Job Seventeen: 
Meeting the Family

    "Wings..." Athena whispered to herself. The scientists had said it was the key to immortality, had they not? The little boy was the key to immortality. That meant the woman most have been linked to the project as well, that was why they were Wanted by the organization, the police, the thieves. That was why they felt so strange in comparison to other people.

    And the little dragon, Raphael, had noticed it thankfully. Tonight was not the only night where he had felt the strong magic. Ever since he had met Ahura as an egg, he found some source of "magic" he just never bothered to tell his bondmate.

    The dragon slithered out of the room and past Athena with an absent look on his face. Anghiari soon followed him, disheveled but in sound mind. "Where do you think you're going Raph and--Athena? What are you doing out here?"

    The dragon did not stop slithering, *I'm going to call a doctor.*

    "I'd like to see you use a phone when you don't have anyway to dial and have no way to communicate." The assassin hissed and looked to Athena, "Well?"

    "I heard the racket, and I was curious as to what was going on." She shrugged.

    The little wyrm growled, *He needs a doctor.*

    "No doctor can help him! He is NOT in anyway normal, he'll be fine, Raphael!" The assassin was about to spin on her heal but was stopped by the hand on her shoulder. She looked over her shoulder and was greeted by an exhausted Ahura Mazda Osiris.

    "We need to get out of here, take all of our stuff." He was panting in between words.

    *No! You need to rest!*

    "Raphael," Ahura's tone became stern, "We need to leave now unless we want to be torn apart by the police. If you want to be the first Bishel dragon to be experimented on be my guest." The man let go of the assassin shoulder and went back into the bedroom.

    The three stood in silence. "Well!" Ahura called from the room, "Get moving!"

    All three of them scurried to different parts of the rooms.

    ***

    She was wearing skin tight clothing that accented all the right curves. Part of her midriff was bare, and yet her belly button was hidden. She wore a tight strap around her neck. Her pants were tight beyond comprehension, and she wore long leather boots with matching gloves. Her hair did not seem to match the rest of her body, it was puffy and white and cut to shoulder length. Her eyes were a soft sort of green, and her face appeared quite lovely.

    She slammed the end of her whip on the table. "I really don't need this!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

    "Miss Leda! You should calm down!" A subordinate of no importance said from the corner of the room.

    "Calm down? A crazy organization is out to get me and they're stronger then us. The Mafia. Don't you find that a BIT stressful," Leda's left eye twitched.

    "Well... um..."

    "The answer is yes." Leda growled before grabbing a chair and flopping in it. Maybe she would take Rave's advice and go to the meeting that was planned for tomorrow night. He said others who were suffering from her same problem would be there. Maybe they could help?

    Who was stronger than the mafia besides "them."

    She clutched the handle of her whip. Leda needed to lose control of her family like a whole in the head. She had the top position, after being named by the former head. It was hard enough not to die because of your own family, having another group around was a nightmare.

    "It looks like I'm going to be out for a while tonight. Don't wait up," The woman waved her hand as she stood up and left the room.

***

    "How many times to I have to tell you not to call be boss!" A young man shouted angrily. He had hair the shade of plums, and eyes the shade of oranges. At first glance someone would have had to double take. The young man batted another man away, "Are you listening to me?"

    "Yeah, Meta."

    "Use proper English for once in your life," Meta glared at the younger man. "I don't need your excessive slang today."

    "What's bothering you now?"

     "Besides the fact that the whole world is after me, nothing. Nothing at all." Meta threw his hands up in the air, and the other young man watched his sleeves slide down his arms. 

    "I think you may be exaggerating. It's not like any of the other gangs are living in our area anymore. People hear your name and they run."

    Meta sighed and looked down at his baggy belted pants. "'They,' however, are out to get me."

    "Who?"

    "You're an idiot." Meta sighed. He really needed to see Rave tomorrow night. Since others would be there, he would at least find out if they were having the same problems.

***

    Rave crossed his legs and leaned back in a soft plush chair. "Tonight will be long, but I hope we get a lot accomplished."

    "We have to, otherwise all will be lost," Asuka whispered quietly as she set up some tea. The young woman brushed her hair out of her eyes, "We don't have much time."

    "You're right," Rave said sadly, "The key to immortality may unlock itself before the time is right. Virtue may have more time."

    "Are you positive?"

    The pink haired young man nodded, "Some member of the organization do not agree with the way things are going, and my information is correct." He smiled, "I don't make silly mistakes."

    "We are better than normal humans after all." Asuka sipped her tea, "Not by much though."

    "If we lose our mortality we lose our humanity." Rave waved a finger, "And if we lose our modesty, we lose everything."

    "My witty fool," She grinned, "What would I do with out you?"

    "You'd be lost in your emotionless turmoil," Rave purred and drank his tea.

    "The extended family isn't going to like the meeting at first. I don't think Miss Anghiari will react well to her younger brother either."

    "Asuka. Two assassins will never get along, and normally brothers and sisters don't get along well to begin with. It's guaranteed that we'll have to stop a gun fight." Rave set down his tea and picked up a small leather notebook.

    "Meeting the family is always difficult, I just never understood how painful it was."

    "That's what it is to have a family."