"This is to risky a job," one of two thieves in ski masks protests atop the roof of a mansion.

"So what do we do just let them use this money to buy more drugs to smuggle in?" The other protests, "If we don't do this no one will and we got bills to pay. Two birds one stone."

"These aren't the usual small town gangsters," the more cautious thief reminds, "They'll gun us down and dump us in the river without a second thought."

"That's why we have to stop them," the careless thief debates, "They would do that cause they know they can. You know they got the cops on their pay roll."

"Fine," the cautious thief concedes, "But it's a quick in and out and we bail if even the slightest thing goes off script."

The two look down through a skylight to see a party going down below, and open it to sneak inside the manor...

Six hours prior...

Julia walks down the street, talking to Player on an ear piece, "So what does the file say Player?"

"V.I.L.E. has a death grip on this small town via the drug cartel," Player explains opening files on his computer, "Every cop there is being payed off by the cartel. They've got millions in drug money passing through there, with a party as a front to draw eyes away from it."

"Of course once again the law is useless," Julia sighs, "So, when is this party?"

"Tonight at midnight, celebrating the new year," Player explains.

"A day of excuses to break the law that isn't enforced in the first place," Julia bitterly retorts.

"You know the New Year is a time for new beginnings," Player interjects, worry in his tone, "Maybe you can start letting go out this hatred. It's worrying."

"I mean," Julia sighs, "You're right it's really not healthy but back when I was a cop I had this partner, my only real friend at the time and..."

"He was crooked?" Player asks.

"Yeah," Julia responds.

"Well the best way to fight hate is with love," Player explains, speaking wisdom beyond his years, "And love can be platonic, romantic, or familial. I take it the second two forms of love aren't really options for you but may be you should try making some friends."

"You're not one to talk given how you've never mentioned any friends," Julia points out.

"I have you," Player reminds.

Julia sighs, conceding, "Yeah... yeah. You're right. I don't really know how I'm supposed to make friends though. I'm a wanted criminal across the globe on the run from an international organization called A.C.M.E.. Kinda hard to meet people."

"I suppose," Player shrugs, "But let's focus on the job for now. The party starts in six hours. At midnight the file says that V.I.L.E. will come to get the safe.  You'll need to get in, but the front entrance is to conspicuous. When you're in you'll need to sneak to the fuse box on the second floor, past some security that will probably be there and cut the power. With the alarm down you'll need to get to the safe. Here's the tricky part. The safe is in a hidden room, there's an aqueduct leading to the river that V.I.L.E. will probably use to move the money."

"Why do they need a boat?" Julia inquires.

"Lot of boats will be out to watch a fireworks display over a bridge down the river," Player explains, "Just before midnight. This way they blend in and disappear into the night without a trace. All rivers go to the ocean as they say, and they could be meeting up with other agents at any number of docks after."

"So to get this money we have to get to the safe before they get away," Julia replies, confirming that this is the case.

"Sounds like a fairly easy job," Julia replies, "I'll case the place out and we'll work from there."

Present time.

The two robbers and ski masks slip into the party from an unoccupied room entered via the sky light. The party is... to say the least, not the most clean place. The two remove their masks for the time being to blend in, and pass by pasty old men doing lines of coke, must to the disgust of the duo.

Their faces are revealed, they are both fair skinned, just at the start of adulthood. Their red hair is short and slightly curly, the more cautious thief having a slightly longer cut than her careless accomplice, whom has freckles slightly more pronounced than her own.

The two head up a red maple stairwell with extravagant and pointless designs carved into the wooden railings.

This worthless decadence along with the ethicless depravity below them fills the two with a truly vile feeling as they rise above it.

"At a certain point isn't this kind of pointless?" The young man asks.

"Yeah this needless decedance never appealed to me," the young woman replies, "I get wanting a nice house, a nice meal, but at a certain point, I don't get it. It's so pointless at a certain point. They can get their high and their fancy smanchy stairs but... what does that do for personal fulfilment. We could have all this and... I wouldn't happy."

"People forget that only self actualization can bring joy sis," the young man replies revealing the two to be related, "And they become wicked and vile. Truly vile. Let's get the money and shut their little operation down."

The duo turn the corner to see a muscular guard down the hall, they hide behind the corner to regroup.

"Old razzle dazzle?" The brother asks.

"Go on three," the sister replies taking out a flashbang grenade, both putting their masks back on. "I've only got one of these though so make it count."

The brother nods in understanding and the two charge the guard down. The sister throws a flash bang and closes her eyes yelling, "Razzle!"

The brother closes his eyes, covering them with his forearm as the guard is blinded by the flash of light. The brother seizes the opportunity to drop kick the guard, knocking the guard out as he yells, "And dazzle!"

The guard lays unconscious on the ground, seeing stars, hence the name the two give this maneuver.

"OK let's move before they hear the noise," the sister demands.

The two dash down the hall, not knowing someone in red is following them...

The two enter an office with a very soft red carpet, two bookshelves at the far wall on the left and right of a window, and two busts of the manor's owner, a fat, pompous looking man carved into marble.

There is also a mahogany desk at the front of the room, the leather chair behind it empty.

"Look around Zack," the sister demands, "The secret passage must be around here somewhere."

Zack nods, examining the book shelf as Ivy checks the drawers of the desk.

"So what are we gonna do when we get this money Ivy?" Zack inquires, "I mean, I get it's not about the money it's about sticking it to the cartel but we're still gonna, you know, have the money."

"I don't know I haven't thought that far," Ivy replies, "I guess donate it, save a fair bit for ourselves but again at a certain point you don't need more money."

Zack nods in agreement as he examines one of the busts, noticing the space where the neck connects to the head has a small gap. He opens it, revealing a red button which, when pushed, unveils the secret tunnel in the floor.

"Nice work!" Ivy nudges her brother endearingly, "Let's get this bread!"

The two dash down the stairs into an underground cave where a small safe sits on the ground, six feet away from an underwater stream which flows out into the open waters.

"Let's blast this open and get moving!" Zack exclaims eagerly.

"That wouldn't be wise," A voice advises, footsteps echoing through the cave as a young woman in a scarlet outfit enters.

The siblings are on guard, Zach lifting his fist as she explains, "Hey, easy. I'm on your side I'm here for the goods for... similar reasons."

The siblings exchange a look and nod, lower their guards.

"What's your name?" Zach asks.

"Julia," she replies, "And I overheard you two are, Zach and Ivy?"

The two nod.

"I can crack the safe if you're willing to split the gains," Julia explains approaching.

"It's less risky than blasting it," Ivy shrugs, "Go ahead."

Julia approaches and, her ear pressed to the black steel, slowly turns the knob on the safe.

"So what do you do for fun?" Zach inquires, making conversation.

"A good book," Julia replies, "Sometimes I enjoy some rock climbing when I'm free, but I don't get the chance often given my line of work."

"Yeesh ain't that the truth," Ivy sighs, "Hard to find time when you're on the run."

Ivy, feeling comfortable with Julia, removes her mask, "My bro and I, we used to be race car drivers, got into some debt and turned to this. Eventually found we were pretty good at it and stole from the wicked. Better we have the money than them."

"I do a similar thing," Julia replies as Zack to removes his mask as well, "Steal from this crime syndicate. Donate most of it, keep only what I need."

Hearing something in the distance Ivy inquires, her and her brother putting their masks back on, "That syndicate employ a weirdo with dyed hair on one half?"

"Yes why do you-" Julia begins to ask as she gets the safe open, "Oh. Oh that's not good."

A boat approaches, the driver humming an eerie, playful tune. Her hair is formed into a U shape, black on one side and blue on the other. Her eyebrows match this, and with her spiked yellow jacket and purple lipstick this creates an unstable air about her.

"Get down!" Julia demands just as the safe opens. The V.I.L.E. agent throwing a paper star at Zack's head which he narrowly ducks, looking behind him to see if pierce the stone walls of the cave.

"That's one Hell of a paper cut," Ivy comments.

The agent gets off the boat.

"Paper Star," Julia greets bitterly.

"As the scarlet phantom," Paper Star smiles, "I'll enjoy making your skin match the crimson of your clothes. How about your friends here? Who dies first? Hmmm..."

She looks at Julia, who steps back, afraid of the gaze of this sadist.

"You're out numbered," Zack yells, his voice shaking.

"It's no fun if it's not fair for my prey," Paper Star snickers. "Even then, this feels uneven, to easy. It's almost not fun to kill you."

Paper Star smiles wildly as she reveals six throwing stars, "Almost."

She unleashes a volley which the trio avoid.

"I'll distract her!" Julia exclaims, "Take the money and go!"

"What about you?" Ivy demands.

"We can't let this cartel continue," Julia retorts, "Go! Hurry!"

Paper Star leaps off the boat and charges Julia, leaving the siblings to grab the money.

Julia ducks under a kick from Paper Star, leaving her open to a throwing star that slices her cheek. She tries to counter with a left hook that Paper Star sidesteps before kicking Julia in the stomach, sending her staggering back. Julia rolls out of the way of a volley in the nick of time, getting cuts on her left arm which draw blood.

"We can't leave her behind," Zack protests.

"I have a plan get in the boat," Ivy orders handing Zack the money.

Zack complies, the two hop in.

"Brace yourself this is gonna be tight!" Ivy yells steering hard left with the boat at full throttle.

Paper Star is about to strike with another throwing star to kill Julia, only to hear the boat start running. She turns to see Ivy doing a doughnut in the water, scratching the boat against the wall of the cave sending sparks flying and scratching the metal, but also sending a massive wave to the shore, splashing Julia and Paper Star.

Paper Star, enraged, prepares to throw a throwing star at them only to find it soggy and useless.

Julia sweeps Paper Star's legs and jumps on the boat before the agent can recover.

"Gun it!" Julia demands.

The trio exit the cave full speed, cash in hand, just as the firework show begins in the distance, signaling the start of the new year.

"So who was that?" Ivy asks.

"An agent of V.I.L.E.," Julia explains, "A criminal organization that I steal from and return what was stolen, donating most of the liquid assets I get, keeping enough to get by."

"How big is V.I.L.E.?" Zack asks, "They running multiple cartels?"

Julia nods, "And probably more but I only have so much info."

The three fall into silence for a bit before Ivy asks, "Can... we tag along then?"

"What?" Julia asks.

"She has a point," Zack replies, "Three heads are better than one or two, and V.I.L.E., if they're as big as you say, has to be stopped. We can help more people that way and besides, you seem cool. We would be happy to help."

"Of course!" Julia exclaims happily, "Welcome aboard."

The trio smile looking at the fire works as Ivy comments, "You got a New Year's resolution Julia?"

Julia happily replies, "It was gonna be to make some new friends, but I think... I already have."