Kryptonite

The Two Faces

"James, how has your mission been going?" X asked.

"Can I just kill Ron already?" James replied.

"Unfortunately, no," X responded.

It was time for their monthly team status report updates where X sat down with each team (Lauren, Ivan, and James in this case) to discuss how the month has been going on. It is in the meetings that they usually compare kills, go over steps performed, evaluate each other, and converse on current plans for the upcoming missions.

Unfortunately, since James was assigned to Ron, Lauren, Ivan, and he now worked separately. Though they still shared the same dorm, their work-times now conflicted with each other to the point that nowadays they barely saw each other.

James sighed. "My monthly report mostly deals with Nadine since I never see Ron."

"Let's hear it," X said with a nod as he clicked his pen in preparation for what James was about to say.

"It's really not interesting," James warned.

"Still. I need data for your monthly report. As obscure as some of it may seem, it still matters," Ron explained.

"She tried to trap me into getting into an argument with her ex-boyfriend, multiple times. Plan semi-successful. Tried to trick me into getting in trouble with him. Plan failed. She made me carry a sack of rocks. Plan successful. She dropped her water all over the passengers seat of my car. Plan successful. Poured food over my shirt, multiple times. Plan successful. Ran away maybe twice. Plan successful. Made me carry her so she didn't get her shoes wet. Plan successful," James said as his hand crawled over his face in embarrassment at how his report sounded.

"That's....it?" Lauren said as she made a face.

"Why couldn't I have been assigned that mission?" Ivan complained as he glared at X.

"Do you all see why I'm wondering how I'm going to kill Ron?" James expressed. "I went from killing manipulative, evil CEOs to competing with a 22 year old girl over who can outsmart the other. The only fighting I had to do was to save her when things backfired and I think my training is worth more than this," James ranted.

"I...am sorry to hear it isn't going that well," X apologized with a sigh as he finished writing down his notes. "But remember, she's key to getting to Ron. Do as he says and gain his trust and he'll reward you for it."

"How do you know that?" James asked.

"It's typically how it goes," X answered. 

"To be frank, I think I could kill him and Nadine wouldn't care one bit. And I doubt he even cares what happens to her as long as his reputation isn't affected," James stated.

"Patience, James," X responded. "You're still fairly new, but the longer you stay working with them, I'm sure you'll see Ron a lot more and when that time comes," X paused as he took out a gun from his side drawer. Smirking, he loaded it as he pointed at the wall.

Ivan's eyes widened. "Sir, what are you--"

He was unable to finish as X pressed the trigger and laughed as the bullet got stuck in the wall. Shards of plaster began to fall down along with powder and Lauren and Ivan could only watch with mouths wide open at what their leader just did.

It was then that X handed the gun to James and adjusted it in his hands so it too was pointed at the wall.

Unfazed, James wrapped his fingers around the button before placing it back on X's desk.

"Not going to shoot?" X asked.

"Well,  I don't want to damage the wall any more than it already is," James explained. "But when the time comes..." James' lips curved into a smile as he eyed the hole in the wall, pretending it was Ron. "He'll know how my parents and yaya felt when he and his men murdered them in cold blood. He'll try to apologize, but it won't work because before could say anything, it'll be too late," James said menacingly as he gritted his teeth together. "He'll feel the pain I felt all those years and with him dead, I can give my loved ones' death justice."