It was daytime at the airport.
The heat waves shimmering off the concrete. Travelers hurried in and out of the sliding glass doors, dragging luggage and checking phones. Among the crowd, two girls stepped out of the building, rolling their suitcases behind them as they waited for a taxi.
They stood out from each other in every way. One was tall with a lean, athletic build, her short hair tousled from travel and her hands stuffed casually in her jacket pockets. The other was petite, her frilly pastel dress fluttering slightly in the breeze, fingers delicately adjusting the ribbon in her curled hair. Their names were Olivia and Emma.
Emma sighed dramatically, tapping her foot impatiently as she scanned the modest skyline. "We're so unlucky to get sent to this no-name city," she said, her nose wrinkling in distaste. "Does this place even have any potential?"
Olivia adjusted the strap of her duffel bag, unfazed. "Who knows?" she replied. "But I heard some members of Serpent's Slaughter are already here. You know, that guy with the shark teeth."
"Ew, that creepy guy?" Emma's face twisted in disgust. "I don't want anything to do with him."
"Neither do I," Olivia agreed. A taxi honked in the distance, but it wasn't for them. She continued, "Word is, he already killed a local gang member."
Emma's eyebrows shot up. "Seriously? That was quick." She shook her head. "Nothing good comes from dealing with a weirdo like him. Was the victim a boy or a girl?"
"A guy, from what I heard," Olivia said.
"Then it doesn't matter to us," Emma said dismissively, examining her manicure.
Olivia shrugged. "Maybe not for that one guy," she said. "But who knows about the others in his group?"
"True," Emma conceded. She tilted her head. "Still, if they're dying that easily, do they even have any value?"
"Fighting ability isn't the only thing that gives someone value," Olivia pointed out. She gave Emma a sideways glance. "You should know that, considering your sister's status."
Emma's fingers twitched. Her cheerful demeanor darkened instantly. "Don't talk about her," she snapped. "Now I'm pissed."
Olivia held up her hands in mock surrender. "Hey, now, I'm just saying," she replied.
---
Meanwhile, in a random café across town, the hum of quiet conversations and clinking silverware filled the air. The smell of coffee and baked goods lingered, a stark contrast to the tension at a corner table where Noah and Asher sat, drinks untouched in front of them.
Asher fidgeted with his cup, the ice inside long melted. "A guy with shark teeth and another with a tattoo on his neck," he muttered. "I doubt we'll find them easily."
Noah leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "Of course not," he said. "Especially if they decide to lay low—unless they're already on the move to hunt us."
Asher swallowed hard. "You think they will?"
Noah gave him a sideways look, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Scared?" he asked with a mocking tone.
"Well..." Asher hesitated, then sighed. "If they could kill one of our members so easily and completely shut down the other, then yeah, they're pretty dangerous." He quickly added, "But I didn't mean I'm scared or anything."
"Fair enough," Noah conceded. He tapped his fingers against the table. "But I doubt they're anything special. Probably just standard members of their group. If we're already facing this level of enemies now, we'd better expect worse later."
Asher shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his knee bouncing under the table.
"Then isn't this basically a suicide mission?" he asked quietly. "Liam's always been calm and level-headed, but Owen's death... it might've hit him harder than we thought."
"Probably," Noah said with a soft smile that didn't reach his eyes. "But something like this was bound to happen eventually. Things change. You didn't expect things to stay peaceful forever, did you?"
"I guess," Asher sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Still, I never thought a big group like Serpent's Slaughter would bother with a small, unimportant city like this."
Noah's gaze drifted to the window, where pedestrians passed by obliviously. "I disagree," he said. "Special talent can come from anywhere. Being obscure doesn't have anything to do with potential. Pretty soon, the other two will send their people too," he mused. "Then this place will be packed, full of annoying people."
Asher blinked. "You know about the other groups?" he asked. "I barely know anything about them. I didn't have to care before."
"Just a bit," Noah replied vaguely. "Iron Maiden is a criminal group made up of only female members. The other one—Twisted Fire—they tried to recruit me once."
Asher's eyes widened. "What? Seriously?"
"Old news," Noah said, brushing it off with a wave of his hand. "I wasn't interested."
"Oh... okay." Asher clearly wanted to ask more, but Noah's tone made it clear the topic was closed. He didn't dare to push it further.
"Anyway," Asher continued, hesitating before voicing his thoughts, "you told Liam you were 'all in,' but really? This isn't our fight. Getting revenge for Owen... that's personal, right?"
Noah chuckled dryly. "Aren't you cold-hearted?" he said with a smirk. "One of your teammates just got killed, and you don't care?"
Asher snorted. "As if you care yourself."
Noah laughed, the sound sharp and humorless.
"Fair," he admitted. His expression turned thoughtful. "I just want to see how far they're willing to go. I don't owe them anything, but I'll be there—whether Joker Roulette gets crushed or somehow wins. Either way, it'll be interesting."
"I see. So that's your stance," Asher said slowly. He exhaled, shoulders slumping slightly. "Then I'll go with that too."
"Eh, do whatever you want," Noah said, finishing the last of his drink. "But your friends are determined to keep riding a sinking ship. I doubt Milo's switching sides anytime soon."
Asher groaned, rubbing his temples. "Don't remind me," he sighed.
---