Intel

 The day had arrived for the high-ranking mission. After speaking with Alondo, Sindy had managed to gain permission to take part in the dangerous mission. Her main goal was to find out what Andrew was planning and put a stop to it before it was too late.

She tied her hair into a ponytail, equipped her gear, and sheathed her knives by her side. She felt a rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins as she thought about what the day could bring.

Instructor Brady's words had dug her from the emotional grave she had found herself in and it was now her turn to do the same for Andrew.

If Instructor Brady's theory was correct then Andrew was lost in his search for vengeance. On the contrary, Nathan was lost in his failures, unable to move on. 

Sindy had realized how pain could be interpreted in many ways. Some might seek revenge, some might strive to prevent the same mistake from repeating, and others would sulk in their failures, unable to move on. It was all a matter of perspective. One's perspective could change the course of their life. She now understood this thanks to the help of the Instructor.

A few minutes later, everyone who was chosen for the mission rendezvoused at the Transport Bay. Andrew was also present and Sindy immediately wished to speak with him.

"Andrew, I need to talk to you..."

"I know... I'm sorry that I didn't say anything to you about going on the mission. I knew you were stressed over Nathan so I didn't want to worry you any further."

Sindy frowned. She could tell that Andrew still wasn't being truthful with her. She needed to push harder.

"Andrew-"

"So, how's Nate?" He quickly interrupted.

"He's still unresponsive..."

"Dang, that's unfortuNATE!" He laughed.

"Andrew, seriously, are you okay..?"

"Come on, princess... I keep telling ya that I'm fine. What are ya so worried about?"

Sindy's face saddened. It was becoming evident to her that Andrew was forcing himself to sound enthused. There was something off about his jokes and the way he spoke to her. However, Sindy decided that it would be best not to push things too far just yet. For now, the mission was their top priority.

She then averted her eyes to the other assassins that were present. She had studied their names and ranks the day before so that it would be easier to communicate with them on the mission.

First up was Leo, an AS-ranked assassin. He was one of the two assassins that had rescued them from the Dark Forest when they had just arrived in the Mind World. Sindy was glad that he would be a part of the team given that the familiarity was already established between them.

Next up was Amanda, an AA-ranked assassin. She was also present back at the Dark Forest alongside Leo. Two familiar faces were better than one.

Lastly, there was Samantha, an AC-ranked assassin. She was 16-years, around the same height as Nathan— standing at 5ft 9 inches. She had lustrous black hair that flowed gently along her back like a peaceful waterfall. Her eyes were the same color as red roses and she had a slender body type which would make her attractive to almost any guy.

Sindy, however, wasn't quite sure how to feel about her. From the moment they had arrived in the Transport Bay, Samantha had been given hateful stares to both Sindy and Andrew. This made Sindy a little worried.

"Alright, is everyone here..?" Started Alondo who was also present. "This team should be comprised of; Leo, Amanda, Samantha, Andrew, and Sindy. Amanda, you're the most responsible assassin here, so you're in charge of today's mission."

"Wait..." Interrupted Sindy, "...We're all around the same age here. Aren't we supposed to have an older team captain?"

"Nah, only D and C-ranked assassins are assigned, permanent team captains. Once you get to B-Class and above, you're deemed responsible enough to go on missions without a set team captain!" Replied Amanda sweetly.

"Ohh, thank you, Amanda!" Smiled Sindy.

Leo then stepped forward with a question of his own, "So, what does this mission entail?"

Before responding, a moment of silence was allowed to run free. Alondo then took his time to take another look at everyone present before releasing a depressing sigh.

"Before I say anything else, I'll give you all a warning. I'm perfectly sure that none of you will like what you're about to hear. This is why I'm also giving you the option of declining the mission if you believe it's not in your best interests."

 The assassins immediately became worried. Normally, whenever Alondo is assigned a mission, there was never an option to decline unless there was a very good reason behind it. This proved that the mission was even more dangerous than anyone had initially thought.

"We were told from the start that this would be a very dangerous mission. But based on your tone, I take it that you're implying that this mission is above A-rank. Am I correct..?" Asked Amanda.

"Yes, but before I reveal the mission rank, please allow me to give the details," prompted Alondo. "The Cliques have kidnapped one of the main governing officials of the Mind World, Sir Arthur McDonald. Based on intel, the kidnappers have not yet returned to base. They are currently camping out on Mind Moutain. Your mission is to rescue the hostage and bring him back here to base."

"Huh..? That doesn't sound too bad..." Mumbled Sindy.

"Wait, let him reveal the kidnappers' identity first..." Replied Leo.

"This is where it gets tough..." Continued Alondo. "The kidnappers are two of the six high-ranking commanders of the Cliques organization. Their names are Waver and Raven."

Upon hearing what Alondo had just said, the assassins took a step back in fear. The only ones that didn't move were Sindy and Andrew as they were unaware of how dangerous a Clique commander was.

"Shit... With all due respect, Alondo, you've got to be out of your damn mind! There's no way mere A-ranked assassins can take on a Clique commander and win! Not to mention that there's two of them!" Argued Amanda.

"And to make it worse, you gave us 2 D-ranked assassins as our backup! Are you trying to get us killed?!" Added Samantha.

"Wait, are the commanders really such a big deal?" Inquired Sindy.

"Yes, normally any mission that deals with Clique commanders are assigned to one or more of the 5 SS-Classed assassins. In other words, the required rank for this mission is SS."

Sindy trembled. She was only a mere D-ranked assassin, yet she had signed up for an SS-ranked mission. There was no way that she could even hope of being of much use. However, this also seemed like the perfect chance to persuade Andrew to quit.

"I know it sounds unfair. This may well be a suicide mission. However, due to the large amounts of mission requests, we have no S-Classed assassins on standby since they're all out on missions. The few that have returned from their missions are desperately in need of rest and are currently unable to take on any other missions. The only other S-ranked assassin available would be Brady but he is on probation for a very special reason. This is why I've turned to the A-Classed assassins for this mission," explained Alondo.

"But what about the other Hero Organizations? Given our current circumstances, there must be someone out there who's willing to accept this!" Argued Amanda.

"Sadly, every other Hero Organization is in a similar situation as us. The Mind World is facing that much trouble right now. We at AA just got the short end of the stick. Of course, if all goes well, you will be highly compensated for your troubles. So, will you all accept or decline?"

Sindy glanced at Andrew hoping that he would become scared and reject the mission. However, to her surprise, Andrew stepped forward and agreed to still proceed with the mission.

"I'm still going, Cap," noted Andrew.

"Yes, I must agree as much as I hate to do this. Since no one else is available for the mission, we have no choice. Who knows what kind of influence the Cliques can gain from blackmailing the government with a hostage? Or even the intel that they could get on the Hero Organizations?" Added Amanda.

The rest of the team nodded in approval. Sindy also had no choice but to agree given that her main goal was finding out what Andrew was planning.

 However, that did not stop the mission from being any less intimidating. The Cliques' commanders were extremely powerful. It was rumored that a single commander was enough to defeat a thousand men. 

"Alondo, I also have a concern!" Interjected Samantha. "I am sure that there are still at least other B or A-classed assassins available, so why do we have to team up with the DD-ranked newbies? To make it worse, they failed their first mission and got everyone killed! Am I supposed to put my life in the hands of these fools?" 

Sindy felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her but she remembered Instructor Brady's words and remained strong. She couldn't allow her failure to haunt her any longer.

"Hey, Don't be so insensitive! I'm sure those two must feel terrible about what happened on their last mission. They don't need you to make themselves feel any worse!"  Reprimanded Leo.

Alondo then held his hand up signaling them to be quiet. He did not take a liking to how Samantha had brought across her question.

"First of all Sam, remember who you're talking to. Don't forget I am above you and have no problem punishing those who look down on others. It will not be a trend in this organization! Secondly, let me ask you; have you never failed at least one mission in your time of being here at AA? I'm sure most of us have including yourself. Finally, don't critique my judgment. I allowed them to be here for a very special reason."

Samantha felt upset but she also held a deep respect for Alondo. It made her feel guilty for speaking out in such a manner. If there was one thing that should never be judged, it was Alondo's decisions and intuition. Whenever he suspected something, it had always gone as he predicted.

"I apologize... That was out of place!"

Alondo's face then brightened once more, "Alright, you all need to get a move on or you'll miss your targets. And Amanda, try not to worry too much. You're smart so I'm sure you can think of a way to successfully complete this mission. You'll all be fine!"

 Following this, Amanda took one last deep breath before signaling the team to board the jet that would be bringing them to Mind Mountain.

"Okay, team! Let's go!"

A dangerous mission lied ahead.