AN:
Guest Reply: Eventually, the sisters will be in the story.
Saccharine Melody: I appreciate it. I hope you stay for the long ride!
Guest N.O.1: Thank you!
Both Lincoln and Mikey snapped their heads to the noise.
The announcer hopped out of his platform and landed between Lincoln and Mikey, confusing them for a moment. "And that settles it, folks! The Big Bosses have decided it will all end here! Our two fighters on top, Lincoln and Mikey!"
The crowd seemed to be a little upset, some shouting out in protest while others booed.
"That will be all for today! Thank you for joining us tonight!"
Wom sighed. "Disappointing." He said. But deep down, he knew that Lincoln and Mikey were probably feeling worse.
Lincoln was a tad irritated but ultimately didn't do anything. He was looking forward to his fight with Mikey, but that wasn't happening. Maybe later, he could ask him to battle outside the city.
Mikey slowly lowered his scythe, previously having it pointed at his opponent. He held it near his chest and stared at it before muttering, "Dang it."
The crowd began to get louder, and it seemed things were about to get messy. Some people had started picking up anything they could find and throwing it toward the arena's center. A few people got pushed before starting a full-on fist fight. Even some flashes of energy were seen thrown at each other.
Just then, Lincoln caught someone in the corner of his eye, making their way to the stadium's center.
It was Shade. The little red-haired girl was wearing a nice dark-red skirt suit.
She approached the three of them, heading straight towards the announcer, who didn't notice her yet.
"Devin." She said, putting her hand out.
He looked at her with a shocked expression before getting the message.
Shade put the mic to her lips. "I would like to ask everybody to politely calm down." She said. "You wouldn't want to displease the Big Bosses, now would you?"
As soon as she mentioned them, the crowd slowly started quieting.
"Is that her?"
"It's Shade!"
"The second hand to the Big Boss, Atlas?"
"If you don't wish to anger the Big Bosses I suggest you begin to make your way out of the stadium accordingly, thank you." She handed the microphone back to Devin, who then took off somewhere.
Surely enough, the people began to make their way out of the stadium peacefully with no conflict.
Then she turned to both Lincoln and Mikey. "Lincoln. Mikey."
"Shade." Lincoln greeted with a nod before asking, "Were you watching?"
Shade replied, "Yes. You both had splendid fights. My boss would like to invite you both to dinner."
Lincoln felt a notification come in on his smart band.
It was an address from Shade. He guessed it must be where her boss wanted to meet him. He wondered how she got his contact info but remembered he put it in when he signed up.
"Mikey, you don't have a smart device registered into the network, so if you wish to join us you can tag along with Lincoln."
Shade then started to walk off. "He hopes to see you both there in an hour. When you arrive just ask for 'Big Boss Atlas.'"
She left them, and Lincoln looked over to Mikey as his scythe vanished in a burst of energy. He didn't look angry, but Lincoln knew he was at least slightly disappointed.
He looked around as the last few remaining people exited the stadium. Kenner was already gone, as was Willy, and he didn't catch Wom or anyone else he recognized. Oh well. Perhaps he could find them later.
He began to make his way back to the changing rooms.
Lincoln and Mikey were changing back into their regular clothing. In the middle of doing so, Lincoln asked him, "So, you coming with me to that boss?"
Mikey looked at him for a moment, contemplating for a bit.
Then, he replied with a shrug, "Sure, why not. I don't have anything better to do anyway."
"Great!" Lincoln said with a smile. He was happy that he had someone to come with him.
Now changed back into their normal wear, they made their way to the address Shade sent Lincoln. They wandered under the night sky and through the bright city.
It took them around twenty minutes of casual walking. Once they arrived, they saw that it was a fancy restaurant.
"Never thought I'd go to a fancy restaurant two days in a row." Mikey said, looking up to the sign and seeing, "Tasty Throne." The title glowed in the night with a nice orange color.
"Well, I guess it's your lucky day." Lincoln said. A sharp feeling cut through his chest when he said that expression. What was wrong with him? It just came out before he thought about it, and it made him feel weird in his stomach.
The two made their way inside, and the sound of customers talking amongst themselves entered their ears. They could also hear some faint but fancy jazz music being played. Under that were the sounds of utensils tapping on plates while they ate and the ice cubes bouncing around in glasses filled with beverages.
Upon entering, they were greeted by a waitress. Wearing a kind, small smile, she had a nice wine-red and white button-up suit with a bowtie and her long brown hair in a bun.
"How may I help you boys today?" She asked kindly.
"We're here for Big Boss Atlas?" Lincoln spoke, hoping they weren't in the wrong place.
The waitress picked up a clipboard and looked through it. "What are your names?"
"Lincoln." He answered before pointing a thumb at the other boy. "He's Mikey."
Mikey nodded.
"Alright. This way please." She said, walking off, the two of them following close behind.
They took a turn past the front and into the restaurant. Lincoln immediately noticed Shade across the room at one of the round tables.
She was sitting on the cool side of the table, where a cushioned seat was merged with the wall. Beside her, however, was a man.
The old man was a bit taller than average, looking to be in his fifties. He sat in a calm manner with both of his hands on the table intertwined. Past his square-framed glasses were his sharp brown pupils and a frown below. He wore an undone black suit with a tie and a white shirt underneath. Sitting beside Shade, he looked abnormally tall at nearly double her height. Meanwhile, Lincoln, Mikey, and Shade were all around the same size.
Lincoln felt some pressure as he got closer to him. Was he actually… scared?
He shook his thoughts.
It was all nonsense. He wasn't a scrawny little kid anymore. He wasn't a cowering boy who couldn't defend himself against adults.
"They're here." Shade said to the man.
He looked towards the two boys who approached from behind the waitress. He put a smile on his face and said, "Ah, my two guests of honor. Take a seat." He gestured towards the two wooden table chairs in front of them.
"I'll get the menus." The waitress said, leaving the four of them.
Lincoln and Mikey politely took their seats.
The man reached over the table with an open hand. "I'm Atlas, it's very nice to meet you."
Lincoln went first as he and Mikey took turns shaking his large hand.
"Nice to meet you too." Lincoln said with a friendly smile. "What can we help you with?" He asked.
"Cutting straight to the chase, eh?" Atlas said with a sly grin. "Don't fret. Let's have a nice dinner and get to know each other first for a bit."
"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to come off like that." Lincoln said sheepishly.
Atlas chuckled a bit. "Don't fret about it."
Just then, the waitress returned with their menus. That was quick. "I'm Iris. I'll be serving you for today. Can I start by getting everyone's drinks?"
Lincoln ordered some pop, and Mikey did the same. Atlas got himself a glass of orange wine, and Shade ordered some fancy drink Lincoln's ears didn't catch.
"As you probably know, I'm one of the five Big Bosses of Fortune City." Atlas said. "I have some of the highest influence of this city, and my company is by far the largest industry of power and electronics."
"So you control the power to the entire city?" Mikey asked.
Atlas nodded. "We manufacture smart devices, provide power to homes and fellow companies. You get the gist." A glass of orange wine was placed in front of him, making him smile up at Iris and say a quick thanks.
Iris placed everyone's drinks down, then took out a small notepad from her waistband.
Atlas looked to Lincoln and Mikey, smiling happily. "Have you both decided on what to order?" He asked.
The two of them looked down at their menus. They were so focused on the conversation they didn't even bother glancing at it.
"I recommend the Explosion Special. Never disappoints." Atlas told them both with a wink before turning to Iris and informing her of his order to give them time to gander.
"And all of it is on me, of course." He said. "So get whatever you'd like."
Lincoln took the chance and ordered what Atlas suggested, not even looking at the menu to see what it was or what it looked like.
Mikey, after some contemplation, ordered something else that caught his eye on the menu. A dish in a bowl with some rice and meat, as well as some sauce on top.
Shade took her order afterward, quickly saying, "The usual."
"Hmph." Atlas chuckled with a smile. "You never liked trying something new."
Shade just scoffed.
Iris left with all the orders, thanking the group of four and promising their food to come soon.
Atlas took a sip of his wine and continued with a gentle smile. "As I was saying, enough about me, I'm just a boring ol' business man."
He motioned to Shade with his hands. "This is my first assistant, Shade. Lincoln, I hear you've already met her."
Lincoln nodded at that. "Yeah, at Club Volcano. She helped me take down some zombie soldiers of The Other."
"I see." Atlas looked towards Shade, who just had a look of boredom, staring at nothing in particular. "She helps me with all of my work. I would have never come this far without her. I am indebted to her."
Shade looked at him and nodded, speaking in that British accent. "I appreciate it, sir. Thank you."
"When she told me all about you, I was quite intrigued. But why don't you tell me more about yourself, Lincoln."
"Oh, uh, there's not much for me to say." He started with a small smile. "I live in my own house in a quiet forest as of right now. I'm just looking for any atomosinc you may have."
"Atomosinc?" Atlas raised a brow for a moment. "Yeah, I should have a bunch laying around that I don't use. What do you need it for, may I ask?"
A fair question, Lincoln thought. He wondered what he should answer with. He honestly didn't want anyone connecting him with any of the other earthlings. Luckily, he remembered a made-up story for this exact question. "If I can get enough atomosinc I heard I could travel through worlds."
Now the other two, even Mikey, who kept to himself the entire time, had their attention on Lincoln.
"Travel through worlds?" Atlas stared at Lincoln for a moment, intertwining his fingers while resting his elbows on the desk. "That does sound interesting indeed. For what reason? Are you some sort of adventurer?"
Lincoln nodded, confirming his suspicions. "I guess so. As soon as I got strong enough to do so anyway."
"I see. Well, I'll gladly pay you with atomosinc if you work for me."
"Sounds good." Lincoln said. "I was beginning to wonder if no one around here had any of it."
"We hardly use it, so I don't mind at all." Atlas then turned to the other boy, who up until now hadn't said much. "What about you Mikey? Tell me a bit about yourself."
Mikey looked at him for a moment with unwavering eyes. Then, he began to talk. "There's nothing much about me to tell you." He shrugged. "I'm not from anywhere special. I just wander around from village to village for food. This is the first big place I've visited so far since I never really had a stable job to make money."
"So what brought you here?" Atlas asked kindly.
"Bored, I guess?" Mikey said with a shrug. "I saw the fighting tournament flyers last week so I decided to give it a try. Still a bit disappointed though."
Lincoln noticed them too but didn't really think they would help get him atomosinc. Thankfully, he ran into Shade, who proved to him otherwise.
"Will our job be boring and tedious work?" Mikey asked.
Atlas chuckled. "If I were looking to hire people for boring work, I wouldn't be looking for such powerful fighters as yourselves. Be rest assured, what I'm hiring you for is far from boring."
Just then, Iris returned with another waitress not far behind her. The two of them balanced trays of food on their arms, setting them down on the table for the four of the guests to eat.
Once all the food was on the table, Iris clapped her hands together and said, "Enjoy your meal, everyone!"
"Thank you!" Lincoln said, Atlas thanking her shortly after as well.
The two waitresses walked away to other tables, leaving them to eat in peace.
Lincoln looked down at his food. There was a large leg of meat in the middle, surrounded by some small green and yellow vegetables he didn't recognize. The meat was glistening brown with some sauce, and its steam rose to the ceiling.
"Now, everybody! Let's enjoy this dinner together." Atlas said with a bright smile. "And after that, we'll talk business."
Grinning, Lincoln, Atlas, and Shade dug in, with Mikey doing the same right after.
The food was pretty dang good, Lincoln thought. And it was all paid for by Atlas as he promised earlier.
Mikey enjoyed his meal just as much, if not more. He wasn't used to eating such fancy and well-put meals, not to mention on back-to-back days.
"Alright." Atlas began, stacking some empty plates. "I believe it's time we head out. I'll give you a ride to my building."
Lincoln stepped out of his seat and pushed in his chair. When he looked over at Atlas after doing so, it was a surprise to him what he saw.
He didn't even notice the wheelchair off beside the table. Watching while stunned, Atlas grabbed and rolled it towards himself. He hopped in afterward.
"What happened to your legs? I-if you don't mind me asking."
"Of course I don't, my dear boy." Atlas replied with a gentle smile as he rolled to him. "I've been like this ever since I was born. But that didn't stop me, now did it?" He chuckled heartily and tapped down on a touchpad implemented on the armrest.
The wheels started to turn on their own, and he began to move towards the exit. It was a self-powered wheelchair, Lincoln realized.
Shade chased after him, grabbing her purse and strapping it over her shoulder.
Mikey seemed unfazed by this revelation and calmly followed them along with Lincoln.
Now outside, Lincoln first noticed the long black limousine parked for them at the front.
This brought some… unpleasant memories to mind, which in turn transitioned into even worse memories appearing. But Lincoln didn't show any expressions to give that away. He simply chose to ignore them. It was all in the past now.
"Cool." Mikey simply stated.
The two tailed Atlas and Shade to the limo, but before any of them got in, they were interrupted when they heard someone who sounded upset.
Looking to the side of the road, a tall skinny lady in a teal dress with long black hair stood against the restaurant's wall. Some tears ran down her cheeks as she sobbed and tried to wipe them away.
Lincoln immediately took action and walked up to her, albeit with a calm step so as not to frighten her. The only person to do the same was Atlas in his wheelchair.
"Are you alright?" He asked, a look of concern on his face. As he got closer, he could see her mascara melting through her tears.
The woman sniffed. "No, I'm not!"
"Trisha, dear, are you alright?!" Atlas asked with worry.
The woman sobbed once more, shaking her head. "The cost of my home just increased again. I won't be able to afford it this time. I'm so worried about my little girls, a-and I already work two jobs. I'll need to move out of the city…"
"That's terrible…" Atlas said with understanding. He proceeded to dig into his pockets and grab something.
Lincoln watched as he handed her a small black card. The woman looked at it in shock before looking up at him. "T-this is…"
"An Atlas Card. It has enough on it to get you back on your feet. I hope it helps."
"Oh my goodness!" She looked at the card and brought it to her chest, about to burst into tears again. "Thank you so much Mr. Atlas!"
Atlas waved a hand with a frown on his face. "Don't mention it. And take this as well, it's a discount for all of the suites I own." He said, handing her another card.
"Thank you, Mr. Atlas! I don't know what I would have done otherwise. Now if you'll excuse me." She took off in a sprint down the street.
Atlas and Lincoln watched her for a moment before the old man in the wheelchair spoke to Lincoln while still staring at her retreating form. "This is all over the city right now. It's become unbearable to watch." He said in a somber tone. "It's absolutely awful…"
Lincoln looked at him for a moment, unable to see his facial expression because he was faced away before he continued to stare at the woman. She turned the street corner and out of his line of sight.
Atlas spun himself to look at Lincoln. "I intend to fix this. And that's why I want to hire the two of you."
"What… what can we do?" Lincoln asked.
Atlas gave a small smile, beginning to roll over to the limo. "You're a good kid, Lincoln. Come, we can talk at my building."
Mikey and Shade were already in the limo, waiting patiently for the both of them. There was an open door with a ramp for Atlas to roll into, and once his wheelchair was inside, electromagnets put it in place. After Lincoln sat down and everyone was ready, they made their way to Atlas's company building.
The ride to his building was somewhat nostalgic for Lincoln, both in a good and a bad way.
When he looked over at Mikey, he smiled. The boy had a look of awe all over his face. It was funny to Lincoln. He had all these remarkable powers in the world to look at, but something so simple like a limousine amazed him. The way he felt the comfy seat, grazed his fingers along the cup holders and gazed around the limo as if he had romantic feelings for it. It made him look like how a child should act his age.
Atlas and Shade, meanwhile, laid back and watched outside the windows in silence.
It only took them ten minutes, but they reached the building without trouble.
Atlas had no trouble rolling out and down the extended ramp. Shade followed close behind him.
Exiting the limo and stepping outside, Lincoln looked up at the tall building. They always looked so slick in design, and he felt like he was in a movie because that was the only time he ever really saw these skyscrapers. At the top of this particular skyscraper were the letters "AT," in the form of a neon red logo.
The two followed Atlas up some circle-shaped stairs and into the building. They headed straight to the elevators at the other end of the lobby, with glass doors and walls to see through. The two boys were amazed at how fancy it looked. The white marbled walls were clean, and the lights above dangled down with weird but enticing bulbs.
They rode the glass elevator upwards, and they gazed at their surroundings during the whole ride up. They could see whenever they passed a floor, getting glimpses of research labs, office rooms, and others Lincoln didn't recognize. Lincoln looked at the buttons to see that Atlas pressed the very top floor. Floor 96.
Mikey focused on every floor and noticed many were office rooms. But some looked really interesting, with people in white lab coats and machinery. It seemed they were testing machines.
They soon reached the top floor, which was a giant lobby. Unlike the other floors, this was the only one with black marble walls rather than white.
Atlas rode forward, saying, "This way."
They passed the front desk, which was currently unoccupied, and made their way into the room behind it. The room was a boardroom—one giant table in the middle with multiple nice mesh desk chairs along the sides. At the end of the room was a giant screen.
"Come. Take a seat, and let's get down to business." Atlas invited as he rolled to the end of the room and under the screen.
Lincoln and Mikey sat at the two seats closest to the screen on opposite sides of the table. Shade chose to stand next to Atlas.
Atlas sighed. "Now then. Allow me to explain everything that's going on. Lincoln, as you saw earlier, there has been an ongoing problem with the prices of homes in Fortune City. Well, that was only one of many instances, unfortunately. It's not just homes either. Food, water, entertainment, insurance. Heck, even a trip to the doctor's office will be costing you riches."
"Do you know why it's happening?" Lincoln asked.
Atlas nodded. "The other Big Bosses." He answered. "I'm sure you've realized it. We five are the biggest influencers in the city. Let me give you an example."
Mikey slacked forward in his chair, holding his head with his elbow resting on the table while looking bored. Nevertheless, he still paid attention.
Lincoln kept sitting straight in a more polite manner.
"Let's start with Leopold Tate. He is the boss of the Food Industry. Let's say that one day, he decided he could make a little more money by raising the price on everything. In the Food Industry, he doesn't have anything that comes close to competition, so he's allowed to do such a thing."
"Now, with the food prices up, he's making more money. But there's a side effect. Now that food is more expensive, Evan Medy, the Big Boss of the Entertainment Industry, has to therefore increase the prices on a lot, if not all of the stuff he produces. So he is able to support himself and his multiple companies. The same goes with the other Big Bosses as well."
"I see." Mikey said. "It was a sort of domino effect. And now, the price for everything has gotten so out of hand that it's forcing people out of their homes."
Atlas nodded. "Exactly. I try my best to help as many people as I can. But I cannot help everyone I'm afraid."
"Who started all of this?" Lincoln asked.
"It doesn't matter who started the raise in expenses. Not anymore. But now something needs to be done so this city doesn't collapse in on itself."
"And you want us to help you with whatever you have planned?" Mikey asked.
Atlas smiled and looked over at his assistant. "Shade, can you explain the plan I have come up with?"
"Of course, sir." Shade pulled out a smart tablet, and the big screen in the boardroom turned on. There was a 3D map of the city displayed with blueprints.
Atlas rolled to the side of the room, letting Shade take the spotlight.
"Our plan is to take away power from all of the other Big Bosses. Both literally, and figuratively." She began.
The way she talked, Lincoln realized, was in a much more professional tone than what he was used to. Back at Club Volcano, she seemed so cheery and full of life. Everyone had their professional side, he supposed. He knew a few people on the top of his head that was the same.
On the city blueprints, five tall skyscrapers were highlighted orange. Including the building they were currently in. Four were spread out across the city, outlining the shape of a diamond. The fifth one was directly in the middle of the city and was the largest one. The building they were currently in was a part of the four outer ones.
"These are all of the Big Bosses main headquarters, including ours. Our researchers have developed and tested a near perfect electromagnetic pulse device. Otherwise known as an EMP."
Said device appeared on the screen. It was a small black circular device with a yellow outer ring that looked pretty dangerous.
"Of course, with the industry I handle being power and electronics, it wasn't a hard job." Atlas said, showing his pride.
"Our goal, and what we've hired you two for, is to get one of these inside each of their buildings. Since we control all of the power in the city, we could just shut down their power and sneak in. But that would be too suspicious to attempt."
"Instead, we need to attempt to sneak in during the day time. That's when the traffic in their buildings is at its lowest. All except Dr. Edward Barker's building. The Emergency Services Industry."
"We can still shut down their power," Atlas put in. "But if we do so, we'll need to send one of our technicians to 'check and fix' their power. That could buy you a little time."
Shade nodded. "Once the EMPs activate, all of their systems, data, and power will be down."
"They won't be able to keep up their services." Atlas informed. "Then I will be able to take over for them and take control of all the other industries. I'll combine them all into one large industry, lower the prices, and make this a livable city once more."
Lincoln put a hand up. "But what about the time between that? The people will need food and emergency services. But if you're in the middle of creating a new industry, doesn't that take time?"
"Don't worry about that, Lincoln." Atlas waved a hand. "I already have people on standby for that very purpose."
Shade cleared her throat. "After some analysis, these are the areas where the EMPs will be most effective."
Small, glowing, blinking red dots on the blueprints were positioned inside the Bosses' buildings.
"Once armed, you'll leave the premises. They aren't noisy but you will have to hide them well. So by the time you're finished planting the last one, none of the previous ones will be found."
"So, what do you boys say?" Atlas asked. "You'll be saving this city and get paid for it."
Lincoln looked over to Mikey, who seemed unsure. He smiled and said, "It sounds fun. A stealth mission inside the Big Bosses' main headquarters does sound interesting."
"We also have plenty of gear to use. You may find some of them pretty cool."
"Well, I'm in." Lincoln said, grinning. "If I get that atomosinc you have. What about you, Mikey?" He asked, looking over in his direction.
Mikey stared back at him, stunned for a bit after being put on the spot. Eventually, he shrugged and said, "Yeah, sure. It does sound interesting. But what am I getting paid with?"
Atlas scratched his chin. "How does 700,000 Vallies sound?"
Mikey blinked. "Uh… Is that a lot?"
"Er… a normal meal would cost around ten to fifteen." The Big Boss told.
"And a small marble of tharite is worth thousands." Lincoln thought. "I'm richer than I thought."
The currency of valley was the most used around this city and other places in this world, from Lincoln's experience. However, unlike Earth, one could often pay through other means, such as trade, different currency, and valuable objects like tharite.
Mikey eventually shrugged. "Sounds good to me."
"Great!" Atlas clapped his hands together. "With that then the two of you are hired. Go home and rest and come by tomorrow at noon. We'll start then." He said with a smile.
"You'll be a team of three, led by Shade tomorrow." He gestured to Shade, who was tapping on her tablet. "I trust you'll follow her orders as if they were mine. If everything goes smoothly, this city can be saved."
He started to roll out of the room. "I wish I could join you, but I'm not the best fit for it as you can tell." He turned to them, giving an encouraging smile. "I'm counting on you."
He left the room with Shade following close behind. Mikey began to make his way out too, but Lincoln grabbed his wrist and said, "You can stay at my place again if you want."
Mikey pulled his wrist out of his grasp and said, "Atlas most likely has a room for me, thank you." His tone didn't indicate he was angry, but he still seemed slightly offended.
As he walked off, Lincoln stared at him for a few seconds. He sighed, walking out of the boardroom and heading to the elevator.