The Real first Mission

The city lights flickered in the distance as Hiro and Aidan crouched in the shadows outside their target's building. The night air was thick with tension, but neither of them spoke. They were no longer kids playing lookout—this was their first real mission. Failure wasn't an option.

Hiro adjusted the earpiece in his ear. "Alright, Aidan. How do you want to do this?"

Aidan, arms crossed, studied the building, his brows furrowed. "We could go through the vents, but we'd be caught the moment we reach the office."

Hiro tapped his chin, then smirked. "What if one of us posed as a pizza delivery guy? We distract the guards while the other sneaks in."

Aidan turned to Hiro, staring blankly for a moment before smacking him upside the head. "YOU IDIOT! What kind of plan is that?!"

Hiro winced, rubbing his head. "Hey! It's a solid plan! You gotta admit."

Aidan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I hate that I'm starting to see your logic."

Minutes later, Hiro stood at the entrance, dressed as a delivery boy, holding a fake pizza box. He rang the doorbell, greeting the front guard with a grin. "Pizza for Jacob."

The guard frowned. "The boss didn't order any pizza."

Hiro shrugged. "I don't know, man. I just deliver it."

The guard sighed, reaching for a key card. As he turned, Hiro discreetly nodded toward Aidan, who spoke through their earpieces. "You need that key card. Find a way to get it."

The guard returned moments later. "The boss says—"

He didn't get to finish. He pulled an Uzi from his holster, pointing it at Hiro. "You have ten seconds to explain who you really are before I put a few new holes in you."

Hiro smirked, feigning fear. "Whoa! Hey, man, I'm just a pizza guy! No need for that. Look, I'll even show you the pizza!"

He lifted the box, then suddenly hurled it into the guard's face. As the man stumbled, Hiro grabbed his wrist, twisted the gun out of his hands, and struck him with a precise chop to the neck. The guard collapsed, unconscious.

Aidan appeared from the shadows, arms crossed. "So much for the easy way in."

Hiro grinned, dragging the unconscious guard aside. "At least it worked. Mostly."

Aidan sighed. "You're ridiculous. Now what?"

Hiro picked up the guard's suppressed Uzi and shot out a security camera before pulling out his phone. He began hacking into the security system, his fingers moving quickly across the screen.

Aidan raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you know how to hack?"

Hiro smirked. "You think I spent all these years just watching shipments? I learned a few things."

Aidan scoffed. "Touché."

Hiro handed Aidan a small remote. "I'll go through the vents. You use that to alert me when you're in the office. Stall the target as long as you can."

Aidan smirked. "You really think you need to tell me how to handle guards? The boss said we don't kill the target. He never said anything about his men."

Hiro sighed. "Just don't get killed."

With their plan in place, Hiro climbed into the vents while Aidan slipped into the guard's uniform. He adjusted his shades, scoffing. "This suit looks better on me anyway."

They hid the unconscious guard and used the key card to enter. As they parted ways, Aidan muttered, "Hiro, I swear, if I die because of this plan, I'm haunting you."

Aidan moved through the hallways, trying to act natural. His plan was simple: blend in and get to the boss's office. But then—

"Hey, rookie! Why aren't you at your post?" a guard barked.

Aidan froze, then quickly recovered. "Uh… I needed to report something to the boss."

The guard eyed him. "Didn't you just come from his office a minute ago?"

Aidan forced a laugh. "Yeah, but this place is a damn maze. Got turned around."

The guard grumbled but pointed down the hall. "Left at the end."

Aidan nodded and hurried away, exhaling in relief. "Hiro, I'm going to kill you for this mission," he muttered.

Meanwhile, Hiro struggled in the vents. "Who designed this death trap?" he whispered. "There's so much dust—does no one clean these things?"

Aidan reached the boss's office and knocked.

"Come in."

Inside, the target sat at his desk, barely looking up. "What brings you in here again? Did you handle our problem?"

Aidan hesitated before remembering Hiro's distraction. "Yeah. That pizza guy wouldn't leave, so I took care of him. Left him in the alley dumpster."

The boss smirked. "Good. Annoying pests, those kinds of people."

Then, his expression darkened. "Wait a second… You look different. Take off your shades."

Aidan's pulse spiked. He pressed the remote in his pocket, signaling Hiro.

The boss leaned forward. "TAKE THEM OFF."

Aidan slowly removed the shades.

The boss's eyes widened in realization. "You're not the new guy! WHO ARE YOU?!"

Guards in the room raised their guns. Aidan sighed. "Well, if I told you, you wouldn't believe me."

"DO YOU THINK THIS IS A JOKE?!" the boss roared.

Then, a loud bang echoed from above. A vent panel crashed down onto one of the guards, knocking him out. The other guard turned in alarm—

Just as Aidan seized his moment. He lunged, grabbing the second guard's gun and shooting him twice in the chest before spinning around and firing at the unconscious one for good measure.

Hiro dropped from the vent, landing smoothly. "Remind me never to use vents again. That was awful."

The boss staggered back. "Who the hell are you people?!"

Hiro's gaze darkened. "Does the name Kazuya ring a bell?"

The boss's face went pale. "No… No… It can't be…!"

"We're part of his crew," Hiro continued, stepping forward. "And you owe him money."

The boss suddenly lunged with a hidden blade, aiming for Hiro's throat. Without hesitation, Hiro caught his wrist, twisted the blade away, and drove his knee into the boss's stomach. The man crumpled to the floor, gasping.

"For someone in debt to Kazuya," Hiro muttered, "you're really bad at self-defense."

The boss coughed but glared up at them. "I'm not paying you a dime."

Hiro sighed, stepping back. "Your choice. Aidan?"

Aidan smirked, cracking his knuckles. "You should've just paid."

Hiro climbed back into the vent, leaving Aidan with the target. As he left, he heard the soft click of a suppressor being readied.

The last words the boss ever spoke were: "No… No—"

Later, Aidan emerged from the building, wiping his hands. Hiro glanced at him. "Let's go. I'll report the mission."

Aidan simply nodded.

Over the year they were in the gang, they rose through the ranks, their paths diverging. Hiro never killed, but Aidan? He became the organization's deadliest enforcer.

One day, Hiro received a classified file labeled "Mission X."

His world shifted forever.

(End of Chapter )