Your first official mission: escorting a damned Nest Dweller back to his home.
You snort quietly. Fucked up how this shit goes – here comes some spoiled rich fucker down from his throne up high for fuck knows what reason, and setting himself on danger by stepping over the wrong people's toes, and now here you are, hired to deal with the mess. Well, it's not like you can't complain about it. It's still a job, and this Hailey fuck pays
a lot – even split evenly, that's more money than you could possibly collect before…
this.
You glance down to your food, and the sour mood fades away. You grin, despite yourself, shoulders shaking. Your stomach rumbles. Deep, and wanting. Mao would say something, but she's not here, so fuck her. Still in its wrapper, you could smell
HamHamPangPang's sandwich toasts penetrating through it. Crispy
tonkatsu, plump and juicy, placed on a bed of fluffy toast – fresh lettuce, tomato, and those caramelized onion thing, before its covered with that hellish
fiery sauce; sweet, sour, and spicy enough to leave your tongue stinging, and craving for more. And then, finally, it's closed with another slice of that fluffy butter-toasted bread. On its side, you have those real fancy fresh-from-the-tap strawberry soda, and a bunch of crispy, but fluffy fries.
Haah. You shiver, the smell overwhelming your senses, promising a slice of heaven. Your hands move on their own, unwrapping the toast sandwich.
Steam rises, fresh from the kitchen, and you bite into it –
ah you could die now with a smile
– And when you next open your eyes, everything is gone. You lean back into your seat with groan, patting your
full – fuck,
it's full – belly. You feel amazing. Strong, even.
Powerful, like you could just do about anything. Shit, if a Star comes over right now, you could probably take them on.
Probably.
Well. Not really.
[-75,000 Ahn. 178,150 Ahn Remaining.]
[Energetic Status Gained. +5 to Both Health, and Mental Points. +1 to One of Favored Skills (Melee). Lasts Until Week Ends]
[1d3 for which Skill gets boosted. You rolled 1. Melee gets boosted by 1 for the remaining Week.]
You could try, though.
"… That's something else, Lily," Mori says, and you open your eyes. He smiles, eyebrows slightly raised. "Got an appetite don't ya?"
You blink.
Oh, right. You snap straight up, your back cracking in protest at the sudden whip. Burke's still asleep. The Boss stares straight at ya, the crow tilting its head hard. "Uh," shit, fuck. You leap up to your feet, turning to Kai. "So, uh. C'mon, we gotta meet the client."
Kai looks at you, her unpatched eye blank as ever. A blink. Her mouth hangs open, before they click shut. Nodding, expression flat, she rises to her feet. "Let's go."
Mori snorts. "Be careful you two."
"Take," the Boss starts, and the crow squawks. "Care."
Burke mumbles something in his sleep.
"Um," you duck your head slightly, stepping around the sofa, and towards the exit. Kai comes next to you, her steps creepily quiet. "Yeah. Sure," you say, raising a hand over your shoulder. "See ya."
Kai turns around to face the Office, and nods, before turning back again to the door.
…
"You guys sure took your time," your client sighs, stepping out from his hideout. Well, you say
hideout, but it's a motel room he has apparently been staying here – and it figures it's one of those fancy schmancy ones, catering for people like him, or those from other Districts visiting in for one reason, or another. Then again, that's practically the only reason why motels, or inns exist. "Here I thought I'd have to look for 'nother Office."
"Do not do that," Kai chimes in, shaking her head. The client blinks, raising an eyebrow. "Without revoking it first, that would not end well for you."
He sniffs. "Noted."
You scowl, growling, splaying your hands open. "Well, we're here, aren't we?"
"Well, I suppose what's done is done," he raises his hands, shaking his head. "Well, let us not tarry then – much as I appreciate the
quaintness of this Backstreets, it has rather worn out its sheen," he nods wistfully, before sighing. "… Though perhaps I will return here again one day. My food tour was rather cut short, you understand, and it
was fun while it lasted."
You narrow your eyes. Hailey the
Nest Tourist, you begin to dub him. Blonde side-swept hair, clear green eyes, and the whitest set of teeth you have ever seen. His face is a pale unblemished thing, covered lightly by a thinly shaven beard, and thin-curled moustache. Inwardly, you cast your mind back to those two Nest Dwellers in the exam. You forgot their name. Blue hair, and pink hair. Cheeks plump, and his belly pronounced ever so slightly against his clothes – white shirt, and black vest, golden patterns like clocks etched on the fabric. Plain black trousers, and a pair of shoes, shiny enough you could somewhat see your reflection. A bag hangs over his shoulder. A smell exudes from him. Sickly sweet perfume, and that bitter smell of coffee, and… you frown. Something there. Something familiar, at the tip of your tongue, yet so distant.
A sniff, and your client raises his eyebrow. "Did you find something interesting, Miss…?" he trails off.
You shake your head, scowling. "Lily," you click your tongue, glancing down at the street. "Just call me Lily."
People mill about, wearing fancier outfits than the usual occasion. You've never stepped into these higher-end neighborhoods before –
can't, rather. It is its own village; a secluded little piece of Heaven in the Backstreets, almost disconnected by the rest of it. You imagine if this is what the Nest looks like – probably not even close, but fuck if it doesn't piss you off.
"Kai," Kai follows up. You glance to her. Hailey hums, tilting his head slightly. Kai doesn't say anything.
"Well," Hailey muses. "Hopefully, you know my name. Now, shall we depart?" he asks, rolling his shoulder-bag. "I would rather not tarry much longer, you see. I have planned to go return home a couple days ago, but these
Burning Men foiled that plan quite well – I had hoped to spend at least a few days resting, see? But it appears I must immediately work on arrival."
Your eyebrows twitch, then nod. "I'll take the lead –"
"Before," Kai cuts you off, and you blink. Her face is blank as ever, but her eye focuses on the client. "How did you anger the Burning Men?"
You frown. "Kai –"
Hailey cuts you off. "How is this relevant in anyway at all?"
You growl under your breath. Shoving your hands down into your pockets, you side-eye Kai, tilting your head pointedly at her.
She frowns, eye narrowing. "It is relevant," Kai replies.
"I notice you did not explain
why," Hailey chuckles. "Quite nosy, aren't you, Miss Kai? One wouldn't think to receive an interrogation from hired Fixers – but if you really
must know, I simply visited a restaurant which happens to be owned by them. They specialize in grilled skewered meat, fittingly enough," he titters, shaking his head. It grates onto your ears. "Unfortunately, their cooking left something to be desired. I may have said something, or the other," he huffs, rolling his eyes. "And they seemed to take offense to that."
You frown in thought. Story seems to check out. Well. Checks out from what little you know of them, at least.
The Burning Men – you've heard of them, but only in passing. They're a small-time Syndicate, independent not because they got the power for it, but the other way around. They're new-ish, kinda like the Loud Orchestra. They've raided a couple Fixer Offices before, but nothing too impressive. Dime in a dozen, really. They're better known for their extreme methods – their body covered in burns, arms wrapped in bandages and slathered in oil. Their burned alive victims, screaming until nothing but only charcoaled flesh remain. Hence, their name. Well, minor or not, they're still Syndicates after all, a step or two above the Rats, but there's a reason why this job's Urban Myth.
You shake your head. "That enough, Kai?"
Kai frowns, and you're not sure at who. "Yes."
"Then I'll take the lead, and you cover the back," that makes sense, right? Kai nods, and you let our a breath.
"And that means I'll be sandwiched between you two," Hailey nods, chuckling.
You make a face. "Shut up."
The tourist smirks. "My, you have quite the fuse," you shoot him glare, before turning down to the street, cursing under your breath. Fucking smug arrogant shithead. He's lucky he's paying you – else, you'd leave him behind to the sharks.
Taking a deep breath, closing to the end of the street, you begin to plan out your routes. The Backstreets is a mazelike, almost ever-shifting place filled with alleys, and narrow streets. They curve, and zigzag, going much farther than at first sight – larger than you could comprehend. You could walk down to the East for days, and you'd sooner collapse before you get a glimpse District 9's borders, and its ruined remains.
But for all its confusing, ever-stretching roads, and alleyways, there's a pattern to it – and the Nest is a towering mass of skyscrapers looking down on you. It's a beacon, and the Backstreets seem to cocoon around them, divided by those walls you've never gotten close to see. Every path, however eventually, leads down to them.
Now you just gotta pick which one.
Choose 1:
[] Direct Route. You can take the direct route straight to the Nest Barrier. It's quick, and straightforward. No fuss, no muss – of course, if the Burning Men are going after Hailey, this route would be the first place they would lurk over. There's gonna be a good number of them, probably. Well, let them come, they're gonna fucking regret it. Straight Route with no Complications, but Guaranteed Encounter with the Burning Men's Main Force.
[] Scenic Route. Safe, but long. Hailey'll wear your ears off with complains, and shit, but if Mao – damn it – is here, she'd take this one. Your job's, after all, isn't to get him back to Nest quick, but that he gets there at all. Course, you'd have to take stops since you reckon the Tourist can't walk for hours straight, there's no telling what you'd encounter on the way. You got a rich looking ass following you, after all. There's also a chance the Burning Men would still be there, but they're probably not gonna be the whole army. 25% Chance of Burning Men (Small Force), and 50% Chance of Random Encounters (Weak). Roll 3d100 Dice for Three Possible Encounters. Higher is Better.
[] "Safe" Route. Well, if the Burning Men are going after Hailey, then the easiest way to avoid them would be going through… a stronger Syndicate's territory. It's super risky, but the route's a straight shot to the Nest Barrier. Since nobody here got beef for Hailey, they're less likely to go after him – of course, he's still a rich looking ass, and you're still Fixers. It'd look like easy picking on them. No Chance of Encountering Burning Men. 40% Chance of Gathering the Local Syndicate's Interest. Roll 1d100. Higher is Better.
