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[COLOR=dimgray][SUP][sub]_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sub][/SUP][/COLOR][right] issue 1.02: The vagabond and the murderous shadows[/right][COLOR=dimgray][SUP][sub]_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sub][/SUP][/COLOR]
It is the dead of night.

Somewhere at a cheap California motel, A fleet-footed samurai creeps through under the cover of darkness over the roof of the establishment. Only the swift breeze followed through her movements as she bypassed the guards without being traced and went straight into her target's balcony.

A cartel gang member is about to have an untimely visit from the Grim Reaper herself in his sleep.  

A silent shadow that wields death in her hands and harvests the souls of those she has slain. 

Tonight, Katana's target was a Mexican mobster who is said to be the mover and shaker of the substance known as Snake oil in California.  A powerful drug that can incapacitate any meta-human/mutant. 

Katana's suspicion only grew stronger since she watched that video of a crazed theorist's podcast. She had a hunch that the snake oil may be connected to it and is the same chemical used to gas the metahumans in one of Lord's concentration camps.

Perhaps this mobster can provide more info on this topic, once he is on the other side of her soultaker.
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Like a cat, Katana's footsteps were almost non-existent. She silently opens the sliding window pane and grabs the hilt of her soultaker, slowly approaching the slumbering mobster in his bed. 

Just as she is about to assassinate the poor man in the dark, she realizes something is amiss. His blanket emits a foul smell of rusted iron, and its texture is quite soaked. 

The stench of death is familiar to her. She immediately pulled off the sheet only to find the mobster was already dead, drowning in his own blood.

She frowned, realizing that someone had reached her target before she could.

Katana examines the lifeless body. The cuts the crime lord obtained were no ordinary slices. They were precise, and surgical, Only damaging the important parts of the body's organs. This was a quick death by the blade and was no doing of an amateur hitman.

Their motive must be silencing this man, taking his secrets to the grave.

[color=39b54a]FWOOOOPPMH!!![/color]

Just when Katana was about to leave the room, An arrow flew through the window and went straight to her. A ninja wielding a crossbow is standing outside missed his shot as Katana barely deflected by an inch with a flick of her sword.

Panicked. The suspect quickly flee after that failed attempt.

Katana took a deep breath and started sprinting through the motel hallways, in pursuit of the trained assassin. Hoping to find answers on why the attempt on her life?

Both of them are agile and limber as the chase continues, doing flips and parkours all over the place, maneuvering around the tight spaces of the motel. 

Tatsu Toro ended up in an empty parking lot where the chase ended. From there, she sees a lone white van as other four members dressed like the one who tried to kill her steps out. 

Judging by their red-themed ninja garb, I'd say they're a part of a clan. Which makes them dangerous. I've met these type before. They hunt in packs and spelled nothing but trouble. Katana thought to herself.

[color=ed1c24]"Who are you?"[/color] She asked. 

The four masked men remained silent, drawing their bladed weapons as their answer. Their eyes are filled with killing intent as they continue to glare at her. Clearly,  The wandering ronin has stumbled upon something that conflicts with their interest and has something to do with the dead mobster. 

[color=ed1c24]"Fine, then you shall die nameless by my swords" [/color]The Bladerunner draws her two blades.

[center][color=ed1c24]A DEADLY SHOWDOWN IS ABOUT TO BEGIN: ITS KATANA VS THE HAND![/color][/center]