I don't own anything.
An Assassin's Memories
Seventh Shot: Friends
Takumi pushed the door in front of him open and stepped into the bar. He walked across the room, ignoring the glare from the bartended, and sat down in one of the booths. "Well?" he asked, staring at the opposite side of the booth.
"Boy can you ever pick your enemies," the man in the booth behind Takumi said. A folder dropped on to the table in from of Takumi. He opened it and pulled out a picture. "Meet Yuji Kaido," Alex said. "A former highly decorated member of the Sayeret Duvdevan."
"Israeli special forces," Takumi said.
"Bingo," Alex said. "A force specializing in hit and run raids. This guy was one of their top snipers before they were disbanded in 2015."
"Because the UN began making threats about Israeli tactics," Takumi said.
"Right," Alex said. "He was a mercenary for a year before NERV picked him up as a 'special investigator'. This is one man that I would never piss off."
"I'll take that under advisement," Takumi said as he eyed the man's service record.
"He's fought in just about every environment known to man," Alex continued. "I doubt that you'll ever be able to get the drop on him."
"Impressive," Takumi said as he tucked the papers back into the envelope. "This will prove interesting."
"The man practically runs Section-4 of NERV," Alex added. "That's the section that handles investigations and spin control."
"They do an excellent job," Takumi commented. "The rumors that NERV killed Alexander Henderson were silenced only two days after the occurrence."
"They've been doing this for years," Alex said. "You be careful Toc. These guys are professionals."
"So am I."
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Ari pushed the door to the apartment open and stepped into the front room. "Shima?"
"Takumi ma'am," the young man corrected. He was hunched over the coffee table taking a weapon apart. Ari stared at the tattoo on his back again. The bandages around his torso had been replaced and now they didn't obscure it. 'God Save Us?' she wondered, reading the bold, gothic text.
"Are you religious Toc?" Ari asked.
"Yes ma'am," Takumi said without turning to face her.
"Isn't it a little late to pray for your soul?" she joked as she sat on the couch.
"I don't pray for my soul ma'am," Takumi said. "I pray for the souls of those in my way."
"Oh," Ari said with a frown. 'I learn something new about you every day Thirty-Three.'
"I spoke with Alex ma'am," Takumi said. He tapped the envelope on the table. Ari picked it up and opened it. She pulled out the picture and whistled.
"Cute," she said.
"Yuji Kaido," Takumi said. "Age thirty. Born One October, 1987 in Haifa, Israel. He joined the Israeli Sayeret Duvdevan in 2007 and distinguished himself as a sniper in anti-terrorism operations throughout the middle east. He retired in 2015 when the unit was disbanded."
"What are you?" Ari asked, "his biographer?"
"Know thy enemy ma'am," Takumi said. Ari sighed and dropped the picture.
"I have the worst luck," Ari said. "I have no trouble finding cute guys, but they're either anti-social nuts or trying to kill me." Takumi didn't answer. Ari watched as his nimble fingers quickly reassembled the weapon. "What is that thing?"
"It's a PP-2000," Takumi said. "It was issued to me before we left China."
"You already carry that Stechkin," Ari said. "And you have that other sub-machinegun. Why do you need another one?"
"This was issued as a replacement for the PP-93 sub-machinegun," Takumi said in the automatic tone he used when talking about his weapons. "It is twenty-five millimeters shorter and it fires the more powerful 9x19mm round instead of the PP-93's 9x18mm round."
"Alright," Ari said. "So they took away that other one and gave you that."
"Yes ma'am," Takumi said.
"What about that other sub-machinegun?" Ari asked.
"The PP-19 is closer to being an assault weapon," Takumi explained. "The others are more like self-defense weapons."
"Ah," Ari said. "I've never understood why we have to carry so many weapons around."
"We carry so many weapons so we can be flexible ma'am," Shima said. "There are two sniper rifles. The first being the VSS and the second being the SV-99. The VSS is a suppressed weapon, but it is still powerful enough to engage armored targets at medium ranges. The second rifle, the SV-99, is far quieter, but it is only a .22 and therefore it is quite weak."
"I get it," Ari said, cutting him off before he could continue his monologue.
"Very well ma'am," Takumi said. "I must go after another target."
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Takumi stared at the body lying on the ground and frowned. The level of mutilation definitely pointed towards an assassin. "Great."
"I'm going to have to ask you two to step back."
"Of course sir." Takumi frowned at the voice who had spoken in addition to his own. He stared at the older man and hid his reaction.
"This isn't the kind of place for a kid like you," Yuji said as he stuck a cigarette between his lips. He patted his pocket and frowned. Takumi reached into his pocket and pulled out his lighter. "Thanks kid."
"No problem," Takumi said as he flipped the lighter open. Yuji leaned forward and lit his cigarette.
"Looks like that serial killer's work, doesn't it?" Yuji asked.
"I thought they were shot," Takumi said.
"They were also mutilated like this," Yuji said. "What's you name kid?"
"Toc," Takumi said. "My name is Takumi."
"I'm Yuji," Yuji said as he took a long draw on his cigarette. "You smoke Toc?"
"Absolutely not," Takumi said. "It's a disgusting habit."
"Yeah," Yuji said with a chuckle. "I just can't seem to quit."
"Addiction is a hard thing to beat," Takumi said.
"Speaking from experience?" Yuji asked.
"Not to my knowledge," Takumi answered. "I have to get out of here. The smell of blood makes me sick."
"See you around Toc." Takumi nodded and walked away. 'This is a good opportunity.' He ducked into a nearby building and drew his .40-caliber. He jacked the action and leaned around the corner. It should have been the perfect shot. He pulled the trigger and Yuji whipped around suddenly. The bullet struck him in his shoulder instead of the back of his head as planned. It was then that Takumi saw the vicious black pistol in the older man's hands.
"Damn." The weapon bucked and Takumi gasped as the 9mm slug slammed into his upper right arm. He snatched up his dropped pistol in his left hand and tried to aim again, but the cops were already firing. Takumi fired back and did the only smart thing. He retreated. They hadn't seen his face. He should be fine.
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"Fuck!" Yuji clutched his shoulder tightly. The pain was mind numbing.
"Are you okay sir?" Yuji ignored the cop and looked in the direction of his shooter, but the gunman was long gone. He climbed to his feet and holstered his Glock. "Please stop moving," the cop pleaded.
"Give me a minute," Yuji hissed as he moved as quickly as he could towards the gunman's original position. He stared at the blood spilled across the ground and smiled. He reached into his jacket with his gun hand and pulled out his cell phone. He punched in a number and waited for the other end to be picked up.
"Section-4," a man's voice said, "Sergeant Kelso speaking."
"This is Kaido," Yuji said. "Send a CSI team to the corner of Fifth and Ninth."
"Yes sir," the sergeant said. Yuji leaned back against the wall behind him and checked the wound in his shoulder.
"Shit."
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Rei stared at the man staggering down the hall towards her. He was certainly in a great deal of pain. His right arm was dangling uselessly by his side and blood was dripping form his fingers to the floor, leaving a small trail. The man drew closer and Rei could see his face in the light cast by a streetlamp. "Takumi?" His eyes fixed on her.
"Ayanami," he said with a slow pained nod. "Go to my apartment and tell the woman inside that I am injured please." With that he slumped against the wall.
(:::::::::::::ii::::::::::::::)
"Just set him down here." Ari sighed in relief as she was relieved of Takumi's weight. He reached under the couch and fished out a medical kit. She pulled out a pair of scissors and handed them to the young blue haired woman. "Cut his sleeve off."
"Yes ma'am," the woman said. Ari sighed in annoyance and dug out a pain pen. She pressed it against the Takumi's neck and pushed the injection button.
"Did he tell you how he was hurt?" Ari asked as she helped the woman pull Takumi's shirt sleeve off. She grabbed the scissors and quickly cut of the tourniquet on the man's arm.
"No ma'am," the woman said calmly.
"You're Rei Ayanami?" Ari asked.
"Yes ma'am," the woman said. Ari sighed again and pulled out a large gauze pad and pressed it against the ragged hole in Takumi's upper arm.
"This looks like a gunshot wound," Ari said. "The bullet went through his bicep and hit the bone. I can't tell how bad the damage is."
"He should be hospitalized," Rei said calmly.
"Hospitals are expensive," Ari said simply.
"He may die," Rei said.
"The bullet missed the major arteries," Ari said dismissively. "He'll be fine Ayanami. Don't worry about him."
"Very well ma'am." Ari paused as she noticed that the pistol holstered under Takumi's arm was in plain view. She glanced at the young blue-haired woman, wondering how she could have missed it. Ari came to the simply conclusion that Rei hadn't missed it. She reached for the weapon and yelped in surprise as Takumi's left hand jerked up and closed painfully around her wrist.
"You're awake!"
"I am now ma'am," Takumi said simply. He tried to sit up more fully, but Ari pushed him back.
"Believe it or not," she began, "you are human Toc. You've just been shot."
"I am aware of that ma'am," Takumi said simply. "It's hard to miss being shot." Ari's jaw dropped.
"Was that a joke Toc?"
"No ma'am," Takumi said. "But you may take it as one in you wish." Ari laughed and glanced at Rei.
"I'm sure you remember Rei Ayanami," she said. "She's the one who came and got me when you collapsed."
"I was simply doing as he asked," Rei said calmly.
"Thank you," Takumi said, eliciting a small blush from the girl.
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"Well?" Yuji demanded as he glared at the young man standing in front of him.
"We have gotten a blood sample sir," the young man said. Yuji sighed in relief. He glanced at the crime scene from the back of the ambulance and watched as the cops were finally allowed onto it. "We should have the results soon."
"Good," Yuji said. "You screw this up and you're dead."
"I don't handle the lab work," the young man said.
"Then you better go to the labs and make sure they don't screw up," Yuji growled.
"Yes sir!" The young man about faced and took off like a bat out of hell towards his car.
"Easy now," the medic said. "Try to keep the excitement to a minimum."
"I know," Yuji said. "This isn't the first time I've been shot." The medic laughed and Yuji stared at him.
"You weren't joking, were you?"
"Nope."
(:::::::::::::ii::::::::::::::)
Ari peeled back the bandage and sighed. "Is there a problem ma'am?"
"Isn't there always a problem?" Ari asked.
"What's wrong ma'am?" Takumi asked.
"I think the bone was hit really badly," Ari said with a sigh. "We're going to have to call in a specialist."
"Alright ma'am," Takumi said.
"What happens if you loose your arm?" Ari asked.
"I will be executed ma'am," Takumi said. "Dead weight is not tolerated."
"Even after all you've done for Them?" Ari asked in shock.
"Dead weight is not tolerated," Takumi repeated, "ma'am."
"I see," Ari said. "I'm going to put in that call now. It's only going to get worse with time."
"It always does ma'am," Takumi said.
"How did you get shot this time anyway?"
"I ran into Yuji Kaido," Takumi said.
"Oh," Ari said. "That Ayanami girl saw your piece." Takumi's good hand automatically touched the weapon holstered under his arm. "She didn't look surprised."
"We're in the slums of the city," Takumi said with a shrug.
"I thought Japan was supposed to be the safest country on the planet," Ari said with a frown.
"Even the safest city on Earth will be a deadly place as long as humans live," Takumi said flatly.
"You are the biggest pessimist I've ever had the displeasure of meeting Toc," Ari said in annoyance. "Has anyone ever told you that people with negative attitudes make lousy friends?"
"I'm not in the business to make friends ma'am," Takumi said.
-End
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-Author's notes. Another short chapter. Any more that seems to be all that I can really get out.