Becoming A Target

Chapter 2

To investigate the truth of Jason’s death announcement, Selina relies on her speed to take her back into the Black Circle building and have an audience with the administrator.

"Where are they? The administrators… WHERE ARE THEY?" shout Selina.

Selina does not waste her time and shouting to know the nearest administrator’s location.

"Miss Hayes, I have to warn you that your rude behavior is starting to trouble those who are remembering Jason here." announced one employee, struggling to silence her.

"It is surprising to have you give up all the composure you have." He continued. "If you keep acting like this, Miss Selina Hayes, I'm going to have to ask you out of this building."

"Move... or I will have you down with my dagger!" threatens Selina.

"Selina Hayes, behave yourself!! A woman is approaching Selina with a disapproving gesture. "You are not the owner and hold no right to do as you wish here."

"Where is Jason?" asks Selina to this woman.

"Don’t you receive the announcement? The owner is no longer with us-"

"WHERE IS HE, ELDER RAISEN?"

Selina places her grip on a gun, bracing herself to pull the trigger if she doesn’t receive an acceptable answer from the woman.

"Clearly, as a representative of the administrator, you recognize his whereabouts, right?" Selina added.

"If you stand firm in looking at him for the last time, Selina, follow me to offer your honor before he gets cremated."

Both of them were strolling through a passageway with high security, headed into a unique place with a black water fountain in the midst.

At the same very place, there is a bed on display with a white-long blanket to enclose the whole top of it.

The elder pointed her hand, "Present your last tribute and express your farewell to the owner of the Black Circle."

Selina steps forward in a tremble. She denied the reality of Jason’s current state where he has gone to meet her dad in heaven, pleading for mercy for old mistakes.

Slowly Selina uncovers the blanket to look at Jason’s pale face. "H-how can it be… He cannot die like this. " Selina cried out. "How was his body found and who is responsible for his death elder?"

Instead of hearing the answer to her curiosity, Selina found herself in a dangerous condition. The surrounding atmosphere had become more quiescent around her.

The presence of the elder Raisen who is staying behind her is no longer noticeable. As an assassin, Selina realizes that her life is in jeopardy. 

There is a probability she stumbles into a trap that is using Jason’s whereabouts to work as bait, identifying emotional connections between them.

"Elder Raisen?" asks Selina for the second time. "Why didn’t you say anything to me?"

It rains bullets down at Selina, who has no other choice but to use Jason’s body to dodge those bullets trying to take her life.

‘One way in-one way out. Six people were hiding behind the pillars in front of me.’ Selina reasoned as she plotted her escape route.

"Jason, if you look at me from above, grant me your aid to evade this place so I can avenge your death." Selina mumbles. "Deep breath… OK, here we go!"

Bang, bang, bang

She fires back at the pillars to create a diversion before rushing into the corridor to escape the place.

whizzes by

"Groan… My left arm is done for now." Selina mumbles. "A bit more and I could make my way to the main building."

She manages to reach the passage that is connected to the main building of Black Circle.

"I need to request back up to end Raisen’s scheme." thought Selina. Her relief, sadly, ended in a short time with killing glares from assassins inside the entire building.

Selina tries to maintain her composure and walks to the exit entrance until she realizes an announcement has been made about her.

There is a picture of her on the big screen in the main hall with the framing as a traitor attached next to the picture.

Selina Hayes is included in the target list for attempting to assault elder Raisen (administrator). You are asked to eliminate her for one million pounds as the reward bounty. 

The countdown for the bounty activation is one minute.

Good hunting and good luck.

At that moment, Selina learns that the whole world is now becoming her enemy. Whenever she goes, there will always be somebody after her head.

"Where are you going, Hayes?" shouts a woman with a smirk.

Another one is to look at Selina with amusement. "Run as far as you can and wait until my knife stabs your heart." 

Thus, Selina’s life has changed from the one who hunts being the one who is hunted.

***

‘I need to get out of Norland.’ Think of Selina while running from the Black Circle building.

Just a few steps away, after stepping outside the building, an assassin gets in Selina’s way. He does not launch an aggressive move as soon as he meets Selina.

"What a turn of events, Miss Hayes, who was expected to be the next Owner in the past, has fallen victim to a traitor. Jason Hayes must be disappointed in you as of now."

"Who are you? I am not familiar with your face," asks Selina.

"It is to be expected, I go by the name of Light. Only the owner and administrators know about my existence."

Selina hesitates, "I still have time… You can’t target me before the countdown reaches zero. You should know that." 

"The countdown rule was made for normal targets and assassins like Miss Hayes. We are not under any obligation to wait for the countdown, especially for traitors like yourself."

"We?"

Selina is trying to buy herself some time to think about the outcome of fighting this assassin. Against an unknown enemy is always a tricky movement.

"Yes, Miss Hayes, we."

Bang.

A shot came from behind Selina to graze her waist this time around and almost made her fall. However, her steel will prevent her from doing so.

‘Where to run?’ This word fills Selina’s thoughts, hiding the pain she bears with her.

"Surrender yourself to Miss Hayes. Thus, we promise to make it less painful as possible," said Light.

"I agree… We have to end this pointless fight. However, I plan to stay alive-"

Bang, bang, bang

Selina shoots light to make a diversion, then rolls down to the left side to make an escape path.

"I guess she is smarter than Jason Hayes, judging from how she didn’t fall into the provocation we made, right shadow?" He added.

"We should go for her Light," Shadow replied. "We cannot take the risk of losing her and failing our mission."

"You think too highly of her shadow. If we could eliminate Jason Hayes, then eliminating another Hayes would be a piece of cake," boasts Light.

"Underestimating an opponent could risk your life, Light remember that." He replied while disappearing into the night.

Selina runs into a crowd in expectation of blending in and loses track of those assassins.

At the same time, she has to keep pushing her left waist to prevent more blood from leaking.

Selina keeps walking on guard. She knows that an ambush is likely to occur even if she was in a crowd.

‘Will I make it to the safe house? No, I have to make it.’ Selina cheers herself.

Slowly, Selina walks separately from the crowd, heading to a narrow path in the apartment area.

"Cease your struggling, Miss Hayes. Isn't it better to see Jason Hayes up there?" Provokes Light.

Like her fellow assassins, Selina knows it will be almost impossible to free herself from the Light. Knowing his level is closer to reaching Jason’s as the owner of Black Circle.

"You talk way too much as an assassin," Selina replied. "It is not a surprise if you fail to eliminate targets you are assigned on the list."

The talkative assassin has disappeared from Light, replaced by deep killing intent directed at Selina.

‘My provocation is working now, so I have a better chance of survival.’ Selina pondered.

"You are correct, Miss Hayes. It would be beneficial to utilize your current situation in our favor."

Selina didn't seem to quiver from Light's statement. She has prepared herself to fight for survival.

The gaps between the two of them were covered in a short time by Light’s pace. Punches are coming in his direction in anticipation of his movement.   

"Is this all the candidate for the next owner is capable of?" he wondered, leisurely dodging Selina's weak punches. 

‘I need to change my style of fighting.’ 

Selina is displaying an unusual gesture; her hands are no longer making a fighting stance and are falling in line with her slim body.

"What is this, Miss Hayes? It is truly a disappointment if you have given up this quickly. Maybe it was a mistake made by Jason Hayes to expect something that in reality does not exist within you."

‘Selina Hayes, calm down, do not fall into his provocation, and fight with a clear mind.’ Selina reminds herself.

A pair of slim knives were sliding down under Selina’s arm sleeves, reacting to her limited and hidden movements.

"It’s very shameful to admit that I have to give up… on eliminating you here."

Those knives are flying to Light in very quickly with Selina’s swift throw.

He once again leisurely dodged the knives in a similar way to her punches. "How unexpected to witness such a trick from you, Miss Selina Hayes."

‘As she expected, those knives didn’t stand a chance of hurting him, but it was sufficient to distract this person's attention.’

Light now is within Selina’s reach after cleverly converting a previous knife attack to her advantage.

Selina twined her leg around his neck in a grapple move with a plan to suffocate him until he fainted.

"HAHAHAHA! What a letdown for Miss Hayes. Even when I got his back, Jason Hayes did not resort to such pitiful moves to survive."

"Wh-what do you mean…" She asks.