Meghan Hall
1/24/2002
Knight Hunters
Origins of the Mind: An Assassins Motivation
I remember it like it was yesterday.
We sat around the Red Room, the room we used only for mission meetings, as Manx briefed us on the mission ahead. Omi, as usual, was at his trusty computer's side, Yohji was lounging on the couch like he owned the place, Aya stood by the door brooding, and I, Ken, was sitting in a nearby armchair, observing.
"So, like I said before, ABSOLUTELY NO SCREW-UPS, or Persia will have your heads. You guys got that?" The red headed woman commanded.
"Yes Manx," we chorused unenthusiastically.
Manx left the room and we sat discussing the upcoming mission.
"Yeah, sure. Since when has any mission been simple?" Yohji complained with a toss of his shoulder-length golden-brown hair.
"Well, if a certain someone wouldn't fuck everything up like last time, then maybe it would be simple," Aya snapped back.
"Come on guys, cut it out." Omi whined.
"Yeah, enough is enough. Lets get some shuteye before tonight's mission, god knows were gonna need it," I had said, heading for my room.
This was a typical scene for us.
My thoughts then turn toward the object of my affection, Yohji, and the night that everything had changed.
"So, how's that for simple, Mr. 'I'm-too-good-to-associate-with-the-likes- of-you-because-I-never-screw-up'." Yohji boasts in Aya's face when we get into the house, after returning from one of our missions. For some reason Yohji and Aya were always arguing over something or other.
Aya growled and headed up the stairs towards the solitary confines his room. Yohji just laughed at him and flopped down on the couch to watch TV. I knew that later he would probably go out to some club and drink himself silly, then wake up in the morning with some strange girl and a hangover. Little did I know that the 'girl' part would be what changed our lives forever.
"Yohji, were do you think you're going?" Came my question of warning.
'Great, just what I needed, a lecture. I am dressed to kill and he knows damn well where I am headed, and why would he care anyway?' Yohji thought, turning around to face Ken.
"Out." Yohji replied.
"Fine, but make sure you're in for your shift at the shop tomorrow at 2 pm. Okay?" I sighed.
"Thanks." he said, sounding relieved that I was not stopping him. I even took his morning shift at the shop because I knew that he would sleep in all the next morning.
* * *
As I sit at a table in one my favorite nightspots thinking of the earlier event with Ken, my thoughts turn to my teammates. All four of us work at a florists shop, what a life.
"Florists by day, assassins by night." I say to myself in one of those cheesy game show host voices.
Omi, the youngest of us all. His baby-fine blond hair, cherub face with big blue eyes, and his short stature make him look as if he is 10, but he is really 17. He is the mother hen of the group, always taking care of the sick and worrying his head off about something or another. Aya, cold- hearted stone-faced bastard, with his pale skin and fiery red hair, likes to keep to himself. He is the leader of the group, even though he is the second oldest, 20, a year younger that me. Ken, well, he is a combination of us all put together. Unlike Omi or Aya, Ken is hard to predict. You never know what to expect from that gorgeous brown-eyed brunette, but as a 19 year old, he has a good head on his shoulders. Last but not least, me, Yohji. I am the laid-back, stay out late, sleep in late, party kind of guy. Some would call it being lazy, but it takes hard work and skill to be me, not just anyone can have the kind of reputation I have, and I cannot go changing my lifestyle and ruining it all, now can I? Yeah, I know I sound like I am full of myself, but that is what everyone thinks of me, so why bother to change it now?
By chance, I happen to look up and see two young women walk through the door. Both had short layered hair, they both wore similar short skirts, tank tops, and knee-high black boots that laced up the front. Hot prospects if you ask me. The girls notice my appraising eye and walk toward me.
"Hi, my name is Kat and this is Meg." The blonde says, pointing to the brunette next to her.
"The name's Yohji, can I buy you two lovely ladies a drink?"
"Sure, thanks." Kat nods, as the girls sit down across from me.
"So, I've never seen the two of you here before. Where are you girls from?" I ask.
"Oh, we just moved here a few days ago, and we thought tonight would be a good night to check out Tokyo's night life." Kat smiles.
"And to find some jobs, do you have any suggestions?" Meg adds.
"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do. My friends and I work in a flower shop and we do need some help every now and then, especially in the afternoon hours." I answer, thinking of all the adoring fan-girls, ugh! It makes me sick.
"Hey that sounds perfect!" Kat exclaims, Meg smiles and nods her head in agreement.
"Well that worked out great, can you start tomorrow?" I ask.
"Sure, what time should we come in?" Meg replies.
So, I tell them to come at noon and give them directions to the shop. Apparently, they live close because they already know where the shop is located. They wave goodbye and Kat pulls Meg out onto the dance floor, and they disappear into the crowd, leaving me to wonder about the two mysterious young women.
Hours later, I silently climb the stairs up to my room, hoping not to fall down and wake someone up in the process. I move around my room, not bothering to turn on the light, so you can imagine my surprise when I notice Ken sitting on the edge of my bed.
"What the fu…why are you here?" I ask trying not to sound rude, but I am startled out of my wits.
"Um…I wanted to talk, so I waited up for you," He answers, twisting the hem of his t-shirt in his hands, "C…can I sleep here…tonight?" He asks.
Sighing, I pull back the covers, and pat the bed next to me, "Come on. Tell Yohji what happened, you can't keep a secret from me, I know you too damn well for that kinda shit."
"I had a fight with Aya," Ken continues to explain what had happened as he snuggles in with me. I know that he and Aya share a room, and it does not bother me in the least. Ken is a great guy and a good friend at that, and I do not mind sharing a bed with him when he needs comforting. In fact, I think I like it a little too much, maybe.
"Well, you have me now, get some sleep," I say as I wrap my arms around his waist, pulling him closer. I cannot believe how Aya could be so insensitive towards this beautifully exotic creature next to me, but that is the Ice Queen for you. If he were not so cold, this would be him comforting Ken right now…foolish Aya.
* * *
Sunlight filters though the curtains, falling across Yohji's sleeping form. I am getting ready for my shift in the shop this morning that I am taking over for Yohji. Before I leave, I place a light kiss on his forehead, brushing stray locks of golden hair away from his face.
"Morning," Yohji yawns, "thanks for taking my shift this morning. Oh, and I um… I forgot to tell you, but I hired two girls for the afternoon help we needed around here. They should be in at noon."
"That's great, I hope they're good workers, I don't want Aya to get mad at you for hiring just anyone off the street." I comment, walking out of the room, closing the door behind me.
When I enter the shop, Omi is already hard at work on a few orders that needed to be delivered today.
"Hey, Yohji says he hired some afternoon help for the shop. Isn't that wonderful?" I say, busying myself with some purple roses.
Omi looks up from the creamy orange sherbet-colored roses he is working with and nods, "finally, we really do need all the help we can get."
"Ahem…" a voice calls from the shops door.
Both Omi and I look over to see two young women standing in the doorway, and very good-looking if I might add.
"Oh, you must be the help Yohji hired." I say, dusting off my hands and walking to meet them.
"Yes we are. My name is Meg and this is Kat. Sorry we're early, I hope you don't mind."
I look at my watch, "Oh…Yohji did say he expected you two at noon…it's only 10 am, what's the difference between a few hours. My name's Ken, and this is Omi. Yohji is still sleeping and…Omi do you know where Aya is?"
"Yeah, he went out to deliver some of the bouquets, he'll be back soon. Why don't you show the girls around and explain to them how things work while I finish up here." He answers.
"Sounds good to me, and then maybe we'll wake Yohji up a little early too." I smirk to Meg and Kat. The girls look at each other and share a private smile, before following me. I wonder what that is all about.
* * *
"Hey, Kitten, we have a mission tonight." I said.
"Should I ask the guys if we can take the afternoon off from the shop so we can sleep a few hours before we have to go out tonight?" Kat asked.
"I already did. It worked out perfectly because the guys are closing the shop up early today anyway." I said.
"Hmm… I wonder why?" Kat questioned with a smirk on her face.
I smiled back, "I bet Ken begged Aya to take him out, and Yohji probably took Omi to some club for some fun. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge."
By then the girls had been living with the guys long enough to know what was what in the relationship department, and the guys had guessed theirs too.
"Yep, sounds about right to me. Hey Meg, why don't we do the same, later after the mission? We could go out somewhere…or we could stay in?" Kat smiled playfully.
I chased her out of our room, down the stairs, and through the back door of the flower shop. The four guys and us lived in the house attached to the back of the flower shop. It is certainly nice and cozy there.
"So, we get in, take out the target, and get the disk, then get out, right?" I asked.
"Right, a simple operation. So lets go." Kat said.
Yeah, that was what Kat always said, but things did not always go as planned. Like tonight for instance. We had just gotten in the building, and we were scooping out the place when I saw a figure moving in the shadows. I motioned Kat to arm herself and follow me, but when I moved around the corner and pointed my gun, I saw none other than Ken crouching by the wall in a fighting stance.
"Shit! Ken?" Kat stared befuddled, after regaining her senses from running into me.
"Kat?" Ken looked at her and then at me, with wide eyes, "and Meg?"
Just then, Yohji came up from behind Ken, "Hey what are you girls doing here?"
"Um… why don't we just get our jobs done and then we'll talk about this later?" I said.
"Right, let go." Ken said.
* * *
After the run-in with Meg and Kat, I silently observe Yohji as we wait for Omi to give the 'go ahead'. He is trying not to look as if he is bored out of his mind, but I know he is, I can tell from the look on his face and the way he is standing; the guy never could stand still. We are supposed to be seeking out a disk containing vital information, after we take out several well-guarded businessmen, of course.
"What in the world is our target doing hanging around in a factory in the middle of the night, in downtown Tokyo no less." I am wondering, "There is no understanding these psychos anymore."
"Bombay, confirm status." Aya whispers into his comlink.
"Bombay here, waiting for the target to arrive." Omi whispers, holding his crossbow tightly, inside an air duct, watching a couple of executives in the dim-lit room below him.
"Siberian and Balinese are waiting for the signal, Abyssinian out." Aya said from his place in the shadows of a nearby alley.
"What's taking so long Bombay!?" Yohji whispers harshly in to his wrist comlink.
"The target, he's not here yet. Geesh…hold your horses Balinese!" Omi snaps back.
The communication units we use are only audible to the four of us, not to the outside world, and a good thing too.
"OUCH… DAMNIT KEN!?" Yohji growls as I jab my elbow into his ribs. Waiting is not one of Yohji's fortes and I, frankly, was getting tired of dealing with it. Meg and Kat, who are standing against the wall opposite us, try to conceal their laughter.
"Target sited, move in" Omi's voice resounds over the comlink; he has spotted the target entering the room, thus bringing my attention back to the present situation.
I look at Yohji. Our eyes meet, communicating without sound, each of us working out our timing by watching the other. Without thinking, I give into the old familiar pattern, in an instant like a flash of lightening, Yohji and I crash into the room, giving no reaction time for the enemy to escape. With a flick of his wrist, Yohji's wire shoots out and wraps itself around the target's neck, cutting off his air supply. Razor sharp claws, protruding from my glove-covered hand, expertly slash across a few of the men left standing in the room. I look around to see where the girls are. They stood back-to-back fending for themselves with only their laser guns and their combat skills, and doing a pretty good job if I do say so myself.
When all is said and done, the only noise heard is that of the four of us trying to regulate our breathing and our heart rates.
"Balinese here. Mission complete." Yohji reports.
"Good. Any damages?" Aya asks.
"No damages here." Omi interrupts as he jumps down from the air duct and onto the floor with the grace of the cats that our code-names originated from, startling the girls.
"We'll explain later" Meg said, when she noticed the confused look on Omi's face. Then Aya's voice interrupts.
"Okay. Meet outside at the car. Abyssinian out." Aya says as he slips into the shadows of the ally and heads back to the car as well.
"Don't worry about us, we have our own transportation, meet you at the house then, right?" Meg said when Yohji looked at her.
* * *
We all sat in the living room as the girls explained themselves.
"So, let me get this straight, you girls are assassins too?" Yohji asked.
"Right, just like you four. We were sent to work with you, but this was just a coincidence that we ended up working at the shop with you." I said.
"Yeah, Persia and Manx found us and sent us out to help you, never and in our lives did we think that things would work out this great." Kat smirked.
"Well then, it's our little secret isn't it now?" Yohji smiled, and we all shared in the silent amusement of the situation, until everyone burst out laughing.
1/24/2002
Knight Hunters
Origins of the Mind: An Assassins Motivation
I remember it like it was yesterday.
We sat around the Red Room, the room we used only for mission meetings, as Manx briefed us on the mission ahead. Omi, as usual, was at his trusty computer's side, Yohji was lounging on the couch like he owned the place, Aya stood by the door brooding, and I, Ken, was sitting in a nearby armchair, observing.
"So, like I said before, ABSOLUTELY NO SCREW-UPS, or Persia will have your heads. You guys got that?" The red headed woman commanded.
"Yes Manx," we chorused unenthusiastically.
Manx left the room and we sat discussing the upcoming mission.
"Yeah, sure. Since when has any mission been simple?" Yohji complained with a toss of his shoulder-length golden-brown hair.
"Well, if a certain someone wouldn't fuck everything up like last time, then maybe it would be simple," Aya snapped back.
"Come on guys, cut it out." Omi whined.
"Yeah, enough is enough. Lets get some shuteye before tonight's mission, god knows were gonna need it," I had said, heading for my room.
This was a typical scene for us.
My thoughts then turn toward the object of my affection, Yohji, and the night that everything had changed.
"So, how's that for simple, Mr. 'I'm-too-good-to-associate-with-the-likes- of-you-because-I-never-screw-up'." Yohji boasts in Aya's face when we get into the house, after returning from one of our missions. For some reason Yohji and Aya were always arguing over something or other.
Aya growled and headed up the stairs towards the solitary confines his room. Yohji just laughed at him and flopped down on the couch to watch TV. I knew that later he would probably go out to some club and drink himself silly, then wake up in the morning with some strange girl and a hangover. Little did I know that the 'girl' part would be what changed our lives forever.
"Yohji, were do you think you're going?" Came my question of warning.
'Great, just what I needed, a lecture. I am dressed to kill and he knows damn well where I am headed, and why would he care anyway?' Yohji thought, turning around to face Ken.
"Out." Yohji replied.
"Fine, but make sure you're in for your shift at the shop tomorrow at 2 pm. Okay?" I sighed.
"Thanks." he said, sounding relieved that I was not stopping him. I even took his morning shift at the shop because I knew that he would sleep in all the next morning.
* * *
As I sit at a table in one my favorite nightspots thinking of the earlier event with Ken, my thoughts turn to my teammates. All four of us work at a florists shop, what a life.
"Florists by day, assassins by night." I say to myself in one of those cheesy game show host voices.
Omi, the youngest of us all. His baby-fine blond hair, cherub face with big blue eyes, and his short stature make him look as if he is 10, but he is really 17. He is the mother hen of the group, always taking care of the sick and worrying his head off about something or another. Aya, cold- hearted stone-faced bastard, with his pale skin and fiery red hair, likes to keep to himself. He is the leader of the group, even though he is the second oldest, 20, a year younger that me. Ken, well, he is a combination of us all put together. Unlike Omi or Aya, Ken is hard to predict. You never know what to expect from that gorgeous brown-eyed brunette, but as a 19 year old, he has a good head on his shoulders. Last but not least, me, Yohji. I am the laid-back, stay out late, sleep in late, party kind of guy. Some would call it being lazy, but it takes hard work and skill to be me, not just anyone can have the kind of reputation I have, and I cannot go changing my lifestyle and ruining it all, now can I? Yeah, I know I sound like I am full of myself, but that is what everyone thinks of me, so why bother to change it now?
By chance, I happen to look up and see two young women walk through the door. Both had short layered hair, they both wore similar short skirts, tank tops, and knee-high black boots that laced up the front. Hot prospects if you ask me. The girls notice my appraising eye and walk toward me.
"Hi, my name is Kat and this is Meg." The blonde says, pointing to the brunette next to her.
"The name's Yohji, can I buy you two lovely ladies a drink?"
"Sure, thanks." Kat nods, as the girls sit down across from me.
"So, I've never seen the two of you here before. Where are you girls from?" I ask.
"Oh, we just moved here a few days ago, and we thought tonight would be a good night to check out Tokyo's night life." Kat smiles.
"And to find some jobs, do you have any suggestions?" Meg adds.
"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do. My friends and I work in a flower shop and we do need some help every now and then, especially in the afternoon hours." I answer, thinking of all the adoring fan-girls, ugh! It makes me sick.
"Hey that sounds perfect!" Kat exclaims, Meg smiles and nods her head in agreement.
"Well that worked out great, can you start tomorrow?" I ask.
"Sure, what time should we come in?" Meg replies.
So, I tell them to come at noon and give them directions to the shop. Apparently, they live close because they already know where the shop is located. They wave goodbye and Kat pulls Meg out onto the dance floor, and they disappear into the crowd, leaving me to wonder about the two mysterious young women.
Hours later, I silently climb the stairs up to my room, hoping not to fall down and wake someone up in the process. I move around my room, not bothering to turn on the light, so you can imagine my surprise when I notice Ken sitting on the edge of my bed.
"What the fu…why are you here?" I ask trying not to sound rude, but I am startled out of my wits.
"Um…I wanted to talk, so I waited up for you," He answers, twisting the hem of his t-shirt in his hands, "C…can I sleep here…tonight?" He asks.
Sighing, I pull back the covers, and pat the bed next to me, "Come on. Tell Yohji what happened, you can't keep a secret from me, I know you too damn well for that kinda shit."
"I had a fight with Aya," Ken continues to explain what had happened as he snuggles in with me. I know that he and Aya share a room, and it does not bother me in the least. Ken is a great guy and a good friend at that, and I do not mind sharing a bed with him when he needs comforting. In fact, I think I like it a little too much, maybe.
"Well, you have me now, get some sleep," I say as I wrap my arms around his waist, pulling him closer. I cannot believe how Aya could be so insensitive towards this beautifully exotic creature next to me, but that is the Ice Queen for you. If he were not so cold, this would be him comforting Ken right now…foolish Aya.
* * *
Sunlight filters though the curtains, falling across Yohji's sleeping form. I am getting ready for my shift in the shop this morning that I am taking over for Yohji. Before I leave, I place a light kiss on his forehead, brushing stray locks of golden hair away from his face.
"Morning," Yohji yawns, "thanks for taking my shift this morning. Oh, and I um… I forgot to tell you, but I hired two girls for the afternoon help we needed around here. They should be in at noon."
"That's great, I hope they're good workers, I don't want Aya to get mad at you for hiring just anyone off the street." I comment, walking out of the room, closing the door behind me.
When I enter the shop, Omi is already hard at work on a few orders that needed to be delivered today.
"Hey, Yohji says he hired some afternoon help for the shop. Isn't that wonderful?" I say, busying myself with some purple roses.
Omi looks up from the creamy orange sherbet-colored roses he is working with and nods, "finally, we really do need all the help we can get."
"Ahem…" a voice calls from the shops door.
Both Omi and I look over to see two young women standing in the doorway, and very good-looking if I might add.
"Oh, you must be the help Yohji hired." I say, dusting off my hands and walking to meet them.
"Yes we are. My name is Meg and this is Kat. Sorry we're early, I hope you don't mind."
I look at my watch, "Oh…Yohji did say he expected you two at noon…it's only 10 am, what's the difference between a few hours. My name's Ken, and this is Omi. Yohji is still sleeping and…Omi do you know where Aya is?"
"Yeah, he went out to deliver some of the bouquets, he'll be back soon. Why don't you show the girls around and explain to them how things work while I finish up here." He answers.
"Sounds good to me, and then maybe we'll wake Yohji up a little early too." I smirk to Meg and Kat. The girls look at each other and share a private smile, before following me. I wonder what that is all about.
* * *
"Hey, Kitten, we have a mission tonight." I said.
"Should I ask the guys if we can take the afternoon off from the shop so we can sleep a few hours before we have to go out tonight?" Kat asked.
"I already did. It worked out perfectly because the guys are closing the shop up early today anyway." I said.
"Hmm… I wonder why?" Kat questioned with a smirk on her face.
I smiled back, "I bet Ken begged Aya to take him out, and Yohji probably took Omi to some club for some fun. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge."
By then the girls had been living with the guys long enough to know what was what in the relationship department, and the guys had guessed theirs too.
"Yep, sounds about right to me. Hey Meg, why don't we do the same, later after the mission? We could go out somewhere…or we could stay in?" Kat smiled playfully.
I chased her out of our room, down the stairs, and through the back door of the flower shop. The four guys and us lived in the house attached to the back of the flower shop. It is certainly nice and cozy there.
"So, we get in, take out the target, and get the disk, then get out, right?" I asked.
"Right, a simple operation. So lets go." Kat said.
Yeah, that was what Kat always said, but things did not always go as planned. Like tonight for instance. We had just gotten in the building, and we were scooping out the place when I saw a figure moving in the shadows. I motioned Kat to arm herself and follow me, but when I moved around the corner and pointed my gun, I saw none other than Ken crouching by the wall in a fighting stance.
"Shit! Ken?" Kat stared befuddled, after regaining her senses from running into me.
"Kat?" Ken looked at her and then at me, with wide eyes, "and Meg?"
Just then, Yohji came up from behind Ken, "Hey what are you girls doing here?"
"Um… why don't we just get our jobs done and then we'll talk about this later?" I said.
"Right, let go." Ken said.
* * *
After the run-in with Meg and Kat, I silently observe Yohji as we wait for Omi to give the 'go ahead'. He is trying not to look as if he is bored out of his mind, but I know he is, I can tell from the look on his face and the way he is standing; the guy never could stand still. We are supposed to be seeking out a disk containing vital information, after we take out several well-guarded businessmen, of course.
"What in the world is our target doing hanging around in a factory in the middle of the night, in downtown Tokyo no less." I am wondering, "There is no understanding these psychos anymore."
"Bombay, confirm status." Aya whispers into his comlink.
"Bombay here, waiting for the target to arrive." Omi whispers, holding his crossbow tightly, inside an air duct, watching a couple of executives in the dim-lit room below him.
"Siberian and Balinese are waiting for the signal, Abyssinian out." Aya said from his place in the shadows of a nearby alley.
"What's taking so long Bombay!?" Yohji whispers harshly in to his wrist comlink.
"The target, he's not here yet. Geesh…hold your horses Balinese!" Omi snaps back.
The communication units we use are only audible to the four of us, not to the outside world, and a good thing too.
"OUCH… DAMNIT KEN!?" Yohji growls as I jab my elbow into his ribs. Waiting is not one of Yohji's fortes and I, frankly, was getting tired of dealing with it. Meg and Kat, who are standing against the wall opposite us, try to conceal their laughter.
"Target sited, move in" Omi's voice resounds over the comlink; he has spotted the target entering the room, thus bringing my attention back to the present situation.
I look at Yohji. Our eyes meet, communicating without sound, each of us working out our timing by watching the other. Without thinking, I give into the old familiar pattern, in an instant like a flash of lightening, Yohji and I crash into the room, giving no reaction time for the enemy to escape. With a flick of his wrist, Yohji's wire shoots out and wraps itself around the target's neck, cutting off his air supply. Razor sharp claws, protruding from my glove-covered hand, expertly slash across a few of the men left standing in the room. I look around to see where the girls are. They stood back-to-back fending for themselves with only their laser guns and their combat skills, and doing a pretty good job if I do say so myself.
When all is said and done, the only noise heard is that of the four of us trying to regulate our breathing and our heart rates.
"Balinese here. Mission complete." Yohji reports.
"Good. Any damages?" Aya asks.
"No damages here." Omi interrupts as he jumps down from the air duct and onto the floor with the grace of the cats that our code-names originated from, startling the girls.
"We'll explain later" Meg said, when she noticed the confused look on Omi's face. Then Aya's voice interrupts.
"Okay. Meet outside at the car. Abyssinian out." Aya says as he slips into the shadows of the ally and heads back to the car as well.
"Don't worry about us, we have our own transportation, meet you at the house then, right?" Meg said when Yohji looked at her.
* * *
We all sat in the living room as the girls explained themselves.
"So, let me get this straight, you girls are assassins too?" Yohji asked.
"Right, just like you four. We were sent to work with you, but this was just a coincidence that we ended up working at the shop with you." I said.
"Yeah, Persia and Manx found us and sent us out to help you, never and in our lives did we think that things would work out this great." Kat smirked.
"Well then, it's our little secret isn't it now?" Yohji smiled, and we all shared in the silent amusement of the situation, until everyone burst out laughing.