A Hitman's Guide To Becoming A Hero

The containment van moved through quiet streets, the city lights flickering past the small barred window.

The girls sat together on one side, shoulders touching, drawing whatever warmth they could from proximity.

Nobody spoke. The kind of silence that comes after something that can’t be easily put into words.

Draco sat on the opposite end, wrists bound, staring at nothing. His mind kept circling back to the same image, those cold blue eyes emerging from the smoke. The half-dead walk. The complete absence of mercy in that gaze.

_That wasn’t a hero_

He still couldn’t shake it.

While he was lost in his thoughts, the Van came to a sudden halt, an officer stepped inside startling the girls, "Relax all of you," he gestured, calming them as he approached carefully.

"We need your information. If you remember any contact details for your parents or guardians, write them down here." the officers handed a clipboard with paper and a pen down the line of girls for names and contact information.

He turned his gaze to Draco, "You on the other hand will be joining us for questioning." He said throwing a look full of disdain at Draco, before he could say anything more his telecom rang and he quickly picked it up.

"Alright I’ll be coming now" he said into the mic turning to the girls, "I’ll be back in a minute, just write what you can and leave it, I’ll pick it up when I’m back. If you can’t remember anything now, don’t worry, we’ll find a way to get you back home" he said with a reassuring smile.

They nodded at his words as they continued passing the clipboard over.

It moved from girl to girl without incident.

Until it reached her.

She took the pen and held it. Just held it.

Her eyes drifted downward slowly, as she wrote her name on the paper her thoughts drifted back to what she had done in the room, if Vixen had been any second slower she would’ve killed someone.

’What happened to me...’ she thought, but while she was lost in her thoughts. The purple came back quietly.

No warning.

Just a colour, spreading slowly from the centre of her pupils outward.

She stood.

"Tracy" The girls beside her called her name softly. She didn’t respond. Her expression was completely empty, not frightened, not angry, just absent. Like someone had stepped out of her body and left the lights on.

"Tracy are you alright?"

She still didn’t reply, but slowly walked toward Draco with the same unhurried pace a person uses when they’re not going anywhere important.

Draco was still lost in his thoughts, ’If it wasn’t because of that brat, I won’t be here now. And he never came like he promised!’ he thought infuriated, they’d only used them as disposable tools and ditched them when the repercussions came.

Draco didn’t look up until she was standing directly in front of him.

He only noticed the shadow standing over him when it blocked the light.

He slowly raised his gaze upwards.

Then he saw the eyes.

His face changed completely, he struggled but the shackles in his hands held him.

"Wait — I did everything you asked. Everything—"

The pen came down.

He didn’t finish the sentence, blood gurgled up his throat as he struggled to speak.

But Tracy didn’t stop.

The pen came down again.

And again.

Blood splashing all over her face.

The screaming started immediately.

The girls pressed themselves against the far wall, some covering their eyes, some unable to look away.

Tracy turned toward them. Still empty. Still unhurried.

"What’s going on here—" the officer’s words hung in his mouth as the doors burst open, revealing the grotesque scene.

Draco’s neck spraying out blood like a water fountain and the young girl standing not too far from him.

Officers rushed forward immediately, overwhelming her quickly, pinning her arms before she could take a step. She didn’t resist. Didn’t react. Just stared forward with those purple eyes until they faded again and she returned — gasping, shaking, as the memory of what her hands had just done flooded her mind.

Draco slumped sideways against the wall.

The pen was still in his neck.

"Call the ambulance!"

"I don’t think they can help" another replied his gaze fixed on Draco, who had his eyes wide in fear and a mix of shock.

Even he didn’t see his death coming.

****

Cars sped past him as he walked down the street and people casually walked past him. If they knew the quiet young man walking past them was the hero currently trending across the city, they would’ve flooded him asking for autographs and pictures.

However, there was no way to tell. After cleaning up his coat and pulling out the X glasses, Nicholas blended into the crowd easily.

His thoughts were still on the mission of the night, but his attention shifted as he saw the store nearby, ’I should get that’

"That should be 20 bucks"

Without much thought, Nicholas purchased the item.

’I can’t have Marina nagging me cause of these injuries’ Nicholas thought with a smile as he walked out of the store with a first-aid kit.

To be fair, he was happy knowing someone was there to scold him for getting hurt after a mission like this. In his past life, he didn’t have any of that.

He was also genuinely looking forward to going home. A new feeling to experience.

He stopped by a hotel patching up his injuries. He waved down a taxi and got a ride home.

*Ding* *Dong*

The doorbell rang through the house, and with her short legs Katherine ran excitedly toward the door, "Big brother!"

She reached the door, opening it slightly then peeping just to make sure it was Nicholas, upon confirmation she dived on him, latching onto him with a tight hug.

"Easy, you’ll injure yourself Katherine" Nicholas said with a chuckle, shuffling her hair.

"Welcome back, big brother! Food’s ready!" She said pulling him by his hand to the dining table.

She quickly ran to the other side, pulling out a chair for Nicholas to sit on.

Marina walked into the dinning room with a tray of food in her hand, "Nicholas, you’re back, how was your first mission?" She asked, her sharp gaze scanning him.

’She can’t stop looking for a reason to get me out of this job can she?’ A warm smile cut across his face, "It wasn’t anything serious we only had to face a few people"

"Brother kicked their asses!" Katherine said with a jump.

Marina laughed as she placed the dish in front of him, "Eat, and you should rest too.. you must’ve done a lot today"

"Alright" Nicholas replied, taking a portion from the steamy rice and beef stew but while he was at it, he noticed the large puppy eyes by his side.

He turned to find Katherine with a pout on her lips, holding her hands as she looked at him.

"What’s it Katherine?" Nicholas asked.

"Big brother asked what Katie wanted yesterday, I hope big brother didn’t forget" Katherine asked pouting.

’Is that why she was so excited to see me? This mischievous little shrimp’ Nicholas thought with a smile.

"Of course, how would I forget.. tell me Katie what do you want?"

Katie’s eyes lit up in an instant as she jumped, "Katie wants to go to the Hero Academy!"

Marina who had quietly been eating while observing the two quickly dropped her fork, a frown on her face, "Katherine, that school is only meant for kids with superpowers! I told you that you can’t go there, it’s dangerous!"

"Don’t worry, Big brother will get you to the Hero academy" Nicholas words quickly made the room cold with silence.