Assassin

Red's POV:

"I can't believe it! Again with these pathetic superstitions, no! Take your hands off me sir! I am sleeping alone tonight; I doubt any assassin would have the guts to fight their way all the way up twenty stories of armed guards!" my target shrieked, slamming his door open irritably and walking in. I remained still. Silence and stillness was the key to any stealth mission, assassination or not. I didn't even blink until he walked into his spacious bedroom, unknotting his tie as he went. Then I blinked, slowly. My body was contorted around a precisely calculated series of lines; ones I knew led to motion sensors and security cameras all across the building. I did not let my chest rise and fall, keeping perfectly still, like a statue. A fiery-haired, scarfed, and bodysuit wearing statue. My ponytail hung over one shoulder, two poison sticks thrust into the band, and the divided strands of the rest of my hair hung on either side of my face. My eyes glittered above the scarf, and a grim purpose lit their hazel depths.

I remained as this, totally still, for exactly an hour and thirty minutes. Then I moved. Swiftly, without any more than perhaps three seconds, I dropped to the floor and rolled under a table. Completely silent. The target did not snore, which was helpful. Jumpy guards, hearing the absence of nightly routines, aka snores, might happen upon me before I could flee when I killed him. I waited for another ten minutes before moving, coming upon his door and carefully disarming the alarmed lock. It opened slightly with a tiny click, and I vanished as the man yawned, scratching something unmentionable and heading for the bathroom. I made a face under the scarf, but reined myself in, following as he closed the door and managing to slip inside and hide on the ceiling once more, averting my eyes from his nether regions. Once his business was done, he yawned, washing his hands in the sink. He never had time to scream, my blade found his heart in a split second of flashing movement and spurt of blood. He slowly collapsed to the floor, and I caught the body, easing him down so he did not make a sound. Dipping a finger in the blood, I began to write something on the mirror.

***Time Skip***

"Mission accomplished?" Mara asked as I sauntered in, and I flashed my bloody gloves at her. "Done, over with, he is in the ground, or at least will be once they find his body." I said with a wicked grin, and she rolled her eyes as I continued to waltz past, typing my kill onto the company computer. " 'Sup sup, how's my good buddy Kruger?" I asked, sprawling in a swivel chair and sending it into a spin, and then kicked my legs up on his desk, halting myself and giving him a smug look as he glared up at me from his computer. "Red, I thought I agreed you were never to call me that again. My name is Fredrick. Not Fred, not Freddy, and for the millionth time, NOT KRUGER!" he snarled in exasperation, throwing some boring-as-hell report on his desk, as if I was supposed to touch the nasty thing. "Oh no you don't Freddy ol pal, that's your job." I said smugly, flicking it back toward him. "You handle the paperwork, and I go out and kill the bad guys, running up buildings and sliding under gunmen, firing bullets into the sunset and throwing knives into ninja's throats as I sweep up beautiful maidens and dump them at the nearest bus depots." I said, rising dramatically and swirling around the room, acting out the scenes.

He hid a chuckle and grin under his hand, attempting to look stern, or at least neutral. "You don't use guns." He corrected me primly. "It's the same difference. Swords just don't go bang." I sniffed, putting my nose in the air and acting the dandy. Then we both lost it and burst out laughing, me holding myself up on the wall and him collapsed on his desk, shaking. "Well Red, you still are a saucy girl." He said, shaking his head as we both got ourselves under control and I sat down, respectfully this time. "Yeah, but hey, what ya gonna do? Humor is practically nonexistent in this field; I thought I could put a little pep in the step." I said, twirling a lock of flaming hair around my finger. He rolled his eyes, but nodded. "Here. Next target, and of course you never saw or heard anything about this building." He said absently, handing me a portfolio and waving as I left via backflip, somersaulting across the floor to rise at Mara's desk, dusting myself off.

"Show off." She muttered, and we grinned at each other for a second. "Hey, I wish I had a camera crew following me around for every second of the day, except for bathroom breaks. They'd capture some amazing action." I said, looking around before giving her a quick high five. She smiled at me as I left, and I strolled along the river Thames, hands in my pockets and whistling. I had changed from my assassination gear into some civilian clothes, a black tee and dark blue jeans, my most obvious feature, the flaming hair, hid by a baseball cap. Of course, I was still riddled with nasty surprises for anybody trying to jump me, but Jane and Joe public didn't really need to know that, did they? Finally, I came to my apartment, a basement floor and opened it with my key, sighing and slouching against the frame, as if exhausted. A half-second's pause, and when nobody tried to come out and kill me, I turned my back, locking all thirteen and a half (a reversing lock, if they tried to unlock it, all the others would re-lock) bolts on my door. Solid steel baby. The door was reinforced with titanium straps in the core, and all the windows were double-paned bulletproof glass.

It was only a single bedroom, kitchen, and living room, but I didn't need any more. This wasn't my real home anyway, just a cover one. You know, if anyone ever figured out I was a hired killer and came a' calling, this was the place they'd find. I had guns stashed in every spare nook and cranny, pistols mostly, although there were several shotguns. Blades, which were much easier to hide, were even more numerous. As a close-in assassin, (one who actually gets into the same room with his/her target), guns were not my weapon of choice, but I had a basic understanding of just about every weapon on this good green earth, knives and all. Poisons were also rather neat, but I always thought it more honest to just out-and-out stab the person. But again, as a basic rule, I had poison and I knew how to use it. I took a deep breath, and then spread my legs. Step-step twirl, split-split flip, moonwalk-cartwheel, step-step handstand, somersault aaaannnd…split! I thought, going through all the dance moves and wincing at the end, a doorway opening in the floor in front of me. The code to get into my real home was a killer on the thigh muscles.

Nevertheless, I walked down slowly, keeping my hands on my most convenient blades until the lights flicked on, the door sliding shut behind me as soon as I was out of range. I stopped at the bottom of the shirt flight of stairs, taking a deep breath. There was an empty room here, and a large red button with a metal door beside it was all the way on the other wall. I jumped, swirling in midleap as several blade hacked the very air in two, inches from my hips and nose. A blast of flame roared across the room as I dropped and rolled, leaping again as blades spiked through the floor, nearly puncturing my precious innards. I lunged for the big red button, managing to hit it with a gasp as the floor behind me opened up into a yawning pit, wobbling on the very edge before it closed and simulated cheers echoed through the empty room. "Congratulations, Agent: Red. You have completed the gauntlet for the: Four hundred, twenty, four time. Entrance is now permitted. Please enter the code." A mechanical voice muttered from the button, and I grinned.

"Oh yeah!" I shouted, pumping both fists in the air and then tapping out a little rhythm with my feet. I put both hands on the door and pulled it to the side, slippery metal gliding easily into the slot. My own personal rooms, with blades and guns and just about every weapon known to man strewn across several huge tables, along with my bed and TV, also a couch. Air mattress for when…I wanted to sleep on the floor, I guess. Food for Anklebiter. Speaking of… "Meow!" A pained, mewling cry echoed across the room to me, and the shameless creature even limped a little, saffron eyes huge and pleading. I picked him up, cuddling the soft, fuzzy creature in my arms as his fluffy ginger fur brushed against my bare skin. "Alright you little scamp, what's wrong with you now?" I asked, scratching him under the chin as he broke off begging to purr, tilting his head into the scratch and vibrating with approval. "Nothing then?" I asked, making as if to put him down as his eyes shot open and his claws hooked into my shirt.

"Oh, something is wrong is it? Are you hungry? Is my littler beggar hungry?" I asked, showing him the jerky I had bought and watching the scrapper's eyes light up as he daintily took the meat and proceeded to savage it, gulping it down rapidly using my arm as I plate as I sat down on my creaky old couch with a "whuff" of air. I absently clicked on the music as I opened the file I had been given. "I'm a ninja, I'm a hoodie ninja, I'm a ninja, I'm a hoodie ninja, I'm a ninja, I'm a hoodie ninja, I'm a ninja, I'm a hoodie ninja, I'm a ninja, I'm a hoodie ninja, I'm a ninja, I'm a hoodie ninja, I'm a ninja, I'm a hoodie ninja, I'm a hoodie ninja!"

Target: Bailey Hellsing

Age: Seven

Gender: Female

Objective: Retrieval and detainment until further notice.

I frowned a little at that. I had never done a hostage mission before, and anything new must be done with precise care.

"I'm a ninja I'm a hoodie ninja! You're off guard ninja star now you're injured! Tough luck nun chuck break your fingers! Gotta bolt cause I don't wanna linger…"

Bodyguards/Protectors: Hellsing mercenaries, (see Wild Geese) butler, (powers unknown, involve splicing/dicing of living bodies) man of unknown power, status, or ethnicity, seen in proximity of child and foster mother (see Integra Hellsing) constantly in public, expected same for private. Been seen wielding an ARMS .454 Casull Auto, as well as black gun of same size and like make, not seen in use as of yet. Expected to be high resistance.

Oh dear. Not going well for my first kidnapping, was it?

"I'm a ninja, I'm a hoodie ninja, I'm a ninja I'm a hoodie ninja, I'm a ninja I'm a hoodie ninja, I'm a ninja I'm a hoodie ninja, I'm a ninja I'm a hoodie ninja, I'm a ninja I'm a hoodie ninja, I'm a ninja I'm a hoodie ninja, I'm a hoodie ninja!"

I sighed, sitting up and brushing my hair out of my face as I scanned over her itinerary. Should be about tomorrow if I can snatch her at all…Fred better have a good reason for kidnapping, usually it's just out-and-out killing, not just kidnapping, and of young girls too. I thought, snapping my fingers to silence the music and standing, beginning to strap my lightest, sharpest blades all over my body, as well as anything else I might need. A quick pet of Anklebiter and I was out the door, dodging blades, flames, and spikes as I raced for the stairs.

3rd Person POV:

"But Sir Hellsing, I want to go outside…"Bailey pouted, folding her arms and glaring up at her foster mother as Alucard chuckled on her other side. She's just as independent as you were master, it may be for the best to let her out now before she breaks a window. He purred into Integra's mind, and she gave them both a haughty glare. "Fine Bailey, but take Alucard and be quick." She muttered, and the child yelped with glee, letting Alucard phase her through the car door and running into the park happily as Alucard morphed into his child form to fit in better. Bailey laughed, jumping onto a swing and pushing herself back and forth as Alucard sat down, watching any person entering or exiting the park with narrowed eyes. A red-haired teen whistled, jogging around the perimeter as Alucard snorted, hearing the "Hoodie Ninja" song blaring from her MP3. She neared his charge, and passed her as he tensed, then relaxed. Suddenly a firecracker roared above, making him jump and reach for his gun, stopping with a snort as he recognized the sound and sight, sitting back down and flicking a glance back at his master's child.

Then he snarled, standing and shifting as he saw a red-haired figure somersaulting away, a familiar body gripped in her arms. "MASTER!" he roared to Integra, giving chase as the female glanced back, then doubled her pace. She raised an arm as he came even, and he heard a grappling hook lock onto a nearby building as she suddenly swung into the air, holding Bailey close to her body as the child wailed, swinging around to a nearby building, out of sight. He frantically cast his shadows out, but only caught the flickering edge of the woman's presence before she was gone. Shit, she moves too fast. He thought as Integra ran up. "Bailey! What happened?!" she shrieked, and he scowled, shrugging. "A very stupid human came by and took her. Red hair, female." He said brusquely, tapping a finger against his arm as he folded them. "Well, what are you waiting for! GO GET HER!" she snarled, making a whipping motion with her fingers as he phased to bats and started searching for his wayward charge.

"Let me go! Alucard help! Get off!" Bailey shouted, struggling as her kidnapper shoved her in the car and slid into the driver's seat opposite. "Bailey, listen to me. The less you struggle, the less you'll get hurt. I'm just making sure that if we crash, there's a reasonable chance you'll survive. That's what seat belts are for, after all." The woman said calmly, ponytail brushing across the child's face as she deftly buckled her in, then turned the keys in the engine. She drove, and Bailey subsided into fear. "H-how do you know my name?" she quavered, and the woman's hazel eyes flashed to hers in annoyance. "I am not at liberty to tell you that at this moment in time." She said calmly, looking back towards the road. Bailey scowled. She hated it when people gave her excuses and half-answers. "Fine, what's your name?" she snapped, and the female jerked away.

"Whoa there kiddo! Don't bite my nose off! Just because I kidnapped you doesn't mean we can't be temporary friends. As for my name, I can't tell you that either, but I can tell you R. Call me that if there is need for names." She said cheerfully, and Bailey scowled deeper. "My friend is going to get you. He's going to shoot you to bits and then rip you apart and then eat you with his dogs." She hissed, and R gave her an amused glance. "Well, that's not a job hazard I get often, I'll say that much. Kidnapping is showing to be quite a fun profession." She said in amusement, then blinked. "Oh yeah, real sorry about this 'Bail, but I gotta give you a nap tap." She blinked. "A wha-" But R's hand suddenly gripping her throat in a way that turned everything black cut her off with a sigh.

Red watched as her target slumped in the seat, then drove to her boss's office. This kid is nice enough. I hope I'm not going to have to kill her. She thought, slinging the body over her shoulder and calmly walking into her boss's office block. "Holy-" Mara covered her mouth with her hand, not finishing the probable profanity as Red chuckled. "Hey Mara. Boss-man has me running errands for him now, can you believe it?" she asked, shifting the unconscious Bailey in her arms like a bag of groceries. Mara just sat and stared as Red hummed, walking calmly to her boss's office and kicking the door in, putting Bailey on his desk as he looked up. "I have been a good doggy and fetched, oh my lord and master Kruger." She said playfully, and he sighed, shaking his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Red, answer me honestly, what will it take to make you stop calling me that?" he asked, and she rubbed her chin, thinking about it. "An insanely large bonus might do the trick…but for right now, can you satisfy my curiosity and tell me who hired us to kidnap the kid." She said bluntly, sprawling in her chair and kicking her legs, up, avoiding Bailey's unconscious form.

Red's POV:

He shrugged, taking out a file and peering through it. "As with many of our clients, they did not hire through direct contact and simply sent their request and payment via email. The only codename they gave us for filing was …R." I jerked upright. "Hey wait a second! That's my codename! Plagiarism I tell you! Bloody plagiarism!" I yelped, grabbing the sheet and frantically looking through the file. He rolled his eyes, but snatched the file back. "Red, they have no idea that you were the one assigned to the job. R could mean anything, a company, a nickname, an agent, anything or anyone at all. Calm down." He said briskly, folding it and tucking it in the secret drawer again as I scowled. "Plagiarism…" I muttered defiantly, scowling at him and then sighing, getting to my feet with Bailey over my shoulder. "Well, thanks anyway man, I appreciate you trying. Permission to have a look-see myself?" I asked, and he nodded absently, eyes already going back to the screen. I gave him a sharp salute, then turned and started walking out.

I got into the car I had stolen silently, driving it through the invisible hole in the parking garage Fred owned, a tunnel that led straight to my house. I turned on the music, then turned it off again. Not on a mission, damn. I casually dodged the rockets and oil slicks the car started triggering, pleased with my level of security. Soon the entire tunnel behind me was on fire, the oil having caught the sparks from the missile afterblaze, and I grinned under the scarf as I drove faster. Soon I managed to get to the door, unbuckling and hurling myself through the window, catching Bailey up as I ran for the door, the flames reaching the car behind me. I reached the door, grabbed the knob, and was just starting to turn it as the car exploded. The door slammed back shut as I was pressed against it, the shockwave driving the breath out of me as Bailey, as one might have expected, awoke with a scream. Shrapnel rained down on us, and I quickly recovered to wrench the door open and dart inside, hitting the dampeners as soon as we were both inside.

Bailey panted, scrambling backwards until she hit a wall, eyes huge as she stared at me. I stepped forward, kneeling and…casually pinching the edge of her braid. "Your hair was on fire. I don't think you'd like that." I said calmly, standing once more as she belatedly clutched at her braid. "C'mon then 'Bails. Let's get you something to eat, I'm starving!" I said cheerfully, leading her to a cupboard and taking out some soup in cans. I heated it on the stove as she warily perched herself on the bar counter I had for when I wanted some class in my kitchen, and I slid the bowl of chicken noodle soup to her as I picked up my own, leaning against the counter as I slurped it. "You're not drugging me?" she asked tremulously, and I shrugged, coming up for air. "I see no reason to as of yet. You haven't proved yourself to be enough of a nuisance." I said after a moment, then dove back in, gulping the noodles rapidly as she ate more decorously, using a spoon instead of her hands and mouth.

I finished first, grinning and wiping my mouth off under the scarf and then snatching her bowl once she was done, shoving it under the sink with my own and starting clean up. "First off, rules. You are not to leave this cluster of rooms, this is for your own safety, because even if you did escape I'd just get sent after you again, and I don't make mistakes twice. My rooms are booby-trapped on the outside, and I don't really think you'd stand a chance. Do not eat anything unless I made it or approved, I keep poisons and I don't have the antidotes. For the moment, you are a hostage, not a target, so I am not going to kill you." I said rapidly, then looked up to see her edging away. I looked down, flicking a knife so it soared over her shoulder and embedded itself in the wall. "No escaping too, obviously." I scolded, and she quickly sat down with a whimper.

Anklebiter chose that moment to howl miserably, stumbling across the floor like he had been hit by a concussive blast, twining around Bailey's ankles and mewling plaintively. "Oh hush you. Bailey, this is Anklebiter, the most double-crossing little beggar ever to grace a dumpster's trashheap. Anklebiter, this is Bailey." I said, and she brightened, petting him and he clambered into her lap and proceeded to twine around her purring as she petted him gently. "Suck-up." I shot at him, and his purring broke off for a moment as he gave me a disdainful glare, finally having found a generous, loving, warm-hearted sucker to pet and love him. "He's so soft!" Bailey cooed, and he relaxed with another purr, gently kneading at her lap with his claws. "I prefer the term deceptively cuddly." I said loftily, collapsing onto the couch beside her as Anklebiter turned over a few times in her lap, squirming gleefully as she stroked his tummy. "Not only are you a suck-up, you are a shameless suck up." I told him, and he flicked a paw at me, as if to say "Yes yes I know, I'm busy being worshiped right now".

I snorted and flicked out my laptop, beginning to type rapidly as Bailey eyed me out of the corner of her eye. "What're you doing?" she asked, and I gave her a sharp look. "That's not for you to know quite yet." I said calmly, looking back down as I hit the search button. I scanned down the information rapidly, scowling. The signal for my newest orders to kidnap said child currently sitting across from me had originated in Italy, and I immediately crossed that with any R words from that area. "Does Italy mean anything to you?" I asked, not moving my eyes from the screen as she thought for a moment. "Uh…not really. I know Section 13 comes from there." She said hesitantly, and I quickly typed that in, frowning to myself as the "no entries" signal popped up. So they're careful enough not to mark themselves down on any public search engines…

I scowled, closing my computer with a curse and flicking my phone out, pushing the speed dial that would connect me to Fred. "Assassins Inc. here, how may I help you this fine day?" I rolled my eyes. "Kruger, it's me. I managed to unearth a few things, does Italy and Reconquista rings any bells?" I asked, and waited a moment as his fingers flew across the keys on his keyboard. "Not until right now. Apparently that's a codename for a failed mission of Iscariot Section Thirteen, Judas Iscariot, the Vatican's anti-heretic and heathen force. It was their effort to retake and "purify" London during the fires and so-called monster attacks. Apparently their huge rivals of the Hellsings, which would explain their reasons to kidnap the girl. I don't like where this is headed, I can take killing adults and handing them over for various weird experiments, but a kid is totally below the belt. I don't suppose…"

I grinned ferally. "That I could be possibly influenced by such a young and small person? Kruger, you break my heart. See ya." I turned the phone off, turning to Bailey. "Well kid, change of plans, we are now going to return you to your family and scary bodyguard." I said, pulling my scarf off and smiling at her as I threw my workbag over my shoulder. She gaped at me as I began to flip the phone open again, and then paused. "What's your foster mom's cell number?"

Integra's POV:

My phone began ringing, and I called Alucard back from his pacing as I pressed answer, not knowing the call number, which simply read "R". "Would this be Sir Integra Hellsing?" a female voice asked, and I gritted my teeth. "Yes. Who are you?" There was a moment of silence, and then she spoke again. "I'm not going to tell you, however it would be nice to ask if this line is secure." I growled. "You're playing with the wrong person. Nobody but me and you will be able to hear this call." I snapped, and she sighed with relief. "Well that makes things easier. I am currently in the position to make a trade; however, I want my safety to be guaranteed. Swear by the Hellsing name." she said briskly, and I paused. "Yes. I swear on the Hellsing name that you will not be harmed or held against your will." I said finally, and I heard her laugh. "Well that's nice. Hey Bailey, want to talk to your mom? I need both hands for this." My mouth clicked open as Bailey spoke at the other end. "Sir Hellsing? Are you really there?" I nodded, then realized she couldn't hear a nod. "Yes."

"Oh thank god, I was really getting scared for a second. R's not so bad, but she can be really intimidating when she's not being funny. Don't worry, she's going to drop me off real soon." She reassured me, and then there was a click. I gripped the phone tightly, silently swearing at this "R", and then it suddenly buzzed to life once more. "Sorry about that, we went through a tunnel. I'll stop by your current location in about…oh, fifteen minutes, that'll probably leave you enough time to prep some bodyguards n' stuff. Ciao!" R said happily, and the line clicked off once more.

Red's POV:

"So is Anklebiter going to come too?" Bailey asked as I zoomed through the streets, clinging to my back frantically as I popped a few wheelies. "He already is kiddo. Anklebiter is very good at contortion, and although it doesn't look it, he's currently crammed into my fanny pack. Go on, unzip and take a look." I said, and felt the tugs as she obeyed, the pouch at my waistline coming undone to reveal ginger fur and cramped whiskers. "Poor Anki! Is he okay!" she cried, and I rolled my eyes. "Anklebiter has been in far more cramped positions than that. As I have told you several times already, he is a shameless little beggar and suck-up. He's fine." I said impatiently, swerving around a car that seemed to be in a nasty hurry. "Why do you still have the scarf and the ninja outfit?" she asked meekly, and I chuckled to myself. "Well, the people who paid my boss to have me kidnap you might not take kindly to being swindled, not only have I failed to turn you over to them, I am actually having the gall to return you to the bosom of your family" I said impishly, and she giggled.

"Is R really your name?" she asked, and I shook my head. "Nah, it's a codename. I also leave it as a calling card, after my boss has me kill someone I leave an R in the victim's blood on the nearest flat surface. It gives me my own personal signature to the crime, ya know?" I said, weaving in and out of the traffic. "But what is your real name?" she asked, and I sighed. "My name's Red, just Red. Nice to meet you." I said wearily, and she giggled as I lost it and snickered with her, the sun setting behind us. I relaxed my hand on the handlebars, the engine's rumble dying and fading as we slowed, coming to the spot where I had placed my call. I quickly put my game face on and parked us, jabbing the kickstand down with a booted toe and flexing my fingers a little. I slipped a knife out of the wrist sheaths, guiding Bailey with my other hand as we came to exact spot where the phone call had ended up. "Alright kiddo, my job's done, stick around and your mom should be around to pick you up. Stay frosty." I said, ruffling her hair as she looked up at me, saddened. "Don't give me the pouty face, I live with Anklebiter. That lost its effectiveness real quick." I pretended to snap, and she sighed.

"Make sure Anki doesn't get into trouble?" she quavered, and I rolled my eyes, kneeling so I could be less intimidating. "Hey Bailey, don't worry about me. I've lived this long as an assassin, I'm pretty sure I can look after one manky old cat." I said fondly, ducking her head as she flushed and gave me a quick hug. "Be careful Red. Alu might come after you." She whispered against my stomach, and I blinked, then gave her a pat on the head. "Ya, I bet. Now let go squirt, I got places to be." I said, and she obeyed as I turned to walk off. "DUCK!" she suddenly screamed, and I obeyed, rolling and coming to my feet as I saw the man, who must have been Alucard, standing next to her with his gun raised, the bullet having passed within inches of my face. "Oy, I thought her mom gave me a promise?" I said indignantly, and he shrugged. "I didn't." he said with devastating logic, and Bailey scrambled in front of his gun, yanking it down as his eyes went wide. "No! Don't hurt her!" she squealed, and he jerked the gun away.

"Don't do that!" he snarled, grabbing her by the shoulder and giving her a rough shake. He suddenly grunted as I threw a razor-sharp knife into his shoulder, letting go as blood trickled down his sleeve. "Leave Bailey alone. I am being very nice, not only going against orders and my paycheck, I brought the kid here and haven't even harmed her once. The least you could was act the same." I said icily, and he growled, yanking the knife out. I felt a tingle of danger at how well he hid his pain, if he had any at all. Suddenly Anklebiter let out a yowl and I jumped, feeling a hail of bullets pepper the ground beneath me, turning to send some steel shards in reply as several mercenary types charged me, ducking and punching and kicking as they tried to knife me. Alucard was occupied as Bailey actually managed to wrench the huge gun away, screaming at him that she ordered him not to hurt me as my attention was reclaimed by my newest opponent. The rest were currently nursing broken ankles or wrists, and he seemed vaguely more skilled than the others. Suddenly he bowled me over, knife coming to press against my throat as I grabbed his wrist and attempted to force it away, a strawberry blonde braid falling across my shoulder as we finally got a good look at each other. His grip loosened, and my jaw dropped.

"Peu Rouge?!" (Little Red?!)

"Pip?!"