ostensible (tangerine)

chapter one

CHAPTER ONE

The bullet train station in Tokyo was packed, and quite cold. Donna Ray, or River as she was called, pulled her jacket tighter around herself as she stood, waiting for the train. Her phone was in her hand, and she was awaiting further instructions from her boss, Daniel. Her hair was falling out of the bun she'd put it in, but she didn't pay any mind to it. Her mission was easy, she was to retrieve a stolen briefcase and return it to her agency. That's why she'd taken it in the first place. A one-and-done job. No issues.

"Daniel, I think the train is almost here," River said. To the naked eye, she was just an innocent woman, but she wasn't actually that. River had a gun in her belt, and other weapons concealed on her person. You can't go into a dangerous mission unprotected, she'd reasoned with Daniel.

"River, if you give me five fucking seconds, I could fill you in," Daniel said, irritated. "Okay, you know most of your instructions, but what you don't know is that there are a few other people here."

"I'd assume so, It's a fucking bullet train," River smiled, she could see the train rapidly approaching the station.

"No, I mean people," Daniel said, "People who also want the briefcase."

"Great," River rolled her eyes, "Do we know who?"

"Um," Daniel hesitated.

"Fucking tell me, before I go into this blind,"River demanded, warnings were being blared into the station due to the fast approaching vehicle.

"Well, the twins," Daniel said, and River sighed.

"Are you kidding me?" River asked as the train arrived. An announcement rang out, she had sixty seconds to board the train before it took off to the next station.

"Nope, not kidding," River could almost hear Daniel's smile through the phone. She'd gone up against the twins before. And almost lost. They both had their own sets of skills, and they worked well together. The doors of the train opened, and River approached them. She'd ridden one before, but it still scared her.  The fast moving vehicle, the unknown passengers, it all made her uneasy. Taking a deep breath, she walked in the door. To her left was the quiet car, whose door was decorated with sleeping faces. To her right was the "family car" which was covered in Momomon stickers, due to it being a widely popular anime.

"Okay, well bye Daniel," River said into her phone. Not waiting for a reply, she hung up her phone. She entered the family car, and then kept walking. River passed a few families, mothers with their children. The next car was a normal car, so River chose the first seat she found. The seats were blue and mildly uncomfortable. There were windows by every pair of seats. The train car seemed almost empty, but River still decided to scan the car for any enemies. She turned her head around, and noticed three people. None of them were facing her, but she instantly recognized two of them. Fuck. One had brown curly hair, and the other's hair was dyed white.
      The Twins. The people who were after her brief case. She was lucky they hadn't seen her. The other person in the train she didn't know. He wore a red hoodie, and was staring out the window. River turned her head, and faced the door. A fifteen second warning rang through the train, and a woman walked through the aisle offering snacks. River kindly shook her head. She needed to get the briefcase and then get off at the next stop. The only thing standing in her way were the Twins. Easy enough, just don't make your presence known to them, or they'll kill you. The train began to slowly take off, so River looked out the window. The sights of Tokyo, Japan quickly passed by, and she smiled. Her favorite part of the job was the places she got to go for free. River took a deep breath and tore her eyes away from the window. River unbuckled her seatbelt, and slowly stood. Daniel had told her the description of the case, silver with a blue train sticker on the handle. It was in one of the luggage areas, towards the back of the train. All River had to do was visit every place where the luggage was, and not die. So, she slowly began to walk towards the back of the train car. She heard one of the Twin's voices, and she recognized it as Tangerine. He was loudly complaining about something, but River couldn't tell what. River kept her head down, and looked at the blue carpet on the floor. The other twin, Lemon, replied to Tangerine in a calm voice. River was so close to the exit door, and she was also close to the Twins. She was wearing a relatively discreet outfit. A black jacket over a white tank-top, and a pair of jeans. Her red hair was pulled back into a low bun, and she had on a pair of tennis-shoes. She walked past the pair, and said nothing. She was so close to the door.

"And it's just like compulsive. I have to fuckin' take it if I see it!" Tangerine's voice boomed, his British accent strong.

"You should see someone about that," Lemon replies back, nonchalantly. The pair are silent for a moment, and River can tell something's wrong.

"Who the fuck are you?" Tangerine asks, and River knows that she's talking to him. "Fuckin' answer me." Tangerine stands, and River is stood still. She knows that he's scary when his loud like this. Lemon hasn't said anything. Tangerine takes one step into the aisle, and then towards River. "Who. Are. You?" River spun around. She met Tangerine's eyes. He looked different than the last time she'd seen him. For one, he'd shaved everything but that mustache off. And his hair was longer, but he was still the same. He was wearing a blue suit, he always liked to dress nice for missions. River's hand was on her hip, on her gun. "River."

"It's me," River smirked, confidently.

"See, I heard we'd have some company, but I didn't expect you," Tangerine said, looking her up and down.

"And why's that?" River asked, jutting her chin out.

"Just cause, y'know, we'd kicked your ass," Lemon smiled. It's silent for a beat. River can't tell if she wants to fight, or to run. So, she picks the latter.

"Mmm, yeah, so I'll just be going," River turned and left the train car. Tangerine was probably following her, but she was distracted by a fight that was going on in the next train car. A man with slightly long hair was currently trying to stab another man, who was wearing a white and black suit. The door behind her opened.

"Don't move," She heard Tangerine say, so without thinking, she walked into the next car.