After a bit of self reflection and listening to Peanut give DW the business, I decided to leave. I picked up the stationary laying on the coffee table and wrote DW a thank you note after dressing myself. I needed new clothes, badly. With the exception of my jacket and shoes, all my clothes were drenched in my blood. As I left the building, I zipped my jacket up and tried to straighten it over the bloody area of my pants. I would have to walk to the closest market district with a low profile. It was daylight, and if my assumptions were correct, heat might be on my tail from last night. Luckily, I could hide most of my sword beneath my jacket, and the shops for the rich and famous in this area couldn’t have been too far away.
Not many people were on the streets, it was a work day. Even traffic police seemed sparse today. I met eyes with the occasional Stepford wife holding bags and yapping away on a cell phone, but they were too stuck up to give me any notice. I spotted a nice, discreet male clothing store and made my way towards it, tossing my bag and sword on top it’s awning before I entered. I spent about ten minutes shopping and about $100 dollars on a single outfit. If I wasn’t so vain, I’d probably have been pissed at myself for dropping that much cash on a pair of camo-pants and black t-shirt. I exited quickly with a “Peace out” from the teenage clerk.
As I stepped out, my body suddenly froze. Something wasn’t right. I tried to stay looking casual. I didn’t shift my eyes. I just listened. I smelled the air. I felt the wind on my face and hands.
Suddenly a rich, Irish voice spoke out, nearly making me jump out of my skin. “Interesting… Most interesting.” My eyes slowly edged over to the right, and there I saw the imposing figure of a large man. He was dressed in what seemed like a cross between a business suit and priest's uniform. His figure was darkened by what appeared to be a replica-crucifix leaned against the wall behind him. Combed black hair shined in the sunlight silhouetting the crucifix. His face was turned down, examining something in his hands. I looked down to see my odachi held in his hands delicately.
“Wh-who the hell are you…?” I stammered. I already knew the answer. The clothes, the cross behind him. This was another one of those bogeymen in the underworld of assassins. Most called him “The Crusader”, but…
“I am called Gavin.” he pronounced proudly as he raised his head to look into my face. His was adorned with small battle scares scattered here and there. His right brown eye had a particularly interesting crescent scar coming from its corner. He was a sharp-featured fellow, which only increased his ability to intimidate me effortlessly. “You have an interesting weapon, friend. I take it you are a ‘contractor’… That is what your type likes to be called, correct?”
I swallowed hard and gathered my guts mentally. “What about it?” I growled with a snarl. I wasn’t going to let this guy get the best of me.
He gripped the sword at its middle and thrust it out sideways with his hand, arm fully extended. “I regret to inform you of this, but God’s work must be done.” He dropped my sword, forcing me to catch it quickly. Before I could regain myself, the sound of a gun cocking, something heavy and mean brought my face darting up towards Gavin’s.
Where the hell did that gun come from?! raced through my mind. Less than a second ago, his hands where filled with my sword. What is this guy?
“I request your presence at the Waterfront Gardens tonight, at the strike of midnight. If you do not comply, I shall follow you. The moment you are off guard, I will end your life.” he glared directly into my eyes, sending terrible chills down my spine. “I offer you the chance to fight and die like a man. It is your choice whether or not to choose this fate.”
I was speechless. Unable to respond, I just looked into the man’s ominous expression like a terrified child. I saw my own violent end in his cold eyes. Suddenly, a car honked its loud horn out in the road and I jerked my head towards it in terror. By instinct, I quickly looked back at the man, but he was gone. “D-damn it!” I cursed loudly standing back uprightly. I felt mentally and emotionally exhausted from that strange encounter. I leaned my back against the wall and breathed a deep sigh. Did that really just happen…? I thought to myself, confused and very afraid. I’d been an assassin for a long while. I’ve fought some pretty nasty figures before. But this guy… something about this guy was different. His presence alone felt like he was in the process of slitting my throat. Running away was out of the question though. I knew that he was telling the truth about what he said. I’d have to fight him, tonight. This whole contract was turning my life slowly into hell, but I’m sure that if I survived this little encounter tonight, it’d only get worse…
Shaking my head, I tried to regain my balls and take a few steps. I reached up onto the stores awning to grab my bag. I couldn’t feel it, though. My hand returned to me with a piece of paper in it.
You won’t be needing this in Hell. it read.
“Shit.” I whispered to myself. I balled up the paper and threw it into the gutter. I needed to talk to someone. Someone with a head on their shoulders. Someone who could help me out… I needed to talk to maybe my only true friend.
I needed to talk to Sakura.
