Gaijin
Part 38
The Punisher.
OooOOooOO
A light rain fell from the clouds over the docks of Tokyo Bay. It was night, and the security gate of a large warehouse had a single streetlight that shined down on it. Rows of small trucks were lined up against the outside of the warehouse as the windows of the large building shined with a gold colored light from within.
The lot outside was empty and black, two men stood guard at the small booth next to the gate. One wearing a suit and tie, the other in a security guard's uniform. The uniformed guard was nursing a cup of coffee as he sat inside the booth with his feet propped up on the shelf while leaning back in his chair. He looked bored and lazy as he stared out into the empty street.
The man in the suit was standing just outside the open door under the overhang on the booth. He flipped open a lighter and lit a cigarette as he leaned against the wall and puffed on it.
A small splash from a nearby puddle caught his attention and he pushed himself off the wall, blowing smoke as he took the cigarette off his lips and turned towards it. He took a few steps out into the sprinkling rain and looked back and fourth.
He didn't see the figure crouching on top of the fence looking down on him. There was a fluttering of cloth as it landed on top of him with an elbow to his neck.
As the pair hit the ground, the stranger stood up and stomped on his exposed neck before he realized what had happened. The stranger turned her eyes towards the booth and narrowed them as the other guard stepped out.
ôHey, what...ö He choked and grabbed at his throat gasping for breath as he staggered back into the booth, noticing the blood splattered all over the inside on the glass and walls.
The stranger lowered her arm with a small crossbow in her grip. The bolt was lodged in the guard's throat as he looked on as she walked away while hefting a large bag over her shoulder.
She moved towards the rows of trucks lined up against the warehouse. They were small delivery trucks all painted white with no markings. They were dirty and had a gray crust of dirt and mud around the wheels. Men could be heard working within the bays and the inside of the trailers were thumping and scraping with the cargo being loaded into them.
She smirked as she looked at the empty cabs as she placed her bag on the ground and opened it revealing C-4 with detonators ready to go. She slid on her back under the first of the row and latched one of the bombs to the bottom before switching it on. There were no blinking lights or sounds, no timers or LED screens. Only a small transmitter that gave no indication it was there.
It only took about three minutes to finish her work. Ten trucks were armed to blow, and she still had three more bombs left. She cocked her head as she took them out and adjusted the transmitters on them to a different frequency.
OooOOooOO
Ten minutes later, a row of trucks was moving towards the gates of the warehouse. Each of them in a line as it pulled up to the silent guard post. The lead driver got out of his truck as he reached it and moved towards the booth. ôHey, Asshole. Answer your radio. Do you have any idea how pissed...ö His voice trailed off as he froze with wide eyes. ôOh shit.ö
Almost in answer to that, the entire row of trucks exploded as one creating a line of burning debris that blocked the entrance to the docks. The man was thrown off his feet and into the booth. Before he realized what had happened, the flaming remains of his own truck flipped over and landed on top of the guard post crushing him and the remains of the security guards inside.
OooOOooOO
Inside the warehouse, everything froze at once. Men loading crates and moving cargo to be loaded into the next shipment stopped working as their heads turned towards the bay doors.
On a catwalk over the warehouse floor a man with slicked back hair in a business suit rushed out of the office with three men of similar appearance following after them. ôWhat the hell was that?ö
The supervisor looked up at him with a hanging jaw and a clipboard in his hand. He worked his mouth a few times and looked dumbstruck. ôI...ö
Three of the bay doors exploded at once sending workers flying away from them. There was a panic in the air as men rushed to and away from the scene.
The man above the scene waved his arms as his three companions pulled out firearms and started spreading out. ôWho the fuck?ö He muttered in rage.
The entrance to the warehouse flew open as someone kicked the doors in. It was a woman with shoulder length aqua colored hair. She had a deep scowl on her face, and an automatic assault rifle in her hands with a grenade launcher under the barrel. She was dressed in a long black coat, with black pants. Her shirt was black and armored, and a white stylized skull was painted onto the front.
A group of men was standing in front of her looking on with wide eyes, some of them with handguns, other with fire extinguishers.
The Punisher lowered her rifle and lobbed a grenade into the group. Men and body parts went flying in every direction along with a shower of white foam as the pressurized canisters were punctured and flew away in a violent manner. One man near to the scene had his skull half crushed as one of the fire extinguishers flew into his face and pinned it to the brick wall.
Michiru strolled in, emptying her clip into anything moving in front of her. Rows of crates created hallways in the room that were filled with men. She cut them down ignoring the returning fire that bounced off the ground, walls, and flew through the air around her. The room was in a panic, confusion reigned, and she was in control.
A group of men rounded the corner and raised weapons to fire at her. She gave them a dead stare and fired a grenade from her launcher at them. The crates that made up the wall crumbled on top of them, spraying the air with white powder as they shattered on top of them sending tight bags of drugs spilling out. She turned and continued on her way firing another grenade and taking out a small section of catwalk, sending three more men tumbling twenty feet onto concrete.
She narrowed her eyes as she saw a man waving his arm to send three more men with a handgun held ready. They had taken up positions behind cover, but another grenade put a stop to it, and sent the man giving orders flat on his back.
Michiru walked up with a calm indifference about her. She kicked away the handgun in his grip as he tried to train it on her and pointed a strange looking handgun at his chest. He squeezed his eyes shut as a small pop sounded.
He looked at her in confusion as he found himself alive. Her scowl was firm and her eyes cool as she slashed at the side of one of the barrels stacked up next to where he was lying. He sputtered and coughed as a thick vile liquid was spilled out onto his chest. He struggled in the thick goop and looked up at her, and the two wires that went from the pins in his chest to the weapon in her hand. ôOh, shi...AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!ö
Michiru gave a small smirk as she activated the tazer charge and ignited the napalm. She continued on her way away from the scene with a bit of a jog to her pace. She hooked her rifle over her shoulder and pulled out two uzi's as she rushed away from the scene while taking shots at anyone who crossed her path.
At least ten more men had been killed by the time she stopped and turned to a small office door. She kicked it in and rushed inside, pointing her weapon up and firing into the room.
There was a massive explosion in the warehouse as a large shipment of ammunition and guns went up outside, creating even more havoc. She stared the man looking back at her in horror in his eyes. A broken phone was in his hand and he was shaking in terror. His eyes flicked down towards the handgun on the desk in front of him.
Michiru shook her head.
He stumbled back with his hands up. ôP-please. D-don't...ö
She turned away from him and lowered her weapon. ôI suggest you leave.ö She turned and shot him in the arm, it stopped him from grabbing his weapon and sent him into the wall. He gripped at the wound with tears in his eyes and screamed. She didn't look back at him. ôGet out of here. Your job is done, you're the only survivor, and that wound will let you keep your cover.ö
His eyes went wide as he gasped. ôYou...who are you? Why are you doing this?ö
ôIt's Punishment.ö She pulled a gas mask from her belt and put it over her face as left the room and went back into the panic stricken warehouse.
Half the building was burning, the other half was full of dead bodies and people rushing away. Michiru had replaced her two uzis with a pair of handguns and was walking towards the stairs to the catwalk. She fired on a few scattered men running away and scrambling over the remains of the shipments. Caustic smoke from the contents of the crates left the remaining men easy targets.
Some of them were having convulsions from overdosing on the fumes of the drugs, others were too high and confused to do anything but run screaming. A few were on fire and didn't realize it. She picked them off as she started up the stairs, ignoring the ones in the worst condition as she made towards the upper office.
Once she reached it, she shot the window out and hopped through. She turned her eyes towards the door and the grenade booby trap that was set up on the knob and ignored it.
The office was empty, but a stairwell leading up to the roof at the back right side of the room was her destination to begin with.
She strolled outside and looked on. Three men in suits were running towards a helicopter. She walked out and popped the one lagging furthest behind in the back of his head, sending him sprawling out on the rooftop dead in his tracks.
The other two were already climbing into the waiting chopper. One pulled at his companion's back while the other fired at her with a small machine gun. She ignored the spray that sparked off the rooftop and continued to walk towards it. She holstered her weapons as the chopper lifted off.
One of the men was laughing and leering at her while his companion struggled to hang off the side as he stood on the landing skids.
Michiru pulled a small hand held grenade launcher and popped it open, sliding a shell inside. She flipped it up and raised her arm, causing the leering gangster to stop laughing as his face fell. He turned and started screaming at the pilot.
With a small thump her hand was kicked up. The chopper exploded in a twisted mass of flaming metal and dropped like a stone onto the pavement over the edge of the roof. The one who had been hanging off the side of the chopper had landed on his back on the roof.
The man staggered to his feet and stumbled back in horror as he realized she was moving towards him. ôWait! Wait!ö He put his hands up and rushed towards the edge of the roof. He was left with nowhere to go, half the building was burning, and the only way out was behind her.
Michiru had a single handgun in her grip as she approached him and stopped about seven feet in front of him.
He looked enraged and afraid. ôDo you have any idea who this warehouse belongs to?ö
She gave a nod. ôKashimoto, I have a message for him.ö
The man seemed to calm a little. ôGive me this message. I will tell him.ö
She raised her weapon and blew his brain off the side of the building. ôBelieve me, he'll get it loud and clear.ö
OooOOooOO
Saboten frowned as he put a handkerchief over his mouth and nose. Nearby, a uniformed cop was throwing up over the side of the roof. ôUhg, what a smell.ö
ôHey. What a mess. We got a couple of guys in detox because of this mess. The officers that responded ended up poking around and are high as kites at the E.R. right now. I'm almost jealous.ö The skinny officer turned and smiled at a large man in a gray coat with a sandwich in his meaty fist. He had a beard and a somewhat dead stare behind a pair of thin lenses. He pushed his glasses up his nose and a hunk of meat fell from between the roll in his grip. He ground it into the rooftop with the tip of his shoe and brushed his free hand on his coat.
ôHey. Sounds like the labs going to have it's hands full. What happened?ö The skinny cop shoved his handkerchief into his pocket.
ôWho the fuck knows? There was some sort of fire, a shipment of drugs went up in smoke after some kind of explosion caused by some kind of arms shipment bound for who knows where. Half the casualties are overdoses from that.ö
Saboten nodded and walked over to stand next to a photographer from one of the labs. ôThis doesn't look like an overdose to me, Kanzaki.ö
The big man gave a laugh. ôNah. Our friend here seemed to have missed his flight. I guess he was lucky, then again, not that lucky.ö He jerked his thumb off the side.
The slim officer nodded and peered over the edge. The twisted wreck of a helicopter was on the pavement just in front of the water. ôWhat the hell? Looks like someone hit it with a rocket or something.ö One side was twisted outwards and ripped apart, the rest was rather flattened.
Kanzaki shrugged. ôI ain't read the report yet. Somethin happened here. There's a few deaths from overdose because of that fire, but most of the bodies are full of bullets.ö
Saboten looked at the man who was hanging from the corner of the rooftop with a large hole in his head. ôHey. What's this?ö
The large man grunted. ôSeems like whoever runs this dock has royally pissed someone off.ö
The skinny inspector frowned as he used a pen to lift the blood splattered note and read it out loud. ôYou will be punished.ö
Kanzaki was sucking on his thumb to remove a bit of mustard after shoving the last of his sandwich in his mouth. ôHow many guys you think? Fifteen, twenty? Some kind of war? I hear that Kashimoto is having difficulties with what's left of Hisami's faction. There's even rumors that the old bastard is still alive. Maybe Kashimoto assassinated him?ö
Saboten had gone a little pale and was looking around at the scene with wide eyes. ôYeah. Who knows?ö
The big man slapped his back. ôYou all right? You look like you've seen a ghost.ö He seemed amused by his joke. ôMaybe it was Hisami's, eh? That fat old bastard is dead. I saw what was left of his car. No way he survived that, we never found a body, but that's just because there weren't any pieces of it big enough to identify.ö
ôWho runs these docks?ö The skinny inspector turned towards the man.
Kanzaki shrugged. ôWe suspect Kashimoto, but we can't prove it. The official owner had to be scraped out of the inside of his chopper. We know he works for Kashimoto, but we can't link this place directly to the slippery old bastard.ö He gave a crude snort as the body was removed from the corner and placed on a gurney. ôSomeone is trying to send him a message. I wish I could see the look on his face when he finds out about this mess.ö
Saboten frowned at him. ôI wouldn't want to be anywhere near him.ö
The large inspector chuckled. ôI guess not. Who do you think the messenger was? This must have taken quite a crew, we've got at least sixty bodies, probably more. Hisami? Ozuna?ö
ôDestroy all this hardware and product? They would steal it, not burn it.ö The skinny man put his handkerchief over his mouth and nose again. ôNo. This is someone else.ö
The large man scrunched up his face. ôHuh? Maybe they couldn't? Maybe they're trying to expose Kashimoto or one of his crew? We've got a lot of evidence.ö
Saboten shrugged and looked out over the bay. ôDo we? The files in the office were shredded and burnt. The computers wiped clean, and the one who's name is on the title is dead. There's no connection for us to link this to anyone so far. It doesn't seem like anyone is trying to lead us to something.ö
Kanzaki shrugged. ôSo what? There's a war going on, everyone knows it. This is just another bunch of casualties. Fuck em. Wish I could just get a bunch of us cops together arm us to the teeth and assault that old fucker's mansion. I'd do paperwork for six months and clean up the mess myself if they'd let me.ö
The skinny man nodded. ôYeah, well you can't.ö His heart skipped a beat and he glanced back at the man.
The fat man nodded. ôHey, a guy can dream. I hope these bastards kill each other off in this little war of theirs. Not much chance of that either, one of the other will win, and we'll be back to business as usual.ö
Saboten leaned against the edge of the roof and looked out over the water. ôMaybe. I dunno.ö He looked back. ôMy gut tells me this was...something else.ö
Kanzaki shook his head. ôThis wasn't some monster. Most of these creeps got shot up. Those things don't use guns and explosives. You saw what happened to those trucks and those doors. Someone came up with a shit load of guns, a bunch of C-4, and a crew of about fifteen guys to shoot this place to shit. This is just gang war violence.ö
The slim inspector nodded and hung his head. ôYeah. Maybe.ö
His large companion slapped his chest. ôDefinitely. Who else is gonna come up with all that hardware and manpower?ö
Saboten had a bad feeling. He looked at where the body had been hung. ôI dunno. Somethin about this one doesn't sit right.ö There was just no way one person could have pulled what he'd seen off. There was no possible way what he was thinking could be right. It was a girl, a pretty young girl too. What she'd said ran through his mind again.
ôI'm going to go down to the docks, and say hello to the Kashimoto family. I'm sure you'll find out how it went.ö
The slim man shoved his hands in his pockets and turned away. ôShit. This is fucking crazy.ö
Kanzaki grunted. ôHuh? Well, yeah. What do you expect from these Yakuza bastards anyway?ö
Saboten nodded and started towards the stairs. ôYeah. I'm gonna go have a look around down stairs.ö He didn't want to know anymore. What he was thinking was insane. There was just no way it was even possible. It looked like a military strike had gone through and wiped out everything it had come across. ôThe Punisher,ö He said to himself as he walked back into the office. ôWho the hell was that girl anyway?ö
As impossible as it sounded, he had a feeling that this case was going to fall on his lap. ôShit. People are going to think I'm crazier than Kajura.ö A one man army would be hard enough to buy, but a one pretty young girl army? They were going to think he was nuts. Kajura had been chasing ninja for years, everyone thought he was a good cop, but also that he was a little off.
The thing was, he seemed less crazy as of late. There had been a lot of things going on in Tokyo. Reports of monsters and superheros, and even stranger things. Ninja and crazy teenage girl vigilantes was almost rather low key.
It didn't make him feel any better, and it wouldn't make him look that much less crazy either. He knew damn well it was true, as much as he wanted to shake it off. This was the work of that Punisher girl he'd met, and he was going to be stuck on her case like glue whether he liked it or not.
OooOOooOO
Michiru was standing in an empty subway tunnel. She hefted her weapon back onto her shoulder as she opened a rusty looking door and stepped inside out of the tunnel as a distant train light became visible in the darkness ahead.
She found herself in a small hallway, and opened another door about halfway down. With another turn she placed her hand on the wall. A section of bricks slid aside and she walked into a large room.
Florescent lights came on revealing racks of weapons along the walls. There was a small kitchen and bath, and a bunk bed. Tony had the place built, though she wasn't sure when. The monitors of several computers came on and she tossed her bag on the ground as she sat down in front of the keyboard.
The destruction of the warehouse was all over the internet. A news site had images of what was left and bodies being carted away. It claimed it was gang violence, and speculated on several factions of Yakuza that might have been involved. Kashimoto came up as well as Hisami and Ozuna.
She leaned back and tapped at the keys and worked the mouse. Several images came up from an anonymous and encrypted source. She suspected Saboten had something to do with it. There was a tree of photos, head shots of men and women that culminated in Kashimoto himself at the top. She clicked on a few of the images and large white skull covered a few of the faces.
She still had quite a few, and had every intention of seeing every last one with her mark over it. The only thing to do was plan her next move.
She clicked on another image, and it opened another window revealing a profile and information about a thirty something Chinese woman with her hair done up with large hair pins. Michiru put her finger up to her chin as she read through the file and looked over a few related images.
The Punisher's eyes grew hard. She was Kashimoto's mistress, and was involved in human trafficking, prostitution, and the drug trade. Someone in need of punishment indeed.
OooOOooOO
A large factory door opened as a truck backed up to the bay door of a textile plant. Men were gathered around waiting as a supervisor backed the truck up to the loading dock.
He paused and turned his head as a cough sounded from behind him. ôOur shipment has arrived.ö
Madam Zhizhu nodded. She was wearing a red Chinese dress with a black shawl over her shoulders and black slippers. ôThey are late.ö Her lips were a permanent frown and she took a clip board from the man.
The back door of the truck opened revealing young Asian women inside. They weren't Japanese girls, but a mixture of Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, and Malaysian. None of them were older than their mid twenties or younger than thirteen.
The woman narrowed her eyes. ôI was hoping for a few younger girls. There's a demand to meet.ö
The supervisor nodded and frowned. ôWe informed our supplier of that. We won't be taking another shipment from him until he can supply it. We've got another source due in two days. He promises to deliver on at least thirty percent of our goal. This supplier claims that he can cover the rest in the next shipment.ö
Zhizhu's lips turned down. ôInform him that if he does not, I will personally mount his penis on my wall. We're only making a minimal profit from these sub standard loads.ö She strolled in front of the girls as they were forced to stand in rows for inspection. She poked and prodded at them, grabbing their faces, turning them, and forcefully inspecting their teeth and general health. ôReasonable I suppose.ö She started shoving them apart in groups. One of them cried out in protest as a younger girl was pulled away from her side.
The Chinese woman backhanded the loud woman and shoved the girl aside. ôTake her out of here, and make an example of her.ö She grabbed the older girl's chin and lifted it up to look her in the eyes. ôPretty, try not to mark up her face. She's got a lot of work to do.ö Two of the workers grabbed her by her shoulders and dragged her away. The others stood looking on in silence and huddled as they were separated into groups.
Zhizhu gave a sigh as she finished splitting them up into three groups of about twenty. The larger and more 'damaged' girls were the largest. ôThese should be working in the plant before the end of the night. You know what to do with the others. See to it they are delivered to their proper places.ö She turned away and strolled off towards her office.
The supervisor nodded and turned towards the men surrounding the scene. ôYou heard her, get started.ö
No one noticed the pair of black boots on top of the trailer turn away and walk towards the cab of the vehicle. Michiru hopped down on the hood of the truck and pointed a silenced pistol at the face of the driver. His eyes went wide and he opened his mouth as he fumbled for the receiver. The glass cracked and a red stain splattered the windshield.
Once again, the girl was armed to the teeth. Her cold frown and dead hard eyes glared into the bay as she walked around the edge of the trailer towards the warehouse. There was an assault rifle and shotgun hung by straps over her shoulders crossed behind her back, and she spun the chamber of a large caliber revolver as she walked along the side of the truck to the open bay door. She put it into her belt and hopped up behind a man facing away from her. In a single fluid motion she hooked her hand around his mouth and slit open his throat with a combat knife she pulled from her thigh.
With a simple push he landed on his back outside the bay door on the pavement.
OooOOooOO
Madam Zhizhu was lounging behind a desk in a small office with a glass of whiskey in front of her. The computer screen and a small desk lamp lit the room.
A man in a suit and tie was sitting on the edge of her desk looking bored.
She looked up at him and frowned pushing her chest out a bit. ôWhy are you here again?ö
The man gave her a lazy stare. ôMr. Kashimoto wants extra protection after that incident on the docks.ö
She gave a snorting laugh and tapped at the keys filling out a report on the day's activities. ôWhat would anyone care about this place? We make cloth. Our other activities are of minimal interest. They would attack elsewhere.ö
The man frowned. ôWe don't know who 'they' are.ö
The Chinese woman smirked and fluttered her eyes. ôYes. I heard about this incident. Kashimoto is such a nervous man. It makes him a poor performer.ö
He looked away. ôIt's not my business. We'll be here for a few days, and he'll calm down.ö
She put her palms on the desk and stood up, leaning over her computer. ôYes. I know. I heard about this incident. Only one survivor, and he's a pathetic mess. Talking of some woman.ö
The man frowned. ôOne woman couldn't have done all that.ö
The woman narrowed her eyes. ôYou'd be surprised what a motivated woman could accomplish.ö
Her guard just glanced at her and frowned. ôNo one person could have killed all those men. I believe his story, but I don't think he saw the rest of the people who did it. I saw the mess that place was in. Only a team of men could have done that.ö
Zhizhu just smirked. ôA lone woman? With green hair and eyes?ö
ôThat's the story.ö He adjusted his tie.
The Chinese woman chuckled. ôWell, why does it matter? We're outside of the interests of these little war games the old men play. This place is profitable, but of little importance.ö
Her guardian gave a small nod. ôIt's quiet here. I'll enjoy it while it lasts.ö
She swung her hips as she walked around the desk. ôThat's a good idea, I get tired of playing with the supervisors. Might as well enjoy having a man like yourself around while it lasts.ö She grabbed the back of his head and kissed him. He didn't argue or push her off.
OooOOooOO
Michiru walked up behind three men in a storage closet. They were hunched over a lone girl, beating down on her with their fists as she cowered and screamed in pain.
ôShut up bitch!ö One of them shoved her to the ground hard and the other two backed away with grins on their faces. He ripped at her shirt tearing it open and put his lips on her neck.
The girl cried and relaxed, not resisting the assault.
The one on his right looked a bit surprised and wide eyed as he turned towards his companion. There was a blood covered knife blade poking out of his partner's mouth. He started to speak, but the heel of a boot slammed into his neck shoving the back of his head into a shelf behind him. The bones in his neck snapped and he slumped down to the ground shaking in spasms.
The man on top of the girl grunted as she started to scream as she looked on in horror at the green haired woman who had just murdered two of her attackers. ôShut the hell up!ö He sat up and reared back his fist. He froze in place as he heard a familiar clicking sound as something poked the back of his skull. ôWha...ö His brain was on the wall before he finished talking.
Michiru shoved him sideways away from the girl and turned away. The girl was crying in horrified shock and shielding herself with her arms. The aqua haired girl glanced over her shoulder as she walked away. ôLeave.ö
The girl calmed a little and gasped as she looked on with wide eyes at the black clad figure covered in weapons.
Michiru walked out onto the factory floor with a pair of semi automatic handguns in her grip. Several men were walking about, and looked confused as they noticed her. She didn't look angry, but there was a glare in her eyes that put out a 'don't fuck with me' vibe.
They slowed and stopped turning their heads towards her. Without a word, she raised her weapons and started firing. Five of them dropped before the others realized what was happening and started rushing away and diving for cover. The Punisher strolled out onto the factory floor between large machines. Huge mechanical looms manned by various Asian women.
In less than a minute, there were ten men in jumpsuits and hard hats dead and a complete panic as women screamed and rushed for cover. The black clad figure frowned as she noticed armed men approaching the scene. There were a lot of innocent people in the room, so she couldn't use explosives. A shame, but she would make due.
She pulled the shotgun off her back and cocked it while ducking behind a stack of boxes next to one of the machines as bullets started flying around her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again they grew hard and enraged, a deep scowl formed on her face.
OooOOooOO
The door to the office flew open. One of the men in a navy blue jumpsuit froze and put up his hands.
Zhizhu was half naked and sitting on top of her guard and glared at him with angry eyes. The man under her didn't look much happier and had a handgun pointed at him.
He cowered and ducked as he put his hands up and shouted. ôWe're under attack!ö
The woman's face went from angry to confused. ôWhat?ö She hopped off the man and he moved with her shoving himself back into his pants.
The man who had come in with the warning turned to rush back out pulling a handgun out of his belt.
ôI guess I've got to earn my keep.ö The man in the suit gripped his weapon in his fist. Outside the office was a catwalk that stretched out over the factory floor to the other end of the building.
Zhizhu growled and walked over to the wall. She pulled a Chinese longsword off a display and gripped it.
Her guard glanced back at her as she pulled a handgun out of her desk drawer and frowned. ôCome on, we should leave.ö He walked out the door, turned his head and saw the man who had warned them sprawled out over the steps with a hole in the back of his head. ôShit.ö He never turned around as the back half of his head vanished.
Zhizhu looked on from in the office as the barrel of a shotgun hung suspended and smoking just outside her door as the man she was just fucking fell over dead. ôWho the fuck?ö She raised the small revolver she'd just pulled from her desk up and cocked it. Her eyes went wide as a hand appeared for a moment sending a small metal orb bouncing across the office floor. ôFuck!ö
Michiru jumped back as the glass of the window of the office shattered just before the explosion. She started to train her shotgun on the red blur. Before she could react her weapon was knocked out of her grip by a fast and powerful kick and sent falling to the floor of the factory.
The Chinese woman spun into a kick that hooked her across the jaw and sent the Punisher into the rail. The green haired girl was bent over it for a moment, but jerked herself up as a foot in a black slipper came down on top of it.
Michiru grunted as she put her arm up to stop another kick. Zhizhu raised her arm to shoot her in the face, but the green haired girl grabbed her wrist and slammed it into the railing on the catwalk. The revolver was sent falling to the concrete floor twenty feet below.
Zhizhu didn't miss a beat and slashed with her sword. The Punisher hopped back from the strike and grabbed both of the Chinese woman's wrists. They struggled and pushed against each other, moving out over the center walkway away from the office.
The Madam reared her head back and slammed their foreheads together. The vigilante staggered back as her grip fell and caught herself on the railing. She ducked and the sword blade sent sparks flying as it hit the railing.
Zhizhu glared at her with a frown on her face. ôWell. I'm impressed. I wanted to meet you. Too bad you'll be dead soon. My men will...ö
Michiru stood up and tossed the tails of her coat back. ôYou're all that's left.ö
The Chinese woman looked about below and growled. Dead men were sprawled about, hanging from the machines, and leaning against the walls. ôDo you have any idea who this plant belongs too? Do you realize what will happen to your family?ö
ôKashimoto. My family is already dead.ö Michiru shifted to the side and kicked the woman in the rear as she thrust herself forward in a stab. Rather than stumble, the Chinese woman flipped and kicked at her, turning and slashing at her in mid air.
Michiru bent her torso back and avoided it, pulling her knife from her side again and blocking the counter strike with the edge of the blade.
Her opponent snarled in rage as she hacked and slashed at her. The green haired girl kept up with her knife, deflecting the strikes.
Zhizhu kicked at her again, tried an open palmed strike to her gut, and missed each time. Michiru was shifting with a calm and dead eyed stare. The Punisher hooked her arm up in a quick slash and a red line was cut open from her cheek to her forehead. The Madam screamed in pain but just became enraged as she tried to hack down again.
Michiru brought her forearm up and blocked her arm before punching her in the face and sending her staggering back. She flipped her knife around her hand and strolled towards her.
The Chinese woman screamed in rage and tried to thrust the weapon into the girl's belly. The green haired vigilante deflected the strike to the side with her knife, but the woman pushed against it and locked the weapons up. ôIt's a shame I have to kill you. I could have made a lot of money with a young and pretty girl like you.ö
Michiru's expression never changed as she back handed the woman in the face with her free hand.
Zhizhu was sent into the railing and was sprawled across it. She caught herself with her arms, but a heavy combat boot slammed onto her right arm. The woman screamed as her sword fell away and bounced off of one of the giant looms below. The machine was still running, and the blade became wrapped in the ten foot wide cotton sheet it was making.
The Madam started to turn and punch, but found her arm blocked and the Punisher's hand locked around her throat. The Chinese woman's hand grabbed at her wrist to try and pry it away, but the vigilante's grip was to firm.
Zhizhu glared at her. ôWhy? Revenge? What did he do to you?ö
Michiru's eyes were dead cold and her calm frown didn't waver. ôRevenge is not a valid motive. It's an emotional response. This isn't about revenge.ö
The Chinese woman was struggling to breathe. ôWhy then?ö
ôIt's punishment.ö Her victim looked confused. Michiru raised her arm and dropped the woman over the railing. She landed on the blades of the loom and screamed in agony as the machine tore into her.
The Punisher looked on as the white cotton cloth that was being spit out of the other end of the machine became a dripping red cloth. She turned away and walked towards the stairs as what was left of the woman was left hanging wrapped up in threads as the machine became clogged and shut down.
Michiru never noticed the woman's finger twitch as she walked away.
OooOOooOO
Kashimoto was pacing back and fourth in his home. He hung up a cell phone and growled. ôWhat the hell is going on here? Who the fuck is this bitch?ö
His son, Kashimoto Yahiko, a man of twenty three years with slicked back hair lowered his eyes and stepped back. He was wearing a suit like his father, but dark blue instead of brown. ôWe don't know. No one has ever seen her before this shit started.ö
Another man who spent all his time at his son's side named Virus with a black afro and sunglasses gave a nod. ôShe came out of nowhere, Mr. Kashimoto.ö
The old man's jowls quivered as he glared at the man and considered pulling out his gun and shooting him in the face. He calmed as the man backed away scratching the back of his head and lowered his eyes. ôFind out who the hell this bitch is. Find out who her friends are, who her family is, and kill them all. Then, kill her.ö Virus was useful, more than his son. He had been the one who had gotten the mess cleaned up quietly. All of the girls had run off, whoever had done it had opened up all the pens in the basement.
His son nodded. ôI'm already looking into it.ö
The old man frowned and walked through the doors and into a bedroom. The room was dark, with a dim lamp on a nearby dresser offering the only light. ôDoctor, how is she?ö He was sitting in a chair next to the bed by a figure shrouded in shadows.
A slender hand reached up and touched the doctor's shoulder. He fell over, his throat split wide open.
Kashimoto's eyes went a bit wide as he looked on.
Zhizhu sat up and glared at him still concealed by the darkness. ôSorry. I was a bit upset.ö She gave a heavy sigh. ôHe said I was lucky. If I hadn't been wrapped up I would have bled to death or fallen apart. Lucky indeed.ö
The old man averted his eyes and gave a heavy sigh. ôUnderstandable. I'll have someone clean up the mess.ö
Her voice was still silky, but had a grit to it that it hadn't had before. A dark tone was hidden in her sweet sounding words. ôNot as pretty as I used to be?ö
The old man turned away. ôI am sorry. You will be taken care of.ö
She chuckled. ôYes, but I suspect I won't be getting anymore 'visits' from you? Will I?ö
He turned and frowned at her with a scowl on his face. ôWhat do you think?ö
She leaned into the light revealing ugly scars covering her face. It had been barely patched together. ôOh, don't look at me like that. I'm not stupid. I won't be hanging off your arm at parties anymore. Take care of me indeed.ö
The old man seemed to calm a little and nodded. ôI'm glad you understand. You should rest.ö
The woman kicked her feet over the edge of the bed, ugly stitched scars ran over her entire body. ôRest? No, my dear. I won't be resting. I've got work to do.ö
ôZhizhu.ö He shook his head and gave a heavy sigh.
She punched the mirror on the dresser and snarled in rage. ôZhizhu? No. I am Jigsaw. I will kill this one who seeks punishment. I will destroy this 'Punisher'. She is mine.ö
The old man stiffened up. ôYou're in no condition to do anything.ö
She turned and gave him a twisted smile. ôI'll never be in better condition. She took my face away, my beautiful face. I will have her, and I will kill anyone who tries to stop me. Including you.ö
The old man's eyes became angry. ôNow, see here. I have...ö
The woman snorted as she pushed her hair back. ôWhat are you so angry about? You want this Punisher dead, don't you? No one can have her but me. This is a matter of honor. This is a matter of woman's pride. She is mine.ö She turned and grabbed a robe off the edge of the bed, tossing it on as she walked out the door leaving him with the dead body in his room.
Kashimoto glared down at the dead doctor. Perhaps it was for the best. She wasn't stable anymore, and it might work to his advantage if she did manage to kill this 'Punisher' she was talking about.
Still, he needed to be sure. He flipped open his phone and dialed a familiar number. ôI've got a mess I need cleaned up. In my home.ö He listened for a moment. ôYes. Just one. Not difficult.ö He paused again. ôOne more thing. Get me the Russian. I've got something I need taken care of.ö He paused again. ôI know, it's worth the money.ö
OooOOooOO
TBC...
Next Time: Tony's plan.
Part 38
The Punisher.
OooOOooOO
A light rain fell from the clouds over the docks of Tokyo Bay. It was night, and the security gate of a large warehouse had a single streetlight that shined down on it. Rows of small trucks were lined up against the outside of the warehouse as the windows of the large building shined with a gold colored light from within.
The lot outside was empty and black, two men stood guard at the small booth next to the gate. One wearing a suit and tie, the other in a security guard's uniform. The uniformed guard was nursing a cup of coffee as he sat inside the booth with his feet propped up on the shelf while leaning back in his chair. He looked bored and lazy as he stared out into the empty street.
The man in the suit was standing just outside the open door under the overhang on the booth. He flipped open a lighter and lit a cigarette as he leaned against the wall and puffed on it.
A small splash from a nearby puddle caught his attention and he pushed himself off the wall, blowing smoke as he took the cigarette off his lips and turned towards it. He took a few steps out into the sprinkling rain and looked back and fourth.
He didn't see the figure crouching on top of the fence looking down on him. There was a fluttering of cloth as it landed on top of him with an elbow to his neck.
As the pair hit the ground, the stranger stood up and stomped on his exposed neck before he realized what had happened. The stranger turned her eyes towards the booth and narrowed them as the other guard stepped out.
ôHey, what...ö He choked and grabbed at his throat gasping for breath as he staggered back into the booth, noticing the blood splattered all over the inside on the glass and walls.
The stranger lowered her arm with a small crossbow in her grip. The bolt was lodged in the guard's throat as he looked on as she walked away while hefting a large bag over her shoulder.
She moved towards the rows of trucks lined up against the warehouse. They were small delivery trucks all painted white with no markings. They were dirty and had a gray crust of dirt and mud around the wheels. Men could be heard working within the bays and the inside of the trailers were thumping and scraping with the cargo being loaded into them.
She smirked as she looked at the empty cabs as she placed her bag on the ground and opened it revealing C-4 with detonators ready to go. She slid on her back under the first of the row and latched one of the bombs to the bottom before switching it on. There were no blinking lights or sounds, no timers or LED screens. Only a small transmitter that gave no indication it was there.
It only took about three minutes to finish her work. Ten trucks were armed to blow, and she still had three more bombs left. She cocked her head as she took them out and adjusted the transmitters on them to a different frequency.
OooOOooOO
Ten minutes later, a row of trucks was moving towards the gates of the warehouse. Each of them in a line as it pulled up to the silent guard post. The lead driver got out of his truck as he reached it and moved towards the booth. ôHey, Asshole. Answer your radio. Do you have any idea how pissed...ö His voice trailed off as he froze with wide eyes. ôOh shit.ö
Almost in answer to that, the entire row of trucks exploded as one creating a line of burning debris that blocked the entrance to the docks. The man was thrown off his feet and into the booth. Before he realized what had happened, the flaming remains of his own truck flipped over and landed on top of the guard post crushing him and the remains of the security guards inside.
OooOOooOO
Inside the warehouse, everything froze at once. Men loading crates and moving cargo to be loaded into the next shipment stopped working as their heads turned towards the bay doors.
On a catwalk over the warehouse floor a man with slicked back hair in a business suit rushed out of the office with three men of similar appearance following after them. ôWhat the hell was that?ö
The supervisor looked up at him with a hanging jaw and a clipboard in his hand. He worked his mouth a few times and looked dumbstruck. ôI...ö
Three of the bay doors exploded at once sending workers flying away from them. There was a panic in the air as men rushed to and away from the scene.
The man above the scene waved his arms as his three companions pulled out firearms and started spreading out. ôWho the fuck?ö He muttered in rage.
The entrance to the warehouse flew open as someone kicked the doors in. It was a woman with shoulder length aqua colored hair. She had a deep scowl on her face, and an automatic assault rifle in her hands with a grenade launcher under the barrel. She was dressed in a long black coat, with black pants. Her shirt was black and armored, and a white stylized skull was painted onto the front.
A group of men was standing in front of her looking on with wide eyes, some of them with handguns, other with fire extinguishers.
The Punisher lowered her rifle and lobbed a grenade into the group. Men and body parts went flying in every direction along with a shower of white foam as the pressurized canisters were punctured and flew away in a violent manner. One man near to the scene had his skull half crushed as one of the fire extinguishers flew into his face and pinned it to the brick wall.
Michiru strolled in, emptying her clip into anything moving in front of her. Rows of crates created hallways in the room that were filled with men. She cut them down ignoring the returning fire that bounced off the ground, walls, and flew through the air around her. The room was in a panic, confusion reigned, and she was in control.
A group of men rounded the corner and raised weapons to fire at her. She gave them a dead stare and fired a grenade from her launcher at them. The crates that made up the wall crumbled on top of them, spraying the air with white powder as they shattered on top of them sending tight bags of drugs spilling out. She turned and continued on her way firing another grenade and taking out a small section of catwalk, sending three more men tumbling twenty feet onto concrete.
She narrowed her eyes as she saw a man waving his arm to send three more men with a handgun held ready. They had taken up positions behind cover, but another grenade put a stop to it, and sent the man giving orders flat on his back.
Michiru walked up with a calm indifference about her. She kicked away the handgun in his grip as he tried to train it on her and pointed a strange looking handgun at his chest. He squeezed his eyes shut as a small pop sounded.
He looked at her in confusion as he found himself alive. Her scowl was firm and her eyes cool as she slashed at the side of one of the barrels stacked up next to where he was lying. He sputtered and coughed as a thick vile liquid was spilled out onto his chest. He struggled in the thick goop and looked up at her, and the two wires that went from the pins in his chest to the weapon in her hand. ôOh, shi...AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!ö
Michiru gave a small smirk as she activated the tazer charge and ignited the napalm. She continued on her way away from the scene with a bit of a jog to her pace. She hooked her rifle over her shoulder and pulled out two uzi's as she rushed away from the scene while taking shots at anyone who crossed her path.
At least ten more men had been killed by the time she stopped and turned to a small office door. She kicked it in and rushed inside, pointing her weapon up and firing into the room.
There was a massive explosion in the warehouse as a large shipment of ammunition and guns went up outside, creating even more havoc. She stared the man looking back at her in horror in his eyes. A broken phone was in his hand and he was shaking in terror. His eyes flicked down towards the handgun on the desk in front of him.
Michiru shook her head.
He stumbled back with his hands up. ôP-please. D-don't...ö
She turned away from him and lowered her weapon. ôI suggest you leave.ö She turned and shot him in the arm, it stopped him from grabbing his weapon and sent him into the wall. He gripped at the wound with tears in his eyes and screamed. She didn't look back at him. ôGet out of here. Your job is done, you're the only survivor, and that wound will let you keep your cover.ö
His eyes went wide as he gasped. ôYou...who are you? Why are you doing this?ö
ôIt's Punishment.ö She pulled a gas mask from her belt and put it over her face as left the room and went back into the panic stricken warehouse.
Half the building was burning, the other half was full of dead bodies and people rushing away. Michiru had replaced her two uzis with a pair of handguns and was walking towards the stairs to the catwalk. She fired on a few scattered men running away and scrambling over the remains of the shipments. Caustic smoke from the contents of the crates left the remaining men easy targets.
Some of them were having convulsions from overdosing on the fumes of the drugs, others were too high and confused to do anything but run screaming. A few were on fire and didn't realize it. She picked them off as she started up the stairs, ignoring the ones in the worst condition as she made towards the upper office.
Once she reached it, she shot the window out and hopped through. She turned her eyes towards the door and the grenade booby trap that was set up on the knob and ignored it.
The office was empty, but a stairwell leading up to the roof at the back right side of the room was her destination to begin with.
She strolled outside and looked on. Three men in suits were running towards a helicopter. She walked out and popped the one lagging furthest behind in the back of his head, sending him sprawling out on the rooftop dead in his tracks.
The other two were already climbing into the waiting chopper. One pulled at his companion's back while the other fired at her with a small machine gun. She ignored the spray that sparked off the rooftop and continued to walk towards it. She holstered her weapons as the chopper lifted off.
One of the men was laughing and leering at her while his companion struggled to hang off the side as he stood on the landing skids.
Michiru pulled a small hand held grenade launcher and popped it open, sliding a shell inside. She flipped it up and raised her arm, causing the leering gangster to stop laughing as his face fell. He turned and started screaming at the pilot.
With a small thump her hand was kicked up. The chopper exploded in a twisted mass of flaming metal and dropped like a stone onto the pavement over the edge of the roof. The one who had been hanging off the side of the chopper had landed on his back on the roof.
The man staggered to his feet and stumbled back in horror as he realized she was moving towards him. ôWait! Wait!ö He put his hands up and rushed towards the edge of the roof. He was left with nowhere to go, half the building was burning, and the only way out was behind her.
Michiru had a single handgun in her grip as she approached him and stopped about seven feet in front of him.
He looked enraged and afraid. ôDo you have any idea who this warehouse belongs to?ö
She gave a nod. ôKashimoto, I have a message for him.ö
The man seemed to calm a little. ôGive me this message. I will tell him.ö
She raised her weapon and blew his brain off the side of the building. ôBelieve me, he'll get it loud and clear.ö
OooOOooOO
Saboten frowned as he put a handkerchief over his mouth and nose. Nearby, a uniformed cop was throwing up over the side of the roof. ôUhg, what a smell.ö
ôHey. What a mess. We got a couple of guys in detox because of this mess. The officers that responded ended up poking around and are high as kites at the E.R. right now. I'm almost jealous.ö The skinny officer turned and smiled at a large man in a gray coat with a sandwich in his meaty fist. He had a beard and a somewhat dead stare behind a pair of thin lenses. He pushed his glasses up his nose and a hunk of meat fell from between the roll in his grip. He ground it into the rooftop with the tip of his shoe and brushed his free hand on his coat.
ôHey. Sounds like the labs going to have it's hands full. What happened?ö The skinny cop shoved his handkerchief into his pocket.
ôWho the fuck knows? There was some sort of fire, a shipment of drugs went up in smoke after some kind of explosion caused by some kind of arms shipment bound for who knows where. Half the casualties are overdoses from that.ö
Saboten nodded and walked over to stand next to a photographer from one of the labs. ôThis doesn't look like an overdose to me, Kanzaki.ö
The big man gave a laugh. ôNah. Our friend here seemed to have missed his flight. I guess he was lucky, then again, not that lucky.ö He jerked his thumb off the side.
The slim officer nodded and peered over the edge. The twisted wreck of a helicopter was on the pavement just in front of the water. ôWhat the hell? Looks like someone hit it with a rocket or something.ö One side was twisted outwards and ripped apart, the rest was rather flattened.
Kanzaki shrugged. ôI ain't read the report yet. Somethin happened here. There's a few deaths from overdose because of that fire, but most of the bodies are full of bullets.ö
Saboten looked at the man who was hanging from the corner of the rooftop with a large hole in his head. ôHey. What's this?ö
The large man grunted. ôSeems like whoever runs this dock has royally pissed someone off.ö
The skinny inspector frowned as he used a pen to lift the blood splattered note and read it out loud. ôYou will be punished.ö
Kanzaki was sucking on his thumb to remove a bit of mustard after shoving the last of his sandwich in his mouth. ôHow many guys you think? Fifteen, twenty? Some kind of war? I hear that Kashimoto is having difficulties with what's left of Hisami's faction. There's even rumors that the old bastard is still alive. Maybe Kashimoto assassinated him?ö
Saboten had gone a little pale and was looking around at the scene with wide eyes. ôYeah. Who knows?ö
The big man slapped his back. ôYou all right? You look like you've seen a ghost.ö He seemed amused by his joke. ôMaybe it was Hisami's, eh? That fat old bastard is dead. I saw what was left of his car. No way he survived that, we never found a body, but that's just because there weren't any pieces of it big enough to identify.ö
ôWho runs these docks?ö The skinny inspector turned towards the man.
Kanzaki shrugged. ôWe suspect Kashimoto, but we can't prove it. The official owner had to be scraped out of the inside of his chopper. We know he works for Kashimoto, but we can't link this place directly to the slippery old bastard.ö He gave a crude snort as the body was removed from the corner and placed on a gurney. ôSomeone is trying to send him a message. I wish I could see the look on his face when he finds out about this mess.ö
Saboten frowned at him. ôI wouldn't want to be anywhere near him.ö
The large inspector chuckled. ôI guess not. Who do you think the messenger was? This must have taken quite a crew, we've got at least sixty bodies, probably more. Hisami? Ozuna?ö
ôDestroy all this hardware and product? They would steal it, not burn it.ö The skinny man put his handkerchief over his mouth and nose again. ôNo. This is someone else.ö
The large man scrunched up his face. ôHuh? Maybe they couldn't? Maybe they're trying to expose Kashimoto or one of his crew? We've got a lot of evidence.ö
Saboten shrugged and looked out over the bay. ôDo we? The files in the office were shredded and burnt. The computers wiped clean, and the one who's name is on the title is dead. There's no connection for us to link this to anyone so far. It doesn't seem like anyone is trying to lead us to something.ö
Kanzaki shrugged. ôSo what? There's a war going on, everyone knows it. This is just another bunch of casualties. Fuck em. Wish I could just get a bunch of us cops together arm us to the teeth and assault that old fucker's mansion. I'd do paperwork for six months and clean up the mess myself if they'd let me.ö
The skinny man nodded. ôYeah, well you can't.ö His heart skipped a beat and he glanced back at the man.
The fat man nodded. ôHey, a guy can dream. I hope these bastards kill each other off in this little war of theirs. Not much chance of that either, one of the other will win, and we'll be back to business as usual.ö
Saboten leaned against the edge of the roof and looked out over the water. ôMaybe. I dunno.ö He looked back. ôMy gut tells me this was...something else.ö
Kanzaki shook his head. ôThis wasn't some monster. Most of these creeps got shot up. Those things don't use guns and explosives. You saw what happened to those trucks and those doors. Someone came up with a shit load of guns, a bunch of C-4, and a crew of about fifteen guys to shoot this place to shit. This is just gang war violence.ö
The slim inspector nodded and hung his head. ôYeah. Maybe.ö
His large companion slapped his chest. ôDefinitely. Who else is gonna come up with all that hardware and manpower?ö
Saboten had a bad feeling. He looked at where the body had been hung. ôI dunno. Somethin about this one doesn't sit right.ö There was just no way one person could have pulled what he'd seen off. There was no possible way what he was thinking could be right. It was a girl, a pretty young girl too. What she'd said ran through his mind again.
ôI'm going to go down to the docks, and say hello to the Kashimoto family. I'm sure you'll find out how it went.ö
The slim man shoved his hands in his pockets and turned away. ôShit. This is fucking crazy.ö
Kanzaki grunted. ôHuh? Well, yeah. What do you expect from these Yakuza bastards anyway?ö
Saboten nodded and started towards the stairs. ôYeah. I'm gonna go have a look around down stairs.ö He didn't want to know anymore. What he was thinking was insane. There was just no way it was even possible. It looked like a military strike had gone through and wiped out everything it had come across. ôThe Punisher,ö He said to himself as he walked back into the office. ôWho the hell was that girl anyway?ö
As impossible as it sounded, he had a feeling that this case was going to fall on his lap. ôShit. People are going to think I'm crazier than Kajura.ö A one man army would be hard enough to buy, but a one pretty young girl army? They were going to think he was nuts. Kajura had been chasing ninja for years, everyone thought he was a good cop, but also that he was a little off.
The thing was, he seemed less crazy as of late. There had been a lot of things going on in Tokyo. Reports of monsters and superheros, and even stranger things. Ninja and crazy teenage girl vigilantes was almost rather low key.
It didn't make him feel any better, and it wouldn't make him look that much less crazy either. He knew damn well it was true, as much as he wanted to shake it off. This was the work of that Punisher girl he'd met, and he was going to be stuck on her case like glue whether he liked it or not.
OooOOooOO
Michiru was standing in an empty subway tunnel. She hefted her weapon back onto her shoulder as she opened a rusty looking door and stepped inside out of the tunnel as a distant train light became visible in the darkness ahead.
She found herself in a small hallway, and opened another door about halfway down. With another turn she placed her hand on the wall. A section of bricks slid aside and she walked into a large room.
Florescent lights came on revealing racks of weapons along the walls. There was a small kitchen and bath, and a bunk bed. Tony had the place built, though she wasn't sure when. The monitors of several computers came on and she tossed her bag on the ground as she sat down in front of the keyboard.
The destruction of the warehouse was all over the internet. A news site had images of what was left and bodies being carted away. It claimed it was gang violence, and speculated on several factions of Yakuza that might have been involved. Kashimoto came up as well as Hisami and Ozuna.
She leaned back and tapped at the keys and worked the mouse. Several images came up from an anonymous and encrypted source. She suspected Saboten had something to do with it. There was a tree of photos, head shots of men and women that culminated in Kashimoto himself at the top. She clicked on a few of the images and large white skull covered a few of the faces.
She still had quite a few, and had every intention of seeing every last one with her mark over it. The only thing to do was plan her next move.
She clicked on another image, and it opened another window revealing a profile and information about a thirty something Chinese woman with her hair done up with large hair pins. Michiru put her finger up to her chin as she read through the file and looked over a few related images.
The Punisher's eyes grew hard. She was Kashimoto's mistress, and was involved in human trafficking, prostitution, and the drug trade. Someone in need of punishment indeed.
OooOOooOO
A large factory door opened as a truck backed up to the bay door of a textile plant. Men were gathered around waiting as a supervisor backed the truck up to the loading dock.
He paused and turned his head as a cough sounded from behind him. ôOur shipment has arrived.ö
Madam Zhizhu nodded. She was wearing a red Chinese dress with a black shawl over her shoulders and black slippers. ôThey are late.ö Her lips were a permanent frown and she took a clip board from the man.
The back door of the truck opened revealing young Asian women inside. They weren't Japanese girls, but a mixture of Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, and Malaysian. None of them were older than their mid twenties or younger than thirteen.
The woman narrowed her eyes. ôI was hoping for a few younger girls. There's a demand to meet.ö
The supervisor nodded and frowned. ôWe informed our supplier of that. We won't be taking another shipment from him until he can supply it. We've got another source due in two days. He promises to deliver on at least thirty percent of our goal. This supplier claims that he can cover the rest in the next shipment.ö
Zhizhu's lips turned down. ôInform him that if he does not, I will personally mount his penis on my wall. We're only making a minimal profit from these sub standard loads.ö She strolled in front of the girls as they were forced to stand in rows for inspection. She poked and prodded at them, grabbing their faces, turning them, and forcefully inspecting their teeth and general health. ôReasonable I suppose.ö She started shoving them apart in groups. One of them cried out in protest as a younger girl was pulled away from her side.
The Chinese woman backhanded the loud woman and shoved the girl aside. ôTake her out of here, and make an example of her.ö She grabbed the older girl's chin and lifted it up to look her in the eyes. ôPretty, try not to mark up her face. She's got a lot of work to do.ö Two of the workers grabbed her by her shoulders and dragged her away. The others stood looking on in silence and huddled as they were separated into groups.
Zhizhu gave a sigh as she finished splitting them up into three groups of about twenty. The larger and more 'damaged' girls were the largest. ôThese should be working in the plant before the end of the night. You know what to do with the others. See to it they are delivered to their proper places.ö She turned away and strolled off towards her office.
The supervisor nodded and turned towards the men surrounding the scene. ôYou heard her, get started.ö
No one noticed the pair of black boots on top of the trailer turn away and walk towards the cab of the vehicle. Michiru hopped down on the hood of the truck and pointed a silenced pistol at the face of the driver. His eyes went wide and he opened his mouth as he fumbled for the receiver. The glass cracked and a red stain splattered the windshield.
Once again, the girl was armed to the teeth. Her cold frown and dead hard eyes glared into the bay as she walked around the edge of the trailer towards the warehouse. There was an assault rifle and shotgun hung by straps over her shoulders crossed behind her back, and she spun the chamber of a large caliber revolver as she walked along the side of the truck to the open bay door. She put it into her belt and hopped up behind a man facing away from her. In a single fluid motion she hooked her hand around his mouth and slit open his throat with a combat knife she pulled from her thigh.
With a simple push he landed on his back outside the bay door on the pavement.
OooOOooOO
Madam Zhizhu was lounging behind a desk in a small office with a glass of whiskey in front of her. The computer screen and a small desk lamp lit the room.
A man in a suit and tie was sitting on the edge of her desk looking bored.
She looked up at him and frowned pushing her chest out a bit. ôWhy are you here again?ö
The man gave her a lazy stare. ôMr. Kashimoto wants extra protection after that incident on the docks.ö
She gave a snorting laugh and tapped at the keys filling out a report on the day's activities. ôWhat would anyone care about this place? We make cloth. Our other activities are of minimal interest. They would attack elsewhere.ö
The man frowned. ôWe don't know who 'they' are.ö
The Chinese woman smirked and fluttered her eyes. ôYes. I heard about this incident. Kashimoto is such a nervous man. It makes him a poor performer.ö
He looked away. ôIt's not my business. We'll be here for a few days, and he'll calm down.ö
She put her palms on the desk and stood up, leaning over her computer. ôYes. I know. I heard about this incident. Only one survivor, and he's a pathetic mess. Talking of some woman.ö
The man frowned. ôOne woman couldn't have done all that.ö
The woman narrowed her eyes. ôYou'd be surprised what a motivated woman could accomplish.ö
Her guard just glanced at her and frowned. ôNo one person could have killed all those men. I believe his story, but I don't think he saw the rest of the people who did it. I saw the mess that place was in. Only a team of men could have done that.ö
Zhizhu just smirked. ôA lone woman? With green hair and eyes?ö
ôThat's the story.ö He adjusted his tie.
The Chinese woman chuckled. ôWell, why does it matter? We're outside of the interests of these little war games the old men play. This place is profitable, but of little importance.ö
Her guardian gave a small nod. ôIt's quiet here. I'll enjoy it while it lasts.ö
She swung her hips as she walked around the desk. ôThat's a good idea, I get tired of playing with the supervisors. Might as well enjoy having a man like yourself around while it lasts.ö She grabbed the back of his head and kissed him. He didn't argue or push her off.
OooOOooOO
Michiru walked up behind three men in a storage closet. They were hunched over a lone girl, beating down on her with their fists as she cowered and screamed in pain.
ôShut up bitch!ö One of them shoved her to the ground hard and the other two backed away with grins on their faces. He ripped at her shirt tearing it open and put his lips on her neck.
The girl cried and relaxed, not resisting the assault.
The one on his right looked a bit surprised and wide eyed as he turned towards his companion. There was a blood covered knife blade poking out of his partner's mouth. He started to speak, but the heel of a boot slammed into his neck shoving the back of his head into a shelf behind him. The bones in his neck snapped and he slumped down to the ground shaking in spasms.
The man on top of the girl grunted as she started to scream as she looked on in horror at the green haired woman who had just murdered two of her attackers. ôShut the hell up!ö He sat up and reared back his fist. He froze in place as he heard a familiar clicking sound as something poked the back of his skull. ôWha...ö His brain was on the wall before he finished talking.
Michiru shoved him sideways away from the girl and turned away. The girl was crying in horrified shock and shielding herself with her arms. The aqua haired girl glanced over her shoulder as she walked away. ôLeave.ö
The girl calmed a little and gasped as she looked on with wide eyes at the black clad figure covered in weapons.
Michiru walked out onto the factory floor with a pair of semi automatic handguns in her grip. Several men were walking about, and looked confused as they noticed her. She didn't look angry, but there was a glare in her eyes that put out a 'don't fuck with me' vibe.
They slowed and stopped turning their heads towards her. Without a word, she raised her weapons and started firing. Five of them dropped before the others realized what was happening and started rushing away and diving for cover. The Punisher strolled out onto the factory floor between large machines. Huge mechanical looms manned by various Asian women.
In less than a minute, there were ten men in jumpsuits and hard hats dead and a complete panic as women screamed and rushed for cover. The black clad figure frowned as she noticed armed men approaching the scene. There were a lot of innocent people in the room, so she couldn't use explosives. A shame, but she would make due.
She pulled the shotgun off her back and cocked it while ducking behind a stack of boxes next to one of the machines as bullets started flying around her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again they grew hard and enraged, a deep scowl formed on her face.
OooOOooOO
The door to the office flew open. One of the men in a navy blue jumpsuit froze and put up his hands.
Zhizhu was half naked and sitting on top of her guard and glared at him with angry eyes. The man under her didn't look much happier and had a handgun pointed at him.
He cowered and ducked as he put his hands up and shouted. ôWe're under attack!ö
The woman's face went from angry to confused. ôWhat?ö She hopped off the man and he moved with her shoving himself back into his pants.
The man who had come in with the warning turned to rush back out pulling a handgun out of his belt.
ôI guess I've got to earn my keep.ö The man in the suit gripped his weapon in his fist. Outside the office was a catwalk that stretched out over the factory floor to the other end of the building.
Zhizhu growled and walked over to the wall. She pulled a Chinese longsword off a display and gripped it.
Her guard glanced back at her as she pulled a handgun out of her desk drawer and frowned. ôCome on, we should leave.ö He walked out the door, turned his head and saw the man who had warned them sprawled out over the steps with a hole in the back of his head. ôShit.ö He never turned around as the back half of his head vanished.
Zhizhu looked on from in the office as the barrel of a shotgun hung suspended and smoking just outside her door as the man she was just fucking fell over dead. ôWho the fuck?ö She raised the small revolver she'd just pulled from her desk up and cocked it. Her eyes went wide as a hand appeared for a moment sending a small metal orb bouncing across the office floor. ôFuck!ö
Michiru jumped back as the glass of the window of the office shattered just before the explosion. She started to train her shotgun on the red blur. Before she could react her weapon was knocked out of her grip by a fast and powerful kick and sent falling to the floor of the factory.
The Chinese woman spun into a kick that hooked her across the jaw and sent the Punisher into the rail. The green haired girl was bent over it for a moment, but jerked herself up as a foot in a black slipper came down on top of it.
Michiru grunted as she put her arm up to stop another kick. Zhizhu raised her arm to shoot her in the face, but the green haired girl grabbed her wrist and slammed it into the railing on the catwalk. The revolver was sent falling to the concrete floor twenty feet below.
Zhizhu didn't miss a beat and slashed with her sword. The Punisher hopped back from the strike and grabbed both of the Chinese woman's wrists. They struggled and pushed against each other, moving out over the center walkway away from the office.
The Madam reared her head back and slammed their foreheads together. The vigilante staggered back as her grip fell and caught herself on the railing. She ducked and the sword blade sent sparks flying as it hit the railing.
Zhizhu glared at her with a frown on her face. ôWell. I'm impressed. I wanted to meet you. Too bad you'll be dead soon. My men will...ö
Michiru stood up and tossed the tails of her coat back. ôYou're all that's left.ö
The Chinese woman looked about below and growled. Dead men were sprawled about, hanging from the machines, and leaning against the walls. ôDo you have any idea who this plant belongs too? Do you realize what will happen to your family?ö
ôKashimoto. My family is already dead.ö Michiru shifted to the side and kicked the woman in the rear as she thrust herself forward in a stab. Rather than stumble, the Chinese woman flipped and kicked at her, turning and slashing at her in mid air.
Michiru bent her torso back and avoided it, pulling her knife from her side again and blocking the counter strike with the edge of the blade.
Her opponent snarled in rage as she hacked and slashed at her. The green haired girl kept up with her knife, deflecting the strikes.
Zhizhu kicked at her again, tried an open palmed strike to her gut, and missed each time. Michiru was shifting with a calm and dead eyed stare. The Punisher hooked her arm up in a quick slash and a red line was cut open from her cheek to her forehead. The Madam screamed in pain but just became enraged as she tried to hack down again.
Michiru brought her forearm up and blocked her arm before punching her in the face and sending her staggering back. She flipped her knife around her hand and strolled towards her.
The Chinese woman screamed in rage and tried to thrust the weapon into the girl's belly. The green haired vigilante deflected the strike to the side with her knife, but the woman pushed against it and locked the weapons up. ôIt's a shame I have to kill you. I could have made a lot of money with a young and pretty girl like you.ö
Michiru's expression never changed as she back handed the woman in the face with her free hand.
Zhizhu was sent into the railing and was sprawled across it. She caught herself with her arms, but a heavy combat boot slammed onto her right arm. The woman screamed as her sword fell away and bounced off of one of the giant looms below. The machine was still running, and the blade became wrapped in the ten foot wide cotton sheet it was making.
The Madam started to turn and punch, but found her arm blocked and the Punisher's hand locked around her throat. The Chinese woman's hand grabbed at her wrist to try and pry it away, but the vigilante's grip was to firm.
Zhizhu glared at her. ôWhy? Revenge? What did he do to you?ö
Michiru's eyes were dead cold and her calm frown didn't waver. ôRevenge is not a valid motive. It's an emotional response. This isn't about revenge.ö
The Chinese woman was struggling to breathe. ôWhy then?ö
ôIt's punishment.ö Her victim looked confused. Michiru raised her arm and dropped the woman over the railing. She landed on the blades of the loom and screamed in agony as the machine tore into her.
The Punisher looked on as the white cotton cloth that was being spit out of the other end of the machine became a dripping red cloth. She turned away and walked towards the stairs as what was left of the woman was left hanging wrapped up in threads as the machine became clogged and shut down.
Michiru never noticed the woman's finger twitch as she walked away.
OooOOooOO
Kashimoto was pacing back and fourth in his home. He hung up a cell phone and growled. ôWhat the hell is going on here? Who the fuck is this bitch?ö
His son, Kashimoto Yahiko, a man of twenty three years with slicked back hair lowered his eyes and stepped back. He was wearing a suit like his father, but dark blue instead of brown. ôWe don't know. No one has ever seen her before this shit started.ö
Another man who spent all his time at his son's side named Virus with a black afro and sunglasses gave a nod. ôShe came out of nowhere, Mr. Kashimoto.ö
The old man's jowls quivered as he glared at the man and considered pulling out his gun and shooting him in the face. He calmed as the man backed away scratching the back of his head and lowered his eyes. ôFind out who the hell this bitch is. Find out who her friends are, who her family is, and kill them all. Then, kill her.ö Virus was useful, more than his son. He had been the one who had gotten the mess cleaned up quietly. All of the girls had run off, whoever had done it had opened up all the pens in the basement.
His son nodded. ôI'm already looking into it.ö
The old man frowned and walked through the doors and into a bedroom. The room was dark, with a dim lamp on a nearby dresser offering the only light. ôDoctor, how is she?ö He was sitting in a chair next to the bed by a figure shrouded in shadows.
A slender hand reached up and touched the doctor's shoulder. He fell over, his throat split wide open.
Kashimoto's eyes went a bit wide as he looked on.
Zhizhu sat up and glared at him still concealed by the darkness. ôSorry. I was a bit upset.ö She gave a heavy sigh. ôHe said I was lucky. If I hadn't been wrapped up I would have bled to death or fallen apart. Lucky indeed.ö
The old man averted his eyes and gave a heavy sigh. ôUnderstandable. I'll have someone clean up the mess.ö
Her voice was still silky, but had a grit to it that it hadn't had before. A dark tone was hidden in her sweet sounding words. ôNot as pretty as I used to be?ö
The old man turned away. ôI am sorry. You will be taken care of.ö
She chuckled. ôYes, but I suspect I won't be getting anymore 'visits' from you? Will I?ö
He turned and frowned at her with a scowl on his face. ôWhat do you think?ö
She leaned into the light revealing ugly scars covering her face. It had been barely patched together. ôOh, don't look at me like that. I'm not stupid. I won't be hanging off your arm at parties anymore. Take care of me indeed.ö
The old man seemed to calm a little and nodded. ôI'm glad you understand. You should rest.ö
The woman kicked her feet over the edge of the bed, ugly stitched scars ran over her entire body. ôRest? No, my dear. I won't be resting. I've got work to do.ö
ôZhizhu.ö He shook his head and gave a heavy sigh.
She punched the mirror on the dresser and snarled in rage. ôZhizhu? No. I am Jigsaw. I will kill this one who seeks punishment. I will destroy this 'Punisher'. She is mine.ö
The old man stiffened up. ôYou're in no condition to do anything.ö
She turned and gave him a twisted smile. ôI'll never be in better condition. She took my face away, my beautiful face. I will have her, and I will kill anyone who tries to stop me. Including you.ö
The old man's eyes became angry. ôNow, see here. I have...ö
The woman snorted as she pushed her hair back. ôWhat are you so angry about? You want this Punisher dead, don't you? No one can have her but me. This is a matter of honor. This is a matter of woman's pride. She is mine.ö She turned and grabbed a robe off the edge of the bed, tossing it on as she walked out the door leaving him with the dead body in his room.
Kashimoto glared down at the dead doctor. Perhaps it was for the best. She wasn't stable anymore, and it might work to his advantage if she did manage to kill this 'Punisher' she was talking about.
Still, he needed to be sure. He flipped open his phone and dialed a familiar number. ôI've got a mess I need cleaned up. In my home.ö He listened for a moment. ôYes. Just one. Not difficult.ö He paused again. ôOne more thing. Get me the Russian. I've got something I need taken care of.ö He paused again. ôI know, it's worth the money.ö
OooOOooOO
TBC...
Next Time: Tony's plan.