It was needless to say that this would be the first mission in a long time where he would actually admit it was going to be rough. He was worried. Trembling with anticipation, gun tight in his grasp while he waited for word from Ivan. There was a lot on his mind. Every part of him feared a negative outcome, knowing there was a chance things could take a turn for the worst.<br/><br/>He stayed hidden in an alley way, pulling his phone out as if he was checking a received text message. All activity near Shizu’s apartment building was monitored out of the corner of his eye.<br/><br/>As soon as Shizu was on the move, he straightened himself, tucked his phone into his pocket, and started walking again. He kept an ever vigilant eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Anything could happen, and he wanted to be prepared. As always, he had that concentrated look on his face, which didn’t really help in regards to being subtle, he looked like he was seething a little, but for whatever reason it seemed to work for him. He really was upset that he was here and Shizu was not enjoying her freedom, that he was once again defending her from someone looking to take her away. Today was hoping to put an end to anyone who might want to bring harm to her. That was all he could think about. It was the same vow he made whenever he took on a mission. No matter what happened, as long as he achieved that goal in the end that was all that mattered.<br/><br/>He casually moved about the streets in spite of the look on his face. A soft exhale left him, and he tried his best to relax a little, feeling the urge to spill blood build. Even as the cold tried to eat through him, it went ignored as this fire within him grew bigger and bigger. His aggression was beginning to show a little more now that things were set into motion. He could feel it. He would be lying if he said that he had his aggression completely in check. The fact that he felt this was, he really did not like it at all. Normally, he was so calm on a mission, always maintaining that professionalism no matter what, but now it really seemed a lot harder to keep his bloodlust under control. If he couldn’t, he would put everyone in danger and it almost terrified him.<br/><br/>Was he really ready to be out here in the field? He had not brought it up before, eager to get out here and get Shizu out of this situation. The others had their doubts about him. What if he really wasn’t ready? He felt ready. He knew he was, somewhere deep down. If he was not ready to be out here, Zachariah would not have sent him. He was sure of it. The man had faith in him, and that was enough to give him some courage, so he must not let him or anyone else down. The last thing he wanted was to be a burden to the others or put anyone in danger because he was not capable of controlling his aggression. As stubborn as he was, he knew he could keep himself under control. However, on the other hand, that stubbornness might ultimately destroy him if he was not careful.<br/><br/>But that all faded suddenly. As soona as Ivan mentioned that he felt something was wrong he tensed, becoming even more on edge. He should have known. Everything had seemed to go a little too smoothly, and usually when things are quiet it was not a good sign.<br/><br/>Then he heard the gunshot.<br/><br/>Then he heard Ivan say that there was another goup after Shizu. He could feel his entire body tense, his breathing becoming heavy. “Son of a bitch…” The words were uttered slowly, through his clenched teeth. He started running. Pushing his way through the panicking crowd, he slipped into an alley way. A moment later, he heard her calling for him. “Shizu!?” His voice had not carried, parly because he didn’t want to draw attention to himself, her name slipped out of his mouth before he could rethink it. Finding Shizu was the only thing on his mind from that moment forward.<br/><br/>Since he joined the organization, he really took pride in his skills, which have improved significantly compared to just a few years ago, as well as his honesty. He had said he was sticking with this until the bitter end, meaning every word of it. Even if he never really openly said it, his actions spoke louder than words, he really would stick by this mission until the day he no longer had to keep Shizu safe. He prayed for a world where he would never have to keep an eye on her. She deserved so much better than this. If it was possible, he would do whatever he could to make sure that she was never a target again. That was why he was so determined to send a message. He would make sure that anyone else who might be looking to take her would leave her alone, or else they would be made examples of.<br/><br/>Weaving through the alley ways, he kept an eye out for Shizu. He didn’t stop moving, knowing that a bullet would come for him if he stayed put for too long. It had not become a race to see who got to Shizu first. He had to make sure that he got there before Levi, and also made a mental note to tell Shizu that she should not have… no…<br/><br/>She should not have panicked like that. She should have never have called out his name, but he didn’t blame her. They came out of nowhere. She was terrified. A life where she constantly had people aiming their guns at her was not for her, and that constant thought continued to push him forward. He had to get to Shizu… he had to. If they got their hands on her, he didn’t even want to think about what might happen. They could have another situation like what happened in Israel on their hands. Someone was looking to kidnap her, take her and use her for whatever they had planned. That was not going to happen. He was sticking by that promise, that she would have her freedom. It was just a shame that now all of this shit was hitting the fan and almost everything that could go wrong, was going wrong.<br/><br/>Even amongst the panic in the city, everything seemed almost too quiet; he did not like it at all. There was this clawing in the back of his mind that told him that there might be something else out there that he should watch out for.<br/><br/>It was likely that there was, but it was also likely that he could be getting worked up over nothing. He had to focus. What was with him?<br/><br/>------------------------------<br/><br/>Levi was actually somewhat impressed by how David gave the orders. “Good.” He said with a smile of appreciation, especially at that look David had given him. He knew he kept the little asshole around for a reason. Even though Levi was a man who loved to be in charge, he hated having to do everything himself. Sometimes David pissed him off, and needed reminding who was in charge, like everyone else who worked with him did from time to time, but the man was at least competent. He appreciated his ability to give orders. As he got into position he was able to do so with ease, not worrying about whether or not everyone would be on the same page. The only thing that worried him, of course, was Tyler. Levi was intent on really keeping a close eye on him to make sure that he didn’t fuck anything up.<br/><br/>If Tyler did fuck up, he would be shown no mercy. The guy looked like he would break easily, fold under pressure, which was always fun to mess with whenever he was pissed about something and needed to let go of some of his anger. The same went for David, who knew just what happened to people who fucked up. Tyler was partially David’s responsibility, since it was his idea to have him along. He was grateful that there was someone who knew how to handle preternatural creatures, don’t get him wrong, but if he slipped up even once, costing them the girl, pissed off would be an understatement to how Levi would feel. He was already in a bad mood, he was trembling a little, it was all over his face, he just wanted to get the girl and then begin the next step towards his revenge.<br/><br/>While everyone was getting into position, before Hank could open his big mouth, Levi said, “You heard him. Be ready to move when he said so. Immediately.” Poking the man’s chest with his index finger for added effect, he looked into his eyes with an intense stare. Between David and Levi, Hank did not object. Hank really wanted to, though; Levi could see it in his eyes. One of these days the man was going to have to learn his place. It felt like he was babysitting, and was sure that if David was not here, he’d be a mess, things would not go as smoothly. Hank really had better not decide to act before he’s supposed to, or do something else that might put everything in danger.<br/><br/>Levi decided to leave him with that and search for a position of his own. He stayed in a nearby alley, close to the café. It seemed too quiet around here for his liking. Was it just the neighborhood, or was there something else about to happen? There was a chance that Azrai and friends were already here, which was plausible. He wondered when they would strike. As he kept his eyes peeled, a lot of things raced through his mind. It was thrilling and unbearable at the same time.<br/><br/>He was hoping it was not the latter, but soon his hopes were shot down completely.<br/><br/>“What the… You have got to be fucking kidding me!” Levi snarled into his earpiece. How the hell… Of all the times. Dean’s men. Fucking Dean’s men just had to show up? How the hell did they arrive so quickly? Levi’s mood suddenly took a turn for the worst as he felt his anger beginning to boil over. He was practically yelling, “Well this is just fucking perfect! Alright, everyone listen and listen well. I want the Oni woman at all costs. Kill every motherfucker working for Dean that gets in your way. Fuck Azrai, and fuck whoever the man has with him… we’ll take care of them later. Just focus on the girl, and do not. I repeat… Do. Not. Fuck this up.” Looks like he was going to have to have Azrai come to him instead of killing off two birds with one stone, but no matter, he would ensure he got what he wanted by the end of the day. This really pissed him off.<br/><br/>If it was even possible to piss him off more than he already was. To think he was just beginning to calm down.<br/><br/>He leaned against a building, feeling a migraine coming on. “Damn it…” Of all the times… He had to calm down and get through this. Giving up was not an option here. With this migraine, it was going to be difficult to push through but he was determined.<br/><br/>Something out of the corner of his eye suddenly caught his attention. A cruel smile appeared on his face, his mind becoming set on his goal. Levi pushed off the building and ran toward the figure, who he was sure was one of Dean’s men, as he did not recognize the man, pulling his gun from his holster. He fired as soon as he got in a good position to do so, aiming right for the man’s back, about where his heart would be. The man went down, and he walked over to get a closer look at the body. It was definitely one of Dean’s men; he’d recognize that stench from anywhere. He carefully dragged the body to a more secluded area, aware that the sounds of gunfire caused panic in the city. When he got there he noticed there was someone else skulking about. He fired at the man, but missed.<br/><br/>Swearing under his breath, he decided to just leave them, heading in a different direction, the direction he had heard a feminine voice call out. He had to find the Oni woman.<br/><br/>He was not leaving without her.<br/><br/>------------------------------<br/><br/>“So, you’re telling me we’re dealing with the same man that killed Dean?” Marcus asked his partner. This attack had been planned off the top of their leader’s head, much to his disliking. He was not someone who liked to jump into things without warning. But it had to be done. That woman was very special, and this Levi character could not be allowed to live after what he had done. Ever since Levi showed up, Dean had become that asshole’s doormat and he had been sick of it. Now, he was given the chance to really fuck up his day and knew he would enjoy every moment of it.<br/><br/>“Yeah. Lance said he doesn’t care what happens as long as the girl is in his hands at the end of the day,” Said the man sitting next to him, who seemed to be more interested in playing around with the pistol in his hand than a conversation, in a somewhat distant tone.<br/><br/>“Really? Lance must have been paid good money to get her then…”<br/><br/>“Maybe.”<br/><br/>Marco let out a sigh and shook his head. This was so ridiculous.<br/><br/>Minutes passed, and then it all began and everyone flew into action.<br/><br/>Marcus and his partner split off into different directions in order to capture the girl, not wanting to be one huge group. It was true that not everyone who worked for Dean was that the sharpest tool in the shed, but at least they knew how to be organized. Sort of. He really worried about a few individuals. Some people… he really had to wonder why he had to be paired with so many idiots. It was like Dean had just plucked people off the street, who looked intimidating but didn’t have the personality, or the brain, to match. Only a few people were actually competent. Marco liked to include himself in that, and was willing to prove that now. Then again, with Dean gone, what was the point? Lance was just like Dean, only Dean at least knew what the fuck he was doing most of the time, he was not quite as reckless.<br/><br/>Being rushed was not fun. They were not even fully prepared for this, yet here they were.<br/><br/>This bitch had better be worth it… She was pretty, though. He knew that she did bring in some good money while in their possession.<br/><br/>A bullet zipped past him. At least, unlike the person firing at him, they had silencers on their guns. Perhaps they could use that to their advantage. He growled and ducked into an alley, hoping that he would either lose the guy or find a good place to put him in his grave. Whichever came first.<br/><br/>------------------------------<br/><br/>Dean’s men came before Hank had any chance of moving in. The woman fled. Everything had suddenly gone to hell. He swore under his breath and followed after them at Levi’s and David’s command. This was irritating. He knew he was going to be a dead man if he did not get that girl. Having Levi on his ass about perfection was enough, now David thought he had the balls to tell him what to do. He supposed it was crucial to their teamwork, if he dared call it that, but he would still have a better time doing things the way he felt would work out better. He never could see eye to eye with a lot of Levi’s planning and the logic behind it. The man was completely off his rocker, some days he felt like he was his voice of reasoning since the day he met him.<br/><br/>All he could do for now was try to follow the men chasing her. With any luck, he’d catch them. As he chased down one of the men, firing off a round when he could, following him down an alley way, he prayed that they would catch the woman. As much as he hated to admit it, he has yet to see Levi truly angry, he hoped he would not have to face Levi’s wrath.<br/><br/>Shaking his head, he continued through the alley quietly. He knew Levi was pretty… energetic… right now, so he decided to be the one to take a quieter approach. Surely the Oni woman had not seen him in the crowd? Hank was honestly hoping that she had not. Otherwise there would be a lot of trouble on his hand, and he’d have to rethink a lot of his strategy. That was something he did not want to do, knowing that Levi would tear him a new one if he decided to do anything that made him think he was going against his orders. Hey, in his mind as long as he had the girl everything was alright. But no. Levi was so persnickety, and had a fucking stick up his ass, that everyone had to do exactly what he said. There was no freedom whenever he worked with him.<br/><br/>He spotted a woman that matched the Oni woman’s description suddenly. Part of him wanted to just ‘accidentally’ allow Dean’s men to get the woman. Then again, Levi did pay him well and he had meant what he said earlier about preferring to work for him because he didn’t feel like falling asleep on the job.<br/><br/>“Levi, David, I’ve got her in my sights!” He said into his earpiece, taking aim and shooting at another one of Dean’s men.<br/><br/>------------------------------<br/><br/>Where was she?<br/><br/>No matter where he looked, he couldn’t find her. Did get somehow get lost? No, he made sure that he stayed close to where everyone else was. He was becoming increasingly worried and prayed that Ivan or Elias had spotted her. If they had, he was sure they would have said something by now. He’d do the same if he managed to spot her. He didn’t just want to find her because he wanted out of here, a frightened Oni running around might not be good for the people of the city. He was worried that Shizu might hurt someone, cause a scene unintentionally. Or she could hurt herself. A lot of negative outcomes were starting to flood his thoughts. He knew it was best to try to ignore them, to think positive, to focus on what was going on instead of jumping to conclusions, but he couldn’t help it.<br/><br/>He thought about calling her name, but decided against it when he saw yet another person. Where the hell were these assholes coming from? He took aim at the man, and fired. The man dropped to the ground, lying in a pool of his own blood.<br/><br/>When he continued on a little further, he heard someone call Levi’s name. He crouched behind a car, keeping out of sight, just in case he was too close for comfort. His gun was still tight in his grasp. He thought about shooting them, but when he moved to do so, the man was gone.<br/><br/>Growling under his breath in frustration, he just continued on down the direction he hoped the man had gone.<br/><br/>------------------------------<br/><br/>“Good,” said Levi in reply, hurrying to Hank’s location. “Grab her, and then everyone meet back at the car as soon as she’s in our hands.” There was a brief pause, and then he added. “Make you had better make damn sure she’s sedated, and that everyone else is taken care of.” He was sure that he didn’t need to say anything twice. They might not always get along, but he knew that his men could be trusted to get things done. He could almost taste the Oni woman. Well, once he was done with her he knew he was really going to taste her while he basked in his victory.