The beautiful cloudless sky tonight makes the moonlight glint across the pavement. The tinted windows of this new, armored black stealth car I'm driving make it hard to appreciate the view in all its glory, though… But that's part of the job, I guess.

So here I am, a man rushing into his late 30s, having some sort of midlife crisis in the midst of his current job. My name is (or was it?) Angus Bronson, or Gus for short, and I’m now a secret agent fighting to dismantle this large and dangerous clandestine organization full of thugs.

But the truth is, I'm just a former high school teacher, with wavy light brown hair and kind hazel eyes behind my signature square glasses, who's always been the supportive and protective type. Back then, since the sudden loss of my teaching job, I've been feeling uncertain and adrift. But now look at me, it's time to put some action in my life!

The name of the Secret Service division I work for is H.I.T.M.A.N., and no, that’s not a real acronym. I bet whoever came up with the name thought it would sound badass spelled that way. The division was created by an independent, unknown group of former National Intelligence spies who call themselves 'The Enigma.' In short, they're an elite, secret group of spies, agents, and analysts. They're dedicated to preserving peace and stability around the world, no matter the cost. The Enigma values loyalty above all else. Its founding agents are bound by a strict code of conduct, ensuring that they always put the mission first.

"Come on, Agent G, eyes on the road!" an irritated voice from a presumably pissed-off woman scolded me.

Oh yeah, the nickname 'Agent G' is my new name, by the way. And this woman calling me is my mentor within the organization, her nickname is 'Agent B' and she is currently the one training me. A typical hot Latina girl, she works as an instructor at the Academy and has vowed to train her students as hard as she can. Her long dark hair cascades down her back, and her piercing green eyes seem to penetrate one's very soul.

The thing is... Let's just say our history goes way back and that may or may not be partly the reason why she's always so mean to me. Well, it is what it is.

"Roger, Agent B."

"Miss Agent B, don't forget!"

See what I mean by that?

"Okay... Ms. almighty Agent B."

"Oh, I don't like your tone, my dear subordinate..." she said with a sadistic smile and a glint of evil in her eyes, "I'll make sure to punish you properly when we get back to the Academy."

"Eh..." I don't have the energy to keep up the conversation, so I just adjusted my tie, making sure my traditional and bulletproof secret agent all black suit is ready.

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

Shit, it seems like things just keep getting worse and worse for me, no matter what I do. This 'Academy' she's referring to is the secret academy that trains and graduates secret agents to work on Project H.I.T.M.A.N. Created by the Enigma group, the Academy prides itself on its rigorous training program, which is designed to push recruits to their limits, both physically and mentally. There, recruits learn everything from advanced hand-to-hand combat to mastering the latest in surveillance and hacking technology. They're taught to think critically, make split-second decisions, and work as a team. And it's been my new home since... Since the day things completely changed and my once peaceful life was turned upside down.

Now we're headed to our mission, my first "official" mission, somewhere deep in the Havenfield countryside. This place used to be just a small, peaceful town with a population of around 20,000 people, known for its friendly locals, picturesque main street and beautiful parks. But now it is home to one of the most dangerous clandestine organizations, the ravenous 'Rogues', who have become a formidable force. They are a diverse group, with members from various backgrounds, united only by their loyalty to their leader 'Lil D'. The gang specializes in extortion, kidnapping and smuggling. Their current goal is to eliminate the secret agents of Project H.I.T.M.A.N., as we always get in the way of the gang's goals.

"Go faster, Agent G!" she yelled at me once more, "At this rate, we'll never reach our objective in time!"

"I'm going as fast as I can, okay!"

"Then hurry up, because this is our only chance to catch Lil D."

The guy's nickname...

"Pffff..." I was trying my best to hold back the laughter that was eating me up inside.

"What?!"

"Nothing."

"FOCUS, ON THE MISSION AGENT! FOCUS!"

"Yes, ma'am... I mean, Ms. Agent B."

Although his nickname is in, shall we say, bad taste, he is known in the underworld only by the moniker Lil D, and he is a sadistic man with a penchant for theatrics. In the photos I saw in the briefing room, he had a thick goatee and his eyes were dark and piercing. His fashion sense is as eccentric as his personality, favoring a purple trench coat and a top hat. Lil D's unusual appearance and behavior have earned him a reputation as a madman, which he delights in. His tall, lanky frame makes him look like a star on any NBA team, and I'M NOT saying he looks like one of the most famous players to ever play in the league, but the way he always dyes his hair a different color every time... You know exactly the basketball player I'm thinking of, right?

"Agent B, do you copy?"

At that moment, we could hear the voice of a fellow agent in our special Secret Service earpieces, discreetly disguised in our right ears.

"Loud and clear, Agent L." Agent B responded, pressing her own earpiece.

Oh, 'Agent L'… The one responsible for changing my life forever. I don't know whether to thank him or curse him, but the truth is that I feel like I'm finally living my life to the fullest now, in some way. As for his appearance, you could say he's a tall, muscular white dude with short blond hair and his eyes are a deep shade of green. He has a warm and approachable demeanor, making it easy for people to trust him. Beneath his agent's attire, he hides the skills of a highly trained fighter, ready to protect those he cares about at any moment.

"The target has arrived, over."

"Good job, Agent L! We'll be there in a few minutes, over."

It seems our target, Lil D, has been successfully lured into our trap.

"..."

"GO FASTER!"

"I know, dammit!" so I accelerated to max speed, hoping for the best.

As I've gone full 'pedal to metal', I couldn’t help but think back to that fateful day when everything changed. On the remaining way to our destination, I began to recall the sequence of events that led me here, to where I am now…