Atrophic Assassins

Chapter 4


Miyu smiled to herself and opened her door. Just as she was about to walk in she heard something very familiar in the hallways. The voice of Fox…and Krystal?

She had to investigate this…her curiosity was too much to bear without knowing what the two were talking about. It was nothing new to Miyu that Krystal liked Fox.. She had known about this instructor/student crush thing for quite a while now. Miyu peered around a corner and saw Krystal walking down the opposite end with Fox next to her. Her tail was playfully brushing against Fox's but he didn't seem to notice…or maybe he didn't mind. And as usual Fox had his shades on…he never seemed to go anywhere without his shades. She had once asked him why he never took them off, his simple but confusing reply had been, "If I took them off then I wouldn't be able to teach you."

Miyu didn't understand what Fox had meant…but something told her that she didn't want to understand. After roughly 10 years of living among fellow assassins Miyu had come to learn that some things are best left alone and that some things just shouldn't be brought up.

She had learned this the hard way. Ever since that day that she had met Sam the panache panther, Miyu had developed some sort of crush on him. She had loved the way that he carried himself…she had loved the way that his voice sounded so deep and powerful…she had loved the way that he always tried to teach her new things. But those days were long gone.

Indeed, it only just felt like yesterday that he had left her now that she reminisced on the past once more.

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One day Sam had come to Miyu early in the morning and had whispered to her that he had to leave. Miyu wanted to know why but Sam had only shook his head and said that he had learned a terrible truth and couldn't be seen near her anymore.

"Sam? What are you doing in my room this early? And why are you dressed for travel?"

"I must go very soon-

"Where to?"

"Someplace far from here."

"Will you return?"

...

"No...I have just recently been delving into some of this facilities benefactors as well as its employers and I found out some terrible truths. I can't stay here much longer so I plan to leave today."

"Take me with you Sam. I want to come with you too."

"No Miyu! I can't be seen near you or around you. It would only put you in more danger...and I don't want that."

"But why?"

"I can't tell you Miyu...because if you knew then that would make you dangerous and then They would have to take you out."

"Who is They?"

"They are a small group of powerful individuals who you don't want to get involved with. Now I don't have much time left so I decided to drop by your room for a second. I now see that this course of action was not wise."

As Sam turned to walk out the door Miyu jumped from her bed and landed in front of Same, graceful as a cat and as quick as a preying mantis.

Sam smiled at this and procrastinated his leaving.

"You've gotten so much stronger since the first time I met you Miyu. I never really got the chance to watch you grow since I've always been on hits. You've grown so much..."

Sam reached out and caressed Miyu's left cheek. She looked up into his blue irises and stepped in closer.

"Sam...I don't know if I can continue on in this life without the reassurance of your steady gaze on my back. Who will be there to protect me?"

"You've got Krystal. I've got more faith in that feisty girl than any other assassin that we got in this community." Sam closed the gap with a step of his own.

"But I want you..." Miyu almost said in a whisper, and after this she stared at the ground.

Sam reached his paw under her chin and lifted it to where she was forced to stare back at his face. His blue eyes searched her purple eyes.

"You will always have me Miyu."

Sam suddenly moved in for the unexpected kiss. Miyu's tail shot straight up into the air and she had a slightl hiccup before melting into the kiss. Sam held their kiss together by caressing her face with both of his hands. Then he let go and disappeared from Miyu's sights. She only took a second to snap out of her trance but that was enough time for Sam to make his escape. When she caught a hold of her bearings and rushed out into the hallway, Sam was already gone.

Later that day as Miyu was going about her usual daily training, she noticed that Fox was staring at her intently. Miyu wanted to ask Fox some questions but before she could reach Fox he had fled with the crowd of other higher ranking assassins.

Miyu was hurting on the inside, she wanted to know where Sam had run off to so she tried to contact Fox all day. But whenever she tried to get in touch with him it seemed as if he was trying to avoid her. No matter what she did Fox seemed to completely stray off of her "radar".

Finally as the day ended Miyu had waited outside his office door and cut Fox off from entering his room.

"Fox…I want to know where he is."

Fox played the innocent act. "Where who is Miyu?"

"Don't play games with me Fox…I know that you know about this already."

Fox dropped his act and ran his paw through his white hair.

"I…I don't know what to tell you Miyu."

"Tell me where he went."

"I'm afraid that I can't do that Miyu…listen to me…it's better if you just don't ask and forget about him."

"I want to know where Sam is!"

"I can't let you suffer Miyu."

"JUST TELL ME WHERE HE WENT!" Miyu screamed at Fox…then, surprisingly, she attacked him.

He seemed prepared though and was easily able to counter her move, twisting her arm around her own neck and choking her lightly.

Then as Miyu struggled Fox whispered in her ear, "Do you really want to know what happened to Sam?....Do you think that you can handle the truth?...Some things are best left untold" Then pausing before continuing, "you would be much better off if you just dropped this subject altogether."

Miyu stood deathly still after thinking to herself but she wouldn't believe the truth…couldn't believe the truth…until someone confirmed it.

"Just…tell me."

"I don't want to be the cause of your pain so I'll just show you."

Fox took Miyu by the hand and then led her to his office. Inside his office there were other more "prestigious" members of the assassin society gathered round a table whispering amongst themselves. They all stopped and turned to stare at the intruder: Miyu.

"What is a rogue doing here?" One of the senior assassins asked.

"These details shouldn't be revealed to a second year rogue." A SS rank assassin said.

Fox defended Miyu throughly.

"She was a close friend of Sam...I felt that she should at least know what happened to him, if nothing else."

After a prolonged pause they parted to let Miyu and Fox through.

On the table there were a three pictures. One of these pictures had an image of a dead falcon in it. The falcon had been shot through the head by some large caliber round. In the second picture there was a similar picture except this one had a lion in it. The last picture forced Miyu to gasp and tremble in her knees. She felt her throat go dry and her world shatter around her as she looked upon the truth. It was common sense to know that Sam was dead…but her mind had just now registered it since Fox had so blatantly shown her. It was a dark panther lying face down in the pavement, a couple meters away from the city exit; his head torn in half from the same large caliber round that had claimed the lives of its two previous victims.

The SS rank assassin nodded and then ordered Fox to take Miyu away.

As Miyu walked away her sensitive ears picked up the sentences of, "Our poor brethern, murdered-

Miyu dropped to the floor as soon as Fox had released her. She began to cry…just like that time when Fox had first found her. Just like the time when she had nothing else…

Miyu was heart-broken and thought that she had nothing left once again, but a certain someone reminded her that she still had one person left: Krystal.

Krystal comforted Miyu through the entire week of depression. She had been there to help Miyu get back on her feet.

Now Krystal was the only closest friend that she had left. Krystal was the only family that she had left.

...--==-----....

Although, it is strange how friends and family can turn on each other in the blink of an eye…how very strange.

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