In a blind spot of the city where the shadow of buildings that nobody usually pay attention to, Jazz was there waiting for me.
"I missed you, Medusa."
"And I didn't," I replied, my tone sharp, masking the uncertainty bubbling inside. I closed the distance between us, concealing my murderous intent under a casual expression.
Jazz picked up the sword but didn't aim it at me. Instead, he held it like a proposition, a twisted smile playing on his lips.
"Let's kill rapists," He offered.
"I'm not coming with you."
Jazz's grin widened. "Of course, you're as stubborn as always." He nodded past me and I let him because he shows no hostility, his smile never wavering.
"But what would you do if we're surrounded?" Jazz added.
I barely had time to register his words before a dozen people appeared from the rooftops, guns pointed right at me. From the alleyway, more of them lined up, making way for a woman in a black veil that shrouded her face.
"You should've just laid low, Medusa," The veiled woman sneered. I shot a glare of disappointment at Jazz, suspecting his betrayal for a one man show.
"And unfortunately for you, there must be no witnesses," She added with a menacing tone, her eyes set at Jazz. I felt a flash of confusion. Was Jazz truly setting me up, or was this his enemy too?
Jazz's calm demeanor broke only for a moment. "They know you're Medusa, but they have no idea who I am," He whispered to me.
I narrowed my eyes at the woman. "Before you kill us, are you Alasteer, or Alasteer's enemies?"
"We are the Alasteer. And our goal is to kill you," She declared.
I glanced at Jazz, noticing the tension in his jaw. "No," he muttered under his breath. "They're the Triads, disguising themselves as Alasteers to frame us as rapists, to get you on their side."
Jazz moved beside me, his sword at ease in his hand. "Their goal is to capture you. Mine is to kill you before that happens."
Fifty Triads surrounded us, brandishing daggers and knives, ready to strike. I took a deep breath, grasping the urgency of the situation. "Team up," I suggested, raising my stiletto, positioning myself back-to-back with Jazz.
"We don't need an audience," I muttered, eyes on the veiled woman. I could take them on but I needed time to get back at Veloz. Before the timer runs out.
The woman smirked and pulled out a mini crossbow, it carried perfectly on her hands, the design was deceptively simple, but I knew it hid a lethal secret—the arrows were tipped with poison.
As the Triads began to circle us, their movements were swift and coordinated, like wolves closing in on wounded prey. I felt the weight of the stiletto in my hand, a cold reassurance against the heat of the moment. Jazz stood beside me, sword in hand, eyes scanning the enemies that surrounded us, calculating every angle.
The first attack came from above—a Triad dropped down from a fire escape, aiming a blade at Jazz's neck. He moved with a speed that almost seemed supernatural, his sword flashing upwards in a sharp arc. The Triad's body hit the ground before his blade could even reach Jazz.
But there was no time to pause. The rest of them closed in, a mix of gunfire and flashing knives, their numbers swelling like a tide determined to crush us. I ducked beneath a bullet that whizzed past my ear, its sound cutting through the air like a scream. My stiletto found its mark in a Triad's side; I twisted the blade, feeling the sickening crunch of bone and flesh before pulling it free.
