Rion woke up with a groan, tossing and turning on the hard floor of his new auto shop. His muscles ached from the uncomfortable position, and his back screamed in protest as he tried to stretch. He sighed and stared at the cracked ceiling above him.
"A bed," he thought, "I need a bed. Top priority for today." He rolled over and glanced at his watch: 7:00 a.m. It was early, but he knew there was no chance of falling back asleep on that miserable mat.
The mat was so thin, it felt like a cruel joke—like someone had taken a piece of cardboard and wrapped it in sandpaper just for kicks. With a resigned grunt, he pushed himself up to his feet, wincing as his joints popped like firecrackers.
Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Rion stumbled toward a small table in the corner of the shop, where he had left his wallet. He flipped it open, only to find a single, lonely 5-kila bill staring back at him. He shook it, hoping a few more bills might magically appear, but all that fell out was dust. "Great," he muttered to himself. "Looks like I might have to run to the bank and withdraw some money."
The shop's location was perfect for staying off the radar, but that came with its own set of challenges. The surrounding area was largely deserted, a fact Rion appreciated for the privacy it afforded him.
But today, that meant no nearby ATMs or banks to conveniently access his funds. The amount of cash on him wouldn't even cover a cab ride, and he estimated it would take him at least an hour to walk to the nearest bank. "Guess we're running all the way then," he decided, resigning himself to what was shaping up to be a very annoying morning.
Rion changed into a pair of sweatpants, a simple T-shirt, and a pair of sneakers. He grabbed his skin mask from a nearby table, ensuring it was securely in place before stepping outside.
The morning air carried a cool, crisp bite, a sharp contrast to the stifling confines of the workshop where he had spent most of the previous evening. He inhaled deeply, savoring the invigorating chill that filled his lungs, each breath feeling like a reset button for his weary mind and body. The early sunlight filtered through the trees lining the street, casting long shadows across the pavement and bathing everything in a soft, golden hue.
He tightened the laces of his running shoes and set off at a brisk jog, taking in the sights of Northern District. As he jogged through, the city slowly came to life around him. The faint hum of distant traffic echoed through the streets, mingling with the chirping of birds perched on the branches overhead. He passed rows of tidy brownstones and small storefronts, their shutters just beginning to rise as shopkeepers prepared for another day of business.
As he ran, Rion could not help but marvel at his own endurance. It had only been three days since he practiced it, but the [Resilient Body] technique was already proving its worth. He felt it in every fiber of his being: the newfound strength in his muscles, the lightness in his movements, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. It was as though his body had been fine-tuned.
By the time he reached the bank, only a little over thirty minutes had passed. He slowed to a stop, his body humming with energy rather than exhaustion. His breathing was only slightly heavier than usual, and there was a pleasant burn in his calves and thighs, a sign of his muscles growing stronger with each effort.
However, his sense of accomplishment was quickly overshadowed by the sight before him: a long, winding queue of people stretched out from the entrance, all waiting to get inside. Some shuffled their feet restlessly, while others leaned against walls or checked their phones, trying to pass the time.
"Of course," he muttered under his breath. "Because why would today be easy?" He glanced at the sky, half-expecting it to start raining just to spite him.
He weaved through the crowd, eavesdropping on snippets of conversation. Most of the people in line were here to pay their water bills, electric fees, gas, and other utilities. He overheard a man complaining about the rising cost of everything and a woman loudly arguing with her partner about whether or not they really needed that new blender.
Rion glanced around and spotted a harried-looking man in a suit, clearly an employee. The man looked like he was one bad day away from quitting his job and moving to a remote island. Rion approached him with a quick tap on the shoulder.
"Excuse me," Rion said, "any idea when the bank opens?"
The man glanced at his watch and sighed. "8:30 a.m. Still got about half an hour to go," he replied before hurrying off to attend to another customer, who looked like she was about to burst into tears over her missing debit card.
Rion thanked him and made his way back to the end of the line. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall, mentally preparing himself for the wait. He considered striking up a conversation with the person in front of him, but one look at the man's sour expression made him think better of it.
"I guess I just have to wait a bit. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?" he muttered under his breath, settling in for the rest of this long, annoying morning.
* * *
"PUT THE MONEY IN THE BAG! Don't try to be a hero! Guns don't kill people, I do!"
How'd it get to this, Rion thought, witnessing the robbery that was unfolding in front of him. If he could go back in time, he'd slap the earlier version of himself for planting such a big flag. If only he'd kept his mouth shut and not tempted the universe to mess with him.
It all started when the bank opened, and he finally managed to get his turn at the ATM inside the bank. He had been standing in line for what felt like an eternity, his patience wearing thin with every passing second.
The queue had moved at a snail's pace, and he'd spent most of the wait calculating the exact number of times the man in front of him had sighed—a grand total of thirty-seven.
When his turn came, he stepped up to the machine with a sense of relief. He swiped his card, keyed in his PIN, and watched the screen blink for a moment before prompting him to choose an action. Rion selected "Withdraw" and then entered 4,000 kila. He had a lot of purchases he had to do today and the 4 thousand kila should last him for a very long time.
Maybe I should splurge on a decent mattress. The thought made him smile.
The machine whirred, its internal mechanisms clicking as it counted the bills. After a few seconds of processing, a screen flashed on the machine, completing the transaction. Finally, the machine spat out the cash, a neat stack of crisp that seemed to shine under the fluorescent.
«BAM!»
Just as he stretched his hand to take the money, he heard the piercing sound of a gunshot. His eyes darted to the exit, only to see the security guard standing, trembling with fear. Opposite him were 3 huge men wearing black ski-masks that covered their entire faces, with only their eyes and mouth exposed. All three of them were armed; two of them were holding revolvers and one of them was wielding a double barreled shotgun!
One of the robbers was pointing a gun directly at the guard, his face pale and his hands up in surrender. The robber barked a command, and the guard, clearly terrified, backed away slowly, hands still raised as he leaned against the door. The sight of the gun barrel inches from his face left him paralyzed with fear, unable to move or speak, his eyes wide and unblinking.
"KYAAAAA!!"
After a frozen moment of shocked silence, the people inside the bank had finally realized the horror that they were involved in and screamed from the top of their lungs.
«Bam!»
The tallest of the trio fired a warning shot into the ceiling, sending shards of plaster raining down.
The robber holding the shotgun went to the entrance and pulled down the shutters. Another one was holding his gun and aimed at the crowd. The last one screamed, "Silent! BE QUIET! We are here for money! Not your lives! If you're not in our way, we'll let you go off without a scratch!"
"We are taking the bank's money! The government's money!" the other robber said while pointing his thumb at his chest. "So listen closely to what I'm saying now. Do not try to be a hero! Guns don't kill people, but I do!"
Rion couldn't help but roll his eyes. This guy was delivering his lines like he was auditioning for a role in a B-grade action movie.
"Don't try to do anything funny or I will break my promise, eh!" the man continued. "Just put your hands over your heads and go sit at the benches there! Hah! See how nice I am? I know that you're tired! Go on! Get a move on!"
This is not how I planned to spend my morning, Rion thought wryly as he joined the throng of terrified customers shuffling towards the benches. His heart pounded in his chest, but he forced himself to stay calm.
Even though he was caught off guard and had no weapons on him, he knew he could take them based on his enhanced physical capabilities alone, but that wasn't his first option.
The same guy shouted, "Heart Q! Take the manager to the bank's vault!"
"Roger that!" replied one of the robbers. He then took out a few match box sized cubes and paste them against the door.
«BOOM!»
A loud bang was heard and iron plated shield door that was there to prevent robbers was blasted open, leaving a huge hole!
Behind the door was another layer of security, though it was only a wall of glass between the operator and the other side.
"Diamond J! Break that glass!"
"Yes, Aleefa boss!" said the robber that was called Diamond J with the shotgun in his hands.
"Stupid! I told you to use codenames!"
"Ahh right. Sorry! Clubs K boss!"
"Tch. Just hurry up! We don't have much time!"
"Understood! Clubs K boss!" Diamond J then took out a clay-like lump of material, about the size of a match box and pasted them on the glass windows. Everyone behind the glass was screaming over as if they understood what was soon to follow. They scrambled further behind to escape.
«BOOM! Ding...Ding...»
The bullet proof glass was then blasted into tiny fragments. Diamond J then took out a leather duffle bag and threw it inside the counter, pointing his gun at the staff. "Fill the bag with money!"
With their lives at point black range, the operators behind the counter did not dare to disobey the robbers. They frantically pulled out the drawers and threw the cash into the bag.
Rion's mind worked quickly as he assessed the situation.
Something feels off...
The robbers weren't professional by any definition of the word, but they were too organized. This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment heist; these guys knew what they were doing. That meant they also had a plan for getting out, and that usually involved hostages.
As if on cue, Clubs K shouted, "You, You and You!" pointing at three people including Rion. "You're coming with us!"
One of the people selected, a young operative sobbed, shaking her head, but the robber grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet. Rion tried to blend into the background, but his luck had run out.
Today's just not my day...