The Illuminates

*Next Day*

Martin Truth's Apartment, NE California.

[4:56 pm]

Martin Truth gulped down the remaining content of the bottle of martini in his hand, whilst nodding his head in response to the rhythm of the song playing in his living room. He was sitted on the yellow couch, and shirtless. But blue shorts covered the lower part of his body. He was really having a good time when his door suddenly flung open, to his uttermost surprise. As a top mercenary and a vigilant one at that, he skillfully pulled out a pistol from under his couch with one flip pointed it at the intruder.

Martin furrowed his brows. "Alex?!"

Yes, who else could it be? It was certainly Alex because he was the mannerless type, not when walking into the house you felt comfortable to call your home.

"Woah, chill old man!" Alex joked.

Martin lay down his guard and pulled Alex in for a hug. "It's been months" he added, putting off the music.

"Yeah, been busy"

"Tracking Runtown huh?"

"Yeah" Alex sighed.

"Want a drink?" Martin asked as they settled on the couch.

"Nah I'm fine"

"I need your help Mart, Runtown!" Alex began.

"He's kinda proving difficult to kill" He added.

"You want me to help you take him down huh?" Martin questioned, giving Alex a suspicious look.

"Not that, he knows I'm still alive now!"

"Last night I tried to kill him but he escaped, and I know he isn't a fool, he'll do anything to protect himself cause he knows I'm going back for him"

"So you think he'll get allies?"

"Exactly" Alex chirped in.

"And you want me to help you take care of that?" Martin asked, comprehensively.

"Yup, and a 2nd grade assasin like you would do the job better" Alex concluded.

"You know I can't say no to you kid, I'm so in!"

"Thanks old man, I owe you one" They both laughed.

Alex's phone beedped, signifying a messaged sent to him. He brought out the phone and saw a text from one of his clients, telling him the current location of Runtown.

"Oh great!" He said out aloud, Martin quickly understood the situation.

Outside Runtown's Guesthouse,

Two blocks away, 8: 47 pm.

Deathwage, dressed in his usual ninja outfit stood on top of a tall building, next to the tall building beside Runtown's Guesthouse, Alongside Martin truth, A.K.A the Ripper. Runtown's Guesthouse was a three storeyed building painted white. They could both feel the Cool breeze navigating it's way through the air. Ripper on the other hand was clad in a red and black ninja outfit, unmasked.

This was the ninja outfit for assasins in the Illuminates, though his days in there had long passed, he was now a lone wolf, same as Alex.

After mastering different types of martial arts you wish to practice on a desired scale, you would serve the Illuminates for a year, and after that, they give you a chance to leave, if you wish to, by dueling a 2nd or 3rd grade fighter, depending on your grade. If you eventually succeed, you get to leave. Though only 1st to 3rd grade fighters were given the chance to leave. You can also choose to stay and work with them, in return for money, fame, and protection from security agencies across the globe. You were allowed to carry out your missions, with no traces. Any attempts of investigation against you gets covered immediately. This shows how powerful and influential the Illuminates are.

Alex got to defeat a 3rd grade assasin, more skilled than him, while Martin defeated a 2nd grade assasin as well.

The Illuminates ranked their fighters from 1st to 7th grades.

• A 7th grade fighter is a learner, who hasn't even began to grasp half the knowledge of martial arts. Anyone can be on the 7th grade level.

• A 6th grade fighter is an advanced amateur who just graduated the 7th grade. He or she is still considered a noob though.

• The 5th and 4th grade fighters are those who practice really hard, at this stage, they begin to grasp extreme knowledge of martial arts.

•A 3rd grade fighter has mastery of several types of martial arts, and even a few of the rare and special ones which requires a lot of willpower, strength, speed, and energy to pull off.

This is the level where you can decide to become an instructor, if given approval, but a basic instructor at that.

•A 2nd grade fighter is stronger, faster, more formidable, skilled, and more knowledged on rare and special Martial arts. At this stage, you get the chance to learn an extremely special and powerful type of Martial art from the grandmasters, if lucky.

• The first grade fighters are the best of all, they are seen as the Demi-gods of martial arts in the illuminates. They have the greatest knowledge in martial arts, they are literally unbeatable.

Before the 1st grade fighters, comes the Grandmasters. The gods of martial arts. In the illuminates, they are worshipped as gods because they have enhanced physical conditions, no one knows how they acquired such. A fighter who wants to advance to grandmaster level is a fighter willing to die, you don't decide to reach that level just like that, until you are chosen, or called.

Deathwage shifted his gaze towards Runtown's Guesthouse, he could see dozens of guards moving about, he turned to look at Ripper.

"Let's do this" he said before jumping down the building.

Ripper went after him.