Cecily watched the snow caress Deslyn Reacher's wooden, fire-lit mansion before falling to the ground. Under the full moonlight, the snow had a type of glisten to it that was nearly magical.

"Cecily," Zephyr said through the bud in her ear, "can you hear me?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Remember the plan. You and Orion are staying quiet. Like Orion said, the easiest way is probably to wait for him to head to his room and sleep. I'm ignoring Orion on this one."

"Gee," the assassin answered from where here was hiding in the snow besides Cecily, his eyes trained on the gates of the mansion, "I appreciate the thought, I guess."

There was a little chuckle on the other side. "Normally, after a mission like the last one, the best thing to do is to lay low, but I'm guessing some of Sei Wong's men spread the word that we were down for the count."

"Basically," Reiko cut in, "we're teaching them a lesson."

"If you wanna teach them a lesson," Orion replied, a new lightness in his voice, "just send Cecily in to kill them all."

Cecily peeked over at Orion to see him smiling at her.

She touched the bud in her ear. "You sure you don't want to keep Orion? Extra security is always nice."

"For me?" Zephyr asked. "Or for him?"

She considered for a second. "Both."

A hand landed on Cecily's shoulder, drawing her attention. She glanced at the gate two see a group of four guards walking through. Time for rotations.

"You start the fight," Orion told her, "I'll report to Zephyr and then join you."

"It won't take that long," she answered smiling.

Cecily's hands made her way to her belt, were two new daggers rested. Clothes shopping with Alma also turned out to be weapons shopping with Orion.

She stayed to the trees, letting the darkness and foliage keep her hidden. With a quick step, her hands wrapped around one mans neck. A quick hit to the weak point on the back of his neck and he was unconscious.

She lunged for the next who hand a sword pointed at her. A simple swat of her electric hand and it was gone. The same hand smashed him in the side of the head, just enough so his brain made contact with his skull. He went down like a log.

Cecily's foot shot up next, knocking an approaching guard straight up. His jaw made and awful snapping sound, and he screamed. The hunters hand covered his mouth as she knocked him out.

She turned to face the last one to see him laying on the ground, Orion's boot set on his forehead.

"I thought you were quicker than that?"

Cecily shrugged. "How long does it take to say 'going in'?"

"Stop bickering you married couple," Rei said in her ear.

"Why are you still listening?" Alma's voice lightly said in their ear, just catching in Rei's mic.

"Cause. They're funny."

Cecily's hand dug in her ear, taking the little bug out.

She glanced over to Orion who was watching her with a raised brow. "Keep me updated on important things."

"Zephyr says put it back in."

Cecily started stripping the smallest of the guards. "Tell him to control his guard."

Once they were changed, the two of them slowly started their approach to the cabin like mansion.

Other guards let them pass with a simple nod of the head. After all, in a mansion this big, it was unlikely that every guard knew one another. The lack of concern from the others proved that.

"It's sad that they're not on high alert," Orion said, checking both behind and in front of them to insure that no one was watching or listening. "Pathetic really."

Cecily nodded in agreement. Her senses were on high alert after the last encounter. Quiet didn't mean safe.

The inside of the mansion turned out to be as beautiful as the outside, the snow replaced with fire dancing on wicks, the lights turned out.

"I'm pretty sure the dining room was this way," Orion said, pointing down a hall.

Cecily shook her head and pointed the other way. "This way."

Orion put his hand to his ear. "Can you confirm?" The both of them paused a second. Orion looked at the hunter. "I don't know how you remember all this."

Maybe she wasn't so good with words, but images were easy to remember.

She started her trek down the hall, Orion a few inches from her.

Zephyr wanted a show. She'd give him a show.

They'd had a small talk earlier about the basics of it, but the peculiarities were up to the two of them.

The dinner Reacher was holding was the perfect opportunity. Officials, Zephyr had said, for the purpose of keeping connections strong. After all, someone who specifically worked against the government needed strong connections or they'd be stranded when they fell. Because they always fell.

Cecily and Orion straightened their backs as a trio of guards passed.

Cecily stopped and Orion wasn't far behind.

"Here?" The assassin asked.

Cecily nodded.

Orion touched the bud in his ear. "Going in." His eyes focused on Cecily. "Ladies first."

"You just want to use me as a shield."

His hand went over his heart. "You wound me."

The hunter rolled her eyes but placed her hand on the nice wooden doors... And then kicked them open, breaking them off the hinges.

"Nice entrance," Orion whispered as they meandered into the room.

Orion held a dagger at his side, but Cecily was content with simply resting a hand at her waist, her right arm ready to block an oncoming attack.

In the room, the hunter did a count of eight people sitting at a table in front of a massive window. One face stuck out in particular. He was younger than the rest. Zephyr had described him as a bit naïve.

"Shit security you got here," Orion said, a smile playing on his lips.

Reacher stood, anger clear on his face. "Guards, take these two."

At the click of the far door, probably the entrance for the servants. Maybe even slaves in a place like this.

Cecily was already moving. Her right hand hadn't bothered to take a out a blade. Her right hand was more than enough.

She bashed a man's face in, pure metal instantly breaking the guards nose in a small spray of blood. There was a yell and the guard flew backwards, taking a few with her.

"Any more of you come in and he dies," Cecily announced loud enough for anyone behind both doors to hear. She looked back to the table. "Anyone who moves gets a dagger in the thigh."

"Ooh," Orion said, sauntering away from the other door, "scary."

She looked up at him. "You're spending too much time with Rei."

"Again, with the harsh words."

Cecily looked back to Deslyn Reacher, but it was Orion who spoke.

"I'm guessing you know why you're here."

He nodded, still standing. "Sei sent me a letter but he- but he assured me he had it taken care of."

"Well, he hadn't met our little hunter before," he said with a thumb in Cecily's direction. "See, this girl single handedly took down our little pirate friend."

All eyes flew to the red headed criminal. Her fake arm suddenly seemed to itch, in an sense.

Orion continued. "You can send whatever guard you want after Zephyr, but our faithful little dog-"

Cecily glared.

"Sorry, hunter. Our scary little hunter here can take them down within a few minutes on a bad day. I've known her for a good month and I haven't seen her on a good day."

Spending way too much time with Rei, Cecily thought. She couldn't take two of that guard.

"So you have two options," Cecily cut in, ignoring the pathetic little glare from Orion, "be killed or run away. Leave the country and never come back. The next king is a forgiving king."

A flash of movement on the right caught her eye. Not only did they choose to move, but they happened to be on her right.

Her hand flew up, protecting her face from the flying object which shattered upon impact. When her arm moved, a man carrying a sword was already flying at her.

---

Orion watched the plate shatter on Cecily's arm with minimal interest. Cecily unsheathed her sword to be met with the other. It was a weak attack, one that the experienced hunter easily shook off. The other sword was up leaving the man's neck wide open, that's where the girls eyes went, at least. However, this man was not the mission.

As promised, the confrontation ended with a digger in the thigh and a crying man on the floor.

"Well," he said, "she always keeps her promises."

Maybe he was spending a bit too much time with the foreign guard. Orion didn't remember being this talkative, but now he just kept blabbing. And in this criminal's praise at that.

Orion continued to watch as the little hunter, eyes still calculating even if her couldn't directly see the black orbs, hopped onto the table and made her way to the end where the target sat.

She was changing too. She'd never taken him as one willing to put on a show.

Another flash of movement and Orion threw his dagger. It was quickly deflected by the woman who was charging not Cecily, but the professional assassin.

He glanced to Cecily who hadn't given him a glance.

He took his second and last dagger from his waist. Maybe he should start hording like Cecily did. After all, daggers tended to be thrown in situations like this and, armed to the teeth like that, the hunter did look pretty badass.

He wondered of Alma thought it looked badass too.

Then he wondered why he was thinking of Alma when a scary woman who could deflect flying daggers was a good ten feet from him with a sword.

He quickly reacted, cutting the woman's wrist with a quick flick of his dagger when she opened her body for a too wide swing.

The woman dropped the sword, her hand loosing strength.

Orion planted a foot in her face, knocking her out.

"Don't let her bleed out," Cecily reminded him, suddenly interested in not him but the woman who attacked him.

He sighed, cutting the woman's dress to tie the open wound. "She'll need help, but not yet. We have other things to do first."

Cecily was crouched at the end of the table, face to face with Reacher who was still standing. Orion could see fear under his calm politicians mask. Cecily could probably smell it or something.

"I get it," the man squeaked. "I'll leave. I'll leave and never come back."

Cecily nodded then turned and looked at the others. "Everyone else, out."

They scattered.

"Alright, Reacher," Orion said from the other side of the room. "Deals a deal. Get out and never come back."

The man gulped before nodding and running through the same doors the duo had entered from.

"Should we follow him?" Orion asked.

Cecily shook her head. "He's too scared to think of anything but running right now."

"Seen his type before?"

"Plenty."

He chose not to continue that conversation. "How should we leave?"

The hunters eyes wandered to the huge window before smiling.

Orion sighed. Next time, Reiko was going in with this crazy hunter.