Worth.

Isabella saying her words left Edward's side. On the shop's exit, Isabella noticed how the running people had stopped and the noise and guns weren't.

"It means the battle is either stagnated to a place or the attacker's progress has been stopped."

The former was a good outcome, and the latter was the outcome that could have horrible implications. So. she moved as fast as she could in her skirt, and she tore up to her knees before fighting the assassin.

 The rain was soaking her cotton clothes, making it difficult to run each second.

Isabella ran towards the nearest arms shop she knew. That was the place where control was the most critical priority. If the attackers had control over a gun shop or two, their power was unlimited.

"...!"

Isabella took cover in the alleyway beside her as the sharp noise of a bullet rang inside her ears. The arms shop was either being defended or it was already taken over.

"Who is the traitor here?"

Isabella was familiar with the place, she had been there multiple times. A large number of guards protected the place.

The Lawless city, although small, needed excellent protection. There was no place for mistrust but it seemed some had given the city away to its enemies.

"I need to find Henry. I need to tell him all the details about this."

The city had many elite soldiers for its defences, some of Britannia's best but the attackers still could do considerable damage. 

Henry was one of them, Isabella knew him from the dark phase of her past but he was a good friend at the moment and she believed that Henry should still be alive.

He was skilled and quick-witted enough. 

"h..h.."

The floors of the city were slippery due to the heavy rain but the water never rose too high. 

"...!"

As she heard a panting noise behind her, Isabella took a look at her feet, in the water she couldn't see her reflection anymore, it was now mixed with red and shined in the light of the lanterns and fire nearby.

It left her shaken, as she pulled her knife out and turned to her back to the alleyway.

The body of a man at the far end, who looked shot seemed to be lying on the ground. In the dark, it wasn't easy to see the person lying on the ground but from the small light it reflected, a gun was present in the person's hands and it was pointed towards Isabella.

"Don't shoot. I am Edward's ally. You hear me don't shoot."

Isabella didn't trust anything but using Edward's ally as her alias at the moment,

".....That bastard. What proof do you have for a link with him?"

It was a familiar voice, she had heard the voice not long ago but the panting and huffing made it challenging to understand.

" I know the men in white attacking are here because of him."

"Prove to me you are not with those Italian ritardatos."

"Rita..ritadotos? What the hell does that mean?! I am not one of them."

"...."

The voice engulfed the other side as the man slowly lowered his gun and brought out something from his pocket, 

*Click

It was a lighter, With a small click a flame across the person's face making it visible and the person was someone Isabella had seen a while earlier.

"Oh! It's you! Edward's sidekick. What is your name?"

"The name is Thomas and who bloody told you that I am Edward's sidekick."

As Isabella approached Thomas the flame of his lighter had vanished due to the cold winds and the rain. She kneeled towards him and took the lighter from his hands, lighting it again. Seeing his body she tried to look where he got shot.

"Where did you get shot?"

"I wasn't shot. It is the blood of the soldiers who were alongside me... They came at us at the time the explosions happened. Four of them killed every doctor and nurse they saw. They didn't let us counter-attack and threw a bomb I barely managed to survive, I think everyone else died... They are all dead."

Isabella heard everything while trying to get Thomas on his feet. She understood that Thomas was in a state of shell shock. His experience with such hauntings didn't matter, it never matters when everything happens so fast.

One is always left behind by the overwhelming intensity of the world around him.

" Regardless of all that Man's eyes witness, the haunting spectre of blood staining his shoulders shall forever evoke fear." an old quote could speak for it.

"Where's Edward? I need him now more than ever. I can't lose more men here." Thomas groaned as Isabella lifted him on her shoulders.

"what about the others?"

"A necessary sacrifice. Can't think about them, I have my priority on who to save. I'd rather blow the whole city if it saves more of my men from dying."

Thomas's words reminded Isabella that she was fighting the city of the thieves. 

The Lawless City had no citizens who had rights. All were lambs and cattle working for the kingdom. Their lives were worth none compared to any "human" outside the city, so they were expendable. All because they chose to steal once and never stopped they were now valued lower than every ether they ever stole.

By hearing Thomas's words, Isabella's mind changed too; she had to clear her name off the criminal charts. Now, she had the chance; it didn't matter who died for her victory; if she saved the city, she would be a legend to be remembered and someone worth something.

"Thomas, tell me the locations of where the enemy and raiding and their approximate numbers. I think I can work something out here." Isabella claimed as she let Thomas go, who was now able to stand on his feet with a small amount of trouble.

"You! You are the bloody all-wanted criminal! Why the hell are you working for Edward's side? and one better, where the hell is Edward?! Did he die or something?!"

"Trust me, Thommy. I am far more capable in tight situations like these. I bloody killed a white suit guy and Edward is badly injured as good as a shark on land. The only help you are getting is this criminal queen."

"Wait Edward is injured...? Who treats his wounds? DON'T SAY you, You look like a Quacksalver at your face."

"Appearance can be lying to Thommy. I had 3 years of medical training for all sorts of things by a professional, who I kidnapped and then killed after the training. He was a good teacher...."

And, Isabella got lost in her thoughts again and Thomas wondered,

"Who did ever kill an assassin? Who can I save the city with her? what happened to her clothes?"

*clang clang clang 

The sound of an iron bell flooded the area and covered every sound in the city.

"This is bad." Isabella looked at Thomas's face which was grim now. 

"They have taken over the warehouse. It means more than half of the men are already dead."

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