A/N: and it keeps on coming xDD haha how's everyone? Have not started studying yet and exams are in a few days ==

CHAPTER 3

The girl's eyes fluttered open. She stared motionless at the dark ceiling. The room was dimly lit by a slit of light seeping in through the heavy curtains. She lifted her head slightly to gaze at the large, unopened and crinkled envelop that laid tossed on her study table from the previous night. The girl let out a heavy sigh as she laid her head back onto the pillow. She raised her injured hand. Dried blood had crusted the injury. Sighing again she got up and dragged herself to the bathroom.

She turned on the hot water and removed her black tank top and sweatpants. Steam enshrouded the small, dimly lit bathroom but she could faintly make out her reflection in the large mirror. She stared at her small but toned body. There were scars everywhere, both from training and from missions. They weren't proud battle scars that served to make people to feel intimidated but instead they reminded her of horrible memories of death and failure. After all, she did not get what she wanted the most. She leaned against the sink and cursed.

She shuffled out of the bathroom and across the carpeted room to her wardrobe. Her room was bare except for a large bed with grey sheets, a small wooden wardrobe and a bare study desk with a single lamp, some books on the shelves that hung above it and a slim grey laptop. The room was almost seemingly too big for the tawny haired girl but nevertheless, it didn't bother her at all. The girl removed the towel that clung to her small figure and threw it onto the unmade bed. She got dressed into a fresh tank and leathered jeans and sat down on the bed to pull her heavy boots on tight. She grabbed the yellow bandanna and frowned at it before tying it around her neck. She then pulled her bangs into place with her yellow hairband and tugged her leathered gloves into place. Her right one was still torn from the wall she had punched, revealing her grazed knuckles.

She walked to the large window and peeked through curtains. The sun had already risen. But the dormitory area was dark. Nobody had drawn their curtains. Nobody ever draws their curtains. Only an idiot would. By drawing ones curtain, one becomes an easy target to all. The girl let the curtain fall back into place before she made her way to her desk. She picked up the crinkled enveloped and stared at it before lifting the folds and taking out the documents inside.

The girl's eyes widened but then frowned as she scanned through the paper. Her next mission…her next mission…. was a girl not older than her, in fact it looked like she was around the same age as she was. She flipped through the document- files on her background info, personal attributes and there was a USB stick that came with it.

The girl opened her laptop and stuck the stick in. On it was the entire info database of people involved in the girl's life.

"So this is my next mission", the girl whispered quietly to herself as she leaned back on her chair.

Was it an assassin? What did this girl do to end up on the government's extermination list?

"Wait…"mumbled the girl as she scanned the instruction sheet.

"This is…."

Suddenly the girl's attention turned to the door. She immediately shoved the documents back into the envelope and opened her top draw swapping the envelope with her M9 handgun and stealthily made her way to the door.

Knock, knock.

"Who is it?" The girl asked, holding her gun close to her as she leaned against the door.

"0215, the Commander wishes to speak with you and he also wanted to give you this", a young man spoke.

The girl shoved her gun into the holster at the back of her pants and opened the door. The young man gave her a small envelope that seemed to contain some sort of card and walked off. The girl closed the door and made her way back to her desk. She opened the white envelope and took out a card. It was a key card to some place. She opened the top draw and took out the documents again. She looked at the girl's picture once more and frowned. She had long, flowing raven hair that flowed down past her slim waist, her blue-grey eyes were warm but gave off a sense of timidness and she had a shy smile. Something about that girl was really familiar. It was as if she had seen her somewhere.

"Akiyama Mio", the girl uttered.

There was a familiar ring to the name too but the girl could not remember.

Ha, the girl smirked, she was thinking too much. The smirk soon turned a frown when her eyes landed on the instruction sheet.

Hmph, why? The girl thought to herself. She tidied the documents up and shoved them back into the envelope again. She closed her laptop and grabbed her leather jacket that hung around the back of her chair. She swung it over her shoulder and tucked the envelope under her other arm and left the room.

"I refuse this mission", the girl stated boldly as she chucked the envelope onto the Commander's desk.

The Commander stood gazing out the wide glass windows and down at the city. He was a large man with white hair, a short boxed beard and bushy-caterpillar like eyebrows. He wore a black military like uniform with gold lining.

"Sir, did you hear what I said?" The girl said irritated.

"Yes, I did." The Commander said calmly, turning around to face her.

"And may I ask why?"

"This is not what I want", the girl said.

"Oh? And what is it that you want?" asked the Commander.

"What I want? Isn't it obvious what I want? I have shown you what I wanted these past few years and you still don't know what I want?! And yet you refuse me every time after time!" the girl growled in anger.

She was angry, she was really mad. Was giving this assignment to her a joke?

"You know, 0215, these assignments aren't negotiable. But of course whether you accept is your choice. But defying an order will be punishable in a very serious way. After all, this is the 'Boss' you are dealing with."

"I don't care whether this is an order from the 'Boss' or the government if that's who the 'Boss' really is, but this mission is absurd. I am an assassin not a bodyguard. You want me to protect this girl when I kill for a living! If she needs protection she should've gone to some protection organisation! And of all people why me?! And of all people why am I be paired up with him?!" The girl shouted, pointing at the door.

"Hmm?" the Commander questioned, raising one of his bushy-caterpillar eyebrows.

The girl grabbed the handle of the door and flung it open, revealing the guy with short, spiked platinum blonde hair.

"Ahaha… looks like I was found out", the guy laughed guilty, flashing a wide smile.

"As expected from a girl with the hearing of an owl and vision of an eagle" the guy said giving the girl the thumbs up.

But the girl glared at him with so much intensity he retracted immediately.

"What are you doing here?" said the Commander.

"I saw 0215 walking so I decided to follow her", the guy smiled guilty again.

"This is none of your business, you're lucky I didn't pull my trigger on you." The girl hissed.

"whoa, whoa chill down will ya? as a matter of fact since I am here I might as well say what I want to say". The guy said.

"Oh? And what might that be?" The Commander asked.

"I wish for a change in partners too" the guy exclaimed.

"What?" the Commander and the girl exclaimed at once.

"Since this mission is based on partnership and 0215 and I obviously do not get along, I believe a change in partners would do. We will still complete the task, just on a different measure." The guy explained.

"You kids are getting bolder and bolder each time. But I'm afraid I cannot allow it. There was reason to why you to were put together on this task. Normally partners are selected from within their own ranks but this mission is a confidential one. Only a handful of people know of this mission and a lot of thought was put into selecting the candidates to complete this task. Despite the fact 0215, you are still A Rank, you two are the organisations top and most accomplished assassins. You have come further than any assassin, including myself. Therefore it is vital and I repeat, vital, for you to keep this mission a secret and therefore there shall not be an addition of partners. Do I make myself clear?" The Commander clarified.

"Yes Sir!" 0214 nodded

The Commander glanced over at the girl who still stood by the door. Her hands clenched tightly together in a fist making her knuckles turn white.

"0215", the Commander said gently

The girl turned her body and without lifting her head she nodded.

"Yes Sir", she muttered quietly.

"0215", the Commander repeated

The girl lifted her head to look at the Commander. Her face was expressionless and her hazel eyes were as cold as the night.

"There was a reason why I called you here today. I know you have been struggling all these years to be the best but there was always someone else who was better. I have always told you that you lacked something everyone else had. This mission may help you uncover what you lack. If you complete this task well, the next Platinum Rank member may be you."

A hint of surprise was shown in eyes. She opened her mouth slightly to speak but closed it again after a few seconds.

"Hey, that's cool" the guy exclaimed, smiling.

He walked up to the girl. He was almost a head taller. He raised a hand and placed it on her shoulder.

"I'll help you. Don't worry"

"You two should get some training done and get an early rest. Tomorrow you start." The Commander explicated.

The girl shrugged him off and walked up to the desk and grabbed the creased envelope, tucking it under her arm her walked out of the room, her heavy boots tapped faintly on the white, marbled tiles.

"I'm counting on you", the Commander called out

"I guess that's my queue to leave too", the guy laughed as he bowed and left the room to follow the girl.

"This should be interesting", the Commander murmured as he smirked at the thought.

"A Platinum Rank to her if she survives, a corpse won't be much of a help".

GAH! End of chapter haha… this chapter was pretty long and a bit useless I think but I needed something, a conflict of some sort :/ mmm ah well… tell me what you guys think!

The next chapter should be interesting… I think haha it's coming along… slowly… very slowly I need to start preparing for exams again very important… ok