Rafie: Psych! It's not over, yet!

A bright light… I see a really bright light. It's blinding…

It HURTS!

I tried to sit up and failed.

"Don't bother." said a voice. I turned my head (it hurt) to look at whoever it was.

"Iza…kiel..? I whispered. I didn't expect to see him. Did he save me from those last five hitmen?

As if he'd read my mind, he answered, "Yes. I saved you from those Nen users."

"Why?" I asked.

"Like I said, only I can kill you." He stretched. "If you can't beat five, stupid hitmen, how do you expect to beat me?" Izakiel smiled, looking down at me with those scary, blue eyes of his.

"Don't feel so high and- " I started to cough. I saw blood rocketing out from my mouth.

"Just… stop talking, okay?" he said, shoving a handkerchief into my mouth.

I started saying spiteful things at him. Sadly, only muffled words left my mouth. "Arrhhhooogghhhannt! Shhhttuppeeed! Mmeerrrccchhhiilesscchh!" I began coughing again. Izakiel sighed. Only now did I notice that I was lying on some old, ruined bed in an alley and Izakiel was sitting beside me. My hands and feet weren't tied together. I was just too weak or in pain to move them. The wound on my stomach was now patched up.

"I want to beat you fair and square, okay?" he blurted out. "I know I've done some things that aren't exactly good, but, I still have a sense of pride. So do me a favor and go to sleep, or something." He stood up and walked sat down again on the floor. "I'll kill you when you're not sick and weak anymore."

I spit the piece of cloth out. "Pride? PRIDE?!" I screamed, ignoring the blood dripping down my cheeks. "How can you still be so proud of yourself when you succumbed to Altaria's bullshit? How can still be proud when you've given yourself up to those freaks? How can you still be proud when you broke your promise?!"

Izakiel stood up and pinned me to the bed (as if I wasn't already frozen in place). "You think you're not a freak, Val?" he asked, pure anger in his eyes. "Once upon a time you succumbed to your master's bullshit. You killed people just because he told you to. You were once a freak, Val. Oh, wait. Who's to say you're not a still a freak now? Lastly, about this stupid promise, you've broken a promise once, Valenia. You told Sophilia and Feldar that you'd become a hunter and that you'd save them. Where's your hunter license, huh? Where is it, Val? Oh, right. You don't have one!" Izakiel stood up and started laughing. I just lay there, crying.

"And you know what?" He didn't wait for me to answer. "You're going to join Sophilia and Feldar, tonight. Up there!" He pointed at the sky.

He inhaled deeply and laughed again. "Then when they see you, they'll look at you with these fucking condescending eyes. And you know what they'll say? YOU KNOW WHAT THEY'LL SAY, VALENIA?" Izakiel went close to the bed and leaned down. "They're gonna tell you that you FAILED." he whispered into my ear.

Anger. Rage. Hatred. Those were the things that I felt that moment. Before, I knew it, I was pouncing at the asshole, pinning him to the ground. Blood was still dripping down from my mouth. The droplets landed on Izakiel's face. I took my boomerang and flicked it open. Izakiel reacted quickly. He took the knife from his belt and slashed at my stomach. The bandages came off, revealing a few stitches.

I jumped back, clutching my stomach tightly.

"If you want to die now, then so be it." A hundred arrows appeared behind Izakiel. Stupid conjuration skills…

I mustered up all the aura I could and faced the arrows head on. My anger seemed to be making my aura way more powerful than it should be. Izakiel stopped firing arrows and snarled. He took his knife again and beckoned me to attack. I lunged, my boomerang aimed at his neck.

Tsink! Tsink! Tsink!

That was the sound of our blades clashing. After the third block, Izakiel jumped and delivered a kick to my head. I fell back. Izakiel stood above me and brought his knife down. I was fast enough to block. I spat on his face and kicked him away.

More tsinks…

It felt nice… (tsink) the feeling of fighting without the aid of Nen. (tsink) Or, at least, the feeling of not having to using any Nen techniques. (tsink) Whatever. (tsink)

My elbow made contact with his face. He staggered back. I delivered another blow to his face. He moved back another few steps. I sank the knife into his stomach. "Payback," I whispered. I twisted the knife and pulled it out. Izakiel fell down with a thud.

He coughed. He whispered something. I had to bend down to understand what he was saying. "I'm sorry." He kept on saying it. And, for the first time, he cried. He seemed genuinely penitent. Soon enough, I was crying too.

I saw a small cell phone tied to his belt. I took it and placed it in his hand. "Do this one thing for me, Izakiel." I began. He nodded. "Tell them I'm dead." I took my cell phone from my pocket and crushed it. They shouldn't be able to track me now.

Izakiel dialled a number and pressed the phone to his ear. "Hello?" he began, "Yes, Valenia Valdera has been killed…. Huh? The reward?... I don't think I'll be getting it. Yes. Goodbye." He looked up at me and smiled.

I smiled, too. I took Izakiel in my arms and hugged him tightly.

"Happy birthday, Val." Was the last thing he said to me. September 23... He's right. I'm seventeen now.

Hitmen: 0/100

Review please :)