Her steps were stealthy, silent and light.

She ran carefully in the trees with her eyes darting around her. Someone was following them, she could sense it. As she took a glance behind her, she suddenly felt lighter, her eyes widened as her foot got caught on a tree branch and her body struggled aimlessly against the rapidly passing air and the various tree limbs hitting her being. Her frame hit the hard ground below with a small 'ouf'. The surprise clear on her face as she processed her mistake.

"Keep moving, Lae!"

"R-right!" She whispered, whipping to her feet and starting her pace again. This time continuing on ground. She glanced through the long blonde hair whipping her face to find her partner keeping up within the trees, his eyes catching hers and he gave a small smile of encouragement. They had to do this. They have to get away from there.

"Come out, come out wherever you are!" A small voice squealed in excitement. "We know you're out there, Jay."

"Nobody likes a runaway thief, Jayjay." A deeper voice pouted through the trees. Light footsteps are heard catching up in the distance.

Her eyes widened as they called out his name. The twins noticed his absence. Cursing under her breath, she looked towards her partner, only for him not to be running beside her. She froze in place. Quickly looking around for the tall brunette.

He was just behind her in the small clearing buried deep within the trees, facing the way the voices came from. She sighed in relief.

"Go." He said simply.

She paused, blinking in confusion while he pulled out two daggers and took a fighting stance. "You're joking." She said with an unamused expression.

"They know I got out but they don't know about you yet, you can still get away from here."

"We both can," She rolled her eyes, pushing leaves from her view to better see the man behind her. "Let's go, Jason."

"Laena, this isn't a question. It's an order." He huffed, refusing to look back at the woman as his grip on the daggers tightened. Her eyes widened. Sure he was her superior during training, but that's been over for years now, he had never ordered her around after she became his partner.

"Aren't we a bit past that Jason? Besides, I thought I was the thinker here. Your plans usually just get us into more trouble." She chuckled, taking her sword out from its sheath on her back with a sigh. Fine, if he want's to play with the creepy-murderous-twin-clown-duo then they will.

"Seriously, leave."

"Not a chance." She smirked at his attempt, walking over to position herself next to him, sword in hand. She wasn't just some weak little girl anymore, she was his partner in crime, literally.

This time he turned to her furious. "Get the hell out of here Laena! I'm sick of all this- of our jobs, of the twins, of our employers, of you!"

She blinked again, turning slightly away from the forest to face him. "R-repeat that last part? I heard something different." She laughed dryly.

He growled in annoyance and flung his wrist sharply. The dagger flying from his hand and into a tree behind her. She froze in surprise. Her hand raising to her burning cheek and into the warmth dripping down her face. "D-did you just-" "Get out of here! Now!"

He turned back to the forest, pulling yet another dagger out of his sleeve to make a set. She just stood there, staring at him in confusion. This foreign feeling coming from someone so familiar, she didn't understand what was happening all of the sudden.

He focused on the dirt below him, making the mistake of glancing at the woman's bloodied face only once. He couldn't regret this, not now.

"Leave my sight. Don't come back." He choked out, eyes glued to the trees in front of him. The silent tear falling down his cheek before he wiped it quickly with his sleeve.

Oh, she knew why he was doing this now. How could someone ask you to leave with tears in their eyes and mean it. He was giving himself to them to save her. He knew that she wouldn't just leave him alone, that's why he's trying to break their ties.

"Go, get out of here!" He shouted, the tears now freely making their way down his face.

That's when she realized, there was no changing his mind on this one. They both knew this would happen one day, that one of them would have to give their life to save the other, it's something that happens when you have a partner in this business so it was only a matter of time, and he just made it clear that it won't be her.

She inhaled sharply. Slowly, shakily putting her sword back into it's holster.

"Okay, you win." She smiled sadly. Pausing to take in the face of the person in front of her before running to the other end of the clearing.

"Jason," She stopped when she reached the trees, only turning her head towards the man. "Live."

He nodded in determination, still refusing to face her direction.

She went to take a step out of the clearing then paused, "I liked you, when I was 5." She said as the thought crossed her mind.

He choked out a laugh. "I know. You would ask me to marry you every time sword practice was over."

She smiled widely. "Thank you, Jason. For everything."

"Thank you, Laena. For making this life worth livin-"

"Ooh, what do we have here?" That blasted voice squealed out from the trees as she spotted him waiting.

"Who you talkin' to? Where's your little partner, hm?" She giggled darkly. The voice edging over to Jason, Laena quickly hid behind a nearby tree, attempting not to make noise on the fallen leaves. She sighed in frustration, closing her eyes a moment. Trying to control herself from just running out and tackling the psychopath of a woman.

"I'm your opponent." Jason's voice echoed throughout the forest. Followed by a grunt and a loud thud against the dirt. Laena's eyes widened as she heard the sickening laughter from the girl. She was frozen, not making the slightest sound in hopes of hearing just one from Jason.

"It's not over yet, Rina." He choked out from the distance, the sound of stumbling footsteps making their way over to the girl.

Inhaling, as she didn't realize she stopped breathing, relief washed over her as she made her way into the trees and headed towards the town she remembered Jason talking about.

"It's full of people, if we make it there then we don't have to worry about them attacking us. They might be ruthless but they're not that stupid to do it with so many witnesses."