Author's notes:

Claymore is still not mine, but what I did with it, is.

Here we are again. Will Vectra calm the situation, or is the tension going to burst? Let's see!

Enjoy!

Chapter 15 – Revelation

"Haven't I asked you to keep quiet?" the Organization's Number 5 sharply asked her superior Vectra, who had stepped between her and Vanessa to keep the situation from escalating. She knew that a fight was avoidable and so she had risked to get caught in the crossfire of Hitomi and Vanessa clashing. She needed a plan and she needed it quickly.

"Hitomi," Vectra reminded her comrade, though she could feel the rising tension inside of the latter, well knowing what might have happened, if that tension were to unload all at once, "we did not come to fight an therefore won't if we can avoid it!"

"She," Hitomi hissed while glaring at the former Number 2 for a short moment, "has already made clear that she will neither lead us to Jacqueline nor quietly let us leave. So I'll just..."

"That is what you concluded, Hitomi!" her comrade interrupted her sharply. "Just for once let your brain and not your temper decide!"

Hitomi's grip around her blade's hilt tightened and her face lost its neutral look and began to clearly show how she felt inside.

Her comrade shot her a rebuking look before her gaze turned towards Vanessa, who had slightly amusedly followed the dispute between the two Organization's warriors, and suggested: "Please ignore the hothead here. As I said, I would like to solve this whole matter verbally. If that fails we can cut each other up to our heart's content."

Vanessa thought for a moment, then made a more honest face and said: "Without a fight, eh? Pretty rich comin' outta the mouth of a lapdog of those ol' farts. How y'think y'do that?"

"Jacqueline might be our target, but not for execution!" Vectra explained, making Vanessa's right eyebrow rise. "We are merely here to make an offer on behalf of our Organization."

"'N if she were t'refuse?" Vanessa shot back instantly.

'I hope she swallows what is going to follow' Vectra thought, before as convincingly as possible lying to the deserter: "We return, that's it."

Hitomi then suddenly released her claymore's handle. She had not calmed, but the rationally thinking part of her had decided to give Vectra another chance. In fact she also had no intention of fighting a former Number 2, especially if she had been part of the Doublefingers. Still, she stood tense and was ready to react to whatever was coming if things were to not proceed like she wanted them to.

"Sorry gals," Vanessa declared, "but I ain't trusin' y'on bit, t'make this clear."

She did not sheath her blades to be ready for anything. Jacqueline had told her quite a few things about Hitomi and also her fighting style, so she had no intention of lowering her guard one bit. She then merely demanded: "Talk!"

'Good' Vectra thought and, loosening up a little, completely turned around to Vanessa. She felt a bead of sweat run down on the left side of her forehead while trying to calm herself – the former Number 2 still having drawn both of her blades didn't make that easy – and then explained, slightly altering the truth to make avoiding a fight more likely: "More than two years ago you, Neerie and Jacqueline went after Luciela of the South. The result of that battle was, officially, at least, you and Neerie having died and Jacqueline having awakened. Though I am curious how you are alive, since – if I remember correctly – your corpse was found, the matter more interesting to the Organization is Jacqueline. Due to several events occuring afterwards the Organization has come to the conclusion that Jacqueline has not awakened and therefore has deserted after the fight against Luciela. Normally that would of course lead to her execution, but there are two major reasons that keep the Organization from doing that."

She raised her left index and said: "Firstly, we are in dire need of strong warriors, so we can't afford losing them due to avoidable fights and," she additionally raised her left middle finger, "secondly, and that is the more important reason," she made a stage wait, "we simply don't have the forces to execute her to begin with."

'He,' her comrade thought, 'not stupid at all.'

Vectra hoped to have deceived Vanessa. She tried to read into the deserters Yoki, but that was of no use due to her suppressing it perfectly. Vanessa sheathed both of her blades while taking a deep breath, relieving Vectra a lot. Hitomi stood tense, though.

Vanessa thought for a little while having her eyes closed and her arms crossed. What Vectra had said could actually be true: Jacqueline already had been amongst the strongest warriors of the Organization before having passed her limits and returned. At that moment it was likely that she was the strongest warrior alive. In addition to that finding her was an ordeal on its own, though Vectra would find her – sooner or later.

"Fine then" she said. "What would it be that those ol' farts have t'offer?"

"A full pardon in return for Jacqueline returning to the Organization" Vectra stated truthfully.

'I see' Vanessa mused. 'Jacqueline might be the strongest now, but it won't stay like that forever. To most people a full pardon might indeed be favorable. However...'

"I understand," Vanessa began to explain, "but she'll turn that offer down."

That made Vectra hesitate, so Hitomi chimed in, her voice sounding honest and a little menacing: "How can you be so sure about that?"

Vectra startedly shot a look at Hitomi, inwardly pleading for her to not mess things up.

"I guess it's alright if I tell y'a little" the former warrior of the Organization decided. "List'n up, I won't say stuff twice!"

"Y'see, when we fought that chick, Jacqueline came close t'her limits'n lost it for a moment. Her bod' went berserk'n killed Neerie in'n instant. My lower bod' got detached by Luciela 'n I thought I'd had it. Jacqueline forced my Yoki t'regen'rate me'n here I am. She, however, thought that she was t'blame for Neerie's death. She cried a lot'n whined 'bout bein' weak'n bein' nothin' but a threat t'oever was with her. That's why she d'cided t'live alone'n get stronger so she wouldn't be a danger t'her comrades anymore."

'So this is what happened. I never thought that something like that was possible. She could save so many lives with that. And it also explains why Vanessa was declared dead, because the Man in Black might have found her lower body...' Vectra mused.

"I see," Hitomi said while staring at the ground, "that's so like her."

She then raised her view to meet Vanessa's and said: "Since she is not going to accept the Organization's offer there is nothing we can do. But please let at least me see her!"

Wariness reflected in Vectra's face. 'What does she want?'

Vanessa, despite knowing how that would feel to Hitomi, truthfully said: "You she wants to meet the least."

Hitomi's eyes widened in shock and she began to shake slightly.

"Y-you're... kidding, right?" she disfluently asked.

Author's notes:

What is behind the words Vanessa said? You've got one week to guess!

Until next time!

kstefan88