Lal cocked her rifle, taking aim at the target, a few meters away from her. The targeting range was pretty much deserted, except for her of course. It was raining. Most of the people on grounds would be inside, playing poker or something. Lal really doesn't have a taste for such games (Especially if it's strip poker), so here she is, out here. Firing her bullet, it landed with a dull thunk at the center of the target.

"Nice shot kora." Colonello's voice rang out behind her, nearly making her jump out of her skin.

"Colonello! What are you doing here?" Lal stood up, glaring at her ex-student and lieutenant.

"Strip poker." Colonello explained plainly, as Lal shuddered. Picking up her rifle again, she knelt down, taking aim. Colonello unslung his anti-tank weapon from his back, kneeling at the spot beside her, as she fired a shot, landing at the center again.

"You know Lal, I've been thinking kora. About why you ran away and about your dream and why you joined the military. Did you get traumatized as a child or something kora?" Colonello's words made Lal freeze, her last shot completely off target.

"Of a sort I guess." Lal murmured, Traumatized? It's way more than that. Lal thought, as she wordlessly reloaded her rifle.

"We have captured the perpetrator. Would you like to talk with him?" Lal sat in the dingy police station, along with the rest of the police station. An officer with a potbelly and a large moustache spoke with them, an impatient gleam in his eyes. Lal looked down. She never, ever wanted to see him again. She hadn't wanted to tell her parents either. She just wanted to forget, but she couldn't. It haunted her dreams at night, making her wake up screaming, not letting her have any sleep. She wanted to cast it into the past, but she couldn't, she had to face it. The harsh white florescent light beamed down on her. Her mother patted her head comfortingly.

"Thank you, but that's not necessary." Lal's father replied politely, rising from his chair. "Come on, let's go." He slipped his coat on as Lal and her mother rose too. Taking one last look at the police station, Lal walked to the car, and never looked back.

"Don't ask me. If you really want to know, go find out for yourself." Lal replied, as Colonello fired a shot, millimetres away from the middle.

"How do you expect me to do that kora?" Colonello complained, as he stood up, re-slinging the rifle on his back.

"That's the whole point. Figure it out for yourself." Lal replied coolly, firing a last shot before standing up as well, putting away the weapon she was using. Colonello laughed, putting his hands behind his head.

"I've got it kora. But one last question. It this connected to why you always shy away from me when I touch you?" Colonello's face turned serious, as Lal hesitated.

"Yes, it is." She replied, turning and heading back to the main building, making a mental note to knock before going into the break room.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"What? Why do I need to do the paperwork kora?" Colonello complained as another lieutenant handed him a giant box of papers, as he stepped into the office.

"Look who's talking. You were the one that got to do most of the field exercises." The one who handed Colonello the box shot back. "Those are the criminal profiles from five years ago. You just need to copy down the names, dates, criminal act, and involved personnel, including the victim, the applicable."

"Fine fine. Geez. Paperwork is so boring kora." Colonello grumbled as he dragged the box to a computer, still complaining as he booted it up. Little did he know that that box held some of Lal's darkest secrets.

Carolily: A shorter chapter this time desu~ Sorry, I was busy...

Colonello: You weren't busy kora! You were just chatting with people and talking to that pineapple head plushie! (Mukuro)

Lal: Well, to be fair, she did work on this for an hour...

Carolily: anyways, *Hugs Mukuro plushie* Reviews? Please?