THE RAVEN | avengers

[18]

ACT 1
Chapter 18
Three Years Later

Three years had passed since that strange day when Raven realized her body could heal faster than anyone had expected. She was glad they had dropped the issue and hadn't dwelled too much on it after that. It was just another factor, another piece of what made her indestructible.

No one brought it up anymore — not even Viktor.

In those three years, she had been deployed on dozens of missions, sent all over the world. Sometimes she worked alone, slipping into the shadows like a ghost, leaving no trace behind except the bodies of those she was sent to eliminate. Other times, she led groups of soldiers — handpicked men who followed her every command without question. They respected her, feared her even, and in the field, she had earned their loyalty through blood and grit.

She wasn't just a soldier anymore. Viktor had officially handed her the rank of assassin. She was a weapon now, sharpened to perfection, forged in the fires of Kronos and unleashed upon the world. Wherever Viktor needed someone gone, it was her he sent.

Every mission was the same. Get in. Kill. Get out. Clean. Precise. No hesitation. It didn't matter who the target was, where they were from, or what they had done. If their name made it to her list, they were already dead.

And sometimes, like now, Caelan accompanied her. Of course, that wasn't Viktor's original plan. Viktor still preferred to keep her on her own, to test her limits, to see how far she could go before breaking. But Raven had convinced him otherwise. She had a way of getting what she wanted, and Viktor knew that keeping her happy meant better results. So, after enough persuading, Caelan had been allowed to join her.

Caelan wasn't like the other soldiers. He was different — he always had been. Over the years, they had developed a rhythm, an understanding. They didn't need words to communicate. A glance, a nod, a shift in posture — that was all it took. He was good in a fight, not as fast or as lethal as she was, but good enough to hold his own. She trusted him, which was more than she could say for anyone else in Kronos.

Now, they were on another mission together, deep in the outskirts of Istanbul. The target was a high-ranking diplomat with ties to enemies of Kronos. He had been playing both sides, a dangerous game, and Viktor had finally grown tired of his betrayal.

But there was a slight problem.

Caelan had been hit.

The ambush had come out of nowhere, throwing their plan into chaos. Bullets rained down on them from the rooftops, and Raven had barely managed to get Caelan behind cover before he collapsed, clutching his side. Blood soaked through his fingers, staining his dark jacket.

"Damn it," Raven hissed through gritted teeth, glancing up to assess the situation. The narrow alley they had ducked into offered little protection, and the sound of footsteps closing in from both ends was not a good sign. They were being pinned down, and fast.

She crouched beside Caelan, one arm wrapping around his back as she hauled him up, his weight leaning heavily on her.

"Stay with me," Raven muttered, her voice a mix of frustration and concern.

Caelan's breathing was laboured, his face pale, but he managed a weak nod, his eyes still sharp despite the pain. "I'm... fine," he rasped, though the blood seeping through his jacket said otherwise.

"Yeah, sure you are," Raven snapped, yanking him behind an overturned cart, just in time to avoid another round of gunfire. She peered around the corner, eyes narrowing as she spotted the shadows moving on the rooftops above them. They were surrounded, and their target was still out there, somewhere. "You know," she said, glancing down at Caelan as she adjusted her grip on him, "I could just pick you up and run away with you in my arms." There was a hint of a smirk in her voice, despite the situation.

Caelan gritted his teeth, clearly in pain but still managing to muster a response. "Yeah, no," he said through clenched jaws, his breath heavy.

Raven rolled her eyes, a small laugh escaping her. "Knew it," she muttered, more to herself than to him. Despite everything, the weight of Caelan didn't slow her down — she could easily lift him and sprint, but she knew better than to bruise his ego like that.

As they moved, Caelan's breathing grew heavier, each step more laboured than the last. His grip on her shoulder tightened, and through gritted teeth, he muttered, "You have to get out of here."

Raven didn't even hesitate. "Not happening, buddy," she said, her voice steady as her mind raced, already calculating their next move. She wasn't about to leave him behind, not now, not ever. She scanned their surroundings, looking for any advantage, any escape. "You're like my only friend," she added with a touch of sarcasm, though there was truth behind the words.

Caelan huffed, the corners of his mouth twitching into what could almost pass for a smile, despite the pain. "You've got Sloane," he said, his voice strained.

Raven smirked, adjusting her grip on him again. "You've outranked her."

Just then, an idea popped into her head, one that was as risky as it was promising. She was fast — faster than any of them. And instead of waiting for the inevitable ambush to close in on both of them, she could turn the tables. She could lead them away from Caelan and draw their attention towards her.

"I've got an idea," Raven muttered under her breath.

His grip tightened on her arm. "What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice sharp despite the pain.

"I'll draw them away," she said simply, already shifting her weight as if preparing to move.

"No," Caelan said, his tone firm. "You're not going out there alone."

Raven glanced at him, her expression softening for a moment. "Cae, I'm faster than them. I can lead them away from here and from you. You can't run like this, but I can." She could see the protest forming on his lips, but she cut him off.

Caelan's jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with a mix of frustration and concern. "And what if they catch you?"

Raven grinned, a spark of confidence in her eyes. "They won't." She didn't wait for him to respond. With a quick motion, she released him from her grip, propping him up against the wall. "Just stay put," she said, her voice softer now. "I'll be back before you even miss me."

Raven didn't waste any time. The moment she stepped away from Caelan, she darted forward, slipping out of the narrow alley and into the open. She could feel the eyes of their pursuers on her, but that's exactly what she wanted. Her legs moved in a blur, her speed unmatched as she sprinted ahead.

"Come catch me!" she yelled, her voice echoing through the alleyways. She heard the footsteps behind her quicken, the soldiers scrambling to keep up.

Raven grinned, her body moving with ease as she leaped towards a nearby wall. Her feet found their purchase on the surface, and with a graceful push, she propelled herself upward, jumping from one wall to the next, climbing higher and higher. She could hear the shouts of confusion below as the soldiers tried to track her movements.

"Too slow!" she taunted, her voice light, almost playful.

She flipped down onto a rooftop, landing in a crouch before taking off again. The familiar thrill of the chase surged through her veins, her heart pounding, but not from fear — this was her element. They couldn't catch her, and she was about to make sure of it.

As she jumped from rooftop to rooftop, Raven spotted a gun on the ground, likely dropped by one of the soldiers during the chaos. Without slowing her pace, she snatched it up, her fingers curling around the familiar grip. She didn't hesitate, spinning around just long enough to fire a few shots behind her, the sound of gunfire ringing out into the night.

The bullets hit their mark. She watched as two of the soldiers stumbled, dropping to the ground. A satisfied smirk crossed her face as she turned and continued running, her legs carrying her further away from the alley where Caelan was hidden.

"Come on, boys," she called over her shoulder, her voice dripping with confidence. "I'm just getting started!"