《Miss Silver》 Chapter 1 - Miss Silver Suddenly, the man was thrown against the alley wall, the brutal blow causing him to collapse onto his hands and knees. He coughed painfully and spat out a couple of teeth, followed by some blood. He panted, trying to regain his strength. His face was purple and bruised, the skin from one of his cheeks was grazed off, revealing the red meat beneath ¨C but still ¨C it looked like he was not going to go down without a fight. Snarling like a wild animal, he jumped up and aimed the knife at his enemy¡¯s neck, but was quickly put back down with a swift kick to his chest. The shoe''s sole connected with his body and sent a shock wave of pain all through him, the impact splintering his fragile bones. Falling to the ground, he groaned, writhing about, clutching at his broken ribs. The adversary looked down at the small man, towering over him like looming death. She was a tall, slender woman, clad in a dark blue, three-piece pinstripe suit and a white tie. A matching fedora rested upon her head. She had long silver hair that travelled to her derriere, almost seeming to shine like tin foil. The young, beautiful assassin smiled down at him as he looked up at her, regaining his strength, trying to get used to the unbearable pain. She did not seem to be in any rush, enjoying dishing out her target¡¯s slow torment. It would have been no fun for her if the fight was over in mere seconds. He gasped, every tiny breath being agony, his splintered ribs piercing into his lungs. With what little strength he had left, he jumped up and went in for the kill, but was too slow as she plunged her sword directly into his eye. He dropped to the ground and did not move. The murderer drew the blade of the 1830 Napoleon Sabre out, cleaning it on the corpse¡¯s suit, and sheathed it. Grabbing the dead man by his legs, she dragged him across the ground and kicked his body into a sewer. Within some seconds, there was a splash, and that was the end of that. Getting rid of the second piece of evidence, she kicked the knife away, letting it skitter across the pavement and into the sewer. A barely audible plop followed. The woman fixed up her hat and tie and walked over to the black briefcase that was on the ground, picked it up. With the job done and the evidence destroyed, she left the scene. The assassin arrived at her house and proceeded to make her way to the basement. She opened a small, decrepit cupboard door and stepped inside, closing it behind herself. She pressed her palm against the back wall and slid it to the side, revealing a secret compartment with a staircase. A slight wind whipped at her hair as a breeze howled through the darkness. Stepping down the stairs, she slid the fake wall back into its place and ventured downwards towards the faint glow that emanated from the bottom of the dark pit. Finding herself in a corridor with lights on the walls, she made her way to the end. In front of her stood a metal door with the motto, ¡°Populus enim pulvis¡± engraved onto it. She opened it, entering Pulvis. Working as a right-hand woman for a secret organisation did bring some benefits. Those who knew of her feared her like the Black Death. The others, she could just kill and there would be nothing to tie her to the scene of the crime. They would only end up as another name on the missing persons list. She was also the most powerful woman and the second most powerful person in the entire building. No one dared question her authority, carrying out whatever order she gave without a second thought. Life couldn''t have been better. The building was filled with the sound of dull clunking of heavy boots. There were hundreds of henchmen doing their daily jobs, all dressed in long grey coats that made them look like they were covered in dust. Living inside an organisation that was fifty feet underground was not pleasant to the exposed skin. Some typed away on computers, some checked satellite images, whilst others annotated maps and documents, points of interest and plans that had yet to take shape. Others were scattered around the large base, doing their assigned daily jobs. Ellis made her way up a staircase, towards a pair of oak double doors, and opened them. She stepped into the large, lavish office and closed the doors behind herself. At a large, lacquered oak desk, sat a man in black. He looked at her from his comfortable, tall, black porter''s chair. She walked up to him, stopping at the gleaming desk. The man was dressed in a sharp, plain, black three-piece suit. Behind him hung a long, white trench coat and a wide-brimmed hat. He was slightly shorter than average height, but what he lacked, he made up for with an impressively intimidating physique. There was a black mask over his mouth and nose and his eyes were hidden behind a pair of dark, Victorian spectacles. The only features that were visible were his rough, battle-scarred hands, decorated with a number of cuts, looking like he had put them through a blender. On the back of one of his hands, was a large, deep and ugly scar, looking as though he had survived a hacking. Ellis could not imagine what was hidden beneath that black veil. Or maybe she just did not want to. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Ellis Silver.¡± He greeted her in a raspy, broken voice, nodding casually. ¡°Artificis Proditor.¡± She greeted him back, returning the gesture. ¡°Is the job done?¡± ¡°Indeed it is.¡± Ellis stepped over to him, placing the briefcase down onto the desk. Artificis undid the clasps and opened it, taking out its contents. In his thumb and forefinger he lifted out a small pink gemstone that was cut to the highest degree. It glinted magnificently, reflecting itself off Artificis'' spectacles. His cheekbones popped up through the mask as he grinned with madness, ecstatic to the bone with the tiny jewel. Ellis, on the other hand, did not seem that at all pleased, doing nothing to hide the deep frown that was present on her immaculate face. ¡°I wasted my time on a small gemstone?¡± She asked with the tiniest hint of anger. Artificis chuckled lightly, not minding her displeasure as he stood up from his desk. ¡°This isn''t just any gemstone, my dear. It''s a pink star diamond, the only known specimen of its kind. This little thing is literally priceless.¡± He stood up from his desk and stepped over to a glass display cabinet. He opened it up, putting the diamond into a velvet cradle. It stood in the exact middle, outshining the other numerous treasures that were displayed, making them look dull compared to its sheer beauty. Artificis closed the cabinet and turned to her. ¡°I have another job for you.¡± ¡°Please.¡± The angel of death instantly agreed, her anger immediately disappearing, herself eager for more work. The blood that stained her hands was long permanently bonded to her skin, having seeped beneath her veins and into her blackened soul itself. Nothing disconcerted her. A job was a job after all. Even the Devil shivered at the thought of her long list of victims. ¡°This one sly man cheated me in a poker game. I want you to bring me his head.¡± ¡°Do you mean that literally?¡± Artificis just stared at her through his black spectacles, his eyebrows not twitching the tiniest bit. ¡°Of course. It shall be done.¡± Ellis quickly said. ¡°There is a casino not far from here, you will most likely find him there. If not, he may be around the surrounding bars. He''s a sleazy man, average height, a fair amount of stubble, short dark hair. Trust me, you will spot him from a mile away.¡± Ellis inclined her head in a small bow and spun on her heel, walking out of the office, beginning her mission. Chapter 2 - The Assassination Ellis arrived at the casino and dumped her sword into the umbrella stand outside, hiding it between the upright mess. She casually walked inside, with the casino¡¯s cashier paying no attention to her. He was much too busy tapping away at his phone, not bothering to look up in the slightest, granting Ellis free entry. She doubted that he was even paying attention to his peripheral vision, making her entry even easier. Instantly, her ears and eyes were filled with the jingling noises of slot machines and the bright lights shining from the ceiling. Ignoring the incoming earache and partial blindness, she looked around at the crowded, bustling space and saw that Artificis was true to his word, as he always was. The man never lied. He had no reason to. His threats were real, his promises were faithful ¨C and that was what made him so feared. Everything was always carried out to the exact detail and no part of the scheme was left to spare. His competition knew that whatever was said to them would come true sooner or later. He was the Reaper himself, carrying out his pledged retribution upon his enemies. As long as his right-hand was around, no one was going to escape from his icy claws of death. All they could do was run for their lives. Hiding from his agents was of little use. Everyone knew that his reputation was no mere story. Ellis¡¯ eyes skimmed through the crowd. Almost instantly, she caught her target in her sights and locked in on him like a hawk, allowing nothing to distract her from her bounty. A man sat at the bar, sleazy, with short dark hair, just like Artificis had described. His tie was slightly undone and his top shirt button was open. His suit had seen better days. He had some thick stubble that was quickly growing into a beard and hair that looked like he had brushed through it in a single sweep with a broken comb. He was definitely not her type and looked like a slob, but the job had to be done either way. Without waiting for an invitation, she walked up to him casually, sitting down next to him. She looked at the alcohol bottles in front of her, waiting for him to make the first move. Being blessed with ethereal beauty did have its strategic advantages. As a result, it made her job so much easier and quicker to finish. All it would take would be one little distraction and her enemies'' lives would be within her grasp. She threw her head back a tiny bit and shook it, waving about her glorious silver hair. It shimmered like a waterfall of liquid lead, catching the light. The man turned his head ever so slightly, glancing at her through the corner of his eye, and then went back to his drink. A couple of seconds went by, but his mental resistance was futile as its weak walls were easily broken down by the sweet melody of the singing siren. Giving in to his desires, he turned his head back to her again, fully this time, and she looked at him, acknowledging his gaze. ¡°Well, hello there.¡± He greeted her kindly, instantly enticed by her wondrous image. ¡°Good afternoon.¡± Ellis replied to him in her sultriest voice, giving him a smile, luring him into her deadly trap ¨C not that it took much effort anyway. ¡°May I offer you a drink?¡± ¡°Sure, why not? A straight bourbon will do, thank you.¡± The man''s eyes widened for a split second and his eyebrows jumped up and down, surprised by her choice of drink. She was not like other women, it seemed. He snapped his fingers, facing his head forward, doing nothing to hide the growing confidence in his wonderful situation. ¡°Hey, bartender! A bourbon for the young lady here!¡± Without asking any questions, the bartender poured a short tumbler of the whiskey from an expensive bottle and placed it under Ellis'' nose. He then walked off, leaving them to it. The man turned his attention back to her. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°What''s a classy woman like you doing in a place like this?¡± Ellis shrugged casually. ¡°Oh, you know, wandering about, going here and there.¡± Without saying another word, she drew a dagger out and immediately stabbed it into his chest. He gasped lightly, the air in his lungs being instantly forced out. His eyes ballooned out in sudden shock, but he quickly retaliated as he stepped back, drawing the blade out of himself. Without waiting, he retreated, limping away as quickly as he could, clutching at the gaping wound that poured his life force into his shirt like an open sluice. Ellis replaced the dagger into her suit and quickly grabbed the glass of whiskey, downing it in one swig. She could not let a free drink go to waste. Putting the glass down, she casually pursued after her target, not having to worry about any witnesses. Many of them were quite drunk to realise an attempted murder mere feet away from them. The bartender was too busy cleaning his grand''s worth of squeaky glasses to hear the small scuffle behind his back. Ellis made her way outside, grabbing her sword from the umbrella stand as she did so, and looked around. The street was empty and her bounty was gone. She sighed and looked around for any clues. That was when she spotted the tiny drops of fresh blood on the ground. Giving herself a small smile, she followed after the trail and was led to a field. She climbed over the gate and saw him, frantically looking around, searching for a way out. He turned to her. ¡°Fine!¡± He suddenly shouted angrily, mustering up the courage to face his assassin. ¡°It was me! I cheated that spectacled fuck! Besides, it was worth it for all that dough!¡± ¡°You may regret saying that last sentence.¡± She replied coldly, giving him a light warning. Her expression offered no hint of warmness, Ellis pledging her deadly promise. ¡°Why didn''t you just kill me right then and there?¡± He asked her, slightly confused at the move that she had made against him. His heart was surprised that it was still beating perfectly. Ellis suddenly laughed, amused by his question. ¡°Did you really think that I would be stupid enough to kill you in a bar full of witnesses? That tiny wound was just to get you out of there so I can finish the job in peace.¡± Her eyebrows jumped up and down as she smiled at him, shaking her head the tiniest inch. ¡°Nobody knows you¡¯re here.¡± Suddenly, rain began to pitter patter down onto them, but quickly turned into a shower, soaking them both to the bone. Neither of them seemed to mind the sudden cold water shock, more important things occupying their minds. Survival on one, murder on the other. Ellis threw her sword down onto the grass and ran towards him, grabbing the lapels of his suit, bringing him to the wet and muddy ground. She punched him in the face and went for another hit, but he dug his teeth into her knuckle, grazing some of her skin off. She screamed in pain and he pushed her off of himself, causing her to roll across the ground. They both stood up, muddied and sodden, both of their suits ruined. The man punched at her and she dodged the strike, sending her forehead crunching into his face. He collapsed to the ground, writhing in a quiet agony, pain shooting through every single nerve in his head. Ellis panted, wiping her mouth, spitting out the wet mud, and looked around, spotting a small shed. Walking over to it, she saw an axe laying against it and took it, stepped back over to him. She raised it into the air. The man blinked up at her and went to scream, just as she brought the executioner¡¯s weapon down onto his neck. His scream ended as quickly as it had started as the heavy blade cleaved through his neck, burying itself into the ground. Ellis picked up the severed head by its hair as blood rained down from the stump. The head¡¯s eyes looked around, seeming confused. Then it made eye contact with her. The head suddenly began to laugh without any sound and a couple of seconds later, it stopped completely. Chapter 3 - The Detective Ellis returned in front of Artificis? desk and put the head down onto it. Its dead eyes stared at him, its mouth agape in permanent shock. Artificis looked up at her. ¡°What happened to you?¡± He asked her, a slight concern in his rattly voice. ¡°You look like a troglodyte.¡± ¡°Well, I managed to wound him severely, but he ran off to a field. It started raining and you can probably work out the rest.¡± ¡°Clean yourself up. I shall have your suit sent to the dry cleaners.¡± Ellis stood under the steaming shower, letting it cover her. She sighed, relief immediately flowing over her, the scalding water washing out her wounds and drenching her long acquired scars. What didn''t kill her simply made her stronger and scarier. After finishing, she stepped out and dried herself, throwing on a dressing gown. Artificis visited the dry cleaners. With some bribery and no questions asked about the small blood spatters, they got on with the job. Artificis sat at his desk, scribbling away in a diary. There was a knock on the door. ¡°Enter.¡± He called out, putting the pen down, looking up at the opening door. A henchman came in, a briefcase in his hand. He put it down at the desk. ¡°The money, as requested.¡± He said. Artificis undid the clasps and opened the briefcase, looking at the neat pile of fifty pound bills. He closed it up a couple of seconds later and stood up, nodding to the henchman. He nodded back and turned, walking back to his business. Artificis exited his office, the briefcase in his hand, and made his way down the corridors, coming to a large metal door. He tapped in a code and opened it. Inside was a large vault door. Tapping in a series of codes, he turned the large wheel and opened it, swinging it wide. Inside was a man sitting at a desk. Behind him, were hundreds of bags filled with valuables, stacked briefcases of cash, and priceless artefacts. The man sat at a computer, typing down numerous numbers on a spreadsheet. Artificis placed the briefcase down by the accountant¡¯s feet. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°How much is there?¡± He asked him. The accountant swivelled his chair over to him. ¡°It adds up to almost four hundred million pounds.¡± He replied. ¡°That is also including the estimated value of the treasures.¡± Artificis merely nodded. He turned and walked off, closing the vault door behind himself. Ellis sat in the organisation?s cafeteria, having lunch. That was when she noticed the man sitting far away, seeming to be staring at her. He was tall, herself noticing the length of his crossed legs under the table. Standing up, he walked up to her, sitting down opposite her. He was dressed in a white three-piece pinstripe suit and a matching fedora with a black brim. A black tie was strung around his neck and his hands were gloved in white cotton. His face was rough and lined with stubble. ¡°Hello there.¡± He greeted her. ¡°Likewise.¡± Ellis replied, giving him a smile. ¡°I just wanted to say that I admire you and what you do for Artificis.¡± ¡°Why, thank you.¡± ¡°The name is Frank Michaels.¡± ¡°What''s with the uniform? Are you supposed to be a detective or something?¡± ¡°Well, yes, but actually no.¡± ¡°Please, elaborate.¡± ¡°I was a homicide detective long ago, but Artificis recruited me as his personal assassin.¡± ¡°So, all of those missing people¨C¡± ¡°That was me.¡± ¡°Blimey, I''m impressed.¡± ¡°Please, the pleasure is all mine. If it weren''t for you, Artificis would not be alive. You protect him as though he was your father.¡± Ellis chuckled. ¡°Well, he has earned us God knows how much with all of that cash and stolen artefacts. His plans always work.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± They both stared at each other for a couple of moments, until Frank cleared his throat. ¡°May I ask you out to dinner?¡± ¡°That would be lovely.¡± ¡°How about that fancy restaurant down the road? I''m buying, of course.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°How about tomorrow at eight?¡± ¡°I shall see you there.¡± Ellis winked at him, flashing him a devilish smile. She stood up from the table and turned on her heel, walked off. Frank watched her go, almost hypnotised by her waving silver hair. He cleared his throat gruffly and then departed, tending to his own matters. Chapter 4 - The Date Ellis walked down the dark street, clad in her suit and fedora. The dry cleaners had been true to their word and kept their mouths shut about the incident. Even though they did not even know who Artificis was, the intimidation worked a treat. Ellis spotted Frank, leaning against the wall of the restaurant. Seeing her, he threw away his cigarette and trod on it, blowing out a stream of smoke. Ellis walked up to Frank, completely oblivious to the assassin that was stalking her from the shadows. The assassin went to throw his dagger at her, when a hand grabbed his mouth, plunging a knife into his neck. The assassin put the dagger into his suit and silently tailed Ellis as she walked over to Frank. Suddenly, a hand grabbed his head, smashing it into a wall. With one, brutal blow, the assassin dropped to the ground. The third assassin reached into his coat, taking out a gun with a silencer and discreetly aimed. As he went to pull the trigger, he dropped to the ground, blood spraying onto a wall. The sniper that was perched on top of a building pulled the slide of his silenced rifle and looked through the scope, over to Frank and Ellis. He sighed lightly and kept an eye on them as they entered the restaurant. Two suited men in an alleyway discussed their predicament. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°So what do we do about Pulvis?¡± One of them asked. ¡°We need to infiltrate it, find out as much information as we can, and then maybe, we will be able to find out if they can be destroyed. These psychopaths must be stopped at all costs.¡± ¡°Even if it means¨C¡± ¡°Only as a last resort.¡± Ellis and Frank returned to Pulvis and she invited him into her room. Some small moments went by, and they stripped themselves of their clothing. Frank looked at Ellis'' numerous scars, not seeming in the slightest bit repulsed. His eyes met hers. ¡°God, I love a strong woman.¡± He told her. She chuckled, amused at the compliment, and they jumped into bed, sleeping in each other''s arms. Chapter 5 - The Mole The man looked around the tunnel of dirt that he was inside. The pathway was narrow, just enough for two people to squeeze by each other. It was almost like it was designed like that to slow down any intruder. A launched assault was only possible in a single file. He felt the long-hardened ground around him and rubbed it in between his two fingertips. Frowning, he wiped his hand onto his dirty jeans and ventured further onwards, not allowing the claustrophobia to get to him. He walked towards the faint glow that guided his way. The dirt quickly turned into smooth white walls, illuminated by lights fixed to the concrete ceiling. He walked through the narrow corridor and stopped, looking at the solid metal door in front of him. He slowly put his ear to the door and listened in. A second later, he drew his head back in a slight shock and then hastily made his way back through the tunnel. He reached into his pocket, drawing out a phone. Tapping the screen, he called a number. ¡°Our suspicions have been confirmed, sir.¡± He said, still making his way out of possible earshot. ¡°Where does the tunnel lead?¡± The voice on the other side asked. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°I do not know yet. What I do know is that there is a steel door with populus enim pulvis engraved onto it. Does that mean anything to you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Latin. It means for the people are dust.¡± ¡°That¡¯s reassuring.¡± ¡°What¡¯s behind the door?¡± ¡°People. I heard voices. Many voices. Maybe it is some sort of secret group, operating from within the shadows.¡± ¡°How long has it been since the building site was put up there?¡± ¡°It has been 25 years, sir.¡± ¡°That finally explains it. The architect is also most likely living down there.¡± Suddenly the voice quietly muttered to himself. ¡°It can''t be him.¡± The voice sighed. ¡°Good job, get back for a debrief.¡± Before the man had time to say anything else, the call ended. The voice called another number, putting the phone to his ear. ¡°Put me through to the chief of MI5 please.¡± Chapter 6 - The Attack Artificis sat in his seat, pondering, rapping his fingers on the velvet armrest. Suddenly, the doors crashed open and he looked up at the intruder. One of his henchmen stood there, fear in his eyes. ¡°Speak.¡± Artificis told him, not seeming to mind the sudden intrusion. ¡°We have MI5 agents on our way to us. We have to prepare our defences.¡± Artificis chuckled, almost seeming gladdened by the incoming threat. ¡°So they finally decided to make their move. Well then, we have to prepare for war.¡± The henchmen ran about all over the place, arming weapons and preparing their defences. Some moments went by when suddenly, there was a crash and the double doors fell to the floor as the agents knocked them down. Bullets flew as they were quickly killed. Agents fired at henchmen and vice versa. Ellis joined in the fight, her sword drawn. She swung the gleaming blade, suddenly taking a leg. The agent dropped to the ground, screaming in agony, and Ellis took care of him, plunging her sword down into his throat. He gurgled and then stopped. The agents quickly converged onto Ellis, weapons raised, but she quickly took care of them. The cold steel rang out, slicing through their chests and necks, opening up their flesh. Within moments, bodies were piled around her. Frank fired his pistol, killing anyone that aimed at him. An agent went to fire at him, but was too slow, and the assassin killed him. Reaching into his suit, Frank took out some daggers and threw them at anyone too close to him. There was no reason in needlessly wasting a bullet. An agent aimed his gun at Ellis and went to pull the trigger. She could only turn and face him, too late to react. Suddenly, the agent dropped to the ground as a bullet passed through his skull. Frank nodded to Ellis and she returned the gesture. Two agents pursued after a couple of targets and then turned a corner, dashing into a room. They aimed at their non-existent enemies. They both looked at each other and then aimed their guns in front of themselves, slowly advanced forward to the door on the other side. Suddenly, four vents on either side of them opened up. A thick, grey cloud proceeded to pour in like soup, choking them both, quickly filling the room. They covered their mouths with their arms, coughing, hacking, their eyes stinging. They banged at the door, but it was of no use and they dropped to the floor, succumbing to the poisonous fumes. The agents that continued to fight decided to take the better option and fled the battle. Ellis swept her hand forward, issuing a silent order, and the henchmen ran for their enemies, killing any of them within range of their guns and daggers. Seconds went by and there was silence once more. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Chapter 7 - The Love Interest The Undertaker, the man that was responsible for the disposal of the corpses, dragged the dead body across the floor. He wore nothing more than a pair of rubber gloves and a black plastic apron. Not even a pair of boxers were present. He was of a great age, nearing retirement. But in a place such as this, retirement was a fairytale. He was bald, save for a small patch of white hair around the back of his head. He may have been old, but his toned arms dismissed that fact. Climbing up a pair of steps, he carefully laid the body down into a large plastic tub, almost resembling an outdoor swimming pool. The hydrofluoric acid got to work instantly, eating away at the uniform, flesh, and bones, dissolving it into a bloody soup. Pieces of skin floated up onto the surface of the sizzling blood, but quickly melted away into nothingness, leaving no trace of the corpse. Climbing down, he went to fetch the other body. A large cleanup crew proceeded to scrub clean the bloodstains and clear away the guns and spent bullets. Everything had to be spotless and they had to be absolutely sure that there was nothing that could tie them to anything. After all, everyone who worked at Pulvis was a ghost. Frank walked down a corridor and opened up a door, entering his large and lavish room. He put his weapons down at a table and proceeded with cleaning his daggers. He then replaced the bullets in his pistol and walked out. Ellis stood in her room, hunched over a table, panting. Adrenaline ran through her veins like petrol. She closed her eyes and slowly proceeded to control her breathing. One false move could land her six feet under. Suddenly, there were a couple of knocks on the door. Ellis snapped her head towards the sound and stood up straight, turning around. She walked over to the door and opened it. Frank stood there. He gave her a small smile. ¡°You seem spooked.¡± He told her. Ellis stepped to the side, inviting him in. He stepped inside and she closed the door. ¡°You have been working at Pulvis for some years now, I thought that you had been under fire before.¡± ¡°It never gets any easier, Frank.¡± She told him. ¡°We won the fight. Just relax.¡± Ellis barked a laugh. ¡°But now we have MI5 following our every move.¡± ¡°Then we will push them back. What are they going to do, blow us up? They will attack, and we will win.¡± She gave him a small smile. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s one thing to count on. You know, I still haven¡¯t thanked you for saving my life back there.¡± Frank waved a hand modestly. ¡°I¡¯m used to it. After all, I¡¯m just a ghost. And if you¡¯re talking about money, I can happily retire right now.¡± Ellis chuckled lightly. ¡°This isn¡¯t about money. It¡¯s a bit more intimate than that.¡± The assassin raised an eyebrow. ¡°Now? Right here? Shouldn¡¯t we become more acquainted?¡± ¡°Who has time for that?¡± Frank''s face immediately turned to pleasure. ¡°You¡¯re a woman that gets straight down to business, I like that.¡± ¡°So are you going to sit there twiddling your thumbs all day or are we going to do this?¡± Ellis asked, taking her suit off. She hung it up and proceeded with unbuttoning her trousers, opening up her fly. Untucking her shirt, she undid the buttons one by one. Frank also stripped himself of his suit, hanging up his clothes next to hers. They stood mere feet away from each other, dressed in nothing more than bare essentials. Frank''s eyebrows jumped up and down as he gazed upon her small and firm breasts. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Nice tits.¡± He said. Ellis nodded her head down. ¡°Your bulge can speak for itself.¡± She suddenly planted her lips onto his and they proceeded to share a slow and loving kiss. Ellis laid a hand onto Frank''s chest and pushed him down onto her bed. She suddenly grabbed hold of his boxers and pulled them down, throwing them onto the floor. Taking his cock, she proceeded to slowly stroke it, letting it harden in her hand. Frank let out a shuddering breath of pleasure. Ellis undid her bra and threw it down, releasing her round breasts. She took off her panties and then threw them over to Frank, hitting him in the face with them. Frank took them and breathed in the scent of the wet patch, breathing in her juices. Ellis took his cock and proceeded with licking the head and then gradually took it into her mouth. She sucked at it slowly and Frank let out a shuddering sigh, moaned in pleasure. Ellis twisted onto her back and Frank knew exactly what she wanted. He got on top of her and she took his wet cock, letting it slip inside her. He proceeded with slowly thrusting in and out of her, her juices making a slopping sound as he pleasured her. Frank picked up the pace and Ellis gasped as she caressed his back. Her hands went down to his arse and she squeezed both of his cheeks slightly. After a moment, she took his cock out of her and quickly stroked him. A couple of seconds later, he groaned as he came all over her chest and breasts, covering them in his seed. Frank rolled over onto his back and they both panted, staring up at the ceiling. ¡°Christ.¡± Frank said, sweat running down his forehead. ¡°That was something.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Ellis also panted, two drops of sweat on her forehead. ¡°seducing double agents is one of my specialties.¡± She rolled over onto her side, grabbing a towel from under the bed and wiped herself clean. She chucked it back under and reached for a drawer. Opening it, she took something out. She rolled back over to him, showing Frank a blunt, a lighter in her other hand. She smiled at him cheekily. ¡°You like to party?¡± ¡°Why not? We are in no hurry.¡± Frank said as he laid his back against the bed frame. Ellis lit the marijuana cigarette and took a puff. She relaxed and handed it to her lover. He took a few puffs and also melted into the bed as his muscles softened up. They smoked the blunt at long intervals for a couple of moments, letting the thick smoke waft about above their heads. Suddenly, Frank spoke out. ¡°No one can prove that today is Monday, we just have to pray that someone has kept count ever since the first one ever.¡± Ellis suddenly frowned, the revelation catching her unawares. ¡°You what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not wrong.¡± Ellis'' face immediately turned back to its neutral expression. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say that you are.¡± Frank suddenly got out of the bed and proceeded to rummage through Ellis¡¯ kitchen cupboards. Ellis blew out a stream of smoke. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Queso.¡± Ellis frowned and turned her head to him, seeing him arranging a whole bunch of ingredients next to a large pot. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Queso.¡± He repeated. ¡°Well, I am kinda hungry.¡± She looked at the ingredients. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me that you are just throwing in any random shit you find.¡± ¡°It may look like it, but you will soon see.¡± Arranged on the table were a whole array of different ingredients. Frank proceeded with grating some cheddar and mozzarella cheese and threw them into the pot along with some chopped up jalapenos. The cheese quickly melted and some rotel tomatoes followed next, along with a whole can of cream of mushroom soup. Some ground sausage went in and then some roasted garlic. He diced up some chorizo and a chipotle pepper and then threw in a diced poblano pepper. He mixed it all in as the cheese bubbled away. The naked, stoned chef rummaged through the cupboards some more and then threw Ellis a large bag of tortilla crisps. She almost just managed to catch it and then sat at a table, laying back in the chair. She flipped her hair forward, letting it cover her breasts. ¡°I have to admit,¡± She said. ¡°that whatever monstrosity you are cooking up there actually smells kinda nice.¡± ¡°The recipes that you come up with whilst stoned at university are the best kind.¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± Frank put down the pot of queso onto the table, onto a wooden chopping board. Ellis looked into the pot, taking a whiff. ¡°Christ, that actually smells delicious.¡± Frank gestured to his secret recipe. ¡°Please, be my guest.¡± Ellis took a crisp and dipped it into the mix, took a bite. Her eyes widened in surprise and her eyebrows jumped up and down. ¡°Frank, you have outdone yourself.¡± ¡°If I wasn''t an illegal assassin, I would have become a chef.¡± He said, taking a crisp. ¡°Can''t argue with that.¡± Chapter 8 - Traitor A henchman of Pulvis walked down the corridors and out of the organisation. Walking down the London streets, he came up to a dull, grey building which had hundreds of frosted windows, hiding what was happening inside from the public. He entered through the front doors, flashing an ID and made his way down numerous corridors. He came up to a door and knocked on it. ¡°Enter.¡± A muffled voice from inside called out. The henchman opened the door and stepped into the large and lavish office, closing the door behind himself. The chief of MI5 looked up at him from his desk. ¡°You bring news of Ellis Silver?¡± ¡°Indeed I do.¡± The double agent replied. ¡°We may have gotten more than we bargained for.¡± ¡°Explain.¡± ¡°She may be on our most wanted list, but now we have to deal with much more than that. Yes, she is wanted for numerous counts of murder and robbery, but now we can add conspiracy to that list.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Ellis Silver is not just some petty criminal, she is an assassin. She is in control of a secret organisation. Pulvis. Well, not really in control, she is the right-hand woman and bodyguard of Artificis Proditor.¡± The chief frowned. ¡°What kind of a name is that? And why does it sound familiar?¡± ¡°It''s Latin and it literally translates to a traitor to the artist. If someone tries to trick him in an elaborate way, he finds a way to take revenge or escape from the situation that he is in. The man¡¯s a genius and he is in control of the entire organisation. We kill him, we bring down Pulvis. As for the foggy memory? It has been 25 years since the incident ¨C the one that we do not talk about.¡± ¡°Of course. How dangerous is Ellis?¡± ¡°On a scale of one to ten? Eleven.¡± ¡°So we have our hands full?¡± ¡°Quite. She leaves no survivors and has most likely years of experience. There is a reason why Artificis¡¯ chose her. God knows how many people she¡¯s killed.¡± ¡°There''s only one thing for it. We have to destroy Pulvis. Bring down the entire thing. Go. Gather as much intel as you can. We are going to need every sliver of information if we are even going to have a chance of bringing them down.¡± The double agent nodded and then left the office. Chapter 9 - This Evenings Entertainment The crowd around the two henchmen whooped and cheered crazily, showing no signs of calming down. Both men stood in a fighting ring, dressed in nothing more than trunks. Some drops of blood stained the floor of the arena. There were one or two large splotches of dried blood, marking where the defeated had fallen. Both bruised fighters raised their bare hands and proceeded to circle each other like wolves, their muscles tensed and ready. Even bloodthirsty assassins needed some sort of entertainment every now and then. Suddenly, one of them threw a punch that was quickly blocked. His opponent sent a fist to his jaw and he groaned loudly. Chewing on something, he spat out a tooth, and a second later, some blood. He threw a punch that was blocked a second time, but a second later, he landed a punch to his opponent. His opponent backed away from him, recovering and then suddenly dived at him. He went to throw an attack, but it was blocked and his opponent landed a punch to his chest, winding him, and then landed an elbow to his cheek less than a second later. Suddenly, he released a flurry of furious punches. He landed a punch and then a strike of the elbow. Another two punches landed and then another strike of the elbow. Another two punches, another strike and then another punch. The opponent staggered backwards and then the boxer landed another fist and another elbow, followed by a finishing blow of the fist. The defeated opponent flew back, spraying blood from his mouth, his lips bursting open. His back hit the ground and he did not move. The large victorious portion of the crowd erupted into cheering and whistling whilst a bell rang continuously, signalling the end of the fight. The referee grabbed the victorious fighter''s hand and raised it into the air, presenting the winner. A man grabbed the unconscious fighter and dragged him away, supporting him with his arm around his neck. A bookmaker at a desk handed out the winnings to the lucky gamblers. Suddenly, the crowd quieted down. Silence flooded the fighting arena. Most of them whispered to one another, a mix of fear and wonder displayed on their faces. The victorious man waved a bruised hand, frowning, and stepped out of the ring. The woman stood in the ring, dressed in nothing more than a bra and panties. ¡°Well?!¡± Ellis Silver called out to the crowd, spreading her toned arms, smiling wickedly. She slowly turned on the spot, getting a view of all of the spectators. ¡°Who will come forward and face me?!¡± Artificis, with a front row seat, simply chuckled, greatly amused at the situation. No one answered the call. No one stepped forward. Ellis put her arms down. ¡°Cowards!¡± She shouted without anger, insulting them to the bone. Suddenly, a man pushed his way through the crowd and stepped into the ring. He was slightly shorter than her, but carried a few pounds of muscle. His chest displayed a prominent six pack. He smiled at her mockingly, seeming to have no fear of the most terrifying woman in the room. ¡°Well, Miss Silver?¡± He asked, having to look up at her. ¡°Are we going to do this or what?¡± Immediately, there was an uproar. The unquiet crowd quickly went over to the bookmaker, clambering over one another like rats, throwing down money, taking bets. The bookmaker whizzed around inside his booth, desperately trying to hand out all of the betting tickets to his customers. A minute or two went by and the crowd surrounded the ring once more, confident in their predictions. The referee stood in between the two fighters. ¡°Remember the rules.¡± He told them both, looking from one to the other. ¡°You can beat yourselves up however you want to, spill as much blood as you want, but I do not want to have to drag a corpse out of here. If you do kill your opponent, you''ll be spending a day with Earl. Got it?¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Both fighters nodded, not taking their eyes away from their opponent, duly noting the light warning. There were a lot of scary people working at Pulvis, but no one wanted to go up against Earl. The referee put his arm in between them both and then shot it upwards. ¡°Begin!¡± He shouted. They both raised their fists. The underground arena was immediately filled with a cacophony of shouts, both encouraging and threatening. The crazy crowd cheered on their bets, swearing and insulting their opposition with their next sentence. Ellis was the first to throw the punch. It hit the man square in the cheek, but he shook off the blow, taking the pain. He punched at her, but Ellis blocked the strike and delivered a lightning punch to his gut. He wheezed, coughing and stepped back, giving himself some space. Groaning, he recovered and stepped forward, sending a punch towards Ellis¡¯ direction. It hit her in the cheek, but she snarled, shaking away the blow. ¡°Come on then!¡± She suddenly shouted to her opponent. She punched him square in the nose and then twice in both cheeks, once with her left and then with her right. She punched him in the gut once more and he doubled over, collapsing to one knee. ¡°Hit me like a man!¡± She went to deliver another punch, but he suddenly put his arm up, blocking the strike. He stood up and then sent a fist her way, punching her in the cheek. Ellis groaned, shaking away the attack once more and then blocked the second strike. The man suddenly kicked her legs from underneath her and she went crashing to the floor. He kicked her once in the side, when suddenly, there was the single ring of the bell, signalling the end of the round. They both went to their corners and sat down at their seats. Ellis sat in the corner of the ring, panting, recovering. Artificis rubbed her shoulders. ¡°You did good.¡± He told her. ¡°I am proud of you. Go. Show him what you can really do.¡± The bell rang again as the second round began and both fighters jumped back up, stepping over to their targets. Ellis¡¯ opponent went to deliver a punch. She blocked the strike easily, but then quickly realised her mistake. Her opponent used the small window that had opened up and immediately punched her in the abdomen with his free fist. Ellis bent over, all of the air in her lungs blown out. She gasped, inhaling a great lungful of air, but got another fist to her cheek. Reacting instantly, Ellis blocked the third strike and delivered a brutal blow. The man¡¯s head shot to the side and a spray of blood and spittle flew across the ring, splattering onto the floor. The crowd reacted painfully. Ignoring the burning pain in her knuckles, Ellis punched him in the eye, blinding him and then punched him in the face once more. She lifted her leg up, kicking him to the floor. He collapsed onto the ring as her sole connected with his sternum. He held his hands up, waving them about, surrendering. Ellis went to punch him, but stopped and the crowd fell silent, mouths agape, shock in their eyes. She smiled, accepted the fighter¡¯s defeat and presented her open hand to him. After a second of hesitation, he grabbed it and she hauled him up. ¡°Remember, my good friends!¡± Ellis called out to the silent crowd. ¡°When faced with an enemy, no matter how big or small, fight like your life depends on it! Never judge a book by its cover! The fight is never done until your enemy is either dead or has surrendered! Use whatever tactics that you can muster up! Lay down all your cards! Only then you will have the true strength to defeat your enemy!¡± Suddenly, there was an outburst of cheering and whooping. Artificis clapped, congratulating his best soldier. The double agent grabbed a henchman by the head and mouth and quickly dragged him into the shadows. Chapter 10 - The Interrogation The double agent opened a door and threw the unsuspecting henchman into a shadowy store room that contained a single, weak light bulb. Old boxes of random items were stacked neatly upon one another and there were stacks of rifle cases and ammunition boxes. But those were not important to the agent. For now. He needed answers and a corpse was going to be of no use to him. The weapons could be saved for later once the plan had moved forward. Closing the door, he spun, cracking a shoulder against his head, quickly disabling his enemy. The henchman collapsed to the floor on his hands and knees and groaned, daggers of pain shooting through his skull, penetrating into his brain. With his enemy being of no danger to him for the moment, the double agent turned around and suddenly grabbed a pair of elevator doors, prying them open. He grabbed the henchman by his coat collar, dragging him across the floor. Using a small burst of strength, he dragged him up onto his two feet and threw him against the elevator shaft. He stopped, leaving his heels hanging over the deep pit. ¡°Tell me everything you know about Pulvis!¡± He suddenly shouted at him. ¡°Why did Artificis create it?!¡± The henchman panted, abject fear in his eyes. ¡°Alright! Alright!¡± He shouted desperately. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything! Just please, don¡¯t kill me!¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°You have my word.¡± He said, scarily calm all of a sudden. ¡°This place is a centre for a giant conspiracy.¡± He spoke quickly. ¡°I¡¯m talking about murder, corruption, heists, you name it. Artificis created it simply for power. He holds England in his grip. Banks have become corrupt because of him. How else do you think we get the funding to keep a place like this running without anyone realising for this long?¡± ¡°So Artificis just wants to control England and take all of the power he wants?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that simple?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The double agent stayed quiet for a couple of seconds, thinking to himself. ¡°Thank you.¡± He suddenly released the henchman and he almost fell down the fifty foot abyss, his fingers just barely managing to grab the sides of the doors as his heavy heels weighed him down. ¡°Wait, wait! I thought you were going to let me go!¡± He yelled in shock, dangling dangerously over the edge of the dark drop. ¡°I lied.¡± The double agent said coldly, just before kicking him in the chest. The henchman screamed as he fell down the shaft and to his death. Chapter 11 - A Conversation Over Dinner Ellis stood in the lift, waiting to arrive at her destination. Suddenly, there was a bang that shook the entire car. Ellis staggered slightly, but kept her feet anchored in place. The hatch above her head rattled slightly. A couple of seconds later, the lift stopped swaying, stabilising itself. Ellis looked up at the sound and then looked forward again, confused, furrowing her brow. Blood dripped down onto her suit. She glanced down at the bloodstain, catching the long, falling drip in her peripheral vision, and pressed a button, stopping the lift. She pressed her hand to the hatch and opened up the top. Her eyes instantly laid themselves on the corpse of the henchman. Its dead eyes stared down at her, blood running from its mouth and broken teeth. Ellis looked up and saw the lift doors above close, clanging loudly and shutting out the beam of light. Her eyes glanced at the glowing button that showed which floor she was on. Quickly pinpointing her course, she changed her destination. She held down onto one button, skipping floors. The doors opened and she walked down the corridor, seeing the double agent. ¡°Miss Silver.¡± He greeted her, smiling. ¡°What a pleasure.¡± ¡°Have you seen anyone suspicious around?¡± She asked him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°We might have a double agent lurking around here. A couple of moments ago, I discovered that one of our henchmen had been murdered.¡± The double agent''s eyes widened in faux shock. It was convincing. ¡°Christ. I¡¯ll make sure to keep a look out. Of course, if I discover anything, I¡¯ll inform either you or Artificis, whichever one I happen to bump into first.¡± Ellis nodded to him. ¡°Very good. Get back to your duties.¡± The double agent nodded. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± He walked past her and along to his destination. Ellis turned her head and looked at him out of the corner of her eye, suspicious. ¡°Hmph.¡± She merely said to herself, frowning for a single second, and then walked along the corridor. Ellis opened the doors of Artificis¡¯ office and immediately saw that his chair was empty. The large room was quiet, with not a single sound disturbing the tranquil peace. Suddenly, a sharp metallic clink was heard, hitting porcelain, breaking the silence. Ellis turned her head, seeing her boss sitting at a large, oak dining table, eating his dinner. She closed the doors behind herself and walked up to him. His mask was pulled up, only revealing his lips and two age-old scars ¨C a small one going across the bottom of his chin and another large slash, slicing diagonally through his mouth, splitting one corner of his lips open permanently. The pain must have been horrific. Ellis had seen those scars before but did not dare question how he had received them ¨C some things were better left not known. Hearing the doors close, he turned his head to her and gestured with a scarred hand to the empty seat opposite him. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Please, join me.¡± He said. ¡°You must be famished after that match. Get the doctor to look at that cheek of yours.¡± Ellis took a plate from a cupboard and sat at the table, taking off her suit and hat, hanging them on the chair. She scooped herself the hotpot dinner from the steaming saucepan that sat on a wooden board at the edge. Artificis put a wine glass down and took the bottle of shiraz wine, poured her a portion. They both raised their drinks to one another. ¡°May our enemies never bring us down, however hard they try.¡± Artificis said, smiling through his split lips. ¡°Amen to that.¡± Ellis replied, returning a beautiful smile of her own, and they both clinked their glasses together, drinking an ounce. They put their drinks down and proceeded to eat their dinner. ¡°There is something on your mind, my dear.¡± Artificis told her casually after a couple of seconds. It was like he knew that she had a thought, being able to tell from the most subtle of expressions. Even behind his tinted glasses, he could see everything as clear as day, nothing escaping from his masterful intuition. There was a reason why he was the boss. ¡°I have suspicions about one of the henchmen.¡± She immediately explained, having nothing to hide. No secret got away from Artificis, however small or large. Sooner or later, he would find out ¨C and when he did, it usually spelled bad news for the unfortunate victim. It wasn¡¯t out of fear that Ellis had revealed the vital information about the suspicious minion ¨C it was in anticipation of what was going to happen to them. Either way, it was going to be bad and she was going to enjoy every bit of it. ¡°I fear that he may be an undercover agent.¡± Artificis did not seem the slightest bit fazed by the news of a possible intruder, his mouth neutral, his features not making the slightest movement. It was almost like it was a normal occurrence to him. There was not a single flicker of discomfort. To Artificis, the shocking news was just a mere status report that he could tuck away into his desk drawer and forget about the following day. An enemy hiding within their ranks was no cause for alarm. They were just a regular desk agent, not a high-ranking assassin. Dealing with a double agent was just another regular day at the office. The pest would be swiftly taken care of and their operations would continue without pause. The traitor was only a minor inconvenience, that was all he was. He may have had all of the information that he needed for MI5 to bring them down but he was not going to get away with it. Swallowing the portion of his dinner, Artificis said, ¡°Do what you think is right. You are hardly ever wrong.¡± Ellis nodded to him, smiling warmly. Her hard, icy exterior seemed to break away, revealing a kind and caring persona beneath. Her emotionless, cold eyes melted, being replaced with a gentle, radiating warmness. There was still some sort of a flicker of humanity left deep in her, reserved only for Artificis. Only he was allowed to know what laid underneath all of that rage and brutality. ¡°Thanks dad.¡± Chapter 12 - Regrets Frank sat in his room, alone. He picked away at his dinner and ate it. Sighing, he looked around with his eyes almost uneasily, keeping his head stationary, and then looked back to the door in front of him. A light shone down from a vent in the ceiling. Suddenly, a woman in a long white dress appeared behind him, running her delicate hand across the back of his neck. There was not one flicker of a reaction. She danced around him elegantly like a white swan, seeming to be lost in a cloud of thoughts. Frank did not seem the slightest bit fazed by the pale ghost as he stared at the door. She continued to dance around him, almost seeming to taunt him with her red lips and unblemished face. The morning had broken through once more and both Frank and Ellis sat opposite each other in the cafeteria drinking their breakfast of coffee. Ellis looked at Frank. ¡°You seem agitated.¡± She asked him. ¡°What''s up?¡± ¡°It''s nothing.¡± Frank immediately replied. ¡°It may be better if you get it off your chest. I''ve seen what happens to people when they hold on to bad memories.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Frank sighed, giving in. ¡°My wife was killed by a hooligan. Just some random guy looking for random people to kill for the fun of it. She was an easy target for him. I then joined the police force in a bid for a crusade against evil. When I became a detective, my partner then betrayed me, led me into a trap and tried to get me killed.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Probably out of jealousy that I advanced through the ranks so quickly. It only took me six months to get promoted to traffic and then six months after that, I was promoted to homicide. My partner told me to meet him at this hideout that he had found, said that there was an ambush planned. I went there and when I realised that there was in fact no ambush, the gang inside found me. I was shot multiple times in the chest.¡± ¡°Christ. How did you survive?¡± ¡°Artificis found me. He took me to this underground doctor that saved my life. Artificis told me that he could use someone like me in his crusades. I immediately agreed. Before I realised what I was dragged into, it was already too late to back out. I am the designer of my own misery, just because I wanted redemption for my wife''s death.¡± Ellis reached a hand out and held Frank''s. ¡°Artificis will give you all of the blood that you can spill until you will be satisfied. You will be able to move on.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Chapter 13 - Lockdown After breakfast, Ellis got to the task of tracking down the traitor, wasting no time at all. She went down corridors and across suspended metal bridges. She looked through training rooms, warehouses and arms caches. Nothing. Returning to the main room of Pulvis, she wandered about, looking at all of the employees, typing away documents onto computers and annotating maps. She gave herself a small smile, suddenly catching the traitor in her sights. He sat at a surveillance computer, pretending to work. She could walk up behind him and slice his throat open right then and there and it would all be over. The other employees would not question her actions. It would be a sudden shock, of course, but they would realise that there was a reason for it. But now was not the time to strike. She had an idea. Ellis entered the cafeteria as lunch commenced. Scanning through the room, she spotted the double agent and walked over to him. A sandwich and a hot cup of coffee were in her hands. Seeing her, he gestured to the empty seat in front of him. She pulled up the chair and sat down. ¡°The great Ellis Silver as I live and breathe.¡± He said. She chuckled and smiled at him. ¡°Please, don''t flatter yourself.¡± ¡°I must say, you are one of the most beautiful women that I have ever laid eyes upon.¡± ¡°Why, thank you.¡± Frank walked into the cafeteria and instantly laid eyes upon Ellis and the double agent. His eyebrows suddenly bent themselves downwards and he snarled to himself quietly. Spinning around, he quickly left. ¡°What made you want to work at Pulvis?¡± Ellis asked the double agent. ¡°All for the gold and glory. We are all practically millionaires.¡± ¡°Just that?¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The double agent''s smile faltered slightly. ¡°I''m sorry?¡± ¡°You already know what I''m talking about.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I assure you, I do not.¡± Ellis'' smile suddenly disappeared and her face turned cold. She put down her half-eaten sandwich and stared at him, piercing daggers into his eyes. ¡°Don''t bullshit me. Who sent you? MI5?¡± The double agent went to dive at her, went to grab her throat, when she threw the scalding coffee into his face, seeing the move from a mile away. He screamed in agony as slivers of steam rose from his burnt skin and quickly got up, taking a few steps back. Ellis stepped over to him and punched him in the face, but he recovered and blocked her second strike, ignoring the searing pain that boiled his red flesh. The henchmen all stopped their conversations and turned their heads towards the commotion. The two enemies engaged in a brawl. Ellis managed to get a lucky swing at his face, but her second strike was blocked. She parried a fist that was sent at her and punched him in the chest, knocking all of the air out of his lungs. He gasped and then sucked in a great lungful of oxygen. Blocking a strike with lightning reactions, he suddenly kicked Ellis'' feet from underneath her, sending her crashing to the floor. With a small window acquired, the double agent made a break for it. ¡°Goddammit, stop him!¡± Ellis shouted as she scrambled up. But it was already too late and he was gone through the door. ¡°Amateurs!¡± She shouted angrily at her employees as she ran through the door. Running through a corridor, she spotted a button and flipped up the cover, smacking her fist against it. Red lights began spinning and an alarm blared as the entire building went into lockdown. Seeing that the corridor only went one way, she followed it, pursuing her target. That was when she stumbled upon Frank. ¡°Am I glad to see you.¡± She told him. But on the other hand, Frank did not seem pleased to see her. ¡°What the hell is up with you?¡± He asked her angrily. ¡°What were you doing with that man in the cafeteria? Before you start with some bullshit excuse, don''t bother, I saw you both, chatting away.¡± ¡°Double agent.¡± Ellis replied quickly and plainly. Frank frowned slightly, the two words catching him unawares. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I was trying to get his secrets out. He''s been sent here by MI5.¡± ¡°How sure are you about this?¡± ¡°Once I mentioned MI5, he tried to grab me. So I threw hot coffee into his face. There is also a corpse on top of the lift. I highly doubt that they tripped and fell.¡± ¡°I believe you. Let''s go get this son of a bitch.¡± Chaper 14 - Earl Frank and Ellis walked through the endless maze of corridors, making their way towards their destination. Opening a door, they stepped into the surveillance room. A man in a grey security guard''s uniform and cap sat on a swivel chair and turned his head to them, taking his eyes away from the giant monitor that displayed hundreds of CCTV screens. ¡°I am guessing that you are both searching for someone?¡± He asked. ¡°That alarm wasn''t a drill, wasn''t it?¡± ¡°No it was not, Ted.¡± Ellis replied. The security guard, Ted Hansen turned his head back to the screens. ¡°A description?¡± ¡°It will be quite difficult, he is dressed in the same uniform as the rest of our workers. He¡¯s a double agent for MI5. Blonde hair, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Well, that makes it a bit trickier, but we¡¯ll see what we can do.¡± Ted grabbed his mouse and began to turn off screens that showed empty rooms. He zoomed in on the screens left, giving them a better view of the numerous employees that inhabited the base. Ellis scanned her vision through the screens, trying to catch a glimpse of her target. ¡°There.¡± Frank said. ¡°Fifth across from the top left, four down.¡± Ellis followed his directions and saw the double agent sitting at a table in what seemed to be a bedroom. His quarters. Ellis nodded to Ted. ¡°Thank you.¡± Ted nodded back to her and then turned his head back to his work. ¡°Anytime. Go get that son of a bitch.¡± Frank and Ellis exited the room and went to meet their target. Frank and Ellis arrived at the room and stood at either side of the closed door, pressing their backs to the wall. Ellis silently counted down on her fingers and then barged into the room, kicking the door wide open. The traitor instantly threw a dagger which just missed Ellis by a hair, sticking itself into the door. He reached into his uniform, drawing out a gun, but was too slow as Frank charged at him, barging into him with his shoulder. He hit the desk, the gun slipping from his grip and to the floor, but instantly recovered from the blow, shaking it off as though it was a cold. Both Frank and Ellis traded blows with their enemy, but he countered every move. Suddenly, Ellis got a lucky break and managed to punch him in the cheek. Frank took the tiny window and rammed his sole into the traitor¡¯s knee before he had time to recover. His leg violently buckled forwards as his knee shattered, sending shards of bone through his skin. He collapsed to the floor, screaming. Frank grabbed him by his coat, hauling him up. His eyes were in an unholy fury, his rage violently simmering almost to the point of boiling over. He held back his anger, resisting the urge to kill him right then and there. Ellis suddenly smiled, turned on by the brutal act of violence. ¡°Don¡¯t make me break your other leg.¡± Frank snarled and then hauled the cripple out of the room. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Frank threw the traitor down at Artificis¡¯ feet. The masked man looked down at him, his featureless face being impossible to read. ¡°So you are the sly spy that has been sneaking through my organisation, selling my information to the administration.¡± He told him with a slight curiosity in his voice. The double agent looked up at him as he slowly stood back up onto his two feet, having to bend one knee to support the jagged broken bones that protruded out of his skin. He grinned, despite the intense pain that throbbed through him like slow moving lava. ¡°Indeed I am.¡± He replied, staring at his own reflection through the gleaming spectacles. ¡°MI5 knows all about you and your dirty organisation. We have plans to bring you down even as I speak. It''s finally over for you.¡± ¡°Do you really think that a bunch of desk agents can bring down an organisation of criminals and killers? I wish you luck, I really do.¡± The double agent chuckled, showing not a single ounce of fear, the smile still staying put. ¡°Go ahead.¡± He said confidently. ¡°Kill me. It won¡¯t change anything.¡± ¡°Hmm. No. I have a better idea. You could be today''s lecture.¡± The double agent''s smile suddenly dropped and he raised an eyebrow in confusion at the odd sentence. Artificis offered him no explanation as he reached into his suit and took out a phone. He speed-dialled a number. ¡°Hello Earl. I have someone for you.¡± Within five minutes, there was a knock on the door. The double agent was forced to stand in place the entire time, having nowhere to go as a result of his broken leg. He knew that it was the end for him, but he was still going to face it with dignity. He did not want to give his mortal enemies the satisfaction of watching their prisoner tremble. His face was like stone, his expression blank. Ellis opened the door and there stood Earl Woodfield. He was clad in a stained white waistcoat that was painted in dark red and had a bloody white shirt underneath and a thin black tie. His white trousers were painted with numerous dark blood spatters and his white Oxford shoes had specks of blood on them. There was no time to waste in sending his clothes to the dry cleaners when there were interrogations to be carried out. He was just going to get blood on them again, so what was the point? After all, he needed an image to maintain for his hungry audience and to strike fear into his test subjects. He had grey, fuzzy hair and hard eyes, one of them paralysed to the point of being permanently half closed, hinting at his psychotic tendencies. The inquisitor pushed his small glasses up further on his nose and walked up to the double agent. Suddenly, he delivered a single fist to his jaw, immediately knocking him out cold. He grabbed him as he fell and dragged him over to a wheelchair, sitting him in it, and then wheeled him out of the room with Artificis, Ellis and Frank in his wake. Chapter 15 - A Brutal Lecture The double agent stirred, waking up from his involuntary nap. Numerous blurry figures plagued his returning vision. He blinked, trying to overcome his pounding headache, and a couple of seconds later, came to. He suddenly gasped in fear, seeing the hundreds of henchmen surrounding him, staring at him like hungry vultures. They all sat in seats, waiting for the show to commence. Artificis sat in a front row seat, Ellis by his side. It was then that the double agent noticed that he was strapped into a metal armchair. Dried bloodstains decorated the floor. The chair itself sat on a large, dark, dried puddle of blood. There was a long and dark streak of blood where the previous victim had been dragged away. Suddenly, there were some slow, echoing footsteps. The inquisitor came out from the shadows and looked at Artificis and then to the rest of the bloodthirsty henchmen. ¡°Welcome all!¡± He announced, his voice echoing clearly through the operating theatre. ¡°My name is Earl Woodfield and I am so glad that you could all join our lecture. Today, I am going to show you what we do with double agents, and, as a special treat, we are going to learn some anatomy.¡± Earl walked over to a large briefcase that lay on a metal table and undid the clasps. He opened it, revealing an array of torturous devices. He took a long, thin metal spike and turned to the traitor. Using the thumb and forefinger of his free hand, he grabbed the eyelids and pulled them apart, revealing the hidden layer of the bloodshot eye. The double agent looked around frantically, panting, dreading what was in store for him. Earl took the needle and pierced it into his target¡¯s eye. The double agent screamed as it slowly entered his cornea, filling his iris with blood. Earl released the needle, letting it dangle there. He turned to his audience. ¡°Remember, if you do somehow unfortunately wound your iris, you should clean it immediately and seek a doctor, lest you go blind. Of course, having half of your vision would do you no good, would it? But, it¡¯s not all bad, even if you did get an eye plucked out, you would still be able to aim a weapon, given the fact that it is your dominant eye that is.¡± He took the spike out and placed it back into the briefcase. Taking some metal pliers, he clamped the jaws down onto one of the traitor¡¯s fingers and suddenly wrenched it. There was a terrible crack as the bone splintered, shattering. The double agent screamed in agony, tears streaming down his face. Earl turned back to his audience. ¡°Splintered bones are a nasty business. A broken finger will heal in about six to eight weeks, but to get the full strength of the hand back, you would need another three to four months.¡± Turning back to his briefcase, he put the metal pliers down and instead grabbed a hammer and a single nail. He turned to his audience. ¡°Tetanus. You know, you¡¯ve been rummaging about in that shed that you haven¡¯t opened in months and suddenly, you cut your finger open with a rusty nail. In most cases, death can occur within four days to three weeks. But of course, we do not live in the middle ages anymore, there is treatment available. After all, medicine has come a long way in the past millennia, has it not?¡± Taking his tools, he hammered the nail down into the traitor¡¯s collarbone with a single swing. The double agent hollered in abject agony, but a couple of seconds later, he stopped and slumped his head down. ¡°It seems that the poor fella isn¡¯t cut out to be a masochist.¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. There was a light laughter from the audience. ¡°Pain stimulates the vagus nerves, our longest nerve that runs from our brain to our large intestine, both located on either side of our body. The stress from the pain stimulates a reflex called the vasovagal reaction. The heart slows down and pumps less blood, causing our blood pressure to drop. When the brain doesn¡¯t get enough oxygen, we end up fainting. But this is only a temporary thing.¡± A couple of seconds later, the double agent''s eyes snapped open as he sucked in a breath of air lightly, getting his senses back. Earl replaced the hammer into the briefcase and drew out a gleaming straight razor, flipping it open. ¡°A gash to the neck can be fatal, but depending on how deep the cut is, it is not always so. That entirely depends on if one of the two jugular veins on either side of the neck are severed. If they are, then it is pretty much curtains for the unfortunate soul.¡± Earl took the straight razor and stood behind the traitor. Grabbing his head, he slowly pulled the blade across his throat. The double agent gasped for air repeatedly as the hot blood poured out of the gash, soaking his uniform. A couple of moments later, he slumped his head down, his heart beating no more. Earl turned back to his audience. ¡°Thank you all for attending my lecture. Of course, we have no schedule, we just have to wait for some stupid person to attack us, or, somehow, simply stumble upon us. I shall see you soon.¡± There was a light applause from the audience and a little moment later, they all stood up and departed. The Undertaker walked up to the corpse and undid the straps restraining it. The body collapsed to the floor and he grabbed it by its legs. The Undertaker then dragged it away, leaving a long streak of blood on the floor. Chapter 16 - Drastic Actions The chief of MI5 sat at his desk, casually rapping his fingers away on the tabletop. His eyes scanned swiftly through classified documents displayed on his computer screen as he tried to come up with a strategy. Clicking on a document, he read through it, looking at the blueprint. He frowned, contemplating the option. He had to think quickly, lest there be a war. The casualties would be immense and he could not afford that. Pulvis had to be promptly taken care of and Artificis and Ellis were the top priorities. They had to be wiped from England¡¯ surface completely. One spontaneous attack had already failed and he needed a better plan. A second raid would be even more devastating for his side. Pulvis would be prepared and would not make the same mistake twice. There was a knock on the door. ¡°Enter.¡± He called out. The door opened up and in walked his secretary. She handed him a document and then turned back towards the door. ¡°How long has it been since the double agent was sent out to Pulvis?¡± The secretary stopped and turned around to face him. ¡°It has been almost three days.¡± ¡°And you are certain that there have been no messages from him?¡± ¡°Positively. Not one phone call.¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The chief sighed, almost with a hint of sadness. ¡°You don¡¯t think¨C?¡± ¡°I fear that they have got to him. We need to try something else. We need to find a way on how to bring them down. Or, at least severely damage them.¡± He grunted and then frowned for a second, an unwanted notion popping up into his head. It was stupid, possibly suicidal. It would turn his men into nothing but cannon fodder. Of course Pulvis would have some sort of counter-attack planned, but it was still better than sitting around and waiting for their enemy to come to them. The battle might still be won and the scales would tip in MI5''s favour. If they managed to deflect the counter-attack then Pulvis would surely be done for. A brutal war would be averted and countless lives would be saved. It was agents versus conspirators. The result was almost a hundred percent predictable. He made a silent, snarling face as he gave in to his dark desire. ¡°Connect me to the most experienced captain of the Astute class.¡± The secretary made a worried face, doing her best to dissuade him from his suicidal plan. ¡°What you are talking about is a potential world war.¡± ¡°Do it.¡± He ordered firmly with a hint of anger in his voice, his eyebrows twisting in quiet rage. Without another objection, the secretary immediately nodded and walked back to her desk, picking up the phone. Chapter 17 - The Abyss The HMS Anson ploughed through the dark ocean like a silent black shark, displacing the water in its path. The admiral sat at his desk, scribbling down some notes, when the telephone suddenly rang. He picked it up instantly and placed it to his ear. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°I trust that you are fully functioning and operational?¡± The chief asked. ¡°Indeed sir. We are just waiting for anything to pop up. All is clear for now.¡± ¡°I shall be sending you some coordinates. They are the location of an illegal organisation and it has to be destroyed. No questions asked. It is heavily fortified. I hereby give you permission to use a nuclear torpedo as a last resort.¡± ¡°It shall be done.¡± The admiral put the phone down, there being nothing more for him to hear. The radar suddenly flashed, a new target in its sight. The two helmsmen looked at the radar, seeing the same thing. One of them moved his wheel forward, causing the submarine to descend deeper into the ocean, and the other turned his wheel, changing their course. What they did not realise was that they were heading straight into the fire. Some klicks away, was another submarine, also on patrol. The captain sat at his desk. He was clad in a black naval uniform. Inscribed into the uniform was the word Pulvis. The radar and sonar operator stared at his screen, trying to find anything of interest, trying to listen to anything moving through the water. At almost one thousand feet below sea level, even the tiniest sound was a cause for concern. He suddenly sat up and pressed his headphones closer to his eardrums. ¡°Captain!¡± He called out. The captain instantly got up from his desk and made his way over to him. ¡°Report.¡± ¡°We have another submarine coming towards us.¡± He explained. ¡°Do you think that it could be just a coincidence?¡± ¡°I''m almost certain that it is not. The turn was much too sharp. This isn¡¯t some deep sea creature that we are dealing with here.¡± The captain suddenly laughed, overjoyed. ¡°Battle stations everyone! MI5 wants to play a game!¡± Suddenly, an alarm blared and every single man instantly jumped to their stations. They jumped through the circular vertical hatches, running down the narrow pathways and to their posts. Torpedoes were loaded into their chutes. One of the helmsmen pulled the wheel towards himself, raising the submarine upwards to meet their enemy. The radar operator suddenly held his hand up and the commotion immediately stopped. ¡°Report.¡± The captain ordered. ¡°They''re gone.¡± ¡°That could only mean one thing. Crazy Ivan!¡± ¡°Shit, I hope this works.¡± One of the helmsmen mumbled under his breath. He turned the wheel, changing the submarine¡¯s course. The MI5 admiral stared at the radar. The small blip seemed to be going nowhere, frozen in place, whilst they moved closer to it. His eyes widened in shock when he understood. ¡°Right full rudder!¡± He screamed. The helmsman immediately turned the wheel as far as it would go. A small moment went by and the submarine was filled with the sound of screeching metal as both submarines scraped against each other. The sailors on both sides clapped their hands over their ears, trying not to become deaf. The Pulvis captain stepped up to the two helmsmen and pushed one of them away. He grabbed the wheel and turned it, changing the submarine''s course. The sonar operator held his hand up and then quickly closed it into a fist, signalling when to stop the turn. ¡°Fire!¡± He shouted. The torpedo shot out, swimming straight for its target. The sonar operator listened in and then suddenly shot into panic mode, realising much too late. ¡°Brace!¡± The torpedo hit the submarine''s armour, rocking everyone inside it. ¡°Load! Load!¡± The Pulvis captain roared. Another torpedo was quickly loaded in and the door latch locked. ¡°Fire!¡± The torpedo flew for its target. It went to make contact, but only just managed to scrape the armour, swimming somewhere else. Suddenly, a gleam appeared in the Pulvis captain''s eyes. A crewmate turned his head. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°We missed!¡± ¡°Full speed ahead!¡± ¡°But captain¨C!¡± ¡°That''s an order!¡± The propellers spun furiously as the submarine unleashed its full speed. One of the henchmen looked at his colleague. ¡°What the hell is he up to?¡± ¡°He''s going to ram them.¡± He replied, a slight fear in his eyes. ¡°What?!¡± He cursed repeatedly, not knowing any other words. The henchman snapped his head towards the rest of the crew. ¡°Brace for impact!¡± Everyone grabbed hold of what they could and clenched their teeth. The enemy submarine sonar operator listened in to the increasingly loudening boom that echoed through the ocean. He frowned. ¡°What the hell is he up to?¡± Then his eyes widened when he understood. He snapped his head round. ¡°Brace for impa¨C!¡± Was all he had time to scream before there was a deafening crash. Everyone was thrown around like marbles in a shaken jar. A sailor collapsed to the floor, screaming in abject agony, his bones broken beyond repair. Another slumped down to the floor, his skull cracked by a rivet. One sailor posted next to the reactor screamed, his ears ringing like a deafening alarm. His colleague blinked hard and went to grab his head, but stopped himself. He looked around, delirious, his shaken mind trying to make sense of what had just happened. The metal beneath the submarine cracked and splintered, filling the hold with seawater. The sailors ran about in panic, trying to plug in any gaps, trying to stop the submarine from sinking. The Pulvis helmsman flipped a switch, going into full reverse, away from their enemy. A moment later, another torpedo was let loose and detonated itself against its target, tearing a hole in the side. The nuclear missiles exploded in a fireball, instantly incinerating any sailor within a seventy foot range, turning them into dust. The submarine suddenly cracked in half, drowning everyone on board. The sonar operator held up a thumb. The victorious sailors cheered, having won the battle. The captain laughed in triumph. ¡°Drinks are on me, men!¡± He announced ecstatically. The crew cheered once more. Suddenly, a telephone rang. The captain walked up to it and picked it up. ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± Suddenly, there was the sound of retching and vomiting. ¡°Come on, pull yourself together, man.¡± He told him in a disappointed voice. ¡°The reactor is damaged.¡± Suddenly, the captain''s eyes widened and his face slackened. ¡°What?¡± ¡°We have a radiation leak. What should we do?¡± The captain quickly strode over to a button and smacked his fist against it. An alarm blared. ¡°Dive! Dive! Dive!¡± He screamed. One of the helmsmen pushed the wheel forward as far as it would go, causing the submarine to dive at a frightening pace. The captain slid his way over to a computer and frantically typed something in. The nose of the ship hit a rocky platform on the seabed and everyone was thrown about with a deafening crash. There was another bang as the tail hit the other end of the platform. The submarine swayed slightly, rocking back and forth, creaking. The captain picked up the phone and pressed a button. ¡°Activate the SCRAM immediately! That''s an order!¡± The henchman ran over to the button and undid the cover. He smacked his palm against it and everything immediately powered down. The only thing that remained working was the red lights. The submarine stopped swaying and stood motionless, still creaking, trying not to collapse in on itself under the immense pressure. The crew sat there, stranded on the ocean mountain, three thousand feet below sea level. The numerous dials juddered, trying not to crack under the insane depth. Everyone stood in place, not moving an inch. The henchman that deactivated the submarine turned to the captain. ¡°How did you know that there was a platform there?¡± ¡°I didn''t.¡± ¡°What do we do?¡± He asked. ¡°We wait. We cannot do anything. Turning the reactor back on will surely spell death for us.¡± ¡°So will dying of dehydration.¡± ¡°I sent out an SOS signal. Pulvis should get it any moment now. All we can do is wait and pray that they rescue us.¡± Silence flooded the submarine. Suddenly, a voice began to sing. Deep down below the ocean¡¯s surface There is a land of darkness Coldness and despair is all there is Our journey through the dark Will take us through the depths of Hell But still we go on strong Slicing through the cold current The rest of the crew joined in, singing their song of sorrow. This abyss and darkness is all there is This darkness is all there is No one to save us No one to hear our cry Our dark journey will soon be at its end Where we shall meet again Beneath Davy Jones¡¯ Locker Chapter 18 - Artificis Confession Ellis strolled about the organisation, her brain desperately racking away, trying to figure out a plan to defeat MI5. When the chief would realise that the double agent was not going to return any time soon, he was going to launch an attack that was much more complex and savage than a simple reconnaissance mission. It was going to be a full assault. Lives would be lost and she had to find a way to stop it. Suddenly, one henchman at a computer turned to her. ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± He addressed her. She stopped and turned to him. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Pulvis 4 has sent out a distress signal.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°They were caught in a battle between MI5 and destroyed their submarine but they were also heavily damaged and are stranded on an ocean mountain.¡± Ellis stepped over to him and looked at the computer screen, quickly scanning her eyes through the information, immediately taking every little detail in. ¡°Thank you for bringing this to my attention.¡± She walked away and entered Artificis¡¯ office. ¡°Pulvis 4 is in trouble.¡± She said urgently. Artificis looked up at her from his desk, his eyebrows strangely neutral, his forehead clear of any slight furrows. ¡°In trouble how?¡± He asked her in a curiously calm voice. ¡°They are stranded at three thousand feet below sea level and were forced to deactivate the nuclear reactor for fear of a radiation leak. They have got nowhere to go.¡± Artificis shook his head gently, almost solemnly. ¡°It¡¯s too risky with the radiation. We cannot do anything to help them.¡± ¡°You are just going to let them die?!¡± She suddenly yelled in shock, her eyebrows bent in anger with her eyes widening in disbelief. ¡°As much as it pains me, Ellis, sacrifices must be made.¡± He told her firmly, a small sliver of anger escaping. His eyebrows bent themselves downwards the slightest bit in response. ¡°Unfortunately, that is the harsh reality of running an illegal organisation. If they are stranded at only three thousand feet, it means that they can slip off that ocean mountain at any time. They probably have by now. That submarine is nothing but tin foil crammed with ashes. Even if they are still alive at this moment and we do send another submarine down there, the radiation will kill both crews. It''s Chernobyl down there, they will melt before they''ll even have time to surface. I¡¯m sorry, but I do not want to risk more men for a suicidal rescue mission. They very well knew what they signed up for and knew the risks involved.¡± He paused and then tilted his head slightly. His voice suddenly softened up and his eyebrows straightened themselves out, his tiny anger quickly dissipating. ¡°You have a question, it seems.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Ellis calmly stepped over to him, pulling up the chair, and sat down opposite him. ¡°Why did you decide to create Pulvis?¡± His eyebrows jumped up through the top of his spectacles and stayed there, his brow furrowed, his hidden eyes in deep worry. ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± He asked her in a calm and careful voice, giving her the option to back out. Ellis immediately ignored it. ¡°Yes. However harsh the truth is.¡± Artificis sighed and leaned back into his chair, crossed his arms. ¡°How do I put this lightly?¡± He contemplated, hesitating. A couple seconds of silence followed, looking like he was changing his mind at telling her. But she was his second-in-command and dear daughter and deserved to know the truth, so he spat it out all the same. It was time that she knew. The secret was kept from her for much too long. ¡°I was once an agent for MI5.¡± Ellis¡¯ eyes widened, her ears not believing what they had just heard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°Yes, quite a shock, I know. My main job was to carry out surveillance, but I sometimes helped out the field agents. But then they shunned me away. They fired me some weeks later and threatened to kill me if I ever told anyone about my involvement in the secret service.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I used unorthodox but effective methods ¨C some of them even unethical. Torture goes a long way when you need information. They disagreed with my ways, they thought that I was some sort of a psychopath, so they put out a kill order on me. I just barely managed to survive and escape. Why do you think I hide my face? So then, I decided to create Pulvis. A secret organisation of my own. One to do what they do, but better. That was 25 years ago ¨C and now they are finally making their move. A plan that has been a quarter of a century in the making is finally being executed.¡± ¡°MI5 is only after you alone.¡± Ellis said with a slight realisation in her voice. Artificis nodded. ¡°Yes. They want revenge against me for deserting them and surviving their assassination attempt. England is controlled by corruption and we use Pulvis to try and stem the chaos. Corrupt banks have gone bust because of us. We¡¯ve even killed so many triple agents and psychopaths that crime has gone down. Believe it or not, Ellis, but we are England¡¯s last line of defence and it is up to us to stop total civil war. I may be unethical, but my methods work. I don''t want revenge. I just want to do what they are too chickenshit to do themselves. Why do you think I have been ordering you to rob bankers and kill hooligans?¡± Ellis sat there, frozen in place, having a dreadful moment of realisation. Chapter 19 - The Second Raid Ted sat at his seat, staring at the surveillance screens. He went to take a sip of his coffee when he suddenly stopped himself. Putting his mug down, he looked closer at one of the screens and saw a large group of people in black uniform standing outside the secret entrance to Pulvis in Ellis¡¯ basement. One of them carried a small metal battering ram. Zooming in, he looked at them for a single second before understanding. He quickly picked up a phone and pressed a button. ¡°We have MI5 agents on our way.¡± He said. ¡°Again?¡± Ellis replied. ¡°Yes. You have to prepare, this is not some small raid, it is going to be a bloodbath.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Ellis put the phone down and turned to Artificis. ¡°We have to prepare for battle.¡± ¡°So be it.¡± He replied. Getting up from his seat, he walked over to a scabbard laying in the corner of the office. He picked up the katana and went to walk over to Ellis. ¡°Stop.¡± Artificis stopped in place. ¡°You are safer here. I do not want to be responsible for getting you killed. You have helped people and I do not want to have to run this organisation by myself without you by my side. You''re my father for crying out loud.¡± ¡°I am not going to sit around whilst my men are slaughtered.¡± He told her firmly. ¡°I am going to fight side by side and defeat these bastards whatever it takes. If you want to do something worthwhile, then at least fight with me.¡± Without saying anything else, he walked by her. Ellis groaned and sighed in frustration, but walked after him nevertheless. They walked through the organisation, seeing everyone arming themselves. A group of henchmen stood at the main entrance, waiting, their machine guns pointed in front of them. Suddenly, there was an explosion as smoke began to fill the corridors. Shots were instantly fired as the air was filled with gunfire. The agents converged on their enemies and fired their weapons. Some agents dropped and some henchmen dropped. Within moments, a slaughter began. One henchman fired his machine gun, taking down some agents, but was killed himself. Ellis crept around, sticking to the shadows and killed anyone that got too close to her. She swiped her sword, suddenly taking an arm and then swiped it again, taking her enemy¡¯s head. Artificis slashed through his enemies like butter, his katana hacking through limbs and heads. He swiped at another enemy and blood splattered onto his suit, staining it. Some agents made their way across a bridge and stopped, facing their enemies. Both sides suddenly aimed their guns, firing upon one another. Within seconds, only one from either side remained. They both stared at each other, aiming their pistols. Suddenly, they both fired. The two bullets flew for their targets. One of them hit the agent in the face and he collapsed onto the platform. The second bullet hit the henchman in the shoulder and he collapsed, his momentum being rocked. He slipped, tried to grab the bridge, but fell into the abyss, his scream quickly fading away. A small group of agents crept around when Frank jumped out from behind a corner and fired his pistol, instantly killing all of them. He released the empty magazine and slotted a full one in, pulled the slide of the gun. He crept around, trying to find any enemies when suddenly, a fist made contact with his jaw. He dropped to the ground, unconscious. The agent went to execute him when a sword suddenly protruded itself out from his chest. He looked down at the bloody blade and spurted up blood as it was swiftly drawn out from him. The corpse dropped to the ground. Ellis dropped her stained sword and collapsed to her knees in front of Frank. She checked his pulse and then suddenly grabbed both of her hands together. Raising her fist, she brought it down onto his sternum. Checking his pulse again, she performed the chest compressions. Plugging his nose, she breathed into his mouth a couple of times. Frank suddenly gasped in a great lungful of air and winced in pain as he sat up. He looked around, getting his bearings straight and then looked at Ellis, slightly mad. ¡°I think that you broke one of my ribs.¡± He said. ¡°You are alive, are you not?¡± Staggering as he got up, he picked up his gun and they both continued forward. Ellis cut down more enemies, Frank shot more targets. Frank turned a corner and saw a group of agents. They aimed their guns at him and fired, just as he ducked back behind cover. He let out a breath and jumped out, firing his pistol. A bullet went through his shoulder and he collapsed to the ground. Sitting up, he fired his gun, killing his final target. He staggered up, bleeding, and looked down at his wound. He heard the continuous gunfire and the carnage that enveloped the organisation. His heart raced, his head pounded, his forehead had a bead of sweat on it. He made a dash for it. Taking a turn, he opened a door and stood in shock as he saw a large group of agents in front of him. The corridor was littered with corpses and the walls were splattered in blood. There were only tiny glimpses of the white floor beneath the giant pool of blood that the agents stood on. One corpse laid on the floor with its entrails hanging out, the victim of a close range shotgun blast. Frank went to fire, but the agents got there first and quickly gunned him down. Frank''s body jerked and jarred about violently as the bullets tore through him. Ribbons of dark blood flew in the air like a gruesome ballet. The assassin collapsed to the floor, profusely bleeding out from the multiple mortal gunshot wounds. The agents stepped over his corpse, leaving bloody boot prints in their wake, having to walk through the pool of blood that quickly grew larger and larger. Ellis made her way down the corridors, trying to survive the carnage. She saw the bloody boot prints and followed them backwards. That was when she spotted Frank''s corpse. She ran over to him and dropped her sword, kneeling down by him. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°No, no, no, no, no.¡± Was all her brain could muster up. She grabbed him in a hug and sobbed her eyes out. Suddenly, a bullet flew over her head. Ceasing her crying, Ellis released Frank and grabbed his gun. Aiming blindly, she fired. The bullet flew for its target and hit the agent in the throat. He gasped and clutched at his wound, blood squirting through his fingers. He collapsed to the floor and writhed about in agony, painting the floor in blood. Ellis slowly walked over to him and pointed the gun, shooting the dying agent in the face. The flesh ruptured and blood spattered itself onto Ellis'' face. She panted, a quiet rage present on her face. She pointed the gun at the corpse and fired at it until the magazine was empty and its face was nothing more than a bloody mess. Ellis dropped the gun and walked over to her sword, picking it up. She quickly made her way down the corridors. An agent jumped out at her, but she quickly swiped her blade across his neck, decapitating him. The headless corpse stumbled for a second before slumping down onto the floor, pouring out a pool of blood. Ellis continued forward and faced two agents. She swiped her sword down, taking one of their arms. He bellowed in abject agony, spurting out blood onto the wall. Ellis immediately swiped her sword upwards, opening up the second agent''s neck. Swiping her sword again not one second later, she sliced open the second agent''s face. Both corpses collapsed to the floor, almost simultaneously. Ellis continued forward, leaving a trail of dead bodies in her wake. She came up to the main room and saw the carnage going on. Corpses littered the place and the floor was nothing more than blood. The small group of surviving henchmen fought for their lives, firing their guns. Artificis slashed through agents like weeds, them being no competition for him. Ellis went down the stairs, joining the fight. She slashed through the agents, kicking their corpses down the stairs. She moved forward, not seeming at all fatigued, fuelled by the death of Frank. She slashed through another, and another, and another. No one survived her unbridled rage. Artificis collapsed to his knees, surrounded by his enemies. Suddenly, the battle stopped and everything was quiet. Ellis looked on as he panted, almost on the verge of collapsing. His suit was torn to shreds, his slashed shirt was stained with blood. More blood ran down his hands, trickling onto the floor. He suddenly dropped his sword and groaned as he used the remainder of his strength to stand up. ¡°Okay, fine.¡± He suddenly said to them. ¡°You want to know who I am?! Alright, I''ll show you!¡± He took his spectacles off, revealing his white, blind eye. There was a long and thick scar running down it. He suddenly threw the spectacles over to an agent. ¡°There''s a souvenir for you!¡± Ellis and the surviving henchmen looked on in shock, finally seeing what horror laid behind their master''s veil. Artificis pulled off his mask, revealing his face which was riddled with scars. There was a hole where his nose should have been, the result of a stab wound. He threw his mask down to another agent. ¡°And one for you!¡± Reaching behind his suit, he drew out two large daggers. ¡°Come on then!¡± He suddenly shouted, his war-ridden face alive with fury, his pent-up rage for MI5 finally boiling over. ¡°Who will have enough balls to face me?!¡± Two agents ran for him, daggers in their hands, but he quickly took care of them. Another went to attack him, but Artificis killed him as well. He killed another, and another, but quickly slumped down to his knees, out of breath. The agents converged on him all at once, quickly stabbing him to death. Artificis dropped face first, blood flowing out from under his corpse. Ellis suddenly roared in rage and before the henchmen could stop her, she charged for the agents. One of them grabbed one of Artificis'' fallen daggers and deflected the attack. Ellis fought him with a burning rage, but her anger cost her greatly. The agent thrust out the dagger, sticking it into her chest. She gasped and collapsed to her knees, blood soaking into her suit. The agent panted, eyes wide in shock that he had managed to wound her. He released the handle, leaving the blade inside her, and Ellis slumped to the side, then onto her back, and did not move. The surviving henchmen all looked at each other in shock and made a unanimous decision. They turned, making a dash for it. With their mission complete, the agents all left the scene. Chapter 20 - The Final Phase ¡°Wait, wait, wait.¡± The chief of MI5 quickly said, his ears having to confirm what they had just heard. It was unbelievable, it was just a story, but he had to hear the news again. Maybe he had heard it wrong? Maybe he had misinterpreted something? A small confirmation couldn¡¯t hurt. Could it? He sat up in his chair and leaned forward, his interest suddenly piqued. ¡°You are telling me that both Ellis and Artificis are dead?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The agent replied. ¡°Pulvis is officially done for.¡± The chief banged his palm down onto his desk and laid back in his seat, let out a puff of air, finally being able to relax. His stress immediately melted away as he realised that he was victorious. ¡°Excellent. Very good. But I still want you to do one final thing.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Anything.¡± ¡°Block off Pulvis completely. Cement it if you have to. I do not want anyone getting into that place ever again.¡± The agent nodded and walked off. The workers laid out the long tube, feeding it through the two outside hatches leading to Ellis'' basement. They posted it at the cupboard and proceeded to pour the cement from the truck. The liquid concrete poured down the tunnel and quickly filled up the entrance, leaving no escape. Chapter 21 - Revenge Ellis fluttered her eyes open and looked up at the ceiling of Pulvis that slowly entered her blurred vision. Taking a small breath, she instantly winced, every slight movement of her chest being a stabbing agony. Every part of her body stung like a thousand piercing needles, her chest felt warm, her head pounded, feeling like it was about to split open. Having been able to form a clear picture, slowly, she painfully craned her neck forward and saw herself, laying in a small puddle of her own blood. With a tiny moment of hesitation, she grabbed the handle of the dagger that was still in her chest and gasped sharply as she forced herself to yank it out. She suddenly coughed excruciatingly, piercing pain shooting through her lungs, blood spurting up out from her mouth. She dropped the bloody dagger to the floor. With her sword still in her grip, she panted and rolled over onto her stomach. Coughing up some more blood, she proceeded to painfully drag herself across the floor, leaving a large dark red streak in her wake. Slowly regaining her strength, she put her palms down onto the floor and groaned, heaved herself up. Wincing, spitting blood, bleeding internally, she staggered upright and blinked, trying not to pass out as the world wobbled around her like a ship in a storm. She pressed her hands to her mortal wound, trying to save as much blood as possible as it slowly trickled through her fingers, painting her palms red. With her momentum slowly returning, her brain getting its bearings, she looked around at the carnage that the battle had brought. Bodies laid all over the place, their dark red fluids covering almost every inch of the building. The result looked like something out of a war movie, the irony being that it was real. Trying to ignore the scene, she limped through the mess of blood and corpses and made her way to an operating theatre. She pushed the doors open and the world suddenly spun around her, overtaken by darkness. She crashed to the floor. The shocked doctor rushed over to her and hauled her up into his arms, carrying her over to the operating table. He gently laid the injured woman down and immediately put a mask over her mouth and nose, knocking her out. He then proceeded to operate on her, healing her, stitching up her wounds. Ellis sat at Artificis'' upholstered, velvet throne, having automatically taken over the organisation. The large handful of surviving henchmen looked at her, ready to obey their new leader without question. No one else wanted to bear the heavy burden of leading a company into war against a secret organisation. The stress of losing so many comrades and a leader was enough. Ellis stared back at them, her face cold, her freezing soul losing the last little bit of humanity that it had left. There were no jokes and kindness left inside her anymore. There was nothing but hatred and anger swirling around like a violent, unending storm that threatened to tear anything apart. Showing mercy would show weakness, and she could not afford that at the moment ¨C not when there were plans to be carried out. Her suit was now permanently stained in blood, turning a portion of it a sickly dark red, but that was the least of her worries. ¡°We have to prepare for war.¡± She told them. ¡°MI5 murdered Artificis and Frank, and I am going to have my revenge. I want my retribution. I am only going to say this once ¨C if any of you want to leave and go back to your old lives, then I allow you to. The door is right over there. You will be forever free from this place.¡± No one said anything. No one moved a muscle. Ellis stayed quiet for a small while, letting them decide. Not one little word. Not one slight movement. Numbers and firepower were now needed more than ever. ¡°So be it. Fortify Pulvis completely. We are going to war.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The henchmen all dashed about, preparing weapons, setting up traps. Ellis looked down at them all from a balcony, watching how they all ran about like ants that had their nest disturbed. Guns were polished, bullets were collected, daggers were sharpened. Ellis knew one thing for certain ¨C this was going to be a very bloody fight. The battle may have been lost, but the war was just reaching its midpoint. Everything was still to play for. The true powers of both sides would be unleashed in all their terrifying glory. Gallons of blood were going to be spilled in a battle that would shake the very foundations that kept Ellis'' house standing up above. MI5 was not going to hold back, but so wasn¡¯t Pulvis. It wasn¡¯t a battle of wits any longer, it was a battle of strength, both armies trying to push the other off the edge of the cliff and into the abyss. Numbers had to be cut, damage had to be dealt ¨C by using whatever means necessary. One henchman walked down the corridors and went to turn a corner, but suddenly stopped himself. Turning, he looked down at the floor and kicked at a tiny, irregular rock formation. It broke apart, separating itself from the surface that it was stuck to. He stooped down, picking it up. He frowned ever so slightly, a little wonder running through his head. Standing upright, he looked forward and turned the corner. He looked at the metal door and walked over to it, opening it up. His eyes widened at the sight of the scene. In front of him stood the solid concrete landslide that impeded the exit. Dropping the miniscule rock, he turned and sprinted down the corridors. The henchman knocked on the door of the office. ¡°Enter.¡± Called out the voice of Ellis. He opened the door and walked over to the desk, stood in front of her. ¡°Ma¡¯am, we have a situation.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± ¡°MI5 has sealed us in.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°They have filled the exit with concrete. There is no way out.¡± Ellis did not seem fazed by the dire news, almost like she was expecting the move. She had some fears hidden within her, but being buried alive fifty feet underground was not one of them. ¡°Get all of the pickaxes and shovels that you can get. You will have to dig through it.¡± ¡°But ma¡¯am, that will take an entire day or two.¡± ¡°You cannot blast through it. With an enclosed space like this, the roof will almost certainly collapse on top of you. Pulvis is already damaged enough as it is, this is the only option.¡± The henchman nodded, obeying the command without another objection. ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± Turning, he walked out. The small group of henchmen proceeded to chip away at the wall without pause, slowly making a pathway up to the surface again. A tiny garage lamp hung from a wire on its hook, swaying the slightest bit, giving the miners some light to work with. Sweat poured down their faces and their dirty vests stuck to their bare skin with the intense underground heat cooking their flesh. The work was fiery torture, but they continued without one tiny break in their endless routine. One muscular henchman manned a large jackhammer, making short work of the rudimentary wall. With the organisation being so deep underground, noise was not a problem. The people up above were oblivious to the operation happening right beneath their feet. Another small group rested as they waited for their turn. The digging had to be done in perpetual shifts. Time was against their side and there was none to waste. Plans had to be thought up and a retribution was in order. The refuse was carried away in sacks and discarded into the sewers. Chapter 22 - The Plan The chief of MI5 stood hunched over his desk, looking through the collection of surveillance photos that were scattered about with a curious intent on his face. He looked at each one, quickly scanning his eyes to the next and repeating the cycle again, trying to make sense of the concrete evidence that was presented to him. It was right there in front of his very eyes, but his brain just did not want to believe any of it, denying the solid facts that would make an entire jury weep with writhing joy. Everything had been planned out perfectly. How had the raid failed so easily? How had an elite unit of agents been tricked by a bunch of minor conspirators? Where did it all go so wrong? Even then, his questions had to be swiftly swept to the side and another strategy had to be thought up immediately. One that was much more brutal than the last. Sneaky tactics had to be replaced with battle-hardened savagery. War, it seemed, was all these underground psychopaths knew. He took his palms away from the tabletop and stood up straight. He looked up at the agent, a tiny look of uncertainty plastered on his face. ¡°Are you sure that these are accurate?¡± ¡°A hundred percent positive.¡± The agent replied confidently. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°And the DNA and fingerprints? They belong to Ellis Silver?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But she¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°These were recent. I am certain that she is still alive. I¡¯m afraid to say that the job has not been finished properly.¡± The chief did not seem at all angry that the mission had been a failure. His face displayed a slight curiosity, but not rage. ¡°But how do you explain the skip full of broken concrete that is outside her house?¡± ¡°They have dug themselves out. The mass of concrete had blocked up the sewers and was discovered by maintenance workers.¡± The chief scoffed. ¡°Of course they had pickaxes.¡± He said sarcastically. ¡°Why wouldn''t they?¡± He sighed, closing his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. ¡°We have to prepare immediately or they will come after us. I am guessing that Ellis wants revenge over the death of Artificis. This fight will not be like the last.¡± The chief put his hand down, opening his eyes, and looked up at the agent. ¡°Okay, listen. Here is what I want you to do...¡± Chapter 23 - The Letter Ellis sat at Artificis¡¯ desk in the late hours beyond midnight. The small desk lamp was switched on and the organisation was in complete darkness. Everyone slept soundly and Ellis was the only thing with open eyes. Nothing was heard except for the faint ticking of the desk clock. She took a glass of whisky and sipped a small drop. Frowning ever so slightly, she looked at the letter holder in front of her, noticing its contents. It only contained one envelope. It was old and worn, with dark yellowing around the edges. It looked like it hadn''t been touched in years. Putting down her drink, she took it. It was addressed to her, with the writing, ¡°For Ellis Silver''s eyes only¡±. Opening it, she took out the letter, unfolding it. Dear Ellis, If you are reading this, then it means that I am dead. As my final command, I leave Pulvis and its entirety at your disposal. You most likely already know the truth by now so I will not bore you with the tedious details. From this moment forth, the entire organisation is yours to command as you please. Pick a right-hand or don¡¯t, it is your choice. What you do with Pulvis is completely up to you. Of course, I can do nothing to stop you, I can only advise you from beyond the grave. I just hope that you will make the right choices and save yourself from insanity. Believe me when I say this, a position like this will drive anyone insane, even a person with the strongest of wills ¨C that''s you that I am talking about. Do not let your anger get in the way of your judgement. Remember, you only die once. Look out for everyone, keep them safe. After all, you are their guardian angel and their only hope of surviving anything that is to come. Like I said, do what you want with Pulvis, just make sure that it lives on. Goodbye. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Artificis Ellis stared at Artificis'' all too elegant signature and then slowly put the letter down, almost like was afraid to damage it. Placing her elbows on the desk, she interlocked her fingers together and rested her nose onto them. She stared into the dark space in front of her, not blinking for the longest time, trying to process her situation. She then let out a puff of air and put her head down, running her hands through her hair. Chapter 24 - The Battle The large company of MI5 agents made their way through the sewers towards their target. They quickly moved towards their objective, their machine guns and rifles poised and ready. Suddenly, the agent leading them all put his hand out behind himself and they all immediately paused. Slinging his machine gun onto his shoulder, the leader climbed up the ladder. He slowly opened the hatch and peeked inside. Opening the hatch fully, he swept his hand forward and climbed into Pulvis, the rest following after him. Ted stared at the monitors, not in the least bit surprised by the coming attack. There were no secret entrances that hid from his view. He picked up the phone once more. ¡°Let me guess...¡± Ellis said in a bored manner before he had a chance to say anything. ¡°Yes.¡± He replied and simply put the phone down. Ellis put her phone down and casually stood up from her chair. She pressed a button and an alarm blared. Everyone sprung into action and proceeded to arm themselves with whatever they could find. One of the agents turned his head to his colleague next to him. ¡°Shut up.¡± Was all his colleague simply said to him before he had a chance to say anything. He turned around and looked at the company. ¡°Alright, you all know what to do. Remember, just because Ellis is a woman doesn''t mean that she''s harmless. She is possibly the most dangerous adversary that you will face. Get close to her only when you think you will have a shot at killing her. Other than that, kill who you can, try to cut their numbers. Move out.¡± The company all split apart immediately, covering the entire organisation. The alarm stopped wailing, signalling the beginning of the battle. Two agents made their way down a corridor and saw their enemies pop out suddenly. They did not seem surprised and quickly gunned them down without hesitation. They stepped over their corpses and continued forward. A small group of henchmen quietly stepped through the maze of rooms, rifles in their hands. They saw some agents come towards them from around a corner and a small gunfight commenced. One henchman died as his rifle jammed and he was gunned down. The rest of the agents were unlucky as the bullets tore through their uniforms. They collapsed to the floor and the henchmen continued forward. Suddenly, something heavy landed on the floor, rolling towards them. The henchmen stopped and looked down, just as the grenade exploded a second later, tearing them apart. Blood splattered all over the walls and their limbs fell to the floor as the corridor was filled with smoke, cracking the walls apart. The agents came out from around the corner and continued forward through the gore, unfazed by the nauseating sight. Ellis crept around, her sword in her hand. Turning a corner, she saw two agents walking along, their backs to her. She quickly stepped over to them, her footsteps as light as air. She suddenly rammed her sword through the first agent''s back and turned, using his corpse as a shield against the second agent''s bullets. She drew her sword out and thrust it upwards, piercing the point into his chin and out of his skull. Ellis drew her blade out and let the corpse fall to the floor. She continued forward, looking for more enemies to kill. A small group of henchmen fought against their enemies, gunning them down. They crept around once the agents were dead and went through a door, coming to a large room. Suddenly, a gunshot rang out and one henchman dropped to the floor. The agents came out from their hiding spots and a gunfight ensued. The henchmen fired their pistols and one of them fired his revolver, pulling down the hammer every time with a single swipe of his palm. The agents fired their pistols and one of them dropped to the ground as a bullet passed through his face. Another henchman died and a couple of seconds later, another joined him. An agent died as a bullet pierced his heart. The remaining agents unleashed their fury and killed the last henchmen, riddling his chest with lead. Suddenly, everything was quiet and they stood in place, the barrels of their guns smoking. The last two agents looked at each other and nodded to one another, continuing forward. The Undertaker slowly paced up and down his domain, having no weapons to fight with. Suddenly, there came a loud banging. He snapped his head towards the door as it suddenly crashed open. The agent went to fire at him, but his gun merely clicked. The Undertaker laughed, amused. Snarling, the agent threw away his empty gun and strode up to him. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Now that''s more like it!¡± The Undertaker said to him loudly. He gestured to his enemy with his hands, telling him to come and face him. ¡°Let''s see what you''ve got!¡± Both combatants raised their fists and proceeded to circle each other like wolves. Suddenly, the agent threw a punch that the Undertaker easily dodged. He delivered a counter attack, punching the agent in the cheek. The agent shook it off and delivered a punch that the Undertaker dodged again. But he did not anticipate the second punch and it landed into the side of his head, rocking him. He spun, almost collapsing and the agent suddenly grabbed him, pushing him. The Undertaker staggered and tried to regain momentum, but couldn''t and fell into the vat of acid. He screamed in a voice that was not his own as the solution ate away at his apron and skin. The agent looked on in horror, not believing what he was seeing. The Undertaker''s blood bubbled away and his skin melted. His blood-curdling scream was cut short and he floated on the acid, which was nothing more than a bubbling pool of blood, skin and bones. Earl sat at a desk in his operating theatre, staring at the door. Suddenly, it crashed open and he held his hands up as the agents prepared to fire at him. They all surrounded him and one of them slung his gun onto his shoulder, went to arrest him. Suddenly, Earl jumped up, grabbing a hammer in one hand and an autopsy breadknife in the other. He smashed the hammer into one of the agents, breaking his neck and then smashed it into another agent¡¯s face, killing him instantly. The agent''s face caved in, deformed beyond recognition as his skull splintered and his skin ripped apart. Blood splashed onto Earl''s face. He spun, slashing a throat open and then spun once more, killing yet another agent. He stuck the claw end of the hammer under the last agent¡¯s chin, causing it to protrude out from his mouth and then swiftly drew it out, tearing the agent¡¯s jaw from one of its hinges, ripping it apart. The corpse dropped to the ground. Suddenly, there came the sound of running footsteps and some more agents arrived. They saw the scene of carnage and the pond of blood that covered the floor. One agent retched at the sight and doubled over, vomiting. The blood-splattered inquisitor spread his arms out, silently telling them to face him. He grinned a crazed and bloody smile like the psychopath that he was. The agents aimed their guns at him and let out a barrage of bullets. Earl¡¯s body jerked and jarred about violently as blood splattered all over the place. The agents stopped firing and Earl dropped to the floor, bleeding out from the magnitude of bullet wounds. The agents turned away from the scene of slaughter and continued forward. Ellis slashed away at her enemies, blood flying all around her. Suddenly, an agent jumped out, stabbing her in the chest. Ellis gasped. Having gotten over the shock in two seconds, she swiftly killed the agent, drawing the length of her blade across his neck. He collapsed to the floor as his head fell back, his throat opening up like a red purse. Ellis drew the knife out, seething, and dropped it. Gasping, she limped away from the fight and retreated. She dragged herself along the wall and made her way down a flight of stairs. Opening a heavy metal door, she closed it behind herself and slid the large latch shut, locking herself inside. Grabbing a dusty bottle of rum from a shelf, she uncorked it and slid down against the wall. She took a swig and then looked down at her wound, still feeling the hot blood soaking into her suit. She took another large gulp of the rum and then stared at the bottle, at her dull reflection, suddenly rethinking her life choices. Chapter 25 - Pain Ellis sat at her desk in the dark hours once more, drinking expensive scotch. Her suit hung from the backrest of her throne and her waistcoat was open, her tie undone. Her shirt buttons were all open, herself trying to overcome the fever that her stress was giving her. The almost mortal stab wound that she had sustained was neatly stitched up, scarring her for what remainder of life she had left. Her odds were not looking good, but still, she had to fight on and win at whatever cost. Pulvis had to survive. For her father. A single bead of sweat slowly dripped down her forehead. She took a sip of the whisky and put the glass down onto the table. She sighed as she leaned back in her armchair, placing one of her elbows down onto the armrest, pressing two fingers to her temple. Images suddenly flashed in front of her eyes ¨C scenes of the pain and horror that she had miraculously endured during those brutal battles. The god of death was not done with her yet and there was more bloodshed to come. She had to prepare immediately. She had to leave the past behind and move forward, but could not, however hard she tried. She still could not comprehend the horrendous thought that her father, her only family, was now gone. Fate had taken him by the throat and refused to let go as it dragged him down into the depths of Hell. He had guided her through all those years, trained her, made her the woman that she was now. There was no way of getting him back and she was all alone. Maybe that was her destiny. To be alone. Everyone that got near her ended up either captured or killed. More images of horror flashed by her, filling her ears with the damned screams of the dead ¨C the scenes of the blood splattered corridors, the mountains of fresh bodies that infested them, looking like the aftermath of a world war one battle. Travelling through swirling tunnel visions, she realised that the tunnel only grew darker and colder as she dived further and further into the pit of hollering agony. She wondered when the pain would stop haunting her life and blaming her. But then again, she was to blame for everything that had happened to her subordinates. Their deaths were on her head. They stained her conscience like ink splotches on a white sheet. She had fallen too far to even tell if she was dead or alive, wondering if the battles were real or just instruments of an inescapable purgatory. Their blood-stained corpses were chasing after her, constantly reminding her that it was all her fault. Wiping away a single rolling tear, she grabbed her glass and swallowed a large gulp, drowning her pain and sorrows in drink. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Chapter 26 - The Last Option The agents returned to MI5, their mission complete. The main leaders of the operation stood at the office door. One of them knocked on it. ¡°Enter.¡± The chief called out. They stepped inside. ¡°So? How did it go?¡± ¡°Pulvis is no threat to us anymore.¡± One of them said. Suddenly, the chief¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Is that so? How can you be sure?¡± ¡°Artificis is dead. They have no leader to call upon.¡± ¡°And what about Ellis? I trust that she is dead as well?¡± Once he saw the hesitation in their eyes, his smile disappeared, replaced with disappointment. ¡°You left her alive, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°She¡¯s heavily wounded, she¡¯s going to bleed out and die. She probably has by now.¡± ¡°And how do you know that there isn¡¯t a doctor operating on her right now? You do understand how the power hierarchy works, right?¡± The agents all looked at one another with a slight terror on their faces. ¡°You had her!¡± He shouted, his eyebrows twisting. ¡°You had Artificis¡¯ assistant right there, and you let her get away! Why didn¡¯t you just shoot her for God¡¯s sake?!¡± He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and then rubbed his eyes with both fingers. ¡°Alright...alright.¡± He said quietly and then opened his eyes. ¡°Listen, here is what I want you to do. Get the hell out of here, do whatever the hell it is that you do. Pulvis is not your concern anymore. I have no choice but to go to our last option. Do I make myself clear?¡± Both agents quickly nodded and then turned, leaving the office without saying another word. The chief sighed and stood up from his desk, walking out of his office. The chief drove into the empty underground car park and parked his car, got out. He walked over to a lift and pressed the button. The lift doors opened up and he stepped inside. The elevator contained no buttons. He reached into his trouser pocket, drawing out a set of keys and stuck one into a round keyhole, turned it. The lift doors closed and he took the key out, put it back into his trousers. The lift proceeded to travel downwards and soon stopped. The doors in front of his face opened up and he was greeted by a single long corridor. He walked down it and stood at a metal door with no handle. A single red light glowed above it. Opening a gamewell, he took the phone and put it to his ear, pressed a single button. ¡°19 organisations merged into four and two shall be forever hidden.¡± He simply said. The light suddenly buzzed and turned green. The chief put the phone back onto its hook, closing the gamewell, and pushed the door open. He let it swing close behind himself and entered the hidden organisation. There were a small number of people working on computers and the place looked virtually empty. The organisation was only reserved for the elite of the elite. The top two percent. The chief walked over to a door and opened it. He walked down a corridor with rows of doors on either side. Echoing screams could be heard. Suddenly, the crack of a bone could be heard and an agonising scream followed. The chief continued forward, unfazed, and opened up another door, entering a small room. A woman sat at a desk, lacquering her fingernails. She looked up at him. Putting down the small brush, she pressed a button on the intercom. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°The chief of MI5 is here to see you.¡± She said. ¡°Send him in.¡± A voice on the other side replied. The chief looked at her. ¡°How did you know I was here to see him?¡± The secretary looked up at him. ¡°There is only one reason you would visit a place such as this.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Was all the chief said, and then walked over to the door, opening it. He closed it behind himself and entered the brightly lit office. A man in an expensive suit sat behind a desk. He looked up at him as the chief sat down opposite him. ¡°What brings you back to MI18?¡± He asked. ¡°I have a bit of a predicament and I have no choice left.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± ¡°Artificis is dead.¡± The chief''s eyes lit up with sheer excitement. ¡°This is excellent news! Pulvis is done for! This deserves a drink!¡± He stood up from his seat and briskly walked over to a cabinet, opening it up. He quickly poured two glasses of expensive cognac and handed one of them to his friend. He took it and the chief of MI18 clinked his glass to his friend''s. He took a single swig, but his friend stayed still, slightly annoyed. He put the glass down onto the desk, not touching a drop. ¡°You did not let me finish. Artificis is dead, but now Ellis has taken over the organisation.¡± ¡°I''m sorry?¡± He asked, his eyes widening, his face not believing what it had just heard. ¡°Our plan just went from worse to catastrophic. Artificis may have been dangerous, but if Ellis gets riled, she will become the most dangerous woman in existence. We need to take care of her and I do not have the resources to. That''s why I need your help. I have lost 308 agents.¡± The chief looked at him solemnly. ¡°Christ, I¡¯m sorry to hear that. What do you want me to do? Kill her?¡± ¡°Yes, but not just yet. We need information. If we are to do this correctly, we need a plan.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll send out a double agent.¡± ¡°That will have to do for now.¡± Chapter 27 - Agents Of Dust The double agent of MI18 walked along the pavement, making his way towards Pulvis. Suddenly, something caught his eye. Ellis walked up to him, not seeming interested in him, her eyes on the path in front of her. She was healed up and her suit seemed to be brand new with not a stitch in sight. She walked by the double agent. ¡°Populus enim pulvis.¡± He suddenly said. Within an instant, Ellis spun and grabbed him by the shirt, dragging him into an alleyway. Dragging him behind a large bin, she pushed him against the wall, both hands clenching his collar. ¡°Start talking.¡± She snarled at him, her eyes in fury. ¡°Who the hell are you and how do you know about Pulvis?¡± ¡°MI5 sent me to Pulvis to make sure that the job is done, but I want to turn against them.¡± He told her plainly, not seeming threatened in the slightest. Ellis scoffed at him. ¡°Turn against MI5? Don''t make me laugh.¡± The double agent did not crack one smile. ¡°I''m being serious. I have all the intel that you could ever want. I can help you continue your operations undetected. MI5 won''t have a clue. You''ll be a literal ghost. Besides, they have no interest in you anymore.¡± ¡°And why is that, pray tell?¡± ¡°They think that they have won. You are free from risk and you can do as you please. With Artificis dead, you might need some help in your new position. I could be very useful to you.¡± ¡°You just told me that MI5 sent you to Pulvis.¡± ¡°Like I said, they sent me to Pulvis to make sure that the job is done. They sent me to confirm your death. Besides, they will not be suspicious of me being gone for a few days. They''ll think that I am tying up some loose ends. Besides, if you didn¡¯t need me, you would have killed me by now.¡± Ellis stared at him for a couple of seconds and slowly, her face slackened and turned neutral. She released the double agent. ¡°Welcome to Pulvis.¡± The double agent wandered around the illegal organisation, gathering any information that he could get his eyes on. He went through drawers, through cupboards and filing cabinets. They were filled with blackmail letters, debts and the one or two odd ransom notes. The still, quiet air disturbed him. No one spoke, no bustle of footsteps could be heard. The organisation seemed to be deserted, with only a few people working away at computers. Where had everyone disappeared to? Were they planning to ambush him? Had they already found out? Walking down a corridor, he heard a lively scene. Some music seemed to be playing and there were the faint sounds of conversations and laughter. Curiosity getting the better of him, he followed the noise, coming up to a door. He stood at it, hesitating. ¡°Hey!¡± A voice from behind him suddenly said. The double agent jumped at the intruder and turned around. A henchman looked at him, dressed in a sharp, grey suit. ¡°Are you going in or what?¡± He asked with a slightly confused face. ¡°Oh, yes, of course.¡± The double agent answered, stumbling over his words slightly. He pushed the door open and entered a large room. The henchman walked by him, making his way to a bar. The double agent looked around at the spectacle, not believing his eyes. The room was a giant club, complete with all the necessities. Club music blared from the huge speakers and there was a lit dance floor, some drunk henchmen on it, showing off their moves. Some others were drinking the night away, discussing things, sharing jokes and stories. A DJ blasted the music from his giant deck. A stripper danced erotically for her few clients, giving them a show, pleasing the tails in between their legs. Then the double agent spotted Ellis, sitting in a large, comfortable armchair, a brandy glass of calvados in her hand. He had to admit, she looked like a kingpin. Everyone was willing to fight by her side and sacrifice themselves for her in a heartbeat. It was such a drastic change ¨C and one that scared him. Now that Artificis was dead, there was no one to hold her back from exacting her darkest and most brutal of desires. Her full potential was finally unleashed. The agent walked over to the bar and sat down at the far end, away from all the others. The bartender stepped over to him. ¡°What will it be?¡± He asked. ¡°A glass of your finest single malt Scotch please.¡± The double agent replied. The bartender opened up an expensive looking bottle and poured him a glass. He pushed the short tumbler over to him and he took it. ¡°How much will that be?¡± The bartender suddenly laughed, amused at the simple question. ¡°You''re funny, I like you.¡± Suddenly, there was a crash, a glass breaking, and the bartender snapped his head towards the sound. One henchman had another by his collar, ready to punch him. ¡°Hey! Come on, knock it off!¡± He yelled at them angrily, stepping over to them. He separated them both. The double agent blinked, wondering what on Earth had just happened. Suddenly, there was a punch and a henchman went sliding across the polished bar, falling off the other side. Some more punches landed as two henchmen brawled against one another. The bartender went to separate them, but another two henchmen fought against one another, starting a full-scale bar fight. The bartender waved his hand, giving up, and instead went back behind his bar, leaning against the wall. He crossed his arms and instead enjoyed the show. The four henchmen brawled against each other and one of them went sprawling to the floor. Two of the henchmen fought against one, but he did not seem to mind that he was outnumbered and instead dodged a punch. He landed a kick to his opponent''s side and then spun, delivering a punch to his second opponent''s cheek. He collapsed to the floor and did not move. The second opponent got up and went to throw a punch, but his fist was caught in his opponent''s hand. His opponent delivered a headbutt to his nose and he fell to the floor. Dodging an attack, the henchman took care of his last opponent, punching him in the jaw. He dropped to the floor and did not move. The victorious fighter fixed up his suit and tie and sat back down at his seat. He took his whiskey and finished it in a single gulp. All of a sudden, the bartender began clapping in a steady rhythm. ¡°Encore, encore.¡± He said without emotion, his face deadpan. The victorious fighter raised his empty glass to him. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°You may be the boss of Pulvis, but you are not Artificis.¡± A voice suddenly said. Ellis turned her head to the henchman that stood there. ¡°No, of course not.¡± She replied in a matter-of-fact tone. Her voice then immediately turned hard as her smile dropped, her eyes containing a hidden fury. ¡°I¡¯m much worse.¡± The henchman did not seem the slightest bit intimidated. ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh. Artificis actually got things done, you just sit around waiting for something to happen.¡± One henchman looked at his colleague and shook his head subtly. ¡°Don¡¯t antagonise her.¡± He whispered to him. ¡°She¡¯s not going to do anything. The best use that she has is fucking double agen¨C¡± Suddenly, Ellis jumped up, a flash of steel in her hand. The agent cursed, his eyes widening in abject horror. She plunged the dagger into her target''s eye and brought him to the floor. The club music suddenly stopped and all that was heard were the shrieks of agony. Everyone looked on in shock as she got on top of the screaming man, proceeded with wrenching the dagger about, proceeded with cutting his eyes out. The henchman thrashed about as blood poured down his face, but Ellis kept a firm grip on him as she cut out his other eye. She then got off of him and stood up, panting, a crazed look in her eye. The blind man screamed, but slowly his scream turned into a whimper. Two henchmen ran over to him and grabbed his arms, quickly dragged him away. Ellis sat back down at her throne, stabbing the bloody dagger into the arm. She closed her eyes and sighed, composing herself. Some henchmen looked at her uneasily, trying to avoid her gaze. Ellis opened her eyes and grabbed her glass, drinking some of the brandy. ¡°Hey, Ellis!¡± A voice suddenly called out. She looked up at the henchman, a quiet anger in her eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sing for us?¡± She suddenly smiled, the rage instantly disappearing from her face. ¡°No, I don''t think I could.¡± She said, immediately calm, acting like she hadn''t mutilated a man mere seconds ago. ¡°It''s been a while.¡± ¡°Come on! Surely you still have that beautiful voice of yours? What do we think guys?!¡± Suddenly, everyone cheered. They began clapping in unison, chanting her name. Giving in to their demand, Ellis stood up and everyone cheered once more. She walked over to the stage, standing by the mic. One henchman with long, wild hair stood next to her, an electric guitar in his hands. Another stood to her other side with a bass guitar. A drummer with an afro took his seat behind her. Ellis leaned into the microphone. ¡°This is a song I like to call, Agents Of Dust.¡± The crowd cheered for a couple of seconds and then quieted down as the drummer started the music. The guitarists joined in with the tune and soon, the concert was in full swing. In London streets You''re in for a scare There''s a monster lurking about With no life to spare Run or hide, it''s really of no use Do what you can We''ll still get to you! We are the agents of dust And we are coming after you There¡¯s nowhere to run There¡¯s nowhere to hide So what can you really do? We control your dreams We control your fears Everything you will send at us We will soon push back Missile or gun We will counter attack Try all you can, you will never stop us! We are the agents of dust And we are coming after you There¡¯s nowhere to run There¡¯s nowhere to hide So what can you really do? The electric guitarist stepped up to the edge of the stage and played his solo, shredding the metal strings. The crowd cheered crazily. We are the agents of dust And we are coming after you There¡¯s nowhere to run There¡¯s nowhere to hide So what can you really do? We are the agents of dust And we are coming after you There¡¯s nowhere to run There¡¯s nowhere to hide So what can you really do? Chapter 28 - The Beginning 25 Years Ago... The man walked down the street in the quiet afternoon, the heels of his perfectly polished shoes clicking away. There were a few people, all heading home for the night. A few glanced at him with a slight look of horror on their faces whilst others avoided eye contact altogether. He struck fear and anxiety wherever he went, piercing sharp terror into the hearts of whoever was unfortunate enough to lay eyes upon him. How he loved that feeling. It gave him a tingling warmness in his chest, but that was still not enough to melt his solid heart of ice. The man suddenly stopped, something catching his eye. He entered the fencing club and hung up his long coat and hat. He stood by the small crowd of proud parents and observed the children duelling against one another, their dull rapiers clanking and clashing against each other. His eye caught sight of a young girl and he watched in interest as she countered every move that her opponent made with extraordinary skill. She did not allow any attack to get past her. She retaliated with her attacks, giving him no chance of survival if it was a real duel to the death. The man nodded. ¡°She''s good.¡± The other man next to him smiled. ¡°She''s my daughter.¡± ¡°You must be proud to raise a child like that.¡± ¡°I am.¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. After observing for a little while more, the newcomer turned, making his way to the doors. He quickly and silently did the latches shut. No one paid any attention to him, not knowing the horror that was creeping up to them. Reaching into his coat, the man drew a samurai sword out and made his way over to the crowd. The gleaming blade took a head and the hall was filled with screams of horror and panic. The madman proceeded to slaughter anyone that tried to escape from his mad clutches of death. A child tripped and he brought the blade down onto their fragile little back with no remorse. Bodies fell onto one another and the floor became slick with blood. A few horrific moments went by and the hall was filled with silence. The man panted lightly, getting his breath back, and walked over to a mirror. He reached into his suit, taking out a handkerchief, and wiped his face clean of the blood splatters. Once he was done, he walked back over to his trench coat. He put it on, hiding his sword and blood splattered suit. He buttoned it up and put his wide-brimmed hat on, walked over to the whimpering little girl in the middle of the carnage. She looked up at him in abject fear, streams of tears rolling down her cheeks, her entire body trembling like a twig in a storm. The mass murderer stooped down in front of her. ¡°Don''t worry,¡± He told her gently. ¡°you are safe now. They were bad people and it was wrong of you to trust them. I will take care of you. I shall raise you as my own.¡± The little girl wiped her tears and slowly got a hold of her nerves, stupidly deciding to trust the maniac. The man picked her up in his arms and began to walk out, leaving the stomach churning crime scene. ¡°What is your name, my sweet child?¡± ¡°Ellis.¡± The one-eyed man gave her a kind smile through his split lips. ¡°Call me Artificis.¡± Chapter 29 - The News Present Day... Two agents of MI5 exited the organisation and went along the paths of London, discussing their predicament. ¡°So it seems that MI18 has entered the game.¡± ¡°Indeed. I have a feeling that this is going to be a slaughter. If they get through, Pulvis is done for.¡± ¡°What about the double agent?¡± ¡°How are you so sure that he¡¯s a double agent?¡± ¡°Come on, no one wanders about there without good reason. He may be good, but he¡¯s not perfect. No one in their right mind would quit MI18 just like that.¡± He snapped his fingers. ¡°Not even Ellis'' blood money can replace his benefits.¡± The agent nodded. ¡°She needs to know. We can''t let him spread any more information to either organisation.¡± ¡°So it is settled then.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The two double agents stood outside a pair of double doors and one of them knocked on it. ¡°Enter.¡± Called out the voice of Ellis. The double agent opened one of the doors and they both stepped inside. His friend closed the door behind himself and they both walked up to her. Ellis sat at a long oak table, eating her lunch. She put down her utensils and dabbed her mouth with a napkin. ¡°Well?¡± She asked them, putting down the napkin in its place. ¡°What news do you have of MI5?¡± ¡°They have sent a double agent and he is here right now.¡± One of them said. Upon hearing the news, Ellis'' eyebrows bent themselves in anger. ¡°You fools, must I do everything myself?¡± She asked in a disappointed tone. ¡°There is also something else.¡± The second agent said. ¡°MI18 is also spying on us.¡± Ellis suddenly banged her fist on the table, causing the plate to rattle slightly. She jumped up and pointed at him, her eyes in an unholy fury. ¡°Say that again!¡± She roared. ¡°Don''t fucking bullshit me! MI18 is nothing but an empty building!¡± ¡°They exist.¡± The second agent said, doing his best to show that he was not intimidated. ¡°They specialise in torturing and killing criminals. We haven''t been there, but I overheard the chief saying something about MI18 joining the fight against us. We need to prepare.¡± Ellis slowly put her hand down and stood still for a couple of seconds, hesitating. She suddenly snapped her hand at them. ¡°Leave me. Go and do whatever it is that you want to, but just leave me.¡± Within exactly two seconds, both double agents turned around and exited the room, closing the door behind themselves. Ellis put her hands on her hips and sighed, shaking her head. Chapter 30 - Seductions Having got the information that she needed from numerous eyewitnesses and security footage, Ellis quickly tracked down the double agent. She looked down at the large crowd of office workers that tapped away at their keyboards and spotted her target. She saw him working away at a computer ¨C or at least he made it look like he was working. Either way, it did not matter. His undercover ploy was nearing its inevitable end. She walked up to him and he looked up at her. ¡°Ma''am.¡± He addressed her. ¡°Come, ¡± She said, gesturing with her head. ¡°I would like to discuss a matter with you in private.¡± The double agent stood up from his seat and followed after her without one question asked. They went down the corridors and Ellis opened up a door, entering her bedroom. The double agent blinked in confusion, looking around the all-too-lavish chamber. Ellis closed the door, allowing no distractions to get through. The double agent looked at her, still trying to make sense of the peculiar situation. ¡°What is this? Why have you brought me here?¡± He asked her, frowning ever so slightly. ¡°Shh.¡± She said to him seductively, putting a finger to his lips. His eyes widened at the sudden move, it being the last thing that he expected her to do. ¡°Allow me to take away some of that stress from you.¡± ¡°I''m sorry?¡± He asked her like he had no idea what was going on. But Ellis knew better. After all, it wasn¡¯t her first time. She gave him a little smile, her eyebrows jumping up and down sexily. ¡°Come on, be grateful. It''s not everyday that I invite someone over here. Enjoy the moment. Besides,¡± She whispered, leaning into his ear, running a nail under his chin slowly. ¡°I''m quite horny at the moment.¡± ¡°Yes, ma''am.¡± He said, over ecstatic with the situation that he was so suddenly brought into. Ellis ripped his coat off, instantly throwing it down onto the floor. She stripped the rest of his clothes away to his surprise and then proceeded to strip herself naked, throwing down her clothes one by one until there was nothing but bare skin left. The agent could not believe what was happening but went along with the scenario nonetheless. A few minutes of fun was going to be no danger to him. He could kill her once they were done. She would be too exhausted to fight back anyway. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Lay down,¡± Ellis told him. ¡°just relax.¡± The agent crawled along the bed and laid down on it, enjoying the treatment. She took his cock and proceeded to tug at it. Once it stuck itself up into the air, she wrapped her lips around it and began to suck it slowly, coating it. The agent shuddered in pleasure, melting into the bed, overjoyed with the sexual ecstasy. Ellis rolled onto her back and looked at him. She gestured with her head and without hesitating, he got on top of her and stuck himself inside her. Ellis gasped lightly as he thrusted his length in and out of her, slowly picking up the pace. They both groaned as the pleasure coursed through them. The agent closed his eyes, trying to contain the euphoria rushing through him. Ellis opened up her eyes and looked to her right, at the bedside table. She reached out her hand and grabbed the small knife that was on it. With two swift motions, she slashed at his throat. The skin opened up like a red purse, the deep wound exposing its insides. The agent gasped, snapping his eyes open, too late in realising what he had been dragged into. A thick waterfall of blood splashed down all over Ellis¡¯ face and neck, covering her, ruining her perfect white sheets. The agent¡¯s corpse dropped on top of her and she pushed him away, heaving, letting him land on the floor with a dull thud. She got up and looked down at his bleeding body, panting slightly as the pool of blood grew larger. She licked her lips, spitting some blood onto the floor. Suddenly, the door crashed open and two henchmen burst in. They instantly stopped as they were presented with Ellis¡¯ bare arse. An odd, but beautiful sight to be sure. The next thing that caught their eyes two seconds later was the fresh corpse that still bled like a stuck pig. Ellis slowly turned around and they saw the ghastly state that she was in. Having gotten over the shocking sight in a second, they reached behind themselves, drawing out daggers, and ran for her. Instantly getting the message, she fought against them. She killed the first agent easily, slicing his throat open, but received a deep slash to her arm, not being able to stop two attacks at once. Seething, bleeding, she swiped her arm out, immediately parrying the second attack, giving him no time for thought. With her life force still pouring out of her arm with every pump of her heart, she plunged the dagger into his eye, quickly finishing him off. Releasing the weapon, she let the corpse collapse to the floor. Ellis looked at the three dead bodies and panted, a half-closed eye twitching, herself at the edge of madness. Chapter 31 - The Assassins The chief of MI18 rapped his fingers on his desk, waiting for a report, waiting for some good news. He looked at his watch and realised that some time had passed. He looked down at his desk and shook his head, hoping to himself that he was wrong. Standing up, he reached into his suit and drew out his phone. Calling a number, he walked off. The phone rang and rang. Ellis looked down at the ringing phone, still naked and covered in dried blood, standing in the large pool of the bodily fluid. With a bloody hand, she reached into the corpse¡¯s uniform and drew out the phone. She answered it. ¡°Please, for the love of God, tell me that she¡¯s dead.¡± The chief said desperately. ¡°Nope.¡± Ellis replied nonchalantly. ¡°You!¡± He suddenly shouted angrily, stopping in place. ¡°How did you get a hold of this phone?!¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re the chief of MI18, huh?¡± The chief said nothing. ¡°I thought that you guys didn¡¯t exist, that you just built the organisation but never found a use for it. But it seems that I was wrong. You little fuckers have been killing off my employees one by one.¡± ¡°Someone has to take care of matters. After all, we can¡¯t let a psychopath dominate the country. Now listen here, you can either surrender and turn yourself in, or I will wage war against you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re bluffing.¡± The chief chuckled as he stepped over to an employee on a computer, amused by the two words. ¡°Lady, we have a room that we specifically use to execute criminals. Do you really think that you will be a match for me?¡± He tapped the employee on the shoulder and then gestured to the phone to his ear and then to the computer. The worker instantly got to the task of tracing the call. ¡°Listen here, Miss Silver. Surrender now and I will make sure to not have you executed. You will receive a fair trial. How about that for a deal?¡± ¡°Fuck your deal.¡± She suddenly said and took the phone from her ear, snapping it in half. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Hello? Hello?!¡± He took his phone from his ear and saw that the call was disconnected. ¡°Bitch!¡± He shouted angrily. He looked over to the employee, his face instantly neutral. ¡°Please tell me that you managed to make a trace.¡± ¡°No. She broke the connection before I could pinpoint it.¡± The chief roared, cursing. Suddenly, he calmed down a bit, sighing heavily. ¡°Alright, no matter. We still know where Pulvis is. If things get too out of hand, we can still infiltrate it.¡± The chief walked down a corridor and came up to a metal door. He banged his fist on it. ¡°Ghostflake!¡± He called out. Quickly, the metal slot in the door opened up. An eye looked at him, completely black. The man may have suffered from aniridia, but he could still see his enemies, as clear as day. His other eye was gone, a black eyepatch covering it. ¡°What do you want?¡± Ghostflake snarled, maddened that his alone time had been disturbed. ¡°I have got a target for you.¡± The slot closed up and there was a loud clunk as the door opened up. Ghostflake looked at him. He was a tall, thin man dressed in a white shirt, his sleeves rolled up. His white pinstripe suit was hung up behind him. His hair was white and messy, stuck up at odd angles. He crossed his arms, flexing out his toned physique. ¡°Who is this target?¡± ¡°Ellis Silver.¡± ¡°The right-hand woman of Pulvis?¡± ¡°Not anymore. Artificis is dead and she has taken over. She needs to be taken care of. If she dies, Pulvis will fall once and for all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to need my partner with me.¡± ¡°Of course, anything.¡± Ghostflake unfolded his arms and rolled down his sleeves, buttoning them up. He turned around and threw his suit on. Grabbing the longsword that was laid against the wall, he walked out of his room, closing the door. He stepped up to the metal door opposite him and rapped his knuckle against it. The slot opened, but then as quickly as it had, it closed back up again. One glance was enough to know the situation. The door opened and there stood a woman, also dressed in a white pinstripe suit. Her hair was long and brown, tied up into a ponytail. The assassin nodded to her. ¡°Miss Cantankerous.¡± ¡°Ghostflake.¡± She greeted him back, nodding to him. Without asking what the situation was, she turned and walked over to her weapon, grabbing her Canadian Artillery Officer¡¯s sword. The scabbard was crafted from steel and the grip was woven with metal. It may have been just under two centuries old, but it was one of the finest blades in history and still knew how to do its job. ¡°Take care of Ellis Silver.¡± The chief told them. ¡°Decapitate her for all I care, I just want her dead, do I make myself clear?¡± Both assassins nodded and then made their way out to take care of their target. Chapter 32 - The Infiltration Ellis groaned, waking up from her stressed slumber. She sat at the edge of the bed and reached for the bedside lamp, switching it on. She looked at the clock, seeing that it was three in the morning. Sighing, she hooked back the loose strands of hair behind her ears and adjusted the lamp, letting the light hit the wall, and stood up. She stepped over to the illuminated board that had numerous documents and pins on it. She had minimal information on MI18 and things were going from bad to worse. Numbers were being quickly cut and defences were being slowly disabled. Her situation was growing more dire by the passing hour. Her mind raced about as she tried to find a way to survive the war that was to come. The fights that she had faced so far were nothing but small skirmishes. It was only when the double agent arrived that both organisations had decided to unleash their full potential. This was something that she had to plan out meticulously. After all, one small slip could kill her. They were evenly matched, but the organisation against her may have had a small upper hand, and that was enough for them. If she would make a blunder, even a tiny one, Pulvis would be brought down in one fell swoop. This was not trench warfare anymore, it was mountain warfare. There were no stalemates and every slight move mattered. Now was not the time to play games. Switching the light off and craning it back into its original position, she climbed back into bed and pulled the covers over herself, quickly falling into the comforting arms of Morpheus. The metal floor suddenly echoed out, some slow, steady footsteps making their way through the room. Ellis did not wake from her sleep, knowing that there was no danger. The intruder stepped up to her bed and looked down at her, leaving a non-existent shadow over her sleeping figure. Dark, crusted blood covered his hands and face, turning him into a ghastly spectacle. His ruined suit was riddled with stab wounds and soaked in blood that had long since dried itself into the fabric. Artificis crossed his arms and stared down at his adopted daughter, his scarred face blank. Without looking up or opening her eyes, Ellis chuckled, a sly smile creeping up onto her lips. ¡°Are you proud of me now?¡± She asked the living nightmare. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The morning had broken through and Ghostflake and Miss Cantankerous arrived at Pulvis, prepared to attack. They ventured down into the earthen pit and through the corridor. Ted grabbed his coffee and took a sip, staring at the monitors. He suddenly spat out his drink and put the mug down, moved his head forward an inch, his eyes not believing what they were seeing. He caught another screen in his peripheral vision and then suddenly began to laugh, clapping to himself like a seal, greatly amused. Ghostflake opened up the door when instantly, there was a gunshot. Both assassins ducked back behind cover, pressing their backs to either side of the corridor, using what little space they had. The employees pointed their guns at the doorway, prepared to fire. Suddenly, there came a cold cackling. Ellis moved past her soldiers and looked at the doorway. ¡°Did MI18 really only send two agents?¡± She asked them. ¡°You may be some elitists or something, but you are clearly outnumbered. Let me give you some advice ¨C go back to that secret organisation of yours and gather some agents to help you. Because trust me, if you want a war, then I shall bring you one, but don¡¯t come unarmed. Even I need a challenge every now and then. Killing rookies has become far too tedious for me.¡± Ellis gestured with her hand and her employees lowered their guns. The door closed up and they could hear their footsteps growing fainter and fainter as they retreated. Ellis turned around. ¡°We have to prepare our defences immediately.¡± She told them. ¡°This will not be some small battle. MI18 is not going to back down that easily. We have to prepare for war.¡± The employees all dashed about, reinforcing doorways, fixing up traps. Others cleaned their guns and counted bullets. Ellis looked down at them all as they scrambled about and simply stared. Chapter 33 - Operations ¡°So?¡± The chief asked. ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°Ellis was prepared.¡± Ghostflake replied. ¡°Negotiations are now completely off the table. She is not going to back down that easily, we have to prepare for war. We need all the men that we can muster and all the weapons that we can find. I¡¯m afraid to say it, but violence is all they know. We have to fight fire with fire.¡± The chief sighed sadly, knowing that there was no other choice in the matter. Trying to think of other negotiations was just a waste of time and energy. From this moment forth, there was no kind talking. Brutalism was their best option. ¡°I feared as much. So be it. Both of you, do what you can, but I want Pulvis brought down. I don¡¯t care how unethical either of your methods are. Ghostflake, I am putting you in charge of the agents. Do what you want. You can cut her head off for all I care. Miss Cantankerous, I am placing you as second in command. Offer any advice that you can, I know how well you two work together. If Ellis wants a war, then we shall give her one. Operation Sandman is a go. Strike at zero hour.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Chapter 34 - Sandman Ghostflake led the small company of agents through the empty corridors of Pulvis and quickly, everyone split up into groups, covering every inch of the base. The agents all wore dark military clothing and gas masks, leaving nothing to chance. Who knew what types of weapons and traps they would have laid out this deep into the organisation? They were going in blind and had to use every precaution necessary to succeed. They all stalked through the corridors quickly and carefully like cats, their boots making no noise, their speedy footsteps as light as the still air around them. One agent stepped up to a door and slowly took the handle, opening it quietly. He held up a fist. The squad immediately stopped and froze in place. He tiptoed into the sleeping quarters, looking around cautiously and then swept his hand forward, issuing the silent order. The rest followed after him like ghosts. They all drew their knives out and stood by the beds of the slumbering employees, each one picking a target. One employee stirred awake and saw the gas masked agent right above him. The agent put a finger to his mask and quickly plunged the knife into his neck before he had time to cry out. The rest of the agents killed their targets and they all died silently, not a single sound to be heard except for the small gurgling as they choked on their blood. One of the agents gestured and they left the silent scene of death, moving forward. Another team exited from the quarters, also being successful in killing their targets, knives marked with red. The death toll was quickly racking up and the scales were tipping in favour of the agents. Ted slumbered away at the monitors, not being aware of the infiltration that was displayed clearly on his screens. The door behind him opened up quietly and an agent crept up behind him. He grabbed his forehead, forcing his head up, and drew the knife across his neck in a split second, not giving him time to yelp. A long line of blood splattered itself across the monitor. Ted gasped in quiet agony, choking on his own blood. He went to reach for the alarm, but the agent quickly finished him off, plunging the dagger into his neck, severing one of his jugular veins. Ted died a couple of seconds later, slumping down in his seat, soaking blood into his suit. Ellis stirred, waking up from her slumber. She sat at the edge of the bed, her brow furrowed in anger. She sighed and rubbed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. As if she didn¡¯t have enough to deal with, now MI18 were after her. The coming war was eating away at her mind, disturbing her. Her ears suddenly picked up the faintest knocking of boots and she snapped her head upwards, almost missing seeing the dim shadow walk by the crack in her door. She threw on her dressing gown, tying the sash, and grabbed her sword, creeping over to the door. Opening it silently, she crept down the corridor and her shocked eyes were greeted by the ghastly spectacle. She looked for a second at all of the blood soaked beds and the corpses that inhabited them. Turning back to her room, she entered it and pressed a button, activating an alarm. Suddenly everyone sprung into action, grabbing whatever weapon was at hand, and pandemonium ensued. Shots rang out and bullets broke the silent air. Ellis swiped her sword, cutting down any agent that dared to face her. She swung her sword into one agent¡¯s face and grabbed his corpse, using it as a human shield against a bullet. She released it, letting it collapse to the floor and grabbed a fallen gun, shooting down some agents. Confused Pulvis employees fought against the night agents in nothing but their underwear, taking care of them one by one. Ellis sliced through an agent and spun, cutting down another. Her heart raced with adrenaline, her head pounded furiously, her lungs worked overtime. Suddenly, she collapsed to one knee and clutched at her mouth, gagging. Blood dripped through her fingers and onto the floor, her body not being able to take the physical and psychological abuse any longer. It was practically screaming at her to slow down, the years'' worth of sustained injuries and torn muscles finally getting to it. She looked at the patch of fresh blood on her hand and snarled. Mustering up her strength, she heaved herself up and staggered back onto her own two legs once more. A woman in a white pinstripe suit delivered a brutal punch to her target¡¯s throat. The body collapsed, already dead before it had hit the floor. Ellis suddenly saw a giant, gleaming blade cleave through a Pulvis employee''s arm like it was tender beef. He roared in agony for a single second before the blade easily took his head, feeling no resistance whatsoever. The head hit the floor and rolled to a stop at Ellis'' bare feet. The fight suddenly stopped and all was quiet. Ghostflake turned and faced his target. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Ellis Silver.¡± He greeted her, almost sarcastically. ¡°Who are you, an elite agent of MI18?¡± She asked him. He suddenly laughed. ¡°Oh no, I am much worse.¡± He told her with a smile. ¡°So you''re MI18''s assassin. And I''m guessing that brunette there is your sidekick.¡± ¡°Indeed I am.¡± She said, twiddling her elegant fingers at her in a sarcastic greeting. ¡°Miss Cantankerous is the name.¡± She leaned against a wall and crossed her arms, gesturing with her head. ¡°My partner over there is Ghostflake.¡± ¡°Christ, and I thought that Artificis was a dumb name.¡± Ghostflake suddenly began laughing. He looked over to his partner and she too began laughing, suddenly amused by the situation. Ghostflake gestured to Ellis lightly, who frowned, not understanding what was going on. Both agents suddenly ceased their banter as Ghostflake swung at Ellis. She just managed to jump back from the blade, the point slicing through her thin gown. She parried the second attack. They fought against each other, blades clashing in a deadly dance. Ellis stepped back from her enemy, giving herself some space. He suddenly swung at her with such a ferocity that her sword almost juddered out of her hand, sending a shock wave that rippled all through her bones. ¡°Hello?!¡± Ellis yelled out. ¡°A little help here?!¡± Two employees aimed their pistols at their target and fired without thinking. The bullets hit Ghostflake in the arm and he quickly retreated, with Miss Cantankerous by his side. The agents followed after them, leaving the organisation in peace. Ellis panted and turned, making her way back. ¡°Hey!¡± Someone suddenly called out. Ellis stopped and turned around. She looked at her employee. ¡°What?¡± She asked testily. ¡°Have you no shame? You just let most of us get killed by a single infiltration.¡± ¡°No. I do not.¡± Without saying anything else, she turned back towards her original course and walked away. Chapter 35 - The Forest Ellis felt the mattress of her bed, mumbling in her slumber, but suddenly stopped and opened up her eyes. She sat up and looked around, confused out of her wits. In front of her eyes, was a frostbitten forest. The ground was covered in a hill of white brambles and the trees were all bare. Ellis slowly stood up and looked around, suddenly noticing that she was dressed in her suit. Throwing her fedora onto the ground, she rubbed her eyes, not believing the spectacle, and then suddenly slapped herself. The forest still remained intact. She slowly walked through it, the brambles crackling and snapping beneath her shoes. Suddenly, she spotted a skull on the ground, staring back at her, displaying a permanent grin. Then a realisation hit her. It wasn''t brambles that she was standing on ¨C it was a hill of bones. Walking further on, a mountain came into her view. A mountain of skeletons. She staggered back, hitting a tree and ran her hands through her hair, trying to get over the guilt of allowing all of her henchmen to die. She panted, her eyes watering up. After a small moment, she managed to control her breathing and sniffled, calming her broken nerves. Blinking her tears away, she moved forward. That was when she spotted a skeleton in a suit, slumped against a tree. She walked up to it. The white striped suit was torn and eaten away by moths. A fedora laid by the skeleton, torn and battered. Ellis collapsed to her knees and screamed in anguish, realising that it was Frank. She bent over and banged her fist on the broken hill of bones, cursing repeatedly. She placed her palms down and sobbed, quivering like jelly. After a moment, she got up, still on her knees and looked up into the grey sky, controlling her sobs. She staggered back up onto her own two feet once more and walked further. That was when she saw the cliff. Walking up to it, she stood at the very edge and looked down at the bottomless abyss. Putting a foot out, she stepped off into the void. Her hair whipped through the wind tunnel as she plummeted downwards. Suddenly, she gasped, bolting upright in her bed. She ripped away the duvet and sat at the edge of the bed, staring into the dark abyss. The only light in the room came from the air vent in the wall, shining onto her bed. Ellis opened up a small bedside cupboard and grabbed a short tumbler along with a bottle of whisky. She poured herself a portion and stood up, taking a gulp. She proceeded to pace up and down her room, not one shred of emotion present on her face, her mind broken beyond repair. Suddenly, her face contorted into rage. She twisted round and threw the glass, letting it shatter against the wall. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Chapter 36 - Victory Ghostflake and Miss Cantankerous led the company of agents towards Ellis¡¯ house, prepared for the war. Every single agent was clad in a gas mask and dark military uniform, almost akin to a German stormtrooper. They stood outside the decrepit cupboard and Ghostflake swept his hand forward. Within an instant, they all ran down the staircase and dashed down the corridor. Without stopping his charge, the agent leading them all smashed a metal battering ram into the door, splintering its wooden lock. The door swung wide open and they all flooded in like bacteria to an open wound. The employees of Pulvis instantly sprung into action, shooting down their enemies. The end of the war had begun. An agent fired his machine gun, gunning down many of his enemies, but was shot down. Some Pulvis employees arranged themselves into two lines. The first line stood on one knee whilst the second line behind them stood on their two legs. They all fired their rifles, killing a significant portion of the agents. An agent pulled the pin out of a grenade and threw it over to them. It exploded, scattering the firing line everywhere, leaving no survivors. Ghostflake and Miss Cantankerous were the last ones to enter the battle, having let the pawns go first. Within moments, pandemonium occurred. The corridors were quickly filled with blood and bodies from both sides. A trio of agents pursued after their fleeing enemies and barged through the door as it closed up. They stopped in the long empty corridor. They proceeded to creep forward, their guns pointed in front of themselves. Suddenly, numerous vents opened up from either side of them. Freezing air was blasted at them and within seconds, their fingers went numb as they dropped their guns to the floor. One agent collapsed to his knees and grabbed a hold of himself as he tried to stop his body temperature from dropping. Another fainted and hit the ground as his blood pressure dropped rapidly. The third agent saw a door next to him and grabbed the handle, tried to open it. His skin instantly bonded itself onto the freezing metal as he desperately tried to open the door, but it was of no use. Some little moments went by and all three agents were frozen in place. Tiny bits of ice glittered on their frozen skin, making the spectacle both beautiful and ghastly. A trio of agents took their smoke grenades from their belts and threw them into the room. Within seconds, their enemies'' vision was obscured and they quickly took care of them, gunning them down. They emerged from the fog, killing some more of their targets and continued forward, stepping over their corpses. Ellis proceeded forward, cutting down anyone that came her way. She went to swipe at her enemy, but he parried the attack with his katana. She slashed at him again and again, but he deflected every attack that was sent at him and did not seem to be tired. He swiped at her and she just managed to block the blade from taking her head. Ellis suddenly parried an attack and kicked him in the chest. He grunted as he was forced back and his back hit the wall. Ellis dug the point of her blade into his chest and he gurgled as she proceeded to wrench her sword across his skin, cutting him open. Blood ran from his mouth and poured down his mortal wound, it having nowhere else to go. Ellis took her blade out and dug her hand into his chest. With a grin and a gleam of madness in her eyes, she drew his intestines out and held them up in front of his horrified face with her red right hand, panting. A couple of seconds later, he collapsed. Ellis released his organs, letting them splat to the floor and trudged forward, slowly regaining her strength. Some henchmen threw some gas bombs towards their enemy and the toxic smoke billowed out, enveloping them. They relaxed their stance, thinking that they were safe. That was when the bullets passed through their heads and the agents emerged through the fog, unaffected by the poison. Grabbing the tear gas grenades on their belts, they undid the pins and threw them towards their enemies. They constantly blinked, trying to get the irritant out of their eyes, but it was futile and they were gunned down. The war raged on, but a winner was clear. Some henchmen got lucky as they fled the fight, narrowly escaping death. The agents gunned down their remaining targets, not allowing them a shred of mercy. Soon, only one target remained. Ellis slashed away at her enemies, spraying blood everywhere. Her face was splattered in blood, her suit even more so. The blood that covered her right hand had dried, binding itself to her skin. She took an arm, and then a head. Taking a leg, she let the agent fall to the floor and then plunged her blade down into his chest. She drew her sword out and continued with her reign of slaughter, killing anyone that was foolish enough to face her. She slashed her sword out, cutting through three throats in one swipe. She killed another, and then another. Bodies piled around her as they hit the lake of blood. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Stop!¡± A ferocious voice suddenly cracked through the air like thunder. The last battle instantly fell quiet. The surviving agents all backed away from Ellis, but still kept her surrounded. They all pointed their guns at her, their fingers itching themselves towards the triggers, their wills just barely managing to hold back the vengeance that they so sorely craved. Ellis panted, slowly regaining her drained stamina. A couple of agents parted and let in Ghostflake and Miss Cantankerous. They closed up again and both agents and the assassin stepped up to each other, leaving bloody shoe prints in their wake. Ghostflake stopped, cautiously keeping his distance, his partner by his side. ¡°One more chance.¡± He told her. ¡°I am giving you one more chance to surrender. Let us take you in and you will not have to die.¡± ¡°Bullshit.¡± Ellis replied, calling his bluff. ¡°It doesn''t matter to you if you take me in dead or alive. Even if you miraculously take me in still breathing, your chief will have me executed on the spot. I am going to kill you whatever it takes.¡± Ellis turned her head to Miss Cantankerous and shot her a blood splattered smile. ¡°And then I am going to kill you. Maybe put your pretty head on my office mantlepiece.¡± Miss Cantankerous'' face boiled with fury and she went to draw her sword out. Ghostflake turned his head to her, holding up a hand. ¡°Now, now, calm down, I will take care of her.¡± He told his partner calmly. Miss Cantankerous still seethed, but a couple of seconds later, she stuck the sword back into its scabbard and stayed in place, taking her partner¡¯s advice. Ghostflake turned to Ellis, putting his hand down. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s finish this once and for all, this is starting to get tedious. I pray you never take a breath without remembering the breaths you¡¯ve taken away.¡± Ellis dived at her enemy and Ghostflake quickly countered the attack. They both fought one another, their blades clashing endlessly. Ghostflake countered an attack and delivered a headbutt to Ellis. She cried out, her head snapping back violently. She craned her neck back into its original position and quickly wiped the fresh blood from her nose, continued fighting. She slashed her sword across Ghostflake¡¯s leg and he cried out, dropping to one knee. Ellis swiped her sword to finish him off. She then gasped as a bloody sword blade protruded out from her chest. She looked down at it in shock. Grabbing the grip, she drew it out of herself, groaning as it slowly sliced through her gaping wound. She collapsed to her knees, panting and Miss Cantankerous took her sword back, wrenching it out of her hand. She went to swipe at her, but Ellis jumped back up and fought against both of her enemies with the little strength that she had left. Blades clashed endlessly, and then Ghostflake swiped his sword across Ellis¡¯ neck. Her head fell to the floor and her body stumbled for a couple of seconds before it collapsed, pouring blood from the stump. Miss Cantankerous stepped up to Ellis¡¯ head and picked it up by its scalp. Suddenly, the blood splattered head smiled at her, rolling its eyes jokingly. Miss Cantankerous dropped the head, and with the battle won, they all left. Ghostflake and the rest of the small handful of surviving agents went around the organisation, planting explosives in every wall, corridor and foundation. Soon, the whole place was rigged to blow. They made their way outside and then looked at Ellis¡¯ house. Miss Cantankerous nodded to her partner and Ghostflake held up the trigger. He pushed the button down and the organisation exploded, burning everything inside. The ground quaked and rumbled as it tore apart and Ellis¡¯ house collapsed into a neat pile into the sinkhole. The rumbling stopped and they all looked at the result, their work finally complete. Ghostflake swept his hand forward and a couple of cement trucks trundled backwards. They proceeded to pour the cement onto the sinkhole, forever sealing the organisation up. Chapter 37 - The Heroes Return Ghostflake and Miss Cantankerous returned to MI18, victorious in their crusade against evil. All of the desk agents stood from their places and observed the bruised and wounded field agents. They all stood in silence, paying their respects to their fallen comrades. The chief looked at the two agents as they entered his office. ¡°Is it done?¡± He asked them. ¡°Pulvis is of no threat to us any longer.¡± Miss Cantankerous replied. The chief raised an eyebrow. ¡°Ellis Silver is dead?¡± He asked, not believing what he was hearing. ¡°Quite.¡± Ghostflake replied. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°What of Pulvis itself?¡± ¡°It is nothing but a mass grave now.¡± ¡°Well then,¡± He said, jumping up from his chair, his eyes widening in joy. ¡°I think that this calls for a celebration.¡± Walking over to a cabinet, he opened it and took three flutes. He popped open a bottle of champagne and filled the glasses up. He handed two of them to his assassins and took the last one for himself. He raised his glass and so did Ghostflake and Miss Cantankerous. ¡°Pulvis is done for and we need not fear them any longer. We defeated both Artificis and Ellis and we will take down anyone else that dares to threaten this great nation''s peace. We will crush our enemies no matter what it takes and we shall always be victorious.¡± They all clinked their glasses and drank an ounce. Miss Cantankerous looked at the chief. ¡°But no one knows that we even exist.¡± He gave her a small, solemn smile. ¡°That''s the saddest thing about working here, my dear.¡±