Chapter 184: A Not-so Productive Member of Society.

The city bus grumbled to a halt, its brakes screeching in protest as it reached the end of the line. It was a desolate winter night, and the city's streets were blanketed in the hushed stillness that only the coldest nights could offer. From the bus, two figures disembarked, their breath visible in the frigid air, the darkness of the night acting as a cloak to shield their identities. The bus, its warm interior a stark contrast to the icy night, continued on its journey, leaving the two individuals. They walked to a nearby alley as the freezing air did its best to cling to their bodies.

Ethan's thoughts raced as he followed Poison into the dimly lit alley. He had known that getting involved in this criminal endeavor with her would be dangerous, but he couldn't deny the exhilaration that surged through him. The adrenaline pumping in his veins mixed with the biting cold, creating a heady cocktail of emotions. He wasn't excited due to getting involved in a life of crime. It was more about spending more time with Poison, getting to know her, and increasing his likeability in her eyes. This entire heist was due to his research on what would be some easy way of achieving cash with the least amount of risk to them.

In the heart of the alleyway, the two culprits reached into their coats, retrieving masks. Both of them wore standard balaclavas, hiding their facial features. The feminine-shaped one took the lead as they began making their way down the sidewalk. The masculine-shaped one adjusted the duffel bag over his back while following behind her. The anticipation weighed heavily on Ethan as he watched Poison's behind with a mix of revere and lust. He couldn't help but admire her shapely figure while he had the chance. Her expertise in crime and being sneaky was the farthest thing from his mind. As far as he knew, monsters didn't usually do sneaky so well. They were all more like break this, break that, and beat up the cops when they came to apprehend them. Ethan knew he needed to be cautious not to draw unnecessary attention to them, for his inexperience could jeopardize their success.

They eventually found themselves in front of the closed Meridian Trust Bank. Both of them looked up at the security cameras before Poison used her elbow to break the glass of the locked doors. Instantly, the alarms sounded, jolting Ethan. Panic clawed at him, but he couldn't afford to let it show. He had a role to play, after all. The alarms blared, filling the silent streets with their urgent wailing. Ethan's heart pounded in his chest as he followed Poison inside the dimly lit bank. It was being lit up by the alarms going off, making it somewhat easier for Ethan to navigate. He didn't know if Poison had some sort of night vision because she was a monster, but he certainly didn't have anything like that. They moved like shadows, their footsteps muffled by the carpeted floor. Ethan walked cautiously while the Poison made her way to the ATM machines. He stood in front of her as she went to work on the machine, blocking the view of the cameras on how she was working on it.

Ethan stood on watch as Poison used her monster strength to get into the ATM. Her confidence was intoxicating, and he couldn't help but be a bit proud to be by her side. He understood that being with her was taking him down a path he had never imagined. The cameras picked up the screeching sound of something. It was like nails on a chalkboard but replacing the sound of the board with steel. In less than twenty seconds, Ethan's duffel bag was filled with cold-hard cash. At just a glance, it could be seen that there was a thousand bucks in there at the very least. But this wasn't enough for the two criminals as they went to work on the other ATMs. By the time they filled up their duffel bag with as much money as it could carry, not even five minutes had passed when the bank's security alarm started.

As they heard the sirens approaching, Ethan felt a mixture of anxiety and thrill. This was a world he had never known, but with Poison, he was discovering a side of himself he hadn't realized existed. They needed to get out of there fast, and every second counted. He didn't know whether he was happy they completed their heist perfectly or the fact that he successfully accomplished what Poison asked of him. The cameras saw as they fled down the street into the distance before making a turn and disappearing from their view range.

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"As of now, there has been no further information about these criminals. Local police have been on the lookout for large quantities of money being spent, but as of yet, nothing has surfaced. These thieves may be smarter than the average criminal. If you have any information on these thieves, Krey's Police Force is willing to give out a 500-dollar reward for anyone who can contribute to identifying these criminals. Please contact them at the number at the bottom of the screen if you have any valuable information to share."

Poison reclined on the couch, a sly grin on her face. "Humans are really stupid," she mused. Ethan nodded, his heart finally coming to a calm. "The news is a good way to get information." "I'm aware," Poison replied, her emerald-green eyes gleaming with satisfaction. She had long since learned to exploit the usefulness of mankind's ignorance.

Ethan had been up all night freaking out about the possibility that the cops would suddenly descend on them. Helicopters, SWAT teams, and all sorts of weaponry coming in and pointing at them. Knowing Poison was a monster, it would be difficult to imagine that scenario playing out any other way besides a bloodbath or them being shot up with holes. He couldn't even play on his PC. That's how nervous he was! Even when his first girlfriend broke up with him, he could play long into the night. But this? He couldn't even last 10 minutes as the anxiety gnawed at him from the inside.

"What are we going to do now with all this money?" Ethan asked, finally calm now that he knew the police had nothing on them.

"Get my long-waited revenge, of course." Poison said with a mischievous smile.

Ethan didn't exactly know what to say to that. He hoped that didn't include him and his mother. Everyone else, he didn't really care about. Some might call him heartless or a traitor to mankind, but honestly, how could he care about the fate of others when his own was at stake? Plus, Poison was really fucking hot.

It was why it was kind of easy to get into this life of crime. Ethan wouldn't describe himself as a monster lacking empathy, but he just didn't really care about other people. Why should he care about them if they weren't in his circle? And currently, the only people in his circle were himself, his mom, and Poison. He loved his mother, and he was in love with Poison. If his mom asked him to do some crimes for her, he'd reject her, but Poison was the woman of his dreams. He couldn't reject her wishes. How else was he going to get closer to her if he didn't give her what she wanted?

"Oh," Ethan replied, still grappling with his newfound identity as a local criminal with a bounty of 500 USD.

"Are you unwilling?" Poison gave him a look, crossing her long, beautiful legs over each other.

"No?" Ethan responded, trying to sound more confident.

"Why did that sound like a question?" Poison asked.

"It wasn't!" Ethan responded, quickly trying to please her.

"For your sake, I hope it wasn't," Poison said, her gaze piercing. She was unpredictable, and that made her all the more arousing to Ethan.

Ethan knew that at any second, she could extend those sharp nails of hers and pierce his body. They were sharp enough to cut through the safes used by banks everywhere to protect their cash. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he stared into her eyes, eager to prove himself trustworthy. Unknowingly, his pants grew tight, but he hoped she didn't notice.

"Now get out of my sight," Poison said, pushing him off the couch. "I'll tell you when the next part of my plan begins."

Ethan rolled away out of the living room as Poison continued to watch television. He met his mother in the kitchen on the phone, chatting with someone he wasn't interested in knowing about. Her eyes lit up at the sight of him. It was like she looked at him as a whole new person now that he was working and had a girlfriend. It kind of pissed him off to know that his mother looked at him like he was a complete waste before when she looked at him with so much pride and joy now. But could he really blame her? Ever since he graduated from college with a useless English degree, he was nothing but a useless leech. Still, though, his likability points for his mother slightly lowered. She should love him regardless of how useless he is. Right?