"This one is Skullman. He premiered in episode five of season three of Momo Friends." I wished that all those girls would walk out right about now. "Now that I look at you, I bet you'd love Angry Adeliae." She pulled out a blue penguin; its stupid face annoyed me.
"Wow, you think?" She nodded her head.
"Yup, you both seem like people who speak their minds while also being kind of mean but light-hearted." My sarcasm went right over her head, or she ignored it entirely.
"Hey, while all of this has been great, I gotta ask, what is your name?"
"Hifumi Ajitani." There's no way someone with such an English accent has such a non-English name!
"Well Miss Ai-aj-"
"Um, how about you just call me Hifumi?"
"Hang on, I got this. Miss Ajit-Ajitani." She smiled after I got her name right. "Well, Miss Ajitani, maybe you should go home. This can't be a good place to look for merchandise." Her bravery in coming here for a simple piece of merch impressed me. On the other hand, she's an idiot for coming here for a piece of merch. She laughed nervously.
"I understand that; it's just I've looked everywhere else for it. This place is the only one with the merch I'm looking for." Yup, blinded by stupidity, she's bound to be kidnapped, killed, or mugged, maybe all three. She looks like a girl who has a good amount of cash on her person. "Well, it was nice talking about Momo Friends with you, but I had better continue my search!"
"Hang on a moment; perhaps you can help me before you go?" She stops in her tracks.
"Of course." I can tell she wants to say no in her eyes, but it seems she is too nice for her own good.
"As a new person to Momo Friends, maybe you could give me some recommendations on where to start? After all, I'm sure there's far more than just the show." I could feel Pandora's confusion starting to murmur in my mind. It wasn't as intense as the twinkling stare from Hifumi.
"Really, you want me to give you recommendations!" I back up a little.
"Y-y-yeah, anything besides the show I should know about?" I watched her swing around her backpack and wretch out a comic.
"This here is a spin-off called Wave Cat's Tidal Day! It's the second in the Momo Friends's origin stories. Each one does a great job showcasing the character's past." She handed me the comic, letting me look it over. The cover art isn't that bad; it looks like someone went to great care to make it. Wavecat was front and center, their wavy body stretching down a road on a sunny day. Birds, alpacas, and hamsters watch Wave Cat stretch while puppies ride on their body. Peroro was beside Wave Cat's face, skipping along with them. After I finished observing the comic's cover, Hifumi was already getting another out of her bag. "After you finish that one, you can start Angry Adeliae's Not So Rotten Day. I think you'll like this one a lot." Taking this comic, its cover art had less going on. It was a top-down view of Angry Adeliae sitting flippers crossed, looking away from Peroro, who was trying to get their attention. Both were on a sheet of ice floating on the sea.
I put both into my coat pocket and watched her take out a notebook. Opening it, she showed me a list of locations, from cafés to arcades, where the Momo Friends brand was present. She pointed at a specific one, a salon in the D.U. Central area. "This salon is holding a Momo Friends collab this coming Saturday." Huh, a salon near Schale. I could use a cleanup; my hair is getting out of hand. "If you go with a friend, you get a fifty percent discount on both haircuts. Along with getting a Dandy Momo Friend of your choice." It might be a good idea to see if Tob, Mochi, or Magenta will want to come along. Scratch Tob, it doesn't make sense for him to come.
"I've been meaning to ask Miss Ajitani what is the merch you're looking for?" She showed me a photo on her horrid phone. It looked like that soulless bird; it had a shirt on that I couldn't read. My best guess is this is a collaboration piece. "Wow…it sure is…."
"Adorable, right?" I nod my head at her. How she can find such an abomination adorable is beyond me.
"Substitute, we're done with our talk." Ayane's voice rings out, causing me to turn toward the five. Looking at them, I see that they seem content, so whatever they discussed with PS went swimmingly. "Who's that next to you." Ayane's flickering hand pointed toward the fangirl.
"This is Hifumi Aijtani, a local fangirl of Momo Friends."
"I can't argue about the fangirl part, but I'm not from around here."
The girls were interested, but I can't say the same. Scanning around as they spoke, I spotted a convoy a bit down the road. The truck wasn't marked, though it was apparently carrying valuables. Pandora, scan that truck; I wanna know what's inside. 'Peculier of you to ask, yet I will abide. The scan indicates the truck belongs to Kaiser Corporation. Intercepted communications between driver and unknown figure.' Record it I'll listen later. 'Understood, contents in the truck read an absurd amount of yen from Loan number #2278.' Hmm, poor fools owe the wrong people money. I wonder if they beat the Abydos girls in how much they have to pay a month.
"Kivotos to the jerk known as Substitute." Turning, I see Kitty Cat glaring at me.
"See, I told you he would come back to us if Serika tried to get his attention." Nonomi chuckled a little. "It only took her one try, too!" I roll my eyes.
"Why were you so intrigued by that truck, by the way?" I raise a brow at Pinky. "No offense, but it's hard to ignore when you stare." The rest of the group agreed, even Hifuimi!?
"It's just that loan truck coming through. It belongs to Kaiser." Everyone is quiet after I speak. "Everyone okay?"
"I knew Kaiser played jump rope with the line between legitimate and illegitimate business activities. Getting told that we are near a shady activity just now feels different." After Hifumi spoke, I was a little confused. I'm sure anyone with half a brain knows megacorporations do illicit dealings.
"Are you sure it was a Kaiser Loan truck?" Ayane got my attetion.
"Oh yeah, I identified and tagged a couple. Why?"
"Who tags loan trucks?" Kitty Cat butted in.
"I've been tagging any vehicle in the black market district. It's part of my job; if I get enough evidence, I can crack down on certain individuals." I feel a buzz from my phone and look at a text notification from Yochi; I'll read it later.
"Hmm, maybe we should follow it." I look at Little Jackal. The worst part is that the other girls agreed with her. Besides Hifumi and Ayane, sadly, both caved to the rest of them.
"Why? What reason do you have to follow it?"
"It could be our loan truck." I stare directly into Little Jackal's eyes and watch her shrink slightly.
"That is the most idiotic, self-important thing I've ever heard. They could have millions of payments being made today. What makes you think it's your loan truck?" I wait for a response from Little Jackal. Instead, Ayane speaks up.
"Substitute has a point; it could be someone else's payment or a collection of other payments." Thank you, Ayane, for being reasonable. "However, Substitute wouldn't now be a good time to gather evidence? Especially if it's a company like Kaiser." Why Ayane?
"It's easier to gather evidence with a low-profile Miss Okusora. Doing so in a massive group may draw unwanted attention." It doesn't help they all stick out like a sore thumb
"Be that as it may, while you can heal fast, you may end up in a dangerous situation. After all, severe wounds don't seem to heal for you." I sigh, knowing I've been beaten. If only Pandora could heal my arms and hands.
"Fine, we'll follow the truck. I'll bring my tracker up." Pressing the Ping app on my phone, I see the truck isn't that far. Seems to have made a pit stop. No doubt collecting another loan or getting food. "Got it; let's get walking, Miss Aijanti; you'll be coming with us." She seemed surprised at my sudden decision. "I'd rather you not get kidnapped, killed, or mugged looking for limited edition merchandise. Being with us will make sure that doesn't happen." Whatever argument she had died on her tongue.
I walk forward as Hifumi is bombarded with questions from the Abydos girls. Looking at the Ping, it seems the truck went deeper into the Black Market district. Pandora, if the driver continues speaking, I need you to record and make files. 'Understood. Do you want me to send them to Giggit?' If you would please. 'As you wish.'
The walk through the Black Market district was pretty easy going in all honesty. We were barely accosted. I imagined at least one foolhardy group would try something. Though that hasn't been the case, plenty of people have avoided us like the plague. Walking through Hifumi displayed some fantastic knowledge of the Black Market. Making me start to question her innocence.
"If we walk through the Feathers territory, we won't be bothered, although it'll take longer." Hifumi pointed to a side street we can walk through.
"But based on the Substitutes map, it'll take another three hours to reach where the collection vehicle is if we go that way. Besides, we haven't been bothered yet." Nonomi chirped while staring at my map.
"I know it's frankly amazing. Especially those enforcers from earlier. They just backed off the second they looked at Substitute." Hifumi looked me up and down briefly, her eyes stopping at my hands. "His appearance makes him blend in compared to us. But the street where the map is telling us to go through is controlled by market guards."
Scoffing, I looked towards the group ahead of the main route. Dressed completely head to toe in black, practically no one is messing with them. It is most likely the main policing force of this district. So far, the only one who knows a decent bit about the market is Hifumi, which means she can help satisfy my curiosity.
"Miss Aijanti, what do you know about the district?"
"Well, it certainly lives up to its reputation. The General Student Council doesn't have a lot of influence here."
"I'm well aware Miss Aijanti. Just like I'm aware, they have their own banking and police forces. I want specifics of dealers, corporations, and syndicates. Who's fighting who for control of illegal goods and services." I don't need common knowledge. Before Hifumi is specific, Kitty Cat rudely interrupts.
"Wait hold on! What was that about a banking and police force!"
"Kitty Cat, please wait your turn. Miss Aijanti, if you would." Kitty Cat glares at me while Hifumi thinks for a second.
"I can't say I know the things you think I know. From researching it online, I only know about the safer gang territories to walk through." I could only growl in annoyance. Of course, she wouldn't know about the vital information. Letting it go, I observe the people across from us.
"What so special about those market guards compared to enforcers?" I point over toward the black-clad guards.
"The market guards are the top enforcers. They're better trained, equipped, and more ruthless than regular enforcers. While regular enforcers are scared of you, I'm not sure they'll be." I hum in acknowledgment.
"Alright, then we'll go the other way. I'd rather not get into a scuffle with them. They'll undoubtedly put a bounty on all our heads even if we win. Miss Aijanti lead the way."
Continuing, the girls began to chatter mainly about the Black Market itself more than each other's hobbies. They were onto something called the Stygian Bank.
"This is ridiculous! Why isn't the General Student Council doing anything?!" Kitty Cat's yell breaks me from my autopilot.
"It's obvious why. Keep the worst scum in one place so they can keep an eye on it from a distance." I mumbled under my breath. Looking around, I noticed we were on a relatively open street. It was calm, but we were being watched closely.
"Why keep an eye on them instead of just eliminating them?" I'm surprised by Little Jackal's question. It did get the rest of the group's attention.
"Better the devil you know than the devil you don't. Add into the equation the black market district is stuck between sparsely lived-in areas even better. Means it's outta sight outta mind." Making a left on the map means we just go a couple more kilometers.
"Seems like a weak reason to let them run amok." I snort at Nonomi's remark.
"Really? How many of you knew about this place before coming here? Raise your hand if you did." Only Pinky, Ayane, and Hifumi raised their hands. Ayane surprised me, but an operator would know, I suppose. "Keep your hand up if you knew about it without research." Only Pinky's hand remained. "See, only one of you knew about it. So now, Pinky, would you have come here because you wanted to or because you were forced to?"
"Only if I was forced to." I nod my head at her answer.
"Exactly, most folk won't come here unless all other options are expended. Hell, our original objective forced us to come here." Pinky seemed to understand what I was saying.
"Surely there would be better options than here, even if you're at the end of your rope," Ayane piped up. "I understand needing parts that aren't made anymore, but all the other services."
"Sadly no, thankfully sometimes you might find some light in a place like this. After all, Miss Aijanti is looking for a plush. Some medications are produced here that are affordable and safe. Like you said, Miss Okusora, parts for vehicles you can't find anywhere else. Maybe protection law enforcement can't provide" A building was starting to appear in the distance. It's pretty big in scale, probably about thirty stories high. Studying it for a while, it morphs into a different building that pierces a grey smoggy sky.
"V-247 communication check"
The voice reminds me of someone. Yet I can't put a name to the face. No matter how hard I try I just can't make out her face.
"V-247, please respond."
The voice sounds like it's fading. No matter what, I can't seem to recall her face or even her appearance. Yet I know her name.
"I'm here S-23."
"Are you ok?" Shaking my head, I look towards Little Jackal.
"Just talking to myself like a lunatic." I noticed we're directly across from the building. Checking the ping, I saw that it was inside the building.
"Well, if you're done, maybe we can take a break?" Kitty Cat looked a little tired.
"It does feel like we've been walking for hours." Nonomi voted for a break as well.
"I'm getting too old for this kind of thing. My knees and back are killing me." I scoff at Pinky's comment.
"Really? How old are you again, Hoshino?" I ushered Hifumi over as Kitty Cat opened her trap.
"Like I said, we're all pretty much the same age!" Hifumi reached me as Kitty Cat finished.
"About twelve years old. She skipped a couple of grades. Just go along with what everyone's saying." I whispered in Hifumi's ear.
"Really? I guess I shouldn't be too surprised; after all, Gehenna has someone on their council who's also pretty young." After she finished replying, we both looked at Pinky. "I'll keep that in mind since you told me." She gave me a thumbs-up, which I returned.
"Look over there! They're selling taiyaki!" I followed where Nonomi pointed. There's a vendor selling weird fish-shaped bread. Honestly, it doesn't look that good to me. The way she said it, though, it must be good; otherwise, why be excited about it?
"I'm sure Substitute has a card we could use." Pinky's comment had me raise a brow. There's no way I'm the only one who has a card or cash. Then again, their financial situation probably drains them a good bit. I reach for my wallet only to feel Nonomi tap my shoulder.
"No, that's okay. I really want some, so I insist." As Nonomi went over to grab some food, I turned my attention back to the building. It had roughly ten guards outside, each one a helmet gangster, most likely not a part of Rabu or Yoshi's groups. Stations near them were holding bulky robots ready to be deployed at a moment's notice. That doesn't begin to mention the guards and robots inside. Next is the case of security cameras on a stealthy approach.
"You take one too, Substitute." I waved off the food Little Jackal was trying to give me.
Given that it's the black market, chances are this bank probably has good connections. Once that alarm rings, it's bou- I feel a piece of bread lightly pressed into my face. I blankly stare at Little Jackal; she held the piece of fish bread out.
"I'm fine, Little Jackal. Though I appreciate the offer." I see her ears slightly bend down. "Look, I ain't hungry, so you can take it to Miss Okusora."
"Oh, that's ok. I have snacks with me."
"Since Ayane and I are fine, feel free to figure out who eats the last few." Looking back at the building, I rebuild the image in my head. Trying to map out where the transaction papers would be in the building is troubling. Basing the knowledge off Schale, I'd wager the Security and File maintenance departs are close together. However, if it's Kaiser, they probably requested a separate place to hide their forms, or if they're intelligent, tell the bank to shred then burn them. I wouldn't put it past the bank to keep a copy though.
"Any reason you're looking at the Stygian Bank?"
"Where do you think that loan truck is parked, Kitty Cat?" Her eyes grew as large as saucers.
"So we've possibly been funding criminal activities for the black market this entire time?!" Kitty Cat looked ready to pull out her hair.
"Your truck most likely isn't assigned to drop off here. Granted, the only way to know is to secure paperwork detailing the transaction and deposited cash. Meaning you'd have to raid their File maintenance department." I watched Little Jackal and Pinky make eye contact for a brief second.
"It seems we have no choice." What is Little Jackal on about?
"It seems like it." Pinky chimed next.
"Pardon?" Both Hifumi and I spoke simultaneously.
"Oh, now I get it! We're going to use that plan, aren't we?" It finally clicked in my head when Nonomi spoke.
"Hold on. You can't be serious. You three aren't-" I put a hand on Kitty Cat's shoulder, causing her to look at me.
"They are." Kitty Cat looked toward Little Jackal with the hope they weren't. Sadly, Little Jackal didn't respond to her pleading stare.
"Was that a yes?! Seriously?"
"I'm not sure I follow. What are you all talking about?" Oh, Hifumi, you normal thing.
"It's finally time." Little Jackal began to rustle around her bag then quickly put on a blue mask with a number two. "We're going to hit the bank."
"What?!" I walked past Hifumi over to a bench and let them go hog wild. Each girl began to put on a mask one by one. Pinky wore pink, Nonomi green, Serika's was maroon, and Ayane, I couldn't tell since the hologram was blue. They even descended on poor Hifumi and put a brown paper bag on her head. Once they were finished, I watched Little Jackal look around before spotting me.
"Nn, we don't have a mask for you, Substitute." I tilted my head at Little Jackal.
"Don't worry about me. I'll stay out here and keep watch. I'll warn you girls of backup coming to help. Although I must ask, what about your halos?" I pointed towards Little Jackals' halo. "They stick out like sore thumbs." After I spoke, they all stared at me oddly.
"Do our halos stand out?" I nodded my head at Nonomi.
"Yes, Kitty Cat's is a lovely shade of maroon. Pinky's is ironically a hot pink with a bright glow. Little Jackal's colors remind me of the blue crystal lakes, and yours, Miss Izyaoi, is a nice bright lime. That's not counting the extra bits within them." We're all silent for a second.
"Um…are you okay Substitute?" Hifumi asked.
"Yeah, why?" Looking past them, I could almost make out a familiar set of halos.
"Ayane, it might be best for you to watch Substitute." I can only stare blankly at Pinky.
"Don't worry, I will." Ayane certainly seemed determined.
That walk is still killing my legs. I came to see if the credits the Substitute offered were real or not. I feel bad asking Haruka to take them out of her account, but it's better to be safe than sorry. If they're not legitimate, I can take out a loan.
"Sorry for the long delay, Miss Rikuhachima."
"Long delay? We've just gotten here." We would've gotten here sooner if we didn't need to get to Haruka's bank. "Honestly, I'm surprised with your speed." I noticed Mitsuki, Haruka, and Kayoko had fallen asleep. I don't blame them; it was a long walk. Oh no, they fell asleep. "Sorry for my associates; it's been a long day."
"Not at all." He snaps his fingers. "Guard make sure no one disturbs them." A guard silently nods, taking post near them. "Miss Rikuhachima if you would please follow me."
"Of course." Following him, we entered an office a decent bit away. He gestured for me to sit down in a rather luxurious chair.
"Please correct me if I get any information wrong. Name Rikuhachima Aru. Affiliation: second-year at Gehenna Academy. Present employment: boss of Problem Solver 68. Financial documents are…and pardon my bluntness a complete mess."
"W-w-well, we just haven't received payment for some of our other commissions yet."
"Yes, I would assume moving credits around would take time." Huh? "GSC usually has this currency under a tight lock and key." They do?! "I suppose the nonsensical titles given to some of your workers are to throw people off. After all, who would believe you have a Chief of Staff and department head with only four people." I could only laugh with him even though I didn't want to.
"Well, if you want to earn commissions, you have to keep up appearances." He nodded his head.
"Quite, if we didn't, we wouldn't have clean and dirty money coming through." He opens a draw getting some papers out, flicks through, and then quickly types in some keys. "One moment, Miss Rikuchachima, I'm missing one paper; I'm sorry for the inconvenience."
"It's fine." He bows before leaving the room quickly. So far, everything has been going well. Honestly, I was expecting difficulty just from the credits alone. Yet the teller confirmed they're legit, and he's been pleasant so far. Which means the amount Substitute promised would blow my original employer out of the water. While I feel somewhat scummy, jacking up the price on my original employer, needs must be met. Food, ammo, maintenance, and the lease for the office. Still, leaving one contract to fulfill another feels horrible, but the Abydos girls were so nice! I just don't know what to do. Being the best Outlaw in Kivitos means I'll have to hurt some people, but not people struggling to get by! How could I attack people going through money problems similar to my own?
However, how will future employers look at us if I don't attack them? A group that breaks their contract at the notion of just being paid more. Sure, credits are worth far more than yen, and Haruka occasionally works for Substitute. But I don't want to take money from Haruka's account whenever we need it;a boss is supposed to pay their employees, not take their pay. If our current employer doesn't pay the amount, I'll have to take Substitute's offer. Based on what Haruka told me, he does keep his word about payments. Haruka's bank account is proof enough of that.
That still leaves the mystery of the Substitute. How he contacted Haruka without me knowing is beyond me, let alone that she's done forty operations for him. The GSC said the Sensei of Schale was here, but Haruka said they weren't. So why lie about the existence of both of them? It could be Sensei was injured, so a Substitute was needed to fill in. So, if that's the case, why get someone so….hard-boiled. I couldn't believe how he acted in the office, walking in like he owned the place and getting as comfortable to put his feet on the table. The way he talked made me feel like I was an idiot for attacking Abydos, even promising to wipe us out if we continued. Sure, he didn't say that flat out, but I'm sure that was what he meant. The way he never looked away from my eyes when we talked sent shivers down my spine. Then, his appearance was ratty, but it had a certain feeling of someone used to taking contracts. His disgusting, mangled hands only made me believe it more. There is no way he didn't get those wounds from not fighting. Finally, the way he wanted us to turn on our current employer, he didn't ask for a name or anything; he just wanted us to stop attacking Abydos. Even willing to pay five million credits to us and gave me some sparse info on said employer. His words still ring in my head.
'Thankfully, you're a freelance group. You hold loyalty to only three things: your wallet, weapons, and self. A contract should mean nothing if you're not properly compensated.' He sounded so cool! I've decided that's the type of hard-boiled I want to be: a commanding presence that deserves respect upon entering any room. The kind whose stare sends shivers down spines—someone who still offers olive branches despite someone displeasing them. A person whose eyes lack mercy yet have a soft understanding in them.
First, I'll need to sort my business, and Substitute may just be the ticket I need! No more floundering, this is the big break I've been waiting for!
Looking at the clock on the wall, I notice it's been ten minutes since the teller left. That's odd, though I guess sometimes the printer jams. I know it's happened a couple of times back at the office. Maybe the person in charge of File Maintenance isn't in, so finding what they need is difficult. Soon the ten minutes changed to fifteen than twenty finally thirty.
Where are they?! There's no way it's taking this long to find some paperwork! Did something happen? Walking out of the office, I make it back to the lobby only to see the teller holding a bag, the guards unconscious, and my friends held at gunpoint. One of the mask girls noticed me and quickly swung her gun at me.
"Hey! You! On the ground now!" Why me?!
[That's why you need to choose your words more carefully. They're young kids, so anything you say can significantly impact them] I roll my eyes at the text box. It's been on its soapbox for the past thirty minutes. [Don't roll your eyes at me, young man! This is a serious discussion about the students.] I would answer you, but Ayane is right over there. I don't want her to think I'm any more crazy than I already am. Upon noticing my gaze at her, Ayane smiled. I redirect my attention back to the empty road from before. Besides the hallucination, things have been calm, though the silent alarm has been activated, most likely. This means the company is on the way; they just don't know how many people are robbing the bank.
[Would it have killed you to smile back at Ayane?] I nod my head, taking out the Shittim chest. I notice I can get back into it. Logging back in, I see Arona sleeping at a desk, and all the corruption is gone. Tapping on formation, I notice it's the Abydos girls again. Waiting for a bit no spasm happened, meaning it's a-ok….I hope. Turning the screen off, I decided to look back at the text box. [Is Arona ok?] I nod my head, which seems to put it at ease.
I'm starting to wonder where all the market guards are. It's kind of bizarre. I would've thought a silent alarm would've gone off by now. Given that it's a massive bank, shouldn't they have a backup generator specifically for that alarm? If it did go off, why is no one showing up? It doesn't make sense. Maybe blocking off roads to exit the immediate area—that's all I can think of.
"Is something wrong Substitute?" Turning toward Ayane, I notice her worried expression.
"Nothing, just mulling around in my mind. You can focus on your task." Even though she dropped the conversation, she still occasionally glanced at me. Waiting patiently for them to finish, I notice two individuals watching from a decent distance away: one a polar bear, the other a girl with reptile scales. Even her eyes are like that of a snake. They haven't noticed I saw them yet, so I'll be able to get the drop on them later.
"Substitute, be ready to run!" Getting up at her words, I stretch my legs. No sooner did all the girls burst out of the doors sprinting down the road. I quickly follow behind, turning down multiple alleyways and sidestreets; right as I'm about to pass through another alley, a blast sounds off, causing rubble to fall between me and them.
I quickly break down a door in the alley, entering a small establishment. The two clerks are surprised at my sudden appearance. Dashing past them, I get hit with a hail bullet fire ripping into me. Equipping my weapon, I fire rounds back, ripping small drones and robots apart. I dash left and right while closing the distance to another building for cover. Bursting through the door, I dodge two sniper rounds while hopping behind the cashier counter. In their frenzy to stop me, the market guards blew the poor cashier apart.
Scanning, I spot a back door. Rushing towards it, I get hit by a couple more shots. Breaking into another alley I surprise two market guards. I sprint forward, bashing one girl aside with full force; a wet crack sounds as she impacts a wall. The hefty robot brought a shield up to block my fire. I hop on its shield and thrust my weapon into its head, unloading rounds. It falls to the ground, getting crushed beneath me. Stepping off its shield, I pick it up and then continue my dash through the black market. Making a hard right, I blitz through the new streets.
Bullet fire chases me until I turn left into a plaza. I activate the shield just in time to block a round from a tank. Zig-zagging, I close in on the tank, firing all the while. The rounds spit out from my weapon putting holes into it with one round hitting their ammo rack, causing a massive explosion. Moving past the tank, I dodge sniper rounds. Spotting the snipers, I fire, pinning them. I quickly change targets, firing at a pair of grenadiers who setup to fire. They take cover behind barricades. I quickly readjust to aim toward the sniper so I can close on the grenadiers.
Busting through a barricade causes one girl to fall flat on her back. I quickly slam the bottom of the shield down on her midsection while firing at the other. Moving forward, I continued firing at the sniper while closing. A decent-sized squad rounds the corner, returning fire at me. The shield eventually gives out from all the rounds impacting it, making me ditch it mid-sprint. Moving behind a parked dump truck, I peek my head out and quickly move it back, avoiding a sniper round. I turn toward the dump truck, I kick it, which causes it to launch forward crushing three market guards. Their deaths seemed to shake the enemy enough to cause their focus to slip. Dodging shaky weapons fire as I close in, the sniper nicks my right arm as I finally get on top of the squad in front of me. They panicked as I broke their formation, crushing an unfortunate girl who tried to stop me with a riot shield. I continue ripping through their line, blasting apart robots, bashing aside riot shield units, and evading sniper fire in a deadly dance.
Left, right, feint, press, repeat. The motions feel like clockwork, a familiar pace-making clockwork that never fails. Give them no room to breathe; the wounds on the body mean nothing; they'll close in time. Termination of the targets is key to ensuring safety.
I take out the legs of one combatant. Before he can recover I grab his head using him as shield. His allies tried to hit me but to no avail instead nailing him. Quickly wretching my hand from my weapon I pull a pin on one of the grenades he has then throw him at them. One of his comrades caught him only for an explosion to engulf them. Running through the smoke and debris I beeline for a tank. The crew inside tried to back the tank up. I prevent any retreat by blowing apart the left track. Closing in on the tank it starts firing its machine gun. Taking some hits from the gun I aim. Firing I blow apart the gun while closing in. Hopping onto it I see the hatch open as someone pops out. Before she can raise her weapon I crush her head with mine. As her body falls into the tank I take out a thresher throwing it down after her.
Hopping off I continue forward. Not bothering to care for the shrapnel that lodged itself in my back. The defensive line seemed fearful as they fired their weapons. The hail of rounds whizzing past me, some lucky shots impacting me. I see a heavy combatant take aim with a rocket launcher. I snap my weapon on them, making sure to hit their weapon. The resulting explosion knocked some riflemen to the ground while blowing apart the machine. Descending on them I quickly stomp down on one's neck and mulch another close by. Sprinting forward I grab a cat before they can get up fully throwing them into a jeep nearby. I evade a barrage of firing. Two minigunners try to corral me into an alley, I quickly dismantled the notion by chucking a barricade at one leaving the other panicked. My rush towards the other gunner is stopped by a jeep ramming into me.
Ramming me into a wall I feel my back creak, the driver takes a pistol out. She repeatedly shoots me in the face. The bullets bury themselves deep at this range. My vision going red in my left eye. Getting my right-hand free I slam my fist down on the hood causing the car's back end to lurch upward. The driver's face slams into the wheel knocking her out, it had the double effect of the car accelerating into me. I was able to get my hand under the car hood. Getting a grip on it I launch it to the side. It tumbles crashing into a store. Moving down the street I don't notice anyone trying to stop me anymore making a turn toward an exit of the district. I barely evade a beam of energy. I hear beeping in my skull before evading another shot.
I don't see a target anywhere, another head-splitting beep sounds off. Dodging again I try to find the source from ahead of me. As the beeping sounds again I spot a faint shimmer of light. Firing at the spot I see blue light flicker on the body of a mech about three meters tall. Closing the gap I had to dodge fire from a mounted gatling cannon on its right arm. I threw my right arm up to block a round coming for my head.
'Right arm disabled, immediate evasion action required.' Rather it be my arm than my head Pandora. My arm dangles like a wet noodle flopping around as I evade more shots. I take potshots at the weapon integrated in its arm. Landing a critical shot causing the weapon to break. The mech recloaked itself rapidly leaving my sight. I stop moving quickly, bending my legs to evade a rocket volley the beeping warned of. Whipping my body around I fire rounds nicking the mech causing a limb to be visible. I continued oppressing it with fire slowly directing the oppression toward the chassis.
'Right arm operational.' Closing in, I evade two more laser blasts from its left arm and intercept rocket fire. The mech tried to back away to recloak, I stopped it by launching myself into it causing it to wobble by the sudden weight. Holding onto the chassis I ram my weapon through its armor firing once I pierced it. The mech's still functioning arm moved fast to grab me. Not being able to wretch my gun arm free fast enough I feel cold metal against my head. The pressure is causing pain, along with my other eye going red.
'Ocular senses offline, amplifying smell and hearing. ' I can only growl as I use my right hand to grab fingers of metal and force the hand of my head. The sounds of machinery being torn out f sockets ringing in my ears. Once done I start tearing through the chassis. Once I reached the pilot I gave them no time to form words while I made their torso jelly. Iron and oil assaulted my nose. 'Multiple life signs incoming, hostile.'
The rest of the fight through the tunnel had become a blur of red and cacophony of gunfire.
'All threats terminated, exiting combat zone. Ocular senses restored. Recommend immediate withdrawal from the area.' Hearing Pandora's voice snaps me out of the motions. Taking in the scene, it's a road far out from the black market; my boots have blood along with oil clinging to them. My massive gun isn't doing any better; it's also stained with red mush. Two bodies lay near my feet: the polar bear and the reptile girl from earlier.
'S.I at 78%, G.S.I at 27% and H.B.U at 52%. Best not to linger. I recommend immediate scuttling.' Moving forward I feel so hot, and I'm aching everywhere. I struggle to walk for a while thankfully I get my strength back. Taking my phone out while moving through abandoned streets. I had texts from the Abydos girls. Moving to my contacts, I call Kitty Cat; it rings twice before someone answers.
"Substitute your alright!" I chuckle at the response given.
"Yeah, I'm alive; you're stuck with me still." She mumbled something along the lines of a terrible joke.
"Where are you? We can meet up."
"No, I should get to Schale and ready evidence in case that was Kaiser." I move my arms. They feel so heavy.
"But we have the files you'd need!"
"Yeah, and I recorded that truck driver's lovely conversation with an operator. I gotta comb through that for any juicy secrets." Observing the areas I was moving through, it was nothing but ruined roads, destroyed shops, totaled vehicles and bodies. "So have someone drop off the documents if they have anything of note."
"Alright, but are you sure you're okay?"
"Oh please, I only got hit about…twenty-seven times." I use my free hand to pull out a piece of shrapnel from my abdomen. Kinda big, about the size of my head. "But it's just bullets, not shrapnel. I'm fine, just get back to Abydos safe." I throw the shrapnel aside.
"I heard a clatter."
"Oh, sorry reception…. I'm going through…..talk soon."
"Who woul-" I hung up before Kitty Cat could finish. My body was put through the wringer this time around.
Marching forward I pass by a van riddle with bullets. Didn't think they would chase me this far out. I guess after a certain amount of casualties they realized it wasn't worth it. Better check my text from Yuchi. Tapping on her text it only read one thing.
'My girls want similar getups.'
That is a weird stipulation but not hard to grant. Well, time to go to Tob's shop for a pit stop. First, a cleanup is in order. 'I'll handle it. Just proceed to your objective.' How? 'The same way I repaired your eyes and arm.'
Alright, if you say so. Taking my phone out I send a message to Tob don't want to pop by unannounced.
The walk towards Tob's place was as noisy as ever for Central. Conversations are usually about work or places to hang out when I pass by people. This time, it was about the fighting in the black market spilling out to an eastern barren district. The fact the news reached over this fast was something.
"Did you hear there are twenty confirmed deaths?"
"That's horrible; who could've kill so callously, especially young ones."
"They're still finding bodies scattered about."
"What could've done all that? No way it was a person."
I guess people dying isn't a common occurrence. As I make it to Tob's shop, I notice he's just about to flip the sign to closed.
"Tob I'm here." He turned to face me.
"Vagues, how have you been?" I shook his extended hand, which immediately caused him to look down. "What the hell happened to your hands!"
"Long story, can we get inside?" He seemed to sense my haste and let me in, locking the door behind us both. Looking around, I noticed he sold a chunk of his helmets and vests.
"Alright, doors locked, signs flipped now. Can you please tell me what happened to your hands?" He walked toward me, ushering me to the back room.
"I had to save a student from some mercs, and my hands took a beating." Entering the back, I watched Tob roll a crate out with a pallet jack.
"I wouldn't say your hands just took a beating." He opens the crate, which shows multiple ballistic masks, tactical vests, and kneepads.
"Yeah, well, it's not as bad as it looks." I go to reach for one of the pieces of gear to inspect it.
"Still, you should get those wounds checked out. They look ancient, and I'm no doctor, but they seem infected."
"Well, I doubt a regular doctor can work on these."
"Well, we can go to Mochi. I'm sure she can fix you up." I put the mask I was inspecting back into the box.
"Isn't Mochi a mechanic, not a medical doctor?" His leds make a … image before he shrugs.
"She told me she told you about being a doctor." Oh yeah. "So before we do this transaction, how about we head to their place? Have her check up on you."
"I don't think it's a good idea Tob."
"Come on, it won't kill you to at least get them properly looked at." I sigh and follow Tob out of the room. "I'll give you a discount if you do!" Can't say no to that.
Another small clink sounds in the room.
"How the hell are you alive, little Vagues." I feel a couple more pieces of metal get pulled out of my body. Mochi flashes a piece in front of my eyes. "I got to ask what the hell you were doing fighting mercs." She sounded exasperated; I watched her walk before me, grabbing a needle with an orange liquid. She gently pushed the bottom portion to get air out, then grabbed my arm. "Hold still this might sting." She jabs it only for the needle portion to break on the exposed muscle.
Mochi grumbles before grabbing my chin.
"Say ahh."
"Ah-" She puts it in my mouth and shoots the icy liquid down my throat. "God, that's cold! Are you supposed to do that with it?"
"No, it's just that your muscles are quite tough. That syringe could've pierced the skin and muscle of anyone with a halo like nothing." She approached her tray, grabbing tweezers, cotton swabs, and an orange vial. "Honstely don't you know if you get damage like this you should go to a hospital." She continued to mutter while going over my wounded arms. She fought me tooth and nail when I first entered about taking my shirt off. Luckily we compromised on just my coat.
She takes out a small needle that was watching my temperature heart rate. I feel more metal get removed from my right arm; then a cold liquid seeps into me. "Your internal temperature is also high. Looks like it's at two hundred and seventy-eight degrees fahrenheit and heart rate is ten beats a minute….that can't be right." I hear her sigh while moving to a monitor across the room.
Taking the time to look around, we're in a rather large space. It's impressive that a whole lab could fit inside their food stall. There was an MRI, CT, surgical table, blood lab, and a massive walk-in refrigerator for vaccines. I watched her walk through a door, leaving me alone. No sooner did I feel the soft glow appear near my face.
[Why?]
"Why what?"
[You killed without mercy.]
"Of course."
[You could've knocked them out]
"Knocking them out would've made things harder."
[You don't know that.]
"The enemy was easily demoralized after just killing one. Other troops were less likely to follow orders, allowing my survival."
[It that your justification for killing them.]
"No, that was my reason for killing, not my justification."
[Could you give me a justification if you tried?]
"No."
The conversation ended there. Yet I feel like I've had this conversation before.