Jay ignored the other initiates.
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"I'm guessing you had a rough night? Violet said you had an anxiety attack yesterday. How are you feeling now?" Jon inquired.
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His voice sent a chill that Jay barely suppressed from becoming a visible shudder. She cursed herself, Violet and Jon.
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"I'm fine now. It's nothing to worry about," Jay replied, managing to keep her voice steady.
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"I'm glad," Jon responded. "Shall we begin? I was thinking maybe you could give the newbies a show."
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Jay nodded and Jon winked playfully before turning away to lead her over to the others. Why does he have to have such a well toned body? she thought as she caught herself checking him out as she followed him.
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She managed to get her mind back on track once Jon explained to the other initiates what she would be showing to them. Jon nodded to her as a signal to go ahead and begin.
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"When in a crowded area, it is best to perform the assassination swiftly. Jay will show the movements and you will undergo a simulation later to see if you can perform it," Jon spoke. "You must make sure your movements are as hidden as possible to prevent chaos from the crowd."
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Jay twitched her middle finger and a knife slipped from her sleeve straight into her hand as if it was natural. The master that had been training the initiates took a place across from her. Her blade still hidden in her long sleeve and the hilt hidden by her hand.
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She casually walked up to the master, her gaze set behind him at a target dummy. The master pretended to be lost in thought as she neared. Once she was close to him, she swiftly pulled the wooden knife out and stabbed towards his kidney, her free hand going over his nose and mouth.
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Jay swiftly stabbed the knife in another spot, aiming for his jugular this time. She twisted around behind him and stuck the knife to his neck. Once the action had been completed, she walked away swiftly.
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"If the blade had been real, it would be left behind. When using the technique, it is best to flee immediately and blend in with the crowd. If you know that you cannot finish the target off with a cut jugular vein, aim for another vital point," Jon continued to explain.
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"Thanks to the technology of today, this technique doesn't easily pass for us anymore. Often times, our assassins will add potent poisons or go from behind for a swift attacking while passing. Most favor stalking till the target is out of a crowded area if possible. Only use this method as a last resort if your target is in a crowded area."
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The initiates nodded while staring at Jay. Jay had returned to Jon's side. The master had the initiates get moving so that they could practice the technique a bit before entering the simulation.
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The simulation wasn't a technological training. They had apprentices set up in an area designed to be like a crowded street market. This was their training as well. This would teach them to be aware of their surroundings for fellow assassins.
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A legitimate target was set up in the crowd. They had been scared into cooperating for the training. The initiates were aware of this and knew that the target had a high chance of fighting back thanks to that fear.
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There were several other targets locked away that were used for training in a dungeon that Jay had discovered recently. Jay couldn't help but feel mixed emotions when Jon taught her about it. The only thing that convinced her to accept it was that at least the people weren't innocents.
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Jay watched the initiates practice the move she had shown while thinking about their upcoming simulation training. How would they react once they had actually taken a human life? Most people backed out during the simulation training.
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It was used as a way to weed out the weak hearted. Jay had realized this the first time she went through it and saw how many of her fellow initiates had been unable to perform the assassination.
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Jon called her name, bringing her out of her thoughts. Jay looked at him, glad that the brief focus on training had calmed her down. But her thoughts threatened to become chaotic again.
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Jon was smiling. "You've become faster. Have you been practicing alone?"
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Jay simply nodded before resting her eyes on the initiates again. "I've chosen to walk this path. Might as well be good at it."
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Jon chuckled. "Yes. You can't escape the government if you're not good at what you do. But make sure you don't give up your human side when you go through your apprentice training. Assassins without a human side are scary but have a major weakness."
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"What's that? Surely acting can overcome that weakness." Jay arched her eyebrow.
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"True. Acting can cover just about any area of weakness. But when you lose your human side, you don't have the drive to protect. I have seen assassins willingly abandon their comrades even if there is a chance to save them."
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Jay looked back at him. She could see that he had a distant look in his red eyes. "Were you one of them?"
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"At a time, yes. I thought the mission was more important than anyone, including myself," Jon admitted. "I was young and driven for my own greatness. I had been raised to be the perfect assassin. But meeting Violet's mother changed that. Unfortunately her mother had a big ambition towards revenge. After Violet turned two, she left us behind."
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Jay felt sympathy for him. There was a small amount of jealousy but her empathy was stronger. Jon let out a sigh.
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"She did manage to get the revenge she had so desired against her family. But it came with a price. That price was her life. She had told me that she wished to raise Violet alongside me when she returned but her family had been tipped off. She died to make sure they all died by her hand despite that."
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Such a tragic end, Jay thought.
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"Violet looks so much like her and even acts like her. It's so bizarre whenever I stop and think about it. She is like a person she barely spent time with. I know Violet wishes she could have gotten to know her. I wish that as well. Clair was a wonderful mother during the short time she was able to be one," Jon continued.
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The two looked at each other again. "I had been torn between her and Violet at the time. I chose to protect Violet in the end and lost Clair. There will no doubt be times in your life where you will have to make such a difficult choice. Don't let the guilt eat away at your consciousness."
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Jon had turned his story into a lesson. Jay nodded. There were situations in life where you had no choice but to lose one thing while protecting another. It was a fact that was unavoidable.
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Jay felt like she knew Jon better after hearing about Clair. There was one thing she questioned though. Why would Clair give up everything that she wanted to enact revenge? That was something she couldn't understand.
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She knew her hatred towards her family. Jay personally held the same hatred towards her own family. But she wasn't willing to give up her happiness to get revenge. If Jay had known Clair personally, maybe then she would understand her reasoning.
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A comfortable silence filled the air between Jon and Jay for a bit before Jay was called over by the master to help train the initiates. The initiates seemed excited when she joined them. Jon couldn't help but think maybe she would make a great teacher one day.
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Yet a burning desire to keep her to himself made him disregard that thought briefly. I still love Clair but my love for Jay burns brighter. I just wish it wasn't so hard to get her to get somewhere with her. He understood her reasoning though and had made a decision to try to take things slow. Though it didn't stop him from flexing.
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Jon remembered how Violet had told him about her conversation with Jay and it had made him want to try harder. He had hidden his affection, at least to his knowledge, till now. Though Violet said that she and the others had noticed. Am I really that bad at hiding my emotions?
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He was one of the best assassins of his time. Jon normally didn't have a problem hiding his feelings. But according to Violet, those skills went out the window when it came to Jay. Jon couldn't help but be disappointed a bit. Originally he had hoped to take things slow and build a trusting relationship with Jay before making any attempts with flirtation.
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Though seeing her reaction after finally attempting to flirt had made him excited. There was definitely attraction on her side.
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