Deceptions of the Heart II: Love is going to be the death of me

The rank

Another exhausting morning for Roxanne passed. After her first successful mission she was announced as an official assassin which meant that she had to undergo harsher training sessions. As if that wasn't enough she was also sent on mission after mission. She didn't really count the number of lives she took every day and she didn't really regret it. She had reached such a level of disappointment in her life that all she would look for now was a way to survive in this unfair world.

From time to time her thoughts were running back to her past lover. She realized that she was so absorbed in her new occupation that she didn't even recall his name sometimes. She didn't seem to express any emotions when it came to thoughts of him anymore. The fact was that she was spending quite the time with Max since they worked under the same roof, let alone with her trainer, Thorn, who seemed to have things in common with her.

The said day Roxanne was just returning from a long training session. The sun was about to set outside. The girl entered the elevator which would lead her at the main hall of the hideout so she can finally leave. However, she accidentally pressed the wrong button which would lead her at the lowest levels of the building.

"Oh shit!" groaned Roxanne in irritation.

The doors of the elevator opened once it reached it's destination. The hallways of the certain floor were dark and dirty. It didn't take long for Roxanne's curiosity to raise once she heard battle groans. It was clear that someone was fighting in that floor. Letting her curiosity get the best of her, she exited the elevator and followed the grunts and groans.

It didn't take long until the young woman found herself just outside a training room. It was a darker and dirtier than the training room she was having her own training sessions. Inside she saw an army of what seemed professional assassins undergoing very harsh training, men or women. She also took notice of some people in suits who observed them and whipped them whenever they made the slightest mistake. Roxanne's eyes widened in horror at the brutal way they had to train but she wasn't surprised. They belonged to the underworld after all. What caught her interest though was the fact that Thorn was one of them.

The girl remained staring for a good amount of time and her eyes would never leave Thorn. The way she was doing those push-ups, the way she picked up those weights with ease, the way sweat was running down her skin. Her thoughts however got interrupted and her view was blocked by a man in suit.

"What are you doing here girly?" he asked. "Don't you know this is not a place for chicks like you?"

Roxanne was about to leave when the man grabbed her wrist.

"Just where do you think you're going? I'm not done with you!"

The poor girl let out a yelp of pain since the man's grip on her wrist was tight. Upon the sound of her yelp Thorn interfered by grabbing the man by the collar.

"You might be my superior but you're not hers". She began calmly. "She's under my responsibility and I'd appreciate it if you'd let me have a word with her".

The man released his grip on Roxanne knowing Thorn was right. The female released her grip on him too.

"If I didn't admire you're guts I would have punished you and this chick now. Be glad that you know my weak spot Candace or else you would have ended up in the torturing chambers". Said the man and left Thorn and Roxanne alone.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing!?" Snapped Thorn as she pinned Roxanne aggressively against the wall, almost blocking her oxygen.

"I got lost alright!?" Replied Roxanne with the same aggression.

"How on earth can you get lost!? You should be able to recognize your surroundings by now!"

"I'm sorry that you exhaust me every time we're having training sessions and I end up being so tired I can't even press the right button in the elevator!"

Once Roxanne spat out those words Thorn immediately released her.

Silence fell upon the colleagues. That was until Roxanne decided to break it.

"Who are they?" she asked.

"Who are who?" Thorn asked back in confusion.

"Those guys in suit". Explained Roxanne

"Ah... those? They are even more superior than us". Replied Thorn.

"What do you mean?" asked Roxanne again.

"Look Roxy, things are more complicated here than you think. There's a kind of hierarchy. Me and the rest of the trainees you see in there, we are professional assassins. We're high in the rank but not as high as those dudes in suit you see. We are trained by them so we can serve them. Those are something like... inferior bosses. Just like Maximus is, but inferior to him".

"So there's some kind of rank here?"

"Exactly".

"And where am I in this 'rank' thing?" Roxanne asked once again.

"You are just an assassin. Not a professional like me but an assassin inferior to me. You work under my orders". Explained Thorn.

"Are there people bellow me even?"

Thorn thought for a moment before she answered her subordinate's question.

"Well yes there are. There are soon-to-be assassins just like you were when I first met you".

"And is there a possible way anyone can get a promotion?" Roxanne asked for the last time.

Thorn thought about it again.

"Well... if the boss is kind enough then you might be lucky. But as I've noticed Maximus kinda likes you a lot. There's no doubt he'll give you a small promotion someday. If you want my advice tho, there's no need to involve yourself in the underworld hierarchy". And those were Thorn's final words before she returned to her training session.