I stood in a dark room only being illuminated by the fire of the torches on the wall. I dark figure sat at his throne Infront of me, the figure cleared their throat and spoke “So from what you’ve told me you and your team went on assassin missions given to you by your leader “Oracle” He asked curiously.
I nodded in confirmation, he looked at me with a stern look and said “So tell me how you ended up down here?” He asked “Once I get the full picture then I’ll figure out what to do with you
I nodded and told him how I died and ended up here.
(Flashback)
“Let’s go team another job well done!” Evelyn shouted with joy “So what do we do now?”
“Were gonna go and train” The twins spoke, they may not be actual twins, but you wouldn’t know that from the way they look. With their dark green hair they look like perfect twins, I'm not sure if Oracle did that on purpose.
(FLASHBACK INTERRUPTED)
“Hold on a second who the hell is Evelyn?” The figure interrupted.
“Oh, I forgot to mention, Oracle gave them all names, The twins are Jade and Leo” I stated “And the girls are named Evelyn, Chloe, and Lexis”
“Then what's your name?” The shadow figure asked “You were the first so surely you’d have a name”
I looked at the ground in anguish.
“I don’t have one. The only name I go by is Reaper” I sighed “I was never given a name, because everyone else would call me by my code name so no one ever gave me one.” I looked at my hand in sorrow letting out a slow sigh.
“Then why was Reaper your code name?” The figure questioned.
“I got it from the way I fight. I use a scythe to execute my targets and the scythe is the signature tool of the Grim Reaper, so the name just stuck.” I answered.
“Ok, I understand now go on” The figure asked.
(Flashback re-continued)
“All you two do is train. Relax a little, besides there's no one out there that can beat us” Chloe laid on the couch taking up all the room “We are unbeatable Oracle said so. So why do we always have to be training” Chloe whined.
The twins looked at her with emotionless expressions “We need to stay vigilant and ready for anything” Jade exclaimed.
“All you do is sit on your ass all day. The only physical thing you do is come with us on missions” Leo continued.
Chloe gasps in offense as watched the twins walk away, Chloe laid there on the couch with an annoyed look on her face. “Oh yeah, well...ahh..you two are assholes!” Chloe yelled but got no answer.
“Wow, you look angry” Lexis walks over “Its honestly funny seeing how worked up you get towards them” She giggled.
“Shut up” Chloe muttered.
Oracle walks downstairs and looks at the two girls in the living room “Has anyone seen Reaper?” She asks “I’ve been looking for him everywhere”
As if on cue I walk through the front door and Oracle calls my “name” although I use Reaper as a code name, I never liked being called it.
“Reaper there you are! Where have you been? I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Oracle scolded me.
“I’ve been walking throughout the city.” I stated, “I just got ba-” Oracle cut me off.
“You went to the city?!?!?” Oracle yelled out “I told you to never leave the base unless I tell you to! What if something happened to you!” She grabbed my shoulders and started shaking me back and forth.
“I’m fine it was one little walk through the city, I didn’t talk to anybody” I pulled her hands off me “You're overreacting we kill people for a living, it's not like we're easy to spot” I stared at her and turned around.
I went to walk away but I felt someone grab my hand. I turned to see that Oracle had grabbed my hand and was keeping me from moving forward. "What are you doing?” I questioned her.
“I am your leader, and you should treat me with respect!” She struggles to pull me back. She may be incredibly smart, but she is no stronger than an average girl.
“Oracle enough” I pulled my hand out of hers. “I’m going to my room, if anyone needs me you know where to find me” I sighed.
I walk up the stairs and into my room. If I had to describe my room in one word “Bland” would be my answer. While everyone was using the money from the jobs we did to buy such expensive things. I kept things simple, just a bed desk and a closet, no specific theme, just what I thought was important.
Oracle has been on my head the past week. It’s only me specifically, none of the others get this but me, why? I sat on my bed and pulled out my laptop. I sighed “What I'd give to live in the city” I opened my laptop and looked up pictures of the city, even though I take walks through the city there only temporarily but the pictures I can look at whenever I want.
I was interrupted by a banging at my door “Yo Reaper we’ve got a mission let’s go!” Evelyn shouted. “We're all gearing up so if you don’t want to be left behind get your ass out here!” Evelyn demanded.
I sighed as I put my laptop back in its hiding place and got my gear on and left my room. I opened the door to see Oracle standing there looking at me with a weird look on her face, like she was trying to read my mind. Looked at her confused as she just stared at me, her look intensified, I began to walk away but she stopped me and spoke.
“We need to talk, Reaper; we need to talk about your little field trips into the city.” She walks Infront of me “You disobeyed a direct order from me, and this isn’t the first time you’ve done this!” She explains.
“You’re point? I already explained this Oracle I just take short walks through the city and nothing more I don't talk or interact with anybody. Why is it such a problem?” I retorted.
Oracle looked at me with a disappointed expression. She wrapped her arms around me and buried her face into my chest. “I can't lose you; you were the first, you’re very important to me. You’re mine you hear that” She spoke into my chest.
I was taken aback by what she just said, I’m hers? I looked down at her, she still had her face pressed against my chest. I grabbed her by her shoulders and pushed her off me. “I’ll be fine, I can take care of myself” I look into her crimson eyes “I’m more than capable of keeping myself out of trouble” I patted her head and walked away.
(Flashback End)
“So, you and this “Oracle” were close?” The shadow spoke again.
“I guess, she was clingier to me than the rest of them. Wherever I was going, she wanted to know, whatever I was doing she wanted to know. I just chalked it off as her being paranoid about the creators of the Goliath project finding where we were” I finished.
“Haha...you really are dumber than you look kid Hahahaha” the figure cackled “I mean I’ve lived down here for a while now, but even I can tell when someone is in love” He snickered.
What?!? In love there's no way that's true....right? I mean I always wondered why wherever I go she is always 5 feet away from me. But in love that's crazy.......right?
“Ok, ok just fast forward to your death I think I heard enough Haha” He giggled.
(Flashback re-re-continued)
We arrived at the target's location. We were tasked with killing some guy's daughter. It’s not that difficult of a hit job, just get in, get out simple. “Alright everyone you know who’s our target. Get it done and we can celebrate!” Oracle spoke into our earpieces.
We never really got info on what the daughter description other than she had blonde hair, green eyes and that she was in her room on the second floor. “Ok Furies your up” I commanded Evelyn, Chloe, and Lexis. They pulled out their weapons and took out the guards “Furies you guys keep watch and warn us If anything happens” I looked at the girls as they nodded back at me.
Me and the twins ran into the building taking out guards on the inside. “Twins go and take out the security system. I’ll handle the target” We run off in different directions I head upstairs while the twins make their way to the security room.
I put on my night vision goggles and slowly crept through the hallway. I made my way to the target's bedroom. I readied my scythe, and I kicked the door open only to see a little girl she looked to be no more than 4-5 years old, playing with toys in a doll house.
She looked at me with wide eyes and spoke “WOW cool costume mister, wanna play with me?” She stuck her hand out offering me her doll.
“Um...sure” I grab the doll and start playing with her. She’s a child, is this really the target? I turn to face the girl.
“So...is there anyone else here with you?” I nervously asked.
“No just me and the guy’s outside and downstairs, but my daddy’s coming home soon, and I can't wait to see him” She giggles.
“Why?” I ask.
“He’s taking me on a birthday trip!” She happily shouts.
I felt my heart dropped to my stomach. We were assigned to kill a child the day of her birthday?! I regain my composure and get up to leave but she grabs my hand “Will you be at my birthday party?” Asked the little girl.
“No sorry, I don’t think your dad would let some stranger go to his daughter's birthday party” I explained.
“Aww, are you sure? It will be so much fun!” She begged.
I gave her a warm smile. But just as I'm about to get up and leave Oracle calls me on my earpiece “Reaper is the target taken care of?” I put my hand to my ear and whispered “Did you know that the target was a child?!” I retorted “What sick bastard would put a hit on a little girl??”
“Reaper that isn’t our problem, if she is the target then take her out. It’s what the client wants so get the job done” She says with a demanding tone.
“You can’t be serious about that! It’s a child!” I retract my scythe and put it back into my holster “Most of the people we take out deserve what was coming to them, but this is too far”
As I go to leave, I feel someone tug on my belt. I turn to see it's the little girl “Where are you going mister?” I could hear the curiosity in her voice as I went to answer her question Oracle’s voice flooded my ear again.
“Reaper what the hell are you doing? Finish the job!” I could tell she was annoyed. But I didn’t care I wasn’t going to kill a sweet innocent little girl just because some rich asshole wanted her dead.
I look down at the girl and ask her “Could you do me one favor?” She slowly nodded her head “Do you know any really good hiding spots?” she looked at me and her eyes lit up “Are we playing hide and seek?” she joyfully asked.
“You bet we are, I just need you to find the best most difficult hiding spot you can find. Could you do that for me?” I asked hoping she would take the bait.
“Yay! Ok you count to 50 and I’ll hide” She turned and ran out the room to find a hiding spot. Oracle cut back into my ear “Reaper this is an order. End the target now” She takes a breath “I’m not going to ask agai-”
“No” I cut her off “I’m not doing it” I take out my ear bud and smash it against the floor.
If it's the last thing I, do I will make sure no harm comes to this child.
(Oracle POV)
“Reaper?! Reaper?! What the hell?” Oracle franticly presses buttons to regain contact “What is he doing!” I switched through to the Furies com channel “Furies come in! Reaper has gone offline I need you to go and see what he’s doing” She ordered.
“Wait? Reapers MIA?” Chloe asks, “That can happen?”
“I don’t know but we have to go and find him” Lexis comments.
“Right” Evelyn agreed.
The Twin were down in the basement getting rid of the remaining guards. They get to the master control room and start to erase the footage of them being there until they notice that there's a timer on the bottom left corner of the screen. “19” minutes until arrival.
“Looks like the kids dad will be here soon” Leo amused at the thought of the father seeing his daughter dead.
“Yeah, I would love to see the look on his face” Jade snickers.
As they go to leave Leo notices Reaper on one of the security cameras, he taps Jade’s shoulder to get his attention. They both look on watching Reaper make his way through the second floor. “Did he finish the job?” Jade wonders.
“If he did then why is he sneaking around?” Leo questions.
“Twins, come in Twins” Oracle speaks to them in their earpieces. “Yeah, what is it?” Leo answers.
“Reaper has let the target go and has gone offline. Do you have visual” Oracle responds.
The Twins look at each other in confusion “Wait did you say Reaper went rogue?” They speak at the same time.
“Yes! Do you have visual?” She asked again.
“We do he’s on the second-floor south quadrant” Leo informs.
“Good, keep an eye on him, I don’t know what he’s doing but we’ll get answers out of him” Oracle commands.
The Furies make their way to the south side of the second floor “Twins do you guys have visual?” Chloe searches one of the rooms in search of Reaper.
“Yes, he’s making his way to the attic. Lexis keep going down that hallway and make a right at the end and you’ll be there” Jade keeping his eyes on the monitors.
“Do not let him get away” Oracle demands “And if you come across the target take. Her. Out.”
(Back with Reaper)
I climbed into the attic to keep as much distance between them and the girl. I hear shuffling in the darkness of the attic I ready myself for a fight but to my Suprise. The little girl came climbing out a little crawl space in the wall.
“You found me, you found me!” She jumps up and down holding onto my arm. “Shh, you have to be quiet! There are people here looking for you” I warned her.
“There's more people here playing hide and seek?” she tilted her head.
“No, those are very bad people. I have to get you out of here” I picked her up into my arms and went to climb down the ladder but to my horror I saw an all too familiar face.
“There you are Reaper.” Lexis climbed up the ladder and stood Infront of the only exit. “Reaper what are you doing? And why is she still alive?” Lexis pointed at the girl “Reaper we have a job to do, and whether you like it or not she’s as good as gone” Lexis pulls one of her knives out and rushes towards me.
“I won't let you touch her!” I yelled out. I ducked under her attack with the girl still in my arms. “You may be fast, Reaper but with her in your arms this will be pretty hard for you” Lexis mocked. I side stepped another one of her attacks and kicked her in the stomach.
With the much-needed breathing room I put the girl down in a corner of the room. “I need you to stay as far away from us as possible, can you do that?” I asked. She nodded her head, she was shaking, poor girl having to experience something like this so young.
Lexis got back to her feet and readied her stance “To think you would be so soft, what happened to the real Reaper?” She lunged towards me at full speed, I managed to pull out one of my own knives and block. Are knives clashed in a spark of metal each of us trying to stab the other.
“I don't want to fight you Lexis” I dodged another knife slash “I’m not going to hurt you!” I parried her knife and knocked her to the ground. “Did you ever think how fucked up it is for someone to put a hit on a little girl?” I held my knife against her neck. I stared at her waiting for an answer.
“To be honest with you, I don’t really care” Lexis retorted “If it's just some brat then who cares. We have more important things to worry about than some kid”
Just as I was about to knock her out someone sped past me, heading straight for the girl. “No” She screamed, I jumped back and tackled the figure and I saw their face. “Damn it Chloe what is wrong with you?” I picked up Chloe by her arm and pushed her away from the girl.
“Wow to think the big bad Reaper could be so weak” Chloe taunted.
Chloe got up and aimed her gun straight towards me “Listen here Reaper, it’s either us or the girl. So, which are you gonna choose?”
(Chapter 2 To Be Continued)
