On Monday, we began our official role training. Of course, being the assassin, I would have to group up with some of the best students at the academy. We would train together for weeks, and finally, before the inauguration, we would capture the man I'd have to kill. I was both excited and nervous. The five people that get assigned in the same group as me would probably become my best friends for life. That's how it was for my dad, at least.

"Soldaire!" A guy shouted from across the room, waving me over. I recognized him as Renzo Romaun, a loud, hot-headed guy who ate way too many Doritos and annoyed the teachers on a constant basis. Despite being pretty average in academics, the muscles on this guy were incredible. There were only a select few who had ever beaten him in combat, including me.

"Hey," I greeted, surprised at how timid I sounded. I cleared my throat. "Nice to see you're in the group."

Renzo grinned. "Oh yeah! I mean, we are the group, Cade. No one's gonna mess with us now."

At Renzo's last words, I instinctively reached towards my nose. It was bandaged up now, and along with the bruises dotting my face and eye, I was surprised anyone even recognized me.

Renzo saw my hand and his smile faltered. "I heard what happened. Echo basically wouldn't shut up about it this weeke-" His face morphed into a look of surprise.

I turned around to see what had made him shut up. Echo Vos, notorious for her gossip, along with Vega Novell walked up to us. Echo not only knew everything about everyone, but she had a quick mind. If you lost anything, she'd be the first person to find it. Echo was at the dinner Friday night. The dinner that wrecked havoc on my reputation. Thanks Jaxon.

"Glad to see you look terrible," Echo said bluntly when she came up to us. "Did he break your nose?"

I shrugged. I'd heard enough crap about the fight all weekend. It would be an underestimate to say my parents were pissed. My dad was disappointed that I couldn't even win the damn thing.

"Jaxon did that to you?" It was Vega Novell who spoke. I wasn't going to lie and say I wasn't thrilled to see her in the group. She was the type of cool that most people envied, a perfect mix between not giving a shit about anything and still being incredibly good at everything. Still, I was embarrassed she had to see my face like this in the first place. I obviously wasn't the first to lose a fight this terribly, but the timing couldn't have been worse.

"Speak of the devil," Renzo whispered just as Jaxon and my best friend Zach walked over. I guess they'd been getting into an argument, because they were still yelling at each other even as they made their way over to the rest of the group.

Zach raised his finger. "You can't expect me to be on a team with you. Are you fucking kidding me? You beat Cade to a bloody pulp on Friday, and now we're supposed to be best friends?!" Vega glanced at me.

Jaxon shook his head. "Look I'm sorry, man. I don't know what else you want me to say."

"Fuck you, Jaxon." Zach ran a hand through his hair and turned away.

Vega put a hand on her forehead. "Jesus, our team is shit."

"You can say that again." The group looked over to see one of the instructors. We immediately shut up and straightened our posture. "Anyone wanna tell me why our future assassin's got more colors on his face than the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?"

I cleared my throat. "I got caught off guard the other night. I'm sorry."

The instructor only stared at me. "Call me ma'am, Soldaire."

"Ma'am."

The instructor turned away from me before pointing to a few mats that were set out. "Renzo, Jaxon," she said, pointing to the mat farthest on the left. "Zach, Echo. Cade and Vega, you're on this one."

So our first training session would start out with combat. And obviously, I was going to be fighting Vega. I wasn't sure if I was lucky, or incredibly unlucky.

As I made my way towards the mat, the instructor stopped me. "You've got nerve, kid, showing up like this." She motioned towards my face. "You better prove you can fight, today. If I don't see her blood on the mat by the end of this, I might have the council reconsider."

I tried hard not to gulp. Vega was already on the mat when I came over. She was stretching casually, her toned muscles glistening in the light. She was flexible and lean, the kind of body that excelled in fighting because she could move fast.

Oh god my position was going to get revoked.

"I was gonna say you look a little pale, but honestly I can't tell." Vega smirked at me.

I stretched my arms in front of me. "The instructor said she'd kick me off the team if I lost."

"Cause of your face?"

"Cause I got beat this bad."

Vega smiled at me, a mischievous sort of smirk. "Well, maybe if you get kicked out they'll put me in your place."

I cracked my knuckles. "Not gonna happen."

"We'll see." And with that comment, Vega jumped towards me. She tackled me to the ground, but we were both prepared this time. I wasn't going to go down so easily.

I shoved her aside as my back hit the ground. My head bobbed against the mat, but I wasn't going to lose sight of her yet. I rolled on top of her and took a jab at her cheek. Vega moved her head, though, and grabbed the arm I had tried to punch her with, pulling me up and over her.

I pushed myself up to stand before she could get to me. "I'd forgotten how fast you were," I tell her with a shuddering breath. My brain felt like soup inside my head, but I wasn't going to let whatever Jaxon did ruin my chances now.

Vega grinned at me. "I'd forgotten how clever you were." We circled around the mat a few times, both of us trying to catch our breath and wait for the next move. This time, it was me that lunged at her. I threw another punch, but she caught my arm. As she tried to pull me down, I lunged at her with the same shoulder. We toppled to the ground in a heap, and without warning, we simultaneously went into a frenzy of punches and various maneuvers. I was fighting for my life, for my reputation. I didn't realize it, but soon I didn't even see Vega at all. I was fighting a masked figure, someone with no name and no face.

"Soldaire." A voice penetrated through the fogginess of the noise around me. "Soldaire, that's enough." The voice was sharp and scolding. I didn't even register what was being said until I was being pulled away from the mat, slammed down onto the concrete behind me.

"I said that's enough." The instructor stared at me, her eyes narrowed. "When I said to make her bleed, I only meant I wanted you to win."

I looked down at my knuckles, coated in a thick, red substance. I wasn't sure if it was mine or the person I was fighting. Vega's. I glanced up, over to the mat. Vega was sitting up, blood smeared all over her face.

"Jesus, Cade," she said, wiping her face with her arm. "You didn't think they'd actually revoke your spot, did you?" She stood up and brushed herself off. The instructor told her to go wash off, and I watched as Vega walked across the room, away from me.

The instructor looked back at me. "Stand up, Soldaire," she commanded, and I did what I was told. "Go wash off too."

Vega was still making her way down the hallway when I exited the room, and I ran to catch up with her. "Sorry," I mumbled, still trying to catch my breath. I didn't know if it was from running to her, or from the fight. "I know I got out of control."

Vega stared only ahead. At first, I thought she was going to keep silent, but after a minute she spoke. "It's fine, Cade. I just didn't expect it from you."

I licked my lips and cringed at the irony taste. "I'm sorry. I just... I didn't want everyone to think I couldn't fight."

To my surprise, Vega laughed, a mocking sort of laugh that made my hands twitch. She shook her head, before stopping and looking directly at me. "No one thinks that, Cade."

"But I lost the fight with Jaxon."

Vega narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, but I think I know something you don't." She gave me a slight smirk and paused for a little while, eyeing me carefully. Finally, she spoke again. "I know you could've beat him. I think you just didn't want to." With that, she turned and began walking again. I watched as she walked past the corner, out of my sight, and I listened until I couldn't hear the sound of her boots anymore. I stood there, hopeless, wondering if what she said was actually true.

I didn't need to think about it for too long, though, because I knew what she said was right. Jaxon was a brute, like Renzo, but his moves were always predictable. He always moved in a formula, the way he fought and even the way he acted. He had the perfect algorithm for an assassin. He had all the right tools, good grades, practiced combat, solid all-around. That was his only downfall, though. Jaxon didn't stand out. He was just another good kid in The Ninth, and that was all there was to him.

Even so, I think I wanted him to be assassin. I wanted to lose the fight, to show everybody I couldn't do it. To show them that I wasn't the man for the job, Jaxon was. To force Jaxon into my place.

I realized today, though, that I didn't want that to happen. I wasn't about to put to shame my whole family and everything I've worked for because I didn't want it a full 100%. If I wanted all the power, all the glory I was going to get in the future, just like my dad, I didn't want anyone to get in my way. Not Jaxon.

Not even Vega.

Chapter two is finally up! I honestly didn't even think I'd continue writing this story, but I got a sudden surge of inspiration haha. Thanks for the read.
Emmy