Girlehkins, I hereby summon thee to this Role Play. :P

"Of course you do." Laiko replied with a smile, "Else I'd not hve brought you here. I knew you had the sense." He gave her a light hug, shooting a filthy look at a boy who stared at him with open mouthed disbelief. When the boy did not react, Laiko released Scar and turned to facehim, tilting his head to the side slightly in curiosity. "You have a girlfriend!" The boy informed him scornfully. "So what if I do?" Laiko replied coolly, raising his eyebrows and watching the youth with a cold, dignified expression. "That's not allowed. It's in the rules." The boy retorted. Laiko raised his eyebrows, staring at the boy in complete disbelief. What the hell...? "Who are you, anyway?" The boy asked sneeringly, "How come you're such a hot shot that you don't have to follow the rules like the rest of us?" Laiko's disbelief progressed to incredulity. "Who am I?!" He asked incredulously. "Me? You want to know who I am? I'm agent friggin' One, you disrespectful squirt!" He snarled, barely able to contain his frustrations. "Oh." The boy replied with a large fake yawn. "You're rather quick tempered, aren't you? I didn't know they let such immature, unstable kids become well ranked assassins." He shrugged and turned away, leaving Laiko fuming and shaking with fury as he stared at the back of the bow's head, willing it to explode into a million pieces.

"No." Laiko shook his head, glancing at Scar with a forced smile. "He's right." Laiko admitted quietly. "I probably needed to be brought back to earth... And besides, he's probably just baiting me to try get me to attack him so I won't get the promotion..." He trailed off with a sigh. "Either way, he's right. An assassin shouldn't have a temper... I never used to have one..." He sighed again, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Ah, well that's a relief, since I was planning on getting you recruited onto a special team anyway..." Laiko admitted with a chuckle. "It seems they still don't trust me completely, and the head wanted me observed on missions. I'm sure you'll be fully up to the job, so if you apply for the post..." He shrugged vaguely. "That way I can keep an eye on you as well." He added gently, "No matter how self sufficient you are, this is a dangerous place to stay alone - especially as an Assassin's... You know, girlfriend..." He trailed off, suddenly finding the word slightly awkward. Why was wrong wth him...? But he didn't have time to think it over, for at that moment a tall man stepped up to the pedastal, took the microphone, and the ceremony began.

Laiko gave Scar's hand a gentle squeeze, then instinctively pulled his hand away as the head began to speak. He stared with a dis-attentive, glassy gaze as the man listed all the new recruits, those promoted to Novice, Intermediate, Advanced... Those joining special teams, Those that had died... Laiko paid closer attention here, bowing his head as they held a moment of silence for those brave men who had died doing their best for the guild.
"And finally," The head was saying suddenly, and Laiko slowly raised his head, paying close attention now. "We wish to welcome our old Number One Assassin back into his old rank. As many of you may have heard, Agent One went rogue on us about 5 years ago, and through capture and torture under the hands of our own very capable Charles Hoffman,-" Charles took a bow from a seat on the side at this point, and a chuckle rippled through the crowd, "-He did not crack under the pressure, though he was left with a permanent handicap, and as such has spent these past 2 years in specialised training to regain the skills we feared he might have lost." A murmur ran through the crowd now, and Laiko felt his blood boil at their doubt. How DARE they underestimate him?! Next thing he knew, there was clapping around him, and Laiko realised that he had been called up. Growling irritably, he got to his feet, squeezed past Scar to the end of the row, and walked up to the head. "Well done, son." the man whispered with an obscure wink, and Laiko twitched a secretive smile in his direction. "Well, now, Agent One. A display, if you please?" The man went on, speaking into his mic again. "I trust you have your gun with you? Let's show these good people who you deserve your rank!" He challenged jovially. Stepping back, he snapped his fingers, and Laiko heard a vague grinding sound behind him. As he was about to turn around and see what it was, the head grabbed his arm. "On my signal, you turn and shoot down the 10 moving targets within 5 seconds, and with 10 bullets." He explained, taking a few steps away from Laiko to give him space. "Three... Two... One... Now!" Laiko wheeled around, and for a moment panic struck as his blind eye prevented him from seeing all the targets right away. He didn't have time to waste. Remembering his new skills, Laiko improvised with his other senses, and quickly shot down the 10 targets with ease, firing a bullet dead through the center of the last one as the word "three" left the head's mouth. Smiling smugly to himself, Laiko blew show-offishly on his gun, then slipped it back into its holster and walked back to his seat, smirking in a self-satisfied fashion amidst the cheers.

Laiko winked at Scar as he sat down beside her, careful not to show too much affection when so many pairs of eyes were upon him. After all was said and done, he still didn't want to forsake his image... Trying to ignore the complications that this might cause, Laiko turned his attention back to the head and watched blankly as the man concluded the ceremony. Everybody was likely to have some form of 'get drunk and shoot stuff' afterparty after all this, but he doubted he would attend... He and Scar had matters to discuss with the head.

"What's up?" Laiko asked softly, paking Scar's leg as the din of scraping chairs rang out through the hall and people began to leave. He watched Scar with concern for a moment, then got to his feet. "Come on." He said softly, offering a hand to help her up, "We'll need to speak to the head about this."

"Probably." Laiko replied with a shrug, "But you'll be fine." He added, a comforting smile curving his lips. He took her hand an tugged softly, pulling her gently over toward the head, where he was packing away the microphone. "I have a proposition, Sir." Laiko informed him, subconsciously releasing Scar's hand. "Yes?" The man inquired, turning to face Laiko and glancing Scar briefly up and down. "You're wanting to come to my office?" Laiko nodded his agreement, and seen the two of them were trooping toward the nearest staircase. Laiko paused, glancing over his shoulder and beckoning to Scar with a smile.

"So what is this 'proposition', Matt?" The man asked, sitting down at his desk and folding his fingers into a steeple. "I believe it would now considered proper etiquette to refer to me as 'Agent One', Sir." Laiko replied, a slightly cheeky tone to his respectful words. The head accepted Laiko's tone without question, smiling slightly at the cocky boy. "And my proposition..." Laiko went on, "Is this." He beckoned to Scar, placing a hand on her shoulder. "This is Lucy. ((?)) Since you're so keen to have me followed, I figured I'd hand-select a prospective agent worthy of the job. 'd like to request that you induct Lucy into a specified position for my observation, assuming of course that you find her skills acceptable, which I don't doubt fo a moment that you will. She'll not be an assassin - merely a safety pecautioun, seeing as how you still find me unstable..." Laiko concluded wih a slight growl. The man's eyes darted to Scar. "Introduce yourself." He said simply.

"Sounds to me as though you have the right stuff for the job, Lucy." The head replied with a smile, "Although, we will obviously have to put you through a series of tests, and insure that your loyalty will remain with the guild, and not with our 'Mr. Grumpy' over here." He added, gesturing toward Laiko, who gave an ill tempered growl and glared at the older man. "You see, due to some past issues, I am not completely sure we can trust this boy, despite his noteworthy skills." Laiko growled again. "See? He's proving it right not. Far too quick a temper for an assassin." The man explained cheerfully, causing Laiko to turn away to hide his annoyance. "As such, we need him followed. Can you do it?"

"Very well." The head replied with a slight smile. He watched Scar a moment longer, then turned to Laiko. "If you'd care to step outside..." He gestured toward the door. Laiko snarled in response, but finally acquiesced and left the room. He hovered awkwardly in the passageway outside, hoping that everything would go as planned.

"So. Lucy..." The head began again, folding his fingers into a steeple and peering up at her. "If you'd like to take a seat, I'd like you to fill in some test sheets for me, and then we can begin with a practical examination." He explained with a kind formality - seeming more like a school principal than the head of an assassins' guild. "Though I trust you understand that a position like this isn't to be taken lightly. That boy, our Agent One, obliterated the entire squad sent to assist him on a mission in the past... I trust you understand the risk you put yourself at when working with an unstable assassin? We'd not have even considered keeping him alive, considering the circumstances... If he wasn't so damn good, that is." The man amitted with a laugh, "But of course,that will make your job all the more difficult."

Laiko's head jerked upward as he heard the familiar sound of Scar's voice somewhere in the distance. Wait, not her voice... Her scream. A squeal of surprise? Whatever it was, he wasn't waiting around to be told after she was dead. Laiko released a growl of frustration and leaped to his feet, flinging the door open. It banged against the wall outside with a violent collision, and a few assassins standing nearby leaped at the sound and turned startled gazes to Laiko, who released a snarl but otherwise ignored them. He dashed madly down the passageway back toward where he had left Scar. He swung around a corner, his feet nearly slipping out from under him on the turn, then flew into full speed again, only to find Scar right in front of him. He instantly braced himself and slid back to a standstill, barely avoiding colliding with her, then overbalancing and stumbling forwards to trip and collapse against her. He grabbed her shoulders to steady himself, then stepped back, his bright green eyes searching her face. "What happened? What's wrong? Are you okay?" He asked quickly, the questions slipping rapidly from his lips, barely giving her the opportunity to answer. His bright green eyes were smothered with concern for her as he examined her for any sign of harm.

"Scar, what the hell's going on?!" Laiko asked angrily, genly pushing her away with forced patience and glaring stonily at her. "Who's alive? And who's he going to tell what to?!" He demanded, his expression almost animalistic in its snarling violence. He was not the kind, sentimental boy he had once been, nor the cool, calm and dignified assassin of the past. He had given free rein to his emotions, and they were causing him to regress to a stage where he listened to his heart over his head and reacted on instincts he would usually have ignored. Right now, no thoughts of hurting Scar's feelings, or the possible consequences thereof, were crossing his mind. All he saw was a potential threat and a see of confusion: Both of which had to be eliminated as quickly as possible, no matter what the cost. Impatience was clear in his ghastly green gaze as he glared expectantly at Scar, waiting to be told what was happening. He was becoming a world class ass, in a way... Perhaps he just needed a good slap, but then again, in the state he was in he'd probably shoot anybody who tried without a second thoughts - regardless of who they were or what they could do.