" YUANFEN " genji shimada.

x | exposure

yuanfen.
act two, chapter ten.
"exposure"

_

VIXEN PACED BACK AND forth across her room, torn. Her inner voice screamed at her to climb into bed and sleep until the morning, begging her not to allow Genji to visit her once again. She warned him to stay away; she couldn't understand why he wasn't able to just accept that. Not only was she trying to protect him, she was also trying to save her own ass, as well. If the Reaper ever found out that Genji, one of the targets that she was assigned to kill, was alive and visiting her inside the Talon base, he wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

Or worse: force her to go through the Process over and over again until she was forced to forget all about the ninja.

But then she began to think about Genji's offer once more. He wanted to help her escape, he wanted to bring her to a place of safety and freedom. It was an offer that Vixen, despite her conscience screaming at her to forget, couldn't help but want to accept. The thought of finally breaking free of the Reaper's suffocating grasp was something that she had grown to want more and more since the moment that Genji had brought it up. She couldn't help but wonder if it truly were possible. It was a small chance, but after several more laps of nervous pacing around her room, she decided it was a chance she was willing to take.

Screw it, she thought to herself as she froze in front of her window. Even if the Reaper does find out about Genji, at least death would be a better alternative to the life that I live.

The latch to the window clicked loudly in the otherwise silent room as she unlocked it, causing her to jump nervously. She cracked the window open ever so slightly, and she peered outside in hopes of catching a glimpse of the ninja waiting in the shadows. She hoped that he would come, for she realized that the longer she stayed with the Reaper, the smaller her chances of escaping became.

The sudden shrill sound of a buzzer met Vixen's ears, and she whipped around to see the sign reading "Mask On" had flickered on above the door. She leaped away from the window in a panic, reaching for her mask and slipping it over her face just as the door to her room burst open. Vixen's throat grew dry, her heart pounding deafeningly in her ears, as the silhouette of the Reaper appeared in her doorway. Thick, dark smoke billowed out from around his feet, curling into the air in a way that resembled tentacle-like appendages. He entered the room, his footsteps silent and his demeanor calm despite the force that he had used to throw her door open. Two Talon agents followed closely behind him; they were both dressed black and red armor, and they were holding guns.

Vixen forced herself to stand at attention, and she prayed that the Reaper was unable to see the way her legs shook nervously. Beneath her mask, her eyes glanced towards the unlocked window; if the Reaper noticed the latch unhinged, it would surely raise suspicion. She could only hope that he wouldn't notice it. The Reaper stopped in front of her, his shadowy figure towering over her.

"You thought you could lie to me and get away with it, hm?" His chilling words caused a feeling of overwhelming dread to consume her, and her legs buckled slightly as her heart plummeted to her feet.

"Sir?" Vixen squeaked out; despite the convulsions that shook her body, her voice was oddly calm.

The Reaper said nothing as he reached into the cloak that hung over his murky body. He pulled out a weapon- one of the countless small, dark pistols that were distributed to each Assassin before they left on a mission. "Recognize this, Vixen?" The Reaper questioned almost mockingly. Vixen didn't answer, eyes flickering down to the floor as panic began to set in. She jumped as the Reaper shoved the gun into her face, and a low growl rumbled from his chest.