章 33: The Heist

The dust was settling from the intense battle between Hao and Vicky, meanwhile, the more mature gang members gathered around a table in a corner of the warehouse. The young children of the gang played nearby. They engaged in a game of their own invention, using discarded scraps of metal and wood to build a miniature cityscape and even acting out epic battles between their pretend heroes and authentic villains.

Hao, Vicky, Scar, Raven and a couple more background characters took their places around the table where a holographic map was flickering to life in the centre. Raven shot daggers at Hao, her hatred for him was fuelled by the gruesome fate he had inflicted upon Silas. Hao, in turn, was focused on the heist that Vicky was about to propose.

"Alright, now that the distraction is out of the way, let's get down to business." Vicky began her explanation of the heist, providing a detailed description of their target location: the Parkour District.

Though impoverished like the Wranglers District, the Parkour District was more affluent, with its wealth concentrated in the hands of an arrogant snob named Rector. The man had accumulated more riches than he knew what to do with, and his private gallery of valuable items was the target of their heist.

"This isn't a simple heist to steal all his valuables," Said Vicky, zooming in on the holographic map to show a basic schematic of Rector's gallery. "No... I'm just after one item."

"And what item might that be?" Hao asked, intrigued by the secrecy surrounding their objective.

"That is classified," Vicky replied cryptically.

"Classified?" Hao wasn't satisfied with this answer. "How am I supposed to steal something when I don't even know what it is or what it looks like?" he protested, visibly frustrated.

Vicky shared her plan, "That is where my key player comes in. Your mission is to get into the secret vault without triggering the special security system. When the item is secured, you are to withdraw immediately. Do you understand?"

"Hmm…" Hao shrugged. As the debriefing continued, he inquired, "So, how soon do you want this to be done?" He was very impatient to be reunited with Judgment Day.

"Tonight," Vicky replied with a hundred percent certainty.

Hao was taken aback by the urgency, surprised that they weren't adequately prepared to be executing the heist so soon. "Are you for real, lady?"

Hearing Hao's tone, Scar glared at him, "Hey, what did I say about showing respect?"

"Fhm." Hao ignored him and folded his arms beneath his chest, rather arrogantly I might add. His secret vision also peaked into the safe to see if Judgment Day was there. "Tell us more about that place."

"Alright." Vicky elaborated on the mission area at Hao's request, explaining that they didn't have the luxury of time to make a proper plan or strategy. The window to gain access to Rector's gallery was either tonight or never.

While they discussed the intricacies of the mission, Hao felt a sense of unease. They were going in blind, with little time to prepare, and the success of the heist rested on the mysterious key player he had yet to meet.

Waiting around in Vicky's warehouse for the key player to arrive, Hao grew increasingly impatient. The atmosphere in the warehouse was tense, with the members of Vicky's gang going about their business. Hao paced the floor with his Vibe Sense alert and taking in his surroundings. He observed the children moving about, some playing and laughing despite the dire circumstances, while others appeared to be training, practicing their sword skills with diligence. Grown members of the gang occasionally entered the warehouse, engaging in hushed conversations with Scar before departing just as quickly as they had arrived. Raven leaned against a table, she had her fierce eyes locked on Hao as she idly twirled her daggers in her hands. The cold steel appeared to be dangerously thirsting to taste blood. Who's I wonder?

Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Hao approached Vicky who was seated in her wheelchair with her gauntleted hands resting on her sword-legs. "When is the key player supposed to arrive?" he asked, sounding impatience.

Vicky glanced up at him with an almost unreadable expression and shared, "She should be getting back anytime soon," her reply was nonchalant.

"So it is a her?" Hao couldn't help but feel intrigued.

Vicky smirked while crossing her arms over her chest. "Yes, it's a her. And trust me, she's the best at what she does."

"Oh really?" Hao was dying to know more about this mysterious *her*

As they spoke, the warehouse door creaked open for a young lady to enter. She was lithe and agile, moreover, her movements were as graceful as a cat's. "I'm back," she announced sounding melodic and confident.

The children in the warehouse immediately perked up, their faces lit up with joy. "It's Big Sister Lanor! She's arrived!" they cried, running to surround her. They bombarded her with playful questions: "How was your day at school?"

"Was it boring?"

"Did you meet any cute guys?"

Lanor looked appalled by the last question, her eyes narrowing at the young girl who had asked it. "Nancy, you're too young to be talking about boys," she scolded gently, before continuing, "But something exciting did happen at the guild today. You wouldn't believe it. There was this stupid blindfold guy causing trouble with the Imperial Hounds. The OSD enforcers even showed up later, searching for him. They held most of us back on the compound for questioning and that's one of the reasons why I came back so late." Unaware that the person she had just insulted was in the same warehouse, Lanor turned to the children and asked, "Where's Mom?"

The children pointed towards a door, a sort of separator for the other side of the warehouse. "She's in there with the crew," they answered.

"Ok thanks, I'm going in."

"Hmm?" Hao, overhearing the conversation, was surprised, moreover, curious to see who had just entered. Peering his senses through the door as it came asunder, he recognized the talkative girl from the guild's archive earlier on today. "It's you!" he exclaimed, shocked. "What are you doing here?"

Lanor's eyes widened in disbelief as she pointed an accusatory finger at Hao. "It's you! What are you doing here?" she asked in unison with Hao. The animosity between them was palpable, like a sudden jolt of electricity in the air.

Vicky, sensing the unease, looked between the two of them. "You two know each other?" she inquired.

"Not really," Lanor replied, still eyeing Hao warily. She then went on to explain how they had briefly encountered one another at the Blade Engineering Guild while she was browsing for an S-Catalogue to read.

In the midst of their exchange, Scar and Raven approached Lanor, offering their own greetings and interactions. Hao, still trying to process the revelation, took a moment to study Lanor more carefully. He couldn't help but notice her attractive figure, her toned muscles speaking to her skill and training, not to mention her charismatic vibe. However, he couldn't shake his doubts. "So she's the key player we've been waiting for?" he sounded condescending. "She doesn't look much capable to me." he added.

Lanor, hearing Hao's insult, felt a surge of anger blazed through her loins. "Try me!" she challenged him to a friendly duel of Crossblades, whereby the loser would be shamed by defeat. "You think you are so slick because of that stunt you pulled with Imperial Hounds?" In her fit of range, her hand travelled very quickly to the weapon poised at her waist.

"Hmm?" Hao's Vibe Sense zoomed in on her hand, observing every subtle movement as she prepared to draw her weapon. The atmosphere in the warehouse grew even more deadly as everyone present held their breath, waiting to see what would happen next.