Zenless Zone Zero: The Front Line
Chapter 10: Peace of Mind
Two weeks had gone by since Shion had first accepted the assignment to take down Bloodhound. Last week, he had updated his client, Choi Ma, just through text. This time he felt it was appropriate to speak to him in person.
Especially now since things had grown increasingly complicated.
Late in the evening near midnight, Shion made the trip back to Choi's apartment with his helmet on once again as a precaution. Choi let him inside with a quiet, solemn expression. He was clearly anxious to hear what updates that Tremor had for him.
"It's been a long two weeks, huh?" Choi presumed as the two of them sat across from each other in his living room.
"That's an understatement," Shion sighed. "I have a good lead on how to single out where Bloodhound might be hiding, but I had to make a deal with an undercover PubSec officer – she made it very clear that Bloodhound has to be taken into custody."
"I see," Choi took a moment to ponder this. "I suppose that will have to do then. I don't like the idea of Bloodhound still being out there at all, but if he spends the rest of his life behind bars for his crimes, I can live with that." He decided.
"It's not going to be easy but I have a map of the different Verdict hideouts around the outskirts of New Eridu. It'll be a lot easier to narrow things down going forward." Shion continued.
"Thank you for being so thorough. I guess I was being too optimistic in hoping that this would be taken care of easily. After all, Bloodhound has been dodging the authorities for years. He's not the sort of guy that you can take out quickly." Choi thought aloud.
"Well with official help from PubSec, we're a step closer. This agent that I'm working with seems to have a specific ambition in mind." Shion expressed.
"I see. Well some news is good news...I apologize for the trouble that this mission has put you through. Whatever fee you see fit to add on top of your rate, I'll pay it to compensate you for your troubles with the authorities." Choi said.
"I appreciate it. You're surprisingly patient considering how close to home this is for you," Shion observed. "I'm surprised you haven't been working with the authorities first." He added.
"Well...I wanted to but they weren't acting as quickly as they should have. You have to understand, Tremor, it's been years since my father was shot and they can't even concretely pin the crime onto Bloodhound. And it seems like under their new direction, they're more concerned with politics than justice...
"If I felt like there was any other way to finally put this to rest, I would've done it already. I know to you this is probably just another job but words can't really express how much this will mean to me and my family." Choi said sincerely.
Shion let out a quiet sigh. He adjusted his gloves before reaching up and removing his helmet, setting it down on the couch next to him. He then removed the cloth mask over his mouth and made meaningful eye contact with Choi to show the seriousness behind his statement.
"I understand it completely."
"Ah...t-thank you again for everything. It is...regrettable that you had to compromise your own position by working with the PubSec agent." Choi said slowly, unsure of how else to really say it.
"It's fine. I'll find my own way to handle it once the job's done."
"Yeah...right..." Choi nodded quietly.
"But I have to ask in case I start getting questions from that officer: why are you so determined to see Bloodhound taken down? What kind of business was your father involved with?"
"My father wasn't a part of the gang if that's what you're asking. He was a legitimate business owner in the community...but the Verdict gang had claimed that part of the city as their 'turf'. They demanded payment in return for protection." Choi began.
"And your father refused?" Shion presumed. However, Choi shook his head to the contrary.
"Not at first. Dad wanted to protect the neighborhood and all of his employees too. It wasn't just about him. So he paid for awhile but their demands just kept getting higher, so he tried to buy them out and..."
"The bullet came with the exit payment." Shion finished the sentence.
"...he was lucky. We thought we were gonna lose him that night."
"How do you know that it was Bloodhound who shot him?" Shion asked.
"I saw it happen. I was working late at the office that night." Choi answered.
"He's lucky that you were there then. Otherwise he may very well have died." Shion said honestly.
"Thank you...I'm his primary caretaker even now. But I can't rest knowing he's still out there. If someone found out that I knew and could provide a witness statement, he might come back to finish the job." Choi pointed out.
"And you have your own safety to worry about too." Shion added.
"Yeah you get it," Choi nodded, taking in a deep breath and letting it go. "It all falls on me to take care of him and everything."
"You're doing your best," Shion nodded in understanding. "It's difficult when life-changing stuff like that happens...things that aren't really in you control."
"Sounds like you have your own experiences with it." Choi observed.
"Oh yeah. Unfortunately, I've lost people too. It's weird...the way it makes you want to reclaim control of whatever you can." Shion said, glancing off to the side as he became lost in thought for a moment.
"I guess I really picked the right person for the job. I'm sorry for your loss as well...and thanks." Choi said once again. Shion smiled a little and stood up.
"We'll be in touch." Shion replied, taking a moment to put on his helmet before leaving the apartment. Once he was a little ways away, Manami spoke up.
"You sure it was a good idea to show your face? You never show your face to clients." Manami asked.
"It's fine. He'll pay me more for showing empathy." Shion brushed it off half-heartedly.
"Hm, if you say so." Manami said as an aside...