Sinister Six: Re-Engineered

by Rich (Bombman) Kassidy

CHAPTER 9: Number Games

He had everything one could ask for, especially in the God-forsaken state the planet found itself in this day and age. Cars, houses, a gorgeous wife (and mistress on the side), Sven Odevski had it all. The head of his father’s shipping conglomerate, Odevski Freight, Sven has had remarkable success since the rise of New Center City less than a decade ago.

Here in the 31st floor of a 40-story tower overseeing his native land of Sweden, Odevski still knew that maintaining an empire required long hours, and the end of another seventeen-hour day was finally starting to wear him down. He wished his guards were as vigilant as he was- it seemed as though all they did was complain about his late shifts. They didn’t understand the kind of pressure a man of his stature was always under.

In fact, he could picture them outside of his massive oak office’s doors, impatiently shifting their weight and glaring at each other impatiently, promising each other that they’d “kick his ass” if he didn’t hurry up.

Ah well, it didn’t matter. He was almost done with the day’s work anyways, and it wasn’t like him to worry about a small inconvenience or two when it came to the hired help. But…was he really as tired as he now questioned himself as? For now, he was imagining red spots before his eyes, obscuring the words of his papers. At the same moment, his hands were going numb, unable to grip his pen as well as he would have liked. In fact, his entire body was losing feeling.

And what was this? This…object jutting out at the very bottom of his field of view? Instinctively, he tilted his downward to inspect it and the red splotches on his paper. In doing so, he felt something bite into his chin. Something sharp and chilly.

Then, in a quick, violent movement, the object twisted itself free from it’s resting place in his throat, and Sven’s body went slack beneath him as he suddenly drifted off into the embracing darkness that greeted him.

He never felt a thing- the mark of a true professional.

Suddenly, the heavy oak doors to the office burst open, and impatient young man shoving them out of his way.

“Hey man, we’ve had enough! Get your coat and your little briefcase and-“

The young guard’s words were cut short by the gruesome sight of his employer, slouched over his desk and bathed in a pool of his own blood, dyed black by the moon light. Behind him, his killer- a silhouette of a petite woman. Unable to see anything else of her, the young man looked at her eyes- those silver lined, steel-gray irises that challenged him to pick up his gun and shoot. The silhouette swiped at the air, flinging the blood from her blade onto him as extra incentive.

Instead, the inexperienced human being ran to the safety of his group. She would be gone before they would collectively come to investigate, disappointed in the lack of a challenge. What was this now? Nine hundred and eighty three? Or maybe it was eighty-four…But what did it matter, anyways? None of them had ever really proved to be a challenge, and killing a bunch of amateur guardsmen would be a waste of life and energy.

It was best to head home.

 

* * * *

“Another flawless mission, I presume Hayasa-san?”

“It was clean. And boring.”, the metal-cold voice of the hitokiri responded with to her commander, the superior officer of the Neo Shinsengumi itself- Salvador Ghoen.

“Hmhm…Those sound like words of discontent…”, the wary officer warned.

“…No…Nothing like that…”, Hayasa responded, not wishing to make enemies with the “most powerful man in the world”.

“It would be a shame to waste your talents on such mediocre tasks like silencing a pig like Odevski…What do you say to a real test of your skill, Hitokiri Hayasa?”

The slim woman’s ears perked up.

“We’ve finally managed to pin-point the location of that pesky “EEL” captain that has been pestering us for the past few years.”, the commander continued when he watched Hayasa’s interest pick up. “Tomorrow, we’re having an agent of ours take his new position in our London bureau. He’s actually a man we were going to…retire, anyways, but we’ve found him to be the perfect bait to lure this “captain” out with. We leaked this info out onto the underground communications channel, and intelligence is positive this man will come to kill our agent as he enters the building.”

“…Why would a captain risk himself to assassinate an agent?”, the steely-eyed man-slayer asked.

“He’s a hands-on type of leader. It’s been said he does a lot of his own work, especially high-level sniping like this, which is what this environment would call for.”

“Sniping?”

“Yes. A good one at that.”, Ghoen added.

“I…see.”

“Whatever he is, this is the perfect opportunity to take care of him and cripple the EEL forces for a good while. We need someone we can trust to go after him and make sure he doesn’t escape. It doesn’t matter if our agent is killed or not- we were going to have Maro kill him later this week anyways.”

“I am honored.”, was all the petite assassin said as a customary acceptance line.

“Very good. Mackenzie will fill you in on the details…Oh, and one more thing, Hayasa…”

“Hm?”

“When you return from this mission, we have a…gift for you waiting. A token of our gratitude for our number one officer, if you will.”, the commander offered.

“…I require nothing. But…Thank you anyway.”, Hayasa said as she about faced to leave.

“Well, perhaps, but maybe you’ll feel differently when you hear more about it. For now, just concentrate on finishing off EEL and then worry about rejecting our offerings.”

Hayasa nodded slightly and left the room, heading for the de-briefing chamber next door. Commander Ghoen simply smirked and stared out into the stark Arctic wasteland lain out before him beyond his office window as she left.

“…Nine hundred and eighty-five...”
 

* * * *

“Welcome to London, Mr. Krueger…”, another plain-looking man said as he greeted yet another remarkably forgettable human being.

“Thank you.”

“Yes, we’re glad to have you. We’ve been short-staffed for a few months now and we’ve been needing a capable man to get our bureau back into prime order.”

“Indeed…However, I must say that I’m a little bit shocked that security isn’t as tight as I thought it would have been. I haven’t seen more than two guards since leaving New Center.”

“Ah yes, well, that’s part of that short-staffing issue…In any case, why don’t we head inside and discuss this with a roof over our heads. This thunder storm is proving to be quite nasty.”

“Agree-“

Kruguer’s head was nothing more than mist and spatter on the other gentleman’s crisply-pressed suit before he could finish the word “agreed”. All that remained was a lower jaw and a tongue that moved about for a few seconds afterwards, as if to try and finish it’s last spoken thought.

Above, the murderer observed the event through his scope- a habit that often got him in trouble in the past due to quick enemy responses, but he seemed unwilling to break. It was just too interesting to watch the human reaction to such a horrid deed. He did not relish his killings, but the psychological aspect of sniping and tactic always appealed to his nature.

This is why Leon White was the leader of EEL- the Earth Equality League. It was a group of discontent citizens of Earth who were unhappy with the apathetic nature of the New Center Government in regards to the everyday people of the planet. It was a group that was willing to embrace the label “terrorist” if need be.

“That…was too easy.” He said to himself, full of suspicion and doubt.

“So was this.”, a chilling voice familiar to Leon announced, the tip of her sword aimed at the base of his skull.

“That voice…It wouldn’t be Cut-Chan, now would it?”, he smirked as he turned around to greet his old friend. “Ten years, have they gone by so-“

Leon stopped in mid sentence as he noticed his “sibling” was wearing the dreaded haori of the Neo Shinsengumi elite. A certain anger filled his being, as well as unimaginable disappointment.

“Cut…You’re…the Hitokiri Hayasa?”

“…Yes.”

“You…you…How could you? You’ve killed all of those people…You’ve thrown away everything Dr Light wanted of us.”, Leon gritted his teeth in rage, his fists balled up.

“You’re not so innocent yourself, ‘Thunder Sniper’. The people I killed were all enemies of the New Center Government- all people that were causing harm to the haven they’ve created in Antarctica. It is my job to protect the gates of heaven.”

“…Is that it? Is that how you justify it? As a ‘job’? Cut-Chan…You’ve completely lost your way…”

“Enough. I have a job to do here. The only reason I didn’t kill you on the spot was as a favor to an old friend- to give you the rare chance to defend yourself.”, she said, coldly. “And for the record…I am ‘Cutsan’, now- I’ve grown up.”

“Somehow…I doubt that very much, ‘Cutsan’. But…If it’s a challenge you want, I’ll give it to you. The murders of the Hitokiri Hayasa will end here on this hill.”, White promised.

Hayasa merely sheathed her sword as a response

“Battojutsu…So, she means business…”, Leon thought to himself, observing her stance. “If I miss, she’s got me.”

Suddenly, Cutsan erupted from her standing point, a maelstrom of dirt and dust stirred up from her pouncing steps blew towards Leon as he tried to keep track of his deadly foe’s bullet-like movements. He heard the start of the unsheathing motion in the dust storm, a hollow tone of impending doom.

Instinctively, Leon let his legs go out from under him, and he crashed to the ground. Just millimeters from his face, he saw, if only for a fraction of a second, a silvery- blue blur cut it’s way through the dust, creating a vacuum that sucked it all in. A horrifically loud screech followed the swipe, ended in the dust flying away from the tear in the air it had created.

She was even faster than he remembered. Her sonic-fast blades were always quick, but he could barely keep track of her movements now. He began to suspect that he was now totally outclassed.

However, he had the advantage. The biggest drawback of her deadly “sword-drawing art” was that if it missed, she was completely vulnerable, especially from the ground or above. Taking advantage of the opening, Leon shot three rounds from his revolver into the remaining dust cloud, hoping to hear at least one bullet hit something soft. Instead, he heard the first two hit nothing but air, and the third hit something metallic. Then a tiny explosion in the dirt next to him told him she managed to deflect it.

“Dammit…Stop hiding and fight me face to face, ‘Hitokiri’!”

As if to answer, the dust finally cleared away, revealing Hayasa completely untouched, albeit a bit dustier than before. She swiped the air menacingly to clear the rest of the dirt away, then assumed an overhand stance that would mean a straight forward piercing cut was impending.

Leon answered her stance with the motion of drawing back the hammer of his revolver. Three shots left – he had to make them count. She wouldn’t miss this time.

Again, without saying a word or announcing her movement in any way, Cutsan jolted forward, her blade as steady as Leon’s sniper rifle. Leon raised his armed-and-ready Magnum to greet her, but the unpredictable Hitokiri had another surprise waiting. She suddenly switched from a lancing stance as she whirled her blade around to Leon’s right- now she was aiming for a harsh swing towards his neck. With her speed and power, she very well could separate even a Final Generation cyborg’s head from it’s shoulders.

Leon fired off one round during this, which only grazed her white haori. Instinctively, Leon did the only thing he could do to avoid being beheaded.

“Splish- kisshh” was the sound Cutsan’s blade made as it cut into the former Elecman’s false flesh, then was stopped suddenly by a solid LCT bone. Leon had raised his arm up over his neck, sacrificing his revolver-wielding limb to save his own neck, literally. He knew his metallic bones were the only thing capable of stopping her invincible cutting power.

With her blade held fast, Hayasa reach for her wakizashi for a second strike, but was denied by Leon reaching with his free hand to keep the short sword in it’s scabbard. With his gun able to get a clear shot without requiring him to move his arm, and thusly risk his life, the two were deadlocked in a stalemate, each combatant knowing the other too well to take the first risk.

“Seems like the Shinsengumi choose the right person for this job.”, Leon stated, partly mocking the fact that he wasn’t dead yet.

“Don’t get too arrogant. I could have killed you even before you took the shot on our agent.”

“Is that so…?”, pondered Leon aloud.

Off in the distance, the two heard a familiar voice calling out to them, accompanied by three other voices.

“…Iceman?”, Hayasa uttered, recognizing the form in the distance.

“…And the others.”, Leon added. “What are they doing here?”

The group of four approached the tense showdown, not knowing exactly what was going on. They knew Leon would be here, but it took a while for them to realize that the final member of their team was also here.

“Cut-Chan’s here, too! This is great!”, Bombman announced.

Recognizing that the fight was lost, Leon and Hayasa backed away from each other, warily.

“Huh…What are you guys doing here?”, Leon asked bluntly.

“Heh, long story. Let’s just say we’re getting the band back together for a bit. Hey, it’s great that we found you here, Elec, but Cut-Chan being here is also a nice bonus.” Gary informed the pair.

Hayasa said not a word. Instead, she turned sharply and began to walk away.

“Cut? Where are you going?”, Bombman asked.

“…Home.”, was all she replied with as the warm haze of teleportation enveloped her.

“…What the hell was that all about?”, Fireman asked the remaining Leon.

“…Another long story. One you’re not going to like.”, he said in a drab, bitter tone.

“Well, it looks like we had better get out of here. Sounds like cops heard about the news already, so let’s high tail it back to Light Labs.”, Gutsman said.

Leon nodded in agreement, realizing his arm was still bleeding the thick, rust-orange liquid that sent nutrients and energy through his body. It would take more than a Band-Aid to patch this up.

The five brothers, reunited for the first time in a decade, all disappeared in that same white haze as their sister did moments before, though with a different destination.
 

* * * *

A few hours later, in the Arctic “paradise” known the world over as New Center City, Bariko Hayasa bitterly returned from her first failed mission in nearly a year. It was only the second such instance it had happened in her eight years as a hitokiri for the Shinsengumi. She opted to not delay the inevitable shouting match she was to have with her commander, and headed straight to his office.

“…We heard.”, was all he said as soon as she entered.

It always surprised her how well informed the man was at times.

“I apologize.”, she said, quietly.

Surprisingly enough, the commander was not enraged that such an important target wasn’t killed. Instead, he greeted her warmly: “There will be other chances with him. We’re keeping an eye on him now that we know exactly who he is.”

Hayasa cocked her head slightly at that last remark.

“Elecman. One of your missing ‘brothers’. No wonder he gave us such a miserable time in tracking him- he can teleport, as can you.”

“…He’s with the others.”, was all she said of Elecman.

“Yes, we know. Tell me, do you know why they’ve regrouped after so long?”

“No.”, she said curtly. That was the truth.

“I see…Well, no matter. We’ll have an easier time in keeping tabs on our friend in EEL. In the meantime, I’d like to discuss that ‘gift’ we had talked about earlier.”

Hayasa simply looked at him, waiting to hear what this “gift” was.

“As you know, the Neo Shinsengumi is ever-expanding, taking up new recruits every week. Until now, I have been the sole commander of these forces, with the exception of the special cells led by select officers. What we need is someone we can trust, someone we can rely on to lead the other officers, as my duty is also expanding beyond that of the Neo Shinsengumi. In short, I need a general.”

“General?”, the hitokiri echoed.

“Yes…And despite today’s…set back, you’re still the perfect candidate for the position. So, how about it? How does the title of ‘General Cutsan’ interest you?”

She shut her eyes for a few seconds, as if to be alone to find the right answer for a few seconds.

“…It doesn’t. I’m sorry.”, was all she said.

“Come again? I don’t think you understand what kind of an honor this is, Hayasa. You will be the second most powerful person here in New Center City.”

“…Are you forgetting the Council, Commander?”, she reminded.

“…Yes. The Council. Well, even they need someone to trust, and that’s me. I, in turn, trust you.”

“I am honored, truly. However…I am an assassin, a weapon of the Shinsengumi. My interests are not in the office, with all due respect.” She defined. “Furthermore…I am afraid the time has come…for me to retire.”

“Retire? Are you insane? Nobody retires from the Neo Shinsengumi Elite- it’s a lifelong commitment! There is no turning back once you take the oath…”, he raised his voice.

“Then I will be the first.”, was all Hayasa said in response to that. “It’s no secret that I haven’t seen eye to eye with the goals of the New Center Government for a few years now. I’m afraid I can no longer continue working here.”

“This is…madness. You haven’t a clue as to what the power of a leadership position within New Center can offer. As general, you can influence what goals you want set for New Center! If you’re unhappy with the government, you can help change it…But, if you decline, you’re making yourself an enemy of our system. And you know what happens to our enemies, Hayasa…”

“…I stand my ground.”

“This is…disappointing, to say the least. Very well. In lieu of your exemplary record, we will give you five days to which to re-think your decision. Hopefully, you will come to a more…agreeable decision within that time.”, the Commander compromised.

“…Thank you.”, Hayasa said as she bowed and exited the room.

No sooner than the doors slid shut than the Commander turned to his quiet informant, Mackenzie: “I want her dead before she reaches her quarters.”

* * * *

“Neo Shinsen-what now?”, Rich looked at Leon quizzically.

“Shinsengumi.”, Leon corrected. “The elite army of soldiers and assassins that work for the New Center Government.”

“And you think it’s these guys that have been attacking us?”, Erik asked for confirmation.

“Definitely. From what you described, it matches the New Center soldiers perfectly. Grey suits, black armor, dark visors, and the weaponry you said they carry…It all defines a lower-ranking New Center soldier hit squad.”

“Lower ranking? If they knew who they were dealing with, then why send some rookies after us? And why do that after sending something Pulsar out for Iceman?”, Ben asked.

“That, I don’t know. Maybe there’s some inner conflict within New Center that keeps them from sending their big agents after us.”, Leon guessed.

“Then what about Cut-Chan, er Cutsan?”, Gary inquired. “If she’s their number one assassin, wouldn’t she be considered higher ranking?”

“Definitely. But, I don’t think she was sent to kill ‘Elecman’, persay. She was after ‘Leon White’- the captain of EEL.”, Leon explained.

“Right, that’s another thing- what is this ‘EEL’ your part of?”, Ben asked, worried about what his brother had involved himself in.

“Very well. EEL is the Earth Equality League, an underground association dedicated to loosening the grip New Center City has over the rest of the world.”

“…That sounds dangerously close to what the HTF wanted, Elecman.”, Ben cautioned.

“Then I suppose it’s fitting that most of our ranks have former HTF members. After we disbanded the HTF, most of the remaining members had nowhere else to go, so they drifted. When the New Center Government formed, it was impossible for them to find real jobs. In fact, as all of you know it’s impossible for most of the remaining population to find a job. EEL was formed to try and correct that.”

“This is crazy. Cut is part of some fascist group of killers, you’re a terrorist…What the hell else is there that we don’t know?”, Gary sighed.

“Alot. There have been rumors that New Center City is nothing more than a big science experiment of sorts. The Neo Shinsengumi is permeated with active genetic and cybernetic test subjects. It’s been said that perhaps their real goal is to function as a working test bed and not some private police force. However, we don’t know why they’d create something like that.”

“So, they’re a bunch of pumped up freaks and cyber punks, huh?”, Gary smugly asserted

“Don’t brush them off so easily. Afterall, they have someone like Cutsan working for them, so they more than likely have others as strong as her. And with the unlimited funds and resources of New Center backing them up, the Neo Shinsengumi is more than some army- they’re a breed of pit vipers the likes of which we’ve never seen before. What Rock fought against during the Wily era may pale in comparison to what they’re capable of.”, Leon cautioned.

“So…what you’re sayin’ is that we can’t just run in there and beat ‘em all up like we normally would?”, Rich asked.

“We’d be slaughtered.”, Leon said curtly. “This is a whole new level of power. It’d be like sending the army of Zimbabwe into America during its heyday. The result is that obvious.”

“Well, what do we do, then? They’re obviously after us for some reason, and we can’t just lay back and let them kill us.”, Erik demanded to know.

“We can do one of two things. One, we let them come to us and we fight them, and likely get killed in the process. Or, we can go with Plan B; search out the man that knows more about them than anyone else.”

“…Who?”, Ben asked.

“A scientist. One that managed to escape from New Center a little less than a year ago. He was a top engineer for the Neo Shinsengumi and knows them inside and out. If he’s not dead by now, he’ll be invaluable to us.”

“Who’s this scientist?”

“Dr Jonah Genesis. A man so important to the Shinsengumi that they allowed him to have his own private protection crew and laboratory. He was known as the father of the NSG (Neo Shinsengumi).”

“I don’t get it. If he had it so good, then why’d he leave?”, Gutsman asked.

“That’s a question we’ll have to save for the man himself, if they haven’t found and killed him yet.”

“Well, alright then. Where can we find him?”, Gary inquired.

“The man travels a lot, never staying in one place for too long. The last known position I have of his was Phoenix, Arizona. We’ll have to start there if we want to find any answers.”

“Well, I hope we don’t plan on getting into too big of a fight too son. We’re almost dry on ammo, guys.”, Gutsman noted as he displayed the bare bones contents of the ammo locker.

“Hey, no sweat. We’ll just have Bombman here make us up some more ammo like always, right Rich?”, Gary commented.

The group collectively stared at the tipsy mad bomber as he held out his hand, it’s contents revealing a deformed scrap of metal.

“Here ya go! Itsa…uh…bull…et? No, wait…Lemme try again.”

Embarrassingly enough, Bombman would try over and over again, each attempt yielding more and more disappointing results, none of which even looked even capable of being loaded into a gun. He finally tossed the deformed scrap pieces to the ground in disgust.

“Well…I think that nixes that idea.”, Ben stated the obvious.

“Hey, screw you man.”, Bombman muttered beneath his breath, glaring at Fireman from the corner of his eyes.

“Well, luckily I have a back up supply.”, Leon asserted, interjecting himself between the two sibling rivals.

“Where?”, Gutsman quizzed.

“I have a friend in Greece. She can make any kind of ammo we need and she owes me a favor, anyways.”

“Oooo, sounds like your kinda gal, Elec. Sure she doesn’t owe you more than a ‘favor’, hm?”, Gary ribbed.

“Er…No. Nothing like that”, Leon raised his hands up defensively. “It’s strictly business.”

“If you say so…”, the diminutive instigator snorted.

“In any case”, Elecman continued, shrugging off Iceman’s jest, “she’s wary of new people. I’ll head out to Greece and one of you should head out to Phoenix to see what’s up. I don’t think New Center has a lot of influence there these days, but you should try to keep a low profile just to be on the safe side.”

“Gotcha. You be careful out there, alright? Maybe you should take your gear, just in case.”, Gary offered.

“Right. Well, I’ll head off. We’ll meet up later, alright?”

Leon grabbed the discrete bag that held his old Elecman uniform inside and again disappeared in a haze of heavenly white.

“It’s good to have ‘im again, huh.”, Rich commented after Elecman left.

“Yeah…It is.”, Erik answered.

* * * *

Hayasa looked out to the bowl shaped inner confines of the famed New Center City for the first time in months. She had grown so accustomed to living here that it didn’t even strike her as amazing anymore, as impressive a sight as it was. Here, almost directly atop the South Pole, was a city suspended high above a crater in the Arctic tundra. It was one mile in diameter, with a large supporting center structure jutting out from the middle of the city. An observation ring, which she was now standing in, oversaw the entire city on one side and provided a breathtaking view of the Arctic landscape just outside the thick Plexiglas protective shell.

It was a city she knew so little about, despite actually living in it for close to a decade now. She never ventured into the actual city- just her sanctum in the outer ring, and she didn’t know exactly what kinds of people dwelled within. To her, it didn’t matter. The NSG was just another way to pass time and serve a purpose. She didn’t need much else in her limitless life.

She finally wrenched her gaze away from the city and restarted the venture to her quarters down the massive, tubular hallway. Despite being offered two “gifts” by her commander that day- a high level in the NSG and the gift of time, she had already made up her mind to leave New Center when she saw her old team mates reunited. She knew that if she were to stay, she would eventually be asked to kill her own family. Killing a member of a terrorist group that happened to be her brother was one thing; knowing he was her brother before hand was a different matter. She had to wonder if they kept that info a secret from her on purpose. Or maybe she didn’t read into it as much as she should have. Perhaps serving as a tool of the Neo Shinsengumi had whittled down her instincts.

Perhaps no more was that evident than when she found herself vomiting a pint of her own blood from a gunshot wound to her lower chest, puncturing the Final Generation body’s equivalent of a human lung. She was ambushed by…the Neo Shinsengumi itself! And within the confines of New Center City itself. As she clamored to her feet, she realized she had been double crossed by her own commander, and she looked back to the soldiers that now shot at her. Five of them. Five gray and black-clad troopers, all aiming for her center of mass with their assault rifles.

She knew she had no chance against them with this wound slowing her down. Still, she put a hand on her blade, which caused the soldiers to brace themselves- they were well aware of who they were dealing with here. Hayasa knew she had to escape rather than fight. Even if she could beat these five, a swarm of soldiers would come to replace them, perhaps even a NSG Officer as well. She had to make her way to the teleportation chambers a quarter mile away. It was going to a brutal walk.

Keeping low to the ground, she blocked out the piercing pain coming from her torso and ran as fast as she possibly could. If she ran any slower, she would die. She may have been one of the fastest two-legged beings on Earth, but that short sprint was longer than any other event in her life, including her work with her brothers. Oh, if only they were here now.

Finally, after outrunning the group of troopers behind her, she managed to reach the large chamber of teleportation pods within- the only means of entry and exit from this desolate location. She plunged her blade into the locked door, which had been discreetly locked by the security system, baring her whole weight down to help the cut. Sparks flew from the door next to her head- the soldiers had already caught up!

She smashed her whole body into the damaged door a few times, each attempt more frantic than the last, and each attempt causing excruciating pain to her injured body. But she had to get away. At any cost.

“Hayasa-san!”, a voice called out to her, laced with a thick Arabic accent.

She knew who it was even without turning to face him. However…she had to look this man in the eye one more time.

“Amanullah…”, she spoke hoarsely, her voice deprived of any real volume due to her lung being weakened.

“Hayasa-san…You were not planning on leaving without having that duel with me, were you, my fellow hitokiri?”, the drab-colored assassin inquired, knowing the answer.

“H…Ha…Heh…I’m afraid…we’re going to have to…delay our fight…Prior engagement…”, was all she was able to say.

“You sadden me, Hayasa-san…”, he said as the troops that flanked him aimed their rifles squarely at her head. “Because of you, I must fail to kill another target, and you know how much I hate failure.”

Amanullah raised his hand slowly…and gestured for his troops to relax their aim.

“H-Hitokiri Maro…Thank…you.”, Hayasa said, inaudible to the scorpion-themed NSG Officer. She stumbled through the broken doorway and into the means of escape she sought. She had just been given her third and final gift from the Neo Shinsengumi for the day.

The old feeling of vanishing and it’s accompanying glow embraced her, letting her know she was free of New Center City, but she also knew she owed her old friend, Amanullah “The Scorpion” Maro, a favor- a fight to the death.

She always made sure she repaid her debts in full.

Chapter 9 Extras- The Original Shinsengumi

For years, the original Shinsengumi of the 1860s near Mibu, Japan was nothing more than an obscure band of swordsmen, as extraordinary as they were. Since they lost their war against their arch nemesis, the Ishen Shishi, they faded away. However, in recent years, the Shinsengumi has finally recieved the recognition they deserved thanks to Japanese pop culture "discovering" their legend. But, the group also had a dark side to it.

The Shinsengumi ("New Chosen Group") was officially founded around 1862/63 by members of the Roshigumi of Kyoto. They were loyalists to the Shogunate, which had been in power for 200 years and maintained an era of peace. However, the Ishen Shishi, or Patriots, wished to reseat the Emperor and reinstill a policy of isolationalism. This drew a clear line of who was on what side, though it wouldn't stay that way for long.

The Shinsengumi was populated by some of the finest swordsmen in Japan and are often said to be the last true samurai group, due to their very strict upholding of the Bushido Code of Honor (contrary to that fictional BS Tom Cruise would have you believe in The Last Samurai- that was NOT the Shinsengumi, as the concept of a samurai mostly died with the coming of Meiji Government and death of the Shinsengumi). However, because they were basically endorsed by the government as "policemen", they would abuse their power occassionally, which earned them the demeaning nickname of "Miburo"- Wolves of Mibu.

With the likes of Okita Shoushi, Hajime Saito, and Isami Kondo as prominate swordsmen and leaders, as well as many others, the Shinsengumi was a fierce force on the battle field. To set them apart, they all wore a light blue haori (large over coat/shirt) with white triangles on the sleeves, though other colors were sometimes used (white with black triangles were sometimes worn by high ranking Shinsegumi, as well as black and red), and they all wore the Chinese symbol for "Sincerity" on the back.

The Shinsengumi would continue to fight against the Ishen Shishi during the chaotic time now called the Bakumatsu, but would eventually die out. Only a few of the one-time-hundred men strong unit would live to see the Shogunate overthrown and the Emperor reinstalled in power. The remaining Shinsengumi would lead quiet lives as civilians, though some were said to become policemen in the new Meiji government.

In the fictional R-E storyline, the Neo Shinsengumi is established with the goal of protecting the New Center Government, though it would later be suspected of providing a more scientific reason for existing. Each member of the NSG would swear utter allegience to the New Center Council and Government, with death being the only means of leaving the group once you were let in.

While the Shinsengumi of 1860s Japan actually dreaded the Ishen Shishi's four hitokiri (man slayers) and fought against these samurai of the shadows (note: hitokiri were NOT ninja- they dressed like everyone else that carried a sword in that day, but worked primarily at night to avoid suspicion), the Neo Shinsengumi actually embraces the concept of a hitokiri and keeps an unspecified number on hand to quell the flow of taboo information amongst the rest of the planet.

 

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