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"My first kill was when I was fifteen. I think. Yeah, that sounds about right."

Kirito looked up at his uncle from his seat at the kitchen table. "Umm. Congratulations?"

Schuldig smirked and sprawled in the chair across from him. "Thanks, but that's not my point."

He didn't think Schuldig ever had a real point but tried to pay attention anyway.

"I heard that, brat."

"Heard what?" Kirito blinked, eyes wide and innocent to the untrained. It had little affect on any members of Schwarz but practice made perfect, right?

"My point," the German plowed on, "is that I was younger than you and your cousins when I killed some bastard for the first time. Crawford was the same. Nagi and Farf were even younger."

The apparently not young telekinetic failed to see where this was going but nodded. "Those bastards."

Schuldig raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I thought you were complaining..."

"And thought agreeing would satisfy me. Sweet. But no. See, if you're going to kill, you have to be ready to be killed-"

"I heard that in a movie once," Brett commented as he wandered past them, grabbed a bag of Oreos and wandered back out of the room again.

"Is that where it's from?" Schuldig looked thoughtful for a minute, eyebrows furrowed and almost-but-not-quite pouting. "I thought I made it up."

Kirito waited patiently for another point. He had time to kill; reruns of Magnum P.I. didn't start for another twenty minutes. And if the first episode was Higgins-centric today he had even more time to kill. Plenty of time.

Then again.

"You were saying, Uncle Schu?"

The telepath's eyes lost their soft edge, turned clear and cold in an instant. Assassin mode. The same look all of their parents got before work. "Simple. Don't be afraid of Death. Don't run from it unless you know you're faster. Don't fear death, be it."

The Japanese boy opened his mouth to say something but was cut off.

"And don't start thinking and or talking in capital letters. It's annoying and your dad should never have let you read those novels of his. They've corrupted your mind. Me? I just gave Brett violent video games and he doesn't give me any trouble."

ANNOYING? WHATEVER DO YOU MEAN?

Schuldig looked at the ceiling for help.

Kirito snickered and stood, ready to go do battle for television rights if need be. Still chuckling, he grabbed his drink and headed out.

"Glad you think it's funny, kid." The drawling tone stopped him. "Now for my real point. We have a mission in two days. Guess who's coming along for the ride?"

And suddenly Kirito didn't feel like laughing anymore.