Trio Maxwell-Chang (trio) wrote in worldsapart, @ 2007-09-01 01:31:00 |
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Entry tags: | .50episodes, .logs, .writing challenge, jia ao long, kyler anson |
The Memory of Blood
Title: The Memory of Blood
Author: oneforsorrow and trio
Fandom: Worlds Apart (Original - worldsapart)
Pairing: Kyler, Long
Prompt: 038. Sin
Word Count: 834
Disclaimer: Worlds Apart, Kyler, and Long belong to the authors.
Rating: R
Warnings and Notes: violence
Meticulously avoiding the sofa -- he'd touched it briefly and got quite the eyeful -- Kyler curled up in a chair in the living room, a worry stone in one hand as he tried to focus on a book. It wasn't working very well, for his mind was with his friends, his heart aching.
The knock that interrupted his attempts to focus was sharp and loud, each rap echoing through the house.
Jumping, Kyler gasped and pressed a hand to his chest, his heart thudding painfully from the shock. After a moment, he got up and opened the door, peering outside cautiously. "...Yes?"
The Chinese man waiting just beyond the door wore a dark grey suit, the shirt beneath a muted blue. He brushed past Kyler without being invited in, stepping inside and moving to shut the door without asking.
Blood covered his hands, dripping from the knife held in them as he twisted to another victim, his body so graceful it almost seemed like dancing, but the only music was the wet 'schlick' of metal stabbing flesh...
Kyler froze, his eyes going wide as he felt the blood covering his hands for a long, sickening moment. "What... Who are you?" he asked dazedly, dizzy from shock.
"Long," came the quiet response, the voice sounding almost deadened. "I'm here to offer my services."
"Assassin," Kyler whispered. "You're good at what you do..."
"You've heard of me?" the man asked, turning to face Kyler with an arched eyebrow.
Kyler shook his head slowly. "I saw," he explained slowly. "...Why are you here?"
"What do you mean, you saw?" Long asked softly, his voice dangerously low as he stepped closer to Kyler.
"I saw," Kyler murmured. "You touched me and I saw."
"A psychic?" Long asked, tilting his head as he examined Kyler carefully.
Kyler nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing as he eyed the newcomer. "Yes. You didn't answer me -- why are you here? What did you mean by 'offering your services'?"
"You have a problem, don't you?" Long asked quietly, moving to sit down on the couch that Kyler was avoiding, hands folded in his lap. "I can clean it up."
"...How?" Kyler sank down in his chair, deeply wary of the man. "And why?"
"I've gotten rather good at taking care of the rogues," Long murmured, watching Kyler. "You're not the leader, though."
Kyler blinked and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, I'm not the leader? Not the leader of what?"
"The man, Aurèle. You're not him," Long said quietly. "He's the one I intend to talk to."
"He's out right now, so I'm the one to talk to," Kyler returned, firmly.
"Then to put it simply, I intend to kill on your behalf," Long said quietly.
"We have no means of paying you." Kyler picked up his worry stone again, once more rubbing his thumb along the indentation.
"I'll take my payment from my victim," Long countered.
Kyler watched Long for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Acceptable. We need all the help we can get."
"This particular mage has been a thorn in my side for many years," Long admitted. "I will do what I can for the others, but he is the one I'm after."
"We need to get rid of the blood mage, and we need to get the others back. Who does what doesn't matter, as long as everyone turns out safe," Kyler said after a moment.
"Then we're agreed," Long nodded, rising from where he sat and moving to stand in front of Kyler. "But you never offered your name."
Kyler rose, then hesitantly offered his hand. "Kyler Anson," he said quietly. "It's... a pleasure to meet you."
Long looked at the hand for a long minute, then slowly grasped it, holding it firmly as he nodded. Pain as bullets pierced him, his body crumpling to the floor and the knife clattering beside him, still covered in his target's blood.
Gasping sharply, Kyler wobbled a little, but kept his grip on Long's hand for several moments before finally letting go.
Long watched him, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What do you see?" he asked softly.
"...You were shot," Kyler murmured. "After a kill."
"Yes, I was," Long agreed quietly, frowning. "What else do you know about me?"
"Not much else yet." Kyler offered a faint smile, though no mirth reached his eyes.
Long watched him for a moment, then glanced at the door, frowning. "You will be my contact. No one else," he informed Kyler. "Understood?"
"As you wish," Kyler said softly. "When will I be able to talk to you again?"
"Three days," Long said, bowing slowly to Kyler. "I will find you."
"I'll see you then..." Kyler hesitated, then bowed to Long in turn.
Long turned, slipping out of the house quietly before Kyler could say anything more, but careful not to touch the psychic again.
Kyler watched him go, then sat shakily down, his mind buzzing with all the things he'd seen -- and felt.