Canaan
[A/N: I couldn't think of anywhere else to start, so decided to run pretty much right off the last episode with some flashbacks, I haven't written anything like this in years, so hopefully it's not too bad 3]
-Chapter 1-
Gazing down the length of the scope of her sniper rifle, the mercenary watched as the large aircraft shot off through the sky. She could feel the gentle colour aboard that plane, leaving for a more foreign place, far away from here, far away from her.
Canaan knew that as long as Maria was her light, she would be able to sense her and although she wouldn't be by her side to protect her, as long as they were in each other hearts, they would be safe.
"Bam," She muttered, lowering the rifle to her side gently, the butt coming to rest on the ground with a soft thud, she gazed after the plane quietly, a small smile creeping across her face. A small niggling pain snuck into her chest as she watched, she ignored it.
"That one, that one's mine." She lingered on the fading image of the plane for a moment longer before hefting the rifle up over one shoulder and turning to head back down from the roof of the building she'd taking a liking to staying in.
As long as Alphard is still alive, Maria will be safer away from her. She mused to herself, her thoughts chasing their own little circles around her head, she knew she'd miss the young blonde haired girl, she also knew that their lives were completely different from one another, they had no place together.
She slid the key to her apartment into place and turned, the lock giving way with a slight click, the door creaked open as she nudged it aside gently with one hand, sliding the rifle off her shoulder she leant it against a nearby wall, petting the nozzle of it gently she lowered herself into the chair at her desk, partly disassembled guns, bullets and other bits and pieces scattered across the surface.
Resting her chin in one hand she gazed at the bits and pieces of her pistols quietly, something caught her eye a moment and she turned her gaze towards a small copper wire statue positioned on the corner of her desk. Taking it into her hand gently she stroked the wire with her fingertips.
"The Eiffel Tower," She spoke quietly, to no one else in particular, there was no one there anyway to talk to if she had have aimed it at anyone but herself.
"One day we'll make more cats cradles together Maria, you wait and see," She stood, walking to the nearby windowsill. It was still shining outside, a few small puffy white clouds scattered the sky but the weather appeared fine besides that. Sitting the copper model on the sill she rested her hands on her hips and beamed down at it a moment, a smile spreading across her face she lifted her gaze to the sky again and gave a short, curt nod.
Peeling the wrapper back from a sugar stick she rolled it into her mouth, striding back to her desk she sat down, brushing her hair back behind her head she clasped it with one hand, pulling out a small piece of red string with the other, eyeing it a moment she tied her hair back in a small ponytail with it. Taking out a small cloth, she set about cleaning her weaponry.
Her phone buzzed beside her, she looked at it curiously a moment wondering who could possibly be calling her. Curiosity got the better of her and she answered it, putting the phone to her ear she didn't say anything.
"I've got a job for you," The voice on the other end of the phone informed her, quiet and calculating, she didn't like the tone this woman used on her half the time, but dealt with it. She lifted her right shoulder slightly pinning the phone between it and her ear continuing to clean her gun as she replied.
"You just don't learn do you, you plan to use me same as always?" A slight smirk crossed her face as she said the words, Canaan knew this woman had betrayed her, left them all to die and had have likely killed Maria if it hadn't been for, of all people, Alphard, who intervened.
" I could say the same about you, especially considering who you'd be up against this time," This conversation was getting interesting very quickly and once again Canaan's curiosity tweaked.
"Who's the target?" The answer to this however she already knew, but she wondered if anyone else already knew Alphard was still alive. How she could've survived such a fall was still beyond her but it didn't matter.
"A one armed woman," The simple reply came back to her, she lowered the gun she was cleaning, placing it back on the table in front of her she gripped the phone with her hand.
"Understood," She replied quietly, blankly, pulling the phone away from her ear she hung up without waiting for a reply from the woman on the other end, not particularly caring if she pissed her off by doing so.
Sighing softly she turned her gaze out the window, she took the sugar stick between her fingers, rolling it across her tongue gently. Thoughts flooding her mind, her grey eyes gaining a slightly glazed over look as she drifted off in memory.
Canaan lifted her arm, cold calculation taking over, this was her chance to strike back to take control of the situation. She slammed her fist down, the butt of her gun smacking down hard against Alphards face, she raised her arm again, hitting her, again, again. Frustration voiced in her cries as she belted Alphard with all she had, the woman didn't struggle, she just lay there under Canaan watching, glaring back up at her, a defeated look in her eyes. Canaan stopped mid swing, a frown forming on her brow.
Alphard was lost in her own thoughts as Canaan belted down on her, her face stinging from the blows, she grunted as another fell hitting her square on the jaw.
*Oh..there's no need for us Canaans, we who share the same name.* Her thoughts rattled her as a memory flooded through her head, drowning out Cannan who was still wailing heavily on her.
*Alphard, that's right, Siam never called me Alphard...no, at the end he did. Just once.
"Alphard, you are unstoppable but if by some slim chance you had a personal desire instead of a mere goal," Siam looked up at Alphard, the gun she held pointed down at him, threatening to end his life at any moment, never had he considered he would be sitting in this exchange with the woman he had once trained and loved like a daughter.
"And what if I did?" Alphard smugly asked back down at him, his dark eyes piercing through her, it wouldn't be long she knew.
"Then you could ask the meaning your new name has and understand what it's true significance is, the solitary one.."*
She snapped back out of her thoughts as she realized Canaan had stopped hitting her, she wouldn't lose this chance.
'What's happening...What is this feeling, it's just like..like hitting a shadow,' Canaan gasped as realization crossed her.
She didn't have much time to think however as Alphard took the brief lapse between blows to whip out her knife, slashing at Canaan wildly, slashing the material covering Canaans tattoo all so like her own. Flipping back away from Canaan once she had enough room she tried to gain her footing, however having overstepped slightly she lost balance, falling over the side of the train. In desperation she slammed the knife into the metal of the train, it snapped almost instantly.
She felt something grip around her wrist stopping her fall suddenly, glancing up she saw Canaan, it was Canaan stopping her from falling to what would seem a gruesome death on the rocks below.
"Let me go! If I finally die here then that day will stop repeating itself and I won't be haunted by Siams ghost anymore!" Alphard yelled in frustration at Canaan, could she not escape this woman longer for a second, could she not even die in peace without this girl interfering with her.
"You're always strange colours...Always. You've been light brown like Siam, today you're completely white, I finally know the reason why. It's because you're already dead. You're dead Alphard! When Siam died, you, your heart died too. I can't believe I haven't seen it until now and you couldn't either." Canaan kept a tight grip on Alphards left arm, she wouldn't let her fall if it was the last thing she did, her hand gripped at the top of the train.
" I'm different then you, can't you see that? I've met a lot of people since that day I still remember all of them. I didn't stop that day! Your heart is already dead, the right to choose belongs to the living, and I am still alive, as one of the living I'm telling you, I won't let you die more than this! I won't let you die, if I can't help someone here then it will be the same as that day, even if the one I help is you."
Alphard continued to glare up at Cannan as her words filled her, maybe it was true, had she been hurting all this time because her heart was dead? That is how she had gained so much control over her hatred, she was dead inside, it all seemed to clear now.
*Liang.. it's just as you said...true enough I've been bound by the past, maybe I thought if I made Canaan and those monsters, I could, I could get close to Siam, Canaan has been long freed from Siams ghost, from the day that always repeats but I...*
"The same name, we even have the same tattoo you and I," Alphard hissed up at the woman preventing her fall, the train jumped slightly and she felt herself lose a little more ground, if Canaan didn't let go she would likely fall and die here along with her.
A small glint caught her eye, Canaans leg had knocked lose her pistol, quick reflexes she grabbed hold of it as it slipped off the side of the train.
*Siam, no matter where I am you entangle me where ever I go,* She cocked the gun up, towards Canaan, the smug evil smirk she usually wore crossing her face. *No more, This serpents curse, is broken!* Her smirk faded as she turned the gun on herself, pushing it against the flesh of her left arm. She fired, once, twice, three times, she continued firing. Blood splattered them both as the damage was done, the clip unloaded into her arm the weight of her own body tore whatever was left.
Canaan watched in disbelief as Alphard sacrificed her own arm to get away from her, to get away from living, there was no way she could survive a fall of this magnitude she was sure.
She was shocked, she sat back on her haunches, still gripping the now useless dead arm of the woman who still managed to surprise her, even now. She had failed again, failed to save someone on this cursed train where she had once watched her mentor die at the hands of Alphard.
The memory faded, she watched a small bird land on the windowsill a moment, peck at a small bug and then fly off again. Her fingers twisted and snapped the tip of the sugar stick in her mouth, she turned back to her weapons once more.
Where would she find Alphard even, what threat was a woman with one arm now anyway? The question didn't hold much merit, Alphard was deadly and Canaan knew it, the question was, what was Alphard doing now, would she come for Canaan still dead set on revenge? She didn't know, only time would tell if they encountered each other again.