Red Princess

76. Love Hurts, Love Heals

Kaidon

"...and Little Mermaid, you will not engage in a fight. Your job is simply to assist with your powers."

We were working on a large-scale operation with the police this time. We were scattered around the docks, waiting for the shipment to arrive. Our CIs informed us that an enormous deal was taking place tonight, and it was our chance to take down the top heads of the biggest drug cartel in the city. If successful, we would get enough information to take down the entire organisation in a couple of days.

It would be a massive win for the government. The current mayor wanted to run for the office for a second term, and this would prove to be a decent notch on his belt of achievements.

They think they'd bring down the crime rate with this. In the short run, yes, but sooner or later, they'll be replaced by a different group. As long as the demand is there in the market, there will always be someone willing to supply.

We never actively pursued the demolishing of these cartels either. They gave us business. A doctor may pray for your recovery, but they also hope you return to them soon enough. That's what keeps them afloat. Why would we want to get rid of the root of the problem either?

It was this ideology of The Order that was hammered into the blood of every agent. We never recruited heroes. We only wanted skills and rational thought. We wanted people who would know where the limit is, who would want to live and come back and not give up their lives for a lost world—a world which was already beyond saving. 

"For the last time, Black Wolf, my name is Crimson Rose!" Her voice screeched through my earpiece, making me go deaf for a moment. If you don't stop calling me that, I will spread the word that your new name is Little Banana!"

And then there was this stupid girl who believed every person was inherently good and deserved a second chance. She was hesitant to kill, but for some reason, I was willing to help her maintain her resolve.

I rolled my eyes at her statement while the entire team burst out laughing on the comms, the loudest being Seydon.

"I can't- my God, are you serious?" He managed to breathe out through his fit of hysterical laughter. "I mean, I did once get to see him naked when we were changing in the locker room, but I never saw the size. Damn, Black-"

"Shut the hell up, Silver Hawk or your name will be in the list of casualties on the side of The Order." I barked out, my eyes riveted on the group of people that patrolled around the docks. I signalled my teammates to surround the area while the cops assisted them.

"And, Little Mermaid, you do that, and I am seriously going to make you reconsider my codename by proving you wrong and then regret it later."

"Eww, gross. Can you please not talk about your sex life in the middle of a mission?" Alex made a gagging sound over the line making more people chuckle.

"Smock, just because you don't have one doesn't mean you will criticise others."

I didn't often joke around with the team, but there were times like these when we were all out together on a high-risk mission, and the higher the stakes, the greater the need to lower everyone's stress. And what better way was there than to have their leadership mocked.

"I am with you on this, Little Mermaid. This guy deserves the title of Little Banana!"

"It's Crimson Rose!"

"Shut up, everyone! Stop making a fool out of yourselves before your teams and focus on the task at hand."

I jumped down a container and aimed my knives at three men, hitting them in the back. They fell dead instantly, and I proceeded to get rid of the rest of the enemies around the perimeter.