"For now," Oliver began with a sigh as he continued to help Lucien fix up the plumbing. "It doesn't seem to be that much of a complicated task."
"We can just hand the assignment to Akira again," Damien said, resting on the counter, handing Oliver tools from the toolbox by the side at his request. "I mean, he did take out a high ranking noble the other day. I think he's capable."
"Yeah but that's different," Katri chimed, resting his chin on his palm as he settled into the bar stool their first customer had sat in. "He was with Oliver and Jin, wasn't he?"
"Forget poker face," Lesley scoffed, hopping out of the chair he had been sitting in. "Give it to me. I'm more suited for it anyway."
"No, no," Luck sang, getting really excited. "Let me do it! I want to do it! It's my turn!"
"Shut it," Lucien exhaled, starting to get frustrated with the fuss the younger members of the team were creating, as he moved his eyes over to the silent Akira before continuing, "Oliver."
"I'd say it's a simple assassination really," Oliver started, understanding Lucien's one-worded request. "Akira, Natasha or Lesley will do."
He had analyzed the situation and request kill order based on the information that had been provided by the client, and was comparing each member's personality and ability that would be best efficient for the assignment.
"You see," Lesley remarked, feeling satisfied enough, that his name was called. "I'm more than capable."
"Aww! Come on!" Luck exclaimed in disappointment.
"You're too much of a spitfire you psycho," Damien remarked.
"Akira," Lucien interrupted the banter, now turning over to gaze Akira. "Can you do it?"
"Are you kidding me?!" Lesley derided, cutting in before Akira could answer. "Poker face again?! Isn't this favoritism?"
A simple glare from Lucien was enough to stop Lesley's whining. Though he had a soft tone and aura to him, and though the individual members of the team would never admit it out loud, there was a common fear of him when he actually showed any emotions. One thing they would all agree on was that Lucien was a very shallow man, even among Holders. Every Holder at least had one emotion that they could feel relatively deeply compared to the others, however they acknowledged that Lucien practically had none, or at least that was what he portrayed all the time, leading him to be commonly described as hollow or shallow. However, deep within them, they all had a slight fear of when he didn't show his usual shallow side.
"If it's an order from you," Akira started, finally meeting Lucien's eyes since the start of the conversation. "Then I'll do it."
"Okay then," Lucien said, turning to Oliver and requesting for the tablet their client had put the information of their target on. Scanning through it he added, "You and Lesley will handle this assignment together."
"Huh?!" Lesley exclaimed taken aback, as well as the rest of the team.
Lesley and Akira had never been paired up together before despite Akira's extremely calm and rational personality. This was mostly because of Lesley's open dislike of Akira, and their complicated- mostly one-sided rivalry. So to put them on the same assignment now sort of concerned the rest of the members of the team.
"Are you serious?!" Lesley added, staring Akira up. "Just give it t-"
"You're ability is well suited for this type of assassination assignment," Lucien cut him off, not really the least bit interested in his complaints. "But you're too much of a spark plug, and easily a drifter. So you'll be balanced out with Akira's stiffness."
"Tch!" Lesley clicked his tongue before storming off.
"Good luck," Luck chuckled, addressing Akira, with his arms cupping the back of his head as he watched as Lesley banged the front door closed as he stomped off.
"Do try to get along please," Oliver sighed, but his gentle smile not once leaving his face. Out of all the Holders in the entire world, he was probably the one who smiled the warmest and the most. That was what Akira thought. "I'll be in your ear should you need me."
Akira stole a quick glance at Lucien, trying to check what the state of his demeanor and expression was currently, still he didn't bother questioning his decision, and looked away just as quickly as he glanced. Unlike the rest of the team who hounded around Lucien with a lot to say, though none of them dared to speak imposingly.
"You can't be serious right?!" Damien said in a slight laugh.
"It seems you'd like the first assignment we pick up in Japan to fail," Natasha added, mostly uninterested in the entirety of the conversation, but agreeing with the bad pair up.
"It definitely seems so," Jin added in passing.
"If they had both taken the assignment individually, then there wouldn't be much of a problem really," Katri spoke, scratching his temples a bit.
"It's just that they're on the assignment together." Oliver helped finish Katri's sentence, as he just finished sending out the details of the mission to each of the corresponding parties.
"And into the fire we go," Damien sang with a sarcastic hum.
"Okay give it a rest!" Lucien snapped, pushing his hair back as he ran his fingers through it. "They'll figure it out."
"Sure," Damien said with a sarcastic shrug. "Somehow Akira and Lesley will magically figure out a way to get along as they bond over who gets to shoot the ladies brains out."
"Exactly," Lucien replied, with a humorous scoff, and walked past him into the employee lounge behind.
Akira peeked at the clock and saw it read 12:34 now. It was still a school night, so he gave a small bow and said good bye, before saying a "see you later" to Satoma, and then leaving.
As he watched Akira walking away through the big window at the side, Satoma asked, "So, why don't Aniki and that blonde haired guy get along?"
"Hm? Who? Lesley?" Jin replied in an attempt to confirm who he exactly he was referring to, before quickly catching on.
"Mn,"
"Hmm... I'm not sure," Jin said, tipping his head back and closing his eyes in a 'let me think' manner. "I don't think anybody really knows why Lesley argues with Akira all the time, though the same can't be said for Akira, but I know he sees him as a rival, and if I had to guess why, it would be that their competing for boss's attention."
"Mr. Lucien?" Satoma inquired, wondering why they did seem quite a bit attached to him in their own way.
"Yeah," Jin added. "Lucien found Akira, and for Lesley, he was the one who gave him a whole new meaning to what Holders, and the use of innates are. It wouldn't be surprising if that's what gets Lesley so pissy every time he sees Akira. After all, he is Lucien's lily."
"What does that mean?" Satoma asked, interested in what he was referring to with the last sentence.
"In due time," He stated, before leaning off the counter he was resting on and walking away, leaving Satoma's question unanswered.
"But," Satoma started, mumbling to himself in the corner he stood. "That sounds very weird."