Dark Path of Killers
Blood. It stained the blade and the arm of the man before her. She had missed. Dual dark chocolate eyes widened with panic. "N-no..." The child managed her eyes locking into those belonging to the man. He was smirking and pulling a gun from the inside of his suit. She took a step back, only to meet the ally wall. Her hand grasped onto the blade tighter, as if it were a lifeline. "Now why was a little girl like you hired to kill of me? It seems like such a sad thing, wasting your life," The man's smirk widened and he pulled the trigger, a bullet shot forward grazing her arm far enough in to cut into her flesh. Warm blood trickled down the limb, staining her tan skin and the sleeve of her shirt. "You're such a young thing… Who hired you?" Another shot, this time the bullet lodged its way into her leg. She cried out in pain, tears forming in her eyes, threatening to spill. But, she had to stay strong. Crying would do her no good. What would Mukuro think? Crying for just getting cornered, she would be called a coward. Her grasp tightened and her eyes locked onto the man's again, giving him no reply. His smirk dropped, a scowl taking its place. "Wrong choice, girly." The gun was replaced in its holster and the man sent a punch flying into her stomach. She coughed, blade sliding from her fingers as she reached to hold her stomach. Smirking, the man picked up the blade. He cut into her side with one swift motion, causing her to almost double over from the pain. Blood now stained most of her outfit, as she glared up at the man before her. The blade angled down toward her heart. Her eyes squeezed shut, a scream rippling past her lips.
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Bella woke up to the sound of her own scream and a crash of thunder outside the window. She was shaking, her skin ashen and tears streaming down her face. She didn't seem to register anything; her frame curled into a little ball just like the twelve-year-old version of her had been in the dream. Hetero-chromatic eyes squeezed shut, murmuring "NO… Please don't, no..." as her whole frame shook in fear. Pure undiluted fear. Another bolt of lightning and crash of thunder didn't help. Her muscles tightened, locking into place yet still shaking like a leaf in harsh autumn wind. Her mantra of 'no' continued, coral-red locks spilling into her face from their messy state thanks to tossing and turning in her sleep.
She was so lost to the world that rushed footsteps and the door being thrown open weren't heard. Nor the soft call of "Bella?" by a voice she knew for just over thirteen years now. Chikusa frowned, watching the woman before him. He had heard the scream, in the fact all of those in the hideout probably did. He had to tell Chrome to return to her room, that he would check it out when he passed. Chrome was better off not having to deal with a broken down Bella. The younger girl didn't need to know of the usually strong older-sister figure's darker side.
So here he stood, in the door way, watching as Bella shook in fright, tears staining her red orange night gown and her murmured words cracking. This hadn't happened in a while. The last time he had seen it was back when she was housing Ken and himself after failing to get Mukuro away from Vendici as well. She had been bandaged for a reason he didn't know at the time, and had woken up her two guests with a sound of a scream in the middle of the night that rang out almost inhuman, twisted by fear. Of course Ken was slightly freaked by it, but Chikusa himself had been the only one to check it out. Bella hadn't answered any of his questions then, but now he understood it a bit more. She likely still wouldn't answer any questions, but if he broke her from that trance she may calm down enough…
Adjusting his glasses that he had messily put on, Chikusa stepped forward, sitting down next to the red head. She still didn't notice him. Sighing softly, Chikusa reached out gently, brushing red strands out of her face with an almost feather light touch. She flinched away, which only caused his frown to tighten. "Bella, they aren't really there," He murmured his voice plain. Still no reply, by the girl's hand seemed to itch toward where she normally held her blades, only to apparently panic further when none where there.
Chikusa watched her, frown still in place. What else could he do? Bella was so lost to the world, as if she truly thought that dream was real. Though, what had been the dream that scared her so? The same Bella who could kill without the blink of an eye, the Bella who did whatever necessary to get what she wanted. What dream could have brought her to such a state? "Bella," He repeated firmly. She froze, unmoving. The man hadn't known her name. He had even asked who she was. Had he been playing her a fool?
Chikusa, noticing the change, let a small sigh pass his lips again. "Bella, calm down," He continued, "No one will harm you. They aren't there, only part of a long dead dream." A tear streaked face peered out from under a tan arm. Her mismatched eyes started blankly, tears still streaming down them, dropping off her chin like rain. Her voice ran silent, no words for a stretch of time as she studied the one before her. He was too young to be the man… And she couldn't see through her right eye. Had the man hit her eye and she just woke up? No, that couldn't be right… She felt no pain, and she was crying…
It was a few more moments to realization struck. Her tears continued, along with her shaking frame returning full force as she shot forward clinging to Chikusa's shirt as if it was a life line. This shocked the man, who lost his balance for a good moment before awkwardly looking down at the woman clinging to him, her tears collecting on his shirt. For a moment he held his arms out, unsure of what to do. He hadn't expected this. Nor did he really know how to deal with it. No one in the building likely did. Ken would probably panic and make things worse, and Chrome Bella wouldn't want to know. This was certainly going to be a mess. He just knew it.
Eventually he dropped his arms, letting them lay awkwardly around her slim frame. Since when had she been this skinny...? Of course she seemed slim, but to be this small almost made no sense. Had she been eating? Or maybe she really had been, and all her grandeur gave her an appearance that truly wasn't there. Chikusa's frown deepened, and he began his questioning. "How long?" He asked, knowing she would get what he meant.
Bella didn't answer for a moment, before murmuring a strangled, "Years…" in reply. He opened his mouth to question further, only to stop when she continued, "Since I… Was ten… They just got worse."
"That long…" He muttered. "Since before you met us, even…" He didn't seem pleased to know that the terrors had stricken her before she even began killing with her own hands.
"I didn't cry for them you know," Bella murmured, out of the blue, "Maybe they haunt me for that." Chikusa's brow furrowed, "Your parents…" He murmured, not really as a statement or question, but Bella nodded weakly in reply.
"Killed before me, and I shed no tears. Never have I."
Chikusa didn't reply. He continued to let the crying woman stay close, for even if her tears were lessening, he knew her fear had not followed suit. He stayed silent a while longer letting the assassin's tears run dry before speaking up, "Your strong, Bella. Carving your own path and not depending on others for aid in it."
Bella shook her head. "I'm weak… Unable to accept the darkness has no hold over me. Fearing that if I speak of it, that the sorrows will drag me down. I've dealt with it alone, because I could not stand to speak of it. Could not stand to show just how weak I was…" She trailed off, a fresh wave of tears spilling from mismatched eyes.
"Even the strong depend on those they protect. For with them to back them up, strength can be gained," Chikusa replied, "Tsunayoshi is a good example." His purple gaze studied Bella again, she had stopped shaking, and her tears seemed to slow down. Gently she pulled her face from his chest and looked up, watching him before smiling sadly.
She then turned her gaze to the window, watching the storm clouds as another clash of thunder with its matching lightning illuminated the sky. She was silent again, before murmuring softly, "Ya know, Chikusa… The dream has a bitter-sweet end." She adjusted herself into a more sitting position, stubbornly holding his arms in place. She didn't want to be left just yet, fearing the darkness would swallow her again.
Chikusa didn't question her, knowing full well that Bella would explain and soon enough she did. "It was my first job. He was a Mafioso that his subordinates felt was risking too much. True enough; the one that hired me was a rival who felt it was time to take down his cocky enemy. It started off okay, he was walking normally and I used my speed to strike. Only, I lost my balance, blade hitting harm instead of neck…" She trailed off her eyes glazed, and a sorrowfully mellow look on her face. "Two shots were aimed at me; one to my arm, grazing it but leaving a wound all the same... The other one flew into my leg, caught in place. I dropped my dagger after a punch in the gut, which he took advantage of. A strike to the side and I was down, Curled and grasping my stomach in pain, the loss of blood causing my mind to be a buzz."
Another pause filled the air. Bella frowned in thought, recalling the past with a vivid image of the events playing like film. "He aimed for my heart, striking my arm that I had begun to lift from my stomach. Sheer luck kept me alive. In pain I whipped my arm away grasping the dagger with my other hand driving it into the surprised main's main artery," Bella smirked, the look borderline sadistic. She looked back to Chikusa, "Though bleeding, I had finished my job, and was still alive. Of course, I had only made it half way to the hospital. I had almost died there even, if I hadn't bargained them with money. My position at the end of the list for a transfusion moved to the top. I was probably lucky that I am AB…"
Chikusa watched her before gently lifting her off him, sitting her down at the head of the bed. "You are very lucky, Bella." He murmured the faintest of smiles on his face. "Remember, though, luck won't help you through everything. And even if Ken is an utter idiot and even though Chrome can be rather naïve… Just, remember, you aren't as alone as you think. It would be poor of us to leave you behind in the sorrows of despair after all you have done for us."
Chikusa moved to get up himself, only to stop when panic spread across Bella's features, her hand clasping desperately to his sleeve. "Don't leave me…" She managed softly, seeming so much like a child. Appearing so small, so helpless, so in need of protection. How she managed that, he didn't know, but Chikusa didn't bother to find out. In the end he sighed softly and shook his head dismissively, taking her desk chair and moving it next to the bed, prompting Bella to lie down. She eyed him suspiciously, but eventually gave him, moving her hand from his sleeve and laying down only to clasp his hand. She had done so many times before, to drag him off, to get his attention, just to grin and smile at him. This was different, for she was depending on his presence to scare away her own fears. The roles were reversed now.
And even as Bella fell asleep, he held on. "Even in fear, you are just as stubborn… Bella." He mumbled leaning back and falling asleep right there.