Dinner with Killers (Closed Social)

[Deleted]

This is a social between Zackary Jensen and Shizuka Sanamizu. It takes place in a italian restaurant in Thuringia, Germany. Zack and Shizuka are on a job, but because of the nature of it they are able to socialize with each other.

Special Advisory: Chances are this thread might become X, viewer discretion is advised.

[Deleted]

UNKNOWN LOCATION
UNKNOWN TIME
UNKNOWN DATE

"Ah...ah....ahah..." he panted, lowering the gun as his hand trembled. He stared down at the body at his feet which lay in a growing puddle of blood. Who the corpse was unknown, but was clearly visible was the X tattoo on his arm. "Y-you shot him....you sh-shot him sir..." a second voice spoke. It sounded scared, terrified, and mousey. The source of the voice stood up from behind the office desk he hid behind. His accent was clearly german, he had a balding head and large glasses. The man he spoke to dropped the gun with a surprised gasp, looking at his assistant then back at the corpse. "They wont stop, will they? Will they?! Sie werden mich nie verlassen allein, werden sie? the man asked his assistant. The scared little man looked at the corpse then at his "master" and shook his head.

"Nein, ich werde nicht so sterben. Ich werde nicht zulassen, alles arbeitete ich für zu gehen, so zu verschwenden!!" the middle aged gentlemen who held the gun shouted. He kicked the corpse then paced about the room. "Is it ready? Is the procedure ready? Does it work? Tell me Niko!!" the man shouted, walking towards his assistant angrily. Niko squeaked and pulled away, clearly cowering. "I-it is still in testing Mr. Beladema." Niko replied, adjusting his glasses. Ich glaube nicht, scheißegal! Funktioniert es?" "Well...it does.." "THEN WE NEED TO DO IT NOW!" Mr. Beladema shouted, dragging Niko with him across the office.

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Hello, Mr. Jensen. This is Anabeth. Your next contract is in Thuringia, Germany. Your target is Manfred Beladema. He is a former German politican that came under fire due to a arms deal that was uncovered by undercover German police. Apparently, Mr. Beladema was smuggling nuclear arms into the wastelands of Germany. The reasons are unknown, but the intelligence gathered he was preparing some sort of civil war. Former operative ranked Sword: Antonio Sanchez, was sent in. However, the target took care of our operative and has fled. We lost all information regarding his location, and our spies could not find a single hide or hair of the target. But, we now have reason to believe that he is actually managed to alter his appearance using some new form of skin grafting and plastic surgery. We have come to the conclusion that he is somewhere in Thuringia. Your mission is to locate him and finish Sanchez's mission. For this mission, as he will have upped his security, we are sending you in with Seven Guns, Rifle, operative Shizuka Sanamizu. She will meet you at the following location .....

[/i][/center]

Zack had received that message three days ago. It had taken him three days to pack up and leave Canada, had a job there, and head straight to Germany. Xcution sure was keeping Zack busy. He had never had this much work back in the Organization, and Zack loved it. He loved working hard, he loved to be busy. Xcution was throwing Zack so many jobs left and right he was having issues deciding which ones to accept. He had accepted a simple silent kill style job in Canada, as the public executions were getting a little outta hand. But yeah, here he was in good ol Germany awaiting the arrival of his partner.

But first, the location. Apparently, Xcution had tracked the target to the city of Erfurt, the capital of Thuringia. It was a nice city, nothing Zack hadn't seen before. A little on the small side in comparison to other cities, but still decently nice that Zack could appreciate the visit. Now, where was he? He was standing in front of a restaurant. Yeah, a restaurant. Apparently, Xcution informants had tracked Mr. Beladema into this very establishment where he was currently dining. The issue was that apparently nobody knew what he looked like anymore. From what Zack read, Manfred had altered his face to look like someone else and he did it well enough that even Xcution was confused by it. Not bad. Not bad at all. Well, Zack and Shizuka were supposed to blend in with the other diners and wait for orders from Xcution, or just simply attack if they figure out who it was by chance.

Zack stood out in the cold, dressed in his usual black suit. But rather than a grey undershirt he usually wore, he wore a white one with a red tie this time around. It had actually been quite some time since he last saw the young woman who was supposed to be his superior. Zack had learnt a lot during the time of his training. He learned a great deal about Fullbringers, the spiritual world, the rankings of Xcution and a few things about its members. The last time Zack saw Shizuka it was back in that strip club in America. Now, here he was, a Sword ranked operative of Xcution. I wonder how she's dressed...[/i] Zack pondered.

They were supposed to dress decent enough to pass as the regular, high class civilians who dined here at this fine establishment. Zack felt he was dressed fine, as the suit he wore was appropriate for any situation. He wasn't going to lie, he liked the way Shizuka looked the last time. He had no issue having such an attractive young woman as his superior, so long as she did her job right and wasn't an idiot. Zack couldn't stand idiots being his superiors or people less qualified than he was. But, if Shizuka Sanamizu was a Rifle ranked member of Xcution then she needed to have both skills and smarts, and Zack could respect that. So he waited, wondering how the female would arrive. The restaurant was apparently served Italian food, from the sparse conversation Zack had with the greeter as he made reservations many hours ago. Italian was fine, better than pure American food. Well, now the only thing needed for him was a cigarette and for Shizuka to show up.[/size][/blockquote]

SPOILER: Click to show

Green went to pink...I have no way of knowing how

SPOILER: Click to show

[] Meet with Shizuka
[] Order some food
[] Learn about Shizuka
[] Complete the mission
[] Skip out on paying the bill

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Within the dark night sky, a large, black figure could just barely be seen passing over the stars as it flew through clouds and over trees. No one would be able to tell anything was there unless they were paying close attention to the disappearing lights. Silently, the figure swayed and banked, locating its landing position and carefully drawing closer to the cold, dark ground. With a soft thud, the black dragon, Blaize, and her rider, Shizuka Sanamizu, were far enough away from the restaurant - where Xcution had told her to meet up with Mr. Jensen for a mission - to not be seen by anybody and close enough so Shizuka would not have to walk far. She whispered to her large pet as she patted her on the head to stay put until she signaled for her to come. Blaize nodded and quietly grunted, pushing against Shizuka's hand. She smiled and dismounted the dragon.

Shizuka shivered for a moment and pulled her white waist-length peacoat closer shut, covering most of her bright red cocktail dress. The rest of it was placed tightly against her body and reached down to her mid-thigh. Her signature heels were being fashionably worn, seeing as she knew this was a mission and understood that she may need her powers. A gold necklace with a small pendant - three diamonds clustered together that resembled the cutie mark of a popular white pony - fell below her coat but just above her cleavage underneath. Shizuka's beautifully blonde hair, normally styled straight, was made slightly curled towards the ends and side-swept to frame her face. She wore pearls in her ears with small diamonds in the second pair of holes behind them, drawing attention to her unusually blue and green eyes. Everything about her yelled "maturity" to anyone who glanced her way, and she knew that her look, though usually still attractive, was even more adult now. Shizuka was hoping to come off older, though still keeping in mind that she did not normally look to be even her age and was often mistaken as younger.

"Nice places call for nice fashion, right Blaize?" Shizuka glanced back towards the beast, who purred in agreement.

The young girl giggled and turned away, walking towards the entrance to the establishment. I wonder if he'll be waiting for me like a gentleman... she thought, minding her own step as not to trip. Shizuka always did appreciate a man who could spoil her, though she had come from a wealthy family and was used to being spoiled, anyway. As she drew closer, she saw a figure standing by the door, seeming to be off in a different world. Lost in thought, she assumed. Only as she closed in on the figure did she realize it was a man, the Sword operative she had been hoping to see. Zackary Jensen was waiting for her arrival. Shizuka smiled and quickened her pace. It had been so long since she had seen him! Not only that, but his suit matched her dress, too! It was as if he knew something about her! Or at the very least, her usual fashion choice.

"Hey! We match, you know!" Shizuka waved as she finally came up next to him. "Are you ready for our date?"

The two of them had been entrusted with a very important mission. A man, Beladema, was said to be dining at this restaurant. The reason they were after him was because he had been dealing nuclear arms (or trying to) and smuggling them into Germany. The only problem (as if that isn't bad enough) was that he completely changed his look so that no one would be able to figure him out. That seemed hardly fair. It did not phase Shizuka, however. She brought along the best weapon she has. Blaize, though a genetic mutation, was still an animal and thus has a better sense of smell than a human ever would. She could easily track this guy so that Shizuka and Zackary would be able to take him down. Now all they needed was an article of clothing or something that had his natural scent on it. The issue, though, is how they could ever possibly get it. Ignoring her mission for now, Shizuka smiled up at Zackary and put her hand on his back, pushing him towards the doorway. She followed him inside and allowed the door to shut behind her, escaping the cold.

[Deleted]

Scratching his head as he waited, the assassin could not help but wonder a few things. First off, why send a Sword to assist a Gun, actually a Rifle, when the higher ranked individual could have easily performed this mission by herself. While Zack had not heard much of Shizukas success rate in the field, the fact she carried to title of Rifle meant that she was good. So, why send a Sword to help one of the top three? Was it some sort of test to see how well Zack played with others? Was the brass impressed by Zacks success rate in the field? Actually, second question time. How many members of this organization had similar backstories to Zack?

The gray haired man had started out as an assassin before joining Xcution, so he could have had much more experience than them in this field. Before being an assassin, he was a merc and then before that he was a soldier. So, Zack had a lot of experience in the field when it comes to being a soldier and being an assassin. But still, why send him in with Shizuka Sanamizu? It wasn’t that Zack had a issue with it, rather the opposite, he was just overly curious and suspicious. Perhaps Shizuka was performing some sort of review on him? Like when retail stores have the secret bosses come in to spy on their employees. Maybe Shizuka was performing some sort of evaluation on him?

Regardless of the reasons Zack was still looking forward to spending the evening, and maybe more, with Shizuka. Being in the company of a beautiful woman was one of the better treats of the world. But still, having money beat that out. Hearing the clops of what he assumed were most likely high heels, Zack turned his head to his left and smiled. Honestly, he felt her before he saw her. While Zack had a bit over the average in being able to detect energy, and yes it was hard for him to tell exactly who someone was based off their energy, Shizuka had enough reiatsu that he could confidently assume it was her.

Zack turned towards her, his warm smile never leaving his face, as he looked her over. While she wore a pea coat to escape the cold, he could still admire her face and hair. Her long blonde hair, which had been straightened the last time he saw her, had its tipped curled. Zack, without a doubt, found her beautiful. His gaze was drawn to her heterochromia eyes, which were both green and blue respectively. Zack admired her figure, wondering what she had under the peacoat. He didn’t stare or anything, just a quick glance as he nodded his head ”Evening, Miss Sanamizu.” Zack said.

Well, it was nice to see her again. Zack hadn’t seen her or the other gentleman since the strip club incident back in America. He had met a few operatives during training, but never long enough to really get to know them. Xcution had a surprisingly low number of operatives. This was probably due to the fact you needed to be a Fullbringer to join, and the chances of someone becoming a Fullbringer was less than 1%. But, regardless, it was nice to see Shizuka again. As she commented on how they matched, he couldn’t help but chuckle. Her joked eased the slight amount of tension he had. Well, no. Shizuka was his superior, so he was a tad bit nervous. ”It’s good to see you again after so long.” Zack responded with a smile.

When Shizuka asked him if he was ready for the date, Zack smiled once more. Did she actually consider this a date over a job? It was entirely possible, as the two could afford some social interaction. They had no idea who the target was, so until the informants could get them some viable information they had been ordered to simply wait. So, it was completely possible to look at this like it was a date. Aside from that, Zack had heard a few rumors about Shizuka. Nothing bad, rather he had heard a few tales about her apparently watching pornography with another operative like it was normal TV. So, chances were, if that was true, that Shizuka was a pervert. Which was fine, since Zack was a bit of one as well.

”I look forward to spending the evening with you.” Zack replied. He wasn’t really trying to flirt right now, as that could come later. As Shizuka put her hand on Zacks back, he walked towards the doors. Like the gentleman he was, he happily held the door open for her letting her go in first before it closed behind them. The inside of the restaurant was what one would expect. The darker orange coloring to set the mood, chandeliers hung from the walls, it wasn’t very loud due to the nature of the restaurant. Yes, there was chitchat, but nobody was obnoxiously loud. With Zacks animal like hearing, though, he could pick up pieces of peoples conversations. Most of it was in German, which made sense considering where they were.

Zack stood with Shizuka by the greeter’s podium as a young man came to greet them. ” Abend. Haben sie vorbehalte?” The greeter asked, looking down at his list then back up to Shizuka then Zack. The hitman noticed a bit of surprise in his eyes when he had looked at Shizuka. Now, Zack was probably going to surprise his date with what he did next. ” Ja, ja wir tun. Wir sind die Faust-Party. Ein Tisch für zwei, vielleicht etwas ein bisschen mehr privat?” Zack responded, speaking in near perfect german. It was still a little hard for Zack to say, as he was only really used to speaking English, Spanish, Japanese. He had some difficulty speaking german, Russian, and French as they were not things he spoke to often. Actually, he spoke French the most out of those three. But, would he speaking in German surprise Shizuka? Zack didn’t know, but he did smile at her.

” Oh, ja, natürlich Sir. Rechts auf diese weise!” the greeter responded after checking his guest book for the last name Faust. He grabbed a few menus and led the two to a table near the back. It was a simple table, not a booth, with only two chairs. The greeter had put them away from most other people, but the odd couple or two were a few seats away enjoying themselves. Zack pulled a chair out for Shizuka, while he himself took a seat across from her. ” Ihr Kellner Recht mit dir sein. Ich hoffe, Sie genießen Sie Ihre Mahlzeit, Herr und Fräulein. the young man said, bowing his head to Shizuka and Zack before leaving their menus and departing.

Zack chuckled slightly before looking at Shizuka. ”I think he likes you.” he joked about how he noticed the greeters reaction upon seeing the young woman. Zack took a quick peak around the restaurant, counting out at least eleven different parties. Many were couple, but about four of them were groups of three or more people. One party had at least seven people at a long table, while on was three gentlemen. So, which one of all these people here was Mr. Beladema? If Zack and Shizuka could figure it out without help, they had permission to eliminate him right then. But, as it was now, they needed to wait until they received more information. So, why not take this opportunity to get a little conversation going with his lovely date?

”So, how have you been Miss Sanamizu? It’s been quite some time since we last saw each other and I am rather curious about how life has been treating you.” Zack asked as he put his hands together on the table and looked at her, wondering how she was going to answer.

[/blockquote]

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

”I look forward to spending the evening with you.”

Shizuka's attention wavered as she focused on his words. She realized she was going to have fun spending time with him, too. Actually, when she heard that she was going to be doing this mission with Zackary Jensen, she immediately accepted with no question. It had been a while since they had seen each other, and she knew that if she were assigned a specific mission, it had to be exciting. And it was! At least, that was what she thought. She had no idea what to expect, but she was looking forward to finding this guy and taking him out. Shizuka had not been in a real fight in a while, so she was a bit antsy at the lack of usage of her Fullbring. Not only that, but she had a new pet who always wanted to go out, too. Although, even if she had not been on missions in a while or even used her powers, a nice dinner out beats all of that. Plus, she doesn't even have to pay!

As the two of them entered the restaurant, Shizuka glanced around the inside of the building and admired the architecture. Everything was beautifully placed and lit attractively, as she expected from such a fine establishment. She felt like a spoiled princess and loved it. Before she knew it, though, a young man approached them. He was dressed in black clothing that resembled a suit but had a serving-like appeal, meaning he was a host. She made eye contact with him, carefully listening to the words he was speaking. Well, she'd like to think she was paying attention to his words, but the truth was that she had no idea. Shizuka smiled uneasily, careful to hide her thoughts. She hated that she barely knew any other languages aside from Spanish, English and Japanese. She used English more often than anything else, too. Truth is, Zackary was sent on this trip with Shizuka because of the location. She can't speak or understand German. A smile appeared on his mouth, though. He was trying to impress her. It worked.

Shizuka and Zackary were ushered to a small table for two deep within the restaurant. Shizuka smiled with excitement, ready to seriously eat something good. Zackary pulled out a chair for her which she graciously accepted and sat down in as he made his way to the other side of the table. The host bowed towards each of them, saying some other German phrase. Shizuka giggled and waved, not knowing what else to do since she had zero skill in German. She noticed the menus on the table and picked one up, looking through all of the choices even though she knew what she wanted already. She didn't care about who else was in the restaurant in that moment. She was too busy getting ready to eat after her trip with Blaize. It was while she was considering her non-existent options that Zack said something.

”So, how have you been, Miss Sanamizu? It’s been quite some time since we last saw each other and I am rather curious about how life has been treating you.”

Shizuka looked up. "Oh, you know. Same old. I haven't been on any major trips recently, so I've been kind of bored, you know? Blaize has been restless, too. She likes to fly but she wants me with her, and I started classes at college already. Time isn't very generous to me."

The blonde girl flipped her hair behind her ear to keep it out of her eyes as she looked back down at the menu, rambling slightly about her life. The truth was, she really barely had time for herself at all. Everything was school related or she wanted to catch up on a show or something, which took time away in itself. She was only eighteen. She had her own life to take care of outside of school, and work in Xcution to do. They haven't assigned missions to her lately because she's just been too busy. Every time it's the same. It's always, 'Oh, don't worry about it. We'll send someone else.' But she always wants to go. Now she finally gets a mission and it turns out to be really nice! Not only that, but the fancy dinner was a great surprise. For once, spying on a target gave her some extra benefits.

"I think I know what I'm going to get to eat, though!" Shizuka said, smiling at Zack. By now the host had sent a waiter to their table, gotten them drinks and checked back. Any German exchanged was ignored by Shizuka completely. "Um, I have to tell you a secret though..." She fidgeted uneasily. "I can't really understand German at all, so Xcution had us both assigned to this mission because you have more lingual abilities than I do."

The waiter came back and probably asked if they were ready to order, so Shizuka gave the menu to Zack and pointed at the linguini and clam sauce. She wanted him to order for her so she didn't look too stupid or embarrass herself by attempting to speak a language she couldn't handle. Besides, it was cute if he ordered for her. Glancing to the side and blushing, Shizuka smiled as her way of asking him to say it. Once they both ordered, the two of them could talk a little bit more about their lives and catch up a bit. She knew someone was going to come by and give them some more information or something on this target. To be honest though, she wanted that person to take as long as possible. She liked being able to talk to Zack. So once they got their orders in and started waiting for dinner, Shizuka took off her coat and rested it on the back of her chair, exposing the top of her dress. It was tight against her skin and the pieces covering her breasts dipped into a V shape, showing the cleavage she purposefully made. Thin straps held the top of her dress to her neck in a halter style, so as she held herself up straighter and placed her elbow on the table to rest her head on her hand, the dress only exaggerated her look even further.

"So tell me. What makes you so interested in my life? What have you been up to?"

[Deleted]

Well, the restaurant was certainly nice. The atmosphere made it especially relaxing, and considering how quiet it was, it was perfect for the assassin. He liked the quiet, he enjoyed it being peaceful, though he enjoyed the company of a beautiful woman even more than that. Zack respectively listened to Shizuka as she gave him a brief summary of her life. She spoke of how she didn’t get to travel as much anymore, about her pet Blaize, and how she had just started college. This was interesting and something Zack mentally noted. He didn’t know Shizuka was just getting into college, in fact he didn’t even know how old she was. If she was in college she needed to be over eighteen, which was good for other reasons.

Still, it was something worth remembering. Zack had gone to college himself, but not for very long. He just couldn’t stand sitting around and studying, though ironically he did that quite a lot even now, and he desired action. It was why he went into the military, to learn to fight and get some excitement in his life. Well, he got excitement and a nice scar painted down his chest because of it. But, no more focusing on the past less roads not meant to be walked will be traveled down. Zack took a brief look at his menu as Shizuka finished speaking, spying something he wanted. Zack wasn’t a big eater, but what he saw peeked his interest. A dish called tiella, why not.

As the first waiter came and took their drinks, Zack was a bit stuck. He had been looking over the wine selections, he liked wine, when he suddenly remembered he had no idea how old Shizuka was. He wasn’t going to ask her, as that would have been very rude. It was also unprofessional to drink during a job, but this was a “date” and Zack figured some red wine could set the mood. But again, Zack wasn’t sure she was older than twenty one so he decided to just play it safe. He ordered a sweet tea, while Shizuka had hers ordered. Shizuka expressed she knew what she was going to order, to which Zack nodded and replied ”As do I, the tiella looks interesting enough to try.”

The waiter returned with their drinks and following him leaving Zack took a drink of his. It was sweet, which was fine and all but he did really want the bitter taste of wine. But, sweet tea would manage him. It was best to not get drunk after all. Shizuka began to speak again and he gave her his full attention. She explained she couldn’t speak or understand German and Zacks ability to speak other languages was the reason he was assigned to this mission. He looked at her a bit surprised as he had been sure that this was some sort of evaluation. A smile and a small chuckle was her first response as he decided to reply with ”I understand, ma’am. I will be happy to translate for you.” he nodded.

As the waiter returned, Shizuka handed Zack her menu and pointed to what she wanted. Linguini and clam sauce huh? Zack spoke to the waiter, telling him what Shizuka wanted and what he wanted as well. The waiter nodded, wrote it down and departed with their menus. Zack caught sight of Shizukas reaction and couldn’t help but just smile at her. He found her reaction cute. Still, he didn’t quite expect what happened next. Well, he assumed that Shizuka would remove her peacoat at some point but he didn’t actually expect her to dress the way she had. She was wearing a bright red cocktail dress. Zack didn’t stare, he got a well enough and quick view that staring wasn’t necessary. He liked what he saw. From the quick and stealthy glance he got, he noticed the way her dress showed her cleavage perfectly along with the necklace he wore. Zack was touched she got so well dressed just for him. It was a nice compliment, and she looked amazing.

As she leaned forward he once again smiled. She asked her question "So tell me. What makes you so interested in my life? What have you been up to?" Zack lowered his gaze and pondered the best response. ”Well ma’am, I have a feeling you and I will be seeing each other much more in the future so it is probably best if we get to know each other, don’t you agree?” Zack asked, taking a drink of his tea before adding, ”Well, it would be nice to see you more.” he took another sip before placing his down and answering her second question. ”I’ve been busy as well. Work has me going everywhere nonstop, which is partly my fault. I like top stay busy, so when I get a job offer I take it. Keeps me busy and keeps the paychecks coming, heh.” Zack chuckled at the last part. ”How are your classes going? What’re you trying to major in if I may ask?” Zack asked, his eyes meeting hers as he awaited her answer.

[/size]

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Shizuka blinked a couple of times and smiled. She was normally a flirtatious person since it was honestly just a part of who she was, but she happened to be trying a little bit harder this time. Something about it seemed exciting, especially because Zack was older than she was by a few years. She thought about her past for a moment as Zack spoke briefly. Before Kento, she had "things" with a few guys but it's not like they ever ended well or became anything important. Most of the time she was the one getting hurt. Then Kento happened and their relationship became so much more serious, but when that ended badly she didn't have much hope left. Now, Shizuka wasn't like normal girls. She didn't sleep around or anything, but she definitely teased here and there to get what she wanted. Older men tended to be weak towards younger women, but Zack wasn't that much older. She wasn't looking for anything major with him, but he was interesting. Shizuka wanted to see how far she could push it.

”How are your classes going? What’re you trying to major in if I may ask?”

Shizuka's ears perked up. "My classes? I mean, they're fine and all. Some aren't that easy, but I'm getting there, I think." Shizuka played with her napkin and started folding it in careful directions. "My major, though..." A laugh escaped her lips as she flipped the napkin over. "It's mechanical engineering. I'm sure you think that's funny, since I'm a girl." After tucking in one side of the napkin into a pocket she made on the other side, Shizuka held it up and pulled the bottom out to open the shape, revealing it to be an origami crown. "It matched me the most, though."

Mechanical engineering would open more than enough doors for Shizuka in the future, especially if Xcution ever found someone to take her place. That worried her, and they allowed her to attend school instead of work as an assassin full time. That only meant they were searching for someone out there with more time, more skill, something to use that would outshine Shizuka's abilities. She figured if she had one more thing, a new skill set, she would be in the organization for even more reasons than just being good at hunting targets. Strangely, two years felt like such a long time to her. Two years ago was when she had started as an assassin, started as Kento's partner, all because her aunt had this incredible racism that, in turn, made Shizuka scarily biased against Shinigami. That hatred only grew within the past few years, though. Especially after meeting Sozen. Shizuka shuttered. The mere thought of him disgusted her.

She reconsidered showing any major disdain, though. She composed herself as quickly as she possibly could and sighed, not wanting to ruin her dinner with such a nice man on something so troublesome as that. She was hoping to keep the mask that hid her true self, the part of her that absolutely hated everything about Shinigami and their very existence as a whole. Looking around the room, she tried distracting her thoughts somehow. She admired the art that decorated the walls, the chandeliers that lit up the area, and the waiter that had appeared out of nowhere with a tray that carried food set down on a stand. A smile appeared on Shizuka's face as she smelled her delicious meal. This was her all-time favorite dish in the world, and it's felt like years since she's properly enjoyed it. This was such a silly thing to get excited over, but Shizuka's expression resembled a child who just got a chocolate bar because she couldn't have been happier.

After taking a very lady-like bite and being thoroughly pleased, Shizuka directed part of her attention towards Zack. She didn't know much about his past, now that she thought about it. It could be interesting to see what kind of a guy he was, especially since she was so used to getting to know each Xcution member through chance, one way or another. He was different from most other guys she's met, too. He was more mature, probably since he was older, but that was always a nice plus. Shizuka liked being around older guys for that reason, because they never seemed to be as stupid as the ones her own age. He was wiser, had more experience, and probably a whole bunch of fun stories to share about his life before he joined Xcution. Shizuka was super curious about all of it.

"What did you major in when you went to college, by the way? Did you ever go on to work in that field?"

[Deleted]

Mechanical engineering? Zacks eyebrow raised slightly as he registered what she said. This young girl was taking engineering as her major? Zacks mouth formed into a smile as he couldn’t help but chuckle, especially when Shizuka made mention of her being a girl. ”Oh no, no no no Miss. It’s just I didn’t expect you to say that, it caught me by surprise.” Zack responded, covering his mouth with the back of his hand as he chuckled a little more. When Shizuka said it matched her the most he couldn’t help but just smile at her. It was good to hear that she knew what it was she wanted to do and was progressing towards it. ”It’s good to hear you have a goal in sight. I hope you do well in your studies.” Zack said, taking another drink.

As the conversation took a pause, Zack took the opportunity to give the restaurant another subtle gaze. Though he was enjoying the time he spent with Shizuka, he was still on a job. When on a job, the part of him that wanted money never shut off. Zack was still focused on his task, scanning the establishment for any sort of clue or hint to the target. One of the guests was the target, but which one was it. Zack had his eye, particularly, on the part of three as having two body guards was sort of standard for this sort of thing. But, there was a issue with simply going “yeah that’s him”. The leader of the three, Zack assumed, was a rather large man with a balding head. He looked like a giant ham. While Mr. Beladema could have been wearing a fat suit after changing his face, the amount of food the man had before him sorta made Zack believe he was actually just fat. And what about the other two? Nothing really stood out about them, aside from one being white and the other being black.

There was also the massive party, but from the looks of it they were simply a family. Actually, scratch that, Zack just heard one of them say happy birthday to one of the members. Yeah, large party was a family on a birthday dinner. Makes sense. There were other parties in the restaurant as well, but none of them really stood out too much. Zack was brought back into focus when he noticed their food had arrived. Alright, time to try himself some of that rice dish. Zack thanked the waiter and after putting his napkin in his lap he took a small spooned bite of the tiella. Well, it’s taste was certainly interesting but it wasn’t anything overly unique. It was good though, so Zack had no complaints.

"What did you major in when you went to college, by the way? Did you ever go on to work in that field?"

Zack blinked. He looked into her dual colored eyes and smiled, placing his spoon down like a gentleman to continue to talk. Zack wet his lips, lowered his gaze and rested his hands on each other. It was story time. ”I went into college fresh out of highschool, Ms Sanamizu. When I first got there, I had no idea what it was I going to do. After the first few months of just taking random classes I actually became interested in becoming a lawyer. But…things didn’t go quite as well as I had hoped. I never finished my first year” Zack stopped, looking down at his food then back at her with a half smile. He was letting that sink in. ”After dropping out I went into the Army. I was stationed in Iraq after training and for those first few months there really was nothing happening.

My squad and I hung out in a bunker all day, watching tv, cleaning our guns, reading and just…doing what guys do.” Zack laughed, an entertained laugh as he remembered something that happened. ”A good friend of mine, his name was Alex, managed to catch himself one of those things called a Camel Spider. These things are pretty big and they look pretty freaky. Well, Alex puts the thing on one of our guys, Fred. Fred woke up screaming like a baby, thrashing and kicking and just…oh man.” Zack recounted, chuckling with his story as he remembered it. ”everyone was laughing as Fred is looking for this bug, screaming at how he is gonna get us back. He never did.” Zack said, shaking his head.

”About three months later we got called out to some bunker about seventy clicks north of a small town. I don’t remember what it was, but it was some call about possible insurgents in the area. We got there…and long story short they were there.” Zack said, looking at Shizuka and nodding his head gently. ”Two of us made it out, out of the ten. Fred wasn’t…he wasn’t one of them. It was me and another guy, Charles Wickermen. Charles was a greenhorn, he just got out of training…I am not even sure how he got out without getting hit. I, on the other hand, got this nice little parting gift” Zack took his finger and dragged across his chest to let Shizuka know he had a scar across his chest.

Zack knew Shizuka only asked about his college life, but he felt she deserved to know a bit more. Zack was purposely leaving one detail out, something he refused to bring up. ”After that…I sorta drifted for awhile. Post traumatic stress disorder. When you hear the stories about veterans attacking their neighbors from the disorder, they usually arnt some made up story. It really can get that bad. I wasn’t at that level, but for awhile it was stressful to be around me. The mention of any of my squad mates, or anything sounding remotely like Allah Akbar could send me into a episode.” Zack told her, fiddling with his thumbs as he told her.

It wasn’t what she asked, but he felt she should know. ”It isn’t a issue anymore, trust me. If it was I wouldn’t be here, doing this. Now, I have a question to return to you, Miss.” Zack said, smiling at her. ”What’s your story? How did you end up here? A young, attractive girl such as yourself…I find it hard to imagine that you simply wanted to perform this business out of boredom.” Zack asked, taking a bit of his meal and awaiting her answer. Zack would be more than happy to answer any other questions she had, but right now he was curious about the woman who sat opposite of him.

[/size]

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Getting to know Zack was interesting enough. She felt like he was just full of these untold stories and secrets, waiting to me revealed to the world. She was never a fan of "damaged goods," meaning she hated people who carried major baggage with them everywhere they went. Zack, thankfully, wasn't like that. He showed no sign of baggage, though Shizuka could bet money that he had a troubled past. So, of course wanting to know about this past made her want to ask questions. She oped it wasn't too personal and he would be able to tell her what his life is like, since she was willing to tell her own life story, as boring as it may be. During all of her mind babble, Shizuka heard Zack put his spoon down, forcing her to look up and into his eyes with ready excitement. He smiled a sweet, handsome smile and folded his hands before he started talking.

”I went into college fresh out of high school, Ms Sanamizu. When I first got there, I had no idea what it was I going to do. After the first few months of just taking random classes, I actually became interested in becoming a lawyer. But… Things didn’t go quite as well as I had hoped. I never finished my first year.” He started.

Never finished his first year? What did that mean for Zack? Did he not have a job other than being an assassin? Shizuka sat up in her seat and listening with anticipation. She was ready for him to continue, to tell her about his life and his own adventures with every detail he could possibly muster. After a short pause, he continued, informing Shizuka that he had become a soldier in the Army and was stationed in Iraq. She gasped slightly, adding a small bit of dramatics in to his storytelling. She truly was interested in what he had to say, but the fact that he had fought in a war was amazing to Shizuka. She loved the idea that he was raised on fighting, for some reason. She thought it made a man more interesting, though even men who have no experienced the world as Zack has can be interesting in their own ways. He was just something different, she thought.

Zack continued, laughing and pausing at certain points in his tale, especially when he talked about his friend being attacked by a camel spider. Shizuka had seen pictures of those things, and as disgusting as insects were on a normal basis, those creatures were particularly grotesque. Yet something about his enthusiasm attracted Shizuka to him even more. This man had a story. He had history. He had a tough life but he was strong enough to fight it and come back as strong as ever. He had powers as a Fullbringer. Even more importantly, he had money. Shizuka could admit that she loved the idea of having a sugar daddy or even being with someone who had enough money to spoil her rotten, but she wasn't looking for that just yet with him. Zack was a handsome man with money, which was just her type. He was continuing his story during her mental observation of him, and something rather upsetting caught her attention. It was about the friend, Fred was his name, who had a run in with the spider.

"Everyone was laughing as Fred is looking for this bug, screaming at how he is gonna get us back. He never did.” Shizuka's face went from smiling to surprised in two seconds.

”About three months later we got called out to some bunker about seventy clicks north of a small town. I don’t remember what it was, but it was some call about possible insurgents in the area. We got there… and long story short, they were there. Two of us made it out, out of the ten. Fred wasn’t… He wasn’t one of them. It was me and another guy, Charles Wickermen. Charles was a greenhorn. He just got out of training… I am not even sure how he got out without getting hit. I, on the other hand, got this nice little parting gift.”

Shizuka's eyes followed Zack's hand as he lifted it and placed his finger on his chest, dragging it across as an outline for a scar he must have had. Once he made that motion, something hit Shizuka. Something clicked. In that moment, realizing Zack had more than just money, that he had bravery and a scar to prove how hard he worked in his life and how lucky he was to live, Shizuka knew two things. She knew that they needed to find out who this guy was and where he was hiding in the restaurant, and she knew that she desperately wanted Zack. Something about a battle scar on a man just gets her going. It always has, and sadly it's been a weakness of hers with men. She was classy, always sticking to business when she needed to turn on her charm. That didn't mean, however, that she never had any fun once in a while. She always had time for that. Shizuka was looking forward to this story, though. She wanted to know more.

Zack began playing around with his hands. Shizuka began to feel something in her heart for this man. Sympathy, maybe? She wasn't mean or anything, but Shizuka never particularly had any sympathy because she lacked the patience to really understand someone's feelings. But now she knew. Now she could feel it and she understood how Zack felt in that moment. She had never gone through any experience that was even half as bad as the one he had gone through with his war friends, but she knew what that pain was. And she wanted to help him forget that pain more than anything. She didn't care that he was older than her. She was eighteen, so it was absolutely legal for her to do anything if she wanted. On the other hand, she needed to wait. This wasn't yet the right time.

Once Zack had explained how the war affected him and that it was no longer an issue, Shizuka placed her hand over his and lightly held it, smiling and sending the occasional squeeze his way. She tried to convey loving feelings, some that may be familiar to him if he ever felt real love from another. Though she did not feel any love for the man, Shizuka knew that sometimes all a person wants is to know someone is there for them. That's all she wanted to tell him. He deserved a close friend, especially after the harsh life he had and what he's been through. No one deserves something that difficult, no matter who they are. Even if they're known for being criminals. It wasn't right at all for someone to be alone. Shizuka thought she felt that love before... But she was horribly wrong about that.

”What’s your story? How did you end up here? A young, attractive girl such as yourself… I find it hard to imagine that you simply wanted to perform this business out of boredom.” Zack's question caught her off guard as her attention was now completely directed towards him.

It's true. She didn't take on this job out of boredom. However, she also didn't quite take it on her own choice. It was always an option for her as soon as she found out she had these strange powers and learned not everyone gains them. Before admitting her life to Zack, Shizuka uncrossed her legs and moved one up towards Zack. She gently touched the side of her shoe to his leg and moved it up and down, smoothly rubbing his calf. Her smile turned flirty. Shizuka moved her hands beneath her chin and placed her elbows on the table so she could hold her head up. In doing so, her shoulders pushed upwards, forcing the dress to tighten around her breasts so they would be pressed against each other and expose more cleavage. He wanted a life story, so she would give him one. She just wanted something else, and hoped sending slight signals on occasion would do the trick with this gentleman.

"My story, huh? Well, let's see... It all started when I was younger. My aunt Momo was my best friend and she actually gave me these heels," Shizuka started as she continued to rub her shoe against his leg. "They became very important to me throughout the years since I couldn't even wear them at first. They were too big, so I couldn't wait to grow up and be able to finally put them on my feet." She smirked. "I feel more like a woman now instead of a girl, though I'm aware I don't really look my age. I'm often mistaken for younger." Shizuka played with the bottom of her wine glass filled with coke.

"Anyway, I had a decently normal childhood. When I got into high school, my aunt had been telling me about these other races known as Shinigami. Of course when I was little I had no idea what they meant and I was very confused, but she said that these Shinigami had killed people she dearly loved and they even threatened her own life." Shizuka's smile changed into something more angry. "I hate them now... They almost took her from me and I can't stand that thought. I almost thought one of them was attractive, too. Ugh... Do you know Sozen Kuchiki? Yeah, that's the one. I was with Kento at the time." Shizuka shuttered at the thought. She and Kento were on good terms, but she wasn't sure she really wanted to have anything to do with the kid. He seemed like he was getting in to some trouble.

"Well, he's actually important to the story, now that I think about it. I cared about him a lot, so we actually dated for a little while and were originally partners in Xcution. He was sent to recruit me and teach me how to use my Fullbring correctly. Once that was taken care of, I learned how to kill and became one of the strongest assassins in the organization. Like I said, nothing too exciting happened in my life. But I got what I wanted. My aunt is safe and I can kill Shinigami without a care in the world." Shizuka looked up at Zack intensely. "Nothing gets in my way of that. Part of me thinks that's why I have Blaize now. She can sense Shinigami almost as well as I can and helps get me where I need to go. Her story is just that she was a genetic mutation in some experiment some Xcution scientists were working on. I ended up with her, though."

Shizuka smiled, remembering the first time she met Blaize. The reptile was much smaller than she is now, and very afraid. She didn't know Shizuka and didn't care to know, so she had to be trained. Shizuka did that and befriended the dragon. Now they can't be separated. Unless, of course, Shizuka goes inside and asks Blaize to wait for a signal. It was nice being able to have a partner like that. Shizuka dearly missed having a partner and hated working missions on her own. It was always so lonely. Now, though, she had Zack. She really liked having him around and everything about him was just proper and super, super attractive. He was attractive. Shizuka couldn't stop thinking about what she wanted to do with him, either. No wonder she was known throughout Xcution as the closet pervert. She accepted the label truthfully, though.

She glanced back up at Zack, batting her eyelashes in a sweet way before giving his hand one last squeeze and letting go. Instead, she got up and walked those couple of steps over to the man and leaned down to whisper something in his ear. She knew they were on a mission and needed to be serious, but part of her didn't care about that. She wanted something a little bit more than just a mission right now, and felt bad about how she normally got it. Before, Shizuka would use her looks to get what she wanted, whether it was information or just someone to spot her some cash if she wanted it. This time it was for her own pleasure as well as someone else's. She could wait until everything was taken care of, but she really wanted Zack to know that he wasn't the only one who thought something sweet towards his partner. Shizuka's words were soft enough so only Zack could hear them, even if someone had been trying to listen in on them.

"I have to admit though, handsome. I'm a little bit curious about that scar of yours. Mind showing me later?"

Shizuka gently kissed Zack's cheek before sitting back down. She only wanted to flirt for now. She only wanted to have fun. At this point, she didn't even care if it went any further. It was interesting enough to just play with Zack. Maybe experience what he feels and how he would react to Shizuka's flirting. And something even more important, for her to watch the reactions of the other people in the restaurant. She knew one thing for sure about bad guys. They stick to business. If she was doing anything that shouldn't be done in public, this guy would pay zero attention and continue on with his meal or finish his work. He would be easier to spot if the other operative didn't bring in some more information quickly enough. Shizuka could use Blaize's sense of smell, but they didn't even have part of his clothes. Making a huge scene was out of the question, since people were sure to have heart attacks at the sight of a dragon. So Shizuka decided the next best thing would be to act a little bit indecently. It was worth a shot.

[Deleted]

Zack didn't tell Shizuka his full story. He had purposely left a number of things out, choosing to simply tell her about the more important parts of his military career. He didn't tell her about the years he spent as a mercenary, doing any sort of work for a paycheck. Back in those days it was anything goes. Zack could be repairing someones plumbing to destroying an entire town for simply existing. He wasn't going to lie, the days as a mercenary were dark. He had become one after the death of his fiancee to try and escape it all. He had been angry. He was angry at the world in those days and took it out on other people with violence. Needless to say, Zack was not a mercenary for very long. He eventually calmed down after intensive therapy and putting a leash on his drinking problem. It was after wards that a old contract of Zacks had called him in for a talk that he became an assassin working for the Organization. They had been a smaller group than Xcution and lacked the super powered people said place had.

As Zack told his story he was caught by surprise when his date placed her hand on his. Zack looked at her hand with a mix of surprise and gratefulness. He gently placed his other hand atop hers to show he appreciated her concern. To be fair, he really did not expect Shizuka to do this. The man who sat before her was used to cold disdain and emotional detachment. While he always put up a friendly demeanor the truth was that Zack was alone. He didn't truly have people he could call a friend and that was all his fault. Zack was always a loner by nature, preferring to stay away from the groups and do his own thing. He was not socially inept, rather he was just an introvert. But Shizukas kind feelings reached him, causing him to smile at her and give her hand a gentle squeeze. "Thank you, Miss Sanamizu." he replied, grateful for her concern.

Now it was Shizukas turn to tell her story. Zack would return the kindness and pay his full attention to her and her alone. He let go out of Shizukas hand to take a quick sip from his drink to wet his throat. Putting the cup down he blinked when he believed he felt something on the side of his leg. Was that what he thought it was? Judging from the way it felt...yeah it was. He chuckled when he felt it beginning to move up and down his leg, returning his gaze to Shizuka and giving her a coy smile. He saw the way she was looking at him, like a cat looking at a new toy to play with. Zack lowered his gaze for just a second to see her exposed cleavage before he returned it to her eyes. So, Shizuka felt like playing huh? Zack had no objections to it.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. It wasn't the age difference that was a issue, Zack had no problem spending the evening with eighteen year olds. No, the thing that kept Zack from taking Shizuka was that she was his superior. Technically Shizuka was his boss and that was enough to keep Zack from responding back to her signals with full force. The rumors of her promiscuous attitude were proven to be true based on the way she was acting, which Zack enjoyed. Shizuka might be a pervert but she would soon find that Zack was more than happy to return her desires back to her. The assassins experience and his cool head kept him calm as he gave Shizuka a coy smile, eyes full of interest, as he watched and listened to her and enjoying the attention he was getting from her foot.

"My story, huh? Well, let's see... It all started when I was younger. My aunt Momo was my best friend and she actually gave me these heels," the very heels she was talking about must have been the ones currently being rubbed against his legs. Still, the mention of her heels put a thought into Zacks head. Are they her Fullbring?

[/i]. After his training, Zack learned that what made someones Primary Fullbring was a object that the person held much adoration for. He threw the thought away as he continued to listen, giving her his full and undivided attention. "They became very important to me throughout the years since I couldn't even wear them at first. They were too big, so I couldn't wait to grow up and be able to finally put them on my feet. I feel more like a woman now instead of a girl, though I'm aware I don't really look my age. I'm often mistaken for younger."

"Youth and beauty often come hand in hand." Zack responded with a smile. It was a compliment, calling her both young and beautiful. But Shizuka sort of answered his question whether or not they were her fullbring. If they shoes were so important to her then they had to be her Release. It's kinda funny. She's rubbing her weapon up against me, hah.[/i] Zack thought as he chuckled slightly at the thought. Well, Shizuka was most definitely a woman. "Anyway, I had a decently normal childhood. When I got into high school, my aunt had been telling me about these other races known as Shinigami." Oh? Now things were getting interesting. Zack rested his free hand on his chin, covering his mouth with curled fingers as he listened intently. To be fair, Shizuka took the story to somewhere he really did not expect it to go.

Zack listened. It was all he could do. He listened as Shizuka talked about her aunt and how the Shinigami tried to take her away. She mentioned a man named Sozen Kuchiki. When Shizuka asked her Zack knew him, he shook his head. Zack was still very ignorant about the Shinigami. He had met one Shinigami, and she had left Zack with a fairly good first impression of them. He didn't show it at all, but he was surprised at how venomous Shizuka was about the Shinigami. Shizukas feelings for Shinigami where exactly his feelings towards Hollows, the white masked beasts that made his childhood a living hell. Shizuka then mentioned another name; Kento. Now that was a name Zack knew of. Kento Sasaki, a fellow member of the Xcution Seven Guns. In particular, he was in the top of the seven along with the young woman in front of him making him one of the Rifles.

Kento Sasaki was someone Zack was going to need to meet, along with the other Seven Guns. Hopefully Zack could join their ranks sometime in the near future, as he believed his skills to be a invaluable asset to Xcution. Plus, if the rumors were true, Seven Guns got paid more than Swords. Shizuka began to speak about her pet dragon named Blaize. He had seen the creature back in Chicago, wondering about its origins. She was kind enough to fill him in on its beginning. Zack was still in a bit of shock at her attitude towards the Shinigami. Zack had a sort of grey neutrality with them. He neither hated nor liked the Shinigami. He just accepted they were there. Liking one member of their group didn't mean he liked the whole party, no he liked the individual. Also, why did everyone refer to Shinigami as a race? Zack learned that they were in fact called Pluses, spiritual energy beings, and that Shinigami was a title. A job. That little bit of information had been hilarious to him.

Zack gave Shizuka a smile, figuring her time to talk had ended. He wasn't to thrilled she seemed to be done. He enjoyed listening to her voice. It was alluring, along with her eyes that constantly held his attention. Everything about Shizuka was interesting and deserved his attention. Getting a drink of his tea Zack noticed he had barely touched his food, which was fine he supposed. He didn't really need to eat. He looked back up at his date and noticed she was batting her eyes at him. He raised his eyebrow, giving her a playful smile and asking "Yes?". She got up while Zack watched her. Did she need to go to the bathroom? She advanced upon him and leaned in. Zack got a nice look at her cleavage when she did that when he suddenly felt warm air on his ear followed by sweet temptation.

"I have to admit though, handsome. I'm a little bit curious about that scar of yours. Mind showing me later?"

Shizuka had no idea what she had just did. Zack already was not opposed to getting to know her even better, and while he definitely understood his intentions, Shizuka had basically sealed the day. Bititng his inner lip and smiling, the assassin leaned forward, putting his lips close to her ear. So close barely a inch separated them. He then whispered "I'm not opposed to a little...show and tell...later. If you're up for it, of course.". His answer was yes and he said it perfectly as well. His charm worked well for him as he got a kiss on the cheek as thanks. His ears felt hot as he watched Shizuka return to her seat, giving her a entertained look. He was in a playful mood now and he could have sworn his pants just got a little tighter. But, he noticed something. Shizukas little stunt had garnered them some attention. A few people were looking over there way. A elderly couple was giving the two of them some dirty looks, shaking their heads as they soon resumed their meal. A second elderly couple was giving them a "awwwwww" look, especially at Shizuka. They must have assumed Zack and Shizuka were actually a couple.

Zack looked over at the birthday party, who hadn't even noticed. Then at the party of three, with the large man, who also seemed to not have noticed. He was to busy eating and talking with his two table mates. Zack still had his eye on that guy. The phone in his pocket never once vibrated, which it was supposed to when the information came through. So, for now he decided to continue to entertain his date. He took a bite from his meal, slowly chewing it as he decided on what to say. "So, Miss Sanamizu. Is there anything else I should know about you? I would hate to do something to upset you since I have a gut feeling we might be seeing each other much more." Zack said, giving her the spot light, or was he? "or, is there anything else you want to know about me? he gave her that playful smile again. He was trying to get to know her better after all and if she wanted he was going to return the favor give her more information about him. What if they did end up working together more, or ended up just seeing each other more? Partners, lovers, friends, coworkers it didn't matter; they needed to know more about the other. Zack was more than happy to spend the evening talking to her, or doing other things with her. [/blockquote][/size]

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

"So, Miss Sanamizu. Is there anything else I should know about you? I would hate to do something to upset you since I have a gut feeling we might be seeing each other much more. Or, is there anything else you want to know about me?"

Anything else he should know? Shizuka thought for a moment, which most likely was showing on her face. She picked up her hand and placed it on the back of her head, gently playing with her own hair like she used to. The habit was always there, but she hardly ever did it because she rarely got nervous or actually needed a reason to enjoy a conversation anymore. Zack was an interesting enough man to keep her attention even though she knew this was a mission for the both of them. She wanted desperately for this to be a normal date, though she understood she couldn't have any regular fun until after the target was taken care of. Speaking of which, right as Shizuka opened her mouth to answer him and ask a question of her own, her phone rang in her coat pocket. She picked it up without even greeting whoever was on the other line, and her face went from playful and thoughtful to dark and serious.

"Understood," Shizuka said in a monotone voice. She clicked the END button on her phone and put it back in her pocket.

Shortly afterwards, a man dressed as a waiter came back to their table. Shizuka had dropped her napkin on the ground, to which the waiter responded by giving her another one that was folded. Shizuka smiled as the waiter picked the other napkin up and left. Then, she slowly opened the cloth as it revealed a piece of fabric from what looked like it could have been a shirt. The smile came back on her face. In the phone call, it was explained to her that other members of Xcution had managed to obtain an old sample of clothing from Beladema. The thing about people is that they can change their appearance as much as they want. They can't, however, change their smell no matter how hard they attempt to mask it. It especially wouldn't work against an animal's nose. Shizuka looked up at Zack and folded the fabric back in to her napkin.

"Seems like we finally have a way of tracking this man. That also makes it significantly easier to wait for him to leave the restaurant before us so we can follow him out. I have a few suspicions as to who it might be and I'm ready to go after him if I need to. I want you to be ready. I'm assuming he speaks a language that I don't. In addition to that, you must be battle ready if the opportunity strikes. Is that a problem?"

She no longer presented herself as a playful young lady. Now she was being as serious as she needed to be in order to get her point across to her partner. She assumed responsibility for the mission, forcing herself to become more mature and act as the superior of this man. However, the change left as quickly as it came. Shizuka was aware that she needed to keep an eye on whoever it was that caused the problem, but she had the perfect way to find this man. Waving down the same waiter once again, he smiled and asked if there was anything they needed. Shizuka gave him the folded napkin, making up some excuse that it was dirty or something and asked for a new one. In doing so, she pulled him closer and whispered something in his ear, informing him of Blaize and asking him to take the item to her location. The waiter nodded and went through the back doors of the restaurant, most likely exiting in a way that would not seem suspicious. Moments later, Blaize sent a signal that told Shizuka she had the piece of fabric by blasting a small amount of bright bluish-purple fire across a window closest to her. Shizuka knew what to look for, but anyone else would have simply ignored it.

Now the only thing the two of them could do was wait patiently for some of these people to leave before they did. Shizuka was most likely safe to assume that since they were seated first, they would also leave first. On the other hand, she and Zack could continue flirting a little bit more (which she had zero problems with) and make it really seem like this date was their own full intention so Beladema wouldn't be able to tell the difference and not expect their surprise. Shizuka directed her attention back towards Zack and smiled her same, sweet smile once again, inviting the two of them back from business into their nice little date. She knew that her job was important, but Shizuka couldn't help but enjoy herself a little bit. Zack was a really nice guy and it's been a long time since Shizuka was able to just relax with someone.

"I'm sure being recently recruited for Xcution is a bit overwhelming for you, but I'm hoping you're getting used to it! Honestly, it's not a bad job at all and if you know the right people, you get really good missions and a lot of money for them."

A short, cute laugh came from Shizuka as she smiled and tilted her head to the side, showing Zack that even though she meant business, she still wanted them to just have fun. It was a weird feeling, though. She was his superior, yet she felt no difference between the two of them. Usually she could tell there was a level of maturity, despite anyone's age, that needed to be reached for her to have any amount of respect for them. Zack had her respect almost immediately. He seemed so cautious of them when she met him for the first time in America with Pavel. That was something else. She wondered momentarily if Zack every realized Pavel's real name, or if he even got the chance to find out what it really was. She decided she could ask about that later, especially since Pavel was so adamant about keeping his name a secret from certain people. Speaking of names...

"By the way, you call me 'Miss Sanamizu' a lot. We're friends, now, sweetie. We're partners. This is no longer you being assigned to your superior. Just call me Shizuka!"

[Deleted]

Zacks watched and waited for Shizuka to answer his question. She seemed confused, scratching the back of her head as she tried to come up with an answer. Zack found it rather cute causing him to once again smile as he watched her. He was actually about to break the tension and tell her not to worry about it when he heard the phone ringing. Zacks mouth shut as his face shifted from beind playful to serious. Without even saying hello, Shizuka answered her phone. He heard someone talking on the other line, to which Shizuka responded with a simple word before hanging up. He didn’t even need to ask, he understood what the call was. He gave Shizuka a curious look, wondering if she was going to fill him in when suddenly a new waiter appeared.

Zack watched as Shizuka dropped her napkin onto the ground and the new waiter simply gave her a new one. Raising an eyebrow, Zack watched the exchange happen before his eyes and followed the man as he left. His gaze returned to his partner before his eyes trailed down her body to the napkin in her hands. Opening it up revealed a piece of fabric. So, that’s what it was. They found something. From what Zack had read, Beladema had burnt down his home in order to cover his tracks. Smart move, but there would always be traceable evidence. You just needed to dig in deep to find it. And Xcution did just that, they dug and it paid off. The thought of getting paid for this job made Zack smile.

"Seems like we finally have a way of tracking this man. That also makes it significantly easier to wait for him to leave the restaurant before us so we can follow him out. I have a few suspicions as to who it might be and I'm ready to go after him if I need to. I want you to be ready. I'm assuming he speaks a language that I don't. In addition to that, you must be battle ready if the opportunity strikes. Is that a problem?"

”No ma’am, I am ready on your command.” Zack said, bowing his head slightly in respect. It was the truth. If Shizuka told him to attack he would. Not directly, but in a way that would prove the most successful. He was not like most fighters. He attacked from the shadows, from behind, using traps and tricks to accomplish his contracts. He could feel the charm that was his Fullbring hidden in his sleeve. He glanced at Shizuka and smiled once more, closing his eyes as he took a breath. One step closer to finishing this job. One step closer to, perhaps, spending the rest of the evening with the beautiful woman who sat across from him. He couldn’t help but feel his ears get a little redder at that thought.

Shizukas smile returned to her face and in response Zack adopted his casual and relaxed demeanor once more. He returned her smile with his own and blinked when she spoke once more. "I'm sure being recently recruited for Xcution is a bit overwhelming for you, but I'm hoping you're getting used to it! Honestly, it's not a bad job at all and if you know the right people, you get really good missions and a lot of money for them." Her concern for him was touching, lifting his spirits as he nodded his head slowly. ”Yes, it was quite a lot to take in at first. When we first met in Chicago all those months ago you could say I was lost. I didn’t understand what was going on, so many things were happening that I could not explain.” Zack said, lowering his head and letting out a breath.

”When I was a young boy I used to see things. At my age I had believed I was seeing monsters and I made the mistake of telling others what it was I saw. I was labeled the crazy kid. I now know that what I saw back in those days were Hollows and ghosts. My family, save for my dad, shunned me. They thought I was a freak. I was sent to doctor after doctor, having my head checked to make sure I wasn’t mental. I didn’t know I was spiritually aware, that my Fullbring powers were developing at such an early age. It was when I stopped believing in what I saw that it all stopped.” Zack was once again telling Shizuka something about his past, but there was a reason for why he was doing it. He smiled and let out a small chuckle as he continued to speak ”my lack of belief, of caring, stunted their growth until now. It wasn’t until a fight with the actual King Arthur, the first spiritual being I met in so many years, did they start to awaken. I know now that King Arthur was what we call a Bount, a vampire, but fighting him began to awaken what was sleeping inside me.” Zack told her.

Where was he going with this? If Shizuka could feel emotions, she would feel appreciation from the Sword. ”If you and the other man hadn’t found me that day, I wouldn’t have gone anywhere. My life would have come to a standstill. I would have been on the run, never being able to stop, never being able to become close to someone again.” Zack reached across the table and put his hand on top of Shizukas, curling his fingers around hers softly as he looked into her eyes. His eyes were full of gratitude and warmth, despite their stormy gray color. ”Before we go any further with tonight, before we continue our job, I want to thank you, Shizuka Sanamizu. I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to find the place where I belong.” Zack said with a large smile. For a long while now he wanted to thank both Shizuka and the other man for the opportunity he gave him. He could now scratch one of them off his check list. Everything he said was only loud enough for Shizuka to hear. He gave her hand a squeeze before letting it go and beginning to pull it away. He needed to get that off his chest.

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[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Shizuka knew that she really cared about this guy. She wasn't sure if it was anything more than just being concerned for his well-being, but she knew that he was important somehow and she wanted to be able to keep him around. Plus, if he managed to climb the ranks and become an Xcution Seven Guns like she was, they would most likely be put into similar missions again. While it was true that, most of the time, each Seven Guns member worked their own missions and went after their own targets, they were still given partners, whether it's someone in a lower division or another Gun. Zack had something about him, some potential, that made him that much more interesting. He wasn't intimidated by Shizuka, though not many people in her organization were anymore. However, at first everyone seems to view her the wrong way and either underestimates her or is intimidated in some manner. That was never fun.

Her time with Zack thus far had been brief, though she was definitely enjoying it. She had just gotten the call from an operative and managed to give her reptile a piece of Beladema's clothing from when he tried destroying everything he had to hide all of the evidence. Xcution, however, was able to retrieve an article of clothing. Blaize's sense of smell was so much better than any human and, of course, most animals. Reptiles relied on their senses of smell and hearing more than their eye sight, even though Blaize had exceptional sight. Now they had to practice their own patience together until her dragon had the chance to sniff out the bad guys. Once that was taken care of, Shizuka and Zack could take the guy out as quickly as possible and move on with their lives.

Speaking of lives, Shizuka had tried her best to make Zack feel more at home around her and the other Xcution members. She knew that the company seemed a little off-putting at first, but she wanted to make sure he knew he could be comfortable and didn't have to be in defense mode all the time like she was almost sure he was. He seemed very grateful, especially since he appeared to calm down a significant amount and begin telling the rest of his story. The parts, Shizuka assumed, he never wanted anyone else to know. She was amazed that he was opening up this much. maybe he just trusted her a lot more than she thought? Or perhaps she really is easy to talk to so he feels at ease with her and able to open up. She wasn't completely sure, but Shizuka listened as much as she could, taking in every word.

”When I was a young boy I used to see things. At my age I had believed I was seeing monsters and I made the mistake of telling others what it was I saw. I was labeled the crazy kid. I now know that what I saw back in those days were Hollows and ghosts. My family, save for my dad, shunned me. They thought I was a freak. I was sent to doctor after doctor, having my head checked to make sure I wasn’t mental. I didn’t know I was spiritually aware, that my Fullbring powers were developing at such an early age. It was when I stopped believing in what I saw that it all stopped. My lack of belief, of caring, stunted their growth until now. It wasn’t until a fight with the actual King Arthur, the first spiritual being I met in so many years, did they start to awaken. I know now that King Arthur was what we call a Bount, a vampire, but fighting him began to awaken what was sleeping inside me.”

During all of this, Shizuka's eyes widened as she nodded in understanding. It turns out that Zack had been through a lot more than Shizuka would have ever thought he had. She remembered the days when she had first started seeing these creatures. No one else saw them, so she also believed she had gone crazy. Her aunt was the one who taught her that nothing about her was crazy, but instead she was very special. Now, Shizuka had never seen anyone super important aside from Sozen. Everything else was just a Hollow or something like that. Truthfully, Shizuka didn't see many other races or types of people. She was stuck with humans most of the time. Humans and the occasional Shinigami, which she did everything in her power to destroy. It bothered her that Sozen was stronger than she was, but she'd just have to let someone else take care of him.

Zack continued. ”If you and the other man hadn’t found me that day, I wouldn’t have gone anywhere. My life would have come to a standstill. I would have been on the run, never being able to stop, never being able to become close to someone again.”

Shizuka's attention was drawn back to him just in time for Zack to take her hand and gently squeeze it as she had for him moments before. She looked down at their hands for a second and then looked right back up into his dark eyes. He took her by surprise, which was strange because of they way they had been acting beforehand. He was being so genuine right now. He honestly wanted Shizuka to know his past and become more involved in his life from now on. It was a really sweet gesture. Shizuka almost wished her life had been a little bit more exciting so she had secrets to keep that she could admit. That's not how her life worked, though. Sadly. That's how it would be for a significantly long time, too. She had too much of a normal life, or at least as normal as a Fullbringer can be, to have anything interesting to share so he felt included.

Her heart sank, though. Zack was thanking her for being there for him as if she had a major role in his life and accepting him in to the organization. It wasn't her, however. She was just on a recruitment run since it had been a while for any new members to put up out of nowhere. She had no idea how to respond to him. No idea how to just say he was welcome and not to worry about a thing, because even that sounded stupid. Of course he was welcome. Xcution wasn't scary! Or at least, not to the members. He was always welcome in their ranks. He was a Sword, and that's not something to laugh at. She was thankful to him, too. He had been someone nice that she was willing to get to know. That also had not happened in a while, especially since Shizuka started to not care much for men. They were just people, not anyone she needed to show interest for. Zack was different.

"Sweetie, you don't need to thank me for something as small as that. You would have accepted the invitation regardless, I'm sure."

Shizuka was almost sure she was right, anyway. Taking a few more bites out of the food she'd barely touched, she did her best to hide her glowing pink face. Blushing... Ugh. She was blushing. She didn't expect Zack to just come out and thank her for being good to him as his superior. She honestly didn't even think of them as on different rank levels. She just saw him as her partner. That was his role, anyway. So why should he be any different? Shizuka lightly grabbed his hand again, rubbing her thumb against the top of it. She wanted to show affection, too. She had no idea anymore what was and was not appropriate, but they had some time before anyone in this restaurant decided they needed to leave. She kept a careful eye, though. She wanted to see if her suspicions were correct.

"Unfortunately we may be here a little bit longer than anticipated, but I hope you don't mind that. It gives us time to finish our food, right? Working on an empty stomach distracts me, for sure. I would know. I'm pretty much always hungry," Shizuka told Zack as a smile appeared on her face and a quiet laugh accompanied it. "I do want to know one thing. Why do you feel so comfortable?"

Shizuka was still holding his hand. At this point, she didn't want to let go. She knew she needed to, though. He was being such a gentleman and acting so sweet towards her that she couldn't help but smile. That, and feel something else she hadn't felt in a while, too. Regardless, she knew the feeling all too well. When this mission was over, or maybe even before - they are trained assassins, after all - she knew she wanted something a little more than just a nice dinner from this man. Her smile went from sweet to flirty once again, though not on purpose. This time she occupied her own thoughts with forbidden images, knowing that no one else but her would ever see them. She just didn't even care anymore. Something about him was drawing her closer. Something about him made her want more.

[Deleted]

It wasn’t that Zack had never opened up before. No, it was that he hadn’t ever opened up this quickly. The man believed himself to always be a good judge of character, being able to determine who it was that was good and bad. Zack himself stood upon the gray middle grounds of light and darkness. Looking at Shizuka though, he saw someone he could trust. Zack viewed Shizuka as someone who he could trust, to an extent. There was still many things that he did not tell her, things he would probably never tell her, but telling her a bit of his childhood was a step in the right direction for this man. The man did not have trust issues, but he felt that Shizuka could be trusted with a bit more personal information. It had been a very long time since Zack had found someone he could talk to, let alone another Fullbringer.

Zack didn’t know how rare Fullbringers actually where. Less than 1% of the Earths population was Fullbringers, so it made it sort of hard to find someone to talk about the subject. Xcution provided Zack the opportunity to talk to people about it, though. He was grateful to have found a place that provided him so much work and even a place where he could belong. Assassins with super powers, hilarious actually. But he was appreciative of them. If Xcution hadn’t sent Shizuka and the other man that night, Zack would have forever been on the run from the Organization he belonged to before they attempted to betray him.

” Sweetie, you don't need to thank me for something as small as that. You would have accepted the invitation regardless, I'm sure."

Zack wasn’t so sure, honestly. There had been something about her and the man that drew Zack in. Perhaps, if it had been anyone else he would have denied the request. Something about her and the man was what drew Zack in, what made him accept. ”You’re right, Shizuka-san, I don’t need to say thank you. But, I felt it was best if I did.” he said with that friendly and warm voice of his, giving her a smile as he nodded his head to her. She told him to call her Shizuka and he would, but he would still show some respect in her name.

His gaze went down to his hand as he felt her tug on it. His gaze softened as he felt her soft skin on his own, rubbing her thumb across the back of his hand. Zack appreciated the affection, feeling his ears grow warm once more as he returned his gaze back up to Shizuka. They both seemed to agree that they both wanted some after dinner desert; they needed to finish their mission first. Zack had no issue with that. No issue with that at all. It was what they were here for after all. To kill a man who tried to kill millions of lives for some selfish reason.

Thinking about the mission he couldn’t help but become confused thinking about the possible motives behind Belademas plan. Trying to start a civil war…but why Germany? Is it about the hunger issue? The drop out rate? Some sort of political issue? Or is Beladema just a mad man?Zack pondered, scanning the restaurant once more with a quick gaze as Shizuka took a few bites out of her meal. Zack did the same but he took a single bite when a thought suddenly came to his head. But he needed the waiter to come back to test his theory. In the meantime though, he would be able to continue socializing with his new partner. She spoke again, which drew his attention once more. He placed his spoon down and listened.

"Unfortunately we may be here a little bit longer than anticipated, but I hope you don't mind that. It gives us time to finish our food, right? Working on an empty stomach distracts me, for sure. I would know. I'm pretty much always hungry," Shizuka let out a small laugh after saying that which was mimicked slightly by Zack. He covered his mouth as he gently chuckled and responded, ”It’s no problem with me, Shizuka-san. I’m enjoying your company and our time together.” Zack responded with a smile. His face shifted to a bit of confusion as she asked her next question. "I do want to know one thing. Why do you feel so comfortable?"

Ah, there it was. Shizuka must have figured out that Zack was a quiet and reserved person by his nature. That was fine if she was curious and he was fine with answering her. He tightened his grip on her hand slightly, about the same amount of force she held his hand with. He took his napkin and gently patted the left side of his top lip. ”The answer is quite simple. We are partners now and I feel you deserved to know.” Zack told her. Shizuka was his partner. He had a feeling the two would work together much more if this mission went off without an issue. He was sure he would be pared up with her much more for social infiltration missions. He also felt he would see much more of her outside of missions as well for whatever reasons. Was Zack looking form something with her? He wasn’t sure. It was too early for something like that.

Zack turned his attention from his date to the approaching waiter. The man stopped before the two, noticing how they were holding hands, then looked at Zacks drink. ” Entschuldigung, mein herr, würden sie gerne einen nachschlag?” Excuse me sir, would you like a refill? Zack looked up at the man with a pleasant expressions. ” Ah! Ich hatte nicht bemerkt, wie leer es war. Ja, bitte, danke. Oh, wenn sie eine minute habe ich eine frage.” Ah! I hadn't noticed how empty it was. Yes, please, thank you. Oh, if you have a minute I have a question.

” Oh ja, natürlich, was ist Ihre Frage?” the waiter responded as he picked up Zack and Shizukas drinks. ” Mein Tag und ich frage mich, wenn Sie mehr private Zimmer hatte? Sie tut so genießen Sie Ihr Restaurant, ebenso wie ich, und wir fragten uns, ob Sie jede Art von VIP oder private Speisesäle hatten.” Zack asked. Shizuka would have no idea what he was asking, but she would recognize the word VIP. ” Ja, das tun wir. Sie sind nur Frühbucher-Zimmer. Derzeit wird der Raum zwar genommen, meine Entschuldigung.” The waiter responded, asking if there was anything else they needed. Zack said it would be nice to get the bill now and the waiter left. Zack gave Shizuka a look.

”Turns out they have private dining rooms. We should look into them next time.” he said playfully before moving his spoon through his dish. ”The private room is currently taken. It doesn’t matter if he has hidden his face, when a man has power and has money he does not dine with the lower class if he can help it.” Zack was not talking about himself. Shizuka would understand what he meant as he looked into her eyes. There was a serious look in them that held a message. He then smiled and gently slid his thumb across her hand. ”Would you like me to check them out, dear, and see if it is anything you would find enjoyable?” Zack asked, putting on a act incase anyone was listening.

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[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

German. Why did it have to be German? Of all the languages, Shizuka detested German the most. It just sounded so harsh and mean and unattractive! It was impressive that Zackary could speak it so well, so she didn't really hate it with him, but she couldn't help the feeling of hatred with the waiter, especially since every time he walked by, he gave her a weird look as if he had never seen a blonde woman before. To be honest, though, Shizuka was mostly just kind of self-conscious when it came to other languages. She was raised on both Japanese and English, learned Spanish in school and kept up with it, then ignored any other language she really should have learned. Xcution held the multilingual members on high pedestals and she just felt as if she was not doing her part the way she should have been. It could just be her, since no one ever complained about the way she did her job. But it was something she thought about a little too often.

All of the German that was being thrown around the room between the people at her table was actually about how this place has private rooms. Shizuka had assumed as much, but she was also using Blaize's nose to get everything together. The only downside to that is that Blaize is kind of big, so she would definitely make a scene. It would be best to seek out this guy before they made any major moves and have the dragon prove it's him. Shizuka wondered if it would be possible to seclude him or perhaps get everyone else out of the restaurant to make this easier, but she also knew that since this was a public place, moving everyone would be very difficult. She hoped Zackary had a plan since it was obvious Shizuka's brain wasn't exactly working at this moment. She was too distracted by the fact that everyone was still speaking German. Suddenly, Zackary spoke and grabbed Shizuka's attention.

”Would you like me to check them out, dear, and see if it is anything you would find enjoyable?”

"Hm?" Shizuka glanced up in his direction, pulling herself back from her silent conversation. "What do you mean? Like, go scope out the back rooms? You may have to dress differently or something so that no one thinks it's weird how some random guy walked in, looked around and walked back out. That's even more suspicious than anything else." Shizuka giggled.

She was honestly enjoying herself with this dinner. It was going surprisingly well with no issues. That was rather uncommon with missions given by Xcution. These targets are always presumably easy, but when it gets right down to capturing them or killing them (or both), they suddenly get about ten times harder to track down. What they were experiencing was normal, though she did wish he would just walk right out in front of the two of them, admit who he was and hold his hands behind his back or something so that Zackary and Shizuka could tie him up and take him away so they could interrogate him before making any majorly harsh decisions. This whole mission was beginning to seem oddly like a weird drama someone would watch on a cold, rainy Saturday afternoon.

"Wait, what if he's not even in those rooms?"

Shizuka thought for a moment. While it was true that, out of any option, the fact that he probably was in one of the private rooms seemed the most likely, she still wondered if maybe that was the whole point. She sighed. Was she thinking about this too much? Or maybe it's just because she didn't know that much about this guy except for the basics. Shizuka was excellent at reading people after learning the most minuscule things about them but this guy was different. She only knew his goals and the fact that he changed his face. So why would he go so far to not get caught? Why was he trying to hard to avoid everyone if he was basically running the whole show? Ugh, great. Now she was going to get paranoid about it. And the dinner was going so nicely... Why did this guy have to change his entire everything and make this hard?