Maltese
by The Jackal

Birma stood in front of the four young men that made up Weiss. She held a video tape in one hand and a folder in another. She tossed her hair behind her, "I've got news from Kritiker. You've a new mission and a new member."

Omi looked up. Great. Finals were beginning and now he has extra "homework". "When?"

Birma smiled. "Soon. But don't worry. You don't have to do anything. He might be new to Weiss but he's been with Kritiker for quite some time."

Omi sighed and excepted the video. Aya turned to Birma, "Who is he?"

Birma shrugged, "I'm really not at liberty to say. I'm sure you'll get to know each other well. He's very nice."

Youji gave a mock frown. "Then he's competition. Was that a personal opinion I just heard?"

Birma grinned, "If it's not personal it wouldn't be an opinion now would it?" She turned, "Ken, you're awfully quiet."

Ken started, "What?"

Birma frowned. "Of course... See ya later boys!"

"Is that a date?" Shouted Youji at her receding back. He laughed to himself. "Great. Another crazy to tame around here."

Aya turned to go back to his apartment. "He's been with Kritiker for awhile. We won't have to do anything."

Ken shrugged, "He hasn't been with us." He smiled evilly popping his knuckles.

Omi shook his head, "Ken....don't."

Youji lit a cigarette and took a long drag, letting the escaping haze frame his angular face. "He'll probably kick your sorry rear from here to Portugal. When Birma said quite a while she meant longer than us. He's a veteran."

Ken grunted and turned away. "Yeah right..."


The night was darker than usual since there was no moon. They met at the designated spot, in a run down old factory. Sure enough, someone was there, sitting on the concrete rim of an old fountain. He was calmly loading a very expensive looking sniper rifle. He looked up at his new teammates once, and returned to his work.

Youji looked at Ken. He didn't seem to eager to give him the famous Hidaka Welcome. He smiled inwardly.

The gun gave a high-pitched but soft beep when it was loaded. It wasn't loud enough to break the stretching awkward silence. Omi stepped forward.

"I'm..."

The man looked up, "I know your names already. It's I who should be introducing myself." He stood. "I am Toratoge Okaze. I will be working with you...indefinitely."

Youji couldn't help but notice the long ponytail that that fell over the man's shoulder. It was shiny and well cared for. "Pleased to meet you, Okaze."

Okaze's black eyes sparkled for a moment and a smile floated just below his cold mask. "It's time we got going."

Omi nodded, "Right. I'm with you."

"Let's go then."


Omi and Okaze climbed to the top of the building and looked out over the empty street below. A car full of drug dealers, known for their huge following of young addicts would be coming by soon. Their goal was to stop the car and kill whoever got into their sights. Ken, Aya, and Youji would take care of the rest. In the meantime though there was nothing to do.

"How long have you been with Kritiker?" Omi asked, eyes not leaving the street.

"Four years." Okaze glanced at his partner. He was so young, he thought. But he wouldn't be alive right now if he wasn't perfect at his job. "So how do we plan to do this," he asked.

Omi sighed. "I think you should take care of the car. I'll take care of the targets."

Okaze gave an internal smirk, "Sure, whatever you say."

The car, a black Buick LeSaber came around the corner. Okaze raised his gun to his shoulder. Omi bent his bow. He heard a loud bang but it came from the street and not from Okaze's gun. It was so quiet, he thought, there wasn't even that high pitched whistle that silencers usually emitted. The men left the car looking for whoever it was that shot out the tires, only to be brought down by what seemed to be arrows from heaven. Okaze watched Omi work. No doubt this kid had a natural gift. People can't learn how to be as good as he was.

Two more men dashed into the alleyways only to be met by Ken and Youji. By the time they were done. Okaze and Omi had left the scene, Aya was gone as well. They came to a street corner as police sirens began to approach. Omi looked about, "This is where we seperate. By the way, what's your code name?"

Okaze looked down at Omi, "Maltese. You're welcome to my house for dinner tomorrow. I'm in apartment 202."

With that, he turned and jogged off, melting into the predawn gray. Omi shook his head. He was nice but there was something about him that made Omi want to keep his distance. Four years with Kritiker? That means that he had killed four years worth of people. Plus, right after the mission he had thought to invite them to dinner?

"How can anyone think of food at this time in the morning?" muttered Omi.


Later on at the flowershop, Okaze was nowhere to be seen and the store was about to open. Ken looked around. "You think he's coming?"

Youji shrugged, "Who knows? I know that he's gotta learn to pull his own around here. Walking in late to the Kitten is not a good way to start. I don't care how long he's been working alone."

When it was almost noon and Okaze had not shown up Aya, Ken, and Youji tried to decide who was going to drag down the delinquent newcomer. Ken won since he didn't get the chance to "greet" him that night. Still, Youji and Aya came to clean up what was left of Hidaka after the encounter.

Ken knocked on apartment 202. There was only silence. Aya and Youji exchanged glances. Was he even here? Ken knocked again. More silence.

A deep, loud growl echoed came from behind the door before exploding into monstrous barks. The door shook as what must have been a huge dog pawed at the door, baying ravenously. Ken backed up, nearly running into Youji.

A muffled voice came through, "Granite stop! You're scratching the paint on the door! Sit! Stay!"

The lock clicked and the door opened. Okaze, his black hair out of its ponytail and falling about his shoulders, saw the three men a gave a puzzled look. "Here already? Is something wrong?" Omi wasn't with them. What happened?

Youji gave Ken a helpful push forward. A doberman pinscer poked his head around his master's waist and growled menacingly. Ken gulped. "I was just...ummmm....wondering when you would come down to the Kitten. I mean..." The growl grew in volume. "Eh,...Is this a bad time?"

"Well, no." Okaze opened the door further, "Come in if you like."

The house was full of boxes but the living room looked assembled. Two teddy bears made themselves at home on the large sofa. The bookcase was full of magazines and short paperbacks. The TV had a framed picture of two very young children, they looked to be about two years old.

"Sit down! I'm still settling in so excuse the mess."

Youji examined the picture. The two girls were sharing an ice cream cone They were cute. He wanted to ask about them but decided not to. Okaze had disappeared. Ken fingered the soft fur of the bears. "Nice place you got here. How much stuff do you have?"

The voice came from inside the kitchen, "Too much really."

Ken glanced at the dog who glowered just outside the kitchen. "Does your dog bite?"

There was a pause, "Yes. But not often and never accidently."

Ken wasn't sure how to process that information. "Will he bite me?"

"That depends on what you do. Attack me and I won't be able to call him off."

Youji could barely contain his laughter when Ken visibly paled. To hide his embarrassment, Ken glared, "Shut up, Youji!"

"We don't use those words around here!"

A young voice sounded from the hall leading to the bedrooms. Ken whirled to see a little girl holding a basketball. She was wearing a light blue shirt and yellow shorts. Her dark hair was tied in two tight ponytails that bushed from the side of her head like pom-poms.

She came from the hallway and Youji recognized her as one of the girls from the photo. He looked at her in surprise. She was older now. Probably around four years old. Still, she had quite a spirit that sparkled behind her green eyes.

"You should apologize," she continued.

Ken was charmed by the spunky youngster. "And what's your name?"

She bounced the ball once. "Who's asking?"

"Watch that cheek, young lady," barked Okaze.

She gave the kitchen a startled glanced and sighed, "I'm Espada Toratoge. Just call me Patty. Who're you?"

"I'm Ken Hidaka. Pleased to meet you!"

"Hidaka..." Patty rolled the name over her tongue and decided that she liked it. "I've a sister too! But she's taking a nap. Do you play, Hidaka?"

Ken smiled, "I play. Why?"

"Just wonderin'. Gotta go!" Patty turned and bounced the ball back to her room.

Aya turned to look at Okaze who had watched the exchange with a rather critical eye. "Are they yours?"

"Yes. Which is why I couldn't come down to the Kitten today. I can't leave them home alone and they don't know how act around...ah...fragile things. They'll be enrolled in a school by tomorrow though."

"Do they know?" Aya's gaze didn't waver as he dropped a sensitive yet critical question.

Okaze nodded in response. "They know. But they only understand that it is something they are permitted to speak of with me only. They can't comprehend such a thing at their age."

"Must be tough," commented Youji. He could barely think of having any sort of relationship in the situation they were in. But to have daughters? Okaze only shrugged.

"There was no other way. Where is Omi?"

Ken sighed, "Back at the Kitten. We'd better get back down and help him."

As they left, the dog followed them out, whufflling threats against them. "The dinner is still on. The house will be clean by then."

After Okaze was out of hearing range, Youji burst into peals of laughter. Ken kept a stony silence.


That evenings food was awesome. It started with a dark green salad topped with peeled orange slices followed by a delictable miso soup. The main courses were steamed mussels withn boilied cabbage and stuffed red peppers. An endless supply of noodles and dinner rolls flowed from the oven. Dessert was lime sorbet and red wine. Youji sat back. This food was going to ruin his figure.

"This is too much. Really." He grunted.

The other little girl, slight and pale with those same green eyes and black hair, glanced at him shyly. She hadn't said anything but quietly observed the conversations. Patty on the other hand was determined to monopolize Ken's attention, battering him with questions about football and other sports. Okaze was an excellent host keeping the conversations general yet interesting, making sure no one ran out of what they were drinking and bringing out the next course with wonderful timing. Aya couldn't help but notice that he was quietly testing them out. Occasionally his questions would come without any warning or relevance to the subject. After someone answered he would sit and sip his tea and say nothing.

Patty yawned in the middle of a question. Okaze turned to her. "I think its time to for you to go to bed."

"Awwww...." Patty whined. The other daughter, Scooter, giggled. "Come on, Patty. Daddy's going to talk boring business anyway."

The two ran off with shouted "Oyasumi nasai"s in their wake.

Youji sighed, "Real cute, those two." He was started to feel a bit jittery, "Do you mind?"

Okaze sighed, "Just this once."

"Thanks." Youji lit his cigarette. "So what's with Kritiker? Why'd it take so long to assign you to a team?"

Okaze frowned as the smell of cigarette smoke reached his nostrils. "It wasn't their fault. I insisted on raising my girls. They were just babies back then. I couldn't leave them even at night. As they got older I had to pay my debt to Kritiker. So..." His hand made a dismissive gesture.

"How come you had to join Kritiker?" asked Omi.

"Actually, I didn't have to," said Okaze.

There was a shocked silence. "You _wanted_ to?" Omi squeaked.

Okaze paused, "It's not exactly like that. My children are very special. Kritiker wished for them to be protected from anyone who would abuse them. And believe me there are many out there who would kill and die to have them."

"Why?" asked Ken with narrowed eyes.

Okaze ignored the question. "I chose to protect them. It was all I had left to do."

Much was not said. Ken, who was getting more and more fond of Patty repeated his question, "Why would someone want to hurt those girls?"

Okaze said nothing again, quietly sipping from his wine glass. "My goal for them is to have as normal a life as possible. With of course the best school and opportunities."

Ken sat back unhappily. He didn't like this guys attitude. Aya was wondering as well what could be Kiritiker's motive in protecting children but he figured that it was a good one.

The members of Weiss left with mixed feelings about their new member.

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