My client was late. Then again I was a little early. Either way I didn't like having to wait.
I wasn't in a good mood anyway. I had gotten the call at my apartment less than three hours ago, and it was a two hour drive to the docks he wanted to meet at, coupled with the rain and the fact I rode a motorcycle it wasn't a pleasant trip. Oh yeah, did I mention it was 2:00 in the damn morning.
Sorry I swear when I'm pissed, oops there I go again.
Ahh I suppose unpleasantness comes with the job, being a mercenary wasn't all sunshine and lollipops. Much less a good mercenary, all that did was get you signed up with all the nut jobs. Last week some loony called me up to ask me to help in a bank robbery. When I told him my standard fee he hung up on me, it would have taken three bank robberies just to gather up the money to hire me for the one.
But enough of that, my hopeful employer was here. He fit the model just right, nice suit, umbrella and the only thing bringing any light to his face was the glowing ash from his cigarette. I looked around to make sure this hadn't become a black and white Dick Tracy film.
"A bird in the hand" my soon-to-be-employer said, in a calm tone with a slight Spanish accent.
"Is worth two in the bush" I replied. I hated these types who relied on code phrases. Like anyone else was around at two in the freaking morning.
"Hello my good sir, I am Mr. Comet, but you may simply call me Comet" The man in suit said. He gave a slight bow, never letting his face into the light.
Not that I needed light to see his face.
"And you already know my name" I replied with a yawn. "Could we get on with this, I'm tired, wet, and want nothing more than to drive home and sleep until doomsday."
"Straight to the point, I like that. Very well, I heard of your abilities through your last employer. He spoke very highly of you."
"Is that true, I told her to not let anyone know I had a hand in what happened". I replied rather perturbed at the fact the woman had lied. I mean I got back her mother, brother, and sister from a hostage situation completely unharmed. Seems she wasn't as grateful as she said she was.
"Believe me, she meant no harm by it. I merely mentioned I was in the neighborhood for a capable mercenary and you came up. If you desire we can break off this meeting." Comet stated. His tone betrayed the fact that he didn't want that to happen.
"Sigh, no don't worry about it. Just tell me what you want me to do." The rain had started to come down in force. I briefly considered just getting a hotel when this business was done, but decided against it.
"This is what I'm offering for the job." Comet handed me an envelope. I lazily tore it open and gazed at the number printed on the paper inside. The amount was enough to make even my eyes widen. I wondered if the man had forgotten to place the decimal point a few spaces up.
"If you accept you will receive half of it upfront and the other half upon completion" The man smiled a wide grin at my eyes widening, not knowing I could see him. When he smiled like that he looked like a jackal that had just stolen a meal from a predator. It was unsettling.
"You know my standard fee right; this is more than quadruple that." I honestly hoped he made an error in the printing. This much money meant the job would be very hard, and I was feeling lazy at the moment.
"No that's what I'm offering, I'm sure of it." The jackal grin did not fade "You will have a month to complete the job and you may do so any way you see fit, and even if only partial success is acquired you will be permitted to keep the advance."
I pondered it in my head for a moment, and replied "Very well, what's the job?"
Comet leaned in and, moved his umbrella, revealing his face to me purposefully for the first time, the jackal grin had faded and was replaced with a slight smirk. "I want you to kill the Teen Titans."
The statement was flatly put. No malice or anger came from Comet; if anything he exuded confidence and satisfaction. Like the Titans were already lying dead at his feet.
This is why his face contorted into anger when I flatly said "No"
I swear you could almost hear the man's plans shatter like glass right there.
"What's wrong, do you want more money? Is that it? I'll double my previous offer!" The man was obviously put off; he hadn't expected his assassin to refuse.
"My answer is still no" still using the flat tone I used to reject his first offer. As if to add finality to the point I started walking back to my bike.
I could sense the anger the man had without even looking at him. "You think you can brush me off like that!? SCREW YOU! Guys, get this lowlife, tear him a new asshole!"
At that two people seemed to dart from nowhere and stand between me and my bike. The one on the left was a tall male in a blue coat, underneath he was wearing a lighter blue shirt, and blue jeans (noticing a trend?). His hair was stark white and done into a topknot, but even then it hung done to his shoulder. His eyes were grey, and stuck out from his pale, blemish-free face.
His companion was a petite blonde woman, her figure was hard to place because she wore loose fitting multi colored robes that when she moved slightly covered up one color to reveal another. Looking at her was like gazing into a kaleidoscope. It hurt my eyes to look at her, like my eyes wouldn't focus. In her hands she held a small four-foot staff, which looked like it was covered in glitter. If he had seen her walking down the street he would say she was a middle-schooler dressed up for some sort of school play. I would have started laughing were it not the intense, murderous gaze she was throwing at me.
I reached to my hips and drew my Glocks, taking aim… wait. Where are my Glocks!? I felt around in my coat for my precious guns, not finding them I reached to my back for my Mossberg, only to find it too was gone. I knew my buckler was gone, and without it I couldn't manifest my shield. I was too damn tired, the amount of exertion I had experienced in the last few days had taken its toll. I couldn't only channel so much power over a period of time, and I was just about at my limit. I couldn't even summon the energy to cancel my fatigue.
In short, over a span of two seconds I realized I had been neutered of almost every weapon at my disposal.
Except one, I still had my claw, and if I was conscious I had enough energy to summon that. With a tensing of muscle my Cat's Claw extended from my right arm. It was a collection of five blades that slid over each of my fingers, each at least half a foot long. Portions were articulated so I could still bend my fingers, and the knuckles could only bend so much, so that when I formed a fist I wouldn't cut my palm. The entire thing was brilliantly designed and very sturdy, enhanced by my special touch as well.
I assumed a ready combat stance, my opponents doing the same. When I suddenly dashed backwards, heading at Comet like a bullet. It made sense that he was the boss, if I could take him hostage I could probably get out of here with all of my blood. I punched him in the face with all of the power I could muster. Even in my drained state it was still enough to crack rock, much less a face.
What I wasn't expecting was the sensation of actually hitting rock. My fist crumpled against his iron jaw like it was made of Paper-Mache. The pain was unexpected, I admit that but not out right unbearable. I still let out a quick scream as I clutched my ruined hand. I stumbled back, not believing what just happened.
"I'll give you one last chance, accept my offer or die" Comet stated, very satisfied. He wore that menacing jackal grin again.
"No way, I was going to leave peacefully. But now you ambush me, threaten me, and break my hand" at that I waved my ruined left hand. "Now this is personal." I stated this with only a hint of rage and malice. Anger made you make mistakes, anyway when I refused I knew I would get ambushed. It's how things work in my business.
Mr. Blue decided now would be a good time to strike. He stretched a hand at my backside and unleashed a wave of cold that froze all the rain in its path. I leapt to the blue man's right with all the force I had. All three turned after my dashing figure. Halfway through my jump I dug my claw into the ground, and reversed my jump. I sped past the man when he was halfway through his turn, giving me the perfect chance to hamstring him, which I took. The man fell to the ground screaming as blood poured from the back of his knee.
The man's companion was fast, as she was already behind me when I skidded to a stop twenty feet away. I dashed forwards, sensing her attack. Halfway through my dash however I turned around to see she had already disappeared somewhere. I got my answer quickly when I felt a staff crush into the back of my head. Black spots of pain swarmed my vision as I started to slump forward. I turned around in my descent to see her wearing an ear to ear grin of triumph.
Her smile quickly turned into a look of surprise. When I planted my hand on the ground and swung my legs into hers, knocking her flat on her rear. I kipped up from my fall and landed a powerful knee into her gut. I felt more than a few organs shift, and I drove the wind from her lungs. Taking advantage of my foes current disability, I ran towards my bike. I was running on fumes and couldn't keep up this fight for another minute.
I had just got on my bike and started it when a knife seemed to sprout from my chest. I held down my scream, a hole in a lung is a pretty painful thing. I looked up to see Comet holding another knife, jackal grin and all.
I sneered at him, ripped out the knife and peeled out. At least it wasn't a boring night.
Comet wasn't pleased. Not only did he not have his assassin, but two of his best enforcers had been beaten in less than a minute, one of which was badly hurt.
He walked over to his bleeding ally, who was already receiving aid from his other enforcer. He was lying on the ground shaking from pain and blood loss. The girl looked up at him and said "I'm sorry boss, do you want us to go after him?"
Comet gave her a slight smirk and replied "No it's all right, the nearest hospital is forty minutes away, and with that wound he won't make it halfway." Comet laughed and sputtered out "He'll bleed to death within ten minutes."
Comet loaded his wounded companion into a van and started driving back home. On the way he started pondering replacement assassins, interspersed with the occasional daydream about that bastard slowly dying.
Two hours later, a stabbed and broken-handed man stumbled into a small ill kept apartment. I didn't even bother taking off my coat. I just collapsed into my bed and tried to let sleep take me. Expending the energy needed to not bleed to death had almost killed me ironically. As I lay there, half asleep I reached up and placed my hand onto my knife wound, and then my eyes fell on my ruined hand.
In the morning I'll see about getting those guys who did this to me. But my best weapon is surprise, so I'm going to need an edge if I'm going to kill them, not just hurt them like last time. And why did Comet want them dead? A way to solve both problems came to me moments before sleep finally found me.