Chapter Text
"Good evening citizens of Port Ravanis! Today, it's your local reporter Malim Cendari coming in hot with the latest news of our famous port trading business. Further in the night, all 24-hour establishments alongside the east cargo harbor will be temporarily shut down until sunrise to allow for the smooth reception of the latest imports! Please be advised that the entire street down the eastern waterfront will be off-limits for pedestrians as well. So plan those midnight walks accordingly folks! And now, for more on the mayor's new community development policies! He—"
Nayuta Umbrage turns off the TV without blinking twice. In his shoddy downtown apartment, the lack of light from the screen enshrouds the living room in a dim rusty glow from the lamp whose bulb needs a desperate change. Stacks of papers litter the coffee table in front of the couch, wrinkled from severe overuse. Despite knowing full and well why his organization doesn't go digital, it's still a pain trying to deal with all the physical documents.
In the center of the table, he picks up a stapled packet with all the generic information for the night's job. Even after almost a decade of experience, the few hours before the action always serve as the most nerve-wracking. This is the time when he has to ensure he has a full understanding of all the details, for any missing piece can cause a devastating mistake.
And he's always been quite the perfectionist.
He scans the general information, taking some time to memorize the face printed out on the paper. He looks it over, again and again, until every spec and pixel is burned into his brain. It’s a routine procedure he does before every job. Over-studying will forever be better than under-studying after all.
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[TARGET INFORMATION]
Name: Real name unknown, goes by alias "M"
Description: White male, mid to late 50's, 168 cm, commonly seen in a burgundy long coat. Photos of him from CCTV are attached at the bottom of the document.
Known for embezzlement from small companies along the coast of Port Ravanis. We have eyewitnesses and footage of him boarding cargo ships to receive the money during imports of goods on the harbor. We also have reason to believe that the security detail during the operation are in on the deal which is why we chose this case.
Job: It's been leaked that at approximately 1 am, M will be on one of the cargo ships that are importing goods on the eastern harbor. Between the regular stock unloading, he should step out and receive a briefcase that's supposed to be filled with cash, which he'll then bring back on one of the ships. Do whatever you need to do to make sure he’s gone.
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No matter how many times he reads it over, the lack of solid information still leaves him in disbelief. They don't know the ship he's on. They don't know any other people of reference. They don't even know for a fact he's going to be there. It's times like this where Nayu sincerely regrets his path in life, even though he didn't have a choice.
The sudden opening of his apartment door elicits a slight scream. Being too hyper-focused on the task in front of him failed to properly trigger his reflexes. He quickly stands up and coughs, pretending as if nothing ever happened.
"Dude, for an assassin, you scream so fucking much, bro. How have you gotten this far without getting caught?"
Ignoring his roommate, Nayu walks over and snatches the bag of takeout from his hand.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Nix. I am perfectly capable of doing my job."
He deadpans at him, mouth agape in doubt as he watches him unload the boxes of food on the kitchen counter.
"Uh-huh. Whatever you say, mate."
Once they both have their portions of dinner, Nix joins him at the table and sits on the floor across from the couch. Aside from just sharing a place of residence, he’s also the designated cyber guy of their organization and has been his partner in crime for nearly a year. While Nayu likes to think of himself as fairly capable, his skillset in the cyber-related parts of the job comes nowhere close to Nix. So even though he can be a bit cheeky and unserious at times, he wouldn’t trade him for anyone else in the world.
They go over the meat of the job together, exchanging ideas and making sure the plan for the future is as smooth as can be. Usually, his jobs are in buildings or in places in desperate need of hacking. Because he has to be near the waterfront this time, there’s not much his partner can do.
"Y'know, I was thinking. Since there's going to be so much security around the eastern port, do you think you could keep an eye out on the security cameras to help me get an opening? You can be like, my birdseye view or something."
Nix hums thoughtfully, speaking through a mouthful of rice. "I mean, I guess? You know how I am. I'm much better at hacking into the cameras to get information rather than actually doing something with the info. Plus the town's police force is getting better at blocking and uncovering cyber attacks. It's getting to be pretty fucking annoying."
"Well, at least try. It's better than nothing."
He laughs and continues to eat. They talk a bit more about the target into the night up until it's finally time to get ready. When the plates are wiped clean and the drinks are emptied, that rare solemn atmosphere surrounds the normally cheery duo. It’s time to prepare to head out.
Disregarding the mess of papers on the table, he cleans up the food and heads to his room to change. He dresses in his usual lightweight black tactical gear that allows for swift and steady movements. Because it’s the middle of January, he slips his black robe atop the rest of his attire and uses the hood as a way to cover his hair.
Once his garments are fully on, he unlocks the large bulletproof safe where all the weapons are stored. Tonight, he settles for his typical knife, taser, and pistol with the silencer. He slips them into their proper pockets after double-checking that they're all in working order. From the drawer right next to it, he slips a folded pair of binocular glasses into another pocket as well as a few lockpicking tools, plus a bagged cloth laced with anesthesia. He typically doesn’t use most of them if he does his job properly, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Finally, he wraps his signature purple bandanna around his face, covering the majority of his features. He isn't sure why his organization wants their specific assassins to hone identity markers, but he's learned not to question their methods. They're the ones giving him a job and housing after all. Maybe it’s some sick and twisted MO they want him to have. Maybe it’s a fashion choice. Who knows?
"All set?" Nix asks, popping his head into the room for a bit. He already has his earpiece in, the other half in his hand for him to receive.
"Yeah. Same as usual?"
He nods and Nayu takes the device from his hand and slides it into his left ear. Just to make sure it's working, Nix leaves the room and speaks into it from across the apartment.
"All good?"
"All good."
He secures his work phone last before heading out of the room. Nix has already sat down at the desk in the corner wall of the dining room that they decided to transform into his office. Multiple monitors, computers, and other devices he's completely unfamiliar with stand tall on the large U-shaped desk.
"Good luck out there, bro. Come back safe, you hear me?"
In a rare moment of seriousness, he nods. "Of course I will. Good luck with whatever hacking thing you do as well."
Nix laughs and waves him goodbye. There's always that lingering fear that comes with his job—the danger bell that rings over both of their heads. It eats at their deepest fears, feeding them the "what-ifs" that no one ever wants to hear. What if the job goes wrong? What if he gets injured?
What if he never comes back?
But that’s all normal human anxiety that he always forces down where he can’t feel it.
As Nayu leaves the apartment, he lets his senses push away any unwanted thoughts so that he can focus on the mission at hand. From his spot near the central portion of the city, he sticks to the alleyways and dark roads as he walks further southeast to where the eastern harbor resides. Even with the report of the main coastal road closing, pedestrians still linger about the streets, hiding in corners and doing lord knows what under the quiet of the night.
Alongside the common folk, he also spots an increase in police foot patrol. The closer he gets to the sea, the more prominent the presence of security becomes. Regular officers stand guard at almost every corner. Even if his handy sidekick is able to disable all the security cameras in the area, there's no telling how difficult it will be to escape the human eye undetected.
"Fuck..."
"Is everything alright?" Nix's voice rings through the earpiece. About a block away from the docs, Nayu stands in front of a closed diner, using the tall flowery shrub as cover for the patrol officer nearby. With his back against the locked door, he takes a few breaths to regain his bearing. Upon observing their movements, it seems there's a particular pattern to their routes. If he's careful enough, he should be able to find a loophole to slip by. The problem lies in figuring it out and going through with it before the target disappears.
"Bruh, there's too many of them. I think I'm gonna need to wait until they actually start unloading the cargo."
There's a bit of shuffling on the other end of the line. Slight static intertwines with the noise, creating a bit of a distraction in his ear. The closer he is to the water, the less stable the connection is. He can only hope that no issues arise that are out of his control when Nix isn’t there to send backup.
"Uh...okay? I dunno what to tell you besides okay. I'm peepin' at' em through these CCTV and it looks like they have a steady routine in the way they're patrolling the area. There's not much else I can do at the moment besides cheer you on. Best of luck mate."
"Nix you fucking—"
Silence replaces the chatter in his left ear. He stands there, dumbfounded, at the utter lack of urgency from the man who's supposed to be his partner in crime. Sure, he's much better at conducting the cyber portions of the job than interpreting the results, but the least he can do is pretend to care about the situation.
Regardless, Nix did have a point. Better to not waste time running around in circles trying to find a loophole that doesn't exist. He'll likely have much better luck thinking of another route.
As the night grows longer and the moon rises taller, Nayu starts to pick up on distant chatter. After a few hours of lingering a good distance away, analyzing the scene for any openings, the cargo ships finally started to unload onto the eastern docks. Workers gather in clumps to transport the goods from the ships to the trucks as officers continue their patrolling.
Quiet as a mouse, he scales up the roof of a building all the way near the edge toward the water and whips out his thin binocular glasses. He scans the surrounding area for anything out of the ordinary or any sign of the target. It’s hard to make out the details of the faces, and his field of vision is quite low. Still, he uses it as a boost to see if he can spot any briefcases or other things that stand out.
"By the way, I've been looking through the cameras the whole time, and I haven't seen the target. However, I noticed a bit of strange movement on one of the ships compared to all the other ones. When you walk toward the wharf from your position, it'll be the third dock to your right. It could be nothing, but I don't have any other information."
“What exactly did you see?”
“I saw a guy walk onto it and not come out yet. The workers haven’t unloaded the ships closest to you yet, so if you wanna make a move, I’d do it soon.”
Nayu pauses for a moment to examine the ship Nix mentioned. He watches the patrolling officers go about their typical walking pattern—nothing out of the ordinary on the actual road itself. It seems like the bulk of the security detail shifts heavier in the direction of where the shipments are being unloaded, which puts more people further up north. Even with fewer patrols around the south side of the eastern port, there’s still enough to make his job hard.
A few minutes pass with nothing out of the ordinary. No one enters or exits the ship. He turns his focus on the small container boat itself, trying to scan around the square pallets of boxes. With no quarter mast, the majority of the main deck lies out in the open. No people or signs of activity so far. He tries his best to hold back a frustrated groan.
But then out of the corner of his binocular lens, he notices a flash of a burgundy coat hidden behind a cargo pallet.
Bingo.
"Alright, I'm gonna go in. I just saw a flash of the target’s clothing on the deck. It's time for Plan B."
"Sounds good. Stay safe, ya hear me? I'll keep watching just in case. Better be quick with it while patrols are lower than normal."
The line cuts off shortly after. Nayu takes a deep breath, letting the cold winter air that enters his lungs ground him to a state of focus and control. He scales back down the building and hovers low to the ground, letting his work mode take over completely once and for all.
With swift and silent steps, he stays out of sight, slowly inching further toward the wharf. Eventually, he sees the yellow caution tape and traffic cones that block off the pedestrian road that extends all the way down the east side. Outside of the zoned-off location, only a few officers stand guard, walking aimlessly around the entrance.
I can do this.
He disappears behind the buildings and circles around to try and find an isolated officer. There, walking back and forth in a straight line in front of a bench is a man around his height and build, lingering all by himself.
Nayu takes a few moments to watch the patterns of both the target and the other officers nearby. Sometimes, one of them near the entrance will walk over in his direction before turning around. He has to time it perfectly so that he can catch the man from behind his back while also staying out of sight. When he sees him turn around, he waits patiently crouched behind a bush, until the patroller further back looks away.
The moment he sees the back of his head, he jumps the unsuspecting officer and wraps a strong arm around his neck. He pulls, using all of his strength to not let go of the flailing body. Once he drags him out of sight, he smothers him in an anesthetic until his limbs settle down and he completely goes still.
It’s hard to strip clothes off of a deadweight human, but he rips the outer parts of the uniform off to put over his own tactical inner layer. With his now discarded robe, he uses it to wrap up the body and zip-tie him to a fire hydrant near the bushes. Due to the darkness of the cloth, it should be enough to cover the body up until he finally regains consciousness during the day.
Once dressed in the uniform of one of the patrolling officers, he nonchalantly walks past the caution tape with the confidence of someone who's supposed to be there. From his year of working at the port, he's grown to understand that conviction in your facade is what makes it believable, no matter how bullshit it actually is. This is why no one questions it when he changes route and starts walking toward the third cargo boat.
The same guy he’d been watching near the entrance finally turns around and takes notice of the lack of presence near where he’d jumped the officer. He stands still for a moment, scratches his chin, and continues on as if nothing is amiss. Nayu lets out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. Talk about a close call.
Sometimes, in cases of severe security, the less obvious the better. That's why he isn't surprised that his target isn't flocked by hoards of officers, for that would only make it more suspicious. Plus, there's been no indication of this hit whatsoever—at least none that he knows of—which is also likely why the other patrolling officer didn’t go on high alert at the change in pattern.
When he walks down the actual dock itself, he double-checks to make sure no one sees it when he hops onto the boat. Because it's a small cargo ship, the majority of the deck leaves him with no real areas of security or privacy. The only hiding given comes in the form of square pallets stacked in neat cubes of tiny cargo containers.
Across the sea, workers unload the boats further up ahead, likely moving from top to bottom to make it more efficient. If he's going to act, he has to do it soon before they all start heading in his direction.
With his body low to the ground and guard completely up, he slowly makes his way across the ship. Besides the chatter in the distance and calming sea waves, no other sounds are heard on the rocking ship. The silence stirs an unsettling feeling in his gut. If he doesn’t have cover, then neither does the target. If he’s hiding, he’s doing a damn good job of it.
He continues tiptoeing across the main deck, careful of his corners and back. It's tricky being exposed, but there's not much else to do in his situation. About halfway across the ship with still no sight of anyone, Nix's marbled voice finally comes through once more.
"Psst! Nayu! Be careful! I think they somehow already managed to secure the deal because I spotted someone walking with a briefcase toward one of the cargo containers at the container port nearby. Either our information was wrong or something else is going on, because I didn’t see the burgundy coat man anywhere. Whatever it is you’re pursuing, watch out, alright?”
Shit.
Unable to speak, he can only hang up to let him know he heard him. Even if the deal went through, he still has a target he has to eliminate. Not wanting to waste any more time in this already downward-spiraling job, he picks up his pace in scanning his surroundings. He definitely saw that coat. That man is on this ship somewhere.
He continues, quiet as a mouse, skirting around the pallets of storage. No talking. No whispering. Not even the sound of human breaths. When he sees a set of stairs toward the back disappear underneath the floor at his feet, that typical unease forms butterflies in his stomach. If he’s not above water, he’s probably down where the darkness can shield him.
Dressed in the officer's stolen uniform, he grabs the pistol from where he stashed it in the holster and slowly inches toward the steps. Without any light, he can only gaze down into a pit of black, where the area ahead is nothing but an unknown void. Even though the sailor of the ship had already docked the boat and was helping the others unload up ahead, the orlop deck should still be illuminated.
Nayu swears under his breath. If there's one thing he hates more than plans going sideways, it's walking into danger without any knowledge of what's in front of him. But he has to. So with a racing heart, he slowly descends the steps, careful not to cause any creaks.
One foot in front of the other, he gradually walks under the main deck and down into the area right below the water line, where cables and cobwebs surround the walls of the ship. Still without light, he can only hold his breath once he finally steps off the last step and into the void where one wrong turn can mean death. Strong knees guide him forward, inch by inch, until all he can see is black.
He takes the piece out of his ear to hear better. Amidst the slight rocking of the boat and gentle waves against the side of the ship, he's barely able to pick up on the heavy breathing all the way toward the end. Someone is in the boat with him. And he can’t even see it.
Nayu freezes. He doesn’t move for the longest time. With a pounding heart and dry throat, he waits to see if anything in the environment changes. There’s no talking, or moving, or any other indication of a presence nearby. So he slowly inches forward, careful not to make his existence known. If there’s one crucial skill he’s learned in his entire career, it’s his ability to silently move. Not wanting to rush ahead into the unknown, he takes his time in getting to the source of the other existence under the main deck.
The lights flick on and he tightens his grip around his gun in response. He rapidly blinks away the strain from the sudden blinding whiteness. Before he can move, a shot rings out, and a forceful pain knocks the gun straight out of his hands. And he can’t even move to pick it up, because when his vision finally readjusts, he sees the one sight that no assassin ever wants to see.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me."
There, directly in front of Nayu, sits the target already unconscious with his hands cuffed in front of his lap. A golden necklace with the letter M dangling from the center hangs across his neck. The face, the clothes, the descriptive qualities—all in line with the information about the target.
It's him all right.
What unsettles him more is the man who stands tall right beside the slumped-over figure. Donned in a black long-coat and dark blue dress shirt with the top few buttons undone, he smiles in victory, expression twisted in too much ego for him to bear. His blue eyes narrow at him intensely as he points his own gun directly at Nayu.
And he can only stare back in horror when he recognizes who this so-called "stranger" is.
It's that damn detective again.
"Oh? And who do we have here?" He speaks, still completely nameless in his mind. All he’s able to recognize is that all-too-familiar face and deep voice, for he's encountered him far too many times in his line of work. From near arrests to seeing him poke his nose where he shouldn't be, he's seen him around enough to at least know what type of job he has.
That’s why he isn’t able to play it off as being an officer. Judging by the way he shot the gun out of his hands, it seems he already knows who he is somehow anyway.
Fuck.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were a stalker," Nayu complains, subconsciously grabbing at his wrists where pain still aches inside his bones. Despite the bullet not once grazing his skin, the impact was enough to at least strain it.
“Oh, I wish. It’s not all the time I get to see those pretty eyes of yours.”
“Shut up, bitch. I don’t know what games you think you’re playing, but I won’t have any of it.”
He laughs again, and the inside of Nayu’s chest starts to itch in agitation. On every job, this man seems to have some sort of involvement, and it's been starting to piss him off. Not to mention the higher-ups in his organization have been hounding him for answers—they don't want their precious little assassin to be locked behind bars after all. Even with Nix looking into it, they haven't been able to put a name to the face yet. The two of them didn’t worry too much initially, for he never caused any real trouble besides being the one to investigate his murders without many results.
At least until now, as he stares right at the barrel of a gun.
The detective laughs, and the low chuckle does something to Nayu's brain that he tries to quickly forget. Unable to do anything else, he slowly puts his hands up, waiting for the perfect time to strike back.
"Okay fine. You caught me. Whatever will I do."
Even the sass doesn't seem to phase him. Instead, he just continues to stand there with his arm outstretched, not once showcasing even an inch of fear.
"Very funny. Y'know, I think this is the first time we've been so close. If I knew you had such a handsome face and witty humor, I would’ve tried harder to catch you earlier."
He ignores the man's attempt at small talk, choosing to stay silent instead. He doesn't have much time left and needs to figure out a way to work around the detective's games. If he wanted to kill him, he'd have done so already. It looks like his own target is just knocked out, not dead. So what exactly is his play here?
He ponders, just for a moment, what would happen if he were to make a move. Would the detective pull the trigger? And didn't Nix say the deal already went through? If that's the case, how did his target end up unconscious in one of the ships? Too many questions to answer in too little time. He needs to act now.
Nayu's trained instincts pick up on the sensation of a presence behind him. With the reflexes of a professional, he ducks as a weapon swings in an arc right where his head used to be. He then rolls sideways as the metal rod comes crashing down onto the floor right where he'd just been.
"Fuck!”
He doesn't recognize the voice that penetrates his ears. Between the mysterious attacker and detective still lingering nearby, he can only fight the danger that's straight ahead. He pulls out his knife and dashes forward to try and catch him off guard. His initial swing gets evaded, causing a switchblade to slash right at his inner elbow. When his extended arm instinctively droops in pain, he jumps back to try and regain his bearing. With his free hand, Nayu attempts to block the upcoming strike, but whoever he's fighting seems to have just as much experience, if not more. After a feint to the side and a strike where his guard is left open, the other metal weapon slams right into the side of his head.
Pain erupts from both his temples as he crashes down onto the dock's floor. Ringing in his ears muffles the sounds of whatever's happening above the surface of the water he's drowning in. With blinking eyes, he struggles to see through dizzy and blurry movements. Besides the vibrations from the guttural groan that escapes his chest, no other senses are clear to him.
He thinks he hears a low shout, something about not killing him. He hears another shout back in a different tone, something about duty. It all slowly fades into an indecipherable puzzle where each of the pieces are unclear and out of reach. His heart slows. The pain burns. And all semblance of reality disappears.
A gunshot is the last thing he hears before unconsciousness finally swallows him whole.