Prologue 2

A Murderous Enterprise�"Prologue 2

A metal-against-bone crack resounded in the cool night air, the receiver of the blow slumping to the ground. “Home run!” The wielder of the weapon shouted into the darkness. He winced as he was smacked upside his head. “Seitaro-san, what was that for?”

The man called Seitaro folded his arms across his chest. “You moron! Do you want to be arrested?” He asked tersely, frowning as the men behind him began to laugh. He shook his head with an exasperated sigh.

Another man approached, smiling sadly at his comrades. “As much as I hate to say it, Kiyohira, Seitaro’s right. We need to get out of here before the police catch us with the arms,”

Kiyohira frowned, picking up his prized baseball bat. “Alright, Tetsuya-san,” He comforted himself with the thought that his beloved weapon hadn’t cracked its last skull.

The entire group walked back to where several high-end cars were parked several blocks away. An unlikely group to find walking the streets of Tokyo�"two blondes, two brunettes, and odd eye colors between the men who sported ebony hair. Four of the eight men were homosexual, three were stuck in dead end jobs, and a different three were the only ones who had significant others. The only friends they had to speak of were contained within that group, the only people to understand them part of their menagerie of outcasts. That’s what they were. Outcasts. They were given the losing hand in the game of life, and that’s what labeled them as yakuza.

The term “yakuza” sends shivers down the spines of the Japanese public. It is the name given to the hoods, the gangsters, but most infamously, the name given to the nation-wide syndicates of organized crime that call Japan home. When defined, yakuza means a tightly knit criminal organization, centered or started in Japan, having a strict code of honor, or a single group or member of such an organization. In Japanese, yakuza is also used as a slang term, meaning “useless”, as it originated from the name of a losing hand in Oicho-Kabu, more or less the Japanese equivalent to Blackjack.

The yakuza gang in question was comprised of eight members, and wasn’t strongly affiliated with any major syndicates. Instead of a loud, out of control street gang that formed because a group of people wanted to be criminals, the gang formed when eight of society’s outcasts banded together with one common goal; to belong. And what better way to belong than joining the organization almost completely comprised of people who don’t belong?

Before we go any further, let’s begin with the introductions.

First off is the oyabun, or leader of the gang, Tetsuya Udo. He is twenty-eight years old, with brown hair and eyes to match, and his day job is spend selling expensive penthouses to people whose suits cost more than the down payment on his car. Although a yakuza, he has a sense of justice, and won’t allow his gang to take part in anything he deems morally unacceptable. 

Next on the docket is the second in command, Seitaro Miyajima. He is twenty-seven years of age and sports black hair and steely grey eyes. Despite his appearance, his is very friendly, and could get to know anyone if they decided to come to his tattoo parlor for some ink. Seitaro is watchful and very protective over the others, and treats them like his own brothers.

Kiyohira. Kiyohira Saji. He is blonde, twenty-seven years old, and the most common term used to describe his caramel brown eyes is “wild”. He works as a bank teller, which most would consider a dull, dead-end job, but the bank at which Kiyohira works is among the most popular in Tokyo, due to the “charisma” Kiyohira’s boss says he possesses. Although third in command, no one trusts him enough to allow him to exercise his authority.

Then, there’s Shiko Iitaka. He’s twenty-six years old, with light auburn hair and icy blue eyes. He’s very aloof, and tends to stay on the sidelines and observe. Despite this, Shiko is an excellent hacker. He and his partner, Tanosuke, make up the intelligence division of the gang. He is currently unemployed, but has more than enough money in savings to be a full-time yakuza for a while.

Tanosuke Ishida, Shiko’s life and intelligence partner, has deep brown eyes, ebony hair, and is twenty-six years of age. At the tender age of seven, his parents abandoned him, and he grew up on the streets. The yakuza recruited him as a hit man; now, though, Tanosuke works as an auto mechanic.

Tsuruki Shirokawa, the “official” second in command of the gang, has black hair and green eyes, and is twenty-eight. He’s dubbed himself second in command because he is older than Seitaro, yet younger than Tetsuya, and in the yakuza hierarchy, age determines rank. Tetsuya accepts this, but only since he doesn’t want to hear it at work all day, as Tsuruki is his real estate partner. Tsuruki is very prideful (Read: Arrogant) in his skills as a sniper and a martial artist, though in the case of the latter, it is more a lack thereof.

Satoru Matsuo has one of the more important roles in the yakuza�"the doctor. Satoru is twenty-six, with blonde hair and green eyes. He is the only member of the gang who is married, and he and his wife have a three year old daughter. He isn’t out of medical school yet, and he works as an intern under his daughter’s pediatrician. Satoru is very calm and kind, and abides by the Hippocratic Oath he hasn’t even taken yet.

Finally, the baby, Kisho Mitzusaka. He is the youngest of the gang, with ebony hair and sparkling blue eyes, full of innocence that a twenty-three year old shouldn’t have. He is an excellent sniper, but refuses to kill anyone, which causes endless frustration within the gang. He works under the gang’s lawyer as a legal aid.

So, how did this band of misfits find each other in the first place? That is a tale for another time; today’s riddle is spun from a different thread. These men are about to have every fiber of their beings pushed to the limit�"to be tested in everything from their skill sets to the very bond that holds them together.

 I am your narrator, and I thank you for joining the ride.

Author's Note

These eight misfits are the protagonists of this story, while the Shibuya Serial Killer (Obviously) is the antagonist.
As always, come to me with any questions you may have, and I'd be delighted to hear your feedback!