The Ho Chi Minh City in this fic is not the same as the real one so don't try to scale it. (: Also thanx to my dear papa for pointers (unknowingly) since he apparently did similar stunts when he was my age and a so-called 'badass' lol. Enjoy! What would a spy thriller be without one of these?


Alley of the Leprechaun's Den, 10:03 am

"Take my backpack."

"Oof!"

A second later, Jack kicked the steel door to the hangout open and flew out. Tooth wheezed out a breath and staggered to catch his pack awkwardly when he rammed it into her chest. A second later they were both holding the balcony's railing looking down. A strong breeze flew up into their faces.

Tooth shivered even though the warm, morning sun was shining down on her skin. She was thankful to be out in the light again and not in the closed quarters again...but the thought of an assassin (especially Pitch's) being right behind them, completely took over her senses. She gripped Jack's backpack tightly and opened her mouth.

"T-That plane's gate will close at least five minutes before it leaves," she muttered under her breath hotly as he looked down at all the parked cars. "We need to get there before 10:30, b-but from all the way here we'll never...Shit, Jack. What do we–"

Jack suddenly flipped over the railing.

"OH!" Tooth cried out and instinctively reached out her hand to catch him but Jack was already falling thirty feet to a small open space between the cars. When he reached the ground he landed perfectly in a silent crouch and Toothiana's mouth flew open, wondering how his combat boots didn't make a sound. Then he pulled up and bolted to the left.

"Jack?!" she cried. "JACK!" When he didn't look back, she ran a hand through her bangs angrily and shrugged on his backpack. In a rush, she clambered down the fire escape while she muttered to herself that he was a 'damn crazy legs' and would no way in hell take his more...creative route down to the ground.

Tooth was huffing by the time she got onto the pavement and looked back at the door. Any second now Pitch's hitman was going to kick that door open too and fire shots or shoot a net at her like they did in those crazy tv shows to catch her–Vrrrrm!

10: 04 am

Tooth spun her head and found Jack coming to a stop in front of her...on a sleek black motorcycle. Her mouth fell open as he pulled back on the right throttle to give it a little more gas but when she didn't immediately move, he glared at her and lifted the helmet he was holding.

"Princess!" he barked. "Come on!"

Tooth shakily moved around a parked silver car and stepped up to the front of the slim motorcycle. Its engine was loud, like the deep purr from a lion and it looked expensive. Her eyes bugged out of her sockets.

"Whe...Stop stealing people's–D-Do you even know how to drive it?!"

Jack narrowed his eyes at her as he steadied the motorcycle on one foot.

"Of course," he spat. "I'm a professional."

She couldn't help it. "Yeah, a professional pain in my–"Vrrrm!

Tooth jumped when Jack pulled back hard on the throttle. He sent her a violent look.

"Get. ON." he snapped and she gritted her teeth but moved quickly to his side. She lifted her skirt slightly and threw a slender leg over it. As she settled in the seat behind him and fiddled with the strap under her chin, he spoke.

"Have you ever ridden on one before?" he asked over the bike's surprisingly loud muffler. She shook her head.

"N-No." She had always wished she would get to one day...and somehow knowing that Jack could and she would get hold him...well, that just made her day. You know, minus the possible pursuit that might take place. Tooth really hoped it wouldn't.

As she slowly clasped her arms in front of him, he grabbed both her wrists.

"Do you want to fall off?" he griped and pulled her hands over the other so far until her palms were pressed right around his waist. He then let go and took hold of the bike again.

"When I lean, lean with me to create the streamline for the wind," he instructed. "And if I brake hard, you can use a free hand to push against the fuel tank behind to hold yourself up, alright?"

None of that Tooth heard since her head was preparing for its first bike ride. She would only go on instinct. That's when Jack finally revved the engine angrily. He was ready to shift the gears with his left foot and let go of the brake when–

"WAIT!"

Jack nearly jumped out of his skin and jerked the vehicle with his right foot on the back brake.

10:05 am

He glared sideways at her.

"What?!"

"Hang on! My dress–" And he felt her let go of him and move awkwardly on the side. Jack's eyes widened slightly.

"What are y–"

"I-It was hanging on the side and I–"

"Are you kidding me right now?!"

"Just-just gimme a sec before you sta–"

Her blue-green skirt was moving wildly in her shaky hands as she figured out how to untangle it from the side.

"Princess!"

"I almost got it! AND GOD, YOU'RE THE ONE WHO G–"

"PRINCESS! CAN WE GO?!"

"YES YOU CAN GO NOW!"

"YES?!"

"YES! GO!"

And Jack rolled his eyes and lifted his foot back onto the bike.

A second later he switched the gear, let go of both brakes, and he pulled back on the right throttle and they tore off!

10: 05: 21

He drove the bike in the opposite direction they had walked in, heading toward the other end of the short alley whilst twisting slightly between the tight spaces of the cars. But as they reached the end of the alley–

Boom!

Tooth was too nervous on her first-ever motorcycle ride to want to move, but Jack twisted his head slightly over his shoulder.

A well-built man in a black uniform was leaning over the steel railing. His black helmet with its yellow visor was already covering his head.
Pitch's goon had just run out onto the balcony and was looking down for them on the ground, but as his head snapped in their direction, they had already reached the end of alley and Jack turned sharply to the right.

10: 05: 39

"Ohh!" Tooth squealed and went stiff as a tree trunk. They were flying down a new, tighter, street filled with people's junk they usually kept in their backyards.

Jack decelerated slightly on the front brake as he expertly swerved around crates, mangy dogs, broken appliances, car parts, and at one point...a line of chicken. Meanwhile, Tooth kept moaning at high pitch every time she saw something too close at them for comfort.

"Jack, careful. Careful!"

"Princess, I need to focus!" he griped over the sound of the engine and managed to avoid clipping a twisted piece of chicken wire. With deep inhale, Jack squinted past the wind in his brown eyes and leaned more over the dashboard. But as he assessed the short distance left till the end of the street–

Two gunshots went off over their heads and spooked him the tiniest bit off focus. Both he and Tooth looked up, the wind rushing over their faces.

10: 05: 52

Against the high morning sun, the black silhouette of Pitch's hitman was parkouring across the roofs on their right, expertly leaping across the edges and trying to catch up with them.

Tooth's magenta-coloured eyes grew wide.

"HE'S GOT A GUN!" she screamed and Jack snapped his head forward again. He growled under his breath.

"Keep your visor down!" he yelled but she shook her head even though he couldn't see it.

"I–!" But the rest of her words flew from her mouth as Jack finally reached the end of the street and jerked the black bike to the left.

When they turned out of sight, the hitman moved proactively.

He made a quick look down at the next gap in the two small apartments and immediately leaped down in between both walls. Using a thick water pipe, he spun and flipped down effortlessly, then made a run into the tight street the princess and her bodyguard–

(Vietnamese ) "No, wait stop! Who are–THWACK!"

But not before he punched a guy in the face and stole his red motorcycle.

He then sped off down the street after Jack and Tooth!

10: 06: 21

Jack knew this new street – it was the same one they'd walked down to find the alley for Hue's hangout. He shot his eyes glaringly around, making mental assessments.

Positive: It was near empty, since it was still morning and in a shady part of the city so he had more command of the road.
Negative: it was empty. So that meant a clear shot for the friend trying to whack him off from behind.

"H-How did he know me by my necklace?!" Tooth cried trying to blink back tears which she told herself were strictly from the wind in her face. Jack was already accelerating again as they sped down the empty, grungy road.

"How else did Pitch know where and who to kidnap?" he said loudly over the blistering wind. His rapped his pale fingers anxiously over the handle bar as the cool air blew his brown bangs up and away from his forehead. "He no doubt had a profile on you! Everything his men needed to know about how to spot you, including what you wear!"

Tooth nervously peeked over her left shoulder to look behind. She was terrified of falling off.

"I think we lost him!" she said before she turned back around and leaned forward more against Jack's back. "B-But let's never go down tight alleys again okay?!"

10: 06: 37

When Jack almost clipped the first car they passed on the road, Tooth cried out and threw herself to the left as he swerved out of its way.

"TOO CLOSE!" she yelled. "D-Don't do that, I'm scared!"And Jack looked down briefly before he looked back up again.

"Princess, see the clock on the dashboard here! What's the time?" he called over the wind and Tooth snapped her head down over his shoulder to stare at the little circular instrument.

"Ten o' six!" And she felt him nod.

"Okay, so I need you to do something for me! I want you to keep your eyes down on it and keep telling me the time as I drive!"

When she didn't respond, Jack turned his head slightly to his left.

"OKAY?"

10: 06: 57

"Y-Yeah, yeah!" she cried and Tooth didn't lift her eyes once from it. She thought his idea was smart – keeping her head down while he drove distracted her so she wouldn't get scared and watch all the horrible things they could potentially crash into.

"Jack, i-it's ten o' seven now!"

"Good!" he said and when he felt the motorcycle jerking tightly through several more cars now showing up at the end of the street, he gritted his teeth.

"And princess, don't lock your hips!" Jack cried and she lifted her eyes briefly. He continued as they nearly clipped a car on the right. "Move with the bike! Otherwise you'll restrict my movements!"

"W–" She choked when it felt like a bug flew into her mouth!

"I feel it as you're holding me! Get more loose or I can't lean side-to-side!"

Somehow Tooth found that sentence awkward but as her cheeks grew a pretty glow of light pink, she narrowed her eyes firmly on the digital clock again.

"S-Sorry!"

And she eased her tense spine and tried to pretend her lower half and the bike were moving together like a snake. It helped alot.

Suddenly–

"Gah!"

10: 07: 18

Tooth leaned more into Jack's back, trying to duck her head. Two more gunshots went off behind them!

Jack snarled and turned the bike sharply right when the street ended. When the slope went upward, Jack pulled the left throttle and switched the gear quickly into 2nd before tearing up the incline. The new street had more moderate morning traffic, and as Jack pulled back on the right throttle more fervently, he and Tooth moved further away from the sketchy part of Ho Chi Minh and back into relatively safer districts.

Jack drove with the wind like they were one. He was fluid and at ease trying to catch the air currents around the speeding motorcycle while Tooth just held on tightly. Her legs were cramping from how tightly she was gripping the bike's sides but it pumped adrenaline through her veins.

10: 08: 03

A loud screech of tires was heard down behind them. Jack flit his eyes at the side-view mirror. A flash of black on red zipped passed the glass and disappeared behind several cars.

Jack frowned. The guy had stolen a motorcycle too!

The damn guy was fast, probably more of a trained driver than shooter – Jack noticed that when he realised his aim with a rifle wasn't as accurate as his control with the red motorcycle.

But Jack wasn't scared, this guy wasn't nearly as good. They were already over the peak of the street while he was still trying to weave past cars to get to them.

10: 08: 45

"H-How far are we from the airport?!" Tooth yelled over the sounds of the bike's powerful engine and the angry drivers honking at them for flipping them off. The back windshield of a van beside them shattered when the bullet whizzed through and Tooth snapped her head sideways while Jack pulled a magnificent 87° merge into the second lane before following with a sharp twist onto a partially empty sidewalk. The horns and traffic brakes went off in a frenzy.

10: 09: 03

Tooth yelped when she felt the motorcycle go over the curb in a large dun! and they were essentially (illegally) whizzing down the side street. Jack sped way ahead now of the traffic and more importantly, the assassin who was essentially trying to kill him off.

10: 09: 17

He clenched his teeth behind his closed jaw.

'They won't try to kill her,' he surmised in his head. 'They kept her in that holding room for over twelve hours...which meant that Pitch needs her ali–'

"OLD LADY!" Tooth cried and Jack blinked out of his thoughts.

10: 09: 29

At the last second, his subconscious kicked in and he jerked the bike swiftly to the left of the sidewalk – avoiding the elderly woman that Tooth was pointing at – and caught a lucky break...a morning delivery truck with a ramp levelled against its trunk was just in front of him.

Jack revved the engine and drove up it like classic spy-movie would allow. Too bad Tooth didn't enjoy being a part of it as the gunshots flew past them in loud pangs.
When they landed on the roof of a parked car in front of it, Jack expertly rode down the front of its windshield and merged into the road.

At the next red light they got, he turned right at its corner and tore down a new slope.

10: 10: 01

Jack glared at Tooth's curls under her helmet in the mirror. "I thought I told you to look down!" he shouted hotly.

"And I thought you were a professional!"

"Will you just let me drive!?"

"Ten-ten!"

And he squeezed the right hand brake to slow down the front wheel as the slope grew more narrow. The sun was hot against their backs as they drove away from it.

10: 10: 22

Jack flicked his brown eyes at every street corner, trying to map out Ho Chi Minh City's gridlock in his head. He scanned it street-for-street the night before on the (now) discarded netbook and they needed to get to the main overpass that would drive them west across the main downtown district to the airport – it was the quickest way to get there, especially since they only had less than twenty minutes to get checked for their flight and take off!

Jack looked up, wind still flying around his hair.

Down far ahead was Ho Chi Minh's downtown area, stretched out across the Western horizon like San Francisco. To his right, another road began to start and make a ramp that lead to the higher platforms of this district. But he didn't need to take it, he needed the street that came underneath it two lights away in order to reach the highway entrance r–

"Ten-eleven!" Tooth shouted anxiously.

Jack suddenly sensed something and twisted his head over his right shoulder.

Out of nowhere, Pitch's assassin appeared on the red motorcycle driving up the ramp...before he turned the vehicle slightly and crashed it through the thin barrier and fell over the short ledge behind them.

As he lifted the gun, Jack whipped his head back towards the road and reacted.

10: 11: 27

With a flit to the mirrors, he squeezed the motorcycle into the left lane and hid them behind a giant bus. Tooth, who didn't know what was happening beforehand, jumped in her seat when bullets were heard hitting the bus beside her.

10: 11: 36

She really hated this downward slope of the road and hoped Jack would get on flat land soon because at the speed he was going and the way her body slid down the seat until she was pressed right up against him made her heart race – and for once, not in the good way!

10: 11: 49

"Damn, he's actually quick," Jack gritted through his set jaw and eyed the road again. Tooth spoke against his shoulder, her eyes still on the clock.

"W-Why don't you take the highway?!" she cried over the wind, heart battering in her chest like a scared bird. "Won't we get there faster?!"

Suddenly a loud boom was heard on the other side of the bus – it sounded like a fist was pounding the side of it.

10: 12: 06

"He can get a clearer shot of his if we risk it!" Jack harked over the pounding. "I can blur his trajectory if we stick to the tight and narrow. That's my specialty anyway!"

"But we don't have time for that, Jack!" she argued. "That flight to Moscow leaves–"

"Argh, I know, princess!"

That's when the bus honked and drove ahead when there was more space...when it moved, they saw both saw that the assassin was in the third lane.

Seeing the opening, the latter revved his engine and swooped in.

10: 12: 23

He was in the next lane over now, heart-poundingly close, but he didn't risk moving in too much – he knew from Jack's skill at the bar that the kid could probably throw a ninja kick while on a motorcycle and disable him...but with the Princess he was immobile. So the hitman set a short distance between them and raised his weapon.

Meanwhile Jack was inwardly frantic.

He couldn't speed up and drive ahead. As well, he was already in the last lane on the right and couldn't squeeze into its tiny shoulder line because of the concrete barrier, and there were no way to go left into the other lane without throwing himself and Tooth into the hitman's motorcycle.

It was cutting close, too close!

10: 12: 29

Tooth squirmed in her seat, suddenly panicking. The assassin lifted his gun, and tried to get a good line of Jack.

When he thought he did, he narrowed his eyes–

10: 12: 30

The princess' helmet flew out of nowhere and hit him in the head!

The momentum of the throw knocked him sideways and his gun fell as he swerved in the lane trying to recover. Jack saw it and took the open window.

10: 12: 35

Pulling the throttle, he manoeuvred into the guy's lane and bending over to one side slightly, he reached into his boot and pulled out a concealed knife.

Jack pulled up quickly and with a cold look, he stabbed it into the man's thigh before slipped their motorcycle ahead of him, and gunning into the third lane.

10: 12: 49

"You did it!" Tooth cheered as they weaved in and out of the traffic but Jack glared at her coldly through the side mirror.

"Eyes on the clock!" he growled and she sent him shocked look.

"Oh okay, thanks princess!" she sarcastically said to herself and Jack looked down at the clock himself to ignore her.

10: 13: 00

The second traffic light came no sooner than Jack had seen it. With it turned green, he flipped off the car in front of him swiftly and turned right into the highway's entrance ramp. Since they'd incapacitated the hitman, he decided that they could use the expressway and hopefully cut out time to get to the airport.

The wind roared through the street as the accelerator ramp of the highway wound underneath the ramp overhead. The cool air was powerful and blew relief into both Jack and Tooth's hair. He smirked and flexed his fingers.

Now he could really get some fun going.

10: 13: 18

With a rev, he turned slightly to eye Tooth through his peripheral vision.

"We're on the highway! So hang on, I'm gonna go faster!" And he felt Tooth tense slightly.

"You mean this isn't going fast?!" she sputtered disbelievingly. How could she!? Her eyes had been on the dashboard the whole time and Jack was going well over the speed limit enough to get them killed, never mind arrested!

10: 13: 39

Jack scoffed.

"This was only 2nd gear!" he said loudly before he narrowed his eyes and looked ahead as the curve of the ramp was nearing to an end before the major lanes came. "So LOOK DOWN!"

And a second later, he pulled the left handbrake, shifted the gear into 3rd with his left boot, and popped a quick wheelie before he pulled back on the throttle. Then they were really tearing through!

10: 13: 51

Jack's heartbeat was as steady as a drum. Tooth's was a jackhammer waiting to tear down all of Vietnam!

"OHH MY GOD!" Tooth cried but the wind ripped the scream from her mouth. Her hair was billowing wildly behind her and her bare arms developed goosebumps from the cold wind that rushed around them.

10: 14: 04

As they entered onto the highway, the ramp overhead vanished and the bright sky engulfed their vision. The highway was a flat land of six or more lanes curving around the high cliff of the district before it opened up onto a large bridge going over all the streets below.

Tooth eyed it astonishingly for a second before Jack swerved the motorcycle and she forced her head to lean down again to stare the clock. Too afraid to watch his hellish skill, she felt him weave left then right, then right again, and what almost felt like a complete circle! He was really cutting their time as he passed all the highway traffic.

10: 15: 11

But so was the recovered assassin.

With a loud rev of the engine, Tooth lifted her head slightly and looked into Jack's mirrors. She saw the red motorcycle and her heart nearly collapsed in on itself.

"HE'S BACK!" she cried and Jack spared the mirror a quick glance before he sighed angrily.

10: 15: 21

He didn't do anything more as he kept weaving and trying to outdrive his bike rival. When it came to high twists and limited steering, speed was the only thing you could control with your vehicle, Jack knew. And he'd managed to do it well...until the traffic began to grow congested up ahead and he was forced to slow slightly–

And unfortunately, Pitch's man found an opportunity to squeeze ahead to them!

10: 16: 07

He didn't have his gun anymore since it dropped on the road and wasn't carrying another since he didn't think he was on duty today until he saw the princess and had to do his job. All he could now was improvise and stop their bike.

10: 16: 18

As Jack was fleeting his brown irises across the cars for wider paces to squeeze, the black-clad assassin still chasing them from behind held Jack's bloodied knife. He couldn't feel his left leg but tread on like a stone-cold killer would. That's when he noticed, the princess' bodyguard rev the engine once more and look to the left – he was going to slip into the shoulder beside the fast lane.

10: 16: 41

Pitch's man hit the throttle and decided copy them but in the opposite shoulder on the far right. Jack saw him out of the corner and tried to speed up as he and Tooth squeezed themselves between the cars and the concrete barrier.

10: 16: 49

The two were neck and neck before the assassin suddenly drove faster than Jack and went ahead of them. Jack eyed him cautiously but missed him raising the knife when his view was blocked by a large truck next to their bike.

That's when the assassin threw the knife...at the window of the truck!

When the glass shattered, the truck driver reacted instantly and began to turn the truck slightly away. Jack's eyes widened slightly as he looked up at the giant vehicle.

It began swerving closer toward the concrete barrier. It was going to squeeze them!

10: 16: 55

"Oh! OH NO!" Tooth couldn't help but see as her heart dropped into her stomach. But Jack switched back into the second gear and eased on the throttle. He gritted his teeth.

10: 16: 59

He slowed the motorcycle cautiously and quickly threw out his right hand and pounded on the metal body of the truck.

The thundering echo it made over the sound of the bike and the traffic made the truck driver panic again and when he saw the black motorcycle in his side view mirror, he honked angrily as he properly moved the truck back into the fast lane.

When the path was clear Jack pulled back on the gas and they shot forward to pass the truck–but the assassin (who had moved into the third lane) already had plans for them.

The second they reappeared ahead of him, he hit the bike's gas and rammed into the jeep on their right!

10: 17: 13

The jeep swerved into them. Tooth jerked violently with the motorcycle and her hand slipped from its hold on Jack's waist. She fell to the right and reached out to the jeep to steady herself...which was not the best idea since it was slowing down abruptly. But with the fear gripping her, she wasn't letting go!

"J-JACK!" she screamed and Jack turned his head to see what was wrong.

10: 17: 32

Tooth's hair was flying behind her and her back was arched precariously over the right side of the bike...but her arm kept stretching out farther as the speed of their bike and the slowing of the jeep was pulling her in different directions. Her eyes were wide with fear and her mouth kept shouting his name.

A real wave of panic passed over his face before he switched gears and pulled forward on the throttle to slow down the front wheel even more. He then pulled his arm out behind him and grabbed her around the waist.

10: 17: 39

"LET GO!" he barked and with a painful cry, he twisted his arm back into him and pulled her back onto bike.

10: 17: 43

Tooth choked back a terrified cry as she gripped her shaky fingers into the front of his blue shirt like a cobra, then he gunned the engine and outdrove the jeep.

The inexperienced driver of the jeep half-spun into a stop behind them, and it blocked all the oncoming traffic behind it...including the hitman on his bike.

Jack hit the brakes and twisted the motorcycle around in the space it created on the road. The traffic exploded into a chorus of honks and shouting.

10: 18: 05

He faced the black-cloaked killer from the distance. As people stepped out of their cars frantically and started dialling for cops and ambulances, the two had a silent stare down. Tooth shook violently behind him and kept her eyes fixed on the bike's clock.

"Ten-eighteen!"

The hitman had no more weapons on him to shoot or throw at them and as he revved his engine, preparing to twist around the traffic jam, Jack snapped his head around him and realised...the highway had already come to an approaching exit ramp and was sloping down into a bridge over several roofs of the downtown district buildings. He could see the airport and its wide expanse of land far ahead past the congested streets.

Bingo!

10: 18: 37

So with a rev of his own engine's bike, Jack grit his teeth at the assassin before he lifted his boot off the ground and twisted the bike around again. He only liked highly-skilled driving killers when they were him. As the hitman was moving around the sideways jeep and the crammed highway traffic, Jack took to the exit ramp at increasing speed.

10: 18: 46

The downward slope of the highway bridge's lurched Tooth's insides while she and Jack leaned more over the bike dashboard. She squeezed her eyes shut as the wind (now in her face without the helmet), nearly blew her cheeks off. Jack was otherwise unaware or unfazed by the powerful torrent of air.

When they weaved through several more cars and got on the exit ramp, he clicked the gear in 2nd and they entered the main streets again–

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Jack shouted as he manoeuvred the bike on the immediate sidewalk again. It was much faster than taking the road, and they nearly whizzed past oncoming traffic when the lights were red. Tooth choked back a gasp each time they hit a curb and she felt the motorcycle move into an intersection.

10: 19: 13

Jack snarled.

"This is STILL too long!" he growled and suddenly heard and saw the hitman reappear in the mirrors again.

"W-We'll never get to Moscow!" Tooth cried and yelped as she felt them clip a fruit vendor and his crates on the right.

10: 19: 21

"Yes we will! Just let me do my job!" Jack barked as he read each street sign that flashed passed, and mapped out the city grid in his head. They were seven more intersections away from the major turnoff into the airport's terminal bridge.

"Ten-nineteen!"

That's when he Jack saw Phạm Ngũ Lão street – they were at the city's main centre and he remembered it had a major park with stone stairs that hit every level of the district...including some that lead to platform overlooking building roofs!

"HANG ON!" Jack said and as he drowned out the incoming engine of the red motorcycle behind them, Jack made a sharp intake of breath, he squinted his eyes as he spotted on set of stairs appearing.

10: 20: 02

He blinked behind his narrowed eyelids–

Jack swerved left to avoid the Italian polizia cars that suddenly appeared at the next traffic light. He sped onto the sidewalk and flew under the orange lamplights to give him light in the dark. When a narrow staircase leading up to a terrace came up on the left, Jack smirked and twisted the motorbike abruptly. Then he was fiercely riding up the tight tunnel and vanished–

10: 20: 21

Jack pressed the brake for the back wheel with his boot and turned right...they drove down the stairs!

10: 20: 30

Tooth cried out not expecting to bounce so violently. She and Jack pulled up their spines as he expertly twisted the black motorcycle down the steps. People screamed and threw themselves out of his way until he reached the bottom and tore across the cement walkway. They flew passed a fountain where the pigeons were all drinking and the violent burst of wind they brought with them sent all the birds into the air.

Meanwhile, the hitman was still hot in pursuit.

10: 20: 51

Jack drove across the city square before he reached another set of stairs all the way at the other end. Tooth dared to peek and realised...it was narrow and probably about a hundred steps to the highest balconies in the districts!

10: 20: 59

She shook her head, her newly-highlighted hair catching the brilliant morning sun.

"No, Jack! NO!" she argued but she was unconsciously wrapping her arms tighter around him. Jack gritted his teeth.

He didn't say anything and went for it.

Jack pulled the motorcycle into a wheelie and caught the stairs at an angle...then the wheels spun and the two were riding up the small steps at a sloped angle.

10: 21: 14

"I know where this leads!" he cried over the bouncing and the shouts of the people moving on it.

"Where the roofs?!" she joked but stopped.

The hitman followed them without fear up the stairs behind him.

"Time!" Jack barked.

"Ten-tw-twenty one!" she screamed.

"And that's why we're going there!"

And when they reached the highest platform seconds later Jack turned the motorcycle left and suddenly the bike flew off the ledge...and onto the flat roofs of the buildings!

10: 21: 20

With controlled breathing, he concentrated on keeping the wheels on steady beams and concrete surfaces. Surprisingly, the gaps between the downtown's buildings were short and Jack found he didn't need to worry about...improvising.

Too bad the hitman could too!

He followed them just as easy and soon it began a real spy chase, driving from roof-to-roof, while the rest of the normal world below didn't even know.

10: 21: 47

Both men gunned, twisted, and hopped across every several building roof but the hitman was gaining more speed because he found easier, less risky paths to take than Jack did.

10: 22: 09

The airport terminals were looming in the distance far below but Jack had a hard time scanning for buildings to leap closer back to the ground to while also avoiding running into the hitman.

It looked like it was almost the end of the two of them.

"Ten-twenty two! W-We won't make it in time!" Tooth cried but Jack suddenly hit the throttle. He didn't slow down and Tooth lifted her head at the perfect time to see why.

10: 22: 22

There was a giant flat slab of a concrete roof a few more meters away. Beyond was a long metal crane that stretched from its ledge all the way down into the parking complex of the airport! If reached that roof and Jack hopped it, they could essentially drove straight down into the airport – it would completely toss out the need for the streets or the last bit of the expressway since both were too far anyway...but there was one issue.

It was a huge drop between the two buildings. Even if they drove off and made it, because of the violent landing, they'd crash and die in a wonderful explosion!

10: 22: 34

Tooth shook her head again and again.

"No, Jack! NO, JACK! STOP I-IT'S...WE WON'T MAKE THAT! WE WON'T!" she kept screaming but he didn't listen.

He narrowed his eyes and calmed his heartbeat and then...he kicked the gear into 3rd one more time and...pulled back on the throttle.

Hard.

10: 22: 37

They shot forward so fast Tooth jerked back before squeezing the oxygen out of Jack's slim torso.

A second later...

10: 22: 38

Jack drove them off the edge.

10: 22: 39

At first it the bike soared across the gap, then gravity pulled the vehicle down in a gripping curve. It was all Tooth could do not to scream as her shut her eyes. She leaned heavily against Jack and pressed her face into his back.

"W-WE'RE GONNA DIE!" she choked and with the way the motorcycle lurched forward toward the roof of the building it looked that way.

10: 22: 41

And then...

10: 22: 42

Jack, for the first time, lifted his ungloved hand off the handle. He moved it away from the bike and caught an air current that passed beside them.

10: 22: 44

Then he felt his fingertips twitch with a familiar electricity he hadn't used in a while.

10: 22: 45

Tooth felt her hair whip around her face.

A huge burst of cold wind blew around her legs and prickled her bare arms as they fell through the air. In the next heartbeat, something like an invisible current pushed the back end of the bike and leveled out the bike.

As the strong cool breeze suddenly began to die away, Jack pulled up as hard as he could on the handle brakes and her heart stopped...the front wheel landed on the roof, and the wind had cushioned their fall!

10: 22: 50

Jack pulled back on the right throttle quickly and the front wheel spun forward, bringing the whole motorcycle across the ledge. And after he made a tight spin, Jack hit the brakes and faced the opposite ledge they'd just jumped.

The black-clad assassin suddenly appeared at the other roof at the exact moment he stopped the bike, his shadow casting down on them from the higher rooftop. But unlike Jack, the hitman rammed hard on his motorcycle brakes and stopped short of going over the edge.

He stared down at Jack briskly, wondering how the two had made such a jump...and survived that landing, since it was virtually impossible if you calculate speed and distance.

But he didn't want to risk it and turned around, driving away and out of Jack's sight for good.

When the imminent threat gone, Jack huffed deeply but continued to glare at the spot the hitman used to be. Tooth lifted her head cautiously and looked down around them. She swallowed a dry lump in her throat as he turned the bike slowly around to face the west but when he hit the brakes again to rub his eye, Tooth pulled back slightly.

She stared at the back of Jack's head, and her face grew pale with fear. She licked her trembling lips and listened to the whistling of the breeze around her, tickling her feathered earrings.

"H...How did we do that?"

Jack didn't answer.

He was staring down at the airport with a hard look while the high wind around the rooftops swirled around them happily.

10: 23: 25

"He's gone. That's all that matters. Now hang on," he finally mumbled and she leaned back onto him instantly. Then he pulled the left hand brake and shifted the gear into 2nd and drove the motorcycle off the short, easy distance onto the construction crane and used its downward slope to drive the rest of the distance to the airport parking lot.

When the black motorcycle reached the end, Jack expertly hopped it onto a nearby parked van to land on the ground. Then he drove the bike towards the second terminal and down into the parking lot. He hopped its large curb discreetly, slipping ahead of the entrance toll booth and speeding up to the third level to park.

10: 25: 09

They only had five minutes.

They still needed to find their gate, check in, and get on that plane.

...

"Sir, the target still has the tooth. But they plan to head to Moscow shortly."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes, I confirmed her shouts over the pursuit. They're getting on the flight 7."

"...Very well." Pitch Black moved away from the multiple computer screens as the hitman cleared out his status. The other screens were still lit up, giving him eyes on all his other operations that were taking place. His eyes briefly landed on Tatiana and his scientists hovering over her unconscious body before he looked away.

When Pitch turned back his attention to the other men in the room, he grinned. His hands were behind his back as usual.

As he did, the shadows casted on the walls from the one light bulb in the centre of the ceiling, extended at his will. The men said nothing and tried not to react as Pitch pushed them over their feet and up the front of their uniforms. When Pitch finished walking, he was standing in the middle of the cold, concrete room.

"Well, I guess the chase continues," he drawled out and he leaned down to speak directly to one particular man sitting in the only chair in the room.

The man, dressed in a dark red uniform jerked wildly against his binds, angry and afraid but Pitch raised a long, grey hand. When he waved it in the man's face, the man froze fearfully.

"Tsk tsk, pardon my rude manners, kind gentleman," Pitch said with twisted eyes, yellow eyes, glinting in the lightbulb above. His hollow cheekbones were cast in shadow and made him look, gaunt and frightful. "I forgot about our time. Now then..."

And the terrorist immediately moved his long, bony finger to the man's throat.

The man in the red uniform couldn't do anything as Pitch touched the skin of his fingertip to his exposed neck.

Pitch's touch created a chain reaction, a stimulus across the man's brain that triggered the fear emotion. He screamed in hysterics as Pitch's finger continued to pry open his sensory cortex.

Everything...everything from his worst nightmares to his darkest confessions, bubbled to the surface behind his shut eyelids. Like an icy wind, the negative, horror feelings prickled all across his skin. All Pitch did was smirk. He then leaned down and placed his hand on the man's shoulder as the latter continued to convulse.

"Trust me, friend," he spoke softly with an almost pitiful smile. "This gets worse the longer I will it to run its course, so unless you want such extreme discomfort..." And Pitch bent down to the shell of the man's ear and grinned as he looked ahead.

"I want to you to tell me everything you can about 'finding your little friends.'"


Chapter's soundtrack: "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang!" – Blue Stahli A perfect motorcycle chase track IMO ;)