Chapter I: Chided by the Bird
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"What's this for, Slade? What do we need her for?" He asks annoyed, holding a profile in his hand.

"Because X, we're dealing with those spoiled Grayson kids."

"Funny how you call them kids when they're in their twenties, Slade." The figure in a mask stated firmly. "Why the hell would we use her when we can do it ourselves?"

"Because she's better than you, idiot. Better than anyone else I can hire."

"Gee thanks." The masked man stated, obviously irritated. He examines his boss's face, knowing that the look he's got painted on means nothing but trouble."What else do you have planned, Slade?" He reluctantly asked with an exasperated sigh.

"She'll be working with a partner."

X laughed, "Ok. Now you're out of your mind. She won't say yes if she knows that. Hell, she'll probably kill you. She clearly doesn't have a problem with that. Remember the last time someone tried to pull a stunt like that?" Slade groaned.

"There's a thing called 'witholding the truth', X." He retorted.

"Fine." He threw his hands up in the air. "But don't come crying to me when your head's on the floor."

He shook his head. "Ignorance will get you nowhere. Watch and learn, kid. Watch and learn..."

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She hopped from roof to roof to a rather remote area of the city, her black body suit helping her camouflage into the black, light-polluted sky, with the only color on it being the deep purple diamond on her chest and her eyes of the same color.

Then a white limo cruised down the street below her. She narrowed her eyes and followed it, leaping from roof to roof until the roofs dwindled.

Finally, on the last roof, she launched herself into the air and followed the car in the air, trying to stay close. Her ponytail fluttered as the wind whipped it around.

She descended on the vehicle, taking an eagle-like dive and quietly, she landed on the top of the limousine.

She took a deep breath and morphed seamlessly into the car.

The car only contained three people other than her, who was now just a shadowy figure. Indistinguishable from the dark leather seats or the dark road behind.

A woman about her age with blonde hair; a man a few years older with orange hair; and a man, the driver, that looked to be in his late sixties were the occupants.

The woman was 27, the man was 29, and the driver was 67. Today was the driver's birthday. The young man and the young woman were siblings and the driver was a close family member. The young man and woman were investors heading to a secret location to invest in something truly great that could change society as they knew it. The investors' names were Terra Markov, and Brion Markov. These were her targets.

She read their minds. The first step of her process to make sure she had the right people.

The second? To immobilize.

She revealed herself by making her eyes glow that deep purple. The driver gasped before the engine exploded and the car flipped backwards due to a poorly placed speed bump. Luckily for her, she teleported out of the car and monotonously, yet gaily watched the mayhem unfold from the sky.

She landed on the road, her heals clicking as she did so. Her victims climbed out of the wreck to her feet and looked up at her.

"Nightengale!" Terra screamed.

"Evening Ms. Markov." Her voice is as smooth as butter but as sharp as spears, cutting though their hearts far before she does it on her own.

Terra somehow gained the energy to jumo up and run away. "Oh, leaving so soon?" Not only is her voice terrifying, it's also patronizing. After teleporting right in front of the woman she screamed as she was lifted up by her neck. Those screams were naturally silenced by the air slowly being locked out of her lungs.

"Hey!" Her attention was brought to Brion, who was running over with the fender of the limo in hand. "Let her go!" Nightengale's eyes glowed and she lifted him up by the neck with a beam of black energy. The fender loudly hit the pavement. She took a look at the mangled car and it desinigrated, only showing the driver.

"Huh. I could've sworn that you we're smarter than that."

"Pl-please don't hurt me..." he pleaded in breathy gargles.

"Sorry, but I always finish the job. Now why don't you go 'invest' in something more reasonable? Like saving your pitiful souls." All of their muscles tensed as she spoke each and every word, the spears continuing to strike again and again.

Nightengale murdered them all at once in one fell clench of her fist; Slitting their throats in unison and letting them fall to the concrete just the same.

She dragged all the bodies to the side of the road, all three pairs of eyes still open, and yanked Terra's jade necklace directly from her neck. The one she wore every single day. The one everyone knew she wore.

Her laugh had the faint sound of malevolence.

She flew up into the air and over the bright and lively city. Grinning under her black mask the entire way.

She landed in a dark alley between two brightly lit buildings.

Nightengale scanned the area.

It's too busy here. No weapons. She forged a brunette with tan skin and freckles in her mind. Everything about her screamed "I'm an underpaid intern." Within seconds she was the girl envisioned in her mind.

Nobody saw her walk out of the alley and fix her glasses. Or if they did, they payed her no mind. She nervously walked into the building to her left with her newly fashioned books and binders.

She was a regular old intern going to give her boss something she forgot before she left for home. That was her story, and it would stay that way no matter what happened.

Her name? Rachel.

"Evening ma'am." Said the guard at the door gruffly.

"E-evening." Rachel said in a timid, soft voice. She rushed past people with her head down and pressed the "up" button in the elevator. She kept her character in the elevator, knowing all too well about the cameras in it. She took a deep breath and the elevator stopped, allowing her leave.

"Excuse me ma'am, you can't be on this floor."

"I-I have clearance." Rachel said nervously after pushing up her fake glasses. She quickly reached into her pocket and made a personalized clearance card from thin air. Magic was and always will be her most useful tool. "See?" She holds up the forgery.

"Oh, yes, Ms. Rachel Elliot. Sorry about that."

"No problem..." she said and rushed past him, leaving him a little confused.

Had he seen this girl before? Granted, he sees many people a day and they're almost always different per day. But usually he's seen them around the building. Is this girl new? He should just stop worrying. She's just a young intern. What harm could she do?

She kept her eyes focused on the ground. It's not like she needed to see where she was going. She knew where to go, how to get there, and what was around her. She could sense every person, every folder, and most importantly, every heartbeat.

It sounds overwhelming, but not to Rachel. She's dealt with this her entire life.

She turned down the hallway and sped up her even pace.

She looked up and saw the door she seeked. Rachel rang the buzzer.

"Who is it?!" The male voice asked brazenly in his British accent.

"Rachel Elliot, Mr. Mod."

"Oh. My bad Love. Come in." He said in a completely different, much friendlier tone.

The door clicked and Rachel was able to enter the room. She was greeted by a redheaded man with glasses and a face of villainous delight. He was wearing a black suit with a pristine white shirt underneath and a tie with the union jack printed on it.

"'Ave you finished the job?" He asked. Rachel retook her form of Nightengale.

"Why wouldn't I have? You did offer me 100 grand. Besides they had it coming to them a long time ago." She said gazing out the window.

"How do I know you're not lying to me just to get the dough?" He questions. Reasonably so. Some assassins are known only for their brutal betrayals.

She smirked under her mask.

"Catch." She tossed Terra's jade necklace into his hands.

"Nice job, Love."

"Now where's my cut?" She asked bluntly. This time Mod was the one smirking.

"Sorry dearie. I'm a tad short."

"You aren't going to give me my money?" She asked calmly. However, anger was slowly boiling inside her.

"Nope. So sorry sweetheart. Security!" A group of guards burst through the door a few seconds after Mod had slammed his hand on a small red button.

"What were you guys just waiting outside the door?" They replied with bullets. She dodged the bullets swiftly and appeared behind Mod's chair. She was not taking any lives just yet. "What's the code to your safe?" She asked after grabbing his head with one hand. One was all she needed.

She pressed and squeezed his head until she got what she needed. "Thanks Mod. Been a pleasure doing business with you. Next time maybe you should beg sooner. Might save you some of the trouble." She fashioned a gun out of a black flash of magic and and shot Mod right in the middle of his forehead. Then continued to off his henchmen guarding the door, taking them all out exactly the same way she did Mod.

Her aim was faultless.

Before putting away the pistol, she shot out the window. She prepared to make her escape but was shot in the shoulder from behind, halting her in her tracks.

She grunted heavily, pain rapidly snaking itself through her nerves, but wasn't all too phased. She looked at him straight into the eyes. He then screamed like a little girl and collapsed on the floor.

She opened the closet to her right and looked for a secret compartment in the back. Sure enough she found one and ripped the door off its hinges with a black arm.

5-19-7-24-0-8-0

The electric lock sprang open and she pulled open the door, her other arm holding her shoulder as to not leave any piece of herself behind.

The bullet was still lodged in the bone.

She quickly grabbed the $100 thousand she was owed. No more, no less, and leaped out the window.

"Next time, give me what I ask for." She left the gruesome crime scene without leaving any bit of herself behind.

Another successful mission.

A shadowed male watched her fly away from the roof.

Nightengale strikes again.