Colosseum One-Shots

Child Assassin

The feeling of warm hands gently encased Sanaa's throat.

She had only just entered a lighter phase of sleep and wasn't completely unaware of her surroundings, but ignoring the tightness that began squeezing around her neck and the weight pressing down on her stomach was impossible.

The lights from outside the princess's room washed over her and she blinked against them, a feminine frame focusing in front of her, highlighted momentarily before disappearing into the dark again.

"W-Who-"

"Keiko." They interrupted Sanaa's slurred words before she could begin talking.

Her eyes finally adjusted to the black void of her room, the light having remained in the hallway as the door closed. Keiko's grip on Sanaa's throat increased tenfold as she opened her eyes fully, writhing under the small girl, but Keiko's entire body rested over her, keeping her locked in place.

"Aw...Expecting a goodnight's kiss perhaps?" The girl giggled quietly, resting her lips on her cheek as she whispered in her ear. Though, unbeknownst to Sanaa, the assassin was unsheathing her hilted kunai knife and dragging it slowly to the side of her exposed throat. She raised her head, staring directly at the princess as the lights passed over again, glinting off her blade and instantly catching her attention.

If she hadn't been awake before, **she was now** .

"Sorry, but I have a job to do," she continued, now compressing her neck as if to crush it. "You'll be sleeping a while sweetheart. Goodnight... Challenger 25."

But Sanaa had been waiting for this moment, putting up a good facade of appearing confused and vulnerable. Although she was compromised, she wasn't helpless as the girl's hands touched the warm skin of her neck. It seemed the girl was unaware of exactly what Sanaa was capable of, and so as Sanaa pretended to be fearful and weak, she had eased the gift of death into the girl's veins.

It seemed she was lucky because the girl's fingers were the only part of her that wasn't covered in the thick clothing she was wearing besides her head. It also appeared that the girl hadn't noticed Sanaa's power as it creeped inside of her of its own will, Sanaa a mere vessel for it to use as it pleased. It chose its moments well to attack or retreat it seemed.

The girl's hands over her throat made it hard for Sanaa to speak as she choked out, "What—kind of name is—'Keiko'?" Although Sanaa's vision was starting to blur at the lack of oxygen, she watched the girl for a reaction. The cruel grin that spread across Keiko's face was cut off a moment later, and Sanaa saw the moment when the girl figured out what she was doing. To her dismay, the girl's already snow white skin had barely paled in color, the blood still thrumming through her veins, albeit a little slower than normal. But no where near enough to kill anyone, or even harm them really.

Keiko retracted her hands quickly as if she had been burned, her eyes widening at them. It was all Sanaa needed. Her khopesh was already in her clasped hand from where the girl had foolishly left it beside her bed, as if her hand were metal and her weapon was the magnet. She took cool, quick breaths as she twisted under the girl's weight, her sword already coming up to meet flesh.

And then the girl was gone. She had been sitting there on top of Sanaa, stupidly looking at her hands still and then suddenly she wasn't anymore. Sanaa's head whipped around as she sat up, holding the khopesh out in front of her for protection. She swung her legs off the thin cot and stood, her dark hair swishing behind her at the quick movement. She spotted the girl crouched across the room, her eyes fully adjusted to the darkness of her room by now.

The girl appeared less than human to say the least. She crouched with a feline grace that the princess knew was innate, and she clutched a long knife that she decided she didn't want to test out. Keiko's dark eyes glowed red in the dimness and Sanaa couldn't help the involuntary shiver that ran down her spine. No, she definitely was not human.