Tempus Venatores [Dave x Reader]

[Sicarius means Assassin, Dux means Leader, Venefica means Witch, Arcus means Bow, Fistulae means Guns, and Imperium means Control. Tempus Venatores means ‘Time Hunters’, Stolto means ‘Idiot; fool’, Vai Avanti means 'Go on', Stare al sicuro means ‘Stay safe’]

The man slammed his hand down on the table. “That isn’t good enough!”

“I’m sorry, Sir! But they just found the body this morning so-”

“Are you daft? Stolto! Can you not see it as I do? The perfect mark around the neck, the precise execution, and the subconscious need to at least try to hide the body so he won’t be found for a while. This is the work of Sicarius!”

“A-are you sure, Commander…? It seems that nowadays, you think everyone is being killed by Sicarius but that is not the case.”

“I’m telling you, Mr. Drake, that this is definitely the work of Sicarius. We must stop Tempus Venatores at all costs!”

“Sir, you don’t me-”

“Send me Piers!”

“But she-”

“I don’t want to hear it, Mr. Drake. Return to your post.”

“Yes sir.”

The commander stood with his back ramrod straight as the door opened and in walked the special agent he had hired from America. With [length; color] hair and [color] eyes, she looked innocent at first. Until she flipped you head over ass with her black belt tae kwon do. “Special Agent [Name] Piers, Class AA Sub K at your service, sir.”

“Sub K?”

“Killer, sir.”

“It says in your file that nothing about you is real except-”

“For my first name and my age. Yes. The file is completely up to date.”

“So you really are just twenty, Special Agent?”

“Just call me Piers, sir. And yes. I’ve been specially trained for this ever since I was born. My father was our section chief.”

“Alright. Piers, I assume that you’ve heard of Tempus Venatores.”

“Yes.”

“Good, then this will be easy.” Clicking on a projector, the Commander proceeded to show [Name] some stills. “Faces aren’t easy to capture when it comes to the Tempus, but we’ve tried. This one here is Sicarius. He’s the one who does most of the killing. Next is Dux. He’s the official leader of this ragtag team. This one is the only woman of the group. Venefica. Sometimes I think she’s more dangerous than the lot of them. Finally, this one here is Arcus. He sometimes helps Sicarius.”

“Do you have mission details for me, sir?”

“You’ll be going undercover as Benvolio’s daughter. As a prestigious board member, he has made sure to keep his daughter out of the media so no one truly knows what she looks like. She will be tucked away at their vacation villa outside of Italy while you will be posing as her instead. Benvolio might not be next, but be on guard. If you sense something, pretend to be a caring daughter and go look for your father. You might just save his life.”

“Understood, sir.”

“The eyes are fine. They match Benvolio’s, but we’ll have to change up your hair. He has a distinct color of black that comes with being strictly Italian.”

“Anything for the mission. When do I start?”

“Now.”

[>Find Tempus Venatores]

Laying across a couch with his legs dangling off the arm of it, Sicarius tossed a ball up and caught it over and over again. When he tossed it up for the fifth time, an arrow pierced it and speared it to a wall. Sicarius just laid there for a minute, listening to Arcus chortling gleefully. “You mother fucker.”

“Come on now, Si!”

“That was my favorite ball.”

“You have like ten more!”

“So? I was playing with that one.”

“Are you really gonna bitch about a ball?”

“Are you really gonna just be a bitch?”

“Si-”

“Good afternoon, children,” Dux said, entering the living room.

“Hello father!” Sicarius and Arcus chorused together.

“Shut the fuck up.”

“Where’s V?”

“Hell if I know. V does what she wants, you know that Arcus.”

“Well yeah I know that but-”

“She’ll only show up when we’ve decided our next target,” Sicarius said, digging another ball out of his pocket and tossing it up and down. When he heard the sound of another arrow being notched he said, “Use my ball as a target again, and I’ll call up Fistulae to shoot you.”

“But he’s in America right now!”

“Doesn’t mean he won’t fly out here to kick his cousin’s ass.”

Arcus pouted a bit, but placed the arrow back in his quiver. “You’re no fun.”

Dux watched the two of them banter back and forth like little children before he sighed. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he rolled his head back to look at the blonde woman with a smile. “V.”

“Got another target for us, Venefica?” Sicarius asked, catching his ball for the last time and pocketing it as he swiftly got up from his laying position.

“Yes.” She answered quietly.

“Well?” Arcus asked impatiently.

She cut a glare at him and raised her hand. The ball Sicarius had pocketed flew straight out of his pants and into Arcus’ face. The boy laughed at his friend before Arcus threw the ball back at him. “Patience.”

“Sorry V,” Arcus said, rubbing at his cheek.

“The man this time is named Benvolio Sorriso. He’s on the board of governors who has used his power and position to get him up the ranks over the years. He is unmarried so a wife would not be a problem, but he has a daughter that you’ll have to watch out for. Sicarius will be sent on this mission by himself, but Arcus will be on the rooftop across the way watching out for him.” Dux explained while V nodded.

“Try not to get killed and don’t kill anyone else, as per our rules. Vai avanti.” she finally said, waving her hand at the two of them.

[>Find the Secret Agent turned daughter]

“Try to rest easy, Father,” [Name] said with a quirk of her lips. She hadn’t called someone that in a long, long time. “I’ll be here to help you, and if you sense anything out of the ordinary, make a lot of noise.”

Mr. Sorriso nodded, a frown overtaking his features. “And my real daughter is safe, yes?”

“Very much so. She has five guards on her at all times in your vacation villa, but it’s your safety you should be worrying about. Tempus never goes for the families of their targets, so she would be completely safe even if she was here.”

“How could you be so sure?”

“It’s a little easy to profile them after I’ve been following their murders. They only kill high diplomats, while none of the family has been touched afterwards. Sometimes, depending on how the families are, they get blank checks and are encouraged to collect up to ten thousand dollars.”

“So if anything happens to me-”

“Then your daughter would be well off even after your death.”

He breathed a sigh of relief then. “That’s good. I won’t lie and say that my hands are unclean, but my daughter is the most important to me no matter what.”

“That’s a good ideal to have, Father. Forgive me while I take my leave of you to furtively check the perimeter.”

“Thank you.”

[Name] bowed to him before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her. Her eyes scanned the hallway before she walked down it, smiling and waving to each servant she saw. Looking out a window with a smile, she caught the glint of someone on the rooftop across the way. Pretending that she was looking down toward the flowers, she moved away from the window and rushed back down to the study.

She opened the door and cheerily said, “Father I-” Her eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of a hooded figure with a blade to Benvolio’s neck. “Father!” She rushed forward and heard the man with the blade curse before it retracted itself and he jumped out the window, back into the dying twilight. [Name] dialed for the police, occasionally asking Mr. Sorriso if he was okay.

“I heard him come in and the last thing I thought about was my beautiful Arina, but then you came in and saved me. Thank you.”

[Name] smiled and reached over to hug Benvolio, patting him on the back. Looking out the window, she blinked in confusion as her eyes met red ones. She had a feeling that she was being watched, which was why she maintained the facade of being Mr. Sorriso’s daughter, but she didn’t think she was being watched that closely.

“Father, do you see that?” She looked toward Benvolio and back to the window, but the red eyes were gone. “Oh. I guess it was a bird.”

[>Find the ‘bird’]

Scaling the wall and climbing back up onto the roof of the building, Sicarius sighed as he slumped next to Arcus. “Well.”

“Yeah.”

“Not gonna be happy.”

“Nope.”

“You wanna-?”

“Nah.”

“Cool down?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

“Si?”

“Sup?”

“The daughter probably saw you, you know.”

“Yeah.”

“You don’t care?”

“Nah. She’s pretty enough. Maybe-”

“You know what happened last time.”

“That was only because V used her voodoo hoodoo magic.”

“She does like to torment us.”

“Yup.”

“Fistulae is coming back home soon.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“You wanna-?”

“Yeah. Might as well.”

“Right. Last one there is a bitch.”

Jumping rooftops and laughing along with his best friend, Sicarius almost forgot what they stood for and who they were. His demeanor grew serious as he thought of the words they lived by. Manus nostræ fati nexibus. Diesque omni malo.

Stepping up to the door to their house, Sicarius waited for Arcus who joined him shortly after. “You’re bitch.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

Dux’s voice echoed from behind the door. “The saying?”

“Our hands of fate are tied. Dispose of all evil.” Sicarius and Arcus chorused together before Dux opened the door to them.

“Is the deed done?”

“About that,” Arcus started before Sicarius scoffed.

“The daughter got in the way.”

“So Benvolio lives another day?” Venefica asked, coming down the stairs slowly to join the three already standing by the door. “Then this is the disturbance I felt. Don’t even think about it, Sicarius. You are a wanted man as it is.”

“Hah told you!” Arcus said, punching his friend in the shoulder.

“Come on, V. Nobody knows what we look like.”

“The Commander has come close to photographing us. If you choose to remain foolish and believe yourself to be invincible, then I will be the first one to spit on your grave.” Tossing her scarf around her neck, Venefica stalked off to her study.

“I know you feel you don’t have to follow Venefica’s rules because she’s not the leader, but she looks out for each and everyone of us. She sees things different than we do, so please, at least respect what she has to say. And Sicarius, we don’t need to almost lose you again.”

Sicarius placed his hand on Dux’s shoulder with a grin. “Trust me, Dux. Nothing will happen.”

“You say that now. Either way, take a load off the rest of the night. V will let us know when she has the next target for us.”

Both boys nodded to their leader as he stepped away from them, heading into the living room. Arcus took his bow and laid it against the wall near the doorway. “I don’t know about you, Si, but I’m starving.”

“Yeah me too. Let’s grab some food.”

[>Rejoin the fake daughter]

[Name] spoke lowly in the phone in her room for the time being. “I managed to stop Benvolio from being killed. Barely. We’re dealing with professionals here.”

I’ve known that since their first victim. Who did you see?

“Sicarius definitely, and then another on a rooftop. Might have been Arcus.”

Makes sense. Arcus is the one adept with a bow and arrow. He’d be able to help out Sicarius from afar, or possibly even kill him if captured.

“I will be heading out into the gardens on a walk to see if I can find out more information. Because Arina hasn’t been exposed much, if at all, I’m limited on how I do things.”

You’re the best of the best, so I expect nothing less than perfect from you. You are your father’s daughter, are you not?

“I am. I will report later. Arrivederci.”

Clicking off the phone, [Name] sighed to herself as she flopped back on the bed. Swiping her bangs out of her eyes, she donned a light jacket and stepped out into the garden. Some of her sources, mainly from the father himself, told her that his daughter loved to garden. She didn’t mind getting her hands dirty, and well, [Name] had always been fond of plants herself anyway so she had no qualms doing it.

Smiling down at some of the flowers that seemed so taken care of, [Name] got down on her knees and grasped the handle of the watering can that was there. Curious as to why the earth felt so soft, she looked at where her knees rested with widened eyes. During the span of her kneeling down and not paying attention, somebody had placed a blanket there.

Her eyes narrowed instantly. So I have become a target. So be it.

Shaping her face to feign surprise, she looked around before her eyes met those same ones of red again. “You.”

“Me,” he replied, lazily laying on a branch as he tossed an apple up and caught it.

“I could call the guards you know.”

“I’d be gone by the time they got here. Besides, I think you’d love to hear what I’ll be proposing.”

“Pardon me? And why lay this blanket down under me?”

“Wouldn’t want your pretty dress to get ruined now do we, sweetheart?”

[Name] had to force herself to blush. This was most definitely the man whose eyes she had seen last night, so she had to guess that he was Sicarius. “Who are you?”

“Call me Dave,” he said with a smile, biting into the apple he had been throwing up in the air. “Don’t bother telling me yours, Miss Arina.”

“Was it truly so easy for you to find out my name?”

“Let’s just say that I have a friend who’s very smart. A bitch sometimes, but smart.”

[Name] stared at him silently before she went back to her gardening. He spoke no more as she worked in silence, with only the birds making noise around her. Although she didn’t see him move from his tree, every time she got up and knelt down in front of different patches of flowers, she found that same blanket beneath her.

She would have thought that having him stare at her would be frightening, but the feeling of his red-eyed gaze made [Name] feel safer than she had in a while.

“How long are you going to lay there?” She finally asked when she had done all her flower watering for the day.

“Hmm. Dunno. As long as I want I suppose.”

“Just don’t get caught.” She moved past the tree, surprised when a hand reached out and lightly grabbed her wrist. She was pulled gently into Dave’s awaiting arms as her head rested against his chest.

“Trust me, I have no intention of getting caught,” He said, chuckling lowly. This time, [Name] didn’t have to force herself to blush. She was certain her face was nearly as red as a tomato. “Though, you should come out with me tomorrow.”

“I can’t,” [Name] whispered, trying to put some distance between herself and the boy hugging her. “Father would be most displeased. He doesn’t like putting me out in the spotlight.”

“If people haven’t seen you, then they won’t recognize you if you don’t say who you are,” Dave teased, forcing [Name] to frown into his chest. Oh, she would love to wipe that smirk off his face. Finally, she looked up at him with a smile.

“I see. Then I guess I have to come up with a different name…?”

“That would be ideal, sweetheart.”

She was finally able to draw herself away from Dave and nodded. “Yes. I will think of some names then.”

“Be here, around say, noon?”

“Father works all day tomorrow so that should be fine. Arrivederci.”

“Arrivederci, Arina.”

[>Find the boy with a keen eye]

Arcus watched as Sicarius came back into their hideout after a day of stalking out the daughter of Benvolio. He was currently laying upside on the couch, shooting arrow after arrow into a target he had placed on the other side of the living room. If Arcus couldn’t hit a target upside down, then what was he good for?

“Incoming,” he called, letting loose an arrow just as Sicarius came into the living room.

“Jesus fuck, Arcus. One of these times, you’re going to kill me with that.”

“Probably. V is pissed as all hell at you.”

“I kinda figured, but I feel like this girl is different.”

“A girl is a girl, Si. And she’s the daughter of the enemy.”

“Who doesn’t love a good Romeo and Juliet?”

“You’re an ass.” Arcus moved his legs off the back of the couch quickly so he was sitting up and taking aim at Sicarius in a matter of seconds. “I don’t want to have to kill you because if you get captured, that is exactly what V will want me to do.”

“Then don’t kill me.”

Sicarius, not even minding Arcus’ bow trained on him, headed into the kitchen. Sighing, Arcus let the string of his bow fall slack as his cell phone began ringing.

“Yes?”

Arcus!

“Fistulae!” Arcus exclaimed happily. “It’s been too long!”

I know, I know old chap. Tell me, how fairs everyone else?

“Okay I suppose. Sicarius has gotten himself in with another girl.”

He’s certainly a tiger, that one. Say now, I’ll be heading home in at least two weeks or so. I’m just finishing stuff up here.

“That’s great! When you return, will you finally tell us what the big secret was about?”

Of course, of course! I’m sure Mr. Dux and Miss Venefica will be most anxious to hear about the information I have received.

“H-hey! I’m anxious too! Though, I just want you back Fistulae. Ain’t the same here without you.”

Oh trust me, I know! All of you are clamoring for your fearless gun toting party member, have no fear. I will be home soon.

“Alright. I’ll tell the others that you called.”

Thank you, ‘ol boy! For now, I return to my work. I will call you again when I’m about to leave America.

“Stare al sicuro.”

Safe is my middle name, dear boy! Arrivederci!

Arcus clicked the end button on his phone and placed the arrow he had forgotten about back in his quiver. Sicarius came out of the kitchen, munching on a sandwich. “Who was that?”

“Fistulae.”

“Is he finally coming home?”

“In a couple weeks he said.”

“Shit, what could he be doing out there?”

“It’s Fistulae. Who knows.”

[>Find the Agent]

[Name] paced her room, casually glancing back at her phone. She was waiting for a call from her headquarters in America, but also one from the commander here in Italy. It was a dangerous game she was playing, helping them out here when they needed her back home. Not to mention, how she seemed to have attracted the attention of one of the criminals.

Her phone buzzed from its place on her bedside table and she snatched it up, pressing to answer the call.

“Hello?”

The information has been passed. We’ll be faxing things to the commander in Italy soon.

“That’s wonderful. I hope he can get some use out of them. All the documents were sent correct?”

Yes. I am in the process of sending some of them now.

“I should head out there and see if he’s in today. I know how much he wants to solve these cases.”

I will call you at a later time to see if you received all the necessary paperwork. I triple-checked to make sure, but you know these documents more than I do.

“Thank you. I will let you know if I am missing any. Goodbye.”

[Name] hung up the phone and placed it in her pocket. Donning her large coat and a hat to hide herself just in case, she jogged out the front door and started heading toward the station. She had completely forgotten about her previous engagement for the day.

Flashing her hidden badge to the guard outside the station, [Name] hopped up the stairs and stepped inside. Smiling at the man closest to the commander’s door, she stopped in front of his desk. “Morning, Smith. Commander in today?”

“Good morning, Agent Piers. No, he’s not in at the moment. We made him go home and rest a bit since he’s been working himself to the bone with this case.”

“Is it alright for me to head in? I should be getting some faxes from my company in America.”

“It’s fine with me. The door should be unlocked.”

“Thanks, Smith. Also, don’t tell him I was here okay? The papers are non-conclusive, and I’d rather have solid evidence before presenting it before the commander for perusal.”

“I know exactly what you mean. My lips are sealed.”

“I appreciate it.” Heading into the Commander’s office, [Name] grabbed the stack of papers that was waiting on his fax machine. “Good it’s all here.” About ten minutes later, the Agent left the Commander’s office with her needed papers in her jacket.

“Took you a while to get those papers. Fax machine give you trouble again?” Smith asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Oh the fax machine didn’t give me any trouble. What was really trouble was finding a pen that actually worked!” [Name] laughed and patted her jacket pocket. “I was just making a few notes here and there using one of the files on Tempus in his office so that I could leave his papers there, but take mine with to look over at my current home.”

“Doesn’t sound like much fun.”

“Being an Agent hardly is,” she said, smiling and giving Smith a wave. “Thanks for the help.”

“It was my pleasure. If you need anything else, let me know.”

“Will do.”

[Name] trotted outside of the building, aware of a set of eyes on her. Taking some sunglasses out of her pocket, she placed them on slowly and caught the image of the archer reflected in them. “So. Followed by Arcus. Looks like Sicarius wasn’t happy I gave him the slip today.”

Walking back to Benvolio’s home, she spoke quickly to a guard and mentioned that a few more in the garden wouldn’t be unwarranted. He nodded back to her and spoke into the microphone connected to his jacket lapel. Stepping inside her temporary home, she paused in taking off her jacket.

I sense someone in the living room.

She stepped quickly and quietly, catching a glimpse of a head of blonde hair. “Who are you?” She asked warily, removing the hat that covered her hair.

The man stood up quickly and bowed slightly to her, adjusting his odd looking shades. “Good afternoon, signora. My name is Dux, and I believe you had the esteem pleasure of meeting my brother the other day?”

“You mean Dave?”

“Ah, so he used his name then.”

“Why wouldn’t he?”

“It is of no consequence. However, I must ask you what you went into the police station to do.”

“My father had me scheduled to go in and talk to the police about the attack the other night,” she murmured. “I didn’t want to take a guard with me just in case people got suspicious about it. He’s always working, so he wasn’t going to take me either.”

“And you didn’t speak about Dave?”

[Name] gave Dux a confused look. “Why would I?”

“Oh, no reason. I mean, he was just a stranger in your garden correct?”

“There is nothing wrong with strangers, signore. You just have to watch out for the ones who mean to harm you. I could sense that he meant no harm.”

“This is true. I apologize for my rudeness at entering your home unannounced. I shall take my leave of you then.”

“Arrivederci then, Signore Dux. Please, feel free to use the front door and tell the guards that you were a guest of mine.”

“You are too kind, Miss Arina, but I do not want to cause trouble for you further.”

He bowed his head to her and made his way out of the living room. [Name] let loose a breath she didn’t know she had been holding. Sure, she could have captured Dux right there, but where was the point in that? The Commander needed the whole group, not just the leader.

[>Two weeks later]

Arcus and Sicarius suited up as V and Dux watched them from the couch. “If you fuck this one up, then I don’t know what to tell you.”

“Thanks, Dux. That really helps us a lot.”

Arcus’ phone rang shrilly, causing him to curse and fumble with his pockets. “Hello?”

Speakerphone, my dear cousin.

“Fistulae!”

Arcus placed the phone on the table and pressed speakerphone. I assume I am good to talk now. I advise against hitting Benvolio tonight.

“They were actually just heading out now, but how did you know that?” V asked softly.

Ah, Miss Venefica. I miss hearing you curse my name for all the bullets I used to leave around, but that is an entirely different matter for a different time. You see, my comrades, I am about to make our problems go away.

“Problems?” Arcus asked.

Namely, that Commander that has been riding our asses since the beginning of our group.

“How so?”

I have enlisted the help of a newest member. You may call them Imperium. You will meet soon enough.

“Control?” Dux asked, leaning forward. “All our names have something to do with our positions so how-”

Think about it, Mr. Dux. At this precise moment, Mr. Benvolio Sorriso and the Commander are meeting up at Benvolio’s house. The Commander will stand up and point his gun at Benvolio before speaking about how he was unable to finish the job the first time, but that he would finish it by any means possible. He will then pull the trigger.

“Not of his own free will surely?” Sicarius asked, surprised at the hard ass commander for ever doing such a thing.

Of course not! That is where Imperium comes in.

“Mind control,” V finally said.

Bingo! He shoots a double pistol and a wink. Oh, just telling you all what I did since you can’t-

“We get it, you idiot. So what does this do for us?” Dux said.

Oh. Right. Well, Imperium has also planted evidence inside the Commander’s office to suggest that he staged the photos taken of you guys for his own deadly schemes. Imperium and I have consulted over every last detail down to the nitty gritty. The Commander will be entirely out of it once he realizes that he had killed Benvolio of his own free will.

“So when do we get to meet this person?” Sicarius asked, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

Why, my dear Sicarius. I do believe that you held the very person in your arms about two weeks ago.

-

Special Agent [Name] ‘Imperium’ Piers watched with disgust as the Commander was led away. Smith walked up to her, shaking his head. “We couldn’t save Benvolio, and the Commander is out of his brain. I asked a couple of my officers to ransack the office, and we found everything we need to put him away. I was wondering why nobody but the Commander ever believed in the Tempus, and now I’ve found out why.”

“I’m sorry too, Smith. He brought me here, truly believing that there was something going on in this city, but it was all a lie. I wonder if he called me here to kill me too.” She said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Where will you go now, Agent Piers?”

“Back home, most likely.”

A black car pulled up and honked its horn twice before waiting. “Your ride?”

“Courtesy of my father. Take care, Commander Smith.”

“You too, Agent.”

[Name] got in the back of the car and began smiling to herself. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t my old pal Fistulae.”

The green-eyed glasses wearer turned in the driver’s seat to look at his partner in crime. “I do believe that we have pulled off the juke of the century, Imperium.”

[Name] laughed. “Thanks for faxing the documents to me. Best way to sneak into his office and hide the evidence. The other four truly had no clue?”

Fistulae snorted. “Of course not! We’ve been planning this ever since we were in America together. They didn’t even know they were getting another member of the group! Sicarius really thought of you as Arina.”

[Name] smiled. “Well I certainly do feel bad for tricking him like that, but our entire plan went off without a hitch. What would I ever do without you, Fistulae?”

“Die perhaps?” He said, flashing a joking smile at her. “Let’s get on back to the hideout so you can meet the rest of the group.”

[>Rejoin the group at the hideout]

Imperium stood off to the side while Fistulae embraced his cousin, Arcus. “It’s been too long, old chap. Too long!”

“It’s your fault, Fistulae!”

“Alright, alright. Everyone, gather round please. I’d like you to meet Special Agent [Name] Piers, also known to us as Imperium.”

“You really had us fooled,” Dux said, sticking out his hand and shaking hers. “I thought you were Benvolio’s daughter. The facial expressions, the way you held yourself, it was uncanny.”

“Thank you,” [Name] said with a smile. “It’s an art.”

“[Name], this is Dirk, Rose, John, and Dave. They are also known as Dux, Venefica, Arcus, and Sicarius. And then of course, I’m Jake, but Fistulae is what you call me. So who’s ready for story time?”

“I’m mainly interested in how you developed mind powers, Imperium,” Venefica said, raising her hand and making Arcus’ bow float in midair. “I was born with mine.”

“Hey!” Arcus grabbed his bow back and hugged it to his chest.

“When I told the Commander that my father was indeed our section chief, I was not kidding. I was an experiment, and when I was old enough, they trained me to be their finest agent. I grew tired of it eventually, and I enlisted the help of Fistulae here to stage my death.”

“We met at one of them fancy Agent parties. Scared the hell out of me when she started speaking into my mind. With the way I held myself, she knew that I was into something. So, we traded. I helped her, and she helped us.” Fistulae admitted.

“So you can take over someone’s mind and what, make them speak?” Dux asked.

“Well, yes. I can speak in your mind, I can take over your mind, and whatever I say you do. It’s pretty much how the powers work.

“Why’d you stay so long in America, Fistulae?” Arcus asked, looking at his cousin.

“Any email that the Commander sent to the Agency was rerouted and patched through to me so that I could answer it as her superiors. It was a tricky set up, but this is the end result.”

“I suppose that’s enough blathering,” Dux said with a grin. “Fistulae is back, our family has grown by one, and the Commander is no more. I think a party is in order.”

-

Escaping out the doors to the balcony of the house, [Name] smiled out at the moon. Finally, her Secret Agent days could be laid to rest. She could be whoever she wanted, be with whoever she wanted, and-

“Hey.”

Turning, she beckoned the man over. “Sicarius.”

“Sorry I didn’t speak much earlier. I was entirely surprised. I mean, you fooled me into thinking that you were the daughter of an enemy. It isn’t easy to fool us, but then again, you had Fistulae working with you the whole time.”

“Yes I did. He was the biggest asset of them all.”

“So any form of embarrassment you had with me was-”

“True actually,” [Name] murmured quietly. “Like I said earlier, I was an experiment. I was a test subject for my whole life, and when I was old enough, they taught me all forms of fighting, languages, history. Everything that they could cram into my head, they did. I never had any friends or any relationships.”

“Well, you have them now.”

“It makes me immensely happy to hear so.”

“You know-”

“Yes.”

“How did you know what I was going to say?”

[Name] tapped the side of her head seriously, but started laughing when Sicarius gave her an odd look. “I’m just kidding. It was written all over your face.”

“Am I that easy to read?”

“Yes. But then again, that can be a good thing.”

“So dinner then?”

“Tomorrow night.”

“Six?”

“You really wanted to say seven.”

“Okay, okay. And did you want-”

“Yes. Lasagna sounds perfect.”

“Great. Can I-?”

“You were going to do it anyway.”

Sicarius gathered [Name] in his arms and brought his face down to hers in a kiss. “Yes. Yes I was.”