A/N: You can thank time spent watching Michael Westen rampaging around Miami to clear his name off the "Burn Notice" for this story. I rather liked the pilot episode where he got rid of his drug dealer neighbor using duct tape, a utility knife, a drywall knife, a screwdriver, an improvised silencer, and of course a handy-dandy handgun. As usual, do read and review would you kindly?
Five days later, Sector 5 slums…Don Corneo's manor…
Binoculars are a very nifty tool to have whether for bird-watching, or for scoping out the perimeter of a target's house and tends to be the most basic set of equipment for almost any job in the outdoors. Yuffie knew that she needed to work fast and get a good idea for the place. A map could give you a guideline as to where everything was, but to actually get more detailed information such as movements inside the area and even the numbers against you, one need only be there themselves. It was dangerous given how it would be easy to get spotted…but this job would be considered the dish best served cold. It was personal, and so vengeance would be hers, regardless…hell, she'd pull this job for free if only to watch Don Corneo's face in outrage!
As she gazed around the property, she heard the buzzing of the walkie-talkie. It was Tifa. "How are things looking Chou?"
"Not an easy job at all Neko. I don't see how the hitman might be able to get in close as per his reputation and get out undetected. So far, I've counted forty-five guards and about twenty dogs. The mansion is also quite small, and Corneo hardly ever leaves his room. In addition to that, his sign is owned by Deepground Securities."
A different voice had replaced Tifa's. It was Aeris' voice…in addition to her vast knowledge on flowers and how to run a flower shop, her skills as a hacker were way up there. "I've heard of Deepground Securities. They're said to be top-notch…everybody wants them, and they have a good reputation with a very good customer service program. This has got to be the hardest hack I've ever pulled off…and out of curiosity, what's the ETA for this job before the assassin is supposed to come in and kill Corneo?"
"It's just a rumor Hana, nothing more. But if he's as smart as I think he is, he'll probably forget about it. I highly doubt a professional would touch this price with a ten-foot pole when it's this secure. Maybe if we're lucky, he won't show up at all and the job is not compromised. But in any case we want this place behind us in one week tops. Can you hack it?"
"I'm already working on it. In the meantime, you get yourself ready—you're going to need every sneaky and bouncy drop of that ninja blood in you to get in and get out. After I get into the system, we're ready to go. It should be in about five days, so you should be ready by then."
"Okay girls, we got what we need here. Let's move."
Meanwhile…
From the other side of the binoculars, a man watched from the shadows as he studied his target. Time as a soldier taught him discipline and strength…and being a former special operations trooper added the hunter's stealth, cunning, and patience to his vocabulary. His training in the armed forces had indeed taught him many things, but to actually learn the art of adaptation was a skill he picked up during the last war.
The man in the shadows had concluded that Don Corneo would not be an easy mark…the man would not be leaving the mansion any time now, not with rumors of his past attacks circulating. The man had done many things, but what he had done most recently was crossing the line…the list of crimes attributed to Don Corneo were great in number; murders, thefts, plenty of rapes, and even bribery, but they were all small time compared to the last straw that broke the camel's back. The act that finally got him that price on his head was the rape, torture, and murder of the daughters of two very powerful gang bosses…following the robbery of a government weapons supply train. The government agent who had found the assassin had to go by connections…he was a freelancer after all, and the total pay was enough for anybody to retire…but money was not what he was after despite its utility to his cause. There just HAD to be a way to kill Corneo…if he continued as he was, many civilians would get caught in the crossfire of a future gang war and the amount of money being siphoned already in Sector 5 would escalate to the point that the corruption among officials would be seen in the open with nobody to stop it, and he can't have that.
With that, the man in the shadows turned around, and walked away—he'll find a way to bring that fat and disgusting pig down…and especially for the girl he had reportedly raped almost eight days ago…yes, a bit of vengeance was indeed called for on the behalf of the poor girl. Judging from his calculations, it'll take roughly five days before he is ready to attack…in that time, he'll have to prepare for plan B. As he left, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was not alone in this job…
The next morning…
Yuffie was jogging around the slums…she had spent the last two hours getting trained up for her eventual attack at the manor of Don Corneo. This was her most ambitious project yet…and so she'll have to work at it for the best results, which was why she was jogging around the slums. Such a seemingly mundane exercise was also necessary as a backup plan should she be unable to escape via the getaway vehicle so that she gets to know the area better. Another legitimate excuse she was using was that there was a marathon coming up in the Sector 5 slums, and she wanted in on the prize money—although she had an unfair advantage over the other people running the full 26.2 miles, and she knew it.
Before long, she ran into someone. The collision had knocked the both of them down. "Hey! Watch where you're…" before she could finish that sentence, she got a good look at the person she ran into as she started getting back up. She could not believe what she was seeing…the man she had run into had long, disheveled black hair held up by a red headband that framed the elegant features of his pale face. She could tell he was biracial due to the structure of his face and his body…probably part Wutainese if the almond-shaped eyes behind his small rectangle-frame sunglasses were any indication (likely one of the Han people judging from their deep, reddish brown color). Yuffie could not believe that such an androgynous person ever existed…nor could she believe that such a person could turn her on. And yet, for some reason, she knew that face from somewhere—those eyes had a heavy weight of sadness in them, with a hint of disillusionment and guilt. "I'm terribly sorry miss. I suppose I was spacing out when you ran into me…"
As she was helped up by the stranger, she took note of the body structure hidden with a red and black basketball jacket and a black pair of cargo pants using his hand—it was mostly delicate, but there was a hint of manliness hidden within…like a kind of lean and wiry strength one would expect from a sprinter, a deer, or even a cat of any sort. "Are you all right?" he asked.
"I'm fine. It's just…please watch where you're going next time."
"Fair enough. But is it okay if I at least do something to help?"
"Yeah, take me to lunch and I'll call it even." Yuffie's eyes widened to the size of saucers upon hearing those words come out of her mouth…she had her share of dates (all of which seemed to have ended badly due to bad boyfriends), and even she knew that it would be a while before she could ask anyone for even a date. But to ask such a thing of a total stranger quite easily on the first day was unheard of to her.
"Are you asking me to a date?"
At this point, the color of her face a shade of red that would have put even blood to shame as she tried to fight the urge to stutter. The last thing she wanted was to make herself look any more foolish than she already had in front of this total stranger. "Um…actually forget about lunch. I think you've done enough by helping me up."
"Fair enough. I wish you a good day miss." As that was said, the stranger in red and black turned to look around, and started running off the second he saw that the pedestrian crossing sign had allowed him to cross. It looked to Yuffie that he was training for the marathon in earnest, although something about him seemed off…he looked and smelled like a regular civilian, but something about him screamed 'military background' and 'not from around here' to her. She simply shrugged it off, and continued jogging off to the restaurant called "Corazon Del Luna"…so far the one of the few reputable restaurants still in business in this neck of the woods, serving seafood dishes from Costa Del Sol and Gongaga-style churrasco. She had to buy lunch for Tifa and Aeris after all…and from the rumbling of her own stomach, thinking of lunch hasn't helped at all.
Twenty minutes later…Sunshine Fields Motel
The room in the "Sunshine Fields Motel" was small, but it was enough for three people planning a heist to rid the slums of Don Corneo. Tifa had just gotten off from her exercises to find an escape vehicle that would be used to flee the scene of the crime. Their black van was already helpful in the past, but it was too high-profile…they needed something inconspicuous. Aeris on the other hand was busy hacking into the security system. Before either of them could say anything to each other, the door opened and in walked a sweaty Yuffie with two bags in her hands. "Lunch has arrived girls! Taco del pescados with an horchata for Tifa, and an arroz con pollo with iced tea for Aeris"
Tifa looked at her friend as she thankfully received her food and drink, and noted something off about her. "Yuffs, you okay?"
At this point, Yuffie was biting into her extra-spicy taco del pollo and cooling off her mouth with the iced tea. "Yeah, why Teef?"
"You seem a bit flustered."
"Oh, it's nothing, I just bumped into a guy on the way over."
Aeris seemed interested in this as she scooped up another spoonful of rice. "Again Yuffie? What is it with you and bumping into guys? Next thing you know, you're probably going to go out with him the second you see him again. What's he like anyway?"
She sighed as she had finished her taco and started on the side order of cheese-stuffed jalapeno. There was no fooling Aeris when she was interested in her love-life so she may as well tell the truth. "He was very tall, had long black hair, reddish brown eyes, and had this wiry kind of strength to him. I actually mistook him for a woman upon first meeting him. And don't bother asking for a name because I didn't ask; not that I had time to, because he ran off before I could even do so. By the way Aer, how's progress looking on the security system?"
"Well, I don't have control over the entire system yet," she began, starting to widen her grin, "but I do have access to their cameras!"
"Did you get an accurate number of guards?"
"I caught twenty guards on the interior, with probably an extra two or four in the camera room. At most, we're probably looking at about sixty-seven guards …all of them under Deepground employment, and equipped with what I assume are military-grade weapons and armor with twenty dogs for support."
Tifa's disbelief was very clear as she almost spat up the icy almond-flavored goodness of her drink through her nose. "That many? If that's the case, then I definitely don't see how the assassin's going to kill Corneo and get out scot-free…assuming of course he IS in the neighborhood…"
Wallace's Electronics…
The stranger walked on over to the store, and crossed the threshold. He knew the owner very well…and it was time to bring out the shopping list. "So how goes the hunt?" The stranger turned to face a man he had not seen in a while—the speaker was a dark-skinned man slightly taller than him with the form of a champion bodybuilder or a wrestler.
"It is a very tough query. I can't get up close, so the only solution is long-range. Think you can set me up with something?"
"How much is the government paying?"
"Five-hundred grand."
The store-owner whistled. "Damn…now that is a good-sized bounty. Although I think I can set you up with something…you sure you're gonna be fine on this job Major Valentine?"
"I've saved the Avalanche Platoon more times than I could count with the intel I kept getting you guys…I'm very sure I can handle myself Colonel Wallace, even when I am no longer under your command. But are you okay helping an assassin like me?"
"It's the least I could do since you killed that monster that stole Marlene's mother from her—I hated it when the bastard walked free even after all the evidence was presented. Besides, I know you're not that kind of assassin. Anyway, come with me to the back, and I'll have a look at that shopping list of yours. If you're after Don Corneo, then there's no doubt that you're in need of bigger guns…"
A/N: I suppose I don't need to reveal the identity of the assassin…and to be honest, I've never played Mass Effect 2, but I find Thane to be a rather good character as an assassin, and so I decided to mix him with a bit of Garrus (sans the obsessive calibrating he is known for) when picturing Vincent here.
Here are the images for Vincent's outfit:
Jacket: http : / / www . csportsfashion . com / 20110317 / nike - kobe - vi - mens - basketball - jacket . html
Pants: http : / / oneinallbooks . blogspot . com / 2010 / 07 / vintage - paratrooper - fatigues - black _ 30 . html
Songs Used:
"Killing Moon" by Hideki Okugawa from "Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike"—Yuffie gathering intelligence
"Nine-Tailed Demon Fox" by Toshiro Masuda from "Naruto"—Assassin in the Shadows
"Feel Good Inc." by Gorillaz—Yuffie's jog
"Barrack Song" by Dan Paladin from "Castle Crashers"—Yuffie comes back with lunch
"Turks Theme" by Nobuo Uematsu from "Final Fantasy VII"—gun-shopping
Vocabulary/Culture Notes:
Churrasco—Brazilian-style barbeque where the meat is already cooked, skewered, and sliced in front of you…lots of opportunities when wine is mixed in.
Taco del pescado—Spanish for 'fish tacos'
Horchata—a Spanish drink created during the Muslim presence in Spain made of ground almonds or rice
Arroz con pollo—Spanish for 'rice with chicken'.