Base Of Operations/The Executioner

Ayana stays still, as Kaizen holds the bat firmly.

Kaizen: "Arnold, are you alright?"

Arnold: "Yes, I'm fine. Wake Kassius up, please."

Kaizen: "Yo, Kassius! Get over here!"

Kassius slowly wakes up from his sleep.

Kassius: "Hmm?... Wha?"

Kaizen: "Kassius!"

Kassius: "Errr... I'm up, I'm up! Hold on."

Kassius rubs his eyes and sees in the short distance, Kaizen holding his bat towards Ayana's head.

Kassius: "Whoa! What the?"

As Bonnie is still fast asleep, Kassius shakes her to wake up, which startles her.

Kassius: "Get up and follow me. Something happened."

Kassius scrambles and runs towards the other two, while Bonnie sluggishly follows behind. Arnold gets back on his feet, slightly holding his side.

Kassius: "What's happening? Who is tha-"

As Kassius walks around to get a better view of the person, his eyes dilate, completely shocked by who was before him.

Kassius: "Ayana? You're..."

Almost too ashamed to look at him, she looks down towards the sand.

Kaizen: "I caught her attacking Arnold here. Seems she was trying to kill him."

Kassius: "Kill him?"

Kaizen: "You guys know her, it seems."

Ayana: "Kassius, I-"

Arnold: "Stop! Don't say another word!"

Kassius: "Arnold..."

Arnold: "You lied to us, tricked us and left us for dead. And now, you come back. To do what? To trick us again?! Play us like idiots?!"

Kassius: "Arnold, let's try keep calm. Maybe we c-"

Arnold: "Calm? She came to kill you! Kas, if I wasn't calm, she'd have been dead before you woke up!"

Kassius looks at Arnold, holding his side, and just remains silent.

Arnold: "You know, Kas. Even all the tricking and stealing from us, I could've forgiven. But she knew... she knew about Ulqora! And still she did it! What if we got caught Kas? What would've happened to Ulqora?"

Ayana: "I'm..."

Kaizen: "Look, put all this drama to the side. She's still apart of the black sand bandits, correct?"

Kaizen walks around, still holding his bat at her, until he gets to the knife.

Kaizen: "Then let's simply ask her some questions. Get some intel. After that, we can decide what to do with her."

He picks up the knife, tosses it to Bonnie and she catches it.

Kaizen: "Fine?"

Arnold: "Fine by me."

Kaizen: "Alright then. First, where is your base of operations?"

Ayana: "..."

Bonnie: "You know, there are other ways to wring out information..."

Kassius: "Bonnie."

Bonnie: "Yeah, yeah. I was just giving a suggestion."

Kaizen: "Maybe I should try a different question. Who is your leader?"

Ayana: "..."

Bonnie: "We're getting nowhere. She clearly doesn't want to speak."

Ayana: "I had to kill you."

Bonnie: "Nevermind."

Kassius: "Kill me? Why?"

Ayana starts tearing up.

Ayana: "I just had to kill you... and I couldn't. I couldn't save them... I'm so sorry..."

She sobs in pain, holding her chest while kneeling on the ground. As she cries, they all look at her, confused on whether to feel uneasy or sympathetic.

Kassius: "Guys, do you mind if I speak to her alone?"

Kaizen: "Are you sure?"

Kassius: "Yeah. I think it's best if I do this."

Kaizen lowers his bat.

Kassius: "Arnold?"

Arnold walks towards where they were sleeping.

Arnold: "I may not trust her, but I trust you."

Kassius smiles a bit as Arnold walks away, while Bonnie follows, yawning. Kaizen follows behind them and walks away too. The area goes silent. Kassius sits beside Ayana, not too close to her.

Kassius: "What a night, huh? I mean, this is some surprising stuff. It's starting to get a bit too complicated for my li-"

Ayana: "Was it true?"

Kassius: "Hmm? About?"

Ayana: "About being my friend."

Kassius: "... It was."

Ayana turns to him, trying to smile through her teary face.

Ayana: "Then, if you are my friend, please..."

Kassius looks in her eyes, seeing nothing but emptiness and fatigue.

Ayana: "Walk away."

Kassius: "..."

Ayana: "I know you want to take back the diamond I stole."

Kassius: "The diamond, huh?"

Ayana: "I... I tried to do the same once. Get back something they stole too."

Kassius surprised, looks at her.

Ayana: "I lied to you... that day on the roof. I do have friends. And it was all because of me, I wanted to take it back. I made them come with me! And now...

Kassius: "And now?"

Ayana: "My point is, I made a mistake. And seeing you, and even him and now your other two friends... I don't want to see you lose them too. To be in the same boat as me. So as a friend-"

Kassius: "What are our chances?"

Ayana: "Huh?"

Kassius: "What are our chances. Of beating them."

Ayana: "Kassius, please. Their numbers are far greater than yours."

Kassius: "What are our chances, Ayana?"

Ayana: "... Low. Very low."

Kassius smirks and gets on his feet.

Kassius: "Then I guess I'll have to hope for the best."

Ayana: "No, you're not list-"

Kassius: "Don't worry, I heard you loud and clear. The fact is, I'm not backing down. This is a matter of thieves. I'm simply stealing back what he stole. If I die, so be it. It just means I was a thief worth absolutely nothing."

Ayana again looks at Kassius, dumbfounded by his confidence.

Kassius: "Your friends... they're still alive, right?"

Ayana: "Huh..."

Kassius: "That means you also have a reason to go back. If you really do plan on saving them, then we might be your only chance. So let's work together one last time. You help us get to the diamond, we help you get out your friends."

Ayana: "You'd help me, even after what I've done?"

Kassius: "We all have our issues. But just because we're working together now, doesn't mean everything is water under the bridge. We might still be friends, but a main part of that is trust, which you broke. So you play your part, and I'll play mine. And you can rebuild that trust. Deal?"

Ayana looks at Kassius, as she remembers her and her friends as happy as they were, being thieves together. She also remembers how they got dragged away from her and how she struggled through the years to get them back. Through all the tears, she fights through it and gives an answer,

Ayana: "Yes."

Kassius smiles.

Kassius: "Great."

Shortly after, Ayana goes to her vehicle as Kassius regroups with the rest and tells them the situation.

Kaizen: "So, we just follow her, and we get to the base?"

Kassius: "Pretty much."

Bonnie: "And we have to help her too? Isn't that a bit too much? I thought we were here for the diamond."

Kassius: "We are. But I kinda made a deal."

Arnold: "We need more information. About their forces. We can't just waltz in."

Ayana: "Then I'll tell you all you need to know."

Arnold: "..."

Kaizen: "Great. Let's set up a plan. Please tell us about the base and your numbers."

Ayana: "The base is in a cave. Hard to spot, but it's why the ACO haven't found it. Goes for a bit but leads to quite an open underground, where the base lies. As for the numbers, they have nearly one hundred men at the main base. They all wear the same attire, but the differences are the scarfs. The ones with red follow, and are the more competent of the regular soldiers. I am also of red scarf. Others include Sandworm, Dune and two of the serpent brothers, Bamun and Tamun."

Kassius: "Well, we can count them out for sure."

Ayana: "You already encountered them?"

Bonnie: "Mopped the floor with them, yes. All three."

Ayana: "Wow. Even Jamun? He's one of the purple scarfs. The top enforcers. Alongside him are Henzo and the boss's right hand man, Hamza Rafik. And the black scarf, is the boss himself, Sado Talman."

Kassius: "Sado..."

Arnold: "So we have five major enemies to worry about."

Bonnie: "That, and those numbers. And our second goal."

Kaizen: "I don't hate our odds honestly. Assuming we come up with a solid plan, we can manage to do both."

Ayana: "I do have a plan, but it'll be quite tricky to pull off."

Ayana tells them the plan.

Kassius: "Are you sure that'll work?"

Ayana: "The plan should work if we stick to it. But it's key we follow the steps."

Arnold: "Just to be certain, how can we be sure this isn't another plan to get us?"

Ayana: "You believe I've sold you out?"

Arnold: "It's a possibility. You had a convincing story, but best to our knowledge, it could all be fake."

Ayana: "You aren't wrong. The best course of action would be to not trust me and not go. However, if you don't plan on not going, then all I can give you is my word, that I haven't told anyone and I will not tell anyone."

Arnold: "Hmm..."

Kaizen: "I mean, we can try come up with another plan."

Kassius: "OK we'll think about the plan and the potential new plan on the way. Let's leave bef-"

Lucia: "Drop your weapons! Hands where we can see them!"

In an instant, they are surrounded by the ACO officers that were trailing behind them.

Kassius: "You have to be f-"

As matters occur in the desert, a day earlier across the world in Windsaw, in the coastal town of Zibitha, a man washes up on the beach. Seaweed and all, he gets woken up by the sun rising and ocean water splashing on him. The man, is the prisoner 43879. An old man walking by, strolls along the beach.

Old man: "Clear skies, huh? Might be a great day for fishing after all... wha-"

The old man spots the prisoner and quickly rushes to him.

Old man: "Young man, are you alright?"

Prisoner 43879: "Where am I?"

Old man: "You're in Zibitha. Dear lord, did you hit your head hard? Do you remember your name?"

Prisoner 43879: "My name?"

The prisoner sits up.

Prisoner 43879: "Jakari."

Old man: "Well, Jakari. I think it's best if we call you an ambulance."

Jakari: "No, don't. I'm fine."

Old man: "Look at your hand..."

Jakari: "It's just a minor injury. Nothing to worry about."

Old man: "Hmm... at least let me give you some bandages."

The old man reaches in his bag and grabs a roll of bandage. He wraps them around the area of his missing fingers after cleaning them off.

Old man: "There."

Jakari stands on his feet and smiles at the old man, which does surprise him.

Jakari: "Thank you sir."

Old man: "Heh. No problem. Just remember to replace the bandages. I would advise you go check that out however."

Jakari: "I do have a request. Might you have any clothes my size? I don't think I can go around with this without much disturbance."

Old man: "Hmm... I do have a son about your size. But he left a while back, started a family and all. Never does really call back much, does he?... Oh. Yes. The clothes. I do have some. Guess fishing will have to wait. Follow me."

The old man takes Jakari back to his home on the different side of the beach. They enter from the backdoor and he turns on the light.

Old man: "Over in this room."

The old man leads him to his son's room and in it, a closet of some clothes.

Old man: "Pick the clothes you need. I have no real use for them these days."

Jakari: "Are you sure?"

Old man: "Oh yes. I'd prefer they go to use than pick up dust in this closet forever. Besides, I tried to sell them but nobody would buy. I don't suppose you have money, do you?"

Jakari goes through the options, and picks out his clothes.

Old man: "Just clean up in that bathroom over there and take what you need."

Jakari heads into the bathroom and cleans up. Afterwards, he wears brown pants, a white plain T shirt, and a black jumper. He walks out of the room and back into the main hall where the old man has put out some food for him to eat.

Old man: "Do eat up."

Jakari: "Oh, thanks."

Jakari and the old man sit in front of the TV, and the old man turns it on.

(TV) Man 1: "Wherever he is, he's a huge threat. Let's hope the officers catch him soon. To those at home, remember the numbers, 438-"

The channel changes to a cooking show.

Old man: "So tell me, what were you doing on the beach sleeping around."

Jakari: "Oh, that? Well I swam here."

Old man: "Are you a lo-"

Jakari: "Did you call them when I was in the bathroom?"

Old man: "Call them? What are you-"

Jakari: "The local police. There shouldn't be an ACO station here. Hmm, only eight officers though."

Outside the house's entrance, the officers walk towards the main door.

Officer 1: "Don't let him escape around the sides. We have to hold him until the ACO arrive. Two each side, go around back."

Two officers go each on both sides while four remain at the front.

Officer 2: "What do we do until then?"

Officer 3: "We just wait, right? Hopefully he doesn't ma-"

The front door opens.

Jakari: "Hello, officers. How can I help you?"

They stare in shock, seeing Jakari right in front of them, eating from a bowl. The head officer 1 holds up his gun and aims at Jakari.

Officer 1: "You must be him."

Jakari: "Hmm? Is there something wrong with them?"

The head officer 1 looks back and sees his officers panicking.

Jakari: "Old man! Thanks for helping me out. I'll be on my way now. I'm borrowing the bicycle over there. Excuse me, officers."

Jakari simply walks by, as the head officer 1 does nothing but stand still. All the officers simply watch as he walks towards the bicycle, dusting off the chair.

Jakari: "When the ACO get here, tell them I said they need to do a better job. Keep up the good work."

As Jakari starts riding off slowly, the other officers come back from around the house.

Officer 5: "He's escaping, shoo-"

Officer 1: "Stand down! Everybody, stand down."

Officer 6: "Sir..."

Officer 1: "Do not shoot at him. We... cannot stop him."

One of the officers who went around comes through from inside the house, with the old man.

Old man: "Officers."

Officer 1: "Are you alright sir?"

Old man: "Yes, I have no injuries."

Officer 1: "Is it possible to speak to you about the situation."

Old man: "Of course."

Officer 8: "Sir! I went around the perimeter. Nobody else is here. But I found these, so he definitely was here."

He holds up Jakari's prison uniform.

Officer 1: "He was here alright. Just left not too long ago as well."

The head officer 1 moves to the side and shows the three officers behind him seated on the ground.

Officer 8: "What happened? They all look..."

Officer 2: "Sir!"

Officer 1: "Hmm?"

Officer 2: "You had a clean shot. If he was too much of a threat, why didn't you shoot?"

Officer 1: "Well, if I had shot... then we'd all be dead."

Officer 8: "What?!"

Officer 1: "Besides, even if I had shot, I'm not too confident it would've worked. I was the one holding the gun, yet it felt as though I was looking down the barrel. Simply put, we could not stop him. And I wasn't willing to risk your lives. My apologies."

Officer 8: "What do we do now?"

Officer 1: "We contact the ACO, and make them aware of our situation. Tell them the man they call the executioner, Jakari has landed on the continent, here in Zibitha. And he is now on the loose."

Jakari continues to ride the bicycle as he roams, a free man.