The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

My past is... confusing at best. I try not to think about it too much. It’s just better that way. They say that everyone is actually two people inside, the person they are, and the person they pretend to be. Pretty rhetoric, but in my case it’s actually true. I am two people... no. That is confusing. I am one person, but two minds. I once lived two separate lives, one as a young girl, the other as an older woman, and strange as it is to look back at it now, I can honestly say that I am both the same and completely different that the people I used to be.

It’s sometimes tough trying to reconcile the face I see every day in the mirror with my own mental image of myself, the person that I am inside my mind. Or... the persons I used to be. Memories are jumbled, and they overlap, and sometimes skew. Still, they’re my memories, so I simply accept them, and choose to deal primarily in present, not the past. But... I am compelled to speak, so I speak. With that in mind, this is my past.

My life began when I was six years old. I do not know my birth date, or anything about my early childhood. If I even had one, which I sometimes doubt, it has been irretrievably erased from existence. I had a family, a mother and a father, though I don’t remember their faces, their voices... anything about them other than the fact that they existed. I know they lived, however, because my life began on the day that they died.

I was a young woman then, sixteen years of age, and easily the most skilled and most promising member of the ninkyo dantai, of Japanese Yakuza, as they are more widely known. When my senpai noticed my skill, he had me inducted into the assassin program to learn the skill of the ninja. You’ve always wondered about my irezumi... the exquisitely etched tiger tattoo on my back? It was given to me when I was first inducted, and finally completed on the day I ‘graduated’ by making my first kill.

On that special day, I woke up from my bed at the sound of my mother screaming. I crept to my door and opened it just a crack, peeking out. The first thing I noticed was the blood, pooled all around my father, who lay slumped on the floor. My young six year old mind couldn’t fully comprehend then what was happening, but I knew it was bad. My mom screamed again, and I leaned forward, losing my grip on the door which swung inward. I then saw my mother, down on floor, staring up into the face of her killer, whose sword was raised up high, as if to give the final blow.

I glanced over at the sound of the sudden intrusion, just as I was about to finish off the woman. I was a bit surprised to see a little girl in pink pajamas staring at me, wide-eyed in fright. The couple’s daughter, I realized quickly. The father was an English detective with Interpol, a thorn in the collective side of our clan, and I’d been sent to deliver a very clear message by killing the entire family. I’d taken the care of the Inspector easily enough, but his wife had managed a warning scream before I could end her as well. Sixteen years raised as a heartless killer had left me an emotionally void, but when I saw her, staring at me, as I was about to strike down her mother... I don’t know. Something strange passed between us, in that moment. I don’t know how to describe it, exactly. I felt fear, for the first time in many years, and it was coming from her. It lasted only a few moments, as the girl screamed. and ran back into her room. The instant she turned away, I was myself again. I finished the woman, and went into the room after the girl.

The scary woman with the sword caught me, and dragged me back from underneath the covers of the bed where I’d hidden. I know it was stupid, knew that she had already seen me watching, and that hiding under the covers never worked, but it was all I could think of to do. As she held me by my arm, staring down at me like some dark-haired angel of death, I started to cry, silently. Tears started to run down my cheeks, but I didn’t sob, didn’t scream, or even try to fight. It was like... I knew I was going to die. The woman was going to cut me up with her sword the same way she had my parents, and there was nothing I could do about it. I was scared, and I was sad... but I think that a small part of me had accepted the situation, and knew that provoking this woman would only make things worse.

The girl started crying, but wasn’t making any sound. It was... very strange. A young girl her age, having just witnessed her parents’ death, she should have screamed bloody murder, or tried to get away, or... something. It was like she was in shock. It put me off my game. If she’d tried to fight, or scream or even sob pitifully, I would have dealt with her the way I dealt with any problem or obstacle in my way. I would have simply killed her on the spot. But she didn’t do any of those things. She simply sat there, crying silently, quiet and motionless.

I looked up at the woman.

I stared down at the little girl.

Our eyes met.

Our eyes met.

And something...

...just...

...clicked.

I couldn’t do it. I don’t know how she did it, or even what she did, but I couldn’t kill her. I did, however, recognize what a rare treat I’d stumbled across. All over the world there were tales about Supers, people born with special powers and abilities. Some were good, some evil, all possessing strange uncanny abilities beyond those of normal people. One might say that I was such an individual, that my reflexes and agility which seemed to far exceed those of my fellow shinobi, but I think it was born to fill that role, the way great ballerina and gymnasts are born to be what they are. This girl, however, was special. Even though letting her live went against the direct orders of my shateigashira, and there would undoubtedly be consequences, I knew that the girl’s value alive more than outweighed her value dead.

I felt numb, inside and out. The whole thing was so traumatic, so emotionally draining, that it had given me a headache. Not to mention the fact that it was the middle of the night, and I’d been woken from a sound sleep. I was tired, weary, and now, suddenly alone in the world. The woman put her sword back in its sheath, then reached down to pick me up. “You’re coming with me, girl,” she said in Japanese, which I understood thanks to the tutors my father had arranged for me while we were in the country. Still, the basic idea was that she wasn’t going to kill me at this moment, and I responded by promptly passing out cold.

As expected, my sempai was extremely angry when he saw me return with the child. It took a lot of convincing to bring him around, but eventually he did agree with me that a prize such as this was simply too valuable to kill out of hand. The girl’s status was still questionable, however. He said that he would speak to the shateigashira himself, to explain the situation. If he felt the girl should be killed, then I would do so, with my sword, and perform the usual penance for my misdeed. If, however, he agreed with my suggestion, then, my sempai announced, I could possibly be rewarded for my valuable discovery, and perhaps receive a small promotion in rank. Which translated into me taking full blame, or him taking the credit and passing on a bit of praise and a pat on the back, if the boss agreed that I’d made the right call. Which, luckily for all involved, he did.

When I woke up, I was in a strange place, lying face down in a strange bed. I was completely naked, my pajamas long gone, and I felt tingly all over. My head felt funny, like the time I’d sneaked a drink of father’s brandy, and unlike the rest of me, which was really warm, my neck and back felt really really cold. A small wrinkled old woman walked over to me. I tried to sit up, or turn my head to face her directly, but I couldn’t move. My hands and feet were tied to the bedposts, but the strange thing was that they seemed paralyzed, like I wouldn’t be able to move them even without the ropes. Then there was a touch, a soft little prickle against my skin... and then everything went sideways.

I was present when Kagero-sama inserted the pins, just as she’d done to me all those years ago. I liked to think of myself as being more in touch with the ‘old ways’ than some of my other shinobi, preferring the traditional weaponry of the katana, the wakizashi, throwing knives and stars to those of handguns uzis and rifles. Perhaps that was why watching her work so fascinated me. Kagero was a sixth generation acupuncturist, daughter and student of Madame Aki, who once served as the former Kumicho of our Aizukotetsu-kai clan. From what I hear she was a genius in a family of geniuses. Watching the young girl’s eyes glaze over with just a slight touch and twist of a particular pin, I could only marvel at her skill.

The old woman began speaking to me, but her words sounded funny. Echoey. Or maybe her voice was normal, but her words were echoing because my mind was so empty. Either way, her every syllable burned its way into my consciousness, etching itself into the very folds of my brain: I belonged to the clan. I would be loyal. I would be obedient. I belonged to the clan. My past was nothing, a dream, a vapor in the wind. My life would began tonight. I would give my all to the clan. The clan was my family. I would be loyal. I would be obedient. I belonged to the clan. I belonged to the clan...

I belonged to the clan... I had to shake my head to clear it after a moment. The same thoughts ran through my head as well, almost word for word, and it was so easy to get sucked into it. Looking on from an outsider’s point of view, it might seem evil or heartless to subvert a person’s control and put unbreakable mental suggestions deep within their subconscious. To me, however, a member of the clan, as loyal and devoted as this young girl would soon be, it seemed only natural, only fitting. Yakuza is family. And a family, like a good chain, is only as strong as its weakest link. Kagero-sama’s methods, like those of her predecessors, were necessary to ensure strength of unity.

“It is done,” she said after a while. “The girl should rest now, and recover her strength. Tomorrow she begins her training. I have consulted with oyabun-sama, and it has been decided that she will train to be an assassin, like yourself. You will act as her sempai, and train her to the best of your ability.”

I bowed slightly. “I am honored at your faith in me. I shall not let you down.”

Time marches on. I was trained from that day forward in the martial arts, as well as gymnastics, to keep myself tone and flexible. While I was nowhere as fast as graceful as my teacher, I was a good student. I learned quickly, and I never made the same mistake twice. I found I had an affinity for the wakizashi in particular, which I’m proud to say I wielded even better than Rei. I’ll never forget the first time I ever disarmed her. It was late at night, and we’d been training pretty much non-stop since morning. She was trying to get me to learn to act instead of merely reacting to her attacks, to get me to try and tap into some kind of killer instinct. I was tired, and grumpy, and frankly getting a little sick of being tagged with that damned wooden sword over and over. Something inside me just snapped... and ducked away, rolling, and managed to connect with a backspin flourish and knock her off her feet. I stared down at her in shock, and fear, thinking ‘Oh my God what have I done!’ Instead of berating me, or getting angry, Rei smiled at me. stood up and dusted herself off, and patted me lightly on the head.

I told her good job. It was the first time she’d stopped playing the part of a student and acted like a true combatant. She’d truly knocked me for a loop, that flourish move coming literally from out of nowhere. Yeah, I smiled. Hell, I was impressed.

It was the first time Rei-sama had ever smiled at me. It made my heart flutter strangely, and I found myself hoping it wouldn’t be the last time.

Perhaps it was the break in routine. I’d never praised her before, even when she was doing well. More likely it was her spirit... her warmth. She was such a child inside, really; even as the years of harsh treatment and constant training had taken changed her physically, inside, she remained just as warm and caring and affectionate as a ‘normal’ little girl her age would have been. After eight years as a member of the Yakuza, she still had a.. a... kind of glow about her. True, she’d yet to ‘pop her cherry’, so to speak. I’d brought her along with me on several jobs, assisting me, helping with prep work, and disposal, but she’d never actually killed anyone. And, I’m ashamed to say, I was half hoping she would never have to. I didn’t want that see that spark of warmth in her die out. I made my first kill at age nine, and it’s true what they say. I was never the sweet adorable thing that Veronica was, but the day that I’d knowing killed another human being something inside of me died. The idea of that happening to her... it actually made me sad.

The dynamic between us changed that night. I still considered Rei to be my nee-chan, but she started looking on me as an equal, in ability and in status. At least in private. It was nice, but... well, strange. I didn’t really know how to react, at first. What do you do when the hard-nosed, drill sergeant of a teacher suddenly shows she has a softer human side, and starts spending personal time with you? Again, it was nice... but very strange. I still got those fluttery feelings a lot when she came close to me, or when she touched me. It took me several more months to figure out what it was... the first stirrings of love. Which I strove with all my heart to hide from her. Girl-girl love isn’t... well, prohibited, or anything, but it is taboo, and frowned upon. Plus, I didn’t know how Rei felt about me, if she had any inclination towards me at all. I was really confused. And, while I wasn’t exactly living a sheltered life or anything, I didn’t have much in the way of guidance to draw from. Less than three percent of our clan were women, and most of them were outside of the Kyoto province.

The training continued. Having taught her all of my techniques, the rest of her training would go to honing those skills to razor sharp perfection. The wooden swords were replaced with the real thing, dull edged, of course, but blades of steel nonetheless. I was confident that she could handle it, and she proved me right. Within three months, our training sessions had progressed to sparring matches. While she would never be able to match my natural speed or reflex reaction time, she was exceptionally intuitive, and phenomenal at reading her opponent. No doubt much of that came from her blossoming psychic talents, for that was truly what they were. Her powers were harder to train, however, as she could never engage them with any degree of consistency. It was ruled by her subconscious mind, I realized some time later, noting that it seemed to come to bear mostly by instinct, giving her that extra second or two of foresight she needed to react in order to save herself. I thought on this long and hard, trying to think of a way to help her gain full control of her ability, but in the end, the answer was simplicity itself.

When Rei-sama said she wanted to hypnotize me, I was a bit concerned. Not that I didn’t trust her implicitly. She was my nee-chan, my big sister, and I trusted her more than anyone else alive. I already trusted her with my life every time we sparred, so what concern was it to trust her with my mind? No, my only fear was that when she had complete control over my mind, I wouldn’t be able to hide anything from her, including the one secret I most needed to keep—my true feelings for her. I whimpered softly as she set up the candles and incense used to bring me into a tranquil state. I didn’t want to resist. I wanted to let her lead me wherever she wanted me to go. But...

It was easy to take her down into a light trance. Maybe it was something about that psychic connection between us, maybe it was something more, but I found it very easy to guide her mind where I most needed it to go. I sensed there was something she was uncomfortable about, some small secret that she feared I would make her reveal, but I was doing this to help her gain control of her powers. Yes, I was curious, but I trusted Veronica. When she was ready to share, she would. In the meantime, she responded very well as I took her deeper, all but silencing her conscious mind, leaving her subconscious open and receptive. In retrospect, what happened next shouldn’t have been such a surprise, giving the environment and the type of training I’d been putting her through, but at the time, it was completely unexpected.

Rei’s voice resonated deep within me. There was virtually no separation from her words to my actions, with that pesky ability to think temporarily removed. “Try to visualize your power as... as a weapon,” she told me, “as one that you can wield as deftly and as skillfully as you wield your the wakazashi your carry. Now... reach out with your powers... and strike!” Again, I didn’t think. I couldn’t think. I could only obey, and obey I did. I felt something... an energy, a presence... like a part of my own life essence, stretching out through my sword arm, coalescing into my hand, and without hesitation or thought, I struck forward.

I was struck, stabbed, pinned by a dagger of glowing light that seemed to be coming from out of the back of her hand! I was frozen, both figuratively and literally, unable to move, unable to think, my mind, body, hell even my SOUL, pierced to their very core. It was like I was on ‘pause’... and then, abruptly, it was over. I lay down on the floor, eyes open and unseeing, for who knows how long before my brain started working again. Getting back to my feet, I saw Veronica still sitting there, still deep in tranced, completely unaware of what had happened...

Needless to say, I was stunned when I discovered later what had happened. I hadn’t intended to attack nee-san; I didn’t even remember anything from the moment she told me to stare into the candle’s flame and let my mind go still! It was exciting, in a way, though, to discover a way to use my strange abilities in a way to benefit the clan. Training began anew, until I was able to wield my new ‘psychic blade’ at will, until I could flawlessly incorporate it into my fighting style. My sixteenth birthday was only a week away when nee-san pronounced me a master of the technique. Even as she said the words, however, I could sense her forced lightheartedness, betraying a strange sadness she was hiding from me. When I asked her about it, she merely smiled, and shook her head, telling me that I was just imagining things.

For the first time in my life, I felt torn. I believed in the Yakuza lifestyle, the way of dealing with the world. I had no problem taking any job I was assigned, and killed with the same ruthless efficiently I always displayed. And yet... day by day I found myself wanting to shield Veronica from it, to set her free, and tell her to run away and never look back. Which was completely at odds with my training, my teaching, my... programming. Ever since I had been indoctrinated into the assassin clan, my loyalty and obedience had remained absolute. Oyabun knew best, always, in all things, and I never doubted otherwise. At least until now. It was my own fault, I suppose. I’d brought the girl into the fold, trained her to be an assassin, and now that the time as approaching to present her to Father, I was suddenly filled with regrets. All because I’d... fallen in love with the girl.

My eyes were open the instant the door began to swing open. I’d always been a light sleeper, but after honing my awareness to a whole new level I was particularly alert to any changes in my surroundings. My hand gripped the small knife hidden underneath my pillow, but my grip loosened when I heard Rei-sama’s voice call out to me. Loosened, but didn’t release. After all, this wouldn’t be the first time nee-san sprang a surprise attack on me in the middle of the night just to test me. “Put the knife away, Roni-chan,” she said with a smile, “we need to talk.” I nodded, sitting up, letting the bed sheet slide down to my waist. I slept in the nude, and I noticed Rei’s eyes lingering overly much on my bared breasts, giving me all sorts of wonderful tingles, before reluctantly moving up to my face. A patted my bed, gesturing for her to join me, but she chose to stay standing.

“I don’t know how to say this,” I began awkwardly, trying to push the image of Veronica’s breasts out of my head. “As you know, Oyabun-sama has been given regular reports on your progress with training...”

“Is there something wrong?” I said, suddenly afraid. Had I mess up somehow? Had I failed in some way? Was I a disappointment to Father and Big Sister Rei? The thought of displeasing or disappointing either filled me with sadness and shame. Luckily, Rei-sama cleared away that fear with her next words.

“No, no, little one, nothing like that.” I paused, considering. “If anything, your progress has been beyond exceptional. The time is fast approaching when I’ll need to formally present you to Father soon as a full-fledged shinobi.” I sighed, turning away. “And then... you’ll be given an assignment... a job.”

“You mean, like the ones I help you with?” I asked, flush with excitement. She turned to look at me then, and I was taken aback by the expression on her face. “Wh... what’s wrong? I thought you’d be excited and happy for me! I’m finally about to graduate and become a ninja like you—”

“A cold blooded killer like me?!?” I yelled, my frustration getting the better of me. “Sorry. I’m sorry. I know you don’t understand, and I’m... really bad at explaining my feelings... but I... I’m not a... good person... inside.” The admission of which hurt a lot more than I’d thought. “What I’m trying to say is... I don’t want you to become like me... hollow and dead inside...”

She cared about me. It finally struck true what she was trying to tell me. She cared about me! I couldn’t help myself, I slid out of bed and went to her. “You’re not hollow or dead inside!” I insisted, pulling her close to me. “You’re... composed. You keep your feelings to yourself, and yes, you seem to have a hard time expressing them... but you do HAVE them! I know you do! I’ve felt them... every time we fight, every time we train, you left your walls down, and let the real Rei show through!” She tried to look away, but I wouldn’t let her, grabbing her chin, making her look me in the face. “You’re NOT a bad person, either! Okay... you’ve killed people, and that’s not exactly a good thing... but they were enemies of our clan! They would have hurt us, or Father, or our brothers and sisters! It’s not evil if you’re defending yourself.” I swallowed softly as she shook her head, refusing to listen. It was then that I played the only card I had left. “And if that makes you evil... then I’m evil too.”

That took my notice. I turned back to face Roni then. As uncomfortable as I was being held by her this way, with her completely naked, I refused to let her comment pass. “You are NOT evil!” I said firmly. “You are... you’re the best person I’ve ever known! You have a pure heart and a soul like a shining light, despite everything you’ve endured over the past nine years... caused all by ME when I killed your parents!” I felt wretched. My wall, the barrier’ I’d kept my emotions bottled up behind was crumbling, and I was quickly losing control of myself. “Goddess! I feel like I shouldn’t even be in the same room with you for fear that my darkness might rub off into your light—”

She was starting to babble, and from this close I could feel her emotions starting to overwhelm her. She was starting to descend into a pit of self-hatred and self-loathing, and she’d likely do something bad to herself if I didn’t snap her out of it. Without thinking, I pulled her close to me, and stopped her lips from talking... with my own.

She... kissed me. A soft, gentle, kiss, timid but loving, reserved, yet passionate. I wasn’t thinking, I was an emotional wreck, my thoughts whirling around in circles, thoughts of protecting and caring for Roni warring with my programming that Father’s decision was all that mattered. I couldn’t resist. I didn’t WANT to resist. I found myself responding, kissing back with all the pent up emotion I’d withheld for most of my life, crying and sobbing like a little girl, being held in the arms of MY big sister. The kiss broke apart suddenly, and I looked in her eyes, hers calm and searching, my wild and pleading. “Love me,” I begged softly, pleadingly. “Love me!”

Our roles had somehow reversed. Rei-sama needed my guidance now, and though we were both wading through uncharted waters, I intended to do my best to show her my love for her. I pulled down her to my bed mat, just touching and kissing her, soft, quick, gentle kisses, soothing caresses, until some of the urgency left her. I then laid her gently back to the bed, locking eyes with her. That same... quirky... awareness passed between her, and I opened my connection to the fullest, letting her sense and feel my love for her, saying with a thought and a feeling what no amount of words could. She gasped, a look of wonder, and amazement, at the realization that I did indeed love her, that my feelings for her... were as deep as the ones that I now knew she had for me! We kissed again, this time passionately, all hesitation gone. My fingers deftly removed her robe, untying her sash and tossing it away. I gasped in wonder myself as her soft butterscotch flesh was exposed, as beautiful and exotic to my eyes as my pale English complexion was to hers. In nine and a half years, the most skin I’d ever seen from Rei was an occasional bit of her calves or a shoulder. Like most female martial artists, she wrapped her chest, keeping her breasts tightly bandaged to keep them from ‘out of the way’ when she was fighting. Removing the bandages now, I felt like a child in Christmas unwrapping a beautiful, exotic present.

I felt so free, and yet so utterly out of control. Roni-chan had taken charge, and I was along for the ride. I’d never thought of myself as beautiful before, but the sounds of approval coming from her as she explored my body filled me with joy. I longed to return the favor, reaching out to caress and stroke her as well, but she smiled, shaking her head, pushing my arms aside. “Not now, Rei-chan,” she said teasingly, kissing me again, nearly making me swoon. “You’ll have a chance to explore me later. For now, right now, this is all about you.” And she proceeded to show me, indeed, just how focused she was on me. Roni was slow, and methodical, loving with an intensity and attention to detail that left me weak and panting. She started at the nape of my neck, working her way down, pausing to unwrap an additional line of bandages before kissing, licking, and sucking over every inch of newly exposed flesh. I was a frazzled raw nerve of sexual frustration by the time she’d uncovered my nipples; I didn’t think I would survive my unfulfilled need for much longer yet she continued to tease and reprimand me any time I attempted to hurry the process. She was driving me crazy, and I loved every second of it.

It was so hard to take things slow! I wanted nothing more than to bring Rei-chan off to an explosive climax with my fingers while my tongue circled her clit and lapped up her juices... and to have her return the favor, licking, lapping, nuzzling, snuggling, cumming in blissful unison... but I restrained myself. Barely. This was the moment I’d dreamed about for half my life, expressing my love and lust to the woman I cared for and having her do the same. This first time, I would make love to her. Later, we would fuck, repeatedly, brutally, ‘til the wee hours of the morning... but for now, I was making love.

The girl explored every inch of my body at her leisure, and I do mean EVERY square inch. I’d never had someone kiss and suckle my toes before; it was a strange erotic sensation that half tickled, half-pleasured, and as a culture, it’s considered extremely taboo... something degenerates do. But feeling her soft lips suckling me there, the feeling was anything BUT degenerate or disgraceful. It felt like Nirvana itself. Though she was purposely avoiding the sopping wet area between my thighs, saving my overly sensitized pussy for last, I’d cum at least twice from her erotic foreplay, soft gentle pulses of pleasure, enjoyable, yes, but only the precursor to the real thing.

I don’t know where I got the idea from, but as I finally began exploring my lover’s pussy, I decided to get creative. “Close your eyes for me,” I asked softly, spreading her thighs wider, as I gently teased her wet trembling nether lips. There was an obvious question in her eyes, but as in everything else I’d asked of her tonight, she acquiesced. Once her eyes were closed, I closed my own, focusing my power once more, forming my psychic blade in my hand, and then slid it, and my fingers, deep into her pussy. Rei’s eyes popped open, her mouth gaping in a wide ‘o’ shape. Her body trembled heavily, shaking and vibrating in place even as all of her muscles locked. Through my blade, I was linked completely to her, mind and body. I could feel her orgasm, stuck at the very onset, as if frozen in time. I worked the mental energy inside her like a dildo, in and out, in and out, literally fucking her mind and body. As it withdrew, her control over my body would resume, and she would shudder slightly, then freeze once again as it went back in. A bit of an unforeseen effect was that I felt everything she felt through the link, her thoughts and feelings mingling with my own, until it felt as if we were one person...

Fucking ourselves... n

Into...

complete... n

total...

sexual... n

oblivion...

I came to shortly before sunrise. Sometime last night we’d ended up in bed together, arms and legs tangled up. I sighed, stretching slowly, trying not to awake my lover. I smiled at the thought. Lover. Me. Someone actually loved and cared about me! It was enough to make me almost giggle aloud. It was amazing really. She knew all about me, knew my deepest darkest secrets and fears. Thanks to her powers, she knew me inside and out, and I knew her just as deeply. And despite everything I’d done, all the people I’d killed, including her parents... she loved me. For the first time in a very long time, I felt happy. Complete. Human. Moving slowly and gently, I disengaged my body from hers, then sighed dramatically as she promptly rolled over onto her side, and batted her eyes at me.

“Leaving so soon?” I asked, playfully, getting a smile in response. “Whoa... it’s morning already? How long were we out?”

“All night,” I replied stretching again. “But it was more than worth it. I’ve never felt... I mean, of course, I’d never DONE anything like that before, so of course I’ve never... I mean...”

“I know what you mean, Rei-chan,” I said with a grin. “And thank you, I feel the same way. I’ve dreamed of doing that with you for years now... ever since my body started filling out and I started having... you know... urges.” She smirked, and I blushed slightly. “But believe me when I saw, the reality completely blows every fantasy I’ve ever had out of the water!”

“I feel the same way,” I answered back. “And you know, now, that I felt the same way as you! To think we’ve both been wanting the other all this time, but were too afraid to admit it...” I sighed then, shaking my head as reality reared its ugly head once more. “And that, sweet one, brings us full circle. We have a problem. We can’t tell anyone about this. Father would not approve, and the last thing I want, now that we’re finally together, is to be separated. So... we’ll have to keep this a secret. Outside this room, we are teacher and student, sempai and kohai. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” I said, standing up and sauntering over to Rei. “But, seeing as how we are still, at the moment, inside the room, how about we fuck once more?” In response, she laughed, tackling me back to the mat. At that moment, I couldn’t imagine anything in the world that could dampen my spirits.

“You are now to be given your first assignment,” Sempai Fuchikiro announced as he entered the training area. He handed Roni a portable PDA, and I took it, opening the file. “That’s a picture of the target,” he explained. “Hitsuguya Chiro, son of Hitsuguya Setsyu, head of the Hitsuguya Corporation. Included in the file are blueprints and layouts of his mansion and office building, as well as details concerning his security force. If you have any questions, I—”

“What did he do, exactly?” I asked, causing the older man to gape at me in surprise. “I mean... why am I being sent to kill him?” When he continued to gape at me, sputtering in indignation, I merely shrugged. “Well, um, you asked if I had any questions... and I was curious about what he did to earn a death contract, that’s all...”

“Im... impertinence!” the sempai blustered, causing me to roll my eyes. “You do not question your orders, child! Your DUTY is to follow these orders and take this man’s life, or die trying!” I laughed at his posturing, which caused him to turn and glare at me. Fuchikiro wasn’t a member of the assassin clan. He was a low-level enforced with the Yakuza branch, a street thug. Most likely, he was too low on the totem pole to even know why the man had been targeted for death. I tactfully decided NOT to point that out, however.

“Well, I guess I have everything I need,” I said, glancing through the files. I turned to face the sempai, and bowed politely. “Thank you for the mission, sempai. I will not fail you.” The older man merely harrumphed, and turned on his heel. Once he was gone, Rei-chan and I shared a laugh.

“So,” I said, once I could finally breathe again, “when do we leave for the city?”

“Um, Rei-sama,” I said formally, bowing slightly. We were, after all, NOT in the bedroom. “I would like to do my first mission... on my own.” She looked stricken, and I quickly continued. “It’s not that I don’t want or need your support. I do, very very much! And I look forward to working with you on each new mission that comes up. But, well, for my first time, I really want to go, solo... without you there, to prove to myself that I am ready for this. I know that you’re afraid of me changing after this, that something inside me will die. Well, I can promise you that won’t happen if you’re here waiting for me when I come back from this job.”

Well, her words stung a bit. I supposed I had naturally assumed I’d go with her on her first assassination, and her request to go alone caught me off guard. Still, I couldn’t fault her. I’d made the same request of my sensei, and I was half her age back then. So, I put on a smile, and told her not to worry. “You’ll do fine, Roni-chan, and I’ll see you when you get back. I can’t wait to hear how everything went.”

And so I left. Transportation from Kyoto to Osaka had already been arranged, and I spent most of the trip psyching myself up, preparing myself mentally. The files didn’t SPECIFICALLY say why the young man was being targeted, but the way I was to kill him, and the manner in which I was to leave the body to be found, helped me fill in the blanks. Hitsuguya’s son was to be killed as an example to the father, a lesson for what happens to anyone who goes against the Yakuza. We’d apparently made him a very generous business proposition, one that was, to coin a phrase, ‘an offer you couldn’t refuse’. Not only did the man refuse, he insulted the Yakuza representative, and threatened to contact the police if he ever came to his place of business again. Oyabun-sama was a man of little patience, and while he did, occasionally, concede to someone telling him no, he absolutely did not put up with rudeness. I was to send a clear message to Hitsuguya, to make him regret his actions for years to come.

Needless to say, I was concerned about Roni-chan. While I didn’t know the details of the assignment, I knew something of Hitsuguya Setsyu. I’d had the displeasure of meeting him once, under the cover of a young unattached socialite attending a party he was hosting. While he hadn’t been my target, a few minutes in his presence sorely made me wish he was. The man was arrogant, boorish, and crude, but he was also highly intelligent. He’d made a number of enemies over the years, besides the Yakuza, and thus spent a considerable amount of his fortune in self-protection, and security services. I tried hard not to think about a rumor I’d heard once, years ago, about a young and skillful cat burglar named Aki who’d tried to make a name for herself by robbing the Hitsuguya mansion. It was said she was caught almost immediately, and held for three days before being released. Whatever trauma they’d inflicted on her had left no physical wounds or marks, but had left the young thief’s mind shattered. As far as I knew, she still resided over in the slums on the North side, begging for scraps to survive. I only hoped my Roni-chan fared better than her.

Well, I decided to strike at night, at the mansion, after everyone had gone to bed. Their security system was top-notch; even knowing ahead of the time where every alarm and sensor was located, I came within a hairs’ breadth of setting it off at least four times. Reaching the roof, I entered through an air vent, small and cramped even with my petite size, but large enough for me to gain entrance. Avoiding the laser grid guarding the ventilation system was something of an adventure in and of itself, but finally I emerged from the maintenance hatch and entered the mansion proper. Thanks to the security details in the PDA files, I knew the location of each camera’s blind spot. Thanks to my lover’s strict and rigorous training regiment, I was able to take full advantage of the second-and-a-half window of opportunity between each one to make my way through the hallway and into Chiro-san’s room.

To keep my mind off things, and to basically get me out of the house (because I was apparently driving everyone crazy with the pacing) Sempai Sasuke gave me an assignment. Simple enough, I needed to merely accompany he and two of his enforcers to a pay-off, to act as ‘extra muscle’ in case the guy making the payment suddenly got cold feet or decided to make a last minute change. Not a likely occurrence, but it happened once in a while. Unfortunately... this turned out to be one of those rare times. One moment I was standing there, deep in thought, wondering if Veronica had returned back to the base yet, wondering if she was okay... and the next, I’m reacting to something my subconscious obviously picked up as a threat, diving to the ground as a hail of bullets sweep the area. Two men hiding back in the back of the storeowner’s shop emerged with uzis, taking out both enforcers, and wounding Sasuke-san. Cursing loudly, I rolled to the side, drawing two knives as I did. moving to the side of the counter before either of them thought to move in closer and finish the job. I popped up, surprising the first, slashing his throat before he had time to react. The second man was luckier, and got off a few shots before the blade I flung at him struck home. Again, I reacted almost before I knew the danger was coming, leaping back as he let loose a wild barrage of gunfire at my location. The bullets missed, but the shattered glass from the window cut me pretty good. Worse, the shopkeeper had taken the money and ran, setting off a fire alarm as he went. Cursing again. I picked up the wounded Sasuke and ran, leaving before the police could arrive.

It was... harder than I thought. To do it, I mean. To actually... kill him. I entered the young man’s room under the cover of darkness, made my way to his bed, and yanked back the covers. He woke up slowly, yawning, not recognizing the danger until he felt my blade at his throat. “Don’t scream,” I warned him, pressing the razor sharp edge just a tiny bit closer, actually nicking his skin. He got the message, whimpering slightly, not trusting himself even to speak. I withdrew my sword slowly, watching him for any sudden moves. I ordered him to get up from the bed, and he did, eyes wide, shaking. I smelled something bad, and glanced down. The guy has pissed himself! I had to shake my head. The guy was at least ten years older than me, and he was all but sobbing in fear. I wasn’t sure which I felt more, pity for his weakness or disgust at the display he was putting on. I raised the blade up to strike, when he looked up at me, eyes big, and said just one word: “Please...”

It was a mess. The underboss was pissed. father was pissed. Sempei Sasuke was no doubt pissed as well, but he was in too much pain from being shot to make much of a fuss. I suppose they had a valid point. It was supposed to be a routine pick-up. I had been brought along to watch for anything suspicious and stop surprise attacks like the one we’d been in before they even started. Instead, the shopkeeper had disappeared with the money, two of our guys had gotten wasted, and we’d run away like dogs, tails between our legs. They wanted to know what happened. They wanted to know what went wrong. They wanted answers, and I had none to give them. After all, what was I supposed to say? “Sorry, father, but I messed up. I was too distracted and lost in thought thinking about my junior, who is also my secret lesbian lover, to notice two guys waiting to ambush us, hiding in such an obvious place.” It was very humiliating. And to make matters worse, Father considered the shopkeeper’s little stunt as a great insult to his pride. Not only had the man defied him, he’d gotten away with it. Heads were going to roll for this incident, and at the moment, I was at the head of the line for the chopping block.

That one simple word gave me pause. I remembered saying the same thing to Rei-chan on the night we’d met, when she’d held a sword above my head, about to strike. True, I hadn’t put on the shameless display of cowardice that my target was showing, but I’d been in the exact same position that he was now. Begging for his life. Just a simple plea. The same one I had made. My palms started to sweat, and the blade felt strange, unwieldy in my hands. My first kill, my chance to shine and prove myself to Father... and I was hesitating.

I let out a sigh of relief when Kagero-sama entered the room. I thought to myself, at least I have one advocate, someone to plead my case to Father. Indeed, if there was one person in the world whose advice Father listened to, it was Kagero-sama. “Oh, Big Sister Kagero, thank goodness,” I said as she closed the door behind her. I started to explain what happened, but she merely held up a hand. “Listen closely, Rei-san. Father is very upset with you. Your failure shames not only yourself, but him and the entire family. Aizukotetsu-kai is not the biggest or the strongest clan. We thrive because we have an alliance with the Yamaguchi-gumi clan, to a mutual benefit on both sides. Embarrassments like the one that happened tonight make us appear weak, or worse, stupid. Father is concerned that the Yamaguchi clan will begin to question their allegiance with us.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “We all know that you are top notch, Rei. You are one of the best assassins we have, if not THE best. The question, then, is, what has caused this decline in your skills?” She pulled a wrinkled hand from behind her back, holding up the small wooden box that contained her needles. “It’s time we had a talk, young one,” she said as she slowly approached me, as I slowly back away. “I want to know... what’s on your mind?”

I probably would have stayed frozen there forever, locked in indecision, if the door hadn’t opened. A security guard, coming by to do his nightly check, poked his head into the room. “What the... who are you?!?” he yelled loudly, moving to enter the room. I reacted as I’d been trained, by reflex, ducking as he brought his gun up, tossing out a throwing knife I hadn’t even consciously recalled taking out. The blade struck him in the throat, and he went down and stayed down. A wave of fear and hatred surged behind me, and again, I reacted as I’d been taught. Chiro, having broken out of his shock, had apparently decided to take advantage of the momentary distraction and attack me. Wielding his lamp like a makeshift club, he struck hard enough to knock my sword from my grip. He swung again, and I dodged, reaching for another weapon... and grabbing only air. Oh. I’d left my other blades back on the roof, in order to make it through the cramped vent without banging and clanging with every movement. The man lashed out again, and I ducked, countering with the only blade I had left. He stiffened as my psychic blade penetrated him, and I trembled slightly as his fear flowed into me through the contact. I withdrew my blade, jerking it free, retrieved my sword, and cleaved his head from his shoulders.

I felt hurt and betrayal as the first pin entered my flesh. I’d expected Kagero to defend me. I thought of her as my big sister, after all. She was my mentor. Still, I suppose I should have expected it. Her first loyalty was to Father, not to me. Pin after pin slid into me, and soon enough the hurt feelings faded. I began to realize that it was foolish to expect any sympathy from my superiors anyway. I’d messed up. Big-time. Kagero began asking me questions, and I tried to answer as best as I could. I still intended to keep my relationship with Roni-chan a secret, but all too soon I was blurting out every detail. She voiced her disapproval, and strangely, I found myself echoing it. She asked me what I’d been thinking to get involved with a young girl like that? It was a killer, an assassin. Nothing more. Feelings and attachments made a person weak, and I couldn’t afford to be weak. Better to seal up such sentiments, to harden one’s heart and keep their blade sharp. I nodded inside my mind, agreeing with her words. Kagero-sama always knew best, after all. I was a killed. Nothing more. Sentiments like l... loov... emotional attachments were nothing but weakness. I needed to overcome my weakness if I was going to be an effective assassin. Another set of pins helped me to focus on that thought, and a few more crystallized it...

Outside, in the clear, I threw up. I hit the ground, keeled over, and evacuated my stomach contents. My hands were still shaking, and even though I’d taken the time to clean up, I still felt covered in his blood. I didn’t know how to feel. I mean, I’d gone with Rei-chan for years, assisting her, helping her trap, restrain, distract... basically doing everything but making the final killing stroke. Reaching the target, climbing through the vent, dodging the mansion’s security system, eluding the guards... it hadn’t bothered me at all. Hell, it had been a fun way to test my skills. It hadn’t seemed... I don’t know... not really REAL... until now. Until I’d actually had to kill him. Until I’d gotten blood on my hands. Changing my clothes, sprinting back down the road to the pickup point, I found myself wondering how Rei-chan had dealt with the aftermath all these years. I wondered if it got easier. Then I remembered her words about how taking a life ate at you, deep inside, until there was nothing left, until you were left hollow and empty. I whimpered at the thought of having to do that again...

I listened. I processed. I obeyed. I was a bad girl for forgetting my place. My purpose. I was a weapon, a tool. I existed only as an extension of Father’s arm, driven by his direction, his will. There was... something... else... something that I once considered important... but now my priorities were different. I was different. No... no, I was finally myself, the way I used to be. The way I needed to be. I was whole. I was perfect. Except... no. I was perfect. The voice whispering in my ear repeated it in time with my own inner voice, drowning out any and all doubt...

I was called directly into Oyabun-sama’s presence as soon as I returned. I was a bit nervous. Aside from the formal induction ceremony when I first joined I had only seen him once before now. Steely brown eyes peered down at me as I bowed, kneeling, to give him my report. “Ah, my newest ‘Blade’ has returned from her mission. I trust everything went as planned?” I nodded, hesitating a bit. He was shrewd, though, and noticed immediately. He demanded a full accounting of what happened, and obediently, I recounted the events of the night. I blushed deeply when I mentioned the vomiting, but otherwise managed to give a satisfactory report. Satisfied, he motioned for me to leave, and I turned, but paused. “Father,” I said as humbly as I could manage, “I know you put a lot of time and effort into my... my training... but I don’t think I am cut out to be an assassin.”

“Nonsense!” he replied, with a soft laugh. “You’ve just proven yourself to be an exceptional assassin. Despite unforeseen circumstances, you managed to complete your mission successfully. You have helped to ensure that Aizukotetsu-kai remains respected and feared by all of those around us! That is what is most important. Now, return to your room and rest. I shall call you when I have another mission for you...”

“But... I don’t want any more missions!” I cried, feeling myself flush hotly. A voice in the back of my head was screaming insistently that this was wrong, wrong, WRONG... my duty, my purpose, my existence was to conform to this man’s wishes, to be whatever he wanted me to be, and to hell with my own personal feelings. The only thing louder was nee-san’s words, echoing in my mind, telling me that she didn’t want this for me... that she didn’t want me to become jaded, heartless, or cold-blooded. Her words gave me the courage to speak up. “I don’t... I don’t have the stomach for it,’ I said, looking down. “I am sure there are other areas in which I could put my skills to work for you, Father. I can—”

“SILENCE!” the elderly man roared. Veronica went silent, dropping immediately into a kneeling position, as she had been trained. “Such impertinence! You DARE to think that you can dictate to ME what your purpose will be? You exist to serve ME, not the other way around! I do not CARE if killing upsets your delicate stomach, girl... it is what you were TRAINED to do, and you will do so when I say, for as long as I say!” He scowled. “It seems that leaving you in the personal care of Reiko-san all these years has caused her bad habits to rub off on you as well! I think perhaps it is time for an object lesson.” He snapped his fingers, and I stepped forward from my spot behind the curtains, bowing to him from the waist. From the corner of my eye, I saw the girl’s eyes widen. “Your expression betrays you, Veronica-san. I know all about the so-called relationship between you two. In a way, I suppose it is a testament to your spirit. She was supposed to toughen you up, to harden your heart... instead you tamed her, softened her heart, and made her soft!” He turned and lashed out at me with the small crop in his hand, striking my across my thigh. I didn’t flinch. “I gave her a simple assignment while you were gone, to assist her sempai on a simple cash pickup... and because she was so distracted with thoughts of your taboo love affair, two of my men are dead, one is badly injured, and Osato, that despicable weasel, has run off with my money! Well... I have taken care of that. Reiko-san has been ‘retrained’, and now knows her purpose in life is whatever I decide it is! The same will be done to you if you continue to go against my will!”

I knelt there, frozen, his words fading deep into the background. Rei-chan stood just a few feet away from me, watching me silently... but she wasn’t Rei-chan. Not MY Rei-chan. Her eyes were cold and hard, like stone, and her expression showed no emotion whatsoever. She’d been ‘retrained’, Father had said? I felt my spirit dry up inside me and crumble away to dust. The one thing in my life that I loved, completely, without reservation, and he’d taken it from me... just out of spite! And... and he expected me to just... go on, to pretend it didn’t matter, to just follow orders like a good little shinobi and kill off his enemies, or anyone who happened to get on his bad side. My hands were shaking again as he continued to speak, but I wasn’t listening. Rei-chan. The conflicting voices arguing in my head, the harsh guttural tones of my Oyabun-sama... all of these faded into silence, deafened by the sheer force of my anger and loss.

Something in the girl’s posture changed, abruptly, so quickly that I barely caught it in time. I knew that I was faster than her, but as it stood, I was just barely able to get hold of my katana and parry her blow before she could strike Father. Oyabun-sama paused in his speaking, eyes wide with fear at now close he’d come to dying without even realizing. “Wh... wha...” he sputtered, leaping back. The girl, however, wasn’t done by a long shot. She launched into a dynamic barrage of sword slices and strikes, trying to break past me and reach Oyabun-sama. Her form was flawless, her technique perfect. I had taught her well, and she had learned every lesson. I was hard pressed to defend Father, who was too stunned by the display of our prowess to flee the room as she should have. Obviously, the noise of our battle would attract attention, and an armed assault group would soon arrive to removed her, but I had no way of knowing when they would arrive, and while defending one’s self in a battle is relatively simple, trying to defend someone else is another thing entirely. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold her off, though I was more than willing to plant myself on her blade to stop her, if necessary.

“Impertinence! Disgrace! Dishonor!” Father yelled, finally freed from his paralysis enough to retreat. “You dare to attack me? You think yourself so valuable that I cannot do without you? Reiko... show her how expendable she is! Kill her!” I paused at those words, taking a step back, as Rei-chan’s expression changed. For a split second, she showed confusion, as if she didn’t understand the order. Her eyes met mine, and for a second, I sensed a glimmer of the woman I loved. But then, the wall shielding her heart came down again, and her expression changed back to an emotionless mask. I sensed father than saw her attack coming, and reacted, deflected her strike enough that it barely nicked my skin. The tempo of the fight had changed, however; She was now the aggressor, and I was the defender, unwilling and unable to bring myself to attack her. Her strike backed me slowly into a corner, both figuratively and metaphorically, as I found myself boxed in, unable to escape and unwilling to attack. To make matters worse, the other Yakuza enforcers had finally arrived, and were about to bring their weapons to bear. I had no false illusions of how this would end. I had not wish to live anyway, without Rei-chan... the least I could do before I left this world would be to try and free her...

I had her now. Nowhere left to run. Not enough room to maneuver. One final strike...

I dropped my sword, and held up my hands, surrendering, which gave her pause. I knew my Rei-chan well, and I knew the thoughts going through her head: Is this a trap? Why give such an obvious opening? Is she trying to lure me in? Preparing myself mentally, I focused my mind, my power, into my hand...

I flinch slightly... a feeling... something inside my head... a fluttering in my heart... but I must not let myself be distracted. I am a weapon. I am a tool. I see the muscles in her arm clench, signaling movement, and I strike...

Her sword stabs forward, almost in slow motion, toward my chest. I know my time has come. I don’t even try to avoid it, focusing instead on my blade. I stab forward, piercing her with my psychic essence even as hard steel pierces my chest...

Victory! And yet... her own attack scores. I’m frozen, seizing up, stunned... but unlike before, my mind continues to work, my thoughts moving forward, onward... no... HER thoughts, her mind, moving through mine... get out! GET OUT!

...so much pain, but I push myself past it, through it, as I force my presence through her mind, past her defenses and others created not by her...

...and I FEEL her... feel her pain, feel her sadness... but I’m a weapon... an emotionless... tool?

...breathing hard, lungs seizing up... think she nicked my heart... but for her, for her... have to... push... through...

...something gives inside me... like a wall crumbling... and suddenly I FEEL again... realize what I’d done... realize why... I AM NOT A TOOL! Oh Goddess... what have I done?!?

Blackness licks at the edges of my vision now... time slowing almost to a crawl... my strength is gone... my life is fading... but I manage a sad smile. Rei-chan is herself again... I... broke through... she will be... okay...

Roni-chan... I drop my blade and clutch her as she slumps against me. Blood, so much blood... Goddess... everyone standing around, hovering like vultures, waiting for her to fall! And I did this... I let them turn me against her... pain... sadness... Goddess... I almost wish my emotions were still locked away... I can feel her dying... feel her life fading in my arms... My eyes lock to hers, strengthening our psychic bond again. “Don’t go,” I whisper softly, begging, pleading, even as my tears fall. She manages a small smile, and tries to speak... her lips say ‘I’m sorry’ but the breath is leaving her body, and her words fall silent. My spirit feels hers being pulled away, and I reach out, blindly, trying to pull her back. I feel... so tired... so drained... losing her... I don’t want to go on without her... When the blackness rushes up to greet me, I embrace it warmly...

Parker sighed deeply, reaching over to wipe Roni’s cheeks as he brought her back to the present. “So... what happened? The way you spoke, I assume that Veronica died... and your body... um, we’ll, you’re definitely of Asian descent. Did you take Veronica’s name to honor her?”

“No,” Roni said softly, sniffling a bit. “I AM Veronica. In those last few seconds of life, something happened. I don’t know. Maybe it was because I’d used my last moments of life to cut through the mental barriers in her mind... maybe it was because Rei-chan desperately wanted me to live... maybe she had a latent psychic gift of her own that manifested itself at the moment she needed it the most.” She looked down, shaking her head. “Whatever the reason, when I... when Veronica Mitchell died that day, her mind, her memories, her mental essence was absorbed into Reiko’s body. She... that is, we, awoke a few days later, disoriented and confused. Kagero and a few of the medics were tending ‘us’, not sure why ‘we’ had collapsed after the fight. I was, to say the least, a bit pissed off at the lot of them. I killed my watchers, then escaped, running to a safe house that Reiko has set up years ago in case she even needed a sanctuary. It took a while for me to come to grips with my... new situation... but eventually our consciousness merged into a single entity. Me.”

Parker nodded, not fully understanding, but getting the gist of it. Lacie had explained it as something similar, returning back from that alternate dimension she’d lived in for more than a year. The way he understood it, it was kind of like the reverse of having a split-personality, having the mind cope with having two separate realities by merging them together. It also explained what Aunt Eva meant when she said she always sensed a strange “duality” about her mind.

“So... now you understand,” she said, quietly, still avoiding his gaze. “I’m not proud of my past. I wasn’t just a bad person... I was a murderer. I killed people, indiscriminately, sometimes brutally. I’m ashamed of what I did. Yes, they made me into a killer, kept a leash on my mind, on my feelings, but in the end, it was my hand that did the killing.” She sighed. “I try to make up for the evil I did back then by doing good now, using my powers and my training to take down other criminals... to save people instead of hurting them. But... underneath it all, I’m still a monster, still a cold-blooded killer.”

Parker reached up and took her chin, forcing her to finally meet his eyes. “Hmmm. You feel pretty warm-blooded to me.” He kissed her gently. “I understand why you’re ashamed of your past. But, loveling... the past is merely that—the past. Even if it was your hand that took the lives of all those people, it wasn’t your fault... not entirely. A large part of the fault lies with the ones controlling you. And anyway, you’re not the same person you were then. You are NOT a monster. You were in a bad situation... and you did the best you could with it. Now... your situation is somewhat better,” he said with a small smile, getting one in return, “and you’re definitely making the best of this one. Look. You’re pretty damn lethal. If you wanted, you could have become an evil mastermind, a super villian capable of taking out pretty much anyone who chose to go against you. But instead, you chose to wear the heroine costume... to be a GOOD GUY! You didn’t have to. You chose to. And that says more to me about the strength of your character than anything else.”

Roni hugged him tightly. “So... you don’t hate me?”

Parker laughed. “Sweetheart, you aggravate me, drive me crazy, and make me want to slap you silly... which, based on your past, I think I’ll refrain from ever contemplating again. But no, I could never ever hate you. Ever. I love, you, Veronica.” He kissed her deeply... then sighed as the sirens in the background grew louder. “Okay... enough of this. We’d better get those would-be arms dealers packaged up for the police. Let’s go, Shinobi!”