Mismatched Eyes part 4

The plane descended slowly, cutting through the night air as it approached their destination. The hum of the engines filled the cabin.

“Felix?” Maria called out.

He slowly opened his mismatched eyes. His arms folded. His face barely rested.

“We’re here. Are you ready?” She asked.

Clutching his shirt, he glanced out the window and saw the darkness. “Yeah… I’m ready.”

The plane landed in a clearing just outside the city.

Maria stepped down and stretched out her arms, dressed in a black cat suit, adorned with an array of belts and straps that carried her limited equipment.

Felix set his iron-soled boots on the ground. Nearly his entire body had been covered in a thick black trench coat that was left open in the middle, on his collar was a strip of metal with both points shaped like arrows.

Ahead was a dense woodland, behind was a short runway for the private jet.

The faint blue light from his left eye stood out in the evening darkness.

With a weak voice, he muttered, “China…” His fist tightened.

He breathed in, the evening air filled his lungs. Explosions could barely be heard in the distance.

They marched through the thicket, the sounds of the city grew louder with every step forward.

As an alleyway came into view, Felix crouched behind the bushes, scanning the shadows. But he was caught off-guard by how Maria pulled out a grappling hook, swiftly swinging through the buildings.

Felix blinked, then followed. He quickly climbed up through the old windows and ledges. When he made it up the building, a Chinese dragon kite flew overhead, pulled by a drone through the haze.

The dusk sky was filled with excitement and color, as the loud sound of bangs, clangs and crackles could clearly be caught in every direction.

“A festival?” he asked as the flurry of lights reflected in his eyes, “Enjoying the fireworks?”

He looked at her, the wind brushing her hair.

“Well… ” She responded vaguely, pointing forward.

The whereabouts of their targets were supposedly unknown, but standing atop the buildings, it did not take long for them to discover what they were looking for.

In the center of the excitement stood a wide, twenty-story office building. At its front was a tall metal gate with only one entrance. Though the town had buildings, none came close to as tall or as gaudy as the one in the center.

“Now why would a skyscraper need a guarded gate?” She asked.

He glanced over to her and replied, “Unless they’re hiding something worth protecting.”

They exchanged smirks before jumping off and moving on ahead.

Red lanterns swayed left and right, painting the street in a warm glow, while banners fluttered in the breeze.

Both of them walked through the streets, their dark outfits sticking out like a sore thumb, while everyone in the crowd dressed in vibrant red and gold, with minor tinges of jade-green. Some of them even wearing decorative masks lined with yellow markings.

Maria walked with a lackadaisical smile, humming. Felix walked slowly behind her, his eyes scanned the surrounding stalls. Several of the stands had logos of Golden Lion Pharmaceuticals, as well as the other organizations from the alliance — all of them vandalized and covered with trash.

Smoke from used fireworks drifted across the rooftops.

Rows of food stalls lined the streets as the two walked through the crowds.

Only for them to stop at a particularly small stall. One with a red bird standing on two intersecting arrows shaped like an ‘x’.

Felix knocked on the wooden counter, “Excuse me.”

“English?” The man inside the stall glanced at the two agents, wearing a red durag, chewing on something, hanging on the walls were festival masks, trinkets and other knick-knacks, “Anything you like, anything you see, all only a hundred.”

“You’re a robin, right?” Felix asked, “We’re from the agency.”

“We need the word, word bird.” Maria added.

The man turned around and with a grumpy tone replied, “There’re a lot of agencies.”

Felix pulled out a small golden pin from his pocket, engraved with a lion and other symbols.

“Golden Lion, huh? I take it you two wanna get in that big building over there?” The man responded as he pointed towards the structure with his chin.

“How’d you know?” Maria asked.

“Another operative came by earlier, lookin’ for a way in, same as you. Requested me to scout the area. Left a while ago after I told ’em there was no other way in.”

“From which organization?”

“Confidential. From the twelve agencies, but not Golden Lion. Looks like you’re both on the same mission. Tough luck, place is crawling with guards. Can’t even see it from above. They shoot down my surveillance drones whenever they get too close.”

“Is that so?”

“Mafia with a skyscraper. Subtle.” Maria said in exasperation, staring at the tallest building in the town.

The robin scratched his chin, “It got renovated just a month ago. According to sources, it was funded by some corrupt politician who wanted to line his pockets. Made it bigger and faster, with cheaper materials. As if this country wasn’t already full of ghost towns.”

“Thanks for the info.”

“Before you go, care for a mask? Maybe some bubblegum? Only a hundred.”

“No, thank you.”

“Then how about taking these with you? On the house.” He said, reaching out to give him a pair of sunglasses.

“What? Why?”

“Might want to hide those eyes of yours, Black Cat. You’re already dressed in all black, might as well complete the set.”

“You know who I am?”

“Only person I’ve heard of with a glowing blue eye. Wasn’t too sure at first, but after showing me your badge… Well, word goes around in the Robin Network.” His grin widened as chewed, “I doubt anyone’s gonna recognize you, but better to be safe than sorry.”

“Thanks.” Felix answered as he took it.

“Got anything for me?” Maria perked up with a cheeky smile.

“All out of freebies, I’m afraid.” The robin shrugged.

Maria waved goodbye to the old merchant and followed Felix.

He put on the sunglasses, fireworks bursting in the reflection of his lenses. When the light faded, a red dot flickered in the distance — the private jet had left.

From this point onward, they were on their own.

Further down the main road, the festival’s energy strangely subsided, only interrupted by the occasional pop of fireworks. The streets were still busy, but the area surrounding the building was noticeably more guarded.

The two circled the perimeter, searching in every nook and cranny. But no matter where they went, eyes seemed to be everywhere.

Felix stared at the security cameras swinging back and forth.

He climbed up one of the buildings, looking into the tall building. Armed guards patrolled every angle—from the ground to the rooftop. Inside the gate, there wasn’t a single place to hide.

A dragon drone zipped past him, trying to grab his attention. The blue-eyed agent turned to the side and saw Maria with the controller.

She led the drone towards the building, but as soon as it brushed the edge of the gate’s airspace, it shot down immediately, blowing to smithereens.

Sorry, Chief… from the looks of it, we won’t be able to keep a low profile.

Felix thought, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple.

The only way in without getting shot was through the main gate.

“…So, how are we supposed to do this?” He muttered, hiding in the shrubbery next to the wall.

“We go in, you protect me, I get what we need, we get out. Easy peasy.” Maria nonchalantly explained as she brushed her hair to the side.

“Mhm. If only it was easy peasy.”

“I have an idea.” Maria picked up a stone, saying, “Saw this in a movie once.” She took a few steps away from the wall.

His eyebrows curled suddenly, responding, “Did you just say a movie?”

She then chucked the stone above the iron gate.

“Why did you think that would work? What’s wrong with you?!” He silently shouted under his breath.

With a thumbs up, she whispered back, “A great, many things.”

“Argk!” A loud voice erupted, “WHO THREW THAT?”

“Let’s go check.”

With her ear pressed against the wall, she heard the voices from inside.

“Sounds like they’re on their way here.” She smirked.

“That worked? WHY DID THAT WORK?!”

“Go hide.” Maria gestured for him to stay put, rushing closer towards the gate.

“V.V., wait, what are you—?!” He reached out to grab her.

But when the gates opened, he begrudgingly resigned.

Both of the agents continued to stay hidden in wait for the two guards to leave the camera’s field of vision, Maria walked out and revealed herself while Felix kept to the shadows.

Two men in pale, grayish brown uniforms stepped out. One with a twitching eye, and the other with a rotund body and round cheeks.

Maria stood there, waiting as they closed the gate.

“A tourist?” The twitchy-eyed guard blurted out, with a red mark on his forehead. He turned to the rotund guard next to him, who shrugged.

“Are you the person who threw that rock?” The rotund guard asked.

“Rock?” Maria repeated, feigning ignorance.

“Don’t play dumb with me!” The twitchy-eyed guard shouted, and Maria stepped away.

She frowned, taking another step back, “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Next to the walls, closer to the shrubs.

“Who else would have thrown it here!”

With every step she took back, he took a step forward, moving closer towards the bushes.

“It’s a festival! It could’ve been anyone!”

“No one would do something stupid like this! No one but an outsider!” His eye twitched, his hand reaching for the pistol on his hip.

“Haaaah?! You’re the stupid one!” She flipped him the bird.

A firework whistled in the distance, steadily climbing into the night sky

“You brat! Who are you?!” He moved closer, his eyes angrier as he drew the gun out of its holster, “Are you with the intruder?!” Clearly aggravated and on edge.

But before he could aim it, his rotund companion grabbed him by the shoulder, nodding against it.

Hidden behind the leaves, Felix’s eyes widened as a loud slap echoed, leaving a red mark on the guard’s cheek.

The two men in uniforms were stunned for half a moment, only for Maria to let out a cheeky grin.

His rage flared, lifting up his gun. But before he could shoot, she had already turned around and sprinted away, leaving the two behind.

Unable to aim properly, the twitchy-eyed guard ran after her, with his partner not far behind.

“Wait!”

Behind the bushes, Felix’s fingers twitched for a moment as she ran by him. One hand over his mouth, hiding the sound of his breathing, while the other was on the trigger.

With a wide grin, she stopped, waiting for the other guards to catch up.

The twitchy-eyed guard rushed towards her with his finger on the trigger, ready to shoot her down.

Every step they got closer to her, the higher whistling firework rose, until finally…

— BANG.

A colorful red blaze painted the sky, and both guards collapsed to concrete as soon as the rushed through him.

“Why were they speaking English?” Felix stepped out of the bushes.

“Why did the robin?” She retorted, pulling a leaf out of his hair.

“He’s an informant.”

“These guys are guards.”

“That’s not how this works.”

“And yet that’s how it was.” She shot back with a smug gaze, “Sometimes things just don’t make sense.”

Forced to concede, he groaned and wiped his face, “I… point taken. So, what now?”

“Now, disguises.” She crouched down and began unbuttoning the guard’s uniform. But she paused as she inspected the unconscious body.

“Hm, there’s… no blood?” She turned her head towards Felix, “You didn’t kill him?”

“I use an energy gun. My mentor taught me avoid unnecessary killing.” He said, looking at his cobalt gun.

Her dark eyes narrowed, studying his expression, “Huh, you don’t say?”

Noticing this, he looked at her with a curious glance, “Don’t worry, I always carry a normal pistol in case if I have to.” He tried to reassure her, revealing a silver pistol from under his coat.

She smirked, throwing a pair of pants at his face, “Right. Now put these on quickly.”

The two quickly wore the uniforms over their gear, buttoning over their outfits.

“Good thing he was fat, you can still wear that coat underneath the uniform.” Maria giggled, wearing the button-up over her catsuit.

Felix gulped in response, adjusting his sunglasses.

She pointed her thumb to the gate, “Calm your nerves. We’re going through the main entrance.”

~