Madame was an imposing figure - a dark beacon amongst the killers and inventors of the syndicate. A tall, curvy woman with steps that could strike fear into even the best of the syndicate's assassins, Madame was known for her wit, cunningness, and talent for spotless murder. She was the woman who led the underground operations. She was the boss, the mistress, the one that everyone had to answer to. With her dark black hair streaked with gray and her glacial stare, everyone feared Madame. Even Sterling, whose flamboyant attitude was a staple of his character, flinched under Madame's mere movements.

She was standing in the middle of the communications room when Sterling and Aria arrived. On the screen before her was Prime Minister Huyang of Rouver, the mainland of the Seaherst Continent. Beside her stood two young girls, both of them bent over in what Aria guessed to be either fear or shame. Around them sat hundreds of agents in front of large computer screens, typing and speaking like robots.

"Let's hurry this up," Sterling whispered in her ear, his thin beard tickling her cheek. "I'm already hating this place."

"We've been here before, idiot." Aria teasingly pushed him away. "Grow up and let's go."

Sterling huffed but said nothing in reply. He skittered behind Aria and stopped a few inches behind Madame. She turned upon hearing them, and the video call with the Prime Minister was abruptly put to a close.

"Aria." She nodded at the younger girl, her glittering gaze falling on Sterling like the shards of glass he had on his plate earlier in the day. "Sterling."

"Madame," they both said, voices laced with respect and fear. They bowed, and Madame hummed.

"Well done with yesterday's job," she said. "Lord and Lady Garmond have died by suicide, killing the rest of their party, Lord and Lady Sundance included." She smiled wryly. "Sterling, we have discussed showing off before, haven't we?"

Sterling flushed. "Yes, Madame."

Madame's lips quirked and she dragged her long nail up Sterling's hard stomach, over his Adam's apple, and up to his chin, the force getting stronger and harder until she tipped his head back with the tip of her nail.

"It was a nuisance to cover up your enigmatic displays," she said, her voice coarse. "While I appreciate your enthusiasm for this line of work, please keep in mind that we have to create alibis for these demonstrations. Aria." She addressed the petite girl. "You were supposed to be keeping an eye on him."

"I'm not omnipresent," Aria muttered. "I can't control Sterling's annoying behavior all the time."

"Annoying?" Sterling scoffed. "You were praising me yesterday."

"It was a casual compliment. You took it as though I thought you were God."

"I certainly did not!"

"Children!" Madame raised her hands and voice, and the two assassins before her instantly quieted. "What is done is done. You are my best agents, and therefore your reward is that this event will be forgotten. Your punishment, however, is still at hand." She gestured toward the two girls beside her, ignoring Aria and Sterling's groans. "These are Rita and Vita, the Prime Minister's daughters. They are going to be joining our syndicate and will be training under you today. As the best in our community, I expect you to pass on your knowledge to them."

"Yes, Madame," Aria responded, while Sterling continued to mutter under his breath. Aria jabbed him good-naturedly in the stomach and he doubled over, laughing and choking.

"Yes, yes," he acquiesced. "Fine."

Madame raised a sharp brow. "Indeed," she said slowly. "Rita, Vita; Sterling, and Aria are the best assassins Rouver has. Listen to them well."

"Yes, Madame," the twins replied, saluting Madame. They stepped toward Aria and Sterling and bowed. "We are honored to learn from the Gemini Killers."

"We are honored to teach you both, the Prime Minister's daughters," Aria said, smiling. "Come. Let's go to the outdoor training area. We'll start with seeing what you already know."

The twins obediently followed her and Sterling up the steps to the outside world. They changed their clothes into trainee attire and stepped into the small circle that the setting sun made in the middle of the pavilion. Surrounding the pavilion were rows and rows of rose bushes with benches after every tenth of a bush.

Sterling helped set the girls up at the center of the pavilion while Aria brought two guns and a pack of rubber bullets. She gave a handful to each sister, then sat on a nearby bench with her partner.

"We're going to jump right into the middle today," she said. "You each have a gun, and you can't leave the pavilion. Only one of you can win this."

"Huh? The short-haired sister, Rita, frowned. "Wait, you want us to fight each other?"

Sterling nodded. "It helps if you know your opponent because then the battle isn't as difficult. Using what you know about each other, you can fight much better than if you don't know about your opponent. Besides, the bullets are made of rubber. They'll hurt a little, but it's like participating in a paintball fight."

"Then why don't we use paintballs?" Vita asked.

"They're messy and unrealistic," Aria supplied. "Although, I think they do well in simulation blood splatters." She shrugged. "Anyway, the guns and bullets that we've provided you are safer versions of what you'll get should you pass the test. To be the best of the best, you have to be prepared from the beginning."

"Aria's right," Sterling added. "Who knows what will happen in the future? Maybe one day you'll have to fight someone that you never thought you would...someone you thought was close to you." His voice softened momentarily, lost in thought, then returned, stronger and more pronounced to hide the feelings that were resurfacing. "Forget about everything and fight like your life depends on it. That's the only way you'll survive in this field."

The twins were evidently hesitant, based on their trembling stances and reluctance to wire a firm grip on the gun, but when Aria blew the whistle and the pavilion gates closed, they were forced to begin their practice. Neither Sterling nor Aria provided any tips. Madame always said that throwing the trainees into the fire on their first day would build up their strength and confidence.

"Shoot her, Rita!" Sterling shouted when his quick gaze noticed that Rita had left her right side unguarded. She was focused on attacking Vita's chest and had let go of the rest of her guard. Rita heard Sterling's shout, but hesitated, not wanting to hurt her sister, and Vita took the opportunity to gun down Rita, shooting the weapon out of her hand. The practice fight was over. Vita had won.

"Well done, Vita," Aria said dryly. "Your footing was stable but your defense was poor. We will work on that later. And Rita." Aria looked at the disappointed girl with an unreadable expression. "Why didn't you attack? Vita had many openings."

"I...I didn't want to hurt her..." Rita's face was red and her cheeks swollen. She had taken some hits to the face, not directly, but they had left small bruises dotting her skin like chicken pox. Her eyes were large as well, beginning to water. "She's my sister, Miss..."

Aria's jaw tightened. "Sister or not, that's no excuse that you can use in real life. If you do that again, anywhere, you'll be dead."

"Aria..." Sterling began to say when he noticed two tears create streaks down Rita's pale cheeks.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat this, Sterling," Aria said and crossed her arms over her chest. "These kids have to know the truth, even if it hurts them. A bruise can heal. You can't heal from death."

"That's true..."

"This is horrible!" Rita shrieked and threw her gun on the ground. "How do you expect me to attack my flesh and blood?"

"Just like how I expected my father to protect my family, not shoot my mother in front of me," Aria snapped. She glared at Rita, and Sterling wasn't sure if her hatred was directed toward Rita's question or her painful memory. "Flesh and blood doesn't mean anything in this world, Rita. Once you're in, you don't get out. If you get out, everyone is out. That's the only way. Death is inevitable, and emotions are as well. If you let your heart guide you, you'll die."

"I..." More tears began to pour from Rita's large green eyes.

"Aria's right." Sterling gazed pityingly at the girls, but controlled his expression. "The world is a piece of shit. You have to learn to defend yourself, because nobody else is going to do that for you. Get rid of your emotions. Now that you've joined us, you won't be needing them here."

"Funny thing for a guy like you to say." Aria quipped. "The Gemini who uses his emotions to kill."

Sterling's jaw ticked. "I play with emotions," he said. "They're toys to me, that's it. I was initially against what you were saying, but you're right, Aria. Ten years in this business should have taught me that, but I forgot it." He dropped to his knees, putting his hand on Rita's shoulder. "Your sister is your sister today, but she could be your enemy tomorrow."

"I would never do that!" Vita protested harshly.

"That's what everyone says," Aria grumbled. "You can't trust someone's word. He can be your father one day, and your killer the next. It doesn't matter at all. Blood isn't some rope that ties you and your family together. Emotions are chains. They'll hold you back from your potential." She rubbed her arm and tried not to allow herself to wobble. "It's harsh, I know, and it may sound inhumane, but you'll have to do this to survive. You have to create a double personality. You have to understand that life is just a clock, and the people you have in it are ones you can cherish or despise. Whatever it is, you can never regret anything, do you understand?"

There was silence. There was sniffling. There was silence again. The twins regarded each other, wiped their noses, and at last, nodded, their heads bent like limp puppets.

"We understand," they said.

"Good." Aria patted their shoulders. "This takes time to learn. We're not sending you into battle just yet."

"You'll practice here with the other agents," Sterling added and wrapped his arm around Aria's shoulders. "We'll check in on your progress from time to time. I hope to see you both on the field soon."

The girls didn't respond. Two lower agents came to take them to their dorms, where they'd be staying until they were ready for the final test. Sterling and Aria watched them leave, standing in the arena of flowers and lofty sunlight.

"I feel sorry for the newbies," Aria said at last. "They have no idea what they're in for when they first start."

"Nobody does. Neither did we," Sterling said with a careless shrug. "This job is brutal, so to protect themselves they have to understand that." He paused. "Hey, Aria?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think...do you think there'll be a day when the world won't need us anymore?"

Aria let out a long sigh, contemplating Sterling's question with a frown. "Honestly, I don't know," she answered. "I hope so, but we could never live a normal life again. After seeing what we've seen and doing what we've done, we're on our way to hell at this point."

"We're already living in purgatory," Sterling said and yawned, stretching his arms. "Might as well chug through the rest of our lives, huh?"

Aria smiled. "Yeah, that's true. Hey, do you wanna go get some ice cream?"

"Sure. I could use something cold." Sterling grinned. "Should we check with Madame first?"

"Nah." Aria flipped her hair. "She'll just give us another assignment to do." She grabbed Sterling's hand. "Let's go."

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unedited

So...it seems that Aria has some thoughts. What do you think of what she told Rita? The twins are a bit scared now, but was Aria saying the truth? 

VOTE/COMMENT/ENJOY :D