The underground room throbbed with a discordant energy. Shen and Hackerman hunched over a chessboard, their faces illuminated by the dim, flickering light. Rina, still pale from the hospital, clutched her phone like a lifeline. Scarlet, a girl defined by her light blue bob and a perpetual air of disinterest, leaned against a damp concrete wall, her thumbs flying across her phone screen. And then there was Killer, the DJ, whose blaring hip-hop usually filled every corner of the space, now abruptly silenced. The sudden quiet was a palpable thing, a vacuum that sucked the air from the room.
   The music faded not so much to silence, but to a low murmur, drawing the others from their respective worlds like moths to a dying flame. Shen, never one for subtlety, bellowed, "Yo, Killer, why the stop?" But the DJ remained frozen, his gaze fixed on the entrance, a mixture of shock and something akin to dread etched on his face.
   A ripple of unease spread through the room as all eyes turned to the doorway. Rina, lost in the digital ether of her phone, blinked, momentarily disoriented. And then she saw her.
   Gianna.
   She stood silhouetted in the entrance, a figure ripped from a nightmare. Her clothes were soaked crimson, the metallic scent of blood already beginning to permeate the air. In her hand, she clutched a gleaming knife, its edge catching the light.
   "Gi... Gianna!" Rina gasped, the name catching in her throat. The phone slipped from her numb fingers and clattered to the floor.
   Scarlet, ever the cynic, drawled, "Okay, what's going on here? Is she a ghost, or did someone spill a gallon of fake blood?"
   Hackerman, his brow furrowed in confusion, piped up, "Sorry, who is she? And... why the bloody ensemble?" His eyes darted around, searching for answers in the faces of the others. A flicker of fear crossed his features. *What had he gotten himself into?*
   Gianna dropped the knife with a dull thud that echoed in the sudden silence. She moved slowly, deliberately, into the heart of the room, her eyes scanning each face. An unnatural calm settled over her features.
   "Where's my husband?" Her voice was a low, dangerous rasp. A question that hung in the air like a death sentence.
   Shen shifted uncomfortably. "Night Watcher..."
   "You mean Brock," Gianna corrected, her voice laced with steel.
   Rina, feeling a surge of disgust and a morbid curiosity, finally found her voice. "Brock isn't here. He should be on his way... as we speak. And... what's with all the blood? If you don't mind me asking."
   Every breath in the room seemed suspended. The tension was a living thing, coiling tight around them. Gianna ignored Rina, her gaze locking onto Hackerman.
   "Who's he?" she demanded, turning to Shen.
   "A... new recruit," Shen stammered, wiping sweat from his brow.
   "A new recruit to a disbanded gang? What does he *know*?" A hint of madness glinted in her eyes.
   "He just joined," Shen mumbled, shrinking under her intense stare.
   Gianna turned her attention back to Rina. "So, Rina, the boldest, the closest to my husband... perhaps *you* can explain what's going on with my family and the search for me. Doesn't seem to me like everything's all right."
   Rina hesitated, her mind racing. "Actually..." she began, carefully choosing her words.
   The door crashed open, splintering the already frayed atmosphere. Brock stood there, his face a mask of fury. He stalked toward Gianna, his eyes blazing.
   "Where's Julie?" he roared, grabbing her by the collar.
   Gianna, surprisingly unfazed, met his rage with a cold stare. "Wow. Not even a sign of courtesy? No familial gesture? Did you just forget about me? You promised you'd never let anything happen to me, but you left me in the hands of the 18th Street for two years."
   "Left you?" Brock snarled. "I had to disband the gang to search for you. And now you're back, covered in blood, killing innocent people? The only reason you're still standing here..."
   "I wouldn't have if you hadn't *married her*!" Gianna screamed, tears streaming down her face, mixing with the drying blood on her cheeks. "Am I supposed to just watch the two of you live a happy life without me?"
   Before Brock could respond, Gianna spun around and fled towards the staircase that led to the roof. The others remained frozen, unsure of what to do, what to say.
   "Rina," Brock said, his voice tight with a desperate urgency.
   Rina didn't need to be told twice. She turned and hurried after Gianna, leaving Brock and the others behind.
   The rooftop offered a panoramic view of the city, a glittering tapestry of light against the dark canvas of the night. But Gianna didn't see the beauty. She stood at the edge, gazing out at the distant skyline, her posture slumped, her spirit broken. She looked dead even while alive.
   Rina approached cautiously. "Gianna, try to understand Brock's intentions. We all thought you were dead. After we disbanded to search for you, he had to take revenge on the 18th Street. The only way to crush them was to get inside, to become one of them. He had to create a new family, bait them. He promised himself he would spend the rest of his life destroying them."
   "And now that I'm not dead?" Gianna asked, her voice barely a whisper. "What am I supposed to do? The doctor said I don't have much time left. How am I supposed to live it? What has he even *done* to the 18th Street? They're still as strong as they were three years ago."
   Rina placed a comforting hand on Gianna's shoulder. "Would you like to use my bad idea until you leave this world?"
   Gianna sniffled, a flicker of hope in her eyes. "Come on, tell me."
   "Alright, Brock goes to our hideout at Compton and spends two days before returning home. You can have your fill together there or somewhere else, what'd you say?"
   "What does he do there and besides doesn't his wife know about it?" Gianna asked, feeling a little assured.
   "Nah, he lied to her that he got transferred but actually he's just busy with his plan to rescue you however he goes back to work in the evening. So cheer up girl, we could do the revenge all together."
   "Hmph, you mean to complete this messed up revenge. I still haven't forgiven him, you know how much I hated sharing my man."
   "Hm, always a nightmare. Now that we have a little compromise, you don't mind if I ask about Mrs Julie, do you?"
   Gianna's lips twisted into a cruel smile. "You mean the one whose corpse I buried in her backyard? (Chuckling) Come on, I was just joking."
   Rina exhaled slowly. "(Sigh) you really got me on that one, I mean with the knife and this outfit."
   "Haha, this? Before leaving the hospital, I asked the doctor for Julie's address and after snicking out of the hospital yesterday, I came across a paint shop. To make all this look realistic, I stole some."
   "What about Julie?"
   "Tied her up at the basement."
   "Seriously! How could you do that to her?"
   "Oh shish, what if I had killed her? Besides I injected her with a sleeping drug."
   "Stole some of that too? So like you."
*Clap clap*
*Clap clap*
   The sound of applause echoed across the rooftop. Brock stood at the top of the stairs, his expression unreadable.
   "Have you been eavesdropping?!" Rina demanded, her eyes narrowed.
   "Kind of. Did you expect me to just wait back there? You might be plotting my death..." Brock stated, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
   "Very funny. Since you eavesdropped, I hope you know what's next?" Rina asked, turning to Gianna. "You need to get Julie out of the basement." With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Brock and Gianna alone once more.
   Brock cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Babe... I'm sorry."
   Gianna's expression softened. "You don't have to be. It was all for my sake, after all. Though your plan is messed up, we can't give up now. We're going to finish this." She stepped forward and hugged him tightly.
   "I still can't fathom how you survived all this time."
   "I'm actually wasted, you know and I don't think I have much time to spend." Gianna informed with a sad face.
   "Isn't there a solution? There's got to be something." Brock said, pulling Gianna by her hands. "Come on, we need to go see the doctor."
   Pulling back, Gianna said "You don't have to waste your money..."
   "Don't call it waste..."
   "You don't understand..." Gianna sparked. "The longer we spend together the higher the chance your new wife has to find out about the truth. All I want is to enjoy my last moments with you knowing that you have a nice life going."
   "Gianna, I married her just to fake my identity, nothing else...."
   "... but you fell in love with her, didn't you?"
   "Yeah, overtime." Brock replied with a sigh. "But still, the moments I had with you are more precious."
   "Brock, just do what is right so none of us has any regrets." Gianna said, walking past Brock.
   Before she got out Mr Brock's phone rang, it was an unknown number.
   "Hello."
   /Hehehe, seems like you're still busy with work, now what is worth the price or promotion I'd get after handing over your wife to the overlord./
   "Twist!"
.......
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