Prologue
It’s the year 2837. 500 years ago, the Earth died. The natural disasters worsened, creating level ten earthquakes, tsunamis that wiped out entire islands, tornados that destructed city after city. Hour after hour, minute after minute, second and second, the Americans of the United States watched the world die, their eyes glued to their televisions. Finally, scientists in San Francisco took the lead. They made the world’s most powerful magnets and made huge circular plates. They then cut the land around the city with a powerful laser and stuck magnets under the land. With their advanced technology, they controlled the force field. The small island they cut floated up. They abandoned Earth, leaving it in ruins forever.
Monday 18th, month 4, year 2826, 11 years ago
Cypher bursted into the room. “What is this?”, he demanded. The scientists around the pearly white room cowered away. Nobody knew who Cypher was, or how he looked like. He had a black glass mask that reflected his surroundings. All we could see in the mask were the scared scientists in their white lab coats. They inched away from their leader, because they knew anybody who crossed him disappeared mysteriously and were never to be seen again. Cypher snapped his fingers, snapping the scientists out of their fear trance. They got back to work immediately, mixing all their liquids together to create so and so.
“I want it finished, and finished it now." he growled. Without another sound, he stormed out of the room.
Cypher didn’t need to deal with this nonsense. The serum must be done by now. But the scientists said they will need years and years of perfection to make it. Cypher didn't have years and years. The Order must be conquered now, not in years and years.
Cypher swept out of the large building. He walked down the alley, grumbling to himself.
Suddenly, a clang by the nearby dumpster startled him. He swiftly took out his Glock 23 out of his long trench coat. Instead of a skilled assassin coming out of the dark alley, a small filthy girl came out, charging at him. Cypher chuckled. Only a little homeless girl.
The girl was beautiful despite the filthy and torn clothes and hair. She had raven black hair, grown out long. Her emerald eyes glinted with intelligence in the moonlight.
She charged, raising a hand with a knife. Cypher, not wanting to shoot her and have to deal with a messy bloody corpse, dodged.
But the girl wasn’t aiming for him, she was aiming for his jacket. She cut open his coat, ripping his pocket. Cypher’s communicating machine fell out. It resembled a little microphone, barely a thumb large.
The girl snatched it before it could hit the floor and dashed away.
Cypher growled and lifted his Glock. Screw the corpse. Who do she think she is, that filthy little girl? Nobody steals from Cypher, the leader of the Federation.
Another thought popped into his head. The serum will be ready is a few years. And this skilled little girl will be a good assassin if she receives the good training.
In a few years.
Cypher thought about it as he ran towards the girl. She turned her head, and she saw him chasing her. She darted away faster than he would have anticipated.
He needed that girl. She would be a perfect assassin in a few years, under his control, of course.
“Hey!” Cypher cried.
“I have a deal!” he yelled when the girl didn’t reply.
The girl slowed down the tiniest bit.
“Do you want a home? Do you want food? Do you want a bed? I have all of those, girl.”
Cypher knew he hit home when the girl slowed down drastically.
She turned and spoke. “In exchange of?”
Her voice was surprisingly soothing, melodic, even.
“I will train you, and you shall follow a path to greatness. But in exchange, you must give me your loyalty and you mustn’t be scared of having blood on your hands.”
“I’m not scared of anything.”
“You should be scared of things, girl. Only a fool wouldn’t be scared of things.”
“Then I am a fool, sir. Until you train me.”
Cypher took that as a yes to his offer.
He slowly walked towards the girl, shoving his glock back into his pocket. He made sure to not make any sudden or aggressive moves.
“A home, a life, food for your loyalty and other people’s blood.” confirmed Cypher.
The girl nodded, and Cypher could see some desperation in her eyes. She was good at hiding at it, though.
“Now, my little girl. We are partners in crime. First of all, I need three things.”
“Yes?”
Cypher stuck out a hand. A leather glove concealed his fingers. “Your trust.”
The girl hesitated. “Oh yes, girl, you are at crossroads. This one choice will change your fate." muttered Cypher with a smile.
The pretty girl took his hand. Her grasp was strong, determined.
Cypher held up two fingers. “Second, I need my communicator.”
The girl grinned sheepishly and dropped his communicator in his open palm.
“And third,” said Cypher. “I need to know your name.”
“Jade, sir.”
“Jade? What a pretty name. Must be named after your eyes, yes?”
She shrugged. “I guess.”
“Well, can I name you again? It will be your agent name. Not your real name.”
When Jade didn’t say anything, Cypher continued.
“I will name you after your hair. Black. Coal black. Raven black.”
The girl looked up at his reflecting mask.
Cypher smirked. “Hello, Raven. My name is Cypher, and welcome to the Federation.”
Chapter one: Seduced
Friday 27th, month 2, year 2837
I walked in the Ballroom of The Center. My black cocktail dress caressing the wooden tiles while my heels sang to the floor. I grabbed a glass of Crystal and walked across the room. My eyes were scanning through the hall when I saw him. He was talking to a bunch of girls, all of them batting their eyelashes at him. I immediately knew he was an asshole. Albert Williams, the Dark One’s son, my victim. I fixed my face in my hand mirror before I approached him.
“Hi.” I waved, biting my scarlet lips.
“Hello, what’s your name sweetheart? He replied.
He slowly withdrew from his little club of girls. They all frowned but didn’t say anything. I suppressed an eyeroll. Albert lead me away from everybody else.
I could feel his eyes traveling up and down, as if he was scanning me.
Ugh, the typical idiotic, uneducated, man. I wondered what he was even doing in The Order, when he should probably stay with The Citizens.
“Jane” I finally replied his question. I hated using my code name Jane. It sounded like a type of girl who is a goodie-two-shoes.
“And you?” I questioned. I knew his name and much, much more, but he didn't know that.
“Albert, the Dark One’s son.”
Thanks for precising, I thought. What an ego.
We talked a long time, him mostly. He conversed about his money, his status, his family. I was getting sick of his drama, and decided to invite him on the balcony. He headed out while I hid in a corner, pretending to go to the bathroom. I applied my lipstick, except it wasn’t any lipstick. It was doused in a poison fatal to everyone. I made very careful in didn’t go into my mouth. I headed back to the balcony.
Of course, he started talking first.
“You’re pretty, you know?”
“Yeah I know, sadly…”
Since he went through a few bottles as we chatted, Albert swayed from side to side, extremely drunk. Suddenly, he grabbed my hips and pulled me towards him. I feigned surprise as he kissed me.
It was a brutal kiss, as if there wasn’t enough time. As if I were an object. It didn’t feel real. He tasted like sour wine. I tried not gag.
It wasn’t 5 seconds until his knees buckled in and he dropped to the floor. I knew he was dead before he even hit the floor. Another idiot, another day, another breath.
I wiped my hands, trying to wipe away his gross sweat and took out a disguised ring from my purse. I opened the ruby to reveal a black stamp. It had the Federation’s symbol. A simple eagle with two crossed swords behind its back. I pressed it hard against his neck, until the ink seeped in his skin.
I placed his hand over it to hide it. They will only discover it after I’m gone. I then ran back into the ballroom, yelling:
"Help! Someone help! Albert! Albert had a heart attack!"
Everyone rushed and scrambled in panic. The doctors arrived and tried to revive him, but it was too late… Too bad. He was a drunk pervert anyways. While everybody surrounded the deceased, I ran to the ladies room. Once in there, I locked the door and reached under my dress and grabbed a grapple I had brought with me. I never left home without my trusty grapple. I scanned the room, looking for an exit. There was the door, a sink, a toilet….and ah ha! A window, just above the toilet. I stood on the toilet, careful to not fall in and opened the window. I peeked out and saw just about how far I fall if I leaned out to much. I aimed my grapple to a nearby building and pressed the trigger. The hook flew and attached itself next to a large bay window. I kicked off my red high heels and jumped out of the window, holding on as tight as possible to the grapple’s rope.
Hair whipped my face as I swung. Most people would freak out at this height, but this didn’t bother me. It was rather fun, actually.
A shock ran up my ankles as I landed in a crouch. I dashed away from the crime scene into the shadows.
I plopped on the couch, back into my normal skin-tight black bodysuit. A dagger with a clip point strapped to leg, two twin Espada Ropera attached to my back. My swords were a rather rare. They are Espada Ropera swords, which are long thin blades with a fancy scabbard, have jade hilts. My father gave them to me for the sake of my name. Jade. A weird name, yet simple. I liked it. At least it was better Jane. I snorted. Albert was just too easy to kill. After washing off my face, and getting a drink of water,I walked over to the glass sliding door that view the garden. My room is composed of a queen size bed, a desk, a closet filled with all of my cloths and a wardrobe with all of my weapons. My house is normal sized, two bedroom two bathrooms. I never use the second bath or room. I live alone. Without my parents, without a husband. My only company is a black cat, but she doesn’t hang around that much. I open the glass door and step out into the warm 3am air. I feel the grass on my bare feet as I walk over to the fence of my garden. I prop myself up and sit on it, my feet dangling off of it. I stare off at the sunset, thinking about my dead mother. Cypher, my father told me that she died in a fire, a fire started by the Order. He also told me, it was the Dark One himself who started it. When I had grown old enough to learn this, I had sworn I would always remain against the Order. Never to help them or to fight with them. I swore that if I had to kill, I would kill, no matter how much I don’t want to. Even for the sake of love.
Love, I mused. What exactly is love? Is it to be with someone who cares? To wake up in someone's arms, knowing they love you. Suddenly, almost making me fall of the fence, an eagle swooped down towards me and landed right next to me. Attached to its glistening silver claws, was a letter, stamped shut with the seal of the Federation. I rolled my eyes. What are we, in the 15th century? Nobody uses eagles or pigeons anymore.
I mumbled something about text messages and grabbed the letter, careful not to get to close to the eagle’s claws and removed the seal. I flicked it off, watching it fall on to the street. The dirty street. The street watched by the Order. The street were Citizens roam, their every move is controlled by the Order. Soon to be controlled by the Federation.
I shook away the thought and read the letter.
Dear agent Raven:
On behalf of the Federation, we congratulate you for completing your mission last night. You acted swiftly and bravely. Your father on the other hand would like to see you. He has requested to see you in meeting room A4, sector 5566 at 06:00 am. After this you are requested to come to the Lab to pick up some new weapons we have created. At 08:00 am, you are to come to the debriefing on killing the next victim. Once you are done reading this, please make sure 0987 ( the eagle right next to you ), is fed and giving water, he had a long flight. Thank you for your time. Do not be late, or your father will be mad.
P.S: once you have read this note, either eat it or burn it so you don’t leave any traces.
~ Anggie, the Federation’s secretary
Ugh. Why do I always have to eat it or burn it? Can’t they made some self destructing sequence button or something? We are in the 29th century after all. Technology is advanced. Making a self-destruct button is simple.
I crumpled up the letter into a tiny ball. I only swallowed a letter once. Did you know that ink and paper doesn’t taste good? Seems like common sense to me, yet people do it. So I took out a lighter and lit up the letter, watching it crumple into ashes. I jump of the fence and motion for the eagle to perch on my arm.
I had thick leather cuffs, so the eagle’s claws didn’t bother me. I headed back inside. Taking out a bowl, I filled it with water. The eagle contented itself with it. Now...food…
At this point, I’ve fed way too many eagles than necessary. And it's a messy job, trust me. Eagles eat racoons, squirrels, prairie dogs or rabbits. So I went into my room and yanked my closet open. It was a walk-in closet, and it wasn’t modest either. It was quite grand. Clothes, most of them showy dresses, some street clothes, capes, but the clothes isn’t the thing I’m looking for. I walked to the very back of the closet, by a ottoman. I spotted the racks after racks of guns neatly piled in the back of my closet. M16s, Uzis, submachine guns, semi-automatic guns, blasters, handguns… I bit my lip, picking one. I took the Savage A-17, a good old hunter gun. A fit gun for rabbits, I took it off it’s hook and checked the ammo. Enough. I snapped it shut and returned to the kitchen.
4:00 am:
I tiptoe across the street heading towards the park. Yes there are still parks in the 29th century. 0987, glided next to me. I walked through the park’s gate, gazing at the pinkish yellowish sky. The sun was coming up soon, but the citizens were only allowed to go out at 6:00 am. I checked my watch. It read 4:05 am. I loaded my blaster, ready to shoot any animal that comes by. Or should I say any animoid. Once global warming destroyed everything, most animals didn’t survive. The Order decided, for the purposes of entertainment, to create animoids. Half animals-half droid. Stupid hun.
But if I’m unlucky, I’ll shoot a robot. Looks very much alive, but these robots are completely machinery. Not cyborgs like the animoids. That’s why I usually stare at an animal for a long time before I shoot it. Animoids breath and blink and get tired if they run a lot. Robots don’t. They are as still as statues, their fake fur disguising all the gears inside.
These animoids are running free throughout this park, which is what I need. I hear a distant rustling of leaves. Suddenly two ears poke out from a bush. One of the ears has parts of metal attached to it. I slowly approach the rabbit. I reload my blaster, and point at my target.
I watch it for a long time. It peeked out of the bush, sensing no danger. I held my breath. The rabbit blinked, its pink eyes glistening in the moonlight. Okay then. An animoid. I released the trigger and the animals release a little yelp. I motion for 0987 to grab the animal and eat it. Feeding the eagle: check.
Now, a meeting with my stepfather.
Author Notes: Thank you so much for reading! Place a review if you liked it! It really motivates us to write. One big fat thanks to Oxygen, Mbapp10 as well as egnimaticflamingo, my three friends who worked hard on this piece. Chapter 2 will come out soon enough, sit tight! It will be posted on Oxygen's profile. Thanks for reading!
Recommend Reviews (1) Write a ReviewReport
United States • 17 years old