A/N: It is time I've exited the slump I've been having and get back into business. I owe you guys all this update for being so patient.

Thank you for the comforting and entertaining PM's, the reviews to remind me there still are readers, and the casual push for a new chapter.

No promises for the releases to come but I will do my upmost to get back into a routine that will include regular updates. Until I can get back into routine of my mass updates, I'll be releasing at least 3 chapters every Friday. Those chapters I'll give everyone the option of choosing by reviews received on the stories since people have mentioned that not everyone can vote on poll unless they have an account. Deadline of review count will be Mondays. If anything ties, I may or may not make an exception and release an extra chapter on Fridays.

MARYLOVER- I do try never to drop so I trudge along still. Yes, it deals with a darker background than my usual drama laced, love stories but it's a mission of mine to try a little bit of everything with this couple so I'm proud to say I've brought them from the time of kings, to host clubs, to being assassins, to business, and back to tennis. They are dear to me and I enjoy every new setting I place them in and there's a whole new line-up of where they can be in a few stories getting ready to debut as well.

Erika-256- Every suggestion always has merit on me so Tezuka eventually shows in this story but not for a little while and you'll be surprised how close you are to think what you did.

Black Wings

Rated: M

Summary: [AU] After a horrible experience, Ryoma is reborn as "X", a cold-blooded assassin. During a mission he meets Fuji and from there on, Fuji can't help but get in his way.

Chapter VIII: Parallel Worlds

Recap

'I will make sure mine and Ryoma's is a graceful fall though.' Shiraishi thought silently as he picked up his pace. There was a lot to do now that she had no guilt.

XxX

FC

January

Shiraishi nodded placing his signature on the folder to carry out. He had thought long and hard about it but he had come to the conclusion that X needed this as a foothold. He needed this mission if he was to be human in the end.

"Tonight then?" Niou asked inputting in the details from the side.

"Not this one yet but the other request." Shiraishi clarified.

He turned his swivel chair to the view behind him and watched another layer of snow fall and blanket the city. It was amazing how something so small could kill and bury so quickly when no one paid no mind to it.

Shiraishi closed his eyes and remembered that night he walked off on his own after finishing a mission only to run into that cute boy. He was so battered but those lifeless golden eyes captured him so much. He was sure Ryoma had been an angel that fell from heaven. He was sure the burdens of human sins was what brought him in front of Shiraishi as well.

That was the day one assassin died and another arose.

XxX

Mi-chan stared at X as he practice his shooting in the shooting range. She wasn't going through any kind of denial like all the men's she worked with. She knew the emotionless X was slowly regaining human emotions.

The question to her was if it was for the better or worse at this point. Having a conscience could get you killed as an assassin.

"Why such a big frown today?" Niou asked Mi-chan as he came to stand beside her.

"X," Mi-chan said not bothering to lie to Niou. To lie to that trickster was just asking to be teased and abused.

Niou pouted a bit seeing that Mi-chan wasn't going to fall for that approach and continued on anyways.

"Why don't you be his lover and relieve him from that burden then?"

Mi-chan glared at Niou silently.

"What?" Niou said with a shrug. "That boy's been through a lot in the last two years and he's gained a lot of recognition here and in the US where he hold a stable position with our circle over there as well."

"We'll see…" Mi-chan uttered watching X come in to receive his mission for the day.

"Is that a 'we'll see' for being a lover?" Niou asked cheekily.

Mi-chan felt no pity when she jabbed Niou in a certain pressure point that made him bowel over in pain.

XxX

Ryoma skimmed the folder that Mi-chan handed him and tried to remember all the facts that he needed to clear this mission. He was focusing harder than usual because another part of his was doing his best to block memories of a weaker Ryoma from years past.

'You are invincible and the best of the best' Ryoma silently reminded himself.

"Ready?" Mi-cahn asked coming in with all the equipment.

Ryoma nodded silently and grasped the case Mi-chan packed for him.

"Hold your mask," Mi-chan reminded him with a look.

Ryoma nodded again and turned to leave with an emotionless face.

Mi-chan could only hope he would.

XxX

Elsewhere

Fuji swirled the drink in his hands once more. He was at a party his boyfriend wanted to attend but here he was, left on the sideline while his boyfriend tried to rope in people for his advertisement business he had.

Fuji sighed staring at his drink. If he had known that his boyfriend was just coming to solicitate and not pay attention or introduce him at all, he would rather stay home and sulk that a world he didn't know existed was suffocating him.

Those thoughts brought him back to the cold eyes of that man with golden eyes. There was something about the man that he couldn't shake off, a certain coldness that sparked his fearful interest.

With a sigh Fuji shook his head. "Lust doesn't always equate to anything," Fuji reminded himself with an utter. That's probably what he was happening. He glanced up to see if he could spot his boyfriend but caught sight of Ryoma instead.

Rubbing his eyes, Fuji was sure that thinking too much of that man wasn't doing him good if he was seeing him everywhere. He looked up again and sure enough, Ryoma was not where he had thought he saw him.

"Syuusuke you're going psycho!" Fuji uttered to himself. He fitted his cup onto a table filled with half-filled containers and food and decided to find the bathroom. On his way to the hall, he heard a scream and suddenly the people were pushing him back outside where he had been standing. What was going on in there?

"Yori!" Fuji shouted trying to avoid getting ran over while searching for his boyfriend.

Fuji glued himself to the wall as people rushed by and suddenly he caught sight of his boyfriend with fearful eyes pushing people out of the way in the rush to leave. Fuji was about to follow but he saw Ryoma again from the back of the house holding a gun trailing what looked like his boyfriend's figure.

Fuji panicked. It was because he tried to say something… it was because he attempted to break his promise to FC.

Fuji saw the person beside his boyfriend fall over with a perfect hole in his head even though no gunshot was heard… silencer, it must be.

"Police! Everyone get down!"

Fuji finally reacted and before Ryoma disappeared, he grabbed hold of Ryoma and yelled for the police that was nearing.

"It was him!" Fuji said not letting Ryoma go although Ryoma didn't struggle at all and merely stared at him as if he was the crazy one.

"Put the gun down!" the policeman said seeing that Ryoma was indeed holding a gun.

With a glare to Fuji at being held up like this when his target was on the run already in this chaos. Ryoma flipped the gun back onto his holster and pulled something else out to show the policeman.

Fuji stared in shock along with the policeman. What Ryoma clearly held up was a USA FBI badge.

"Take me to the person in charge of this bust." Ryoma said clearly in English.

Fuji remained in shock. What the hell was going on here?

A/n: Fate strikes again and they meet once more.