(Disclaimer: I still don't own any of these guys. To all who reviewed my last piece, thanks! I hope this one is just as good. Enjoy and let me know what you think.)~Arzetta





Ken glared up at the woman. Then it occurred to him that if he played along he could get out of this without wearing a new smile. "Okay," he said and raised his hands palms up. "I'm from another organization." He proceeded to tell her a little about Weiss but never coming quite to the point. Then he saw what he'd been looking for, an opening. He brought his leg up around her leg and pulled, toppling her over. Then he jumped to his feet, before he could do anything she was on him. Once more the relentless dance began. He came in close, "Who are you?"

Their weapons clashed as she spat out a reply. "I am Dragon Ice, of the order of Wudan Dragons. I am the guardian of the girl with the silver streaked hair. I am here to keep you from harming her and stealing the medallion of Myrdinn."

"The girl on the disk?" Ken asked as they bounced off each other's weapons. "Who-dinn's medallion? Lady, I don't know what the hell you are talking about." Ken swung around and brought himself in close. Cutting a long gash in the Dragon's tunic revealing the disk. As it fell Ken tried to catch it but Dragon Ice was quicker and swatted it across the room with the flat of her sword. But in that spilt second Ken changed directions and grabbed her and threw her down to the floor. The fall knocked her sword from her hand and the breath from her body. Grabbing the collar of her tunic Ken stood over her, with his other arm poised to strike. "Lady, I'm tired of this! Why in the name of seven hells do you want to kill me? Answer me or I'll be the one doing the killing!"

"So, then it would seem we are at a stand still. 'Cause if you swing that arm we'll both be dead." Dragon Ice replied and looked towards Ken's stomach.

Ken followed her eyes towards his stomach and took a good look at the mean looking knife that was perched there. "So it would seem." He whispered.

"Always expect the unexpected stroke." said Dragon Ice but she didn't move the knife.

"Okay. Truce?" Ken asked, though he himself hadn't lowered his arm.

"Truce. On one condition, we tell each other the absolute truth. Agreed?" Dragon Ice asked.

Ken considered this for a time. The whole situation was becoming very tire some. "All right, agreed." With that Ken lowered his arm and stepped back.

Dragon Ice put her knife away and stood up. "Okay. I've told you who I am. Now who are you?"

"I'm Claws Blood. I'm a professional assassin from a group called Weiss." Ken said using one of his code names.

Dragon Ice nodded. "All right, now why are you here, really?"

"I'm here for information on Katsuhiko Tusco. His coming, goings, imports and exports, everything even down to his shoe size. My group believes that he is importing drugs and weapons, and exporting young ladies. What's your excuse?" Ken said calmly.

"Me? I'm here to find a way to get Kasumi out of here. You see, she is a guardian just like me. She guards a medallion, the medallion of Myrdinn. Kasumi is the keeper it and it's secrets. She is a four hundred year old powerful sorceress and if she and the medallion fall into the wrong hands it could herald in the end of the world as we know it." Dragon Ice said and began to look around the room for her sword.

None of it quite sank in for Ken. But he did understand "end of the world". "So what exactly do you propose we do about this?"

Dragon Ice looked up at Ken. "We? I don't propose "we" do any thing. But. I'll tell you what I am going to do." Finding her sword and the disk she came back to stand in front of Ken. "I'm going to give you this disk and let you live. But, remember I am watching you. If you cross me or my order, rest assured no power on earth will save you from me." With that said she shoved the disk at Ken and raced towards the window.

Ken raced after her. "This woman is insane! She can't jump out that window, she'll kill herself! We're sixty stories up!" He thought as he tried to grab her, but she was faster.

Dragon Ice made it to the window, opened it and jumped out. She seem to stick to the side of the building, sort of surfing down the first twenty stories. Then she jumped away from the building and flew off into the storm.

Ken watched all this with his mouth agape. Not knowing if what he saw was real.

*************************************************************



"Aya, wait!" Omi yelled from where he stood in the doorway the lead to the

Mainframe.  His blues eyes danced merrily as he watched, Aya turn back to look at him.

"Here take these." Omi said as he handed Aya two things. One was a lock pick

(Omi never left home without one) and the other was a headset communicator.

  "Why are you giving me these?" Aya asked and glared at Omi.

Omi knew that Aya wasn't mad at him just because he was glaring, Aya always

looked like that.

  "Because, Aya Kun. There are doors that will need picking and a security

system that I will need to walk you through when you reach the eighty-sixth

floor. If you need to talk to me press the red button here, on the right side."

Aya looked at the items in Omi's hand and reluctantly took them.  Then he

started for the stair well door.   As he stepped into the darkened stair well he

noticed some thing. It was dark, so dark that he could barely discern the stairs

that led up to a top floor apartment.  Or so he had been told it was an

apartment, nobody knew for certain what was up there.  He stepped forward and

proceeded up the stairs. There wasn't any sound; he could hear nothing but the

sound of himself breathing and sound of his own footsteps.  It was cold in the

stairwell, almost too cold.

  Up and up he went, the stairs seeming never to end.   The he reached it, the

last door.  Pulling at the handle he found it locked, glaring at it he reached

into his pocket. It seemed that Omi was right after all, though Aya wasn't about

to admit it.  He slid the pick in and turned it a bit until he heard it click.

Opening the door he peered out into the darkened hallway.  "Omi," Aya said as he

tapped on the head set button.  "I'm on the top floor. Is there any thing I need

to know now?"

"Aya, I'm looking at the schematics for the top floor now. I'm not seeing

anything that suggests high-rise apartment.  There is a set of French glass

double doors in front of you, walk towards them but. Don't touch them, the alarm

system runs throughout the glass and is heat sensitive." Omi replied.

Aya looked in front of him.  He could see the doors; he walked up to the door

but was careful not to touch anything. He had never been too good with computers

or technology period. That was always Omi's field of specialty.   Aya preferred

a straight approach to get things done quickly, dealing with this now only made

him cranky.  "Alright, I'm in front of the doors."

"Okay, to your left is a keypad. Punch in 5-0-9-3-5-8. In that order." Omi

said. Suddenly he thought he heard some thing and the mainframe room seemed to

be getting really cold. He shrugged it off, rubbed his hands together and

continued to look at the floor plans and the security computers.

Cocking an eyebrow Aya glared at the numbers and began punching in the numbers.

As he stood there he thought he heard some one say his name "Aya, Aya?" He

looked around but saw no one. "Omi, did you say my name?" Aya asked.

  "No. Have you got those numbers punched in?" Omi asked as he blew on his

hands. Why was it so cold down here?

"Yes. The light on the pad is green." Replied Aya as he glanced around him.

Some how being here was making him nervous, and he never got nervous, let alone

scared.

"It should be safe to open the doors now. While you're in the room, don't

touch anything. The whole place is bugged! I'll let you know when it's all

clear." Omi said as he continued to bang away at the mainframe codes. He shook

his head, whatever or whomever, they were trying to keep safe or hidden they

certainly weren't taking any precautions. It was getting colder and it made his

teeth chatter.

Aya stepped into the room, there was very little light in this room. What little

there was came from display lights that glowed or hung on the different displays.

He stared walking forward always looking around; there were vases, paintings,

and statues all around. This wasn't an apartment; this was some one's private

collection. Why was he here? There wasn't any one in here. Aya growled deep in his

throat, he had been cranky about the door lock and this only served to make him

crankier. He whipped around and started back for the door.  That was when he heard it

again.  His name being called "Aya. Aya?"  He turned back around to look the

room over. There wasn't any one. Aya touched the headset "Omi? Did you need me?"

   No answer. But, Omi had left his head set on. Aya could hear Omi's voice. He

was speaking to some one, but who? Then the line went dead.

  "Omi?" Aya asked

There was no answer.

  "Omi?" Aya asked once more. Still there was silence, Aya was beginning to get

slightly worried. He began to wonder if Omi was okay, and who was with him? It

couldn't have been Ken, he was still up in the air ducts. He looked around the

room once more, he knew he should go and check on Omi. But, some thing was

drawing him to the back of the room. He could still hear his name being called.

He debated on with himself for a moment and then decided to find out what

exactly was in this room that could possibly hold a sway over him.

  Making his way to the back of the room he was amazed by what he saw. Standing

upright, and surrounded by lights was what appeared to be a glass coffin. But,

that wasn't what caught his attention. Inside the coffin was a young woman, with

lightly tanned skin, long silver and black streaked hair and she was dressed in a deep blue kimono

with stars and moons printed on it. Her hands were crossed over her chest, her

fingers were long, straight and graceful looking with long clean nails. There

was a ring on nearly every finger, and in her left was a long silver staff with

symbols carved on it.

  Aya looked up at the top of the coffin, there were runes carved on the glass. They glowed blue as he traced them with his finger.