Facing Up

He looked around the dark roof, there didn't see to be anyone up here. In fact, he didn't even know why he was up here. 1

"What do you want, thief?" The voice came from a shadowy female figure sitting half way up the roof. He wondered why he didn't see her before. "Actually, don't answer that." The girl placed a finger against her head "I already know." He nodded, although she didn't see it. 2

He carefully sat down next to her and looked over. If he didn't know any better, he'd say she'd been crying. "Dey don't know anythin', chere. Ignore what dey said" For the first time since he'd climbed up here, she looked at him. "Don't call me that. I'm sick of your French bullshit" 3

That wasn't quite what he expected. But knowing her, he wouldn't have gotten anything less. Now the question was, to annoy her or not? He grinned, "Call you what, chere?" There was a flash of silver and he looked down at the blade that had landed uncomfortably close to his thigh. "Ok den." He paused "You wanna talk 'bout it?" She sat in silence for a while, her breathing loud in the quiet night. Unconsciously, he pulled out a deck of cards and shuffled them. "You're right thief," She said quietly "They don't know anything. They don't seem to understand. You're born an assassin, you die and assassin. There's nothing else" She looked up at him "Same as a thief ain't it?" When he didn't answer she continued "I swore to myself, when I made my first kill, that I would stop at three thousand, victims that is. The power I had by holding that sword was both frightening, but yet, addictive." She paused, letting the words sink in. He flicked at the cards "So how many are ya up to, chere?" She ignored him. He sighed " How many are ya up to Di?" He repeated. "Two thousand nine hundred and ninety nine. I kept track. Every person I killed, on a job or not, I kept track." She paused "One more death and I can give up this life." " So den, what's botherin' ya, Mon ami?" She took a long pause, as if debating whether to tell him or not. "A while ago, I made a wish. I so badly wanted someone to understand me. Someone who knew what it was all like. This was shortly after Zander told me of his 'problem' with my job, that had hit me hard. I was so scared he would leave, but at the same time, I was furious, cause he didn't get it. Didn't understand." She sighed. He was only slightly confused "Chere, I still don't see a problem" " Well, then you came along" She muttered. So this all had to do with him. Well, he wasn't taking the blame for anything "Me, Chere?" "Yes, you" "Well, what's wrong wit' me den?" He asked. She looked back down "You're everything I wished for?" She said it as a question "You know how this life goes. You know that I can't quit. You understand. That's what makes me like you. Not the voice, not the eyes, not the smile, not the looks." She reached over and tapped his head gently "What's up here. As I said, you can be pretty nice when you ain't being and arrogant son of a bitch." He laughed slightly "Was that before or after you held that knife to my throat, Chere?" It was her turn to laugh, although it didn't sound amused. She stood up, pulling the blade out of the roof with her. "There's a nice price for you, thief. And I could badly use the money. Plus... "She said, throwing the knife into the air "Less competition, less worries. It'd all make my life so much easier." He stood up as well. Where had this sudden change come from? She caught the knife by the blade and walked over to the edge of the roof. She looked down "I like you, thief. If there was no one else, I could nearly love you. In the past... " She paused then, looking up again.' I might have even taken a bullet for you. But right now? I think it's time for me to take my last life" Her eyes turn cold and empty. This had all come as quite a surprise, had me maybe underestimated her? "You know, you don't need to do dis, Chere,” He said, pulling out a card. It took her half a second to aim and throw the blade. It flew straight through the air and tore through the center of the card, causing him to drop it. "Nice shot, chere" "What are you talking about?" She smiled sweetly "I missed." He gave her a questioning look. She sighed "Don't you get it…? 4

..Tonight, only on of us gets off this roof alive."5