At this point I really don't care for this story anymore. It's the first one I started, and I think its obvious. I've screwed up countless times, a result of poor planning on my part. I'll finish it for those of you who like it, and maybe someday I'll go through and edit it all, improve it. But not now. So this is the second-to-last post. Then I'm done. And I'll be able to move on to more stories, that I actually still care about. Thanks for reading.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, and I kind of wish I didn't own this plot...

Shizuru hung limply from the chain. Her eyes were wide with a horror no one would have believed possible, but her mask was broken, she could not even begin to piece it back together.

Natsuki…that was her…she knows…

"Your connection interesting," Smith was leaning on some crates a few feet away. "To think you can actually feel when she's in pain, when she isn't even nearby. Wow."

She couldn't muster any energy into sending him a death glare. She closed her eyes.

Natsuki! Please! I'm sorry I lied to you…I didn't…It was to protect you…no…no excuses. I'm sorry. I love you so much; please forgive me…please…


Natsuki was staring around at the weapons. After the initial shock, she'd lost it, flipped out, screamed as loud as she could.

Shizuru…how could…

Natsuki knew Shizuru's secret, and it made her sick.

How many innocent people? No. I can't think about this. I…I still love her…but this…

Natsuki was trying to get her wits about her, when Nagi appeared in the window.

"Ah, Natsuki, now you know." He grinned, "Well, part of it anyway, did you know she's not only a killer, but the most highly paid, number one assassin in Japan?" Natsuki was a statue as he continued. "Well, there's only one way for you to save her from herself…if you love her enough to anyway."

"What might that be?" Her voice was icy.

He grinned even wider, "Kill Smith."

"What?" Natsuki had expected him to tell her to work for him, or something evil along those lines, to which she could reply that he could go back to Hell and kick his ass.

"You heard me, kill Smith." Nagi opened the book he'd been carrying under his arm.

"Why?"

Nagi rolled his eyes, "Because Smith is keeping her locked in a warehouse a few miles from here. Kill him and you can rescue her and get on with your lives." His eyes returned to his book.

"Why would you tell me that?"

Nagi snapped his book shut with frustration. "Because I'm getting bored with this, and I'll never get to the end of my book with all these interruptions."

Before Nagi knew it, Natsuki had grabbed a katana from the rack next to her and swung it up to his throat. "Lets try this again, Nagi. What's your plan?"

"Ah-heh," "Well, now, I just really want to fin-" He stopped as the blade pressed slightly more into his neck, almost enough to cut. "Fine. The warehouse is a trap -obviously. Mr. Smith is expecting you to burst in and attempt to rescue your darling. It plays right into the plan."

"The plan?"

"Yeah," Nagi's eyes flashed, "It's too bad your smarter than you look. We could have gotten away with it, if it weren't for you meddling-"

"Oh shut up. Random pop-culture references don't belong in this story, Nagi." Natsuki interrupted, before he could finish. "Now tell me about the stupid plan or I'll cut your little head off."

Nagi was silent a moment, "I think you'll have to come up with a better threat, this one is just too…too…boring."

Natsuki frowned. She could cut his head off, but that wouldn't tell her what she needed to know. She glanced at the book clutched under his little stick arm. Her eyes widened. "It just so happens, Nagi, that I have read that book."

He frowned in confusion for a moment, then it dawned on him that she was going to spoil it, horror crossed his face, "No! It's really good! I want to find out by myself."

Natsuki plucked it from his grip, and opened to the page he had marked. "Oh! The next part is really good. See what happens is Elpha-"

"No! Fine I'll tell you! Just don't spoil it!" He squealed like a little girl, then calmed. "So, you were in a very bad motorcycle crash about a year ago…"

"Isn't this the part where the villain spoils his evil plan to the helpless hero?" Shizuru finally asked, preparing her mask, then glancing up at Smith.

"Oh, but I'm not the villain. Or, rather, you are not the hero." Smith said icily. "All the people you've ruthlessly murdered, you can't be a hero, you're too tainted. Though, I'd like to point out that you've been working for me all along, so I suppose, either way, we're on the same side."

"If we're on the same side, then why don't you unchain me?" She asked sweetly.

"Because I'm not an idiot." He rolled his eyes, "Besides, soon Natsuki will arrive and the two of you will begin your true employment."

"Is that so?"

"It is." He said smugly.

"Because I was thinking more along the lines of…oh, I don't know, escaping, and ending my career as a killer."

"You can't do that. You were born a killer Shizuru, trained from when you were very small to destroy all that's in your way."

"I can stop, for Natsuki. I can do anything for her." Shizuru's eyes blazed, "I think, that you shall be the last person I ever kill."

"Foolish girl-" Whatever Smith had been about to say was cut off as Natsuki burst through a window, shattering the glass. She hit the floor and rolled to her feet, lifting her arms, which held a pair of pistols. She pointed one at Smith, the other at the floor. "Just in time. Natsuki!" Smith smiled. He held up a small device. "I wouldn't shoot if I were you. If I trigger this switch, this device registers it, and trips an explosion. This building is wired with enough C4 to obliterate it completely. No escape, for any of us."

Natsuki's eyes were slanted razor thin, "Who said I was going to shoot you?" Her eyes fell on Shizuru.

"Natsuki..." Shizuru said softly.

"I am willing to negotiate the release of your lover." Smith continued.

"Shizuru, how could you?" Natsuki swung her other pistol up, and pulled the trigger, twice, three times. The first shot caught Shizuru in the arm, the second and third in the chest. Blood slowly trickled to the floor. Shizuru's body was limp.