"SHHAA!"
'Of course, this pendant won't let me enjoy at peace.' Placing back the bowl, Zack moved out of Arcadia to locate the targets.
Stepping out of the Arcadia, he sees the first closest target, which is near the coffee shop in the middle of the mall.
A man, dressed in a navy hoodie and jeans, had a sturdy build and a sharp gaze. He stood near the coffee shop, casually sipping an espresso while subtly scanning the crowd.
[Huey Tyler]
[Undercover Police Officer]
[Specialty: Hand-to-Hand Combat]
[Weapon: Stun Gun]
[Weak Points: Predictable]
Tilting his head a bit left, Zack saw a rough-looking man with a shaved head and a scar on his left cheek, wearing a black leather jacket and ripped jeans. He leaned against a pillar, chewing gum, his restless eyes darting around as he tapped his boot impatiently.
[Rick Dawson]
[Local Thug]
[Specialty: Brawling & Intimidation]
[Weapon: Brass Knuckles]
[Weak Points: Slow Reflexes, Overconfident]
The other three were recognizable faces.
Neva stood near a clothing store, pretending to browse while discreetly surveying the mall, keeping an eye out for Zack.
Kat, perched on a railing near the food court, casually flipping a butterfly knife between her fingers while scanning the crowd, looking for Zack.
[Kat Vasquez]
[Local Bully]
[Specialty: Parkour & Blades]
[Weapon: Butterfly Knife]
[Weak Points: Reckless, Over-Reliant on Speed]
And Marco was near an electronics store, pretending to check his phone while keeping Zack's face in his vision.
[Marco Reed]
[Electronics Expert]
[Specialty: Enhanced Strength & Smart]
[Weapon: None]
[Weak Points: Slower Movements, Struggles Against Fast Opponents]
'Neva most certainly told Marco and Kat about the key, but looking at the other two, undercover police and a thug, I don't believe she is the one who informed them. Whatever, I can think about it later,' his thoughts surged as he looked at each of them.
"It may be difficult to get out of this, but what other choice do I have?" Zack decides to sneak out of the mall before the pendant is stolen again, with the help of ESP, which can detect targets through walls and other obstructions.
He slips his hands into his hoodie and begins to walk slowly to the exit gate on the right, which is a few stores away from Arcadia.
Zack was a bit nervous looking at the message of five threats, but he kept his emotions controlled and walked casually past a few stores, not trying to look at any target.
Passing a few stores, he got near Marco, who was on his right side in the electronics store.
Zack tried not to look, but his emotions and curiosity overwhelmed him.
Zack gave a fast gaze towards the right side to check if he had noticed yet. By coincidence, when he turned his head right, Marco also turned his head left side.
'Damn it!' Zack quickly turns back his head.
'That face looks exactly like…' Marco slips his phone inside his pocket and starts walking towards the exit of the shop, his attention drawn to the person walking in a hoodie.
Zack starts running, calculating the situation. He might already be getting noticed.
That gave Marco the confirmation.
"Found him! He is running towards the Exit Gate - 1."
Marco, without wasting time, alerted Neva and Kat through the earbuds, which all three of them were wearing in their ears respectively for better communication.
Zack's feet thumped against the mall tiles as he dashed to Exit Gate 1. His heart raced, not from tiredness, but from calculation: Kat was already at the chase, she was too quick. If he kept going straight, she'd cut him off in seconds. He needed to change the course of play.
'Use her speed against her.' An idea popped into his head.
"My… my, not so fast." Kat's taunting voice sounded from his left, and before Zack could react, she had already shown up, expertly flipping over a railing and landing directly in front of him. Her butterfly knife was tossed in her fingers, shining under the bright mall lights.
Zack skidded to a stop.
Kat crouched slightly, ready to strike. "You are kind of adorable."
She charged, the knife flashing.
Zack did not take a backward stride, but rather a forward one. The sudden move caught her off for half a second, allowing Zack to grab a plastic shopping bag from a nearby kiosk and swing it toward her face.
The bag crinkled noisily, blocking her view just as she slashed in. Kat's blade smoothly cut through the bag, but Zack had already moved. He went to the right, grabbed a coat from a mannequin, and threw it over her shoulders.
*CHRRR!*
Kat instinctively swung her knife beyond, cutting through the coat.
A big mistake. As her blade rose, Zack kicked a wheeled chair from a local electronics store directly into her legs.
*THUD!*
Kat stumbled back, losing her balance and flailing her arms. She depended excessively on momentum. Zack was aware of this, but he had just utterly dismissed it.
She barely caught herself, but Zack did not wait for her to recover. He needed her to chase him, but only on his terms. Instead of heading directly for the exit, he moved sharply into a department shop, navigating through narrow aisles of clothing racks.
Kat's advantage was speed. His edge was controlled.
If she chased him in open space, she would win. But in a tiny, congested space? She'd be forced to slow down, examine, and react, which she wasn't designed for.
Kat recovered and charged after him, but the cramped conditions forced her to adapt, dodging racks, stepping over displays, and weaving awkwardly. Zack, on the other hand, slipped between gaps with ease and was already plotting his next move.
He saw a rack of scarves. Perfect. As he rushed past, he grabbed a handful free and let it fall to the ground behind him.
Kat did not notice in time. Her foot seized on the smooth cloth, sending her plunging forward uncontrollably. Directly into a full-body mirror.
*CRASH!*
Zack didn't look back. As the glass shattered behind him, he bolted toward the side entrance of the store, slipping through just before she could recover.
Kat was quick.
Zack had charisma.
As Zack snuck out of the department store, he barely had time to collect his breath before a voice broke through the chaos.
"You're a real headache, you know that?"
Neva.
She stood near the door to a jewelry store, arms crossed, stance strong and composed. Unlike Kat, she was not irresponsible. She was derived and efficient, with each movement measured.
Zack breathed sharply. He studied the surroundings—an open floor, glass storefronts, and a few scattered benches. There are no simple outs. He could flee, but she would catch up with him in no time. And, unlike Kat, she was not prone to making mistakes. He had no choice. This time, he needed to fight.
Neva cracked her knuckles. "First, I'll teach you a lesson for messing with me." She moved.
A jab was delivered toward Zack's ribs. He barely ducked, spinning away, but she was already following up with a low kick to his knee. He stepped aside just in time, and her foot barely touched him.
Zack countered quickly. He stepped in, delivering a fast right hook to her jaw.
Neva ducked.
She shot forward before he could react, smashing an elbow into his chest. A solid hit. The contact knocked him back a step, his breath hitching.
She didn't give up. A powerful kick blasted towards his side.
Zack caught her foot.
For half a second, they locked eyes.
Neva's expression didn't falter. Instead, she jumped, twisting her body in mid-air. Her free leg came up, a brutal kick aimed at Zack's head.
Zack let go and dropped, barely dodging as her boot sliced through the air where his face had been.
She landed smoothly, already resetting her stance.
Zack exhaled. He was fast, but Neva was precise. He couldn't just react—he had to disrupt her flow.
She moved in again. This time, Zack didn't retreat. He closed the distance, stepping in before she could fully strike. His shoulder slammed into her, knocking her slightly off balance.
Before she could recover, he threw a rapid one-two combo—his first punch she dodged, but the second clipped her shoulder.
Neva barely flinched. Instead, she smirked. "So you can fight too?"
Zack didn't answer. He just moved.
He grabbed a metal SALE sign from a nearby stand and swung it toward her legs. She leaped back to avoid it, but that was all he needed—an opening.
He tossed the sign at her, forcing her to react, then bolted toward the maintenance door.
"Coward," Neva muttered, already in pursuit.
Zack slammed into the door, shoving it open. The dimly lit maintenance hallway stretched ahead—a maze of storage crates and supply shelves.
He had gained a few seconds. Not much, but enough.
Neva, relentless as ever, wasn't far behind.
Zack wasn't out of this yet.
He sprinted down the maintenance hallway, his mind racing as fast as his feet. The scent of dust and industrial cleaner lingered in the air. Metal shelves lined the walls, stacked with cardboard boxes, janitorial supplies, and spare signage for the mall. It was a confined space—exactly what he needed.
Behind him, Neva was already closing in. But then—another set of footsteps. Heavy, deliberate.
"I see him!"
Marco's voice echoed through the hall.
He wasn't expecting Marco to catch up this quickly. Now it was two against one in an enclosed space. Marco's sheer strength and Neva's precision made a dangerous combination. Zack needed to separate them.
Neva moved first, lunging forward with a sharp kick aimed at his back. Zack twisted at the last second, letting her foot narrowly miss him.
Marco was seconds behind her, his larger frame barreling through the hallway like a freight train. Zack had no chance against him in a raw power contest.
Think. Fast.
He felt Marco closing in from the right while Neva recovered from her missed kick.
Zack made his move.
He lunged sideways, grabbing a rolling mop bucket from a nearby storage rack and shoving it backward with all his strength.
Neva barely dodged as the bucket shot past her—straight toward Marco.
"What the!"
Marco had no time to react. The bucket clipped his knee, making him stumble, just enough for Zack to move on Neva.
He spun low, sweeping his leg at Neva's shin.
Neva jumped, avoiding the sweep, but Zack wasn't finished. He twisted his body mid-motion, grabbing a heavy, folded caution sign and swinging it upward.
THWACK!
It caught her in the ribs. Not enough to take her out, but enough to throw her balance off.
Zack pressed the advantage. He surged forward, grabbing her wrist before she could reset. With a quick twist, he leveraged her off-center stance against her, flipping her onto the hard concrete floor.
*THUD!*
Neva gasped as the impact knocked the wind out of her.
Marco recovered just in time to see Zack pinning Neva down. His expression darkened.
"Bastard!"
Marco charged in anger.
Zack sprang up, using Neva's fallen body as a launch point.
He jumped, gripping an overhead pipe, and swung himself forward just as Marco's fist slammed into the spot where he had been standing.