Levi was a damn rat.
Noctis had known it all along, and nothing had changed his opinion. Two helped him fend off incoming attacks, while the assassin covered his back. Noctis had nothing to worry about—except maybe the occasional stray bullet that happened to find its way toward him. Even then, he still had Isaac's talisman in case of something like that.
Levi had a knack for avoiding his attacks by using his own men as shields, throwing them between himself and Noctis.
And there he went again.
Noctis had almost caught up to him once more, and that damn coward couldn't think of anything better than grabbing the nearest one of his men and hurling him straight at Noctis.
"You goddamn bastard," Noctis hissed.
In one smooth motion, he drove his blade through the man, yanked it free again, and carelessly flung the lifeless body aside. Without hesitating for even a heartbeat, he broke back into a sprint.
"LEVI!" he shouted furiously. "Stand your damn ground and fight like a man!"
Levi glanced back over his shoulder in alarm and quickened his pace.
Because of that asshole, Isaac was in more danger than ever, and the man responsible for all of it was running away like a frightened chicken? Who the hell did Levi think he was fooling? Did he seriously believe he could wear Noctis down like this?
Or that he'd actually get away?
The battle was all but decided. Hardly any of Levi's men were still standing, while the Webster assassins still outnumbered them by far. No matter how desperately he tried to escape, sooner or later there would be nowhere left for him to run.
Haaaah... if only Isaac could see this...
The man Isaac had feared all these years, the one who had inflicted such deep trauma on him that he'd turned away from society and had never truly been able to accept himself...
...that man was running away from him like a terrified animal.
It infuriated Noctis beyond belief that the man who had shattered Isaac's confidence so completely was nothing more than a pathetic coward. Noctis had expected anything. Someone who could actually fight. Someone who was a brilliant strategist and knew how to command his men. Hell, even someone capable of luring them into the deadliest traps.
But no.
Levi was weak.
To be honest, he wasn't even worth chasing. The only reason Noctis was after him was because this man was the source of Isaac's nightmares. Once Levi was dead, and Isaac saw his corpse, he would finally be free of it all. He would never have to live in fear again, and at last he could begin truly living his life.
Noctis wanted nothing more than for Isaac to finally be able to chase his dreams and never have to put himself in danger again. He would never again be hunted for something that had been written into his genes since birth, and Noctis could do his job while the man he loved waited for him at home.
Once again, Levi threw one of his own men into Noctis's path.
By now, Noctis reacted on pure instinct. His blade slit the man's throat before he even realized he had been sacrificed. The body crumpled to the ground and lay still.
Not for a single moment did Noctis take his eyes off Levi's back. His patience had finally run out.
What a goddamn waste of time.
He was done playing with Levi. His original plan had been to take him alive and leave him to Vincent, who would make sure Levi spent his final hours in absolute hell before he disappeared from this world for good.
For a brief moment, Noctis considered ending it all right here and now.
But Isaac had said he wanted to see Levi's body, and Noctis had promised to present it to him on a silver platter in the morgue. He would leave the decision to Isaac. Isaac should decide what was to become of Levi.
So Noctis drew his knife and hurled it straight at Levi's right calf.
The blade whistled through the air before burying itself deep in Levi's lower leg.
A bloodcurdling scream tore from Levi's throat. To Noctis, it was music to his ears.
Levi's leg buckled instantly. He stumbled, nearly pitched headfirst, and then crashed heavily into the dirt.
"Lucy. Two. We're ending this here and now," Noctis said calmly into his earbud. "Levi comes with us. Eliminate the rest."
Almost simultaneously, both of their voices crackled over the comms.
"Understood!"
Several gunshots ripped through the air.
Noctis was already moving again. The last two men desperately stepped between him and Levi.
With all his strength, Noctis drove the first man into a wall with a brutal kick, sending his body crashing against the concrete. Before the second man could even react, Noctis buried his knife to the hilt in his chest. At the same moment, he caught a glimpse of Two reaching the first man out of the corner of his eye and, without the slightest hesitation, finishing him off.
Perfect timing.
That was exactly why Noctis enjoyed working with them so much.
It meant he could simply do his job without ever having to look over his shoulder. Someone was always there, watching his back.
Levi stared up at him with wide, terrified eyes. Panic-stricken, he scrambled backward across the ground, paying no mind to the knife still lodged in his leg. Every desperate attempt to escape drew another pained groan from his lips.
A satisfied smile spread across Noctis's face.
Oh, this was exactly what he needed after the last few stressful days.
At last, that worthless bastard was lying in the dirt right in front of him.
"Well?" Noctis asked, thoroughly amused as he approached at an unhurried pace. "Where exactly do you think you're going now, Levi?"
"Stay away from me, you fucking psycho!" Levi snapped. His gaze darted around frantically. "Jackson! Where the hell are you, you useless piece of shit?!"
Without the slightest hurry, Noctis glanced around.
Not a single one of Levi's men was left standing.
The Websters were busy checking the bodies and retrieving their throwing knives. After all, everyone deserved to get their tools back.
Levi followed Noctis's gaze.
With every passing second, more color drained from his face.
For the first time, he realized he was truly alone.
"You know, Levi," Noctis said, "I honestly expected more from you. You were so confident. So convinced you'd get everything you wanted. Now look around... and tell me what exactly you have left."
He had reached Levi.
With a casual kick to the ribs, Noctis rolled him onto his back. Levi coughed and clutched his side, his face twisted in pain.
A derisive snort escaped Noctis.
Levi hadn't even been injured by the kick, and he hadn't put much force behind it either. If Isaac had been in Levi's place, he wouldn't have so much as flinched. He would have been back on his feet already.
What a pathetic coward.
This bastard was only strong as long as he held the upper hand. Levi was exactly the kind of criminal who ruled through intimidation. Fear was his favorite weapon, the tool he used to bend others to his will.
Noctis hated men like him with every fiber of his being.
Levi had never truly earned anything himself.
And he had never taken responsibility for a single thing he'd done.
He always had someone else to hide behind—whether it was a person with power and influence, or simply the overwhelming number of followers he controlled like puppets on strings.
Noctis planted the sole of his boot squarely on Levi's chest and slowly increased the pressure until Levi's back was pinned completely flat against the ground.
Levi grimaced in pain. Even so, a smile played across his lips. He looked as though he still had the upper hand, despite the fact that all of his men were dead by now.
"Who says I don't still have something up my sleeve?" he asked quietly, then began to laugh. "I've still got a few aces left to play."
Noctis raised an eyebrow. This was a complete waste of time.
"And what exactly would that be?" he asked, sounding bored.
More than anything, he wanted to knock the bastard out, tie him up, and go check on Isaac while Two or Lucy dealt with him. But if Levi actually had something important to say, he had to hear it out. Vincent was otherwise occupied, which meant Noctis was in charge of everything here for the time being.
A smile lingered on Levi's lips. "Want me to tell you?"
Noctis rolled his eyes.
"Quit playing games and get to the point."
Levi laughed again. He was stalling for time—for whatever reason. No one was coming to get him out of here anymore, so what exactly was he waiting for? Besides, Noctis was done wasting time on him. He wanted to check on Isaac.
Time to speed things up again.
He planted his foot on Levi's sternum and slowly shifted his weight onto it. He didn't stop until there was a sickening crack.
"Argh! Damn it!" Levi cursed.
His face twisted with pain, his eyes burning with hatred. Noctis, on the other hand, flashed him a sickeningly sweet smile.
"Talk. Whatever you think is going to happen, no one's coming to save you."
Levi studied him. At first, he looked uncertain, but then a grin spread across his face, as though he believed himself completely superior. It was the grin of a man who still thought he held the winning card.
Noctis narrowed his eyes.
What the hell are you up to, Levi?
"Isaac has grown into a really handsome man," Levi said suddenly. "Even when we were children he was far too cute. Seriously, if I hadn't been assigned the task of destroying him psychologically, I probably would have ended up sleeping with him at some point. After all, he loved me and practically worshipped me."
"What are you getting at?" Noctis hissed.
"Nothing at all, my aggressive friend," Levi replied with a smirk. "I'm just happy I finally got to see him again after all these years. Over the last few days, I had the chance to explore every inch of his body. I still get goosebumps thinking about what he felt like insi—"
He never got to finish.
Noctis' fist slammed into him with full force. A sickening crack echoed through the room as Levi's head snapped violently to the side. Blood sprayed from his split lip.
It wasn't enough.
Noctis hit him again. And again. And again, until Lucy finally stepped up beside him.
"Noctis," she said calmly. "We were supposed to take him with us."
"He touched Isaac!" he growled, throwing another punch.
Levi laughed.
He spat out blood and, despite his rapidly swelling face, forced his lips into a mocking grin. Against all expectations, the beating hadn't knocked him unconscious. His laughter grated on Noctis' nerves, so he punched him again.
Lucy sighed beside him.
Even if Levi was lying and merely trying to provoke him, he deserved every single blow for those words.
"He's not going to tell us anything now anyway," she said, placing a hand on Noctis' shoulder. "Why don't you go check on him instead? We'll clean up here and get out. We don't have much time before the cops show up."
Noctis closed his eyes for a moment.
He let out a slow breath. He really had to get himself under control.
With one sharp tug, he pulled the knife from Levi's lower leg and stood up. A tortured scream followed immediately. Two was at Levi's side at once, tying him up.
Noctis looked down at him.
"We'll continue this conversation later," he promised darkly. "I have my own ways of making you talk. Don't expect to get any sleep. The only thing I'll grant you is nightmares of the very worst kind. You'll wish you'd never been born."
Levi's face was twisted with pain, yet he still seemed to force himself into a grin.
"Give Isaac my regards," he said with a chuckle.
"You son of a—!"
Noctis was about to lunge at him again when Lucy grabbed hold of him.
"Noctis! Get a grip! This is really not the place for this!"
He stood perfectly still for a moment.
Then he raised both hands.
"Fine," he muttered irritably. "I'm done."
Lucy let go of him. The very next instant, Noctis swung anyway and drove one last punch into Levi's face. Lucy closed her eyes for a brief moment and sighed.
That had felt good.
He would have gladly kept working Levi over, but Lucy was right. It was time to leave.
"Take him away," he ordered. "See to our wounded. We're moving out."
He was just about to turn away so he could finally get to Isaac when One approached him with Ashe in tow. She was limping and looked like she'd taken quite a beating.
"The building has been cleared," One reported.
So everyone inside was dead.
Good.
His gaze settled on Ashe, who stared back at him in terror.
She was as white as a sheet.
"Hello, doll," he said coolly.
"N-Noctis..."
"Aww, did losing leave you speechless? You should know by now—a Webster never loses a battle," he said.
He stepped toward Ashe and leaned in until his lips were close to her ear.
"You're going to receive some very special treatment," he whispered. "I hope you're looking forward to it. For what you did to our people—and to Isaac—you'll be suffering for a very, very long time."
A muffled whimper escaped her. She knew exactly what that meant. After all, she'd worked with them long enough. He straightened and held her gaze for one last, penetrating moment. Then, with a dark smile, he turned away and finally headed toward the man he loved.
His people knew what they were doing, and when he glanced around, most of their wounded had already been carried away.
In the distance, he heard the first police sirens. But by the time the emergency responders arrived, all they would find was the graveyard of the Viper Syndicate.
It was time to see Isaac.