1 Caged Bird

I am a person with an empty status. I am a nobody, an outcast in this forsaken world. I have no family, no background, no identity. An empty slate that is to be exploited by the so-called elites. The only thing I can call my own are my talents in martial arts, computer hacking, and musical abilities. Despite this, I have to keep them hidden in order to survive with the bare minimum. Soon I will rise to be a phoenix and will no longer be a caged bird for the Syndicate.

I am known as number 13, aka Aria for mission purposes. I have completed multiple missions without questioning the organization until I met a young girl with green eyes and brown hair. She was not like the usual targets of being greedy bastards or betrayers. No, she was a wealthy yet extremely sick child. I have killed children before since they were in the way, but this child sparked with life. She has something that I never knew I can have in this life.

Purpose. Freedom.

She knows what she wants in life. She does not let her illness nor the assassination attempts cloud her way. She is a bird flying into the unknown without a cage surrounding her. I then knew I have to protect this soul even if it costs me my life. It would be on my own free will, not the Syndicate's.

I thwarted the plans of other assassins and organizations the next couple of months after realizing the truth until one of my acquaintances decided to betray me by telling the Syndicate why I have not assassinated the little girl yet. When I caught wind of it, they have already began to chase.

"Miss Aria," the child whispers weakly as I dash rapidly through the rocky pathways of the forest with the child on my back. I have long forgo the idea to remain silent considering the assassins would have already tracked us down. I briefly glance over my shoulder, watching the girl cough into her shoulder.

I give no response as I continue running. I can sense the assassins coming closer. Two... Three.. Five...Ten. Basically a whole squadron for a little girl. Actually, let me restate that, the girl is indeed a target but I pose more of a major threat considering my record and skills.

I hear a sharp whistle the next second and in the next instant a bullet landed where the child and I were at. Due to my heightened senses, I was able to dodge. Damn it, I think angrily. They have a sniper with them too.

I curse before shifting directions immediately. The thing about snipers is that once they lock onto a target, their locations are exposed until they move.

I take a sharp turn knowing there is a mountain pass that goes into the next town and quickly figured out that the path lead to a dead end as we approach. The path was blocked by a bunch of stones from a landslide. Either I have to go over it or find some other way to pass through. I scan my options and find a small crevice, large enough for the little girl on my back.

"I need you to listen closely," I start as the assassins draw nearer. The girl moves slightly, indicating that she was listening. "You have to go to the town through that hole. On the count of three, run." She starts shaking her head. I get into a defensive position as the girl continues to tremble behind my back, holding onto my neck tightly. Her response aggravates me, but I need to protect her. She gave me a purpose for my meaningless life.

"Three..." I shake her off and roughly push her toward the hole. "Run and don't look back." I can sense her hesitation, but the assassins have already started closing in. She whimpers but I can hear her scramble through the hole.

I take a deep breath and glare at my opponents. I can recognize a few faces among the crowd. I keep a close eye on the assassins' body language when I hear the gravel crunch underneath another person. I recognize these footsteps.

"Number 16 or should I say Trevail. To what do I owe the honor of your visit?" I ask sarcastically while twirling a piece of my hair. As long as the little girl makes it to the town, I will do whatever I can to stall the others.

"13, I can't be any more disappointed with your performance as of late." Trevail arrives in all his glory. I count to five in my mind before flashing past the enclosing assassins. I point my dagger at his throat menacingly and with a slight smirk, I say "You're late." Before I can strike, a rope appeared out of nowhere, wrapping itself around my torso and throwing me against the mountain rocks.

I cough out blood at the impact before dropping on the ground. Trevail claps in reply as a girl appears beside him with the rope. "You have nothing and soon you will disappear like all the others before you." I stand unsteadily then I whop out my other dagger to strike back. I might be outnumbered but I wasn't called the legendary assassin for nothing. Trevail is wrong. My life and will continues with the little girl and I wasn't going to die without a fight.

Blood stains the battlefield as I activate my battle mode. Adrenaline rush through my veins. I run through the assassins as if they were paper, and before I know it, I was in front of Trevail and the girl with the whip. They have identical looks of terror as I flick my dagger in their direction.

The girl with the whip rush at me but I smoothly dodged before my dagger at her head. Blood spurted out of her wound as she drops to the ground with a blank stare. Trevail stood in front of me, trembling and sniveling all over the place. I lift my dagger into the air ready to strike before I hear a thump on my back. I slowly look behind me with a crazed look.

A woman with dark hair and slight figure stares in my direction with an expressionless face. It was the same woman that has betrayed me. She calmly approaches with the gun in her hand.

So it has come to this. My body knows it is at its limit since my life blood is slipping away but anger provides me to spit out these words. "Curse you Heidy." I start laughing at the ridiculous situation. "I pity you for not realizing the freedom that you could have had."

Those were the last words before I felt another pressure on my back. Trevail strikes with a fallen blade. The last thing I see is the woman's blazing dark-colored eyes. I promise that if there is another life, I would get my revenge for all those who attacked me.

Everything turned dark. The legendary assassin no longer lives. However, a glimmer of a bird breaking away from its chains can be seen soaring.