The Assassin: WOOHP Files
Chapter 9
By Nate Sindel
Over the next few days Monica had gotten to know Mandy as much more than just a passing acquaintance. She was something that the woman was confident she could call a friend. The girl was actually fairly cute, when she didn't use that screeching voice she always spoke with to other people. Then there was the fact that this teenager was in love, in love with another girl, a girl who hated her with every fiber of her being.
At the moment it was Saturday, and, instead of being at the library, Monica was lying by the pool behind Mandy's house. She knew that Sam, possibly even Alex, was there waiting for her brother to show up; it was a rather foolish thing to do now. The mere thought of going back to that place made him sick, and, by extension, that gave Monica an express reason not to go. Not that she didn't want to see Alex, there were just too many things that came to mind if she saw her; namely, what questions Alex would be asking.
But that was besides the point at the moment, this was Mandy's time with her, a time when they could just lounge around and forget about things that could never be.
"So, how do you plan to go about getting Clover?" Monica asked Mandy, almost completely destroying the calm moment.
"I don't know, I've tried telling her, but it always comes out as some snide remark," the raven-haired girl sighed, her shoulders drooping slightly.
"Maybe you should suggest that you two kiss and make up," she giggled, gaining a half-hearted chuckled from her companion.
"If only it were that simple," Mandy looked over at the woman lying on her stomach, hair trailing over the armrest of the lawn chair, spilling onto the patio, to soak up the sun. "Want me to put some sunscreen on your back?"
"No thanks, my skin doesn't burn," she readjusted her head on the arms folded beneath it.
"And why is that?" she asked.
"It would be better for your health to not know," Monica yawned as she rolled over, chuckling a little at Mandy's ogling of her chest. "Besides, it's not really important right now."
Mandy let it slide, she knew this was someone who she couldn't be too pushy with; watching what she did to that mugger was enough reason. She felt odd, content, and she had a feeling it was because of this woman. Monica was the first person she could call a real friend, someone who wasn't interested in her because of what it could do for her reputation, or her money, or to get closer to certain guys; she didn't need any of it.
Given that it had been Mandy to invite her over, and to be asking the questions, and to be satisfied with the answers. She had realized the moment they met that this woman wasn't one of her high school cronies; she was nothing like those who had tried to mimic her; those girls were an ego-booster though.
"Monica?"
"Hm?" her eyes were closed, nanomachines in her "skin" working together to give the appearance of a tan.
"Can you answer just one of my questions?"
"Which question, you must have so many," eyes opened, and she sat up.
"I just want to know how you did that with your arm, when we met," Mandy's eyes were turned away from the small smile on her guest's face.
"This?" the skin on her forearm was sliced open, and the blade made itself known.
The first thing Mandy noticed was that there was no blood. The second thing she noticed was the lack of pain on Monica's face, she was calm, the smile still on her lips. Lastly, the blade and strut were moving on their own, with no help from whom it was attached to. It twisted and turned this way and that before settling back into its place within her arm.
"Yeah, that."
"Well, it's kinda hard to explain," she looked from Mandy to her arm, the skin moving and sealing itself back up. "I'll tell you, but you have to promise to never speak of it to anyone else."
"And if I do..."
"I'm afraid I'd have to kill you."
Mandy nodded, and Monica slowly reached up to a spot just below her shoulder, gripping her bicep tightly. With a quick twist, and a yank, she pulled her arm right off, skin separating easily to allow this. A needle about three inches still connected her arm to her shoulder, but that was easily released from its slot. With it fully detached, she held the arm up for Mandy's inspection.
"I was in an accident a few years ago, my arms had been completely mangled, and there was no chance of fixing them," she sighed, placing the arm on the small table next to her drink. "So, my father being the rich bastard that he is, offered to pay for the experimental replacements."
This was, of course, a lie, a lie to protect Mandy from what would happen to her if she knew the truth. This, though, didn't stop her from walking over to get a closer look. She attempted to lift it, but found that it weighed far too much; this caused Monica to chuckle.
"It weighs just under two-hundred pounds," she shook with silent laughter, "so don't strain yourself."
Mandy let go of the arm, and settled with just prodding it in various places, to which Monica would tell the arm to jerk and wiggle. The younger girl probably would have screamed in delight if she had been just a few years younger, but Mandy just poked harder. This continued until the arm jerked to life, grabbing Mandy's wrist, and weighing her arm down to the table.
"Hey!" she jumped back, or at least she tried. "Let go of me!"
"Hehe, it doesn't like being poked so hard," Monica continued her chuckling as she had the arm release it's captive.
"I'll keep that in mind," Mandy sighed as she massaged her wrist. "Bet that thing can give one hell of an indian burn."
"You have no idea."
Later that day, at the previously mentioned library, Sam was pouring over book after book on nano-technology. Given that there were few books about it at this particular library, being such a new science and such, she had grabbed them all. Across the table from her sat Alex, reading some fashion magazine or whatnot. She looked somewhat anxious, always glancing at the door, her fingers lightly drumming on the magazine cover.
"Isn't he usually here by now?" she asked.
"Usually," Sam quipped, glancing momentarily at her watch.
"Well where is he?"
"I don't know, Alex," the redhead almost snapped, then calmed. "Just give up on him Alex, I'm pretty sure he's long gone. You could have gone with Clover to the mall, checked out some guys, maybe even bought a few new pairs of shoes."
"You're probably right, I mean, he has no more ties to WOOHP, so he's probably not even in California anymore," Alex put her magazine down, her voice dejected.
Sam suddenly realized she'd made a big error in what she said, instead of it helping her friend it just seemed to shoot down her last hopes. Alex hadn't been the same since the last time she had seen him; the fact that he was ignoring her calls, not returning her messages and e-mails, and pretty much doing everything he could to ignore her had dawned on her long ago. It seemed he wanted nothing to do with the three of them anymore, but, even through all this, she had remained determined to see him again.
"I'm sorry Alex, I didn't mean to put you down, it's just that there's the huge test on Monday, and I haven't been able to properly study with all the nonstop missions we've been having," Sam attempted to apologize, but Alex waved her quiet.
"It's not you Sam, it's me, I should just move on, I mean, what are the chances of us seeing him again?" she stood as she spoke. "Just like a billion to one, and it's my fault, if I just hadn't asked so many stupid questions..."
Sam wasn't paying attention, opting to look over Alex's shoulder.
"Alex, remember how you said it was a one in a billion chance...?" she inquired quietly.
"Yeah, why?" she looked confused, until Sam pointed over her shoulder.
"You know, stupid questions are the only way to find out things that people don't want you know," that voice, the voice that was so familiar, that haunted Alex's dreams and fantasies.
She turned around and there he was, in all his trench-coated glory, a florescent light behind him bathing his head in halo of light. His hair shone in the light, almost sparkling in its luminescence; he still had not placed it back in the braid. Neither of them knew why; it was more manageable in tight spots to not have it flying around, even Sam knew that.
"Hi," Alex chirped.
"Where's Clover?" he asked in a flat voice, a voice that seemed to suck all the "happy" out of the air.
"What do you want with her?" Alex retorted.
"I have a message to deliver, so I'd appreciate it if you told me where she was," his tone of voice hadn't changed, and neither had the hard look in his eyes.
"Depends on who..." the brunette started, but was interrupted by Sam.
"She's at the mall," she said, not even looking up from her book. "Who's the message from?"
"Mandy," he raised his eyes from Alex to Sam, a questioning look marring his stern expression.
"What's the message?"
"Sorry, that's for her ears only," he tore his eyes away from them and headed for the exit.
Alex dropped back into her seat when he did, and turned her gaze back to Sam, who had looked up from her book. Her head kept jerking towards the retreating assassin's back, a silent message to go after him. They both knew he would hear her say it, so she was giving Alex permission in a nonverbal way. She got up and ran for the door, which was just closing, and ran outside.
Nate was already halfway down the front steps when Alex caught up to him. He looked down at her, and she turned a smiling face back up at him. The hard expression on his face softened as he saw her like that; it never failed with her, to see her happy could make anyone feel better. Heaving a sigh, he smiled a little, directing his face forward again, toward the mall.
"You really are so like her," he said in a nonchalant voice.
"Who?"
"Felicia, she'd always been able to brighten my day, no matter what had happened," he looked up at the clouds, they really did start to look like things after a while. "Even if I was covered in blood, my blood, she would just patch me up, no questions asked."
"But, I thought you didn't have blood?"
"I did, back when some of me was still flesh and...well...blood," he chuckled a little, casting a glance around to make sure they were relatively alone.
Grasping the collar of his coat, he tugged it, feeling the shifter clothing pull itself back into the tank top beneath it. This tank top was the kind that didn't have a full back to it, but just a single strap about two inches wide down the middle, exposing his shoulder blades. This way, if he needed his wings, it wouldn't tear his shirt apart.
"What are you made of now?"
"That's something that has nothing to do with you," he said with hint of finality.
"Okay, is there something we can talk about that doesn't involve stupid questions?" Alex asked meekly, with her hand on the back of her head.
"Lovely day," he suggested, keeping an eye on her expression.
She looked around, they were currently in a park, where the birds were chirping, bees were buzzing, people were playing with their dogs, or having picnics, or just being all lovey-dovey on a bench. To be honest, it was a nice day, in this part of the city at least. Sighing a dreamy sigh, she looped her arm in his, leaning herself against his side.
"Sure is, and I couldn't think of anyone better to spend it with," she rubbed her cheek against his arm to emphasize her answer.
"Alex, there is something I've been meaning to tell you," he looked down at this particular thought.
"What is it?" she perked up a little more, taking his downcast face to be embarrassment, not worry.
"If I have to kill someone you've been assigned to protect, I just want you to know..." he paused for a second, wondering how she was going take it. "I'm not going to hold back. So I would have to suggest you stay out of the way."
Alex whipped her head around at hearing just the first part of his statement, not really believing her ears. He had just said exactly what she had been having nightmares about. A "what if" scenario that would end with the three spies having to fight him, and even she knew what their chances of winning were. But his warning her could mean he cared, right? What he said next could confirm or deny it.
"Don't think it's because I'm trying to protect you, Alex, I just don't want innocent people getting killed," he looked over at her, then down at her arm, which was still hooked in his. "But if you do decide to try and be the heroine, to take the bullet, just keep in mind that if it doesn't go through you and into them, I will have five more shells."
Wrenching his arm from hers, he sped up his rate of travel, pulling away from her. Alex slowed to a halt; he had completely destroyed the moment, a moment that had seemed so perfect. She turned on her heel and fell back into a nearby bench, the wood bending momentarily under the sudden weight. Sure, she had expected him to say it sooner or later, she had just wished it would be later, instead of now. It wasn't long before tears streaked down her face as she watched him continued walking.
"I hope it doesn't come to that," she whispered to herself.
At the mall Clover was having a fabulous time looking at just about everything she had looked at eight billion times before that very day. Always finding something new that she either liked or disliked about a certain garment. It continued to mystify the people who took the time to watch her, the way she would pick up a shirt and weigh it, even smell it like a piece of fruit at the grocery store.
"Enjoying yourself?"
"Yes, now go away," she snapped, not even bothering to turn around; she knew who it was.
"I have a message for you," the voice continued, "from Mandy."
"What, does she feel the need to insult me through a mediator now?" Clover inquired, her voice still holding that razor edge. "What does she want?"
"She wants to say she's sorry, and would like to meet you somewhere alone to talk."
"Are you serious, the bitch is actually apologizing?"
A very heavy hand was placed on her shoulder at that moment, and spun her around to face him.
"Tell me Clover, what do you have to hold against her anymore?" he got his face very close to her, almost wishing he still had saliva to spray in her face. "David is dead, and, if I'm not mistaken, he's what started all this, he drove you two apart."
"So what if he did start this, it's not like things can just go back to the way they were before," she pulled herself away from his hand. "We've been enemies for so long, we just...don't know any other way to do this."
"You'd be surprised," he smiled a little. "All she asks is that you hear her out."
Clover sighed, she didn't want to do this, but if it would make him go away. Besides, Mandy seemed to be avoiding her lately, ducking out of the way when they saw each other in the halls. Normally, the blonde wouldn't give it a second thought, but this was Mandy, the girl who lived to torment her.
"Alright, where does she want to meet?"
"Some café, I'm not sure of the name," he motioned towards the door. "Come on."
"But, I haven't paid for these yet."
"Well, they'll be here tomorrow, you don't have to be the absolute first person to have something," he grabbed a pair of pants that were in the cart she had, bell-bottoms. "You could find these in your mother's closet instead of paying forty bucks for 'em."
"What! Wear my mother's clothes, you must be joking."
'I think I liked the robot better,' he sighed. "Fine, waste your money, I'll be in the food court when you've finished."
Turning he started for the door, deftly weaving way through the racks without ruffling a single piece of clothing. Clover could have sworn he had been doing that all his life; he was almost as good as she was. She breathed, really breathed, for the first time since he had gotten there. Maybe it was for the best that she and Mandy bury the hatchet, their feud had been going on since high school began.
"I did already say that I would go, and it's not like I'm doing anything else today," she dropped the clothes she was holding back on the rack and headed for the checkout.
As she was leaving the store, Monica sidled up next to her, hands in her pockets and a curious expression on her face. Clover was about to ask where Nate went, but then remembered that they were one in the same; she really couldn't imagine having another mind inside hers (I can't see why, there's plenty of room).
"You walk here?" the taller woman asked.
"Yeah."
"Good, that makes this much easier," she didn't even look at the blonde as they walked, her eyes forward, practically glaring a path for them through the crowd. "Honestly, how do you people buy so many useless articles of clothing? I mean, you'll wear it once, then never use it again."
"Hey, I'll have you know that fads go in a circle, so those clothes will be fashionable again one day," Clover retorted, quickly glancing up at the hardened face of the amazon beside her. "Why are you here anyway, what about him?"
"Mandy doesn't about my brother, and we had assumed his form to speak with Sam and Alex. Besides, don't you prefer having me here instead of him?"
Clover couldn't really answer that question, since her experiences with the two of them had been different. When she thought about her experiences with Nate, what always come to mind were the dangerous situations that had often gotten into with him around. Monica was much easier to be around, seeing as how she was another female, albeit one with fashion sense as good as her brother's, and a shopping philosophy like a...a...something bad.
But even as she harped to herself about these people, Clover could not help but notice a certain beauty about the taller woman. Her face was pure, un-augmented (or untainted, depends) by the use of makeup, and she had to admit that the clothing she wore did show off her assets to their best effect. Before too long, the blonde had found herself staring at this person, her eyes mesmerized by her flawless features.
'I wonder what she looks like naked,' Clover thought before mentally slapping herself, she wasn't like that.
"We might have to stop off at your house, so you can drop off all your baggage," she made a slight face when she glanced at all of the shorter - much shorter - girl's bags. "Honestly, have you ever heard of moderation?"
The bike halted next to a small street-side café, and Monica stepped off, helping Clover out of the seat, and taking the helmet given her. Looking over at the tables, she instantly spotted the one with Mandy at it, she seemed so lonely, without a guy, or those two clones. Stowing the helmets in their respective compartments, she turned to Clover, jerking her head over to the girl not too far away.
"I am warning you now, no stupid shit, got it?" she asked, getting very close to Clover's face, and having to bend quite far to do so.
"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Clover waved her aside and started towards Mandy, who seemed to brighten a little at seeing them.
Monica was right behind Clover, and, after making sure she was seated, the assassin stepped up behind Mandy, leaning in close. She whispered something in the girl's ear, then, just as quickly she was there, she was gone, across the lot at another table. The blonde shook her head slightly, wondering how she missed the woman's movements. Nonetheless, her attention was drawn back to Mandy, who was looking at her intently.
"Hi," she said.
"Hi."
"It's been a while since we've sat like this, huh?" she had a bit of a dreamy gleam in her eyes.
"Yeah," Clover looked at the table, not wanting to meet Mandy's gaze. "So..."
"I'm sorry," she blurted out, trying to stave off the awkward silence she knew was coming. "I'm sorry for everything that I've done to make you hate me. Every time we met in the halls at school, I wanted to say something nice, but it just came out as something nasty. All the times we went for the same guy, all the times we went for the same thing, all I had wanted was to talk with you."
"Mandy..." the blonde started, but was, again, cut off; Mandy wasn't finished.
"You have no idea what it's like, to have so much expected of you, not knowing who's your friend and who's trying to get ahead. At least you have Sam and Alex, you know they're your friends," she sighed, dropping her gaze Clover to the napkin in front of her. "All I want to know is if things could go back to the way they were before, if we could be friends again?"
"Mandy," Clover said, this time determined not to be interrupted, casting a glance at Monica, who had shifted due to her raised voice. "Look, I'm not sure that things can go back to the way they were before. I mean, we can still be friends, at school and stuff, but there's something you need to know."
"No, it's okay, you don't have to make excuses, I understand," Mandy stood up, hints of tears in her eyes. "Don't worry, I won't bother you, or Sam and Alex, anymore."
Before Clover could say anything, Mandy was gone, the chair she had been sitting in fell to the cement with a clatter. The part-time spy stood as well, looking around for her, but she was already out of site, swallowed up by the crowd on the sidewalk. Turning back around, she was expecting to see Monica advancing on her, but she was gone as well.
"I'm sorry, Mandy, for everything," she sighed as she sat down.
"Hey Clover," her head jerked up at the sound of Sam's voice.
"Hey guys, how did you find me?"
"We got an e-mail on our com-powders that said you were here, we figured it was Nate, and, well, here we are," Alex said as she righted the fallen chair and sat down. "How did you're meeting with Mandy go?"
"Suffice it to say, I don't think she'll be bothering us anymore," she turned around in her seat and looked out at the street, where the motorcycle had been parked.
"Well that's good, right?" Alex asked.
"I suppose, it's just that..." her eyes closed as she remembered Mandy's teary-eyed look as she left. "I don't get why she had this sudden change of heart."
"She must have gotten tired of it," Sam suggested, placing her elbows on the table, and resting her chin on the back of her hands. "Well, you two used to be friends, or so you've told us, I guess she just wants it to be like old times."
"Yeah, but there seemed to be something different about her," Clover reopened her eyes and continued to avoid looking at the other two. 'Even her voice was changed.'
Mandy hadn't stopped running, even when she had reached the beach, which was full of people; couples, people waiting to hook up, married people with their children, and people like her, the ones that had no one. With that mindset squarely in her brain, she collapsed against the railing separating her from the sand. The tears that had welled up for so long finally sprung forth, streaking down her face, as she slowly sank to her knees.
"Why couldn't I tell her?" she asked no one as she continued to cry, her face buried in her forearms.
"Maybe because you weren't ready to," the newly arrived Monica said, as she placed her hand on Mandy's shoulder. "Most likely she would have called you a freak and stormed off."
"You're probably right," the raven-haired girl sniffed back her tears and stood up. "I guess being her friend again is more important."
"It's a step up from being considered the scum she scrapes off the bottom of her shoe," Monica suggested with a hopeful tone in her voice. "The closer you are, the easier it should be."
Placing her arm around Mandy's shoulders, the older woman led her over to the bike. Tossing her a helmet, the emerald-haired assassin motioned for her to get on. Mandy couldn't wait to do so, practically jumping onto the seat behind Monica.
"Come on, I'm going to show you something."
TBC
There, I've ended the chapter, sorry for taking sooooooooo damn long this time. Things came up, and I had to take care of them; what do you want from me? More chapters, faster? Not gonna happen, I have too many stories to write to possibly have time to concentrate on one for too long. This chapter took me so long, I am expecting more reviews than usual for it. Just don't worry about the next chapter, it will progress further than just one day.