The Assassin

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

Chapter 21 (So Long)

"Listen, this has to end, it's gone on far enough." Trina paced the floor, talking to the Caller on the phone. "My Dad's hurting as it is, and this is going to drive him crazy." The phone call sounded as though there was no one on the other end, so she checked to see if the line was connected.

It was. "It's not over until they pay. They all must pay. I want you to kill them, and make them feel the pain we went through." Trina rolled her eyes and dropped her forehead into her hand.

Jason's passing still hurt, but she regretted the murders. Some didn't deserve to die. If anything, the only one she thought needed to have the assassin's justice was the Caller, but she could never bring herself to kill them. It was less of a matter of being strong enough than it was a matter of care.

Trina could easily take out the Caller, but she loved the Caller like family. She could see the psychotic nature in the person, and knew there was a line that had been crossed; so neither of them could be saved.

"One last kill." Trina straightened her back and narrowed her eyes. "I will only take out one final target, then I'm done."

"No. I need you." She closed her eyes and held her breath. The Caller started to gasp and whine. "We're in this together." As though the Caller had the emotions to produce anything beyond crocodile tears, she knew better. It was true the Caller cared for her, and maybe she was the only one they cared about, but the killing spree had to end somewhere or else it never would.

She sighed huskily and spoke firmly, still reeling from seeing Robbie's body in the cave. "I'm done. You crossed a line when you killed Mom and when you slaughtered Robbie. You know I'm half tempted to tell you to take out your last targets, this has become more of a revenge game for you than it is for me."

"Think about Jason, and what that bitch did to him. Think of all the times they've hurt you in the past. You want this."

"Yeah, maybe I wanted it, but that was before. Andre may have deserved justice, and his Grandmother most certainly did, but some of your targets didn't deserve to."

"We're in this together. You and me, we'll survive and escape together. We'll go to the Bahamas, to Spain, to anywhere in the world. You and me. You have to do this. Take them out. Jade and Beck, or just Jade if you want. I don't care, I only want them to suffer."

Trina paused for a moment, glancing off to the side and raising a finger over her chin. In the distance was Jason's gravestone, fresh with a bouquet of flowers. Her heart broke and filled with a new and different anger.

Jade had only been stupid, and she suffered enough all her friends. Beck hadn't done anything wrong either. Trina knew Jade was remorseful for what she had done, and while Trina could never forget the pain or trust Jade, she could forgive the girl.

She had a new desire within her, but wasn't sure how to pull it off. "Will you be there?" Trina asked with a low and quiet voice. "Will you watch this one? It's more for you than me. I'm only an extension of your hand."

At her hips were the two swords; the wakizashi and the katana, justice and vengeance combined. She had little need for vengeance anymore, so she could remove herself of the katana. Justice, however, was still necessary.

Justice for everyone that had been decimated in the wake of her anger and the Caller's orders.

"You want me there for this?" The Caller sounded astonished that she would suggest something like that, and they were right to be. All this time Trina wanted to protect the Caller and refused to let them on the scene of the crime.

"Things are different now." Trina's hand tensed on her phone and she looked up as the bitter wind caressed her cheeks. "This is your key target, after all. Maybe you want to watch my handiwork?"

"I'm almost honored you would ask me to be there. You've never let me, but yeah, I'd love to be there. I'd love to watch." Trina smirked a moment and nodded in reply. "Now, when and where will this be? You will tell me won't you?" She had only thought of this being with Beck and Jade together, but not when.

"I know I'm going to do it with the couple together. I don't know where. Maybe I'll guide them to Hollywood Arts. The cafeteria tables outside."

The Caller was more naïve than intelligent, though not to say they weren't intelligent. Already, the Caller would have to know a murder like this wasn't in the style of the Assassin. It was too open, too public.

"The school's closed down." The Caller breathed in slow and hummed softly. "Lure them inside the school and do it there." They chuckled low and Trina raised an eyebrow. "How appropriate, let them taste vengeance where it all started. Lead them into Mr. Sikowitz's room. I'll be in the building, I'll watch from the shadows."

"Don't want them to see you, huh?"

"No. I want the last thing Jade ever sees to be us together, I want her to realize how much she fucked up."

"You don't think she already realizes it?"

"No. Of course not."

"So be it. In a few days, in the heat of night we'll do this. Jade. Then I'm out." She hung up the phone for emphasis on finality, knowing if she stayed on the line, the Caller would continue to prod her.

Her father was already going to find out, he would know by the time it was all said and done. Trina stepped in front of Jason's grave and closed her eyes, letting her tears splash out from her eyes. "It won't be long now," she whispered, "I'll see you soon. I'm sorry. I lost myself, I lost myself, and I've destroyed everyone I've ever cared about."

She knelt before his marker and looked up into the sky, taking a deep breath as she contemplated for a moment the existence of a god. "My soul is done either way. I know you're up there, and all that other stuff. Look over my father, look over Jade and Beck. What I'm about to do…please forgive me, this time it has to be done."

Trina removed her katana and laid it flat over Jason's grave. It was clean and shone in glaring sunlight. "Your sword, Jason. I'll return it to you, I know it's covered in blood, but I want you to hold it for me. You're disappointed, I'm sure. I don't need revenge anymore, I haven't needed it for some time, I just…" Her voice shattered and her body started to tremble.

"Give me some of your strength, Jason. I need it more than I've ever needed it." She ran her hand over the letters of his name, sliding her shaky fingers down the center of the marker. Her body leaned forward, and she placed her head against the grave and wept.

A few days later, she sent a message out luring Jade and Beck to Hollywood Arts. It wasn't much, just a note claiming to be from Tori, telling them she urgently needed to meet them in Mr. Sikowitz's old classroom.

The building was supposed to be locked up, but they'd all found a way inside. Trina watched them from the shadows, dressed in her black jumpsuit and mask. Her eyes narrowed into slits and her mouth twisted into a deep frown.

The phone in her hand lit up and she saw her father's number on the screen. "I'm so sorry, Dad. I'm sorry to do this to you, I'm sorry for the pain you're going to go through. I'm sorry for everything. I love you…don't let this destroy you. It will, but do your best to stay strong.

Raising her head, she watched the nervous couple move into Sikowitz's room. Her heart slowed and she followed them in. The classroom was empty, all of the chairs and desks had been removed from the room, so it looked like a barren wasteland.

"Where is Tori?" Beck inquired while peering around the room. "God, being here…"

"It hurts." Jade hugged herself and leaned back against a wall. Tears stained her eyes, and her chest started to heave. "How could things have gone so wrong?" Trina slid behind the podium on the upper stage and crouched, listening carefully. "I know I took things to the extreme, I know I took things too far, but did people deserve to die?"

"You think you're the reason for this?"

"I don't know. I just…it's a weird feeling." Jade breathed out and cracked her neck to the right. "God, where's Tori at?"

"I don't know. Just try to be calm and let's wait." She had to make this authentic, she needed to lure out the Caller and bring them to justice. She had to look like she was going to cut these two down, then she would perish and the Caller sent to prison.

It was strange, knowing what had to be done. She'd spent so much time protecting the Caller, so much time trying to keep them out of view and away from prison, but it could only go so far. After Robbie, she knew the Caller wouldn't stop. Each time someone ticked them off, they would keep going until they were caught.

Trina looked at the classroom door and saw movement behind it. The Caller was here. Her phone bore a drafted text message to her father; an apology and an 'I love you'. Her next message told him to hurry to Hollywood Arts, and to bring Backup. That the Assassin was there.

It had to end here, it had to end now.

I give you fair warning that this story won't end on a happy ending, I never intended it as anything but a tragedy. So, here we go, the next chapter is the final. How will this end, and soon we will see the Caller's identity revvealed.