Case 01

William entered the residence by following a series of mysterious paths.

"Alright, I'm here. Let's head in!"

As he stepped inside and opened the residence doors, he was surprised to find himself in a kitchen bustling with cooks and chefs, each wearing a different but equally peculiar mask.

"What the-!"

William's reflexes kicked in; he quickly stepped back out, pretending nothing had happened, and stood outside the residence for a moment. No one had noticed him.

After taking a deep breath, he entered the residence again and swiftly hid under a long table where the chefs were preparing food. He quietly crawled beneath the table, looking for an exit.

Fortunately, luck was on William's side. Just as he reached the kitchen's exit, a gang member entered. William quickly pulled him under the table and silently choked him to death.

"Shut up! Just shut up!" William whispered quietly. Amazingly, no one noticed or heard a thing. He then stripped the gang member of his clothes and mask, put them on, and walked out of the kitchen, blending in as if nothing unusual had happened

Moments after William left, a female chef noticed the gang member's body, stripped of his mask and clothes, and screamed.

William entered the main hall, where hundreds of gang members were gathered-talking, drinking, and moving around.

"This place is huge!" William said to himself, taking in the surroundings. "I need to find Max and those two guys soon."

He then spotted a mysterious door and opened it, only to come face-to-face with a group of Masked Killas.

"That's him!" One of the gang members shouted.

William's back pressed against the cold brick wall as he sized up the group surrounding him. Six Masked Killas, each wearing a mask that hid their faces but kept their eyes exposed-staring right at him. The masks giving emotionless expressions, but they all shared the same menacing design: black and white, like they'd been painted in a nightmare.

"So you guys are the first to find me huh?" William asks, "Okay, I don't have no problem beating the fuck out of yall."

"Think you can handle us, all on your own?" one of them taunted, his voice muffled behind the grinning mask.

William rolled his shoulders, fists tightening. "I was hoping for more of you."

They didn't need a signal. The first guy lunged forward, throwing a wild right hook. William ducked low, his reflexes sharp, and drove an uppercut right into the guy's stomach, feeling the air rush out of his lungs as he folded over.

But there was no time to think. Another one came at him from the left, jabbing toward his face. William bobbed to the side, narrowly missing the punch, and delivered a crushing jab to his ribs. He heard a grunt of pain as the guy stumbled back, clutching his side.

Two more moved in tandem, one throwing a jab while the other aimed a quick jab at his ribs. William shifted his weight, deflecting the first blow with his arm, but the second one landed, sending a dull ache through his side. Gritting his teeth, he turned and hammered his elbow down into the nearest mask, cracking the plastic with a satisfying crunch.

A masked figure tried to grab him from behind, arms snaking around his shoulders. William stomped down hard on the guy's foot, then threw his head back, smashing his skull against the man's mask. The grip loosened, and William spun around, landing a brutal punch right between the eye holes of the mask, sending him sprawling.

The remaining three hesitated for a split second, exchanging wary glances, before charging him together. William took a deep breath, then stepped into the fray. He blocked a punch aimed at his jaw, twisting the guy's arm and slamming him into one of his friends. A fist connected with his shoulder, and pain shot through him, but he bit down, ignoring it.

One punch, then another. William's knuckles throbbed, but the adrenaline kept him going. He ducked low, feigned a jab, and then came up with a brutal hook that sent the last Masked Killa reeling.

Panting, he straightened up, staring down at the battered gang members scattered on the ground. His fists were bloodied, his body sore, but he was still standing.

"Next time," he muttered, shaking his hand to relieve the ache in his knuckles, "bring more than just masks."

But as William turns back his head, he gets to see a group of Masked Killas way more than the number of people he took now.

"Oh fuck."

Meanwhile,

Max stepped into the luxurious dining room with a deep sense of dread hanging over him. He was about to dine with Victor, the leader of the Masked Killas, a man whose cruelty was as infamous as his power. Seated at the table, Ryan's familiar, sad-masked face observed him quietly, his gaze as unreadable as always.

"Ah, Max," Victor greeted, his voice smooth yet laced with an undercurrent of menace. "Take a seat. Tonight's about recognition—your hard work, your loyalty." His eyes flickered with an intensity that made Max feel exposed, as though Victor could see right through him.

Max forced a nod and settled into his seat. Victor's attention shifted, and Max took the moment to glance at Ryan. The masked man was unnervingly still, his eyes—barely visible through the holes of the sad mask—fixed on Max's normale looking face mask similiar to his. He could almost sense a quiet suspicion simmering beneath Ryan's calm demeanor. Did he see through Max's act?

Victor's voice broke into his thoughts. "Tell me, Max. Why do you think Ryan respects you?" He asked the question casually, but Max felt a challenge hidden beneath his words.

Max carefully composed his response. "I think… because I've shown I can be trusted. I'm willing to do what it takes."

Victor leaned back, fingers tapping rhythmically on the table's surface. "Interesting." He turned to Ryan, raising an eyebrow. "Ryan, would you say Max is trustworthy?"

The room fell silent, and Max felt his heart race. Ryan's head tilted ever so slightly toward him, and he spoke slowly, each word measured. "He's committed, and he's proven useful. But…" Ryan's head tilted further. "There's something off. A different look in his eyes."

Max forced himself to remain still. Victor's gaze shifted back to him, studying him like a hawk zeroing in on its prey. "Trust is everything to me, Max," he said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous tone. "And betrayal…" he let the word hang, the room filled with an electric tension. "Betrayal is the one thing I can't forgive." Ryan says,

Victor's eyes darkened as he snapped his fingers. Two gang members entered the room, dragging a bloodied, battered figure between them. Max's pulse raced. It was William-his only ally in his mission to dismantle the Masked Killas, looking barely alive.

Victor grinned, relishing Max's shock. "Do you know this rat, Max?"

Max fought to hide his emotions, quickly slipping into the hardened demeanor he'd perfected. "No," he said flatly. "Never seen him before."

Victor's gaze narrowed, and Ryan, standing just beside him, tilted his head slightly, observing. "Seems familiar, doesn't he?" Victor pressed, his tone mocking.

Max felt trapped. He couldn't risk a wrong answer. Victor's eyes shifted between him and William, then he pulled a gun from his jacket, holding it out to Max. "If you're loyal, prove it. Kill him."

Max felt the cold weight of the gun in his hand. He had no choice. But he also knew he wasn't going to shoot William. In a split second, he shifted his stance, raised the gun, and fired-point-blank at Victor.

*Bang!

The sound of the gunshot reverberated through the room, followed by shocked silence. Victor's eyes widened in disbelief as he staggered back, clutching his chest.

"K-K-Kill him!" Says Victor before falling on the floor to his death.

Ryan's expression darkened, and he reached for his own weapon, but Max was quicker.

*Bang!

Another shot rang out, and Ryan fell, clutching his arm.

"I f-fucking knew it! God damn it!" Ryan says while screaming in pain,

Chaos erupted. Guards rushed into the room, shouting as they realized their leader had been shot. Max sprang into action, flipping over the table to create cover for himself and William, who was regaining his senses.

"William! Can you move?" Max shouted as he fired at the approaching gang members.

William gritted his teeth, pushing himself to his feet despite his injuries. "I'll manage," he rasped. "Just don't get us killed."

Max handed William a gun he'd snatched from one of the fallen guards, and they took cover behind the upturned table. The Masked Killas were closing in, but Max and William fired back with relentless intensity, taking down anyone who dared step too close.

"Follow me!" Max yelled as he kicked down a side door, leading them out of the main room and into the narrow, dimly lit hallways of the compound.

They sprinted through the maze of hallways, taking out guards as they went. William, though injured, moved with determination, his grip steady as he returned fire. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed behind them, but Max knew the layout well enough to gain a lead.

They burst into an empty storage room, locking the door behind them to catch their breath.

"What's the plan?" William asked, panting.

Max glanced around, spotting a small ventilation shaft. "We're going up. This leads to the roof." He helped William climb into the shaft, and they crawled through, their only light coming from the slivers of moonlight through the grate.

While they were going up, Ryan kick-opened the door they had locked. "WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU TWO?" Ryan was very furious, while covering his wounded arm.

They emerged onto the rooftop, where the cool night air hit them. Below, more gang members swarmed the compound, searching for them.

"We need a distraction," William muttered, looking around.

Max spotted a set of gasoline barrels stored at one end of the roof. He pulled out his lighter and turned to William. "Think you're up for a little fireworks show?"

William grinned, despite his injuries. "Always."

Max rigged the barrels, setting them to blow. They moved to the opposite edge of the roof, ducking down as Max flicked the lighter and tossed it toward the barrels.

The explosion rocked the building, sending a fiery plume into the sky. Flames spread rapidly, engulfing the rooftop and drawing the attention of the gang members below. Shouts and cries of alarm echoed as the Masked Killas scrambled to contain the blaze.

In the chaos, Max and William descended an emergency ladder, slipping through the compound's shadows and using the confusion to their advantage. They moved with deadly precision, picking off guards and gang members who were still reeling from the explosion.

As they reached the compound's main gate, they found themselves face-to-face with the last line of defense-a group of the Masked Killas' top enforcers, all wearing identical masks and armed to the teeth. And ofcourse, With Ryan Marcoos.

William gripped his gun tightly. "Looks like we saved the best for last."

Max grinned, adrenaline pumping. "Then let's make it count."

A fierce battle ensued. The Masked Killas charged forward, but Max and William held their ground, dodging bullets and retaliating with brutal precision. While everyone was fighting, Ryan stayed standing for the end. They moved as a unit, covering each other's blind spots, their teamwork honed from years of working together. The Masked Killas began to fall one by one, unable to match the deadly rhythm of Max and William's coordinated attacks.

Finally, everyone was purished, but not Ryan,

"Is that all?" Max asks,

Ryan starts to clap, "I'm really impressed Max, But I didnt thought you would betray us like this."

"Fuck you, alright buddy? You killed an innocent girl who helped us." Max removes his mask, and challenges Ryan to do the same, "Since your already gonna die now, Remove your mask and fight us."

Ryan surprisingly accepts his request and removes his sad cartoon face mask, His face was young, but packed with scars and bruises from the past.

The tension was thick as William and Max faced Ryan, his arm bleeding from a gunshot but his strength undiminished. Max lunged, his fists swinging with terrifying power. William dodged, but Max wasn't so lucky; Ryan's fist connected with his stomach, sending him stumbling.

William tried to land a punch on Ryan's injured arm, but he only grinned through the pain, grabbing Max and delivering a brutal blow that sent him to the ground. Max lay still, leaving William alone to face the relentless fighter.

"Max?" William calls out,

"I-I don't think I can do this," Max replies

"I killed that girl, Now it's your turn, Max!"

Ryan takes out a gun from his jacket, And then...

*Bang!

Shoots Max right in the head with a bulls-eye.

"NO!" William screams in terror,

Fueled by anger and desperation, William threw himself at Ryan, targeting his wounded arm. He dodged a few powerful swings and finally landed a punch directly on the wound. He gasped in pain, stumbling back just enough for William to press his advantage.

With a final strike to the jaw, William watched Ryan collapse to the ground. Gasping, he knelt beside Max, the victory hollow against the weight of the fight's cost.

William then took the same gun which Ryan used to kill Max, Pointed at Ryan and loaded the gun,

"Say goodbye, to my little friend."

*Bang!

And with a single shot, Max and William had defeated a whole gang, with over hundreds of members.

Unfortunately, Max was not able to celebrate this.

William immediately ran towards Max.

"Max? Max? You good right?"

William talks to the dead body of Max,

"W-We won Max! Come on dude s-stop playing with me! We gotta celebrate!"

"Please dude! P-Please stand up,"

"Please!"

There is nothing in this world, better than the taste of victory.

Lounge V01: Easy Business,

Case 01, Closed.