Ante-Mortem
By: Wildfire Sky
Ok, this comment is directly for heather and whoever else was frustrated that I take a long time to update...I'm not, I repeat, NOT mad at you. I'm more embarrassed than anything. I took the oath of an author a long time ago and swore to entertain my fans no matter what cost it was to me. And I broke that oath. So I should be sorry, not you. Any ways, it took a push from heather to realize I needed to get up off my lazy ass and get moving!! Therefore, please, begin reading.
Ante-Mortem
Chapter Twenty
Sotomo jumped up from his position on the couch as the tiny "no" reached his ears, turning in time to see Francoise sink to her knees on the carpeted floor, the makings of tears already welling up in her eyes. Feeling a grip of panic, the captain hurried over, crouching down in front of the girl. He hesitated for a moment before reaching out and placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Are...are you alright, missy?" he questioned quietly, tensing for a tongue lashing. The last woman he'd tried to help had kneed him in the groin and shoved him into the sea, so he was quite wary of women in distress. However, this time the situation was much different and the girl truly looked sunken.
Francoise stared into the captain's deep eyes before shaking her head, flinging tears about. "No..." she whispered, "He's gone again...oh God, this can't be happening!"
Soto licked dry lips, unsure of how to respond, "He...he, uh, will be back, don't you worry about it!" he chuckled lightly, "Besides, he's going back to the ship so he'll be easy to track down, right?"
Francoise could only stare blankly at the floor, all hope seeming to dissipate from her body. She looked so fragile to him at that moment...as if a single touch would shatter her completely like a thin pane of glass.
Soto jerked his hand away as Francoise's entire body went ridged. He stared at her with barely hidden fear as she quickly stood up, fists clenched at her sides. Sotomo blanched as her heated gaze turned to him, the fire's of hell quite evident.
"Jet did this, didn't he?" she growled angrily.
Sotomo gulped, "Er...well, I wouldn't..."
"He's pushed it too far this time..."
Soto was on his feet instantly, "Ok, ma'am, I might not know you very well, but I think you need to calm down. How can you expect to help Joe if you're stressed out like this?"
Francoise shook her head, "I'm not stressed...just...frustrated. I wanted Jet to help Joe, not make things worse for us. Joe is...was...his friend, but now..."
Sotomo helped Francoise to her feet, staring into her blue eyes as he firmly held her shoulders, "Friendship is a fragile thing, young lady, and it shouldn't be taken lightly. However, it's also a very powerful thing. I'm surprised that a man like Mumei would even allow a woman come between he and his friendship...although, I suppose it's not totally his fault. This parasite eating away at him would be the true culprit."
Francoise slowly let out a puff of air, "I know...Jet knows...but he still just wants me and will do anything to get me."
"And you want to be with a man like that?"
"He might be possessive," Francoise said with a glare, "But he does love me."
Soto smirked, "So does Mumei, and he allows you the freedom of choice. He'll fight for you, of course, but from what I just saw, he loves you enough to let you do whatever makes you happy...even if it means he never sees you again. Would this Jet character do the same?"
Francoise looked away, searching the room for something she could stare at besides the captain's hard gaze. The gentle squeeze on her shoulders enunciated Soto's demand for an answer. She glanced at him for a moment before answering.
"I...I don't know."
Soto's hands dropped from her shoulders as he stepped away. "Then I think you know what to do, don't you?"
Words weren't needed as Francoise nodded and took off down the hallway. Sotomo watched her silently before he looked around and proceeded down the opposite hallway. He moved to the control room and moved to the radio, casting one last look around before switching it on and picking up the receiver as he adjusted the knobs. Through the static he said two clear words:
"Do it."
Tagasuki leaned against the doorframe, heaving in deep breaths as he struggled to maintain consciousness. Diablo was up ahead, staring back at him in utter disgust. The fat bastard was taking ridiculously long to get where they needed to go, despite the fact they were slugging through the Tokyo sewer system, avoiding detection by either the police or Black Ghost's forces.
But it would be impossible to escape as long as Tagasuki kept breathing like this!
"Hold on!" Tagasuki gasped from behind, "Damn it all, I need a break!"
Diablo quickly curbed his anger. "We can't stop, Tagasuki. The longer we take, the better the chances of Black Ghost finding us, got it?" he turned back towards the darkness stretching out before him, "Besides, I want to get out of this stink pit as soon as possible."
Tagasuki sloshed up besides him, a grimy hand on his chest, "Dare I ask the reason we're down here in the first place? There are plenty of other routes to keep from getting caught, including a few contacts I know. We could be on a plane right now!"
Diablo snorted and began moving again, "Don't be an idiot! Don't you think Black Ghost would have operatives at the airport? I just told you he has eyes and ears everywhere, and an airport is no exception." He smiled grimly, "We'd be dead before we even boarded."
He heard Tagasuki gulp nervously and couldn't help but smile. It was good that he was scared now...it made him easier to manipulate. Hopefully he wouldn't have to drag Tagasuki's big ass around much longer and finally escape to Cuba again, but until then he would have to keep his plans to himself and continue to play the part of a fearful, yet collected partner in crime.
"Well, at least tell me where we're going." Tagasuki coughed lightly from the fumes of the sewers.
Diablo sighed loudly, his patience wearing thin, "To the docks."
"The docks?? What the hell for?"
Diablo rounded a curb, "Because there are boats at the docks and it's nightfall and raining which will give us a good cover."
Tagasuki scratched his head, wincing at the slimy feeling of his fingers running through his hair, "So do you know how to pilot a ship? It's no cake walk, believe me..."
Diablo ground his teeth together, "Shut up, Tagasuki. I can't concentrate with you constantly yammering in my ear, alright? Unless you want to get lost, be quiet and breathe through your nose."
Tagasuki glared at the Cuban's back before looking way, "I personally think we should go back, Diablo-san...nothing good will come of this."
"And you think we have a better chance of facing Black Ghost's forces by ourselves?" Diablo chuckled dryly as he wiped a blob of muck from his arm, "You're more of a fool than I give you credit."
Tagasuki began to open his mouth when Diablo suddenly held up a finger to his lips and motioned to move into the shadows. Tagasuki quickly pressed his large body up against the slimy wall as far as he could, fear filled eyes wide and darting about. Diablo crouched further down into the scum as he moved towards the corner, staying as low as possible to avoid detection.
The voices were whispers, undecipherable...and unfriendly. They spoke in quick clips, never more than two or three words at a time. Light shone across the water from a flashlight, the beam scanning over the water and walls, searching for something. Diablo slowly reached into his uniform, pawing the hilt of his dagger. As soon as they came into view...
"...not here."
The voices were clearer now, the shadowy figures close. Diablo chanced a look around the corner walkway, and couldn't help but be surprised at the sight of two uniformed officers. Both had drawn .9mm Berettas, the standard weaponry issued to the Tokyo police in these days, and assault rifles which they wore slung over their backs in a harness. They wore heavy armor and helmets (which still won't prevent Diablo's attack) in complete black.
Diablo frowned. Were these Black Ghost's soldiers? No...there was no way in hell that evil man could find him so quickly. These two had to be with someone else, perhaps searching for someone else.
Tagasuki? He wondered absently, chancing a glance over at the trembling creature huddled in the dark. No. The man was completely harmless without his yakuza...but these men looked like a special unit of the police department...
One of the officers stopped at the intersection with the two tunnels, his partner lagging behind slightly. He trailed the beam of his flashlight across the walls, searching for handprints or smudges that would indicate that someone had passed this way.
"Oi!"
The officer turned back towards his partner, his thin goatee flinging droplets of sewer water into the air as he moved. His partner was pointing his flashlight at the far walkway leading down the interesting hallway as he motioned with his head.
"Take a look at this."
The bearded officer slogged over glancing around as he moved. "What is it?"
The other officer moved with him, their flashlights illuminating the area. "Looks to me like someone came through here recently. See the smudges?"
The bearded officer looked closer, lightly touching it, "Are you sure? Everything around here's wet."
"Yea, but if you look at it, it looks new. The sludge hasn't mixed into it yet."
The bearded officer nodded and leaned back. "Report this in to the chief. We'll look around for awhile longer then return topside."
"Roger."
The officer turned back to examine the smudge as his partner turned on his radio, mumbling into the mouthpiece mounted inside his helmet.
"Officer 11945 to TPDSU, repeat, officer 11945 to TPDSU, over."
"Copy 11945, this is TPDSU, what's your stat, over?"
"We're still down in the sewers HQ. Found smudges on the walls and requesting permission to investigate further, over."
"10-4 11945, permission granted. Happy hunting, over."
"Rodger that." The officer turned back to his partner, "Hey, we've got clearance to..." He trailed off, staring at his partner..."Ake? Are you alright?"
The man wasn't moving, he sat slumped against the wall, head hanging down on to his chest. His partner slowly brought up his light onto the officer. He looked like he was unconscious...sleeping. The officer gently touched the man's shoulder, shaking him.
"Ake..."
The officer choked back a scream of horror as the officer's face rushed at him, the whites of his eyes clear in the yellowy beam. His mouth was slack, blood spurting from his throat as his head rolled forward, splashing into the sewer water. He stumbled back from the body, eyes wide with horror. He froze as he bumped up against a hard unmoving, yet warm, body.
"For a soldier you are very inattentive."
The officer licked his lips, tightening his grip on his pistol. "Did you do that to him?"
"No, one of the many rats down here did."
The officer sneered, "The only rat down here is you. If you're going to kill me, then damn it, get it over with!"
The figure laughed dryly. "In time. Before we get to that, answer me this...are you with Black Ghost? Who are you looking for?"
The officer shook his head. "I've never heard of Black Ghost before...ever...and as for whom I'm looking for...sorry, but that's classified information."
"Classified, huh?"
The officer cried out in pain as the figure brought something heavy down across the back of his head. He splashed head first into the water, the disgusting sewer sludge invading his mouth and nostrils as he collapsed into the ankle high liquid. He coughed and sputtered, gasping for air as Diablo moved around him.
"I'm going to ask one more time," Diablo said as he crouched down, "Who are you looking for?"
The officer tensed, ready to jump and attack. He froze in shock as his hand closed around air...where his gun was supposed to be.
Shit...
Diablo smirked. "Yes, your weapons are gone...and you are completely at my mercy. So perhaps a little truthfulness is in your best interest, eh, amigo?"
The officer tried to push himself up, but Diablo placed his boot on his back, pressing him back down into the sewage. "Answer me first and I'll consider letting you live."
The officer heaved in air as Diablo allowed him to breathe. "Even if...I tell you...you'll still kill me..."
Diablo considered this. "Yes, you're probably right." He grabbed the back of the officer's head, jerking his head back and pressing his knife against the exposed flesh. "However, I must insist on an answer unless you want everyone you know to die as well. I don't know what you're worried about, it's not like you'll be alive to accept the repercussions."
"True," the officer agreed. "Mind if I ask your name?"
"As a matter of fact I do. Now answer my question!"
The officer took in a breath of air. "My partner and I were searching for two escaped convicts. They came here from the United States and their government dumped the search on us. They wanted to make up for their blunder my making it so if the convicts elude us...it's the fault of the Japanese police force."
"Sounds like a horrible deal to me. Why not tell them to find them on their own manpower?"
"And allow the American's to invade our country further?" the officer laughed, "We don't want to make their heads bigger. But that's the story...you're not one of the convicts, I know because we have voice identification...however, we know that they came this way."
Diablo nodded. "It's good enough for me. Unfortunately for you and your partner there, neither of you will survive to report in, now will you?"
The officer snorted more muck from his nostrils. "I guess not...so are we doing this or not?"
Diablo pressed his blade deeper into the skin. "Any last words?"
"Nothing that I'd want to say to you."
"Fine then." The assassin leaned in, whispering in his captive's ear, "And my name is Diablo...take it with you to the underworld, eh?"
The officer closed his eyes, muttering a quick prayer and steeling himself for the bite of Diablo's blade...but it never came. He opened his eyes in surprise as the blade fell away from his skin and he heard the sloshing of boots through water.
"Get up."
He slowly climbed to his feet and turned around, facing the man who was his captor. Diablo stood there, tapping his blade against his upper arm, thoughtfully studying the officer.
"Are you highly trained in weaponry and stealth operations?"
The officer blinked. "Why?"
"Just answer the damn question, will you?"
"Yes..." the officer nodded, "As part of the Tokyo Police Special Tactics Unit, I'm trained in everything from basic weapon use to computer hacking."
Diablo grinned, "Then you're perfect..."
There was an explosion of noise as another man, much larger around than Diablo, rushed forward, splashing sewer water everywhere. The officer's sucked in a deep breath.
"You! You're the yakuza lord, Tagasuki!"
Tagasuki simply glared in the man's direction before turning his apparent fury to Diablo. "Are you crazy? You actually trust a police officer? I thought you said we were trying to get away from the police!"
Diablo shoved the fat man away, snarling viciously. "I suggest you get the hell away from me, fat boy. Believe me; this will work out perfectly for us. Now then, officer, before we go any further, your name will be necessary."
The officer considered the two of them before answering. "Officer Akamushu Takeshi. Sergeant in the Tokyo Special Forces."
Diablo placed a hand on Takeshi's shoulder. "You, my friend, no longer work for the Tokyo Police Department...you work for me." His grin grew. "And trust me, the benefits are excellent."
Takeshi frowned, "I'm supposed to work for a criminal? Sorry, pal, I work for the Japanese government, not some yakuza leader and his henchman."
Diablo's hand fell away, his gaze hardening. "Listen, Takeshi, you have two choices and only two...either you join us, or I'll kill every single person you've ever come in contact with, got it?"
Albert had stepped into a nightmare.
Blood was sprayed across the walls, bodies everywhere...mangled and mutilated...one in particular, slumped against the wall, his face crushed into a messy blob on his shoulders, so destroyed that it was impossible to make out any clear facial features.
"Pretty bad, huh?"
Albert turned nodded at the large man behind him, "Yea...this is one heck of a blood bath in here."
The man shook his head, "I haven't been able to bring myself to clean up...not yet..."
Albert turned away from the mess, leading the man from the room, "I think we'll leave this for later, right now we need to get your brother back to my ship...Baretto, was it?"
The muscular fisherman nodded, "Aa...my brother, Bajito is on the deck waiting for us. I'll come back later and clean up a little."
Albert scratched the back of his head, "Are you going to stay here? Even after all that's happened?"
"Why not? She's a good ship..."
The clomping of heavy boots caused Baretto to look up. Bajito leaned against the doorway, holding his side as he heaved in air. Baretto was instantly at his brother's side, supporting him.
"Bajito! What's wrong?"
The younger brother nodded up the stairs. "I...I just saw...Mumei..."
"What?" Baretto and Albert said together. Albert quickly rushed passed the two brothers, jumping up on deck and staring out into the rain. Sure enough, there was a figure trudging up the road, seemingly ignorant to the hard rain.
"009!" he called out, jumping from the ship and running over. Mumei looked up as he approached, shrinking back as Albert slid to a stop, a surprised smile gracing his features. "009, wh-what are you doing out here? Why aren't you back at the ship?"
Joe looked away, "I, uh, I had to get out of there..."
"Well, you're going to catch a cold if you stay in the rain too long." Albert took Joe's shoulder, "Come on, you can walk back with us..."
"No!" Joe shouted, jerking out of 004's grasp, "Get the hell off of me! I never want to go back there, you got it?"
Albert blinked in surprise, "What? Why?"
Joe moved around him, "Don't talk to me...I done with cyborgs, I'm done with you, and I'm done with Francoise! I'll never go near her again, alright? Tell your pal I'll keep my word."
By this point, Baretto and Bajito were standing on the deck, watching the exchange in silence. Finally Bajito called out to his friend.
"Oi! Mumei! What are you doing here? What about Min and Tai and the captain? Are they alright?"
Mumei forced a smile on his face as his hoisted his body over the rails and onto the ship, "Oh they're fine. They said they'll be here soon."
The brothers watched as Mumei quickly rushed into the radio room and sat in the captain's chair, staring out of the porthole and into the night. Albert launched himself onto the ship seconds later, glancing around for his friend.
"Where's, uh, Mumei?"
Bajito nodded towards the small boxlike office. "He's in there...and I think he's pissed off."
"Yea," Baretto chimed in, shifting his brother's weight, "What the hell did you say to him?"
Albert sighed, rubbing the back of his neck and staring absently at the dark radio room. "I...I didn't say anything to him...but I think that something happened back on my ship." He looked at the two brothers, "I need to go talk to him."
Baretto held up a hand, "Whoa there, buddy, maybe you should let Mumei muddle this out on his own. I heard a little of what Mumei said and it sounds like something he needs to take care of."
"Ne, Albert-san," Bajito said, lifting his head, "I think I better get to that doctor of yours...I'm having trouble staying awake."
Albert nodded at the man, taking his other arm and putting it around his shoulders. With the extent of his wounds, if Bajito were to lose consciousness, there was a great possibility that he might slip into a coma, or worse, die. 009 would have to wait, but with his state of mind, leaving him to his own devices was something Albert did not consider an option. He only prayed that his good friend wouldn't do anything drastic while he was gone.
Turning his strange eyes to the brothers, he motioned with his head, "Let's get out of here."
As they dismounted the fishing boat and began trudging slowly through the rain, Albert failed to see the sewer drain lift up...
...or the three figures that emerged from it.
As Stewie says: "VICTORY IS MINE!!!"
Damn I love Family Guy...that, my friends, is the BEST show on the planet...and my theatre buddies are always quoting it and giving little random "clips" from the shows. It hilarious...if you guys were with me during my day, you'd be cracking up as much as I do. But you're not, so oh well...
Anyways, again, I am sorry I took forever and a day to update, but now that I'm done with my college applications, I'm gonna try and pick up the pace a bit. The only big thing I'm doing right now is Beauty and the Beast...and maybe get more hours at work. Besides that, thanks so much for supporting me and my fic!!
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!!
WATCH OUT FOR MY NEXT CHAPTER!!!!
