———————[Tuesday, April 4th, 2023]
———————[7:23 AM]
[Kensuke Yusei, 24 years old. Occupation, a contract killer.]
[I know, it sounds bad, but let me just say that in this world, working a job like this where you are your own security is one of the best things to work as.]
A young man wearing a formal suit faces a mirror in a dimly lit apartment, fixing his tie.
“Brother, are you going out already?”
“Yeah, but don’t you worry! I’ll try to be back as early as I can, okay?”
He stoops down to the level of the little girl on his left and pats her head in a reassuring manner.
The girl giggles, before smiling. “Okay, you promise?”
“Yes, I promise that big brother Ken will be back early, and there will be nothing to break this promise!” He says, before hugging his little sister goodbye.
Just before he could leave the house, his little sister eyes something on his person.
“… Wait, big brother, are you really going to bring that?”
“Hmm? Bring what?”
The girl’s face hesitates for a while, before just shrugging and running back to the living room. “Actually, it’s nothing. Bye-bye!”
Kensuke could only chuckle before stepping out of his apartment and breathing in the fresh morning air.
He walks through his street, looking at the various small-time shops and stalls set up along the sidewalk, selling things from flowers to street food. The lively atmosphere brings a slight smile to his face.
[The economy around the world fluctuates heavily depending on how much trouble is stirring up in the mainland or overseas, so regular jobs are really hard to maintain. Small family-run businesses like them are the most common across the entire world, but it still isn’t the most consistent way to earn money.]
The entire time he is walking, his eyes dart from person to person as his mind starts to think of the job he was hired for today, trying to see if anyone is being suspicious. His work mindset is a bit overbearing, but he doesn’t seem to notice how creepy he is being with his eyes wide open staring at people.
[This is where my line of work steps in. I gave myself the responsibility of taking care of this neighborhood. Sometimes even cracking a couple “eggs” to keep it safe. Yes, I feel guilty, really guilty of the things I have done, but we all have to live somehow.]
As he arrives at the train station, he meets a familiar face.
"Yo, Ken!" A blonde man wraps their arm around Kensuke's shoulders.
"Ah!!" he blurts out, startled by the sudden action. "Gou, be quiet!”
"Eh? What’s up with you? It’s unusual for you to get startled.”
Kensuke sighs, holding his hand up to his chest, “It’s an important day today, I would like it to not be inconvenient if possible. Let’s be discreet about this, yes?”
“Is it?” Gou asks while he looks him up and down, giving a confused look.
“… Oh, oh right! It’s your lil’ sis’ birthday, right? I get it now. Okay, I will make sure that you go home alive!”
Gou laughs, as Kensuke dons a tired expression.
Kensuke and Gou wait by the platform for a couple minutes until the train arrives. The two of them enter, and take their seats within the train next to each other on a corner of the train.
[This man, Gou, is also a contract killer just like me. We have been great friends since high-school, and managed to stumble upon the same job at the same time. I think it’s unfortunate, but he says otherwise. I can’t really complain though, we both get pretty stacked after a successful job.]
Right after they find their suitable seats, the speakers let out a gentle chime before saying the following,
“Attention, passengers: please fasten your seatbelts and be prepared for any disruptions during the trip. Please read the safety manuals in the seat pockets to know what to do in case of a Raid. Thank you."
The train begins to move shortly after.
“Hmm, speaking of raids, you do know that in the News, they said that there is suspicious activity by Routes 15 to 21, right?” Gou remarks.
Kensuke replies “Yeah, I knew. My neighbor reminded me of it.”
“Your neighbor did, but did you know?”
“… No.”
Gou simply sighs and shakes his head.
"… So, what are the latest sales in the mall right now?” Gou asks Kensuke in a very nonchalant way.
Kensuke looks at him and returns with “Oh, just the usual.” before looking out the window.
Gou, nodding his head, now asks “Ahh, I see. Well, what about the local market?”
Wait, are these guys seriously just talking about sales? Aren’t they supposed to be assassins of some sort? That would be the case... But of course, a true assassin should always keep their true intentions hidden away from listening ears…
With a subtle glance to the passengers in front of them, Kensuke closes his eyes and makes an understanding look. “Well, with today’s warning of a raid recently, some have upped their prices instead. (Our targets are getting a little bolder by not hiding the fact that they are going for a raid today.)”
Gou crosses his arms and takes on an arrogant look, “They’re just getting greedy, wanting to see if people would fall for buying higher-priced goods now that they must be panicking. (They just want to distract the police with a red herring, while actually preparing their full force on something else entirely.)”
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[Gou’s idea actually sounds plausible. Our target is the medium-scale terrorist group “The Unchained”, world’s dumbest militia from Ruthia, but even they aren’t that dumb to leave so many evidences on those routes… Could they? Maybe they really are just dumb, but better to be safe than sorry. The only question now is what their real plan is, and where?]
Gou probes at Kensuke a little by asking “Oh right, I almost forgot to mention something; you know Wallace, right? New intern? (By the way, you are aware of these guys in front of us, right? That they are listening?)”
Kensuke scoffs, giving a little smirk. “Augh, of course I know him. Imagine, he is just a new recruit and yet he is already going around the department telling everyone how to do our jobs. (I noticed. If those cops think they can get the upper hand on us, then they should start by getting better at their job.)”
As he leans forward to get a better look at them from the gap in the seats, he finds two seemingly athletic guys wearing tight sweaters, nerdy looking glasses and barely hidden receivers on their ears, typing the pair’s conversation on their laptops with the Okonowan Police Department logo literally plastered on the side.
“Yeah, he could use a little work. (Their disguises suck ass.)” Gou replies as he gives a judgmental look.
“Actually, where’d that attitude of his come from even? (Actually, how did they know to follow us?)”
Gou also gives Kensuke a judgmental look, “I’d probably assume it is from his previous job. Maybe his manager waved a big stick around and was really strict. Now that I think about it, maybe its really is because of something like that. (Dude, you literally have a knife strap on your leg, very ‘discreet’ of you. Now we can’t do our thing in peace without these guys hot on our trail.)”
Kensuke mouths a surprised look and looks at his leg, and there indeed is a knife holster strapped to his thigh. “That sounds logical. (Oh, damn.)”
In the middle of their conversation the speakers blare out a gentle chime once again,
"Attention, passengers. This is now your conductor speaking. We have been ordered by the Okonowan Police Department to cease operations and to immediately return to the station due to a certain emergency. We will be reversing the train back. We apologize for the inconvenience. Your boarding expenses will be refunded upon arrival."
Then the train slowly comes to a halt shortly after.
Everyone on the train make an audible gasp. "What's happening?” Gou asked.
While all the other passengers are mumbling to each other, the two disguised police are pressing their receivers on their ears, before nodding and standing up.
“Attention everyone, we are from the Okonowan Police Department. There is currently an active situation on this very railway. We ask of everyone to please stay calm and seated, Chief Investigator Rihito has already been notified and is setting up countermeasures. Us two will be holding back whatever situation may come up next,” one of them announces loudly, now standing in the aisle of the train. “Place your trust in us, for we will ensure everyone’s safety!”
The train starts to move backwards, which prompts the two assassins to simply sigh and nod.
“Well, that’s the Okonowan Police Department for you. Top 3 in security throughout the country of Nijon; so quick to the punch!” Gou claps a little, trying to get on the good side of the two officers.
[Wow, looks like those Unchained guys are craftier than I originally thought. Hijacking the railways is definitely a unique start, but at this rate the police department might actually beat us to it…]
Kensuke leans towards Gou’s side and whispers to him “Come on, let’s just get out of here. We might not get a chance to do our job with them here…”
“You’re right about that, but they will definitely suspect us of suspicious behavior, and we don’t even have any face coverings on hand. Let me think of something…” Gou whispers back, as he looks out the train window to concentrate on the task at hand.
… Until, just a few seconds later, he notices something in the distance.
“… Huh? Is that…?”
He sees another train running backwards just like they are on the rail beside theirs, but this one is moving at an abnormal pace, quickly catching up to their train.
Gou’s eyes widen as he straightens his body, “Those guys are running real fast. Hey Ken, take a look-
"ATTENTION PASSENGERS. A RAID IS CLOSING IN. A RAID IS CLOSING IN. PLEASE ADHERE TO THE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE IN THE SAFETY MANUAL TO KEEP SAFE."
The speakers inside the train repeats the same lines for a long while, as the train windows suddenly have a metal gate shut them close. Emergency lights within the train turn on, alongside a change in ventilation noise.
… At this. What?”
The two of them did not expect the escalation of the situation, as everyone around them starts to panic.
“Hey, all of you! Calm down and remain seated!” said one of the police officers on standby, “The situation is under our control and will be quickly resolved, so adhere to the safety protocols!”
Kensuke and Gou simply look at each other and nod, understanding what to do next. The pair pull out handguns from underneath their suit jackets and stand up, facing away from the officers.
The latter notices them and immediately call them out, “Where do you think you’re going? Remain seated!”
Kensuke turns his head back to look, “We are simply going to the bathroom, officers, this situation has gotten us a little antsy, so…”
Both officers pull up their guns on them and chuckle. “The two of you, at the same time?” One of them points at the knife holster on Kensuke’s leg, “And this guy got a strap on him. Assassins, right?”
The two look at each other and chuckle, before facing the officers and pointing their weapons at them as well, much to the latter’s surprised reaction. “H-hah! Haha! Our suspicions were right!” The officers didn't actually expect them to be assassins.
“Yeah, it was right, good job guys!” Gou exclaims sarcastically. “But you see, we have to take care of this here raid, and we can’t exactly have you guys interfering with our work.”
Kensuke looks at the two officers in front of them, then at all the other passengers who have been watching the situation unfold with fearful anticipation.
[As much as I didn’t want to be witnessed by so many people, nor do I want to cause unnecessary killings, I simply cannot help it.]
He points his gun straight at the forehead of one of the officers, ready to fire.
[There can be no witnesses.]
“There can be no wit-
BOOM!!!