4 - Operation 099

In a room, shady and dim, the only illumination was a large screen, virtually divided, reporting security footages in real time.

A chair, a table and a flowing silhouette dress seated is the view before the screen. A bottle of champagne sang a bubbling song of a gassed liquid dancing into a wine glass of elegance. An outline of a beautifully created fingers, dressed in a long dinner glove soared to levitate the glass to a set of gorgeously curved lips, painted red; light red. The silent chorus of the gassy bubbles popped intermittently at a sip of two gulps, and a calm breathe of satisfaction was released in a manner so soothing to the eyes and skin. A tap between the glass and the table was like a melody of luxury, when there was patient chaos awaiting the timing of a ticking bomb.

"Boss, we've reached the safe," the hacker informed through his earphone chip.

"Zooming in on your screen now!"

And a footage out of the rest expanded to fill her screen, switching to other cameras of the vault at interval. She leaned in, watching like an eagle set on a prey. Only three individuals in black suits got in, parting at their entrance. The vault was empty. Not a treasure in sight. Oddly, they all position themselves before the wall of the round vault.

Signalling to themselves, they pressed a small square button located on the three sides of the spherical vault, hidden in a camouflage with the wall.

The small square crawled in before flipping over, and strolling back out, pushing an ascended box that had a computer port. Each inserted a drive in unison, waiting impatiently as it took 7 seconds to complete extraction. The drive showed its percentage from red, to yellow then green. Completed, it blinked, signifying mission successful.

And then, the bomb began to tick, blinking red. The bomb of getting caught. The siren went off, and she tiled her head in a raised brow when she saw the vault door automatically shut before they could get out.

Paying attention to the commotion on the other end of her earphone:

"What's going on?"

"What's happening?"

"Someone's trying to gain back control!"

She heard from her good and faithful servant. Scoffing, she pushed, a button underneath her desk, and a portion of her desk steamed open, raising it's head to reveal a computer screen with a hologram keyboard right before it.

"Welcome, Vile."

The system greeted, taking her to the page that was ready.

She folded her hands into a fist before she released them, and her gloves glowed, turning on. And her fingers began the fight, moving at unimaginable speed.

"Boss!" She heard the leader she put in charge of the operation, "We're ready to evacuate, but the package is stuck in the vault!"

"Not anymore."

They all heard in wonder, and within a second...

Poof...

The sound compressed gas escaped as the crew witnessed the vault door open, and the three escaped with masks on, before the vault could open fully. But unfortunately, they had company, and a fight broke out unannounced. Violent and heartless, bullets left thier owners, to become one with strangers. The three were using their weapons too perfectly, running towards the exit, which was through the tunnel of a cave. They jumped into a dive, clicking on a button at the side of thier masks that transformed hastily into diving masks.

A waiting speedboat picked them up, just when the late backup arrived, popping their heads carefully to catch a view from down below.

Just when it began to rain bullets, the red lips smiled, as a finger tapped the "Enter" button.

In a chuckle, she mimicked; "Kaboom!"

- - -

From a boat, to a flight, to a ride, then an elevator, footsteps graced into the apartment, until a knee kissed the ground in a kneel.

The package was delivered by the leader if the crew, in gratitude of the rest for they owed her their lives. The leader was her good and faithful servant.

"Well--hello, Henry!"

Her voice as calm as the waters but as poisonous as a snake.

She turned her head to view him on his knee, presenting the briefcase with the package. She rose elegantly in her robe, and as expected, with a glass of half filled wine.

She breathed in, honoured by his gesture.

"Get up! Drop the brief case and leave. We're done!"

Henry braved up to look at her, and she towering, down at him. Henry was very hefty, and brawny, and his boss took him as her favourite because his brains were just as quick as his movement.

He stood up, placing the brief case carefully on a nearby stool. The atmosphere was a bit grieving because it signified their last goodbyes.

"You're free to go now. I will no longer require your services, as will you. You should have already gotten your pay by now."

A beep came from his phone. He knew it was his alert.

She smiled at him, mischievously. Turning away, unshaken, she strolled to the glassed wall that gave a gorgeous view of the city.

"You can get out now."

Henry had been with her from her first recruit, but he was the most worthy of them all. He prove strong, intelligent and reliable. This was their 99th mission together as deadly and wanted criminals. But the 99th mission seemed to be the beginning of something worse than crime.

"Vile." He managed call.

She turned, stunned that he dared call her by her name.

"I'll leave," he stated, and she creased her brows as if asking, ' What are you still waiting for?'

"But only as an employee."

She frowned, facing him again.

"What are you talking about?"

She didn't realized how much pressure she used in holding her glass, alert in case anything was going to go funny.

He closed the distance between them, and her poisonous eyes didn't fail in sending a menacing gaze at him. Even though Henry was perfect, Vile was poisonous. She didn't need strength to defeat him.

"I'll stay with you, as your ally."

She looked deep into his eyes, puzzled, not realizing how close he had already gotten. When she couldn't find an answer to why he would want to be her ally, she spoke out. Who was he to utter such?

"What are you talking about Henry?"

He looked like he was struggling to say something, making Vile question her trust in him.

"I-- I'm Adrien Marchetti. Son of the-- Marchetti."

Vile's lips didn't know when they parted. Her heartbeat accelerated in fury, and Adrien could feel her boiling.

She slapped him, forcing him to lick his lips in regretful hope.

Her eyes teary, while her breath was trying to let off steam.

"How did this escape right under my nose? You?"

She walked away from him, unstable, raking her hair as she tried to reason it all. She rested in the daise at the bar, as she placed her glass there in a frown.

"Now it makes sense... Yeah, it's making sense. Much more sense," she kept on muttering to herself.

She breathed in, trying to hold back that part of her she could never control. Adrien could only watch from behind her, heartbroken.

"Vile..."

"Don't."

She glared at him.

"Don't you say a word."

"Vile... I..."

"Your father murdered my sister!"

She sparked in tears.

"How did... God! You both planned this? And now you're hear to kill me, huh!"

From no where, she attacked with a knife. But in an instant, Adrien caught hold of her, and stopping her armed palm, and smashing a kiss unto her lips. She fought her way rigorously to break free, but the harder she tried, the deeper Adrien made the kiss.

The clang of the knife rang in Adrien's ears, while she tried to use her free palm to contribute to her pushing away. But the kiss was becoming so intense that for the first time she felt her body heat up in an unusual way.

She tried to force her lips away from his, but his hand suddenly assisted him in locking her lips to his. She tried backing away, but he followed her every step of the way until she was trapped between the bar and Adrien.

She felt his hands warn her of a pleasureable search about to begin, when his lips reluctantly parted from hers. Their breathes were rough, while his soft eyes gazed into hers, still filled with hatred.

"I'm not my father, Vile."

Those words seemed to pierce into her for no reason. He looked unhappy about the fact that her father was the cause for her sorrow. For her being a wanted criminal. He didn't want to follow his father's footsteps but at the same time, his heart drove him to be one, but incognito.

She turned away from him, not believing him, and at the same time hiding her weakness, and it didn't escape his eyes.

"He died last night."

He stated, coldly, looking away from her, while she looked back, unbelievably.

"He wasn't much of a goodman. And I apologize for what he did to you, and your sister."

She still looked hurt and angrily at him.

"They want me to take over. And I will. But only because I want to wrong his right. And I will only do that..."

He looked into her eyes, noticing the attention he had of hers was total.

"... if you choose to love me back, Vile."

Vile's eyes softened in shock.

Love? Loving left with her sister! Was what her mind told her. But her heart was speaking a new language she had not heard since she turned to a life against the law.

"I'm in love with you, Vile. I love you."

The more he spoke, the more her walls she had firmly built over the years were crumbling.

No, she couldn't afford to be weak. Not for any reason at all.

Right?

"Just leave-- Adrien."

She finally pushed him away, finding her way away from him. Those words stabbed him. She sounded like she had forgiven his father, perhaps because he was no more. But she was not ready to love him, is what she portrayed. But something in her eyes were saying something completely different to him.

He caught hold of her arm in time, and pulled her in into his embrace. He got another slap on her landing, but his heart wasn't giving up just yet. He locked her in his arms, his eyes locked with hers, and unknown to them their hearts as determined as ever not to give in.

"Say it to my face-- that you do not love me. Then, I will leave."

"I do not..." She yelled, before she trailed off.

She was hesitating.

What? Why was she hesitating?

"You do not..."

He helped her say again, so she could complete it.

She breathed harshly, while it dawned on her that she was about to shut him out of her life permanently.

Did it matter?

It didn't.

It shouldn't.

She didn't want anyone precious to her, near her. Her life was already a poison that killed those around her. So she chose not to love anyone, and most of all shut anyone who loved her out, or hurt them to help them get over her.

But right now, her heart was warning her mind that she was going to regret this decision if she made the wrong choice.

"I can't..."

She looked down, away from his eyes.

Adrien was stupified, at the soft side of her that just emerged.

He had never, in his ninety nine operations with her, ever felt her speak with her emotions.

"I can."

"You'll get hurt -- Hen-- Adrien."

She was getting used to his new name.

"If that's the cost I have to pay, so be it."

Vile frowned, pursing her lips in frustration. Didn't he understand what she was saying? She was about to shut him out when;

"So you do love me," echoed in her ears.

She was short of words. The sentence was still strange to her. She hadn't used that word in years. Little did she know, her eyes was helping her answer all his questions.

He chuckled, making her frown again and wonder what was funny.

"I love you too, Vile."

She opened her lips to protest, but it was at the wrong time. His lips captured hers again, but in the most gentle manner ever. And this time, he felt her kiss him back passionately.

He parted for a moment to find her eyes, while her hands found comfort on his chest.

She sighed, and looking into his eyes one last time. Her mind was still arguing with her heart not to accept loving him. That is was going to be a mistake. But her heart won the argument, ready to take the chance of being able to love again, and best of all, be loved.

He looked at her, wondering what she was thinking. Now, she looked uneasy. He was about to ask what was wrong until,

"Don't you f*cling hurt me, Adrien."

His heart became so blissful as he comprehended her words. He chuckled so happily. He couldn't believe his ears. She finally accepted him, in words! She scoffed, looking at how happy he was acting, even though she was still being rude with him.

His tone was deep and gentle, carrying a weight of emotions that she couldn't quite grasp.

"I promise, Vile."

For the first time, she felt, calm. It was not the usually calmness from a successful operation, but something, much more different.

Adrien was smiling like a baby, when she initiated a kiss. And he instantly became lost in her lips, kissing her with love so passionate.

He wanted a new beginning, but with her in it. She wanted a new beginning, now he was in it. But the new beginning was in the brief case, deadly, in it.