Title: History of an Assassin

Pairing(s): none

Genre: Alternate Universe

---------------------

Deep into a dying day
I took a step outside an innocent heart
Prepare to hate me, fall when I may
This night will hurt you like never before

Old loves they die hard
Old lies they die harder

I wish I had an angel
For one moment of love
I wish I had your angel
Your Virgin Mary undone
I'm in love with my lust
Burning angel wings to dust
I wish I had your angel tonight

-- "Wish I Had an Angel" Nightwish

---------------------

The pipe, Batou now realized, had been a mistake. This revelation was coming too late, however; Kuze was already stabbing it into his shoulder. There goes that part, the combat cyborg thought despairingly as the metallic bits crunched.

Kuze stepped back to admire his handiwork. "Now then," he began.

Two gunshots interrupted him; the first caught his attention by landing harmlessly in the muddy slope while the second planted a large hole in his torso. When he turned to see who was shooting at him, it was too late. Togusa had been running as he was shooting, and using the slope and gravity to increase his momentum, hit the bottom in a roll just as Kuze turned. Coming to an upright stop in front of his legs, Togusa didn't bother to straighten; instead, he leaned to one side and swept his left leg to the right, knocking the cyborg off his feet. Then he swung his entire body in the opposite direction, smashing his reverse heel into Kuze's temple.

Kuze went down and didn't move; he seemed stunned.

Togusa didn't pause to check. Righting himself, he went to Batou's side and pulled on the pipe sticking out of his shoulder. "Where else are you hurt?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"My -- nngh -- leg's broken -- vindictive bastard --"

There was a squeal of metal and the pipe fell to the ground. Togusa grasped Batou's uninjured arm and made to shoulder it. Then he felt someone tap him on the shoulder.

Togusa whirled around. Kuze first punched him in the jaw to stun him, and then in the stomach, catching him as he dropped. He had already grabbed the pipe in his other hand, and smashed the end into Batou's uninjured shoulder.

Batou choked and scrabbled at the green metal, but Kuze swiftly bent it and punched the other end into his stomach. Batou was once again pinned to the wall.

"You're a good fighter," he said, the solemn, eerie way that was made even creepier by the fact that his mouth didn't move. "You were part of the Rangers, weren't you?"

Batou wasn't listening. "Put Togusa down you bastard!"

"No." The PKF cyborg shouldered his human cargo. "I think I'll keep him as payment."

"Wha -- payment for what?"

Kuze took Batou's knife and sheathed it. "I might return him." Coolly, he made his way up the slope.

"YOU GODDAMN SON OF A BITCH! GET BACK HERE! LET HIM GO!"

---------------------

"Where's Batou?"

Major's shout tore through the noise produced from the enemy tank's explosion. The abandoned Tachikoma pointed. "He went down that way! And Major -- Mr. Togusa ran after him just a couple minutes ago! But I thought he was with you!"

She skidded to a stop. "Togusa came by?"

"Yeah! He only stopped to ask me which way Mr. Batou went -- I nearly got crushed telling him!"

Motoko took off down the tunnel. Togusa had been on the tiltrotor with her -- had been there when she left, she was sure of it! She'd glimpsed him just as she leapt off!

So had it really been him...or had the Tachikoma been hacked for information, and it had been an illusion to distract?

She pushed the problem away. It would have to be resolved later; right now, Batou was the top priority.

Motoko came out into a brightly lit chamber with another tunnel and train track on the opposite side of the room. Grunts of pain from a shallow pit caught her attention. She slid down the slope and saw Batou. He was in bad shape, with a bent pipe through his shoulder and stomach. There was another hole in his opposite shoulder, and his leg was twisted in an unnatural direction.

"I'm fine," he grated before she could open her mouth. "But he took Togusa!"

That was all she needed to hear.

---------------------

Kuze's captive was very light.

He marveled over this as he bolted to the ship waiting for him. It didn't make much sense; no matter how thin he was, Togusa was still 5' 10". He ought to be heavier than this.

One of the men, seeing his approach, waved. Then he saw what Kuze was carrying.

"What's going on?" he asked as soon as Kuze was in hailing range.

Kuze jumped onto the boat and shook his head. "There's no time to explain." He set Togusa down on the far side of the boat. "Find some rope, and tie him up. Then post a guard on him. He's dangerous the moment he opens his eyes."

The man looked doubtful, but before he could say anything Kuze asked him where the boy was.

He sighed and shook his head. "No idea. Just up and left. He had an odd look on his face though."

"Really?... Well, then." Kuze sighed and closed his eyes. He hated to admit it, but the boy's tactics were effective.

But why does he feel he must die?

"Alright -- we have to leave, now!" The order carried over the entire ship. The engine started seconds later. Kuze jumped off the side and cast off one of the leads and tossed it on the deck. "Use this to tie him."

---------------------

They were just finishing casting off when she arrived. Motoko almost started firing -- but then she saw Togusa tied down, and the majority of the crew was around him. She couldn't take them all out without hitting him, not when they were gathered like that.

They did not have any qualms about shooting at her, however. She had to dive into the water to keep from being hit by bullets and grenade launcher. Since she was so heavy, she sank like a rock.

Cursing wildly in her own head, she struggled to stay near the surface. A mass of bubbles on her left let her know that the boat was gone.

Somehow, she kicked to the surface. The squeal of a Tachikoma made it to her ears before she went under again.

"Get me a line," she snarled.

A wire obediently appeared near her. She grasped it and let the last of her precious air escape in a bubbly sigh as the Tachikoma reeled her in. Batou would not be pleased.

---------------------

Kuze bent down and prodded the cases suspiciously before taking one and opened it. True, there was a canister...

Taped to the inside were bars of lead.

---------------------

The crew had done a very efficient job of tying up his prisoner. Togusa's wrists had been tied up onto the rail of the ship, while his legs had been pinioned together at his thighs and calves.

Kuze sat down beside him. He could afford to wait, now that he had struck gold.

Fortunately he didn't have to. Togusa's eyelids were soon fluttering as he slowly came around.

Then suddenly he jerked violently, swearing foully as he discovered his bonds.

"Do you kiss your wife with that mouth?" Kuze asked.

Togusa snarled something unintelligible and threw himself against the ropes.

"Calm down. I'm not going to do anything to you, but you have to realize that I couldn't possibly let you of all people run around unsupervised."

Togusa glared savagely at him. "What do you want," he snarled.

"To talk."

This did not impress the man. Kuze amended his statement. "Rather, I tell you a story, and you listen. And then maybe you can fill in some of the blanks for me."

"I don't really have a choice," Togusa said irritably, jerking his bound wrists.

"That is where you're wrong. We always have a choice. Some options might not be as favorable as others, but we always have a choice... Anyway, to start.

In the month of January of the year 2020, there was a small commotion in New Tokyo. One of the more prominent yakuza bosses had been killed. It was a large shock, but it passed quickly, and life resumed its normal flow."

"If you can call that a flow," Togusa muttered darkly.

"New Tokyo is depraved," Kuze agreed. "But perhaps that is how the force I speak of came into being.

For two months, things were quiet. The death was regarded as a freak incident and forgotten. But then there were two more deaths, similar in fashion to the first and some began to wonder.

Their fears were confirmed. Soon there were murders all across the country -- some on opposite sides of the land and impossibly occurring in the same night. It came to be believed that the perpetrator was in possession of supernatural abilities. And as to the identity of the character, there was no doubt."

"An assassin," Togusa murmured. "The assassin. The one that all the others try to copy -- and fail."

"It is as you say. Luipaard. Dutch: leopard. The most dangerous and resourceful of the wildcats, second only to the jaguar. The man possesses the same perilous nature."

"Perhaps. But what can I possibly tell you?"

"I haven't gotten to that point yet. No one knows how Luipaard got his name, but it stuck. By October of his debut year, he had the entire underworld in his power. Everyone knew what they could and could not do, and no one dared step over the line. Even now, if you were to mention his name, you would see the fear in the eyes of the right people.

In the middle of the year of 2024 though, everything changed. Luipaard disappeared from the city of New Tokyo, where he had been living. The proof was his naginata, which had been found spearing one of the most rebellious brutes in the city to the side of a derelict building.

Shortly before he left, there were some whispers that he had gained a woman and fallen in love. Then when he left, it was attributed to his wanting to care for the lady. It's the popular theory to explain his vanishing, though I doubt it's true. What was that?"

Togusa grinned at him. "I said, 'hah!'"

"Hmph. Well, you know the rest. Luipaard faded into the background, New Tokyo descended into anarchy, and the crime world has since run out of similar control." (1)

"Most certainly. What can I tell you?"

"You can tell me what happened to him after he left."

"How should I know?"

Kuze looked at him steadily. Togusa's lips thinned. "I can't tell you. I don't know."

"Can't? Or won't?"

"Can't, because I don't know," Togusa snapped. "And for your information, I will be getting back to Section 9, one way or another. They'll want to check me over to make sure you didn't do anything. This might also entail looking at my memories."

"You --"

"We would both find it...inconvenient...if I were made to testify." Togusa's intense gaze was not a glare, but it was borderline. To ease the tension, he said in a milder voice, "I can't imagine why you would want information on a psychotic murderer like that one."

"If I knew more about him...then I might be able to approach him."

"What for?"

"I want him on my side."

Togusa stared.

"If I could have his support, than it would open several doors to me," Kuze explained. "Many...people...that have repeatedly tried to hinder me would no longer do so."

"I refuse to believe that's your only reason."

"It's not. I would be able to get recognition and support from various organizations in other countries, get the...resources I need to order my affairs. (2) Luipaard's name is known to the rest of the world, though he isn't as feared. There are some who have wanted to challenge him as well. As I understand it, an assassin codenamed Fem hired by the South Chinese mafia came here two years ago, planning to carry out a job and then hunt him down." (3)

Togusa's mouth dropped open. His bound wrists, which he had been surreptitiously trying to worm out of the ropes, went limp.

"You know the name."

"We arrested her!"

"Really?" Kuze's expression did not change, but the tone of his voice became one of interest.

"Yes, she was going to assassinate an investor..."

"And it ended up that she was unable to get the fight she wanted."

"Apparently." Togusa frowned at the deck underneath him. Then he shook his head and pushed the thought away. "Hey...when do you let me go?"

"Hm?"

" Me. Leaving. When?"

"Why would I let you go?"

"Because I'm useless to you. Because my team will arrive like a band of locusts and kill you. Because I'll pummel you if you don't." (4)

---------------------

Togusa's locator only showed up when he was three yards from the building entrance. Some of his teammates managed to get down to the first floor and out through the entrance just as he was about to come in, crowding around him.

"You dumbass," Batou scolded, bopping the top of his head. "You let yourself get carried off!"

"Major's pissed," Saito said bluntly.

"Did you bring anything back?" Boma asked.

Togusa smiled. He wasn't pretty; a thin growth of beard filmed across his lower face, and he was encrusted with sea salt. There was also a bruise along his jaw where Kuze had punched him. But his eyes were happy. "I know I'm a dumbass, Major's PMSing again, and I didn't bring a souvenir. Sorry."

(1) Kuze is hard! He speaks so formally; it's pleasing to the ear, but it's so difficult to write! I think that he and Togusa would be two people who would have connected very well, so it's a pity that they never got to talk to each other. Togusa might not have been able to understand Kuze's reasons for doing what he did, but he would understand that Kuze was trying to save everyone and would have also been able to understand his passion and drive. Unlike Major, who has never experienced such a thing... (Uh-oh. I'd better get off this before I start lecturing on the differences between humans and cyborgs.)

(2) He of course means the memory space for the refugees.

(3) I LOVE continuity!

(4) Ice Age was a great movie.

I was planning to do have Section 9 interrogate him at the end, but now it just seems like too much effort...