The Assassin and His Cygnet

Prologue

The Assassin and His Cygnet
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The war started over a rather trivial argument about whether a hot dog was a sandwich or not. It was a civil war of some sort, but rather unorganized as everyone had their own opinion on what a hot dog was. Some suspected that the royals were to blame. The tsar was caught saying that ruling a large, stable, peaceful country was boring.

He'd have to take his words back, though.

His second son, Prince Hyoga, went missing after the war. The handsome little boy had gladly joined the war, perhaps seeing it as a chance to prove his worth. Plus, he hated being princely anyway.

There wasn't proof of his survival... but no proof of his death either.

The mystery remains unsolved to this day, but everyone who tried has given up already.

"Fujisawa!"

Shun clapped the book shut and quickly slid it beneath his desk. Such books, considered "historical", were prohibited. He stood up to greet the intruder, or, more accurately, his boss. Saga Ares was looking at him sternly. If it weren't for the seriousness that hardened his face, the young man would be quite handsome.

"Yes, Ares-san?"

"As you may know, the order of Sanctuary is intent on abolishing evil and promoting the peace and welfare of all," he began. "And, as you should know, Nagoya has been a mess,"

Shun nodded.

"Our Intelligence has done extensive research on this issue, and we have narrowed it down to a few individuals. A gang that is known as the SS, 'Scarlet Swan'. We haven't managed to identify them, because they go by code names. But that is about to change soon," Saga continued. "I'm counting on you, Fujisawa. The leader of this... gang goes by 'Glacier'."

Shun took a moment to process that.

"You're sending me to collect info?"

"That's half the mission. The other half is to eliminate Glacier." Saga dug in the pockets of his robes, pulling out a small rectangular card about the size of his palm. A portrait. Shun gazed at the blonde it depicted. A twinge of familiarity tugged at his mind, but he didn't know why.

His boss gave him the portrait.

"That is your target. You better not fail on this, got it?"

Shun nodded slowly, silently. He managed to say, "Understood, Ares-san," but no more than that.

His older brother came in a little while after Saga left, while Shun was packing. Ikki always wore that unreadable expression, but he could detect a little sadness. Nii-san was always well-aware of Shun's naturally gentle and tender nature... there was no job that suited him less than that of an assassin.

Even then, what could they do?

Their father had left them and their mother soon after Shun was born. When he turned five, Mother was taken away by tuberculosis. Ikki had caught it too, and the disease left thick scars on his lungs.

With little money between the two young boys, they took up any job that was offered. Nii-san always looked older than he always was, so he would lie about his age and work for little pay in the market. Once Shun got old enough, he joined his brother.

Until, of course, a fair faced, blue haired man appeared at the market. He had set his sights on Shun, his kind demeanor, and innocent appearance. A perfect assassin.

The job was of high pay. Undeniable.

Ikki's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Shun, I need to tell you something,"

He looked up from the weapons he was cramming into his bag.

"What, nii-san?"

"Ares-san, he told me..." Ikki paused, and took a breath.

"He told me that you might not make it back,"

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A/N: Sorry for being away for so long... but I have arrived with a new fanfic that I hope to finish. Hope you'll like it!