Race Against the Clock, Lack for a better title D=

[Shera Mizuki]

A small note was placed on her kitchen counter stating that she would be out that night. It was mostly for Kuri to see considering he had been living in her home for a few weeks now. It simply stated that she would be back within a day. It didn't give any instructions on what he should do if she didn't appear when she said. She felt that he wouldn't need to be bothered with such trivial things. She wasn't exactly sure if she felt completely confident in being able to come back in a day.

She just wanted some alone time that night, and she knew that she wouldn't feel completely alone in just her own home. A foreboding and unsettling feeling was present in the air as she walked steadily down the sidewalk as though she were just taking a stroll. She could feel eyes boring into her back, although every time she looked back, there was no one there. She knew she was being followed, but by whom she didn't know. She made sure to keep her defenses up as she strolled towards the park. She was waiting for whoever it was to attack even though she didn't know when they would...

She arrived within the park a few moments later, stopping in a clearing after walking through the woods for a little while. She felt someone appear behind her, the ringing of a gun going off, ringing in her ears shortly after. She had been expecting this, ducking down the same moment the trigger was pulled on the firearm before disappearing from her current spot. She held a knife up against the man's throat a few seconds later, her eyes shards of ice as she prepared to whisper in his ear.

"Who are you?" she asked in a deathly calm voice, pressing the cool blade against the man's throat. She could feel the blade move as he gulped.

A snicker was given a few seconds later, followed by another ringing sound. The raven haired assassin's eyes widened as pain exploded through her back, inclining her head around as she saw another figure behind her. The knife dropped from her hand slowly, making contact with the soft green earth just as the man in front of her elbowed her hard in the stomach, sending her flying back a few seconds later.

Crimson life flew from Shera's wound as she flew back, splattering everywhere as she crashed into the ground. Her eyes were parted open slightly as her vision went out of focus, blacking out seconds later. She could hear the two men cackling as they stood before her. Slowly her eyes closed as she fell deep into the depths of unconsciousness.

One of the men grabbed the girl while the other took care of the blood that was splayed across the ground. What he didn’t notice was the knife that had fallen a few yards away, and followed after the other once he felt he had done a decent job of taking care of the blood problem.

Silver threads cut into the assassin’s throat, legs, arms, and stomach, keeping her pinned up against a large slate. The two men had brought her to an underground cellar underneath one of the smallest churches in Tokyo where they would keep her until the designated time.

Footsteps alerted the two men of a third figure approaching, causing them to smirk.

“Did you set up the dummy bombs?” one of the men with dark hazel eyes asked as he turned towards the approaching figure. He stood taller than the rest, almost towering completely over them.

A simple nod was given in reply from the new arrival, the quietest of the three. A snicker was given off as the taller one turned to the one that had helped him capture the assassin. “We’ll send the notice in twenty-four hours if no one notices her absence…Now it’s time to test the intelligence of this measly city. Will they be able to overtake us in our plans, or will we end up taking over the entire city?”

A cold cackle was given out shortly after, stopping a few seconds later for the man to signal the other two to laugh with him, in which they did although not as enthusiastically.

[Raitoshi Kuri]

A yawn was let out as his shoes made light squeaks against the pavement, otherwise making no sound at all. His footsteps stopped suddenly. Kuri sneezed, and rubbed his nose, looking up.

"Is it that cold...?" he muttered. The fact that he had no money was probably getting to him. He had just started working at a restaurant that day, and fired on the same day for breaking a stack of plates. He could not help if they were in his way. He did not like the boss anyway. He glanced to the woods. Perhaps it was warmer in there---besides, he would not have to walk around and waste time to get home. ...That is, Shera's home.

He scratched his head tiredly as he walked through the woods, knowing that he needed to find another job the next day after school. It was really tiring though. Maybe he should just skip school altogether.

He stopped again. His nose tickled, but for a different reason. He looked to his right, and narrowed his eyes. He sensed blood...

He bent down and examined the ground. It was clean, but he felt the presense of blood. He put a hand to his chin for a moment, thinking. A second later, he shrugged it off. Murders happened a lot anyway, he wouldn't be surprised if that had happened in this part of the woods. Not like he cared. But he could not help noticing something glinting not far from him. He walked towards it and picked it up. It was a knife---a very familiar knife.

"...She didn't kill someone, did she?" he asked himself, turning the knife and examining it from a different angle. He pulled his lips down to a pout. "Nah." He pocketed the knife and headed back.

The house was dark when he did. He went straight to the kitchen, flipping the light switch. The first thing he noticed was the note on the counter. It was from Shera, about being away for a day. What for? He thought again---and then sighed a second later. He hated having the nagging feeling. She would be fine. He would just wait till the next day for her to come back and shout at him for something he did not do on purpose.

[Shera Mizuki]

The room was quiet, yet had a cool chill in it. It had been a few hours since the assassin had been kidnapped, and she was just now starting to awaken. She immediately winced at the thread seeking into her skin. From what she could tell it was around her neck as well as around her arms, legs, and stomach. She tried to incline her head in a direction to see if there was any way for her to escape, but the thread just seeped further. Her head hung loose afterwards as blood dripped down to the ground in a crimson puddle.

"There isn't any possible way for you to escape girl..." a cool voice said, stepping out of the shadows, standing proud and confident. "The more you move, the more the thread seeps in. Face it, no one is going to come save you....not now....not ever. Once they find out about the little excursion we have in store as well."

"Why..." Shera asked weakly, barely able to voice out what she wanted to say.

"You'll learn soon enough girl...you'll learn soon enough..."

Without saying another word, the man left Shera hanging there helplessly. If everything he had in mind went according to plan, then A as well as Tokyo would be either completely annihilated, or under his control.

--24 hours later (roughly)--

A note was slid under the assassin's doorway. They knew someone lived with her, and they knew that after twenty-four hours they would start to wonder where she was. On the inside of the note, there was nothing but chicken-scratch which would be hard to decipher.

Reach A and tell him to meet us at Tokyo Tower by midnight tomorrow. If you don't, the girl will die...You know who we're talking about...We know you'll find a way to find him if you even care for this girl's life...

It was simple, yet it said precisely what to do. All they had to do now was make sure that it was A that they were going to meet. Hopefully their plans would go according to plan...if not, they would have to improvise.

[Raitoshi Kuri]

Kuri yawned noisily, banging the refrigerator door close and placing a bottle of juice on the table. He had just woken up from a nap, and he was still in his school uniform. He figured that he was too lazy that day to look for a job. He hoped Shera would not mind him drinking juice off the bottle---there was not much left anyway.

He left the kitchen with the bottle, ruffling his hair. He glanced at his watch. Shera should be home soon. Then he noticed something by the front door---a note. Did Shera decide to play longer ouside? He walked over and picked it up lazily. It was only until he read the note that he was wide awake.

"Eh...how did they know I've got connection with him?" he muttered, scratching his face. He was thinking again. Did he really care about Shera? If she was gone, that means the house would be his, and probably everything including her wealth would be his too---instant wealth. Fire of victory was burning for a moment---and then subsided.

"Geez, that girl causes a lot of trouble," he said, taking his jacket and slipping it on. "How do I contact this guy though? ...Looks like there's only one way."

He picked up his cell phone and started typing something before sending it off. He smiled, flipping it close. "There. Let's see..." He picked up the note again and examined it under the light. There wasn't anything that would give him much clue on Shera's whereabout. Not like he was going to risk his life saving her anyway. He pocketed the note and opened the door to leave. He had a meeting with a murderer.

[Alex Kayton]

"Is this really necessary, Sam?" Alex groaned, slumping on the table.

"Japanese, young master, Japanese," Sam said, taking the empty plate away from Alex's sight. "We are in Japan, it's only right we use it. I think it's very interesting." He smiled.

"But your Japanese is..." Alex shivered.

"Don't compliment me," Sam retorted. "It's the only reason why I want you to speak Japanese with me."

"You mean criticize..." His cell phone beeped in his pocket. He took it out and glanced at it. "A message...from an unknown source?" He scanned the message, and narrowed his eyes. He got up from the table. "I'm going out for a while, Sam. I'll be back in a short while..."

---
He had always wanted to go to the Tokyo Tower in the daytime. But he was there at night.

He tipped up his cap and adjusted his white jacket. He was not dressed in his formal clothes---he was told not to. But the white shirt and jacket was enough. He was sporting a pair of black jeans and a pair of glasses instead. He was also told to wait at the foot of it. For what reasons, he did not know. He was probably early though. He glanced at his watch. Half hour early, to be exact. Again, the message told him to take his time and get familiar with the place. It sounded fishy, but that was exactly what he would do.

"...Should I go up?" he murmured to himself, looking up at it.

[Raitoshi Kuri]

"You don't need to."

Kuri emerged from the dark, smiling. "It seems that I'm early as well. Thought I would grab a quick dinner, but apparently I wasn't as hungry as I thought. I supposed you received my challenge?"

Alex turned, narrowing his eyes. "You again? Don't you ever give up? You know you can't beat me. How did you know my number anyway?"

"I have my ways of finding information," Kuri said with a wink. "Not of finding jobs though..."

"Stop blabbering already," Alex said, putting his hand back in preparation. "If you don't want to get killed, you better lift something now."

"Whoa, whoa, I'm not here to fight!" Kuri shook his head. "It seems that we have a problem. You know Shera Mizuki, the girl who seems to have two personalities?" Alex hesitated. "Yeah, you remember. Well, I've been living with her. She just disappeared though---kidnapped. Apparently it's your fault too." He tossed a scrunched-up paper to him. "You better follow what it says. So the challenge I mentioned in the message isn't from me---it's from them. Don't ask me what they want, I'm just doing as I'm ordered. Good luck."

He turned, waved over his shoulder, and left. But he was not going to just leave it there---no, he was not going to miss a good show. He needed to make his own preparation too.

[Shera Mizuki]

She couldn't help the smirk that played across her lips before the small laugh. It was insane what these men were doing. She saw no point in it at all. There didn't have to be much of a point in kidnapping someone though, did there? She winced as the thread dug deeper, causing more blood to seep through. It stung horribly, but she was starting to become numb to all feeling inside of her. It felt as though she were becoming nothing more than a puppet.

"You think anyone's going to come for me?" she couldn't help the question that sprung from her mouth. "That's what it is, isn't it? You think that you can get a ransom for me? I hate to tell you, but I'm not exactly the most popular person to come after."

The tall man frowned as he took a step closer to her before raising his gun at her head. "They'll come..." he said, implying perhaps more than one person, "Otherwise they can bid you...and their beautiful city farewell. I wonder how intelligent A is exactly. I want to see them squirm under our power. Let's just say that if they don't come for you Mizuki," he said her name in a mocking tone, "then it'll be their fault...A will come...We weren't aiming for anyone to come for you, after all, who cares about a washed up assassin without any talent?"

Shera's eyes widened as he stated this, and her hands immediately clenched into fists, causing the threads to sink deeper into her wrists.

"Ah, ah, ah...careful, otherwise those wires will be the ones to kill you, and not us...We can't exactly have you die," he said, fading off in the end as though filling the air with suspense, "yet..."

A laugh was let out as he turned around once more, disappearing in the darkness to leave Shera by herself. She stared down at the ground with blank eyes, the dripping of her blood as it collided with the small puddle barely processing in her mind. She closed her eyes as she let her body hang limply. She wasn't going to fight these wires anymore; she knew that if she tried, she really would die.

"Set the first bomb to explode tomorrow at twelve fifteen...just to prove a point," the tall man stated in the walkie-talkie, standing just outside the church as he looked up at the sky.

---Next night---

All was quiet at the top of Tokyo Tower as midnight came around. One man was simply there waiting although the other two were around somewhere, keeping an eye out for anyone who appeared. A small disk was located in the palm of the one waiting's hand. The minutes were drawing closer to midnight, and he was slightly impatient from having to wait so long. He just wanted this to get over with...no...to begin. He thought back to the helpless girl and could barely sustain a laugh as he thought about her pathetic condition.

"That washed up assassin should just die..." he murmered to himself quietly, looking at his watch which now said five till.

[Alex Kayton]

"I'm going out for a while, Sam."

Sam emerged from the living room to watch Alex slipping on his shoes and tapping them against the floor. "This early, young master?"

"You mean late. Don't worry, I'm not sure whether I'm killing anyone yet...I'm not really in the mood. Just going to find out what they want."

Sam lifted his head a little. "...Please be careful."

"Ah, I will." Alex smiled over his shoulder, putting on his glasses and hat. He left.

It was fifteen minutes to midnight. The city did not seem as busy as it looked during the day, but he was familiar with that already. He pulled up his jacket a little, letting out a sigh as he stopped at the pavement. The tower was visible from where he was---meaning he was not far from it. Only another minute of walk. He looked up at it, musing. He wondered why these people were looking for him. Revenge? His father must have done a lot in the past from the look of it. Yet there was not a single trace of his trail...

Alex shook his head, letting out a slow breath. He took a step forward, and stopped again. Something told him that he was being followed. He narrowed his eyes a little.

[Shizuka Kyoshi]

Kyoshi left his apartment, eager to get out into the night's crisp air. He walked down the stairs and through the lobby, giving the woman behind the counter a small nod before he strolled casually through the apartment building's glass front doors. The woman didn't pay much mind to him; it was normal for the teenager to leave late at night.

He slipped his hands in his pockets as he walked silently down the road, unsure and uncaring of where his feet would lead him. He just wanted to walk and get his mind off of things. His russet eyes flicked around him quickly, taking in the scenes of Tokyo's nightlife. People were still about, though not nearly as many as during the day.

Kyoshi continued looking around him, his fingers brushing against the cold metal of the gun in his pocket every few seconds. He snapped out of his hazy distraction, though, when a familiar sound rang through his ears like the loud shriek of an unwanted phantom.

The large dog came barralling around the corner, barking loudly. Kyoshi didn't notice the leash, or the person holding it, and instead made a run for it. He looked behind him as he ran, not noticing that a young man had stopped in the middle of the pavement.

Kyoshi crashed into the other teenager and fell backwards, landing on the concrete with a loud thump followed by a curse. He glared up at the stranger, his face set into an irritated frown. "Inconsiderate moron!! Why would you stand in the middle of the side-walk?!" he hollered as he got to his feet, his brown eyes reflecting his anger as he dusted himself off.

((OOC: Erm...random...yeah. *dies* -__-;; ))

[Alex Kayton]

He had heard the footsteps, but the impact against him was almost unexpected. He quickly placed a foot in front of him, stopping himself from falling just in time. He turned to the hot-tempered person, and hesitated. If he was not wrong, the kid was from his class---the shorty. What was his name again?

"Shizuka. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be in your way...where are you rushing to at this time anyway?" he asked, extending his hand forward as an offer to help the boy up. Shizuka could not be the one following him...maybe he was imagining things.

[Shizuka Kyoshi]

Kyoshi ignored the hand as he stood and shrugged at the other person's apology. He squinted in the dark, trying to make out the boy's face. He recognized the teenager from his class, but he couldn't put a name with it.

His classmate's next question made him shift his gaze to the side, not wanting to admit he had been running away, not rushing somwhere. "I...I'm going to the uh...grocery store," he answered, lying through his teeth. It wasn't a very good lie, but it was the best he could come up with on the spot.

Kyoshi continued to frown, though now an eyebrow raised slightly. "And what, pray tell, are you doing out this late?" he asked, suspicion lacing his voice thickly. While he waited for an answer, he shifted through his memory, trying to recall the boy's name. He thought hard, going through all of the class roster in his mind before he remembered. 'Kayton, I think...' he reflected, nodding mentally when he was sure he was right.

[Alex Kayton]

"Right..." It was obvious that the boy was lying. Alex could not mistake it. But as if Shizuka could really do anything great---his height did not make better impression. Then again, there was no match for Alex anyway.

Then the question was countered at him. He smiled a little in almost a dangerous way. "I'm going to meet someone...if you don't mind now, I'm going to be late for it. Enjoy your grocery shopping---I'm sure you'll grab the first carton of milk in the morning. Jya."

He waved cheerfully before turning to head for the tower. He had only five minutes left, no time should be wasted now.

[Raitoshi Kuri]

"...I swore he sensed me," Kuri muttered with a sweatdrop, looking down from where he was. He was on the roof of the building just where Alex was in front of when a boy bumped into him.

He sat down at the edge, letting out a sigh. "Oh well, I got a clear view from here anyway." He glanced up at the tower, putting a pair of binoculars to his eyes. Yes, the view was very clear. He smiled, lowering it. If all went well, he would be able to join himself in the event too.

He glanced down to see Alex turning to leave. It would not be long now. The boy who ran into Alex raised his curiosity though. No kid like him who be allowed at night---unless he was running away. That almost reminded Kuri of himself. It was an awkward memory as he watched.

[Alex Kayton]

He stopped at the foot of the tower and glanced up at it. He let out a breath. "Here goes..."

He entered the tower, and headed straight to the elevator. As he rode it, he pulled off his jacket to reveal a suit underneath. He took off his glasses and hat. When the elevator door opened again, he was in full suit of the White Murderer excluding the hat. The hat was too bothersome.

He stepped out of the elevator and let it close behind him. He rubbed the watch face against his shirt and looked down at it. "Seems that I'm exactly on time..."

[Shera Mizuki]

The disk was thrown to land in the middle of him and A as he stepped off of the elevator. His face was hidden by the shadows, although his hands had found their way to his pockets after he had disposed of the disk. It immediately lit up with a blue light, flickering slightly before showing a girl who seemed to be tied rather tightly against slate near the wall. She seemed to be a mangled mess, blood running down her in small streams.

"I believe you know this lady?" he asked coldly, a smirk appearing on his face. "Tell me Mr. A...How intelligent do you believe you are? You should already know that I'm not here to exchange with you money for the girl or anything like that. I want to test you..." He faded off here, turning his head to look out over Tokyo.

"Do you know how many people reside here in Tokyo?" he asked a few seconds later, still staring out the window, "I wonder what would happen if a catalyst of explosions went off...enough for the whole city to crumble...This just so happens to be the test...If you care at all for the residents of this city, then listen carefully. You have a choice to follow one of two riddles, but don't get ahead of me now...I have some things to explain first."

He was talking in almost a mocking tone, although he hid it rather well, "You could kill me now, but there are two more elsewhere that are waiting for that...if you shoot me..." he said, bringing out a hand to signal the city, "Then this city goes up in flames...If you follow what I have to say, then you might be able to save this pathetic city. Bombs have been set up in several areas of this entire city...Find each bomb and deactivate it, and you'll be the hero of the city...yet...this girl here," he paused here, pointing at the projection, "will become a weapon, after all, she probably holds more phenomenal power than anyone could comprehend....Now, if you come for the girl, then this city will go up in smoke in a matter of seconds. Now, I know you're wondering why you would ever come for this girl...after all...what importance does she hold to you, correct? What is one life worth over twenty million or more? I'll tell you that...if you decide to save the city...and let's say you do, then millions more will simply die because of her."

He paused here once more before looking through the projection towards the murderer, "I know you are a murderer...so you also have a third choice that I have yet to mention...if you join us, you will become the most powerful person in the world. If not, here are the two riddles...listen well for I'm not repeating them at once. The first one will be a clue for the girl's location, and the other will be for the location of the first bomb...Oh...and be careful...for if you cut the wrong wire for any of the bombs...they all go off..."

A small chuckle was given out, and it seemed to resonate in the air for a few seconds before he regained control of himself.

"What is a minority in this country,
Is naught a minority in another.

For some it lights up the world,
While for others it's considered a disgrace.

Considered to be a freedom for some,
Is discriminated against for others.

Lying on the edge,
It might just be alpha and omega."

A slight pause was given here for the one clad in white to store those in his memory, or write them down if he so wished, before he moved onto the next.

"The old is also a part of the new,
Lasting through this emperor's reign.

Whether it be rain or shine,
Tourists flock in and out.

Most would not think of visiting this country,
Without having a chance to look through here..."

Another pause was given before the man smirked, "Let me just say that not all of these riddles will be simple. Oh, and this...is just a warning to let you know that I am not bluffing..."

Just as the minute hand hit the fifteen after mark, a large explosion went off a little ways behind Tokyo tower, smoke billowing up into the night sky shortly after as sirens went off. "And just to make this game more interesting...if you just so happen to decide to go after the bombs...I'll give you three days to disarm them all..." He held up three fingers to help emphasize his point.

"You might wish to hurry...Mr. A"