Past Thread: >>6218592
Archive: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Missval
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Your name is Sora Windcrest. A thief, a murderer, a rascal, a psychopath, etc. You’ve heard it all. And you're damn proud of how famous you’ve gotten.

Oh right, you’re also with the White Fang. Almost forgot. Loyal? Eh, sure, so long as they let you do whatever the fuck you want.

Lately, though, things have been shifting. People are bailing left and right. Something about your branch being “disloyal to its own” or some whiny crap like that. Idiots. If they’re dumb enough to buy Carmine’s lies, then they can rot in a ditch somewhere far away. And if you ever find them again, you'll be more than happy to handle them with an unhealthy dose of ‘hard love’.

Word is, this branch took a heavy hit. The Black Sheep are whispering that it's hanging by a thread. One or two more fuck-ups and it’s toast. And honestly? You don’t give a shit. The only reason you’re still here is the hope that one day, somehow, Adam fucking Taurus notices you and lets you fight by his side. Unrealistic dream? Maybe. Still, worth sticking around for.

…Okay, maybe there’s another reason. That girl Shelly, she’s been looking for a way out since the start. You’ve known that. It’s why you even entertained the idea. Would you actually leave with her? Maybe. Looks like she even got Da Boss T to consider it. That would be treason. And treason? Treason is fun. So you’ll cross that bridge if, and, or when it shows up.

Anyway, poor girl’s in a tough spot. So is Mr. Doggy Ears. She’s been having near-daily meetings with the big shots. You've overheard bits of them now and then. If only they’d let you join one of those calls just to catch a glimpse of that red-haired bastard…

But nah. If you’re gonna get noticed by him, it’ll be on your own terms. You don’t owe anyone shit. Still, the top-dogs (heh, top dogs, get it?) are at least giving Taylor and Birdie a shot to prove they can get their shit together. Maybe it's worth backing them up. For now.

And let’s not ignore the obvious. Headquarters is empty as fuck. Half the crew’s already peaced out. The only ones left are Shelly’s ride-or-dies. Not surprising, since she seems like a trustworthy bitch. No wonder they’re following her around like a damn private squad. Bitch even gets her own crew while you’re stuck solo? You’ll get the secret on how to do so from her one day.

In all honesty, it feels like she’s the one in charge now. Sure, Taylor’s still “the boss,” but he barely leaves his office. Just a title at this point. And also… he’s back on the bottle. Poor son of a bitch.

Whatever. Time to get on with your day.

---

You woke up alone in your room. Again.

Today was the big day. Something about going hunting with Shelly and some other Huntsman from one of those useless-ass factions. We’re going butterfly hunting. We’re finally taking Miss Diva’s head.

And you're almost an hour late. Fuck. That’s not good.

You felt something cold trailing under your nose. Another nosebleed? Fuck, this shit keeps happening. Almost daily now.

You jumped out of bed and smeared some of it on your pants. Meh. Whatever. It’ll dry.

Out into the hallway. Headed for the bathroom. Good thing this place is empty as hell, you weren’t in the mood to beat the shit out of some grunt asking why you were bleeding.

There. Bathroom. Empty. Fuck yeah.

You slammed the door shut and rushed to the sink. You felt your throat tightening. Here it comes. Your body knew the drill by now.

Calling it a cough didn’t do it justice. A little more force and it’d sound like you were puking out your damn lungs. The sink splattered red, nose and mouth, both bleeding now. Fuck. That metallic taste again. Getting real old.

“You’re not getting any better,” the growling voice in your head rumbled. “Never thought a Huntress like you would be this fragile.”

“Fuck off.” Another coughing fit. At least the pain wasn’t as bad as the first days. Just a dull, nagging ache now. Back then? You were sure your chest was going to burst. And that bastard just kept running his mouth while your guts were spilling out.

Fuck.

“You’re going to be late. You’re already late.” The voice kept talking. Neutral, smug. Irritating. “They’re going to start without you. Leave you behind. No surprise, really. You’re disposable.”

“I said, FUCK OFF!” You smashed your fist into the mirror without thinking. Of course it shattered.

Dark-red streaks danced across the broken shards scattered over the sink. You turned on the faucet, watching water dilute the blood and snot into a gruesome swirl. Your breathing started to calm. You were feeling better. Tired, dizzy, sure, but nothing new. Shit. You’d have to steal another mirror to replace this one. That made two down so far.

“Useless piece of shit.” Was the voice laughing now? Cheeky fucker. “Keep this up, and one day you’ll drop dead. I doubt even the rats would want your rotting, maggot-infested corpse.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” You laughed along, bitterly. “Can you at least not do this while I’m puking out my guts? Your timing’s fucking unbearable.” You rinsed your mouth out with the cold water. Towel? Nowhere in sight. Fuck it, your sleeve would do.

“I think my timing’s impeccable,” the voice giggled. Smug little shit. “If I said this when you were healthy, you’d just ignore me.”

“Of course I would.” Your breathing felt fine again. You felt like yourself, unstoppable, sharp, dangerous. “Now be a good boy and shut the fuck up. Today’s important.”

“Oh right, today’s your date with that girl and the random, huh? Guess I’ll make sure to be extra annoying.” A guttural laugh rasped in your right ear, way too close. Ugh. Was it a ghost? A fractured piece of your own brain? Some shitty mental coping mechanism?

Like it’d ever give you an answer.

> Start heading out, checking your Scroll for Shelly’s messages. Feed her whatever excuse will shut her up. You’ll show up eventually.
> Check on Taylor. He’s been way too quiet lately. What the hell’s he doing in his office? Maybe something embarrassing. Could be fun to catch him in the act.
> Wander the compound. Kill time. Clear your head. See if any new idiots showed up or if someone was dumb enough to try and leave.
> Other (Write in)

>>6249608
>Start heading out, checking your Scroll for Shelly’s messages. Feed her whatever excuse will shut her up. You’ll show up eventually.

>>6249608
>Start heading out, checking your Scroll for Shelly’s messages. Feed her whatever excuse will shut her up. You’ll show up eventually.

>>6249608
> Start heading out, checking your Scroll for Shelly’s messages. Feed her whatever excuse will shut her up. You’ll show up eventually.

As you pulled your Scroll from your pocket, you saw five message notifications. Five? You were expecting at least seventeen. Guess they don't want you that badly.

Bah. Whatever. You opened your chat with Shelly and dropped a quick ‘omw’. That would be enough. You could already hear her voice in your head. ‘Oh no, Sora, don’t be late, this is an important mission, please.’

They want quality? Then they can damn well wait for it.

---

Ah… the city. Beautiful as always. Trash stench in the air, sick bastards begging for scraps and Lien, black sludge oozing from busted sewers, half-collapsed buildings lining the streets...

And not a single one person bothering you. Perfect. Finally, some peace and quiet.

Hmm… but maybe... was it always this much of a shithole?

Nah, things were definitely getting worse. Weird. And here you were thinking the place was turning around.

Meh. Whatever. More chaos meant more opportunities to pick some pockets here and there with no one batting an eye.

"You're being watched." That rough voice again. Ugh. Seriously? You spun around, already looking for whatever asshole thought it’d be smart to keep eyes on you.

But… no. No one. Maybe… those two over there? Nah, they were dead asleep on the sidewalk. Still, you walked over, gave them a good jolt. They stood up and bolted, scared shitless. Good.

"Nah, they were sleeping. Lying piece of shit." You'd figured out nearly a month ago you didn’t need to talk out loud to chat with the voice in your head. Thinking the words was enough.

"I didn't mean them." the voice replied. Huh. Cool. Who the hell were those two down the street? Oh, Birdie and some other guy.

"Then who was watching me?" Best to not give the voice any more attention than necessary. Useless outside of battle, and even then, only sometimes.

Who was the guy next to Shelly? Guy, maybe. Hard to tell with the way he was wrapped in rags. He also had a long cloth over his face, only a narrow slit where his eyes should be. Cool. He looked... bulky. Fatso, maybe? Hah.

"My brothers." Brothers? What a dumbass thing to say. Best to ignore the voice.

As you finally got close to Shelly and the wrapped-up chunk you couldn’t help but giggle. He looked hilarious.

"Heyah. Sup. Hope I didn’t make y’all wait too long." Of course they were waiting. Felt good, being this wanted.

Shelly sighed. “Sora, this is Kuse, the huntsman the Black Sheep said would work with us. Kuse, this is Sora. She's… uh… a friend.”

A friend? Just a friend? The audacity. You’d spit on her, but that’d be too much.

"Sup. I'm Sora. We’ve met before, greaseball?" Damn, you forgot gum. That nasty blood taste was back. Literal blood. Yuck. Way less fun than it sounded.

Shelly’s eyes widened. Perfect. The nickname hit. That’s what she gets for saying you were ‘just a friend’.

"No. And there's no need for introductions. I know enough about you." His voice was slick, serious, sharp. Not even a flinch. Great. One of the boring types.

"Oh yeah? Y’know about me?" This should be good. Short stack better have something real fucking interesting to say.

The man sighed. “Enough to know that you’re going to be insufferable. Can we get on with the plan, Shel?” He turned to face her, barely acknowledging you.

‘Shel’? Fucking ‘Shel’? No one calls her that. No one gets to call her nicknames except you. And 'insufferable'? Then he just turns his back on you like you’re not even standing there?

Oh, you were going to kick his ass so hard. So fucking hard. Maybe down a flight of stairs. Maybe two. As many as possible.

“Of course. Listen up.” Shelly cut in, taking over. “This isn’t going to be easy, not because our target’s especially dangerous, but because Vespera is slippery as hell. I’ll be leading this op, and I expect everyone to take it seriously. I assume there’s not going to be a problem with that... right?” Her eyes locked onto yours. Or would’ve, if she’d taken off that ridiculous White Fang mask. Still, you felt it, that pressure. That challenge. She was pissed.

Oh yeah.

“No complaints here.” the man added. Great. Two sticks in the mud. Real fucking dream team.

You itched to say something. Something sharp. Something stupid. Just to get under Shelly’s skin and see her twitch. Almost like a reflex. Childish? Yeah. But worth it? Hell yeah.

> Resist the impulse. Try being serious for once. Shelly’s already on edge. Pushing her buttons now would be fun, but later would be better.
> Push back. She wants to lead? Fuck that. You know this city, you know the timing, you know the people. This city was your bitch. They should be following your orders.
> Pick a fight. Little mask-boy here is already pissing you off. Who the fuck was he? Just being near him makes your skin crawl. Why’s he so passive? Confront him. Add a snarky joke for flavor.
> Other (Write-in)

>>6251720
>Push back. She wants to lead? Fuck that. You know this city, you know the timing, you know the people. This city was your bitch. They should be following your orders.

>>6251720
>Resist the impulse. Try being serious for once. Shelly’s already on edge. Pushing her buttons now would be fun, but later would be better.

>>6251720
>Resist the impulse. Try being serious for once. Shelly’s already on edge. Pushing her buttons now would be fun, but later would be better.

>>6251720
> Resist the impulse. Try being serious for once. Shelly’s already on edge. Pushing her buttons now would be fun, but later would be better.

>>6251720

You wanted to blurt something out. A dumb joke. A snarky jab. Hell, maybe even propose that you should be the one leading just to piss them both off.

But no. You held back, mostly because you could feel how on-edge Shelly already was. She was staring you down, her white mask and cold demeanor reminding you of a certain red-haired guy, like she was daring you to open your mouth. Impressive, really, how she managed to say so much without saying a single damn word.

Good. She was learning. You’d give her this win without biting back. Just this once.

“As long as this crap’s not boring, I don’t mind you taking the reins.” That plus a shrug. You practically had to chew your own tongue not to say more. Fuck, being serious was exhausting.

Shelly let out a breath, almost like she’d been bracing for impact. Was she actually expecting resistance from you? “Good. In that case, klet’s start. I’ll fill you in as we walk.”

Then both of them turned their backs and started heading north.

Huh? Just like that? No follow up? No a single witty remark? The hell was going on?

“See? You’re not even needed. Barely wanted. How’s it feel being the third wheel?” That rough voice in your head again. What an annoying piece of shit.

You slammed a punch into the nearest light pole. Rusted metal bent with a groan, sparks shooting from the top. Your knuckles were barely scratched. Fuck, letting it out like that felt damn good.

Both Shelly and the guy in the dumb clothes turned to stare. Confused. Fuck. Better think fast for an excuse.

“There was a bug looking at me funny. Don’t make a big deal out of it.” You shrugged it off, stepping forward, looming behind them like nothing happened. A long yawn slipped out. Maybe it’d kill the conversation.

The man sighed and turned back. Shelly didn’t. She kept watching you. Studying you.

Fuck, that was weird. You liked being looked at, sure, but not like that. Some people just made it feel... so fucking wrong.

She raised an eyebrow. What, that supposed to be a question? If she wanted to know something, why the fuck didn’t she just ask?

You spat to the side. If that was her question, that was your answer.

She sighed and turned around, finally moving on. Good. As long as they stopped fucking questioning you...

---

You couldn’t help but notice how the streets felt emptier than usual. The central market was… dead. Yeah, a few people lingered here and there, but hell, it was the middle of the damn day! This place used to be bustling, packed with energy, parties, and idiots with way too much Lien burning a hole in their pockets.

And now? Half the stalls were shut or straight-up abandoned. The ones that were still open looked like they were clinging to life. Shit. Were the bars closed too? It’d been a while since you woke up drunk in some stranger’s place. Was crime getting that bad? Nah… that wasn’t it. Had to be something else. But what?

Wait. What the hell was that? The fucking ‘Blind Mouse’? Why did that nightclub look like garbage now? The doors were chained up, the giant mouse logo was rusted to hell, one eye missing, and nearly every screen was shattered. No fucking way. This place used to be awesome. What the hell happened?

“So, you understood everything, Sora?” came Shelly’s voice, finally interrupting your thoughts. Oh right, she’d been explaining the plan or whatever for the last minutes.

“Of course I do. Someone killed the guys that ran this bar!” you shot back, desperate to sound like you were paying attention. What else could it be? Some dumbass tried to take over and ran it into the ground? Or maybe it just ran out of cash?

“You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?” she sighed.

Of course not. That crap was for nerds. If she was so damn smart, she shoulda make it simpler to understand.

“Nah. I only listened when you said something about me kicking ass.” There. That was the joke you meant to drop earlier. Yeah, the timing sucked, but letting it out still felt good. A bit, at least.

“Do we really need her?” the wide guy muttered. Was that frustration in his voice? Oh, cute. Real witty. Just enough to make you want to rip out his tongue.

“You got a problem, bud? ‘Cause I’m not convinced you’re cut out for this shit.” Short guy wanted to act tough? Fine. Let’s see if he could back up his words with action.

Shelly’s hand hit your chest, stopping you from moving. Ugh. Fun police. Awesome.

“Yes, Kuse. We need her. She’s strong, and the more hands we’ve got, the better.” You tried to push past, but Shelly’s grip held you in place. Since when was she this strong? You could break through if you really wanted. Birdie wouldn’t be able to stop you. But nah. Too much of a hassle. Not worth it.

…Maybe you should just spit on the guy. Shelly wouldn’t be quick enough to block that.

“Fine, Sora. Look. I’ll make it short,” Shelly said. “This bar is our regroup point. If anyone gets in trouble or finishes early, this is where we meet. Also, this…” She pulled her scroll out of her uniform, “...is meant for one person only. The bait.”

Bait?

“And by bait,” the guy added, “we mean you. We’ll send you to one spot where we think she is, while we search the others.”

“Being the bait sounds like it’ll suck balls.” Seriously? You, playing decoy? That was bullshit. Where’s the fun in that? You’d never even see the damn target. What the fuck was the point of coming here? Just to stand around and wave a flag? No real fight? Fuck that.

“Or,” Shelly continued explaining. “We can send Kuse as the bait and you can go dark, sweep some alternative routes with me. Just know, it might be boring. No guarantees you’ll find the target.”

> Being the bait sounds less boring. You’d get to have a nice fight while the other two search for whoever is controlling the androids. Fuck… they’d get all the glory…
> Fuck being the bait. You want to be the one to rip the head of whoever is controlling those robots. Let the new guy be the bait while you start searching together with Shelly. Besides, she’s your bestie. No way you’re allowing her to get all the fun alone.
> ‘Agree’ on being the bait, but you’d do your own thing after beating those metal bastards into cogs and burnt electronics. The other two wouldn’t be able to know about your plans. They’d have no fucking idea that you would do your own thing.
> Other (Write in)

>>6253941
>Fuck being the bait. You want to be the one to rip the head of whoever is controlling those robots. Let the new guy be the bait while you start searching together with Shelly. Besides, she’s your bestie. No way you’re allowing her to get all the fun alone.

>>6253941
>Fuck being the bait. You want to be the one to rip the head of whoever is controlling those robots. Let the new guy be the bait while you start searching together with Shelly. Besides, she’s your bestie. No way you’re allowing her to get all the fun alone.

>>6253941
>Fuck being the bait. You want to be the one to rip the head of whoever is controlling those robots. Let the new guy be the bait while you start searching together with Shelly. Besides, she’s your bestie. No way you’re allowing her to get all the fun alone.

>>6253941

“Send the weird guy to take the punches. If I’m gonna fight, I want it to matter, not just be some damn distraction. That shit’s worthless.” You pulled out your scroll and shoved it at Shelly. She hesitated for a few seconds, but eventually she took it.

“You’re a handful, you know that?” the Kuse guy answered back. “You’re perfect for this. Loud, obnoxious, impossible to ignore. Plus, let’s be honest, you kinda suck at digging up info or figuring shit out.”

“Oh yeah? Well, you’re a big, dumb target, probably barely know how to fight, and if you keep pissing me off, I’ll make sure you lose your fucking head, bitch.” Who the fuck did this guy think he was? You were holding back, but it was getting harder by the second not to just snap at him.

“Stop, both of you.” Shelly cut in, her voice steady. “Don’t worry, Kuse. I’m…” She paused, thinking it over. “…I’m already used to working with Sora. I’m sure if we combine our skills, we can make this investigation work. You sure you can handle more than one of those androids?”

Good. Shelly was backing you up. That’s right. Fuck that guy. She still had your back. Sure, she owed you a ton of favors. Maybe this one could count for one. You… appreciated that.

“Of course I can.” The guy crossed his arms like Shelly had just insulted his manhood. “I’ve studied her behavior, her patterns, all of it. Besides, each android’s weaker than a proper Huntsman anyway. I can easily handle multiple of them.”

“I know,” Shelly went on, “but the dangerous thing with her is how much teamwork those things have with each other. So… try not to get surrounded, okay?”

Was she… actually worried about him? Why? She just met the guy. Why the hell should she care if he got stomped or dropped dead?

“There’s no need to worry about me, miss. I’m not an amateur.” He strolled over to a nearby trashcan, kicked it over, and sat on top like he was someone of importance. You caught a quick glimpse of his legs, way thinner than you expected. Huh. What a weirdo.

“I’ll kick off the ruckus a few minutes after you two head out. This butterfly chick loves to play heroine, I’m sure she’ll eventually notice me. Don’t die down there.”

Shelly turned without another word, heading towards some probably abandoned buildings while lazily waving her hand. “Sora, come.”

Ugh… you hated the way she barked out orders like that. But hell, it was still better than being just a useless distraction.

“Can you believe that guy?” you grumbled, itching to vent a little. Shelly didn’t usually judge, which made her way less annoying than most people. “Seriously? Wanting me to run that stupid part of the plan? Come on. I’m not built for that crap. I’m built for the important stuff. Like catching up with this insect bitch.”

When we stepped into the building, it was mostly empty. Another abandoned dump. Here? In the middle district of Kuchinashi? Rare as hell. This place was usually crawling with people from all sorts of places.

“And here I thought you’d say yes to the plan we both crafted.” Shelly shoved some crates out of the way from a corner, revealing a metal hatch leading down into the tunnels.

Wait. Both? So she also wanted you to be the bait?

“You think I’m not good enough to play detective like you, birdie?” No way. This had to be a joke. A crude one at that. No way she’d stab you in the back like that.

She crouched by the hatch, popped it open, and started down the stairs. “Well, with how much you love a good fight, I figured you’d want to be the star of the show this time.” She shot you a smile, but it didn’t last. That worry slipped onto her face fast.

The way she talked. The way she laid it out. It all made sense. So why did it still feel like bullshit? Your gut screamed it. Maybe not a full-on lie, but just some cherry-picked truths.

No. She wouldn’t do that. Maybe this time your instincts were just being loud and stupid.

“Well, yeah, I like it. Sometimes.” You rolled your eyes. Fuck. This was starting to sound like a compliment. You hated compliments. “But I also like being the one on the front lines. The one who charges in, who kicks ass, who grabs the target by the throat. The one who gets the job done right. All that.”

Shelly kept looking at you weird. Even without seeing her eyes, her dumb face said everything. If she sucked at anything, it was keeping a good poker face. What was so wrong with wanting to be the ‘main character’ sometimes? A little recognition always felt good. She should get that. You two were alike in more ways than she probably wanted to admit.

“What? Do I have something on my face? Let’s get moving. I wanna catch this bitch early so we can celebrate with a drink or something. You’ll pay for it, of course.”

You stomped toward the latch. Shelly didn’t move. “Sora, are you okay?”

She didn’t budge. She was frozen, staring at you like there was something wrong with you.

Did you say something wrong? Think. You said something about being the main soldier, the one who gets the glory, the one who does everything right, standard prideful talk.

Nah. Nothing weird.

“Of course I’m okay. Why the fuck do you care so much? Move, or I’ll kick you down there.”

Still quiet.

“What? You want me to actually do that?” Your right leg twitched. Was she seriously challenging you? “You want me to jump after you so this ass lands right on top of you? Tough luck, birdie. That’s a prize you ain’t ready for. Move, or I’ll really kick you in the face.”

She didn’t move. Instead, she touched just under her nose. Was she itching? Smelling something?

“Your nose. It’s bleeding.”

What?

Your hand went to your face. Wet. Red. You looked down, and blood splattered on your crop top, your stomach and your legs.

Shit. Fuck.

You covered your nose, turning away from her fast.

It was still bleeding, but at least it was slowing down. No pain, so that was a nice plus.

You heard Shelly climbing back up. Fuck. You didn’t want her to see you like this. How fucking embarrassing. You had a mission. This was nothing you couldn’t handle.

> Make up a lie on the spot. Even a shit one would work. No way you’d explain this to her. This was why you’d been avoiding her so much lately. This was nothing you couldn’t handle.
> Say nothing. Just push to move forward. Promise to tell her after the mission. Maybe she’d forget by then.
> Come out clean. Yeah, you sometimes bled from your nose, so what? Not a big deal. It wouldn’t be a fucking problem. You’d still kick ass.
> Other (Write in)

>>6255720
>Say nothing. Just push to move forward. Promise to tell her after the mission. Maybe she’d forget by then.

>>6255720
>> Make up a lie on the spot. Even a shit one would work. No way you’d explain this to her. This was why you’d been avoiding her so much lately. This was nothing you couldn’t handle.

>>6255720
> Say nothing. Just push to move forward. Promise to tell her after the mission. Maybe she’d forget by then.

>>6255720
> Say nothing. Just push to move forward. Promise to tell her after the mission. Maybe she’d forget by then.

>>6255720

“What are you doing?” you asked her while wiping your nose with the back of your right hand. Fuck. Everything was so red. So bloody.

“What do you mean? I’m going to check you out. Did you get in a fight recently?” She was still insisting. Fuck. Could she even figure out what the hell was wrong with you? Sure, she was smart, but not that smart, right?

“No need, birdie. Let’s just keep moving.” You turned, facing her as you walked towards the open latch door. She just stayed there, her upper body still visible, hands gripping the metal bars of the stairs.

But she wouldn’t move. So fucking annoying. Why did she care so much? She wasn’t your mom. She should mind her own damn business. If you said you were fine, that was it.

“I’m worried about you, you know? You aren’t on drugs or something, right?” There she went again, poking at you. So damn bothersome. If she were anyone else, you’d kick her straight in the face.

But no. She wasn’t just anyone. She was someone you could sort of trust. At least a little. And the last thing you wanted right now was for things to get dragged out. Should you trust her?

Fuck it. You’d give her the benefit of the doubt and see what happens. If she cared enough to remember this later… maybe you’d let her know a little bit more about your situation.

“Look. Let’s just keep going. I’m not gonna be some fucking dead weight. Let’s finish this first, then we’ll talk. I really hate it when people get on my nerves.” Been a while since you said something that actually felt, instead of hiding behind the tough shit act. You also hated that you acknowledge that.

Whatever. As long as she didn’t screw you over, it’d all be fine.

“She’ll do exactly that, in due time.” A rough whisper echoed inside your head, like the voice was breathing right down your neck. You tensed up. Always spitting the worst shit at the worst possible moments. But no, if anything, you trusted Shelly more than the damn voice. At least she wasn’t so fucking gloomy all the time.

Shelly stayed quiet for a few seconds. “You promise you’ll tell me?”

God damnit, you hated that clingy attitude of hers.

“Ugh… Yes! I do! Happy now? You act like you’re my fucking mother or something, always on my heels about everything.” You didn’t have the patience for this crap. It wasn’t enough that you were stuck in this boring-ass investigation, now you had to put up with getting nagged too? Fuck that. Absolutely not.

“Not like a mother. Just a concerned friend,” she sighed, then headed down the stairs. Looked like she’d finally quit her nagging.

She always pulled this shit. Pushing until your patience hit the edge, then pushing the brakes just before you’d explode. She did it so often, you were starting to wonder if she fucking did it on purpose.

---

As you walked through the underground tunnels, boredom gnawed at you. Everything looked the same. Greenish, rusted metal walls, rats scurrying around, cobwebs, pipes, flickering dim-ass lights. These were some maintenance tunnels.

And there it was, Shelly up ahead, walking quietly. Was she concentrating on her hearing? What a damn useful thing it was. You’d love to have something like that. The things you could do with it…

Shelly suddenly stopped. Good, maybe she was finally gonna dump more boring details of this genius plan.

“There’s going to be a blackout soon.” She pointed to one of the flickering lights near the tunnel’s ceiling.

“How the hell do you know that, birdie? Don’t tell me you can hear electric currents now.” If she did, well… Shit, that’d actually be impressive. How envious were you of that shit.

“The guys from the Black Sheep are backing us on this op. They’re going to cut power to the Noble Districts for about an hour soon enough. Might help if we run into Vespera. Even if it doesn’t, it'll make it easier to avoid getting spotted while we look for her.”

Huh. Not bad. That was actually pretty cool.

“And then what? We stumble around in the dark down here? You got a plan for that, birdie? I can handle the dark. You? Not so sure.” Creeping through these damp, rank tunnels sounded kinda sketchy. Kinda fun, too.

“I don’t need light. My hearing’s enough. But I’ve got visors if I need them. Kuse has a pair too, since we figured you’d be the one near the surface…”

“Why am I just now hearing about all this?” Ha. Nerd goggles to see in the dark. Losers.

“Because you showed up nearly an hour late to the mission briefing. Anyway, that’s not all.” She rummaged through one of the pouches on her belt. You remembered how she looked when you first met her in that light-green kimono. Now she was decked out in more tactical gear. Suited her way better in your opinion.

“Take some of these. Keep them on you, and if things go to hell, use them.” She handed you a pair of odd, heavy metal spheres. Cold to the touch. Each had a small compartment that flipped open, revealing a nearly invisible button that blended into the polished metal.
“What the fuck is this dumb nerd shit?” You held it up to the flickering light. Looked like a… grenade? Felt like one, but this thing was way better built than the junk the Atlas military usually tossed around.

“Don’t really know the details. New tech from the Black Sheep.” She opened one of her pouches, showing you two more of the things inside. “It disrupts most machinery that gets too close. You can also overload it, and it’ll blow after a few seconds. Like a regular explosive, but better against machines.”

“Cool. But isn’t that kinda cheating? What if I wanted to, y’know, kill the bitch with my own hands? Tear her apart like a toaster.” Damn thing was too big to hide between your tits, and clumsy enough it wouldn’t fit in your pant pockets either.

Shelly sighed, watching you fumble with it. She unclipped a pouch from her belt with a soft click and handed it over. “That’s… actually something I wanted to talk to you about.”

Free pouch? Hell yeah. “Yeah, whatever. What thing?” The leather bag fit snug on your belt. Looked like shit, sure, but it beat carrying these metal chunks around like an idiot.

“The Black Sheep don’t want us to kill Vespera, should we find her. They… want her captured. Turned over to them.” Shelly’s voice wavered. Doubt? “Honestly, I’ve been thinking about it. Killing her feels wrong, but capturing her? I don’t know. I’ve got a bad feeling about this. I don’t like this kind of dirty work for a criminal syndicate.”

Ugh. Her again, with her morality bullshit.

“Y’know that bitch has killed people too, right? And they’re our enemies. Why do you even care so much?” Huh. A leader showing doubt? Adam would’ve never let that slide. Guess you were wrong thinking those two were anything alike.

“I know, but I was trained to kill Grimm, those senseless beasts. Killing another person… I guess I’d do it in self-defense, but it still feels… off. Wrong. Never thought about crossing that line.”

The lights cut out. Total darkness, except for a faint red glow coming from the devices in your pouch. Huh, so they glow in the dark? Neat. You’d like to snag one as a souvenir or have it near a table in your room.

“What should we do with Vespera?” Shelly’s voice came through the dark. “What should we do when, if, we find her? I mean, if she attacks us, obviously we hit back, but… if we actually managed to catch her, should we hand her over to the Black Sheep? Something about that doesn’t sit right.”

Your eyes were starting to adjust. You could barely make out Shelly’s outline now. She was seriously stressing over this. This wasn’t just some mission to her. This shit mattered to her, and she was asking for your opinion.

> Whoever owned those robots? Best to just kill the bastard. Him, her, whatever, maybe it was some AI, a supercomputer running the show or something like that. If the Black Sheep bitched about it, you’d just tell them it was self-defense or some other bullshit. Easy.
> Well, if the big dogs wanted her alive, what were you gonna do? Spit in their faces? Nah. Best to play along, keep the fame, keep your rep. You’d hand her over, no fuss, no questions. Like a damn pro.
> All this morality crap bored the hell out of you. Hanging around Shelly always dragged this kind of drama your way. Whatever. You’d follow her lead. If shit hit the fan then you’d decide on the spot, and she most likely had to do the same.
> Other (Write in)

>>6257758
>Well, if the big dogs wanted her alive, what were you gonna do? Spit in their faces? Nah. Best to play along, keep the fame, keep your rep. You’d hand her over, no fuss, no questions. Like a damn pro.

>>6257758
>> Well, if the big dogs wanted her alive, what were you gonna do? Spit in their faces? Nah. Best to play along, keep the fame, keep your rep. You’d hand her over, no fuss, no questions. Like a damn pro.

>>6257758
>Well, if the big dogs wanted her alive, what were you gonna do? Spit in their faces? Nah. Best to play along, keep the fame, keep your rep. You’d hand her over, no fuss, no questions. Like a damn pro.

>>6257758

“I’d just capture her and hand ‘er over.” Yeah, probably the smartest move. Stick with the Black Sheep, do what they want, climb the ladder. Reputation. That’s what mattered in this world. Power, fame, being known as a strong as hell merc? Priceless. That’s how you get respect. That’s how you make people listen to you and do shit for you.

Shelly didn’t say a word. She just kept walking slowly. You knew she heard you.

“What? You don’t agree? C’mon, you know how much your rep’s worth, right?”

Nothing. Still silent. Ugh, was she overthinking about it too much? Maybe you should push harder.

“I know reputation’s valuable.” She finally decided to answer. “But this isn’t what I signed up for when I trained to be a Huntress.” Her steps picked up, faster with each second. Maybe her eyes were finally adjusting to the darkness around us? “Doing tasks for a bunch of criminal overlords. For the White Fang. It… feels wrong.”

Here we go again. Always doubting. Always dragging this out. You wanted to yell at her o just pick a damn side already. Her attitude was getting tiring.

“I talked with Taylor.” She blurted. “He’s… open to the idea of leaving this place, remember? Just us three, working solo. He even offered me to take over the branch. Said he’s sick of being in charge.”

“Whaaat? And why the fuck don’t you just say yes?” That actually caught you off guard. “And why the fuck am I just hearing about all this now?”

“Well, in my defense, you’ve been pretty absent as of late.” Damn. Birdie knew when to shoot straight. “To be honest, I thought you were pissed at me, or that something was bothering you.”

Why the hell would she think that?

“Nah. I’ve just… had to deal with some shit.” Like the fact that you were sick as fuck. But you’d dump that on her later. “I’ll tell ya more once we’re done here. Anyway, about that offer Taylor gave you…”

“I’m still thinking it over.” Shelly sighed, her steps dragging through the dark corridor while you trailed behind. “I’m split between wanting to get my independence back as a Huntress, or just taking his spot. What are you thinking about doing once I… need to decide?”

Oh? She actually gave a shit about what you’d do?

Nothing a good half-assed answer couldn’t patch up. Not a lie. Not the truth. Just a placeholder.

“Easy, girl. Whatever dumb shit you wanna do, I’ll stick with ya. As long as you don’t make me work too hard.”

The words slipped out too real. The trick to lying? You gotta believe it yourself, at least a bit. But was it even a lie? Would you really stick with her when all this shit was over? Probably. Maybe. Who the fuck knew.

Still… the little smirk you caught on her face made something inside you feel nice. Your white lie hit just right.

First time in years a half-truth made you feel the tiniest bit of guilt. Good thing the dark was hiding that watery eye.

---

“Are we there yet?” You yawned. You were bored. Fuck, maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to stay up on the surface and fight with Vespera instead.

“Sora, this is the fifth time you’ve asked me that.” Shelly sighed, already sounding like she’d had enough. “No, we’re not there yet. Are you doing this just to piss me off?”

You chuckled. Took her five tries to figure out you were fucking with her? Pathetic.

“What can I say? We’re moving at a snail’s pace. Why can’t we just, y’know, run or something? Is walking really necessary?”

“Yes. We need to stay vigilant. And also, I need the quiet to figure out where I’m going. So if you could, please-”

“Shit.” You had to cut her off. Your eyes caught something in the darkness. Something that was about to become a problem.

“What is it?” Shelly immediately drew her sabers from her hips, her stance ready, eyes locked ahead. She couldn’t see shit, but she was on full alert. Heh. “How many of them are there? Are we compromised?”

“What? No, dumbass. There’s a fork in the road.” You pointed ahead. You knew she couldn’t see it, but you didn’t give a shit. As long as you could annoy her, that was enough.

She sighed. Again. “You’re the worst. You know that?”

“Nah, I’m not the worst. I’m the best at being annoying.” You said it with pride. Walking beside her toward the fork, you added, “So… if I remember right, the left path goes deeper, the right one should take us closer to the surface. Both routes should be near the border of the Noble District, I think.”

“How do you know that?” Shelly asked, perplexed.

Fuck if you knew.

“I don’t know? I think I walked through these tunnels, like, a few years before you showed up in the city? Needed a place to think. Or maybe I dreamt it while I was drunk?”

Shelly was getting pissed. It was hard to not grin. “So you’re telling me you knew all the routes down here and you just now decided to say something?”

“Nah. I’m saying I might’ve used these tunnels for, I dunno, smuggling shit? You seriously want me to guide you based on whatever I half-remember from when I was drunk, high, or both?” Funny thing was, all you said all true. Your memory was not that reliable.

“Fair enough. I think it’d be best if we went our separate ways, cover more ground and all that.” Shelly moved ahead, leaning between both tunnels, listening carefully. You, on the other hand, started touching your teeth. Some were still sharp. Felt good.

“Can’t hear anything in either direction. Looks like we’ll each have to take a tunnel. So, where do you want to go? Surface or deeper levels?” Sora crossed her arms. Seriously? A question? You didn’t feel like thinking at all.

“I dunno. What’s the difference?”

“To be honest? I don’t know.” She shrugged. “My gut says the creator of the androids is probably closer to the surface, she’s into fame and all that, probably tied to the city in some way. But hey, maybe her lab’s buried deep in some secret underground place instead.”

> Surface it is, then. Best case? You’d find the bastard who started this whole mess and finally put an end to it. Worst case? You end up in the Noble District, the only place in Kuchinashi with damn good drinks and food.
> Screw it. Let’s head down to the depths. Who knows what kind of crazy shit’s down there? Secret lab? Giant factory? Maybe a fat pile of gems or a stash of Lien? Worst case… yeah, probably the sewers.
> Fuck gut feelings. Just flip a coin and go with whatever hits.
> Other (Write in)

>>6261447
>Surface it is, then. Best case? You’d find the bastard who started this whole mess and finally put an end to it. Worst case? You end up in the Noble District, the only place in Kuchinashi with damn good drinks and food

>>6261447
>> Surface it is, then. Best case? You’d find the bastard who started this whole mess and finally put an end to it. Worst case? You end up in the Noble District, the only place in Kuchinashi with damn good drinks and food.

>>6261447
> Surface it is, then. Best case? You’d find the bastard who started this whole mess and finally put an end to it. Worst case? You end up in the Noble District, the only place in Kuchinashi with damn good drinks and food.

>>6261447

“I’ll take the upstairs tunnel.” You started walking towards the right one. “I’m sure little birdie here ain’t scared of crawling down deep underground, right? With all those cute canary-in-a-coalmine tales and whatever.”

“Any particular reason you want to go to the surface?” Shelly sounded suspicious. Why the hell was she? It’s not like you were planning something.

“Yeah. If I don’t find anyone, I want to be near a damn tavern so I can blow off some steam. You sure you don’t wanna tag along?” The best lies can be concealed with a bit of truth.

Shelly sighed. “No, I’ll take the other tunnel. Just remember, Sora. Whether you find something or not, meet us back at the building where we first linked up. We’ll need to coordinate after this thing is done. And don’t delay.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” You kept walking forward while doing the classic double middle finger. The place was pitch black, but your eyes were sharp enough to make out the rough shapes of the walls and other things around you. Shit, surely she wouldn’t be able to notice your hands. “Good luck, birdie. Don’t do stupid shit without me.”

“Same to you. And please, don’t do anything stupid, period.” Her voice faded as the distance grew between you.

Alone again. Just you, the tunnels, darkness, the occasional bug and insect, the stink of stale water, and the sound of pipes moving overhead.

“Miss me?” The smug voice echoed in your head.

“Piss off.” you muttered. That was all the bastard was getting.

---
Good news? The voice was actually quiet this time. Left you in some blessed fucking silence. A claustrophobic type would’ve lost their shit in here. Nothing but tunnels, hallways, pipes… and more fucking pipes.
Bad news? It was boring. So. Fucking. Boring. You hacked at a few pipes from a distance just to kill time. Most were dry. No water, no nothing. A few, though? They pissed out some nasty black-green sludge that looked like it was alive. Disgusting.

“Are we there yet?” There it was again. The voice in your head. Now you got why Shelly was so pissed about it. It was so damn annoying and persistent. No matter what you said, it wouldn’t shut up. Ignoring it seemed like the only way. Maybe it’d get bored and quiet down.

“You know that’s not true.”

God damn it.

Then you felt it, a tiny sting near your belt. Like a needle jab. Then it hit again. Whatever it was, it wasn’t coming from outside. It was coming from inside the belt bag Shelly gave you a while back.
You opened it up and, sure enough, the metal device inside was sparking like crazy. It zapped your fingers when you touched it. It was hot, like sharp little bites of electricity. Too warm. Too fucking close to burning through your pants. You had to unbuckle the whole thing before it cooked a hole through the fabric.

The sparks were coming in bursts now, all aimed forward. Each time it went off, there was a flash and that annoying electric snap. Weird. Why the hell was it doing that? Maybe Shelly would know. Too bad your scroll was still out of commission. Sucks.
You kept walking, belt in hand, and the sparks got faster after each step. Not stronger, just faster. Little jolts snapping over and over. And then you noticed it. Every time it sparked, the belt twitched, tugging slightly in the same direction, deeper down the hallway.

As you got closer, you noticed… a wall. Looked completely normal, but your belt was going nuts, like a pair of rabid animals fighting inside the bag.

Only one way to deal with this.

You yanked the belt bag off and hurled it at the wall, the one that seemed to be pulling at it. Sparks flew on impact, but that was it. No explosion, no magic door. Just a damn wall.

You stepped closer and checked the buckle. Yep, both of those weird-ass metal balls were twitching like crazy. Hot, too. The moment your fingers got near them, you felt a jolt slam up your arm. Hurt like hell.

You managed to grab one anyway. Your hand started dragging toward the wall, like it was magnetic or possessed or some shit like that. Still burned like a bitch. So, obviously, you did the smart thing. You chucked it straight at the wall. Because when in doubt? Violence. Always the most fun option.

This time, the result was much better. A blast way louder than before, loud enough to shake your teeth. Sounded like a damn swarm of angry hornets screeching in your ear. The flash nearly blinded you, forcing you to shield your eyes with both of your arms.

And just like that, the wall glitched. Where bricks had been, an electronic door buzzed to life. Holograms flickered, sometimes showing the old wall texture, blinking in and out like bad camouflage.

The metal grenade (or whatever the hell it was) was laying next to the door, oozing some foul black sludge and puffing smoke like a dying engine. The stench hit hard. Thing was busted to hell. Bits of metal, loose wires, and ash were scattered around it like shrapnel.

“Pretty handy,” you muttered, alone for once. No one to mock. It felt weird.

Still, you found something useful. You crouched by the buckle on the ground. Tt was mostly intact. A few scorch marks, but the pouch had survived, and the second device inside was still ticking. Whatever that first grenade did? Hell, you’d love to see it go off again.

Now there was this damn door. Hidden in plain sight with some fancy-ass tech. Holograms still flickering even though the whole city was in blackout. How the fuck was that still running?

You reached into your sleeves, yanked the chains free, and spun both daggers to life.

Time to knock-knock on this bitch.

> Blow the fucker open. An explosive entrance was always the best kind of entrance. Sure, it’d make noise, but damn, you ached to wreck something.
> No, no. Chill the fuck out, Sora. Might be smarter to go quiet. Sneak up. Ambush the poor bastard on the other side. Door's locked and powerless, you’d have to pick it. Shouldn’t be a problem, right? For someone of your skills?
> Whatever that grenade fried ain’t getting fixed anytime soon. Pound on the door, yell, make a scene. Let whoever’s inside come to you, then fuck that fucker and think of a nice plan after that happens.
>Other (Write in)

>>6266465
> No, no. Chill the fuck out, Sora. Might be smarter to go quiet. Sneak up. Ambush the poor bastard on the other side. Door's locked and powerless, you’d have to pick it. Shouldn’t be a problem, right? For someone of your skills?

>>6266465
>No, no. Chill the fuck out, Sora. Might be smarter to go quiet. Sneak up. Ambush the poor bastard on the other side. Door's locked and powerless, you’d have to pick it. Shouldn’t be a problem, right? For someone of your skills?

>>6266465
> Blow the fucker open. An explosive entrance was always the best kind of entrance. Sure, it’d make noise, but damn, you ached to wreck something.

>>6266465
>No, no. Chill the fuck out, Sora. Might be smarter to go quiet. Sneak up. Ambush the poor bastard on the other side. Door's locked and powerless, you’d have to pick it. Shouldn’t be a problem, right? For someone of your skills?

Gonna need a dice throw, same story as before, best of three, 3d10, DC 22, Crit 25 (Failure isn't that bad in this case)

Rolled 4, 3, 2 = 9 (3d10)

>>6268944

Rolled 10, 9, 10 = 29 (3d10)

>>6268944

Rolled 4, 3, 6 = 13 (3d10)

>>6268944

>>6268944

Your skin itched, your fingers twitched. Not ‘cause you were sick. Well, okay, kinda, but mostly ‘cause it’d been too damn long since you broke something. And there it was: a door. No guards. Just standing there like a cocky bastard, begging to get wrecked. You could practically hear it whispering, “C’mon, wreck me. Kick me in. That’s why I exist.”

And hell, you wanted to. You really wanted to. You and that door were on the same damn page. But no. Today, you were being responsible. Smart. Ugh. You were becoming a better person or some shit.

Shelly’s fault. Definitely. She was a bad influence on you.

You fished around inside your short coat, yours fingers brushing the hidden lockpicks tucked in your right sleeve. Always kept a pair ready for moments like this. You also had a sleek little set of electronic ones, but those are costly. Still had no clue how something that tiny made the metal bits smarter. Then again, you weren’t an engineer. Maybe knocking out and beating up the guy you stole them from hadn’t been the brightest move.

Screw it. Go old school first. There’s a reason these cheap bastards still work. Not every lock needs a damn engineer or nerd or something like that to break them.

There was no physical lock. Figures. Didn’t matter. There’s usually a little panel tucked inside the frame, housing the electronics that read keycards. Hard as hell to spot in daylight, damn near invisible in total darkness. Most people would never be able to find one. Good thing you weren’t most people.

You were a pro. A damn good one. Your fingers knew the feel of those hidden latches like muscle memory. You just had to find that telltale weight shift. Took you a minute. Two, tops.

With a flick of your dagger’s edge, a pinch of ice Dust, a decent lockpick, and an unhealthy dose of raw skill, you popped the panel. Most of the circuitry was fried, but not all of it. Some current still crawled through those green-lit metal viscera. How’d you know? When the lockpick’s tip brushed the live spots, it sparked. Tiny arcs, quick flashes, like nerves twitching.

Darkness worked in your favor. Would anyone with normal, boring-ass eyes even notice those sparks?

Technically, the lock was already cracked. But something was still humming in there. Maybe a hidden surveillance line. Flip the wrong switch or push the door too soon, and someone’d know. Clever bastard who set this up. You almost felt proud catching their little trap. Some amateur thug would've blundered.

Not you.

Whoever was watching would think the door fried itself. No one would know you’d been here.

The door slid open.

Behind it? More of the same. Same musky corridor, same bland nothing stretching out into nowhere. You’d been walking this shit for what felt like hours. And now that things felt like they were going to be more interesting?

Disappointed didn’t even begin to cover it.

You fought against the urge to destroy the door, and kept moving forward.

---

The deeper you went, the worse these tunnels looked. Not just abandoned. Pipes thinned out quick, walls lost their usual mess of wires and maintenance junk. This shit didn’t feel like part of the city’s real structure. Felt newer… but also like it had been left to die the second it was built.

And the guards? Fucking nowhere. You were ready for anything. Turrets, mines, laser grids, a damn android ambush, but nothing came. Not a peep.

Well, except for a weak-ass light way down the tunnel. Dim as hell. No way it was hooked to the main grid. Was the blackout still on? Whatever. You hated the silence. Too damn long alone down here, and the quiet was starting to gnaw at you.

As you got closer, you saw it. Another door. This one looked different. Old. Arcane. No tech, no panel, just solid metal with a rusty bar across it. Crusty and heavy, but the hinges still looked tight. You stepped up and pressed your ear against it.

A few seconds passed.

Something was on the other side. And it was loud. A scratching sound. Shit, you knew that noise. Where the hell had you heard that before? Some kind of animal? Small. Quick. And then that hiss.

Wait a second. Was that a fucking cat?

A woman’s voice came through the other side, barely audible, but definitely worried about something. Then a man spoke up. Followed by meowing. Then hissing. The hell? Was the damn cat trained to sniff out intruders or something? Weird-ass security system… but it worked.

Was a fight coming? Had they sniffed you out?

You readied your chained daggers. Waiting. Who the hell was about to come through that door? Guards? Androids? Some freakshow?

Nothing. How fucking boring.

Was the cat just a damn decoy? You crept closer. Heard another meow. Still no voices. No footsteps. Just that weird, empty silence. And the damn animal. The fuck?

If they weren’t coming to you, then screw it. You’d go to them.

You grabbed the door. It was jammed. No winder. Years of dust and rust turning everything into junk. It creaked. Loudly. Whatever. You were done playing careful.

Even with the groan of metal grinding and breaking like it was dying, you forced the bar up. Lifting it wasn’t the problem. Doing it quietly was. But fuck it, you’d waited long enough already

You opened the door and found a small room. Another door sat on the far side, slightly ajar. The damn cat that had been meowing at your arrival bolted in terror, slipping through it.

What you saw in this room was… hard to describe.

There were boxes. Not industrial crates or military shit. Just plain-ass cardboard and some wooden ones. Dusty jars and vases. Fancy bookshelves covered in cobwebs. Even a few paintings leaned against the wall like someone gave up halfway through decorating.

It looked like a fucking closet. A big, overpriced closet. Were those dresses piled up in the corner?

“Dear, something really scared Creamy. Should we call an exterminator?” a woman’s voice floated down from the floor above. She sounded bored.

“I really doubt they’ll come anytime soon,” a man answered. “I’ll have to pull some favors just to find someone dumb enough to walk around the city right now. Can’t we wait a few days?”

A fucking family. A normal family?

“If the neighbors find out we’ve got rats down there, how are we supposed to look them in the eye at the next event? We’ll be a laughingstock!”

“I doubt we’ll be throwing any parties soon. But don’t worry, by the time the city recovers, I’m sure the plague problem will be handled.”

A husband and wife? What the hell was this? Did you just walk into the wrong damn house?

As you moved toward the far-off door near the room’s exit, you felt a wave of heat on your side. A small machine buzzed on the wall, rattling like it was choking. An emergency generator, blasting out unpleasant warmth.

You cracked the door open and peeked through. Stairs, leading up. Wooden. Fancy as hell. The further you went, the more high-end everything looked. Polished wood, antique fixtures, the whole snooty rich-people package. A goddamn mansion? And not just any mansion, but some old-school, noble-ass, oil-painting-on-the-wall type shit.

Did you walk through a portal and end up in the goddamn past?

> Explore the basement you’re in now. It'll make some noise, yeah, but it’s probably safer than wandering up into potential trouble. Time to figure out where the fuck you are.
> Head upstairs and check the house out. Quietly, obviously. Sabotage the generator on the way. Maybe you took a wrong turn somewhere. No need to get shot for stepping on the wrong fancy rug.
> Go upstairs and make some goddamn noise. Who the hell were these people? Holograms hiding a secret basement? You’re done playing nice. Fuck the ‘quiet spy’ plan.

>>6271288
> Head upstairs and check the house out. Quietly, obviously. Sabotage the generator on the way. Maybe you took a wrong turn somewhere. No need to get shot for stepping on the wrong fancy rug.

>>6271288
>> Head upstairs and check the house out. Quietly, obviously. Sabotage the generator on the way. Maybe you took a wrong turn somewhere. No need to get shot for stepping on the wrong fancy rug.

>>6271288
> Head upstairs and check the house out. Quietly, obviously. Sabotage the generator on the way. Maybe you took a wrong turn somewhere. No need to get shot for stepping on the wrong fancy rug.

>>6271288

The generator hummed beside you. Not alive. Not expensive. But at least it was the closest thing of value you could mess with, and that was good enough. No way you’d pass up a chance to both feed your craving of chaos while pushing the mission forward. Two birds with one stone.

You hurled your right chain-dagger straight at the wall-mounted generator, jabbing it in with a precise thrust. Sparks erupted from it. Your aura flared around your right hand as electricity screamed through the chains and bit into your body. Just for a few seconds. Then, bam, a blackout. The mansion completely drowned in darkness. Emergency lights? Not working anymore. Excellent.

“Dear? What is going on? I can’t see a thing!” the woman’s voice whined from upstairs.

Poor bastards. Can’t see in the dark. Maybe wrecking the power was a bad call. Now it’s too easy. No fun starting a fight when no one can swing back at ya.

As you crept toward the stairs, their voices kept talking about useless shit. The man and woman yammering about ‘rats chewing cables’ and ‘go find a lantern or something.’ Pathetic. If these two were running the show, then whoever’s controlling those androids sure as hell isn’t them.

You checked the house. The only lights came from a few windows, probably facing the outside. Best to avoid those and stick to the darker places. Shadows made for good company in this situation.

After a few minutes of skulking around quiet as a shadow you managed to spot something weird. Cables on the floor, snaking along the walls, completely exposed and out in the open. Sloppy. They stretched upstairs, some disappearing into places you couldn’t see further inside the building.

Nothing a few good slices couldn’t fix. Cut here, slash there, and some sparks started to appear here and there. Poor place was getting gutted real fast.

Still… it was getting dull. No guards. No turrets. No traps. Maybe this wasn’t the android-freak’s base after all. But then what the hell was the point of that fancy hologram near the tunnels? None of this shit made sense. Thinking too hard about it would surely give you a headache.

There. A door near what looked like the second floor. Thick with cables spilling in from all over, crawling in from under it like rubber snakes. If this room was half as packed as the floor suggested, someone was hiding something expensive or dangerous. Either way, something worth breaking.

You tried the door. Locked. Figures. Nothing your lockpicks couldn’t handle. Popping a lock in total darkness? A trivial task. This lock in particular was so standard it took less than a minute to crack.
“Mom? Is that you? What’s going on?” A small voice came through the other side while you fiddled with the damn thing. Mom? Sounded young. A kid?

A flashlight hit you straight in the face, blinding you for a moment. You raised a hand to block it, hearing a sharp gasp. The kid was spooked. No surprise, she didn’t know you, a stranger entering her room. Was it a she? Hard to know with these pipsqueaks and their annoying voices.

“Get away! Get away or I’ll… I’ll kill you!” The girl stumbled backwards as your vision came back, flashlight still stabbing at your eyes. You caught glimpses, a short teen, black hair, silver eyes, shaking like a stray dog.

One clean upward slash with your chain and dagger was enough to destroy the flashlight. That shit was annoying. She cried out, staggered, her aura flickering light-purple. Huh? She had her aura unlocked?

“Don’t aim that shit at people. They might get mad, and mad people tend to get violent.” The room dimmed again. The busted flashlight flickering as it pointed uselessly at a far wall near your right, dying down with each passing moment. Now you could see properly.

This place was… something else. Barely even looked like a bedroom. Sure, there was a bed near a corner, but everything else screamed workshop, or laboratory. Tools, scattered lights, cables twisted around machines you didn’t recognize, metal spider legs dangling from the ceiling clutching even weirder machines, and screens, ugh, there were screens everywhere. This place would light up like the damn sun if the power ever came back on.

And there it was near the left wall, a closet with a lock. A damn expensive one, too. Was that a terminal bolted next to it? A fucking eye-scanner? It’d been ages since you’d seen one of those. This place looked slick. Fancy. Breakable. How much did some asshole pay to have all this tech jammed in here?

You heard a drawer snap open. The girl was rummaging through it, frantic, desperate. Cute.

Then came the click. A gun.

She lifted a handgun and pointed it straight at you. “Stay back! Or I’ll shoot!”

Her aim was garbage. No surprise, the room was totally in the darkness. With her back pressed against the wall, she kept swinging the muzzle left and right like a scared animal. Now and then, she actually managed to line up with you, but she was too jumpy, too shaky. She wasn’t a threat. Even if she got lucky, your aura could soak up a few shots without much problem.

“Do you even know where I am?” you said, your voice sharp in the dark room.

She jerked and snapped her aim towards your voice. You readied yourself to dodge, but no shot came. She was till hesitating. Why?

You started circling her, slow and easy. Another closet, a smaller one at that, caught your attention near your right side, close to the broken flashlight. Her gun didn’t bother you. She was an amateur.

Something crunched under your boot.

You looked down, ready to pounce on her should she decide to do something stupid. There, below your left boot, a metal cylinder, half-open, wires sticking out. Handle of a baton? No. The shape was more like a whip.

She edged sideways toward the locked closet at the other side of the room, keeping the gun pointed in your general direction.

“I can’t fucking believe it.” you muttered. You knew this weapon. It was one of the androids’ weapons. No fucking way. Could it really be? This dumbass teen was behind the butterfly bots?

You spun back towards the girl. Her pistol was still aimed in your general direction, and her other hand fumbled with the latch under the scanner. She was still in a panicked state.

“No fucking way. Holy shit. Did I just hit the goddamn jackpot?” You muttered outloud. Your head spun as a barrage of emotions came forth. Surprise, confusion, maybe even a little thrill. This scrawny, panicked brat? She was the one behind the androids? No fucking way. She had to be at least ten years younger than you.

And yet, there she was, trembling like a cornered rat, still messing with the useless latch under the dead scanner, all twitchy. She gave up on whatever she was doing and grabbed a screwdriver from the top of a nearby desk where a bunch of dead monitors were turned off. The tip sparked. Just a weak flicker.

Then she raised both the pistol and the screwdriver, holding them like she was ready for a fight.

“Kill her.” Said the voice in your head. As always, an useless comment at an awkward time. But maybe the voice knew something you didn’t.

> This kid had her aura unlocked. Even if she looked like a nervous little shit, she could still be dangerous. Maybe she was playing weak on purpose? Hard to say. Attack her from range, see how she reacts.
> Like hell you were gonna let some cocky teenager aim a gun at you. Walk right up to her like the bitch you are. Let her see what real fear feels like. If she pisses herself, all the better. That’d be so fucking funny.
> Nah. This all felt wrong. Maybe this was bait? No way you were falling for this crap. She had to be a decoy or something. Maybe she was the daughter or assistant or something? Press her for info. Maybe she would say something useful.
> Other (Write in)

>>6273558
>> Like hell you were gonna let some cocky teenager aim a gun at you. Walk right up to her like the bitch you are. Let her see what real fear feels like. If she pisses herself, all the better. That’d be so fucking funny.

>>6273558
> This kid had her aura unlocked. Even if she looked like a nervous little shit, she could still be dangerous. Maybe she was playing weak on purpose? Hard to say. Attack her from range, see how she reacts.

>>6273558
> This kid had her aura unlocked. Even if she looked like a nervous little shit, she could still be dangerous. Maybe she was playing weak on purpose? Hard to say. Attack her from range, see how she reacts.

>>6273558
> This kid had her aura unlocked. Even if she looked like a nervous little shit, she could still be dangerous. Maybe she was playing weak on purpose? Hard to say. Attack her from range, see how she reacts.

>>6273558

A quick thrust with your right dagger. That’s it. Just testing the waters, as they say. As pathetic as this brat looked, it’d be dumb as hell to get cocky around someone with aura. There could be an infinite amount dirty tricks up her sleeve. Better safe than sorry. ‘Sora, taken down by a dumb little kid’? Not happening. That line ain't going on your damn tombstone.

The kid flinched at the sound of your chains slicing the air, trying to dodge. However, she dodged into the hit by mistake. Her aura flared with that same light-purple tone as your blade bounced off her stomach. You yanked the chain back, your fingers curling around the handle as you spotted her left hand hovering near her gut, trying to cover her non-existent wound.

Her aura flickered again. Definitely running low on battery that one. Was that one lazy swing really enough to mess her up? Looked like it. Weird. You didn’t get it. So many questions, and killing her was off the table, maybe?

She slumped to the floor, back against the wall, hand still clutching at her middle area. One more hit and her aura would be gone for good. Beating on weaklings was fun once in a while, but this? This felt off.

“Take advantage of the situation. Do it now.” That damn voice again. Always so eager to spill blood. But nah, you weren’t buying it. Killing was only worth it when the prey earned it. If they were garbage like this girl? That wasn’t satisfying. No fun at all.

“What are you waiting for, you bitch? You? Showing mercy? I don’t buy it for a damn second.” The girl’s voice was raspy, breath ragged as she pushed herself off the ground. The handgun lay forgotten at her side while she clutched her gut with her free hand, the other one still holding the tool.

And she was right not to believe it. You weren’t showing mercy. Restraint, maybe, but why? Because all of this was weird as fuck.

“I don’t get it,” you muttered aloud.

“What is it that you don’t get, you dumb brute?” Damn, that spite. You could respect that.

“I mean, you’ve got aura, right? And yet you’re this weak. I’m curious. Don’t people with aura are, y’know... less shit fighters?” You kept your eyes on her, every twitch, every breath. Weaklings always loved to hide tricks up their sleeves.

“What? ‘Less shit fighter’? Says the one treating a little girl like a real threat. Really fucking brave, if you ask me.” Oh? A shot at your ego? Normally that’d piss you off, but not now. Talking was just noise. People like her always thought they could spit out enough bullshit to get their way.

Ah… there it was. While she was running her mouth from a distance, her hand with the screwdriver was sneaking behind her back. Looked like she was trying to pry open the latch on the scanner behind her while keeping you distracted.

Clever. And you caught her right in the act. Pat yourself on the back for that one.

If she thought she could throw you off, maybe flipping the script would work just fine.

You held your breath for a second. Bam. A quick dash, knee to the gut. Her aura flickered again, your leg slamming right into her. She tried to scream, mouth hanging open in pain, but before she could make a sound, you grabbed her arms and tossed her off to the side. The screwdriver flew. Two of the four screws from the latch hit the floor.

Sneaky bitch.

“You almost got me with that one, but did’ya really think this was the first time someone tried to rile me up to throw me off? Hell no.” You felt a flash of pride, knee digging into her back while you pinned her arms. She squirmed, but between the gut shot and those flimsy little noodle arms, she wasn’t going anywhere.

“You’re… you’re making a mistake.” The tiny bitch gasped, voice trembling. Was she sobbing? Shit. Look at you. Pinning down a kid barely in her teens after kneeing her in the stomach. You felt a twinge of guilt. Just a little. Still… probably best if no one ever finds out what went down in this room.

“Maybe. Now tell me, who the fuck are ya? ’Cause all this electronics and shit is giving me mad scientist vibes. Your daddy the one behind it all? Should I pay him a visit? Maybe he’ll start talking once he realizes his little girl’s life is on the line.” Damn. That was low. Even for you. But a job was a job, and you had one to finish.

“No! Absolutely not!” she snapped, already sobbing again, but there was fire in her voice. Even cornered like this, she still had a spark. Gotta respect that. “Look. I know who you are. You’re Sora, right? Sora Windcrest? I know about you. Please, just let me explain.”

Windcrest? How the fuck does she know your real surname?

Shit.

Maybe that voice whispering in your head had a point. Maybe it was smarter to kill her.

“Stop tugging on my arm, please! It hurts so much!” Ah, hell. You’d lost it for a second. One more pull and her shoulder would've popped like a plastic toy.

“How the fuck do you know abou-” She cut you off.

“Look, you win, alright? I’ll tell you everything. I’ll tell you anything. Just stop hurting me, and don’t tell my family. Please. I’ll do whatever you want.” She gasped for breath, her silver eyes wide and wet as they searched your face.

Time to cut the bullshit. “Who the fuck are ya, and how do you know so much about me?”

“You already know who the fuck I am. I mean, isn’t it obvious? I’m the one controlling the androids. I built them. And I know a hell of a lot about you because I know a hell of a lot about everyone in this city. Perks of being good with tech. Now, how about you let me go?”

She struggled again, hissing in pain as she tried to break free. But the gap in both strength and skill was massive.

“I don’t fucking buy it. You? The mastermind behind the androids? What did you call yourself? Despera? The bug-looking chick?” This felt too clean. Something was off.

“It’s Vespera, you dumb dipshit.” You couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh. “And calling butterflies ‘insects’ is just ignorant. What I make is art. Don’t defile it with that crude, brain-dead mouth of yours.”

Could you believe her? If she was bullshitting, she was damn good at it. The voice, the info, the way she paced her words, it all screamed truth. Maybe the fact that she looked so damn young was messing up with your instincts?

> You didn’t believe her. A little rougher handling would squeeze the truth out. Breaking bones? Maybe too much. But a dislocated shoulder? Yeah, that should do. You’d pop it back in once she squealed.
> You believed her. Shit. She was young, yeah, but maybe some freaks unlock their aura early. Maybe she was the real deal. Time to scoop her up and get the hell out.
> You weren’t sure. That shut-down scanner near the door still bugged you. Could be more answers behind it. Tie her up with whatever’s nearby, then investigate this place.
> Other (Write in)

>>6275823
>You didn’t believe her. A little rougher handling would squeeze the truth out. Breaking bones? Maybe too much. But a dislocated shoulder? Yeah, that should do. You’d pop it back in once she squealed.

>>6275823
>You weren’t sure. That shut-down scanner near the door still bugged you. Could be more answers behind it. Tie her up with whatever’s nearby, then investigate this place.

>>6275823
> You weren’t sure. That shut-down scanner near the door still bugged you. Could be more answers behind it. Tie her up with whatever’s nearby, then investigate this place.

>>6275823
>You weren’t sure. That shut-down scanner near the door still bugged you. Could be more answers behind it. Tie her up with whatever’s nearby, then investigate this place.

Next update will be a new thread, will link it once it's done!