2012
Unknown location
Unknown time
"Sir," a masked soldier called out as he clutched a manila folder. "You might want to see this."
He slid the paper envelope across a mahogany table, and a gloved hand killed its momentum before it could fall off the floor.
The limb's owner – a brunette with a large scar on his right cheek – opened the folder. An SD card in a small zip-lock bag was taped to one of the sides, but that wasn't what caught his attention.
Instead, his green eyes were laser-focused on the photograph stapled to the other page. It showed two girls with hair like saffron flowers clutching each other in a tight embrace.
The man pursed his lips before taking in a deep breath to calm himself.
"Are you certain of its validity?" He set the folder down and asked the gunman.
"I am, sir." His subordinate stiffly nodded. "The analysts were sure too. The footage was only two minutes old when we accessed it, and there was no evidence of tampering."
"Plus," The soldier added. "The High Table sent out a deletion order just minutes after we made a copy."
"Which family was the order from?" The brunette inquired.
"The Ruska Roma." The scarred man nodded at the gunman's answer.
"If the footage was real, then that checks out." He mused. "As good as Metatron is, even she cannot doctor a video this convincingly in so little time."
"Send word to the Cosa Nostra, the 'Ndrangheta, the Triads, and the Cartels." The brunette ordered with a wry smile. "We have found a chink in Azrael's armor."
[... .... .- -.. --- .-- / --- ..-. / .- -. / .. -.. --- .-.. ---... / .-.. . .- ...- .. -. --. / - .... . / .-.. .. ..-. . / -.-- --- ..- / -.- -. . .--]
Miyazaki Prefecture
Japan
A week and a half later
9:02 AM
*Zipp*
Yoru pulled her backpack's zipper down and slung her arms through the straps.
"You ready, buddy?" The girl looked down at her dog standing near her feet once she ensured the bag was secured to her torso.
"Woof!" The pooch barked before letting out several eager pants. The teenager nodded at her pet's behavior and opened her home's front door.
The pitbull ran outside as soon as the crack was wide enough for him to fit through. Yoru hadn't leashed her canine, but that's because she doesn't need to. The assassin trusts that her furry companion won't stray too far away from her, and if he did, he knows his way back home.
The hitwoman grabbed a pair of black sneakers from the shoe rack near the entrance and placed them in front of the sill. She gently slipped the footgear on before gently closing the door behind her. Once Yoru locked her door with two key rotations, she turned to see her dog patiently waiting for her at the end of the street.
"Woof!" The canine let loose another bark, as if to tell his owner to hurry up.
"I'm coming, buddy, don't worry." The Wick placatingly called out.
Before setting off after her pet, the girl checked herself over one last time to see if she was missing anything. Keys, wallet, and a CZ P-01 were securely on her person, while three reusable water bottles and a spare shirt were in her backpack.
Yoru nodded, satisfied that she had everything she needed. She then jogged toward her pooch, only for the pitbull to excitedly run ahead once he saw his owner come toward him, forcing the teenager to pick up speed lest she be left behind.
In the week and a half since her almost botched contract, she hadn't exercised so her wounds could properly heal. Her sedentary lifestyle over the past ten or so days made Yoru feel – for lack of a better word – gummy inside. Her muscles felt like they were clogged with jellified oil and her blood seemed to have the texture of whipped cream.
The hitwoman doesn't like getting hurt on missions, not because she was afraid of pain, but because she hated the feeling of inactivity.
Today marked the first day the assassin was well enough to go out on a run. The sensation of her Adidas tracksuit wrapping around her was comforting, almost welcoming her back after her break.
*pit* *pat*
*pit* *pat*
Yoru's sneakers crunched loose bits of cement and concrete as she caught up to her dog. The girl slowed down once she was comfortably beside him. The act of running was easier than what she was used to, but the Wick knew that this wouldn't be the case tomorrow.
Her body had temporarily forgotten its limits, supplying more power into the muscles than usual. All the microtears from the run would certainly make themselves known the next day with a vengeance. However, she isn't going to worry about that right now. There's something else occupying her mind.
A couple of days after seeing Ai face-to-face for the first time in a decade, the idol had gotten ahold of Yoru's number through Gorou. Though she would normally consider something like that a breach of trust, the teenager made an exception this time. She promised to reach out to her sister, but actually obtaining any line of contact with her twin had slipped her mind.
The two sisters chatted quite a bit over text and called each other quite a few times – it was mostly Ai doing the calling – over the past week and a half. On one of these calls, the younger twin wanted to know more about what Yoru's life had been like, but the assassin didn't want to say anything over the phone.
Her past isn't something that could be revealed in a phone call. Spilling her guts to a disembodied voice just feels too impersonal. So – as a compromise – the twins agreed to meet up at the park where the hitwoman usually ends her morning runs.
*pit* *pat*
*pit* *pat*
With the park being quite a ways away from her house, Yoru had a lot of time to ponder about what she should tell the younger twin. Some of her defining moments were… graphic, to say the least. Even if Ai had accepted that Yoru was an assassin, actually hearing the details might just be enough for the pregnant teen to cut ties.
Which is good if that's what she wanted, but the teenager wasn't certain that was the case anymore. The hitwoman was willing to admit to herself that talking with her twin had made her aware of how lonely she had been.
Yoru always had someone close to her she could rely on. Ai was there for her early childhood; Her father – and later her mother – molded her adolescence; Angel Squad held her when she was climbing out of her dad's shadow; and Hikaru was her rock during the lowest time of her life.
The months after she retired were the first time the teen felt like she was by herself. The selfish side of her didn't want the idol to leave her like everyone else, but Yoru's more pragmatic side knew that Ai leaving was for the best.
"Woof!" As though he sensed his owner's turmoil, the pitbull barked to snap the hitwoman out of her thoughts.
The girl blinked several times before looking down at her pooch.
"You sure you weren't a service dog before we got you?" Yoru jokingly asked the canine as if he could respond. "Actually, I might want to look into that. That would explain a lot."
The teenager made a mental note to dig into her pet's past as the silence of the countryside enveloped the two. Only the pitter patter of feet striking against concrete were left to accompany them as they continued on toward the park.
[... .... .- -.. --- .-- / --- ..-. / .- -. / .. -.. --- .-.. ---... / .-.. . .- ...- .. -. --. / - .... . / .-.. .. ..-. . / -.-- --- ..- / -.- -. . .--]
Around an hour later
10:17 AM
"Haa… Ha…" Yoru heavily panted as she jogged past the park's entrance. A week and a half's worth of relative inactivity had weakened her stamina. The girl would normally still have enough left in the tank to run around the park a couple more times before she had to rest. However, it wasn't something a couple more consistent runs couldn't fix.
The hitwoman began slowing down once she started to near a park bench, coming to a stop right as she was about to pass it. The girl placed her hand onto the metal armrests and took off her backpack, setting it on the wooden seat before plopping down beside it.
*Zip*
Yoru took several moments to catch her breath before unzipping the bag to pull out a bottle. The teenager unscrewed the container before tilting it.
"Here," She breathed out as a clear stream of water spilled onto the ground. "Have some."
The pooch eagerly used his tongue to drink from the thin spout of clear liquid, lapping as much water down his parched throat as he could until the plastic bottle was completely emptied.
After her furry companion drank his fill, the teenage hitwoman screwed the plastic cap back on and returned it to her bag.
"You're here early." Yoru pulled out another bottle, seemingly talking to no one in particular. "I thought we agreed to meet at half past ten?"
The assassin looked behind herself and caught sight of Ai walking up to her.
"Ah, you noticed?" The idol slightly tilted her head. "I thought I was being superrrr quiet!"
"Situational awareness is extremely important." The teen explained as her sister sat next to her. "Inattentiveness is a quick way to get killed."
"I kind of get that." Ai commented as Yoru's dog looked at the two of them in utter confusion. "But I don't think you'll need to be that paranoid here! Sensei told me that you assassins are all hush-hush with your jobs, so I don't think anyone is going to attack you in a park of all places."
"You'd be surprised at how many assassinations took place in public spaces." The hitwoman shook her head at the younger twin's naivety as she raised the bottle to her lips.
The Wick took a long swig, emptying half the container before releasing the bottle with a pop.
"Hah." She let out a satisfied breath. "Parks are great places to hide bodies if you know what you're doing."
"Ah…" The idol sweatdropped at her sister's nonchalant attitude when discussing murder. "Well, he-hey!"
Yoru looked down to see her dog almost pouncing on Ai as he sniffed her.
"Hey, Wheehoo." The assassin whistled, and the pooch snapped his head toward her. "Down, boy. We don't do that."
The canine obeyed, getting off of the pregnant twin and trotting over toward his owner.
"I know you're a bit confused at seeing two of me." Yoru reached down and scratched her pitbull's jaw. "But you shouldn't do that to new people, alright?"
"Woof!" The dog barked, and the tracksuit-wearing teen took that as a yes.
The assassin turned to her sister.
"I'm sorry about not keeping a better eye on him." Yoru apologetically said. "He normally isn't like this."
"No no!" Ai waved both her hands. "It's fine, I was just surprised!"
"So, uhh…" The idol continued upon putting her hands down. "What's his name?"
"Doesn't have one." The assassin honestly replied.
"Eh?" The younger sibling blinked. "You mean, you didn't give him a name?!"
"Getting him was kind of a spur-of-a-moment thing for my dad." The older teen answered. "We got him right before he was going to be euthanized and never got around to naming him."
"We had another dog before him." Yoru's face slightly stiffened at the thought of Daisy. "Her name was Daisy."
"What happened to her?" Ai caught the minute shift in her twin's expression, and realized too late she wouldn't like the answer.
"A group of assholes broke into our home and killed her." The hitwoman's voice was calm, too calm for someone describing people killing her pet dog. "They stole my dad's car as well, but that doesn't matter anymore. We got the car back, and they're too scared to bother me anymore."
"Ah… I see…" The idol murmured, her eyes drifting to the black pitbull softly licking her sister's hand.
The pair fell into a dull silence as Yoru raised her bottle to her lips once more and gulped down the rest of its contents.
"You know, I arrived early so I would have time to get changed." The assassin commented as she put down the container. "I don't stink that badly, do I?"
"No, " Ai shook her head. "Not really, Yoru-chan. I don't smell anything."
"That's good." The tracksuit-wearing teenager jocularly remarked. "Didn't want to have a serious conversation smelling like I ate two whole onions. So, ask away."
The pregnant teen put her fingers on her chin to think for a brief moment.
"Tell me about them." The entertainer finally requested.
"My parents?" Yoru tilted her head.
"Yeah, your parents," Ai affirmed. "What was it like growing up with a… normal family?"
"It was…" The Wick trailed off. "It was good. I was happy."
A small smile crept onto the assassin's face as she reminisced about happier times.
"My mother – Helen – was the sweetest person I know," She continued. "The furthest someone can be from our egg donor."
The smaller twin's otherwise cheery expression darkened at the expression of their shared mother. Despite having not seen her in around ten years, merely mentioning the woman still dredges up unwanted feelings of ashy resentment.
"She came into my life a couple of years after Dad adopted me." The girl continued. "I originally thought that she would be the same as Ayumi, but I was wrong."
"The five years she was in my life were the best I could ask for." Yoru's smile took on a more melancholic hue. "No matter where you are, Mom is always the brightest thing in the room. Her smile was like the sun: warm, fuzzy, and always makes bad days better."
"What happened to her?" Ai softly inquired.
The assassin took a deep breath and looked up at the clouds.
"Cancer took her." The hitwoman replied with a sigh. "It was too aggressive and developed in a way that made it impossible to surgically remove. Mom was gone in just two months."
"But not even death can stop her from giving us one last gift." Yoru continued. "Daisy was supposed to help us move on, something for Dad and I to hold onto during a very turbulent time."
"And, well." She turned to look at her younger sister. "You know what happened to her."
"I'm sorry." The idol gently uttered. On the surface, it appeared that Ai was just offering her condolences. However, Yoru caught the barest sense of remorse clinging to her sibling's words.
"No, don't be." The assassin shook her head. "I've… made my peace with it."
"But still…" The older twin held up her hand to stop her.
"Whatever emotions you felt when you heard about the life I've had are valid, Ai," Yoru stated. "You shouldn't feel sorry for them."
"Ah." Ai nervously scratched the back of her neck, and the hitwoman swore she saw a star leap off her sibling's cranium. "Hehe… You saw through that, huh."
"You hid it pretty well." The Wick admitted. "But I've dealt with people who are leagues better at deception. I'll say maybe… ninety-eight, ninety-nine percent of people wouldn't have caught that."
"Guess I'll have to be better at hiding it then, Yoru-chan!" The entertainer declared as she pumped her fist. "If I end up having millions of fans in the future, I can't have tens of thousands of them seeing through me!"
"Didn't you become an idol so you can use your fame to find me?" Yoru asked her twin.
Ai blinked in surprise.
"How did you know that?" The girl inquired.
"I watched some of your interviews." The taller teen answered. "I think Dad was around a week or two away from being able to adopt you when you disappeared from the orphanage. I couldn't sleep for several days because I was afraid you were kidnapped or killed."
The idol stared at her sister in silence after the metaphorical bomb Yoru dropped. If Ai hadn't jumped the gun and traveled to Tokyo four years ago, then they would've been reunited much, much earlier.
"Ah." The expecting mother verbalized, deciding to quickly move on from the revelation. "Well, I still need money, no? Can't take care of my babies without a job."
"I can provide for whatever you'll need." The Wick simply retorted. "I've got more money than I could ever possibly use. I could just liquidate assets whenever you need some extra cash."
"Y-Yoru-chan, you don't have to do that!" The younger sibling shook her head. "I can provide for myself and my kids just fine!"
"Two-point-two million yen a year is more than enough when the necessities are provided for you." Yoru incredulously responded. "But when you have to worry about things like rent and bills, that kind of money disappears just like-"
*Snap*
"That." The teenager snapped her fingers.
"I make more than two-point-two million yen a year." Ai retorted.
"Not after you take a six-month hiatus." The hitwoman replied. "Idol groups rely on constant attention to survive. That long of a break will kill any of the popularity you have now. You'll be back to square one when you return to the stage."
"Yoru-chan, I-" The idol closed her mouth once she realized this was spiraling into an argument. "We're getting off track."
They can always debate about her finances and financial independence at a later date. Now's not the time for that.
"I suppose we were getting sidetracked." Yoru nodded. "Do you want me to tell you about my dad next?"
"Yeah." The smaller twin affirmed. "I've heard some of the hospital people talking about how you were 'John Wick's daughter', and I asked Sensei who that is."
"So you already know a bit." It wasn't a question, more of a statement from the assassin.
"I do, " Ai nodded. "But I want to hear it from you. Sensei admitted that all he heard were stories from people who heard it from someone who heard it from someone else."
"I didn't want that to be the end of it." The pregnant girl continued. "I want to know who he really is from the person who knows him the best."
Yoru's lips curved into a small smile as she heard her sister's words. Not many were concerned about the truth of what happened these days. People have heard about the legend of John Wick, but most don't care enough to dig deeper into the figure they admire. As for those that do, they hardly ever disseminate the information they uncover because what they discovered only hurts the status quo.
"Dad…" The teenager interlocked her fingers. "He's a thousand things to a thousand different people."
"He's the equivalent of a saint who did the impossible to the Continental's assassins." Yoru looked up at the clouds with a longing glint in her eyes. "A bloodthirsty maniac who craves nothing but blood and violence to his enemies. Death's very emissary to his employers."
"But he's also someone you can trust to have your back when fighting through hell." The hitwoman's pitbull rubbed against her legs, and she reached down to pet the canine. "Mr. Shimazu, Winston, Charon, Bowery King, Marcus, Caine; they would all risk their lives for him because they knew he would do the same in return."
"To me, however…" The girl's voice took on a softer tone. "My dad is my hero. It's really as simple as that. He saved me when I was dying in that alleyway. Took me in even when he didn't have to. He gave me everything I could ever ask for and more. Even now, I struggle to think of how I could repay him."
"He sounds like an amazing person." Ai expressed after Yoru finished. "I wish I could've met him to thank him for making you happy."
"He would've loved you." The assassin stated, certainty coating her every word.
The Wick then took in a deep breath, readying herself for something the idol didn't quite know yet.
"Ai." Yoru turned toward her twin, her posture straightening. "There's something I've kept hidden from you. It's an open secret among assassins, but no one outside of the Continental has any idea of it."
The expecting mom was slightly taken aback by her older sibling's sudden solemnity, but she nodded to give Yoru the go-ahead.
"I-" The hitwoman started, but suddenly shut her mouth and narrowed her eyes.
The teenager lifted her left finger to motion for Ai to be quiet. The idol was visibly confused, but followed her sister's instructions. After a few seconds of seemingly nothing, Yoru suddenly reached into her pants and pulled out her P-01.
*Click*
The Wick flicked the safety off and aimed the pistol at a nearby vending machine.
"Come out." She got off the bench and slowly stalked toward the liquid dispenser. "I know you're behind there."
Still nothing. A light breeze flowed through the nearly empty section of the park, gently rustling the older twin's violet strands.
"I'm going to give you five seconds." Yoru's grip on her firearm only tightened. "After that, I cannot guarantee you'll live."
*Thunk*
Metal creaked as a black gauntlet gripped the edge of the drink vendor. The machine slightly tilted to the left as a figure in a suit of pitch- black armor stepped out from behind it.
The hitwoman aimed her handgun at the person's neck and rapidly scanned their body.
The helmet appeared to be reminiscent of a medieval knight, and the narrow antenna jutting from its side was the only hint of the advanced systems hidden beneath its fortified exterior. It wasn't a design Yoru was familiar with, but she instantly recognized that it must belong to a High Table family's most elite units.
The chestplate was made up of three overlapping sections all overlaid with a hexagonal grid, likely composed of layered graphite, ceramic, and an ultra-hard steel alloy. The shoulder pads were made up of the same material and-
Yoru lowered her gun. Emblazoned on the right shoulder was the crest of the Ruska Roma. Dark green and red splashed onto a black canvas, the only splatter of color in an otherwise monochromatic plate.
"[Took you long enough.]" A slightly distorted voice said in Russian.
The girl's pitbull trotted over toward the High Table soldier and let out a happy bark. The person squatted down and gave the pooch some scratches.
"[Cut me some slack,]" The hitwoman retorted in the same language while she stowed her Czech firearm away. "[I didn't know the eggheads decided to redesign the helmet after I left.]"
"[It's good to see you Michael.]" The Wick greeted. "[It's been a while.]"
"[Same here, Azrael.]" The now-named Michael stood up. "[The family hasn't been the same since you left.]"
"Um, Yoru-chan, who-" Ai started, but her sister had already guessed what she was going to ask.
"Ai, this is Michael." Yoru interrupted her in Japanese. "He's my former co-worker and unit leader. I don't know his real name, but he knows mine."
"Hello!" The idol waved at the armored man.
"[Michael, this is my sister Ai.]" The Wick then switched back to Russian. "[She's an idol, and you don't need to know any more than that.]"
"A pleasure." Michael nodded, responding in accented Japanese this time.
"[So, why are you here, Michael?]" The older twin turned toward her former squadmate. "[Don't you have more pressing duties in Germany?]"
"[Metatron had noticed some unusual communications between you and another party over the past week.]" The leader of Angel Squad disclosed. "[You can understand why we would have concerns.]"
"[You were spying on me.]" Yoru's tone wasn't accusatory, but it didn't need to be.
"[Technically, we're not.]" The soldier responded. "[Metatron was just looking through your metadata. Whatever that is goes over my head, but from what she told me, we only know you're speaking to someone, not exactly who you were speaking to or the contents of the calls.]"
"[Though…"] Michael looked over the assassin's shoulder toward Ai. "[I suppose I know now.]"
"[You're not going to touch her, Michael.]" The eldest twin's tone was cold as steel and sharp as a sword. Even if she only has a nine-millimeter pistol on her at the moment, she will not make the fight easy.
"[And I won't.]" The commander replied and put his hands in the air. Though this was more to reassure the idol than her sister.
"[I'm not here for her,]" He let one of his hands fall and pointed the other at Yoru. "[I'm here for you.]"
"[I'm not going back.]" She shook her head. "[I served when I needed to serve. I left when the Ruska Roma has no need for the Angel of Death anymore.]"
"[So, tell me, Michael,]" The hitwoman looked into the elite soldier's amber visors. "[Did Auntie change her mind?]"
"[No,]" Michael shook his head. "[She didn't. The High Leader doesn't want you back in Angel Squad. That is not what I'm here for.]"
"[Then what do you want from me?]" She narrowed her eyes. "[What else do you want me to give?]"
"[Azrael,]" The squad leader crossed his arms. "[Are you going to retire?]"
'How did he know?' Yoru blinked at the soldier's question. 'Did he lie about not knowing what I said in the calls?'
"[Tell me how you came to that conclusion.]" The assassin shifted her posture.
"[It wasn't hard to guess, all things considered.]" Michael admitted. "[You were speaking to your sister about your past and were about to talk about your service to the family.]"
"[That set off some flags for me.]" The armored man continued as he started pacing. "[You were never this open to anyone even before the war.]"
"[Then what's the smoking gun?]" The taller twin asked. "[I know M did not train you to create conclusions off of something as flimsy as that.]"
"[Your uncertainty.]" Yoru furrowed her brows at his answer.
"[Throughout the time I've known you, there's always conviction backing your words.]" The commander disclosed. "[That disappeared when I asked if you were going to retire.]"
"[I admit that I had given it some thought over the past week or so.]" The teenager confessed. "[But, I didn't think that it would be something the Ruska Roma would be this concerned about.]"
"[And have you decided?]" Michael stopped walking.
"[No.]" The hitwoman shook her head. "[Not yet. I still need some time to think about it.]"
"[Time,]" The soldier warned. "[Is something you don't have, Azrael. There's a storm brewing. The families that have lost the war are going to attempt something while we're still recovering.]"
"[Why does that concern me?]" Yoru asked. "[I'm no longer a member.]"
"[I know you never cared for politics, Azrael.]" The helmed man remarked. "[But this shouldn't be that hard to figure out. Most of the families were able to bounce back quicker than us, and the only reason they haven't retaliated is because of you.]"
"[They remember you tearing through their most elite members and breaking through their most secure strongholds.]" Michael continued. "[Even if you had left on paper, those families were afraid of the High Leader calling you back to tear them apart once more.]"
"[But that changed a week and a half ago.]" His voice became more grave. "[Those families got access to security camera footage of you and your sister hugging.]"
Yoru's eyes widened as her entire body tensed.
"[Metatron is trying to run as much interference as she could.]" The assassin could barely hear her former co-worker's words as her knuckles turned bone white. "[But, the clock is ticking. I need to know your answer today so the family can decide on what to do with your sister.]"
"[And those options are?]" The Wick breathed out.
["If you choose to not retire, we'll move her to a safehouse in Berlin.]" Michael replied. "[You'll help us end the threat and we'll have her back as soon as we're able to.]"
"[But keep in mind, that might be a multi-year endeavor.]" The squad leader continued. "[If you do choose to retire – on the other hand – then we'll increase the area that's considered 'Continental Grounds' around the hospital your sister is staying at. She'll remain safe, and you'll be inmunis after retirement.]"
"[What's the catch with the second option?]" Yoru inquired. "[You can't touch me after I retire either.]"
"[We'll need a successor.]" The soldier revealed. "[The family has no shortage of orphans. Choose one of them to impart all of your skills and knowledge to, and that will be it.]"
''That will be it,' he says.' The girl thinks. 'As if he isn't asking me to sentence a child to a life of violence.'
'But…' She looked over to Ai. 'The other option is guaranteed to cripple Ai's career. If the timeframe Michael gave me is accurate, then her kids will spend the formative years of their lives in what's essentially witness protection.'
'And…' A memory of a certain blonde suddenly surfaced. 'Is retirement really that bad? What more is there for me if I continue? More contracts for money I would never be able to use up? To continue a legacy my father never wanted?'
"Yoru-chan?" Yoru slightly jolted when Ai put her hand on the elder sibling's shoulder. "Are you okay? What did Michael-san say?"
"Ai." The assassin looked her sister in the eye. "Do you like being an idol?"
"Eh?" The expecting mother was taken aback by her twin's sudden question. "Where did that come from?"
"Just answer," The Wick pleaded. "Please."
"Well…" The idol scratched her cheek. "It's hard to say. There are a lot of bad parts about being one. The tight schedules and the long hours of practice aren't something I liked, but… I can't say that I hated it."
"The feeling of dancing on stage to a crowd of adoring fans isn't something I can describe." Ai's lips curled into a small smile. "And being an idol is how I met him, and why I have these two in my belly."
"So, yeah." The girl looked at her older sibling. "I like being an idol. Not all of it is good, but the good parts are good enough that I don't mind the bad parts so much. Sorry I couldn't describe it better, Yoru-chan."
"No, no, it's okay." Yoru nodded her head. "I understand."
She turned her attention to Michael, who had patiently waited for her to finish her conversation with her sister.
"[Michael, I am going to retire.]" The assassin declared in Russian. "[But, I'll have stipulations.]"
The Angel Squad commander nodded and walked over to the vending machine he first appeared from. He reached behind the drink dispensers and pulled out two cases, one long and one wide.
"[I figured that's the case.]" The soldier remarked as he presented the two containers to the two violet-haired siblings. "[But save those until after you retire.]"
He opened both simultaneously. The wide case housed a black chestpiece much like his own, but the crest on the right shoulder pauldron was white and blue instead of green and red. Conversely, the narrow case held a two-handed sword with a basket hilt.
"Woah," Ai uttered when she saw the sheathed blade. "That's a weird katana."
"No, not a katana." Yoru corrected after she took out the weapon. "It's a Swiss saber."
The hitwoman unsheathed the European sword with a flourish. Its profile greeted her like an old friend, but something was off. The teenager continued examining the saber.
The triangular spike on the rear quillon is gone, having been moved to the front where the hand guard is. The handle was less bulky, tapered on both ends instead of the flush cylinder it was before. The blade itself is thinner and wider, sporting a slight curve that narrows into a thin point. Fullers were carved in the middle of the sword to make it more wieldy without support from an exoskeleton.
"[I've requested that some changes were made to it.]" Michael stated as Yoru performed some slow test swings. "[A heavy can-opener isn't exactly useful now that you're not fighting people wearing full-body armor. I hope you don't mind.]"
"[You know I wouldn't have.]" The assassin replied as she transitioned into thrusts. "[I'm not exactly attached to the specifics of the design.]"
"[People change, Azrael.]" The soldier simply remarked.
"[Two years is a pretty short timeframe for someone to change.]" The girl rebuked, switching her focus to techniques involving her sword's false edge.
"[But you did.]" The Swiss saber halted mid-air. "[You've changed in just two 'short' years.]"
Yoru lowered her blade and peered at the commander.
"[You don't have that look in your eyes.]" Michael continued. "[I can't see the anger you used to hold against yourself anymore.]"
"[Whatever happened to make you that way, it was good for you.]" The Wick perked up at her former co-worker's next words. "[You won't be playing Russian Roulette with only one empty chamber again.]"
The girl averted her eyes at the soldier's words. An unreadable expression encroached on her face. At this very moment, she was thankful her sister couldn't understand the contents of her conversation.
Yoru could still remember that day in full detail, from the vivid hallucinations her shattered mind conjured up to the revolver clicking when the firing pin struck an empty chamber. The wound was still too raw – too recent – for her to unpack right now.
"[So you knew.]" She finally uttered. "[Why didn't-]"
"[We try to stop you back then?]" The leader of Angel Squad finished her sentence.
The hitwoman nodded.
"[Did you think anything any of us could say will convince you otherwise?]" Although his face was completely obscured by his helmet, the assassin knew Michael was making a grave expression. "[You were lost after you killed her. You got your vengeance but lost your war.]"
"[I remember the look on your face when the High Leader told us that peace talks were underway.]" The man continued. "[Metatron knew that you intended to die in the war after she took everything from you, from us. Since that plan of yours didn't pan out, we both knew you intended to take matters into your own hands when you said that you wanted to be alone.]"
"[You were a sword which had lost its sheath,]" Yoru sheathed her gifted saber. "[And you would rather be snapped in half than let yourself rust. The matters of the heart are complicated, so the High leader and the two of us agreed that there was nothing more we could do. Whether you walked out of your room or not, we left it up to you.]"
"[How did you know I removed a bullet from the revolver?]" The assassin curiously inquired. "[I was sure neither of you followed me to my home, and there was no one nearby. Unless…]"
"[We placed surveillance equipment in your bedroom?]" Michael finished the teen's line of thought. "[Yeah, Metatron hid bugs and cameras almost right after we met]."
"[Huh.]" Yoru muttered like she just had a eureka moment. "[Alright.]"
"[You're not going to question it?]" The soldier questioned the violet-haired girl as she returned the sword to its case.
"[Michael, I'm aware that I wasn't the most stable after she betrayed all of us.]" The Wick responded upon returning to her sister's side. "[I would be more surprised if the Ruska Roma didn't keep an eye on me.]"
The armored man then closed both suitcases and kicked them toward her, sending them skittering across the concrete walkway.
*Sssrrttt*
"[If you would humor one last question, Michael.]" Yoru halted both boxes with her foot. "[Why did you give me these? Not that I don't appreciate them, but it isn't like the Ruska Roma to be this direct.]"
"[It depends.]" Michael replied. "[Which answer do you want? Do you want to know why I gave you the sword, why Metatron gave you your old chest-piece, or why the family allowed us to do so?]"
"All of them, if you could." The hitwoman requested.
"[For me, it's simple.]" The soldier began, his amber visors almost looking through the teenager. "[If you were to retire, you'll need to fulfill a contract so difficult no one but you would be able to. The sword is to ensure you'll walk out of it alive.]"
"[Metatron gave you your old chest piece for a similar reason.]" The leader of Angel Squad continued. "[The suits and plates the Continental has are good, but they aren't enough to weather through the type of fire you'll have likely to endure.]"
"[As for why the family allowed us to give these to you in the first place,]" Michael's voice took on a more serious undertone. "[It's because you are a potential heir to the family.]"
"[I told Auntie that I don't want to take over the Ruska Roma.]" Yoru's eyes narrowed.
"[You did,]" The commander responded. "[But the others think differently. You know as well as I do that the High Leader isn't as young as she could be. Although you share no blood relation to anyone in the family, you have more claim than everyone else.]"
"[So they want me to be their backup plan.]" The assassin grumbled.
The helmeted man nodded, and the violet-eyed teenager sighed.
"[If I accept both of these,]" Yoru slightly nudged the cases by her feet. "[Then, does that mean I have to go along with their plans?]"
"[Angel Squad will stand with you Azrael.]" Michael reassured his former squadmate. "[The needs of our own outweighs the needs of the family.]"
"[But there's just two of you.]" The Wick pointed out. "[How will you fight against an entire High Table family with only two members?]"
"[We're recruiting.]" The soldier replied. "[We already have a small handful of potential candidates. At least two will be ready within two years.]"
"[How can you be sure they'll defect with you?]" Yoru's voice held a level of nervousness. Betrayal is a sore subject for her and the armored man's declaration that Angel Squad will go rogue for her sake is putting pressure on a wound that had just scabbed over.
"[They're both from the Б platoon.]" Michael answered. "[They have fought with you during the war and have been hurt by the elders' decisions like we have. They will defect if I ask them to.]"
"[Are you willing to tell me who they are?]" The teen tilted her head in curiosity.
Active recruitment was a rare thing for Angel Squad to experience. From what she heard from the original members, there are two ways to get into the Ruska Roma's most elite unit. Michael, Metatron, and Gabriel are permanent specialized positions that require the replacement to be trained by their predecessors. However, others like Uriel and Sandalphon were assigned their titles when they were promoted.
"[The first is Volker, a member of your spearhead group.]" The commander responded. "[The second is An'ka, Uriel's sister.]"
Yoru snapped her head back to its original position as soon as Michael mentioned her former squadmate's sister.
"[Gavriil never wanted his sister to be a member of the Ruska Roma in the first place,]" Her voice was a stormy ocean. "[And you're planning on making his sister an Angel?]"
"[Uriel has passed.]" The soldier rebuked. "[His sister is an adult who can make her own decisions. I see no reason to deny her should she accept.]"
"[Y-]" The hitwoman opened her mouth, but quickly shut it once she realized she had no valid arguments.
"[It's been nice talking to you Michael.]" She went with a goodbye instead. "[I hope things stay calm at the table.]"
There's no need to initiate an argument. They have been in enough of those already.
"[Good luck on your retirement mission Azrael.]" The leader of Angel Squad nodded. "[And I hope to see you soon.]"
Michael turned around and began to walk off. Yoru let out a breath as her former squadmate's back became smaller and smaller in the distance, before completely disappearing after a blink.
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Ai peered at Yoru's expression as Michael-san walked off. Her sister's face held… something. It wasn't an emotion the teenager could immediately decipher, and she guessed she wouldn't be able to comprehend it without understanding the years of history between the two.
"Yoru-chan?" The assassin turned to face her twin when her younger sibling called out to her. "What was that about?"
"Something from my past." The older teenager answered, and the entertainer's expression became curious. "I don't think I can discuss it here, though."
Ai's face falls. Yoru was just about to tell her the last piece of her past right before Michael-san interrupted the conversation. What did the two talk about that made her change her mind?
"How about we go to my home and talk about it there?" Yoru proposed instead. "I'll call a cab, and we should be there in thirty minutes."
'Her place?' Ai's eyes lit up.
Her sister had confirmed she owned a home in Miyazaki, but the idol hadn't ever gotten to see any part of it. Actually being able to see the inside of the teen's home may shed more light onto her sibling.
"I'll have to run it by the president first." The teenage mother replied. "But I'd love to, Yoru-chan! House visits are always so fun!"
"You idols need permission for every little thing," Yoru remarked. "But I suppose jumping through all the hoops and over red tape makes for great exercise."
"Hey!" Ai responded with mock indignation. "I'll have you know it's for our safety! What if we get kidnapped after we step out to use the bathroom for two minutes?"
A small smirk made its way onto the hitwoman's face moments before a light chuckle emanated from her chest.
"I'm sorry I can't tell you right away." The teenager apologized to her younger sister.
"No, it's okay." The idol shook her head in response. "I don't mind waiting a little longer for you to be comfortable."
"I know how many uncomfortable situations I've been forced to endure." She whispered that last part, but Ai knew Yoru heard it nonetheless.
The two stayed silent for a while, and the expectant mother's final words sank in like a heavy blanket. The entertainer looked at her sister's face and found a mostly blank expression beaming back at her.
The assassin patted where her left pocket was, reminding Ai that she was supposed to call the president. The teenager quickly pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed the blonde's number.
'She's hiding from me again…' The younger twin thought as she pressed the device to her ears. 'Yoru-chan didn't try to hide herself this much when she's talking to Michael-san.'
Although Ai couldn't understand what was exchanged between the two, she managed to glean some information from the assassin and soldier's tone and body language. While her sibling remained mostly reserved, the idol still caught flickers of emotions in her voice and expressions. However, this time, there simply wasn't anything that she could see.
In all of their conversations – even the one they had during their reunion – she was always able to guess what Yoru was thinking if she tried hard enough. But now? All of the hitwoman's usual tells disappeared.
"Hello?" President Sato's – or was it Saitou? – voice came over her phone's speakers.
Ai doesn't like this version of her sister, but she doesn't have time to think about it now. All the pregnant teen can do now is hope that she doesn't have to see that side of her twin again.
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Around half an hour later
10:43 AM
'How did I get into this situation?' Ichigo thought as he gripped his car's steering wheel.
The blonde glanced at his rear-view mirror, catching a quick look at the two teenagers and one canine sitting in the back of his car.
Ai and Yoru were sitting side by side, taking the window and the middle seat respectively. The hitwoman's dog – who was more well-behaved than he had expected – stuck his head out the other window, panting as he enjoyed the wind buffet.
Although it's immediately obvious the two purple-haired teens were identical twins, Ichigo can still spot several differences between the two. For one, the assassin's features were sharper. Her face is less round than her sister's, and her cheekbones and chin are more pronounced.
Additionally, Yoru's frame fills out her clothes more. Though she is wearing a tracksuit, the manager can tell her arms and shoulders are way more robust than the idol's. If Ai has a frame that would make most models green with envy, then her sister's would bring most men to shame.
Furthermore, the way the two of them speak is also different. Yoru speaks in a very distinct Kansai dialect, whereas Ai speaks in more standard Japanese.
'If nothing else, it would be easier to tell the difference once they start speaking.' Ichigo mirthfully thought.
However, the most striking difference is in the two's eyes. Ai's eyes were like glimmering stars, bright enough to trick the cameras from catching the whirling storm of rage and convolution barely hidden under her cheery exterior.
But if Ichigo had to describe the older twin's violet orbs, he couldn't help but liken them to a tachi he saw in Tokyo's national museum. It was a piece from the Sengoku period, a weapon forged for war now put into a glass box. Pure violence contained by a transparent wall of restraint.
Yoru is dangerous. There's no doubt about that. The girl was always scanning, analyzing, and determining no matter where she was. Eyes are said to be windows to one's soul, yet – even with his years of experience dealing with a group of highly volatile teenagers – he couldn't glean anything from hers. They are warnings. Nothing more, nothing less.
Ichigo is scared. He wasn't ashamed to admit that much. Ai's choice to make her older sister come into her life is possibly the most dangerous decision he's ever greenlit. Right now, the idol is the glass case that's keeping the weapon that Yoru is contained. But if the assassin's words at the hospital were even half true, then that case is only two steps from shattering.
Speaking of Ai, she's currently looking out the window in wonder. Her eyes filled with barely-contained interest, taking in the greenery and various statuaries lining the road. When they first started making their way to the assassin's home, the performer asked Yoru many questions about the effigies they passed, only to be met with a mix of "I don't know" and "It's always been there, never wondered why." She gave up soon after, resigning herself to just appreciating the stone carvings and never learning more about them.
"How far from your house are we?" Ichigo asked after they passed a blue sign detailing the names of several towns and the sides of their respective exits.
"Take the right exit at around a thousand fe- I mean, three-hundred meters from here." Yoru slightly stumbled when she gave directions to the blonde. "My house should be just a right turn away after a hundred meters."
The president of Strawberry Productions nodded and kept his eyes peeled for the exit the assassin described. Eventually, the rightmost side of the road began to split, and Ichigo followed the branching path just as Ai's sister instructed him.
"Turn right," the girl said after he drove straight for a dozen more seconds.
The agency owner turned on his blinker and did as she said, continuing for another couple of seconds before Yoru told him to stop. The manager shifted his car to parking and looked up.
'So this is her house.' He thought to himself as he studied the residence. 'Not bad.'
Apart from the connected garage, the home is something that wouldn't look out of place in Tokyo's suburbs. But in rural Miyazaki – however – it stuck out like a sore thumb. Instead of being made out of wood and having a tiled roof, its walls were clearly made out of concrete, and its roof was made out of stamped sheet metal.
The outside of the two story house was painted a soft beige, making the structure stand out among the greens and browns of the forest behind it. Large windows line both floors, bathing the insides of the home with light from the morning sun.
The roof was painted a light gray, and the doors were made of a dark brown wood. A bright green lawn and some medium-sized conifers framed the sides of the entrance's concrete walkway.
Both the grass and the trees were well-trimmed, which was a detail that stood out to Ichigo because teenagers aren't known to keep their rooms tidy, let alone an entire two-story house.
"I usually have nothing to do in between jobs." The hitwoman remarked as she unbuckled her seatbelt, almost as if she read his mind. "So I kill time by maintaining the house."
The right passenger door of the man's car popped open, and the passengers exited the vehicle. The blonde let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and undid his own seatbelt.
This was it. He and Ai were heading into the dragon's den now. The manager didn't trust his idol's twin sister, and he knows that Yoru knows that as well. But whether it's because she doesn't care – or simply sees him as a non-threat – the assassin hasn't done anything about it.
Ichigo stepped out of his vehicle just as the older twin popped open the trunk. Yoru lifted two cases – which Ai had informed him contained a chestpiece of some sort and a sword of all things – out of the boot and walked toward her home's entrance.
The president and his ward followed the hitwoman, stopping when she set down the cases two steps from her residence's entrance.
"Feel free to make yourself at home." The assassin announced upon opening the door. "I'm bringing these down to the basement."
"And," She turned to look at the two of them. "Don't ever touch any of the guns you see. Their safeties are on, but they're all loaded. I don't want you to hurt yourself by being dumb. Got it?"
"Got it." Ichigo agreed to her terms, which are practically common sense anyway.
"H-Hai." Ai nervously nodded, a bit more uneasy about the prospect of firearms strewn about her sister's home.
Yoru then picked up the cases, and the three of them stepped inside.
A fairly modest living room greeted the idol and her manager. A flatscreen TV sat on a long cabinet situated in front of the rightmost wall. A gray couch and a coffee table sat opposite to the television. Several picture frames sat on the squat end table but from where the blonde was standing, he couldn't see the contents of the wooden casings.
"Wow, your couch is so soft, Yoru-chan!" Before he realized it, Ai had made her way to her sister's couch and plopped down on it. "What brand is it? I want something like this when I get an apartment in Tokyo!"
"Thayer Coggin," Yoru answered as her pitbull trotted through the door. "But this model may be out of your budget for quite some time."
"Aww…" the younger twin bemoaned her sister's response. "Well, I'll just have to work harder to afford it then! This feels too good to not have!"
The hitwoman smiled and shook her head before closing and locking the door behind herself.
"I can move it to your apartment in Tokyo if you want to." Yoru offered after she opened the door leading to her basement. "I own this house more for tax reasons than anything."
The obvious care the teen put into furnishing and maintaining the property begged to differ.
"I'll be back in a couple of minutes." The eldest twin announced as she began descending the stairs. "The remote is under the coffee table."
Ai bent down to look for the TV's remote control, but quickly sprang back up.
"Were there guns down there?" Ichigo asked the teenager when she sat up straighter than a ramrod.
The expecting mother briskly nodded her head like a hungry parakeet.
"Well, your sister shouldn't be down there for long." The blonde commented. "We can wait for a bit."
The man then made his way to the couch and took a seat next to Ai. His eyes drifted to the wooden frames Yoru had set up on the coffee table as the pictures they held were now visible to him.
The leftmost picture showed a man in a black suit and a chestnut-haired woman in a white wedding dress. A much younger version of the older twin sat in front of the two, clutching a bouquet of white and pink roses. The two adults the hitwoman was sitting in front of must be Yoru's adoptive parents.
Unlike the rest of the photos – which were in pristine condition – the edges of the picture were singed black and crinkled. Did the girl try to burn it, only to change her mind before it's too late, or – more worryingly – did her family home burn down?
Deciding that Ai's older sister could answer that later, Ichigo turned his attention to the next photograph.
A group of five people dressed in some sort of black armor the manager had never seen before stood in some sort of concrete facility. If the president had to hazard a guess, they're soldiers taking a rest from whatever they were doing.
Hexagonal armored plating covered the figures from the neck down and silvery bits of metal peeked out where the plating was segmented for mobility. A round helmet with a large visor obscured the faces of those photographed, and apart from height, there wasn't a way to tell any of them apart.
Actually – upon closer inspection – there was a difference in all of their armors. Their shoulder pauldrons all have the same cross with an extra horizontal and diagonal bar printed on them, but they're all in different colors.
The tallest one has it in black and yellow; the one polishing a sort of spear-axe has it in red; the shortest member of the group sitting in front of the man buffing his weapon has it in gray and the final one looking over a clipboard has it in a saturated blue. The manager couldn't make out the pauldron of the last member who was looking directly at the camera.
He shivers. Even though it's just a photograph and there's an entire helmet covering that person's face, there's an intensity to their gaze. But Ichigo quickly brushed it off.
The next photograph appeared to be taken from a selfie position. It depicted people in black armor much like the last one. However, this one had only three instead of the five the previous picture had. The atmosphere of the picture was different too. Instead of being relaxed, the people photographed had a sort of tenseness and wariness to them.
Ichigo couldn't find any symbol colors that transferred over from the previous photograph. But based on the height of the members present, the one with the gray pauldron was likely the soldier sitting hunched over on a chair. The person's crest is now blue and white, and their armor is now noticeably bulkier with more scratches and scuffs scattered throughout. A heavy weariness had replaced the eagerness present in the previous photograph.
The one holding the camera had a cyan and gray shoulder emblem, and the one behind them – who was looking through a tablet – had it in green and red.
It wasn't difficult to deduce that the shortest soldier was likely Yoru, which only made the blonde more weary of her. Not only is she an assassin, but she was a member of some sort of PMC that had gone and done who knows what.
Furthermore, the complete absence of her previous group in the third photograph likely meant they all perished. He'd heard war stories from his grandfather, and the loss of comrades was something that stuck like tar to the old man. Even though it had been decades, he hadn't quite recovered.
Before Ichigo could take a look at the last picture, the sound of footsteps started to emanate from the basement's entrance.
"Hope I didn't take too long." Yoru's mane of violet hair peeked from the staircase. "I was rearranging some things so I have a place to put the two cases."
"Huh." The hitwoman uttered when her eyes peeked over the floorboards. "You didn't turn the TV on."
"Well, umm…" Ai gestured to the coffee table's open shelf.
"Ahh." Realization dawned on the older twin. "Right. You've probably never seen a real gun before today."
"But that's alright." Yoru made her way toward where Ichigo and her sister were sitting and sat down opposite to them. "What I'm going to do needs the TV to be off anyway."
The Wick looked up at her two guests, and the blonde manager immediately decided he doesn't like the look in the girl's eyes.
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Around twenty minutes later
11:06 AM
"-and that's what happened right before I met you." Ai's face remained impassive while her sister finished recounting everything that happened to her over the past two years.
What Yoru had revealed was beyond anything the idol could've ever imagined. The existence of an entire underground network of assassins and bounty hunters was shocking enough. The fact that there were shadow wars fought between criminal families who controlled world governments is on another level entirely.
The pregnant teen wanted to deny it, not because she didn't think her twin was being truthful, but because believing her would mean that all the suffering Yoru had gone through was real.
But there wasn't a single falsehood in her sibling's words and Ai knew it. The hitwoman's voice never wavered and her flow never stumbled. However, flow and tone can be faked with enough practice. What forced Ai to think Yoru was being completely truthful was the look in her twin's eyes.
The assassin didn't do so much as flinch when she recounted stories of what happened during the war she fought in. The way the hitwoman recounted her past was more like reiterating a history documentary than something she actually experienced.
Yoru was dissociating. She's separating herself from her memories, from the pain of living through those events once more. However, it wasn't completely successful. There was no hiding the brief flashes of pain that shimmered in her violet orbs.
"So, Ai." Yoru's voice was resigned, as though she knew what the outcome would be. "After knowing all of this, do you still want me around? Do you think that it's safe for your twins to be around me?"
Ai opened her mouth to speak, but her guardian quickly interjected.
"Ai, I don't think-" The man began, but whatever he was going to say was cut down by the hitwoman.
"Mister Saitou," There it was again; the older sibling's face became like steel. "With all due respect, please remain silent. You may be able to make decisions for Ai because of a contract she signed, but that document holds no power here."
"You are sitting in my home and thus are subject to my rules." Even though Yoru was looking up at them both, the heightened perspective did little to diminish the oppressiveness she's emitting. "Please, let Ai speak for herself."
The blonde gulped and looked over to the violet-haired girl in question.
Ai took in a breath and took a look – a proper look – at her sister. The girl had been shying away from properly analyzing the hitwoman because she was far too aware of the pain radiating from Yoru.
Ai couldn't help liken her sibling to Hikaru, her ex-boyfriend and the father of her unborn children. His inner darkness and pain were hidden under a mask of false normalcy. He had concealed years of sexual assault so well that the teen hadn't known about it until they'd been together for months.
It wasn't until after the news of his abuser's death – a murder-suicide with her husband – that the idol had examined him. Once she did so, Ai finally saw what festered within him, and realized that she couldn't help her now ex-boyfriend. The performer had cut all contact with him and the two haven't said a word to each other since.
What happened between her and Hikaru was why Ai was scared to analyze her sister. The idol was afraid that after seeing what her twin had buried beneath her mask of stoicism, she would consider the assassin to be beyond her help.
But that ends now. The pregnant teenager decided that she couldn't let fear stop her. Not after Yoru just spilled out her guts to her. Not after she had walked through memories that brought nothing but pain and regret.
The assassin wanted her to make a decision with as much clarity as possible. A proper read of her older sibling is the final step to achieving that.
'Ah…' Her eyes widened. 'I've been so, so stupid."
"Of course, Yoru-chan." A smile stretched across Ai's lips. "Why do you even have to ask?"
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Hours later
8:27 PM
Yoru plopped herself down on her couch after Ai and Ichigo left her home. The hitwoman stared up at her ceiling as she mentally reviewed everything that happened in the past couple of hours.
After the idol confirmed that she would like to stay with the assassin, her manager let out a shout of surprise. Yoru didn't blame him, because her twin's answer came completely out of left field for her as well.
The two got into an argument, and the Wick initially let it play out. She recognized that this was something the two of them needed to work through and compromise with each other. But once tensions almost reached a boiling point, the hitwoman shut the argument down.
Yoru suggested that Ai and Ichigo pause their discussion until after they've had some food and cooled down. The idol-manager duo agreed, and the hitwoman made them all some sandwiches with some cold cuts, cheese, cucumbers, and dill from her refrigerator.
After the meal – which was washed down with decaffeinated earl gray – the performer and the blonde resumed their talk before they both agreed to several stipulations. The mostly common sense ones like not having any weapons in the house; not going outside without a disguise before Strawberry Productions officially announced the twins' reunion; and the older twin going to see a mental health professional were easily agreed to.
However, the topic of how Yoru fits into Ai's finances ended up being much more contentious. Ai initially didn't want her sister to be responsible for anything, but both Ichigo and the assassin both agreed that she should be contributing something financially. There was plenty of back and forth between the three of them, but they eventually settled upon the Wick being responsible for half the rent and groceries.
After that discussion, Yoru gave Ichigo and her sister the opportunity to ask questions. The manager went first and his inquiries were very predictable for the most part. He wanted information about the inner workings of the underworld and the rules of the High Table, both of which the assassin provided.
However – as it always seemed to be the case with her – Ai's questions derailed any sort of normalcy the three managed to establish. Her sibling elected to grill her about her love life of all things! The performer had seen the framed photograph of her sister and Hikaru and assumed that they were dating.
Yoru hastily denied that they were together in any way, shape, or form, but the expecting mother only pushed further when she realized her twin was using the blonde's first name.
The conversation was the most humiliating thing the hitwoman had endured in her life. Ai's relentless teasing was a form of attack completely alien to her. The eldest sibling couldn't remember the last time she had been poked and prodded to this extent, especially regarding something as foreign to her as love.
But Yoru didn't dislike it; quite the opposite actually. The playful jabs and awkward rebuttals the two exchanged felt like the Wick was regaining a piece of normalcy she had been denied for far too long.
The remainder of the two's visit was far less eventful, just a mix of watching whatever was on at the time and Ai dragging her into singing along to karaoke videos from some site called Niconico when she got bored of watching TV.
Yoru let a smile creep onto her face. She wouldn't mind having the idol over again. It made the house feel more lively, more warm. It reminded her of better times, when her parents were still alive to make the home colorful and bright.
However, there is still one more thing for the assassin to do. The girl reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She scrolled through her contact list before stopping at one that read 'Osaka Continental'.
Yoru clicked on it and pressed her iPhone to her ear as the ringing tone floated from the speakers.
"Hello, this is the Osaka Continental Hotel." A familiar voice – Asuka's voice – answered after only two rings. "How may I be of assistance?"
"I would like an appointment with the manager." The Wick replied.
"Ah, good evening, Yoru." The receptionist cheerfully greeted her. "Let me check if Akira has any slots open."
A series of clanks followed by several mouse clicks emanated from the smartphone's speakers.
"Alright, she's free tomorrow at five." The front desk worker reported. "Would that work for you?"
"Yes, thank you." Yoru thanked Asuka as she made a mental note of the time.
"No problem." The woman politely said; Yoru could hear the smile in her voice. "Always a pleasure, Yoru. Enjoy the rest of the evening."
*Beep*