I still don't own anything.
An Assassin's Memories
Sixteenth Shot: Operations
"Hold that elevator!" Asuka sighed in relief as the elevator doors opened and she quickly stepped inside. Once she saw the occupant she wished that she had waited. "Oh."
"Right," Michael said into his cell phone. "I'm on my way down." He flipped his phone shut and tucked it into the pocket of his leather jacket. Asuka looked around the elevator and tapped the already lit ground floor button a few more times. Beside her Michael rested against the wall, oblivious to her. She sighed in relief as the elevator began moving. The silence grew increasing irritating with every seconds until Asuka couldn't take it.
"You aren't him," she said suddenly. "You can't be him."
"I never said I was," Michael answered calmly. Asuka's jaw snapped shut, all other accusations suddenly lost.
"Who are you?" she asked after a moment.
"Michael." She watched as the doors opened and Michael pushed off the wall. "That's all."
(:ii:)
"Good mourning."
"So far," Michael said as he climbed into the van. "Where's the other guy?"
"His name is Sergeant Ginji Takashi," Yuji said as they pulled away.
"Doesn't matter," Michael said. "We're probably all going to die, you know?"
"You're a very negative person Mike," Yuji said. "And yes I do know that we're probably all going to die."
"Good," Michael said. "So where's Sergeant Ginji Takashi?"
"Safe house hunting," Yuji said. "Don't worry, I told him exactly what he was looking for."
"Good," Michael said. "So, does he have any previous experience?"
"No," Yuji said. "He dropped out of the forensics program at Tokyo University and came to NERV. He says his father used to take him hunting."
"Hunting," Michael repeated. "Five highly-experience men."
"I know he's lying," Yuji said. "It serves our purpose, so I'm not asking."
"Works for me."
"How long until your appointment?" Yuji asked.
"Half hour," Michael said. "Why?"
"Breakfast," Yuji said simply.
"Works for me."
(:ii:)
"Come in." Ritsuko heard the door to her office open and she finally pushed her computer's key board away from her. "What can I do for. . ." Ritsuko trailed off as she saw exactly who had stepped into her office, ". . .you."
"Me," Michael said simply. "I have a physical exam today."
"I'm aware of that," Ritsuko said. "I would like to assure you that as a doctor I do not hold any grudges against you."
"Good," Michael said. "Before was business. It wasn't personal."
"I'm sure," Ritsuko said.
"I will tell you now that I am in good physical health," Michael said flatly. He reached into his pocket and Ritsuko felt a spike of fear for a second. He pulled out a metallic cylinder and held it out to her. "I am requesting that you examine this." Ritsuko took the cylinder, all fear forgotten.
"This is a pneumatic injection system," she said.
"Yes ma'am," Michael said. "It's powerful enough to penetrate a standard Kevlar vest."
"Impressive," Ritsuko said. "I guess now is as good a time as any to begin the physical."
"Yes ma'am."
(:ii:)
Kari looked around the confusing hallways and NERV and then at the map in her hand. She walked up to one of the doors and knocked. "Come in." Kari pushed the door open. "Just leave the reports on the. . ." the room's occupant looked up and frowned. "I thought you were someone else."
"I'm sorry," Kari said. The blond woman turned her wheel chair and pulled off her reading glasses.
"Can I help you?"
"I'm a friend of Michael," Kari said. "Are you Doctor Akagi?" The blond woman examined her with cold eyes and turned back to the microscope.
"Yes I am."
"Would you mind if I asked you a question?" Kari asked. Ritsuko sighed in annoyance at having her work interrupted and turned her wheel chair again.
"What is it?" she asked rather briskly.
"Michael had an appointment today, right?" Kari asked.
"Yes," Ritsuko said. "He's in perfect health. Well his right arm still needs a little time to regain all of its strength."
"Did he give you. . ."
"A pain pen?" Ritsuko interrupted. Kari nodded. "He did. I supposed you want to know what's in it and if his cough is connected to it."
"That's right," Kari said.
"The stuff in the pain pen is an artificial morphine synthesis," Ritsuko explained. "I haven't checked all the properties, but that's what it is in a nutshell."
"Is it connected to his cough?" Kari asked.
"Yes," Ritsuko said. "Morphine is used for pain management and cough suppression primarily. If he continues disuse then he'll have a cough and probably sweating for a next few days."
"I see," Kari said.
"He won't feel too good either," Ritsuko continued. "That should be about it."
"Well thank you very much," Kari said as she turned and walked out. She really needed to go have a little talk with Michel.
(:ii:)
"What do you guys think?" Michael looked around the apartment and nodded.
"This looks pretty good," he said simply.
"I agree," Yuji said as he sat down on one of the boxes they had carried up from the van. "We still need to bring up the computers."
"That can wait," Michael said.
"For what?" Yuji asked.
"SEELE still has an agent in this city that I know about," Michael explained. "They know of my contact with him and will try to remove him from the city."
"How much do you think he knows?" Ginji asked.
"Doesn't matter," Michael said. "He knows more then we do. Where are they weapons?" Yuji sighed and stood up. He opened the box he was sitting on and began to pulled out smaller boxes. "Those are brand new."
"I called in a favor with a Yakuza man," Yuji explained. "They're clean." He opened one of the boxes and pulled out a black pistol. "Heckler and Koch P2000 with a law enforcement modification trigger."
"It's a double action only," Michael said. "I don't like them."
"You'll like this one," Yuji said. "It's a .40-caliber with twelve rounds."
"We'll see," Michael said as he examined the pistol. "Is the threaded barrel standard?"
"No," Yuji said simply. "The suppressors are in there."
"Good," Michael said. "What else do we have?"
"I wanted to keep the selection diverse, but we also had to stay as far away from NERV as possible," Yuji said as he opened another box and pulled out a compact black assault rifle. It was a bull pup bearing a slight resemblance to the QBZ-95 that Twenty-One had carried. "This is a ST Kinetics SAR-21 RIS re-chambered for 6.8mm SPC."
"I've never used the caliber," Michael said.
"Have you ever used an AK-47?"
"Extensively," Michael said simply.
"You'll like this then," Yuji said. "Here's something else you might like," he added as he opened another box and turned it around.
"Oh."
"I knew you'd like that," Yuji said. Michael pulled the machinegun out of the box.
"I'm taking this one."
(:ii:)
"Why does this keep happening to me?" Alex managed to wonder aloud. His momentary ponderings nearly made him stumble as he sprinted along the poorly lit alleyway. Behind him his pursuer had no such problems. Alex sprinted down the next alleyway on his right. After his little episode with Thirty-Three he had spent a great deal of time learning these alleys like the back of his hand. "Holy shit!" Alex yelped as a hand grabbed his collar and dragged him into another alleyway.
"This way," the man who had grabbed him said. He turned and sprinted away. Alex was hard pressed to keep up.
"This leads out into the street," he wheezed.
"I know," the man said. They sprinted out into the street and the man tackled Alex. "Now!" he yelled as they tumbled to the ground. Nearby an automatic weapon roared to life and Alex was nearly deafened by the sheer audio assault. Suddenly the weapon cut out and Alex was allowed to stand. He looked around and felt his jaw drop. There was a black van across the street and a young man was resting a massive machinegun across the hood. "Did you get him?"
"I wouldn't have stopped for any other reason," the second man said. He walked around the van and lowered the machinegun to the ground. He drew a small black pistol from his belt and began to screw a suppressor onto the muzzle as he walked past them. "I'll be right back."
"Who are you people?" Alex asked as a loud pop echoed from the alleyway.
"You don't recognize me?" the second man asked as he walked towards them. "I'm hurt Mister Beck." Alex stared at the man as he holstered his pistol.
"Thirty-Three!"
"Yeah," Thirty-Three said. He turned and waved. Alex turned and saw a man on top of the building across the street wave. He stood up and slung his rifle.
"Who was that?" Alex asked, jerking his thumb towards the alleyway.
"That was a man from SEELE," Thirty-Three said. "This city has become very hazardous. He was sent to retrieve you."
"B. . .but," Alex stammered.
"You should have been a little more trusting," Thirty-Three said. "He was trying to protect you."
"From who?" Alex managed.
"Us of course," the first man said. "We have some questions for you."
"God damn it!"
(:ii:)
Kari looked up as the door to the apartment opened and closed. "Mike?"
"Yes ma'am," Michael answered as he came into view.
"It's past midnight," Kari said, glancing at her watch.
"I'm aware of that," Michael said as he dropped his leather jacket on the coffee table and sprawled out on the couch, his face pressed against the pillow. He drew his pistol from his belt and rolled over. "I'm going to sleep."
"I talked with Doctor Akagi," Kari said.
"Alright," Michael said without opening his eyes.
"You've been shooting morphine," Kari said, hoping that she didn't sound accusatory.
"I spoke with Doctor Akagi as well," Michael said. "She informed me about that."
"You aren't surprised," Kari accused. "You knew! You told me that the pain pens wouldn't get you addicted or have side effects."
"That's what I was told," Michael said. "I only know what I am told."
"You suspected then," Kari said.
"Of course I did," Michael said. "You're too naïve ma'am." Kari stared at him and leaned back in her chair.
"I am, aren't I?"
"Yes ma'am."
"You've never heard of a white lie, have you?" Kari asked.
"No ma'am."
(:ii:)
"This is growing bothersome Keel."
"I am aware of that," Keel said.
"In the past few weeks we have lost more personnel then we ever have before," another monument said. "May I remind you that this is all because of your plan?"
"I am aware of that as well," Keel said. "My plan will come to pass soon. After that every sacrifice will be worth it."
"It had better," a third monument said. "We've already lost too many to this lunacy."
-End
(:ii:)
-Author's notes. Yes it's short. You can deal with it for the next two weeks until the next chapter. God bless snow days, I'm getting caught up on all my stories.