No choice.

Cleopatra

I fought long and hard. The brick I picked up earlier had been useless, a pathetic choice for a weapon. But I didn't need it. I was a gun expert with belts in Taekwondo and other martial arts. My body moved like it had been designed for combat, every strike, every dodge, every counter as precise as a clockwork mechanism. That's how I beat the leather jacket guy.

He was strong, sure, but I could see his frustration with every missed swing. He was sloppy when angry. I exploited it. A swift kick to his knee followed by a sharp elbow to his temple sent him stumbling backward. One last push, and he was over the cliff's edge, arms flailing as he screamed.

I didn't move, didn't flinch. I stood there, cold and unfeeling as I watched his smug smile vanish and terror replace it. He'd been so proud moments earlier, bragging about what he'd do to me—or to Harley. But now? He was just another dying man. When his body hit the ground far below, the sickening crunch echoed through the canyon. Brains splattered against the asphalt, shocking the men gathered around the SUVs below. Good.

I didn't feel the usual pang of regret for this kill. My heart stayed frozen, my resolve unwavering. I stepped to the edge of the cliff, peering down at the chaos. Five SUVs, packed with armed men. Talons. They scrambled in a frenzy, some running to the lifeless body, others shouting orders. They hadn't seen me yet.

But that changed quickly.

A man stepped out from the group, his leather jacket flapping in the wind. He was tall, lean, with a garish red shirt that burned my eyes in the dim light. When he grinned, two gold teeth gleamed like trophies. His voice, high-pitched and nasal, grated on my nerves as he called up to me.

"I see you've killed my men," he said, puffing out his chest as if the fact amused him.

I stayed silent.

"Good, good." He chuckled, lighting a cigar handed to him by a lackey. "You're quite the fighter, Cleopatra. But you're outnumbered. Do you really think you'll escape unscathed? My men are pissed, and they're itching to spill your blood."

I stepped into the streetlight, letting its glow frame me. Slowly, deliberately, I raised my hand and flipped him the middle finger.

His face darkened. "You bitch!" he spat, his cigar shaking in his hand. "Shoot her! Kill that bitch!"

I darted back into the shadows of the cave as gunfire should have erupted—but it didn't.

"Boss, we can't shoot her," one of his men stammered. "The leaders said to bring her in alive. If we kill her, we'll be punished."

The red-shirted man's face twisted with rage. "I'm the boss here! I don't care about the Talons. Soon, I'll be part of the Eagles, and anyone who follows me now will rise with me. Now kill her!"

The Eagles. That explained his cockiness. They were a local gang, notorious and growing more dangerous with their new mysterious leader. But his bravado didn't scare me.

Then I heard the gunshot. Pain exploded in my shoulder, and I staggered back, clutching my arm. I turned sharply, realizing my mistake. The fight wasn't over.

Harley.

She was being dragged by a man from deeper within the cave, blood running down her temple. His hands trembled as he pointed a gun at me, his whole body shaking like a leaf. He looked terrified.

"Let her go," I said, voice steady despite the pain.

"N-never," he stammered, though his fear was palpable.

"You don't have to die here," I said, eyes locked on his trembling hands. "Let her go, and you can walk away."

He hesitated, the gun quivering.

But then the red-shirted bastard called out again. "Don't listen to her! You've got her cornered. Shoot her! I'll deal with the Talons if they complain."

The man holding Harley faltered, torn between his fear and his orders. Harley stirred, her head lolling slightly. She was waking up. Our eyes met for a brief, agonizing moment.

I tried to signal her to wait, to hold still, but the man noticed her movement. His grip tightened. His finger twitched on the trigger.

I had no choice. I had to give her a fighting chance without worrying about me.

The moment he turned toward me, I dove backward off the cliff, letting the wind swallow me whole.