Obviam Ei Ut Salutaret [Joint Training| Rated R]

[Hebika Nara]

[Training thread
Participants: Hebika Nara, Shizuka Sanamizu, and ......Zackface]

Hebika was... admittedly a tad anxious. She was not entirely sure she was ready to be indoctrinated fully into Shizuka's life, meeting a coworker? It was something that, now knowing what it was that Shizuka did for a living, was almost worrying. Of course she didn't show it, it was not in her nature to be so ruffled. But even so, deep down she was a bit off tilt. Even so she smiled in response to Shizuka's assurance that it would be ok. Oh She was so... cute.



Leaning in, she couldn't help but reach up, tunning a hand through her friend's hair as she gave a soft tsk tsk, still adorned in that alternate color of hair, though no longer wearing the contacts, letting those golden eyes of hers breathe in full view, hardly hiding them now as she scooted in and gave Shizuka's face a gentle pat before she leaned in, briefly pecking the woman on the lips for the trouble of their worries and concerns, so expertly hiding the fact that she was indeed comforted by her concern.

"I may not look it dear, but I've been around for a while. I've met plenty of humans and really, you don't need to be worried about me and this 'Z' individual." She had, of course been told his real name, or what she assumed to be his real name. Perhaps it was fake? She hardly cared. Z sounded so much more interesting. "Honestly, you act like we're dating and I'm meeting your parents for the first time. I'm sure he is a perfectly nice fellow and we will get along just fine." She noted with a nod, remaining close to Shizuka as she took a moment to sip her gatorade.

Was she placing herself all but coiled around Shizuka possessively? Pfft, nooo, that would be silly. She was simply making it clear that she and Shizuka were friends. Surely she had no intentions of kissing Shizuka in front of the man to tell him to keep his ugly little pecker away from her Shizuka. That was preposterous. Another sip of her margarita and Hebika was letting out another calming sigh. "Are you sure you don't want one Zuka? They really are tasty." she teased, once more trying a little nickname she had come up with. She was still getting a feel for it. 

Of course she had a number of far more insinuating nicknames to call the woman, but honestly she had tact after all. Taking a moment to briefly glance in the direction of the clock, only the tiniest hint of caring in her eyes before she went back to her drink. He was a little late. Supposedly. She had somewhat expected him to show up a little early, technically he was still on time, but in her book, he was getting close to being late. Honestly, who WASN'T fashionably early? That was how the saying went didn't it? Hmmm, she'd have to look that up later. Goodness these margaritas were just vanishing!

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

"I know, I know. But he's kind of serious, I guess. I don't want you to get the wrong impression of him because he's a good guy. Uh, usually. Well, mostly. Kind of? Ugh, I just think he'll be of more help than I would."

Shizuka and Hebika were cooling down after a long work out together. Shizuka was dressed in work out clothes; black capri leggings with a purple waist and a pink, halter-type sports bra with her signature purple star resting over her chest and a smaller white outline of a star just barely within it, similar to the Dallas Cowboys. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a ponytail to keep it out of her eyes with only her bangs breaking free of the hold, framing her face nicely. Hebika had been using the bench press but ignored the weights and actually started lifting Shizuka up instead. She secretly used her snake-like entities to hold up the Fullbringer but it was enough to get some attention. Shizuka thought nothing of it as she tried to keep her body as straight as possible. That was part of her ab work out, anyway.

"Are you sure you don't want one Zuka? They really are tasty."

"Yeah, I'm sure. You know I don't drink!" Shizuka laughed. "Also, Zuka?"

It was cute that Hebika always tried coming up with nicknames for her friend. Shizuka smiled at the thought but she never considered 'Zuka' as a nickname, though it was pretty nice to feel like the two of them were close enough to do so. The only name she ever came up with for Hebika was just 'Hebi' and that seemed pretty obvious, so she never used it. Otherwise she could call her 'Medusa' but that's not much of a nickname if it has the same number of syllables. Shizuka stood up and stretched, then spread her feet as far apart as her shoulders and bent down to touch the floor. She was proud of the flexibility that she managed to keep for all these years, even after having to quite gymnastics. Xcution keeps her limber enough and gives her the chance to really use her gymnast abilities, too.

Shizuka ducked her head against her chest and tumbled over, landing with her legs out in front of her and her hands on the ground between them. Sighing, she smiled to herself as she felt more and more exhausted in a good way. Hebika was a great partner to work out with, even if the two of them do sometimes find themselves in the middle of an attention fest. Not many people notice their slightly more intimate greetings but when they display their higher-than-average strength, everyone's impressed. It was pretty awesome having spiritual powers that she could abuse all the time but she knew she was physically strong, too. She wanted to work harder and get even stronger, but she worried sometimes that it was impossible.

Impossible or not, she still wanted to do what she could to train during her off days. Shizuka laid herself back against the floor and bridged her pelvis up, stretching her abdomen. Then she got herself up on her hands into an arched position before pushing off with her palms and bringing herself back up to standing. Then she closed her eyes, rolled her shoulders back and swayed her head from side to side, releasing any remaining tension. Stretching was nice. When she opened her eyes, a couple of people were looking at her and she just smiled. She was used to it, but it got annoying! She didn't always appreciate it but she shrugged it off for the most part. Could be worse, right?

"Now that I think about it, where is Zack?"

[Deleted]

Shaken breaths. Cold sweats. Beneath the covers he thrashed, clearly struggling against some unseen nightmare. But no, it was not a dream that he was experiencing. It was yet another memory. Inside his mind he saw flashes. The images were hard to make out, but he recognized them. A town in ruins. Hunched over individuals shuffling along in no direct direction. All the while a voice continued to scream in his head. He felt pain, fear, anguish, hope, rage. A cocktail of emotion that tore at his mind as a thousand screaming voices all shouted the same thing. There was no running from the voice, there was no escape. It mattered not how well he hide himself away, he couldn't outrun that voice.

"WE WILL BE FREE"

With a gasp the Fullbringer bolted upright in fright, eyes scanning the room for anything out of the ordinary. His body was shaking like a leaf, face drenched in ice cold sweat, his eyes finally began to calm down after a few moments of just sitting there. With a sigh he rubbed his brow clearing off the moisture on his skin. Another nightmare. No, not a nightmare, rather another memory. A brief yet vivid reminder of what happened in Africa. Something that Zack had not wanted to recall for some time. Remembering when he had been infected with the Saika, Croatoan's, ability was a nightmare itself. Resting his face in his hand the Assassin began a short breathing exercise designed to focus and relax a turbulent mind. For about two minutes he sat in bed, breathing in a specific pattern until he managed to calm himself down.

After getting out of bed he performed the usual routines; toilet, shower, and personal hygiene. Stepping from the restroom he opened the apartment closet, reaching instinctively for the black suit that he so often wore. But instead he stopped, gazing at the suit for a moment before reconsidering. Today was going to be different after all, so maybe it would be best if he wore something a tad less suspicious. He has received a call from Shizuka yesterday, wanting to know if he was in the area. When he had told her he was, she had quickly and eagerly asked him to meet her at a local gym of all places. When Zack had asked why she refused to answer.

Typically, Zack would have simply not shown up without saying a word. He had dodged a get together with Shizuka at least twice in the past, always using the excuse that he had a job that had taken priority. He had no doubt that the female Fullbringer would not be surprised if he skipped her again this time. But, this time would be different. The way Zack was right now, it would be good for him to see someone that he considered a close ally. There was always Pavel, but the two had a respectable silence for each other after Africa. That job had...not been easy on either of them. They refused to share what happened with anyone besides the Boss. The job had been a success in the eyes of Xcution at least, and in Zacks eyes as well, but the cost had been great.

There was a chance that Shizuka needed to tell Zack something that she felt wasn't safe to be shared over the telephone. If that was the case, then Zack would have suggested that Shizuka use the various other methods at her disposal. But, she wanted to meet in person. Fine, Zack could do that. It would be nice to see Shizuka for once after ditching her for so long. It wasn't like she ever saw him at the main HQ, a place that Zack rarely visited. He always completed a job then immediately went off to complete another one. He was a workaholic and rarely seen at any of the Xcution HQs, let alone their damned hidden city. It was questionable if Zack had ever even stepped foot in Brypesia.

Reaching into the closet Zack pulled out something different. A black t-short along with a dark blue collared top. If Zack was going to dress casual then he was going to do it right. He was a professional, even when technically off duty, and was going to dress like his rank and job demanded. Still, not wearing the stealth suit felt different. It made him feel naked almost. Looking at the time on his watch he sighed. He was going to be late if he dawdled for much longer. He completed his outfit with a pair of jeans and headed out the door.

He knew where the place was, having looked it up the night before and memorizing the directions. It wasn't like it was some hard to find place. After all, it was a public gym that anyone could use so long as they paid the entrance fee. Well, that was something Zack wasn't going to do if he had anything to do about it. No gym was getting any of his money if he was only going to spend, maybe, five minutes inside their walls. The '87 Impala pulled into the parking lot of a small hardware shop a block away from the gym. It was standard practice, in case something went wrong. Zack didn't want his car being seen by any security cameras if the gym had any at all. He rested his eyes on the gym, deciding if he was going to go through with this or not. It wasn't that he was nervous; it's just that he did have some better things to do. But, then again, Shizuka could have had something important to tell him.

It only took him a few minutes to reach the front entrance of the facility, pulling the door open and stepping in. The lady who sat at the entrance counter did not even notice him come in, nonchalantly reading her fitness magazine. She wouldn't notice Zack even if he were to stand right in front of her. His steps made no sound as he casually wandered into the gym, passing people who similarly gave him none of their attention. It was like that Zack wasn't even there to them. He was unnoticed, unseen and not heard. There was a reason he was one of the Xcution Seven Guns. He was an Assassin, a Shadow. If he could not walk into a gym of all places and remain unnoticed then he was a failure at his job.

He scanned the gym for a moment, searching for who it was he came to see. Storm gray eyes locked onto his coworker. Shizuka would not have been able to even detect Zacks presence in the gym, except for the fact that he, for lack of better words, had hidden himself from everyone but her. He was sure that Shizuka would know that he was in the building with her. She needed to only look across the room to see the Assassin looking at her. Their eyes would meet for a brief moment before Zack looked away, continuing on with his original path and through a doorway with a sign that read "Basketball Court". It would be obvious that he would rather meet in private, away from the other gym visitors.

When their eyes had met though, Shizuka would no doubt notice something. This would be her third time seeing the Assassin that she had helped to recruit into Xcution a long time ago. But, looking at him now could she really say that he was the same person. He physically did not look different, but something seemed very off about her fellow Fullbringer. Inside the basketball court Zack leaned against the wall near the door, relived to see that it was in fact empty. They would be able to talk in peace here. Something that Zack was going to need to ask Shizuka though, was who was that woman with her? He had noticed her, yet not actually given the woman a look. Something about her seemed different and it wasn't the fact that she was all over Shizuka. It was just his instincts cluing him in, something that Zack had learnt to always trust. When the woman finally entered into the room she would find her fellow Fullbring resting against the wall with his eyes closed.

"What is it you wanted to tell me?"

SPOILER: Click to show

{OOC}
Wrote this after a long day at work. Sorry if it is bleh

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Shizuka was busy stretching out her muscles after a day at the gym with Hebika. She wondered briefly where her coworker was, thinking that he may have gotten lost. Sighing for a moment, she turned her head towards the entrance. No one walked in who even slightly resembled Zackary Jensen. She hoped she wasn't completely stood up, seeing as he refused to ever even try to be involved in her life. Whether he realized it or not, it hurt her feelings for him to just ditch her like that. The meetings were always about work and he never seemed interested in being around her, yet she wasn't sitting there trying to push the friendship. It was just insulting that it was as if he was avoiding her on purpose.

After resisting her desire to stare at the entrance to the gym, Shizuka looked back at her friend. She hoped Zack would have more answers since he basically did nothing but work, regardless of his lower number in the Seven Guns. Shizuka was considered stronger and placed higher on the scale, but she was lazy most of the time and tried to avoid fighting if she could. The truth was that she just wanted to be able to interrogate who she needed to and let someone else take care of the targets, but that was frowned upon most of the time. She had to get her hands dirty anyway and it didn't matter how it was taken care of. Shizuka raised her hand and placed it on the back of her head, gently playing with her hair the way she always did when she was nervous.

Luckily, she managed to finally notice Zack. It was a sudden feeling she got of someone's presence, though she couldn't tell exactly who it was or if they had powers. Once she turned around, she saw the other Fullbringer standing within what little shadows concealed him from everyone but her. Their eyes locked for a moment, his serious and solid gaze reflecting her own. She was no longer smiling as she watched him disappear once again into the basketball courts, knowing no one would be within that room. She wasn't unhappy to see Zack, but she always felt wary around him. It was like he always hid something from her and it just didn't make sense. Shizuka turned back towards Hebika and gently grabbed her hand.

"Come on! I found him. We just gotta move out of here first, okay?"

The Fullbringer took her Mod Soul and walked rather quickly towards the doors of the courts. They both passed by Zack who, unsurprisingly, was leaning up against the wall by the entrance. Instinctively, Shizuka held Hebika's waist and directed her further away from Zack as they both let the doors close on their own with an oddly quiet click. She looked at the other Seven Guns member, assessing his features and trying to get a feel for what he was thinking. She was intuitive but not psychic, so reading him was proving to be a bit difficult. She could, however, tell that he was different. Tired, maybe? Or perhaps he just didn't want to be there. Shizuka rolled her eyes just slightly, hoping he wouldn't notice as he spoke to her.

"What is it you wanted to tell me?"

She wasted no time. "Zackary Jensen. I hope you know to respect someone who holds the place of a higher number, so please do not leave." Shizuka's voice became deep and serious, much unlike her usual higher-pitched and girly tone. "This is Hebika Nara. She is a Mod Soul whom I met while finishing up a mission. She was trying to take out some Shinigami who, obviously, were up to no good. I saw her abilities and was able to judge her based on her powers, along with the fact that she single-handedly took out three Shinigami total."

Shizuka kind of sugar-coated it a bit, but Hebika defeated the majority and it was her original intention to deal with all three of them, so the Fullbringer decided to give her friend the credit she deserved. Her grip tightened around Hebika's waist as she was presented to Zack, trying to display her own trust in the woman. She was almost positive that Hebika would have some questions about Shizuka's work, especially since Shizuka never really talked about it. Most of the information was classified but she hated keeping secrets. She wanted Hebika to be included and it'd never happen if she wasn't introduced to Xcution and learned about who they were. Sure, the organization held a huge monopoly over many large businesses around the world but there was a whole secret section that had the Seven Guns and researchers and others who were never talked about.

"I want her to join Xcution but I, alone, cannot induct her. I was hoping that you would be available to answer any questions she may have and perhaps assess her abilities yourself? Just in a brief spar, though. You could even have her fight someone else. But I think it would be worth it to see what all she can do."

Shizuka's arm lightly slid off of Hebika's waist and rubbed her friend's back, trying to be comforting and also show that it was worth giving her a try. Hebika was a strong Mod Soul and could be capable of so many great things in their organization, but Shizuka couldn't train her all by herself. It was like recommendations. You always need at least two. The Fullbringer placed her left hand on her hip as she kept her right on Hebika's back, feeling that she was also a bit tired from working out. She hoped Zack would forgive her for not dressing formally, but they weren't meeting at a fancy restaurant or anything. So she was sure this would be acceptable and he would understand her intentions.

[Hebika Nara]

Hebika didn't see Zack. She didn't see him, or even sense his energy. But those incredible instincts of hers did let her know....something, was watching her. Glancing up from her position of being all over Shizuka to pause, glancing around, noticing Shizuka's gaze but turning to look only when the male had already vanished. She immediately sensed that something was up. Was their guest there? She allowed Shizuka to take her, surprised as she was pulled along, the woman rushing her towards the basketball court. It wouldn't arise too much suspicion, no doubt the other patrons would simply assume they were going in there for a more clandestine workout. Which Hebika would hardly complain about. 

As they entered, Hebika immediately turned her attention to Zack, taking him all in and feeling odd. She smiled, that light aura radiating out from her. Of course she had a feeling it would not work quite the same on Zack. It did very well in bringing out a person's happiness, making them feel nice and comfortable, but Zack just seemed, leery. She wasn't sure, but he certainly looked like he could use a pick-me up, so she would have no qualms on laying that special presence of hers on a little thicker than usual. The guy looked like he could use a better Mood. 

In any case she was extremely wel behaved, not even grabbing Shizuka's rear as she watched Zack and remained straight and almost militant as she was introduced by her friend. She was actually surprised at the hand around her waist, having assumed the woman would try to project a more...professional relationship. It was actually a little flattering, causing her face to rose a little. Her attention fixed on Zack she took a soft breath, eradicating any tensions she may have had for meeting one of Shizuka's work friends. 

"A pleasure to meet you. As Shizuka said, I am a Mod soul. I am not one to toot my own horn so to speak, but I would be glad to show you what I'm capable of. No doubt you're likely...already aware of some of my more...immediate talents." She stated calmly, referring to the effects of her presence, which the male would no doubt, no matter how sullen he was, feel, that oppressively uplifting air, smoothing out negative emotions. It made her very good at dealing with others. Of course, she wanted him to know that she was more than just that. That she was capable of defending herself, and taking down others if need be. That she was a valuable asset.

[Deleted]

Quiet. That was probably Zacks most defining characteristic right now. He was just quiet. Those storm gray eyes of his watching Shizuka as she spoke. His facial expressions, his eyes, there was no sign of any sort of emotion from him. Which was false, Zack did have emotions, he just expertly hide them. He was slightly surprised, assuming Shizuka was going to try and pull some sort of rank maneuver on him but such suspicions were put to rest by her stating it would be rude for him to leave. That meant that Shizuka really wanted his attention and his presence. But for what he wasn't sure. Thankfully she immediatly began to explain the reason for Zacks summons. It seemed that the higher numbered Assassin had found herself a little friend, one that she felt was perfectly suited for Xcution. So, that's what this was.

In the organization there were two methods of hiring. The first, and the more popular option, was for Corporate to locate and send notices to individuals that they felt were fitting for Xcution. They would then send an agent to begin a job interview, to try and nestle the new hire into the organization. Zack had done it twice before, with Nonna Urban and Asmokon. The benefit of this method was the fact the agents sent to interview the new hires would receive ten percent of the payment upon a new hires completion as a job. It was how Zack was hired, but his method was a tad bit different. He never received notices; rather he was found by Shizuka and Pavel and interviewed. Then there was the second method.

This was the method that Shizuka wanted to proceed with. High ranking Xcution members were allowed to search out and find individuals that they believed would do well within the ranks. But, since it was the Corporate Branch that handled the hiring there was a different process involved. If someone, like the Mod Soul here, could receive a recommendation from two high ranking members like Zackary and Shizuka, then Corporate would have little choice but to accept her. Shizuka must have already given her recommendation, which meant that only Zack or two other agents were needed to get the Mod Soul into Xcution. Shizuka trusted it. But, even with his superiors faith in the living weapon, Zack needed to know what it was he was being introduced to. Still, he wasn't going to comment on how Shizuka found this Mod Soul. She acted on her bigotry and hatred for Shinigami, despite not possibly understand the situation. Ah well.

Her body language definitely signaled both trust and what, Zack assumed, was some form of intimacy. The latter slightly surprised Zack. The man had assumed that Shizuka was heterosexual, considering their behavior with one another over a year ago. It wasn't bothersome if Shizuka was bisexual, in fact could make parts of her job easier. She always came off as the seductress type, able to get close to individuals with valuable information or her targets. She was essentially Xcutions Black Widow, though most likely without the sex part.

Zack had shut his eyes at some point during Shizukas explanation, not seeing any reason to simply watch her and deciding to just listen. Once she was done he reopened them, his gaze shifted to the blonde haired woman beside her. No, that was incorrect. He looked at the weapon with a gender identity. Zack had no issues with the Mod Souls, no sort of racial prejudice against them. In fact, he found their story quite tragic. Rather, he just saw them for what they were. Living weapons. They believed themselves to have genders, despite the fact they were little more than pills with personality. Regardless, it was who it was. If it wanted to be a woman, so be it. Wasn't a problem anyways.

Those tired eyes of his analyzed Hebika, studying both her visual appearance and her posture. It was obvious she was trying to impress him with her current posture, trying to come off as professional as possible. But there really wasn't any point. Zack, himself, wasn't even in his suit. He was leaning against a wall, hands hidden within his coats pockets. Looking at her, Zack could feel something. It wasn't energy as he was incapable of sensing it after his period of heavy drinking. Rather...it was like looking at his mother in all honesty. Zack could tell she was emitting something, trying to come off as harmless and trustworthy as possible. And yet, it simply didn't register. Within his pocket on his left hand, his thumb just so slightly struck the ring on his finger. So that was how she did it, she was one of those people.

"Yes, I noticed it the moment you walked through the door. It's a useful skill, I'd imagine, being able to sooth the minds and hearts of people around you. It's a skill those with Auras strongly leaning towards the Light are able to do." Zack answered Hebika, no doubt throwing not just the snake but even Shizuka into a slight confusion. Zack knew exactly how strong the Mod Souls Aura leaned to the light. It was all thanks to the ring he had just touched. An illegal item, one that would send Shinigami straight to him if they ever found out he had it. An object called the Power Ring, a tool capable of somehow analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of someone just by looking at them. Looking at Hebika, Zack got a mental reading of her Strength, her Speed, the strength of her Reiatsu, how much of it she had, her mental processing power, her level of energy sensing, even how strong her five senses were.

Zack had no way of explaining how the ring worked. He couldn't even attempt to explain how it was able to put someone's abilities into a numerical reading. What was even more confusing was how the Ring could tell someone's natural aura inclination. It made no sense. He even received a reading on Shizuka, part of the actual reason he had showed up. It was good to know exactly how strong someone you worked with was in his line of work. Like Hebika, Shizuka leaned more towards the light though not at such a staggering degree. The man himself leaned more towards the other side though, embracing the darker sides of himself in order to do what it was he did. But, just because your aura leaned one way did not necessarily define you. Someone with high Light could still be very evil.

"Considering your Strength and Speed I have my doubts that you're a physical fighter. I also can't confidently say you're a magic user, considering the low value on the strength of your reiatsu. The amount is fine if you're not one to use costly attacks often." Zack continued, describing how he viewed Hebikas fighting abilities. He suddenly pushed himself from the wall, standing straight up and calmly approaching the woman. "Without much development in the physical or spiritual arts, you decided to excel at something different. Something you don't see all too often. Your mind. You're mind moves at quite the pace, faster than maybe ninety five percent of this world's population, doesn't it?" Zack asked, suddenly walking right by Hebika and towards another set of doors. Something the two might notice was that Zacks footsteps produced no sound. In a room in which they should be echoing it was silent.

"So I am curious. Why is it then you developed solely on your Mind and Senses? A Mod Souls ability differs from that as us Fullbringers or a Shinigamis. It comes naturally to you, like breathing. That means you're a long range fighter, doesn't it?" Zack asked. His analytical abilities were top notch. They had to be. In his line of work he needed to be able to know the ins and outs of his targets. He couldn't be caught by surprise. The man stopped in front of the doors, placing his hand on the knob before a flash of green light signaled the sound of the lock coming undone. Opening the store room he stepped inside, before coming out with two basketballs in hand. "But, if you're solely a long range fighter then it makes no sense how you were able to defeat a number of Shinigami single handily with standard battle skills so low." Zack was getting closer.

He walked back towards the woman, but stopped about ten feet from them before putting the balls down. Evenly spaced apart he walked away from them. "If I am correct about you, then your abilities are one of three things. You use a power that does not rely upon Reiatsu nor Strength, something that is absolute and cannot be easily fought against. My first guess would be poison. My second is that you have an ability similar to that of the Bount, and that you're able to summon something to fight for you. My third is that you have some sort of zone ability, and if that is the case I suggest you let both of us know before you activate it." No doubt the man would have caught both women off guard. It shouldn't have been surprising, though, that he was able to discern so much from Hebikas statistical build. But, still, he was more bothered by having to talk so much.

"Show me your ability, then if it's what you want I will explain to you what Xcution is and is about. If you want to spar with me then that is fine, but let it wait until the explanation is over. So, go ahead and use your power on the balls. Like I said if it's a zone, then alert us. If it's something that can harm us, alert us." Zack explained, sitting himself down on the bleachers and watching them. He would now see if any of his guesses were right.

[Hebika Nara]

Hebika couldn't help but smile softly as the male seemed to be able to derive a great deal about her, even with so short an amount of time. She nodded slowly, lightly rolling her shoulders, her instincts telling her that this was more than just insight. Perhaps a special ability? Her limited energy sensory didn't give her much, but she looked calmly at the male, not really all that ruffled to be honest. She was actually quite pleased that she need not explain her....choice in specialty. It was as he said. Her mind worked faster than his.

As he spoke, she showed only very brief surprise. Even as he showed a deeper and deeper understanding, her mind had long ago resigned to the depth of his knowledge, she was simply waiting to see where the limit was. And he made it clear. He could see her capabilities, her power so to speak. But he did not know what it was that made her special. Those deeper parts of the soul that defined her power were out ofhis reach. She kept that in mind. If he was to be her coworker, it would be something to keep in mind if they ever did a job together. Already she was picking him apart. He was very analytical. Perhaps an assassin like Shizuka? He was methodical, analyzing.

However he also had something else about him. a sort of deadness. Or rather, a repressed nature that reminded her very much of.... a snake. He got his hands dirty, she was almost sure of that. So as he set down his balls and asked her to demonstrate. She considered for a moment, her head tilting left and right as she looked down at the basketballs, stepping toward them, stopping a few feet away as she knelt down, peering at them for a moment before they simply, disintegrated. Those little bits of rubber pulled apart, and toward her.

"I suppose in some ways it can be considered a long range ability. It's entirely dependent upon how I use it. While yes, I can use it to remain at a distance. Doing so reduces my line of sight, visibility. I'm sure you know the disadvantages of not being up close and personal with your target." She stated calmly as that rubber began molding along her skin, covering her left arm and spreading to the rest of her body, beginning to slither along her skin, reaching up along her neck and up along her face, changing color, hardening, until it looked like a second skin was being put over her, and then extending from her fingers, forming long claws like a sort of costume or glove, those tips hardening as it soon covered her entire body, those two basketballs having been turned into a living exosuit of sorts. 

"But well, It's not really a summon. I bring things to life. And life is so very versatile. It can work on it's own, or it can act like a symbiote, like an extra arm, or a new set of skin." She noted calmly, cricking her neck as her new child, this Second Skin, flexed. Zackary wuold immediately know that it, unlike Hebika, was not weak in the slightest. As she brought her palms together, it made a resounding SMACK, the rubber on her palms had retained it's elasticity, but was so much stronger. Those claws had been hardened, the carbon in the rubber almost becoming like diamond as that clapping of her hands had some force to it. It however, as Zack would be able to tell. Was Blind. It could not sense it's environment. It could not feel. It could not taste, Nor Hear, Nor smell. IT had nothing, but Hebika. It moved as she asked. She was the eyes and ears it needed. It even had a powerful healing aura. 

"So suffice to say. I am perfectly capable of fighting in close combat. But against Shinigami, it was as simple as using the ground beneath them to kill them. And well....after some interference." She smiled in Shizuka's direction. "Freshly cooled Magma was a wonderful material to work with. Although These days I wouldn't have had to wait for it to cool." She verified, rolling her shoulders for a moment as she rubbed at her neck, relaxing as she tested the strength of the skin. Which, for all intents and purposes, was more or less hers. 


"I apologize if it's not very...flashy." Which was true. Aside from those black claws, hebika looked exactly the same. "If We had more space and were not somewhere so public. I could have made something bigger. The size of the gym. Given enough materials." She noted, as she playfully hinted that there was very little limitation as to the dimensions and makeup of her creations. With a roll of her shoulders she let out a soft sigh. And then she waited, to see how he reacted. Of course, she was curious if he also realized that the entities were not instantly loyal to her. When it had first formed it moved, for a brief second, of it's own accord. It was that powerful instinct of hers, her ability to charm it, that let her control them. That Incredible darkness inside the new entity, outshining even her light, still was coaxed, and he would perhaps begin to understand why she was so charismatic. 

100%->90% Heart's Content 1 Level 4 Entity Created. 

SPOILER: Click to show

{Second Skin's Stats}
Strength: 250
Speed: 300

Spiritual Pressure: 300
Reiatsu Strength: 0

Light Aura:0
Dark Aura:100

Instinct: 100
Senses: 0
Energy Senses: 0

Healing Expertise: 200

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

The two of them were getting along, as far as Shizuka could tell. Zack was testing her a bit, trying to feel out Hebika's power as much as possible. Shizuka knew that her Mod Soul friend could be a bit extravagant when displaying her abilities, but she had every right to be. This girl was strong and knew it. But what was still amazing was that what she didn't have in strength or speed, she made up for when using her entities. Actually, Shizuka was a bit jealous of these powers and it made her proud at the same time to see how much Hebika had grown. The Fullbringer had since backed up and out of the way once Hebika started her show, finding the padding against the gym's walls as she rested herself along them. She moved her bright, blonde ponytail out from behind her back and over her left shoulder before sliding down against the wall in a seated position on the floor. She was going to watch from afar.

Shizuka listened intently as Zack assessed the Mod Soul's abilities. He was frightfully good at being able to analyze people, but so was Shizuka. Zack was interested but hardly wanted to show it because he wanted to remain stoic and professional. Admirable, but still unnecessary. As he spoke one correct statement after another, Hebika must have realized that he was a bit of a big deal in Xcution, as well. He certainly had a way of dealing with people, that's for sure. Especially his targets. He never stopped working a day in his life, it seemed like. That, or he was just fond of ignoring his coworkers. Shizuka rolled her eyes and continued watching, giving Hebika her full attention.

Zack had placed his balls (heh) down against the shiny, waxed floor of the gym. He gave Hebika instructions and she gracefully followed them, letting the balls come together and form into a sort of clawed weapon attached to her arm and hand. She noticed its slight rebellion and tilted her head questioningly, wondering what on Earth would be fighting Hebika within the rubber. It was strange, but Shizuka had thought that Hebika had complete control over the beings. Maybe she was wrong? Or perhaps there is something more to it. Maybe she doesn't have full control over her powers yet. Still, for not having full control, she was astoundingly powerful compared to how she was when they first met. And even then she was nothing to laugh at.

Still, she was impressed. Shizuka smiled at her friend and laughed a bit to herself as she remembered their past meetings and how Hebika ended up living with her. She's come quite a far way from their first encounter and even looks different, but she was still the same girl to Shizuka. That would never change. Now, she just wanted Hebika to be involved in Xcution because she knew it would greatly benefit both them and her. Shizuka wondered if Hebika would even agree, but hopefully it wouldn't be too much of a hard time making a decision. It was only a matter of time before Hebika finds out more about Shizuka's work, so why not include her on everything? That made the most sense, right? Well, either way, Hebika was definitely already making a name for herself.

[Deleted]

Those tired eyes never once left Hebikas form. He watched with silence and in focus as both balls he had placed down on the waxed floor morphed themselves into a substance similar to that of putty. He watched as the rubber seemed to exhibit some sort of...intelligence, acting out against Hebika for merely a brief moment before spreading across her arms and body to form a armored coating of rubber that mimicked her skin and carbon claws. Interesting. Zacks expression remained unchanging as he listened to Hebika explain her abilities to him, rather pleased with himself that he had gotten at least a little close to figuring out her abilities by analyzing her stats. Speaking of, he had also noticed that her creation possessed its own separate set of statistical values. Now it all made sense to him.

Hebikas ability was to create life from things that should not normally possess it. It was actually similar to the concept of Soul Command, the Fullbringers basic ability of giving programs and commands to the basic and unintelligent souls of object and nature. Hebikas power, though, was giving commands and programs to the form of something, giving it life in a way similar to Fullbringers giving life and purpose to somethings soul. It was a interesting parallel, Zack found. He listened to her speak, remaining silent as she did so. He drank in every word she said, listening and searching for any sort of hint or hidden meaning behind what she was saying. She clued Zack in a bit more on what had happened when she and Shizuka had met, prompting a very subtle shift in Zacks eyes to look at Shizuka for a moment. It seemed it was his turn to speak.

"In our line of work, it is better to have an ability that is effective rather than, as you put it, flashy. Powers that tend to be more similar to a display of fireworks or a peacocks feathers are not often as useful and can be situational." Zack responded to her comment. What she said next caught his attention. So, her ability was limited by the standard rules of physics? The Law of Mass Conservation was a limitation on her powers. Duly noted. Looking at her, his gaze did not seem to actually be on her. Someone as analytical as Hebika would notice that while Zack was looking at her, he wasn't focusing on her. He was focusing on the Second Skin that she had created. "So now the picture becomes clear." He suddenly said, closing his eyes as he began to explain.

"When auras lean so far to one side of the karmic spectrum, the individual often receives some sort of effect for it. Those with intense light in their hearts are often more capable of persuading, of causing comfort. While on the darker side of the spectrum, intimidation and causing fear are more prevalent. Your creations...you don't fully control them do you? You give them life, then use a combination of your Aura and your own Instinct to tame and control them." Zack explained, opening his eyes and looking at her. Well, regardless, he knew what she could do now. She had shown him her power, and now was the best time to fulfill his own end of the bargain.

This...would take awhile. "I am sure Shizuka already explained a few things, but humor me because I am going to go ahead and go through the usual routine. But, I want to get this out of the way first. Xcution, our organization, has two methods by which we hire new members, operatives, into our ranks. The standard method, the most common, is by our Corporate Branch locating someone of interest and sending out an invitation for an interview, which must then be responded to by the means provided by the message." Zack explained, sitting back on the pews to make himself more comfortable.

"If the person accepts, then Corporate will send out another well respected member of Xcution to go and perform an interview with the person. It is then completely up to the operative whether or not they believe that this person belongs in the organization, and can then chose to hire or deny that person. We are also enabled the responsibility of recommending a specific branch for this person, which I want to go into later if you don't mind. If the Operative feels that this individual is compatible, and worth hiring, then they are allowed to bring them in provided they alert Corporate. They will also receive a cut from every successful job that individual performs, a sort of reward."

"The second option isn't as often. This is the method that Shizuka here want's to do. Typically it is Corporate who picks out the individuals that they feel should be hired into Xcution. But, you have either dodged their notice or haven't enticed anyone within the Branch yet. Shizuka feels you are ready, so she has decided to give you a Recommendation. The second method of hiring involves two high ranking members of Xcution both presenting Corporate with a Recommendation to hire you, which is why Shizuka called me here. Of course, she could have always alerted Corporate about you, but this method does remove a lot of the hassle and paperwork." Zack explained, leaning forward once again in his seat.

"Now, Ms Nara, if you don't mind I want to conduct an interview here with you. I'm going to be asking you a series of questions that I would like you to answer truthfully and fully." Zack said, those intense eyes of his locking onto the Mod Soul as he spoke. "You showed me your power, but I hope you understand that just that isn't all we are looking for with our Operatives. My first question, then; why is is that you want to join Xcution?" Zack asked, becoming silent as he allowed Hebika to answer that question. He would listen to her response, and would hope that her relationship with Shizuka would not manipulate her answers.

"The next question, then. I am confident Shizuka explained a bit about the three branches of Xcution. Military, Research, and Corporate." Shizuka would notice he didn't mention one. "I want to know if you are able to do whatever it is that we ask of you. That you are able to follow your orders, obey the job, and have no issues with getting your hands dirty. Make no mistake, Ms Nara, that depending on what Branch you step into....sometimes things can get rough." He warned, a small amount of emotion leaking to show her that he was seriously asking her this. He wanted to make sure that she would be prepared for anything. "Are you prepared to kill someone for reasons given to you by someone else?" He asked, becoming silent once again to allow her to answer.

Zack, himself, wasn't the best person when it came to interviews. He was direct, honest with the people he was talking to. He had seen many, too many, greenhorns die in this line of duty. "My last question then...is this the life you really want?" He would become quiet, giving her time again to ponder and give him her answer. Once she was done, he would sigh only slightly. "Give me some time to discuss with Shizuka here. There's a restroom to the right down the hall once you leave this room. If it isn't occupied, then wait in there for at least five minutes and thirty seconds before returning. We should be finished talking by that point." Zack ordered, wanting it to look like Hebika was just another woman going to the bathroom instead of someone standing around waiting for something.

He wouldn't speak anymore until Hebika was gone out of the room, giving the man a odd leer on her way out, and once that door was shut the man let out a sigh. He ran a hand through his hair, his shoulders slumping just a little more. He opened his eyes, looking over at Shizuka and relaxing just a tad bit. "You could have told me this was what you wanted. It would have been a lot easier if you just emailed me the information about her...then I could have just given her the recommendation needed." Zack spoke, though if wasn't sure if he was criticizing Shizuka or just explaining an easier method to her. "Major Fedoseev has a much easier time recruiting people anyways, so why did you want me?" Zack asked. He did have one more question ask, so he asked it. "If you wouldn't mind it, could you explain to me exactly how you found it? Both you and it stated that you met over fighting with a group of Shinigami?" Yes, he referred to Hebika as an it.

[Hebika Nara]

Hebika remained calm as she allowed Zack to go on with his analysis, though she was actually surprised when he actually made a bit of a mistake. Her head tilted a little at the side for a moment, her brows lifting in response to his mention of her Aura having something to do with control. She considered it for a moment before she spoke up. "Hmmm...I suppose that would kinda make sense. Though it's just my innate ability to command that does the trick. So long as my wits are sharp they obey. My ....aura....was not always so blaringly white." she noted softly in correction, eyes driftiing briefly in Shizuka's direction before shifting back to Zack. 

He proceeded to explain why it was that Shizuka was going through this whole thing. The manner in which individuals such as herself were taken in. though at the mention of her having escaped corporate's eye she was not entirely surprised. Her aura was really the only thing that was expelled. She didn't have a spiritual pressure much to speak of. And typically speaking, she didn't really let many that saw her more....flashy uses of ability live very long. So she supposed it made sense that they had failed to pick up on her. Her attention however wavered when he mentioned that the current situation was rater uncommon. She suspected as much.

However at the mention of her ...reasons, for joining Xcution. Her eyes drifted, briefly, to Shizuka for a moment, or rather, to the woman's neck. How many times had she woken up to the sight? Her attention shifted then to Zack for a moment. He had a tiredness about him. She didn't have his equipment, but she was very analytical, her rapid processing power for her brain gave her everything, all that she needed, in order to surmise the dakrness lurking behind his words. He definitely had given this speech, or similar ones. He was a senior member, and older than Shizuka. But probably younger than Hebika. 

Eyes drifted shut for a moment as her arms folded across her arms, those claws curling for a moment, lightly dragging along her forearms for a moment, that second skin keeping her from digging into her own flesh. "I don't expect you to know. It does not strike me that you, nor your organization, is intimately familiar with Mod souls. You may know the technicalities behind us. The facts. But you don't truly understand. It's known that we were weapons created by shinigami, for whatever purpose? well...that much is simply obvious. But they did not think that by merely creating a soul, it would begin taking on ideas, thoughts, beliefs of it's own. They would develop gender identity. Preferences, things that got in the way of being the soldiers we were intended to be. But mroe than that, they began to question the morality of continuing to make us." She murmured, eyes slowly drifting shut, as she remembered.


It had been very cold... too cold. Too cold for her preferences. That moment so very long ago. When she had first seen the mass destruction of her kin. "I have no real feelings of vengefulness. I don't plan on hunting Shinigami and exterminating them for what they did. I'm....too old for any of that." She couldn't help but giggle. As if. To think that age would have any effect on a mod soul. You needed to have a body to worry about things like that. "But. The shinigami, and so many others. Arrancar. Demons. And even Humans. Do things that cannot be allowed."

She frowned. "Things that have repercussions beyond themselves. I understand the organization is no band of white knights. But I think the lot of you intelligent enough. Enough that should any such activities sprout up, that at the very least you will become aware of it. And while Shizuka has been very good about not telling me exactly what it is she does. I have surmised that a good amount of your work is cleaning up such mistakes. Dealing with such breaches of conduct. It won't be easy. It won't be glorious. I can see it in your eyes, my young friend. A Human of your age with eyes like that. I will, however, am confident that I will be able to take it. When so very few can. And I think that a very important reason that I join." she finally finished. 

Of course, unwittingly, she had answered his next question as well, smiling a little as they moved on, folding her arms across her chest for a moment as he went into the matter of...professionally. Doing as she was told. When she was told. And in the manner she was told to do so. Jobs that weren't pretty, that were not pleasant. And of course, the mention of killing people, if necessary. Once again her attention shifted to Shizuka. That smile vanished. And she was.....not sure how to feel. She had, in that moment, asked herself. Could she kill Shizuka? 

The answer had popped into her head before she could think of it. Before she could consider it. Yes. She had, technically, killed her, temporarily. Separated her from her physical body. But to send her to soul society? to possibly condemn her to the life of a hollow? Humans had such a...novice idea of death. She knew, now, that Shizuka's line of work was dangerous. It was not as if she would shorten Shizuka's life, chances were. The odds of Shizuka living a very long, happy life were slim. She was going to die. Soon. And unpleasantly. The prospect of being able to put her down in her own way. It was.....not what she considered cruel. 

No doubt, a human would find this horrible. That the woman she cared so much for, she would "end" so willingly. But....she wasn't human. She was not from a line of evolved creatures, that had, over countless years developed affectionn for those that they were mated to. She was just....a pill. To her, the idea of killing Shizuka was a kindness. Her attention shifted back to Zack, the calmness, casual manner she had had. It was gone. And even the warmth she was radiating constantly died down, muffled as she spoke flatly. "Yes." 

After all. She hated humans. And she had a feeling, that in time, she might learn to hate other races as well. Life was not a right. She had seen it. Even outside of her brethren, life was smothered within the first few seconds of its existence every single day. That killing someone should be difficult? It was a silly idea. Perhaps her answer would cause Shizuka and her to have a conversation later. She supposed she might even be asked to sleep in the livingroom for a while. It was no slip of the tongue. She supposed it was even possible that Shizuka, might no longer feel safe around her. 

If this body had been hers, she might have shown signs of sadness. Not regret, but simply that she was sorry for what might happen as a result of her responses. But no...she did not regret them. As she was asked to leave, she turned and took her leave of the Gym. She did not offer Shizuka a comforting glance. She would not lie to Shizuka that she didn't mean her words. She would comfort them later, if allowed. But she would not give her those eyes that said 'I did not mean it'. 

In the bathroom, she remained silent, staring up at the ceiling as she waited, her eyes smiling as she leaned back, putting on that mask of happiness. The bathroom was air conditioned, and unlike the main gym, it was nice and cool. It would not be hard to pretend to just be enjoying the AC. But of course, she was thinking over Shizuka. Why? She wasn't sorry. She wondered. Was she hurt? Did she care? She was young after all. She may very well brush it off. It was hard to tell. Teenagers and young adults could be so very unpredictable. Her eyes drifted closed as the thoughts plagued her. 

She hated it. Feeling. Caring. She had no regrets. She had spoken truthfully, and even if he hadn't asked her to, she would have still answered with such sincerity. But still she was sad. Her eyes drifted to the ceiling, staring at those indifferent tiles. She was in that very same position again wasn't she? She'd gone and gotten attached. She wondered, what Zack would think of her response. He didn't seem like the comforting type either. Was he alone? Or did he have someone with him that kept him anchored? Would he care if he, or she, died? Would he kill them? 

She couldn't help but feel that he would, but logically speaking, she couldn't say for sure. Humans were....so very...very complicated. Her eyes closed again and she sighed, counting the seconds in her head, ignoring the eyes a certain overly-muscled woman gave her as they passed by. As well as the comment about her 'sweet ass' while she was at it. Well, not entirely. She did consider using the line on Shizuka later. Assuming the woman would still talk to her. She smiled. She always did enjoy surprising her "room mate" wit little phrases she learned around the humans.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

She was proud. Hebika would make an excellent addition to Xcution if she accepted, but it may potentially be a problem if she doesn't. This organization wasn't the type to harass anybody until they joined or anything bad like that, and definitely would never go out and kill anybody over it. However, Shizuka was well aware that if Hebika found out too much, she could potentially be in danger. The Fullbringer sighed and crossed her legs Indian-style, repositioning them out of how they were before since Shizuka's knees were pulled up to her chest. She leaned forward and, rather dog-like, fisted her hands and used them to hold her up as she placed them in the small space left between her legs while crossed. This was one of the most comfortable ways for her to sit and she preferred it over resting up against the wall, despite how comfortable the safety padding was.

Zack seemed to know his stuff a lot more than Shizuka originally thought, as well. It was strange thinking about how far he had come since she had first picked him up. He was still rather nonchalant and uninterested in anything she had to say, but she figured that was just his personality. Still, it bothered her a little bit. She just wanted to be friends and he couldn't possibly be less entertained by the idea. Her eyebrow lifted as her eyes closed in annoyance at the memory of one of their previous encounters and how he really ignored most of her advances. He couldn't do that anymore, though. She was able to perfect her skills in "honeypotting" her targets when necessary. She was one of, if not the top interrogator within Xcution.

Bringing her attention back on Zack and Hebika, Shizuka noticed that Zack mentioned her talking about the organization a little. Or, at least, assuming she had. Shizuka really didn't tell Hebika a whole lot about her job because she didn't want her friend to worry. Well, that, and she killed without any reason sometimes because it was an assignment she had to complete. All of the assassins learned how to block their emotions and dehumanize their victims over time; a skill none of them truly approved of. Honestly, Shizuka avoided fights if she could. But she would never go down without at least beating on her opponent as much as she could if the situation called for it. She wasn't a huge fan of getting her hands dirty.

Anyway, Zack continued explaining what he knew about Xcution (basically everything, he did work there, after all) so that Hebika could better understand what they were getting at. The hiring process could be long and involved and just so dreadful, but Shizuka had faith in Hebika's charm and ability to win people over. Besides, that was why Shizuka even had the idea of making them all meet each other. Just having a scout come and find her wasn't enough because she'd be caught by surprise. Well, more so than she probably was now. This gave her the chance to actually show herself off and display the confidence Shizuka knew she had. It truly was annoying to go the traditional route and fill out recommendation paperwork. This way it was more direct and immediate.

He was asking her rather difficult questions and Shizuka saw Hebika's shoulders slump a bit as she crossed her arms and thought. Not many of the answers Hebika was giving surprised the Fullbringer at all, especially since she knew that her serpent-like friend wasn't afraid to get a little dirty. She had watched her fight, both in and out of her own body. She knew that Hebika was tough and should never be underestimated. But she also noticed Hebika looking rather uncomfortable momentarily as Zack asked her more questions and briefly explained a few things to her. She knew how Hebika felt. Maybe overwhelmed, a little surprised, perhaps worried. Zack asked if she would be willing to kill if need be, and Shizuka's ears twitched as they perked up.

Come to think of it, she knew Hebika could be ruthless but it surprised her when she saw her Mod Soul friend glance over in her direction. What was she thinking about? Judging by the facial expressions she was making and how emotionless she attempted to be, Shizuka could only assume that Hebika was considering if she would ever kill her if told to do so. Once she answered, Shizuka's heart sank. She wasn't too surprised, but the was also a bit broken to hear that Hebika would take her out of she had to. Shizuka closed her eyes and let her head fall a bit. Once she opened her eyes again, she was staring at the ground with a frown planted on her face. She respected Hebika's willingness to obey but hoped she would never have to come to that. Shizuka had no plans to betray Xcution any time soon.

"Give me some time to discuss with Shizuka here. There's a restroom to the right down the hall once you leave this room. If it isn't occupied, then wait in there for at least five minutes and thirty seconds before returning. We should be finished talking by that point."

Discuss with me? Shizuka's head lifted quickly as she looked over in Zack's direction and started to get up. She watched Hebika turn around and leave without even a glance or a wave or a thumbs up or anything goofy that she liked to do to make her Fullbringer smile. She regretted, partially, not telling Hebika about Xcution sooner. She was unable to admit what her line of work was and could not talk about it outside of her job, but she wanted so desperately to tell Hebika about everything she did and why she was able to summon whomever she needed to within a moment's notice. She was, after all, Number Two in the Xcution Seven Guns. Yet she could never bring herself to admit something like that.

Once Hebika was completely out of the room, Shizuka stared in her direction and watched the door slam shut. Her eyebrows were pressed together and now glancing down towards the right side, showing her own self-disappointment. She was so proud and yet somehow so heart broken over Zack's question, despite the fact that she knew it was something he needed to ask. The man noticeably relaxed in front of her as she turned around and made her way closer to his position. He seemed to be annoyed or bothered by something which was hardly a surprise since he always acted like he hated being around Shizuka. She crossed her arms and closed the distance between them so that they were only standing a few feet apart. Her eyes were flat and serious, showing that she was in no mood for any bullshit.

"So what do you want?"

"You could have told me this was what you wanted. It would have been a lot easier if you just emailed me the information about her...then I could have just given her the recommendation needed."

"That process is slower and less professional. Besides, you never seem to want to meet new people. Sorry you hate everyone but this is part of the job." Shizuka flipped her hair over her shoulder so that it fell against her back in its tight ponytail. She kept her arms crossed afterward and allowed some attitude to show through.

"Major Fedoseev has a much easier time recruiting people anyways, so why did you want me?"

"Because you're another Number. You should be present for things like this when a higher up has a proposition. Besides, she shows promise. She's only gotten stronger since we met."

"If you wouldn't mind it, could you explain to me exactly how you found it? Both you and it stated that you met over fighting with a group of Shinigami?"

Shizuka rolled her eyes. "She was still a stuffed animal when we met and I was curious as to what she was. I went over and picked her up and she told me that she was trying to go after the Shinigami that were in the area, and since I was faster than she was, I took her. I also severely dislike Shinigami and found no reason not to let her go ahead and destroy them. It didn't hurt anyone else so it doesn't matter."

Shizuka conveniently left out how she had taken Hebika in as her own and how they still lived together. It wasn't any of his business, anyway. He never seemed to pester her this much about anyone else that was ever brought up, so she figured it was useless to mention anything more. Hebika should be judged based on her skill and skill alone, not her relationship with Shizuka. That being said, there was no way he couldn't tell that the two of them were close. Still, she and Kento had been close before she joined Xcution four years ago. The only major difference being Shizuka found Hebika and had never met a Mod Soul before. Besides, best friends are best friends. Shouldn't it be okay to include each other in their lives?

"Hebika would make a great asset. She has the skills necessary to impress the others and is able to hold her own in battle. I've sparred with her once or twice and was able to judge her technique to the best of my ability. She has since grown and her powers have improved, but I have no doubt that she'd make a wonderful addition." Shizuka paused and looked up at Zack, suspiciously. "Tell me, though. You talked to her and you should be assessing her. Why are you pestering me about this? I told you what you needed to know."

Yes, she was annoyed. But Zack never seemed fond of Shizuka to start and she refused to honeypot him once she realized how weird he was being. She understood how he wanted to get to the bottom of everything and have his facts straight, but it started sounding like he was interrogating her, as well. She hated being interrogated. It didn't make sense for Xcution's best investigator to be questioned like this, but she wasn't going to budge. He didn't need to know anything else and she hardly wanted to tell him anything. It really bothered her that they didn't quite get along since they both did the same thing in the same company, but she wasn't about to fix any broken relations now.

[Deleted]

He closed his eyes when he heard her say the words "yes". A mixture of feelings inside of him came at once, but none that ever showed to the surface. Relief, disappointment, hope, and regret, a cocktail of emotions that Zack, frankly, shouldn't have had. He was actually disappointed that she had said yes. He had been hoping that Hebika would say no. Her reasoning, her explanation, had been solid. It was something admirable, something that someone perfect for the organization would say. It was definitely a better reason than Zacks, whom carried no reason like that. He was in it for the money. It was all he needed. Money was the only thing somebody needed, the only thing worth fighting for. It wouldn't betray you, it wouldn't hurt you. At least, that's what he told himself.

Sure, his reasons had grown a bit after working wit Xcution and moving up through the ranks. This was the only job the man could perform. He was a man designed to kill. He was an assassin, it was all he knew. Zack doubted he could ever find another career that suited him. The military was always an option, but he had plenty of reasons to deny them. Regardless, Zack was silent as Hebika gave him the answers. The look she gave Shizuka, a oh so subtle look at anyone except these two could have missed. It was a look that Zack recognized, and one that he really wasn't fond of Hebika giving.

She had just thought about whether or not she could kill her friend. That sort of ironed will was just the thing that Xcution was looking for. If Shizuka ever went rogue, if she intentionally allowed the secrets of the organization come into the hands of an enemy, someone strong enough to take her on would be sent after her. There were, currently, only two people in Xcution strong enough to do so. Himself and Pavel Fedoseev. And considering what he had seen here, Hebika could no doubt reach that same level of power in the near future. There may come a time the two must fight each other, and Zack hoped if that time would never come.

The Assassins eyes shifted to Shizuka, instantly noticing the rather irritated demeanor she had taken. Her responses to what he had to say definitely gave it away that she was rather mad at him. Her remark at how he "hated everyone" made him sigh a little, knowing just where she would have gotten such an idea. This was not the first time that Shizuka tried to get the older Fullbring to meet with her for one thing or another. Shizuka was a sociable member of Xcution, and she did try to have friendly relations with other members of the organization. But, Zack just wasn't like that.

Taking current events into consideration, she was rather lucky that he had shown up here at all. His lack of sleep had been getting to him, his search for Anastasia had gone cold so now all he could do was assume either someone had taken her or she was killed, and the general stress of what he did was weighing rather heavily on him. He took a breath, deciding to respond to Shizukas statement about Hebikas power. "Power isn't everything.

To me, it wouldn't matter if she was actually stronger than Satsujin himself. What I was looking for was...well...heart." Zack replied, opening his eyes and looking at the younger woman. "I'm not going to pretend that this job is easy, or that it's something everyone can do. What I am looking for isn't how strong someones power is, it's that their able to do what needs to be done. I needed to make sure that she could kill anyone, even you or I, if she was given the order." Zack explained, speaking in that professional tone once again.

"Because I wanted to know the details." He began to answer. "Both you and she admitted to killing Shinigami. I understand if it was in self defense, but they should have posed no threat to you if even Hebika, at her current power, was more than enough to handle them. I understand your feelings for Shinigami, but you have to have control over yourself. What happens if you kill the wrong person, and this causes us to go to war with the Gotei Thirteen? You have to take these things into consideration when dealing with Shinigami, they're touchier than the other races, that's why we rarely receive contracts pertaining to them." Zack explained. There was no hostility in his voice, none at all. It was just him having a casual conversation, just explaining to Shizuka a tip to surviving just a bit longer.

He was quiet for a minute, before dragging his index and thumb into the bridge of his nose. He might as well get this part out of the way. "I...have been unfair to you, I know." He suddenly stated, no doubt catching the young woman by sudden surprise. She would probably assume he hated her, so for him to say something like that might surprise her. "I'm sorry I have dodged your calls and invitations to get together...but I have been busy. Current events have been rough for me, more than usual." Zack explained, removing his hand from his face and looking at it for a moment.

He turned his attention back to Shizuka. "Too be honest, I didn't just show up because you're my superior. I wanted to see you, if even for a few moments, really to just say hi. I know I could have done it plenty of times before, but I think I needed to this time." Zack explained, his attention shifting to the doorway to make sure that nobody was approaching or listening. He wasn't going to explain to Shizuka why it was he felt he needed to see her, to see a friendly face, but he hoped he wouldn't need to. Shizuka should have known when to draw the line when it came to questions.

"You're close to her. It is't my place to judge, so just take what I am about to say as advice. Don't get too close." Zack stated, turning his attention back to Shizuka. "Our lives, our line of work, we're not the sort of people who get the benefit of long lives. We're not the sort of people who can afford a close relationship with another person. They become a weakness that is far too exploitable, too easy to be used against us. I had this same conversation with Pavel, who wanted to tell his lover what it is he did. Either they can be taken from us...or we're taken from them." Zack explained, his voice changing slightly as he resumed looking at nothing across the gym. His eyes had become distant, his voice softer with a hint of...hurt?

"Take my advice, Shizuka, for both of your sakes...don't get too close. I wouldn't want you to know that pain." He stated. He was speaking from experience. He was speaking from an experience that in no way could Shizuka have faced. He had lost two people whom he had shared his heart with. He had made the mistake of offering his heart to a second person, only to have what he cared for taken away from him once again. Such a mistake he could not make for a third time. He sighed, calming himself down and removing the image of both women from his mind. "She has my approval, anyways."

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

"Yes, but you also know how I feel about Shinigami. They're vile and disgusting creatures that don't deserve to exist at all. Yet our world is plagued by their presence each and every day. So what if we killed them? It didn't hurt anybody else. They were probably just looking to kill more people. Besides, I'm sure Hebika had a decent reason as to why she was going after them."

What Zack had said really struck Shizuka the wrong way. But once she had the chance to think about it, she realized that she never actually knew why Hebika attacked those Shinigami that day. Shizuka blinked hard and glanced down at her feet as she was stuck in thought. It confused her a bit but she realized how easy it was for Hebika to say that she would kill without question. Shizuka wasn't exactly a saint when it came to Shinigami and just about everyone in Xcution knew that. They also tended to give her missions that had Shinigami as targets for that reason because that would be one of the few cases where she could kill without remorse or having to alter her psych so she wouldn't feel guilt for her actions.

Wait a minute! What gave this man the right to question her actions when she held a higher place than he did in their section? He had no reason to ask why she did what she did, regardless of her bias. It made no sense for her to even consider answering him because he didn't deserve a response. On top of that, he seemed barely interested in even being there the entire time when Shizuka genuinely wanted to include him in her decisions. It made more sense for him to show up because they both used guns to fight, even if the guns had different properties. He was not about to question her intentions without some kind of serious punishment from her if he thought he could judge what she was doing.

Shizuka gritted her teeth as her eyebrows and other facial features betrayed her, expressing the anger that was building up. Was it anger? Maybe simply irritation. Irritation at the fact that he would even try to be some sort of parent to her and teach her the error of her ways or whatever it was he was doing. Shizuka glared immediately at Zack and was about to let him have it when he clenched the bridge of his nose between his fingers as if he was defeated. Well, maybe not defeated, per se, but he wasn't looking the same as he had been, like, two seconds ago. Wait a minute... He was uncomfortable! Great. So first he was mad at Shizuka and now he's uncomfortable around her. How could this possibly get any worse?

"I... have been unfair to you, I know."

Shizuka's features softened for a moment, but it wasn't long before she looked upset again. "Uh-huh. Yeah, 'unfair' is an understatement. You don't care about anyone but yourself. You barely even talk to me. I just needed you today because no one else could come. I hardly thought you would show up, either."

"I'm sorry I have dodged your calls and invitations to get together... But I have been busy. Current events have been rough for me, more than usual."

"Right. You know, I can see your lips moving and I know words are coming out, but all I'm hearing are excuses."

"To be honest, I didn't just show up because you're my superior. I wanted to see you, if even for a few moments, really to just say hi. I know I could have done it plenty of times before, but I think I needed to this time."

Shizuka stared at Zack as her eyes narrowed, showing obvious disappointment in him. The last thing she needed was a lie, and apparently that's all she was getting from him. She growled and turned away from him, hoping he would leave her alone. Unfortunately, he didn't. He started going off on why Shizuka and Hebika should never be friends or whatever he was getting at. But towards the end, his voice grew softer and sounded more pained. Shizuka resisted turning around, because even when she was angry, she still felt intense love for her friends. She would never reject one of them if they came to her sounding hurt. But it was what she heard last that really made her react. She heard his approval.

"Good. Well, we have about twenty seconds before Hebika should be coming back, ayway. So I guess this means you're free to go if you really don't want to be here anymore. It doesn't matter what you tell me, anyway. I'm not going to believe you. Your record isn't exactly the best when it comes to telling me the truth."

[Amagai Kuchiki]

120 pargaraphs = 600 TP. Nice.