Black Hood: Season Two by Nick Venom (management books to read txt) 📕

A guard dressed in the royal colors of red, blue, and green, descended to an underground prison. He walked by several criminals, their arms outstretched past the bars. They grabbed at him, but he kept his distance from the cells, avoiding being caught by the flailing limbs. 

The guard reached his destination, at the end of the long hall. A black door, guarded by magic, was at the end waiting for him. It lured him inside the room, meeting with the prisoner hiding behind the door. It was Spec, his short-hair overgrown. His messy black hair reached his shoulders instead of its usual cut-off at his eyes. He was dressed in his cloak, tattered after the fight with Wick.

Spec stared at the guard that entered. He snarled at the man and went to attack, but his chains pushed him down. He was restricted to a chair inside of his cell. With dim light entering from a small window, he was growing crazy. A month after he was caught, he got thrown into the underground prison to wait out his sentence. Even though he was fighting against crime lords and cleaning out the Slums, he was still a dangerous assassin that Jayden was afraid of.

“What do you want?” He growled, spitting at the guard. “More torture? Kill me already!”

“Shut up, prisoner. Get up and follow me.” He ordered as he brandished his key, unlocking Spec’s chains. “Don’t make any trouble or else-” He brought two fingers into the air and swiped them against his neck, symbolizing execution. 

“Whatever.” He grumbled. “Just kill me already. What do you need from me, anyway?”

“Shut it! Follow me, prisoner!” The guard then led Spec out of the prison and to the ground floor. Once on the ground floor, they were met with maids carrying clothes. The guard nodded at them, allowing them to attack Spec and dress him up in whatever style they wanted. 

Spec tried to fight back, but the maids were quicker than he was. They forced him to try out many clothes before settling on a sleek black tuxedo. 

After being suited with a tuxedo, he was sent to meet with the royal family. A butler led the way, opening two grand cyan doors before motioning for Spec to follow. Spec glared at the butler before entering, noticing that the door closed behind him. 

King Jayden, Queen Sarah, Elder Prince Alessio, Princess Liliana, and younger Prince Hale waited for him. King Jayden sat on a throne with his family standing by him. Liliana’s face brightened when she saw Spec, but it changed when she noticed the differences. Even with a tuxedo on, she could tell that he was tortured in the underground prison, against her wishes. 

Jayden cleared his throat, soaking himself in the full attention of everybody in the room. Besides the royal family was Edwin, the captain of the Intelligence Divison. He was dressed in a gray tuxedo, appearing to be uncomfortable in the attire. Similar to Spec, he was thrown into the horde of maids to get dressed.

“Firstly, I would like to ask you a few questions. Answer them quickly and cleanly.” Jayden ordered. Spec shrugged his shoulders, expressing his discontent. Jayden ignored his disrespectful action, continuing to ask his questions. “What is your real name?”

“... Spec…. Spec Aiken.” 

“What is your purpose for raiding those factories?”

“I… needed money.”

“Okay, what did you need the money for?” He asked him.

Spec opened his mouth to answer the king’s question, but couldn’t. Instead, he slammed his mouth closed, shaking his head. Edwin, who was watching silently, suddenly jumped up and strolled towards Spec until Jayden ordered him to stop. Edwin complied, returning to his post. 

“Why do you refuse to tell me? Is there a problem?” Jayden asked. Spec shook his head, his lips zipped up. “Fine, then tell me your relationship with crime lord Wick? And your purpose for ending his life?”

Spec’s lips opened up. “My father loaned money from Wick and his gang. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the money to repay the loan and Wick came over. He killed my father and elder brother. My mother is said to be dead, but I don’t know the truth. He took out my entire family without breaking a sweat. Of course, I had to pay him back tenfold.” Spec’s anger made his body shake almost uncontrollably. Tears began to collect in his eyes but hadn’t breached his cheek yet.

“I see,” Jayden muttered. He glanced at Edwin who nodded back at him. They confirmed something within a second. Jayden then turned to face Spec. “I apologize for your loss. However,” He stood up from his throne, pointing at Spec. “It seems that I can’t trust you. 

“What?” Spec muttered, bringing down his eyebrows.

“Edwin, inform him.”

“As you see fit, your majesty.” Edwin started, turning towards Spec. “You have answered the majesty’s questions as you wanted. However, you left out one detail that demeans your words.” He then took a picture out from his pocket, unfolding it until it was a full-sized photo. The photo was of Spec’s sister, Lin. 

“Do you know her? Because if Edwin’s intelligence is correct, she’s your only blood-relative. Your sister, I believe.” Jayden said, approaching him. 

“What do you want? Her location? I rather die before I tell you that.” He growled.

“No, I don’t want anything from her. Instead… I want you.”

“Me?” Spec asked, furrowing his brows. “You want me to work for you as an assassin?”

“Clever kid,” Jayden remarked before heading back to his throne, sitting down. “Will you take the job or will you allow yourself to be deemed a criminal and executed.”

“Kill me instead,” He muttered, spitting at the ground. “Why should I help the family that didn’t do anything when my family was being slaughtered. The only reason you peeked your heads into the Slums was that I took out Wick.”

“You’re right. That’s why we need your help.” Jayden said before motioning towards Edwin. Edwin nodded, turning around and grabbing a piece of paper from a table. He then turned back around and walked up to Spec, who was being restricted by the handcuffs still on his hands. 

“Our plan is to execute every large gang from the Slums. With Wick gone, there is a power struggle and we want to take advantage of it. You will act as our assassin, assassinating the heads of the gangs while the Edurdale Army goes in and wipes the remainder out.” Edwin explained.

“Do I have a choice?” Spec asked him.

“If you want your sister to be painted as a criminal as an accomplice for the murder of Wick and his subordinates.” Jayden threatened. “We’ll free you in a few years and you’ll be pardoned for everything. You can live a normal life after that.” 

Spec nodded, looking down at the ground. “On two conditions-”

“If I can fulfill them, then very well.”

Spec picked his head up, glaring at the royal family. “Leave my sister alone and let her continue living a normal life.”

“That’s doable, what’s the second one?” Jayden asked.

“Let me meet with her and the others one last time. I would rather meet with them with my freedom still intact. That’s all I need.”

“Edwin, let him free. Fulfill both  of his conditions.”

TBC…

King Jayden allowed for his conditions to be fulfilled. Spec was given slight freedom, no longer imprisoned under the castle. Instead, he was allowed to walk freely, his eyes set on returning to his sister’s side Fortunately, Edwin had given Spec the address of Matt’s new house. He found it strange that they compiled all of this information of Matt, Maddie, and Lin in a single folder---keeping a file of blackmail against Spec---but he cast away those thoughts. He only wanted to see his sister again.

Taking the address from Edwin, he searched for Matt’s house and quickly discovered it. The house turned out to be a two-story house residing in the Commonfolk District. The large sum that Spec provided was enough to purchase a two-story house in the district, large enough to house a family of five.

The outside part of the house was a beautiful cyan color, painted with faint strikes and leaving very few mistakes in its wake. Aside from the beautiful color of the walls, the windows were shaped in octagons, a strange sight for Spec to see. The Slums had houses with barred windows and gray buildings. Every house was either colored gray or any other dark color or left bare, reflecting the wood or metal that made the house up. Unlike the house in the Slums, this one gave off a joyous and relaxing feel; which was strange for Spec who lived his life entirely in the Slums and experienced several cruel events. 

The front door, a white door with a circle window, was suddenly yanked open. An elderly man with balding grey hair and tannish, almost black, skin, emerged from the house. “Spec,” The elderly man croaked. “It’s you!”

“Matt, it’s good to see you,” Spec said as he walked up to Matt, hugging him. They then released each other, before Matt motioned for him to enter. He closed the door behind them, peering out at the nearby houses through the window; a habit that he picked up while in the Slums and was something that he couldn’t shake off.

Once inside, the two sat down on their brand-new furniture. Unlike their old belongings, which were hand-me-downs or taken from the garbage, the brand new leather felt comfortable for Spec as he settled down on top of it. The leather wasn’t torn or scratching at their butts, but, instead, feeling refreshing. 

“I’ve heard the rumors of Wick’s death. Are they true?” Matt bluntly asked him.

“Yes,” Spec quickly said. He didn’t feel like hiding the truth from Matt. 

“Where have you been since his death? Hiding from the officers?” He suspected.

Spec shook his head, rolling up his sleeve. A deep gash was hidden under his sleeve caused by the torturers in the prison. “I was caught mere moments after killing him. The sensation of his life leaving him was still fresh. I had beaten him and ensured Lin’s future. That’s when a girl, a little younger than me, and her bodyguards surrounded me. They took me to the castle where they proceeded to beat me for information.” Matt shook his head, disgusted at the castle’s actions. “I spent a month in their underground prison before the king decided to meet with me. He asked me to become the royal assassin and help in the clean-up of the Slums. I, of course, didn’t want anything else to do with the area, but-” His voice trailed off.

“They blackmail you,” Matt deducted. 

Spec nodded, continuing his explanation. “Either I assist them or they execute me and paint Lin as an accomplice. What could I do? Decline and watch as Lin’s future was flushed down the toilet?”

“You did what was needed. I understand that.” Matt said, standing up from his rocking chair. He walked up to Spec, shaking his hand. “Your sister has been accepted and is studying at a fancy school. She’s been doing good in her studies and has proved to her