The Zodiac Assassins

Chapter 4

Pisces looks ecstatic. Her purple hair is standing on end, brown eyes wide, wild and mad looking. Her bright, zig-zag patterned t-shirt had got a huge black smudge down the middle from where one of the demonstrations went horribly wrong. She said she'd only teach a few of us at once so I'm in the room with Virgo and Libra who keep on shooting looks at everyone, mainly each other and then looking away fast.

"Basically" Pisces says, threading a thin piece of wire through a hook. "Electrocuting people is no where near as easy as it looks. It takes care and precision and preparation. First of all, you need to rig something that only he's going to touch that will kill him the second he sits down. If it doesn't, you're in trouble. Big trouble. We'll need to rig the metal hooks around every corner in the building and then lead it to... to... to... his chair? Something like that, that he'd kill someone for sitting in. Then, he sits down and crack, sizzle, hair on end and he's dead. Around eleven thousand volts should do it."

I stare at her, shocked. "Shouldn't two hundred be enough?"

Pisces laughs demonically. "Oh no. Two hundred won't harm them at all!"

"Right" she's probably the biggest psychopath out of us all. Maybe she was born in some kind of mental asylum.

"So... is it something like this?" Virgo puts on the electricity proof gloves and connects her wires. There is a huge yellow spark and she goes flying backwards, smacking into the wall and sliding to the floor. Giddily, she gets up, face darker with soot in the middle and hair looking like it's had a balloon rubbed against it. "Was that right?"

Pisces stands there looking just slightly shocked for a second before grinning wildly. "Perfect. I didn't expect you to get it so quickly."

Virgo nods and wanders over to Libra. "Do you want me to help you?"

Libra huffs and then nods quickly as though she doesn't want to be seen being helped by anyone.

"Have you got it?" Pisces is right next to me now. She smells like burnt toast.

"I think so" I say, connecting the wires. Another yellow spark explodes from my fingertips but I stay standing, the yellow spark continuing to flash. It feels weird, a tingling sensation shooting up my arms that are now almost vibrating. I drop the wire to find that it has soldered together, still firing tiny stars everywhere. Pisces laughs like a mad scientist and runs over to her desk, flicking the electricity switch. The yellow flash vanishes leaving the wire connected and smoking.

"Brilliant, brilliant amazing" Pisces cries, hoping from one foot to the other. "This is going to be so easy. We're going to be able to kill him in no time what so ever and save the Earth even before anyone else knows about it. You're the last group I have to teach and..." Libra flies backwards, hitting the wall and getting up moodily while Virgo claps her hands. "You all know how to do it. We're going to nail this thing."

"Okay" I nod, not quite sure of myself and leave the room. Capricorn is waiting outside, eating a sandwich. His sandy hair is brushed back revealing startlingly blue eyes. He sees me come out, puts down the sandwich and stands up.

"Are they still in there?" he says in his American accent.

I nod, not trusting myself to not say 'Si'.

"When will the rest of them be out?"

I shrug "Not sure. Anytime soon I recon."

He nods, raking a hand through his hair.

I walk down the corridor, away from him and haven't got more than twenty yards when there is a squeal from behind me. Pisces flies out of the room and jumps into Capricorn's arm, gabbling about thinking it was him but not knowing it. As he presses his forehead to hers, Libra rolls her eyes and stalks down the corridor, tailed by Virgo who is looking like a lost lamb. Aries is at the opposite end of the corridor, frowning, and she raises an eyebrow carefully before passing.

Fumbling in my pocket as I go, I continue down the corridor, get to my door and unlock it.

"Hi

I stare in awe. Aquarius is sitting on one of the couches, feet up on the coffee table wearing what looks like blue, pleated maxi dress. I'd never actually taken the time to look at her before but her hair is raven black with turquoise highlights. She has blue eyes and a huge, brown, burn scar up one arm. She's reading a newspaper so fast that she only spends a minute on each page.

"What... what are you doing here?" I stutter uncertainly. "How did you get in here?"

"Hmm?" Aquarius turns to look at me, an innocent smile covering her face as she raises a small tea cup to her lips and takes a long gulp. "Oh, I just dropped in to say 'hi' and welcome you home." She has a thick Mancurian accent.

I give an exasperated sigh. "Well you've done that now get lost."

She shakes her head, going back to her newspaper.

"You're so unsociable. Try being happy for a bit why don't you? Laughing is good for the heart."

I growl and go over to one of the cupboards to get a biscuit. Inside, is my packet of chocolate amarettis and a random box of blueberry poky. Don't get me wrong, I love poky, but I like to know where the hell it came from before it appears. "What the..."

Aquarius peers over my shoulder into the cupboard. "Oh, that's where I put them." She reaches past me and picks up the packet, taking out a stick of blue. "Want one"

"No thanks" I say, getting my amarettis. "I'm good."

"Hey what are they" she asks, munching on another stick. "They look nice."

"They're amaretti biscuits from Italy" I grunt. "I... hang on a second, didn't I tell you to get lost? Go away."

"Sheesh" Aquarius laughs, floating away. "Talk about stressy. You seriously need to calm down Gem"

"Don't call me Gem" I snap.

"Look at yourself now" she grins. "Getting all het up about stuff. Just calm down, you'll be absolutely fine. Nothing bad'll come of it." She cocks her head to the side and looks at me. "I've decided, I like you. You're funny."

"Get out" I hiss, pointing to the door.

Aquarius bursts out laughing, clutching at her sides and rolling around on the floor. "Oh yeah, I definitely like you. You're hilarious. You're so adorable when you're angry. Say something else. Go on, it's funny."

"How old are you again?" I say, gritting my teeth.

"Twenty-three" she says, rolling over onto her stomach and kicking her legs in the air. "And you?"

"Twenty. You're acting worse than Pisces, who's nineteen. Capricorn acts a million times better than you and he's the same age as her."

"Yeah, but I didn't have my sights set on Harvard before I killed someone did I?" Aquarius winks, resting her chin on her hands.

I sigh, defeated. "Please, just get out."

She shrugs. "Whatever you say Gem" she skips past me, out of the door and closes it gently behind her. Once she's gone, I unclench my fists and exhale deeply. Finally, she's gone. I turn to actually get one of the biscuits out of the packet and stop. Next to them is a little sign made of paper and under it, the packet of Poky:

Hey Gem. Did I mention, you're adorable when you're angry. I thought we could be friends so I left you these as a friendship gift. Lots and lots of love from Aquarius xxxxxxxxxxxxx

I growl, crumple up the note and chuck it behind me. I don't have friends; but I will accept the Poky.