"I like the way you think love. Now come here." Relena’s giggling brought disgusted looks from the guards outside.

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Chapter 2.

How dare she five days was barely enough time to get to the Eastern Kingdoms let alone assassinate it’s King. He took great pride and great care in making sure all his hits were clean and quick regardless of his reputation. But he had to; it would be a messy job since he wouldn’t have the proper time to prepare but damn it he had put everything he had and more to get his orphanage off the ground. And fuck her if she thought he wouldn’t fight to the death to make sure every child there had the best chance at life that he could give them. He opened the doors to the massive church like building casting the soldiers outside an evil look.

"Papa!" One of the little girls in the group launched herself at him.

"Ruth." Shinigami caught her mid jump and threw her in the air before catching her tiny giggling form. Most of the children were barely in their tenth year there weren’t many now since most had already left or been adopted. About a dozen but to each of them he was Papa and to him they were his children.

"What’s wrong Ruth?" he asked seeing the girls pout.

"Those mean men outside say that we can’t go outside and play. Samuel and Jacob tried to fight them but they hit them really hard. Samuel even cried."

"Well those bad men won’t touch you now. I’ll see to it."

"Papa did you bring us any gifts." Another dark haired girl asked.

"Of course Mary." Reaching into his cloak he brought out a bag of trinkets he had stolen on his way out. To the Royals they were useless things but to these children that had nothing at all they were the greatest toys in the world. He watched sadly as they played with their newfound toys. Slender arms slid around his waist.

"So you’re going to do it." Shinigami sighed turning to look at the woman who had been his hope since she stumbled into his life almost ten years ago. Hilde was a former prostitute she was younger then him by a year but she had been with him since shortly after he had been rescued from the death trap at the Maxwell Church. She had been his light even in the darkest times when he faced death. He was eight at the time when they first met she had been ten with a body that had matured beyond her years making her look sixteen. She wasn’t his lover not by far but she’d been his only friend, the only one he could trust.

"I have no choice. She gave me an ultimatum."

"Oh dear. Well I’ll pack your bag and saddle Deathscythe."

"Thank you Hilde." By the time even had fallen Shinigami found himself standing at the door bag and scythe over his shoulder.

"Don’t you want to say good bye?" Shinigami stiffened.

"How did you…"

"Woman’s intuition. Besides you’ve been so clingy all evening I figured something was up. Wasn’t to hard to figure out." Shinigami felt tears sting his eyes.

"No it’s too final just make sure that if I fail and they…" Hilde hugged him close her tears dampening her cheeks.

"I know and I will." Shinigami let his own tears fall. He kissed her forehead before mounting his steed disappearing like wraith in the night.

Four days later

"Heero. Heero wait up." The King stopped to wait for his cousin and Emperor of the South Kingdoms Quatre. As usual the blond was followed closely but his bodyguard Trowa, often Heero wondered if they were closer then just being a bodyguard and charge. The three walked through the market place Heero felt strangely at peace in the crowds of his people. He and Quatre paused to speak with one of the stall owners, well Quatre spoke Heero just stood there. He was harsh but fair to his people and none of them feared them. His country was rich and flourishing. He knew that, since he was approaching his twentieth year, there was a demand that he take a Queen and secure an heir but he just didn’t like the prospects. As the trio turned the corner a figure in black bumped into them ending up on its rear.

"Watch it." The figure stood her thin body and chestnut colored braid caked with dust.

"Thief!"

"Fuck." The strange girl shot the men a glare with ice like violet eyes before she shoved through them and took off running.

"Thief get back here I’ll have your head yet!" The enraged shopkeeper passed them, Heero watched in awe. The people of his kingdom didn’t have to steal to survive Heero made sure that even the poorest person was taken care of so thieves were something new to him. And apparently to the shopkeeper as well since he wasn’t handling this little incident very well.HeH The girl jumped up onto the awning of another stall. He turned and smiled at the shopkeeper who was trying to reach him.

"Na Na." The thief then raspberried the older man and made a funny face before she disappeared into a window above her. Heero approached the frustrated shopkeeper.

"What happened?"

"Your Highness. I have been chasing that thief all day. The little brat had the indecency to take a loaf of bread right off my wife’s plate and her necklace as well." The shopkeeper seethed, "While it was still on her neck!"

"Thieves don’t normally enter this Kingdom I wonder what she is doing here?" Heero thought out loud as he stared up at the window she had gone through, handing the shopkeeper some gold coins to cover the necklace. "Her accent was from the West." Trowa pointed out.

"Weren’t the Western Kingdoms taken over by King Millardo fifteen years ago?" Quatre asked.

Trowa nodded, "Yes and the Royal family was assassinated be Shinigami."

"Shinigami isn’t he dead?"

"4 years now I believe." Heero answered his cousin.

"Your Majesties. We had better return now it will be dark soon." Trowa’s hand rested comfortably on the hilt of his sword.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. He had wasted the day trying to get away from that old shopkeeper that he now only had until morning to complete what he had came here to do or else Relena would… no he couldn’t think of that he had to keep focused. Damn Relena if he hadn’t been so mad he might have remembered to ask for a down payment so he could at least have bought the food he would need. Though still he had forgotten the exhilarating feel of being chased and the emerald necklace he’d snatched would ensure a months worth of food for the children. There that was the last loop, tightening the rope that he’d attached a hook too, Shinigami gave it an experimental swing. Yep it would work fine. He just hoped that he guessed right on the King’s rooms if he was wrong then he was as good as dead cause he wouldn’t have time to go searching for it. The Eastern Kingdoms might be at peace right now but their armies and not doubt their security were still the best and most impressive to be seen. He needed to get this right the first time it wouldn’t take them long to find out he was there. Taking a drink from a flask Shinigami said a quick prayer before he swung and heaved the hook with all his available strength. He winced as it landed a little hard on the metal roof. Opps maybe he used a little too much of his strength. He gave it a tug then proceeded to scale up. In a matter of minutes he was there cutting the glass with the tip of his scythe.

Heero lay on the couch in this personal library shirtless and barefoot reading a book on Shinigami. The book was mostly fictitious but it had some interesting points. A thump sounded on his roof. Then a faint scraping up his wall. Heero stayed silent and slowly reached for his sword. Now the sound of glass being cut then the dull thump of carefully taken footsteps in the next room. Whoever they were they were good. Silently Heero crept to peer into the room sword ready. There stood a figure in a black cloak, hood and cowl covering his head and face from view, but Heero knew who he was. With the scythe in his hand he had to be none other then Shinigami back from the dead it seemed. "Fuck he’s not here. Well oh Great One any more brilliant idea’s." It took Heero a moment to realize the man was talking to whatever god he believed in. Heero took one more step forgetting about the board that he left loose on purpose to warn him of people in the room. It creaked bringing the intruder around to face him.

"Hold where you are." The King stood ready. With a cry the intruder dove at him weapon swinging in a deadly arc. Heero quickly blocked, his arm vibrated with the force of connection.

"Fucker." Shinigami swore. And leaped away from Heero’s attack. Shinigami landed in a crouch catching the King’s leg with his foot bringing his prey down. Heero copied the move and caught the assassin in the chin with a harsh kick. Shinigami fell flat on his back and the King wasted no time in straddling the stunned man. Heero grabbed the back of Shinigami’s hood roughly holding the hair underneath. It fell back revealing the gorgeous face framed by hair of chestnut and angry violet eyes of the scythe’s owner.

"The thief!?" Heero’s momentary surprise almost cost him his eye as Shinigami’s free hand came up with a dagger. Heero rolled off the prone body, Shinigami stood dagger poised for attack. Her eyes promised death to the man that had seen her face. Slowly the assassin shifted her stance to attack. Heero raised his sword, ready. "Listen woman I do not know your reason for impersonating Shinigami but I assure you that if you give up now your sentence will be light."

"You are wrong Your Highness there is no impersonator in the room. I am Shinigami." With that the girl leaped forward Heero danced to the side but he wasn’t quick enough, just as he felt the bite of the scythe into his shoulder the door burst open.

"Highness." Heero glanced quickly to see his sorcerer Chang Wufei a member of the White Dragon clan and follower in the Circle of Shenlong covering his face with his sleeve. Heero also noticed the tiny sack that Chang had thrown and knew what it was grabbing the bed cloth the King covered his face, Shinigami noticed also but it was too late. The sack landed bursting open releasing a yellow mist into the air. It didn’t take long before the effects of the sleeping mist took hold, both King and Advisor watched as the assassin swayed. The mist cleared quickly having done its job, Shinigami had obviously realized what had happened for she turned and tried to run for the open window. She would have made it had Trowa not appeared and tackled the young girl, grappling with her on the floor, but time, the drug, and Trowa’s strength were working against her. Those few moments were all that were needed for the drug to fully take effect and before long Shinigami was sleeping peacefully. Heero removed the bed sheet from his face and stood.

"Once again I am in your debt Wufei." The sorcerer shook his head.

"Don’t think of it. Though if you really wanted to thank me I could use a servant to help in my lab." Heero chuckled clasping his friend’s shoulder.

"Done." The sound of running feet and heavy breathing brought the men’s attention to the door. A flushed Quatre skidded to a stop just before entering, holding the doorframe as he caught his breath.

"I heard noises then shouting. What’s going on?" Quatre squeaked out between breaths.

"Just a little scuffle with an intruder. Nothing to worry about Quatre." Wufei answered for Heero who was trying not to sway.

"My God. Heero you’re bleeding." Quatre gasped drawing attention to the blood that was seeping out from under the hand Heero had used to staunch the wound to his shoulder.

"It’s nothing." Heero did sway then. Trowa caught him as his world tilted violently. Helping the injured King to his bed Trowa forced the other man to sit leaning back. Wufei had to force the death grip he had on his shoulder off with a quickly cast spell.

"Nothing my ass. Your shoulder’s near cut clean through." Wufei grumbled. "Trowa take the prisoner to the dungeons, Quatre send for the healer." If the two had any objections to being ordered by someone of lower class they didn’t show it as the set to their jobs. The prisoner was tied, with the rope Trowa pulled from the bed curtains and thrown over Trowa’s shoulder and Quatre ran from the room in search for the healer. While Wufei set to work casting, anti-infection and mending spells for the bones and muscles that were nearly severed. He could not fully heal a wound this bad but he could insure a quick and painless recovery. Finally a very rumpled looking healer stumbled into the room followed by an extremely worried Emperor of the Southern Kingdoms.

"What the hell happened?" The honey haired woman demanded upon seeing her King, all fatigue was gone.

"Never mind that Sally. Please help him." Quatre almost begged.

"Yeah. Yeah. Get the hell out of my way Sorcerer." She pushed Wufei away earning herself a glare from the said Sorcerer but at a look from Quatre refrained from saying anything.

"Don’t worry about pain I put him in a trance." Wufei said sharply as he left the room dragging Quatre with him.

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