Disclaimer : Nope. I don't own GA.


A/N : I'm back! Well..sort of. None of my multi-chaptered stories will be updated now, but I might post a few new one-shots/drabbles. It depends. No matter how many times I try to push ffn out of my life, it just pops right up and hits me smack in the face. I guess I just love writing a bit too much, haha. This is probably a bit rusty(since I haven't written for so long) and it's different from my other stories. I honestly don't know where I got this from, it just popped into my head. (I can't believe this. I had a writers' block for months! And this just pops into my head?! The audacity!)

This one is for Alexxis and Kath, because they are truly great and have kind of helped me get out of this deprived state I've been in. Thank you guys :)


To Kill the Messenger

~(*)~

If one were to ask Misaki Harada what she enjoyed doing the most, she'd give them the obvious answer, or well, obvious in her case.

She liked to exterminate her enemies.

Yes, one would find that quite strange and some would even consider it as a hyperbole. Misaki was known for overstating her views and thoughts, but contrary to popular belief, her interest or rather, her passion for exterminating her enemies was not an exaggeration. Nor was it a metaphor.

It was the truth.

Her policy was quite simple. Objectively speaking, of course.

If she saw someone who was not on her side, she'd snap their neck. Or put a bullet through their skull. Or stab them with her dagger. Basically, she'd do whatever she fancied at that moment.

And she didn't mind.

Yes, the first two kills or perhaps, the first four kills had been somewhat strenuous and excruciating. Misaki wasn't familiar with the task of ending another's life. She wasn't used to seeing the pain reflecting from their eyes. She had never felt such complex emotions rushing through her. Furthermore, she wasn't used to the sharp thrill she felt whenever she killed someone from their side.

It disgusted her at first. How could she feel so alive when she was taking away someone else's life? Granted, the people she had killed were evil, malicious; the list could probably go on, but, what right did she have to kill them?

In fact, what right did anyone have to kill another human being? To Misaki, killing was unfathomable. She just couldn't get it. But on the 17th of July, the night when Rui was killed, Misaki understood.

She understood everything.

This was war.

Everything is allowed during a war.

Did it make sense that little children who were barely of five years were being held as hostages? Did it make sense that the Academy was bombed, killing about three hundred students? Did it make sense that everything that happened for the past year was because they had a rat amongst themselves?

Yes. They had a rat. A messenger.

Someone was telling Kuoniji about all of their plans. It was one of their own people. It just had to be. No one else could've gotten information that deep. Only someone from inside could have.

So when Shiki offered Misaki, their best assassin to kill the Messenger, she accepted without a moments delay.

She wanted to kill the Messenger.

And she knew just how she was going to do it.

~(*)~

"Damn it, Shiki."

Those three words were the only things which disrupted the otherwise eerily quiet atmosphere. It was so silent that not even the commotion from the bustling Tokyo streets could be heard nor the occasional howls of the street dogs. In fact, the wind didn't even make its signatory whooshing sound which it was known to make during the winter season. It was all silence. Complete and thorough silence.

Misaki huffed impatiently and watched a small puff of air form due to the cold weather. She pulled her black leather jacket around her, trying to secure her body temperature.

"You're positive that he'll come?"

"Absolutely."

"How can you be so sure?"

"We've made Kuoniji a deal that he cannot refuse."

"But—"

"He'll come. Mark my word."

Misaki scoffed bitterly. It was already quarter past two in the night and yet the Messenger had still not arrived. She didn't know how long she'd have to wait there, crouching in a corner, enshrouded by a gorge of trees. She could feel her left leg becoming numb due to immobilisation and she was absolutely positive she felt something creep up her thigh.

She clenched her teeth and shut her eyes. She was here for a reason. She couldn't give up now, just when she was this close to killing Rui's murderer. Muttering words of encouragement to herself, Misaki straightened up. With her line of view directed towards the small food kiosk, Misaki waited patiently for what seemed like eternity. After waiting for another hour, she decided that she had enough. Shiki had obviously been wrong about the whole thing. The Messenger wasn't going to come, not now, not ever. It was clearly a false alarm.

Misaki let out a frustrated sigh as she got up from her crouching position. She rolled her neck and was about to let out a yawn when she heard a faint crunch of leaves.

Immediately, her year and a half worth's training kicked in and her body was in full alert mode. She straightened out against the tree trunk and from the corner of her eye, watched as a black hooded figure approached the food kiosk.

She grinned maliciously.

So the Messenger had come.

From where she was a few hundred yards away, Misaki could still tell that the Messenger was a man. He had shoulders which were far too wide to suit a woman and the way the he walked certainly resembled the gait of a male.

She watched as he made his way over to the kiosk, not bothering to check his surroundings. He was obviously very confident that nothing would happen to him. He'd just have to pick up the package, give it to Kuoniji and return back to the Academy like everything was normal. Or just as normal as it could be during a war.

Without wasting a second, Misaki drew out the dagger from her thigh sheath and silently made her way to the kiosk. She was meticulous and unlike the Messenger, she did not step on any of the leaves or twigs. Her years of training had definitely paid off.

The Messenger was on his knees, digging up the ground beside the kiosk. Either he was completely incompetent or surprisingly stoic, because he did not even stir in the slightest when Misaki pointed the dagger right at his throat.

"Get up," she hissed lowly, the dagger sinking into his flesh. She could see small drops of blood erupting from where she had pierced him and the mere sight of it made her exuberant. "Get up, you filthy animal."

It was only when she had called him a filthy animal that the Messenger stiffened. Up till then, he had continued digging up the soil, dismissively ignoring the fact that he had a knife to his throat.

"I said, get up!" She growled fervidly, increasing the pressure of the dagger on his throat. "If you don't, I'll kill you in a second!"

She heard the faintest of chuckles. "Weren't you going to do that, anyways?"

Misaki narrowed her eyes. How did he know that? Granted, he did have a knife on his throat but... for all he knew, she could just be some random mugger.

She decided not to answer his question. She didn't see the need. He'd find out soon enough.

"Get up," she hissed again for what seemed the millionth time, "get up so I can see just who I'm dealing with."

The Messenger did as he was told and then spun around to face Misaki. She was disappointed to see that his face was covered by a hood.

"Put down your hood." She told him, still pointing the knife at his throat. "I want to see your face."

"Do you really?" He asked lowly, the sound sending shivers down her spine for some unfathomable reason.

She nodded.

A low chuckle erupted from his lips. "Promise me that you won't scream."

And before Misaki could even roll her eyes at that, he spun her around and captured her lips with his; all in one swift movement. Misaki's eyes widened with utter disbelief and the dagger in her hand lay momentarily forgotten. She tried to push him away but he was so so much stronger. One of his hands was snared securely around her waist and the other one was on her left cheek. She honestly tried not to respond to the kiss but oh gods, it was simply mind boggling and so..familiar. She opened her mouth almost instinctively as she felt his tongue flicker across her bottom lip and moaned sinuously at the feel of it in her mouth. She didn't know how long the pair of them went on like that, him kissing her and she much too enthusiastically responding. But then reality jolted through her.

He was the Messenger.

He was the reason why Kuoniji knew everything!

He was the reason why Rui died!

And without further ado, she brought up her dagger and with all her force, stabbed it through his back. She knew that he'd die within minutes. The dagger had plunged through the most vulnerable spot in his back. The effect of it was almost immediate. His lips were gone from hers in a flash and a cry of anguish exploded from his lips. He fell down onto his knees and started coughing.

"I didn't scream," Misaki smiled sardonically as she bent down on her knees. "Now show me your face, I want to see who the Messenger really is."

The Messenger didn't say anything, his gaze was fixed solely on the ground.

Misaki sighed impatiently. "Come on now, you're about to die anyways. Would it make a difference if I saw your face?"

"Yes," he replied quietly, his voice cracking. "It would."

Misaki snorted. "Since you're so bent upon not removing that damned hood, I'll do it myself." And with that she reached out to pull down the black hood.

And this time, she actually screamed.

"You...you..." she sputtered, her face absolutely panic-stricken. She couldn't breathe properly, it felt as if someone had forced her to run around Tokyo and then go up a flight of stairs.

He gave her a sad smile. "You promised me that you wouldn't scream."

And before she could do anything, he gave one final cough and fell.

Misaki sat frozen.

Her task had been simple. All she had to do was to kill the Messenger.

But no one had told her that she'd have to kill her lover.

~(*)~


Yes, I know it was pretty abstruse and that I didn't mention details such as the offer Shiki was talking about and such. I'll let you guys wonder about that yourself :)

Reviews would be lovely :)

Carolle Royale