RING!!
RINNGG!
The shrill sound of a ringing telephone cut through the silence of the clinic.
The room was white. Clean. Too clean. And completely unlit, save for the faint glow bleeding in from the hallway.
The phone rattled against the desk.
A hand reached out and grabbed it.
"Devil May Cry," I muttered, voice hoarse and half-asleep. "What do you need?"
It'd been a week since I finally took a proper rest, and somehow Nannie thought it was a great idea to give me a telephone so I could accept contracts directly.
So annoying.
I leaned back in my chair, eyes half-closed, listening.
"…Hmm?"
My interest perked up.
"You want me to kill some syndicate guys down south?" I asked, rubbing my eye.
I paused. "…Hold up. How much Ahn are we talking?"
I twirled the phone cord around my finger.
"Because that's the southern area," I continued casually, "and that's Middle territory."
Silence.
Then.
"…Ten million?"
I straightened up instantly.
"Alright," I said, suddenly wide awake. "Get my boss to make it official. I'm heading out right now."
I slammed the phone back onto the receiver and stood up, stretching the sleep out of my limbs.
I pushed open the door beside the counter and nearly got blinded by the hallway lights.
Nannie was there, calmly mopping the floor. He glanced at me.
"Got somewhere to go?" he asked flatly.
"Yeah!" I shouted. "Big contract. Big money!"
I hopped over the wet floor like my life depended on it and rushed into my room.
Red coat.
Ivory.
Rebellion.
All accounted for.
I stepped back out, fully geared.
"Wait," Nannie said, tired eyes narrowing. "Did you make them sign a proper contract first?"
I flashed him a grin and winked. "Told 'em you'd handle it."
I was already halfway out the door.
Behind me, Nannie sighed the long, weary sigh of a man who regretted every life choice that led him here then went back to mopping.
"Now then…" I muttered, pulling out a map as I walked. "Southern districts…"
I frowned.
"…Fuck."
I folded the map and shoved it away.
"I'll just pass through and jump people if I get low on money." I said to myself, strolling along the sidewalk like this was a grocery run.
Honestly?
I couldn't help but chuckle.
Nannie had told me all about the Five Fingers.
Especially the Middle. How they put people on kill lists. How once you were marked, you were marked.
Sounded kinda petty, honestly.
"Imagine holding grudges like that," I scoffed. "Couldn't be me."
I kept walking.
Then something nagged at the back of my head.
"…Yeah," I muttered. "This contract's probably gonna bite me in the ass."
I stopped for a moment and glanced back over my shoulder.
Nothing there.
I sighed, shook my head, and kept moving.
"This trip's gonna take weeks or months," I groaned.
"Man, this is gonna suck."
Still.
I smiled.
Because deep down?
I had a feeling things were about to get interesting.