Dark Obsessions (Emma Myers X Jenna Ortega)

Chapter two

Bordeaux, France - 11:31

Pushing her sunglasses further up her face, Emma takes in the civilians surrounding her as she sits at her little table. The park here is always filled with families and children, even when it is as chilly as it is today. A group of schoolchildren are playing a game of football on the field here, kicking the ball back and forth to one another, each of them shrieking with laughter from time to time when the ball leaves the bounds of the little ring they've created with bundles of rope.

Another city means another mission, and as of two days ago, Emma had finished her job here, where she was working to steal and erase data from a technology firm that had come across something they shouldn't. The Operative keeps close tabs on any kind of intelligence information, and the moment some group stumbles into something by accident, an agent is deployed to handle the matter.

It had been a relatively simple task, almost boring by the standard of Emma's usual jobs. Not that Emma will complain, this job has offered her the chance to take a small rest in between her constant travels over the past month. Drew has had Emma on the move, cleaning up some of the damage left behind by a competing organization that is constantly getting in the way of the Operative.

Roughly three years ago, Emma first learned of the League. They're another clandestine operations group, however, they're far less reserved in making efforts to keep their jobs in the shadows. Civilians might not recognize the work of the League, but the Operative is well aware of their work, and Emma has become all too accustomed to how bold the League is. Too many times Emma has taken on a job only to find that her target has either been killed or apprehended by the League, never to be seen again.

They're far from subtle, and Emma has come to learn that clandestine has a very different meaning to some people. It has become easy for her to recognize the League signature and attribute kills and kidnappings to them. Unlike the Operative, they do not deal in information, but rather they work as a rather skilled group of assassins. Their killings are brutal and bloody and are nearly always incredibly public. While Emma goes after analysts, CEOs, and the occasional gang leader, the League seems to be targeting political powers in certain regions.

But it's been nearly impossible to determine the goal of the League, seeing as they've been tangling closely with the Operative's business for quite some time now. That and Emma have never once written anything down regarding the organization. It's well known by agents in the Operative that the League is ruthless, and to collect intel on them would be to sign a death wish. Instead, Emma has been mentally keeping track of everything, monitoring the news as well as memorizing the details where the League gets far too close to her work.

Something strikes Emma's leg, pulling her from her thoughts, and she turns to find a young boy coming towards her. It's a football at her feet, resting there in the grass where it had been kicked rather far out of bounds of the game.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," The boys speak in soft French while Emma bends down to remove the ball from the ground.

"We were not trying to disturb you."

"It's alright," Emma replies, giving him a small smile as she tosses the ball back, "Accidents happen." He gives her a little toothy grin, catching the ball in his hands before yelling another apology over his shoulder as he runs back to the group, already calling out new commands to his teammates.

People watching is one of Emma's favourite things to do in different cities, and today has been no exception. Sometimes she watches and wonders what it would be like to just be another civilian walking through here, having no knowledge of all the foreign matters, Emma has learned of in her time working as a spy. Or she watches the children, wondering what it might have been like for her if they had remained in just one place when she was younger. At the time, Emma never knew that they moved as often as they did because he was really an MI5 agent, but now it makes far more sense.