Lucas Trowman woke up late.
Not because he slept well—but because when he finally did fall asleep, his body refused to get back up.
The room was quiet when he opened his eyes, sunlight already pushing through the blinds in harsh lines that cut across the walls. His head felt heavy, like his brain hadn't fully caught up yet.
Then it hit him.
The system.
Lucas sat up slowly, rubbing his face as the memory settled back into place.
"…Right," he muttered.
Yesterday wasn't a dream.
It wasn't stress.
It wasn't something he could ignore.
It was real.
And more importantly—
It had rules.
Lucas glanced toward the microwave.
10:37 AM.
His eyes lingered on it.
"…Noon," he said quietly.
That was the anchor now.
Not random.
Not unpredictable in timing.
Exactly 12:00.
Once a day.
No exceptions.
Lucas swung his legs off the bed and stood up, stretching slightly as his joints popped. His body felt normal.
But his mind—
His mind didn't.
Because even now, as he walked into the kitchen—
He could feel it.
That awareness.
Subtle.
Constant.
He knew exactly how far he was from the counter without looking. The angle of the doorway behind him. The placement of the chair slightly off to the side.
"…Yeah," he muttered.
Still there.
Still active.
Still useful.
Lucas grabbed a bottle of water, taking a long drink as he leaned against the counter.
"Okay," he said. "So today…"
Another pull.
Another gamble.
His jaw tightened slightly.
"…Better be something good."
---
By the time he stepped outside, the sun was already high, heat settling into the pavement and radiating upward in waves.
Albuquerque didn't do subtle.
It was dry, bright, and unforgiving.
Lucas liked it that way.
Less hiding places.
Less unknowns.
Or at least—
That used to be true.
Now?
He could feel the unknowns.
Track them.
Map them.
It made everything sharper.
Cleaner.
Dangerous in a different way.
His phone buzzed.
Lucas pulled it out.
Jesse: yo you up?
Lucas smirked slightly.
Lucas: yeah
Jesse: good. got something. same type deal. pull up
Lucas typed back a quick response, then slipped the phone into his pocket.
"…Round two," he muttered.
---
Jesse's car was parked outside a small convenience store when Lucas arrived.
Leaning against it, looking like he hadn't changed clothes since yesterday—
Jesse Pinkman.
Jesse looked up as Lucas approached. "Yo."
Lucas nodded. "Yo."
Jesse gave him a once-over. "You look slightly less dead today."
"High praise."
"Yeah, don't get used to it," Jesse said, pushing off the car. "You ready?"
Lucas shrugged. "Depends. Same kind of job?"
"Yeah," Jesse said. "Easy money. Nothing crazy."
Lucas almost laughed.
"Nothing crazy," he repeated.
"Yeah," Jesse said, not catching the tone. "Why?"
Lucas shook his head. "Nothing. Let's go."
---
The drive was quieter this time.
Not because Jesse wasn't talking—he was.
But Lucas was paying attention differently.
Tracking.
Processing.
Everything.
"…and then this dude tries to tell me the product's off," Jesse was saying. "Like, bro, you don't even know what you're looking at."
Lucas nodded absently. "Yeah."
Jesse glanced at him. "You even listening?"
"Mostly."
"Man, you're weird today."
Lucas smirked slightly. "You said that yesterday too."
"Yeah, well, it's still true."
Lucas didn't argue.
Because part of his focus was elsewhere.
Time.
His internal clock wasn't perfect—but it didn't need to be.
He knew it was getting close.
"…What time is it?" Lucas asked.
Jesse glanced at the dashboard. "Uh… 11:32."
Lucas nodded.
Still a bit.
---
They pulled into a wider lot this time—more open, more visible.
Less cover.
Lucas noticed that immediately.
"…You trust this?" he asked.
Jesse shrugged. "Guy's legit."
Lucas didn't respond.
He stepped out of the car, scanning automatically.
Cars.
Spacing.
Sightlines.
Everything mapped itself instantly.
"…We're exposed," he muttered.
"What?" Jesse asked.
"Nothing," Lucas said. "Just—let's be quick."
---
The minutes dragged.
11:41.
11:48.
11:53.
Lucas's awareness didn't just track space now.
It tracked tension.
The longer they stood there, the more something felt off.
Not obvious.
Not immediate.
But wrong.
"…Jesse," Lucas said quietly.
"What?"
"Something's off."
Jesse frowned. "You keep saying that."
Lucas didn't respond.
Because—
There.
Movement.
Two cars.
Same as before.
Slow approach.
"…Yeah," Lucas said under his breath. "There it is."
"Yo, what—"
"Don't look," Lucas said. "Just listen."
Jesse froze slightly. "…Alright…"
"Two cars," Lucas said. "Multiple people."
Jesse shifted. "You serious?"
"Yeah."
The cars rolled in.
Doors opened.
Four guys stepped out.
Not rushed.
Not loud.
Just… confident.
Walking straight toward them.
"…Damn," Jesse muttered. "Okay. That's not good."
Lucas adjusted his stance slightly.
Measured.
Prepared.
His mind ran through options instantly.
Distances.
Angles.
Escape paths.
All of it.
They could run—
Maybe.
They could talk—
Unlikely.
They could fight—
Bad idea.
"…Stay calm," Lucas said.
Jesse let out a quiet laugh. "Yeah, I'll get right on that."
The guys closed in.
"Yo," one of them called. "You two waiting on something?"
Jesse forced a casual shrug. "Just hanging, man."
Lucas didn't speak.
He watched.
Tracked.
Calculated.
Time ticked in the back of his mind.
Closer.
Closer.
"…Not now," he muttered.
"What?" Jesse asked.
Lucas ignored him.
Because he could feel it.
That same shift.
That same moment.
Like something lining up perfectly—
Or horribly.
"…You've gotta be kidding me," he whispered.
12:00.
The world dimmed.
Lucas closed his eyes for half a second.
"…Of course."
"What now?!" Jesse snapped.
Lucas opened his eyes.
The screen was there.
[Daily Pull Available]
Right on time.
Worst possible timing.
Lucas exhaled slowly.
"Just—give me a second."
Jesse stared at him. "Now?!"
"Yes. Now."
No time to argue.
No time to wait.
Lucas focused.
[Pull Now?]
[Yes / No]
"…Yeah," he said.
"Yes."
The screen spun.
Fast.
Chaotic.
Unpredictable.
Lucas's heart pounded.
Then—
It stopped.
[Reward Acquired]
Party Noisemaker (Single Use)
Lucas stared.
"…You suck," he muttered under his breath.
The small plastic horn dropped into his hand.
Bright.
Useless.
Ridiculous.
"…Perfect," he said flatly.
"Yo, what are you doing?!" Jesse hissed.
Lucas didn't answer.
He moved.
Fast.
Grabbed Jesse's arm—shoved him sideways—
And stepped forward.
He blew into the noisemaker.
FWEEEEET!
The sound cut through everything.
Confusion.
Disruption.
One second.
That's all he needed.
Lucas moved again.
Used positioning.
Momentum.
Angles.
He shoved one guy into another—
Turned—
"MOVE!" he snapped.
Jesse didn't hesitate this time.
They ran.
Lucas guided them instinctively.
"Left!"
"Straight!"
"Now—cut!"
Every movement precise.
Every turn intentional.
Footsteps behind them—
Close—
Too close—
Lucas adjusted—
Barely—
A grab missed by inches.
They slipped into an alley.
Then another.
Then another.
Until—
Silence.
---
They stopped.
Jesse bent over, breathing hard. "Yo—what the hell—was that—"
Lucas leaned against the wall, breathing steady.
"…Bad timing," he said.
Jesse straightened, staring at him. "Man, you are insane."
Lucas smirked faintly.
"…Maybe."
But his eyes drifted slightly.
Thoughtful.
Focused.
Because now he knew.
For sure.
This system?
Didn't care about timing.
Didn't care about danger.
Didn't care about him.
It would trigger—
Exactly when it was supposed to.
And give him—
Whatever it wanted.
Lucas exhaled slowly.
"…Yeah."
That was going to be a problem.