The Emperor is Dead, Long Live the Emperor!

*Ding!*

"That's us Chica, time to shine." Jacky says as the elevator door opens and they stride into Yorinobu Arasaka's apartment.

"Let's just get this done quick, I ain't waitin' around to see which slut the Arasaka heir decides to bring back." V states as she looks around, trying to find a sign of the 'relic' they'd come for. Braindance or not, the switch obviously wasn't placed out in the open.

"Hey, if you really wanna stick it to 'em, wanna roll in his sheets?"

"You want me to tell Misty you said that? Or was it an offer for a threeway?" V jokes.

[Guys, concentrate and find the safe for god sake!] T-Bug exclaims, interrupting their byplay. "Shit, Yorinobu's gone dark, you guys hurry up before anything else goes wrong."

Jackie shrugs, "You heard her Chica,"

"You go ahead, I'ma see if this guy has any dirt." she says, walking over and swiping a grey and purple pistol on the bedstand. It was engraved and shined like something that'd been polished for years. Nice shit.

"Chica, got it open!" Jackie steps out and holds a large briefcase up, "Bio-Chip integrity a hundred percent! Let's get the hell outta here!"

[Wait! Someone's coming up to the apartment, hide!] - T-Bug

The duo run about in a panic, before eventually squeezing themselves into the back of the wall-sized holotelevsion. Just as they close the panel, the elevator door opens and reveals Yorinobu and his bodyguard, Adam 'Fucking' Smasher.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit..." Jackie whispers under his breath at the sight of the large merc. V felt her heart rise up into her throat too, to her, it almost looked like the guy knew they were there...

[Nuh-Uh, no fucking way, this isn't happening... Saburo Arasaka...] T-Bug says as the second-floor door opens and reveals the Emperor, the man slowly making his way down to his son in an elegant grey kimono.

"The Emperor..." Jackie utters, fear evident in his tone.

They'd jumped from the little leagues into what might be the most dangerous situation any merc in existence has ever been in. Hiding behind a thin screen as the most important men in the world sit nearby, protected by the strongest.

"I thought I told you not to meddle in my affairs?" Saburo says to his son. Upon seeing him not answer however, he turns to the bodyguards, "Leave."

"Arasaka-sama, I haven't yet done a full sweep."

"This is my son."

"Of course, should I retrieve what we came for?"

Saburo shakes his head, "I will do it myself. Go."

...

The Emperor turns to his son once they are alone, "Did you think I wouldn't know it was taken from me?"

"Actually, I don't think of you at all... Ever. You see, that's your problem, you think the world revolves around you. Arrogant."

"Yorinobu." Saburo utters in exasperation.

"Why did you come? To humiliate me? To personally see that your son knows his place?" he impudently asks.

"The nail that protrudes from the wall gets hammered-" Saburop starts but his son interrupts him once more.

"Could you not think of anything original to say!?"

"And do you think it 'original' to sell our greatest achievement to Westerners? Our future to these, barbarians?"

"Our future? Ours!? You are mistaken! You only ever cared about yourself. You and your sick schemes!"

Saburo shakes his head as his son paces, "I knew this day would come, the day your impudence crossed the line... There is much I can forgive, but treason? From my own son? No... I'm just glad your mother didn't live to see this. The heart should break but once."

...

The two stand face to face for a moment then Yorinobu suddenly bursts into action, grabbing his father by his neck and slamming him against the holoscreen that V and Jackie were hiding behind.

"Crap!" Jackie hurriedly whispers.

"You shall never have to forgive me for anything ever again!" he shouts as he strangles the ancient man, tight enough that the Emperor's eyes bulged dangerously under his glasses. He tries to push his son off, but his frail body was no match for Yorinobu and his Cybernetics.

After he was certain of the old man's demise, he slams his body on the floor and paces for a few moments, gathering his composure and taking a swig of the campaign bottle on the table... "I wish... I wish to put the hotel on lockdown, someone has assassinated Saburo Arasaka."

"Code Red initiated!" the AI exclaims, locking down the hotel and demanding everyone stay in their rooms. All the lights turn red and the bodyguards come back up through elevator, Saburo's personal guard running to the Emperor's body.

"Y-Yorinobu-sama, what happened!?"

"Someone poisoned my father." he says, pulling the man from the body to stop him from seeing the strangle marks.

"P-Poisoned!? But, I scanned the-"

"Takamura. What is your job?"

"Excuse me? I-I don't follow Yorinobu-sama?"

"It's a simple question, answer it!"

"To-, to protect the head of the Arasaka family."

"I do sincerely hope you'll do a better job executing your duties from now on." Yorinobu all but growls.

"F-forgive Arasaka-sama, I shall not disappoint."

With that, Yorinobu, Adam Smasher, and Takamura exit via the elevator, leaving the scared and breathless merc duo blinking at one another.

[What the fuck just happened?] - T-Bug

"Yorinobu just offed his fuckin' pops! Whoel god-damn place is on lockdown!" Jackie exclaims.

[S-shit! You two gotta find a way out now before security swarms the place! I'll open the window! Head there now! It's locked but I'll-... Oh no-no-no! They spotted me! They-AAARRHHHHHH!!!!] T-Bug lets out an unearthly scream as her feed cuts off.

"Holy shit! They fucking zeroed her!" V shouts.

"T-the window's open! We can cry about it later! Just go!" Jackie says, running through and pointing over the small ledge sickened with rain that led to a ladder. "There, that's the only way out!"

"Bad time to mention I'm shit-scared of heights!?" V offers, trying to not lose her nerve with some humour.

"Shit! Is that Trauma Team!?" Jackie asks as a ship flies around the building.

"Think they noticed us?"

"I hope no-"

*BBZSSH!*

"SUSPECTS DETECTED IN VIOLATION OF SECURITY PROTOCOLS!" a security drone announces as it turns its guns to them. Without a second thought, both throw themselves off of the ledge and down at the distance sloped glass roof below.