Family Fued (I)

<Alex aka BlackStar>

Saturday. July 11, 2054. 1:00 am. (Before the raid.)

"BlackStar, or should I say, Alex?" a male voice called out to him in the shadows.

Alex whipped around with his hand to his side, ready to draw his gun that he had stashed away in his pants. He had been leaning against the pole waiting patiently till now. The night sky was dark, making everything around him difficult to see. The only source of light was the one broken streetlight that flickered on and off in odd intervals. It was a bit difficult to see when the sharp contrast between light and dark was so harsh. It made adjusting in the dark a lot more difficult. The buzzing sound of the broken street lamp hummed out softly like a bee.

The area where he stood was beside an abandoned and condemned apartment complex. The windows and doors were boarded up and the plants were overgrown. Some of the buildings were crumbling from the past fire and barely standing. A few of the apartments had light peeking out underneath the boarded up doors.

Checking his Alive gear, he automatically scanned the surrounding area, looking for any possible movement. A couple white squares appeared to be moving towards him, growing in size. This new feature was a special upgrade that he had coded himself. It was a simple design that let him detect movement in the surrounding areas up to ten feet away.

"Fallen Angel?" said Alex. He did not like how he had to be out in the open for everyone to see. He preferred the dark night covering his back, keeping him hidden from prying eyes.

Angel's voice chuckled, his voice resounding in the darkness. "You're as tense as ever." Angel stepped out of the dark and into the light. He straightened his back and broadened his chest. His typical gentlemanly demeanor was shown.

"You're late. I would appreciate it if you were on time," Alex said. "What's with your clothes? You look completely white, like a ghost."

"What's the hurry? There's no rush." Angel pulled his silver chain cross from his pocket. "This is fashion. I presume you haven't seen the latest fashion trends, have you?" He rubbed it against his white gloves like a lucky charm.

"Actually, I do need to go hunt down—I mean, I need to go finish my mission. I've been falling behind. And I am up to date on fashion, but white is not my color." Alex had almost said he needed to hunt down monsters. I can't believe I almost said that. He'd been playing the game so much that the game slang terms were slipping into his vocabulary. If he was not careful enough, it might become a daily habit.

"Oh? You don't like white you say, but it is considered purity in one country and death in another." Angel brought his silver cross in front of him and twiddled it between his fingers. "I noticed you've been working hard lately. To see the studious BlackStar take an interest in a game… Here I thought you would continue in the medical field. Have you given up on it?"

"No. I don't need to do it as often as you think. It's just another persona that I wear."

"Really now, and here I thought I could watch your beautiful knife handling again. When will you have another patient?" Angel frowned and tilted his head to the side.

"What does it matter to you?"

"Everything." Angel pouted like a kid. "Your beautiful hand movements when you're cutting up your patients are truly the best that I have ever seen. Even in combat, your knife leaves no stains behind. Such beauty from each stroke makes me shudder." Angel shivered with glee, his white-gloved hand stroking his throat.

"Enough. What do you need me for?" Alex stated with a disgruntled voice. He did not like staying near Angel for too long. He wondered how long he had to stay in his presence today.

"Need you?" Angel chuckled. "I think you got it wrong. It is you that needs me."

"I don't need you for anything."

Angel clucked his tongue. "That is where you are gravely mistaken. I just received another mission. The higher-ups have told me that you are to assist me till it's complete. You have the skill set that I need to get this done and over with."

"Hold on a minute." Alex raised his hands, stopping Angel from continuing. "Are you sure the higher-ups said I'm needed? It sounds like a complete fallacy to hear that from them. None of your missions ever include a teammate. Ever." Alex stressed the words. Angel was the number one member of the society, so why would he want to work with Alex, or anyone at all? "It's odd to hear such a thing."

"Well, in truth, I don't need you." Angel waved his hands dismissively. "But the organization's words are the law."

"So what is the mission?" Alex carefully worded his questions. He was not sure what Angel was planning.

"It's simple. Infiltration."

"That's a matter of opinion. Which group, and what's my goal?"

"Oh ho? Now you're interested?" Angel twirled his cross back and forth.

"No. Get on with it. I'm on a tight schedule."

Angel clucked his tongue three times, disappointed, and let out a long sigh. "Just like your personality. You're so serious. WhiteRose make things so much fun. You should lighten up like her."

"I'll pass."

"No matter. We will be taking care of our two clients from the Kim Electrical corporation and Thompson Solar Power company. You get one and I get one, and both must be completed at the same time. Mr. Johnson is your target from Thompson Solar Power company and I will be taking care of Mrs. Kim. Their deaths must happen exactly at 3:33 am. Mr. Johnson will be in his study room on the sixth floor of his company today. You've got one chance. Don't mess it up."

"3:33 am? Why that specific time?"

"Apparently this was a request from the higher-ups, not the client. I have no other information pertaining to it, so I would not be able to tell you. Why are you curious? The motto has always been do your job and don't ask any questions."

"I see. Is that all you have for me?"

"Ah yes. The map will be sent to you through the usual application. Oh, and before I forget: don't mess up. It would be detrimental to my perfect kill score." Angel smirked and stashed his silver cross back in his pocket.

"I highly doubt it." Alex snorted. Me mess up? Highly unlikely.

"I have high expectations for you. BlackStar." Angel smiled lightly, and Alex felt a chill down his back. This sensation was not something he experienced too often.

"One more thing." Angel raised his fingers to accentuate the importance of the last thing he was about to say. "Have you ever heard of a Devil's quest before? I thought you would know since you play the game."

"Devil's quest? I have never heard of it before."

Angel thought for a moment and replied, "I have one."

"Is there any peculiar reason you're bringing this up?" Alex was a bit confused at where this was going. He assumed it was like any other quest that a game would have, but for Angel to bring it up was a bit odd. It wasn't like they were friends—Angel had never confided in him or asked his advice before, nor did Alex want him to.

"No. Not really. I didn't know that Alive gear could produce such odd quest. Who would have thought that by assassinating people you would gain some kind of quest. It's kind of funny how the world has made it into some kind of game. It's truly fascinating. Don't you think it's wrong?"

"No," Alex replied. "If you really think about it, it all depends on the person and the mentality. You can turn anything into a game—it does not stop with just a video game. How people perceive a game and deal with it is what matters. People have a choice, to take up the mantle and go through with it to the end or stop at the beginning and not play. The action one takes and what one thinks are two different things. Nobody is forced to play the game. When you see the label Rated M, you automatically know that it is not a game for a child. Even if one doesn't know what the symbol stands for and plays the game, they have the choice to end it when they notice the violence created from it."

"Hmm, you have an interesting point." Angel thought it over.

"So do you even mind getting the quests at all?"

"I don't particularly mind; it's just that they aren't essential. They're just extra. But I do realize that the quest corresponds to what I do and want. It's kind of interesting to see how things play out. Each has a different story and an end."

"I see." Alex thought for a moment about what he had learned. He didn't expect to hear about a Devil's quest in the real world. "I'm assuming this is one of the so-called 'real-life quests' that the company was talking about."

"Real-life quests?"

"Yes, just like in the game, where you obtain quests by interacting with NPCs, the same concept applies in the real world. How this affects the world is still questionable, but it does have a very interesting concept to it. All we can do for now is watch and see."

An odd smell crept over him: the smell of sulfur. It blew in with the wind, giving him a wave of nausea. Alex turned his head towards the direction of the smell. His eyes scanned around, trying to pick up what could possibly be making that horrifying stench. Eyes slightly watering, making him dizzy, he kept himself from raising his hands up to his nose and instead took small breaths. But then a sweet flowerlike smell cut through, making it a swirl of dizzying and powerful scents.

"What is that awful smell?" said Alex. He couldn't help but to take short breaths.

"Excuse me?" Angel's smile fell quickly into a frown. "What are you implying, BlackStar?" he said with his voice slightly raised.

"Don't you smell that? It smells of sulfur and something else. Something sweet?" Alex squinted his eyes, trying to see through the darkness, but he failed. He couldn't make out the other odd scent that clashed with the sulfur. One could say it was like a battle between two overpowering scents that tried to dominate his nose.

"I don't smell anything. I hope this does not affect the mission."

"I'm alright. There is nothing wrong."

"Ah, before I forget: when you kill Mr. Johnson, I need you to pose him."

"Excuse me, pose him?" he said with confusion.

"Yes. I need you to extend his right arm towards the glass windows and place his left hand on his heart. Keep him sitting at his desk, and when you are done take a snapshot for me."

"You want me to do what?" Alex stood appalled at what he had heard. He was not too keen on moving a dead body like some display.

"Position Mr. Johnson's body. It shouldn't be hard for you to do. In return I'll do you a favor."

The thought of gaining a favor from Angel was tantalizing. The amount of help he could get from Angel was considered an enormous benefit in the dark society.

"What kind of favor?"

"I see you are interested. That's good. It would be information, of course. The best of the best. So will you do what I have asked?"

"Fine," said Alex reluctantly. He did not like Angel's sick obsession with dead art, but information could be the key in pivotal moments.

"Now then, let us go." Angel stepped backwards and merged into the darkness.

Alex took a couple steps forward, but the smell was overpowering almost to the point of knocking him backwards. He couldn't help but raise his hand to cover his nose to try to stifle the smell. It was burning his lungs and making it difficult to breathe, but a second later the sweet smell of flowers cut through again, allowing him to take a breath. Where are these odd smells coming from? I suppose nature has its own scent in odd places.

A slight tinge of headache caught him off guard, making him raise his hand to his forehead. This headache still had not gone away. There were times it would turn into a migraine that he could not get rid, but lately it had simmered down to a couple of light throbs throughout the day.

"BlackStar."

"I'll be right behind you," Alex called out, pulling down his hand as he tried his best to hide his discomfort and following after.

"You have made the right decision." Angel chuckled, and his voice sounded off into the distance.

The darkness folded its arms around Alex, and they both disappeared. This was going to be a long night.

#####

Saturday. July 11, 2054. 3:15 am.

"Whing. Whing. Whing." The loud, obnoxious alarm bells rang clearly through the dimly lit passageway at an annoying frequency. Alex ignored it and ducked behind stacks of crates that hid him from view. His katana in hand, he quietly waited. The dim lighting made everything a bit difficult to see, but luckily for him he had modified his Alive gear glass to thermal vision.

"Damn him," Alex cursed under his breath. "What joke is this?"

The thundering sound of many boots hitting against the cold stone floor could be heard running in the hallway to his right. Groups of heavily armored men in body armor and guns ran past the glass door, their hushed voices following the yelling of their leader.

"Kim's men are here! Damn scoundrels. They should've stayed in their rat-infested home. Everyone double up in pairs and get rid of these rats!" the leader of the group yelled out to his men.

"Yes sir!" Their voices trailed off into the distance, and their running footsteps faded.

Alex slowly slinked out to the side, checking his surroundings. The door slid open and he peered out. The coast was clear, and only the loud alarm sound could be heard.

"I can't believe he sent them over." Alex quietly walked out and sighed. It had been less than an hour since he got the message from Fallen Angel. The thought made him annoyed all over again.

"BlackStar." Angel's voice had cut clearly in his ear. His earpiece was nicely tucked in his ear, so the sound was neither too loud nor too soft. "I'm sending in the second wave of reinforcements; hold on tight and the cavalry will be there." His voice chuckled with mischief.

"I was fine the first time. I did not need you to send either one of them at all," Alex grumbled. He was not happy that his plan to infiltrate the building without detection was thrown out the window in matter of seconds. He thought this was going to be a quick in and out job, not a battlefield.

"Don't worry, this is all within the plan. Just some extra spice here and there should make everything fun, don't you think?"

"No," Alex said bluntly. "This just made things a bit more annoying." He clenched his katana tightly and pulled it out of its sheath. Angling it carefully, he could use it as a mirror to check for movement around the corner. In the blade's reflection, three heavily armed guards stepped out of the double doors. They were fully armed with guns on their belts and each holding a rifle in hand.

"Bingo," he mouthed. His destination was only a few feet away: behind the guarded door was Mr. Johnson's office.

"I have arrived at the target," Alex informed Angel softly so he wouldn't be heard.

"About time. Don't forget, the kill must be done exactly at 3:33 am," said Angel. "I'll be leaving the rest in your care. Don't disappoint me, BlackStar." Angel's voice abruptly cut off, leaving Alex by himself again.

He tapped the end of his sword, and a couple of small black balls fell into his hand. Grasping them carefully, he lightly squeezed them together. A small chink-like sound could be heard from the pressure. With a quick throw to the side, the small black balls flew and rolled on the ground in front of the three guards.

There was a loud beeping sound, and then gray smoke hissed from the balls, blinding the guards. Seconds later, Alex rushed in at full speed with his sword drawn at his side.

With a slight motion of his wrist, his sword buzzed with some kind of white electricity running down the whole sword. This was one of his many favorite swords that he carried on missions, especially for this particular mission where the cause of death did not matter. Moving around with sword in hand felt more natural than using modern weapons.