The Heart of the Underdog

At the outskirts of Cedar Valley, a man with a golden walking stick stood at the edge of a wooded clearing. He appeared to be in his mid-forties, his average build unassuming. Yet, his calm, confident smile radiated charisma and authority, making it impossible to overlook him.

"Stop hiding already, Miss Hoffmen. Or should I say, Miss Shadow? Come out now," the man said, his voice smooth but carrying an undeniable edge of command.

A woman's voice, low and tinged with amusement, replied from the shadows. "Your Observation Hatsu is indeed a challenge to counter." With a soft rustle, she descended gracefully from the branches of a nearby tree, her lithe frame moving with a predator's ease. She was dressed in a sleek jumpsuit, a face mask obscuring much of her expression, though her sharp gaze betrayed her cunning. "Tell me, what work do you need me to do? It's not often you hire me."

The man adjusted his golden walking stick and smirked. "Well, it's a confidential task. Top secret, actually. I need you to retrieve a certain small container holding a serum created by Dr. Edwards."

Reily arched a brow, her curiosity piqued. "Hmm… So his death wasn't natural after all. Is it your organization that killed that poor man?"

"To be honest," the man replied with a casual shrug, "it was his own foolishness that cost him his life. If he'd simply agreed to our conditions, he'd still be alive." His tone darkened, the smile never leaving his face. "Enough talk. Do the job. Payment will be transferred as usual."

Reily tilted her head, smirking. "Fine. How much this time? You know, we women have our own expenses."

"Don't worry," the man said with a chuckle. "Twenty million bucks."

Reily's smirk widened. "Oh, then I'll make this quick." She turned and, without another word, disappeared into the shadows as if she were never there.

---

Present Time

The pounding of Remond's footsteps echoed through the deserted streets at the edge of Cedar Valley. His chest heaved as he ran, clutching a small container—the serum—close to his chest. Behind him, Reily Hoffmen's voice rang out, cold and commanding.

"Hand over the serum, boy. It's not something you should be messing with," she demanded, her voice cutting through the night like a blade.

Remond turned his head briefly, his breath ragged. "Sorry, but I can't! I made a promise!" he yelled, pushing himself to run faster.

Reily's lips curled into a cruel smile as she effortlessly melted into the shadows. Her voice drifted toward him, seemingly from nowhere. "How foolish you are, boy! You can't run from me. I always get what I'm after."

The darkness seemed to shift and writhe around Remond as he ran. Fear clawed at his chest, but determination kept his legs moving. Uncle Edwards entrusted this to me. I can't let him down.

Suddenly, Reily materialized ahead of him, her figure emerging seamlessly from the shadow of a lamppost. She stood calmly, her arms crossed, watching him with a predator's amusement.

"H-how did you get here so fast?" Remond stammered, his legs faltering as he skidded to a stop. His hands trembled as he tightened his grip on the small container.

Reily laughed, her voice dripping with mockery. "Oh, poor child. I told you not to run. You can't outrun me. I'm an assassin, and the shadows are my playground. Now, hand over the container, or things will get messy."

"No…" Remond's voice wavered, but his resolve remained firm.

Reily raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. "What did you just say?" For a moment, there was silence, and then she threw her head back and laughed. "You've got guts, I'll give you that. But courage alone won't save you. Is it really worth dying for?"

Remond's heart pounded, but he stood his ground. "I promised Uncle Edwards that I wouldn't let it fall into evil hands. So I won't."

Reily's smirk faltered, replaced by a flicker of respect. "You've got resolve, kid. I admire that. But resolve won't stop my blade."

Before he could react, she lunged forward, her blade gleaming as it sliced through the air. Instinctively, Remond raised the small container to shield himself.

CRACK.

The sound of shattering plastic echoed as Reily's blade sliced through the container. The strange liquid within spilled out, splattering onto Remond's skin.

"You idiot!" Reily hissed, stepping back in alarm. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?!"

Remond didn't answer. A searing pain erupted through his body, and he collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony. His veins glowed faintly with an orange hue as the serum coursed through him, altering him at a cellular level.

Reily's eyes widened as she watched, the assassin momentarily shaken. "What the hell…? This isn't normal. This looks bad. Real bad." Her mind raced. If the Axiom Syndicate or Jaimy finds out about this, I'll be dead soon or at least they will punish me like hell.

With a frustrated growl, she disappeared into the shadows, leaving the boy writhing in the dirt.

For a moment, the street was silent, save for Remond's gasps and the faint hum of the power now surging within him. The world as he knew it was about to change forever.