Chapter 14
AN: Hello to all my readers, yes, after a not so short break, I'm finally back. I took a break from writing for a time and recharged my batteries so to speak. This chapter finishes the arc of Hanzo working with Jiro and co. It is a bit shorter than usual but I honestly think it is better in terms of grammar and some details than previous chapters because I had a lot of time to write this. As always, I hope you guys enjoy it and feel free to leave a review.
Response:
Gwynx: Yeah, and under chapter six months later.
Catcluster: And here it is mate.
Dhestrya: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.
SolSparda369: I knew people would like it. I always liked that scene, especially the one in Justice League Unlimited with the young and old Bruce.
BrutusPrime: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.
benedict616z: I will be happy to check out your fanfic.
The trio of hunters stood across from the shop that served as the front for Bisque's secret operation. From the outside, nothing appeared unusual about the building. To an average passerby, it would look like any ordinary scroll shop, but Hanzo and his two companions knew better. They had heard it directly from Bisque himself. Still, Jiro couldn't shake a lingering sense of suspicion.
"Talk about hiding in plain sight," Jiro murmured. "I know what Bisque said, but are we sure this is the place?"
"This has to be it," Ciara replied, her green eyes narrowing as she studied the building. "If Bisque lied..."
"He didn't," Hanzo interrupted confidently. The grandmaster trusted his instincts; if Bisque had lied, Hanzo would have sensed it.
"Alright, then, let's blow this joint," Jiro said, unable to hide his enthusiasm. Ciara gave Hanzo a sharp nod, and the trio started walking toward the shop. A small bell chimed as they pushed the door open and stepped inside. Jiro, the last to enter, turned the door's sign from "Open" to "Closed."
"Just a moment, just a moment," a voice called from behind one of the counters. A young man's head popped up from behind it, and his eyes widened at the sight of the three dangerous-looking visitors. He straightened, though he was only slightly taller than Ciara. Adjusting his glasses nervously, he asked, "H-how may I help you?"
"Tell us where the entrance is," Hanzo said, his tone sharp as steel.
"W-what entrance?" the young man stammered. His tone and face showed signs of surprise.
"Kid, save yourself the trouble. We know this place is a secret tech development facility for the criminal syndicates of Mistral. Just tell us where the entrance to the underground level is," Jiro added, hoping to convince him to cooperate.
"I don't know what you're talking about," the cashier replied, though his hand drifted slowly toward a button under the counter. Hanzo noticed.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the grandmaster warned, his fiery eyes meeting those of the increasingly frightened clerk.
"Listen, kid, cooperate, and maybe you won't spend the rest of your life in prison," Ciara said. "Try anything foolish to warn the others, and you'll regret it."
The threat was enough to make the clerk pause. Jail was bad enough, but he couldn't shake the feeling that if he made the wrong move, the man in yellow would take him down without a second thought. His hand moved slowly away from the button.
"Smart move," Jiro smirked.
"Now, the entrance," Ciara demanded icily, her gaze boring into the poor clerk.
"It's...in the back, behind the last shelf. The code is three, eight, six, one. I'm just a clerk...I don't know anything else. Please, don't hurt me," he pleaded.
Before the other hunters could respond, Hanzo stepped forward and knocked the clerk out with a swift punch. Jiro and Ciara shot him a surprised look.
"Never leave loose ends untied; it only leads to more problems," Hanzo stated, striding toward the back. His companions quickly followed the yellow-clad warrior as they moved through the shop's storage area until they reached the end. Jiro slid the last shelf aside to reveal the elevator doors and a control panel. Hanzo punched in the code, and the elevator doors slid open.
The three hunters stepped inside the cramped elevator, and with a press of a button, they began their descent. Soft, typical elevator music played as they went down.
"Seriously, why do even bad guys put annoying music in elevators?" Jiro muttered.
"You can ask them once we're done here," Ciara replied. After a brief ride, the elevator came to a halt, and the doors slid open to reveal a sprawling underground facility. The trio swiftly moved to take cover behind several large, dusty crates, positioned on an elevated platform that gave them a vantage point over their target. From their perch, they could see the entire operation clearly.
The facility was a massive room divided into two main sections. The first was a storage area cluttered with crates, weapons, and high-tech equipment. The second section was a workshop, where a dozen technicians worked diligently under the watchful eyes of about twenty armed guards stationed around the area. High above, several metal walkways crisscrossed the room, patrolled by additional guards who seemed alert and well-trained.
"So, what's the plan?" Jiro whispered, glancing at Hanzo.
"I'll take care of the guards on the walkways," Hanzo replied, his eyes locked on the patrolling figures above. "Jiro, you position yourself on the right side, near those tables. Ciara, move to the left by that stack of crates. Be careful, there is a lot of dust here, we don't want to cause unwanted destruction. On my mark, we strike together. No holding back, understood?"
Both hunters nodded, understanding the gravity of their mission. They knew they had to be precise and ruthless if they were to dismantle this operation. Jiro had no objections to the yellow-clad ninja taking charge; Hanzo's instincts and experience had proven invaluable so far. Ciara, however, was less inclined to yield command but decided to let it slide, trusting that the newest member of their team had yet to disappoint. The two hunters moved stealthily to their assigned positions, blending seamlessly into the shadows.
Hanzo, meanwhile, ascended to one of the walkways with practiced ease, using his kunai to climb silently. His feet touched down on the cold metal without a sound, and he immediately withdrew his tanto, keeping it close to his side as he advanced. His gaze locked onto his first target: a guard standing with his back turned, oblivious to the danger looming behind him.
With the grace and silence of a shadow, Hanzo crept closer. In a swift, precise movement, he seized the guard's head, clamping a hand over the man's mouth to prevent any noise. With a quick flick of his tanto, he slashed the guard's throat, silencing him instantly. The guard's body slumped, and Hanzo eased it quietly to the walkway floor, ensuring no sound would betray his presence. His gaze went to the remaining walkways, two more guards patrolling on them and neither the wiser about what happened to their comrade. Hanzo proceeded to carefully make his way to the second guard. Hanzo moved with predatory silence, slipping through the shadows cast by the dim lights above. His footsteps were measured and soundless, his breathing steady. Reaching the second guard, he repeated his swift, efficient strike, a hand to muffle the guard's mouth, followed by a silent slash of his blade. Another target was eliminated, and another piece of the perimeter was secured.
The third and final guard on the walkway proved to be the easiest target. The man stood off to one side, his back turned to Hanzo. His rifle rested idly in one hand, while his other hand was occupied with his scroll, flicking through messages with bored detachment. As the grandmaster approached, he noted the guard's posture, the slight dip of his shoulders, a man who had grown too comfortable, too sure of his security in the fortified underground facility. That confidence would be his undoing. With a single swift movement, Hanzo seized the guard from behind, clamping one hand over his mouth to prevent any startled cry. The guard's eyes widened in shock, but before he could register the danger fully, Hanzo's tanto cut cleanly across the man's throat, delivering a quick and silent death, identical to the fates of his fellow guards on the walkway. Hanzo eased the lifeless body down onto the walkway, ensuring it would remain unseen from below.
"All clear, move in," Hanzo told his companions over the comm link.
Jiro darted from his cover, striking with ruthless efficiency. Each of the guards he encountered fell quickly, unprepared for the assault from the shadows. His movements were fluid, almost dance-like as he weaved through the fog, his blade flashing in quick, lethal strikes. He had taken down four opponents before the alarm was sounded.
"Intruders! We are under attack!" one of the guards shouted getting the attention of the rest.
Ciara seized the moment of confusion, weaving through the disoriented guards with deadly precision. Her weapon, Gáe Bolg, flashed in the smoky haze, shifting between spear and chain form as she struck. With swift, fluid motions, she whipped the segmented chain spear around, the blade slicing through the air in lethal arcs. Two guards collapsed in her wake, barely registering the attacks before the sharpened edges took them down. Facing three guards in close quarters, Ciara retracted Gáe Bolg into its solid spear form, driving it forward with devastating thrusts that left no time for her targets to react.
Hanzo dropped down from the walkways above, joining the fray with deadly precision. He landed directly on top of an unsuspecting guard, ending the man's life with a single, swift slash of his blade. Around him, a dozen technicians caught in the chaos could do little more than cower and scramble for cover, hoping to escape the madness. None of them had any experience with combat beyond assembling weapons or maybe test-firing them.
One of the guards, attempting to seize the advantage, swung the butt of his rifle toward Hanzo. The ninja reacted instantly, grabbing the end of the rifle and halting it mid-swing. With a single, powerful punch to the guard's face, Hanzo rendered him unconscious, sending him crumpling to the floor.
Jiro fought his way through the guards on his side, staying close to prevent them from aiming their rifles at him. One guard attempted to shoot him at point-blank range, but Jiro was faster. With one of his hook swords, he knocked the rifle aside and delivered a finishing blow with the other sword. His strikes were precise and relentless, each movement calculated to keep his enemies off balance and prevent them from regrouping.
Meanwhile, Ciara carved her way through the guards on her side, Gáe Bolg flashing in her hands. But in the heat of battle, a stray bullet hit a crate filled with dust vials, shattering glass and igniting the volatile fire dust within. Ciara barely had a moment to react before the explosion detonated, blasting her off her feet.
"Ciara!" Jiro shouted with terror in his voice.
The impact hurled her across the room, sending her crashing into a metal pillar. Flames licked at her clothing and dust fragments cut into her skin. For a moment, everything blurred, and the pain burned through her like a white-hot brand. But then, her semblance awoke, a fierce, primal power she'd never fully unleashed, and learned to control surged to life. The heat and pain seemed to disappear as a furious energy took its place. Muscles tensed and veins bulged all over her body as Ciara pulled herself up to her feet and lifted her gaze to find her next target. Blood-red eyes found two unfortunate guards who were pointing their weapons at her. Jiro stabbed the ends of his hook swords into another guard's chest before sending him flying through the air. This gave him a brief reprieve from the fighting to allow him to check up on Ciara. His gaze found her quickly and he did not like what he saw.
"Oh no, not this again," he muttered in desperation.
Ciara broke into a sprint, her fierce gaze locked onto the two guards ahead. As she charged forward, she scooped her weapon up from the ground, her grip tightening around it. Realizing the threat too late, the two guards finally decided it might be wise to shoot at the oncoming berserker. In this heightened state, Ciara's every movement was fluid yet brutal, her strength amplified by her semblance's raw, feral energy. Her strikes grew faster, her spear lashing out with a newfound ferocity, moving between solid spear and chain form with ease. Each swing cleaved through her opponents with savage precision, cutting down anyone who dared to stand in her path. Ciara didn't even truly register it but she had killed the first two guards by slicing them open with her spear and two more were about to be killed by her weapon in whip mode. Her spear's barbed chain struck out in deadly arcs, wrapping around guards and yanking them toward her with bone-crushing force. No shield or armor could stand against her, and those who fell before her had no chance to rise again.
Hanzo noticed the unfolding chaos but was preoccupied with his own foes. One guard met his end on the sharp edge of Hanzo's katana, while another felt a searing pain as Hanzo drove his fist into his chest, releasing a burst of hellfire that incinerated his organs. A third guard tried to rush him, only to receive a brutal kick to the jaw, the force snapping his neck instantly. As the final guard attempted to flee, Hanzo's kunai found its mark, piercing the back of the man's head and exiting through his mouth, ending his escape before it even began.
By the time the last guard hit the ground, the room was silent, the flickering remnants of the dust explosion casting an eerie light around the room. Jiro began to cautiously approach his teammate who stood motionless over one of the dead bodies.
"Ciara, hey, you alright?" the huntsman asked warily. The reply he got was not a verbal one. As soon as she heard his voice the huntress turned around and charged at her teammate, blood-red eyes fixed on their next target. Jiro managed to block her strike just in time, but it was still too close to his heart for his liking. "Snap out of it Ciara!" he pleaded but his words fell on deaf ears as Ciara continued with her assault.
Jiro gritted his teeth, struggling to hold back Ciara's relentless onslaught. Her movements were fast, faster than usual, and unnervingly precise, each strike aimed at his vital points. It was as if she'd completely forgotten who he was. "Ciara, it's me!" he tried again, but his voice was drowned out by the clash of steel and her feral growls. Her eyes, glowing a vicious red, showed no recognition. Jiro continued to dodge and parry, but slowly started to feel his strength waning. He refused to give up, somewhere in that storm of rage was the friend. Jiro managed to block a particularly powerful strike from above, but the sheer force of it drove him to one knee. Ciara's face was twisted into a murderous expression as she raised her spear for a final, lethal blow. Just as Jiro braced himself, the strike never came.
At that moment, Hanzo intervened, appearing behind her in a blur of movement. With a single knife-hand strike to her neck, he knocked the crazed huntress out cold, her spear clattering to the ground. Jiro let out a sigh of relief and pulled himself up to his feet.
"I what an explanation about what just happened," Hanzo demanded.
Jiro let out a heavy sigh. "It's her semblance. It's always somewhat active—that's why she's always so angry. Her semblance works so that the more damage she takes, the stronger she becomes. That anger is a side effect of her ability. But the drawback is, if she suffers enough damage, she goes into this berserker rage and starts attacking anything in sight. I've only seen it happen once before."
"And why wasn't I informed of this sooner?" Hanzo asked sharply.
Jiro shrugged. "Didn't think you needed to be."
Hanzo's gaze hardened as he scrutinized his teammate. "Failing to inform your team of a variable that could compromise their safety is a serious mistake, one that nearly cost you your life. If I hadn't intervened in time, you would be a corpse by now."
"Yeah but you did and everything turned out alright," Jiro said While Hanzo just continued to scrutinize him with his glare. His assessment that most huntsmen lacked discipline and common sense was proved once again. Hanzo was about to continue voicing his displeasure with the huntsman's actions when he was cut off by a voice coming from the side.
"You assholes aren't leaving this place that easily," a guard sneered, aiming a rocket launcher directly at Hanzo, Jiro, and the downed Ciara. Just as the guard's finger tightened on the trigger, Hanzo vanished in a burst of flames and reappeared behind him in a flash. Before the guard could react, the grandmaster plunged his hand into the man's back, unleashing his hellfire. Flames roared, consuming the guard until only a charred skeleton remained.
Once finished, Hanzo calmly returned to his teammates.
"I've seen a lot of brutal stuff in my life, but you, my friend, take the cake," Jiro said, his eyes wide with shock. "I'm just glad you're on our side."
Hanzo's only response was a low hum. He knelt to pick up Ciara and her weapon before turning his steady gaze to Jiro.
"Contact the authorities," he instructed. "Tell them the mission is complete." Without another word, Hanzo strode toward the elevator, Ciara in his arms, leaving Jiro to make the call.