This page conserves the character fiction forum of the Agora forums. The posts have been left unformatted to make it easier for users to copy them here and paste them into the new forums.

Oren Itanooren12/10/08 18:25View
Missy12/10/08 22:22View
The backstory of Vulpes.Vulpes12/11/08 01:46View
Erica KesselErica Kessel12/11/08 07:52View
Missy's Story.. a Do-over and another ChapterMissy12/11/08 22:38View
UsrBinPerl12/11/08 23:48View
oren12/11/08 23:57View
Kwekwe's BackstoryKwekwe Karu12/12/08 01:02View
UsrBinPerl12/13/08 00:35View
Eternal SunsetMissy12/13/08 12:19View
Kit Ristow12/14/08 00:01View
ShyMathys12/14/08 00:27View
MasksAlissa12/14/08 00:58View
Lorae12/14/08 01:24View
UsrBinPerl12/14/08 22:07View
Missy's Story Continued..Part 3Missy12/16/08 08:43View
Missy's Story Part 4: Innocence ShatteredMissy12/16/08 18:34View
Missy's Story Part 5: Innocence AnnihilatedMissy12/18/08 17:16View
Small DangersVox12/18/08 21:36View
Saint of The Abyss: Part 1Luciferiel12/19/08 05:21View
Zero....-1Justa Zero12/19/08 17:38View
Zero....1Justa Zero12/19/08 18:26View
Óðr’s Daughter. Chapter I: A Guiding DreamAsil Karu12/20/08 02:39View
Omega To Alphaerinnic12/23/08 16:49View
Her Bloody Tears [-Past Event-]Methias12/23/08 18:09View
Lost Kitsune - A Shattered MindKiera12/25/08 18:51View
Usr's story Part IVUsrBinPerl12/27/08 20:34View
The EssexHeir Maelstrom12/29/08 04:23View
Kwekwe's shameKwekwe Karu12/30/08 18:11View
Joint Round Robin Fic Anyone...?erinnic12/30/08 19:07View
God Was On Her Lips As She Diederinnic01/02/09 23:31View
Love and Betrayal - A New Beginningkessjuliesse01/03/09 13:46View
The Diary of Cody Woodhencodywoodhen01/05/09 21:35View
Missy's Story Part 6: Innocence AbductedMissy01/07/09 06:23View
Cursed BladeYannis_Martynov01/08/09 21:27View
Story Thread: Community Round Robin Ficerinnic01/09/09 23:25View
The demon withinCanly Fargis01/11/09 16:14View
Ziau- CoLA's Very Own CasanovaZiau01/13/09 02:09View
Twisted Attentionserinnic01/21/09 20:34View
Inspiration- music and roleplayZiau01/26/09 08:01View
Compilation! Where were you when it all happened?Ziau01/28/09 09:12View
The Clock Struck MidnightMalice Ashdene01/28/09 22:31View
With Precision- a poem by Kelly Welch A.k.A Ziau Jua.Ziau01/29/09 04:36View
Alisa's dicovery of a new world (character sheet + story)Alisa Draconia01/30/09 19:17View
The Shadow Stepper- Ziau the Enshadowed.Ziau02/01/09 07:26View
Krista Lemon arrives to the streets of Lost AngelsKrista02/03/09 00:09View
Back Story Upto the Excile of Rune.RuneCrimson02/03/09 21:59View
War with the Brood, war with the Coven, and the Pack.Ziau02/07/09 04:11View
-- Halcyon's Backstory --Halcyon Nacht02/08/09 00:22View
Planer/Exonar family (aka, Erinyse, Khalan, Viridian, Cummere, Selena)Cummere Mayo02/08/09 03:53View
Kit's BackstoryKit Ristow02/10/09 18:40View
Eyes in the DarkKeyla02/11/09 09:47View
Surfacing Part ILlyr02/13/09 22:21View
Surfacing Part IILlyr02/13/09 22:35View
Tama-Chan: A Cat's Story (Tamara's background)Tamara02/17/09 07:35View
Project: A map of Post Apocalypse North AmericaTamara02/17/09 19:21View
Dreamtime RevelationsWinter02/19/09 18:08View
Reaver-the echo of the BlackwindAntiZero02/23/09 00:43View
On the Origin of SpeciesTamara02/25/09 22:38View
ConfessionKit Ristow02/26/09 01:39View
Personnel File: Pointe, Zsuzsanna C. (Inactive, Deceased)Su Pointe02/26/09 03:32View
Malice, in a Different Kind of WonderlandMalice Ashdene02/27/09 18:07View
The Dark of InspirationKit Ristow03/01/09 21:42View
Jheric: CrucifiedKayle Ashdene03/03/09 10:53View
It's my lifearsene_Braveheart03/05/09 18:18View
The Tradgedy of the HybridDigital Enigma03/29/09 07:09View
The Sin of Wrathmolly switchblade04/02/09 21:28View
Golden BoyEphran Ehrler04/15/09 06:12View
Story About A GirlAesendria04/24/09 15:34View
Climaxe by Smith and WessonSloan04/28/09 06:19View
My new project ATTENTION Russian Characters!Ziau05/01/09 06:42View
**NSFW** A Typical Tuesday Night for MissyMissy05/06/09 20:48View
Post your profile links!Cortero Landar05/07/09 10:25View
Making Logan SufferAesendria05/12/09 07:09View
Jeanne VarunJeanne Varun05/14/09 08:24View
The Vanguard's True PurposeLogan05/16/09 01:03View
Cortero's Infernal ArmorCortero Landar05/16/09 06:52View
Bookstore SurpriseAesendria05/16/09 23:16View
Post your profile links if you have in-story info in them!Cortero Landar05/18/09 10:33View
PromisesAesendria05/24/09 02:44View
Cyber Evolution Bios, Anur Seda, Cyber Reaper, and Commander of CETheassassin06/08/09 11:28View
Was any of it real?Youko_Giha06/12/09 15:28View
A shift in prioritiesLogan06/17/09 04:21View
Going homeLudvig06/17/09 19:10View
'Ren in Japanoren06/18/09 23:11View
Thelma across the boardThelemaJuliesse06/26/09 15:09View
Pre-fiction: How Kayteear got here.Kayteear07/15/09 16:43View
Story TimeCharissa07/17/09 19:03View
Pack Airship RP.Tai07/27/09 02:49View
My CharacterLilith1308/05/09 22:34View
LilithLilith1308/06/09 09:30View
The Haunter in the DarkShadow08/14/09 21:50View
The Flying HeadsKwekwe Karu08/16/09 16:52View
Why selling coffins is impossible in CoLAZiau08/23/09 04:14View
Paint it red!Ziau08/23/09 07:51View
Young Cowards.Ziau08/23/09 08:28View
Great video for RPers and people passionate about writing.Ziau09/05/09 08:55View
Dux - 264 BCDux09/10/09 18:41View
The Thing at South Gate SanitariumShadow09/15/09 22:09View
♪♫ Do you wanna RP my avatar ♪♫Kayteear09/17/09 14:45View
Jessica's MotherJessica Susser09/21/09 04:19View
Ziau Challenged me to. NSFWChasityDawes09/21/09 07:17View
The Divine Machine.................Theassassin09/21/09 22:29View
I Bleed my Blood for Myself.Ziau09/22/09 22:28View
Cronicle of a deathKayteear09/24/09 01:34View
"Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself"DavidJoshua Artful09/26/09 17:07View
Old Versus NewDigital Enigma09/27/09 20:28View
The Shadowed Order, The Eternal Order, Ordo MachinaTheassassin10/06/09 06:55View
Elamyrath's HistoryElamyrath10/10/09 00:52View
The here, the now, the dead. The Minus.TheMinus Ziskey10/10/09 12:41View
Before bed ritual.Amy Guisse10/17/09 04:13View
Alone?Ike10/18/09 15:34View
IS this High School again?Theassassin10/24/09 12:49View
Sidhe vs DrowOrlok Lectar10/29/09 04:08View
Daddy bluesarsene_Braveheart11/17/09 19:01View
Chronicles of SIEagentlyseria11/22/09 12:27View
The Lady In Black(A Drokan Exile Twisted Love Story)AntiZero11/29/09 06:36View
The growing Darkness.Leirain Koray12/01/09 11:04View
The lycanKayteear12/01/09 16:00View
City of Lost Jackman: The Untold Hollywood BlockbusterAntiZero12/02/09 07:11View
Coming home for christmas ..Kes12/10/09 22:17View
Bunneh Vs. Lich, DBZ styleKarsha Yutani12/14/09 11:59View
A FarewellRoland12/16/09 20:50View
Of Death and RebirthDigital Enigma12/21/09 20:14View
The Story of ReocoReoko Farspire02/06/10 20:47View
Homecoming......... The Story of Orpheus DarkfoldOrpheusDarkfold03/11/10 02:27View
The Story of Orpheus Part 2OrpheusDarkfold03/13/10 23:15View
Who owns who?Kayteear03/22/10 22:03View
Missing the Oceanricercar03/23/10 22:27View
Letter to the editor: Manners in LATink03/25/10 16:58View
Chasity BackstoryChasityDawes06/14/10 19:43View
Something Black and Violent...DavidJoshua Artful06/19/10 22:23View
Doctor Visiterinnic07/12/10 04:26View
Gabby Perdidevacantghost07/19/10 04:42View
PosterMessageDate
orenHot and loud. Those were my first impressions as I stepped through the rift. LA never felt like this. LA was cool from the perpetually shrouded sun, and quiet from the almost complete absence of technology. Tokyo on the other hand… It buzzed, literally, like an angry nest, terawatts of energy flying through the air and wires all around me, powering the industry that kept the city hot and the Kuei-Jin of Fuyu-Co rich. Shielding my eyes from the neon glare and dialing down my audio receptors I looked at the man, the Kuei-Jin, the Gaki Vampire who had brought me here.

“Konbanwa tatsujin” I said with a deep bow, eyes averted, my biotech brain working overtime to repress adrenal product and flush serotonin into my system to calm the panic that threatened to take over at any moment as I stood before the Vampire who raped and later Sired me when I was still a jugun ianfu. My demon and my angel. A man whose name I didn’t even know and who I had not seen in a century.

“Konbanwa O-ren-san.” He replied with an almost imperceptible inclination of his head. His voice was guttural and harsh and brought back a flood of memories so strong I almost fell to my knees. Lifting my head I flicked my eyes up and took a snapshot of him before averting my eyes again. Studying the picture in my cybernetic brain as he continued to speak, I notated his formal and traditional dress, harkening back to the much revered era of the Shoguns and Samurai. He wore a dark hakama jacket and heather grey andon bakama over a snow white kimono with a bone inlayed tanto at his hip. His full head of black hair hung loose disappearing behind his broad shoulders and his exposed skin seemed to writhe as though worms moved beneath the surface. Zooming and enhancing the image I could see the illusion of movement was the product of thousands of lines of nanowire “tattooed” into his skin, the only indication I saw on his body of the celebrated tech of the Fuyu-Co elite.

“It has been too long, tatsujin” I replied to him, only half registering what he had said as I examined his appearance. I didn’t know what else to say to this stranger.

“Come” he said, spinning fluidly on his heel and striding toward the revolving door behind him without a backward glance, secure in the knowledge that all I could do was obey. I looked up as my feet began to move, and continued looking up, unable to fully grasp the enormity of the building we were entering because it disappeared into the clouds, the headquarters of Fuyu-Co, the new “imperial seat” of Japan, the public front for the Kuei-Jin’s power. “We have much to discuss musume.” He continued as he held an elevator door for me “The Oni are growing stronger by the day, but I see an opportunity that may be exploited.” His words confused me. I had of course heard of Fuyu-Co, the body I now wore was a Fuyu-Co product after all, but the Oni were foreign to me as were the machinations of my Sire. The elevator whispered open on the 147th floor, revealing what could only be described as a typical office building floor filled with low walled cubicles. As he stepped out with me in tow and began walking toward the outside of the building, I assumed toward his “office” the workers in the cubicles stood and bowed, muttering “Konbanwa Ishiguro-san”. Finally I had a name for my Sire. Ishiguro.

He barely acknowledged the greetings as he walked through their ranks and into his office. Sliding into the large leather chair behind his desk he motioned for me to take a seat. I closed the door behind me quietly and quickly looked over the furnishings before sitting down. The office spoke volumes. Behind his desk was a small shrine with a single candle burning; to its right was a picture of an elderly Japanese man in a smart business suit, the head of Fuyu-Co I assumed. Against the opposite wall was a small conversation area, pillows and a table on a traditional tatami mat, ubiquitous tea service arranged in the center. I was quickly thankful that he had not decided to sit in that area, I would have been expected to perform the tea ceremony as his childe, a ceremony I would have struggled to remember and surely messed up, disgracing myself badly. The third wall was one way glass overlooking the floor of cubicles, and the fourth floor to ceiling windows revealing nothing but clouds, a hip high table centered in front of it with his bone inlayed katana and wakizashi on display, the tanto shelf empty. His large desk was of highly polish and stained wood, probably bamboo from what I could see, but the top surface was glowing with a built in surface display.

Ishiguro steepled his fingers and stared at me. It took all my restraint to not squirm in the seat, unsure what he wanted from me, but I held my tongue. There was a subtle power play occurring and I knew that whoever spoke first would lose. I was determined that it would not be me.

“That body looks good on you musume. Have you enjoyed it.” He said with a nod toward the robotic replacement body he had sent to LA after I had been killed several months previous.

Almost sighing with relief when the silence was broken I met his gaze and nodded “Hai, it has served me well, origato tatsujin; your generosity was as unexpected as it was appreciated.”

“Good.” He grunted “Because I now have need of the capabilities of you and that body. I have been watching you for some time now. You mastery of fighting is impressive. I would have called you to my side months ago, but your untimely death was an unfortunate delay. I hoped that I could put you to use while you still retained your n-virus infected Vampire body; your decades of training and real world experience coupled with the strengths of that form would have been most useful.”

Color would have crept into my cheeks had I still retained a biological form, his tone made it obvious that I had let him down. I silently averted my eyes as he continued.

“Fortunately the model you now wear came out of preliminary testing a week after your death. I requisitioned the 8th one produced and had it shipped to Pacifica, trusting that witch that leads your Coven would know what to do. Testing is ongoing, but we have been pleased overall with the capabilities of the line. I trust you have found it satisfactory?” a slight upturn at the end of his sentence and a pause indicating that he expected a replay.

“Hai tatsujin.”

“Your spirit has fully integrated with the cybernetic systems? Have you met and exceeded your former fighting prowess?”

“Hai tatsujin. I have lost my ability to heal my Family of grievous injury, but my skill at one on one combat is far superior to my skill while I was fully biological.”

Waving his hand as if to say it didn’t matter he said “Healing is not for warriors, and you are my warrior. You have been brought here to be my sharp knife.” Leaning forward with his elbows on the desk he continued “I head the intelligence and counterinsurgency arm of Fuyu-Co. As I said before the Oni are growing stronger, but I see an opportunity that one with the right skill set might exploit. They overreach themselves, spreading their forces thin behind the main lines that are pressing north from Osaka. The defenses around their executive compound in Kyoto are weakest I have seen since the war began.”

Looking up I said softly “Forgive me please tatsujin, but I do not understand. What war? Who are the Oni? What do you need from me?”

Leaning back in his chair with a sigh of frustration he answered “Oh musume, you have gotten yourself so wrapped up in the politics of that cesspool LA that you have neglected your homeland…”

I started to reply that Japan was never my homeland, but was merely the land of the people who oppressed my people, killed my family, destroyed their culture, and enslaved me, but it didn’t seem like the best time to address that subject. Holding my tongue I listened.

Spreading his hands to indicate everything around us he continued “This is Fuyu-Co, the ruling corporation of Northern Japan, in the heart of Tokyo. Run by the Daimyo Saburo, the eldest living Gaki,” he glanced over his shoulder at the picture on the wall “Fuyu-Co brought peace and prosperity to Japan after the comet. Capitalizing on the chaos, we revealed our true natures and took our rightful place as the leaders of Japan. Organizing the humans, we quickly rebuilt Tokyo, did away with frivolous industries, and focused the humans on technological advancement and manufacturing. We have far exceeded the accomplishments made prior to the comet to the point were our tech, combined with our vampiric powers, rivals the sorcery of your Western blood witches and the demon hordes. However, the Oni, the demons, asserted themselves a few years ago, banding together for the first time in a bid to unseat us from power and claim for themselves all we have produced. We drove them South and walled them off in Osaka prefecture, but they have never given up.”

I nodded as I listened, enthralled by his voice as he spun the tail. Vampires ruling all, demons contending for power, it was all so familiar and yet so different.

“This is where you enter the story. As I said, the Oni have grown stronger, but have overstretched themselves.” Standing up he tapped on the desk display, spinning satellite imagery into view, his tone changing to that of one accustomed to commanding soldiers as he gestured to the images. I stood up and studied what he showed me as it slowly dawned on me that he had brought me here to infiltrate the Oni stronghold and assassinate their Oyabun.
06/18/09 23:11
NasreenYay!!! Good fic, Ren!06/19/09 02:15
KhoryThe third wall was one way glass overlooking the floor of cubicles, and the fourth floor to ceiling windows revealing nothing but clouds, a hip high table centered in front of it with his [u][b]boner[/b][/u] inlayed katana and wakizashi on display, the tanto shelf empty.

I only counted three typos. But that one was my favorite. Good read.
06/19/09 02:29
Erica KesselThat's one of those ones spellcheck won't help you with.06/19/09 03:09
orenI fired my proof reader. You want the job Khory?06/19/09 15:47
KhoryAs long as I get to ride an elephant.06/19/09 18:42
oren[b]Corrected some typos, made a few changes, added a little more. This will be an ongoing project.[/b]



Hot and loud. Those were my first impressions as I stepped through the rift. LA never felt like this. LA was cool from the perpetually shrouded sun, and quiet from the almost complete absence of technology. Tokyo on the other hand… It buzzed, literally, like an angry nest, terawatts of energy flying through the air and wires all around me, powering the industry that kept the city hot and the Kuei-Jin of Fuyu-Co rich. Shielding my eyes from the neon glare and dialing down my audio receptors I looked at the man, the Kuei-Jin, the Gaki Vampire who had brought me here.

“Konbanwa tatsujin” I said with a deep bow. With my eyes averted, my biotech brain worked overtime to repress adrenal production and flush serotonin into my system to calm the panic that threatened to take over at any moment as I stood before the Vampire who raped and later Sired me when I was still a jugun ianfu. My demon and my angel. A man whose name I didn’t even know and who I had not seen in a century.

“Konbanwa O-ren-san.” He replied with an almost imperceptible inclination of his head. His voice was guttural and harsh and brought back a flood of memories so strong I almost fell to my knees. Lifting my head I flicked my eyes up and took a snapshot of him before averting my eyes again. Studying the picture in my cybernetic brain as he continued to speak, I noted his formal and traditional dress, harkening back to the much revered era of the Shoguns and Samurai. He wore a dark hakama jacket and heather grey andon bakama over a snow white kimono with a bone inlayed tanto at his hip. His full head of black hair hung loose, disappearing behind his broad shoulders, and his exposed skin seemed to writhe as though worms moved beneath the surface. Zooming and enhancing the image I could see the illusion of movement was the product of thousands of lines of nanowire “tattooed” into his skin, the only indication I saw on his body of the celebrated tech of the Fuyu-Co elite, an interesting contrast to his decidedly low-tech attire and weapon.

“It has been too long, tatsujin” I replied to him, only half registering what he had said as I examined his appearance. I didn’t know what else to say to this stranger.

“Come” he said, spinning fluidly on his heel and striding toward the revolving door behind him without a backward glance, secure in the knowledge that all I could do was obey. Whether I was still vampire or not, the fact remained that he was my Sire, and that bond was through my very soul and persisted regardless of the body I wore. I looked up as my feet began to move, and continued looking up, unable to fully grasp the enormity of the building we were entering because it disappeared into the clouds. It was the headquarters of Fuyu-Co, the new “imperial seat” of Japan, the public front for the Kuei-Jin’s power. “We have much to discuss musume.” He continued as he held an elevator door for me “The Oni are growing stronger by the day, but I see an opportunity that may be exploited.” His words confused me. I had of course heard of Fuyu-Co, the body I now wore was a Fuyu-Co product after all, but the Oni were foreign to me as were the machinations of my Sire. The elevator whispered open on the 147th floor, revealing what could only be described as a typical office building floor filled with low walled cubicles. As he stepped out with me in tow and began walking toward the outside of the building, I assumed toward his “office”, the workers in the cubicles stood and bowed, muttering “Konbanwa Ishiguro-san”. Finally I had a name for my Sire. Ishiguro.

He barely acknowledged the greetings as he walked through their ranks and into his office. Sliding into the large leather chair behind his desk he motioned for me to take a seat. I closed the door behind me quietly and quickly looked over the furnishings before sitting down. The office spoke volumes. Behind his desk was a small shrine with a single candle burning; to its right was a picture of an elderly Japanese man in a smart business suit, the head of Fuyu-Co I assumed. Against the opposite wall was a small conversation area, pillows and a table on a traditional tatami mat, ubiquitous tea service arranged in the center. I was quickly thankful that he had not decided to sit in that area, I would have been expected to perform the tea ceremony as his childe, a ceremony I would have struggled to remember and surely messed up, disgracing myself badly. The third wall was one way glass overlooking the floor of cubicles, and the fourth floor to ceiling windows revealing nothing but clouds, a hip high table centered in front of it with his boner inlayed katana and wakizashi on display, the tanto shelf empty. His large desk was of highly polish and stained wood, probably bamboo from what I could see, but the top surface was glowing with a built in surface display. I surmised from his office that he was powerful, but not incredibly, probably a low level executive, but secure enough in his power to not be ostentatious about it.

Ishiguro steepled his fingers and stared at me. It took all my restraint to not squirm in the seat, unsure what he wanted from me, but I held my tongue. There was a subtle power play occurring and I knew that whoever spoke first would lose. I was determined that it would not be me.

“That body looks good on you musume. Have you enjoyed it?” He said with a nod toward the robotic replacement body he had sent to LA after I had been killed several months ago.

Almost sighing with relief when the silence was broken I met his gaze and nodded “Hai, it has served me well, origato tatsujin; your generosity was as unexpected as it was appreciated.”

“Good.” He grunted “Because I now have need of the capabilities you and that body possess. I have been watching you for some time now. Your mastery of fighting is impressive. I would have called you to my side months ago, but your untimely death was an unfortunate delay. I hoped that I could put you to use while you still retained your n-virus infected Vampire body; your decades of training and real world experience coupled with the strengths of that form would have been most useful.”

Color would have crept into my cheeks had I still retained a biological form, his tone made it obvious that I had let him down. It didn’t occur to me at that time that it was ridiculous to care abut letting down a man to whom I had not spoken in a century. I silently averted my eyes as he continued.

“Fortunately the model you now wear came out of preliminary testing a week after your death. I requisitioned the 8th one produced and had it shipped to Pacifica, trusting that witch that leads your little Coven would know what to do. Testing is ongoing, but we have been pleased overall with the capabilities of the line. I trust you have found it satisfactory?” a slight upturn at the end of his sentence and a pause indicating that he expected a replay.

“Hai tatsujin.”

“Your spirit has fully integrated with the cybernetic systems? Have you met and exceeded your former fighting prowess?”

“Hai tatsujin. I have lost my ability to heal my Family of grievous injury, but my skill at one on one combat is far superior to my skill while I was fully biological. Also…” I hesitated, biting my lip because this was painful for me “I have lost the ability to manipulate the rift. I can no longer open the doors.”

Waving his hand as if to say it didn’t matter he said “Healing is not for warriors, and you are my warrior. You have been brought here to be my sharp knife.” Leaning forward with his elbows on the desk he continued “And as far as the rift goes, I may be able to help you regain that power. We’ll get to that later. For now though, there are more pressing matters. I head the intelligence and counterinsurgency arm of Fuyu-Co. As I said before the Oni are growing stronger, but I see an opportunity that one with the right skill set might exploit. They overreach themselves, spreading their forces thin behind the main lines that are pressing north from Osaka. The defenses around their executive compound in Kyoto are the weakest I have seen since the war began.”

Looking up I said softly “Forgive me please tatsujin, but I do not understand. What war? Who are the Oni? What do you need from me?”

Leaning back in his chair with a sigh of frustration, running a hand over his face, he answered “Oh musume, you have gotten yourself so wrapped up in the politics of that cesspool LA that you have neglected your homeland…”

I started to reply that Japan was never my homeland, but was merely the land of the people who oppressed my people, killed my family, destroyed my culture, and enslaved me, but it didn’t seem like the best time to address that subject. I held my tongue and listened.

Spreading his hands to indicate everything around us he continued “This is Fuyu-Co, the ruling corporation of northern Japan, in the heart of Tokyo. Run by Daimyo Saburo, the eldest living Gaki,” he glanced over his shoulder at the picture on the wall “Fuyu-Co brought peace and prosperity to Japan after the comet. Capitalizing on the chaos, we revealed our true natures and took our rightful place as the leaders of Japan. Organizing the humans, we quickly rebuilt Tokyo, did away with frivolous industries, and focused the humans on technological advancement and manufacturing. We have far exceeded the accomplishments made prior to the comet to the point where our tech, combined with our vampiric powers, rivals the sorcery of your Western blood witches and the demon hordes. However, the Oni, the demons, asserted themselves a few years ago, banding together for the first time in a bid to unseat us from power and claim for themselves all we have produced. We drove them south and walled them off in Osaka prefecture, but they have never given up.”

I nodded as I listened, enthralled by his voice as he spun the tale. Vampires ruling all, demons contending for power, it was all so familiar and yet so different.

“This is where you enter the story. As I said, the Oni have grown stronger, but have overstretched themselves.” Standing up he tapped on the desk display, spinning satellite imagery into view, his tone changing to that of one accustomed to commanding soldiers as he gestured to the images. I stood up and studied what he showed me as it slowly dawned on me that he had brought me here to infiltrate the Oni stronghold and assassinate their Oyabun.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


I stood on the roof of the Fuyu-Co building a scant 48 hours later. I was clad from head to two in a photo-reactive stealth singlet that fit like a second skin, slightly itchy from the suit’s interface with my own cybernetics. The suit was designed for protection and stealth, possessing both the ability to bend light around me, dissipate the heat of my power plant into the ground through my feet to eliminate my infrared signature, and harden points on impact to protect me from small arms fire and hand to hand strikes. Adjusting the battle webbing I wore over the singlet I made certain nothing rattled, the last thing I wanted was to make noise, rendering the stealth capabilities of the suit irrelevant. Checking the safeties on the black 9mm silenced USP Elites riding in the small of my back I began to inventory my kit. My custom USPs were fitted with slightly smaller than standard rubberized grips to fit my tiny hands, perfectly balanced silencers to help eliminate the kick between bullets, and UV lasers allowing me to target with pinpoint accuracy without that telltale red dot since I was capable of seeing in the ultraviolet spectrum with my robotic eyes. They had standard 18 round 9mm magazines, FMJ rounds, and I had 6 extra mags secured in my webbing-- 144 shots. 4 nanites auto-injectors in case I was injured so badly my own systems couldn’t keep up nestled in an armband on my left bicep. 2 matte black flex-steel katanas in a quick release harnesses hugged my legs from hip to ankle. I thumbed back the covers on the kashiraganes revealing the red power LEDs beneath, both green. The katanas excited me, and I hoped I could keep them when my work was done. They were flexible when off, they bent with my legs allowing full range of movement, but when drawn and turned on they went rigid and sharp, self honing to a single molecule edge. Training with them the day before I had sliced through a 30 centimeter hardened steel “I” beam. I’d considered cutting a tomato with them afterwards, but I figured the humor would have been lost on Ishiguro. That’s all I carried. Communications were of course built into my cybernetic brain, so I was able to move with a kit of less than 7 kilos.

The wind whipped around me in a frenzy as a VTOL aircraft settled in front of me on the roof. I was unfamiliar with the design, but it was sleek and looked fast. The rear of the aircraft lowered into a ramp and my Sire waved me over from its red light illuminated depths. As I reached the top of the ramp he handed me a head set so we could speak, and a parachute. I was surprised to see him here; I had assumed he would not be so hands on with this mission. I fought a grimace as I shrugged into the parachute, not looking forward to a HALO insertion, before placing the headset over my ears.

“Ready musume?”

“Hai.”

“Good, any questions?”

“No Ishiguro-san. My orders are clear. Infiltrate the Oni executive compound in Kyoto, kill the Oni Oyabun.” I replied as the Oyabun’s image rotated in my head like a holographic projection.

“And return here alive.” He said sternly “Don’t forget that part. I’ll see you soon.”

He then slapped the close button on the ramp and slipped out before it closed, leaving me alone in the cargo bay as the pilot shunted power to the engines. As the plane rose through the clouds I closed my eyes and attempted to center myself before the upcoming fight, taking advantage of the 23 minute flight time.
06/19/09 19:07
MissyOhhh.. Oren.. this is great! I am SO glad to hear this will be an ongoing project for you. You are an amazing writer and your talents should be shared with the rest of us :D

I can hardly wait to read the next installment!
06/19/09 19:57
MissyOh. Um. I did spot one more typo. Heh.

"I nodded as I listened, enthralled by his voice as he spun the tail."

"tail" should be "tale" in this context. Though I'd love to read a more thorough description of his tail. Sure. That'd be cool :D
06/19/09 19:59
orenNo, I meant tail. He has a tail, he was holding it and spinning it in his hands as he spoke... <.< (you believed me, right?)06/19/09 20:23
orenIn what seemed like less than a minute the pilot’s voice interrupted my thoughts letting me know that we were cruising at 15,000 meters and were 2 minutes from the drop zone. Standing up I removed the headset and pulled the hood of the singlet over my head completely obscuring my face. Checking one last time to make sure my webbing was secure and my ‘chute was strapped on tight I walked to the edge of the ramp and hit the open button when the drop light came on. The wind howled as it tore around the plane at nearly 1000km/h, just below Mach 1 at that altitude. It occurred to me briefly that jumping at this speed at this altitude would be fatal for most creatures, but the light went green as that occurred to me, causing my training to kick in. I took three long strides before leaping out of the plane. Pointing my toes, putting my face to the wind, and flattening my hands by my sides I sent a command to the suit to harden to protect me from midair impacts and to help me retain my form throughout the dive. My heads up display popped into my field of vision as my communications array established a satellite link. Altitude and velocity displayed on the left side of my vision, the numbers moving in opposite directions as I plummeted toward the earth, while on the right a display materialized that would alert me if I was detected through electronic means. In the center of my vision my target was painted a vivid red, while about 3 clicks to the south of it my landing zone was painted green. Traveling at terminal velocity by now, I made a couple small movements with my hands to adjust my heading and watched the altimeter numbers change. At 500 meters I readied myself, then precisely 4 seconds later as I hit 200 meters I sent a command to deploy my chute while simultaneously directing the suit to harden my spine and head. Guiding myself in with the ‘chute I hit the ground hard at a dead run on the edge of a clearing, sprinting undercover as the parachute retracted into the harness.

I stopped dead beneath the trees, my suit in full stealth mode, and opened myself to the full audio and visual spectrums, looking and listening for any sign that my insertion was detected. 30 seconds seemed like an hour, but I was not taking any chances. Finally satisfied that the only movement around me was from small forest animals, I stashed the parachute at the base of a tree beneath some fallen leaves as my satellite link established my exact location and my cybernetic brain began to plot a course to the executive compound. The altimeter vanished in my HUD, replaced by a high resolution real time composite satellite image of the compound, the visual spectrum combined seamlessly with the infrared spectrum. A subroutine in my brain began to catalogue the movement of the guards, running an algorithm to determine the best place and time to enter the compound as I followed the faintly glowing golden trail that stretched before me in my vision.

30 minutes later when I reached the edge of the forest I surveyed the 200 meter clearing around the compound and waited. A timer appeared in my HUD after a few moments, counting down from 60 seconds. 60 seconds until the optimal time to move based on an analysis of the last 30 minutes of guard movement. I checked my webbing again to make sure nothing was loose enough to rattle and then drew my pistols. At 10 seconds I stood from my crouch and verified that all stealth systems were in the green. At 5 seconds I took 2 steps back. At 1 I begin to sprint, bursting from the edge of the forest at a full run at precisely the moment the timer hit 0. My window of opportunity was miniscule, security was tight and efficient, but even the best armor has a flaw. 10 meters from the compound wall I leapt, arching through the air to clear the 5 meter solid steel wall. I landed with a whisper inside the compound and continued sprinting another 45 meters to the northeast corner of the compound, flattening myself against the wall in a pool of darkness. 13 seconds until the next sprint. I holstered my guns as I listened and watched fro any sign that the movement of the guards had changed, watching one pass by at the periphery of my vision exactly when expected. At zero I sprinted again, aiming for an armored steel door at full speed. 10 steps before I reached the door it opened, revealing a guard on his way out, exactly on schedule. He had no clue what hit him when I plowed into him at top speed in full stealth, driving him back through the door. With lightening reflexes I kneeled on his stomach and rode him like a sled as my inertia carried us both into the room.

I had no idea what I was entering when I flew through that door, I only knew it was the only point of entry I had detected in the compound that was not guarded by at least two guards. My combat programs were running in primary mode as I scanned the room with my head on a swivel during the brief slide across the floor, hoping against hope that I was not entering a populated room. With my luck I was probably tumbling into the guard’s armory at shift change... Relief washed over me as I realized I had entered a deserted hallway without any visible doors, ending in a “T” intersection 5 yards down. I reached down and grabbed the guard by the head, jerking it to the right and snapping his neck before standing up. I knew I had 78 seconds until anyone was predicted to come in the door we had passed through, so I closed it quickly before sprinting the end of the hallway and looking both ways. All seemed clear, but I saw no place to stash the body of the guard. No amount of stealth would save me if an alarm was raised now. Dashing back to the body I hoisted the man, who was nearly twice my size over my shoulder, his knuckles dragging on the ground behind me. Turning I moved as quickly as I could, rounding the corner of the “T” just as the door was opened behind me. Shifting the body a little so his hands were off the floor, I fireman carried him to the next intersection, briefly amused as it occurred to me how utterly ridiculous this must look since I was all but invisible beneath the man draped over me. I rounded the corner, surprised that my luck had held and I was in yet another empty corridor and that there was a door not 2 meters ahead.

Slipping in the door with the body I looked around and realized I had entered an entirely different part of the compound. The hallways I had left behind were grey and functional; this hallway was carpeted and plush. And occupied.
06/19/09 22:24
KhoryOnly noticed this one so far: The katanas excited me, and I hoped I could keep them when my work was [b][u]down[/b][/u]. But yeah, I'm enjoying the story. It'd make a fun videogame.06/21/09 20:03
Kayteear/me slightly nods in agreement, half-closing her eyes "gooood"
((This reminds me the French comic series Yiu. I recommend to read it.))

[img]http://culture.froggytest.com/modules/xoopsgallery/cache/albums/albuq46/yiu_premieres_missions_5_geisha.jpg[/img]
[url]yiu.net[/url]
07/16/09 13:55
ZiauSo here I was, reading, scrolling, upset when it ended so soon. Then I saw a reply, scrolling, reading, upset again. third time is the charm? NOPE! STILL NO SAUCE! GOOD READS NEED JUSTICE! MORE TO SCROLL AND READ PLEASE!08/27/09 07:51
orenThere I was, cooling body over my shoulder, dressed in full combat gear with a naked gun in my hand. There she was, wavy black hair framing a parchment white face, full lips painting high gloss red, currently in an “o” of surprise, long white off the shoulder dress barely brushing red toe nails that matched her lips on stiletto clad feet. My arms moved as though of their own accord, my combat program reacting faster than though, raising my hands to grip the pistol in a tea cup grip, shrugging the guard off my shoulder. My index finger spasmed twice and two small holes silently appeared in the woman, one between her eyes, one over her left breast. She looked so peaceful on the ground, the holes barely noticeable, but your eyes were drawn upward to the white wall behind her, now painted red. Thick globs of gore dripped down to form a small pile at the base of the wall. This was why I had glazer safety rounds, not because I was concerned about the bullets going through walls and hurting and innocent bystander, but because there was no better way to destroy the brain and the heart with a hand gun. The blood, violent red blood far brighter than anything see ever captured on film, was seeping out from under her now, ruining the peaceful image.

“No need to hide the guard now…” I muttered softly to myself, figuring the once white gore covered wall would be a dead giveaway that something was afoot. I left him where I had dropped him and drew my second pistol.

Stealth was out; speed was my only advantage now. I ran to the end of the hallway and flattened myself against the wall and listened. No sound movement, but really, that didn’t mean much in a compound containing vampires who could move as silently as a rat. I popped around the corner with both guns aimed 30 degrees apart at nothing. Another room, empty of people, but filled with deep, black leather couches grouped in cozy conversational areas around a large open area through the middle. Guns steady, I spun 360 degrees, my head swiveling up and down, in a split second. Powerful image processors in my brain created at 3-D render of the room and determined the most likely route for me to take to reach the target would be through the door directly across the room. My vision went black and white to minimize distraction, triggered by my combat programs, except for a narrow green projection mapping out my route to the door. I ran across the carpeted room silently and hit the door at full speed, following the green line like a fly by wire missile, and hit it full speed, sending splintered wood flying off the hinges to reveal a small landing at the top of a staircase descending into darkness. The Oyabun would be beneath the compound, sequestered in the most secure part of the building.

I looked over the edge of the railing that framed the landing, vision flipping to night vision. The stairway spiraled down 32 meters, according to the laser range finder in my left eye, to another concrete landing. Before I could finish forming the thought, my processors determined there was a 78% chance I could survive the fall and still remain at full combat effectiveness. I vaulted over the railing to the floor below.
Rolling on impact I quickly formed another 3-D render. Two red icons appeared in my vision, drawing both arms up. Four bullets flew through the room taking out both the machine gun toting guards. They had been covering the stairs after hearing the door exploding upstairs, not expecting the intruder, me, to jump. They wouldn’t repeat that mistake, it had been fatal.

The way forward was obvious at this point, even without the green directional line, the two guards had been on either side on an unmarked steel door with a lone bare bulb handing above it. You don’t guard a janitor’s closet. I knew I was close, I could feel it in my carbon steel frame. My processor computed a better than 50% chance that I would be entering close quarters combat on the other side of that door, and suggested a change in weaponry—I complied. Holstering the USPs I activated the releases on the flex-steel katanas riding my legs. They hummed with the slightest electric buzz and sprang to rigid attention as I drew them and walked across the room to the door.

My stride didn’t break as my right leg snapped forward, hitting the door just left of the lock, sending it spinning into the room beyond. I followed the kick with a roll to the right as bullets flew into the space where I had been a fraction of a second before, and came up to the first guard. Rising from the crouch at a speed almost too fast for an organic eye to process, I guided the right katana into the vampire’s groin to pin him in place as my left katana came from the side, separating his head from his body. The right katana was left buried inside him as I kicked off the wall behind him, sending my running toward the next guard. The remaining katana flashed with sparks as I wove it in front of me, deflecting 2 bullets before I reached the guard. I drove the blade into his neck, burying it in the wall behind him with my left hand. With my right I grabbed his hair and ripped it off his body, spinning my own to send it flying across the room toward the remaining guard. My guns were drawn and firing before the head even reached him. The head only hit a dead body, the back of his skull already decorated the wall by the time it reached him, so quick were the shots.
08/28/09 23:12
orensmall addition to the story. not sure if i like it. i don't feel like i'm giving the action enough life.08/28/09 23:14
ZiauPoor henchmen!08/29/09 06:28
Kayteear[quote=oren]i don't feel like i'm giving the action enough life.[/quote]
sure? I don't think so (/KTR shrugs), but anyway, it was good enough to inspire Ziau writing "The 100 Rules to Being a Henchman"
08/29/09 10:41
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