Obtaining Information

2:04 A.M

Francois sat upon his office tapping away at his tablet. He was looking at the training footage of the Candidates alongside the notes that Dr. Carter wrote down.

'Candidate number 1, Zarrah Carrigan. Zarrah Carrigan, a master of Advance Martial Arts, and various styles of Kung Fu. Her focus is outstanding in which tables her to solely focus on every single movement the opponent creates. Her endurance test is recorded to be in 42 minutes. When placed in sparring masked with two experience and trained veterans upon her request, she was easily able to defeat them despite the difference in builds. In the team-building test, she was able to successfully defeat the opposing squad yet was unable to direct and protect her fellow Candidates.

Note: Needs to be More Aware of her surroundings and her team.

Candidate 2, Umbra.

Candidate number 2 Requested that their identity be unknown and is to be addressed under the name Umbra.

Umbra is clad in black clothes, a black hood and a mask fully shrouded their whole face, and the clothes fully covering their body not showing a single piece of skin which also hides their ethnicity, and age. But for the sake of these notes, ill refer to Number 2 as a 'he'. Umbra has been recorded to have agility and speed that far surpasses a normal male's average speed. He has quick responses and movements which can make him a very nimble fighter. His strength is fit to a normal sports fanatic, yet his speed makes up for the lack of strength. The best way to describe Umbra is that he is a professional assassin. He can sneak and walk unnoticeable into near perfection. He lacks his endurance but is a master of various small weapons and quick take-down techniques. Umbra is a very obedient Candidate who follows orders and requests down to the letter.

-Notes: Lacks interest in doing team missions and activities, but outside the training area, he is very friendly to other Candidates. Needs to focus on more team assignments.'

Francois then sighed as he continued to read the others, but then he finally arrived at Aiden's report in which he slightly bent down to read it.

'Candidate Number 5, Aiden Whitlock Agrest.

Aiden Whitlock Agrest lacks any training and any experience in fighting and fails to defend himself.'

Francois frowned at the report. "Dammit, Aiden," Francois grumbled to himself as he continued to read.

'But despite the lack of training and skill, Aiden has the ability to learn quickly and is able to copy basic movements and a few attacks from other Candidates and opponents. Despite his lack of combat he is very knowledgeable in positioning and directing the candidates in the team building activities. In the sparring match between Number 5 and a trained veteran, he was able to trip the veteran down but was easily knocked out by three hits.

-Notes: Needs intense training and increased workout routines and requires more assistance from different mentors. Weak yet has potential.'

Francois upon reading the report was somehow satisfied by the finding of Dr. Carter. Upon leaning back at his chair, he then brought up another file at his tablet. A criminal record then appeared on the screen. It was of a man, he had a pale face and large eyebags who stare at the camera with an annoyed expression in his own mugshot. A look of anger washed over Francois as he brought up his phone.

The phone rang for a few moments until another voice answered from the other side. "Hello, Mr. Agrest?"

"Did we get anything from him?" Francois said with intonation on the word 'him'. The person on the other side was silent for a moment until he replied in a nervous voice. "Not much yet sir, he was only able to tell us a few minor gangs who belong towards the Syndicate sir, but he is as strong as Iron sir." Francois then tightened his hand as he grit his teeth. "Do whatever you have to do, get information from him."

"Yes Sir."

Francois then hung up while rubbing his temples. He then stood up from his desk, grabbing a glass and bottle of wine. he poured himself some wine while standing in front of his window staring into the garden lost in his thoughts with the moonlight shining down onto him.

***

In the streets, there was a man stumbling down the grimy path. The people who see him silently walk towards the opposite side while whispering mostly about him. The man was none other than Hank. He was now wearing a black trenchcoat, he had a white long-sleeved polo with a black necktie which was scrunched up and swaying from side to side as he walked. His trousers were stained with dirt and his black military boots covered in the soil which left a brown footprint from each step he took. His beard and hair were messier and covered his eyes with a large bottle in his hand in which he took big swigs of.

He was walking towards a large and clean cafe, Hank then stopped in front of it and tried to stabled himself on a lamppost. Hank then started to search around the area and sees a public bathroom on the other side of the street. He then walked quickly through the street and almost fell onto his back. He then entered the restroom and went towards the sink and started to wash his face. He scrubbed his face with his hands and included his neck and washed his hair as well. After a few minutes, hank then got up and stared at his reflection. The drift and such were finally removed and showed a decent-looking man, despite his messy hair and beard Hank would have a pretty decent-looking face. Hank then gave a sigh as he emerged from the restroom, adjusting his tie and polo. He then wiped the mud away from his shoes on the grass beside the bathroom and went towards the cafe.

Hank then entered the cafe with his hair now tied up behind his head. He walked through the cafe with only the staff and a few customers noticing him walking towards the Vip section, sitting down on a booth far away from the view from most of the cafe.

The staff of the cafe then noticed Hank and started to talk amongst themselves with nervous faces while looking at him. After a few minutes, a nervous young waitress approached Hank. The waitress seemed to be a woman around her early twenties, she had her black hair tied up in a bun with her glasses highlighting her nervous eyes as she timidly stood in front of Hank.

"W-welcome sir, what would y-you like to have?"

Hank then looked towards the waitress in a tired face and said in a gruff voice. "Let me have a black and cake...strawberry." The waitress then wrote down his order and quickly went away from Hank as he then stared at the door, waiting for someone.

After a few minutes, a man in a black suit then entered the cafe, he scanned the room and his gaze fell upon Hank. The man had a brief disappointing face then approached Hanks table and sat in front of him.

"Good evening Hank." Hank simply nodded signaling the man to get towards the point. "You already know why I'm here. One of the council members wanted to hire a hitman."

Hank just scoffs as he dryly laughs while drinking his coffee and gave off some coughs. "Then why the hell are you talking to me, a bloody drunk?" Hank said while spilling a bit of coffee on his pants cursing to himself. "Hank, you were one of the best we had, you could've been an ace." Hank simply scoffed and took another sip from his coffee, he then had a frown as he pulled out a small flask from his inner pocket and poured some into the cup, he then took another drink and had a small smile. "Hank you came to us and wanted a life, and we gave it to you. We gave you care, a home, a family, and even when you left we gave you money. Now we ask that you at least return the favor in doing this." The man now stared intently at Hank who now placed down the cup on top of its little saucer. "Why the hell did you even wanna talk in this childish dump?" but the man just ignored the remark and now continued to stare at Hank waiting for the appropriate answer.

Hank sighed now looking back at the man meeting his gaze. "I'll do it." The suited man then broke his gaze, he then pulled out a small smartphone and gave it to Hank. Hank then took the phone observing it then gave off a small chuckle. "Finally have a new phone, been a while since I fixed mine."

"That phone has the targets you need, and you'll have 48 hours to finish the task." The man then packed up his belongings and stood up.

"Wait," Hank said, the man then turned to hank. Hank pointed the phone in his hand at him. " Sit down." The man stopped and was about to speak when Hank spoke in a more commanding voice. "Sit. Down" The man then quickly sat back down now waiting for Hank to talk. "Tell me more about the Candidate Program."

***

At a blue cell illuminated by the light from above showed a man sat down on the floor, he was tired and seemed weak with sore breathing.

From the outside of the thick glass cell, a blurry voice spoke.

"We can stop this if you just tell us what we need."