-Somewhere in London, one year later-
The man was on the roof top, next to the small staircase, hidden from everyone. He maintained a cool detachment to his target. He liked not to think about them, but when he did, it was as if they already were dead. Dead, nothing but walking meat bags waiting to be handed to the butcher. Everyone had to die at one point, he thought... and he considered it a good way to go. No illness, no drawn-out goodbyes. Just simple, convenient and painless. They were walking happily, oblivious one second and gone the next.
Hiding up there, his grey blue eyes roamed around the crowd, looking for his target. His eyes, the eyes of a hunter framed in the passionless face of an executioner. In his large and steady hands, he held a Sniper Rifle, his finger gently caressing the trigger. Suddenly he stopped, his breathing slowing down as he placed his gun right on the edge of the building. And in one quick second, he pressed the trigger. He closed his eyes temporarily before looking at the crowd.
There, in the middle of the street, lay the body of a woman. A crowd forming around her, just as quickly as the pool of blood formed around her head. She lay there, motionless, a smile on her young face and a hole in her head. The man shoved his sniper rifle back inside his large bag, a small smirk on his face as he walked away. Making his way down the stairs, he stopped, looking out the window to take one last look at his work. It was a quick and clean shot with no rifling and completely untraceable bullet. Soviet made.
He was tall, tall and strong. He was dressed in an all black outfit that fitted his tall frame perfectly. His slightly tanned skin blended perfectly with his messy hair. Wide grey blue eyes, a large scar crept over his left eye, giving him a sort of savage and dominant appearance. But when he spoke, he sounded gentle and soft. He quietly made his way down the staircase which led to an alley where a black car was waiting for him. Without a sound, he got in.
''Clean shot.'' the driver who was none other than Kol Mikaelson grinned at the man in the backseat, ''Jim would be proud of you if you knew how much you improved your shooting skills.'' he continued as the man remained silent, ''You know what he'd say if he was still with us? He'd say 'my dead mother shoots better than you'.'' he chuckled with a small smile, ''Which would roughly translate to 'you did a pretty darn good job'...''
''Kol would you just shut your dirty mouth and start driving.'' the woman, Lexis Blake, said as she grabbed hold of his shoulder, turning him towards the front again, ''You know he doesn't talk much, why do you keep pressuring him? Especially when you manage to put Jim in every single of your damn conversations.'' she muttered under her breath.
''I can't help it, love.'' Kol replied as he started the car, the man in the back still sitting quietly in the back seat. He looked back and gave the man a small smile before turning back towards Lexis, ''I'm just tired of going on these damn missions with a wall. I'd like some conversations you know?'' he sighed, ''Some snarky comebacks and hair pulling... not just a damn killing machine with an emotionless face.'' he continued.
''Stop ranting and step on it.'' Lexis groaned as she closed her eyes, letting her head fall back on the head rest as the car sprinted out towards the streets of London, ''This man back there is all you've got for now and you can't do anything about it so shut your mouth and drive.''
''Lexis, are you even listening to what you're saying?'' the assassin whispered so that the man behind them couldn't hear them, ''He's a damn stranger and it would be nice if once in a while she would tell us who our new colleagues are going to be!'' he said angrily, ''I mean, she didn't even tell us his name and I'm sure he's not going to tell us any soon.''
''My name is Sebastian.'' the man in the back said with a rough voice, making Kol suddenly stopped the car and Lexis jerked her head towards him, ''Sebastian Moran, now if you will...'' he continued calmly, gesturing to the road in front of them, ''... get a move on, you know she doesn't like to be kept waiting this long.''
Just as Kol was about to open his mouth again, he was elbowed hard in the ribs by the woman next to him, who glared at him. He muttered insults under his breath before looking back at the road and stepping on the pedal once more, driving away from all the crowd and away from the police officers that had just started to gather around the scene. Looking back in the rear view mirror, he watched them place the yellow banners around the body, to keep the too curious witnesses away.
This time, just this time, Kol though, he wasn't about to be late. Last time he was late, she gave him this long speech about time and space and how time was money and money didn't grow on trees. He oh so would have wanted to walk out with his hands up but he had had to listen to the whole damn speech about being a few minutes late. This time he was going to be there 3 minutes early and slam his fist on her table and let out a victory screech. Kol drove like a mad man, his hands tight on the steering wheel and smirk on his face as Lexis gave him a confused face.
So, Sebastian Moran. Mysterious man who kept quiet in the back of a speeding car in the middle of London, with a sniper rifle in his bag and an indifferent expression on his face. She had recruited him not long after Kol had pushed his last colleague off the top of a building out of anger. He wasn't a stranger to her, she had known him from before, back when Jim was still among them. Sebastian had been Moriarty's right-hand in most of his great games. Moran was known as London's second most dangerous man and that was the exact thing that had attracted her. Had attracted her to recruit him as one of her most loyal subjects.
After a few minutes of hysterically driving around the city, the black car finally slowed down right in front of a small mansion. As the black metallic gates opened to let the car in, it turned around a large fountain right, stopping in front of the staircase that led to the large wooden front door. As the car finally came to a stop, Kol quickly jumped out of the driver's seat, throwing the keys to the valet as he trotted towards the stairs, waiting for the others at the front door. Lexis let out a sigh at her colleague's immaturity, he was determined not to be late this time.
Lexis closed the car door behind her as she walked towards the back and opened up the trunk. She carefully placed two heavy and large messenger bags on her shoulder, she could walk like this anywhere and no one would ever think that this woman was carrying at least 12 different sort of guns and ammunition in her bags. As she closed the trunk and made her way towards the front door, Sebastian gently closed the passenger door, holding in his hand the single black bag that held his sniper rifle.
''It doesn't matter if you're late or not.'' Lexis grunted as all three of them stood in front of the door, waiting for someone to open, ''She's still going to manage to find a reason to make you want to shoot her.'' she smirked a little at the thought, ''She isn't bad really, she's actually nice. It's just with you that she has a talent for pushing all the right buttons to annoy you.''
''And she does that perfectly well.'' Kol replied, turning around as the door opened, ''It's only with me though... no one else will ever get in trouble.'' he groaned as they made their way inside, ''You and brick wall over there could destroy the bloody world into pieces and I would get screamed at for it.'' he muttered under his breath, dropping his bag on the table. He turned back to them and spread out his arms with a big smile, ''Cause Sebby and you are her favourite little minions.'' he teased, rolling his eyes.
''I wasn't the one who pushed my old colleague from the top of a building...'' Sebastian whispered as he walked passed him, dropping his bag on a chair next to a small table.
The mansion was impressive from the outside but it seemed even bigger inside. The walls were covered with blood-red tapestry, paintings and photographs covered the walls. Before them was a large hall with chandeliers and wooden tables with vases and red roses in them. And this was only the entrance, imagine how the rest of the house was; enough rooms to lose yourself in, enough places to hide a dead body; with tables, paintings, Russian carpets.
At the end of the hall was a large staircase that gave view to a beautiful stained-glass window. The staircase then separated in two, and on each side were at least several rooms. It was peaceful but dark, a place when all three of them could come and relax after the job was done. They chose a room in the far east wing of the mansion and hope that no one, especially her, would ever find them for another job.
Speaking of the devil; there she was. Standing alone at the top of the staircase. Everything turned cold, everyone stopped what they were doing, their head jerked towards her. The dark silhouette remained there, gazing down at them. Like a King and his Kingdom. Her hand resting gently on the ramp as she made her way down the stairs, only the clicking sound of her heels filled the room. A red smirk on her lips as she looked at the three of them, arching an eyebrow as she put her hands behind her back and sighed.
''You're late, Kol.'' Juliet finally said as she shook her head, the sound of the man's groan could have been heard from all around the world, ''One minute and you would have made it.''