Chapter [1] - Diamond Sphere
((Arthor note: The initial few chapters could be lengthy and slow, however, it is essential for building the protagonist and their devellopment. Though I'm not the best writer, I'm aiming to improve with every chapter.))
Year 2042
Japan, Tokyo
The Hell's Gate Organization Headquarters
"Another sucessful mission, as expected from the organization's best hitman."
An elderly man with wrinkles, gray hair, and a freshly-shaven beard, wearing a white, luxurious, and costly suit was conversing with another person in a dim room with one large window.
"We have another mission for you.."
The elderly man spoke in a low, powerful voice, and his eyes had a commanding presence as he spoke with authority.
The pale moonlight shone through the window, gradually revealing the identity of the individual the man was conversing with in the dimly lit room.
"This mission could be quite difficult even for you, potentially the most difficult one you have ever faced."
The moonlight glimmered on the mysterious character, revealing a black suit and tattoos snaking up both arms.
"Do you think you can handle this..... Vincent?"
The person whose name appeared to be Vincent had eyes that were an unusual violet hue and his face bore an air of indifference, with no emotion in his gaze.
Vincent looked deeply into the eyes of the elderly man, who he perceived to be his superior, and responded, "I'm ready to take on whatever comes my way, Mr. Kruger."
As he spoke, his voice was quiet, rough and strangely nonchalant.
A faint grin appeared on Mr Kruger's face, "Very good. You may go now, and I'll give you additional information about the mission soon."
Vincent gave a brief nod before striding out of the room, his footsteps echoing in the dead silence.
"Bling, Bling!"
Shortly after Vincent left, Kruger's smartwatch, which was all black and had a high-tech appearance, began to make an annoying sound from its ringtone.
Mr Kruger stared at his watch, the display indicating that someone named Damien White was phoning him.
He tapped the green response button, causing an hologram of a young, cocky man with dark hair, piercing eyes, and normal attire to appear.
"Is the plan going smoothly so far?"
Mr Kruger wore a self-satisfied expression as he said, "Vincent will be embarking on his suicide mission before long." He clasped his hands together behind his back, "Just give me two weeks and he will be no more."
The muffled sound of the hologram was difficult to hear as Damien gave a loud laugh and then stated, "The time is soon coming when our plan to take out Vincent Blackwood, aka the world's most dangerous and feared assassin, will be set into motion."
"But what if he happens to come out of the said suicide mission alive?"
Mr. Kruger directed his attention to the outside view as he moved closer to the window. From the tower that boasted cutting-edge technology, he could take in the magnificent sight of the city of Tokyo.
"It is too dangerous to let that man roam free, particularly when considering the future of the Hell's Gate Organization."
"Given recent evidence of Vincent's independent behavior, it appears he might be plotting to deceive the organization and make a run for it. If this information is accurate, it is likely that he is intending to betray the organization."
His eyes gleaming with spiteful purpose, he clenched his fists and declared, "Should he manage to carry out this seemingly impossible task, we will have to resort to plan b."
Damien rubbed his chin as he pondered, then replied, "Vincent remains your most proficient hitman since he was brought up to be as close to perfect as humanly possible."
"I recommend you proceed with the most caution."
The room was filled with a quiet stillness, the moonlight that had previously illuminated it slowly fading away, leaving the room in complete darkness.
Damien said, "Well get to it. I have some ladies who are waiting for me, so I need to get going."
A woman's voice echoed from the hologram, screaming, "Damien, come quickly!" In a flash of light, the hologram vanished and was absorbed back into the watch.
Mr Kruger sighed impatiently and remarked eagerly, "Vincent Blackwood is certainly doomed to die."
((Author Note: " between words means an individual is talking, while ' means they are thinking or talking to themselves in there thoughts.))
2 Weeks Later
Barbados, Thaion
In The Middle of Nowhere....
The full moon illuminated the night sky, with a dim and stifling atmosphere. A grand white mansion in the middle of nowhere, with opulent furnishings and numerous luxurious cars, was visible.
The mansion was surrounded by trees and nothing else could be seen.
At the entrance of the mansion, two guards armed with assault rifles could be heard talking about how peaceful the night was.
"It's really dark out tonight, huh?"
The guard on the right, who was short and thin, told his companion on the left.
"It sure is!"
"I can hardly believe how effortless it is to protect such a priceless and historic artifact like the Diamond Sphere!"
The guard on the left replied; he was evidently more muscular and taller.
*Whoosh*
A soft wind blew past them, causing them both to shudder from the chill of the night.
"No matter what, we must exercise caution. According to legend, the Diamond Sphere houses a formidable, divine energy that the military has safeguarded in case of an emergency."
"If one of our adversaries were to acquire it, it would certainly result in defeat."
The guard on the left was talking, and his companion couldn't help but feel a sense of uneasiness, as if someone was observing them from the shadows of the forest surrounding them.
He motioned for him to be quiet and then whispered, "Shh, I believe someone is listening to us." After that, he slowly aimed up his assault rifle.
*FLING*
He was suddenly confronted with a knife, hurtling towards his forehead, its blade reflecting the moonlight as it pierced his skull.
The guard on the right was shocked as he saw his comrade's body slump to the ground, blood trickling from the wound on his head.
He was filled with terror as he quickly aimed his gun and shouted, "Who's there?! What's going on here?!" His eyes were wide open as he wildly waved his gun around.
"Behind you."
The guard was shocked by a quiet murmur coming from behind him, and he tried to turn around quickly, only to have his throat slashed by a sharp blade.
"GaahhHh"
He let out an odd, agonizing groan as he staggered a few steps forward and his gun tumbled to the ground. With his hand clasped around his throat, a stream of blood gushed out like a forceful waterfall.
As the guard's lifeless body slumped to the floor, Vincent's voice could be heard proclaiming "Two targets down." Evidently, he was the one responsible for the death of the two guards.
Vincent spun around to the entrance and noticed that there was a surveillance camera in the top corner, recording everything.
He had a look of mild irritation and stretched out his arm, wearing a sophisticated black digital watch.
He tapped the watch and a hologram displaying security and privacy information came up. He spoke quietly to himself as he hacked into the mansion's electronic and security database, "Shutting off all cameras and power."
Soon after the mansion went dark and the security cameras shut down.
"Yeah, don't worry! I'll investigate why the power is out!"
The sound of a guard shouting loudly could be heard coming from the other side of the door.
Just as Vincent was reaching for the doorknob, the guard on the other side opened the door first.
*BASH*
Vincent reacted quickly, throwing a punch with his left arm that sent the guard's face crashing into the wall. He then pulled a silenced pistol from his suit and shot the guard in the head twice, leaving the lifeless body on the wall with a stream of blood flowing from the bullet wounds.
"Three targets down."
Vincent's strides were as icy and intimidating as his words, he kept in count how many guards he had eliminated thus far before heading through the entrance door.
The interior of the mansion was as elaborate and expensively adorned as its exterior, featuring a plethora of costly furniture and various rooms, doorways, and stairways.
Vincent kept walking, when a guard to his right yelled out to him, "Hey! What are you doing here??!" He didn't even look at the guard, and instead quickly drew his pistol and shot him dead.
"Four targets down."
Vincent accomplished the task of eliminating the mansion guards in a short amount of time, using his pistol to deliver fatal shots before they were able to react.
He was clearly looking for the Diamond Sphere and no one had the ability to stop him from his mission.
In total, Vincent had searched every room in the building, quietly and quickly taking out 31 armed guards, leaving only one room remaining.
He stood in front of the peculiarly positioned wooden door, his pistol still gripped in his hand, blood smeared on his face and a multitude of dead guards covered in blood on the floor behind him.
He heaved a big sigh before declaring, "This is supposed to be the location of the Diamond Sphere." Moving closer to the door, he added, "Let's hope it was worth the hassle."
*KICK*
A powerful strike at the exact middle of the door caused it to be torn off its hinges and fall to the floor.
In the cramped space, a single desk and a light bulb providing illumination were present, and there it was- the Diamond Sphere, lying straightforwardly before him.
The object was captivating, its shiny and round appearance sparkling like a million rainbows and its alluring presence as if being drawn into a black hole - so strange and mysterious.
Vincent took hold of it, and he wondered to himself, 'It's strange...for something so powerful, why is it so poorly protected?'.
His typical face of lack of expression was concealing his gaze, which held a look of curiosity.
'Wouldn't it be better if the military took up the responsibility of protecting such a priceless thing?'
Putting the Diamond Sphere in his suit, he muttered, "That's not my concern, they should have simply been smarter.." as he strode out of the room.
"Ringg, Ringgg!"
Vinvent's watch started emitting a ringing sound, indicating that someone was trying to reach him. He quickly answered the call.
A hologram of Mr Kruger materialized before Vincent and he questioned in an authoritative voice, "Have you retrieved the Diamond Sphere?"
"Yes sir."
Mr Kruger had a satisfied expression on his face as he said, "Very good, let me know when you have left Barbados and are on your way back to Tokyo."
Vincent nodded before the hologram vanished back into the watch.
Meanwhile, at The Hell's Gate Headquarters, Mr Kruger was in a room with a smug young man wearing an all-white suit.
The young man had a broad grin on his face as he asked Mr Kruger, "Is everything going according to plan?"
Mr Kruger gave a quiet laugh before replying, "Yes, Damien White..." He turned to look at the young man, who must have been Damien White, and added, "Your plan is going as expected and Vincent does not suspect a thing."
Damien's face lit up with a beaming smile as he declared, "I told you I'm the best! And I proved it!"
Mr Kruger looked at the ground with concern before saying, "Nevertheless, we have to stay careful. Vincent has always been.... a bit unpredictable."
"No matter how skilled your top assassin is, he will not be able to get away from my schemes, so why be concerned?"
"I'll bet he's probably feeling proud of himself for having faithfully carried out his master's orders like a loyal dog."
Damien's words seemed to dispel any worries Mr Kruger had in that moment.
"Haha..haha."
Damien gave a slight chuckle, trying to conceal how amusing he found the situation.
Damien started cackling hysterically and Mr Kruger gradually joined in, their maniacal laughs filling the air like the sound of hyenas.
"HA HA HA HA HA!"
Their cackles were in harmony and were malicious.
With Damien's plan progressing according to plan and Mr Kruger keeping Vincent on a tight leash, things are looking grim for Vincent as he still appears to be unaware of the events that are unfolding.