A Modern Myth

Frank’s light snoring provided the steady background noise for the long bus ride to LA. It was finally dark outside, and at that point it never took much time for the guys to pass out completely. Gerard sometimes had trouble sleeping, but at the moment he was quietly curled up on the couch, muttering incoherently as he dreamed about one thing or another.

I had managed to make a quick trip to a bookstore and pick up a few Japanese books to brush up on the language. I didn’t necessarily like it, but I felt I should be able to form a sentence should I run into a messenger from the Order. They hadn’t given me a mission in quite some time, and I couldn’t complain. I enjoyed time off. Besides, even though I knew the people I killed deserved their fate, it wasn’t like I got some kind of joy out of it. It was just something I had been trained to do.

I sighed and marked the page in my book before closing it, now choosing to stare out the window. As I suspected, it was mostly dark and deserted; only a few stray lights dotted the surrounding land. I considered opening a window to let in some cool air, but I decided against it so everyone else could sleep. I shifted and slowly lifted my leg to rest it on the couch, biting back a curse or two as I stretched it out. Sustaining such an injury seemed worth it to protect my friends, but was my life worth it? If something happened to me, there wasn’t any way I could protect them.

Instinct started to gnaw at my conscience, trying to convince me that I was more important than any of them. They were just musicians, but I was more, much more. I was a trained killer.

But no matter how hard I tried, I could never completely block out my human emotions. These people were my friends. They actually cared about me, unlike my superiors, who would not hesitate to kill me on a moment’s notice.

That brought on another worry. I had been considering telling the rest of them about my secret life for quite some time. But if I did, they would realize just how much I had been lying to them. The very nature of my position meant that I had to become a pathological liar. If they found out how much I had kept from them, they would likely never trust me again. Even so, it would be so much easier if I could tell them where I really went on my alleged smoke breaks, and I would be able to get some actual help for the injuries I usually limped home with.

I ran a hand through my hair as if it would help clear my thoughts. I could easily wield the power of two curved swords in training, but this much emotional turmoil was really starting to get to me. Experience had taught me one thing above all else: never let your emotions dictate your actions. It was nearly impossible to put it into practice. One weak moment that made me reveal all my secrets could set the band on a one-way path to destruction, and I absolutely could not let that happen.

I felt myself drifting off lying on the couch, so I slowly got up and limped over to bed. I took the chance to look out the window for a second, hoping the calm, dark scenery would give my headache a small reason to disappear. When I suddenly found myself staring into a pair of dark eyes on a field of pale skin framed with black, I knew it wasn’t going to happen. I blinked and the face was gone.

I slowly made my way to the back of the bus. I shut the door behind me and pulled my mask over my face, then reached into a hidden pocket and pulled out my magnetic gloves, slipping them on before opening the window and carefully climbing outside. The wind gusting over the top of the bus threatened to drag me beneath the roaring tires like a powerful undertow. I reached up and grabbed the edge of the ladder coming down from the roof, pulling myself up one arm’s length at a time.

Placing my hands on the roof, I kicked off and flipped over so I landed on my feet, quickly repositioning myself so I was sitting on top of the bus. The wind was even stronger, blowing tears out of my eyes as I looked around to find where Leto had gone. No more than two seconds passed before he was in front of me, stretched out like a cat hunting down its prey. He said nothing. He just kept staring up at me like he was confused that I was there.

I pulled out one sword and moved to attack him. Keeping my left hand firmly planted to the bus, I slashed through the curtain of air and landed what I thought would be a solid hit to his right shoulder, but as soon as the blade hit home, he vanished. Something collided with the back of my head and sent me sprawling forward, the rest of my body becoming limp as I tried to hang on with just one hand against the smooth surface. I ran up the side of the bus to get back up before the wind swept me off to an impact with the road that would almost certainly kill me.

I heard him take a few steps toward me, and I slammed the handle of my sword against where I thought his leg was. A satisfying thud against the roof told me I was right; a sliding noise followed shortly after it, and though I knew there was very little chance of him surviving the fall, I didn’t exactly care.

I climbed back into the bus, glad to get out of the frosty air, and put my gloves back in their hiding place. Shutting and locking the window behind me, I removed my mask and opened the door, but I was surprised to find Gerard standing there waiting for me.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” I answered, trying to look a little confused. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t lie to me, Bob,” he said with a hurt expression. “I know something’s going on. I heard noises out there.”

“Why would I be outside at a time like this?” I offered. “That’s insane.”

“Yeah, that’s why I want you to tell me what’s going on,” he insisted. My teeth ground into my tongue like it was a piece of chewing gum to keep me from spilling everything.

“Nothing’s going on.”

Gerard never had been any good at hiding how hurt he was. Frowning deeply, he turned and stalked back to his bunk. I sat on the couch, leaning forward with my head in my hands. “I’ve got to do something about this,” I muttered to myself.

“I don’t know what to tell you, Bob,” Ray said as he walked in and sat on the couch across from me.

“But he’s suspicious now.” I sighed deeply. “It was a big enough mistake telling you, and now this. Soon the whole world’s gonna know.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Ray said, sounding a little hurt, “but Gerard is probably going to figure it out.”

“No one’s supposed to know,” I said flatly, thinking it obvious. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be a ‘secret’ assassin.”

Ray shrugged. “You can’t keep secrets from everyone.”

“I have to.”

“…well…you can always trust your friends,” he said with a little too much optimism for my mood.

“I can’t trust anyone,” I reminded him. “It’s just the way things are.”

Ray returned to his bunk as well, leaving me to wonder just how I had managed to make two of my friends so upset within the span of thirty seconds. Things were definitely getting worse. I had to do something soon, but if I broke the code, the Order would have me killed. I lay back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling in frustrated, conflicting thought until I finally fell asleep.