Bloody Morals
The three stood at a darkened corner, gazing intently at the building ahead of them. They were shrouded in darkness. The lights poured over the thick, brick walls of the compound and into the streets, but stopped just beyond their reach. Two security guards stood idly in front of the well-lighted building, taking comfort in it's security. They were confident in their abilities to defend the place they were set to guard, perhaps a little too confident. The streets were completely silent save for the soft snapping sound of one man cracking his knuckles in anticipation. Then he laughed evilly at the thought of what lie ahead.
"I've heard that cracking your knuckles too often gives you arthritis." Fox scolded.
"I'm not in the mood for this now, Hans." #318 warned solemnly.
"You ought to find something to calm yourself down before going to work." Alica advised.
"The only thing that would calm me down this very second is ringing Fox's neck."
"How rude." Fox mumbled, gingerly rubbing his sore, bruised, and swollen neck.
"Work will calm me down." he continued. "And I don't need to be calm untill after it is all over anyway."
"Whatever you say." she sighed.
"Move out, Fox." he ordered. "Get them away from the door, and then buy us as much time as you can."
"I'm such a mess," Fox sniffled. "Look at me! This is terrible!" He walked into the light, revealing his ragged appearance. His dress and skin had been cut up badly, in some places even shredded by the glass from the car's broken rear window. Blood stained his skin, smeared about each wound in light smudges and darker droplets. He had a black eye, and his neck looked precisely as it should after having been strangled halfway to death. "And to top it all off my mascara is smearing!" he cried. "I shall have to pretend I've been raped or something. I really don't know how you can expect me to..."
"Shut up and get to work!"
"Eep! Alright, alright! I'm going!" He walked further away from them, towards the lighted building and the guards.
"Long..." Alica complained. "you're being awfully-"
"I know." he interrupted. "Can't you see that I'm in a foul mood right now? I don't want to snap at you Alica... I don't know why I don't want to snap at you, I snap at everyone."
"Why? Just because you're so miserable?"
"Forget about it. Let's just get the job done and then get out of here."
"Alright, I'll just have to interrogate you later then." He groaned and glanced at her curiously for a moment, and then turned to keep an eye on Fox. They watched curiously as Fox approaced the guards, unable to hear his exact words over the whine of his feminine voice. The guards certainly seemed surprised to see him, and before long he lead them away from the entrance to the building. Long and Alica cautiously crept from the shadows and darted over the the door. Alica punched in the security code, only to find out that they'd changed it again. So she pulled a small lap-top computer out of her jacket and plugged it into the system.
"How long is this going to take?" #318 demanded, glancing around nervously.
"Shhh." Alica replied, concentrating on her work. It didn't take her long to hack into the door's controls and soon enough the door opened and they darted inside. Once there she plugged into the main security system and hacked into it as well. Long started towards the inner doors.
"Not yet." Alica warned.
"Tell me when you're done." Long replied. He was very impatient and started pacing back and forth between the front doors and the set of doors ahead that he would have to enter. Alica finally broke through the system, giving them access to the levels they needed. She glanced anxiously at the elevator before packing up her notebook. He noticed her glance. "You know, I never ordered you to kill them." he reminded her. "You don't have to."
"But if I don't it will take you longer and we'll risk getting caught."
"I'm sure Fox can handle a couple security guards for a few minutes."
"Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do..." Alica thought about not killing them, just for a moment. She wanted it so badly. "but this is my job too, and... They won't be my first kills, and they sure as hell won't be my last either. I'm going to be in the business for awhile, as far as Van's concerned. So I'd better knuckle down and get used to it, right?" He nodded in agreement and understanding.
"I appreciate your help, Alica. Thank you. This would be the second time you've saved my @$$ this evening."
"Well... it's not a bad looking @$$ I guess. I think it's worth saving." A look of complete shock covered his face, and she couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Did you really think I meant it that way? Long, I was just joking!"
"Ugh... I think I've been hanging around Hans far too long."
"Heh... why would you say that?"
"Imagine if he had said something like that to me..."
"Oh, so you thought I was coming on to you?"
"Uh... never mind. Let's get to work."
"Right." She gave him a nod and headed for the elevator while he turned and walked through the doors ahead. He hated to admit it, in fact he tried his best to ignore the fact that even after all these years his conscience still balked at the thought of another kill. But what scared him even more was that a small part inside of him was starting to enjoy the killing. I don't know which is worse, to live with the pain of fearing what I am, or give in to temptation and accept it. He hated the job he was forced to perform, but at the same time he could not deny that when he took his anger out on his victims he felt a strange sense of pleasure.
No! he thought. I will not become like the others. I will never enjoy killing, never! It was a battle inside him, between his conscience and his sanity. With every step he took towards the door he could feel himself losing it, he already had so little control of his powers. He kept on telling himself that the people he was about to kill would die sooner or later if they were Van's enemies. At least I am able to save the lives of my loved ones. But it was little comfort against the continuous searing pain brought on by his work. One day when I have enough of Tylon's stinking money I will kill my father and take them both away from this.
It was the only thing he worked for, the only thing keeping him alive. The hope that one day he would be able to change the way things were. To save his family for good and never have to kill again. It was this goal that he devoted every waking moment to. It was for his mother and his sister that he killed anyone Tylon sent him against. I hope they appreciate what I'm doing for them. But they cannot know, not untill all of this is over. I must have faith in their love, and faith in myself.
He burst through the set of double doors, all of nearly a dozen people looking up at him in shock and surprise. They didn't recognize him, the looks on their faces questioned what reason he had to be there. He simply smiled and walked over to the closest man. Then he grabbed his head, twisting his neck untill a sharp crack signaled that he was gone. The faces of the others twisted in horror and their screams echoed emptilly through the room as he morphed into a huge beast. More powerful muscles ripped through his limbs, black and orange fur grew about his body, and claws sprouted from his hands and fangs from his mouth. He growled in fury and advanced on the helpless pray.
Alica boarded the elevator and pressed the right button, standing in place and waiting anxiously as the elevator rose to the right floor. Why did I volunteer to do this? she wondered. All that talk about getting used to this job was bull$#!%. That's not the reason I'm doing this. But if that wasn't the reason she had accepted the job, then what was? Am I doing this because I like Long? What a stupid reason to get myself deeper into this! She couldn't even understand her own motives. I could have done something else for him. Did I think that this wouldn't make any difference since I've killed so many people already? She shook her head sadly.
Some great reasoning, she thought as the elevator reached her floor. Too late to turn back now. The doors swung open and she walked down the hallway, stopping at the first doorway she found. I hope that whoever's sleeping in here is ready to meet their maker, she thought. She truly meant it too, she would've hated to kill someone who wasn't ready to go. She opened the door and up to the bed, staring at a sleeping young woman, not much younger than herself. Her fingers twitched and a long, sharp claw appeared on one hand. She used it to quickly slit the lady's throat. Such is life.
In a flash he was a man again. He rubbed his hands over the bare skin of his arms, thankful that he only felt a thin layer of hair rather than several thick layers of fur. He sighed and glanced around the room, his blurred vision picking up several silent, bloodied forms lying nearby. Finally he spied a twinkling in one corner and picked his glassess off a dead man's corpse. He held them up to his face and then used the tail of his shirt and a little spit to wipe the specks of blood from the lenses. Then he set them back on his nose, pushed them up too his face, and walked out to the next room.
Good thing the walls here are so thick, he thought. I doubt anyone heard a thing. He walked down the hall and into a smaller room, and closed the door behind him. Five people stood idly around the tables, and ignored his entrance. He walked up to the closest one, a middle-aged lady. She turned towards him with a curious look on her face. He kicked her in the chest so hard you could hear her ribs crack as she fell to the floor. Her scream alerted the others, who ran for the door, but he beat them there, and then he beat them to death. If my count is right I'm missing one person. That can't be good.
He stopped for a moment, wondering where the other person might be. He pushed the bodies into a corner and opened both doors to the room. He figured the person would return, provided they hadn't heard the screaming. He thought about hiding behind a table, but realized that the person may sense something wrong if they saw no one in the room. So he stood idly by a table as the others had been doing, thinking he could kill the person before it could discover what was going on. Soon enough a man emerged from behind a door and walked straight for the room.
He gazed at the room for a moment, then gave it a closer look. Does he suspect something? Long wondered. He studied the other man and glanced at the door he'd come out of, realizing that it was a bathroom door. Good, then he won't piss on himself before he dies. The man looked puzzled for a moment, and then turned away from the room right before he got to the doorway. Long smiled and walked out of the room. He followed him down the hall, gaining on him untill he was scant yards away.
"Excuse me, Sir. I've been looking for you."
"Oh?" the man turned around to face him and the butt of his wrist connected with his jaw, crushing the bone as he screamed.
In the palm of my hands, #318 thought. It would be more difficult to take candy from a baby. The man fell to the ground and held his broken jaw. Singh Long walked up behind him, and then jumped on his back, snapping it with a sickening crack. Then he stomped the man's skull into the ground and walked strolled back towards the front of the building, leaving bloody footprints behind. He walked over to the elevator, waiting next to it for a few moments before the doors opened and Alica stepped out.
"I see you have bloodied your hands." he noticed, glancing down at the crimson liquid covering her from the tips of her fingers to the sleeves of her white lab coat.
"I see you've bloodied your entire person..." she replied, looking over his blood-splattered clothing. A few droplets even graced his face, and yet... "except for your glasses."
"I need to be able to see through them, the blood spots bother me."
"Do they bother you more than the blood on you hands?" He frowned at the question.
"Let's get out of here." She nodded and they walked through the door. They looked up and down the street for Fox, and saw him at the other end, still talking to the security guards. "Time to go Hans." Long muttered, walking towards them. He came up behind the guards and Fox spotted him. The guards were about to turn and look also, but Hans screamed, diverting their attention once more. Long gave them both a quick rap on the temples and they fell to the ground, unconscious. He dragged their bodies back to the building's doorway.
"Why didn't we just do that in the first place!?!" Fox demanded, frustrated.
"Because I didn't want you going psycho at the sight of blood once the killing started, psycho bitch." #318 explained.
"Good plan." Alica agreed. "But why did we even bring Hans in the first place then?"
"I hate it when you call me that!" Hans whined.
"You hate it when we call you anything, Hans." #318 commented, setting the guards down at the entrance. "And to tell you the truth, Alica, I did want someone watching the entrance for us."
"That's only because it's always something rude!" Fox argued.
"Get back to the car." Long ordered. "Now!"
"Y-yes m-my lovely leader." he replied, cringing and then running back to the car. Alica and Long followed at a more leisurely walk.
"I trust you took care of all four of them." #318 assumed.
"Yes." Alica replied with a nod, unable to keep a slight shake from her voice.
"Alica, is there something you're not telling me?"
"I just... regret it." she lied.
"Hm..." he studied her face for a moment and then decided to bring it up once they were safely back at Tylon. They reached the car and climbed in, he stuck the key in and turned to car on, listening to the quiet purr of his engine for a moment. "Fox, Alica, good job."
"Wha...?" Hans mumbled. "D-did you just... thank me?"
"Don't take it for more than what is it, Hans." #318 warned.
"It was my pleasure." Alica lied again. Singh Long gave her a critical glance that she shied away from. The he put his foot to the gas and drove them back to headquarters.
"Well... Van should be pleased at how this went... right?" Fox asked, once they got back. They all climbed out of the car and Long locked it up.
"Yes, he should." Alica agreed. Fox headed for the stairs and Alica started to follow.
"I want to talk with you, Alica." #318 called. Something in the tone of his voice told her that he still suspected something. Damn me, can't even hide my own guilt. She stood where she was and waited, listening to his soft footfalls as he walked up behind her. "Care to come up to my dorm for a moment? Perhaps for a cup of tea and a little chat."
"Isn't it usually coffe?" she mumbled nervously.
"I'm not asking you for sex, Alica." he replied, grunting in complete disgust at the sugestion. "And I don't drink much coffe either, although I do have some if you like it."
"I..." Still, the way he asked me, it wasn't really a question, it was a command. "I guess I could."
"Follow me." he ordered, walking towards the stairs. She did as she was told, knowing she was powerless to do otherwise. She followed him all the way up the stairs and into his room, noticing that he shut and locked the door behind them. She could feel her throat tightening in fear. "Have a seat, Alica." She sat down on the couch.
"Why... do you k-keep saying my name like that?" He turned his back to the door and walked over to her, his critical gaze seemed to bore into her mind.
"You lied to me Alica. I want to know why."
"I-I don't know what you're talking about."
"Alica, I don't play this kind of game. Now either you tell me what you've done, or I may be forced to become a bit... unpleasant."
"Wha... What are you going to do?" He walked up to her and rested his hands on the back of the couch on either side of her. Then he bent down to look her in the face, his eyes staring into hers. She was unable to look away.
"Alica, simply tell me the truth, and nothing will happen."
"I...uh..." he pullled in even closer, untill his nose brushed against hers and she could feel his breath on her lips. "I... d-didn't kill one of them." He pulled back and scowled at her.
"Just as I had suspected. Why, Alica?"
"I... c-couldn't..." she gulped nervously, nevertheless glad he wasn't in her face anymore. He stood up and looked down on her with utmost disaproval. "I... my conscience is killing me! You must know how that feels!"
"Do you have any idea what you are risking!?!" he scolded. "Van will do something terrible to you when he finds out... and then he will punish me as well. Will he kill one of my family members over this? Perhaps my little sister... you tell me Alica!"
"No! I made it look as though I killed them all! Long, no one will be able to tell the difference! If you don't tell Van no one will ever know! You won't tell him, will you?"
"Do you have any idea what he would do to me if he found out about this!?!" Singh Long yelled.
"P-please!" she cried, warpping her arms around his waist. "Don't! Think of what he'll do to me!" He scoffed at her whining and stared down at her blankly.
"You think Van won't know the difference?"
"He'll never find out, I covered up for it that well, I swear!"
"Hmpf... We shall see." he started walking, breaking from her grasp. Her face fell straight to the ground as he sat down in his recliner. She picked herself off the ground and sat back down on the couch while he fished through his pockets. "Damnit!" he came up empty-handed again. "Why did I ever listen to you? I need a cigarette now."
"So... you're not going to...?"
"Shut up. I don't want to talk to you right now." he walked into his kitchen and she listened to the clinking of cups as he prepared something.
"But... Long."
"An jin!*"
Hm... now he's yelling at me in Chinese, guess I'd better be quiet. She sat silently on the couch for several minutes while he shuffled around in the kitchen. She listened to the hum of a microwave as he turned it on, waited a few minutes, and then removed something from it again. She heard the metallic sound of a spoon as it stirred whatever was in the cups. She waited untill he re-appeared, setting a cup on a coaster in front of her on the coffe table and sat back dowon in his recliner with his cup.
"Thank you." she picked the cup up off of the table and blew on it gently, then took a sip. The tea was a little bitter for her liking, but she decided not to bother him about it. He relaxed in his chair and took small sips of the tea, savoring the bittersweet taste in his mouth. He sat there, silently thinking untill he finished it.
"I should be telling Van about this right now." #318 complained. "I must be going soft."
"You know, caring about other people isn't a weakness." Alica argued.
"Yes it is. How do you think I got here?"
"I don't know, how did you get here?" He glared at her for a moment, and then decided it was an honest question and not just a smart retort.
"My father works for Tylon. He's worked for them much longer than I have, maybe as long as I've been alive."
"Oh, so he's the reson Tylon got it's hands on you."
"He trained me to kill from a very young age, and then when I was ready he handed me over to them. All my life he was preparing me for this job."
"What!?! That's horrible!"
"You can understand why I would want to kill him now, can't you?"
"Yes, I guess I do... so... your father is also an assassin?"
"Hardly. He is a mere lab assisstant."
"But... is he a Zoanthrope?"
"Yes."
"And you were born a Zoanthrope."
"Yes, I was."
"So was I."
"Your father wasn't a Zoanthrope, was he?" Long wondered. "Was it your mother?"
"It was my mother." she admitted. "I don't even think my father knew about it, and he certainly wasn't one himself."
"I had suspected as much." #318 commented, getting up from his chair and walking into the kitchen to pour himself some more tea. "Need anything while I'm up?"
"No, I'm fine." she answered, despite still feeling a little bit shaken. "Long... what would you have done to me if I didn't talk?"
"Hm..." he ignored her question for a moment, untill he was done pouring the tea. He considered it as he walked back into the room, and then sat down on the couch beside her. "I scared you didn't I? Good. I had intended to do so. It is nice to know I haven't lost my touch."
"Would you please answer my question?" Alica asked, growling a bit. She was beginning to get frustrated with him.
"I'm not sure..." he replied, taking a slow sip of his tea. "I didn't really have anything planned."
"Why did you stare into my eyes like that?"
"So there was no place for you to hide. People don't like to lie while you're looking into their eyes, it gives them away."
"Do you think you could lie with someone looking into your eyes?"
"Perhaps. It really depends on what questions they were asking." she nodded, accepting the answer.
"So what do you think you would've done to me?"
"Hmmm..." he stared blankly at the wall for a moment, absently dipping one finger into his cup of tea and stirring it. "I think I might have grabbed one of your hands, taken a finger, and bent it backwards... ever so slowly, untill the pain became unbearable... or I might have manipulated a painful pressure point or two. Why do you ask anyway? It is over now."
"I... had the strangest fear that you were going to bite me." she replied. "As close as your face was to mine. And I was afraid... you would......... you know."
"Alica, I don't know." he protested. "And I'm certain I don't want to either, especially if it's something sexual in nature."
"See, you knew."
"I don't know why everyone presumes that simply because I'm perverse enough to commit mass murder I'm a rapist as well."
"Most of the other assassins are." she informed him. "Or so I've heard."
"And that is why you fear it?" he assumed. "I'm a virgin actually."
"What!?!" she asked, her mouth agape.
"Does that shock you? It shoudn't really... Considering how completely anti-social I can be it shouldn't be much of a surprise. Why does everyone expect this of me?"
"I don't know." she shrugged. "I guess virginity seems pure to most people, and you seem to be covered in the filth of your deeds."
"So... as if being a merciless killer isn't enough I'm supposed to !#$@ as well? How stereotypical." Alica shrugged and Singh Long continued. "I have never known that kind of lust. I have never known any kind of lust." he explained. "I am an emotionless servant of Tylon, the hands that carry out their most destructive desires. I am driven by need, not desire. I kill because it is necessary for me to kill. I care for nothing, feel for nothing, lust for nothing. I simply exist to accomplish my work."
"You care for nothing?" Alica was perplexed. "Not even your family?"
"My one weakness." he admitted, glancing briefly into her eyes. "Correction, my first weakness. The second is you."
"Me?" she didn't know whether to be flattered or offended.
"You mean something to me..." he admitted, albeit reluctantly. He stared into her face, trying to figure out why. "although, I'm not sure exactly what. You are a good friend I think, but I don't usually keep friends."
"I... guess I should be flattered."
"Hardly."
*Quiet!
"I've heard that cracking your knuckles too often gives you arthritis." Fox scolded.
"I'm not in the mood for this now, Hans." #318 warned solemnly.
"You ought to find something to calm yourself down before going to work." Alica advised.
"The only thing that would calm me down this very second is ringing Fox's neck."
"How rude." Fox mumbled, gingerly rubbing his sore, bruised, and swollen neck.
"Work will calm me down." he continued. "And I don't need to be calm untill after it is all over anyway."
"Whatever you say." she sighed.
"Move out, Fox." he ordered. "Get them away from the door, and then buy us as much time as you can."
"I'm such a mess," Fox sniffled. "Look at me! This is terrible!" He walked into the light, revealing his ragged appearance. His dress and skin had been cut up badly, in some places even shredded by the glass from the car's broken rear window. Blood stained his skin, smeared about each wound in light smudges and darker droplets. He had a black eye, and his neck looked precisely as it should after having been strangled halfway to death. "And to top it all off my mascara is smearing!" he cried. "I shall have to pretend I've been raped or something. I really don't know how you can expect me to..."
"Shut up and get to work!"
"Eep! Alright, alright! I'm going!" He walked further away from them, towards the lighted building and the guards.
"Long..." Alica complained. "you're being awfully-"
"I know." he interrupted. "Can't you see that I'm in a foul mood right now? I don't want to snap at you Alica... I don't know why I don't want to snap at you, I snap at everyone."
"Why? Just because you're so miserable?"
"Forget about it. Let's just get the job done and then get out of here."
"Alright, I'll just have to interrogate you later then." He groaned and glanced at her curiously for a moment, and then turned to keep an eye on Fox. They watched curiously as Fox approaced the guards, unable to hear his exact words over the whine of his feminine voice. The guards certainly seemed surprised to see him, and before long he lead them away from the entrance to the building. Long and Alica cautiously crept from the shadows and darted over the the door. Alica punched in the security code, only to find out that they'd changed it again. So she pulled a small lap-top computer out of her jacket and plugged it into the system.
"How long is this going to take?" #318 demanded, glancing around nervously.
"Shhh." Alica replied, concentrating on her work. It didn't take her long to hack into the door's controls and soon enough the door opened and they darted inside. Once there she plugged into the main security system and hacked into it as well. Long started towards the inner doors.
"Not yet." Alica warned.
"Tell me when you're done." Long replied. He was very impatient and started pacing back and forth between the front doors and the set of doors ahead that he would have to enter. Alica finally broke through the system, giving them access to the levels they needed. She glanced anxiously at the elevator before packing up her notebook. He noticed her glance. "You know, I never ordered you to kill them." he reminded her. "You don't have to."
"But if I don't it will take you longer and we'll risk getting caught."
"I'm sure Fox can handle a couple security guards for a few minutes."
"Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do..." Alica thought about not killing them, just for a moment. She wanted it so badly. "but this is my job too, and... They won't be my first kills, and they sure as hell won't be my last either. I'm going to be in the business for awhile, as far as Van's concerned. So I'd better knuckle down and get used to it, right?" He nodded in agreement and understanding.
"I appreciate your help, Alica. Thank you. This would be the second time you've saved my @$$ this evening."
"Well... it's not a bad looking @$$ I guess. I think it's worth saving." A look of complete shock covered his face, and she couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Did you really think I meant it that way? Long, I was just joking!"
"Ugh... I think I've been hanging around Hans far too long."
"Heh... why would you say that?"
"Imagine if he had said something like that to me..."
"Oh, so you thought I was coming on to you?"
"Uh... never mind. Let's get to work."
"Right." She gave him a nod and headed for the elevator while he turned and walked through the doors ahead. He hated to admit it, in fact he tried his best to ignore the fact that even after all these years his conscience still balked at the thought of another kill. But what scared him even more was that a small part inside of him was starting to enjoy the killing. I don't know which is worse, to live with the pain of fearing what I am, or give in to temptation and accept it. He hated the job he was forced to perform, but at the same time he could not deny that when he took his anger out on his victims he felt a strange sense of pleasure.
No! he thought. I will not become like the others. I will never enjoy killing, never! It was a battle inside him, between his conscience and his sanity. With every step he took towards the door he could feel himself losing it, he already had so little control of his powers. He kept on telling himself that the people he was about to kill would die sooner or later if they were Van's enemies. At least I am able to save the lives of my loved ones. But it was little comfort against the continuous searing pain brought on by his work. One day when I have enough of Tylon's stinking money I will kill my father and take them both away from this.
It was the only thing he worked for, the only thing keeping him alive. The hope that one day he would be able to change the way things were. To save his family for good and never have to kill again. It was this goal that he devoted every waking moment to. It was for his mother and his sister that he killed anyone Tylon sent him against. I hope they appreciate what I'm doing for them. But they cannot know, not untill all of this is over. I must have faith in their love, and faith in myself.
He burst through the set of double doors, all of nearly a dozen people looking up at him in shock and surprise. They didn't recognize him, the looks on their faces questioned what reason he had to be there. He simply smiled and walked over to the closest man. Then he grabbed his head, twisting his neck untill a sharp crack signaled that he was gone. The faces of the others twisted in horror and their screams echoed emptilly through the room as he morphed into a huge beast. More powerful muscles ripped through his limbs, black and orange fur grew about his body, and claws sprouted from his hands and fangs from his mouth. He growled in fury and advanced on the helpless pray.
Alica boarded the elevator and pressed the right button, standing in place and waiting anxiously as the elevator rose to the right floor. Why did I volunteer to do this? she wondered. All that talk about getting used to this job was bull$#!%. That's not the reason I'm doing this. But if that wasn't the reason she had accepted the job, then what was? Am I doing this because I like Long? What a stupid reason to get myself deeper into this! She couldn't even understand her own motives. I could have done something else for him. Did I think that this wouldn't make any difference since I've killed so many people already? She shook her head sadly.
Some great reasoning, she thought as the elevator reached her floor. Too late to turn back now. The doors swung open and she walked down the hallway, stopping at the first doorway she found. I hope that whoever's sleeping in here is ready to meet their maker, she thought. She truly meant it too, she would've hated to kill someone who wasn't ready to go. She opened the door and up to the bed, staring at a sleeping young woman, not much younger than herself. Her fingers twitched and a long, sharp claw appeared on one hand. She used it to quickly slit the lady's throat. Such is life.
In a flash he was a man again. He rubbed his hands over the bare skin of his arms, thankful that he only felt a thin layer of hair rather than several thick layers of fur. He sighed and glanced around the room, his blurred vision picking up several silent, bloodied forms lying nearby. Finally he spied a twinkling in one corner and picked his glassess off a dead man's corpse. He held them up to his face and then used the tail of his shirt and a little spit to wipe the specks of blood from the lenses. Then he set them back on his nose, pushed them up too his face, and walked out to the next room.
Good thing the walls here are so thick, he thought. I doubt anyone heard a thing. He walked down the hall and into a smaller room, and closed the door behind him. Five people stood idly around the tables, and ignored his entrance. He walked up to the closest one, a middle-aged lady. She turned towards him with a curious look on her face. He kicked her in the chest so hard you could hear her ribs crack as she fell to the floor. Her scream alerted the others, who ran for the door, but he beat them there, and then he beat them to death. If my count is right I'm missing one person. That can't be good.
He stopped for a moment, wondering where the other person might be. He pushed the bodies into a corner and opened both doors to the room. He figured the person would return, provided they hadn't heard the screaming. He thought about hiding behind a table, but realized that the person may sense something wrong if they saw no one in the room. So he stood idly by a table as the others had been doing, thinking he could kill the person before it could discover what was going on. Soon enough a man emerged from behind a door and walked straight for the room.
He gazed at the room for a moment, then gave it a closer look. Does he suspect something? Long wondered. He studied the other man and glanced at the door he'd come out of, realizing that it was a bathroom door. Good, then he won't piss on himself before he dies. The man looked puzzled for a moment, and then turned away from the room right before he got to the doorway. Long smiled and walked out of the room. He followed him down the hall, gaining on him untill he was scant yards away.
"Excuse me, Sir. I've been looking for you."
"Oh?" the man turned around to face him and the butt of his wrist connected with his jaw, crushing the bone as he screamed.
In the palm of my hands, #318 thought. It would be more difficult to take candy from a baby. The man fell to the ground and held his broken jaw. Singh Long walked up behind him, and then jumped on his back, snapping it with a sickening crack. Then he stomped the man's skull into the ground and walked strolled back towards the front of the building, leaving bloody footprints behind. He walked over to the elevator, waiting next to it for a few moments before the doors opened and Alica stepped out.
"I see you have bloodied your hands." he noticed, glancing down at the crimson liquid covering her from the tips of her fingers to the sleeves of her white lab coat.
"I see you've bloodied your entire person..." she replied, looking over his blood-splattered clothing. A few droplets even graced his face, and yet... "except for your glasses."
"I need to be able to see through them, the blood spots bother me."
"Do they bother you more than the blood on you hands?" He frowned at the question.
"Let's get out of here." She nodded and they walked through the door. They looked up and down the street for Fox, and saw him at the other end, still talking to the security guards. "Time to go Hans." Long muttered, walking towards them. He came up behind the guards and Fox spotted him. The guards were about to turn and look also, but Hans screamed, diverting their attention once more. Long gave them both a quick rap on the temples and they fell to the ground, unconscious. He dragged their bodies back to the building's doorway.
"Why didn't we just do that in the first place!?!" Fox demanded, frustrated.
"Because I didn't want you going psycho at the sight of blood once the killing started, psycho bitch." #318 explained.
"Good plan." Alica agreed. "But why did we even bring Hans in the first place then?"
"I hate it when you call me that!" Hans whined.
"You hate it when we call you anything, Hans." #318 commented, setting the guards down at the entrance. "And to tell you the truth, Alica, I did want someone watching the entrance for us."
"That's only because it's always something rude!" Fox argued.
"Get back to the car." Long ordered. "Now!"
"Y-yes m-my lovely leader." he replied, cringing and then running back to the car. Alica and Long followed at a more leisurely walk.
"I trust you took care of all four of them." #318 assumed.
"Yes." Alica replied with a nod, unable to keep a slight shake from her voice.
"Alica, is there something you're not telling me?"
"I just... regret it." she lied.
"Hm..." he studied her face for a moment and then decided to bring it up once they were safely back at Tylon. They reached the car and climbed in, he stuck the key in and turned to car on, listening to the quiet purr of his engine for a moment. "Fox, Alica, good job."
"Wha...?" Hans mumbled. "D-did you just... thank me?"
"Don't take it for more than what is it, Hans." #318 warned.
"It was my pleasure." Alica lied again. Singh Long gave her a critical glance that she shied away from. The he put his foot to the gas and drove them back to headquarters.
"Well... Van should be pleased at how this went... right?" Fox asked, once they got back. They all climbed out of the car and Long locked it up.
"Yes, he should." Alica agreed. Fox headed for the stairs and Alica started to follow.
"I want to talk with you, Alica." #318 called. Something in the tone of his voice told her that he still suspected something. Damn me, can't even hide my own guilt. She stood where she was and waited, listening to his soft footfalls as he walked up behind her. "Care to come up to my dorm for a moment? Perhaps for a cup of tea and a little chat."
"Isn't it usually coffe?" she mumbled nervously.
"I'm not asking you for sex, Alica." he replied, grunting in complete disgust at the sugestion. "And I don't drink much coffe either, although I do have some if you like it."
"I..." Still, the way he asked me, it wasn't really a question, it was a command. "I guess I could."
"Follow me." he ordered, walking towards the stairs. She did as she was told, knowing she was powerless to do otherwise. She followed him all the way up the stairs and into his room, noticing that he shut and locked the door behind them. She could feel her throat tightening in fear. "Have a seat, Alica." She sat down on the couch.
"Why... do you k-keep saying my name like that?" He turned his back to the door and walked over to her, his critical gaze seemed to bore into her mind.
"You lied to me Alica. I want to know why."
"I-I don't know what you're talking about."
"Alica, I don't play this kind of game. Now either you tell me what you've done, or I may be forced to become a bit... unpleasant."
"Wha... What are you going to do?" He walked up to her and rested his hands on the back of the couch on either side of her. Then he bent down to look her in the face, his eyes staring into hers. She was unable to look away.
"Alica, simply tell me the truth, and nothing will happen."
"I...uh..." he pullled in even closer, untill his nose brushed against hers and she could feel his breath on her lips. "I... d-didn't kill one of them." He pulled back and scowled at her.
"Just as I had suspected. Why, Alica?"
"I... c-couldn't..." she gulped nervously, nevertheless glad he wasn't in her face anymore. He stood up and looked down on her with utmost disaproval. "I... my conscience is killing me! You must know how that feels!"
"Do you have any idea what you are risking!?!" he scolded. "Van will do something terrible to you when he finds out... and then he will punish me as well. Will he kill one of my family members over this? Perhaps my little sister... you tell me Alica!"
"No! I made it look as though I killed them all! Long, no one will be able to tell the difference! If you don't tell Van no one will ever know! You won't tell him, will you?"
"Do you have any idea what he would do to me if he found out about this!?!" Singh Long yelled.
"P-please!" she cried, warpping her arms around his waist. "Don't! Think of what he'll do to me!" He scoffed at her whining and stared down at her blankly.
"You think Van won't know the difference?"
"He'll never find out, I covered up for it that well, I swear!"
"Hmpf... We shall see." he started walking, breaking from her grasp. Her face fell straight to the ground as he sat down in his recliner. She picked herself off the ground and sat back down on the couch while he fished through his pockets. "Damnit!" he came up empty-handed again. "Why did I ever listen to you? I need a cigarette now."
"So... you're not going to...?"
"Shut up. I don't want to talk to you right now." he walked into his kitchen and she listened to the clinking of cups as he prepared something.
"But... Long."
"An jin!*"
Hm... now he's yelling at me in Chinese, guess I'd better be quiet. She sat silently on the couch for several minutes while he shuffled around in the kitchen. She listened to the hum of a microwave as he turned it on, waited a few minutes, and then removed something from it again. She heard the metallic sound of a spoon as it stirred whatever was in the cups. She waited untill he re-appeared, setting a cup on a coaster in front of her on the coffe table and sat back dowon in his recliner with his cup.
"Thank you." she picked the cup up off of the table and blew on it gently, then took a sip. The tea was a little bitter for her liking, but she decided not to bother him about it. He relaxed in his chair and took small sips of the tea, savoring the bittersweet taste in his mouth. He sat there, silently thinking untill he finished it.
"I should be telling Van about this right now." #318 complained. "I must be going soft."
"You know, caring about other people isn't a weakness." Alica argued.
"Yes it is. How do you think I got here?"
"I don't know, how did you get here?" He glared at her for a moment, and then decided it was an honest question and not just a smart retort.
"My father works for Tylon. He's worked for them much longer than I have, maybe as long as I've been alive."
"Oh, so he's the reson Tylon got it's hands on you."
"He trained me to kill from a very young age, and then when I was ready he handed me over to them. All my life he was preparing me for this job."
"What!?! That's horrible!"
"You can understand why I would want to kill him now, can't you?"
"Yes, I guess I do... so... your father is also an assassin?"
"Hardly. He is a mere lab assisstant."
"But... is he a Zoanthrope?"
"Yes."
"And you were born a Zoanthrope."
"Yes, I was."
"So was I."
"Your father wasn't a Zoanthrope, was he?" Long wondered. "Was it your mother?"
"It was my mother." she admitted. "I don't even think my father knew about it, and he certainly wasn't one himself."
"I had suspected as much." #318 commented, getting up from his chair and walking into the kitchen to pour himself some more tea. "Need anything while I'm up?"
"No, I'm fine." she answered, despite still feeling a little bit shaken. "Long... what would you have done to me if I didn't talk?"
"Hm..." he ignored her question for a moment, untill he was done pouring the tea. He considered it as he walked back into the room, and then sat down on the couch beside her. "I scared you didn't I? Good. I had intended to do so. It is nice to know I haven't lost my touch."
"Would you please answer my question?" Alica asked, growling a bit. She was beginning to get frustrated with him.
"I'm not sure..." he replied, taking a slow sip of his tea. "I didn't really have anything planned."
"Why did you stare into my eyes like that?"
"So there was no place for you to hide. People don't like to lie while you're looking into their eyes, it gives them away."
"Do you think you could lie with someone looking into your eyes?"
"Perhaps. It really depends on what questions they were asking." she nodded, accepting the answer.
"So what do you think you would've done to me?"
"Hmmm..." he stared blankly at the wall for a moment, absently dipping one finger into his cup of tea and stirring it. "I think I might have grabbed one of your hands, taken a finger, and bent it backwards... ever so slowly, untill the pain became unbearable... or I might have manipulated a painful pressure point or two. Why do you ask anyway? It is over now."
"I... had the strangest fear that you were going to bite me." she replied. "As close as your face was to mine. And I was afraid... you would......... you know."
"Alica, I don't know." he protested. "And I'm certain I don't want to either, especially if it's something sexual in nature."
"See, you knew."
"I don't know why everyone presumes that simply because I'm perverse enough to commit mass murder I'm a rapist as well."
"Most of the other assassins are." she informed him. "Or so I've heard."
"And that is why you fear it?" he assumed. "I'm a virgin actually."
"What!?!" she asked, her mouth agape.
"Does that shock you? It shoudn't really... Considering how completely anti-social I can be it shouldn't be much of a surprise. Why does everyone expect this of me?"
"I don't know." she shrugged. "I guess virginity seems pure to most people, and you seem to be covered in the filth of your deeds."
"So... as if being a merciless killer isn't enough I'm supposed to !#$@ as well? How stereotypical." Alica shrugged and Singh Long continued. "I have never known that kind of lust. I have never known any kind of lust." he explained. "I am an emotionless servant of Tylon, the hands that carry out their most destructive desires. I am driven by need, not desire. I kill because it is necessary for me to kill. I care for nothing, feel for nothing, lust for nothing. I simply exist to accomplish my work."
"You care for nothing?" Alica was perplexed. "Not even your family?"
"My one weakness." he admitted, glancing briefly into her eyes. "Correction, my first weakness. The second is you."
"Me?" she didn't know whether to be flattered or offended.
"You mean something to me..." he admitted, albeit reluctantly. He stared into her face, trying to figure out why. "although, I'm not sure exactly what. You are a good friend I think, but I don't usually keep friends."
"I... guess I should be flattered."
"Hardly."
*Quiet!