Beastars: The Discover Check

Chapter 149: Knowing Where to Shoot

“Some friend you have,” someone said behind him. 

Legoshi turned and had his gun arm grabbed and incapacitated. The firearm dropped to the floor with a clatter. He looked at The Plague Doctor.

“Listen,” they said, easing up on his grip. “You have no stake in this. You have a wife at home. You have friends that you care about.”

Legoshi wrestled with his captor, causing them to tighten again.

“Just hear me out,” he said. “Let us go, let your friend do what he’s about to do, and save yourself the trouble of having to go to the hospital. Or god forbid save your wife the trip to the morgue.”

Legoshi breathed through the muzzle.

“We all have what’s coming to us,” The Doctor continued. “We’re leaving tonight anyway and won’t show up in your city for a while, if ever again. By which time, you and us will have forgotten each other. This is between Adler and Razor. We are simply pawns in their game.”

Legoshi eased up. 

“I like you,” The doctor said. “You have a code. A line of morals, as do I. And from one self-made-professional to another: Stop being a pawn.”

The Doctor let go and Legoshi stood there, massaging his wrist. He didn’t look, but saw through his peripheral the Plague Doctor pick up the gun and toss it into the ocean.

“I hope our roads never meet again,” The Doctor said. “And I say that holding you in the highest respects.”

He climbed up the rope and disappeared into the darkness, following his men.

Legoshi stood there and just played back the jackals' words in his head.

~~~~~

It had started raining when Adler chased the wild dog out to the street and caught him before he jumped on a motorcycle. He grabbed his shoulder, but Shoji dropped and swung his leg, tripping Adler to the ground. The terrorist then jumped on the vigilante and just started wailing on him with reckless abandon. Every punch landed on a pressure point, every hit caused him excruciating amounts of pain. Alder grit his teeth and pulled back a punch aiming for his assailant’s face, but his fist was caught. In a split second decision, he went to try again with his other hand and that was caught too. Shoji leaned down, leaning on the deer’s arms so that their noses were practically touching.

“Peace seems to have cost you your skill and strength,” he sneered. “Being dormant for so long seems to have defeated you.”

He reeled back and slammed his head down into Louis’ with enough force it broke the mask. Shoji’s head was bleeding, but he didn’t seem to care. Louis’ nose and sinuses rang from the impact and he let go to grab his nose. Shoji stepped off and let Adler to his feet. The reaper rubbed his nose before grabbing for his sword, but found it wasn’t there. It had fallen off in Shoji’s assault. And it was now behind him, behind the wild dog who was stepping towards him.

Adler formed fists and let a volley of punches out which Shoji calmly dodged, blocked, or just let hit home. They continued this, Shoji preventing him from getting his sword and Adler just…wearing himself out. So much so that Shoji was able to get in a few well placed gut punches that caused him to double over.

“You fight like a younger animal,” the wild dog noted, not even out of breath. “Nothing held back. Such a mistake.”

The canine thrusted a foot into the deer’s face sending him reeling in another daze from the head trauma. He opened his eyes and saw through the haze his mask had been completely shattered, his face now completely exposed. He felt a fist in his kidney and he lost his breath as he also had his wind knocked out of him from the force of the impact.

Shoji walked around and looked down on him, rain soaking his fur and running down and along his cruel smile.

“Welcome to the new world,” he sneered. “May the T. Rexx save you.”

Adler watched in dazed pain as the canine walked to his bike and put in a small wireless earbud, turning on music as the water soaked in. The way he behaved so nonchalantly; Adler just couldn’t let him go and staggered to his feet.

“Ah,” Shoji said, revving his engine. “I was wondering what would break first.”

Adler grabbed his sword and pointed it at the dog.

“Clearly it must be your physical body,” he said.

Adler heard a sound behind him and turned to see the dragon masked kangaroo flying at him from the building’s roof. A swift kick to his head and Louis felt a crack in his neck and fell to the ground in paralyzing pain. He gripped his neck. Not broken, thank god, but the force had twisted nerves and muscles beyond comfort. His neck was sprained and he dared not see if it would turn into a break.

“Ahh,” The Dragon said, pulling a sniper-rifle from his back. “Tri-weave, titanium coated armor plating. Nice. Unless you know exactly where to shoot.”

The kangaroo put the barrel into Louis' side and pulled the trigger. The bullet ripped through Louis as the impact made his flesh explode before collapsing in on itself again. A hand on his neck and a hand on his side, and he was now down for the count.

“Let’s go,” Shoji shouted.

The Dragon gave one last look at Louis before turning to jump on the bike like it was a skateboard, arm placed on Shoji’s shoulder for balance, before they both pulled off into the night.

Louis lay there. In pain, bleeding and in utter pure defeat. Shoji as Razor, was a completely different breed of villain. What was more likely was that Adler had lost his touch. That was the more likely cause. Either way, it didn’t matter. He was beaten and bleeding out on the road, the rain pelting down on his face to hide the tears of pain, defeat, and hopelessness.

He didn’t know how long he had been laying there when Legoshi stepped up, looking down on him. They just shared a look that wasn’t easy to describe, but it was easy to understand. Every decision they had ever made had led to this moment. The end of the road. The last outing.

“Hospital?” the wolf asked.

Louis couldn’t even answer.

~~~~~

Back at the safe house, The Doctor and The Dragon were packing up their tools. The mercenaries in their employ were doing so as well. They had to move fast. There was a boat waiting to speed all of them away to international waters before the police found them.

“This is it?” The Dragon asked. “Just up and gone?”

“Yes,” The Doctor answered. “That’s how it always is. One job to the next. We get paid. That is all.”

“But so many people died for seemingly no reason,” the kangaroo said, locking his case closed.

“For a reason,” Shoji said, walking forward with two briefcases. “My reason.”

He handed them the cases, and they each took one.

“Are you staying?” the jackal asked.

“My work is not yet done,” the wild dog sneered. “But your roles are. That is all you need to know. Farewell.”

The wild dog turned and left, the two looking after him.

“He’s a weird one,” The Doctor said.

“Everyone is,” The Dragon said. “Speaking of…why do you put up with me?”

“Because no one else will,” The Plague Doctor said, turning to walk to the boat.

The Dragon smiled under his mask, turning to follow.