A meeting of two stars

2012

Japan: Miyazaki prefecture.

Two days before Yoru's conversation with Akira.

"Ha… ha…"

A teenage girl in a black Italian-style business suit panted heavily as she limped across a dimly lit street. Her head of long violet hair shone a dark red as the light from the old street lamps bounced off the blood that caked her purple mane- some of it hers, and some of it not. Bullet holes in her clavicle and left calf bled profusely, staining her white collared shirt and black trousers crimson with cruor. The teen pressed her left palm against the injury on her neck, putting pressure on the wound and curbing blood loss.

It was a strange sight, a girl no older than sixteen standing at a mere five feet two inches (157.5 cm) had cuts and injuries no one her age should have. But, as you might've guessed, she is no regular girl.

"Ha… Just a little bit more." The violet-haired teenager mumbled under her breath as a familiar hospital came into sight. "I think Ogawa is in today. Ha... If not… then I'll go to Fuji instead…"

Her name is Yoru Wick, she's one of the most skilled assassins within the criminal underworld. Despite only being sixteen, she had dealt more hits and accomplished more than those twice her age despite her membership being only two years old. And- as you can guess from her last name alone- she is the adoptive daughter of John Wick, the infamous Baba Yaga and the greatest hitman the criminal underworld had ever seen.

As a familiar hospital came into sight, Yoru quickly scanned her surroundings, confirming, once again, that she wasn't being followed. But even if she was, she still had three bullets left in her P30 pistol; even in her current condition, the young hitwoman was confident in her aim.

When she dragged herself to the hospital entrance, she pushed open the door with her left shoulder and made her way to the front desk.

"Is Ogawa in today?" Yoru asked the front receptionist as the glasses-wearing woman typed away at a computer. "Ha… And my apologies for the blood."

"Yes." The receptionist briskly replied without even looking up at the teenage hitwoman.

"Alright." The violet-haired girl nodded as her right hand reached into her left leg pocket, pulling out four gold coins and placing them on the receptionist's desk. "Tell Ogawa to ha… keep the change as my thanks."

The receptionist pulled out a red velvet box from under the table and carefully placed the four coins inside the cushioned storage case. When the receptionist finally looked up after the box clicked shut, Yoru had already disappeared.

______________________________________________

"Thank you sensei!" The voice of another teenager rang out from the hall as a violet-haired girl and a doctor stepped out of a room in front of Yoru. The violet-eyed hitwoman took notice of the teenager's bulging belly, clearly the girl was pregnant. But, that's not the aspect of the girl that caught the young assassin's attention; no, far from it. It was the pregnant teenager's face, a complete one-for-one match for Yoru's own.

The girl had the same violet eyes, soft cheeks, and small nose; hell, even their lips match exactly. The only person the teenage hitwoman could think of who could have these features is…

"And- eh?" The pregnant teenager's sentence halted mid-sentence as she caught sight of Yoru, and the pair of violet-eyed girls stared at each other for what felt like hours.

"Ah, Yoru!" The Doctor- Amamiya Yoru believed his name was- interrupted as his eyes flashed with recognition. "Came here for the usual? Ogawa is two doors down, you know? He refused to go home despite his shift ending hours ago, saying he hasn't seen his favorite patient yet. He's still working this hard despite his advanced age."

"Yeah." Yoru blinked as she remembered her reason for being in the clinic. "Thanks, doctor."

"Do you need any help getting there?" The gynecologist suggested as he spied the injury on the young assassin's leg. "Your leg looks pretty banged up."

"No need, doctor." The violet-eyed hitwoman replied with a shake of her head. "I've walked all the way here, a couple of extra meters won't hurt me."

"Hey, wait!" The other violet-haired teenager called out as Yoru limped away, but was held back by a blonde man wearing sunglasses. "Hey!"

"Ai, don't!" The stubbled man cautioned as he held the pregnant teen back. "She's clearly dangerous! No one would walk in here with that much blood and not be! And look, she has a gun on her! We need to call the cops!"

"Calling the police won't work." Doctor Amamiya bluntly replied with a shake of his head.

"Why not?" The blonde harshly demanded. "She can't be safe!"

"All the officers in the area owe her in some way." The messy-haired gynecologist answered as he pushed up his glasses. "Last time someone called 110, the officer who showed up brought both of them coffee and left without arresting anyone. Calling the cops is useless when it comes to her."

"Then we'll just relocate to another hospit-"

"No!" Ai cried out, interrupting the sunglasses-wearing man. "I don't want to! Please don't relocate me, President!"

"This is for your safety Ai." The blonde man verbalized as he crouched down to meet the pregnant teen's eyes. "I can't risk you dying at this hospital."

"President…" Ai said as a shadow came over her morose expression. "I am not transferring."

"Can I at least ask why Ai?" The president requested as he accepted defeat, realizing that the idol isn't going to budge in her decision. "Why are you so adamant about this?"

"Because…" The Idol said softly, her voice almost a whisper. "I think she's my twin sister."

When the pregnant idol and the stubbled president broke eye contact and looked down the hallway, the girl in question was already gone, leaving only a trail of blood leading to a room labeled 'Ogawa'.

______________________________________________

"Well, if it isn't my favorite patient." A balding old man in a sterile white lab coat remarked as he swiveled his chair around to face the bloody hitwoman. "Well, come here and take a seat, or just lay down on the bed if someone got you in your thighs."

Yoru nodded at the surgeon's orders and walked up to a white cushioned chair. Before the doctor even said anything else, the teenage assassin took off her suit jacket and hung it around the top of the chair. After her coat was secured, she reached for her P30 holstered to her right side and set the firearm on safe.

"Alright, where did they get you this time?" The continental doctor asked as he took out a metal box from a cabinet. Even though he knew the answer to the question based on the pattern of bloodstains, he asked to check whether the teenage hitwoman is lucid or not. There's no way to tell how much blood she lost from her leg.

"I've got a bullet in my clavicle and my left calf." The violet-haired hitwoman answered as she undid the top three buttons of her white dress shirt. "There are some knife wounds and bullet grazings on my face. Luckily, the bullets missed most of my major veins and arteries so I think I'll be ready again in a week."

"I see. Alright, there's a pair of shorts you can change into on the bed." The old doctor disclosed as he sterilized two tweezers with rubbing alcohol. "Or, you can just roll up your pant leg if you don't want to change. Either way is fine for me."

Yoru nodded and reached down, rolling her left pant leg up to her knees. The doctor rolled his chair to the teen's right side and cleaned up the wound with an alcohol-soaked rag.

The violet-eyed hitwoman slightly winced as the rag made contact with the bullet wound. The alcohol disinfected the wound, but in return the wound felt like it was on fire. Despite enduring similar treatments many times before, the burn of disinfection never got any better.

"Alright, hold still." Dr. Ogawa ordered as he delicately inserted the pair of tweezers into Yoru's wound. "Ah, 5.7. No wonder it pierced through your suit. You may need to talk to Ayane about getting better body armor. You're still using the old version of bulletproof armor."

"My target was more prepared than I assumed." The hitwoman responded, her lips twitching as the surgeon removed the bullet. "I was caught off guard, there's no need to get a new suit just yet."

"Yoru." The doctor sincerely asserted as he placed the pair of bloodied tweezers on the table. "I know how much your father meant to you, but you can't keep taking risks like this. I know John, and I know he wouldn't want to see his daughter constantly in and out of a hospital room."

"Dad did just fine with this suit," Yoru muttered as her eyes went downcast.

"And John would've gotten the new model of body armor when it came out nine months ago." The continental doctor instantly replied as he knelt down and inspected the young assassin's calf. "Suits and guns can be replaced, but your life couldn't be. You're only sixteen, you have nothing but time on your side, don't throw your youth away by being careless."

The hitwoman remained quiet as the doctor wiped her leg wound and inserted the other pair of tweezers.

"Doc…" The violet-haired teen verbalized, she met the old surgeon's gaze as he pulled out the second bullet. "Do… Do you regret helping Dad and I two years ago? The high table essentially forced you to move to Japan despite the measures we took. You had your life in New York upended and forced to live in an entirely new country. One that invaded your own when you're just a young man."

"Well, the war was a long time ago, lass." Dr. Ogawa morosely answered as he tore open a pack of bandages. "The scars that were left on my psyche was the reason I pursued medicine. I cannot hold a rifle again after fighting that bloody civil war and it's the reason why I went to New York instead of staying in China. Seeing what Mao did to the cause I fought for and the country I loved so much disgusted me. His famine was the last straw and I fled China the first chance I could, taking my knowledge of medicine with me and settling down in Chinatown."

"I was fortunate the high table didn't ship me back to China, the people currently in charge would not forgive me for abandoning my birth country." The old doctor continued as he wrapped Yoru's clavicle wound after applying some medical gauze. "Plus, Japan today is nothing like what it was back then. Back then, they wanted war but now war is the last thing the government wanted, so I have no reason to hate the country I live in now."

"And besides," The continental doctor added as he knelt down and squeezed some gauze onto the violet-haired hitwoman's leg wound. "Working in an actual hospital instead of being a back alley doctor has its perks. These old bones aren't getting any younger and I was really fortunate you convinced your aunt to help me."

Yoru nodded at the old doctor's answer as he finished bandaging up her leg.

"Alright, you're good to go." The doctor confirmed as he stood up. "Avoid putting too much pressure on your left leg and you should be good as new in a week."

"Thanks, doc." The teenage assassin said appreciatively as she buttoned up her shirt. "I'll visit the Tailor after this for a new suit. Wearing a suit made for someone thirty-five centimeters taller than me does make me look silly."

"Here, have some herbs." Dr. Ogawa said as he unscrewed the cap off a clear container he lifted off a shelf. "Take four, they'll help your wounds close faster."

Yoru held out her hand as the continental doctor shook exactly four capsules directly into her awaiting palm. After opening her mouth and popping all four capsules in her mouth like mints, the teenage hitwoman nodded in thanks as she swallowed the four light green pills.

"Once again, thanks doc." Yoru thanked him as she threw on her coat. "Sorry for tracking blood all over the place."

"Don't worry about it. This is a hospital after all." The old surgeon casually replied as he waved her off. "We're prepared for this kind of thing."

Once the violet-haired girl stepped outside and closed the door to his office, Dr. Ogawa took a deep breath and sunk into his swivel chair.

"That girl…" He remarked as he leaned deeper into his chair. "She's becoming more and more like John as she grew older."

"But… I suppose that's not entirely a bad thing." The continental doctor mused with a shake of his head. "Despite not sharing a drop of his blood, she had inherited his best traits. If anyone were to continue where John left off, it would be Yoru. I just hope I'll live long enough to see her retire from the scene entirely."

"But, don't worry old friend," Dr. Ogawa declared as he stared at the humming white fluorescent ceiling lights. "I'll be there for her until she does. I swear it."

______________________________________________

"Heyo!"

Yoru turned to the source of the greeting as she closed the metal door behind her. The violet-haired girl who shared her face smiled brightly as she fervently waved and traversed the hallway to the young hitwoman.

"Yes?" Yoru asked as her hand fell from the door hinge. The violet-eyed assassin instinctually scrutinized everything about the pregnant teenager and almost immediately, Yoru noted that the violet-eyed teenager's smile was too tense and her movements were too stiff.

'She's good.' The assassin thought as her doppelganger walked closer to her. 'Had I not been surrounded by better actors in the continental, I probably wouldn't have noticed. She's probably working as either an actor or an idol, but with her young age she's more likely to be an idol, her figure -had she not been pregnant- would've fit right in with most groups.

… So that's what my little sister did after I was gone.'

"There's no need for that Ai." Yoru insisted as she held up her hand to stop her younger twin. "You can drop it."

"That obvious huh…" Ai monotony replied as her smile and arm dropped and Yoru swore the bright stars in her sister's eyes dimmed.

"No, you're good. I wouldn't have noticed had I been a normal person." The violet-eyed assassin admitted with a shake of her head. "You're scared, but whether you're scared of me or you're scared about the conversation we're going to have, it doesn't matter."

"I'm just going to tell you to stay far, far away from me." Yoru declared, taking a step closer to her pregnant sister. "Believe me, it's in both of our best interests to do so."

"Why?" Ai muttered, her soft voice taking on a more somber tone. "Why after all this time, you're telling me to stay away from you? I thought you were dead Yoru, I thought I knew it in my heart but I still held onto hope. I told my grieving heart you could be still alive because your body was never found. For ten years, I thought I've been continuously lying to myself. Did you know how relieved I was when I saw you in this hallway, bleeding and injured but still alive?"

"When I saw you, I realized all the lies I told myself weren't lies at all and my other half had not perished a decade ago." Ai choked out, tears were beginning to leak out of her violet orbs. "We haven't seen each other in ten years, and we're only sixteen! And-"

"Ai, I love you." The hitwoman said as she cut off her pregnant twin's tearful rant with a hug: her arms wrapped around Ai's back and held her close, lightly pinning her sister's tear-streaked face to the hitwoman's upper shoulder. "Since you're probably in the entertainment industry, you know I'm not lying when I say this. And because I love you, I can't associate myself with you. In my line of business, family is something that is used against you."

"Siblings, parents, kin… those are all potential weaknesses for people to exploit." Yoru continued as she tightened the hug. "I knew many people who were forced to agree to contracts because their loved ones were held at gunpoint.

I have enemies Ai, half of them my own and the other half my father's, and they will stop at nothing to take me down. I don't want that happening to you; I don't want you to become a bargaining chip just so they can get to me. I'm telling you to stay away from me so you can be safe."

"And, also," Yoru said, wiping away the tears spilling from her twin's violet eyes after softly breaking the hug. "All this crying can't be good for the baby. Teen pregnancies are always tricky so there's no need to complicate things by being too stressed."

"Will we ever meet again?" the younger twin tentatively asked as she leaned into her older sister's chest, daring to hope she would catch sight of her long-lost twin again.

"Maybe," The young hitwoman softly replied. "But if you're staying here for your entire pregnancy, then the answer is probably yes. I'll try to visit as often as I can, but I need to be careful. Visiting this hospital too often would be a huge red flag to my enemies."

Yoru looked up and spied the blond man that was with Ai when the suit-wearing girl limped to Dr. Ogawa's office. With a nod, Yoru delicately transferred her pregnant twin to the older man's arms and quietly left the clinic as her twin looked on, watching her older sister's back disappear as the metal front door slammed shut behind the young hitwoman.

______________________________________________

"To the Tailor please." Yoru requested as she deposited a gold coin into the taxi driver's awaiting palm.

The well-dressed coachman inspected the gold coin for a moment before nodding and taking off. The teenage assassin fastened her seatbelt and leaned against the yellow vehicle's window.

As the continental car bounced up and down from the blemishes of the rural road, the violet-haired hitwoman closed her eyes with a silent sigh. Despite her outward appearance of calm, she hadn't processed all that had happened in the hospital yet.

'I'll think it over all of this tomorrow.' Yoru thought as her mind drifted off into unconsciousness. 'After ordering a new suit from Ayane, I'm going home and taking a shower.'