[Date: November 6th, 2015] [The plane arrives with little turbulance. Akira had just gotten the call. The corporation was generous enough to give him first class seating but the flight was somber. No one spoke the entire time.] [Fortunately, there's no trouble with this plane. Of course, no one knows exactly what went wrong with your parent's plane. All reports state it was an accident.] [The quiet of the plane is countered by the bustle of the airport. Akira stands to claim his baggage from his flight from San Diego.] * Akira doesn't enve think about flight problems until hes back on the ground, then his sits down on the first seat handy and shakes for a minute. [Intro start] * Akira idly waits for his bags to come through, snagging the two bags and heading out, he's finding the Japanese to be strange sounding after all these years. [Someone holds a sign up near the terminal exit. It says "Musei-san" on it.] * Akira walks over to the person. "Hello. I'm Musei Akira. I assume you're waiting for me?" * Akira looks them over... [The guy nods and bows deeply, looking up slowly. "I'm sorry to hear about your family. If you'd like, we've arranged your transportation.." * Akira returns the bow. "Thank you. I would like that, as it's been a while since I've been in Japan." [Another faceless minion opens the door to the car. It's a dark limo. It seems they spared little expense.] [The attendant who bowed first does indeed take your bags and toss them in the trunk. Isn't that nice of them?] * Akira keeps hold of his carryon with the laptop in it and slips into the limo, settling back in the seat. [He grunts slightly at the effort. "These are a little heavy, sir. Are you certain you need this much?"] * Akira smiles. "I've never been one to travel light." [Once he gets back into the car, the car takes off! It makes good speed actually and you're at the funeral in no time. The funeral is typical Japanese fare.] [Someone in the front row though doesn't seem to be paying much attention to the casket. He 's looking at you.] * Akira doesn't cry, he did that enough when he heard about it. * Akira eyes the man, does he look like a salaryman? [Soon after you start to notice him, the funeral is over and he takes off. You don't get a real good look.] [He seemed fairly well dressed, but that's par for a funeral. Might have been from the company.] * Akira gets distracted by the people coming and talking to him afterwards, so he forgets about him for now. [Suddenly, a voice calls out from the sides, sounding slightly out of breath. "Yo, Ken!"] * Akira perks up and looks around, who would know that name *here*? * Guy runs forward to the side of the funeral, huffing a bit but not too heavily. "You're still here. Geez, what a day huh?" [You recognize the guy as an old friend who worked as a medic in your section. You didn't get to talk to him all that much, but obviously he knows you. You think his name is...Hiro? You're not entirely sure.] Um. Yes, I am. It just ended. And no, it was not a fun day. Um...Hiro-san, yes? God, so that plane got someone you knew too huh? Small world eh? * Akira blinks and gets paranoid. "Who was on it that you knew?" It was my parents... Of course, everyone's working for these corps these days. My sis. She was...you know, they didn't really tell me why she was taking that flight. * Hiro puts his hands in his pockets. He doesn't seem too fazed. Yeah, I'm sorry to hear that man..it's awful stuff. They say the landing gear just wouldn't release. Tripped over its own nose. * Akira thinks back... "They did tell me either. I just assumed that it was normal business..." * Akira winces and closes his eyes. "I know..." * Hiro puts his arm around Akira all friendly-like. "Well, it's good to see a friendly face at least. What say we check out the bar scene? I know a little place..might take your mind off it." * Akira nods. "I think that might be a good idea. One minute, okay?" * Akira slips from his arm and moves over to the caskets, placing his hands on each and saying a prayer for them. * Hiro nods and jams his hands in his pockets again. "Sure man. I saw you a lot at the range too. If ya want, we can head down there too after." Goodbye... * Akira turns back to Hiro and nods. "Let's go." [So you head down to the bar. Unfortunately the bar seems to be closed that he wanted to go to.] * Akira sighs. "Typical. --; Geez, just my luck...you'd think the universe was against you or something. * Akira sinks into the seat. "It seems to be. --;" We can still go shooting though right? It's only about a block down the street...if you're game. Yeah. Better to go *before* we get drunk, than after anyway. [He walks you down to the shooting range. The environment leaves something to be desired, but it's not completely slummy. The actual range is indoor and quite nice. The girl at the counter looks up. "Can I help you?"] * Akira looks around, checking the place out. "Yes. We'd like to use the range." [She nods and gives you some muffs for ear protection, setting them out. "It's 1000 yen a set. Not bad if you ask me. You have your own weapons, right? I'll need to inspect them."] * Hiro leans back a little, hands still in pockets. "Yeah, well I don't have one. It's not really my thing. You got one I can use?" [The girl's gaze slowly turns to him, unamused, as she brushes her hair behind the bulletproof glass. "You think we're crazy enough to hand out firearms to every joker who comes in here?"] * Akira pulls two guns from under his jacket. "I've got one you can use." He holds them up for the lady. "See?" [The girl taps the counter irritatedly from behind the glass. "On here, on here. Let me see them."] * Akira removes the ammo from both and sets them down. [A small section of glass slides open as she grabs the guns in her gloves then slides back. The girl handles them with care. Seems she knows what she's doing. You'd hope so if she was hired for this job. She sets the safety and slides them back under the slot.] ["Alright, lane 6. Don't turn the safeties off until the buzzer sounds. If you get thirsty there's a vending machine on site. Any questions?"] * Hiro takes his hand out of his pocket and points up at his face. "What about me?" * Akira retrives them and slips the clips back in them, handing one to Hiro. "Here." ["You get lane 7. It's not like it really matters, but the guys upstairs like to keep things organized."] * Akira pays and takes the ear protector, slipping it on as he heads to the lane... [Hiro heads to his lane too. He puts on the ear protectors and aims carefully...and misses the target entirely.] * Akira grins. "Well, you *were* a medic. ^^" * Akira takes aim, slipping the safety off when he raises the gun, and fires. [The intercom over the range flares up with the voice of the irritated girl. "I SAID wait for the buzzer. Are you two deaf or something?"] * Akira pulls his ear protector off. "What?!" [Just then the buzzer sounds. The targets change.] * Hiro grins a little and holds out the gun again. Fires..misses. * Akira raises his arm up and aims again, slowly squeezing off rounds as the target settles in his sights... [After a few rounds, the buzzer sounds again. The targets start to change..then stops. The lights flash on the roof and the buzzer keeps whirring.] * Akira blinks. "What the hell?" ["Man on the range! Man on the range! Hold your fire!"] * Akira pulls his arm back, pointing his weapon up, and makes sure Hiro does the same. * Hiro tries to resist for a second, still with his protectors on. "What the hell's that all about?" [You see him now. You can't tell his age or appearance really. He seems to be walking with a drunken gait though.] Someone is on the range! Stop shooting! * Hiro takes off his ear protectors. "What??" * Akira carefully pulls the gun out of Hiro's hand. "I said, stop shooting! Someone is on the range!" * Hiro staggers back as the gun's yanked from his grasps. [The man slowly raises his eyes to look at you. You recognize him. He was the one looking at you at the funeral too.] * Akira safeties both weapons and sticks them back under his jacket. "Hey man! Come out of there! It's dangerous!" * Man levels his arm, looking like he's pointing his sleeve at you. His gaze is fixed. * Akira holds up his hands in a warding gesture. "Hey... Easy! I'm not a target!" * Akira is backing up slowly... * Man slowly lets a smirk come to his face. A shot cracks off. [You narrowly avoid the shot. He wasn't aiming for vitals but he seems frustrated.] * Man 's sleeve falls down, revealing a semi-auto. Kuso... O_O [First Akira, then the man. Hiro's freaking so he's not going to be much help :P] [Errm..] [Other way round ^_^;] Kuso... ;_; * Man lets out a growl and runs across the field, spraying bullets. * Akira duck, dives, dodges, and rolls... [He doesn't seem to be aiming though. It makes a nice pattern on the back wall though.] * Akira crouches down, draws his weapon again and fires, trying to take out the weapon, not the guy... What the hell's going on..? Who is this freak? * Akira is a little too busy shooting to answer... * Man gets blown back by the force of the shot. He lands hard against the target and clutches his shoulder. You're...supposed to die too... Shit. I used the .50 cal. It went through the gun *and* him. >_< * Man tries to reach for his gun, his fingers aching as he bends down. * Akira ducks under the guardrail and moves toward the guy, keeping his weapon aimed at him. "Don't. I don't wanna kill you." * Man looks up slowly and a slow smirk creeps up from his lips. "You don't?" I *want* to know why you're trying to kill *me*. [Another gunshot comes from behind and a bullet whizzes past the two of you. It's the girl from behind the counter. She's holding her pistol steadily at you. "Okay you two, I don't know what's going on but stop it."] * Man lets out a little grin. "You'll find out." His arm moves into his coat. * Akira ducks and almost takes aim at her before seeing who she is and aiming towards the ground. Look we don't have--HEY! [She lowers the gun slightly. "Geezus..you gave me...hey what??"] * Man tosses out a smoke bomb. The room starts to fill with a bit of choking gas. * Akira aims at the guy again. "Take that hand--ack!" * Akira moves back quickly, trying to see if he can see the guy... [The smoke doesn't last long. But the guy is, of course, no longer there when it clears. You can see a little business card where he was.] * Akira keeps his weapon drawn but his finger off the trigger as he goes over and picks up the card... * Akira looks around for the guy's weapon... [The guy's gun is still there. Looks like the trigger's pretty much useless now.] [The card has no name on it and has only a beige colored emblem with a horse and a lightning bolt running through it. It seems to be an intricate engraving. But there's no phone number, no email, no nothing.] Hmm... Someone left their calling card... [On the back is an address though, but it's scribbled in pen, seemingly in a hurry. The words say "Meet by the bushes on the 8th. Show your card to the rest of them."] [And..it has your name on the card too.] o O (What the hell?) * Hiro looks over the guardrails. "What's up? You find something?" [The girl finally puts away her gun. She mumbles something about people always making her job difficult.] * Akira pockets the card and picks up the weapon, moving back to Hiro. "Nah. Just the guys weapon." Oh, miss? [She looks up and runs her finger through her hair. "It's not a good day...make it quick."] * Akira takes the ammo out of the weapon and tosses it to her. "Here ya go. Now you have a loaner." Huh...how weird. Say, you know there's this bar in Sapporo I just thought of. Want to unwind there? I felt we kind of earned it after..whatever that was. [She catches the weapon easily and looks up at him. "Um...you're kidding right? You're nuts if you think I can just take something like this."] * Akira tucks his weapon away, then takes the other back from the girl. "Okay. I will then." * Akira looks it over. "A little work and it'll be a good as new." ["Hey wait a sec..you just...gah, men!" She stomps back to her booth holding her head.] * Hiro shakes his head and chuckles, walking forward, hands in his jacket. "So what about that drink?" * Akira adds it to his collection under his jacket. "Okay. Where's this bar again? ^_^" Sapporo. It's not really that far from this backwater dump. I think we can get there within the hour. * Akira pats Hiro on the back, thinking about an appointment he has in a few days. "Lead the way, then friend." [Akira intro end]