I looked to Ruby, who was curled up on the ground. Crying. She’s always been so soft hearted. Too soft hearted.

I squat down next to her. “Get up.”

She whimpers. Of course. She’s too weak. I shove her. Ruby should have gotten up.

She’s just not worth it. She’s too traumatized to be useful. I take a step in the opposite direction, only pausing to give her another chance. She doesn’t take it.

I walk into the bustling street, full of merchants and beggars. I want to shout at them. Tell them to get a real job. One that’s useful. One like mine.

I know my next assignment. I just need to find him. And it’ll be much easier now that Ruby isn’t dragging me down.

I should be more compassionate for her. That’s what anyone else would have done. But I am not anyone else. I don’t care. Ironic, since my whole family cared. They cared so much that they were willing to sacrifice themselves. For a little boy. I was smart enough to run when the soldiers came to our house. The rest of my family refused to run. Consequences for their actions. They would still be alive right now if they weren’t so caring.

I shoved my way past more and more people. Then I see my target. I slide the knife out of my pocket, training my eyes on a brown haired man. He takes up half the road. I get an easy target today. His gaze flicks to mine when I let the knife fly. Hitting him square in the chest. He collapses. Coughing and gasping. I run.

I race down the street, turning the corner. Running straight into Ruby.

“Mathew!” She exclaims. Joy seeping across her face, along with relief. She looks like she’ll cry again. I shove past her.

She frowns. “Where are you going? I thought we were a team.”

I shake my head, frustrated. I’m wasting time. “We are not. Now move.”

“But… Liam said we were a team. To do the assignments.”

I scoff. “Liam took you in as a charity case. I won’t. If you’re going to keep bawling your eyes out every time you see a dead body, you’re not meant to be here. Go. You’re not useful.”

I see the tears weld up in her eyes. I nearly groan. Of course. Why? Why do I have to be stuck with her?

“I- I can be useful. I’ll… I’lll stop crying. I won’t ever cry again.”

I shake my head. “Just go. You’ve wasted enough of my time already.”

“Please,” she begs.

I sigh. I should just leave her here. But she’s right about one thing. Liam placed us together. And I seriously don’t want to get fired.

“You kill the next person,” I squeeze my fists. This was going to be interesting.

“T-thank you,” she smiles. A big toothy grin. I nearly laugh at how ridiculous she looks.

I lead her to the crowded street. Looking at every identical house. Trying to find the next person. The next person to die.

I spot her. Sitting on top of a house. Legs dangling across the side. So dangerously close to the edge. I smile. She’ll make this easy for us.

I lean down to Ruby. “Right there,” I point to the girl. Ruby freezes as I hand her one of my knives.

She grips it in her shaky hand. Aims it. Throws it at the girl. Hits with perfecting. Even better than me. I see why Liam likes her. The girl tumbles down. I drag Ruby to bolt.

But Ruby is frozen solid. Hyperventilating. I knew that this would happen. “Ruby,” I snarl. Her eyes stay trained on the girl. I sigh. Then pick Ruby up, and throw her over my shoulder. She doesn’t flinch.

I bolt into an alley not far from where my old house was. I lay Ruby down, then collapse next to her. She doesn’t stir.

“Ruby!” I scream. Trying to break her out of this daze. She looks up at me. She’s shaking.

“I killed,” she says, only slightly above a whisper.

“You did good.”

She shakes her head. “My father- he always kills. He trained me to be this monster.”

Reluctantly, I ask, “who’s your father?” I regret it immediately. Now she’s going to start crying and talking and I’m not going to have my silence.

Instead, she stares off. “Liam.”

I frown. “Liam?”

Her fists wrap around a knife. They turn white. “You might think he’s so great. But he’s a monster. He holds no love in his heart.”

I frown. Liam has always been nice to me, more like a father figure if anything. He trained me to be cold. To show no sympathy. To be the person I am now.

We sit there in silence. Ruby turns towards me. Crosses her arms. “We should go.”

I nod. “Of course.”

She walks away, her blue eyes swiveling from one person to another. Being the killer her father trained her to be. I shake my head. I have no sympathy for her.