Chapter Nine

9: Practice Mission

   AVYANNA HAVEN'T said another word right even after they finished reading the file for their mission. She will only move her head or look at them in the eyes if they ask her about something. After experiencing the silent treatment, the two members didn't bother her again. They expected her personality to be as such, which they based on their first impression of her. Although they didn't mind, a certain guy with dark blue hair, turned sour after seeing how his friends were ignored.  

This just hardens his resolve to exact revenge.  

Mr. Black took a glance at his adopted niece. Worry could be seen on his face, but he didn't say a word.  

All the SSS teams have their own personal headquarters sponsored by XYS itself. They can choose whether it is a mansion, suite, house, or a place they personally requested based on their own preference.   

Although Avyanna's team is still in the trial phase and has not yet been promoted as an SSS team, Mr. Black already gave them their own place, which is a rest house he personally owns. The location is near the coastal area of Yllenia and is far away from other people.   

It's a two-story house that has a mixture of simple, cozy, and modern interiors. The inside also didn't lack any space. When they went in, they were surprised to see that the house was already equipped with household appliances and personal items. From changing clothes to kitchen utensils and toiletries.   

Take note that even though it is a rest house, the security system is on par with the ones in the Lenoír hotel.

Zeke was practically glowing at the sight of the computer room. It has several advanced monitors ranging from small to huge sizes, and on the other side of the room were different contraptions that are useful for any kind of mission.

After changing their outfits, the three went ahead to their destination. Zeke found the location of the target in the university and decided to stay as he monitored them from behind. 

"Y'all, can you hear me!!?" Zeke shouted as he placed his mic near his mouth. Jay felt his ears getting numb, while Lei could only remove his earpiece immediately after hearing the first word Zeke shouted. 

Avyanna's eyebrows furrowed. "You don't have to shout." Zeke felt his displeasure come back after hearing the former.

Even though Avyanna can be unemotional, she actually found that teasing her new team member could be pretty entertaining. Which makes her think that going on a group mission doesn't seem to be that bad, although she still prefers to go solo.

Currently, Avyanna and Lei are both wearing uniforms meant for students enrolled in the University College of Shwirlan. They walk through the campus, blending in with the students as they make their way towards their destination.

Jay is in another location, specifically in a building not that far from the university. This way, he can have a nice view of the people in the school with the binoculars he got from their headquarters. His sniper is placed behind his back. 

Students can be seen scattered around the premises since it's time for lunch. Due to the abundance of students, you would never know that an assassin is lurking amongst the crowd.

"Zeke, where?" Avyanna asked through the earpiece.

"Literature building, third floor, teacher's faculty." Avyannna went to the said location.

The four didn't speak with each other about what to do before, during, or after the mission. Nor did they talk about a plan if they encountered a miscalculation that would fail. Jay in particular was worried. He didn't want his friend to be on bad terms with his master, and he didn't want this practice mission to fall through. Even though he doesn't speak much about it, he had the resolve to at least be of help in assisting his master and his team.

Meanwhile, Lei is not the least bit concerned about the fight between the two, and he had a feeling that their mission would not end in a bad result. He's been friends with the stubborn guy for years, and he knows first-hand that he holds grudges. He can't merely ask for them to reconcile since they are not familiar with each other yet.

All they can do for now is to know their position, do their job, and help each other the best they can without being a hindrance to the mission.

Walking her way towards the Literature building, Avyanna kept her footsteps in mind. After all, she's been going on a one-man mission for the past few years and she's made it a habit to not make any sounds.

Blending in is a bit different from not wanting to be seen, the strategy for this is to avoid attracting unnecessary attention, all while not erasing your entire existence at the same time. Even though they didn't discuss a plan, they know that the mission isn't just about eliminating someone.

After determining that the target is likely to be the perpetrator in the unsolved case, they decided to search for the victims or at the very least prove the target's guilt on their own. It is then that they will be at peace, having the pleasure of killing her themselves.

Avyanna became warier about how she should act daily after interacting with her observant neighbor. It is her mistake to expose something as simple as her footsteps that can raise anyone's suspicions.

Her thoughts went deep as she recalled the files she studied. Each word and letter is engraved deeply on her head and scrutinizing even the tiny details about the given information held importance for the success of their mission.

Avyanna felt somewhat amiss as if something wasn't adding up when she recalled the case.  However, she doesn't have an inkling of what that is.

What could be the worst-case scenario that could happen?

***

 Inside an office with a wide table in the middle, four people sat on the seats surrounding it, while some of the chairs were vacant. Documents, papers, and glasses of water can be seen on the table.

The meeting had long since ended a while ago, but a few members of the SIT remained in their seats.  

"Isn't it suspicious?" A man with glasses asked, his intertwined hands covers half of his face as he rested his elbows over the desk.

"There certainly is something more than what our investigation has found. It's quite thrilling to know that this may not just be a simple case, "replied a woman with a bob haircut, her sharp eyes narrowed on the whiteboard in front of them. 

A guy leaned back from his chair. He rested his chin on the back of his hand as he placed his elbow over the armrest. "Shouldn't we report about it?" 

The guy in the middle replied. "I'm one hundred percent sure that they've already noticed it by now. Don't forget the fact that our best assassin is one of the teams that will execute the mission. And I'm very much certain that they'll pick the file the moment they read its content. " 

The others silently agreed. 

"Someone deliberately showed us the evidence and tricked us into thinking about what we just hypothesized." The woman clicked her tongue. "It baffles me as to why they intentionally lead us to the culprit when they could have done so when the police started investigating..."

I hate this feeling as if we just got manipulated. She frowned.

"Change of heart, maybe?" 

"That will only be if the person behind this is the culprit herself. What if it's not her?" 

The man with glasses shifted his attention to the woman. "So are you implying that there's someone behind this?" 

"We cannot eliminate that thought." The guy in the middle stood up. "As for now, we can only try and investigate further to provide more information for the team. Everyone, dismiss." 

One of them sighed, "This is supposed to be their practice mission, and they already have a big case on their hands, huh." 

They stood up one by one, packed their things before leaving the office.

The guy who was leaning on his chair left last. He sent a message to someone with his phone, waited a bit for the other person to read his text, before walking his way out.  

A grin appeared on his lips. 

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"Would you like to accompany me to my office instead?" She smiled. Her eyes gazed at her warmly. 

 

Avyanna's face glowed. "Yes! Of course!"