here we go again (forty-seven)

[NIKA BORONINA]

She stood on the balcony of her New York apartment entirely naked. Somethings never changed, despite her growing wealth and overall happiness at her life Nika still enjoyed the simple things in life. Those things that reminded her she was actually free from Belicoff's cruel fist. Standing naked on her balcony smoking a cigarette always sent chills up her back. Inhaling deeply and exhaled a breath of smoke as her eyes scanned the streets of New York. Done with her cigarette she flicked the rest away and headed inside just as a knock echoed through her apartment. Pausing the Russian grabbed a robe covering herself before opening the door. A man stood there with her newly dry cleaned dress for tonight.

She had been told that an owner of a chain of high end restaurants was looking to begin buying some of her wine, the only problem was he didn't seem to have a free moment to spare. So Nika had decided to go to him, after all one of his favorite shows was in town tonight, Phantom of the Opera. Nika had yet to see a proper show in New York despite being in the city for nearly a month now. This seemed like the perfect time to kill two birds with one stone, or however the English saying went. Sliding on her short blue dress she decided it would be best to wear underwear on this occasion.

Heading out the door she locked it behind her and headed down the elevator straight into an awaiting yellow cab. Telling him her destination, her Russian ancestry becoming apparent. The man attempted to start a conversation with her but Nika shot an annoyed look into his rearview mirror. The man whistled at the dark look but immediately shut up. She usually was talkative but the dark haired woman wasn't the mood. Nika ran a hand through her hair, having grown it out since being with Belicoff. She had kept it short for the simple fact that it was harder to use against her.

Now it rested an inch past her shoulder with a slight natural wave. Nika had tried to put the past behind her, she no longer kept her lip piercing in and the hole had closed in addition removing one set of earrings from her ears. Stepping out of the cab she paid the driver and walked up to the entrance of the theater sliding among the crowd of well dressed theater goers. Heading toward her seat she scanned the crowd spotting the man she needed to speak to. Beginning to walk over the lights dimmed signaling the start of the play. Nika would have to wait. Sauntering to her seat she gave the man sitting next to her a small smile as the lights went down completely. Sighing she crossed her legs unsure how she felt about waiting until intermission for her chance to speak to the man.

Yet as the play started the thought flew out of her head as she found herself riveted to the actors and actresses on stage. Nika had heard about the wonders of plays but Belicoff would never be seen out in public with his whore so she had never had the privilege of seeing something on stage. Most of the play seemed to go without a hitch as the lights suddenly brightened again signaling intermission. Standing Nika stretched her legs seeing her intended target walk toward the crowded bar area. Sliding past several people she flashed an apologetic smile, the men were distracted enough to forgive her while the women simply found themselves shoving their male companions.

Suddenly a flash of red, black and white caught her attention and she stopped abruptly her mouth open as if to yell to the man she was sure was Forty-Seven. Glancing toward the back of his head she realized this man had hair. Shutting her mouth she continued on feeling foolish for her mistake. Her stomach sinking slightly as she ordered herself a glass of red wine. Leaning her side against the bar Nika scanned the crowd again realizing the man she had been searching for was now no longer anywhere to be found. That's what she got for letting herself get distracted.

notes ! hope it's alright I set it in a theater, I figured he could be there on a job...just let me know if it's not enough to work with
outfit ! here
soundtrack ! animal by the neon trees
status ! closed & finished

[nico nightingale]

A black leather glove wrapped itself around the suppressor attached to the silver muzzle and applied some strength so as to roll it off swiftly. On the carpeted floor, next to the limp body of a man, a growing puddle of dark red liquid and a carelessly discarded Walther rifle (sneakily brought in through a prop box the day before), lay an open metal suitcase with a soft, black velvet interior; on it, the sunken shapes of two guns and tow cylinders were visible. The black leather glove deposited the pieces one by one carefully, each in their rightful place inside the hard suitcase. Then it closed it and locked it with a combination, after which a light click was heard. The glove picked up the case. It was all very neatly done, meticulously, calmly, as if the glove’s owner hadn’t just made a bloody mess inside the luxurious theatre box. Forty-seven almost regretted it. On the whole, the theatre was a beautiful piece of architecture. However, he straightened up, suitcase in gloved hand, and walked out impassively. Maybe a little hurriedly.

The man who now lay dead in the theatre box behind the row of seats was bald, nicely dressed in a black suit with red tie and had a bar code tattooed on the back of his head. He had been sent by the Organization, like a handful of other prior to him, to eliminate the witness Nika Boronina, whom Forty-seven’s former employers still regarded as a threat to the agency. Unfortunately for them, an ex asset of theirs had taken it upon himself to stand in between them and the Russian girl. And he was not happy about their insistence either. The period of transition had been short before a new agency contacted him, his situation with the Organization superficially known within the industry. A short debate with himself later and Forty-seven gave in to the advantages of not having to deal with clients himself. And so far, though still weary of it, things seemed to be running smoothly. Enough, in fact, that he could perform hits, properly, and keep an eye on Nika, so far successfully tracking down any hit ordered on her and blocking the attempts.

It had been a while since Forty-seven and Nika had said good bye on the train. Since she had moved into her vineyard and started making it grow into a fine business. Since they’d seen each other –or rather, since she’d seen him. Forty-seven had actually seen Nika a few times during this time, if only briefly. He had witnessed her gradual and slight change in appearance and appreciated it from afar, often tempted to break the safety of their distance and perhaps let her know he liked it. As much as the blue dress she was wearing that very evening.

Though it wasn’t the time to think about such things. Forty-seven had managed to sneak out of the box unseen only moments before the intermission started and the lights went on; crucial moments for his successful departure, not to mention for the completion of the job. As he walked through the hallway toward the staircases that led to the lobby and the bar, the doors that granted access to other boxes were being pushed open and the wealthier members of the audience were beginning to exit them. Chatter grew louder as Forty-seven descended the stairs quickly, a good portion of the crowd already gathering in front of the bar. He spotted her almost immediately. She stood out among the other women in the place –although that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. That last fact alone made it imperative that he talked to her soon.

Forty-seven was almost at the base of the stairs planning to head for the exit and don’t look back, his eyes once more off of Nika. He was starting to make hi way through the crowd and something, caught just at the corner of his eye, made Forty-seven stop, much to the irritation of the people tailing him. His head shot sharply in the direction of the upper level, where he was sure to have seen someone in the midst of the crowd above. There was nothing out of the ordinary there. But that didn’t mean it hadn’t been a second ago. Standing still on his spot, Forty-seven scanned the whole place, an uneasy feeling at the base of his stomach. He wouldn’t put it past those bastards to start sending two at a time. A decision was then made within seconds.

Forty-seven pointedly changed the direction in which he’d been moving and sped up as well. He slid in between the gaps, pushing when necessary until he could visualize Nika once again, leaning against the bar, a glass of red wine in her hand. He hadn’t dragged her by the arm in a long time. She had better miss it. As Forty-seven approached her from a hind angle, his right hand was already semi stretched in her direction and he grabbed her left upper arm a split second before he stood an inch behind her, almost pressing himself to her.

“We gotta go,” he said calmly but firmly in a low voice right next to her ear and began tugging at her in the direction of the entrance, gently so as to not draw attention.

It would have been convenient to make his constant presence known to her earlier. It would have eliminated the element of surprise and saved them valuable seconds. He knew she’d have questions, surely an angry statement or two to make, and he only cared about getting her out of there.

it's great =)

[NIKA BORONINA]

Her eyes scanned the crowd absentmindedly. After all her target had disappeared into the crowd and the man that looked like he could have been Forty-Seven had hair. Spotting the man in a black suit with red tie again she sighed annoyed. Nika didn't particularly want men who looked like Forty-Seven in her life. Taking another sip of her red wine she swirled it around in the glass for a few moments before she looked up again. This time what she saw was even less favorable. The man who she had thought was Forty-Seven at a glance was now taking off his wig and striding directly toward Nika as best he could through the thick crowd of theater goers. Frozen in place she tried to think of something to do. After all the Russian hardly kept a gun on her person. This particular dress didn't give much to the imagination let alone a weapon of some kind.

Stepping back she glanced at the bartender whose back was currently turned on her helping another customer. Licking her lips she moved to step further back into the crowd when a hand wrapped itself around her upper arm. Nika glared in annoyance about to tell the man off who was manhandling her. She might dress a little more revealing than most but that hardly meant someone could pay her for her time She had broken away from that aspect of her life and was determined to keep it away.
Turning her head in the direction of the hand she paused her mouth open about to speak. This wasn't just any man who had gripped her upper arm. It was him.

Spinning around to look at him fully her mouth opened as if to speak but she paused unsure what to say. She was mad she hadn't seen him? What was he doing here? Did he see the same man she had seen? The questions whirled in her head but before she could vocalize them he was tugging her, a little more gently than she had remembered in the past toward the entrance. Instead of a question what popped out of her mouth wasn't exactly what she had intended. "We have to stop meeting like this." Nika said with a genuine smile as she followed after the black suit in front of her.

Looking back she saw the man she had before approaching a serious look on his face. Taking a deep breath Nika rushed after Forty-Seven hoping this wouldn't become a shoot out anytime soon. Swearing under her breath in Russian at her luck she gave the people they pushed back fleeting apologetic smiles. She really hoped they wouldn't be casualties of this particular encounter. As they headed out the doors into the New York street in front of them Nika headed for the awaiting line of cabs almost on instinct. Pausing she realized Forty-Seven hadn't moved and neither had his grip on her upper arm. "Don't we need to get out of here?" She said her accent thicker because her words were rushed.

The Russian looked around trying to see the man that had been after them before. She scanned the crowd closest to the glass doors they had just rushed out of. So far no one was sticking out to her, there were no screams about a gun being drawn Perhaps they had lost him. Nika sighed looking at Forty-Seven. They seemed to be able to just rush into their old routine. Him dragging her along and her protesting when she could get a word in. Nika took out a cigarette and lit it. As she put it to her lips and took a drag the lighter fell to the dirty street. Bending down at her knees she picked it up just as a shot rang out, landing right where she had been a second before. Nika's eyes widened in shock forgetting entirely about what she had bent down to pick up in the first place.

notes ! weee, sorry it's a little shorter than I had intended but I didn't want to god mod
outfit ! here
soundtrack ! nada
status ! closed & finished

[nico nightingale]

Forty-seven knew better than to ignore his instincts; time and time again they had proven trustworthy and it didn’t look as though that would be changing anytime soon. Not tonight, at least, he thought upon spotting and recognizing the threat, seeing the agent approach decisively. Fortunately Nika was sensible enough to listen to him and avoid delaying their escape too much by doing something suicidal like starting a conversation. Instead, her comment as they moved together through the crowd wasn’t entirely out of place.

What could he say? He had to agree. But before he attempted to say anything on the matter or even appreciate the smile she’d given him, Forty-seven had to make sure to put enough distance between Nika and her hunter and then to intercept him like he had all the other. This particular one didn’t seem to be intending on completing the job from an inconspicuous location, in the dark and from a distance like the guy in the theatre box. But Forty-seven knew he wouldn’t attempt anything while the crowd still posed an obstacle for a quick getaway. She kept looking back, he kept guiding her out.

Having crossed the glass doors and stepped out into the New York evening cold, Forty-seven let go of Nika. Immediately, his now free hand reached into his jacket in order to swiftly draw out a Hardballer from his back. There was no time to silence it, but if this was going to be public, there was hardly any point. The cab drivers outside hadn’t noticed Forty-seven’s weapon, and judging from the undisturbed muffled chatter coming from inside, he knew the other hitman hadn’t made his own visible either. In a matter of seconds, though, Nika had managed to get out of reach from his grasp and wander toward the yellow vehicles. She asked him something. While standing right in front of the double glass doors of the theatre. Looking about. An amateur’s clear shot. Forty-seven dropped the metal briefcase on the asphalt and took a step forward to stand between the theatre’s entrance and Nika, his gun raised and pointing, but within the crowd, he couldn’t spot the agent. He had evaded them, changed direction at some point during the short chase out of the building.

Forty-seven thought of the upper level and the string of balconies on the building’s façade and the distance at which Nika was obliviously lighting a cigarette. Before he had time to stride over to her and point the gun up, a shot was fired in her direction. It had all been a matter of instants. She had crouched just at the precise moment, the fateful move giving Forty-seven just enough to decipher on which balcony the agent had taken his shot from and presenting him with the golden opportunity to take the man down with two consecutive pulls of the trigger.

A third one at that moment, more than dread-inspiring, was unlikely and the danger source shifted. With the blastful sound of three gun shots, a chorus of exclamations from inside and a storm of fearful swearwords coming from the cab drivers close to Nika and Forty-seven, it was time to abandon the scene before the authorities showed. Once more, and vowing not to let go of her until she was safely inside his rental, Forty-seven took Nika by the arm, gave her a stern reprimanding look and motioned for her to follow. The little silver car was parked a block away inside a dark alley. In virtually no time, Forty-seven had rushed Nika toward it, inside, and drove away from the neighborhood.

[NIKA BORONINA]

Nika flinched at the sound of the gunshot, her heart beating furiously in her chest as her eyes raised toward the direction of the shooter. Unlike the well-dressed hitman at her side she had been entirely preoccupied when the shot was fired and had only been able to make out the general direction of the shot that was supposed to end her life, up. The man was somewhere above them. Yet before she could speak or move, three shots were fired from a gun at her side. Gritting her teeth at the noise she plugged her ears instinctively, feeling that there might be a good possibility she would be deaf in one ear for a good length of time. But it was better than dead, anything was better than dead.

Finally straightening to her full height she looked over at Forty-Seven but was immediately given a reprimanding look. If she knew any better she would at least blush. But Nika simply smiled and shrugged just before the screams broke out. It seemed like everything kicked back into life, the cab drivers sped away thinking they were soon going to be shot in the fight. Patrons from the theater, unsure where the shots were located assumed it was inside the building. Some stampeded toward the door while others could be seen heading further into the building itself.

Just as she feared she would get crushed in the panic of people she was dragged again, this time down the sidewalk. Somewhere deep down she felt bad, Nika probably had let the hitman hone in on their location by lighting a cigarette. She was always told it was a nasty habit when she smoked, but now she might actually think about attempting to quit. Stumbling slightly over the uneven pavement she opened her mouth to ask Forty-Seven to slow down just as they were within distance of his rental car.

Pausing at the door she stumbled inside the car’s passenger side buckling her seat belt with a sigh. The Russian should have expected this. She wasn’t exactly being the most helpful in the current situation. As the car started Nika looked over at the man driving. ”So you’re still in the business I see, I hope you at least got a raise since the last time I saw you.” She said with a cheeky smile as her eyes wandered across the dashboard finally landing on the bright lights that whizzed past the windows. It was a rather bright city with tall buildings, she had seen pictures but they didn’t quite compare to the feeling of being in the city itself.

Glancing to her side a smile flitted across her lips again as she spoke, she had noticed that he hadn’t bothered putting on a seatbelt, ”You really should buckle up for safety.” Nika said with a smile as she unbuckled herself and leaned herself across his lap to reach his seat belt. Pausing for a moment she slide it across his chest and clicked it into the adjacent buckle. Crossing her legs Nika sighed watching the street signs pass. ”So where are we going exactly?” She asked leaning forward to turn on the radio, her fingers lightly skimming over the stereo’s buttons deciding which would be best to push to find a decent music station.

notes !
outfit ! here
soundtrack ! crickets
status ! closed & finished

[nico nightingale]

They managed to get away unnoticed due to the commotion that broke inside and outside the theatre. Everybody scattered. They were just another couple speeding in the opposite direction. And no one was around to notice the car that drove out of the alleyway and into the empty street. Forty-seven was trying to focus on putting some distance between themselves and the chaos, joining the nighttime traffic of the city inconspicuously, and it wasn’t until moments later that he finally judged them to be safe. He relaxed somewhat, although he never stopped scanning the streets around them altogether.

“So you’re still in the business I see, I hope you at least got a raise since the last time I saw you.”

Forty-seven looked at Nika. It dawned on him then, now that they weren’t running and that he wasn’t concerned with shooting anyone temporarily, that Nika hadn’t changed. He had noticed it in the smile she gave him before he had dragged her away from the scene of the crime and the way she was looking at him right at that moment. It was the sort of things he couldn’t quite appreciate when keeping an eye on her in secret. And the realization was more pleasant than he would have thought. He smiled. Airliy but sincerely. Like he only did with her.

“You could say so,” he replied vaguely before turning his eyes back to the lights on the road.

From then on Forty-seven would take turns watching their surroundings for anything out of the ordinary, manage to drive flawlessly and steal glances at Nika and her cheeky grins that always had him feeling self-conscious and wondering. There was this one look, when she told him to buckle up, that caught Forty-seven off guard; even more so when she leaned across him and took care of the issue for him with such ease. It would have been enough to make him break violently if he hadn’t been so talented at remaining calm. And it was a simple gesture, really. Quickly over.

“So where are we going exactly?”

She had started playing with the knobs and buttons of the stereo, Forty-seven vaguely registering the stations that came on with every switch. He didn’t look over at her this time, rather just keeping his eyes straight on the mass of vehicles around them through glass and mirrors. After a moment, he responded.

“Not your place,” stated Forty-seven, “I have a room at the Benjamin.”

It was likely somebody would be waiting for Nika at her New York residence. So he drove East, the traffic heavy and constant throughout the whole way, until they reached the hotel. Forty-seven pulled over and let the valet service take over. He rounded the car to walk into the lobby with Nika.

sorry for lateness and lameness. busy weekend

[NIKA BORONINA]

Forty-seven had hardly changed. His appearance was exactly the same, flawless black suit, white button up shirt and bright blood red tie. When she had first met him she remembered thinking to herself that was he was a very well dressed assassin. Yet after seeing the other assassins sent that also worked for the same company it was almost a let down. He had lost his uniqueness in some way. He was a little less James Bond and more the frightening hitman he was meant to be. But he always seemed to be able to pull off the suit very well, no matter what the circumstances. Pulling her gaze off his appearance Nika turned her attention back to surfing the radio stations for something calming. Or at least not terribly bass thumping.

But just as she found the station she had been looking for they arrived at their destination, his hotel. Sighing at the slight familiarity of the situation she thanked her lucky stars it wasn't quite as complicated as before. After all the first time they had met it involved a series of betrayals and some very nasty politicians. Looking up she placed her hand on the handle of the car door only to find it swinging open with the doorman giving her an appreciative glance up and down as she stepped out. Giving him a cheeky smile Nika simply brushed passed him toward Forty-seven as he waited to walk in with her. She had to admit, he always had good taste in hotels when the time came for it.

Her eyes roamed the decor inside as they headed for the elevator. This was probably almost as expensive a night as her apartment was for the month. Heading toward the elevator Nika's high heels hit the ground with a solid thud making those around them turn their heads slightly. The men's eyes often stayed several seconds longer than necessary before they were pulled back to reality to whatever they were doing previously. Reaching the elevator on the other side of the lobby the Russian leaned against the back wall, her arms crossed under her chest as she waited for their floor. She wasn't feeling quite nearly as talkative as she had previously. Truthfully she wasn't quite sure what she should say to the bald man at her side.

She knew she should logically be perhaps slightly mad at him for at least not letting her tell him thank you for the vineyard. Or even the simple thank you for not killing her way back when. But she mostly felt relieved at his silent presence. Almost like she had been holding her breath before as she waited for him to appear and now she could finally release it without having to worry. Finally they reached their floor as she had been lost in thought, hearing the elevator ding and the doors opening she automatically headed out letting her arms drop to her sides. As the doors closed behind them Nika stopped in her tracks looking up at the man in front of her before she reached out and grabbed his arm to make him pause his walk toward his room. Once he turned around to face her she looked up at him and said genuinely, "Thank you. For everything."

She felt like a weight had suddenly lifted. Even if it Forty-seven had never intended for them to see each other again, she was grateful they had been given the chance simply so she could thank him. He had done a lot for her, whether it was purposefully or not. Smiling genuinely up at him she stepped forward wrapping her arms around his torso and hugged him gently. Nika had never been an extremely emotional person when it came toward her own feelings. But this seemed like one of those rare moments that it needed to be done if only to express her gratefulness at his actions.

notes ! it's ok, classes just started for me so I'll be on and off
outfit ! here
soundtrack ! nothing
status ! closed & finished