Léon: The Cat Killer

With that, Medic took out a gold coin and handed it to Sussuro.

Everyone rushed over to take a look. The gold coin had no denomination. One side was engraved with a balance scale with an eye on top, while the other side featured a relief of the Victorian royal red dragon confronting Aslan. The ICA's origins are said to date back to the Victorian era. As for why it is now controlled by the Colombian Department of Homeland Security, Medic didn't care.

As the elevator descended to the ground floor, the doors opened to reveal a plaza illuminated by chandeliers. A motley crew of mercenaries, all armed, moved about, creating the impression that they had stumbled upon Dulin's underground city… While everyone gasped in astonishment, Medic remained unfazed, simply gesturing towards a counter bearing a Victorian logistics sign:

“That’s a voucher, one gold coin to fulfill one requirement… Go to the equipment counter over there and say you want three sets of wilderness equipment… They might give you things you won’t need, so choose what to bring… Huang, you oversee things and make sure they don’t bring too much dead weight, we might be going to many more places.”

Seeing the big cat nervously wagging its tail and nodding, Medic glanced at Sussuruo, who seemed either nervous or excited, before leaving:

"Don't worry, physical violence is prohibited in mainland hotels... If anyone tries to chat with you or hand out cards, just have Huang brush them off... Huang, you also need to be careful, say no and say no if someone is persistent... Listen carefully, absolutely no physical violence."

"...Will I die if I fight?"

"Yes, here, whoever strikes first dies... So just bear with it. There will always be a chance to settle scores once you leave this place... Anyway, remember this, we'll deal with it slowly later... I'm going to make a call now. After you've finished shopping, you can rest at the shops around the square... Susuluo was quite disappointed that you couldn't go to those restaurants featured in travel magazines, right? The food here should taste just as good as those trendy restaurants... Anyway, everyone, keep your energy up, and remember to contact me by phone if anything happens. I'll be right back."

After giving these instructions, Medic finally settled them in a safe location near him. Then he showed his movement code to the staff of the mainland hotel. Afterwards, the hotel staff led Medic to a meeting room with a red button but no other features.

With practiced ease, Medic pressed the button, pulled up a chair, and casually rummaged through the small refrigerator in the corner of the conference room, pulling out a can of cola and gulping it down to soothe his murderous intent with sugar. As the windows and lights around the conference room dimmed, the projector silently turned on, and two figures appeared in front of Medic.

"Manager... Is Kal'tsit here too...?"

[Aha~ It really was Seventy-Seven who entered the meeting room alone. I won. Don't forget the bet, Kal'tsit.]

Seeing the potted plant-colored Film looking at him with confusion, Medic took off his backpack and tugged at his heavy medical uniform:

"The others are right outside. Aside from the natural disaster itself, this is the safest place in the city as long as you follow the rules... Should we let them in too?"

[...There's no need for that...Medic, what's your understanding of the current situation?]

"Rhodes Island set sail for emergency evacuation, and a large number of operation team members temporarily took refuge in the fourth block of Tikkarendo. Kal'tsit herself and the E3 operation team are in the core city of Tikkarendo due to business negotiations... It can be said that, apart from my team, everyone on Rhodes Island is under the threat of natural disaster."

[...That's correct. Let me add some details...The various districts of Tikkarondo are gradually decoupling from the core city, but because the equipment in the fourth district is too old and its reaction speed can't keep up, in order to ensure that the core city itself has enough time to leave the disaster zone, the Tikkarondo city government probably won't wait for the fourth district...]

"A forced decoupling... then what about the energy and water/gas pipelines that were originally connected to the core city..."

Yes, the internal loop of the fourth block will be thrown into chaos, and subsequent adjustments will definitely take additional time... It's safe to say that our personnel being forced to remain in the disaster zone is essentially an irreversible event.

His hands clenched into fists nervously under the table, but Medic maintained a blank expression—the working expression of Number Seventy-Seven.

"Agent, what did the government say?"

[The nation's rescue ships and the security agency's support vessels have already departed... From our perspective, aside from the fact that the Tecalondo city government failed to update the operating system for Block 4, its actions themselves were also part of emergency avoidance... Legally speaking, their abandonment of Block 4 was merely for self-preservation... The federal government cannot be held accountable.]

"...I didn't say I blamed them...but the kitten is undoubtedly in danger right now...Do you know about Black Steel's reply?"

Ah... that's the main reason I used the Crisis Contract personnel to contact you... Kal'tsit, you tell me?

Nodding, several photos of the emerald-green lynx were displayed on the projector:

[This is the Biohazard Defense Task Force under Blacksteel International, also known as 'BPRS'... In order to persuade Blacksteel International to deploy landships to help Rhodes Island and Ticalendo, I am negotiating with the head of BPRS about cooperating in hiring this task force... Originally, the deal was already agreed upon in exchange for the treatment of infected individuals...]

"...The person in charge of the land-based ships said that the Black Steel land-based ships do not have high-level Originium dust protection measures...Is this true or just an excuse?"

[Judging from the response from the BPRS representative, this is definitely a lie... It's no joke that PMC land-based ships, which frequently enter and exit war zones, lack corresponding countermeasures...]

"So... that person in charge simply doesn't want to be involved in the natural disaster area."

[Isn't this a very realistic thought? While protecting one's own crew is understandable from a third-party perspective, from our perspective as involved parties... the land-based ship closest to the crisis contract is unwilling to fulfill its responsibilities under the crisis contract... to put it bluntly, it's abandoning the lives of millions of people; to put it selfishly...]

"We at Rhodes Island desperately need Blacksteel International to keep its promises."

Seeing Kal'tsit nod, and compared to the half-smile on the manager's face, the lynx looked as docile as if a gun was pointed at its head... Her meaning was very clear, the problem was...

"So, it seems this whole thing is still a Rhodes Island matter... Why are you here, Manager?"

【Oh dear... having an adopted daughter really changes things, her temper seems to have gotten a lot bigger... Well, I'm here, of course, because I have work for you.】

"ICA?"

[No...it's from the Security Bureau...You need to understand, Colombia is a newly emerging country...Gallic countries, which once supported us, have been extinct for ten years. Although Vitoria is embroiled in internal strife, Colombia itself is still weak and needs a lot of foreign manpower support...]

[It's like we're paving the way for infected foreigners to enter our country... Now, Blacksteel International has grown large thanks to Colombia's business environment, but its landship captain doesn't want to fulfill the crisis contract itself... As Kal'tsit said, from a third-party perspective, this is certainly a correct, unquestionable decision to protect its own employees... But, from our perspective, what about it?]

"...The Colombian company rejected the crisis contract..."

Yes, that's how frustrating things are... If the other party really had some mistake or character flaw, and the public sector pointed it out at this point, launching a public opinion campaign to replace the captain, that would be one thing... But the old captain of the Victoria is impeccably clean-cut, with a distinguished military record. Whether in his personal life or in commanding the ship, there's absolutely nothing wrong with him. Because of the Victoria fleet, he's highly respected among the Blacksteel management and crew... He even righteously rebuked state government officials. It's truly a pity.

[Number 77... From the perspective of a normal citizen, he was a respectable superior, a captain worthy of Columbia's preferential treatment.]

After thoroughly analyzing the natural disaster known as 'Black Edge,' he personally took responsibility for violating the crisis contract... and at the same time, he saved thousands of Black Steel employees from the disaster...

But that's not what we want... We don't need his reputation, responsibility, or anything like that right now... We just need the Blacksteel landship to appear on the route to Ticalendo for refuge.

But he completely rejected everything we had prepared for him... money, glory, flowers, applause... He didn't want any of that; all he wanted was his ship and the crew he treated like his own children...

[Originally, I said we could just kill him, but Kal'tsit said it would be a real shame for such an experienced person to die in a dishonorable assassination... so this mission fell to my ace... my dear Number Seventy-Seven... Medic.]

As a third party, I have no right to make others bear the risks... Therefore, we need an invisible hand to change his mind... Whether it's coercion, persuasion, or simply eliminating him... anything goes. All the Security Bureau wants is for the Black Steel landship to appear where it should be...

[You will receive assistance from the Columbia Department of Homeland Security, the ICA, Rhode Island, and Blacksteel International's BPRS division for this mission.]

We won't disturb your preparations any longer... Number 77.

P.S.: Waaaaaah, kitty...

This is a man I don't have...

PS2: Memory explosion... My computer crashed three times. I don't even know what my expression looked like when I placed the order for a new memory stick...

I know, I know, four thousand words aren't enough, right... I'll just keep writing.

The Mystery of Medic 2: Episode 041 - Begin the Operation

Sometimes, you may not know if what you're doing is right... but, Medic... we must at least be sure that every decision we make is the right thing to do and best suited to the current situation... don't wait until the future to regret it.

After a moment's hesitation, Medic nodded in response to Kal'tsit, then picked up his backpack again and got up to leave.

Perhaps for a killer who nearly lost her mind, right or wrong was no longer the main reason driving her actions... but... just?

Medic could only say that she would do her best to get things back on track through legitimate means.

"Ah... Medic is back."

Medic found Susuluo and the others, who didn't seem to have rested much, at a dessert shop just across the street from the Remote Yilin (II) Conference Room. After asking everyone if they really didn't need to rest, Medic took the ICA briefcase from the front desk and went to the parking lot with everyone.

Watching everyone quickly get into the car, Medic stood outside the car and handed the suitcase given to him by the hotel to Susuluo, instructing them to head to the Black Steel International landship as soon as possible.

"To the Blacksteel landship?"

"Yes, your next task is to meet with the Blacksteel bio-defense specialists as Rhodes Island employees... and try to meet with the captain who insists on waiting for the disaster intensity to decrease before entering the area, persuading him not to miss this golden moment for disaster relief... This is the current situation of Tikkarundo Block 4 sent by Kal'tsit. It needs the assistance of the Crisis Contract staff and the Blacksteel shipping department... Only with the help of professionals and heavy equipment can that mobile city regain its mobility as quickly as possible... In this way, our employees and citizens in that block can be saved... Of course, if we fail, it's okay, we can just go to Tikkarundo with Blacksteel to meet with Amiya."

Seeing that Medic wasn't planning to get in the car, Sussuro vaguely sensed that the agent was probably going to act on her own... Although the little fox opened her mouth to ask her to consider her current injured state, she thought that not only Amiya was in Ticarondo, but even that little cat was there... So it seemed that even without Kal'tsit's orders, Medic would still resolutely take action.

Thinking of this, Susuluo retracted her words of advice and instead reached out to take the briefcase Medic handed her:

"...Hmm, I understand...but, the other side is a moving landship, how are we going to find it?"

"That box contains an intercity network pager... Although there are no professional mechanics operators here, its active calling range is much smaller... But as an important device for using Cataclysm communications to make long-distance contact with surrounding mobile cities and access the Crisis Contract network... it can still passively point out the location of landships with navigation pagers activated and their pre-set routes..."

While explaining, they taught Sussulu how to turn on the device. Medic couldn't teach Sussulu all the functions of the device in such a short time, but as long as she understood how to access the results network search and network map, it would be enough for their current task.

Seeing that Susuluo was not very familiar with operating the equipment, Medic gently brushed aside his bangs to cover up the overly conspicuous medical goggles as much as possible.

"I have other missions to carry out next, but I'll probably reunite with you all soon... Meryl, Stewart, Andrej... Although the three of you haven't had time to sign your employment agreements yet, please help us get through this difficult time together..."

At this point, Medic paused for a moment, suddenly realizing that Rhode Island might really be toxic.

When Medic first joined the company, Touchmark used unsettling phrases like "I hope the company can become your home" when speaking to him. But when it came to introducing Rhodes Island to new employees, he was met with phrases like "Helping us is helping yourself, and you don't want to work on ruins"... which left Medic speechless.

Seeing Medic's sudden stunned expression, Melie tilted her head in confusion:

"team leader?"

"...Hmm...Of course, this counts as fieldwork. You can ask your senior for more specific details about the team's benefits and treatment...Huang...I'm entrusting everyone's safety along the way to you...Also, being anxious won't help at all. You need to rest afterward. Once we arrive in Ticalendo with Blacksteel's landship, there will be plenty of opportunities to help you..."

Seeing that Medic's lecture wasn't enough, and that this little cat, whose height barely reached his chest, even rubbed his ears, Huang helplessly endured for a moment, watching Medic's retreating figure as he turned to leave, and said:

"You too... Although I don't know what you're going to do, you must be careful. You're no longer just someone who lives off a kitten... You still have us!"

It seems that even Huang himself felt that this statement was quite ambiguous. Watching the vehicles of everyone being driven by Huang as if fleeing towards the customs port, - Junyang Qilingba five (four) Liuba Qiqi Medic revealed a slightly lonely smile.

"...I still have you all...right..."

Without arguing about the pronunciation of "huang," Medic returned to the Mainland Hotel... He took the elevator to the room his agent had booked. Upon opening the door to room number 7777, the first thing he saw was a suit neatly ironed and hanging on a hanger.

This is Nana's work uniform: a black suit jacket, a matching pleated skirt, and a white cotton shirt with white enamel buttons... The tie is a bright red satin fabric imported from Yan Country, and it comes with an ICA tie clip for internal identification... Finally, there's an ear-loop combat mission recorder that ICA employees generally don't follow, but Nana does...

If the mission is simply to kill someone, then the assassin will wear this outfit...

But this time was different. Considering that they would have to reunite with Rhodes Island later, and that the purpose of this mission was ultimately to 'persuade' rather than kill someone... Number Seventy-Seven shifted his gaze to the bed in the room.

There are also alternatives, such as equipment from the Colombian Department of Homeland Security. After all, persuasion... is better done by involving Colombia.

Otherwise, how could a killer whose job is to transport death threaten the captain who has overcome countless deaths, dedicated his life to the land-based ship, and cherished his crew like a child?

Pointing the watch at the briefcase adorned with the phoenix shield emblem, the briefcase's internal lock clicked open, accompanied by the indifferent announcement from the watch's mechanical female voice. (Skirt)

[Security Bureau agent equipment detected, access level six, confirm activation.]

[Agent 77, Nana Avy, is online.]

A golden halo appeared on the outer ring of the watch. Unlike the 'ICA uniform' primarily designed for urban concealment, the special agent gear was more geared towards wilderness operations and combat… Also predominantly black, the special agent gear utilized a large amount of macromolecular synthetic materials resistant to Originium radiation and dust…

The seemingly thin, sleeveless jumpsuit can withstand cuts and punctures from sharp objects, and its stiff cloak and inner hood allow for movement even in natural disaster environments up to level 2 Originium Rain.

Seemingly taking into account the assassin's combat habits, the manager didn't add overly restrictive armor or protective modules to the equipment. However, the equipment itself was designed to work with the stealth system... that is, the warlock bodysuit. With the combat suit having built-in stealth fabric, Nana could attach a thicker layer of liquid fabric to her arms and legs.

Therefore, even without the protection of gloves and boots, Nana can have a basic level of defense.

But... after changing into her combat uniform, Nana felt that her manager's taste seemed to be getting more and more... perverted.

Leaving aside the fact that this combat suit covers an area comparable to a swimsuit... the only other components of the suit, aside from the sneakers, the shoulder casting units with built-in scanners and access to most public facilities, are a slightly stiff cape that just reaches ten centimeters from the bottom of the bodysuit...

That's all?

Where's the skirt? (氿)

Where's the coat? V

The headgear isn't even compatible with the visibility requirements for infiltration work... and they didn't even provide gloves?!

"...Yes, because the shawl covers it, the liquid fabric on the hands isn't visible most of the time, so gloves aren't necessary..."

That's just weird strength!

Frustrated, she removed the pleated skirt from the suit jacket, used the combat uniform belt as a waist belt to cover the outside of the pleated skirt, and then paired it with an ICA standard pistol and a quick-draw holster to prevent the skirt from revealing too much during large movements.

Because of the thick liquid fabric protecting her arms, which made her look like she was wearing a black bodysuit, Nana made do. But the gloves were more than just protective gear... considering that she might have to fight with woven ropes and wires, Nana took the leather gloves from her suit for protection.

Finally, despite not really wanting to wear them, Nana ended up wearing the ICA headphones out of habit and because of the need to contact her manager.

Oh, it's connected... Let me see... Hmm...

[...As I said, even from a secret agent's perspective, your personal hobbies are far too perverse...]

Not only her manager, but even Kal'tsit's connection remained unbroken... Although Nana had no privacy whatsoever in front of Kal'tsit back in Rhodes Island, a physical exam and wearing strange clothes are different, completely different!

"...Manager, are you betting me against Kal'tsit again?"

[Is Enm... angry?]

"No."

Um...it does seem like you're angry...but it's not like I didn't prepare a dress for you...please forgive me, considering it's the last gift in the box.

The last thing in the box...

Hearing her agent's ingratiating tone, Nana turned to look at the bottom of the security bureau's briefcase, took out the partition that separated it from the clothes, and saw something that she could recognize at a glance, even though it had been disassembled into parts.

"Latran gun..."

[A semi-automatic rifle using Victoria-made .300 caliber suppressed ammunition... Considering your biggest difference from ordinary Sarkaz, and the fact that you have an extra 'judgment' opportunity compared to your peers, a semi-automatic rifle with a large magazine capacity is most suitable for you, isn't it...? Laterano Discipline Excavation codename 'Honey Badger,' it's yours now.]

"...Do I need to use something like this?"

[Considering that in the worst-case scenario you might need to purge the entire captain's faction on the land-based ship... you might as well bring them along...]

Seeing the cat killer glance at the mirror, as if meeting the gazes of the two people on the other side of the headset through the mirror, Nana picked up the weapon, folded it, and hung it in the weapon slot on her waist belt...

"...If you don't have a suit jacket, use this to weigh down the skirt..."

[Hmm, concealing the weapon under the cloak for secrecy...that's certainly suitable...Finally, since you're wearing this, you can use the Security Bureau's aircraft...The crew is already waiting for you on the customs tarmac.]

However, boarding the ship under your publicly identified Security Bureau identity basically means you're giving up on violent confrontation... You wouldn't be foolish enough to walk in dressed like that and then take down the captain, would you?

"...I will meet with that captain privately...don't worry."