Rain poured over the streets of Osvain, washing the grime from rooftops down into overflowing drains. Streetlights refracted each droplet into tiny, quivering stars. Thunder rumbled overhead, echoing off narrow alleyways as two figures darted through the shadows.
Amakusa Jin crouched behind a wide green garbage container, peeking around the corner. Beside him, Isis leaned against the wall, her short crimson hair plastered to her forehead. Beads of rain mixed with sweat rolled down her cheeks.
"Bahahaha! Can you believe we actually pulled it off?" Isis grinned, her duffle bag bouncing with each breath.
"Shhh… quiet!" Jin hissed, scanning the alley. "We're still close to—"
"—there! I saw them run down this alley! Hurry!"
Enforcers stormed past, flashlights cutting ribbons of white across the wet walls. Boots splashed through puddles, their approach relentless.
Jin grunted, pulling Isis closer behind the dumpster. The beams swung across the alley, stopping briefly, then moving on.
"When they're gone, we move," he whispered. "Don't make a sound."
They waited. Footsteps receded. Breath held. Then silence.
"Alright…" Jin exhaled, peeking out. "We lost them. For now."
Jin wasn't sure how long that would last, but he just wanted to get out of here as swiftly as possible.
Isis giggled, rummaging through their haul. "I told you! That Vassari's stash was full of gadgets. Look at this!"
She held up a gauntlet, crystals glinting on the knuckles. It was too large for her hand, flopping awkwardly as she shadowboxed.
"Careful. We need to sell these intact," Jin muttered.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she rolled her eyes.
As she shuffled gadgets back into the bag, her eyes caught a strange pen-shaped device pulsing with vivid purple light. She tossed it to Jin.
"What's this?" he asked, turning it over.
"Beats me. Just… looked interesting."
Jin felt a familiar tingling in his fingers as he inspected it. The pen seemed to resonate — faintly, like it was calling to him. He frowned. His gaze briefly landed onto Isis but back to the pen. Messing with these might not be a good call but.... Curiosity won. He pressed the top button.
Nothing.
A couple seconds passed and he tried pressing again.
Still nothing.
"Hmm… anti-climactic," he muttered.
Then — BEEEEEEEEEP!
A sharp, piercing sound split the night. Jin stumbled back as a surge of violet light engulfed him. The world warped around the edges, puddles rippling unnaturally, the air shimmering. Isis blinked rapidly, shielding her eyes.
"What the hell?!" she cried. "Turn that thing off, now!"
"I'm trying, alright?!"
Jin's grip tightened around the pen, frantically messing around with it in attempts to shut it down.
Before long, the light began to settle down. The obnoxious beep still rang in Jin's ear. He exhaled.
"I... I think I just went blind for a second! Just what was that, huh?"
"I'm not sure. Regardless, it doesn't matter. Let's go. Fast," Jin said, tugging Isis along.
They hadn't gone far when a shout cut through the rain. Enforcers barreled toward them, tasers drawn, eyes wide.
"Stop right there!"
"They're over here! I knew it! They were just hiding!"
Huh, how did they—? He instantly rememebered the loud noise that the pen made and deduced that the enforcers must've heard it. Hell, they might've even seen that bright light given how radiantly blinding it was.
Jin grunted as he grabbed a hold of Isis's shoulder.
"Wha—? Hey, don't tell me you're doing this now?! You know I get sick whenever you do this!"
"Desperate times call for desperate measures. We need to get out of here!"
"Hold it, you brats!"
Enforcers surrounded them. Their advanced armour shielding their appearance. Tasers all at hand and pointing straight towards Jin. They're making sure that if they catch any slight movment, they'd be immediately incapcitated. The enforcer's leader carefully approached.
The leader had a caved in helmet, damaged slightly around the right corner of his forehead. He flung up the helmet visor. His voice turning from robotic to normal. Jin could barely see a scar closing the leader's left eye.
"You two are holding extremely valuable items. Which I'm sure you're aware of. So, how about we take the easy route and you give them back to the Vassari you stole them from."
"Excuse us? Hell no! The Vassari have enough money to begin with. I'm sure they can live without a few toys," Isis retorted.
"...You'll still arrest us for this even if we did give it back. Why should I bother?" Jin asked with a leveled voice.
"Then how about this? You give them back and I promise to let this matter go. We both know that being on the bad side of a Vassari is a terrible idea."
For a moment, Jin paused—seemingly thinking about it.
Looks like this kid does have a little common sense after all, thought the leader.
"Yeah? Not interested."
Or not.
"Alright then. Detain him!" commanded the leading enforcer.
Sensing that he was about to do something, the enforcer's all shot their tasers at the two without hesitation.
Before they could reach him though, he snapped his fingers. A spark of light briefly shone. In that same instance, the enforcer's found that they both had disappeared.
The leader stood with wide eyes at what he witnessed. He couldn't believe it.
Those were luminal waves, thought the leader. An Ordinary just used a Nexus?!
***