Gunslinger Girls - Paths Intertwined

[Kasawa Lanford]

It felt like hours had gone by; but in reality only ten minutes had actually passed. The young lady gave Jean a curt nod before getting up and leaving, the man who he and Frans had seen before got up and had a brief conversation with the woman before following her out.

Jean then looked at Ryoshine before glancing toward the window. "Seem's before we can do 'anything' we'll have to take care of our watchdogs," he said and took another sip from his coffee. As he set it down he noticed that his cup was empty, and waved for a waiter to bring him a fresh brew. "Giorgia, you hungry for desert?"

[Kasawa Lanford]

Ryoshone shook his head; he noticed that Giorgia seemed to be to preoccupied by her food than to hear him. He sat there and took a sip from his newly filled cup of coffee, then glanced out the cafe window. He saw the van in the distance and noticed two men come out, "Giorgia, Franz, I think we might have to step up our plans," he said as he watched the two men.

[Director of Music]

Franz immediately stood up, blood boiling.  Giorgia seemed to have perked up as well, her eyes wide.  She followed Ryoshine's line of sight to see the two men come out and stick something into their pockets which were obviously pistols.

[Kasawa Lanford]

Ryoshine sighed and lifted his hand, he spun his finger in the air which caused Henrietta and Giuseppe, along with Triela and Rico and their handlers to get up and spread out throughout the hotel. "Giorgia, just knock them out 'try' not to kill them please. Franz, keep watch for others, I'm almost certain they have backup," he tells them and sticks his hands back into his pocket.

--

Rico and her handler made their way up the stairs and into their room, where she threw open a case and quickly took out a long barreled sniper rifle. With the room as dark as it can be, she set up in front of the partly opened window and trained her rifle on the two men that Jean pointed out. "Don't fire unless they pose a threat to Ryoshine and his cyborg," Jean said as he peered down the binoculars he had up to his face.

--

Henrietta and Triela both headed to an alleyway behind the hotel, holding semi-automatics and their handlers armed with just pistols. They waited just in case reinforcements arrived, and some how, they both knew something else may happen.

[Director of Music]

Giorgia smiled, somewhat amused.  "I'll try real hard, sir."  And then quickly went off.

Franz merely nodded as he went the opposite way of Giorgia.

[Kasawa Lanford]

Ryoshine sighed and watched the men. "Let the fireworks begin," she said to himself.

The three men from the van looked around, both carrying semi-automatic rifles, while another was carrying a much more lethal, squad automatic weapon.

For Ryoshine, he knew this would turn out to be an interesting fight. "Ok gents, they're getting to close for comfort," he said over the squad headset. "Becareful, one's armed with a SAW," he added a second later.

Toya has returned!

[Director of Music]

Giorgia ducked by a corner, keeping one eye trained onto the men, and another, for Ryoshine's signal.  She double checked her gun as the men shifted their positions slightly.  Giorgia raised the gun to eye level, making sure the cross hairs were lined up. 

Ryoshine gave her a thumb's up.  That was all Giorgia needed as she fired, aiming her first shot at one man's knee.  The man howled, but then crumpled.  The men were panicked, and their form was now scattered.  They didn't see who had shot one of their men, and now they were anxious.  It seemed to Giorgia that this group relied on structure and rules.  Once that was gone, well, so was their sense of calm.

[Kasawa Lanford]

Another shot range out, though it was muffled due to the presence of a silencer. The bullet screamd down range from the roof the building and hit one of the men in the side of his chest, ripping it open, and causing him to hit the ground in utter pain. Now the men were glancing around, not firing their weapons but more so trying to figure out who was shooting at them.

"Giorgia, man in the back, black coat, wearing glasses.. he must be their leader - take him down with two knee shots," Ryoshine ordered as he stared down the binocs, he watched the scene and knew that there 'had' to be more around.

[Director of Music]

"On it, sir."  She replied confidently.  Giorgia fired two shots that found their marks perfectly.  The man buckled, and fell to the ground, surprise etched on every feature on his face.

Franz came through one of the communication devices.  "Four more inside the building, gathering others, I believe.  Stay on the look out.  I've got the back side, but I'm running out  of ammo with only this pistol."

[Kasawa Lanford]

Ryoshine repurposed his binocs toward said building and saw some movement behind the shutters, but not enough to get a clear indication of who was who. "Damn," he scowled and lowered the binocs and scanned the area around with just his eyes. "The vans immobile, and the those around it are either dead or wishing they were," he softly said and looked at Giorgia with a smile.

He then heard some commotion coming from the building.

"~Shit, they got a hostage,~" Guiseppe said over the squad com. "~A little girl, maybe no more than nine, and her mother it seems~"

Ryoshine cursed yet again. "Don't fire," he said and watched their movements. "Giorgia, aim high, head level, do 'not' miss, or you'll hit the girl and her mother," he said, his words somewhat full of venom from the sight of such cowardly acts.

He then switched to squad comm. "Jean, have Rico take out the remainer in the building. Franz, if you have enough ammo left, sweep the building after Jean gives the all clear signal," he said and watched the two men as they slowly, and mythidically, moved toward their disabled van with the little girl and her mother in tow.

[Director of Music]

Giorgia nodded, focusing her energy onto the location.  She saw it too, but from her angle at the moment, it would be near impossible to get a good shot in.  She dashed to another corner, and looked up.  It wasn't much better, but it would have to do.  This shot counted.

She crouched down, ready to pull the trigger, but then.

"Wait!" A sharp command from Franz.  Giorgia glanced up, distracted.  Why wait?  She could get the man.

"Don't shoot.  It's a decoy.  I'm up on that level.  I-"  Franz's voiced dropped drastically.  "Shizer..."  He glanced out the window.  "Look.  I'll take care of this.  You have company on ground level."

[Kasawa Lanford]

Ryoshine blinked and glanced to his left and up, almost like he could see Jeans reaction. "Everyone cover ground, Jean, have Rico continue to monitor the decoys though.." he said and watched them, he did notice that the little didn't seem that frightened. An act? Why would a little girl willing play that role... he muttered.

[Director of Music]

Franz leaned against the doorway of the room.  He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply.  Decoy, or not, the man inside was armed.  He only had one shot left in his pistol.  Franz very well knew it was a suicide mission.  Giorgia and Franz needn't know that however.  Saying a silent prayer, he cocked his gun, tapping with the barrel onto the door.

Heavy footfalls, and an eye peeked out from the hole.  Franz knew what the other man saw.  Blue tie, white collared shirt, and suit.  Very professional like.  Very...like. assassin like.  He had no time to change, it was already too late.  Adreneline pumped through him as it usually did when he was on missions.  He heard grunting on the other side.  Franz stood, poised.

The door opened, and without a blink, Franz fired to the man's forehead.  However, the man was trained and the split second before Franz had fired, so had the other man.  The bullet whizzed out of the gun, piercing Franz's lower stomach. 

First there was nothing.

Then the pain hit him, shot through his system as he gritted his teeth, sinking down against the wall.  The little girl sat still on the chair, looking almost smug.  There was a walkie talkie next to her, and if she reached out and grabbed it...

But wait, through Franz's pain addled brain, he could recall there had to be one more person in the room.  He felt another person appear from the shadows.

That was right.  The girl's mother.  She walked up, looking at him scornfully, a knife, appearing from her side.

[Kasawa Lanford]

Ryoshine waited, and waited, he was getting nervous as he watched the building. "Somethings not right," he muttered to himself and switched to a private comm. with Jean.

***

Rico piveted and aimed the scope of her rifle, scanning the windows until she found the little girl sitting in the chair. She watched the girl closely and then got somewhat confused, she piveted the scope again at the little girl and mother that were walking toward the van. Huh? she blinked and once again switched back to the window.

***

"'two'?" Ryoshine said when he heard what Jean told him. He glanced to one side and told Jean to switch to an infra-red scope for Rico, as he didn't have one on him for Giorgia. "See what's going on in that building," he instructed him.

[Director of Music]

The reply came back quickly enough. Jean commented after receiving the information from Rico.

"Three bodies still inside.  Two aren't moving.  One is moving towards the other.  It's a really bad angle, I can't tell who's who.  But if Franz is in there...then I hope he's the one moving..."  Jean ended on a grimace.

Giorgia had the urge to run inside and help.  But she knew she mustn't.  She had gotten in so much trouble already, and if she risked something like this, especially when it was already dangerous...then she would put herself, and Franz into even more danger.  She bit her lip, trying to focus on her surroundings.

[Kasawa Lanford]

Ryoshine nodded just the same and waited for two full seconds. "Damn it, we can't really take the risk though..." he muttered and clicked the headset a few times for a 'are you alright' signal to see if Franz would get it. Either he'd send back the three clicks, indicating he was the person moving, or he'd not, in which case Rico would aim for the center of mass on the moving target and fire.

[Director of Music]

Franz heard the rapid clicking noises coming from his headset. Ryoshine was trying to figure out what the hell happened to him.  Well.  He couldn't do a thing about it at the moment. Whatever remaining color in his face drained, leaving him pale.  Sweat was dropping slowly down from his face as his mouth was set in a firm line.  His blue eyes appraised the woman slowly walking up to him.  She twirled the knife in her hand expertly, and Franz caught every movement.

Even if the woman was in range for Franz, he could not do anything at all.  The pain was coursing, seeping through him as he was losing more blood each and every second.  He struggled to remain conscious. 

The woman drew her hand back, and Franz gritted his teeth.  He would not however, shrink back.  Nor, would he close his eyes.  That would be cowardly.  And if he were to die, then he would not die with fear.  He was an officer, and Captain of the German Army.  If this death were to be painful, then so be it.  He already knew what would happen when he would die, anyways.  If there was a hell, he'd certainly go there.

There was a flash in the woman's eyes as she stabbed Franz in his thigh.  Franz grunted, suppressing the urge to scream.  My thigh?  Why not kill me right away? ...Unless...unless she wants to....  Franz's eyes dimmed at the realization.  She wants to draw it out.  This damn agency sure makes enemies rather quickly....  He had to think of something else.  Had to think of something else besides the pain.

The woman drew the knife back again, clearly displeased at the lack of response from Franz's end.  She drew back, and shot it through his arm.

This time, Franz let out a muffled groan.  That was the same area on the same arm where he had gotten a sharp piece of glass merely a week ago.  The wound had barely healed, and it was now open again.

[Kasawa Lanford]

Ryoshine scowled when he didn't get the signal back after a few seconds. Jean had called back, saying that Rico was noticing some odd movements from the target, as the persons arm or hand had merged briefly with the red signature. That right there told Ryoshine that it wasn't Franz who was up and about, but someone else. "Take the shot, 'if' Rico is unable to aim for center of mass without risk of hitting the person on the ground, then take the headshot.." he said and muted his headset, then muttered something silently to himself. "I really hope the one we are about to shoot isn't Franz..."

[Director of Music]

Jean relayed the message to Rico, and Rico nodded in affirmative.  From this angle, the head shot would suffice.  She cocked her rifle, and zoomed in.  Making sure everything was in alignment, she fired.

The woman drew back her hand again for the final blow.  Franz winced.  There was nothing logical now that was going through his brain.  His brain was on sensory overload.  The pain had risen to excruciating heights.  He tried to struggle, making it worse.  He waited for the final blow....

But it never came.

There was a crash, and a thump.  Franz turned his head wearily to see...the decapitated body.  Although that was good news for Franz, he at the moment, couldn't register anything.  All he could think of was that the knife was gone.  Slumping all the way down, he went unconscious, his head banging against the floor hard, his form crumpled.

[Kasawa Lanford]

When the shot rang out, it reverberated off the walls and gave out a hollow sound. In this instance, the police who had been responding to a 'shots fired' message from dispatch couldn't figure out 'where' it had come from and assumed it was in the opposite direction of the building.

"Get in there!" Ryoshine shouted over his headset as Guiseppe and Henrietta, along with Triella and Hilshire, stormed the building from two entry points.