The hill I want to die on

In my profession, you rarely get to chose how you die. Most commonly, you're either killed in action, or tortured to death. I sadly seemed like I was going to suffer the latter. My name is Serena, I am a spy. Soon to be a dead spy. I'm unsure how long it's been since I had been captured. I blame it on all that crap those monsters drugged me with. Even though I told them everything I knew, those monsters didn't stop their torture. I couldn't even kill myself thanks to the gag in my mouth preventing me from biting my tongue. Even then, I really didn't want to die in this decrepit prison cell. If there was any place I wanted to die and be laid to rest, it would be that hill in my home town.

It was a nice little hill in the middle of a large river. You needed a boat to get there, but it was very peaceful as hardly anyone went over there due to how out of the way it was. The view wasn't the greatest either, but it was the spot where I had gone to gaze up at the clear sky so many times before. If I hadn't been so driven to become a spy, then maybe I'd have died an old woman on that hill instead of a young woman being slowly killed in a prison cell.

Just then, the large burly man that was head of the interrogation squad entered my cell. Behind him was a handsome man wheeling in what appeared to be two portable helmet devices connected to each other with various wires. I let out a muffled grunt as the burly man shoved one of the devices down on my head. The other man smiled and placed the other device down on his own.

Suddenly the scenery changed and I was sitting on the hill. I could move freely and gazed at my now restored fingernails. I happily danced around before lying down on the grass and gazing up at the sky as I slowly closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep...

                                                                                 ...

"Why did you kill her Thanatos!?" The burly man growled.

"Because it was the right moment,"the handsome man smiled as he took the helmet off his head and the syringe out of Serena's neck.

"We needed to see if the intel she blabbed about was true!"

"Relax, I got all that, now mind if I dispose of her body?"

"I don't care if you are our nations top assassin, this is MY prison! I decide what to do with the cattle!"

"If you don't let me leave, I won't be able to get the microfilm. This woman's body is also necessary for that."

The burly man scowled and stormed away as Thanatos began releasing Serena's body from its restrains. He then carried her body out, only to be fired upon by the burly man's subordinates.

He evaded their fire and managed to escape the prison and flee into the night with Serena's body in tow.

                                                                               ...

Serena awoke on the hill in her hometown.

"Good. You're awake," Thanatos smiled as he puffed a cigarette.

He was drenched in blood and had an arm in a makeshift sling.

"Am I... alive?" Serena asked.

"Yes and no. The spy Nightlife is dead. Though I'm not sure exactly how much time you have left to live. While I only gave you a tranquilizer back then, I saw those bastards give you a serum that will first cause you to go insane, then kill you in about a month," Thanatos said.

"So I don't even get a second chance."

"Well, you did sell out your country, though to be fair you were subjected to inhumane torture and truth serum. The worst part about it is that they didn't stop even after you told them everything."

"Why am I here?"

"Thanks to those devices, I was able to gaze into your mind. When I saw you just wanted to die here, I thought I could at least do that much for you. Seems ole Tartarus didn't like it and decided to brand me a traitor. I guess this means I don't have much time left either. Contrary to my codename, I'm just an ordinary man. Though I can at least give you a quick and painless death."

"Why would you do all that for me? I'm just a spy your nation captured."

"I'm my nations most notorious assassin. It's how I got the Thanatos codename. However, I always try to kill my targets as quick and painlessly as possible. As for why, it's due to my belief that if I give others a quick and painless death, I too will be granted one. If I was like the interrogation unit and my nation's tyrannical leader, I'd probably be given a painful death."

"But why would you just risk it all just to kill me here?"

"I've seen too many young spies die in that hell. I decided that if an enemy spy must die, I'll at least do my best to grant their death wish. You were meant to be the first, but I guess sadly you'll also be the last. But I have no regrets. This is the hill I want to die on."

"You really are an odd one. I would happily die here rather than suffer the fate those monsters intended for me to," Serena smiled.

Serena closed her eyes and peacefully drifted off to sleep as Thanatos killed her just as he promised. After burying her body atop the hill, he limped down towards the river surrounding it and hopped in the waiting motor boat.

"They'll be coming soon. You sure you don't just wanna go into hiding?" the old boatman asked.

"No, they'd find me anyway. Now take us away so she won't be disturbed," Thanatos ordered.

After gaining some distance, The two spotted some undercover soldiers from Thanatos' home country. The boatman stopped the boat as Thanatos shouted to get the soldier's attention. He then drew his pistol and pressed it against his head before pulling the trigger, and falling into the river.

                                                                           [End]