Veyra stared, a look of pure surprise frozen on her face. She got up slowly, gun still trained on Bruce's collapsed form. She walked forward, looked down, and fired a single, precise shot into his torso.
VEYRA: (To herself) "Just in case. Sleeping bullet."
She holstered her weapon, her mind racing. What was that? "Time to check on Raiji, that battle junkie."
She entered the main Skull structure, stepping over debris and fallen blades. Inside, Raiji stood amidst the wreckage, wiping his sword clean.
VEYRA: "Did you win? Was it fun?"
RAIJI: (Sheathing Baneblade with a final click) "No. Look who's down. Him." He nodded toward the impaled and scorched Sword Thief. "Time to return these blades and kick him out."
VEYRA: (A smirk touching her lips) "Funny guy. You're right. But first, let's go back to Kiro."
They headed out. As they exited the Skull, they noticed the relentless shriek of the sandstorm had stopped. An eerie quiet had fallen, replaced by the distant murmur of a crowd gathered by the main gates.
Staying to the side, away from the bustling townsfolk, they saw a field of scattered, groaning bodies. Kiro stood in the center, dusting off his hands. Titan loomed beside him, hefting a massive wrench.
KIRO: (Waving) "Raiji! Veyra! You missed the fun. They were fun, but weak. Tried to raid the town. The others ran away..." He gestured with his thumb at a bound and gagged figure slumped nearby. "...but we got Clayton. One of the leaders."
Kiro's gaze grew distant for a moment as he thought back.
FLASHBACK:
BARTHOLOMEW: (Amplified voice dripping with contempt) "Stand down, weakling! You are too weak to beat a noble like me! Show some respect!"
In a blur of motion almost too fast to see, Kiro was in front of him. A single, piston-driven punch to the gut lifted Bartholomew Synthfield the Sixth off his feet and sent him sailing backward into his own ranks, foam bubbling at his mouth.
Beside him, Titan was a mountain of violence. He punched one scavenger through a wall, kicked a second into a water tower, and stood firm as a third, a giant of a man, swung a reinforced bat at his face. The bat shattered. Titan looked at the stunned man, then planted a fist in his chest that launched him clear over the gates.
BACK TO PRESENT:
KIRO: (Grinning) "Good times." He slapped Titan on his colossal arm. "You're actually strong for a blacksmith."
Raiji walked back through the quieting streets to Sahara's inn.
RAIJI: "Hello, Sahara. I bring good news. The thief is beaten."
Sahara looked up from behind the counter. Surprise melted into overjoyed relief. "Thank you! Thank you so much! This means... oh!" Her eyes widened as she saw his injuries. "You're hurt! Let me treat your wounds!"
She ran to the back, returning with bandages, painkillers, and antiseptic. Gently, she began to clean and patch the cuts on his arms and shoulder.
SAHARA: (Her voice dropping to a concerned whisper) "So... you know they'll be after you now."
RAIJI: (His expression sharpening) "Who is 'they'?"
SAHARA: "Nobody knows. Not really. This city runs on information, and that's the most expensive kind because it's so hard to find. But what I can tell you..." She leaned in closer, her voice barely audible. "...is they're called the True Leaders."
Meanwhile, at the ship, the Reaper's engines hummed with a low, ready thrum.
KIRO: "Raiji's time to get back here. Just waiting for him, then we're out."
VEYRA: She was reclining in the open hangar bay, tapping on her wrist-comm. She sent a text to Raiji: (Meet you at that restaurant next to Sahara's inn. Bring Sahara.)
She looked over at Kiro. "Hero, too bad. We wait a little longer. Time to eat."
KIRO: (Frowning) "Wait, no. We should go now."
Veyra gave him a flat, serious look. A loud, unmistakable growl echoed from Kiro's stomach.
VEYRA: (A triumphant smirk) "I win. Let's go."
Kiro looked utterly betrayed by his own biology. "...Okay. Fine. Let's go."
They walked back into the heart of Scrap Town, Titan joining their small procession. They stopped outside the designated eatery a bustling, lantern-lit place smelling of spice and roasted meat.
Raiji arrived, Sahara walking beside him.
RAIJI: "Kiro. This is Sahara." He gestured to the woman, then to Kiro. "And this is Kiro. He's a powerhouse. Punches for brains."
KIRO: "I am not that dumb." He grinned, eyeing Raiji's bandages. "And who beat you up?" He laughed.
RAIJI: (Deadpan) "Funny. At least I got a real fight. Unlike a certain someone."
Kiro opened his mouth to retort. Veyra's hand shot out, grabbing him firmly by the ear.
VEYRA: "Now, now, boys. Time for food."
SAHARA: (Gently but firmly steering Raiji by the small of his back) "Yes, Raiji. Time to eat." She pushed him through the doorway, following Veyra and a grumbling Kiro inside.
They sat down to eat and placed their orders.
KIRO: "Chicken and spicy ribs. With a Coke. No ice."
RAIJI: "Steak and chips. BBQ ribs on the side."
VEYRA: "Pizza and soda. The one with BBQ ribs on top."
TITAN: "Same as the kid. Chicken, spicy ribs, steak. Soda, no ice."
SAHARA: "Just a soda and chips. Side of BBQ wings, please."
KIRO: (Grinning at Raiji) "BBQ ribs? Too weak for the spicy ones?"
RAIJI: "Yeah. You and your steroid Cube don't even feel the heat. I want to actually enjoy the meal."
VEYRA: (Raising an eyebrow) "What about me? I chose BBQ. Got something to say?"
KIRO: (Blushing slightly) "N-nothing, ma'am."
VEYRA: "Good thing."
SAHARA: (Thoughts) Phew. They don't notice me.
The seating order was: Kiro next to Veyra on the left side of the booth, Titan on the right, with Raiji and Sahara sitting across from them.
TITAN: "So. Where did you three come from? Grand Electrum City, right? But what's the backstory?"
KIRO: "Long story."
RAIJI: (Nodding) "We're from the slums. Me and Kiro grew up together. Both slum rats. We grew up in the slums under my father's dojo... until it ran out of students." A flicker of old regret passed over his face. "Then I took a spot in Midas's fight pits."
SAHARA: "I've heard of those fight pits. And that evil man."
RAIJI: "Then I invited Kiro. Made it a competition: who'd be first to the top? To beat King Croc. I invited him. Both of us were the strongest in the slums."
TITAN: "Could be the strongest in the whole city."
KIRO: "Nope."
RAIJI: "For context, he was Cube-less. Skinny." He looked across the table, his gaze settling on VEYRA . "Then we met Veyra."
VEYRA: (Leaning back with a smirk) "Yeah. I adopted these two off the streets that day. A couple of chumps. I'm the proud owner of a store."
She paused, lowering her voice. "Illegal store. Then these two wanted equipment after a good payday. Had too much credit burning holes in their pockets." She reached over and pinched Kiro's cheek. "I had to adopt them. 'Take this one,' I said. 'Credits. All of it.'"
KIRO: (Swatting her hand away, flushing) "Not funny."
VEYRA: "Gave them a discount after that. We got along. I showed Kiro around after he got his Cube and a new apartment... and he got the slums locked down." She nudged him. "Your turn, hero."
KIRO: "So... government dogs went after me after my championship victory again
KIRO: "So... government dogs went after me after my championship. But it was Veyra's brother. But before that the reason I went for her brother was I had to get payback on Midas and free both of them. Got his fight pits shut down, returned them to the original owner's daughter." He shrugged, as if it were a minor errand. "But then, just as our adventure began, we got attacked by the army and the navy."
TITAN: (Frowning, piecing it together) "That... sounds like a setup. The destroyed oil tank story I heard."
SAHARA: (Nodding grimly) "I've heard Midas has contacts. A lot of pull in the wider world. It was a setup."
As if on cue, the server arrived, distributing plates of steaming food and drinks, temporarily halting the heavy conversation with the comforting clatter of a shared meal.
TITAN: "Anyway, I got a new report on Midas."
Veyra looked up, surprise and sharp curiosity on her face. "Like what?"
TITAN: "He's been busy. He moved out of the city. Even out of the Frontier."
KIRO: "That fast?"
SAHARA: "Enough money and the right technology makes travel very fast."
TITAN: "He got VIP treatment. Now he's busy in some random city of advanced tech." He pulled up a news blog on his wrist-projector, turning it so everyone could see.
BLOG HEADLINE:
MIDAS THE AMBASSADOR FOR NEW DISCOVERY OF CURE TO "Ghost-Lock"
ARTICLE EXCERPT:
...Midas is running trials on willing volunteers who have offered themselves to cure this mental breakdown linked to cyberware use. The main causes of the disease are believed to be excessive cyberware integration and the use of cheap, non-certified implants. Midas is conducting the tests with full government backing...
KIRO: (Eyes narrowing) "I don't trust it."
VEYRA: (Her voice tight, a flash of old pain in her eyes) "Those people are being forced. He did the same to my brother. Used him at his lowest."
Kiro reached over, putting a firm, steadying hand on her shoulder, his thumb rubbing a small, comforting circle.
TITAN: (Shaking his head, his expression grim) "I don't trust him either. Just... something about him."
KIRO: "The real problem is, how does this guy still have credits left? Seems like he's really... untouchably rich."
TITAN: "You can't get a guy like that to go bankrupt easily. Multiple businesses, multiple income streams. He's a hydra."
KIRO: "So what's the point? We just slowed him down."
VEYRA: "Back then, our one job was to make him lose the fight pits. To make them non-profitable so the other shareholders would turn against him... and free my brother, Torsten."
SAHARA: "Oh, yes. There's more news. About the fight pits."
Raiji continued to eat, listening intently as Sahara scrolled.
BLOG NEWS:
FIGHT PITS IN THE FRONTIER GET NEW BOSS. MORE POPULAR THAN EVER.
Midas steps down, hands over operations to the late Atlas's daughter NOVA, aka "The Glyph," formerly ranked #3 in the pits, now the #1 promoter. There has been a lot of change since she took over. Old fighters are returning, and the city is drawing more people. Now, every fighter is gunning for the championship position.
After King Croc's long reign, then Kiro "The Super" beating him, then the title passing to The Drunk... The Drunk has kept up with all challengers. The fighting pits are fun again.
*Coming soon: new fighting rules. Not just 1v1 no-holds-barred. Maybe 2v2 or handicap matches. New major shareholders have also invested, including:*
SOSIEGO - CEO of Tech Research & Meds.
NEO - Head of Defense.
TORSTEN - Retired from fighting, now serves as personal bodyguard to The Glyph.*
RAIJI: (Nodding thoughtfully) "Nice. Neo got a good job. Must have been Sosiego's recommendation."
Kiro took a huge bite of his spicy ribs, then some chicken. "Oh, Sosiego's up there now? Didn't know he was a tech expert."
VEYRA: "Oh, he was talking a lot with Nova. About her suit upgrades."
They finished their meal in comfortable silence, the weight of the news settling alongside the satisfaction of good food.
VEYRA: (Wiping her hands) "Now... we can leave this city."
Kiro's face lit up with almost comical relief. "About time! Let's go."
TITAN: "Before you leave, just a heads-up. Don't go forward don't go north. Go west or east." His expression turned serious. "If you go north now, you'll end up in No-Man's Land. It's a bad spot for your current level. Explore another city first."
He leaned in, drawing a rough map in the condensation on the table. "There's a city I know to the west. Called Briarwood. They've got a lot of timber and natural resources. It's a good next step. Still tough, but... civilized, in its own way."
KIRO: "Thanks. We'll do that."