Training Day

Valkoinen narrowed her eyes when The woman called out to Cardia. "Nyet!" Valkoinen yelled. "pleased to be with the exiting building now!" She said and her finger tightened on the trigger.

"So you won't kill me and the child with her in here?" A sudden smirk came over the woman's face and suddenly shots rang out through the warehouse.

The woman's last, more sinister comment didn't quite ring in Cardia's head. She got the gist of it, but had she been fully aware of it, it might have provided her a bit more grounding in sanity after the woman's heartstring tugging entrance...

No, she won't. Cardia thought, not quite knowing why. She did know that she needed to leave fast... not because she was in physical danger, but because of what Val might do next. Cardia bolted, disappearing out the door of the warehouse, making a few steps outside the door before her knees buckled and she collapsed, coughing, the nausea... Cardia now recognized it as such... nausea overpowering her. A few dry heaves and finally she coughed up a small chunk of her dinner as vomit. Closing her eyes, gasping, she waited there, trying to recenter herself. That... 'I'm okay with it' act didn't last long... She whimpered softly to herself.

Valkoinen's eyes widened and the assault rifle clanged to the ground as she fell to one knee. She had been lucky. She had just fired in time. The woman had waited for Cardia to make her decision before firing the gun she had under the blanket and Valk had fired asplit secind further. The bullet had hit Val in the side and she winced and panted at the injury. "I was with the being too careless." She said. And stood up and walked over to her knife. She then looked around and found an old cardboard box and leaned next to one of the gangsters and began to cut the ear off the girl and tossed it in the box. She sighed. "I am not with the liking to be with the working for crime families. They are with the having too many dummy dum dum rules."

About fifteen minutes after the gunfire, Valkoinen appeared and shoved a suspicious box at Cardia. "Pleased to be with the holding and do not be with the looking inside." She said as she began to walk back to the sniper perch. "Pleased to be retrieving first aid kit from car also."She said.

Cardia was unaware of how much time passed until Valkoinen emerged. Her eyes wide at the sheer amount of wounds the assassin had sustained. "V-Val..." She whispered, nodding quietly at the Finn's commands. Seeing Valkoinen hurt that bad gave her the clarity she needed to try to push what she had seen from her mind... and to realize that last bullet wound... did it really come from the woman holding the child? Cardia didn't stop to think... she couldn't stop having seen how bad Val was hurt. With a burst of energy she didn't know she had, Cardia managed a decent jogging pace to the car, where she traded the box for the first aid kit, but as she set it down, she froze... her curiosity began to get the better of her. She knew she shouldn't, but she was afraid what sort of memento Val might be taking from this bloodbath. Against her better judgment, Cardia opened the box and peered inside... Ears...? Cardia covered her mouth, a bit of nausea returning, but she got it under control quickly. On any other day that would be kind of scary... Resuming her speedy pace, she returned to Valkoinen with the first aid kit.

She would catch up to Valkoinen near the perch, quickly offering aid. "Valkoinen... I'm sorry..." She would whisper, distantly.

Valkoinen looked up at Cardia as she returned. She had packed up everything and now had the knife jabbed in her side. Her eyes quickly shut tight after she acknowledged Cardia and her free hand was clenched so tight the knuckle was white. She was biting her lip so hard there was a trickle of blood down her chin. Tears were glistening at the corners of her eyes and suddenly she thrust the knife forward and let out a cry of pain and dropped forward, the knife clanging to the ground along with a bloody piece of metal. She gasped and her eyes widened as and tears rolled down her eyes. She panted and slammed her hand againat the roof before collecting the knife and bullet and pocketing them. She slowly stood up, her legs wobbling.

"You are not with the having need to apologize. I should be with the having to apologize" She said as she held her side and shakily took steps towards Cardia. "You are with the being simple pool boy. You are with the having simple dreams and with the worrying about matches and Hilde and Lukretia..." She took a moment to pant. "You are with the thinking Lukretia is with the being cruel person... And that she is with the having strange and tough world. But that is with the being ha ha funny. Today I am with the raping you of your innocence. Today I am with the showing you true cruelty. Today... I am with the bringing you into my world. " She stumbled forward and fell on one knee and rached out to grab onto Cardia's shirt, holding onto it tightly as she rested her head against Cardia's stomach and panted.

"I was with the wanting to show you that you were not with the even beginning to fathom strength... I... Am with the being Sorry, Cardia..." She said. "Pleased to be giving me first aid kit so that I can be with the patching up and finishing mission."

Cardia let out a soft whimper at Val's brutal removal of the bullet. She stood silently as Val spoke, giving her the first aid kit and trying to make herself useful in helping Valkoinen treat her wounds. "Valkoinen..." She whispered, "If... if I'd been more careful, if I hadn't got caught or let that bitch get the gun or I had gotten out faster you wouldn't have been shot. Val... I'm sorry... for everything. For those things I said to you... for all of it."

She shook her head, forcing a smile, "Look at me... what a mess. You're bloody as hell but still going, I'm... I'm just crying and... puking and..." She shook her head, "Was... it this hard for you? The first time you... killed someone? I... I heard her beg me to stop... And I didn't even want to try to stop. She tried to kill you..." Cardia shook her head, "Yeah, you killed her friend..." She remembered the perverse sense of elation mixed with disgust she took at that scene, "But... fuck her. She tried to kill you, and you're MY friend and..." Cardia paused, almost realizing what she just said but deciding there was no complaint to be raised there, "And then her boss... with the gall to come in and beg and make us... me feel bad... and use her own baby as a shield." Cardia trailed off, not wanting to think about what happened there.

She forced a chuckle, "Hey, when did I become Cardia and not 'stupid weakling pool boy'?" She gave a gentle mock punch to Valkoinen's arm.

Valkoinen fell to the ground as Cardia gave her the first aid kit. She pulled off her white camo fatigues, revealing a black sports bra and plain black cotton panties. She took out a bottle of rubbing alcohol and began to pour it on her wounds. Taking a bit of salve, she meticulously dabbed the salve and then began to wrap herself in gauze tape. She listened to Cardia as she spoke and shook her head. "Do not be with the apologizing. I was with the being wreckless and was with the being show off." She sighed and stood up. "I am just with the being glad that you were not with the being hurt. I have been with the being injured worse than this." She then looked up at Cardia. "I would hate to be with not living up to my word." She added as though she was glad she kept her word rather than actually caring for Cardia's safety.

She handed the first aid kit back to Cardia and looked up at her. "Nyet..." She said coldly. She then sighed. "I was with the having gun before I was with the crawling. It was with the being family tradition to be with the going on hunting trips." She grabbed the rest of the equipment and began to walk down the fire escape. "I am not with the seeing faces like that. Pleased to be remembering the face of that girl for the rest of your life. I am with the hoping it is with the being burned into your memory for all of time so that you will never having to be wanting to be in my shoes or anywhere within the vicinity."

Valkoinen's eyes widened at Cardia's declaration of friendship. That was the second time recently that someone wanted to be her friend. She swallowed hard and narrowed her eyes. "This was with the being training mission, nothing more. Pleased to be understanding that those who are with the trying to be with the getting attached to me always are with the ending up like girls in warehouse." She closed her eyes and continued to the car.

Putting the things in her trunk and pulling out knew clothes, she put on her fishnets and see through shirt. Having ignored her question earlier, she looked at Cardia as she started the car. She then looked at Cardia and tilted her head and gave a bright happy grin. "Who was with the saying you stopped being weakling pool boy just because you were with the being Cardia because your big boy balls dropped for a few seconds?" She then zoomed off towards their next destination.

Cardia nodded gently at Valkoinen's words, beaming at Val's statement that she was glad Cardia was alright; Val's mea culpa about her word didn't have the proper effect. "Thanks..."

Cardia remained silent as Valkoinen continued, "Hunting trips? Hunting animals isn't anything like this, is it? You really had no trouble your first time." Cardia sighed, turning away, assisting Val with the gear as best she could. "You're hurt... let me help," She took a breath before continuing, "How... am I supposed to not envy your strength? I'm... so damn pathetic next to you and Lukretia... and Chesna... and Sarah Gatt..."

"I don't have enough friends around here to be picky, Val, and I don't think you do either. You're... kinda almost worth it anyway." She smiled, "Why do you do this, anyway? Can't you just... stop killing people for money? Are you sure you're alright to drive?..." Cardia didn't want to think about what happened in the warehouse with Valkoinen and the mob boss woman, but not knowing scared her. She wasn't well off, but she knew could live with everything but... that.

Valkoinen turned her head and looked at Cardia. "Pleased to be being thankful that you were with the haing difficulty on your first time and be with the hoping that it will be your last. I am not with the being proud of being killer. I am merely killer. I am with the doing it because I am with the being good at it. I would never be with the wishing for someone to be in same position."

She turned back and began to focus on the wheel. "Pool boy is with the being at the bottom but we were all with the being like that at some point as well." She knew all about Lukretia and Chesna from the research she had done. "I am not with the being one to give information up but I am with the knowing that both of them and myself were with the having to claw our way to he top from the bottom."

"I cannot be with the having friends." She said coldly. "Pleased to be not with the getting attached to me. You are already with the seeing what one time out with me was being. I was only with the trying to show you that I was with the knowing what I was doing when you were with the asking me for advice on becoming stonger."

She stopped suddenly at a rather nice looking gated estate. She then turned and looked at Cardia. "It is all I am with the knowing how to do." She said simply. I am with the being tool. With the being instrument. I was with the leaving Spetsnaz because I was with the tired of being tool and was with the being bored in Russia. Tell me, what cn killing machine do other than kill?" Valkoinen then pointed tot he box. "Pleased to be delivering box. Ding dong ditch. Do not be with the lingering."

Cardia sat quietly in the car, "We... have to live together, Valkoinen. I do like you. I want to be friends with you... as stupid as it may be. I've... made no shortage of dumb choices. Why stop now?"

Cardia remained unconvinced. She couldn't imagine the massive peak Lukretia, Chesna, and especially Val would have to climb to get to where they are from the bottom. It just couldn't register.

As they stopped, Cardia grabbed the box and stopped just before opening the door, "Val, I... have to know. Please... what happened? That... that... child..." She trailed off, unable to find the words.