《Echoes》 Ch.1:Eldritch Vibes Alex does not know where she is. Not exactly a surprise, she¡¯s always had a poor sense of direction. But there¡¯s getting lost in the city, with its myriad of alleyways and streets, all segmented into vertical slices, creating endless nightmares to any self-respecting city planner, and then there¡¯s whatever the fuck this is. She¡¯s seen deserts, in movies and shows and sometimes on the news, she¡¯s pretty sure they¡¯re not supposed to be purple. Yet here she stands, a little speck on an endless mass of purple sand, it smells faintly of citrus. It¡¯s not even the weirdest thing about this place, that honour goes to the sky. There is a scar on the horizon, like shattered glass, the sky is a perfectly normal blue until it simply breaks, revealing a land that cannot be. A land where the flesh is soil and things of many limbs, asymmetrical and wrong, are spawned from it, pushing through the flesh-soil as they are born. They scurry and fight and die and feed, some have mouths with which to eat, those that don¡¯t simply jab one of their misshapen limbs and absorb the biomass. They slip between mounds of flesh, ever hunting, ever feeding- And then they stop. As one they turn to look at her. Hello, they say with words that cannot be language, you¡¯re not supposed to be here. She lets out a huff ¡°well excuse me, Mr.alien beyond comprehension, if i could control my dreams, I wouldn¡¯t have chosen to be sent here to have a conversation with some lazy attempt at eldritch vibes¡± because, as Alex has expertly concluded, she must be, in matter of fact, dreaming. Oh we¡¯re nothing so complex as that, it replies with something that might be a chuckle, we appreciate the flattery though, and the lack of screaming, and crying.Proper communication is a novelty for one such as us. ¡°Maybe invest in some skin, and vocal cords, and tone down the hive mind shit¡± she says ¡°all the weirdness isn¡¯t doing you any favours¡± In response she gets the mental impression of a shrug, we are what we are. We have as much control over our form as you do, child. Besides, we are fond of our nature, it is strong, and strength is often a necessity in our world. She tilts her head at that ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fair¡± she replies ¡°I¡¯ve got to be strong too, so i guess we have that in common, although from the looks of it you go for the more violent interpretation¡± Strength is strength, child, any amount in any flavour is commendable. ¡°Yeah but so many of my problems could be solved if I could just cap a bitch when they start being¡­well, a bitch¡± Cap a bitch, the eldritch horror echoes, your slang intrigues me child, where are you from?Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. With that question, the bigger things of flesh that have so far been still and silent, quiver in anticipation. A thing with legs like pikes and a bulbous head covered in eyes attached to a neck that is too thin takes a step towards her, making its way to the window between. It is stopped by something that might be categorized as a centipede with arms for legs and a month the size of a bus, it chomps down and the pike thing goes limp. Alex stares at them with barely contained disgust, but the dream-thing has been polite so far, it would be rude to be openly apprehensive at this point. ¡°Arthas¡± she says It doesn¡¯t respond, she waits, tapping her foot against the purple dunes, watching the flesh things. A few more have returned to their never ending hunt, a thing with bones for blades cuts through the tendons and muscle of something serpentine before it is swallowed whole. Interestingly, they don¡¯t attack the ones that remain staring. She wonders how she can see from so far away, by all rights they should just be dots. Probably some funky dream logic. Interesting, it says, so much technology, yet so little progress. This is your home? My condolences child, though that does beg the question of how exactly you got here. She gets the distinct impression that if it had a chin, it would be rubbing it in contemplation, trying to puzzle out some great mystery. ¡°It¡¯s a dream¡± she says ¡°I go to whatever place my brain makes up, and apparently have conversations with things that cannot be¡± Yes, yes, we know you believe you are dreaming. To a certain extent you¡¯re not even wrong, but this place is very real, and coming here isn¡¯t something someone from your world should be capable of. Alex raises an eyebrow ¡°Sure¡±, she says diplomatically, though she does give herself a pinch just in case, and is vindicated when no pain arises. Although this does get an amused chuckle from the hive. That¡¯s not how¡­no, as entertaining as this conversation has been, some things should not be spoken. Says the flesh amalgam, although there is a hint of regret in its ¡®voice¡¯, Alex wonders if she can push the answers out of it if she tries hard enough. ¡°C¡¯mon, no one needs to know, promise I won¡¯t tell if you don¡¯t¡± There are rules, child, some can be twisted but none can be broken. If we do, something much scarier than us will take issue with both of us, you do not want to meet them. She pouts at that, piquing her curiosity just to leave her out to dry is just rude, interspecies communication being no exception. Her reaction causes the being of many to outright laugh, causing her to scowl, which, to her chagrin, makes it laugh even harder. We like you, it says while still laughing, somehow, although your audacity is a product of misconception, it takes a certain person to be so brazen with their discontent in front of one such as we. Tell you what, meetings like this are rare for us, rarer still are the ones that don¡¯t outright flee or do something foolish because of our appearance, how would you like a gift? That seemed oddly tantalizing for an offer from a dream monster. She has nothing to lose anyway, none of this is real, after all. ¡°I¡¯ll take it, oh great flesh¡­thing? You don¡¯t happen to have a name do you?¡± she asks We do, and someday you will know it, but that is not today. The gift will guide you so that someday you may ¡®cap a bitch¡¯ without worry for the consequences. It cannot make you like us but we guessed that you¡¯d prefer your humanity. She nods at that ¡°you guessed correctly¡± Just a few caveats though.Firstly, avoid cybernetic enhancements as much as possible. Secondly, although rare in your world, there are those who will see our mark and come to their own¡­conclusions, mostly violence. With that I believe our conversation has come to its end, goodbye, little Alex. Before she could muster a farewell of her own, it would only be polite, Alex is beset by a crushing kind of pain. As though everything that she is is being pulled to the centre of her being. She tries to scream, but all that comes out is a whimper, wave after wave of pain assault her, and she realises that some time between then and now she has collapsed onto the citrusy purple sand, she sticks out her tongue and licks it. Huh, tastes like mangos. And then she is gone. Ch.2:Jamming To Some Recktor Alex wakes up with her face pressed against concrete and a splitting headache throbbing to the tune of her heart. She musters just enough energy for a groan to vocalize her dissatisfaction. It sounds too much like a whine for her sensibilities. ¡°Ey, Rickie!¡± yells a voice that is much too loud, shooting a bolt of pain through her skull. ¡°Give me a second boss¡± says a voice that she almost doesn''t hear ¡°WHAT!¡± ouch ¡±Street rats breathing!¡± ¡°The fuck you mean she¡¯s breathing?¡± ¡°Exactly what I said, even let out a little whine¡± fuck you. She hears some grumbling before the distinct sound of boots hitting concrete makes its way towards her, he-Rickie-stops next to her and nudges her head with his boot, distressingly close to the source of her agony. She lets out another dignified groan in response. ¡°Well I¡¯ll be damned¡± he says ¡°hey boss, scratch the cleaning, the munchkin breathes. Yes, we checked-I don¡¯t know, i¡¯m not a doctor-look, she wasn¡¯t breathing, now she is, what''s the issue? Well maybe we¡¯ve witnessed an act of God or some shit, important part is we don¡¯t need to hide anything anymore ¡®cause there¡¯s no body. Yeah, we¡¯ll get going, I¡¯ll see you soon¡± There¡¯s a pause before he nudges her again, in the same fucking spot. ¡°Hey chink, you good to get home on your own?¡± She groaned ¡°Gonna need more than that chink¡± ¡°Fuck¡­you¡± she manages, she hears some clothes shuffle in what might be a shrug. ¡°Good enough for me¡± he says ¡°lets go ¡®Turo, before any Scars get curious¡± ¡°You sure Rickie?¡± says the other voice ¡°she¡¯s pretty fucked up¡± ¡°If she can curse she can walk¡± bit of twisted logic in that, but it seems enough to settle the matter as two pairs of boots echoe away from her. Leaving Alex alone in what she¡¯s pretty sure is an alley. Lovely. - It takes a while (she doesn¡¯t know how long since they stole her phone along with everything else besides the clothes on her back) before someone approaches her, in that time she¡¯s moved from kissing the pavement to a kind of slump against one of the alley walls. She turns her head to the sound and sighs in relief when she sees the pendant wrapped around his neck, and the absolute monsters of red on black chrome that¡¯s replaced his arms. She doesn¡¯t say anything, and neither does he, until he stops in front of her. ¡°Need a hand kid?¡± says the very caucasian man in fluent Japanese, then again, she¡¯s half-arab, half-caucasian herself, so who¡¯s she to judge? ¡°It¡¯d be appreciated¡± she replies ¡°I live with Clarice, down by the Crossing¡± ¡°A bit far, you''re lucky I got nothing better to do¡± he offers her a hand, which she gingerly accepts feeling the cold metal before, in a disorienting instant, she¡¯s placed on the man''s shoulders in a fireman''s carry. The movement almost makes her puke. ¡°Couldn¡¯t have been gentler?¡± she rasps, having your ribs dug into by a pair of broad shoulders is not conducive to conversation. ¡°I could just leave you here¡± he replies, which gets a few grumbles from Alex but no further complaints as he walks through the alley and into the throng of civilization. They get a few odd looks, but no one¡¯s stupid enough to get in the way. ¡°So, mind telling me what happened?¡± he says over the noise of the crowd ¡°That doesn¡¯t look like it came from a casual slip¡± ¡°I got jumped by some gangers¡± The jostling is doing nothing good for her head right now, but she can take it, she¡¯s strong like that. ¡°Get their colors?¡± he asks, getting right to the point, probably doesn¡¯t make for a good conversationalist. She¡¯s kind of grateful for that, she¡¯s not in the mood for a chat. ¡°Weren¡¯t wearing any, did get their names though, a Rickie and a ¡®Turo¡± He snorts at that ¡°tells me a whole lot of nothing, how¡¯d you know they¡¯re gangers if they weren¡¯t sporting their colors?¡± He ends up bumping into someone too busy with something on their phone to notice the obvious Scar walking through, the pedestrian turns to face him, but whatever complaint he has dies in his throat at the glare directed his way. Wisely, he scurries back into the crowd. ¡°They were calling for a cleaner, thought I was dead, guess I disappointed¡± He walks in silence after that tidbit, navigating through the mess of a crowd in the direction of the crossing, a few minutes pass in the ambiance of footsteps and gossip. Cars honk at each other on the streets beside us, speaking in a kind of language that only a seasoned driver might understand. ¡°How old were they?¡± he finally asks ¡°Around my age¡± she can feel the tension leave the man''s shoulders, and the sigh of relief that follows.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Just a childs fight then. Cowardly of them to target one of ours without showing their own affiliation, but that can only be expected of children¡± - ¡°We¡¯re here¡± he says with a jab to her ribs before setting her down. It takes her a moment to get her bearings, she¡¯s very dizzy, but eventually she manages to stand straight without the assistance of the kindly Scar to her side. ¡°Think you can manage the next few steps on your own?¡± She gives him a nod, and to emphasise the point she takes a step forward, it isn¡¯t exactly graceful, and takes an embarrassing amount of effort to stop from falling, but she manages. ¡°Well alright then¡± he pauses for a moment, staring at the entrance to Lost Hope before continuing ¡°The names Adam Knoll. doubt we¡¯ll meet again, but you owe me a drink in case we do¡± ¡°Alex¡± she says back, which he dignifies with a nod, before turning around and merging back with the mass of life making up the lower streets. She watches him cut through the crowd with a bemused expression, they simply part for him like he¡¯s a leper, she guesses that¡¯s why the trip here was as smooth as it was. Maybe someday they¡¯ll do that for her, unlikely, but a girl can dream. She struggles up the steps to Lost Hope. It''s a quaint building, only ten stories, compared to the mega buildings that¡¯s nothing. Still, its home, and the red of its bricks covered by juvenile attempts at graffiti is a comfort to her weary little heart. She¡¯s had a day, and she can hardly wait for the embrace of her mattress. But first, Clarice. After no time at all (about two minutes) she¡¯s pushing on the doors to Lost Hope, swinging them open she¡¯s greeted by a large foyer of wood flooring and a few tastefully placed couches. A few children sitting and playing their games around a table turn to look at her with sharp eyes as she enters, but as recognition dawns on them, they return to their game without a greeting. Alex can hear the AC struggling as it tries to combat the summer heat, and the wood groans as she makes her way to Clarice¡¯s office. It¡¯s not far, just a few steps to the left from the entrance, she can even see the woman meticulously typing on her computer through a window next to the door. A door that she¡¯s currently standing in front of, gathering her wits. Breathe in, breathe out. C¡¯mon Alex she thinks just rip off the band-aid. With that as her mantra, she turned the doorknob and pushed it open, the first thing that greets her is the smell of cigarettes, the second being a pair of eyes that dig into her soul. Clarice is a short asian woman of soft features, her face possessing some level of pudge, rounded and plump, her hair bunched up into a ponytail, a dark black with blue at its edges. Her expression is neutral as she regards Alex, hands stopping their crusade at the neverending paperwork. Her eye¡¯s are not natural, they glow a deep red, with three pupils slowly rotating at the center. She raises a thin eyebrow at Alex. Ah, right. Alex brings up her hand to the back of her head, wincing as she touches the wound, and presents Clarice with her now generously blooded hand. ¡°Sit¡± she says, tilting her chin to one of the chairs in front of her desk. Alex, of course, obliges. Clarice grabs a first aid kit and walks over to stand behind her. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Got jumped¡± ¡°Which gang?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± Alex lets out a hiss of pain as a generous amount of rubbing alcohol meets the wound. ¡°They caught you by surprise¡± ¡°Yes¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°They were waiting behind some dumpsters in an alley¡± Tears welled up in her eyes as Clarice cleans the wound with far too much force. ¡°How many?¡± ¡°Two¡± Nothing. Alex almost sighed with relief. ¡°This wound is bad, did you get back on your own?¡± Alex hesitated then, she was hoping she wouldn¡¯t ask this. ¡°Yes¡± she said ¡°You¡¯re lying¡± ¡°...A Scar named Adam Knoll carried me back¡± There was silence for a long while as Clarice considered her. ¡°This will need stitches¡± she declared flatly. This time, Alex did cry. - Her head feels like the gates of a city, one in which a battering-ram is constantly crashing into trying to break it down. What a surprise, that Clarice¡¯s ministrations made her wound feel significantly worse. Oh well, at least it won¡¯t get infected. Probably. She¡¯s passed by a few of her fellows on the way to her floor, most ignoring the gauze and wrappings on her head. Which is fair, she wouldn¡¯t give much of a shit either, and honestly she prefers indifference over the occasional glances of pity. She meets those with a glare whenever she notices them, who are they to feel bad for her? If she had to deal with Clarice, it meant she fucked up, and she doesn¡¯t need or want any compassion for the consequences of her mistakes. She reaches her floor and hopes beyond hope that Sasha had gone to sleep. As she is greeted with a mop of pink hair, she knows then, that there is no God. ¡°She lives!¡± says the girl ¡°Aki, you owe me moneyyyy¡± her proclamation is met with more than a few curses from the rooms where Alex presumes people are trying to sleep, she would sympathise, if she wasn¡¯t caught in the crosshairs of the commotion. ¡°How much did you win?¡± Alex asks as she takes a seat across from her. ¡°One-hundred credits!¡± she says proudly. ¡°Damn girl, I¡¯d find your faith in me touching if I weren¡¯t in so much pain right now¡± ¡°That sounds like a you problem¡± grumbles a voice she almost doesn¡¯t recognize, before she turns to look at Aki leaning on his door frame. ¡°Since when were you a baritone?¡± she asks ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means¡± ¡°Old world instrument¡± Sasha provides ¡°She¡¯s calling your voice deep ya chink, and to answer the question, since yesterday¡± Aki smirks at that ¡°what? You like it?¡± She gives him a flat look that communicates just how she feels about that question. ¡°Fine, fine. Killjoy. Already cost me a hundred creds, can¡¯t even play along for the sake of my pride?¡± ¡°That sounds like a you problem¡± she echoes, to which he replies with a snort. ¡°Stop flirting you two, now spill, I¡¯m dying to hear what happened¡± ¡°If only¡± Aki stage-whispers before taking a seat next to her. ¡°This can¡¯t wait till morning?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± ¡°No¡± She groans before regaling once again her frankly embarrassing encounter earlier today. As she tells the story Sasha looks like a dam about to burst, even Aki lets a few chuckles slip. Once she¡¯s done, the dam breaks, and Aki, the audacious bastard, gives her a shit-eating grin. ¡°Thanks guys¡± she says ¡°really feeling the love right now¡± ¡°You-¡± Sasha wheezes ¡°you were lugged around by a Scar like a sack of potatoes! A Scar!¡± That statement seems to tip her further into hysterics. ¡°Oh, Clarice must have been delighted by that detail¡± Aki adds ¡°Fuck you Aki, that words too big for you¡± ¡°Hey, just cause you¡¯re an idiot doesn¡¯t mean I have to be¡± Sasha looks like she wants to intercede, but her current predicament of hysterical laughter proves a significant challenge. Alex says a prayer for the poor bystanders trying to rest. ¡°How¡¯d they even catch you by surprise anyway? checking all the hiding spots is like, alley crossing 101¡± Aki asks Alex mumbles something incomprehensible. ¡°What?¡± he asks with a hand to his ear. ¡°I was jamming to some Recktor¡± she says a little louder. That statement grants her a moment of stunned silence, before even Aki breaks out into a fit of laughter. Ch.3:You The Guys? One nights rest does not a recovery make. Still, Alex is expected to attend her martial duties just the same as everyone else. No rest for the wicked and all that jazz. She¡¯s not even the only one sporting an injury, the most dramatic of which is Dahlia, a short, tanned girl with long curls, who has her right arm in a sling. Alex wonders how she¡¯s going to survive classes like that, but frankly, she¡¯s got her own injury to worry about. There are a few others with obvious bruises and patches but nothing matching the wrap around her head and Dahlia¡¯s sling. The two dozen or so gathered around the rooftop shuffle awkwardly while they wait for instructor Korin, they¡¯re dressed in matching red tank tops with black shorts, each wears their personal footwear, but they all carry their bokken¡¯s in anticipation for the day''s struggles. ¡°He¡¯s late¡± Sasha whispers into her ear ¡°Think he got shot?¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that your first guess?¡± The girl shrugs ¡°He¡¯s a bit of a prick, wouldn¡¯t be surprising¡± Alex mulls that over in her mind ¡°well you''re not wrong, but if that were the case one of the others would have taken over¡± ¡°True¡± she says ¡°here''s to hoping though¡± ¡°Yeah¡± Eventually, the skeletal form of instructor Korin emerges from the stairwell. His eyes are bloodshot and his skin is a slightly lighter shade than what might be healthy, still, he practically radiates danger. The man is lanky and tall, his greying hair is styled in a topknot, and he scans the gathering of children with a scowl. ¡°Well¡± he starts ¡°what are you waiting for? Get into pairs and start swinging.¡± He taps the sheath of his katana against the floor ¡°unless, of course, you¡¯d prefer personal instruction.¡± With that, Sasha gingerly locks arms with Alex and guides her to a corner where they can beat the shit out of each other without getting in the way of the others. She¡¯s probably going to go all out despite my injury, she thinks while getting into her stance. Sasha wastes no time, immediately probing her defence with a series of jabs that Alex deftly parries, and replies to in kind. They¡¯re familiar with each other enough that they don¡¯t need to play the game of gauging and posturing, still, it''s a good habit to keep, so they make sure not to skip it. A swipe at her forearm that Alex barely pulls back from signals the end of the introductions. She retaliates with an overhead strike that feints into a horizontal sweep. It does not touch her of course, but the ferocity makes Sasha hesitate. Alex is a more defensive fighter, but the throbbing headache aching through her skull is clouding her more cautious inclinations. Alex charges with a flurry of strikes that Sasha struggles to parry and dodge, Alex can almost taste victory. Starting off her day with first-blood would do wonders for her mood. Eventually she pushes Sasha against the fence, and she commits to a heavy diagonal blow aimed at the shoulder, anticipating the feeling of wood against flesh- And then she sees stars as her head snaps to the sky. She wavers for a moment before regaining her footing, then a blow to her knee causes her to topple face first into the floor. ¡°You okay?¡± Sasha asks sheepishly Alex sighs ¡°yeah¡± she sits up from her spot on the ground ¡°would have preferred if you left my head alone though.¡± Sasha shrugs ¡°¡®weaknesses are there to be exploited¡¯¡± she quotes the instructor with mock gravitas. ¡°Indeed¡± says a voice to their right that startles them both ¡°That was a pathetic showing Alex, come, we must work on your defence and judgement¡± instructor Korin all but demands. - One session of training with the magnanimous instructor Korin and many, many, bruises later, Alex finds herself on a bench press hitting a new PR as Sasha does more cheering than spotting. ¡°C¡¯mon girl, those plates don¡¯t got shit on you!¡± She whoops in joy, much to the annoyance of the others, when Alex manages to complete the rep. Alex grumbles in mock annoyance at her antics. ¡°Oh please, you love me and my complements¡± Alex does not dignify that with a response. ¡°Can you be useful and replace the plates with something lighter?¡± The girl has the gal to salute before doing just that. A few exercises and machines later and the two are thoroughly drained. Gym isn¡¯t the same as sparring, Minoru doesn¡¯t care much if you spend the whole hour walking on the treadmill, but those who put in the extra effort are noted. Not that she or Sasha care much, they¡¯re the type of people who actually enjoy exercise. - ¡°Yoshifumi Sakamoto is the cornerstone of the Arthas drug trade, and consequently, our rise to power. Because of his mass growing campaigns we¡¯ve managed to push competition away from the upper districts and secured ourselves as a force to be reckoned with amongst the greater gangs¡± Instructor Talia Hawk drones on ¡°If there is one thing I want to imprint upon your minds, it is that we rise and fall through our finances. With Credits we buy weapons, land, and politicians. Without these things this very institution could not exist. Without these things we would be fighting for scraps amongst the filth¡± Alex almost snorts at the term ¡®institution¡¯ to describe Lost Hope, that''s certainly being generous. She does not enjoy history lectures, as they''re mostly just a practice in how hard Instructor Talia can suck off the Sakamoto line. She finds it funny that Yoshifumi is the only one mentioned in the story, and the many bodies, both laboured and buried, are skimmed over like an afterthought. The rise of a new gang isn¡¯t exactly a peaceful endeavour, especially not in the case of the Crimson Dragons. But she still writes his name down alongside his ¡®accomplishments¡¯, everything is tested after all, and she will not be found lacking. - ¡°Yo¡± says a disturbingly deep voice. ¡°That''s going to take some getting used to¡± Alex replies Aki shrugs ¡°not my fault I¡¯m sexy¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°That¡¯s not the word I¡¯d use, but sure, whatever makes you feel better shortstack¡± Akihiro isn¡¯t all that short, all told, he¡¯s pretty standard in height, she¡¯s just unusually tall for her age. Still, it makes for some satisfying proding when he gets a little too big for his britches. Surprisingly, he doesn¡¯t take the bait. ¡°Look, as fun as it is to go back and forth, I¡¯ve got a job, and I was wondering if you and Sasha would be willing to come with¡± She raises an eyebrow ¡°I¡¯m not exactly looking for a career in retail, thanks¡± ¡°Not that¡± he sighs ¡°I mean an actual job, protection duty¡± ¡°There¡¯s a dragon desperate enough to hire a bunch of kids for protection duty?¡± She says incredulously. ¡°Not a dragon¡± he says, which earns him two raised eyebrows ¡°corpo needs to cross through Bastion territory, and hiring proper mercs is out of his price range¡± he pauses ¡°creds are good though¡± ¡°Aki, the Bastions of Truth are fucking insane, why, exactly, would I want to step foot near one of those psychos¡± ¡°He¡¯s paying five hundred each¡± he replies smoothly. That gets her attention, a grand and a half is nothing to a merc, but for three kids? Yeah, that¡¯s a big chunk of change. Still, can¡¯t spend any of that if she¡¯s dead. ¡°Where¡¯d you even get this job?¡± she asks ¡°you¡¯re not exactly a known merc¡± ¡°Ellie passed it along, said it would make for a good test¡± Well fuck me then, she thinks while bitting her cheek. ¡°Fine¡± - They meet in front of Lost Hope at eight, each strapped with a katana on one hip and a pistol on the other. She¡¯s wearing her usual red tank top, black cargo pants, and runners. She¡¯d prefer a vest, or a helmet, but she¡¯ll have enough for one of those after the job. If you survive she thinks darkly. Sasha was surprisingly willing to go on this suicide mission, they said ¡®jump¡¯ and all she had to say was ¡®how far¡¯. She¡¯d thought the girl possessed some sense in that head of hers, despite all the evidence to the contrary. ¡°So Mr.corporate slave will just pick us up from here?¡± Sasha asks ¡°That¡¯s what he said¡± replies Aki ¡°What is he like, I wonder? their type tends to keep their distance like we¡¯re the plague¡± Sasha giggles ¡°I¡¯m not exactly chomping at the bit to meet them, corporate connections are the last thing I need right now.¡± Alex laments. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s not some hotshot if he¡¯s hiring us¡± ¡°That¡¯s not as comforting as you think it is¡± ¡°Yeah Aki, that¡¯s a little infantilising¡± ¡°Am I the only one who hasn''t gone through a dictionary?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay Alex, you¡¯ve got plenty of brain damage, no ones expecting you to know the big words¡± ¡°Rude¡± They lapse into silence for a bit before a question pops into Alex¡¯s head. ¡°Say, why does he need to go through Bastion territory anyway?¡± ¡°No idea,¡± Aki replies. She turns to scowl at the boy ¡°you took a job and you don¡¯t even know what we¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°I already told you, we¡¯re protection duty¡± he replies ¡°anything beyond that is only my business if the client makes it my business. He¡¯s probably doing something at least slightly illegal, and behind his corps back, otherwise he¡¯d just get proper security¡± ¡°Do you even know where he works¡± Alex asks ¡°Nope¡± he replies ¡°Great¡± - Eventually, Aki¡¯s phone chimes with a message informing him that the client had arrived, alongside the details of the car. Apparently he came in a light blue Wayfinder, an interesting choice for where they''re going, and by interesting she means idiotic. Wayfinders may not be a popular model, but it¡¯s still a corpos car, and driving through Raisha town basically flaunting your wealth is just asking to get robbed. She turns to look at her companions, and holds her tongue when she sees that they¡¯ve come to the same conclusion as her. On the bright side, it makes finding the hatchback extremely easy, it¡¯s parked a little ways down the street from Lost Hope. The windows are tinted completely black. Great. Aki taps on the driver side window, and waits as it¡¯s rolled down to reveal the face of the client. The man looks absolutely haggard, black hair a disheveled mess, with deep bags under eyes covered by glasses. Likely an aesthetic choice, his eyes are clearly chrome. So are his hands, and maybe his arms but she can¡¯t tell under the sleeves of his dress shirt. On the passenger seat is a Ramus Mk2 pump action shotgun. That bodes well for us ¡°You the guys?¡± he asks. She expected a hoarse voice to match his appearance, but no, it came out surprisingly smooth. ¡°One guy, two galls,¡± Sasha replies, causing him to roll his eyes. ¡°Are you the ones for the job or is this some petty attempt at a shakedown? I really don¡¯t have time for that, and would prefer not to kill a bunch of kids¡± Alex can¡¯t really let that comment slide, it wouldn¡¯t be proper. ¡°On the Dragons turf?¡± she asks ¡°you¡¯re either stupidly confident or stupidly stupid.¡± He clenches his teeth at that ¡°Are.You.The.Guys¡± he asks again Before she or Sasha can aggravate him further Aki takes the lead to placate the man. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s us. You¡¯ll have to forgive my friends, they¡¯re like sharks to blood when they see a chance to be annoying. I¡¯m Akihiro, that''s Alex, and she¡¯s Sasha¡± he offers, pointing at each of them respectively. Sasha pouts at being interrupted, but Alex notices how he only stopped their fun once it might have lost them the job. ¡°Max¡± says the man who¡¯s obviously not a Max ¡°get in.¡± - After about an hour of navigating through traffic, they¡¯ve officially left the safety of Dragon territory. It¡¯s starkly obvious too, while there¡¯s some graffiti littering the Dragons territory, here they practically consider it an artform. Brick, mortar, and concrete are all covered in intricate designs of all kinds. It doesn¡¯t take long for them to see the symbol for the Bastion of Truth. A borg on his knees facing the sky, mouth open wide and arms raised in jubilation, he is not wearing any clothes, putting his cyberware on display for the world to see, not a shred of flesh to be found. Tensions rise drastically at the sight of it. ¡°How many of their members do you think break before reaching full borg?¡± Sasha says trying to alleviate some of the tension, but failing drastically as a hint of fear enters her voice. ¡°There¡¯s a rumor that all their prophets are borgs, but I find that¡­unlikely¡± Aki replies ¡°I¡¯ve seen one of them¡± Max says, to the surprise of everyone, he¡¯d been silent the whole ride. ¡°The prophet of Dreams, she¡¯s¡­a character. Then again they probably all are.¡± ¡°You talked with her?¡± Aki asks, astonished. ¡°Kind of¡± ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°Mostly what you¡¯d expect, doctrine and all that shit,¡®The mind can only achieve so much when trapped in a sack of meat¡¯. She wasn¡¯t right in the head, kept going off on tangents before she¡¯d reset herself at random points to the main topic. Hard to follow, but I wasn¡¯t the one doing the talking so I didn¡¯t have to deal with her creepy shit.¡± ¡°In what world do you get an audience with a prophet and live?¡± Aki glares at Sasha for that ¡°What? I¡¯m just saying, most stories involving them fit squarely in the horror genre.¡± Max, surprisingly, doesn¡¯t seem all that bothered by the question. ¡°Business¡± he replied simply. ¡°Huh¡± Sasha starts ¡°I¡¯m surprised they¡¯ve got enough of their brain intact to manage a proper business deal.¡± He chuckles at that ¡°Oh, they most certainly don¡¯t, our negotiator had to navigate a metaphorical landmine the whole time. It¡¯d actually be pretty funny if I was watching from the safety of a screen. Up close it¡¯s much less funny.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can imagine¡± Sasha says, tilting her head ¡°actually, no, I can¡¯t. I¡¯d prefer to never have to either.¡± ¡°Hope that you never do, kid. Those fucks are-¡± ¡°We¡¯re being followed¡± Alex interrupts, and silence overtakes the car. ¡°Green muscle car, think it''s a Falcon. They¡¯ve been on us not long after we crossed the border.¡± she unstraps her pistol, Sasha does the same, and Aki takes the shotgun, checking to see if it''s loaded. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have said so earlier¡± Max seethes, knuckles white from gripping the wheel too hard. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure, now I am¡± ¡°Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck¡± Max so eloquently descriped before turning into a parkade. ¡°What are you doing?!?¡± Aki hisses at him ¡°If we keep driving, their friends, which they¡¯ve surely called by now, will cut us off, and then we¡¯re truly fucked. No, you three are going to do your jobs¡± he says as he stops in the middle of a ramp leading to the next floor. ¡°Now get out and deal with them¡± Ch.4:Followers Of Truth Alex¡¯s been in plenty of fights before, scraps between the gang''s youth, kids playing turf wars trying to mimic their role models. She¡¯s made a few begrudged friendships even, Vicktor from La Casa De Los Vivos for example, or Li Chen of the Wolves. She¡¯s even been on the periphery of a few gunfights, close enough to be in the danger zone at least. But she¡¯s never been in the center of one, and she¡¯s certain that neither of her friends have either. If any of them survived such a thing they¡¯d be boasting nonstop and be absolutely insufferable for months (to be fair, so would she). So it is that they stand in the middle of the ramp, weapons drawn and shaking like leaves. Aki has his Katana sheathed, but that¡¯s no surprise, he needs both hands to operate the Ramus after all. Max, surprising no one, left stating that he would pick them up once it was safe. Somehow she doubts that, no offence to Max, but their chances of surviving this are slim at best, and waiting here would just get him killed as well. Why then did they agree to face potentially multiple followers of Truth? They had the guns after all, they could have forced Max to keep driving. Honour They were hired for a job and so they¡¯ll do their part to complete it, even if it means being a glorified distraction. Doesn¡¯t mean they can¡¯t be scared while they do it though. As the green Falcon rounds the corner, Alex hitches her breath. That¡¯s too much chrome, only the Ramus stands a chance. There¡¯s no shooting, because each of them knows that to do so would be a death sentence. They watch as the two of their would-be killers exit the vehicle, a woman with a mohawk of spikes made of metal and three pairs of eyes alongside a man who just sports one big eye on his fully chromed head. Both of them are carrying heavily modified semi-automatics, Alex even recognized the brand. Kuruki Not the best, not the worst. The calm parts at the edges of her mind inform her. Kuruki only dabbles in firearms, their main interests being in R&D for bionics. It¡¯ll still kill though ¡°Don¡¯t look so scared, kids, we only want to know what your friend in the suspicious looking car was doing on our turf¡± Says Mohawk with the distinct reverb of an altered larynx ¡°you¡¯d do that for old Mary now, won''t you?¡± Their Kuruki¡¯s aren¡¯t even pointed at them, resting on shoulders or pointed at the ground. Makes sense, they stand no chance in a proper shoot-out. Their arms are exposed and fully chromed, and Alex can only assume that they¡¯re packed full with sub-dermal armor. Any resistance they could manage would merely be an inconvenience to these monsters. Akihiro levels the Ramus at them. ¡°Even if I knew¡± he growls ¡°I wouldn¡¯t tell you, now leave before your guts meet the pavement¡± ¡°Oh that¡¯s good¡± says the Cyclops ¡°you get that from a movie? You¡¯ll have to tell me the title, before we kill you of course¡± That gets him a sharp look from Mohawk. ¡°What?¡± he whines ¡°todays been fucking boring, now I got a kid acting like some high-profile merc using cheesy lines trying to scare us away. At least let me have some fun.¡± Mohawk sighs before turning back to them ¡°so am I to assume you don¡¯t know anything then?¡± ¡°Yes¡± Alex says before Akihiro can dig their graves any further. ¡°Mmmh, that¡¯s not good. As a matter of fact that¡¯s very, very bad¡± say¡¯s Mohawk ¡°do you at least know who he was?¡± He? How would they know that? ¡°Called himself Max¡± she says, to which Mohawk lets out a cackle. ¡°And you believe that?¡± ¡°No¡± ¡°Good. Good, got some brains after all. Was worried for a second considering you¡¯re playing merc underequipped in another gang''s home¡± She says tilting her head ¡°So, blue eyes, black hair, gunmetal arms, slight tan? I get that right?¡± Her question is met with silence, and a smile spreads across Mohawk''s face as her many eyes flicker to gold for a few seconds, then return back to their emerald green. ¡°Your dedication to the bit is admirable little dragons, but you really need to work on your poker faces.¡± ¡°Can I kill them now?¡± asks the Cyclops. There is a moment, it passes just like any other might. But Alex could have sworn it stretched for an eternity. ¡°Hmmm, no. would leave a sour taste in my mouth.They kinda got fucked for taking a job that should have gone to proper mercs¡± Mohawk says, and Alex can feel the relief wash over her body ¡°how much was he paying you anyway?¡± The three trade glances in a silent war, Sasha and Alex making a tentative alliance and gang up on Aki for getting them caught up in this shit. ¡°Five-hundred each¡± he says, deflated. The gaze of the borgs bore into them, the cylindrical view port of the Cyclops somehow has depth in their judgement, while Mohawk just seems¡­disappointed? They stay like that, just staring at them, for a long time. Alex can¡¯t help the heat rising to her cheeks out of the embarrassment of it all. ¡°Damn, even I feel bad now¡± says the Cyclops ¡°c¡¯mon Mary, let¡¯s get out of here, I¡¯m starting to feel pity and it is disgusting¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it is big guy, I¡¯m sure it is¡± she says before turning back to them ¡°Good luck on the way back little dragons, and next time, when you go on a suicide mission, take a job that¡¯s at least worth dying for¡± The two of them sit back down in their car, they pull off the ramp, before leaving the lot and the three friends behind. Alive and in one piece.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Aki sighs ¡°Ellie¡¯s going to be so pissed¡± Both the girls whirl on to him ¡°Seriously?¡± - ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be the smart one!¡± Sasha raves ¡°our brains, our strategist, our negotiator. Instead you fucking provoke the walking death machines and leave Alex to answer the questions, fucking Alex!¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡± she grumbles Aki wilts under the pressure, he¡¯s been very quiet since getting off the phone with Ellie. She wasn¡¯t that disappointed in him, but Aki still took it pretty hard. He sees himself as her protog¨¦, and failing her probably hurts a lot more than Sasha¡¯s lecture. She almost feels bad for him. Almost. ¡°Well, say something for yourself,¡± Sasha presses. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± Aki mumbles ¡° I thought if I showed them we meant business they¡¯d back off. You know, like how a bear gets spooked when you stand your ground¡± ¡°Pretty sure that doesn¡¯t work for all bears¡± Alex comments ¡°What she said!¡± He sighs ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry guys. We shouldn¡¯t have taken the job in the first place. If i knew the Bastion was actively hunting him, I wouldn¡¯t have even considered it¡± Alex doesn¡¯t know what to do in the face of such frank vulnerability, luckily for her she doesn¡¯t have to do anything as Sasha takes the reins. ¡°Well good, you should be¡± she says ¡°next time do some research before taking a job. Even if it steps on our clients toes, it¡¯s better than ending up dead.¡± ¡°Next time?¡± Aki echoes ¡°Yes, next time.¡± she nods ¡°you¡¯re the only one who''s got actual connections with the gang. Me and Alex are just muscle heads.¡± ¡°Speak for yourself¡± Akihiro gathers himself, an expression besides despondency taking over since their brush with death. ¡°Alright¡± He says, determined ¡°I promise¡± - Getting back to the crossroads wasn¡¯t all that complicated, they weren¡¯t even that far into Bastion territory when the borgs stopped them. If nothing else, then that proved that Max¡¯s choice in vehicle was questionable. None of them were even injured, so they didn¡¯t have to deal with Clarice! It¡¯s the little things. ¡°Hey, you guys wanna spar?¡± Sasha asks as they climb up the stairs to their rooms ¡°I¡¯m all jittery after that stand off, and I don¡¯t think I can sleep without working some of it off¡± ¡°Stand off is a generous interpretation¡± Alex replies ¡°but sure, I¡¯d be down¡± Both pairs of eyes turn to Aki, who just waves them off ¡°I¡¯ll pass, feels like I¡¯ll pass out just climbing these stairs¡± ¡°Wimp.¡± ¡°Gorilla.¡± - To Alex¡¯s surprise, there¡¯s two other pairs sparring on the rooftop as she and Sasha emerge from the stairwell. They don¡¯t pay attention to their arrival, continuing their bouts, Alex recognizes all of them. They¡¯re all older residents, the ones that¡¯ll be sent off to one of the megastructures under the Dragons influence or patrolling along the borders to protect the interests of the gang. She has a begrudging respect for them, they¡¯re clearly stronger than her, and soon they¡¯ll get to prove their worth. She¡¯s downright jealous. As Alex and Sasha take their corner, they start the familiar rhythm before ramping up the intensity. This time Alex sticks to what she¡¯s good at, parrying and dodging, going for the occasional counter when there¡¯s an opportunity. She¡¯s surprisingly calm considering she almost died today, or maybe it''s because she almost died? Anyway, her passivity allows Sasha to enter her own flow state, sending a flurry of strikes with impressive speed and force. Alex gets more hits overall, but Sasha¡¯s strikes are devastating in comparison. Alex can feel her bones creak with every hit. The two girls can¡¯t help but smile. They couldn¡¯t spar properly because of Alex¡¯s brashness and Instructor Korin¡¯s interruption, but now? Now they¡¯re like machines, hacking away at each other with ferocious glee. It¡¯s moments like these that remind Alex why she wants to be a Scar so bad. - Both of them sit, bruised and a little bloodied, staring at the traffic below as they catch their breath. Enjoying one another''s company after the intense sparring, before they muster the energy to head back. ¡°Impressive¡± they both turn to see Hiroshi staring down at them, arms crossed ¡°most of the other¡¯s shy away from pain. Not realizing that the streets will show neither kindness nor compassion.¡± Alex looks into the boy¡¯s hawkish gaze and finds herself shrinking away. Too intense ¡°Thanks¡± Sasha, bless her heart, replies ¡°Where¡¯s Danny?¡± ¡°She¡¯s gone back to her room, too tired to keep going¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve just been watching us? That¡¯s a little creepy Hiroshi¡± He shrugs ¡°Is it odd that I thought to watch my juniors, in the hopes of imparting some wisdom?¡± ¡°Oh, and what might that be?¡± Sasha asks ¡°Perhaps if you¡¯d ask nicely I¡¯d be more willing¡± he replies Sasha rolls her eyes ¡°Please, oh mighty senior, this junior is lacking in the face of your knowledge. If you could only impart just a sliver, so that I may improve upon my swordsmanship¡± He just nods at her clear sarcasm, then he turns to Alex. She does her utmost not to look like a fool. ¡°I¡¯d be grateful, Hiroshi.¡± Good enough He nods again and turns back to Sasha ¡°you are too reckless, your strikes are heavy, that cannot be argued, but too often do you leave yourself exposed in grand swings when you could accomplish similar results with something simpler. We are training the blade, not the club. Aim to cut, not bash.¡± He turns to Alex then ¡°you are too cautious, you rely on your opponent to grant you openings. While that may work against her, a more rounded opponent won¡¯t leave enough opportunities for you to strike. You need to be more active, creating opportunities rather than waiting for them to present one for you.¡± He stands silent for a moment, then nods at both of them before heading back to the stairwell. Only once the door closes does Sasha say something. ¡°You should just ask him out already, it¡¯s his last year and you don¡¯t even have his number¡± Alex stammers, and has the unique experience of becoming a tomato. ¡°I¡¯ll ask when we¡¯re both Scars¡± she says resolutely. ¡°Ambitious¡± ¡°What, you don¡¯t think we can do it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think most of us will live that long¡± Alex turns to her with a look of shock and confusion. Sasha sighs. ¡°C¡¯mon Alex, be realistic. Just because we¡¯ve been trained doesn¡¯t make us bulletproof, the streets are dangerous, especially for fresh blood. We don¡¯t even have family names, despite all the investment we are nothing to them, little flesh bags for the meat grinder. Hell, we almost died today, the only reason we didn¡¯t is cause the borgs felt bad for us. Not any skill on our part, just pity.¡± Alex looks at her friend, really looks. She¡¯s smiling a smile that does not feel happy but¡­resigned. The brown of her eyes look hollow, devoid of their usual mischievous aura. ¡°Why do you train so hard if you think we¡¯ll just die?¡± she asks Sasha shrugs ¡°Because it¡¯s fun, might as well enjoy what I have while I have it. Which is why you should just ask the pompous prick already. Before you can¡¯t anymore¡± Ch.5:Delivery It takes a month before Aki gets them their second Job. Ellie was surprisingly willing to pass it along despite their last performance. ¡°It¡¯s a delivery¡± he says ¡°Got a shard we need to drop off to a small time gang called the Vipers in building Gamma, 21st floor¡± ¡°Vipers? Aren¡¯t they pretty violent?¡± Alex asks. He shakes his head ¡°You¡¯re thinking of the crew holed up in Sigma. This crew has a rep for being rough, considering the other small time gangs on their floor, but they wouldn¡¯t be dumb enough to mess with a dragon, so we should be fine¡± ¡°Should?¡± Sasha asks ¡°Anything can happen. Last time proved as much, better be prepared for the worst just in case¡± ¡°The worst being?¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯ve got about three dozen members¡± ¡°Fantastic¡± Alex says ¡°what''s the pay?¡± ¡°Two-hundred¡± ¡°Each?¡± ¡°Total¡± He gets a few grumbles and muttered curses at that before he raises a hand. ¡°This isn¡¯t nearly as risky as the last job, and from what Ellie¡¯s told me the pay should have been significantly higher. Two-hundreds the best I could do for this job. Besides, it¡¯s more about recognition than it is creds¡± ¡°More creds is always a plus though¡± Alex says He sighs ¡°it is, but for now we¡¯ll have to make due¡± - It¡¯s pretty easy to find seats on the skyrail to Gamma, turns out a shotgun is a decent motivator for politeness. Go figure. The Ramus is painted black now, with a chinese dragon coiled around the chunky piece of ballistic majesty, its tail starts at the stock and keeps going until its gaping maw reaches the barrel. ¡°Who¡¯d you get to style the gun? It¡¯s pretty preem¡± she asks Aki seems taken aback by that. He stares at the ground for a bit before clearing his throat. ¡°I did¡± ¡°Bullshit¡± Sasha intercedes ¡°What? Unlike you two I¡¯ve got actual hobbies, is that so hard to believe?¡± Alex muses at that ¡°No¡± she says ¡°Just wouldn¡¯t have expected you to be into art is all.¡± ¡°What¡¯d you expect then?¡± ¡°Honestly? Netrunning.¡± He gives her a look ¡°am I really that boring?¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, you can¡¯t tell us that you haven¡¯t at least tried it¡± Sasha says ¡°I¡¯ve dabbled¡± ¡°Ha! Knew it¡± He groans at the satisfied smirks both the girls give him. ¡°I¡¯m not any good at it, just know a few of the basic languages. Besides, I can''t test anything I make without the proper cybernetics or equipment.¡± Alex shrugs ¡°that¡¯s better than either of us. I can¡¯t wrap my head around any of the of that crap¡± ¡°Oh, It¡¯s not so bad, you can borrow my primer if you want.¡± They both stare at him after that statement. ¡°What?¡± Sasha snorts ¡°¡®dabbled¡¯, sure.¡± - Mega buildings are, generally, big as fuck. Gamma is no exception. Its form is a triangle of obsidian black metal, each floor its own microcosm of civilization, and to even hold the moniker of ¡®mega¡¯ it has to have well over five hundred floors. Alex doesn¡¯t know how they can manage suck heights without the whole thing toppling over, but she¡¯s not a physicist, or engineer, so she¡¯ll just defer to their experts and trust in its structural integrity. Although the government¡¯s mostly incompetent, when it comes to Mega structures they¡¯ve only had a few incidents. Her gaze lingers on the tower until a shred of yellow enters her peripheral vision. There on a bench not far, sits a man eating shawarma, his face is canvas of tattoos and piercings, around his neck are three chains, the largest of which reaches down to his stomach, he has the bench to himself, as well as a good few meters as people veer away from him. He¡¯s wearing mostly black, with just a hints of yellow on the trim of his jacket. She nudges Aki with her shoulder and gestures at the man with her head. ¡°Segador¡± he hisses under his breath Sasha whips her head at them before following their gaze and mutters a curse. By this point the mans taken notice of the three kids gawking at him, and jovially he waves them over. They exchange hesitant looks before walking over. ¡°Buenas noches, friends!¡± he exclaims ¡°to what do I owe the pleasure?¡± Aki cocks an eyebrow, keeping a mask of calm plastered to his face ¡°this is our turf, not unusual for us to be here¡± ¡°Ah ah ah¡± says the man ¡°This here is the Dragons turf, your just the little lizards he tolerates to keep some semblance of order¡± They just nod at that, not willing to argue the point and risk angering the man, which seems to amuse him, if the smile on his face is anything to go by. He takes a bite out of his shawarma, chews for a bit, then swallows.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Never seen one of my kind, have you?¡± they nod ¡°fair, we don¡¯t tend to leave The House¡± ¡°Why did you?¡± Sasha asks before hastily adding ¡°if you don¡¯t mind me asking¡± The man waggles his shawarma, ¡°why else but for this culinary delight? I know, I know. It¡¯s off brand, but to deny my taste buds for the sake of fitting into a stereotype would be simply criminal!¡± None of them comment that all of those present are, in fact, criminals. He takes another bite, seeming to savor their fear alongside his meal. This time he chews with a laziness that must be purposeful, he hasn¡¯t dismissed them yet so they stay standing, waiting. Finally, he swallows and continues speaking. ¡°So, what brings you here?¡± he asks ¡°that kind of firepower isn¡¯t lugged around lightly after all¡± he tilts his chin to the Ramus in Aki¡¯s hands. ¡°We¡¯re on a job¡± Aki responds ¡°What kind of job?¡± ¡°Delivery¡± He groans ¡°I don¡¯t envy you. Still remember when I was on the bottom of the ladder and had to hustle from one odd job to the next. It was the fucking worst. Now they just call on me to kill people, much more satisfying¡± They don¡¯t know how to respond to that, so again, they just nod. ¡°Well, don¡¯t let me keep you, good luck kiddo¡¯s! Try not to get shot¡± With that sage advice the three of them quickly shuffle off into the crowd, heading towards the megabuilding. Aki pulls out his phone as soon as they''re out of sight and calls who she assumes is Ellie. ¡°Aren¡¯t we deep in dragon territory?¡± Sasha whispers ¡°Is this some kind of power play? No way he came all the way here just for a donair¡± ¡°Shawarma¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He was eating shawarma, not a donair¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t those basically the same thing?¡± Alex only responds with a glare. - The 21st floor is a place of constant war, they can already hear the sounds of fighting and the moans of the wounded in the distance as the elevator presents them with what can only be described as a slum. There¡¯s a simple reason for the current state of affairs, too many gangs, too little space, which is impressive considering the size of this place. The dragons'' interests here lies only in how much drugs they can squeeze out of the gangs, in exchange they get the weapons and creds to fund the constant violence. To get to the Vipers they have to cross through the territory of about a dozen other gangs, Alex doesn¡¯t remember their names, some mammals, some reptiles, this whole floor is obsessed with naming themselves after an animal. Ironic considering the name of her own gang, but at least they¡¯re something cool instead of a viper, or a God forsaken boar. ¡°You know what¡¯s on the shard?¡± Alex asks. ¡°Something about changing the prices, apparently our venomous friends haven¡¯t been the most reliable with their deliveries. The gang wants them to know that they aren¡¯t¡­thrilled with the delays¡± ¡°Oh, they won¡¯t like that¡± Sasha giggles Aki shrugs ¡°probably not, but if they get antsy we can just shoot them. Guns are rare here, and used more for intimidation rather than actual violence, and they definitely don¡¯t have any sort of cybernetic protection.You two could probably take a few with just your katanas¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t Ellie be pissed if we just offed them?¡± Alex asks. ¡°Nah, we¡¯re basically going to spit in their faces, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if we have to kill one or two. Ellie¡¯s even given me her blessing to wipe out the whole gang if it comes to that.¡± ¡°Damn, they''re that weak?¡± ¡°According to Ellie, most gangs holed up in the megastructures are¡± ¡°Why not join one of the big ones then?¡± Sasha asks ¡°they¡¯re basically tied to the dragons already, wouldn¡¯t be that much of a change to integrate¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me, my understanding of gang politics is shaky at best¡± - If the map on Aki¡¯s phone didn¡¯t tell them they¡¯d entered Viper territory, they¡¯d be none the wiser. They aren¡¯t familiar enough with the aesthetic to differentiate between territories. Everything is stores and houses stacked atop one another, almost reaching the artificial lights at the floors roof, there are bridges and walkways at every level to allow for easier travel, ladders are soldered onto specific stacks to allow for vertical traversal without intruding on someone''s home. It¡¯s a little crowded, with people returning from work from one of the other floors, but most know not to get in the way of an armed crew of dragons. A few do, but it doesn¡¯t take much encouragement to get them moving. There was even one idiot with a bat who tried to intimidate them, that was kind of funny, especially when Sasha shot him in the leg. The Vipers have a grand total of four stacks to their name. I know, impressive. They approach what they think is their main stack, judging by the two guards stationed there with tattoos that are, well, certainly tattoos. The two failed art projects notice their approach, then they notice the guns and one of them says something to the other before darting inside the stack. ¡°What¡¯s that about?¡± Aki asks ¡°He¡¯s just getting the boss, sir¡± says the remaining grunt Sasha giggles at that ¡°hear that Aki, you¡¯re a sir now¡± ¡°You need to let me borrow that shotgun sometime, maybe people will start calling me ¡®madam¡¯¡± Alex adds ¡°Next time¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that¡± A man with blue hair and black eyes emerges from the doorway, he¡¯s quite tall, needing to duck under the doorframe and easily standing at seven feet once straightened out. He¡¯s not wearing a shirt, showcasing an impressive amount of muscle. There''s a slight stubble on his chin, which Alex muses he¡¯ll have to shave soon, since the brown clashes quite dramatically with the blue. ¡°The Dragons send you?¡± He rubbles, his voice is deep, and he¡¯s clearly not intimidated by the sight of their guns. Probably used to dealing with shows of force. She can respect that. ¡°Yeah¡± Aki says ¡°got a shard for you, some terms need updating¡± He scowls but nods ¡°Zackery¡± he says before ushering them in. The room is surprisingly nice all things considered, there¡¯s a table with a couch on either side, under all that is a brown carpet of synthetic furs, there¡¯s even a few pictures hanging. He gestures for them to sit on one side as he settles on the other. ¡°Johnny, get me my tablet¡± he says, and the man who rushed inside originally leaves to grab the aforementioned tablet with haste. ¡°Is he usually so skittish?¡± Alex asks ¡°Only when guns are involved¡± Zackery replies ¡°Good survival instincts¡± Sasha nods Zackery just chuckles at that, a bit of amusement reaching his eyes before he schools himself back to passive neutrality. ¡°So what''s the score? You on punishment duty or something?¡± he asks ¡°Something like that¡± Aki replies, clearly not wanting to show how green they all are to this. He sighs ¡°what a world we live in, to send a bunch of kids to a shithole like this¡± ¡°We can take care of ourselves¡± Aki says, which gets waved away lazily by Zackery. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can, could probably end a few of the gangs here with the heat your packing. Speaking off, was that shot earlier one of you?¡± ¡°That would be me¡± Sasha declares proudly pointing a thump to her chest ¡°Did you kill ¡®em?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± He nods, ¡°good, killings not how we settle things on the floor, some dragons don¡¯t get that and leave a mess over petty shit¡± ¡°Is that common?¡± Alex asks ¡°Common enough¡± - ¡°These terms¡¯ll end us¡± Zackery says with a scowl as he scrolls through his tablet. He¡¯d been quiet since slotting in the shard, his face mirroring his slowly growing displeasure. ¡°We can¡¯t agree to this.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a negotiation¡± Aki replies, crossing his arms ¡°we¡¯re just here to tell you how it¡¯s going to go from now on, you¡¯re free to complain, just don¡¯t expect it to get you anything¡± He lets out a growl, one aggressive enough that they instinctively reach for their guns, but he deflates instead. ¡°I¡¯ve got people to feed¡± pleads the giant built like a brick house ¡°I can¡¯t do that with these prices¡± ¡°That¡¯s not our problem¡± His face hardens ¡°no, it wouldn¡¯t be¡± his voice is void of any warmth as he points to the door ¡°get out¡± Ch.6:Just A Feeling Alex feels wrong. She¡¯s felt wrong since they stepped foot into the 21st floor, and it''s been getting progressively worse since. It¡¯s not a headache, its something deeper than that, like a whisper that keeps getting louder and yet somehow still identifies as a whisper. It¡¯s infuriating, it¡¯s agonizing. ¡°I kind of feel bad for them¡± Sasha says ¡°If they¡¯re low on deliveries then they¡¯re already making less than they should, there¡¯s no reason to punish them further, kinda feels like the gangs trying to get them dissolved¡± It¡¯s a drum, beating to the tune of a madman. It¡¯s a piece of her that¡¯s pushed and pulled until it¡¯s ragged and raw. It¡¯s a mountain the size of a hill, shaking to the steps of giants. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what they¡¯re trying to do¡± Aki replies ¡°Once they¡¯re out of the picture, their greenhouses can be used by a different gang, one that meets the quotas;And if they survive the shitstorm that¡¯s coming they¡¯ll know not to fall behind¡± There¡¯s so much out there it whispers all you have to do is listen ¡°Thought you weren¡¯t into gang politics¡± She tries to listen, she tries so hard. But it''s all just gibberish, just words with no cohesion or purpose, like a glitch in reality. Is she getting hacked? That can¡¯t be, she¡¯s got nothing to hack. ¡°If even you can sus out what''s going on then It doesn¡¯t excatly need scholar to understand¡± Then it crystallizes, all of it gathered to one point, to one purpose. Direction ¡°Hey! I¡¯m plenty smart, thank you very much¡± Her body follows the compass seared into her mind like a compulsion. ¡°You¡¯ve failed almost every-¡± He cuts himself off ¡°Alex? Alex! Where are you going!¡± She doesn¡¯t hear them, she¡¯s too focused on the direction. Right, Left, straight for a few blocks- A hand grabs onto her shoulder, trying to stop her, she grips their wrist, wraps her other arm around them, like a hug, then she throws them into the ground. She keeps moving. Eventually, after about a minute of walking, she reaches her destination, staring down at a child sleeping in an alley. They¡¯re a gaunt thing, she can see their bones struggling against the confines of skin. Their breath is shallow, little rasps, quick like a machine gun. The shorts and shirt they wear are dirty in the way that only time can cause. There¡¯s a few bruises on what¡¯s visible of their skin, and presumably of what''s covered as well. ¡°Alex what the fuck¡± Suddenly their words register, and Alex realizes that she¡¯s not in a trance anymore, but she doesn¡¯t respond. Instead she kneels down and shakes the child awake, it takes a few seconds, and they yawn a yawn that would be adorable in almost any other setting. They blink their eyes open and realize that they''re not alone. Then they see the weapons. Slowly, avoiding any sudden movements, they rise into a sitting position and look Alex in the eye with poorly concealed fear. ¡°Can you tell me your name?¡± Their face is stricken with panic, and she can see sweat begin to form, before they shake their head. ¡°Won¡¯t or can¡¯t¡± They hesitate, then they raise a hand with two fingers. ¡°When was the last time you ate?¡± Their hand unfurls two more fingers ¡°Would you like some food?¡± They look at her like she¡¯s grown two heads, and slowly they nod. ¡°I have food at home, and a few extra beds if you¡¯d be willing to come with us¡± They scowl at her, before glancing again at her weapons, schooling their features, they nod. ¡°Great. c¡¯mon, I¡¯ll carry you¡± At the mouth of the alley Akihiro and Sasha stand stunned at the scene before them. Sasha turns to Aki. ¡°I¡¯m so confused¡± - ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make sense¡± Sasha repeats exasperated. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you, it was like some sort of sixth sense was guiding me¡± Alex says ¡°You¡¯re ¡®sixth sense¡¯ almost broke my back¡± Aki grumbles ¡°Sorry¡± she replied sheepishly ¡°I was kind of in a trance¡± ¡°We noticed,¡± he said flatly, ¡°Is this going to be a problem? What if we were in a fight or something, you would¡¯ve been a liability¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll happen if i¡¯m in danger¡± ¡°But how do you know¡± Sasha emphasises ¡°I just do¡± which was obviously the wrong thing to say as Sasha sort of screams through her teeth, making a noise kind of like those trains from the old movies. The kid, at this point, is just as confused as her friends, all the apprehension from before nowhere to be found. Hearing that you¡¯re would be saviour got the equivalent of a prophecy to find you is not something their little head can wrap around. They¡¯re being carried piggyback style, with the sheath of Alex¡¯s katana being used as a makeshift seat. They¡¯re too light to really hinder Alex¡¯s stride, which is concerning, but they can start on fixing that once they get back to Lost Hope. ¡°Ok, putting aside revelations from what I can only assume is a divine entity, which is a sentence I never thought I''d have to say, how do you plan on convincing Clarice to take the kid in? She¡¯s not exactly running a charity.¡± Aki points out. ¡°I¡¯ll manage, besides, Lost Hope is technically an orphanage¡± ¡°An orphanage that expects results Alex, and no offence, but that kid looks like they¡¯d keel over from a stiff breeze¡± ¡°Maybe there is a God, should I start praying?¡± Sasha mumbles ¡°We can help them get up to speed¡± ¡°Define ¡®we¡¯¡± ¡°Oh please Aki, your not that cold hearted¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Maybe a fast? No, I like food too much, I should buy a bible though.¡± Sasha continues ¡°I think you broke her¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s kinda funny¡± ¡°But what if it''s a different God, what if a bible offends them? Alex! Which God mindfucked you?¡± ¡°Did you have to phrase it like that?¡± ¡°Just tell me¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it was a god¡± ¡°How do you-you know what, nevermind, I¡¯ll figure it out on my own¡± ¡°Hey guys, isn¡¯t it a bit too quiet?¡± Aki says. The two girls look at him, before turning their ears to their surroundings. Nothing, not even the shuffling of feet. Sasha draws her weapons, while Aki turns off the safety to his shotgun. Slowly, Alex puts the kid down, nudging them to the middle of the triangle they¡¯ve formed, before she pulls out her pistol and unsheaths her katana. Nothing greets them. They move forward slowly. The kid seems to have picked up on the tension, shaking a little with fear. It doesn¡¯t take them long, perhaps a few meters, before a little over a dozen people emerge from the alleys to surround them with bats and tire irons in hand. The one in front is carrying a pistol. ¡°This is a bad idea chink¡± Aki says, leveling his shotgun ¡°turn around, we don¡¯t need to do this¡± ¡°Yes, we do¡± says the man with the gun ¡°that pink haired bitch shot my brother¡± ¡°He¡¯s still alive ain¡¯t he?¡± Aki reasons ¡°just gotta limp for a little while, besides, he started shit with us, letting him live was a mercy¡± ¡°You dragons think pretty highly of yourselves don¡¯t ya?¡± he starts ¡°think you can just walk in on our turf and do as you please.Think that you¡¯re above consequence. No, you brats need to learn a lesson, and I¡¯ll gladly educate you¡± ¡°No chance this can end peacefully?¡± Aki asks ¡°No¡± and those are his last words as cranium, brain matter, and blood fly through the air and onto the henchmen behind him. There¡¯s screaming, yells, and probably exclamations of shock, but Alex can¡¯t hear any of it. Her ears are ringing too hard to let anything else in. Shotguns are loud. A few of them run, a surprising amount charge. Three of them go after her. She shoots one of them in the collarbone, and another in the stomach, before a tire iron comes swinging, forcing her to duck and dodge. She swipes at him with her sword, drawing a line of blood from pelvis to shoulder. She hears another shot from the Ramus. She prepares another strike, but something spiked digs into her ribs, blood flows freely as she falls. A bat with nails It¡¯s the one she shot in the stomach. She shoots her in the head. She has to roll out of the way as the tire iron comes swinging down at her. Adjusting herself to a kneel, she springs forward, Katana first at the man. She runs him through. He looks at her, eyes wide, as he chokes out some blood. He tries to swing at her, but it is a weak thing with all the strength of a dying man, she doesn¡¯t even bother to dodge. She lets him fall off her blade as she scans for the last one, and fails to find them. Must¡¯ve ran away She turns back to her friends, There''s a dead body by Sasha, and she has her gun pressed to the forehead of a crying man on his knees, screaming expletives and other random nonsense at him. The kid¡¯s fine, just frozen still, and probably traumatized. We¡¯ll have to work on that. Aki is wrestling with a man trying to take his shotgun. Alex steps forward and cuts deep into the man''s neck, letting blood spray on both her and Aki as the man goes limp on top of her friend. Aki can get him off. He doesn¡¯t try all that hard during gym, but he doesn¡¯t slack either. Alex walks over to the corpse of their former leader and picks up his gun, she takes a moment to stare at the corpse, the jaw¡¯s still attached, so is the tongue. Everything above that is gone. She examines the gun, and can¡¯t help the laugh that bubbles out of her. That gets Sasha¡¯s attention as she whips her head towards her, the crying man takes his chance and bolts away. ¡°What''s so funny?¡± she asks ¡°This mother fucker¡­¡± Alex mumbles ¡°THIS.STUPID.MOTHER.FUCKER¡± She punctuates each word by shooting the corpse with its own gun, it jams at ¡®mother¡¯. ¡°Alex¡± Aki tries ¡°A tinker pistol¡± she ignores him ¡°can you believe that shit? Dumb fuck tried to threaten us with a fucking homemade piece of shit gun¡± ¡°Alex¡± Aki tries again ¡°WHAT!¡± She yells ¡°You¡¯re bleeding¡± he says She blinks at that, then looks down at her chest. ¡°Oh¡± she says ¡°so I am¡± - Most of the elevator ride down is spent in silence. They also got the whole thing to themselves, apparently the sight of them, covered in blood and weapons drawn, works as a fairly functional detergent. Huh. Their katanas are still drawn, why is that? She looks down. Right, the blood, don¡¯t want that in the scabbard. How is she supposed to clean the blood anyway, does she just rub it off with a towel? Should she be bringing a towel with her whenever she goes out on jobs? That would be inconvenient. She turns to look at the others, Aki¡¯s on his phone, while Sasha¡¯s just staring at her sword. Maybe she¡¯s facing the same dilemma. ¡°Hey Sasha¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°You know how to clean this?¡± She wiggles her Katana, causing a few drops of blood to splatter around the elevator. ¡°Mmmh, maybe just swing it real fast?¡± ¡°Like in the movies?¡± ¡°Mhm¡± It works surprisingly well, she has to swing a few times though, and each time causes the kid to flinch. They¡¯ve been clinging to her ever since the fight, they didn¡¯t want her to carry them considering all the blood, which is fair. She wouldn¡¯t want to get bloody either. That ships already sailed though. ¡°Fuck¡± Aki says suddenly ¡°What?¡± Alex asks, sheathing her blade ¡°Those bullets cost more than our pay, and because it was just some random dumbfucks, the gang probably won¡¯t curb the cost¡± ¡°Ah¡± Sasha says ¡°yeah, that sucks¡± - Walking through Clarice¡¯s door is surprisingly easy, whenever she walks through the doors to her office it¡¯s like preparing for battle. Now it¡¯s just walking. Clarice stops her typing and turns to be greeted by a child covered in blood and another child clinging on to them. She tilts her head. ¡°That¡¯s not your blood¡± she states Alex blinks, ¡°no, I¡¯d hope it isn¡¯t. Well a little bit of it is¡± ¡°And that¡± She points to the kid ¡°Isn¡¯t one of ours¡± ¡°I was hoping we could take them in¡± Clarice goes silent, considering. ¡°Tell me what happened¡± ¡°Well, I kinda just found them-¡± ¡°Not that¡± she interrupts ¡°the blood¡± ¡°Oh¡± ¡°Well?¡± ¡°We got cornered by about a dozen small time gangers, I fought off three¡± ¡°You killed them¡± ¡°Killed two, third one ran.¡± Clarice stares at her for a moment. ¡°You regret it¡± Alex scoffs ¡°I don¡¯t regret shit, they came at us¡± ¡°But you do, you regret being put in that position in the first place¡± Alex goes to say something, before holding her tongue, not a point worth arguing. Clarice opens a cupboard and pulls out a small container of pills, handing them over to Alex. ¡°Doxylamine, helps with sleep, give some to your friends as well.¡± Alex is a little baffled at that, today¡¯s just full of surprises ¡°thanks¡± she says ¡°what about the kid?¡± Clarice waves her off, ¡°We have plenty of room, now come, sit. You said some of the blood was yours?¡± Ch.7:My Car Now Bitchboy Turns out showing up home bloodied as they were has consequences, the kind where your peers pester you with questions and pretend to care. Most people keep to their little groups in Lost Hope, it¡¯s encouraged even, the few friends you make here are expected to join you in proper gang life, everyone else is just a waste of breath. Sure, her groups a little small, but they¡¯re competent. Bastion incident notwithstanding. All the people showing interest now are just leeches. She has no desire to entertain leeches. So she does what she always does when she¡¯s annoyed and needs a distraction. She gets into a fight. Crossroads is called that because it¡¯s where most of the gangs young (those who aren¡¯t valued anyway) are raised, making it the perfect place to find an ass to beat. The House, the Wolves, and even the Bastion own buildings here to house and train the next generation. Only Solomon''s Kingdom is missing from the equation, but those fucks are weird, so it¡¯s probably better this way. It¡¯s kind of become neutral territory, none want to antagonize one of the others by being seen killing a bunch of brats. Outside the crossroads is fair game though, it¡¯s the optics of the thing, not the morals. Which does give credence to Sasha¡¯s point, now that she thinks about it. The borgs had no reason to let them go. A fist to the face breaks her out of her contemplation. Right, need to focus. She dodges the next punch and drives her head into his stomach, wrapping her arms around his legs and taking him to the ground. What follows is an exercise in futility(for him) as she engages in the good old ground and pound. He really needs to learn how to defend against grapples, it gets him every time. Her fun is interrupted by a kick to the face. What¡¯s with people going for her face? She rolls and springs up just in time to tuck her chin and block a hook with her arm, again, going for the face. These people need some fucking variety. She demonstrates this by kicking the girls knee, causing her to stumble, and only then, once she¡¯s unbalanced, does she drive a knee into the girls face. Blood spurts from her nose like a fountain as she splays out onto the ground. Kinda funny. No time to contemplate that though, the other ones on his feet and charging at her. He tries to go for a combo, two jabs followed by a cross, she blocks the jabs and dodges the cross, weaving into his guard before crashing her forehead into his face. She follows that with a heavy punch to his sternum, knocking his breath away before tackling him to the ground, and after a bit of a struggle, she has him in a choke-hold. He taps out. She lets go and rolls him off her before sitting up. The alley has a few other fights going on but she¡¯s taken out two so she¡¯s done her part. ¡°Damn chika, what¡¯s got you so angry?¡± says the boy ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®chika¡¯ me Vicktor, you¡¯re not even spanish¡± ¡°And you¡¯re not japanese, but you don¡¯t see me complaining¡± She grumbles at him. ¡°C¡¯mon, don¡¯t be like that, we¡¯re pals right? Putting aside the mandatory beatdowns of course¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a beatdown for you, you¡¯ve fallen off lately¡± ¡°Nah, you¡¯ve just gotten stronger. Besides, most real fights involve guns¡± She flinches at that, which earns her a raised eyebrow. ¡°Okay, seriously, what¡¯s got you in a twist? I¡¯m not used to seeing you so jumpy and it¡¯s a bit scary¡± She takes a moment, looks Vicktor in the eye. They¡¯re friends, sure, but they''re also part of rival gangs. Showing weakness would be stupid. ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡± she waves him off He shrugs ¡°suit yourself, just promise me you¡¯ll talk to someone hmm? Maybe that crazy pink haired bitch¡± She scoffs ¡°why do you care?¡± ¡°Just because we¡¯re officially enemies doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t care, speaking of¡± He riffles through his pockets, a few chains jingling at the disturbance, until he grabs something and holds it out to her. ¡°Happy almost birthday!¡± It¡¯s a bracelet, fashioned like a snake coiling in on itself. She can see a little clip where the mouth is biting the tail. She grabs it slowly before examining it. The scales are actually carved, green things with little divots separating them from one another. Its iris is thin, like it¡¯s focusing on prey. But it¡¯s the texture what surprises her the most. It¡¯s metal, and it¡¯s soft. RS-6, radion steel fibre. ¡°I can¡¯t accept this¡± She says trying to hand it back to him ¡°this must¡¯ve cost you a fortune¡± He laughs, pushing her hand away ¡°sorry, no refunds, either you take it or someone else does. Can¡¯t be walking around the little house wearing dragon iconography.¡± She doesn¡¯t know what to say to that so all she asks is ¡°why?¡± He looks off at the others for a bit, most of the fights have ended by now, a few still stubbornly persist. ¡°I like you¡± he answers ¡°As more than just a friend, I know it wouldn¡¯t work out, but I just wanted you to know, you know?¡± ¡°No I don¡¯t ¡®know¡¯¡± she replies ¡°why now of all times? And why me at all? All we do is beat the shit out of each other.¡± He shrugs ¡°Maybe I¡¯m into that¡± to which she scowls. ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Not really, well, maybe a little bit.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I¡¯m gonna shelve that for later, but you still haven¡¯t told me why now?¡± There¡¯s silence between them for a long moment, before Vicktor takes a deep breath and starts speaking. ¡°The House is mobilizing¡± he says ¡°The Kingdom and the Bastion have been proding, selling on our turf, stealing a few cars, threatening local businesses, even jumped some of ours. We need to respond, or else it makes us look weak.¡± That revelation¡­she doesn¡¯t know what to do with it. The obvious part is left unsaid, Vicktor is old enough to contribute to a war. Maybe not on the front lines, but to be a part of a war is to risk yourself. He doesn¡¯t even have any chrome, he¡¯d be like a naked babe tossed to the wolves. They probably already called on him. Fuck. ¡°Fuck¡± she vocalizes. He gives her a sad smile ¡°It is what it is¡± he says. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t die¡± she says ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose my favorite punching bag¡± ¡°Oh? I thought Li Chen took that spot¡± She shrugs ¡°She¡¯s good if I want a challenge¡± ¡°Ouch¡± They sit in silence for a few moments, just¡­enjoying one another''s company. She doesn¡¯t know what to do about his confession, but it feels like the wrong time to address that. Eventually, the girl she knocked out begins to stir awake. ¡°You bitch!¡± she screams, voice nasally ¡°you broke my nose!¡± - Alex and Aki have taken to learning sign language. The kids a mute, and can¡¯t write, so Clarice has taken it upon herself to educate them. She was a little shocked to hear that Clarice knows sign language, but she guesses she¡¯d dealt with mutes before. Clarice doesn¡¯t seem to mind them joining, even encouraging it at points. Apparently their presence is a suitable motivator for the kid, and yes, we¡¯re still calling them kid. Since they have no way to communicate beyond nods, head shakes, and holding up fingers (Which is how they found out he¡¯s seven, and a boy), they haven¡¯t been able to get their name. They did find out they don¡¯t have parents though, or any sort of guardian. Clarice was not pleased to find out they didn¡¯t ask before essentially abducting them. So, learning sign language. Until they can get him an artificial voice box, which is not cheap by any standards, the little mute has to learn how to communicate the old fashioned way. {Hello} she signs {Hello} he signs back {How you?} she asks {Good} he replies And he is, it¡¯s been a few weeks since they picked him up, but he¡¯s already packed on some fat. He no longer looks like a skeleton, just anorexic. Clarice has been feeding him slowly, stating that his body needs to adjust before they can start feeding him proper portions. He isn¡¯t even expected to attend any of the classes, instead just spending all his time learning from Clarice. ¡°You know¡± Alex starts ¡°you¡¯re being surprisingly gentle with him¡± Clarice spares her a glance before continuing her typing tirade. She¡¯s never really noticed before, most of her interactions with the woman being to patch her back together. But she looks tired. Not in the way of missing a night''s rest, but in the way someone gets with prolonged exposure to constant work and stress. The bags under her eyes are heavy, and she sits with a slouch, occasionally correcting her posture when she has the presence of mind to do so. ¡°What are you doing anyway?¡± Alex asks ¡°No way Lost Hope has that much paperwork¡± Aki elbows her in the ribs. Clarice stops her typing but keeps staring at the screen. ¡°Nothing is free,¡± she says simply before returning to her work. ¡°What does that even mean?¡± Alex mumbles - Alex and Sasha are staging an intervention. As Aki turns the corner into the common area of their floor, he¡¯s greeted with the sight of two girls waiting with bokkens in hand. Three to be specific. ¡°No¡± Aki says simply ¡°We aren¡¯t asking¡± Alex replies ¡°You can¡¯t make me¡± ¡°Actually, we can¡± Sasha says ¡°rules of the jungle. Strong ruling the weak and all that¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the jungle¡± ¡°How many bullets you got left with the Ramus?¡± Alex asks He looks at her skeptically ¡°four, why?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been slacking on your kendo¡± Sasha states ¡°Even Korins given up on you¡± Alex adds ¡°You¡¯ve put too much trust in firepower, rather than skill¡± Sasha continues ¡°What happens when you use up those four bullets? You gonna hide behind us and pray?¡± Alex concludes There¡¯s silence in the common room, Aki waiting for their speech to continue, and a few people have even poked their heads out to watch. ¡°How many times did you two rehearse that?¡± He asks ¡°Roof.Now.¡± - ¡°I ain¡¯t giving you shit chink!¡± Says the very dumb boy. ¡°C¡¯mon man, it¡¯s basic math. We¡¯ve got the guns, you don¡¯t, either you give us the keys or we just shoot you¡± Aki sighs The boy pales at that, but stays surprisingly resolute. ¡°My baba¡¯s the Reaver chink, he won¡¯t let this slide¡± Aki straight up laughs in his face, and Sasha and Alex can¡¯t help the giggles that come out of their mouths. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good, real good. I almost want to let you go for the audacity.¡± Then he presses his pistol to the boy''s temple ¡°but no, I¡¯m not that nice. I¡¯ll ask one more more time, keys¡± The boy glares, but does as he¡¯s told, albeit reluctantly. Aki gingerly snatches the keys from his outstretched hand and heads off to the car. Alex points at her eyes, then at the boys, just because she can and it¡¯s cool, before following Aki to their newly acquired Diames. It¡¯s beautiful, slick and shining. Its engine is most of the car, with the driver¡¯s seat at the very back. Impractical sure, but that leaves plenty of space for horsepower, and she can practically feel the rumbling of its engine as Aki turns on the beast. Hmmm, wording. It¡¯s a two seater, so she and Sasha are going to have to share, but the chance to ride one of these monsters more than makes up for it. As they peel out of the parkade they can see the boy on his phone. ¡°Hey Aki, were you really planning to kill him?¡± Sasha asks ¡°Nah. Rough him up? Sure.¡± ¡°Softie¡± Alex teases He rolls his eyes ¡°oh please, I saw how you tensed up when I got my gun up in his face¡± ¡°Did not!¡± ¡°Oh, you totally did¡± Sasha nods ¡°No way you both were watching me while we shaked that kid down¡± ¡°What can I say, you''re adorable when you¡¯re trying to be hard. I mean the whole ¡®I¡¯m watching you¡¯ shit was just priceless¡± Sasha cackles ¡°Wait, she did that? Holy shit Alex, that¡¯s hilarious¡± ¡°It was cool¡­¡± Alex mumbles ¡°It was corny is what it was¡± - ¡°Four thousand creds¡± Sasha was sitting on a bench, eyes glazed over. ¡°They probably scammed us too, coulda prolly squeezed out another two thousand if we had a decent rep¡± Aki says next to her. ¡°We should steal cars more often¡± Alex says Aki shakes his head ¡°Once was enough. The only cars worth nabbing belong to corpo¡¯s, and they usually have protection. This one was just stupid¡± Sasha snorts, ¡°tell me about it ¡®my baba¡¯s the Reaver¡¯ what a joke¡± They all share a chuckle at that. ¡°So what do you plan on using your portions for?¡± Aki asks ¡°Guns¡± they both answer instantly ¡°And maybe a thermal katana, depends on how much I have left over¡± Alex adds ¡°Bit of a waste,your options aren''t exactly stellar with thirteen hundred creds¡± Aki says ¡°It¡¯s the principal of the thing¡± ¡°I¡¯m with Aki, you should wait till you can afford one that¡¯s worth it¡± Sasha adds Aki¡¯s phone gets a notification ¡°How much you wanna bet that it¡¯s Ellie?¡± Alex whispers ¡°I¡¯m not taking that bet, she¡¯s like, the only contact on his phone¡± Sasha whispers back ¡°I can hear you¡± Aki says as he goes through his phone, his face getting progressively darker the more he reads. Sasha and Alex share worried glances. ¡°We need to go¡± Aki says, pocketing his phone ¡°Now¡± Ch.8:Burn It Down The Crimson Dragons occupy what¡¯s commonly known as the ¡®upper districts¡¯. Ironic, considering it¡¯s in southwest Arthas, but the name is more to signify wealth than it is about geography. This is where the gang sells their drugs and pimps their whores. The latter being the reason for their urgent summons. A corpo killed one of their hookers. ¡°We need to send a message¡± Ellie says to the room full of dragons ¡°We can¡¯t get the bastard himself, he and his family are holed up in Omega.¡± She paces as she speaks, chrome hands clasped behind her back, artificial eyes scanning the gathered gangers. ¡°But he¡¯s got a little mansion in Radion heights, nice and cozy in our territory¡± A small smile forms on the woman¡¯s face, It¡¯s a joy from the promise of blood rather than anything kind. ¡°We¡¯re going to burn it down.¡± - ¡®Burn it down¡¯ is easier said than done, Radion Heights is one of the few places the cops give a shit about, and the corpo they¡¯re targeting left plenty of guards to stop any attempts at vandalism. How convenient. Stealth isn¡¯t really an option, she¡¯s sure a few Scars could do it, but this isn¡¯t a Scar level problem. Instead they go for overwhelming, unstoppable force. Over a hundred dragons surround the fencing of the mansion, any pretense of peace destroyed by the myriad of weapons on display. There are police on the periphery, they do not approach the mass of gangers. They do have someone on a loudspeaker though. ¡°Attention citizens, disperse and return to your homes. Failure to comply will be met with force¡± A ganger beside her snorts and in the distance she hears someone yell ¡°FUCK YOU¡±, most of the gangers don¡¯t seem fazed by the government agents. Meanwhile, she¡¯s a bundle of raw nerves. She¡¯s probably going to kill again, and this time she¡¯s the one looking for trouble. Isn¡¯t this what she wanted? Prove herself to the gang, rise up to be a Scar. Killings an afterthought to Scars. Someone nudges her on the shoulder. She turns to find an older ganger sizing her up, and by older she means ancient. His hair is white and what isn¡¯t cybernetic is leathery and wrinkled. ¡°First time?¡± He asks ¡°To killing?¡± He chuckles at that and shakes his head ¡°At a raid girl¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Yeah it is¡± he just nods at that ¡°It shows¡± she scowls at the man, who holds up a hand to placate her. ¡°Nothing wrong with the jitters girl, well, unless it causes you to do something stupid, but that¡¯s beside the point.¡± His gaze falls on the cops, who are still shouting demands through the loudspeaker ¡°They won¡¯t actually do anything, didn¡¯t bring the equipment, or the personnel. All talk and no substance¡± She looks over at the police. He¡¯s not wrong, they don¡¯t even have vests, just a bunch of beat cops with their pistols and fancy ties. ¡°Why even show up then?¡± ¡°To show the corps they care¡± he shrugs ¡°no matter how superficial¡± - The signal to start is quite bombastic. Turns out Ellie¡¯s got a literal hand cannon, from which she fires a rocket into the mansion¡¯s front door. Alex¡¯s a little stunned by the sight, all she¡¯d said was that the signal would be obvious, which wasn¡¯t wrong, but what the fuck? ¡°C¡¯mon girl, preps over, it¡¯s all action from here¡± the senior ganger says before he sprints at the nearest window. She scrambles to follow him as hundreds of dragons yell their war cries and charge. By the time she¡¯s got to the window he¡¯s already broken through. She can hear gunshots in the mansion. Damn, how are they moving so fast? She throws herself through the window, wincing at the stray shards of glass cutting through her body. There¡¯s a corpse she doesn¡¯t recognize on the floor. Okay. What to do? She hears gunfire in the distance. Well, it¡¯s as good of a direction as any. She rushes out of the room and turns left when she enters a hallway. She makes it twenty meters before the sound of something monstrous is accompanied by someone bursting through a door ahead of her. It¡¯s the old man. He looks injured, but alive. He rolls away from her. The spot where he was turns to so much shrapnel as the monster-gun fires off again. The old man eyes her, nods, and backs up a few steps before training his rifle ahead. She has no idea what the fuck is going on. A thing of armor and steel walks through the door to face the old man. It has exo-armor, which is the only explanation for how it¡¯s simply carrying an Atomizer. She shoots it in the back.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. It ignores her. It shoots at the old man. It hits and somehow he survives. She looks at her pistol, looks at the monster, then shoots again. When it doesn¡¯t turn to face her she charges, as silently as she can. It shoots three more times before she reaches it. Somehow, despite everything, the old man is still alive. She does the only thing she can think of doing, she jumps on its back and jams her katana in the joint of the exo-suits arm. Modern day katanas are made with SD-30, also known as Steel derivative thirty, or durasteel if you¡¯re feeling lazy. There¡¯s a lot it can¡¯t cut through, the hydraulic of an exo-suits joints is not one of them. Suddenly it has to hold the Atomizer with only one functioning arm, and fails miserably. She has a few seconds to savor her victory before she gets swatted aside like a fly. Everything hurts. Focusing hurts, so she doesn¡¯t. Something tells her to move, so she does. Her leg is crushed into so many pieces. She has the presence of mind to scream. She wants to black-out, she wants to die. She lies there, crying and in pain as neither happens. Every heartbeat brings with it a fresh wave of agony. Through the tears, she looks at her leg. It is not a leg, it is meat and bone and nothing else. It¡¯s barely even bleeding, as though her body has given up on the appendage entirely. She cries harder. Someone is speaking to her, trying to get her attention. But all she does is whimper and cry. She is in so much pain. - ¡°Good news¡± Seamus says ¡°We can get you some bone implants and even some bionics to replace the muscle¡± He struts around the hospital room with surprising ease, considering he was shot multiple times by the biggest gun she¡¯s ever seen. ¡°Why not replace it entirely? It¡¯d be more useful¡± She asks He chuckles, and she scowls. ¡°I¡¯m not footing the bill for all the adjustments that would be needed as you grow kid¡± he says ¡°besides, cybernetic are overrated¡± She gives an incredulous look to the man who survived multiple slugs from an Atomizer ¡°bullshit¡± she says simply. He sighs ¡°look kid, I just have a high tolerance and a lifetime to adjust. Rush the process and that little mind of yours will break into more pieces than your leg¡± She sighs, he probably knows what he¡¯s talking about, and that frustrates her more than the need to stay on this bed for however long until her leg heals. She decides to pursue a different line of inquiry. ¡°Are you a Scar?¡± She asks He tilts his head at that ¡°I can see how you might think that¡± he says ¡°but I¡¯d need to be a dragon first¡± Okay, now she¡¯s extremely confused. He sighs ¡°I¡¯m a merc. Owe Ellie a few favours so she called on me when her intel found that exo-suit.¡± ¡°She knew?¡± ¡°That woman¡¯s scary kid, you need to watch yourself, getting caught in her sphere isn¡¯t exactly conducive to a long life¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what conducive means¡± ¡°Get a dictionary¡± - ¡°You¡¯re an idiot¡± Aki nods at his own deduction ¡°Thanks, jackass¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an insult. Just a fact.¡± ¡°If I wasn¡¯t bedridden, I¡¯d kick your ass¡± ¡°With which leg¡± He smirks ¡°Oooh, that¡¯s low. Really kicking me while I¡¯m down¡± He pauses, wracking his brain. ¡°Ellie¡¯s taken an interest in you, you¡¯ve really got a leg up on the rest of us now¡± ¡°What can I say? I like to put my best foot forward¡± He groans ¡°What? that wasn¡¯t so bad¡± she says, before looking at the cast on her right leg ¡°Okay maybe it was a little bad¡± ¡°No, it was decent. Just put the image of your leg being pulped into my mind¡± She gives him a look ¡°you blew off a man¡¯s head¡± ¡°That¡¯s different¡± - Alex has run into a curious dilemma, she can¡¯t do anything, and all the shows she can watch have been curated to match the sensibilities of whoever funds this hospital. Which, unfortunately, is mostly true crime flicks. She¡¯s fucking bored. Getting a phone has become priority number#1,the amount of things such a simple piece of technology allows (mostly doom scrolling) could keep her entertained for at least some of her time here. She still has enough dignity not to ask Aki when he comes by, but every time it only gets harder. She¡¯s pretty sure she¡¯s losing her mind. Sasha hasn¡¯t visited, which hurts more than she¡¯d care to admit. Curiously, Clarice has, although she¡¯s pretty sure it¡¯s because the kid wanted to see her. Clarice has seemingly grown fond of the boy, for her interpretation of fondness at least. {You okay?} they ask She glances at her leg, before a shit-eating grin plasters itself over her face. {Mostly} she replies {Missing parts} That gets a silent chuckle from the boy. {Missing brain too} they sign {Aki told} She squints at the boy, ¡°where¡¯d you learn sass?¡± He shrugs, then points at Clarice. Alex stares at the woman, astonished. Clarice just raises an eyebrow at her. ¡°Idiocy deserves acknowledgment¡± she says ¡°And helping him express his thoughts is part of my job¡± - Perhaps the greatest surprise was when instructor Korin walked through her door, his thin form gracefully making its way over to the side of her bed. His looks are deceiving, as he can easily overpower multiple students with just raw strength. There are rumors he has advanced bionics, but the instructor has never seen fit to address them. ¡°Alex¡± he says once he reaches her bed. She half bows in her seated position ¡°instructor¡± ¡°You look well, all things considered¡± she blinks, it¡¯s gonna be one of those conversations? ¡°Thank you, sensei¡± she replies. ¡°I am moving you to the adept class, you¡¯ve shown a dedication to the blade that most can only aspire to¡± he grabs a blade off his belt ¡°and take this, to replace the one you lost¡± ¡°Sensei, I appreciate the gesture, and the sword. But I am nowhere near the skill required for an adept¡± It hurts to say, but it¡¯s true. Her technique is good among the apprentice¡¯s, but she¡¯s still a long way away from being an adept. ¡°You are taking jobs from Ellie-sama¡± as though that explained everything, and Alex reels at the honorific. ¡°Sama?¡± She asks. He rolls his eyes ¡°Truly, Hawk-san has failed you all. That you do not recognize one of the Dragons fingers demonstrates a severe gap in your education¡± Alex¡¯s eyes go wide like saucers, and her mouth does its best impression of a fish as she tries to find something to say. She settles on a different topic entirely. ¡°What about my friends?¡± He smiles something warm at that, which is fucking weird, but she chooses not to address it. ¡°Sasha-san¡¯s already been placed amongst the adepts¡± ¡°And Akihiro?¡± ¡°He is a lost cause to the blade, pray that he never needs to use one¡± Ch.9:Birthday ¡°One of the Dragons fucking fingers!?!¡± Alex hisses at Aki ¡°you didn¡¯t think that detail might have been important?¡± Aki raises his hands in surrender ¡°Hey, she told me not to tell, not my fault you couldn¡¯t put two and two together. Besides, you¡¯d still work with her even if you knew.¡± ¡°And Sasha?¡± She asks ¡°How does she feel about being connected to one of the most dangerous people in Arthas?¡± Akihiro has the decency to let shame color his features. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± he says ¡°she¡¯s been avoiding me ever since Korin told her¡± Alex deflates at that ¡°yeah¡± she says ¡°she hasn¡¯t visited me once either. Think we¡¯re still friends?¡± ¡°Of course we are¡± he whispers ¡°she just needs some time¡± Then he gets a bit awkward at what he has to say next. ¡°That and Ellie sees us as a package, I¡¯m not sure Sasha could get rid of us even if she wanted to¡± That gets him a sharp look. ¡°What does she even see in us anyway?¡± He shrugs ¡°no idea, but she¡¯s known to take an interest in young talent.¡± ¡°So, just casual whimsy?¡± ¡°Something like that¡± She grumbles and mutters a few curses directed at Aki, and just the world in general. ¡°Look at it this way, at least now the road to Scar is actually feasible¡± She sighs ¡°true.¡± - Birthdays are overrated. She¡¯s seen them in movies and shows, and they always seem like something monumental. Like the survival of another year is worthy of its own holiday. Maybe a corpos kid gets parties and cake, but for just about everyone else? It¡¯s just another day. Fifteen years The sum total of her life all collected in fifteen measly years. She was part of a nursery, before Lost Hope, she¡¯s told that¡¯s where she got her name. Her situation is actually quite unique compared to most of the other orphans, she never knew her parents. The others either lost them or were sold off. Once you pass the doors to the orphanage, you lose your family name. The Dragon is your family at that point, everyone else is just the vestiges of a dead life. Fifteen years. Three more and she¡¯ll be a full blooded ganger. There¡¯ll be expectations to fulfill and dues to pay. She¡¯s already ahead of the game by working for one of the Fingers. She feels¡­pride? Yes, she¡¯s proud. She has three years to prove herself above the chaff. Three years. The door to her room groans open. She looks over to find Sasha standing there. She does not look well. Hair split, clothes ruffled, her eyes droop, she¡¯s paler than is normal for the caramel of her skin, and she smells. She looks angry. She looks ashamed. She looks like she¡¯s about to leave. She¡¯s staring at the cast covering Alex¡¯s leg. ¡°Hey¡± Alex says gently ¡°why don¡¯t you come take a seat?¡± She points to one of the chairs next to her bed, and Sasha just nods before walking over. ¡°You look like shit¡± She laughs at that. ¡°I feel like shit. In more ways than one¡± she says bitterly ¡°Wanna talk about it?¡± She sighs ¡°about what? You almost dying or the fact we¡¯re working for one of the Fingers?¡± ¡°Either works¡± She hums slightly, glancing at her leg. ¡°Can they fix it?¡± ¡°Yeah, implants and bionics¡± ¡°And you can afford that?¡± ¡°Merc I saved¡¯s footing the bill¡± She snorts, then giggles, then outright laughs. Alex lets out a few awkward chuckles, not really knowing where the humor was in what she said. Eventually she stops laughing, and stares at the wall with an intensity that kind of scares Alex. ¡°So once again, luck saves the day¡± she spits out ¡°how convenient¡± ¡°Is that¡­a bad thing?¡± ¡°Only when you run out, which you will, eventually. Then you¡¯ll just die¡± ¡°I feel like we¡¯re not talking about my leg anymore¡± ¡°We¡¯re talking about how you thought poking an exo was a good idea!¡± She raises her voice ¡°If I didn''t, a lot of dragons would¡¯ve died.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so not what was going through your head while you were planning the stupidest decision of your life¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good excuse¡± she mumbles ¡°Alex¡± she looks her dead in the eye ¡°be serious¡± ¡°Ok, can I be honest?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I¡¯d hope so¡± ¡°Running away didn¡¯t really cross my mind in the moment¡± Sasha looks at her as though she¡¯s grown a second head and started a duet. ¡°Holy fuck¡± she says breathlessly ¡°I¡¯m not the dumb one. You are.¡± - The exo-suit she stabbed was an older version, before the manufacturer started putting armor to cover the hydraulics, and when size was what drove stock prices rather than utility. SadMine has a weird history. Anyway, its foot, from heel to tip, crushed her leg from three quarters up her femur all the way down to her foot, making replacing the bone and muscle an arduous endeavour. Oddly enough, it¡¯s the foot that took the most time. Apparently hands and feet have a shit ton of bones, go figure. The replacements are better than the originals. Tougher, stronger, and apparently capable of producing more blood. The first two are so that she can handle the new muscles, the third one is just weird. She got discharged as soon as they were finished, no physio for her, no sir. Sasha came to pick her up, and to her absolute mortification she brought Hiroshi. ¡°Sasha, what the fuck?¡± she hissed into her ear. ¡°He wanted to see his new sparring partner, who am I to deny him?¡± She whispered back with a cheeky grin. New sparring partner? Oh no. Korin you absolute bitch! ¡°Is something the matter?¡± He calls back to them ¡°Nothing!¡± She says a little too quickly. Sasha stifles a chuckle. He raises an eyebrow at her. ¡°Ok? Let¡¯s be off then.¡± They head off into the Autumn chill, closing in on October. Alex is partial to the fall, not too hot, not too cold. The perfect blend, in her opinion. Every step is a challenge, she¡¯s been bedridden for a month. So one leg is slightly atrophied, while the other is stronger than exercise could possibly manage. It¡¯s a weird balance, but she can¡¯t help but be excited for the new addition. Bionics are known to grow like normal muscle, it¡¯s their greatest selling point. Unless you ask the Kingdom, they¡¯d tell you some nonsense about keeping the body ¡®pure¡¯. ¡°So, Hiroshi, what happened to Danny?¡± Alex asks nervously. ¡°She has been given the responsibility of training your friend¡± he replies Ah, that makes sense. ¡°And you''re okay with being paired with an apprentice?¡± He looks at her, amused, which causes her to blush in what she hopes he thinks is embarrassment. ¡°You are an apprentice no longer Alex¡± he says, ¡°though to answer the implied question, teaching can often be as beneficial as sparring¡± Alex nods ¡°right, that makes sense¡± it doesn¡¯t, but she¡¯s not willing to look dumb at the moment. Sasha, thank the lord and all his angels, seems content with watching Alex fumble through the conversation. ¡°I¡¯m curious though, it¡¯s rare for Korin-Sensei to bring new additions so close to the years end, what did you do to impress him? If you don¡¯t mind me asking¡± Alex doesn¡¯t notice the implied challenge in his words. Sasha does, but she keeps quiet. ¡°We¡¯re working for one of the Fingers, and I stabbed an exo¡± He looks at her stunned, for which detail she¡¯s not sure. Then he breaks out into a laugh. ¡°Yeah¡± he says ¡°that¡¯ll do it¡± - The fallout to burning down a high-level corpo¡¯s home was, unsurprisingly, non-existent. The gangs own Arthas, which was proven in the last Arthien war a century ago. Taiy¨­ inc., Salamander ballistics, and SadMine all banded together to clean the streets. It was a disaster. Now there¡¯s an understanding between the gangs and the corporations. You stay out of our business, and we¡¯ll stay out of yours. Considering the gangs are the biggest consumers for the more militant companies, the deal worked wonders for both parties. The corporations keep their cash flow while the gangs could get back to killing each other. Coincidentally, the fallout of the war was the perfect opportunity for the Crimson Dragon¡¯s rise to power, becoming one of the major gangs of the city. Before they were just wannabe yakuza. But all''s well that ends well. She couldn¡¯t imagine being a member of any other gang. She reminds herself of this as Hiroshi¡¯s bokken jabs into her ribs. ¡°Reckless¡± he says ¡°you need to be more offensive, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can discard your mind from your strikes¡± She grumbles, annoyed more at the ungodly hour she has to wake up at now than Hiroshi¡¯s criticism. How could she be mad when such scrumptious muscles are on display? Anyway, She resets her stance and goes for a swipe. He blocks easily and goes for a jab that she dodges followed by an overhead that she blocks. He takes a step back and waits. He¡¯s been on the defensive the whole session, refusing to attack unless she does. At first it led to an awkward staring match before she realized what he was doing. She sighs, then goes for a flurry of jabs that are all blocked and countered with his own. She keeps her attacks small, swift, until she sees the opportunity for a haymaker. He dodges then strikes the back of her knee. ¡°Better¡± he says ¡°keep your focus on my chest, it makes following my attacks easier¡± She blushes at the amateur mistake, hopefully he hasn¡¯t realized she¡¯d been gawking. - Exercise is weird with a bionic leg, hell, just about everything is, but exercise especially. Mostly it¡¯s an issue of balance, she can¡¯t use barbells for squats anymore because one leg is underworked while the other is overworked. So she uses the machines instead. ¡°Damn girl¡± Sasha says ¡°You¡¯ve got thighs for days¡± Alex sighs ¡°thigh, singular, the other ones still ¡®ganic¡± Sasha waves her off ¡°you¡¯ll get there, how much did those cost anyway?¡± ¡°For just the muscle? About forty thousand.¡± ¡°Jesus fucking Christ, who the fuck did you save?¡± ¡°An old merc¡± ¡°A rich merc too¡± ¡°Very¡± During their whole conversation, Alex has been pumping out reps with her bionics. Three hundred pounds worth per rep. Alex scowls at how easy it is. ¡°What¡¯s with the face?¡± ¡°Nothing¡± ¡°C¡¯mooon, you can tell little old me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s stupid¡± ¡°Well you¡¯re stupid, so that tracks¡± ¡°Fuck off, now I¡¯m definitely not telling you¡± ¡°What! No, I take it back, Aleeex, tell meeeee¡± Alex ignores her. - For once in Alex¡¯s life she has money!(orphanage stipend doesn¡¯t count) And with that money, she will go shopping! The joy of all teenage girls everywhere. At least that¡¯s what her shows say. But that¡¯s for clothes and shit (blegh) she¡¯s looking for some premium firepower alongside Sasha and Aki, though they¡¯re just here to give their opinions. Right now she¡¯s stuck between a Tengu and a Tetra-domin. ¡°You¡¯re looking for something to shoot one-handed right?¡± Aki asks ¡°Mhm¡± she replies ¡°Then go for the revolver, it¡¯s kickback is a bitch but it¡¯s better than an SMG¡± ¡°But why?¡± Sasha whines ¡°the Tetra-domin¡¯s so cool!¡± ¡°If she¡¯s aiming for style then sure¡± he says ¡°but if she wants to actually hit anything, the tengu¡¯s the way to go¡± ¡°Ammo¡¯s expensive though¡± Alex mumbles ¡°That¡¯s the price for quality¡± the shopkeeper says from the other side of the store. ¡°Damn. You got cybernetics for those ears?¡± Sasha asks. ¡°Yep¡± ¡°How much did that cost?¡± ¡°More than you¡¯ve got squirt¡± - Unfortunately, once she¡¯s tallied the price of the Tengu and the ammunition, she doesn¡¯t have enough for a phone. Later, she thinks, I¡¯ll get one later ¡°Hey Aki¡± she says ¡°anything news from our mutual acquaintance?¡± He groans ¡°you can just call her Ellie, no need to be all weird about it.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a Finger¡± Sasha points out. ¡°Exactly¡± Alex nods. ¡°You two are doing this to piss me off aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What?nooo¡± ¡°yep¡± The two girls look at each other, then break out into a fit of giggles. He groans again ¡°No, she didn¡¯t want us to do anything until you¡¯ve recovered. Should get something soon though¡± His phone pings. ¡°Speak of the devil¡± Sasha says. ¡°I have other people on my phone¡± he says while bringing it up to his face. He groans a third time. Ch.10:Drugs Make The World Go Round Kicking down doors is really easy with a bionic leg, and it makes for a suitably dramatic entrance. ¡°Wassup bitches!¡± She yells at the drug den¡¯s inhabitants, all of them freeze at the sight of three armed teenagers entering their abode. Sasha scrunches up her nose ¡°Goddamn, what is that smell?¡± ¡°Some modified grass¡± one of the druggies provides ¡°How the fuck did you get it to smell like rotting fruit?¡± She asks ¡°It¡¯s good shit¡± another mumbles ¡°It¡¯s certainly a kind of shit¡± Alex responds ¡°Which one of you is Damian?¡± Aki asks, ignoring their antics. The five druggies look at each other. ¡°Who¡¯s Damian?¡± One of them asks. ¡°Oh c¡¯mon, you really expect us to buy that?¡± Alex says ¡°No seriously girl, we¡¯ve never heard of a Damian¡± another druggie says. ¡°You got a description at least?¡± A third druggie offers. Aki shoves his ramus under his arm before looking through his phone. ¡°Red hair, blue eyes, freckles, about six foot two¡± he says. One of the druggies open up their arms and shrugs ¡°Do any of us look like a ginger chink?¡± Aki and Sasha glare at Alex ¡°I told you it was the other building¡± he said. ¡°But¡­but¡­look, it¡¯s the home of druggies, we¡¯re after drug money, it¡¯s perfect!¡± Alex reasons ¡°Girl, none of us are dealers¡± ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± She asks. The whole room looks at her like she¡¯s stupid. - ¡°We¡¯re never following one of your feelings again¡± Aki states ¡°I don¡¯t know which god¡¯s stuck in your head, but they¡¯ve clearly got a sense of humour¡± ¡°But it felt so clear¡± Alex says as they exit the building ¡°Maybe you need to see a shrink¡± Sasha suggests ¡°You think I have the money for therapy?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be an investment¡± Sasha states Just as she finishes her statement, an explosion rings out from the building across the street. Brick and shrapnel rain down on the pedestrian below as they scramble away, screaming all the while. Aki looks up and sees that the explosion happened on the third floor, ¡°you don¡¯t think¡­¡± he says ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Sasha continues Alex doesn¡¯t even try to stop the smirk that creeps up on her face. - Just for the sake of being thorough, they checked on the target''s building. It was, in fact, his apartment that exploded. They even found the body, well, pieces of what they assume is the body. Aki took a few pictures and sent them to Ellie. Along with an explanation of course, wouldn¡¯t want the very dangerous ganger to think they went overboard on a job. Aki got a call a little after. Alex couldn¡¯t hear what was said, but she could hear some laughter. On the plus side, they¡¯re still getting paid. ¡°My friend talks with God¡± Sasha muses ¡°I told you, it¡¯s a feeling, not a conversation¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s how God talks to us mere mortals¡± ¡°Still don¡¯t think it¡¯s a god¡± ¡°God speaks to a heretic¡± Aki says ¡°Truly, can it get any more biblical?¡± Sasha snorts ¡°better hope it¡¯s not the Christian God, or else the Kingdom will literally burn you at the stake¡± - {How was day?} she asks {Good, learn to write name} he responds Alex looks at Clarice excitedly. ¡°He wrote his name?¡± ¡°Yes¡± she says simply ¡°What is it? C¡¯mon I deserve to know¡± ¡°Roan¡± ¡°Roan¡± she repeats ¡°How do I sign it?¡± Clarice sighs then turns from her work {R-o-a-n} Alex smiles and turns to the boy {hello, Roan} - ¡°Ah, fahlan, my favorite little dragon shows her face!¡± Says a boisterous man over the counter ¡°where have you been homar, the shop hasn¡¯t been the same without you.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°It¡¯s been a busy few months¡± Alex said ¡°and I kind of forgot¡± she added sheepishly. Fady dramatically clutches at his heart ¡°you wound me little dragon, and here I was about to offer some mahshi free of charge¡± Alex rolls her eyes ¡°sure you were old man¡± She goes to sit down and orders a kebab alongside some golesh. ¡°So, you wanna talk about it?¡± Fady asks ¡°Talk about what?¡± ¡°You have a look girl, like you¡¯ve seen something and can¡¯t get it out of your head¡± Alex stops eating. ¡°Am I that obvious?¡± He shrugs ¡°only for those who know where to look¡± She is silent while staring at her food. ¡°I killed some people¡± He nods, as though that were expected ¡°You are a ganger, it was bound to happen eventually. Did they deserve it?¡± ¡°They cornered us¡± ¡°That does not answer the question¡± She takes a bite out of her kebab and chews slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t think they were planning on killing us. Just rough us up and take our guns¡± ¡°And that would have been better?¡± She looks down, shamefaced ¡°no¡± He nods ¡°I know you girl, you want to be a Scar. That is a path filled with corpses, you cannot let a few fools occupy your mind¡± ¡°I know,¡± she whispers. - Alex opens her eyes to find a broken sky, abominations roam the boundaries but can¡¯t seem to cross. It looks bigger than last time, or maybe she¡¯s closer? This time nothing speaks to her. She just stares at the planet of flesh as skinless things participate in a never ending war. ¡°Are you God?¡± Nothing. ¡°What, not gonna say anything? You were so talkative last time¡± Silence. The flesh abominations don¡¯t acknowledge her as she lays there in the citrusy sand, continuing to feed on each other as new horrors are spawned from the ground that is flesh. - There are rules to the turf wars between orphanages, the most important one being no killing, followed closely by the rule not to cripple. This makes Alex¡¯s bionic leg a handicap in the brawls, she¡¯s pretty sure that even a love tap risks internal bleeding, and she¡¯s not practiced enough to really hold back. She can¡¯t even do triangle chokes! She¡¯s too afraid of breaking someone''s neck. So she has to make sure not to stiffen her leg as she checks a kick from Li Chen. A lot of her hand-to-hand knowledge comes from fighting the Wolves and learning their lessons through exposure. Like how the Crimson Dragons have their obsession with kendo, the Lunar Wolves are obsessed with martial arts. It means that they win almost all the brawls they get into, but honestly, if she could use her bokken they wouldn¡¯t be that tough. Unfortunately bokkens have been unofficially banned ever since all the other orphanages ganged up on them in protest. Claiming some bullshit about bokkens being lethal weapons, and therefore aren¡¯t allowed. Bunch of pussies. She barely blocked a roundhouse kick that looked like it was going for her stomach but instead snapped up to her head. She has no idea how that even works, but she¡¯s been hit enough times to know the tells. She responds with a few jabs that Chen has to block, Alex¡¯s taller than most people her age, and therefore has the advantage in range when fighting. Chen tries to close the distance but finds herself bombarded with jabs, she growls in frustration and goes for a front kick with her back foot. It¡¯s blocked easily but it¡¯s purpose wasn¡¯t to do damage. Alex sees stars as an uppercut snaps her head to the sky. It¡¯s all downhill from there, Li Chen is like a starved wolf to a corpse. Alex doesn¡¯t remember the barrage that follows, and when she wakes, there¡¯s a roof over her head. Alex groans and rolls off the couch she¡¯s been placed on, quickly finding the garbage before she loses her lunch. She can feel her stomach contracting as she vomits. Goddammit Chen, I¡¯m going to beat your ass. ¡°You¡¯re awake¡± says the voice of a very familiar stern woman. Alex groans as she turns to face Clarice. ¡°Done?¡± she asks Alex nods ¡°Come sit then¡± Alex groans again as she says the dreaded words. Roan isn¡¯t here, which bodes poorly for her. There aren¡¯t any words exchanged as Clarice forces open her bruised eye and shines a light on both. Presumably she¡¯s already heard the story from whoever carried her here. The application of bandages is not gentle. She¡¯s given an Ice pack for the inflammation. As she exits the office she finds Sasha and Aki playing blackjack with some of the other kids. She goes to join them. ¡°Hey¡± she says from behind them Sasha almost jumps from surprise. Aki doesn¡¯t react beyond a nod of acknowledgment. lame. ¡°Jesus, how long were you standing there?¡± Sasha asks ¡°Just a few seconds¡± Aki provides ¡°Oh c¡¯mon, I was quiet¡± Alex complains Aki shrugs ¡°I¡¯ve got good hearing¡± ¡°Hey it¡¯s your turn¡± one of the kids say ¡°I¡¯ll stand,¡± Aki says, still facing her. Sasha stares at their cards like they owe her money. She has a five and a nine. ¡°Hit me¡± she declares She gets a seven ¡°Yes!¡± she exclaims as the other kids groan. ¡°My money¡­¡± one of them mumbles ¡°This is bullshit¡± another one mutters ¡°How is this possible?¡± a third says looking perplexed. ¡°What''s with them?¡± Alex asks Aki sighs ¡°this is her third blackjack in a row¡± Alex¡¯s eyebrows reach the ceiling ¡°damn girl, which star were you born under?¡± Sasha has the audacity to look smug ¡°I guess you¡¯re not the only one who gets help from the divine¡± ¡°What does that even mean?¡± one kid whispers to another. ¡°Don¡¯t question it¡± she whispers back ¡°she¡¯s been like that for months, I¡¯m starting to think she¡¯s a Kingdom agent¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve got another job¡± Aki interrupts, which gets the other kids curious. ¡°Already?¡± Alex asks ¡°Apparently the way the last one went was too unusual to warrant a break¡± Alex sighs ¡°I¡¯ll get my gun¡± - ¡°Fuck off¡± Rei say¡¯s ¡°no way they sent a bunch of kids to collect¡± ¡°Chink, we already gave you the password¡± Aki says ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯re kids! Who the fuck trusts kids with this kind of money?¡± Aki sighs ¡°look, if we weren¡¯t sent here through the proper channels, how would we know who you are or the password?¡± The man hesitates at that, but gathers his resolve before doubt can stain his infallible logic. ¡°I¡¯m still calling bullshit. You can get all that by hacking the right phones¡± Aki grumbles and takes out his phone. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Calling Ellie¡± He blanches at that ¡°No way you¡¯ve got her number¡± Aki quirks an eyebrow ¡°Oh yeah? Take a look chink¡± He shows the man his text history, showing the details of this particular job, the others were deleted. Arthas may be lawless, but there¡¯s no need to tempt fate. The man somehow gets paler. He gulps down some saliva. ¡°I know your faces. If you¡¯re lying, the dragons will come for you¡± The three of them roll their eyes ¡°Yeah, yeah. Just hand over the creds¡± - ¡°I feel like there¡¯s a pattern to all this¡± Sasha says ¡°Yeah? How so?¡± Alex asks ¡°It¡¯s just that first we got protection duty-¡± Aki and Alex wince at the reminder of that job ¡°-The next was delivery, then a raid, now we¡¯re doing collection¡± ¡°She did find us another job with identical instructions to the last after the chinks apartment exploded¡± Alex mused. Aki chuckles ¡°So what''s next then? Assassination?¡± They go quiet at that. ¡°Let¡¯s not jinx it, yeah?¡± Ch.11:Getting A Phone Alex is feeling lazy today. After her mandatory classes were finished, she found that she just wanted to lounge around the common area flipping through shows. ¡°Samuel, we were brothers, connected through a pact of blood, how could you do this?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve always been a fool ¡®brother¡¯, I simply know which way-¡± Boring, next. ¡°Hey! I was watching that.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ve got the remote, unless you think you can take it from me?¡± The boy grumbles but makes no moves for the remote. Ah, the joys of being strong. ¡°Breaking news¡± says the anchor ¡°After multiple skirmishes La Casa de Los Vivos, Solomon''s Kingdom, and the Bastions of Truth are officially at war¡± That gets Alex¡¯s attention. ¡°The assault on the docks, with the use of multiple explosives, is expected to get a proportional response from La Casa de Los Vivos. If you don¡¯t have a reason to travel through their respective territories, it¡¯s advised to steer clear until the conflict comes to an end.¡± Alex tunes out the rest. Well she thinks it¡¯s finally happened. Took long enough, I hope Vicktors ok. ¡°Don¡¯t the Kingdom and the Bastion take turns shitting in each other''s cereal?¡± the same kid from before asks. ¡°Yeah¡± Alex idly responds. ¡°Who wants to bet this spills over and the Wolves and us have to get involved?¡± ¡°You¡¯re on chink! Fifty down¡± Fucking chrome for brains. - With her day thoroughly ruined, she¡¯s decided to make herself useful and do something she¡¯d been planning for tomorrow. The bell jingles as she enters the store. ¡°Welcome!¡± says the clerk ¡°what can Kimi¡¯s electronics get for you today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for a phone¡± ¡°Splendid! We have a wide collection over on aisle three ready for your perusal.¡± Alex nods, ¡°thanks¡± she says, and heads over to the aforementioned aisle. Kimi¡¯s is a humble little store on the edges of the crossroads, it sells mostly used products at a discount, taking advantage of the neutrality to maintain a relatively peaceful workspace. They don¡¯t even have to pay protection money, since the area technically doesn¡¯t belong to any of the gangs (in practice it belongs to all of them). It¡¯s one of the few peaceful places in Arthas, and no one¡¯s willing to break that. So it is to the surprise of everyone when two idiot¡¯s walk in and hold the clerk at gunpoint. ¡°Empty the account little lady¡± say¡¯s idiot#1 handing her a cred chip. ¡°And don¡¯t try to short us, we got a runner looking through your account as we speak¡± idiot#2 adds ¡°Okay, okay. Let''s just calm down, yeah? No need to get violent.¡± The clerk is quite calm considering the circumstances. Ah. They expect her to deal with this, guess the big fuck-off revolver left an impression. And the colors, can¡¯t ever forget the colors. Hmmm, maybe she should get some tats? Nah, they¡¯ll stretch out and look all funky while she¡¯s still growing. Alex is fully aware she¡¯s delaying the inevitable, but can you blame her? She only has one gun, and a Katana isn¡¯t great for a stick up. She¡¯s going to have to kill one of them. She sighs, well better get it over with. She shut¡¯s off her mind as she slowly approaches the front. Already deciding which idiot¡¯s life she¡¯ll end, she stops behind them as they continue to make demands of the clerk, none the wiser to the teenage killer pointing their gun to idiot#2¡¯s head. She hesitates. She aims at his elbow and almost blows off his arm instead. The recoil is an absolute bitch, but it does its job. He screams as he drops his gun. ¡°The fuck-¡± idiot#1 stops as he notices the tengu pointed at his head. ¡°Drop the gun and leave chink¡± She say¡¯s ¡°Fuck you kid, I¡¯ll fucking kill you!¡± he says but doesn¡¯t aim his gun at her. ¡°Sure you will chink. Now drop the gun, i won¡¯t-¡± Something screams inside her head and she whips her gun back to idiot#2 and makes a tunnel through his head before she can think better of it. He¡¯s cradling his pistol with his left hand. Fuck, why didn¡¯t I think of that. It all took less than a second. She brings her gun back up at idiot#1, and finds that he¡¯s taken the opportunity to do the same. He¡¯s looking at her with a mix of fear and anger ¡°you killed Lucas¡±. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have gone for his gun¡± ¡°Fuck you¡± he says. Then he shoots her in the chest. She replies likewise, the caliber of her tengu being significantly higher than whatever pistol he¡¯s sporting, and punches a hole the size of her fist through his chest. The man collapses onto the floor, she has to lean on a shelf to stop herself from doing the same. The clerk peeked up from under her desk. Seeing the carnage, she sighs in relief before standing back up. ¡°You need a hand?¡± they ask Alex gives them an incredulous look ¡°Yes,¡± she says followed by a cough. Mmmh, blood, that¡¯s not good.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Fuck today - A major puncture to a lung is generally not survivable, unless you¡¯ve got enough credits to afford a surgery. Lucky for her then that it doesn¡¯t seem to be all that bad, she just coughs out some blood every now and then. Honestly it¡¯s her ribs that suck the most cheeks right now, and the coughing does not help. Kendo and gym are going to be a bitch. She left Kimi¡¯s electronics with some bandages and a new phone. The bitch didn¡¯t even give her a discount. That¡¯s fine, the idiots had a surprising amount of creds on their person, two thousand to be exact, why the fuck would they rob a store if they were doing well enough to casually carry that much dough? She¡¯s also got two new pistols, so there¡¯s that, she looks kind of comical with three holsters strapped around her waist. But none of the passersby¡¯s are willing to comment considering her tengu¡¯s still drawn. Her arms are a little sore from shooting the thing three times. Half her ammunition and three hundred credits, wasted on some idiot nobodies. ¡°Hey kid, long time no see¡± a familiar voice breaks her out of her reverie, she turns to see two Scars sizing her up. An asian woman who¡¯s wearing the top of a swimsuit of all things and a pair of mini shorts, if it weren¡¯t for the pendant she¡¯d think she¡¯d think she was a hooker. Next to her is a man of modest size, a pair of gigantic chrome arms framing his figure ¡°Adam?¡± she asks The other Scar scowls ¡°Thats Mr.Knoll to you brat¡± she says Adam ignores her ¡°we heard shooting¡± Alex nods slowly ¡°there was-¡± a cough ¡°-sorry. there were some idiots trying to stick up a store¡± ¡°Kimi¡¯s electronics¡± he says ¡°we saw the corpses¡± ¡°It was sloppy¡± the other Scar adds ¡°Yeah¡± Alex mumbles ¡°I know¡± ¡°Well come on then¡± she gives him a questioning look ¡°you owe me a drink¡± She just wants to go home and sleep, but to deny a Scar is the height of folly. ¡°And holster that gun¡± - There are a lot of places Alex expects a Scar to spend their leisure time between training and jobs, casino¡¯s, ritzy restaurants, and exclusive night clubs. Turns out her guess was right on the money as a bouncer lets them into a five story building without so much as a glance. They didn¡¯t even have to wait in line. As they walk into the nightclub Alex¡¯s ears are assaulted by the sound of techno-synth blasting through the speakers. She almost covers her ears before thinking better of it. No need to embarrass herself. On the stage surrounded by decently-well off looking folk is a stripper doing some insane maneuvers on the pole. No way joints are supposed to bend that far, has to be bionics. Then she catches herself. She can¡¯t possibly afford to modify every joint. Maybe she¡¯s a contortionist on the side. ¡°Like what you see?¡± says the female scar with a slight smirk. Alex doesn¡¯t even blush ¡°I¡¯m not into girls.¡± She raises a disbelieving eyebrow ¡°then why are you staring?¡± ¡°Just wondering how those moves are even possible¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never been to a stripclub before, have you?¡± ¡°Never had a reason to¡± she replies. ¡°Your loss brat¡± ¡°My name is Alex¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care¡± Adam looks back at the two with a bemused expression on his face before interrupting his partners fun ¡°Stop squabbling and let¡¯s go¡± Alex¡¯s mouth clamps shut and the female Scar lets out a chuckle. They head off to the side where the elevators are located and Adam presses the button to head¡­Down? It opens instantly, guess it was just sitting on this floor, they head inside and Adam presses B1. The doors close and they head down to the literal underground stripclub. ¡°You know, I don¡¯t think I can afford any of the drinks here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not why we¡¯re here¡± He replies. Wait what? ¡°Why are we here then?¡± she says slowly ¡°We¡¯re gonna harvest your organs!¡± the female Scar replies cheerfully Alex lets out a few awkward chuckles at them before going silent as Adam hasn¡¯t rebuffed that statement. ¡°Wait, seriously?¡± she asks. They do not reply. Alex starts sweating bullets, but calms down when the elevator door opens revealing a restaurant with red flooring and booths with black leather couches shaped like a U. A few booths are occupied, all of them by Scars. Now she¡¯s sweating for a different reason. There¡¯s what Alex can only describe as a butler waiting by a small podium in front of the elevator. ¡°Ah, Master Adam, Master Sakurako, what a pleasure it is to see you. Please, pick whichever seating is to your liking and a waiter will attend to you post-haste¡± He says with an odd cadence that Alex can¡¯t place. ¡®Master¡¯? Holy shit, he is a butler! Adam just nods and leads them to the nearest booth available. ¡°Okay, can you tell me why I''m actually here now?¡± she asks as she sits on the very plush and comfy couch. ¡°Patience¡± he replies Sakurako chuckles ¡°Always so mysterious Adam, can¡¯t even give them any hints?¡± ¡°That¡¯ll just lead to questions, and besides, I want to eat first¡± A waiter appears in front of their booth as though the mention of food were a summons. Adam barely acknowledges him ¡°Three bowls of spicy ramen, extra beef. A margarita for me and straight vodka for her, oh and a fruit punch for the kid.¡± Alex scowls ¡°I can drink¡± she protests. ¡°Not with my creds¡± ¡°You brought me to a strip club and your line in the sand¡¯s alcohol?¡± ¡°Yes¡± The waiter has a slightly shocked expression at the idiot child in front of him. ¡°Well?¡± Sakurako says ¡°go do your job boy¡± He pales a bit before scurrying off to the kitchen. ¡°How old are you anyway?¡± Sakurako asks Alex goes to answer before clutching her chest and going into a coughing fit, getting droplets of blood on the table. ¡°Gross¡± Sakurako says ¡°If you get any blood in my food, i¡¯ll kill you¡± ¡°Sorry¡± Alex says Adam grunts with a grimace and hands her a tissue. She gets to cleaning her mess. ¡°I¡¯m fifteen as of a month ago, why?¡± Alex asks Sakurako looks stunned ¡°Damn girl, what are they feeding you? You¡¯ve got to be at least six feet tall!¡± ¡°Six four¡± ¡°Goddamn¡± - The ramen was easily the best food she¡¯s ever had, yet somehow it managed to disappoint. That¡¯s mostly Alex¡¯s fault, her expectations were through the roof. She guesses that at a certain point, adding to a dish just becomes a waste of time. ¡°So, why am I here?¡± Alex asks Adam fucking dabs his mouth with a napkin like some sort of princess before answering her. A princess with gorilla arms. ¡°You¡¯ve caught the interest of the Third Finger¡± He states simply ¡°Ellie?¡± He nods ¡°Ok, so what? Did you bring me here just to tell me something I already knew?¡± Sakurako scowls, and Alex pales, realizing a bit too late that she may be acting a bit too casual with the two Scars. Adam waves her off. ¡°You don¡¯t realize the significance of this¡± He says ¡°I mean, isn¡¯t she known for taking in kids on a hunch¡± She says ¡°I don¡¯t see how this is anything different¡± ¡°She employs children at times, if they seem useful. She does not take particular interest in them though, simply seeing them as an investment for the future for the whole gang.¡± He says ¡°She has already claimed you as hers, and that is something she is not known to do. Such an act costs political capital. I do not know what you did to earn her attention, but you have, and that puts expectations on your shoulders. Expectations you cannot fulfil.¡± He finishes bluntly. ¡°Ellie¡¯s claimed me? She can do that?¡± Alex asks ¡°The only person above her is the Dragon, there¡¯s very little she can¡¯t do¡± ¡°Ok? That still doesn¡¯t explain why I¡¯m here¡± Sakurako lets out a heavy sigh ¡°He¡¯s trying to warn you kid, bleeding heart that he is, a lot of dragons don¡¯t work directly for a Finger. You¡¯ve got a target on your back.¡± Adam nods at that statement. Alex is just perplexed. ¡°The other dragons are gonna target me?¡± Sakurako chuckles ¡°Not overtly, but yes, they¡¯ll be targeting you. You got a taste of it earlier today.¡± Alex stares at the woman ¡°The two idiots?¡± ¡°Bingo!¡± Alex takes a moment to contemplate that, some jealous gangers are gonna start sending goons to deal with her? That seems¡­wrong. ¡°How would they know I wouldn''t''ve just hid?¡± ¡°Hide, and you¡¯re a coward, and they¡¯ll use that against you. Fight, and you risk death.¡± Adam says ¡°Invest in some protection, if those lowlives had higher caliber weapons, we wouldn¡¯t be having this conversation¡± Alex just might do that, there¡¯s just one question. ¡°How do you know they were bribed?¡± ¡°A group of dragons came into the store and searched the bodies right after you left¡± Ch.12:Big Bear Hiroshi¡¯s doing an admirable job of avoiding her bullet wound. If she were of the right mind she might find that cute, unfortunate then, that she isn¡¯t. She didn¡¯t get any sleep for one, and she¡¯s still reeling over the fact that there are dragons who would gladly flaunt the founding principles of the gang over jealousy. She told Aki and Sasha of course, the former promising to ask Ellie, the latter making her promise not to leave Lost Hope on her own going forward. She can¡¯t help but ruminate as her bokken is swatted aside and a jab makes its way to her temple. She dodges absentmindedly and goes for diagonal slash. She did get armour though and about six more bullets, before heading back home, she guessed that anyone who¡¯s after her wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to go after her twice in the same day. Good thing the idiots had enough creds to get a rudimentary vest and a durasteel demon mask. She¡¯d prefer full coverage but the mask is enough for now. She¡¯s going to need to paint them, so that people don¡¯t get confused when she wears them. Aki joked that the Oni aesthetic suits her. A slash that she blocks, followed by a jab that morphs into an uppercut after she blocked it. The blade almost hits her, but she tilts her head just enough for it to whiff. She responds with a flurry of jabs mixed in with a few slashes, pushing Hiroshi to a comfortable distance. What¡¯s she supposed to do about this? Hide away until she becomes a Scar? She wishes she could just confront whoever¡¯s pulling this bullshit directly and put a bullet between their eyes. Huh? When did she get so cavalier about murder? Did adding two more to her body count make her numb already? She strikes at every weakness she can find, and somehow, there are many. Hiroshi puts up an admirable defense, but anyone with eyes can see that if this continues he¡¯ll lose. No, she wants to kill them because they made her kill two random fucks who didn¡¯t even know they were pawns to some random game of bullshit. Hiroshi manages to recover his stride and solidifies his defense while trying to find a chance to strike. He blocks an overhead and goes to bash her face with the handle of his blade, she steps back and sends forward a jab that he barely manages to block. She¡¯s angry at herself, if she just killed idiot#2 from the get go, she wouldn¡¯t have had to kill the other one, and more importantly she wouldn¡¯t have gotten shot. She tries to break his guard by clashing blades and copying his manoeuvre of using the hilt to disorient, it works. She can hear gunshots in the distance, the war has started in earnest it seems, if she can hear it from all the way here. Noise pollution in Arthas tends to mask gunfire at a certain point. She worries for Vicktor. A jab hits Hiroshi in the sternum, she turns it into an uppercut and hits him in the chin, then she brings it down in a diagonal slash that crashes into his neck. Her reverie is broken as Hiroshi crumples to the ground. ¡°Oh shit!¡± she says ¡°are you ok?¡± Hiroshi groans ¡°First you beat me, then you pity me? Truly, how far I must have fallen.¡± ¡°Sorry¡± ¡°You can apologize by telling me what I did wrong¡± Some heat rises to her cheeks ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± He squints at her ¡°you don¡¯t know?¡± She blushes harder ¡°I wasn¡¯t really paying attention¡± Both his eyebrows meet the sky. - ¡°So¡­Ellie responded¡± Aki says ¡°Why do I feel like that¡¯s not good news¡± Alex replies ¡°Well she gave us a new job. Didn¡¯t really acknowledge your predicament¡± Alex groans ¡°What¡¯s the job?¡± she asks reluctantly. ¡°You guys remember Gamma, 21st floor?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± they both answer skeptically - As the elevators open to the 21st floor the three teen gangers are met with silence, complete and utter silence. No cries of battle, no moans of the wounded, not even the sound of merchants haggling. ¡°Creepy¡± Sasha voices their thoughts. ¡°Huh, they¡¯re really gone¡± Alex says ¡°You thought Ellie would take us on a wild goose chase?¡± Aki says ¡°No, It¡¯s just hard to believe a whole floor evacuated in just a few hours¡± ¡°Or that the corps haven¡¯t already taken care of it¡± Sasha adds ¡°This is technically their jurisdiction¡± ¡°Well let''s get this done before they show up and we get caught in the crossfire¡± Alex says They nod and draw their weapons as they walk down the empty streets. The stacks, once lively, for its brand of lively, now stand in desolation. No one walks the bridges, no one climbs the ladders, and all the only lights are the artificial ones on the ceiling. They go slowly, keeping to a triangle formation as they travel the empty streets. Sasha¡¯s invested in a Raptor revolving rifle, leaving Alex as the only one with her Katana drawn. Sasha¡¯s only got two bullets but they¡¯ll probably need them for this job. And besides, the pay¡¯ll be more than enough to buy more. Ten thousand credits. An absolute mind boggling number, but they wouldn¡¯t have taken the job otherwise, and proper mercs would probably ask for more. That last detail¡¯s probably why they got the job honestly. Alex is honestly curious about what goes on in that woman''s head, first she apparently claimed Alex as hers, now she sends them on a job with a very real risk of death. Wouldn¡¯t she want to give challenging but safe jobs to someone she¡¯s apparently sacrificed political capital for?This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Then again, problems that need gangers or mercs don¡¯t tend to be safe to begin with. Ah well, it''s not as dangerous as their first job, and that¡¯s good enough for Alex. Hell, her tengu might even be able to punch through the borgs armor now, still would probably die if she tried to though. They hear something clatter to the ground not far from where they stand, and all of them turn with guns raised. There are a few beats where nothing happens. Then they hear the distinct sound of sniffing. They tense and form a line facing the noise. What emerges is a caricature of a grizzly. It has a crown of eyes circling its skull, its jaw splits into three, and it has no fur. Its body is twice the size of a normal bear, and has muscles that bulge to the point of being grotesque. Bone poke out of the skin of its back, it has seven claws per paw.. It makes no noise as it hobbles towards them. Sasha shoots it in the face. Half its head is blown off and it slumps to the ground. ¡°Huh¡± Sasha said ¡°that was easy¡± ¡°Yeah, I kinda expected more considering how fucked that thing looks¡± Alex adds ¡°Let¡¯s take the wins when we can get them,¡± Aki says, taking a few pictures. They start walking back to the elevator. ¡°How¡¯d it get to this floor anyway? bionic horrors don¡¯t exactly know their way around an elevator¡± Alex asks Aki shrugs ¡°Ghoul labs owns a few floors in this building¡± ¡°So you think they just dropped their failed experiment down to a lower floor for the laughs?¡± ¡°It¡¯s what makes sense¡± Sasha shivers ¡°and they say the gangs are bad¡± ¡°COWABUNGA BITCHES¡± They turn instantly. The bear is there, head fully intact. So is a half naked man, jagged pipe in hand as he soars towards the bear. He jams the pipe into the bears back before jumping off and settling into a sumo stance, or an interpretation of a sumo stance at least. ¡°Come on big girl, papa¡¯s eating good today¡± he says with a manic smile on his face. The bear roars and charges the man. It tries to bowl him over but he grabs under one of the bears arms, and fucking tosses it into one of the stacks. He cackles like a madman as he stomps repeatedly on the bear''s head. The kids, during all this, have just been staring in shock at the scene before them. The bear swipes at the man, digging into his chest and throwing him towards them, blood arching through his flight. He rolls and bounces to his feet, turning towards them. ¡°Well kids, what¡¯re you standing around for? Start shooting!¡± he rushes the bear, meeting its charge before throwing it at them. They panic and scramble away from the several tons about to crush them, which they luckily avoid. ¡°You¡¯re fucking crazy!¡± Sasha screams before Alex hears her Raptor use up it¡¯s last shot. Alex levels her Tengu and starts blasting while Aki pumps his Ramus. The madman jumps onto the bear''s back, heedless of the bullets, and pulls out the pipe before stabbing the poor thing repeatedly. Alex¡¯s tengu clicks empty, and her left arm feels numb, she loads her last three bullets and keeps shooting. Soon Aki has to switch to his pistol as he runs out of shells. Sasha¡¯s¡­contributing with her pistol. The bear¡¯s still moving. Matter of fact it¡¯s healing. ¡°Nanites!¡± Aki yells. Alex curses, if that¡¯s the case her normal pistol ain¡¯t gonna do shit, she laments her fate and charges with her katana. The man¡¯s still laughing and stabbing as the bear tries to shake him off. Alex rushes to the bear''s side and starts hacking through furless flesh. There¡¯s little technique to it, it¡¯s not supposed to be used against animals, especially not gigantic lab experiments gone wrong. The bear tries to swipe at her while attempting to shake off the madman. Its split focus is the only reason Alex can dodge out of the way, but she doesn¡¯t stop cutting, she¡¯ll have to resharpen the blade after all this is done, but whatever she does, she can¡¯t stop cutting. Nanites can only be dealt with in three ways. One, rip out the core. Two, deal enough damage to overwhelm the nanites. Three, complete obliteration. Options one and three aren¡¯t feasible, leaving only option two. Which means she has to keep cutting while weaving around swipes. Aki and Sasha are shooting it with their pistols on the other side. Pussies. The madman jabs in a new spot every time, likely looking for the core, until the bear finally manages to shake him off. Alex has less than a second to dodge a swipe that comes faster than she can see. Somehow she manages, breathing heavy, ribs in agonizing pain as she¡¯s pretty sure she¡¯s reopened the wound. She backs up as the madman shoves his pipe down the bear''s throat and runs towards Aki and Sasha.¡°Gimme¡± he says before snatching both katana¡¯s from their scabbards, and rushing back to the bear. ¡°The fuck!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Alex honestly agrees with the madman in this instance, if you¡¯re not gonna use them you might as well give them to someone who will. Alex has never seen a two-sword style before, that takes advanced bionics or normal cybernetics to be feasible. Even then, it¡¯s still less practical than the normal style. Alex isn¡¯t surprised when he proves to be a horrendous swordsman, still, he manages to cut, and that¡¯s good enough for this fight. Alex joins the bloodbath on the other side taking turns kiting the bear as it tries and fails to kill one of them. The fight¡¯s pretty straightforward from there, they just keep cutting until, eventually, the bear falls, wounds no longer healing. ¡°Aaah meat, lovely, scrumptious, meat. How i¡¯ve missed you my darling¡± he throws away the katanas, leaving them to clatter on the ground, (which gets some yells from Sasha and Aki) and jams his fingers into one of the wounds before ripping off a piece and, well, eating it. ¡°Gross¡± Sasha scrunches up her nose, going to pick up her sword. ¡°Ih¡¯s dehlihshus thank¡¯uh¡¯you very mhuch!¡± he says with a mouth full of raw meat. Alex has noticed at this point that the wounds on his chest have healed, not a scar to be found. ¡°Who are you?¡± Aki asks in wonder. He swallows ¡°I, my good sir, am the magnanimous Micheal!¡± he takes another bite of raw meat while Alex starts cutting into the bear. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Sasha asks ¡°Looking for the core, that thing will net us more than this job by a lot, help me out¡± Alex says. ¡°You sure we should be doing that?¡± Aki points at the madman. ¡°Goh ahead,¡± he swallows, ¡°just leave the meat.¡± That¡¯s all the encouragement he needs as he starts digging through the corpse alongside Alex and Sasha. The core ended up being attached to its heart, it took them a while to find but eventually they managed. Aki took a picture and sent it to Ellie. Immediately he got a phone call. ¡°So¡± starts the madman ¡°what brings you here little gangers?¡± Alex just points at the bear. The madman arches an eyebrow ¡°You I can understand, but you¡¯re friends are kinda useless¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°They try¡± ¡°Fuck off!¡± The madman chuckles ¡°Oh to be young and stupid again. Kinda miss it, kinda don¡¯t¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Alex asks ¡°I already told you!¡± ¡°No, I mean who are you. Homeless people don¡¯t just walk around with nanite cores, or throw giant bears around¡± ¡°Trade secret¡± he says, ignoring the homeless comment ¡°But who knows! Maybe someday you¡¯ll find out, I have a feeling we¡¯ll be seeing each other again little monster¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a monster though?¡± He smiles a thin smile. ¡°Keep telling yourself that¡± Ch.13:Ribs ¡°This is the real deal¡± Kogen whistles ¡°High grade too, won¡¯t even find these on the black market¡± Ellie claps her hands ¡°Good, how soon can we get to installing it?¡± ¡°You sure you wanna do that? Whoever owns this is gonna be pissed¡± ¡°The previous owners can suck my left teet.¡± Ellie states simply ¡°Besides, that¡¯s what the blackmails for. Their little experiment disrupted a whole floor''s worth of drug running. All I have to do is point and the dragons will feast on their soon-to-be corpse¡± ¡°You know who set that thing loose?¡± Aki asks ¡°Nope! But I will if they make a fuss¡± ¡°And what about us? How do we know we¡¯re safe?¡± Sasha asks ¡°You¡¯re a ganger girl, you¡¯re never safe. But to answer the real question, I don¡¯t know! But there are no cameras on that floor, or the elevators, we made sure of that¡± ¡°What about in the city? We were covered in blood after leaving Gamma¡± ¡°Taken care of girlie¡± ¡°Since we¡¯re all asking questions, can I ask one that¡¯s a bit off topic?¡± Alex asks ¡°I¡¯ve a feeling I know what it is¡± ¡°Why¡¯d you lay claim to me?¡± Ellie¡¯s smile doesn¡¯t reach her eyes ¡°That¡¯s for me to know, and you to be grateful for¡± Alex freezes at the shift in demeanor. Ellie¡¯s smile widens as she looks up at Alex before moving on to the others. ¡°Now! Onto you¡¯re pay, it¡¯ll have to be adjusted¡± Ellie muses ¡°I¡¯m thinking fifty-thousand each¡± - The three of them were practically catatonic after that statement, to Ellie¡¯s endless amusement. They simply accepted their cred chips and were shooed out of the room. It was only halfway back to lost hope that they regained their senses. ¡°I¡¯m getting new eyes¡± Sasha resolved ¡°I¡¯m getting bionics for my ribcage¡± Alex stated ¡°Not your leg?¡± Aki asks ¡°Too expensive, besides¡± She pokes her wound ¡°I don¡¯t want to have to worry about getting shot in the lungs anymore¡± - After re-stocking their ammunition (by a lot), buying satchels to hold all the cylinders and shell magazines, and buying a new set of armor alongside the appropriate paint, they finally headed back to Lost Hope. ¡°Votes to make Aki paint the new armor¡± Sasha raises her hand. Alex joins her. Aki grumbled but acquiesced. - The ribcage and its interstitial muscles are surprisingly cheap to enhance, totalling up to forty-thousand for an above average upgrade focused mainly on defense. Which was odd to Alex once she found out, she was prepared to cheap out but apparently not a lot of people want stronger protection for their lungs and heart. People are dumb. Then again, most people don¡¯t have the kind of creds she¡¯s carrying right now, and those that do tend to go for cybernetics. Cheaper and overall better quality, but Alex decided to heed the advice of the dream-monster for once. Or should she just call it monster now? She¡¯s pretty sure it¡¯s real, considering all the oddities that¡¯ve happened since she received its ¡®gift¡¯. She¡¯s also pretty sure Micheal could see whatever mark was left by the monster, his ¡®little monster¡¯ comment wouldn¡¯t make sense otherwise. Convincing Sasha not to escort her here was a pain. As she enters the clinic, she¡¯s assaulted by the smell of antiseptic which causes her to sneeze. Ripper Docs generally don¡¯t need a dedicated clinic, but Flesh Maestroes do, they need rooms reserved for monitoring to make sure the body doesn¡¯t reject the new additions, and to let the patient recover. She¡¯s already informed Clarice that she¡¯ll be taking a week away from the orphanage. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Alex, I''m here for an appointment.¡± The lady at the front doesn¡¯t even spare her a glance ¡°room four, he¡¯ll be with you in a few minutes, leave your weapons in locker sixteen¡± Alex stands there awkwardly for a moment before heading off to the directed room. It doesn¡¯t take long for the Maestro to join her. ¡°Holy shit you¡¯re tall¡± He says ¡°aren¡¯t you supposed to be fifteen?¡± ¡°Well hello to you too¡± ¡°Oh, sorry, names Damian. You¡¯ll be in my care for the foreseeable future, now, I know you¡¯re excited to get your new additions, but first I just have one question¡± ¡°Ok¡­¡± ¡°Great. Now, are you being coerced and/or forced into this procedure?¡± ¡°No, does that happen often?¡± ¡°Solomon¡¯s Kingdom exists, so yes¡± - The bone implants don¡¯t need her to be put to sleep, which was a shame because it hurt like a bitch. They had to jab into each bone and slowly drip feed some sort of mixture that¡¯ll apparently strengthen her bones through osmosis. Apparently some people go for multiple seasons, although the effectiveness drops the more of the weird magic liquid your bones absorb. The sternum was straightforward, the ribs were not. He had to angle each infusion in a unique way so that he didn¡¯t accidentally jab between the ribs. Apparently her procedure at the hospital was extremely complex because her bones were shattered beyond repair.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Anyway, now that that''s over, it¡¯s time to get to the real surgery. Damian pushed a syringe¡¯s worth of anaesthetic through an IV. Now, she just has to wait. Huh, her brain feels tingly- - Alex woke up to excruciating pain. Unfortunately she didn¡¯t add painkillers to the package, It cost five-thousand creds! The fuck do they think she is, rich? Though to be fair she did blow eight times that amount to improve her ribcage, little do they know that was most of her money. Is she dumb for spending most of her money almost immediately? No, this¡¯ll keep her alive, it was definitely worth it. Definitely. The curtain of her room slides open, revealing a girl who can¡¯t be older than Alex, next to her is a vitals machine. Alex recognizes them from her time in the hospital. ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± She exclaims, like it¡¯s some sort of surprise ¡°That¡¯s great! Let¡¯s get some vitals from you to make sure you¡¯re all preem.¡± ¡°Sorry, who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Anya!¡± ¡°And why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an apprentice Maestro, and i¡¯ll be your nurse for the next week, or until you feel like leaving¡± Alex gives her a look ¡°you¡¯re my nurse?¡± ¡°Yep!¡± - Alex wishes she could say time passed like a blur, but it really didn¡¯t. At least now she has a phone to keep her busy. She''s been scrolling through the news and watching shows for the past three days. The war didn¡¯t get much attention on the major news outlets, which isn¡¯t a surprise. Arthas tends to get ignored in the Euro-American Union, considered more as a city-state than an actual member. Mostly that¡¯s because of its inherent lawlessness, with the gangs and corporations holding a significant amount of power through ¡®donations¡¯ to the Arthran government. There¡¯s also the fact that the docks are the only real way in and out of the city, since the outskirts are teeming with nomads, only the more militaristic corporations can travel the roads. The docks are the main reason why The House is even relevant, most of their money coming from taxing those who use it, though officially the docks are owned by Ferrier inc., a company based in Europe that specialises in transportation over the high seas. While the major outlets don¡¯t have much to say, The Arthas Journal and Arthas Today have been covering it extensively. It¡¯s too early to tell, but estimates predict that The House stands little chance against the combined efforts of two gangs. The borders haven¡¯t changed but there¡¯s been a few targeted attacks. There¡¯s already been two attacks on Little Mexico, and that¡¯s deep enough in House territory to be concerning. It¡¯s probably going to end soon at this rate, with the House making concessions to stop the attacks. ¡°Alex!¡± Anya breaks her out of her contemplation ¡°Hello! How are you feeling? need me to get you anything?¡± ¡°Some pain killers would be nice¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be five-thousand creds!¡± ¡°Yeah, fuck you too¡± Anya giggles, ¡°Have you seen the news?¡± she asks. ¡°About the war?¡± ¡°No, no, silly. There¡¯s a Hurricane coming by! Category three, their calling it Alpha-16. It¡¯s already hit Orlando!¡± ¡°Why do you sound excited?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been in a hurricane before! I just moved here from St.Louis in the spring, I was worried we might not see any this year¡± ¡°If only¡± Alex grumbled ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, it''ll be fun!¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be a nuisance is what it¡¯ll be¡± - The Flesh Maestros decided to take the day off when Alpha-16 hit Arthas. The ¡®nurses¡¯ and support staff weren¡¯t so lucky. Something about not leaving the patients alone in case something happens. Alex can see the logic, but it feels a little shit to weather the storm all cozy at home while making everyone else stay in the clinic. For whatever reason, Anya decided to spend most of her time with Alex, only leaving occasionally to check on the other patients. That doesn¡¯t seem very professional, but Alex enjoys the company. Her phone hasn¡¯t been able to connect to the internet for about an hour now. ¡°So is it everything you imagined?¡± Alex asks ¡°Honestly it¡¯s kinda boring, do we just wait in here until the storm ends?¡± ¡°What¡¯d you think we¡¯d be doing, shooting at the clouds?¡± ¡°No, but the movies make it seem so much more dramatic¡± ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°Twelve, why?¡± ¡°That explains a lot¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Alex chuckles as Anya tries to curse her without actually using any curses, the girl is surprisingly sensitive about that stuff. Using ¡®crap¡¯ and ¡®frick¡¯ and all the other derivatives of not-swears, she doesn¡¯t seem to mind when Alex curses though so she tries not to tease her too much. ¡°The fucks a wanker-doodle?¡± ¡°You are!¡± - Anya actually cries a bit when Alex gets discharged from the clinic, Alex had decided to give the poor girl her number, from what she¡¯s seen (and heard) Anya doesn¡¯t seem to have many friends. Alex kind of wanted to stay longer, not for the company, although it was nice, but because her ribs still ache. She¡¯s pretty sure a weeks not enough recovery for any bionic enhancements, she wonders if anyone actually decides to leave early. The streets are mostly untouched from the hurricane, the buildings of all the southern coasts are designed to withstand the heavy winds and rainfall, and vendors simply packed up their stalls for the day before heading home. There are some thrill seekers who stay outside during hurricanes, but they are colloquially termed ¡®dumbfucks¡¯. Alex wonders if Anya will ever do something stupid like that, considering her general excitement for the event. Passing through the entrance to Lost Hope she enters Clarice¡¯s Office. The woman glances at her before returning her focus to the computer. ¡°I¡¯m back. Where''s Roan?¡± ¡°Training¡± Alex cocks her head at that ¡°You sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡± ¡°Yes¡± ¡°You gonna tell me why?¡± ¡°No¡± ¡°Ooook then, he on the roof?¡± ¡°Should be¡± With that Alex takes her leave and climbs the stairwell up to the rooftop. Kendo is organized in three categories: novice, apprentice, and adept. It¡¯s based off the brackets in the annual tournament hosted by the Dragon himself. Attendance is mandatory, but to make sure it doesn¡¯t disrupt the normal dealings of the gang it¡¯s held over the course of May. The classes in Lost Hope are organised so that the higher your rank, the earlier you have to get up. Everyday is an hour of training (two for the adepts), an hour of gym, and an hour of history, algebra, or japanese, depending on the day. The rest of the time they have in the day is encouraged for either personal training or gang shit. Before Ellie, they occasionally got protection duty for loan sharks or drug deals. She opens the door to see the novice class lined up. ¡°Strike¡± Say¡¯s instructor Korin They bring their bokkens up to the sky then down in an overhead strike. ¡°Stab¡± Their bokkens become level with their heads as they pull back and thrust. ¡°Right slash¡± From left to right they sweep their bokkens in unison. It doesn¡¯t take long for Alex to find Roan, he¡¯s in the front, struggling to keep up with the rest of the class. He¡¯s not the only one, but Alex doesn¡¯t really care so she just ignores them. He¡¯s more filled out, that¡¯s true, especially considering his state when he first arrived. But he¡¯s still thin, and severely lacking in muscle. His short black hair is matted with sweat as his arms struggle with the sword. ¡°Ah Alex¡± says instructor Korin ¡°You¡¯ve come to observe your juniors? Admirable.¡± The whole class turns to stare at her, Roan waves excitedly, she gives a small wave back. ¡°I was just leaving instructor¡± Alex replied ¡°No need. I think it would be beneficial for the young ones to see a proper spar¡± Ch.14:Mercs Code ¡°Ow, fuck, it¡¯s like punching a wall¡± Sasha says, cradling her hand. ¡°I know! isn¡¯t it great?¡± Alex replies excitedly. ¡°You¡¯ll be an absolute menace in the brawls.¡± Alex cackles like a witch. ¡°You¡¯ll still be fucked if a high enough caliber shoots you¡± she adds Alex scowls ¡°Did you have to ruin my fun?¡± Sasha smiles ¡°Just making sure it doesn¡¯t get to your head. You are the stupid one after all, for all I know you¡¯ll shoot yourself with your Tengu just to test it out¡± ¡°I would not! Though maybe my old Leka, or the Pistol¡¯s I picked up from those two idiots¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t shoot yourself with any of your guns¡± ¡°Sure, sure. So, how''s the new eyes?¡± Alex points to a pair of eyes that match Clarice¡¯s with the extra pupils orbiting the centre of her iris. Though hers are pink rather than red. ¡°They¡¯re¡­interesting¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Not bad, just weird. I can see better, like you¡¯d expect, that¡¯s actually pretty cool. I can see the grains of synthetic wood if I focus hard enough. Depth perceptions fucking great too. It¡¯s just that controlling the pupils directly is a bit of pain, and the constant rotation¡¯s messing with my head. But I can connect to the net without a phone! It¡¯s like a bunch of holograms floating in my vision. Here, watch this.¡± Her eyes go yellow and Alex gets a call on her phone. It¡¯s Sasha. ¡°Hello?¡± Alex asks In response she gets something like a squeal ¡°It works!¡± she hears from her phone. Which is a little jarring considering she hasn¡¯t actually said anything. ¡°Damn that¡¯s creepy¡± ¡°Oh you¡¯re just jealous. I have forever phones in my eyes while you¡¯ve just got chunky ribs¡± ¡°I think I prefer the ribs¡± ¡°Well, you are the dumb one. So that¡¯s no surprise¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to punch you now¡± ¡°Wait! I take it back-¡± Alex punches Sasha in the face. - Alex is sulking. She¡¯s been banned from the turf wars. Something about bionics being an unfair advantage, which is bullshit, considering her leg¡¯s been enhanced for more than a few fights by this point. Well, at least she got to beat Li Chen to a pulp before they banned her. That was soothing. ¡°It¡¯ll be ok¡± Sasha pats her shoulder ¡°Wanna work it off with some sparring?¡± ¡°I want to mope¡± Alex grumbles ¡°Mopings not healthy¡± so says Aki ¡°How''d you figure that?¡± ¡°Internet¡± ¡°How does that even work?¡± Alex asks ¡°No idea¡± ¡°That brain of yours is full of half-formed knowledge isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Better than no knowledge¡± Alex scowls, ¡°honestly, this whole bit about calling me dumb¡¯s getting old guys¡± ¡°You should try to be smarter then¡± he nods to himself, as if he¡¯s imparted a grand piece of wisdom. Sasha glances between them a few times before frowning. ¡°Hey! Why aren¡¯t you punching him, you punched me.¡± ¡°You have a punchable face.¡± - sparring¡¯s been weird ever since beating Hiroshi. Somehow, if she stops focusing on the fight, or just lets her mind wander, she does better than when she¡¯s actually trying. Like a lot better. It¡¯s like her body just knows what to do, moving to its own beat in the rhythm of combat, like focusing was what was holding her back all along. Sasha, Danny, and Hiroshi all tried her new brand of combat only to get their asses beat. Sasha marks it up to divine bullshit much to the confusion of Danny and Hiroshi, and to Alex¡¯s amusement. But it¡¯s not like she¡¯s suddenly a savant, Hiroshi still wins some of their fights, but she wins most of them. It lit a fire under the boy as he started to double down on training, both of them going all out from the start to the end. He even has a begrudging respect for her now. It¡¯s nice. That and the fact that she can look him in the eye and maintain normal conversation. Apparently exposure therapy works. ¡°Me and Danny would like to join you in the gym¡± he said after one session, Alex accepted, getting a thumbs up from Sasha and a bemused expression from Danny. Their exercise routine is intense. Alex¡¯s pretty sure that¡¯s because of Danny. ¡°C¡¯mon you scrawny bitches. LIFT.THOSE.WEIGHTS.¡± She says as they pump iron.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Danny, if i have to tell you to shut up one more time, i¡¯m getting Korin to spar with you for a week¡± Instructor Minoru yells from across the gym. That threat actually works, and Danny starts whisper-yelling instead. - ¡°War is an interesting curiousity amongst the gangs. There has to be a balance to the violence. Right now the combined forces of the gangs can fight off any corporate attempts at a takeover of the city, but if we weaken ourselves we will be like lambs to the slaughter.¡± Instructor Talia says ¡°Wars of annihilation simply don¡¯t happen, once the gangs have a clear winner the loser will have to offer restitution in the form of land, drugs, or credits.¡± Talia pauses ¡°Though to have two gangs work together is rare, and for it to be the Kingdom and the Bastion is certainly interesting¡± she murmurs. Interesting¡¯s certainly a word for it, Alex muses. Those two are diametrically opposed, one side seeing cybernetics as the epitome of human evolution, and the other claiming it taints the soul beyond repair. That they can even sit in the same room together is a surprise, let alone fight together in a war. ¡°Though usually after a war, the corporations do some probing, they often find that we¡¯re as strong as we¡¯ve ever been.¡± Talia smirks ¡°Then they head back and hide in their Ivory towers like scared little lambs.¡± - Alex¡¯s doing something she never thought possible. She¡¯s hanging out with Hiroshi! Well, her group¡¯s hanging out with his group, but semantics are irrelevant to a young maidens heart. His group is composed of five, two adepts and three apprentices, Sasha¡¯s doing an admirable job of keeping most of them occupied with tales of their exploits while Aki¡¯s chatting up Danny, and failing upwards? ¡°So then he takes our katana¡¯s saying ¡®gimme¡¯, and runs at the bear, swinging our swords like a toddler¡± Danny¡¯s started crying from laughing too hard ¡°Oh good lord, I have to meet this idiot¡± Which leaves her to talk to Hiroshi. ¡°You¡¯ve been through some interesting ordeals¡± Hiroshi comments ¡°I¡¯m kind of impressed¡± Alex flushes a bit, ¡°don¡¯t be¡± she says before she can think better of it ¡°they haven¡¯t talked about the protection job¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Alex laments the fate her dumb mouth has subjected her too and explains that ordeal to him. ¡°That¡¯s not so bad¡± he says after she¡¯s finished Alex gives him a look ¡°they let us go out of pity!¡± ¡°Would you rather be dead?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Then count your blessings Alex, you took on a job that was beyond you and survived. Survival is all that matters in the end¡± He intones gravely Alex feels like there¡¯s a history there. She does the wise thing and doesn¡¯t prod. ¡°It¡¯s still embarrassing though¡± He nods ¡°and that embarrassment will stop you from making the same mistake.¡± She contemplates that ¡°I guess you¡¯re not wrong¡± He shrugs ¡°I try not to be, but no one¡¯s perfect¡± She disagrees with the last part of that statement. ¡°So Mr.Not Perfect, you owe me a story¡± He blushes ¡°well there was this one time I put a plastic tray in the oven¡± She blinks at that ¡°you put a plastic tray in an oven¡± she repeats. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice what it was made of¡± He says trying to regain his composure ¡°How?¡± ¡°I¡­didn¡¯t check¡± - Sasha taps her foot as the elevator climbs up the floors, her Raptor¡¯s slung over her back, while Aki is fiddling with the safety of his Ramus. Their anxiety¡¯s starting to infect Alex, who¡¯d been surprisingly calm at this point. ¡°Can you two stop? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re gonna kill ¡®em¡± ¡°They¡¯re still a merc¡±, Aki replies, ¡°hard not to be nervous¡± ¡°And we don¡¯t have divine intervention on our side¡± Sasha adds Alex sighs ¡°If you guys want I can take the lead on this one¡± ¡°Absolutely not¡± ¡°no¡± ¡°Thanks for the vote of confidence¡± she mumbles ¡°Though maybe you could knock on the door¡± Aki says She gives him a curious look. ¡°Well, if he shoots through the door, you¡¯re the only one who can tell beforehand¡± She contemplates that and shrugs ¡°sure¡± The elevator opens to a hall of doors, there¡¯s a nice red carpet stretched out along the floor and the walls are painted white. They move past a few doors before reaching room 413 and knock. They can hear the clattering of silverware on plates and the shuffling of feet soon after, a door is opened then shut, then the peephole opens. ¡°What do you want?¡± says a gruff voice. ¡°Ellie sent us to talk¡± Aki replies There¡¯s a pause at that, before deadbolts are freed and locks are opened. The door opens to reveal a man in a blue dress shirt and black jeans. In his hand is a modified Khan, pointed at the floor. ¡°I never told her where I live¡± there¡¯s an edge to his voice. ¡°It¡¯s the age of camera¡¯s and technology Mr.Jones¡± Aki replies ¡°It¡¯s also common decency not to snoop on your business partners¡± He replies Aki shrugs ¡°there isn¡¯t much you can do about it¡± He squints at the boy ¡°not the best introduction kid¡± ¡°Better that you understand your position than for us to be friends¡± He rubs his temple ¡°fine, get in¡± He moves out of the way and they gingerly step inside, sitting on one of the couches in the living area as the man heads over to his fridge. ¡°Beer?¡± he asks They all give an affirmative and he grabs four cans, placing them on the table between them before sitting across from them, cracking open his beer and taking a sip. His eye¡¯s don¡¯t leave them as he does and his Khan is resting on his lap. They crack open their own beers and start drinking, Sasha lets out a belch which the man rolls his eyes at. ¡°So, why did the red bitch send kids to my doorstep?¡± he asks Aki puts down his beer, ignoring the ¡®red bitch¡¯ comment, they were warned he was crass ¡°you¡¯re on a job to investigate Kuruki tech.¡± The man nods slowly and takes another sip of his drink. Aki gathers his wits, ¡°Ellie wants you to stop¡± He sits there, staring through them, then takes a sip of his beer. ¡°So the Dragon¡¯s in bed with Kuruki, a little on the nose don¡¯t you think?¡± He says. ¡°We¡¯re willing to pay up to one-hundred thousand creds¡± Aki say¡¯s, slipping a cred chip out of his pocket and slighting it across the table ¡°You can check its validity¡± The man grabs the chip and slides it into an access port on his neck. They sit in silence. ¡°Alright¡± he says ¡°I can do that¡± He goes to get up but sits back down when Aki raises a hand. ¡°We¡¯re willing to give another hundred-thousand¡± Aki say¡¯s, but the man glowers instead of looking happy ¡°If you tell us who hired you.¡± The man scowls ¡°mercs code kid, we don¡¯t fuck over our clients¡± Aki smiles as though that were expected ¡°I¡¯m sure your family would be proud to hear you¡¯ve stuck to some morals¡± His face darkens and he starts tapping his Khan to the table ¡°you looking to die kid?¡± Aki''s smile widens and he shrugs ¡°Go ahead. It would be your funeral Mr.Jones; And a few others¡± The only sound in the room is the tapping of the Khan against the table. ¡°Salamander¡± he says ¡°now hand over the chip.¡± - ¡°Sweet mother of God, my heart¡± Aki says breathlessly ¡°I can¡¯t believe I just did that.¡± ¡°I thought we were dead, honestly¡± Alex says. ¡°Same¡± Sasha agrees. Ch.15:Crunch Crunch ¡°Three servings of Caleilonie and baklava please¡± Alex says as she and her friends enter the stall ¡°Ah fuck¡± Fadi says ¡°the brats multiplied¡± ¡°Just showing my friends the wonders of arab cuisine!¡± He shrugs ¡°more customers for me I guess¡± Alex, Sasha, and Aki all sit on the stools by the countertop as they wait for their food. ¡°This better be as good as you say it is¡± Sasha says ¡°I¡¯m missing out on a new episode of Galaxy Frontier for this¡± ¡°You can just stream it¡± Alex says ¡°It¡¯s not the same! I¡¯m gonna be late for all the discussions¡± ¡°Don¡¯t those sites just make you angry?¡± Aki asks ¡°Only because theorycrafters are a bunch of pussy ass bitches¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you theorycraft?¡± Alex asks ¡°I predict! It¡¯s different¡± ¡°Suuuure¡± ¡°Fuck you Alex, all you watch is romcoms¡± ¡°They¡¯re entertaining¡± ¡°They all follow the same plot! There¡¯s no fucking variety. Well, except for A borg and their mate, but that one was just weird¡± Alex shivers ¡°The less said about that movie, the better¡± ¡°What? What¡¯s it about?¡± Aki asks. ¡°It¡¯s a love story between a borg and a wolf¡± Sasha explains ¡°Like, a werewolf?¡± ¡°No¡± Aki starts contemplating ¡°So was the borg a dude or¡­¡± ¡°Both¡± - ¡°But why did it have so much sugar? I can feel my teeth rotting as we speak¡± Aki says. Alex shrugs ¡°Sugar good, add more, food better¡± she explains simply. ¡°Are all middle eastern sweets like that?¡± ¡°Some are worse, there¡¯s one that¡¯s just solidified cane sugar, can¡¯t recall what it¡¯s called off the top of my head though.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not too bad honestly, in moderation¡± Sasha says. ¡°That can be said about literally any food.¡± ¡°You can never have too much lettuce.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you can, it just takes a lot,¡± Aki says. ¡°If it¡¯s more than your stomach can fill, it doesn¡¯t count¡± - Lucas is having a weird day. He¡¯s decided this fact because he hasn¡¯t killed anyone. In the middle of a war! Everyday they just gave him targets and he picked whichever one he felt like mowing down. Then came the blood, and the screams. Borg screams are actually kinda funny, they all modify their voice to sound more robot-y so when he kills them slowly they sound like a DJ¡¯s nightmare. But today he has to stay in one of the safehouses, no violence for him, no sir. It¡¯s okay, he¡¯ll play the part of a good little doggy and not tug on his leash. But, fuck, is it boring. There are others here, but he doesn¡¯t feel like talking to them. He likes the smell of fear in small doses but these people positively reek of it. It¡¯s fucking pathetic is what it is, what¡¯s there to be afraid of, the war? That¡¯s just business as usual. Him? Okay that¡¯s kinda fair, but still! It¡¯s rude! He¡¯s gotten tired of their scent, so when something new invades his nostrils he homes in on it like those missiles from the old world he¡¯s heard so much about. What he finds absolutely delights him. ¡°Takeshi! It¡¯s been so long, how¡¯re the kids?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sixteen Lucas, I don¡¯t have kids¡± ¡°You will one of the times I ask you¡± Takeshi groans and Lucas can smell the stress on the kid lessen. Just a little. ¡°Is it too much to ask for you to be serious?¡± he asks ¡°I¡¯m always serious! I just have a different interpretation of it¡± ¡°So you admit you¡¯re insane¡± ¡°No comment!¡± Takeshi just sighs as he walks further into the safehouse, a few House members stiffen up at the sight of him, but Lucas isn¡¯t concerned. If he¡¯s here that means the higher ups trust him. The boy¡¯s wearing his full suit too, black tuxedo with a red tie over a black dress-shirt. On his finger is a ring. It¡¯s a very important ring. ¡°So what brings you here my dear lad?¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Takeshi looks at Lucas ¡°Don¡¯t call me lad¡± he says before sighing at Lucas¡¯s puppy dog eyes ¡°This war has gone on for too long, father wants to¡­tip the scales¡± Lucas'' eyes light up like a kid on christmas day ¡°Are the dragons joining?¡± he asks excitedly. ¡°No¡± Takeshi denies instantly ¡°But we will be providing¡­Logistical support. I am to organize what comes in through my clan while you are to protect me.¡± Oh joy, time with Takeshi is always fun! He¡¯s almost not disappointed by the fact that his spree will probably end here. - Roan doesn¡¯t know how to feel about his life right now. Gangs are bad, he knows that because they took away his mommy and papi, and left him to starve on the streets. Then there were the beatings, they were fairly frequent, and all done by gangers. So that¡¯s been his motto. Gangs are bad. He¡¯s been proven right time and time again. But then he met the strange girl who just knew where he was. She offered him food, all he had to do was follow. He did not believe her, but he went anyway for a fairly simple reason. They all had guns. Guns kill, quicker than you can think. Roan did not want to die. Then a group of stupid people decided to threaten them. They blew off the leader''s head, and the girl with pink hair cut down one of the people who charged her and beat the other with her gun until he was on his knees. The boy just turned another ganger to mist before a man tackled him to the ground. Then the strange girl cut open the man''s neck, and blood flew everywhere. So, so much blood. The most blood he¡¯d ever seen. No one bothered them after that, no one dared. Roan was pretty sure he was going to die, this all being some twisted joke by a group of gangers. He repeated his motto like a prayer. Gangs are bad Gangs are bad Gangs are bad Then they gave him food, gave him a bed and a roof. They taught him how to speak with his hands, and how to write, and now they are teaching him how to fight. Roan is not stupid, he knows this kindness comes with expectations. Gangs are bad, after all But maybe the strange girl and the stern woman are exceptions to the rule. - ¡°-so i threatened his family to get the information we needed¡± Akihiro says Ellie tilts her head to one side, then to the other as she regards her newest interest. Somehow he is both stupid and smart. He knows what makes people tick, and can read between the lines, what he does with that information though is¡­questionable ¡°You went as my messenger and threatened his family?¡± Ellie¡¯s voice is cold and level, her eyes seering holes through the boy''s skull. She¡¯s not actually angry with his bluff, it was pretty basic all things considered, but that doesn¡¯t mean she should encourage stupid decisions. That and she¡¯s going to have to find some way to compensate Trevor Jones, which is enough of a pain in the ass that she is actually a little angry. Akihiro pales, his eyes widen and blah blah blah. Honestly, being one of the dragons fingers can get so predictable. For example, if at least half his brain is functioning then he¡¯d know that talking right now would be supremely stupid. So he doesn¡¯t. She sighs. ¡°Did you at least get the client''s name?¡± ¡°Salamander Ballistics, Ma¡¯m¡± ¡°Even I could have figured that out with enough digging, did you get a name¡± He goes quiet at that. Ellie slowly claps for him, every clap seeming to physically hurt the boy. ¡°Congratulations¡± Ellie says ¡°you¡¯ve been played¡± - Dreams. Such a nebulous thing, where reason goes to die and the absurd makes its home. There¡¯s so much potential in dreaming that gets squandered because the common masses use something as banal as logic to find meaning in the madness. It takes a broken mind to interpret dreams. Even then, Rei isn¡¯t always right with her predictions. That¡¯s the nature of dreams, sometimes they just don¡¯t make sense, even to her. But her most recent dream isn¡¯t one of those, it¡¯s actually fairly simple. Three little midgets, the size of her palm, walk through a jungle, weaving through poisonous plants and predators poised to strike. They find a sleeping lion. They enter its mouth, and for a while nothing happens. Then they rip through the lion''s stomach with only two rising from the gore. A smile spreads across Rei¡¯s face. This is very, very good. - To wield the sword is to dance, it is a series of motions, a cadence that only the wielder understands. There is so much to something as simple as the blade, when two Masters fight it¡¯s as though the whole thing was choreographed. It is beautiful. For a long time he was the best among the adepts. The residents of lost hope no longer presented a challenge, even Danny couldn¡¯t keep up. Everything was just so easy. But come next May and he¡¯ll be able to participate in the annual tournament, that¡¯s what kept him going, kept him diligent, kept him focused. When he was assigned to train one of his juniors he thought it a decent opportunity to brush up on his foundations. A solid house needs solid foundations, after all. At first that¡¯s all it was, she wasn¡¯t anything impressive, perhaps she would have made adept properly come the end of the year if Korin wasn¡¯t such a bleeding heart. But who is he to question a Master? It went like that for a while, him teaching her through fire, ironing out the mistakes and actually finding a few tidbits that could help with his understanding of the blade. Then one day she beat him. Then she kept beating him. It had been a long time since he felt the thrill of combat, the adrenaline fueling action before the mind can register what is even happening. The instinct that was trained for so long being truly tested. It had been so long since he actually had a challenge. It was wonderful. - A giant cleans his gun with meticulous care and surprising precision, his rifle is easily the size of a person, but compared to him it is a simple rifle. There aren¡¯t that many guns that reach its size, and he had to get a custom order for this one. It¡¯s essentially an upscaled Oni, a simple thing from Taiy¨­, normally not all that noteworthy. It¡¯s just a rifle, but it¡¯s all he needs. ¡°Banzan¡± Say¡¯s a feminine voice to his right. He is broken from his reverie and has to hold back from blowing the woman''s head off. But that would be bad, he reminds himself. She¡¯s an ally, you don¡¯t shoot allies. Even if they have a tendency to annoy you. ¡°What?¡± He says with a bite he couldn¡¯t contain ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± The woman hesitates for a moment. ¡°We have a Job for you¡± Banzan sighs ¡°Who needs to die this time?¡± ¡°No one, there¡¯s just a curiosity that¡¯s emerged from Lost Hope that needs a¡­specialized eye¡± Banzan snorts ¡°You think a child would be of interest to us? We truly are scrapping at the bottom of the barrel these days¡± ¡°It is more than that Banzan¡± the woman says ¡°Micheal reported someone who''s been marked¡± Banzan hums ¡°and you don¡¯t want me to kill them?¡± The woman nods ¡°They don¡¯t seem dangerous at the moment, and they¡¯re perfectly sane¡± ¡°Those are usually the most dangerous¡± ¡°She is a child, she is as dangerous as a dog with no teeth.¡± - Step step, go the boots over the pavement. Snap snap, goes the fingers against one another. Tink tink, goes the bat against the railing. Crunch crunch, goes the bone against the bat. A smile, not of sadism, but true joy, spreads across the killer''s face. She loves war. Ch.16:Executions ¡°And then I got to cut out his kidney!¡± Anya says excitedly ¡°with supervision of course, but still!¡± Alex chuckles ¡°look at you little Maestro, moving up in the world¡± she slurps her ramen before a thought crosses her mind ¡°you didn¡¯t cut up my rib cage did you?¡± ¡°Oh, no, muscles are too complicated for me right now, cutting them out and attaching new ones is one of the last things i¡¯ll learn¡± Alex breathes out a sigh of relief. ¡°Hey!¡± Anya exclaims. - Alex spits out some blood, ¡°Did you really have to hit that hard?¡± Korin shrugs, ¡°Pain is a better teacher than me¡± ¡°So you admit you suck?¡± ¡°Get into your stance girl¡± - ¡°AKI!¡± Sasha yells in the common area to the curses of the many children trying to sleep. The door to Aki¡¯s room opens to reveal an asian boy with some bad bed head ¡°If you don¡¯t have a good reason for waking me up, I¡¯m stabbing you with your own sword¡± ¡°Alex is being mean!¡± Alex just chuckles Aki groans ¡°what am I, you¡¯re mother?¡± Sasha¡¯s gaze is pleading, Aki sighs ¡°what did she do?¡± ¡°She put insta-glue in my shampoo!¡± Aki sighed then turned to Alex ¡°why?¡± he says simply Alex shrugs ¡°she was getting too into my love life¡± ¡°And you thought glue was a good idea?¡± ¡°It was a great idea¡± Aki groans ¡°I can¡¯t deal with this shit¡± before slamming his door. - Alex is getting paranoid. She¡¯s decided this fact because she keeps getting the sense that someone¡¯s watching her. Yet every time she looks there¡¯s no one there. ¡°You alright?¡± Hiroshi asks ¡°Yeah¡± Alex replies ¡°It¡¯s just¡­it¡¯s nothing¡± Hiroshi lowers his bokken ¡°voicing whatevers bothering you tends to make it easier to deal with¡± ¡°It¡¯s stupid¡± Alex mumbles He shrugs ¡°most things are¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­I get the feeling sometimes that i¡¯m being watched, but every time I look nothings there¡± Hiroshi ruminates on that. ¡°You¡¯ve been in many life threatening scenarios, maybe it¡¯s your body being over-cautious?¡± ¡°Yeah, maybe¡± - Roan¡¯s made some friends! They don¡¯t understand sign, so he has to write to them using a tablet, but still! ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you, you little munchkin you¡± she says while giving him a big bear hug, lifting him up from the ground. He taps her back. Reluctantly, she let him go. ¡°So¡± she says excitedly, ¡°what are their names?¡± Roan takes a moment to catch his breath before replying. {G-e-l-l-e-r} {A-i} {J-o-r-d-a-n} - Anya is so nice, so precious, so naive. It hurts Alex to know that Arthas will probably take those qualities away. Or at least hide them under a shell where nobody can hurt her. She wonders if St.Louis is really that peaceful, that it could produce such a creature as her. When Anya texted her to go shopping, she thought she developed the sense to buy a gun, but no, instead they¡¯re rifling through clothes. Although the looks she¡¯s getting from the other patrons is kinda funny. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s totally your style!¡± Anya says ¡°I can¡¯t wear blue, that¡¯s wolf colors¡± Alex responds Anya huffs ¡°Your gang rules are so stupid, how are you supposed to be fashionable if all you can wear is red and black¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it to be fashionable, just functional¡± Anya looks at her slack jawed and wide eyed like she¡¯d just cursed the name of God in a church. ¡°Alex¡± she says slowly ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°How big is your wardrobe?¡± she asks ¡°About three sets of clothes, and my armour, why?¡± Anya seems positively scandalized ¡°you don¡¯t even have a dress?¡± ¡°In what world would I need a dress¡± The shock has seemingly stunned the girl into silence. ¡°Hello, earth to Anya, anyone there?¡± She says while waving her arm in front of Anya¡¯s face. - Aki sighs ¡°I fold¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Sasha smiles wide as she wins, then they see her cards. She didn¡¯t even have a pair. ¡°This is bullshit¡± Alex grumbles ¡°I¡¯ve been working on my poker face,¡± Sasha chirps. - The laundry machines in Lost Hope have a strict schedule for who and when they get to use them. Alex get¡¯s Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. Considering how much they sweat regularly, they have to use any opportunity they can get to clean up. Luckily the showers are more numerous. Still it¡¯s boring to watch the noiseless machine clean her clothes at the speed of sound (not literally), she thanks her past self for getting a phone. While her clothes are washing she looks for any updates on the war from The Arthas Journal, apparently The House brought out one of their Walkers, signaling a major escalation. The Kingdom and Bastion members were absolutely decimated. But now higher ordinance is fair game. She wonders why The House hasn¡¯t offered restitution by this point. They don¡¯t plan to fight to the death, do they? - Alex has grown an inch! Now she stands at a proud six five, towering over all who seek to oppose her. ¡°Stop growing,¡± Clarice says simply. Alex nods. ¡°I¡¯ll get right on that, along with figuring out space travel¡± Clarice nods. ¡°Get on the scale,¡± she says. She does. It reads 244 pounds. Great! Tall and buff, truly, she¡¯s living the woman''s dream. Clarice groans ¡°What?¡± Alex asks ¡°You¡¯ll need more food¡± She grumbles - ¡°Fucking ¡®ell¡± Danny says ¡°you couldn¡¯t have gone easy on me?¡± Alex shrugs ¡°you¡¯re the one who wanted to spar¡± ¡°Yeah, spar, not get my ass beat! You need to learn how to hold back¡± Some heat reaches Alex¡¯s cheeks from that ¡°I can¡¯t really when i¡¯m in my flow-state¡± Danny groans ¡°you need to find a different name for that funky shit. Like killer instinct or something¡± Alex snorts, ¡°killer instinct? That just sounds like I¡¯m trying too hard to sound cool¡± ¡°Whatever it is you¡¯re doing, it¡¯s pretty fucking cool, you ever try it in a gunfight?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get into that many gunfights, and if it doesn¡¯t work I''d be very dead very quickly.¡± ¡°Shame. Welp, c¡¯mon, we¡¯re hitting the gym for my pride''s sake.¡± - Alex is trying so hard to play winggirl, wingwoman? She doesn¡¯t know, she¡¯s never done this before and she hopes Danny hasn¡¯t noticed her flaccid attempts at hooking her up with Aki. ¡°Sooo, you have anyone special on your mind?¡± Danny grunts, ¡°kind¡­of¡­busy¡­right¡­now¡± she says between reps ¡°Ok, but you can still talk. C¡¯mon Danny, spill the beans¡± ¡°No¡± ¡°No to spilling the beans, or to having a crush?¡± ¡°The¡­Latter¡± ¡°Awww, c¡¯mon, you can¡¯t think of anyone at all?¡± Danny places the barbell on the rack before turning to Alex. ¡°Just because you¡¯ve got the hots for Hiroshi, doesn¡¯t mean everyone else has to have someone to swoon over.¡± Alex blushes hard ¡°I-I don¡¯t think of Hiroshi that way!¡± she whisper-yells. Danny rolls her eyes ¡°oh, please, you wouldn¡¯t know subtlety if it shat in your mouth. Only reason Hiroshi hasn¡¯t noticed is cause he¡¯s dumb as rock when it comes to love¡± Alex opens and closes her mouth, then deflates ¡°am I really that obvious?¡± ¡°Yup¡± Danny replies, ¡°and Aki¡¯s cute, but he¡¯s not really my type.¡± Alex¡¯s self esteem just took some serious damage. - Alex has money, and with it she¡¯ll get a harder skull. As she enters Ghethers clinic for the second time, she greets the dismissive clerk and goes to her assigned room. This time they don¡¯t even need to move her to a surgery room, all she¡¯s getting is some injections. A surprising amount actually, apparently the jaw is two different bones? And the skull is segmented by fissures? She doesn¡¯t understand biology. If it doesn¡¯t help with gang life, it doesn¡¯t help at all. It is excruciatingly painful though, much more than the ribs. She¡¯s ashamed to say that they almost put her under sedation because of how much she was squirming. That would have cost too much for her sensibilities, so she buckled down and endured. Getting just bones enhanced is actually quite cheap compared to muscles, her whole skull was only fifteen thousand credits, her next enhancements going to be her spine, but that is much more expensive. Mostly ¡®cause they also have to modify the padding and joints between vertebrae or some such bullshit. Again, don¡¯t know shit about biology. She walks out of the clinic with a splitting headache and a big smile on her face. - Jobs for Ellie are mostly boring, besides a few outliers, most of what they do is delivery or collection. Pay¡¯s well though, and they have to start somewhere. As she presses her Laika and Tengu to two different skulls, she prepares herself for what¡¯s coming next. ¡°It¡¯s simple chink,¡± Aki says,¡±Just tell us who gave you the fancy equipment and you¡¯ll get to leave here hale and whole.¡± ¡°Sure¡± says the man ¡°I definitely believe you¡± ¡°I told you this was a bad idea Jerome, I fucking told you¡± says the panicking woman with a revolver pointed at her temple. Jerome doesn¡¯t respond. Aki nods at Alex. Breathe in, breathe out. The gunshot echoes through the apartment complex, and a man¡¯s lifeless body slumps to the ground. He was young, just old enough to be an adult with an awkward beard gracing his chin. He¡¯s wearing a white polo shirt along with some jeans. His hair is slicked back with too much oil and he¡¯s got tribal tattoos all along his left arm. The woman screams as he dies. The apartment complex isn¡¯t empty, someone probably heard both the gunshot and the scream. No one comes to interfere. At least one of them knows what was going on here, they reported them after all. ¡°Alright friend¡± Aki says ¡°Every time you don¡¯t answer the question one of your friends dies, you get to go last.¡± ¡°Please, Jerome please, just tell them¡± The woman begs Aki nods to the woman ¡°She¡¯s got the right idea friend, so?¡± Jerome is silent Aki sighs ¡°Kill her¡± he says. ¡°No,nonono please-¡± She stops talking. A corpse can¡¯t speak after all. ¡°Only one more friend¡± Aki say¡¯s ¡°What¡¯s it gonna be?¡± Sasha presses her raptor to the last man''s head. Silence. ¡°Fuck you Jerome! You mother-¡± ¡°And then there was one¡± Aki muses ¡°last chance¡± Jerome breathe¡¯s a shaky breath. ¡°Dominic White¡± he says ¡°of the coyotes¡± Aki nods ¡°and where might these coyotes be?¡± Another shaky breathe ¡°The abandoned mall on Fowlers Way¡± Aki smiles. Then he shoots him in the head. ¡°Fucking bastard¡± Sasha spits on his corpse ¡°Acting all stoic ¡®till it was his turn¡± Aki shrugs ¡°It¡¯s easy to be brave with other people''s lives¡± Alex doesn¡¯t hear the rest of the conversation, she¡¯s staring at the corpses. The man has a small hole with a small trail of blood leaking out of it. The woman is missing most of her temple. The Tengu is made to pierce through low-grade cybernetics, against regular flesh? It eviscerates. Tears stain the womans cheeks as blood pools under her. She thinks she hears glass breaking. Probably the others getting the job done. They had to kill them, they had to. Those who deal in Crystal have written their own death sentence. It¡¯s one of the few things the gangs agree on, Crystal and Demons Blood are not to be sold, ever. She almost feels bad for the coyotes, they sound like a small time gang, and now they''re going to get the full force of the Dragons bearing down on them. Someone shakes her shoulder. She turns to see Sasha ¡°C¡¯mon Alex,¡± she whispers,¡±let¡¯s go home¡± - {Play} Roan signs, bokken in hand. Alex gives a small smile ¡°Alright, just let me get out of my armor¡± {Meet on roof} he signs before running off ¡°He¡¯s a good kid¡± Aki says ¡°Yeah¡± Ch.17:Just Another Day Alex is starting to wonder how useful a katana is in battle, she¡¯s only actually used it twice, both times in Gamma floor twenty-one coincidentally. If she didn¡¯t blow all her money to become literally hard headed she might consider buying a rifle. Alas, it was not to be, and so she finds herself hiding behind a vending machine a little under-equipped. She can feel the bruises starting to form from where the SMG hit her armor. This wasn¡¯t supposed to go this way! It was just supposed to be a simple protection job for a simple drug deal. Who the fuck starts blasting ¡®cause the dealer doesn¡¯t want to haggle? A dealer who is now very dead, so she guesses they aren¡¯t getting paid. Fuck, she hopes the other¡¯s are okay, she just went for cover as soon as the shooting started, and now she¡¯s here, hiding behind a very sturdy vending machine. It sells chips. The shooting stops, she leaves her hiding spot and points her Tengu. She shoots. She misses. Fuck a cuck She takes her chances and shoots again, but he¡¯s already gotten into cover to reload in the safety of his little corner. Alex has to make a choice, she holsters her Tengu and charges past three corpses. Time to cut a bitch. She makes it to his corner just as he gets out of cover. She cuts off his hand, he screams but manages to shoot with the other one. She tries to weather the storm of bullets as she goes to strike again. She cuts off his head. It rolls on the ground with a thump, and Alex can feel the dents in her armor pushing against her skin. A lot of the bullets went through, but those were stopped by her ribs. Going to have to fix that, she thinks as she hears Aki¡¯s Ramus followed by a scream, later. She rushes down the corridor as the sound of gunfire intensifies. She turns to find be met with the backs of two idiots taking turns shooting with their pistols at the corner Aki¡¯s using for cover. There¡¯s a corpse between them. She walks slowly, the gunfire¡¯ll hide her footsteps but there¡¯s no reason to tempt fate. She shoves her blade through the back of one of them, then blasts the other in the chest with her Tengu. Gunfire is replaced with coughing and gurgling. She pulls out her blade from the woman''s back. ¡°Aki! It¡¯s clear¡± He edges out of his corner, and Alex is a bit miffed to find that his armor is barely scratched. ¡°Thanks¡± he says looking at her ¡°damn, you got shot up good¡± ¡°Fuck you¡± She say¡¯s ¡°Let¡¯s find Sasha before the adrenaline wears off.¡± - The gunfire from Sasha¡¯s corner of the school ended first, and Alex¡¯s is worried something happened since the girl didn¡¯t come help them. When she turns the corner she finds a sight she didn¡¯t expect, Sasha cleaning her Raptor over the bodies of five people. One of them is still alive, moaning in pain as his guts leak onto the floor. Alex stabs him in the throat and ends his misery. ¡°Sasha¡± Aki says. She keeps cleaning her gun. He walks towards her slowly ¡°Sasha¡± he says again. She keeps cleaning her gun. Aki puts his hand on her shoulder and shakes. She points her Raptor at his face. ¡°Woah woah, it¡¯s me, you don¡¯t want to shoot me¡± Aki says ¡°I hope¡± Sasha¡¯s quiet, then lowers her gun slowly. Tears well up in her eyes. Aki pulls her into a hug ¡°hey, it¡¯s okay, you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°I thought I was going to die¡± She chokes through tears and snot. ¡°You¡¯re okay, you¡¯re okay¡± he repeatsStolen novel; please report. Only then does Alex realize the state of Sasha¡¯s armor. It¡¯s almost as bad as hers, but she has no bionic enhancements. ¡°We need to get her to a doctor,¡± Alex says. ¡°Ok, yeah, that sounds good. C¡¯mon Sasha, let¡¯s get you patched up.¡± - Flesh Maestro¡¯s are the ideal candidates for post-battle injuries, but most of those only take appointments, and you can¡¯t exactly tell bullet wounds to kindly wait with all the blood loss. So they go to the next best thing, a Ripper Doc. Juliet doesn¡¯t really give a shit about patient privacy so she lets Alex watch as she binds the girl''s chest (Luckily none pierced through her lungs) and arm, after she picked and chose which bullets to remove. ¡°Why not take all of them?¡± Alex had asked ¡°If the bullets aren¡¯t in a joint, bone, or intestine it¡¯ll do more damage than its worth¡± Juliet replied without looking away from her work. After paying the woman they went on their way - To the surprise of everyone they did actually get paid. Not the full amount mind you, but a cool thousand creds is still a nice boost, especially considering her finances right now. Maybe she shouldn¡¯t get bionics right after she gets the money for it? Nah totally worth it. She¡¯s vindicated when a bat crashes into her skull and does absolutely nothing, well, except for a concussion from the whiplash. She¡¯s going to have to enhance her neck muscles if she wants to stop that. She turns to the man and tilts her eyebrow. ¡°Seriously?¡± she asks in the very public space, with a number of dragons in sight. He just swings again, she dodges, then punches him heavily in the sternum. He curls over and wheezes. She grabs his head and drives her unenhanced knee into his face. The man goes unconscious. ¡°That was just pathetic¡± - It¡¯s just another day in Lost hope. Alex went to all of her classes and now she¡¯s watching sports with a bunch of the other kids. Boxing¡¯s kinda lame, it¡¯s more about who has the better cybernetics than actual skill, but the tradition of watching two dudes beat each other is as old as humanity. Just another day. The two fighting, Terrance and Roland are fighting for the heavyweight championship. Each punch could tear off her head, literally, but they each take it without flinching and continue their barrage as they dodge and weave. Ok, maybe there¡¯s some skill, but it¡¯s mostly cybernetics. Just another day. Sasha and her decided to do some extra sparring, limber up the muscles and all that. Hiroshi and Danny joined them, and surprisingly enough so did Aki. They fought for a good while, Alex switching between her normal and her flow state. She wants to understand what she¡¯s doing differently, so that maybe she could apply it without needing to lose her focus. Just another day. They took a break, chatting it up on the rooftop. Danny rebuffed Aki¡¯s advances with a finesse that could only come from experience. Alex and Hiroshi have been talking fairly casually which is nice, Sasha fills in the gaps if the conversation stalls. Hiroshi¡¯s mostly interested in swordsmanship, which is cute, but he¡¯s amenable to other topics. It¡¯s just another day - The BumbleBee is pretty good against flesh, but any level of armor can usually stop most bullets. They¡¯re the same caliber as her Leka after all, and everyone in the orphanage gets that for reaching their tenth birthday. Still, it eats ammunition like nobody''s business, bullets for the BumbleBee are about two creds each. It can go through a hundred credits worth of bullets in the span of three seconds. Absolutely insane. She¡¯s still not gonna use it though, probably going to find a store to sell it too. Her Tengu costs her a hundred per shot, but each shot is a killshot, at least so far. That thing barely injured her. But first she needs to ask her friends. ¡°Hey Hiroshi, you want an SMG?¡± He raises an eyebrow at her, ¡°Is this from one of the adventures Ellie sends you on?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He rubs at his chin then shrugs, ¡°sure.¡± ¡°Sweet¡± - She can feel it again, that mammalian sense of being watched. But that can¡¯t be possible because she¡¯s in her room, where could someone hide? She rolls over on her bed. She finds nothing. - Alex is in the broken world, she¡¯s been here a few times since their first encounter, but the flesh-thing hasn¡¯t spoken to her since. She Just lays in the sand and waits for the semi-dream? Semi-dream, to end. It doesn¡¯t take long usually, just a few minutes. This time is different. You¡¯ve been busy, says the living flesh planet Alex shrugs ¡°I try¡± Indeed you do, how¡¯d you like our gift? ¡°It¡¯s weird¡± Alex says ¡°But it¡¯s saved me a few times, and I think it¡¯s making me good at the sword. What is it anyway? At first I thought it was some weird people finder, then it warned me about a gun pointed to my head. Now it¡¯s making me some sort of blade savant¡± Oh, we don¡¯t want to give it away, they say, It¡¯s more entertaining this way. Alex rolls her eyes, ¡°Well it¡¯s good to know you¡¯re amused at least¡± Indeed ¡°So you talking this time for a reason, or do you just feel chatty¡± Alex asks She gets the mental impression of a chuckle You haven¡¯t lost that insolence, even with the belief that we are real. Good, we like that. Keep that spark little Alex, and maybe someday it¡¯ll grow to be a bonfire. We want to talk to you because things are about to change, It says, we¡¯ve been watching Arthas ever since you gave us a NAME, and we have seen how soon the tides will change. ¡°What, you¡¯re a prophet now?¡± Alex scoffs We are old, and dabble in many¡­practices. Alex gets a sense of melancholy from the flesh planet. ¡°Touchy subject?¡± Hmmm, no, not anymore. ¡°Ok, can you tell me what exactly will change?¡± She asks. I can, but I won¡¯t. Alex scowls ¡°why not?¡± Growth comes from challenge child, if we tell you, we will stunt your growth. You want to be a ¡®Scar¡¯ yes? See this as an opportunity to prove yourself. Alex stares through the broken window, through the monstrosities, and at the planet ¡°It¡¯s that bad?¡± she asks. Bad is a relative term, to us it will mean nothing. To you? Well, you¡¯ll find out soon enough. Ch.18:Magic Alex can¡¯t focus. Which does absolute wonders for her swordsmanship, but for everything else? Yeah, not ideal. But can you blame her? She was told by some sort of greater being that things were about to get messy. Like, real messy. Scars are things of accumulated accolades, a single war might forge a few, but those are for particularly bad wars. And apparently what¡¯s coming could grant a fifteen-year old nobody their dreams of grandeur. So yeah, focus has been a bit of a challenge. For an entire week she¡¯s been waiting for something to happen, anything, but it¡¯s been business as usual. Well except for the fact that they haven¡¯t heard from Ellie but she¡¯s a bit flighty, so that¡¯s not a concern. She¡¯s starting to wonder if the flesh amalgam¡¯s just trolling her. - ¡°You know,¡± Aki starts, ¡°how close is ¡®soon¡¯ to a thing like what you¡¯ve described¡± Alex tilts her head, ¡°I never thought of that¡± ¡°Like it could mean years for all we know.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying I should just be ready for something ambiguous for the rest of my life?¡± ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s already happened!¡± Sasha adds dramatically ¡°like, whatevers supposed to cause the change, not the change itself.¡± ¡°True¡± Alex muses ¡°think it might have something to do with the war?¡± They both shrug. - Alex is fiddling with the soft metal of her bracelet, she never wears it, preferring to keep it safe in her room where at least the cameras can catch any would-be thief. Criminality is encouraged, but not against one of your own. She doesn¡¯t like looking at the little snake bracelet, it reminds her of Vicktor, and how he¡¯s probably dead. The war¡¯s officially entered its second month, and The House is losing badly. The gangs are things of millions, and full blown war involves everyone. Even the kids have to do their part. Viktor¡¯s probably got protection duty for supply transports. Tantalising targets for sabotage. The longest war between gangs was, funnily enough, between the Kingdom and the Bastion. It lasted three years, and kicked off the last Arthien war once the corporations saw weakness. They lost, but the aftermath saw mountains formed of corpses. Now gang wars don¡¯t go beyond a few weeks. But this ones different, and she doesn¡¯t know why. That¡¯s not what frustrates her though. What frustrates her is the fact that she can¡¯t do anything to help. Vicktor¡¯s a friend, sure, but he is not an ally, and in Arthas the latter matters more than the former. She just hopes he¡¯s ok. - Alex was having a perfectly normal day, she went to Fadi¡¯s stall, had some good food with good company and was on her way back home. Everything was going great. Until she got shot in the head. The bullet didn¡¯t pierce her skull, searing into her temple where it settled and stopped. She turnes to the shooter. ¡°What the fuck?¡± He shoots again and her head snaps back. She¡¯s not that bothered by a random shooting, that¡¯s just Arethas, she¡¯s more concerned about the fact she got no warning. Someone was aiming at her head, yet there were no magic tingles. She draws her katana, not really wanting to waste a hundred creds on some street fodder. She goes to cut him. He blocks with a baton. The fuck? It¡¯s a few more exchanges, all of which he blocked, until he shot her in the ribs. Which also did nothing, and also came with no warning. She goes for a jab to his abdomen, but he blocks with precision and skill. She keeps trying different targets and he keeps blocking. This is going nowhere. She draws her Tengu and shoots him in the dick. His scream is loud, and the surrounding audience lets out sympathetic ¡®oohs¡¯. He clutches at his lost manhood as she cuts off his head. ¡°This was so stupid¡± On the plus side he had a few thousand creds. - Alex¡¯s debated getting a new gun, something that punctures better than the Tengu and doesn¡¯t break her arm to use. This idea came from the fact that she literally took two bullets to the skull and came out fine. Only problem is the price. Her Tengu was around five hundred creds, pretty cheap considering its usefulness so far. But gun prices don¡¯t scale linearly with utility.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. An upgrade that¡¯s worthwhile would cost her four thousand creds minimum. Then there¡¯s the ammunition, that kind of firepower can range from two to five hundred a pop. She¡¯s not making the kind of money where that¡¯s a feasible primary. But she can use it in special scenarios. Like, say, if the Tengu doesn¡¯t pierce. Which leads us here, in the same gun store as last time. She¡¯s been eyeing a matte black Reison. It¡¯s a beautiful pistol, it looks heavy but she knows from a few videos that the recoil is much less extreme than her Tengu. It¡¯ll pierce through mid-grade cybernetics like regular flesh, she¡¯s just trying to justify the price. Seven thousand creds and six hundred per bullet. She only has enough to buy the gun and one bullet. But it¡¯s such a good gun for the price, and it¡¯ll punch through most people without a problem. She won¡¯t need to upgrade for a while either if she gets it. ¡°Not thinking of going for something heavier?¡± A voice behind her asks. She turns to find the shopkeeper standing behind her. His single chrome arm crossed with his ¡®ganic one. He nods his head over to the rifles section. ¡°I still want to use my katana in fights¡± She says, tapping on her trusty blade. The man snorts ¡°you¡¯d need high-grade cyberwear to survive all the bullets that¡¯ll come your way while trying to be fancy¡± She shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ll make it work¡± - ¡°Why in all that¡¯s good and holy would you buy a railgun?¡± Aki questions exasperated. Alex runs her hands along the barrel of her latest acquisition, ignoring Aki. ¡°How does it even work anyway¡± Sasha asks. Alex glances over and rattles her brain ¡°magnets maybe?¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound right,¡± Sasha replies. ¡°What am I, a scientist? It shoots real fast and hits real hard, what else does a girl need?¡± ¡°Common sense?¡± Aki says Alex continues to ignore him - Alex¡¯s finances are screaming at her right now. Not literally, that would be weird. She¡¯s hoping for a job from Ellie soon, and like a sign from the heavens¡­she gets jack shit. She had to spend two weeks being poor as a door, only surviving thanks to the vegetable curry of lost hope. It¡¯s meh. But something truly sacrilegious has happened, Alex has lost weight. Two pounds of muscle, gone. She literally weeped the loss before bed when she found out. Clarice seemed happy, the devil. She went harder on her workouts because of that, getting to the verge of tearing muscle before stopping. And then she lost more muscle. Fuck! She needs money to fund her babies. Look at them, all weak and flimsy. This cannot stand. ¡°When does Ellie get us our next job¡± Alex interrogated Aki, who put up his hands in a calming gesture and tried to back away from the very intense girl getting all up in his personal space. ¡°I don¡¯t know, we¡¯ll get them when we get them alright? It¡¯ll probably be soon¡± He tries to placate, it does not work. ¡°Ask her¡± Alex says. ¡°You want me to rush one of the Dragons Fingers?¡± He asks, now officially worried for Alex¡¯s sanity. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to then give me her number so that I can¡± ¡°Alex! That¡¯s even worse!¡± - No jobs, no money, no muscles. It¡¯s a simple equation, one her fool self didn¡¯t consider when buying the Very Nice Gun. No, all that was going through her mind was how she might need it to clown a cunt with too much protection, she didn¡¯t consider the consequences. She traded her guns for a gun. She was a fool, an eager fool who forgot the pains of being poor. She wants her muscles back. Five pounds! She¡¯s lost so much in so little time, it''s in this melancholy that she hears a knock on her door. Who dares to interrupt her moping!?! If it¡¯s Sasha she¡¯s punching her in the face, hell she¡¯d even punch Aki right now. She opens the door, and she is greeted by a mountain. The man waiting at her door is slouching because otherwise his head would punch through the ceiling. He¡¯s wearing grey, and doesn¡¯t look to be affiliated with any gangs. All the kids in the common area seem to be ignoring him. Alex scowls at his ridiculous muscles. ¡°Who are you, and why are you so buff?¡± He blinks, stares at her, then blinks again. ¡°Lots of exercise and lots of beef¡± he says in a voice that is deep, like multiple octaves below what should be possible kind of deep. Is there a neanderthal in front of her room? That would be interesting, aren¡¯t there only a few hundred in Arthas? ¡°Ooook, I''m assuming that means you won¡¯t tell me who you are?¡± He nods ¡°Cool¡± She shuts the door. There is a knock. She ignores it. There is a knock. She ignores it. There is a series of knocks playing to the melody of a song, a song she recognizes. She opens the door. ¡°The fuck do you want?¡± she asks ¡°To talk¡± ¡°What on God''s green earth would a giant want to talk about with me?¡± ¡°Funny, we¡¯re actually going to talk about gods, specifically the one that left its mark on you¡± Oh, oh this might be very bad, she just realized. What did the Flesh monster say about those who could see it¡¯s mark? Something about violence, and her guns are in her cabinets. This is not good. ¡°Ok¡± she says slowly ¡°Can I come inside?¡± he asks ¡°No¡± He shrugs and sits cross-legged in front of her door. No one seems to care about the giant amongst them, going through their day as though he weren¡¯t there. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She asks. He stares at her, and then he is gone, and nothing is there. Was there something there? Weird, she could have sworn she was talking to someone- A giant- Oh Oh fuck that¡¯s cool ¡°Slipping between realities¡± he says ¡°expensive, but useful¡± She looks at him in wonder ¡°so can you like, break someone¡¯s neck without them knowing?¡± He shakes his head, ¡°I cannot interact with someone who isn¡¯t on the same plane as me, now, a question for a question. What did you find to give you that¡± He points at her forehead She¡¯s¡­hesitant, whoever this is seems advanced in the arcane, if that¡¯s an applicable word to what she just witnessed. She decides that she can¡¯t come up with a convincing lie on the spot. She should have thought of this beforehand. ¡°I was in a desert of purple sand¡± She said ¡°smelled like lemons and tasted like mango-¡± he raises an eyebrow ¡°-and in the sky was a kind of window, or a break into another place. Somewhere where a planet made of flesh created monsters to fight and eat each other. It talked to me.¡± He stares at her ¡°ask your question.¡± She nods excitedly ¡°How are you talking to me if you''re on a different plane?¡± A small smile spreads across his features ¡°There is a shared reality, that is the one we all participate in. But each person has their own personal reality that can be accessed¡± She nods and waits. ¡°What did it tell you?¡± She hesitates, ¡°I don¡¯t really remember the first conversation, mostly it was happy I wasn¡¯t freaking out and amused I was being cheeky¡± He gives her a sharp look ¡°the first conversation?¡± She nods slowly ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been back there occasionally but most of the time it doesn¡¯t talk. A few weeks ago it told me that something serious was coming¡± He stares hard at her. She chooses to ask her question ¡°who are you?¡± He keeps staring, ¡°Banzan.¡± Ch.19:Migrane Turns out there¡¯s a magical society settled in the underground of Arthas, who¡¯d¡¯ve thunk? Banzan seemed pretty open about the information, probably because if she actually told anyone they¡¯d think she¡¯s crazy. She¡¯s still going to tell her friends though, in due time. For now, she¡¯s training. According to Banzan, magic doesn¡¯t have a limit, and the more you use it the stronger it gets. Like a muscle, but without the plateau. So, that leads her here, sparring with Hiroshi like a madwoman. He was amenable enough to the idea of extracurricular sparring, seemed a bit excited even. His swordsmanship has soared since the start of their spars, now winning at least half of their bouts and climbing. Her magic, she¡¯s determined, doesn¡¯t actually make her better at sword fighting. It just tells her what her opponent will do and takes from her knowledge to give the perfect answer, or as close to perfect as possible. What it doesn¡¯t do is help her learn, and considering she needs to be unfocused to get it to work, she¡¯s barely learned anything since she started this routine. Still, she¡¯s training magic, not becoming a sword saint, so it''s good enough. That and Hiroshi seems ecstatic at the prospect of fighting her at her best, which makes her heart do little flips. This routine goes on for three days before they¡¯re interrupted. ¡°Stop¡± says an authoritative voice ¡°what are you doing?¡± They both turn to see a tall and lanky man looking them over with a critical eye. ¡°Sparring, instructor¡± Hiroshi replies ¡°we thought to polish our skills during our free time¡± Korin takes a deep breath, and lets it out slowly through his nose ¡°and I see you thought it wise then, to not give your body rest from the exertion and bruises?¡± Alex raises a brow, ¡°aren¡¯t you all spartan when it comes to training?¡± ¡°Within limits¡± He hisses ¡°I train you to build yourselves up. What you are doing will cause you both to break given enough time. You need to rest¡± Hiroshi bows ¡°We¡¯ll keep that in mind instructor¡± The man sighs ¡°I hope that you do boy¡± - Unfortunately, Hiroshi takes the advice of Instructor Korin like doctrine, so they¡¯ve had to reduce their extracurricular sparring to only an hour a day. Ah well, training is training, shame that her other friends refuse to partake. ¡°Absolutely not¡± Aki says. ¡°But whyyy?¡± Alex questions. ¡°I have no intention of being your punching bag.¡± He says. Alex turns to Sasha with puppy dog eyes. ¡°Sorry Alex, I¡¯m with Aki. Keep your spartan shit as far away as possible.¡± She says Alex grumbles and mumbles expletives, something along the lines of ¡®pussy ass bitches¡¯. ¡°Why have you gotten so intense with training anyway?¡± Aki asks ¡°I mean, you¡¯ve always been a muscle head but this is next level.¡± ¡°Building up my magic¡± Alex replies instantly. Aki raises a brow ¡°you can do that?¡± Alex looks at him shocked ¡°I haven¡¯t told you?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t talked to either of us since you started your crusade to self-destruction¡± - After telling them about her encounter with Banzan, Aki and Sasha have gone into a contemplative silence. That and they¡¯ve gotten a few weird looks from the other kids in the common area. Alex and her friends have been labeled as slightly crazy by the others with how seriously they take magic, Alex doesn¡¯t exactly keep it a secret. ¡°He didn¡¯t have his own mark?¡± Aki finally asks. Alex shakes her head ¡°not according to what he told me, apparently most of their members don¡¯t.¡± ¡°You think we can learn magic then?¡± he asks. Alex shrugs ¡°I don¡¯t see why not¡± ¡°Think you could ask him to teach us next time you see him?¡± Alex scowls ¡°I can just teach you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve said so yourself, you don¡¯t really know what you¡¯re doing. It just happens¡± Aki points out Alex scowls harder ¡°doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t teach you¡± - It does, in fact, mean she can¡¯t teach them. That or she¡¯s a horrible teacher but Alex chooses not to contemplate that. Then again they didn¡¯t try for very long, courtesy of getting hit a lot while trying to copy her brand of magic. Maybe if they weren¡¯t quitters they¡¯d have cool ass magic powers too.Stolen story; please report. She promised she¡¯d ask Banzan to be their teacher if she sees him again. - Alex is trying to move objects, but not with the mundane methods of picking shit up and placing it somewhere, no, she¡¯s trying to move shit with her mind! She decided to try other methods of accessing the mystical realm of magic, mostly ¡®cause she can¡¯t train all day anymore. It has very little success so far, but it¡¯s not a complete waste of time. She managed to nudge her pencil forward! It was only once, but still! It was also half an hour ago. She¡¯s trying to figure out how the fuck she did it. It didn¡¯t feel like she was taking energy from wherever the fuck it comes from and manipulating it, it felt like she was moving a pencil. Like what you¡¯d do with your hands, except without hands. She was kinda hoping to reverse engineer magic by finding out how to manipulate the juice. No dice unfortunately. She keeps staring at the pencil. ¡°What on the blessed earth of our lord Yaldaboath are you doing¡± says a voice behind her. Alex turns to find Sasha standing between her doorframe ¡°The fuck is a Yaldaboath?¡± ¡°A variation of the christian god, real funky history on that one. Don¡¯t think they''re real, mostly ¡®cause their mother¡¯s called Sophia.¡± Alex scrutinizes the pink haired-wait her roots are going back to their natural brown, when did that happen? ¡°You don¡¯t believe in a god because their mother¡¯s named Sophia¡± She says incredulously ¡°It¡¯s a very American name, ok!¡± ¡°You realize some gods can supposedly see into the future right? Maybe she just picked a name that suited her fancy¡± Sasha tilts her head to the right, ¡°huh, I hadn¡¯t thought of that¡± Sasha tilts her head to the left, ¡°so, what are you doing?¡± Alex points to her pencil ¡°I¡¯m trying to move this¡± she says dramatically ¡°with my mind.¡± Sasha just nods ¡°cool¡± she says ¡°wanna rob some fools?¡± ¡°Bet¡± - Alex¡¯s starting to get headaches, nothing unbearable, but it¡¯s been a consistent annoyance for the past few days. Alex assumes it has something to do with her magic juju, which means she¡¯s doing something right. It¡¯s supposed to be like a muscle! And you only know you¡¯ve worked a muscle when it¡¯s in pain. That or you tore it, but Alex chooses to believe the burganing headache is a good thing. Unfortunately, that means she has to rest. She doesn¡¯t know how much her special sauce can take before it goes from beneficial to harmful, so for now she¡¯s stopping when she feels a headache coming on. She¡¯s been able to move the pencil a few times, little nudges, but nudges all the same. Movement is all she needs for vindication. Interestingly, if she imagines it more as a hand than an ephemeral force, the nudge rate per hour is about ten, which is a marked improvement. But for now, rest. ¡°AKI!¡± she yells out in the common room. Grumbles and mumbles pervade as eardrums are assaulted. A few in Lost Hope have tympanic enhancements, but only those like Alex, who¡¯ve found a boss to get jobs from, can afford such things. Everyone else has to be content with their stipend. No one comes to her call. She marches over to Aki¡¯s room and swings the door open. No one is there. Huh. - The headaches come more frequently as she gets better at nudging her pencil, and with more intensity. The past week has been a constant routine of moving the pencil back and forth. She can do it on command now! Rest you say? What the fuck else is there to do? She can¡¯t go to any bars with Sasha cause she¡¯s flat broke, the small bump in her finances from robbing a few people already gone. Aki¡¯s going somewhere after classes and comes back looking slightly tired come night. She has a feeling it has something to do with Ellie but she hasn¡¯t asked, that would be rude. She could go pump some iron with Sasha and/or Danny though. Hmmmm¡­yeah she¡¯ll go do that. - Alex doesn¡¯t really do walks, but because she has fuck all to do, and her headache has officially been upgraded to migraine, she¡¯s decided to join Sasha on one of her leisure walks through the city. ¡°What do you even get out of this¡± Alex grumbles, slightly moody from the very painful throbbing of her brain. Sasha looks at her and shrugs ¡°It¡¯s calming¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Well no, it¡¯s also nice to look at, and walks are good for you¡± ¡°That¡¯s only if you don¡¯t exercise¡± ¡°False¡± ¡°Fact¡± She gives Alex a slight thump on the head and runs. ¡°You bitch!¡± Alex says, chasing after her. - It¡¯s been another month, and still no jobs from Ellie, her inhibitions about asking Aki what the fuck is going on dwindles by the day. So she decided to intercept him after algebra today, grabbing his shoulder before he can head off to wherever the fuck he¡¯s been going to. ¡°Aki¡± she says gravely. He turns slowly and looks her in the eye ¡°Yes?¡± he says, slow and cautious. ¡°Where ya going?¡± she asks. His eyes dart around to the gathering crowd ¡°I can¡¯t say¡± he says. ¡°Does it have anything to do with Ellie?¡± He gulps ¡°no¡± he lies. A small smile plays across Alex¡¯s features, all sweetness and not a hint of malice, ¡°are you sure?¡± she asks again. ¡°Alex¡± he says her name like he¡¯s trying to calm down a beaver ¡°we¡¯ll get jobs, then you can get your money, okay? It¡¯ll just take a little while longer¡± Alex¡¯s smile doesn¡¯t change ¡°I¡¯ve lost ten pounds Aki, ten pounds of muscle, gone¡± she says ¡°It¡¯s been a month, i¡¯m debating whether I should start peddling drugs again¡± He gives her a concerned look ¡°It¡¯ll just be a little while, I promise. Ellie has a big one lined up for us, you just have to be patient¡± Alex deflates ¡°fine.¡± - She can make the pencil roll now! Yay! Huzzah! Tallyho! All she has to do is sacrifice her will to live as the mother of all migraines fucks her brain raw. She rolls it again. Arrgh, fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. Why did she do that? Oh lord in heaven-if there is a heaven-why in the fuck did you make magic. All it¡¯s good for is pain, pain, and more pain. Jesus fucking christ it hurts She rolls it again. Ha, hahaha, FUCK. Oh fuck a cuck with a duck, all that she is is pain, everything that encapsulates her being is focused on her brain as it signals for her to stop. So she rolls it again. She goes unconscious Ch.20:Pink She does not know where she is. Not exactly a surprise, she¡¯s always had a poor sense of direction;but there¡¯s getting lost in the city, with its myriad- Wait, she¡¯s done this before. Where has she done this before? It doesn¡¯t seem like the same place, but she doesn¡¯t really remember much beyond the pain. So much pain. Somehow she knows it was her fault that she¡¯s here, wherever here is. She¡¯s in a room of pink, sitting on a chair with some cutsie chains wrapped around her to keep her from moving. She looks right. There¡¯s a bed, it too, is pink. There¡¯s a plushie of a unicorn on the bed. She looks left, there¡¯s a door. It opens. A grumbling old man walks through, his suit a dapper pink, but hair and eyes being rather normal. He has a slight stubble that¡¯s just at the point of being awkward. ¡°You need to shave¡± She says ¡°And you need to learn restraint¡± He says in a language that is all in one and one in all. It echoes throughout the room like the sound itself has life it does not want to lose, it just keeps going and going, until it stops. He didn¡¯t open his mouth but he did, she saw him, but he couldn¡¯t have, it was closed. But it was open? She looks at whatever the fuck just spoke and speaks herself. ¡°I¡¯m in trouble aren¡¯t I?¡± He grunts, and it is the sound of a church bell with the power of a jingle as he sits down across from her. He fumbles through a few papers before finding one and sliding it across the table. It has a shit ton of legal jargon on it, she doesn¡¯t even get past the first paragraph. ¡°What is this?¡± He rolls his eyes while keeping them trained on her, ¡°it is a contract¡± he says in the many-tongue ¡°to fix your soul¡± She blinks ¡°My soul?¡± ¡°Yes¡± ¡°My soul is fine.¡± He sighs and groans at the same time ¡°Do you remember who you are?¡± which is a strange question because of course she does, she¡¯s- She doesn¡¯t know her name. She starts hyperventilating as she tries to recall anything and finds nothing, nothing at all. Like she was a newborn, or an amnesiac. Does she have amnesia? Oh that¡¯s bad, there are things she shouldn¡¯t forget, she knows that. She doesn¡¯t know how she knows but she just does. The Old Man leaves her to her existential crisis as he takes a sip of tea that is not there. ¡°Who am I?¡± she asks. He taps on the contract slowly, ¡°sign, and you¡¯ll find out¡± She hesitates, but picks up a pencil that was always there only just now and thinks it over. Then she looks at the pencil, shocked. It just appeared, but it was always there, but it couldn¡¯t have been. What is happening? ¡°Did you do this?¡± she shakes the pencil at him. He shakes his head, ¡°That was all you¡± She stares at the pencil, ¡°How?¡± He shrugs and stares impatiently and paces and slams his hands to the table and covers his face and screams and- She cannot look at him. ¡°Just sign¡± She keeps her eyes on the pencil ¡°what happens when I do?¡± He stares, and just stares, nothing else, then he smiles. ¡°You get to keep your soul from shattering, and I get a favor¡± She stares at him, ¡°are you a demon?¡± He smiles wider.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Yes¡± - Alex wakes up on the floor of her room feeling surprisingly refreshed. It is only after a moment of contemplating the lack of pain that she remembers how royally she just fucked up. She signed a contract with a demon but you would¡¯ve died otherwise a part of her says, you don¡¯t know that says another. What if it tricked her? Demons do that right? It¡¯s like their whole thing. But no, the pain was real, and the fact it knocked her unconscious says something about what she did, and it¡¯s not particularly positive. She looks at her pencil, and for once listens to logic and doesn¡¯t try to roll it. She doesn¡¯t know if it¡¯s safe to do so soon after, apparently, almost shattering her soul. There is a knock at her door. She turns to stare at it, as though expecting the demon to come barging into her room. It¡¯s a slight relief when it¡¯s Aki who opens the door, he looks slightly annoyed, but that quickly shifts to concern when he sees her face. ¡°Are you ok?¡± he asks ¡°I fucked up bad Aki¡± she says. - There was no clause about keeping her meeting a secret in the contract. She knows this because all the details were seared into her mind as soon as she signed. The most concerning was how open-ended the favour could be, the only thing he can¡¯t do is eat her soul. Which apparently is a thing, she just hopes he¡¯s satisfied with the soul juice and doesn¡¯t ask anything of her. Because yes, the soul produces some weird shit and part of the contract was that he gets half until the contract is paid or he uses his favour. The longer he waits, the less extreme the task. She doesn¡¯t know how all this is honoured, she just KNOWS that it is. Aki¡¯s just been staring at her while she regales her tale. ¡°You broke your soul trying to move a pencil?¡± he asks. She nods. ¡°How? Like actually how. your weird ass predictions are way more magical than some baby-ass telekinesis, yet you¡¯ve been fine the whole time.¡± She shrugs ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just know it did.¡± ¡°And now you¡¯re beholden to some random demon.¡± She nods. He groans ¡°you need to stop it with all this weird shit. Honestly Alex, I think I¡¯ve aged years just from all the implications of your little discoveries. Now I find out demons are real? What''s next? Angels? Fucking kappa¡¯s?¡± He takes a moment to centre himself, ¡°just please for the love of¡­I don¡¯t fucking know anymore, try not to break your soul. I¡¯m pretty sure you need that.¡± She nods ¡°ok, yeah, I can do that.¡± He sighs and sits next to her on her bed, running his hands through his face. ¡°Anyway, I came here to grab you. Ellie¡¯s ready to give us a long term job, and she wants to meet at some apartments a few blocks down¡± Alex perks up at that, causing Aki to let out a light chuckle. - Aki rings the doorbell of room three-oh-seven of the apartment complex on Hathers avenue, it takes a few moments but eventually they hear rhythmic thumping approach the door. It opens, and on the other side is an elderly man with a cane. His face is a canvas of wrinkles and his back is hunched. He looks at them through sunken eyes ¡°Aki, Sasha, and Alex?¡± he asks, they nod, and he motions for them to come inside. They go past the entryway and are immediately greeted by a kitchen, with a living area to their left. Ellie is sitting on the couch, watching a documentary about ferrets, her feet on the counter as she seems to be fighting off the urge to sleep. The old man whacks her with his cane. ¡°Ow! Morice, you senile cunt!¡± ¡°You¡¯re older than me Ellie, now get presentable, you have guests.¡± Says the old man who just casually hit the Third Finger. The kids can barely believe their eyes as Ellie grumbles curses and doesn¡¯t end the fool where he stands. Ellie glances at the three of them and lets out a yawn, ¡°Took you long enough. I had to watch a bunch of dumbass animal shows ¡®cause Morice is fucking weird. You know elephants apparently hold funerals? I didn¡¯t.¡± Aki nods, ¡°I did actually,¡± he says, getting a few stares from those in the room. ¡°Why do you know that?¡± Sasha asks incredulously. He shrugs ¡°I like animals. Thinking of getting a hamster once we move out of Lost Hope.¡± Morice turns to Ellie, ¡°I like this one,¡± he says, ¡°I¡¯m sure you would, you decrepit skeleton,¡± Elli responds. That gets a chuckle out of Morice before he sits on a nice sofa-chair, and leans back with a sigh of contentment. Ellie gives him a concerned look, ¡°your back?¡± She asks. He waves her off ¡°don¡¯t you worry about me, now c¡¯mon, no need to keep the kids in suspense.¡± Ellie just nods before turning to them, ¡°well?¡± She asks, ¡°take a seat.¡± she spreads her arm at the surrounding couches. There isn¡¯t enough room for all of them on the loveseat, so Aki ends up nervously sitting next to their boss. Ellie claps her hands together, chrome arms making an echo of steel through the room. ¡°Right!¡± She says ¡°How much has Akihiro here told you?¡± Alex and Sasha glance at each other, then look back to the woman ¡°he hasn¡¯t told us anything.¡± That gets a look of shock from Ellie, ¡°That¡¯s a surprise¡± she says, ¡°a pleasant one though, people who know when to shut the fuck up are always valuable.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t tell him to keep it a secret?¡± Alex asks. Ellie motions her hand in a so-so gesture, ¡°It was implied, but not outright said. It was a test, only downside is I have to explain everything from scratch, but that¡¯s a pretty cheap price.¡± Ellie¡¯s eyes go yellow and the TV changes to display a map of Arthas, all the gang territories are marked with their respective colors. ¡°How much do you know about war kiddo¡¯s?¡± she asks. Sasha shrugs, ¡°A bunch of people decide to kill each other because of some bullshit.¡± Ellie tsk¡¯s ¡°you¡¯re not wrong, but that ¡®bullshit¡¯ is more important than you might think. The House, for example, started the war because they needed to respond somehow to all the poking, or they lose their credibility as a group that can protect its holdings. Usually a gang provokes a war in hopes of getting a small chunk of territory.¡± Her eyes go yellow again and the map changes. A quarter of house territory is marked in black. ¡°Most wars are short ¡®cause no one with a brain wants a repeat of the last Artheinian war¡± She says, ¡°This war though, has gone strong for almost three months, and looks to continue past new years.¡± She lets that sit for a moment, ¡°which is why I¡¯ve had one of my associates teach Aki how to drive a Semi.¡± The change in subject jars both Alex and Sasha. ¡°You¡¯re job¡± she says ¡°Is to protect him on supply runs to The House until the war ends.¡± Ch.21:Just Keep Shooting Alex has decided with her expert analysis that delivery jobs suck absolute cheeks. Sure they¡¯re making absolute bank right now, with Sasha and her pulling in five thousand a day while Aki makes triple that (courtesy of being the driver). After three weeks of work she has over a hundred thousand creds, enough to upgrade her left leg and maybe something else since they won¡¯t have to replace the bone entirely. Maybe she should get new abs or keep on getting bone infusions. It¡¯s all very surreal that this boring ass shit has made her the most money she¡¯s ever seen, and will continue to do so until the end of the war. Absolute madness. She still wants the war to end though, and not because she¡¯s bored. She wants to know if Vicktors is still alive. Sure she can¡¯t participate in the brawls, but her and Li Chen have set aside a few hours to beat each other senseless, so it''s not impossible for people of different factions to interact, just unlikely. The longer this war goes on, the less likely her friend''s survival becomes. Taking this job wasn¡¯t really a choice in that regard, these deliveries would end the war quicker, surely the Kingdom and Bastion have limits on how much they can lose? They¡¯ve already taken a pretty significant chunk of territory, and their advancements have stalled with the many bombs and high-caliber weaponry being present on the front lines. As she finishes placing crates she hears something she shouldn¡¯t this far from the frontlines, she hears gunfire, a lot of gunfire. - He sits on his throne contemplating, there is¡­so much. Too much. he stands at a precipice he doesn¡¯t know he can cross, the only alternative being to fall. Change is such a meaningless thing, over the centuries things have remained the same despite all the little changes along the way. All the gangs that have risen and fell, yet the general outline remains the same. He was a proponent of this, once, believing in a mission that seems so far away now. Footsteps echo through his hall as a giant of a man walks inside, he has a hammer strapped to his back as he regards Solomon with¡­concern? Of course, his friend has a bigger heart than his frame can handle. But he¡¯s fine, more than fine, after all that he¡¯s lived through he finally sees what¡¯s truly important. He has a purpose that is feasible. ¡°Sylvia has begun her task,¡± the giant rumbles, ¡°soon your vision will be complete.¡± ¡°But?¡± Solomon asks. He sighs, and Soloman can feel the wind of his breath ruffle his robes. ¡°I do not see the point in this,¡± he replies ¡°all it will bring is chaos and death.¡± ¡°That is the point my friend, a forest can only grow once it is burned to the ground.¡± - Lucas isn¡¯t his jovial self today. In some ways that¡¯s a relief, Takeshi can¡¯t really deal with his antics while trying to manage a delicate operation that should have gone to someone with more experience in espionage, maybe Raizou. But he is the Dragon Heir, a meaningless title when his father won¡¯t die. But it¡¯s still expected of him to be capable, and his magnanimous father saw this as an opportunity to further his talents. Nevermind that he is a child, nevermind that he isn¡¯t qualified. Takeshi is constantly worrying that the routes he gave his clan members weren¡¯t enough to keep their activities a secret. He opted for sending them through the territories of smaller gangs, paying them off to leave them alone, hoping that would be enough to shake off any potential pursuers. But he has no experience with this, and his father thought it best that he learn on the job. The lives of his clan rests on his shoulders, and he doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing. Then Lucas puts a hand on his shoulder, ¡°we need to go.¡± - Teal taken in a deep whiff, ah gunpowder, so refreshing. She looks at the warehouse and how its inhabitants fall like helpless babes. It¡¯s a shame she likely isn¡¯t needed, but each raid has to have someone like her, in case shit hits the fan as it were. She¡¯s kinda hoping it does. Goliath wouldn¡¯t be happy if he heard her say that, and that¡¯s a shame. How can such a beast of violence not understand its beauty? But that¡¯s okay, she can appreciate the blood and gore and struggle for the both of them. - He went searching for his friends as soon as he heard the gunfire, Alex was getting ready to join in the shooting, fucking idiot. Sasha, who has a surprising amount of sense alongside all the bullshit in that brain of hers, collected a few House members. Likely to act as meat shields until the main force can save them, he approves. Sasha and Alex deferred leadership to him immediately once he found them, which is comforting. His friends trust him fully to keep them alive, even though he¡¯s fucked up in the past. He¡¯ll do his best to earn that trust as he guides them through the warehouse. He may or may not have snuck a peek at the blueprints of the place beforehand, and his destination is a storage room encased in concrete. It only has one hallway, meaning they can hunker down in case they¡¯re found without the worry of being flanked. As they run the gunfire intensifies. - She doesn¡¯t want to be here. She never wanted to take this fucking job. But who is she to deny the third fucking Finger? Tiny little Sasha against that madwoman would not end well. She knows how hierarchy works, she knows the score. Every job they take is not a suggestion. Sure they get paid generously for a bunch of brats pretending to be hardened gangers, but they don¡¯t have a choice. Aki seems to understand this fact, although he sees it more as an opportunity than the death sentence it is. Alex, that loveable airhead, thinks all of this is optional, her dreams of being a Scar blinding her to the realities of gang life.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Sasha had hoped the executions would have woken her up, but her ambitions seem firmly rooted. Although Sasha has spotted her staring at nothing every now and then, which is concerning, she doesn¡¯t really know what she can do to help. She has her own demons afterall, and she isn¡¯t exactly proficient at dealing with them. As they follow Aki down a corridor of concrete, she laments the fact that this is probably the end of the road. - Alex is settled behind a durasteel shelf they tipped over, gun trained down the hallway beside a member of The House. The shooting stopped a few minutes ago, and so far it''s just been silent, she keeps her focus on the hallway. ¡°Think they left?¡± A woman with a rifle. ¡°Unlikely¡± says the man with a machine gun ¡°say what you will about their mental state, they¡¯re thorough¡± On that ominous note, the group goes quiet. Another minute later and they start to hear footsteps on the other end of the hallway. Alex hopes its one of theirs, and has it swiftly crushed as a woman with purple curls turns the corner. She¡¯s wearing a blue toga with a purple sash, there¡¯s only one group that dresses like they¡¯re still in the first century. The woman smiles wide at the sight of them, teeth sharp like a predator, and shoots into the roof with an absolute monster of a revolver that sends a deafening sound into the warehouse as she walks away. It doesn¡¯t take long for many more footsteps to echo throughout the corridor - Alex is shooting. A horde of bodies rushing at them, both steel and organic. Alex still doesn¡¯t understand how the two factions with the most animosity between them managed an alliance. Even if the leaders were ok with it, what about the rank and file. She follows the feeling guiding her and ducks. A bullet passes by above her. She keeps shooting. She has plenty of ammo for her Tengu, enough to last a siege at least, and her allies have plenty from foraging the storehouse Aki guided them to. She doesn¡¯t know how he found the perfect place to hunker down, but she¡¯s glad he did, bless the boy for his foresight. Huh, maybe she can ask Fleshy to actually do that. It¡¯ll probably say no but who knows. She keeps shooting. She wonders how a group of this size managed to sneak past The House, surely their borders aren¡¯t so lax during wartime? She¡¯s also curious as to why they¡¯re doing this, it¡¯s basically suicide, they aren¡¯t that close to the front lines, and a response should be imminent. She keeps shooting. - Alex is so, so tired. It¡¯s only been thirty minutes but it feels like hours, the initial rush has turned into a more sporadic skirmish once they realized they can actually put up a fight, now Alex is playing whack-a-bitch. With her little magic predictions essentially acting as a cheat, but no one needs to know that. She hits more than she misses, and whenever she gets a feeling she rushes back to cover. She¡¯s still gotten shot a few times, a few piercing through the skin of arms and legs, and one stuck in her ribs, she can feel the blood run down her skin. Her friends are in about the same state, she¡¯s been taking more risks though. She points her Tengu and shoots down the hallway, hitting someone in the knee, they don¡¯t seem to particularly give a shit. That¡¯s how it goes, some of them are made of glass and others are tanks. Bionics are scary. Not as scary as cybernetics though. She keeps shooting. Throughout the whole fight she¡¯s maybe killed five people, with most of the wounded being dragged back before they can finish them off. There¡¯s too many of them, too many to make sense, and still no response from The House, what the fuck is going on? Her magic screams and she follows it like a prophet following scripture. She grabs something they threw. She throws it back. It explodes, sending concrete shrapnel flying and pushing everyone to the ground, killing more than a few people. ¡°What idiot uses a grenade indoors?!?¡± one of The House screams during the temporary lull in the violence ¡°FUCK YOURSELF WITH A CROWBAR¡± he gets as a response. Then the shooting resumes. - Her feelings are coming more frequently now, and with more force, but she¡¯s tired. In a way that¡¯s beyond physical. She doesn¡¯t know how much longer she can maintain this shit. Isn¡¯t guerilla warfare supposed to be quick, purposeful strikes? The fuck is this siege bullshit? Where are their fucking reinforcements? She shoots and shoots and doesn¡¯t notice how almost every shot hits something vital now, slightly pushing back the horde of bodies. Everything hurts, it¡¯s not like the headaches, something is happening to her body, and all she knows is that it hurts. She reloads in a split second and keeps shooting. - What is a GUN? It is the SPARK It is the GUIDE It is the JUDGE IT IS DEATH. - Alex wakes up standing amongst corpses. So, so many corpses. She is bleeding, her muscles burn in a way that is not natural, and something deep in her chest hurts. But she is alive, they are not. Her blade is soaked in blood. So many bullets have gone through the walls that they cannot be called walls. Gunsmoke pervades the building. And the gore, there is so much gore. The smell of piss and offal pervades the building. She hears slow clapping and turns to find the purple haired woman. ¡°Impressive¡± says the woman with a hoarse voice. She goes to respond. She vomits blood. - She doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s happening, everything is a haze. A voice is saying something, multiple voices are saying something actually. She can¡¯t really hear them, instead her eye¡¯s are on the void with many arms before her. ¡°Hmmm¡± it says with the mouth on its chest. ¡°No¡± it says, grabbing her by her throat ¡°I do not like you¡± It goes to swallow her, but something stops it. Garthamun¡¯derka, says her protector, she is not yours to end. - Pain is a relative thing. How do you compare the pain of being stabbed with being shot, or electricity against burns? Interestingly enough, you don¡¯t really feel third degree burns, because the underlying nerves have been destroyed. Alex does not feel pain when she wakes up, but she knows something is wrong, because she barely feels anything at all. The bed under her feels like it¡¯s miles away, the breath she breathes belongs to someone else, the many wounds are just¡­annoyances, little pin pricks all over her body. Her arm moves like she¡¯s stuck in molasses. There are voices, and she could probably understand what they were saying if she focused. Focusing, such a novel concept, she can¡¯t really seem to do that right now. She knows they¡¯re probably her friends, she¡¯s still alive after all. Or maybe she¡¯s going to be tortured, that would suck, but she¡¯s not sure how much would register in her fugue state. She decides that it would be rude to stay quiet either way. ¡°He¡­llo¡± she says expertly. Silence. Then an explosion of noise. Alex¡¯s just going to go back to sleep. Ch.22: Surprise Scar Alex hates infirmity, no, hate isn¡¯t a strong enough word. She loathes infirmity. Needing to have someone carry you to the bathroom is fucking embarrasing, and having people feed you through a spoon is just the icing on the cake. She can¡¯t fucking do anything, and it¡¯s pissing her off beyond belief she doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s even wrong. This isn¡¯t how her magic is supposed to work, it¡¯s supposed to give her fuck-off migrains as a warning that ¡®hey, maybe stop¡¯, this full body experience shouldn¡¯t be happening. Although admittedly she doesn¡¯t know shit about magic, which also means she doesn¡¯t know shit about how to get better quicker. But she has been recovering, if at the pace of a snail. barely muster the strength to speak, now, after a week, she can wiggle her toes! Progress. It¡¯s a little funny how the folks from The House look at her with some fear now after her apparently impressive display of mass murder, the same looks coming from her friends is less funny. If only that was the worst of their problems. They are now squarely behind enemy lines. Apparently their warehouse wasn¡¯t the only place that was targeted, ¡®cause when she woke up the whole district and presumably the neighboring districts were no longer under House control. Which is a pain, Alex doesn¡¯t really like the whole hiding away shit they¡¯ve got going on right now, and doesn¡¯t trust the geezer who''s letting them borrow his bunker not to rat them out if it gets him some extra creds. Apparently the purple lady decided to let them go, which is fucking weird because last she checked, she was alone, and they had seven people with guns. But a House ganger with a chrome arm named Elian insists that the woman could¡¯ve ended them all if she felt like it, apparently he recognized her teeth as a signifier that she¡¯s part of some obscure elite group that isn¡¯t the Heretics or the Exalted. Called the Hyenas apparently, which is kinda funny since it doesn¡¯t fit the Kingdoms motif at all. Alex has her doubts, what are the chances that of the millions of gangers in the Kingdom they send a heavy hitter to a simple raid? If it wasn¡¯t for her magic they would be very, very dead, so she doesn¡¯t see the point in wasting resources like that. ¡°How are you feeling, little demon?¡± the woman with the rifle asks, her name is Rania and she¡¯s been Alex¡¯s caretaker for the past week, Alex refusing to have her friends do the job and risk dying of embarrassment. It would be a stupid way to go after all the murder she¡¯s committed. Damn, she¡¯s killed a lot of people. ¡°Alex?¡± Rania says while shaking her a little. ¡°What? Sorry, got lost in thought there¡± Rania purses her lips into a thin line, ¡°I know we¡¯re not exactly close¡± she starts ¡°but you can talk to me if somethings bothering you. I¡¯ve wiped your ass after all.¡± Alex goes bright red with embarrassment which gets a chuckle out of Rania, fuck she hates not being able to punch right now. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she says, ¡°just thinking.¡± Rania sits down next to her ¡°about the people you killed?¡± she guesses. Alex nods. She hums ¡°I don¡¯t know how much this¡¯ll mean coming from me, but you saved my life, you saved all of our lives. That means something. Killing is¡­well it¡¯s a part of the business, as i¡¯m sure you already know, but you did it out of self-defence, that¡¯s different from just executing someone¡± Alex flinches hard at that which gets a raised eyebrow from the woman. ¡°you¡¯ve executed someone before?¡± she asks. Alex wishes she could hug her knees right now, but she can¡¯t, so instead she settles for looking down in shame ¡°they were dealing in crystal¡± she mumbles out her excuse. Rania has a disgusted look plastered over her face, ¡°then they got what was coming to them, I meant executing someone for the fun of it.¡± Alex keeps her gaze on the floor ¡°what¡¯s the difference?¡± Rania sighs, ¡°It means you have limits kid, that you¡¯re not just a wanton killer.¡± - Luckily for Alex, her recovery is exponential, after two weeks of hiding under the bunker and munching on beans, she can finally start walking, well, she can shuffle. But that¡¯s enough to get to the bathroom so that¡¯s good enough for her. ¡°Yeah! Go Alex, you have the best shuffle this side of Arthas.¡± Sasha cheers. Alex gives her a big smile, and with some struggling lifts up her arms to flex her muscles, which gets another cheer from the girl. The others are looking on with bemusement, with a soccer game in France playing in the background. Pushing her muscles doesn¡¯t seem to be hastening her recovery, but Alex still tries. She needs to get back to her normal as quickly as possible. She¡¯s holding everyone back right now, and she doesn¡¯t like the feeling. Then she trips and falls face first onto the concrete with a squawk.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Oh shit!¡± Sasha says as she rushes over, ¡°you ok?¡± - Beans for breakfast, beans for lunch, and beans for supper. The owner of this humble bunker doesn¡¯t seem to understand the concept of variety, there are other cans but they¡¯re so few that their being used as a kind of currency. Alex eyes Sasha, looking for any tells and finds none. She places down a can of pineapples. ¡°All in¡± She says gravely. Sasha doesn¡¯t react other than to place her peaches into the center. They stare at each other, Alex¡¯s face set into a deep frown while Sasha is the picture of serene impassiveness. Alex smiles. ¡°Flush!¡± She says as she places down her cards. Her smile wanes as Sarah¡¯s face stays impassive. Sasha puts down her cards and Alex¡¯s eyes go wide as saucers. ¡°Bullshit!¡± Sasha breaks into a big smile ¡°Those pineapples are mine chink!¡± she cackles. - Alex is facing the greatest enemy of mankind. Boredom. There¡¯s just nothing to do, other than watching cable, but everyone else wants to watch sports and she¡¯s not really a sports person. Well, except for combat sports, but even then it¡¯s a mild amount of enjoyment. They had to disconnect anything just in case a skilled netrunner was in the area and noticed multiple signals coming from underground, that¡¯d be an embarrassing way to get caught. So no phone for poor little Alex. She just has to deal with the mind numbing task of watching the entrance since she¡¯s the only one who isn¡¯t a fan of football. It¡¯s not all bad, it gives her some privacy to test out her magic. She doesn¡¯t know if the House grunts suspect anything (they most likely do) but it¡¯s better to be safe about this stuff. She nudges the empty can with her mind. A spike of pain shoots through her skull. Okay, so that¡¯s still normal, now why was it different during her little festival of blood? She wracks her brain and can¡¯t really come to an answer. Better to ask Banzan or Fleshy. As she waits for the pain to subside the door to the bunker opens. Instantly she has her Tengu trained on the entrance, it¡¯s a little hard to carry the thing, and the recoil with fuck her arm to hell, but only one person from the outside should know where this is, and they have no reason to come here. The gate opens slowly, hinges creaking from years of rust, to reveal the silhouette of a man. His eye¡¯s glow a red so deep it looks like blood, and his scarela is pitch black. His would look like normal arms if it weren¡¯t for the fact they were matte black, every muscle moves as it should and the joints actually replicate human biology rather than just mimic it. He¡¯s wearing a sleeveless jacket with no shirt and regular ass jeans alongside regular ass runners. There are two pistols holstered to his hips. They are pistols only in shape, because they are absolute monsters with a gigantic clip resting under the barrel. How does that work, an idle part of her mind wonder¡¯s, there¡¯s like, no space for the bullet to travel. Then she notices the katana handle peaking over his shoulder. There are deep bags under his eyes. ¡°Can I come down and not get shot please¡± the man says ¡°me and bullets have an understanding right now¡± Alex lowers her gun slowly as her mind is trying to process what she¡¯s seeing, ¡°did the House take back the district?¡± she asks with no small measure of hope. ¡°No¡± he says, ¡°I¡¯m just here for a mission, and now that it¡¯s complete, i¡¯m going to fucking sleep¡± And he does just that, passing out immediately and hitting the floor hard. - ¡°Is he in hibernation?¡± Alex asks, staring at the man ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure humans don¡¯t do that¡± Aki replies ¡°It¡¯s been three days!¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s dead¡± Sasha says ¡°He¡¯s still breathing¡± Aki points out ¡°A coma?¡± Alex asks Aki hesitates ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe?¡± The man grunts and grumbles and all three of them go on high alert. Then he keeps snoring. ¡°False alarm¡± Aki says. Sasha sighs before turning to Alex ¡°So, more poker?¡± ¡°Fuck you, I barely have any good rations left.¡± Sasha turns to Aki who shakes his head vehemently. ¡°You guys are no fun¡± - Alex is staring at the roof, it¡¯s a pretty meh roof, made of concrete broken up by ventilation, there are light bulbs illuminating the room, dangling from they¡¯re little wires. Very apocalypse aesthetic, there are still people who believe the world will end with hellfire, even after the nukes were made defunct. She guesses the elderly man serving as their host is one of those people. At least he¡¯s probably making some money by having this as an open safehouse for the House, though it comes with risk. But doesn¡¯t everything? Alex is bored out of her mind, she realises, if she¡¯s examining the damn roof. She opens her last can of pineapples and fills her time with sweetness to distract from the daunting task of continuing to do nothing. She can¡¯t even exercise! Well she can, but lifting her leg slowly while sitting on a couch doesn¡¯t really count. She notices Elian and Rania peeking over while she lays on the ground. ¡°What do you want?¡± Alex asks, lamenting that she probably knows the answer. They glance at each other, shrug, and look back at Alex. ¡°Who¡¯s the new guy?¡± Elian asks. ¡°A Scar,¡± Alex responds, ¡°This is the fifth time you¡¯ve asked today, the answer isn¡¯t any different man.¡± Elian scrunches his eyebrows with skepticism, ¡°is this one of those ¡®I can¡¯t tell you or I die¡¯ scenarios? Blink twice if it is.¡± Alex blinks twice just to fuck with him. Ch.23:Gangers And Their Gang ¡°It¡¯s just a bunch of idiots kicking around a ball, I don¡¯t really see the appeal¡± Alex says. ¡°It¡¯s so much more than that-¡± Paul replies. ¡°So you admit they¡¯re a bunch of idiots.¡± ¡°If you weren¡¯t so terrifying I''d throw the goddamn remote at you.¡± ¡°Do it pussy, at least then we could watch something that''s actually entertaining.¡± ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Aki interjects, ¡°Last time you had remote privileges you made us all watch Little Lady, Big Town and I will never trust your taste in shows ever again. I mean, honestly, a midget dating a neanderthal, how the fuck does that even work? Like biologically.¡± A shiver passes through the group. ¡°It was sweet¡± Alex protests ¡°Sure it was kid,¡± Elian offers, ¡°The main lead didn¡¯t give stalker vibes at all.¡± Alex slumps and accepts her fate of watching the stupid sports with the stupid people. - ¡°One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war!¡± Alex immediately goes on the assault, going for quick and precise strikes trying to pin Sasha down. The other girl dodges and counters, managing to get Alex¡¯s thumb in a hold. Aki starts counting, ¡°One, two-¡± Alex manages to break free and the fight continues, like two swans in a dance. Alex sees an opening and manages to pin Sasha down. The counting starts ¡°one, two, three!¡± Aki yells ¡°Alex wins!¡± The crowd cheers and Alex basks in the attention as Sasha wallows in her defeat. ¡°Next contestants, Fergus and Sophia, enter the arena.¡± - Unfortunately, the tournament was interrupted by a grumpy Scar who finally decided to end his slumber. ¡°The fuck is going on here?¡± at the sound of his voice the group freezes and slowly turns to face the man. ¡°Uhm, a thumb war tournament sir.¡± Rania answers He blinks ¡°A thumb war tournament?¡± he says incredulously They all nod. ¡°Can I join?¡± he asks. Aki moves to the board, ¡°Sure, uh, what''s your name?¡± ¡°Jason¡± he provides. - By the ruling of the general assembly, Jason was required to face all the contestants since he joined the tournament late. The bastard still won by a large margin, Alex blames all the cybernetics. She doesn¡¯t recognize the eye¡¯s but the arms are Taiy¨­ work, Icarus¡¯s wings. There¡¯s a reason why they¡¯re called that. His tolerance must be insane. ¡°Sooooo¡± Alex starts ¡°you said you were here to complete a mission¡± ¡°I said that I already completed my mission¡± Jason replies. Alex raises a brow ¡°and what was it?¡± everyone stares at the audacity this girl just displayed. Jason simply points at her. Alex points at herself, he nods, then continues eating his peaches as though the conversation were closed. The crowd lets out a collective sigh of relief. ¡°How¡¯d you find us?¡± Alex asks that sigh is swiftly regained as they inhale sharply. Jason swallows his peaches and licks his lips, then he points at her leg. ¡°That fancy little leg of yours has a chip in it. Courtesy of Ellie. Just had to follow the signal here, woulda been pretty easy if there weren¡¯t so many Kingdom and Truth fucks swarming the place.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a chip in my leg?!?¡± Alex gasps ¡°That''s what I said¡± ¡°Ellie put a fucking chip-¡± Aki pushes Alex aside as he rounds on the scar, all his fear forgotten. ¡°You killed gangers on your way here?¡± Aki all but demands. The man takes another bite of his peaches, ¡°yup.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an act of war¡± Aki¡¯s eyes are sharp and accusing, impressive considering the person he¡¯s directing ire to could easily snap his neck. The man takes more peaches, ¡°yup,¡± he says again. He doesn¡¯t elaborate. Letting the implications of that sit in the minds of those present. ¡°The dragons¡­joined the war?¡± Rania asks slowly. The man lets a small smile reach his features as he drinks some peach juice, ¡°yup.¡± - There is¡­a lot to process with the information Jason brought. The Dragons joined the war? Only the wolves are missing from the equation now. All out war has happened before, during the early days, before the gangs were the monsters they are now. Arthas was built on a legacy of violence, and it was encouraged. The corporations made absolute bank thanks to the constant warfare, and their labour force wasn¡¯t really affected. Megastructures hold significantly more people than Arthas proper afterall. It got so bad that the EAU started sending convicts here instead of proper prison. It was chaos, before major gangs started appearing and brought order, brought some measure of peace, and curb stomped the corporations authority. Since then all-out war has been nothing but a fantasy.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Helping in the background is one thing, outright joining is another thing entirely, what is the Dragon thinking? Alex is staring at the wall in silence, all of them are silent, and the house members seem as grim as they are. So many possible outcomes, only one conclusion. There¡¯s going to be another Arthenien war. ¡°Are we going back to the upper districts?¡± Sasha finally breaks the silence. Jason smiles, it is not a nice smile, all teeth and no kindness. ¡°Smart girl¡± he says ¡°you¡¯ve probably already guessed, but no, I¡¯ve got targets and you¡¯re all going to help me.¡± - By ¡®you¡¯re all gonna help me¡¯ he meant the other three dragons in the room, not the house members. Rania¡¯s got her hands on Alex¡¯s shoulders as they prepare to leave. Alex is taller than the woman so the whole pep talk routine is a little comical. ¡°Remember little demon,¡± she starts, ¡°you¡¯re still not at your best. Don¡¯t push yourself, survival first, objectives later. Whoever Ellie is, they sent a walking death machine to find you, so they won¡¯t send you off somewhere to die. If you and your friends need somewhere to hide your always welcome here, just knock twice, then thrice, then twice again.¡± Alex just nods and heads off. - The TallWinds are¡­surprisingly normal. Alex has never been ¡®cause the few interactions she¡¯s had with Kingdom goons have all been weird, but the streets and houses are¡­just normal streets and houses. She expected a lot more religious paraphernalia if she were being honest, that and graffiti, but she got neither. She¡¯s never seen suburbs before, houses seen as a waste of space when an apartment complex, or better yet, a mega structure, could be built. Those homes are owned by the middle class corpos who refuse to live in the megastructures apartment floors, or just successful enough Kingdom goons, take your pick. The wealth disparity in the upper districts is stark, there¡¯s only mansions and apartments, no in betweens. It makes for a lot of people to sell drugs to though, and a few rich people to scam, so it works out. The TallWinds Is much more evened out it seems, there¡¯s a generous amount of housing and only a few apartments per neighborhood. There is one weird thing though. It is very quiet. And no one walks the streets. - Their first target was one of the few apartment complexes in the area, it has about ten floors, and each one is filled with Kingdom goons. Not exactly survivable if they went on their own, but with Jason it should be doable. They didn¡¯t bother finding a parking spot, simply stopping by the stairwell and getting out, ready for combat. Jason went in front. While Alex would have preferred to be slow and cautious, Jason didn¡¯t seem to give a shit. Walking with a casual stride as they made their way up to the first floor. Eight pairs of eyes turn to look at them. Jason shoots, and the sound of his gun is ungodly loud. Five corpses fall to the ground, the remaining three scream and scramble to their respective rooms. Alex¡¯s gun is trained down the hallway. ¡°I¡¯ll clear any who come to the hallway, you three take the doors,¡± he says as he unsheathed his Katana. SD-73 Red Steel He must be rolling in it to casually be carrying a plasma cutter. As she finishes that thought Aki trains his shotgun to one of the doors and frowns. ¡°What?¡± Alex asks. ¡°What if there are kids on the other side?¡± Aki asks Huh. She hadn¡¯t thought of that. ¡°Let me kick it down?¡± she queries. He nods and she breaks down the door. Only to get tackled to the ground. She struggles for a bit before she hears the Raptor shoot and the woman is pushed off her. Not killed, pushed. Alex presses her revolver at the exposed brain matter of the still moving woman and fires. She goes limp as she hears Aki shoot his Ramus twice in quick succession. She looks to find a man using his own intestines to try and break Aki¡¯s neck. Sasha shoots him point blank in the head. A bullet pings off the back of her head as it travels through a wall. She brings up her Tengu and fires at the wall, someone exclaims ¡°Aw, Fuck!¡± on the other end. She shoots again and before kicking open their door only to find a man pointing a pistol at her. He tries to say something but she just points her gun at him. He fires multiple times, none of his bullets pierce. hurts though. She shoots him in the head and his cranium bursts like a cherry tomato. Someone screams and she turns to find an injured woman staring at his corpse. She¡¯s carrying a rifle, she shoots her in the head too. Damn she thinks my aim¡¯s gotten pretty good, just a flick of the wrist. The gunfire reminds her that she¡¯s got shit to do. She exits the room and looks down the hallway. A mountain of corpses, with Jason at the centre. She looks at her friends, about three dead, they look fine though and that¡¯s what matters in the end. Four people burst into the hallway on their side. Jason doesn¡¯t move to help them. So much for clearing the Hallway. She goes to fire but hesitates, two children are with them. They point their guns but don¡¯t shoot. They stare at each other. ¡°Just let us through,¡± says the man ¡°we don¡¯t need to fight¡± Alex nods slowly and moves the side as Sasha and Aki do the same, their guns stay trained on the couple as they pass into the stairwell. ¡°You let them go¡± says Jason from behind them ¡°They had kids¡± Alex says ¡°Look through the rooms of those you killed, you¡¯ll probably find children there too¡± He says. ¡°They fought us.¡± Sasha says weakly. ¡°They were defending against an invading force,¡± He scoffs, ¡°at least know what you are.¡± - Alex is only now beginning to understand the implications of attacking an apartment complex. A lot of the members here don¡¯t have bionics, and their weaponry isn¡¯t enough to pierce through her ribs and she assumes her skull. This isn¡¯t some safehouse, drugden, or lab. It¡¯s just a housing complex that caters to the poorer of the gang, most of the people here fight to protect themselves and/or their families. They let a few go, unwilling to kill those who wouldn¡¯t fight or chose to hide. Jason didn¡¯t seem to really care, but he didn¡¯t show mercy when he would find them. He didn¡¯t ask questions, he just struck with his katana and shot with his monster-pistols. Didn¡¯t touch the children though, but anyone who picked up a gun and started shooting was shown no mercy. It all made Alex sick to her stomach. What was the point of this? The gangs have millions under their banner, this apartment is insignificant, in both quantity and quality. Alex thinks she would have preferred fighting a Heretic. - It didn¡¯t take long for them to slaughter the apartment residents, they barely put up a fight. Soon they find themselves back in the berkeley, driving off to their next target. Alex is staring at the front seat ahead of her. ¡°Why?¡± she says with venom. Jason doesn¡¯t take his eyes off the road, and doesn¡¯t seem fazed by the question. ¡°Psychological warfare¡± he simply ¡°at the end of the day the purpose of any gang is protection. Show them they aren¡¯t safe, even in their own homes, and you make a nice exploitable rift between the gangers and their gang." Ch.24:Dont Need Brains To Be A Scar Another day full of corpses and death. That has become her new status quo as of late, go someplace where many of the Kingdom live and bring unto them death. They don¡¯t really kill that much, the three of them, if she were being honest, just the few scraps Jason leaves for them or doesn¡¯t much care to kill himself. They kill perhaps a few dozen between them compared to Jason''s hundreds. She wonders how good their information is, how many of the people in these apartments are well and truly part of the Kingdom. Not all of them wore robes, or purple. They die anyway. As Alex slides her blade across some grunts'' neck she contemplates what exactly it is she¡¯s becoming. She wants to be a Scar that fights the hard fights, not whatever this is. Sure, without Jason this task would be impossible but it feels so wrong to have such a monster be here in the first place. Like throwing a babe in an enclosure of tigers, striped and clawed and violent. She stabs another through the heart, weaving through the lethal bullets with her magic and impaling him like the kebabs she likes so much from Fadi. Fuck she misses Fadi. She misses her routine in Lost Hope, it was simple, structured, and didn¡¯t require deep contemplation. She¡¯s pretty sure she¡¯s evil now, if morality were a scale you could measure. She doesn¡¯t know how to feel about that. She cuts off a woman''s hands before blasting off her head. There is just so much blood, Anya would have an aneurism if she saw the state of her clothes. They were her recommendation after all, the delivery job needed her to be out of gang colors, for anonymity and all that. When she called Anya saying she needed help picking clothes the girl was absolutely ecstatic, it was kinda cute, and the sleeveless jean jacket along with the white crop top and brown cargo pants actually fit her style pretty nicely. Now Alex laments that they went with white for the shirt. She doesn¡¯t think any amount of rounds through the washing machine could fix what has become of it now. A man tries to point a shotgun at her, but she pushes it aside with the flat of her blade before driving it through his skull. When did she get so strong? She wonders, one handing a katana shouldn¡¯t be this easy without enhancements. Nor should her instincts be so sharp, even with magical help. Did her little escapade in the warehouse cause this? Her body feels different than before, more and less sensitive. Less in the sense that fewer things can trigger a reaction, and more in that those that do are amplified. She assumed that would go away with time, but what if it doesn¡¯t, what if whatever it was she did changed her in a way that¡¯s permanent? She exchanges a few blows with a man with a bat before cutting into his thigh, causing him to stumble, and opening him up for a deep gash across his torso. Then she gets shot in the boob. It doesn¡¯t really do much of anything as Alex charges to her next target. - They settle into an abandoned home, bleeding and tired. Just because the apartments aren¡¯t really a challenge doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t take injuries, she¡¯s the worst among her friends, practically a mummy with multiple bullet wounds in her arms. Legs, chest, and a few marks on her head. Because she takes the most risks, hoping that it¡¯ll ease the pressure on her friends who don¡¯t have a magic danger sense in their head. It¡¯s mostly successful, she doesn¡¯t think she can maintain it for much longer. ¡°We need to stop,¡± Sasha voices for them, ¡°maybe you can do this on the daily but we need something called rest.¡± Jason stares at her for a moment then scratches his chin ¡°huh¡± he says, ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of that.¡± The three of them look dumbfounded at the Scar. ¡°Oh don¡¯t look at me like that, you don¡¯t get to where I am with brains,¡± he says, then rubs his chin in contemplation and nods to himself, ¡°Alright, you three can stay here for a week or two and get your beauty sleep, should be enough food stocked in there to last that long.¡± ¡°And what are you going to do?¡± Aki asks. The Scar has a big and bright smile on his face ¡°I¡¯m gonna cut loose.¡± - It was gloomy for the first few days, the three of them having time to really think about what they¡¯ve done. That gloom however, couldn¡¯t deter Sasha who swiftly tried to brighten everyone''s spirits. ¡°We¡¯re gonna play Tic Tac Toe.¡± She declares to the confusion of both Alex and Aki. Alex spreads out her hands to point out the distinct lack of chalk ¡°fucking how?¡± she asks. Sasha smiles brightly and takes out a graffiti pen from her back pocket. Alex and Aki¡¯s confusion reaches critical mass. ¡°Where did you get that?¡± Aki asks. ¡°The bunker!¡± She says brightly. ¡°That old geezer had a graffiti pen in his bunker?¡± Alex asks ¡°Yup!¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Fucking why? Was he planning on practicing his art skills come the apocalypse?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t pretend to know how our geriatric population thinks, who knows, maybe he wanted to relive his youth.¡± Alex blinks. ¡°And you want us to play Tic Tac Toe?¡± Sasha nods, ¡°It¡¯s better than moping.¡± Alex and Aki look at each other, they both shrug. - Playing random ass games with the graffiti pen did actually manage to lift their spirits a bit, if only marginally. It doesn¡¯t help for when she¡¯s trying to sleep, but she¡¯ll take what she can get. Now she¡¯s practicing her magic again, with the image of flicking the pen in her mind she sets her soul to the task. It¡¯s easier with a clearer image and intent, letting her flick the pen five times before she has to stop. She¡¯s tried to teach her friends, but, well¡­ ¡°Are you making us just stare at a pen for laughs?¡± Aki asks. Alex gives an affronted look ¡°I would never! Okay, maybe I would, but I''m not right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I trust that¡± Sasha says with her arms crossed. ¡°C¡¯mon guys! Why would I even do that?¡± ¡°To keep the fancy wizard shit to yourself¡± Sasha replies and Aki nods along. Alex is genuinely offended, but realize their just fucking with her once they burst out into laughter. - There was something wrong. It¡¯s a feeling, but it aches, she¡¯s not getting directions or any hints, just that something isn¡¯t right. Alex turns to the bedroom door. She sees a person. Hello, says the woman missing a quarter of her head, remember me? Alex gets up slowly and nods. The woman smiles something thin and brittle. Good. Don¡¯t ever forget. - ¡°That¡¯s the third time,¡± Aki says while looking through the window. Sasha¡¯s checking her Raptor and the few other guns they brought back from the apartments. Alex keeps walking in circles. ¡°If they aren¡¯t going to fuck us directly, they¡¯re calling in backup¡± Sasha says ¡°We need to deal with them and leave.¡± Alex picks up her Tengu. ¡°There they are,¡± Aki points. Sasha, bless her heart, shoots the driver in the head, killing him instantly. Aki starts blasting the car with his Ramus until he needs to reload. No one gets out of the car. Aki lets out a breath ¡°We are so lucky they didn¡¯t have bionics.¡± - They couldn¡¯t exactly stay in the abandoned house after they shish-kabobed some Kingdom grunts, their location was probably already leaked, and they aren¡¯t near the border. Any gunfire behind enemy lines would be like honey to bees. But they didn¡¯t have a way to get out of there quickly. Except, of course, the car they just shot to hell. Turns out it¡¯s a pretty sturdy car, now just to hope no one gets suspicious of all the bullet holes. It¡¯s a war after all! Two in fact, There¡¯s nothing to see here. Aki drove them to an actual safehouse, with food, bedding, and a blessed shower. Only there are two caveats. One, they¡¯re deeper in Kingdom territory. Two, it''s a house owned by an young couple, who they can¡¯t really trust that they won¡¯t to sell them out. They aren¡¯t gonna kill them though so trust it is. Aki had to drive a few blocks to drop off the car before walking back. They texted Jason where they were then went to sleep. - The next day they¡¯re all sitting around the kitchen table, Jerome and Samantha are out for work, both working at SadMine. They didn¡¯t have any stakes to the game, mostly because Sasha would bleed them dry, so instead they¡¯re just playing for the fun of it. It¡¯s a nice way to pass the time. Then the doorbell rings. They all look but none move, no reason to answer, they aren¡¯t supposed to be here after all, and announcing their presence would be suicide. They go back to their cards but the doorbell rings again, Sasha seems annoyed by the distraction while Aki seems¡­worried? Why would he be- Oh. Oh no. Just as the thought crosses her mind she sees the door break open from the kitchen, and a veritable giant walks into the house alongside a woman Alex recognizes, one with purple hair. ¡°Children?¡± the giant rumbles. - Even if it wasn¡¯t for the golden embroidery on his purple robes, or the bronze band around his head, Alex would know who this is. Lost Hope teaches the basics of each gang''s hierarchy, power structure, and in this case, elites. The Dragons use Scars, the Wolves have their Fangs, The House uses Segadors and Segadoras, and the Bastion of Truth has their Machines. The curious thing about the Kingdom is that their elite fighters and their decision makers sometimes overlap. This is one of those cases. Alex sends a prayer to the flesh abomination as the giant ducks into the kitchen. She doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s a god, but it doesn¡¯t hurt in the face of death. ¡°Where is the skeleton?¡± His voice is too deep to be natural, like the growl of a bear mixed with the engine of a truck, behind him the woman waves at Alex with a bright smile. It¡¯s silent for a bit. ¡°Who?¡± Alex asks perplexed. The giant stares at her ¡°The owners talked, and you were seen with him killing my people. I¡¯d suggest against trying to protect him¡± he settles his hammer on his shoulder ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± Alex nods with the other two. ¡°Then you know I can be merciful¡± says the giant ¡°and you also know I can be cruel.¡± He cracks his neck, and the sound echoes through the house. ¡°Choose¡± What follows is a long and deep silence. He shrugs his hammer off and lets it hit the ground, it is a thing built to his proportions, making it ridiculously large. It is engraved with the story of this man¡¯s title. ¡°Are you sure?¡± He takes a step towards them. Alex draws her Raison and shoots him in the face. It sounds¡­Kinda like a bee? A lot deeper though, and the recoils almost non-existent. It gives the giant a nice little bruise on his face. He sighs, ¡°So be it¡± Then he swings his hammer at Alex. Ch.25:Goliath It happened in an instant, and that''s all the time she gets to raise her arm up to her head. It slams into her and she flies, crashing into the wall and falling to the floor. Her eye¡¯s wide at the giant. Her left arm is broken in so many places it¡¯d be more accurate to call it shattered, her head hurts and everything is ringing. Her friends are scrambling towards her. The giant lifts his hammer again, and all she has is an instant to act. Everything slows, almost like the world is frozen, and she sees every inch as the hammer gets closer to Sasha¡¯s head. It is a thing that will bring death, and she only has an instant. All of her being, everything that is her screams as she sends an astral hand that closes the distance and pushes Sasha away. She¡¯s winded, but alive. The giants hammer breaks through the floor as Sasha tries to regain her breath. The giant looks confused as he looks towards the girl, then back at his hammer. He looks at Alex. ¡°What did you do?¡± he demands, Alex responds by drawing her katana as she stands to face the man, a hard look in her eyes. ¡°Akihiro,¡± she says to the boy beside her ¡°I need you to grab Sasha and run¡± Aki looks at her like she¡¯s grown wings and started to fly ¡°no¡± he says ¡°your not doing this alone, i¡¯m not-¡± ¡°Aki,¡± she hisses, ¡°this isn¡¯t the time.¡± He hesitates, nods, then goes to grab Sasha, the giant waits patiently to leave as he faces her with a strange look in his eye. ¡°I¡¯m willing to show mercy, if you show me what it was you just did.¡± The giant says. Alex spits blood on the floor ¡°Fuck you¡± even if she wanted to, the migrane she has right now is fucking horrendous. The giant nods. ¡°Hard way it is then.¡± Alex jumps and the hammer zips from under her, she goes to cut but doesn¡¯t find an opening as she navigates a maze of death- He hits her again, and for the second time in as many minutes she is sent flying, crashing through the window and into a car. The giant walks out of the house and towards her slowly, taking his time as she coughs up blood. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be this way,¡± he says as he picks her up by her hair, she spits blood at him and he sighs before smashing her head into the cars roof. ¡°It never needs to be this way, but every now and then I meet someone who thinks they can¡¯t break.¡± He slams her again. ¡°They are always proven wrong, all you accom-¡± He is cut off by many bullets that slam into his back, causing him to stumble forward a bit, he looks back to find Aki with his ramus pointed at him. ¡°Children are so foolish¡± he grumbles, ¡°Teal, deal with him.¡± The purple haired woman smiles and dashes back into the building. Alex panics, she feels for her soul and finds it on the verge of breaking. She doesn¡¯t care, an astral hand flies from her outstretched one, and grabs Aki by the collar before flinging him through the broken window. Her vision goes dark¡­ NO She opens her eyes and finds herself in two places at once, in one she is still being held by the giant while he marvels at the act she just did.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. In the other she is standing in front of what she thinks is her soul. It is not a ball or mist or liquid, it is all those things and just a pinprick all at once. It is breaking, she cannot see so much as feels the cracks as they spread at an alarming pace. She stretches her arm. She grabs her soul. PAIN, not the feeling, but the concept, tears through everything she is. She does not let go, she holds it together as the her in the other place does something different. She forms two hands, stronger than even her own, and plucks out the giant''s eyes. The giant bellows alongside her scream as her soul contracts and expands rapidly, multiple new cracks form but she does not let go. She is bleeding from the eyes and ears and a little bit through her pores. She cuts her hair and falls out of the giant''s grip. Then she sees Sasha as she points her raptor towards the purple haired woman and she WILLS the girl to know where to shoot, as she can only do it once. The bullet goes through the woman''s eye and her brain. She does not let go. Her stomach contracts hard as a tidal wave of blood comes out of her mouth like a torrent, the giant is swinging in random directions as he tries to find her, and Aki pulls her up onto her feet as Sasha runs towards them. Just like that, the her that''s in reality passes out at the sight of her friend''s safety. The her that is in her soul cannot rest yet, her soul has chasms in it now that is barely held together by her hand alone, if she lets go, something worse than death will take her. - The sewers aren¡¯t really fit for travel, here the downtrodden and destitute roam away from the cities light, refusing to be trapped into one of the Megastructures. It¡¯s one of the only things the cops stay on top of, hunting the streets for more cheap labour to be added to the corpo¡¯s payroll. Those that refuse that fate take refuge here, and are regularly hunted. Now he has to travers next to shit filled waters because he was too fucking trusting of a bunch of corpo¡¯s. Alex is cold, so cold, but she isn¡¯t dead, her heart still beats and her lungs still breath. He fucked up and again his friends paid the price, he can¡¯t keep doing this, he needs to be better. As they carry Alex through the sewers he resolves himself. Fuck this mission he thinks we¡¯re going back home. Now just to figure out how to do that. - The brain is so chunky, so dense and difficult to heal, even with nanites. It takes a while for Teal to start feeling like herself, it takes longer for her to be able to move. So many inconveniences. She can¡¯t help but smile. - Alex can¡¯t let go. She tries to force her soul back together but that only makes it worse, the only thing she can seemingly do is just hold it there and hope it heals on its own. It¡¯s not, or if it is it¡¯s so minute as to be insignificant. The pieces are so far apart. She holds everything that is her and hopes that she can recover from this. - ¡°We need food and water,¡± Aki argues,¡±I¡¯m not gonna let us die of something as stupid as dehydration after surviving Goliath¡± ¡°They know our faces,¡± Sasha hisses, ¡°we need to find one of the communities here and ask for shelter.¡± Aki shakes his head, ¡°they¡¯re more likely to kill us to keep their location a secret, no , i¡¯m going out and I will be back. I swear.¡± Sasha deflates, why is everyone being an idiot today? And why is she so fucking useless in comparison? Alex might never wake up again, all because she had to save her two fuckoff nobody friends. Now Aki¡¯s going to go on his own in enemy territory to keep them alive, and what did she contribute? Absolutely fuckall. She knows that shot wasn¡¯t her own talent shining through, she could feel herself being guided, like a simple certainty of where and when to shoot that was seared into her mind. She knows that was not her. She looks at Alex¡¯s pale form and laments how useless she is. - He brings his sword down on the ganger, cutting him fully in half from shoulder to pelvis. It¡¯s¡­liberating to not have to babysit, it was most of the reason he let them stay in that house. He was worried when he got a message saying they switched locations but they should be fine. He¡¯s spent the last days and nights cutting through Kingdom fools like they were butter. He doesn¡¯t particularly like killing but he doesn¡¯t hate it either. It¡¯s just a job like any other, and these dumbfucks almost killed the Dragon heir. He¡¯s not the smartest, but even he knows that¡¯s just asking for war. He¡¯s not looking forward to what comes after. But that¡¯s a later problem, for now he has more people to kill. He gets a ping on his interface. A message from Sasha. Does she fucking think he¡¯s free to text any time? ¡­ Excuse me what the fuck? Ch.26:Magic Man Her grip is still tight on her soul, she doesn¡¯t know how much time has passed, but she knows it isn¡¯t a small amount. It hasn¡¯t healed, not even a little bit. She hopes that¡¯s just her not being able to tell the difference, like how you can¡¯t tell how much you¡¯ve grown until you measure. She has a feeling the senses of her soul don''t work like that, but she needs some hope right now. That doesn¡¯t mean things haven¡¯t changed. Her soul has taken a strange hue, something like turquoise, with tendrils spreading out past the barrier that defines her, latching onto the surroundings, creating something like anchors. The PAIN is more manageable as well, and she KNOWS that she can¡¯t acclimate, so it must have become lesser. It takes less effort to keep it all from breaking apart too which is great cause she doesn¡¯t know if she could have maintained the effort required for much longer. She can see the mark now, she¡¯s spent so much time with her own soul it would be hard not to. It¡¯s something like a scar, something like a coil, and all made of string woven together to create a thread. It¡¯s the only material thing in this place, while everything else is half formed, this thing is solid and dense. Packed with meaning and purpose, it is seared onto the surface of her soul, taking up some small measure of space. It is vibrant, a thing of many colors constantly strobing between hues, she could look at it forever, and understand nothing of its purpose. It¡¯s so much bigger than prediction, it is too much to be otherwise, she simply can¡¯t manage more advanced applications with how weak her soul is now. But maybe someday. If she survives this. - Rania is pacing. Pacing, pacing. It helps her think, helps her when she¡¯s overwhelmed. Helps her when things don¡¯t make sense. The kids came back two weeks ago, beaten and haggard, their Scar friend nowhere to be found, and Alex in a coma, on the brink of death. Rania was sad that she¡¯d see another child die, but that¡¯s the thing, she hasn¡¯t. Two weeks with no food or water and she¡¯s still alive. How is that possible? ¡°Can you please stop walking in circles? you¡¯re giving me a headache¡± Elian asks. ¡°Fuck you Elian, I¡¯m having an existential crisis right now¡± ¡°You should just do what I do and stop caring¡± ¡°My man, my homey, my brother in christ. How the fuck am I supposed to ignore the biological impossibility right in front of me!?!¡± ¡°Maybe bionics?¡± ¡°Elian, please, what fucking enhancements do you know of that can do that? And in what world would they have the money for that shit anyway?¡± Elian shrugs, ¡°It¡¯s the only thing that makes sense¡± Rania struggles not to strangle the man. None of this makes sense! - The little one is growing, she¡¯s in a precarious state right now, no deals can save her if she lets go. He could, but he chooses not to, it¡¯s better to learn consequence firsthand than to be saved from it. Still, it would be a shame if she died. But if she survives she¡¯ll be so much stronger. He can hardly wait. - He sits in contemplation at what his friend just told him, it¡¯s a¡­revelation. If anything could be such a thing. He doesn¡¯t doubt what his friend saw, he is not one to embellish on his mistakes, and even if he was, the story is a bit too ridiculous to believe. But Solomon does. What it means he does not know, but he needs to find that girl. She could be the key to a world he¡¯s only dreamed of. Then he can make real change. - Asato stands next to his son, bandaged and connected to so many wires. The maestros have done their best, they fear him too much not to, and he is not above a few executions if they fail. He is not worried, Takeshi will either live and become stronger for it, or he¡¯ll die. The first is the best outcome, but if the second outcome occurs then nothing of any real consequence was lost. He looks at the slowly rising and falling chest of his son, of the missing arms and many bandages that cover his chest. Bionic surgery is a convenient tool to expedite the healing process generally, it¡¯s not the wisest thing in the world to enhance something that is damaged, so he chooses to let his son''s wounds heal naturally. A short man walks into the room and bows to him.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Sakamoto-sama, the Daidarabotchi and Maikubi are ready and awaiting your signal¡± Asato puts a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Well done Jino¡± he says ¡°tell them to wait about a week, I¡¯ve gotten an¡­interesting report from Jason that I want to look into.¡± - The woman¡¯s been visiting lately, sporadic moments during her struggle to keep her soul from breaking. Her form is more real here, Alex can see the chunks of brain and viscera from the missing portion of her head. The forever leaking blood and cerebrospinal fluid, the single eye that looks at everything she is and finds her wanting. She doesn¡¯t say anything but Alex can feel the weight of her soul lighten each time, like a steadying hand keeping hers from breaking. She doesn''t know why, she doesn¡¯t deserve her help. But she gets it anyway. And then there¡¯s her soul. It¡¯s gotten¡­strange. The anchors are finished, stabilizing her in a way she kind of understands? Like those spikes used for tents that she sees every now and again on her shows. But she doesn¡¯t really get how her soul can do that, what¡¯s out there to stabilize her with in the first place? The tendrils have moved on, forming a spiderweb of connects between all the pieces of her soul, she feels as though she could let go, take a break and rest and it would take time for the tendrils to snap without her hand to keep the damage at bay. She chooses to continue because she doesn¡¯t know how to get back here. She doesn¡¯t even know how she got here in the first place, so leaving now would just be a slower form of suicide. She keeps her hold tight The fact she¡¯s still here means she¡¯s still alive, or at least that¡¯s what she hopes. Her friends are taking care of her, she trusts them with that, she trusts that when she wakes up, she¡¯ll be safe. And she will wake up. - Lost Hopes been pretty empty lately, he asked Clarice what was going on but she just waved him off and told him not to worry about it. She also told him not to leave the Crossroads, which did nothing to help with said worries. Everyone just left, everyone who isn¡¯t a child like him at least, which is most of the buildings people. Clarice has been the one teaching the children that remain, which is funny when history comes around ¡®cause she has to say more than two words in a sentence. Two hands taser his sides. He jolts up and turns around to find Jordan dying of laughter. He pouts. {Rude} he signs - Michael is hanging upside down over a pit of acid, a man in a dapper suit standing across from him alongside the many surrounding armored goons. ¡°Nice suit¡± he says only to get a grunt from the man. ¡°Micheal Dickens¡± He says ¡°You¡¯ve gotten a little too comfortable with your status hmmm? Think your untouchable because of all that fancy magic, but technology always wins in the end. Now, you¡¯re going to tell me where the nanite core is or i¡¯ll have to cut that rope and let the acid eat you, we wouldn¡¯t want that now would we?¡± Micheal laughs ¡°Damn, you¡¯ve got the villain vibes all perfected. They teach that in corpo school? Next thing you¡¯ll ask is if I think this is all a joke.¡± The man shuts his mouth with a click at that statement, positively fuming, oh how he loves to play with his food. It¡¯s the perfect seasoning! He takes a breath then lets it out. ¡°That¡± he says pointing at the acid, ¡°is fluoroantimonic acid, had to get a special container that it couldn¡¯t chew through. Even you can¡¯t survive this¡± Micheal hums, ¡°Can¡¯t is such a stupid word, of course I can, and so could you! If you weren¡¯t such a little bitch.¡± The man¡¯s face goes red, ¡°you really don¡¯t understand your position do you? You think you can fight off the wrath of a corporation, magic man? We¡¯ve caught you with barely a strike force. You will tell me where the core is, because you are a coward.¡± Michael nods, ¡°Not wrong there, unfortunately you¡¯re not a threat. So there¡¯s no reason to be scared¡± He goes to say something, but Micheal feels generous today so he speeds up the process and breaks his restraints, falling into the pool. It¡¯s pretty meh, he¡¯s pretty sure his eyes have melted, but those are always a pain to heal, the rest of him¡¯s just lost a bit of the dermis, nothing that concerning. He¡¯s honestly a little disappointed. He swims up and emerges from the pool, all red and gorey he imagines, ah, he wishes he could see their faces, it would be so funny. He can sense them though which is enough. He gets shot a few times as he leaps from the pool but the bullets do less than the acid. He grabs a helmet and makes his hand bigger, just slightly, so that it can fit in his palm. Then he crushes it, echoing the sound of screeching metal and crunching bone. In the next moment he is behind two others, and his bone blooms like flowers through their spines, digging through them before his hands are cut off. Oh? That¡¯s a nice sword, fancy. Bone comes out of the stump and he jams it in the man''s throat. It is a massacre from there, with him jumping between guards, tearing off heads and biting through throats, until the only ones left is him and the businessman. He walks up to the man as he scrambles away, at this point his eyes have healed, so he can see the fear on the man''s face. ¡°I get a few like you, you know. They always, always die. That¡¯s what you were sent here for little corpo, someone up the chain doesn¡¯t like you i¡¯d guess, or you fucked up in some way that your company considers sending you to die is only appropriate, I don¡¯t really care either way. All that matters to me is that you burned my clothes.¡± The man tries to stand and run but Michael grabs him by the nape of his neck. ¡°I don¡¯t think I ever caught your name.¡± He says casually, ¡°a little rude since you know mine¡± The man tries to break free from his grasp but Michael only squeezes tighter, making sure to be careful and not break his neck. Wouldn¡¯t do to end this early. ¡°Baldwin¡± the man cries ¡°my name is Baldwin¡± ¡°Good, good. That¡¯s very good, Baldwin, now do you have a family?¡± He hesitates, then nods. ¡°Tell me about them¡± He keeps his mouth shut but a light squeeze gets him talking again. ¡°A daughter and two sons¡± he manages. ¡°Not married?¡± ¡°She died two years ago¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s tragic, so tragic. So what do they do?¡± He sniffles and cries ¡°Jasmine¡¯s started her studies just last year, Rorick and Edward are still too young¡± ¡°Mmmmh, good. You did good, now I won¡¯t have to kill you slowly.¡± ¡°Wait-¡± his neck breaks with a clean snap. Michael revels at all the meat surrounding him. Ch.27:Teaching The body can acclimate to just about anything, it isn¡¯t the main reason why humans are the dominant species, but it is a contributing factor. Stay in a warm climate long enough and your body will adjust its baseline tolerance to match, same with cold climates, arid environments, and all the others that can be thought of. All this to say that when she opens her eyes and takes in the light fully for the first time in however long, she can¡¯t help but squeeze them shut and let out a little yelp of surprise. The sound is like blood in the water to a shiver of sharks, so many voices bombard her and make her headache so much worse. Some are questions, others asking how she¡¯s feeling, all of them much too loud. ¡°SHUT UP!¡± she yells through a hoarse throat, and thank all the gods that may or may not exist, they do. She tries to lift her left arm to nurse her headache, only to be met with a flood of pain, as though she just broke a damn. She whimpers as she nurses her arm, it¡¯s in a sling, or at least an attempt at a sling, there isn¡¯t really much bone left intact to act as a support. Ahhh fuck, she forgot about that. She opens her eyes slowly to find that she¡¯s back in the bunker. Her friends and the House folk all surround her with varying expressions from concern to astonishment to incredulity. She groans, Sasha and Aki have a lot more bandages wrapped around them. ¡°How long has it been?¡± she asks ¡°Two weeks!¡± Rania says it like an accusation, and loud too, which causes her to flinch, making Rania back down with a sheepish expression. Alex takes that in for a moment ¡°two weeks? How is that possible?¡± She asks. Elian perks up, ¡°that''s what we¡¯d like to know, we¡¯ve got a bet going for if its bionics or cybernetics¡± Alex stares at him, how does she word this? Or should she just tell them straight up that she¡¯s a magical girl? Maybe a demonstration would be better, but first¡­ ¡°Can we shelve this for now? I really, really, need to use the bathroom¡± - One very long trip to the throne of shit later, Alex is still stumped on if she should admit her secret or not, it¡¯s not like they¡¯re completely ignorant, they saw her in the warehouse afterall, and what it did to her. None of which makes sense. Now they¡¯ve seen another impossibility and she wonders if it''s only their disbelief of the mystical that holds their minds back from that conclusion. In what world do either bionics or cybernetics keep her body from starving to death? Then again, it¡¯s this world that lets her make funky pale green-ish blue hands to pluck out a Heretics eyes, so maybe she should spare the judgement there. ¡°So?¡± Elian asks, on the edge of his metaphorical seat, the old man really needs to invest in some furniture, ¡°which one is it? I¡¯ve got ten thousand on bionics.¡± She gives him a look, ten fucking thousand? How much do these goons get paid? ¡°Hah!¡± Fergus exclaims ¡°I knew it! It was cybernetics, pay up you gangoons, little old Fergus is gonna be rich!¡± Ah fuck, she can¡¯t in good conscience let so many creds exchange hands over a misunderstanding. But how to phrase this? She¡¯s not sure if she should use any magic to prove it considering how broken her soul still is right now. Barely stable from the many tendrils keeping the pieces together. Sasha seems to notice her dilemma and speaks up for her, ¡°It¡¯s neither¡± she says, causing all pairs of eyes except Aki- Wait, is Aki missing an eye? ¡°She can literally do magic¡± Sasha says while Alex stares at Aki¡¯s face, there¡¯s a fresh, pink scar on the side of his head. Going from his right eye, running along the side of his head until it cuts off in the middle. The boy seems uncomfortable at the attention but Alex doesn¡¯t care, she walks towards him in a trance. She can hear laughter at Sasha¡¯s statement, and how she adamantly defends herself about Alex¡¯s magic juju. Alex doesn¡¯t pay attention, she stops in front of Aki and puts her hand on his face, staring at the missing eye. The others seemingly have noticed, if they¡¯re silence is anything to go by. ¡°What happened to your eye?¡± Alex asks with a steady voice. Aki puts on a weak smile. ¡°What, you like it?¡± he says with feigned confidence. ¡°Akihiro, what happened to your eye?¡± Alex asks again, more firmly this time. Aki chuckles ¡°what? Not even gonna deny it?¡± ¡°Akihiro,¡± she says in a demanding tone. Aki shrugs ¡°sewer rat got a lucky shot, she¡¯s dead now though so I guess she wasn¡¯t so lucky¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Alex pulls him into a hug with her right arm ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡± she says. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± he whispers ¡°I can get it replaced, I¡¯m just glad you''re okay.¡± Alex stays there for a while before letting him go and turning to the House members, she has a half formed idea of how her magic works and she thinks this¡¯ll be relatively cheap. She forces her left arm to move. Taking it out of the sling and slowly, ever so slowly, she waves at them. The pain is almost worth the looks on their faces - Learning that magic is real apparently hits a lot harder for adults than it does for kids because hot damn are they coping. They¡¯re having a full blown existential crisis right in front of her eyes. ¡°C¡¯mon just move the can, it shouldn¡¯t be that hard.¡± Sophia coaxes. ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t want to risk breaking my soul right now, it¡¯s pretty fragile.¡± ¡°How is nudging a can going to break your soul?¡± ¡°You¡¯d be surprised¡± ¡°Am I living in a simulation?¡± Fergus mumbles ¡°How can fucking magic be real?¡± ¡°Get a hold of yourself man!¡± Elian shakes him by his shoulders ¡°this is all real, it¡¯s just fucking stupid.¡± ¡°I wiped the ass of a magical girl¡­¡± Rania says with amazement. ¡°That''s pretty rad actually¡± says Yorin, the last house member ¡°hey Alex, can you teach us magic?¡± Multiple pairs of eyes zoom in on her like hawks. Oh boy, how to say no to this without outright saying no? ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bother¡± Sasha says ¡°me and Aki have tried, and she is a horrendous teacher, all mumbo jumbo about how you have to ¡®use your will¡¯ to do shit¡± As soon as she finishes her sentence, the House members go to their cans of tin and stare holes into them. - It¡¯s been an hour and they¡¯re all still trying, Alex is prepared to console them, as she tried to console Aki and Sasha, but she¡¯s not really sure how that¡¯d work with an age group so above hers. It might be considered insulin, she doesn¡¯t know. She¡¯ll try anyway, they¡¯ve been good company. ¡°I did it!¡± Rania cheers, bringing her hands up above her head in jubilation before grabbing said head, ¡°holy fuck you weren¡¯t joking, that fucking hurts.¡± Alex stares dumbfounded at the woman, ¡°you¡­you did it?¡± The woman nods with pure joy on her face, ¡°want me to show you?¡± Alex nods slowly and stands up to move closer to the woman, as does everyone else. Sure enough, as Rania stares at the can like it owes her money, it moves, rolling just a little bit towards her. ¡°Did I just teach magic?¡± Alex asks to no one in particular. ¡°Nope,¡± Sasha says with a cheeky grin, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I did.¡± - ¡°Do not push past the headaches, that¡¯s how you break your soul, then you¡¯ll have to make a deal with a demon and that¡¯s no fun for anyone, except maybe the demon¡± Alex says ¡°Demons are fucking real!?! And you made a deal with one?¡± Rania asks. ¡°Not important.¡± ¡°That sounds pretty important.¡± Elian points out ¡°She hasn¡¯t even gotten started on the gods yet¡± Aki smirks. ¡°There are gods?!?¡± multiple voices exclaim. Alex gives Aki a flat look, which does nothing to deter the serene smile on his face. - Only after explaining that yes, she has met two separate gods, and no she can¡¯t assure them that she¡¯s not possessed because that¡¯s what a possessed person would say, did they continue with their impromptu lecture. Starting of course with cybernetics. ¡°So I don¡¯t really know how it all works, but apparently you should avoid cybernetics like the plague if you''re using magic?¡± she says sheepishly. Rania looks down at her chrome arm, then points to her artificial eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know how it works! All I was told was that I should ¡®avoid cybernetics as much as possible¡¯. Who knows, maybe it just makes magic harder?¡± she says hopefully. ¡°I was the first of the chucklefucks to learn this shit Alex, I don¡¯t think it has anything to do with that.¡± Alex throws up her hands ¡°I don¡¯t know! None of this shit is consistent, and finding out anything about anything is just a guessing game at this point. Maybe I¡¯ll tell you once the magic society gets back to me.¡± They all glance at each other, then back at Alex and immediately she realises her mistake. ¡°There¡¯s a magic society?!?¡± - Now that everyone has gone back to their collective task of nudging an empty can, Alex can finally be left alone in sweet silence as she nurses her headache. She can cope, for now, but if it doesn¡¯t get better she thinks she¡¯ll go insane. But she¡¯s sure it won¡¯t, every magic related injury has healed, she just has to give it some time. She cradles her left arm in its sling, she¡¯s not really sure how she¡¯s gonna heal that. Other than bionics at some point, but she doesn¡¯t really have that option available to her right now. There are plenty of bionic clinics in the Tallwinds, but she doesn¡¯t think she can convince them to operate on a dragon. But she can¡¯t fight with a very, very broken arm. Sure she could one hand her Tengu but¡­actually where is her Tengu? She gets up and goes to the main room, beelining towards Aki who¡¯s staring at an unmoving can. She taps him on the shoulder and he turns to face her. ¡°Aki, where¡¯s my Tengu?¡± Aki scratches the back of his head, ¡°Sorry¡± he says ¡°we lost it after the fight with Goliath¡± All eyes- ¡°Don¡¯t even!¡± she yells at them before turning back to Aki. ¡°What about my Reison?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s in the storage area.¡± Ch.28:Tomato Tomahto It took about a week for shit to go tits up. Alex and the rest were playing cards and watching shows, as you do when you¡¯ve got jack shit on your plate. Pokers a pain in the ass with only one working arm, so Alex uses both, forcing her arm to act like an arm rather than the pulped mush that it is. It¡¯s good practice, and it¡¯s cheap, even with the state of her soul it costs her practically nothing. She¡¯s tried expediting the healing process but that has proven to be too much of a strain, she thinks she could manage it if her soul was whole though. Isn¡¯t that a weird thought? Before her little demonstration with Goliath and that Hyena bitch she could only nudge cans safely. Now she¡¯s speculating on something that¡¯s probably much more expensive. She guesses that magic works on the rules of what doesn¡¯t kill you makes you stronger. It¡¯s painful to force the appendage into motion, but she knows pain, down to its very core. The time spent holding her soul together was¡­enlightening, but she¡¯d prefer not to dwell on it. The mere thought is enough for her soul to remember, and the phantoms wait in the shadows for just a moment of weakness. The first few days were a bit frustrating, with everyone treating her like she¡¯s made out of glass. She plucked out Goliath¡¯s eyes for Fleshy¡¯s (the probably not god) sake! She¡¯s big and strong and magical, that combo probably makes her the most dangerous person here! The following days were worse, because they fucking noticed her annoyance and decided to tease her for it. ¡°What can I get for you madam Alex?¡± Sasha says ¡°A can of beans or a can of beans?¡± ¡°Fuck you Sasha, I¡¯ll get it myself¡± ¡°No, no. That simply will not do, wait here and I shall return post haste!¡± Then she runs off to the chuckles of the crowd. ¡°You¡¯re all dickheads,¡± Alex grumbles. Besides being buffoons, the group¡¯s still trying to unlock their magic. Rania¡¯s still the only one who managed and Alex doesn¡¯t really know why, are their souls weaker somehow? Another question for Fleshy whenever it deems it appropriate to speak to her. Rania¡¯s still weak as fuck with her magic, which vindicates Alex for how pathetic she was when she started, now she can make material hands! Well, whenever her soul¡¯s fixed. Which is a weird thought, last time her soul was broken she forgot who she was, now she just has an admittedly annoying as fuck headache throbbing through her skull. Maybe it has something to do with the tendrils? She has no idea but it¡¯s her best guess. ¡°Hey Alex, how far can I push the headaches before it gets to be too much?¡± Rania asks Alex gives the woman a sharp look, ¡°what did you do?¡± Rania raises her hands in surrender, ¡°I just wanted to see if I could get stronger faster ya¡¯know, besides, you¡¯ve apparently broken your soul twice so your not one to talk¡± ¡°Do you want to break your soul?¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking the resident expert.¡± Alex sighs, ¡°You¡¯ll know when you get there, your brain will basically beg you to stop. I really wouldn¡¯t recommend getting to that point though.¡± ¡°Cool cool, I definitely won¡¯t do that¡± ¡°I¡¯m surrounded by idiots¡± ¡°Only the best kind I hope,¡± Sasha chirps as she brings back a can of opened beans along with a spoon. Alex mumbles her thanks and digs into her beans with exasperated enthusiasm. Her left arm is holding the can, forced to move in ways it shouldn¡¯t be capable of. ¡°Are you sure you should be doing that?¡± Sasha asks worriedly. Alex waves her off, ¡°It¡¯s fine, the cost isn¡¯t really all that bad, cheaper than what Rania¡¯s doing even. I have an ongoing theory that the less magical something seems, the lower the cost¡± Sasha sighs, ¡°That isn¡¯t what I meant Alex, doesn¡¯t it hurt? Like, physically?¡± Alex shrugs, ¡°I mean, yeah, but it¡¯s just a broken arm.¡± ¡°A shattered arm¡± Rania corrects. ¡°Tomato Tomahto¡± ¡°They are not at all the same thing,¡± Sasha sighs, ¡°Just¡­why are you putting yourself through this? You''re strong enough already, and what you''re doing won¡¯t really help you grow. If anything it¡¯ll just fuck you up more.¡± Alex blinks, confused for a moment, does Sasha think she¡¯s forcing herself to move around her arm? Sure, the original idea was training, but that¡¯s kinda gone to the wayside over the convenience of using both arms. She tilts her head.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I¡¯m not really putting myself through anything though?¡± ¡°You just admitted that moving your arm hurts,¡± Rania points out. ¡°Like a bitch, yeah. But it¡¯s not so bad, holding a soul together is much worse.¡± Sasha stares at her wide eyed and with something like pity, then she pulls Alex into a hug and slowly pats her back. Rania joins in and makes it a group hug. This is so weird. - After that strange moment of intimacy Alex has found herself trying to realign the bones in her arm. She can¡¯t make it heal faster, but she can at least make it heal right. It¡¯s pretty hard actually, like putting together a puzzle you can¡¯t see, she¡¯s sure she¡¯s made more than a few mistakes but it should be fine, right? Eh, she¡¯s not a doctor. It¡¯s mostly just compressing the shattered bone into place, but sometimes she has to grab a shard that¡¯s gone wildly out of place and find a suitable spot, she navigates all this using the pain as a guide. She does it slowly, because this actually costs a fair bit compared to moving her arm. Guess realigning bones is pretty magical, who¡¯d¡¯ve thunk? It¡¯ll probably make actually moving her arm even cheaper though which is nice. It¡¯s through this routine that they all find themselves falling into, the others trying to unlock magic, Rania getting dangerously close to a broken soul, and Alex realigning bones. Broken up by food and television. It¡¯s actually pretty nice. Then the distinctive creaking of the hatch opening echoes through the bunker, they¡¯re varying levels of alarmed but all of them go for their weapons. ¡°Come out, come out amigo, we know you¡¯re here,¡± Says the voice of a man, everyone turns off the safety to their guns while Alex draws her katanta, ¡°come on, make this easy for me, it only ends one way.¡± All of them point their weapons to the entrance of the living room. They hear a sigh then multiple pairs of feet walking down into the bunker. A man with two eyes on his forehead and a chin and nose like a witch walks into the hallway, he would be slim if it weren¡¯t for the bulk of his chrome. Elian shoots him in the stomach, causing the man to go into cover. ¡°Now that¡¯s just rude he says,¡± he says, ¡°no way to treat a guest I¡¯d think.¡± ¡°Fuck you chink!¡± Fergus yells out. ¡°How original,¡± he says, ¡°say have you heard of the breaking wheel?¡± He is met with silence. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t think so, it¡¯s old mediaeval shit, back when people were proud to be cruel. They¡¯d take some chump, murderer, rapist, or thief, and tie them to a wagon wheel. Then they¡¯d break the bones of their arms and legs around the wheel, and if they were lucky, beat them to death.¡± The man says ¡°I hear the Kingdoms bringing back the practice.¡± More silence. ¡°If you give yourselves up, we¡¯ll kill you quick. If you don¡¯t, well, I¡¯ve always wanted to see history firsthand.¡± All of them keep their guns trained on the hallway. ¡°Suit yourselves.¡± he throws a canister into the living room, it starts spewing out gas. Alex holds her breath and kicks it further down the bunker before rushing the doorway. The others aren¡¯t far behind her. The first man she sees doesn¡¯t have much chrome, only his hands and a few plates of armor on his chest, he raises his rifle to be level with her. She moves as a shot from behind her blows off a chunk of the man''s skulls. She moves to the man behind him as he tries to gun her down, a few hit her legs but nothing vital, she drives her katana through his eye. She turns to three others and dashes between them, dancing between their bullets as they try not to hit each other while shooting at her. One of them gets gunned down by Sasha, and now Alex only has to focus on two, she shoves her katana between the connection to his cybernetic arm and levers her blade so that it tears off, she gets shot in the back for her trouble, she turns to the last one as the now disarmed goon clutches at his connection port. She slashes her blade from side to side, cutting off his head before he can do anything. She turns to find chaos as the slim-bulky man holds back six guns all by himself. He¡¯s losing though. Let¡¯s quicken the process. She sneaks up behind him and shoves her blade through his throat. He gurgles and chokes on his own blood before he dies. She is¡­awed at what she just did, she dodged bullets, she fought in a gunfight with her katana and won. She didn¡¯t even need to lose her focus to do it, it just clicked and she did it. Sure she still got shot a few times, but those shots are inconsequential. Her muscles feel sore though, like she just finished a full-body workout. Even her face is sore. She gets a feeling and tilts back her head to let a bullet whizz by her face. She looks at the one-armed man and finds that he has a pistol trained on her. ¡°No need for that,¡± she says, ¡°put the gun down and maybe we can talk¡± She tilts her head again an instant before he shoots, letting the bullet pass by her. The man is shaking. ¡°H-how?¡± he manages ¡°I don¡¯t feel like telling you,¡± she says as she walks slowly towards him, ¡°but you can tell me how you found out where we were¡± The man stutters and falls as she looms over him, katana drawn and form bloody. ¡°T-the owner¡± the man says ¡°he talked.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± she says, then points to the hatch with her blade, ¡°now leave.¡± He scrambles to his feet and goes to the exit- A gunshot rings through the bunker and the mans head splatters, Alex turns to find Rania¡¯s smoking gun pointed to where his head was. ¡°What the fuck?¡± she asks. ¡°They killed Fergus,¡± Rania snarls, ¡°I¡¯m not letting any of them get away¡± Alex looks around and sure enough finds Fergus¡¯s corpse riddled with bullets while Yorin kneels next to him, giving some sort of last rites. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean we kill him when he can¡¯t fight back¡± Alex says. ¡°No,¡± Rania replies, ¡°that¡¯s exactly what it means.¡± Ch.29:New Landlord They killed the owner, obviously, can¡¯t be letting people think they can get away with crossing the gangs. Alex, surprisingly, felt¡­nothing. She doesn¡¯t know what to do with that. She¡¯s killed so many people, maybe she¡¯s become numb? He was pretty old, and it was sad to see his wrinkled face marred with a bullet, but other than that she doesn¡¯t really care. She¡¯s reminded of the corpo couple, and how they still haven¡¯t gotten got. Eventually, all in due time. They debated whether they had to move of not, on the one hand they could be compromised, on the other, maybe the old man only told that group? Both are just as likely, and Alex doesn¡¯t really want to leave the bunker. Sure, eating beans all day gets old quick, but they''re safe and can train. If other gangers don¡¯t know about this place, there¡¯s no reason not to stay, big if though. So they choose to wait across the street, tying up the houses current tenant and just watching the old mans house until something happened. It didn¡¯t take long. ¡°Hot damn, five cars for little old us¡± Sasha whistles ¡°We did just take out a decently sized group, wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they picked the overwhelming force option¡± Aki replies. ¡°MHHM!¡± says their temporary prisoner. ¡°What he said,¡± Aki says. ¡°Still, that¡¯s a little extreme, isn¡¯t that twenty fucking gangers just for us?¡± Yorin says. ¡°Two of those are vans, so twenty four¡± Rania replies ¡°Well fuck me then¡± Alex looks at the clothing and countenance of the gangers, they¡¯re all Kingdom, and they move with confidence. Dressed in the typical Togas with purple sashes, they exit their cars and approach the bunker. Then a giant exits one of the vans and Alex hitches her breath, there¡¯s a woman next to him, looking whole and hale. How? Aki curses under his breath and Sasha immediately closes the curtains. ¡°We need to get the fuck out of here¡± she says. ¡°Was that¡­¡± Rania trails off. ¡°Yes, now let¡¯s go¡± Alex says. The captive struggles in vain as they forget him in their haste. - They have to be very careful with the patrols along the way, they¡¯d worry about the bystanders pointing them out, as they are clearly gangers. But they hope that the fact this used to be House territory would give them some clemency. They were wrong. As Alex hides behind a stationary car and curses out her luck, bullets fly between them and the opposing gangers, a lot of civilian corpses lay on the streets as only Sasha and Aki seem to care about collateral. Alex curses her lack of foresight for not grabbing at least a pistol as she forces her newly bleeding arm to move and grab her katana¡¯s hilt. They need to finish this quickly or they¡¯ll be surrounded, or worse, Goliath will catch them. Alex takes a deep breathe, calming her still sore muscles and dashes out of cover. The reaction is immediate, bullets are drawn to her like a magnet, and the only reason she isn¡¯t made into swiss cheese is because she¡¯s got cheats to help her out, but even then some bullets hit non-vital locations. She pushes through the pain in her legs as they are riddled with bullets, forcing them to move just the same as her arm. Then she is among them. Three low-tier Kingdom grunts aim their guns at her but their too late. She creates a large gash across the eyes on one of them, blinding her as she moves forward to the next, impaling his intestines before forcing the blade out his side, causing his guts to trail the floor. The last tries to run but is gunned down. She turns to the blinded ganger and kicks away their gun. ¡°Get down and don¡¯t move,¡± she whispers into their ear. They comply. Alex forces her bullet ridden legs to run back to her friends. ¡°That way.¡± Rania points down the street, she nods. - They had to travel the fucking sewers after that, for fear of all the attention their gunfight brought to them. It was rank as fuck and thankfully they didn¡¯t have to stay there for very long as Rania guided them to her apartment complex, now the trick was getting to the third floor without being noticed.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. They used the stairwell, it was pretty effective considering how averse to the mundane 22nd century people are, once they confirmed no one was in the hallway they dashed towards 315 as Rania interfaced with her lock using her eyes. In but a moment they were inside the apartment. They were not alone. A woman in a bathrobe is sitting on the couch watching something that really isn¡¯t appropriate for Alex to look at. Eh, she¡¯s seen worse. ¡°Uhm¡­you wouldn¡¯t happen to be the original tenants would you?¡± The woman asks. ¡°I am¡± Rania says flatly ¡°Who are you and why shouldn¡¯t I strangle you for watching porn on my couch.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Olivia small!¡± The woman chirps ¡°with SadMine incorporate, pleasure to meet you person who please won¡¯t strangle me¡± She holds out her hand while the other keeps her bathrobe stable, she puts on a bright smile that Alex is kinda impressed by, considering some of them are covered in blood and everyone is armed, and the threat, can¡¯t forget that. Rania sighs and shakes the woman''s hand, ¡°Rania Youwalkim, now why are you in my home?¡± Olivia perks up ¡°I bought it!¡± Rania stares daggers at the woman, ¡°you¡¯re my new landlord?¡± ¡°And hopefully roommate!¡± Rania groans. ¡°How do you just buy an apartment? How loaded are you?¡± Elian asks amazed. ¡°Oh it was nothing really, just ten thousand creds.¡± ¡°So you¡­bought the apartment because it was cheap?¡± Alex asks The corpo nods enthusiastically ¡°Yup! War has a way with depreciating assets to ridiculous extremes, but this was just too good to pass up on.¡± Alex rubs her temple with her left hand, ¡°ok, sure, makes perfect sense. Now why are you here¡± Olivia shrugs, ¡°thought I¡¯d get a change of scenery, make friends with the neighbors, work from home. You know how cutthroat it is in the Megatowers. All about climbing the ladder with no one being satisfied with where they¡¯re at. I could count my friends on one hand and all of them would sell me out in a heartbeat by if it led to a promotion.¡± Sasha looks at the woman like she¡¯s crazy ¡°you came down, in the middle of a war zone, hoping to make friends?¡± ¡°Yup! Best decision of my life honestly. Ms.Patterson makes the best apple pie, absolutely delish, and there¡¯s this guy I¡¯ve been seeing, he¡¯s quite the hunk! A little religious, but that¡¯s fine. It feels like I¡¯m living in one of those romcom shows, and I wouldn¡¯t trade it for anything.¡± ¡°Who the fuck is Ms.Patterson¡± Rania grumbles. Olivia has a look of reproach directed at the woman ¡°why, she¡¯s the sweetest geriatric you¡¯ll ever meet! She¡¯s just across from us at 314. How could you have spent so long here and not met her?¡± Rania shrugged, ¡°I lived here for four months before the borders changed, and I don¡¯t exactly give a shit about civilians.¡± Olivia looks positively scandalized. ¡°No no no, that cannot stand. I must introduce you, just let me get dressed-¡± Rania cuts her off with a pistol pressed to her chin, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you noticed, but we¡¯re behind enemy lines in a war, we don¡¯t exactly want to be advertising our position, hmmm?¡± The woman nods slowly, smile frozen on her face and eyes tracking Rania¡¯s. ¡°Good, I hope we understand each other, I''d hate to kill you. Done plenty of that already and it¡¯s just no fun, and besides, I think you could be useful.¡± Rania smiles. ¡°I can?¡± Olivia says slowly. Rania nods ¡°You corpo types like your money right? Well how would you like to make back what you paid for this apartment and then some.¡± Now Olivia¡¯s smile resembles a shark. ¡°Let¡¯s talk details.¡± - ¡°Sooo, are you gonna bandage those wounds? That¡¯s a lot of blood tracking the floor¡± Olivia points out. Alex stares down and notices that she has, in fact, made a mess with all the bleeding. She turns to Rania who points to one of the cabinets, it has bandages. - The apartment is surprisingly swanky for what she¡¯s assumed of Rania¡¯s finances, two bathrooms with built in showers, three bedrooms, and a living room/kitchen combo that could rival the common area in Lost Hope. Fuck she misses Lost Hope. Best not to dwell on that. ¡°So why do you want her taking pictures?¡± Alex asks Rania. Alongside ordering food and housing them, Rania also had a few extra tasks. Buying bombs and ammo she can understand (she¡¯ll finally have a full magazine for her Reison), but taking pictures of a couple locations she doesn¡¯t get. Rania turns to her, munching on her sandwich. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping myself updated on the war, those are the areas on the border that I think are weakest, but I need confirmation. She¡¯s got cybernetic eyes, you can tell by the manual pupil control, didn¡¯t even dilate a bit when I pressed a gun to her chin. She can take pictures rather than one of us risking ourselves, and If she¡¯s not obvious about it she¡¯ll probably be safe.¡± Alex blinks, ¡°you¡¯ve been planning how to get us back to home turf?¡± ¡°Me and Aki, yeah, he¡¯s surprisingly competent about finding areas that are likely undermanned and difficult to defend. A quarter of the locations were his suggestions, and he helped with quite a few others. Good kid, really shouldn¡¯t be on the frontlines.¡± Alex chuckles, ¡°yeah, he¡¯s pretty smart sometimes, but his gunmanship¡¯s fucking horrendous¡± ¡°You know I can hear you right?¡± Aki complains. Rania waves him off, ¡°should go to the range more if you want people to compliment your marksmanship. As it stands, that shotgun''s the only reason you can hit anything.¡± ¡°Y¡¯all are bitches¡± he says. Alex raises a brow ¡°Y¡¯all, really?¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s catchy¡± ¡°How many old world movies have you downloaded on your phone?¡± He doesn¡¯t dignify that with a response. Ch.30:Feel Free Alex got a new pair of clothes, they had to order it since walking out in the open is a risk they¡¯re not really willing to take. It¡¯s basically the same as the previous pair except with a black crop top instead, in case of blood. Her previous outfit was thrown straight in the trash, riddled with so many bullet holes and saturated with as much blood as it was. Alex feels kind of bad for that, Anya was so excited to get her a pair of casual clothes, and Alex has honestly rethought the idea since looking at Rania¡¯s wardrobe, which was kept surprisingly untouched by the corpo woman. ¡°Why¡¯d you keep her stuff?¡± Alex had asked, which caused the woman to perk up a bit. ¡°Rule#1 of buying something that was obtained through violence kiddo. Always keep it in pristine condition in case the original owner comes calling. Less likely to get shot that way¡± Alex tilted her head at that, ¡°That¡¯s actually kinda smart, I''m surprised you thought of that.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± After teasing Olivia, Alex had oiled and cleaned her katana, giving it some much needed love after her little stunt with the man''s guts. Pretty brutal way to die all told, not exactly something she thought she was capable of, but she guesses that war brings out the worst in people. The logic sounds about right. She wonders what kind of Alex will leave this war? Certainly not the one who entered it, she¡¯s been buried for a while, with how easy killing has become, both mentally and literally. Could she have taken on those Bastion gangers oh so long ago now? She¡¯s not sure, they had a lot of chrome afterall. But she¡¯s killed people with chrome so maybe it wouldn¡¯t matter. She¡¯s going to need to get a new katana, durasteels function is in the name, it¡¯s meant to be durable, not powerful. She can¡¯t get a plasma cutter, too expensive, but Reaver¡¯s gold might be in her price range. Fuck she¡¯s actually pretty loaded now that she thinks about it, not loaded enough to get both bionics and a new sword though. Shame. They¡¯ve narrowed down their potential escape points to three points. A shabby ass wall made of cars, an open intersection, and an actual goddamn mini-fort. That last ones on the list ¡®cause it has the least people manning it, only about ten total. Which is more than enough for a few surprise bombs. Rania guesses that it¡¯s so undermanned because the area isn¡¯t all that valuable, so troops were taken elsewhere. Only problem is they have to deal with a sniper. But that¡¯s okay, they bought the perfect countermeasure. - It was a perfectly normal day when a knock came from the door, Alex and the other¡¯s scrambled to their rooms while Olivia went to open the door. ¡°Hello!¡± Olivia says ¡°and who might you be?¡± Alex hears a grunt, then the creaking of wood as whoever their guest enters the room, Olivia is pushed aside with a squawk, as whoever this is makes themselves at home. She can hear the couch groaning as they sit on it. Alex has a dangerous premonition of who this might be. ¡°Miss Olivia Small¡± rumbles his dreadful voice ¡°you¡¯ve been busy lately.¡± Olivia chuckles nervously, ¡°such is the life of a corporate slave Mr¡­.?¡± ¡°My name matters little, what matters now is you Olivia, and why you¡¯ve been spending so much credits on weaponry the last couple of days, and clothes that clearly don¡¯t fit your stature. Tell me, if I open one of these doors, who will I find?¡± Alex¡¯s heart beats like a drum, they used multiple VPNs and burner accounts, how did they get found out? ¡°Only my girlfriend,¡± Olivia chirps ¡°Rania! We have a very scary guest asking very weird questions. Please come out before he kills me.¡± The man actually chuckles as Rania takes a deep breath and opens the door. Luckily she isn¡¯t in her gang colors and her arm is mostly covered by the sleeves of her jacket. ¡°H-hello¡± Rania says, playing the act of a nervous wreck, at least, that¡¯s what Alex would like to believe. ¡°Hello, Rania was it? What¡¯s your relationship with Olivia?¡± Olivia answers for her. ¡°We fuck!¡± Rania¡¯s face goes crimson and the man actually looks taken aback by the frankness, ¡°she¡¯s all shy now, but she¡¯s an absolute monster under the sheets I tell you. A monster!¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. The man just nods, seemingly acclimating to whatever this situation is. ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain the weapons¡± he says. Olivia tilts her head, ¡°there aren¡¯t any weapons, I don¡¯t know where you¡¯ve gotten your information but I haven¡¯t bought anything like that recently, except for a few bombs, but those are more for work.¡± The man stares at her ¡°It¡¯s a good act, it really is. But we¡¯ve seen the deliveries, can¡¯t hide your tracks there Miss Small. But for the sake of being generous I won¡¯t kill you until I find them, just to be sure¡± Olivia smiles ¡°Feel free to tear the place apart.¡± - Elian is pointing the Wasp at the door as the man''s footsteps echo through the apartments, going from door to door looking for the weapons in their room. Eventually he closes in on them, Just a step away from the door. The nob turns. The door opens. Twelve mini-rockets hit Goliath straight in the chest, sending him crashing through the walls of the complex, stopping in the room across from them. The concussive force knocked them all over as well, and Alex hears the groaning of her friends as they get up and grasp at their ears. Olivia peeks through the hole created by their uninvited guest, ¡°Oh, poor Ms.Patterson. I¡¯ll have to pay her back once this is all over.¡± ¡°Is that really you¡¯re main concern right now?¡± Aki asks ¡°Well, no, just an observation. We still have to deal with the big man.¡± Alex looks at her perplexed, ¡°We just hit him with a full barrage of rockets, no way he¡¯s still alive.¡± As she finishes her sentence the debris shifts. Olivia just points. ¡°Ok, time to go,¡± Rania says. - They power walk through the streets as they reach their destination. Goliath kind of sped up their due date for getting the fuck out of here so they¡¯re on their way to the car wall. Can¡¯t do the fortress without the Wasp, and they only had one salvo, so now they¡¯re going in with a half baked plan to take out twenty goons. It involves a lot of grenades. Olivia¡¯s joined them ¡®cause she¡¯s kinda compromised now, Alex doesn¡¯t know how good her arm is, but she apparently works with explosives so there¡¯s that in her favor. ¡°This is so stupid, we should find somewhere to hide.¡± Sasha says ¡°Where?¡± Aki replies, ¡°all the hideouts are too far away, and it¡¯s not like abandoned buildings grow on trees.¡± They don¡¯t even make it halfway there before they¡¯re intercepted. - ¡°Hello!¡± says a hoarse voice, ¡°chips?¡± The woman waggles a bag of chips at Alex as though it were a treat, but she doesn¡¯t move, staying with her friends. She has a feeling If she steps towards the woman they¡¯ll all get gunned down, and it seems like they¡¯re not willing to take her by force for fear of dying. Which is kind of funny since all of those surrounding them likely have advanced bionics. She keeps wagging the bag of chips. Alex keeps pointing her Reison at her. Alex can take an educated guess on why they want her, considering she used blatant magic right in front of their faces. Wouldn¡¯t it be funny if she got caught and all she could tell them was ¡®focus real hard¡¯? No, it wouldn¡¯t, because then all her friends would be dead. So long as she stays here they have time, the more time they have the more likely they can do something. What that something is She doesn¡¯t know yet. Rania points her pistol to Alex¡¯s head. ¡°Move, or she dies¡± Alex panics a little. ¡°What the fuck Rania!¡± Sasha yells, Aki says nothing. The purple-haired woman tilts her head and smiles something predatory, ¡°you¡± she rasps ¡°wouldn¡¯t.¡± Rania leans forward, ¡°sorry,¡± she whispers, then pain invades her world as a bullet passes through her left arm. Alex bites her cheek hard. The woman''s expression changes to something neutral. ¡°The next one goes through her head.¡± Alex doesn¡¯t feel like that¡¯s a bluff. ¡°You. Die¡± the woman says darkly. ¡°Not much of a threat when you were gonna kill us anyway lady, now move aside.¡± The woman hesitates, then nods, signaling for her goons to stand aside. They all walk away slowly, Alex acting as a meat shield in case they get trigger happy, the other random gangers that¡¯ve gathered look eager to pounce, but they think better of it when considering the clearly important ganger letting them go. Even the fools from the Bastion don¡¯t attack as they shuffle through the unintended clearing the gangers have presented them with. Then once they¡¯re clear, they run. - They get to the car-wall ready to fight for their lives, only for them to be met with plenty of corpses laying under three androgynous figures. One of them Is polishing they¡¯re sword while the other two are checking their respective guns. If it wasn¡¯t for their weapons, Alex would have a hard time differentiating them. They all look the same. But they¡¯re wearing dragon colors. The group approaches slowly. They perk up at the sight of them. ¡°Hello!¡± says three mouths perfectly in synch ¡°which one of you is Sasha?¡± Sasha takes a hesitant step forward ¡°that¡¯s me¡± she says, slightly weirded out by the display of synchronicity. ¡°Great,¡± they say, ¡°let¡¯s hurry before the hounds get hungry.¡± ¡°Sorry, um, that¡¯s really kind of you. But uh, who are you and why are you here?¡± The three smile at the same time. ¡°We are Mifumi,¡± they say, ¡°you texted Jason didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Well there you go.¡± Ch.31:Bees-knees During wartime, the space between borders is colloquially termed a ¡®combat zone,¡¯ for what she hopes is obvious. Destroyed cars and shattered glass litter the streets, stores have been pilfered or destroyed and buildings that still have residents cover their windows with boards. But nothing can compare to the corpses, or the smell. So many rotting bodies left to fester in the sun does not make for good cologne, Alex can barely hold in the urge to vomit. Olivia doesn¡¯t. The three Mifumis laugh, ¡°first time seeing the aftermath of a battle, corp girl?¡± Rania holds Olivia¡¯s hair as she gags and vomits again before she can respond, entertaining Mifumi further. ¡°How-¡± she gags ¡°how¡¯d you know I¡¯m a corpo?¡± Mifumi tilts their head to the right, ¡°It¡¯s in the way you walk. Too soft and too practiced. Nobody in Arthas proper gives a shit about their swagger. Except for weirdos, are you a weirdo?¡± Everyone around nods while Olivia sputters her denials. Earning a chuckle from the triplets, ¡°you¡¯ve all got a pretty funny dynamic, I like that. Gang life can lose its color rather fast, what with all the death and servitude. Keep what you¡¯ve got, It¡¯s rare and valuable.¡± The three of them say at once. ¡°How are you doing that?¡± Alex asks ¡°Is it some sort of cybernetics or something?¡± ¡°You¡¯re Alex right? Only other girl dragon is your friend there,¡± one of them points at Sasha. ¡°Yeah?¡± Alex says slowly. ¡°Then maybe you¡¯ll get to find out. All in due time though, for now let''s just get you to safety¡± - Crossing into friendly territory was like a breath of fresh air, they got a few weird looks ¡®cause they looked like a bunch of civilians being transported by Scars(?), they¡¯re not wearing pendants but they fit the vibe. The crowd was less confused when Rania showed off her chrome, albeit not that much less, considering she¡¯s a member of The House. ¡°Alright,¡± the three say while clapping their hands, ¡°time to go our separate ways, yeah?¡± That brings them to a stop, ¡°why so early?¡± Sasha whines. The three all tilt their heads and raise a brow, ¡°We¡¯re safe, and you¡¯re coming back to dragon land, don¡¯t think your friends will be much welcome there.¡± Sasha pouts, and the three let out a small chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry kid¡± Rania says ¡°we¡¯ve got each other''s contact info, now go on with your Scar friends.¡± Sasha deflates but acquiesces, following the triplets through the makeshift battlements and fortresses. The House members watch them go with something like sadness in their eye. ¡°We¡¯ll see them again.¡± Elian assures. ¡°Yeah, but we might not be friends then.¡± Rania replies. They all sigh at that, the realities of gang life makes inter-gang friendships¡­difficult. The Dragons have gone to war with The House before, as have all the other gangs. It¡¯s just how life goes in Arthas, and finding your friends on the other side of the barrel is an unfortunate reality sometimes. Olivia pokes Rania¡¯s elbow. She turns to face the woman. ¡°Soooo¡± Olivia says ¡°I can¡¯t exactly go back, and my Megatowers in the TallWinds. Think I could bunk with you until this all blows over?¡± Rania groans, ¡°Sure, whatever, once I find a place. But you''re paying rent.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± - The walk to wherever they were going was, unsurprisingly, pretty easy considering the presence of three Scars. They get a few looks for seemingly taking advantage of the gap in a sea of bodies, but Alex doesn¡¯t really care. ¡°Why have we been meeting so many Scars lately?¡± Aki ponders. Sasha shrugs, ¡°we¡¯re the bees knees apparently, maybe your dreams actually feasible now¡± Alex perks up, ¡°you really think so?¡± ¡°Well, that and the magic.¡± The triplets stop and turn to Sasha, all with a flat expression on their faces. Sasha looks nervously at them, wondering what she did wrong. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about that in public,¡± they say, ¡°Or we will make skewers out of your limbs¡± Sasha nods fervently and they turn around, continuing their walk as though they didn¡¯t just threaten a child with casual cannibalism. - Eventually they reach their destination, which is apparently Lost Hope, Alex¡¯s a little surprised to see the building again after so long away. It feels like a different life at this point, the predictable routine, the brawls, the little games and watch-parties they¡¯d hold in the common area. Only two things are strange about what she sees now compared to her memories.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. One, most of the lights are off. Two, there¡¯s a lot of gangers hanging around the entrance, and not the standard run of the mill gangers either. They all wear suits and ties, with decorated katana¡¯s and expensive chrome. They aren¡¯t Scars, that would be extreme to have so many in one place, but they are clearly dangerous. Mifumi waves at them with three hands. A ganger with a quant silver chain¡¯s eyes go yellow as they interface with someone. He is clean shaven and has his hair slicked back with just enough oil to shine but not look drenched. His eyes are like a beehive, all Iris and no scarela. He turns back to Mifumi after he¡¯s done talking to whoever he was talking to. ¡°Maikube-Sama, he is waiting for you inside¡± Alex and Sasha look confused as Aki almost trips from shock. ¡°Thank you Kazuki-san¡± the triplets say as they move into the building. Alex and Sasha look at each other, ¡°Wasn¡¯t her name Mifumi?¡± Alex says. Aki turns to her with panic clear on his features, which disturbs them to say the least. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a name¡± he says ¡°that was a title.¡± - Of the millions of dragons, there are only a few thousand Scars. Of those thousands, there are about eighty-three who possess titles. If a Scar is a monster, titled Scars are behemoths. To simply be in one''s presence is a blessing. And quite frankly a curse. Alex assumed they were going somewhere important to have Scar escort them, maybe to meet someone or some other shit, she doesn¡¯t know. She assumes it has something to do with magic, considering the violent reaction from earlier. To be traveling with one of the Titled means they¡¯ve caught the eye of something they really, really shouldn¡¯t have. At least not now, so early into their careers. The rate at which Alex¡¯s heart is beating is certainly not healthy, and she assumes the same of her friends as they follow the Maikube into Lost Hope. They are waiting for them by the door to Clarice¡¯s office, tapping their feet against the synthetic wood. The three kids join the triplets. ¡°Well, it was nice meeting you all, but we¡¯ve got stuff to do, considering the war. Try not to impress, he can smell that bullshit from a mile away.¡± They nod at them before simply leaving. The kids stand in front of the office wondering who exactly wants to meet them. The window blinds are shut, so they¡¯ll have to enter to know. They really, really don¡¯t want to. It¡¯s not a choice though. Surprisingly, Sasha is the one who musters her courage first and opens the door. There is an old man waiting for them in Clarice¡¯s seat. All of them recognize who he is, and each presents a deep bow immediately. He waves them off ¡°Now of that. Come sit.¡± They do so in a hurry which the old man sighs at. ¡°No need to be so nervous children, I don¡¯t run this gang anymore, and I¡¯d prefer a more casual conversation.¡± Says the old man. They stay silent as their eyes focus on the desk. Refusing to make contact with the living titan in front of them. He sighs again, and all of them are a little panicked at the thought of annoying him, but they don¡¯t go to say anything. Their brains are short circuiting, how do you act in the presence of Yoshifumi Sakamoto? They don¡¯t know, and they never thought they¡¯d have to know. The old man just shrugs at their subservience and continues on, ¡°you, the tall one, you¡¯re Alex, correct.¡± ¡°Yes sir¡± she says while nodding her head. ¡°Mmh. Jason sent in a report a little while ago, about you specifically. About how you fought off a Heretic with magic¡± There is silence in the room. ¡°Well?¡± Alex chooses to answer truthfully, ¡°yes sir. I did¡± He nods, ¡°show me¡± he says. Alex panics a little, she isn¡¯t sure the state of her soul can handle a demonstration, and the only other option would be to tell him to try and shoot her, which, well she could actually do but she isn¡¯t sure how to phrase it. She tries anyways ¡°Mainly I deal in predictions, I can tell when an action is fatal before it happens. And I act accordingly.¡± Just as she finished saying that she gets a premonition and tilts her head to the left. There is the low droning of bees typical with a railgun, but much stronger than Alex¡¯s Reison, and a bullet soars past her ear, nicking it slightly. It punches a hole the size of her head through the wall behind her and keeps going. Yoshifumi is pointing a large pistol at her with one eyebrow cocked. She didn¡¯t even see him draw. ¡°Yes,¡± he says with a small smile, ¡°I think we can use you.¡± - The ensuing chaos from a very big bullet exiting the office where a very important person was staying would be funny if it weren¡¯t for all the guns pointed at them. Only once Yoshifumi calmed them down and assured them that the shot was just for the fun of it (Alex guesses they don¡¯t know about magic), did they leave the office and left them to their privacy, which is kinda non-existent now considering the hole in the wall. She guesses they have some way to maintain privacy beyond a door. Alex knows she really shouldn¡¯t ask this, but curiosity killed the cat as they say. ¡°How do you know about magic?¡± The old man leans back in Clarice¡¯s chair, a satisfied look on his face as he regards her. ¡°We¡¯ve had a few of your kind through the years,¡± he says ¡°trained them up before the nomads could get to them. They always prove valuable.¡± A look of confusion crosses Alex¡¯s face. ¡°The Kingdom didn¡¯t seem to know about magic¡± Alex says before adding a ¡°sir¡± Yoshifumi shrugs, ¡°not all gangs are blessed like us. Although it would be a shame if Solomon discovered the existence of magic. That man has a way with obsessions that is not healthy.¡± They try not to show anything on their faces about the casual address of Arthas¡¯s oldest gang leader. By the amused chuckle Yoshifumi gives them, they weren¡¯t exactly successful. ¡°Well, any other questions children?¡± he asks. Aki gathers his courage. ¡°What did you mean by the nomads ¡®getting to them¡¯?¡± Yoshifumi tilts his head, ¡°good question¡± he says ¡°unfortunately I don¡¯t really feel like telling you. Don¡¯t worry though, your friend is safe. Or as safe as she can be in Arthas¡± Aki bows to the man which he hums at. ¡°Well,¡± he says, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I think I¡¯ll be on my way. Asato will send a handler over once they¡¯re available. For now, feel free to stay here and rest. Maybe help out poor old Clarice while you¡¯re at it, that woman is overworked beyond belief.¡± He stands up and they bow to him. ¡°Thank you, Sakamoto-sama,¡± they say. The man waves them off as he gets up and heads out of the office. They wait there in silence, for quite a while before Sasha turns to them. ¡°Alex, pinch me, I think I¡¯m dreaming¡± Alex punches her instead. Ch.32:Suprise Attack! Alex used the rest of her money to get bone implants for her left arm. While she would have preferred to have upgraded her leg, her arm is a mess, and no amount of healing will set it right. Might as well get an upgrade. ¡°What happened to your arm?¡± Anya asks worriedly as she recovers. ¡°I got hammered,¡± Alex says. ¡°Alex! We¡¯re too young to be drinking.¡± ¡°Firstly, fuck that noise. Secondly, I meant I literally got hit by a hammer¡± Anya makes a face, ¡°how many times did you get hit?¡± ¡°Only once, it was a very big hammer.¡± She was a little worried their mysterious handler would show up while she was recovering, but come the week¡¯s end, they¡¯re still a no show. But Alex¡¯s got a fully functional, if slightly sore, left arm. They had to cut into it like the hospital did with her leg rather than the injections, which was fucking expensive. Alex seems to be making it a habit of getting her limbs shattered. She missed christmas, and new years, which is a shame ¡®cause those are the only days where Lost Hope actually does something to celebrate. Then again, with everyone over the age of ten participating in the war in some shape or form, she doesn¡¯t know if Clarice would have still held the annual festivities. Speaking of Clarice. ¡°Stop,¡± Alex says The class in front of her complies and lowers their bokkens. ¡°You¡¯re all swinging too wide. You¡¯re telegraphing all your moves, anyone with eyes could deal with those strikes.¡± One of the new kids raises their arm. Alex nods at him. ¡°Missus Alex, what does tel-i-graph mean?¡± the boy asks. Alex sighs, realizing she¡¯s dealing with children, ¡°well Rorick¡­¡± Alex, Sasha, and Aki have taken over classes for as long as their staying, or until the instructors came back. Clarice actually seemed grateful for their presence. Which was new, guess all the paperwork and dealing with a bunch of brats was getting to her. Alex has to do double duty now, considering Sasha covered for her while she was in the clinic. It isn¡¯t so bad, she just has to make sure no one gets injured. How hard could it be? They¡¯re just kids after all. ¡°And why, exactly, did you hit Roan?¡± she interrogates a child with fury in her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s mean!¡± the boy says ¡°he never talks to anyone, just making those weird hand things.¡± ¡°And you realize that he can¡¯t talk, right?¡± The kid looks confused and Alex holds back the urge to sigh. So yeah, just peachy. - ¡°Damn Aki, you really splurged out didn¡¯t you?¡± Sasha asks. Aki puffs out his chest, not even trying to hold back a smile as his new eye glimmers with delight. ¡°It was totally worth it.¡± ¡°I¡¯d imagine¡± Alex says ¡°Lilac¡¯s are fucking ridiculous¡± ¡°You can say that again.¡± Sasha adds, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it have its own inbuilt programming software?¡± Aki nods enthusiastically, not containing his joy at all, ¡°yes! I just need to plug in a keyboard and I''m all set for netrunning. I can finally test some of the theories I¡¯ve been working on¡± - Aki and Sasha are staring at each other, neither moving an inch. Then Sasha blinks and waves around her arms. ¡°I can¡¯t see! Holy shit that''s cool¡± she giggles while flailing blindly, accidently hitting Alex in the face. ¡°Who was that?¡± She says. ¡°A morgue patron¡± Alex growls before pouncing on the girl, killing her with tickles. Aki laments the loss of one so young with a somber nod and a cross on his heart. Sasha¡¯s howling can be heard by all the residents of Lost Hope, a death knell that echoes-The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Stop!¡± Sasha says between bouts of laughter. ¡°Please.¡± More laughter. ¡°Stop.¡± Alex decides to be merciful and lets her go. Sasha sits back up while panting from the attack, giving Alex a sharp look. Alex tilts her head, ¡°you can see again¡± ¡°I could halfway through you¡¯re attempted murder¡± she pouts ¡°That¡¯s¡­really short. Didn¡¯t it take a few seconds for it to work? How¡¯re we supposed to use that in combat?¡± Aki shrugs, ¡°It''s beginner shit, too much clutter I¡¯d guess. That and sub-par scripts. Just need to spend some time updating it and it¡¯ll be useful, maybe an indefinite loop? No, those are too easy to break, could do a multi-package but that would take more space than its worth¡± He starts mumbling to himself. Sasha and Alex look at him, look at each other, then look back at him. ¡°Fucking nerd¡± - ¡°April first¡± Sasha mumbles. They¡¯re sitting on the roof of Lost Hope, listening to the distant gunfire and explosions. ¡°Six months,¡± Aki says. They look into the at the horizon and find a few plumes of smoke hiding behind the concrete Jungle of Arthas. It¡¯s beautiful in a way, the chaotic uniformity. The original designers clearly didn¡¯t intend for this city to hold hundreds of millions, and it shows in the patchwork design of the districts, although they¡¯re kind of irrelevant, each part of the city is named by the gang that controls it after all. ¡°And probably a few more¡± Alex echoes. The Crossroads sits on the borders between Sasei, the Graveyard, and the Hunting Grounds (or Hunting for short). It¡¯s a curious place, peace maintained by all the gangs working in unison. Even during times of war, the Crossroads is never attacked or used for leverage. Its status as a neutral is so coveted that even the Bastion of Truth built an orphanage here to raise their young. ¡°We¡¯re so fucked¡± Sasha concludes. - Alex is staring at a pencil. She¡­doesn¡¯t know if this is a good idea, but she has to know. She nudges the pencil. She doesn¡¯t get a headache, no, instead her soul screams. She is in too much pain to match it, laying on the floor, clutching at her chest. After some time, minutes or hours she does not know, she feels well enough to stand. Well, I guess it¡¯s just predictions for now. - Pumping iron is a familiar comfort to how weird everything feels. The halls of Lost Hope are mostly empty. Entire floors left to the dust. She can¡¯t gamble or really play any games with the kids without being the moderator. She¡¯s tried teaching them poker but they suck ass at both schooling their features and don¡¯t recognize when they¡¯ve got a good hand. Or a shit one. So mostly they¡¯ve been playing blackjack and hide-and-seek. With the orphanage being as empty as it is, it¡¯s the perfect staging ground for some good old hiding and seeking. She¡¯s always the seeker unfortunately, but that¡¯s fine, she¡¯s starting to branch out on the possibilities of her mark. She can push on it intentionally now, doing so hurts a bit, but she suspects if her soul wasn¡¯t currently in pieces it wouldn¡¯t feel like anything at all. So she pushes her mark to find the kids, and it worked, to an extent. She gets the sense of their general location, but trying to narrow it down doesn¡¯t work no matter how hard she pushes. But still, it¡¯s progress, and implicates her gift as something more than just predictions, even if only slightly. She remembers the depth it had, it felt realer than her own heartbeat, denser than granite, and filled to the brim with knowledge that she can¡¯t even begin to understand. But maybe the more applications she finds, the better the idea she¡¯ll get of what exactly it is she¡¯s dealing with. - ¡°Surprise attack!¡± yells a voice as they bring their bokken down on Alex¡¯s head. Alex doesn¡¯t move fast enough to dodge, and it bonks and breaks off her skull. Ai looks at her bokken, then looks at Alex, then back at her bokken. ¡°That¡¯s not fair¡± Ai pouts. Alex gives her a dangerous smile, ¡°neither is life kid,¡± and so began the second death by tickle in as many weeks. - {Too many signs} Roan does something like a grumble as he signs. Clarice shrugs {Too many words} which gets a chuckle out of Roan. {Want to play with friends} He signs. {No, you must learn. You will not be able to speak for a long time. Must learn to communicate} Roan pouts, {can write} Clarice actually snorts {not well} {What¡¯s point?} he signs exasperated {No one signs.} {your friends do} Clarice points out. Roan looks downcast at that {Barely.} {They do not need it to speak, you do} - Takeshi wakes up to the sound of a heart monitor. His vision is not blurry, and doesn¡¯t hurt from the light after being in disuse for so long, advantages of cybernetics. He looks around and finds no one in his room. He tries to raise his arm and- He has no arms. He looks down at where his arms should be and finds them gone, his right missing everything beneath the elbow and his left entirely gone. He starts hyperventilating and his heartbeat spikes, lighting up his door with yellow. In no time at all a nurse is beside him trying to coach his breathing but he doesn¡¯t listen, he can barely hear her over the sight of his missing arms. He screams into his rebreather. - The giant smiles ¡°skeleton man,¡± he says ¡°it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°It has¡± Jason nods ¡°honestly I would have preferred not to meet during a war, but sometimes life¡¯s a bitch¡± The giant¡¯s smile turns a little sad ¡°indeed, you¡¯re better company than most of my fellows. But we both have our duties, and loyalty is the only real currency here, in this hell.¡± Jason sighs ¡°so, inside or outside?¡± ¡°Outside¡± the giant says ¡°you have my word my men won¡¯t interfere, and they will respect the outcome. Can I get the same assurance?¡± Jason nods. Ch.33:It Is A Wolf Alex bought a professional guide to DGS. She¡¯s been slacking because of all the violence, and now she¡¯s missing words when Roan signs, so she¡¯s determined to spend at least a few hours after she teaches her class to grind through some words. Unfortunately children don¡¯t understand the concept of privacy. So she¡¯s studying in the only place the brats don¡¯t dare to tread, (except Roan, but he¡¯s cool) Clarice''s office. Clarice¡¯s like a hurricane on her computer, typing at a speed that could only be possible with cybernetics. She wonders if she maintains this amount of work for the whole day, she¡¯s never seen her just¡­relaxing before. It kinda worries Alex if she were being honest, Clarice is no mother, but she is Lost Hope''s guardian. The one who makes sure everyone gets food, a bed, and an education. ¡°You told me before that nothing comes for free.¡± Alex says ¡°What did you mean by that?¡± Clarice keeps typing, but it is quieter, ¡°prove yourself, and the gang will find shackles.¡± Alex looks perplexed at the woman, ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re a prisoner?¡± ¡°We all are,¡± she says simply. Alex mulls that over in her mind,more than a little skeptical, ¡°what are your shackles then?¡± Clarice stops typing, and she looks absently at the wall. There¡¯s a sad smile on her face. ¡°This place.¡± - Alex is sitting across from the dead woman, on clouds as they watch a show from a television made of snow. It¡¯s about two reptiles starting a rebellion against the bunny king. Alex doesn¡¯t really know what to say to the woman, she can¡¯t exactly take back what she¡¯s done, can¡¯t magic her way to the past and stop herself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she whispers. I know, the woman replies, but it doesn¡¯t really matter. - Sasha is sitting across from Ellie on the table as Morice prepares them some tea. The old man insisted despite their protests. The induction stove heats the kettle as Ellie rests her elbows on the table and her head in her hands. ¡°So,¡± she says, ¡°you¡¯ve managed to get my attention without Akihiro¡¯s help. Congratulations, I didn¡¯t take you for having much of a brain, then again, you might prove me right. Now, what do you want?¡± Sasha taps her foot to the floor as Morice pours the boiling water into their respective cups, looking at the woman who has ruined her life and goes to ask a favor. - Light shines on her face as she looks down on the clouds. She can¡¯t see much of the city she is a supposed resident of, all the way up here in her ivory tower. But she has access to the news just like everyone else, so she knows chaos is its king. She turns away from the window and activates her implants. ¡°Yes Farisa?¡± says the voice on the other end. ¡°How goes the arrangement with Mira?¡± She asks. She hears a sigh, which is fully intentional when communicating over implants. Their not actually talking with their mouths after all. ¡°You could read the report I painstakingly organized for you.¡± He says. ¡°I prefer a more personal summary, considering the size of this deal¡± Farisa says. Another sigh, maybe she should remind him who she is. Nah, swinging around her power just makes for a bunch of yes men who don¡¯t know how to think for themselves. It would be pretty sad if she needed the ego boost after all she has.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Mira will take the Walkers, all of them, and she¡¯ll pay over the course of the fiscal year.¡± He says. ¡°Good, but that¡¯s not what I want to know. Tell me how she carried herself, the woman must be a mess after all the losses she¡¯s taken recently¡± Farisa smiles. There¡¯s silence on the line for a few seconds before Tank responds. ¡°She was¡­actually quite composed. Almost serene. She went over our Walkers like how a common man might go over groceries.¡± Farisa frowns, that doesn¡¯t sound right. That doesn¡¯t sound right at all. - Rania gets back home after another long day of shooting a bunch of psychopaths only to be greeted by a half naked woman snoring on the floor. Rania groans, leaning down and shaking Olivia awake. ¡°Mmmmh¡­no, Olivia doesn¡¯t want to wake up. Olivia prefers the land of dreaming dreamy dreams¡± She mumbles. ¡°At least sleep in your own fucking bed woman, instead of the goddamn floor. We walk on those boards!¡± Rania raves. ¡°Can¡¯t¡± Olivia says ¡°It¡¯s all messy with mush and stomach acid. I¡¯m gonna need to clean it uuuuppppp.¡± She giggles, hiccups, then giggles at her hiccup. Rania pinches her brow. ¡°Oh don¡¯t be like that Rania, being so serious is bad for you, it¡¯ll fuck up your heart or something. I don¡¯t know, didn¡¯t do great in biology. So how was your day?¡± Olivia asks. ¡°Bunch of explosions and bullets, like every fucking day.¡± ¡°Sounds like fun.¡± Rania sighs and goes to the fridge while Olivia stays splayed on the floor, and grabs some tomatoes and feta cheese along with bread. ¡°Soooooo,¡± she hears behind her, ¡°not gonna ask me about my day?¡± Rania sighs again. ¡°How was your day?¡± She asks. ¡°Horrible!¡± She yells, ¡°you know Daniel?-¡± Rania nods ¡°-well turns out he¡¯s a Kingdom loyalist. Called me a fat whore when I told him about our escape. A fat whore! Do I look like a fat fucking whore?!?¡± Rania raises a brow, ¡°you seriously asking me that while half-naked on the floor?¡± Olivia stares at her in shock, then bursts into tears. Rania sighs, walking over and patting the woman on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay Olivia, you at least don¡¯t look all that fat.¡± Olivia sniffles. ¡°You¡¯re so mean.¡± ¡°I¡¯m literally a gangster who just came back from a warzone¡± She tilts her head, ¡°fair.¡± - There¡¯s not that much of a fuck to be given about the dead, not in this place. Corpses are salvaged, burned, and forgotten. No space to bury and no time to remember. Kite tries to remember, he always tries to remember, but even his mind isn¡¯t so trustworthy. So he changed it, made it bigger, made it better. He does not regret it, he will not regret it, because now he can¡¯t forget, and the dead can live on in his head. Now who will remember him? - Banzan scratches his tummy as the two clan leaders talk out their bullshit. Kiss and make up and all that shit. Rykers Scales aren¡¯t that prominent these days, but they¡¯re old as fuck, existing before Arthas even became a city, so the other clans have some level of respect for them. Banzan doesn¡¯t really get it. As Corden talks and talks, Banzan wonders if it would really be so bad for him to just shoot the man and get all this shit over with. But no, that would put his clan in hot water, killing a leader during a peace negotiation? That¡¯s a great way to incur the wrath of all the clans. While he and a few others could weather that storm, the young¡¯uns wouldn¡¯t really stand a chance. He¡¯s a little disappointed he wasn¡¯t given the go ahead to recruit the girl, she seemed like she had a decent head on her shoulders, one that wouldn¡¯t annoy him at least. Curiosity isn¡¯t a rare trait, but it is one of the few Banzan can tolerate. It¡¯s a sign of an active mind, which is more than he can say for most of the people that surround him. So many are satisfied with their puny little magic, focused on forging their bodies or developing well studied branches. They don¡¯t ever try to expand their brochure, just build on what¡¯s already there, bunch of pussies. - He is staring at a wolf, it must be a wolf, it can only be a wolf. Even as pus oozes from its hairless flesh and maggots wriggle and writhe through the sockets of its eyes. Even as the putrid stench of death and decay permeates from the moving corpse. Even as the breaths it takes drains the color from the world, and the claws of its paws pass through the steel beneath them. Even as it whispers sweet little lies into his mind, and scratches the ground with a sword made of bone. Even as it goes to swallow him whole, he knows, without a doubt, that this is a wolf. Ch.34:Just To Be Safe Sasha¡¯s sick, been sick for a whole ass week, so Alex has to cover for her in the gym. Being honest, watching a bunch of kids struggle with lightweight shit is kinda hilarious, so she doesn¡¯t really mind. Only thing that really annoys her is that she can only watch, ¡®cause if she¡¯s lifting weights she isn¡¯t paying attention to the children. So she kind of just meanders around, giving advice where she can, correcting forms and stopping kids from crushing their throats on the bench press. Not that hard, not that boring either surprisingly. Other than the casual amusement she actually kind of likes helping out the little shits, whether it be kendo or gym. Who knows, maybe someday she¡¯ll take Korin or Minoru¡¯s place, scowling grumpily like she¡¯s got a stick stuck up her ass. Is it weird that she actually misses those two? Minoru didn¡¯t really do shit other than stop them from being dumb, and Korin¡¯s just a prick. Yet she finds herself wishing they were here, teaching and watching over her. Talia¡¯s kinda boring as fuck so she doesn¡¯t miss her as much, but she does still miss her. She wonders how many beds will be empty and ready for new arrivals by the time this war is over. It¡¯s a bit of a suprise that all of them were called on, those her age or older sure, but anyone above ten? That literally includes pre-teens. Hopefully they aren¡¯t near the front lines, but if her experience is anything to go by, it doesn¡¯t really matter. Only the Wolves haven¡¯t joined, only the Wolves will be prepared once the corporations see their chance. She wonders what in the ever loving fuck the Dragon was thinking by joining this war. What is there to gain over what can be lost? Sure, the scion getting injured is really bad, but so is the whole gang dissolving from corporate pressure after beating each other to the brink of death. Which is where this is looking to go if the heavy ordinance being used is any indication. ¡°Miss Alex?¡± The voice of a child breaks her out of her reverie, Alex turns to find a five year old looking up at her. ¡°Yes Jasmine?¡± Alex says with a smile. The girl looks hesitantly at Alex, ¡°can I go to my room. I¡¯m not feeling well.¡± Alex looks her up and down. She¡¯s seen this before, even tried it a few times herself. Minoru always said the same thing when this happened. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll take you down to see Clarice after I¡¯m done here¡± Jasmine gives her a small smile and nods as she leaves the gym. Ah, to be new and naive. - Alex blocks a cross as she goes for a hook and finds Chen ducking and sweeping her leg at Alex¡¯s. Alex jumps back out of range before bursting into motion, going for a knee to Chen¡¯s exposed face but the girl dodges to Alex¡¯s right before delivering a cross just below the ribs and right into her liver. Alex doubles over and falls to the ground as Chen straddles her and starts to deliver the good old ground and pound. Alex bucks her hips, destabilizing the girl, before pulling her close and delivering multiple right hooks to her ribs while Chen does short punches to her chin. Alex gathers her strength and bucks again before pushing Chen to the side and trying to get up, but the girls legs wrap around her before she can, pulling her down, Chen gets her into a headlock and starts to squeeze. Alex struggles but it¡¯s in vain, the girl''s hold is too strong. As her vision becomes spotty, she taps out. Li Chen let¡¯s go, relieving the pressure and letting her blood flow back to her brain. ¡°That¡¯s another one for me¡± Chen smiles ¡°It¡¯ll take you forever to catch up at this point¡± Alex coughs ¡°Fuck you, if we fought with bokkens you wouldn¡¯t stand a chance¡± Chen smiles wider, ¡°ah but we¡¯re not, now are we? All fisticuffs here sister, and you just keep getting your ass whooped. Though you have gotten better, made me actually have to get serious, the ways of martial arts finally click in that muscle brained head of yours?¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Alex coughs, ¡°something like that,¡± Chen¡¯s probably talking about her magic, which doesn¡¯t help as much here as it does with the sword. Alex guesses it has something to do with the style. The more she knows the better it can guide and she doesn¡¯t really know much about MMA compared to Chen. The girl shimmy¡¯s beside her. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been so fun since you came back. All the shits in the Den don¡¯t want to go no holds barred against me. Too scared for their poor little bodies. But you! You just go for it, it¡¯s the perfect stress relief.¡± Chen says Alex chuckles, ¡°is that what I am now, stress relief?¡± ¡°Always have been,¡± Chen nods with gravitas. Alex smiles and gets to her feet, extending a hand to Chen. ¡°So, another round?¡± Chen grabs her hand and pulls herself up. There¡¯s a vicious smile on her face. ¡°Another round¡± - Returning back to Lost Hope with many bruises across her entire body excluding her chest, Chens has been avoiding that since she almost broke her hand trying to punch her in the sternum. It still winded Alex, but fighting with a fractured hand is a losing battle. Her nose is still fair game though, and elbows to her face. Apparently the Den covers the cost of bone enhancements in the knees and elbows, which is apparently the tip of something called the ulna? She doesn¡¯t know, biology isn¡¯t really a priority in lost hope. Point is she is very bruised, very bloody, and very tired when she opens the door to her orphanage. Which is why she can¡¯t be bothered to deal with the shit that comes next. Sitting on one of the couches, wearing a dress shirt and tie, sits a boy with two chrome arms resting on his knees as he regards Alex, he¡¯s surrounded by children poking and prodding him like he was a zoo animal. He ignores them and looks straight at Alex. ¡°You¡¯re Alex¡± he says ¡°No, I¡¯m fucking sleepy. What do you want, chrome boy? I got better things to do than entertain some spoiled brat.¡± Alex replies He tilts his head as he regards her, one child pulling at his cheek and another messing with his hair. ¡°My name is Takeshi,¡± he says ¡°Yoshifumi sent me here for you and your friends¡± Alex stares at the boy who looks to be her age. ¡°Your our handler¡± Takeshi nods. Alex sighs and starts banging her head against the wall. - ¡°We can¡¯t start any kind of operations¡± Aki says ¡°Sasha¡¯s still sick¡± Takeshi nods as though that were expected, ¡°indeed, we can wait, I¡¯d like to see how life in ¡®Lost Hope¡¯ fares anyway¡± Alex snorts, ¡°not much to see with most of the others being sent to the war, the place is practically abandoned.¡± Takeshi turns sharply on Alex with a hard expression, ¡°the children were sent to war?¡± Alex rolls her eyes, ¡°yes, they were. Part of our responsibilities when the gang needs people for supply runs. We even helped with that thing with the House that went tits up and started this whole thing.¡± His face falls, ¡°There were children there?¡± Alex waves him off, ¡°just us from what I know, though there could have been more, and stop saying ¡®children¡¯ like you¡¯re not a child yourself¡± He draws his lips in a thin line, not really acknowledging that last comment. His eyes are like literal rubies, glowing with a soft light as he stares at the wall ahead of him. He looks like he¡¯s staring at something else, they got such a soft heart for a handler. Alex might find that endearing if he wasn¡¯t so clearly rolling in credits. Two chromed arms at his age and no signs of psychosis? Must be one of the more adaptable models, which are expensive as fuck. Add his clear ignorance of how war works and Alex is honestly a little pissed, are they supposed to trust this guy with their lives? - Sasha is staring at the ceiling, it¡¯s a normal ceiling, nothing is strange about this ceiling. But she feels like it isn¡¯t and that there is something very wrong. So she stares at it, not because she believes in the feeling, but just to be safe, what if the feeling is real? Can¡¯t ignore your instincts. Just to be safe. She feels like the ceiling is watching her, but there are no eyes so it can¡¯t. But it is. But it can¡¯t be. But it is. Sasha is confused. She hasn¡¯t blinked in ten minutes, her chrome eyes not needing the moisture. She¡¯s been laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Ch.35:Bills She brings down her sword, cutting through the air as it makes its way to Takeshi¡¯s head. The boy parries the blow and goes for a jab that Alex dodges, slashing at him as she sidesteps. It hits him in the shoulder and he grunts as what remains of his right arm begins to bruise. Alex backs away and resets her stance, she doesn¡¯t have to, but this is a demonstration for the kids, not an actual match. They go again and again to the cheers of a bunch of children. Roan claps. Takeshi isn¡¯t an amateur with the blade, but he¡¯s no master either. His foundations are as solid as steel, but he seems to struggle with the frenetic nature of combat. Which makes him difficult to overwhelm, but easy to predict, and she¡¯s all about prediction. As a strike hits his leg Takeshi steps back and holds up a hand. ¡°Enough,¡± he says, ¡°I think the children have gotten a good enough example, and I¡¯ve received a good enough beating.¡± Alex scowls at him, ¡°we¡¯ve barely fought at all.¡± Takeshi raises a brow, ¡°we¡¯ve been sparring for half an hour.¡± ¡°Yeah, so?¡± That actually earns a chuckle from the boy. - Alex brings the weight up, then brings it down. Up and down, up and down. The rhythm of panted breaths and tearing muscle. She¡¯s been exercising a lot in her free time to make up for the lost muscle of the past few months. Although curiously she doesn¡¯t feel any weaker, managing the same weight with the same consistency as though she still had that muscle. Probably more magic bullshit. She wonders how much of that will encompass her life, it¡¯s already saved her on multiple occasions, and now it seems to slowly be ingraining itself into everything she does. Shame she can¡¯t really test anything except her mark until her soul is at least somewhat repaired. Speaking of, she hasn¡¯t tested it since that first time, maybe it¡¯s slightly better now? Or at least good enough where she can practice without curling up into a ball. Maybe she could find a way back into her soul space to speed up the process? All in due time, she just has to stay alive. Which isn¡¯t as hard as it should be considering her mark. She¡¯s honestly kind of impressed that Sasha and Aki are still breathing if she were being honest. So many opportunities to die that she¡¯s barely dodged because of mystical bullshit while their normal asses navigate a minefield. She really needs to encourage them to learn some fucking magic. All in due time. ¡°Missus Alex?¡± A young girl''s voice breaks her stream of consciousness. Alex racks the barbell and sits up to face her. ¡°Not a Missus,¡± Alex points out, ¡°I¡¯d need to be married for that.¡± Ai¡¯s face is a picture of confusion, ¡°why?¡± Alex shrugs, ¡°It basically means that you¡¯re someones ¡®Missus¡¯ while if your alone you¡¯re just a Miss.¡± ¡°Do boys get called something other than mister?¡± ¡°Yes, I like to refer to them as ¡®pussy ass bitches¡¯¡± Ai tilts her head, ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound right.¡± Alex puffs out her chest, ¡°Well I¡¯m older, and stronger, so that makes me right.¡± Ai scrunches up her face but chooses not to comment. ¡°So, what did you want?¡± Alex asks. Ai looks down and shuffles her feet, ¡°you fought the green and purple men right?¡± Alex nods and leans forward, ¡°yeah, why, looking for a story?¡± Ai shakes her head, ¡°just¡­were they scary?¡± Alex is a bit taken aback by the question, ¡°Yeah,¡± she says, ¡°but not for me. I¡¯m¡­special, hard to kill. But my friends aren¡¯t, they''re just as vulnerable as the next chump, so when we¡¯d get into fights there was always the chance that I¡¯d lose one of them. Made me take more risks so the bullets would fly towards me instead of them.¡± Ai just nods, not commenting on the ¡®special¡¯ comment. ¡°Will they come here?¡± Ai whispers. Alex smiles and gets up to ruffle the girls hair, ¡°this is the Crossroads Ai, safest place in Arthas, coming here with the intention for violence is practically suicide.¡± - Sasha is walking in circles, she can¡¯t sit still, doing so is dangerous. So she walks in circles, her eyes pinging with a phone call from Alex. She stares at it, not answering, she can¡¯t talk right now, she shouldn¡¯t talk right now. The voicemail starts to play ¡°hey Sasha just wanted to check and see if you¡¯re okay. Tell me If you need anything alright?¡± How nice. Alex is so nice. It¡¯s a reminder, an important reminder. She keeps walking. - ¡°So is this like Lasagna?¡± Anya questions as she pokes it with her fork. Both Fadi and Alex gasp, ¡°That¡¯s macarona bechamel girl, do not compare it to that second rate slop.¡± Fadi says Anya scrunches her brow, ¡°Lasagna''s pretty good though¡± ¡°Your taste buds are fucked then¡± Alex replies. Anya shrugs and takes a bite of her meal, ¡°eh, it¡¯s okay. Little weird with the cream and meat. Not as good as Lasagna though.¡± Both of them look at her scandalized to which the girl giggles. ¡°You¡¯ve brought a blasphemer to my stall Alex¡± Fadi intones. - Anya skips through the crowds with childlike glee, she doesn¡¯t get to go out often, considering how much Alex raves about the dangers of the city. She thinks she¡¯s exaggerating honestly, at least until she saw her arm. How did she survive someone who could do that in one swing? Not that she¡¯s complaining, other than a few acquaintances from the clinic, Alex is her only real friend in this city. She misses home a lot, but the opportunity to become a Maestro doesn¡¯t grow on trees. ¡°Alex! We need to get you new clothes.¡± Anya states. Alex groans but there¡¯s a slight smile fighting it¡¯s way onto her face, she can¡¯t hide her excitement from Anya! She knows the needs of a maiden, and that is clothes, mocha, and gossip! She¡¯ll get Alex hooked to at least one of those, and clothes are the most important contender. How can she survive with a near empty wardrobe? Insanity!This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Ok, fine, but they have to match my gang colors. I don¡¯t want to let anyone think I¡¯m an easy target just ¡®cuz I chose to wear green or some shit.¡± Anya gives her a confused look, ¡°wouldn¡¯t that associate you with the Bastion though.¡± Alex barks a laugh, ¡°Do I look like a Bastion crony? Color isn¡¯t our only way to tell which gang someones a part of. Take my Katana, or the Kingdoms weird as fuck fashion choices.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, toga¡¯s look kinda comfy, and those sashes are so stylish!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a weird kid Anya.¡± Anya puffs out her chest proudly, ¡°I aim to impress!¡± That gets a chuckle out of Alex. They keep moving through the crowd, chatting idly. Alex avoids her war stories fortunately, knowing that Anya doesn¡¯t really enjoy the topic. A lot of patients have been coming in lately, mostly gangers, and mostly because of bullets. Although there are a few who have survived explosions. Those are the worst by far, a bullet wound is fairly discrete if its a normal freaking bullet, but explosives? That leaves a lot of gore. On the plus side she¡¯s getting more experience with skin grafts and puncture wounds, hooray! There isn¡¯t really a set time for when she can become a Maestro, she could technically take the test now, she would fail but she could. So the more experience she earns the closer she gets to her passion. Her goal is to be a Maestro by eighteen! No slacking for that to happen. Still, she can enjoy moments like these, the many months where Alex was gone was¡­draining;and lonely, really lonely. But now she¡¯s back! So they can make up for lost time. Suddenly her vision is filled with stars and she stumbles to the ground. Somebody says something but it¡¯s muddled by the throbbing of her head. She brings a hand up to her hair and feels something wet, she starts panicking. Her head whips around to find Alex impaling a boy with her sword. Blood coats the blade as his body slides of and Alex turns to face someone else. ¡°You crazy bitch!¡± Someone says, ¡°you fucking killed Malcom.¡± ¡°He hurt my friend.¡± Alex growls in a tone Anya has never heard her use before, she doesn¡¯t like it. It¡¯s scary. Alex isn¡¯t scary, she¡¯s fun and grumpy, but not scary. Never scary. Anya looks at Alex as she squares up against three gangers pointing SMGs at her. They¡¯re all wearing red, but it¡¯s not the same shade of red that Alex wears, darker, more muddy. They also don¡¯t have katana¡¯s. ¡°That¡¯s how beatdowns go, cunt! This wasn¡¯t supposed to be a fucking execution. What the fuck is wrong with you?!?¡± She says as she waves her SMG at Alex. Anya looks around panicked, the crowd has cleared a little arena for them, some hurrying away and some watching. ¡°Help!¡± Anya screams, but nobody responds, ¡°get the police!¡± A few of the bystanders straight up laugh at her, ¡°that¡¯s a good one kid¡± says a man as he rubs tears out of his eyes. Anya looks perplexed at him, a kid just died, and two more are about to get gunned down, why are they laughing? What¡¯s so funny? ¡°Your friend doesn¡¯t know how this city works, does she.¡± One of the gangers sneer. Alex ignores him. ¡°Anya, get the fuck out of here ¡° she says. Anya stammers, ¡°I-I can¡¯t leave you.¡± ¡°Yes you can.¡± Alex says in the scary voice while staring at the three gangers, ¡°and you will.¡± Anya gulps down, and in shame goes to run away. She barely makes it two steps before she¡¯s gunned down. - ¡°-So while you could use a single script hack to shut off all of someone¡¯s cybernetics, it¡¯ll have to contend with the firewalls of each cybernetic at the same time.¡± Aki says excitedly as Roan is enraptured, ¡°Single scripts are better for small time shit, like hacking a vending machine or a lock. Chain scripts are the bread and butter of cybernetic quick hacks. Want to shut down someone''s arm? Code a targeting script, an overheat script, a cooling shutdown script for each method possible, and voila. The arm¡¯ll overheat and cause an emergency shutdown, making it functionally useless. Now, If you want an Overburn quick hack, you just add a script that stops the emergency shutdown. Those are better for internal cybernetics though, or eyes.¡± Roan waves his hand like he¡¯s in a class asking for permission to speak. Aki nods at him. {Can hack biochips?} Aki tilts his head. ¡°Kind of, but not really. Biochips are made to be independent from the net, so if they had an access slot and you had a connection cord, you technically could. But then you¡¯d have to focus on keeping your targets alive so you can actually klep their creds. Not really worth it¡± Roan deflates a bit but asks his next question. {How useful} he asks, {only rich have cybernetics} Aki points at him, ¡°that and the Bastion, but you just answered your own question. Only people with big money can afford cybernetics. So they''re either rich or very effective soldiers, either way they¡¯ll be much tougher to kill.¡± He twirls his finger than points at his laptop. ¡°Quick hacks like these are their Achilles heel. Unless they got a trained netrunner to code their firewalls or set up defence Daemons, they¡¯ll just have the standard package, making them helpless to the power of coding.¡± The door bursts open and a bloodied Alex enters the room. ¡°Alex? What happened?¡± Aki asks. ¡°I need to talk to Ellie, now¡± she growls. - She sits on a couch in one of her warehouses, munching on an apple as she watches the mechanics work on the walkers. They¡¯ve all been damaged, some of them need to be salvaged. What¡¯s she doing here? Mostly professional curiosity, and it¡¯s pretty hilarious to watch the underlings scramble once they realize who she is. She doesn¡¯t like to flaunt her status, but occasionally she does just for kicks. She manifests a digital clock in her vision. Just a few minutes left. She already had to deal with the pink one, she still doesn¡¯t know if that was the wisest investment, but it will be interesting. Now the tall one wants to chat, after getting herself bloody with some small time gangers. She wonders what she¡¯s gonna ask, if it¡¯s to exact revenge for her she¡¯s going over to Lost Hope to slap that girl silly. ¡°Miss,¡± says Kirin, ¡°is it necessary for you to be here? You¡¯re making the workers nervous.¡± Ellie shrugs, ¡°It¡¯s not my problem if they¡¯ve got no backbone¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not necessary for you to be here¡± ¡°No, but I''m curious about the actual state of our Walkers, instead of the little papers a bunch of suck ups send to my desk. So far I''m disappointed.¡± Kirin sighs ¡°please don¡¯t purge your staff. Last time I had to do all the fucking work while we looked for more.¡± ¡°Oh I¡¯ll only be getting rid of a few, the ones that met my expectations get to stay.¡± Kirin grunts. Her optics ring as someone tries to contact her. Ellie accepts the call as her eyes turn yellow. ¡°I need a job,¡± Alex says instantly. Ellie raises a brow, ¡°feeling bold today are we, what, not even a hello?¡± ¡°Hello, I need a job.¡± Now this is amusing, but also a little out of line. Can¡¯t have that. ¡°Girl, it¡¯s best if you remember who it is you¡¯re talking to¡± The line goes silent for a moment, but only a moment. ¡°Sorry,¡± she says, ¡°but I need money, and I need it quick¡± ¡°A little desperate are we?¡± ¡°Yes¡± Ellie takes a bite out of her apple. ¡°Your going to have to tell me why¡± The line is silent for a bit before Alex answers, ¡°got into a fight. A friend got hurt, badly. Fucking idiot only has a basic insurance plan so their not covering the fucking bullet wounds-¡± ¡°And the extended stay¡± Ellie finishes for her. Ellie feels like if she were face-to-face, she¡¯d get a nod. ¡°They part of the gang?¡± Ellie already knows that she isn¡¯t, but best not to let her little investment think that she¡¯s spying on her. They always get so prickly when privacy¡¯s involved. ¡°No,¡± she says. ¡°Then why should I care?¡± Ellie says simply, and she means it too, what the fuck does she care about some nobody intern? Why risk a perfectly good asset on a suicide run to keep that intern alive? She knows how much money hospital stays cost, the gangs are their biggest customers after all, the amount of work she¡¯d need to do would need to be dangerous to get that kinda creds. Then again¡­If she survives she¡¯ll be even more valuable. Hmmmm. ¡°...please Ellie. I need to do this, I¡¯ll even do it at a discount, I don¡¯t fucking care, just give me some jobs.¡± Ellie mulls it over in her mind, investments are considered risks, and this is a little extreme so early. But the girl already survived being behind enemy lines, and from what she saw in that little scuffle she¡¯s become someone to genuinely fear because of it. ¡°Alright,¡± Ellie says ¡°I¡¯ll throw you a bone. I¡¯ve got a few fires that need to be put out, but keep the others out of it. I don¡¯t want them dying on your little suicide mission.¡± Ch.36:Just Keep Moving. A blade bursts from a man''s throat, he paws at the weapons as blood gurgles from his mouth and life slowly leaves his eyes. If the main gangs are creatures of millions, small gangs contain thousands. Dotted around Arthas, carving their own puny little territories surrounded by giants. Her steps are as quiet as she can manage as she traverses through the factory. ¡°Nah homegirl, I¡¯m telling you, this is the shit.¡± a man says as he bites into his burger. The woman rolls her eyes, ¡°Would it kill you to eat a salad?¡± ¡°Yes¡± The gangs don¡¯t let the small time hang around out of the goodness of their hearts, they¡¯re a genuine threat that can and have repelled the bigger gangs'' attempts to force them on their knees. ¡°Honestly Roy, you¡¯ll put yourself into an early grave at this rate.¡± Roy scoffs just before Alex pierces his heart. For the most part they go for defensive tactics, not really capable of putting up a fight against something so overwhelming as the main gangs. Times of war change some things though, like sharks they rush towards the smell of blood. She can¡¯t stop the woman''s scream, or the gunshot, before she cuts off her head. Boots crash on concrete as Alex tries to find somewhere to hide. She isn¡¯t fast enough. A bullet flies past her head as she ducks slightly, many more follow, she takes cover behind a crate. Luckily it''s made of steel, just normal ass steel. A bullet hits the ground as Alex moves, she looks over and finds a man with a rifle aiming at her from the catwalk. He shoots again, blood bursts from her leg as half the muscle of her left thigh is blown apart. She works her magic and forces herself to move, turning the corner of the crate as she suddenly finds herself in front of two gangers with their guns pointed straight at her. Bruises form as multiple bullets hit her ribs and head, pushing her back. She goes with the momentum of a bullet as it snaps back her head. Another shot from the rifle echoes throughout the factory. She pulls herself back and rushes towards the two ahead, digging deep into one of their brains as the other makes some distance and keeps shooting. A few bullets hit her limbs before she makes a cross-section of his stomach, freeing his guts to the glory of the world. She keeps moving as her muscles burn and more descend upon her. She¡¯s saving her Reison for someone who warrants that kind of firepower. She weaves through the groups as she slices through bodies, some of them have cybernetics, some of them have bionics. All of them die. Alex is a mess of bruises and blood as she stares at the carnage surrounding her. She turns to the catwalk and finds the rifleman gone. She takes a few pictures and keeps moving. - Bone isn¡¯t something easy to cut through, if her katana weren¡¯t made of durasteel she wouldn¡¯t even try it. But it makes for pretty good intimidation when a tornado of slashes tears through their limbs. They try to keep their distance and kite her with bullets, but she dodges the lethal shots and forces her limbs to keep moving despite their state. She can see the bone of her arm as she stabs through a woman''s eye. She feels something like disapproval when a man falls on her blade and she uses him as a shield. She really wants a red-steel katana. Those things cut through just about anything and barely need any maintenance. The perfect blade for any aspiring swordsman. Swordswoman? Swordsperson. She¡¯s tackled to the ground as a mountain of muscle bowls her over. Brass knuckles crash into her face and her nose breaks. She¡¯s a bit disoriented as he keeps punching, but she has enough presence of mind to draw her gun and shoot him in the chest. She can see the sky, and his spine, before blood overtakes the wound and the woman falls over. She pushes her off and goes to get up, but not before the but of a gun crashes into her temple. She sweeps her blade in their direction and hears a scream. She catches a grenade before it hits the ground and tosses it behind her. Someone''s intestines drapes itself on her neck, like a necklace, as the explosion pushes her back to the ground. She growls as she gets up to continue the slaughter, only to find that everyone''s runs away. She¡¯s tired, and her muscles burn something fierce, but she ignores it as she heads back to Lost Hope. She can¡¯t stop. - He watches as the girl walks back into the building with intestines wrapped around her neck and multiple wounds littered over her body. He can see the bones supposed to be covered by the biceps of her right arm. Her left leg is missing a large chunk of flesh and muscle as blood dribbles onto the ground. ¡°You have to stop.¡± Takeshi says, ¡°you¡¯re killing yourself doing this.¡± She glares at him, and all the blood and gore make him take a step back. ¡°You could make me stop, rich boy.¡± she says ¡°you just have to pay her bills¡± Takeshi goes silent, Ellie was very clear. He can¡¯t give her a single credit. Which is bullshit because each place she ransacks only gets her friend a single day. Alex sighs, ¡°yeah, that¡¯s about what I thought.¡± She walks back to her room and tracks blood on the floor. - It¡¯s her fault. It''s all her fault. All she had to do was contain her anger at the sight of Anya getting hurt, all she had to do was play along with their little brawl. Sure, she probably would have lost, but is that really worse than what happened? Better bruised and battered than on the verge of death. A knife buries itself in her guts, she grabs the offending party''s head and bashes her skull against his until it caves in. She picks up her Katana from the ground and charges the group ahead of her with a bellow.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. She slashes a girl''s midsection as multiple bullets dig into her chest. There are screams and pleas as she cuts through so many people. Her body hurts a lot, but she forces it to move and keeps digging into flesh, keeps cutting, keeps killing. She has no excuse this time, before with Jason she could say that she was forced into an unpleasant situation and did her best with the hand she was dealt. This? She asked for this, quite literally, and so long as Anya¡¯s in that hospital she¡¯ll keep on killing. Because she won¡¯t lose Anya. She refuses to be responsible for the death of her friend. So the answer is simple, she won¡¯t be. All these people will die to keep Anya alive. - ¡°This has to stop,¡± Aki insists, ¡°look in a mirror Alex, you¡¯re more corpse than person right now. You¡¯ve barely made it three days, how do you expect to last however long that kid needs to survive at this rate?¡± Alex keeps walking towards her bedroom, ignoring Aki as she moves in a daze. She¡¯s lost a lot of blood the past few days, but that¡¯s okay, it¡¯ll all be okay. A hand lands on her shoulder and she winces as it aggravates a bullet wound. ¡°Alex. Did you hear me?¡± he says with a worried expression Alex nods, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine Aki, I¡¯m a magical girl. Those shits don¡¯t stand a chance.¡± That doesn¡¯t seem to reassure the boy. - Alex is sent flying, crashing through a window and falling two stories straight on her back. She takes a moment to stare at the sky. Or the clouds covering the sky, It¡¯ll probably rain today, which doesn¡¯t happen all that often. She heard that in the old world Florida used to have near constant rainfall. She doesn¡¯t know how anyone could tolerate that, but now it rains maybe once or twice a week. A mountain of chrome bursts through the wall of the second floor, and Alex has to scramble out of the way before the tin man pulps her with his weight. He lands with a crash. ¡°Still alive girl?¡± says a reverbed voice, ¡°that¡¯s a shame, you look like you¡¯re in pain. C¡¯mere and I can end that for you nice and clean.¡± Alex raises a brow as she looks up to the ruined wall, then back down to the ruined concrete beneath them. They chuckle, ¡°okay, maybe not clean. But it will be quick, you won¡¯t notice a thing¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass,¡± Alex says as she draws her Reison. Instantly the distance between them is closed and the gun is slapped out of her hand, a bit of blood trails down the borg¡¯s nose. Alex has a split second to dodge a strike to the head, It is enough. She slashes her katana at them and draws a thin line up their chest. It only cuts through the first layer of skin. Alex curses as she goes for another slash. Her blade is caught by the borg and a fist to her stomach sends her flying across the street and into the windshield of a moving car. She lands hard on the pavement as she can feel multiple fractures spread out across her body. She stands shakily and a car honks at her to move out of the way. Alex considers giving them the finger but considering they didn¡¯t just run her over she thinks better of it. She approaches a very confused borg holding her katana. ¡°How are you still moving?¡± they asks ¡°you¡¯re beyond fucked up at this point.¡± Alex spits out some blood, ¡°magic.¡± The borg lets out a small chuckle, ¡°still got a sense of humor? That¡¯s impressive girl.¡± They appear in front of her and swing her katana, there¡¯s no form or practice in it, but the speed of a Caber is more than enough to make up for that. Alex only has enough time to raise her left arm to block, half her bone is sliced through. A kick to the chest sends her flying back into the streets, and she barely dodges the cars that pass. Alex looks up at the borg. She¡¯s losing. She¡¯s fucking losing. This cannot stand, she has to do better, be better. She pulls from the mark and her soul and forces herself to MOVE. She sprints at the borg with all the strength her magic can substitute for her broken body, dodging cars without even looking. The borg raises a brow and and goes to swing her katana as she charges right at them. They swing, she slides. Right between their legs. She keeps running. She ducks and rolls as a blade cuts through some of her curls. When she gets up, her Reison is in her hands pointed straight at the borgs head. A low drone of bees sounds through the air as the borg''s head snaps back. Alex moves and dodges a slash that would have cleaved her in half. The borg is missing a small chunk of brains, but they¡¯re still moving. Alex presses her gun to their temple and shoots again. They swing wildly as severe brain damage hampers their judgment. She aims and fires for the last time. The borg falls dead to the ground. As she goes to grab her katana she vomits a small glob of blood. It¡¯s fine, she¡¯s fine, she won. She just has to keep moving. - Alex is standing. Just standing. It¡¯s not the first time she¡¯s been the centre of a heap of corpses, not even the second, or third. She finds that funny, fifteen years old and already going on killing sprees? Getting a little ahead of herself is she? Her magic really makes a force to be reckoned with, but it¡¯s not really her magic now is it. It¡¯s a gift from a planet of gore. Like all the gore surrounding her now. She really needs to thank them. She can¡¯t really move right now, muscles burning as they are, so she just stands. She thinks she''s figured out why her magic acts differently when using her mark. It¡¯s making whatever she¡¯s doing ridiculously efficient, meaning the burden on her soul is nonexistent, but her body still isn¡¯t used to magic or some such bullshit. So if she had a chunky enough soul maybe she¡¯d start feeling the physical effects of her telekinesis. Heh, chunky soul. Fuck everything hurts. She moves aside as a shotgun blast tears tears through her side, leaving a small chunk of torn gore on her right. Fuck, her clothes are in tatters. She looks to find five people pointing guns at her. ¡°Goddamn, Is that a fucking zombie?¡± One of them says, she growls at them. The man lets out a small yelp and backs away, which causes her to chuckle. Ah fuck, that hurts. The man with the shotgun shoots again but she¡¯s already moved, though not enough to dodge all the pellets. That¡¯s another discovery she¡¯s made the past few days, shotguns and automatics are a pain in the ass. Surprise to absolutely no one. A hail of bullets assaults her, but that¡¯s fine. She¡¯s among them now. Her sword digs through the back of a womans neck, cutting off her spinal cord, she twirls as bullets go through her arms and a few enter her chest. She cuts off the hand of a man with a rifle, but not before he manages to shoot through her stomach. Huh? Why didn¡¯t she get a warning? She stumbles and uses the man as a human shield, then gunfire from somewhere further away sounds out. Just great. ¡°Take care of them! I¡¯ve got the zombie girl,¡± one of them says. Hmmm, a friend? Strange. She doesn¡¯t get much time to contemplate as her shield is blasted through and a cavalcade of pellets tear into her chest, throwing her back. She rolls and rolls until she finds her face pressed down onto the floor. What happened to her magic? Blood flows down the concrete as she can¡¯t get herself to move, she tries to force it but her soul screams. Someone kicks her on her back, she coughs out blood. A shotgun is shoved into her mouth. ¡°Survive this bitch¡± the man snarls. She tilts her head slightly just before the man shoots. Teeth go flying as the bullets tear through half of her face. ¡°Goddamn, you actually did.¡± He says, amazed. A hand grabs his head and crushes it like a cranberry. A decently sized man with mountains for arms walks up to her bleeding body. There¡¯s a pendant around his neck. ¡°Hey kid,¡± Adam says ¡°let¡¯s get out of here¡± Ch.37:Arthas Thousands fill the pulpits, heads bowed and hands clasped in prayer. The pastor on the podium leads as Solomon sits behind him on his throne. Everywhere in the TallWinds speakers are spaced out to broadcast the sunday sermon of his church. The masses pray in small mumbles, creating a harmony of light and low voices. They pray to him. He is their God, after all. They pray for protection, and does he not provide? They pray for food, and does he not feed? They pray for power, and is not the opportunity presented to them? They pray for solace, and so long as they put their faith in him, it will be freely given. They do not pray for forgiveness, for there is nothing to forgive. - Mira walks down the factory, assessing her new acquisitions with an inquisitive eye. They¡¯re a more recent model, but that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean better, she¡¯s having her own mechanics examine the design of one in the back to see if it can deliver on its promises. ¡°Mira,¡± says a woman behind her, ¡°I¡¯ve finished with the scans¡± Mira turns to Yessenia ¡°and?¡± ¡°Well I found a pretty basic shutdown script¡± she says, ¡°but it was sloppy, so I went deeper and found a remote access script hiding in the heatsink script.¡± Mira grunts, ¡°always trust a corpo to stab you in the back.¡± She turns back to admire the Walkers. It¡¯s a shame it¡¯s come to this, Mira has tried her hand at multiple concessions, but they don¡¯t seem interested. Determined to continue despite all the implications. Fine. They want to play the game like that? She can match that and more. It¡¯ll just be costly, but at this point it¡¯s obvious that the war will be expensive anyway. So she might as well take the gloves off and put on the brass knuckles. - Rorick is sitting on a chair. It is a simple chair of synthetic wood. In front of him his daughter is playing with figurines from Uridine''s Causality, he watches her with hundreds of little eyes and a smile on his face. Alice huffs and turns to him. ¡°Daddyyyy, when can I go outside?¡± She wines. ¡°Once it¡¯s safe sweetheart, It¡¯s dangerous out there.¡± He replies. She pouts, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just kill them all already, It¡¯s been so looong.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t simply roll over Alice, like a cornered beast they will fight until their last breath¡± Alice scoffs, ¡°Oh please, they¡¯re all meat bags, like me! How much of a fight can they fight¡± He chuckles at her lapse in language, ¡°not all of them discard the wisdom of steel.¡± ¡°Yes Alice, listen to your father¡± Rorick ignores the phantom of his wife as he watches Alice go back to her figurines. -Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Asato received a rather idiotic text from his son. Apparently Ellie put their new magic girl through the wringer, sending her to eliminate targets from the small gangs that¡¯ve been causing trouble. His son sent him a picture of her state and he has to admit, he doesn¡¯t know how she''s still alive. But that doesn¡¯t make his request any less stupid. Take the girl from a Finger and place her under his wing? What, exactly, does he think would happen if he made such a blatant betrayal of trust? Besides, Ellie is a dependable dog, knowing when to fetch and bite without having to be told. He¡¯d rather not create animosity over something so benign. The boy¡¯s getting too attached to his new goons, which is not the lesson he wants him to learn. But that¡¯s fine, If he is worthy of his name he will grow out of it. He takes a sip of his tea, and across from him his first Finger does the same. - Pacing, pacing, pacing. She¡¯s been doing that a lot lately. One foot in front of the other, turn, then do the same. Over and over again until the thoughts in her head are organised and she can come to a goddamn decision. Her predicament is so stupid, how do they not know the outcome of their warmongering? ¡°We have to respond.¡± Says one of her lieutenants, ¡°letting them walk over us will make us look weak.¡± ¡°And you think joining the war is a good idea?¡± Says another, ¡°Then we¡¯ll actually be weak once the corporations decide to pounce.¡± ¡°What else are we supposed to do? They clearly want to die, and don¡¯t seem intent on stopping their strikes until we respond in kind.¡± The second lieutenant sighs, ¡°but joining the war is suicide.¡± She stops pacing, she never wanted to live through an Arthenian war, but life¡¯s a dick that likes to go in raw with no fucking foreplay. ¡°We¡¯ll defend, but we won¡¯t attack. If they decide to escalate, then so be it.¡± Talia says grimly. - A man in a leather jacket walks through the streets of Arthas. Is he in the TallWinds or the Graveyard? Who knows, war has a way of making things muddled, he¡¯s on Jotun road and that¡¯s all that really matters. Let the gangs continue their petty squabbles, killing and causing havoc. Every step leads him closer to something that should not be here. - Sasha feels¡­better. It took a while, but the bouts of paranoia and the occasional hallucinations seem to have lessened. It¡¯s impressive considering her operation, she was almost expecting to go full cyberpsycho. She smiles as she can finally see her friends again, they¡¯ve only been calling recently because of her fa?ade of sickness being used as an excuse to leave her alone. Clarice could tell something else was going on, likely used to little brats and their little lies, but she doesn¡¯t seem to have told her suspicions to either Alex or Aki. She is grateful for that. As she opens her door to meet her friends, she¡¯s stopped by a gaggle of children scrunching up their noses. ¡°You smell¡± one of them gags. Ok, shower first, then friends. - Alex hasn¡¯t been returning her calls. She woke up two days ago covered in bandages and wires, a mask on her face to give her oxygen. The first thing she did was call Alex, but nothing came from it. She called her every hour since then and hasn¡¯t received a single response. Is she mad at her? Anya doesn¡¯t know what she could have done other than getting shot, but that¡¯s not really her fault, and Alex isn¡¯t an unreasonable person. But she remembers how easy it was for her to kill a child, how scary her voice turned when she got angry. She knows Alex¡¯s a ganger, knows she¡¯s killed people, but Anya never really took that seriously. Alex is her friend, so it¡¯s fine. She is rapidly learning that it is not, in fact, fine. Nothing in this city is fine. She was laughed at for trying to get the cops as a crowd of people just watched! She hopes Alex¡¯s ok at least. The door opens and a man with very big arms alongside a scantily clad woman enters her room. Anya doesn¡¯t recognize them, she can tell they¡¯re dragons, and more importantly that they¡¯re scars. Alex told her about the pendants of red gold, and what it represents. She shrinks at the sight of two Titans approaching. ¡°You are Anya?¡± says the man. Anya tries to answer but her throat shrivels up, she just ends up staring at them while she shakes on her bed. ¡°Answer him girl.¡± says the woman with an edge that kind of reminds her of Alex, except much more dangerous. Anya manages a nod. ¡°Good,¡± the man says as he turns around and leaves the room. The woman looks at him, then at her, then back at him. She throws her arms up in exasperation and follows the man out. Anya lets out a breath. What was that? - Dominic hasn¡¯t had proper rest in days, running from the dragons as they send ganger after ganger to find him. He¡¯s killed a few, but mostly he prefers to hide. As he rummaged through the garbage a hand clasps his shoulder. He turns to find a police officer and sighs. ¡°Sir,¡± he says ¡°you¡¯re going to have to come with me¡±. His voice leaves no room for argument as he takes out his handcuffs. Dominic sighs, ¡°yeah, I know¡± Then a small cannon pops out from his forearm and blows off his head. Dominic sighs again, now he¡¯s going to have to travel the sewers. Just great. Ch.38:Healing Alex is staring at the roof of a rather familiar office. Huh, when did she fall asleep? Her memories are kinda spotty after Adam showed up, with her last being bleeding all over his back while he carried her. She¡¯ll have to apologize for that later, and thank him for saving her. She can hear the clacking of keys so she knows that Clarice is here. ¡°How long?¡± She says, feeling the air pass through where her cheek should be. The typing stops and she hears wheels against floorboards as Clarice goes to get up. She walks over and pulls a chair beside the couch before taking a seat. ¡°Three hours,¡± She says Alex sighs in relief, not that long. She still has time. ¡°And the Scar that brought me here?¡± Clarice cracks open a can of fizzy peach. ¡°Tilt your head,¡± She says. Alex squints at the woman. ¡°You are not drip feeding me.¡± Clarice stares at her. ¡°Get up and grab it then.¡± Alex scoffs, that¡¯s barely a challenge, she pushes her magic through her body- And stops when immense pain overwhelms her being, she cries a bit. Clarice rubs off a tear with her thumb. ¡°Doesn¡¯t work?¡± Alex looks perplexed at the woman, ¡°does everyone know about magic these days?¡± Clarice just shrugs and tilts the can over to Alex, who acquiesces and lets her slowly feed her the sweet nectar. ¡°The Scar left after dropping you on my couch¡± she says ¡°which I now need to clean.¡± Alex looks sheepishly at the woman as she sips her drink. ¡°You also don¡¯t need to do any more jobs,¡± Clarice says, ¡°he¡¯s covering the bill for you, premium recovery bundle.¡± Alex barely holds herself back from spitting out their drink, it¡¯s a close thing, but it would be rude, and Alex can¡¯t tolerate being rude right now. Clarice sighs, ¡°You don¡¯t get a hospital, Ellie wants you and the rest to move as soon as you recover. Your admission would take too long.¡± Alex takes one last gulp and lets out a breath. ¡°Isn¡¯t that just going to kill me? I have bullets sitting in my guts, I can feel ¡®em¡± She doesn¡¯t think Ellie would just let her die after she sent a Scar to save her. She assumes so at least, that or Adams stalking her, but he doesn¡¯t really give off those kinds of vibes. Clarice sighs, ¡°you have magic, she expects you to use it. Or die¡± Wait what? How the fuck is she supposed to do that while her souls still broken? She starts to panic, is she gonna die here? Slowly and in pain because Ellie thinks she still has free reign over her soul? What the fuck does Ellie even know about magic other than that it exists, how could she expect something so ridiculous of her. Even with a whole soul she can barely roll a pencil. ¡°Calm,¡± Clarice says, ¡°I will take you once it gets dangerous.¡± ¡°You¡¯d go against a Finger for me?¡± Alex chokes. Clarice just gets up and nods before heading back to her desk, conversation seemingly over. Her eye¡¯s turn yellow then she continues her typing. Alex thinks about healing her wounds, just a little bit, just enough to close a papercut, and pulls the trigger. Lightning and fire, that''s what courses through her veins. Judgment and penance, that¡¯s what fires through her neurons. Pain and suffering, that¡¯s what encompasses her being as tendrils snap, and the pieces of her soul start to drift away, barely held back by what remains. It takes Alex a moment to realize she is screaming her throat raw, she doesn¡¯t stop as Clarice rushes from her desk to try and calm her down. Tears and snot overwhelm her as more voices sound out around her, she can¡¯t distinguish them right now, all she can feel is the pain. She¡¯s survived PAIN before, and it was worse than this, yet here she finds herself helpless as wave after wave of fresh agony crashes into her. It just keeps going and going and going- Until it stops, and Alex is left panting on the couch as she tries to gain her bearings. ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± says a familiar voice, Alex sees a few threads of pink on Sasha¡¯s officially brown hair. Alex goes to answer but her stomach contracts and blood pours out of her mouth. ¡°Get her on her side!¡± Alex feels hands grasp her body as she is lifted to her right, the side where the shotgun tore through her, She holds back tears as a new pain throbs in the wound. She coughs out the last droplets of blood and they roll her back on her back. ¡°You used magic?¡± Sasha says sternly. ¡°What now?¡± Takeshi replies. ¡°I have to heal,¡± she says weakly. ¡°And you didn¡¯t think about talking to us first!?!¡± Aki yells, which stuns Alex, she¡¯s never heard him yell before. He rubs the bridge of his nose. ¡°Honestly Alex, you¡¯re missing so much muscle on your limbs I can literally see bone. There¡¯s a funcking chunk of your stomach just gone along with a hole the size of my fist, and your face! A quarter of your face is gone! Along with so many teeth. That and your tits are more bullets than flesh.¡± It is at this moment that she realizes the only thing covering her is bandages and she blushes hard at the thought of her friends watching as Clarice tended to her. Sasha rolls her eyes, ¡°Relax, none of us are into corpses. Well I don¡¯t know about Takeshi, hey Takeshi, are you into corpses?¡± ¡°No, and I still haven¡¯t gotten an answer to my question.¡± He complains. ¡°Yeah, yeah, you¡¯ll figure it out pretty boy. Anyway, could you kindly leave? We need to have a talk with our resident dumbfuck¡± She says. Takeshi stares at her, then shrugs as he heads out of the room. ¡°So Alex, tell me what you¡¯ve been up to while I¡¯ve been sick. I¡¯d love to hear it from your half-mouth before I punt you through a fucking wall.¡± Sasha says sweetly.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Alex begins to sweat. - The verbal lashing Alex received was of epic proportions, even Clarice seemed to wince every now and then. A lot of words were said, and Alex is kind of hurt. But to be fair she did go on what was basically a suicide mission. She¡¯d do it all over again if she had to. ¡°Anyway the fuck did you even do to get such a violent reaction?¡± Aki asks once things calm down. ¡°I told my magic to heal like a papercut''s worth of damage.¡± ¡°Yeah, but like, what specifically?¡± ¡°That¡¯s as specific as it gets,¡± She says. Aki stares at her, ¡°Alex,¡± he says slowly, ¡°did you tell your magic to heal you without specifying what kind of healing you want.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± She says innocently. The tirade continues. - Alex¡¯s ears hurt. Anyway, turns out she can actually heal herself, almost as cheaply as moving was before she got this fucked up. She just has to give her natural healing a little push with the magical touch, and produce more blood. On account of the internal bleeding. Alex honestly prefers vomiting over the slow stream of blood coming out of her ass. Clarice really will need a new couch. So she kinda just lays there while pushing her healing and blood, she stops whenever a headache comes on, and starts again when it leaves. It¡¯s kinda boring honestly, but she uses the time to get a feel for how her magic is actually interacting with reality. She¡¯s made a few discoveries. At first she thought the thing that channels her magic is the soul juice mentioned in her contract, but no, that just dissipates into whatever the fuck surrounds her soul. Turns out she¡¯s just using her soul directly to make what she wants to happen fucking happen. Which answers some questions and raises a couple more. Why does soul juice exist? Why doesn¡¯t it seem to actually do anything? Why would a demon want something she can¡¯t even use? She really needs to see Banzan again, though she¡¯ll avoid talking about the demon. She can feel her contract in the back of her mind, her contribution being barely a drop in what she owes. At this rate she¡¯ll die of old age before she completes it. Or they¡¯ll ask a favor, which will probably be bad for everyone involved. Considering, you know, demon. The door to the office opens and Roan enters with his fists all balled up, he sees Alex and power walks towards her. ¡°Hey Roan! How ya been, sorry about cla-¡± He slaps her in the face, then walks back out of the office and slams the door. Alex looks stunned as she blinks multiple times to process what just happened. ¡°I feel like I''m being bullied for trying to help a friend.¡± Alex grumbles. ¡°It¡¯s because they love you.¡± Clarice says. Alex yelps and twitches as her instincts tell her to jump. ¡°Holy fuck, I forgot you were there.¡± Clarice raises a brow, ¡°Spatial awareness is a virtue.¡± - Alex has to wear diapers for all the blood. Fucking diapers! The indignity! That and Sasha had to help her get dressed, which was more painful than it was embarrassing. After a few days she can use her magic to move her arms again! If only barely. Which means she can start using a wheelchair. Lost Hope doesn¡¯t have any elevators, so she can only really roll around in the lobby and Clarice¡¯s office, which she doesn¡¯t appreciate, so lobby it is. She¡¯s planning on going to visit Anya but her friends insist she needs to be going faster than a meter a minute before that can happen, so she¡¯s redoubled her efforts. ¡°Miss ghoul,¡± says Geller, ¡°how come you¡¯re still alive?¡± Alex scoffs at the boy, ¡°I¡¯m a bad bitch kiddo, flesh wounds don¡¯t got shit on me.¡± {More like dumb bitch} Roan signs. Did Clarice teach him curse words? Good on her. {I can be both} she signs back, which gets a small laugh he tries to cover to keep up his grumpy fa?ade. Can¡¯t stay mad at her forever little lad! ¡°Can you teach me how to be a bad bitch?¡± Ai¡¯s eyes sparkle. Alex goes to pat her on the head but the flinch Ai gives stops her mid motion, she pulls back her hand. ¡°When you¡¯re older.¡± Alex says with fake cheer. It gets a little awkward after that but the conversation gets flowing like before eventually. The kids (excluding Roan) are really interested in her stories from the past few days. It¡¯s pretty raw still, but exposure therapy is best therapy, so she powers through and regales them with her suffering. Word¡¯s it better than that though. They especially liked the borg story. - After another few days her internal bleeding has stopped! And she¡¯s gone through so many diapers they had to ration them. She lost a lot of blood. Smart on Aki to recommend forcefully producing more ¡®cuz she doesn¡¯t think a persons supposed to lose that much blood. But she is officially out of the danger zone, and can solely focus on boosting her healing. Most of the external wounds have scabbed over, meaning her bones aren¡¯t visible to the world anymore. It also means she¡¯s extremely itchy, but she doesn¡¯t scratch! That would be a waste of all her efforts. Which has been consistent enough that she feels physically drained. Add that to the list of magical effects, does any of this make sense anymore? She doesn¡¯t know, she¡¯s not the dumbass who made magic, if it was created, or maybe it was a happy accident of souls existing? What is a soul anyway? Beyond all the philosophical bullshit. Hmm, well, she doesn¡¯t care much so it doesn¡¯t really matter. She hasn¡¯t looked at the mirror in the five days she¡¯s been recovering, doesn¡¯t need to, doesn¡¯t want to. Why subject herself to that anyway? Aki¡¯s description was good enough for her, inspecting the damage would just rub salt in the wound. She might honestly prefer salt over seeing her state. The scared glances from the kids, and the starring of her friends tells enough of a story for her. So mirrors are banned until she can get skin grafts, new muscle, and something to replace the missing chunk of her stomach. Her internal monologue is interrupted when Takeshi grabs the handles to her wheelchair. ¡°Ready?¡± he asks. She nods, ¡°yeah.¡± - The crowd parts for them like they¡¯re Moses to the red sea. Alex chooses to believe it¡¯s not because of her wounds. ¡°Why¡¯d you ask this of me?¡± Takeshi asks, ¡°your friends would have gladly transported you.¡± ¡°What first you don¡¯t pay for my friend and now you complain about a small favour? Truly the rich cannot be arsed.¡± Alex teases. She doesn¡¯t see the flinch Takeshi gives at that comment. They walk in silence for a bit before Takeshi speaks again. ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry,¡± he says weakly. Alex blinks in surprise, ¡°huh?¡± ¡°I could have helped and I didn¡¯t. Now you¡¯re in this state.¡± He clarifies. Alex blinks some more, then gets a little angry, ¡°I¡¯m not some princess to save Takeshi. Who got Anya shot? Me. I didn¡¯t seriously expect you to pay it off like you were my piggy bank, I was just pissed you were telling me to stop.¡± Takeshi looks at her oddly. ¡°You did not shoot her, you were in a position that you couldn¡¯t have possibly controlled.¡± ¡°I could have played along,¡± she spits out with venom, ¡°let them beat our asses rather than turn it into a deathmatch.¡± Alex doesn¡¯t see Takeshi¡¯s look of confusion, ¡°Is this Anya such a good friend that she warrants you to be this strict with yourself?¡± Alex deflates, ¡°not really,¡± she says, ¡°we only hang out sometimes. But she¡¯s so innocent, so pure. Not like the rest of this city, I¡­I don¡¯t want to be the reason someone like that gets hurt. I don¡¯t want to be the one to taint that purity.¡± Takeshi sighs, ¡°being ignorant of the dangers in this city is not a good thing.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Alex says quietly, ¡°I know.¡± - Going to visit Anya in the hospital was kinda funny. All the staff rushed around, assuming she was her to get admitted, she had to explain multiple times to their bewildered faces that she was just here to visit a friend. They tried to get her treated anyway, but enough refusals and a paper to sign later she was free to go see Anya. A nurse opens the door for her and Takeshi rolls her into the room. The first thing that greets her is a scream. Ch.39:Fuck! There¡¯s a lot of reactions Alex expected to get at the sight of her state. Anger, sadness, guilt. What she should have probably given more consideration was terror. Which hurts. A lot. ¡°Hey Anya,¡± Alex says as soon as the screaming stops. The girl looks like she¡¯s about to cry. ¡°Sorry, ummm, I can come some other time?¡± Alex offers, which the girl doesn¡¯t respond to. Alex blinks and small tears run down her cheeks, ah fuck, she¡¯s not acting like a bad bitch. Bad bitches don¡¯t cry. ¡°Alex?¡± Anya says, as though the sight in front of her were an illusion. ¡°Anya¡± Alex echoes back. ¡°W-what?¡± Anya manages, ¡°what happened to you?¡± She¡¯s staring at her face, which makes Alex more than a little uncomfortable. ¡°Lost a few pieces.¡± She says simply. ¡°Get over here¡± Anya says, and Takeshi silently rolls her over, Anya doesn¡¯t even look at the boy as she gently grabs one of her bandaged arms. ¡°Can I take It off?¡± She says, and Alex nods. Slowly she unwraps her bandages and takes a sharp intake of breath when the first big wound presents itself. It¡¯s on the back of her forearm, a deep groove that¡¯s scabbed over, it looks like someone took a large jagged spoon and carved out a piece of her flesh, the two bones of her forearm are thinly covered by the scab, but still patently obvious. Anya stares at it. ¡°It¡¯s like this for the rest of them?¡± She asks. Alex considers lying, but that wouldn¡¯t be fair, ¡°yeah¡± she says. Anya looks her in the eye, and the look she gives her is a sharp one. ¡°Alex,¡± she says with a slight hitch to her voice, ¡°the insurance I have shouldn¡¯t have covered the treatment I¡¯m getting, why am I still at the hospital?¡± Fuck, smart kid. Guess that¡¯s why she¡¯s the aspiring Maestro. ¡°How would I know?¡± Alex says with fake confusion. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me Alex. I know you don¡¯t have the kind of money to keep me here, or you didn¡¯t. What did you do?¡± Alex shrinks at the gaze of the inquisitive twelve year old. ¡°I took a few jobs,¡± Alex says quietly. ¡°You took a few jobs¡± Anya echoes, ¡°to keep me alive?¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Alex nods, and there¡¯s a complicated expression on Anya¡¯s face, like she can¡¯t decide how she should feel about that, Alex doesn¡¯t miss the hint of gratefulness when it shows up. Anya doesn¡¯t say anything as she pulls Alex into a hug. Then she starts crying. The dam in Alex¡¯s heart breaks and she starts bawling along with her. Takeshi takes this as his cue to give some privacy. - ¡°She¡¯s gonna make you get into gunfights in your state?!?¡± Anya raves, ¡°where is she? I¡¯ll slap her stupid face until some sense enters her mind!¡± Alex tries to quiet down the very stupid girl, ¡°Anya!¡± She whisper-yells, ¡°that¡¯s a Finger you¡¯re talking about, keep your fucking voice down.¡± ¡°I heard nothing!¡± Takeshi yells from the hall. Anya points to the door in victory. ¡°There are other people here,¡± Alex says exasperated, ¡°It¡¯s a fucking hospital for christs sake.¡± ¡°Well they can get bent for all I care¡± Anya says ¡°You¡¯re going to take months to heal! And all the missing muscle-¡± Anya¡¯s brain short circuits as she realizes something. ¡°Alex,¡± She says slowly, ¡°How are you moving your hand? Or arm? I haven¡¯t gotten deep into the studies yet but I''m pretty sure you need muscles to move.¡± Alex scratches her remaining cheek, does she want Anya to know? Maybe she could make up some bullshit biology. No, that could fuck over her chances at being a Maestro! Ah fuck. Welp she hasn¡¯t exactly been keeping it a secret, she just doesn¡¯t initiate the conversations. ¡°Would you believe me if I told you it was magic?¡± Alex says, slightly embarrassed. Anya blinks, ¡°like The Wizards of Saint Peters Court?¡± ¡°The fuck is that?¡± Anya gasps, ¡°it¡¯s a movie! You haven¡¯t watched it? How? Are you secretly a gremlin living underground?¡± ¡°I¡¯m perfectly human thank you very much.¡± Both of them share a small chuckle. ¡°So, being serious, how are you moving?¡± Anya asks. ¡°I was being serious¡± Anya just stares at her, then she squints, ¡°I may be a kid Alex but I¡¯m not falling for that.¡± Alex sighs. - Her recovery isn¡¯t exponential, but her ability to move is. At a certain point of the damage healing, forcing herself to move became just as cheap as it used to be. Too bad it causes a lot of damage to move her body. Meaning she still needs to spend time healing, some would see this as a positive, but Alex honestly hates the infirmity of her existence right now. She redoubles her healing efforts, pushing through the headaches until it just gets dangerous. Which means she needs a lot more food. She¡¯s not magicing up any of the shit her body needs to heal after all, and she¡¯d rather not munch on what remains of her muscles, but hey, at least the bandages look cool. Sasha got her ones in black, to fit the gang''s theme. Coincidentally they look badass. She doesn¡¯t really need to wear them considering the, y¡¯know, scabs. But she doesn¡¯t really want to advertise that she¡¯s got chunks missing. She''s debating whether she should finally use the mask she got oh so long ago, just for daily life. She needs to get new armor, her old pair are basically scrap, and in her rush to finish the jobs she completely forgot about proper protection. Maybe she is the dumb one? No, fuck that, Aki didn¡¯t remember either, or Takeshi, she¡¯s not to blame at all. ¡°Alex, why are you shaking your fist at the roof?¡± Aki asks. ¡°None of your business shortstack.¡± ¡°I will literally hack into your phone and delete all your shows¡± - She can walk! Without exacerbating her wounds! Which means she¡¯s gonna go back to war! Fuck! Ch.40:Three Kids And A Cripple Three kids and a cripple go to war. Sounds like the start of a bad joke but it¡¯s her reality, and she¡¯s the cripple! She can walk, she can¡¯t run, which means she can do a whole lot of nothing in combat except use her Reison, which wouldn¡¯t have been a bad option if she had more than six fucking bullets. Ellie of course, does not give a shit, and denying her wouldn¡¯t be very impressive, not likely to make an impression and all that. Such as it is that they find themselves holed up in an abandoned building within the combat zone. It¡¯s a decent office suite, grey rugs, white walls, and broken windows. ¡°A group approaching from the south¡± Takeshi says from beside her as his eyes glow a light yellow. She adjusts herself to point towards the south, rifle glinting in the evening light. ¡°Alright,¡± Aki¡¯s voice says in her earpiece, ¡°We hear them, on your mark¡± ¡°Do you have the shot?¡± Takeshi asks. Alex sighs, ¡°I hope so.¡± ¡°Then take it¡± Alex grunts as she pulls the trigger. - She¡¯s hiding by a knocked over garbage bin, filled with nervous energy ready to be let out as she turns off the safety to her Raptor. She¡¯s scared, she¡¯s always scared. There are so many ways to die in a war, most of them instant. So many ways for the complexities of life to just end, no epilogue, no fanfare, just over. Taken to the pit of nothing that all lives go to once they¡¯re forgotten. She doesn¡¯t want to go to that place. She doesn¡¯t want to die. She has to stop being a punk ass bitch and get this over with. She can hear them in the distance, she can¡¯t tell what they¡¯re saying but she can tell they¡¯re there. She¡¯s about to kill again, that or she¡¯s about to die. There¡¯s no real outcome where one of the two doesn''t happen. She waits and waits as they get closer and closer. Footsteps hitting concrete to the rhythm of their cadence, until, finally, she can hear them. ¡°Chink, there are so many dudes out there to choose from, why do you stick with the one that takes pleasure in degrading you.¡± A woman sighs. ¡°He doesn¡¯t degrade me.¡± A man whispers, ¡°he just points out my mistakes.¡± ¡°And uses it as an opportunity to hurt you,¡± another voice says, ¡°constructive criticism doesn¡¯t usually involve so much yelling.¡± The man sighs, ¡°I know¡­but he cares guys, he listens and helps me deal with shit once shit comes up. He¡¯s always there for me, even if he has a temper.¡± The woman doesn¡¯t really get to respond as a bullet tears a hole through her stomach the size of Sasha¡¯s head. Their eyes go wide and one of them screams. ¡°Snip-¡± a bullet from Sasha¡¯s Raptor goes through his head. One. They scramble for cover but Sasha manages to hit one in the knee before blowing out his brains. Two. Sasha trades shots with the remaining gangers as Aki provides covering fire. Sasha peaks out and pops a ganger in the head. Three. She turns as quick as she can and flick shots the ganger a few meters away from her, he falls to the ground screaming and just like that the gunfire¡¯s stopped. Sasha walks over to the bleeding man as he tries to crawl away. He turns to her with crazed eyes pointing a gun that she kicks out of his hands. ¡°Please-¡± Four. - They needed to move after that, gunfire is a constant in the combat zone. But it tends to attract unwanted attention when it comes from a place that isn¡¯t an active battlefield. Moving is, of course, Alex¡¯s bane right now. But she pushes through, she¡¯s started to get used to everything hurting all the time. ¡°Good job everyone,¡± Takeshi says, ¡°that was clean for our first one, let''s hope the rest go the same.¡± Everyone gives him weird looks. ¡°What?¡± he asks nervously. ¡°Are you roleplaying as a coach?¡± Sasha asks. ¡°What! No!¡± ¡°Then why¡¯d you word it like that?¡± Aki adds.Stolen story; please report. ¡°I was just giving encouragement.¡± He harrumphs. ¡°Sounds like something a coach would say,¡± Sasha teases. ¡°I¡¯m not a coach!¡± he yells petulantly. ¡°Of course, sir Takeshi.¡± He lets out a groan, though Alex doesn¡¯t miss the slight twitch of a smile. - Chewings a bitch when one of your cheeks is no longer in operation. She¡¯s gonna get that skin grafted as soon as she can, but for now it¡¯s time for war and blood and suffering and all that jazz. She¡¯s honestly getting sick of it, why can¡¯t they just call it quits so the corporations can take their turn and shit can go back to normal? At least they¡¯re getting paid for this. Though they can only cash that in once the war¡¯s over. Helping a Scar behind enemy lines better have gotten her some fat stacks. They also get paid for every day they hunt for patrols, even if they don¡¯t find any, though once they don¡¯t provide proof of the kills for long enough they¡¯ll be kicked off rotation. Right now it¡¯s three-days on and three-days rest as another team takes over. They got given some rations that taste like bland cereal which apparently have a whole day''s worth of your daily nutritional needs. It¡¯s very chewy, meaning she has to keep her neck bent slightly to the left for prolonged periods to avoid the risk of it falling out of her mouth, it is not comfortable. ¡°Hey Alex?¡± Sasha asks. ¡°Hm?¡± she responds, still chewing. ¡°Are we evil?¡± Alex sighs, then swallows. ¡°Yeah, probably.¡± Sasha droops as she looks at the floor, ¡°honestly, I was hoping you wouldn¡¯t say that. Being a naive idiot and all that.¡± Alex shrugs, ¡°I¡¯ve killed a lot of people Sasha, I¡­¡± She trails off and stares at the horizon, ¡°I see this ghost, sometimes, of that woman I executed way back when. She talked with me, even helped me when my soul was breaking. I don¡¯t know why. Don¡¯t know how much that says about me or her. But every time she looks at me I can see it in her eyes, the face of her killer just before she died. It is not the face of a good person.¡± Sasha stares at her then snorts, ¡°so it took a ghost for you to have some introspection?¡± ¡°Yeah, something like that.¡± She says with a small smile. - Alex stands in front of a dragon with eyes of nothing, it¡¯s spit maw growling at the girl like a truck engine. It brings its skinless head down to her level and stares at her, the blood of its limbs flowing freely and glowing like a ruby in the sun. It takes a whiff of her, then breathes out a breath that topples Alex over. POOR. FOOL. - Garthamun¡¯derka stares into the void. It does not stare back, he has long overcome its gaze and become something greater than simply NOTHING. Why then did something of mere flesh manage to stop him? An insolent thing of bone and viscera grabbed his arm, and its grip was impossible, because he did not allow it to touch him. Yet it did. This is something¡­new, he does not know whether it is a good or bad thing. What he does know is that he won¡¯t ignore it. - Uridine flips a coin. It lands on heads. Coins are antiques in this day and age, this one would easily go for a few million on the open market. Rich collectors are insane like that. This piece of circular scrap metal is virtually useless, and yet it is so very expensive. He flips the coin again. Tails. He points his gun at the girl and blows off her head. There is screaming and cursing and begging. Nothing he hasn¡¯t heard before, and nothing he¡¯s really queen on listening too again. It gets tiresome after a while, sometimes he wonders if the rich were all just androids programmed with the same script. He flips the coin again. Tails. The woman cries and begs as he brings up his gun and shoots her in the head. Huh, two in a row, this family¡¯s unlucky. Oh well, not really his problem. He flips the coin again. - Violence is a tune Fiona understands very well, it sings its songs with gunsmoke and screams. It is a beauty every time she hears it. Better than any symphony, it is what made her who she is, and she will worship it to the end of her days. During peace there¡¯s the occasional burst of violence she can participate in, small rehearsals to satiate her desire for a concert. But war? War is a constant string violence tuned to perfection, Fiona refuses to miss a single note. As she grabs the wolf with six arms, tearing her limb from limb, and beating her friends to death with said limbs, she revels in how much more the tunes can offer. - Solomon is staring at the floor. It¡¯s filled with cracks and scars of those who have come to challenge him for his throne. Over the past two centuries, nobody has proven worthy of his title. It¡¯s a shame really, truly a shame. Perhaps if someone else took the reins things would have been different, someone kinder, someone wiser. A shame his friend has never challenged him. Such a curious thing to simply stop in the pursuit of power, to willingly become someone''s servant rather than fight for what your soul demands is yours. It is perhaps his only flaw, it is perhaps his greatest virtue. Solomon is not so kind as to put friendship over power, nor is he so wise as to change the status quo in a way that doesn¡¯t involve bloodshed. Perhaps if someone else sat on the throne. But there is no one else, just him and his dingy crown. The world is not a perfect place, and his proof is that he is the one that carries the name Solomon. - She is floating through the world between, a little butterfly traveling through thorns and thistle of the greater monsters. It takes a while to learn how to travel this space, but once you do it opens so many possibilities. It needs all her focus unfortunately, which means she can¡¯t do it in large portions of time. Only when she¡¯s sleeping, to be safe. Her home is anything but after all. She likes to examine the curiosities of this place, there is an infinite amount of space for an infinite amount of beings, but so many of them are the same. Half formed and weak. She needs to go to the upper layers to really see the things from beyond. She can¡¯t look for too long, or they¡¯ll look back, and she doesn¡¯t need the attention of something like what resides here. So she contents herself with the glimpses she can grab as she weaves around their souls. It also helps that the longer she stays in the upper layers, the greater her own being becomes, drinking deep from the surroundings. The risk is great but so are the benefits, it¡¯s what''s made her so much stronger than her peers. As she navigates the realm between realities she sees something curious, something like negative space floats, it is a vortex of the END, a concept she¡¯s never seen before. She decides it would be best to leave the thing alone. Then it grabs her. - Kite stares at the corpses, remembering the faces of those who have fallen. They are reviled amongst his gang, but he does not care. Everyone who''se lived deserves to be remembered. He watches the trail of corpses where death guides him, and follows as he always does. Ch.41:Death Doesnt Leave Trails The upside to needing to use magic to move is that she¡¯s gotten a breakthrough in her understanding of how a soul works. The stronger it is, the faster it heals. So long as she doesn¡¯t cross the threshold that would lead to damage, Alex can still strengthen her soul. Albeit slowly. The downside is the constant lethargy that only gets worse. How does this fit into her understanding of magic? no idea! She doesn¡¯t particularly care anymore either, choosing to just roll with the punches. She really needs to take some notes on this shit so she can find some connections and make it make sense. Or just ask Banzan, whenever she sees that giant again. She was kinda hoping he¡¯d show up during the brief period she was in Lost Hope, but no, she wasn¡¯t so lucky. Looks like she¡¯ll just have to figure this shit out herself. Someone shakes her shoulder. She turns to see Aki giving her a questioning look, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Alex blinks away the stars in her vision, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He scoffs, ¡°you look dead on your feet, and that¡¯s saying something ¡®cause i¡¯ve literally seen you cosplay as a corpse not that long ago.¡± Alex grunts, ¡°just tired, it¡¯ll be fine. Once we head back I can get my beauty sleep.¡± Aki scrunches his brows, ¡°is it related to your magical shit?¡± he asks. She nods. ¡°Then maybe you should tone it down a little.¡± He says. Alex chuckles, ¡°and what? Be immobile in the combat zone?¡± He shakes his head, ¡°I know you¡¯ve taken extra rations.¡± he accuses, ¡°you¡¯re healing right now, aren¡¯t you.¡± Alex sighs, ¡°I¡¯m not gonna slow down my healing Aki, I need to get back into top form.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll never be back to ¡®top form¡¯,¡± Aki says bluntly, ¡°the amount of muscle you lost can¡¯t just be regenerated, you¡¯ll need to get entirely new ones, and that takes money you don¡¯t have.¡± Alex looks down, ¡°It¡¯s magic Aki, maybe they could still heal back.¡± Aki¡¯s face softens, ¡°no Alex, unless you can make new ones yourself, they''re gone.¡± Alex sighs, damn him for being right, she¡­stops her healing and feels something in her body lighten, but the fatigue stays the same. ¡°Better?¡± Aki says. ¡°Yeah.¡± - They¡¯re set up at a warehouse, a small thing with only a few loading bays. The dragons use this as a kind of forward operating base in the combat zone, so they don¡¯t have to constantly cross the border to rest. They get more than a few sneers as they pass by, but honestly Alex¡¯s too tired to give a shit. Without her healing running maybe sleep will be enough to recover. Here¡¯s to hoping. Too bad someone decided to be a bitch before she could do that. ¡°Of all the things I thought I''d see in the combat zone, children wasn''t one of them.¡± says a woman with a smooth voice, ¡°what¡¯re you doing here little lizards? There are less convoluted ways to commit suicide.¡± ¡°We¡¯re here to sleep.¡± Takeshi replies, staring her in the eye, ¡°just have to report the patrols we took care of first, now if you¡¯ll kindly get out of our way.¡± The woman looks amused more than anything, ¡°was it you or the zombie trailing behind you who came up with that?¡± Alex feels anger flare up in her chest, she just wants to sleep, not deal with whatever the fuck this is. She takes a step forward and snarls at the woman as Takeshi stops her with an arm. ¡°Zombie?¡± she hisses. The woman lets out a little chuckle, ¡°have you looked in the mirror lately girl? You¡¯re not winning any pageants, I can say that for certain.¡± Alex tries to push past Takeshi but two pairs of hands grab her shoulders and manage to hold her back. It¡¯s not much of a struggle, considering she still can¡¯t use her full strength. ¡°Calm down.¡± Aki whispers into her ear, ¡°she¡¯ll beat you to death in your state.¡± Alex growls but acquiesce, the woman has a smug smirk on her stupid face as Alex is pulled back. Alex takes in her features, caramel skin, button nosed, small cleft chin on a long face. Red eye¡¯s and arms of silver. ¡°Let us through,¡± Takeshi whispers dangerously. ¡°No thanks, i¡¯m having too much fun with this nepo-kid¡± Instantly Takeshi¡¯s eyes go yellow, the woman raises a brow before her eyes go wide and she draws a gun on him. She doesn¡¯t pull the trigger, because she can¡¯t. Her arms shake violently as the gun is slowly brought up to her own head, Takeshi is mimicking her motions.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°What the fuck¡± she says, fear threaded into the fabric of her voice. The barrel reaches her temple. The surrounding dragons watch in amazement. ¡°You will let us through,¡± Takeshi says, ¡°or you will die.¡± It is silent as she stares at the boy. ¡°Ok, ok. I¡¯m sorry alright? Let go of my arms and I''ll leave you alone.¡± She says. ¡°No,¡± Takeshi says ¡°I think not.¡± Then her arms go limp and the gun clatters to the ground. Takeshi walks up to the woman and pats her on the shoulder. ¡°You should be careful who you mock, little lizard.¡± - ¡°Was that a remote control and a shutdown script!?!¡± Aki gushes, ¡°and the speed they went through her defenses! Are you a netrunner?¡± Takeshi scratches at his cheek, slightly embarrassed, ¡°no, it was commissioned work by one of the gang¡¯s members¡± Aki deflates, ¡°does that mean I can¡¯t look at it?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± - The routine flows like water through a canal, three days they go and hunt, three days they stay and rest. Alex stays on her mattress when it¡¯s rest time, focusing all her magic on healing, making the moving less expensive, and more effective. Now she can go on a light jog, and it¡¯s only been three weeks! She¡¯s making tremendous progress all things considered. ¡°You think they¡¯re holding the tournament right now?¡± Alex asks from her mattress. ¡°Probably not, who''s even available to fight, the toddlers?¡± Aki says. ¡°That would be pretty entertaining though, I think the seats would still fill up just for that¡± ¡°As much as I want to disagree, Arthas has some fucking cruel people¡± - He is following a trail. Death does not make trails. It¡¯s simply not how it works, once you die, movement is made impossible. The only scenario he can think of that makes sense is that someone is dragging a corpse all around the combat zone. Perhaps there are those deranged enough to do that, but unfortunately for Kite, this isn¡¯t that. That would be simple, this? This is different. Death doesn¡¯t stay forever. Sure the trails fade, but whatever is making them is still moving, and just as strong as ever. This doesn¡¯t make sense. Unless whatever is making these trails is still alive. Which raises so many questions that Kite can¡¯t help but follow the anomalies trail all the way to a little warehouse. - The first sign that something is wrong is the screams, the second is the gunfire. Alex curses under her breath as she gets up from her mattress. Not again. She checks her Reison, as her friends go through the same process of checking their guns before running into the fray. ¡°They fucking found us¡± Sasha curses ¡°It¡¯s the fucking supply job all over again.¡± Takeshi flinches at that curiously enough, but now isn¡¯t the time to dissect that. They hurry to the main loading bay, and what they see is not an ambush, it is a slaughter. There is only one, carving their way through the crowd like a scythe through wheat. It cannot be human, it is a thing of steel and guns and chains. Eight legs sprout from something like a spider''s abdomen, but with sharp edges, barrels poke out and fire bullets that curve to whomever the thing fancies, and so many fall, but those in front of it get a worse fate. On each wrist are manacles, connected to an iron ball the size of a truck''s wheel. It swings the chain and removes everything above the abdomen of one dragon. She can see what remains of his heart and lungs crashing alongside bits of bone. Takeshi is the first to act, he takes his sniper and shoots the thing in the head. It doesn¡¯t so much as acknowledge the shot as it continues to mow down dragons, each one scrutinized by its eyes, and oh, there are so many eyes. Round orbs of emerald littered around its entire body, creating a panoptic vision that a human brain surely can¡¯t understand. Then it stops. It turns, every so slowly, towards them. Alex shoots it with her Reison and nothing happens, it just pings off the things chest as it slowly skitters towards them. She shoots again. Then again, and again, and again, and again until her gun clicks empty. Then she shakily draws her katana as it crouches down to her level. It isn¡¯t shooting anymore because the only things left to kill are Alex and her friends. ¡°You,¡± it says in a voice that is surprisingly human. ¡°I have been following you. I saw your trail, it was¡­impossible. Cannot be. Unfathomable. But I look at you and here it is, right in front of my eyes. What are you?¡± Her katana is shaking like a leaf in the wind as she stares at the monster that will surely kill her. ¡°I¡¯m Alex.¡± She manages. It ignores her as it tilts its torso to one side, then the other, sizing her up. ¡°You look normal.¡± It says, ¡°unmodified. Untouched by steel. But you cannot be normal. Cannot be. I can see, you see? I can see it on you like a cloak. A blanket. A shield. But it cannot be any of these things. It is never any of these things. Never. Do you understand? You must. It is you after all. How could you not understand? Could you tell me?¡± ¡°If you tell us what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Aki says slowly, ¡°then maybe we could.¡± The thing regards him with an annoyed expression before tilting its head and smiling like it discovered something important. ¡°I talk about the end. The reaper. Solace and pain. I speak of a thing to grieve and to grow. Fertilizer. A tree chopped down and a sapling crushed. I speak of DEATH.¡± The air trembles with the word and blood flows out of their ears and eyes as they fall to the ground, clutching their heads. Alex, being so close to her soul as of late, can sense something shift. A seed that is not of her comes and plants itself next to her mark, and the pain of it is remarkable. Not the worst she¡¯s ever felt, she cannot feel something greater than PAIN, but it is still enough to elicit a scream. The thing watches them writhe on the ground with a smile on its face. - Eventually, Alex manages to get on her knees as comprehension of something fundamental invades her mind. She knows what it wants now, but she still doesn¡¯t understand how it found her. A trail of death? That doesn¡¯t make sense, death doesn¡¯t leave trails, she doesn¡¯t think so at least. She doesn¡¯t know how much of this is her own thoughts. But she knows what it wants, and that¡¯s all that matters. Its face is almost touching hers as it leans down to stare at her. ¡°If I tell you, will you let us live?¡± She says. It¡¯s face softens ¡°Everything wishes to live, for most death is not a choice. Fate. Chance. I do not know. But yes, it will not be the end for you or your friends.¡± Alex breathes in, then breathes out. ¡°I¡¯m haunted.¡± She says simply. Its eyes widen as it pulls back from her. ¡°Haunted?¡± It says. She nods. It grabs its head and scratches at its eyes, ¡°Ghosts? No, death is the end. There cannot be more. But it makes sense. Logical. Reasonable. There is no other way. But that means that death¡­Is it not the end?¡± It groans as it continues to paw at its head, ¡°I must go. Must think. Must understand. We will see each other again.¡± Ch.42:Epiphany Alex stares at the bullet ridden and the crushed. There¡¯s so much gore here, so much blood, so many corpses. The warehouse is small in relation to other warehouses, it could easily hold hundreds of people, and here they all are, piled on top of each other. So many dragons, dead. Because of her. She falls to her knees and loses her lunch. Someone pulls back her hair. How kind, how thoughtful, she doesn¡¯t deserve either. A hand is placed on her shoulder, ¡°you couldn¡¯t have known.¡± Says the soothing voice of her oldest friend. No, she couldn¡¯t have known. How could she know? That ghosts leave a trail for those who can look, that the ghost was even real, and that the thing that could see it would be such a disaster. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Says the somber voice of authority, ¡°they are dead. Whether intentional or not, that fact doesn¡¯t change.¡± And that¡¯s the crux of it, isn¡¯t it? If she could talk to the newly christened corpses, she doubts they would be so understanding as to not blame her. Because at the end of the day, if she wasn¡¯t here, none of this would have happened. ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡± protests the voice of reason, although there is a tremor to his words, ¡°you can¡¯t blame her for this.¡± ¡°I can, and I will.¡± He sighs at the sharp looks her friends give him, but Alex finds his words¡­comforting. She stands to her feet. ¡°We need to go, report, and¡­and find a way to make this right.¡± - The walk back to the border was quiet. None of them really feel up to chatting at the moment. So they just walk as Alex replays the scene she saw in her head over and over again. She couldn¡¯t have stopped it, the thing was a force beyond anything she has ever seen in Arthas. It ended so many, so quickly, and there was nothing she could have done. She almost laughs at the idea that it showed them mercy after all that it had done. Alex gets to stand living for the same reason that it showed up in the first place. So many people died for the sake of curiosity. She¡¯s going to kill that thing, she doesn¡¯t know how, or when, but she will. It¡¯s the least she could do for all those who have died. ¡°There¡¯s a group ahead.¡± Takeshi says as his drones fly silent through the skies. ¡°I can¡¯t tell their affiliation.¡± ¡°Must be scavengers.¡± Sasha says, ¡°Stupid fucks.¡± Takeshi nods, ¡°we should avoid them, there¡¯s too many for us to deal with.¡± They just nod and change routes. - Ellie stares at the three of them as they finish their story. Her usual lackadaisical attitude is replaced with a sharp focus, often glancing towards Takeshi as they spoke. Her hands interlock in front of her, blocking the sight of her mouth. If Alex were to guess, she¡¯d bet she wasn¡¯t smiling. ¡°You met the Prophet of Death.¡± Ellie says bluntly. All of them reel at that, that was a Prophet? Ellie lowers her and taps it against her table. ¡°We¡¯ll have to move you to a more kingdom controlled area, to avoid a repeat.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not being punished?¡± Alex whispers. Ellie waves her off, ¡°knowing that at least one Prophet has magic is enough to forgive the loss of lives.¡± ¡°That feels wrong.¡± Ellie shrugs, ¡°probably is, but that¡¯s life, and it works out in your favour so I wouldn''t complain if I were you. The Dragons'' discipline can be harsh.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it then?¡± Sasha asks, ¡°we just move on to another base all hunkey dorey?¡± ¡°Sounds about right¡± - Alex cuts through a person in a daze, then another, and another. She¡¯s pushing her body past what she should, aggravating wounds and straining her soul. But that¡¯s fine. She needs to get stronger, she needs to get better, and pain is the only measure she has that she¡¯s succeeding in that, so she embraces it. She gets shot, a few times, in the arms and legs, and sometimes the chest and head when it can¡¯t get past her bionics, but that¡¯s fine. She can just heal it when she goes to sleep. She¡¯s been¡­trying something lately, something new. When her soul broke, despite going unconscious, she could still manipulate it. It was surprisingly easy to replicate, she just had to¡­will it to be so, and there she was. The her that is her soul stood amongst the shattered pieces, the raging clouds, the fractured ball, and she told herself to heal her body, and she did. Someone in the back lines gets shot in the head. Sasha¡¯s a better shooter than she is, so after some arguing, she got the sniper position. Takeshi was surprisingly supportive of this, regarding her with something like respect, Alex doesn¡¯t care. She just needs to cut, and cut she does.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Off with an arm. Intestines left to trail the ground. Lungs filled with blood as they are stabbed. Arteries cut open and sprayed so much blood. It¡¯s repetition at this point, routine. She has become such a thing of death, such a good little killer. She is nothing compared to that thing. More bullets, more blood, more cutting. Until eventually it is done. This was a big group, sixteen in total, she killed about half of that. Aki is bandaging a wound to his arm and stomach as Alex stares at the corpses. She needs to stare at them. It¡¯s her responsibility. ¡°Get off the streets, another group is coming.¡± Alex moves, albeit reluctantly - Her bandages are getting kind of ruined, which is a shame, they looked cool, she¡¯s also lost more muscle. Turning her from something to be mocked to something to be avoided. She¡­can¡¯t say she doesn¡¯t care, she¡¯s not so free from vanity. She doesn¡¯t want to disgust people, but she needs to get stronger. It is not a choice. Someone snaps their fingers at Alex, breaking her train of thought, she turns to find Sasha giving her a concerned look. ¡°Alex,¡± she says, ¡°did you hear anything I said?¡± Alex blinks at her, ¡°sorry, just tired.¡± ¡°I can tell.¡± Sasha replies, ¡°you need to tone it down Alex, or you¡¯ll end up like you were when you were trying to save that girl.¡± Alex shakes her head, ¡°can¡¯t stop now Sasha, I need to get stronger.¡± Sasha sighs, ¡°just¡­don¡¯t die at least. Promise me that.¡± Alex nods, ¡°I can do that.¡± - Cutting, cutting, cutting. It is her world, her entire being, for just a few moments. She dances and divides, flowing from one soon-to-be corpse to the next. Her body count is uncountable at this point, miles ahead of any of her peers. She¡¯ll be a Scar in no time at all. The corpses speak to her, not literally, but she can feel impressions of¡­something for just a few moments before it fades. She¡¯s reaching an understanding of something, she doesn¡¯t know what it is but all she knows is to cut and weave and move to the next. So many bodies. She digs into a man''s leg, cutting through an artery as she moves on to a woman whose hands she removes before she loses her head. Then follows another woman who she stabs in the heart. Then comes a man she cuts open just above his abdomen, taking his ability to breath. More heads roll. More organs are freed. It is not enough. She is on the cusp of something, but this isn¡¯t enough. - ¡°We¡¯ve been doing great.¡± Takeshi says, eyeing Alex ¡°good enough to get us some rest for the week.¡± Alex sighs, ¡°I can keep going.¡± ¡°Good, because I¡¯m not going to push you until you can¡¯t. Rest, recover, then we can go back out there.¡± - Alex¡¯s staring at the roof from her mattress, they¡¯re set up in an abandoned apartment complex this time, getting a whole room to themselves. She¡¯s bled a lot on this mattress the past few days, but that¡¯s fine, she can just magic it back. She just needs food, and what better than their bland ass rations. Surprisingly their room had a working TV, which Sasha is using to watch the latest episode of Galactic Frontier. Something about a space siege between two battleships. Sasha¡¯s eyes sparkle at the display of professional CGI. ¡°You think we¡¯ll ever make it back to space?¡± She asks, eyes glued to the television. ¡°Eh, they¡¯ll get the disruption field down eventually, so probably?¡± ¡°Think it¡¯ll happen in our lifetime?¡± ¡°What, you wanna be a space explorer?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Sasha nods enthusiastically, ¡°there¡¯s so much out there! So many stars and planets. I want to explore them all.¡± Alex snorts, ¡°you¡¯ll need way too many injections to last that long, last I checked we couldn¡¯t even afford one.¡± Sasha waves her off, ¡°at the rate we¡¯re going, we¡¯ll be rich so¡­huh. Is it fucked up that the money came to my mind before all the people we¡¯ve killed?¡± Alex shrugs, ¡°probably, but that¡¯s just how it goes I guess. Kill enough and it stops mattering so much.¡± - ¡°Another groups on its way, hurry and finish this¡± Alex bobs and weaves past bullets as she goes to slice through a pair of Kingdom gangers. She cuts through one but her blade gets stuck in the muscles of the other. He kicks Alex away and she loses her grip as she stumbles back. Barely dodging a barrage of bullets, she has to make a few sacrifices, let them hit her chest here, her abdomen there, but nothing vital is damaged as she forces her body to move, faster than should be possible. Five shots ring out simultaneously and hit five heads in front of her, including the man with her blade in his throat. She gets there faster than her thoughts can process and pulls out her blade, then carves through the remaining gangers. But it¡¯s too late. The reinforcements have arrived. - Alex is moving, she cannot stop moving. So many gangers surround her as she cuts and cuts and doesn¡¯t stop cutting. She can¡¯t stop. To stop is to die. She doesn¡¯t know where Aki is, she can¡¯t hear his Ramus anymore, but surely he¡¯s still alive. Cover fire from Sasha¡¯s also stopped, which is concerning, did they manage to get past her? Who is she kidding, of course they did, she¡¯s barely hanging on as she dashes between targets and cuts through their flesh. She is so close. Every bullet dodged, every twist, ever step, brings her just an inch closer. Closer to what? She doesn¡¯t know. But she can feel it in her soul. This is something she wants, something she needs. So she doesn¡¯t stop moving. She is a storm of blood as she edges to understanding. And then. It is here. - What is MOTION? It is the ENERGY It is the DANCE It is the DECISION IT IS LIFE. - EPIPHANY, a thing sears into her soul, but it does not hurt. It feels euphoric, like a man dying of thirst drinking liquid ambrosia. It washes over her and the world becomes sharper, movement becomes easier. Her motions are smoother, faster, and more precise. She cuts through the gangers like they are chaff.