Preparations

[5:51 a.m., August 9th 2048, St. Petersburg, Russia. Hachiro, Daisuke and Natsumi wait in the arrivals section of St. Petersburg’s airport, watching the big board, as a flight from Shanghai flashes with the sign *Cleared Immigration*. Daisuke looks down at Natsumi’s phone, texting the leader of the reinforcements, who were arriving on a separate flight an hour later (Ryo landed earlier, and separately from both groups with his group of three other men). The arrival doors open, with Shin and Naomi being the first two to be seen from the doors, and Natsumi rushes towards them]

Natsumi: Guys!

Naomi: Nats!

Natsumi: Naomi! How’ve you been?

Naomi: Pretty good. Pretty tired after such a long flight. When’d you two get in?

Hachiro [From behind]: You forgetting about me, Mi?

Naomi: Oh yeah, you went with them to ruin their alone time in England!

Hachiro: Well yes, but actually…

Naomi: I don’t wanna hear no excuses from you! You know what you did!

Hachiro: Blame Rina! She sent me! [Pauses, then looks at Natsumi and Daisuke] And you two wouldn’t have even gotten to see Lockwood if not for me!

Natsumi: Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?

Hachiro: Don’t you remember how idiotic both of you looked outside the doors? Those guards would’ve kicked your dumbasses out, you know?

Natsumi: Not my fault – blame Dais.

Daisuke: Huh? How are you gonna pin this on me?

Natsumi: Well, technically speaking, you were the most useless of the three of us in England.

Daisuke: HUH?

Natsumi: Hachi, don’t you agree?

Hachiro: Well, I can’t really debate that one can I?

Natsumi [To Daisuke]: See?

Daisuke: I thought you’d be sticking up for me!

Naomi [Tilts her head, then looks at Daisuke]: Dais, is this true?

Daisuke: No, no, no Mi, they’re lying!

Natsumi: How exactly are we lying pre-tell?

Daisuke: Well…

[The shot pans back towards the doors, and Martial, Drift and Shin stand together]

Martial: Who’re these guys? I’d assume one of them is the guy I talked to on the phone – but what about the other two? I presume one of ‘em’s Natsumi, but I don’t know the other one.

Shin [Points to Hachiro]: Yeah, that one’s the one from the phone call. Hachiro’s his name.

Martial: He a combat guy?

Shin: Kinda. He isn’t really a hand-to-hand type of guy; he specializes in long distance combat. I’m surprised you didn’t know that.

Martial: Please, I don’t know all the info on you guys. I just know what I know, that’s it.

Shin: Fair point, we do keep a lot of shit under wraps. [Pauses] The girl though, yeah, she’s the one I was telling you about on the plane. She’s Natsumi, our main negotiator. She’s good at the shit eh?

Martial: I’ve heard rumors of someone in your inner circles being a wizard like that – I’d heard her name tied to that but I never really based anything on that. Hey though, that’s a hell of an asset to have for you guys eh? Who knows, if this chump [Lightly punches Drift in the stomach] didn’t talk to me and she did instead, you guys probably could’ve gotten a better deal out of me eh?

Drift: Oh fuck off, you barely cost pennies anyway you  wanker.

Martial [Shrugs]: Is what it is, I guess.

Shin [To Martial, pointing to Daisuke]: The last one’s Daisuke. He’s kinda a jack of all trades, although he’s good at keeping track of expenses and making sure we got our policies in order. Although, he can throw hands pretty well too.

Martial: Ah interesting, interesting. So, this is the majority of Eastern then?

Shin: More or less, yeah.

Martial: I’m surprised all of you guys could afford to come out here though.

Shin: To be fair, I didn’t think Rina was gonna come with us, but it’s fine. Takuya back home can handle all the information that’s coming in, and we’ll just get onto any minor cases whenever we get back. There hasn’t been anything too major over there in a while, and hell, we don’t often get a lead like this onto an international agency.

Martial: Fair point man. I’m intrigued by Katarov though and whatever the hell his gift is. Sounds sci-fiy and weird as all hell.

Shin: Man, I don’t even care. I wanna kill that bastard.

Martial: Oh yeah, I know, I know. But shit, doesn’t the idea of gifts and all that shit make you question shit? Like I’m out here thinking to myself – this world is crazy man. I mean shit, I’m down for it though – life would just get even more exciting.

Shin: I honestly can’t think of that now. Maybe once this moron is dead and gone, maybe.

Martial: You really wanna shove a knife down his throat, eh?

Drift [To Martial]: That’s his only goal. That’s been his only goal.

Shin: Yup. And I won’t stop till enough of his blood is spilled so that I could paint a canvas.

Martial: Well shit, let’s hope that happens now then eh?

Shin: Oh, you bet your ass it’ll happen now.

Drift [To Martial]: You don’t know shit on what his gift is though eh?

Martial: No shot. All I know is that he is gifted. Gifted enough to have taken down your brother too, nonetheless.

Shin: As much as I love my brother and I know how strong he was – he was only one guy. This time we’ve got an army coming for him. [Pauses] Wait, Natsumi!

Natsumi [Turns away from talking to Naomi and the others]: Yo!

Shin: How’d the talks go?

Natsumi: They went great!

Shin: Really?

Natsumi: We’re 100k in the hole, but we’ve got backup of forty-five men.

Shin [Confused]: Wait… you snagged forty-five guys from them? Really?

Natsumi: Yeah.

Shin [Looks to a bewildered Drift]: Man, there’s no way.

Drift: She’s special ain’t she?

Shin: Tell me about it. Ayo Dais, you got a keeper, eh?

Daisuke [Shakes his head]: I know, I know.

Shin [To Natsumi]: How’re we gonna keep track of em though and know when they get here and all that stuff?

Natsumi: They got our number, so we’ll just direct them whenever we find out where we’re supposed to be going. By the way, do y’all have any leads on that?

Shin [To Karina]: Rina!

Karina [Talking with Ashe, Kohaku and Electra]: Yeah, what you moron?

Shin: Wow, no need to be so rude!

Karina: Says you!

Shin: Anyway, anyway, you got any information on where we’ve gotta go now? Takuya should’ve been able to get something from the information we got him with Aleksander, right.

Karina: Tak processed most of the information on him last night before we got on the flight – it should have been sent out to my email today. [She picks up her phone and opens her email] Yup, it’s here – Tak’s found his most known whereabouts and one of them is near the heart of downtown.

Shin: Okay, that’s good then. Could you send that to Nats too?

Karina: Aw, Nats is gonna be in a separate car than me?

Shin: Oh, I wasn’t even thinking about that – she just needs to get it so she can send it to our reinforcements.

Karina: Reinforcements?

Shin: Hello, weren’t you the one who sent Hachiro after Yuki and Shin? Hello? How’d you forget this quickly?

Karina: Ah, right, right, that. Wait, how many’d we get?

Shin: Do you have a lack of hearing or something?

Karina: Hey now, that’s quite rude. [Pauses] See, this is why I’m never nice to you, shithead.

Shin: Oh, for Gods sake, we got forty five men as backup.

Karina: Forty-five? Really?

Shin: Yeah. Thank Natsumi for that.

Karina [To Natsumi]: Nats you’re the best!

Natsumi [Looks over from Hachiro, Daisuke, Naomi and Yuki]: Thank you!

Karina [To Shin]: You should be more like her, sadist.

Shin: Oh, shut up now, will ya? Send that shit you got from Tak to her before you put your phone away as well.

Karina: Fine, fine, I will. No need to boss me around.

Shin: What battery percentage are you at?

[Karina doesn’t respond]

Shin: That ain’t good, is it? [He reaches into his pocket and throws her a portable charger] Take this.

Karina: Oh wow, you can be nice, eh?

Shin [Smiles, then laughs]: What kind of leader can’t be nice eh?

Karina: You never seize to amaze me with your stupidity, dipshit.

[Yuki then walks away from Hachiro and the others and walks towards Shin]

Yuki: Shin…

Shin: Yukes, what’s up? Oh, don’t tell me you’re hurting, or you’re tired now. Oh, please God no.

Yuki: No, no, it’s not that.

Shin: Then what is it? Why do you look so down?

Yuki: I look down? Really?

Shin: Well, kinda.

Yuki: Well, I sure as hell ain’t down, I’m excited to do this!

Shin: That’s good – but then what did you wanna say?

Yuki: Oh yeah, right. Shouldn’t we go over the plan now? Now that we’ve got everyone round up.

Shin: Oh yeah, we probably should eh? [He looks over to Natsumi] Nats, did you two create a plan or something or do you want me to go with what I’ve got?

Natsumi: Daisuke had one!

Shin [To Daisuke]: Dais, what were odds like on that?

Daisuke: Pretty good, I’d say. I think we all come out of it and we keep a lot of Lockwood’s men alive too as well.

Shin: Is it a guaranteed hit on Katarov?

Daisuke: Nothing’s guaranteed mate.

Shin: I know that, I know that, but I mean like, what do you think? Think there’s a chance?

Daisuke: I think we’ll get to Katarov no issue with this plan, but the modelling can always have glitches and errors in it, right?

Shin: Yeah, I ain’t expecting something with no error, don’t stress. [Pauses] So, what’s the plan then?

Daisuke: Well, we were gonna split up with all of us – yeah, all eleven or so of us – using one of the entrances, while the guys that we have on deck would use the other one.

Shin: I’m sorry, what?

Daisuke: Yeah, it seems a bit daunting at first – and actually, Hachi, you can go with the forty-five.

Hachiro: Huh? Why me?

Daisuke: You’re our range, you can snipe out defensive guys from a distance. Just don’t be too close to get picked off, alright?

Shin [To Daisuke]: Wait, wait, wait, I’m still not following? We’re divvying up 45-10? Why? I get that we’re probably stronger, but what the hell?

Daisuke: Relax mate, relax. Rina sent me a rough outline of the building before we were sent to London, so I kinda designed my plan around that.

[He opens up his phone to a blueprint of the building]

Shin: Rina! You knew about this?

Karina: Yeah, you just never asked for it. Tak had rough information on what the building would be like, he just didn’t have a clue where it was until we got a hold on that Aleksander scumbag. He said that most of the buildings in Petersburg are similar, after all.

Yuki: They are?

Karina [Points to Daisuke’s phone]: Yeah, apparently there’s a lot of similar designs, and this design seemed the most appropriate for their main hideout. Its spacious and designed with lots of places for defensive ambushes to be set up.

Shin [To Daisuke]: So then, what’s the plan here?

Daisuke: Well, we’ll have the forty-five guys attack in waves first. Five waves of nine or so, leaving within a couple of seconds of one another. They’d be going towards this main door… [he points towards the main door on the left side of the page]. Within those forty-five, maybe one or two of us can sneak into the third wave or so… Naomi and Elec maybe? [They nod] Great.

Shin [Confused]: Still, what are we doing here?

Daisuke: The rest of us – besides Hachiro, cause he’ll be supporting those guys from the back, would be going in through here… [he points to a window]

Shin: Eh? A window? You think we’re gonna make it through there?

Daisuke: Well, not all of us per-se. We’ll have alarms set off by the fifth wave of the forty-five, who’d break some of the other windows from the outside, while we send in two of our smaller guys… hmmmmm, Nats?

Natsumi: Sure, I’d go.

Daisuke: We’d need someone sensible with her though… hmmmmm… Drift?

Drift [Looks over]: You want me?

Daisuke: Hmmmmmm.

Drift: I’m huge man… and I’m not really that good with fitting into tight spaces. I don’t think you’d want me doing a job like this where I’d need to be small enough to fit through a broken window – all while I’m injured, nonetheless. Y’know, Higuchi would’ve been pretty good at something like this – even though the morons big.

Daisuke: He broke into that place in Jakarta, right?

Drift: Oh mate, not just there, he did it back home with me and Elec as well. But we’ll save the stories for another time.

Daisuke: Yeah… anyone else though? I mean, I could theoretically do it, but… [He spots Kohaku] Oh shit, you! You’re a perfect size!

Kohaku [Blushes]: Oh, why thank you.

Daisuke [Realizes]: Oh shit, shit, shit, not that –

Natsumi: Hey Dais… I thought this was a meeting for your plan?

Daisuke [Looks at Natsumi, waving his hands]: Calm down, calm down! I was saying she’s a perfect size for the window damnit!

Natsumi: Oh, really now?

Daisuke: Yes! I swear!

Shin [Looks at Daisuke, ignoring Natsumi, then looks at Kohaku and asks her]: You up for doing something like this?

Kohaku: What do I need to do exactly?

Daisuke: Well, we’re gonna need this girl right here, Natsumi’s her name, and you, to jump in through this window – don’t worry, the alarms will already be blasting so you won’t have to worry there. Then, you’ll just have to navigate through the hallway to the door that’s just a couple doors down, and you two would open the door for the rest of us.

Kohaku: That’s it?

Daisuke: Yeah basically.

Kohaku [To Martial]: Maki, you think I can do it?

Martial: Well, I don’t doubt you, honestly, you’re probably one of our best bets to make it into a window that small, especially with how agile ya are. Up to you though – if you wanna experience the thrill like me, go for it.

Shin [To Kohaku]: Besides, don’t stress too much. From what I’ve understood, Natsumi, the girl with you, will do all the lock-picking and all that when need be. You just need to be there as her backup, that’s it. Alright?

Kohaku: I’m pretty sure I can do that, yeah. Anything to help y’all out.

Shin: Appreciate it. [Turns to Daisuke] Now, what’s left of the plan?

Daisuke: Well, well, there ain’t too much left. Once we get inside, we’ll throw a few of the smoke bombs and pepper spray containers into the corners where we don’t have vision, then we’ll split, with a few of us ambushing the back half of their defensive line, while the rest of us rush downstairs to where Kat and Fetistof should probably be hiding. Once we wipe the defensive line, or at least turn their focus to us, the remaining men of the forty-five should be able to either retreat or follow us, depending on their numbers.

Shin: Then what?

Daisuke: There should be more bodyguards and shit downstairs waiting for us, so we’ll go in full aggressive, pushing the tempo while trying to single Katarov away from Fetistof and other guards.

Shin: You think we can?

Daisuke: Oh yeah… I’m expecting a pushback, but I don’t think they’re expecting fifty-five guys to ambush them, right? They shouldn’t have insight on our truce with Sybil, so even if they’re expecting us to retaliate to them stepping on our turf, they wouldn’t think we’d turn around this quickly, with these types of numbers. Especially considering their only source of information was Aleks, and he only saw y’all.

Shin: Yeah, fair call. So, who gets Fetistof? We saving him for Yukes, Drift, Rina and Martial?

Daisuke: Woah, woah, you’re gonna need more backup than just Elec and the rest of us, you know that right?

Shin: Listen bud, your plans great and all, but Katarov’s mine. I ain’t letting none of y’all kill this bastard. I’m the one who’s gonna fucking kill him.

Daisuke: Yeah but…

Yuki: Shinzo, ain’t that a bit risky?

Electra: Yeah Shin, especially since we don’t know about his abilities. We just know he’s strong as hell and can beat down on anyone.

Shin [Cunningly smiles]: I don’t give a rat’s ass. I’m gonna kill him, one way or another. That’s what I’ve been waiting all these years for.

Martial [Thinking]: Oh, I really like this guy. He gets it. Living for the thrill of it. Shame he’s gonna kill that guy before we even get to have a bit of fun.

Daisuke [Looks at Shin]: Well, you’re our leader. You do you. I believe in ya. Go shitkick the ever-loving fuck out of him for all of us.

Shin [Chuckles]: You don’t needa tell me that big man. [Regains his composure] Anyway, the plan sounds damn good. Hell, might even be a bit too easy, but we move.

Yuki: Maybe they’re banking on no one getting the location?

Karina: That’s what I was thinking.

Yuki: That’s the only thing that could make sense. Cause this building scheme is pretty orthodox, all things considered. There’s probably a mess of shit in the basement where we’ll be heading but getting in seems like child’s play. I guess we’ll see when we get there though.

Karina: Oh yeah, Nats, let me send you the address so that you can forward it to those guys as well. When’re they landing again?

Natsumi: Hachi, you got the flight number, right?

Karina: Yeah, it’s a chartered flight from Gatwick, should be arriving in twenty minutes time. We should get going, cause they’re gonna get on the ground and head out right away. Do they know the plan though Nats?

Natsumi: I’m gonna send them everything, the location, the building layout, and I’m gonna get Dais to type up his plan and send it to them.

Karina: Do you know the guy who you’re sending this to, or is it just a random one of em?

Natsumi [Looks to Daisuke]: Was it Roy?

Daisuke: No, no, that was the guy helping with the Mikolev thing.

Karina: Oh, y’all got that done too? No way.

Daisuke: You told us before we left, we had to keep our word, y’know?

Karina: So, Lockwood’s gonna be sending another guy to safeguard them then?

Daisuke: Yeah, that’s the Roy guy. Him and a few other guys, just to be safe.

Karina: Gotcha, gotcha. So, you guys don’t know who this guy that you’re gonna be sending the messages to is then?

Natsumi: Nope, Nats just gave Lockwood her number and he got one of his spare phones and rang it up – he told us he’d be giving it to the leader of this squadron of forty-five, but we didn’t get a name from him.

Karina: Eh, that’s fine, if he’s gonna respond and play the part with us.

Natsumi: Oh yeah, he definitely will.

Drift [Interjects]: Should we get going then? We’ve pretty well settled everything down, and we don’t have any bags to collect from the carousels, plus we had two SUV’s booked for us while we were in Shanghai which should be waiting for us outside the terminal.

Shin: Naomi, Elec, Hachi, Dais and Nats in one car, and the rest of us in the other one then?

Daisuke: Sure, us two [Points to Natsumi] will get dropped off a block ahead of the building and will meet up with y’all there. The car will then take the other three to meet up with the rest of the guys from Sybil.

Shin: Sounds good by me. Naomi, Elec, y’all good with that?

Naomi: Yeah!

Electra: I’m game for whatever ya want boss.

Shin: Sweet then. You two take care of yourselves though. I don’t want any deaths on the job, alright?

Electra: Can’t make any promises boss, but I’ll try my best. And I’ll bring Naomi back alive without question – no matter what.

Naomi: Aw cuzzo, you don’t have to talk like that. None of us are gonna die here. We’ll win.

Electra: Yeah. We’ve got Tokyo’s own Yuki with us, and the great Shinzo, after all.

Naomi: Exactly. We’ll be fine! You two though [she points to Ashe and Kohaku], be safe!

Martial [Smiles]: Aw, not me?

Naomi: Your aura doesn’t feel the same as them – even if it’s just your first time, you’re all riled up to do something like this alongside Shinzo eh?

Martial [Lowers his head, then chuckles]: You bet I am. I’ve been waiting for the thrill of my life, and it’s finally here. Let’s do this.

Naomi [To Ashe and Kohaku, again]: You two though, stay safe!

Ashe: We will, don’t worry!

Kohaku: Yeah, we’ll be fine Mi! Thanks for the encouragement!

[The group walks out the Terminal’s entrance doors, to the blazing Sun and the sound of traffic. Two valet signs are labelled for Kohaku Jin, and she speaks to both drivers and gets Karina and Natsumi to give them directions to the targeted destination]

Electra [To Drift]: See ya on the other side, partner.

Drift: Don’t die, dumbass.

Electra: Right back at ya, moron.

[The group then splits off, wishing each other the best, before the two SUV’s leave the terminal. The scene then pans to a room, at 6:51 a.m, where Katarov sits with his feet up on a table, drinking a glass of red wine. To his right stands a woman, with her arms wrapped around his neck, as well as another, lying on his lap. Behind him stands the figure of a muscular, tall man, with a tattoo of the Japanese for ‘death’ on his face and other tattoos inked on his arms. Money lays on the ground, and from the corner of the shot stands Ryo, smiling viciously as he holds onto the door handle]

Katarov [To Ryo]: Yo… been a while since I last saw ya. How was England?

Ryo: Oh lovely, lovely. Those bastards at Sybil never did anything though. Useless pieces of shit. They’re always on such high alert, and for what? Like calm the hell down. And that Lockwood guy, fucking hell, reminds me of that Raphael guy I used to work with.

Katarov: Oh-ho, the guy from Japan?

Ryo: Yeah, the moron who I partnered with back then.. Him and that other guy – God, I can’t even remember the other guys name, that’s how insignificant they were – what morons. If neither of ‘em existed, I would’ve been able to right the ship after you killed Ichigo, but they were too idiotic and only believed in his greatness. So glad I killed both of ‘em.

Katarov: It made you feel good, eh?

Ryo: Hell yeah it did man. I was shocked you’d give me a chance, since it was us that were the ones who planned the Ichigo hit on ya.

Katarov: Ah, yeah man. But Aleks and Fetistof both agreed that you’d be valuable, especially if you were able to orchestrate something like that, no matter the result. And trust me, no matter how strong he was, there was no way he was gonna defeat me. You’ve seen now, haven’t ya?

Ryo: Oh yeah. That gift’s something else to deal with, especially for a guy who’s a close-combat fighter like Ichigo was. [Laughs] Who cares though? That rat Taiki’s dead anyway, and soon his brother will be too.

Katarov: And so I heard, it’s little Shinzo after me. I assume it was your informant who gave him this lead then, eh?

Ryo: He’s not my informant, that piece of shit Takuya. Self-centered piece of shit, only cared about Ichigo. [Shakes his head] It definitely was him though, he’s the only bastard to smell a drop of blood from a mile away.

Katarov: This should be fun though, shouldn’t it? Little Shin’s coming to play with me, after all.

Ryo: Do you really want to expend your energy on that though? He ain’t even much –

Katarov [Throws a knife towards Ryo, which misses, and embeds into the wall. He then stares him down]: That boy’s my prey. Like his brother, he’s coming to do his job, which I respect, and I won’t let you trample over that, even if you work with me. It’s me, and only me, who can give him the eternal rest he needs.

Ryo [Thinking]: Holy shit, Vlar’s right. This motherfuckers crazy. All the better though. I still wanna see how you’ll be able to usurp him though, Vlar, cause holy shit.

Katarov [Stares down Ryo]: Oi, dumbass! You listening? You understand?

Ryo [Zones back]: Oh yeah man, loud and clear! My bad!

[The tall, muscular man comes into view]

Fetistof: Oi, Kat take it easy on the moron here. He’s just back from England, he’s probably tired as hell anyway. Lay off.

Katarov: Oh, you’re right man.

Fetistof [Walks towards Ryo, looks him up and down, then punches him square in the gut]: Still though, you don’t try and fuck with the captain’s orders. Ya understand?

Ryo [Collecting himself]: Yeah. Yeah, I got it man. My bad.

Ryo [Thinking]: No wonder this guy took the number two spot from Aleks. Aleks wasn’t even half of this guy. Jesus Christ. Both of them and Vlar are  deadly. What a great organization, unlike that shitshow in Japn.

Fetistof: Now, shithead. You got any info for us?

Ryo: Oh yeah, right, right. Shin sent three of his lackeys to meet with Sybil.

Fetistof: So, the bastard ain’t all talk then. He’s smarter than his brother then, eh?

Katarov: Smarter… I don’t know about that. Sybil ain’t some masterclass of an organization. They’ve got their presence, but you’ve been around Lockwood enough to know the maximum extent of the support he’d send with these guys.

Ryo: Well, he sent me and a couple other guys to deal with some shit because of a lackey that they were trying to protect – something or the other like that.

Fetistof: Oh, that’s why you told us to get someone to dispose of the car?

Ryo: Yeah. Smelled like shit in there once I got rid of those morons. Hell, it smelled like shit with those English shitheads in there.

Katarov: Anyway, was there anyone else that you know about that was sent here besides ya?

Ryo: Not that I know of. They had some discussions, but they didn’t last for longer than an hour and a half, tops. If I’m a betting man, I’d say he gave em like five to seven of his lackeys, and a collection of weapons that they wanted.

Fetistof: You confident in that, or you playing with us?

Ryo: I’m not saying anything’s guaranteed, that’s just my best guess. They wouldn’t go to Sybil if they were coming up empty-handed though. They probably have some sort of truce with em, or something like that, but Lockwood’s not the type to get pushed around from what I saw at least. He’s a scrooge.

Katarov [Laughs]: Eh, who cares anyway. No extra manpower, ten extra guys or a hundred, who cares? We’ll tear through em all, right Fet?

Fetistof [Chuckles]: Hell yeah man. Just like the old days.

Katarov [To Ryo]: Oh yeah mate. You see Vlar? I told the guy that you were in England and we had some urgent business to attend to here.

Ryo: Oh yeah, I did.

Katarov: What’d he say? He showing up?

Ryo: About that…

Fetistof: Oh, that bastard ain’t showing up, eh?

Ryo: He told me; ‘Kat’ll be fine even if I don’t go. I’ve got better shit to do here’

Katarov [Laughs]: Sounds exactly like him. I ain’t surprised at all. Would’ve liked him back.

Ryo: You think we need him for this?

[Fetistof and Katarov look to one another, then laugh]

Fetistof: You moron!

Katarov: You think we need backup?! [Laughs]

Ryo: Wait, then why’d you say you would’ve liked him back then?

Katarov: Oh, because he loves murdering people man! Come on, even you should know that!

Ryo: I mean, I guess that’s true.

Katarov: For such a new guy, he’s a character and a half eh?

Fetistof: God love him, he’s been so good at doing all those assassination jobs in Western Europe.

Ryo [Thinking]: It feels good to be back here. These guys are strong as hell. Vlar’s strong as hell. This is where I belong. Being near the top here should be damn fun.

Fetistof: Say Ryo, when’dya think those morons are gonna show up?

Ryo: Oh, Eastern? They should be here sometime later today. I don’t think they’re gonna waste time with the hits, I heard those two back in England talking about making a move.

Fetistof: Gotcha.

Katarov: Can’t wait to bash in some heads, can ya Fet?

Fetistof: Oh, my bloods boiling man. I need some action.

[From behind them, a figure walks towards them and slaps Katarov across the face. Fetistof looks towards him angrily, before immediately losing the look and bowing right before him – Katarov quickly also does the same, and Ryo, in a confused manner, follows them. The figure has a medium build, with larger arms and overgrown hair, and when the person comes into the light, he looks older than Katarov, Fetistof and Ryo – and radiates with a different energy than any of them]

Frost: Katarov…

Katarov [Militarily]: Yessir!

Frost: You haven’t forgotten the reason for this battle, have you? You haven’t strayed away from the teachings that I’ve given you over the years, have you? I know Oskar wandered, and he fell away from the path of light. I’m hoping you don’t do the same. We have a reason that we’re doing all of this, right?

Katarov: Yessir, of course sir!

Ryo [Thinking]: Just who is this guy?

Fetistof: You can be rest assured that we won’t falter sir! Not after everything that you’ve done for Katarov in training him, sir!

Frost: Oh nonsense, nonsense. I just awakened his gift and trained him – just like that guy did for me, all those years ago. I’m just doing my part on this pathway of light. That’s all. You guys can knock some sense into those guys for sure, even kill some, I don’t mind.

Katarov: Still sir, we will not fail you. Not this time. Not when we’ve come this close. But that boy, Shin – let me put him to rest. Is that alright sir?

Frost: I see no harm in that. None, in fact. There are four that I see – I do not know who they are, but I see them – who have great potential. The others, not as much. This Shin boy, he falls into that other category. He is free to be fodder for you.

Katarov [Smiles]: Thank you sir. I will do my best and bring them to you.