Hei glanced trough the room, trough the eyepieces of his mask, as his cold and empty eyes glanced at each and every single one of them.
He picked them right from the streets, right from within the horrors of this city, that's where he found his new team, his new allies who will fight for each and every single one of them, almost even sacrificing their lives for the humans within this city who they don't even know.
Hei turned around as a screen started to come down from the cealing, displaying different kind of pictures, the pictures contained houses, families and the guards who protected the families.
"These will be our targets trough out the week, each night we shall seek one of these families and cleanse their household. For the corruption within these families is bigger than one would expect..."
Hei his voice was empty... Just as his eyes, even emotionless as one would say, but Hei didn't care for whom he was and how he acted, because it is the way he created himself over the years.
As Hei turned back towards the group, his dark and empty eyes glanced at each single one of them. Hei picked this team because each and every single one of them was special in their own way, with each having their own set of abillities, and all of them have seen the wicked do their work... Wich they will see more often than one would truelly would want to...
"Before you all start asking how this information was gained, I collected it myself before I started this team. Concealing myself within the shadows, as I wrote down every single bit of information and taking pictures of the families, surrounding and even their guards."
Although Hei knew he was strong, and was used to being an assassin, he also knew what was ahead of them and if he would do this on his own, he wouldn't survive if they would ambush him. For that purpose he created this team, made sure they knew what corruption lurked within this city and recruited them.
For those who are wondering what we shall find in these households and their warehouses..."
Hei turned around as the screen switched to nieuw pictures, these showed the horrors that awaited them within the households and the warehouses. Females being used as sexual entertainment, men and women fighting for their lives, humans posioned just for the fun of it, some even tortured or used as pets within the households.
"Be warned of the guards aswell, for some are skilled, but some will be easy, for they are just new recruits, drawn within the corruption for money."
Hei turned back to the group, sat down in the chair that was infront of him and glacned trough the room. He always kept his mask on, even around his team, for he used his 'human' form to gain information without being noticed.
Hei placed his hands on the table, that just fitted the chairs that each one was sitting in, as the t.v. still showed the different pictures, switching from screen every minute, Hei knew this would be the best test for them, to see how they will be ranked within the team itself.
"As for the jobs each one of you will gain, it will all depend upon these missions... So I shall warn you, for I shall also test you on your performance, teamwork and your own set of skills!"
Hei turned his chair towards the screen after fifteen minutes had passed, showing each name of the team on the screen. Each being placed with other names, for these would create the teams.


Team One: Amaya ~ Gin ~ Ntombi
Team Two: Katsu ~ Shitsui ~ Lila
Team Three: Jack ~ Nikaido ~ Arua
Team Four: Death ~ Alice


Hei glanced at his team, for he also never used his real name, they all knew him by the name of Death, and that's how he wanted it, for if he removed his mask, no one would reconize him and he would be able to gain information about the high classes easily...
"To reasure your questions. These teams will each attack an household trough out the week! So be carefull, because if one of you screws up, the entire team will be punished, or even in the worse senario... Killed"
Hei glances towards Alice as he grabs a card out of his pocket, and throws it towards her.
"As for the card Alice, this will only be for your eyes! If I find out anyone else has read it, you will be punished aswell."

Alice's Card: Don't be worried about your job, for you shall be their support for if they screw up. As you will also be my eyes upon the battlefield

Hei glances back towards the group, as he stands up.
"As for now, you may rest, eat or even practice your skills, for your tests will start tonight! At 1200 sharp!"

Shitsui was on the couch while this whole talk was going on. He laid on his back, with his legs on the arms of the chair while he stared at Death. He didn't really much care for his leaders name, why he used it, and why he hid his face a lot. What he did care was that this was another chance to get his hand bloody. The very thought of it made him grin with delight. He felt as if he would explode with joy! For now, however, he kept his cool. With Death's words finally over, he stood up, and stretched. "This'll be a perfect chance to see some good old fashioned violence...perfect." He chuckled and placed his hands on his hips. "[b]So, who wants to head to the Entertainment District with me? I wouldn't mind a bit of gambling or so before our test, maybe some drinking. I'm buying!"

Though it was unusual to see Shitsui offering others to buy for them, it wasn't the weirdest thing he'd done. Without a word, he barged out of the Safe House and immediately headed toward the Entertainment District, remembering the time he was needed. Nothing in the world would keep him from wanting to lay out this fun event for him. In fact, he had been gripping at his jeans for a while to keep his murderous intentions in check. It was a struggle, but he always found a way to manage.

Katsu gazed at the teams for a moment, confused. He kept reading it over and over, trying to fully comprehend what it said. After the moment of shock passed, he turned his head to his new partners. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Shitsui talk.
"This'll be a perfect chance to see some good old fashioned violence...perfect. So, who wants to head to the Entertainment District with me? I wouldn't mind a bit of gambling or so before our test, maybe some drinking. I'm buying!"

Before he could respond, the assassin ran out of the building. Oh for.... I have to work with this psychopath? He heaved a sigh and picked his spear up, putting it on his back. He looked at the others and spoke up, hoping someone would accompany him.
"I'm going to the courtyard. Anyone mind coming along?"

Katsu stared at Lila for a moment and nodded, smiling warmly. At least this way I will have gotten to know someone from my team...
"Come on, then," he said warmly and marched towards the door. He pushed it open and made his way towards the courtyard, trusting that Lila would be following him. Even though he'd been a part of the group for a couple of years, he didn't really know some of the people there closely, having little time to spend in the hideout. Lately, he'd been eager to learn more about them, so this was a great opportunity for him to get to talk to at least one of them.

Once he reached the courtyard, he closed his eyes, a smile curling up on his lips, took a deep breath and gazed at the forest below them. He turned around after a moment well spent appreciating nature, looking at Lila.

Hope these next missions go well. are the first thoughts that fly through Arua's head as he listened to the big man on campus explain the situation. Although Arua wasn't necessarily bad when it came to missions, he was always at least slightly nervous whenever he was on the job. Hearing about jobs in general also gave him a bit of the nervous kick he usually gets as well. However, after hearing the names on his team he was also nervous for another reason.

Jack. Jack was reason number one. Arua didn't know too much about him, and that made him a little bit nervous. He hadn't had much, if any real interaction with the newcomer. However the vibes he gave off were more than enough to make Arua a bit uncomfortable around him. However, as a member of nightraid he was bound to have some potential, whether this was a good or bad thing was to be found out.

As for Nikado, Arua wasn't as nervous or scared about her. She seemed much more easy to be around, as well as not nearly unknown as their partner jack. This team,however, gave Arua a bit of a sense of security. He knew that at least one of them wasn't weak, while the other was fresh off. The variety, however, was not too welcomed. For with jobs that involved both his own, and others lives, experience was not only welcome but almost necessary .

Katsu shook his head and chuckled. "Sorry," he excused himself. "I didn't mean to stare."
He turned around again and looked towards the city. As he looked ahead, he heard her speak, not moving his head.

"So... how long have you've been here?"

He kept looking ahead for a few moments, almost as if he hadn't heard her. He took a deep breath and turned his gaze on her. "Death found me three years ago," he answered. "I didn't trust him at first... Hell, he almost killed me that day." He paused for a moment then went on, "Though, I work at a smithy during most of my time. I come here a couple of times a week when we need to do a job or when there aren't any customers." He turned ahead again. "What about you? How did that maniac lure you into our little hell?"

Amaya sat up straight as she watched Death and waited for his speech. They were called into the room for a meeting, and she guessed that they were going to be given their tasks. At long last, it has finally come. She listened to every word he said with earnest and eager attention. A screen came down from the ceiling, showing them pictures of the targets, the location of the houses, the security guards, and the surroundings; Basically everything they needed to know about the different households. The room was silent as everyone listened, "For those who are wondering what we shall find in these households and their warehouses..." Amaya's gaze turned back to the screen as the images switched, and were replaced by gruesome pictures, displaying the cruelty that lurked within the households. Amaya's expression remained blank and unresponsive as always, but she could feel her blood boiling at the sight.

As Death was about to show them their specific teams for this weak's missions, she locked her fingers together and leaned forward. She was on the first team, so spotting her name only took her a split second. Her gaze moved over the names of her teammates, and she eyed the names for a moment before leaning back against her chair with a sigh. Her expression was calm and unchanging, so it was always hard to tell what was going on in her mind. It was going to be pretty challenging being on the same team as Ntobi and Gin. Amaya and Ntobi were probably the total opposites. While Amaya took her missions very seriously and wanted to end them quick without fail, Ntobi loved to take her time with her victims. She was also crazily unpredictable at times, and would sometimes cause failure. As for Gin, teamwork wasn't going to be easy with him, due to his distrustful nature. All these things aside, they both were strong and capable assassins. She had trust in their abilities.

Amaya's train of thoughts broke when Death spoke once again, "As for now, you may rest, eat or even practice your skills, for your tests will start tonight! At 1200 sharp!" With that said, Amaya got up from her seat and pushed her chair in. The others have already started to decide what they were going to do before the tests started. Shitsui immediately headed for the Entertainment District as soon as the meeting ended, and Katsui and Lila decided to go to the courtyard. Amaya, on the other hand, left the room without saying a word. She was headed to the training area as always. Amaya spent most of her time training or hunting. People would often say that training has already become an obsession for her. That wasn't the case though, it just seemed like the normal thing for her to do. At a young age, she already spent her days training with her sister; doing anything else besides it on her free time just felt a little unnatural.

As she reached the training grounds, she took a seat at one of the chairs located at the side. She decided to polish her swords and get them ready for tonight's job; a habit that she had grown accustomed to. Amaya was already looking forward to completing tonight's mission. Not only did it give her the satisfaction to eliminate society's trash, but every mission they completed was another step closer to finishing them all. Whatever happens, she was going to see it through till the end.

I will not fail to captivate.

The silently chuckling standing individual persisted to wear the guise of an attentive acolyte, claiming to exist here to proliferate the numbers of the happy unfortunate.
Under the guise was a creature who simply desired to entertain. Jack's eyes seemed to be examining the room, shifting from one place to another rather quickly while partially listening to the words uttered by Death. So many possibilities and means through which Jack could please existed, he proceeded to manifest thoughts of ploys inside his mind. The remarks made by Death soon lowered him from his reality to what was unfortunately actuality. The abnormality of his wonderland became clear as he was no longer plucking hairs and ascending into amputation to entertain his fake imaginary congregation.
He peered around at his allies and noticed that Death seemed to need a hug. However disorderly and punishable it was, a hug is what was needed. Jack barely restrained himself as Death continued to speak.

"Before you all start asking how this information was gained, I collected it myself before I started this team. Concealing myself within the shadows, as I wrote down every single bit of information and taking pictures of the families, surrounding and even their guards."

Wow. He must be great at getting pics of people with their pants down... Perhaps I will require his services later hmmm?
Soon after this statement was made and Jack attempted to make a joke out of it, he dug his nails into his own hand. No noise would be made by either him reacting or the action itself. He made a distasteful joke. It was bitter and not clever at all. More self-harm would be required before he forgave himself. It was not a joke his father would have made, it was idiotic and a waste of the energy needed to come up with it. No punishment that couldn't draw attention would be fitting. Save it for later and pay attention...

"For those who are wondering what we shall find in these households and their warehouses..."
The images of all the shitty entertainment exhibited by Death aggravated him. He was not captivated by these forms of entertainment, anyone including himself could make people quarrel to the death, make other humans the equivalent of a beast or furniture, or even make others preform in a fashion that would gratify others sexually. Not willingly, but he could. These forms of amusement required no real thought. No talent. It was nauseating. He would have to show them all what real spectacles are.

In the midst of all his thoughts jumping back and forth between ways to tie the knot that would keep his audience from escaping and butchering them afterwdeathards, he missed much of what happened in actuality. Apparently they are being put into groups. Paired with Nikaido and Arua... He didn't know who anyone was here except and he would probably have to wait for them to find him.

"To reassure your questions. These teams will each attack an household through out the week! So be careful, because if one of you screws up, the entire team will be punished, or even in the worse scenario... Killed"

... I love his optimism.
Not his best but tolerable, this joke was passable in his book. Joke book that is.

Jack being new to the group looked around at his acquaintances and hopefully soon to be companions. One of them offering refreshments, two going into the courtyard, and many others. The boy and girl leaving the rest of the group received Jack's attention before he realized it would be too easy to make a joke... He simply stayed standing and observing his surroundings.
He eventually let a few utterances calmly escape his lips, "...Who is Arua... or Nikaido ?" Whether he met them or not before,he was poor with names. He grinned, hoping one of his allies would present themself to him.

Katsu watched her reaction to what he said. He turned himself to her and kept listening to her carefully as she told him her tale. He was slightly confused at the girl's initial surprise to his approach to Death.
"Well, listen up this is the story of how I became a Night Raid member."

A rare look of pity appeared on Katsu's face as she explained how she had lived before joining. He could more or less relate, having known the life alone on the streets. He heard a small shivering in her voice as she continued to speak. "I was making another run, but this was a big one, it was this drug lord Jonny, he lived in the Yellow District so you know he had money." He gave the girl a heartwarming smile, hoping it would make her speak more comfortably. "I drugged him... but the drugs didn't last long, when had woke up he saw me stealing his jewellery." She went on to talk about how Death had come and saved her. "After he saved my life, I chose to come with him, it was either that or end up dying from another run."

Katsu opened his mouth as if to speak but stopped himself, seeing the tears rolling down the girl's cheeks. After a few moments of silence, Lila ran past him, back into the building. He knew better than to yell after her. As the girl disappeared from his sight, a faint smile appeared on his face, glad that his new friend could at least feel sadness. Poor girl...

He started walking towards the training grounds. She'll be good to work with, apparently. For now, I should leave her alone... I don't want to stress her out more before the job.

Although Arua admittedly hadn't been paying attention before, his mind was quick to re-wind and re-show him what he had 'missed' while he had been occupying himself with his imagination and slight fears. The slideshow of the atrocities committed were quick to make him sick to the gut, and he couldn't help but think some of them seemed to be in similar situations as his parents had been. The thought of his parents was enough to make Arua take a quick breather and to whisper a small prayer for them, hoping that they were safe as before. As his prayer ended, a few of the younger members were already on their way outside.

Arua's gaze lazily followed the two members, Katsu and Lila, head out. He wasn't paying attention to their conversation so he didn't know what exactly caused it, but he figured that they were probably discussing something as teammates. How sweet he both thought and mumbled. Sarcasm dripped from the words that he let out. As much as he loved watching people run off to discuss their wedding plans, his attention was shifted once more, this time, to the boy he believed to be Jack, or at least, he tried to.Who is Arua? He stiffened, and quickly began to scan the room to find where the voice's source came from. However, it only took about a second until his eyes fell upon the boy.

"I Would be Arua, I take it your jack? Or do you have some other business with me?" He asked. Arua knew that the boy was probably Jack, but it was better to be sure. He didn't want to embarrass himself or waste the guy's time if he had ended up not being his teammate. He had found the grin to be a bit offsetting, the boy had a look too him that was too happy to be normal. But offsetting or not, in the end it didn't mean much to Arua simply because he wasn't that tough to weird out.

Nikaido eased against her crutch, Death was certainly an inspirational speaker, almost even reminding her of her favorite drill sergeant. After absorbing all the wonderful information, Nikaido moved on observing her new comrades in arms. More or less it was like staring into a patchwork blanket, so many individuals with a variety of stories, but each and every one of them had the one and same goal in mind; at least that's what Nikaido hoped. You can never tell with these kind of people, "her kind of people" as she'd like to tell herself; but killers are the unpredictable. One, two or a million, it never matters how many lives you've taken, a killer is not someone to be messed with.

Breathing in deeply, Nikaido brought her weight to her crutch and hobbled to her new little squad, who seemed to be starting a "get to know you" ritual. Nikaido propped herself against the wall next to the two, brandishing an awkward smile, "Wouldn't it be so much better if we had name tags?" chuckling softly to try and break any ice, "So are we gonna do a round- the-robin sort of introduction? Maybe we can hang out, get some food and introduce ourselves?"
Nikaido's eye darted restlessly, scanning up and down the two males in front of her. The pretty one was obviously Arua, as he stated clearly, and the creepy one was jack, also stated by the prior. Nikaido held up her free hand in lazy salute "Nikaido, crippled cyclops chick, total badass at poker, and veteran imperial guard dog. But you can just call me Mistress or My lady" Nikaido chimed, flashing a teasing smirk.

"I Would be Arua, I take it your Jack? Or do you have some other business with me?"
Any business you do not know about already was and is meant to stay that way. My night-visits are nothing of your concern.
Heh, Jack considered this statement ,that only he could ever be aware of , to be of tolerable flavor. He replied to his own statement that only existed in his mind with a chuckle. Although this may make him seem a bit deranged he did not care. Jokes that only the creator can perceive deserve as much as praise as those allocated. He would laugh at his own joke if he would like to, no matter how demented he would seem. After being sidetracked by his own thoughts that existed in a wonderland only he could wander madly in, he chose not to dismiss Arua and concluded his childish giggling. Well, he tried to. Laughter is just such a pleasant thing, even when something humorous is not displayed, it is quite enjoyable.
His laugh itself began as something rather natural and filled with euphoria. It was somewhat amusing to hear and was somewhat melodic. It was a way of expressing ecstasy with those willing to listen to your laughter. Jack's hysterics soon became rather inharmonious. His laugh wasn't strained but it became similar to the cackling of a killer after a mass murder. This depiction of enjoyment he forced into himself did not exist for very long, soon Nikaido had placed herself next to Jack and Arua making him force his attention back to his comrades. He then noticed he actually forgot what Arua said. Just dandy. Oh well, Jack got past his laughter and realization to attempt to remember what was about to be said.
"So are we gonna do a round- the-robin sort of introduction? Maybe we can hang out, get some food and introduce ourselves?"
"...Sounds exquisite, if somebody else is paying that is..." Jack simply didn't have any money. Well, currently. Slaughtering someone and taking their money was always an option the jokester is open to. Still, the idea of another person feeding him by choice seemed rather alluring.

"Nikaido, crippled cyclops chick, total badass at poker, and veteran imperial guard dog. But you can just call me Mistress or My lady"
Jack just attempted to store this information in his mind for later use. It was a rather jocular introduction and Jack was pleased by it.
It was then he remembered. "I Would be Arua, I take it your Jack? Or do you have some other business with me?"
Only seems right I introduce myself....
Jack took off his hat and bowed. "Jack. Jack Trottel... My lady." He placed his hat back onto his head before examining his allies. They are going to put on quite a show.

Gin sat cross-legged in his chair, lightly tapping his thumbs on his knees. His scarf was wrapped loosely around his neck with one loop around part of his head, a faint smile to be found on his face as he listened rather intently to Death. Despite being a guy of countless questions, Gin was a very diligent listener, especially when it pertained to work. Not that he really considered this work, it was more of a lifestyle choice, at least he thought so. Slowly he stopped tapping his thumbs on his knees, reaching for the laces of his boots. They went untied, as Gin had yet to learn how to correctly tie them and he didn't want to just keep tying them into knots or shoving them into his socks. Lazily he fiddles with the bits of lace, silent as ever. He diverted his emerald green gaze to the laces, suddenly finding it a bit tiring to keep looking up like that.

Though his attention was drawn once again as Death began to mention what they would find in the homes and in the warehouses. Gin didn't really need to look at the pictures to know, but he felt oddly compelled to look regardless. There was something so very different about seeing pictures of something and living it first hand, and Gin had lived through such things, unknown to those here. He had survived the abuse, the poison, the drugs, all of it. And seeing the pictures only brought questions to his mind. Were these people already dead? Would they be dead soon? Would they be able to survive life outside of their cages? Not just the physical ones, but the mental ones...? Gin lightly shakes his head, though his eyes remain glued on the screen, he couldn't force himself to look away, not that it really would have mattered now anyway. He'd probably be thinking about the images until something else more pressing appeared.

Having successfully ruined his own good mood, Gin carefully reaches his hands up and tugs on his ugly green and yellow scarf, pulling the overly large cloth a bit tighter around his neck. It was only a minor comfort though, he reminded himself as he unconsciously lifts a hand to the left side of his head. He begins to slowly trail a finger over what remained of his left ear, one of the last wounds that had been inflicted upon him before his escape. With the poison that had been in his system at the time, he hadn't even felt it over the agonizing feeling of his internal organs being aflame or the pounding headache that threatened to shatter his skull from the inside. Though he had noticed a time after he woke up, it wasn't all that big of a deal... it had been his first time looking into a mirror too!

Eventually names appeared on the screen. Teams. Gin wasted not even a moment to find his name, quickly scanning the names around his. Amaya and Ntombi. Two women he had seen about, but not really ever spoken with. Actually, he hadn't really 'spoken' with anyone here. More of, he just hung around and occasionally asked questions when they popped into his head, especially about things he didn't really understand or know how to do. Amaya, if he recalled correctly, spent a great deal of her time training. He had seen her a couple of times, but kept his distance, like he did with everyone. Then there was Ntombi, who... he knew nothing about. He had been here a while and he knew at least a tiny bit about everyone, sort of, but he really didn't know anything about her.

A frown suddenly forms onto Gin's face as Death would continue speaking. Slowly he lowers his hand and grabs his scarf once again, pulling it more up over his head and around his mouth before closing his eyes. So if any of them messed up, the others would suffer as well. Great... just great. As the conversation comes to a close, Gin slowly pries his eyes ope once again and pushes himself out of his chair. He looks around and quickly catches sight of Amaya leaving. He groans faintly and slowly starts to make his way after her, once again fiddling with his overly large scarf while he walks, mulling over possible outcomes of this 'test'.

So, the boy was jack. He was a little more silent than Arua had anticipated, but that is alright. Better than being obnoxiously loud, that is for sure. Arua waved at him and said "So you are Jack, aren't ya? Its nice to meet you." Although he certainly wasn't going to go about shaking hands, he did plan on acting at least slightly polite. He certainly thought that he was doing a better job at it than Jack, who appeared to be laughing at something. However Arua didn't say, see, or do anything all too interesting. Do I look like a dumbass or something? he asked himself. He blushed a little bit and rubbed his hands against his face to see if anything was on it or if he had just grown any city-size pimples.

As well as being able to introduce himself to Jack, Nikaido was also now part of the picture. "Nikaido, crippled cyclops chick, total badass at poker, and veteran imperial guard dog. But you can just call me Mistress or My lady" . She certainly did know how to introduce herself, Arua already knew more than ten times as much about her than he did jack. "Hello Nikaido, I would be Arua. Its a pleasure doing business with you." He hesitated for a little bit and then continued to say "I specialize is being a real assassin, or at least, i try too. I work well in the dark but not too well in actual combat." He then waved to her and his little introduction was over. A smile grew across his face as he realized that if anything, his team was going to be fun to be around. For although he wasn't all that fascinating himself, the others around him certainly were.

Arua glazed over the two next to him, and tried to size them up a little bit. However the most he got was that, despite the fact that he started to refer to Jack as 'boy', he appeared to be older than Arua was. With Nikaido it was slightly more obvious. However, she appeared to be lacking a few traits that people usually associate with people who fought for a living. One of those was a functional leg, the other would be her second eye. What could she do if her vision and mobility were cut in half? Was she some sort of ranged support type of person? Arua's mind was boggled by the crippled chick. While he was comfortable with their personalities, he was not so much with Nikaido's injuries. Arua quickly looked over at Jack to make sure he didn't also have any injuries, or anything of the sort. Maybe the cap thinks me and him are retarded and put us with the cripple for a reason.

"Well shoot! Aren't you two just the perfect men I need in my life!" Nikaido laughed whole-heartedly. Both seemed like competent enough, it was safe to say that she could rely on them. Arua had a good head on his shoulders, that much was obvious, although Nikaido could feel his doubtful gaze; more or less see it hiding behind his smooth features. It's only natural. She took a moment to gather her thoughts again, "Now about that food, I hope ya don't mind hotdogs and ice cream, I myself am a little tight on money... lost my last job a while back." Nikaido shifted her weight onto her prosthetic, "I know this cute little diner in the Market District, great food and the owner won't give us any trouble. Known the guy since my trainee days."
Nikaido wanted to get a good relationship with these two; it would be to everyone's benefit, she thought, no one would be able to really stab anyone else in the back that way, because who could ever really trust a killer? She smiled and propped herself back onto her crutch, "Well, I'll leave the address by your rooms. Meanwhile I'm gonna change my bandages, shit chafes my skin pretty hard." Nikaido huffed, jokingly trying to seem annoyed. With that, she left her teammates to each other and began the trek to the sleeping quarters.

Nikaido was still adjusting to having her physical integrity being torn in half, and it felt like life-- more specifically Death-- was really making her everyday hell. This was the exact thought that ran through her mind each time she approached every staircase in the warehouse; she was fine on almost any type of ground so far, but stairs are the bane of every cripple. Nikaido cursed audibly as she began to ascend, "I'm a soldier, I'm a paragon of strength, I can do this no sweat."
The two flights of stairs seemed endless, especially since she only made it half way up the first one, "30 more steps... Death is a sadistic son of a bitch..." Nikaido hissed as she climbed the remaining stairs, wobbling with little grace on the unbalanced terrain. When finally at the top, Nikaido gave herself a moment to savor her victory before hobbling into her room. It was well kept and organized, considering that it was practically empty, save for a duffle bag filled with all that remained of her life and a box filled with maintenance equipment for her prosthetic and multiple rolls of bandages. Tossing her crutch onto her bed, she shuffled through her bag producing a notebook with a pen stuck inside the metal spirals of it's spine, quickly jotting down the directions to the small diner. Nikaido would slip the paper under Jack's door later, since he seemed the most interested, but first she would have take care of her bandages. Nikaido sighed as she sat on her bed, undoing each strap of her prosthetic leg, feeling the sweet rush of her circulation adjusting itself to the lack of pressure. And then there were the bandages, she wasn't kidding when she joked about the chafing; red irritated skin welcomed the cool embrace of open air as she slowly unwrapped her leg and upper body. The process never really felt automatic, doubtful it would for some time. Nikaido pulled out a small bottle of lotion and began to massage the scarred stump where her foot and a third of her calf used to be. The feeling of her fingers along the patched up tissue still felt so foreign, almost as if someone else was touching what was left of her leg. As she went through the motions her mind began to wander, back to that time when she fought all those people, not for her life, but for the simple desire to die. Nikaido shook her head, and returned to re-bandaging herself, she actually felt rather hungry.

Alice

I listened closely while Death spoke, absently following his lips as he formed each words. I observed the pictures as the screens descended, noting when I saw a building that was visible in the image; each one could serve as a possible nest. However, something bugged me as the images flashed... one of the families had children. I had no problem with discharging a round into a corrupt businessman, but I didn't think I could ever pull the trigger on a kid... I shook the thought from my head as "Death" announced the forming of the teams. I cocked a surprised eyebrow when he mentioned that he and I would be on the same team, but I wasn't with another recruit.

Death offered further explanation, and I caught the card as he thrust it towards me. I flipped and read the contents, nodding in agreement and confirmation to the man. As expected, I would be a perched sniper, covering everyone's hides if they screwed up... I pocketed the card in my black cargo pants and kept listening. When he dismissed us, I immediately left the room, ignoring Shitsui's comments about heading to the entertainment district. The only reason I cared if they came back wasted or not was the fact that I'd be their cover if they messed up... I laughed silently to myself - What have you got yourself into, Alice?

I ascended the steps to the third floor, the sleeping quarters, and stepped into the corridor. Journeying to the end of the hall, I went into my room and closed and locked the door. It was a simple room by any standards: a boring paint job, one mirror, a simple bed and a desk. I slid off my jacket and unraveled the scarf from my neck, exposing my dark grey tank top, then throwing both articles to the bed. I stopped to examine myself in the mirror, a task of vanity that I did too often. I wished the girl in the glass wasn't me, she looked to confident and brave. I wasn't that girl; I was insecure about quite a lot. My blonde hair didn't always sit right, my face wasn't as smooth as diamond and I wasn't exactly the prettiest. I reached to my loose ponytail and slid it from my shoulder, exposing the thin, white eternal scar on my left shoulder that had been placed by my father's belt years ago. I forced back a shudder and replaced my ponytail to my to shoulder and covered up the scar.

Under my desk sat a black case, locked with a number code only I knew. In honesty, I wouldn't be surprised if Death had figured out my 4-digit combination, as well. I bent down and pulled the case out and lay it atop the desk. I entered the combination, 1-5-2-9, and lifted the lid, examining the 5 pieces of the rifle that lay within. I curled my hand around the heavy frame of the bullet chamber, before laying it back down. Beside the pieces rested 4 boxes of 50 rifle rounds, full to the brim. The case also contained a single, 8 round magazine, a black silencer, and a tripod for stabilization. Trigger mechanism to chamber, stock to chamber, barrel to chamber, scope to chamber rail, and tripod to lower chamber rail. I clicked my watch again. I grimaced at my time, 0:23.22, and I hadn't even put the silencer on this time. I strapped the rifle to my back, closed the case, and re-locked it, pulling it from the desk and replacing it underneath to its former spot and heading out of the door.

I descended to flights of stairs to the training room. Upon entering, I spotted Amaya polishing her swords. I'd never exchanged words with the girl, but I did know that I should never take her on in a hand to hand fight. No matter what level of martial arts I could accomplish, her swords would tear me to shreds. Now, give me a distant roof and send her running and I could shoot her down without thought, but absolutely no close-hand. I wandered to the firing targets and set my rifle on the table. I took the magazine from the rifle, and picked up the box of rounds, filling the 8 rounds and inserting the magazine into the rifle. I pulled the bolt back on the rifle and chambered the first round and looked down my scope.

The firing dummy was already littered with holes from my time spent shooting it. I reached under the table and took a pair of ear-guards from the ground. Breathing in, I squeezed the trigger once, sending a round into the target's jaw. I reloaded and fired again, this time pegging the dummy in the lower abdominal muscles. It was amusing to watch a target die from excessive bleeding when I hit the arteries in the abdomen, but unfortunately, practice dummies didn't hold blood. I repeat the firing process six more time until my magazine ran out. I then disassembled the weapon and began to clean it vigorously, tasking myself until 12:00 came...

When people think of the word "assassin", they believe that these people are highly-trained, ruthless, cold, calculating stealth warriors with the sole task of ending lives in the cleanest way possible. If anyone could say the same about Ntombi then they had to be really, really stupid indeed. During the meeting, Ntombi didn't sit down on her chair like everyone else, but crouched on the edge and fiddled with a fraying patch on the cushion, not even giving 'Death' the courtesy of looking up. She was, in fact, incredibly bored; the conference room was her least enjoyable room to be in. Solo missions, group missions, all the same, she's been doing them for literally ages.

Why call yourself Death if all you're going to do is take photos.... pondered Ntombi as she started plucking away at the sponge within the cushion of the seat. Everyone else was busy staring at the horrific images of torture, but Ntombi was content in finding out that the spongy filling of this chair was not a dark yellow but, in fact, a light green. Clearly, this information will be vital for the upcoming tasks.

"As for the jobs each one of you will gain, it will all depend upon these missions... So I shall warn you, for I shall also test you on your performance, teamwork and your own set of skills!" announced Death, and that was enough to make Ntombi look up in disbelief. She knew she wasn't the best of the best, but the fact she has to take this...this beginner's class really outraged her.

Since she was looking up, she noticed that she was paired with someone called Amaya, and someone else called Gin. As yes, now she remembered; The stubborn little mask-girl and weird little scarf-boy. Why must she be the oldest? Ntombi thought she knew of one other, Nika...Niki...something, she was around the same age, right? But she was a year older than the damn leader himself, from what she managed to gain from rumours! It was stupid, having to baby-sit.

Just then, Amaya up and left, without even bothering to look for her teammates. Ahhh, she's going to be the stubborn one...Ntombi could feel it in her bones. They both stank of inexperience. She wondered if either of them had even killed someone, watched their soul flutter out of their chest...Ntombi wondered if either of them could see souls. Inexperience. Ignorance. Ntombi had secrets of her tribe weighed in her mind that the pair of them wouldn't even imagine.

Ntombi stomped down the corridors loudly and intentionally. She knew where mask-girl has tottered off to, because she's spent long enough in the HQ to know where people went as habit. On her way there, she passed scarf-boy Gin. "Hurry up, cupcake!" called Ntombi, before breaking off into a run, jumping down the stairs twice at a time, and kicking open the doors leading to the Training room with an almighty crash.

"Right, brat, where have you gone and hid-...ah, there we go! Not much of a hider, are we? I'm Ntombi!" hollered Ntombi as she entered the room.

Ntombi herself wouldn't be considered intimidating in the slightest, even with an understanding of her assassin status. She was, however, incredibly tall and lanky, with a bony figure and pale skin. Her eyes were a fierce, darkened amber and she decorated her lip and ears liberally with piercings. She wore filthy, worn-down cargo trousers with various burnt holes in them, completed with combat boots. Over her vest was a fishnet top, and on her head were a pair of goggles. She wore many belts on her waist and legs, and these belts held little leather satchels, or little leather bands that held many small glass vials in them. And when she moved, she moved with her body, each muscle being stretched to provide extravagant, arrogant actions. She didn't walk, she strode towards Amaya, arms spread out and hips jutting from side to side like some sort of tempting enchantress.

"A....uh, Amaya, right? RIGHT. I knew that. We're going to be best friends, you and I, as soon as you stop buggering off to spend some private time with your swords over making plans for these tests." introduced Ntombi, eyeing Amaya's blades with a look of disgust. What kind of assassin gets close to a target, it's stupid.

Ntombi, with her complete disregard for personal space, deemed it appropriate to crouch down a little so she was practically nose-to-nose with Amaya. But she wasn't an idiot, she expected some sort of physical attack and readied herself for a dodge...but all in all, this was a test of her own. Would Amaya be determined enough to avoid attacking her own team-mate, or will she start the introductions off on a bad note? Everyone and their DOG knew that Ntombi was a complete and utter nutcase, but Ntombi knew they just didn't see the world with the same vision she does, and will remain ignorant.

"So, Amaya, what are -you- good at, aside from hitting training dummies with a bit of metal?" asked Ntombi, making sure to lavish her words with open hostility.