Chapter 2: Assignments

Syaoran made his way down the marble corridor to the foyer. Many of the agents were already there, sipping coffee and reading the morning paper. He walked over to the secretary's desk while greeting the passing agents and other employees.

" Good morning, Agent Li," the secretary welcomed.

He merely nodded in acknowledgement.

" The Dominari Rector is holding a conference in the Green Room," the secretary grimaced. "The meeting started nearly an hour ago. The Dominari really insisted that you attend though, Agent Li. This seems to be an important case." She gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Thanks, Caroline. But I don't think that that's going to save me from the death I'm gonna have to suffer from the Rector. I've practically handed him my head on a silver platter for being this late." He sighed. This was going to be a long day. "Who's been told to attend the meeting other than myself?"

"Hmmm… let's see," Caroline began, thumbing through a small book. " Agents Hiiragizaw, Yakana Sugawara, ummm, your cousins, Ryu and Meiling Li, and… that's it I guess," she said with a shrug.

That's interesting. The agents that she had just mentioned were on of the top in the agency. Including him, of course. The conference really did seem important, judging by the agents who were being told to attend. And so, without another word, merely a nod, Syaoran strode off in the direction of the Green Room.

"Well, Li, aren't we all just humbled by your presence. I am glad that you found time in your hectic schedule to fit this in," came a sarcastic and mocking voice.

Syaoran bowed in submission and took the insult without complaint. He looked up to face the Head of NSAP, National Armed Spies and Protectors. The organization was a strictly confidential group and system that only the highest of Asia's uncoruppted rulers knew about, and even then, they only knew a vague outline of the duty of it's agents.

With Main Headquarters positioned in Hong Kong, and others secretly situated in other areas about the continent, the secret group studied and kept track of the events that happened within and around the vast land and many populated cities. They focused mainly on terrorists and dangerousmercenarries or wanted persons who have escaped or are running wild and free among themany innocent citizens inhabiting Asia. NSAP was known as the best spying and protection agency in the world, to put things lightly. And now, one of it's top agents was facing the leader of that organiztion. Kazuo Kumai.

" I apologize for my tardiness, Kumai-sama," Syaoran answered. He didn't bother with an excuse. He already knew that Kazuo wouldn't accept it.

Kazuo looked at him through his black beady eyes and nose, which you could tell, had been broken several times. Finally he relaxed, but only in the slightest way.

"Very well," he sighed. "Sit. We have been waiting for your arrival. This is an important mission, if you hadn't already figured that out, and I don't want to repeat all the information." He paused waiting for Syaoran took his place between Eriol and Yakana. Kumai-sama took a drink from the glass of water in front of him and ploughed on.

"Are any of you familiar with the name Suyama Chui?" There were some nods and murmurs around the room. "Good. We have a witness of his latest crime." He paused again, letting the information sink in. " A crime that can finally get him off the streets of Asia, behind bars and sentence him to a lifetime. Without bail, or any other special treatment."

Hearing this was somewhat a stunning shock for the all the agents. Suyama Chui was an infamous criminal in Asia. He was one of the worst and had been hunted and chased for years, unfortunately, to no avail. At first Chui was a notorious thief, then a merciless murderer. Now, as the leader of an extremely deadly mob, he was at the height of his misguided career.

" If we can capture Chui," Kumai continued in a fierce tone, " and get the witness to testify without being killed along the way, we can finally get this bastard in high security cell in prison."

" So," interrupted Ryu, " what does this have to do with us?"

"I was getting to that, Li," Kumai-sama growled. " This situation is very delicate. If something goes wrong, if something happens to this witness, it might change the outcome completely. The mission that I am giving you, the top five agents in the organization, is to protect our witness and his family."

Kazuo Kumai handed out several folders to the agents. He went around to the back of the conference room, switched off the lights, switched on the projector and made his way to his seat once again. Taking hold of the remote control in front of him, he pushed a key and a white projection screen appeared. Pushing another key on the keypad, he began his presentation.

On the screen was a man who seemed to be no older than Kumai-sama. The difference though, was that he was grinning in the photograph and his eyes were dancing with mirth. He had on a pair of glasses over his laughing brown eyes and his hair was straight and a soft shade of brown.

" This is our witness," Kumai's voice broke the silence. "Fujitaka Kinomoto. 6'2" tall, brown eyes and light brown hair, as you can see. He works as an archaeological professor at a nearby university. He is very attached to his children and of course seems like give up his life for their own. Our job is to make sure that it doesn't have to come to that." He looked away for a brief moment to look upon the agents around him. " Ryu and Meiling Li, I'm putting him in your care." He saw a flash of confusion before submission and understanding settled in. "I'm trusting the two of you to keep this man alive. We have had many witnesses that could have testified against Suyama Chui, but his mob of insufferable bandits and assassins always got to them in the end. Sometimes killing our own in the process."

"Now," Kumai continued, " his children. They have been informed about the situation and the importance of their father's testimony. They also know that they are in danger of their lives and the possibility of being kidnapped and held as hostages so their father will not testify. These two siblings are pawns in our little chess game. Crucial pawns at that." He sighed in frustration. " Despite all this, they have foolishly decided that they do not want anymore than one body guard."

Kumai pushed another button on the remote control. This picture was of a young seeming to be around the same age as the agents, in his early twenties. He had dark brown, almost black, unruly hair, same colour eyes and almost the complete opposite expression as his dad's. He seemed to be sulking in the picture, but the same twinkle that was in his father's eyes also seemed to be present in his own.

" Ladies and gentlemen," Kumai began, " this is Touya Kinomoto, the eldest child of Fujitaka Kinomoto. 6'2" tall, brunette and dark brown eyes. Currently, he is attending Tokyo University, studying and training to get his Masters in the surgical field. I'm not too worried about him. He has been trained in swordplay, archery and physical combat. Yakana he is your assignment."

" Hai, Kumai-sama," Yakana replied.

" Finally, Kinomoto's daughter." Kumai lastly pushed one more button on the remote. The picture of Touya Kinomoto was instantly replaced by a smiling portrait of a girl that could have been no older than 10. Her hair was a soft auburn, straight and reaching barely past her shoulder. The group of agents could not determine the colour of her eyes for they were closed in the picture. 'Pretty cute for a small kid,' Syaoran thought to himself.

" Sakura Kinomoto. 5'6" tall, light brown hair. Her eyes are closed in this photograph but the colour of her eyes are green. Youngest child of Fujitaka Kinomoto, she will be attending her first year at her brother's University. Freshmen."

" Um…excuse me Kumai-sama," Ryu again interrupted, " but why is a 10-year-old child attending Tokyo U? Unless, of course, that she is some kind of child prodigy and-"

"Again," Kumai fiercely growled, " I wasn't finished, Li. For the love of God! Learn to keep your mouth shut and wait. Your interruptions are going to kill one day! Now," he continued, "this picture is 5 years old. Because this picture was taken when the girl was 12, if you are doing your math people, you would have figured out that this girl is now a young woman at the age of 17, turning 18 in a few months." Kazuo Kumai took a gulp of water to ease his dry mouth. " This Sakura seems to be a favoured target of some of the assassins that have already tried to get to family. Being the youngest, therefore the most vulnerable, she seems to be in the most danger and the easiest child to capture, instead of her brother, to get Fujitaka to surrender. We have told her this, but she is still insistent on only one bodyguard." He looked from Eriol to Syaoran, searching their eyes. " Eriol, she's yours." He noticed another shock from around the room and his lips slightly quirked in amusement. He took a look at his watch.

" Alright, people," Kumai stated as he began to rise off his chair, " it's now almost noon. I am hungry and so, I'll leave you all to discuss your assignments. You will all be leaving in one and a half weeks time for Tokyo, Japan. You'll meet at the Hong Kong airport at 05:00 hours." He switched the lights back on, turned off the projection and with a push of a button, had the white projection screen disappearing. "Oh, and Li," the three Li's looked up, "no, Syaoran. Meet me in about two hour's time. My office."

As soon as Kumai left the room everyone relaxed and the tension disappeared. The agents leaned against their chairs and a couple of them placed their feet upon the glass table.

" My God, Ryu!' Meiling burst out. " Can't your damn mouth shut?"

" Hey!" he indignantly retorted. " It's a habit. I can't help it! "

" How 'bout I give you some advice? " she asked sweetly.

" Sure," he replied eagerly.

" Get some glue, you dim wit!" she snarled.

The others laughed at the usual banter between the two. It was always fairly amusing and never lost its humour. Slowly the laughter died down. The agents began to look through the information of their individual subjects. Syaoran, having not been assigned a subject just looked through all the files of the Kinomoto family, his attention lingering on the file and photo of the girl, Sakura.

' I wonder what this girl would look like right now,' Syaoran thought.

"Syaoran?" Yakana Sugawara timid voice broke through his thoughts. He looked up and noticed that everyone gaze was on him. " Did you do something to upset Kumai-sama, other than the fact that you were late this morning?" she questioned.

" What are you talking about?" he asked, pretending to act confused.

" Stop acting stupid, Syaoran," Meiling reprimanded. " You know what the hell were talking about. You're probably the best out of all of us. You'd provide better protection to Fujitaka Kinomoto than either Ryu or myself. Why didn't he assign you a role in this mission?" Everyone waited for his answer. They all wanted to ask the question. They were all just too scared. Syaoran reaction was unpredictable.

" You guys want the truth?" he asked them dropping his act. " Frankly… I don't have any idea whatsoever." Everyone groaned. " Well, I don't!"

" Are you serious?" Eriol said. After Syaoran nodded he continued. " So why were you late, Syaoran-kun?" This time it was Syaoran turn to groan.

" I'd rather not talk about it," he mumbled.

" Awww," Ryu gushed. " Did Syaoran wake up with a hang over a another naked woman again?"

" Shut up, Ryu," Syaoran growled. " I had to literally throw her out of my room and win a screaming contest with that woman."

"Awww!" the four others chorused, used to his self-pity after a bad night and worse morning. " Poor baby!" They all burst out laughing. He merely stuck a finger up at them and stuck out his tongue. After a couple minutes, the laughter died down again. Quiet filled the room once again as they continued reading their files.

" I wonder why Kumai-sama wants to meet Syaoran-kun though." Yakana said. Syaoran sighed feeling defeated.

" I'm wondering the same things Yakana-chan. I just hope that I'm not being fired."

AN:) So how was it this time? I listened to your advice. Most of you said that it was too short. I hope this is long enough. Review, pretty please. Thanks to those who already have. Thanks for your support.