Assassination Part 1 Chapter 2

At the airship docks

Jaye paced through the crowd of people waiting in line, approaching the counter and flashing the receptionist a smile. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he leaned against the counter.

'Making a purchase or checking in?' She asked, barely looking at him, and he slid a credit chip across the table to her. She glanced at the symbol on it, raising an eyebrow at the boy.

'Collection. For room 1838.' He said, sliding the credit chip a little closer to her. She slid it off the table, giving a cursory glance around the area to make sure no one spotted it. Putting it away in a separate box, she retrieved the key from the drawer below her.

'For room 1838.' She said, handing him the keys. 'Enjoy your trip, Mister Ryder.'

'Much obliged.' He grinned, pocketing the keys and making his way to the boarding zone. He shoved his hands into his pockets, trying to look as inconspicuous as he could with his general lack of luggage, taking a seat nearby his gate and waiting for the doors to open.

Room 1838

Unlocking the door, he subtly glanced around the area to make sure no one was tailing him. Stepping into the lavish room, he heaved a contented sigh as he noted the luxuries of the room. Stepping to the wardrobe, he found the secret panel on the side of the wood, pressing his palm to it. Beeping in acknowledgement, he opened the wooden doors of the wardrobe, revealing the interior that was far from the contents of a typical wardrobe.

Lining the walls were rows of guns and other weaponry, typically reserved for the non-huntsmen in the world. Though weapons were publicly allowed to be carried and wielded only by licensed huntsmen and huntsmen in training, it was hardly enforced or checked unless you looked overly suspicious. But seeking to attract as little attention to himself as possible was the name of the assassination game, and he would prefer to use weapons untraceable to his person for a job like this that would likely get more than a little messy. Removing a few choice pieces of equipment from the cupboard, he laid them out on the bed before him, examining what he had to work with.

Clipping the holster to his belt, he secured the pistol to his waist where it would be hidden from sight once his jacket was on. Opening hidden compartments in his jacket, he lined them with long belts of throwing knives, leaving the quick access pockets open for ease of use. On the back of his waist, he clipped several magazines for his pistol, slotting two long knives above them pressed against his back. Loading an assault rifle, he clipped spare magazines to its sides, stuffing them it into a duffel bag in the corner alongside a sniper rifle he'd deconstructed to save space. Having ditched his swords and shield in a secure drop back in Vale, he had scanned them into a portable construction device that would let him conjure hard light copies of them for temporary use. They wouldn't channel dust or fire bullets, but they would retain all the structural integrity of real metal and it could summon them multiple times before the device would need a recharge. Mostly for emergencies since the constructs would only last for ten minutes at a go and could only be summoned a maximum of five times. He adjusted his gauntlets, strapping an additional attachment to them. He flexed against it a few times, adjusting the sensitivity, and clenched his fist as a blade shot out from under his arm. A retractable weapon secured into the underside of his gauntlet; perfect for assassinations and getting the upper hand in a fight. Sturdy enough to block at least a few sword blows, it was the tool of their trade.

Putting his jacket on, he sat down heavily on the bed, pulling up the info he had on the Spider again. It was sparse to say the least, though the pieces he'd gotten from Indigo were far more helpful. Though the Spider had been sighted on numerous occasions, he was ever the elusive target when it came to catching him unawares. Thus far he had only ever appeared in situations when he seemed entirely secure, surrounded by his people in droves and far from any danger. All in all it was unlikely he would find the Spider unless he wanted to be found, which meant that his chances of pulling off this job were slim at best.

'Still, this wouldn't be the first impossible task I've done.' He muttered aloud to himself. 'Killing Ironwood was next to impossible, but we damn near did it. Only got foiled by something entirely out of our control. Which means this needs to be airtight if I want any hope of getting out alive.'

Figuring that he wouldn't be getting anything by sitting around brooding about it, he elected to do his thinking in Mistral and just get some sleep for the time being. Though it was a relatively short flight, it would be tomorrow before he reached the kingdom, so there was time to burn and all his preparations were done. Electing for comfort over security, he promptly made his way into the shower.

The night was deafeningly silent, with nothing but the gentle hum of the airship's engines breaking it as the boy snoozed. Seemingly in deep sleep, he stirred slightly as the window slid open in silence. Bearing no outward sign of realization, Jaye kept his breathing steady and even as he waited, hearing the nearly imperceptible footsteps approach him. Peeking out of the tiniest slit in his eye, invisible in the dark, he noticed the figure poised over his sleeping figure. Grimacing to himself and running through the options in his head, he silently tried to narrow down who it was that would be trying to kill him at this point of time, and almost made a sound of confusion as the perpetrator bore no sign of a weapon in hand. The figure leaned over him, placing his/her hands down on either side of him, and he snapped to attention. Grabbing his assailant by the wrists, he flipped the figure over and onto the floor, pinning him/her beneath him and going for his pistol. He heard her cry out, unmistakably a woman, and froze as he was struck with a sudden burst of familiarity. He squinted at the woman beneath him, and as if on cue the clouds outside the window parted to allow the moonlight through. Illuminating the room, he came face to face with the stunned visage of Indigo, grinning sheepishly at him from her position beneath him. He took the barrel away from her neck, heaving a sigh as he felt the relief wash over him, and she gave him a look that said "oopsie".

'Goddamn it Hana you gave me a scare.' He grumbled, putting away his gun. He helped her to her feet, brushing off her shoulders where a bit of dirt from the floor had gotten onto her. 'What the hell are you doing here?'

'Um, yeah about that. I couldn't just let you head off on your own, could I?' She said, twiddling her thumbs nervously. 'What kind of woman would I be if I let you walk off to your death?'

'I remember you specifically telling me to walk off to my death for all you cared.'

'Yeah well sorry I care about you.' She rolled her eyes, trying to take the focus off the situation. 'Treating a girl that way, what's wrong with you?'

'Um excuse you. You snuck into my room in the middle of the night. I think this is a pretty appropriate reaction.' He folded his arms over his chest. 'Speaking of which, why the heck were you even sneaking into my room in the middle of the night anyway?'

'No reason.' She said, averting her gaze to the skies outside. 'Oh, would you look at that? The moon is gorgeous tonight.'

'Hana.'

The woman kept silent for a long moment, and the boy simply raised an eyebrow and continued to look cross at her. She finally relented, heaving a sigh and prodding her fingers together.

'I just wanted to see your face.' She mumbled, playing with her fingers in an attempt to hide her awkwardness. The boy raised his eyebrow even further.

'Excuse me?'

'I just wanted to see your face okay!' She burst, lowering her voice as she realized it was the middle of the night. 'I didn't want you to know that I was here, but you know how I hate sleeping on my own. I just wanted to see you and go back but um…' She trailed off, the blush rising very visibly on her cheeks even in the dim moonlight. 'Once I saw your face, I couldn't stop myself wanting to kiss you.'

'Goddammit.' The boy grumbled, running a hand over his face. The woman continued to shuffle awkwardly on the spot, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, and he finally held out his hands to her. She stepped into his embrace, pressing her face into his chest.

'I'm sorry for what I said to you.' She mumbled into his shirt. 'I still don't want you to go, but I can't bear the thought of you getting hurt.'

'Yeah.' He whispered, running his hand through her hair. She kissed him gently, and he let his hands fall down to her hips. She broke away from him, letting her forehead fall onto his collarbone.

'Promise me you're going to be okay.' She whispered, nuzzling into his neck. He placed a hand on her back, rubbing it in soothing circles. 'Promise me you're going to survive.'

'I promise.' He grinned at the girl, patting the back of her head. 'Come on, I'm Niflheim! I'm unkillable.'

'Mm.'

'Let's get some sleep. We'll be in Mistral in a few hours.'

The two dragged themselves out of bed the following morning following their arrival in Mistral. Yawning conspicuously, the raven-haired boy clipped his weapons back onto himself, tossing his towel onto a nearby chair and picking up his jacket discarded in the corner of the room.

'So much for sleep I guess.' He grumbled, running a hand through his still wet hair. He yelped as Indigo threw the towel back over his head, tousling his hair dry.

'You need to keep your hair dry; the weather is cold here.' She said, fully aware of his gaze falling to her chest as she dried his hair. 'You need to take better care of yourself.'

'That's what you're here for, ain't it?'

'Funny.' She tossed the towel onto the chair, picking up her breastplate and slipping it on. 'Help me with the clasps.'

After unloading

The two pulled to a stop outside the massive building, at least 60 floors stretching up into the sky, raising an eyebrow at the glass entrance. He noted the carpark nearby, approaching the gantry and staring straight into the camera in front of him. The speaker crackled to life.

'Identification.'

'Jaye Ryder. Code 1-4-1-0. Indigo Hanazawa. Code 9-0-5.'

'Confirmed. You may proceed inside to the highlighted parking space, lot number 42.'

They pulled into the carpark, sliding his bike into the green lit parking lot. He stared at the number plastered to the floor as he switched off his engine.

'They should really change that number, it's so cliché.'

'I think it's got some charm to it though.' Indigo said, shaking the mess out of her hair and smoothing it down. 'It's cute.'

'Right.' He said, taking her by the hand and leading her over to the double glass doors that would let them into the office complex. He hit the number for the reception counter, scanning his iris in the scanner before pressing the button. Stepping out from the elevator, the pair made their way out to the reception hall, smiling at the lady at the counter. She greeted the pair stoically.

'Miss Hanazawa, Mister Ryder, welcome back to the Mistral Faction.' She said, noting their attendance on her computer. 'The overseer will be seeing you in the lounge shortly. For now, please enjoy the refreshments we've prepared for your arrival.'

'Much obliged.' He said, sliding a credit chip across the counter to the woman. She took it wordlessly, looking at him for instruction. 'For accommodation. Inconspicuous accommodation.'

'Of course, sir. I will have a booking made for you shortly.' She bowed to him, keeping her head down until the pair left for the lounge. Jaye squeezed Indigo's hand as they walked, making their way down the long hall until they reached the door labelled "Lounge". Pushing the doors open, they greeted the waiters inside as they took a seat. Indigo pressed herself to Jaye's side.

'It's been a while since we've been back here huh?' She whispered, grinning at the boy. Jaye took a glass of juice off the waiter, sipping from it appreciatively and handing one to Indigo as well. 'What no wine?'

'Not on the job.' He grinned, glancing around the place. 'That receptionist was new.'

'Or moved from another department.' Indigo conjectured, glancing at the door. 'I wonder if the Overseer will be pleased to see us?'

'You maybe. Not so much me.' The boy scoffed, draining his glass. 'He never liked me much, and he's definitely gunning for you, even if he denies it at every turn.'

'Let's just leave that off the table yeah? For relations sake.' Indigo placed her glass down on the table, putting a wide smile on her face as the door opened. 'Smile for god's sake!'

'Indigo! So wonderful to see you!' A heavy voice rang out from the doorway, the doors swinging open to reveal a man dressed in an elaborate suit. He smiled at the woman, almost entirely ignoring Jaye's presence in the room, stepping forward with his arms outstretched.

'Varian. It's been too long.' Indigo greeted, rising from her seat. Decorated with various rings and other items of luxury, the man was clearly no stranger to wealth, and it was for that very reason that Jaye disliked him. Having made his way up to an Overseer position in the Faction purely by stepping over others and not for his skill or competence, the boy had little respect for the pompous man as a person, other reasons notwithstanding. Jaye managed to force a heavy smile onto his face, standing up to address the man. Indigo accepted kisses from him on both her cheeks by way of greeting, and Jaye cleared his throat in something close to annoyance.

'Afternoon Varian.' He greeted, holding his hand out to the man. Varian gave it an almost contemptuous look, taking it and shaking it gingerly. Jaye tightened his grip, crushing the man's hand in his own, shaking his entire skinny arm vigorously. 'What, no kisses for me?'

'Pleasure to see you, Niflheim.' Varian said, though his face spoke otherwise. 'I'd like to think of this as a simple how are you doing visit, what with such wonderful company.' He smiled at Indigo again, and Jaye cleared his throat loudly. 'But of course. Business.' He gestured out the lounge door. 'Mayhap we take this away from prying ears. My office.'

'Well you're really in the shit now, aren't you Mister Ryder?' Varian tossed the file down onto the table. Jaye raised an eyebrow at the man, watching him as he leaned back in his chair and sipped from his glass. Varian waved his hands in a gesture of hopelessness. 'You know they're trying to kill you right? And hopefully take out several of the Spider's allies in the process.'

'I am aware of that. My objective is to kill him and not get killed.' Jaye scoffed, leaning back in the couch. Indigo shot him a glare that said, "be civil", leaning forward onto her knees. Varian raised an eyebrow at the boy, and Indigo cleared her throat.

'My intel's limited, what with my being stationed in Vale and all.' She said, running a finger along the table before her. She bunched up her shoulders, leaning her elbows into her knees and pressing her breasts together. A classic tactic she used to draw attention, exceptionally effective on whoresons like Varian. 'But you're the main man here, surely you can tell us something?'

Varian's eyes invariably followed her movements, trailing from her hands and up to her shoulders and finally down to her ample bosom, grunting in apparent appreciation as he took in the sight. Jaye did his best to ignore the situation, turning the other way and sipping quietly from his glass, wishing this time around he did have some alcohol. Glancing at the boy, Varian touched a finger to his forehead, making a sound of frustration.

'Sweetheart, intel on the Spider is hard to come by. It's not something we can simply give so easily, even to one as… distinguished as yourself.' He said, gesturing at her with a slow wave of his hand. 'If you wish for my assistance, you have to offer something of equal value, no?'

Indigo raised herself off her knees, leaning back into the couch and stretching out her hands on either side of her, letting her gloved digits run over the leather surface as she spread them. She relaxed her bare shoulders into the soft leather, letting her breasts move with the movement and feeling his eyes trail straight to there. She smiled internally, keeping the gentle pout on her face.

'We're a little short on time, but it's alright.' She lamented, tilting her head towards the man, gathering her hands into her lap. 'Any other time we'd be more than willing to accept your offer, but this is rather urgent. I suppose if you can't help us then it's out of our hands.'

She gave the man her trademark sad smile, the kind that tugged on your heartstrings and made you feel like trash of a man for refusing her. She gazed up at him through her long full eyelashes, meeting his stare halfway as she watched him wrestle with himself. Varian heaved a sigh of defeat, raising a hand to stop the woman.

'I never said I couldn't help you.' He grimaced, placing his glass down on the table. Indigo nearly burst out in laughter, keeping her face impassive and plastering a hopeful look on it instead. Varian shifted on his seat, retrieving a scroll from his pocket. He sent a file to the woman, and she accepted the data quietly. It was locked, and she waited for his next request for the password. Varian cleared his throat again.

'There's a broker, name of Malachite. You familiar?'

'Yeah.'

'Good. She's one of our best, and I believe most recently she dug up something concerning the Spider. If you help me with this one simple request then I'll consider it your payment for this morsel.' He said, sending another file to the woman. Jaye received the forwarded item and password, Varian clearly not bothering to send it to the raven-haired boy personally, cussing him out under his breath and reading through the details. He glanced at the contents of the folder, raising an eyebrow at the man. Varian cleared his throat again. 'It's a simple task really, should be no problem for someone of your caliber.'

'We'll get it done.' Jaye said, getting up from his spot on the couch. He'd had enough of this man throwing hints at his partner, and Indigo evidently shared his thoughts as well. 'Shouldn't take more than a day. With one for prep of course.'

'Of course.' Varian said, raising his glass to the pair. Indigo bowed to him, kicking Jaye under the table and he reluctantly bowed as well. 'I do hope this goes well for you.'

Reception Counter

'Mister Ryder.' The receptionist smiled, bowing to the pair in greeting. 'You will be glad to know that I've received the details of your assignment from Mister Varian, and I've prepared suitable accommodation for you and your partner.' Their scrolls beeped as they received the information. 'You will be accommodated in one of our affiliated hotels, the Safe Haven. I've ordered the relevant supplies to be sent to your rooms. Please enjoy your stay.'

'Thank you. Good work.' Jaye complimented, nodding to the woman. He touched Indigo's back, turning her towards the carpark, and paused as the woman cleared her throat loudly.

'Mister Ryder.' She called, the blush rising fairly evidently on her cheeks. He raised an eyebrow at the woman as she fidgeted as inconspicuously as she could. 'Do visit us again soon.'

'Right.' He nodded, entering the carpark, letting the doors swing shut behind him. He felt a pinch on his arm, and Indigo pouting in response. He sighed, placing an arm over her shoulders, and kissing her in apology. She still refused to meet his eye, and he sighed heavily into his hand.

The Safe Haven

Jaye pushed his way through the rotating doors, nodding a greeting to the Concierge as they entered the lobby. It was a hotel like any other, extravagant, and seemingly entirely normal to anyone not amongst the fold. It housed regular patrons as well to avoid suspicion and had gone undetected for nearly a century as a part of the Faction. There were many other hotels just like this in every major city in every Kingdom, with many smaller establishments like motels or inns in the vast majority of villages across Remnant. Though they all went by different names and designs for the Kingdom they were based in, they all shared one thing in common; their services provided to members of the Faction, so long as they could pay for it. Jaye arrived at the counter, greeting the man behind the counter.

'Checking in, room 1666.' He said, earning himself a raised eyebrow from the man. He flipped through his book quietly, pulling out the keycards from below the table.

'A pleasure to serve you, Mister Ryder.' He said, placing the cards on the table. Jaye took them with a word of thanks, handing one to Indigo. 'You will be pleased to know we've received your request for extra services, and your rooms have been prepared as instructed. Do enjoy your stay, and I wish you luck in your… business endeavors.'

'Thank you.' Indigo said, smiling sweetly at the man. The pair paced quietly down the hall to the elevators, sliding the keycard into the slot under the buttons and pressing the button for their floor. They relaxed into the walls of the elevator, feeling the ground move gently under their feet as they ascended. Indigo cleared her throat, pulling out her scroll.

'So. It appears we're killing a traitor.' She said, peering at her screen. 'I've never actually heard of this guy before. Khylia. Wait is it a girl?'

'Neither have I.' Jaye crossed his arms over his chest. 'I find it a little strange for him to decide to send us after this fella when most C-class assassins would suffice. I would've thought he'd want us for something bigger and you know, more suited to our skill set?'

'I thought so too. She's supposedly betraying the Faction and turning coats to the Spider, so we get the information we need from her about the Spider and kill her as our payment.' Indigo folded her arms under her chest, tilting her head in a thinking pose. 'But this seems a bit… easy?'

'To be fair it says here they did send a few other assassins after her, but she managed to evade and kill/incapacitate all of them.' He pointed out. 'Maybe they just don't want to leave anything else to chance?'

'I suppose.' Indigo trailed off, unconvinced. The rest of the ride continued in silence as the two poured over the information, barely acknowledging the other patrons entering the lift and stepping out at their floor. The pair opened their respective rooms, slipping inside after inconspicuously checking their corridors for any signs of being followed. Jaye glanced at the duffel bag in the corner, placing the one he was holding down on the other side. He opened the new arrival, sifting through the equipment provided for him. He removed the pistol inside, with a built-in silencer in the muzzle, and slid it into a holster under his arm. It helped to have his loud guns and his silenced gun in completely different spots; helped him not to draw the wrong weapon by mistake. He re-secured the knives against his back, finding a few explosives inside the bag. He checked the timers and adhesives, finding them satisfactory, and whirled around as he heard a doorlatch click. He drew the silenced pistol from under his arm in a fluid motion, flipping off the safety and lining it up with the intruder's head. Indigo raised an eyebrow at him, shutting the linked door behind her and locking it. The boy lowered his pistol, slipping it back under his arm and out of sight.

'Dammit Indigo, make some noise next time can't you?'

'I did. The doorlatch.'

'I nearly shot you.'

'And I trust you not to.' She rolled her eyes at the boy. 'Honestly, Jaye.'

'Alright, alright, you win.' The boy rolled his eyes right back, glancing at the much smaller bag under her arm. 'What did they send you?'

'More supplies.' She said, opening the bag. 'Lockpicks and disarming kits amongst other things. They expect explosives from this Khylia lady I suppose.'

'Doesn't bode well for us.' The boy grumbled. 'I hate defusing stuff. I always pick the wrong wire and have to freeze it in the end.'

'I keep telling you to just freeze it from the start, but you always want to prove you can do it.'

'Yeah well, I probably can. At least once.'

'And those bombs will probably blow up in your face if you keep that up. At least once.'

'Thanks for the vote of confidence. Really, it means a lot to me.'

'You're welcome.' Indigo chirped, dropping her bag down in the corner. 'Grab a kit of each later before we leave; I get the feeling we're gonna need it.' She held up a coat hanging from her hand. It was fairly expensive looking, and most definitely had more going to it than it let on. 'Did you get one too?'

'Let me see.' The boy dug through the duffel bag, pulling out a leather jacket remarkably similar to the one he had on. He prodded it, feeling the supple but clearly hardened material under his fingers. 'Yeah, looks like it.'

'Bullet-proof on all the vital areas.' Indigo elaborated. 'Best body armor money can buy sewn between the layers, but to reduce the weight and make it practical it's not fully protected. The back and chest are all guarded, but there's nothing on the arms and shoulders, so keep that in mind if someone's shooting at you.'

'Eh, Aura works best anyway.' The boy said but put the jacket on regardless. 'I think that makes us more or less set, right?'

'Yep.' She said, slipping the coat on over her breastplate and sliding her pistol into a hidden pocket inside the outerwear. 'Let's go scouting, shall we?'

End of Chapter 2