Steven stood there as he dropped the helmet to the ground in shock at seeing the person he yearned for. The streams that flowed from her face were mixed with fear and sadness, but most of all, it was relief.
"Are you alright?", he asked, gulping down the nervousness within him. He knew about Mouse and his tactics, and the way things were, he knew he had played right into his hands and was spiraling out of control.
"Eugene, you're here", she muttered in a low voice, and a smile appeared on her tear-stricken face. Mouse, on the other hand, pulled out his blade and placed it on her neck.
The blade pressed slightly, and blood began to trickle down from the side of her neck. The sight of it angered him, but he knew he had to keep himself calm to win this ordeal. He placed his guns on the ground and kicked them toward Mouse.
"Ahh, you see? He has given up so soon. And yet you firmly believed he would save you. What a pity", he chuckled with amusement filled in his voice. He picked up the gun and dismantled it, and threw it back at Steven.
"Let's see how good you are, shall we? Let's play a game. You have sixty seconds to make that piece of junk into a gun, and should you fail", he paused and drew more blood as she winced.
Steven was screaming in his mind but kept a stoic expression. He knew that if he showed any reaction, everything would get out of hand, and he would lose her too. He balled a fist and took a deep breath, as he released all the tension he had built up.
"Your time begins now!", said Mouse, and right at that second, a knife whizzed past his cheek, drawing blood in the process. Steven knew what he was playing at, and quickly did a duck and roll as he picked up every component of the gun and began assembling them.
"49, 48, 47…", he kept his count as he saw another knife fly at his head, and he dodged it again. His eyes were vigilant, but his hands were working their magic as he had assembled half the gun.
He saw the bullets that were scattered around, and he looked at one which was right near Mouse's feet. He ran towards it and picked it up, throwing an uppercut to throw him off balance.
Just as he had expected, this made Mouse take a few steps back and rethink his decision, and he finished up the assembly. A smirk appeared on his face as he saw Mouse turn his attention towards the woman that was on the chair.
He threw a knife toward her head, and Steven quickly reacted, shooting it just as it was inches away from stabbing through her brain. Mouse moved instantly towards Steven, knowing that he was out of bullets.
Steven held the gun level at his head, and Mouse placed his forehead right at the muzzle. A smirk was dancing on his face, as he looked at him with confidence.
"You're right, but wrong at the same time. Count the bullets on the ground", said Steven with a smirk. Mouse began counting and that was when he noticed that instead of eleven bullets, there were ten.
"Your miscalculation is your doom", he said as he pulled the trigger, and shot clean through his head. The woman closed her eyes, not wanting to see the sight. Steven walked towards her, and his knees gave way.
"I'm sorry that I had to put you through all this, My Dear Anne. I never meant for any of this to happen, I swear", quivered his voice near the end. He placed both his palms on her cheeks and cupped them in.
A pair of arms were wrapped around his neck, and the man melted into the embrace of the woman he loved. He wanted to break down badly, but he held it in. He was relieved that she was alive, and wasn't harmed in any way.
"I know. Quitting a gang's life is going to be tough. And when you revealed it, I was prepared to go through things with you", she said as she looked deep into his eyes. Steven couldn't believe what he was hearing and sat there shell-shocked.
"Eugene, remember that I. Love. You. And I don't say things lightly. I am someone who has run away from my feelings for a long time. And you, have a hold on me that I couldn't break, even if I wanted to", she spoke as her voice began to quiver near the end.
"I am madly, irrefutably, in love…", and she felt a pair of soft lips on hers. The both of them began kissing passionately, and Steven pulled back as he looked her in the eye.
"No need to say anymore. Your message has reached me loud and clear", he said with a chuckle and picked her up swiftly, carrying her out of the cabin. He pulled out a pin, and threw a grenade, blowing the cabin to bits as he walked away from it.
Both of them got on the motorcycle, and he rode it somewhere deep into the forest. There stood a car, and he handed her a few documents and a stack of cash. She stood there confused as to what was going on.
"I am going to end this, and I will come and get you. Go to the address on the inside of the envelope, and pay the landlord this money. Use the other cover to buy yourself things that you will need, the essentials. After I am done with this, we are turning a new leaf", he said as he pulled her into an embrace.
The woman wrapped her arms around his waist, and she felt the heartbeat against her ears. The feeling was calming, but at the same time, she noticed the nervousness that he was hiding from her. The smile on his face was filled with fear, she pecked his cheeks.
"I know you will be able to do this. Now go ahead and kick their butts. I will be waiting for you on the other side", she said as she looked him in the eye with a smile. Steven couldn't resist, and he pulled her close and pressed his lips against hers.
"I love you, Anne. I'll make sure to reach the other side", he said as he pulled his face away from her, and their breaths were heavy. Tears welled up in her eyes, and he wiped them away with his thumbs, and they both forced a smile.
He turned his head away and heard the engine roar to life, and the sound of tires against gravel reached his ears. As he heard the sound fading, he turned his head and saw the car drive far off into the horizon.
He put the helmet back on and looked at the timer that was running. He had 30 minutes until the time was up, and revved the engine.
"It's about time I make some noise", he thought as he drove the bike deeper into the forest, toward his destination.
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My Other Works - System: Inherited