AN. Whoo, that was a long break. I apologise for that! I lost my steam very suddenly and it took a while to gain it back. This was, of course, not helped by my totally insane previous uploading schedule. Madness, is what that was!

I need to give a huge shout out to Ryu no Ohi who has kindly given up her time to proofread and edit for me! So massively appreciated! And if you haven't already, you should definitely read her story 'Savior of Demons' (keep wanting to put a 'u' in there :P) because it is great. Just super great.

It is not actually mentioned in this chapter, but we've skipped another year so Tien is 19. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Twenty

The forest was eerily silent on this dark winter night, the stars overhead shrouded in thick clouds, the dense foliage devoid of the rustling of animals or the calls of insects. It was as though the two were completely alone, walking on a winding path through the trees. The boy tripped at one point over a raised tree root and lifted off from the ground before he struck the dirt, his face flushing invisibly in the dark.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, Tien. I'm fine." Chiaotzu was not fine. He was so hyped up with anxiety and fear that it felt as though his skeleton was about to leap from his skin and make a run for it. He was shielding this emotion from Tien as best he could, his mind sheltered behind thick mental walls. They would crumble if Tien used the slightest bit of pressure, but he seemed to be respecting Chiaotzu's privacy for the moment.

"Should we camp for the rest of the night?" Tien asked after another long period of silence.

Chiaotzu looked up at Tien. He could barely see in the darkness but could tell that the triclops was turned towards him, his three eyes focused on the white glimmer of Chiaotzu's skin. "No, we're almost there," he said after a too-long pause.

"Okay," the taller boy said, his disquieted frown hidden in the gloom.

Chiaotzu continued to fly silently behind Tien, watching the hulking shadow of his big brother closely, keeping a safe distance. He didn't want to get too close, didn't want his emotions leaking through his barriers and alerting the triclops.

They were heading to an isolated cabin in a far off corner of the northernmost point of the country. It was tucked against a mountain range that loomed ahead of them in the dark. Tao Pai Pai had never returned from his last contracts, not that Shen seemed very concerned about it, and after a prolonged absence the contracts were starting to come through to the Crane School instead. Tien and Chiaotzu had not been sent out on assassination contracts as a team before, but after their insolence in standing up for each other in the training ring Shen had decided that perhaps they would be more effective together. Tien had been training hard, trying to find the strength to actually murder someone, but hadn't been sent out since his first assignment. Chiaotzu had been forced to go on several more assassinations, all of which he had completed with no complications besides his ongoing queasiness. He still wasn't able to completely control that; he could swallow down the vomit but the nausea still swirled uncomfortably in him, making him weak and woozy post-assassination.

They climbed a slight ridge, and when they reached the crest they could see the faintest light flickering in the distance. Each stopped without consulting the other, staring hard at that tiny spot of light.

"Do you think that's it?" Tien asked quietly.

Chiaotzu nodded, then, realising that Tien couldn't see him, added, "Yes. It's the only light we've seen for hours."

Tien took a deep shuddering breath. Chiaotzu hesitated, uncertain of what to do, then reached out and put one hand on the broad shoulder of the young man beside him. His mental barriers weakened significantly on the contact and he gritted his teeth slightly as he reinforced them. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.

"Yes. I can do this." Tien shifted and looked at Chiaotzu in the dark, a hard, forced smile of confidence on his lips. "We can do this."

Chiaotzu nodded once, biting the inside of his cheeks. They approached the cabin in silence, avoiding the rectangle of light shining through the window. Chiaotzu looked through, squinting slightly, and saw the man they had been sent to kill sitting in front of a warm fire. He was tall and broad, and badly scarred. His face was weary and far older than his years.

Chiaotzu and Tien's eyes met, and then the triclops pushed the door open. It swung open with no resistance and the man who had been sitting so comfortably shot instantly to his feet, horror and fear on his face.

The two stood in the door, staring this man down, before Tien ducked into his fighting stance and darted forward, one hand drawing back and relaxing in the Crane School strike. The man dodged, more from luck than skill, and grabbed Tien tight. It was clear he had no formal training in martial arts; his movements were slow and clumsy, lacking any discipline. He had managed to somehow catch Tien in a headlock, his broad forearm pressing hard to Tien's throat. There was a long silence where Chiaotzu stood silently in the doorway, not certain of how to proceed.

Tien was bent almost double, caught in the man's grip. He did not try to get free or fight against the man's grip.

Chiaotzu thought that all of his preparation had fallen apart. Uncertain what else to do, the telepath raised one shaky hand, sighting his gaze upon the man's chest, power welling in the tip of his finger. Tien still hadn't moved, despite the man trying to pull him down further, and his hands were clenched into tight fists.

Chiaotzu, don't!

The telepath hesitated, a wince touching his features, as his brother's voice echoed in his mind, his tone firm and harsh, more a snap than a statement, accompanied by a sharp pain as the protective walls he had built up so carefully and strengthened so dutifully crumpled like they were made of paper. He lowered his hand again, twisting it slightly into the thick cloth of his Crane surcoat to hide the shaking tips of his fingers.

He couldn't see Tien's face, but could feel his frustration and his growing anger, not at their target but at himself. He closed his eyes as Tien straightened suddenly, not wanting to watch, and heard a sharp snap.

Then there was a long silence before a heavy thud, light footsteps, and Tien's hand on his arm, turning and steering him to the door. "We're leaving."

Tien's voice was flat and soft, emotionless. Chiaotzu nodded, opening his eyes, aware of the nausea rising in him again. He swallowed hard and risked a glance over his shoulder. He could see the crumpled figure of the man through the window, and couldn't help a quick intake of breath when he saw the man's head was facing completely backwards. He clenched his eyes shut and turned back around, his hands curled into fists. Tien's grip was firm on his arm and he knew he couldn't twist free even if he wanted to. "Tien…are…are you…?"

"I'm fine." There was a pause, then a low noise of disgust. "He tried to fight back. He actually thought he could fight back."

Chiaotzu was silent, unable to think of anything to say. He still felt vaguely sick, but the overwhelming urge to vomit had subsided significantly. They made it a fair distance, back over the ridge so the still flickering light from the window was no longer in view, before Tien released his arm and turned away.

"We're going to camp here for the night," Tien said shortly, "Tomorrow we'll head back to the Crane School."

"Okay, Tien," Chiaotzu said. He lowered himself to the ground and found a comfortable spot to curl up to sleep on the hard ground. Tien lay a short distance from him, facing the other way, his breathing soft and ragged. They lay in silence for a short time before Chiaotzu ventured, "Tien?"

"What is it?"

"I…" Chiaotzu struggled to find the words. "I'm sorry he fought back."

"It was better. Better than the begging," his brother stated. Tien's voice was still emotionless, the empty flat tone sending a shiver up Chiaotzu's spine.

The telepath clenched his eyes shut, rolling over so his back was to the triclops. So, Tien was a better assassin than he'd been, at least when his victims tried fruitlessly to defend themselves. When they begged, and cried, and screamed, it was clearly a more traumatic experience that the young man couldn't get over quite so easily. Not that this was easy. Tien had never shut him out so completely before, and Chiaotzu had no idea how to make it better. "...Good night, Tien," he said eventually.

"Good night," came the still-calm answer, unconcerned by the act eating away at his partner's mind.

Chiaotzu tried to think of something else to say. When nothing else came to mind he settled on the ground, pillowing his cheek on one palm, staring into the darkness, listening to the uneven breathing behind him, knowing neither of them were going to get much sleep this long, dark night.

AN. So there we have it. A double assassination, sort of? It was inspired actually by a review by Ryu no Ohi before she offered to edit, so I hope it lived up to expectations. Next we'll be skipping ahead a little! Not quite to the Tenkaichi Budokai, but close. Hope to see you then :D Please review, it's appreciated!