Eve always had a fondness for the late evening, the last remnants of the rush hour commute finally clearing off, replaced by the impending influx of those headed to the city for entertainment. It was a great time to sit back and simply observe people as they went about their business. Sometimes Eve would play a game with herself, it was quite simple really - pick a person at random from the crowd, get a good look at them, then imagine what they did for a living, what kind of hobbies they had, were they married? Perhaps they had children, or maybe they adopted. Eve stopped herself. That was a dangerous train of thought. She had bounced around various orphanages and foster families during her youth. She'd squandered her chances with them every time, there was a part of her that just compelled her to take risks, so she did. She stole odds and ends, small toys, jewellery, money. There was never really a reason for it, she didn't need any of these things, but that part of her always seemed to overpower anything else.

So she found herself on the streets at 18, kicked to the curb by society because she couldn't control her reckless compulsions. She fell in with a bad crew, started stealing cars, holding up small shops for cash, and getting herself into all manner of trouble with the law. Eve began looking for another subject of thought, spotting a pair of police officers as she did so. She hadn't really had the best interactions with the police over the years. They'd never be able to pin anything specific on her, she was too good at what she did to make any rookie mistakes, but every time she ended up at a police station she found herself wondering if this would finally be the time she'd be locked up.

Eve sighed to herself, finding a place to sit down. She was really doing a lot more soul-searching tonight than she normally would. She patted a small pouch on her arm, making sure it's contents were still held in place. A 'gift' from an officer she'd developed something of a rapport with over her 'visits' to the station. She smiled, as nervous as she should have been with the police, that one guy managed to put her at ease every time. He was almost good enough to get her to confess a few times, but she always felt he had some manner of awareness of her situation, he wasn't out to get her, he was out to get the people exploiting those in her position. A noble goal she thought. Perhaps that's why she took him up on his offer.

Getting off a bench she'd stopped at, Eve started making her way upwards, she needed to get to a better vantage point before her target arrived. A dumpster gave her good enough clearance to reach a nearby fire escape ladder, from there she made her way up to the rooftops, jumping between different levels with the agility of a cat on the prowl. Her little exercise routine came to an end once she reached her destination, "Requiem", a well known high-end hotel. For her though, it was known for all the wrong reasons. On the surface you'd be forgiven for thinking Requiem was a typical snobby 5 star hotel, the well-dressed staff waiting at the doors certainly gave the right impression. Eve knew more than most however. She'd been here a few times before, getting assignments and instructions from various 'employers' - usually a list of vehicles that needed stealing, or a shopkeep who hadn't paid protection money. Her last job though... well, that was the reason she was keeping an eye on the hotel's patrons now. She'd been hired to work with a frustratingly secretive rabbit, the paranoid kind that even wore a mask to meetings. At the time she didn't really care, money was money, up until she was told what her job would be anyway.

Eve clenched her fists as she remembered the night in more detail. An abduction job, not for ransom, but to sell into slavery. It was barbaric, made her sick to her stomach. This wasn't the life she wanted to lead any more. Sure, she'd stolen before but possessions and money were replaceable, a person's freedom isn't. Eve took the downpayment for the job and ran. But she couldn't just leave it there, not when she knew someone was in danger. That was the one time in her life she'd willingly found herself entering a police station. Of course, she had something of a reputation already, it's not like some far-fetched story about a masked rabbit planning to kidnap people was going to hold any weight without evidence. Frustrated, she'd nearly stormed out of the building when she was confronted by that same kindhearted officer that had nearly caught her out several times. His words echoed in her head: "If you really want to help out, turn your life around and do some good, take this." Eve patted her shoulder pouch once more.

A black SUV pulled up to the front entrance below her, a small group of individuals piling out as a valet took the keys and climbed in, one of the group was slouched over, propped up by two of the others. To the casual eye it would've looked like a group of friends returning to their hotel after one too many drinks, but Eve recognised two of the group from her earlier meeting, they were definitely there with their target. Eve's hand went back to the shoulder pouch, opening it up and removing the small phone inside. She thumbed the lock button, and scrolled through to the only contact saved on the device.

Did she really want to do this? She'd essentially be painting a massive target on her back if anyone ever found out. She could just disappear, use what money she had left to set up somewhere else. She didn't need the danger that would come with being some kind of vigilante.


But then again, she'd always been compelled to take risks.


---


This is an exciting one for me, 'cause this effectively kicks off the story surrounding Eve and Nat, by establishing the former. By the way! While I've laid down the base points, this fantastic story was written by my friend, the awesome DrPossibly, who did so much more than I could have ever expected!

I'm really hoping you enjoy this, and moreso that you enjoy what's to come!

Evelyn © DeviantStyle
Story by DrPossibly

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