Another job well done.
The stars stared cold and unblinking from their safe heaven, unchanging jewels among dark velvet.
She shook her head and returned her attention to the present.
Another lifeless body added to her count.
She shrugged and tossed blond hair back.
Men were so predictable, with only one thing on their mind when they saw her. It almost disgusted her, if it didn't come in useful to her job. But it made her think less of them.
Blinking lights racing against time, tiny flames that could be extinguished by a simple gush of wind.
She smiled watching such useless antics.
With a last disdainful look, she disappeared into the night.

She strolled into her room, tossing her red jacket on the bed and heading for the bath.
She turned on the water, peeling off her clothes.
She stared at her reflection, erasing the last traces of red lipstick from her lips and ran her fingers through her honey blonde hair which nearly reached her buttocks. She'd have cut it long ago, it was so annoying, if Schuldich hadn't liked it that way. She smiled, thinking of her mentor to whom she owned her current life.
She had changed quite a bit in two years, she thought as the last of her garments came off. She admired her reflection, trailing her hands along her shapely body, a secret smile playing on her lips.
She slipped into the water which enveloped her in a warm embrace. She sighed contently, closing her eyes.
Baths were a wonder, one of the many luxuries she enjoyed in her new life, where money never was a problem and she could afford any whim of the moment.
Killing paid well, she thought sleepily.

The door burst open, his anger alerting her a moment before.
She glared up at him, not bothering to cover herself, allowing the bubbles the privilege of doing it for her.
Brad stood in the door-way, his cold eyes assessing her while his anger filled the room.
She didn't let it phase her, she was used to it by now.
"Well? I suppose you have a good reason for interrupting me?"
The American stormed into the little room, leaving the door wide open.
"You're letting the hot air out" she pointed out with annoyance.
He crossed his arms.
"What are the rules?"
She stared at him. Sighed.
"Report to you at job done"
Well at least she knew her faults, couldn't blame her for that.
"Why didn't you?"
"You'd know right away anyways. And I wanted to get warm again. It's cold out there, you know" She waved in the general direction of the steamed window.
"You know the rules, Anju. You know what happens if you don't follow them"
His voice held veiled threat, his eyes were steel.
She sighed inwardly. She knew better than to oppose him. She'd learnt at her expense.
"Hay, Brad-san. My mistake. I apologize"
He stared at her for a full minute causing her to shift uncomfortably in the water. He'd caught her in the most disadvantaged and vulnerable position. But she'd be damned if she'd get out of the now-chill water and give him the satisfaction.
He seemed satisfied enough because he walked out the door tossing "I expect your full report in ten minutes" behind him.
"And leaving the damn door open!" she murmured angrily as she stood and grabbed the nearest towel.
Actually she was more annoyed with herself for letting her guard down enough to allow Brad to catch her unawares than with the American.

"Whatcha do this time?" a cheerful voice asked.
She walked into the room, the towel securingly covering her.
Schuldich lay sprawled on the bed, his red head tucked between his hands, a cigarette playing on his smiling lips.
"What's with everyone today, coming uninvited into my room?" Angie demanded, hands on hips as she glared at him. At least he'd come alone, without his socio-pet.
He got up slowly and glided gracefully toward her. He stopped behind her.
"Am I uninvited now?" he mock-pouted in her ear.
A light shiver that had nothing to do with cold ran down her spine.
"Of course not" she whispered, leaning onto him and running her fingers through red hair as he kissed her neck while his hands trailed down her body.
He pulled back slowly and with regret she let him. They never went too far with this game.
Schuldich fell into the chair, lighting a cigarette.
She watched him for a second, before sitting on the vacant bed and starting to dry her hair with a towel.
"Well, how'd it go?" he wondered, watching her every move like a cat would a mouse.
Though he'd never admit it, he was proud of her, his creature, another deadly beauty let loose into the world of unknowing victims.
She smiled and recollected everything, though he'd already know every single thing by just gleaning it from her open mind.
"And Brad was annoyed because...?"
Angie shrugged
"I didn't report right away"
Schuldich tsk-tsked at her
"Shame, Angie. You know better than that"
She turned to him sharply but when she saw his expression, she chuckled.
"You know, you're right. It's fun to annoy Brad" she admitted.
"Yes, it is" he agreed with one of his ready smiles.

As usual Nagi was typing on his computer. As if there weren't better things to do in this world, Angie thought, silently watching him.
After a full five minutes he turned and regarded her coldly.
"Well?"
She smiled to herself. He always played this game, trying to ignore her when he knew she was in the room and snapping at her when she wouldn't take the hint and leave.
"Just wondering if you'd like to join me on a stroll"
The boy raised his eyebrow.
"You going out like that?"
Angie blinked and ran an unconscious hand over nonexistent creases.
"Why? Something wrong?" she asked self-consciously.
Nagi shook his head.
"Nothing at all. But I've got work to do"
He turned his back to her and resumed where he'd left off.
The boy had hoped she'd left when he felt her arms around him and stiffened.
"You always work" she pouted, breathing in his ear.
Nagi forced himself to ignore her and his body's reaction to her presence.
"Somebody has to" he snapped.
She sighed and let him go.
Nagi quelled his body's disappointment.
"I tried. See you later"
The door closed softly behind her.
Nagi sighed.
It was getting harder to ignore her, to consider her only a colleague, as she bloomed into her full radiant beauty and he grew into manhood.
It was the way with nature, a chemical reaction really, Nagi reminded himself sternly though his treacherous body refused to listen to reason.
And she was actually not aware of the reaction she caused in others, in him. She didn't know the normal ways of life and used her body only to draw her preys close enough to kill. She never stopped to analyze why it happened. In so many ways she was actually that innocent and naive.
Nagi shook his head.
Even though she dressed so seductively and hung all over Schuldich, he was fairly certain there was nothing physical between the two. He actually doubted the red-head was interested in her that way. He didn't even think the German loved his protégée, maybe just felt affection for her like one would a pet.
Nagi shrugged.
All this thinking wasn't getting him anywhere and he had work to do.

Angie sighed, breathing in the cool air as she walked into the sun-light street.
She enjoyed anonymously walking among the oblivious, taking in the every day sights and sounds, sometimes feeling like a sated predator sleepily surveying its possible prey.
If she opened up her senses, she could feel every breathing creature around her, know their very thoughts and dark petty secrets. It could be intoxicating, like a good wine or numbing drug.
Of course when they looked at her, they only saw a normal girl her age dressed in something similar to a school uniform (the better to blend in). They couldn't very well imagine such a sweet thing being a ruthless killer. Of course her "work" clothes were much different and drew reluctant and hungry attention to her like a beacon. But when she wanted, she passed unnoticed.
It also helped fool herself into thinking of being a normal person, at least for a little while. In the sun she could be innocent Mariko again and blissfully thoughtless spend the day going among shops and peers. When the sun set, she would be a hunter hungrily seeking her next designated victim.

The mission naturally was a success. Wiping out their current client's competitor was child's play.
Farfarello had had the most fun and now he sat in the car covered in blood and reeking of death.
Angie looked away disgusted.
Her way of killing was less painful to the victim and more refined, leaving her spotless in every sense.
Nagi's face was of course a mask which gave away nothing. Schu had the ever-present cigarette in his lips lost in thought while Brad the statue drove them back to head-quarters.
Angie sighed.
It almost seemed like routine to them, the way they were acting.
Something outside caught her eye. She looked harder but the rain and the car's movement prevented her from making out what it was.
She shrugged and caught the Irish's eye watching her with bored interest.
She decided to ignore him which was probably more healthy. The man had a drunken look of one happily sated, for the moment. If she didn't know better, she'd swear he even drank his victims' blood. She wouldn't put it past him.
She shuddered slightly.

She met him a few days later.
Angie was walking along the street when she noticed a child chasing after a ball, right into the path of a truck.
Without thinking, she whipped out her knives and threw them at the wheels. From the corner of her eyes she saw a shadow rush to the child's rescue and take it out of harm's way while the truck lost control and slammed into the rail.
Of course nobody noticed her subdue actions, they only saw the man saving the child. Angie left him the glory, not wanting to draw unwanted attention to herself. Brad would give her an earful if it happened while Schuldich would mock her to no end for her carelessness.
She continued her carefree stroll, enjoying the afternoon, window-shopping occasionally actually purchasing something that caught her fancy.
Angie sat at a cafe sipping a drink sleepily watching the crowd when she felt a presence. She turned sharply and met dark eyes regarding her curiously from a nearby table. Her survival instincts rapidly analyzed him and the situation.
She blinked and smiled.
"That was a neat job" he said.
She looked puzzled.
"Back there" he motioned.
Seeing her blank look, he presented her with one of her knives, waving it carelessly.
Cold eyes assessed him, calculating.
No use denying it. Not when he was so sure of himself.
Besides she hated being cornered. And she wanted the dagger back, it was part of a set Schuldich had given her for her "graduation".
She smiled lazily.
"May I have it back?"
His lips curved. With a flourish he returned it handle first. The knife quickly disappeared.
"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked almost eagerly.
Angie smiled to herself.
She'd have fun before eliminating a potential witness or... blackmail. She was no fool after all. What other reason did this stranger have to follow and approach her? But she had a card up her sleeve and refined instincts to go with it.
"Sure"

By evening they parted friends.
He had been a perfect gentleman all day and hadn't even mentioned the accident, something that both relieved and worried her. She'd tried reading him a few times but had found nothing incriminating which further baffled her. Of course she wasn't a good mind-reader as Schuldich, she admitted to herself.
So feeling intrigued, she decided to let him live a little longer and play with him, like a cat who's caught a mouse and isn't in a hurry to end the kill.
She'd take her time and enjoy the play.

Angie tossed the jacket on the chair before collapsing in it with a weary sigh.
Surveillance was not her kind of thing, she mussed, raking a hand through her disheveled hair.
It was frustrating to just sit and watch a potential prey without doing anything.
Schuldich would disagree, anticipation added flavor to the job, like the hunt did to the kill.
Normally she would agree with him but lately she was losing taste for such things.
Maybe she was getting blood-thirsty like Farfarello, she wondered worryingly. But that was hardly the case. She liked to lure and play with her victim, not watch from afar as it went about its business.
Add physical discomfort to this and she returned a bundle full of over-active nerves and unchanneled energy. She was after all a hunter of action and inactivity did her no good.
She picked up the sword which rested by her bedside, a small present to herself, and unshielded it admiring the light & shadow effect on the blade.
She began to move with easy slow grace, a deadly dance she'd gleaned from a master a while back along with his knowledge of weapons and their use. It had taken her a moment to acquire his years' experience and it served her decidedly better than it had him.
Like now for instance. It helped channel her energy and left her drained and content, in total control of herself so she could report to Brad.

As usual Nagi took care of the details while Brad laid out the plan.
Angie sat lost in thought.
The boy sighed inwardly at her distraction which would cause Brad to be concerned about her efficiency. Of course no matter how distracted she was, nobody could find fault in her job when it came time to draw blood, either by poison or by blade.
When the meeting was ajourned, she rushed out ahead of them causing Schu to raise his eyebrows in thought.
A second later he was leaning on her room's doorway like an indolent cat, hands in pockets.
She stopped on her tracks finding her way blocked.
"Nani?"
"Where're you going, An-gie?"
She stared as he calmly lit a cigarette, as if he had all the time in the world, which he probably did.
She pulled on her jacket.
"Out"
"Oh? Anyone I should know?" Cat-eyes regarded her from raised eyebrows.
She combed her hair, taking her time answering.
"No one... special"
Schuldich wasn't buying any of it. He was in and out of her mind before she could react. His suspicious were confirmed.
Her eyes widened at his intrusion. Even if she'd had warning, she wouldn't had been able to shield. He was her superior in this as well, damn it!
"Like I said, no one"
She proceded applying harmless lipstick on.
In a flash he was upon her, pinning her between his body and the mirror.
"That is not a meer no one you're meeting" he stated flatly.
"We can NOT, must NOT have weaknesses. We are not to fraternize with commoners. He will be a liability" His eyes bore into hers like lasers.
She narrowed her eyes at his surprising outburst. As much as she cared about him, she couldn't forgive his intrusiveness.
She leaned into him.
"Jealous?" she breathed, her lips almost touching his left ear.
He pulled back as if scalded by her touch.
"Save the pep talk for someone who'll listen"
They stood glaring at each other.
"Hear me once, Angie. I will not have my best work ruined. I will not allow weaknesses. Forget Brad, I will be the one you should worry about"
His final words rang in her ears as she hurried off, haunting her
"What I created, I can destroy"

Angie shuddered, from what she dared not analize.
She stiffened as arms circled her, then relaxed when she remembered where she was and in whom's company.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
She smiled and shook her head, resting her head against his firm chest.
Together they watched the city lighten like a beacon in the darkness.
Let Schuldich think what he will.

Angie was taking every opportunity to slip out.
When they were in the same room together, Nagi noticed a strained atmosphere between Schuldich and his Death Angel.
But he followed Brad's example and ignored the issue.

It has become routine to her.
She'd meet him at the cafe after work and spend time together.
He never asked questions and she never talked about herself. It was a none committing relationship. It almost made her feel normal, in a dark world where death ruled supreme.
She kept telling herself she cared nothing for him, that she kept seeing him... iie, that he still lived because he amused her with his petty problems and his clerk worries.
In reality when she was with him, she'd see her life how it would've been had she not joined Schwarz. And for a brief moment time stopped and she was Mariko going out enjoying herself.
And if he sometimes smiled to himself when he thought she wasn't watching, she dismissed it as the usual male thoughts she didn't care to read.

"You're late" Brad stated the obvious when she walked into the study.
Angie ignored his comment and flopped on the vacant couch, casting a casual glance at Farfarello who was as usual toying with a sharp object.
The American regarded her with annoyance then resumed explaining the details of their next mission. This time it would be a group thing with each their precise role which Brad was painfully trying to drill into their skulls.
Nagi snorted.
As if it were possible. It was already a miracle that the five managed to work together without accidentally killing each other. No one seemed to be paying much attention to the American though he knew everyone was actually more attentive than they seemed. Give them a reason to play and they were all eager ears, especially after scenting blood.
Of course given half a chance, they'd do what they felt most inclined to do, which usually ended in a blood bath in Farfarello's case. Brad had a hard time to keep a tight leash on them.
It was actually a matter of keeping Schuldich to toe the line, the others would follow his lead. Something easier said then done. If something didn't suit him, the red-head would easily just pick up and leave, which resulted with having to work with a care-free Farfarello and a reluctant Angie.
No amount of threatening would work with the German, he was so indifferent and uncaring. But give him a chance to have fun, his type of fun, and he'd join the dances.
This time he seemed almost eager to follow Brad's carefully laid out plan. Too eager. But as noone could finger his hidden motives, nobody could accuse him of anything. Yet.
They all eyed him wearily while Angie obviously ignored his pointed looks.

"Stop it! It's none of your business!"
She shrieked, outraged past endurance, pulling away from his grasp.
Nagi and Farfarello exchanged a startled glance, unwilling witnesses to the play unfolding before them.
"Keep that up and you'll be sorry!" the red-haired told her coldly before stalking out, Farfarello after him like an eager dog.
She tossed her hair with defiance, not quite masking a wounded look.
"You coming or not?"
Angie regarded her interlocutor. Smiled.
She walked back and leaned toward him.
"Worried?" she breathed sweetly.
"Nonesense!" Nagi snapped, pulling away from her as if contaminated.
She looked at him, amused by his reaction.
"Of course.You wouldn't care less" she stated flatly. She followed after him.
"The perfect machines" she whispered almost sadly to noone. The boy pretended not to hear her. The two joined the others on a rendezvous.

She had singled out her victim. Approached it on silent cat feet thrusting the dagger into its back before it had a chance to notice her. Pulled the weapon out and aimed it at the figure running from the scene.
She cleaned the blade as taught to avoid it being ruined by the corrosive fluid. Looked up just in time to parry an attack.
Metal crashed on metal, her arms vibrating.
She could've used her shield but welcomed the unexpected exercise. It would help to release pent-up frustration collected since she and Schu had come to a disagreement, which had unwillingly influenced her life and caused her grief.
What harm could innocent fun possibly cause?
Unexpected pain started her back to the present as blade grazed her cheek.
She cursed and resumed her attacks with more fevour, imagining she had Schuldich before her. So much she owed him, yet he didn't possess her. She was her own woman. And soon she'd be able to face him off!
Speaking of faces, this baka had something familiar about him.
Lightning struck, throwing the place into brief daylight.
Angie stared her opponent in the eyes and recognized her suitor of the past weeks.
She pulled back.
"What are you doing here??"
"I could ask the same thing but I know the answer" he replied, eyeing her "I must say I much prefer this outfit. It reveals you for what you are"
She watched him wearily as he approached her.
"Enough with the chit-chat!"
He threw himself at her, trying for a killing blow. The crazed look in her eyes frightened her.
Could this be the same man who had been so sweet just the other day?
She could only defend herself while he dashed in and out her defence, small cuts bleeding where she hadn't been careful enough to avoid the blade.
Strange how his katana was complementary to her occidental sword. Not many people knew the art of real blades, only the use of wooden substitutes.
"Why?" she demanded desperately as her sword flew out of her hands "Where we not close? After what was between us?"
His smile chilled her heart, left her chocking inside.
"You thought our meeting coincidence? It was all planned. Though..." he leaned toward her, licking his lips "I hadn't thought to get away with everything"
She shut her eyes in shame, thinking of how she'd given herself to him. How foolish to presume she was leading him while she had been in fact blinded! Purposely! He had caused the fracture between her mentor and herself, undermined her confidence, used her!
Her eyes flew open. She smiled.
"How about a last kiss?"
He seemed almost eager to have her again.
Never again! Her mind screamed as she plunged the dagger into his heart.
His eyes widened in shock. He clawed at the thing sticking from his chest, fought for breath.
Collapsed at her feet.
She stared as the body stopped switching, blood pooling around it painting everything crimson.
She raised tear-strecked eyes meeting green eyes under a curtain of unruly red hair.
"You were right. I was wrong"
She stared at her blood covered hands in surprise. She had never soiled herself. She hadn't known blood (or was it guilt?) to be so sticky. What to do? How to get rid of it? Her mind reared in confusion.
"Gomen. I did everything wrong... No! You'll get yourself dirty!" she raved panicked as arms gently enfolded her.
She tried pulling away but they held her firmly, forcing her to look into their owner's steady gaze, losing herself until her world was only two deep emerald sferes and she was clean again. Clean and green...
Her eyes widened, glazed. Her body went limp in Schuldich's arms.
"Poor Angie. Not ready yet for all this excitement. Perhaps never will be..?" he whispered into her unhearing ears.
"What will you do with her?" Brad asked, pocketing his weapon. He was watching the German closely for any signs of weakness.
Schuldich shrugged, smiling indolently.
"She is still mine" he noted as he gazed at her unconscious form with something close to affection.
For once Nagi felt pity for her, yet he knew they couldn't afford to have weak links among them.
No one who saw Schwarz lived, no one who joined this elite group could leave willingly.
Schwarz disappeared into the stormy night leaving a burning building full of corpses in their wake.

(by Kitiara)