Author's Note:
Happy Valentines Day! I'm actually not feeling that well but I'm forcing myself to post this chapter up for my readers. I was originally planning on posting this up on February 17th (my birthday) but decided against it. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Please read and review.

-X-

Chapter Ten
-Painful As Death-

-X-

'Mikan-chan!'

The said girl's head snapped up after hearing her name being addressed. She realized that she had dozed off in Narumi class. Mikan couldn't get to sleep last night at all. She had been thinking up with plans on how to avoid killing Natsume. Luckily she remembered the potion. Mikan placed her hand inside her pocket to touch the cool bottle of the liquid. Why she brought it to class with her when she has no use of it at the moment, you may ask. Well, let's just say she had a surprising visit in the morning from a 'friend.'

-X-

'Good morning, Sunshine.' Reo pulled open the curtains of Mikan's bedroom window to let the sunlight pour through the glass.

The auburn haired gritted her teeth in annoyance and the sunlight made contact with her face. But what got her more annoyed was that the brown haired man had let himself into her room without her consent. She sat up in bed and glared at the man who seated himself in a chair placed in front of her bed.

'What do you want?' she asked, rubbing her eyes.

Reo gave her a coy smile. 'Just wanted to see how the little princess is in the morning,' he said.

Mikan rolled her eyes, knowing that that was not the reason for his presence. She jumped out of her bed and looked at herself in the mirror. She was still wearing yesterday's uniform. Her uniform now looked creased. But she guessed that this was better than standing in front of a guy dressed in nothing but your silky black and revealing gown.

'What do you really want, anyway?' she asked as she started smoothing out her uniform.

'I have to accompany you on your mission.'

Mikan's hand stopped at her skirt. 'What?' she asked slightly shocked.

Reo sighed, realizing that he would have to explain. 'Assassinating Natsume was originally supposed to be my mission and then I assigned it to you, But…' he paused.

'But what?' Mikan asked.

'I may have assigned you the mission but Kurai-san doesn't know that, now does he. So technically speaking, this is still my mission. And like I said before, Naru-senpai rendered my Alice useless because of this control device. So I can't do this mission, but I still need it to be successful. That's why I need to accompany you to make sure you do the job right,' he explained.

Mikan remained unmoving, letting her brain process all the information. Her teeth gritted in realization. Reo would just get in the way of all her plans.

'You don't trust me, do you?' she asked coldly.

Reo shrugged. 'I don't trust anyone,' was his reply. He got up from his seat and headed towards the door. Then he suddenly stopped and reached into the pocket of his large coat. Reo pulled out an item and threw it towards the auburn haired girl.

Mikan caught it in her hands and stared at it impassively. It was a black butterfly mask that only covered her eyes and the top bit of her nose. It looked like one of those mask you would wear to a masquerade ball but in reality it is actually Mikan's mask for missions. It covers up half of her face concealing her identity from the enemies.

'Wear that on the mission tonight. We wouldn't want you blowing our cover if Hyuuga Natsume manages to escape,' Reo stated.

Mikan just nodded and watched as Reo's eyes scanned through her rooms and stopped on an item on her drawer. Mikan followed his line of vision and her heart dropped. Reo's eyes just land on the bottle of the mysterious potion.

Reo walked over towards her drawer and Mikan's hands clenched into fists.

'What's this?' he asked curiously, holding up the bottle.

'It's a potion we made in science,' Mikan said way too quickly, though her face remained impassive. Mikan was glad that she was taught how to keep her cool in dangerous situations.

Reo raised an eyebrow slightly and Mikan could tell that he looked unconvinced.

'Whatever,' he muttered and put the bottle back in its original place.

Mikan inwardly let out a sigh of relief.

'Don't forget; the mission commences at midnight,' was Reo's last words before he walk out the door.

-X-

Mikan's eyes hardened. She knew that this mission would be more difficult than she originally thought it would be. Her eyes shifted towards the boy sleeping beside her and fought the urge to sigh. Her hands fingered the potion in her pocket once again.

I really hope this works, she thought.

'Alright class, listen up!' Narumi said, grabbing the attention of everyone in the classroom. 'At six o'clock sharp today Mouri Reo will be performing for us.'

After hearing that, everyone except for Mikan, Natsume, Ruka and Hotaru leaped up in excitement. They had been waiting for this moment to come for a long time. After all, Reo is really famous.

Mikan sighed in annoyance at all the noise. She stood up, grabbing the attention of most of the students. The auburn haired girl ignored this and headed towards the door. She walked out and slammed the door shut, making the students wince.

'She's in a bad mood,' one guy said, stating the obvious.

The others just nodded in agreement.

-X-

Hundreds of students started to fill up the seats at the auditorium. It is five forty-five and the students were anxious to find the best seats so they can get a good view of Reo.

Mikan on the other hand didn't even bother to fight for the seats on the front row. Instead, she seated herself on the edge of the top row. At first, the nullifier didn't really wanted to come and see this but she realized that there was nothing else to do. This could give her some time to think about the mission…

'Ah, Mikan-chan!'

Or maybe not…

Mikan turned her head to see Anna, Nonoko, Kokoroyomi and Yuu walking towards her. They sat down on the four empty seats next to her.

'So Mikan-chan, are you excited?' Anna asked.

'Not really,' Mikan stated truthfully.

'Why not?'

The auburn haired girl just shrugged. The lights on the auditorium dimmed and Reo walked onto the stage. His fan immediately grew wild and shouted his name.

'Reo-sama!'

'Reo-sama, I love you!'

'Reo, please marry me!'

The five seated on the top sweat dropped at the scene.

I don't see what's so great about him, Mikan thought, looking down at Reo who gave the audience a fake smile.

The music started and the brown haired man began to sing.

Well, I guess his singing isn't that bad… She thought as she listened to the lyrics of his song.

'Where's Hotaru-chan?' Yuu asked, looking around the auditorium.

'Over there,' Koko pointed at the front row where Hotaru was seated, holding a video camera.

She must be doing her money making business thing, Mikan thought.

The concert went on for a few more minutes before it finally concluded.

'Thanks for coming!' Reo shouted at the crowd of people. He received shrieks and shouts back. He waved and then left the stage.

Mikan sighed. It was finally over. She got up and made her way out of the auditorium. But the voices of Anna and Nonoko stopped her.

'Mikan-chan, would you like to come with us to Central Town to have dinner at a restaurant?' they inquired.

Mikan was about to object but then a low rumbling noise came from her stomach. She looked away with a slight blush but before nodding her head. She hasn't eaten anything all day.

The three hopped on the bus and headed towards Central Town. Yuu said that he was busy so he could come along with them. Kokoroyomi told them that he had to meet up with Kitsuneme and Hotaru stated that she had some business to take care of. No doubt, that she was going after Reo to get in more good shots of him with her trusty camera.

The bus pulled to a stop and Mikan, Anna and Nonoko got off and headed towards the restaurant that they went to have lunch the other day. They got lead towards a table in the corner of the restaurant that was next to the window. The sun was slowly beginning to set.

The three looked through their menus and decided on something cheap but delicious at the same time. While waiting they started up a conversation.

'Hey Nonoko-chan, Mikan-chan, I watched this interesting movie yesterday,' Anna said, capturing their attention.

'What's it about?' Nonoko asked.

'Well, it's about how this girl was threatened to kill her lover against her will by the evil character.'

Mikan's interest piped up after hearing that. It sounded awfully similar to her situation, except for the threatening and lover part.

'What does she do?' the midnight-blue haired girl asked interested.

Anna smiled sadly as she recalled the movie. 'She killed him in the end and he died in her arms. But she did regret her decision. It was so sad…' Her eyes got a bit teary.

'Why did she have to kill him though?' Nonoko asked, touched by the movie as well.

'She just had no choice.'

Mikan remained silent throughout the discussion. Does that mean that she has no choice but to kill Natsume as well?

'What would you do if you were forced to kill someone you're familiar with?' she muttered.

Anna and Nonoko turned their attention towards the auburn haired girl with surprise written on their face.

'Why do you ask, Mikan-chan?' Nonoko inquired.

Mikan shook her head and smiled. 'Never mind, it's nothing.'

The two girls exchanged uncertain glances but shook it off when their food arrived. They slowly began to eat.

The meal was delicious for both Anna and Nonoko, but it had tasted dry and unsatisfying on Mikan tongue. All Mikan could do was sit on her spot and slowly chew the food while her thoughts drifted towards her mission. What should she do? Mikan swallowed.

She had made her decision.

The food all disappeared and it was time to leave seeing as how the skies had turned dark. It was already nine. Just how long did they spend in the restaurant, Mikan wondered.

The bus ride home was silent, same with when they had arrived back at the academy. Most students were already in bed, tired from today's events.

Mikan bid Anna and Nonoko goodnight and headed straight towards her room. She needed to prepare for the mission anyway. Mikan grabbed the key from her pocket and was just about to insert it into the keyhole when all of a sudden, the door creaked open slightly.

The auburn haired girl's eye narrowed slightly. She was positive that she had locked her door.

Mikan pushed opened the door completely and walked in cautiously while looking around the room. Her eyes landed on the bottle of potion and her eyes widened. Quarter of the liquid had disappeared.

She gritted her teeth in anger. Who had taken quarter of the potion? Well, at least there is still some of it left, she thought, closing the door behind her.

Mikan walked to her large closet and pulled out her regular clothes for missions. It was a black turtle neck, sleeveless shirt. She also pulled out a pair of white loose pants that made it easier for her to move around in. Mikan slipped on a pair of high-heeled leather boots that was pure black in colour. She walked over to her mirror and pulled her hair out of their two low ponytails. Instead, she tied them up into a high ponytail and grabbed two black butterfly clips to keep her auburn hair out of her face. Finally, she grabbed the mask Reo gave her and placed it over her eyes.

Black Butterfly is back.

Black Butterfly is Mikan alias, just like how Black Cat is Natsume's. She's called that because Mikan is able to finish up her missions successfully and at the same time being as graceful as a butterfly. Her facial expressions are never revealed during battle while the mask is on her face.

The auburn haired girl picked up the bottle containing the potion. All she had to do was somehow make Natsume drink this and it'll all be over.

It was now ten thirty; just one and a half hours left before her mission would commence. So, she just sat there and waited…

Alas, the clock struck twelve. Mikan got up from her bed that she was lying on and walked towards her door. She turned the doorknob and came face to face with Reo.

'It's time,' he stated.

Mikan nodded and walked towards Natsume room with Reo following behind. In the Middle School, there were only a few Special Star Students, so there are only two levels. Mikan's room was on the second to top level while Natsume's room was on the top, giving him one of the largest balconies in the academy.

They both stopped in front of the raven haired boy's room. Just as Reo was about to turn the doorknob, Mikan's voice stopped him cold.

'You stay out here and wait. You'll only get in my way,' she whispered coldly to the brown haired man.

Reo scowled, but nodded anyways knowing that right now, without his Alice, Mikan was more powerful than himself.

Mikan smiled inwardly at this. Reo won't be able to ruin her plans now. She reached for the doorknob and turned it slowly. Then, she pushed open the door as quietly as possible. Mikan stepped in and closed the door behind her.

The auburn haired girl walked towards Natsume's bed and stared at the figure sleeping on it.

Mikan's eye twitched slightly behind her mask and she could feel heat rising up to her face. Natsume just looked so cute while he slept.

No! Mikan shook her head to rid herself of the thought. I'm supposed to kill him, not ogle at him while he's asleep!

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the potion. Mikan twisted open the cap slowly while her eyes remained fixed on Natsume, making sure that he doesn't make any strange movements.

The auburn haired girl then slowly climbed on top of the Black Cat.

All I need to do now is get him to drink it, Mikan thought, as her hand neared his face.

Suddenly, a hand shot up and grabbed a hold of her wrist. Mikan looked down to see a pair of crimson coloured eyes glaring at her.

She froze.

-X-

Natsume was no idiot. He had known that someone had snuck into his room from the moment they set foot inside. The raven haired boy figured that he should pretend to be asleep so that he can figure out what they're up to. But his hand had shot up instinctively when he felt the person getting on top of him.

His eyes opened and glared at the figure on top of him.

'Who the hell are you?' he demanded. For some odd reason, this person seems kind of familiar to him.

Mikan gritted her teeth. Natsume was a lot smarter than she thought. This was going to cause her some problems.

'That's none of your business,' she hissed at him, trying to pull her hand away from his tight grip. It was futile.

Suddenly, she felt Natsume's hand grow hotter.

Is he using his Alice? Mikan thought, quickly activating her Nullification Alice to cancel the heat out before her wrist gets burnt.

Natsume looked slightly shocked. Why isn't his Alice working? What did this girl do? He knew that it is definitely a girl because of the tone in her voice.

A sudden movement on the doorknob grabbed both of their attention. Mikan gritted her teeth and glared at the door.

Reo, that bastard! She thought angrily.

Without giving it much thought, Mikan brought the bottle to her lips and drank the black liquid. Then with all her strength, she freed herself from his grip and grabbed roughly onto Natsume's chin.

What the-! Natsume eyes widened when the auburn haired girl connected her lips with his. His lips parted and felt cold yet sweet liquid being transferred into his mouth. The raven haired boy swallowed it unconsciously.

Knowing that Natsume had swallowed the potion, Mikan pulled away from him and rubbed the liquid away from her lips. Quickly grabbing the cap, she screwed it back onto the bottle and pocketed it.

Natsume vision began to get blurry. He didn't know what the mysterious girl had given him but he knew that it wasn't anything good. His mind started to get hazy. The last thing he saw was the regretful face of the girl looking down at him.

Mikan reached down and wiped away the black dripping from the corner of his mouth. The last thing she needed was any evidence left behind.

I hope the potion works, she thought.

The door swung open and in came Reo with an impatient expression on his face.

'Are you done?' he asked annoyed that he had to wait outside.

Mikan simply nodded.

Reo raised an eyebrow when he took a look at her face. 'Why are you blushing?' he inquired.

Mikan looked shocked and reached up to touch her cheeks, realizing that it was really warm. Why did she blush?

'Hn,' was her cold response.

Reo looked away and grunted, knowing that she wasn't going to tell him. He walked towards Natsume and touched his neck with his fingers.

No pulse.

Grinning in satisfaction, Reo turned towards the impassive girl. 'I didn't think you would be able to pull if off,' his tone sounded kind of insulting but Mikan ignored him.

'Let's go,' she said, walking out of the door, with Reo following behind with a smirk on his face.

They headed towards the front gate where the black limo was parked. But before they reached their destination, Reo stopped her.

'Wear this,' he said, handing her a hooded cloak. 'We wouldn't want the academy finding out that one of their students escaped now would we?'

Mikan remained silent and draped the cloak over her shoulder and pulled the hood up so that it would conceal her face. The two then continued towards the gate. Reo had stated that he would distract the guard while Mikan makes her way into the car.

Mikan look over at Reo's direction and noticed that he had the guard distracted. She took this chance to get into the backseat of the limo.

After a few more minutes, Reo got in and the gates opened. The driver started up the limo and drove out of the academy.

The drive to headquarters was silent. Mikan swallowed the lump that was rising in her throat. What was this feeling? Regret? Guilt?

The auburn haired girl clenched her hands in front of heart. It was painful.

But it doesn't matter anymore, she told herself. Her fist unclenched.

Because Hyuuga Natsume is officially dead.

Why is my heart still hurting?

-X-

Author's Note:
Finally! It's done! The chapter I mean, not the story. Do you have any idea on what the potion is now? It should be kind of oblivious now. Twenty more reviews please! This chapter took me eight freaking hours to write! Anyway, hope you like it! Please review!

-X-

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Thanks a lot for reviewing! Happy Valentines Day to you all!

-X-

-Setsuna