Ch9 - Brutal and Forbidden

If Romero & Juliet had been smart, they would have hired an assassin to kill their families.

Purpura sat, watching the riffraff move about this dark ring of hell.
People of every sin were scattered about.
He was sitting back in a dark corner, just watching.
His assassin clothes allowing him to essentially disappear into the dimly lit establishment.
It wasn't often one could watch everything that was illegal happen in the same space.
He watched a woman and man drift off into a back room.
Items were secretly traded between patrons.
Drinks were drugged, no one offered ID.
Purpura hated bars.

A young lad approached Purpura, before sitting down at the booth with him.
"Um... I've- uh... never hired an..."
Purpura put his hand up to stop the lad from speaking.
The lad was instantly quiet.
Purpura sat, and the lad nervously shuffled about.
Finally Purpura looked lad, before pulling out two pictures.
One of the lad, one of a girl, then pointed to the picture of the girl.
"Oh! Yes. Phoebe isn't coming... Or well, she can't come.
Her parents realized she took all the money.
I don't know if they know why, but they locked her in the basement...
I only know, cause her friend told me..."
Purpura nodded, putting the pictures away and standing, he began to walk away.
The lad stood up, "You need to rescue her."
Purpura looked to the lad, with a deep glare.
The lad backed down a little, "I- I know you aren't a hero.
But we're still willing to pay the full amount promised.
You can just... save her while fulfilling the contract."
Purpura thought for a moment.

The lad continued speaking,
"Besides, someone is bound to be interrogating her.
It wouldn't be out of your way.

Plus without her, you can't get the payment for my family.
I have the payment for her family.
So, once she's safe, you can go to my family's estate.
All will be well."
Purpura didn't like last minute changes to plans
However, it didn't seem like it'd be to hard a detour,
Especially since she had the other payment.
Purpura nodded, and walked out, leaving the lad.
The contract said they were suppose to wait away from their estates to not get blamed.

Purpura eventually came to the female's estate, Phoebe, the lad had said.
It was a large, wealthy estate.
A huge wall around the estate, he climbed the wall, and stood atop.
Oddly enough, no guards to be seen.
Perhaps he'd just been lucky.
He moved to a tree, and jumped, grabbing a branch.
He hung there, and heard a noise.
Two guards came running over, looking at the wall.
There had been no guards because the walls had magical detection.
The two were standing directly under where Purpura was hanging.
He held back a chuckle, and released the branch.
He dropped directly on both guards, and got up without issue.
The two were disoriented, but Purpura quickly darted towards the estate.
He had no particular rules regarding the guards.
But he hadn't been paid for the guards, so they were of low concern.
He came up to the house, and moved until he found a side door.
Likely for servants, or kitchen staff.
Two groups he hadn't been paid to kill either.
He went inside, and ducked quickly into the pantry.
The staff were cleaning, it was after mid day the family had likely just ate.
He moved quietly, and with patience.
As he crouched behind a counter, and moved towards a door to what he could guess was the dinning room.
The door was closed, but he easily pushed it open, as it was a swinging door.
He moved thru, he was right, it was the dinning room.
This task would be easier at night, but they had requested a day assassination.
He pulled out the lad's picture, and looked at the back.
'23'
There were 23 targets here, to eliminate.
He couldn't tell if it was a big family, or an extended family.
Rich people were weird about their family blood lines.
He moved along, and entered the hall.
Standing, flirting with a guard, was a woman.
The woman was dressed too elegantly to be of a working class.
Purpura felt bad, but the guard would attack if only she died.
So he sprinted, coming up behind the guard.
At the last second the woman spotted him.
But before she could make a noise, Purpura had formed a sword, and managed to slice both of their necks.
Nearly cutting their heads clean off.
He opened a nearby door, and grabbed the guard throwing him in.
Panic would ensue if it was to obvious.
He moved to the girl, when a male turned into the hallway.
Also dressed elegantly, practically a suit by Purpura's opinion.
The male dropped the parchment he had been holding.
And Purpura quickly reached out, and the male's whole body froze.
Purpura finished moving the girl, before walking over to the male.
Purpura looked about, before simply snapping the male's neck.
The male dropped, and Purpura caught him, and dragged him to the room as well.
Purpura tossed the corpse in, and looked back realize he'd splattered blood all over the place.
He waved his hand, and all the blood quickly absorbed into his armor.
21 to go.

He moved along, finding most targets were effortless kills.
He was down to 16, when he came to a door, and listened to what was happening inside.
A group of women were chatting, from what he could tell there was to be a wedding.
Or something along those lines.
To bad the wedding would be canceled.
He burst into the room, causing the women to scream in surprise.
Why was screaming always a woman's instinctual response?
There were seven women, three were young girls.
One was in an extravagant wedding dress.
He moved quickly, sprinting up next to the three older women.
He formed a dagger, and in a quick motion struck down one woman.
His technique was effortless, as he turned and up-struck the next woman.
The young girls quickly ran.
Purpura moved and jumped in front of the three girls.
They all huddled together.
He didn't much care for killing kids
Kids were generally victims of circumstance until they reached the age of maturity.
But a contract was a contract.
He formed a blood spike on each hand, and quickly stabbed the heart of two girls.
Then pulled a spike out and stabbed the last.
The death was instant and painless, he could do that much.
Two women left, the bride and an elderly woman.
He walked towards them slowly.
He liked challenging himself, and discovering new ways to kill people thru blood manipulation.
The old woman spoke, "I'll double whatever your contract states!"
Purpura kept approaching, the old woman spoke again.
"No, triple!"
Purpura hated when people tried to bride their way out.
He was loyal to his contracts, otherwise he wouldn't be a good assassin.
He quickly threw a spike straight thru the woman's throat.
She fell to the ground, in a gurgling mess.
The bride, dressed all in white stood, with her hands over her mouth.
Blood had already stained her dress.
"Please, I'm to be married.
I'm no longer of concern to this family.
Whatever contract you have, surely the daughter soon to be married off is of no concern."
Purpura stared at her absently, why was he letting her talk?
Curiosity perhaps, it did kill the cat.
But satisfaction brought it back.
"I'll give you anything you want, jewels, land, an estate.

My fiance is even wealthier than we are."
Purpura rolled his eyes, and stepped ready to strike.
She suddenly blurted, seeing him ready to strike her down.
"Sex! I'm a virgin. I'll let you have your way with me!
Every man wants a virgin."
Purpura felt himself almost vomit into his mask, just at the thought.
She wasn't unattractive, but not fulfilling a contract because of sex?
The idea made him sick.
He growled at her, and quickly stabbed her with a blood dagger.
A couple times.

For good measure.

He then got up and continued on his way.

Until he was down to four targets.
He decided to move into the basement, where it had been suggested this Phoebe was.
He moved down quietly, and listened to the squabbling.
They were yelling, likely interrogating the poor girl from the sound of it.
He glanced about, it was like a dungeon.
With cells along the walls.

Not surprising, given the family business.

After all, this was a family who's fortune was built on extracting information from people.
Even the royal family used this family's skills from time to time.
Purpura had always wondered what their techniques were, and if they worked on other members of their family.
Given the shouting, he could guess it didn't.
He moved, and could see two people standing outside a cell talking.
Inside the cell, were two more, plus the girl.
The girl was tied to a chair, and given the bruising on her face he could guess she hadn't talked.
She was looking weak though, these were master interrogators.
Specializing in breaking the mind and spirit.
He could imagine they weren't forgiving, even to kin.
Purpura gently moved in, approaching with caution.
The two outside seemed consumed by their conversation.
Until one happened to glance to the side, and spotted Purpura.
"Who-?!" the man began, but Purpura lunged, tackling the man.
The man he'd been speaking to was startled, as Purpura quickly sliced the first man's throat.
He turned to look at the other man.
"Guards!" the man shouted, the two inside looked out and quickly began to leave the cell.
Purpura touched the blood on the man's throat and threw it in a good ten shards.
They pierced clean thru the other male, dropping him to the ground.
The other men exited the cell, and guards were coming up from deeper in this dungeon.
The larger of the two men, moved attempting to grab Purpura.
Purpura jumped from the man's reach.
The other man had closed his eyes and was focusing, with a hand out towards Purpura.
Purpura quickly jumped and stabbed the larger man in the stomach and pulled out sideways.
The motion spilling many of the man's guts on the floor.
Purpura turned to the last target, as guards began entering the hall.
At least a good dozen guards.
Just as Purpura reached for the male, the male opened his eyes.
Suddenly, there was a bright flash and the world went black.