Despite the cold they spent most of their time outdoors, wandering the streets and enjoying the anominity amongst the thousands of people crowding the markets. Every day was the same. They would wake early only to traipse through the crowds, sometimes visiting old contacts and allies of hers, sometimes sitting in smoky old opium dens and drinking tea for hours at a time, sometimes sequestered in dim back rooms to pour over cases of the latest black market goods available to them.

They could go days without speaking to one another. That was one thing she had missed more than anything. Silence by oneself was lonely, but silence with a companion was something she had not luxuriated in since the days of Scorpion. Now, together, she and Boddington roamed the great city of Hong Kong, and did so in a sort of quiet freedom.

Yet still, after all these months, Riya still missed Thoth.

Once, in a fit of nostalgia, she had attempted to find the other girl. It had not been a successful venture. Wilkes remained her only source of information on the whereabouts of the SOTF and the Agents of Legion, and he was currently refusing to speak with her. The little adventure in Paris had proved too risky and rich for his tastes, and for the first time in years she had lost her temper when he denounced her methods and her choice of ally. He swore at her and snidely commented that she could evade the Agents without his help. She calmly told him she would enjoy seeing him faceless and threw the cell phone into the filthy waters of the Hong Kong bay. No, it had not been successful. Eight months and she did not know where Thoth was.

But did it really matter? She was rich, and the most wanted fugitive Earthside. Occasionally on the international news they would show her picture, but always it announced that her whereabouts were unknown, and she and Boddington would collapse to the floor in giggles. At twenty two years of age Riya was worth millions in her own stocks, and billions for the bounty reward of the International Fleet. How could they not laugh?

A gust of wind blew her hair into disarray, and she frowned and pulled the cloak tighter around herself. Cold. Boddington looked to her questioningly, and she motioned toward a nearby restaurant. "Samuidesunee... let us retreat indoors."

She led, the other assassin followed, and inside they trudged. They sat, a server brought them tea, and Riya leaned back in her seat as she had once done in New York and surveyed the girl across the table flatly. Boddington stared straight back. It made Riya smile.

Asuka did enjoy the encounters though. She got to meet a few people herself, she doubted that they would be as helpful to her in the future as they were to Riya, but anything that they could offer that she couldn't find out otherwise would be helpful. She got to see some of the newer guns on the black market that she'd been trying to track down for some time, and began picking up Riya's habit of going around armed with much more than a few knives and a gun or two. But the most delightful part of the encounters were the looks on the people's faces as they saw Riya walk in with a partner. It was priceless.

Asuka followed Riya into a quaint little restaurant. The server brought tea for them and she settled back, watching Riya. She sipped her tea quietly before placing it back on the saucer, her eyes never leaving Riya.

"Do you find it dull here yet? I daresay we might need some... amusement. Agreed?"

Asuka almost laughed. The relaxation was nice, but she was beginning to get bored without having any work to do. Even though she would spend, on average, three weeks between completing jobs, she always had something to do. But here, all the freetime was making her restless. She was missing the excitement of her job and the satisfaction after a job complete. Yes, some "amusement", as Riya put it, was in order... and very soon.

"Indeed."

Wilkes no longer favored her, but in the same breath dared not to oppose her, and so her contract of hits was slowly growing. Sometimes the Wolves grew impatient, and twice she had snuck out from their flat to disappear into the crowds and cross another name from her list. It kept her sated, these little deaths, tiding her over long enough so that this brief interlude of peace remained that way.

She hid this fact from Boddington; not out of any sort of jealousy that the other girl might want to take her kills or insist on moving again, but because anyone who knew anything was a liability. That she was allowing a follower was enough of a risk, and if Riya had been in any different state of mind, she probably would have rid herself of her temporary partner. As it was, however, she needed the company. For now.

Boddington was watching her still, and Riya met her gaze. For a moment she almost believed that those eyes were green, and she almost flinched, blinking before looking away to hide her surprise. Where the hell had that come from? Why in the world should she care?

If I kill something, I will forget the past.

"I want to leave." She pushed her tea away and stood abruptly, swinging the cloak back over her shoulders and striding toward the door. Whether Boddington followed or not did not matter right now. She needed to be out on the streets, out with the cattle of mankind so that she could remind herself that nothing concerned her but her money, her weapons, and her infamy.

Asuka quickened her step to catch up with Riya. Had Riya been anyone else she would have assumed that they'd left because Riya noticed a danger. But had there been, Riya would have probably smirked, pulled out her gun, and eliminated the danger right in the middle of the resturaunt instead of rushing out like she had.

She caught up to Riya and matched strides for a few moments, just staring ahead and walking in silence. When she looked over at Riya there was that hungry look in her eyes along with something else. She couldn't quite place it and she was almost convinced that she hadn't seen anything but either way there had to be an explanation for the resturaunt.

She fixed Boddington with a flat stare and then turned away, the obvious dismissal like a slap. It was easy to withdraw, easy to pull away into that cold shell she'd lived in for so long, and by the time the other girl looked to her again there was nothing of the warmth that had managed to escape and flourish the past few months.

No, nothing of it at all, she reminded herself sharply.

They walked in silence, and she was involved enough in berating herself for such digressions of behavior that it took her nearly ten minutes to get that familiar chill on the back of her neck. No. No, Wilkes would have told her, or she would have known. She should have known.

She brushed her hair away from her face in a gesture that hid her lips, and in that same moment whispered to Boddington. "Agents."

It was not visible, but they both tensed, hands slipping into pockets nonchalantly to touch their weapons. Her apathy slid away to be replaced with a touch of anger. She had won against the world by killing it first, but here, she was unprepared. But they would not lose. She could not be killed.

Every shadow was a threat as she steered Boddington through the crowds, careful to stay out of sight so that a snipe would not be possible, and together they strolled as if nothing were the matter at all.

“No, no. That purse is too much! I’ll give you two dollars…oh god…how much is that in New Yen? I never know how the money conversion thing here works.”

Minerva’s partner, Orlando Lee, stood next to her, surveilling the street. He had been assigned to her immediately after the court martial, as a sort of “older brother figure.” To keep an eye on her and make sure nothing went wrong with her new assignments. He was an idiot. But eight months was a long time to spend with someone, and she was a little attached to him. He was nice enough and he meant well. He was not a Scorpion though and highly underestimated her ability.

“Beats me. Why don’t you just turn around and watch the damn café? She’s not gonna recognize you with that wig on.”

“Shut up Lee, you don’t know Riya like I do. We lived, breathed, and sweated together for two years at Command School. If she sees my face, she’ll recognize me. That’s why YOU are watching the restaurant.”

Lee heaved a great sigh, folded his arms and continued watching the café. As the shop vendor began telling her about some bracelet in Chinese, Minerva’s mind began to wander. She thought back to the past eight months. The long, excruciating months of endless boredom. After the court martial, she was sent Earthside to work at the Legion headquarter. She expected to go in and be given real jobs, like assassinations and special ops projects. Instead, she was slapped with this partner and told to behave herself. They obviously didn’t trust her anymore after the whole Riya fiasco.

They started her off on stupid, simple jobs. Doing surveillance on some crooked politician. Keeping records of where he went and what he did for about two months. She begged Lee to just let her shoot him and get it over with, but he was strongly against that for some reason. He also could not comprehend the fact that she walked around with more of an arsenal then most military bases had. Not to mention her pair of Browning High-Powers she kept in her underarm holsters, she also had a .45 Glock strapped to her back and another on the inside of her right calf, inside her boot. She kept extra ammo for them in any spot possible. On the outside of her right and left calves she had two Spyder knives and a custom made knife in between her shoulder blades. She also had a small, military knife concealed up her right sleeve, just in case. On some jobs she would carry two more Brownings in hip holsters, but they could not be concealed well on this job. And even though Lee made fun of her for it, she knew she would need everyone of them, and then some, for this job against Riya.

After her stupid surveillance job ended, she was then assigned yet another surveillance, and another. She became unbelievably bored to tears and spent most of her time trying to find any info on Riya possible. She searched all the databases to no avail, since it was classified information. In the past couple months, she had been able to get her hands on some info regarding her killing other Agents. She searched over every bit of it, trying to get any idea of where Riya would head to next. At night, while lying in bed, she thought of Riya and began to understand why she had left her. She had become everything they had hoped for. She was on her own, away from the IF and all its bullshit. Minerva wanted to find her. She wanted to join her, but she knew it would be impossible. She knew so far that she had a safe house probably in every country, though the IF did not know it. She knew Riya always liked China and Japan, so it would only be likely that she would choose those two as her major hiding places. After a while, Riya’s name began to just appear on the nightly news as a wanted person. She didn’t have any regard to secrecy or stealth. She just walked into a building and shot someone. Minerva envied that brashness. So when she was FINALLY given an assassination assignment, she planned on using the same tactics. However, her bosses were very hesitant of giving her the job and wanted to know EXACTLY how she planned to carry it out. When she told them her plan, they didn’t like it very much and made her revise it. Some bullshit about the IF having no involvement. Everyone knew the IF was up to most of the hits, so why hide it? Why not make it known to scare the shit out of some of the mob bosses? Needless to say, she carried off the assassination without breaking a sweat, though Lee did not have as much experience and was nervous leading up to the hit. It was at that point that he realized who really had the more training between them. Since then, he tended to let her be in charge.

Two weeks ago she had been called into her bosses office to discuss her next assignment. She dreaded hearing what god-forsaken job she would have to incur next. What mob boss would she have to kill this time? She was Legion. She didn’t need this shit. She could shoot someone in the middle of space with an encumbering flash suit on, almost completely frozen and from fairly far away. She could take on and kill one man with six guards, only having two guns, a chair, and a bucket full of oil. She was Scorpion. She was the best of the best. She was THE best. She was better then Gabe and Sol. She was better then Hale.

…but she was not better then Riya….

And that is why Riya had escaped, and Minerva had not.

But when she was called into the office, her assignment was quite a different matter entirely.

“We understand that you had a long term of personal contact with one Ms. Riya Kinoshita. Correct?”

“Yes.”

“And what was the extent of that relationship?”

“We were lovers.”

“….excuse me?”

“Kidding. We were friends, if you must know. We were in Scorpion together. We lived together.”

“Would you say that you know Ms. Kinoshita’s action well enough to predict her movements?”

“What are you getting at?”

“As I’m sure you know, Ms. Kinoshita has been giving the International Fleet some…difficulties.”

“She’s been kicking your ass.”

“She’s been kicking our ass.”

“What is your point to all this? You want me to give you all the information I have to help the agents going after her? I don’t have much. She didn’t like to talk. But I’ll help with whatever possible.”

“That would be great, however, you are the one who is needing the information. You have been assigned with the task of locating and terminating Riya Kinoshita. As I’m sure you know, she is armed and extremely dangerous. All precautions should be taken. However, if you succeed in terminating her, a substantial promotion would be in order. No more surveillance.”

“Very tempting. But I have some…requests.”

“Such as?”

“No partner. Lee is a great guy, and good at surveillance, but this is way over his head.”

“Denied.”

“I can do this alone.”

“I’m sure you can, but obviously, we don’t completely trust you out there by yourself with Ms. Kinoshita.”

“Then you must be stupid. Being with a partner wouldn’t change my mind on the matter anyway. Lee would become another casualty.”

“We’ll take the risk.”

“Fine…then I want weapons. A lot of them. As many as I ask for. If I want a flame thrower, you’ll give me a fucking flame thrower with a rocket launcher on it for good measure.”

“Granted. Now get your things together. You and Lee leave in three hours.”

---------

Minerva and Lee had first flown to Paris to investigate the last agent deaths. They went to the site only briefly before catching a taxi cab to go to Riya’s safe house. Minerva knew there would be nothing at either location, but she might as well check it out, if only for the fact to see where Riya lived.

The place had already been thoroughly searched, but she went through it again. Just like Riya not to leave a trace of anything. The only thing really left was a large, green jar full of tea, Riya’s favorite. They had obviously looked in it and found nothing. She put her fingers in the jar and scooped out a little, bringing it to her nose and smelling it. Black Chai tea…so very predictable of her. She continued running her fingers through it, making her think of the days in Command School in the mess hall. She was about to quit her pointless endeavor when something hit her finger other then tea in the jar. She reached in and pulled out a white business card. It was blank except for a phone number written on it. She quickly put away the tea and hid the business card from Lee and the other agents in the room. She pulled out her tiny cell phone and dialed the operator.
“Yes, give me the location for the area code 213. Hong Kong? Thanks.”

“Let’s go Lee. I’m finished.” Minerva and Lee got in the taxi cab and headed back to their safe house. Half way there though, Minerva told the cabbie to drive them to the airport instead.

“Where the hell are we going? We haven’t finished investigating here?”

“We’re going to Hong Kong.”

“Why?”

“She’s in Hong Kong.”

Lee stared at her in disbelief. “You can’t prove that.”

“Are you going to trust me on this or should I dump your ass out of this cab right now?”

“That would be pointless, I’ll just call Lambert.”

“Go ahead and call him. I don’t fucking care anymore. I’m going to find her if it kills me…”

They boarded a plane to Hong Kong immediately and landed some hours later. She called the operator once again to ask for the exact location of the phone number.

“Yes, could you tell me the address for the phone number (213) 581-7227? 38422C, Shao Ting Plaza? Thank you.”

Lee stared at her in disbelief. “Shao Ting Plaza? What are we going to find there?”

“Riya hopefully.”

They first went and rented a hotel a few miles from Shao Ting Plaza. In the room, Minerva applied a dark brown wig to hide her long red hair. Lee could not understand the need for it, but at the same time was growing more nervous. He was beginning to see what Minerva was capable of, and it scared him. Not only to work with her, but to have to hunt one down even better then her.

From there they immediately went to Shao Ting Plaza. The address belonged to an herbal shop with a older Chinese woman standing behind the counter.

“You look for herbs? Here have all kinds. Got sore back? Good herb here make pain go away. Very good. I make you good deal.”

“Thank, we’re just looking. My friend recommended this shop. Maybe you know her? She’s hard to miss. She says you carry some very…interesting items that might be of use to me. Maybe you have them in the back?”

“Oh yes. Many interesting things. This herb here makes feet stronger. Help run faster.”

Minerva turned to Lee and whispered, “I don’t think this is working. I don’t know the exact thing to say to her, so I doubt she’ll tell us anything. Perhaps we could…”

Minerva could not finish her sentence. Out of the window of the herb shop she could see a small café across the street. At that very moment Riya had walked into it with another girl. The girl had shoulder length red hair, skinny, and walked like she belonged with Riya. Minerva was dumbfounded.

“What…what is it Thoth?” Lee turned to look in the direction of Minerva’s eyes.
“Holy shit! That’s her!”

Minerva was speechless. Her mouth hung open. That was all it took. One white business card gave Minerva the one thing she desired most in the world: Riya.

“I’ve found her…” Minerva muttered softly. She blinked a few times to push back the tears that began to well up. No, she would not cry. She had a job to do. She had to kill Riya. But in her mind she never imagined she would ever find her. And now that she was staring at her from only thirty feet away, she didn’t know what to do. Could she kill Riya? At one point she had dreamed of seeking her revenge, but now…

“Let’s go Thoth! She’s right there! We could just walk in and shoot her and be done with it!”

Minerva came back to her senses. “No, no. We can’t. There are two of them. The red head would see us go in the door.”

“She may not be anything dangerous.”

“Trust me, she’s dangerous. Riya does not make friends with those who offer no benefits. We must wait for them to separate. We must be patient.”

-------

Minerva snapped back to attention. Lee was getting anxious. “She’s moving Thoth. Let’s get her now.”

Minerva turned around and saw Riya leaving the café with the red-headed girl close behind. Something was wrong with Riya…her face betrayed something. The redhead looked upset. They started walking south from the restaurant. Minerva and Lee began to follow, pretending to argue over a map. But Minerva had one hand rested on her gun at all times. And she had her other prepared to get the one on her back. She was ready for anything. As she walked behind Riya though, she almost wished she could yell, “Hey Riya! Didn’t you hate when Hale gave us guard duty?” She wanted to talk to her. She wanted to have some tea with her. She waned to do everything but kill her. Maybe Lee would kill her and then she would not have to deal with the pain of knowing she killed her best friend. It was a stupid thought though; Lee would never get a shot off at her.

All of a sudden, something changed in Riya’s walk. She started weaving in and out of people more, aiming for the larger groups. “She knows we’re here. Watch yourself.”

Suddenly Riya flicked her wrist in a way completely unlike Riya and the other girl broke off from her. Riya headed into a side alleyway, completely void of people. The other girl headed straight, attempting to look nonchalant.

“You follow the redhead. I got Riya. Even if you get her or not, meet me at the safe house. If I don’t come back, get on a plane and head home.”

“Whatever happens, I’ll be back right here to get you.”

“I might be dead and so will you if you come back. I’ll meet you at the safe house.”

“I don’t leave my partner behind. We’ve been through too much to end it like this. I’m coming back for you.”

“You idiot! Just go! Meet me at the safe house! Go!”

They split off and Minerva waited and watched him leave. She hoped this would not be the last time she saw him, but she hoped he did not come back. She had other plans in store…

She took off her wig and let down her hair and then turned to walk into the alleyway. She knew Riya would recognize her. The moment she turned into it she yelled, “Riya! It’s Min…”

But it was wrong. She knew it was wrong the moment she gave the command to split with Boddington. She knew that this was not the same as every other hunt the moment her pursuer flew into the alley. No Agent of Legion would knowingly walk into such danger, unless they were crazy. Unless they thought they were better than her. Unless...

... unless they thought she would not shoot the only friend she had ever known.

The pistol recoiled in her hand, and both bullet and recognition hit and shattered as Riya stared at the blood that misted from Thoth's chest.

Thoth.

Thoth, this was not supposed to happen...

Perhaps she was mistaken.

Her steps were slow and sure as she moved forward, so calmly. It was only a veneer. The other girl sank to her knees, held her bloody hands before her face, and looked up to meet Riya's gaze. Then she knew. The hair could have changed, the face, the voice, but nothing could disguise those eyes. Clouded green met cold hard midnight, and Thoth whispered her name, whispered "Riya" with breathy pain, as she slumped to the ground.

The door slid open and someone entered; her other roommate, she noted peripherally, still intent on staring at Gabriel and Solenis. But after their initial veiled surprise, the amusement had worn off, and with a tinge of irritation Riya turned her gaze to the newcomer. Slightly nervous, unsure... and it only took a single thought. Not a threat.

Riya kneeled beside Thoth, the gun dropping from her listless fingers, and she hesitantly reached out to touch the blood that soaked everything in a terrifying crimson spread.

“Fine, sit there and say nothing. I don’t mind! It doesn’t bother me! I’ll just sit here and talk, and talk, and talk, until you can’t stand it anymore and you’ll rip out your pretty white hair and you’ll go bald and Kanchou won’t do you anymore favors cause he won’t be able to stand looking at you. Then where would you be? Ugly, with no one to blackmail. Then all you’ll have is me.”

She hadn't meant this, no matter how many times she had assured herself that nothing concerned her but her own safety. She would have killed the world to maintain all that she had struggled and fought and bled and murdered for. She would have... all the world... all the world but Thoth.

What have I done? Why do I care?

She tried to frown and could only touch Thoth's wound with wonder in her dark eyes.

Thoth seemed irritated, and with somethign akin to consideration for the emotions of another, Riya actually smiled slightly and softened her voice. "Can't be late," she intoned, "or they'll leave to kill things without us. Now let's hurry. I'm tired of this place."

There were running footsteps coming closer. For the first time, Riya did not care. She did not know what she was doing when she leaned over, wrapped her arms around Thoth, and held the girl to herself tightly, as if willing her to live. Blood wet her skin and she never noticed. Her long snowy hair surrounded them both like a veil, like a shield, and she closed her eyes.

"Just go to sleep, Thoth."

No.

No...

When she looked up, a man was standing there, his gun pointed. He was saying something, but she couldn't hear his words. He motioned wildly, and she knew he would shoot her. Death had never seemed possible until now, until she was staring down the barrel of his gun as he screamed angrily at her.

Death had never seemed so pointless until now.

Riya just held Thoth like a helpless little pet and waited without a word.

Gomen nasai, Thoth, gomen nasai onegaishimasu, forgive me, please...

Asuka weaved through the people, noting the ally where Riya turned out from the street. Asuka ducked into a coffee shop on the same side of the street. She didn't take the luxury of looking back to see if she'd lost anyone that might have been following. She gave a smile to the proprietor, one of Riya's contacts, just before going through the door to the kitchens as if she was coming in to work. She'd met the man a few days after they'd arrived, pleasant enough. He heard all sorts of information while working there and then he had a catering job in the evenings where he normally found himself at government balls. No one really concerned themselves with the man and no one even noticed him when he was close enough to hear their business.

Asuka jogged through the kitchen, confused workers watching her, and made her way up the staircase in the back. By the time she made the roof she was in a full sprint, her gun out. She hopped onto the ajoining roof and then off of that to the ground below. Right behind one of the Agents. Riya was holding a bloodied second Agent. The standing Agent had his gun out, screaming at Riya. Asuka glared and pulled her own trigger. The mand fell, hole through his skull. His own fault for making too much noise no notice her approach.

Riya was still holding the second Agent like it was a child.

What the flying fuck?! That's an Agent! Have you gone completely insane?!

Minerva lay on the cold pavement, unable to move. The pain in her chest was becoming unbearable and she wanted to scream in agony. She could feel the blood rolling down her forearms into her clothes.

The shadowy figure of Riya moved into the light, closer to Minerva. Her eyes were filled with emotion; she slightly shook as she dropped her gun on the pavement and kneeled beside her. Minerva wanted to talk to her, wanted to say something, but she could not control her breathing and the gasps escaped fast. She tried to inhale deeply and calmly once, but was unable to steady herself. Riya placed her hands on Minerva’s wounds, her blue eyes staring straight into Minerva’s. Her chest wasn’t hurting as bad anymore. A sort of warm feeling began to take over and she wondered if Riya’s hands held some special power. Her eyes were growing heavy. They were so heavy…

Footsteps. Running up from behind Minerva. It was Lee’s heavy male footsteps jogging down the alleyway. Minerva tried to talk to Riya, tried to beg her to not kill Lee.

Just let him go. Please, just let him live.

But instead of Riya drawing her gun out, she reached around Minerva head and shoulders and pulled them up and closer to her. Her snowy white hair was all that Minerva could see. No alley, no blood…just white hair. She was holding her, protecting her. Minerva tried to raise an arm to return the favor, but found she could not move anything.

“Put your hands in the air and step away from the girl! Did you hear me!? Put your goddamn hands in the air or I will shoot you!”

No Lee…no…run away. Leave. You can still live…

No. She is mine to kill or mine to save, and I will not stand beside her grave like I did with my parents, so long ago.

Her voice was steady when she spoke, quiet and icy. "You will not kill her. She is coming with me."

Boddington made to protest and Riya silenced her with a tiny smile, a quirk of lips that was only a threat. Carefully she wrapped Thoth's arms around her shoulders and swung her body over her shoulder, to stand slowly and carry her unconscious partner piggyback. Blood spilled down her back and lent warmth to her eyes as she blinked at Boddington. "Do not be foolish enough to disagree with me."

Sirens screamed as they hurried from the alleyway, leaving blood and a body behind for the police to find and ponder over. Another Agent dead. Perhaps they would believe Thoth dead too... she hoped, but as the girl's breathing grew ragged and labored against her cheek, she knew it just might be the truth in time.

I refuse to let her die for my mistake.

It was a very long journey back to her safehouse.

Boddington did nothing to aid her, but Riya did not expect help from the girl. In truth, she didn't even notice the glares and under-the-breath mutterings she was receiving. Her attention was focused solely on getting them all to safety, her long-forgotten conscious whispering guilt into her mind, and when they finally arrived and kicked the door shut behind them, she was ready to collapse on the floor beside Thoth and fade too.

But she did not. She ran into the bedroom and set Thoth down upon her bed, careful hands unzipping the bloodied jacket. Despite the carnage she seen in her life, despite the lives she had destroyed, the sight of gunpowder and blood seeping from the wound in Thoth's chest was nearly enough to make her choke.

"Is she dead yet?"

Riya turned to fix Boddington with a flat stare. "She will not die."

She was moving again, then, at a pace unlike her normal leisurely stalk. To the telephone, to call one of her contacts, a doctor. To the bathroom, to find towels, and she ran again into the bedroom to press the clothes against the wound and slow the blood. She was quick, she was methodical, and she was completely and utterly terrified.

A knock at the door, finally. She sent Boddington to let the doctor in, and he entered at a rapid pace, shoving her aside to tend to Thoth. Riya looked down at her bloody hands, blinked in thought, and turned to go. The living room was dark and empty when she trudged inside and threw her cloak to the floor, and stopped, just standing there and looking blankly around her as if she did not know where she was.

If she had shared some of the sentiment for the Agent she might have gone and made Riya some tea. But she didn't. She could really care less right now. She just wanted the Agent out of here. For all she knew they'd set up the entire thing, knowing that Riya would react the way that she had and then come in for an easy kill. And it would be the way that Riya was acting. She pulled out a knife from her belt and started fingering the blade watching Riya.

She turned slowly to face the other girl, hands at her sides, not at all threatening in her body language. But it was her eyes-- dark, opaque, cold-- that held her rage. No one alive had ever shown her such disrespect. Boddington was toying with one of her knives, and Riya smiled to herself, narrowing her eyes as she looked at the girl across the room.

"They have not sent more; only her, and the one that you killed." There was such conviction in her own voice, and it reassured her. She moved to glance out the window, at the sky, as night approached. "As soon as she is healed then we will leave. But not until then."

Boddington tightened her hand around the knife handle. Riya absently rubbed the little scar on the back of her neck, proof of her time in Scorpion, and frowned.

Asuka tightened her grip on the knife until her knuckles turned white. She wanted to go in the other room and shoot the girl. She was causing too many problems. Asuka matched Riya's firey gaze and hurled her knife across the room. The knife stuck into the wall just inches away from the door.

"She will not die, but you will, if you do not leave. Get out. Get out!" Her words lilted at the end, impatient and a touch wavery, as if she could not control her own hold on the trigger. Boddington had shared blood and sweat with her, and for the companionship she was grateful, but she would not stand for this.

Boddington began to back away, toward the door, and Riya followed.

"I was an Agent of Legion, but I betrayed my partner and the International Fleet to turn rogue for the Wolves. I left behind that life for money and power, to kill whomever I pleased with no law but my own. But you cannot make me kill her. I will not let her die and I will not turn her over to anyone. She is different. You will leave, or I will kill you."

The door was open and Boddington standing in the corridor when Riya stopped in the doorway.

"She is my partner. She is mine. You are not."

Then she slammed the door and palmed the lock, her careful calm demeanor failing and falling around her feet as she rushed to the bedroom. The doctor glanced up and met the question in her eyes, and nodded.

"She will live."

I knew she would.

Riya reholstered her gun and leaned against the wall, slowly sinking to the floor as she hid behind her long snowy veil and closed her eyes.

Minerva awoke into consciousness, completely unaware as to where she was. She blinked her eyes a few times, trying to adjust to the brightness. All she could see were blurs. There was someone standing over her, examining her wound. Her chest hurt badly, but not as bad as before. She felt groggy, like she had been given some painkillers. Suddenly, her ears came back into working order and she could hear Riya and another girl arguing. She was in an apartment, a bedroom, as far as she could tell.
“…the Wolves. I left behind that life for money and power, to kill whomever I pleased with no law but my own. But you cannot make me kill her. I will not let her die and I will not turn her over to anyone. She is different. You will leave, or I will kill you. She is my partner. She is mine. You are not."
A door slammed and Minerva fell unconscious again. But she had heard the one thing she longed for. She fell back asleep with a grin on her face.
---------
Minerva awoke once again to silence. She opened her eyes, able to bring clearer images into her mind this time. Her coat and shirt had been discarded and she lay on the bed shirtless, but with a bandage around her chest. She could see a small hint of red underneath the white bandage. She tried to reach up and touched it, but found that the painkillers made her immobile. She looked around the room: a bedroom. Bare. Nothing to tell her where she was. She attempted to locate her weapons but could not see them. Her gun and knives were still in her boots, however. They were by the door, resting with her clothes. She looked at the other side of the room to see Riya lying on the ground. She was curled up with her white hair hiding her face. She looked so vulnerable, like a child. Minerva tried to say her name, but found her throat dry. She kept trying, making her vocal cords warm up. Finally, she was able to squeak out one syllable:
“…Riya…”
She awoke from the floor, pushing her snowy white hair behind her ears, looking straight at Minerva. Her eyes were filled with emotion. Minerva wanted to jump up and hug her and cry, but could not move a muscle. She managed to squeak out her name once again.
“Riya…”

"...Riya..."

Perhaps it is only a dream.

She blinked, opened her eyes, and slowly pushed herself up until she was aware of where she was, half-sitting on the floor. Brushing the hair from her face, she looked around, not knowing what to expect in the dim dark of the room.

Thoth was staring at her.

"Thoth." Her voice was hoarse and she frowned, more at herself than at Thoth, and stood slowly. Blood caked her skin in long flaky lines, and had dried on her clothes until they were stiff and uncomfortable. Making her way to the bedside, she met the girl's gaze again, feeling foolish and entirely too human in her concern, and shook her head. "You should not be speaking or moving. You are lucky that... I did not kill you."

Those green eyes were beginning to unnerve her. To hide her internal confusion, Riya retreated behind the chill, and frowned again. It did not help that she could still taste the joy of the hunt in her mouth. She touched the bandage on Thoth's side lightly, lifted her hand to examine the sheen of fresh blood on her fingertips, and then withdrew, to curl in the chair beside the bed.

"Thoth. You should not be speaking or moving. You are lucky that... I did not kill you."

Her voice was hoarse and she looked like she had not slept well. She placed her hands on Minerva’s wound, barely pushing on it. Even a little pressure on it hurt Minerva, and her eyes flinched slightly at the pain. Riya’s eyes were so sorrowful, yet so confused. Minerva had never seen such emotion in her eyes. It made her sad.

Riya moved to the chair next to the bed and sat in it, pulling her legs towards her chest.

“Just go to bed, Thoth. I will not leave again.”

Minerva’s throat burned as she managed to squeak out the word, “Water” to Riya.
She went out of the bedroom, coming back with some water and helped Minerva gulp it down her throat. Feeling slightly refreshed, Minerva was able to say more then one word to Riya, yet with a weak voice. She had to pause between words to catch her breath.

“You shot me. It’s hard…to sleep when…you’ve been shot.

Minerva paused for a moment before continuing:

“If I sleep however…you promise you will…be here when I…awake?”

"I will be here. On this I do not lie."

She watched and waited as Thoth drifted unconscious again, and was asleep herself soon after, coiled in the chair beside the bed. Her rest was not haunted this time, and she slept deeply, long enough that when she woke there were weak lines of sunlight filtering through the windows. Morning, already. Her aching muscles protested as she slid from the chair, stretching slowly and looking down upon her sleeping partner.

She must have found the card. Only she would think to look there, and know I would be here. I wonder how long they watched me before they decided to come forth. Hours? Days? Perhaps I am becoming predictable.

Her hand moved of its own accord, lightly brushing the tangled hair away from Thoth's flushed forehead.

It is dangerous for her to know me so well. I would have killed her if I had not been so surprised. I should have killed her. Yet I did not. I cannot understand why. Look at how helpless she is, like a child, like I never was. She is what I never was.

I am overthinking this. It is done. It is time we moved on.

She left the room with silent footsteps, padding across the carpet toward the kitchen. Her head was aching and her mouth was dry, and it reminded her that she had not eaten in nearly a day. She busied herself in the kitchen, cooking as much as she was able; tea, some toast, whatever she could find. When it was ready she carried it all into the bedroom and set the tray on the little table there.

"Thoth. Thoth, wake up. I have brought you food." Thoth awoke with a start, and Riya frowned, but offered a cup of tea and a plate of toast. "You must eat. Did..." she paused, but decided that such things must be said, and soon, before they found themselves captured. "You found my card. I am... impressed. But they will come after me, if they believe I have killed you too. We must leave, as soon as you are able."

It ocurred to her that perhaps Thoth would not want to accompany her, and she glanced away. It might be better that way, to be alone again. At least she knew that Thoth had not been punished for her own betrayal.

Minerva awoke suddenly, quickly gasping in breath. She flicker her eyes around and saw Riya standing overhead, offering her something. What was it? Toast and some kind of liquid. She quickly shook off the dream and lay her head back down on the pillow. She began to push herself up in the bed so that she could sit up and eat. Even though she had a hole through her chest, she felt exhausted and hungry. Food would help.

"Thoth. Thoth, wake up. I have brought you food You must eat. Did...You found my card. I am... impressed. But they will come after me, if they believe I have killed you too. We must leave, as soon as you are able."

"That is... if you would like to join me."

Minerva's head felt light again, and she closed her eyes for a moment to get her bearings. She opened them again and looked at Riya: her ice cold eyes that held something behind them. Longing? Hope? Whatever it was, it made Minerva smile at silly she was being. Of course she would join her. That was what she had wanted for the past eight months.

It was just like old times.

Without a comment she helped the other girl sit up in bed, her movements careful as she fluffed the pillow and tucked the blankets more securely around her legs. Her own gentleness surprised her, but it didn't reach her face, and she allowed her customary blank expression to hide her concern. She set the tray on Thoth's lap before drawing back, to curl in the chair beside her and watch her eat.

Silence, but a comfortable one, and there was really no reason for conversation. Thoth ate, Riya watched over her, and when Thoth was finished she took the tray away to the kitchen before returning. They sat for a moment, staring at one another, before Riya shook her head and sighed, half hiding behind the long locks that fell over her eyes.

"If you do not wish to accompany me, then I will understand. It was not my intention to injure you. I had not been informed that you were the Agent currently tracking me. But..." she faltered, remembering the thin manila packet she had left at Thoth's bedside so many months ago. It had been so easy for her, to just disappear like that, leaving behind only bodies and betrayal. She wondered briefly if Thoth had been blamed before deciding she couldn't have, if she were here now, and that what she was thinking had to be said.

Riya gave an extremely uncharacteristic flinch of nervousness before continuing. "Thoth, I am... sorry."

There. She had apologized. She felt angry and relieved at once; angry that she had even felt the need to apologize, but relieved for having finally subdued what little remnant of guilty conscience she had left. To cover her falter, she flicked a knife from one of many sheaths and toyed with it lazily, her eyes muting to a soft blue, a smile barely turning the corners of her lips.

"If you do not wish to accompany me, then I will understand. It was not my intention to injure you. I had not been informed that you were the Agent currently tracking me. But... Thoth, I am... sorry."

Minerva sat there dumbfounded for a moment, trying to comprehend what Riya had just said. She had apologized. Riya never apologized. Never Minerva would not have uttered those words unless she was truly sorry for everything that had occured.

Riya bent her head down and pulled out a knife from her boot. She twirled it in her hand, running her fingers over the blade. Minerva immediately noticed that it was a hunting knife, with a black handle that looked to be custom made for Riya's hand. The blade was stainless steel and looked like it had seen its share of battles, but had always been delicately cleaned after its use. Minerva saw that her own weapons were sitting in the corner with her clothes.

"You used to carry a postcard of the Noh Theater, in Japan. Would you like to see a play there? I have been before. We might go."

The postcard! Where was it? Hopefully still in her jacket. She took it with her to every assignment. She pictured the Japanese woman on the front and thought of her brother.

"Could you hand me my jacket? I need my jacket."

Riya walked over silently and gave her the coat. She pulled into the right inside pocket and pulled out the postcard. Two things struck her immediately about it: One: It was tattered with blood. Two: .....

There was a bullet hole through the middle.

She stared at the postcard, dumbstruck at it. It was a perfect round hole going through the right side of it, destroying the address of where she used to live and the bottom of the Japanese actress. Yet her face was still visible under the blood and the letter from her brother remained unscathed. She let out a breath of air and smiled with an awe-struck smile. Under her breathe she muttered, "I guess this thing really is my lucky charm."

She turned to look at Riya and gave her a loving look.

Riya smiled, brilliantly, and there was little malice behind the pleasure.

"No." She doubted Boddington would return; they had shared a few kills, but not much more, and she had given the girl what she had wanted. If the other assassin decided to return, then that would be a matter to be dealt with later. Not now. It was of no concern now.

The intent behind Thoth's question prompted her to say more. "Boddington did not... approve... of my decision to keep you alive. She will no doubt return to her own organization and forget our brief alliance."

A nod, and more silence. Thoth was still studying the bloodied postcard, and Riya was rapidly growing impatient. She had not expected to see Thoth again, not this soon, and having spent the last eight months in near complete secrecy, she was now with the one person with whom she could brag of her exploits. It was too much. She swung her feet like a child and leaned closer, her eyes narrowing with excitement.

"Would you like to know that I did not leave you needlessly?" Thoth glanced up, surprised, but nodded, and Riya continued. "You must already know what I did at the Command Post. I am sure they tried to lay blame upon you for my actions. However... it has brought us great fortune, Thoth. It is easy, this mercenary work, and the Wolves give us much fame."

I am Noir, and I have turned Hale's lessons into millions.

She wanted to speak. The gloat, the smugness, it was all right there, on the tip of her tongue...

...and then the ringing began.

Riya frowned. Then she sighed, and left Thoth still staring at the postcard as she stalked across the room, out into the main area, where she had left her coat laying carelessly on the floor. Her cellphone was buried amongst the material and she fished it out, staring disdainfully at a number she did not know. Most likely Wilkes, hearing of the incident. She didn't feel like talking to him about Thoth. Her partner was here, Riya was uninjured, and he would have his Noir.

The man standing on the balcony of the corner suite at the Mandarin Oriental received this information with indifference. Sunset was approaching, and his eyes traced the patterns of the ships in Victoria Harbour as they maneuvered themselves into the docking slips for the evening. Each vessel had its assigned space, but there seemed little order to the contest for docking priority.

"And the woman?" His voice was as unagitated as his features.

The expensive Gramwire cellular phone conveyed the caller's bewilderment flawlessly. "We're not sure, sir. Our original report said that she'd been shot, but the police only found Lee." There was an uncomfortable pause. "It's conceivable that she was able to escape." This reluctant concession seemed too much for the speaker to allow without offering some kind of reassurance for balance. "But we have people combing the area. It's only a matter of time."

In the harbour below, a small skiff darted between a pleasure yacht and a fishing vessel of some sort. There was no collision, but there was a chain reaction of several near-misses, and the traffic around the dock ground to a halt as the pilots attempted to restore order.

"Thank you, Eric. Let me know." Eric assured him that he would be notified of any new developments immediately and agreed to meet him later in the evening to discuss the day's events before hanging up.

The man on the balcony did not lower the phone when the dial tone returned. Instead, he spoke a name, and the phone verified his voiceprint and chimed acknowledgement. There was a brief silence before he was rewarded with ringing as the call went through. On the eleventh ring, there was a chirp as the phone was answered, and a terse voice repeated the name he had spoken only a moment ago.

"Noir."

The ships were moving smoothly once more, most of them safely docked, and the lights on those still out on the water began to flicker on as sunset gave way to twilight.

How is she? They had to leave now, her and Thoth. If the Wolves knew she had her partner, then the Agents might also. They know. They know I have her. But why is he calling me?

That thought alone was more than enough to put disdain in her tone, but it was his disrespect that simmered more below the surface of her displeasure. Wilkes treated her with deference; not the tepid carefulness of handling a bomb, but fear and wariness, as if she were a virus, a poison. Ejan's simple question did nothing of the sort, and that gave an edge to her voice and the promise of all her name implied into her tone. "Speak your confirmation code."

He was polite, again, but still she felt irritated by the slight hispanic accent. "Authorization code Two-fiver-Alpha. Confirmation, Nora-Orphen-Indigo-Riker."

Slightly better.

"I do not know what you are speaking of," she said shortly. "Do not call me again."

"I could be mistaken," he admitted apologetically. "As far as the wide world is concerned, there was a murder in downtown Hong Kong today. The police are investigating some sort of violent gang activity, I believe. Legion knows they sent two agents out, and neither has come back, and I believe they've verified that one Orlando Lee died of a gunshot wound to the head. The other hasn't yet turned up, though we have reliable sources Legion does not that claim she was probably shot as well - where and how seriously she was wounded are still unknown, so that may not be true. It has been conjectured by some of the men that she might even have escaped unharmed, and she has simply been unable or unwilling to contact her headquarters yet. To be honest with you," he confided with a half smile, "I think it's pointless to look for her. If she's dead, there's no reason, and if she's alive and mobile...well, I'm sure you'll agree the chances of catching an agent of Legion in a city of this size are pretty slender."

It felt as if he were humouring her, and that she did not appreciate, not in the least. Still... he was also offering discretion, and although Riya knew she was perfectly capable of disappearing with Thoth, without a trace, it would nonetheless ease the consequences of her little irrationality if she played along.

Very well. But I am not following your game. You are playing mine.

"I will be there." Precise, clipped, and just as abruptly she turned off the phone and stood staring at the wall. A divot of paint hung loosely from where Boddington's knife had scored the wood earlier, and she took a step closer to examine the blemish. Why all this worry? He is just another man, and will die just as easily, if needs be. Perhaps he will prove amusing.

The thought softened her eyes to a brilliant dusky blue, and it was with a tiny smile on her face that Riya almost skipped into the bedroom. She meant to tell Thoth that she had business to attend to, but the other girl was already asleep, curled in the covers and clutching the postcard in her hands. The sight made the smile fall from her face, and she quieted her movements, unwilling to wake Thoth for sake of her irritated excitement.

Twenty minutes later found her cleaned of the blood that had coated her, found her dressed as befitted an assassin of her mark, found her armed to within an inch of her life and racing through the streets of downtown Hong Kong.

Twenty-five minutes later and she skidded to a halt in front of the entrance of the Luk Yu Teahouse. She didn't even climb off the bike, just flicked off her wraparounds and stared expectantly at a pair of men standing just outside the door. Had to be them. One was older, holding a briefcase, but it wasn't he who she watched; no, it was the one who looked expensive[/i], who stared back just as coldly and calmly as she blinked at him. Ejan.

She waited until he approached her before she spoke. "Follow." He nodded and walked off. A few moments later and a dark sedan pulled up alongside her bike, and she revved the engine and took off down the street.

He didn't mind at all.

George Salazar was silent in the seat next to him. He hadn't been lying when he told the woman he was bringing his private physician; Salazar had treated him since he was fourteen, nearly twenty years. Salazar was trustworthy, taciturn and skilled at his work, and like his parents, de Altamira appreciated those qualities in his servants.

He hadn't favored bringing Salazar with him on this excursion to Hong Kong, but it had originally been planned as an observational trip only. Wilkes had made it clear that he was tired of dealing with "Noir", and his initial goal was a little information-gathering to decide the merit of keeping her accessible for future contracts or terminating the arrangement. It wasn't the sort of expedition a family physician should have to endure, but after learning the nature of his mission, Aryn had insisted.

Aryn could be most difficult.

Thus, he had brought Salazar purely to please his sister, and that had been a phenomenal stroke of luck. The surprising development with the Legion agents had caught him unawares, but Ejan was adept at recognizing opportunity. He had no proof that Noir had not killed the other agent, but concealing one body and leaving the other in the open to be discovered was not her modus operandi. The reports indicated the second agent had been wounded; what were the chances of a wounded victim escaping a trained assassin on foot and then failing to contact her headquarters? It was possible she had found a hiding place and then fallen unconscious, but Ejan trusted his instinct, and Noir's response to his offer of a physician had confirmed his suspicion.

For some reason, Noir was protecting an agent of Legion - one she herself had probably wounded. Why?

The slender figure on the motorcycle in front of him weaved out of sight, and he negotiated the sharp turn without difficulty and grinned faintly to himself. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting; her reputation didn't provide much insight into her personality. He knew only that she was both expensive and effective. This competitive little display of power indicated plenty of personality, and he was amused and a little intrigued.

She rolled to a stop, dropped her kickstand and dismounted near the entrance to a dark, unimposing set of flats, and he parked a discreet distance from her and let Salazar open his door first before exiting the vehicle himself.

Noir was waiting for them, and he looked her over from behind his shades and tried to guess how many guns she was carrying. He hoped the meeting stayed friendly; he wanted nothing more than to keep this situation as quiet as possible until he decided what to do. This sudden irrational behavior on her part would not recommend her to the council for continued service. Taking into account the work she'd done for them in the past, the safety of the organization also needed consideration; if she was labeled a liability no longer worth the risk, the more cautious members of the council would probably want her put down, and that could prove problematic.

They'd followed, and that was enough for her, for now. Riya didn't like owing favors, but for Thoth's safety she was willing to concede, no matter how irritating it might be to her pride. Once the girl was healed they could disappear, and this somewhat annoying little interlude could be forgotten.

The narrow stairway leading to her flat was dank and dark, and she pocketed the sunglasses as she reached her floor and slipped through the doorway, into the hall. More walking, more silence, before they reached her door, now, and she paused, checking the knob. The spiderweb-thin thread she had stretched there remained intact. Secure. She could feel Ejan's gaze settled on her back as she fiddled with the key, reaching inside to disable the alarm system before she swung the door open and motioned over her shoulder.

That doctor-- Salazar, whatever his name was; Riya didn't really care to remember-- entered first. Ejan followed. His caution amused her but it didn't reach her face, and without a word she strode across the room, dropped her coat over the back of the couch, turned to regard the two men as she rested one hand on the holster at her hip, and with the other flicked a finger toward the bedroom. When she spoke the words were for Salazar, but her flat eyes remained on Ejan.

"In the bedroom. Chest wound. Do not hurt her." The unspoken or else lingered, and her eyes warmed a touch, drowning black-azure that held the smile she wouldn't allow her lips to carry.

She didn't blink; just stared. She wanted him to look away first.

Minerva did not recognize the name, but she planned on looking it up as soon as she got the chance. She lay there, fiddling with the postcard for a moment, not knowing what to say.

“Would you like to know that I did not leave you needlessly? You must already know I did what I did at the Command Post. I am sure they tried to lay blame upon you for my actions. However…it has brought us great fortune, Thoth. It is easy, this mercenary work, and the Wolves give us much fame.”

Minerva wanted to cry and scream and yell at Riya for leaving her. Did not leave her needlessly? All these months, Riya had been having fun killing and being free while Minerva lived in the hell of Command Post. She wanted to yell at her that money did not matter, that it was just a bonus to the work they loved. Money meant nothing to Minerva, only being with Riya. And now that had happened; they were together. She opened her mouth to say something, but she heard a small ringing from the other room and Riya went to answer it. She could hear her pick it up and answer “Noir.”

Noir…Riya was Noir now. To the wolves, Riya Kinoshita did not exist. When she had been handed the file, it read at the top: “Riya Kinoshita: Code Name Noir. Lee had been very wary of that name. He knew that name as belonging to the Wolves: it meant death and danger. In a way, he always knew he would never make it through this assignment alive. Yet he had stuck with her through the end. She would lament for him silently, away from Riya’s eyes. She could hear the drone of Riya’s voice in the other room, but soon it faded out as Minerva fell asleep again, grasping the postcard in her hand.
-----
“Hello? Yes, this is Ms. Thoth. Yes…yes, I have a son named Curtis Thoth…..excuse me? No…there must be some mistake……He just…no wait! No! Oh my god, No!” Minerva sat on the couch, playing with her plastic pony, staring at her mother. She was crying uncontrollably. Minerva sat there with her legs dangling far above the floor, not wanting to ask what had happened, for she already knew. She had a pitiful feeling in her stomach, and somehow she knew. Suddenly her mother’s dirty brown hair began falling out and was replaced by snowy white. Her face became that of Riya’s with the deep blue eyes. She looked straight at Minerva and whispered with a menacing tone, “Your brother is dead…
-----
Minerva sat up quickly in bed, wincing at the pain in her chest. She was in a cold sweat from the nightmare. She quickly got her bearings and realized that the door had opened in the other room. She could hear footsteps in the hall. Two of them were heavy, mens feet. One was much lighter. She realized that Riya was not in the room. One of the footsteps was approaching the bedroom. She threw off her covers and tried to pull herself out of bed to get to her guns lying in the corner. She swung one foot over the side, and half stumbled with her upper torso to reach the guns. But the pain prevented her from moving fast and she could not get to them in time. She turned and looked at the man that stood in the doorway. He was older, in his 50’s, tall, holding a briefcase. She didn’t see any immediate weapons at hand, but froze anyway, wondering where the hell Riya had gone. He began moving towards her and she prepared to fight him hand to hand. She knew she wouldn't win though. Without knowing it, she screamed out.

So much for a test of wills.

She held up a finger, as if to say 'one moment,' and left Ejan standing in the living room as she stalked to the bedroom. Thoth was scrabbling to get off the bed, her eyes wide and frantic, and Riya knew just what she was looking for.

"Do not worry. He is here to help." Thoth stared at her wildly a moment longer before she managed to crawl back onto the bed. Salazar began taking instruments out of his briefcase, shuffling around as Riya watched him carefully. She was all too aware of Ejan in the other room, of the impropriety of her decision to save Thoth, of the danger of this, but when Thoth looked to her with fear, Riya suddenly wasn't too concerned.

Thoth motioned to the corner of the room, where all her weapons lay in a pile. "I'd feel better if I had a gun. Could you hand me one... Noir?"

"No." Riya shook her head and moved toward the door. "I have mine."

He now had no doubt that the injured girl in the bedroom was the Agent of Legion that had Eric had been unable to find. He now had a new set of problems to contend with. Noir - Riya - was harboring the enemy. Her reasons wouldn't matter to the council, so he didn't bother considering them; what he needed to decide was what he intended to do about it before they found out. If they found out.

Legion won't just let the girl go, not unless they're trying to plant her. Noir must know that. Whether or not I turn her into the council may turn out to be a moot point. She's done good work for us in the past; this protecting of an Agent - a former Agent, she's surely passed her deadline for retrieval by now - won't make her any friends with Legion. Why should we not continue to user her services?

He slipped hands into the pockets of his coat as she crossed the room towards him, careful to keep his face bland. There were members of the council who would not consider continuing to contract with her under any circumstances after a transgression of this nature. He had two options; either he could attempt to protect her from the council and knowledge of this latest...eccentricity, or he could wait until Salazar was done and take his leave, and let the council make their own decisions. Unfortunately, he was almost certain he knew what that decision would be, and that made the choice for him.

Ejan was never very good at letting pretty girls die - not even when they deserved it.

She'd known that her decision to save Thoth would earn her distrust; seeing Ejan in her safehouse and making judgements on her attempt at salvation was only confirmation of that. Being a former Agent had brought her doubts from the Wolves since the very beginning, and she had no doubt this would only further matters.

I do what must be done, and this is no different. If your organization does not approve, so be it. If you feel I am a threat, so be it. I have made my choice, and I do not regret it.

"Keep your hands where I can see them," she said quietly, in a near monotone. His expression didn't change, but he did pull his hands from his pockets, and it was enough of a concession for her. Wouldn't do to be shot in her own home, over something ridiculous like this. She crossed her arms lightly over her chest, hands resting gently on the butts of her pistols in their underarm holsters, and stood surveying him in silence.

It was almost unnerving, how his placidity mirrored hers. Midnight eyes to wolf yellow. Few people she'd met were capable of holding her gaze for any length of time; she'd perfected the ability to use her eyes to hold all the words she wouldn't threaten out loud, and right now they were promising to kill anyone who would stand in the way of her and Thoth.

I do not have time for this. Either we kill or we do not, but the Wolves will not take away all I have earned, nor will they be rid of me so easily if that is their choice.

Minerva stared wildly at Riya for a moment, trying to read something in her eyes. It was a futile effort though. It was obvious Riya had her "game face" on.

"I'd feel better if I had a gun. Could you hand me one... Noir?"

"No. I have mine."

Riya walked into the other room and Minerva could no longer see her. She stared at the door in disbelief.

No? No!? You gotta be kidding me!?

She tried to calm herself and laid herself on the bed. The doctor finished removing instruments from his bag and then walked over to her. He barely said anything, and if he did it was in a quiet whisper. Things like, "Breathe deeply" or "Does it hurt if I push here?" She answered quickly and quietly in return. While he was checking her, she did her own assessment of her injuries. She knew she would live now.

She could hear Riya and another man speaking in the other room:

"Salazar is excellent. If she's survived this long, I'm sure she'll be fine."

"Keep your hands where I can see them. What do you want."

Riya’s tone was bland and dry and she spoke to the other man. She listened intently to the male voice. He hid something in his voice…admiration? She couldn’t put her finger on it. After a little while, it looked as if the doctor had finished examining her. Minerva wanted to yell to Riya to come back in the bedroom, but she feared that she would break up something. Riya always had plans for everything. Minerva had learned quickly to not interfere with them.

The doctor packed up his tools and turned to Minerva.

"You will be fine. Do not move for a few weeks and get lots of rest. I am prescribing these for you and you must get them as soon as possible."

"Professionals do assist each other on occassion. In this case, the favor was the reward. You've done good work for us in the past, and I would hate to see your availability decrease because of a problem at home." She must be angry at me. I wonder what color her eyes are. Black, I think.

Salazar emerged from the bedroom, and he shifted his attention to the doctor. The man already had his bag in hand; whatever he'd done for the girl, he was finished. He advanced a few steps into the room and then looked to Ejan for direction, and Ejan flicked his eyes to the door and then back to Riya. Salazar promptly made for the exit, and Ejan waited until the door was shut before looking back to Riya and sliding his hands casually back into his pockets.

Thank you? I would never acknowledge gratitude, for you have done nothing to earn such respect. Do you believe that merely for the sake of this, that I would be grateful? She would have lived without your intervention. We will be safe, without any aid from you.

They aren't black, just very dark blue. Very dark.

"Perhaps it would," she said flatly, and he got another faint impression of irritation, but there were no visible signs of emotion on her face. I don't think she likes me very much. He suppressed a boyish grin. It didn't take a telepath to determine that charm would have very little effect on this chilly beauty. Instead, he made an inaudible sigh and inclined his head slightly in acquiesence.

"Then good day, Ms. Noir. Try to stay out of trouble. Until next time." A little smile slipped through then, but he hid it behind a gloved hand as he replaced his sunglasses and moved past her, through the door and down the stairs and out into the hazy Hong Kong sunshine.

"Try to stay out of trouble..."

That did not amuse her.

I do not look forward to a next time.

With a shake of her head, Riya frowned her annoyance and moved toward the bedroom. It was time to leave. If Ejan had been able to find her in such a short time, then Legion couldn't be much further behind. Sanctuary first, and then she could go about protecting her decision.

"Thoth?" The girl looked up as she entered, and Riya smiled, just a little. "We must go, before Legion comes to look for you. I will pack, and then we will leave."

Thoth watched her move around the room, asking questions as Riya packed the weapons and documents she needed. The rest could be left to her cleaner; before the Agents arrived, if they did, he would remove all her belongings for storage. It ensured that nothing of hers would fall into the wrong hands, and it was how she was able to remain so elusive, with so few tracks.

An hour later she was ready to go, and helped Thoth from the bed. Her partner was still weak, and so she half-carried, half-assisted her down the stairs and to a parked car. A turn of the key, and they were gone.