The woman's attention snapped to Owen as her target fled into the distance. She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head slightly upward in a menacing gesture, her expression unmistakably displeased.
"So he had a bodyguard. That's inconvenient," she muttered.
"You've got it wrong, darling," Owen replied. "I've got nothing to do with that guy. Like you, I was tracking them." He casually slipped his hands into his pockets. "Though my reasons were clearly different from yours."
"Then who are you?" she demanded.
"I…"
But before Owen could finish, the woman didn't give him a chance. She fired a shot at the fleeing man in the distance. Owen, however, swiftly stepped into the bullet's path. It struck his forehead and crumpled as if it had hit steel.
"Nice try, but I wasn't born yesterday," he chuckled.
"I don't have time for this," she snapped.
In a swift motion, she pulled a small blade from her right sleeve and hurled it at him. Though fast, the blade was easily caught by Owen. "Are you serious right now?" he asked, feigning surprise. "I expected better. Don't tell me that's all you've got."
"Honestly, I don't care who you are. I've got a job to do, and so far, my success rate's been 100%. Consider this a warning—stay out of it. It'd be better for both of us."
A surge of energy pulsed from Owen, sending out a wave of warm air. He flashed a smug grin. "It's been a while since someone's said that to me," he laughed. Then he stretched his arms out horizontally, leaving his chest exposed. "I've got no intention of walking away. Go ahead—make me regret it."
Without a word, the woman immediately scaled the side of a building looming over the dark alley, putting some distance between her and Owen.
"Don't tell me all that bravado was just so you could run off," Owen called out.
With a single leap, he launched himself after her. Reaching the building, he vaulted onto the rooftop.
Caught off guard by his speed, the woman couldn't dodge the incoming attack. In one fluid motion, Owen locked her hands around her wrists, pinning them to prevent her from using her blade. A grin spread across his face.
"I'm sure you've got something more exciting up your sleeve," he said confidently. "Don't keep me waiting."
The woman didn't respond, but the tension in her muscles betrayed her resolve to break free. Still, she couldn't shake his grip.
Owen leaned in close to her right ear. "Let me guess—you haven't taken that famous drug the guy was talking about earlier, have you?"
Her eyes widened for a fleeting moment.
Owen released her hands, and she immediately stepped back to create distance. "Alright, I'll give you a moment. If you've got that drug on you, go ahead and take it."
The woman stood there, momentarily stunned by his words.
"You heard me," he continued. "I'm pretty curious. Show me what's so special about this drug."
A brief laugh escaped her. "I'm not sure if I should call you stupid or just cocky. If you're so eager to throw away your edge, I'll gladly help you out."
With that, she pulled out a packet of red pills.
"So that's the famous drug," Owen said, intrigued.
"Exactly," she confirmed bluntly. "Given your strength, I'll need to take up to the allowed limit—five every 24 hours."
"Doesn't matter to me, as long as you give me a show," Owen replied simply.
"Your arrogance will be your downfall," she shot back coldly.
"People say that a lot, but I'm still waiting for that downfall to show up," Owen quipped, amused. "Enough talk—swallow those pills."
Inside, the woman seethed at the man's dismissive attitude. She stared at the packet of red pills in her hand.
*Taking five at once is risky, but without it, I doubt I can handle this guy. I'll make him eat his pride.*
She tore open the packet, pulled out five of the ten pills inside, and shoved them all into her mouth. The moment she swallowed, her body swelled unnaturally, muscles bulging irregularly.
"Oh? Ready to start again?" Owen asked.
Her first move was lightning-fast. She lunged forward like her tendons were steel cables snapping loose. Her foot slammed into Owen's stomach with a dull thud, like a sandbag splitting open. The air rushed out of his lungs in a muffled grunt, but his knees didn't buckle. Instead, he slid backward, the soles of his boots screeching against the asphalt like knives on a whetstone. When he stopped, he brushed an imaginary speck of dust off his shoulder.
"Fascinating. Your strength's spiked dramatically. Impressive," he murmured, his lips curling into a half-smile.
She answered with a guttural roar. In a flash, she was on him again, her right leg whipping through the air like a lash. Owen tilted his head back—the heel grazed so close to his nose he felt the cool breeze on his nostrils. Before she could land, he grabbed her ankle with one hand, spinning her like a broken puppet. But she twisted midair, her other foot aiming for his temple. He released her just in time, her shoe skimming his cheek with a sharp snap.
"Close," he chuckled, stepping back lightly.
She landed in a crouch, fingers splayed like claws on the pavement. Her shoulders heaved, her breathing ragged. Then she exploded upward, fists hammering the air in a barrage of uppercuts and hooks. Owen weaved between the blows, forearms raised as shields. Each hit thudded like mallets on oak—thud-thud-thud—but his grin didn't falter.
Suddenly, he slipped a foot between hers. She stumbled, off-balance for a split second. That was enough. His right hand shot out, palm open, aiming to smack her face. She lurched back, dodging the slap by a hair, but he followed through instantly—a knee rocketing toward her ribs. She blocked with her elbow, the clash cracking their bones in unison.
"You're delightfully predictable," Owen whispered as she staggered back, her lips twisted in fury.
She charged again, wilder this time. A whirlwind of kicks—low, high, crescent sweeps—sliced the air with blade-like whistles. Owen parried each with minimal moves: a hip twist here, a slight pivot there. When her right foot arced toward his ear, he caught her calf with both hands, hoisting her up. With a flick of his hips, he hurled her against a brick wall.
Boom. The structure shuddered, starburst cracks radiating around her impact. She slumped to the ground, dust streaking her hair. Owen strolled over, hands back in his pockets.
"Need a break?"