"This syrup is actually really good…"
I muttered while cutting another piece of pancake, letting it soak up the syrup before bringing it to my mouth. The pancake itself wasn't anything special—simple, ordinary, even a little dry—but the syrup made up for it. Sweet in just the right way, with a faint citrus taste.
A week had passed since the warehouse.
Between the money I'd gotten and the extra bonus I squeezed out of that Spider thug, I managed to spend the entire week in peace.
I finally got out of the lowest part of Mistral.
Five nights in a real hotel. Bought the rifle I'd been eyeing in the shop window too. It was a little damaged, rusty in some places, and the barrel needed adjustments, but after buying a few tools and fixing it myself, it turned out perfect.
There was even enough left over for a few luxuries.
Went to the movies twice. Bought expensive candy, ice cream, and other pointless stuff I hadn't been able to afford in a long time.
Another bite of pancake disappeared while my eyes drifted toward the rifle resting against the chair beside me.
"Fixed rifle and pancakes with good syrup. Could be worse."
A sip of hot tea followed.
Even so, a strange feeling wouldn't leave my head.
I had killed someone. Robbed the dead. And now I was sitting here eating breakfast like nothing had happened.
My gaze lowered to the plate.
"…Probably not healthy to keep thinking about that."
I raised a hand, trying to get someone's attention.
"Hey, can somebody bring me more pancakes?"
No answer.
Looking around the diner, I frowned. The place was completely empty.
Weird… there's always people here.
"Maybe I came too early," I muttered to myself.
That was when the kitchen door opened.
A tall, thin man stepped out. Sparse hair, patchy beard, old scars running across his arms. His eyes were red and sunken, carrying an unsettling look. Even the way he moved felt wrong somehow—slow and awkward, like his body didn't quite belong there.
His eyes swept across the empty diner before landing on me.
"New employee, huh? Where's that faunus girl from before? She was funny."
He walked up to the counter and stopped in front of me.
Weirdo.
Looking up at him, I spoke casually.
"Anyway… can you bring me more pancakes? And you seriously need to give me the recipe for this syrup because it's divine. I'll even pay for it."
The man stared silently for a second.
Then, without a word—
THUNK!
A large knife slammed into the wooden counter beside my plate.
The blade trembled where it was embedded in the wood.
My eyes shifted from the knife to him.
"Wow. Okay… you could've just said no."
The tall man kept staring in silence, those red eyes glinting strangely.
Oh, gods.
Getting up from the stool, I grabbed the rifle beside me, slipped the strap over my shoulder, and adjusted it.
"You know what… never mind. I'm full anyway."
A stack of Lien landed on the counter.
"Keep the change."
Turning around, I started walking toward the diner entrance, the rifle hanging securely from my shoulder.
Before reaching the door, it suddenly opened.
A large man stepped inside, completely blocking the exit.
Lion faunus. Tall, broad, piercing yellow eyes.
I stopped a few steps away.
"Excuse me," I said.
He didn't move.
Behind me, the skinny man let out a quiet chuckle.
A few slow steps carried me backward toward the center of the diner, keeping both of them in sight at the same time.
That was when I noticed it.
Partially hidden beneath the lion faunus' sleeve was a black tattoo.
A spider inside a web.
My stomach dropped.
Spider.
"Gentlemen… would this happen to be about me beating up that ponytail guy and accidentally taking his money afterward?"
Neither answered.
The lion faunus simply stared while the skinny man tilted his head slightly, red eyes gleaming.
Can I take them?
Focusing a little more carefully, I realized both of them had Aura.
Absolutely fucking not.
A real man knows when to pick his battles.
"Gentlemen, I should point out that I never would've assaulted him if he hadn't attacked me first."
A short pause followed while I shook my head in disappointment.
"I don't know what he told you, but after the job ended and I got out of the car to leave, he shot me in the back. Can you believe that? Such betrayal. So naturally I had to hit him a few times… nothing serious. Then I accepted a small bonus he generously offered as an apology."
Sliding sideways another step to keep my distance, I continued in the calmest voice possible.
"And if I may say so, it was also extremely irresponsible of your organization to send him into a mission that dangerous without Aura. Poor guy could barely defend himself."
Silence.
Both of them just kept staring.
A polite smile crossed my face.
"Anyway… I think this was all just a misunderstanding on both sides."
The lion faunus stepped forward, blocking the door even more.
Behind the counter, the skinny man pulled the knife free and slowly spun it between his fingers.
Wow… they didn't even respond. I hate when people do that.
My eyes quickly scanned the room.
Only viable exit: the window.
The lion faunus uncrossed his arms and started walking toward me.
"Tactical retreat!"
I turned and jumped straight through the side window
CRASH!
Glass exploded everywhere as I burst through and crashed into the alley outside.
A quick roll softened the impact before I sprang back to my feet and started running without looking back.
Heavy footsteps thundered behind me.
I sprinted through the crowded street, slamming into people along the way—a woman carrying groceries, a man hauling boxes, workers moving supplies. Shouts and curses erupted everywhere behind me, adding even more chaos.
Then a sharp whistle cut through the air.
The skinny man had thrown the knife.
Ducking at the last second, I felt the blade pass just over my head before embedding itself into a wall.
"AH—SHIT!"
Rounding the corner, I dashed into an alley.
A large metal dumpster sat against the wall. Running toward it, I jumped onto the lid and used the momentum—plus Aura—to launch myself high enough to catch the edge of the neighboring rooftop.
Pulling myself up quickly, I grabbed the rifle and spun around.
The two of them were already entering the alley.
I fired twice.
Both shots hit cleanly. One slammed into the lion faunus' chest while the other struck the skinny man's hand, forcing him to drop the knife. Their Auras flickered briefly from the impact.
Standing at the rooftop's edge with the rifle aimed down at them, I shouted firmly:
"It's over! I have the high ground!"
Neither answered immediately.
So I kept going, trying to sound more intimidating than I actually felt.
"Those first shots were just a warning! The next ones are going into your faces!"
Please leave…
The lion faunus touched the spot where the bullet had hit before glaring up at me with pure fury.
"This little shit shot us…" he growled.
Beside him, the skinny man picked the knife back up, teeth grinding together.
"I'm gonna strangle that little richie bastard…"
How does he know that?
"My apologies, but even if I were hypothetically rich, how exactly would you know that?"
"How about you come down here and find out?" the lion faunus replied with a predatory grin while pulling a gun from his waist.
Nah.
Better not risk it.
I can always find out later.
Turning around, I started running again.
Wind cut across my face as I leapt from rooftop to rooftop, the rifle slamming against my back every time I landed.
A bullet whizzed past my ear.
"AH!"
The second one hit me square in the back.
Pain exploded through my body while Aura flashed around me. I staggered—but didn't stop.
The next rooftop was too far away.
For one horrible second, I hung in the air as time stretched forever.
Then my feet hit the edge.
My arms windmilled wildly before I managed to steady myself.
Dropping onto a lower roof, I slid across the tiles toward the edge. Three stories below was a narrow alley.
I jumped.
My knees screamed from the landing, but I immediately kept running.
The alley opened into a crowded marketplace.
Diving into the crowd, I tripped over a wooden crate and sent an entire stack of orange boxes crashing everywhere. Fruit rolled across the ground while people shouted and stumbled.
"SORRY!" I yelled over my shoulder without slowing down.
Behind me, the two thugs bulldozed through the market, knocking over stalls as they chased after me.
I darted through a narrow passage between stands. An old woman screamed when I knocked over her spice table, sending red and yellow powder exploding into the air.
Spinning around mid-run, I drew the pistol from my waist and fired twice.
My aim was flawless as always.
The bullets hit cleanly — one in the skinny man's leg, the other in the lion faunus's shoulder. Their Auras were already beginning to glow yellow.
A few more shots and I could break their Auras.
I kept running as fast as I could. Then I spotted it ahead of me:
A large puddle in the middle of the street.
The instant I saw it, I pulled an Ice Dust round from my pocket and loaded the pistol while still running.
I sprinted through the puddle, sending water splashing everywhere.
The next second, I partially turned, aimed behind me, and waited for the right moment.
The skinny man stepped into the puddle first.
BANG!
The shot struck the center of the water spread across the ground.
The Ice Dust activated immediately with a loud crack. A wave of intense cold spread across the street, instantly freezing the skinny man's right foot in place and locking him to the ground.
His Aura flared bright scarlet for a second—
Then shattered completely.
"SHIT!" he screamed, nearly falling forward while trying to yank his leg free.
The lion faunus skidded to a stop beside him.
"Hey! Hold on!" he snarled, crouching to break the ice.
The skinny man twisted toward him furiously.
"Don't stop, you idiot! Keep chasing him! If that kid escapes, the boss is gonna kill both of us!"
The lion faunus hesitated.
His eyes moved between me and his trapped partner before finally making a decision.
With an angry growl, he stood back up and resumed the chase even faster than before.
"You bastard!"
Shitty cheap rounds! If these were from the SDC, both of those idiots would've frozen solid!
As we ran, the faunus started gaining on me quickly.
The marketplace gave way to a wider street lined with old stores and abandoned carts.
That was when police sirens began echoing through the lower streets of Mistral.
I slowed slightly and shouted over my shoulder:
"Hey! Your partner's back there with his Aura broken! If the police get him now, they'll arrest him for sure! Aren't you going back to help him?"
The lion faunus slowed down, growling.
He glanced backward, face twisted with frustration and doubt.
"He told me to keep going…"
"And if he gets arrested? You think your boss is gonna forgive you if he ends up in police custody? Better go back while there's still time!"
The lion faunus came to a complete stop.
Heavy breathing.
Several long seconds passed before he finally cursed under his breath.
"…Shit. Fine! I'm going back!"
The moment he turned around—
I drew the pistol and fired twice.
BANG! BANG!
Both shots hit the center of his back.
His Aura flashed brightly from the first impact, then shattered red with a sharp crack.
The lion faunus let out a roar of pain as he stumbled forward.
"YOU LITTLE BAS—!"
Before he could turn around, I rushed forward and drove a powerful kick straight into the middle of his chest.
The impact launched him backward several meters before he slammed into the ground unconscious.
For a second, I just stood there breathing heavily while staring at the body.
"Damn… that actually made me feel like shit," I muttered while holstering the pistol. "A smart man wins first and feels guilty later."
Kneeling beside him, I searched through the inside pockets of his jacket and found a thick wallet.
I slipped it straight into my pocket without even checking it.
The police sirens were much louder now.
Adjusting the rifle on my back, I took off running down a side street and disappeared into the alleys before the police arrived.