(AN)I had a spontaneous idea, so I wrote it…I've been just posting everything I've kept on my laptop recently, since ive been keeping a good chunk of content just stored away. I might continue on with this story, who knows..
My target, after three days, has finally found a dead end. She was a little thing, around 6 years old. And undernourished. Very undernourished. And above all, powerful. But despite that, her godly parent could only help her so much. As a daughter of Nyx, she could bend the shadows and conceal herself at a very young age. She has used these techniques to hide from me, but her efforts were futile. She was my target, and I've never failed a misson. I was ordered to kill her. They wouldn't give me details, or why, but I don't care. If it means making my bosses happy, I will always be willing. Fighting against them does nothing good to either of us. She is a threat. Someone that could be used against the gods.
As I look into her eyes, I see fear. Fear of death, fear of pain. It doesn't matter though, and by the way she's stopped trying to escape, she knows it won't matter. But that doesn't stop her from whimpering. And sobbing. And shaking. This is how they all end up, all thinking that if they show how desperate they are to live, they will. Of course, the occasional one would fight to the very end, even if they show the same fear. The ones who fight are the best. They give me clearance to give them a slow, satisfying death. The other must be painless. Like the target in front of me.
I reposition my hand on my bow, while the free one grabs an arrow from my quiver. I notch my arrow, and lift. The same way I've done countless times before. I pull the bow taunt, ignoring the now pleading child, and release my arrow into the girls head. She falls, dead, and with a thump. I walk over to her dead body, her pitch black locks surrounding her face. Her equally dark eyes stare on, lifeless. My arrow is lodged into her skull. I crouch down, close her eyelid, and mutter a Grecian prayer. I slip a drachma into her cold hands, and stand. Even the worst need proper funeral rights. My bosses don't require me, but I always had the nagging feeling that if I don't, someone would get mad at me.
I breathe in deeply, and roll my shoulders. I stifle a yawn, and direct my attention to watch. Above the face is a golden button, and I press it three times. I feel my body jitter, as if every particle in me was given an energy drink. My body is surrounded by a golden glow, and so I close my eyes. I feel a sensation of weightless for a few seconds, until I can feel my feet firmly on the ground. I open my eyes, and see the dull apartment I have come to know and love. The Room.
The Room was made by my bosses. It would be classified as a studio apartment, according to the books on my bookshelf. The walls are brick, and most of the items within are black, sleek, and modern. Basic necessities are present, in the same dark, modern fashion. Below is training facilities, but I'm not allowed down there without supervision. Security cameras are everywhere. The only source of entertainment is the large bookshelf on one side of the flat. I have grown to love the shelf, and titles such as Pride and Prejudice along with To Kill a Mockingbird are among my favorites. A cat lives at The Room too. The ears are ripped off and the fur is matted, but he's my only companion in the box. I found him during a mission, and was punished severely for bringing him, but the bosses let me keep him. I call him Gill.
I don't know who my bosses are. There are 12 of them. They each request favors in a certain way, so I can identify which of the 12 had requested. Number 4 uses pink stationary, while 9's requests smell of ozone. I don't know why I've never met them, but I can't question their decisions. They are the only thing I know. Every so often one of them visits. I am particularly fond of 7. He likes me to call him Fred, and has a great sense of humor. Every so often though, he would mention something about some guy named Percy Jackson. I've asked about him, but 7 never answers. The only thing I've gathered is that he was a demigod, like the ones I eliminate often.
I'm the personal assassin of my bosses. I underwent harsh training to get to where I am. I don't have any powers like the targets I kill, so I compensate for sheer brute power and expertise in weapons. I've been using a bow for a few years now, along with short swords for close range. Before my physical training though, I don't remember anything. Blank. I've always been curious about it. The characters in my books can remember plenty. Again, no answers to my questions. But I know that ignorance is key to success, so I will follow the path my bosses lay for me.
The small sleeping area is where my sights are set on. A black, plain pipe frame bed with a grey comforter sits on the side of the area, pushed against the wall. Gill is sleeping on it. My closet lies parallel, with my extremely small wardrobe inside. At the foot of my bed is a trunk with my weapons. Inside lies numerous swords, bows, daggers, and a few small handheld guns. The sheaths and holsters are inside too, but they never get used, save for a few. A few feet past that is my bathroom, with the same black theme inside.
I put my bow and its matching quiver down on my bed next to Gil, disturbing his daytime nap slightly. I then head straight for the bathroom to take a shower. I hate the feeling of being wet, but I make an exception after missions when I'm sweaty and dirty. I take my cloak off and hang it on the towel rack, and slowly peel off the clothes I had been wearing for 3 days. I make way into the shower, and scrub until I feel clean. The wetness will be unpleasant when I get out, but for now I let the hot water sooth my aching muscles. I let my mind go at peace and my senses rest. I am feeling hungry though, so I turn the water off and jump out, looking for the nearest towel. I dry off quickly and go over to the small sink. I stare at the reflection given. My reflection stares back. Black, straight hair cut close and cropped. One eye green, another goldish-brown. Pale, almost translucent skin from my lack of sunlight. Sharp and pristine features, similar to the godly offspring I so often kill. Two bulky, black hearing aids in both ears assisting me. A large scar running straight across my face, its edges uneven and just barely missing my eye. I've had it as long as I could remember, which isn't very long. I can say the same about the hearing aids, but I assume my difficulty hearing is because I had a condition similar to the girl Helen Keller I read about. The only thing that is unusual about them is the guilty look Number 7 gives to me when he sees them. I look away from the mirror, and brush my teeth. After rinsing my mouth thoroughly, I head back to my bed area and put on some clean clothes. My stomach grumbles once again.
I go over to the small kitchen and start making the same bland dinner I make every night. Chicken and Vegetables. It's always the only thing my fridge gets stocked with. I learned how to cook through trial and error, and through that have been able to make the same few ingredients taste better. I finish cooking and start to eat my food in silence until I hear a knock on the door. The sound of it opening follows shortly and I see number 2 coming in. He always gives me my missions, even when he's in a bad mood. His wardrobe is as versatile as my dinner, always outfitted in a tracksuit and messenger bag filled to the brim. I immediately stop eating my food to stand and bow.
"Here's your new mission," he says walking over to me. I get up from my position on the floor, and grab the letter being offered. "You know the drill, but be careful, this one is a little bit more challenging then the regular demigod." I nod in response to his warning, and he leaves.
Left in the silence that I know so well, I open the letter to find the basic report.
Request: Kill group of monsters
Details: Monsters include: 6 cyclopes, 13 empousai, various other unknowns. Found around Long Island Sound. Proceed with extreme caution, and DO NOT STRAY OFF. If a demigod is found do not engage and report straight back to The Room. Abandon mission immediately. You will not be punished for leaving on account of a demigod appearance. Bring all necessary items. You will be transported in one hour.
I sigh in relief. I don't know why number 2 was so weary, because I've had to deal with larger groups before. If anything, this mission will be boring. Hunting demigods is the best. You don't know real pleasure until you've captured and cornered your prey after searching for a week. I focus back again and walk over to my bed and closet. I grab my bow and sling it over my shoulders with its matching quiver. I go to my trunk and open it up. I search through the mess until I find a dusty holster, and grab my favorite gun. I attach the holster to my belt along with extra clips. I refill my quiver too just in case. I take my cloak from the bathroom and put it on. I throw on some boots, and tap on my watch 2 times. The familiar feeling of teleportation takes over my senses, so I close my eyes. When I open them I'm in an empty forest.
When I feel my senses get off the high of teleportation, I run and climb up the nearest tree. I take my bow off of my shoulders, and load an arrow. Perched on a tree branch, I close my eyes again to let my senses run wild. Sounds of leaves being blown, smells of fresh rain, the presence of the ocean a few miles away. I take it all in, until I hear an unnatural sound. Fallen branches being stepped on. A grumble, a hiss. My eyes open quickly, and I run along the forest in the treetops.
Soon I get to a large group of monsters, heading east. The numbers match up to the report, so once I get them in range, I shoot the arrow I had set earlier. A cyclopes goes down in an instant. The rest of the group looks back in my direction, but I had already moved away. Another shot. An empousai down. This game of kill and run continued until the hellhounds, who were thought of as Unknown at the time, sniffed out my position. I jumped up to the highest branch I could get to, and just started shooting in a stationary position. The hellhounds, who were circling my tree, could do nothing against my onslaught of arrows. Soon, a single, young hellhound was left behind. I smiled. I took my gun out of my holster, cocked it, and shot. The sound of my gun being shot echoed through the forest. The pup went down with a thump.
I needed to make noise so if any remaining monsters were around, so I shot my gun again. Seeing none, I jumped down from my tree and landed quickly with a grunt. When I brush myself off though, I hear a rustle in a bush. My head turns sharply towards the sounds, but all I see is the wind move it. I shake my head, and dismiss it as nothing. I regret that immediately as a stray Cyclopes seems to appear from nowhere. Using the advantage of my shock, I can see him beckon his knife forward into my arm. My voice twists in pain, and pain runs through my body. I take my gun and shoot wildly at the creature, but my arm can't stand the kickback, resulting in little damage done to the monster. He charges, and I am defenseless. I underestimated my foes, so I only brought long range weapons. Another cut. This time he got some of my chest, but nothing deep. I take an arrow out of my quiver, and hold it like a dagger. He charges then. As he runs toward me, before he can get another stab in, I maneuver away from the knife and slip under his arms. I stab the arrow into his heart with all my strength, and I feel it pierce his heart. Yellow dust soon explodes around me. As I come off my battle high, the pain of the cuts on my chest and arm overwhelms me. As I drop to the ground losing consciousness, I can hear the voices of others come near me. And then a scream.
-xoxo cam
