Hated Outcasts

Nathan, Sindy, and Andrew patiently waited for Alondo's return. His proposal from the night before was the only thing on their minds. They knew so little about the Mind World, yet they were already offered a complex job.

"Have you guys decided if you're going to accept the Captain's proposal?" Asked Nathan.

"I don't know... I'm trying not to think about it. I think we should find out more about what this job entails before we make any rash decisions," replied Sindy as she played with her dead smartphone.

"Man, our phones are the only thing we have to remind us of the Real World, huh?" Queried Andrew, taking notice.

"Sadly, they don't even work here. They malfunction as soon as we try to turn them on..."

They were then interrupted by a sudden knock on the door.

"May I come in?" Asked a familiar voice.

"Sure," answered Nathan, sitting upright.

"Hello, I'm hoping you all slept well and were able to think about the offer I proposed," greeted Alondo as he let himself in.

"Captain, about that... I think we need a bit more information on what the organization is about. Don't get me wrong, because you all seem like good people, but the name "Assassin" doesn't seem very attractive to us..." Politely noted Sindy.

Alondo laughed heartily in response which confused the group of friends. It was as if Sindy had told the joke of the century.

"Captain..?" Called Sindy softly.

"Excuse my laughter. I haven't been able to laugh like that in quite a while. But firstly, drop the formalities with me. I despise them. Even though I'm your Captain, I prefer to have everyone call me by name. So you can just call me Alondo or Smartmind like everyone else does. Also, I do understand your concern when it comes to our name, Assassins Agency. However, when we use the word assassin here, we mean assassins of evil, Demon Beasts, and anything bad."

"Oh! That's a relief! That had me worried quite a bit. I thought this organization was filled with ACTUAL assassins," said Andrew with a breath of relief.

"Hehe... Right... In any case, Assassins Agency is one of many hero organizations across the Mind World. I won't act like all of the jobs we take are clean, but you can be sure that what we do is for the betterment of society."

Alondo's words quickly soothed the three friends. Knowing that the organization didn't thrive off assassinations made them a lot more comfortable.

"If you work for me, not only do you get a free and clean place to stay, but you're also provided with free nutritional meals three times per day, lots of money and rewards for each of your missions, and many areas of leisure to kick back and relax when you have free time. So what do you say?"

At this point, the answer was becoming crystal clear. They had nowhere else to go, and the offer was dream-like. They also had minimal knowledge of the Mind World, and it would be quite difficult for them to get by without help. Not to mention that they had to spend at least another two years before even hoping to return home. It seemed like the perfect offer.

"Dude, this is legit! They aren't even actual assassins, so we won't need to kill anyone on missions given to us!" Rejoiced, Andrew.

A slightly dim look then quickly came over Alondo's face, "I didn't say that..."

Their celebration was abruptly cut short as a glint of worry made itself known in their eyes.

"Wait, but you said you aren't actual assassins," muttered Nathan.

Alondo sighed depressingly before answering. Given the different circumstances between the Real and Mind Worlds, he knew it was only natural for them to give such a surprised reaction to the taking of someone's life.

In the Real World, killing was a major taboo, and there was usually little to no reason to do so. However, in the Mind World, killing was a necessity for survival. Due to unfortunate circumstances, children as young as age five were sometimes trained and forced to take another person's life to survive. Living in the Real World was nothing compared to the Mind World.

"Alondo, can you tell us what you mean?" Continued Nathan.

"Sigh... Sometimes while on missions, you will be confronted by dangerous enemies. To save yourself or someone you care about, you may have to harden your resolve to kill another. If you can't do that, you'll lose something important to you."

"I... I don't know if I can do that..."

"Nate's right, man. I don't think I want to kill anyone," agreed Andrew.

"Then you'll all die," continued Alondo coldly. "This world is a very dark and unforgiving place. A moment of hesitation or misplaced sympathy could cost you your life or the life of someone close to you. Trust me, you've entered a world where even a 3-year-old won't hesitate to slit your throat if they need to. You three are probably the only ones in this entire world that think killing another is wrong. Killing is merely a survival trait here."

The three friends were bathed in silence as the reality of their situation rained down on them. As terrifying as it was, they knew Alondo made a strong point. Sometimes, it's kill or be killed. Though not as common, it was a reality that even the Real World faced from time to time.

"I can understand if this bothers you," continued Alondo, breaking the silence. "But Nathan, this world needs a hero. I've spent most of my life preparing for your arrival, and it would be quite unfair to me and everyone else for you to reject your calling. You didn't ask to be here, but everyone has a duty to fulfill with their lives, and this is simply yours."

Nathan clenched his fists in frustration. He couldn't bear the thought of taking the life of another. It simply didn't sit right with him.

"I'm sorry, Alondo. I don't think I could kill someone even if I needed to. But I also don't want to let you down after all the preparation you made for my arrival. So I'll find a way to be the hero everyone needs me to be without killing anyone to achieve it..!"

"That's right. Just because killing isn't considered a bad thing in the Mind World doesn't mean that any of us wants to become killers. We'll do things our way," agreed Andrew.

Alondo noticed that Sindy was the only one that didn't comment. Instead, she gave a slight nod to show her agreement.

Alondo then placed a fake smile across his lips. He doubted they could find such an innocent path, but he still encouraged them anyway. He believed that the best lessons were taught through experiences. It was best for them to experience the darkness of the world for themselves instead of lecturing them. Due to this, he falsely agreed with them.

"Well, who am I to doubt you? I believe you three can bring something new to the Mind World," he lied.

"I have a question though, Cap'n," began Andrew.

"Don't call me that. I told you to lose the formalities..."

"Right! Sorry, Cap'n! I've just noticed that everyone here has some kind of supernatural ability. I even saw Nathan use this weird power back in the Dark Forest to kill the Demon Beast that attacked us. But what about me and Sindy? We're completely worthless, Cap'n..!"

"Sigh... Not to worry. Everyone has had some kind of supernatural ability since birth. You're just not able to use these abilities in the Real World due to the restrictions placed upon the world by the gods. But since you're no longer in the Real World, you should be able to call on your abilities with enough training."

"No way! So you're saying that I could potentially destroy HQ if I tried hard enough?!"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here..."

"You mentioned training. When do we get to start? We'll need to grow accustomed to whatever abilities we have so that we can be on par with everyone else," questioned Sindy.

"Actually, training begins right after breakfast. Just make your way to the cafeteria, then once you've finished eating, you can move to the training area."

"Do we get a map with this place or something? It's pretty big to navigate by ourselves," mentioned Nathan.

Before answering, Alondo handed them three devices that almost resembled smartphones.

"I had these designed for you last night. They operate like the smartphones you're used to in the Real World, so they should be easy to use. They have a map of HQ and the Mind World, so you shouldn't have any problems finding your way around. They can also be used for communication and many other features that I'm too lazy to explain. Figure them out as you go along."

"Sweet! Does this come with some hot chick's phone number by any chance?" Asked Andrew excitedly.

"If you have enough game, then I'm sure you can secure a girl's number or two."

"I like the sound of that!"

"Anyway, now that you have these devices, my work here is done. Welcome to Assassins Agency and... stuff. I have a lot of work to do as usual, so I'll be taking my leave."

With a final wave, Alondo left the trio alone to get breakfast. A few minutes later, they got a change of clothes and exited the infirmary. They then walked through the lobby, observing the beautiful aesthetics that the base had to offer. It was painted white with many unique rooms for games, sports, and other activities to enjoy.

There were also many other assassins of different ages, with a few ranging from as young as 10 to as old as 30. However, the atmosphere was fueled with negativity. As they walked, they noticed hateful glares and glances from the surrounding assassins. Some even went as far as whispering unpleasant things to one another with very little care if they were heard.

"So that's the Mind Hero, huh? I almost pity him knowing he'll just be another failure," whispered one assassin.

"I pity him. I mean, save the world? Alondo needs to be realistic. A pathetic human from the Real World won't accomplish anything," argued another.

"He won't even get past his first mission. Just like all the other Mind Heroes, he'll die before he can even save a single life. A waste of oxygen if you ask me."

"Filth from the Real World should just die anyway. It's about time we all accepted that the only cure to our problems is to get rid of maggots like him from the Real World."

The three friends couldn't help but watch in bewilderment. They couldn't fathom why almost every assassin in sight was ridiculing them.

"What the hell is their problem?" Cursed Andrew in annoyance.

"I don't know, but I sure don't feel welcomed here. I think we should just ignore them for now. I'd like to avoid any unnecessary drama if possible," persuaded Sindy.

Nathan, on the other hand, remained quiet. He wasn't certain why the other assassins disliked them, but he didn't let it bother him. He had more important things to focus on, such as keeping both Sindy and Andrew safe and finding a way to return to the Real World to his family. He had a duty to fulfill, and the last thing he needed were unnecessary distractions.