Alpha, England's Otter Assassin
#6 of Slices of Life
A Slice of Life written for Alphaotter.
The Slice of Life is a commission experiment aimed at capturing a glimpse of someone's character in action. The idea is to see if a quality piece of writing can be made in a short length of time, and if someone would be amenable to paying for such a thing. They involve four prompts, ten minutes of writing, and five to ten additional minutes of finalization.
The prompts for this story were
Name: Alpha
Species: Otter
Descriptor: Fast, eager, intelligent, level-headed (unless provoked) bounty hunter/assassin
Setting: Either Assassin's Creed type story in England, or Guardians of the Galaxy type story in space, author's choice
Alpha, England's Otter Assassin
By Finn Panther
Fast, eager - yet calm and collected while under pressure. Usually. These were the qualities that brought Alpha to light, and made him so good at what he did. He had pulled off many contracts and gotten caught only a few times, so that was good. But those were in his younger days. These days he was more of an efficient machine than ever. His targets were dispatched within days, or a week or two if it was a particularly long game.
Unfortunately, patience had never been a particularly strong suit of his. Which did not bode well for his current situation.
''Yes, m'lady. Your hair is exactly just so. It's guaranteed you'll not escape the sir's notice.''
''But Jarvis, are you completely certain? I simply cannot bear the thought of Sir Reginald-''
''Madam I assure you, our plan will go off without a hitch.''
Why, or why, did I choose the STUPIDEST cover possible. Of course killing Reginald was the biggest contract he had had in years, and the delicacy of the situation had to be executed just so - Reginald was one of the most important (and guarded) men in the country. Alpha had decided that the best way to get to him was through an innocent, unwitting pawn. But this was the most RIDICULOUS thing he had done in all of his career. If this goddamn maiden opened her fat mouth just ONE MORE TIME...
''Oh Jarvis, I so thank you for your assistance in this matter!''
Alpha stifled a snarl.
''Of course, madam. I live to serve.''
The ball simply couldn't get here close enough. It didn't help that it had been delayed not once but twice, all because this stupid maiden wasn't yet prepared. After all, one could not become a proper queen of the land if one's dress was not just so, and of course there must be custom corsets imported from France, or some other bullshit excuse. Just hurry up and get close to Reginald so I can get out of this hell hole!
Each day had gotten a little worse - and he had been stationed here for over a month now. A MONTH of waiting hand and foot, a MONTH of patient servitude. An entire month of preparing the kingdom's future queen. All to get to the kingdom's future king - that is, if Alpha ever got the chance.
It wasn't just for his own sake, either. In his high position among the nation's underground workings Alpha had connections. Big connections, and people far more important than Alpha could ever hope to become. And his benefactors were getting as nervous as he.
Alpha had received more than one message from his superiors. It was a time sensitive mission, they said. It was vital to get Reginald out of the way before he could do any more harm to the secret (albeit powerful) organization. It didn't seem to matter how eloquently Alpha described the situation. The big picture was that Reginald was still IN the picture. And if Alpha knew one thing from all of his years working in this city, it's that there are some people who you do NOT want to piss off. Himself being one, most of the time.
But he was treading on dangerous ground here. More dangerous than he cared for. But the plan had been so smooth! He had worked each detail to the letter. Save for the duchess herself. How could he have known that such a complicated little creature existed, let alone that one day she would be his charge.
Each day was more degrading than the last, and he had nearly had it when the ball was called off a third time. Tensions among all the nobles were getting particularly high, and if something wasn't done about the situation soon it would come to far more than one aristocrat family fighting another in the shadows. A war was brewing, and everyone knew it.
After another night of pampering her highness Alpha returned to his quarters. There had to be another way. There HAD to be.
He wasn't surprised when he found a familiar envelope in his room. A message from on high. Alpha felt a twinge of fear. They were not going to be happy. Not at all.
Alpha broke the seal on the letter delicately and unfolded, wishing that he didn't have to read the text inside. The letter called for his head, he was certain of it.
Too much time has passed, Alpha, and Reginald is no longer our concern. His plans have been enacted and we must now react in the harshest of ways. Besides foiling your own strategy, the duchess has proven a massive thorn in our side. You have been given a new assignment. Dispatch of this thorn, Alpha. Permanently.
Alpha blinked and felt a surge of excitement. He read the letter three or four times to make sure it meant what he thought it meant. He was given a new assignment? He had been given THIS assignment!?
Oooohhhhhhhh, Alpha plotted. It will be my pleasure, sir. My pleasure indeed.