[center][h1][u]CHAPTER 2[/u][/h1]
[i]"The Proving Ground"[/i][/center]

[@bloonewb][@King Tai][@CriticalHit]
[@DriveEMOut]

The next day was such a bitter contrast to the beginning of the school year.  A bright and cheerful morning filled with the vibrant colors of spring, the sweet scents of warm sunshine and cherry blossoms, now replaced this morning by a dark and gloomy sky of billowing grey clouds and the distant rumble of thunder.

The rain seemed like it was never going to stop as she ambled quietly through the cemetery, the only sound her high heels sloshing through a puddle or two, clutched between her delicate fingers a bouquet of Scarlet Carson roses she had recently purchased from a quaint florist in the city.

Hibana, her black dress already soaked as she had not brought an umbrella, knelt beside one grave in particular and laid the roses upon it.

[color=ed1c24]"You'll catch a cold out here, Miss."[/color]

Her eyes were closed, hands clasped together in prayer, yet she felt the man's presence upon her before even hearing his hoarse whisper.

Azuma stood beside her, unfurling a black umbrella to shield his mistress from the rain.  Hibana opened her eyes with a brief sigh, inquiring, [color=ec008c]~"Shouldn't you be briefing Noir on today's missions?"~[/color]

[color=ed1c24]"Yes, but..."[/color]  Azuma replied.  [color=ed1c24]"I fancied a stroll about the cemetery.  I've been often told people like us shouldn't visit these places."[/color]

[color=ec008c]~"Because we will all end up having a grave of our own one day, with no name inscribed upon it and no tears to shed over it."~[/color]  Hibana added with a mournful sigh.  [color=ec008c]~"My father was a foolish old man...but he was right.  Karma eventually gets you.  It just took the bitch twenty long years to find me."~[/color]

She stood up, her knees wobbling slightly, then turned to face Azuma.  [color=ec008c]~"But I don't believe you are here to prattle about the past, Azuma-San.  What is it?"~[/color]  She asked sternly.

Azuma returned, [color=ed1c24]"We have a problem.  One of our arms dealers hasn't been faithful lately.  He's been selling weapons to a Somalian terrorist organization, making more money on the side but discrediting Requiem.  He was recently arrested by Interpol and is being held at their main headquarters in Paris.  Do you want me to send someone to take care of him, Natsume-Sama?"[/color]

Hibana, deep down she was angered by this foul news.  How dare that Kraut bastard discredit Requiem, discredit her!  Her blood boiled beneath her skin, teeth grit behind a face of unwavering emotion, but...she had an idea.  Yes, a boy she remembered among the class.  He was the only one who flinched during the execution, the only one who openly displayed some form of emotion.  It was in that moment....Hibana singled him out.

With a visible smirk, she ordered, [color=ec008c]~"Send Minato-san to kill him."~[/color]

[color=ed1c24]"Minato-san?"[/color]  Azuma gasped, his eyebrow cocked.  [color=ed1c24]"We were considering cancelling him after his brief display of weakness yesterday.  Surely you mean to send one of our professionals, Natsume-Sama!  The boy hasn't even undergone the proper training like the others!"[/color]

Natsume rebutted, [color=ec008c]~"Then this will be the perfect time to prove his worth.  Besides, Aya-chan is in Los Angeles doing some wet work for me, and the others I have plans for already.  If Minato fails his mission, you will have express orders to eliminate him.  If he succeeds, then we will induct him back into the program, but I will expect good results from his training."~[/color]

[color=ed1c24]"And what of your plans for Aya-chan?"[/color]

Hibana sighed lighting a cigarette, [color=ec008c]~"She doesn't even know yet..."~[/color]

[@Nikki Moonlight]

[i]"Attention passengers, this is your captain speaking.  We will be landing at Los Angeles International Airport in a few minutes.  Please fasten your safety belts and prepare for landing.  Thank you for flying Japan Airways and have a wonderful day."[/i]

As the plane began its descent onto the runway, a vanilla file sat in the lap of a man in a grey, crumpled suit and a matching fedora.  The young Japanese beauty sitting beside him he was tasked with by Hibana to oversee her mission, the cold, brutal murder of a Mafia boss's wife and kids.

[b]"Your targets are the family of Enrico Maracoli, his wife Eva, age 45, and their three children,  Marina, age 9, Michael, age 13, and Dominic, age 4.  Miss Natsume has instructed that all four of them are murdered in the most obscene manner possible but not to leave any evidence.  I hope you're okay with killing a child, Miss Aya.  Even in my days in the GRU, we never turned our guns on innocent children....but...it is what Miss Natsume wants.  I just wonder how somebody could live with theirself after that."[/b]