Authors Note: I apologize for the late chapter posting. I also appreciate the kind reviews, and I could only wish to write for Team Ninja.

Chapter 9

I swallowed one last time, my dark eyes staring through these pathetic halfbreed soldiers. A gun was going to steal my life, perhaps it was fitting. My parents were gunned down, so like parents like son. My hands lowering down, I would be damned if I let this be easy. I could kill at least two of them. However fate had a way of playing tricks on people. This coming when I watched a robe fall from the sky, my head tilting up a little only to catch sight of Ayane's pink flesh when she landed. The men staring like a set of deer in headlights, until Ayane showed a ruthless side that made me smile. Then came Ayane responding to their attack with some well placed bulletts, the men groaning and falling as the wounds were placed in their body like a turkey during hunting season. Leaning down I picked up her robe, the pools of blood were about to claim it, to my suprise she wasn't done. She intended to finish these weaklings off, as much as the thought was nice. We had to hurry, I was sure some type of authorities had been told or more were on the way.

Either way it had to end now, "Stop. We have done enough." My thick russian accent coming out even if the word was english. I felt Ayane tense up, even as I sat her robe over her shoulders, the white fabric caressing her hips.Only to hear her mumble or so I thought. It didn't matter at the moment. Leaning down by one of the men I killed he seemed about right in height and build. Tearing the clothes off his limp form tossing them toward Ayane, I was a little suprised she hadn't already started to find some clothes. "Can't fight in a robe all the time. Go ahead and change I will handle whats left of this mess." Finally Ayane would take the little mess of clothes and leave the room. This gave me time to check the bodies tossing them through the hole in the wall. I knew that there might be more soldiers I wanted a clean escape path if it came to it. My eyes catching a glimpse of a man who was straining and reaching for handgun. This only forced me to with a semi interested delight to stand on his hand. "What are you doing Ichov."

The man would groan when my combat boot gripped into his flesh. Yet even in that moment he wouldn't answer me, which only made my lips purse into a sinister grin. Leaving my foot to hold his arm down I leaned forward. My fingers gripped his wrist. Using my foot as a weight I jerked up and snapped his forearm like a twig. The bone splintering and rupturing out of the skin. The man screaming in this new found agony, which I silenced by covering his mouth. "Shhh now Ichov there is a lady present." With my hand clutching his mouth silent I dragged him to the hole in the wall tossing him in. Only to follow kicking him in the stomach forcing him onto his back. His red trail of blood had stained the room with several puddles of blood. "Now that you seem to want to talk my friend I want to know who is after us." My thick Russian accent stained my words with seriousness. Releasing the hold on his mouth to give him a chance to speak. Being forced to kick him again, I thouht he was going to pass out.

The man was in so much the kicks and drags doing very little to detour the new alarming pain shooting down one of his destroyed limbs. Then came the question, give his attackers degree in torture this would be an easy answer. "Raidou." I could only quirk a brow the one that Ayane mentioned earlier. Why would he give such a damn about either of us. I had thought he was some play thing for Donovan, seems he was his own person afterall. I would have to ask Ayane about it later. Looking back to the pale faced man I spoke up. "Is he still at that base?" This time the man only nodded between what must have been two breaths. I guess I would show this Raidou what I thought of his choice of greetings. The thought of why these soldiers were listenin to him did intrigue me. I was interested in why, my thought process being interupted by Ayane's voice. I started to walk away that being stopped by the man groaning about make it stop.

This made me shake my head, with my left hand I unsheathed my knife and slammed it into his throat. A tear followed would rupture his spine, trachea, and esophagus from the rest of his head. That was enough he would die. My right hand reaching for a torn shirt fabric of one of the dead men. Stepping through the hole I got the suprise of seeing Ayane there. She must have thought I was in trouble. Cleaning the knife I tossed the fabric back into the hole. Stopping my questions in my head hearing her ask what I was doing. "Gathering information." It was all I needed to say, taking my first real look at her. She reminded me of some people I served with during my Spetsnaz career. My eyes shifting toward the window and then back to her hearing her say I was stairing. She seemed to be like all girls even if she had a more wrathful side. During her speech of words I decided to add something to her clothes, it would make it nicer. At least to me that is. Without a second thought I removed my own dogtags and set them over her head letting the slihtly dented and warped metal clank together.

I heard her say what was this for, it was just a gift nothing more or so I thought. Waving my hand dismissively I was getting ready to go. Stopping when I heard her say my name again. The question would have to wait I heard footsteps and then the sight of men. Shit they were here, the only exit was that window and rail, my boots pushing off the ground propelling me forward only to jump, into the rail. The cheap steel was already weak and warped from the rain. In which my added bulk of weight destroyed it, raising my arms I was preparing to crash into the adjacent buildings windows. However I got three sharp pains which riddled my back with questions. This offset my balance and I crashed into the window rolling along the ground looking like novice soldier. I could feel heat circulating through my back, it must have been some bulletts damn it hurt to no degree. The next few seconds were a blur trying to regather my mind which was fighting off an assault of pain.

I did recognize some of what Ayane was saying as foolish stupid words. My arm shrugging her back while I finally stood up. I didn't have time to be worried about some flesh wounds and this girl wasn't going to drag my honed killed edge I developed over years with some sympathy. Being around her was becoming a problem I didn't want to deal with. My eyes staring at her with a warning to back off, my hands gripping the glass shard in my thigh only to rip upwards. It was a sickening sound and blood erupted from the wound like a fresh volcano. However the pain near my knee was gone, I could walk. I did hear her ask where we were going, that was an answer I could give. "Back to that base." My form movin now battered and beaten I felt like I had been trapped in a POW camp. Probably looked the part exiting the building I swore I heard Ayane say wait up. Maybe I was misreading things was this the same girl who was a ruthless killer from a mere few days ago. The one who ambushed me on my own deck.

It couldn't be, she was so weak now. Or so she was showing, I didn't understand this side of her at all. Maybe it had to do with my little experience in this area, being a professional didn't mean you had the best people skills. Deciding to shrug it off maybe this was just a damn phaze, she looked sixteen but her eyes made her a little older maybe eighteen. Just barely though, it was hard to gauge an Asians age. Stumbling in the forest I groaned feeling my body torned and nearly broken. I needed a break. Stopping a moment I was panting and sweating just from my aches and pains. I noticed her move closer and ask me what was it? Why were we going to the base hell she should have those answers. She knew this creature better than me. My anger being vented even if I wasn't wanting it to. "You tell me, who the hell is this Raidou! Why is he trying to kill us! Answer me girl!" My words boomed mixed with physical pain and aggrivation she would have to answer them.