╰┈➤ 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞: older sibling duties

             𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 - 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴

                                ❛ the people always different

                                  but it always feels the same❜

"WE'RE GOING TO GO PICK UP YOUR NEW SIBLINGS"

Anya nodded staring up at her new father. A dad and a brother or sister? This was so cool! Would they be spies as well? "This will be your first time meeting them but to others we must make it seem like you've known them forever, understand?" Anya nodded, Loid held out his hand for Anya as they made their way to the train station.

"Now arriving train 347 for 4:30 from France." Mizuki stepped off the train, her two suitcases in tow, her brother as they scouted the area for their new 'father'. Europe seemed less attractive than all the books and films made it seem. Everyone seemed the same as in Japan, despite the obvious differences. "Hey Haurto?" "Yeah?" He looked down at his sister who was still looking ahead. "Do you know what Agent Twilight looks like?"

He froze. "I-I thought you did." Finally meeting his eyes with a defeated expression, Mizuki sighed. "We're screwed."

"Maybe Twilight knows what we look like?" "He shouldn't." "Please be optimistic I don't wanna be stranded in Europe of all places."  Both twins paused for a second detecting a presence close behind them.

"Ayaka? Ayayao? a small voiced asked. They both whipped around at the sound of their code names and looked down. They were met with the face of an excited small girl with pink hair, adorned in black clothing. "It must be you two! I found them Papa!" 

A man in a suit approached close behind her. Blonde hair, handsome face. It had to be Twilight. Or Loid they supposed. "Welcome back you two! It's great to have you home again. I hope you enjoyed Japan!"

'Wow he gets into character fast' Ayato thought, immediately snapping into his role and smiling. "It's great to be back!" Ayaka offered them both a small smile. Anya blanked. So Ayato knew about Papa lying too, maybe he was a spy! 

"Anya want a pistol with a silencer." "Sure if they have one on sale." Loid dragged one of Ayaka's shiny black suitcase behind him as they walked down the streets. "Do you have a pistol that doesn't make a sound Ayayao?" Anya asked staring up at the older boy with hope in her eyes. He laughed, "Ayato, tiny tot. And maybe who knows?" Anya paused to read his mind. 'He does.'

They all looked away from her for one second and Anya was spinning, trapped in a crowd of pedestrians getting on and off the buses. "Must you draw attention to yourself." Loid muttered handing Ayaka back her bag and rushing to attend to Anya. 

"You need to make sure you hold the little one's hand." A lady in the ground said, "Papa save me!" Anya kept crying. 

The four began walking again, this time with Loid keeping a grip on Anya's hand. Ayaka looked around. Sure it was a nice change of scenery from Japan, but it would be soon before they would leave again anyways. As long as they stuck to the plan. Get in, get out, get home.

Anya was unpredictable, in more ways than kids her age usually are. How so? Well because Ayaka zoned out for one second and now her twin was trying to coax Anya out form under a bakery sign after she convinced herself an enemy was coming to get her. 

She finally came out. "Anya likes peanuts. And I don't like carrots." She ended her statement with an annoyed face at thought of carrots. "But I really like crispy bacon from bakenries."  Ayaka turned to where she was pointing. Maybe her German was just bad but that read bakery to her.

"They don't sell bacon at bakeries." Loid responded. Ok so maybe Anya just wasn't the best at grammar. 

"I'd like this please!" Anya held up a poster to the sales man. "That costs one sack, you can't pay it in a ten-pent coin." Twilight walked over to pay for the poster for her. Ayato extended his palm towards his sister and she slapped an apple flavored lollipop in his palm.

Anya began to cry, "Pwease don't get rid of me!" "What has gotten into you?" Ayaka watched the scene in front of her. "Twilight sure did pick a strange child." Loid ended up bribing her with peanuts.

Ayato was going to be honest. After an almost 13 hour flight to France and then a 3 hour train ride, plus lugging these suitcases around for a good hour, he was tired, and he so badly wanted to be carried the way Anya was in Loid's arms. He looked to his sister to see if she felt the same but as usual she was masking anything she might have felt, though the slight bags under her eyes gave her away.

ANYA WAS PUT TO BED AND AS LOID READ IN THE LIVING ROOM, THE TWINS SET UP THEIR SEPARATE ROOMS.

In case of potential visitors, Ayaka's room had to look as close to an Eurasian teenage girl's room typically should. Cute little perfume bottles, a vanity with various luxury makeup brands littered across it, books on her shelf and side table, a painting easel and oil pastels along with posters of different countries and J-Pop Idols she memorized on the way here. "Maybe I should get albums of these singers, though if I was going for that approach K-Pop would have been the more accessible interest." Shit she had forgotten her ballet stuff in her other bag and she couldn't be bothered to open it at the moment. She yawned going over to her brother's room and flopping face first into his fluffy, navy blue comforter. He didn't look away from hanging his picture instead sparing her a sideways glance.

"Jet lag?" "Jet lag."

"Don't wanna! I don't wanna study!" Ayaka rubbed her temples sipping on the coffee Loid had so generously made her to try and get her adjusted to the time zones. This has been going on for a less than a minute and she was already tired of it.

"I need to know how smart you are for this exam. That means no helping her Ayato." Ayato frowned moving Anya off his lap and making his way to the kitchen. "I don't need to study to do any tests. If I just read other people's-" This caught this twins attention, though she didn't finish her sentence it would explain why she was acting so strange.

"Are you planning on cheating? Listen, if you don't get into this school..." They both knew what he wanted to say but continued to make breakfast for themselves ignoring him.

"Fine, then." "I'm heading out. You're not coming with me today. No matter what. You're staying home." Loid exclaimed in a slightly angered tone. "Then who'll watch Anya? Ayaka and I have to go out today." "She'll stay alone and be fine." Anya didn't want to listen however and attempted to follow Loid after he left the house multiple times and with the twins long gone, he barricaded her in the apartment. 

Hours passed and the twins found themselves returning home around the same time as Loid. "Did you enjoy yourselves?" He queried as they made their way towards the apartment. "No." They replied in unison, not meeting his eyes. Ayaka desperately tried to scrub the blood off her fine white blouse but there was no use. She let out a defeated sigh.

The second Loid opened the apartment door, the twins could detect an unwanted presence immediately bringing their guard back up. Loid dodged the swing that the man attempting to hide behind the door delivered. Dodging all the bullets as well before knocking out the other guys. "Who the hell are these guys?"  A man attempted to sneak up behind Ayato and he immediately took the knife out of his sleeve thrusting it into the man's chest without looking back. Ayaka rushed towards Anya's room right being Loid. "Anya? Anya?!" They both called opening the door to one of the rooms, Anya's plush animal was left behind on the ground.

"She's been kidnapped? By whoever sent these thugs? But why?" Ayato walked up beside the two. "Must have a pretty target on her back." "I doubt it." Loid just looked at the stuffed animal on the floor. 

"Well saving a first grader from being kidnapped wasn't on my to-do list but it'll work." Ayaka said stretching. "Let's go get her." Loid didn't move. "We are going to get her, right?" 

Loid bent over to get the plush and was knocked on the head. Ayaka and Ayato nodded allowing the man to take them both out, seeing as it was the only way to get to their hideout.

"Boss! Nguyen and his guys are back from the apartment!" A man dragged in three sacks

"We captured Twilight and bagged two of his kids while we were at it." A man plopped down three sacks in front of the bad guy. "Well done." "Those moves weren't of an amateur. He's the real deal." The man gripped his neck, "Go rest over there." "Now then Twilight, let's have you return those photos you stole from me." "Nguyen!" The real lackey was tied up instead did twilight. They went to check the other sacks sure enough, the twins didnt seem to be  under there, instead two of the people in the organization faced them with bored expressions on their face, their hands not even tied. Twilight was really quite good with disguises.  "The kids gone! He got me again." 

Twilight sped off, Anya in hand as she wailed harshly, "Papaaaaa". Soon enough both twins were running beside them still in their disguise. "You get rid of them?" He asked them, they shook their heads. "I'm not in the mood." Ayato said, " and I'm not being paid." Ayaka added. "You can do it yourself, they responded in unison. 'Darn twins! Japan's highest ranked assassins my ass. Why not just make my job easier.'

They were finally safe(ish), outside, Twilight placed Anya down, pulling out a pen and paper. "Listen up little girl." "Anya!" "Listen up Anya. Me and my friends are pro tag players. Whenever we spot someone with potential we immediately challenge them to a game." Anya nodded, Ayaka and Ayato exchanged looks, where was he going with this?

"If you got straighten down this street and turn right, you'll find a police station. If you can get this to a police officer you win the game." Ayato understood now, he felt his face getting hot. Loid  couldn't just abandon her! It's not right he took her in, she's his responsibility now. But in the end this would happen anyways right? Loid abandoning her. It felt awful, to be wanted when a means needs to be met. They would know.

Ayato huffed watching Loid walk back to the building. They still had to go home together, for their missions so they supposed they would wait for him to finish while they went to a cafe. "We deserve to enjoy ourselves for once." He grabbed his sister's  hand tugging her towards the nearest cafe. 

Ayaka sat across from her brother, stirring her tea with a spoon, the disguises now off their face. "Do you want honey?" He offered, she politely shook her head. The two sat in a still silence, just sipping their tea and staring blankly into their cups. Ayaka spoke up, "When this mission is over, I'm making sure Anya doesn't go back to an orphanage. She'll come with us or we'll find her a proper home." Ayato went to interrupt but she held up a hand. "It's non-negotiable, no one should ever feel that dread of being abandoned. And maybe she's felt it before but I will make sure she never feels is again."

Ayaka didn't finish her tea but they left as soon as Ayato was done they raced around the corner hoping to catch Twilight before he left, they didn't carry bus fare money and needed a way home. They heard his voice, faint in the distance, but he was talking to someone else.

"What are you -— I mean, what are you doing outside the house? I, uh, just happened to come here to shop, but I guess they went out of business." 

"I was playing tag with some old people" she explained clinging to his leg. "Oh I see, did you have fun?" Anya buried her face back into his pant leg. "It was a little scary. I wanna go home, to our home Papa, with Ayaka and Ayayao." A shocked look painted Loid's face before I'm turned stoic again. "If you leave me behind, I'm going to cry." "Well let's go home then." Ayaka looked at his sister and for the first time in years, a genuine smile painted her face. 

"That apartment is far too dangerous, so we're moving. I spotted a poisonous snake there yesterday." "I don't like snakes." Ayaka groaned, "I just finished decorating." Ayato chuckled opening up his hand as she slapped a lemon lolly in his palm. 

" I wanna live in a castle." "We'll see if one's listed." "Ayaka's more than pretty enough to be a princess. And  Ayayao can be a prince!" "Ayato, pipsqueak."

"Once we get to our new home you've got to study okay." "Gwak!" "This time you'll just have to memorize all the answers, it'll be easy."

"ALRIGHT, BEGIN!" 

The kids began writing, as Loid observed. Ayaka and Ayato were taking the entrance exam for their level in a whole different room. He didn't worry much about them, knowing they would probably pass. Not that it affected his mission by too much if they didn't. It wasn't really his problem. 'I'm counting on you Anya, you can do it!'

'K-212,K-212'

His eyes scanned the list as Ayato came bolting up to him with a toothy grin painted on his face as she tugged his sister behind him. "I passed! European classes are so easy but I was struggling so hard in English. I'm not as fluent as Ayaka is for that one." Anya nodded happily at that continuing to scan with her father.

"K-212. It's there you passed! You did it!" Loid picked up Anya and lifted her in the air "All 3 of you did!" "Did I do a good job?" She giggled, "You bet you did!" Loid groaned before collapsing. Ayaka sighed, "Anya you killed him." "Papa! Papa I'm so sorry! Papa! Don't leave me. I promise to be a good girl." 

Ayaka snickered and Ayato gave her an amused smile, "That was cruel" "Oh please it's just harmless teasing, all big siblings do it." "Oh really?" "Yes, just one of my many older sibling duties."

             ✎ 𝘪 '𝘮 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳. 𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘦, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸