[url=https://fontmeme.com/signature-fonts/][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/191117/dd16521e7d86f8ab6fc54285c3e7d99c.png[/img][/url] The Exclusion Zone. Kaz's mother had almost ended up patrolling here back during those terrifying weeks and months after the bomb dropped. How different would her life had been if she come to Japan when she was 12? Maybe she would have seen war for the senseless carnage it was and decided to go to college, become an engineer and pioneered the first true cybernetic augmentations. She could have done it too. She had achieved mild fame as a teen for her achievements in the field, had been offered full rides to a number of schools. She could have made something great, gone done in history and gotten medical schools named after her. But she didn't. She allowed herself to get suckered into the trap of blind patriotism against her mother's wishes and lost any chance she had of making something of herself. Kaz tightened her grip on the, grinding her teeth as she waited for a reply. The awkward silence was making her wish she hadn't even bothered trying to be social. Why did she put effort into being a normal person if she knew it was just going to fall flat? Bykov eased up a little when Takai finally answered, cursing quietly to herself as she missed a turn. [color=firebrick]"No you don't."[/color]She grunted in response. [color=firebrick]"Or at least you should not wish that. Serving overseas changes people for worse and not better, most of the time. You do things that are not good to people who may or not be not good for a cause that is not important."[/color] Not too dissimilar to the NSF really but she knew better than to tell her partner that. [color=firebrick]"Being a policeman isn't bad. It's good you have meaning again."[/color] Carefully Kaz doubled back on herself, managing to snake the APV through a back alley and back onto the right path. [color=firebrick]"When I was in Afghanistan and Iraq, sometimes I would go on patrol. When we would be called to a village there would be unrest because people didn't like us. My friends carried rifles and I had the machine gun. Bu we would get out of our car and the first thing we unholstered were our pistols and machetes. They are execution weapons so people got scared when we brought them out. I remember one boy looked me in the eye when I did that. He did not say a word but he did back away and left. Later we were going a house and arrested his father. The son reached for a knife and I threatened to blow his father's head off. He stopped."[/color] She didn't really have a reason for sharing that story. Maybe she had intended to show him what she had had to do to survive. Maybe she just needed to vent. The why didn't matter anymore, she had shared her story and it was up to Takai to interpret whatever meaning he could from it. She needed at the mention of the tea party, drumming her fingers against the wheel as she fumed. Kaz pulled to stop in front of one of the many shabby tenements that lined the Exclusion Zone, down a ways from the suspect's house. [color=firebrick]"Fuck them. There is more important work they could be doing. The NSF does not get what it pays for."[/color]That was about all she had to say on the subject, coasting the APV to a stop down a few building from the target's house. She gave Takai a nod at the order, switching on her camera feed and giving him a silent thumbs up. Usually she preferred to work in teams for this kind of thing but Takai was the cop after all. She was content to sit and wait for him until he needed her, or she was until another car pulled up mere moments after he stepped inside. It was nothing special, a white van that was more than a little weather-worn, but the person who stepped out of the driver's sit was. Kaz switched on her mic and took a second look to confirm the identity before calling in to Takai. [color=firebrick]"The target has just arrived outside, she is about to enter after you."[/color] The situation should have been resolved before it had even started. Takai was inside and already on the alert, she would be taken completely by surprise. But when four armed men wearing body armor hopped out of the van things got a little more unpredictable. Kaz counted two assault rifles, one shotgun and one DMR, all military grade and all aimed at the doorway. This was an ambush, the Jinrai had set them up. [color=firebrick]"Four more, all armed, waiting outside!"[/color] Takai didn't have surprise on his side anymore. The one advantage he did have was that it was only supposed to be him present. The Jinrai operatives wouldn't be expecting back up. There was no way Kaz would be able to make it out of the car and grab her gear in time, she would need to use the weapon she was already sitting. With a twist of a key the APV rumbled back to life, Kaz stomping on the gas pedal and tearing off towards the opposition with a squeal of tires. ----------- [url=https://fontmeme.com/futuristic-fonts/][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/191117/bde4c8a92c70e36622f058c1ecb583ff.png[/img][/url] [color=Mediumseagreen] "Oh of course you will."[/color] Daiyu agreed amicably. [color=Mediumseagreen]"Forgive me, I shouldn't have assumed."[/color]The businesswoman's smile didn't falter even as Ashton flashed a shit-eating grin of his own, wondering if she had been this insufferable at his age. [color=Mediumseagreen]"Bold question Hyuga-kun, bold question indeed. My taste is expensive, more than you can afford if that's what your asking."[/color] She let her grin fade into a wry ghost of a smile, waving away her answer with the fan. [color=Mediumseagreen]"I'm joking of course. In truth my taste in men and women matters very little. I work anywhere from 60 to 90 hours a week, not counting my duties for the NSF. It would be something of a wasted effort trying to find someone who can keep up with that."[/color] She didn't feel compelled to explain that those hours were split between managing legitimate stock portfolios and keeping all manner of illegal operations in play. As Ashton continued to prattle on Daiyu was almost impressed. There was a certain quality about the way he played at being a cute kid and a clever conversationalist. Maybe it was the sheer cheek of it. Either way, if he thought being a horny teen was going to make him likable then he was welcome to continue. She'd wear her mask and let him prance around in his until he got too close. [color=Mediumseagreen]"Please, you flatter me."[/color] she demurred. [color=Mediumseagreen]"I simply want to helpmy home protect itself against an insidious internal threat as thanks for all it's given me."[/color] [i][color=Mediumseagreen]Did this asshole just use the word Freudian?[/color][/i] He had indeed, but his grandiose words revealed a hunger for status that Daiyu was very familiar with. Perhaps he'd be a thread she could tug on later to help her unravel her problems. She glanced at the laserdisk curoiusly, taking it with a gracious nod. [color=Mediumseagreen]"I'll make sure to have my staff give it a look then. Thank you Ashton."[/color] [i][color=Mediumseagreen]Greedy little bastard.[/color][/i] Turning back to Chelsea Daiyu gave the younger socialite an approving nod, using a single metal finger to stir her tea a bit more. [color=Mediumseagreen]"I know the place yes but I'm afraid I've never visited it. Clearly I'll have to change that."[/color] No matter what other qualities you could ascribe to her (airheaded, bimbo, drunkard, better suited to being a strip club waitress, the list went on) she did have good taste in kimonos. [color=Mediumseagreen]"Elegant and beautiful, your clothes match their owner it seems."[/color] The name Unicomm 8000 Total Protection was promptly filed away in her memory to have someone look into and the rest of the valley girl's words ignored. The other American and his working [s]girl[/s] [s]boy[/s] thing were busying smoking themselves to death, Daiyu noticing with some distaste just where Margo produced that lighter from. Switching into perfect English for the time being the con artist gave Chris a winning smile and spoke to him. [color=Mediumseagreen]"Welcome to the NSF Chris. I look forward to getting to know you better."[/color] And she did. Whatever "incidents" Ashton was talking intrigued her. Whether they were true or not didn't matter, rumors could often be just as revealing. [color=Mediumseagreen]"And Margo darling, I didn't forget about you. Your sense of style is striking as always, you need to share tips with me! In fact you and I are going to schedule a shopping trip sometime, my treat. And I'm not going to hear any arguments about it!"[/color] There was absolutely nothing about Margo's fashion she liked but those on the outskirts of society tended to be the easiest to manipulate. [color=Mediumseagreen]"Seo, something tells me that that little warning we got this morning had to do with you.”[/color] She had switched back to Japanese, her voice one of near motherly concern. [color=Mediumseagreen]“We all respect your dedication but please consider taking it a little easier from now on? Who else in here is going to give me a decent sword fight if you die?"[/color] [@LetMeDoStuff] [@GoreLore] [@Landaus Five-One] [@Letter Bee] [@MK2] [@silvermist1116]