Hello again, everyone! I'm back again with another update! I hope everyone is having a great summer so far, and as always, I'm very appreciative of your reviews and interest in this little story!:)
Here's chapter 16... enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.
It was a long, grueling, silent ride back to their base. The sooner they returned, the better. Everyone probably desperately longed for their much needed time alone for quiet self reflection, contemplation, and self loathing to cope with the horrific ordeals they had witnessed. The lot of the soldiers occupying the vehicle were in several varying moods ranging from total apathy to complete devastation. For some, it would only take mere hours to shake off the distress, for others it would take days, if not longer to overcome their grief. For one who very frequently had experiences with such gut wrenching situations, it would only take but a brief moment to reset their minds back to its normal functioning state.
Nina sat quietly, staring at the assault rifle clenched between her thighs during the shaky ride back to their camp. The armored military truck could take on any terrain, but its capabilities were questionable while travelling through deep snow. She would have opted for overseeing the operations in Madrid instead, but the boss felt her presence was much needed in Moscow instead. He felt that the many units stationed there lacked proper leadership. She had done her part, and as she figured, the soldiers put on a perfect show like wind up toys to thoroughly follow their orders in her presence. They all appeared so perfect, like well tuned machines when she walked past, but in her absence they were nothing more than little gossip mongers.
'Despite the results, the mission was a complete success...this is what he wanted, and overall, it's all for the greater good…the salvation of mankind,' she reflected. This had become her mantra lately, a reminder to not question her actions and to only focus on the one true goal. She was pulled from her thoughts when the vehicle came to a halt. The doors opened and the soldiers silently disembarked, including herself.
Upon jumping down from the vehicle, she cursed to herself as she landed in a foot of fresh snow. She was definitely under dressed, wearing only a short white parka over her bodysuit, but at least it was over and soon she'd be able to catch a comfortable flight to return to HQ. 'Damn this place, damn this weather! He should've sent me to Madrid instead of Eddy,' she thought in annoyance.
She trudged through the snow and squinted through the snowstorm until she reached the large military hangar. It was still chilly inside, but at least it was better than being outside. She ignored the stares of the soldiers inside and brushed off their stiff salutes as she walked past a few of them. She paid no heed to whatever they thought her position was in the organization. Whether they feared her, respected her, or loathed her, it didn't matter in her eyes as long as they obeyed their orders. Her phone rang in her pocket and she pressed a button on her earpiece to answer the call.
"Yes?" she answered.
"Is it done?"
"Yes, just as you ordered."
"Good. Return to headquarters immediately."
The call ended quickly. Now that it was done, it was the prelude to pandemonium that was going to ensue once the world reacted. Jin was going to need her protection now more than ever. The calm days were officially over, her job was going to become quite difficult from this point forward. 'I wonder how many people will come for him now...I'm pretty sure the price on his head will be soaring once this mess gets underway,' she thought bitterly.
She walked into the small armory room to return any equipment she wouldn't need. Honestly, as just the overseer, her sole purpose for carrying a rifle was to ensure the soldiers had enough motivation to carry out the mission. Any deserters would have to deal with her, but luckily she had no such issues with any disobedience. She sighed as she mounted the assault rifle onto the rack with the others. She wanted to leave as soon as possible, being there too long only made her mind wander onto disturbing, unpleasant things, she didn't want those thoughts plaguing her. She shut her eyes for a moment to think of something, anything to keep her mind on track.
"I didn't think he'd send you of all people to spy on us," a man's voice interrupted the silence. "Did you report to him and tell him that you saw to it that he got the destruction he desired?"
She didn't even have to turn to face the owner of the voice, she knew exactly who would have the gall to pester her at a moment like this. 'This guy again...every time he opens his mouth I want to rip his tongue from his head,' she thought maliciously. She turned to face him with her usual cold, steely eyes only to find that his glare mirrored her own. She smirked to herself. 'Prince Valiant looks pissed...having his unit lead that air strike must've triggered him.'
The blond captain took a few brave steps towards her, never freeing her from his contemptuous eyes. "My words...they meant absolutely nothing to you," he stated furiously. "Are you proud about what you've done!?"
"I don't follow my orders to tickle my pride, Captain Alexandersson," Nina informed in a cold, monotonous tone. "I do so because I know my place. So no, I'm not proud."
"You could have stopped him!" Lars argued. "You allowed him to-"
"Do you know why he chose to give this mission to your unit?" she interrupted as she crossed her arms and took a few steps towards the enraged man. "It's because he was testing your loyalty. You proved to him that you're not a coward, a traitor." She informed Jin of his suspicious behavior, and Jin gave orders for his unit to perform the first strike to mentally screw with him.
His blue eyes widened slightly before they narrowed again in fury. He took a few steps forward until they were three feet from each other. "All I'm asking is for you to come to your senses and put an end to this madness! He trusts you...he'll listen to you if you reason with him. Countless people don't have to die over some damned family feud!" he pled with her sincerely.
Nina sighed heavily in annoyance and rubbed her temples to fight off an oncoming headache. It was a difficult situation to contend with considering that everyone around her was utterly clueless about what was really going on. Did he really think this was only about Jin and Kazuya trying to get "even" with each other? If that was the case, she would have definitely used her non existent influence that Lars seemed to think she possessed to talk him out of something so trivial. She saw no point in continuing this conversation any further considering that he neither possessed the necessary information to understand Jin's motives nor could she tell him. It was time for her to take her leave from his little interrogation and head to the airport to travel back to HQ. "It will all be over soon, but until then I advise you to stay on his good side," the assassin warned him once again.
Lars remained silent as he stared at her menacingly with a sneer. He was quite hell bent on preventing her from leaving until she told him what he wanted. "What are his true intentions? What does he truly hope to gain from this?" he asked, desperate for answers to explain the chaos they were all intertwined in.
Her face had now reverted into a stone, emotionless mask with two bright blue orbs gleaming intensely with fury. "It's not your concern," she informed him in a brusque manner. "Return to your duties, soldier." Nina took another step forward, attempting to urge the man to step aside, but he was unrelenting. There was now only a foot of space between them.
Lars was firm in his decision to detain her until she told him something of value. Her eyes burned into him fiercely like a sapphire blaze. When angered, he could see that she possessed the eyes of a true murderess. Perhaps his efforts to appeal to her human side were all done in vain. "Why? Why are you protecting him?" Lars probed.
"It's my job," she answered curtly. "Move!" He was on his last warning.
"You're under the influence of a tyrant! He's no leader, only a poor, misguided boy with hatred in his heart!" he shouted angrily.
She had grown weary of this. Without another word she popped open the clasp of the gun holster on her hip. Her eyes narrowed dangerously at the taller man blocking her pathway out of the armory. "Let's not make this any more complicated than it has to be, Alexandersson."
Their eyes remained locked in an extremely anger filled staring match as both of their wills remained inflexible to intimidate each other into doing their bidding. Had they not been somewhat comrades, they both knew that their confrontation would have escalated to violence long ago. Before he could utter a word to de-escalate the tension, a blaring alarm resounded throughout the camp.
The sound of the soldiers rallying about could be heard just outside the room. Heavy boots colliding with the ground and firearms being fired just outside the base were audible to the two occupants within the armory. A few soldiers barged in frantically to gather more weapons to prepare for the assault. The soldiers looked at the high ranking members in shock. "Captain, G Corp is attacking! We have to defend our position!" one soldier reported hastily before running out to join the battle.
Lars clenched his fists in frustration before casting the blonde woman one last disdainful look before swiftly departing from the room to join his comrades in battle. The spirit seemed drained from his once optimistic demeanor as he reluctantly had to clash with their enemies once again in this senseless war.
Nina exhaled and shook her head once she was granted freedom from the forlorn man's scornful eyes. She pressed a button on her earpiece to contact her superior. She began speaking as soon as the call picked up.
"G Corp reared their ugly heads...just as you predicted," she informed as she slowly paced around the armory.
"His moves are getting more predictable. Why are you still there?"
"I was held up," she stated plainly. "Should I lend my assistance since I'm available?"
"No," he ordered firmly. "Return immediately before things get out of control."
He ended the call, and she had her orders. It was a shame that she wouldn't be able to partake in the festivities, but Jin made it clear that he wanted her role to strictly remain covert. Now, she had to find a way out of the facility without being spotted so that she could return to HQ.
The crackle of gun fire filled her ears as she surreptitiously made her way around the back of the hangar while the G Corp soldiers took on the Tekken Force. What was the purpose of this attack besides to inconvenience them? The air strikes were completed and the damage had been done, so their faux heroism to stop them was useless. Nina attempted to pick up speed to make it around back, but the ever accumulating snow made it quite a laborious task to complete without slipping or falling. There were a few military jeeps parked in the back, and with luck she'd be able to get away from all the havoc. All she could think about was boarding a warm, cozy private jet and finally seeking shelter from the snowy weather.
In her haste to swing open the door of the vehicle, she slipped somewhat clumsily; however, even in her error she had heard the distinct sound of glass shattering above her head. It was the unmistakable sound of a bullet narrowly missing her head. Before she could fully regain her composure and her footing she was completely blindsided and caught off guard by a blunt object colliding into her skull, which sent her falling backwards into the snow.
"Leaving the party so soon? I came a long way to see you, blondie," a voice spoke.
Nina groaned softly in pain and annoyance as she lifted her throbbing head up to get a good look at her assailant. The blinding whiteness of the snow shrouded the figure a little, but that voice sounded awfully familiar. 'I fucking hate snow,' she thought irritably as she attempted to get up.
"Oh no, please stay down just like that. You look good on your back, heh, and if you're anything like your sister I'm sure that's how you do your best work," the voice insulted.
The assassin finally got a good look at the man standing over her with a rifle in his hands and her face formed a scowl. "Irvin," she hissed indignantly. "Still Kazuya's favorite toady, I see. Back at it again with my dear sister, just like old times."
Bruce smirked cockily in satisfaction. "The pay is good and I get to do what I love, whipping a bunch of pansies into shape to turn them into the perfect soldiers," he paused. "Now, that brings me to why I'm here. You killed my men, you heartless bitch!"
As if she hadn't heard that line before. "Did I? I have a terrible memory, so you're going to have to be more specific," she responded with a nonchalant smirk. "And if I did, you might need to take a number to file that complaint."
The furious kickboxer pointed his rifle at her with sneer. "Don't play innocent with me, you stupid bitch, you know damn well what I'm talking about!" he fumed. "I should just light you up right now, but I'm sure you're worth more to Kazuya alive, he's just dying to know what secrets Jin is hiding. If anyone can get you to sing like a canary, it's him." Bruce smirked evilly at the woman.
Despite his confidence about this situation, that was a future predicament she just couldn't foresee for herself. She had experienced far too many delays today, it was time for her to get things back on track. 'So, I'm a target for G Corp now? Interesting, I'll have to take extra precautions in the future to watch my back,' she pondered calmly, not feeling particularly threatened by the man before her.
"On your feet, Goldie Locks, I'm taking you back to our base!" he ordered as he motioned for her to rise to her feet slowly with his gun.
Nina made a small motion to peel her body up from the fluffy snow before she swiftly rolled under the vehicle and out of his view. By the time she reappeared on the opposite side of the vehicle she had already drew her 9mm handgun. Naturally, Bruce was waiting for her on the other side, but once she had him in her sights, she wasted no time to fire a few rounds at him, forcing him to take cover behind the rear of the jeep. She quickly sprung to her feet before taking cover near the front of the vehicle.
"You think I'm going to let you get away that easily? Guess again!" Bruce yelled as he quickly emerged from his cover and fired wildly at her.
Nina remained behind her cover as bullets whizzed past her head and ricocheted from the hood of the jeep. She stooped down and took a quick surveillance of the area. The distant sounds of gunfire and yells signified that the battle was still in full swing, and she was flattered that Bruce decided to miss all of the action to tail her. 'I don't have time for this...I have to escape!' she thought.
Bruce peered out from his cover to see if they were still playing their little duck and shoot game. She wouldn't last long with that little handgun of hers. "Not so tough now that you're not safely tucked away like a coward with a sniper rifle, huh? Those men you killed were true soldiers that never ran from the true grit of the battlefield!" he raved angrily. He finally emerged from his cover and cautiously stepped through the snow as he neared closer to the front of the vehicle with his finger ready on the trigger. He narrowed his dark eyes when he saw that she was no longer there. "Bitch! Where are you!?" he cursed her angrily. He heard a whistle and quickly whipped around only to see the assassin sliding over the roof of the vehicle to deliver a hard, swift kick to his face. He stumbled backwards and quickly grabbed his bloody, broken nose as he groaned in pain.
Nina quickly leapt down from the vehicle and quickly followed up with and kick to the man's knee cap with enough force to hear a familiar popping noise. It was then that the larger man let out a glorious wail of agony that nearly forced a sadistic smile to appear on her lips. She walked over to him and as he attempted to weakly aim his rifle at her, she quickly kicked it out of his grasp before firmly planting her foot into his dislocated kneecap.
She ignored his cries of pain before saying, "I find it hard to believe that such a passionate man would waste his talents for a heartless creep like Kazuya...what a sad life you lead."
"You...you think you're any better? That boy you're working for...he's just as ruthless," he bit out in a strained voice. "At least Kazuya is trying to put an end to this war!"
She crushed her boot into his knee even harder and watched him squirm. "That's so adorable that you believe that devil could ever be a savior," she taunted condescendingly.
"You bitch...fuck you!" Bruce cursed as he writhed in pain. He tried to reach for his rifle, but his attempt only earned him a swift kick to the groin.
Nina watched him in mild amusement as he completely balled up in pain after last her attack. She shook her head and quickly stepped over him to pick up his discarded rifle. She looked down at the pitiful man again with a smirk before saying, "By the way, tell my dear sister I said hello." She lifted up the rifle and quickly repaid him by slamming the butt of the rifle into his front temple with enough force to render him unconscious. She let out a slow exhale before turning back to the vehicle. Her phone rang and she answered the call.
"The pilot has informed me that you still haven't boarded the jet," Jin spoke in an even yet slightly angry tone. "What's keeping you?"
"It's not my fault that everyone hates me today," she replied dully as she quickly rushed towards the jeep and jumped inside. "Don't worry I'm on my way, finally."
"This is your final warning, now hurry."
The call ended and the assassin sighed in annoyance. He was particularly grouchy today, but she ignored it as she started the engine and quickly pulled off. She hoped the boys fared well in battle, it would be a shame for them to lose the base, especially since she had already aided them by incapacitating G Corp's squad leader. She drove away from the battlefield, leaving behind the carnage as she headed en route to the airport.
End of chapter 16!
Looks like Nina has a lot of enemies... but I'm sure she's used to it.