Beyond the mission

Synergy

As they left Raven's office, tension sparked immediately. Seraphina, one of the chosen S-Ranks, clicked her tongue in annoyance, her heels echoing down the corridor.

"I still don't get why we're stuck with a D-Rank on a Phantom-level mission," she scoffed. "She literally got ranked last week. What a joke."

Riley, walking beside her with an icy expression, didn't even blink. "Why not just get rid of her? She's gonna die anyway."

Seraphina smirked but sighed. "Trust me, I've thought about it. But we'd be breaking protocol-we can't kill teammates."

Riley turned, eyes cold as steel, fixing her gaze on Daphne. "Listen, D-Rank. Don't for a second think you're one of us. If you slow me down, I'll make sure you disappear. You're deadweight. Just a tool waiting to be discarded-and when I say 'discarded,' I mean dead."

Daphne froze, her voice barely a whisper. "Yes, ma'am... I won't get in your way."

Seraphina scoffed, disgusted. "Ugh, look at her. Shaking like a wet dog. So pathetic."

The two walked off without another glance.

Daphne stood alone in the hallway, hands clenched, trying to hold herself together. That's when Jason's voice cut through the silence.

"Watch your back," he said flatly, not even turning to face her. "They will kill you if you let them. I'd do it myself if it weren't against protocol. They're S-Ranks, yeah-but they act like rabid dogs. It pisses me off that I share a rank with them."

Before she could reply, he vanished down another hallway, leaving only the echo of his boots behind.

Suddenly, a warm hand touched her shoulder. She turned to see Howl-another S-Rank, but his aura was different. Calmer. Kinder.

"Don't let them get to you," he said gently. "It's gonna be rough, no doubt... Honestly, I still don't know why Raven picked you, but hey-maybe she sees something the rest of us don't."

Daphne lowered her eyes. "I don't even know what I'm doing here..."

Howl smiled. "Relax. If anything goes wrong, I've got your back. I won't let anything happen to you. That's a promise."

Daphne blinked, surprised. "You'd do that? For a D-Rank like me?"

"We all started there," Howl shrugged. "Some of them might've forgotten, but I haven't."

He leaned in slightly, voice dropping. "Oh-and don't mind Jason too much. He acts like he cares, but truth is... he doesn't. Even Raven lost his respect, somehow."

Daphne's eyes widened. "Wait... Madame Raven?"

"Yeah," Howl said, turning to leave. "Long story. Maybe you'll figure it out. Get some rest-we deploy at dawn."

As he walked away, Daphne stood a little taller. She still didn't feel ready-but maybe, just maybe, she wasn't as alone as she thought.

Daphne collapsed face-first onto her bed, groaning into the pillow like the world was ending. Her roommate, Cindy, peeked over from her side of the room, eyes twinkling.

"So... Miss Soon-To-Be-SS-Rank, how does it feel to be famous?" she teased, already grinning.

Daphne rolled onto her back, staring blankly at the ceiling. "Like I've just been sentenced to death... with glitter on top."

Cindy gasped. "Seriously?! Everyone would kill to be in your boots right now!"

Daphne raised a brow. "Yeah, and I might literally be killed in mine."

Cindy slid closer, eyes glinting mischievously. "Okay, but the best part is..."

Daphne turned her head, suspicious. "What?"

Cindy beamed. "You're going on a mission with Jason! You know-Jason! Your ultimate crush from last year!"

Daphne's face turned red instantly. She launched a pillow at Cindy. "SHHHH! Not so loud! That was just a tiny crush!"

"Tiny?" Cindy caught the pillow like a pro. "Girl, you wrote his name in your training notebook with little daggers and hearts."

Daphne buried her face. "Okay, maybe I liked him... but that was before I realized he wouldn't blink twice if I got vaporized on this mission."

Cindy threw the pillow back. "You don't know that. He might secretly care."

Daphne sighed, her voice dropping. "Or he might let me 'accidentally' get eliminated and say it was a 'tragic loss'."

Cindy's smirk faded. "Okay... real talk... you don't actually think they'll kill you, right?"

Daphne gave her a tired look. "Cindy. They're S-Ranks. The 'rules' bend when you hit their level. If I mysteriously trip into a volcano on this mission, no one's asking questions."

Cindy went quiet, the smile gone. She watched Daphne slowly curl into a ball. "You're stronger than you think, Daph... just don't die before proving it."

"Great pep talk," Daphne mumbled into her blanket before dozing off.

The Next Morning

The team gathered at the port. Everyone was geared up and ready-except two persons.

Seraphina tapped her foot like she was auditioning for a speed-drumming contest. "Where. Is. That. D-rank?"

Howl stretched lazily beside her. "Relax, Seraphina. You just got here two minutes ago."

Seraphina scoffed, arms crossed. "Yeah, but at least I didn't show up like it's a fashionably late brunch. She's already slowing us down and we haven't even left yet."

Riley chimed in, deadpan. "Maybe she got lost in her own panic attack."

Daphne came sprinting up the docks, hair a mess, breathing like she'd just outrun a pack of wolves.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I swear I didn't mean to be late!"

Howl turned with a calm, easygoing smile. "Relax. You're here, that's what matters. Besides..." -he checked his watch- "we're still one i***t short."

Right on cue, a voice rang out from behind, full of swagger:

"Ladies and gents! The fun has arrived!.. Sorry I'm late traffic wasn't easygoing today!"

Everyone turned to see Brandon, sunglasses on indoors, flipping a snack bar in one hand like he just walked off a red carpet.

Seraphina crossed her arms. "Brandon, there's no traffic inside a high-security assassin facility!"

Brandon gasped, feigning offense. "You're telling me that teleport jam at the East Hall doesn't count? Shame on you."

His eyes finally landed on Daphne. "Wait... is that a D-Rank? We got baby assassins on this mission now?"

Seraphina nearly exploded. "Oh my God, Brandon, were you even at the briefing yesterday?!"

Brandon shrugged. "Mentally? No. Spiritually? Also no."

He then spotted Jason standing nearby and sauntered over like he'd just spotted his best man at a wedding.

"Jay-Jay! My cold-hearted brother in arms! Why didn't you wait for me?"

Jason shot him a stare cold enough to freeze sunlight. "I don't remember ever being close enough to you to wait."

Brandon clutched his chest dramatically. "You wound me! Jason, after all we've been through-"

Jason turned away mid-sentence. Conversation: TERMINATED

Brandon pouted, then turned to the group with a spark of curiosity. "Hey, real talk... that kid we're supposed to 'adopt'-Liam, right? Don't y'all think he kinda looks like Jay-Jay?"

Howl chuckled. "Actually, yeah. The kid's got the same gloomy 'I-hate-everything' energy."

"Right?!" Brandon grinned. "If Liam had silver hair, I'd swear Jason cloned himself out of spite."

Jason didn't even flinch. "If you're done comparing me to a 10-year-old, maybe focus on not getting killed."

Suddenly, the air shifted-heels clicked against the dock floor.Raven arrived, as poised as ever, with Ava right behind her.

Ava smirked when she spotted Jason. "Well, well... if it isn't Mr. Ice Cube himself. Miss me, Jay?"

Jason didn't even blink. "Like a knife to the ribs."

Ava grinned wider. "Still sharp. I love that."

Howl muttered, "Great. They're flirting again."

Daphne just stared at them all like she'd stepped into a reality show titled

"Assassins Gone Wild."