Jackal’s trigger finger itched. This was too easy.

The fool walked towards the brothel with two ladies in his arms.

Frankly, if they were locals, he would love to hire their services. It wasn’t every day you found two women willing to go at it together.

Yet, he wasn’t sure if the three were returning from a trip or if they met up at the Bazaar. One thing however, Jackal was sure of.

This Forty-One— he wasn't dangerous at all.

He slightly squeezed on the trigger. Any more pressure and his current target would be no more.

He had three targets— Jackal was to bring in two of them dead and one alive.

Forty-Two: That blonde who sat at his bed, visible from Jackal's vantage point. He was the model of a boring citizen. He didn't even have a traffic penalty to his name. Sitting on the bed like that, he was an easy kill.

Forty-One: the man who until now had earned his genuine interest. Jackal had almost no information about him. Apart from his name and a photo, Tower's database had nothing on him. It was as if the man managed to delete his own entry. But Jackal was going to kill him anyway.

And then there was that unnamed gray-haired girl. Her long legs were visible, so it wouldn’t be too hard to cripple her. He considered changing his approach. She had to be taken alive, and as such had to be approached with care. She was also listed as an A-1 danger. Nearly as interesting as Forty-One.

Which almost made him want to talk with her and see where things went. But then he would lose out on this valuable window of opportunity. How lame.

Jackal eased his grip on the trigger. If he shot Forty-One and then Forty-Two, the unnamed girl could and would likely escape. If he shot the girl first and Forty-Two second, Forty-One would have the time to pull whatever tricks he had out of his sleeve.

Maybe he had gray goo?

If so, it would serve Jackal nothing to shoot him first.

It would also explain the two assets of great value holding his arms. Spare parts in case of potential opponents? How magnificent.

Jackal couldn’t help but to grin.

His target was in the open, yet he wasn’t sure if he should shoot.

Jackal sat in the window of an old factory, abandoned long ago after the Glassware incident. The death toll was grand, to say the least. The same for the war that followed as well, but still, death was the nature of war.

Nearby Plaza stood devoid of life, but it was to be expected. The night was yet to come and the town would only then gain life. After all, it was Love Town— people didn’t come here for afternoon snacks and taxes. It was the night where this town truly shone. The only hint of Love Town's true nature were the purple and pink neon lamps gleaming on the Family Values statue.

Jackal observed as his target entered the brothel, disappearing from his sight. His thinly veiled smile turned blank as he observed the second floor windows. They were close enough. He could cripple the girl, shoot Forty-One next, and clean Forty-Two out before he knew to take cover.

He tried to push down the overwhelming joy of cornering his prey before they knew what hit them.

He didn’t have to wait for long. The door to his targets' room opened and Forty-One entered.

Did he intend to share the girls with his friends?

If so, Jackal admired his decision.

Sadly, good intentions lead to something and something.

He never bothered learning the saying.

The girl’s knees were centered in his crosshair.

He held his breath, ready to shoot.

He slowly drew on the trigger.

Then, Forty-One drew a gun from his back, suddenly aiming at Forty-Two and the girl. Jackal paused.

Weren’t they working together?

If the girl died, he would be done for.

He tried to aim at Forty-one's head, but the slippery bastard moved out of his sight and towards the back of the room. From him. The escorts were nowhere to be found.

The duo seemed frozen. Forty-Two tried to speak, but was interrupted when Forty-One shot a nearby pillow.

The two remaining targets moved out of his vision soon after.

It seemed they were captive.

Jackal would have to storm the building.

Well, he had no issue with close-quarters combat. He was ready to test his mettle against legends such as Tiger and Bear anyway. This Forty-one might provide a proper warm-up.

A large piece of paper dropped on the room’s floor, in front of his sights just before he got up. Confused, he zoomed towards the paper and read.

His blank face morphed back into a grin, then a wide smile. Jackal couldn't help but laugh heartily.

I know you are there, Jackal. Too slow.

It wasn’t an easy execution and bagging operation anymore.

It was a proper hunt.

The thrill of pursuit. Oh, how he missed it.