<span style="font-weight: bold">Arundel 1st City, 12th Ward: Entertainment District, Disko Katz</span><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #BF0000">Twenty years... Twenty years since the Great Collapse and nothing has changed. Is this really our salvation? This city, filled to the brim with lies? Isn't there something worth living for in these damned times? Live on huh? Tch! That's easy for you to say... old man.</span></span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Sho."</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Sho?"</span><br/><br/>"Kisho Hashira!"<br/><br/>Having been snapped out of his self-induced trance, the sound of funky techno music flooded Kisho's ears once more.  He had almost forgotten that they were in a club too!  The man sighed heavily, there goes all that effort he put into tuning it out.  Turning his gaze towards the culprit, Kisho spotted the smaller female glaring at him for his inattention.  His partner, Senior Field Agent Lizbeth Raleigh of the TPD (Trinity Protection Detail) a.k.a Liz. Six years in the service, three of those with him.  Age: 28, Height: 5'6, Weight: 46kgs, Three Size: 36-27-36, Hair Color: Blonde. Quick-witted and has a sharp intuition, she is also a good shot with her 9mm sidearm. She doesn't smoke or drink, and has a secret love for cats.  Again, Kisho sighed.  Despite that sexy exterior, lies a heart of a man.  It's no wonder she can't get herself a date.  Indifferent eyes met his partner's...<br/><br/><span style="color: #BF0000">"What?"</span><br/><br/>"Guh! I don't believe this! Haven't you been paying attention to what I've said?" she grumbled.<br/><br/>No, not really.  He was lost in deep thought, contemplating about life.  Thoughts like those can isolate any person from the world around them wherever they are but... Kisho was not any other person.  He had a job to do and it was his responsibility to pay attention.<span style="color: #BF0000">"Yeah. I heard you the first time. Our <span style="font-style: italic">Parcel</span> just walked to the disco floor right?"</span>he responded dismissively to her grumbles and turned to look at the dance floor below them.<span style="color: #BF0000">"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him."</span>he assured Liz.<br/><br/>"You better! We can't afford to mess this up! That punk is a<span style="font-style: italic">Bearer</span>." she iterated with a cold tone, seemingly harboring a certain pang of distaste for their Parcel. "I'm going to do a round, you watch him Sho."<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #BF0000">A Bearer huh?</span></span>Kisho stared at the young man they were protecting from above.  He looked like he was barely out of his teens and is just having the time of his life, dancing the night away with people he barely knew.  Kisho scoffed.  Bearers of the Mark, important people who have been deemed useful and worthy of salvation by the Circle of Trinity.  They were mostly influential people specializing in certain fields like medicine, engineering, agriculture and whatnot.  While there are all sorts of rich and powerful people surrounding the Circle of Trinity, like majority of the people in this club, the Bearers have distinguished themselves in some way to be recognized by Trinity itself, thus earning themselves the Mark which grants special privileges throughout the three cities.  Kisho gritted his teeth at the reminder of how unfair this whole salvation scam is. He watched in distaste as that young man flaunted his mark around the dance floor, earning himself a flock of ladies that came swooning for him.<br/><br/><span style="color: #BF0000">"Tch! Loser. Can't even get himself a nice lady the traditional way."</span>he mumbled mostly to himself. Kisho then wondered to himself, is that man even worth risking his life for? He sighed. No use thinking about it now. A job is a job and the sooner they get it done, the better.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Sho."</span>his earpiece cackled to life.<span style="font-style: italic">"Suspicious characters entering the establishment to your ten o'clock."</span><br/><br/>Kisho automatically turned his gaze to the direction.  Sure enough, there they were, three hooded men making their way to the bar.  It was easy to pick them out of the crowd because of their attire; they stand out too much for being the only ones under-dressed.  Kisho observed the three.  While they may appear to be ordering drinks and enjoying the establishment's entertainment, judging from their body language alone, it was clear that they were looking for someone.<span style="color: #BF0000">"Typical hitmen. Probably hired by haters or rivals of this man. Tch! Just when I was done praying I don't have to risk my life for this guy!"</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Sho, this is not the time to hate your job. Go to our parcel's table and let him know. I'll run interference."</span><br/><br/><span style="color: #BF0000">"Copy that. I'm on my way. Be careful Liz."</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Roger. You too Sho."</span><br/><br/>Kisho made his way down to the VIP section of the club, snaking his way through dancing bodies and drunken businessmen.  It didn't take him too long to reach their Parcels' table.  The neon-lit table was filled with tons of high-class booze, some fancy narcotics that can send one skyrocketing to the clouds, and several stacks of credits in the highest bill.  A show of power to entice those who wanted a taste of the high-end life no doubt.  He was currently busy<span style="font-style: italic">eating</span>between the thighs of one of his lady companions when Kisho arrived. Moans of pleasure—obviously faked—along with also faked giggles filled Kisho's ears. One of the lady companions was just about to pull Kisho down with them when he showed her the TPD badge on his belt and the gun he carried accompanied by a murderous gaze.  It worked like a charm, she backed down in an instant.<br/><br/>From the looks of it, their Parcel had no intention of stopping his<span style="font-style: italic">feast</span>anytime soon making Kisho clear his throat before speaking.<span style="color: #BF0000">"Mr. Connors, it's time to go."</span><br/><br/>"Huuuhh? What'd ya say? Can't ya see I'm busy?!" he gnarled at Sho.<br/><br/><span style="color: #BF0000">"Three hitmen have entered the establishment sir. We believe you are their target."</span>Sho informed him without a shred of emotion in his tone.<br/><br/>Mr. Connors scowled. "Deal with them then! Ain't that yer job? That's what yer paid for ain't it?!"<br/><br/>Kisho is by no means well-known for his patience. He was just about to drag Mr. Connors out forcefully when his attention was caught by something else. Several consecutive<span style="font-style: italic">Bangs!</span>pierced through the techno music of the club followed by the sound of panic. Kisho spun around his heels and the first thing he saw was two of the hooded guys going down the floor along with... Liz!? She had a grimace on her face and she had her firearm drawn. The shock prevented him from noticing that one of the hooded men had thrown something their way. A beeping sound once again caught his ears and when Kisho looked back to find the source, his eyes widened in realization. It was a small circular object with a small screen that had numbers counting down on it—a mini-grenade! Right now... the number was three.<br/><br/>A split second was all it took for Kisho to hit the deck away from the VIP table, covering his ears. A small explosion followed after, bathing Kisho in a rain of blood, body parts, and entrails.  When he opened his eyes again, the detached and burnt head of their Parcel was the first to greet him.<br/><br/><span style="color: #BF0000">"What... the fuck?!"</span>