I keep trying to write the name of an author who helped me but that name doesn't show up on my author's note. I jus pressed save and the name disappeared. Well either way that author is still helping me write this story, I couldn't get this far without the writers help, and I hope to finish this remake of my story better than the first time I finished it. Thank you.

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Brad looked at his old grandfather clock in good-humoured impatience. But his subordinates still had 35 minutes to go. He didn't mind. He felt assured that they would return in good time, and that it had been a waste of time sending them against what were sure to be weaklings.

Brad T. Belcosa had been at the top too long to worry about trivial things like that. He waited with a smile.

XXX

Christopher jumped as a blade swiped at his knees, ducking simultaneously to avoid a sword aimed at his head. He had to admit, these two were good. But they were reckless, and he knew that he could use that to his advantage if the two would just give him some space. He leaped backwards, and his enemies blades sparked as they collided.

That collision gave Christopher the chance to jump on their blades and attack them when they couldn't move their weapons. That was what he thought, but the two of them spinned away from each other and charged at Christopher at different sides.

Steel rang on steel with a rhthymic clatter as Christopher furiously defended himself, his sword an extension of his arm as he took advantage of an opening.

Molly leaped away with a gash in his side, leaving Maggy momentarily alone against the interloper.

Christopher grinned as he swung again and again, pushing Maggy back step by step, finally having a chance to go on the offensive. With one hand, he made his black blade dance and spark, his other hand reaching behind his back. Christopher didn't think that two on one was particularly fair. It was time to even the odds.

The great assassin paced, thinking of all the many humourous ways his subordinates could have been held up. Perhaps Maggy had fallen down a hole? Perhaps Molly had tripped and twisted his ankle?

Maggy didn't see it coming. A knife suddenly impaled his hand, forcing him to drop his sword with a scream. He clutched the injured appendage with a moan, staring in disbelief.

Molly's reaction was similar to his brother. He stared at Christopher open-mouthed.

XXX

Yokai and Fletcher dawdled along, waiting for Christopher to catch up.

XXX

Molly charged at Christopher with a roar.

"How dare you hurt my little brother!"

Christopher parried with ease, and redirected Molly's blade at a tree. Ignored, Maggy sank to the ground with a whimper, just in time to avoid having his head sliced off by his angry brother's sword.

"He shouldn't have been so reckless. He should always keep his eye on his opponent, not just his opponents weapon." Christopher felt a sense of deja vu as he said those words. With a curse, he once more redirected Molly's baseball bat swing. Christopher couldn't fathom how anyone could use a sword like that. Hadn't Yokai said that these guys were exoerts or something?

To avoid another potential beheading, Maggy began to carefully crawl away, the combatants locking blades into a temporary stalemate as he passed beneath the quivering steel. Besides, while crude, Molly always finished the job in the end. Maggy had no wish to see his older brother's handiwork if he could help it. Clutching his sword in his good hand, injured limb close to his side, the younger brother ran off into the night.

XXX

His smile looking a little strained, Brad noted that there was 25 minutes to go. Idly, he wondered if the brothers could make it back before the deadline.

XXX

With a low growl, Christopher forced Molly to back off with a knife-slash towards his face. While the smaller blade didn't connect, it spooked Molly enough to break the stalemate. The two began to circle warily. Molly's eyes showed nothing but bloodlust, while Christopher's were calculating and sharp.

By now, Christopher was just plain bored. This guy clearly knew nothing of swordplay, while the other boy (where ever he was) had at least showed some promise. Christopher was highly annoyed with Yokai for exaggerating the skills of his opponent.

XXX

Yokai's nose felt someone insulting him?

XXX

Suddenly, Christopher was forced to bend over backwards as his enemy's sword blurred towards his throat. Christopher fell over, landing on his back, forced to bring his sword over himself to guard against the next blow. It was ironic how Christopher was always telling other people off, yet there he'd been daydreaming instead of watching his enemy. He shoved himself forward.

Molly was caught off guard. If his first blow didn't work, the second usually finished it, so he was unprepared as the interloper suddenly threw himself to his feet and-

Christopher clubbed him with the hilt of his knife. This guy was no swordsman. He didn't have to finish the fight honourably. Besides, who ever said that assassin's had to play fair? Not really caring where the second guy had gone (so long as he didn't come back), Christopher loped along the ground with the intention of catching up with his captain, arms aching.

XXX

Fletcher paused for no discernable reason.

"What is it?" Yokai asked in concern. Fletcher turned, grinning at something behind the monk.

"Chris! You took forever!" Fletcher exclaimed. His crew mate glared.

"It's Christopher."

Yokai felt a sense of relief at seeing Christopher apparently unharmed.

"It is good to see you." He said. Christopher grunted in reply, before asking, "You told me about Tor. I dealt with the brothers. Now tell me about the sniper."
Christopher wanted information before they faced another enemy. Information Yokai was only too happy to give.

"The sniper, he wields two guns, as I believe I have already told you. However, I have never heard of him fighting alone. He either attacks at range, living up to his sniping title, or he uses others as human shields in a close-fought battle. He is cocky, and believes himself to be above all other gunman in both accuracy and cunning. He has two types of bullets. One is a piercing type, and can go through most armor without any trouble. I say most because he was once foolish enough to go against Don Krieg, whose armor easily withstood any onslaught that the sniper could give. The other type of bullet is the explosive kind. The explosions vary in size, but they do a lot of damage nonetheless.

Yokai stared at the confident boy.

"You're ready to take on Edgar? Right after the M'n'M brothers?"

Christopher gave Yokai an annoyed look.

"You were exaggerating those two. How hard can one sniper be?"

Christopher would eat those words.

XXX

The hour had come and gone, with no sight or sound of the sword-brothers. Brad was not pleased. However, it meant that he was in for an . . . interesting rest of the night, if nothing else.

XXX

Edgar was more than just another person who was skilled with guns. He invested in guns he didn't have right now but was promised by Brad he would get a new one every time he killed the man with the biggest bounty on their head. The bounty was more what Brad thought it was and it didn't matter if they had a high bounty before he asked him to kill.

However, none of these three had a bounty. Which, as far as Edgar was concerned, was a total waste of his time. No bounty, no new gun. What was the point? But Tor had relayed orders from the top of the tower. Whoever came along from this direction was to be eliminated.

Edgar grumbled to himself, sighting his gun at the first target's head.

XXX

Yokai knew where Edgar was going to do his sniping. It was one of his specialties. So he wasn't at all surprised when he had to duck to avoid having a hole drilled through his forehead. Christopher had already knocked Fletcher to the ground by the time the trigger was pulled, and Yokai marvelled at his speed. The monk glared at the stand of rocks and trees.

"Come on out, Edgar."

Edgar didn't come out. One of his minions did.

And another. And another. They kept coming until there were about 20-30 altogether, blocking the way forward. From behind the rocks and trees, a smug voice called out "I'd rather not. You see, I'd like this to be finished as quickly as possible. The sooner you are dead, the sooner I can go back to bed. Stand still now."

Fletcher had no intention of standing still. Seeing no strong opponents or evil assassins, Fletcher grabbed Yokai by the back of his robes and shoved a wall of wind towards the minions. He ran past them, calling back over his shoulder, "Thanks Chris!"

Christopher stared blankly at the retreating form of his captain, before it finally registered that that sniper guy Yokai was talking about was all his, just like he said he wanted. Looking at the rocks with an unimpressed expression, he thought this should be interesting . . .

XXX

What was interesting was how Edgar finally walked forward to fight.

"Well," the sniper said, rubbing his hands together, "27 against 1 is much better odds than 27 against 3. Tell me, what's your name? Perhaps if I forge a poster, mister Brad will hold up his end of the deal. Did I hear that wind-boy refer to you as . . . Chris?"

Christopher remained silent, tense and ready to fight. Edgar grinned.

"I see. Well, Chris, what do you say to a fake bounty of . . . Let's say, 5 million? Yes, that should be enough."

He turned his back on Christopher, who took the opportunity to draw both his sword and his knife. Speaking to his men, the sniper declared "If anyone asks, his name was 'Dead Soon' Chris, bounty 5 million. Understood?"

The minions nodded hesitantly, not really getting it.

Edgar's grin grew wider. "Good," he said, "Now kill him."

That, the minions could understand. As Edgar jumped back behind a rock, they advanced on Christopher. Christopher poked out his tongue.

His tongue dropped to the floor. The minions were surprised Christopher had the biggest tongue in the world but it didn't stop them from charging at him.

Which, as it turned out, was a very dumb thing to do. As they approached, the tongue lashed out like a whip, slapping several of them across the face. It is very disorienting to be slapped by somebody elses's tongue. The slapped minions stumbled, allowing Christopher to knock their heads together and jump out of weapon range. 3 down in one move. But that didn't stop the others, who continued to charge recklessly at an irritated assassin-trained cook.

" Tongue.." Christopher pulled his tongue back to use it as a powerful weapon.

"Twister!" He yelled. Once more, his tongue flicked out, spinning as it did so, resembling a helicopter except that his spun perpendicular to the ground.

His tongue twister smacked numerous minions in the face and sent them first flying in the air and then falling on the ground where they blacked out.

XXX

From his hiding place, Edgar watched his minions fall with displeasure on his features.

All of his minions couldn't stop what Christopher could do.

Edgar cocked one of his guns, aiming carefully at Christopher's head.

Christopher looked sideways at the rock. Oh no you don't . . . he thought. He ducked just as Edgar pulled the trigger.

BOOM!