RANKED 1st BY VOTERS IN CHARACTER CREATION CONTEST #40!

"I'm telling you he's the best man for the job," Button said simply. Dressed in black pants, long sleeved black shirt, and even black gloves, she sat in a very small conference room, hardly big enough for the conference table, which seated only eight. There was only walking room around the table- four feet on the long sides, six feet on the ends- and the walls were a dull metal, making it feel like they were having their meeting in a large elevator. There were only three other people in the room.

Amelia Earhart sat at the head of the table. A descendant of a relative of course, but she had a set of wings pinned to her dress, in obvious acknowledgement of her heritage. Joy marveled at how much she favored the aviatrix. Even the hair was similar, as was the easy, amused smile.

Conversely, pacing at the other end of the table was Albert Ross. He had black, feathery hair with streaks of white, and a perpetual scowl. He was looking at the file for Joy's candidate, and wasn't liking it at all. "Come on, Joy! This guy? He's a joke!"

Amelia spoke up, "I can assure you he is not. I have seen this man as the demise of many men over the last twenty years."

Sitting across from Joy, a man with a bald head and a hint of boredom in his voice added, "He wouldn't even be in prison if he hadn't turned himself in. He had never been caught."

"Oh get off it, Principal!" shouted Ross. "His file says he killed a man in prison by asphyxiation! What'd he do? Smother his cellmate with a pillow? Please!"

"I'd prefer if you addressed me as General," stated Principal. "And the man in prison was just the latest in a long line of victims. This man is a stone killer. He's taken dozens of contracts over the years, all of them completed, no traces left behind."

"Pfft," scoffed Albert. "'No traces?' Then how do we know who all he's killed?"

"We don't," answered the general. "We only have his word for it. He confessed to every murder-for-hire he's ever done when he gave himself up. The dates and circumstances matched up to several unsolved murders, some of them high profile, and numerous 'accidents' that weren't thought to be killings."

Ross was quiet for a couple of seconds while he lifted a sheet on the file. Less angry, but still clearly perturbed, he asked, "He called himself 'Fling?' Really?"

Joy smiled sheepishly, "Um, that's my fault actually." Albert gave her a shocked look, but clearly expected her to continue. "Randy and I..."

"Randy?" Ross interrupted, rolling his eyes.

"Randy and I have a history," Joy continued, "from our time together in the military, but it was brief. We took liberty together while on assignment. When it was over, I told him he was a 'just a fling.' He took it personally- used it as his codename for awhile, trying to rub salt in a wound that didn't exist for me."

"That's kind of heartless," said Ross.

"Why? Because my attitude towards sex is the same as most guys'?" rebutted Button. "I have a lot of sex, Mr. Ross."

The General smiled at this, clearly interested.

"It's a means to an end for me," she said, "and it's rarely special." Looking directly at the general, she added, "I find that most men are pigs."

The general stopped smiling. Then he added, "It should be noted that 'Fling' isn't the only name he had, although it's the only one he ever used. To those who knew of the black ops missions that he and Miss Button were on, he was known by a very different name."

"Oh? I can't wait to hear this one," said Ross, "What did they call him?"

"'Death,'" answered Earhart, "and it was never a joke."

"And you would know that because...?"

"I was his handler," said Amelia, taking Ross by surprise. "Peter," she said, "will you please bring Mister O'Phayre in?"

The general got up to do as asked. Joy noted to herself that he didn't object to how he was addressed that time. Returning, he motioned for the man to sit down in his chair, while he remained standing by the door.

O'Phayre shuffled around the table in full cuffs- wrist-to-wrist, ankle-to-ankle, both connected to a belt around his waist. As he did so, his eyes never left Joy. As he sat down, he said, "Snatch. It's been a long time."

"Um, 'Snatch?'" asked Ross.

"My codename, from after the military," answered Joy. "My specialty was infiltration, which I've used as a thief, which is why I'm here. And as I told you, I have a lot of sex. It seemed to fit."

Albert raised his eyebrows, then shook his head lightly. "Okay, then. Just one more felon to add to this little mission. General," he said with emphasis and clear disdain, "bring in Mister Mercy, please."

O'Phayre's head snapped up at Ross when he heard that name. He looked to the door. Principal was already coming back in, motioning for the new man, cuffed in the same manner, to take the seat next to Randy. "Killerg!" Randy said through gritted teeth.

Mercy just sneered. Sitting down, he looked across the table and said, "Snatch."

"Noah," she returned. Ross just looked at her. Joy shrugged and started, "I..."

"...'have a lot of sex,'" finished Ross. "I know. Keep it in your pants this time. We need you all focused. Mercy's electrical powers are going to be needed for this."

Randy took a deep breath, jaw clenched, then asked, "And what is 'this?'"

"Dangerous," Earhart said plainly, "completely off the books, and comes with a full pardon for all past crimes, up to completion of the mission."

"Once you say you're in, you're in until it's done," said Ross.

O'Phayre seemed to be considering.

"The offer's just a formality," said Principal from his place by the door. "You're in."

Randy looked at him for a second, then nodded. "Fine. Just to be clear though- full pardon? All crimes forgiven up to completion of mission? That's the deal?"

Amelia nodded.

Looking at Joy, he said, "And you're in on this too?"

"I actually did volunteer," she said. "A clean record is too good to pass up."

Turning to Noah, he said, "And you? How come you're here? Why not just use your powers to blast your way out?"

Killerg winced as he shifted his chains, pointing to a thick, black plastic ring around his neck. "It's this damned inhibitor collar," he said. "Puts a blasted needle in my brain that keeps me from using my powers until a remote disarms it."

"Hurts, does it?" asked Randy.

"Like blazes it d..."

Before he could finish, Randy threw his head sideways, butting Mercy in the mouth. Getting to his feet, he caught Noah's head under his arm as he lunged forward from his seat. Locking down tight, he twisted right and allowed himself to fall into the floor, snapping Killerg's neck as he did so.

Ross and Principal were on him immediately, jerking him to his feet and throwing him forward onto the table. "What the hell, O'Phayre?" demanded Ross.

"I never liked him," answered Randy, "and I promised I'd kill him if I saw him again."

"I told you we needed his powers!" shouted Ross, his arm pressing Randy's head against the table.

O'Phayre chuckled. "Then I suggest you get us some tasers instead."

Ross threw Randy back in his seat as the general returned to his spot by the door. "Dammit!" shouted Ross.

Walking over behind Joy, the general placed his hands on her shoulders and rubbed gently. "Why don't you try cooperating like Miss Button," the nicety in his voice strained by agitation.

His hands started to slide inward before Joy caught his wrists in a surprisingly strong grip. "General, while I do have a lot of sex, I'm very particular about being touched. If you so much as brush my neck with your finger, I will be forced to kill you. Are we clear?" she asked, as she very stiffly and sternly removed his hands.

Dropping his resistance so she'd let go, the general rubbed his wrists, and looked at Earhart.

"Don't look at me, general. You were out of line. Do something like that again, I'll see to it that you lose your stars. Now get out."

The group was silent for a minute as the general continued to rub his wrists. He looked to the other two men in the room, who both stared back in silence. Finally, he straightened his cuffs, then his jacket, and left the room.

"O'Phayre, you're in. Try to refrain from killing anyone else we may add to this mission. Albert..."

"Albert?" Randy interrupted, sneering at Ross.

"Albert, please show Mister O'Phayre to his quarters. Mister O'Phayre," she said firmly, "behave."

Randy smirked, stepping on Killerg rather than over him, but left with Ross.

"Miss Button, are you okay?" asked Amelia.

"I'm fine," she said, still seething.

"You handled him very gently, all things considered."

Joy looked a little shocked. "I'm not in trouble then?" she asked.

"In trouble?" Amelia laughed. "No." Leaning towards Joy, she whispered conspiratorily, "I'd have killed him with a kiss."

"With a kiss? Poison lipstick? Is that really a thing?" asked Joy.

Earhart smiled. "Something like that. Come on, let's get you back to your quarters."

Joy got up to follow and two soldiers entered to remove Killerg's body. Looking over her shoulder as they left the room, Amelia said, "I've got to requisition some tasers."

Story and characters owned by Chris Bishop, copyright 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022.