BANG!
The man in the front passenger seat of the truck froze as loud gunfire echoed inside their vehicle. Turning his head toward the driver’s seat, his eyes dilated. Only when he saw his colleague did he realize why she had let him.
She had been waiting for this chance all along.
Scarlet huffed sharply as the driver slumped over the steering wheel. Before she could crash along with them, she slowly released the grills. She extended her arm until her body was close to the ground and braced herself as she let go.
Even though her body was close to the ground when she landed, she still rolled across the road several times because of the speed. Still, she wasn’t hurt as badly as she would have been if she’d jumped off outright.
Meanwhile, the truck sped forward and crashed into the residential house just to her right. It exploded loudly, creating enough light and smoke to hide her body lying on the ground.
"Ugh..." Scarlet grunted, propping herself up with her arm.
The sound of a small pebble falling from her as she tried to get up echoed in her ears, accompanied by a ringing from the explosion. After all, the truck had crashed nearby.
Slowly, she pressed her palm against her ear, wincing as she tried to adjust her earring. She shook her head, the ringing fading second by second. But before her hearing fully returned, she heard the sound of an engine revving and a shout.
"Hey! Hop in!"
Still on all fours, Scarlet lifted her head. Her eyes widened when she saw Haji driving back toward her, his motorcycle tilting as he leaned to the side, knees nearly grazing the asphalt. One arm was stretched toward her, ready to grab her.
She blinked, and suddenly, he was right there.
Scarlet didn’t have time to think. Her body moved on instinct. She reached out, grabbed his arm, and pushed herself toward him.
However, perhaps it was a miscalculation of speed—or the fact that she and Haji hadn’t really worked together before.
Why?
Because when Scarlet grabbed his hand and jumped onto the moving motorcycle, she landed in front of him.
Worse, they were facing each other.
Haji gasped, just as shocked by where she landed. This was not where she was supposed to end up. But what stunned him even more was her face—only a palm’s length from his—completely blocking his view.
"Girl!?" he exclaimed. "What the heck are you doing here?!"
Scarlet’s breath hitched for a second at their position, but she didn’t dwell on it. Instead, she shoved his face aside and grabbed the strap of her rifle.
"Eyes on the road," she breathed out, slipping the rifle to his side. "I’ll cover for us."
Without wasting a second, she engaged the shooters hiding in buildings and houses, aiming at every spark she saw. Some she took down, while others escaped. Even so, her efficiency helped them immensely.
It was just that she should’ve been riding in the back, not in front of him.
"Wow!" Haji exclaimed, momentarily awed, though he forced himself to keep his focus ahead.
Haji had already taken down two trucks ahead of them while Scarlet dealt with the others. Now, only one remained.
"Gurl, can you stop moving a bit?" he asked, almost politely. "You keep hitting the handlebars."
"Would me not moving stop them from shooting us?"
"..."
"Exactly." Scarlet remained composed despite their unconventional position. There was nothing she could do—she’d landed wrong. This wasn’t a four-wheeled vehicle where switching seats was even remotely possible.
Haji winced, this time not because of his leg.
"Stop complaining and just follow our target," she muttered, looking up before firing at a silhouette she caught on the second floor of another building.
BANG! BANG!
"But seriously, what are you doing here?" he asked, letting her handle her part while he focused on his. The position was awkward—very—but not enough to stop him from doing what he needed to do.
Scarlet didn’t answer and continued firing.
"I mean, how did you even know where I was?!" he asked again. This time, she paused and turned toward him.
Haji raised a brow, giving her a brief glance before returning his eyes to the road. "What? I need to know in case you’re stalking me!"
"Idiot," she muttered, reaching for her earpiece and placing it into his ear. "What made you think I agreed to delay us in the tunnel just to retrieve those devices?"
As soon as she spoke, voices came through the earpiece. Hearing the conversations, Haji’s eyes widened slightly as he glanced back at her.
"That’s right," she said coldly. "Because they’re important."
She turned her gaze forward, scanning their surroundings. Most of the nearby residences had already been reduced to wreckage by the trucks, leaving fewer enemies trying to take shots at them.
"When I was looting, the owner of those weapons—and possibly the motorcycle—had an active earpiece," she continued quietly. "I heard voices, picked it up, and tracked you using that frequency."
Her eyes flicked toward him. "You already took down two of them."
Her expression stiffened slightly as she faced him again. "You shouldn’t have come back for me."
"Not come back and let you die?"
"You think I’d die?" she scoffed. "Dream on."
Even if Scarlet had been left alone in enemy territory, she knew she could fend for herself. Retreating would’ve been the natural move. If Haji hadn’t turned back, he would’ve dealt with the truck and closed the gap with Jarvis—wherever he went. Scarlet hadn’t kept track.
What she hadn’t realized was that Haji turned back not for strategy, but because he thought he was coming back for Lola. But who was he to complain?
Haji clicked his tongue and scrunched his nose. Before he could say anything, Scarlet spoke again unexpectedly.
"You have to get him." Her eyes sharpened as she stared straight at him. "That guy... you have to get him."
Surprise flickered across his face as he glanced at her again. She always looked like she was ready to fight someone, but this time, the look in her eyes told him she meant it.
"Haha..." he laughed softly, tilting his head. "Girl, hold me—tight."
Scarlet frowned as he leaned forward, his chest pressing against hers.
"I’m taking a shortcut."
Without another word, she wrapped one arm around him, keeping the other free in case she needed to fire again. But as she pressed against him, she shot him a glare.
"You’d better fix how you call me," she warned. "Or I’ll fix it for you."
Haji smirked, glancing at her playfully. "Like... how?"
Before she could answer, he took a sharp turn, the screeching noise cutting off whatever she was about to say.