The bike stopped with a screeching sound of tires. It came to a halt casting a shadow forth on the road as the sunset shone behind her. Her silhouette stretched out across the road. She smoothly dismounted, removing her helmet to let her hair cascade down her back. With a piece of chewing gum in her mouth, she absentmindedly chewed. Placing the helmet on the bike's clutch handle, she scanned the deserted area, finding no signs of life.

She strode towards the abandoned building. Adjusting the straps of her black gloves. The walls were adorned with graffiti, speaking of the rebellious spirit of the area. Within the walls sat a figure on the chair while being held by another as if a hostage.

Maria peered at the two. There was no glint of fear in her dark orbs.

"What brings you here?" From the depths of the shadows, Her voice pierced the air, cutting through the tense silence. The figure with long hair turned slowly, revealing a face hardened by years of street life. A face Maria recognized too well. "Raven, finally you are here?" The black guy with almost all of his skin inked opened his arms and smiled wide welcoming her.

However, she merely rolled her eyes at his gesture and strode past him without a word. "How rude" Ignoring his friendly tone, she approached the blindfolded figure seated before her. With a smirk hidden beneath her mask, she turned her gaze back to the man with long hair, raising an eyebrow in silent inquiry. Another big fish hm?

"Care to explain what was so urgent"

Her tone remained unamused as she pulled down her mask, revealing her face to Frank. Despite her lack of expression, Frank couldn't help but smile at the sight. It had taken years to earn her trust, forged through a lifetime of helping each other since childhood. Frank recalled the time when he had almost been choked to death by a man for stealing a piece of bread from his shop, driven by hunger after days without a bite to eat.

Flashback~

The memory resurfaced vividly as he recalled the way he had wheezed and gasped for air, tears streaming from his eyes. The sadistic pleasure the man took in his suffering was etched into Frank's mind as if it had been carved there with a knife. As the boy began to lose his vision, he felt a warm liquid trickle on his face, a stark contrast to the cold grip around his neck. Slowly, the pressure eased, and the boy gasped for air, his lungs burning with each breath. When his vision cleared, he watched the grisly scene before him: the man who had nearly squeezed the life out of him now lay dead on the floor, a kitchen knife protruding from the back of his neck, its tip emerging from his mouth and splitting his upper jaw in two.

The man's eyes were wide open but held no light as his soul departed at the spot where he was killed.

The weak petite boy scooted back, a thick gulp running down his throat, his shaking orbs darted up to be met with the brown almond eyes. Maria looked towards him with cold eyes, a girl barely a teen.

Frank's heart skipped a beat as Maria extended her open palm towards him, revealing a loaf of bread. Relief flooded through him, washing away the fear and tension that had gripped him moments before. Slowly, hesitantly, he reached out and took the bread from her hand, his fingers trembling with gratitude.

Flashback end~

"What was the urgent matter that prompted your call?" She inquired.

"Big fish," Frank replied with a wide smile. Raising an eyebrow, Maria looked at him expectantly to which he shrugged nonchalantly, maintaining his cheerful expression.

"So, what's the reason for your visit, Mister?"

"Y-yes... I... You're Raven, correct?" he asked, his voice trembling with fear.

Maria leaned in close to the old man's ear, her voice low and ominous. "Aye, that be me. And you, old timer, you got somethin' for me?" Her words were tinged with a hint of menace, enough to make the old man squirm in his seat. He nodded nervously, beads of sweat forming on his wrinkled brow.

"Raven I need your help" The man's desperate plea cut through the air.

"I don't do favors, I do business, deal for the green" she stated firmly, disregarding the man's pleading gestures.

"I'll pay any amount you ask for, just please help me" The man's words were frantic, as he nodded along. A smirk played on Maria's lips as she glanced at Frank, who grinned and mouthed "I told you so."

"What is it that you seek?"

"M-my daughter, I need you to rescue her and bring her back to me" the man stammered, desperation evident in his voice.

The frown on her face deepened. "Are you kidding me, old man? Do you even know what kind of work I do? I kill people, I don't save them" she stated clearly.

"Please, Raven, please help me, please" the man pleaded desperately.

She sighed, her expression softening slightly. "Listen, old man, you need to go to the police station and file a report. This isn't the place for your problem"

The man's sobs intensified. "No, they won't do anything, I tried, they won't"

"Why not?" Maria asked, her curiosity piqued.

"My daughter was taken by people from the underworld, not just any kidnapper" he explained between sobs. Her brow furrowed in concern. "And who exactly in the underworld?"

"I don't know much, but I heard they're called the Black Knights," he replied. Her gaze snapped to Frank, her eyes wide with alarm. Black Knights? Kim Namjoon! That's no joke. What's wrong with you, Frank? I'm not getting involved in this.

I didn't know I swear he just said it's a kidnapping thing. Frank lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender, his eyes imploring Maria for understanding.

You are a dickhead. She glared at him.

"Listen to me, Mister, and listen very carefully, I don't do business that crosses paths with my rivals. Ask for help from someone else. I'm sorry, but this is not something I can undertake."

The man's desperate pleas echoed through the dimly lit room as he fell from his chair, his hands bound and eyes obscured, face shadowed with lack of lights. Crawling toward where Maria stood or what he assumed it to be, his voice cracked with emotion as he begged for her aid.

But Maria remained unmoved, her expression a mix of annoyance and disinterest. She listened to his cries, the weight of his words sinking in. Yet, despite his impassioned pleas, she remained resolute in her decision.

"Please, Raven, you're my last hope," the man implored, his voice strained with desperation. "They say you can work miracles, that's why I'm here, I lost one child already I can't lose the other too"

A wave of empathy washed over her, stirring up memories she had long tried to bury. The pain of losing her family in that tragic fire surged to the forefront of her mind, the flames of that fateful night still burning brightly in her memory.

She recalled it all, her own grief—losing her loved ones, the overwhelming sense of helplessness. It was a pain she knew all too well. Those last words pushed her away from further denial.

"What's in it for me?"

-------------------------------------------

The deal was sealed unexpectedly and those words of the old man and tragic memories weighed heavily on her mind. The bike growled running over the deserted streets of the city outskirts. The roar of the engine boomed unable to rattle her racing thoughts as she sped along the empty road, the cool night air whipped past her.

Despite the solitude of the night, her mind was anything but calm. It was never calm to start with. The disturbing nightmares and panic in the day from those haunting memories were enough of a hell. Each twist and turn of the road seemed to mirror the twists and turns of her own emotions that lay all over the place, leaving her grappling with the bit of sanity left. Though one thing always drove her attention and it was the familiar beep of her cellphone. Shoving her hand inside her jacket she searched for the beeping object but didn't find it.

"Fuck, where did you go?" Fondling with her pockets to find the device and her focus diverted she didn't quite see the figure in the middle of the road until a loud scream erupted and earned her attention. An abrupt tug on the handles of the bike left it to skid over the road. It screeched throwing her off.

"FUCKING SHIT"

The sharp pain shooting up her right leg sent Maria reeling, and she groaned as she struggled to rise. Crawling forward, she managed to prop herself up into a sitting position, she pushed herself to her feet, wincing as she put weight on her injured leg. Limping toward her motorcycle, which lay on the road growling softly, she pulled it up checking on the damage that was done. It was then that it struck her mind and she peered back to see the girl from earlier stand like a statue frozen in the middle of the road. Before Maria would see her being run over by another vehicle, she walked over to her limping.

"Hey you, are you blind or what? What the hell do you think you are doing, playing fucking find me into the woods huh" Maria sneered angrily.

"I- I'm sorry" The girl cried out.

Something was clearly off here and it was obvious from the latter's voice.

"I am talking to you-" Maria moved close limping to which the girl stumbled back.

"D-don't come near me" Her voice was washed with tears. Maria frowned some more. She raised her hands in the air.

"Hey, what's wrong? look, I mean no harm okay, Don't worry, I ain't gonna hurt you. Why are you here at this hour hm?" She asked. Finding silence she looked at the girl's face hidden in the long strands of hair sprawled around "Tell me"

No response.

"Why are you wandering alone and in this condition." Maria looked at her shivering figure.

No response.

"Where is your family? Why are you alone? Where do you live?"

No matter how much she tried to pry some answers from her, all she heard was the unmistakable sound of sniffles from the girl. Sighing heavily, she paused, her frustration evident. "Fine, don't tell me. I'm leaving, I don't have all the time in the world to sit here and count your tears" she muttered, her words tinged with exasperation.

With a limp in her step, she began to move back to the bike. "N-no please, wait, don't leave me alone" A sudden grip on her wrist brought Maria turning to face her, her brow furrowed in confusion.

The girl's tear-streaked face and trembling voice stirred something within her, a nagging sense of familiarity that she couldn't quite place.

"Don't leave me here, I'm scared" The girl clung to her not willing to let go leaving Maria hesitating, torn between her instincts and the girl's pleading. Maria rubbed her hands over her face in frustration, grappling with her conflicting emotions. Finally, she grasped the girl's hands and met her tear-filled gaze with a determined expression. "Then tell me," she demanded, her voice tinged with urgency. "Why are you here?" She crossed her arms over her chest and asked her. "You almost got yourself killed girl what were you thinking"

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause you trouble" She voiced crying. Maria couldn't see her face clearly but her shaking voice was enough to confirm how scared and panicked she was.

"Well, you already did-"

"Can you please drop me home?"

Sighing Maria peered at her.

Away from home, in these clothes at this hour. Must be a spoiled kid partying all night or whatever. Maria rolled her eyes hard. She took off her jacket and slid it onto the girl, who accepted it out of a dire need to feel warmer on a cold night.

"Hop on"

With a twist of the ignition switch, the bike roared to life, and the chilly night air whipped past them. The sudden embrace from the girl behind her made Maria tense momentarily, but she quickly relaxed, considering the girl's situation. It was either the chill in the air or the girl's fear of the bike.

A while afterwards

The elder brought the bike to a stop, her gaze fixed on the grand mansion before them. "Well, well," she muttered to herself, "looks like someone's living the high life." She couldn't help but wonder why a girl like her would need a ride on a motorcycle when she probably had her own car.

Turning to the girl behind her, she called out, "Hey, we've arrived, brat." The girl stirred from her position, her voice sounding as if she had just woken up from a nap.

"Really?" she replied, blinking in surprise. Maria couldn't help but snort at her reaction. "Were you sleeping?" she teased, earning a quick denial from the girl. "Yeah, yeah, whatever"

"Th-thankyou so much-"

"No girl you listen to me, do not wander around like that again, if I ever see you, I won't stop, remember my words, fair well, then" With that she kicked the bike to start and drove away pulling the shutter of helmet down.

---------------------------------------

Cherry watched silently as the girl drove away, her thoughts swirling in her mind. She couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for her. The one who dropped her safely at her house, she seemed so fearless and strong, qualities that she found herself longing for. As she sighed softly, Cherry couldn't shake the feeling of awe that had settled within her.

Little did she know, that under this facade of fearless young woman, laid a shackled crumbling soul, too weak to even embrace herself.

She turned and strolled towards the small outdoor gate, smiling and feeling relieved to be home, not knowing a person with a pair of big eyes and boxy smirk was watching her all along from the shadows.

Her relief quickly turned to alarm as she felt a hand clamp over her mouth and another wrap around her waist, pulling her back forcefully. Panic surged through her as she struggled against the grip, but the person's hold was too strong.

"You are so predictable baby girl"

Cherry's eyes widened in shock as she heard a deep, familiar voice whispering right beside her ear. Her heart raced with fear as she tried to process what was going on. Every nerve in her body tingled with panic, leaving her frozen in place.

"How silly of you to directly head here, you thought I wouldn't know the way to your home hm?"

He tsked, his grip firm around the girl who thrashed against his hold, her muffled protests barely audible beneath his palm. With a dark chuckle, he leaned in close, his breath hot against her ear, sending shivers down her spine as she continued to fight against him in vain.

"Thought you could escape me? Oh no! You can't, not at all"

He whispered bringing a syringe filled with clear liquid in front of her eyes. With a quick motion, he injected the needle into her neck, the familiar pain puncturing through, and soon her struggles began to wane, her body growing limp in his grasp as darkness enveloped her consciousness once more.

"We are left to explore remember, shouldn't be wasting more time now 'cause I sure am hungry for some adventure"

With a soft peck beneath her ear, he hoisted her up in his arms, holding her in a bridal embrace as he vanished into the shadows, leaving behind nothing but fading footsteps of mischief.

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ℑ𝔶𝔞𝔫𝔨𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔳𝔬𝔱𝔢 𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔞𝔡𝔡 𝔱𝔬 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔩𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔰.
𝔜𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔟𝔢𝔩𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔡 𝔞𝔲𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔯
𝕍𝕍
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