Authors' Academy Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Rated PG-13
This story is PG-13, appropriate for ages 13 and up.


Blurb[]

Rule breaker. Delinquent. Bad girl. These were a few names used to describe Alissa Carter, otherwise known as Ace. This story follows her success, along with it’s ups and downs. The journey from street thief to crimelord is a long one, with that said let’s begin.begin.

Prologue - Thief of Aces[]

The air was crisp and chill, the faint scent of carmel and apples from the Harvest festival nearby drifted on the wind. The trees, all shades of reds and oranges, some even yellow, added a touch of colour to the bland grays and whites of the houses along Denmark road. A young girl, dressed in all black watched from her perch in a tall elm tree. Her pale blue eyes followed a man, dressed in a pale blue suit, studying his every move.

She fished a large beer bottle she found earlier on the street from her bag and dropped it. The bottle shattered into a million sharp shards on the cement below. The sound caught the attention of the man. He turned towards the source of the noise and started walking over to investigate it. The girl quickly made her way down, flipping out her prized switchblade just in case. The man bent down and picked up a large shard of broken glass, then collapsed forward onto the glass strewn cement. The girl was standing behind him, her mouth curved into a smug smirk. She began searching through the man's pockets for anything of value. Her hand grasped something cool and smooth in his breast pocket and she pulled it out. It was an antique stopwatch, made of the finest brass. This would fetch a fine price on the black market for sure.

The girl left without further notice, the same smug smile still on her face. She flipped a card between her gloved fingers before tossing it behind her. It fluttered next to the man, leaning against his cheek, an ace of spades, her signature mark.

Chapter 1 - Hidden in Plain Sight[]

Alissa was lying on her bed - well, if you could even can it that. It was an old, moth-eaten mattress, riddled with holes and rips. She couldn't remember a time when she had an actual bed, in fact, she couldn't remember when she had an actual house. For all she knew, she had been living on the streets since the day she was born. She fished a fat stack of bills from her pocket and stared at it. She sat up and stretched out her arms aboave her head with a yawn. She looked around at her surroundings. Her home was inside a small abandoned apartment building on street full of some of the oldest buildings in the city. Boxes were piled everywhere and few belongings of the past owners were strewn across the floor.

Ace got out of bed and pulled on a black sweatshirt while walking towards the door. As she opened the door, Alissa quickly gave her hair a quick brush and grabbed her faded blue backpack, which she had found years ago in a dumpster. She quickly unzipped the largest pocket and pulled out a hickory wood box and opened it. Inside was a golden scarab embedded with rubies that she had stolen from some archeologist three days ago. Relief washed over her and she gently closed and put back into her bag. She zipped it up and dashed out the door, running out onto the streets.

When Alissa finally made it, she immediately headed for the black market on South street. She knew better than to walk by the police station and school at this hour, so she took a detour. Sure, it was longer than the normal route, but it would be better then being seen by the police. They were on high alert after the recent rise in crime, not to mention how she had almost gotten caught when she stole the scarab.

She headed through a small dark alley, passing by one of her fellow thieves and greeting them with a nod. The place sunk of sewage, spoiled food and rodent dropping, the air was damp and muggy. Shadows crept up the walls, as did graffiti and the occasional poster. Alissa entered the alley behind Mozza’s Pizza, then headed back onto the main road.

She could feel the stares of others on the back of her neck, their gazes like small pinpricks of a needle. Some were curious, others judgemental, but whatever they were it made Alissa squirm in her skin, want to vanish, disappear. Finally, she stood in front of a small nightclub and walked in. At this time of day, it was completely deserted, although at night, the place came to life. She made her way to the backroom, then pushed aside a stack of crates that covered doorway and stepped in. She breathed a sigh of relief and put the boxes back in place before heading down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, a wave of familiar smells and sounds washed over her as she had reached her destination. The black market.

Chapter Two - Welcome to the Guild[]

Alissa walked between rows of stalls, where they were selling everything from military grade weapons to illegal turtles. As she walked passed, dodging the other buyers, her eyes lingered on a stall selling pistols. What she would give to have a gun, the power. And a passerby rammed into her shoulder and brought her back to her senses. She sighed, shaking her head before heading to the stall selling ancient artifacts.

The vendor leaned over the counter, holding out a hand. She placed the box in his palm and he began examining the trinket inside while she took a seat.

"Well kid, yet again you surprise me with another priceless artifact," the vendor told, put it into his pocket. He tossed a roll of bills to her and she caught them mid-air, slipping them into her pocket. "So what you saving up for?"

Alissa sighed. "A decent apartment maybe, but I've still got a ways to go..."

The vendor bit his lip, thinking before he spoke. "Tell you what, I think I might be able to get you job. It's for a guy on the other side of town, but he's loaded and pays good."

Alissa leaned in, intrigued. "Really?"

"Sure thing kiddo, just there's one thing."

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's an assassin's guild. I don't know if your up for that kind of job-"

"DEAL!"

Surprise flashed across his face for a moment. "You sure kid? You don't come back from that stuff..."

Her gaze shifted, uncertainty in her eyes and hesitantly, she opened her mouth, then closed it once more.

"Tell you what kid," he said. "I get you an 'interview' with him, if you'd like."

Alissa nodded vigorously in agreement. The man smiled. "Alright, I give you the details later."

"Thank you, sir." she said. She picked up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. And with that she left the underground market behind and out onto the streets.

Advertisement