2

"Do you know anyone who has a black van such as that?" I asked holding the small plastic, containing the cigarette, within my hand and set it upon a table near by which caused Jay to swipe it to also look closer at it. I puffed my cheeks listening to the man talking, who surprisingly didn't even talk yet, until...

"Yesss...no." He mumbled thinking quite deeply at that thought. The man happened to be someone I knew, for some reason, but I couldn't put my finger on it. He had a metal arm on his right side and an eyepatch on his left eye had a straw hat, an unshaven beard, had a neck heightened hair length colored brown...ish, and had a bag of money on his left side of his belt.

"Um...Yes, you saw one or No, you haven't?" Lloyd asked awkwardly scratching the back of his neck, some of his blonde hair whooshing to his eyes that he kept combing his hair with his hands. Kai seeing this playfully glares at Lloyd who copies Kai, himself, about his hair. Lloyd sees this and smirks to himself while Kai builds anger within himself slowly. Cole saw this secretive interaction between the two and elbows the one near him which was Lloyd, making Kai chuckle a bit and stopped. While I stood there shaking my head playfully when I heard a commotion behind me, clearly knowing who they were.

"No, I haven't...sorry." The man shook his head not collecting anything else about who had a van like that, a black shiny van.

"Alright thanks, by the way, did you happen to see any logo on the vehicle?" I inquired because I think I am on to something. Maybe this could be my lead!

"Hmm...now that you mentioned it...yeah I did!" The strange-looking man confirmed.

"Great so what did it look like?!" Jay perked, having some crackers that he found when we got back from our run.

"Well, it looked like it had some kind of rose printed on one of their windows...yeah...why?"

"Because I think we know who those guys are it's just that we only have one of their identities shown to us called, Harumi," Lloyd explained.

"So what's your name?" Nya asked again. He smiled to himself and after a long silence, as if there was a drum roll, he then answered...

"Ronin. The name's Ronin." He introduced, pulling out a card. "If ya need any help with anything like trade or such ya can come to me...here's my number. NOW, I gotta head back to my place. Customers are waiting ya know? See ya around!" Ronin announced as he waved goodbye to us.

"Bye!" Jay shouted still eating the crackers while holding the plastic bag. Kai then face-palmed to himself.

I chuckled. I then went back to the present situation and took the plastic bag from Jay's hands.

"Hey, could've just asked!" Jay sassed.

"Sorry," I called out, smirking to myself.

I then carefully examined the cigarette, right now, in my hands, just right in front of me. The ventilated filter, which was the tipping paper, was moved slightly out of place because it might've been bitten by those teeth of his. According to the marks pressed onto it, it must've been a young man who used this and was quite new to this because it seemed he was careful in handling it and because the white wrapping paper around it, peeled off of the tube and that the Brand logo ink, wasn't glued properly and I felt it. It was a bit sticky but not to the extent that the paper would really get stuck onto it.

So I took out some gloves and put them on so that I could investigate the pot further. Who was that young man?

"Guys, look! I finally know where their hideout is!" Zane called out to us, as he typed away on his database. And lo and behold, the villains' hideout.

"YES ZANE YOU DID IT!" Kai cheered his friend.

"Why thank you, KAI, you're such a gentleman!" Zane said sarcastically.

"Haha, Welcome bro!" Kai replied holding up an OK sign.

"Ok, now that we have our lead let's go!" Nya announced, but before they left I shouted at them in defiance.

"NO, DON'T GO! IT'S A TRAP!"

Everyone's eyes turned to me and froze in their spots turning to me, confused.

"But... We have a lead." Cole said In shock.

"I know that but I can't risk it." I settled the plastic bag with the cigar in it in front of the others.

"We'll be careful, I promise you," Cole said with certainty.

"How can you be so certain?" I asked almost filled with horror, feeling uneasy in my insides.

"We have each other." Lloyd piped up as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

~time skip

When we had arrived something felt off. Though there was nature around us how the trees swayed here and there without a sense of worry, the way the birds reacted to the sways of the trees erected into a squalling chorus, irked us quite a bit. Almost like we are in a jungle but we were no near a jungle, but a rural area where only a few people would walkthrough. In this place, no one would get out of their houses only to go out shopping and come back to their places. I then realized we were in Stix n' Stones HW. Because of the sign, just standing there waiting to be tended to, as it was leaning on its left side when it pointed to the right. This place was abandoned but why would this place be abandoned? Their houses were still in perfect shape. Everyone and everything was put in silence: if there were noise, it would've been out like a fly, when it buzzes near you for a while then dies down as it flies to the horizon. Like a forgotten noise all over again. The gut in my stomach tells me it will not end well, neither will it give us some time to survey this place. Now we'd have to compromise our plans if the first one won't work.

"Well, it is quite silent for a hideout." Nya inquired.

"Yeah, kind of creepy I must say." Cole replied to Nya's comment.

"It's like in this place the noises outside are like passing cars to them. Maybe that's why they never knew there were dangerous people within this place?" Zane calculatingly said.

"Yo Jay, Bet you 100 bucks if this is a trap..." I playfully, silently smirked at Jay as he nodded his head, complying to my bet. Though I knew it would be true...somehow.

"Ha, bet you 100 bucks if this is not a trap and just like other traps we've encountered," Jay said smirking the same way, at me playful, as I complied to his bet as well. His one was true as well. The other ambushes we've faced were just like this and got away with information...but why do I feel we will only get a few hints, not the whole information?

"Guys bet each other 100 bucks later... this is serious." Lloyd lectured.

Then before we could say another word, bombshells flew everywhere, like firecrackers at Christmas or other holidays but this wasn't a holiday and if it were one, I wouldn't celebrate it through this mess.

Lloyd then cried out,"Hey, remember the codex-"

"Yada, yada, yada, we know... Look out for civilians first using our quick senses, then roll with it." Cole bickered, bothering to make an eye roll.

"You do know rules help us, Cole" Zane reminded.

"Yeah, but in this situation, does it look like it!" Nya shouted over the intercom.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot the intercom or these radios, that were distributed to all of us. That allows us to talk over the phone and communicate where we were or where we are, as of now. Apparently, I am recently going through this chaos of smoke and debris and I can't see where I was going, but could only trust my senses. After I adjusted my eyesight a bit, I could see on the other side...there it was, the one I know, that it must be their hideout.

"Hey, guys, I'm gonna close in!" I said, surprisingly sounding brave, I could hear it in my voice, though if I could step aside to veiw myself, I know I'd sound like a nincompoop.

"What! NO! JADE YOU WILL BE KILLED IN THERE!" Zane exclaimed in horror. Surprisingly he didn't sound like a serious computer for once, because normally he'd sound like siri or something.

"I'm coming in there with you!" Cole said over the intercom, determined.

"Cole! No! I can't let you-"

"We are going to be always here for you no matter what. Whether you want it or not. But we're in this course together, alright!" Cole shouted back. Of course the others heard this and they they were saying stuff that I couldn't understand over the noise that recotched here and there and commotions were heard like sqwuaking parrots that you can't disconnect from.

Typical Cole, he maneuvered his sleek, black, orange-streaked motorcycle over to where I was. I coughed when an amount of dust came into my mouth and the dust from the debris was not helping at all but I was, somewhat, immuned.

"Come on, let's do this together shall we." Cole said stretching out his hand to me which I gladly took, as I gave him a bit of an eye roll. I mean how can he be calm in all this noise and rucus. So I quickly climbed onto his motorbike, put on the spare helmet he had and Cole vroomed us away to get to our destination.

"That building?" He called out to me, after a bit of a ride, from back there to here...and so I scooted to the side a bit while the motorcycle sped down the path dangerously fast, but I saw it and it was the one. How the building stood there, with all its goriness and graffitis splattered across its walls. What happened here?

"Yeah it is!" I quickly confirmed, before I would zone out again. Just when I said that we were there already because Cole figuratively, broke the gas paddle and did a drift, as smoke and dust alike debris, fluttered across the air. It was epic to be honest. I just love Cole's driving. So we then hopped off.

"Ok, let's go in. Watch my back!" I pointed out to Cole, as he got out his handable gun while I took out both my dagger and my holster gun on both hands.

"Wow you got prepared gurl!" Cole said in a wave of shock.

"I always am Cole, I thought you noticed." I chuckled lightly and smiled for a bit.

"I did, but never knew you were this prepared." Cole justified, as his jet black hair hung slightly over his tired emerald, green eyes.

I could now have a good look at Cole's character and build: how his black eyebrows furrow deeply in thought, numerously looking over his shoulder to see anyone followed us up here, how desperate he wanted to protect me, to protect us. How his body had given itself the workout of its life and to top it off holding his gun like that, in that pose of his, looks more cuter and funnier. Though I promise you not in the way you would think.

Though he never knew the premeditated vow I made...yet...no one.

"True that. Can't predict me!" I told him. He chuckled slightly as well. Everything became silent again but smoke still filled the scene.

I knew it. I knew this from the very beginning, especially ever since we came here to scout out the place. It was an ambush that we wouldnt escape, but we merely reached the surface of our true potentials and that we still didn't look into the landscape more deeply. We may say we had experiences but it was only a few like up to 2 crime scene dramas in being detectives, as sleuths.

Anyways, I knew this was a trap. They didn't listen, now it was too late to go back now just have to be there for them and protect them. Now my vow started its course.

I now am waiting and watching for anyone suspicious within the building. Until we heard a clang or something in the dim and eerie building. We then heard a few laughs, from not far from where we were standing.

"Ha, they'll never see what was coming!" A woman said evilly.

"Harumi! The detectives are here." A male spoke.

Well then, the woman who spoke previously must be Harumi.

"Well then get them, Clancy you jerk we have to hide this, what if they're part of the hunters!" She lashed out. Hunters? What did she mean? I look at a Cole for any answers but he too shrugged.

"Yes ma'am." Clancy humbly gave in. Wow, this Harumi must be so respected among her peers.

I then heard footsteps coming down the stairs. They're coming down.

"Cole...I think we better hide..."

"Good idea." Cole freaked.

So we bolted outside and ran around to the back of the building. We then hid waiting for the best timing while multitasking to both get information and to see if civilians, near by, are safe and to escort them away from the fight, if you would call it that.

At just a fair distance away, I could see my friends running around to assess this situation while protecting the civilians. I, on the other hand, had to catch my breath from running, but thankfully not from this fight. I will go down trying in this battle. It's true but not only for just theirs, it's also for the life of the other civilians in Black Hollow City. My parents. I have to have hope for a better future.

Who are you Harumi? What do you hide so dearly? All the information I've gathered was that Harumi was some well-known Queen of the gangsters of the Dark Rose, but haven't unraveled much about her coworkers or their background. They have hidden bases of operations all over the world whenever they had to be deported somewhere, even here.

I then see Kai running up to the cloaked man as if his life depended on it. Cole saw this and said, "Jade, I need to help him. I'm sorry i-"

"No, really it's fine, I'm the one who needs to do this alone Cole," I reassured.

So now both Cole and Kai together ran as if both their lives depended on it. Again we did not notice a river that rushed downstream. They were on the other side of the river banks. I saw everything that I had to then run as fast as I could panting hard out because the two boys were coming in close to bring him down as Kai tried to tackle him to the ground with Cole just right behind him and that was my cue to activate the plan. I was the key role. But I blew it...

BANG!

"AAAAH!" I screamed as I then got shot. We didn't survey enough. I then heard concerned noises for me but then before I could say one word, I point blank went unconscious.

~~~

"Now that was good ice cream guys." Nya complimented and Heather and her goons completely forgotten.

"Told ya guys..." Jay elbowed me with a wink, as I rolled my eyes.