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Rien Village, 9:13 PM

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Jace ran as fast as he could, doing his best to keep his distance from the mob combating him.

After running half a mile down the street, Jace, panting excruciatingly after just carrying a fully grown man on his back while he was injured, fell into a thin alleyway and sat Vince next to him while peering around the corner into the fog, looking desperately for Shay.

“Shit.” He muttered as he heard the heart piercing sound of utter silence, staring straight at the fact that he just let his partner die.

Turning around blankly, he faced Vince who was lying unconscious up against the gritty wall of the dark, dirty alleyway. Jace pondered his options as he held his injured shoulder with his right hand, trying to stop the blood from pouring out. Jace grit his teeth as he put pressure on his stinging wound trying to slow down his blood loss, but he didn’t have enough time for that. Jace perked up as he heard the slow menacing footsteps of multiple people approaching his location.

Peeping his head around the corner, he saw the same hoard as he had earlier.

“The same amount huh? Shay didn’t get any of them…” He muttered with a sigh as he turned sharply to grab Vince and squeeze his way down the alley.

Jace grunted as he heard the mob begin to rapidly approach him, scarping his light armour along the sides of the walls, trying to squeeze through while carrying Vince on his back. He heard the rummaging of multiple people crawling over one another behind him, trying to slither after him, he felt their finger tips along the backs of his leg as he hurried himself down, finally pushing out of the alleyway, however, at the expense of his armour along his right arm.

The blue plates of armour fell to the ground behind Jace, making a clanking sound as they bounced off the rugged floor below. Jace hesitated for a second, knowing he was at a greater disadvantage at the loss of his armour on his one good arm. Despite this, he pushed on, and continued running with all his remaining energy.

Jace turned his head, swinging sweat off his brow as he done so, to survey how much distance there was between him and the hoard.

There was a considerable distance, despite the fact Jace had been running much slower than before, there was more of a distance than what there was when he was running all out.

“The alleyway…” Muttered Jace to himself as he came to the realisation that they all try to scurry down the gap at the same time, not realising they could get through faster one by one.

Jace stood and watched as the mob began exiting the alleyway and making there way towards him. In that moment, Jace knew that his only chance of survival was to confuse the enemy with small spaces that they tried to clamber themselves into all at once.

Jace nodded and turned in the other direction, sprinting off in the other direction.

“It was Diablo who told me when we were on our first mission together, when going to any location on a mission, it’s important to know the entire layout, that way you can’t be surprised by an enemy or caught off guard by a change in plans. By knowing the layout, you instantly gain a greater advantage and can think up back up plans in the event of an emergency. It’s moments like these that make me grateful for being able to work under someone like that, who considers every option he has before making a decision!”

-

Running forward with all he had left, Jace heard the onslaught of feet smashing into the ground behind him, Jace looked on with an assured look as the hoard scurried closer and closer, almost within a hairs length until- suddenly, Jace jumped up, just out of grasp by one of the hoards members by a finger nail. Jumping up and onto a barrel that stood next to another thin alleyway.

Jace let out a sigh of relief as he quickly jumped from the barrel, pushing it over as he jumped, toppling it over as it hit the wall across from it, blocking the entrance from the hoard, forcing them to climb over it and in turn slowing them down even more.

‘I wonder why I had so much of a lead the first time…’ Thought Jace as he pondered his next course of action within the small-time frame he had been given.

“They must have been busy Shay huh?” He muttered under his voice in regret. “I’m truly sorry, Shay. But as I was taught, the mission comes first, and this guy might have some serious intel.”

Jace looked down in disapproval of his actions but carried on as he knew it was what he had to do. Turning to face the exit as his time was running slim, Jace’s face turned white. The hoard was cornering him from both sides, he was too distracted thinking about Shay’s fate and let them corner him.

“Shit, a pincer attack…” Scoffed Jace as he glanced around helplessly for options.

“What would Diablo do…” Pondered Jace looking down at the ground trying to think of any answer.

“I didn’t have a back up plan, what to do, what to do.” Jace muttered as he continued to glance around desperately as the hoard slowly closed in on him.

Finally, Jace’s mind sparked.

“Just above this alleyway is an abandoned apartment.” Uttered Jace in revelation at his newfound back up plan.

Jace hoisted Vince down from his back and pushed his own back up against the rough wall of the alleyway, and pushing his feet up in front of him, pushing them against the other wall ahead, carrying Vince in the middle with his arms as he used what was left in his legs to push himself up the wall.

The hoard closed in as Jace struggled to hold his own body weight and Vince’s under his exhausted legs. Jace was so close to the mob he could hear their deranged breathing as they clawed across each other trying to get to him. Jace began to panic as they approached his position faster than he could escape it. He began shaking as he tried pushing himself faster, breathing harder and harder as he tried pushing himself to heights he couldn’t reach.

Jace grit his teeth as his whole body ached, blood spurted from his shoulder as he pressed it harder and harder against the wall. The letting out an excruciating roar as he flung Vince up over his head onto the roof above.

“It should be flat up there, this building should have an open rooftop, are you proud of me yet, Diablo?” He muttered with a smile on his face.

-

Jace, now with all that weight off himself, managed to pull himself up onto the roof, just before the hoard managed to grab his leg and pull him down.

Letting out a sigh of relief as he lay on his back, he let himself recover for a few seconds before pulling himself together and peering over the side of the building to survey how much time he had left.

Looking down, around 40 seconds remained before they would be upon him. Jace ran around the side of the building looking for a way to get down.

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Time: 9:24 PM

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Jace paced about, trying to think of a perfect plan in the 40 or so seconds he had been gifted. After accessing all his options, Jace turned to the window which shone down onto the abandoned attic below. Then with all his force, smashed it open with his fist, before turning and grabbing Vince and jumping down into the dark, abandoned attic with him.

Jace glanced around the room, counting how many seconds he had left in the back of his mind as he surveyed his surroundings for possible enemies and an escape route, mainly looking for a door or a hatch to get into the lower building.

“18, 17, 16.” Jace counted out loud as he continued peering around for a door, every other second shooting a glance up at the shattered window above him. “11, 10, 9.” He uttered under his breath again as he took a few steps around the small attic room.

“7, 6, 5.” He said again in a louder tone as he glanced up at the window to see a hand poking out from the darkness, grasping the edge of the window. Panicked, Jace moved suddenly to peer around the room.

“THERE ISN’T A DOOR HERE!” He screamed as the top of his lungs in frustration as the mob slowly but surely advanced onto him, soon to fall into the room and attack.

“WHERE IS THE EXI-“ Jace was cut off as the creaky floorboards beneath him gave out and he fell onto the lower level of the house. Thankfully it was furnished, and he landed on a carpet, softening his impulsive plummet.

Jace quickly took to his feet, just in time to dodge one of the members from the hoard spiralling into the ground, landing straight on their head. Jace didn’t have time to stop and help, he knew whoever was under that mask was an innocent member of the village, it ached Jace’s heart to just leave them injured on the ground, but soon the rest began falling down straight through the whole onto the second level of the house.

Jace scoffed and ran down the stairs and out the front door, leaving the group in a mess on the second floor of the building. Just as Jace exited the building he felt his legs begin to give out, he made it into the middle of the street however, he had given it his all. He couldn’t keep running all around town with Vince on his back and an open wound until 1 AM, or even until Vince woke up for that matter.

Jace was out of options, he watched as one of the hoards members came tumbling out of the front door and slowly began walking up to him.

Jace closed his eyes and waited for the worst, only to hear the racing footsteps of someone approaching their location at a high speed. Jace opened his eyes suddenly to see Anthony drop kick the hoard member across the street. They scraped across the ground until coming to a halt a small distance away from us.

Anthony turned and smiled at Jace. “You seem to be in a bit of trouble buddy.” Said Anthony letting out a laugh as he walked towards Jace who was still on the floor.

“What are you doing here.” Muttered Jace as Anthony helped him to his feet.

“What are you talking about? The inn we are staying at is right there.” He said pointing across the street to the inn.

“I woke up and no one was around then I heard the sound of glass smashing and then a loud bang, so I made my way outside and sure enough here you are. So, what’s happening? Fill me in.” Said Anthony.

“We don’t have time for that right now. Can you carry him?” Asked Jace pointing to Vince

Anthony noticed Jace’s massive slice in his shoulder as he pointed and suddenly took a serious tone. Nodding without saying a word he picked up Vince and hoisted him up onto his back. The two of the took off in the direction of Zane and Shay.

The two ran down the street as a hidden figure watched them from above.

“Well, you were right on the money as always. Things have gone exactly as you said they would Anzu.” Muttered Ark from the shadows, he sat on top of the building and watched as Jace and Anthony sprinted down the street towards their friends.

“How long do I have to keep spectating though, I hate recon. This type of shit is Corvo’s job.” Muttered Ark, letting out a sigh of boredom as he watched the two of them sprint around the side of the buildings and disappear.

Ark stood up and stared straight at the sky with his hands in his pocket. As a small but malicious grin formed on his desolate face.

And the grim scent of death wavered in the air.

. . .