Tea with the Queen
It only took one quick shot and Prime Minister Talazid was assassinated of Heero Yui, assassin of Fate. He had no idea who Talazid was, of course. Professor I and Doctor J never told him anything but who the person was, where he was, and how to assassinate him.
That was Heero's world.
Assassinate. Assassinate. Assassinate. Day in and day out. He sometimes did it with style, by dressing up and pretending to be a guard or servant and in one case a paramour, although he knew not the meaning of any of these terms. Other times, he just appeared and pointed the gun at them, maybe said something simple like "I'm here to assassinate you," and shot them in the face.
"Oh dear God!" a voice cried. "You killed my husband!" Heero didn't stop to listen to it, though. He had no time to wonder what was happening or what the woman meant by 'killed' or 'husband'. They were all foreign words to him. He wished to one day know what they were, but he could not stop to ask the woman, for his orders were to never get caught. He didn't see why she was so upset. All he did was assassinate him.
He ran until he was able to find a taxi. "I want to be taken to Oaschaal," he said.
"Sorry, son, but this taxi doesn't leave the country. I can't take you any further than the outskirts of Ründara."
"That will work. Just take me there," he said.
They drove for a little while through a crowded city, occasionally getting caught up in traffic.
"Damn," the driver said. "What's with all these people? It seems like everyone's panicking." Heero just shrugged.
"What business do you have in Oaschaal?" the driver asked, trying again to start up a conversation.
"I'm not supposed to talk about it."
"Hmph. Well, if I were you, I wouldn't walk around telling people you need to get into Kushrenada. It doesn't make you look very good. You might as well just save yourself the trouble and ask for an ass-kicking."
"Huh?"
"Have you been living under a log, son? No one in Djuuji, especially Ründara, likes anyone from Kushrenada, what with the war and all. So that's why I'm telling you to keep your mouth shut."
"Oh... uh, thank you," Heero said awkwardly. There these people go again, using strange words that didn't make any sense. He would have to ask Professor I what they meant when he got back to Fate.
After a few more moments of silence, the driver suddenly announced that they were there. "Outskirts of Ründara. That'll be a thousand djuu."
"What are djuu?" Heero asked.
"Money, son, I need money. I have to eat every once in a while, you know. Now stop playing stupid and pay me."
"...Just a moment," Heero said. He tried prying the doors open, but they must have been locked.
"I'll open the doors if you open your wallet, son. Don't even think about trying to get away without paying."
Heero sighed and pulled out the gun that he had used to assassinate Talazid. "You will open the doors, sir," he said calmly. He didn't know what it was about guns that so intimidated people, but it seemed to work with the taxi driver as well as it had with everyone else.
"What? Who the hell are you, son? Are you a spy from Kushrenada or something? Is that why you wanted to get to Oaschaal? I should report you immediately. There is no way you're leaving this c-" With a bang, the taxi driver slumped over, blood gushing from his face. Heero climbed over him to reach the driver's seat. He pushed the body over out of the way, and took off.
The Fate building wasn't as far away as he expected. When he arrived there, he pressed a bunch of random buttons for about five minutes until he found the one that opened the door locks. He then just simply left, as if he had forgotten about the driver completely.
When he got there, Doctor J was waiting for him. "Excuse me, Heero, but did I just see you pull up in a Djuuji taxi?"
"Yes."
"And why isn't it pulling away and returning?"
"I assassinated the driver."
"Oh my." Doctor J looked shocked. "You know very well what our rules are. You are only supposed to ki- assassinate those whom you are ordered to do so to and anyone who stands in your way."
"But the driver was standing in my way! He said he was going to report me, and I didn't know why and he wouldn't let me leave, because I didn't have any djuu."
"Heero... you don't understand. You can't go around shooting people left and right. It arouses suspicion and Fate can't afford to have its identity revealed to the public."
"Why not?" Heero asked innocently.
"That is none of your business! From now on, you kill no one without permission!" Doctor J yelled, frustrated.
"Kill...? What is kill?" Heero said to the empty room.
~
"You have a new mission, Heero," one of the interns at Fate said to him after taking him out of the column that he rested in. She was about eighteen or nineteen, with long blonde hair that she kept hanging down her shoulders in braids. Her name was Sally Po. She also had a younger sister about Heero's age named Jekka, although they didn't bear much resemblance. Jekka's hair was short and black and only reached her ears, and while Sally worked with the Fated themselves, Jekka mainly served as a messenger. Like almost all of Fate's test subjects and employees, they had been found on the streets and brought in, although that was all Heero knew about their past. The lives that they had once lived were locked up in a file cabinet in Professor I's lavish office with the files of everyone else, even the secretary and janitors.
"Here it is," she said, handing the instructions to him. "I don't know where they expect you to go, so I can't give you any advice this time." Sally used to give him helpful tips on acting and other aspects to fine-tune his operations, but ever since she found out that he needed to be sent to assassinate a Djuuji senator, she stopped reading his orders.
"Thank you," he said. Why had she stopped giving him advice? Did Sally have something against assassination?
He opened the instructions to read them.
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****FROM THE DESK OF PROFESSOR I, LEADER OF THE FATE KUSHRENADA BRANCH*****
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To Heero, Fated # 00063
Your mission is to assassinate Queen Delphiniel, a woman with golden eyes and black hair and who dresses quite well. You will find her in a building called the Djuuji Palace in Ründara, which you will need to infiltrate in order to reach her. You will be delivered to the back gates of the Palace by Fate tomorrow night, but you will need to get home on your own. Take extra money so you don't have to shoot any taxi drivers in the face. You will assassinate Delphiniel with a Series 8 Muted Hand Pistol B, which will be given to you at the palace. It can only carry three bullets, so you will receive two guns in case any guards get in your way. You will be disguised as a royal servant, so they should not be too much trouble. Jekka will give you your costume before you leave. When you arrive at the palace, take an immediate left to reach the kitchens, where one of our own will give you a tray laden with food and tell you to take it up to the Queen. There will be food under the lid, and the guns will be hidden beneath it. The Fate spy will give you directions to the room Delphiniel will be staying in. Don't worry about finding him; he'll recognize you and address you first. Follow these instructions as closely as possible, and only add lib if you absolutely must.
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****FROM THE DESK OF PROFESSOR I, LEADER OF THE FATE KUSHRENADA BRANCH*****
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~
"Heero, are you ready to go?" Jekka asked. She was holding some servant's robes bundled up in her hands. "I have your disguise ready."
"Thank you."
"Who are you assassinating this time?" she asked. "Sally never tells me since she doesn't read the orders any more."
"Someone named Queen Delphiniel," he said.
Jekka wore a look of shock on her face. Heero couldn't figure out why.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing..." she said.
"Okay." Heero started to leave.
"Heero, wait," Jekka said. "Just... be careful. I... I... I don't want you to make any stupid mistakes, okay?"
"What could go wrong?" he asked.
~
Donned in his servant's costume, Heero entered the royal kitchen. A man wearing the same type of garments approached him and said "Here. Her Majesty wants this to be taken to her chambers immediately."
"Yes sir," Heero said as he took the silver tray with a dome-shaped lid over it. "What room is her Majesty in tonight?"
"She is in her bedroom. Take the main staircase and then take a left turn. It's the room at the very end of the hall. Hurry Now. You don't want to leave her waiting."
Heero nodded and left the kitchen into the main hall. There was a large staircase that was covered with soft carpet that was red with spiraling black designs. He climbed up it, passing a few other servants and guards, none of which took heed of him. He then took a left into a large hallway filled with paintings and mirrors. It reminded him a little bit of the Fate main hall, only more lively.
The last door at the very end of the hall was a large golden door that had a solitary guard standing in front of it. He wore what looked like a finer version of the servants' robes, but they were red instead of blue and had military insignias embroidered into them. He also carried a weapon that looked like a cross between a trident and a rifle.
"Halt!" he said. "Her Majesty has given no orders for food."
"Her Majesty is feeling ill tonight and requested something to eat and drink," said Heero.
"Why isn't Marianela delivering it? Isn't she the kitchen servant?"
"Marianela is also feeling ill."
The guard was still suspicious. "Why haven't I ever seen you here before?"
Heero sighed. "If you don't believe me, just look under the lid for yourself." The guard did so, and saw a kettle and a few cups and saucers sitting there next to some bread, cheese, and fruit.
"Wait... what's that under the food?" he said.
"Oh, that? It's just a gun," Heero said nonchalantly before he grabbed it and aimed at the guard's chest. The shot was silent, and the guard slumped to the floor staring at Heero. "You..."
Heero shrugged and stepped over him to knock on the large golden doors.
"Who is it?" a smooth and silky voice chimed.
"I'm come bringing the food you requested."
"What's that? You don't sound like Marianela, and I never requested any food."
Why won't these people cooperate?> Heero thought. He decided to just open the door and rush in and assassinate her. That would be easier than arguing with her.
Inside, he saw a young woman that couldn't be older than twenty. She had long hair that was both gold and black and twisted into braids, and eyes that looked like pieces of amber with flecks of gold inside. Her skin was dark, and seemed to be covered in several places by black and gold tattoos that twisted around her arms, legs, and back like tendrils of smoke. She was dressed in a thin translucent white silk robe. She looked up and let out a short gasp.
"Who are you?" she asked. "What do you think you are doing?"
Heero held his gun up. "I'm here to assassinate you, your Majesty."
"Wait!" Delphiniel exclaimed. "Before you kill me, let me ask you one thing."
That 'kill' word again... what was it?
"Were you sent by Kushrenada?"
"I don't know," Heero said weakly, but he still kept the pistol aimed for the Queen.
"Were you sent by any of Kushrenada's allies?"
"I don't know."
"Were you sent by the Kushrenadi sympathizers?"
"I don't know!" Heero yelled, before realizing that he needed to be quiet lest more guards hear him.
"Ah... then you were sent by one of the Fate branches. Only they would resort to child assassins," Delphiniel said coldly. "So this is how Professor I decided to do it..."
Heero lowered the pistol just a tiny bit. "You know Professor I?"
"If it wasn't for Professor I, I probably would have never become Queen of Djuuji," she said.
"What? Were you a Fated too?"
"Oh, by no means. I would never let myself become a Fated. But the story wouldn't make sense unless I told you more about the history of Kushrenada and Djuuji," Delphiniel said, eyeing Heero. It was apparent that she did want to tell him, however.
"I'm not allowed to listen to people talk about things like 'history' and 'religion' and 'death'. I don't know what they are, but Professor I says they'll get in the way."
"Of course the bastard says that. He knows that if you let ideas like those get in your head, you'd never be able to assassinate someone. You don't even know what assassination really is, do you?"
"It's when I... it's when I shoot somebody. I don't see what the big deal is."
"Do you know what happens when you assassinate someone?"
"They bleed and go to sleep," Heero said, although deep down he knew that wasn't the whole answer.
"They die, Heero. You kill them. Not only do they do to sleep, they don't wake up. That's what death is."
Heero looked shocked. "They... never wake up?"
"Never. They stay forever sleeping, and the people who knew them must live on in pain. Now do you see why Professor I never told you what death was?"
The would-be assassin dropped the gun, and it landed on the floor. The trigger was pressed when it fell, and a silent bullet shot out and hit the stone wall, bouncing off with a clang. "Oh... oh..." He didn't even know the words to make the right phrase. Was he really that sheltered? Had they really been hiding the truth from him at Fate?
"I believe the correct term would be 'Oh my God' or something related to it," Delphiniel offered.
"Tell me the truth," Heero said. "All of it. I want to know what happens outside of Fate."
"Gladly," said Delphiniel. "Sit down here. Bring the tea with you. I didn't order it, but almost getting killed has made me thirsty."
Heero brought the tray over and sat down. The chair was plush and very comfortable, and he felt like he would sink into it. Delphiniel took the lid off the tray and removed the kettle and saucers. She poured some tea into each cup.
"Would you like cream or sugar in yours?" Delphiniel asked as politely as a little girl playing tea party with her dolls.
"What's that?" Heero asked as Delphiniel giggled. He just stared. While he had seen Jekka smile in his direction, he had never heard laughter before. Although he somehow instinctively knew what it was, it was still a foreign, yet beautiful, sound to him.
"I knew you were sheltered at Fate, but I didn't know you were that sheltered," the Queen said. "Just try it anyway. I'm sure you'll like it." She put both into the tea and handed it to him. "Now, where to start?"
"I want to know the truth about Fate," Heero said.
Delphiniel shrugged helplessly. "Not even I know the truth about Fate. I know that it is a company that does scientific research, and it helps unfortunate people that it takes off the street 'find their own fate'. It is also usually affiliated with the government of whatever country the particular base is in. The headquarters is in Tokyo, and the leader of Fate is called Chief Scientist A. That's all I know."
"Oh," Heero said, somewhat disappointed. "How do you know Professor I?"
"Hoo boy," Delphiniel said. "Where to start... well, I suppose I should begin by explaining the history of Djuuji and Kushrenada, and then how and why I became the Queen. I'm sure that will also answer many questions about your assassinations, also... what did you say your name was?"
"I didn't."
"Would you mind telling me?" Delphiniel asked.
"I can't. That's confidential," Heero said, although he desperately wanted to tell her.
"Oh, come one..." Delphiniel pleaded with a smile. "You've already failed to kill me, learned what death is, and you're now learning the secret history of the world around a cup of tea with the woman you were supposed to assassinate. Telling me your name can't do that much more damage."
"...Heero. Heero Yui."
"Good, Heero. Now, let me tell you what the world is."
~
So how is it so far? Please do tell me, or I'm afraid I might have to kick an ass or several if people don't review me. ARRRRRRRRRRRG! GONNA KICK YOU!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Oh, and Chapter 6 is coming soon.