- Two days earlier -

She lies on her belly with her baby, Barrett 50cal Arnold Rooster gave her since she was 13, where she officially became an assassin. Its shining stock is pressed against her reddish cheek. The finger from her right hand is already wrapped around the trigger. To support the rifle, her left hand gripped the rear grip as when her right eye is already on the telescope, eyeing, aiming her target.

There's not a light around her. Streets lamps down on the streets didn't help her to look through the telescope though it's bright down there. But what advantage can they give to Hermione when she's on top of a building? She is depending hundred percent on her instict and skill. And her hawk eyes.

"Target's aimed," she confirms through her wireless earphone. Her voice is not shaking even slightly, not even her hands on her rifle. Her body is still, so professional in her job though she's crouching on top of a building and the temperature has dropped drastically low.

There's a pause before Hermione hears a voice on the other side of her earphone. "Whenever you're ready," Aaron replies with a serious, boss tone.

Whatever she's doing, her leader would see. Everything that happens to her, she has to report back to the Villa where her leader is sitting, waiting news from her and the rest of the assassins on mission. With her leader's command, she knows that's her cue to do the good, good job.

She didn't respond, keeping her attention on her target. She doesn't want to slip him out of her grasp carelessly like Clinton, her fellow assassin did though she knows she won't. She's the best assassin of her age, she wouldn't do any mistake. She will not do any silly mistake. She's not dumb to give herself to her leader, only to be washing the pool or stinky toilets or the whole house for punishment.

"Be quick, Hem," her colleague of the same mission, Lukas, rings through the earphone. "There are no guards in our building, but I am afraid they're calling out more to kill us," he reports.

Again, Hermione didn't reply as she keeps her attention on an old man with white hair and white beard. His lips are hidden in his moustache, but Hermione could see a glimpse of smile. "Yeap, smile as long as you want, old man. That might be your last smile," the girl mutters to herself.

Her target is now climbing down the stairs of the lavish building he just exited. Suited men surrounded him, not sure either protecting him or inter-framing with the cameras that are flashing in front of them. Being an assassin, Hermione wasn't allowed to ask the identity of her target or why she was assigned to kill them. She just kills them, like this one, too. She doesn't know what's wrong with him. But there's something inside her that this mission isn't going to be as nice as her other assignment. Something is going to happen.

The old man is still on the steps of the stairs, shaking hands with people that are surrounding him as cameras continue to click and flash. He has a smile on his face that shows her he is happy with whatever happened in the building a while ago. An elation? Money deals? Hermione doesn't know a thing. All she knows is that she's pointing her gun at him as he nods and smiles and speaks to people down there. Hermione waits until he reaches just in front of an open door.

"Hermione!" A sound of a gun exploding echoes in the entire city just as when Lukas calls her again. His voice comes out like an alarm alerting Hermione over something she's not going to like. A warning, she knows, but she ignores it.

Ignoring whatever happened to Lukas, she focuses back to the chaos happening before her. There is a spark at the pit of her stomach when she sees her target lying on the red carpet made for him helplessly with his own pool of blood. On the behalf of whoever wants to see that old man dies, she feels happy. She feels proud that he's dead. Besides, since she's fourteen she has hated on suited men.

People down there start screaming, run around the city for the sake of their lives as if the murderer, Hermione is going to shoot again. Her job is done, unfortunately. For now.

"Target's down," she reports back to the Villa.

Aaron let out a sigh of relief. "Good. Now get back to the van," he tells her quickly. Just like Lukas, he sounds panic and extra anxious.

"What, why?" Hermione asks in confusion. She's supposed to be panicked, too, but she's more curious. "I thought I get a night-" she stops herself from pointing the deal when she realised that Lukas hadn't talked since. She calls for him. "Lukas? Lukas!"

"Lukas's fleeing. Now it's just you," Aaron tells the stubborn girl. "The van had moved," Aaron inform with a calm voice. "Get out of the building and wait for the van three blocks away if you get there faster. Act normal and don't make anyone suspicious with you," Aaron continues to give instruction.

"Aaron, what are you talking about?" Hermione is still not moving from her shooting spot. She's still on her belly as she talks to her leader.

"It's S.H.I.E.L.D!" Aaron finally tells her her through a scream. Hermione has to wince hearing that piercing shriek from him. She never liked that man shouting. "S.H.I.E.L.D is everywhere! One of their agents is there looking for you!" he warns Hermione.

The terror in his voice makes her wonder if this is a prank. Aaron never let anyone hears his agonising voice. He doesn't accept the reason that she's the only girl in the Wit-Ass family that she has to know everything other guys don't. But right now, hearing Aaron screaming like their life is on the cliff makes Hermione baffled.

"No, you're joking," Hermione has to say. She rolls her eyes over no one as if she's d just heard the lammest joke ever.

She didn't believe him. Since day one she started working with Wit-Assassin Programme, all the plans made was perfect. Means: though there were police around, Hermione or her assassin friends won't get caught, so listening to the command to get back as quickly as possible, she almost thought Aaron was joking. At least until a person he mentioned turns and looks up at her direction.

Hermione stumbles back with a gasp of surprise. She thought her heart stops upon seeing someone she's dreading to meet. It's like her nightmare is coming back to her.

Apparently, Aaron was right, but he was wrong at the same time. "He's not from S.H.I.E.L.D," Hermione whispers, but she's sure Aaron heard her. "He's an Avenger."

~

- Present day -

As soon as she exited Aaron's room, she has nowhere to go exactly. She thinks her room would be a good escape for herself, but then it's yet not the best place. There's only one reason: because she knows where she puts old photos of her family. What's wrong with that?

It's because she misses them. She misses them a lot, but she doesn't want to open them photos she brought from her old home when she's sent to an orphanage after her mum died and brought along the photos with her to Wit-Ass Villa when she's adopted to Arnold Rooster. She's not ready. She doesn't know when she will be ready to look back at those old photos of her mum and dad but absolutely not now.

Her mind lingers over some suggestions she made herself as she walks away from Aaron's room. Lukas now is nowhere to be found. Clinton is already in Aaron's room cleaning her mess. Some other are still sleeping; meanwhile some other are gone for mission. She's left with the cook, the garden and minicamp for physical activities at the woods behind the Villa.

Somehow, though she loves running and climbing, but she doesn't have any moods to do any of the physical activities, knowing she won't be on a mission for another two nights to keep her stamina. Thought she has done enough trainings and decides to give a little break for her muscles today and maybe think about the concert tomorrow. The cook is a lovely man. Always seemed to have time to talk to her though he's busy, but she's not in the mood to talk to anyone either. Especially about her past of her past that no one knows except Arnold.

If Arnold is still here...

Hermione sighs. In the end, decides to settle in the garden.

~

If it's really him he saw up at the building, there's only one thing she could only hope: that she won't be seeing him tomorrow night at the concert.

•

This chapter is a crap, I am sorry! 😭 I just want to show what her work though you already know but it's the proper introduction. This should be the prologue but since I already posted the beginning of the story so here is the flashback.

Hope you enjoy!