With a cigarette between his lips, Kurt let himself slide down a slope of rubble uninterrupted. Orange embers lit up, mingling with the rising smoke of the rubble rising from the ground in front of him.

The President's plane had crashed into an old house, shattering steel beams and the floor of the second storey. The goal was so close that he was almost overcome by a sense of pride. But he didn't have time for that.

"Did you think you could double-cross me?", out of nowhere, a shadow crossed the corner of his field of vision.

The next moment, a hand lay on his shoulder, caressed his chest and reached for the knife he always carried with him. In one swift motion, your fingers wrapped around the handle.

He took a deep breath, smoke filling his lungs. And as he swallowed, the tip of his own blade pressed against his larynx.

You met him with a fixed gaze. Darkness shimmered in the (E/C).

He was about to say something but as his lips opened you slipped the blade between them to force him to drop the cigarette. With a hiss, the stub fell to the ground and went out. Only a small, orange spark remained.

"Didn't I tell you not to use this anymore?", you dragged the blade threateningly across the metal on his neck.

He raised his hands in conciliation.

"Myers won't wait forever.", he said, daring to touch the knife to the bare blade. "Had to be quick."

Your grip faltered. And then you flipped the blade and pushed it back into the sheath.

"Never again, Kurt!", you growled in his face. "You will never hide anything from me again."

Your eyes met. And he smiled contentedly.

"My Lady Sapphire returns.", he snarled, gripping your chin. "Fuck, I missed you."

You looked at each other for a moment. You wanted to kiss him. But instead of doing that, you pressed a hand to his muscular stomach and pushed him away.

"She's mine!", you hissed and jumped down the last of the pile of rubble.

"She will not greet us warmly.", he called after you.

But your fingers were already clawing into the white outer wall of the space plane. Deep grooves remained.

Gritting your teeth, you swallowed your last bit of patience and entered the interior. Or what was left of it.

The ship had broken in two as it crashed. Cables were coming out of all the openings, sparks were flying and there was a crackling of electricity. Dull, red light bathed everything in a haze.

Anger mingled with excitement. The beat of your own heart echoed in your ears. Kurt was right behind you.

Your eyes travelled through the darkness. Two corpses lay in the rubble. It smelled of blood. And Kurt's expensive cologne. Musk, coffee and cigarettes. And a little black powder.

The back of your neck tingled. You fought the urge to scratch your skin to the bone.

So close. Just a few more steps and you would have what you had wished for all these years.

Soon the leash would be torn from Myer's hands and you would be free. Free to do anything you imagined in the darkest nights.

Two steps forward. There were bodies again.

How many people had been on board?

Never mind, it didn't matter now. They were all dead. You secretly wished that Myers hadn't died in the same way but was lying crippled in the corner somewhere, bleeding out.

Your eyes travelled over seats, destroyed screens and cables. Small flames licked across the floor. It was so hot you were sweating.

"Songbird?", you asked over your shoulder.

Kurt shrugged.

"We'll catch her, sooner or later.", he said, unsheathing his knife. "Do you want it?"

Almost lovingly, he offered you the polished blade. It was his pride and joy, his favourite from the old days. Not a bad story clung to the metal. And if it did, he used it to cut them out.

It was proof of his unreserved trust. No one had ever had this honour before.

"You trust too much.", you said.

Still, you accepted the gesture, letting the Yakut knife dance between your fingers. It was light, with a heavy, well-balanced handle and a leather strap at the end. The knife was the perfect blend of heavy and light.

"How do you skin a reindeer?", you asked into the darkness.

His eyebrows drew together.

"You wanna learn?"

"Maybe... You should... teach me one day. I feel like we could enjoy it."

One hand slid to his hip, reaching for the revolver he always carried: Bald Eagle. Although it was hopelessly fatuous, Kurt had a weakness for naming things. It didn't seem to suit him, but he always put a lot of thought into the names, using them as a sign of recognition.

Fang, the Yakut hunting knife, Bald Eagle, the Black Sapphire. Lady Sapphire.

His Lady Sapphire.

The thought made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. A pleasant tingling sensation filled the back of your head.

"Do you want to lick the blood off the blade when I'm done?", you asked, a wicked smile darkening your face.

Kissed by red and shadow, it made you look like a child of hell itself. If there was a hell at all and you hadn't already created it.

"Hm.", the corners of his mouth twitched. "Maybe..."

His fingers twitched. Suddenly he raised the gun and fired a shot. Startled, you jumped to the side, out of its field of fire. Your fingers wrapped tightly around the knife. The sharpness of the blade would make Myers sing.

"At twelve o'clock!", Kurt barked and pointed his head in the direction he had fired.

You just managed to catch a glimpse of the figure disappearing into the shadows of the wreckage. Your feet twitched, you wanted to go after it like a dog on the hunt.

But then you hesitated.

Your eyes travelled across the floor. There were bloody footprints. Two pairs. You frowned.

"They want to separate us.", you hissed.

Kurt looked round.

"So Mi?", he asked in a suppressed voice.

You shrugged slightly.

Red lit up in the (E/C) of your eyes. One and Two awoke from their slumber after months.

"They're fleeing.", you growled through clenched teeth. "In two directions."

Kurt met your gaze.

"Myers?", he asked.

Your face darkened.

"Myers.", you confirmed.