After a year of operating as a freelance assassin and gun-for-hire, Lucretia finally adjusted to her new life as Devan Luck. Along the way, she perfected and refined her background and cover, playing the angle of a rich, philanthropist daughter to a self-made multi-millionaire who inherited his entire fortune. She donated a small part of her job earnings to various charities around the city, just to keep up appearances. Once she had her angle finalized, she took care of any loose ends that knew the old Devan Luck, which mainly included her previous business partner, Jay, and a few other associates. After cleansing her rough start, she was able to start anew and began truly living the life she had always wanted, one of fancy living and total relaxation.
To continue funding her lifestyle, she kept taking on assassination jobs and other work that required the skill of a markswoman. She found a new handler, a wolf in his mid-twenties named Fowler, to help her find work. Along with her new partner, she created an alter-ego to use while carrying out her missions. She didn't want her questionable occupation to ruin her new life, so she used an alias and a specified outfit while going on her missions.
In the criminal underground, she was known as "Lady Luck" and sported a recognizable, yet inconspicuous outfit. Being fond of high-class dress, she chose to sport a customized suit made specifically for her. Her suit consisted of black dress slacks with small, red lines running down the sides, a dark, crimson blouse with a sold black tie, a black, thigh long suit jacket with pouches inside and small red stripes going down the length of it, a black dress vest, and black, leather loafers. Along with that, she had a few items to help conceal her identity including: a black face mask, custom black shades with a slight red tint, black, leather gloves, and a black fedora with a red stripe. Not only was her outfit fashionable, it was also tactical and functional. All the items of the suit were fire retardant and cut-proof. Her coat and vest could withstand small caliber handguns, but nothing more powerful than that. Her suit allowed air to circulate and helped regulate temperature.
Lucretia was sitting at her desk, counting the money she had just earned from her last job. She sighed and placed the last stack of hundred credit bills of to the side. 'Another job well done. I haven't been to the bank in a while and all this money is piling up in my safe. Guess I'd better go make a deposit then.' She got up from her seat and went into her bedroom, heading for the hidden wall safe in her closet. She typed in the password and placed her hand to the scanner, using her key to open it up once she passed the first two security checks. Once she opened it up, it was filled from the bottom to the top with stacks of bills she had earned. She smiled and retrieved a nearby briefcase, filling it with as many bills as the case would fit. She jammed packed the briefcase to make as much room as she could in her safe. Once it was filled, she scrambled the lock on it and handcuffed it to her wrist, heading downstairs to her car.
Before she started it up, she temporarily uncuffed the briefcase and placed it in the seat next to her. 'You know, don't you think all this is getting a bit…boring?' she thought to herself as she chose a song on her car's custom stereo. 'Well, maybe. All I need is something different to change things up, you know? Something to keep me preoccupied between missions. But what?' She turned the ignition and backed out, driving towards the bank with the windows down and the radio blaring. She tapped on the steering wheel, keeping in synch with the beat of the song as she pondered on what to do to preoccupy herself. 'What did I used to do in-between missions back as a Crimzon Rose? I practiced. Went to the gym. Did drills. Filled out paper work. What else? Well, I also trained Devan.' She paused, thinking about her time with Devan back in the military. 'Now that I think about it, I actually did spend a lot of my free time mentoring her. I taught her how to shoot like a recon sniper. I taught her tips on how to handle and operate her rifle. I even taught the poor girl how to fight. Now those were the days. It was fun being a role model for someone lower than me. So what? Are you saying I should get an apprentice? Maybe. We'll see.'
As she arrived at the bank, she pulled into the underground parking lot that most of the buildings in the city had. Most of the spaces were filled, so she had to park in the far reaches of the lot, taking an empty spot in a dark corner. After turning off her car, she secured the briefcase back to her wrist and stepped out, shutting the door behind her.
Just as she did, she felt the hard steel of a firearm pressed against her. "Hand over the briefcase! Right now!" said the person mugging her.
Lucretia couldn't help but smile, surprised at the nerve someone had to mug her from behind. "Really? You're going to mug me?"
The mugger turned Lucretia around and kept her distance, holding her pistol sideways at her like an amateur. She was a mouse in her early twenties, dirty and wearing tattered clothes from living on the streets. "I ain't fooling around. Give me the briefcase or I'll bust a cap in your fancy a**!"
The look of desperation on her face said it all. Lucretia was undeterred, standing fast and keeping a cool head. "You will? And then what? How do you plan on getting out of here with the briefcase anyway? There are guards at the parking garage entrance and you're certainly not considering going through the bank, right? Besides, the safety's on." Just as the girl turned the handgun to look at the safety, Lucretia swiftly dashed forward and grabbed a hold of the hand the gun was in, forcing it until the pistol was aimed at her face. "Now there are two ways this can go down. One, a make you pull the trigger and you blow your brains out or two, you let go of the gun. What will it be?"
The mugger was trembling with fright as she looked down the barrel of her own gun. "I-If I let go. Y-You won't shoot me, will you?"
"I won't," said Lucretia. The mouse thought it over for a second then released her grip on the gun. She stepped back as Lucretia took complete control of it and inspected it. "This thing is a piece of junk. It's scuffed up and beaten to h***. And by the way, the safety was on." She took the gun and placed it on top of her car's hood. She also undid the handcuffs and placed her briefcase on the hood next to the gun. "If you want your gun back, and the one hundred and fifty thousand credits in this here briefcase, then you're going to have to beat me in a fight for it. Think you got what it takes to get passed me?"
The girl smirked and raised her fists. "You ain't nuthin', you rich b****!" She began with a reckless punch, but Lucretia simply smacked the blow away with a haughty grin. The mugger followed up with a flurry of punches, but Lurcetia skillfully dodged all her blows, still wearing the snooty smile as she fought.
"C'mon, is that all you got, 'street rat'?" asked Lucretia as she stopped one of the mouse's punches with her hand. The girl was shocked and tried to pull her hand back, but Lucretia had a firm grip on it. She grinned and delivered a straight punch to the mouse's stomach, pushing all the air out from her. The mugger gasped for air as she fell to her knees, clutching her abdomen with her hands. "You got spunk, kid, I'll give you that. But other than that, you're a pitiful excuse for a criminal. Sporting a gun, yet not knowing how to use it? Pathetic."
The mouse regained her breath as she stumbled on the ground. "Spare me the pity, but you don't know what it's like. You're rich. You don't know what desperate is. I've been living on the streets my entire life, doing things, unspeakable things, just to stay alive. It's all or nothing now; I'm out of money and have nowhere to go. No family, no friends. Nothing. Just kill me. Kill me now, so I can get this stupid life over with." She remained on the ground, kneeling while bowing her head.
Lucretia was in quite a quandary. She had some homeless girl in front of her asking for death. Her life, and the choice of whether she lived or died, was in her hands. 'Well this is different. Wasn't quite looking for this kind of change, but whatever. Let's see how this goes.' She reached into her pocket and took out her handcuffs. "Turn around," she said.
The mouse looked up with teary eyes. "W-What? Are you…arresting me?"
"Not quite," said Lucretia as she handcuffed the mouse's hands behind her back. "Get up and get in." She opened up the side door to her car for her.
"What are you doing?" asked the mouse.
"Just get in the car," said Lucretia taking the briefcase and gun from the hood. She placed the briefcase in the backseat and kept the pistol in her hand, keeping it aimed at the mouse as she got into the passenger seat. Once she was in, she closed her door and got into the driver's seat. "Why so eager to die? Have you ever thought about finding work?" she asked.
"Work? What can I possibly do? I haven't even been to high school," said the mouse.
"Really? How much education have you got under your belt?"
"I made it past seventh grade. I dropped out halfway through eighth. That's about it."
Lucretia looked on, unimpressed and almost flustered by her situation. "Don't worry; you're not going to need math and science for what I have in mind for you."
"You have a job for me?" asked the mouse, turning to meet Lucretia's gaze.
"Why yes, yes I do. How would you like to be my apprentice?"
"Apprentice? Doing what?"
"Simple. Becoming one of the galaxy's top assassins."
At first, the mouse wasn't quite sure she heard her correctly. "Assassin? You? You don't look like killer material to me."
Lucretia grinned with self-satisfaction. "And who's the one that put you on the ground in just one blow? Who's the one that turned the tables on an armed assailant with nothing but her wit? Believe me, I wouldn't lose a single second of sleep by killing you here. But that would be a waste. I see potential in you."
"Just who are you anyway?"
"You don't know who I am? Don't even recognize me?" The mouse shook her head. "The famous Devan Luck? Inheritor of a fortune and an avid philanthropist? C'mon, surely you would have heard of my generosity to the community in one of the…I don't know, soup kitchens or something that you may have frequented?"
"Philanthropist? What is that?"
Lucretia sighed, shaking her head at the girl's naivety. "I donate a lot of money to charities."
"And you're an assassin? What is this, a cover?"
"Precisely. In public, I live the life of an innocent, happy-go-lucky millionaire. But while in the underground, I take on assassination jobs as the infamous Lady Luck. And so far, my alter-ego seems to be working. Nobody knows that Lady Luck and I are the same person."
The mouse looked away, trying to comprehend everything that she was being told. "So why are you telling me all this? I know who you really are."
"I know. But now you have to make a decision. You can take the job, enjoying a luxurious lifestyle while apprenticing under me to become an esteemed assassin, making a name for yourself. That or you can respectfully decline and I shoot you here and continue on with my day. So what's it going to be?"
"Hmm…let me think about that for a second. Yes, I'll be your apprentice," said the mouse.
"I had a feeling you would have said that even without the death threats, am I right?"
"Well, you're offering to feed me, clothe me, and house me, right? I can't be your apprentice if I'm constantly on the verge of death."
"Don't worry. As long as you do as I say, you'll be set for life. Who knows? I might even give you a monthly stipend, depending on how well you do in your training."
The thought of money and fine living made the mouse smile, totally forgetting about how she got into that situation. "I can't believe this. And just this morning, I thought I would be dying in some back alley, but now I have a chance to continue living. Thank you so much, Ms. Luck."
"Don't get too comfortable. There still is a chance that you'll end up dead in some back alley if you don't take your training seriously, but for now, you're my apprentice, and I will teach you to be a lethal killing machine of extreme precisions and poise. By the way, what's your name, kid?"
"My name is Wendy, Wendy Shoemaker."
"That's Wendy Shoemaker, ma'am. Girl, not only do I have to teach you how to be an assassin, but also a polite, young-lady of high-class living. Okay, Wendy, just sit tight. I need to go take care of some business inside the bank."
"You going to rob it?"
Lucretia turned back to her and shook her head. "I'm going to make a deposit, you idiot."
"Sorry. Mind uncuffing me then?"
"Fat chance. I just met you. For all I know, you could hotwire the car and ditch me, and that is unacceptable. Just sit tight," said Lucretia, shutting her door. She retrieved her briefcase and hid the pistol in jacket, making her way inside.
As Lucretia walked into the bank, Wendy remained seated in her car, looking around. "Nice car. This is going to be sweet. I just hope becoming a renowned assassin isn't as hard as it sounds." She sighed as she reclined in her seat, thankful that she was given a second chance at life.
#
"Hey, wake up." Lucretia snapped her fingers in front of Wendy's face. She opened her eyes after taking a nap while Lucretia was taking care of business.
"Where are we?" asked Wendy.
"Home. For me and for you." Lucretia got out of the car and walked over to the passenger side. Once Wendy got out, Lucretia undid the handcuffs and locked the car. "C'mon, it looks like you need something to eat, and I guess a shower wouldn't hurt either."
"A shower? I haven't had a shower in days."
"I guess that explains the smell," said Lucretia with disgusted look. She and Wendy left the garage and headed inside the tower. "While I was in the bank, I made a sub-account that you can use for your own purposes. I also got you a debit card so you can make purchases on your own. Don't take this lightly, though. I still have control of your account, but you can still make deposits and withdraws. I didn't give you complete ownership of it so you don't ditch me and take the money. That would be very bad…for you, because I can easily track you down and kill you. Am I clear?"
"Yes."
"Yes what?"
"Yes…ma'am. But I have no money. What do I need a bank account and card for?"
"To kick start your new life, I gave you a thousand credits to start off with. As you train with me, and fulfill your duties, you'll get a monthly stipend and a share of any contract that we collaborate on. In the beginning, you won't be doing any work, but as you show me that you can handle yourself, I might bring you along for the experience."
Wendy's face was beaming with delight. "A thousand credits. Thank you so much, ma'am."
"No problem, kid."
"I'm twenty. I'm not a kid."
"You're a kid in my eyes. Prove me otherwise, and I'll stop calling you that," said Lucretia. The elevator doors opened and they walked out into the lobby.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Luck. How are you today?" asked one of the tower staff.
"Splendid. Thanks," said Lucretia, sliding her keycard into her elevator's key slot. The staff member gave her an odd look as he saw Wendy following her, wearing tattered clothes, looking messy, and smelling foul.
"You have your own elevator?" asked Wendy.
"Yes, I do. It leads straight to the penthouse and only I can access it," said Lucretia.
"You live in the penthouse!? That is so cool," said Wendy, grinning with anticipation.
Lucretia couldn't help but smile also. Wendy's eagerness and youthful enthusiasm reminded her of Devan, her old partner. She was glad that she crossed paths with Wendy, hopeful that her new protégé will prove herself and that she could mold her into a successful assassin like herself.
After exiting the elevator and making it through the front door, Wendy was overwhelmed with joy at the sight of Lucretia's luxurious home. "This is so fancy looking! Everything is so shiny and clean looking," she said, walking around the foyer.
"You can have the auxiliary bedroom to yourself, but don't get too comfortable. We're leaving in half an hour," said Lucretia, heading into the mini-bar for a quick drink.
"What for? Where are we going?" asked Wendy as she rummaged through the fridge for something to eat.
Lucretia looked over at her and shook her head again in frustration. "Okay, hold on, Wendy. Before you go exploring my fridge and other rooms, let me lay down some ground rules. Number one, don't go in my bedroom. EVER. That is my personal sanctuary and you're not allowed inside. Number two, don't touch any of the electronics without my permission, at least, not until you've earned my complete trust. Number three, you're not allowed to leave the penthouse without my permission or accompanied by me. And finally, DO NOT TELL ANYONE ABOUT MY SECRET IDENTITY, okay? In addition to those four rules, do exercise common courtesy. It's only fair, since you are living in my home. Any questions?"
"No, ma'am. I'll be good. But you didn't say where we were going."
"We're headed to my mansion on Alkion."
"You have a mansion!? This keeps getting better and better. Why do you have a mansion?"
"It's actually more like a very big house than a mansion. It's where I train and practice for missions. It's also my little paradise away from the craziness of this city. We're going to head there to see what you got, which is probably not much by what you showed me earlier."
"Sweet! I can't wait to get started."
"Splendid. Now, grab something to eat and take a shower. We'll leave once you're done." Wendy gave a nod and took out a bunch of random food to eat before taking her shower. While she was getting freshened up, Lucretia has a few shots of whiskey before getting her things together for the trip.
After taking her shower and washing whatever clothes she had on, Wendy met Lucretia in the foyer, all ready to go. Lucretia had a luggage bag packed and a sidebag with her as well. "What's with the bags?" asked Wendy.
"We're going to be staying on Alkion for a week or so during your crash course in becoming an assassin. These are just clothes and supplies to keep me satiated until we return," said Lucretia. She grabbed her bags and opened her door. "C'mon, let's get a move on. I want to get there before the night is over." Wendy acknowledged and followed her out of the apartment. As they were driving to the spaceport, Wendy was admiring the city through the lens of high-class living. She hadn't seen the beauty of the city like she was doing from Lucretia's car. The neon lights blurred as they sped by each of the casinos and other buildings on the main strip, adding to the alluring nightlife of the filthy rich.
Lucretia smiled as she looked over to see Wendy so entranced by her surroundings that she had grown so used to. "What's the matter? Never seen the city before?" she asked.
"Not like this. I'm usually lying in some back alley or trying to find something to eat in the bad side. I've never been to this part of the city before."
"Well get used to it, Wendy. From now on, I'm going to show you what real living is," said Lucretia with a smile. They arrived at the spaceport and made their way inside the terminal, heading to where her ship was parked.
"This is your ship!? It's so sleek looking!" said Wendy as they walked onto the platform.
"Yup. That's my baby. Got it custom fitted with a bunch of cool stuff a few months ago," said Lucretia. She unlocked the outer hatch and stepped in, moving into the cockpit to begin start-up procedures. Wendy made her way inside and shut the hatch, taking a seat in the small compartment right behind the cockpit. "Have you ever flown in a starship before?" asked Lucretia.
"Not that I remember. I've lived here all my life."
"Aren't you afraid to being flying into space?"
"Nope. I'm excited," said Wendy, strapping herself into her seat.
"Good. We'll be outta here in a second. Just need to fire up the engines," said Lucretia, prepping the ship for launch. She ignited the engines and turned on the nav computer, selecting Alkion from her favorites list. Once she was ready, she piloted the ship from the ground and proceeded into space, engaging the hyperdrive to jump to Alkion. Within a few minutes, they arrived at their destination. Lucretia continued to fly the ship towards the planet, navigating to where her home was. As she got pulled in by the planet's gravity, she continued to head straight through the atmosphere and into the clothes.
"So what is this planet again? Alkion?" asked Wendy.
"Yeah. It's still under VCG control. It's relatively new and I got a sweet deal on the property I have. They were practically giving it all away. There it is in the distance. See it?"
Wendy got up and went over to the cockpit, peering out the windshield. In the distance, she could see Lucretia's large house situated on the fifty-acre property, which was fenced off by an industrial-strength, ten foot high steel fence in the shape of a rectangle. The fence was electric and was topped off with barbed wire to deter any unwanted guests, powerful enough to stop a Kobold, if any of them showed up at her doorstep. The property was monitored by a top-of-the-line security system, including cameras and auto-turrets. At each corner of the property, and at every center point of the fence, there was a GEM-III turret stationed there, the same ones used in the metropolitan cities. The turrets used .50 caliber ammunition and were motion activated, thought, the turrets' AI was smart enough to distinguish a hostile from a regular person or wildlife, so there was little to no accidents.
"So this is where you do all your training?" asked Wendy.
"Yeah. I have my own private shooting range for sniper rifles and pistols. Inside the house, I have my own training dojo and workout room in the basement. I also store the majority of my gear and weapons here for safe keeping. I rarely keep anything relating to 'Lady Luck' at my penthouse, just to be safe. This house is miles away from the city and any law enforcement that might be lurking around, so it's the ideal place to conduct my business from."
"Oh, cool. What kind of guns do you have?"
"Quite a few. You'll see when we get to the armory," said Lucretia with a smile as she turned to Wendy. As she got closer to the house, she hovered around and set the ship down on the landing pad behind the house. She secured the ship and grabbed her bags, opening the outer hatch to head to the house. After Wendy got out, Lucretia closed the hatch and locked the ship. "Welcome to Luck Estate," she said, opening up the back door to the house.
The inside of the mansion looked totally different from the building's old, rustic exterior. The décor and all the furniture inside the house were modern-styled and technologically sleek and stylish. The floor consisted of smooth, black tiling while the walls and ceiling her white, glossy panels. The ambient, white ceiling lights illuminated the house fully, giving a vivid feel of modern-living. All of the interfaces for the electronics were holo-panels and some of the utilities were even compatible with voice commands.
"This is so cool! How come you don't live here more often?" asked Wendy.
"Because the nearest casino is a thirty minute flight from here. Not to mention all the stores and restaurants too. Those are kinda important to a person like me. C'mon, I'll show you to your room," said Lucretia, leading the way into the house. As they were walking, Lucretia continued to talk about her house's nifty features. "The house is totally self-sufficient, which is why I don't need to depend on the city for my utilities. The electricity comes from a power generator secluded away somewhere on the lot. It takes in solar energy and wing energy, storing it away until I use an electronic device or something like that. It's all very technical and I leave it to the technicians to deal with, but they assured me that it's good for life. Anyway, along with my own power source, I have my own water purification system and sewage treatment." They strolled through the halls and came to an elevator, which traversed the mansion's four floors, including the basement and underground parking garage.
"You have an elevator in your house!?" asked Wendy, amazed yet again at what her house had to offer.
"Of course. You don't expect a lady of luxury to use the stairs now, do you? Besides, this allows me to move heavy objects from floor to floor without hiring extra help, or breaking my back trying to use the main foyer stairs for that matter." Once they were on the third floor, where the bedrooms were, Lucretia stopped outside Wendy's room. "Okay, Wendy, this is your room. The same rules apply here like back at the penthouse. My room is down the hall, so don't even think about going there. The bathroom is right over here and the other rooms are extended closets and trophy rooms."
"Thanks, Ms. Luck. I can't believe I have two rooms, and I don't have anything to put in them. This is so cool, ma'am."
"Yeah, we'll go shopping for stuff for you later, but before that, we're going to have to do a little training first. Meet me in the kitchen in thirty minutes. I'm going to get some grub and change before we start. Feel free to look around, but don't touch anything. I'll know if you do," said Lucretia, pointing to one of the many security cameras spread throughout the house. Wendy gave a nervous smile and nodded in acknowledgement before moving into her room to explore.
Once Lucretia had satiated her hunger and changed into her training outfit, she went back to the kitchen to await Wendy's arrival. To her surprise, she was already waiting for her there. "Ah, good to see that you're punctual. One less thing I have to get you accustomed to," said Lucretia.
"Actually, I was just here to get a drink, but since I'm here, I might as well wait," said Wendy.
"Okay. If you're ready, we can head on down to get a head start," said Lucretia. Wendy gave a nod and followed her into the basement.
