It was time to go back to the base, Kirsten wasted no time to inform his boss of his success and called him while on the ride to the airport.

“Hello, Kirsten. Did you finally get her on board?” -He asked the moment he answered the call.

“That’s right, sir. We are going back to the airport as we speak, we’ll be back at the base shortly.”

“That’s good, very good indeed.” -He said. Kirsten let a proud smile creep onto his face. Before they ended the call, Kirsten heard a beeping sound in the background. – “Oh…? Hold on Kirsten, it seems someone wants to speak to you.”

“With me? who is it?”

“Commander Conrad. I assume he isn’t very happy with this conclusion.” -Said the boss, making Kirsten frown. The last thing he expected was the immediate suspicion and retaliation from that man.

Still, as an adult and businessman, Kirsten had to face the consequences of his actions and see them through.

“Alright, sir. Put me up with him.”

“Good luck, Kirsten.” -The boss ended the call and linked him with the commander.

“Hello?” -Said Kirsten, feigning ignorance.

“So, it seems the girl has made her choice. Don’t try to hide it, I know she left to follow you.” -Said Conrad, surprisingly calm given his favorite weapon had jumped ship.

“I told you; weapons can be more complex than you give them credit for, Conrad. You didn’t correspond to her wishes, so she decided to come with someone that would do just that.” -Kirsten puffed out his chest.

“Nah. You see, it’s pretty simple, like all children at a certain age, she had the wish to see and explore the outside world, and then you came by and promised the moon to her. I’m a patient man, Eyler, once she’s seen everything she needs to see, she’ll come back to us, maybe not tomorrow, but she’ll come back. Until then, we’ll make due with what we’ve got, so no worries and no hard feelings.”

“I’m glad you are taking this with so much calm, Mr. Conrad. Thanks for your comprehension.” – Kirsten suspected there was more to the fact that Conrad seemed so confident that she’d get bored at some point and return to him.

“Welp, since she’s already with you. I’m going to give you the one piece of advice you’ll find the most useful.” -Conrad’s tone became somber. – “…Do not make her kill someone she doesn’t want to, and if it isn’t too much trouble, don’t try to stop her from killing someone she does want to kill. Just let her loose, and she’ll be your best friend.”

“…Got it. I’ll keep that in mind.” -He said, taking the severity of his words as a sign of things to come.

“Good…well, you know what you are doing. From one professional to another, I wish you luck.”

“(Everyone seems to have good wishes for me these days.)” -Thought Kirsten. – “I appreciate it, commander.”

“Feed her so much she falls in love with you. Don’t let her starve, or she’ll go looking for her own food.” – Said Conrad, right before ending the call.

Kirsten put the phone back in his pocket. –“(What the hell did he mean by that?)”-For some reason he had a feeling he didn’t mean to feed her with actual food.

“Did you hear that, Alicia?” -He asked while turning his head around, but was stopped by Emilia.

“Don’t look back, Kirsten.” -She warned. – “I haven’t finished treating her yet.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Let a girl have her privacy.” -She replied as she tended to Alicia’s wounds with the first aid kit they had at hand in the car. Emilia didn’t like her much, but still wanted to help her preserve her dignity.

Alicia’s body, from her arms to all around her torso, was riddled with scars of varying sizes and antiquity caused by gunshots, burns and cuts, both deep and superficial. They were all done during combat by the people who managed to get close enough to attack, or the ones who had the best accuracy out of all the people she engaged in firefights with.

“Who did this to you?” -She asked, surprised that someone her age was capable of withstanding this amount of cruelty and punishment.

“Enemies…dead enemies.” -She replied.

Kirsten felt like he should say something, but he decided to not push his luck and keep his eyes on the road alongside his driver, who had no attention for anything else.

The other killers were peculiar in their own way, with their own woes and memories to bear, even if they didn’t show it at first glance; She was no different.

However, Kirsten wondered if, even having walked down the path he had taken, he could withstand the darkness inside their hearts, even if he couldn’t stand his own.

But all in all, everything that mattered was that he had succeeded. Now, it was time to return home and determine their next move.

The journey was uneventful, and in little to no time they were already in the air in a private jet, heading towards The Organization’s headquarters, located in the Alaskan mountains.

Alicia had lost a lot of blood, but somehow managed to compensate it with an adrenaline shot that Emilia administered to her. If anything, both Kirsten and Emilia commended her for her superhuman resilience.

The plane’s personnel provided Alicia with a simple change of clothes to get rid of her damaged and bloodied attire. For the first time in a long while, Alicia was capable of wearing something different to military fatigues.

After they took off, the agents on the ground burned the clothes inside a barrel.

Kirsten and Emilia remained focused on their job during the journey, him sorting out information with his laptop while she received the important calls and reports on other currently ongoing operations. Alicia remained silent throughout most of the journey, only interacting with Ten in her own inner world where no one could hear them.

It was always up to Ten to make Alicia behave and feel like a normal adolescent when she wasn’t working or interacting with nasty people, to make sure she didn’t go awry like many times in the past. She, being part of her mind, understood that Alicia needed even the littlest moment of peace she could find, more than anyone else, and a day long travel would suffice.

From time-to-time Kirsten would turn to look at her, sitting on a chair next to the window, he wondered if she was just sleeping or meditating.

“(Weirdly enough, she may be just as calm as The Chain.)” -He thought, referring to the second killer he recruited; he was surprised they weren’t brother and sister.

She suddenly opened her eyes and turned to look at him. For the moment, that violent spirit residing in her eyes seemed to be asleep.

“Do you have something to read?” -She asked.

“Sure. Ask the stewardess.” -He said while signaling the stewardess to approach.

“Did you want something, miss?” -She asked, trying to not show her intense discomfort from being in her presence.

“Do you have books in this plane?” -

“Of course, we got a small collection for readers here. Give me a moment.”

The stewardess walked back to the front and searched through one of the closets for the collection they had on board, a varied selection of fiction and non-fiction books for all interests and ages.

She put the books in a cart and went back to see if any of them piqued her interest.

“Do you see something that interests you, miss?”

She looked at the books’ titles and decided for one that was already in her reading list.

“Beowulf! I’ll read that one.”

The stewardess handed the book to her and walked away with the cart.

Kirsten felt the need to make a comment.

“You know, your commander made it seem like you barely had a proper education. When we first talked, I was impressed that you could sustain a normal conversation with me.”

“Was like that…5 years ago.” -She said. – “Someone in the base made himself responsible of my education. The things he taught me helped relieve my boredom.”

“Boredom?”

“Training all day can get dull sometimes. Reading is a good way to kill time.”

“Ah. Would have never thought you were an avid reader.”

“I don’t consider myself one.”

“Is he trying to get to know you?”

“(Just curiosity from his part, I assume.)”

The both of them were far from trusting Kirsten, but they would have enough time to form a sense of comradery, or at least that’s what he was aiming for.

Kirsten went back to his own business, and was about to get immersed in his work when Alicia broke the ice between them.

“What can you tell me about the people you want me to kill?”

Kirsten leaned on his chair and looked up to the roof, searching for the best words to define their enemies.

“I’m sure you have dealt with a lot of people like them in the past. While you were in the desert you had to kill many slavers, rapists, arsonists, cultists and the like, correct?”

“Yeah, sort of.”

“These people are no different. What sets them apart from the savages that you murdered in Iraq is that they are good at hiding their intentions and perverse emotions. They’ll keep a straight and innocent face while they execute a handful of innocents, profit from a hundred patients’ deaths, mutilate someone just because it gives them a hard on, stuff like that.”

“The worst ones are the ones with power. They are the best at hiding their monstruous nature, hiding it under piles of money. This also makes them hard to approach and kill.” -Commented Emilia.

“That’s right. Don’t let them fool you once you have them on a corner. Despite everything, they understand humanity better than anyone, and will try to appeal to yours, even if they don’t have one, to make you desist on your attempt at killing them, only to stab you in the back once given the chance.”

Alicia tilted her head and held her chin, muttering:

“They aren’t so different then…”

“Conrad said you have relaxed ever since you left those days behind. But I’d recommend you to regain a bit of that edge so you can see your missions through.”

“Right.”

“Don’t get too far ahead of yourself, Kirsten.” -Said Emilia, cutting short his enthusiasm. – “Remember that we must do some tests on her before we formally introduce her to the organization.”

“Tests?” -Asked Alicia, concerned that it was the kind of tests that involve syringes.

“Ah, they are just a matter of protocol, some specialists will make a range of your physical and psychological attributes with some exams, nothing too drastic. We won’t perform blood tests on you if you don’t want to.”

“…I appreciate that.” -She said. At least she had the privilege of skipping that pain.

“Try to get along with the rest of the personnel, got it?” -He asked for his own sake.

“Sure.”

Kirsten was eager to see her results, even if he had already witnessed first-hand the range of her skill back in Sweden.

Once they landed in Alaska, they boarded off and headed to the base in a helicopter. Kirsten was received like a long gone relative, while the base’s personnel treated Alicia with wariness, like they did with all the other killers with horrifying backgrounds in the base.

Kirsten stood at Alicia’s side and raised his hand.

“Here it is, welcome to the Men of the World’s headquarters.”

“A base in the mountains?” -She asked.

“We have bases and hideouts all around the world, but you could say this one is the most important. This place used to be a facility for the creation of life-terminating weaponry, but we took it over and use it for…healthier purposes, I suppose.”

“I’ll abstain from touching anything that looks important.” -She said, not liking the kind of story that facility had.

“Don’t worry much about it.”

Alicia was escorted by the personnel while Kirsten followed them closely.

Half a day passed while the medical staff took charge of healing Alicia’s wounds and making sure that she wasn’t feeling frail or sick; if that had been the case, they would have made her stay in the medical ward for extensive treatment for the rest of the day, but just like with Kirsten and Emilia, they learned with great interest about her resilience. Not many people had such a strong willpower, even among the assassins.

They patched her up with proper tools and proper medical skills and told her to not do any overstimulating activities for the rest of the day. Alicia nodded and walked out of the ward.

Once she was away, Kirsten walked in to have a talk with the medical chief.

“That’s a quite peculiar lady you brought in, Mr. Eyler.” -Commented the chief. – “I’ve never seen someone so lively, even for her age when they are at their most active.”

“She has quite the reputation, and I witnessed how tough she was when we met. In any case, what do you think of her?”

“I can’t make many observations about her specifically.” -She replied. – “But there’s a lot to say about her physical condition.”

“Share the details with me.”

“Her entire body has been honed and toughened up with extensive, intense training, that much is apparent from a glance. We would have to subject her to a series of exercises to get an estimate of her strength, agility and reflexes, so we’ll have to talk with the personnel in the training area later.”

“I see.”

“Speaking of her body, well…I don’t know if I should comment about this.”

“You are talking about the scars? Emilia mentioned them to me already.”

“Yes, she has a lot of them, all around her body, caused by multiple methods like lacerations and gunshots. It’s safe to say she’s got a lot of experience in combat.”

“The boss counts on that.”

“…If I may speak freely, sir. I’m very critical of the fact the organization decided to bring a child soldier to serve as an assassin. It goes beyond of what unethical practices entail. Can I ask why the Man of the Sunflowers would approve this decision at all?”

“You see, Ms. Salvador, the boss decided to bring her in because of her skills, regardless of her age. I assume you worry about her well-being, right?”

“Any self-respecting medical specialist would worry when taking a look at her. In a way, this organization is taking advantage of her. She may be “The Butcher”, she may be the murderer of God knows how many people, but that doesn’t give us the right to enable her harmful behavior.”

“Well, I…” -Kirsten wanted to argue, but Ms. Salvador raised her hand, interrupting him.

“…But I know that my objections are insignificant in the face of the organization’s goals. I wouldn’t have joined if I couldn’t accept that. Besides, I get the feeling she would take offense to what I’ve said about her, trying to treat her like a normal girl.”

“Yeah…I too had that feeling before.”

“I’ll support her in the only way I know, just like I already do with the rest of the group. Up until now, you and the handlers haven’t brought in killers that are perverted, twisted or monstrous in nature. As long as the organization doesn’t compromise its own values, the nurses and I will continue to accompany you in your journey.”

“I see. Thanks Ms. Salvador.”

“Don’t mention it. Now, go catch up to her.”

The doctor turned around and walked back into the medical ward.

Kirsten went back on his steps to follow Alicia to the next examination; she was going to be interviewed by a psychologist and get her profile. Like with the other tests, it was just a formality, they wouldn’t kick her out if the psychologist was to find her mentally unstable; there was no point to be selective.

An hour passed, Kirsten found himself waiting inside a control room, looking at Alicia being interviewed by one of the group’s therapists formulating a few questions to her to attain a diagnosis as accurate as possible.

In that control room he was accompanied by a couple of operators who controlled a set of panels purposed to monitor Alicia’s heart rate, stress and aggression levels, and other indicatives that would hint at the interview going poorly.

The interview ended successfully and the doctor got up from his chair.

“I’ll leave the room for a moment, please wait here.”

“Sure.” -She replied, and he left the room to have a quick chat with Kirsten.

When they met face to face, Kirsten was the first to talk.

“So, what do you think, sir?”

The doctor took his glasses off and tried to be as honest as possible.

“Well, where to begin? …Quick witted, of few words, marked anti-social tendencies and there’s a very likely chance she suffers from a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder. She didn’t lower her guard during the whole interview, not even for a second. She always kept her eyes on me and my hands…she perceived me as a threat no matter how amicable I tried to make myself look like. Did she behave like this with you when you met her, sir?”

Kirsten remembered the vision of himself being decapitated, but determined it was better to not bring that up with the doctor to not worsen his impression of her.

“Hm, let’s say she did, yes.”

“It’s not surprising. I understand that she was in a fierce combat zone. I can only shudder at the thought of the things she must have seen and done there. Honestly, Mr. Eyler, in my opinion as a professional, she’s not fit to work in this group. A person like her should be in a rehabilitation center, receiving the help she needs to reintroduce herself into society.”

“…You see, Mr. Clarke, I got the feeling that there’s nothing she would hate more than being reintroduced to society.” -Commented Kirsten, supporting himself on the things she said during the interview.

“She’s in no position to determine that for herself. I may have little power, but at least I’m entitled to share my point of view, just like with the other two that you brought in. They are all so young and already involved in such a grim profession.”

“It’s a dark world out there, and those kids are a product of it.”

“…Yes…I suppose that’s right.” -Said Dr. Clarke. – “Still, it’s such a waste. She’s a young lady with a fine intellect, she could’ve graduated from a prestigious academy if things were different, the same could be said for the others, honestly.”

“I think so too.”

“I suppose it would be too much to ask for you to make sure they lead more normal lives once all of this is over, Mr. Eyler.”

Kirsten didn’t want to shrug off his words so easily, that would be unceremonious of him.

“I wouldn’t have many hopes, doctor Clarke, but if we are all still alive by the end of this…I’ll see what I can do.”

“That’s all I’m asking for. I’m going to wrap up the interview and let her go now.”

Clarke went back into the room and continued his talk with Alicia.

“So, if you don’t mind me asking, what do you seek to obtain from working with the organization.”

“…Not something I expect to get soon.”

“But what is it?”

“There’s people out there…they got something I want, but it’s not something that you can grasp.”

“You mean it’s something else? Something…intangible?”

“Yes…let’s call it…a feeling.”

“A feeling?”

“They have it, and I want it.”

“But what happens once you find this “feeling”?”

“…It’s enough for me to know that I’m doing a good job.”

“You mean…”

Alicia tilted her head. –“…Is it wrong?”

“No, I won’t judge you for the way you live your life…however, I would also like you to consider that there’s many other things for you to do. You don’t have to lead this lifestyle, you are still young, you can choose.”

“I can’t stop, not now.”

“Why is that?”

“I’d be leaving my work unfinished.”

The doctor was surprised at her response. He could only imagine the things she would do in the future.

After that test, it should’ve been the end of it given Alicia’s current condition and Ms. Salvador’s recommendations, but the rest of the organization didn’t see it like that. Right after coming out of the psych evaluation, she was approached by two agents who were ordered to escort her to the training grounds.

“No, she cannot exert herself as she is now, doctor’s orders.” -Said Kirsten. –“Tell Darius to postpone the test.”

“He insists, sir.” -Said one of the agents. –“Mr. Darius wants to see The Butcher in action ASAP, he doesn’t care about her current condition.”

“But that’s…” -Kirsten wanted to keep on protesting, but Alicia had other plans.

“It’s ok.” -She said. She turned back to look at him. –“It’s just a test.”

“…the stitches may bust Alicia, you may bleed.” -He said.

“I won’t.” -She said. Alicia walked forward, telling the agents silently to lead the way. –“Stuff like this won’t make me work for it.”

Kirsten was left there, in the middle of hallway, dealing with his own disbelief. He didn’t know Darius was such an impatient person. Like a child, he wanted to see his new toy in action right after buying it.

Usually, for other newcomers they would first have to pass a hand-to-hand combat test, proving their martial prowess, but Kirsten’s report made clear it wouldn’t be necessary. Besides, they didn’t have no one in her age and weight category that could even stand up against her for over a minute.

So, in her case, the organization would directly skip to the firearms combat simulation.

Alicia was escorted to the weapons’ training room. There, she found herself standing before a replica of a maze-like warehouse, designed for teaching their agents about combat tactics and how to handle close quarter shootouts.

Kirsten headed to the observation cabin overlooking the area where he would be able to see the session from a panoramic view. Besides him sat one of the officers and chief operator: Adam Bonde, who had helped himself to a bottle of wine to watch the session more comfortably.

The man looked intrigued as the trainer instructed Alicia on what they were going to do.

“So that’s the legendary Butcher.” -He said. – “…I don’t know, I was expecting that killer to be a man and more…adult, so to speak.”

“I was just as surprised as you are, sir.” -Responded Kirsten, sitting next to him on a metal chair. –“When I first saw her I thought her commander was trying to pull my leg, but a few days later she proved to me she was the real deal.”

“Oh yeah, I heard she was attacked by a mysterious group of professionals. I’ve put some operators on the case to discover who they were affiliated with. I already have some ideas on who they may be, but still, the fact that they knew where she was is quite concerning.”

“Do you think…?” -Kirsten wanted to complete that question, but the chief had already read his mind.

“I don’t want to put suspicions on our own group, but it’s a very present possibility. You must be wary of who you trust from now on.” – The chief made a pause and looked back down. –“…It seems like they are about to begin.”

Kirsten focused his attention on the training grounds, Alicia stepped forward, prepared for the task ahead.

The trainer explained to Alicia what the test was about:

“I heard that you were a little expert gunslinger, so this should be a walk in the park for ya’. See, you’ll be walking into this replica of a warehouse, it includes resting rooms, bathrooms, corridors and a basement; the full package. In there, you’ll engage in a firefight with a group of agents whose only objective is to take you down. If you are as good as the stories say, you’ll be able to eliminate all of them within the time limit.”

“Oh, well, just another day-to-day thing.”

“Eliminate them, you say…” -Alicia already had a very different idea of what that test was about in her mind.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, lass. You’ll be using red paint bullets to simulate you are shooting them. This is a test, and we are a serious organization, we are not some Darwinist cult.”

“I see. Alright then.”

Alicia adjusted the laces of her boots and stretched her arms.

“Let’s not make Ms. Salvador worried about us, ok Ali?”

“I’ll do my best.”

Everyone in the training area suddenly noticed that the upper cabins were getting full with onlookers. Many people in the organization, from mere employees to veteran agents, wanted to see the legendary Butcher of Iraq in action, or whatever came close to that; even a training drill would suffice.

Alicia loaded the replica FN pistol and waited for the signal to get in.

“How many am I facing again?” -She asked the trainer behind her, controlling the panel to open and close the door.

“It’s a group of twelve. We normally use a group of six for the other initiates, but the higher ups are giving you a special treatment.” -He chuckled, already anticipating what was going to happen. – “Good luck, Butcher.”

The door slid open, letting her walk in. Once she was inside, a bell announced the beginning of the test, and both parties were supposed to have silence to concentrate on the task at hand, but the silence was quickly broken by the mass of viewers in the cabins above, shouting and cheering, some for Alicia and others for the opposing team.

“Go, Butcher! Show us what you’ve got!”

“Miles, give that bitch a lesson!”

“Kick their ass, Butcher!”

“Humiliate that monster!”

“Hey, we got some fans! I feel so famous now!”

“(They should go look at something else.)”

The strike team advanced in groups of three through the corridors. Alicia took a deep breath and rushed forward.

While Alicia advanced through a narrow corridor, she heard movement from the other side of the wall to the right.

“They are there.”

“We have to find a way around.”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

“According to whom?”

Alicia closed her fist and punched a hole in the wall, throwing one of the agents off balance and raising up a lot of dust. Afterwards, she shot through the hole, nailing the one on the ground twice and the one next to him in the leg. She quickly pulled back before the other agents could get a clear shot on her.

“I’m hit.” -Declared the agent on the ground, his vest now stained with a bright red color. Everyone in the training zone could hear the viewers complaining about what happened.

“He never told me I couldn’t do that.” -Said Alicia as she moved on.

She quickly made her way to the dining area where she met face to face with a squad who opened fire the moment they spotted her.

Alicia took cover behind a pillar, two agents dashed towards her while one of them stayed behind, applying pressure with his gun.

She waited for the two agents to come closer before peeking out by the right angle and shooting one of them, then feinting forward, then backwards to evade the bullets of the incoming agent and shooting him too. Afterwards, she crawled under one of the tables to get out of the remaining agent’s vision field. Realizing this, the agent tried to reposition himself to find a clear shot on her, but he suddenly felt a sharp pain on his ankle, making him lose his balance and fall on his knee.

It took him no time to realize that Alicia had shot him in the ankle to have a clear view of his head before staining his face with red paint.

“Miles!!!” -Yelled one of the viewers in the crowd when he got hit with the paint ball.

Another team rushed into the room and forced Alicia to run to the second floor. While going up the stairs she stumbled upon another agent, shot him twice and kicked him down the stairs.

The audience was going crazy, they couldn’t believe what they were seeing, experienced combat agents were having a hard time against a single teenager.

The other two were waiting for her in the second floor, when they came out of their cover, Alicia kept on the run while taking shots at them, hitting them in the legs and shoulders; even if it wasn’t a straight shot, it was still valid for a hit and disqualifying them.

But before she thought she was done there, the last one from the squad pounced at her and pinned her on the ground.

“Like hell I’m losing!” -He said while placing his knee in her chest and pinning her right arm with his left hand, then he drew out his own pistol.

He aimed for her head and pulled the trigger, but she managed to move her head out of the line of fire, evading the paint bullet at point blank range, then she reached out to his collar and used her lower body’s strength to push up and turn around.

The agent hit the ground with his back, and before he could react, Alicia placed two red stains in his vest, defeating him and then shooting another agent coming up the stairs.

Her fans were cheering and the haters were booing, raging like crazy.

Two agents took shots at her from the first floor, she jumped over the rails and nailed them while on the fall and landing on a table.

She thought she could have a moment to catch her breath but suddenly another agent came out from under the table, but she was able to shoot him before he could raise his gun. While she was distracted, another one came out of hiding and held her by the arms, dragging her down the table, resisting her as she struggled while another one came out from behind a pillar ready to take her down.

“Oh no, not yet!” -Said Ten as she took control and threw her weight to the side violently, forcing the agent out of balance and catching his partner’s bullets with the back of his vest, then slid out from under the one holding her back and rushing towards the shooter, evading his line of fire, approaching him with leaps and vaults.

“(All yours sis!)”

“Hmph!”

Alicia quickly raised her gun and shot the pistol out of his hands, stopped her sprint abruptly in front of him and shot three bullets to his vest, depleting the pistol’s mag completely.

“That was way more than just twelve.” -She said out loud, to see if she could get an explanation from the agent in front of her, to which he just shrugged; he was just as puzzled as her.

An alarm roared through the warehouse. - “Seems like we have a winner!” -The trainer announced through the speaker. Both cheers and insults fought for dominance over the ambience. Alicia was confused as she heard both praises and curses thrown at her; she had never experienced something like this before, nor was she accustomed to hear her alias being thrown with such a positive emotion behind it.

“...They played dirty.”

“In any case, we won their little challenge. Now, I wonder what our reward will be.”

Alicia was ready to walk out of the warehouse when suddenly another one of the agents entered the room and pulled out a real pistol, Alicia was capable of telling the difference from a glance.

She quickly dropped to the ground, evading him as he shot carelessly. The crowd was confused.

“What are you doing!? Stop!” -Yelled the agent in the room to try and stop his partner, but he quickly turned towards him and shot him in the leg.

Kirsten jumped out of his seat and was ready to go down and intervene, but Alicia had everything under control. She managed to sneak into the agent’s blind spot and ambush him, grabbing him by the arm and throwing him over her back with a judo grapple, disarming him.

She held him on the ground at gunpoint while the help arrived.

“What’s the deal with you, fam!?” -Asked Ten, taking a hold of Alicia’s tongue, but the agent laughed hysterically instead of answering.

His eyes darted around with hysteria and his chest puffed violently with his maniacal laughter.

“What is wrong with you?” -Alicia asked out loud, just then the security staff arrived.

“Get up now, leave this to us.” -Said the operator, setting her aside and putting the agent under arrest.

They put handcuffs on him and dragged him out of the training zone, all the while the man struggled and tried to escape from their firm grips.

Kirsten and the chief operator had witnessed it all, the former seemed rather confused like everyone else in the crowd while the chief seemed unimpressed.

“I guess this confirms my suspicions.” -He said while getting up from his chair. –“We got traitors in the organization, and that girl you brought in seems to have pushed them to action.”

He drank the last bit of wine in his glass and looked at Kirsten.

“You better stay alert now, Eyler, keep an eye out on those you don’t trust and those you do too, and I shall do the same for myself while my men solve this conspiracy.”

“Traitors in the organization, how could this be? I thought we made thorough background checks on everyone!”

“Maybe a few rogue assets came past us.” -Said the chief. –“However…sometimes the infiltrators don’t come from the other side, instead they choose to become infiltrators at some point.”

“You mean…”

“Yes. It’s all a matter of why people choose to switch sides…and what they are willing to do to achieve it.”

He walked past Kirsten, heading out, but not before making a comment about what he had just seen.

“That girl you brought in is something else, alright. Fighting hand to hand against fifteen experienced agents all by her lonesome, pinning down men twice her height, punching through walls... You know…that’s not something a normal girl can do, not by a long stretch.”

“I’m aware of that, and I’m curious too.” -Said Kirsten, watching as Alicia walks out of the fake warehouse and gives back the trainer the replica Five Seven.

“This goes beyond military training pushing someone’s limits. My instinct tells me there’s something else about her, something she’s hiding. It would be good to know what it is.” -Suggested the chief and then walked away.

“(Yes, it’s something beyond that.)” -Thought Kirsten, reminiscing about the spectacle she had just given everyone in the training area. – “(…Something powerful.)”

Shortly after, Kirsten walked down to the training area to meet up with Alicia once again. She was standing right in front of the entrance to the fake warehouse. She suddenly sat on the ground and Kirsten realized something was wrong.

Alicia’s shirt got damped with her own blood in multiple spots; the stitches had come undone and her wounds reopened.

“Get out of the way!” -Kirsten was shoved to the side by Ms. Salvador, rushing in alongside her nurses to help Alicia.

Salvador quickly crouched besides her, holding onto a first aid kit. She looked up to the instructor in charge and didn’t waste the chance to complain for her sake. –“I told you people, she needed rest!” -She said.

“That’s not on me broad, that’s on the boss!” -He said, washing his hands off the whole matter and walking away.

Doctor Salvador opened the first aid kit and used a pair of scissors to quickly tear Alicia’s shirt off and see the wounds. –“Why did you agree to this? you were in no condition to fight, I told you that already!” -She said, in disbelief by Alicia’s imprudence and lack of consideration for herself.

“I could handle it.” -Replied Alicia. –“I knew I could handle it…and I did it.”

Salvador and her nurses wrapped her wounds with gauze and helped her get back up. –“Stop trying to put up a tough front, child.” -She said. –“You are wounded, and wounded people must not overexert their bodies like you just did.” –She sighed. –“You will come with us to the sick ward, and you’ll stay there until the wounds have properly closed.”

Ten pretended to cry. –“No one has worried so much for us before! bless you, doctor!”

“(I suppose I should have listened to her…I don’t like making people like her angry.)”

Alicia walked away being escorted by Salvador and her nurses. –“Now, do you like orange juice, dear?”

“Can’t say I dislike it…” -Said Alicia

“Good, we’ll give you lots of it.”

“Standard procedure?”

“It’s just that good…”

“I see…”

Kirsten watched in silence as the scene unfolded, none of them seemed to acknowledge his presence either.

He had failed Alicia by not standing her ground against the boss’ orders, even if Alicia didn’t mind. No matter what, he wanted to make sure this situation wouldn’t happen again.

Knowing her she would heal up quickly enough, just in time for her first job, it was time to take care of the paperwork.

Kirsten walked through the hallways, heading towards the resting zone of the facility, when he suddenly stumbled upon another handler.

He was younger than him, but had a stern and stubborn look in his eyes, he didn’t like Kirsten even if Kirsten didn’t have anything bad to say about him. That was the kind of person Matthew Richter was, laying out his judgements before you could even notice he’s pointing his finger at you.

“So, you managed to bring that girl here.” -He said, skipping all politeness and formality. –“Are you really going to do this, Eyler? Do you really think you can hold the reins of a mass murderer and expect her to do your bidding?”

“What? You speak of her as if she was just a mindless monster.” -Replied Kirsten, almost feeling offended by what he was implying.

“That’s because she is, Eyler. No matter how calm she may appear or how agreeable she is with our goals. She rampaged, all by herself somehow, throughout Iraq and killed so many people, civilians and combatants alike, tore them to shreds, and burned it all to the ground, there’s nothing to salvage from that country anymore.”

“I know all of that, but it was the boss’ wish for her to come aboard, it wasn’t up to me.”

“That excuse will only get you so far Kirsten. You know that she’s the kind of assassin that our enemies hire.”

“Come on now…”

“I’m dead serious. That is the reason we reached out to so many of them so far, The Imperium has its own net of assassins for hire, one more dangerous than the other, inhumane, unexplainable, with supernatural abilities, that’s why no other group has stood a chance against them so far. But one thing they all have in common has been their depravity, their savagery, monsters like that do not act out on greed, they relish on violence; the worst humanity has to offer.” -Matthew made a quick pause, breathing in and trying to contain his disconformity. –“…And you are telling me the boss wanted one of those animals here? I don’t know…this can only mean one thing to me.”

“Matthew, you better choose your words wisely now. Depending on what you say…” -Kirsten wanted to issue his warning, but Matthew already had enough of that conversation.

“I’m just saying, man. I know you aren’t too up your ass to not see the writing on the wall. I do see it myself, and I’m planning accordingly before the storm catches me off guard.” -He said and then walked away.

He had made the grave mistake of making his position clear to Kirsten. After hearing the chief operator’s advice, he was planning to keep it in mind at all moments and with everyone around him.

Kirsten didn’t want to think of the possibility, but the organization wasn’t safe anymore.

Two more days passed, and after a load of paperwork and getting the boss’ sign and delivering it to the tech team, Alicia became officially an assassin employed by the Men of the World. Her name and alias were added to the database, along with a rank recommended by the medical chief, the trainer and the chief operator alike: “A”, making her suitable for the most dangerous missions the organization had to offer, but still a long way from becoming a grade S, the group of assassins that answered to the boss directly.

At noon, the report was delivered to Kirsten’s office and he read through it.

“(Huh…I thought she was eligible to be an S rank.)” -He thought, feeling a bit disappointed. It was as if he had participated in a pet contest with his prideful dog and only got second place. – “(In any case, that should be enough. All it matters is that she’s with us.)”

He got up from his chair and stretched his back, he looked out the window, admiring the snowy landscape that extended beyond the base. For Kirsten, the world felt small sometimes, he always had the impression he had been in a place before, even if he didn’t know about it at all.

His former profession had left him jaded, with a crescent apathy, knowing that the ones that forced him to become the person he was were still alive, breathing and laughing to their hearts content.

“(Alright…it’s time to get back at them.)” -He thought and picked up his phone, calling Alicia in her room; with time she would earn enough money to buy her own hideout which would suit her own needs, but for the moment, she would stay close to them.

She answered the call after a few seconds.

“Kirsten?”

“Hello, Alicia. Now that you are one of us, it’s time to get to work.”

“I was wondering when you’d say that.” -She said, getting excited about the days ahead.

“We must play our hand while we still have the advantage, so I must play my role so the boss can focus on the most important strategies. Now, come to my office, we have a lot to talk about.”

He ended the call and waited for Alicia while going over his usual paperwork about the other assassins he recruited, for they were already out there on their own missions.

Alicia was lying in her bed, amassing enough strength and energy to get through the day. She was already getting accustomed to the peace and quietness that the base in the mountains offered, but she always knew that it wasn’t some sort of resort with all paid expenses. She was a worker, a killer; she, the blade, had changed masters. Deep inside, she hoped this one would allow her to cut those she was looking for.

She was tired of dealing with the parasites’ puppets, thinking that’s the way you wage a real war. She knew better, and was going to show it to them.

Alicia got up from the bed and put on her new clothes, including her customized jacket issued to her by the assassins’ division. She was thankful for the newfound privacy, and hoped it would be like this for some more time.

“(It’s time to work.)”

“You got it, sister! Let’s see what the old man has in store for us. You’ll have a lot to shoot…!”

“(And you a lot to cut.)”

“As the way it should be.”

Alicia walked out of the room and headed to his office at the other end of the complex, walking past a blonde woman she assumed was another assassin like her.

She didn’t mind her at first, but then she caught her whispering to herself while walking away.

“…She’s…an angel?”

Alicia stopped walking and looked back, watching the blonde woman going her own way.

“…What was that about?”

“I don’t think it’s that important, let’s get going.”

“Right…”

Alicia moved forward to her destination. The woman who walked past her crouched near the corner of the hallway, uncapable of holding her tears of excitement.

She had seen something that wasn’t obvious to Alicia, or to anyone else. She would not tell anyone and keep the secret closed in her heart.

Finally, after so long, she felt as if her faith had been validated and rewarded. She had to think about what to do now that she had encountered a real angel.

Alicia arrived at the office and took a seat in front of him.

“Glad you could come by. I’m sure you were starting to wonder if I really recruited you to do some wetwork at all.”

“I was willing to be patient.” – She said.

“I see, thank you for that. Anyway, let’s talk business. Last time I spoke with Floyd, he mentioned I must not force your hand to kill someone that you don’t want to kill.”

“…It’s good that he told you about that.” -She traced her right cheek’s scar with her fingers unconsciously.

“Yes, and the boss also agrees on that. It’s fairly obvious to us that you work better with certain targets, that’s why we’d like you to take care of certain jobs. If the stories told about you have a figment of truth, I assume that you are not very fond of criminals of the slaver type…”

Alicia’s expression perked up for a moment, Kirsten had caught her interest successfully.

“Sex traffickers, child traffickers, organ traffickers, I guess you have your own story with them.”

Alicia tilted her head to the side. – “A long one.”-She looked at her hands as if they were still covered in blood. – “But don’t be too selective for my sake. Whoever they are, I’ll kill them.”

“Hmm…I’m glad you are so enthusiastic.” -Said Kirsten, trying to brush off the air of dangerousness coming from her. – “If that’s the case, I think you’ll like this one.”

Kirsten presented a file to her with all the information they had on the target, his group and criminal activities.

“We’ll send you to Mexico, the boss wants you to debut in the underworld by targeting a hotshot in the world of child trafficking. His name is Robert Schmidt, an Ex-CIA operative, at least he’s an ex-operative on paper. He’s in charge of a human trafficking ring that operates near the Mexican-US border. Under direct orders of the CIA’s higher spheres, he gathered all the human wastes and convicts he could find to run his crime syndicate.”

While he talked, Alicia skimmed through the pages, absorbing the information.

“He makes his living by targeting families trying to cross the border, specifically the younger members of said families. His men kill their parents and any other adult companion and take the children away. He breaks them, tortures them in any way you can think, preparing them to pack them up in a neat little package and sending them to the wealthiest bidder.”

Inside the file there was a photo of one of such children tucked up in a package, he had died because of asphyxiation.

“Recently, a party has been trying to loosen up the immigration policies to the point of making them inexistent, in other words, to just open the borders and let immigrants flow in. On paper, this is a humanitarian act, but in reality, this only serves to give Mr. Schmidt a bigger workload and fatter pay off. Imagine that, a huge wave of undocumented children, with no one to come around and ask for them once they are gone, ready for the taking to please the needs of the most depraved and rich men up there in Washington.” -Kirsten got up his chair and served himself some coffee from the machine in a corner of his office. – “It’s hard to imagine men like him even exist outside of dark fantasy, but they do.”

Alicia held Robert’s photograph against the light of the lamp on the table.

“…So he’s the type…” -She said in a whisper. Afterwards, she raised her thumb up to her mouth and bit her nail, he could notice a small hint of excitation in her face.

Kirsten saw something unusual in her glare. The beast had awakened, but it seemed to just be calm while telling its story.

“…I wonder…” -She muttered.

Just then, Kirsten could swear he saw something paranormal. For a brief moment, it seemed like Alicia’s facial scars were glowing with a somber crimson red, and the glow disappeared just as quick as it had shown itself.

“…I wonder if he’s any different?” -She said. – “Do you want his head?”

Kirsten sat back on his chair, and no matter how he sat he felt uncomfortable.

“Ehh…I don’t think that will be necessary.” -Alicia seemed disappointed to hear that. -“Assassinating him will suffice. Also, make sure to release the captured people you find and let them out. Killing a slaver and not releasing the slaves would defeat the initial purpose, right?”

“Of course.” -She stretched her legs and got up. –“…And how will I find this man?”

Kirsten looked through his desk’s drawer and took out another file. – “I was wondering when you’d ask that. Like all crime syndicates, they have their own net of associates, contacts and people that overall can get things done.” -Kirsten showed her the photo of another man. –“His name is Juan Mendoza, native of the country, obviously. He walks around, jumping from both sides of the border, making deals with disgruntled parents sunk in debt or desperation to sell their children to the syndicate. You’d think that someone couldn’t be so convincing, that’s where his prodigious silver tongue comes in.”

Kirsten noticed Alicia’s left eye twitching; at some point, he had said something that put her off.

“…I see.” -She crossed her arms and sharpened her eyes, that thing behind her glare seemed to be livelier than ever. – “Parents selling their kids, huh?”

“It’s heinous, inhumane, I know. But it falls in the hands of someone else to enact judgement on them.” -Then, Kirsten noticed the air becoming heavier around Alicia, just like that time at her garden. She was putting up pressure on her surroundings, discharging her strength.

“You think so?” -She asked.

Kirsten could feel it as his blood ran colder and colder.

“Eh…ok, let’s keep going. Take a look at this.” -Kirsten showed her some photographs of a group of armed individuals, some others that appeared to be civilians, but they had that insidious glare that gave away their perverted intentions. –“Schmidt hires all kinds of thugs and lowlifes to keep an eye on the extensions of his syndicate, however, we are aware that he keeps a highly trained group of men on standby that will come running if he ever calls for them. they are all ex-military or mercs that stay around because he pays well and regularly, they are also armed to the teeth, so you may want to be as discreet as possible, so he won’t have a reason to call for them to defend him.”

“Highly trained soldiers, you say...” -She said, almost wanting to scoff at the highly trained soldiers she was seeing in those photos. For her, those terms aside from soldier meant hardly anything – “…Won’t make a difference.”

Once again, he caught a glimpse of the crimson glow.

“In any case. That’s all we got on them. You’ll depart tomorrow, you can do whatever you want until then.”

With that said, Alicia got up from her chair.

“Good, I’ll prepare then. See you later, Kirsten.”

“Sure.”

Alicia left the office, and now Kirsten could allow himself to feel unsettled.

“(…That glow)” -He was completely sure it wasn’t just his imagination. – “(I feel like I’ve seen it before…)”

Kirsten had a vague memory in the back of his mind. He remembered seeing something like that before, somewhere, a long time ago.

He saw it in someone, and he was sure that someone was the strongest person on earth.

“(Is she the same as him?)” -He wondered. Kirsten would remain puzzled for the rest of the day, even while attending his other responsibilities.

Alicia remained in her room afterwards. Her conversation with Kirsten had given her a lot to think about, on the target, on the location, on their actions and how they were all related to her in a way none of them, not even Kirsten, could expect.

She sat at her desk and used a whetstone to sharpen her knives, the only weapons she was allowed to keep inside the base after the agents took everything else.

Alicia quietly hummed to herself, reflecting on everything she had learned and fantasizing about the things she would do.

“(I don’t want to assume anything, I really don’t…)” -She thought. – “(But maybe, they truly think they have won.)”

“Won? In what way?” -Asked Ten, once again wondering what her sister was thinking about.

“(They prey on those that cannot call for help, those foolish enough to seek what’s not theirs and those who want to work to rightfully get it, running away from an even greater evil, we’ve heard the stories before, remember?)”

“Sure.”

“(They have it all sort it out. No one touches them, no one suspects of them. they fill their hands with silver as they ship children away. Surely they had to go through a long and tiring war to get here.)”

“That’s the same song with all syndicates, like the one Glass had built for himself.” -She said.

“(Yeah…maybe they are just like him.)” -She thought. – “(Maybe they think they are above everything, but they are not above what I bring about.)”

Alicia finished sharpening the knife and left its iron shine with the moonlight.

“(Their awkward peace is the product of the long war they waged against their opponents.)” -Without realizing, the crimson glow in her scars reappeared. – “(Let’s show them their war isn’t really over.)”

“Let’s do our best and we better not let any of them get away.”

The following day, Kirsten called Alicia up to the armory located in the third basement of the covert operations building; an assassin is not complete without his weapons, and they were more than glad to provide her with some that would fit her just fine.

Kirsten waited for her in front of the entrance to the armory, today there was no glow in her scars and whatever it was behind her eyes seemed to be at ease today.

“Good morning, Alicia, how are you doing?” -He asked, trying to be polite.

“No name-calling today.” -She replied.

“Huh?”

“I’m about to go on a contract, a mission. While I’m at it, I’m the Butcher, not Alicia.”

“You and your melodramatic non-sense.”

“Alright then, Butcher. I called you today to give you a special gift.” -He said and used his keycard to open the door.

Alicia was introduced to a gallery full of all sorts of weaponry in varying states of building and termination, a shooting gallery at the bottom of the room and rows of blueprints pinned to the wall inside the office of the one in charge of the armory.

“We call him Saint.” -Said Kirsten pointing at the man in the office. –“He’s the saint patron of all guns. There’s no gun he doesn’t know inside and out, and don’t let his jagged and roughed up exterior fool you, his hands are all he needs to get the job done.”

It was apparent that the man was partially blind, his hands were covered with scars and burn marks, undoubtedly caused by his methods of maintenance and weaponry modding, forgetting about all sorts of regulations and safety measures that would’ve guaranteed his well-being otherwise.

“What an unpolite way of introducing the one responsible of your top-notch weaponry.” -Said Saint, pretending to be offended. He raised his head and stared at Alicia. – “…My, you must be the legendary Butcher. While I’m an expert at maintaining weapons, you must be an expert at using them, correct?”

“I guess that’s what everyone says.” -She responded.

“Don’t feign humbleness, I’m sure it’s a fact. If you didn’t, I’m sure you wouldn’t be alive and standing here right now.” -He held his chin with his hand. – “Yes, I’m sure you’ll take good care of them. Give me a moment.”

“He’s gotta be the most unique gunsmith we’ve found so far.”

“(The one on the base was a very boring man.)”

Saint looked opened a closet and took out a small hardcase and put it over the desk in front of them.

“We studied your M.O, Butcher.” -Said Kirsten. –“We noticed that you tend to favor pistols in most situations, even if you alternate between all sorts of weaponry.”

“I do what I can.” -She replied, surprised that she was so easy to read in that regard.

“So, we asked Saint to craft something special for you. I’m sure you have never placed your hands in guns such as these.” -He announced with pride as Saint opened the case.

“A pair of modified AMT Hardballers, the preferred pistols for all international assassins.” -Presented Saint, proud of his most recent work of art. – “I refitted them so they would use a specialized .454 Casull cartridge instead of the regular .45 ACP it used to shoot. Since it uses that ammunition, it’s to be expected for it to have a mean punch and recoil, so I added an inner stabilizer to reduce the recoil and filter out gas.”

Saint handed to her a brand-new belt with a holster, including pockets for the magazines and grenades.

“All guns need a holster like all blades need a sheathe.” -He said.

“Ain’t that the truth?”

Alicia took the belt and buckled it up around her waist and then took the pistols, feeling their weight. It was obvious for Kirsten that those pistols weren’t made to be used by regular people. Fortunately, she was anything but that.

“They are heavy.” -She noticed and analyzed them while holding them, from the receiver to the magazine port. Afterwards, she threw them both to the air and caught them once again, spun them with her fingers at high speed and placed them into their holsters.

Saint clapped, for a moment he thought that she would be too sloppy and let them fall to the ground, but he had clearly underestimated her.

“I knew they were the most adequate for you!” -He said and presented Alicia a handful of spare mags to fit into her belt. –“This should be enough for your current mission.” -And then, he took out another large suitcase for her to place the guns, the belt and other things to keep a low profile while moving around the civilian areas. – “And this is for moving it all around.”

“Good.” -She said and grabbed the suitcase.

“Now, that’s one thing, but I suppose that you get the feeling that you’ll need something else for this mission.” -Said Kirsten. – “Is there anything else you need from this armory?”

Alicia took a look around, trying to find something else that may be useful to her. Then, she approached the shelves with the sniper rifles and grabbed an M110 model.

“I’ll need one of these…with a tripod, preferably.” -She said while holding it in an aiming position, making sure she was able to hold it properly.

“Right, I’ll prepare one for you before you go.” -Said Saint and went to work.

“Don’t forget the ammo.” -Said Kirsten and walked up to her. –“Didn’t take you for one who works at long distance.”

“…The rumors talk about how I sliced up hordes of people in half, at close-range, correct?”

“Yeah, sorta.”

“I don’t usually do that…” -She said, catching Kirsten’s attention. –“At least not in a good day…I must be really aggravated for that to happen.”

“Aggravated? What do you mean?” -Asked Kirsten.

Alicia looked back at Kirsten. – “…Sometimes it’s hard to keep it all together.”-She grabbed the top of the case and closed it. –“…It’s all situational.” -She pointed with her left hand at the places in her body in which she had been shot. –“Stress piles up, running out of options, and so, I always default to them.”

“I…kind of get it.” -Said Kirsten, not really sure about what she meant. He was conflicted, debating with himself if she was just being obtuse to avoid talking about that matter or she really didn’t know at all.

“Anyway, I always try my best to not let myself do that kind of thing again.” -She said, holding to her head, suppressing a migraine. - “It’s all in the past, all that matters now is that I’m going to fly off and kill all these people, get paid, and then go back to bed, preferably.”

Saint came back, packing up the disassembled rifle in an extra bag for her.

“This one is easy to get together. You know how to piece together rifles, right?” -He asked.

“Totally, it’s part of the training.” -She replied and took the bag. – “With this I’m sure I’ll be able to do a smooth job.”

“Now…let’s go out and collect some heads.”

Alicia and Kirsten walked out of the armory and headed to the heliport.

“Are you the kind of assassin that takes her jobs personally?” -Asked Kirsten, concerned that they would have to prepare and plan accordingly if she was one of them.

“Who knows?” -She said. – “Maybe you’ll find out once your agents hand over the mission’s report to you.”

“Please, be professional.”

“If you insist…but let me tell you this:” -Alicia looked back at Kirsten. – “I always make sure to that my jobs are thorough and I don’t leave any loose ends.”

“Oh, I see. That’s good.” -Said Kirsten, glad that she’d take it seriously. Unfortunately, he had misunderstood the meaning behind her words, and now that he had given her his approval, she felt compelled to do as she pleased on the field.

While heading to the heliport they came across a young man standing in their way.

Kirsten knew him well. He was another handler, just like him, very morally inflexible, a man that made detailed judgements of all those that he came across. He always seemed unpleased with everyone around him, as if he had some golden standard everyone should adhere to.

That was the kind of man Harold Kane was.

“Hey, Kirsten.” -He greeted, but Kirsten could notice the hint of hostility in his voice. – “I see that you came through with the boss’ plans.”

“Orders are orders, Kane.” -That was his only response.

“I guess they are. I also have my own orders, for a change they are orders that I do agree with.”-He then centered his attention on Alicia. – “Watched that show she put up during the combat test, you must be very proud of having tamed this beast.”

Alicia’s eye twitched, Kirsten stepped forward to intervene.

“Settle down, Kane. Why don’t you mind your own business instead of pestering us?” -He said, and Harold didn’t take kindly to his mockery.

“What? You didn’t like a small observation from a colleague, or is it that you are afraid that she’ll go berserk for getting a little insult thrown at her? why bring someone like that here then? -He crossed his arms and looked down on them. -I was starting to suspect that good ol’ boss was losing it, but she’s the absolute proof he is.”

“Harold…” -Kirsten got serious. – “…You must mind your words carefully. I’m sure you know already; we are in a very sensible situation. This is a moment in which it’s in everyone’s best interest to put down any suspicions the others may have.”

“I don’t give a damn about your suspicions.” -He said as he walked past them. –“The Men of the World isn’t the group it used to be. The presence of this murderer, the fact that she wears our badge is a proof of that. This ship is setting course towards absolute doom, and I don’t intend on getting sunk with it.”

He walked past Alicia, and suddenly, the shocking image of his head being sliced in half crossed his mind, staying engraved in his pupils for twenty seconds. He jumped out of nervousness and felt his face with his hands, making sure everything was still in its place.

Kane turned back to see Alicia, who was leaning on the wall having left her bags on the ground; he, just like Kirsten, knew for a fact she had done something to him in that split of second.

“What’cha looking at, weasel? Wanna start something?” -Ten had stepped forward, ready to take care of him for her sister.

“You fucking freak.” -He wanted to start a fight, but his legs didn’t seem to obey him; he didn’t want to admit he was too cowardly to even think of fighting an assassin, whatever his rank, and deep inside he knew he didn’t have the slightest chance against her. – “One day…you understand?” -He raised his finger. – “One day, you’ll pay for all the things you’ve done…you may not even see it coming, but you will be punished.”

He turned back and made haste, walking away. Alicia looked at Kirsten – “I may just be an assassin, but wanna hear some advice?” -She asked.

“What is it?”

“Make a call. Kill that rat.” -She said and continued walking.

After that short interruption, they finally arrived at the heliport.

“You’ll land in Ted Steven’s airport, and from there you’ll take a few flights until you arrive on Mexico.” -Explained Kirsten. – “Make sure to keep a low profile until then. We prepared a hideout in the city’s downtown for you. Look for the Pascal Hotel.”

Kirsten handed a card to her with the logo of the hotel so she would recognize it once she saw it.

“Roger that.” -She replied and hopped onto the helicopter.

“My name is Michael; I’ll be your pilot today.” -Said the pilot, and gave his gloomy and armed to the teeth passenger a thumbs up, telling her she could trust him.

“Pleased to meet ya’, pal! Make this a fun flight, will ya’? -Said Ten, taking control of Alicia’s tongue, so she wouldn’t pass off as rude to him.

“You got it, miss!” -He said, wondering what was the deal with all of those rumors about the Butcher. –“(…She seems like a decent enough lady.)”

She sat on the back of the helicopter, keeping her baggage close. The pilot started the helicopter and the propellers gyrated.

“Make sure to come back in one piece!” -Yelled Kirsten at her. – “We got a lot of work to do, places to go!”

Alicia gave him a thumbs up, and they lost sight of each other as the helicopter elevated and flew away into the horizon.

She looked forward, closing her hands into fists and loosening them, over and over again.

“(At the back of a helicopter once again…Once again heading to a warzone.)” She looked over the landscape, seeing the beautiful white clouds and the sun ascending from the east. –“(But this one is a bit different.)”

“All in all, let’s have a fun time.” -Said Ten, trying to hype up her sister.

“(…Yeah. Let’s have fun.)”

Kirsten watched as the helicopter flew away, and once he lost sight of it, he received a call from the boss.

“Is the Butcher already on the field?” -He asked.

“Yes, she’s heading to her destination as we speak, it may take her a day or two to get to Mexico.”

“Good. I’ve mobilized my own men as we speak. They are going to be looking for leads that help us snuff out the traitors.” -Kirsten felt a cold shiver down his spine when he mentioned his own team of assassins. – “I received a report on the agent that tried to kill Butcher. He was under the effect of a psychotropic drug that altered his perception of reality. Now, there are only a few people in the Organization who could’ve done that, and thus I’ve made sure some people keep an eye on them, however, I’m afraid this won’t be enough.”

“What do you mean, sir?”

“A negative about leading a big group, is that you can’t keep tabs on everyone at the same time as easily, if at all.” -He explained. – “Somehow, many information lines that should’ve led to a conclusive suspect, have led to dead ends instead. Someone is covering things up, altering the facts. Someone is covering the tracks of the others, all the while keeping up a façade.” -Suddenly, Kirsten heard a faint noise in the background that was quickly silenced by what he knew was a punch. –“Fortunately, that drugged agent helped us get a lead, and the twins helped me catch someone that is associated with the traitors.”

Kirsten walked back into the base, leaving the cold exterior of the mountains behind. Every time the boss mentioned his own personal squad, Kirsten could barely control his intrigue, because even if he could be considered a high-ranking member of the organization and Darius’ most trusted associate, he had never seen a single member of that exclusive squadron that he kept for himself.

“They found a lead?”

“Huntress caught someone trying to plant a worm in the main database and Praetorian interrogated him. Unfortunately, he didn’t know much, not even who else was in on this betrayal, but all he knew was a lot of people were going to defect and establish their own group, starting with the dissolution of our own, of course.”

Kirsten could hear someone struggling in the background, choking on something. It was clear to him now that Darius had decided to call him while those two he mentioned disposed of the captured traitor since he wasn’t useful to them anymore.

“What should we do now then?” -Asked Kirsten, recognizing that they didn’t have much to work with.

“There’s no rush, and I’m sure my men will be able to take care of any unexpected eventualities as they come. While they are investigating, I’d like you and your own team to keep an eye out on any unusual behavior. Hell, once Butcher comes back, you could ask her to shake up everyone she thinks is suspicious to see what we can find.”

“(What is she, a thug?)” – Kirsten didn’t know under what concept Darius had her. – “Well, I guess she wouldn’t be opposed to the idea…” -He remembered what she said to him before departing. –“Actually, boss, I talked with Kane a while ago, and he said things that raised my suspicions on him.”

“Is that so?” -Kirsten suspected one of Darius’ men was listening in and was ready to get on Kane’s case. –“I know I can trust you, so I’ll tell someone to see what they can learn about him. Given his attitude, I won’t be surprised if he has something to tell me about himself.”

“(That kid may as well be dead.)” -Thought Kirsten, imagining what Darius would do to him.

“Thanks for telling me, Kirsten. Now you can go on with your own business. Goodbye.”

After Darius ended the call, Kirsten quickened his step to get to the end of the hallway faster. That place was so quiet he felt like someone was going to jump him at any moment.

“I don’t remember this hallway being so long.” -He said to himself.

After walking for a short while he finally made his way to the corridor that would lead him back to the offices, there he stumbled upon the same blonde woman Alicia had encountered before. He knew her well, codename: Sword, real name: Jules D’arc, B rank; She seemed unusually anxious.

“Sir!” -She raised her voice. –“How’ve you been? Were you talking with that new girl?”

“Butcher? Yeah. What is it? Did she catch your attention?” -Asked Kirsten, and his suspicions were confirmed when the muscles in her face contracted for a moment.

“Honestly sir, yes, I do…” -She admitted it, and clutched at the cross necklace she was wearing. – “If you don’t mind me asking, does she seem…unusual to you?”

Kirsten raised an eyebrow. – “Unusual? Well, she’s mighty unusual in all sorts of aspects anyway, she’s a killer, just like you.”

She shook her head. – “…No, you misunderstand me. I mean, if you’ve noticed something in her that may be out of what’s natural…something that you haven’t seen before.”

Kirsten remembered the glow of her scars. – “(She saw them too?)” -He thought to himself. For the moment, he intended to keep that information to himself, until he had a fair assessment of what it could mean, both for her and them as a group. – “Not really, I mean she has a weird look in her eyes sometimes but that’s something to be expected from someone like her.”

Jules narrowed her glare; her worrisome look was replaced by a hint of suspicion. She wasn’t naïve, in fact, she was quite perceptive and knew when people were lying, it was her natural talent. – “…So you’ve seen something.”

Kirsten was shocked, and didn’t know how to get out of this situation knowing he couldn’t use his silver tongue to get to a favorable conclusion, but that wouldn’t be necessary since right after she saw through his lies, she turned around and started to walk away.

“…She must be one, she has to be…I have to talk to her.” -She said out loud, making sure Kirsten could hear her.

“Wait, what business do you have with Butcher?”

Jules stopped for a moment and looked back. – “…that nickname doesn’t really fit her, you know, sir? It may be too crude for what she really is.”

She disappeared in the corridor’s corner, leaving Kirsten with great intrigues.

“(What did the boss get us into?)” -He thought, realizing that these new mysteries were presenting themselves because the boss wanted to bring her in.

After that encounter he went back to his office and sat at his desk. Somehow, he felt as if things had started to change, but he couldn’t say for sure if that change was a good or a bad thing. All he knew was that everything revolved around this new and supernatural breed of killers they were employing.

“…Almost as if they were all spawned into existence from one day to another.” -But they were always there, it’s just that no one ever really bothered to really look for them. – “…And with her, we are ready to go to war.” -He said to himself, following the boss’ same train of thought. He didn’t want to admit it, but deep inside, he was quite excited.