WD spy rule two sixty seven is entitled '...Because everyone knows it's usually after the eye of the storm passes that shit gets real.'

Previous rule two sixty six: The peace during the eye of the storm is second to none....

Next rule two sixty eight: To be frank, talking about a guy's mom is justifiable homicide.

Summary page

-Short summary-

The captive situation between Izaac, Ruzena, and Mizuki becomes a family matter, while Jia finds himself in a death match with the cultist's capo.

-Long summary-

Izaac sighs dejectedly and asks in a monotone voice if Mizuki won't please let Ruzena go. He really would like to avoid meaningless (read free) bloodshed, so they can just go their separate ways if she moves aside. Mizuki tells him to shut up, and that as long as she's in a bad mood someone has to die. Moreover could he please act more terrified? It's actually pissing her off more that he doesn't seem to care if his younger sister dies. Izaac shrugs, how is that her business? He starts to say that considering she's his younger sister....but Ruzena's glare has him change to just plain sister. Mizuki is completely confused at this exchange, as she's used to people cursing her name when she threatens them. Izaac and Ruzena not only aren't scared, but don't seem to even acknowlege that she's in control! That only serves to piss the youngest Asahara off even more, pushing her to make the decision that not really desperate times call for desperate measures. She grabs Ruzena's neck and closes her grip, all the while staring at Izaac who...frowns slightly...oh...and then....picks his nose. As if this isn't insulting enough, Ruzena begins to sing 'London bridges' off key. Mizuki glares at her and in a hiss tells her to shut her mouth. Ruzena shoots her a lopsided smile and asks if it's fun to know that she is losing control of the situation in a rapid fashion. Unlike Mizuki who kills out of emotion and raw bloodlust, she and her brother Izaac kill for cash. There's a marked difference between these two, as the siblings have to become cold and heartless monsters in order to do their 'job'. Had she ever had to nail an ambassador's kid cause his rival wants to make a point? Or take the side of a drug lord against the very community he enslaves just to keep them in line? They often have to fight for the wrong side against the right one because the bills need to be paid. Meanwhile Mizuki can kill without knowing anything or anyone. For her ignorance is bliss, for them it's an occupaitonal hazard. They're pretty much used to having no feelings towards anyone, even family. For the moment you feel, the harder you have to work to get that next paycheck.

Izaac sighs and rolls his eyes. 'Mind crusher' Ruzena is her epitet for a reason. Ruzena could shoot a guy between the eyes without him even knowing she's in the neighborhood, and for those who get the drop on her without her weapon, she can still crush brains by just talking. Give her five minutes with a person and she could have them around her pinky finger. True enough, Mizuki can only glare at the assasin girl with pure malice unable to take the next move. She hears a click behind her head, and growls. Without turning she knows that sound, the sound of a gun behind her head. Salvo fixes the gun on her cranium and smirks, admitting that she's much smarter than he originally took her for. Mizuki points out that he's here to save his sister right? Wouldn't that mean all the crap she was going on about was actually just that? Crap?  Salvo blows air thoughtfully and replies that he's only saving an 'employee'. Sure she's related to him, but that wouldn't make the inconvenience of having to hire someone else any less.

Someone taps Salvo on the shoulder, and he glances back to see one Daiki Asahara. Daiki grins and admits they kill based on pure emotion, but that doesn't change the fact that someone who gets in the way has to be destroyed. Mizuki is overjoyed to see her older brother, and asks in harsh Japanese where he's been. He replies in English that he's been doing some sight seeing, and figured Mizuki would have things handled. Mizuki then asks with unbridled glee how the 'dark prince' died, and Daiki thinks for a minute and then says jovially that he died a death so awesome that he doesn't even know he's dead yet. Mizuki tilts her head inquisitively, while Daiki waves off the small details. Salvo comments about the stalemate, and wonders how long they'll have to keep the position? Daiki shrugs, and points out he's in a relaxed position anyway, so it's all about how long he can hold up that gun, supposedly.

Izaac frowns and looks into the distance. He then feels Ricca shivering on his back and comments to the others that she's probably delirious with pain and should really go see a doctor. No one budges at this, and glancing to the side, he calls Salvo's attention. The teenage sniper responds without taking his eyes off of Mizuki, and Izaac prompts him to remember the time they were in Russia doing some 'ethnic cleansing' for some czar. Wetwork that even the KGB shied away from. Salvo smiles warmly remembering fond times. Izaac reminds him about the time they were in that car. The one with the surprise under the hood? Salvo remembers this and recalls how much of a close call that was....if Ruzena hadn't noticed something blinking then....

He glances over at what Izaac has been staring at and his eyes bulge. Daiki notices this and turns in the same direction, he too having the same reaction.

Meanwhile Lukas has maturely handled Ruka's decision to stay by lifting her up and carrying her to the drop off point. Considering she's five foot nothing, it's easy for Lukas to walk with her in tow. At first she had earnestly struggled against him, but realizing that won't work she submits and instead complains in a Japanese cutesy voice used by pre-teen anime characters. Ruka knows full well that he like most African American men have a severe weakness to Asian women, and it's compounded by her speaking her native tongue, even if he doesn't understand a word of what she's saying. She persists in saying things like Iya da or Sochi wa ikutakunai and most of all Bukkorosu zo, temee~ Although Lukas is pretty sure the last one is either a threat or insult.

He finally sets Ruka down and admits the understands her wish to assist their teams in battle, but no one wants to see her get hurt. Besides, he's fairly sure most of their enemies have been taken care of by the snipers or the other Sector Seven operatives. Ruka is aghast that he went as far to hire snipers to save her, and pretty much demands that she be allowed to join the mission. If people are going to be shooting each other and dying for her sake, she wants to have a say in it. Lukas gives her the once over and asks if she understands how little sense that makes? Ruka stares into his eyes, her iron clad decision reflected in his glasses. The leader of section seven groans and mutters that he's going soft before allowing Ruka to stay, but she stays close to him and does not act unless he says to. Ruka nods solemnly as Lukas turns to the communicator and begins to tell Jax about the change in plans when he suddenly freezes up. Ruka notices this, and stares up at him.  Lukas is filled with a sudden dread; the mission shouldn't have been this easy. Something is off, something fundamental but important; a something that could destroy the plan and them along with it.....but what?

One rainy evening in Shanxi providence Xinzhou city in China, A window billows open as one Kuang Jia; Lukas's Chinese older half brother holds his mother close. In the window sill stands a man smiling maniacally. He whispers a challenge to Jia to follow him before jumping from the sill. Jia stares after the man and begins to start after him, when his mother holds his hand, and pleading in Mandarin for him to treasure his life. He had saved her before the man had done any serious harm, and everyone knows him as the serial killer 'Quick death' a.k.a Xunshi.

Jia is face down on the ground as this memory washes over him. His eyes fly open and he glances at his surroundings. Hallway, hallway, and more hallway. Jia groggily sits up and tries to collect himself, asking all of the important questions. How did he end up falling asleep in a place like this? Where is he exactly? And most of all...where is his opponent, Xunshi?

The last question is the first to be answered, as when Jia glances upward, he sees the serial killer perched in a corner of the ceiling, finishing Wives and Concubines by Su Tong. He notices Jia is awake and smiles, putting a bookmark where he stopped reading. He asks soothingly in mandarin if Jia had a good nap? He wanted to continue their deathmatch, but he got so tired that he fell asleep on his feet. Xunshi figured he could take the chance to finish a novel seeing that even awake, killing Jia would be like slaughtering an infant.  Jia snarls at the killer to come down and face him at first in English, and then in mandarin. Xunshi shrugs and hops down from the ceiling without effort, and comments that he loves it when his opponent is serious about killing him. A peaceful world in his opinion is one which deserves to die in it's sleep. Jia cracks his knuckles, and replies with the mandarin equivelent of 'it's go time'.

The two lunge at each other, and trade kicks and punches. Jia sees something flash for a second, and then realizes very quickly what Xunshi's aim is.  He turns and quickly darts down the hallway, which surprises Xunshi momentarily, but he quickly recovers and chases Jia. While running, he taunts his opponent, asking where he intends to run? He's very accommodating, so he'll make any place he wants his grave if he says the word. He knows that Jia is more than this, being born a halfling. His life must have been one fight after another, with his skin color and father being an outsider. He knows that he can fight well, since that's all he did as a child. Especially if it was to protect that slutty mother of his. Xunshi then yells at Jia, asking why he doesn't turn to fight him.

Little does Xunshi know that Jia wants nothing more but to slam his face into a wall, but now isn't the time. Just a bit more, a bit more ahead and then he can unleash all of this festering anger and frustration. His mother had always told him that patience would reward him, and today looks like payday.