" YUANFEN " genji shimada.

iv | people like us

yuanfen.
act two, chapter four.
"people like us"

—

THE COOL FLOORING OF her room brought an odd sense of comfort to the aching pain that pulsated through her limp body. The midday sun shone through the window, reminding her of just how long she was forced to endure the pain. Her head cried out for some form of relief, as did her back, which had also experienced the same process. Halfway through the night, a device similar to the one that wrapped around her head had been hooked up to her back, and the same excruciating pain shot down her spine.

    Her mask laid on the ground beside her, and tears fell uncontrollably from her eyes. She shakily reached up to wipe them away, only to cry out as her body convulsed in pain. "All must die," she mumbled to herself, squeezing her eyes shut. "All must die." She repeated the term in her mind until it echoed subconsciously through her skull. She could not forget the mission; she would not fail again, for the sole purpose of never wanting to experience such pain again.

    Vixen slowly began to feel herself slip out of consciousness. She knew that it probably wasn't safe to allow it- she felt her body growing weaker by the second, and she was sure that it would simply give up as soon as she slipped off to sleep- but the pain was slowly beginning to subside. She longed for the peace that would come with sleep. Even if it was just for a moment, she wanted nothing more than for the agony to stop.

    The shrill ringing of a buzzer was what managed to pull her back into reality. Her eyes snapped open in fright, and the pain washed over her once again like a tidal wave. A light flicked on above the door, a simple symbol that she knew all too well illuminating the room; it was telling her to put her mask on. Vixen's body screamed in protest, but she quickly obeyed. She reached for her mask, slipping it over her face and whimpering slightly as it rubbed against the fresh wounds on her temples. She pulled herself to her feet and stood at attention. She did her best to hide the way her legs shook, and she was thankful that the mask hid the tears that stained her cheeks. The door to the room swung open, and she expected the Reaper to enter, though much to her surprise it was Viper that was instead standing on the other side. Vixen grimaced beneath her mask at the sight of him, recalling the spar she had with him the day before and the conversation she had with the Reaper afterwards.

    Viper approached her slowly, the dark soulless eyes of his serpentine mask seeming to burn into her soul. "The Reaper tells me you failed a mission," he said quietly. Vixen said nothing, simply swallowing and nodding nervously. She couldn't help but fear that the Reaper sent Viper in to punish her even more for her failure. The Reaper was ruthless; he didn't care about the wellbeing of his Assassins. Those who unfortunately died on a mission were simply tossed aside and forgotten within a day. They were never honored or laid to rest. The Assassins who managed to live through each of their missions were not treated any better. Sometimes, Vixen wondered if it would be better to be dead than a part of the Reaper's faction.

    Vixen was pulled back into reality as she felt warmth on her shoulder. She jumped, surprised, as Viper slowly ran his hand down her arm. His touch was soft, yet she found herself shrinking away as if he was landing harsh blows against her skin. "I'm sorry you had to go through the Process," he said to her, and she was confused by the pity that laced his words. "I don't wish that upon anyone."

    "Has it happened to you?" Vixen found herself asking before she had the chance to convince herself otherwise. Viper wasn't always such a high-ranked Assassin; there was a time where he was ranked lower than even her.

    "Once, yes," he confirmed with a short nod. "When I first arrived. I was too scared, too cowardly, to go through with the job. But never again." He lowered his hand from her arm, causing her to immediately relax, and straightened his posture to tower over her. "Never again. It's horrible, yes, but it teaches you to be strong, Vixen, and it reminds you of the mission. All must die."

    "All must die," Vixen echoed. She flinched as a jolt of pain shot through her skull, a painful reminder of what would come if she didn't bring truth to those words, and she reached up to rub her temples with a grimace.

    Viper leaned close to her, his mask brushing against the skin of her ear. She moved to step back, though he stopped her by reaching out and grabbing her arm once more. "It still hurts, doesn't it?"

    Dahlia swallowed, nodding. "My entire body hurts."

    "It will feel better once you rest," Viper assured her. She was overly aware of the way his fingers trailed up and down her arm; it was not a pleasant sensation, and she wanted nothing more than to yank herself out of his grip. A soft hiss fell from his lips before he spoke again. "I would make all the pain go away, Vixen. If only we could get rid of these masks."

    Vixen pulled away from him, frowning at his words. The ghost of his touch lingered on her arm, distracting her momentarily from the screaming pain pulsating through her body. His touch had felt like fire, and she half expected to see blistered skin left behind wherever he had touched her. Viper seemed confused by her reaction; he lowered his hand to his side, and she watched as his fist clenched several times.

    "What's wrong?" He questioned almost bitterly. "Don't tell me it's Falcon. He's dead. I thought you learned your lesson."

    Vixen's heart clenched in her chest at the thought of Falcon, and she suddenly felt as though she was betraying the man who saved her life by standing in front of his killer. She shook her head from side to side, forcing the intrusive thoughts from her mind. "Not again," she said through gritted teeth.

    Viper nodded slowly, understanding. "You did learn your lesson," he mumbled and stepped towards her once again. "Good. Romance is not for people like us, dear Vixen."

    He left her shortly after, leaving her alone in the solitude of her room once again. Once she heard the door lock, she immediately slid off her mask and tossed it onto the floor. She ran her hands up and down her arms, doing her best to ignore the pain that shot through her body as she did so, desperate to wipe away the ghost of Viper's chilling touch. She collapsed onto the bed, longing to sleep away the pain and the remnants of the conversation she had just experienced.