I remember the very first day that I arrived in West City. I felt like a stray animal who had wandered far away from home. The deception of Krynia was an oasis sheltering me from the harsh realities of the outside world. It hid me away from the truth. But like pieces of a puzzle, fragments of reality began to come together, and bit by bit, things became clearer, and clearer- until I could finally see the big picture. Those days were full of confusion. I didn't know who I was, or what was real anymore. But slowly, I learned. I learned, and like any living creature, I adapted. Survived. I learned who my targets were, and I found a means to get to them.
What I didn't expect, was meeting him.
"Arika..." His hands trailed down the bare skin of her back in that way that made her flesh tingle. Strong hands moving against her so slowly; they were so warm- firm, but gentle. The blonde stood there in his hold, seeming to try and keep a stoic composure, despite the way her knees wished so desperately to buckle.
"What did I tell you...about calling me that?" The lean woman turned to face her counterpart, pulling a few inches away from him in her protest. The two were in naught but their undergarments; the room was filled with steam, and a shower was a just a few feet away. The walls, metal, were bulging with various pipes and nozzles.
"You finally told me your true name, yet you still hide behind a street-name. I know that you wish to move on from your past, but-..." He clasped his hand against her neck then, fingers lightly grazing along the woman's tender skin. "It's a part of you. You cannot hide from who you are."
"You know nothing." Her eyes flared with agitation as she pulled from him again, this time turning away from him completely to reach for a nearby towel.
"I know nothing because you tell me nothing. I know you are more than human, and that you dream of killing Erek-zi."
"I will kill Erek-zi! I will destroy him and the rest of his filth!" The woman began to dress herself, pressing tight leathers to her body and covering herself in a layer of black.
"And what about when you are done with high priests? Will you kill the others that have joined the rebellion? Will you kill me?"
The blonde, now dressed from neck-to-toe in tight-fitting leathers, began to buckle her boots. "Of course not. But the high priests will pay. You know that they must."
"It's so much more personal than the rebellion for you, isn't it? Why won't you tell me? I know that everyone thinks that you're an emotionless killing machine, but you're not. I see it in your eyes." The man looks to her with his own, blue, pupil-less eyes. They were glowing dimly, and looking so very inhuman. He set a hand on her shoulder, urging her to turn and face him. "Viper."
Viper turned, looking into her lover's eyes with her own, alien eyes. They were golden, piercing. And after a brief moment, her pupils grew narrow, into slits- the eyes of a serpent.
"Why do the people fear them? These creatures."
"These aren't just any snakes, blondie. They're vipers. And they should be feared, by all means. They're the deadliest serpents in the world. The quickest and most efficient killers."
"These..., 'snakes.' They are..., like me. " She stared at the cages as the peddler whacked them with a wooden stick, causing them to go into uproar and strike the edges of the metal with loud and agitated hisses. "I..., wish to be feared. I wish for those who have lied to fear me."
"Come again? What are you talking about, lady?" The peddler turned around, but the blonde was no longer there. "Lady?"
"Viper, look at me." The woman shook her head, brought out of her memory.
"This mission is everything, Draziel. I cannot fail."
"We will not fail. I understand that you wish to remain focused, but...- think about what happens after all of this. I know this is inevitable, and the rebellion will have his head; but what of you? Will you honestly feel better after taking his life? It will bring you no peace."
"He is just another that I must eliminate. Once I have eradicated the Kaneren from New Babylon, I will return to my home and liberate my people."
"You feel like a stranger to me! Tell me who you are; where you come from. You must ache to tell your story- to stop hiding behind your serious expressions and your curt words. You forget, I have seen you not only at your strongest, but at your weakest. I've seen you give in, and give in to me." He slid an arm around the small of her back and pulled her against his bare chest. He leaned into her, kissing her in earnest- passionately, abruptly with wanton need. The woman who called herself Viper did not pull from him, this time. She did not resist. But just as abruptly as their moment of entanglement began, so did it end.
"It's almost time. You need to prepare."
"Are you sure that this is what you need to do?"
"There is a reason that I insisted on being the infiltrator. I will be Erek-zi's executioner, and he will look into my eyes and know my hatred as his life slips away into nothingness."
Draziel pressed his forehead against hers, his long strands of jet-black hair falling along his neck. "You know, this is probably the most you've spoken to me in weeks."
"Don't get used to it. We have a mission."
He pulled from her then, turning and talking a few steps away. "One day, there will no longer be any missions, and you will regret turning those away who once took you in. You will have your revenge for whatever wrongs were committed against you, but you will find yourself alone."
"Draziel-..." Viper turned towards him, but he was already gone. In her anger, she kicked a nearby pipe, causing it to burst from the impact and unload gusts of steam. She hissed, lengthy fingernails turning into sharp claws and digging into the wall. "I will complete my mission..., no matter the cost." She pried them loose, heading towards a nearby elevator and ascending along a corridor. From there, she was able to look out into the sky, and at the nearby city. West City. "Your oracle comes for you, New Babylon."
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