The End of the Beginning AND Chapter 1

The End of the Beginning
The smell of lilac mixed with burnt rubber filled the air. Hot tears filled my eyes. My was throat coarse from screaming. Had this really happened? Could it all be true? The emotional and physical pain was too much to bear. I screamed over and over again. Why!? I screamed heavenward! This was not the way it was supposed to be. My own blood matted the tuxedo I was wearing. Unable to move at all, I sat motionless and wished I was dead. This was the end of the beginning. The story starts here.

Chapter 1: The Wild
Love. This is my allegiance. This is my master, my calling, my all. I sat perched upon the eagle statue on the highest building in the city. Peering down into the streets full of parked cars, but no people, I closed my eyes. The wind blew through my hair. A dry, sandy wind. Upon it was an unnatural smell. I smiled, my prey was nearby. I leapt from the eagle into a black flip and began to freefall into the spread eagle position. The rush of wind felt good. The ground fast approaching, my heart rate didn’t even increase. There was no fear here. This was easy stuff. I tucked into a flip and landed in a crouched position. Nearly a 400 ft. drop. No damage to myself whatsoever. I lifted my head into the wind and called out loudly.
“I know you’re out there!” I laughed. “I can smell you!” I slowly began pacing back and forth. “We can do this the hard way, or you can merely offer your life to me.” I chuckled again. X had no chance. X, at least that is what the Angel had called him. X the Barbarian. In a small way I felt pity for him. He was merely trying to make things right. Wasn’t that everyone’s goal in life? People make mistakes. In every person there are secrets of past wrongdoings they wish they could right. X was simply another man struggling to survive in this cruel world; in this Wild. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone but me. I made no mistake. I had done no wrong. I wasn’t here to change my life. I was here because I needed to be. I did what needed to be done. What needed done now? X needed eliminated. X was the new target. X had lived his last day.
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The one called “X” sneaked through the streets invisibly. She had some tricks up her sleeve. She knew her adversary was well equipped and would not be an easy takedown. She had prepped herself emotionally and mentally for this showdown. The Demon had given her the briefing she needed. Her mission? Simply to eliminate her opponent, same as always. Sometimes more difficult than others, she had trained herself to fight. It was an ongoing evolution. Learn as you go. She stopped moving and listened. She could hear him calling out to her. Taunting her. Barbarians do not give up. No one gives up. Giving up would be another mistake. Cursing herself inwardly she thought about her past. Her legacy in the world, and her motivation in the Wild. Was it worth it all? She didn’t know, all she knew was that she had to do what was necessary. It was necessary for her to complete the mission. To survive. She saw him now. She wondered if he would be surprised at her being a woman. Most everyone here was a man. She could never figure out why. Her adversary looked through the streets and his eyes met hers. For a moment she almost lost focus. That would have ended in disaster; however she maintained her composure. She was completely invisible to him. He could not see her even though he was looking directly at her from less than 20 feet away. For a moment she almost got cocky. She almost thought that it was going to be an easy task. She was smarter than that however. She slowly pulled out twin blades from beneath her belt. The time for assassination was now.