ST: Ta-Dah!!!! (rubbing hands together) Now we're getting to the juicy part of the story!!
Schud: Ah yes…the revenge part…(looking over shoulder with a lop sided grin) Aya should be pleases.
Aya: (glaring) Why is HE still here?
ST: (Sighing) Because I can't get him to leave.
Schud: OH, Trini' I'm hurt! (big innocent eyes) You know you love me!
ST: (shaking head) Must be the German side of me!
Disclaimer: Blah, blah….I don't own Weiss! Please don't sue!
Seraphine flopped onto the sofa in the back room, rubbing her aching shoulder. Winter was coming to Tokyo, and the cold made her joints ache. :I'm getting old.: She thought depressed, as she lulled her head back and closed her eyes, and smirked inwardly, :Now I know I'm getting old when I think I'm getting old!: She thought to herself, the thought really wouldn't made that much since to anyone else, and hardly made since to her…so with a sigh she just wrote it up to how really tired she was!
That's when she sensed someone coming up beside her, instantly she was on her feet, throwing knife in hand, and scowled. "Damnit, Aya!" She barked, "You almost got a frickin' knife in you're chest!"
Aya looked at her impassionate, his violet eyes betraying nothing as they analyzed her as she relaxed her pose and replaced the knife in it's sheath under her sleeve. "What?" She asked finally, his impassionate gaze starting to get on her nerves.
"You went looking for Yoji the other night didn't you?" He asked point blank, his tone its usual frosty deep baritone.
Seraphine's heart sped up, but other than that she schooled expression to remain neutral. "I went out." She said simply, as she looked up at him. "That a crime?"
"And just happened to run into Yoji?" Aya pressed as he took a step forward.
She turned her head to look at him, her eyes narrowing. "What's it matter?" She asked. "Where I go and who I should or shouldn't run into Aya?" She turned to him fully, "Furthermore, I don't see where it's any concern of yours."
"If you two endanger our missions, then that makes it my concern." Aya said, "I find it interesting that Yoji suddenly comes back acting as if nothing happened, when you disappear for most of the night yesterday."
Seraphine smirked, "You're keeping tabs on me, Aya? I'm touched." She said sarcastically.
Aya frowned, "Now you're starting to sound like Yoji."
Seraphine almost growled, "I am nothing like that Playboy!" Then she narrowed her eyes, "If you've got a problem with me Aya, say it and quit playing this mental detective bullshit." She snarled
Aya frowned. "Fine. Did you and Yoji work out your problems or not?"
Seraphine half smiled, and folded her arms across her chest "We won't hinder your precious missions Aya." She said as she turned around, and began walking out of the room.
"That's not an answer." He scowled.
"Tough." She said as she looked over her shoulder, "That's the answer you're getting, if you don't like it." She turned around to face him fully and extended her middle finger to him. "Bite me!" Then blew him a kiss and turned around again and walked out of the room.
Aya simply let her go, as he folded his arms across his chest and almost smiled.
"The target is the CEO of Rose Enterprises." Manx said as she handed out the folders, and a photo slipped out, "His name is…."
Seraphine eyes widened as she gasped. "Jonathan Robert Endresen!?!" Then mentally she scowled as the Mask of Ice overcame her features. Though now she could feel everyone's eyes on her and mentally she cursed herself again.
"You know the target?" Aya asked suspiciously.
"A few years ago." Seraphine replied and smirked, "He was a bastard then, and looks like he turned out to still be one." She turned back to the photo, her eyes hardening. : Finally, you shit!: She seethed, :After three years, I'll have revenge!:
Seraphine never noticed Yoji's eyes watching her carefully, and no one noticed the look of concern he gave to the young woman.
"The target's suspected to have connections to a drug ring and the making of the designer drug, Crystal Ice." Manx continued. "Our orders are to investigate and take him out."
"Wait, doesn't Kritiker even know if this person's involved?" Omi chimed in, "What if we find that the target's not a part of the drug ring?"
"Oh, he'll be a part of it." Seraphine seethed, "If there's money involved, or a chance for him to gain more power…he'll be involved."
Aya looked at Seraphine again, and then to Manx, "I don't think that Reaver should be involved." He said.
"What?!" Seraphine was instantly on her feet as she whirled around to glare at Aya.
Aya looked at her dispassionately, "You were personally involved with the target." He said, "Your judgment could be clouded."
"Like hell!" Seraphine spat, "You're a find one to talk about clouded judgments! Or have you forgotten your own personal vendetta against the Takatori's?!"
"Seraphine…" Omi whispered, the pain in his eyes cut her deeply. She hated bringing up that name…but...damnit! Why the hell did Aya have to pull this tough act on her now?! Aya narrowed his eyes at her as she snarled, "Let me tell you something, Abyssinian…" She hissed, "Neither you, God, nor the Devil himself will stop me from hunting this bastard down, do you understand me." She said as she grabbed the folder and stalked up the stair from the briefing room.
"Wait!" Manx called out, "If you go against him without the rest of us, you're nothing more than a murderer, Seraphine!"
Seraphine froze as one of Aya's statements brushed thought her mind. :I am neither Death nor the Devil. I am only a Murderer.:
Yoji saw the flash of pain in her eyes. She never turned around fully, but he saw her hand brush lightly against her stomach. "I'm already a murderer, Manx." She replied her voice ice cold, as she continued up the stairs :Endresen saw to that!:
Seraphine knew who it was even before she heard the knock on the door. "Go away Kudo." She said as she pulled her knives from under her bed and laid them out. Bring out the oil to clean them. "I'm not in the mood."
"That's tough, Princess." He said as he walked into the room, as Seraphine cursed herself for leaving the door part way open. "Because I'm coming in and we're having a talk."
"About what?" She asked not turned to look at him as Yoji pulled a chair form her desk and straddled it so that the back pressed up against his chest as Seraphine sat on her bed sharpening her knives.
"You know what." He said, softly as he removed his sunglasses, "He was the one wasn't he?" He began as he looked at her.
Seraphine froze for a moment, then looked back down at the knife as her heart pounded painfully. "Yes." She said softly.
"Jesus, Seri…." Yoji whispered shaking his head.
"What of it?" She asked as she turned her glare to Yoji, "Aya has no right barring me from this mission! He's being a hypocrite!"
"Whoa!" Yoji held up his hands, "It's not me trying to stop you from going!" Yoji said as he looked up at Seraphine, "Look, I can understand you wanting revenge…. but if you kill him for the wrong reasons…."
"…Then I'm nothing more than a murderer." Seraphine finished for him bitterly, "I'm already a murderer!" She flared, "Everyone one of us is a murderer and…"
"But we're not monsters!" Yoji snapped as Seraphine's eyes widened as she shut her mouth to look at him, his emerald eyes boring into her royal blue ones. "Seraphine, you are dangerously close to loosing yourself to your hate, and if you do that…." His eyes softened, "You'll be no better than those animals we hunt." His eyes pleaded with her, "Can you understand what I'm saying?"
Seraphine looked at him then her eyes harder, "Why do you care?" She demanded as she went back to her blades, methodically sharpening them. The metallic scrape of stone against metal, the sound shrouding her soul…. quelling her anger…. making her body…and soul…cold…
Suddenly she felt something violently grab her wrist. Numbly she let the knife clatter to the floor as she felt herself be jerked around to find herself staring up into a pair of angry emerald eyes.
"What the hell kind of question is that?!" Yoji demanded hotly.
"It's a very simply one." Seraphine replied, but it wasn't Seraphine's voice….it was cold…..calculated…..
Yoji's eyes widened, "Reaver…." He whispered, as the assassin smiled coldly up to him.
"Yes, Balinese?" She asked huskily, as Yoji's eyes widened. This wasn't Seraphine! What the hell was going on?!?
He gripped her shoulder, his eyes narrowing in anger and concern. "Quite jerking me around!" He demanded, "Pulling an ice cold 'I'm shutting off my feelings so you'll leave me alone' Aya act on me now isn't going to work!"
"I am not Aya." She replied as Yoji's eyes widened, as he gasped as he felt one of her hands slide up his face. His skin exploded with her touch as an unbidden desire raged through him as he watched her eyes… "Aya would never let someone get this close…." She moved close to Yoji who tried to pull back a bit, but was held by her eyes.
"Seri…. Seraphine…." He whispered as his heart thudded painfully as her lips almost brushed against his…
"I am a murderer, Balinese…." She breathed onto his lips…. as she smiled…that's when he felt the slight pressure on his throat his eyes darted down and widened as he saw the blade of the knife pressed lightly into his tender skin.
Panic swept through him like wildfire…it was only his will hat kept him rooted to the spot, years of training telling him that if he moved suddenly…. that she could cut him badly. His eyes darted back up as he heard her chuckled, and her eyes hardened.
"I kill, and I'm good at it." She whispered, "My hands are stained with blood just as much as yours." She pulled back her lips in a sneer, "So don't try and play the heroic knight in shining armor coming to save the fair damsel's soul…" Her eyes locked with his, "I have no soul left to save."
With that she pulled away and efficiently slipped the blade back into the sheath as she collected her things and Yoji gingerly raised his hand to throat as he looked up at her.
"You're wrong." He said, as she froze still looking down at the blades before her. Gingerly he stood up as he watched her, "You may kill, but you're not a murderer Seraphine." He said softly, "You're not that cold….not yet." She never moved as he walked over to the door stopping with his hand on the handle, he half smiled but never turned around to look at her.
"And I care…" He whispered earnestly as he closed his eyes. "I…. you're one of the closest things I have to a friend…and…." He eyes opened as a haunted look over came them, "I really do care what happens to you." With that he opened the door and slipped out.
Seraphine balled her fists and winced as she heard the door shut behind her as she gnashed her teeth.
He cared?! What the hell was that supposed to mean?! She was an assassin for Christ's sake, a Goddamned murderer! A taker of lives! How the hell could someone…anyone care about her!? She didn't deserve to be cared about! Now form out of nowhere Yoji Kudo, (of all people!), was concerned about her…more over…he said he cared about her!
"Damn you Yoji Kudo!" She sealed her eyes tightly against the moisture that collected under her eyelids :Damn you for caring!: