Chapter one:

Black Mask

The wind whistled endlessly through the cracks of the shattered window, the glass scattered along the dark crimson floor. The apparition’s shadow was cast low to the ground sucking in all the darkness that seemed to breathe through it. The only light provided was the flickering moonlight that seemed to fade in and out as the clouds in the style of a traitor crossed in front of it. The echoing noise of the soft lake shore’s current pushing and pulling against the beach near by was among the few sounds that were present.
The cracks and creeks of hanging wood of the warehouse added to the cacophony along with the moist sounds of the running water that dripped from all sorts of places. Looking past the creeps and bone chilling aspects of the warehouse it was relaxing, being alone was calming, a place to be you.
The heartbeat of the warehouse began to churn and mix as the harmonic noises were shattered by a kick at the door.
It swung aimlessly on its hinges before crashing to the wooden floor creating eerie echoes. The apparition’s shadow moved quickly to see the sudden change of balance in the room when the light of the glittering gold eyes of before shined their way again in her face, her worried face. Her shadow grew cowardly when she took a step back, oblivious to anything frozen in her head and senses with cold stricken fear. In her wintry pale arms she held the hand of a frightened child who held a small blanket of black cotton.
The figure smirked as she grew closer and closer to the other lady, the apparition of the warehouse who watched her helplessly, running wasn’t going to work now. The dark figure that entered the room through the strands of hair that covered her eyes she was smirking a hasty smirk, homicidally.
The strange thought that came to her quickly was that her attacker...she was only...fourteen...what was this world coming to?
The mother backed up quickly trying to propose a deal to her oddly enough younger attacker. She presumed deal making would work...she thought wrong.
“Promise me you will protect her...” The mother said hurriedly after taking a devastating blow almost suddenly to the chest, she gasped for breathe still trying her hardest to protect her pride and joy.
The attacker said nothing but smirk as the gasps of pain thrilled her, giving her adrenaline and enjoyment, somehow. But the mother shrieked again, “Promise!” She was gasping for her life now, as a miracle came.
“...I promise...” She stuttered out before the mother seemed to collapse unsteadily to the floor filling the yet again nearly silent room with the cries of an innocent child. The stranger slowly knelt down toward the child as a tattoo across her shoulder exposed her name; Mindy Masa- the rest was covered by her hoodie.
Mindy picked the child up and held it in her arms for what felt like hours was only one minute. She gazed almost blankly into the child’s eyes and over all perfection, seemingly.
What could she do, kill it? Get ride of this thing? Those thoughts were very tempting but she never went back on her word or promises, despite her criminal, harsh ways, she tried to stay at least somewhat ethical, at the time.
“Hmm...What can I do with you...?” An idea seemed to soar into her head with possibilities of the future; a dark cold snicker escaped her lips before it arose into a chuckle.
“I’ll name you, Alex...and you will be...in the far off future, my partner...but mostly my puppet.” She laughed aloud as the child said nothing and turned and moved around the black cotton, the child seemed to maneuver the blanket into a fashion of a mask that sparked Mindy’s attention. “Black Mask, that’s what we’ll call you, oh I have so many plans for you my dear.” She stroked the single strands of hair that sprouted from Alex’s head as she walked slowly out of the room with the edgy silence filling every spot she left untouched.
Mindy left the warehouse and all its content in the cold of the night with accomplishment, one mission down, millions to go.

Years past as the child grew, and grew, the atmosphere of growing up in the bad part of town shifted her.
“Isn’t that cute, she’s asleep, not for long...” Mindy chuckled to herself. She had aged greatly over the years but her appearance created the illusion that she was just a common seventeen year old; despite the fact she was nearly twenty. Her hair never changed as her bangs always and forever covered her eyes. However it got longer in the back along with the millions of green streaks, which she added.
There was no reply as she seemed alone in the dark room. The only light came from the orange glow of the lamp that sat unevenly on the table near by. The dark oak table that stood in the middle of the room had a leaning chair which a dozed off girl sat oblivious to Mindy.
She had dark brown hair that radiated in the light, she had great potential to be pretty, she had a great slim body, but it was ruined by her choices. It was obvious she didn’t know how to use what she had. Her skin was pale, not as pale as she looked with her dark colored hair. By the looks of her appearance she was just a common sixteen year old.
Mindy leaned over the table pushing her stomach up against the table as she reached her hand out to give the trigger.
Right on cue Mindy lightly poked Alex’s foot right off the table, causing her to get a rude awaking. The chair went flying back off its legs onto the ground. Alex was sent flying backwards as well and when the back of the chair hit the ground so did her head. She groaned gripping her head before slipping off the chair onto the ground.
Mindy let out a laugh as she walked around the table to see her with a smirk.
“Looks like you hit your head hard Allie.” Mindy mocked.
“At least I didn’t hit it as hard as you did when you were a baby.” Alex snapped back a witty comeback finally opening her almost bronze colored eyes rudely and quickly.
“Ha-ha very funny Alex. Listen there’s actually a reason why I woke you up this time,” Mindy started to say as she walked back around the table to grasp a file of papers that were placed in the seat of one of the wooden chairs. She took in her hands the papers and then flung them onto the table as the papers scatted all over the surface and were flung into Alex’s view. “We have a job.” Mindy finished.
Alex looked over the papers vigorously scanning all the papers with interest. Something she grew up learning was never deny a job, never loose your dignity, or your pride.
“Which one...?” Alex started to ask when she noticed how many files and jobs there actually were that were scattered across the table. That was when Mindy smirked.
“Well I was thinking I could let you decide...dig your own grave...” Mindy said strangely, hushing her last words to a point in which only she could hear. She tried to put on what appeared to be a crooked smile, she was up to something, and Alex knew it.
“Strange...but alright, fine, I’ll choose.” Alex reached her glove covered palm over the table to choose which one she wanted. There was always the small sense of actually trying to be ethically correct so she tried to find the least murderous job there was, if that was possible at all.
Mindy held her head in a position to see just where Alex was reaching through her thick bangs. She smirked her always crooked smile across her sinister face and stuck her fingers under the table swiftly. She twiddled her bony fingers in a motion in which she kept hidden from Alex.
When Alex went to reach for a folder of papers which were marked with a big shot head hunter who was obviously in for it anyway, her grasp was involuntarily changed to a different file, an interesting file of a man in his young twenties with a dangerous looking background with the mafia, why?
“Mindy...” Alex started to say but within an instant Mindy had snatched up the file and was looking it over.
“Oh Allie what a great choice, right off the coast, perfect deary,” Mindy snickered. “Let’s have some fun tonight shall we?” Mindy proposed as Alex walked over and forcibly grabbed the papers from her.
“Why...what do you want to do?” Alex asked suspiciously.
A voice cracked the atmosphere along with the snap of the opening of a beer bottle.
“She’s looking for something to massacre I’m guessing.” A dark and mysterious voice seemed to come out of nowhere. A tall figure was standing in the doorway that led into the small room from the more social and living room out front. He walked over toward them silently with shaggy dark brown hair that swayed everywhere, but perfectly attractive. It was flowing off into every direction but in the most handsome rough boy way. His face was rough around the edges yet with a movie star face, which was stable with his eyes covered by the most badass sunglasses money could buy...
He walked over to the girls sipping a drink of his beverage in-between strides. Alex was always curious as to why he was always so calm, so relaxed, it was unnerving.
“Oh come on Jim it’s what I’m known for!” Mindy started to say.
“Mindy...come on! Don’t be so...you. Have you ever stopped to think about others for once?” Jim asked trying to be somewhat decently human. Of course, both Alex and Jim knew exactly what Mindy was going to say.
“Nope,” She said childishly, her attitude was also another reason that added to why people believed she was seventeen.
Jim let out a sigh in which he washed away with a sip of his drink. Alex rolled her eyes and flung the papers over toward the table, which so gradually slipped off the edge landing on the floor scattering. Alex now embarrassed looked them over before she scrambled to collect them before anyone could say anything.
“So what job did you get this time Mindy?” Jim asked breaking the silence. Mindy slipped herself onto the couch as she slid down the armrest before landing on her back. She twiddled her fingers and Alex forcibly handed Jim the folder she had just cleaned up from the floor.
Jim looked it over for only a moment before looking up at Alex, and then to Mindy who was so happily scratching her dirty over grown fingernails into the dark maroon velvety couch.
“You really want to do this one?” Jim asked curiously thinking she would at least have some common sense left in her.
“Uh ya! It will be fun; I haven’t had a decent one in like ages.”
“And by ages you mean a week don’t you?”
“Yup!” Mindy was so childish, it was almost annoying, too annoying.
Jim sighed and let the papers fall from his hands perfectly onto the table mixing in with all of the other papers. Alex watching him before heading toward the door for something to do, all this talk about work was making her sick.
“And where is Miss Allie going?” Mindy asked.
“Just out, for a walk...” Alex had used that excuse one to many times; she was hoping they would just let it slide for now.
Mindy raised an eyebrow at that even though no one saw it through her thick bangs, the look across her face was still noticeable with her ‘I don’t buy it’ smirk.
“Really...?” Mindy asked in her always-annoying tone, shifting herself to a position that didn’t look humanly possible.
“Yes. Really. Now, good bye.” Alex tried to make it out on one more word before Jim’s addicting voice broke that plan. She sighed and turned around to see his luring face, and just plan muscular figure. His dark black jacket covered his arms and chest but just by his looks it was obvious he was strong, really strong.
“Alex wait...” Jim said as he set his drink down and walked over to her, Mindy paid extra close attention to this before she yawned fakely and plopped back down on the cough kicking her feet here and there like a child.
“What is it Jim..?” Alex asked curiously with her hand on the doorknob.
“Could I talk to you a bit? Privately?” His voice sounded so sweet, caring, and concerned she had no choice but to say ok.
“Sure?”
“Great.” Jim pushed the door open as Alex turned the knob bringing them into a bustle of activity. The bright flashing lights of the bar were going off in all different directions as the music blasted through the lounge. The room was filled with people crowding around seats on couches, bar stools, and the pool tables. All the people in the room had only one thing in common: they were low life’s, outcasts of society.
Jim looked around knowing that this was no place to try and have a chat with someone who had the attention span of kindergartener. He walked very mysteriously over to the door that was placed to the far right across all the mayhem that was occurring in the lounge and bar.
Alex followed him efficiently, eyeing most of the guys in the room, not in a real hurry to actually talk to Jim; he was her partner, not her friend.
“Alex listen...” Jim started to say as they reached the back of the alley. The dark sky covered all of the surroundings making it nearly impossible to see. Also If it wasn’t for the street lamps and lights from the cars passing quickly on the street they wouldn’t be able to see three feet in front of them.
“What is it Jim...” Alex raised an eyebrow trying to show her lack of interest she would rather be in the bar slurping down coke and swindling people out of their money, for fun.
“Listen, I’ve been thinking and it think it’s about time you left the underground...” He started off in a gentle tone but in all seriousness.
“What?! Why should I! You’re in it, if you hate it so much then why don’t you leave!” Alex snapped almost for no reason, one thing she valued greatly was her position in the underground, one of the best in the biz, nearly.
Jim looked at her through his sunglasses in a way that meant for her to calm down, she obeyed subconsciously however, her words stopped but her angered expression still hung around.
“Your young Allie and trust me, the life of an assassin isn’t all good, I highly oblige you to leave, I’m serious...” Jim stated leaning against a trash bin reaching into his pocket with the brief amount of light to pull from it a small pack of cigarettes. He wasn’t at all setting a good example, but for that matter he really didn’t care.
Alex didn’t know how to respond to that, she loved her job even if it meant what it did. It was one thing she was actually good at, and what she felt she was accepted for, how could she throw all of that away? All she did was turn her head and look off in another direction. Jim smiled a crooked looking smile to himself self-shielding by the lack of light when he heard no response.
“Exactly I know you know its wrong, just trust me on this, you’re not a bad kid, and neither is Mindy....well that’s a lie...” Jim said trying to get rid of some of the tension in the air between them; He let out a small chuckle to himself as he could tell by her distant and fairly visible expression that she did laugh at that, silently.
“Well you are right about the Mindy thing...but nothing else! This is where I belong and this is where I’m going to stay!” She asserted.
“I’m guessing there is no way im going to change your mind huh?”
“Not a chance...”
“Alright fine, but think about it...” Jim stated before blowing a puff of smoke out of his mouth and chucking the cigarette bud into a near by trash can, or alteast he threw it close to the trash can.
Alex rolled her eyes before stomping back into the busy room, she found it so pointless how he wanted to change her, deep down she knew it was wrong but her head told her it was the only thing she knew how to do right, not to mention Mindy as well.
When she reentered the room she was greeted by countless strangers admiring her clothes, a tight shirt with baggy pants was nothing special; it was her features that were admirable. Not wanting any part of their ‘fun and games’ she brought herself back into the small bunk place which Mindy had acquired for them years back. Her ways of persuasion were, great, in fact it was almost like she could change the way people thought...
When she did Mindy flipped herself off the couch to see what had happened, with eyes beaming with the words ‘tell me everything.’
“What did Jimmy want out of you?”
“Nothing, just another speech.”
“Ha-ha that sucks for you.”
“Thanks for the support.” Alex said sarcastically walking over to the mini fridge. When she leaned over to grab her sprite she saw a pair of black converse standing there. When she reeled herself back up she saw Mindy with her always so mischievous smile across her face.
“So are you going on the job or what? Or did big boy Jimmy change your mind?” Mindy said in a mocking tone leaning on the wall near the fridge. Alex rolled her eyes looking at her before she cocked an eyebrow.
“You should know me better then that Mindy,” Alex started to say walking toward the door snapping her soda open. “I never back out of a job.” And with that she shut the door with a slam. The room was vacant with no sounds before a sinister snigger filled the air. Mindy watched the door for moments more just thinking over her actions, every-thing was going as planned.
And by next week, there would be no competition.