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

body to the ground, grabbing him by his feet and throwing him into the muddy water. The only lake in the Slums was full of bodies and things you would never want to see. It became muddy, perfect for hiding corpses in.

He threw Hank’s body into the water before facing the port’s main building. Guards were roaming the two floors of the building without realizing that their leader was dead.

“This is for my family,” He thought out loud. “Kill the people on the Kill Order and I’ll be free. This is for my family.” He reminded himself before going into the port. He slaughtered the guards and inhabitants of Fisher Port, ending the Redbrights’ short existence in the Slums. They were wiped off the face of the earth by nighttime, leaving only bloodstains and beheaded corpses. The Redbrights were exterminated with ease, taking care of the first target on the Kill Order.

 

TBC…

Chapter Four "You've Been Summoned"

“You’ve been summoned.” A new guard told him. “The First Prince, Alessio, has summoned you to his chambers.” The guard was a female in her thirties with light brown hair and dark skin. She wore the royal guards' outfit of red, blue, and green-stained iron armor with a few patches of leather here and there.

“Hurry, street rat.” She remarked. Her attitude towards Spec wasn’t kind, seeing him as trash. To add insult to injury, he was an assassin. Most knights saw assassins as cowards that used cowardly tactics to kill people. Assassins rarely fought fairly, never taking proper duels. They were looked upon as trash that had no morals or integrities

“Do not make the Young Master wait.” She snapped. Spec waved her away, slowly getting out of bed. He was given a small crude one-bedroom to live in. No other furniture aside from the bed, a desk, and two chairs were given. The windows had been barred off, resembling a prison. Fit for an assassin.

“I’m going,” He remarked, brushing off his long hair from his eyes. Why it grew so long in such a short period of time was unnatural, but he ignored it. Instead, he grabbed Deathstriker---slightly intimidating the guard---and approached her. His cloak sat on one of the chairs.  

“Let’s go.” He told the guard as he equipped his torn cloak, one of a few reminders of his parents and elder brother.

The guard scoffed at him, leading him to Alessio’s room. Through many twists and turns, they reached the door of Alessio’s room. Alessio’s younger brother, the second prince, Hale opened the door and walked out. He was tearing up, using his sleeves to wipe away the budding tears. The second prince was a young boy, a five-year age gap between the boys, with dark brown hair that was cut short. He wore a red tunic, ruffles at the end, and held the family crest of a knight slaying a black dragon basking in the sunlight. 

Hale’s pants matched the tunic’s leather appearance, embroidered with small gems at the ends of his pants and by his belt. Patterns of red, blue, and green were painted on the pants and the short sleeves of the tunic. 

Hale ran off, doing his best to hide his tears. However, it was evident that he was about to burst into tears.

Spec ignored the second prince, walking up to the door. He raised his arms to push the door in, but the guard stopped him. “Mind your manners. You knock and wait for a reply. You must’ve been taught manners by your druggie parents.”

He snapped, angered by the woman’s comments to his parents. He had Deathstriker at his side, prepared to attack, but decided to hold himself back. He shot his arm out and grabbed the woman’s throat, choking her with one hand. “Say something to disgrace my parents again!” He shouted at her.

A maid that was comforting Hale nearby noticed their conversation, watching with one eye as it escalated. “Go to your room, I’ll be there in a moment.” She rose and sprinted to meet with Spec. “Sir, please release her. Mind you-”

He glared at her, freezing her in the middle of her sentence. She cowered under his glare.

“Mind my manners?” He asked. The woman in his grip was choking to death.

The maid shook her head, bowing. She then rose and turned around, walking off as the woman continued to be choked to death. 

Hale didn’t head to his room, watching the event unfold. The maid noticed him, grabbing his shoulders and leading him away. She took him to his room, sitting him down on a bed. “Why is that man hurting her?”

The maid hesitated to answer him truthfully but knew that he was smarter than other kids his age. “She… she was being rude to him.”

“He hurt her for being rude to him? I never hurt people for being rude to me? Even when they’re being extremely rude to me.” Hale confessed.

The maid’s eyes zeroed onto Hale. “What do you mean? Are people being… rude to you?” Hale nodded his head, giving her a small smile. It was the smile of a person trying to convince somebody else that they were fine. For the most part, they never were.

“How are they being rude to you? Are they saying mean things?”

Hale nodded his head. “They said… said I should go… go out and die…” His voice cracked as tears bubbled in the corner of his eyes. “They told me… I’m a-a-a monster.” 

The maid consoled him, embracing the young boy as he let out tears. “You’re not a monster. You’re a young boy; a human. You’re the second prince of Edurdale; my Young Master Hale. You’re the strongest and smartest kid I know. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.” She told him. Hale simply nodded, his tears being absorbed by the maid’s outfit. 

“Thanks, Olive.”

“You’re welcome, Hale.”

***

Alessio opened his door and watched as Spec angrily choked the guard, raising her into the air. “Drop her!” He barked, grabbing Spec’s arm; who glared at him, intimidating the shorter in stature man. 

“Release her, damn it!” Alessio shouted, still holding onto Spec’s arm. “Before I send my men to grab your sister!”

Spec released his grip, dropping the guard on the ground. She gasped for air, resting her hand on her heart as it beat faster and faster. He turned towards Alessio, raising Deathstriker. Alessio released his grip and backed away, frightened of the wild beast in front of him. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, don’t hurt me!” He exclaimed. His words stopped Spec’s attack, calming him down. He lowered Deathstriker and motioned for him to lead the way inside.

Alessio nodded, ordering a nearby maid to help out the guard. He then led Spec inside his room--closing the doors behind him---before he sat down at his bed. He had a chair prepared for Spec. However, he insisted on standing, which Alessio quickly allowed. He wanted no more trouble with the beast in front of him.

“To start this off, I must ask about your reasoning for wounding Iris. It couldn’t be because of her appearance, is it?” He asked.

Spec glared at him, burning Alessio’s eyes. Even so, through the painful glare, he persisted, insisting about Spec’s reasoning. Spec soon gave up, spilling the truth. “Her mouth. She made a remark about my parents.”

“Your parents? They’re… uh, they passed away, correct?”

Spec nodded.

“So she upset you by saying something rather rude about your parents and you reacted by choking her?”

“I’m simply minding my manners,” Spec muttered, tightening his grip on Deathstriker.

Alessio noticed the motion, understanding what he meant by his words. He took it easy on Iris by not killing her instantly. “Okay, with that out of the way, I need you to do me some favors.”

“Favors?” Spec questioned. “I’m not your errand boy.”

Alessio shook his head. “I don’t want you as an errand boy, I want you to serve by my side.”

“I don’t serve anybody.”

Alessio jerked his head back. “You serve my father!”

Spec shook his head before crossing his arms, Deathstriker laying on his shoulder. “I don’t serve your father. I only respond to him because of his grasp over my family. Otherwise, I would’ve left a long time ago.”

“So you aren’t loyal to us?” Alessio questioned, well-knowing his answer.

“I’m not loyal to those who strip my freedom from me. I will never be loyal to you or any of your family. I’m only here to fulfill my tasks and then leave. Nothing more, nothing less.” Spec turned around, heading to the door. He rested his hand on the doorknob. “If I hear a remark about my family by you or that guard again, I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”

“You-” Alessio’s voice cracked. “-would kill a royal? Don’t you fear my father’s wraith? He won’t be lenient on you if I’m dead.”

Spec glanced over his shoulder at Alessio, scaring the boy with his glares. “The only man I feared is dead.” He exited the room, leaving a stunned Alessio in his wake. Spec had declared that Alessio was nothing more than a street rat in his eyes, a thought that many nobles, including Alessio himself, shared about Spec. They saw him as a street rat, somebody that they could use as a tool to purge other street rats and corruption in the Slums, making profit off of him.

Spec could care less as long as his family’s future was secured. It was his only worry.

 

TBC…

Chapter Five "Terrors"

“She’s supposed to be here?” He asked himself, approaching a desolate house in the Slums. Nature had reclaimed the house, multiple vines penetrating the crumbling foundation and walls. The windows had been broken, glass shards lying on the ground patiently. Patiently for somebody to reconstruct the window; they’ll have to wait for a long while.

A knife popped out of the house and bolted towards Spec. He raised Deathstriker, blocking the knife. It hit the blade and bounced off, hitting the ground next to him. It stuck out, the blade embedded in the dirt.

“I see, you have good reflexes.” A woman muttered, appearing from behind the house. “Black Hood, correct?”

Spec glared at her, holding Deathstriker tightly. “You’re M?”

“You can call me Rock.” She approached him. She brushed off her violet hair from her shoulder, walking with a swagger of a businesswoman. The only thing she needed was a suit to match the stereotype. “You managed to kill Wick, a feat I haven’t been able to accomplish. So, how did you kill him? Torture, lynching, drowning, lighting him on fire?”

This girl’s crazy, Spec thought.

“I beat him to death.”

“Oh,” Her finger grazed Spec’s cheek. Spec held down