Rin’s POV

He sighed as I got to work. “Uh, Rin. Your hands, they don’t really feel…” He dropped off, unsure of what to say.

“Human?” I asked.

“Yeah. They feel like metal.” He admitted.

I smirked, he was a clever sod. “That’s because they are. As an early punishment I had my hands chopped off and replaced with metal. I paint them to look real and I usually wear gloves to help disguise them.

“Whoa.”

“Yeah. Anyway, when I was six my mother told me about our family history. The oldest child in each generation would become an assassin and pass it on to their oldest child, apparently dad had handed it on for me before he was killed. I was forced to go through ten years of training along with school as usual. If I didn’t do it, she would’ve killed Ren. I couldn’t let that happen. So we made up a false reason, pretended I ran away and I’d never seen him or mother again. As my very first punishment and to teach me that she would do anything to get her way, she cut off my hands.” I explained.

“Your mum doesn’t sound very nice.” He mused as I finished.

I got up and washed the ointment and paint off my hands. “She wasn’t.” I walked back through to him and sat down; he was pulling on his t-shirt. I closed the jar. “See, these are what my hands were replaced with.”

What he saw were two finely sculpted metal hands. But the fingers were claws, made for tearing and grabbing.

“I know. They’re hideous.” I sighed, feeling my eyes prickle. I looked down, focusing on the edge of the couch beneath me.

He gently took one of my fakes in his hands and ran his fingers over it. “They’re beautiful. They suit you.”

“Gee thanks, violent, human-fakes, and used for nothing but death. So true.” I laughed bitterly

He gently tilted up my face so I had to look him his eyes. “No, beautiful and unique. Misused but striving to reach their own destiny, not what someone else made for them. A miracle.” His fingers brushed tears off my cheeks that I didn’t even know were there.

“Aish, thanks. I’m becoming soft these days. A week ago I would’ve killed you on the spot earlier.” I sighed, we both leant back.

“If you ask me, I quite like the change.” He grinned.

I gently punched him on the shoulder. “Thanks.”

JR’s POV

“This place is a bit of I dump.” Aish! I mentally face-palmed as I realized what I’d said.

She sighed. “I know. Killing doesn’t get you much money.”

“How about you come live with us? We’ve an extra room and I’m sure you’d like it a lot more.” I suggested.

She thought for a moment. “I’ll have to make sure Ren doesn’t find my weapons. But, alright.”

“Weapons? Like your fan?” I asked.

“Yeah, that’s just my favourite. I have a lot of others.” She got up and gestured for me to follow her. She walked into what I guessed to be her bed. It just had a plain futon mat with a blanket and a pillow. She pulled open a door to show a wardrobe with clothes and a locked case which was surprisingly small.

She opened the chest and I gaped as I saw inside of it. There were so many different types of weapons. Throwing stars, a pair of twin katanas, so many fans and daggers. There was also a full-body protective suit, a gun and cleaning equipment.

“Wow.” I gasped.

She laughed softly and started rapidly folding clothes and piling them in the case. She was finished very soon; she packed the mat, blanket and pillow in her schoolbag. She changed back into her normal clothes and handed me her case.

“Okay, let’s go.”

“Wait, what? I thought you had more stuff.” I admitted.

“I learnt to travel light.” She shrugged.

That case was heavy! “Light, yep, certainly.”

She laughed. “Weakling!” And continued walking. I led her to the house I shared with the other boys. We shared rooms, I was with Baekho, Ren was on his own, and Minhyun and Aron shared a room.

I opened the apartment door and four faces stared back in shock.

“JR brought back a girl!” Baekho cheered.

“DUDE!! That’s my sister!” Ren face-palmed.

Baekho, Aron and Minhyun stared at Rin, terrified and shocked. “RIN?!”

She smirked. “Yes? That’s my name.”

I closed the door and set down her case with a sigh. “Her place isn’t that nice, it just got vandalized. I offered her a place to stay.”

“Oh damn. Well you’re always welcome here, sis.” Ren grinned. “There’s a spare bed in my room. Unless you want me to switch the guys around so you can room with someone else?” He raised his eyebrows.

Rin’s POV

Son of a ! Goddamn having a psychic step brother!! “No. You’ll do, I already know how to torture you.” My voice was cold. Everyone other than Ren and JR winced at my voice.

“Anyway, welcome to the rag-tag little group here.” Ren hugged me carefully.

“Don’t worry; eventually I’ll trust you lot enough to let you hug me without me initiating it.” I smiled my tiny smile as I hugged each of them. They were surprised, but happy and hugged me back gently.

I put my trunk and bag in Ren’s room and relaxed with the guys downstairs. Never in my sixteen years of life had I met such a nice group. My teacher, who had trained me in martial arts, poisons and everything necessary for an assassin; was just a teacher, we never had an emotional bond because both of us were doing out duty and nothing more.

“Rin! What the hell happened to your hands??” Ren demanded as he noticed them.

“I was in an accident a few years after I left. I had to have them both amputated but I got replacements.” I explained.

“They look so cool! And they’re as nimble as natural hands?” He asked, holding one of them and investigating it.

“Even more so. And it’s extremely hard to damage.” I admitted.

We just relaxed and worked on homework that afternoon. I cooked dinner for us and afterwards I just sat in the lounge with them, working through more Sudoku puzzles. Ren had grabbed out a sketchpad and started sketching. He was sitting on the floor, facing the rest of us. Minhyun and Aron were sitting on the couch-seats with Baekho on the floor. JR and I were sitting back to back on the back of the couch. Our sides were facing Ren.

The set up was mostly just how it happened, we didn’t plan it. We talked and joked while he worked.

“Hey, this Friday is the inter-school tournament. A school is sending a team of six here to take part in various challenges.” I remembered.

“I like challenges. What are they?” Baekho asked.

“Well there’s kendo, art, cooking, a relay race, and capture the flag.” I listed. “Each challenge uses the whole team, oh, and I forgot a performance round where the team can act, dance, sing or whatever.”

“We should enter.” JR suggested.

“We need to have a different leader for each challenge. We’d manage it.” I mused. “What are each of your strengths?”

“As you can see, Ren is the best artist. Baekho’s professional at kendo, Minhyun’s a speedy little sod, Aron’s an amazing cook, I’m the best singer/dancer and I’d say you’re the most devious and the better planner for capture the flag.” JR answered.

“Sweet, so we need to plan as well as we can and create a performance. The kendo has multiple bouts, using each of us once.” I added. “How do you feel about teaching us kendo, Baekho? I learnt a bit but it’s been a few months since a proper bout.”

“Sure, I can quickly practice with you while JR thinks up a routine and song for us.” He grinned.