Let's get this started...all right. Firstly, sorry for the late update...computer problems. For those of you who don't know what happened, then good. lol Anyway, a special thanks to all my reviewers! You are all loved! XD

LegendarySuperNamek

Silverquickstar

TwilightAoi

The Animage

Sony Love

Tira-kun

axel

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the SNK characters...I know you've got that by now..surely...

Chapter 24: Profondeur...Taken Into Consideration...

The door opened, showing the view of someone inside a bathtub, hands in the air, looking calmly at the creative design on the nails.

"Your wine, sir." A sudden voice interrupted. The man inside the bathtub sat up slightly. He took the glass of wine, a small smile formed on his face.

"Merci." He took a small sip while the waiter bowed, making his way to the door. Once the door was shut softly, the man replaced the smile with one of his mischievous smirks.

"This is going directly as planned..." He took another drink out of the wine glass, then let out a satisfying, short laugh. As he did so, he let the red blood wine pour into the tub slowly.

"Iori Yagami...Je suis prêt..."

XDXDXD

"Is that the only reason you're planning to team up with me?" Kyo questioned.

"No..."

"Then why is it? Isn't it because you're afraid that Ash will actually get you?"

"I don't fear that bastard. He's the one who should fear me!" Iori yelled out.

"...We'll need a third member." Kyo thought aloud.

"I could care less who you bring to the team. Just get someone." Iori walked away, leaving Kyo there.

"I know just who..." Kyo murmured to himself with a slight smile on his face.

XDXDXD

"R-really Kyo-san?"! Shingo beamed with happiness.

"You're not kidding, are you?" He looked at Kyo's face for any hint of prank expression.

"No, you'll have to join me and Iori this year. Chizuru is still badly injured, and..." Kyo trailed off.

"Beni-san? He's in France, right?" Shingo asked. Kyo laughed.

"Yea. Let's hope he has some fun over there." Kyo smiled.

Meanwhile...

"So...where exactly are we going, again?" Benimaru asked as soon as they had finally finished walking. He looked at Elisabeth on her horse.

"Ash's house...what better way to find out more about him?" Elisabeth replied. Benimaru suddenly turned serious. (Ash...)

"Are you sure you can go in there?" Benimaru asked.

"Oui...of course I can. If it wasn't for my family, they'd be no where as rich as they are now." She responded coolly. "...and besides, he told me I could always go in if I wanted to." She added. Benimaru only nodded. (Ash...that bastard...what is he planning? What...?)

"Hiya!" She yelled out suddenly. Her horse galloped away.

"Hey! Wait up!" Benimaru yelled out.

"Use your horse!" Elisabeth yelled back, stopping a few yards away. Benimaru looked at the black horse.

"No way. I'm not riding this-this-"

"Horse?" Duo Lon replied.

"Yea, what ever it is." Benimaru looked frustrated.

"Just get on it." Duo Lon got on his own. Benimaru's mouth almost dropped wide open.'

"How the hell do you know how to ride a horse?" He asked.

"Don't tell me you don't know how to ride one." Duo Lon let a small smirk crack onto his face.

"I-" Benimaru shut his mouth as he was about to say something. "Fine. I'll ride this stupid-" Benimaru reached out to take hold of the leash, but the horse stood on it's two hind legs. Benimaru backed away quickly.

"Stupid what?" Duo Lon galloped toward him.

"Nice horse?" Benimaru sighed in frustration. "Okay, I'm not going to hurt you." He neared the horse once more. The horse reacted once again. "Whoa! Your horse needs some tranquilizers." Benimaru smirked. "Let me handle this!" He surged lightning through his fingers, but Elisabeth stopped him.

"No!" She got off her horse, managing to kick him in the gut.

"Ooph." He fell to the ground. He looked up, looking up to Elisabeth's angered face.

"You never-" She flicked his nose before she began to talk again.

"Ow!" Benimaru held his nose, looking at her in astonishment.

"-Never- hit a horse." She then stood, petting the angered horse. "See? This is how you do it." She looked at Benimaru, who had gotten up.

"What? That horse wouldn't even let me get near him! How do you expect me to do that!"? Benimaru looked at the horse, who seemed to glare back at him.

"I want a different one." Benimaru insisted.

"Tough luck. She's the only one left." She smiled.

"She?" Benimaru looked at the horse.

"Yes, she is a she. Now let's get going." Elisabeth pointed to the horse. "Come on, I'll help you get on." She continued to pat the horse, whispering something to it in French.

"Why can't we just get a car?" Benimaru grumbled to himself. He put one of his legs on the step-on, but the horse objected to it. Benimaru glared at Elisabeth while she spoke more soothing words to the horse.

"Try again." She ordered him. Benimaru sighed, but tried again. This time, the horse let him get on. But as nervous as Benimaru felt, he knew something wrong was bound to happen.

"Let's go, then." She smiled, getting on her own horse.

"Right..." Benimaru managed to say under his breath as the horse began to walk forward slowly. "Umm...how do you control it?" Benimaru seemed confused as he tugged on the leash. This made the horse turn a little.

"Easy. I'll lead him. Here. Remettez-moi le leash." She held out her hand.

"What?" Benimaru looked at her in slight confusion.

"The leash." She took it from him. "Just hold on tightly." She advised him before they began.

"Yea. I'll do that." Benimaru replied nervously. (Kami, please tame this horse...)

XDXDXD

At Ash's house moments later...

"Ow..." Benimaru got off the horse, wincing.

"Don't worry, it'll be worse in the morning." She smirked, tying up the horses.

"What?" Benimaru groaned. "Great...I'm going to be walking like if I have a stick up my-" Benimaru got cut short as Duo Lon placed a finger to his lips.

"Shh." He pointed to Ash's house. Benimaru whistled.

"So, this is Ash's house?" Benimaru looked like he was in awe.

"Oui." Elisabeth responded shortly.

"You know what he'd be doing on weekends." Benimaru smirked. Elisabeth rolled her eyes. "So, anyway. What are we gonna be looking for?" Benimaru then added, noticing her annoyance.

"I don't know yet...but we have to start somewhere, don't we?" She replied.

"Look there." Duo Lon suddenly spoke up from behind them. He was pointing to a window inside the house.

"What is it?" Benimaru asked. "I don't see anything."

"There's someone in there." He responded, slowly putting down his hand.

"Must be a maid, or somethin'." Benimaru looked up, trying to see someone inside the house.

"They don't have maids when no one is in the house. Must be someone breaking in." Elisabeth responded.

"You sure?" Benimaru asked her.

"Yes. Let's go find out." Elisabeth walked up to the front door quickly. Benimaru looked at her in slight puzzlement as she reached up to one of the outer lamps,then pulled out a key. She unlocked the door, then got in quietly. Benimaru looked at Duo Lon, who shrugged. They went separate ways, the house was dark. It seemed like someone had just pulled down the blinds to all the windows. A sudden voice startled Benimaru.

"Que recherchez-vous?" The voice seemed to echo in his head. His attention turned to the stairs. (Is it him?) Benimaru thought, looking at the top of the steps. He suddenly saw a figure. (You're here...) Benimaru quickly headed up the stairs, but once he had gotten there, there was no one around. (Where are you, you bastard...?) Benimaru almost mumbled, but decided to keep quiet. His eye caught an open door. (Is he in here? Is this all just my imagination?) Benimaru thought as he walked slowly and cautiously to the door.

He quietly slipped in. The room was dark, he realized. Darker than all the rest. (How can I tell?) Benimaru questioned himself. He searched for a light switch, anything. His fingers took hold of a light switch. He flicked it on, but the light was too dim.

"Geez, he needs new lighting in here..." Benimaru mumbled aloud, forgetting what he had just heard. He looked around the room. Nothing but stacked boxes, and a couple of stacked magazines. He looked through one of them, then found that they were all clothing magazines, and nail art magazines. They were dusty, as well. It looked like they hadn't been touched in years. He put them back slowly, then looked around some more. His eyes fell onto a portrait. It was halfway covered, but he automatically knew who it was. He took the cover off. It revealed a stunning portrait of Ash. He didn't seem at all like Benimaru had imagined...though, it vaguely showed any of the freckles on his face. He suddenly felt warmth close by him. Sure, the room was at room temperature, but he could tell when someone was close behind him. He wanted to panic for a moment, to turn around, and blindly hit the person, but he couldn't. He didn't want to...not yet. After a while, the warmth was gone, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw the figure there, watching him. He turned around quickly, aiming a surge of lightning to the figure. He hit boxes, and nothing else. They collapsed on him. The next thing he knew was that he was on the ground, his whole body aching. He opened his eyes, and strained to see through all the dust flowing around. He saw something white in front of his view. It looked like a shoe. His eys widened, and his heart seemed to stop for a few seconds in realizing. He looked up, looking up to Ash's face. A clear smirk present on his face.

"Benimaru!" He heard a voice from downstairs. The foot steps were coming closer with each second. To where he was at. He looked up at him again.

"You..." Benimaru managed to say before the door was being opened, but failed short due to the boxes blocking the way. He looked back up at Ash.

"Shhh..." Ash put a finger to his own lips. The door opened with force a second later, and Elisabeth and Duo Lon were in view. Benimaru looked back to where Ash had stood a few moments ago, but nothing was there anymore.

"Benimaru!" Elisabeth noticed him on the ground. She began to take the heavy boxes off his figure with Duo Lon's help.

"Are you all right?" She asked, helping him up.

"Yea...just boxes..." He rubbed his neck, flinching as she placed her hand on the side of his head.

"Vous saignez." She stated.

"What?" Benimaru questioned, touching his head. He felt something running down the side of his face. He noticed the red.

"You're bleeding." She repeated now in English.

"Come." She took his arm. "We must treat your wound." She led him out. Duo Lon followed behind them.

"What happened?" Duo Lon asked once they had gotten outside.

"Did you spot the robber? What did he do?" Elisabeth inspected the wound a little more.

"No..." Benimaru remembered Ash...what he had told him to do. "...No, it wasn't anything." He lied.

"Ghosts?" Elisabeth questioned.

"What?" Benimaru held his head for a moment.

"The house is haunted." Duo Lon answered for her.

"I...I guess." Benimaru mumbled.

"Well, come on." She gestured to the horses calmly eating grass. "We'll drop the horses off where we got them from, then from there, I'll call my papa to fetch us a limo." She untied the horses.

"Right..." Benimaru seemed to be in pensive thought. (So...it was him...what does he still want from me? It's Iori he's after now, isn't it? Isn't it...?)

XDXDXD

All right...so what'd you guys think? Please leave a review! Thanks! XD

Translations:

Je suis prêt: I'm ready

Remettez-moi le leash: Give me the leash

Que recherchez-vous: What do you seek?