Gameplan

[Namira]

For a second time, Hirono went rummaging through the wardrobe, although on this occasion she kept one eye on the door. She didn't trust Mimura as far as she could throw him and wouldn't put it past the guy to try and spring something on her. Perhaps Kitano would hold him in check, but hey, he could always lie and say that she had pulled her gun on him or something. Hirono's paranoia was working overtime, but she had a handle on it for now. Just as long as she had her gun, she was to the good.

Stay calm. That's the way 'Rono... Keep a cool head and we'll be much better off.

At length, Hirono's search bore fruit and she located a tanktop which looked about her size. Pulling it on over her head, adjusting it slightly to make sure it was comfortable, Hirono gave a very slight smile. Great, now at least she didn't have to concern herself with having blood all over her. Now, it was just a matter of heading down there - Mimura had better be gone and- Hirono's head snapped around so fast she almost got whiplash when the sound of gunfire echoed through the street.

Fuck! Some lunatic is out there with some kinda freaking machine-gun!

Hirono thought rapidly, then ran over to the window. Looking out, she could just about distinguish the figure outside, holding what was most definitely a gun. That hair... that face. The delinquent's blood ran cold, yet at the same time, she almost found herself laughing in disbelief. Yoshimi? Fucking Yoshimi!? What kind of insane bad trip WAS this? The best course of action... it was to stay out of trouble. If things went to shit, Hirono's pistol was going to be no match for that machine-gun, but...

Oh come on. This was YOSHIMI! Her... well, maybe not exactly a friend, but hell, they ran together in Hardcore's gang, that had to count for something. Besides which, if Yoshimi was off her head, what would happen to the others? Hirono wouldn't shed any tears for the snake Mimura, but what was Kitano's role in this? Sure, she was a pushover, but did she deserve to get ventilated? Nobody did.

Fuck! Hirono bit her lip, then shook her head. I gotta do SOMETHING. For the love of god, we're gonna have another Nanahara on our hands. Quickly grabbing her stuff (sans uniform), Hirono hit the stairs, gun in hand and bag over her shoulder. Much like before, she paused in the stairwell, peeking around the corner.

An erratic burst of gunfire from outside quickly encouraged Hirono to keep her head down, but not before she saw somebody lying in the hallway, and another body slumped beyond. Dammit! That was Kitano's ticket punched, and somebody else's besides! Still, the look had confirmed one thing at least: The assailant was Yoshimi.

"Yoshimi! Yo Yoshimi!" Hirono, after a second's hesitation, called out. If anybody could get through to Yahagi... it would be her. "What the fuck have you been smoking girl? It's me! It's Hirono!"

"Hirono!? Stay back! I've g-got a gun! You can't in-intimidate me any more!" Yoshimi punctuated the statement with another spray from the uzi. She was closer now. She must have entered the hallway. Shit, she was hysterical!

Hirono poked her gun around the corner and squeezed off a shot, holing the floor next to Yoshimi's feet. Diplomacy hadn't worked, so it was time to put Yoshimi's confidence to the test. The delinquent knew as well as anybody that the other didn't have much in the way of bravery. She shouldn't be too hard to scare off, right? Above anything else, Hirono just didn't want to get into a fight. It wasn't the weapons, it was the fact that she liked Yoshimi. The fact that she could possibly have to kill her was insane. Buying into Kamon's crap.

"Guess what Yoshimi? I've got a fucking gun too! How do you like that, huh? You still so cocky!?"

"F-fuck off Hirono! Yoshimi spat, her voice faltering and aim wavering. She fired another long burst.

...Take the risk. She's fired a lot and I don't think she reloaded yet.

Hirono dropped low then popped out from the stairwell and fired at Yoshimi again, shooting to miss and sending her shot buzzing right past the other's head before ducking back into cover.

"Last warning Yoshimi! Back the fuck off or I put a hole in your skull!"

There was a squeak of dismay, then the sound of running footsteps. Hirono peeked out. Yoshimi was gone.

"Huh... that actually worked. Who'd have thunk it?"

Hirono stepped out into the hallway and approached Kitano's body. Shit... poor girl had never stood a chance, not against that uzi. She kneeled as close as she could without getting blood on her, and sighed. Hirono felt like she should say something, some eulogy, some vow, but... she had nothing. Kitano wasn't her friend and she wasn't good with words besides. Nor was she a hero in some dramatic story. All Hirono happened to be was a slightly tougher kid than the rest and a fucking deathwish to boot.

"Rest easy, Yukiko," Hirono murmured. "At least it was quick, huh?"

Sighing again, Hirono got to her feet and bailed from the house. She'd had a bellyful of it.

((Hirono continued in Taking Stock, Yoshimi continued in Rumble))

[decoy73]

Shinji hadn't noticed Yukiko until it was too late. She was looking outside, in plain view of Yoshimi.

"Yukiko! Get ba-" Too late. The gunfire sounded again, and Yukiko dropped, quite dead.

Oh, no. She's going to come inside! Shinji ran out from behind his cover, going into the office. He put his laptop down momentarily so as to open the window, picking it back up as he climbed through, just barely making out the altercation between Hirono and Yoshimi. He jst ran, looking for somebody, anybody that wouldn't kill him where he stood.

((Shinji Mimura continued in Grief.))