18Hi! My name's Cat, and this is my first Black Cat fanfic! If my name sounds familiar, you may have seen my other fic, an Ao No Exorcist story called 'Satan's Stepdaughter'. Anyway, I've been working on this one for a while, so I hope you enjoy it!
Chapter 1: This Tattoo Really Stings
"Excellent work, Mina Sinkya."
Sephiria looks at me with pride, and I smile.
"All thanks to your training, Sephiria-san," I say, bowing to her.
I've just finished a number of tests that will determine whether or not I will join the ranks of Chronos as a Number, and I'm pretty sure I passed every one.
Sephiria and I return to her office, and once we're inside with the door safely shut, Sephiria embraces me.
"I'm so proud of you, Mina," she says, smiling brightly. "I know I shouldn't tell you this, but you will receive your tattoo tomorrow afternoon, and I will present your orichalcum weapon to you that evening. The Elders decided this before you even passed the tests."
I grin at her.
"Really, Sephi-chan?" I ask in amazement.
All these years, she's been a big sister to me. She's been my mentor, my only friend, and now she'll be my comrade.
"Really, Mi-chan," she replies, and hugs me again.
Next day - Evening
The new tattoo on my chest stings as I kneel before Sephiria, my head bowed.
"Mina Sinkya, you have been chosen as Agent III in the Chrono Numbers. Now, rise and take your orichalcum sword, Ares," she says.
I stand, and she presents a box way too small to contain a sword. Sephiria opens the box, and nestled within its velvet folds is a sword grip, or so it appears. I take it, trying to mask my confusion with curiosity and amazement. It fits perfectly into my hand, my thumb coming to rest on a little knob engraved with the Roman numeral III.
Sephiria watches me, a smile in her eyes.
"Press it," she says quietly, so no one will hear her but me.
I'm not quite sure what will happen if I do, but I listen to her anyway. What happens next is so fast, my eyes don't even see it. All I know is that half a second later, I'm holding a sword at least three and a half feet long. I blink in surprise, then press the button again, and it's a sword grip once more.
"Thank you, Sephiria-san," I say, kneeling once again.
-Six Years Later-
"Agent III, Mina Sinkya, Silver Dragon. You have proven yourself countless times over the years. You have succeeded where even other Numbers have failed, and so we present you with your next mission. Find Train Heartnet, and kill him or bring information on him back to us. Whether or not you kill him is entirely up to you and the situation. Sephiria will provide you with the details," instructs the Elder.
Willzark, Number Zero himself, has assigned me to this mission. That's rare.
The comm screen blacks out, and I hear Sephiria come up behind me.
"You will need your wits about you on this one, Mina."
I turn to face her, and her composure slips for a second. She doesn't want me to do it.
Her facade falls back into place. "Heartnet is a wily and resourceful one, and as you know, a former Number turned Sweeper, so he'll prove difficult to find. Luckily," she says, straightening the lapels of my long black coat, "you will be a lure. We've had signs posted near Heartnet's last known location, and we're 'offering' a large bounty to anyone who catches you. I trust you'll be able to hold off any other Sweeper?"
I nod solemnly.
"I already have a plan. Go to his last known location, make sure I'm underestimated, and proceed as I feel is necessary."
Sephiria nods her approval.
"You are to leave tomorrow morning."
-SilverDragon-
The next morning, I abandon my Chronos uniform for the first time in... well, a long time, let's say, and we'll leave it at that.
Now I'm wearing skin-tight black pants, a black vest over a red tank top, and knee-high black leather boots. My long brown hair is pulled back into a ponytail, and my eyes, normally blue with silver flecks, are more silver than blue today.
Before I head out my front door, I slip on my black coat, smiling as I am reminded of who I am.
Chrono Number III, the infamous and legendary Silver Dragon. I lock up my apartment, and as I head out onto the street, I slip Ares into a specially-made sheath strapped to my right thigh.
Looking up ahead, I see Number II, Belze in the crowd, walking towards me. As we pass each other, he slips a red envelope containing Heartnet's details into my hand, saying, "Good luck, Silver Dragon."
It's a perfect pass-off. Smiling, I slip the envelope into my pocket.
Get ready, Black Cat. The Silver Dragon is after her prey.
So, there it is! I never have too much time on my hands, so that's why this is so short. R&R, please! Constructive criticism is appreciated!
Until next time!
