Operation Code 18-1800

The problem with amusement parks? Too many distractions.

45 glared at the surrounding ride as if they were to blame for his inability to confirm this Keiko was his Keiko. Every time he opened his mouth to ask her some hopefully helpful question he would either get distracted by a ride, realize that the question could give him away, or she would say something. So verbal confirmation was out which left him with his second choice but if the girl wasn't Keiko or if Keiko didn't remember that… particular habit of his, he'd be lucky to escape without a mark on his rap sheet.

He glanced at his watch. They were due to meet the others in a few minutes. It was now or never. Casually, he steered Keiko to a deserted area of the amusement park.

'Please let this be Keiko,' he prayed as the girl looked around.

"Why did you want to come here, Yoshi?" she asked, breaking up his mental prayers.

"Well…I wanted to tell you something." 45 kicked himself. Yes. That's totally what he wanted to do. He struggled to come up with something to buy time but his mind was already focused on the problem of whether to use plan B or A. Physical or verbal tactics? Sexual harassment charge or possible assumption that he was a nutcase? Why did he always get the difficult cases?

"Well, Yoshi?"

"Uh…" It really was now or never. "I hadn't noticed before, but that's a nice ass you've got there."

The slap it him perfectly on the cheek and the pain stung in a way only Keiko's slaps could. He was sure it was her and then the words escaped her lips.

"Darn it, Yusuke!"

45's eyes widened at the sound of his true name. Her eyes widened as well, as if she hadn't meant to say that. 45 got to his feet. He started to say something when he heard the gunshots.

Instinctually, 45 glanced back the way they had come in an attempt to locate the source of gun play. After handling his handy little gun (which Fox had forced him to leave at home), he knew the difference between the sharp shooter guns used at the fair and the real deal. His gaze hardened when he heard more shots. And it sounded like those guns weren't shooting for any prize less than blood.

He turned to warn Keiko of what was happening only to see a group of three teens walk into the alley behind her. All three were wearing black bandanas with a green serpent on it and carrying hand guns. 45 gritted his teeth and grabbed Keiko's arm. He knew trouble when he say it and fully intended to get Keiko and himself out of danger. If the Serpents were trying to take this turf away from the Scorpions, it was their funeral.

45 started to pull Keiko away from the teens with guns only to curse when he saw that a team of four teens with blue T-shirts covered in a black scorpion design had blocked off the other entrance to the alley. Both sides were carrying guns and he and Keiko were stuck in the middle of it. 45 cursed again. He had no illusions that the punks would hold their fire just because two innocent people would be caught in the crossfire. He saw the guns rise to point at their targets on the other side of the alley. He also saw the door to his left. The first bullet flew by his head as he kicked the door down. The tenth flew by Keiko's head as he dragged her through the door. Behind them were the yelps of pain as the two groups of gang members worked to destroy each other. And to think he had once considered that path.

He and Keiko found themselves in the bumper car building and barely avoided being run over by a crazy eight-year old. Thankfully the guy running the ride hit the kill switch before rushing over to demand what 45 and Keiko were doing.

Before they could answer a Serpent gang member stumbled through the door 45 had just kicked down. The teen crashed into one of the cars and fell to the floor. A pool of blood quickly surrounded him.

The amusement park worker was good, 45 decided as the guy shouted for the whole area to be cleared. The guy kept his head, got the kids out of the ride, and then explained that had just occurred before calling in the incident to his superiors.

'He'd make a good Underworld agent,' 45 thought as he pulled Keiko away from the action.

The moment the worker had announced the shooting parents and teens had gone into a panic. As 45 pushed through the stampede of people, he kept a good grip on Keiko's arm and pulled her after him. It wasn't until they rushed past the sign covered in Hebrew script that was for some desert ride that they were able to run without having to push anyone out of the way. Unfortunately, it was also at that time that Keiko realized that they weren't heading out of the park.

"The exit is the other way, Yusuke. Why are we heading towards the shooting?"

45 shook his head as he kept pushing forward. "The shoot is a little left of us so we aren't heading towards it."

"Then why are we going this way?"

"I don't know about you but I actually want to make sure that my team is doing okay!"

Keiko frowned as she ran to keep up with him. "Don't you have radios or something for that?"

"Broke them and they wouldn't hear their cells ringing over the shooting."

"But we don't even know where to meet them."

Before 45 could reply, he noticed the smell of smoke and the orange glow of flames coming from his right.

'Gun firing idiots on the left and fire on the right, Dragon must be amused,' he thought.

"As it just so happens, I'm not."

Keiko let out a small scream as Dragon jumped down from the top of an empty game building to stand in front of 45.

45 let out a sigh. "You can read minds now, Dragon?"

Dragon rolled his eyes. "Whenever fire is present you always make a comment that I must be enjoying myself. I seriously doubt today is any different." The shorter teen winced a little and held a hand against his rib cage. In the light caused from the carnival games and the glow from the growing fire, 45 could see the blood staining the gray clothing.

"You're hurt."

Dragon glared at him. "Brilliant deduction, detective but it's only a scratch."

The lights from the games and rides disappeared as an explosion rocked the area and Keiko held onto 45 as if he was the only stable thing in the world. As his eyes adapted to only having the glow of the growing fire to light, 45 remarked, "Looks like they took out the power lines."

Dragon nodded, his black eyes looking oddly red in the firelight. "Spirit and Fox should be somewhere near the Ferris Wheel. I'll go fine them you—"

"No way. You take Keiko and get out. I'll go find Spirit and Fox."

"What are you two talking about? Who or what is Spirit and Fox?"

The two males' eyes widened when Keiko made her present known. It was stupid of 45 to forget that she was there, especially when she had a death grip on his arm.

Dragon's eyes instantly narrowed. "That's none of your concern."

"Considering how it decides which of you I leave the park with, I think it does."

45 ran a hand through his hair as he tried to figure out how to cover his tracks. It wasn't like he could tell Keiko that he was an Underworld agent and that Spirit and Fox were his teammates.

Before he could think of an excuse the sounds of shots ran through the air and Dragon fell to the ground with his hands over his head. 45 and Keiko quickly joined him as bullets flew. Without being told, they started to army crawl towards one of the game booths. As luck would have it, it was the sharp shooter booth. 45 instantly reached for the air rifle and peeked over the edge of the counter. Five guys on each side. Two were already down. Still not very good odds though. 45 held the rifle and used the counter to help support it. He didn't realize that one of the teens had spotted him until the guns were pointing at him. Behind him, he heard Keiko shout his name and then they pulled the trigger. 45 closed his eyes and waited for the bullets to end his life. Behind his closed eyelids a blue light shone through. He opened his eyes just a crack and stared. In front of him was a bullet floating in the air, surrounded by a blue light. Beside that bullet was another one. Slowly 45 realized that the goons were still firing but when they were inches from the booth all the bullets suddenly froze and became bathed in a blue light. He looked over his shoulder to see Keiko standing there with her hands outstretched and sweat on her face.

The goons had paused in their wasting of ammo and instead started to rush the booth. Not wanting to be the welcoming committee, 45 turned and grabbed Keiko's arm. He started to move towards the door where Dragon had just disappeared through but Keiko remained stubbornly stuck to the ground. He told her to move but the girl remained. The goons were inches from the booth. 45 grabbed one of Keiko's outstretched hands. The bullets felt to the ground. The goons climbed over the counter and 45 started to glow. Bullets of light shot from him in every direction. The goons fell to the ground. Their eyes were either open and stunned or closed and jaws slack. Keiko's eyes shut as the girl retreated into unconsciousness and the remains of the booth collapsed around them. Only 45 remained standing as he held Keiko in his arm. From his place behind the booth, Dragon stared at him.

"What just happened?"

45 shook his head. Unsure how to answer he glanced down at the unconscious girl in his arms. What had just happened? Was this other side effect of the failed drug bust or something else? Was Keiko the cause of that light and what had happened to those bullets?

45 frowned as he looked down on the unconscious girl whose face was covered in blue tattoos. Just what had Demon World done?