Mission J

The wind was stronger; the air much colder than what it was before, biting at my bared fingertips and cheeks. I exhaled slowly, retracing the route I had taken back to my car. As I walked, my mind analyzed Bae and his strange behavior, forming a list.



My mind replayed Bae’s pleading voice, asking for me to stay back a bit longer. That request, that tone…it was unlike him. And the bruising…

The contusions on his right eye and the left ribs were the only ones I saw; were there more? It was already excessive, and the boy must be in constant pain. As I thought deeper, my memories gathered information to develop a basic profile. These two bruises told me plenty about the person that inflicted them. Left handed, probably about 5’9”. I’m guessing average weight, and as for his shoe size---

Anger bloomed in my chest in a dangerous heat, and my jaw clenched as I felt rage flare out.

I’ll find who did this to Bae and break every bone in his body. It would be so easy to find the bastard and return the favor---

My fingers curled into a tight fist, my nails digging into my palm. My breath came out in a low slow hiss as I forced myself to calm down.
It was getting hard to even stay completely collected and emotionally muted. It’s been roughly forty-eight hours since I last slept; I needed to rest.

I kept my mind blank as I hauled myself over the wall I had jumped over earlier, focusing on the task. My feet met the pile of crates I had climbed before I hopped down to the ground. I looked to my left and then right. The nightlife was getting busier but I detected nothing alarming. I straightened my jacket and my duffel bag strap before entering the back door of the shop I had cut through earlier.
My feet seemed to know where they were going on their own, following the same path back to where I had parked the car. I kept up the cold vibe to avoid having anybody approaching me or drawing too close. I would prefer to keep from conflict, especially in my tired state…

I turned the last corner at the shop on the corner…and stopped.

In my sight, just a mere few yards ahead was where I had parked the Lamborghini. And loitering around the passenger side of the car was a group of men. One of them was leaning on the car, practically sitting on the side of the hood.
I felt a heated flash of annoyance when I saw him laugh and slap his hand on the roof of the car. I clicked my tongue against my teeth and pulled my keys out of my jacket pocket. I forced myself to breathe in deeply to calm down before I started forward at a slow and casual pace.
It didn’t take long before I was close enough to smell cigarette smoke, and hear the conversation the group was having. I stopped again, just to observe.

“…Seriously, dude, how fucked up would that be?” I heard one of them say.

The guy leaning against my car laughed, and took another drag from his cigarette. He let out a sigh, that stupid cool smirk on his face.
Ugh, the idiot looked so cocky and full of himself.

“I know, right? I practically saved the kid’s life, right?” he said. “He should be grateful that he has me around.”

He brought the cigarette up to his lips again for another drag. He then patted the roof of my car.
“Hey, I look badass right now, right? Like I can feel the girls across the street staring my way.” he said, grinning.

Another kid agreed with him, laughing.
“Fuck! You’re right! You should turn and wave at them!” he said.

The guy that still had his ass on my car raised an eyebrow and looked over his shoulder. Curious, I followed his gaze across the street.
Two girls, by the looks of their appearance opportunists, returned his look with a pair of ‘seductive’ looks, looking at him and the car with eager eyes.
I raised an eyebrow when I saw him nod towards them in acknowledgement, his grin growing.

He clearly didn’t know when to spot a gold digger looking for easy money.

“Aww man! Dash, they want you!” another voice laughed.

‘Dash’ sighed and looked down at the Lamborghini to admire it.
“Boys, look at this. This is who I am,” he said. I felt my face twitch in part annoyance, part bemusement. “Man, I am meant to have this car. The true owner of this beauty is me…”

My fingers pressed down on the horn button on my remote, and a loud alarming sound erupted in the air. All members in the loitering crowd jumped, and ‘Dash’ nearly fell off the car. Just nearly.
I walked over a bit more closer, and stopped when they noticed my approach.
“Get your ass off of my car.” I said smoothly, shoving my cold hands back into my jacket pocket.

There was a pause as the group of guys took my appearance in, and I saw some of them raising an eyebrow and laughing quietly in amusement. Some of them glanced at ‘Dash’, the guy I assumed was the leader of the crew. As if they were waiting to see how he would react.
Dash and I made eye contact, and I saw him raise an eyebrow. He looked around at the other guys and exchanged amused looks before he scoffed.
“This car? The one right here?” he asked me smartly, pointing down at the Lamborghini.

This time, I raised an eyebrow.
“Yea, genius. The one your ass is on.” I returned.

“Whoooo!!” a uniformed howling broke out from the rest of the group, along with laughing

Dash had a very amused look on his face and he crossed his arms over his chest. But he pushed himself off of the car.
“Here, happy?” he asked.

I rolled my eyes and went to walk off the curb to get to the driver’s side. But two of the guys stepped in my way. I saw one of them wink at me.

“Where are you going? We should talk a little more.” I heard Dash say.

I sighed heavily and turned back around.

“So you say this is your car?” he said. “Like you own it?”

“Well I drove it here, didn’t I?” I said.

He looked over the car, rubbing his jaw as if he was considering something intelligent. As if.

“What’s this? A Lamborghini? A famous Italian car?” he asked in a casual tone. “Italian…like a Fiat? Mercedes?”

“By Mercedes, if you mean Mercedes-Benz, that’s German, you idiot.” I said flatly.

The group let out that stupid howling noise again, snickering amongst themselves. Dash chuckled coolly under his breath, but I didn’t miss the annoyed twitch. He stepped back onto the curb and took a stand right in front of me. That’s when I got a good look at him.

Dark-haired with few lame streaks of blond, approximately 5’9” in height, 150 in weight. Cheap clothes, cheaper accessories, but no doubt he thought he looked classy. And to top off the look, was a gaudy display that was his footwear. Three-clawed buckle accent and dulled down studs covered the top of his boots, particularly catching my attention.

“Sheesh, for someone so little, you have a nasty attitude,” he commented in a mocking tone.
I lifted my eyes back to his face again, not holding back a glare. I didn’t speak.
Dash continued.
“Little girl, I think this car is too grown-up for you. How’s this?” he said. “Let me take this car, and…you can take the public bus to school, okay?”

“It’s in your best interest to get out of my way.” I said coldly, all intentions of entertaining the group left in the past. “Especially yours.”
I nodded at the leader of the crew, maintaining my glare.
“You really don’t want to test me,”

Some snickering sounded from the group and Dash exchanged amused looks with his friends. He then nodded to the guys that had blocked my way.

“I don’t think you understand the situation you’re in, little girl.” he said.

As he spoke, I felt a pair of hands clamp down on my left shoulder and upper arm, another set of hands grabbing hold of my right arm. I heard Dash continued to talk arrogantly.
“You’re going to hand us those keys or we’ll take them from you.” he said. “And we don’t want to hurt you.”

I stared, my mind already mapping out my next three steps. I needed to find out one more thing on this ‘Dash’ guy…

“Let’s do this the easy way and just give me the keys.” I heard him say.

I scoffed.
“Really, you think you can drive this car?” I said. I shook my head and put a small but amused smile on my face. “You’re precious.”

I saw a confused look collectively come across the group, some of them looking to their leader to see what he would do next. I was too, as I waited for him to say something.
Dash’s face twitched, from the looks of it from annoyance.
“Give me the keys.” he said, his tone losing the humor it had previously.

“You deserve to drive a Lamborghini, huh?” I laughed, provoking all of them. “Please, this car would make you her bitch.”

I guess it worked, because the hand on my left arm grew painfully tighter.
“You little brat, who the hell do you think you are?” the guys holding my arm grouched. He shook me roughly by the arm. “You should bow your head and apologize. Say ‘I’m sorry oppa for the disrespect,’…Bitch, go ahead and say it!”

The guy pushed my shoulder forward, making me break in the waist. He had lost the courtesy of my patience at ‘oppa’.

I yanked my right arm forward, throwing the guy on my right off his balance. As he tipped forward, I pulled my arm back sharply, my elbow connecting right into the side of his ribs. He released my arm with a winded gasp, collapsing onto the ground in pain.
I twisted to my right, catching my other captor off guard. With a quick thrust, I shoved my right palm right into his shoulder, right under his clavicle. A loud crack sounded and I felt the acromial end of his collar bone detach from its ligament and the guy screamed in pain. He doubled forward, a motion I took advantage of.
My elbow came crushing down to the back of the shoulder, finishing off the joint by dislocating the arm.

He fell off of my arm, joining his friend on the ground in pain. I turned back to the rest of the group and saw a uniformed stunned look.
“You want to have the car that badly?” I said, directing my question at Dash, who was staring at me with a shocked expression. “Then fine. Here.”

I tossed him my car keys, my eyes not leaving him for even a second. He was caught off guard, but he recovered and reached up with his left hand to catch the keys.
He was left handed. My profile was completely confirmed.

Dash was still staring down at the keys now in his hands when I lunged at him. He didn’t see me until my fist collided into his stomach.
He gasped, clutching his stomach as he struggled to breathe.

“You bitch!” I heard an angry voice behind me.

A hand clamped down on my shoulder and wheeled me around. I didn’t even pause to see who the assailant was this time as I shove my palm into him nose. I felt it break under my hand and the guy let out a strangled cry. I wheeled back sharply, sending a spinning punch straight into the leader’s left eye. That sent him reeling back and onto the hood of my car with a thud. From the corner of my eye, I saw the last guy in the group advancing.
My hand reached into my jacket, pulled out my sig and pointed it at the guy. He froze at the sight of the gun, shock and fear playing out in his eyes.
“Don’t move.” I snapped at him. I then turned back to his leader.

“I said, get off of my car.” I snarled.

He saw my gun in my hand and his eyes went wide. He swallowed and slowly, he forced himself back onto his feet.
I kept my gun pointed as he limped back onto the curb.

“Hey you, with the face.” I said, nodding pointedly at the only guy unharmed. “Pick up the keys and toss it over.”

The guy slowly picked up the set of keys that had been dropped in the scuffle and obediently tossed it over. I caught it with one hand while the other kept the gun pointed.
“Good. Now help your friends clean themselves up. One has a broken nose, and the other has a broken shoulder.” I told him. “And you. Dash or whatever.”

The leader glared at me, still catching his breath. I sent him a long hard glare.
“Touch my things and I will destroy you.” I warned him. “This was strike one. You have two left.”

Without lowering the gun, I stepped off the curb and rounded the car to the driver’s side. I unlocked the car and opened the driver’s side door. I turned and gave the group a curt smile.

“Ciao,” I said, before sliding in behind the wheel and flooring it out of the neighborhood.