《New Kowloon Outcasts》 Prologue: The Nine Dragons (Part 1)
1:23 am, June 14, 2483. East Tower, 67th floor The East Tower is one of the stranger skyscrapers in New Kowloon, which is saying something. Only the very top levels and bottom levels of this tower are actually populated, while the middle levels remained ghost towns, abandoned. A strange sight in the most densely populated city on earth. But maybe that was for the best. ¡°So, Tori, back when New Kowloon was first founded, East Tower was one of the nicest places that you could live in here. But once the Silk Road Traders set up shop at the top, they let the gangs in too. I guess they thought the violence would keep most people out of their business¡­ and they were probably right.¡± The faint sound of gunfire from either two floors above or two floors below rattled through the walls of the once-apartment the young boy and the cyborg were hiding in. ¡°And they¡¯re not concerned about, y¡¯know, the whole structure toppling down?¡± Tori said. The Silk Road Traders¡­ how to describe them? They were the parasitic middlemen of the city, claiming to be negotiators and diplomats, doing deals between the other factions, all while taking a cut of the profits. Tori knew that it was their business, but the Traders never sit right with her¡­ ¡°Pffft, believe me, Tori. I know the Silk Road Traders. They¡¯ve definitely laced their whole compound in magic so it floats. East Tower falling is the least of their worries.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ comforting.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be like that, we¡¯re not going to stick around long anyways. We¡¯re going to get the drugs, and get out. Afterwards, we can even go for boba if you want.¡± ¡°Thanks, Issak- I mean, boss.¡± Tori said (she¡¯d never get used to calling the kid that), getting up with a sigh, ¡°Shall we begin then?¡± ¡°We better. I¡¯ve worked with this guy before, and he¡¯s very pedantic about timing.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Tori ran her hand through her hair, and kicked open the door, ¡°Let¡¯s roll.¡±
The hallway was empty, proving Tori¡¯s hearing implants didn¡¯t need to get recalibrated. ¡°Who¡¯re we going after again?¡± she looked back at Issak, as he adjusted his bowtie casually (of all times¡­) ¡°The Nine Dragons, one of the biggest gangs here. They staged a break-in at one of N-Corp¡¯s labs three days ago and took off with some experimental drugs.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re working for N-Corp? I thought ¡®no working for factions¡¯ was one of your rules.¡± ¡°Hah, most of N-Corp doesn¡¯t even know the theft happened. They have quite the unique system going on: in order to power faster innovation, they highly encourage competition within the departments. So infighting, sabotage, espionage, it all happens there. And the pharmacists don¡¯t exactly want it leaking that one of their new products is missing. So, they come to us. Heck, it could even be sabotage from the other departments. They can¡¯t risk bringing it up.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Right¡­ ¡° ¡°Anyway, the Nine Dragons have their compound on Floor 99. They wanted 9, but it¡¯s highly contested territory. Floor 67 is the closest I can get us to it without risking ending up insomeone¡¯sterritory.¡± By now, the two had reached the door at the end of the hallway, and were now standing in front of the stairwell, where the sounds of fighting were even louder. Tori nodded, changing her arm to machine gun mode, as a message flashed across her vision. 100 ammo Was that enough? They had to go up thirty floors or more¡­ and what if they got caught in the crossfire? She snapped her arm back to normal. ¡°Issak¡­ Boss, are you sure that there¡¯s no easier way up? Surely.¡± The boy paused for a second before he gave a reply. ¡°I had a feeling you were going to ask that question sooner or later.¡± he said with a sigh, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t expect anything less from you, Tori. Well, there is a way, but it¡¯s going to need a bit of magic.¡± Tori¡¯s eye twitched, as it always did when it turned out that Issak¡¯s ¡®Plan A¡¯ involved him doing less work and she more. ¡°Yeah? Out with it.¡± ¡°Part of East Tower¡¯s garbage chute from when it was still an apartment complex remains operational. The segment is from 70 to 98. Some gang used it to ferry supplies, but then they lost one of the floors, so they abandoned it. If we can get in, I should be able to shoot us up to the other opening¡­ yay.¡±¡® ¡°Should¡¯ve opened with that, boss.¡± Tori grumbled, as she dragged the kid into the stairwell and up the spiralling stairs, ignoring his yelps of protest. But it wasn¡¯t long before they had to stop, on the landing in front of Floor 69 as actually reaching 70 was an impossibility. A pile of crates, furniture, steel bars and other junk blocked the way. A hastily made barricade from who knows how many years ago. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re going to have to try our luck with the other stairwell¡­¡± she muttered as the constant shout and thunder of gunfire reached a crescendo. ¡°If we live.¡± Issak grumbled, looking mighty unpleased about the whole dragging thing. ¡°Of course we¡¯re going to live.¡± Tori snorted, ¡°You have me, don¡¯t you? ¡° She hovered her left hand over the doorknob as her right arm took on gun form again. ¡°Just stay behind me and look pretty. You can¡¯t get hurt here, ya understand?¡± Issak nodded. ¡°Good.¡± She creaked open the door, and was promptly greeted by a round of bullets.
Fuck¡­ Issak had hoped that he would be able to get out of this without having to use any magic, but, as usual, Tori was wise to him. Man, he was going against all of that doctor¡¯s orders¡­ But he barely had time to rub the arm Tori had dragged him by when she thrust the door open and set them both charging into an active gang fight. ¡°Down.¡± she immediately ordered, as she sent off a spray of return gunfire. Issak dropped behind a crate, where he promptly tried to rake in as much information as he could. ¡°Who the hell is that?¡± someone yelled, ¡°is she one of us?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s an Outcast!¡­ what are they doing here?¡± The first one who spoke began a reply, but after they barely got a sound out, a few more bangs made them fall silent. ¡°Hey, next time you visit that doctor lady, ask if she has any rifle add-ons. This one¡¯s really inefficient.¡± Tori said casually, extending a hand to lift Issak up. ¡°I think we have bigger fish to fry than making a new appointment with that quack.¡± Issak grumbled, but the sound of approaching footsteps did tell him that yeah, machine gun fire drew too much attention. ¡°But I will figure something out in time. Now, we need to go!¡± Issak¡¯s eyes laid on a pretty good hiding spot, at least for the moment, and better yet, it wasn¡¯t too far away. He grabbed Tori¡¯s arm and focused on that spot. One¡­ two¡­ ¡°There they are!¡± Well, there goes that plan.
Prologue: The Nine Dragons (Part 2) A part of Tori cursed Issak¡¯s magic for being so damn slow, and the other part of her was already analysing every part of the scene before her. There were three of four thugs currently coming towards them. They had guns, but none of them seemed to be ready to fire. Good. She shifted her arm into sword form with a click, and lunged forward with a slash at their legs, causing the thugs to fall with a yell. ¡°Quick, try to kick their weapons away,¡± Tori turned to Issak, only to see him shoving the guns into a small portal he created, grinning all the way. ¡°¡­ or do that, I guess.¡± But Tori couldn¡¯t stop to question her boss¡¯ actions for too long, as she turned back to the task at hand. It wouldn¡¯t be long before more people would come, drawn by the commotion, which meant they needed to make as much headway as possible. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± she said, giving a kick to one of the men who seemed to reaching for a knife. ¡°Good work there, Tori. Now, we just need to get to that metal grate over there. I¡¯m sure you can see it if you zoom in.¡± Issak gestured from where running beside her. With a whir of her bionics, Tori could indeed see the place that he was talking about. The grate was pretty much just a section of chicken wire plastered over the stairwell to discourage its use. It wouldn¡¯t be hard to rip it off and access the upper floor. Wouldn¡¯t be hard at all¡­ hopefully. But as the duo dashed through the the bullet-riddled corridor, Tori couldn¡¯t help but feel like something was definitely wrong. It was quiet, way too quiet. ¡°Hold on. I can¡¯t hear anything anymore¡­ I think everyone left! That¡¯s¡­ good?¡± But beside her, Issak looked worried. ¡°No, that¡¯s terrible. Have you never played a video game in your life? If all the little enemies disappear, that means¡ª¡° A crackling, buzzing sound broke through the relative silence of the corridor, and Tori just about managed to pull Issak out of the way as a ball of pink fire whizzed past them. ¡°¡ªthe big guns are here.¡± Sure enough, a woman with pink fire crackling around her fists was making her way towards the duo. Intricate black tattoos snaked up both of her arms, and she a sleeveless black dress with a large white dragon printed on it. And her eyes had this glassy, crazed look to them common to the addicts of New Kowloon. In short, very intimidating. ¡°So, you¡¯re the Outcasts who have been causing so much trouble, hm? I expected more, honestly.¡± She cooed, rushing towards them. ¡°Oh can it, you old hag. No one wants to hear your villain monologue.¡± Issak stuck his tongue out, grabbing onto Tori¡¯s human arm as a force lurched them away to a spot out of range of the woman¡¯s charge. ¡°Should be okay for now,¡± Issak whispered as the woman let out a confused yell as her targets¡¯ disappearance. ¡°How are we going to deal with her?¡± Tori hissed back. ¡°Hold on¡­ hmmm, I think I¡¯ve seen her before¡­¡± Issak mused, ¡°Oh yeah, she¡¯s the lady that actually changed her name to Sorceress. Talk about on the nose. Surprised she hasn¡¯t died yet, but she¡¯s not the worst The Nine Dragons have to offer so there will be a bit of combat involved¡­¡± ¡°Dude, are you telling me that I have to fight a magic user?¡± Tori looked at Issak, getting really unnerved at his casual attitude. ¡°Well, no time like the present. You needed to learn soon enough anyway. Fighting lowly grunts isn¡¯t going to progress your skills.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you do something? Magic works best against magic, isn¡¯t that what you always say?¡± ¡°Tori, my powers revolve around evasion. There¡¯s only so much dodging you can do in the face of a mage with combat abilities, do you know that? It¡¯s important to me that you know that.¡± ¡°Save the lecture for later, we need to stay alive!¡± Tori said, panicked, as Sorceress noticed the sound of their voices and began heading towards their new location. They blasted a few warning shots in the gang member¡¯s direction, which seemed to slow her progress a big, then scooped up Issak in one arm, carrying him like a sack of rice. Whoever this client was better be paying them a lot of money.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
¡°PUT ME DOWNNNNNN!¡± Issak yelled in protest. ¡°Why do missions always seem to end up with you carrying me at some point?¡± ¡°Number one, you¡¯re small and light enough for me to do that. Number two, it¡¯s the best way to keep you secure.¡± Tori replied intermittently through shots directed at Sorceress. They didn¡¯t seem to stop the gang member though, as Issak noted the pink sparks flying through the air continue to increase. But even so, as much as he hated to admit, being carried like this did make his condition pretty safe. Not to mention, being strung up in this spot meant that he could analyse the scene better from this vantage point. Unfortunately, Sorceress had placed herself between the duo and the stairwell. It seemed impossible to get to it without having to go through her first. ¡°¡­ whatever!¡± he finally said, ¡° I just need you to listen to me right now. This could mean the difference between us getting out unscathed or us having to go shill out the RMB for aloe gel.¡± ¡°Listening.¡± ¡°Like everyone else in the lower ranks of The Nine Dragons, Sorceress over there has roughly room temperature IQ, sure she¡¯s probably a little smarter than those thugs you saw earlier, and she has her magic going for her, but that¡¯s about it. That means that we can trick her and get away!¡± Tori nodded. ¡°Any ideas?¡± ¡°A few, a few, but I¡¯m not sure which one is more effective¡± Issak said, mindful of the growing heat in the space. It seemed like Sorceress was one of those ¡®build-up¡¯ mages whose powers grew in strength the more they were used, so great. They needed to act quickly, though, as more and more of the pink flames flittered past them, Issak realised something. ¡°Hey, Tori, stop! I¡¯ve got the plan! But it¡¯s going to be a bit risky for you and for me: I want you to switch your hand to a sword and charge at her.¡± ¡°What?¡± Tori said, throwing him a sharp side eye, but skidded to a stop all the same. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like I¡¯m sending you on a dang suicide mission! I¡¯ve done the math: she can only fire a shot every 3 seconds: that is the limits of her magic. With your reflexes, you should be able to get to her in less. Just rush her as soon as she sends off another one. You just need to throw her off, I dunno, stab her in the knees or something: I¡¯ll take care of the rest myself.¡± With a click, the long blade was once again attached to Tori¡¯s arm. ¡°Got it.¡± she said, as she let the final pink fireball narrowly miss her before lunging forward.
Tori had figured out a long while ago that when it came to areas of combat, it was much better to just listen to Issak¡¯s instructions. After all, he had never failed her before. He may be a bit lazy, but he was also probably the smartest kid she knew. So finding the best way to do things with the least amount of effort was his specialty. And sure enough, just as he had said, when Tori came rushing toward Sorceress, pure panic flittered across her eyes. Her next spell wouldn¡¯t be ready for a second at least. ¡°Hey,¡± Tori grinned. Stabbing or slicing Sorceress would probably not be able to knock her out, and she would be able to formulate a counterattack in no time. So, they instead kicked into her stomach with full force, sending the fire mage stumbling backwards, clutching her abdomen. A hand then grabbed Tori from behind. ¡°Tag,¡± Issak said, smirk audible in his voice, as the two teleported in front of the metal grate that feebly blocked the stairwell. They had made it. ¡°Do you want me to tear this thing down, or-¡° ¡°Down.¡± Issak simply said, pushing Tori¡¯s head and shoulders towards the ground, right as a particularly large fireball tore through the air and bore a huge hole right through the chicken wire covering. Like she said, the kid was smart. ¡°Thanks man, ¡®ppreciate it!¡± Issak grinned at Sorceress before securing his sights on the open door of the landing above, ¡°We¡¯ll be seeing you later, then.¡± And before the gang member could even call them a string of expletives or throw another fireball, the two were already gone.
1:42 am, June 14, 2483. East Tower, 98th floor ¡°Hmmm¡­.¡± Issak mused out loud as he walked around, looking up at the ceiling. The 98th floor was pretty much abandoned when the two managed to shoot up the trash chute. But that wasn¡¯t because it didn¡¯t belong to anyone. The blood-soaked ground around Issak rippled as he hopped over dead bodies and stepped one hundreds of cartridges bore witness to the bloody fight that had ended only minutes prior to their arrival as he continued trying to map the structure of The Nine Dragons¡¯ compound on the floor above. Tori just sat by on the least bloody crate she could find and watched. Stuff like this was pretty much normal in New Kowloon. ¡°Hey, you done?¡± she asked, getting a bit antsy now. Just because she saw bodies every single day, didn¡¯t mean she wanted to sit among them for any longer than she had to. ¡°Yes, yes, I think I got it.¡± Issak said, standing beneath one slightly loose ceiling panel. Up through here should be their storeroom. Come, I¡¯ll boost you up.¡± Reluctantly, Tori walked closer and let Issak teleport her up enough so she could climb into the hole. And with one solid push, she poked her head into the storeroom of The Nine Dragons. Weapons, narcotics packages and what looked like human organs in jars lay neatly on shelves, though, the thing that really caught her interest was a box labelled ¡®New Arrivals¡¯. Should be that one, surely. She hoisted herself up and walked towards the box. It was actually quite full, and Tori had to shift through a few weapons, a bag of credit cards apparently stolen off some Silk Road Trader kids, and finally, a box bearing the familiar blue logo of N-Corp. Yes, got it! But as she reached for it, there came the unmistakeable sound of someone unlocking a deadbolt. Uh oh. Issak seemed to have heard the sound as well, and soon yelled up the hole: ¡°WHAT ARE YOU DOING???? GO! JUST GRAB THE DRUGS AND GO!¡± Tori didn¡¯t need to be told twice.
A girl, probably no older than fourteen, cracked open the door to the storeroom with a hum. ¡°Hmmm, they wanted 800k RMB for that gun, righ-¡° she stopped in her tracks as her eyes laid on the misplaced floor tile, and the bloody marks leading to the ¡®New Arrivals¡¯ box. Within seconds, her eyes hardened. ¡°Oi, Yoko!¡± she called out behind her, ¡°Get the security team in. Someone¡¯s getting fired.¡± And as she walked back out again, she stepped on a piece of paper bearing her own face: Wanted: Jennifer Yi Age: 14 Crimes: Head of The Nine Dragons Gang. Prologue: The Nine Dragons (Part 3) 2:55 am, June 14, 2483. Issak¡¯s workshop ¡°So, when does the guy get here?¡± Tori said, already halfway through her boba. ¡°He¡¯s the most punctual guy I know, so he¡¯ll probably get here on the dot.¡± Issak said, glancing at the clock, ¡°So that will be in five minutes.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Tori took another sip of her drink. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with ¡®The Nine Dragons¡¯ anyway? They¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Scarily organised?¡± Issak offered and Tori nodded. ¡°Well, funnily enough, when they started out, the whole group was considered one of us, a group of Outcasts. They were people who wanted control of New Kowloon to fall back into the hands of its residents, not crime lords from overseas. Crime they were okay with, but foreigners? No way. It¡¯s weird, I know. They used to only accept people born in New Kowloon into their ranks. That all changed since the current boss¡¯ family took over¡­¡± Issak paused for a moment, ¡°60 years ago now? I dunno. Dad was always fuzzy on the details too. But either way, they began to accept everyone and that was how they became a full-blown faction.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see how that has anything to do with my question¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get to it, I¡¯ll get to it,¡± Issak waved his hand dismissively, ¡°The addition of foreigners also resulted a strict hierarchy in the gang, with the original members at the top, foreigners stuck doing grunt work, and new local hires somewhere in the middle. That makes up the majority of the reason for their cohesiveness. Though, i my opinion, this foundation is still pretty shaky, do they want to start a race war or something? But that brings me to the other aspect: the Divisions. Tori, do you know the reason they¡¯re called The Nine Dragons?¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Well, there used to be a legend that nine dragon brothers presided over to protect the original city of Kowloon, better known as Hong Kong now. Some people here believe that when magic was outlawed, the dragons left, and instead decided to rule over New Kowloon. That is why there are nine main towers here. Each one is an offering to a different dragon. Honestly, I don¡¯t believe a word of it. Why would nine powerful entities come to this dump? But I digress. The gang, I guess, wants to become like the dragons, to gain enough power to rule over and ¡®protect¡¯ New Kowloon. There¡¯s a fat chance of that happening for them, but who am I to speak. Anyway, from the very beginning, they have crafted Divisions in their gang, nine in total, with each supposedly representing one of the dragon brothers. Each Division is in charge of one part of the operations, which you can tell from the coloured stitching of the dragon on their uniforms. I don¡¯t pay attention to all of them, but white is guards, and gold is the inner circle, I think.¡± ¡°Okay, I think I get it now,¡± Tori nodded, ¡°They¡¯re like their own society¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s one way to describe it.¡± Ding! The bell above the front door sounded and the duo turned to face the man who just walked in. He was neatly groomed in a well-fitted black shirt and trousers with a dark blue vest and a golden lapel pin. Clearly someone from the upper levels. He glanced down at the watch on his wrist. ¡°Ah, twenty seconds late. Apologies for that, Mr. Chan, there was a blockage on my usual route.¡± ¡°Twenty seconds is nothing, man. Come, we¡¯ve got the goods.¡± Issak said, presenting the package to the man. He gave it a once over before nodding. ¡°It is satisfactory. Here is the payment you requested.¡± He handed over an N-corp branded envelope, ¡°Pleasure to work with you again.¡± ¡°No problem, Dreas,¡± Issak grinned, as the tall man left. ¡°How much did he give us?¡± Tori peered over his shoulder. ¡°One, two, three, four¡­ fifty thousand RMB.¡± ¡°Fifty thousand for that?! That¡¯s highway robbery.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the guy? I have a deal with him. If we get it back, which we did, he would send us a supply of it for free once it reaches the market, which we can sell for profit.¡± Issak smiled, rubbing his hands together. ¡°I still think he¡¯s scamming you.¡± Arc 1: A Witch’s Request||Chapter 1: Death Or Love Tonight 11:20 pm, June 18, 2483. Issak¡¯s workshop Account Balance: 2,000 RMB ¡°We¡¯re so broke¡­¡± Tori groaned as she turned off ¡®The Bank¡¯, which was actually just a remodelled ATM that Issak linked to his account to ¡®keep track of things¡¯. It had been a few days since their last job, and funds were running low once again. Not helped by some spending on Issak¡¯s part. But that was just how things worked down here in the workshop. As Outcasts, a small group of people who didn¡¯t feel the need to adhere to any faction or group, Tori and Issak could work with almost everyone in the city without drama. However, there were also few things, a few odd jobs here and there, that an Outcast could do. They weren¡¯t very trusted after all, so it all evened out into a pretty meagre existence in the lower-middle section of New Kowloon. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look so worried, Tori,¡± I¡¯m sure work will come soon. We can pull through until then.¡± Issak said, polished some new additions to his collection of spare parts. ¡°You say that like you didn¡¯t just blow all our money on parts¡­¡± ¡°Hey, hey, these are certified originals from when N-Corp was called Cubic Co. They go for a fortune in the right circles, so, honestly, I got them for a bargain! Besides, think about yourself: what kind of bubble tea costs 4500 RMB?¡± ¡°The good kind. And you know I like my toppin¡ª¡° ¡°I¡¯m sorry, am I interrupting something?¡± the sultry, smooth voice of a woman floated through the air, causing both to jump, before slowly turning to the door. A tall (almost scarily so) woman stood in the doorway, her long red hair draped over her body like an elegant, bloody veil. She wore a sparkling navy evening dress with a lace shawl, and her entire body was dripping in ornate jewellery. And she was gorgeous, almost to the point that it was unsettling. At first, Tori thought that they, once again, were dealing with a client from the upper levels of New Kowloon, perhaps, someone from the casino scene, and so, did not expect Issak¡¯s reaction. ¡°You witch! What are you doing here?¡± he yelled, a combination of terrified and angry. ¡°Relax boy,¡± the witch cooed, ¡°I had my grudge with your father, but it does not extend to you. You can rest easy.¡± She then turned to Tori. ¡°And you must be the cyborg I¡¯ve heard so much about. A pleasure to meet you, dearie, but I fear I cannot chit-chat for long. I¡¯m here strictly on business.¡± ¡°I have no need for your business, witch.¡± ¡°Issak Chan. How unlike you to turn away a client¡­ like I said, if you don¡¯t trick me like your father did, there is nothing to fear. Besides,¡± the woman removed one of her many rings, ¡°this is an urgent matter, one I am willing to pay any price to see done.¡± She tossed the ring on the counter in front of Issak. ¡°Pure onyx with an inset blue diamond. Sure to fetch a pretty penny anywhere. Take it as a sign of my¡­ goodwill.¡± Issak stood immobile for a few moments, gaze flicking from the witch, to the ring, then back to the ring again. ¡°Fine, I will take your business. Take a seat.¡± he grumbled, snatching the ring. ¡°Smart boy. And please, call me Orchid.¡±
¡°So, uhm¡­ Orchid, what brings you here?¡± Tori said, nervous, as it looked like Issak didn¡¯t really want to talk to the woman. ¡°My dear friend and housemate Ou has gone missing.¡± Orchid said calmly. Even while sitting, she seemed imposingly tall, rigid and refined. ¡°She was supposed to return today by 9pm, which has not happened. I need you to find her.¡± She slid over a few pictures of a rather frail looking woman with bleached ash blonde hair and a tired smile. ¡°Sounds easy enough, right?¡± Tori said, sincerely hoping she hadn¡¯t just said the wrong thing. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, dearie. As you can see from your companion¡¯s demeanor towards me,¡± Orchid glanced at Issak, ¡°I am a woman of many enemies. That could be reason enough for someone to take my friend.¡± This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°So why did you come to me?¡­ Of all people.¡± Issak mumbled. ¡°Issak Chan, can¡¯t we Outcasts rely on each other in this city?¡± Orchid said with a smile, ¡°But, in all seriousness, you¡¯re the only establishment who has the resources to find someone down here. And, of course, I will reward you handsomely for your trouble.¡± ¡°Alright, what¡¯s the catch?¡± Issak said, scooping up the photos. ¡°Nothing. I am not one to joke about a friend¡¯s disappearance. Just make sure she comes back alive, or I will be having a serious word with you.¡± Orchid said, pulling out a¡­ tarot card? from her purse and writing something on it in silver ink. ¡°Summon me when you find her.¡± she smiled again, placing the card on the counter before walking out into the New Kowloon night. ¡°So, uh, boss, I didn¡¯t want to ask before, but what¡¯s up with your dad and her?¡± Tori said, glancing at Issak. Issak glanced at Tori, and sighed. ¡°Right, figured you would want to know all about that. Let¡¯s start with this: do you know anything about witches?¡± ¡°Uhm, they fly around on broomsticks and cast spells?¡± ¡°No, not exactly.¡± Issak said with a slight laugh. Sometimes he forgot that Tori was basically born three months ago when he fished her out of that gel tube in the storeroom. Not to mention, he had paid a guy he knew to scan the microchip information of Tori, through which Issak found out that the poor cyborg had been educated through data from before the inception of New Kowloon. Whoever programmed her must¡¯ve hated her. ¡°In New Kowloon, witches are mages who sell their magical services for a price. The market is pretty saturated, especially nowadays, so only the best of the best can really make a living out of it. And that witch is the most powerful black magic witch still alive.¡± ¡°Black magic¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s an old way of categorising power disciplines. White magic is healing and regeneration, red magic is anything that is strictly for attack purposes, purple is psychic magic and green magic is enhancement. The definitions used to be pretty rigid, so no one really uses them anymore, but that¡¯s another issue. But black magic, that¡¯s the magic that involves contact with the ¡®otherworldly¡¯ forces that be. Like telling fortunes, reading tarot cards, as well as organising curses and hexes. I¡¯m sure you can see how lucrative that kind of power could be.¡± Tori stared at him blankly for a few moments, before the wires in their brain finally seemed to kick in, and they nodded slowly. ¡°And that witch knew it too, which is how she grew rich out of performing just a few spells. Then somewhere along the line, she met my father.¡± Issak stumbled a little over his words here, not used to telling something that hadn¡¯t been told to him already by his father. ¡°They formed a business deal, as she wanted to access a wider range of clients, which my father was happy to do for a price.¡± Issak sighed, ¡°but then it fell through, like some business dealings are bound to do. The witch wasn¡¯t too happy about that, and so, she, like any black magic witch, put a¡­ curse on my father.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Tori said, eyes widening, ¡°well, how bad of a curse was it?¡± ¡°Killed him bad.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Only probably. Magic is a tricky thing, there¡¯s very little evidence of it left behind if it ever gets used for a crime or something like that, so there¡¯s no way for me even to be certain that she did anything, but I know she did.¡± Issak gritted his teeth, ¡°My father was perfectly healthy before, so it had to be her.¡± ¡°Okay, I see why you didn¡¯t want to take her business now¡­ so, why did you accept?¡± ¡°Easy, I know that witch would never have come to me if she wasn¡¯t desperate. If we take this job,¡± Issak began to rub his hands together, ¡°and you saw her earlier, she¡¯s definitely willing to part ways with a lot of cash. That means that we can get a lottttt of green out of her.¡± ¡°I should have known¡­¡± Tori said, starting to sound pretty unconvinced. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look at me like that, we¡¯re not going to trick her into paying more: she looks pretty willing to give us a small fortune already. I¡¯m not foolish enough to think I can pull a fast one on her¡­¡± If dad couldn¡¯t do it, how could I? Issak put the tarot card in his pocket, making sure not to touch the silver writing. ¡°So, I say we just get this job done, and we hopefully won¡¯t have to cross paths with her anymore. That woman better thank her lucky stars that she¡¯s rich¡­¡± Issak began to study the photos that the witch had given them. The girl was extraordinarily¡­ normal. She just looked like any other denizen of the middle levels of the city: not rich by any means, but not suffering in poverty either. He was seriously starting to think that the witch must be fucking with him. But then his thoughts returned to the ring he had been given. He¡¯d need to get that appraised first, then he¡¯ll decide whether to take the job seriously. Beside him, Tori was also intently studying the photos, but she looked up, unable to recognise the subject either. ¡°I don¡¯t recognise her face,¡± Tori said, ¡°do you know this missing girl?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Issak said bluntly, ¡°do you really expect me to know everyone in this city?¡± He flicked through the photos, searching for any defining marks or logos that could tell them an allegiance to an organisation. ¡°My best guess is that she is an Outcast, which narrows our search, but not by much. Her name is also pretty unusual, but still pretty vague, since the witch didn¡¯t bother to give a last name.¡± However, as he spoke, Issak¡¯s gaze fell on one of the photos, one where the missing Ou was walking around in the higher levels of New Kowloon, probably taken there by the witch. That wasn¡¯t what drew his attention though, as he focused on a gauze patch on her hand. It wasn¡¯t carelessly placed either: it looked to be the work of a professional. And there was only one person in this city who would provide medical services to an Outcast who wasn¡¯t one of the elites. ¡°But, I know someone who might know her,¡± Issak said, picking up his coat, ¡°Come, we¡¯re going to have to pay a visit to the ¡®doctor¡¯.¡± Arc 1: A Witch’s Request||Chapter 2: Call the Doctor (Part 1) 12:10 am, June 18, 2483. The Clinic. The woman tied her long, brown hair up into a ponytail as she made her way over to the operating table where a cyborg was lying, in pain, but calm enough. That was good. She hated patients who panicked and whined. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll be quick.¡± she said flatly as she looked at the tangled wires in her patient¡¯s arm, ¡°nothing important is broken, your joint module got tangled in your pain receivers so it hurts a lot more than it actually should.¡± ¡°S-so I¡¯ll be okay, doc?¡± the cyborg said. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re just going to untangle the cords and add a few screws in. Won¡¯t cost more than a couple thousand RMB.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, save it.¡± the doctor grumbled to silence the bemoaning, as her attention fell on a humanoid android who had walked into the operating room. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Splice?¡± she said while placing the mask over the cyborg¡¯s face to put them under. ¡°Mr. Issak Chan¡­ he wants to see you,¡± Splice said, its metal head bowed in respect. ¡°Does he now?¡± the doctor said, ¡°If he¡¯s sick again, I¡¯ll have you know I told him to follow my instructions about magic use very carefully-¡° ¡°It¡¯s not about that. He says it¡¯s for another matter entirely.¡± ¡°Another matter? Not about his cyborg girl either?¡± the doctor said, her chair completely turned around now, as she regarded Splice¡¯s words with a strange, lethargic kind of interest. The android shook its head. ¡°Hmm, well, that¡¯s weird.¡± the doctor put on a headlamp, and reached for a pair of tweezers. ¡°Either way, tell him I¡¯m busy with a patient, so he¡¯ll just have to wait.¡± The android once again nodded. ¡°Yes, Reiaura.¡±
Issak tapped his foot, waiting impatiently for the tin can of a doctor¡¯s assistant to return. Turns out the witch hadn¡¯t been lying about the price of the ring. His jaw had dropped when he had been given an estimate of two hundred and eighty thousand RMB, and he was still sure that he might have been scammed. If only that witch wasn¡¯t rich, then I wouldn¡¯t have to be doing all this stuff¡­ Issak looked up to glare at the flickering, fluorescent lights of The Clinic. He was sure that the ¡®doctor¡¯ had an actual name for her establishment, but he couldn¡¯t be arsed to remember it. Besides, The Clinic was just what everyone down here referred to it as. It was a dingy place, and Issak often debated the legitimacy and safety of the procedures and practises going on here. But it was the only medical facility that would allow Outcasts to be treated down here, so it was his only option as a patient himself. He personally didn¡¯t like the ¡®doctor¡¯, as she called herself, but he had to admit the general public opinion of her was high, and there would also be a good chance this Ou girl they were looking for was under her care at some point. Thankfully, today seemed to be a slow day at the clinic with the waiting empty completely empty apart from him and Tori, and all for the better, since, frankly, he would rather die than be seen here.He leant forward to put his head in his hands. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. FUCK- why do I have to deal with two of my least favourite women at the same time??? Speaking of Tori, she didn¡¯t see half as troubled as he was, as she flicked through a few of the dog-eared and stained magazines in the waiting room. Tori was one of those who had a positive opinion on the ¡®doctor¡¯, or at least one better than his, as she quite frequently asked about The Clinic, but it was mostly in relation to whether it would be feasible to get a new mod done, so Issak wasn¡¯t entirely sure whether she actually liked the quack or not. But he didn¡¯t have to ponder that line of thought for much longer, as the click of metal against ceramic tile foretold the return of the assistant android. ¡°The doctor is busy right now,¡± the white and gold robot said curtly, poised and rigid. It seemed strangely ornate for a hospital bot, which was probably because it used to be a top-of-the-range mechanical seamstress. Issak didn¡¯t care to ask why that quack had chosen a glorified sewing machine for an assistant. He long had given up on finding a method to her madness. ¡°So you will have to wait.¡± the android tilted its faceless head, as if waiting for a response. ¡°Just say she doesn¡¯t want to see me¡­¡± Issak grumbled, but as he was about to turn away, Tori moved forward. ¡°Hey, do you recognise this girl?¡± she held up one of the photos the two had been given to the robot¡¯s face. Issak could practically hear the whirr of the hidden cameras in android¡¯s face kicking into gear. ¡°Yes. She was a patient.¡± it finally said, stepping back a little. ¡°That¡¯s good. Can you tell us more about her? She¡¯s gone missing and we¡¯re tryin¡ª¡° ¡°No, I cannot. That would be a violation of doctor-patient confidentiality.¡± ¡°Forget it,¡± Issak warned, ¡°that android¡¯s hard-wired to do anything that quack orders it to do. It isn¡¯t going to budge. Only way we¡¯ll get information is from her.¡± As he spoke, a woman in a white medical coat walked out from behind the curtain leading to the examination area of The Clinic. She undid her ponytail, letting her long brown hair hang messily over the body. ¡°Splice,¡± she called, pulling a cigarette pack from her pocket, ¡°get back there and make sure all the vitals are balanced, alright?¡± The android nodded and click-clicked its way out of view. ¡°Hello, Reiaura.¡± Issak said firmly. ¡°It¡¯s Dr Reiaura to you¡­¡± she gave him a once over before sighing: ¡°What do you want?¡±
¡°We¡¯ve been paid to find this girl,¡± Issak said, taking the photo from Tori¡¯s hands, and gave it to Reiaura, ¡°and we suspected that she was a patient of yours, so we decided to come to see if you can shed any light.¡± ¡°Mmh¡­¡± Reiaura said with a nod, looking over the photo carefully. ¡°Well, your robot, uh¡­ Splice was it?¡± Tori added, ¡°Managed to confirm that she was a patient, but it said it cannot reveal anything more due to doctor-patient confidentiality, so maybe you, the doctor, could have more information?¡± But Reiaura seemingly ignored her words, and turned to Issak again. ¡°Have you been following all my instructions?¡± she asked, pulling out a cigarette from the pack, as if the missing woman was nothing, ¡°You know your issue will only get worse if you keep over-using it.¡± ¡°What? How does my condition have anything to do with-¡° ¡°What medical condition?¡± Tori immediately started prodding, as inquisitive as ever. ¡°Uh, it¡¯s none of your concern!¡± Issak said quickly, immediately before throwing Reiaura an accusatory, withering glare, ¡°What the hell was that for?¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t do that, then you would never have understood,¡± Reiaura said with a tight smile, ¡°I cannot tell you anything about my patient, as a doctor. There are a lot of things that my patients trust me with that I would and can not give you, under any circumstance. Like right now, how would you feel if I went out and told your friend here your reasons for seeing me?¡± ¡°Not good?!? Are you daft? I told you to keep everything under wraps!¡± Issak snapped at her. ¡°Exactly,¡± Reiaura said with a flick of a lighter, bringing it to the cigarette pressed between her lips, ¡°this patient of mine, I remember her well, and she was also one who wanted her details and affiliation with me kept ¡®under wraps¡¯. And such, I will not tell her information, especially not to you.¡± ¡°We have been consulted to find her,¡± Issak said, growing impatient. ¡°I know that, and that is precisely I must refuse,¡± Reiaura took a puff of the cigarette, ¡°I know what you¡¯re like, Issak Chan, and I refuse to sell out my patients to someone as unprincipled as you.¡± Arc 1: A Witch’s Request||Chapter 2: Call the Doctor (Part 2)
¡°You¡­¡± Issak grumbled, looking ready to pick a fight, but Tori was instead much more focused on him. A medical condition? What could that be? Issak had always been a bit lazy, and was more than happy to offload any work that needed to be done onto others. But could that be a result of this condition they spoke about? Of course, a part of her wondered if it was something else entirely, maybe a business partnership? She had only assumed that it was a medical thing. But, Dr Reiaura here was also someone who cared little for money, and was purely in it for the want to help people. Tori remembered many a time watching her letting her patients go for free. Then she would turn around and bill Issak a hefty amount. Though, that was probably since she knew that he could afford it¡­ Tori shook her head, shaking away those thoughts. No, she could wonder about that stuff later. Right now, there were here to help find that missing girl. So they were going to try their hardest to get Reiaura to at least let something slip. ¡°Could you at least tell me?¡± Tori asked, motioning for Issak to can it, at least for a little while. Reiaura just chuckled. ¡°Ah, you misunderstood. As much as I don¡¯t like your boss here, for his business practices, I¡¯m not hiding information from him as some targeted attack.¡± Reiaura said, shooting a glance at Issak, though with her deadpan demeanour it was hard to tell if the jab held any real malice, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t tell anyone this information to begin with, just with him, I¡¯m even less inclined.¡± Oh, that was it. Well, it appeared that it wasn¡¯t just an Issak thing. They were going to need a different approach if they wanted to figure anything out. Tori reached for the photos again. There had to be something else here, some other piece or crumb of evidence that could bring them closer to the truth¡­ maybe something else they could ask Reiaura that could prove to have some relevance for their investigation. However, Issak seemed much more interested in fighting with Dr Reiaura right now. ¡°Look, ¡®doctor¡¯, you can talk about your precious principles all you like, but we both know it¡¯s those principles of yours that killed your¡­ friend. Seriously, it¡¯s been two years, you still haven¡¯t learned?¡± Reiaura, who had been listening to Issak¡¯s attempts to argue with the same flat, emotionless face up until this point, suddenly stood up, gaze hardening. Tori was certain she had never seen Dr Reiaura show this degree of emotion, and she almost thought an actual fight might go down. ¡°Get out.¡± she said. It wasn¡¯t a request. Tori wasn¡¯t sure if Reiaura was a magic user, but the way the air in the room changed denoted the same sense of power magic gave off. Tori chided herself for not stopping Issak from speaking mid-sentence. He just snorted. ¡°Yeah sure, threaten me. Well, you have nothing more of substance for us anyway, so I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± With that, Issak stalked outside. Oh. My. Stars. What the fuck is wrong with that kid? Tori looked at Reiaura in a panic, expecting to get the same treatment, but the doctor just sat back down, looking resigned. ¡°Well,¡± she took another puff of her cigarette. It would be wrong of me to say I didn¡¯t expect a reaction like that.¡± Reiaura said with a half laugh, before straightening up, immediately going back to the same, stern doctor, as if nothing that had just been said happened. ¡°So, Miss Tori, I heard you wanted to discuss a more efficient gun attachment?¡±
Tori sheepishly stepped outside to where Issak was waiting. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll look into a rifle add-on for you, Miss Tori,¡± Reiaura said, noting something down on a clipboard, ¡°I¡¯ll contact you once we can get a hold of one.¡± ¡°Ah, okay, thank you,¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Reiaura nodded, then shut the clinic door behind her. ¡°That ¡®doctor¡¯ finally finished interrogating you?¡± Issak said, walking up to her. ¡°It¡¯s not an interrogation. Why¡¯d you argue with her? We could¡¯ve gotten her to tell us something another way.¡± ¡°I doubt it. That woman¡¯s almost more of a hardass than her robot. But the story of her friend is really funny though. Maybe I should tell you sometime.¡± Issak noted, ¡°But, I guess we¡¯re back to square one. Shame.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Tori wasn¡¯t sure if she wanted to hear what that story entailed. Instead, she flicked through the photographs, looking for any sort of clue. She found herself pausing on a picture of Ou, taken presumably near her workplace. It looked so mundane that Tori had simply skimmed past it the first time, but now, on second glance, something about it just seemed¡­ off. ¡°Hey, Issak,¡± she nudged the boy, ¡°isn¡¯t this what butchers wear?¡± ¡°Butchers?¡± he squinted over her shoulder. Butchers were rare in New Kowloon, with fresh meat usually being a delicacy reserved for the upper classes, so if Ou was a butcher, that would be strange indeed. ¡°Wait, no, you¡¯re onto something¡­¡± Issak suddenly said, ¡°look in the background here.¡± He jabbed a finger at blurry, red shapes in the back of the image. ¡°That¡¯s meat.¡± ¡°How could we have missed it?¡± Tori asked, though it was probably more directed at Issak then herself. Maybe if they had just seen it earlier, then she wouldn¡¯t have had to witness Issak getting kicked out of The Clinic¡­
1:34 am, June 19, 2483. The Clinic. ¡°That will be 8000 RMB, thank you.¡± Splice said calmly, holding its white metal hand out for the payment, ¡°5500 was for the joint module, 2500 for the labour.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, hold on.¡± the cyborg rifled in their pocket for a few crumpled bills. Linkage to the electronic banking system was not something that could be afforded by many in these parts. ¡°Is the doc still here? I want to thank her.¡± The android shook its head. ¡°No, she is quite busy with another matter at the moment, but I will pass on the message,¡± it added. ¡°Oh, well, that¡¯s okay then. Thanks again.¡± The cyborg walked out, closing the door with a click. Splice sat in silence for a few moments, before standing up to go click-click off to Reiaura¡¯s office. ¡°Reiaura? The payment.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, just put it on the desk.¡± she said, not looking at the android at all. ¡°Do notify me if another patient comes.¡± ¡°Yes, Reiaura.¡± The doctor sighed as the android left the room, and reached for one of the bottles of vodka she kept under her desk. It was already half-empty. Being a doctor, or at least someone that dabbled in health and medicine, Reiaura noticed a few things. One of those being this: All magic had side effects. Some were mild, others horrifically severe. Someone mild would be like that kid, Issak. Slight dizziness and nausea were the only things he would face, even after extreme overuse and strain of his abilities. Someone moderate would be like her, having to fill her body with all these toxins just to keep the magic flowing. Though, now it was debatable whether she did it purely to sustain her magic, or to fill some other void in her. Reiaura took a long swig from the bottle. Someone severe would have been him. Sometimes Reiaura wondered if he knew that his magic would transform him into something no longer human eventually. Maybe that was why he sought her out: he wanted her to fix him. And maybe back then, the young and overconfident doctor she was, believed she actually could. But no amount of healing can fully stop the inevitable. Sometimes Reiaura wondered if he gave up towards the end. If some part of him knew there would be nothing left to save, nothing to fix. The bottle was empty now. She tossed it into the wastebasket, getting up. Perhaps the kid was right, perhaps it was wrong of her to keep pressing on, keep doing things on the straight and narrow. It was her insistence to never hurt him, to never do anything too risky or too invasive, that led up to this point. She turned to the back wall, covered in papers, pinned-up taxidermy beetles, analysis charts and her own rambling theories on how such a transformation could even happen. This probably constituted a scientific study by now. Not that there was any way of publishing it here. Not that she wanted to. Reiaura brushed her hand over the photo at the centre of this self-constructed shrine. ¡°Guess you¡¯re right, guess I still miss you, Touki.¡° she laughed, as if it were some shameful admission. But she soon stepped away, turning instead to her shelves of files on her other patients. Much more neat. Much less mad. Her eyes fell on the file of that girl that Issak and Tori had been so insistent to get information on. ¡°What is it about you?¡± she pulled the file from its spot in the third row, only for a tarot card to fall out and hit the ground. Reiaura picked it up and examined it. ¡°Number VI¡­¡± she said, monotone as usual, ¡°hmph. Well, that explains a lot. Should those two fail, I expect I will get decent business from them.¡± Before she could ruminate (or relish) in the prospect of that outcome any longer, she heard the muffled sound of a click-click, coming closer. In the ¡®City of Eternal Night¡¯, as some called New Kowloon, a doctor has little opportunity to sleep. So with the lighting of another cigarette, Reiaura prepared herself for whatever else might come her way.