Chapter One: A Botch Not So Bad
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We are all assassins. off on another mission, no matter how tired we get in our souls. Funny, how with as bloodstained as out hands are, we manage to cling to our sanity. Hell, not a one of us is really that stable, though they do not know it, if any one of them died. I would probably go off the deep end. I get close to that any time we get a botched mission, anyway. Gods, the last time Itome almost got herself sliced in half. I didn't get a wink of sleep that night, or the following one, while we were waiting on news of her condition. Gods, it is the same for any of them. I've lost my blood family, but I am not alone. *They* are my family. Even if they never knew of the one I once had, they have become far closer than I have allowed anyone to be, simply by being who they are. They understand the hell the life of an assassin is. I lean on them, though they never know I do.
Bad enough that Tamashii always wears that dammed mask of indifference all the time. she hides it, but she truly cares about us- don't worry, Tama- kun, it is your secret, I won't tell. Gods, our leader who tries to be so brave. You just need to let someone inside that castle of ice you hold so close. I think we have gotten under your skin, after all, it was you who saved all of our lives last time. Ice, that describes you. But I think that of you weren't always there when I got back from one of my one-night- stands, I would have no scowl of reprimand to look foreword to, no disapproving glare as you help me to my room, or as you make one of those godawful prairie oysters for a hangover. Every one of them are my personal saviors, though they may not really know it.
Ah, kiddo, you hide it all under an innocent smile. A pity you're the redhead, you don't have the temperament for it. You wear your heart on your sleeve, but you bottle up all the guilt and sadness. Just like all of us. Innocence is how you deal with it. I almost envy you, at least you don't have nightly nightmares. I know for a fact that sometimes, certain of us wake up screaming, even now, years after. Sometimes, I have a hard time remembering why I joined the Weiß. but then I see each of you, and the fact that all of you are still alive gives me hope. The Flügel will always stand together, or we will go our separate ways alone.
We all have to rely on each other, like a team. You seem to understand that best, Chihiro. even if it is me who usually works like the glue. Did you know that we're getting through to Tama-kun? She's opening up to us a bit. So long as our team stays together, we can survive. I don't think anyone come new to us would last long, she would always be The Replacement for whoever it was who. but none of us will die. Not while the others live. If we DO wind up dissolving the Flügel we won't ever work in a team again, we'd have to be single agents. I don't think we'll ever have to part.
"Are you ready, Michaele, Kohaku, Kieara?"
Three nods. Lillith, the leader of the Weiß Heiligenschein slipped quietly through the hole in the fence, the four assassins splitting up right from the start.
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"Awww.. Shit, Lillith, we have three minutes to get out of here, Kieara set the explosives."
Lillith nodded, her expression grim. Three minutes to get down twenty floors of stairs and out the building. Not enough time.
"Take the fire escape, Michaele, I'll see how quickly I can get down these stairs."
She didn't want to admit that she wouldn't get very far, not with a bullet wound in both her side and thigh. She just wanted the others to be safe. She felt an arm wrap around her waist when she limped for the stair.
"Baka. I'm not leaving you behind. Gods, what is this."
Michaele glanced at her glove when she felt dampness from beneath the other's trenchcoat.
"Not good.. NOT good."
"Lillith, Michaele, what's wrong? Hurry up, you only have two and a half minutes to get out or you're toast!"
"Well, there's a bit of a problem. Lillith's injured."
"NANI? KUSO!"
"I can't reset the bomb in time! Get out of there NOW!"
Michaele felt shoved from behind, and had to jump down the flight of stairs to keep her balance.
"Get going, Michaele."
Growling about stupid bakas, Michaele broke the window, and threaded her wires around the nearest drain pipe, looking back at Lillith one last time. She had taken a seat on the top of the stairs, leaning her head back, her features bathed in moonlight, accenting the fairness of her skin, the delicate whisp of her hair.
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Kieara whirled at a soft voice behind her.
"What went wrong?"
"Prodigy! What-"
Kohaku cut her off abruptly.
"Seraphim's stuck somewhere up on the 20th floor- you can see Archangel coming down alone now. There's a bomb set to level the building, and it's gonna go off in about thirty seconds."
The fifteen-year-old brunette in a navy suit nodded, and looked up at the building, his eyes glowing faintly red all of a sudden.
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And to think, they'll all go their separate ways, once I'm dead. They'll be better off in a less dangerous profession, anyway. Kritiker would love to wash their hands of us, so they may well give them the coffee shop.
Lillith sighed as she looked out the window, before feeling herself lifted up and hurtled out of it. seconds later, the explosion destroyed the building. She slowly lowered to her feet, looking startled, before the sight of a familiar brown-haired, blue-eyed 'kid' told her how she had somehow survived. Limping ever so slightly, paler than usual, she made her way over to the others. Michaele shook her head as she stepped over to Lillith's side, putting one of Lillith's arms over her shoulder for support. She got a glare for it, but for once, the leader of the Flügel didn't object.
"Prodigy."
He looked at the mahogany-haired Seraphim.
"Arigatou."
He shrugged.
"I got sent in case something went wrong. Oracle thought something would, so it looks like I was of some help."
"Say hello to Schul for us."
He grinned at Cherubim, and nodded.
***********************************************************
"Tamashii, you should take it easy today, we can mind the shop without you- "
"Iie, I need to be on my feet. I'll be fine."
The other three women looked at each other. Well, she had a point. Tamashii had the uncanny ability to simply walk off any physical injury. Even broken bones.
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We are all assassins. off on another mission, no matter how tired we get in our souls. Funny, how with as bloodstained as out hands are, we manage to cling to our sanity. Hell, not a one of us is really that stable, though they do not know it, if any one of them died. I would probably go off the deep end. I get close to that any time we get a botched mission, anyway. Gods, the last time Itome almost got herself sliced in half. I didn't get a wink of sleep that night, or the following one, while we were waiting on news of her condition. Gods, it is the same for any of them. I've lost my blood family, but I am not alone. *They* are my family. Even if they never knew of the one I once had, they have become far closer than I have allowed anyone to be, simply by being who they are. They understand the hell the life of an assassin is. I lean on them, though they never know I do.
Bad enough that Tamashii always wears that dammed mask of indifference all the time. she hides it, but she truly cares about us- don't worry, Tama- kun, it is your secret, I won't tell. Gods, our leader who tries to be so brave. You just need to let someone inside that castle of ice you hold so close. I think we have gotten under your skin, after all, it was you who saved all of our lives last time. Ice, that describes you. But I think that of you weren't always there when I got back from one of my one-night- stands, I would have no scowl of reprimand to look foreword to, no disapproving glare as you help me to my room, or as you make one of those godawful prairie oysters for a hangover. Every one of them are my personal saviors, though they may not really know it.
Ah, kiddo, you hide it all under an innocent smile. A pity you're the redhead, you don't have the temperament for it. You wear your heart on your sleeve, but you bottle up all the guilt and sadness. Just like all of us. Innocence is how you deal with it. I almost envy you, at least you don't have nightly nightmares. I know for a fact that sometimes, certain of us wake up screaming, even now, years after. Sometimes, I have a hard time remembering why I joined the Weiß. but then I see each of you, and the fact that all of you are still alive gives me hope. The Flügel will always stand together, or we will go our separate ways alone.
We all have to rely on each other, like a team. You seem to understand that best, Chihiro. even if it is me who usually works like the glue. Did you know that we're getting through to Tama-kun? She's opening up to us a bit. So long as our team stays together, we can survive. I don't think anyone come new to us would last long, she would always be The Replacement for whoever it was who. but none of us will die. Not while the others live. If we DO wind up dissolving the Flügel we won't ever work in a team again, we'd have to be single agents. I don't think we'll ever have to part.
"Are you ready, Michaele, Kohaku, Kieara?"
Three nods. Lillith, the leader of the Weiß Heiligenschein slipped quietly through the hole in the fence, the four assassins splitting up right from the start.
***********************************************************
"Awww.. Shit, Lillith, we have three minutes to get out of here, Kieara set the explosives."
Lillith nodded, her expression grim. Three minutes to get down twenty floors of stairs and out the building. Not enough time.
"Take the fire escape, Michaele, I'll see how quickly I can get down these stairs."
She didn't want to admit that she wouldn't get very far, not with a bullet wound in both her side and thigh. She just wanted the others to be safe. She felt an arm wrap around her waist when she limped for the stair.
"Baka. I'm not leaving you behind. Gods, what is this."
Michaele glanced at her glove when she felt dampness from beneath the other's trenchcoat.
"Not good.. NOT good."
"Lillith, Michaele, what's wrong? Hurry up, you only have two and a half minutes to get out or you're toast!"
"Well, there's a bit of a problem. Lillith's injured."
"NANI? KUSO!"
"I can't reset the bomb in time! Get out of there NOW!"
Michaele felt shoved from behind, and had to jump down the flight of stairs to keep her balance.
"Get going, Michaele."
Growling about stupid bakas, Michaele broke the window, and threaded her wires around the nearest drain pipe, looking back at Lillith one last time. She had taken a seat on the top of the stairs, leaning her head back, her features bathed in moonlight, accenting the fairness of her skin, the delicate whisp of her hair.
***********************************************************
Kieara whirled at a soft voice behind her.
"What went wrong?"
"Prodigy! What-"
Kohaku cut her off abruptly.
"Seraphim's stuck somewhere up on the 20th floor- you can see Archangel coming down alone now. There's a bomb set to level the building, and it's gonna go off in about thirty seconds."
The fifteen-year-old brunette in a navy suit nodded, and looked up at the building, his eyes glowing faintly red all of a sudden.
***********************************************************
And to think, they'll all go their separate ways, once I'm dead. They'll be better off in a less dangerous profession, anyway. Kritiker would love to wash their hands of us, so they may well give them the coffee shop.
Lillith sighed as she looked out the window, before feeling herself lifted up and hurtled out of it. seconds later, the explosion destroyed the building. She slowly lowered to her feet, looking startled, before the sight of a familiar brown-haired, blue-eyed 'kid' told her how she had somehow survived. Limping ever so slightly, paler than usual, she made her way over to the others. Michaele shook her head as she stepped over to Lillith's side, putting one of Lillith's arms over her shoulder for support. She got a glare for it, but for once, the leader of the Flügel didn't object.
"Prodigy."
He looked at the mahogany-haired Seraphim.
"Arigatou."
He shrugged.
"I got sent in case something went wrong. Oracle thought something would, so it looks like I was of some help."
"Say hello to Schul for us."
He grinned at Cherubim, and nodded.
***********************************************************
"Tamashii, you should take it easy today, we can mind the shop without you- "
"Iie, I need to be on my feet. I'll be fine."
The other three women looked at each other. Well, she had a point. Tamashii had the uncanny ability to simply walk off any physical injury. Even broken bones.
