It was nighttime in a busy city. Below many cars crisscrossed each other at breakneck speed, making the roads a sea of quick tempoed lights.

    On a roof top of one of the many tall buildings was a red haired girl, reclining leisurely on an armchair with her legs crossed on a little stool.

    She was about 16 -17. She had jewel green eyes and her silken red hair was tied in sleek ponytail. She had on a black jacket over a black long-sleeved shirt and black leather trousers. She also wore white sneakers with graffiti designs on them.

    On one hand she held a small gun with a silencer. Beside her was a table filled with sweets and bullets. Directly opposite her were seven targets.

    She raised the gun and shot at one.

    Bullseye.

    She shot at another.

    Perfect again.

    As she aimed for the third target, she spoke, "I know you're there, now why don't you tell me what you want?"

    Out of the shadows emerged a boy her age. He had coal black hair, green eyes and cappuccino skin. He was of average height and lean. He was wearing a white baggy tee shirt and black jeans. Smiling, he scratched his head.

    "Hey Jay, how're you doing?"

    "I asked what you wanted."

    His smile faded.

    "I want you to go to school with me" he said in all seriousness.

     "Ha!" she laughed without mirth "I thought you'd given up on that. You know I will never..."

    "And you know I'll never stop persisting till you do!" He burst out. Sighing, he continued talking as he walked towards her "Janelle, you know murder is against the law. You could get arrested for this."

    "I only kill crooks. The police would be glad I'm doing them a favor."

    "Don't gimme that!" he shouted and slammed his hands on the table. We both know what's going to happen if you get caught...I don't want to see the day get jailed and possibly hanged or shot. I scares me to think of it."

    She looked up sharply. The boy staring down at her was her best friend and perhaps her only friend in this fiendish world.

    Janelle had been trained from birth as an assassin by the man who had adopted her. She was called 'The Walking Death' by other girls The Man adopted and trained.

    When she was eight, she had saved Dael from an enemy assassin whom she had killed with his own gun. The grateful boy had struck up a friendship which had lasted and grown into a strong bond treasured by both friends, something she had never been able to have with anyone else.

    When she was twelve, The Man left the girls to their own fate as they were all double to Triple S in rank. At first, the girls stuck together, but they soon had a fallout and went their own ways.

   The names of the girls were; Gina, Rose, Jean, Janelle, and Mitchel.

    Of the five, Gina was killed in an operation and Rose was in prison. Only Mitchel, Jean and Janelle remained.

    Janelle stood up and faced Dael squarely. She looked him in the eye for a time, then shrugged nonchalantly.

    "Okay. I'll go to school if you wish." She agreed. "But who'd register me, I have no guardian."

    Dael looked elated. "Great! My parents have already agreed to register you, so just come to our place."

    Janelle sat back down and picked up her gun. She shot at another target.

    "Alright," she said "I'll be there tomorrow morning." She looked at him. "Happy now?"

    "Extremely" he replied before leaving.

    Janelle shot the last four targets simultaneously. She smiled.

...----------------...

STATUS INFO;

NAME: JANELLE

AGE:16

RANK:SSS

ALIAS: WALKING DEATH

    A girl walked majestically into the Eros' Eyes nightclub. She was almost 17, though her ID said 22. She had brown hair and black eyes. Beautiful yet heavy makeup obscured her actual face.

    She wore a white blouse, a white skirt and white heels. She also wore white elbow length leather gloves on her arms.

    She scanned the room. On the dance floor were many unprofessional dancers. She spotted her target by the bar. Smiling, she walked there confidently, brushing her hand on his back as she sat to get his attention. She succeeded, yet acted blissfully oblivious to his stare.

    "Bartender, a glass of martini please." she ordered.

    "Make that a couple, on me." he added. He turned to her "I honestly prefer tequila. I think it's better."

     She did not reply. The bartender soon brought over the drinks. He downed his in one gulp, while she barely tasted hers. He looked at her and she smiled back coquettishly.

    "I think a martini's better" she finally answered. Turning to the bartender, she ordered, "Another glass for him."

    It was brought over and he downed it at once. He drank drink after drink as they came. Soon he was tipsy and became very chatty in his drunken state. The girl however, had barely tasted hers.

    Looking him over, she recounted his profile. His name was James Morrison, son of Dave Morrison, an international wine exporter who undercover was a big time pimp.

    James was about 24. Tall, brawny, with brown hair and brown eyes. An all round ladies magnet and playboy, she viewed him as a fool who would sleep with the first girl who said hi. Bad for him, good for her. She smiled.

    After a few more drinks (on James obviously), he began to slur.

    "Babwee, I shust reawised we haven't danced yet. I want to swoke the fwoor."

     He led her to the dance floor. He danced sloppily, then stopped as some vomit came into his mouth. She took him to the club bathroom, where she patted his back as he emptied his bowels.

    After washing his face, he turned to her, smiling mischievously.

    "Hey hey hey! I haven't seen you without clothes."

    She fiddled shyly with her gloves.

    "I'm not ready yet." She said.

    "C'mon baby, don't be shy." he coaxed as he walked towards her.

    She looked quite coy on the outside, but was smirking devilishly on the inside. Everything was working according to plan.

    "Let's wait a little longer" she begged, backing up against the wall.

    "I don't wanna wait."he said, putting his hands on the wall as he bent to kiss her. Suddenly, he stopped cold. He looked down at his stomach. Her hands were inside him.

    Her face turned dark and ruthless.

    "I said no, jerk!" she said as she twisted her hands inside him, before forcefully pulling them out.

    She looked at her murderous hands in glee. From her formerly harmless leather gloves now protruded small sharp blades. She twisted her hands back and forth and the blades went back in. She repeated the motions with her arms pointing downwards. The blood formerly on her gloves were now on the floor. Her white gloves were as spotless as ever.

    Looking around, she noticed his blood was spreading, but the bathroom floor was slanted so it flowed the other way.

    She opened the door and walked out, smiling subtly.

    Once outside the club, she turned left and walked eight blocks. She turned a corner. A car was parked down the street.

    She got into the passenger seat. Beside her, in the driver's seat, a black haired girl wearing all black looked at her. She smiled.

    "Let's go Danielle" the girl said and started taking off her makeup.

    Back at the nightclub, commotion erupted as the body of James Morrison was found by a random guy. Someone alerted the police and James father, since he was well known. James death was bound to be a hot case, though not worth front page.

    Anyways, in the speeding vehicle, Jean had removed all her makeup. The girl that surfaced looked very different. She now had blonde hair and green eyes, and her facial features seemed transformed.

    Jean reclined on her seat and closed her eyes. After a while, she opened them and spoke.

    "Danielle , I think I want a change."

    "A change?" Danielle repeated.

    "Yeah. I want something different, like actually going to school perhaps" Jean confessed.

    Danielle was surprised.

    "You want to stop assassination?"

    "Just temporarily." Jean said. She sighed and smiled tiredly. "I'm almost 17, my time to go to high school is almost up."

    "But we're in the middle of a job, you can't go to school now!"

    Jean sighed again. "A disciple can take care of Dave Morrison."

    "But we are to to take care of the entire family."

    "I've gone through Mrs Morrison's record; hypertension and repeated heart attacks. The pain of losing her husband and kids should finish her of." Jeans smile was dark and scheming. She said to Danielle with finality, "You're coming with me."

    "Yes Jean." Danielle complied.

    Jean of course, was another girl brought up by The Man. Her alias was Jade Poison. After her separation from the girls, she had taken in Danielle, a street kid about a year younger. As time passed, she took in more and more disciples till they numbered about 30.

    They were referred to as a school. Jean trained them in the ways of an assassin. More experienced disciples helped younger members, and a sort of kinship existed among them.

    Danielle was the highest ranked pupil . She was her right hand woman and first subordinate. She learned fast, thought fast and acted fast, so within a few years , she had become almost as good as her mistress and earned the right to call her by her name, an honor unprecedented in The School's history.

    On her part, Jean was charismatic and cared for her disciples like a mother hen. They loved her and trusted her, so she was able to lead with them following loyally.

...----------------...

STATUS INFO:

NAME: JEAN

AGE: 16

RANK: SSS

NICKNAME: JADE POISON.

    Marigold Twilight, a tall black haired woman in her late 30s open the door. She smiled brightly on seeing who it was.

    "Janelle darling" she greeted and hugged Janelle affectionately.

    "Hi Marigold" Janelle greeted Dael's mother with a sweet smile. She wore a red T-shirt green plaid skirt and red ankle boots. It was cold out, so she also wore a red jacket on top.

    "Come on in!" Marigold ushered in the young girl and closed the door. "Dael's still asleep. You know he came in late last night."

    "Jay" Dael called from a doorway in the corridor. He looked like he had just woken up; his thick black hair was in a mess and he still wore pyjamas.

    He looked her over.

    "Did Christmas come early?"

    She rolled her eyes at him.

    "Shut up and go change"

    She took of her jacket.

    "Aunty Jane!" A girl screamed.

    7 year-old Gabrielle jumped on Janelle. Behind her was calm- looking, 13 year-old Persephone.

    "Hello Aunty Jane. Sorry about Gabrielle" Persephone said with all the calm big sister contempt you could get from a thirteen year old.

    Janelle was already carrying Gabrielle. She smiled at Persephone.

    "Don't worry. Where's Felix?"

    Five year-old Felix came running towards her, arms outstretched.

    "Aunty Jane! Aunty Jane!"

    She picked the little boy up and dropped Gabrielle.

    "Hi Felix! I heard you just celebrated your birthday, how old are you now?"

    "Five! Five!" he declared with childish ecstasy.

    "Five? Well you're a grown man!"

    "Me big boy!" Felix said proudly.

    "But ofcourse you are!" Janelle agreed.

    "You didn't ask my age." Gabrielle complained, pouting. Persephone shook her head.

    "Oh? How old are you,Gabrielle?" Janelle asked

    "10!" she proudly declared.

    "Stop lying." Persephone chided. "She's still seven"

    "No I'm not. Mom says I can be anything I dream, and last night, I dreamt I was ten"

    Janelle patted Gabrielle's head. "Your dream WILL come true, but it'd take a few years."

    "Ugh" Gabrielle was saddened, but she quickly perked up. "Well okay!"

    "Kids, let's allow Janelle come in properly." Marigold finally cut in. They all moved to the living room.

    Gavin Twilight, Dael's Father,sat on an armchair reading a newspaper. Janelle greeted him as she sat on the sofa.

    Gavin regarded her with a smile that brought out the dimples Dael inherited.

    "Hello Janelle. How are you today?"

    "All good." Janelle replied.

    "Breakfast is almost ready." Marigold announced. "Janelle, would you like some?"

    It was a question, but Janelle knew she could NOT refuse.

    "Sure Aunty. I know it would be good."

    "Persephone, please set the table."

    "Yes mom."

    Just then, Dael walked in. He had changed his clothes, brushed his teeth and washed his face. He had also arranged his hair.

    He sat on the arm of the sofa and leaned towards Janelle.

    "You came." he almost whispered.

    "Of course. I said I would." she replied whilst playing with the younger children.

    "Well I'm glad you did." He smiled.

    The Twilight family were the closest people to Janelle. They all knew what Janelle did (though the younger children knew in much less detail), but they kept their lips sealed. They were also the only people Janelle felt anything around. She laughed and played with them, which was something she couldn't bring herself to do with other people.

    In all honesty, Mr and Mrs Twilight had not been exactly happy when their son got a child assassin as a friend, though she had saved his life. They were afraid of the girl and tried to dissolve the friendship, but of course, they fell in love with the little girl and looked to her as a daughter. Since The Man left, the entire family had tried to persuade her to give up assassination and join the family, but she refused.

    Dael stood up.

    "Let's see what's on TV."

    The first channel was a news channel. He changed it.

    "Go back." Janelle ordered. He obeyed.

    The reporter was saying "22 year-old son of Dave Morrison, James Morrison, was found dead in a club bathroom with two large holes in his belly region. Investigations are ongoing, but there's no sign of the murderer or his weapon. The girl last seen with him has been in a state of hysteria and has therefore not been of much use in the investigation.

    "Few can help but wonder if this death is related to the murder of Rachel Morrison, his 19 year-old sister, just two weeks prior."

    Dael muted the TV. Everyone turned to Janelle.

    Gavin asked "Are you related to those murders Janelle?"

    She was smiling. "No, but I think I know who is. It looks like her style. A clean job all round."

    Dael sighed. "Thank goodness you didn't go on a rampage the minute I left you."

    "Yesterday was my day off."

    "Breakfast is ready!" announced Marigold and Persephone simultaneously. Everyone moved to the dining.

    The family talked with Janelle about school. It was agreed that she moved in with them so she could go with Dael.

    Since Janelle already had her important documents, it would not be difficult to register her. The Man had provided all that was needed for the girls to live a normal life. Just incase.

...****************...

    The death of Sarah Morrison was aired a few days later. Her fragile heart could not stand the loss of her husband and kids. She had lain comatose, before slowly slipping away.

    Watching the news, Jean smiled slightly. It was ironic how the poor woman had to pay for the sins of her husband. Then again, she had gladly eaten of the dirty wealth, knowing it's source, so she was as much an accomplice as the madames who housed the trafficked girls.

    Although Jean would have liked to deal with the big boss herself, preparations for school had made her relegate it to a disciple. All she had to do now was wait for her payment.