Chapter 2: Faction 3

"Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people."

Carl Jung

Present Day

She woke up sweating, the dream of that dark night repeating on a loop every time she closed her eyes. The girl sat up in her bed, her arms stretching high towards the ceiling to work out the knots that had formed from the intense training she was required to keep up with. She stood slowly, the cool feeling of the wood floor pressing into the bottoms of her bare feet. The blinds remained untouched, the girl not bothering to open them in hopes of sunlight filling her small room. Making her way to her small bathroom felt like a chore. Her legs screamed with every step, her side aching from the wound she got from the night's failed job. Memory of how she got herself into that situation made a smirk stretch across her lips. Well, can't say it wasn't fun, she thought to herself, chuckling as she turned the sink on to rinse her face. She wiped her face, her crimson eyes staring back at her. The light that once danced in them was no longer visible. Another day in faction 3, she sighed to herself, brushing the knots out of her red hair that had formed from her restless sleep. She tied her long hair high up on her head, a few stray pieces framing her thin face. Blowing a piece away from her eyes, she turned back to her room to change. The signature black suit of the woman hung from a hook on her wall. She smiled at the piece of clothing, her fingers running delicately along the thick, black fabric. Black tattoos swirled up her forearm, marking her as an assassin. Taking it off of the wall, she slipped it over her body, the suit hugging her like a second skin. The suit was a matte black. Her knees and elbows were protected by pads. Hidden compartments were placed throughout the suit, giving her access to daggers when they were needed. The suit made the red head a killing machine, something she had learned to become. Walking out the door, she grabbed her royal blue cloak, slipping it on her shoulders.

Sora was not sure how she ended up in faction 3, or why she necessarily did. She never considered herself to be a woman of violence and greed, but her sudden change of lifestyle has taught her how to fight for what she needed before she knew she needed it. People in this faction did not know who she was before The Reckoning, giving her the opportunity to paint herself as a new person. You see, faction 3 was not the best place to be. The streets were made of dark stone, dirt covering most of the sidewalks and the creek buildings. It was a place where people did not dare to leave their homes at night, unless they had a death wish. It was a world where guards protected the nobles and assassins were paid to do the work no one else would readily do. In this world, one was either on top of the food chain, or groveling for coins at the very bottom. Sora did miss her old world, but she did not remember much of it. Her friends were just memories, she didn't even remember their voices. That day the dark mist had engulfed her body and everything went black. She awoke in this place, surrounded by a group of people who would not touch her because of the black patterns that traveled up her arm and to her back. Marked. That's what they called her.

She silently stepped down the stairs of the assassins keep, not in the mood for much interaction this morning. "Sora! You're awake." She flinched at the mention of her name, turning towards the source. She forced a small smile. "Oh. Yeah wouldn't you know, awake before 10," Sora replied, checking the clock that ticked on the wall. The man who called her name was Sam, one of her favorite companions she has come to make in this world since she woke up five years ago. "Any plans for the day? You took a pretty big blow last night…" his green eyes shifted to her side for a second. "I'm not sure if it's the best idea for you to go jumping on rooftops and stirring up trouble." She smirked, raising an eyebrow. Sam was a man, probably around her age of 23, but she has yet to feel the need to ask. He was on the taller side and usually wore dark pants that hung off of his legs with a long-sleeved dark blue shirt. His hair almost matched her own, the only difference was his being darker. The pair was practically inseparable. He looked after her, and she him. Partners in crime… Literally. "C'mon Sam. You know I'm not knocked down that easily." She found herself brushing her side lightly. The night before wasn't… Well it wasn't her best night.

-The night before-

"Are you really going to do this, Sora? The man is practically guarded by the whole city!" Sam was standing next to her, eyeing her as she figured out the best way to slip into the man's open window. "Sam. You worry too much. You know I'm the best." She winked, ensuring him that she would be fine. "Besides, I have you as backup. What could go wrong?" A bewildered look flashed across the man's face. "I hate it when you say that." Sam said a bit concerned, though she could see the smirk tugging on his lips. "Ladies first." He motioned with his arm to the window.

Sora smiled, feeling the excitement flare within her as it always did before she knew things were about to get dangerous. She pulled her blue hood tighter around her shoulders, readying herself to make the leap to his window. She jumped, pushing off of the roof with her feet, landing on the balcony with no sound. Sora shot a thumbs up to the cloaked figure on the roof next door just before slipping through the window. The woman pressed her body against the wall, the room she was in dark. Once her eyes finally adjusted she noticed she was in a library. "Damnit…" She swore to herself. She had wanted to be in his room. Shrugging, she let the floor plan of the nobleman's mansion flash through her mind. "His room is just at the end of this hall." She took a deep breath as she silently crossed the floor. She smiled to herself as guards walked across the doorway, neither one noticing her presence. The assassin entered the hallway, stopping as she realized his door was closed. Her eyes searched for a quieter way in, landing on a vent right above her. Looking to both of her sides, she deemed it safe enough to climb into it.

CLANK. Her crimson eyes widened as her small form stiffened in the small vent space. She held her breath, the cover of the vent landed on the marble floors. "Hey! Who's there?" Heavy footsteps echoed down the hall, right bellow her. "Shit… How could I be so careless?" She thought to herself, deciding it was best to crawl slowly through the vents, hoping to end up in his room. The vent creaked under her weight, but she didn't stop to worry. Her breathing quickened as she heard a guard exclaim that the vent cover had been removed. Taking a hard left, hoping it was the right turn, Sora found herself above his room. A victorious smirk spread across her face, she knew she was the best. Quickly undoing the latch, the woman silently slipped to the floor, her feet barely thudding.

"Easy money," she thought to herself as she slowly approached the sleeping figure on the bed. She flicked her wrist, her favorite dagger now in her palm. Slowly, Sora raised the dagger to his neck, his chest falling peacefully. Her job was to eliminate a man who was partaking in suspicious activity, world jumping is what they called it. Sora had only heard tales of the people who could do that. She would do anything to be able to jump back to her home. Her eyes studied him, wondering what was so special about him and why he was chosen to jump and travel. She shook her head, letting the thoughts drift away. She steadied her dagger, right by his throat and with a steady hand "Stop right there!" A guard burst through the door making her lose her train of thought.

Quickly, she would have to slice quickly. She turned back ready with her dagger when her eyes met his. Brown. He had grabbed her wrist, keeping it from his neck. Sora blinked and hesitated. She knew him, but how? The guards were quickly closing the gap between the two and Sora was confused, panicked. Using her free hand, she twisted his arm, freeing her own. Her cloak was pulled up to hide her face as she quickly lunged for the window. She was almost there, almost to safety. A guard jumped for her, his sword digging into her side. She gasped in pain, reflexively throwing a dagger his way. Her dagger hit her target, the sound of the man choking on blood as the dagger sank further into his neck. Warmth. She felt the warm liquid drip down her side. Sora made it to the window, opening it with skill. She steadied herself on the ledge, climbing to the roof.

Across the way, Sam frantically watched as his companion limped to the roof, readying herself to jump across the gap. He ran to the edge, reaching out with a hand to help her "Are you hur-" he didn't finish his sentence as he saw the guards filing through the streets. Sora was already running, dragging the man with her. The two made their ways across the rooftops to the keep.

"I… I hesitated…" Sora breathed as she tried to remain standing. She fell into Sam, her side screaming in pain. Sam chuckled as he wrapped her side "The great Sora? Hesitating? Noooo." He tried to distract her from her wound. Sora let out a laugh. "Maybe if you would have followed the plan, I wouldn't have thought twice about it," she replied before her world became black.

-End of flashback-

Soar pursed her lips as she remembered the night before. She shook off the sneaking suspicions that she had known her target in some way. "Yeah, let's just never talk about it and plan to finish the job?" She said, joining Sam at the table, grabbing a piece of toast. "Anyway, have you heard the news?" Sam said, passing her a small folded paper. He is back! Welcome the great Myotismon! Our savior has returned! Sora rolled her eyes, ripping the paper down the middle "Great saver my ass. He causes nothing but trouble."

Same looked at the floor, locking his thumbs with each other "Sora… You know he feeds the poor here? Keeps our buildings up? Gives us assassins our strength?" He dramatically pointed to his left side, where a black swirl of tattoos was under his shirt. "Yeah yeah yeah. He also brings pain, despair… Darkness," Sora counted on her fingers, giving Sam her usual list of why Myotismon was not all that and a bag of chips. Sam laughed, hitting her on the shoulder as he rose from his chair. "Whatever, Sora. Let's go see what today holds for us."

Sora nodded, finishing her toast as she followed him. "Wait. Sam. Do you know anything about world jumpers?" Sam shook his head. "Nope. Just the usual rumors. Bastards… What I would do to be able to leave this place. I DO know it would be of your best interest to maybe not speak of them, like ever." The pair stepped out into the morning sun, their cloaks clinging to their forms from the damp air to meet up with the man who gave them their jobs, Linus.

"Ladies first," Sam winked at the girl, opening the heavy brass doors to Linus' building. The building looked like a library, nothing to attract suspicion, but this library was never open to the public. Sora playfully rolled her eyes, nudging Same as she walked through the doorway. She sauntered up to the large desk where a man was seated.

"You didn't kill him." Linus stated. "Well no. I didn't. I drew to much attention to my-" She was interrupted by his hard gaze. "No. I didn't ask a question or for excuses. I'm aware of your failure." Sora cleared her throat, nodding as she shifted her eyes to the ground.

Linus did not have the appearance of a man who was intimidating. He was tall, lengthy, and thin. His black hair was always perfectly styled in a swoop that covered his eyebrows, the black tattoos swirled up the right side of his neck, ending at his cheek. The intimidating thing about Linus was his dark, brown eyes. They were so dark that one could mistaken them as black. Sora uttered a quiet apology to the man.

"Apologies are unacceptable. You know this." He stood, his lengthy form covered in black clothing, his dark green cloak clasped on his shoulders with gold pins. Raising his hand, he swung, the back of his palm connecting with her cheek. Sora gritted her teeth, the taste of blood touching her tongue. She learned to take this pain. This is what failure should feel like. "The money. You've cost the Keep money. I expect jobs to be completed." He crossed his arms, his dark gaze moving to Sam. "Anything to report, Samuel?" He waited for an answer. "No, captain. Just word of the savior Myotismon. The rumors of the world jumpers are continuing." Linus nodded, licking his lips as he sat back down in his chair, resting his bony elbows on his desk. "Can't say I'm impressed with you two. I would expect this from new recruits, but not my top assassins." He rummaged through a drawer, pulling out a new contract. "Now, we are being offered double to finish the job of killing the man you let live last night." Sora interrupted "I didn't let him live." Linus closed his eyes. "The man is alive, isn't he? You two must kill him before word gets around about there being a disturbance. We don't want to draw too much attention." The pair nodded. "Yes, captain." Linus smiled deviously. "That seems to be all I need from you two today… You are dismissed." He waved them away, going back to studying what he was before.

The pair left the library, Sora letting out a long breath. "Wow I hate that guy. Asshole." Same chuckled, "You have faaaaiiled me," his voice deepening as he imitated the captain. Sora held back a laugh. "Come on. We have some planning to get done." Sam agreed, the pair making their way back to the Keep.