DC: Crystalizing

Adrian sat frozen in the diner as the screams outside faded into an eerie silence. Rico and Luis scrambled to their feet, pulling guns from their belts, their earlier bravado replaced with raw fear. 

"Everyone outside, now!" Carlos barked, his voice sharp and commanding. "We've got a hit on us. No one hides. If you run, you're dead." 

Adrian nodded along, playing the part. If he made any sudden moves, they'd shoot him before he even made it out the door. 

"What's the situation?" Luis asked, his hand trembling as he loaded his pistol. 

Carlos looked grim, wiping sweat from his brow. "Some kind of assassin. The bitch thinks she can take us all out. Orders are simple: kill her before she kills us." 

Adrian kept his expression neutral, though unease twisted in his gut. One assassin against an entire gang? Whoever this was, they weren't just confident—they were dangerous. 

The gang burst out of the diner, guns raised. Adrian followed cautiously, staying near the back of the group. The street was dimly lit, the neon glow of the diner's sign casting eerie shadows on the cracked pavement. 

And there she was. 

Standing in the middle of the street was a woman dressed in red and gold, her form-fitting suit glinting faintly under the streetlights. The sleeveless design exposed toned arms, while the gold patterns across her chest and boots added an almost regal air. Her long braid swayed as she tilted her head, the white and red mask obscuring her face but leaving her smirking mouth visible. 

She stood casually, as if surrounded by armed men was nothing more than an inconvenience. 

"I am Lady Vic," she said, her British accent crisp and unnervingly calm. "And I've been hired to kill every single one of you. Apologies, but a girl has to eat." 

"SHOOT THAT BITCH!" 

Lady Vic sighed, almost disappointed. "They never come quietly," she muttered, rolling her shoulders. "But where's the fun in that?" 

-------

The street erupted in gunfire. Bullets tore through the air, the deafening roar of semi-automatics echoing off the surrounding buildings. 

But Lady Vic was already moving. 

She leapt into the air, flipping over the first wave of gunfire with acrobatic ease. In mid-air, her hands darted to her utility belt, pulling free two curved Bundi daggers. The blades gleamed wickedly as she landed in the midst of the gang. 

The first man didn't even have time to scream. She drove one dagger into his chest, the blade puncturing clean through to his back, while her other dagger sliced his throat in a single, fluid motion. Blood sprayed, painting the pavement red. 

"Move, move!" Rico shouted, ducking behind a car for cover. 

Lady Vic didn't give them a chance. She whipped her arm forward, hurling one of the daggers with deadly precision. It sank into Rico's forehead, his body crumpling before he could fire a single shot. 

"Pathetic," she muttered, retrieving a Webley Service Revolver from her holster. 

The gun barked loudly as she fired, each shot finding its mark with unerring accuracy. A bullet ripped through Luis' shoulder, sending him spinning to the ground. Another shot took out a man hiding behind a dumpster, the impact snapping his neck back like a broken doll. 

Carlos, meanwhile, barked orders from behind cover. "Surround her! Don't let her get close!" 

The remaining gang members spread out, trying to pin her down with suppressive fire. But Lady Vic moved like a phantom, her acrobatics turning the battlefield into her playground. She vaulted over cars, slid under crates, and twisted through narrow gaps with inhuman grace. 

One of the gang members lunged at her with a knife, but she disarmed him in an instant, twisting his wrist and forcing him to stab himself in the stomach. 

"Better luck next time, love," she said, spinning to face her next target. 

The fight spilled into the diner as the surviving gang members scrambled for cover. Lady Vic followed them in, holstering her revolver and pulling free a katana from the sheath on her back. 

The blade gleamed under the flickering fluorescent lights. 

"Time for a little cleanup," she said, her voice playful. 

A man hiding behind the counter popped up to fire, but she was faster. The katana flashed, slicing through his arm in a clean arc. He screamed, clutching the stump as blood sprayed across the cracked linoleum. 

Another man tried to tackle her from behind, but she drove the blade backward into his gut without even looking. She turned, pulling the blade free, and kicked his body into a nearby table. 

"Is this really all you've got?" she asked, shaking her head. 

Carlos, still crouched behind an overturned booth, screamed, "Kill her! Take her down!" 

Adrian used the chaos to his advantage, slowly backing toward the kitchen door. He kept his movements deliberate, blending in with the panicked retreat of the others. 

Lady Vic's eyes flicked toward him briefly, but she let him go. 

"A little mouse running from the cat," she said. "But I'll find you soon enough." 

The words sent a chill down Adrian's spine, but he didn't stop. He slipped into the kitchen, his heart pounding as he scanned for an exit. 

---

Back in the diner, Carlos and his last few men made their final stand. They fired wildly, the shots ricocheting off metal and shattering glass. 

Lady Vic was undeterred. She closed the distance with terrifying speed, deflecting a knife thrown by one of the gang members with her katana. She leapt onto the counter, her braid swinging like a whip, and fired both of her flintlock pistols simultaneously. The bullets tore through two men, their bodies collapsing in a heap. 

Carlos was the last one standing. 

"You think you're untouchable?" he snarled, his hands trembling as he pointed his gun at her. "You're just another psycho in a suit!" 

Lady Vic smirked, stepping closer, her boots crunching over broken glass. "Perhaps. But I'm a psycho who gets paid very, very well." 

Before Carlos could fire, she hurled a Thuggee blade into his throat. The small, curved dagger buried itself deep, silencing him mid-curse. 

As his body hit the ground, Lady Vic calmly wiped her katana clean on a torn napkin, her movements unhurried despite the carnage around her. 

---

Adrian burst out of the back door, his breath ragged. The alley was dark and narrow, littered with trash and broken crates. He kept moving, his mind racing. 

I need to get out of this city, he thought. Now. 

But as he turned the corner, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. 

Back in the diner, Lady Vic leaned against the broken door frame, her blood stained katana resting on her shoulder. 

"Run as far as you like," she murmured, her lips curling into a chilling smile. "The hunt is always the best part." 

[ "Lady Vic" ]

Author's Note:

If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead or support my work, you can check out my P@treon at [email protected]/LordCampione. But don't worry—all chapters will eventually be public. Just being here and reading means the world to me. Thank you for your time and support.