Hello, readers! I apologize again for the last cliffhanger. I'll be hoping to make up for it with a nice, long chapter. So, let's review, shall we?

Ash discovered that the Coordinating history of Dawn, May and Zoey has been deleted, which could mean they're hiding something, or they're being framed. To make things more difficult, Dawn has unlocked Ash's heart, escalating the battle inside him. BUT, it is Paul who has set up the cliffhanger! He's been thinking of everything, probably having something to do with his strange behavior around Zoey. Well, what has he decided? Let's find out!


Enjoy chapter 6!

The scene: Veilstone City.

In his many years of working at the Assassin's Guild, Ash Ketchum had learned many things. Physical and mental skills, as well as some lessons that would serve him well in the life to come. One of them had been to always heed the advice and opinions of your comrades. On occasions where he had done group contracts, Ash had taken that lesson to heart and he was glad he had done so. On numerous occasions, following his own instincts would have resulted in the loss of his life then and there.

Needless to say, he treasured this lesson. It was indispensable in situations that asked too much of him alone. His partners would always find a way to relight his spirit.

But now...

Now far more was at stake. As Ash stood with Drew and Paul in the hotel room of their targets, one of whom with Ash had developed an intimate relationship, he awaited Paul's opinion after his hours of deep thought. Since this was unusual for Paul, Ash vowed to take his words, whatever they would turn out to be, seriously.

Paul was silent for a moment. Then: "Ash, Drew. I," his voice actually seemed to break. "I confess: I had wanted to believe you all along." he held up a hand to stop Ash who had opened his mouth in disbelief. "Yes, it's true. But the years of living under the Guild pressed me to think otherwise. So I did; I told you they were trying to seduce us into thinking there was no way these girls could be villainous." A pause. Ash was disgusted at the thought that Dawn could have merely been throwing him off the scent the previous night. No, she had to be sincere. Surely Paul believed that...?

"But my thoughts, my own, were telling me your reasoning had at least as much truth as what my allegiance to our brotherhood told me." he lowered his head as Ash and Drew watched in amazement.

"But," his tone hardened and As watched in horror as Paul drew a knife from his coat pocket. "I can't take it anymore. No matter how much it hurts."

"What?! Paul, No!" Ash lunged forward and grabbed the older Assassin's arm, who tried to jerk away but Ash's grip held. "Where did you get that? Paul, you can't do this! Think about it! Wh-?"

"I come prepared. Always. I'm done thinking, Ash!" Paul spat. "I need to end this here and now! Let go!" Ash was stunned at the emotion he was showing. "I can't Paul, you can't. Be reasonable, it all comes down to the blasted client who commissioned this contract!" he urged, but Paul was beyond reasonable now.

Drew seemed immobilized with shock at what Paul had said and what he was planning to do. But he found the strength to speak. "Paul." he said quietly but firmly enough so Paul would hear him over his struggle with Ash. "Put the knife away, or I'm afraid you'll have to learn the hard way." Paul stared at Drew. "Learn what? What is there to learn?" he asked. Drew sighed. "If you don't know already, I don't think I can tell you." he motioned for Ash to let go, who gave him a look that said: Are you insane!? But Drew held his gaze.

Clearly distraught, Ash let Paul go who wasted no time in striding to the door to the girls' section of the suite. Ash and Drew just watched, the former with horror and the desperate hope Drew knew what he was doing. They were both, however, fraught with worry; Ash for Dawn and Drew for May.

The girls were sitting around vacantly, deciding whether they should maybe check on their guests, when one of them barged into the room. Paul wielding a knife with a contorted look on his face. The girls rose in astonishment, then slowly began to back away.

"P-Paul, w-what's wrong?" Dawn asked, frightened at the cold flame in his eyes. Paul ignored her and approached Zoey, who gasped and backed away further. "Paul, what are you doing?" she asked worriedly, trembling slightly. "Paul? Wait! No!" Paul just stepped closer as Dawn and May watched, immobilized by fear.

Paul stopped with the knife held aloft and standing directly over a cowering Zoey. Eyes scorched by fire looked into eyes shining with tears. "Paul... why?" she asked weakly, almost pleading.

Just then, Ash burst into the room; with Drew trailing him. "Ash, calm down, I-" Drew stopped talking at the sight before him: Paul standing over a crouching Zoey with the knife in his hand while Dawn and May watched in transfixed horror.

Two tears escaped Zoey's eyes... and Paul inhaled sharply. His eyes swam with a mixture of different emotions Ash had never seen Paul express. He was gritting his teeth, as if furious at himself for the hesitation. Then he dropped the knife.

The weapon clattered at Zoey's bent knees. She stared at in in shock, then looked up at Paul, her breathing noisy with fear. Paul was also breathing heavily, his eyes darting around the room, his forehead lined with sweat. Ash and Drew could not believe what was happening. Unsteadily, Paul backed away, still staring at the girl he had been about to kill. Her cheeks shone with tears.

Paul continued to backtrack until he reached the place where Ash and Drew were standing. Ash could only stare at Paul, mouth slightly open in astonishment, while Drew's face expressed a grim satisfaction. Paul himself seemed to have imploded inside. His eyes showed anger at himself and horror and regret at his actions.

Ash tried to go over and examine Zoey, but his path was barricaded. By Dawn and May. They had stepped into his path, their eyes lit up in fury. Ash was shocked at the hatred in their faces. "Guys, I-" Their looks silenced him.

Ash had no idea what to do or what to say, but before he could decide:

"Get out."

Ash's eyes widened. He would not have ever thought Dawn would be capable of producing such a cold voice. It was a hard, emotionless tone, like something that had suffered so much pain, so much despair, that it had just... snapped.

"Get out!" Dawn repeated, this time with the hint of a blazing anger. It tore Ash apart to see this girl, who he loved and had as good as proved it, now treated him with a bitter anger that pierced his heart. Ash looked into her eyes and nearly collapsed. What he saw stunned him.

Dawn's usually bright, sapphire eyes were now a vicious hurricane of emotions. Anger, hate, despair; all directed at Ash. But something far worse rested in the eye of that hurricane. A cruel, dark emotion that tells you all you've ever been taught in life is a lie. The emotion that tells you that your friends are foes. The emotion that tells you that Good... is Evil. When Ash saw that emotion being glared at him by the one he had been ordered to kill, yet loved so much, his heart ripped itself to shreds.

Betrayal.

As simple and as complicated as that. Despite the tears forming in his eyes and his head shaking of its own accord, he stepped backwards slowly. After a second, he ran out of the room and out of the hotel, tears streaming across his face.

May fixed Drew with a sad but cold stare, while Zoey still stared at Paul, still reeling from his sudden show of emotions. Drew returned May's stare with the exception of the cold fire, while Paul looked at his feet, his eyes tightly shut.

Then, acting on Dawn's words, the two sadly walked out of the building, leaving the three girls alone, overcome with angst. Dawn and May finally averted their eyes from the deserted doorway to Zoey.

"Are you- are you OK, Zoey?" May asked weakly. One pained look told May all she needed to know. How could she be all right? How could any of them be all right after this?!

After this fiasco, these lies! They had lied. All three of them had put on an act to get them killed.

Dawn walked over and sat on an armchair, putting her head in her hands. May saw her shaking with silent sobs. She too felt a wetness on her cheeks, but did not bother with it. Dawn suddenly spoke, "I loved him, May." she said, her very voice in pain.

May did not need an indication as to who she was referring to. She and Ash had been very warm to each other; she herself thought it was only a matter of time before they confessed their feelings and, judging by her especially upset behaviour, May guessed they already have. "I didn't tell him." she said to the sobbing Dawn.

"Me neither." Zoey said weakly. She had been scared. They all had been, but it was Zoey who Paul had targeted. Even so, they all knew who each was referring to. May to Drew and, most painfully, perhaps, Zoey to Paul.

They had not even realized it, though it had always been there. From the moment the three traitors offered to show them around the city. A lifetime ago.

May walked over to Zoey, helped her up and sat her down on the bed. She gave her friend's shoulders a squeeze, looking at Dawn. "They won't trouble us ever again." she said.

***

The scene: Veilstone City, Cosmic Park.

The three compromised Assassins sat on a bench in the Cosmic Park, home to the famous meteorites, appearing completely normal to all around them. But each of them would have gladly allowed everyone here to attack them, if only to have their their identity hidden once again from three individuals.

Ash, Drew and Paul had spent nearly an hour in absolute silence, trying to explain to themselves what had happened. The sun was falling.

Then Drew broke the silence. "This is the price you pay for not listening to what your heart tells you, but to your superiors in physical life." His tone was cold and he stared at the ground, but Ash knew he was addressing Paul. This was the lesson he hadn't learned. He had indeed learned it know, just as Drew had said, the hard way. But the effect on the girls had been far more dramatic than they would have thought. Paul's face seemed hollow, as was his voice. "Perhaps it is."

Ash spoke too: "They consider us murderers now. Liars and traitors." he tried to blink back tears, putting a hand over his eyes. "The worst part is, every bit of it is true. We tricked them, lied to them; all the while telling ourselves it was the other way around and that they were the criminals." He angrily wiped tears away.

"Ash. There is one way we can exact vengeance." Drew's tone startled Ash. It was the cold, killer tone the Assassins prized. "The client. He's responsible for all of this. Our love, our loss, our hatred and our anger. Every emotion we have felt for the past few days is because of the contract. Because of the client."

A savage pleasure rose up in Ash at the thought of ending the misery of whoever ruined their lives with this contract. "We may not be loved. But we will have our revenge." he said, a cold fire in his eye.

"And that," Paul said. "is what matters. Tonight, we will have victory, even if it requires that we reject everything the Assassin's Guild has taught us." he stood up; grimly, yet proudly surveying his friends, settling his gaze on Ash, then Drew. "For tonight, Vengeance is our Salvation."

Now, that was quite more like it. I wrote fast, because of the fast flow of ideas coming to me. A bit short, true, but now, we have something to look forward to. The hunt for the client is next.

I do hope you're enjoying this so far. I sure am, especially now. So, guys, PLLEASE leave your opinion here, no matter what it may be. In short:

R&R, dear friends!

Daijobu!