"Alright maggots. Get back to work!" I groaned as the foreman shouted. The other girls, all of which were about that same age hurried to their work stations. I stood up and limped over to my own. "Hadley! What is with that limp?" The foreman snapped at me. I sighed. "I just sprained my ankle. Doc said I'd be fine in a couple of days." I said. He frowned. "Let me see your papers." He demanded and I dug inside my pocket.

I ducked out into the rain. It seemed to rain all the time. I was bundled up in a thick scarf and a rain jacket over my small frame. I walked swiftly to my house, my limp long gone. I watched my breath cloud in front of me as I waited for a carriage to pass. I paused before crossing the street.

By the time I made it to my house I had about five minutes to get ready. I pulled off my Scarf and my coat. I opened my closet and pulled on the billowing cloak. Pulling my hood up over my cornrowed hair. I pulled on my fingerless gloves and laced up my boots.

I nodded at my look now. My dark skin blended in with my dark cloak. I smirked. I looked good. Then I heard a knock on my window. I grabbed my belt that held my daggers and other weapons and fastened it as I climbed out my window.

"Took you long enough Vixen." A boy about my age clad in the same attire I was muttered as he pulled me up on to the roof. I rolled my eyes. "Sorry Falcon, I had a bit of trouble at the factory." I said and he snorted. "You. Trouble? No way." He said sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes. "I don't need your sass mister." I said and he smirked. "You can't spell Assassin without Ass, Sass, and Sin." He pointed out and then adjusted his glove. "What's our mission?" I asked and he looked around. "Some guy named Henry Franklin." He said and I nodded.

"Great. I've never heard of him." I said and he nodded. "Whoever wants him dead paid quite the pretty penny for him. Double what we usually get." He said and my eyes nearly popped out of my head. "Double?" I asked, shocked. He nodded absently. "Let's go, while the rain is still heavy. It'll cover our tracks." He said and crawled across the roof. I followed close behind him.

It took a little less than an hour for us to get to Henry's manor. We decided a window would be too noisy. So why not walk right through the front door huh? Ingenious. We dropped behind the guards and took care of them swiftly. Then we waltzed our sorry asses into that fancy little house.

Suddenly we were surrounded. I backed up into Falcon. I pressed my back against his. He pressed something into my hand and then it all went to hell. Two against thirty. It wasn't very fair. They needed about ten more if they wanted to take us.

Once we were finished with them, we made our way to Henry. As we searched the manor I looked at what Falcon had pressed into my hand. I paused when I saw what it was. He stopped. "I found it on the docks...Hadley, Your parents." He said and I looked up at him. "Derek...." I didn't finish when we heard something in the other room.

I stuffed the talisman in the leather pouch on my belt and followed him into the room. It took me a moment to figure out who we were being payed to kill. A young man, who was surrounding by half naked girls. Ew. Falcon stepped back. His eyes wide and his pale skin rosy. He looked away. I rolled my eyes. "Good god." I muttered and took his cross bow.

"Sorry ladies, but if you'd just scoot over." I said and aimed. Before the perverted pimp could react he was skewered by a steel bolt. I tossed the cross bow to Falcon, who caught it and turned to the door. "Those of you who value your lives, I suggest you forget what you saw tonight and run." I said and held up a small bomb. Most of the girls got the message and pulled the stupid ones to the door.

Falcon stumbled toward the window. "I think I know why he needed to be killed." He muttered. I nodded. "I'll give them five minutes to get out before this thing goes off." I said and Falcon nodded. "We could just set the manor on fire. Switch it up." He said with a shrug. I smirked. "Murder and arson in the same night? I like your style Falcon." I said and he smirked back. "You take Front I take Back." He said and I nodded. The bomb was back in my bag as we grabbed torches and set all the curtains aflame.

We were back at my place by the time the manor was completely engulfed in flames. Falcon glanced at me as I threw my cloak on a dining chair. "So Vixen, what are your summer plans?" He asked. I glanced at him. He shrugged, tugging his own cloak off.

I shrugged. "I guess I'll just try to tie up loose ends." I said. He frowned. "Take a break this summer." He said and I frowned. "Derek. You know I want to, but..." I said holding up the talisman. He hung his head. "I know....just promise me you'll come back before long. If you need any help, you know where to find me." He said and hugged me. I hugged back.

This guy was my best friend. More like my brother. He meant so much. He gave me so much. Yet I never gave him anything back. He understood though. He knew that I needed this.

"Still," I started as we pulled apart. "It's still a long time till summer. You can't get rid of me yet." I teased and he rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm hungry." He said and proceeded to raid my fridge. "Take whatever you want." I said and he shot me a thumbs up.

I carried the Talisman to my desk where I set it on the stacks of journals I had inherited from my mother. She talked a lot about magic. Some of it I stopped believing in when I hit ten years old, some I wasn't sure if I  wanted to believe. I didn't really know when it came to my mom.

So I just wanted to go for the cliche plot line where Hadley and Derek are charged with killing Ciel, and then they get stopped and Arty is like 'WOAH YOU ARE FROM THAT ONE ACADEMY!' and then ahit happens.

Yeah.

quaintdoodles