Rayne 

“I found a shard of moon-stone on the porch today.”

I step in front of the T.V. screen, holding a soft blue piece of rock, and wait for my sister to take notice of me. Clad entirely in black, hair falling in her face, Rayvn peers around me at the screen.

Getting no response, I sigh and plop down next to her, watching her perform miraculous flips and sword-slashes, backing the monster she is fighting into a corner. Delivering the killing blow, she sets the controller down and turns to face me.

She lifts two fingers to her lips, and I pull a crumpled pack of menthols from my coat pocket and light one for each of us. Taking the one I offered her, she begins to sign.

“That means someone’s come home, the only one who’s been gone…”

She takes a drag, and, giving me a knowing look, picks up the controller and saves her game.

I nod and answer, “And since she hasn’t been to see any of us…” I trail off as Rayvn grins. We both knew what that meant.

“Should we go now, or wait a few weeks until Percy wakes up?”

I consider Rayvn’s ‘words’, then stand and turn off the television. “We should go now, to make sure our assignments haven’t been compromised.”

Rayvn stands and smoothes down the folds of her skirt, her knee-high faux leather boots shining in the mid-morning light. A grin on her face, she picks the lace veil lying beside her controller and fixes it around her neck. I catch a glimpse of the dull red scar that runs across the length of her throat, an ugly, puckered reminder of how I failed her. I turn hastily away to gather our weapons and alcohol, my shame burning in my gut.

A deceptive five foot-three, Rayvn masks her fighting prowess with long flowing skirts and delicately embroidered layers of black clothing that placed her in the early 1800’s. The lacey shawls that always accompany her outfits further mask her cruel nature with a façade of feminine charm; her tall boots concealed her weapons of choice. Thick black hair that fell to her waist, clear blue eyes, and a pale complexion further confused those unfortunate enough to be her enemies.

Despite all that, there had been one instance in which Rayvn was overpowered, and, in front of my eyes, her perfect throat had been slit from ear to ear… in that one moment, my illusion of my sister had been shattered. If she could be killed, then there was no hope for the rest of us… To this day, I couldn’t tell how I’d gotten her to Brother Joseph. All I remember is that two and a half months later, Rayvn was finally able to leave her bed, though she would never speak again, and she added lace veils to her attire.

I shake myself from the memory and load a few more bottles into my bag. I meet Rayvn in the entryway, both of us hefting duffel bags filled with various weapons, liquor, and explosives.

“Your new hair, Rayne…” Rayvn shakes her head and grins crookedly at me, “I’m not sure how to best make fun of you.”

I smile in spite of myself and swat at her hands, my bright blue Mohawk flopping to the side. Since I haven’t gelled it up yet today, it fell into my eyes, and Rayvn brushes it away, holding a lock in between her fingers for a moment.

“It looks like someone dunked you in blueberries. Does it taste like blueberries?” One-handed, I can still understand her short-hand.

“Stop it! Let go of my hair, Rayvn! God, you are such a dork!” I twist around as Rayvn tries to bite my hair, and she tackles me, finally succeeding in getting a lick of my hair. She grimaces. “Nothing at all like blueberries. Gross.”

Laughing, I push her off me and open the front door. Holding it open, I usher her through, snagging all three bags we’ve packed and leaving her empty-handed.

Rayvn

“Rayne, why would Percy not come to see us? Do you think she’s…I mean, six years is a long time…Maybe she doesn’t want to be a part of our life anymore?”

Tromping through the orchard, I watched Rayne fish a bottle of schnapps out of one of the bags and watched him think his answer through. His hair bounced slightly, the lack of gel letting his Mohawk fall across his face. Dressed in black slacks, dress shirt, and thick black over-coat, my brother’s attire matched mine, as it had since I could remember.

We were twins, identical, or so the doctors told us. Having no memory of our father or mother, we were all either of us had in the world. Growing up in foster homes had done nothing to make us "productive members of society", but it had brought us closer together. Around age seven we lost both our innocence and our taste for foster families, and had decided to strike out on our own. Rayne was the sniper, I was the explosives expert, and our lives were filled with jobs we'd started taking at age eleven, jobs that would make many a hardened criminal blanch. With the exception of one job, our work was flawless, our reputations as assassins unblemished.

We had adopted Percy and her family after coming in contact with Liz on a job to kill three CEO's of some multi-billion dollar company, and ever since then we'd all been living in close contact with each other, trading information and helping each other on various ventures. When Percy had disappeared six years ago, our lives had been slightly more dull, and Rayne and I were both more than a little worried that she had left the family for good. Her arrival back home boded well, if Liz hadn't killed her "welcoming" her home.

"Rayvn, you know she'd have come to us if she'd been able...I'm sure Liz just caught her before she could make it to our house. The moon-stone that Brother left for us just means that she's somewhere we can find her." He paused and motioned with his Mohawk toward Brother's trailer, "Besides, we have more important things to worry about. Like Brother, waiting to kill anything that comes too close to the front door... Although I bet he won't expect a little fire show." Rayne grinned at me and mimed tossing something, then opened his hands wide as his smile spread across his face. "Let's surprise him."

I smiled and nodded, and reached into one of the various pockets I'd sewn into my skirts. Pulling out a harmless little smoke bomb, I threw it with all my might at the door and had the satisfaction of seeing it sail through the little window in the top half. A shriek of obscenities, some crashing, and a shotgun blast later, Brother popped the door open and motioned us silently inside.

We entered to see Liz huddled against the mini fridge, a glass of amber liquid in her shaking hand, and Brother spread lazily in his recliner, gun, cigarette, bottle, lop-sided grin and all. I nodded my hello's and began to make my way to the bedroom, which is where I knew Percy would be, but Brother's hand on my arm stopped me. I shrugged and dropped into the ratty couch, Rayne following suit after a few hushed words with Brother.

"How long until she wakes, Brother?" Rayne asked, rummaging through our bags for a bottle of schnapps, which he poured into two glasses that Liz handed him. Giving one to me, he lit two cigarettes and eyed Brother, waiting for the worst.

Brother Joseph swilled his drink around a moment before draining it and holding it out silently for Liz to refill. Grin still fixed on his face, he looked me in the eyes as he answered.

"My Angel may never wake. She has work to do if she does, but if she doesn't..." Brother shrugged and quaffed his drink expertly, taking the bottle from Liz when she would have filled his glass again. "If she doesn't, we will have to take over the work she started. Although, I don't know if there will be enough competent hands to finish the work," Glaring at Liz as he said the last, Brother took a long pull on the bottle and set it, empty, at his feet.

"She's got to wake up!" Liz said, her voice shaking, "She's always woken up before! There's things that we need her for-"

"She will either wake or she won't." Brother said, dangerously quiet, as he slid with cat-like grace to his feet. An inch from Liz's face, his own was terrifyingly blank. I wondered how long Liz would be useful if Percy died, and guessed that it wouldn't be long.

"If she wakes, we will proceed as we have planned all this time. If she does not wake, we will alter out plans and proceed differently. Either way, we will proceed. My Angel is important, but not irreplaceable."

Turning his back, Brother walked casually to the back of the trailer, snagging a few bottles on his way to the bedroom. I stood and took a step forward, bringing my cigarette to my lips as I did so. Brother glanced over his shoulder at me, looked me over, and nodded once. I followed him into the bedroom, and closed the door behind softly behind me.

Rayne

Liz stares into her drink for so long that I wonder if she's even here with us anymore. Her hand has stopped shaking, but she still looks as though she's had a near lightening strike. In a flash, she suddenly quaffs the drink and lights a cigarette, now staring at the cupboards across from her. I mentally shrug and light a cigarette of my own, settling down for the long wait until Rayvn and Brother come out of the bedroom.

"How long are they going to be in there?!" Liz's shrill voice shakes me from a waking dream of Rayvn when she could still speak. I glance up. Liz is still in the same position, but she is now glaring at the folding screen separating us from Percy. I sigh and stand, coming to stand next to her, and take her empty glass from her hand. She doesn't move as I do so.

"It doesn't matter. What we should be talking about is what we'll do if she doesn't wake. Because if she doesn't, we'll need to pick someone else to head operations. We need to think of someone who's got the skills and the loyalty to accomplish the goals laid out for Percy. It has to be family..."