U.C. 0071, Side 3, Achilles

"Ryannn~!" A girl with short light blue hair ran up to an older boy with black hair reading a book under a tree. "Ryan!" The girl sat on his leg,

"Oh hey Aina. Where's Rose?" Ryan asked, normally wherever Aina was, Rose wasn't too far behind, and it didn't help that they looked like twins.

"She's helping the maids make lunch!" Aina chirped, Ryan smiles, "Okay, where's Ginias?"

Aina pouted, "Messing around with his engineering kit."

"Really? What's he making this time?"

Aina put her finger to her mouth thoughtfully, "Umm...I think it's a model Salamis."

"That's interesting." Ryan nodded, "So, what do you want to do?"

"Hey! I know, let's go swimming!"

"Swimming?"

"Mhm! I know the perfect place!"

Ryan chuckled, "Alright, let me get my stuff. Does Mother or Father know about this?"

"Nope!" Aina said innocently, "They said it was: 'Too dangerous´" Aina scoffed,

"Alright. Get your swimming things," Ryan shut the book, and prepared to head out.

A man cloaked in black sat on a tall tree nearby, grabbing a small handset, he began to speak. "Target Acquired, Permission to engage?"

"Negative. Wait for support."

"Wilco."

He put down the handset, 'So that's Adrian Ral Hamon…' He fingered the sniper rifle at his side, he should take the brat out here but be done with it. But orders were orders. He snuggled up against the tree, and prepared to wait them out.

Aina burst up through the water of the clear lake before splashing Ryan with water. Growling playfully, he swan dived in, and tackled Aina like a torpedo. Knocking her breath away, they both fell back, laughing.

Once they reached the bank, they dried themselves off before changing back into their normal clothes.

"Wow! How'd you even find this anyway?" Ryan asked, and Aina stuck out her tongue at him,

"My secret!" She teased,

"Fine!" He hmph'ed, "I'll just tickle it out of you!" He immediately shot towards Aina and began tickling her armpits, causing her to laugh ceaselessly.

They collapsed on the ground, exhausted and happy.

And completely unaware of the situation about to befall them.

"Both Target 1 has returned to the Mansion. Engage?"

"Affirmative." The assassin smiled as the voice came through his handset, signaling to his comrades, they filled up two five person SUVs and charged the gates of the Sahalin Estate.

Two SUVs broke the front gates of the Sahalin Estate, and instantly ten men cloaked in black opened fire on the guards before heading for the front door.

"Front driveway! Clear!" One shouted as they placed a stick of A7 explosives on the door before retreating a few steps.

"What the- We're under attack?!" Karl Sahalin said indignantly

"Unknown enemy! Numbering ten at minimum!" Yavena Rei replied, shooting out the door at one of the men,

"Where are the guards!?"

"Mobilizing sir!"

"Quick! Get the children and run!" He shouted before grabbing his service pistol,

Aina ducked and screamed as bullets crashed through windows and walls. Rosary huddled next to Ginias and Adrian looked outside from their room, when a knock came from the door.

"Hurry! It's Yavena!" Yavena burst in and quickly ushered the children out.

"There they are!" Shouted one of the assassins, raising his machine gun, he unleashed a spray of bullets onto the railing. Yavena forced the group down before helping them proceed to the stairs, where she fired at the assailant and killed him.

"Go! Quickly! To the basement and lock it! Don't come out until someone comes to get you!" She pushed them and they nodded.

Three more assailants appeared, raising their rifles they cut Yavena down before pursuing after the children.

Ryan stopped and picked up an Assault Rifle from a dead guard. And just on time as the first attacker rounded the corner. Quickly cocking it, he unleashed a deadly spray of bullets. Cutting down the first assassin.

"We need to keep moving!" Ryan said, Ginias quickly nodded before continuing, but blocking their path was yet another assassin.

Ryan instantly whirled around and fired, and bullets cut into the second assailant.

Finally, they made it to the trapdoor leading to the basement, but standing over it was two assassins.

Roaring, Ryan charged the first, shooting him at point blank range before grabbing his own gun by the barrel and swinging it into the head of the second. The second pulled out a knife

"You little shit! I'll make you mincemeat!" He charged Ryan, stabbing at him with his knife and gashing his left arm. Ryan screamed in pain, and then Ginias took over, grabbing the knife of the fallen man, he rushed the final attacker and jammed his knife deep into his ribcage.

He stumbled back as the man collapsed, "Oh god…" He whispered quietly,

Adrian said nothing, but opened the trapdoor inside. "Come on." He said quietly,

'I thought I'd finally be safe...but I was wrong.' He thought to himself before descending down into the darkness below.

Several minutes later, the children were finally helped out by Karl Sahalin and Erena Sahalin.

"Are you all okay?"

Ginias nodded, "I'm fine."

"We're okay too." Ryan said, and Rosary nodded.

The shade of a man appeared behind Karl Sahalin, grabbing his service pistol, he fired at Sahalin and a ghostly image of his body fell to the ground.

Rosary screamed, "Father behind you!" Karl acted first. Grabbing his gun, he shot several times right as an assassin quietly rounded the corner.

"Rosary...you saved my life." He said, astonished.

Had anyone been paying closer attention, they would've noticed that for a brief moment, Rosary's normally blue eyes had briefly turned a bright yellow.

"For three years the Zabi's have left us alone...why now?" Karl wondered.

"Because they're consolidating their power. War is coming, and they don't want to fight on two-fronts. This was a warning, they are letting us live." Yavena said

"With who? The Earth Federation?"

Yavena didn't answer.

Adrian barely made it to the bathroom before he keeled over a toilet and hurled. As the smelly bile dripped out of his mouth, his adrenaline began to wear off and he began to realize what he had done. Those were people he had killed.

Fathers.

Daughters.

Husbands.

Wives

All of them died by his hand, and he'd killed them like it's nothing. He hurled again, 'I don't even know their names.' He wiped his mouth.

"Ryan?" A worried voice came from his door,

"Please don't come in, Rosary." He asked, "I...need some time alone."

"I won't..I just wanted to say Thank You."

"For what? Being a monster?"

"No!" She said quickly, "You aren't a monster at all! If it wasn't for what you did Ginias, Aina, and me would all be..." she trailed off,

Adrian smiled, and opened the door. "Thanks Rosie, I needed that."

As Adrian walked across the damaged Manor he looked across the bloodshed, 'I need to become stronger.' He looked down on his hand, 'To save Aina, Rosary, and everyone else!' He balled his bloodstained hand into a fist and continued moving forward.