11:00 AM. Somewhere near Tokyo, Japan.
"They are on the move." Inosuke called from the radio.
Giyu gulped. Time to begin. He took deep breaths. He looked at the others, only three were with him. For once he thanked that the laboratories are far away from the city.
Finding a spot to hide was easy. The hills surrounding the facility were more than enough to conceal their presence. All the employees and visitors will never suspect of a Task Force stalking on the vicinity, lurking on the shadows and waiting for the moment to strike. Like a wolf pack hunting an elk.
"Everything should be ready." Sabito reassured while loading his rifle. Standard equipment, M4A1 with customized short barrel, grip, stock and a silencer, he enjoyed handling over firepower "We have to go."
Yes. Giyu knew that time has come. He has a mission and whatever it happens, he needs to settle it.
He loaded his own rifle. Following his friend's example, the same weapon, yet Tomioka didn't shared the emotion for handling. He prefers the accuracy, the attachments such as a M-16 stock and vertical grip can add some weight to the weapon. However, when it comes to shooting, it will be second to none. When you put a customized rifle in the hand of an expert like him. A carnage will take place.
"Let's move." He ordered.
A small yet deathly team. Compromised of only four men this time. Sabito, Tanjiro and Inosuke were chosen to accompany him. The rest of the team is ready to engage at any given moment.
The boar-man is an expert when it comes to scouting and surviving on the wilderness. You can throw him in the middle of the jungle, desert or snowy mountain and Inosuke will find a way to secure food and shelter. He could become the king of those habitats if he wants to.
Sending him to clear the way and observe was like a walk in the park.
"Zenitsu. Where are you?" He spoke through the intercom.
"On the air and ready to pick up some ladies." He chimed at the other side of the ear piece "Genya-san, Muichiro-san and Nezuko-chan are on board."
"Wait for my call, you know what to do."
Tomioka took a deep breath. Even looking for an excuse now will be pointless. He must carry on. He must go in and take Her. It doesn't matter if that means to kill in front of her. He is not afraid of that will happen if Shinobu has to see the monster he has become.
The three of them began to run through the forest. This time their feet were light like a feather, without any extra equipment, only their guns, ammunition and a small backpack with tools. They devoured the trail with inhuman speed.
"Oi, captain. We have a problem." Hashibira called again "It seems that the terrorists have bombs."
Giyu stopped when he heard those words.
"They have what?"
Next thing he knew a roaring explosion sent shockwaves through all the vicinity. It shook trees and the echo reached all the mountains. Hell, even downtown Tokyo could hear such explosive.
Giyu gritted his teeth. This wasn't part of the plan at all.
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"The best option is this door." Nezuko pointed at the back of the building "It is a backdoor exit, it is closed, of course by a digital lock."
"And how we getting in?" Inosuke asked.
"Of course I will open it. This is easy for me." Nezuko praised herself while the boar rumbled around.
They were currently planning the next operation, since the day is coming soon. Thanks to Nezuko; the specialist on intelligence and technology of the team, she intercepted a call from the terrorist planning the attack on the Kocho laboratories.
Where are they planning this? That's classified for you.
"And what about the target?" This time Sabito took the initiative.
"Well, thanks to the captain." The only girl of the group pointed at the azure eyed man "We can pinpoint the exact location wherever she goes."
It was thanks to Tomioka that they got the phone number of the girl, it made easier to intercept the interactions she made on her phone. For Nezuko it was like finding a elephant inside of an empty room.
"And here I thought that you only gave your number became you wanted to flirt." The peach haired man mocked his friend "To think that it was a deep and crafty plan all along."
Giyu puffed his chest out and smiled. It was all part of the plan.
Lies, lies, lies. Tomioka Giyu didn't thought that it will come in hand at all. He just gave his phone that day... why did he? Now that he put some of his mind to it, no reason was behing giving up his phone number.
As his colleagues continue to discuss the plan of extraction. Giyu cursed inside of his head, even now Shinobu haunted him, five years later she is still the center of his life.
Not they way he wish, tho.
"Now, if there is only the shooting, then we can dissapear as soon as we appeared and no one will ever imagine that we were there." The pink eyes of the girl gleamed as she observed her majestic plan. There were no flaws on it "What do you think, captain?"
Tomioka only agreed. He trusted his team with his life.
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"That attracted a ton of attention, you can hear the explosion from miles away." Tanjiro said, bringing Giyu back to the present.
"Nezuko?" The captain asked over the intercom.
"The police is going crazy, reports are pouring. Maybe..." She made a pause "Ten minutes before they got on the move, at least twenty to twenty five before they arrive."
"You heard her. We won't be here when that happens." Tomioka pushed forward. There is no time to waste.
When they reunited with Inosuke a pile of smoke rose from the building. The roaring of gun fire echoed and filled the air with a lullaby of death and blood. It just began a minute ago, but Giyu knew that a lot of people have died in just the span of sixty seconds. Guns in the wrong hands can take a lot of lives indiscriminately. Men, women, children. Bullets made no distinction when taking lives away.
"Open the door!" As soon as he said, the lock went from a red light to a green one. A signal that that could move in.
A simple formation of four. Every one of them covering a side. Tanjiro and Inosuke took the rear while Sabito and Giyu decided to be the vanguard.
The corridor was dark and lonely. As an emergency exit it wasn't even decorated like the rest of the rooms, it was just a monotonous gray color. Screams, cries and pledges reached their ears. Most of them went silent after some shots were fired. This bastards didn't had any plan to leave anyone alive.
They reached another door. Nezuko told them that it connects to the back of the warehouse, probably the kitchen. She gave instructions of how they need to navigate through the next rooms for not getting lost.
"And where is She?" Asked Giyu as he moved in silence through the rooms.
It felt like walking through the valley of shadows and death. Lifeless bodies scattered, bloody and shattered. Some of them were left in agony, leaving them to die slow and painfully. That was the time he remembered the words of Sergeant Cole.
'Will you be able to one day say 'Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil because I am the baddest motherfucker in this goddamn Valley?'
Now he understands what he meant by that. Even though he has seen this kind of scenario before, when it happens on his own home country, it become even more painful.
"She's going downstairs, to the basement! There's a door to the emergency stairs at the next corridor."
They turned the corner. What used to be a lively lobby whose walls were decorated with exotic paintings is now full of holes from bullets. The once white and shinny floors were now stained with blood from the employees.
Although, Giyu can't do anything about it. He needs to put all his mind on the mission.
With demonic speed the four of them began their descent, it has become a race against the clock since they heard some terrorist going down too. Nezuko informed that the police will be there in ten minutes. Time's ticking.
The door stood in front of them. Gunshots were heard and some of them laughing. They made it in time... barely.
"Stop crying. We won't kill you, yet."
Giyu ordered to wait. They have no idea that the grim reaper is waiting behind that door, a single push and he will put a hole in their foreheads. Tanjiro and Sabito took the sides of the door while Inosuke watched over the stairs. Tomika took the front.
The footsteps were coming closer and Shinobu was pleading and crying for them to let her go.
'If they even touched a strand of hair. I will fucking kill them!' His heart pumped a hundred kilometer per hour and blood rushed to his brain at the single thought of the injured butterfly.
And the door opened. A single second, like a lighting. Giyu couldn't saw the man he killed. He only pulled the trigger, a flash came out and the muffled sound of the gun was devoured by the crash of the dead body.
You know what they say about confident people? The higher they are, the harder they fall.
The men with Oni masks were so confident in the massacre they done and weapons they carried, that any idea of getting killed did not crossed their minds. When their brains proceeded what just happened, it was too late.
Sabito and Tanjiro sweept with the remaining attackers in a just a few shots.
"Clear." His best friend assured.
"Clear." This time Tanjiro said.
For a second time froze for Giyu. There she was. With a cut on her lips and forehead, the blood now dry and dust in her clothes. She must've been caught on that explosion. Her eyes gleamed when she inspected them from head to toe, her pale face showed relief and her lips trembled.
However, she only asked one thing.
"Who are you?"
That's classified, even for you who read this.
"Captain, we have to get outta here." Tanjiro approached him and after glancing at the girl he went back to where Inosuke was guarding.
Time is running low.
Tomioka Giyu reached for her. His usual blank face and Icy cold eyes. This is no time to lose the strives. For now, he need to unfuck himself and focus on getting out of here.
He spoke a single line while helping her:
"We're getting you out of here."