Chapter 11:

Flames

When Henri finally arose from his nap, everyone packed up the leftovers from their lunch. As they did, Mireille was shocked at herself. She realized she hadn't had any social contact with anyone, besides Kirika. She'd never done anything like this for many years. Probably, her last time was with her long-ago lover, but he died because of her being an assassin, and got in the way, much like how Milosh got shot for nothing in Kirika's dirty work. If she stood corrected, she hasn't recalled having to do anything with the outside world. And it felt weird and wrong to be doing it with two Soldats, and the one person she's always loathed, the killer of Kirika.

It struck her how much she had wanted to do something special with Kirika, like, probably having a picnic as well. Anything to make that girl smile more. But now, smiles like hers didn't exist anymore, now with her gone.

"Mommy, I have to go potty," whined Henri. He started hopping on his two feet, a look of constipation on his face.

"We didn't need to know that," pointed out Mireille.

Valerie pointed to a small building. "There's the rest area. Hurry up, sweetie."

Noir was not in the right mood. Not when they'd just figure out everything, all the reasons why everything had happened. In a way, it was Valerie's fault for not making it in time to save Mireille or Kirika. But she couldn't help it—she had wanted to find someone who cared about her, and she did. It was the Soldats fault for everything that led to beliefs of Noir. Because of Pierre and Deux, they were stuck with the hardest decision they've experienced so far: kill Henri and Valerie, or not? Or allow Altena to die?

Mireille had to let Chloe make up that decision herself.

Then it also struck her, why she would leave things to Chloe . . .

The blonde walked away, gesturing to Valerie that she needed a moment on her own. Chloe followed, knowing exactly what Mireille's reason was. A few yards from Valerie, they turned and stared at each other with firing questions.

Mireille sighed and said in a flat tone, "So, kill the only boy who's close enough to looking like Kirika, and that will allow Altena to live. Or save him, let Altena die, which ends Le Grand Retour and Noir. Which is it that you will choose, Chloe--ending our connection as Noir, which means end Altena's life; let our connection as Noir go on and kill the boy you've truly care for?"

Chloe didn't glare at her. Instead, she stared at the ground, struggling emotions battling inside her eyes. Her fists shook violently. Her breath shook as you could hear it breathing with unasked questions flicking off.

Mireille caught a glimpse of Valerie staring at her, worried, wondering, asking with burning, blue eyes. Mireille returned her attention to Chloe.

Chloe squeezed her eyes shut and then, a breath broke loose from her lips: "We kill them."

As much as both hated that decision, they didn't falter to the plan. As Mireille heard those final words, she closed her eyes, breathed heavily, and nodded. "If that's how it will be."

Chloe looked away, her eyes still shut, thinking about Henri . . . and Kirika.

Mireille sighed. "Let them walk ahead of us. Let them think we're arguing again and tell them to go on. Then, we'll execute the plan."

Chloe's shoulder collided with Mireille's once more as she strode past. Mireille watched after her, wondering, Who do you care about the most, Chloe? Altena or a boy--an innocent boy?

You should realize by now, that Kirika was only part of Altena's plan toward Noir. Altena used Kirika to motivate you to become Noir. She knew Kirika would sacrifice herself for me--why do you think Kirika went amnesiac and found refuge with me? Because Altena ordered for her to become amnesiac. Because of Altena, she also had you bond with Kirika shortly before Kirika was put in Japan, away from you, to strengthen your craving to be Noir with her.

You're going to save Altena, not Henri? Altena, the guilty one--Henri, the innocent one, along with Kirika . . . I wish I could tell you all of this, but you would hate me--kill me--and I wouldn't be able to keep Kirika's promise at hand.

Mireille's heart began to tighten, with the craving to mourn and burst. She sucked in air and followed Chloe back to Valerie.

After waiting one more minute, Henri came dashing back toward them--more like charging; he threw himself gently into Chloe, almost knocking her down. And hugged her. Chloe gasped quietly, looking down at him, arms still hanging at her sides. She stared at Valerie and Mireille. Valerie just smiled and shrugged, while Mireille just watched Chloe, as if telling her to do it back before they killed them.

Chloe's arms were hesitant to wrap themselves around Henri.

Henri snuggled his head against Chloe's stomach. "I can't wait when we play again tomorrow, Noir . . ."

Chloe held back tears, her eyes obviously sparkling from the tearing in her eyes.

Valerie gave a soft laugh. "C'mon, Henri, time to go home."

Henri let go and joined her side, grabbing her hand. "Right, Mommy!"

They began to walk away. Noir stood behind, watching with dim hope in their eyes, hands ready to retrieve their weapons. They surveyed the area around them to make sure no one was even around. Few pedestrians were strolling about, but they were already looking like they were leaving.

Valerie turned her head, her eyes asking. "Um, Noir, everything okay?"

Mireille smiled weakly. "Yeah. I just need to speak with Chloe for a moment. You go on ahead. We'll catch up."

"Just don't kill each other," jested Valerie.

The Soldat smiled warmly, then turned around and kept on walking, with Henri's small hand in her own. The two walking away, looked like such a tranquil, heartrending sight that it shredded Noir's black heart, piece by piece.

When they were far enough, Noir took one more check on the area population, before pulling out gun and blade.

Mireille just gawked beyond the black body of her gun, eyes fixed on Valerie. Her heart, her hands, her eyes, her breath, trembled with this burning feeling once more. She'd remember this feeling. She'd felt this feeling when she killed the flower woman from one of her first assassination missions with Kirika. The same woman, whom she felt she had a connection with, as if she knew the woman's pain; as if they were burdened with the same sins.

Henri's reflection bounced off Chloe's blade. She stared into it hard, hoping to find Kirika one last time in Henri's silhouette.

"I'm ready when you are," Mireille spoke softly. She knew what Chloe was going through. It was like the time when Kirika had begged Mireille to kill her in that cemetary. How haunting that was. The hammering, drumlike rain; Kirika's pleading voice that was in pain; the stones that marked the ruin of their friendship. How ironic that this day was so beautiful, unlike that day at the cemetary.

Next to her, Chloe was still admiring the back of Henri, as he and his mother walked away, unaware. Mireille noticed how shaken the blade was in Chloe's professional hands.

Mireille whispered calmly, "Chloe, I'm waiting."

Chloe was still shuddering with this overwhelming feeling.

Mireille ordered softly, "Chloe, you cannot falter. Not now. We don't have much of an opportunity . . ."

Tears fell from Chloe's eyes, and before Mireille could yell at her, she found her own tears soiling her skin.

They looked back at Valerie and Henri, only to their horror, found that they were staring back at them. Their eyes widened. Chloe, not sure what to do in a situation like this, dropped her throwing knife. Mireille, began to lower her gun, but in reaction, Valerie had already thrown herself in front of her own son to shield him. She whipped out her own gun from the back of her shirt, and aimed it straight at those who threatened her.

So, Chloe has truly made up her mind? All they had to do was to convince Valerie to lower her gun.

Just as Valerie pulled the trigger, Noir jumped aside to dodge it. Both Mireille and Chloe did somersaults to avoid injury. Then, they took up their weapons for the sake of defense. Both Mireille and Valerie aimed death holes at each other.

A loud explosion stabbed the air.

And behind Valerie, Henri fell.

It was a matter of seconds; Valerie screaming Henri's name . . . Noir staring with disbelief . . . Chloe aiming her blade at Mireille and swiping at her, who dodged and stepped back, blocking the point of the blade with her gun . . . Henri thudding softly to the ground . . . Valerie bending down in a swift moment to pick him up, eyes widened.

Then, another explosion sounded off, and Valerie's gun was flicked out of her hand. She stopped midway from reaching Henri's lifeless body, and stared up. After hearing the gun shot, Chloe stopped thrusting her blade at Mireille, and both Noir glanced Valerie's way.

Not far off in the distance, a woman in black stood, gun pointed, steam coming out from the recent fire. A woman in her late twenties, not much older than Mireille; a flow of brown hair lifting in the breeze, hazel eyes challenging Valerie's, a face with a small smirk.

And behind her was a group of Knights of Paris. Their white, smiley masks of plastic stared at Valerie and Noir.

Their faces brought Mireille reluctantly back into one of her terrifying night experiences. The roof top . . . so many white faces of the Soldats aiming fire at them . . . Kirika's demonic eyes . . . Chloe . . . the "final guidance to her past" . . .

Not needing to understand this sight, Valerie charged, screaming. What made Noir nervous was the fact that she was unarmed, charging blindly with rage after the death of her son. The Knights stepped in front of the woman to block her from Valerie's wrath. They drew out their guns and shot at Valerie. To Noir's astonishment, Valerie dodged gracefully, and swept past each enemy, and they fell to death's feet.

Mireille and Chloe watched, motionless. How was Valerie doing that?

Then they realized bullets were firing at them as well. Noir got to their feet and dodged, weapons ready. Mireille aimed and fired the shooting Knights. The rest of them were focused on stopping Valerie. Chloe jumped high into the air as if she'd been catapulting off a trampolin, and released a flurry of silver blades. Throwing knives found themselves in the necks or chests of each targeted Knight.

Valerie had already found her way toward the leading woman. With full, swift swings of her arms, she was thrusting every attack she could upon the leading Soldat. Giving up her gun, the leading Soldat drew out her own dagger, which reminded Mireille of the Intoccabile and her infamous sword. As Mireille took turns watching Valerie's fight and fighting her own, she was wondering how Valerie could have a chance against that dagger, and her own bare hands?

"Chloe, cover me. I'm going to help Valerie," ordered Mireille, as she kicked away a Knight.

Chloe was in a spar with another, dodging his hand-to-hand combat skills, and finishing him off with a swing of her dagger she occasionally used. "Why help her? It's her fight."

"Because it's our fault that she's now without a son." Mireille slide-tackled a Soldat, brought him to the ground, and shot him from there.

"But it wasn't you who shot that bullet," Chloe tried understanding. She leaped onto a Knight's shoulders as if he was giving her a shoulder ride. With her legs tightly wrapped around his neck, she flipped forward and brought him with her, cracking his neck.

"I don't care. I'm going. Besides, she's unarmed. Distract them--" Mireille dodged a Knight, who attempted a punch while a gun in his hand to add pain. As his arm flew by, she used her elbow to hit the neck of the gun, and it flicked out of his grasp. She caught it and used it against him. Then, she threw his gun to Chloe in case the girl needed it ("I'd prefer my knives," Chloe told her).

Chloe took off, plenty of blades ready. The Knights chased her, knowing she was the strongest out of Mireille and Valerie. Mireille took this advantage, and ran to get through another block of Knights to aid Valerie.

As panting and running feet rustled behind her, Chloe looked ahead. She found that the playground was a great advantage for her. They followed without hesitation, guns wielded. Chloe reached to the one spot where the rocking, fake ponies on springs were. Timing it right, she leaped far enough, landed on one, sat down hastily, bent back, and let the force of the bobbing pony catapult her into three Knights. She sent her knives into their throats. The remaining enemies aimed their guns or attempted punches. She dodged all effortlessly. She bounced off two Knights' chests and did a backward flip, her kicks pushing them to the ground.

Chloe fled, hoping this was all good enough to allow Mireille to help Valerie . . . her heart sunk, her eyes only seeing the motionless body of Henri. She took out another blade. This one is for Henri . . . and Kirika.

*************

Valerie unleashed a powerful kick at the woman. The woman ducked, and her blade aimed for Valerie's heart. Before Valerie could try a block or dodge, Mireille threw herself into Valerie and knocked them both down. They rolled, sprawled out in the grass, but jumped to their feet again. Mireille stole a glance at Valerie's hand . . . and realized that Valerie wore a small, silver ring with a sharp nail protruding from the ring, on her middle finger's nail. So that was the reason why she could kill.

Mireille gave a sinister glare at the female Soldat, who stared at her with a tilted head, eyes just studying Noir. She raised her blade, a blade that had square-shaped holes purposely designed into its silver steel.

"You're not quite what I expected, Noir," she said calmly.

She leapt in the air, dagger aimed down at Mireille and Valerie.

**********

Three more Knights pursued Chloe like clueless hounds. She reach-ed the normal sea-saws. She ran over to one side, while the Soldats, gunless this time, stood from across her on the other side. They drew out daggers.

Little did one of them know he was standing right over a little kid's sea-saw. Chloe saw that her side of the sea saw was raised. She lifted her flexible leg up, and stomped down, her weight bringing her side of the sea-saw, down. And the other side went up, smacking into the groin of the middle Knight. He screamed in pain, grabbing his pants, then slowly fell unconscious after Chloe threw her knife into his throat.

The two looked at their fallen comrade with shock, then looked up, only to find Chloe gone. They looked around in confusion and wariness. It wasn't long until they spotted the growing shadow beneath them. They looked up, the sun blinding them, but soon it was eclipsed by a falling figure that had used the swings as a launcher. Chloe flew down, landed her knees on both their chests, and casually struck her blades into their hearts. She flipped off before they fell dead.

**********

Valerie's arm glided past the woman, immediately tearing the black sleeve and inserting a painful line of red. As Valerie drew back, the Soldat woman shrank midway to her knees, clutching her arm, dropping her blade. Her arm started leaking with blood, along with stinging pain.

Mireille lowered her gun and joined Valerie's side, as they glared down at the murderer of Henri. By that time, Chloe ran and joined them, still keeping her cool and calmness in her motions--but the flare in her eyes burst when she saw the last of the Soldats there, grappling her injured arm from Valerie's claw.

"You Soldats are as pitiful as always," remarked Mireille, cocking her gun and aiming it at her captive to keep her still. "That's all you can do. Throw worthless Knights at us . . ." Her finger touched the trigger. The woman looked up with an angry glint in her eyes. Valerie and Chloe stared at Mireille impatiently, eyes that urged for her to get it over and done with--for Henri. Yet, Mireille didn't pull the trigger. She lowered her gun. She smiled, death written all over her face. "Don't worry, you won't die . . . yet. I'll leave that to Valerie--"

"Just shoot!" screamed Chloe. "She murdered Henri!"

"Not yet," Mireille told her sternly. Then, her eyes flicked back to the injured Soldat. She commanded, "Tell this Sir Salvas that we're ready. He can throw as many puppets at us as much as he wants, but we'll cut those strings. Tell him it's going to be over, very soon. After all, it's a big sin for a Soldat to turn on his own comrades . . ."

Valerie snatched Mireille's gun and aimed it at the forehead of their captive. "I DON'T CARE." Her lips were trembling, eyes watering, yet words of hatred flowed. "She killed my son . . . she killed my son--" Her eyes switched to Mireille and Chloe. "You tried killing my son and me--but why--?"

A bullet flew and it snapped the gun out of Valerie's hand. Valerie went down to her knees, holding her hand that got grazed by a bullet. Towering over her in defense, Chloe pulled out her gun and shot more Soldat Knights that had come as reinforcements. Noir didn't recall so many reinforcements coming this quickly. At the same time, the Soldats woman grabbed her dagger and fled, but Mireille lunged for her legs and knocked her to the ground. They fought on the ground; the woman bucked Mireille off her with her own legs, and kicked Mireille hard in the chest that Mireille thought she'd die.

Chloe saw Mireille struggle to get up on the ground, while their lead to Sir Salvas escaped through a wall of more Knights. The Knights fired, while some charged, but with different choices of weapons . . . burnt stakes.

One man swung his torch at Valerie, who jumped back and tried striking him. But the torch was a clever idea--who could go through flames without getting burnt? But Valerie was witty and clever; she lowered herself and slid her leg under the Knight, tripping him. Chloe joined her and shot him as he laid on the ground. The only threat to him being dead was the fact that he dropped the torch. Before the two could smother it, it had already spread, a wide ribbon of hellish fires roaring to the skies and licking the grass. Now, the flames rose higher like walking fire demons, forcing Noir to back up. Behind Noir, more Soldats appeared and trashed Noir's escape with fire.

More Soldats joined, but instead with guns, more torches. They all simply dropped the torches and backed up from the ring of fire that began to crust Noir. From behind the orange glow of the heat, the woman stood there, smiling.

"About time you returned to the depths of hell's fire," she taunted. Then, she turned around and walked away, three bodyguards joining her, while the rest made sure Noir didn't get out.

Chloe's gun had run out of magazines, so she dropped it, and took the one that had been sniped from Valerie's hand. She fired at the Knights on the other side of the fire. It was hard, though, for her to see due to the burning smoke in her eyes, the fowl smell that could bring one to unconsciousness, and the fact that the Soldats were a blurry vision behind the fire. It wasn't long until that gun was out of ammo as well.

Mireille looked through the licking arms of hell, seeing so many smiling masks at her. Haunting. Deadly. She closed her eyes, then began hacking at the clogging smoke in her throat. She tried covering her mouth with her hand, but that really was no use.

Behind her, she spotted Valerie running toward Henri's body, which was with them within the ring of fire. But she caught up and held Valerie by the shoulders, keeping her from going any further. Valerie tried reaching, screaming, fighting to get Mireille's hands off her.

"My son, he's--!"

"Burning up, that's what," Mireille sadly informed her. She tried pulling Valerie back. "Valerie, we have to go. The flames have already engulfed his body. I'm sorry--"

"MY SON!"

"VALERIE," shouted Chloe over the roaring of the fire. She coughed, but she managed to say, "We must escape if we are to live."

"Valerie, please," begged Mireille, turning Valerie to face her. Sorrow, pity, and guilt reflected in Mireille's faces as Valerie looked into them. "I'm sorry, Valerie. I'm sorry . . . but we can't afford to lose you now. Come . . ."

Valerie looked over her shoulder at the body of her son. Like a bed of ember, the green grass and the climbing flames blanket him. In despair, Valerie sadly looked at Henri's face among the flames. Mireille didn't allow her to look any longer, though; she pulled Valerie along as they joined Chloe. Chloe aimed a throwing knife up at a a telephone pole, which was nearby, only few feet from the outside of the ring of fire. The flying knife cut one line that held the telephone pole up. Chloe threw her lasts, which accurately cut the rest and the wooden beam collapsed, like a cut tree. Its body smothered some fire beneath it, leaving a bridge out of the ring. Noir hurried across it, and fled into the streets of Paris, which buzzed with the sound of fire trucks approaching; through crowds of people who watched the fire spread. Valerie's tears flew as they looked over her shoulders with her, at the fire, as hell took her son.