Paris. Did she really want to go there? She didn't trust the girl much at all. But then again, they were assassins it was their job to deceive and kill people. It's what they did for a living. They killed and they watched people. But what would she go if she didn't go to Paris? She was going to hang out in Berlin for a little while and get some relaxation, but now that she thought about it there was nothing to really do there. She was suddenly feeling the urge for excitement.. maybe it was cause she didn't get that kill. Maybe Paris wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.

She walked down the street and pulled out her cell phone and dialed in Keith's number and waited.

"Hello?"
"Hey honey"
"Oh, Its you. You going home?"
"No. There were some problems at the office. Missed my flight."
"Everything alright?"
"Everything's fine. Just meet me at my apartment. I need to talk to you about some things."
"Sure. I'll be there in fifteen."
"Thanks. You're a doll. Until then."

She hung up the phone. If anyone was suspicious they could listen in. She wasn't going to try to hide the conversation, they'd know right away without even having to know what you said that you were up to something. But no one suspected a conversation by two people seeming to be friendly now did they?

Her apartment was nearly empty. She'd only brought enough with her to last her the month while she was undercover. She quickly changed out of the suit and got into a comfortable pair of pants. The suit had almost no places to conceal a weapon, especially as tight as it had been and she felt so much more complete with her holster strapped to her leg. She tossed her few belongings into her suit case and zipped it up.

Keith arrived five minutes earlier than he said he would, and he didn't even bother knocking. Asuka didn't turn from her packing, she heard his footsteps long ago and knew it was him.

"You finish the job? You said there was trouble."
"Yeah, there was some trouble. There always is when something unexpected happens. The jobs done. The colonel is quite dead."
"Reeder was beginning to doubt you."
"He knows I'm not about to get myself killed for him. I'm not about to take risks doing a job for him that I don't have to. He'll have to get over it or get himself a new assassin."
"You don't like him." Keith was grinning.
"No. And you do? That's what I thought. I need to get to Paris." She picked up the packed suitcase and dropped it on the bed. "As soon as humanly possible."
"We've got a plane outside of the city limits. Incase something happened. Reeder's not going to be happy if you go to Paris, he'll want to talk to you."
"Too bad. I'm not going to London. I'm going to Paris. Are you going to get me there or do I have to find another way." She grabbed her black coat off a chair and put it on.
Keith looked at her and sighed. "Yeah, I'll get you there." He picked up the gun that she had lying on the bed and the sheathed knife and tossed it to her. She caught it in the air and stuck the gun in her pants and strapped the knife on her arm.
"Lets go."

Asuka stepped out of the taxi and glanced around. Still crowds. Not nearly as bad as New York. But how was she supposed to find Riya here? Or was Riya planning on finding her? The city was quite big and she didn't even know if Riya was here or not yet. Well, no use wasting a day. She'd heard that Paris was an interesting city, time to see if it was true. She could see the Eiffel Tower from where she stood. Okay. I've seen it. Not that impressive. What's next?

She wasn't in the mood to buy some over priced tourist map. She had the money, but the people that sold them just disgusted her. The kind of people that she wished had a price on their head so that she could shoot them and get paid for it. It would be a sort of community service. Rid society of something that it couldn't get rid of legally otherwise. She wandered through the streets. Yes. There was the bad music. The mimes looking dumb as usual with their strange expressions and hand movements. She never did understand the French. Maybe it was all of the wine.

Her dark brown eyes widened in curiosity, and she unwrapped the corner of the bundle and peered inside. What she saw made her take a little breath of surprise, and her grin was brilliant as she tucked it all under her arm and bowed curtly. "Merci, merci, Monsieur Farquar. Merci beaucoup." Then in a flutter of long, auburn curls, Riya was gone.

Five hours in Paris and she was already a different character, a different persona. Madame Annalié Levesque. A twenty-three year-old sculptor from Rien, with dark curls and dark eyes the color of chocolate. Her father was a Japanese ambassador, her mother another artist. She had all the documents, she had the accent, she had the friends and a loft in an upscale neighborhood. Once again, Riya was invincible.

But still, she was being hunted. And still, she was the hunter.

Boddington had followed her to Paris, and now she was following the girl; albeit, casually, for she was busy reconnecting with her many contacts. Her first few hours were spent in relaying information with Wilkes, who did not seem pleased that she had retreated to Paris, but had little say in her travels. He knew she had the means to disappear entirely and become a threat to the Wolves. He knew, and so he humored her. She was here for another hit. That, and if those Agents found her here, then perhaps a little entertainment.

She peeked inside her package again and could not restrain a tiny smile to herself. Trust Farquar to find her a special gift. Custom-made from a top Parisian gunsmith. She could tell, even from that surreptious peek, that the grip was molded for her hands. And, no doubt, he had loaded it with her favorite ammunition. Riya sighed happily and picked up her pace. Best not to lose track of Boddington.

Through the cobblestoned streets she strolled leisurely, careful not to appear conspicuous as she glanced around. Wilkes had advised her that the Agents were on her trail, closer than before. No doubt a showdown would occur soon. Maybe she could even get the other assassin in on some fun. Seems as if the girl would enjoy it, judging from her previous reaction.

Riya rounded a corner and caught sight of Boddington seated on a bench, her face turned away as she watched the passersby. With a little skip, she silently slipped over and seated herself beside the girl. Boddington paid no mind until Riya gave her a friendly smile and spoke airily.

Asuka leaned her head back and gazed up at the sky. If Riya would take the effort to disguise herself like that she must not want someone to recognize her and it definitely would not do to sit there staring with her mouth open. Not exactly inconspicuous. "Yes. It is quite nice. But unlike New York sunlight actually reaches the sidewalk." She turned in her seat to face Riya. "You know, Paris, it's not quite as interesting as everyone claims it is. Lots of people, nice open streets. But nothing exciting going on really."

"Oh, it's been so long since I saw you last, my friend!" Boddington gave her a startled look, but it was veiled enough, and it changed to a feigned grin as Riya gushed. "Annalié, bad me!" She chided herself flightily. "Here we sit on this bench, in the cold! Let us go to my flat, I'll make you some tea and we can catch up on old times. Come, come, cheri."

With another little laugh she grabbed Boddington's hand and tugged her to her feet, surprising her with a quick hug. But as Riya embraced her, she also let the butt of her gun press into the girl's stomach and whispered. "We are being watched. Play, and come along."

"Hâte, hâte, come!" She began to stroll down the avenue, her curls bouncing and her smile friendly with all the sincerity she had learned to fake. Boddington followed with an impressive show of excitement, and the two girls managed to hold the act until they had reached Riya's flat. The door closed behind them, Riya locked it, propped a chair under the handle, set the alarm system, dropped her cloak to the floor, and then curled herself on the sofa with her package.

The paper came off easily, and she withdrew the pistol, examining it carefully. Simply gorgeous. Boddington was still standing across the room when Riya slid her fingers around the perfectly molded grip, squinted and pointed the weapon at the wall, and made a little noise of satisfaction.

She glanced at Riya as she was holding her gun. Riya was definitely one of a kind, the first person that she'd ever met that actually made her feel nervous when they had a gun in their hand. A wonderful talent to have.

Still. She didn't have the time to sit here all day and listen. The Agents were coming closer, and she didn't have to see them to know they were there. It was time to prepare.

"Yes, that." She tucked the pistol into the waistband of her trousers and stood abruptly, leaving Boddington to head for the small kitchenet. For a few minutes there were sounds of running water and clattering silverware, and then she reemerged with two cups of tea. Moving around the sofa, she set one in front of her companion and tucked her legs under her as she coiled into her seat once more. The girl eyed her questioningly, and with one final indecisive moment of worrying, Riya acknowledged that she would have to tell Boddington. Wouldn't do to let the girl get killed unnecessarily. It just wasn't as fun when she wasn't the one to pull the trigger.

"Yes. Almost no one in the business hasn't heard of the SOTF. They have been known to cause some organizations some... trouble.. every now and then. Generally after someone taunts them a little too much. The Agents of Legion though.... I've never seen them and consider them more some twisted bedtime story meant to keep you awake than true fact." But Riya didn't invite her here to tell her bedtime stories... This had something to do with what happened on the street..."What did you do? That's whos after you right? The Agents of Legion and the SOTF?"

Riya blinked and quietly fingered the sheath upon her wrist for a few moments before speaking. "Yes. I do believe it is even more personal this time, as I killed the first pair they sent." She smiled briefly before continuing. "Eight months ago I contracted with the Wolves. I will not tell you under what circumstances. However, they have informed me that there has been another assassination order placed."

"It appears as if they are here. If you wish to leave, I doubt they will find it necessary to kill you. However, if you stay, then there will be much entertainment." Riya glanced up to meet Boddington's gaze, and smiled once more, a cold smile that softened her eyes. "More than that, I do not know. Surely they will make their move soon. I tend to be paid well following their deaths; perhaps it might be a treat to visit Berlin after this?"

She set her teacup down and slowly stood up and walked over to one of the windows and peered out. Agents of Legion. She reached back into her coat and pulled out her gun staring at it absently and then glanced over her shoulder to see Riya watching her. But suppose Riya was a rogue? She turned back to the window a minute before returning to her seat, her mind made up. She settled down and rubbed the barrel of it against her pants until it shined. She'd complained about there not being enough excitement, Riya had graciously offered to supply it. Could she really deny the generosity?

She set her teacup down and uncoiled herself from the chair, making her way through the living room toward the guest bedroom that held a complex computer system set up in the one corner, and the enormous table that was covered in papers and electronic equipment. Detailed maps of the city, communications from various sources, tiny cameras and wires and even a stack of microchips were scattered about. It had cost her nearly all of her fortune to outfit her safehouses like this, and she had countless flats and condos and lofts all over the world, from Zurich to Sydney, from Los Angeles to Stockholm, from London to Belfast. All stocked with with the equipment necessary to run a small militia and guard a royal treasure.

Boddington entered a moment later, and Riya turned to examine the other girl's shocked expression. It made her smile, and she retreated across the area to open the walk-in closet. A tug of a cord, and it was illuminated, displaying long walls and shelves stocked with sniper rifles and pistols, grenades and shotguns, M-16's and proximity mines and, in one corner, her prized possession; the rocket launcher she had purchased from a source in Russia. She would never use most of this equipment-- there was just something much more personal about a pistol and a shot to the face-- but Riya liked to be prepared. There would be no surprises if she could command such a repetoire of weaponry as this.

"There are... benefits, to being paid in millions," she murmured quietly as she picked up a long blade, more of a short sword, really, and slid it into a spine sheath that ran the length of her back. She attached a few more extra clips to her shoulder holsters, tugged up her pantleg to strap another pistol to her calf. Riya looked like death, with silver blades in sheaths that covered her forearms, with bands of tiny throwing blades circling her biceps, with a pair of high-power Brownings holstered against her ribs, and those were only the weapons that remained unconcealed. She glanced toward Boddington and frowned slightly. "You are not nearly prepared. Help yourself."

She left the girl in the closet as she reemerged into the room, circling the desk to seat herself at the terminals. A few minutes as she waited from the system to load, a few keystrokes to enter her passwords and initiate the programs, and then one screen lit in brilliant color, six tiny video screens segmented to show a street, a corner, a rooftop, and most importantly, the hallway in front of her door. Nothing suspect. No one lingering. She blinked in satisfaction and left the tapes running, standing to lean over the desk. Quietly she examined the maps until something beeped behind her, and she turned to watch the fax machine begin to print. It took only a minute, and she didn't notice Boddington reenter as she scanned the report and made a quiet exclamation of frustration.

"Kuso... rijan-ga kusotare..."

She picked a throwing knife and hefted it. Perfectly balanced. Light. Narrow. She poked the point into one of her fingers. And sharp. She wiped off the little speck of blood on her shirt and resheathed it, picking up a few more and strapping them onto her belt.

She scanned the wall deciding if she would need something more. She'd never been in the habit of carrying more than a few weapons. Normally it was her knife in her arm sheath, her gun at her calf, and another gun at her waist. She'd left all but the one gun at the hotel room today; she hadn't expected to be hunting a myth. She picked up one of the dual underarm holsters and slipped it on. So many toys to choose from. She grabbed two Desert Eagles and tested their grip before shoving them in the holster.

She walked to the door and took one glance back when her eyes widened. She picked up one of the guns staring incredulously at the handle. A circle with the outline of an eagle with it's wings extended. In silver. A Maessai. And Riya had one-no, several. She'd been trying for years to get ahold of one but they were hard to come by. Custom made. The best quality. And she didn't have the contacts to find the man who made them.

She turned out the light and left the closet, still holding the gun like some prized treasure. Riya mumbled something in Japanese.

"What is it?"

"There are three." Riya was grinning widely, definitely happy about it.

Hunting the Agents was not a feat of whimsy. She was one herself; she knew how they were trained, how they thought, how they moved and plotted and what they could do. It made anticipating their actions easier, but the same could be said for their anticipation of her actions, too. There was only one way to defeat them. She had to be unpredictable.

She handed Boddington a map without looking at her, continuing her examination of several intelligence reports as she spoke quietly. "Look at that. They will not attack if they might injure civilians. If they can, they will snipe. We have no such restrictions."

"We will attack them where they do not want to battle. It does not matter where that may be. As long as I remain uninjured, I do not care." Cold truth, but it was fact. She shuffled her papers and was reminded of another time she'd spoken such words. And just as they were true then, they were true now, and would always be true.

"How did you feel about seeing those guys on the floor? I mean… well… I know you weren’t TOO upset about it. Why? Why? Why were you not upset?"

"Because it didn't happen to me."

Thoth had understood. Boddington would understand. And Riya really could not have cared, even if she did not. If Boddington was not willing to do what it took to remain alive, then she was worthless as an ally, and all this effort would have been a waste. Should that be the case... well, there was no one to see her pull the trigger in this room.

"I will draw their attention. They will not be expecting you. You may keep the fees if you manage to kill one of them. But do not expect this to be easy. We are... well trained." An understatement. Riya had to hide a smirk, but it was not easy. She finally gave up and curled her hands into the documents she held, her midnight eyes sparkling with something close to amusement, something close to anger.

She set the gun down on a pile of papers and unfolded the map. The agents weren't allowed to attack if there was the possibility that civilians could get hurt, and like Riya said, they didn't have those restrictions. They'd want to choose somewhere touristy. The agents would follow Riya wherever she went but they wouldn't be able to make a move, and they certainly wouldn't expect them to make the move.

"If we're going to force them into the open we should probably do it around one of the older sections of Paris. The buildings are smaller, less places for snipers to perch unnoticed. And most of the buildings there are shops and resturaunts, big tourist area. There should be no lack of crowds, especially if we go around the evening. Although, there may be some difficulties getting there if we want to stay in the crowds. Public transportation maybe..."

She leaned over the map, not really looking at it anymore, just staring absently at it, thinking about later tonight. Of course it would have to be tonight. The Agents wouldn't wait forever for Riya to give them their chance. If they waited too long they might find their way back to the flat... They would definitely do it tonight.

Baka... she berated herself, and as she stared at the other girl and frowned to herself at the utter lack of knowledge, she found herself wishing for Thoth. Two Agents. We would be invincible.

It would just have to wait.

"You won't, until they start shooting at us." A clumsy attempt at a joke, but an effort nonetheless. She tried for a smile but failed. "You would not known I was an Agent, correct? They are every one and no one. But I have a plan."

"Oh?" Boddington looked at her curiously, and Riya nodded. "Yes. We will do what you said. I have a means of transporting us there; that is not a concern. In the market, you will follow me. We will look like friends. And once we initiate a battle... then you must help." She shrugged. "Even I cannot kill them all in such a manner."

She set the map back down on the table and picked up the gun, still envious that she'd gotten one of them. She put it in her coat pocket for now and glanced about the room. She hadn't seen any place nearly as equipped as Riya's. Not even the Soldats headquarters...well, at least since Phil was around. Reeder had a lot of the stuff sold because it was "pointless to have" once he took over the organization. Looking around she knew that Riya probably never used half of it, but better safe than sorry.

She wished it was only killing, and sighed, but answered.

"Anoo... perhaps a week? But I do not live here. It is just another place to stay." She shrugged, and examined her shoes in an oddly childish fashion before swinging them again idly. It looked like any typical movement, but she was stalling, trying to decide what to tell Boddington. Despite her best attempts to deny it, this human interaction was entertaining, and she had been lonely. It felt good to have someone to discuss things of this nature with. If Thoth had been here, there would have been no need to look for someone to ally with, but for lack of a better partner, Riya chose Boddington. The girl would not reveal her secrets, and it would always be fun to hunt her if she tried to.

Asuka pulled a chair out from the table and sat down. Berlin? It wasn't nearly as exciting or crowded as New York or Paris but it did have better beer and other things that Paris nor New York had. Sentimental value. Yes, Sentimentality in a killer could get in the way sometimes but it gave her an identity even if she denied her name officially. She didn't want to have people automatically associate her with her family. She didn't want to associate with her family, especially after what her brother did to her. The traitor. But Berlin held memories. It was the place where she grew up, in a time that her brother actually cared. It was where Phil had found her. It was the place that she went when she didn't want to deal with Reeder. It was the place where she went when she needed peace. It was the place where she went to remind herself why she really was in the business.

"Live in Berlin?" She chuckled. "Never live. If I tried to live there for very long my father would find a way to get me tossed into a military academy and have me brainwashed into becoming the thing that i've had so much fun killing these last years. Never live there. Berlin is a place where I visit whenever I can between jobs. " She paused, staring into space. "It's my home. It's where I grew up and where I lived until Phil took me to London to contract with Soldats."

Asuka glanced over at Riya only to see the girl staring right back at her. Feeling slightly embarrassed she got up quickly and walked to the other side of the room, hands in her pockets. She cursed herself. Not the time to get all mushy feeling and nostalgic. Phil was dead pure and simple. Thinking about him and the memories wouldn't kill those agents.

The logical solution was to be more careful, more discreet. Do what Boddington obviously did; take the time to hide, to infiltrate, to spy and deceive before taking the hit. If she kept a low profile, instead of just waltzing around and leaving bloody faceless bodies everywhere, perhaps the Agents wouldn't be able to track her as easily.

Those were all wonderful ideas, but Riya wanted to kill, not wait, and she was not unduly concerned with dying. She was becoming smarter each day, growing more skilled after each contract.

She was so untouchable that she kicked her feet a little and grinned.

"You will be surprised, ja? I live because I was their best student... perhaps they send the master." Her eyes softened at the thought of facing Hale, and the smile fell from her face as she imagined, the silence lasting for nearly a minute before she came to attention with a start and smirked at Boddington again. "Then I will kill them all until they send Tho--"

Riya paused, slid from the table, and set about picking up papers. She was not fooling herself, or fooling the other girl who continued to watch her. I do not care. I will kill them all. Even her, if I must.

She was lying to herself, but it made her feel better.

"Reeder? He's an arrogant bugger-lover. Wouldn't mind the arrogant part but he's got nothing to back it up. The guy's a complete moron. He's made a disgrace out of Soldats. The only reason that people have stayed is because it's Soldats. They all feel a sense of loyalty and commitment to it after what Phil did for them when he was still around. No one really knows how Reeder got command of it; everyone thought that Keith would take over. But Reeder had claimed that he was in charge because he was Phil's nephew and it *naturally* went to him or something... and of course he claimed it all before half of the people knew that Phil was dead. I didn't know until a week after. Keith and I were in Sydney after a hit. We didn't know that he was dead until we got back and he was in the ground. I still say that Reeder did him in. I'm sure that the IF laughs when they hear the name Soldats now. I don't blame him. I think I'll kill the asshole when I go back to London. If no one else beats me to it."

Just talking about it raised that old sense of hatred in her again. She was almost certain Reeder did it. No one else would think that they could do a better job than Phil. No one else, even if they knew they couldn't, would still go through it taking their own ambitions ahead of the welfare of Soldats. No one would have been able to run it quite like Phil and everyone knew it. The guy put himself on the line, put his own wants aside for anyone else under him. Always thinking of the welfare of the organization. He was the one who taught her to wait. He had taught her to kill. He gave her a purpose to life beyond being the daughter of Niklas Boddington. That's all she was back home. Niklas's daughter. Or Christian's sister. Here. In Soldats. To anyone who really seemed to matter she was Asuka. She’d earned her own name…because of what Phil had taught her.

And Phil was dead. The only real father she had was dead.

But now...

"Soodesuka..." she murmured, quietly arranging the scattered papers. It took a few more minutes of this contemplation before an idea came to mind. Perhaps it was not typical of her to make such an offer, but predictability did not lend excitement, and if anything, Boddington would owe her. Riya liked it when people owed her things. It made persuasion so much easier.

She straightened and raised cold dark eyes to meet the other girl's gaze, her voice the small, icy tone that seemed out of place in one her age. "There has been a contract placed on your Reeder. I would not take such work, normally... however. You wish to kill him first? If I lay claim there will be no interruptions. You... could have it, if you like."

Her generosity surprised even herself, and she turned her back again and continued rustling about, finally closing the closet door and heading toward the living room once more. Riya paused in the doorway, tilted her chin, and frowned. "I am tired. I will sleep until we are ready. I suggest you do the same."

But that would be for later. She wandered into the main room. She wasn't about to start poking around in Riya's apartment. Riya for one would probably not appreciate that much and she doubted she'd find much so she just settled down on the sofa. She contemplated taking off her boots but thought better of it. If the agents were after Riya and they had some how found the apartment she'd need them on. She propped her legs up on the arm of the sofa and pulled her coat over her as a blanket. Not exactly a featherbed or anything. But she'd done worse. And she'd been used to sleeping like this by the time she was 12. When you just wanted to get out of the house you couldn't be picky about your accommodations. Besides, being too comfortable was bad, you slept too deeply and couldn't wake up if something were to go wrong.

Nothing but a pair of feet propped on one couch arm, and a tangled mess of red hair spread on the other.

No other sounds, nothing amiss. She straightened and opened the door, slipping across the open space to look down at the other girl, still asleep. Boddington's hands were folded around her own pistol, and with something reminiscent of a comraderic smirk, Riya kicked the couch and then stalked into the kitchen, calling out as she went. "Get up, Boddington. We have killing to do tonight."

They ate quickly and in silence, styrofoam bowls of ramen noodles and mugs of tea as they stood in the tiny kitchen together. It did not take much longer to arm themselves once more, guns and knives and all manner of weaponry slipped into pockets and sheaths and holsters. When they regarded one another across the long table in the equipment room, both armed to the teeth, Riya could not help but remember better days, and thought of others she had hunted with, others with whom she had shared the kill. It made her smile, just slightly, before she threw a cloak over her shoulders and motioned toward the door.

Dusk was slipping grey and warm over the sky as they drove through the streets of Paris, her long white hair flying behind her in a snowy banner. There was no longer any need for secrecy, and she had abandoned the curls and masked eyes in favor of giving the Agents one last, true look at their reaper. She wanted them to see her for what she was, before they died.

She was Noir, and her face would be the last they ever saw.

Boddington smiled at her as she maneuvered the coupe toward the curb and slid from the seat, both of them straightening their cloaks and smoothing their hair as they looked around the crowded marketplace. Hundreds of citizens moved about, gathered in groups around the vendor's booths, seated in outdoor cafes, walking along the cobblestoned lanes. Dim streetlamps gave long shadows over the streets, candlelight flickering outside shops, and in the dim light they moved shoulder to shoulder through the crowds.

It felt strange to be hunting with a partner, she hadn't done so since Phil had died. But then again it also felt so strange to be approach her prey so directly. There was no infiltrating. No spying. No waiting. And of course no handsome military captains to entertain her during those times of waiting.

Tonight was a night to try new things.

She kept her hands in her pockets, one hand clenching a small throwing knife. She couldn't very well keep her hand hovering by her holsters, it would be too obvious. Until the agents showed up they wouldn't want to attract too much attention to themselves. And when the agents showed up she planned on being ready for them, even if it was only with a small knife. She'd never gotten shot during a job and she didn't intend to break her perfect record yet.

It was instant chaos.

There were screams and cries of terror as the marketplace erupted into a stampede, people shoving one another in their haste to escape. Even through the masses she could see three men trying to fight their way through toward her, and she had time tos mile at Boddington before she grabbed a screeching woman and took off into the mob.

Her hostage flailed and cried for help, but Riya only gave her a warning frown as they continued to battle through, knocking frantic citizens out of their way. A shot rang out and she glanced behind her, laughing quietly as her pursuers drew closer. They thought that they could catch her. She smiled and tugged the woman into an empty alleyway, careful to keep her captive as a shield, and it was only a matter of moments before the three Agents of Legion stepped into the alley and raised their guns.

"So thoughtful of the SOTF to send me three men this time." Her voice was lilting and playful, loud enough for the agents to hear over her hostage's pleas for help, and they tightened their grips on their weapons as the taller one stepped forward. "Drop your weapon, Kinoshita."

There was a shot, and the man slumped to the ground, his face forgotten in the mist of blood that floated in the air as Riya dropped her dead captive at her feet.

Shoot through the glass...

The second Agent was dead just as quickly, and Riya had just turned to shoot the remaining one when his head disappeared in a welter of crimson. She whirled around with her pistol ready, only to look up at the rooftop and see Boddington smiling down at her.

Riya smiled back, tucked the gun into her cloak, and waved before calmly strolling into the street.

When Riya paused Asuka turned to her in confusion only to see her pull out her gun and shoot the man in front of him. Riya turned and smiled before making her way through the crowed to an alley off to the left. That was an Agent? It couldn't have been. That was too easy...

She almost fell as the current of hysterical tourists swept her down the street. She tried to break past them but wasn't gaining much ground. If she didnt' get out of the crowd quick Riya would kill the other two Agents before she could even get near... and if she wasn't able to help with the kill of three basic agents.. would Riya still hold that offer of holding the job on Reeder for her? She started sprinting forward with the crowd, pushing her way to an alley off to the side, gun out with her finger by the trigger. She doubted that the Agents would go after her... but if they saw her with Riya she couldn't be too sure; she didn't know the way that they worked.

She glanced back at the chaos in the street.. she couldn't wait for it to pass, that would be too long. And she didn't know where the dead ends would be in the alleys. She leaped up and grabbed onto a fire escape ladder and pulled herself up and climbed up until she got to the roof.

"If they can, they will snipe. We have no such restrictions."

Asuka pulled her second gun out scanning the buildings as she ran south, towards where Riya should be. Would an Agent be waiting on the rooftop? She glanced out of the corner of her eye towards the buildings across the street watching for any movement. It would have been her preference to move a little slower, be less obvious, but if she did that there would either no Agents for her to kill or no Riya to join up with by the time she found them. The thought only made her sprint harder, hopping from roof to roof. This section of paris was old enough that most of the buildings were fairly close together but there were a few that if she weren't in such a rush she wouldnt' have chanced.

She heard a gunshot and she skidded to a halt. Close. It took her a minute trace the sound back to its source and to realize that it was the next alleyway ahead. She sprinted the way to watch Riya take out the third Agent. Her heart sank. All the trouble and she didn't even get to fire the gun that Riya gave her.

Something moved and her eye caught the glint of light on metal and her gun was up and her finger pulling the trigger before she could even think. She watched the bullet explode the man's head and the body fell to the ground. She glanced over at Riya who had already spuntowards her with her gun in hand and a body lying at her feet. Riya smiled back and made her way to the street. The cops would be here soon. Someone would have reported the first Agent's death and she would really rahter not have to deal with twenty cops. It didnt' have the same appeal as the one on one hits.

She tucked the guns back into their holsters and hopped down onto the fire escape feeling it shift slightly under the force of her fall. She grabbed the edge and let herself drop to the street. Tucking her hands in her pockets she strolled into the street where Riya was waiting for her.

Three Agents. Two civilians. Did it really matter how many there were supposed to be, anyway? Five dead, five hundred, she did not care. They could have sent thousands and she would have killed them all; as long as there remained a gun in her hand and none of the blood was hers, Riya was content.

She quickened her pace and Boddington followed suit, the two of them skirting the crowd and leaving the scene as serreptiously as possible. Sounds of sirens and more screaming echoed behind them, but neither looked, and eventually they circled back to her coupe and slowly drove home.

Finished. They had done it.

Riya climbed the steps and unlocked the door to her flat, setting the alarm and throwing her cloak to the floor. Boddington turned to look at her, and she could not restrain a smile and a little peal of laughter. She could still smell blood and gunpowder, and her midnight eyes were soft and luminous as she smiled again at the other girl.

If there were only three then the first person... It made complete sense. One of the few ways to force the Agents into action. She personally preferred to not kill civilians on a job. Extra deaths. Extra attention. But what was done was done and neither she nor Riya had actually gotten hurt and the hit was done.

And she'd killed an Agent. Not something that Most people could boast.

She watched Riya curiously as they made their round about way back to her flat. She'd seen the way that Riya had taken out the second Agent. She had no problem. She would have gotten the third as well if if Asuka hasn't shot him first. So why was Riya partnering up with her when she obviously didn't need one? She wouldn't even begin to guess... it would probably be unknown to anyone but Riya almost as much as anyone trying to figure out why she, herself, had become an assassin in the first place. Hell, she was set to live the easy life. Her parents had millions, she wouldn't have to lift a finger in her life if she didn't want to.. but now she got paid to twitch her finger. It was a great feeling.

She followed Riya silently all the way back to the flat and then watched her curiously as the girl started pulling things together and packing them away. Of course they'd have to leave now. The IF was after her and after taking out two Agents they would know that she was here. Things like this made her happy that she'd never gotten in so deep so as to have to be constantly on the run. Then again... it give things a bit more excitement, something that her most recent jobs had been sadly lacking.

"I am going to Hong Kong. Would you like to accompany me?"

Asuka pondered the proposition silently for a moment. If she went to Hong Kong it would be much longer before she got a chance to put a bullet through Reeder's head... but she'd never really been to Hong Kong and she doubted that she'd find life as exciting back in London or Berlin as she would traveling with Riya. How could she pass up such an offer?...

They drove in silence.

The private airfield was an hour drive away, but as the silence was comfortable, it did not seem like such a long time. When they arrived, she pulled the coupe up to the gate, scanned her card and spoke her name, and the gates slid open. This airfield was owned by a large corporation, one whose money was invested in many things, such as providing fiscal backing for the Wolves. Such operations ensured that Riya and other Wolf officials would not have to risk traveling on public airlines, and she preferred the jets and helicopters provided for her use. After all, one couldn't carry an arsenal on any other flight.

They boarded and waited as the small plane was readied for take-off. Riya threw her gear onto a seat and proceeded to sprawl across several more, her feet propped up and her eyes closed. A hint of a smile turned the corners of her lips, and she waved fingers at Boddington and whispered.

"Perhaps they will send four this time."

She smiled vaguely remembering running around her father's company jet with her brother, sitting on the pilots lap while he taught her to fly, playing card games with her father's men, eating bowls and bowls of icecream because her mother hated planes and wouldn't come along and wasn't around to stop her. She chuckled at the memory and to walked to the front of the plane until she located a refrigerator. No icecream. It didn't really matter though, she hadn't eaten it for years and her brother was long gone so she wouldn't be able to have a contest with him to see who could eat it the quickest and then complain about the headache that followed. She pulled out a bottle of water and strolled back to where Riya was lying.

"Nn, a little of everything," she murmured, playing idly with a thin throwing knife she slid from a wrist sheath. "I must see some people. I do not think more Agents will find us there; it takes them time to locate me. Perhaps we will have a peaceful vacation." The thought made her grin to herself. Peaceful. Right. Nothing was ever peaceful, not when she was involved. "There are a few names on my list. It will not be difficult."

Riya glanced over at the other girl and blinked a few times in contemplation before continuing. "Once my business is completed, I might be persuaded to travel to Berlin. Or, mayhaps, London. There is the possibility of entertainment there."

London or Berlin. It would be a bit of a treat.