Phantom Assassin (2015 version)

Chapter 17

Trace sat up with a jolt. His body tensed and his neck stung from pain, but he didn't care. Why should he? His dream predicted he'd die anyway.

He wouldn't die shamefully in a bed not even his own. It would ruin his pride.

Not that he had any.

He tore the IV from his arm and swished his long locks around him. His entire body felt weak, but again, he couldn't form any negative thoughts about his situation. He just wanted to live.

He found himself calling out a strangely familiar name, over and over again. There seemed to be some sort of meaning behind the name, but he couldn't put the meaning into any coherent thought.

"Kira," he winced, sliding off of the bed.

"Kira."

He looking down, dizzy, at his clothes. Soaked with dark, hardened blood, he looked like a woman who just went through hard labor.

"Kira," he called again, his voice growing distant to his ears. He kept calling, even though he could no longer hear himself.

His legs carried him out into the hall, and everything appeared red. Covered in blood. A haze of madness.

Trace knew for sure he was going insane. But, still, he had to find whose name seemed so familiar. He must find her...

"Kira!" His voice grew louder and his ears yearned for an answer.

Limping down the hall, Trace slumped against a wall.

His neck was numb from pain, probably for the best. His entire body was losing feeling. He started to both look and move like a corpse.

And he fell to his knees. Blood clotted around his head and streams flowed down his cheeks. Hot, in pain, and filled with doubt he'll be okay, Trace tried calling again.

"K-" His mouth froze and his eyes stayed open, glistening in the light. He looked like he was spacing out, his tongue limp in his opened mouth.

He also looked dead.

And so his soul fled from his flesh.

~~~~~

Teresa looked at Hailey for guidance, but WP7's leader was preoccupied with her thoughts.

"What's going on through her head, do you think?" Teresa whispered to Dereck, who was watching the poor spectacle along with her.

"She's worried for our previous members' life. He's most likely dead by now." Dereck's voice was nonchalant and careless, almost as if Trace were just a boring piece of metal in a junkyard. He simply didn't care about Trace's well-being.

"Why would he be dead? Did... Did Phantom kill him?" Teresa swallowed her words as she leaned against the tall building. They were in a dark alley, hidden from the true scene where their mission took place.

Dereck's expression was dark as he replied. "Something like that."

Hailey seemingly snapped out of her own world and smiled sadly at Teresa. "Sorry, I was thinking about something. Nothing too important, really." She looked to Dereck, and, grabbing his hand, gave it a gentle squeeze. Then, looking back to Teresa, she nodded. "In your cloak, there should be a myriad of weapons. They are weapons of your supposed ability. Choose them well, and you will be fine. Kill your opponent. Don't die. Got it?"

Teresa nodded as she stuck her hand in her cloak. She retrieved a pair of nunchucks from within and swung the chain around her finger playfully. "Seems easy enough."

Hailey smiled. "Yeah. Let's go!" WP7 raced off ahead of her, but she kept up eventually.

They slid into a baseball field, empty, and paused in the now arisen dust. Their visibility was extremely low. Extremely dangerous for an assassin.