Chapter III – Bewaring the Boss

"She's gonna kill us! She finds out that we let a man run off with thirty-thousand yen worth of food she'll have our necks!" Jason shouts.

Yukiko, one of the waitresses who delivered a part of Garou's meal, points an accusatory finger at him. "You were the one managing the register! Why didn't you make sure he paid!?"

"He was gone before I had the chance! You were free, why you ain't stop him?!"

"Cause I wasn't free! I was delivering food to another table of mine!"

"Why don't you stop licking your ass and think of a way we can get out of this mess!" Jason yells at the cat whose sitting on top of one of the table chairs. He merely gives a blank stare before going right back to licking.

Reiji simply sighs as he listens to Yukiko and Jason argue back and forth. He walks over to them and rests his hand on Yukiko's shoulder who pauses. She was a pretty young woman not much younger than Jason, having long wavy light brown hair that reached half way down her back, matching eyes, petite features and a small face. She would have been the pinnacle of Japanese beauty had it not been for the large burn marks that coated her legs, arms and a small part of her neck and face.

"Arguing between each other, and at the cat for that matter, isn't gonna get us anywhere. Besides, it was my table, if she gets mad at anyone it'll be me."

"It may have been your table but that doesn't mean that we won't get chewed out all the same." Jason points.

"And your right but I'll be sure to take whatever blame alone. I'll make absolute sure you guys won't get chewed out." He reassures them.

Jason sighs and leans up against the kitchen door. "I hope so. She hasn't exactly been a happy camper lately." He digs in the pocket of his apron and unwraps a red lollipop. "Geesh, I need a smoke."

Tsu Tsu jumps into Yukiko's arms who catches him, stroking his fur. "She's been a bit irritated. I wonder if this has anything to do with what's been happening lately."

"What? The monsters in our city? Thought they were pretty much done for." Jason mumbles.

"Some escaped after the Monster Association collapsed. The Hero Association has been doing their best to hunt down any remnants but the few that has survived, have been a nuisance to the boss."

"Lemme guess, they've found a good hiding spot in bosses hideout huh?"

"You know it." Reiji answers.

Jason chuckles. "Figured."

"That explains it then." Yukiko mumbles. Taking a seat in the chair Tsu Tsu was previously in.

Jason lips pop as he removes the lollipop from his mouth. "The news been talking about the outbreak of rats in the city. Been all over TV."

"And? What's new?" Reiji dismisses. "They've been a thing for a couple of years now."

"I mean yeah, we've always known that but the city folks? Nah, they didn't until now. The people are concerned cause it seems that the population increased since a decade ago when they first started to appear."

"They haven't increased. The numbers been the same, they just showing themselves more cause of the monsters escaping."

Jason bites down, crunching as his teeth clash with the jagged bits of candy. "Z-City is a dump. We have the highest outbreak of monsters out of all the cities, or at least did, and their worried about some rats? Come on."

"Hasn't been too bad." Yukiko speaks up. "For nearly a decade, our city has seen a rapid decrease in monsters to almost none. In fact, our monster appearance rate is so low to the point that we've been voted safest city in the entire country."

"That's now. What the bastards don't know that if boss leaves..." Jason twirls the stick of his lollipop between his fingers. "Those numbers are gonna jump right back up again."

"But it's good to enjoy it while it last no? My only concern is that now since the city has been voted the safest a few years ago, the rent has all but skyrocketed. I don't think I can ever let it go."

"Not like we're paying it." Jason grins. "Boss got us covered."

"Not if you keep letting the customers off on their pay."

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Don't be like that Reiji. It's only a few bucks. No need to bother the pretty ladies off of it. Not like it's gonna hurt our revenue."

Reiji crosses his arms at him. "Every little dollar lost does hurt our revenue and if you keep it up, you'll be hurting along with them. Can't you see their using you?"

Jason scratches the back of his neck. "Well, I-Uh..."

"Meow."

"Shut up! What do you know anyway." He turns to Reiji. "Anyway, you've talked with the boss? Always good to let her know sooner or later 'bout an escapee."

"I sent Joey after him and dropped a text message to her phone. She was in the area so I figured Joey could track him down for her. It's always good getting them before their too far from the cafe."

"I feel sorry for any poor sap that gets on her bad side." He chuckles. "Wouldn't want them ending up as lunch." He turns his attention to Tsu. "Ain't that right, Tsu Tsu?"

The cat pounces on him. Clawing at his face

"H-Hey! Get off me! Stop! You'll have seven lives left once I'm done with you-ow!"

Yukiko simply laughs at the scene while Reiji can only help but sigh. A squeak is heard and Reiji's eyes turn to the door, seeing a rat scurrying over to him across the floor, dragging with it a large, wet, dirty piece of paper in his mouth that it had snatched from the . "Speak of the devil."

Joey stops in front of him and shakes himself off, squeaking in greeting.

"Been gone for a while. Managed to find or do anything?"

He nods, letting out a squeak.

"Alerted the boss? Found out who or what he was?"

Joey nods again, this time running up his leg and onto his shoulder. "Whats this?" Reiji takes the paper from him, a small glossy poster that had all but succumb to the weather with it's faded out words and picture. He had snatched it from the

"Couldn't have gotten a better one?" He shakes it, letting the droplets fly off. "Hero...Hunter...what about him?"

Joey jumps down into his apron's pocket, taking out the used napkin that Garou had and drops it to the floor before reaching up, signaling for the poster. Reiji hands it to him and he sits on the floor, placing the used napkin on top of it.

It takes a while for it to register.

Reiji's eyes widen. "The Hero Hunter?!"

Jason peels Tsu from his face, blinking. "That was him that ran off?!"

"Talk about a revelation..." Yukiko whispers.

"Ain't that the same guy that took down like, a hundred heroes? Heard he did Metal Bat and Tank Top Master quite a doozy."

"I also heard he had ties to the Monster Association but the Hero Association aren't too sure." Yukiko speaks.

"Guy had a monster smell to him, wouldn't be surprised if he was part of them."

"If he is a monster the boss is gonna be even more furious. You know she don't like monsters in her restaurant."

"I mean, she let us work here so she can't be too against them." He laughs.

Yukiko looks at him annoyed. "Your hardly a monster...porky."

"Hey! At least I'm not a chicken!"

"Rooster! R-to-the-r!"

"Same thing! Anyway, I don't think this guy is gonna be an easy target to go after Reiji..." Jason looks at him, noticing his eyes staring down into space as his they narrow."Reiji?"

"No...not at all it seems." He looks up, carrying a more serious expression than the one before. "I think this one is gonna be quite troublesome."

"Bet he is. You know the boss ain't one to stop until a person's debt to her is paid. We learned that the hard way, but even if he does give her trouble..." He smirks. "I'm sure you'll be there to help her out. Afterall..." He walks towards Reiji, wrapping an arm across his shoulder. "Who can match against the mighty Titan?"