Gunslinger Girls - Paths Intertwined

[Kasawa Lanford]

Ryoshine sighed and wiped more sweat from his forehead. "Almost..." he said as he snipped the seventh wire. "We are almost done here, just three more to go."

It was then that he noticed Giorgia's uneasyness. "What's wrong Giorgia?" he said, putting the screw driver in his mouth. He hadn't noticed a red dot that was on the far wall due to the sunlight being in the room, this dot, while barely visible, crept very slowly toward Ryoshine.

[Director of Music]

She saw it.  The red dot of the target beam.  Someone else was here!  Giorgia ran towards Ryoshine, ignoring protests from the other two men.  She grabbed Ryoshine and shoved him out of the way.  It was then the sniper rifle went off and instead hit very close to the bomb.

Shocked, Hillshire and Giuseppe immediately ordered their charges to go find the shooter.

Giorgia got off of Ryoshine and looked down at the ground.

[Kasawa Lanford]

Ryoshine blinked; he hadn't expected that - but he was more surprised that Giorgia was able to push him. He looked at her and smiled, he couldn't find the words to express his thanks so instead he placed his hand on her head. "Hillshire, sniper is north of the building - most likely on the roof top." He said before catching sight of several blackened figures heading toward the door. "We got company!" he said just as the windows blew out and gunfire rained into the room.

Grabbing Giorgia, he jumped over the stand and stayed behind, opening up his gun case and taking out his modified M16A. "Stay here and watch," He ordered Giorgia. He bolted over the stand again and over to the bomb, putting the rifle down next to it and taking the wire cutters and snipping the eighth wire.

Another crack in the air; another sniper's round hit the pavement in front of him, sending shards of cement into his arm. He brushed off the pain and just went back to work.

[Director of Music]

Giorgia's eyes were blazing.  She grabbed her handler's M16 and loaded the clips into it.  Uknownst to Ryoshine, she fired at the intruders.

Center of mass is your aim, if you are within six hundred feet then aim at the head, if not then aim at the chest.

She spotted them.  Her anger mounted.  She fired right into the forehead.  There was a grunt and the man fell.  Another man, another shot.  Down.  Giorgia's eyes were stony, all trace of human emotion gone and her mouth was set as she only thought of one thing.

I have to protect him

Overhead, Henrietta and Triela were on the rooftop firing away.  Giuseppe and Hillshire were on the ground, fighting off any advances.

[Kasawa Lanford]

Ryoshine continued to cut despite their being bullet's flying past him and into the wall. After cutting the last wire, the bomb made an high pitch sound before shutting off, he brought down the mic on his headset and radioed to Gioseppe and Hillshire that it was disarmed.

He was about to detach it from the floor when a door on the far end of the lobby was kicked open and two black figure's rushed in, SMG's blazing. Pulling out his 9mm, he made short work of the two with direct hits in the head. "Hillshire, there are more coming.." Triela said over the comm. line

"It's been disarmed, I've detached the bomb from its support. Henrietta, Triela, Rico, give us some fire. Once the bomb is out of the building, get off the roof and into the van!" Ryoshine ordered and carried the device to the van. Gunfire from the near by buildings was intense, but most of the rounds didn't find their marks.

After loading the bomb on board, and making sure it was indeed disarmed, he gave a signal over the headset. "Come on people we need to move!" Ryoshine shouted as he took out his 9mm and popped four bullets into four attackers that had been running down the sidewalk.

***

Some distance away, the lead of the group grumbled. "Err.... looks like he managed to disarm the bomb..."

"Thats the first one though, you think they'll find the second?" The woman behind him asked, the man shook his head. "With only five minute's left? Doubtful.."

[Director of Music]

Giorgia stood silently.  She had made quick work of the hooded figures surrounding her.  Ryoshine had went outside after disarming the bomb.  However, something didn't feel right.  She didn't understand it, but her instincts were tingling.  And as if from the past, she thought she could hear her dad's voice.

[She was supposed to be a sleep but she crept downstairs to hear her dad talking on the phone.
"Right. So you're telling me that it was challenging, but it didn't put you to the limit?  Well, they may be planning another attack.  We have to be ready...."

"This really doesn't feel right.." She murmured.

[Kasawa Lanford]

Ryoshine watched as Henrietta and Triela got into the van, he then noticed that Giorgia wasn't around. "Rico get Giorgia," he said when he saw Rico coming from the main door. "Yes Sir," Rico said and went back into the building.

[Director of Music]

Giorgia glanced around at her surroundings.  She was about to open an inner door when Rico called for her.

"Come on Giorgia.  We have to get going now.  What are you doing?"

Giorgia looked at the other girl.  "Something...something isn't right.  I got to tell Ryoshine."  She ran outside with a confused Rico following behind her.  Her handler was waiting for her.

"Sir, I-...there...I...something's not right."

[Kasawa Lanford]

Ryoshine blinked. "What do you mean something's not-" he said before the window's of the building blew out, a fireball raced seconds after and scrouched the top of the van, Hillshire, Gioseppe, Jean and Ryoshine had just enough time to cover their charges.

He covered Giorgia from the explosion, but knew already that he had first degree burns on the back of his neck. Surpressing the pain that shot through his buddy, he looked around to find several attackers closing in on them. He grabbed the M16A that Giorgia had been holding and turned it onto the closest attacker, more were coming though and their van was out of commission, the two back tires had popped due to the intense heat.

"We got a problem..." Ryoshine said when he noticed two van's approuching; their windows tinted.

[Director of Music]

Giorgia flinched, but instead, felt nothing.  She looked up to see Ryoshine covering her from the explosion.  And if he had gotten hurt, she couldn't tell, his face was completely void of pain.  Instead, his eyes were set in determination.

She turned when Ryoshine talked.  She saw the tinted windows.  She frowned.  Eariler, when Henrietta and Triela had told her about missions, they hadn't said a thing which concerned things like this.  She hesitated.  What she was about to do was not in her orders, and yet, these fighters didn't seem like the ones they faced before. 

She quietly turned and opened her equipment bag, inside was a detonator bomb.  She knew she would just have to stick it on the side of at least one of the vans.  If the vans were close enough, the explosion of one would get the other.

Giorgia slipped away from the others and stealthily slid around the back of van #2.  She pressed the bomb onto the car, but it wouldn't stay put.  Grimacing, she jammed it on the van and held it there until van #2 was in proximity to van #1.  She ran behind a near by tree.

[Kasawa Lanford]

Ryoshine was watching the van's when he realized that Giorgia was no one to be found, "Where's Giorgia?" he said, looking around.

That was when the van's suddenly exploded; sending hot peices of debris and shrapnel through the air. Their van was pummeled by some of this debris, while most had missed.

He looked around before seeing Giorgia hiding behind a tree. He brought down his boom mic on his headset, "Giorgia! Get your *** back here!" he shouted.

Another van rolled up, one of their own. Hillshire pulled open the side doors and Henrietta, Triela and Rico piled in, followed closely their after by Hillshire, Triela and Ryoshine. The van moved toward where Giorgia was, stopping near her. " Get in!" Hillshire shouted, his voice full of anger.

[Director of Music]

Giorgia got in, slightly unnerved.  She had seen one of the men in there.  She RECOGNIZED him.  She knew she'd probably be in trouble, but she knew these people.  They were the same ones who-

Hillshire was saying something to her, so was Ryoshine.  The other cyborgs gave her a "good luck" sign behind their backs.

[Kasawa Lanford]

The drive back was uneventful, Rico and Henrietta had both fallen asleep. Triela was addressing a wound that her handler, Hillshire, had received.

Ryoshine was in the back, while he was thankful for Giorgia's quick thinking, it had almost gotten her killed, he planned to grill her when they got back. He looked at Giorgia, and then back at the two sleeping cyborgs, If they were fully human, I wonder what type of life they'd be leading... he asked himself.

[Director of Music]

Sooner than they had all expected, they arrived back at the agency.  Hillshire came out first, before glaring at Ryoshine.  Triela came after, followed by Guiseppe and Henrietta and Rico.  Ryoshine and Giorgia came out last, trailing behind the others.

She followed Ryoshine, up to his study.

[Kasawa Lanford]

In the room; he tapped his foot on the ground, looking over some documents before turning toward Giorgia. "Why'd you do that?" He asked her, but before she could answer he added, "You could've gotten yourself killed you know that right? This is not a kid's game, we all stick together and work together, while what you did saved us, it could've turned disasterious," he said, folding his arms over his chest.

He took a seat in the chair and stared at Giorgia. "So, what compelled you to do something so reckless?" he knew 'something' had caused her to disobey his orders, which made him wonder if he should increase her conditioning...

[Director of Music]

She listened as he talked.  After he was finished, she avoided his gaze.

"I'm sorry sir.  I just..."  Here, she hesitated.  She trusted him, and yet she didn't want to tell him that she had recognized the terrorists.  She tried again.  " I just...just thought...It seemed like a...good idea" She finished lamely.

[Kasawa Lanford]

Ryoshine nodded before turning to the clock. "Get some dinner, then do some studying for about an hour. I left a book on the dresser, after you study get some rest, you have classes most of tomorrow so you'll need to pay attention." He said and waited until Giorgia had left.

He sighed and rolled up his sleeve, "some secrets are best kept secret...." he said, running his hand over the smooth metal plate on his arm. "Half my arm is prosthetic... and most of it is thanks to the help of the cyborgs here..." he said and rolled his sleeve back down.

Glancing toward the window; he could see drops of rain that began to fall, hitting the window. He got up out of his chair and walked over and opened the window, and took in the smell of the rain.

[Director of Music]

Giorgia wasn't that hungry, she grabbed a small sandwich they were serving and water.  She gulped it all down and ran over to her room.  She saw the book Ryoshine had mentioned.   First however, she felt the jacket and made sure the picture was still there.  Then she sat down and began studying.  She didn't know why, but the book was intriguing and she didn't get any rest. 

Soon, it was 6:30 AM.  Wake up call.

[Kasawa Lanford]

Ryoshine yawned and got up from bed. His back hurt, something he would probably have to get used to until he was no longer the 'rookie' of the group. He walked over and got into his fatigues and brushed his teeth, then he headed out of the office and made a quick stop at the cafeteria.

"Morning Ryoshine," Giuseppe said. "You going for a run or something?"

"I am, something i do every morning... keeps me in shape." Ryoshine said, he walked over to the serving counter and got himself a large bottle of water. "Tell Hillshire to be gentle on Giorgia, she's very new at this... while she's aware that she's a cyborg now, there are things she isn't aware of yet." he said.

Guiseppe smiled. "I wouldn't worry to much about that; their conditioning makes it impossible for them to denie their existence, however.. that doesn't mean they are mindless automitons.. they have feelings, emotions.. they have thoughts and can operate on their own like a normal human being. It's just that we have to teach them to be self sufficent so we don't always have to be around them. For example is Henrietta, she can sew now and she apperently like's it." He said.

"Maybe I'll teach her how to sew, I did a lot of that while in military." Ryoshine said and headed toward the door, "she did an 'ok' job yesterday but she almost got herself killed.."

"Who?" Guiseppe asked.

"Giorgia..." Ryoshine said and left the cafeteria. Outside the building he surveyed the area to find a good place to run laps around, he found it: The track used by the Agency's 'personel' military.

[Director of Music]

Ryoshine was right.  She had classes for most of the day.  They did get a lunch break, and she hastened to the cafeteria.  She chewed thoughtfully on her spaghetti as she poured over a textbook. 

Henrietta spotted Giorgia and came over.  "Hey Giorgia!  How'd it go with Ryoshine about yesterday?"

Giorgia looked up.  "Oh...he just..asked me a couple of questions is all."

"I see" Henrieta said.  "Well, we're going down to the range to practice next.  Let's go together."

Giorgia nodded and stuffed the textbook in her bag and followed Henrietta down to the range.

Hillshire was there, along with Rico and Triela.  "Good morning Henrietta....Giorgia... he mused.  "Alright.  We're doing long range shooting today.  Grab your guns from the armory and head on back out...