Thanks to my reviewers, it's nice to have you along. I promise there will be a lot in store for you guys.
Disclaimer: I do not own Black Cat...
"Rough morning?" Saya asks me as she passes me on the street. I sigh and nod. It would be hard not crawl the walls when I get to the Chronos HQ. I would always get the discreet red envelope containing the summons from the Elder Statesmen.
"Wanna talk about it?" She offers, but I politely refuse. It's not something to talk about and sharing information with even a hint to Chronos was dangerous enough.
"Oh hey, do you wanna come with me to hunt my new target? He's some nasty guy named Preta Ghoul," She shows me his wanted poster and I feel a pang of heat at the thought of being able to hunt a target again even if it's just for a while and not for the sake of killing.
"Let's be a Sweeper for a day," I grin and she smiles, clapping her hands together. I had to be honest, I liked Saya. She was a little bit crazy and sometimes people just need to laugh about things.
"Should we head out later tonight?" She asks and I think of how long the meeting would take. I doubt it would take too long.
"I just have to settle a few things and then we'll go," I tell her and begin walking again.
"Hazel, are you even armed?" She says worriedly and I smirk.
"Don't worry," I assure her, "I'll be well armed after a few hours,"
She seems a little confused as I sauntered away from where she stood. Then again, I would be too if I didn't know who I really was...
Walking through the ornate Chronos halls was like a horrid trip down memory lane. Except this memory lane was more gruesome than most. The images were fresh in my mind. Memories from two years ago when I walked these very halls to meet with the same Elder Statesmen.
It was different back then. Very different. I would walk these corridors with a sense of superiority and strength, allowing nobody to look down on me or my colleagues. I could almost smell the scent of the blood that used to hang around me like some rich perfume.
The shiny, polished corridors gleamed as if they were trying to extend a hand of welcome to greet me. It was almost ironic because of the death and deception that hid behind its smooth surfaces.
The occasional couch was placed in between the pillars that, placed neatly and parallel to each other on the sides of the passages, ran along the length of the corridors. I could remember sitting on one of those very couches and talking with Number 12 about what was humanity.
He never gave me a straight answer for that.
"Must bring back memories for you, huh?" A familiar male voice chimed from behind me. I was snapped out of my thoughts and immediately looked to where the voice had emanated form. The large windows let in so much light that he was silhouetted from where he stood.
"Memories I would rather have left forgotten, Jenos," I counter and he put his hands up defensively. He stepped out from behind a pillar. He still looks the same, clothed in his standard black suit except for the open-shirt style that used to piss me off, but now not so much.
"Relax, Hazel, I didn't mean it like that," Jenos scowled and pushed a strand of his long brown hair back.
"I know, I just didn't think I'd be coming back here," I looked down at the floor awkwardly. I really was dreading seeing everyone again.
"That's not the Hazel I used to know," Jenos came up to me and put his hands on my shoulders, "The Hazel I knew wouldn't ever have lowered his head nor even had one single thought of fear. My Hazel was strong and brought others up with him, so what happened?"
"People change Jenos, I'm not that Hazel anymore," I growl at him and he sighs as he drops his hands to his sides, "I have a shard of humanity left,"
"Oh well, I guess you went your own way," He threw a look in the direction of the conference room, "It'd be best not to keep Willzark and your sister waiting," He shoves me off towards the doors. He leans against the pillar and puts on his sunglasses. I chuckle and he tilts his head slightly.
"You haven't changed at all Jenos!" I tease as I pad away from him as he sputters.
"What's that supposed to mean!" He yells after me as I dash further away from him, "Hazel, come back here!"
My laugh echoes in the hallway and even as I push past the huge doors and step into the massive circular room, I can see my sister's disapproving look from where she stands. She was always wearing a disapproving look on her face when it came to me, so I really wasn't worried.
"I'll inform Willzark of your arrival," she says coldly, but there is no need as the monitors in front of me flick to life. The hum fills the room and a face appears on the front most screen.
"Welcome back, Number 2," Willzark greets with an eerie chuckle...
"I'm not Number 2 anymore," I hiss and Willzark scoffs. The strange symbol tattooed on his forehead screams of his power as the head of Chronos.
"Not currently, no," Willzark states then looks directly at me and my attire, "But the old Hazel Velacorps still lives within you,"
"So what do you need?" I skip straight to the point and a small smile spread on Willzark's lips. He nodded in Sephiria's direction and she stepped forward. I had received a lot of orders from the Statesmen through her. Obviously she had been briefed beforehand on the matter.
Her long blonde hair barely hid the Roman Numeral I that was tattooed on her forehead. Her blue eyes still had the same feeling to them, like they were looking through you instead of at you. However her empathy never worked with me. Sibling rivalry has its advantages. Go figure.
Really, we barely look related. With my dark hair and purple eyes I'm the exact opposite to Sephiria. We grew up in the same environment and yet we turned out so different.
"Hazel," She nodded at me, "We would like you to do something for us,"
I looked at where her hand rested, the hilt of her sword, Christ, visible beneath the clutch of her fingers. She was anxious. She'd always wanted to slice me up because I left and left her alone.
"We will be giving one of our younger Numbers a special mission," She swallowed hard and continued, "Number 13 is strong, but equally headstrong,"
I chuckled and she tilted her head to the side. Train did look like the obstinate type. But they don't know that I know him...
"Hazel, this is serious," She reprimanded and I immediately straightened just to tease her, "We anticipate his failure in the mission, but we also foresee him deciding to break away from Chronos,"
"Remember when you spied on that Communist Diplomat for three months?" Willzark asks and I nod.
"Alana Senna," I whispered and Willzark nodded. I had spent three months on her estate gathering intelligence before I killed her. She proved a tough kill even for someone of my strength. I nearly lost...
"She mentioned that during sometimes people acquired what they called 'Bourgeoisie Sentimentality'," I came to the conclusion about where this was going as he said that.
"You're afraid 13 is going to do the same thing I did," I grinned, "You're scared he'll develop a sense of humanity and leave Chronos,"
Willzark paused, but continued anyway, "Precisely,"
"We want you to befriend Number 13 and bring him back to Chronos should he decide to leave," Sephiria outlined my mission for me and I clicked my tongue.
"That's it?" Too be honest I was pretty disappointed although it did give me a reason to make friends with Train.
"We promised you two rewards," The Statesman on the left spoke up, "The first will be a large sum of money," As usual.
"Accompanied by the return of your orichalcum twin gunblades that you surrendered to us when you chose to leave," Sephiria added in and this had me grinning as if I'd won the lottery. She also let a small smile slip.
My twin gunblades were my choice of weapon during my years as a Number. Similar in appearance to Train's gun, Hades, except for the broad, long blade that was molded to serve as a house for the trigger and the blade for melee fighting. Another difference was that gun used clips instead of individual bullets like a revolver, but it could take a clip from any type of gun of any size.
"The second, if you choose to accept it," Willzark's raspy voice boomed over the speakers as if I wasn't really hearing him, "Is your reinstatement as Number 2 of the Chronos Numbers,"
I gaped at him as if I'd been told I had been diagnosed with some deadly disease.
"I refuse," I answered back as I rubbed my wrist near the top of my hand where the Roman Numeral II was tattooed...
"Perhaps give it more thought Hazel," Sephiria tried to coerce me as we walked together. I didn't really care about what she had to say on the matter. I had accepted the mission and only one of the rewards. Why couldn't I just get on with it?
With my gunblades folded neatly so they fit in the holsters strapped to my waist I felt safer than usual even among the world's most deadly assassins. Willzark could be unpredictable on a good day.
"Think of us running Chronos together again," She seemed hopeful and I shook my head.
"What about Belze, Sephiria?" I asked her and she stopped talking almost immediately, "Exactly. He's doing a good job and I'm not rejoining Chronos. End of story," I hissed and she regained some of her fight.
"Don't you miss fighting for the greater good, the thrill of the hunt as you called it?"
"Look, Sephiria, I'm not coming back, deal with it," I say and her eyes look sad for a moment before turning all hardcore soldier on me.
"Report back once you've made progress on your mission," She barks as she fixes her pink suit and then walks away.
"Don't mind Sephi, she can be like this sometimes," Jenos encourages from on a couch that's nearby to the main entrance, "It's been like this since you left,"
"I'm not coming back to Chronos, Jenos," I snarled at him and he facepalmed.
"I kinda figured," He looks at Sephiria just as she rounds a corner to disappear out of sight, "Why did you leave anyway?"
"Another story for another time Jenos," I dismiss him and walk out of the building without so much as a goodbye, ready to face the first task from Chronos in two years...
Saya and I walked amongst a few warehouses and apartment structures looking for Preta Ghoul's supposed hideout. As far as my task was going I had made no progress whatsoever. At least Train and I were on civilized terms.
"You okay?" Saya asked me as we approached the warehouse where Preta Ghoul was said to take his victims, "You seem distant,"
I nodded and wiped my face with my palm, "Things have been tense,"
"How so?" She pried as I pushed open the warehouse door. It squeaked on its rollers and I jumped hoping that we weren't heard. Saya giggled, but drew her pistol anyway. I slipped my gunblades from their holsters. I flipped them open and thread my finger through the trigger holes. It felt like home.
"Family issues," I chuckled because it technically wasn't a lie.
"I'm sorry, just concentrate on finding your mark, that'll help,"
"Oh, I already know that," I grinned in anticipation. The thrill of the hunt...
The moonlight cast weird shadows on every surface of the building. I was still grateful for the light though. It was pitch black inside. It was also quiet. Very quiet. You could hear a strand of hair fall.
"Saya," I breathed and she stalked closer to me, "It's too quiet,"
She nodded and we continued to push through the darkness. My foot nudged something. I looked down and saw a fresh corpse that was propped up against a wall.
"Add her to the list of victims," I mumbled and he shook her head sadly, "Let's keep moving,"
We crept a little bit further until we came across another body. I glanced to my left. Another one lay strewn across some steps.
"Another one, over here," Saya said solemnly. This guy was sick even for a murderer. I pulled Saya up the long flight of steps.
"I see a few new playthings have found their way in," A strange male voice echoed from the darkness.
"You can still give up," I offered him, but he just cackled. Oh well, I guess we'd have to hurt him.
Saya and I ran through corridor after corridor, rounding several corners and jumping over obstacles. She was a tough girl. She never complained about being tired and held her own while we raced through the warehouse.
I stopped in a large hallway and stood still, "He's close,"
We looked around us and then I realised a second too late. He shot his hand through the wall and I barely missed him. He then proceeded to burn his way through the wall.
"Hello, hello," He was an impish looking man, with several red tattoos on his upper body.
I aimed and shot at his shin. The bullets burned away. He let out a torrent of hysterical laughter.
"Your bullets are useless," I scowled and look at Saya who was deep in thought. I wondered if he could burn through orichalcum, "Time to play!" He shrieked and I dodged and maneuvered around him making sure to avoid his hands. I fired a few shots to distract him, but he just lunged for Saya.
She had a lot less luck than I did as her burned a hole through her kimono, "Hey, that was expensive!" she growled at him and he licked his lips.
I picked up a large block of cement that used to be part of the wall Preta Ghoul broke out of. I hauled it at him and surprisingly got him to falter. He yelled in pain and looked at me with murderous eyes. I smirked and put my blades up defensively.
"Oh no you don't!" Saya shouted and shot a bullet that bounced off surfaces to meet its target in his leg. Once again the bullet was useless.
I had never seen anyone reflect a bullet before. This girl was more skilled than I thought. That's when ten bullets from above us rain down on him. I jerked my head up to see Train standing on the roof adjacent to us and firing through the gaping hole in the warehouse roof.
The time was now. We had to use the time Train bought us. Then I got a devilish idea.
"Saya, bring down the roof!" I ordered and she took a moment to register before firing a shot in the air. I grinned like the madman in front of me. He looked confused and scratched the back of his head.
"What was that supposed to d-" He was cut off as a large slab that consisted of both metal and cement fell on top of him.
"Nice shot," I winked at Saya and sheathed my gunblades, praying that Train didn't see the Numeral on them...
The police threw Preta Ghoul into the back of a van, bound and blind I might add. Saya, Train and I watched from a nearby roof. Saya was going to split the profit with me, but I refused because I already had a wage paid by Chronos.
"You didn't kill him," Train started and I shook my head. Saya looked at up at the sky.
"The pistol does what I tell it to, if I don't wanna shoot then I won't,"
I smiled. It was a perfect saying. It reminds me of why I left Chronos. Train huffed and looked away. I decided it was now that I should act. I stood next to him and threw my arm over his shoulders. He glared at me and I put him in a headlock.
"Hey, stop!" He growled from where I held him. Saya chuckled at our antics as Train tried to throw me off of him which only caused me to laugh.
"Haze!" Train yelled and sent us both to the ground. I rolled around with Train in a semi-lock and ended on top of him with my hands on his chest and my face in his neck. He flushed, but still let a small laugh escape his lips. I pushed myself up so that I straddled him. I extended my hand and pulled him up with me as I got up.
Something red caught my attention. A small red envelope was crumpled in his pocket. It had Willzark's symbol on it. A Chronos summons. He ignored it?
That was a bad move on his part, but maybe he was already defecting from Chronos. I felt a pang of worry for Train. They let me go, but only because I surrendered my weapons and also because I had served them loyally. They would not do the same for Train.
I pulled him into a hug. He squirmed, but I held him tight.
"Train, don't do anything stupid," I whispered into his ear, "Saya and I want you in one piece," I let go of him and, with a small wave to Saya, jumped off the balcony. I landed perfectly and took the back alleys on my way home eager to be engulfed by the night for just a little while...
I've said it once and I'll say it again. This town is a pit of despair, but it was worse when Chronos was out.
I stopped in the middle of an alleyway and steeled myself, "What do you want, Belze?" My replacement.
"A message from Sephiria," He appeared from the shadows, "She says that it has begun and there is a new detail to your mission,"
"What?" I asked and wheeled to face him. He had long blonde hair and brown eyes. He looked more like a relative of Sephiria's than I did. Why send him?
"If things get out of hand with 13," He paused for effect and I rolled my eyes, "We need you to kill him..."
I think my heart stopped beating...
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it. Will update ASAP.