The Test (AAT and Ronin)

Strangulation.

A breath of air was forced out of an unsuspecting man's lungs as strong arms wrapped around his body and neck the same way a constrictor would, as his screams were silenced and muffled before his eyes fluttered shut. And within a few more moments, his life was forced from him. The black nano-suited man then unwrapped his arms around the body, before he quickly stripped the man of clothes. Placing them on his own body, AAT-08317 then took the last article of clothing: the orange hat of the city worker before he pulled it over his head. The assassin double checked his surroundings, before finding himself satisifed that they were cleared. He then hoisted the body up, and put it in a large bin before he closed the lid. AAT-08317 then quietly picked up his suitcase, before he slowly exited the alleyway and headed onto the busy streets.

His target was none other than one character who went by the name of Ronin in the vigilante scene. According to the reports that AAT-08317 had recieved, this character was wanted on the charges of posing a threat to the Russian State, after personally having been involved in a series of assassinations on Russian officials or other persons on interest. The assassin has had many similar cases before, but not any quite as 'impressive' as the one he had before him now. AAT-08317 tilted his head to examine the markets that lined the street, as his reports suggested that his target would be on the street at this time. The assassin flicked his wrist to look down at his watch, having heard the mechanism trigger that allowed it to beep in terms of the time he was meant to be on track of: 12:24:25. He was on time, the question was whether or not his target would.

Here in Thailand, Diana did not stand out at all, as she shared many physical features similar to the natives and tourists.This made hiding in plain sight very easy- her only feature, an art tube common among art and engineering students. She passed by a gaggle of young school teenagers, looking like she belonged with them, but kept to herself. She entered the very busy, very crowded market districts, passing by street food hawkers and eyeing the exotic bbq's and grilled meats with hungry eyes.

Still, she didn't stop for a snack, and rather ducks into one of the local apartment buildings. It was one of the bigger structures in this area, An unsightly eight storey block of concrete, teeming with human life. Moreover, it was a building specifically on AAT's information- part of his client's gambit, to lure out the 'hero' with an irresistible lead into human trafficking.

Said Client had Ronin once be an enforcer-assassin in his employ, but to his dismay found the swordsman to have scruples, and caused a large loss of "merchandise".

AAT-08317 spotted the woman turn off from the market, and head into the apartment building. The building was noted to be the one that the assassin must keep his eyes on. AAT-08317 stepped forward from the alleyway, as he flexed his free hand as he approached the building. From all appearances, he looked like a normal city worker, a mechanic to be precise. Even if it wasn't his target, it would be easy to infiltrate or set up before or after the target arrived to the building.

AAT-08317 carefully stepped in the building to follow Ronin. But immediately once inside, his head turned toward a covered breaker on the left of the hallway. The assassin placed his suitcase on a table close to where he stood, and quickly got to 'work' in order to avoid suspicion.

Cheap, filthy, completely closed off from the outside. These were conditions all too common in apartments of the developing world, conditions perfect to hide the illicit trade of human trafficking. Except, Diana noticed one condition missing... the apartment was quiet.

A few well placed CCTV cameras tracked Ronin since she entered. Once she was deep in the apartment, all exits were closed off with heavy gates and chains. Throughout the building the sounds of magazines being loaded into firearms resounded, the subtle clicks being audible to those with highly sensitive hearing.

From several apartments, gangs who wanted in on the bounty on Ronin's head slowly began making their way to their ticket out of this hellhole. These gangs were nothing more than destitute and druggies, with little sense, armed with kitchen implements, bats, hammers, and the occasional handgun. The first wave. The fodder. Their ring leaders had radios, but that was the extent of their involvement.

"...Where'd she go?" Some of the leaders began asking the security room, when Diana was not where she was meant to be. Only a loose ceiling hatch would indicate that the Ronin was far more cunning than some mere sword swinger.

AAT himself wouldn't be spared scrutiny by the roving gangs. Things worked differently in places like these. No one among these low-lifes knew that a professional was also being sent in to hunt Ronin down.

Talking tough in their native tongue, the gangbangers foolishly threaten AAT. "Hey what are you doing here? You stupid, you wanna die fool?" A trio of young hoodlums who'd watched too many rap videos and dressed the part came up to the "repair man", thinking he would be cowed like any other.

AAT-08317 stood still, as he dropped his hand over the breaker and the power to the building went out. He turned his head toward the trio of gangbangers, looking at their knives and weapons they've fashioned. His cold eyes anaylsed them, seemingly unimpressed, nor was it afraid. The gang members would look confused, before one stepped closer.

"I'm going to cut you to pieces!" He said.

"No. You will not." AAT-08317 replied in their tongue, before he stepped forward.

The gangbanger tried to thrust forward his knife, as AAT-08317 stopped the blade as he seized the man by the wrist. The assassin thrust his free open palm into the sternum of the man as he keeled over, before AAT-08317 turned the knife and stabbed the gangbanger in the throat before he kicked him down to the ground.

The two others stood still, as the assassin stared at them. AAT-08317's hand wrapped around his briefcase, as he was ready to use the object itself as a weapon. Smashing it against the face of the second, the assassin the threw the briefcase into the throat of the third. It knocked them flat, with one having difficulty breathing, as AAT-08317 stepped over their bodies. Quickly, he followed the path that Ronin had taken.

While the quarry was elusive, her trail was not difficult to miss. A themed gang of all-machete wielding thugs in sweatpants ran into Diana mere minutes before they were found by AAT. All were crawling on the floor, bleeding and broken but would survive.

AAT would find Diana in one of the bare apartments, having taken a wrong turn. She was fending off a gang of tool wielding hooligans, who brought crowbars, bats and hammers. She had already downed three without drawing her sword, instead using it as a short staff, the sheathe working well as a bludgeoning implement. Diana ducked a clumsy swing and tripped the man in a single motion, then crushing the bridge of his nose with the hilt of her sword. "YAAAAHHHH!" He curled up, clutching his broken bleeding nose.

About four more thugs stood between AAT and his quarry, though if he didn't hurry there wouldn't be any left.

AAT-08317 continued to walk forward, stepping over the concussed bodies of Ronin's victims on the floor. He hit the hinge on his briefcase, as it openned to reveal his Cz-45 pistol with a silencer attached. With his free left hand, he reached in to his briefcase and removed the sidearm, firing for rapid shots at the four remaining attackers dropped to the floor, dead. The assassin then turned the Cz-45 to Ronin, keeping it dead centre on her before he lowered it.

He had a plan.

"What were they after you for?" AAT-08317 asked, "Upset the local thugs?"

Diana was on her way to knocking a jaw loose, when the four thugs were unceremoniously gunned down. Diana's guard remained up, as she stared down the gunman, weapon trained on her briefly, before he lowered the weapon.

But, AAT was still an unknown, and Diana had no allies here. She could not read the man's body language very well. She also kept her hand on her sword. The place was still crawling with fodder, their crude shouts and heavy footsteps were audible. She kept her words brief. "...I must've gotten lost?" She stumblingly replied.

AAT-08317's hearing tuned toward someone running down the hallway behind him. The assassin turned on a heel and snapped off a shot, hitting but not killing the knife-wielding thug. AAT-08317 turned back toward Ronin, his expression still not changing from that of a cold-blooded killer as he replied: "Let us move."

The assassin motioned in the direction behind Diana with his pistol, not in a threatening manner, but in a way to suggest they head that way.

Diana shook her head, not quite trusting this stranger from out of the blue. "A name would be nice first." She said, her hand twitching towards her sword, ready to draw it in an instant.

"Also, why did you follow me in here?" Her eyes went to places other than the hallway soon to be filled with goons, eyeing a nearby window or a hole in the ceiling.

AAT-08317 watched Ronin's hand twitch toward her blade, as he kept his cool. He stared on, his Cz-45 still in hand. He answered her first question: "I am 08317."

The assassin watched her eyes dart around for an exit, predetermining a response before he answered her second question: "Didn't choose to follow you. But I had a contract."

AAT-08317 played his clever game, knowing that all the information he gave wasn't a lie, but also didn't give away who he was and what he was doing precisely.

"Contract? what contract?" Diana was getting confused, and she did not like someone who made her confused. Not to mention the guy had a number for a name.

"Igno! Igno! Igno!" There was little reprieve in this apartment, as the goons stopped rushing in blindly and started chanting what Diana knew to be a name. She looked at the main doorway, the nearest but not the only way out, and from the filth stepped forth a man clad head-to-toe in some custom built body armor and heavy padding.

He carried a crude-looking, yet highly effective flame thrower. Standard bullets would not work on this one, and Diana was too far to slice him up. "DIIEEE!" He turned the weapon on the apartment living room, promising a fiery death to all who stayed still.

"PUTA!" Diana vacated the living room and quickly made her way to the kitchen, as the goons brought up their first mini-boss.

AAT-08317 watched as the armoured man stepped into the room. Judging from the armour of the goon, his sidearm wouldn't be effective. The assassi rolled out of the way of the living room as it combusted into flames. He looked across to Ronin, who inhabited the kitchen, as he drew his combat knife and tore off his diguise as it revealed his black nanoweave suit underneath.

Drawing a flashbang grenade, the assassin pulled the pin from the grenade as he rolled it over to the feet of the goon. The flashbang detonated in a blinding light, as the concussive blast knocked the man off his feet.

Igno was wearing full body armor to protect him from the heat of his weapon, including a thick welding mask to protect from the glare of his own flames. He staggered quite a bit still, his death-spewing armament knowing pause. Unfortunately, there was still the matter of the living room on fire.

Diana capitalized on AAT's distraction to fling her own shuriken at the pyromaniac, her armor's built in dispensers supplying her with the razor sharp projectiles. Igno's armor was not just for show though; the thick plates and padding proved effective, stopping even the Ronin's accurate throws, as the throwing stars harmlessly fall at his feet.

Diana could only curse in frustration. She looked around for a more expedient solution, and recognized a small gas range- she opens the cabinet and pulls out a small gas tank, a common element of kitchens in south east asia. "...Hey number name! Give him a taste of this!" She shouted, visibly struggling with the weighty tank.

AAT-08317 glanced toward Diana, who had removed a small gas tank and lifted it. She was struggling under its weight, communicating to the assassin that it was heavy. AAT-08317 motioned for her to throw it. As she did, the assassin angled his Cz-45 side arm as he shot it out of the air. The contents of the tank exploded, showering the area in a burst of flame as the blast hit Igno.

Shrapnel and burning contents showered the man as his suit started on fire. Obviously distracted by this, he stumbled around as AAT-08317 turned from cover and took aim with his Cz-45 again, aiming for a vulnerable section of the man's flamethrower before he fired off a shot to damage it.