Training Day

Valkoinen cursed in what was some sort of barely intelligable combination of Russian and Finnish. She had dove out of the way but one of the bullets had grazed her leg and she snarled at having another wound. Gritting through the pain, she hefted herself up to her feet. Keeping one eye on Cardia, she began to scan the rest of the warehouse.

Suzume was about to train a killing sot on Valkoinen when she realized that Cardia was still in the room and turned to keep her in check just in time to take the shoulder tackle and let out an 'oof' the gun careening to the floor once more as Suzune stumbled back with Cardia.

Cardia hissed, struggling with Suzune. She only saw red now. Shooting at her was one thing. Hell, even Ayame swordfighting Valkoinen was a reasonably fair fight. But shooting at her friend... well, her only ally here, at least. With a scream of anger, she'd pull her head back and slam into Suzune with several headbutts. Her arms and legs were busy aiming to slam Suzune back into the wall. If she could succeed in gaining the upper hand, she would toss Suzune aside and dive for the gun.

Suzune was rocked by the head butts and was easily manhandled by the enraged Cardia as one after another attack only dazed hr further. Moaning and half conscious against the wall. She couldn't stop herself from being tossed to the ground. She grunted and moaned but knew she had to move. With fear in her eyes, she tried to dive for the gun as well, though it was a slow scramble.

Cardia scrambled for the gun, beating Suzune there easily. Immediately after grabbing it, she'd roll on her back, aiming for Suzune. She'd pause only for a second, steadying her aim and staring daggers at Suzune, before stroking the trigger. Once, twice, three times, making sure each shot counted. "Oh... ah..." She'd mutter after a few seconds as the adrenalin high wore off, setting the gun down and laying back, gasping for breath. "Wow... Val? You okay?"

Suzune's eyes widened with fear as Cardia grabbed the gun. "Please no!" She cried out just before the first bullet ripped through her and silenced her. She slumped and began pooling blood. Valkoinen walked over to Cardia, a slight limp that she was hiding fairly well. When she was next to Cardia, she reached out and took Cardia's hand and gripped it tightly with her bloody hand.

"I am with the being fine." She then lowered her gaze. "I should be with the apologizing though. I should not have been with the bringing you here and I am with the understanding this now."

Cardia twitched, she processed Suzune's plea only a second after having done the deed. She felt as though ice ran through her veins. "B... bitch wouldn't have stayed her hand for a second if she had..." Cardia mumbled, trying to convince herself more than anything else.

She turned to Valkoinen, forcing a smile. "It was half.... my fault for saying yes. I tried to stay on the sidelines, but I just..." She sighed, shaking her head, "Sorry I let her get the drop on me... twice." She returned Valkoinen's squeeze but then relaxed it when she felt the blood. "Ah! Is that... Sorry..." She muttered. Words weren't coming easy to her, but she assumed she had probably just squeezed Val's sword wound. "If... you get me that knife I can make... a bandage out of some of my clothes. I probably... won't wear this outfit again soon..." She let out a weak chuckle, turning to look Valkoinen in the eyes with sincere gratitude. "Thanks... for all of that... I sure turned out to be the anchor, didn't I?"

Valkoinen didn't even flinch as Cardia squeezed her hand. She just looked back up at her with a grim face. She pulled her hand away and looked at Cardia's. "It is with the being fine. It is with the being blood... But... I am with the being afraid that it is going to be with the never washing off." She turned around and stepped away and picked up an AK-47 that was laying on the ground. "You were not with the being burden. But you should be with the saving thanks. The hardest part may be with the happening next."

Suddenly the office door creeked open and out stepped a woman holding a wool bundle in her hand. "Ayame... Suzune..." She said in a soft, sad tone. She looked at Cardia and Valkoinen with pleading eyes. "What have you done... Couldn't we be allowed to have a better life?"

Cardia shrugged weakly, "Aren't you a little too hardcore for cliches?" She sighed, "I'm... not going to get any sleep tonight." She muttered, still in shock, somewhat afraid of how cavalier she was being about this. "That... bitch tried to kill you. I wasn't... I couldn't..." She shook her head, leaning back and closing her eyes.

At the sound of the door creaking open, Cardia's eyes shot open and she readied the gun, but the woman standing before them wasn't armed, which was enough for Cardia to set the gun back down... Only then did she take in the new woman's words. No... nonononono... Cardia let out a soft whine, almost completely shutting down at the thought of what Valkoinen was about to do here. She didn't move, she merely leaned back, shutting her eyes tightly. It was almost too perfectly nightmarish...

Valkoinen cocked the gun and pointed it at the woman. Her eyes shifted to Cardia. "Be with the leaving now, Cardia." She said the words sharply. It was not a suggestion but a command. Valkoinen didn't really want Cardia to see what she was going to do.

"White Death!" The woman called out. Would you really kill a child?! Kill me if you must.. But..." She made sure to flip the woll blanket over and reveal the baby.

"Are you with the knowing why they call me White Death?" She questioned. "Because like Finnish winter, I am with the being unfathomally cold and all who get in my path lay dead before me. The blizzard is not with the caring for age or social status and niether am I."

The woman's eyes widened and she turned to look at Cardia. "Cardia! Please! Stop her from killing the child!" She pleaded.

Cardia stood up, pale, clearly not all there Her hand traced along the wall as she shambled slowly to the exit, leaving a faint trail of Valkoinen's blood in her wake.

The woman calling out her name caused Cardia to stop, just at the doorway. Trembling, she turned back, calling out, "V-Val?" She muttered weakly. Her plea was pathetic. She wasn't even fully aware of what was going on at this point, so powerful was the shock of going from that fight to what was now murder.