"YOU WANTED TO see me?"

Months after she had been inducted into the organization, it was safe to say that Devora was no longer afraid of Julius Cain. Or at least, she wasn't as afraid as she was back when she had first arrived. Of course, it wasn't as though the older man had suddenly become her best friend but she had a newfound understanding in regards to his general personality which made him more human than she had first thought. That made it easier for her to interact with him.

When she entered the room, the first thing that greeted her was Nathan's back which was facing the door. The huge table which he leaned his upper body on was situated at the far right of the room. He had no doubt noticed her entrance just as Julius Cain did but Nathan didn't look back. Instead, he stared straight ahead at their superior.

Instinctively, she walked over to him. Once she was by his side, Devora heard Nathan ask, mumbling his words, "Devora? What are you doing here?" He retracted his hands from the table's surface as he spoke, letting it fall back to his sides.

"I called her here, of course. Don't ask such nonsensical questions, Nathaniel." Waving a hand nonchalantly, Cain dismissed Nathan's confused expression.

"I don't recall seeing you use the speakers." Nathan frowned.

"I have other ways," came Cain's vague reply.

Immediately, Devora's mind flitted over to the little boy that so very resembled Julius Cain in appearance. Markus Cain was his father's son for sure, all the way down to his enigmatic personality.

"Now, Devora." Cain clapped his hands together as if he were celebrating something. If Devora didn't know better, she would've thought that it was perhaps a new mission was about to be thrown onto their backs. However, they still had an incomplete task on their hands, which made that thought unlikely. "I have a task for you and Nathaniel. Actually, it's for your little friends as well."

Cain's closing words made confusion settle snugly into the pit of Devora's chest. A mission from Julius Cain would perhaps be something that she and Nathan could easily deal with. However, a task, on the other hand, was a little more different. It seemed like even Julius Cain would bend down and ask for favors.

"I'm listening," she said.

Her curiosity peaked. After all, it wasn't every day a person like Julius Cain would reach out for favors. She folded her arms across her chest, Nathan copying her action and following suit. His thumb lightly ran over the pink of his bottom lip as if thinking hard. Devora couldn't help but let her eyes gloss over his figure for a split second, admiring the view.

"As you might've guessed, I've made plenty of enemies ever since I started this line of work," Cain began to explain. "As the years go by, these enemies increase in number. It has reached a point where even my agents are starting to rebel against me."

"Gee, I wonder why," Nathan muttered under his breath, making Devora's shoulders quake as she tried to disguise her laughter with a hectic cough.

Pretending to not hear what Nathan had said, Cain continued, "We don't know the exact number of rebels but it's safe to assume at least thirty percent of the organization had already gone rogue."

"So what is it that you want us to do?" Devora asked, tilting her head slightly to a side. "Kill them off one by one? They are all experts in our field. In our 'little group of friends', we don't have the skill nor the numbers to bring so many of them down effectively."

"And," Nathan piped up, "We have no idea who they are. How are you so sure that we're not one of them?"

"I know that," Cain snapped, finally losing his patience.

Ever since Devora had met him, it seemed as though Julius Cain could always keep his cool through all types of situations. However, that was proved untrue from the events of today. For once, it seemed as though he was older than his true age. Some fine white highlights could be seen streaking through his dark hair. Age lines stretched across his once-youthful features.

Dare she even think such a thing? Julius Cain seemed afraid.

The man sighed, shaking his head before taking a deep breath to calm himself down.

"My sources tell me that the attack will be strategized soon. So, I will be bringing the battle to them before they can try anything funny. I want both of you to make sure Markus is safe at all times." At the name of Cain's son, Devora's eyebrows twitched upward in surprise but she didn't interrupt. "Those who've worked with this organization for a long time will know that Markus is a potential point of weakness of mine. I need my boy to be safe and sound."

Devora was stunned. She had never thought that a cold-hearted man like Julius Cain could care for another. Then again, Markus was his own flesh and blood. Even killers had a heart, had people that they loved and would sacrifice everything for.

"In a few days' time, the agents will regather here for the monthly showcase of skills. I want to use the competition as a chance to eradicate all that pose a danger to me."

"How are you going to do that? As we discussed, you can't possibly know the name of each and every person intent on killing you. Besides, how are you going to keep them gathered in the same area long enough for you to take action? We're talking about a group of highly-trained assassins that were taught — groomed by you — to be ruthless," Nathan argued, a fire burned within his voice.

"Your team will be equipped with the best, of course," answered Cain. "I know my employees. I know that they'll definitely use this opportunity to attempt for my life. I know that they're already planning a battle strategy while time ticks by. They'll have to gather here for the compulsory competition. And when they do, I will set off an explosion to take down a part of the building to kill everyone that dared to have such traitorous thoughts. Should I fail in killing them with the bombs, then I'll simply have to switch to the gun."

"That's why you kept putting the competition off," Devora mumbled under her breath in realization, though none of the other two people in the room heard her.

"You will kill every single one of your agents just to get to a few? You might think it's rare but there are agents out there that are loyal to you and what you think is right!" Nathan was fuming, burning with fury. Poison and disbelief coated his words as he took a step forward towards Cain, expression stern with disbelief.

Julius Cain straightened his blazer, posture returning upright as all frown lines disappeared from his face without a trace. Just like that, he swapped the mask on his face and he was back to being the man Devora had come to know during the length of her stay in this building of killers.

"I will do anything to keep my son safe," Cain riposted.

"Why us?" Nathan repeated after a moment of silence, determined to get an answer.

Julius Cain, however, cryptic as ever, only smiled softly. It was the gentlest expression Devora had ever seen on him. His eyes flickered over to Devora for a split second before returning to Nathan, raising one eyebrow only as if to taunt.

"Why not?" He counter-questioned. "Battlefield Arena will be brought back in exactly five days' time. I want your team to be ready for anything. I will set up the equipment needed and all you have to worry about is what we've planned and will plan. More details will be shared as the days go by in case anything changes. Got it?"

Devora wrinkled her nose, eyebrows scrunched up as she shrugged slightly to ease up the tension in her stance.

"Protecting Markus seems easy enough. There isn't a need for a team of five just for this task," she pointed out.

Julius Cain frowned. "I need protection as well. As much as I can handle myself, fighting against a large number of highly-trained assassins is as good as courting death. I'm not taking any chances. My son still needs a father after all of this is over."

As much as reluctance showed on Nathan's face, he still forced out a small nod dutifully along with a tight-lipped expression to pair with his agreement.

"Will do, sir."

With that, the duo was dismissed.

Devora couldn't stand the silence that hung above them as they left the office. It drizzled all around, spiraling through the atmosphere like fog and mist after a storm. She hated how it messed with her senses. Now that she was a trained assassin, her senses were heightened, intensified. It was all that she had, all that she was confident about.

"Why did you agree?" She asked, curious. Alone, she could finally place all of her attention on Nathan, watching as her partner scowled. "I know that you dislike Julius Cain, maybe even hate him. Why would you agree to help him?"

"Because..." Nathan trailed off before sighing. "Because... Maybe I owe him my life, in a way. He took me in, in a sense, and gave me somewhere in which I can have a full belly and a good roof over my head. He funds my family's expenses and although he seems ruthless, he knows to show compassion towards his family."

"He reminds you of your family, is that it? You're thinking of your parents and how they, too, worked and struggled hard for you and your siblings before you worked here."

Nathan hesitated for a moment. His eyes trembled, irises glazed over with indescribable emotion. Eventually, he took a deep breath, his shoulders rising and falling as he did so.

He truthfully replied, "Yes. He'll do anything for his family. I can empathize with that."

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