The night seemed endless, the chatter, hearty laughs, and the taste of bottomless liquor swirling together, blurring Zhu's vision like a hazy mirage. Maybe it was the Nitro Fuel, but she felt more than just tipsy. Her mind buzzed with the revelation that Elias—no, Jack—was once part of the Sons of Calydon before slipping into the ranks of a weapons smuggling gang.
How did he end up as a PUBSEC agent if he had been into the a smuggling gang? Or could he actually be with other agencies? Or some inter-agency I don't know? And if he's on a redemption... what could he possibly need redeeming from?
Midnight had come, and she and Qingyi decided to head back, leaving Seth behind to enjoy himself. They walked back along the dusty, golden-hued pavement, where roaring bikes tore through the night air.
The Nitro Fuel pulsed through her system, leaving her a bit unsteady, but she waved it off. Qingyi quietly kept pace behind her, subtly supporting her every so often.
Finally, they reached their small room for the night, a sanctuary away from the chaos. Zhu shrugged off her dusty coat, leaving it haphazardly by the doorway, and then sank onto the edge of the bed with a heavy sigh. The night's revelations weighed on her, an unexpected burden.
Qingyi, with her usual calmness, spoke up. "Captain, this night brought us quite a revelation about Mr... Elias, or…" she hesitated, as if testing the sound of his real name.
Zhu interrupted, her voice a low murmur as she grappled with her thoughts. "Jack, Elias, Mr. Smith, or whatever he calls himself... if he's truly connected to smugglers—and to our cold case—it can't just be a coincidence. There's something about this that... feels real."
Qingyi nodded thoughtfully, watching her partner struggle with the implications.
Zhu sighed, rubbing her temples. "We need a good night's sleep if we're going to be ready for Elias's arrival at the fest tomorrow." She patted her pockets, frowning.
"And my phone's busted, so I'm completely in the dark about his plans. We have to stay alert." Her gaze shifted toward the window, catching sight of the graffiti-splattered van outside. "At least that 'art' on the van might keep our cover intact."
Stepping away, she unbuttoned her shirt with an unhurried grace, preparing for the much-needed comfort of a hot shower again for the day, outside's really dusty.
"Captain…" Qingyi's soft voice interrupted, her expression uncharacteristically thoughtful. "About your… confession from earlier. I may not be fully human, but I can tell there's something you're holding back in your emotions."
Zhu froze mid-motion, her hand lingering on her collar as her hair cascaded down her shoulders. She turned, a blush rising on her cheeks. "Forget what I said. It was just… the drinks talking. Embarrassing, really. Completely out of character, and obviously, I was—"
"Drunk?" Qingyi finished with a faint smile, then pulled something from her pocket, glancing at Zhu with a rare glint of mischief. She pressed the button.
Zhu's eyes widened as her own voice—slightly slurred and much too sincere—drifted from the recorder. Face flushing deeper, she reached out with a sputter, "Qingyi, please delete that right now!"
Qingyi held it just out of reach, feigning innocence. "For posterity, Captain?"
Zhu threw up her hands, exasperated. "Fine! Yes, I'm confused, and I'm ashamed that I don't even know what I feel. This… is partly because of you and Seth teasing me with him nonstop since day one." She sighed, shoulders slumping as a blush crept over her face. "Even my parents keep asking if there's 'someone special.'"
Qingyi chuckled softly, unable to resist a playful jab. "Well, he might just be a double agent and possibly a thug, you know!"
"Exactly!" Zhu exclaimed, half-laughing, half-sighing. "That's why I hate feeling like this… it's ridiculous." She shook her head, tired but smiling slightly at the absurdity of it all. "Qingyi, can we just get some rest now? Please?"
Qingyi nodded, tucking the recorder away with a grin, her mischief finally fading. "Of course, Captain. Let's call it a night."
After her warm shower, Zhu collapsed onto the bed, too exhausted even to dry her hair. Nearby, Qingyi sipped her hot water before taking a light bath. As Zhu drifted off, her consciousness blurred, and she found herself back at the bonfire with the Sons of Calydon, Seth, and Qingyi seated beside her. The crackling fire cast a warm glow, and the crisp night air felt peaceful. It was a gentle dream, the kind that lulled her into a sense of ease.
But then, the comforting warmth faded. A sudden, oppressive silence swallowed the laughter and chatter. The air turned heavy, pressing down like a weight on her chest.
Zhu looked around, her voice catching. "Seth? Qingyi?" She called out, but her words sounded muted, swallowed up by some unseen force. Neither Seth nor Qingyi seemed to hear her.
A shiver ran through Zhu as she turned. There, looming and pulsing, was an enormous black sphere, tinged with an ominous red glow. It throbbed like a living thing, radiating anger as it devoured everything in its path, dragging in people and objects like a vicious whirlpool.
"Run! Everyone, you need to run!" Zhu tried to scream, but her voice remained muffled, like shouting underwater. She grabbed Qingyi's arm, attempting to pull her away, but the pull was relentless, almost tearing them apart. The ground cracked beneath her feet, splitting open as if it, too, were being pulled into the hungry void.
Suddenly, she became aware of a voice cutting through the suffocating silence—a voice that felt as real as her own heartbeat.
"Captain, follow me." The words were clear, yet familiar.
She struggled to speak, her own voice still trapped in the strange muffling. "Who... who are you?"
Just then, Qingyi's voice broke through. "Captain?"
The world shifted, and Zhu jolted awake, drenched in sweat, her breathing ragged. Qingyi was beside her, gripping her arm, concern etched on her face.
"Captain? Are you okay? What's happening?" Qingyi asked gently.
Zhu sat up hugging Qingyi, her heart still pounding, trying to shake the lingering shadows of the nightmare.
Zhu glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Only an hour had passed since she'd collapsed onto the bed. She let out a shaky breath, her voice barely above a whisper. "Don't… don't go away, Qingyi." Her eyes stung, almost tearing up at the memory of the nightmare's pull.
Qingyi tilted her head, her face softened with concern. "You were calling out for us," she murmured, "asking questions. What's going on?"
"Just a nightmare… a recurring one." Zhu's voice wavered as she tried to steady her breathing.
"A recurring nightmare?" Qingyi's curiosity sharpened, her gaze lingering.
Zhu forced a small smile, trying to brush it off even though the lingering dread gnawed at her. "…It's nothing. Let's get some rest. Probably just the effect of that drink Burnice gave me."
She sank back into the bed, hoping sleep would come again without the shadows following her.
As dawn began to break, casting a cool bluish-gray light over the fest grounds, Qingyi was already moving with purpose. The air held a damp, early-morning chill, and around her, some bikers lay sprawled out on the pavement, fast asleep after the night's revelries, snoring softly under jackets or blankets they'd grabbed from who-knows-where. Zhu was still out cold back in their rented room, so Qingyi moved quietly to avoid disturbing her.
Walking through the dusty pavement, she spotted the surveillance van parked under the pale glow of a streetlamp. Approaching it, she noticed a familiar slouched figure in the driver's seat—Seth, chin on his chest, snoring softly, clearly having slept right there. She rapped her knuckles on the window, startling him awake. His eyes flew open, and he blinked groggily, rolling down the window with a yawn.
"Why did you sleep here?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.
Seth rubbed his eyes, giving an awkward smile. "Think I might've swapped my room key with the van's key by accident… Didn't feel like bothering knocking on Captain's room."
"Typical Seth," she muttered, shaking her head but grinning as she spoke.
He sat up, still looking dazed. "Why are you up so early?"
"Gotta set up some surveillance web around Blazewood. If Elias shows up tonight, I want to be ready." She held up the tiny black devices, already planning their placements.
"Need help?" he asked, but his tone wasn't exactly enthusiastic—more a polite offer as he slumped back against the steering wheel, eyes drooping closed again.
"Thanks, but go catch up on your sleep," she said, smirking. "You're more use to us rested than you are half-awake."
As she turned to leave, she heard him mumble, "Good luck," before he settled back down with a sigh, already drifting off again. Qingyi adjusted her coat, pockets lined with the bugging equipment, and slipped off into the shadowy maze of tents and bikes, ready to blend in with the Blazewood scene and start her covert setup.
Qingyi moved deftly through Blazewood, placing six tiny audio devices at strategic points, creating a web of surveillance that could amplify and filter out specific conversations from the ambient noise.
She logged each location on her tablet, marking the coordinates on a digital map with precise detail. The first hints of sunrise crept over the skyline, casting a hazy glow as she finished up, wiping the light morning dew off her hands. Satisfied, she slipped away, blending in with the drowsy crowd of bikers as she made her way back to their temporary room.
As she pushed the door open quietly, she found Zhu already awake, perched on the edge of the bed with an intense, distant stare at the blank wall ahead, as if trying to divine some hidden truth from it.
"Captain, you up?" Qingyi prompted, but Zhu gave no response, locked in whatever thoughts were simmering behind her gaze. Shrugging, Qingyi headed toward the bathroom, peeling off her dust-covered coat and outer layers from the early morning's work.
From the bed, Zhu's voice finally broke the silence, scratchy with the remnants of sleep. "Where'd you been?"
"Honestly? Not sure. Felt like my body was on autopilot." Qingyi said over her shoulder, the water running softly as she splashed her face. "But yeah, I've set up some… precautions for tonight's surveillance mission." She said it casually, as if 'autopilot mode' were the most normal thing in the world.
Zhu just raised an eyebrow, her eyes sharpening a bit, but her lips twisted in a slight smirk. Qingyi was always full of surprises, even if she never seemed fazed by them herself.
By late afternoon, the grounds were buzzing with activity. Delivery vans and a massive tanker truck rolled in, carrying the infamous Nitro-Fuel. Bikers and partygoers gathered in anticipation of the Nightro Fest, the smell of gasoline and burnt rubber hanging thick in the air.
Zhu watched the preparations through the van's tinted window, scanning for any sign of Elias. She and Qingyi stayed huddled in their surveillance van, running tests on the web of audio feeds as each microphone hummed to life, filling the monitor with soft waves of static and faint chatter from the growing crowd outside.
Meanwhile, Seth had claimed the highest spot on an old water tower, shielded by a loose tarp flapping in the evening breeze. The vantage gave him a clear view of the whole scene, including Caesar and Lighter moving among the bikers below. He took a casual swig from his flask of orange juice to blend in, keeping his binoculars fixed on the Overlord with a practiced nonchalance, as if just another observer.
"Okay, Captain," Seth's voice crackled over the comms. "We're all green. I'll keep an eye on the Overlord." The view from his binoculars patched through to the van's monitor, showing Caesar and Lighter's every movement as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting an orange glow over Blazewood.
The web of surveillance crackled, flashing red on Zhu's screen. "Seth, we've got a bogey," Zhu's voice cut through the comms. "Our tracker indicates a live weapon at Q1 sector of Blazewood. Can you keep an eye out and confirm?"
Seth perked up, gripping his binoculars as he honed in on the Q1 coordinates. "Copy that, Captain," he replied, his voice edged with excitement. He scanned the area and zeroed in on a group that stood out.
"Alright… I see a girl with pink hair in a pigtail," he reported, zooming in. "Sassy attitude, carrying a briefcase—definitely not a local Outringer. Looks like a city type."
His gaze shifted, catching another figure in the group. "There's also… some kind of automaton or cyborg. White hair, red jacket, looking pretty chummy with the bikers. This one seems way too upbeat for a regular crowd."
He adjusted his scope, spotting a third figure. "And another lady, white-haired, aloof… reminds me of the New Eridu Defense Force elites. She's got an attire that screams agency-issued."
A flicker of movement pulled his focus again. "Oh, and there's a female thiren—cat ears and all. Sticking close to the others. This group doesn't look like they're here just to party."
"Can you feed your visuals to the van?" Qingyi's voice crackled over the comms. "I'll take a snapshot from the monitor."
Seth adjusted his equipment, and within seconds, his binocular feed appeared on the van's screen. Zhu and Qingyi leaned in as the visuals sharpened, bringing the group into clear view. Qingyi tapped on her console, initiating a quick bio-scan.
"Alright," she murmured, watching as information populated the screen. "Gentle House… or Cunning Hares, a Hollow raider agency. Pink hair's Nicole Demara their leader, the cyborg is Billy Kid. Can't seem to scan the white-haired girl—her files don't come up. And… that's Nekomiya, the cat thiren."
Zhu squinted, recognition flickering in her eyes. "Ah, that's Nicole's crew. They were the ones who went up against Charles Perlman's case. We don't need to keep an eye on them for now, focus on the Overlord." Her gaze lingered on the screen. "…But what are they doing here?"
"Probably just unwinding." Qingyi's tone was casual, though her eyes remained fixed on the monitor. "Nightro Fest is pretty popular with this crowd."
Zhu nodded, tapping her comm. "Seth, no need to eye on them," she radioed back.
Seth lowered his binoculars, taking a sip from his flask again, and surveyed the chaotic expanse of Blazewood. The festival had reached a fever pitch, motorbikes revving in brutal roars, drag races kicking up dust and smoke, and fistfights erupting amidst arm-wrestling tournaments.
Tourists and locals alike formed a sea of unrestrained energy, throbbing with wild laughter, shouts, and the occasional clash of metal. He muttered to himself, "Chief would lose his mind seeing this."
Then, something caught his eye—a sleek, familiar car weaving through the crowd and easing into the parking lot where Caesar was stationed, greeting newcomers. He raised his radio. "Captain...? Captain, you hear me?" But only static replied. As the car moved closer, the interference grew stronger, suffocating the once-clear transmission.
The crackling in his earpiece sharpened momentarily. "Seth...?" Zhu's voice flickered in, almost buried under the noise, distorted and fleeting. He clenched his jaw, glancing back toward the van. Panic crept in as the realization hit: something was jamming their connection.
"Dammit," he muttered, his heartbeat quickening as he watched the car approach Caesar's position. Desperately, reached for his listening device, the one he used from the Mirage Motors. As he pointed it toward's Elias's location it was clearly inaudible, the crowd's too noisy.
Out of options he patched the binocular's live feed to the van. "Hope this works," he whispered, his eyes fixed on the scene unfolding below.
Inside the van, Zhu and Qingyi huddled over the screens, their expressions tense. The web of audio feeds had fallen into useless static. Finally, a faint image flickered on the monitor, the camera focused on that familiar car slicing its way through the packed festival grounds. The silence was heavy, with only the faint hum of static filling the van, amplifying the suspense that seemed to thicken with every passing second.
"It's Elias…" Zhu muttered, eyes widening as she leaned closer to the monitor, her expression twisting in frustration. "He's got a powerful jammer?"
Qingyi's fingers darted over the controls, fine-tuning knobs and scanning frequencies with a look of reluctant admiration. "Looks like it. He must've set it up to block any outside surveillance. Clever."
Zhu pressed the recording button, her gaze never leaving the screen. "Guess we're grounded for now. Let's just hope Seth doesn't get spotted."
Elias had parked casually in the tourist section, stepping out with an unhurried ease. He plucked a beer bottle from a passing server without a word and navigated through the raucous crowd, his eyes fixed on a familiar figure—Lighter, who stood by his motorbike, shoulders visibly tensed at Elias's approach. The two exchanged a few terse words, Lighter's posture stiff and wary.
In the van, Zhu, Qingyi, and Seth on the water tower watched, leaning in with growing anticipation. The silence thickened as the feed showed Lighter gesturing sharply, indicating Caesar's location within the crowd. Elias nodded once and strode forward, cutting through the masses with a calm determination.
Caesar spotted him, and her expression twisted with irritation. Without hesitation, she grabbed a bottle from a nearby table and hurled it straight at him. Elias caught it midair, barely breaking his stride.
He didn't flinch, but Caesar's voice cut sharply through the scene, her shout visible in the rise and fall of her chest and the fierce set of her jaw.
The feed showed Caesar turning abruptly, heading through the crowd toward the bonfire beside their makeshift seating area beside the Steeltusk Bar, her back turned in a clear dismissal. Elias followed, his movements slower, his posture almost apologetic as he approached her, tension radiating from his frame.
Seth's grip tightened around the binoculars as he focused in, tracking the tension etched across Caesar's face. She sat rigidly on the battered couch, Elias standing before her, his expression earnest, voice low. Caesar's posture radiated a silent warning—my turf, my rules, cross me and you may not make it out. She made no attempt to hide her irritation.
Then, from behind the couch, the imposing figure of Big Daddy emerged, his steady gaze fixed on Elias. He placed a hand on Caesar's shoulder, a silent nudge—take this somewhere private. Caesar exhaled sharply, her nostrils flaring in reluctant agreement as she rose and stalked toward a quieter corner of the lot. Seth lost sight of them, gritting his teeth as the feed broke off. He adjusted his position, radio crackling faintly as he heard the van attempting to reach him.
"Captain, I'm on it. Switching positions," he whispered, slipping down to catch a better view.
In the van, Zhu clenched her jaw, her eyes glued to the screen. "Come on, Seth… don't lose them. How is Elias running this kind of signal jammer?"
Qingyi's fingers tapped restlessly against the dashboard. "If he's gone rogue, he could've tapped into black-market tech. Or probably—he got an access with higher-grade agency equipment."
"But he told us that he's a PUBSEC agent, if he's with us we can bypass the jamming equipment." Zhu replied in confusion.
"We don't know Captain." Qingyi replied, the static on the monitor feed came alive.
The feed returned, shaky and unfocused, but enough to see Elias and Caesar off to the side, deep in conversation. Caesar's stance was defiant, her chin angled sharply upward, shoulders tense as Elias continued, his body language pleading. Every strained expression, every flicker of doubt rippled across the screen, keeping the team on edge. Lighter loomed in the background, watching with a conflicted look, torn between loyalty and caution.
Elias could feel Caesar's gaze, heavy with distrust, weighing down his every word. He caught Lighter's slight nod, a silent promise to help, yet the tension between them only seemed to grow.
Finally, Caesar turned away, the hurt flashing briefly across her face before she slipped into the crowd. Lighter gave Elias one last, hesitant look before he followed, leaving Elias alone under the cold, flickering neon lights, his last hope slipping further away.
Elias stood there, shoulders slumped, the defeat written all over him. He leaned against a nearby wall, took a long pull from the beer in his hand, and kicked up a small cloud of dust. Seth kept his binoculars trained on him, watching as Elias fished his phone from his pocket, a tense look flashing across his face.
In the van, Zhu jolted as her phone started vibrating. She pulled it out, seeing Elias's name flickering on the cracked screen.
"Oh no, it's Elias," she muttered, her thumb uselessly pressing the unresponsive screen. "He's probably trying to update us... and I didn't even reply to him last night," she said with a sigh, glancing back at Elias's tense figure on the monitor. His frustration was obvious, and something in his expression tugged at her, filling her with an unexpected twinge of sympathy.
Qingyi tilted her head, catching the moment on Zhu's face. "Captain, are you worried about him? I thought trust was an issue here."
Zhu bristled, but her eyes stayed on the monitor. "Of course, I'm worried! If he's calling to update us on what's going on out there, we need that intel. Maybe... maybe this is his way of trying to work with us."
Qingyi's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Or maybe it's not just about the intel. Look at him, Captain—are you sure it's not his 'pitiful face' that's got you feeling this way?"
Zhu's expression darkened, her finger still jabbing at the useless screen. "Qingyi, this isn't the time for teasing." she said, her tone sharper, though her gaze lingered on the image of Elias's troubled face.
Qingyi's tone softened as she observed Zhu's expression. "No, Captain. I'm serious... Yesterday you were nearly ready to curse him out, and now? One look at him like this, and something changed." She held up her hands. "I'm not judging you."
The phone call dropped, leaving only the dim glow of the monitor reflecting in Zhu's eyes. She blinked, fighting the tears that pricked at the corners, her voice barely above a whisper. "I just... I just hope he's still someone we can trust."
Her gaze softened as she turned to Qingyi. "I don't expect you to understand, Qingyi. You're an automaton—you've never had to wrestle with emotions the way we do."
Qingyi tilted her head, her expression unreadable, but she didn't say anything. She seemed to recognize the quiet vulnerability in Zhu's voice.
Zhu felt the weight of Elias's unreturned call heavy on her heart, the glow of the monitor reflecting in her teary eyes. The feed cut off, and with it, her hopes for clarity slipped further away. "I wanted to meet him tonight… to ask for an update but we can't risk meeting him here." she murmured, the silence of the van enveloping her.