After we got a safe distance away from the 2 assassins we regrouped in a garage owned by the JAA. Currently we were discussing how we were gonna move for the last 50 kilometres before we reach the airport.

"Akao and Uzuki will be our front scouts. With Akao's wide vision and Uzuki's spatial awareness you're the most suited. If you sense anything unusual report it." Kindaka started

"I threw my back out, but Nagumo's flexible in responding to any situation. He and I will protext the chairman's wife and daughter in the centre car." He continued

"Yay. Konomi we're teaming up." Nagumo said high-fiving her

"Ryu. You'll be behind our car on a bike. You'll be our playmaker. Your ability to analyse and situation and come up with the best solution makes you best suited for the role. Your position is flexible, you can move up and drop deep as you see fit. " kindaka said

I gave him a nod agreeing with his logic

"Lastly. Sakamoto you'll take up rear. You deal with anyone coming from behind. It goes without saying that Ryu can assist you if need be." Kindaka finished

Sakamoto goes to push Akao off one of the bikes

"Boo! I wanna ride the motorcycle. Sakamoto and Ryu have good eyes as well make one of them go in front." Akao says pouting

"Quit bickering?!" Kindaka said fed up with our shit

"You get to smoke ciggys in the car though." I said not wanting to give up my bike

"Fineeeeee." Akao relents and gets off the bike

"Great now that that's settled let's move out." Kindaka said

"Wait! I needa pee." Akao said raising her hand

"God dammit. Be quick." Kindaka said

"If there's time I'll excuse myself too." Uzuki said

The group disperses for a quick break. Nagumo plays with Konomi, kindaka goes to a side to do some back stretches. I take the opportunity to go bug Akao and Uzuki's vehicle. Call me paranoid, but I don't trust Uzuki. There's something off about his body language.

Sakamoto notices. But says nothing

Short timeskip

"This is centre car Kindaka. Anyone tailing Sakamoto?" Kindaka comms

"Nope. Can I toss the helmet. Its hot." Sakamoto says

"No. Confirm that you 2 at the back have a motorcycle license." Kindaka says

Both of us don't reply, irking Kindaka. I momentarily drop back. Temporarily turning off comms.

"Sakamoto. I don't trust Uzuki. His body language looks like he's hiding something. I could be wrong but it's better to be safe. Just be on guard around him. And don't tell anyone else, I only trust you not to open your mouth." I say

Sakamoto looks at me for a bit before nodding. While he doesn't say it, he trusts my judgement as it hasn't been wrong before. Seeing this I drive back up slightly ahead of him.

I then turn my comms back on

"If ya don't like motorcycles wanna trade?" Akao said trying her luck

Sakamoto replies with a simple no

"Quit quibbling Akao. Focus?!" Kindaka said

"Yea yea."

"Sakamoto, Sano one of you 2 let Akao ride the motorcycle around the parking lot later." Nagumo jokes

"I'll put on the training wheels/Ok fine." Me/sakamoto reply

"Stop treating me like a kid?! I'll kill all 3 of you." Akao said annoyed

"There's only one good thing about riding shotgun. You can kick back and smoke a ciggy." Akao says lighting a cigarette

"Akao?! Get serious." Kindaka said tired

In Akao & Uzuki's car

Out of nowhere Uzuki starts talking

"Sakamoto's the strongest out of you 4 right?" Uzuki asserts

"What?! You picking a fight." Akao said indignantly

"No..... The enemy will most likely attack from behind, which is why Kindaka put him there." Uzuki said

"Don't patronise me?! If you put me and Sakamoto in an empty room butt naked with only knives I'd win." Akao said getting more annoyed

"How did you come up with that." Uzuki said stunned

"But I guess if we fought in a regular room filled with stuff. He's win 100 times out of 100." Akao relented

"I'm sure you're downplaying yourself." Uzuki said

"No. I can utilise a weapon to the max, Sakamoto can make anything into a weapon, Nagumo is a more tactical and deceptive fighter. Ryu....." Akao paused to think

Uzuki was listening intently

"Ryu is like a cheat code. Fighting him is so annoying he can come up with counters within minutes of fighting, it's an uphill fight from there to try and catch him off guard. " Akao said throwing her hands up in exasperation

"But at the same time fighting with him is the best.... He covers for all your mistakes making you look better than you actually are."

"So you're saying Sano is the strongest out of your group?" Uzuki deduced

"Hmm..... no.... Ryu's yet to beat Sakamoto.... He can't counter him as he's constantly changing his fighting style.... At least in this situation Sakamoto is the strongest. " Akao said

"By the way I'm sorry.... For what I said at the department store... i was being a jerk." Akao said putting her chin on her palm and looking out the window

"Hmm.... I pegged you as the type to say that stuff and then forget." Uzuki said with a straight face

"Don't treat me like an idiot?!" akao said

"Why the sudden change of heart?" Uzuki asked

"Dunno.... This mission might be fatal.... I don't wanna have ragrets." Akao said

"You're amazing.... Thinking about others before you die." Uzuki said

"Don't say it like that. You make me seem soft." Akao said

"Also no need to apologise. I kinda appreciated when you said I sucked as an assassin. It felt like you were saying I was a decent person." Uzuki said brooding

Akao burst out laughing and spit her drink out in Uzuki's face

"BWHAHAHAHA You're killing me you look so glum but you're actually hella positive." Akao said rubbing the tear out of her eye

Uzuki took it literally and checked up on Akao causing her to laugh more.

"Why am I surrounded by clueless people." Akao said with a sigh

Meanwhile in the centre car. Nagumo maintained his fun loving demeanour and played with Konomi. He also seconded Kindaka's opinion that there was a spy in the JAA. After talking for a bit he laid down on Ai's lap saying he was carsick.

After a bit more driving we took a break at a gas station. I noticed Uzuki go to a corner and call someone on his phone..... i shoulda bugged him... but there was no opportunity for me too.

"Whatcha looking at?" Akao said sneaking up behind me

"Oooh are you jealous that I spent so much time with Uzuki~" Akao said slinging her arm around her shoulder

"Just admiring the scenery." I say ignoring her

"Oh Uzuki's on the phone. Hehehe do you know what I'm thinking~" Akao says with a devious smirk

"Sadly I do." I say knowing Akao is plotting a prank

"Hehehe record this." Akao says passing me her phone

Akao snuck behind Uzuki and pulled out her pistol.

"Don't move. Drop the phone and put your hands behind your head." Akao said pressing the gun against his neck

The shocked reaction was genuine. What was he talking about on the phone dammit.....

Uzuki's hand twitched slightly before Akao called off the gig.

"BWAHAHAHAHAH! Way to go with the joke! You're killing me!" Akao said slapping his back

"The serious reaction you gave was so realistic! 10/10 for the acting!" Akao said laughing

"Now come on. You can call your girlfriend later~ Or was it your Mommy~" Akao teased

"Yeah..... I'll be right there." Uzuki said hanging up the phone

Back on the road

"Less than 40 kilometres to go. If you're sleepy from lunch I'll gladly put a bullet in you." Kindaka said over the comms

"Roger." We all said in different tones

In the front car. Uzuki was looking at a photo of him and some other kids from the orphanage. Akao curiously peered at it.

"Whatcha looking at?" Akao inquired

"My friends and I at the orphanage. Once this is all over....and I'm free..... I'll take a break from the JCC and spend some time with them." Uzuki said in his usual brooding tone

"That's nice. Better hope you don't die huh?" Akao said peering out the window

"Bald sniper. 100m up. " I said through the comms

Akao reacted in the nick of time and pushed Uzuki's face out of the path of the bullet.

Nagumo, Sakamoto and I take out our pistols and begin firing at him, but he blocks the bullets with his giant metal arm. Afterwards he takes up a detonator and blows up the explosives under the bridge causing it to collapse. Akao takes the wheel and manages to get across before it collapses fully, Kindaka takes the two girls and dashes across the bridge. And Nagumo..... somehow got across. Leaving only Sakamoto and I on the other half of the bridge.

I look in the rear view mirror of my bike and see someone on top of a car behind us, but he looks unarmed.

"Sakamoto 6 o clock."

As I said that he seemingly formed ice out of thin air and shot it at our wheels. The sudden loss in momentum sends us flying off our bikes. I look at Sakamoto and he nods. I flip in the air such that my feet face the other side of the bridge, Sakamoto jumps over me and lands on the sole of my feet. simultaneously he kicks off and I propel him upward, allowing him to grab onto one of the support cables of the bridge and swing across like Tarzan. Leaving me, baldy and Ice man on the same side. Baldy is infuriated that his plan didn't work and flies across with his iron man arms. So me and the subzero copy are on the same side of the bridge

If only I could make fire.....

Ah well I have my chains which should be more than enough.

"I'm going for flawless." I said aloud

"I will have your head." The dude said breathing out mist

Gee he really does talk like a mortal Kombat character

He slides at me on his ice and tries to grab me. I jump and flip before hitting the back of his head with my heel. I try to follow up with another attack but he jumps backwards leaving an ice clone behind which causes me to momentarily be stuck in place. He forms ice daggers and stabs my shoulders before he kicks me away.

Ok I got him now.

"There goes my flawless." I muse

I unwrap my chains and start spinning them around at high speeds. I launch one at him but he dodges with an ice clone, but that's just what I wanted. The clone froze my chain connecting it to me. I swing the chain and the clone and smack the ice man into a supporting beam of the bridge. With my other chain I pierce his stomach and pull him towards me. Still in a daze he couldn't react in time and his face is met by my fist which smashes him into the ground, killing him

"Fatality." I say looking at the exploded brain

Now how am I going to get across.....

Meanwhile with Sakamoto on the other side,

When the baldy crossed the bridge he was under the impression everyone got in a car and escaped, but like the undertaker Sakamoto comes out of a van to face the baldy. The baldy charges at Sakamoto while talking gibberish about how he collects virtue points and how he determines if his target has a lot of virtue points or not.

"They must be all wiped out by now." Baldy says in the middle of their fight

"They're not that weak." Sakamoto states

"That's exactly why. The tougher the enemy the more lethal Kobe gets. he's especially effective against types like that gi-"

Before Baldy can finish his sentence he's punched with enough force it shatters his metal arms completely

"Guess I should speed this up then." Sakamoto says as Baldy is launched 50 metres back

Baldy starts panicking realises he's out of his league and starts cleaning trying to rack up some good karma.

A couple on the other side of the bridge are speeding and realise the bridge is gone and that they were gonna fall. Sakamoto sees it and starts thinking about how to save them. The baldy pathetically grabs Sakamoto's legs

"No! I won't let you rack up more good karma!" The baldy says clearly having lost his mind

Sakamoto looks around and sees that there's some conveniently placed fishing rods and knows what to do.

After beating the ice man I see this couple's car and decide to hitch a ride. I run after the car and jump landing on the trunk. The couple looks back shocked

"Don't mind me." I say waiting for Sakamoto to reel us in

Sakamoto winds back and launches the fishing line and fast as he can. The hook latches onto the number plate of the car.

"I'll need to borrow you 2 for a second. Oh and sorry about your car." I say grabbing the two of them out of their seat before jumping off the car and landing safely on the other side

With his new toy, Sakamoto swings the car with all his might into the baldy, well and truly killing him

"Thanks for saving us." The couple says

"Sure. By the way do you have any face masks? My friend and I need it to get into a mall. You know with this whole pandemic." I said nonchalantly

Sakamoto nods along knowing their next opponent uses poison

"Of course it's the least we can do." The woman says passing me 2 masks

"Let's settle who's faster once and for all." I say putting on the face mask

Sakamoto nods

"Ready! Set! Go!" The lady announces

The two of us disappear in an instant causing the couples hair to be blown back by the wind from our little race.

With the rest of the gang in the car,

"Are you sure the 2 we left behind are going to be okay?" Ai asks nervous

"Oh I'm sure they're fine." Akao said cheerfully

"But aren't you worried about your friends?" Konomi asks concerned

"Friends?" Akao said pondering

"You and Sakamoto were buddies before I even joined the JCC. And you and Sano knew each other since the first day no?" Nagumo said

"Yeah well there was a bunch of them we were friends with back then...... well maybe not Sano.... but I think me and Sakamoto considered them friends.... but they kinda just faded away(died/scared of them) and the 3 of us were left." Akao recounted

"Yeah it's hard making friends at the JCC they're all so boring." Nagumo said

"So what you're saying is the 4 of you are best friends!" Konomi said excited

"Hmm..... I'm not so sure about all that......" Akao said blushing slightly

"Aww why are you getting embarrassed." Nagumo teased placing his hand on Akao's shoulder

"More times than not I want to kill you so no, I don't consider us friends." Akao says punching Nagumo in the face

"Ow." Nagumo said smiling

In the front Kindaka noticed uzuki was unusually quiet and gloomy, but Uzuki assured him he was fine.

BOOOOM

At that moment another bomb exploded this time it was on the roof of the tunnel. The poison guy whose name is Koba jumped in through the hole created all alone.

"Does he really think he can take us all out by ourselves." Akao said

Wasting no time Akao dashes at Koba and tries to slice his neck, but he barely moves enough so it skims his shoulder instead. When Akao landed excruciating pain shot through her body, like her stomach was being gauged out and blood seeped out of her mouth. Nagumo and kindaka also felt the effects but to a lesser degree. uzuki and the 2 females seem completely fine

"Poison gas." Kindaka said

"Bingo. Colourless and odourless and instantly lethal. Produced by yours throughly. Plus poison and enclosed spaces are like a match made in heaven. Good luck it can kill in 10 minutes for some. Poison truly is the best killing tool." Koba gloated

Kindaka, Nagumo and Akao try to dodge and attack Koba while trying to deduce the rule which his poison follows. They're struck by excruciating pain at what seems like random intervals.

"Screw it. Let's take him out in one fell swoop. Kindaka back me up." Akao said ready to dash at Koba

Nagumo yanks her tank top before she can do anything

"Urkk!" Akao says getting yanked back

"It seems the more active you are the faster the poison works." Nagumo deduced

"You actually said something smart for once Nagumo." Akao said noticing it didn't hurt as bad when stood still

"So we're friends?" Nagumo joked

"Don't push it." Akao replied

"You're smarter than I thought. But like I said. It doesn't matter." Koba says firing his machine gun at them again

Despite not moving Uzuki spat out blood as well causing slight confusion. Not wasting any time Uzuki knocks out Ai and Konami. Explaining that your heartrate can also accelerate the poison

"So no moving fast or panicking huh...." Kindaka lamented

"Don't get mad either Akao." Nagumo said irking Akao

"hey Kindaka?! Don't you have anything back here that. can blast him away. Like a nuke?" Akao asked opening the trunk only to find a wheelchair and a grenade

"Well you know what that idiot would do." Akao said hoping on the wheelchair and rolling towards Koba

Nagumo takes out the safety pin of the grenade and tosses it in the direction of Akao. Akao uses the car door as a shield causing the explosion to propel her towards Koba. She takes out her knife and places her pistol on the hilt of the blade, before firing the gun, using the recoil to jab the gun into Koba's gut. Koba with only a gun isn't able to do much but block against Akao. Akao steps back slightly and chucks her knife at Koba, who blocks with his gun. But Akao shoots the knife changing its trajectory slicing his shoulder open, Akao went to finish it with a bullet but realised she was out of ammo.

Koba jumps back thinking he's safe, but he's met with a kick which knocks him through the ground into the lower level.

"Took ya long enough moron." Akao said lighting a ciggy

Sakamoto lands next to Akao and nods, before coughing up a bit of blood.

"Guess these masks are pretty useless." I say from down below before tossing my mask away

"Who would have thought poison would be your downfall Akao." I say looking up at the hole

"Drop dead. Listen up genius, the poison's more effective the more you move, the faster you move the faster you'll die." Akao explained

Up above Sakamoto looks like he doesn't get it at all. Akao suddenly feels weak and her knees give way causing her to stumble forward, but she's caught by Sakamoto.

"I'll handle it Sakamoto. You just make sure the idiot stops moving." I say

"Assassins are fragile without their speed." Koba says cockily thinking he's won

I ignore him and take a seat on the ground before lying in a sit up position

"You're right. I can't win. Guess I'll just lie down and die." I say from the ground

"Well at least you've accepted it." Koba says not catching my sarcasm

Koba lunges at me and stabs the side of my torso. In an instant my legs are wrapped around his back and my arms around his neck.

"Die." I say as I compress my body and have him in a death grip, it's only a matter of time before his bones give way and he'll be a mangled corpse.

This move is courtesy of Yujiro hanna and Muhamad Ali Jr from baki

Koba feeling the pressure on his body panics and begins frantically stabbing my sides.

CRUNCCCH