Greetings readers! This here's a delightfully dark, mildly comical, and potentially cringe-worthy alternate universe story (no Lyoko or Xana) about lovable, screwed up European criminals searching for redemption, freedom, and for some, revenge. Enjoy the madness! Rated M for lots of language, violence, death, tons of guns and obsessive compulsions of their owners, and in general, some wonderfully messed up people killing, destroying, and doing everything you really aren't supposed to do in public. Plus some tender romance to soften the edges a bit. :P
PURSUIT:
A young woman in her earlier twenties sat across from a balding man at a large glossy wood desk, in a room in one of the top floors of a glass-laden corporate office building. Uncertain of how easily the guest had entered his own office, the executive stared at the female with increasing agitation as a discussion between them rapidly declined into an exchange of sharp low-voiced remarks.
"...Look. I don't give a shit what your friends think. I'm not going to take that kind of damn risk! The market's too unstable for some stupid ass buyout like that."
The woman, her hair a light red color and patience wearing thin, sighed from his continued resistance. With a slight turn of her head, she then lifted a briefcase up from beside her chair, and set it upon the desk with an obvious *CLUNK*.
"Maybe this will make you reconsider."
Prying open the latches, and then flicking the lid up, a startling sight of nearly one million euros sat in numerous bundles within, and the pallor in the man's face changed, only for a fleeting moment of consideration to devolve into further anger.
"...Bribing me? Fuck you. Get out of my office."
Blinking from the refusal, her eyebrows furrowed further above hardening eyes.
"I can add another quarter million."
Heart beating as he simply answered with a grunt, shoving the briefcase off his desk, the piles of euro notes spread onto the floor among the clatter, and the young woman stared down at the sight beside herself, hands tightening around her thighs.
"I won't take FIFTY MILLION Euros! Get the fuck out of my office you stupid bitch!"
After an uncomfortable moment of stares meeting, the frustration inside her reached its cap and invisibly exploded. Slipping her hand within her dress coat in a calm reach for her cell phone, her fingers instead curled around familiar edges of plated steel seated in leather, and with a lightning-fast whirl of moving clothing, she stood from her chair, withdrew a large-frame pistol from a holster, leveled it at his face, and with a sharp crack of igniting gunpowder and moving steel, a bullet went clean through the man's forehead, forever silencing his frustrated breath.
Watching the lifeless body slump down onto his chair behind, only to flop down onto the floor below, a shaky breath left her lungs from the sight of blood splattered around a web of fractured glass on the window behind.
Fuck.
"Aelita... What the hell just happened?"
Touching her index finger to her earpiece in response, she shoved the chair aside, kneeling down beside the briefcase on the floor, gathering together the bundles of money with her free hand.
"What do you think? I shot the piece of shit. He wasn't going to accept any amount of money we could throw at him."
"...You weren't really supposed to kill him."
"I guess that's too bad now."
"Well... God, alright. Hurry the hell up and get down to the lobby. If you get stopped up there, we're not barging in to rescue you."
Exhaling heavily, heart racing as she stowed her pistol, a .357 Desert Eagle fitted with a threaded suppressor, she hastily closed the suitcase, and rose upright, beginning a beeline towards the office's entrance, only to screech to a halt, remembering the sight of a laptop on the desk. Hurriedly doubling back to retrieve it, yanking the power cable from the portable computer, she casually stepped over to the pair of elevators that served the building, tapping on a down-arrow button, and then watching as the doors to the left promptly opened with the chime of an electronic bell.
Hold on... This guy really pissed me off, actually.
With a faint cheeky smile growing on her lips, she then held the laptop up between the doors as they drew closed, waiting patiently and watching with delight as the sections of steel came together, clamping shut with the laptop between them. Watching with further delight as the device was then drug down between the floors as the car began to descend unseen, she stepped back, watching as the laptop was brought down to the floor, and then exploded and shattered into pieces from being crushed again between the floor and the roof of the elevator car.
Whoops. Try getting all that information back.
Pressing the down button on the other elevator, she stood still, only to realize the implication of the elevator descending to a lower floor. Glancing back at the splatter of blood a fair distance behind, her heart continued to race as the doors to the right opened, thankfully empty.
Damn.
Stepping inside, she pressed a combination of numbers on a keypad, and with a turn as the elevator car's doors shut, the small room then zoomed down the shaft in a direct heading for the ground floor.
He must have wondered how I even got up to his office... Asshole. Anyway... Let's see if we get out of here without any issues...
Peeking out of the doors as they reopened, she casually walked through the large lobby, breath held tight in her lungs. Spotting a pair of security guards rushing to the elevators she had just departed, she detoured into a large curve around them, spotting a dish of peppermint candies seated on a counter. Plucking one from the bowl in passing and popping it into her mouth, her tongue pressed the candy against her cheek, attempting to look as inconspicuous as possible as another security guard walked right past her, tightening her lips.
"The car is just to the right outside the entrance. Hurry up."
Exhaling from the voice in her ear, and shoving through the entry of the office building, she traded a momentary smile with a child and its mother, and then, after a casual glance to the left, continued a hurried pace to the black sedan idling along the sidewalk. On queue, as she approached it, a door popped open, and within seconds she slipped inside, and the vehicle calmly departed.
Turning from the window, exhaling from a narrow escape, her eyes sank to the briefcase in her lap. Rising upward, however, Aelita found herself being stared at by her partners as she settled into the seat of the car - Yumi Ishyama, Ulrich Stern, and Jeremy Belpois, who was driving, and earlier, was talking into her earpiece.
"Why did you shoot him?"
Rolling her eyes from the expected question, her head slumped back against the vehicle's headrest.
"That... Shitmeister, had no intention to cooperate. Not even for fifty million, apparently."
Trading a glance with Jeremy, the blonde haired driver in the rear-view mirror, Ulrich shook his head from the expected failure.
"I'm surprised you even brought the money back... Especially after last time where you threw the suitcase, a computer monitor, and the guy's chair out of the window."
"Whoever didn't get killed by glass and falling objects on the street below, sure had a great time with a hundred thousand Euros."
Smiling briefly from the retelling of a prior moment of uncontrolled rage, the mirth then vanished as Yumi, a calmly-speaking Japanese woman, eyed her with apprehension from her expression.
"What did you do this time... Besides blowing his brains out?"
"Destroyed his laptop with the elevator doors. Was kinda fun to watch."
Stared at Aelita, seated next to himself, Ulrich's brow furrowed further.
You idiot... "Is that the sort of punishment you'd give to a child of yours? 'Son, you're grounded, and I'm crushing your computer with a fuckin' elevator. Or maybe with a sledgehammer. Maybe I should just light it on fire in the fireplace too.'"
Grunting as she burst into laughter, and then eying Jeremy as he quietly chuckled in the driver's seat in front of her, Ulrich exhaled.
"...Sad part is, I could totally see that being the case."
"I couldn't. Aelita would kill her spouse before they would be anywhere close to having kids."
In an instant, her mirth disappeared, replaced by the laughter of the other three as the conversation swiftly turned around.
"...No I wouldn't!"
"Like hell you wouldn't, Schaeffer. We know how trigger happy you are. You only proved it again fifteen minutes ago."
Staring unhappily at Yumi from her condescending words, Aelita's fingers tightened around the edges of the briefcase in her lap.
"...Its not like you're getting anywhere in the family department either."
"Neither of us want kids right now. What's your point?"
Her eyes flitted between Ulrich and Yumi, and then sank.
"...Well, what the fuck. I wouldn't kill a man I love like that."
"I doubt it. You'd kill anyone over anything."
Face growing dark from the continued laughter, Aelita looked aside through the tinted glass of the window, only to reach ahead around the seat and grab Jeremy's shirt collar, yanking him back with a resurgence of earlier frustration.
"Pull over."
"What? Why?"
"Pull the fuck over or else!"
The car swerved to the sidewalk, and Aelita shoved the suitcase into Ulrich, kicking the door open and storming away from the vehicle in an unknown direction.
"Where are you going, Schaeffer?"
"Getting away from you assholes!"
"You immature shit. Throwing another tantrum?"
"Fuck you!"
Nostrils flaring with breath as the door shut behind, the rev of an engine indicated the departure of the sedan into the distance, and seconds later Aelita dug out the earpiece and cast it aside with a grunt, storming around the corner of a building. After several seconds of furious footfall, she then thrust herself back against the the old brickwork of wall behind, facing a small courtyard in the low evening light. Dragging her hand down her face, she then slid down the wall until she sat down on the ground.
Stupid woman... Just about the biggest bitch in the world. She has no right to talk shit about me like that. I could have a family if I damn well wanted to!
Peeking above her hand, a whimper croaked from her throat as her brow furrowed.
Raising a family would be nice... Then again, just having... Anything... I don't know.
Scooted her legs closer to herself, she then set her face upon one of her knees.
God damn this job to hell... Sucking the fucking life out of me. I can't escape. But I can't do anything unless I escape.
After several seconds, contemplating the thought of allowing welled-up emotion in her eyes to fall free, Aelita sniffed pathetically, only to glance upwards from a patter of tiny footfall as a pigeon hesitantly approached.
"I hate my life, bird."
"Me too."
Blinking from the presence of an unfamiliar voice, only to stare at the avian's beady eyes, she exhaled with apprehension.
Stupid pigeon just spoke. Or I'm mental.
Jumping as much heavier footfall cautiously approached from the side, her attention whirled aside as a human figure walked over and sat next to her, causing the pigeon to scurry away in avoidance.
...The hell? Who is this, and why...
"Hello."
Staring at the person who sat next to her, discovering a young blonde man wearing an old tan coat, her brow quirked from his greeting.
Uhh, huh."...Hi."
"So... What was all that yelling for?"
Chin rising, Aelita eyed the individual carefully.
"Well... This bitch I work with told me that I would kill my spouse before I have any kids."
"Why would she say that?"
Turning her head further, her eyes narrowed at the male.
Hmm. Prying further, huh? "She and her boyfriend, who I also work with, are stuck up pricks who think they're the shit. I like them, but it doesn't take much for me to hate the shit out of them too."
The blonde slowly smiled, easing her apprehension slightly.
"I know that feeling. What is it that you do anyway?"
Blinking from the innocent question, her lips parted with hesitation.
"Bad things."
"Like what?"
The blonde's smile grew, implying for her to continue, and her expression flattened.
"Alright, mister. I kill people. I do shit with a lot of money. I just shot some dumbass today in the forehead cause he wouldn't take a million euro bribe."
The blonde then held out his open hand, and she stared at the sudden gesture.
"That makes two of us."
Aelita, at first hesitant, shook his hand. Yeah right.
"The name's Odd. Della Robbia. Nice to meet you"
"Aelita."
"Mmm. Lovely name."
Shut up. "What kind of work do you do anyway?"
Watching as the young man rolled his eyes in a period of recollection, she studied his facial features in the interim.
"I freelance... But like you, I've thrown lots of money and bullets around. Shot a guy in the left eye last week with a rifle from a rooftop. Was pouring rain like crazy, and with a silencer, you can't hear anything from the streets below."
A smile graced her lips, and she slowly withdrew her Desert Eagle from its holster, and for a moment, he inspected the large pistol in her grasp, focusing on the suppressor fitted onto the barrel.
"...Damn. You actually had a silencer fitted onto one of those?"
"Sure did."
"Never seen it done on an Eagle before. Is it quiet?"
"Quieter. Its still a gun."
Watching with held breath as he withdrew his own firearm, revealed to be a large-frame revolver, she looked over the equally sizable pistol for a moment.
This is like show and tell or some shit.
"This thing isn't very quiet, as you can imagine."
A slight smile graced her cheeks, and she sighed, leaning back against the wall.
"Right."
"Anyway... What brings girl packing a big pistol into an alley in the middle of Brussels?"
"Fuck if I know. I just got off a botched job, got pissed at my coworkers, and... I have no idea what I'm doing sitting here... To be honest."
Glancing upward in a realization of their darkening surroundings, a breath then left Odd's lungs.
"I don't know what I'm doing sitting here in Belgium."
Glancing aside as he stowed his own firearm, she exhaled.
"Up to no good, obviously."
"Aren't we all?"
"Yeah."
Seated on opposite sides of a worn wooden table in the back corner of a noisy street-side bar, working through a second round of liquor, both Aelita and Odd sat with arms resting on the table's tarnished surface.
"Norway? What the hell brought you out here?"
Grinning from her question, Odd's index finger drug along the edges of the glass in hand.
"Before I answer that, what the hell brought you here from France?"
"Business."
"So vague."
Snorting, Aelita leaned closer.
"Started with a smuggling job... A couple containers of guns for all the ruckus in Africa... My friends and I made sure the shipper's competition here in Brussels was dead before we got the shipment into Algeria."
Odd's eyebrows rose with continued interest.
"Nice. After that?"
"Well... After a few odd jobs, there was a little number with a bank in the Netherlands... My other partner set up a temporary software hack that redirected money... Somewhere around four million euros from numerous accounts. Mostly CEOs, cause the hell if those jerkwads need that kind of money."
Odd leaned back, grinning.
"Brilliant. Reminds me of when I worked for a wealthy man in Spain a couple months ago."
"What happened with him?"
"Well... I was finally paid a good amount to take him out by a fellow that hated his guts. Almost got killed myself in some double-cross ploy. Part of why I don't like getting tangled up in more than one side's business."
Aelita squinted, and took another sip of her drink.
"Spain, huh? You've know about the Spanish bailout, right?"
"Yeah."
She then eyed the blonde.
"I bet now would be a perfect time to screw around with them now that they have the money... Maybe launder some of it for good measure."
Odd took a gulp of the glass, and set it down, eying his new-found friend.
"You're terrible."
"I know. Just scheming up business."
His hand rubbed the stubble on his chin.
"Should scheme up some food while we're at it. Where are you staying tonight?"
Pausing from the unexpected question, Aelita squinted at him.
"I don't have a clue... Why?"
"Why don't you drop by my place for tonight... I'm thinking we should talk some business."
Sure. Is that what you call it? "What's the catch?"
Odd then rolled his eyes in a smile.
"You're responsible for your own dinner."
Reclining back into the faded fabric of a leather couch, feet propped up onto the coffee table in front of it, and a plate of pasta and sauce sitting on her lap, Aelita slowly chewed on the microwaved meal in an unexpectedly cozy, bare apartment.
Simple place... For a not-simple life.
Looking towards Odd as he sat in an armchair, she watched his hands move, flipping distractedly through the pages of a magazine.
"So... Your friends. How long have you know them?"
Setting the fork down on her plate, a breath wandered from her nose.
"Years... We've stayed together after all this time somehow."
Glancing up at her for a moment, his chin rose slightly.
"You said you hate them."
A small smile returned to her face from his statement.
"I do. I've known them long enough to know that they're assholes, but that we all somehow tolerate each other."
Her eyes met the blonde's again, keeping his attention as she stuck a new forkful of pasta into her mouth.
"...On the same token, I like to wonder how they tolerate a wild woman like me."
"...Wild woman?"
Laughing awkwardly as she chewed, she then swallowed the mouthful.
"My... Work experience, if you may, should have given you a clue."
His eyebrow rose, and she set the fork down again.
"Come on, Odd... I kill, steal, drink and swear like a sailor."
After a momentary silence, Odd looked down into the magazine again.
"Not the sort for a quiet home life, are you?"
Hands tightening, a pang of emotion rippled through her skin.
"Actually... I'd love to have a quiet life. I wake up each day wondering if I'm going to get shot or arrested, and I hate it. I'd rather wake up and wonder about what I'm going to do today or where I want to go... Or something else that's normal."
"You know, back when I was a kid, I liked to wonder about how amazing being an adult was going to be... But I never imagined it would end up being full of of bloodshed and a never-ending cycle of deadly risks being taken."
Boy does that hit home... "I never saw myself wandering into where I am today either. My life sucks, and clearly your life sucks too, and there's nothing we can do to change the past."
"Yep. But that's why you don't worry about what you can't change, my friend. Worry about where you're going next."
After a moment, Aelita resumed eating, increasingly content with his company.
"Anyway, I don't know about you, but I'm about to hit the hay. I'm... I guess you can sleep on the couch if you'd like."
Watching the young man as he stood from the armchair and walked towards a closet, a blanket appeared in his grasp, only to be cast onto the padded leather next to her.
"Or... If you'd rather bail, feel free. You don't have to stay overnight."
Watching with utter surprise as he disappeared into the small bedroom just a few paces away, shutting the door behind, Aelita slowly exhaled from the new vacuum of silence.
Well. I was half expecting myself to end up in his bed... Or something. I guess that wasn't his actual intent. I don't even know what his intent is, or was.
Finishing the meal with one last spearing of pasta with her fork, she set the platter aside onto the table, and stood up, wandering briefly until she found a switch on the wall. Shutting the lights off, she shuffled over through the darkness, taking off her coat dropping it aside as she settled onto the couch, only to begin wrestling with the offered blanket.
Anyway... I'm tired, and for now I'm somewhere unknown. So maybe this is fine.
Eying the cloudy night outside of the windows, a breath drifted from her lungs, lost in thought.
...Would seem I found a new friend, who does the same awful shit I do too. Imagine that.
Closing her eyelids, processing imagery of the prior day, she rolled aside, attempting to find a comfortable position on the couch.
Maybe I need to leave those fuckers behind more often.