"A01, do you copy?" Static screeched in my ear. A few people bustled by, but no one seemed to notice a shadow of a girl hiding in the alleys. Something feels off.

"A01, I repeat, do you copy?" the guards just rotated as their shifts changed, and the one I doused earlier with sleeping pills is already yawning. He'll be out in 2 minutes, max.

"A01, can you plea-"

"Cut the bullshit Ken, and just tell me if the target is still in position," I say, and load my gun.

A sigh was heard through the static. "I'm not paid enough to deal with this." He says, and I smirk.

"Oh yeah, then why don't you bring it up to him directly."

"I don't have a death wish unlike you. The target has not moved, you can proceed."

"Good choice. Roger that." I said as I moved into the building.

The receptionist blinks at my face.

"Cindy Reast. I have an appointment with the president." I say, and she continues to check the screen. I still feel weird, should finish this soon and get out of here.

"I'm sorry mam, I can't find any matches to that name."

"haha, isn't that unusual? Hmm," I say, and hear a snicker in my ear. A voice sounds through the static again.

"Why don't you ask her to try Cindy Rat?"

I'm gonna kill him. If it wasn't for his hacking skills, I would have done it long back.

I grit my teeth, and say "can you please try Cindy Rat?"

The look on her face spoke volumes. Ken laughs in my ear. She gives me a pass card and motions to the nearby elevator.

"Get ready with your last words, Kennedy Ryan. I'll make sure to murder you when I get back" I mumble before stepping in.

"Roger that, A01" I can see him smiling on the other side. He continues talking.

"Oh by the way, please finish it clean this time. Don't make a mess like last time."

"I can't make any promises," I say. 10 more floors.

"Please, Rienne! It was such a pain to clean up afterward. At least dont cut off any fingers this time."

"He deserved it though" I shrug. To be honest I wanted to cut his hand off for harassing all those women but didn't have time to. What is this chill down my neck?

"Urgh, why do I even bother reasoning with you?" 3 more floors.

"Exactly, just give up."

"Be careful, idiot."

Ken is probably the only one who would bother saying those words. No, that they mean anything. After all, everyone's itching to kill me, to take my place as the right hand of the most powerful assassin in the world. My adoptive father, I mean.

"I won't die that easily," I say, as the elevator doors open and step out. Guns click all around me, as an entire security team faces me, ready in formation.

"I know," Ken says, and his laughter echoes in my ear, as the bullets pierce my body.

Ah, so that's why I was feeling weird all day. Cause I was gonna die.

How long has Ken been plotting against me? Was father in on this? Hah, who am I calling father? The man who relentlessly whipped and trained me to be a killing machine, can't be called family, right? In the end, even though dying hurts, dying with no one to remember you hurts more.

Why? Why me? Shouldn't I have had a better chance? Why did I have to-

Darkness engulfs me and I hit the ground. It feels so cold.