. He flew inside in a hail of bullets, one striking his leg. His eyes went red with pain as the doors closed. "This will take me halfway, then I'll have to get to the Weapons Storage elevator to reach the top..." he thought, wrapping torn sleeves around his wounds."
The elevator rested, and Kenji carefully yet speedily made his way out. Fang's distraction allowed him to traverse the distance near the second elevator rather easily. But as victory seemed near, guards burst in from the staircase. Kenji eyes widened as he struggled to dodge their bullets in such close quarters. One found it mark, hitting Kenji in his right side. He managed to hobble away and hide in some crates.
"This is it. It's over..." he thought. "No... can't..."
"Kenji!" Fang's voice called out. Again the auburn haired man opened fire, driving the ZLF forces back. "Let's go! Quickly!"
Kenji ran, trading fore with the ZLF thugs, to the elevator He got in and looked at fang. "Fang! Hurry!"
Fang turned to run, but was struck with several shots before he reached the elevator. He collapsed in front of Kenji, bleeding from the mouth. "Kenji... take the elevator up to the top floor, then send it... and me... back down..." Fang procured a grenade, with the pin pulled, the last vestiges of his strength holding down the handle. Kenji nodded. "We were... waiting for you to come back... and take over..."
Kenji's elevator reached the top floor. He walked out, and gave Fang one last nod, before closing the door. Below him, he could hear the explosion, and imagine the screams of the ZLF fighters. He sighed, and looked up. He solemnly walked the stairs, and opened the door to the roof. Before him, atop an ivory staircase, stood the man he had grown to despise so much.
"ShenLong," he muttered.
"Congratulations Bakuryu! You've killed hundreds, maimed hundreds more, to get to where you are now," ShenLong walked over to a small table, and poured a glass of wine. "Do you remember Paris, Bakuryu? You vowed your loyalty to me there. You lied. Another sin." He laughed. "We are not all that different, are we?"
"No, we're not. We're both empty sells of men, clutching desperately to something to validate our existence. You, to your misbegotten notion of Zoanthrope supremacy, and me to the memory of a girl you murdered."
ShenLong poured a glass of wine. "Don't get self-righteous with me, insolent whelp. Your hands are just as stained as mine."
"They are. But one thing separates us, ShenLong. I am a man and a beast. You are a beast in the guise of a man." With a single shot, ShenLong's glass exploded, spilling its contents over the madman's shirt.
"You've been practicing." ShenLong growled. He sighed and threw a long, wrapped object at Kenji. He reluctantly picked it up, unwrapping it to reveal his sword. ShenLong procured one of his own. "Let us settle this like somewhat civilized men, shall we?"
"I have nothing left to live for." Kenji thought to himself. "No, I do. I have one last thing left to do."
Kenji picked up the handgun and looked deeply at his own reflection. "ShenLong..."
Paris, 1998:
Kenji ran as the police chased him, through the mud-filled streets of Paris. Three years, and he'd never gotten caught. "Must be careless." Kenji thought. "I have to lose them.
Without warning, three shots rang out, and the three officers fell dead. Kenji looked to the source of the shots, a man clad in violet with short brown hair.
"Thank you, sir,"
"You're getting sloppy Bakuryu. Maybe it is that weapon. Not very accustomed to guns, are you?"
ShenLong took Kenji to ZLF's Paris Headquarters, and down into a small, linen lined room. "I've been keeping this for a while. It has little use for me, but maybe for you, it'll make you a more perfect killer."
"What do you wish of me in return?" Kenji asked.
"To do as you have done, Bakuryu. To kill in my name, faithfully, unquestioningly."
"I will, Lord ShenLong."
"But that's not what happened, is it Bakuryu? Or is it 'Kenji' now? You defied me, betrayed me. What makes you better than me?"
"Sir?" a black clad thus asked.
"Yes?"
"He's here."
Kenji stood before the gates of the ZLF headquarters. With a heavy sigh, he approached, walking into the front door. The guards stood in shock of this brazen act. Two approached, reaching for their guns. Without a word, Kenji Kenji threw two shuriken at them, his aim deadly accurate. They fell dead, and several more approached. Kenji ducked behind a nearby desk as bullets tore apart the ground he stood once stood on.
Kenji peered his head out from the desk and let fly several shots, taking out several more guards. They fired back, hitting him in the sholder. Kenji slumped back under bar and cursed himself "Shit, what was I thinking? The lone gunman invading the bad guy's base only works in the movies.
Kenji hear several shots ring out, aimed at his foes. He frantically scanned around him, spotting an almost familiar face. He had short brown hair and a kind yet fierce face.
"Yugo?! Is that you?"
"No, it's me, Fang."
"Fang? Oh, now I remember."
"ShenLong is waiting on the roof. I'll cover you while you get to the elevator."
Kenji nodded. Fang rose and opened fire, allowing Kenji the distraction needed to reach the elevator. He flew inside in a hail of bullets, one striking his leg. His eyes went red with pain as the doors closed. "This will take me halfway, then I'll have to get to the Weapons Storage elevator to reach the top..." he thought, wrapping torn sleeves around his wounds."
The elevator rested, and Kenji carefully yet speedily made his way out. Fang's distraction allowed him to traverse the distance near the second elevator rather easily. But as victory seemed near, guards burst in from the staircase. Kenji eyes widened as he struggled to dodge their bullets in such close quarters. One found it mark, hitting Kenji in his right side. He managed to hobble away and hide in some crates.
"This is it. It's over..." he thought. "No... can't..."
"Kenji!" Fang's voice called out. Again the auburn haired man opened fire, driving the ZLF forces back. "Let's go! Quickly!"
Kenji ran, trading fore with the ZLF thugs, to the elevator He got in and looked at fang. "Fang! Hurry!"
Fang turned to run, but was struck with several shots before he reached the elevator. He collapsed in front of Kenji, bleeding from the mouth. "Kenji... take the elevator up to the top floor, then send it... and me... back down..." Fang procured a grenade, with the pin pulled, the last vestiges of his strength holding down the handle. Kenji nodded. "We were... waiting for you to come back... and take over..."
Kenji's elevator reached the top floor. He walked out, and gave Fang one last nod, before closing the door. Below him, he could hear the explosion, and imagine the screams of the ZLF fighters. He sighed, and looked up. He solemnly walked the stairs, and opened the door to the roof. Before him, atop an ivory staircase, stood the man he had grown to despise so much.
"ShenLong," he muttered.
"Congratulations Bakuryu! You've killed hundreds, maimed hundreds more, to get to where you are now," ShenLong walked over to a small table, and poured a glass of wine. "Do you remember Paris, Bakuryu? You vowed your loyalty to me there. You lied. Another sin." He laughed. "We are not all that different, are we?"
"No, we're not. We're both empty sells of men, clutching desperately to something to validate our existence. You, to your misbegotten notion of Zoanthrope supremacy, and me to the memory of a girl you murdered."
ShenLong poured a glass of wine. "Don't get self-righteous with me, insolent whelp. Your hands are just as stained as mine."
"They are. But one thing separates us, ShenLong. I am a man and a beast. You are a beast in the guise of a man." With a single shot, ShenLong's glass exploded, spilling its contents over the madman's shirt.
"You've been practicing." ShenLong growled. He sighed and threw a long, wrapped object at Kenji. He reluctantly picked it up, unwrapping it to reveal his sword. ShenLong procured one of his own. "Let us settle this like somewhat civilized men, shall we?"