AN: I know that everybody is waiting for the next chapter of 'What the future beholds' and it's on the way, but for some reason it doesn't go as quickly as I want to. On the other side, I finished watching Claymore only a few days ago, and liked it so much that I wrote this short fanfic about it. I don't know if there will be a continuation, I guess it depends on the respond I get.

So anyway, I hope you'll like it, have fun, and leave a review if you have a second!

A wooden table was in the middle of the room, with six chairs around it. The surrounding was completely dark, only a lamp was illuminating the furniture above it. It looked like the lamp was levitating in the air, since it was attached to nothing. On the chairs were six figures, all of them completely different. They had cards in their hands, it almost looked like they were playing poker. But on the table was a board, which almost looked like a chess board. However it was insanely detailed with forests, deserts and even cities, villages.

In front of one figure, who was wearing a knight armor and helmet, was a card on the table. It portrayed a woman in white outfit and wide shoulder armor. She wore a big sword on her back. There was a nameplate on the bottom of the card with the name Teresa inscribed. One couldn't see the figure's face because of the armor, but it appeared that he was really satisfied with himself. And at the same time curious.

At the opposite side of the table was another figure, who was dressed in some kind of aristocrat attire. He had a kerchief around his neck, which reached his chest, and a monocle. In front of him were four cards, each of them displaying similar women to the one the knight had. All the cards were shining slightly on the table.

Every figure around the table were concentrating on the board on the table. Most of them were curious, while some almost displayed a slight worry. All the other members had cards in front of them, some displaying other humans, some monsters. But they weren't glowing at the moment.

After a few moments, a confused expression showed on the aristocrat's face. Even the knight tensed up a bit. All of them felt, that power's were shifting. What they didn't notice yet, that one of the cards, that was face down on the table, began to glow slightly with red.

The cards in front of the aristocrat were glowing now yellow, some more than others. He grimaced seeing this.

-"Whats wrong?" chuckled the knight.

-"...Nothing. They are expandable." answered the aristocrat. All of them went back to watch the battle. However soon one of the four cards began to glow much stronger with yellow light than the others. -"That stupid girl is overworking herself..." just as he said this, all of his cards cracked a bit, and their yellow glow fainted.

-"It looks like it's over..." spoke another figure at the table.

-"No it isn't yet..." said another who had the card with red light.

-"He is right. I'm not going to let him get away with Teresa again. She is too annoying. We need her back in the army..." said the aristocrat. He was obviously thinking about something, and the knight could read from his face.

-"No, don't do that man. It's going to cause more trouble than it's worth."

-"There is only one way to find out.." grinned the aristocrat, and he touched one of the cards which's nameplate read Priscilla. The card instantly began to glow bright yellow. The knight just snorted and shook his head.

-"We should fight with them, not with each other." nodded the knight in the direction of the figure who had the red card. The figure just grinned.

All of them continued to watch the board, while Teresa's card began to glow yellow too. As seconds went by, the aristocrat's card began to illuminate red instead of yellow.

-"I told you." said the knight with a bit of satisfaction.

-"She can still turn back..."

-"No she can't" interrupted the conversation the one who had the faced down red card in front of him. He was still grinning. The aristocrat turned his head a bit sideways, then suddenly his eyes widened.

-"Oh you didn't..."

-"Yes I did." and just as he finished speaking, the card in front of the aristocrat dissolved, while the red card in front of the grinning man flipped over, revealing a female monster. It's nameplate read Priscilla too. Seconds later Teresa's card cracked, then exploded to a million shards. Soon after that did two other cards in front of the aristocrat do the same. However before the last one could do the same, the knight said loud. -"Time please!"

-"Oh, come on." grumbled the figure with the new Priscilla in front of him. The knight looked at the aristocrat, then on another figure beside him. All of them nodded in union.

-"We are asking for permission to use 'her'." said the knight loud.

-"No, that's not fair."

-"Shall we ask the game master?" just as the aristocrat asked this, another lamp switched on not far away from them. There was a raised chair under it, the type that's usually around pools. In the chair sat a tiny figure, almost perfectly spherical. It had glasses, and long white beard. It was holding a big book in his hands, which was now opened around the middle. The figure studied it intensively. All the people around the table was looking at the old man, they were waiting patiently. After a few minutes the spherical man spoke up.

-"The request is accepted, considering the power differences between the teams."

"But she is so OP..." cried the guy with Priscilla's card, while the knight and the aristocrat were grinning at each other.

-"Finally we can use her again..." said the third figure as a card appeared in front of him. It displayed a woman in black coat and red eyes. The nameplate read 'Seras Victoria'.

Seras opened her eyes. She was in some kind of cave, staring at the ceiling. She slowly looked around, and saw that there is an exit, since it was lit by the sun. Outside some kind of battle was going on, she could hear yells and clashing of swords.

-"Hm, I wonder why I was called this time for..." she thought as she got up from the platform she was laying. She wore the same black coat like many times before. She even found her yellow-tinted glasses inside one of her pockets, so she put them on. She walked out from the cave and regarded the battle going on before her.

There were two women fighting in white clothes and armor. But one of them was more like a monster, she burst out from her uniform, and her body was deformed. This monster like woman was kneeling in front of the other one, and cried, asking the other woman to end her life. Seras took out an apple from her coat, and began chewing on it while she watched the scenery curiously. She was waiting for the order, whose side should she take? Soon she got her answer.

-"Seras Victoria, it's a pleasure to meet you again." said a man next to her, who just appeared from thin air. He was wearing white cape wrapped around his body in Greek style.

-"Same here." answered Seras with a smile, not even surprised by the sudden appearance of the man. -"So, who am I with this time?"

-"The Claymore."

-"...I guess you aren't going to tell me anything else will you? In this case I'm going to have to ask them myself." said Seras with a bitter smile, then turned her head around, back to the fight. As she did this, the monster on the right got up, and with an untraceable speed, cut down the woman's hands and head on the left. Seras just raised an eyebrow, but didn't move. The monster crouched down, and began roaring. Some kind of unknown energy flowed out from her body. It was almost threatening to Seras. Just almost. When the roaring and the lightshow faded, a new monster stood there. This one was calm, but twice as big as before. It had wings, and was wielding a sword. It also had a big horn on it's forehead. Soon three more women appeared on the scene with similar outfits like the beheaded woman. However the monster didn't look too terrified, and didn't move at all when the women attacked it.

-"You should hurry Seras. The women are the Claymore."

-"Oh...Let me finish my apple first." answered Seras with a bored tone. There wasn't much left from the apple. As she continued eating, the monster finished off two of the three women with it's fingers. They stretched and like spears, penetrated their bodies. As the souls of the two women left their bodies, Seras finished with her apple. She sighted, and began walking. -"See you next time." she waved with one hand back at the man, who just rolled his eyes, then disappeared.

In the meantime, the monster turned to the last woman. Seras knew that she only has milliseconds to save the woman's life, but it was far more than enough for someone with her speed and power. Her shape blurred away the same time the monster began running.

For a human, both of them, Seras and the monster, were incredibly fast, but in reality, there was a humongous difference between their speed. For Seras it looked like a slow motion movie, while she walked past the monster, who was still not even half-way there. Seras casually walked in front of the crouching woman, who apparently was the last member of the team, and turned around to face the monster. It was rising it's sword high above, so Seras also raised her palm high above her head.

From the monster's point of view, a woman, that it didn't see before, appeared in front of it. She wore a black coat, and a satisfied grin on her face. But the monster didn't change it's plans, it didn't really matter if one or two lives are going to be ended by it's sword.

Irene was sure that her life is going to end here, when this woman appeared in front of her from thin air. The woman was standing with her back to her, and was holding one of her hands up above herself. She obviously wanted to block the attack with her bare hand! Irene knew, both of them are going to die in seconds, so she just shut her eyes tight. She heard the sword swing and come down on flesh. But as few seconds passed, and still nothing happened, Irene opened her eyes again.

Seras was standing there in the same position like before, and was smiling into the wide eyes of the monster. The sword collided with her palm, but she stopped it without effort, the sword couldn't even wound her palm.

Irene couldn't believe her eyes. This woman stopped an Awakened One without any effort at all! Who was this woman? How powerful was she?

-"Listen..Priscilla" -said Seras after a quick glance above Priscilla's head-" I just woke up, and have no intention with playing you around. So would you be so nice, and just leave these people alone, including that little girl?" Priscilla was just staring into the eyes of this mysterious woman.

-"How do you know my name?"

-"You don't need to know that now. Do you leave, or should I kick your ass first?" asked Seras with obvious threat in her voice. She tilted her head a bit, and looked at the monster from above her glasses, so Priscilla could see her crimson eyes.

'Did I see fear on Priscilla's face?' thought Irene.

-"...I'll leave. But at least let me know your name woman." said Priscilla after some seconds.

-"I'm Seras. It was a pleasure meeting you." answered Seras with a smile. However she watched Priscilla's each step to make sure, she doesn't try anything funny. The monster walked away with her sword still in her hand. She walked past Clare, the little girl who until now was watching the scenery with fright in her eyes. Clare was Teresa's little friend till now. For her Teresa was family, and now she lay dead on the ground. Tears ran down her cheeks as she ran to Teresa's head, and hugged it tightly.

Seras was watching her with sadness in her eyes. Then she looked down at Irene. -"Are you alright?" Irene just nodded. -"Good." finished the one-sided conversation Seras, then walked to Clare. She knelt next to her.

-"What are you planning little girl?" for a few seconds Clare didn't answer, because she was busy swallowing her tears. When she was able to speak again, she answered.

-" I'll revenge Teresa."

-" I thought so..." said Seras, then she remembered something. She took out a black card from under her coat, and held it out for Clare to take.-"This will help you reach your goal. Give it to the man who will make you stronger." said Seras smiling. As Clare took the card, she examined it. It was a pure black card, but she couldn't determine what material was used to make it. On one side, there was a shield painted on it, with chessboard pattern inside the shield's edges. On the shield was a crying eye. Clare didn't understand a thing, but she wasn't going to refuse anything from a woman who could scare a Yoma away. As she reached for the card, a necklace slipped out from her cloth and hang right below her head. It was a simple metal circular plate.

-"You have a nice necklace..." said Seras a bit surprised. -"I can't believe it's still in one piece." seeing the confused look on Clare's face made Seras laugh. Her laughter wasn't like a monster's, it was tinkling, like a small river flowing down on rocks in a summer afternoon. Her laugh was sincere, nothing offending. Clare wasn't as afraid from her anymore, she even smiled a bit. -"Well, then, see you later." waved Seras as she walked back to her cave. Both Irene and Clare were dumbfounded by this powerful and at the same time strange woman.

The people avoided Clare as she walked through town with Terese's head in her hands. But she didn't really mind, she was lost in her thoughts, and was busy with her bereavement. She was thinking about that odd woman, Clare was still holding her card in her hand. Soon Clare reached the deserted area, but she just kept walking. After a few minutes she saw movement in the corner of her eye. As she turned her head, she saw a man dressed in black coat and a wide-brimmed hat. He had a beak and glasses on his face, and a never fading smile. He was waiting for Clare to come closer.

"Please, plant Teresa's flesh inside me!" she said, and stretched out her hand with Teresa's head and the card sticking out from under it.

"What is that?" asked the man curiously as he noticed the black card.

"I got it from a woman who saved me."

The man took the card, and looked at it. When he recognised the emblem, his face went even paler, if that's even possible. He even looked at the card, when it burned to ash in his hands. The flames didn't hurt him, it was just a signal, that the card arrived it's destination.

'This can't be...' he thought 'The Watcher returned! I only read about it...' he looked at Clare 'So this girl is under the Watcher's protection.'

"Well, little girl, I'm sure that we can help you." he answered at the end with a faint smile.