Chapter 10: The First Mission

Hiro found himself at the Shadow Vigil Headquarters, where Director Yumi was ready to give him his very first mission as a full-fledged member.

"So what's the big emergency?" he asked, a smirk crossing his lips.

Yumi then explained, "We've discovered that a secret criminal organization has been selling illegal weapons thought out the black market. We need you to infiltrate their hideout, and retrieve some classified files, and gather any usual information on the organization itself."

Hiro laughed. "Ha, a retrieval mission? And here I thought you had something fun in mind. Talk about a boring assignment, am I right?"

And then out of nowhere, Rei suddenly appeared behind him. "If you think this is just a simple mission, then you clearly don't understand the gravity of the situation."

Hiro smirked. "Is that supposed to be a threat? Because it's not a very good one."

Rei shook her head. "No, it's not a threat, just think of it as a friendly warning. Cause you really should be on your guard."

"Sure, whatever you say," he replied, unimpressed.

Rei then handed a folder of classified files to Director Yumi. "I've located the enemy's base; it's deep within the Shinjuku District. So we can strike whenever you're ready, Ma'am."

"Excellent work, as always, Rei," Yumi said. "Now, Hiro, will you take the job or not?"

Hiro sighed. "Yeah, right. Like I have a choice in the matter."

"That's right, you don't. Now run along and have a chat with Kai. He'll hand you your new equipment," Yumi instructed.

As Hiro left the meeting room and headed for the technical room, he suddenly ran into Takeda.

Takeda met Hiro's gaze and gave him a cold glare as he walked past him, shoulder checking him in the process.

"Don't screw this up, asshole. Understand?" Takeda muttered as he kept walking away.

Hiro frowned. "The hell is his problem?" he muttered under his breath, releasing a sigh before continuing.

Upon reaching the technical room, Kai greeted him with a wide grin. "Hey, Hiro, glad you could make it."

Hiro smirked. "Hey. So, I hear you have something for me."

"Yeah, I do," Kai, said, leading him to a table covered with an array of weapons. "Like what you see? Because believe it or not, we got all this just for you."

Hiro chuckled. "Really? It's Kind of late for Christmas presents, don't you think?"

On the table, there was a selection of firearms, knives, and tactical gear. Hiro picked up a sleek handgun, turning it over in his hands and feeling its weight. "Man, it's been a while since I held one of these," he murmured.

Grinning mischievously, he suddenly aimed the gun at Kai's face.

Startled, Kai took a step back. "Hey, hey! Easy now, let's not make any rash decisions."

Hiro lowered the gun. "Relax, ever heard of a bad joke? Besides, wouldn't want to make a mess of things, would we."

Kai sighed. "You really shouldn't joke around like that, dude. Nor should you be pointing that thing at people."

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time. So, got anything else for me?" Hiro asked.

"Yeah, here," Kai said, handing him a new set of clothes.

Hiro inspected the gear. It was a sleek black tactical suit with reinforced plating, designed for both agility and protection. As he slipped it on, Kai suddenly grabbed a knife and stabbed him in the chest.

Hiro flinched but quickly realized the knife hadn't penetrated his skin.

Kai grinned. "Cool, right? The gear you're wearing is completely stab-proof. Low-quality steel won't even scratch it." He poked Hiro a few more times, testing the material.

"Right, so could you, uh, maybe cut that out?" Hiro muttered, annoyed.

"Oh, yeah, sorry about that. The suit's pretty durable, so even if you get ambushed, you'll have some extra protection." Kai said, handing him a mask. "And this is for keeping your identity hidden."

Hiro raised an eyebrow. "A mask? I thought this was a retrieval mission, not a masquerade ball. Fair warning, I'm a terrible dancer."

Kai laughed. "I'll keep that in mind. But seriously, you're a celebrity now, remember? You definitely don't want your face all over the place. So hold onto that mask."

As Hiro left the room, Kai patted him on the back. "Good luck, man. And hey, have fun alright."

Back in the meeting room, Yumi eyed Hiro's new gear with approval. "Good, now that you're dressed for the occasion, we can get things started. So, Hiro, do you think you're up for it?"

Hiro chuckled, slipping the mask over his face. "I don't think I'm up for it," he said. "I know I am."

End of the 10th Chapter.