Hello there! I'm back!

But first, to answer a few reviews… thank you to all of you!

lonestar88 – thank you for saying that it's good… I'm updating already, see?

water melon wolfie – I love cliffies too… especially when I make them!

Youkai Ryuu – thanks for the Japanese 101. I'll see to it that I'll change that part… if I'm not lazy which I usually am so don't get you're hopes up. I know I read that word somewhere… just forgot where. I'm used to making more dialogues BUT I'll try to put more descriptions. You're really a critic, aren't you?

obssdGB – Hello there! Salamat sa comment mo… as for them falling easy… let's just say that the poison was really good, shall we? Pinahihirapan mo naman ako e!

If it's in italics, it's a thought. Also, if the word is underlined or in bold letters, the person put emphasis on that word.

And lastly, I'm sorry about the age gap in Natsumi's life, you're supposed to be older to have a 'deep dark past' but since Natsumi's only 17…

Thank you to all… now on with the story!

Natsumi awoke and groaned. The last thing she remembered was that she smelled a poison and afterwards, she had fallen unconscious. Pushing herself up, she took a good look around her surroundings and gasped, startled.

This place looks very familiar.

Grimly, she pushed those thoughts away.

Leave unwanted thoughts for later.

"Are you alright, minna?"

She was relieved when she heard them groan and mutter. It showed that they were alive and well.

Not for long.

"It's about time you all woke up. The poison must have been stronger than I thought." A mysterious voice said suddenly.

Everybody tensed at this as they all grabbed their respective weapons.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you. Yet." He said.

The door swung open as the man stepped in. Light flooded the cell as he did so.

"Who are you and what do you want from us?" growled Shido, in a very wolf-like matter.

"Why don't you ask Natsumi?" he shot back. Turning to Natsumi, he said, "Long time no see, Natsumi-chan."

"What do you want from them, Ryuki?" she replied angrily. Everyone was startled at this. They didn't think that Natsumi would actually know this mysterious man.

Ryuki stroked his chin thoughtfully. A few minutes of silence passed, which everybody used to take a good look at their captor. He wore a black leather trench coat. He also had a red shirt and brown pants on. 1 He had short, blue-black hair and dark black eyes.

Finally, he said, "Actually, I'm only following orders from my boss." Natsumi snorted here.

"What does he want from us?" asked Kazuki cautiously.

"First of all, you ought to know that he is the head of the Forbidden Section of Babylon City."

"They're the ones who stole the diskette from Takahashi-san." Stated Jubei matter-of-factly.

Ryuki nodded. "Aa. You guys are retrievers hired by Takahashi-san to get the diskette, correct?

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"He wants you to stop interfering in his, no, our business." He continued

"And if we don't?" said Himiko.

"He could kill you. Dou you remember the poison you inhaled? Inside it are probes that contain poison and are now flowing in your bloodstream. With the touch of a button, he could kill you painfully and instantly. Since he says that he is a good man, he won't use it unless you stop interfering with our plans."

The retrievers glanced at each other worriedly. They had no desire to die, neither to give up on their job.

"Also, there is another thing he wants," Ryuki turned his full attention to Natsumi, "He wants you to come back."

Natsumi shifted uncomfortably. There was a reason she had left this godforsaken place.

"He should know by now that I won't work for him ever again. Besides, after what I've done, it's a surprise that he would welcome me with open arms." she replied coolly, although inside, she was far from it.

By now, everybody in the room, except Ryuki and Natsumi, were either confused or bewildered.

"Regardless of what you have done, you were still the best assassin he ever had and that is what he needs right now." He stated smoothly.

The only thing running through Ban, Ginji, Kazuki, Jubei, Shido and Himiko's minds were, Natsumi, an assassin? That's impossible!

"And if you don't do it, he will finish the mission you started out to do." He said silkily.

Then smirking, he whispered in a dangerously soft voice, "Isn't ironic, Natsumi-chan, that the very people you were sent to kill were the very ones you befriended?"

There was an audible gasp all around the room.

Natsumi bowed her down, shaking with fury and yet at the same time, sadness.

Time to say goodbye to the life you knew, Natsumi.

When she finally had the strength, she raised her head and sighed.

"Fine, I'll do it. Just as long as you leave my friends alone." she said sadly.

Ryuki nodded. "I'll give you 10 minutes to explain this all to them," he took one glance at the others, " I'm quite sure they're confused now."

She simply nodded her head quietly.

As he was nearing the door, he stopped, turned around and said, " Off the record, I'm glad you're coming back to work for us."

Natsumi sighed. "But I won't like it."

Ryuki nodded. "As long as you do you're job properly, he doesn't care whether you like it or not."

Once he was out the room, Natsumi turned to the others and said, "I'm sure you all want to here about this now, huh?"

"It all started 8 years ago…"

Author's note:

1Ryuki's shirt is red, sort of like Ban's.

Yaaayyy! Suspense!

Is that enough descriptions for you? I hope it is. Anyway, I already know what I'm going to do in the next chapter, so watch out for it!

Till next time!