[Author Note]
Disc: HrPrTeam
I hate Kashimo.
__________
Sakamoto P.O.V.
There is almost nothing on this guy.
You would think that a JAA member would have more details about his past and possible location, but most of the information comes from the Chairman.
He worked at the Okutabi Lab with Shin's adoptive dad, Asakura, and then just vanished.
Apparently, he leaked JAA documents along the way, so the JAA sent me to go 'deal' with him.
Call it assassin's intuition, but something feels off about this.
The information, background, and circumstances surrounding this are fishy, but I shouldn't care as an assassin.
He needs to die, plain and simple.
I put down the papers while I became lost in my thoughts.
How should I go about this? Where should I even start on some researcher with an unknown location?
Asaki must think the Order are miracle workers.
In hindsight, I probably should've brought Shin. His weird ability to read minds would have helped, if not a little.
Wait...
Usually, they wouldn't send someone from the Order to deal with someone as minor as this guy.
If he were normal, then most assassins could deal with him.
Although he leaked JAA documents, this happens pretty often, and given the size of the JAA, the information rarely matters.
The only information guarded at the highest level is with the executives and the Chairman. Given the precautions taken, even someone in the Order would have a tough time accessing that, let alone a random JAA researcher.
So why this guy?
This Ando guy is Shin's father, the same kid who can read minds.
He's a researcher.
His current location and movements are unknown.
My eyes slowly widened as I realized that things started to make sense.
If Shin isn't related to Monarch, someone else is working on developing superhuman powers, or Shin is an experiment himself.
Based on what I gathered from Shin, Toji also woke up in the Okutabi lab, another experiment.
There's a massive probability that it's not a coincidence.
It also seems like Asakura has little to nothing to do with Monarch since he raised Shin.
The timeframe for Asakura to be involved doesn't match what has happened with the attacks and timing of recent events.
However, that doesn't 100% rule out him as an accomplice.
This means...
...
Ando is a significant component of Monarch.
...
Why else would the Chairman personally order Ando dead if he wasn't a massive threat to the JAA?
If this were the case, it would make complete sense to send one of the strongest assassins to deal with him.
Any other run-of-the-mill assassin would be annihilated.
It's still too early to determine whether he's the leader, but I have a pretty good idea of who or what I will face.
However, that raises another question.
Why was Asaki so vague with the assignment if this guy is such a threat?
*sigh*
Lazing around isn't going to get me anywhere. I've gotta do something, unlike Rion or Toji.
I guess I'll start with Asakura, then.
Now, how do I get into the lab?
The main issue is breaking into the underground lab since I'm not sure what kind of security they have. Thankfully, I had Shin explain a few things about it.
I should be able to find my way there. If not, I can always force an employee to tell me.
I'm on a timer since I've got a date with Aoi tonight.
I have a researcher to interrogate and another to kill, and I won't make Aoi wait.
Onto the Okutabi Science Museum.
...
X's Warehouse: 3rd P.O.V.
After extensive work on their hideout, their main base of operations didn't look like a homeless shelter.
It developed into a proper miniature organization hideout.
While some conducted investigations and scouted, others were inside training their bodies for future fights.
It was almost impossible to take down the JAA, and it wasn't like it would topple over itself.
Kumanomi, Haruma, Kanaguri, and Mad Horiguchi left the warehouse to plan and scout to gain an advantage over the JAA.
Club Jam tied himself to the wall, creating a disturbing environment.
Tenkyu and Gaku, on the other hand...
*BAM*
Gaku goes flying as he receives a punch to the face.
Tenkyu shook his head. "Not good enough, kid; you won't beat Toji like that."
As always, Tenkyu was obsessed with killing Toji.
Gaku sat up and wiped the dirt off his face. "Doesn't help that you're just beating the crap out of me."
Tenkyu shrugged and stuck his tongue out with a goofy smile. "You've gotta dodge."
Gaku rolled his eyes and stood up. "Fine, again."
Even though he was a fourteen-year-old kid, he had been through much worse. He wasn't going to complain about getting his ass kicked.
Al-Kamar and Sei Asaki did more to him than Tenkyu could ever do in his lifetime.
Tenkyu simply returned a smirk. However, his expression suddenly changed when he sensed something was wrong.
*knock*
*knock*
Someone was knocking on the warehouse door, and it wasn't the pattern they used to signal if it was one of them.
Ever since Sei abandoned them, X has been on edge due to his new status as Chairman and their treatment in the past.
If they weren't careful, one order from Sei could crumble their entire anti-Toji/JAA organization.
Tenkyu had his new compound bow fully drawn back, with arrows and explosive tips.
After the invasion of the JCC, Tenkyu upgraded his arsenal to be prepared for many different scenarios.
It took no longer than a second for his goofy demeanor to vanish.
Before Gaku knew what was going on, Tenkyu spoke in a malicious tone. "Who are you?"
A voice unknown to the group of teenagers spoke. "I'm here to talk. It's about Sei Asaki."
*Phew*
*BOOM*
Tenkyu shot his arrow at the door, tearing it off its hinges and creating a massive hole in their metal wall.
...
"Not interested."
...
Gaku sweatdropped as he thought to himself. 'Overreact much!? Although it is safer this way, we could've at least heard them out to gain another ally.'
He wouldn't speak up to Tenkyu while in his 'kill mode.'
Friend or foe, Gaku didn't want to know what would happen if he tried stopping him.
Contrary to Tenkyu's expectations, the unknown person walked out of the smoke.
Tenkyu's eyes widened. "Unharmed?"
For the type of people Tenkyu would be fighting, he knew his regular arrows wouldn't be enough.
This led him to ask Mad Horiguchi to make arrows that could do more damage than his standard arrows.
He was understandably shocked.
His explosive arrows could even blow up a military-grade vehicle like a Humvee with only a single arrow.
The man who walked out of the smoke had a scruffy beard, yellow hair, and a white shirt with casual jean pants. If it were Shin, he would be able to recognize him anywhere.
He could tell it was his father, even if he never met him.
Tasuku Ando.
While he was 'unharmed,' his clothes certainly weren't, but that didn't bother the two teenage assassins.
Ando raised his arms with mock surrender and a neutral face. "Hear me out..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Tenkyu had already drawn back another arrow. "You have ten seconds."
Ando's eyes narrowed slightly.
"10"
Despite Tenkyu having him at arrow-point, Ando seemed unbothered.
He sighed. "I'm here to propose an alliance."
"9"
Ando continued. "We both want Sei dead. I could help you, and you all could help me."
"8"
His eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "I helped you all on the island. My creations kept you guys alive."
Just as Tenkyu was about to count down to seven, Gaku put a hand on Tenkyu's right hand that held his arrow back.
It was evident that Tenkyu wasn't registering anything Ando was saying. He didn't care about whatever Ando had to offer.
Tenkyu blinked and snapped out of his hostile gaze as he turned toward Gaku with a smile. However, his bowstring was still pulled back.
He gave Gaku a closed-eye smile. "What?"
Gaku shivered but spoke up. "We need to hear him out. If he's the guy I think he is, then he might be able to help us kill Toji."
If Gaku were to interrupt Tenkyu, he might as well have brought up how it would help them kill Toji.
Tenkyu froze for a moment.
After a second, a goofy smile appeared on his face, and he released the tension of the arrow.
He turned back toward Ando. "You shoulda said you could help us kill Toji sooner, friend!"
Ando lowered his hands and thought. 'This might've been a mistake.'
*boof*
Tenkyu sat on the floor and patted the space beside him, signaling Ando to sit.
He smirked at Ando. "Let's talk deets."
Gaku crossed his fingers behind his back. 'Please let this guy be normal. Who am I kidding? He's going to be another weirdo.'
Ando scratched his hair as he walked over to Tenkyu. "Kid, it's not nice to call other people weirdos, even if you're thinking it."
Gaku's eyes widened as he realized this random guy could hear his thoughts.
...
'Yep, another weirdo.'