A New Beginning

"Come on, we're almost there!" I shouted in between breaths as I ran without looking back.

Pushing people out of the way I made multiple detours within the crowd as I looked around frantically for an opening while clutching the silver briefcase tightly in my right hand.

"Wait up damn it!" Shouted Gerard, my partner who was damn near becoming a liability started trucking people out of the way wildly in a goofy attempt to catch up with me. If it weren't for the fact that I was instructed to bring him back safely I would have killed him and said that one of the gangs got him.

I wanted to turn around and see how goofy this idiot's running form was but unfortunately, I didn't have time for that. The speed I was running at was without a doubt the fastest I have ever run in my life and if I turned around I would lose all of my momentum and we would get caught by the mercs chasing us.

Best case we get a quick death and worse case...I don't even dare think about it. I have to survive, I have to make it out.

"Get those fucking thieves and bring them to me you useless shits!" Howled the captain of the guards, a pale skin burly man dressed in silver armor and carrying a massive war hammer. His dark hair flew wildly in the wind while his blue eyes shone a cold terror that made me run with restored vigor and speed that I didn't even know I had left.

Making it through the crowd I looked around frantically for an alleyway or an opening that would help us create distance between those pesky dogs and us.

Hearing the sounds of deep gasps coming closer, I didn't even bother turning around as I knew it was Gerard. He stopped next to me and dropped to his hands and knees as he gasped desperately for sweet air. He was sweating so much that his clothes stuck to his body and you could see the outline of his slightly muscular form. you would think that he had decent stamina the way he was built, and he was a thief as well so I thought I had a capable partner.

Oh, how I was fooled.

"Get up." I said calmly as I looked up at the tower which was the destination of the drop-off point, "We haven't escaped the guards yet and the longer we stay here the more time we give them to catch up to us."

"We have created enough distance between them and us." Gerard retorted in between breaths and then looked back up to me with his orange eyes and his short and messy black hair stuck to his forehead from all of the sweat, We have enough time to rest Dior."

"No, the fuck we don't" I responded with a frosty tone as I heard the overlapping shouts of the guards getting closer, "If they catch up to us we're dead. I can continue but it seems that you'll need more time to rest, which we don't have. You're lucky they're just normal humans and not super or we would've died a long time ago."

I still don't know what is even in the briefcase, but I have an idea of what's inside based on how they deployed the strongest guards to chase us as soon as we left the premises, something that wasn't according to the plan.

My certainty only increased with the determination and persistence these guards showed while chasing us. Shit, some of them even ran over and trampled their comrades and sacrificed them when they fell into our traps and diversions without hesitation.

Lia didn't tell us what was in this briefcase. This bitch, I'll make sure she tells me what the fuck she made us steal!

I grabbed Gerard by the collar of his shirt and pulled him up, forcefully making him stand on his feet, "Look we got to go. We can't take an opportunity to rest anymore, we've already given up our head start thanks to you almost passing out on me." I said grimly, "Look we're almost there all we have to do is make it to that tower next to the river."

Gerard looked at the tower I was pointing to and then looked back at me in shock, "That's Millenium Tower, the talent building in Zone 2. How are we going to make it there? We've barely made it halfway so far." Gerard complained with despair in his voice and eyes.

I shrugged nonchalantly and looked towards the tower with a new zeal as the guards were getting closer by the second, "Well I don't know about you but I don't want to die and I'm certainly not planning to go out to some barbarian guards." I spoke in disdain, "We're lucky that there weren't supers there or we would've been dead a long time ago. Try to catch up, I'm not stopping again." I reminded before dashing through the alleyway, following the new route I had created in my head.

"Dior! Wait for me!"

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"We're almost up these stairs." I panted as I summoned all my willpower to take another step on these stairs that I could swear we had spent hours climbing.

As much as I hated to admit it Gerard was right. I underestimated how tall this tower was but the way I saw it we had no other choice but to take this route.

"Why were you so adamant about taking these damn stairs?" Asked Gerard harshly, "The elevators were working completely fine and nobody was using them."

I laughed inwardly at this fool's naivety, "Those guards saw us run in here so they knew where we were going. The first thing that would come to their minds is that we probably used the elevators as it would not only get us to our location faster, it would also allow us time to get some rest after all the running we have been doing right?" I asked while I stopped and turned back to look at him.

"Yeah, that's exactly why I wanted to take the elevator and not these long-ass flights of stairs." He retorted.

"Assume that we do take the stairs, sure we get some rest and get there faster but that gives the guards plenty of time to catch up. Remember those guards are superior to us in every physical category and the only reason why we had even made it this far is because of our headstart otherwise we would've been dead before we left the area." I explained while I resumed my climb up the stairs.

"When the guards get there the first thing they'll do is asked the receptionist if we took the elevator. If she says yes, they will not only know where we are, but they'll also gain the advantage since they can hijack the main controls and shut down the elevator, thus making us sitting ducks for them." I said and looked back at the shock on Gerard's face, now realizing why I was so stubborn about taking the staircase instead.

"But since we took the stairs and there are over a dozen staircases they will have to split up to cover more ground and even if they do they can only investigate as many as nine and that's if they all decide to search a single staircase by themselves." I elaborated, "With the diverted manpower this gives us even more time. Now stop complaining we're almost there." I sighed and continued this grueling climb.

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I pushed open the door and closed my eyes as I book in the deepest breath of fresh air I've ever had in my life. The air felt so rejuvenating that I almost fainted from relaxation.

"Look who finally made it." Said a calm, feminine voice, "For a second I thought you two died, I was just about to leave."

My face went deadpan and I opened my eyes to look at this hateful woman who was our superior in this mission, Lia. She was a tanned skin woman with fiery orange hair and golden eyes, she was dressed in a black combat suit that fitted perfectly around her body emphasizing her curves.

She looked at us with a smile that screamed amusement but I ignored it for now. I was too tired to deal with this worthless whore, I'll get her back later.

I lifted the silver briefcase, "We got the briefcase. Now, can you finally tell us what is inside? Those guards chased us nonstop and with the death glare they gave us you would think that we violated their ancestors."

Lia walked over and took the briefcase from my hands, she looked at it with desire and fervor while she explained, "The contents of this briefcase are priceless. So priceless that all mortals in Zone 2 would commit unspeakable acts to get it."

I shrugged, seeing that she wasn't going to tell me, I turned and walked towards the exit "Well, you can tell me later. Right now I need to get some rest. I'm tired from all that running so can you please just pay me so we can get this over with."

"Of course. You deserve your payment, but before that, something has to be done first."

*BANG*

A hot and stinging heat erupted in my left shoulder. I fell on my knee and quickly covered the wound with my right hand, applying pressure on the bullet would so that I wouldn't bleed out.

Just a through and through, nothing too serious.

After analyzing the situation I turned around to see Lia holding a gun with a smile full of cruelty and malice on her face, her eyes gleamed with contempt as if she was looking at a worthless creature. A toy whose only purpose was to be used and discarded.

"You fucking bitch." I muttered with seething rage.