AN: The chapters are just getting longer and longer lol
Chapter 3 Suspicion
For over a dozen year of her assassin career, Yor had only failed three missions: her 2nd mission as a new assassin because she got lost and lost track of the target, her 6th mission because the target took a young boy around Yuri's age as hostage and she panicked, and her 23rd mission because she prioritized saving an innocent civilian who was about to fall off a building and ended up letting the target escape.
And that third and last failure occurred when she was sixteen.
It had been 11 years since and she hadn't failed a single mission.
Until her encounter with Twilight.
Once again, she made the mistake of getting distracted, except this time it was by the target rather than a civilian.
This might have been their only chance of eliminating Twilight and she allowed it to slip past her because she was too daft to take his accomplice into account.
As if to add insult to her injury, Yor forgot about one of her weapons that sank into the ocean until she lost track of Twilight and his accomplice after chasing them for multiple blocks.
Great, she not only failed the mission but also lost one of her weapons as well. And she only had three of them in total. The Shopkeeper would be so happy to hear that (sarcasm).
Yor's frustration and anger with herself only pacified after returning home and quietly taking a hot shower. She had to keep her ears peeled for every little sound Loid made just in case he woke up. As for Anya, she could sleep through an atomic bomb so Yor wasn't worried about her.
Thinking of the impending report she'd have to make to the Shopkeeper about this failed mission had her rolling in her bed, unable to sleep. In the end, she managed to fall asleep after replaying this whole mission in her mind over and over again, etching each and every detail into her memories and ruminating about how she could have done it differently if she were given a second chance.
If I had arrived earlier, I could have stopped Twilight from untying his accomplice. If I had pointed out his disguise before he could use the darkness to his advantage and take out all these men, then we could gang up on him together. It all comes down to me arriving earlier. Perhaps I should have waited ten minutes instead of twenty minutes for Loid to fall asleep. Or maybe even five minutes… But wait, how long does it take for him to fall asleep? Now that I think about it, I never saw him sleeping or even napping before me…
The next day, Yor woke up later than usual. Loid was already setting their breakfast on the table by the time she left the bathroom.
"Morning, Yor," he greeted, smiling. "Did you get a good sleep?"
"Y-Yes. I slept fine. Sorry for oversleeping…" She hurried to help gather utensils.
"Don't worry about it. You look like you had a long night."
"H-Haha, I guess I had a lot to think about."
Yor was never a good liar. That was why she always preferred to say nothing rather than say an unconvincing lie and have to deal with the fallout. Hoping Loid would drop this topic, she left the kitchen to place the utensils in their proper spot on the table. While brushing past him, she caught a whiff of…
"Loid, are you injured?"
Loid froze, an unreadable expression crossing his face for a second before it was replaced by a confused look.
"No, what makes you think that?"
"I…um…caught a metallic smell, like blood."
He wouldn't think I'm weird for having a strong sense of smell, would he?
"That's strange." Loid lifted his left arm and sniffed his shirt. "I don't smell it though."
"O-Oh, I see. I'm probably mistaken." Yor lowered her head to hide her flushed face.
That was embarrassing! He definitely thinks I'm weird now. It could have been blood from his patients that lingered on him as a result of the Concussive Recovery Method. And maybe I didn't notice it yesterday because there were too many scents outside on our outing for me to notice his.
Anya chose this moment to show up, much to Yor's delight.
"Papa, mama, wh-"
Anya froze, her eyes widening with horror. She glanced at Loid, then at Yor, then back at Loid with a look that would fit for someone attending a funeral, not for a six year old who just woke up on a homework-free Sunday.
"Anya, what's the matter?" Yor asked in concern and reached to comfort her, but the moment her fingers touched Anya's shoulder, her step daughter jumped away with a scream like she was exposed to static electricity and ran to hide behind Loid's legs.
Yor wanted to cry. After everything she'd done to make Anya accept her, they were back to square one again.
She exchanged a glance with Loid, who seemed just as confused as she was. He mouthed the words 'I'll handle it' to her. She nodded and continued to set the table.
Breakfast was eaten in awkward silence. Anya was sitting on the right side of Loid and had moved her seat so her chair legs were touching his. Usually she would be eagering watching her spy cartoon or chattering nonstop with her mouth full or secretly feeding Bond her food, but this morning not once did she glance at the direction of the TV, she didn't speak a single word, and she would even glare at Bond as if he had wronged her somehow.
"So…" Yor began, trying to find something to talk about and break this silence. "Loid, if you don't mind me asking, how come you're eating with your left hand?"
This time, both Anya and Loid froze.
Hm? What's with this reaction?
"Ah, well…" Loid began, his eyes darting around like he was uncertain how to answer the question.
It's a simple question. How come he can't answer it? Is there something he doesn't want me to know?
Did he hurt his right arm last night? But how? He couldn't have, unless…
Anya suddenly yelped. "I'm so sorry!" She cried as she placed her hands on Loid's right arm gently. "I-Is it broken? Is Papa going to die!?"
"What…are you talking about?" Loid asked.
"Papa's arm must have fell asleep because I used it as a fillow last night…"
Loid glanced at Yor before patting Anya's head in a comforting manner. "Don't worry, it's just a little numb. It'll be back to normal soon."
"Did something happen last night?" Yor asked. She was pretty sure Loid was in his bed when she passed by his window last night on her way out. Did something happen after she left?
Twilight injured his right shoulder last night.
A voice reminded her in her mind, and Yor quickly shook away that thought.
You're insinuating the impossible.
"I had a nightmere so Papa let me sleep in his room."
Yor nodded to herself, convinced that this must be the case. Of course, that wicked scumbag Twilight isn't Loid, my kind, loving husband. How could I even doubt him?
Loid didn't know why Anya lied for him but he wasn't about to expose her right in front of Yor when her lie was the alibi and excuse he needed. He waited until they'd finished eating and left Yor to wash the dishes before leading Anya to her room.
"Anya," he began. Anya looked up at him with a proud, but also concerned smile. "What was that back there?"
"What do you mean?"
"You didn't have a nightmare last night, and you also didn't sleep in my room."
Anya's jaw dropped. "No way! But I remamber it clarely! You came into my room and hugged me and told me I can sleep in your room if I'm scared!"
This reaction…seems genuine.
No, it's definitely genuine. It wouldn't make sense otherwise. She probably had a bad dream and mistook it as reality. Either way, this is helpful for my situation.
But this excuse can only be used once. I need to be more careful in front of Yor. She's more shrewd than I thought. I'll have to use my right arm, no matter how much it might pain me. Perhaps I should buy some painkillers on my way home tonight…
"Anya, you're right. I must have confused dreams with reality."
This is the perfect excuse for not using my right arm so I shouldn't reveal to her it was just a dream.
"Papa, will you be okay?"
"I'll be fine. A numb arm isn't going to kill me."
Anya bit her lips like she wanted to say something else before sighing like she changed her mind. "Oh, when can I play with Scruffy again? You said he's only busy for a week!"
"I'll go pay him a visit today and see if he's free." Loid ruffled Anya's messy hair. "Now go comb your hair. At this rate, it'll become just like Scruffy's."
He chuckled at Anya's horrified yelp and left her room, heading towards the bathroom to get himself ready.
I didn't apply any ointment to the wound because I feared Yor might smell it. But if her sense is sharp enough to smell the faint blood, then I'll need to cover it somehow because she'll certainly question if she smells blood on me for multiple days despite my not having any injury.
He thought as he glanced at the bottle of cologne sitting in the cabinet.
But if she remains suspicious of me, then… I'll have to silence her before she can blow my cover.
After all, Operation Strix no longer needs a mother.
"You've gone soft, Twilight," Franky said as he fiddled with a new spy gear he invented.
They were currently in Franky's underground base since it was too risky for him to appear in public so soon after his kidnapping.
"I just don't feel the need to kill her." Twilight sighed. "Karen is a coward. After experiencing that last night, she would be too afraid to try something of that nature again. Plus, when Edgar finds out about it, he wouldn't let her try me again since he knows the consequences."
"You trust him that much?"
"It's not trust, it's understanding." Twilight could read people like a book, well, most people, since Anya and Yor often behaved in unpredictable ways. He wondered if Yor's night job had contributed to some of her unpredictable behaviors, like that one time he took her out on a date but she refused to sit…
Franky put down his tools and swiveled his chair around to look at Twilight with a rare, serious gaze. "You gotta keep your emotions out of this. If you value your life, never trust anyone."
"You're right. I shouldn't trust anyone. Maybe I should have killed you all those years ago when we met on the battlefield." Twilight smirked.
"Hey!" As expected, Franky was riled up. He was too easy. "That's different! Alright? I'd never betray you!"
A laugh escaped Twilight, a rare genuine laugh, which he immediately regretted when it sent sharp pain throughout his chest. He gripped his chest as he breathed deeply to ease out the pain. "A-Anyway, when will you be able to come visit? Anya misses you."
"Oh?" Franky rubbed his neck. "I'm planning on taking at least another week off, so maybe after you finish your next mission. It's this upcoming Sunday, right?"
Twilight nodded.
"Will you be able to recover before then?"
"Certainly not. Broken ribs alone take at least a month to heal. But this mission shouldn't involve any physical combat."
"Well, good luck with that. Maybe you can use this chance to blow off some steam. I heard Club Holly got some amazing drinks!"
"I'm not drinking on the job."
"I mean after, you idiot!"
The Shopkeeper was surprisingly lenient with Yor after hearing about her failure.
"I won't hold it against you since Twilight wouldn't be a master spy if he could be taken down this easily. However," Shopkeeper handed her some documents. "I want you to give it your all on your second try."
"Second...try?" Yor hesitated before taking the documents.
"We have proof that one of us has turned traitor but we didn't know who it was, until a few days ago your last client provided us information on Twilight's next mission." The Shopkeeper nodded his head at the documents. "Club Holly, a nightclub on the outskirts of Ostania. We suspect that the traitor planned on leaking critical intel about the Garden to WISE agents. And it seems like Twilight is the agent assigned to receive this intel. Fortunately, only one of our assassins frequents this club."
"What happened to them?"
The Shopkeeper smiled, but the smile wasn't quite reaching his eyes. "No matter how beautiful a plant may be, it's inevitable that there will be dead or overgrown branches tainting its appearance. We must take good care of our plants and prune it regularly to ensure its fruitfulness and growth." He trimmed off a dead branch with his shears as if to make a point. "I doubt Twilight knows the traitor is dead, so he will certainly show up at Club Holly on Sunday night. This is an opportunity we cannot miss. Since you're our only assassin who has faced him before, I'm assigning this mission to you. Kill Twilight if possible, or at least critically injure him so he can leave a trail and leave us a sign to look out for. Also, I have a feeling the traitor might have foreseen his demise and made some sort of backup plan, so be sure to keep an eye out for any possible ways he could have delivered the intel to Twilight."
"I will do my best!"
"Very well. I look forward to your good news. Don't fail me again, Thorn Princess." The Shopkeeper's eyes were usually deceptively benign, but now they pierced through Yor like her own weapons, giving her a feeling of being exposed and vulnerable.
She couldn't fail him again. I can't fail myself again. Not twice in a row.
A week passed by relatively fast.
Twilight's wounds were still causing him distress throughout the day but this was nothing new to him. He had always been adept at hiding his pain and masking it behind a hospitable smile.
Yor didn't bring up the smell of blood again, so either it had become faint or the cologne did its job better than he imagined since he had stopped using it after a day or two to ensure no scent lingered on him while under disguise.
Club Holly was just as wild and crowded as depicted in Franky's photos. The queue line at the entrance was so long it had to make multiple loops like a snake coiling around the front. The club was known for its eccentric preconditions for letting guests in. Aside from the age requirement, guests had to match the flow of the night if they wanted to be permitted entrance. But even if they felt like they matched the flow, they would still be denied entrance if the bouncers didn't think they matched.
Anyone who entered had to have their name recorded on a logbook, so Twilight couldn't just go in as Loid, not that he planned to.
He circled around to the backdoor where the parking lot extended to and hid behind a car when he spotted two delivery guys wearing red jackets having a conversation.
"You go on ahead. I have a little transaction to make, then I'll head back."
"Alright then. See you later."
One of them hopped on a scooter and drove off, leaving the other one muttering to himself. "Fucking hell. Wouldn't have killed them to meet me outside but what the hell do I care, right?"
Twilight slinked around the car to the other side so he could get a better view of the guy's face.
Hugo Großer, age 25, a college dropout who works at Schnelli Express and spends most of his hard earned cash on drugs. His outfit consists of a red jacket with the Schnelli Express logo, a red baseball cap worn backward over a red bandanna, and a pair of black sunglasses.
According to Franky's intels, this guy often took up deliveries to Club Holly so he could use the chance to buy some drugs off of the local dealer.
The perfect man to disguise as.
Twilight waited until Großer went to his own scooter and unlocked the storage box before subduing him from behind. He choked him just long enough so he wouldn't wake up immediately before releasing him and hiding his unconscious body in a dumpster after stripping his uniform. By the time he woke up, his food would already be gone so he'd have no choice but to leave the premises.
After donning the disguise and mask he prepared, Twilight took the food out of the storage box and locked it back up, placing the key on top before ringing the doorbell at the backdoor.
Almost immediately, a worker dressed in the club crew outfit opened the door.
Ryker Lowenthal, age 34, club crew, suffers from hypoglycemia so he's always hungry to the point where it's becoming a handicap in his line of work. However, he tends to order fast food which doesn't help raise his sugar levels.
"Here's the money. Come in and put the food in the break room. You know where it is. I'll eat it during my break," Lowenthal said in a hurry before rushing back into the club, leaving the door wide open.
Twilight sighed at the man's negligence and walked in, closing the door behind him.
The music was even louder and more obnoxious once he was inside. He grimaced. He despised loud party music, not only as a genre but also because this made it difficult to listen for footsteps if someone were to ambush him from behind.
Better get it done quickly.
According to his mission briefing, he was to locate the Garden traitor and receive intel from them. Nothing else was given. No description of the outfit they'd be wearing, or even their gender. There was only a single statement:
"I will be tending the barbecue stand at the outdoor cookout. Remember to bring the special sauce."
There was no outdoor cookout.
And he was certain they knew a club wouldn't have an outdoor cookout as well, hence this must be a code.
"I will be tending the barbecue stand." In other words, they would be the cook.
Another word for drug dealer was "cooker". Either they had disguised themselves as the dealer or Twilight could receive that intel through the dealer.
"Bring the special sauce." The word "Bring" could also be metaphorical. As a trainee, Twilight had been told countless times to not bring his emotions into a fight. So in this case, what they really meant could be "bring the 'special sauce' (phrase) to our meeting".
There was only one dealer in this club but only one was enough since he, according to Franky's intel, was the kingpin around here.
Michael "Mishoo" Nenkov, age 41, drug dealer, hangs around basement level 2, outfit may vary but he often wears red shoes, black trench coat, red bucket hat, and a gold chain around his neck.
He was talking to a female crew member when Twilight came down the stairs after dropping off the food.
"Thanks. You're a sweetheart. I'm just so exhausted. Need a pick me up, if you know what I mean..."
"Darling, that's what I'm here for. Even overheard one of the bouncers calling me the 'House Supplier'!"
"Well, you got the best gear. Anyway, I better get back to work."
"No problem, I aim to please, my dear. I'll see you later."
Twilight waited until the woman was out of sight before approaching him.
"Hey Hugo! Here for the usual?"
"No, I'm here for the 'special sauce'."
"Ah, so you're the one. Didn't see you as someone who'd know someone like that but whatever. It's not my business to pry." Nenkov discreetly pulled out a bag of pills and handed them to Twilight inconspicuously. "Keep it safe. And tell your friend to answer my calls, will ya? I've lost contact with him ever since he handed me these."
"I will keep that in mind."
Was the traitor taken out by Garden? But how did they know?
…Shit, Franky's intel! Karen must have looked through his bag when he was unconscious and realized the location of my next mission. Knowing her, she wouldn't pass up the opportunity to make some money, so she must have sold it to Garden, which means…
Twilight made sure no one was following him before exiting through the backdoor. The delivery guy was already gone, as expected. He waited until he was far enough from the club before taking out the bag to inspect the pills.
They were capsules filled with white powder. But one of them was different.
A tiny, rolled up strip of paper fell out after cracking it.
"0712843, 0298555, 0810804, 0442048…"
Twilight recognized the first number. That was the identification number of Yor Briar. So the rest must be…
"Drop it."
Yor's voice whispered behind him as one of her sharp, gold weapons dug into his throat.
Crap, I didn't even hear her…
Just like our first meeting at the tailor shop.
"And don't bother talking your way out of this. I know who you are."
As expected, Garden sent the Thorn Princess to take care of me.
"Likewise, Mrs. Yor Forger," Twilight replied cheekily in Großer's voice.
Yor's weapon dug into his throat even more, drawing a trail of blood. "You know my name," she snarled.
Twilight responded by slamming his head back. It missed, as expected, but this was only a distraction for his main goal: throwing her over his shoulder. He bit back a wince as the movement jerked the wound on his shoulder, and Yor used this opportunity to twist her body in midair and nearly cut his thigh if not for his quick reflex saving him from having his femoral artery severed.
"You won't win, not with those injuries."
"How kind of you to let me know. In return, I'll let you know something as well." Twilight sneered as he shoved the strip of intel into his pocket. "128 Park Avenue, West District. A family of three. Loid Forger, Yor Forger, and…Anya Forger."
Yor widened her eyes.
"Do you really think I would have done nothing after finding out the identity of the assassin after me?"
"You didn't!" Her fists trembled with fury.
Good, let your anger overwhelm you and control your body. Makes it easier for me to spot your openings. Or, even better, run away to check up on your family. You're worried, aren't you? What could your enemy have done to your family in your absence? It might be a fake family but I know you genuinely care about us…
But Twilight forgot about one thing.
His wife might lose her composure and forget all about techniques when she was furious, but…
Her increased, overwhelming power and speed more than make up for her lack of techniques.
The first kick was fast, predictable, and aiming for his head. Twilight bent his knees to lean backward, watching in awe at her high heels that were inches away from his face while gritting his teeth at the pressure this put on his ribs.
This feels familiar…
Memories of them celebrating Anya's acceptance to Eden Academy by hosting a party at a rented castle and playing pretend with Loid as the spy hero, Yor as the witch, Anya as the princess, and Franky as the villain, began to resurface in his mind. At the time, Yor got drunk and also attacked him in the same manner.
But that was make-belief. We were both fooling around. This time, she's fighting to kill me.
Twilight pulled out his gun.
And I am the same.
He fired three quick, consecutive shots at her, two were dodged while the third was blocked by her weapon. God knew how she was able to precisely gauge the trajectory of something as small and fast as a bullet, but he knew since long ago to never judge Yor by the normal standards because she was anything but normal.
She threw a kick at his head which he barely dodged. Considering the whistling sound of the wind as it whipped past his face, he wouldn't be surprised if that kick had enough force to rip his head off.
Each of her attacks was faster and harder to dodge than the last, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with her. He was also running low on ammo.
Dammit. I'll be at a disadvantage if I let the fight drag on.
Twilight slid back a few feet to gain some distance and sucked in a deep breath, feeling his chest contract and applying pressure onto his broken ribs. Ignoring his pain was easy, especially when he had something more important to worry about (like fighting for his life). But when every little movement caused him pain which needed to be ignored again and again and again, it not only became distracting rather quickly but also was harder to ignore the more he was reminded of his injuries.
Focus, Twilight!
Sweat had begun to gather underneath his mask, making the silicon stick uncomfortably to his face, trapping the heat under his skin and giving him yet another distraction he needed to ignore.
Okay, what do I have in my disposal? Gun, knife, coin, poison, bag of flour I swiped from the break room…
He dodged a few more of her strikes, getting her into the flow, and then blocked the next strike.
With a bag of flour.
Poof!
White powder exploded between them, clouding their vision. Someone of Yor's caliber wouldn't be fettered for long, so he had to be quick.
Twilight turned and ran towards his car, more specifically, WISE's car. No matter how fast she was, she couldn't outrun a car. As long as he could get inside, it was his win.
Thuds from his footsteps pounding on the ground sounded like thunder clapping in his ears, sending tremors from the ground to the soles of his feet and spreading throughout his body like jolts of electricity. He felt heavy, like something was weighing him down. He hadn't exerted his body to the point where he would normally be gasping for breath, but he was already panting slightly.
"Like I said, you won't win. Not with those injuries."
Yor's voice seemed to echo around him as one of her weapons penetrated his right thigh, causing him to falter, followed by a harsh kick to the back that sent him sprawling forward onto the pavement. Twilight hissed as the pebbles dug into his palms, leaving reddening abraded marks. He flipped onto his back and aimed his gun but it was knocked out of his hand easily, too easily.
"Your hand is trembling. You can't even hold onto your gun. Your pupils are dilating. And you're gasping for breath. It must be hard to focus. You brought this upon yourself, Twilight. You threatened my family first, so whatever happens to you now, you only have yourself to blame." Yor's red eyes darkened to the point of being almost pitch black like the blood flowing in his veins, boring into him as if he wasn't tainted enough.
Twilight gave a dry chuckle, Großer's voice cracking up as he murmured, "I should have killed you when I was given the chance."
Franky's right. I'm getting soft. I should have killed her that night. Anya…would do fine without a mother.
Yor's eyes darkened even more as she ripped out her weapon from his thigh and stabbed it again, twisting her weapon so it grinded on his bone. Twilight had to bite his lips to not scream. "Indeed, you had an entire week to make a move on me and my family. You should be glad you didn't. Because if you had laid your filthy hands on my husband and daughter, you would be dead by now."
"Heh, big talk from someone with her name, face, and address exposed." Twilight winced, but quickly hid it with a smirk. "W-While you're wasting your time with me, who knows what's going on at your house?"
That's right. Keep talking. His left hand inched towards the hidden knife on his shin. Act defeated. Lure her into a false sense of security, so she would lower her guard when dealing the final blow.
Yor's lower lip quivered as she clenched her hands into fists. "I can't believe I ever suspected him of being you. It's insulting! You're nothing like my beloved husband! You're just an evil, repulsive scumbag and every minute I have to spend with you makes me nauseous!"
The next second, Twilight was assaulted with pain, overwhelming pain that clouded his vision and deafened his ears. Every single nerve in his body was screaming and shuddering at once.
What happened?
He blinked blearily, trying to clear his vision, and realized belatedly that the pain was stemming from the sutured shoulder wound he had been effectively ignoring until someone decided to tear it open, with her heels.
Did she just…step into my wound with her heel?
To his horror, the overwhelming pain made it impossible for him to maintain control over his vocal cord. At the same time, an urge rose from his chest, clawing up his throat and struggling to roar out of his mouth. He squeezed his lips together to force it down but a groan still escaped through his clenched teeth.
A groan in Loid's voice.
There was a brief moment of silence before Yor yanked her heel out of his wound, drawing another pained grunt out of him.
"L-Loid?"
Cool air poured onto his sweaty skin when Yor pulled Großer's mask off of his face, receiving no resistance from Twilight.
She gasped. "N-No way." Yor covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes tearing up.
Twilight kept quiet, his eyes dead.
"I-I'm so sorry! Loid? H-How-" Yor knelt onto her knees and surged forward, her hands frantically waving before his shoulder as if she was unsure what to do.
Closer.
He parted his lips to say something, but it was too quiet for her to hear.
"What did you say?" Yor leaned forward.
Now!
Twilight ripped out the hidden knife and swung it towards her throat.
AN: Twilight's Club Holly mission is inspired by Apex Predator from HITMAN 3, where it takes place at Club Hölle which is apparently based on Berghain, a nightclub in Berlin.
If you like the idea of spies and secret agents and wearing disguises to approach a target and assassinate them using various methods, then you should check out the HITMAN series. It's available on PC, XBox, and PS4.