10. Confusion

The day was drawing to a close, and the time was approaching for Finn to receive his credits. 1 Million credits were a huge sum, yet Finn needed more, for various reasons.

In front of him, Zara sat casually, dressed in a simple white shirt and blue pants that seemed unremarkable at least to Finn. Yet somehow, she had managed to draw the gaze of nearly every man in the restaurant. Some glanced furtively from behind their menus, while others made no effort to hide their admiration, openly staring as though they'd never seen anyone quite like her before.

But Zara didn't seem to notice or if she did, she didn't care. To her, such attention wasn't unusual. It came with the territory of being herself: strikingly confident, effortlessly composed, and utterly indifferent to the opinions of strangers. She leaned back slightly in her chair, absently stirring her drink with a straw, completely unfazed by the subtle buzz of murmurs rippling through the room.

Finn watched her quietly, his expression unreadable. If he found the situation amusing or irritating, he gave no sign of it. Instead, he just sipped his coffee.

Somehow, Zara appeared disturbed about something entirely different. Finn had already given her all the equipment he had taken from her, including gadgets and her watch; the reason was simple, from now on she was on her own! 

At any moment, Asco could strike that much was certain. But the reason behind their actions didn't concern Finn in the slightest. What weighed on his mind, though only faintly, was whether Asco would continue to pursue him once his arrangement with Zara had run its course.

Would they let him walk away unscathed? Or would they see him as too much of a liability to leave unchecked? Finn wasn't one to dwell on such uncertainties for long, he had always been a man who lived by results, not speculation, but the thought lingered at the edges of his mind like an unwelcome shadow.

Still, there were credits waiting for him, and that was all that truly mattered. Everything else could burn for all he cared.

When Zara watched Finn drink the mixture of hot and cold coffee, she genuinely questioned Finn's sanity though she didn't utter a word. 

She found herself staring into Finn's deep blue eyes as if gazing into a universe that was vast and unfathomable. There was something about them—something quiet yet unshakable that drew her in completely. Lost in their depths, she suddenly became aware of just how safe she had felt for the last two days—all because of him.

It hadn't always been this way. For seven endless days before meeting Finn, she'd been running. Street after street, alley after alley, with nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Shadows seemed alive, chasing her at every turn. Strangers' faces blurred together, each one a potential threat. Her legs burned from exhaustion, her lungs ached from the cold night air, and her mind raced with paranoia. She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept without jerking awake at the slightest sound.

But now, here with Finn, there was a strange sense of calm, a fragile peace she hadn't dared to hope for. His presence alone made the world feel smaller and less overwhelming. For the first time in what felt like forever, she could breathe.

But it wouldn't last long, in a few moments he would leave her just like everyone else. She would be alone again, the comfort of safety would be gone she thought. But she has to accept the reality.

"Do you have any family?" she asked out of nowhere. Neither she nor Finn was prepared for such a question, and she felt awkward.

But to her surprise, "No." Finn answered directly.

"What happened?" she pressed further, fully expecting Finn to not answer.

"Died in a mission," he replied without any sadness.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked.." before she could finish Finn cut her off;

"No need. Why are you running like this?" he asked, his voice calm but laced with a hint of curiosity that didn't quite match his usual detached demeanor.

Zara's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at him, momentarily frozen. A guy like Finn—so strange, aloof, and seemingly indifferent was asking about her situation. It was almost surreal. For days, he had barely acknowledged her beyond terse instructions or cold glances, yet here he was, showing something resembling… concern. 

"I….I have no one to turn to." She said weakly while trembling a little.

"But your father owns Linx company, right?" Finn questioned her like an investigator.

"Well, we aren't on good terms right now," she said, her hands trembling more and more. 

"Why?" Finn asked.

It was the first time Zara had seen Finn ask so many questions about her personal life, it seemed to Zara as if he was genuinely concerned for her. She was in the most vulnerable state of her life, and even this little concern made her happy;

"I…" she hesitated, her voice trembling as if the words themselves were too heavy to carry. "I… I have some…."

Before she could finish, a deafening roar split the air, followed by an earth-shattering explosion. A Titan Lance, an advanced missile launched from a distant skyscraper two kilometers away, struck with devastating precision. The restaurant erupted into a maelstrom of fire and shrapnel, its walls crumbling under the sheer force of the blast. Glass shattered outward in glittering shards, and smoke billowed thickly into the sky, choking the surrounding streets.

For a moment, all Zara could hear was a high-pitched ringing, a deafening whine that drowned out every other sound. Her ears throbbed painfully as she stumbled backward, instinctively shielding her face from the searing heat and raining debris. The once-bustling eatery was now a smoldering ruin, its remnants swallowed by flames and smoke.

But then she realized something strange: the heat wasn't reaching her. Around her, an invisible barrier seemed to hold back the destruction, protecting her from harm. Confused, Zara lowered her arms and glanced toward Finn. There he sat, completely unfazed, calmly sipping his coffee as if nothing had happened. 

He looked majestic, his hair fluttering gently in the warm air, strands catching the light as if woven with gold. His still, piercing blue eyes locked onto Zara's, holding her gaze for a fleeting moment before shifting toward the horizon. There was an intensity in his expression—a quiet confidence that seemed almost otherworldly.

The world around them felt eerily silent, save for the soft hum of the wind brushing against the earth. But then, cutting through the stillness, came a new sound: footsteps. Crisp, and growing louder with each passing second. They echoed faintly, muffled by the haze of dust rising from the ground.

**

"I hate dust," one person complained. "she can't survive from that missile, I'm telling you."

Frustration is clearly visible in his voice he continued, "Why do we have to confirm it, man?" Another man replied;

"Shut up, you keep complaining about everything. I still can't believe the boss ordered us to do this."

Through the swirling dust, they pressed on, searching for a particular body. Bodies were scattered everywhere, their lifeless forms painting the ground with streaks of crimson. The air was thick with the metallic stench of blood, but still, they couldn't find the body they came for. They pushed forward, undaunted.

"Hey, there's someone—" one of them started to call out, his voice trailing off as he turned toward his companion. But before he could finish, his words froze in his throat. His partner's head was gone, severed cleanly from his shoulders. The body crumpled to the ground with a sickening thud, leaving him alone midst of the carnage.

He instinctively activated his shield, the familiar hum of energy crackling around him as he reached for his earpiece. His voice was tense but controlled as he relayed a hurried message into his microphone:

"Something's wrong here—someone powerful…"

The words barely left his lips before a searing flash of violet light filled his vision. A deafening roar followed, drowning out even the sound of his own heartbeat. The projectile, a concentrated burst of raw, destructive energy, slammed into him with unimaginable force.

His shield flickered for a split second, struggling against the onslaught, but it shattered almost instantly, unable to withstand the assault. The energy surged through him, tearing apart his very cells, reducing everything to ash in less than a heartbeat.

**

In his hand, Finn held a massive gun, its surface alive with shimmering blue lights that pulsed like veins carrying energy. He stepped closer to the bodies he had just obliterated, their remains scattered across the ground in twisted fragments. Only one body remained intact, lying eerily still midst of the devastation.

"Scanning complete. This agent is associated with Linx Company," Nexus announced in its calm, mechanical tone.

"It's literally written on his badge, you don't have to say the obvious things." Finn replied inwardly.

Finn turned his gaze toward Zara, his expression unreadable yet piercing. After a brief pause, he spoke, his voice deep:

"Why would Linx Company try to kill you?"