Track 52

Hopping from rooftop to rooftop, Veni followed his 'breadcrumb trail.' 

He knew it was improbable they had survived the crash, but he had to make sure. 

As they walked back to the auction room, they had been walking in complete silence until, Gemo glanced over to Marcello, he could tell he was deep in thought, almost mumbling to himself, eventually Gemo asked, "She was on there?"

Marcello nodded.

"Wow. Do you think she's-"

"I don't want to talk about it."

More silence before asking, "Where'd you go earlier? You were gonna get her bag, and then what?"

"Well…" Marcello paused, "I met John Doe." 

Gemo's eyes widened, "You met him? Did you…kill him?"

Marcello's mind flashed back to the one hundredth floor. "No…" 

"You fucked him up, at least?"

"There wasn't even a fight… We just talked, and he told me…well," They stopped outside of the auction theater's open doors. "I made a contract, and I'm not alone anymore."

The music and screams only got louder as Zoe shuffled behind Zheanni and Kholwa. She wasn't sure where they were going, but she also knew she had no hope of running. 

The closer they moved toward the center of Apris, the more packed the streets became. 

Suddenly, they turned a corner, and they were smack dab in the middle of a music festival. 

Hundreds of thousands of people danced in the streets as a DJ blasted bass drums through his speakers. 

Pushing through the hoard of sweaty bodies that if you licked their sweat, you would get high. 

"Ah!" Zoe clamped her hands over her ears. The music was so loud, she could barely hear herself think. 

In front of her, Zheanni paused, looking over the heads of the throngs of partiers, watching the rooftops of the surrounding buildings. She leaned over, yelling something into the ear of Kholwa, before grabbing her by the hand, and attempting to push farther into the crowd. 

Veni studied the crowd below, his silhouette cutting into the purple sky. 'There are too many people in the area to be precise about their location, but for sure, they're right down there.' 

Haemosu stirred under Kholwa's hanbok. "I know, I see him too," Kholwa said. 

Veni, with energy still surrounding him, jumped from the building, landing hard on concrete. He didn't pay attention to the crowd that had witnessed him—the gasps and concerned faces. 

He stomped through the street and into the throng of people. 

"Shit!" Zheanni looked back, then screamed, "Move!" at the people in front of her, shoving them aside. 

Zoe felt the powerful energy rage through the crowd behind her, sending shivers up her spine. "Who is that?" She asked, but the question fell on deaf ears.

Materializing over his shoulder was a sword, six and a half feet long, two inches thick, and four inches wide. Reaching behind him, he clutched it, wielding it almost effortlessly in one hand. 

Those around him attempted to move out of the way, but there were too many bodies—almost stampeding over each other to get away. He kept maneuvering through the crowd; the deeper he was, the stronger the sense became. 'There.' He turned seventy degrees, making a B-Line toward the three girls. 

Zheanni looked over, seeing the glowing red energy arching above the heads in the crowd. 

'If I swing this thing, people will die. A lot of them,' Veni thought. 

Zoe's pace slowed, watching as Zheanni and Kholwa pushed on without noticing. She turned away, moving west while both groups were still heading south. Holding her breath to try to silence herself even more, she slipped between ravers as the music continued to boom from the stage, most there having no idea what was going on. 

Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted up sharply by the back of her boiler suit. "Ah!" She squirmed before being carried over and slammed against the wall of a nearby tall office building. 

Zheanni opened her mouth, ready to yell at Zoe, but stopped, looking away. She had Zoe pinned face-first against the wall. Zheanni looked from Kholwa to the crowd, sensing him coming. It felt like, in just mere seconds, he had gotten so close now. Zheanni swore loudly, lifting Zoe from the wall, and her golden energy formed around herself. Kholwa, seemingly reading her mind, activated hers as well. 

Zheanni took three large slow steps back before making a dead sprint at the wall. 

Zoe covered her eyes right as they were about to collide. 

As she had her eyes squeezed shut, she felt as if she had a cold fan being blown in her face, a stark contrast to the hot, sweaty pit of the festival. Then she noticed the music getting slightly quieter, and then it felt as if she were bouncing slightly. Tentatively, Zoe cracked open her eyelids. She looked around, confused, her legs swishing in the air uselessly. It a second to realize that she was sideways, and being carried up the side of the building. 

Kholwa was casually jogging right next to her, the drills in her hair bouncing with every step. 

"Here!" Zheanni kicked down and jumped through a window into an office cubicle room, and Kholwa followed. 

Zheanni dropped Zoe at her feet as she moved around the office. 

"What are we doing?" Kholwa asked. 

"I was thinking," Zheanni started, "This ain't random, right? Someone had to put a hit on us. Now, for those sword guys to be ready and to get here so quick, the person who called them must be rich."

"Obviously."

"But like, mega rich. Like almost perhaps being so rich that you are the heads of the Families."

"Oh," Kholwa nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense… Why are you scared?"

Zheanni paused, "What?"

"He shouldn't be able to hurt you. You're invincible!" She cried.

"I-" Zheanni started, "It's his energy. Something in me is telling me to run from it." 

Zoe shuffled to the window. She could still hear the music, but it was muffled, and looking down, she could barely make out anyone—she had no hope of seeing if anyone was still following just yet. 

"So what are we doing here?" Kholwa asked.

"I'm using one of these office phones," she gestured at an office desk, "to call Conor and to tell him to merk those people before we get got ourselves!" As she started typing in the numbers, she glanced over, shouting, "You!" Zheanni pointed at Zoe, "Sit!" She ordered, pointing to the chair next to her. "You ain't leavin' my sight till' Conor says you can go!"

"Why would killing them help you?" Zoe mumbled. 

Zheanni glared at her, "BECAUSE if they die, they can't pay him. If he can't pay, then he has no reason to kill us. He gon' kill you too, so don't fuckin' play!"