Author's note: Within this chapter you'll see that I took a bit of influence from the hitman games with this. But this chapter is also a bit of a sad one, so brace yourselves.

Enjoy... If you can.

Heartache

Skies bleed yellow from the sun's shining rays as the signs of dusk begin to show within a relatively peaceful village. Due to its presumed safety and protection, none pay attention to an ominous purple glow softly emanating from an abandoned alleyway. Gritting her teeth, Nuba shakily tries to shrink an orb of indigo light within her paws. Sweat drips down her body as her physical exertion adds on to the heat provided by the dusty, hooded cloak she had managed to snag from an unaware merchant. Her struggle continues as the orb slowly constricts, becoming much smaller than her palms until the light that it has been producing is no longer visible. Releasing the death grip on her maw and heaving out her exhaustion, the white tiger slowly lifts her left paw up and gazes at the tiny orb that now lies in her paw. Picking it up in her fingertips, she admires its dark, indigo hue and a devious smirk crawls upon her face. The purple light that could've consumed the whole alleyway now amounts to a glow barely visible to the naked eye. She swiftly darts her head to the right, checking for any onlookers. Once the coast is clear, she silently climbs her way up to the rooftops and stares out towards the village market.

Swallowing the streets and vendors whole, a swarm of excited villagers paints the roads of the village market. Sounds of merchants screaming out discounts, gentleman muttering out apologies to each person they shove out of their way and the constant shuffling of feet occupy the soundscape. Body odour plagues the nostrils of each citizen as they have such little room to move in. Scoffing at such a pathetic display, the white tiger scans the hordes of eager shoppers and bargain hunters to find her prey. Once she had located her target's home, she had decided on how she would end them. Despite wanting to keep a low profile on herself, Nuba didn't want these deaths to go unnoticed. Rather that people see her targets dead but have no idea of her involvement. With the cobra and his loving wife in the last village she was able to get away with murdering them stealthily since their deaths would cause a stir regardless. With this one however, she isn't as lucky. Amethyst orbs continue their search until... There we are! A beak of a slightly wrinkled female crane pokes out of the endless waves of denizens, an air of paranoia surrounding her at all times as her eyes dart all around the marketplace.

Nuba had read about Crane's somewhat smothered upbringing and upon seeing the very woman who had raised him, she could definitely imagine it. Seems like his mother cares for him a lot. Envious thoughts are soon banished from her mind as the white tiger keeps herself focused. She had arrived at the village a day beforehand and broke into the hospital to check the woman's medical records. Unsurprisingly, due to the avian's problem with stress management, she has had a history of heart problems and panic attacks. She had also learned about how busy the market can get due to their "Crazy bargains." As people called them. No one can resist a good bargain, and heavy amounts of crowding and activity certainly can't be good for someone's heart, now can it? Her perfect plan had been formed fairly quickly. Granted she had to exert more physical power to create her tiny ball of chi, but she merely shrugs this off as a necessary annoyance.

She quickly slides down the side of the building, and transitions into a fast walk towards the massive crowd that has engulfed the market streets in its entirety. Pulling down her hood with her left paw and tightly gripping the tiny indigo orb in her fingertips, she flawlessly morphs into the impatient crowd. Spotting her target from the insatiable customers, she stays a few paces behind the paranoid crane, waiting for the right moment to use her orb. She follows. And follows. And follows. Until the nervous mother bird stops by one of the merchant's stalls, eyes completely focused on what is on offer.

Perfect.

The predator takes this opportunity as she keeps a steady pace towards her prey, her indigo ball primed and ready. She gets closer. Closer. Closer. A few inches from the avian and… Thud. A brief shove. Nothing less than expected in such a crowded marketplace. Ignoring the mother bird's irritated mutterings of her rude manners, Nuba quickly looks down towards her paw. Nothing. Continuing to walk further and further out of the marketplace, she clenches her paw into a fist, her eyes' amethyst glow hidden by her hood. Her ears slightly pick up the sound of that poor crane's breathing intensifying until she hears the sound she has been waiting for.

A loud Gasp for air followed by the crash of a vendor's stand.

As the commotion in the massive crowd develops, Nuba fastens her pace until she reaches another abandoned alleyway. Slouching against the wall, she pants hardly as she tries to even her breathing, the amount of chi she had exerted taking its toll. Once she manages to keep her breathing in check, she steps out of the alley to see the crowd huddled around in a circle, no longer interested in the wares offered to them. With a brisk, nonchalant, pace, she exits out of the village gate. The villagers none the wiser to her involvement in the excitable crane's death.

Meanwhile, the late Crane's son lands within the courtyard of the Jade Palace. Yet another solitary glide meant to calm his conflicted mind resulting in nothing. His thoughts still remain muddled, his courage still remains questioned and the possibility of attaining inner peace remains uncertain. Gazing at the sky, his yellow eyes are drawn to its golden hue as the early signs of twilight begin to make themselves known. A small smile is drawn upon his face in admiration of its splendid colours. Nature's work of art. Upon this relaxed feeling, his mind draws him back to when Viper had joined his glide. Her kind words and understanding of his dilemma had provided him with a greatly needed relief. Maybe I could use some help with this. Though this idea may prove to be useful, he quickly shuns it in his rumination. C'mon Crane! Just rely on yourself for once! Besides, she has her own problems she needs to deal with. I can't force her to take on mine as well. With this considerate thought in mind, he enters the barracks, looking to calm his nervous mind with calligraphy. Once he passes the kitchen, he begins to hear something peculiar. Something loud. He strains his ears until he recognises it as…

Sobbing.

Furrowing his eyebrows in confusion, he quickens his pace towards their rooms, the sobbing only increasing in volume. As he draws nearer to these painful cries and sniffles, he is able to make out its source. Viper's room. Realising exactly who was the result of these horrid cries, they become much more heart wrenching to the Avian. His eyes now reflecting an unflinching concern, he slowly enters the room and quietly whispers "Viper?"

Halted for a mere moment by her gasp, her violent sobbing continues as the green serpent turns her head towards Crane. His eyes widen in shock. Sky-blue eyes now coated with a bloodshot red and flooded by an ocean of tears. Face deformed in an intense and irreversible sense of grief as she chokes on her tears. Ignoring his shock, she closes her eyes once more and trembles as she continues her weeping. Crane rushes to Viper, attempting to get her to look at him. "Viper! Please, tell me what's wrong!" He helplessly pleads as a waterfall of tears escapes her eyes. Looking up at the avian master, she attempts to say something but is unable to do anything but cough and choke on her tears.

Crane darts his eyes around her room, looking around for the reason for her anguish until they reach a lone, opened scroll laying carelessly on the floor. Stains of old tears paint the ominous scroll as Crane begins to read it. Reaching a specific part of the scroll, his eyes widen, its sheer horror making his blood run cold. He looks towards Viper and slowly drops the scroll on the floor. Her lips tremble, knowing of exactly what he had just read. His expression of horror melts into an expression of pure sorrow as Crane wraps his wings around Viper. "I'm so sorry Viper. I'm so sorry." Tender whispers escape the master's beak. He repeats his comforting message as Viper breaks down once more, cries of mourning envelope the entire barracks in its misery.