When Zack saw the countdown timer floating fearfully in his vision, ticking down with merciless accuracy, his chest seized.
*TICK*
[47:59:58]
[Radar Activated]
The radar had appeared in the corner of his vision.A red dot pulsed aggressively, moving through the streets beyond the museum walls. That was the pendant key, and the blue dot in the center was him.
"Is this for real?!"
Zack locked his muscles, knowing he had no choice but to make his move quickly.
Neva was fast, but Zack now had high adrenaline and far more desperation, fueling his every step.Bursting out of the museum's grand entrance, he ignored the confused glances from security and guests alike. His expensive loafers thudded against the pavement as he sprinted toward the street, eyes glancing between the real world and the radar in his peripheral vision.
The red dot was zigzagging through narrow alleys.'She's trying to lose me.'
Zack pushed himself harder.
The key's glow had done something to him. His muscles burned less, his legs moved faster, and his breathing was steady despite the breakneck speed. Within moments, he had cut the distance between them from a few blocks to less than 100 meters.
The system pulsed.
[Enemy Detected: Neva Valdez]
[Distance: 92 meters]
Zack's vision shifted, and then he saw her, an outline of a woman moving quickly but deliberately through the walls of the buildings in front of him. She wasn't in a panic. She appeared to be in total charge, a bit happy in fact.
"Look at that smile. This pendant must be something unique," said Zack, glancing at her facial expression.
Neva ran into an old two-story, worn-down building at the corner of Lexon Street. (Lexon Street was a bit far from the museum; it had moderate brand stores and food corners.)
The building was a relic from another era, its brick walls chipped and weathered by time. The windows were either shattered or boarded up, and faded graffiti clung stubbornly to the sides like scars.
Zack slowed his pace to look at her location and movements.
The radar marked Neva's position.
She was ascending the interior staircase, likely heading toward the upper floors.
While the countdown kept on ticking.
[47:45:32]
Zack shoved the door open slowly and stepped inside.
Going up the creaky staircase, his shoes brushed softly against the dust-coated wood. Every muscle in his body tensed as he followed the radar's blinking dot, showing Neva just ahead. He paused on the second-floor landing, his breath steady but deliberate.
The hallway was dim, lit only by a weak, flickering lightbulb hung from a weakening cord above. A draft soaked through the shattered windows, rustling old covers and filling the corridor with whispers.
Neva's voice echoed out from a partially open doorway at the far end of the hall.
"Sup, Marco." Her tone was smooth, confident, without a trace of concern despite Zack's relentless pursuit.
Zack edged closer, pressing himself against the wall just outside the doorway. Peering through the narrow gap, he took stock of the scene inside.
The room was a mess; many torn chip packets littered the floor, mismatched furniture was shoved carelessly against the walls, and a single old table sat in the center.
Neva was sitting calmly in a rickety wooden chair, her dark hair swept into a loose ponytail. She seemed entirely at ease, with the pendant inside her pants pocket, its dim shine barely visible through the fabric.
Across from her, a tall, jacked, wiry guy in a sleeveless hoodie leaned back in his chair, tapping his cards against the edge of the table. His hair was a mess of bleached spikes, and a jagged scar ran across his left eyebrow.
Marco, Zack assumed.
Next to him sat a girl with bubblegum pink hair styled into short curls, chewing gum loudly as she shuffled the deck with impressive speed. Her eyeliner was sharp enough to cut glass, and she wore a leather jacket adorned with metal studs.
"Wanna play cards, Neva?" the pink-haired girl asked with a smirk, blowing a bubble until it popped loudly.
"Sure, but don't cry if you lose, Kat," Neva said, placing her cards face down on the table.
Zack's mind raced. Three of them, and only one of him. A head-on confrontation was suicide. He had to be smarter than that.
*TICK*
[47:41:18]
Zack forced himself to stay calm despite the ticking.He couldn't let the pressure affect him. He looked around the corridor, noticing the crumbling plaster walls and sagging ceiling beams. His eyes
lifted as a plan began to emerge.
He cautiously backed away from the doorway, his footsteps quiet on the aged wooden floor. His gaze shifted to an old radiator hung on the wall just outside the room. The pipes connecting to it went along the ceiling before disappearing into the distant wall.
'Steam!'
If he could break the pipes, an unexpected burst of hot steam would fill the area, confusing and crippling Neva and her friends long enough for him to grab the pendant and escape.
Zack's pulse quickened as he assessed the pipe's condition. Rust complied with the metal and weakened it. A good strike in the correct place could cause it to shatter.
He simply needed the appropriate tool and technique to accomplish it without instantly notifying them.
He looked down at the small knife-like metal tucked inside his belt. It wasn't ideal, but it might work if he used enough power.
The pieces of his plan clicked into place.
First, he'd quietly release the pipe fitting close to the radiator. Then he'd twist it sharply to drive the steam out. The unexpected hiss and heat would catch them off guard, allowing him to move in, retrieve the pendant, and vanish before they realized what hit them.
It was a risky plan, but taking risks was all he had left.With resolve hardening in his chest, Zack positioned himself beside the radiator, knife in hand.
'Time to turn up the heat.'
Zack knelt by the rusted radiator, his breath steady, though tension buzzed through his veins. The knife felt awkward in his hand, but it was all he had. His eyes flicked to the pipe that ran along the wall, corroded in spots and weak enough to crack if he applied enough pressure.
The voices inside the room carried on, oblivious.
"You bluffing, Neva?" Marco's voice was teasing but edged with challenge. "Don't look so cocky just yet."
Neva laughed softly. "Keep dreaming, Marco."
Zack tuned them out, focusing entirely on the task at hand. He positioned the knife against the pipe, its tip pressing into the brittle rust-coated metal. With a sharp exhale, he pushed down and dragged the blade across, scoring the surface deeply. A faint metallic groan reverberated through the pipe.
He froze, glancing at the doorway.
Silence.
They hadn't heard.
'Good.'
Zack continued sawing carefully, sweat forming at his temples. The knife scraped and sparked, biting deeper until a faint hiss escaped from a tiny crack forming along the pipe's surface.
*HISSSS*
The steam was out.
'Perfect.'
Zack shifted quickly, gripping the pipe with both hands. Bracing himself, he twisted it sharply, forcing the weakened section to snap.
A loud hiss filled the corridor as hot steam burst forth in a powerful jet, rolling into the room like an angry white cloud.
Inside, chaos erupted.
"What the hell?!" Kat yelped, her chair screeching against the floor as she stumbled backward.
"Damn, pipe's busted!" Marco shouted, waving his hand futilely against the scalding mist.
Neva stood abruptly, coughing as the thick steam enveloped the room. The pendant in her pocket flickered faintly, its glow cutting through the dense whiteness like a beacon.
Zack's heart raced. That glow was his target.
The room filled rapidly with swirling heat, turning into an opaque fog where nothing was visible beyond arm's length. Zack pressed his advantage, activating the ESP-like radar in his vision. The dots marking Neva, Marco, and Kat flickered erratically as they stumbled through the confusion.
Zack moved silently, his footsteps masked by the hissing steam and the chaotic shouts inside.
"Neva, where are you?!" Kat's panicked voice echoed through the whiteness.
"Over here—cough—dammit, Marco, shut that pipe off!"
"I'm trying!"
Zack ignored them, zeroing in on the flickering rainbow glow beneath Neva's jacket. His vision highlighted the faint outline of her figure, doubled over as she tried to shield her eyes from the stinging mist.
One chance.
Zack crept closer, each step deliberate and soundless. The scalding heat bit at his skin, but adrenaline dulled the pain. Neva was completely focused on the chaos around her, her guard down for the first time since their encounter.
Five feet away.
Zack's breath hitched as he extended his hand, fingers brushing against the fabric of her pants. She flinched slightly but didn't turn—her senses dulled by the overwhelming heat and fog.
Three feet.
The pendant's glow pulsed brighter, practically guiding him straight to it.
Now.
With a precise motion, Zack slipped his hand into the inside pocket of her pants, fingers curling around the smooth, warm surface of the pendant.
Neva froze.
Zack did not delay. He pulled the pendant out and twisted on his heel, retreating into the steam as Neva swung around with startled eyes.
"HEY!" she screamed, but her voice was lost in the cacophony.
Kat and Marco were still flailing aimlessly around the radiator, unaware of what had just happened.
Zack moved easily, with his radar directing him back to the doorway. The steam continued to billow, thick and oppressive, creating the ideal cover for his escape.
His heart thundered in his chest as he crossed the threshold, slipping out into the hallway without a single misstep.
Behind him, Neva's furious shouts echoed through the fog.
"Key!"
Zack didn't look back.
He dashed down the corridor, taking the stairs two at a time, clutching the stolen pendant securely in his fist. Its rainbow-colored sparkle flickered gently as if it was aware of the havoc it had just created.
Bursting through the building's front door, Zack emerged into the cool fresh air and madness left behind him.
Zack, after finally catching a breath a few minutes later, looked at the screen of the countdown to check if it stopped or not.
TICK
[47:35:10]
The timer was still running.
'What?' he thought, looking at the pendant in his hand, standing on the sidewalk of the noisy road of Lexon Street. 'Ohh…'
Now he knew what the pendant wanted him to do.
Zack again wore the key pendant on his neck.
[00:00:00]
[Key Retrieved Successfully]
[Death Penalty Deactivated]
'It feels like… playing a game in real life,' he thought to himself, glancing at the magical key-shaped pendant.
Meanwhile…
A man in the Joker mask leaned back in his high-backed chair, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest. The view from the top floor of the shining skyscraper stretched out across the city's glowing lights.
*BZZZ* *BZZZ*
His phone buzzed.
Picking it up, he asked, "Got anything worth telling me?" His voice was calm, but the weight behind it left no room for nonsense.
"I've located the key," the caller responded.