Hostage Rescue [Mission]

Sneaking into the place was not quite as difficult as the Agent had imagined. Sticking to cover he was able to steadily move towards the large laboratory where the Alchemists worked. Remaining still within the bushes he was able to see just how the Pirates had set things up - a pair of men stood by the doors on guard, but it seemed all the others had chosen to remain inside. The windows didn't appear to be guarded. They probably didn't expect anyone to be able to sneak in by the windows. But if he was going to sneak in through the windows, he needed to distract the guards. Fortunately, he'd been in these situations before. Grasping a stone, the white-haired Agent threw the stone from the bushes, aiming for another bush further down the compound's garden. As expected the bush rustled as the rock passed through the leaves and at once the Pirates' attention was caught.

"Hey, I heard somethin'!" one of them spoke. At once the two of them began to run over to the source of the noise. Now was the Cipher Pol Agent's chance.

In a mere instant he kicked against the ground a total of ten times. The act propelled him forwards at alarming speed, crossing the compound in the blink of an eye. He was at best a blur to anyone who might have been watching had he not already distracted the guards. By the time the guards had reached the bushes he was already at the door, clasping the door handle tightly and twisting it. He pushed and slipped inside the narrow opening before shutting the door behind him gently so as not to create noise. Now he was inside the facility and ready to do his work.

He strode down the corridor carefully, making sure to look around corridors and sneak past any wandering Pirates. In short time he managed to find what he was looking for - a sort of small locker room where the scientists had left some of their equipment and their coats. Without breaking stride he moved towards the lockers and started opening them one by one. From the lockers he grabbed a variety of things - a white lab coat he used to replace his black suit jacket, a pair of gloves and some make-up from a female employee's locker. In a matter of minutes he had changed - the once-visible scar was now hidden away. His body was slightly hunched and his knees shook. His expression had changed from a stoic one to one plagued with fear. Like so many times before, he had transformed into a new person.

Which meant it was time to release the hostages.

He heard footsteps echoing down the corridor. Quickly moving to the lockers he slammed them one by one, making noise. All of a sudden the footsteps became quicker. With the job done the disguised Agent ducked into another locker and tried to close it, knowing that his body was just that little bit too big for the locker to fully close. The footsteps came closer. Everything was going perfectly.

---

The Pirate was a strong, rugged man with tattered, unclean clothes. His jaw was lined with stubble and his hair was tangled into knots. He wasn't a man who lived in wealth, although he had certainly hoped to find some when he became a Pirate. Now they had access to a supply of gold, courtesy of the Alchemists. Or so he'd been told by the Captain. He didn't care too much. He was simply eager to get his hands on some money. But right now his job was to patrol the corridors. He'd been told Marines might come, so it was his job to make sure that none of them sneaked in. So understandably, when he heard a slamming sound coming from the lockers, he knew he had to run and check.

The Captain would likely skewer him if he didn't.

Racing down the hall the pirate turned into the locker room, only to watch as a locker attempted to shut itself close. He smirked. This was too easy, he realized. Grasping hold of a sabre in his sash he strode towards the locker, reaching out with one hand and grasping the door of the locker tightly. Forcefully he pulled the door open, nearly tearing it off his hinges as he raised his sabre. Only, what he found inside was definitely not a Marine but a cowering, shivering alchemist. He smirked, bemused by the man's wide eyes and quivering lip. His shaking knees and his hands raised up in front as if to ask him not to hurt him. The Pirate chuckled to himself.

"Looks like someone tried to give us the slip," the Pirate mused, grasping the man forcefully and pulling him out. The man nearly stumbled over had the Pirate not still been clutching his shoulder tightly. Holding a blade to the man's neck, the Pirate spoke. "Don't worry, ya little rat. We've got good plans for yer lot. Heheheh...".

Pushing the man in the lab coat in front of him, the Pirate continued to hold a blade against him, leading him no doubt to the other hostages. All the while completely unaware that he was aiding the very Agent sent to take down his crew.

Ordinarily, keeping all of the alchemists on the roof after shooting off a firework that would no doubt alert the Pirates might seem like a bad idea. In any other situation it definitely might have been, at least. But right now, Taro was thinking carefully about his tactics. It would have been difficult sneaking all of the alchemists out of the building, especially when there were so many of them. They'd no doubt be spotted by Pirates eventually, if the Pirates didn't already notice their missing comrade. Letting out a signal to let the Marines know they could fight was also difficult. The Cipher Pol Agent simply chose to quicken the process by making the rooftop their base.

Holding out the roof from attack was actually incredibly simple. None of the Pirates seemed capable of climbing up the house and unless they were somehow capable of Geppo, that meant that the only way onto the roof was through a single door. A door which The Cipher Pol Agent was sure to guard. The alchemists were all crouched down, hiding in case some of the Pirates decided to shoot up at the rooftop. However, it seemed that most of the attention had been dragged to the ship that was shot down in the harbour - the Pirate's escape ship. No doubt it was the work of the Admiral, the Agent mused to himself. The Pirates were now caught between defending themselves and taking back the rooftop. This would certainly prove interesting.

---

"I'll take care of those Marine bastards! You find those Alchemists and the bastard who broke them out! They should be on the roof!" the Pirate captain yelled at some of his men as he rushed, drawing his own blade as he approached the foyer. He wasn't about to let the Marines ruin his plan. A group of Pirates all followed alongside him. They could hear the fire of a shotgun. Some of their men were already outside, fighting whoever was out there. Stopping by the door, taking cover, the Pirate Captain watched and saw a young woman fighting her way through some of the other Pirates. He gripped his blade firmly. The moment she needed to reload, he'd rush her and begin swinging. He'd take her head and anyone else's head while he was at it.

---

Another Pirate burst through the door, but the moment he stepped out onto the rooftop an elbow struck him in the chest, knocking the breath out of his lungs. A blade sliced through his throat, spraying blood along the ground as he begun to fall back. A kick helped his fall, knocking him into his comrades below like a bowling ball as the Agent flicked the blood off of his knife, maintaining a defensive stance at the top of the stairs. He couldn't afford to let them through. Not a single one. If he needed to, he'd make use of Rokushiki to ensure it.

[OOC: You guys can feel free to take control of the Pirate Captain/Pirates if it makes things easier.]