[indent]Tables, bodies, shattered glass, casings, blood ... battle debris buried the floor. Huddled low amidst the chaos, Kira moved purposefully through the flanks. Corpses and wreckage made firm footing a scarce find that demanded careful attention. [color=#fffadd][i]‘Ten rounds.’[/i][/color] Her flanking movement had yet to be detected. Most of the shouting from the security team had ceased its existence. Most of the security team itself had also ceased its existence. She found the opening she wanted with two assailants in minimal armor in a line from her. She slinked out of her concealed position and fired once.

The crack of the gauss driver was louder than most of the weapons fire heard so far. [color=#fffadd][i]‘Nine rounds.[/i][/color] Two bodies fell to the floor, gaping holes torn through each of their chests. The operative stalked away from the position, searching for another opening. Her shots drew attention from the enemies to her old position. Methodical movement made that fixation into a useful distraction. Kira continued to exist on their flank even as their attention rotated. Another hostile unwittingly found himself in a vulnerable position. The crimson samurai helmet couldn’t stop magnetically accelerated shot. [color=#fffadd][i]‘Eight rounds.’[/i][/color]

Kira wanted an officer, a leader of some kind she could blow the head off of. Breaking the chain of command was incredibly disruptive to an assault. This rag-tag team seemed to be every man for himself. Kira noted as much as she found yet another tango oblivious to her new location. The rest of them were promptly alerted, while the mark never even heard the gunshot before his heart and part of his lung were blasted from his body. [color=#fffadd][i]‘Seven rounds.’[/i][/color] That managed to get their attention. This time her movement was slower, hiding from a spray of retaliatory fire.

Bullets had eroded any hard cover available. Even soft cover – just enough material to break line of sight – was running scarce. Kira had just run out of it. There was no longer anywhere for her to move without stepping into automatic gunfire. Her position would be hosed down as soon as she fired back unless she found, [i]or made,[/i] a gap in the pattern of fire. She was trained to analyze patterns of enemies in an instant. From memory she made a decision on who to take out, and took the shot. [color=#fffadd][i]‘Six rounds.’[/i][/color] She saw the body recoil from the impact the instant she let the round fly. Reflexively she launched herself back the way she came, exploiting the momentary opening in the kill zones.

She made it to another covered position only to observe the sound of gunfire moving away. The untrained ear would never have noticed the distance, but Kira suspected they were backing off. She was around a corner that she was pretty sure couldn’t be penetrated by gunfire, but she also knew they had something particularly powerful with them. It had to be at least a .50 caliber AMR or a magnetic weapon, but the lower sound leaned more towards a high-caliber conventional ballistic firearm. She leaned herself around the corner to gather intel, also taking a shot at no one combatant in particular. [color=#fffadd][i]‘Five rounds.’[/i][/color]

Indeed they were falling back, and in different directions. Whatever coordination they had was coming to an end, which worked to her advantage. There were two moving towards the street exit, and there was a burly soldier with a large automatic weapon eyeing her position headed towards the alley door. The instant she heard the alley door slam shut she bolted from around the corner towards the street. She kicked her way through the door, looking left and right for the hostiles. Both had taken off running. At first she gave chase, but then came to a stop to stabilize a shot. Now outside, the crack of her gauss driver echoed louder than any gunfire heard that night. One of the fleeing hostiles had his leg give out from under him, his kneecap having just been reduced to dust by Kira’s well-placed shot. [color=#fffadd][i]‘Four rounds.’[/i][/color]
The second turned to defend his screaming comrade, but Kira lined up her shot faster. The shot to the throat nearly tore his head from his shoulders. Kira turned from the dead body and its writhing compatriot. [color=#fffadd][i]“Anyone copy? Who’s not dead, report!”[/i][/color]

Only four including Chief Hardass responded. A familiar voice – one with a traditional accent – came over the channel, [color=d6e0ff][i]“Response team has arrived.”[/i][/color]
Kira turned around as several SUVs filled with JPN’s goons pulled up. Company Man from the train earlier got out of the lead vehicle. [color=d6e0ff][i]“Takeda-san,”[/i][/color] he acknowledged with a bow, Kira returning the gesture, [color=d6e0ff][i]“we have delayed EPA as much as we can, however they will want to process the scene. We must work quickly.”[/i][/color]
She nodded in acknowledgement, surveying the numerous agents already springing into action documenting the scene. [color=d6e0ff][i]“How would you like to handle your prisoner?”[/i][/color]

For a minute Kira was confused, but a look over her shoulder revealed even more agents had arrived, and were dragging the bleeding bad guy out of the street. [color=#fffadd] [i]“Hmm ... kare o hebi no su ni nageru?”[/i][/color] (“throw him in a serpent’s den?” – an Ori black site prison)
[color=d6e0ff][i]“How do you wish to interrogate him?”[/i][/color] Company Man continued to speak with her in traditional Japanese, something only the upper portion of Ori could do. About half of the company personnel were hired locally in Europa, so the traditional language was usually only spoken between higher-ups in private conversation.
[color=#fffadd][i]“I think the play is rendition. I should come with you to the site and make the approach.”[/i][/color]
[color=d6e0ff][i]“You want to approach immediately?”[/i][/color] Company Man inquired, surprised by the possibility.
[color=#fffadd][i]“Nono. Let him sit for several hours. I need-”[/i][/color] a yawn punctuated her answer, [color=#fffadd][i]“a shred of rest before then. And coffee, definitely coffee. Large, double black, vanilla cream.”[/i][/color]

Company Man just nodded and made a gesture to load up. Two agents had the wounded baddie cuffed and head-bagged and dragged his hobbling self to one of the vehicles. His leg was bandaged crudely but still bleeding. Kira followed and climbed into the passenger seat of the vehicle.[/indent]