From Dusk 'Till Dawn

 We are here at last! After months of long, boring planning the show is about to start! There were so many different candidates, and I wanted to do them all, but knowing Ace, I should have known better. He's always all about planning and making rational decisions. If you can consider robbing banks all over the world something rational. Unlike him, I don't care about planning. I think it's a total waste of my time. I prefer living in the moment, enjoying the thrill, you know. We are total opposites, though they do say that opposites attract. I guess that's why we have been together for 5 years now.  "Can we go in yet? I feel like I'm going to die here!" I say over the walkie-talkie. "Not yet, Raven. Be patient. I know how much this pains you, but if you wait, I can promise you an extensive reward afterward." Ace responds. "Oooooh. An extensive reward, huh? I'll see you to that then." I said with a smirk on my face. Ace's rewards are always the most interesting. I can't wait! "Can you guys stop making it sound so suggestive with everyone listening? It's embarrassing." Zack pleads. "Common Zack, you know they are just joking to tease you since they know how flustered you get." Ash says while laughing his ass off over the communicator. "You guys are so mean, you know," Zack says in a pouty tone. I can't believe how cute the guy is when he's mad. I start laughing too, however, I stop when Ace says the words I have been wanting to hear all day long. "Zoe has finished hacking the security system. We are going in!" We run down the building where we were spying on our target, the JPMorgan & Chase headquarters, to the actual place.

   When we all get there, we enter through the front door and break havoc! Everyone starts screaming and running the moment they see our rifles. "Well, this is going to be fun. Ace, go ahead. I can clean this up alone." I say motioning to the route that should lead to the vault. "Also, tell Ash to start preparing the getaway car before he forgets, and something like last time occurs."  He nods and runs with Zack to the end of the building.

   "Well, well, well. You guys are sure an unlucky bunch. First, you're caught in a bank robbery by a bunch of trained assassins, and after you're left alone with me. Guess that's your luck then." I say as I start firing shots randomly all over the room. I can hear all the people screaming of fear and pain, for those who 'accidentally' got shot. It all brings a smile to my face. After enjoying my state of bliss for a moment I remember what the mission is and say, "You got two choices here. One, help me out and get rid of all the evidence that we were ever here or two, also help me out, though this time by giving me the pleasure of killing you." Everyone like in all other cases chooses to live. This job is really getting too predictable. Why doesn't anyone choose to die? It really makes it boring for me like this. Ugh! I detest this so much! I know that if I kill them Ace will get enraged, but where is the pleasure in letting them do whatever they fancy?!   

   While I'm caught up in my thoughts, someone takes out a phone and sends their exact location to the police with an SOS note. The moment I see them, I take their phone away and shoot both their hands, but it was too late. The message is already sent. I take out the walkie-talkie while controlling the urge to just kill the guy for messing up my day and try to reach Ace, yet it doesn't work. I try and try again, yet nothing happens. That can only mean one thing. Oh, God! We are in deep! The police are onto us, and they got a hacker. I have to go tell him. However, if I go, these clowns will try to escape and wreck everything even more. What to do? What to do? Ugh! This such a bother! Well, there's nothing more that I can do so I have decided. "People, listen up," I yell, and each person in the room turns to face me. "You see how this man next to me has two holes in his hands? Well, that happened because he tried to mess with us, so if you guys don't want to have the same holes in your skull, you better not move." I jog down the hallway to the vault, where I see Ace and Zack finishing gathering the money. "Ace, we may have a little problem," I say trying to sugarcoat the problem a little before he goes off. "Then spit it out!" He says already growing mad. He has always been a perfectionist, so when our plans go the other way, you really don't want to be there. "I may have gotten distracted, and someone may have told the police where they are, so now they are onto us with a hacker under their command," I say nearly above a whisper. "You what?! Are you kidding me right now?!" He shouts. Oh, god, here we go. I try to part my gaze from his, but before I can do that, he grabs my chin and says, "F***ing look me in the eyes, Raven! You had one job! Only one s***ty job, but no, you had to go and get distracted again! Don't you feel guilty enough with what happened last time?!" That when I hit my breaking point. I love Ace, that's why I put up with his anger outbursts, but I won't let him condemn me for something I didn't do! "You know very well that wasn't my fault Ace, so stop bulls****ing me," I say while I push him off me. "I admit, THIS time I made a mistake, but you know very well that everyone here has at least once made a one. And also, last time it was YOUR fault that your brother died, not mine," I say as I leave the room, banging the vault door. How could he?! Blaming me for his errors! I know that his position is stressful and that he's supposed to be perfect. I get that, and I'm continuously trying to help him, but I won't put up with this. I love him. I really do, plus I know he loves me too, except when he gets like this, it really doesn't seem so. I sit down on one of the computers on the top floors and start hacking my way through the FBI system, but every time I try to do it, I'm always sidetracked by one single thought. What if it really was my fault? What if Ace was correct? If I hadn't skipped duty to go help him solve his problems, his brother would still be breathing. Maybe if I had been there, I could have protected him. I knew how dangerous it was, but I still chose to leave the person he cherished the most all alone while I went to help the person I loved. If I had just stayed there... Maybe... "Thump" What was that noise? I think it came from the floors below. Are those fools trying to escape? Let me go check before I lose my temper and start a killing spree.

   When I peek out the door leading to the main entrance, I see what I dreaded the most. The police are here. If I hadn't been thinking about stupid things that I can't fix, I could have prevented this. Oh well. I must pay the price then. I run to where Ace and Zack are and tell them the situation. Ace grabs the bags and says, "Zhoe incapacitated their hacker that's why they are bursting in, but still, weirdly, they are doing this with so light planning. Let's worry about that later, though. Common, Ash is waiting for us to get away." He grabs my hand and starts running to the safe passageway. "No," I say. "What do you mean, no? If you stay here, they are going to get you." He says, confused. "I know, that's why I have to stay. Don't you remember the rules? The clan's rules strictly say that the one that causes the mess has to clean it up, and I plan to follow them." I say as I unhand myself from his grasp. "No. That doesn't apply to you. You're my girlfriend. I can't live without you!" He says pleadingly. "Ace, I'm sorry. I really am, but the clan gave me a home, plus I have already made too many messes." I say, loading my rifle. "No, you haven't. This was your only mistake." He says, taking my weapon away from me. "No, it isn't. Don't you remember. I killed your brother. You said it yourself." I say as tears stream down my face, and before he can stop me, I grab my rifle and run down the hall. Midway through the hallway, I see him running after him and order Zack to get him back to safety. The tears won't stop streaming down my face. Even so, I do my best to smile and focus on my mission. Here we go! I start shooting everyone, police and innocent. I'll get everyone to safety even if I have to die trying. I injure about 50 people and police officers before someone steps behind me and knocks me unconscious.

   When I wake up, I'm in a prison cell. I take a sniff of the air and it smelled exactly like I remembered. I'm home again. "You're awake, huh. Took you long enough." A rude slender man says. "What if I did? I'm sure you wouldn't be saying that if I wasn't caged in here like a wild beast." I retort. "True, but I'm not the one in the cage, am I? Anyways, your charges are the killing of 20 innocent people, the injuring of another 35, and the killing/injuring of 15 officers. What do you have to say about this?" He asks coldly. This man is really getting on my nerves right now. Maybe a little teasing won't be that bad. "I only have three things to say. One, I broke my record in less than 15 minutes. Second, I plead guilty, and third, get your ugly face out of mine." I state with a wolf-like sneer. "Then guilty, you shall be. The court trial will be tomorrow." The man says as he leaves. Oh well, it didn't work much, did it? Such a bother!

    I was found guilty and was sent to a maximum-security prison. It has been one month since then, and I have been in 100 prison fights and only lost one. I have had more fun here than in real life. Free food, water, clothes, and entertainment. This is heaven, or at least that's what I want myself to believe. In reality, I miss my team so much, but I know I'll never see them again. Especially Ace. Oh, Ace. I remember when we met. I had run away from home because of my parents. They would beat and cut me every day, and no one would do anything. They all knew, but they wouldn't do anything! I'm sure everyone could hear my screams for help at night, yet it was to no avail. It was a literal hell, so I ran. I ran far away thinking that things would get better. Nonetheless, things just became worse. I had no food. I couldn't bathe. I would get raped by people on the street. I even started to think that maybe I should go back home, but before I could do so, an angel found me. It was Ace. He offered me a place to stay. A home where I was treated like a goddess. A real family that loved me, and how did I repay him. I repaid him by killing his brother, the family he loved the most. "I'm so sorry, Ace...." I whisper without thinking. "It wasn't your fault. I was the one that asked you to come and the one that planned the hunt wrong, so stop it. Stop punishing yourself. Do it for me." Ace says, looking into my eyes while opening the cell. "Ace?! You're here?!" I yell. "Shush," he replies while putting a hand over my mouth. "Did you really think I would leave you? You really have low hopes for your boyfriend." "Ace! You're here. I'm sorry I thought you wouldn't come. But how did you convince them to let you rescue me? Don't tell me you came without permission! They're going to kill you!" I say as concern takes over me. "Calm down. I have permission. That's why it took such a long time to come for you. I'm sorry I couldn't be here sooner. Will you forgive me?" He says as he leads me to the roof, where I suppose our chopper is, but before we can get there, the gruff detective, who questioned me before, stops us. "Who are you, and what are you doing with the prisoner?" He says as he aims his gun at us. Ace leans down to my ear and whispers, "Go up the stair, turn right, and you'll find the helicopter." "What about you? You're gonna come, right?" I say, and he stays silent. "Right? Pls, don't leave me. We'll figure out something. Pls" Is all I manage to say before he pushes me up the stairs and I hear the shot. The shot that killed my soulmate. "I'll be with you from dusk 'till dawn." Is all Ace says before his body crumples to the ground. No! No! No! Why?! Why couldn't I die instead of him?!

    Feeling like it had been too long since Ace had come down here, the team comes down and takes me away before I can do anything. "Stop. I need to be with him. Stop! I have to help him." I yell while kicking and punching everything around me like a little girl. "You know he's dead, Raven, so get out of it. Now you have to lead us and make Ace proud, so get up and lead!" Ash says, and his words snap me out. Yes, that's what we'll do. We'll avenge him. We'll get our revenge on the whole U.S police, and they will pay the cost for killing the only light inside my darkness.

   In the end, Ash and I are driving down the interstate with only one goal and eight words in mind. Those eight words were Ace's last words, "I'll be with you from dusk 'till dawn." Those eight words are now my reason for living. He was there and still is there for me, thus, I'll repay it to him by doing the same. I WILL avenge him, and I WILL make justice.