"No, nothing else," Luther would say softly. He wasn't looking forward to having to convince Leparo to letting him stay.

Kash on the other hand was ready to go, so once the conversation was over she would turn to leave, opening the door. But before she could make it out Leparo had spoken. She froze. Part of her wanted to give him a piece of her mind, the other side wanted to hunt down Niles ASAP. She would turn around and look at Leparo. A tormented look in her eye but an angered expression on her face. He had heard everything.

"Someone I need to kill," Kash said bluntly.

Luther looked around the room, eyes glancing between Leparo and Kash awkwardly. "Mmmk...well, my name is Luther Vash, nice to meet you Leparo sir," he would say, approaching Leparo with his hand extended in a poor attempt at breaking the tension in the room.

Kash wouldn't say anything else or do anything, she would just stand there, arms folded as she looked toward Leparo. She wanted to say a lot more and do more, like punch him in the face but that was too dramatic and her mind was really elsewhere. Niles was the keeper of much of her frustration at this time, much more than Leparo could ever be perhaps. She needed to get a move on if she wanted to track him down before he could possibly get off the island completely. Then who knows where he would go.

Now that whatever pleasantries were exchanged and nothing else needed to be said, for now, Kash would turn and head out. She marched with a chip on her shoulder. So much conviction in each step, the very earth beneath her felt like it could shatter. Not that she was stomping or anything like some kind of child. Her stride was graceful and her posture like that of a true captain to be honest, her very aura demanded respect. But this wasn't her shining captain moment, not at all. Things were about to get very dark and ugly.

Kash didn't check to see if Luther and Leparo were keeping up, but assuming they were, they would witness as she would finesse her way with the local low lifes as she sought out Niles. Her cover was that of a pirate captain interested in cheap labor, obvious code for slaves to those of the underworld. With her networking ability, she had learned of Niles's base which honestly made Kash wonder if he was trying to hide at all. Anyway, all of that would happen within a couple of hours leading up to their arrival outside an old run down factory type of building in the forest around the base of Mt. Colubo.

Kash was like a wolf the way she stood silently within the forest looking at the factory, watching for activity. Her hand gripped the hilt of her sheathed sword as she fought to maintain her composure. The factory had a haunted feel and seemed to have been abandoned for quite some time. It made sense this would be his base. He was careful of having any of his people lurking around, it would tip people off. However Kash was doing her best to be patient, she knew someone would show themselves sooner or later.

Almost an hour would pass and the sun had already set for the most part, turning the sky a shade of purple. Then finally, a few men carrying torches would approach the perimeter of the factory. One of them being Niles. Kash watched as they would enter. Two men would remain outside, putting out their torches so it would be hard to notice them.

It was time to go, Kash would march for the factory at a swift pace. She would draw her blade and make a sudden dash for the two men standing guard. Two quick swings of her blade and both men would have their throats cut before they could react, also preventing them from yelling for help. Kash would proceed inside, pushing open the door softly but she was in for a surprise when she would enter.

Lights would suddenly shine down on her from the 2nd story in the balcony. There were several people in the room before her, all dressed the same in black. It was oddly familiar, the way they looked. Almost like her brother's people but they lacked the halloween masks, so it was very underwhelming. They were men and women of a variety of sorts, none really looking like they belonged in such a group together. They all were holding weapons.

"You can't tell me you didn't think I wouldn't hear about a silver haired she-devil asking around for slaves and not know it was you right? Come on Joker, you have to be smarter than that. Welcome to my "base"," Niles would say from the 2nd level, his voice smug and annoying. This wasn't the same man Kash had once, dare she say, loved. "Well I wouldn't really call it a base, more like a exchange point. But anyway, I decided to leave you one last parting gift since my first one was...denied I guess."

With those words, the men and women in black around Kash would begin to become agitated, excited and began to take small steps toward her. Kash would say nothing, just holding her blade at ready. These people were nothing. Her sights were set on Niles.

The fight was on as Leparo downed one of Niles's grunts. Kash would follow suit, engaging three of the closest enemies with her blade. Three strikes, three downed. Her blade guided by her fury, not even toying with the fodder before her. Kash was using the utmost lethal force. The mob around them would swarm and like the flies they were, they would be swatted. Even Luther would join the fight, utilizing his guns to take down enemies as well.

Niles watched from above, seeing how easy it was for them to take down his flunkies. His frustration was apparent on his face. Kash could see it as her eyes continuously glanced up to the 2nd tier, keeping an eye out. These people were a mere distraction, he couldn't have seriously thought this was enough. Was this a game? Or was this delusion? What was his angle? Kash wondered all these things as she cut down opponent, after opponent, not even having to utilize an ounce of effort. Kash could tell from before that these people weren't fighters, not trained ones at least. No, they were civilians and possibly slaves, looking for a way out. Poor souls not knowing any better.

However it was too late to feel bad for anyone. Everyone had made their decisions to fight here tonight. These people just chose the wrong one to fight for. Their numbers would dwindle by the seconds, body after body would drop around Kash. It was nothing new for her at least. Luther however seemed a bit disturbed by her lack of hesitation to kill. He himself was taking non lethal shots. For a moment his and Kash's eyes would meet but for a moment during the fighting and she could read him like a book. But Kash wouldn't let that stop her from her slow descent into the darkness that was her revenge. Niles had to pay...and he would with his own blood.

Niles gripped at the railing as his frustration increased, watching from above. He bared his fangs for once, his teeth clenched as he watch Kash in contempt, ruining whatever delusion he was holding on to. He would look over to his right at one man, dressed in black like the others but much more composed. HE was a fighter.

"Kill her," Niles would say coldly.

The man would nod in understanding and jump from the 2nd story down to where Kash and the others were fighting. The man would walk toward Kash, cracking his knuckles in preparation for what he believed was about to be an easy kill. Niles turned away and would leave through a door on the 2nd story, making his escape. Kash noticed as she killed one more grunt. She started to run for the stairs to the 2nd floor but the man would step into her path. Niles was getting away, she just knew it.

"NIIIILLLEEEESSSS!!!!!!" Kash screamed in frustration as she would swing her blade with unrelenting force toward the man before her. There was still a bit of distance between them so her actual blade wouldn't reach him, which is why the man would continue approaching. However, like a shadow following her blade, a wave of compressed air followed, extending out 3 meters to cleave the man in half.

He got away. Kash upon realizing it, would drop to a knee using her sword like a cane. Her breathing heavy at first but slowly coming to a silent hush. Her hair and face splattered with red, the blood of the people here. Kash just stared at the ground, silent. Her hand squeezing the hilt of her blade till her knuckles turned white.

"He got away."

Task 5:

Kash felt the weight of her failure crashing down on her. She saw the faces of so many she had killed in her life swarm her like ants to a caterpillar. She felt herself being sucked into a void. Was this guilt? Guilt of taking so many lives for her selfish gains? Why now? After so many years, why would this suddenly happen now? Reno's face would appear before her eyes, his face after she had brutally killed him for Niles' sake...because she loved him. He had her so wrapped around his finger and now, she couldn't even avenge her old friend. Was this her true nature? To be so worthless when it came to actually doing something for someone other than herself?

Kash felt hands on her shoulders and Leparo's voice telling her that Niles wasn't that far away, snapping her back to reality.

"I...I've done some horrible things in my life. But why does this hurt so much? Why am I now seeing their faces? I killed a friend because of someone I thought I could trust with my life, my everything," she would say, unable to raise her head.

Kash felt herself falling. Once completely confident in herself and who she was, she now questioned everything about herself.

Kash tried to absorb the words of both Luther and Leparo. They were the only thing making sense right now. She wanted to avenge her friend, and in someway herself, but she couldn't do that by sitting her dwelling on her past. She has killed so many people in her life and none of them were gonna come back just because she felt used. Reno wasn't coming back. And though she played a crucial role in his death as his killer, there was another player who needed to pay. Kash would have time to face her demons some other day, but Niles would see his today. It was the only thing she could do, to do right by Reno. He would have it no other way.

Kash would begin to stand up and sheathe her blade. She would take a deep breath before exhaling slowly. Her heart had been beating like crazy and she was trying to get herself back under control.

"You're both right I suppose. However I have no idea where Niles would go to even begin going after him. Getting here was just his doing anyway and it doesn't look like any of these people are able to talk," she would say disappointed but in somewhat better spirits.

"Yeah, you have a point there. He's quick and resourceful, if we don't catch him before he's off this island, we may lose him forever," Luther would say in agreement.

Kash had calmed herself and thought about Leparo's words. Was she a good pirate or a great pirate? Kash never thought about herself as a pirate at all really, but perhaps it was time to stop running from commitment. Besides, she already had the tattoo.

"I..." she started before the doors behind them burst open.

"BOSS! THERE'S BEEN SOME...AH SHIT!"

A pair of men, dressed like the ones lying on the floor had come in hurriedly, looking for Niles it seemed. Kash's eyes zeroed in on the two like a hawk and she wasted no time drawing her blade and running at them. She would cut down one swiftly with grace unlike before when her attacks were fueled by rage. The other she would impale, but not kill.

"As you can see, we have already taken out your comrades and your boss is not here right now. He slipped away. Now, I'm a patient woman but right now, I'm kind of in a hurry. Could you tell me, where would he run off to at such an important time?" Kash would question the man while holding her blade in his abdomen, putting pressure with slight twists.

The man groaned in pain and clenched his teeth but the look in his eyes told Kash that he wasn't going to talk. This was pointless, so she would snatch her blade which would kill him in the process.

Kash would sigh and put her blade in its sheath once again.

She would turn and look a Leparo. "I'm great at what I do, but right now I'm not feeling so great and could really use some help I guess," Kash would say in the only way she knew how. She wasn't as emotionally wrecked as she was before but she still wasn't giving up on making Niles pay. Her head was on her shoulders and she was ready to put an end to this.