So, I decided this should be rated M... a guy did have his brains blown out. I'm pretty sure that counts for mature violence. Just in case you noticed the rating change, there's your explanation.

Also, please accept my sincerest apologies for making you wait so long. But, I won't be traveling for awhile so hopefully I can update more than once a month now.

Ninilia: She is, isn't she? I worry a lot about my portrayal of her, so I'm glad you think so.

Guest: Thank you! I'll keep trying, just for you. =D

Razzle Berry Queen: Wow... uh, thanks! That was an incredibly nice review. I really appreciate it.

"How are you, Toris?" Matthew asked the lean man standing before him.

"I almost lost my life five times. Three of which would have been to the people who were meant to protect me." Toris quipped sarcastically.

Matthew raised an eyebrow at him, silently asking him to elaborate. Toris sighed, "Those four are fucking nuts. Whose idea was it to put them together, anyway?"

"Your boss'."

Toris blanched, "O-oh."

Matthew smirked at Toris' obvious discomfort, then he sobered. "Tell me about the other two times."

"Well, the first time went as planned; they technically passed with flying colors."

"And the second time?"

"The Kid, Porcelain, and I were ambushed by a group of men at a safe house. Agent Vegas is dead. We-"

A door that led to a room adjacent to Matthew's office slammed open abruptly, "Describe the men to me!" a familiar voice shouted. Toris took an involuntary step backward at Alfred Jones' sudden appearance. The enraged atmosphere he brought with him wasn't easing his nerves and Jones' blue eyes were dark with murderous intent. He stalked over to Toris, "It was Ivan, wasn't it!?" he demanded. Toris could only weakly nod his confirmation.

"B-but, there's more to it," Toris said meekly.

Alfred gave him a wild look, demanding him to elaborate, "Th-they know something is amiss. They realized they don't know who they are. I'm afraid all four of them have become liabilities."

Senator Jones was silent for a moment before he whipped around on his heel and stomped toward Matthew's desk, "Get me Lupus, Lóng, and Arthur on the phone," he directed his orders to Toris, immediately taking charge of his brother's office.

Toris scurried off to complete his tasks as Matthew leaned against a nearby chair and sighed, "I guess you'll be here for awhile, then?" he mused bitterly. Alfred either didn't hear him or ignored him as he planned how to get a handle on this situation.

"They've literally left us in this basement for a week! Aren't they going to give us a fucking mission?" Porcelain raged as she paced across the grey LED lit recreation room.

"Well, to be fair this isn't just a basement. It's a top secret headquarters. And we've only been here for four days," Angler pointed out gently. The Kid nodded his agreement from where he sat polishing his rifle.

Trigger glowered at no one in particular, "They might not be planning to give us a mission ever."

Porcelain ceased her pacing, "Toris! That bastard!" she interjected angrily.

The Kid looked horrified, "You don't think he..."

"Toris told them we don't know who we are," Angler voiced everyone's suspicions.

Trigger stood and kicked his chair violently behind him, "Shit!"

"We're probably waiting for our own deaths," The Kid mused darkly as he packed his rifle away.

Trigger glowered, "Well, I know something," the other three looked up at him quizzically, "We're getting the hell out of here," he turned to Angler, "There was never a traitor; the organization was testing us."

"But, we have no specifics on anything, we don't know where we are or even what organization 'The Boss' was training us for," Angler pointed out.

"Wait one fucking second," said Porcelain, "I don't have any valuable skills. All I know is how to kill people! I'm sure the rest of you are in this same shitty boat, too. What are we going to do once we get out of here?!"

"Body guards?" The Kid suggested helpfully.

Angler crossed her arms and snorted, "So we can protect douchey snot-nosed trust fund kids? I'll pass."

Trigger was quickly becoming fed up with his colleagues, "Would you quit!" he hissed. "Now is not the time or place to be discussing this. We ha-"

He was cut off by the sound of the rec room door being opened. A man dressed in clothes that looked stuffy entered the room and all four agents felt that an overcoat, sweater vest, and tie were going overboard for professional dress, "Good afternoon," he spoke, his soft lilting English accent washing over them calmingly, "I'm Arthur Kirkland. I'd like to have a word alone with each of you. Is that all right?"

"Ugh. Where the hell are these guys?" Gilbert grumbled as he flopped onto the cheap motel bed in Eduard's room.

The members of Severance had taken to stalking around his space while he searched endlessly for the four missing combative agents.

"I agree. It has only been two weeks; they couldn't have fallen of the face of the Earth, da?" Ivan spoke.

Eduard grumbled irritably, "I don't know. Maybe something did happen to them. You mentioned that Natalya was confused when you called her by name; it's possible you created doubt for all of them. A problem like that would need to be remedied."

"So, you're saying they might've killed all four of them?" Lukas probed.

Ludwig piped up, "Not necessarily. It's possible they have a contingency plan for this sort of thing."

Matthias shrugged, "Either way, we probably won't be seeing them again."

"Let's have less negativity, da? Your incessant whining is grating on my nerves," Ivan said, his childish demeanor quickly giving way to frustration.

A loud chirping sound emanated throughout the room and Gilbert whipped out his phone, "Kesese~ Sounds like Gilbird is getting a call," he chuckled to himself.

"I'm still angry you named the work phone after yourself," Ivan muttered darkly.

Matthias furrowed his brows, "What's with the 'bird' bit?"

"Long story," Ludwig practically groaned.

Gilbert ignored them and answered his phone with a, "Hello, this is The Awesome Gilbert of Severance speaking. How may I help you?"

There was a brief pause and Gilbert's eyes lit up, "Hey! How's my favorite little Italian?"

Distant shouting could be heard from the other end and Gilbert grinned wickedly, "Ja, big talk for such a small person. Anyway, what did you need?"

The shouting continued and Gilbert waited with pursed lips until the shouting disappeared, "You done?" he asked fully intent on sounding as patronizing as possible.

Pause, "Uh-huh. Ja, I'll check."

There was another round of shouts, "I got it! Cool your jets, Sassy," the phone erupted into clearly audible swears in Italian before Gilbert ended the call with a wince.

"You just couldn't resist, could you?" Ludwig groaned.

Ivan asked, "What did Lovino want?"

Gilbert's face became somber, "Things aren't looking too good in Italy. Lovino thinks someone is messing with his accounts and his grandfather is going a bit nuts; he says he's a loose canon at this point. Lovino has asked for our help in keeping his grandfather from killing anyone while he searches for the root of the problem."

Ivan sent a questioning look toward Eduard who sighed, "Sorry, šeff. I'll keep looking, but for right now... I don't think there's anything to find," he said, referring to the current case. Ivan mulled it over for a minute before nodding his okay.

"Yes!" Gilbert cheered, "This is practically paid vacation!" Lukas grabbed the pillow from the bed and smacked Gilbert up side the head with it.

"Was?!"

"Don't worry, Gilbert. That's just how Lukas shows he cares," Matthias grinned brightly, glad he wasn't the only one subject to Lukas' "affections" until Lukas sent him a glare and the smile promptly disintegrated.

Ludwig snickered at the scene, Eduard was still completely engrossed in his search, and Ivan ignored them all in favor of planning the details for their trip to Italy.

"Benvenuto, bastards. About time you got here," Lovino, Gilbert's contact griped irritably. Lovino's appearance was a surprise for the members of Severance who hadn't perviously met him, namely Lukas and Matthias. His stature was slight and his young face was round, almost cute. He certainly didn't look like a member of the Italian mafia.

Ivan smiled pleasantly, "Privyet, Lovino. Wh-"

"Ah, hello! You must be Lovino's friends! Come in, come in!" a man closely resembling the grumpy Italian, but with curlier hair appeared in the doorway behind him. The newcomer quickly stepped aside, pulling Lovino with him and grinning the whole way.

"I was so surprised when Lovi told me he invited some friends to help with his work!" the six of them decided this must've been Lovino's grandfather.

He chuckled, pulling Lovino into a backwards hug, "You know he's very private and doesn't really like to admit he needs help," he whispered conspiratorially then brightened, "So, this is a momentous leap forward in character growth for him. I'm so proud!" Lovino's grandfather ruffled Lovino's hair.

"Yes, whatever, Nonno just go back to your party," Lovino growled and gave him a good shove down a hallway toward the sounds of loud music and shouting.

Gilbert snickered, "Lovi?" he mocked.

Lovino whirled on him, connecting his fist with the cheeky albino's jaw, "Don't call me that," he growled dangerously. Gilbert stumbled backward while Lovino smirked and adjusted his clothes, "Now, if you would follow me upstairs we can discuss things somewhere more private," he turned and motioned for the members of Severance to follow him.

Gilbert fell in step beside him, "Kesese~ You've gotten stronger. That one hurt," he praised, rubbing his jaw.

"Glad you didn't take it personally, bastard," Lovino said.

"Eh, from you it's more of a greeting by now," Gilbert shrugged.

Lovino lead them up the stairs and through a series of winding hallways before he took them down another set of stairs at the back of the house. He finally stopped at what appeared to be a dead end. Lovino pulled the top of a book out and a barely audible click preceded the book case sliding out of the way to reveal a hidden room.

"Oh, very original, Lovino," Gilbert mumbled.

Lovino rolled his eyes, "Originality isn't important. As long as it gets the job done, it's good enough for me," he said before stepping inside.

"Now that we are alone, what exactly is your problem, Lovino?" Ivan stepped forward once the bookcase door shut and everyone was inside.

"I think there's a traitor in the Italian mafia," Lovino explained.

Lukas furrowed his brows, "That's certainly not good, but hardly a reason to call for our help."

"I'd have to agree. Except that I think this runs much deeper than just a simple rogue member," Lovino explained.

"What makes you think that?" Ivan asked.

Lovino gave a sigh, "I think my grandfather knows the identity of the traitor... and he's covering for them."

"C'mon, Kid. Don't wimp out on me now," Angler muttered from the ground through the communication link. She and The Kid had been sent on a terror mission and it seemed like he was having second thoughts.

The Kid groaned, "I'm not 'wimping out.' I'm just concerned about Trigger and Porcelain."

"You mean Porcelain," Angler sniggered as she stalked through some bushes.

"No." The Kid defended, "She can take care of herself!" he shook his head and continued, "But, don't you think it's weird how neither of them have been sent on a mission since we joined the company officially?"

"Of course I'm not concerned. That would mean I was having doubts," she paused, "You're not having doubts, are you Kid? Because that would make you a liability and I'd have to turn you in if that was the case."

The Kid rolled his eyes, "Forget it, Angler. Let's just finish the job," he lined up the scope on his target. He and Angler had been sent by their company for a man called Yao Wang, who happened to be the leader of the Triad in China. It turned out someone was willing to pay big bucks to scare one of the most powerful men in the World and the company had the contract. The Kid found himself pondering when their mission was first assigned to them. He and Angler were told they would be sending a "message" to Mr. Wang.

The Kid would be lying if he said he weren't freaking out. Don't get him wrong, finally being let out of the basement was definitely a good thing. But, meeting your new boss, who may or may not be planning to kill you, was a nerve wracking experience even for a trained killer.

Matthew Williams

CEO Quarter Brink Enterprises

The Kid gulped as he read the black lettering on the door. Then he did a double take. Quarter Brink Enterprises... Wait, that sounds familiar, he thought, his discomfort growing exponentially. The door opened and they were ushered inside.

"Ah, hello," a sharply dressed man greeted them. His violet eyes were startling and they held a fearsome intelligence. He glanced at them and said, "Don't bother sitting down, you won't be here long," Angler and The Kid shared a look before straightening a bit where they stood.

"I would like to formally welcome you to Quarter Brink Enterprises," Matthew spread his arms out in a welcoming gesture, "you may recognize the name from one of your previous missions. I'd like to thank you both for your assistance in 'taking out the trash,'" he finished with a smirk. The Kid smiled politely in response, but he and Angler said nothing.

"Right to business? All right, your first assignment as fully fledged agents is in China. The details of your assignment will be available once you arrive," Matthew picked up some papers on his desk and straightened them out. He glanced up at the two of them with a 'you're still here?' look and sent them away with a flick of his wrist.

Angler continued stalking her way through the bushes, "When do you think those garage doors will open?" The Kid asked while watching the front of the warehouse closely for any movement. Angler ignored his question for the moment, finally getting into place near the entrance on the west side of the building. She shouldered her bag with her left hand, gripping a pistol in the other, and answered, "I'm not sure exactly. But, it should be soon," after she spoke, a loud metal clang rang through the air and the large garage doors at the front of Yao's warehouse began to rise, giving The Kid a clear line of sight inside.

"How's it looking in there, Kid?" Angler questioned.

"You have one standing a little close to the window. But, you should be fine once the trucks arrive."

Seconds later three trucks disguised as food distribution trucks carrying opium pulled up in front of the open warehouse doors. A driver exited each truck and entered the warehouse.

Angler shifted in anticipation, "All right, which one are they headed to first?"

The Kid furrowed his brows in thought, "I'm not sure, it looks like the drivers went into the back with the other three. I suspect they're having a meeting back there."

"Can you get eyes on them?" Angler was quickly becoming impatient.

The Kid glanced around the area from the grassy hill he was concealed on, "Negative. Either we wait for the meeting to end or you take your chances and hit them now."

"I'm going now."

"Copy that."

Angler eyed the truck nearest her and glanced around briefly. With a deep breath and a quick silent pep talk she slipped along the side of the warehouse, making her way underneath the bright blue vehicle. She flipped onto her back and pulled the remote-detonated bomb out of her bag. Wasting no time, she wedged it underneath the vehicle and checked to make sure it was live, "Is the coast still clear?" she asked. The Kid answered with an affirmative and Angler rolled out from under the first truck to the second and repeated her actions, "Clear?" she asked again.

"Yes," The Kid answered, but he sounded unsure. This caused angler to pause and her heart begin to pound. What did he mean by that? Angler whispered nervously, "Are you positive?"

"No, there's a bogey standing with his foot in the door way of the meeting room," Angler stayed still and silent as she waited for another update. By now she could barely steady her own breathing as her body prepared to shoot adrenaline through her blood stream.

"Okay, go."

Angler began rolling and stopped underneath the third truck, "Wait, wait, wait!" The Kid cried, startling her, "Two of the bogeys just exited the meeting room and are headed toward the trucks," Angler quickly ripped the bomb out of her bag and fumbled with getting it on the truck, "If I were you I'd finish that last truck and get out of there," Angler glared silently at nothing and thought, as if I don't already know that! She stuck the bomb on and activated it before pausing and hoping for another update from The Kid.

He was silent for awhile before answering, "They just made it to the first truck. My advice would be to slip out now and round the backside of the building," Angler was already in motion, she rolled out from under the last truck into the nearby grass and sprinted toward the side of the building, "Make sure you're extra careful once you make it to the back of the building," The Kid warned.

Angler rolled her eyes and continued her way along the side of the building. On her way she passed underneath a window with voices. She hunkered down a little closer to the wall when she passed it. Once that was cleared she found a large bush. Angler forced her way to the middle of it, ignoring the tiny branches poking at her while she waited for the meeting to end. Once it was over there would be no one to see her take off toward the nearby forest. She informed The Kid of her actions before settling in for what she presumed would be a very long wait.

Once again, please accept my deepest apologies for how long this took. At least you get more plot in this chapter... and I don't think it's my shortest either.

Hopefully this was worth the wait and nobody wants to kill me for the lateness.

-FRA