Smell of Blood(6)

"Tadashi, are you really going to let the man who murdered your own daughter just waltz into your territory?" An old man said.

"Of course not."

"Then what the hell are you doing about it?"

"I've known that kid since he was but a toddler. His father would often say his son would be The Great. However, that man who stood for honor and justice would be disappointed."

"Answer my question, Ta-"

"But he got lured away by a woman. I can't say I'm surprised, though. For a man who was always energetic, he always held a cloud over his head when by himself. Like he didn't want people to see a man for justice be so saddened. He even had a sort of...motto, you could say," He chuckled, "in the pursuit of justice, you can't control what happens to you, so let your resilience be the antidote to despair for a pillar of strength knows no room for sadness and is not a victim of circumstance. 

"You know it by heart, do you?"

"He would never shut up about it...so, yeah, it stuck with me."

"What are you going to do about his son, Yamishin, then?"

"I'll kill him. The kid is a stain to his father's legacy."

"And how do you plan that?"

"I'll do whatever it takes."

*************************************************

Team Swallow just arrived at their second target inside the Keihin Industrial Zone.

The industrial zone sprawled on the outskirts of the city like a mechanical beast, its metallic sinews and concrete veins weaving through the landscape. As one ventured deeper into this urban labyrinth, the air thickened with the scent of oil, acrid fumes, and the rhythmic hum of machinery.

Towering factories, their smokestacks exhaling plumes of gray, created an imposing skyline against the backdrop of a perpetually overcast sky. The architecture, a fusion of utilitarian design and cold efficiency, stood as a testament to the relentless march of progress. Facades of weathered steel and concrete bore the scars of time and industry, while sprawling warehouses with corrugated metal roofs loomed like sentinels guarding the secrets within.

Narrow alleyways wound between colossal structures, creating a maze where daylight struggled to penetrate. The ground, stained with industrial runoff, echoed with the persistent clatter of heavy machinery and the distant clang of metal meeting metal. A network of railway tracks crisscrossed the area, transporting goods in and out like pulsating arteries.

The symphony of industry reverberated through the air—the constant rumble of conveyor belts, the staccato beat of machinery in motion, and the occasional shrill whistle of a distant steam release. Fluorescent lights, suspended from skeletal frameworks, cast an artificial glow that flickered like distant stars in the industrial night.

Amidst the gritty landscape, workers in heavy coveralls moved with purpose, their faces obscured by smudges of grease and determination. Massive cranes, their mechanical arms reaching towards the heavens, loaded and unloaded shipping containers with a mechanical precision that mirrored the heartbeat of the industrial zone.

Despite the business, the team ignored and dove deeper within. The workers casted glances at them, but ultimately didn't even approach the team. Some of the team members found it weird, but they continued.

Then, they stood before their target.

Nestled within the industrial expanse, the Alloy Citadel stood as a testament to the relentless march of progress. Its angular façade, a fusion of weathered steel and glass, rose defiantly against the backdrop of the sprawling industrial zone. Enigmatic and imposing, the citadel's architecture embodied the union of form and function.

"This it?" Daken questioned.

"Yeah, it is." Remi replied, tired.

They cut the chains on the gate, opened it, and walked through the tiny, infinite rocks. 

Remi, the strategist with a penchant for chaos, led the assault. Clad in the shadows, she directed her cohorts with calculated precision. Daken, a mysterious figure with a reputation for brutality, followed closely behind, ready to unleash controlled mayhem. Hiroki, the silent infiltrator, slipped through the darkened corridors like a phantom, anticipating and neutralizing any opposition.

"Can the kid really do it? I mean, he just started this shit like a week ago, no?" Daken said.

Remi pinched her eyes, "Kyoki said he has potential," she sighed.

He nodded his head.

Remi, eyes gleaming with determination, signaled the assault's beginning. Shattered glass echoed through the facility as Hiroki disabled the security system, opening a pathway for impending chaos.

Daken, a towering demeanor in dimly lit corridors, led the charge. His presence struck terror into the hearts of any opposition. Metal doors groaned as they yielded to his relentless advance. Workers, caught off guard in the late-night shift, scrambled to comprehend the sudden intrusion.

"Kill them all." Daken commanded, his red eyes glistening in the dark.

"NO!"

"ACK!"

The workers cried out in pain as they were murdered, like lambs to a slaughter.

One worker looked at Daken, his face darkened and swelled up. He exploded towards Daken, launching himself forward with his right arm scything around in a giant roundhouse strike, as if he knew martial arts. Daken easily sidestepped, ducked under his arm, and gave a blow straight to the nose.

The worker groaned and held his nose as he fell to the ground, paving the way for Daken to continue. But before he did, Daken walked over to the defeated man. He raised his foot high, and sent it back down on the worker's face, a soundful crunch.

Hiroki continued swiftly through the building, looking for place's money might be stashed in, such as safes and crates.

Remi remained outside, sitting upon the opened gate with a few men as she yawned. She stretched her arm outwards, "their probably done by now, let's go," she voiced, sitting up and wiping her ass. She caught one of the men looking, but she didn't care-she was too tired.

After walking over multiple bodies inside, she found herself in an expansive room that had no mechanical equipment, but only wooden crates. Hiroki and most of the team were all inside, cheering as they opened the boxes.

"Boss!" Hiroki exclaimed, running to Remi, "they got tons of stuff! Money, obviously! But even grants, and LITERAL gold bars! Hell, even guns!" He laughed, his adrenaline running high.

"That's good," she smiled, "we'll take what we can. Burn the rest." She blinked, slowly.

The men began to take whatever boxes they could, stocking up the vehicles they brought as much as they could. And after twenty minutes, the room was missing roughly 30 percent of it's goods. While people were taking boxes to the cars, others were brining cans of gasoline. They poured as much as they could, making sure nothing would be missed.

Remi slowly walked away, the men behind her simultaneously counting down to zero before throwing their lighters into different areas. She felt the heat hit her back, the men rushing past her and out of the building, yet she continued to walk.

And once out, she saw her men surrounded within the gates. 

"Fuck." She whispered to herself, rubbing her forehead in annoyance. She continued walking upwards, where the leader stood.

"Personally come to say hello, have you?" Remi said, "Tadashi, you fucker."

Her men were all forcefully knelt down, guns pointed at them. 

"That I have. Thought I'd come say hello to an old acquaintance." He pointed his gun upwards, mere feet away from her, "you sure about this? Kozue won't be treated too well once you're found out." Remi warned him.

"I sent Takeo down there." He slowly paced back and forth, arms behind his back.

"Then I'm sorry to say you just sent your own son to his death. He'll get lost down there looking for her."

"No, I know where she's being hidden."

"Bullshit."

"Mori Haruki. The name ring a bell?"

Remi carefully checked the surroundings, looking for any openings, "we never told the old man where she was even being hidden. Nice try, though." She mocked Tadashi.

"Yeah, but how many people do you think have seen the legendary Yamishin leave his home? There sure is a lot of gossip. And I'm sure Haruki told you guys; he has the best intelligence crew in all of Kanto."

The building only continued to burn, windows shattering as it expanded. "I heard you lit one of The Stell Hounds members on fire," he paused, gesturing to his men who pushed the Swallow team into the constraints of the gate, "so, how would you like to burn?"

"Tadashi..."

"I have over four hundred men here. You have roughly fifty....not enough Remi. Try to jump over the gates and we'll shoot you."

The gates closed.

"Have fun." He grinned.

"Ma'am!" A man suddenly appeared next to Remi, "we have to get out of here!"

She was pulled towards the building, Hiroki and Daken following suit. "W-What's the plan!?" Hiroki asked, loudly as the jogged to the back of the building. Remi looked to her right, her men attempting to flee as they were murdered. 

'Boss,' Daken thought, 'you have a plan, right?'

"We'll remain at the back of the building." Remi stated. Daken, at first, looked confused, but then nodded his head in understanding whereas the other men, as well as Hiroki, conveyed faces of shock.

"Don't act like idiots!" She hissed, "Kyoki always has a plan. Always."

The air continued to be personified by the fire, hot wind brushing up against them as the steel melted away. "Daken, do you fear fire?" Remi questioned, her face bore the weight of exhaustion, yet her eyes held a resolute seriousness.

"Never have been ma'am. I was born in it."

"Then I command you, go back to that room and grab as many guns as you can."

"I won't disappoint." He looked at the back door. He held his shoulder high, pouncing through the doors. His shoulder burned, but he casted a glance at Hiroki who looked worried, "I'll be back soon, kid."