Serena thanked Haruka as the blonde placed a bottle of beer in front of her. She felt Ami shift to lean against Makoto. It was kind of weird. Who knew Ami Mizuno of all her friends was gay? It's not like she had a problem with it. It's just that... you think you know a person. But you never really do. A dark blush colored her cheeks. And Michiru Kaioh as well. "Still trying to get over the fact that Ami and Michi are gay?" The blonde's blush deepened at Haruka's teasing. A husky chuckle sounded, to which Makoto's laughter soon joined. Ami blushed deeply while Michiru chided her lover. "Leave her alone, will you, Tenoh?" Four pairs of eyes turned to the woman standing by the booth. Rei grabbed a chair from a nearby table and sat down, taking a sip of Serena's beer. The blonde protested, reaching over to reclaim the bottle. "Oh, no you don't. We both know you'll be out like a light by the time you finish this. I am not carrying you again." Serena blushed again as Haruka and Makoto roared with laughter. Michiru tried to keep from giggling while Ami frowned. The blue-haired woman didn't trust Rei at all and her feelings toward her were boring on hostile, especially after the day before... "So, Rei, how was Charlie tonight?" "Ugh," the assassin grunted, rolling her eyes. "Flirtatious, as usual." "Hey, at least he never stops trying." "That's not a good thing, Haruka." "Rei," Makoto scolded. "You're a beautiful woman, you shouldn't be holding back from having fun." "I'm not hold back." "You're a bad liar," the owner of Abyss commented casually. "Drop it." Without another word, Rei stood and left the table. Makoto glared at Haruka while Serena frowned. What was going on here? "Serena..." The blonde turned her attention to the woman beside her. She watched as Ami hesitated before speaking. "Don't get too involved." "What do you mean?" Ami paused, her tone grim. "There's a fine line. Don't cross it, you might find that the results are life altering." Serena's brows furrowed. "Ami, I don't understand what you're trying to say." The doctor simply shook her head sadly as Makoto dragged her onto the dance floor. Serena turned to Haruka, who seemed to be avoiding her gaze. Giving up on getting an answer from her, she turned to the renowned violinist. "What did Ami mean, Michiru?" The elegant woman only smiled and sipped her tea. She seemed to be thinking of a way to explain it to Serena, but the blonde didn't understand what was so hard to explain. "Serena," she began. "Rei is a very attractive woman." Serena frowned in confusion. That did not answer her question. Or did this help Michiru in explaining it? She could only hope. "Of course she is," was her reply. The response gained Serena a look from Haruka. However, the assassin remained silent, letting her lover play it her way. "She has a lot of suitors." Blue eyes scanned the crowd, searching for a familiar flash of raven. Her target wasn't hard to find. Rei was in the center, easily noticed by her graceful movements and that killer outfit that showed off all her curves. Three guys were dancing next to her, obviously trying to gain her attention. Serena could only watch as the assassin danced, her deceiving form moving smoothly against each of the men. She made sure to give each a little attention before moving on to the next one. The man she'd just abandoned tried harder, wanting to feel her body pressing against his again. "I can see that," the blonde said dryly. Michiru suddenly smiled, her eyes twinkling with something before it disappeared quickly. Her attention turned to Rei as well. "She plays the game well." At the moment, Rei was dancing with a blonde. He was tall, muscular- the typical all brawn and no brains type. Serena watched as the woman slid a hand from his chest down to his stomach. She turned and pressed her back against him. The man eagerly slid his arms around her waist and buried his face in her silky hair. Just as his posture visible relaxed, thinking he'd won, Rei moved to the next guy. "I can see that as well." The smile on the musician's face disappeared. A sad look appeared in her eyes. "But that's all it is." "What do you mean?" Michiru paused. It wasn't her place. Haruka, seeing her lover's hesitation, jumped in. After all, Rei was her friend. "That's all Rei will let it be. The game, the abuse, the passionate night... and then it starts all over again. A never-ending cycle." Serena blushed, realizing Haruka's meaning. "She'll never let it become love." "Oh." Silence. The music blared all around them, yet the three were completely still. Serena was deep in thought, trying to solve the puzzle that had been placed before her. Haruka and Michiru watched her closely. "Maybe... maybe she hasn't found the right person yet..." "Maybe. Or it might be because she doesn't think she deserves to be loved." The blonde college student sighed and buried her face in her hands. It was so hard to believe that someone like Rei had such low opinions about herself. Haruka continued to study Serena. Things were getting more and more heated by the second. Those two might not recognize it, but she sure as hell did. Along with Makoto, Michiru and even Ami, though reluctantly. "Hey, what's with all the long faces?" Serena looked up as Makoto and Ami slid back into the booth. The brunette's expression suddenly turned serious. "Rei hasn't come back yet?" Michiru shook her head while Makoto glared at the blonde assassin sitting across from her. Ami's gaze, however, was on Serena. "Ruka, maybe you should go get Rei." Blue eyes gazed her lover. "No, she won't listen to me now." "I'll go get her," Makoto offered, standing. "Besides, it's about time Serena got some sleep." "Hey! I'm not tired." "It's two," Ami informed her protesting friend while her lover left to bring back her friend. "Oh, really?" Haruka chuckled at the shocked expression on the younger blonde. "It's easy to lose track of time in here, if you haven't noticed yet. But you better go; I don't think you want to stay out as late as Rei does when she's like this." Serena felt her curiosity peaked. Every time they came to Abyss, Rei usually decided it was time to leave not long after midnight. Actually, this was the latest they've ever stayed. "How late does she stay, anyway?" "Four or five, sometimes six." Serena's mouth formed a perfect little 'o' at the response. Haruka laughed again as Makoto returned with one grumpy Rei. "What is it?" the dark-haired assassin growled. "I was enjoying my dance." "Rei, it's about time you and Serena went home." "But it's early," Rei whined uncharacteristically at Haruka's half-command. Ami glared at the sulking and pissed off assassin. She was starting to detest her more and more. "Serena doesn't stay out as late as you do." The doctor didn't know she had spoken until Rei turned her smoldering gaze on her. But she refused to back down, though a shiver did run down her spine. Was it fear? "Rei," Makoto warned firmly, placing a hand on her lover's shoulder. "Maybe you should go home." The lavender-eyed assassin knew she was outnumbered and motioned for Serena to leave with a carelessly wild gesture of her hand. Her houseguest obeyed, quickly. "Good night, guys," the blonde said as her companion simply turned and marched toward the stairs. Haruka regarded Ami as Makoto wrapped an arm around the doctor's shoulders. "That was a brave thing you did, standing up to Rei like that." Ami nodded, hearing the amazed tone in the blonde's voice. "Don't ever do it again. It was stupid." Wide blue eyes turned to the tall woman, shocked. "Why-" "Ames," Makoto whispered. "It was amazing, but you must understand, Rei's not one to cross. Her temper is horrible, at best." Ami's brow furrowed. She wasn't going to let Rei scare her. She cared deeply about Serena, who was one of her few friends, not to mention her best friend. Other than Makoto, of course. "Ami, we warn you because we care about you. Rei has sent people to the hospital for weeks just because they looked at her wrong." A shiver ran through the short woman's body. She was scared. Not for herself, but for Serena. ......... Serena could hardly keep up with Rei as she stormed out of the club and into the darkness of the night and the parking lot. It was easy to see Rei was upset with Ami. But she'd been in a bit of a foul mood all day. She didn't talk much, only grunted and nodded. The blonde wisely chose to leave her alone for the most part. She didn't know why exactly her companion was so angry at her brilliant friend. But what she did know was that it was only on Makoto's account that she didn't snap at Ami. Or worse, hurt her. The blonde watched as she stopped by her car. Suddenly, the thought of Rei behind the wheel was by no means comforting. "Rei?" No response. Hesitantly, Serena placed a hand on the assassin's shoulder. The woman stiffened under her touch. "Rei." The woman snapped around, lavender eyes blazing. Serena shrank back instinctively. The fire in Rei's eyes dimmed. Quickly, she turned around, her back to the blonde. She didn't want to see the fear in those baby blues. "Yeah?" "Um... can we walk?" The assassin surveyed the dark streets. Serena was a smart girl, why did she want to walk back in the middle of the night? Especially through the dangerous part of the city? The answer came immediately to her, and she wished it didn't. "Are you that afraid of me behind the wheel?" "Rei, it's not th-" "Let's go." Serena sighed as Rei walked away briskly, her slightly longer legs and the speed at which she walked making it necessary for her to jog to catch up. She stayed a small distance away from the angry woman, afraid of her current mood. The taller woman looked at the blonde from the corner of her eyes and grunted. Burying her hands deeper into the pockets of her duster, Rei kept her eyes open, scanning the shadows and streets. You wouldn't believe what kind of scumbags lived around here. "Rei?" A grunt was all Serena got. "How far away are we from your place?" The assassin suddenly stopped walking. She knew there was another very good reason why she didn't want to walk. Taking a taxi was out of the question since someone could very well recognize Serena. Damn. "Rei?" "Oh, thirty miles or so." Blue eyes widened. She never noticed how far it was while in the car! How were they going to walk that far? "We'll call a taxi, I guess." "Oh, thank you!" Rei turned her head to see Serena's face glow with relief, realizing with annoyance that she had spoken without thinking. She couldn't help but smile slightly. Well, maybe someone will recognize her, but she wasn't taking it back. Not after seeing the blonde that happy. Now, Serena was walking right next to Rei. The assassin's demeanor had lightened, though she was still a bit moody. "Rei?" Silence. Finally, the taller woman sighed. "Yeah?" "Are you mad at Ami?" Her only response was a grunt. Rei's pace quickened until Serena had to jog to keep up. A fool could see what the answer was. However, the blonde wanted to hear it directly from her companion. "Well?" Serena bumped into her companion as she suddenly stopped. "Yes, I am." "Why?" An angry growl echoed in the dark streets as Rei stormed down the block, earning her stares from the prostitutes standing on the corners and the drunks. An annoyed and heated glare easily persuaded anyone staring to look elsewhere. "Rei!" It took everything the assassin had not to spin around, grab the blonde by the throat and squeeze until her face turned blue. Why stop there? Purple was such a nice color. A savage and content smirk appeared on her ruby lips. Sure, she never indulged in violence, but she was crazy to be an assassin and deny that she did enjoy in the occasional gruesome kill. After being in the business for as long as she has, one became numb to all the death. But some form of satisfaction was not at all hard to find. A sick and twisted one, yes, but a satisfaction nonetheless. "It has to do with me, doesn't it?" Which brought Rei back to the current situation. Serena was working on her last nerve. The girl was either really annoying or Rei was losing control of herself. She preferred to think it was the former. The latter might prove to be rather hazardous to other people's, especially Serena's, health. "Does it?" Rei chose to remain silent. The girl might be a bit naïve, but stupid she was not. "Well, the answer's obvious, isn't it?" Ding ding ding! We have a winner! Five points to the kidnapped blonde! Maybe even a parade, but Rei wasn't in the mood for a lot of people at the moment. "I don't understand why she doesn't like you, though." Finally, everything snapped. Rei spun around, eyes dark with menace, anger, frustration and a darkness that seemed to swallow all light within her. "You want to know why? I'll tell you why. Because I kidnapped one of her best friends! Because I took you away from your family, friends and lover. Because," Rei growled, the maddened look in her eyes forcing Serena to back up against the wall of a filthy building. "Because I had her by the throat and a gun pressed against her temple last night while you and Makoto danced. And you want to know what I told her?" Rei asked, a cruel smirk twisting her lips. "I told her that if she told anyone where you were, I'd kill her." Blue eyes widened with shock and fear. This woman before her was not the Rei Hino she knew. This person who held her wrist tightly was The Raven. "And I told her that I wouldn't kill her right away. Oh, no. First I'd kill Makoto... and make her watch." "Y-you'd kill your own friend?" "Guess what, Serena?" Rei asked, her voice low and raspy. "This is my life! Forget Makoto, I'd kill everyone in Tokyo if need be. And you. Remember that." Without another word, Serena broke free of Rei's grasp and raced down the cold streets. Rei could only stare at her hands and sink to her knees. God, what had she done? ......... Serena just ran. She didn't know where she was going, but she didn't. All she knew was that she had to run. She had to get away from that... that monster. Turning into an alley, her trembling legs collapsed from under her. She stumbled and crashed to the ground. Slowly, she propped herself up with her hands, her hair wild and her clothes a mess. Why was she running? "I'd kill everyone in Tokyo if need be. And you. Remember that." Tears stung her eyes as her bottom lip trembled. Truth was, Serena had forgotten. She had forgotten that she had been kidnapped. She forgot she was being kept from her friends, family and Mamo-kun. She had forgotten that the person she was living with could... and would, kill her on command. How could she forget? How could she pretend and think everything was all right? Was she stupid? Yes, she was. Stupid to think an assassin could be her friend. Stupid to think that Rei was interested in any sort of way. Stupid to have forgotten that she was a job, just a dollar sign. Thunder rumbled overhead. Blue eyes looked up at the cloudy sky as it opened upon her. Her salty tears mixed with the rain drops as both ran down her cheeks unhindered. Stupid. ....... Rain had soaked her through long ago. Only her leather duster kept her somewhat dry. But it didn't matter. She only had one thing on her mind: finding Serena. Heels echoed in the dark streets before Rei skid to a halt at an intersection. Frantic violet eyes looked around. Where was she? A primal scream destroyed the haunting silence as Rei swung around and sent her fist into the window of a corner store. What had she done? What the hell possessed her? Was she stupid? Yes. She was stupid. She was so dumb. She was a cold-hearted, thoughtless bitch that sent an innocent woman like Serena running off into the dark and dangerous streets of the slums. Guilt and panic tore through her. What the hell had she been thinking? Too late now. She had to find Serena. Fear gripped her heart at the thought of what could be happening to the blonde. She didn't like a single scenario her mind created. Her ears suddenly perked up. Was that... sobbing? Without thinking of the consequences should she be wrong, Rei raced down the street and into the alleyway. Violet eyes widened at the sight before her. A small figure was curled up in the far corner of the filthy alley; blonde locks covered the shivering form, providing no covering from the rain at all. Taking quiet and slow steps, Rei approached. Serena's blue T-shirt was soaked and gave her no protection from the elements. At least she had jeans on, that provided some warmth... if they'd been dry. But they weren't. Serena jerked away when she felt a hand touch her arm. Despite being frightened, she, for some reason, raised her eyes to meet those of whoever it was. There was no way she could make a mistake on whose eyes those were. But who was it behind those haunting orbs? Rei, or Raven? Concern and relief filled the fore mentioned eyes. Instantly knowing who it was by the change, Serena blinked. "Rei?" .......... No one could possibly describe the relief that rushed through the assassin. Thank god she found her! And she didn't appear to be hurt. Freezing, maybe, but not hurt. "It's me. Thank god I found you." Serena hesitated. Would Rei suddenly become Raven again? Was she mad at her? Would she... hurt her? Rei saw the doubts that raced through the blonde's eyes, reflected in her blue eyes. For the thousandth time, she cursed herself and her stupidity. She was such an idiot. But redemption had to come later. It was not healthy for them to be out in the cold while the sky poured a ridiculous amount of water on them. And being in this particular part of town didn't help either. Serena's thoughts came to a screeching halt when she felt a warm hand on her cheek. Blue eyes focused on the endless pools of lavender. "Let's get you home, you're shivering..." It was only then that Serena realized that she was, indeed, shivering. Taking Rei's outstretched hand, she slowly pulled herself to her feet. However, an hour of sitting out in the cold, curled up gave her even less balance than usual, not to mention legs that had fallen asleep. So, it was not surprising that she went flying forward, mentally preparing herself to get ready to break her fall with her face. Strong arms wrapped around her waist, steadying her. Her body pressed against a warm body, which was pleasantly both firm and soft. Serena remained like that, nestled against the powerful frame for a moment, too shocked and relieved to move. But she could not deny that she felt safe and protected in these arms. No matter what she's done and who she's killed, Rei Hino could still make her feel safe. "You all right?" Shivers ran down Serena's spin as she felt the assassin's breath brush against her ear. "Y-yeah. Fine." Reluctantly, the blonde pulled away, though deceivingly small hands remained on her waist to steady her as the circulation returned to her legs. A tremor swept through Serena as the rain continued its relentless assault. Rei smiled softly as she placed her hand on the trembling girl's cheek. Thank god she found her. Serena felt something warm run down her cheek. She most definitely knew that the rain wasn't remotely warm. Looking down, she was shocked to see red on her shirt. 'Blood,' she realized. Panic seized her. Had Rei shot or stabbed her without her notice? Where was the blood coming from? As common sense returned, the rampaging questions ceased. It was then that Serena took a closer look at the hand on her cheek. Red. She reached up and pulled Rei's hand from her face, inspecting it carefully. Cuts littered the back of the pale hand, along with two busted knuckles. Something reflected what little light there was in the alley. Was that... glass? "What happened?" Violet eyes flickered down to her hand and the taller woman shrugged. Her attention returned to the shivering Serena. "Here," Rei whispered, "this might help." Serena felt something heavy draped over her shoulders. It was the other woman's duster. "But won't you be cold?" Raven hair swayed softly as the assassin shook her head. Wrapping her arm around the blonde's shoulders, she led her out of the alley. Luckily, a taxi drove by. Rei flagged it down, helping Serena as she tumbled in and then slid into the cab herself. "Where to, ladies?" The assassin narrowed her eyes, effectively stopping the driver's curious gaze as he took in the sight of the wet women in his back seat through the rearview mirror. The blood caught his attention first. "Serenity Towers." The blonde's shivering had intensified, her chattering teeth destroying the silence in the cab. With a worried frown, Rei pressed a hand to her companion's forehead. "You're burning up. We have to get you home." The shorter woman leaned against the assassin as her eyes began to close. "R-Rei? I'm so c-cold." "Shh... don't worry," the dark-haired woman soothed, hiding her concern. "We'll be home soon. Everything will be all right..." Despite her discomfort and the toil that the events of the night had on her, Serena felt safe and protected. She slipped into the embrace of sleep, that sweet oblivion, comforted by the thought that Rei was there to care for her.
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