Chapter Thirteen

Kasumi looked around in all directions. She sensed that she was being watched. Her intuition was yet again giving her a feeling that her mind couldn't ignore. Kasumi felt like she could just run away into the woods now and likely get away but a part of her felt a need to confront the man who'd been behind this whole affair. She imagined that he'd likely try something like this again and decided she needed to deal with him now.

The kunoichi crept away from her position and back towards the hangar. She felt attracted to the building, as if she sensed Pascal had slipped inside. There were a few other small buildings dotted around the area but none seemed like likely places to run to. Kasumi jogged to the broken entrance which led back into the structure and stopped just as she reached the doorway. She analysed the area and looked down the corridor inside the hangar. She decided to walk in and investigate. As she entered the corridor she heard the sound of footsteps bounding up the spiral staircase to the other end of the passage. She stared towards them and spotted Yoshida come running up into the corridor. He seemed enraged and was carrying one of his scalpels.

"You," he yelled. "You will pay for messing with me!"

He seemed irritated and stressed as if he'd had a real challenge breaking free from Kasumi's knots. He ran towards Kasumi with his scalpel raised up and aimed at her. Kasumi kicked his hand as it came into her range, knocking the scalpel out of his grasp. Yoshida tried to punch her with his other arm but Kasumi blocked the strike and pressed a palm strike into his chest. He wheezed from the blow but refused to back down, trying to manhandle Kasumi in a tussle.

Kasumi refused to allow herself to be jostled and kicked her way out of his clutch. She then booted him in the stomach. He bent low and Kasumi followed her kick through with a lightning paced uppercut which launched him from his feet and sent him half way down the corridor. He struck the concrete floor with force and made no signs of getting back up as he lay twisted on the flooring. As Kasumi stared at him whilst panting in recovery she heard a yell spring out across the airstrip;

"Kasumi! Now its time for the main event!"

Kasumi turned around and raced back into the clearing outside. The voice had come from everywhere at once, like an echo, but she soon spotted the culprit. Pascal stood next to Chad's body, a gun in one hand and a suitcase in the other.

"Miss me?" He laughed. "I had some things I needed to pack; I guess my time at the airfield has come to an end."

Kasumi stood a few metres from him.

"I guess you won't be being sold after all," he said. "I can't contact your brother now can I?"

He looked to Chad's corpse as he spoke.

"But don't think your just going to mince off into the sunset you little bitch!" Pascal was livid.

"You should never have planned to try and bribe my brother Pascal," Kasumi said.

She didn't have many words to say to the character.

Pascal laughed.

"Whatever, time to die little girl..."

He aimed his pistol at her and focused on her body. Kasumi ran towards him and just as he fired his shot she dived to the ground into a front roll which brought her directly in front of the man. She sprung up and slapped the gun from out of his hand. Pascal swung his black briefcase around at her head. She bent down to avoid it and drove a clothesline strike into his neck by extending her right arm. He fell to the floor fiercely. He reacted sharply to this and kicked Kasumi in the face as he lay on his back. The female ninja stumbled back. Pascal left his suitcase on the ground and climbed to his feet. He then got into a stance and removed his tinted glasses.

"Are you ready to get beaten now Kasumi?" He smiled.

His stance was technical and seemed like a certain form of Kung-Fu. He bent his arms at the wrist like he was in an animal form and shuffled around Kasumi. The girl could tell he had skill and prepared for a showdown. Pascal jumped in with a combination of fast jabs. Kasumi deflected his punches and returned her own. Pascal managed to block each strike with his tiger style countering techniques and then bent low, trying to kick Kasumi in the shins. The kicks were fast but Kasumi jumped over them. She tried to then kick Pascal in the chest as she flew in the air. Her leg drove into the man's upper body but he grabbed it by the ankle and turned to put his body against it. He then kept hold of her leg and began to spin around on the spot, spinning the upside down Kasumi with him. He then let go of her leg and she flew a feet back but managed to elegantly land on her feet. This surprised Pascal who groaned at the sight.

Kasumi allowed him to come towards her and back flipped as he came close. Both her legs struck him in the jaw as they flipped upwards. Pascal took the blow well and didn't fall down. He jumped up and extended his right leg. The limb glided towards Kasumi as she completed her flip. It struck her in the face and she fell down brutally. Pascal laughed as he stood over her.

"If you want a job doing," he paused. "...Do it yourself."

With that he knelt by her side and put his hands to her neck. Kasumi felt his hands tighten as he started to try and strangle her. His body sat on top of her chest. She looked up and watched Pascal's grinning face glaze down at her from above and then she struck both sides of his face with either of her hands with as much strength as she could muster. She followed this through with a second double strike, this time aiming for both temples on the sides of his forehead with her flat palms. Pascal let go of her and fell off from her body in a daze. Kasumi coughed in liberation and scaled back to her feet.

Pascal wasn't far behind and got up slowly. He attacked again but this time Kasumi wasn't going to hold anything back. She was now fighting with her full force and might. The two fighters clashed into a parry of punch after punch, kick after kick. Kasumi blocked, dodged, and evaded Pascal's blows and Pascal managed to do the same against Kasumi's. This went on for a good few seconds until Kasumi got a blow in. Her fist snaked its way through Pascal's blocks and caught him in the ear. He yelled in pain and couldn't help but clutch the soreness. Kasumi used this moment of distraction to jump up and wrap her thighs around his neck. She bent back in a handstand with his head still in between her legs. The girl then flipped him over and tossed him to the ground head first. Pascal's face met the dry soil viciously. Kasumi swiftly released him and stood back up, hoping this would be enough to keep him down.

Her wishes didn't come true and the cream suit, now dirty from mud stains and dust, got back up to face her. Pascal's face was covered in dry dirt. He spat some out. His lips opened, as if to speak, but he then paused and instead swung another jab at Kasumi. She blocked it and drove her elbow into his ribcage. He cowered down in agony, knowing instantly that she'd broken ribs. He fell to his knees in distress.

"Okay okay," he yelled. "You win Kasumi."

Kasumi eased her stance and looked down at him in judgement.

"Don't ever try to hunt me down again, or you won't live to tell the tale," Kasumi said in a firm tone.

Pascal remained on his knees, panting heavily.

"I've learnt my lesson Kasumi, really I have," he uttered frantically.

Kasumi knew that Pascal didn't deserve any mercy from her but she also knew that she couldn't bring herself to kill anyone who had already given themselves up. She stared down at Pascal as he glazed back up at her with a frightened, innocent expression. Kasumi nodded.

"Goodbye Pascal Durron," she concluded.

Without a moments delay the girl then raced away towards the trees. Pascal watched as she bounded off into the direction of the woodland, leaving him sitting alone in the airstrip. He smiled to himself as she ran, clutching another pistol from under his jacket. In typical stupidity he yelled out at Kasumi before firing a shot. This gave the kunoichi all the warning she needed.

"Die Kasumi, die!" He screamed wildly.

He stood up with the revolver held in both hands. Kasumi rolled to the ground and upon completing the move turned to face Pascal. Just as he was about to pull the trigger she hurled a shuriken from out of her belt towards him. It shimmered in perfect aerodynamics as it glided through the air. Pascal only caught a glimmer of silver flicker in the daylight. As soon as this had registered in his head it was already too late. The metallic razor sharp star had sliced into his neck and cut deeply into the flesh. He collapsed onto the ground, clutching his neck with both hands. Blood poured out with such speed that he already lay in a pool of dark red. He coughed and writhed in desperation as the final few seconds of his life came to a grim end. His last view was that of Kasumi standing in the distance watching him, she seemed sorry to see him so distressed, a compassionate and warm smile formed on her face, directed towards him in respect. Then there was nothing.

Chapter Fourteen

Endal vaulted along the greenery as quickly as he could. He was under no illusions and expected Ayane to be right behind him, although he didn't take a second to look back. Ayane was closing in, flanking forward across his left side, hoping to overtake him and pounce as he ran into her. She glided along and started to use the branches of the trees to increase her pace, jumping onto the branches and swinging from tree to tree in a series of flips.

Endal suddenly noticed a gap in the foliage ahead. He realised that beyond this gap lay the airport, he'd almost made it. Ayane had managed to overtake him now and ran along his side, closing in on him diagonally. Endal was not aware of this, his mind set on racing into the hangar and out of Ayane's way. As he ran on towards the airstrip he suddenly spotted a flash of blue dart across the bushes towards him. He didn't get much time to react to this for as soon as he'd spotted it Kasumi had reached him and tripped him up as he ran into her extended leg. He fell into the grass and partially slid forward until he was abruptly halted by a tree.

In this instance Ayane popped from out of the undergrowth and to Endal's side. She'd been seconds away from tackling him herself. As soon as she appeared and glimpsed at Endal she turned around and spotted her half- sister staring at her with her wide brown eyes.

"Kasumi!" Ayane's heart raced.

"Ayane..." Came the kunoichi's stunned reply.

Both girls took a few seconds to glance at one another, mostly in surprise at the meeting. Endal just sat against the side of the tree. He'd had enough. The fact Kasumi was now standing alongside Ayane just topped it all of for the assassin, he couldn't help but laugh.

"You escaped?" Ayane asked.

Kasumi slowly walked closer to her younger relative.

"Yes I did Ayane," said Kasumi. "Why are you here?"

"I found out about this whole plan and discovered where you'd been taken to, I was heading here when I bumped into this," Ayane pointed to Endal.

Her tone was dry, like she felt repelled at speaking to Kasumi.

"Endal," Kasumi smiled. "I've already had a run in with him."

Ayane nodded.

"He'd been paid and was leaving the scene when I bumped into him, oh and he also was the very assassin who tried to kill me that time, remember?" Ayane seemed increasingly more irate.

Kasumi then remembered the time when an assassin had tried and failed to kill Ayane in her sleep. It was a feint memory but one she recalled without much probing.

"That was Endal?" Kasumi was surprised.

"I remembered his face, and name, only too well," Ayane replied. "So it looks like my work is already done. You've managed to escape and, well, there's no more threat."

Endal couldn't help but ask;

"Where's Durron?"

Kasumi looked to him.

"I was forced to kill him Endal, and his men, I had no choice."

Endal didn't looked surprised or particularly bothered.

"There goes your plan, pal," he muttered to himself.

A part of Endal had always felt that Pascal had trodden into water too deep. He knew that Kasumi was well above any level of his control or ability and felt this an apt conclusion to this bloody episode. Endal then started to laugh. This caused both girls to turn and face him.

"What's so funny?" Ayane asked.

"Oh nothing," Endal chuckled. "Nothing at all."

Kasumi then looked to Ayane. She seemed curious. She spoke;

"Why did you come to rescue me Ayane?"

Ayane looked down to the ground.

"It may come as a surprise to you Kasumi but I still have my honour. I wasn't going to let some criminal use our situation for their financial advantage. I wasn't going to stand by and see Hayate forced to pay for you, how dare they try and con us!" Ayane shrieked.

Kasumi understood her half-sisters logic.

"Thank you Ayane," she said softly.

Ayane seemed embarrassed by the praise.

"Don't think I done it for you Kasumi!" She yelled. "It was for Hayate, I didn't want to see him used like that."

Kasumi refused to change her tone and just kept herself calm.

As the girls spoke Endal started to sneakily shuffle away from Ayane as she stood by his side. He was about to get up and run but just as his momentum had begun Ayane's cold spiky sword edge touched against his throat. He eased back down and sat obediently by her feet.

"So now what Ayane?" Kasumi asked.

Ayane seemed unclear.

"I came here to deal with those that thought they could get away with using Hayate. Now that is already done and you are free..." She paused. "I..."

Kasumi could tell she was at odds with what to do. Ayane felt compelled to confront Kasumi but the more she focused and felt her emotions deep down the more she realised that she actually didn't want to.

"There are swarms of shinobi's scattered around here Kasumi, all after you. They're closing in. I'll pretend I never saw you; you'd gone before I arrived here. Now, go!" Ayane yelled.

She seemed to be toiling with herself as the words came out, but Kasumi still felt touched and proud of her younger half-sister.

"Thank you Ayane, I will never forget this," she whispered subtly.

Both girls blushed in a mixture of emotion and nerves.

"Sayonara, Kasumi," Ayane slowly spoke.

Kasumi bowed gracefully;

"Sayonara... Ayane."

Kasumi then looked to Endal.

"Oh don't worry," Ayane smiled. "I'll deal with him."

Kasumi looked into Endal's eyes with an expression that suggested a mutual farewell. The brown haired kunoichi then took one final glance at Ayane and then raced off into the trees. Her blue toned clothing flicked in and out of view as she disappeared into foliage and then she was gone.

Ayane watched her vanish into the natural habitat with a sense of closure in her mind. She doubted she'd likely see Kasumi again. Her glaze then turned to Endal. He looked up at her.

"Families huh... who'd have em?" He commented aridly.

Endal was now well aware that he was completely at the mercy of the purple haired ninja.

"So what to do with the assassin that tried to kill me and kidnapped Kasumi..." Ayane pondered.

She continued to stroke her sword against his neck.

"I guess it's time to kill you," she stated.

Endal sprang up in sudden alarm. His heart throbbed in his chest. He couldn't tell if she was really serious;

"What? No, wait..." He stammered.

Ayane smiled as he started to tremble. She kept her serious expression. Endal lost his cool in an instant.

"Please don't Ayane, I'm sorry..." He'd resorted to begging.

"You don't deserve mercy Endal," Ayane replied.

"I know I don't but please Ayane, don't do it..." Endal was terrified at the prospect that loomed.

The calm and collected assassin had been dragged down into a pleading mess. His image was all but shattered. Living life on the edge only becomes a stark realisation when the edge draws that little bit too near. His pleading continued in a desperate tone until Ayane interrupted;

"Okay okay stop Endal. It's alright, I won't kill you," she reassured him.

Ayane hadn't actually planned to kill him; she'd just wanted to frighten the guy. The truth was, even she had no desire to kill someone in this execution type fashion. As much as the anger burned away inside her over the character and all that he had done she still knew that even she wasn't capable of killing in such a cold, merciless way. She knew she'd defeated Endal mentally, listening contently to his pleading. She didn't need to kill him.

"But Endal you have to know that this will be the last time I ever let you go," Ayane spoke with total conviction.

Endal felt relief but at the same time utter defeat.

"I don't want to ever see you again or even as much as hear about you. Is that clear?" Ayane asked.

"Yes Ayane, it's clear. I'll never come back to Japan, I swear it," Endal panted.

Ayane nodded and recoiled her sword from his neck line.

"I think we have an understanding then, Endal," she concluded.

Without any wait the girl then turned and shot off into the woodland from where they'd come from. Endal remained seated against the tree and watched the black figure fade into diminished features. Eventually he'd lost her from his gaze, she was a memory.

Endal slowly got to his feet. He felt surreal. He looked around in all directions and realised that he was alone. He had no urge to check the bodies that likely lay across the airfield and didn't care about Pascal's demise enough to find his corpse. He just wanted to get out of here and get himself home. This had been a severe warning to the assassin and his closest dance with death yet. He didn't feel relief, he felt completely defeated. He'd been forced to beg for his life, he knew his days of killing were truly over with.

He stood up and listened as a lone bird begun to sing in distilled notes. He then looked to the ground and spotted a single $50 bill lying in the grass, flapping in the warm calming wind that rolled along the forest floor. Ayane had taken the money with her; this had simply fallen out of the holdall. He picked it up and smiled; at least he hadn't finished this thing cheap.

(The End) May, 2004.

(I hope you enjoyed the story. Phonesis, over and out.)

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