Access to the roof was meant to be secured with a thick padlock on the door. Shockingly, the metal loop had been cut clean off and discarded down the trash chute with the rest of the lock, leaving the rooftop open to anyone looking to avoid everyone else.
The argument about the many spare rooms had happened before Luna even returned to the penthouse. As the conversation went, being trapped in one of the other apartments with Patty casually browsing would have caused unnecessary risk to Phantom and, by extension, the situation with Yliaster. (Then Musume had stabbed her and told her she didn't care either way as long as she did it quietly.) Despite the isolation, Phantom held no anger towards Patty. It was her own paranoia driving her to hide and Leo had fully explained the situation before the newest guest could arrive.
As with all aspects of Signer life, Phantom had already processed all the available data. She knew that records of Patty Ortiz had come to an abrupt halt nearly eight years ago, just as she knew that Charlotte Ortiz had passed away from an undiagnosed chest infection two years later. The esteemed Mr Ortiz had apparently been too busy running a small shipping company to grieve. At the time, it had appeared that a couple of Yliaster agents had been reassigned but she hadn't been able to find any additional evidence to link the remaining Ortiz to the sinister organisation. Truthfully, Phantom had little time for people who loved profit over their children. If Luna hadn't already spoken with Misty about avoiding the shipping company in all future business, she would have devised a far more brutal punishment. Shipping was a tragic business. Everyone knew sailors could disappear overboard, even if they happened to be the CEO. Sometimes without warning, witnesses, or even ship. Never to be seen again.
Left alone on the rooftop, she had listened to the group below march through the same twilight rituals as the rest of the city. Food, conversation, awkward goodbyes, teeth and toilet, gradually falling into the gentle oblivion of sleep. Watching the lights across the city flicker and vanish over the hours was the most relaxing part of her day. All the harsh edges of the patterns gradually soothed away into gentle melodies as the night deepened. Streets lay quiet and buildings stood in silence. When the city was this tranquil, the overflowing sensations flowing into her ceased their torture and became nearly pleasant.
To her new view on reality, everything resonated with a unique and detailed tune. Leo burbling cheerfully, barely a dash of doubt to be found. Luna hummed a gentle radiance, curled protectively around the unstable fluctuations of her old friend. Jaden was a cornucopia of energy, the darkly oscillating tones of Yubel blending almost indistinguishably in from his own. Buildings hummed in resolute solidity, energy crackled through cables like burning embers in a fire. Even the very air was filled with...
Dropping from the edge of the building, she rocketed through the interior and was slipping into a bedroom before the outside door had even swung closed. Settling one hand near the blade, a dark palm reached up to cover the snoring face. Musume. Restraining the wrist as it began to swing for a stab, Phantom muted the instinctive shout of alarm. You need to get to the roof. Swirling fear in her eyes convinced Musume that the urgency of her words wasn't an overreaction. Then she woke up enough to sense what was going on above her head.
Talons slashed and wings flared through the dark of the night. Though imperceivable by normal eyes, each fighter sought to drag the other away from the building, lest their movements shatter the fragile structure and bring attention to their otherwise ethereal conflict. "Your attacks are as pitiful as the masters you serve!" Raking talons across a shielding wing, the impact knocked Yubel up into the sky. Flaring both membranes wide, she pivoted on the spot and kicked the pursuer even higher than he had knocked her.
"I work alongside a man nobler than any you will ever meet." She sneered back. Gravity was a mere suggestion as the mighty creature twisted in the air and dove back towards her at speeds, colliding once more. "What, is that the best you can do?" Laughing mockingly, Yubel threw them apart again. She landed on the edge of the building overlooking the pool while four paws gripped the roof of the hut containing the lift motors. Growling in anger, each prepared for another confrontation.
Metal screeched as the metal door into the building grudgingly opened against the intermittent winds of the night. "Ya know," Rolling joints upon waking was normal for people. Few could make them produce enough cracks to trigger an addict. "I really hate when people interrupt my sleep. There'd best be a real fucking good reason." Mutually acknowledging a stalemate, both fighters edged to one side until they formed a triangle with the intruder.
"What are you doing here?" Even years later, he recognised the woman who had dragged Luna to a cornered confrontation in the Spirit World.
"That's my line." Stifling a yawn as she dragged one palm into her face, it was immediately evident that their tense stand-off would snap as soon as she picked a side. "Yubel, did you do something or is this a passing visit?" Out of all the Signers, Yubel had a begrudging respect for Musume and nearly explained the situation. Unfortunately, she was a bit too slow.
"If you are here, then Luna must be in danger." Baring his teeth, Regulus leapt down from atop the squat concrete structure with fatal intent.
A gust of wind sent him skittering back into the sky as bloody wings burst into existence. "Did I say you could speak?" Cowing people with words was easy. Cowing two powerful spirits with voice alone had them readjusting the threat present before them. "Wait your turn – unless you want me to lose my temper." Coated in a shimmering veil of energy underscored the sort of power she had available to make him obey. Settling back on his haunches, Regulus growled defensively but said nothing.
"This overgrown pussycat" Ribbons of energy cascaded from burning eyes as Musume surrendered even more control of her body at the insult. If she wasn't careful, one dragon lady was going to eviscerate the other. "He showed up and began demanding to know my business. When I said I would defend Jaden, he reacted aggressively." Checking herself, it was Yubel's turn to notice the tense stance. "I take it you know each other."
"Regulus." Ignoring insults was the only option besides attacking. "Is this true?"
"I will give everything to protect Luna." Shining white radiance began to slowly envelop him. "Even if it should be my life!"
"Something we've got in common." Hunching as one wing crunched inwards, she muffled her screams as they painfully receded at a rate of inches. "Don't fuckkkarrrhg test me again, I'll get them raaaghight back out." A spasm of confused muscles as her tail receded had marred the threat but she pushed through. "Yubel's here to help. It's a long story you can ask Luna in the morning. Sleep at the end of her bed if it makes you feel any better."
"I can sense something dark inside." To his credit, Regulus had clearly realised how outclassed he was yet still refused to back down until he had sufficient answers. "What else are you hiding?"
"Depends. Got a magic sword that shouldn't exist, nutter in a suit of armour, and the dumbest time-traveller I've ever seen. Could be any of them." Levering herself over the edge of the building, she glanced back for a second. "Well, you coming?" Dropping to the patio, she was unsurprised to see Phantom remaining waiting with the sheathed Tender Hands still held ready. She had opted out of taking the sword to avoid escalating the situation but had it kept on standby in case it had.
Masterfully done. Passing the weapon back, she froze in place as a white blur shot past and through a wall on the second floor.
"Don't worry about him." Another shadowy form flew to the other end of the hallway with animosity sparking at a midpoint between them. "Fuck me. This is my life now." Constant screaming in her mind, an autistic pain in her arse, a backwards idiot in the spare room, and now two conflicting Duel Spirits at opposite ends of the hallway. "Anything else that can make it worse?"
… There was an endless pause as she processed the question. Any number of circumstances could make events worse. But the answer people usually wanted to hear was Nothing in particular. But...
"Spit it out." It was obvious that Phantom was trying to figure out how to phrase a question that wouldn't end with her getting stabbed. That alone usually earned a stabbing but lack of sleep was dulling the instinct.
Is he as fluffy as he looks?
"... What?" Maybe it was having her sleep interrupted but Musume could have sworn she heard an immortal, savage creature capable of destroying anything smaller than a dragon as 'fluffy'. "You mean Regulus? The lion? With the teeth?" She had done a good job of hiding her fear but those natural daggers had stirred an evolutionary terror at the base of her skull.
Yes. Is he really that fluffy? With the imminent threat of supernatural battle abated, it was time for the important questions. As impressive and mighty as Regulus was, he was also a lion and lions were simply big cats. She had yet to meet a feline who did not appreciate a good belly rub. Worst case, she had to hope her armour could deal with being shaken like a chew toy.
"You're pretty fucking weird." Phantom shrugged as Musume ground one eye beneath her palm. "Yeah, he's fluffy. But don't try scratching behind his ears, he's ticklish." One time, when her grandparents had been out of town and Crow stuck for a babysitter while he visited the hospital, he had told her to stay in the Spirit World with the twins. Besides enjoying the rare time with her aunt and uncle, there had been the exclusive treat of carefully accompanied rides on the mighty beast. It was like being carried by what clouds looked like they should feel.
There was still an unholy smile beneath that mask as Musume shrugged off the memory. "Does autism make you like cats or something?" She'd have usually gone for 'brain injury' if there had still been a brain she could injure.
I... The smile dimmed rapidly. I will tell you another time.
"Can it at least wait until I've had some more sleep?" If a problem is encountered, avoid responsibility at all costs. If all else fails, ignore it until it goes away and sleep had a marvellous way of eating up the hours.
Of course. Giving a shallow bow, Phantom stepped back outside and vanished back to the rooftop in one leap.
Stumping back upstairs, Musume took a right and paused outside her room. "Fuck it." Turning to the opposite door, she stepped into Jaden's room without the slightest hesitation. The tousled hair was splayed messily over the pillow and one leg was tightly entangled with the duvet as he sleepily scratched his stomach. With Yubel still so fixated on the new threat down the hall, she was too late to do anything about the near sonic boom as Musume slapped the sleeping face harder than most people could punch. "Next time your partner decides to pick a fight," She whisper-shouted as his yell died in confusion. "You'd better be awake to deal with it yourself because I'm getting pissed off having to deal with everyone else's problems!"
Propped on the bed with one arm, face stinging from the slap, and head still filled with sleep, Jaden stared at her slack-jawed. "Uh?"
Scratching one item from her list of problems, Musume left the room without another word. "Fuck it." She reiterated. If she was this awake already, there was nothing to be lost by soothing the appallingly dry mouth she had. It was as she approached the stairs that a door at the other end of the hallway opened and a figure stepped out.
"Care to explain what you're doing in someone else's room at this time of night?" Beneath that sanctimonious question, angry tone and general loathing, Patty was pointing a fairly direct accusation down the hall.
From the outside, Musume was forced to admit that it looked bad. Here she was, dressed only in the shorts and shirt she had been asleep in, slightly sweaty from the confrontation ten feet above, coming out of Jaden's room in the middle of the night. "Fuckwit slept through a call. It woke me up."
"What's going on?" Appearing behind Patty, at least Luna had possessed the presence of mind to throw on a dressing gown. Her friend had slipped back into the same ratty outfit she'd worn all day.
"Nothing, go back to bed." The last thing she needed was having to explain the argument on the roof when nobody was awake enough to deal with it.
"What's happening?" All the voices had managed to rouse Leo and he perked his head around the corner of the door. Taking a deep breath through her nose, Musume kept her eyes closed as she tried to quash the anger which would make them glow. Sensing the moment of weakness, the screaming in the back of her mind chose that moment to flare back up.
"Is that really the time?" Checking the display on her phone, Luna briefly dragged her twin from his room to check the sports watch strapped to one wrist. "Damn, I'm going to be late for a meeting." Shoving Leo back out of sight of the three ladies, she dove back into her own room with the door left slightly ajar. "Can one of you put the kettle on?" Fabrics rustled as she hurried her way into fresh clothes.
"What sort of meeting can you have at this time of night?" Thankful for the distraction Musume was also a bit shocked at the level of work ethic. Nobody should have to get up while it was still dark out.
"Call with a tribal leader in Honolulu. They're five hours ahead." Meaning, their ten was Luna's five and she had forty minutes to have a shower, apply makeup, do her hair, pick out an outfit, generally make herself presentable for an international call and be awake enough to be competitive in it.
"I'll put the coffee on. You," Pausing long enough to give a pointedly disdainful look, Patty waved Musume off over her shoulder. "Can get dressed." Any later hour would have risked death or dismemberment. In the pre-dawn, she was just grateful for the ability to collapse onto a soft surface and wake up at a more proper rate.
Going to wipe the sleep from her eyes, she realised the Tender Hands was still clutched tightly in one fist. Holding the sword above her head, Musume stared at the weapon. It had been in full sight all the time, she'd forgotten it was even there. And Patty hadn't so much as glanced at it. Come to that, none of the guards downstairs had called the police on her or even asked about it. A cheerless smile curled at her mouth. A sword so inconspicuous that nobody seemed to notice it. Handy.
After five hours of trying to juggle lies to Patty, surreptitiously pass the truth to Leo, and ignore the tense atmosphere that the two were unable to sense, Musume had stepped out to check on her other, other, other problem while Luna and Jaden went to fetch lunch supplies and settle the argument between their friends. Phantom was tucked rigidly a few feet from the rear edge of the building. Both fists were gently touching in her lap with the crossed legs supporting a perfectly upright posture. 'Enter freely and of your own will.' Turning around was pointless. She knew who was there as easily as those golden eyes saw the orange overalls.
"How the fuck are you the least troubling of my problems?" She adored Luna, had mixed feelings for Leo and was irked that Jaden had to be present in the first place. Factor in Yubel, Patty, and her talking post and Musume was feeling penned in by all the people. "I'm only here to make sure Akiza doesn't get hurt. Babysitting isn't what I signed up for and having to act nice all the time is giving me a headache." Patty was a flight risk under normal circumstances. As soon as Luna asked her to behave, the screaming inside Musume's head had seemed louder than ever.
'Life is pain, highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.' Another tremor flickered through her.
"Back to quotes? Who you being this time?" Only talking in tongues was going to give any possibility of a stay of execution. And Phantom had best start talking before the five-second count hit three.
William Goldman. The sound of a drawn blade penetrated even the incessant noise of a metropolis. More globally recognisable names got given a pass but anything only nationally famous was beneath Musume's notice. American. And Bram Stoker before that. There was an irony about an undead quoting a vampire novel to an unborn that reality couldn't quantify.
"If you call me 'highness' again, Yliaster is going to be the least of your problems." Although, anything was better than the Salvador crap she had been spouting last time. "How's the headache?" Besides minor shivers, there was little evidence of the assault on supernatural senses.
'You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realise this, and you will find strength.' Even the least interested guest would raise questions over three-hour showers or bodies in the pool. With Patty around, the only choice was to suffer in silence as calmly as possible. Attempting to ignore reality and relying on hoarded quotes was the best she could do.
Musume neither knew nor cared enough to ask. As far as she was concerned, "You're still a pain in my arse." Downstairs, upstairs, inside her head and out of her control. If one more irritant poked her temper, someone was going to suffer.
Metal creaked behind her as fate inevitably tested her. "Hey, you got a light?" Patty was heaving open the heavy external door. Panic, instincts, and influence from damned creatures of the deepest abysses merged into a powerful kick as she booted Phantom from the roof.
"One more time?" Everything except panic was urging Musume to send this intruder the same place she had sent her last victim.
"A light." Patting herself down, Patty had a thin cigarette perched on her lips. "Used to have some matches about me. Can't expect to keep a lighter for long where I usually stay."
"Hang on." Plucking the death stick, she slowly revolved on the spot as a slight glimmer came from one side. "Here." Passing back a gently glowing end, she was amazed the trick had worked.
"How'd you do that?" Taking a deep drag on the nicotine, she was more grateful for the hit than annoyed at finding someone else waiting at her secret spot. "Damn, that's good."
"Where'd you even get cigarettes?" Encroaching laws had restricted smoking to the point that nobody bothered selling them anymore.
"Know a guy in Hell's End. Not illegal yet." Stains on fingers but not teeth told her that it was a recent habit. "Who were you talking to?" Slipping onto the edge of the building, she dangled her feet over the greedy void.
"Myself. Pair of overalls got left up here." Even discounting the existence of Phantom, having to explain what she was doing kicking someone off the roof was too long an explanation for Musume to bother with. Slipping down to the edge, she tucked the Tender Hands a bit higher to avoid snagging it on the concrete. "We probably shouldn't be sitting here."
"Hey, I fall and a lot of problems go away." Dressed in clothes belonging to her friend's brother and sitting atop the sort of building which would normally turn her away on sight, Patty had eight years of anger fully internalised. "What's your game?" Taking a deep drag on the stick, she blew smoke over the city.
"No idea what you're talking about." Looking at the simmering ashes, she wondered how gods felt about lung cancer. "Can I have a go?" Taking a deep drag, Patty passed it over without complaint.
"Luna and that lot. You seem pretty tight." Taking a small breath in, Musume coughed until it felt like her lungs were going to rupture. "Easy, don't let it fall." Real cigarettes cost more than most people could make in a day. The crappy fakes she had probably cost a tenth the price but still sold for half.
"Fuck, that's disgusting." Passing it back along, she was begrudgingly impressed when Patty took another drag without flinching.
"It gets less disgusting after a while." More smoke billowed across the sky. "See, nobody wants to give me a clear read on what you and lover boy are doing here. I asked Leo and he got so excited that he had to run to stop from spilling the beans." If Leo had been involved with this enigma, he'd have been boasting it non-stop. It had taken six months for him to stop working that he was friends with Jack Atlas into literally every conversation.
"Yeah, he does that." At least her version had learned how to politely distance himself. This younger one was far less formed. "I'm a friend of Crow's. He'd normally let me stay with him but the place is swarming with reporters. The twins are letting me camp out here as a favour."
"Hmm." That single note could say volumes yet remained neutral. Luna was living with either a liar or an idiot with deep pockets. Thieves tended to learn fast who was lying and even faster when there were riches to be had. "You're great at making excuses. But I don't think you can explain away those tats so easily." A long drag on the short stick sucked away at both their lives. "Care to give it a go?" Watching the butt spiral away like her chances of deception, Musume found herself in the rare position of wondering if this misfortune wasn't her fault. Patty hadn't been part of her past and her current predicament might have been as native to the timeline as Jack's ego.
"Let's say I got myself into trouble more times than it was worth." Keeping her temper under control was difficult. All it'd take was a single flicker of her glowing golden irises and the entire charade of normalcy went right out the window. Or over the edge, in this case. "Shit, put those away." Trying to cram the packet out of sight, she dragged Patty back from the edge.
"What's the big deal?" Jumping to her death was fine. Falling because this stranger was getting flustered would have Patty haunting her for the rest of Musume's life.
"Luna's back. How do you get rid of this stink?" Being clouded in nicotine left a distinctive scent Musume had been banking on leaving longer to dissipate.
"You sure you saw her?" Peeking over the edge, Patty couldn't tell the difference between one speck of colour and the next.
"Trust me." Trying to brush the smell away was the best she could think of. "I've got good eyes."
Down in the lobby, it was other good eyes that were proving to be a problem. Despite pressing the button a few times more than was necessary, the lift still hadn't come. "Excuse me." The guard at the door checked his monitors. "Would you mind stepping over here for a moment?" There was a Stun Baton on one hip and a panic button beneath the counter which would have police outside the doors inside of three minutes. Asking for their permission was simply a nicety.
"What's the problem?" Stepping up to the partitioned desk, Luna had her phone ready in case she needed to call reinforcements. At best, Akiza would soothe over the situation. At worst, Musume would tear down the building. She was really hoping there was a parcel waiting for them and neither Izinski required a call.
"May I see some identification?" That was a relief. Luna had been on good terms with the doorman since she was a child.
"Come on, Criss." Putting her most winsome smile, she was painfully aware that it had shifted implications in the last decade. "You've known me since I was five."
"And I'd never expect you to be involved in anything untoward." Smiling politely, the joy didn't reach his eyes. "But I have no record of your boyfriend on file. He'll be fine as soon as I put him in the system." Crap. He was meant to be keeping incognito. And that was only half the problem – he didn't even have a valid ID with him. Even the trademark Yuki cheer wouldn't be able to get a driving license eight decades out of date accepted.
"My boyfriend is visiting from out of town." Clutching his arm to her chest, Luna gave her brightest smile as played along with the assumption. "He forgot his wallet and we've asked his housemates to post it after him."
"Put it on the side so I wouldn't forget it. Then forgot it anyway!" The hidden face gave a weary sigh at the cheerful smile. Plenty of people had tried far more elaborate excuses. However, this was the Tops. People here paid to know that they weren't surrounded by the 'wrong type'.
"Do you have any form of identification?" As good as Jaden was at bluffing, he couldn't conjure up proof of an address he didn't have. "Anything at all?"
"Hang on," Pretending to dig through her pockets with a spare hand, Luna held out her phone. "Will this do?" Laughing on the screen was the same face right beside her.
Glancing between the two for a minute, Criss gave a small shrug. Calling the police on everyone who forgot their ID would soon make the biggest gang in the city. "Make sure to get it sorted soon. Let me know if I can be any help." Unlocking the elevators, he waved the pair through without further question. People rich enough to live in the Tops generally took rules as insults and lodged complaints before they reached the elevator.
"Hold her hand before that idiot in the helmet catches on." There was a pause as he struggled to figure out how Phantom was suddenly involved. "Not that idiot, you idiot – the cop!" Yubel was never one to give bad advice and he impulsively seized the hand beside his.
"Sorry." He had felt her hand squirm as soon as it was in his. "Yubel says we should try and sell it." Hissing from the corner of his mouth, he resisted the monumental urge to look back over their shoulders to see how effective it had been.
"You've pinned my thumb!" Slipping the digit out, she awkwardly clutched his hand back. Shuffling impatiently, Jaden was growing increasingly disillusioned with the future lift.
"When did you take a photo?" Anything was better than the awkward silence.
"It's an old one from online." Ah. Probably from his biography. Weird.
"You'll need to call the lift again." Calling from his small desk, Criss made them both jump. "I had to lock it while I asked you questions. Regulations."
"Thanks." Leaning over, Luna pressed the button and the faint whirr of motors sounded behind the door.
Only once they were safely inside and the metal doors closed did the pair let out a long sigh. Leaning against the cold metal, the second King of Games was finding the world of subterfuge every bit as stressful as any Duel. "Why doesn't Musume get stopped when she gets here?" Being born in the future, she had even less proof of her existence than he did.
Luna shared a very particular look as she weighed the question. "Because she drives in." Yes, the parking guard only stopped vehicles that lacked access codes to the underground parking. That was the singular reason Musume was never asked for proof of residence. Nothing to do with the unnaturally glowing eyes and a general aura of violence.
Within seconds, the elevator had reached the penthouse and she was keying in the long passcode for the main door. "Hey." Slouched in a chair beside the open patio doors, the redhead was resting with both feet dangling above the floor. She was acting oddly nonchalant for someone with no witnesses at hand.
"Hi." Sniffing the air, she could faintly taste a cloying tinge. "What's that smell?" As a good girl, Luna had never indulged in the filthy habit of smoking and had no idea what the stench was.
"Probably a fart I did earlier." On the other hand, having a poor reputation could help cover up a lot worse. "What took you guys so long? And... why are you holding hands?" Slugging back her Irish coffee (hold the coffee and cream), Musume raised an eyebrow as the pair looked down in shock.
"Criss wanted to check our IDs." Dropping his hand faster than a hot coal, she stepped away to carry her bag over to the kitchen. "The guard at the front gate didn't want to let Jaden in."
"Who can blame them?" For the first time, Musume looked vaguely apologetic. "Wait, did you say 'Jaden'?" Her brain had auto-filled Leo's name. The younger man was too horrifically cheerful for her view of the world and required constant reminders of the reality he lived in. Jaden was enough of a realist to get a pass.
"We pretended I forgot my wallet but I don't think that's going to work for long." He'd considered asking Musume to drive him in and out to avoid the guards during the trip in the lift. Two problems had instantly sprung to mind: Musume's anger if she was asked and the guards having heart attacks if they had to interact with her on a regular basis.
Overriding the urge to inflict gross harm, Musume forced herself upright. So many complications kept screwing with her life that she felt it violently necessary to spread the misery. "I've got a guy who owes me a favour. He'll get your documents." Few people naturally gripped weapon handles when thinking about old friends. All of them were unsettling.
After lunch had time to settle, she smiled pointedly at Jaden until he bravely volunteered to go out for a ride with her. Maybe she had displayed a few too many teeth because he also insisted on opening every door for her. Tempting as it was to put his head through one of them, she'd need his face in good enough condition for a fake ID. (Luna had taken one look at the raised handprint from his slap that morning and dragged him to a hair and makeup session as soon as her call was over.) Knocking politely on an apartment in one of the seedier parts of the city, her next smile was more genuine than intimidating as the wood creaked open. "Heya, Blister. It's been a while." He looked a little younger than she was familiar with. The last time she had seen him had been eight years ago when she bargained for his safehouse and ensuing silence. But she had grown up with a version of him several years older still.
"You've got the wrong place." For someone of his particular career path, Blister was exceptionally equal opportunistic when it came to his clients. Young, old, man, woman, anywhere on any spectrum, he treated them each with appropriate levels of respect. Which was why he wasn't particularly phased when an apparently too slim hand was able to easily hold back his attempts to shut them out. "I don't want to use this on you." Raising the Shock Baton inside the open crack, he let enough sparks crackle to convey its potential effectiveness. "But I will if you don't let go of my door."
"Tempting as that is," A sadistic part of her wanted him to try. "I'll let go of your door." Dust swirled as the slamming door sent a breeze through the cramped hallway.
"That didn't go so well." Even though Jaden had always received the finest in untraceable assistance from his benefactor, he felt that the grimy underground version should have been more forthcoming.
"Don't worry about that." Sounds of a scuffle came from inside the apartment. Universal laws of concealed arguments dictated that a plate smash dramatically and the sound of shattering crockery was music to her ears. "I was only giving her the time she needed to get inside." On cue, the door opened to reveal a struggling Blister held aloft in one tightened hand. The other reason she had waited until after lunch was to restore her personal haunting to useable conditions and sneak in from behind while she distracted the mark.
You said that you had met before. There was a smear of blood on the surface of the helmet from where he had punched it as hard as he could. Only the accommodating lean had stopped his bones from breaking. It would have been rude to dodge entirely.
"And he probably doesn't remember." Swiping uselessly behind him, Blister nearly drained the battery on his baton as it failed to release him. "Hey, Blister." Tapping him on the cheek to draw attention, she didn't flinch when he tried to swing the baton back towards her. "Think back, about eight years ago. How's Aero doing?"
"Aero?" The wrist holding the weapon had been caught in one freezing palm but he twisted it away, as a sign of good faith. Bloodshot eyes tried to see past the fresh markings on her face and the glowing eyes. "Huh. You don't say?" He hadn't seen her face back then but he knew the voice he heard it. Even still, there was no way this person had been old enough to be the same one from nearly a decade back.
"Perks of the job." Noting the lessening tension, Phantom carefully let go of his jacket and brushed him down. "How's tricks?" Shoving Jaden ahead of her, she eased the door closed before anyone could come to investigate.
"I went straight about two years after Ark Cradle." Straightening his clothes, he did an excellent job of pretending not to be disturbed by the creature behind him. "I'm legit now, clean and free."
"Even I can tell you're lying." Jaden regretted the insult as he nearly wet himself. Having a jab of electricity in the stomach does that to people. At least he only collapsed to the floor and shuddered.
"And who's the kid? Some of the stuff I'm working on is... sensitive?" He had nearly slipped up in all the excitement. Plus, electrocuting an intruder usually gave him a severe rush of adrenaline.
Should I pretend not to notice the equipment you have? Card programmers, scanners, half a dozen dismantled Duel Disks, literal rows of drawers containing parts that shouldn't be outside factories and a few spare weapons that seemed cobbled together by his own hands. She was impressed by the work and considering asking for one.
"I don't know how those got here." His instinctive response was too strong to notice the lack of voice. "Check for fingerprints, that'll prove they were planted!" Looking around the room with penetrating eyes, she started seeing a few places where dust had gathered a little too neatly. It wasn't hard to figure out where a few questionable items were hidden.
I like you. There was a growing suspicion beneath the fading hairline as his ears remained dreadfully silent.
"What if I said I had a job that only you could do?" There was a very particular Venn diagram going on. (Phantom had tried to push for an actual diagram until Musume had taken the pens and stabbed her.) Every one of Phantom's contacts capable of doing the job couldn't be relied upon not to sell the information on but Blister's skills were probably rusty even if he had immense trust. "Simple task, morally upright, big pay."
A pad was leaning against the nearest surface as soon as money was mentioned. "What d'ya need?" Plucking a writing implement from behind an ear, Blister was unusually optimistic for the job. The last one had put him back in touch with his oldest friend. This new one might pay enough to retire on.
"I need two IDs. Rush job."
"Names?" No superfluous questions were asked as he jotted down shorthand notes. Nobody besides himself would understand the messy scrawl.
"Something generic for the kid, your pick. Musume Izinski for the other." The scrawl stopped mid-word. "There a problem?"
"Nothing. It's just... you look a lot like her." It wasn't that Blister had lost the trust of the Signers. He simply hadn't been around recently enough to be filled in on their newest relation.
"Feel free to give her a call – after my items are ready." She didn't care if Akiza knew she had fake documents (it wasn't as if she could get real ones) but she knew her mother would try to stop her otherwise. "Speaking of, I'll be borrowing a handset." Unlike her family, Musume didn't trust Blister, not with the tech running through her phone. Giving him a way to connect to it was like seating Jack in a cafe and asking him not to order coffee.
"Fair enough." He had dealt with difficult clients before. Karma generally had a way of catching up with them. "How quality are we talking here? You want to get into a club or swipe the bus?" Most of his illegitimate work those days was for cheap fares or cheaper drinks. It helped pass the time and carried little more sentence than a slap on the wrist.
"Fake enough to keep us anonymous, good enough to fool anyone who comes looking." The tip of his pencil snapped clean off. Blister never worked in pen for his 'legally grey' jobs. It was amazing how much evidence they left behind. "There a problem?"
"That might be a little more than I can do." Spoofing the train system was only marginally harder than fooling a bouncer. If the authorities took a long look at the identities they were asking for, they'd crumble like Crow under the idea of work. No amount of freelance jobs for the police would smooth out the issue before they took a harder look at the contents of Bliter's apartment.
What happens if I say 'I told you so'? Paper fluttered as she collapsed dramatically to the floor. The sword in her chest had been thrust with more vehemence than usual.
"What the fuck!" Blister lunged with another baton that he kept under the desk. For the second time that day, a body collapsed under the pain of captive lightning.
"Whoa!" Jaden was still smelling the burning from his last electrocution and backed away with raised hands. "Is it always like this with you people?"
Often, when Musume is involved. Grabbing the spare baton, she wrested it away from his trembling hand. Are you... unharmed?
"Hang on." Rising from the floor through sheer rage, Musume pulled the sword free before Blister could react. "Maybe don't keep talking to people with swords sticking out of you." The pointedly calm air meant Phantom didn't even need to speak to call attention to the fact that Musume had been the one to stab her.
"What's the point in carrying a fake sword?" That was the easiest solution he could think of for someone getting up with a sword in their chest. And plenty of people were strong enough to resist getting zapped.
"Fake. Sure." There was a taste of burnt copper in her mouth. Anyone else would be hobbling away on broken bones. It wouldn't be a real crawl with all four limbs bent at impossible angles. "Can you do it or not?"
"Of course, I can do it." Wounded pride can elevate skill faster than days of focusing. "It's just going to take time. And some money. And... do you guys have any blackmail material on a senator?"
"Why would I have blackmail material?" The idea of someone blackmailing her grandparents sickened her. They were good people. Even after everything that had happened to her family, they had made sure she was well cared for, going so far as to provide a nurse for Crow that he could continue to raise her through his final days.
"Seriously?" Looking from her to Jaden to Phantom, he received repulsed looks, confused looks and one immoral nod. Phantom had material on workers at every level of government. It was crazy that more people didn't. "Looks like it'll have to be bribes all the way. How much money can you spare?"
"How much do you need?" Dropping out at second place in the Pegasus Trinidad had given her enough funds to last a short and dangerous lifestyle. Lucky her that she didn't have many alternatives available.
"I'll send you a list." He used to have a standing arrangement with a few intermediaries. Prices had probably varied over the years and he needed to make fresh connections. "Do you want them all together or as they come?"
"Get the kid's first. Mine can come later." Flickering orbs gazed at her moderate shock. "What?"
Unexpectedly generous of you. She looked down at the handle as her back hit the floor. The blows were definitely getting harder. Touché.
"The fake sword isn't so funny the second time." Jotting down the instructions, he barely paid any attention as she got back up. "I can have the kid's in about three days. The other will take a little longer." Getting one set of documents fast-tracked could be arranged, with the right incentives, but two at the same time would raise questions.
"Three days?" She wasn't an expert in fake identities but that seemed a bit too fast.
"Money solves a lot of problems." If time was money, then money must also equal time. Ergo, the more money available, the faster events could be accelerated. "You want those tats gone for the photo or kept?" Tattoos – particularly face and neck – were highly identifiable. It was easier to explain they had been added after the photo rather than risk them ending up in the system.
"I..." She paused as the question caught her off-guard. Illumination burst through the darkness across the room. Those eyes were drowning her in understanding. "Off. With brown eyes. I'll say I'm wearing contacts." Another scribbled note went past as the light faded again.
"Here." Tearing off a slip of paper, he held it out for Musume. "Banking details. As soon as I've got the funds, I'll start work." Most people would have operated on a down-payment-only scheme. Blister didn't have the sort of capital for this job lying around and a feeling that trying to run wouldn't end well for him.
Seated on opposite sides of a table, the two figures who had solemnly watched Yusei depart that era were just as seriously moving chess pieces around a board. Carefully looking over the board, one hand gently slid a dark bishop into place. "Good move." Leaning on the other side of the table, the opponent slipped other to an adjacent board. There were three placed along the table. Both were focused on the centre board yet frequently drifting to either of the other games in play. "Have you put as much thought towards the latest issue?"
"You mean Patty Ortiz." While the centre board was the most viewed, the other two were equally important. One was kept a single move behind the centrepiece, always chasing without hope of catching. The other was sporadically branching out down different possibilities, constantly resetting as the main game unfolded. Past, present, and future, all available to manipulate at will. "She was an unexpected complication. What are the odds that Luna would happen to encounter her long lost friend, only hours after Yusei's departure?"
"Hmm." They were both aware of how higher beings were prone to interference in esoteric ways. "Regardless, this is your domain. How do you plan to proceed?" Slipping a piece across the board, the abrupt opening of a door failed to break their fixation on the game.
"We cannot afford rogue elements at this time. It is more important that our plans proceed without interruption." Approaching the table, the women's icy aura was greeted with a single nod. "Take care of Miss Ortiz at the earliest opportunity. Bring her into our employ and extract any meaningful information that you can." Making a move, a rare piece was knocked from the board. "Even pawns can have their uses when properly motivated."
If you're not too board, why not review?