For starters I would like to apologize for the long time since my last chapter. My job often gets in the way of me having any free time at all, and so I do not get to write as often as I would like. Secondly, I would like to apologize for the shortness of the chapters. I have decided to write this in a way that, should I decide I want to, I can use it as the outline for a fan-doujinshi.
On that note, I hope that you find this chapter sufficiently entertaining, and that you please comment to notify me of any errors I may have missed during my editing process. Remember, I can only get better with feedback! Thanks for reading!
I'm the Smiling Wolf, a fearless assassin. I've killed gang bosses, political figures, and heads of industry. I'm one of the most feared assassins in the world, and in the American criminal underground my name is second only to the Black Tiger's. Even with all that...why am I shaking at simple idea of telling my father, my boss, that I had failed yet again to kill the Black Tiger, Daniel thought. All of the bravado he had shown in leaving the clues behind had abandoned him. Now, he stood as the little boy afraid of the punishment his father was about to dole out. It took him a full 10 minutes of mustering his courage to open the door to Aiza's study and speak.
The moment he opened the door, he heard the news on the television, and he knew exactly what it was about. All the courage he had built up to tell his father was gone, because his father was already well aware of his failure. As Daniel closed the door behind him, the TV was turned off, and before he could turn around his father spoke.
"Failure...how do we deal with failure here Wolf," Aiza asked in deadly calm voice. Daniel involuntarily shivered before kneeling in front of his father's desk and answering with a bowed head.
"Failure is not tolerated. It is met with swift punishment...sir," he replied in a tone that did nothing to betray the fear that Daniel felt welling up inside him. As the time before the old man replied grew longer, so to did the fear grow. Finally, he heard his father's soft footsteps approaching.
"That's right...Stand wolf," the boss ordered. Daniel, not daring to disobey, rose slowly, but he kept his gaze firmly on the floor.
"Look at me when I'm speaking to you Wolf," Aiza commanded forcefully. Despite the power his father's voice held, Daniel couldn't bring his eyes up.
"I told you to look at me when I'm speaking to you dammit!" This time Daniel looked up at his father as the old man's rage boiled to the surface.
"Good, it appears you can listen after all," the old man continues, seeming to have calmed down.
"Now...Failure isn't tolerated!" As quickly as it faded, Aiza's rage returned, puncuating his final word with an open handed strike to the left side of Daniel's face. The force of the blow snapped Daniel's head to the side, but he turned back to look his father in the eyes once again. The iron-tinged taste of blood quickly filled his mouth as the anger seemed to replace the fear that had gripped Daniel from the moment he opened the door to the study. However, it seemed old Aiza wasn't finished yet.
"Is that what she taught you...to fail? What would she say if she could see this disgraceful performance you have put on?" Aiza's words cut deep, further prompting the rage in Daniel to grow. Just as he felt it boiling over, he noticed his father's expression change. The old man quickly walked away, going to a small minibar and grabbing out an ice-pack from the freezer before returning.
"Ice that cheek Wolf," the older Nakashima told him with what Daniel could have swore was compassion. This gesture took all the fight out of him. The monster that rage had become was placated, and while not vanquished, it went back into its layer, deep in the back of his mind.
"Yes sir," Daniel replied, completely defeated. Nodding, Aiza turned from his son before asking his next question.
"Now then, what is your plan from here out Wolf?" It was a simple question, but to Daniel it mean so many possible land mines that he hesitated before answering. Luckily, he had planned for this situation.
"I plan on executing Operation BH. The details are in this file, along with a summarized overview sir," Daniel answered with confidence, handing his father the file in question. After a quick review, Aiza nodded.
"Good...this has promise. You may yet be of some use...Well Wolf, what are you doing standing around? You need to prepare for your big day on Monday," Aiza's praise surprised Daniel, but then he was reminded of who this man really was with the berating comments that came next.
"Yes sir, thank you sir," he replied before leaving the boss's office. No matter how he had put it, Aiza was right. He had to get ready for the new plan. After all, it wouldn't do to make a bad first impression.
