Six red circles. Six hidden fortunes. One coordinated nightmare for Braun Ironside.
The map was spread across the table, locations marked with red circles, each one representing a loot house Braun had hidden throughout the districts.
Rook leaned over it, his finger tracing routes while Emma and Cassandra flanked him with sharp and focused looks on their faces.
Kurt stood back, cigarette between his lips, watching as the plan came together.
"We hit them simultaneously," Rook said, his voice calm and authoritative. "Fast, coordinated. Braun thinks these places are safe because they're hidden. That means light security."
Emma tapped one of the circles in the C-rank district. "This one's mine."
Cassandra nodded, her finger landing on another in the same district. "I'll take the second C-rank location."
Rook's finger moved to the B-rank district. "Lizzie and I will hit this one. It's the most heavily guarded, but we can handle it."
Kurt exhaled smoke, his eyes drifting to the D-rank location. "And I'll take the one in my neighborhood. Nice and close to home."
Rook straightened, his gaze sweeping over them. "We move tonight. No communication once we're out, so radio silence. If something goes wrong, you handle it yourself. We regroup back here when it's done."
Emma cracked her knuckles as a predatory grin spread across her face. "Time to really stick it to those sons of bitches."
They were really about to go across the world, across several districts, just to stick it to Braun. Talk about being petty. Kurt loved it.
He reached into his coat and pulled out the essence-enhanced gun Imelda had given him. He held it up and the metal gleamed under the dim light. "Almost forgot. Got a present for you, Lizzie."
Lizzie's eyes went wide, and she practically lunged across the room, snatching the gun from his hand. "Is this—? Oh my god, is this what I think it is?!"
She turned it over in her hands, her fingers tracing the engravings, and then she let out a high-pitched squeal that made half the room wince. "This is AMAZING! Kurt, you're the best! I take back every mean thing I ever said about you!"
"You never said anything mean about me," Kurt said, grinning.
"Exactly!" Lizzie spun around, holding the gun up like a trophy. "All taken back..."
Emma walked over, her expression skeptical, and plucked the gun from Lizzie's hands. She examined it closely, turning it over, testing the weight, and then her lips curved into an impressed smile.
"Not bad," Emma muttered. She handed it back to Lizzie. "Try not to blow your own foot off."
Lizzie cradled the gun to her chest like a baby. "I'm gonna name her. Maybe... Sparkles? No, wait. Boom-Boom? Ugh, I'll figure it out later."
Rook shook his head, though there was a faint smirk on his face. "Alright. Gear up. We move in thirty."
Kurt stood near the door, pulling on his coat, when Sam approached him quietly. "The B-rank district," she said carefully. "How will Lizzie make it past the checkpoint?"
Kurt frowned then shrugged. "Bribery?"
"Mama's influence works better," Sam said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small silver ring, the one Imelda had given her. "If I vouch for her at the checkpoints, they'll let her through."
Rook overheard and walked over with a thoughtful expression. "You'd do that?"
Sam nodded, clutching the ring tightly. "I want to help."
Rook studied her for a moment, then placed a hand on her shoulder. "Alright. You'll ride with us. But you stay in the truck."
Sam's face lit up, and she nodded eagerly. "I won't let you down."
Before heading out, Kurt pulled up the System, the familiar screen materializing in front of him. He scrolled through his abilities and selected Teleportation.
[ABILITY UPGRADE AVAILABLE]
[Teleportation – E Rank]
[Current Effect: Instant blink within short range]
[Upgrade Effect: Teleportation range increased to one city block - D Rank: 15 points]
Available Points: 60
He confirmed the upgrade.
[UPGRADE COMPLETE]
Available Points: 45
Kurt flexed his fingers, feeling the expanded range settle into his body. "Right then. Let's have some fun."
***
They moved out under the cover of darkness, splitting into their teams. Rook, Sam, and Lizzie headed north toward the B-rank district in a stolen truck.
Emma and Cassandra went east toward C-rank in separate vehicles. Kurt walked alone toward the D-rank location, hands in his pockets, cigarette smoke trailing behind him.
The city was quiet at this hour, streets mostly empty save for the occasional patrol. When Rook's truck approached the B-rank checkpoint, two guards stepped forward, rifles raised.
Sam leaned out the window, holding up the silver ring so it caught the streetlight. "Imelda Corsetti sends her regards."
The guards' eyes widened. One of them immediately waved them through. "Go ahead. No trouble here."
As they drove past, Lizzie bounced excitedly in her seat. "That was SO cool! Did you see their faces?"
"Stay focused," Rook said, though his tone was amused.
Sam smiled, tucking the ring back into her pocket as they drove deeper into the B-rank district, through several cities.
Several hours later, the loot house loomed ahead, a fortified building with barred windows and reinforced doors. Rook parked the truck a block away, and Sam climbed into the driver's seat.
"Stay here," Rook said. "Engine's running. Anything goes wrong, you drive."
Sam nodded, gripping the steering wheel. "Be careful."
The loot house was in Clayton County. Larger and more fortified. The metal door was thick, reinforced, and the guards inside were armed with rifles and essence-enhanced weapons.
Rook and Lizzie approached the building on foot, then Rook walked over to the door calmly, his hand reaching out to touch the cold steel. The moment his fingers made contact, his skin shifted, hardening into dark, gleaming metal as his entire body transformed.
Inside, the guards heard the sound first. A low pounding that grew louder with each second.
"What the hell is that?" one of them muttered, raising his rifle.
The door then exploded inward, metal folding like paper as Rook stepped through to be greeted by an onslaught of rapid fire.
They kept unleashing all they had. Bullets ricocheted off his body harmlessly, sparks flying all around as he walked forward, unbothered.
"Evening, gentlemen," Rook said, his voice calm. "This won't take long."
Behind him, Lizzie skipped inside, her new gun held in both hands. She aimed at one of the guards and pulled the trigger.
A burst of green energy shot out, not a bullet, but a concentrated projectile of healing essence forced into overdrive to overstimulate nerve endings.
It struck the guard in the chest, and his body convulsed violently as his nervous system overloaded, and he collapsed, twitching on the ground.
Lizzie fired again, and another guard went down convulsing.
"This is the BEST DAY EVER!" she screamed, then wobbled slightly. "Whoa. Okay, using my own essence as ammo is... dizzy."
Rook caught her shoulder. "Don't drain yourself."
"I'm fine!" Lizzie insisted as she walked over twitching bodies like they were carpet, absent minded while examining her gun.
Rook grabbed one of the guards by the collar and tossed him aside like a ragdoll. "Focus, Lizzie. We're on a clock."
"Right, right!" Lizzie aimed and fired again, cackling as another guard went down.
Meanwhile, back in the truck, Sam gripped the steering wheel as she listened. Gunfire echoed from inside the building, followed by Lizzie's high-pitched laughter.
She flinched at every sound, her foot hovering over the gas pedal, ready to floor it if—
The door burst open, and Rook emerged, dragging a crate, while Lizzie skipped behind him, grinning like a maniac.
Sam exhaled slowly, releasing the wheel once she saw they were okay.
"Need help loading?" she called out.
Lizzie waved her over. "Hell yeah! These things are not light!
When the truck was full, Lizzie pulled out a can of spray paint and grinned. She climbed onto Rook's shoulders and tagged the front of the building in bright red letters:
"RAVEN'S CROW WAS HERE"
Rook chuckled, shaking his head. "You're a menace."
"I know," Lizzie said proudly.
Afterwards, Rook delivered a single punch to the ground that caused tremors and spiderwebs to spread along the surface as it collapsed.
Clouds of dust erupted, the building went down, and they drove off.
While Rook and Lizzie tore through the B-district loot house, Emma stood in front of her target in the C-district, arms crossed, studying the building. It was smaller than Rook's, but still fortified, with guards inside, locks on the doors, cameras on the corners.
She stared at the camera by the entrance and flipped it off, then she reached into two empty holsters by her side and summoned her twin pistols.
***
A/N: I hope you're enjoying this so far. Add to Library and send a power stone or two if you're.
And a review or two would mean something to me! Thank you and peace!