“Your phone is ringing.”

Keeping both eyes focused on the pad of paper, V tapped the tip of the pencil lightly against the white surface, searching for words in the jumbled mass of thoughts inside.

“Hey! Your phone is ringing!” Ri said again, waving a hand in front of V’s face. V pretended not to notice him, and in the silence of the living room, it almost worked. But then the teenager stood and walked over to the Shiyounin, flicking V’s forehead insistently. “Hey, V, I know you can hear me! Answer your phone! It’s driving me crazy!”

A light sigh crossed the Shiyounin’s lips, and he looked up slowly, his pink eyes resting on Ri’s face. “Alright, fine. If it really bothers you that much, I’ll answer my phone.” rummaging through his pocket, he brought out the small metallic pink device and flipped it open, holding it up to his ear. “V speaking,” he said in a businesslike manner, twirling the pencil around his fingers.

“V, the time has come.”

“Good afternoon, Miazaki. Did you have a good trip back to Osaka last night?”

“Don’t avoid the subject, V. The time has come. You know what’s happening right now… you know what’s just been set into motion. And you know what you must do to stop it.”

“Don’t sweat it, Miazaki.” V laughed heartily and leaned back in his chair. “Really, I’ve got it under control. You don’t have to be so stuffy about it. I know my orders, and I’ve got the assignment all written down and filed for me and everything. So it’s really no big deal, huh?” the pencil fell from his hand and he rolled his eyes at it. “I’ll get going right now. It’ll give me a chance to see Tokyo up close and personal, after all.”

“Focus on sightseeing after you’ve secured the package, V. I don’t want any slipups this time, alright?” the stress in Miazaki’s voice was painfully evident. “I know you’re the most talented assassin in Japan, but as a bodyguard, everyone in the organization expects you to fail miserably. Just… don’t prove them right… promise me that.”

“No can do, sensei. I don’t make promises I can’t guarantee I’ll keep, after all. Now, I’d love to sit here and chat, but I’ve got an assignment to complete, right? So, I’ll talk to ya later, okay? Bye bye,” V folded the phone shut and stood up, grabbing his coat. “Sorry, kiddo, but I’ve gotta run. Got one of those assignments I told you about. We’ll go to the park when I get back, okay?” he rubbed Ri’s hair affectionately.

Ri rolled his eyes and smoothed the hair back down. “Try not to make yourself sound so important!” he laughed and punched V in the leg from where he sat on the floor surrounded by his crayons. “Okay, V, I’ll finish drawing you your picture while you’re gone.”

“Sweet. See you later!” he gave the ten-year-old a cheerful smile and turned to start his journey into downtown Tokyo.

“Ten AM… it’s a little early to be running off, isn’t it, V?” Miho, Ri’s older sister, stood firmly in his path in the doorway, her arms folded across her chest.

“Oh, good morning, Mi-chan! Sorry it’s early, but I have to run. Miazaki’s orders and everything. I’ll have breakfast when I get back, I promise!”

Miho gave a heavy, motherly sigh and moved out of his way. “Alright, fine. But you’re so pretty, V. Why don’t you just get a job as a model and stop all of this ’assignment’ nonsense?”

V laughed appreciatively. “Well, thanks. But don’t call me pretty. Anything pretty is easily destroyed, and I’m definitely not. That signifies that I’m not pretty.”

“Pretty has nothing to do with how easily something can be destroyed!”

“Like I said, I really have to run. Ta ta, Mi-chan. Don’t wait up,” V said with a smile, waving as he slid his jacket over his shoulders. “I should be back next week at the latest.” when he shook his head it sent a cascade of white-blond hair rippling through the air and whipping against the side of Miho’s face. She brushed it away and sighed heavily.

“Next week? V… don’t you have any concept of time at all?” Miho was shaking her head in a motherly fashion, though V was ignoring her in favor of pulling various guns from the jacket’s overly-large pockets to check their condition. He rubbed the edge of his shirt against one of the smaller silver glocks before sliding the two of the silver guns into his belt and proceeding to strap the larger guns to his chest. “And do you really have to go dressed like a terrorist?”

“Sorry, it’s part of the job description, Mi-chan,” V explained with a wink, finishing with his preparation and closing his long black trench coat over the weapons, hiding them from sight. “After all, I’m going to need them. Who knows how long it’ll be before someone else shoots first…”