Archive of Our Own

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03:24
AM————————- Light shown in through a slow moving large circular fan that covered the entirety of the only window in the room. There was always a constant stream of light. It didn’t matter where you were in the city, LED and neon lights followed wherever you went. The sky looked a pale gray even at night. Stars no longer shone. Life went on. The fan blade kept turning in its eternal struggle to move air around the room.A small stick of incense sat, long since burned, at the foot of the bed. It left a stale woody smell to the room that covered the outside stench of diesel and rubber. The crowded city streets below filled the room with a dull roar of sound and the occasional tinny projected advertisement. It was a small sanctuary from the overstimulating chaos from outsideThe light was bright enough for one to see a good amount of the room as if a small lamp were light. It was small. A ‘studio apartment’ that was barely enough to fit what a person needed to have a comfortable life. Everything in the apartment was compacted, put away, hidden to save space. That’s how most people in New Hama lived.Lucky didn’t live in New Hama though. Or at least he didn’t consider his home to be there. Maybe he did, it was hard to tell now. Things had gotten too complicated for his liking as of late. He often missed his humble abode in Tech Row. Honestly, he just liked the familiarity of it. He had lived there his entire life, minus a few when he was younger and living on the streets, it was all he’d ever known. A small dirty room above the bar that his gang was affiliated with. Sometimes he’d find strangers or other gang members sleeping there. He didn’t mind sharing a resting place. Besides, life was far too cruel on those crime ridden streets to not spare a little sympathy for someone who made it through the bar unscathed.Bar. Drinks. He could really use a drink right now. It was god only knows how early in the morning and he was still awake in bed thinking. He had done a lot of that lately. More than he’d like. Lucky glanced over his shoulder at the man sleeping at his side, white linen sheets scrunched up around him like crumpled paper. His long black hair was untied and covered most of his face. This was his apartment. Lucky had, upon his own insistence, “spent the night” as he would so delicately explain it to his boss later when he returned to the bar.The light filtering through showed off the sleeping man’s tattoo on his left arm. Lucky had never gotten a good look at it until now. It was a swirling pattern of a blue dragon surrounded by white clouds that wrapped the entirety of his left arm. His only arm. He had removed his cybernetic arm to sleep more comfortably, at some point after they had both tired themselves out. Lucky noticed it delicately placed on the nightstand, the light reflected off of its polished metal.Seikichi had been lucky. At least in Lucky’s opinion. His cybernetic arm was top of the line, fit with expensive metal and wiring components that Lucky couldn’t even dream of having. He was jealous. Lucky’s own prosthetic creaked as he shifted slightly. He had lost the bottom half of his leg when he was young, the pain of the memory was long faded and stored away in his mind. All that was left was a cheap rusted metal and a tangle of wires. It had served him well no doubt, but Lucky couldn’t help but think of it in distaste.Prosthetics and cybernetics enhancements were common, especially in New Hama. Although those who had them usually ordered them as enhancements rather than actually needing them.The need for prosthetics was much more common in Tech Row and Old Town, where the people who did not make enough to buy their way into New Hama lived. Lucky found it ironic how the rich business men could brag about having the newest shiny metal implant, but spit on those who scrounged for scrap just to be able to walk with two legs. If you need it, it's trashy; if you want it, it's trendy. Someone had said that to Lucky, he couldn’t remember who. It was true though.He thought back to one of the first times he had walked around New Hama with Seikichi. The crowds of people that passed them all had some sort of silver or gold cybernetic implant. Some were more obvious, a hand or an eye, some were as subtle as thin metallic lines running down their face. One man had stood out to him. He was in a crisp black business suit. He was walking fast in the opposite direction, briefcase and tele-com in hand. Though the first thing Lucky noticed was the black metal mask the man was wearing. It mirrored his own, although a much older design and rusted around the edges. As the man passed Lucky and Seikichi, he glanced over at Lucky’s mask and disgust flashed across his eyes. Ironic. The whole disparity between New Hama and Tech Row was ironic. Lucky figured the man didn’t even need the mask, but liked the aesthetic of how it matched his suit. Lucky needed his though.His mask sat face up on the nightstand closest to him. Ever since he was young he had issues breathing. Asthma attacks and coughing fits plagued his childhood before he was taken under his boss’s wing. His boss, Samuel, often called Big Daddy was the one who took him in. He cleaned him up, bought him the mask, fitted him for the prosthetic leg, even named him. He was Lucky’s father for all intents and purposes. His boss- no, his father, had given him the means to survive. Yet Lucky hated the prosthetics he had provided. Hated that, in all of the technological advancements that the world had seen, he would not reap any of the benefits and would be stuck with a rusty metal leg.He loved the man dearly. Or maybe he hated him. Life had gotten complicated recently. Samuel was his father, that he could say for certain. Even then the man had simply taken him in. Lucky sighed deeply, his breath hitching in his lungs. It seemed everything made it hard for him to breathe as of late.There was a shift in weight at his side that drew him out of his thoughts. Lucky glanced back down to his side and saw Seikichi sit slightly up, propped up on his left arm. The pair stared at each other for a moment. The only sound between them were the soft wheezes from Lucky.“You should put your mask back on,” Seikichi said, his voice deep and slow from being woken up mid sleep.Lucky quietly scoffed. Trust in Seikichi to forever be the subtle type.“Did I wake you?”A pause. He had definitely woken him up.“You keep moving,” Seikichi said matter-of-factly.“Sorry. Can’t sleep.”Seikichi fully sat up, leaning back against the headboard alongside Lucky. His arm had started to ache from the angle at which he was leaning on it. Looking over he caught Lucky fidgeting with the joint where his knee met the jagged metal of his prosthetic. That must have been what was bothering him. The man looked worn, not tired which was to be expected, worn. His short dark brown hair was plastered to his forehead covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Seikichi was trained in noticing people’s body language. It was helpful in combat and obtaining information, but he never had to try around Lucky. The man was an open book no matter how hard he tried to hide his feelings. Anyone could see that something was bothering him.“Do you want to talk about it?” Seikichi nudged him slightly, trying to ease the tension.Lucky had lost himself in thought again. Drawn away by the sound of electronic ads that blared outside the window. The muffled English intermingled with Japanese reminded him of something.“Hm? Oh, it’s nothin’.”“You are fidgeting.”“Guess I am,” His eyes wandered around the room while Seikichi looked intently at him.“Lucky.”“What?” He turned back, greeted by Seikichi’s intense dark stare, “C’mon drop it, we don’t have to do this.”Lucky didn’t get attached to people. At least that’s what he told himself. At the very least he didn’t stay up talking to whatever partner happened to be at his side, talking about the darkest things that kept him awake. Maybe that was before he met Seikichi. Everything had been different lately, so maybe this could be too. At the very least Seikichi was stubborn, more stubborn than himself. He had a way of convincing Lucky what most others could not, Lucky wasn’t sure what to call it. So here they were.“You can keep your secrets if you stop moving around then,” Seikichi said, he started to shift as if he were going back to sleep, knowing Lucky would break eventually.Lucky smirked, “My knees killin’ me, happy now?”Seikichi sat back up looking at him out of the corner of his eye with a satisfied look, “So take a painkiller,” He gestured towards a drawer on the far wall which houses all of his bottled medicine.They both knew it wasn’t painkillers Lucky was after.Lucky stared down at his leg. He had kicked the thin linen sheets off some time ago, he told himself that the room was so hot it made him sweat. But the room wasn’t hot. Something really was bothering him. He wasn’t even sure what it was. He flexed his calf, or what would his calf if it wasn’t a rusted piston that creaked when he did so. The sharp metallic sound cut through their silence.“Have I ever told you how I got this leg?” Lucky asked, not looking up.“Briefly. You said your father had it made for you,” Seikichi slightly leaned on Lucky’s shoulder, trying to be of some comfort for whatever the man was fighting in his mind.Lucky shook his head, “When Samuel picked me up, must’ve been 8 or 9 I can’t really remember, I had one of those scrapped robot legs.”A siren sounded off somewhere in the city.“Figure you wouldn’t know about that, having to scrap for parts. But a lot of us kids had too, if we were missing parts ourselves.“Well Samuel let me run around like that for a few months. I’d go off and run whatever they wanted me too- drugs, weapons, information, whatever. It was fine for a while.”Seikichi absentmindedly grabbed Lucky’s hand, running his thumb over Lucky’s rough fingers.“I’d get into scraps too- used to be real wily when I was younger. The other kids would usually leave me alone because they knew about my breathing problem, it wasn’t worth it to rough me up if I could actually die because of it.“This one kid though- can’t remember his name. Buster or Bucky, somethin’ stupid like that. This big kid, husky I guess, with a face like a bulldog. He fuckin’ hated me. Don’t know why really, it had something to do with the kid’s boss having it out with Samuel or something like that.“Anyways, I remember I was specifically running this box of rigged card decks to this casino. It was raining really hard so I had to be quick and careful to not get the box too wet. And the kid came up behind me and kicked the back of my good leg, the fucker.”Lucky’s grip tightened around Seikichi’s hand, his green gaze was set on the wall in front of them as he told his story.“He laid me out in that alleyway not sparing a lick of mercy on me. I had black bruised ribs all the way up. He was yelling at me the whole time, sayin’ things I couldn’t really understand, not that I could really focus with him trying to kick my ribcage in.“When he was done he spat and said, now I’ll never forget what he said, ‘You fucking cripple.’ I don’t know why that stuck with me, now that I say it, it sounds stupid. But he said it with so much hate. He just fuckin’ hated me, and I didn’t even know his name.”Lucky sighed deeply, taking a moment to pause before continuing.“I must’ve been out there for a few hours before anyone came looking. I remember how the rain came down and stung my eyes as I laid on my back. The rain lit up the neon lights in the alley, so I just focused on watching the colors instead of how bad my ribs hurt.“Someone picked me up eventually, not sure who it was exactly, but next thing I know I’m on the doc’s table and Samuel is at my side cursing and a-yellin’ at the doctor as he was patching me up. He said I was lucky I didn’t have an asthma attack or I would’ve been dead. He was always telling me that I was lucky.“Figure that’s where Samuel got the name from. Anyways when I came back around, Samuel was sitting by my side. He looked real serious, mind you I couldn’t have been any older than 10 at the time. He says to me, ‘Boy I need to tell you something. That son-of-a-bitch that did this to you is going to pay. But it ain’t gonna be me.’ He said it with such conviction that I understood what he meant. I had to get revenge, whether I wanted it or not.”Before Lucky continued, Seikichi interrupted, “All of that while you were a boy?”Lucky laughed softly, “Don’t say that like you haven’t been through worse.”They had already had that conversation, at that point that question was more patronizing than concerning. Seikichi sighed, he was being sincere, he had detached so much of his own childhood that hearing someone going through something similar at such a young age was genuinely surprising.“Sorry, didn’t mean that to sound like it did. The kid though, Bucky or Buster, once I got my new leg he never stood a chance. I could actually run now, I wouldn’t fall over from some son-of-a-bitch kicking me in my good leg. So, I waited in some alley where I knew he would be. He walked past and I followed him until we were alone.“I beat the shit out of him,” Lucky almost sounded remorseful, “I made sure he wasn’t gonna walk on either of his legs again. It… It was like a dream, I wasn’t all there. I just remembered how Samuel said it had to be me. Over and over in my head I told myself it had to be me.“No one really messed with me after that. Especially not the kid. I heard he ended up chair-bound from how badly I had fucked his legs up. Samuel and the rest of the gang congratulated me, respected me, praised me, but I felt sick for weeks after that.“I had a new leg at the price of the kid’s.”A heavy silence filled the air. They both watched the dust particles fall slowly in the filtered light from outside. Another siren flew past, neither flinched at its loud wails. Lucky’s wheezing grew more ragged, most likely from the strain of talking for so long without much pause. Yet, he didn’t reach for his mask or for the small black box of medicated cigarettes that lay on the floor in one of his pant’s pockets. Maybe it was his way of paying respect to the kid he had caused so much pain to. Maybe not.“I’m sorry.”Lucky looked up, surprised. He met Sekichi’s sympathetic gaze.“I’m sorry he made you do that, you did not deserve to have to go through something like that at such a young age,” He looked down at Lucky’s rough hand- at all the tiny scars that covered it like scraped stone.“Ain’t that just it though,” Lucky sighed.“Hm?”“Everyone has some shit they, ‘didn’t deserve to go through’. It’s fucked up.”He swung his legs over the side of the bed, which was only a few feet from the ground. Everything in Sekichi’s apartment was low, in true New Hama style. Lucky reached down for his pants, digging around in its pockets for his pack of cigarettes. The little black metal box was sleek, sporting a glowing blue line along the side of it. He pulled out a matching black medicated cigarette, lit it with the burner end of the box, and took a long drag. It calmed his wheezing and filled the air around him with a thick blue-gray haze that smelled like camphor.“The world isn’t fair,” Sekichi said quietly, almost to himself.Lucky stared at the small glowing end of his cigarette. Damn right. If the world was fair he’d have both legs and be able to breathe the city air without his lungs attacking themselves. If the world was fair Sekichi would be with his family and have both of his arms. If the world was fair they wouldn’t know each other, wouldn’t be comforting each other in the middle of the night.“We cannot make up for that,” Sekichi moved to sit beside him again, trying to catch his gaze, “We can only trust in our friends and stick together.“You are not that hurt little boy anymore Lucky. You do not need to torture yourself over something you can not change.”He rested his hand on Lucky’s thigh. Lucky was still hot. Fever crossed Sekichi’s mind, but he chalked it up to the man being stressed and the room being hot. It still wasn’t. It didn’t matter, in the morning they’d both agree on what a hot night it was.“Yeah… Guess I’m not.”Lucky sat back, leaving his still burning cigarette on top of the metal case to burn out. Neither of them were the scared little kids they once were- for better or for worse. At least they had each other. Lucky was grateful for that, but he wouldn’t admit it for a long time. He wasn’t used to being tied down to anyone, but he’d be damned if Seikichi didn’t do a good job of doing just that.Their conversation faded into the night, becoming just another long forgotten sound in the endless white noise of the city. Lucky had resigned to laying on his back, he told himself it was for his wheezing, but didn’t complain when Seikichi shifted to his side to lay on his chest. No, that wasn’t bad at all, even when his arm fell asleep long before he did.Life went on in New Hama. Cars sped past, rain began to drizzle, and the non-stop advertisements yelled out into the night. The cigarette eventually burned out, leaving an ashen filter behind. The medicinal smell was still present in the morning, the only remainder of the conversation from the night before.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

11:28 pm
3/14/20XX__________ The night was hot. The day had been hotter, but had since cooled down just enough to be bearable. Plus it wasn’t the heat that killed, it was the ever present humidity. The type of humidity that made your hair stick to the back of your neck, and strangled you like an angry ex. Unbearable. New Hama was always hot and humid. It only had a month's worth of cool weather before returning right back to its familiar climate.Many of the city’s residents had grown accustomed to the heat. Their fashion choices reflected this in light fabrics and cropped garments. Even the high class businessmen had their suits fashioned out of a special lightweight fabric that was guaranteed to be ‘sweat proof’. It was bullshit, but they bought it so who cares. Sekichi Katahide was one of the few in New Hama who did not care for the current fashion trend and actually dressed for the heat. He wore a loose fitting kuromontsuki, with his family crest in silver embroidery, and black hakama pants that were tied just above his ankles. He had decided to leave his face mask behind, opting to be more subtle. It was a traditional style, worn by most upper class New Hama families. Though for someone to wear such a style of clothing in the lower streets definitely earned him a few side glances.In truth, Seikichi had not been welcomed in the upper class district since he was young. His family has disowned him since the incident. He had been sold to NULL Corp. as part of their underground study of a new line of cybernetic limbs. The memory had been suppressed so deeply in his mind, that it was hard to recall the events. It was easier to disassociate himself from it, summarize it in a neat box so that it lost all its pain. He was sold. They removed his arm. They gave him a new one. They taught him how to fight. He escaped. That was it, all tied up in a pretty bow. That was then, and this was now.It was better to forget, though he still wore his family crest. No one would recognize it, especially not on the lower streets, but it gave him a sense of purpose. A lineage that he could live up to, even if its name had been marred. It was more than any of the people passing him on the street could say.He brought himself back to the present. It was better to forget. He focused on the bright multicolored neon signs that marked the shops and restaurants that he passed. They lit up the entire city to the point that, if you were deep enough in the lower streets you could not tell the difference between night and day. They emitted an ever present buzzing that became the whitenoise of every city-dweller. Though there wasn’t a lack of sound from the blaring tinny advertisements that echoed overhead, to the various floating billboards that shouted at you as you passed, to the zooming cars that flew by in the streets above. Truly the city never slept.Neither did Seikichi these days. His life had complicated itself past comfort. He had resigned in the belief that it was his own fault, he had let himself stray off path and now had to deal with the consequences. Besides, he was back on track now, or at least that is what he kept telling himself. His journey into the hot and cramped lower streets had a purpose. Find Mishi Yuto, a blackmarket dealer in cybernetic parts. He had come to the knowledge that Yuto had information on NULL Corp. something which Seikichi desperately needed. Anything that could get him the upper hand on NULL Corp.Months ago he had been close… so close to bringing them down. He had the data card in his hands, seconds away from uploading all the damning evidence that would have brought NULL Corp. to its knees. That damned bounty hunter just had to be after him, just had to stop him at that moment. That’s when everything began its downward spiral.But he would not show up this night, he would not fuck over Seikichi’s plans for a second time. Bounty hunters were stuck in Tech Row, they would never be able to make it through New Hama’s tight security, and definitely would not be able to track him in the lower streets. Seikichi was confident that his plans would go smoothly; he would go in, get information, and get out. Simple. It was a comforting thought.He rounded a corner, nearing a bright red sign that read “市 肉”- meat market. Perfect. Even outside of the market the smell of metallic blood hit him hard and stung his nose. Seikichi was too accustomed to the diesel smell of the streets. He steadied his expression, holding his head low as he entered the market.The interior was what one could expect of a butcher shop. Hanging carcasses lined the walls, dripping dark red blood onto the floor which was stained with the blood of countless carcasses before. The lights were a stinging blue-white, the kind that would make you nauseous if you stood under them for too long, it made the entire scene seem more grotesque. A bored looking older man sat behind a too-small counter, fanning himself with a stained paper fan. To the untrained eye the shop would seem small, too small for how large the exterior seemed, but nothing more. Seikichi had long since learned how to find the hidden passages that led into the actual market portion.Along the back wall, hidden behind a dripping pig’s head, was a small rusted latch. Seikichi pushed open the door, revealing the dark hallway ahead of him, lit up with red hidden lights. The air in front of him was cool and devoid of the blood smell, an odd welcomed relief from the oppressive air behind him. Stepping in, the door slammed closed behind him. There was no handle to leave. The only way out was through the market. He had to find Mishi Yuto.As he began to step forward a large force slammed him back into the wall. His hand instinctively went to the katana at his side, but was pinned there just inches away from his weapon. The man restraining him was tall, heavy-set, and reeked of the same blood as the butchershop. The smell of death. It was hard to see in the dim red light, but it was obvious who the man was. It would be just his luck that he would run into the blackmarket bouncer.“Wot’s your business pretty boy?” The man barked down at him.Seikichi flinched his face away from the man’s spit that sprayed as he talked.
“I have a meeting with a Mr. Mishi Yuto.” Seikichi stated matter-of-factly, it was better to be honest in these kinds of situations.“How propa’. I don’t know no Mishi Yuto come to think of it,”“I assure you he’s here, now if you will release me I can be on my-”“Wot’s your game here? You obviously ain’t a frequent buyer, all done up in a dress here,” The man laughed, again just his luck that his opponent would also be uncultured.“I have told you my business, I have no reason to lie,” Again, true.The man seemed to stop and think for a moment. Seikichi could almost hear the sound of his slow moving thoughts grinding out whatever ‘ingenious’ plot he had in mind. Whatever it was, it wouldn’t be in Seikichi’s favor.“Tell you wot, I might know Muto Yoshi whatever, if it just so happened you were generous enough to make a donation to the market’s staff,” There was that ingenious plan.“Mishi Yuto. If you will allow me to grab my wallet I’m sure we can make an arrangement,” Seikichi forced as much amiability into his voice as possible.The man seemed to like this plan, and released Seikichi from the wall, taking a step back to wait for his hard earned money. Seikichi took a deep breath as he was released, he didn’t realize how much he was holding his breath as to not breathe too much of the man’s stench. He quickly eyed the man up and down as he reached into his hakama pockets for his wallet. The man was too fixated on Seikichi’s hands to notice the change in his stance.In an instant Seikichi had landed a quick blow to the man’s rib cage, which left him on the ground winded and grasping at his chest. Another swift strike to the back of his head and the man was effectively unconscious. With any luck he would not remember Seikichi’s face. Most didn’t recognize him without his memorable oni-shaped mask that concealed his identity anyways. But it was always nice to have a little luck on your side.He stepped over the man, a small triumph in of itself, and continued on into the market. The dim red light continued deep into the market space, only broken by the various lights that the vendors strung up to differentiate themselves from their neighboring stalls. The smell of blood was washed away, replaced by an odd plastic smell. Seikichi couldn’t pin down exactly where it was coming from, but each stall he passed seemed to have the same odor.He had to push his way through the crowds of unsavory people, most dressed in all black and strapped with weapons. He placed a hand over his own to prevent any prying hands from trying to lift his katana off of him. Within the crowd he was entirely unnoticeable, just another face among the sea of faces. Seikichi stayed towards the middle of the fast moving crowd. Mostly so he wouldn’t get stopped by any particularly sharp eyed guard, but also for his own sake- he did not wish to see what ‘goods’ the vendors were selling.He rounded a corner, remembering the hastily told directions he had gotten from a street runner about where Mishi Yuto’s place of business was. The space was so unremarkable that he almost walked past in, having to shuffle past the people directly behind him so he could round back to the entrance. A small LED sign read “Parts for Sale” in a blinking orange light. Perfect. The stall went further back then most, the shelves lining the wall were stuffed full of all types of cybernetics limbs and enhancements. Most were taken off of dead bodies- some not even fully dead before their parts were stripped off of them. Each part was the last remaining memory of a person, a grim reminder of what happens when you don’t pay your debts. Seikichi was grateful he knew how to fight.At the back sat a small compact man perched atop a wooden stool. He was tinkering away on a prosthetic face plate, adjusting the tiny dials and wiring. He kept pushing his broken rounded glasses up his sweaty noses, which would only promptly slide back down to their place. Seikichi immediately recognized him as Mishi Yuto. He stood there in front of Mishi for a few moments, the small man not noticing his presence until he cleared his throat.“Ahh- I was told you would come. I didn’t think so soon,” Mishi exclaimed, practically throwing down the face plate onto the floor.“I apologize for my unannounced arrival, there are many here that would not let me pass if they knew I was coming,” Seikichi responded, giving the man a short bow.“Not at all,” He shifted in his seat to seem more business-like, “ Come closer, no need to linger in the entrance.”Seikichi obeyed and took a step inside, not able to move any closer in the crowded stall. It was more of a gesture than anything, no one could focus on their conversation with the overpowering hum of people talking throughout the market.“Tell me what you seek, boy,” There was a gleam in his eye that Seikichi did not like.“I was told that you know some things about NULL Corp. that may be of use to me.”“Hmmm, I may or I may not. What do you have to offer? This is a place of business after all.”Seikichi realized the man was staring at his right arm, his cybernetic arm. Disgusting.“Would 200 credits satisfy you?” His tone was less friendly, given the man in front of him was implying he would trade his arm for information.Mishi rubbed his chin, falling silent as he contemplated the offer, “Maybe this once, since you seem like a good kid.”There was an undertone to Mishi’s voice that Seikichi picked up on. The longer the man talked the more that Seikichi realized that there was more to him that met the eye. He couldn’t pin down exactly what the man was hiding though, and his need for information took precedence over any suspicion.“The corporation is headed by a man named Chase Theroughwall, he has ties to all the richest families in New Hama. They have a monthly banquet that both Mr. Theroughwall and the heads of the families attend. If you want to take down NULL Corp. all by yourself, your best bet would be to.. y’know,” He drew a line across his throat with his thumb, “Displace Mr. Theroughwall then, and do it quick.”Chase Theroughwall. Monthly banquet. Assassinate him. Simple. Clean. Easy.Seikichi nodded along as the man spoke. When he was finished he placed a yellow credit chip in his hand that was good for the 200 credits that he had promised. Mishi snatched the chip as soon as it was placed into his hand, turning it over and inspecting it for its legitimacy.“I appreciate your help Mr. Yuto,” Seikichi said politely, bowing one last time before turning to leave. He was done with the market.“You are very welcome, my boy,” Mishi gave him a wide toothed grin, showing off his blackened and missing teeth.Seikichi gave the stall owner one last glance before the crowd swept him away. He could’ve swore the man had another glint in his eye. It was quickly forgotten as Seikichi drew in his focus to holding onto his personal items as he was pushed through the crowd. He was closer to the exit than he had guessed. The layout of the market confused him, and the dark lighting conditions didn’t help.A fight must have broken out in the open area behind him as groups of people turned and began pushing against him, clawing to catch a glance at the commotion that was happening. A person screamed and multiple gunshots rang into the air. It was time for him to leave, and fast. As the people who were previously in front of him managed to worm their way towards the crowing crowd behind, Seikichi was able to move swiftly into the newly open area.A large sign that read ‘Exit’, or at least a full ‘E’ with the rest of the letters scratched out, led his way out of the market. The exit was curtained off by large strips of clear plastic that Seikichi had to shoulder past in order to make it out. He was greeted by the familiar smell of diesel and the faint aroma of long passed rain. The familiar glow of the alley was a welcomed relief to the head splitting dark red light of the market.Seikichi took a deep breath and looked around, taking in his surroundings to gain an idea of where the market had left him. The exit looked like nothing more than an open garage door from the outside. The strips of plastic he had pushed past were barely visible in the dark of the garage opening. He was certainly in the far outskirts of the lower streets now if the dilapidated buildings filled with graffiti was any indication.He pulled out his com-screen, a glorified cellular phone that he had hacked to remain untraceable. The device didn’t show his location, in fact it had trouble showing any information. He figured he was in a deadzone, or that the market had dampers for such a device and he was still too close to it. It didn’t matter, he just picked a direction and began walking. Most streets lead into each other so he was bound to find a familiar alley eventually.As he began to walk the rain began to pick back up, becoming an annoying drizzle that forced him to keep his head down. He watched the street lights reflect in the newly formed puddles of water at his feet. Mishi Yuto crossed his mind as he passed an orange lit sign. The man obviously had some sort of devious intention, but why let him go if he wanted his arm? It didn’t make any sense to Seikichi- he’d just have to put it out of his mind for now.The street around him was quiet. It was peaceful, a nice change of pace from the market. He vowed to himself that he would never go back there unless absolutely necessary. There was absolutely no noise besides his steps on the wet ground. Seikichi stopped dead in his tracks. It was peaceful. That never happened in the lower streets. There was never an absence of… everything.He turned his head slightly, and was greeted with the sharp click of a gun cocking. He froze. His hand wavered at the katana at his side. How many were there? The distinct sound of three sets of footsteps split the silence. Three. Three men. Two spoke amongst themselves in an unfamiliar language. His breathing quickened. His body tensed.“Now what do we have here?” The man holding the gun laughed, “Go on and turn around for us.”Seikichi was in no position to argue, he turned all the way around. In front of him were three men like he had sensed. They were dressed in all black combat attire, similar to the man he had incapacitated at the entrance. Fuck.“Why don’t you show us your hands, we don’t want any surprises now.”He did as he was told. Helpless.“You wanna try that little trick you did on my brother, again?”Silence.“C’mon don’t be shy,” The man laughed.Seikichi noticed the family resemblance. They looked like pigs. His lack of response must have begun to piss the brother off, one of the two behind the armed man shouted something at him in their foreign language. Seikichi got the gist of it.“I do not wish for any trouble.” Seikichi said calmly.“Trouble? Buddy you were basically begging for it when you attacked my brother.” He spat at Seikichi’s feet.“I apologize for my actions. I only wanted safe passage through the market,” He was running out of ideas and his time grew thin.“Oh you hear that boys? He’s sorry! Well lets all pack up and go home then huh?”This was not how he was going to go down. By whatever power there was, he would go out fighting these insignificant criminals. He closed his eyes for a moment, resigning to his fate. He lowered his hand to his katana, readying himself for the fight to come.BANG.His ears rang. There was a bloody gunshot wound. It was not him who was wounded. The armed man in front of him collapsed, blood seeping through a large bullet hole wound that went straight through the middle of his head. Seikichi stared at the two remaining men in surprise. Maybe he had been lucky enough to be caught in the middle of a betrayal amongst brother. The two men looked at Seikichi, then at each other. No one spoke. One of the men slowly turned around and was shot down in the same way his brother was. The third didn’t last long before his fate matched his brothers.At Seikichi’s feet laid in front of him, dark red halos formed around their heads. What the actual fuck? He was near hyperventilating, his heavy breaths echoed in the too quiet alleyway. He drew out his katana, filling the silence with the sharp shi-ing that unsheathing his weapon made. The alley in front of him unfolded in seemingly endless darkness, enhanced by his newfound anxiety.He strained to look into the darkness, to make out the shape of his foe. Anything that could clue him into the situation he had found himself in. Nothing. He had had enough.“Show yourself!” He shouted out in the night, honing in his fear as to not show it through his voice.A slight chuckle sounded off on the fire escape above him. Before he could look up at the source of the sound, a figure dropped down with a heavy thud and a metallic click. The figure’s large jacket billowed out at their sides. Seikichi struggled to recognize any of their features until they stood up. He knew this man.It was only a few months ago that the man before him had stopped him from bringing down NULL Corp.. A damned bounty hunter. Back for his prize like a hunting dog. The bounty hunter had killed those three men in cold blood so that he could have him to himself.The bounty hunter brushed himself off as he straightened up, resting one hand on the buckle of his belt and the other hovering over his holstered pistol. His clothes were dark, mostly from the rain, and covered in hastily sewn patches and holes. His jacket made him seem more imposing than he probably was, paired with a cowboy hat that made Seikichi scoff. Ridiculous.“Howdy,” He lifted his face up, a metal mask that covered the lower part of his face reflected the light.Seikichi remained silent, opting to see what the bounty hunter would do first so that he could counter him. But neither of the men moved. The bounty hunter remained relaxed while the samurai held his stance.“No ‘thank you’ huh? I don’t mind, not really used to them anyhow,” Seikichi could’ve sworn he was smirking under his mask.“I do not wish to kill you, let me be on my way,” Seikichi put as much force into his voice as he could muster.“Woah now,” The bounty hunter laughed, throwing his head back slightly, “Think you’re getting ahead of yourself there friend. I ain’t leavin’ until I bring your head back to my boss in a pretty box.”“Then I pity you.”Seikichi left any reservation to wait on the bounty hunter, and moved swiftly towards him. He drew up his katana to slash down the bounty hunter’s chest, it would be a clean killing blow. The bounty hunter took a step back, leaving Seikichi to slash at open air. Seikichi pivoted, twisting his body to stab at his foe instead. The bounty hunter dodged, grabbing Seikichi’s arm and twisting, forcing him to drop his weapon. Seikichi jerked his arm forward, causing the bounty hunter to stumble, giving him the opportunity to pull the bounty hunter closer and flip him over his shoulder. The bounty hunter laid on the ground for a moment, winded by the impact, leaving Seikichi free to pick his katana back up.“God damn. Should’ve left those idiots to tire you out,” The bounty hunter wheezed violently, which Seikichi found odd but did not linger on.“Yes indeed, you are truly a fool to come back and challenge me again.”Seikichi drew his katana back up, but when he turned he was greeted with the end of a pistol aimed at his head. The bounty hunter chuckled through his continued wheezes.“Stalemate again, huh?” The bounty hunter taunted.Seikichi pivoted to the side, raising his katana up- ready to slash through his opponent. His blade was only a few inches away from the man’s throat before Seikichi was thrown off balance from a quick sweep of his legs from the bounty hunter. He hadn’t enough time to regain his composure before the bounty hunter had him pinned to the ground. His arms were restrained above his head and a gun was pointed at him, while the bounty hunter straddled him.Both men were breathing heavily from the strain of the fight, but Seikichi noticed that the bounty hunter had a particularly hard time breathing. His breath hissed out of his mask in sharp puffs of medicinal smelling air that filled the space between them.“I gotta say I ain’t ever had this much trouble from a bounty in my life,” There was an amused aspect to his voice, almost as if the two were long since friends.Seikichi braced himself for the inevitable gunshot. No- for his death. His life would end here, at the hands of a lowly bounty hunter that wouldn’t give up. He would be foiled by the same ill-begotten man that ruined his plans in the first place. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.The gun never went off. The bounty hunter kept his hard green gaze locked on Seikichi, studying something that was beyond Seikichi’s understanding. Eventually the bounty hunter’s wheezes calmed into strong controlled breaths, and the medicinal smell faded into the ever present diesel stench. Seikichi stared back, his brow furrowed, confused as to why the man refused to kill him. He had faced many opponents before, but none were as bewildering at the man who held him down.“Why hesitate?” Seikichi said tentatively, he was a dead man either way, so he might as well hurry the process along.That seemed to snap the bounty hunter out of whatever stupor he was in. He quickly shook his head, and looked just as confused as Seikichi was. After a moment, he stood up, releasing Seikichi. He holstered his gun and looked down at the samurai. Seikichi sat up slightly, not risking fully standing up just yet. The bounty hunter glanced over at Seikichi’s katana and snorted out a laugh. He shook his head and turned on his heel, beginning to walk off back into the alley from where he came, the metal spurs on his boots clicked after him.Seikichi watched him walk off, bewildered by what just happened. The man stopped, a good 20 feet away. He stood there for a moment, perhaps contemplating something that had just occurred to him.“The name’s Lucky, by the way,” He didn’t turn when spoke, and continued walking when he was finished.Lucky. That was the name of the man who had tried to kill him twice. The name of the man who had spared his life, for whatever reason. Truly he was lucky. Seikichi finally stood up when the man was out of sight, and the clicking of his spurs was no longer audible. He picked up his katana and sheathed it at his hip. The back of his clothes were wet and dirty from being pressed into the rain-covered ground, but Seikichi wouldn’t notice that until he returned back to his apartment in New Hama. He stood there for a long while, waiting for the man to come running back guns blazing. But he never did. The only sound that filled the alley was the soft whisper of rain around him.What else was there to do, but return home? Seikichi shook his head, tiny water droplets flew off the few strands of loose hair that hung at the sides of his face. He began his long walk back to his apartment, the entire way his brow was furrowed and his jaw clenched. His mind kept replaying the same scene over and over again, fixated on the way the bounty hunter was staring at him before Seikichi interrupted him. It was stuck on the color of his eyes- a deep green that Seikichi had never seen before, the small clusters of freckles that dotted his face, and that medicinal smell that filled the air between them. Seikichi assumed the man’s wheezing was somehow tied to that medicinal smell, and he caught himself feeling a twinge of pity for the man.Muscle memory took him the entire way through New Hama, guiding him through the back street he took to get into his apartment, the long corridor to his room, even through his room as he set down his katana and a table and began undressing. He finally noticed the grime that covered his clothes, though it didn’t seem to upset him as much as it normally would. His mind was too distracted.The rest of his night was a blur, his nightly routine was completed absent-mindedly. He did not remember to have a meal before finally laying down to rest on his bed. His stomach growled, but he did not notice the sensation of hunger. There would be much that he would come to realize that he had forgotten, least of all eating.Seikichi laid on his back, not bothering to push the white linen sheets aside, staring up at the dimly lit ceiling. There was always the dim presence of light in his apartment, the giant windows were too difficult to cover up, so the city light shone through. A long since burnt incense stick had marked the air with its woody aroma, but the medicinal smell of the bounty hunter’s mask was still burned in his nose. He watched the light dance as the giant fan that covered the window turned slowly. It lulled him into a restless sleep that was plagued by green eyes and red light.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

10:58 pm5/28/20XX Rain pelted down hard onto the empty city streets. No one in Tech Row stayed out in the rainy season, especially not when the storms were that bad. The day had been broiling, enough to put you out in a dead sweat if you weren’t careful about what time of day you went out. The years had been progressively getting warmer and warmer, the past year’s winter only lasted a few weeks with a slight frost before submitting to the overpowering force of the heat. Business continued as usual, just indoors or underground where the prying hands of the hot air couldn’t reach.Lucky walked through the rain, keeping his head down and the collar of his jacket up to keep as much of the rain out as possible. It was a futile attempt, his clothes were already soaked underneath. The rain cooled him off, a small relief from the pressing humidity. Yet, it made his clothes stick to his skin and seeped into the corners of his mask. He didn’t pay too much mind to the uncomfortable sensation of it- he was worried about much bigger things. Tonight had been his last chance to bring in some lackey that Big Daddy- Samuel, his father, had specifically asked him to bring in.The guy wasn’t anything special, he had just given some of the other gang members trouble so Lucky was entrusted to bring him in. It was an easy job, or would’ve been easy if Lucky hadn’t been distracted the entire time. He had failed not one, not twice, but now a third and final time to fully restrain him and now the bounty had gotten away. He wasn’t going to see that man ever again. That was that.Lucky had never failed to bring in a bounty before. That’s why Samuel trusted him with the harder hunts. Although… The image of the samurai he had been hunting for the better part of half a year flashed in his mind. That was another case all together, and one he didn’t lightly bring up with Samuel. The samurai had been on his mind a lot lately since their encounter in the alley outside of the blackmarket in New Hama. He had been the reason Lucky was so careless with the knots he tied around his bounty’s wrists and ankles, and had been the reason his bounty was able to wriggle free and run away. That damned samurai. Not only had he failed time after time to get a solid location and bring the samurai in, he had now failed at what could be considered a beginner job. Lucky did not fail.He had learned that early on. You did not disappoint the boss, that was set in stone. He grew up watching his boss- no his father, kill members of his own gang without a blink of an eye all because they lost a bounty. It was a reminder that did not need repeating. Lucky had only lost one bounty before the lackey and the samurai. He was young, so young, and it was only his second ever time going out on a hunt. He froze. That was it. He had frozen and didn’t pull the trigger in time. The bounty had gotten away. Samuel had to go after the failed bounty himself. He wasn’t happy about that.That had been one of the few times that he had hit Lucky. Before then he seemed beyond human, a force that no man could touch. But that day when he came back from catching Lucky’s bounty, he was different. There was a darkness in his eyes that Lucky had never seen before, it scared him. It shouldn’t have been a surprise when Samuel grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and beat him until his face was stamped with bruises. He had seen his father do worse to countless other gang members for far less. Far less. Still, it shattered Lucky’s vision of his father, he was no longer a sainted man who was untouchable. No- he was his boss, grit and all. Samuel had said nothing to him that entire night, not even when his two daughters had to drag Lucky up off the floor and wipe at his bloodied face. They knew it could’ve been worse.Lucky cringed at the memory. Here he was walking back home to the same fate, he knew there was no avoiding it. He would apologize to his sisters, Tess and Beau, later. They always were taking the brunt of the punishments for him, he was their little brother, their good luck charm. Yet, Lucky knew that deep down they resented having to cover for a brother that was not even their own flesh and blood. No matter what they said. They wouldn’t get him out of trouble this time.His stomach wound itself in knots, anxiety forming a pit that made him feel sick. A thought flashed across his mind. He could leave, never to return home to whatever was waiting for him there, and start a new life. He did not need the gang, he could make it on his own, certainly if the samurai could do it then he could too. That wouldn’t help him though. He knew that Samuel wouldn’t let his beloved son go, especially not after such a cowardly move such as running away. Lucky was not a coward. There was a lot that Lucky was not, he wasn’t even sure what he was anymore.His boots hit the edge of the pavement that led up into the bar where his gang resided. There was a figure outside, leaning against a post and smoking a dimly lit cigarette. When he lifted his head the person, a woman by the name of Cass, put out her cigarette with a mumbled apology. Everyone knew that they couldn’t smoke around Lucky. It had caused some fights at first, but Samuel quickly put those disagreements to rest. The pair stared at each other for a moment, Lucky guessed the woman knew what was going on. She looked sorry for him. He fucking hated that. He wanted no one’s pity.Lucky exhaled heavily, his mask hissing with the strain. He stepped into the bar. It was comforting to some capacity, to be back home and out of the rain. It was bittersweet. He already had a metallic taste in his mouth. His fingers trembled. Stupid. He shoved his hands into his pockets to stop the shaking- he was a grown man, he shouldn’t be afraid of facing the consequences of his own actions.As the sound of his boots hitting the metal floor rang out into the air, the bar fell quiet. Eyes locked onto him. Pity. Samuel was nowhere to be found, most likely in his office in the back… waiting. Lucky’s breath hitched when his eyes met with Beau. She was the younger of the two sisters, small but angry. Her black hair was pulled into twin braids that hung at her shoulders. Lucky approached, and she rose from her seat. Her small hand gripped the wet coat arm of his jacket so tight that her knuckles turned white.“He wants to see you,” Beau said in a sympathetic voice as she looked up at him.They both knew that. It didn’t need to be said. But something was better than nothing. She looked over her shoulder at Samuel’s office door. Truly it was just a glorified back room that the man had claimed as his office. The door seemed to inch closer, breathing down Lucky’s neck. He knew. He gave a quick nod to his sister, brushing his hand against her shoulder as he moved past her. All eyes followed him.Lucky grabbed the rusted handle, his fingers still trembling with anxiety. He turned and pushed the door open. As soon as the door slammed behind him, music sounded in the bar behind him. Samuel had at least done him the favor of covering his pained cries. The older man sat at his desk, a cup full of a sickly brown liquid in front of him. Lucky tried to calm his shuddering breath, but his mask betrayed him with a quiet hiss.“What happened?” Samuel asked, it was as if this was an everyday conversation between the two of them.Lucky cleared his throat, “I lost him. I tied him up, but he managed to break free. He caught the train.”“Look at me,” Lucky hadn’t realized he was staring down at his boots- Samuel’s pale blue gaze bore into his.“Y’know I love you and your sisters, right?” A hidden twinge of anger buried itself in his father’s voice.Lucky didn’t need to respond.“I hate when any of you three do stupid shit like this. I don’t like it,” His father rose to his feet.“I don’t know what’s been goin’ on with you lately, but you need to get your head out of your ass before you wind up dead,” He rounded the corner of his desk, putting a heavy hand onto his son’s shoulder.Samuel seemed so large in comparison to Lucky, as if he was again that sick little kid with breathing problems. The room closed in, sealing his fate.“I’m sorry son,” Samuel paused to sigh and shake his head, “Take off your mask.”Lucky lowered his gaze, reaching up to the corners of his mask with shaking hands. His fingers slipped at the connecting ports, frantically prying the metal connectors. The mask disconnected from his face with a sharp metallic hiss, spilling its medicinal vapors into the air. He placed his mask on the table, not daring to look back up at Samuel.Lucky thought about his sisters waiting outside. A blow to the jaw. Searing pain shooting up into his skull. Would they be disappointed? Another to his face, leaving him seeing stars. He knew Tess especially would lecture him on his actions, and how it was inevitably his fault. Both of his sisters would pick him back up, clean his wounds, and chide him. That's how it always went. Lucky didn’t fight back or struggle against his father’s iron grip. There would be no use in it, rather it was better to let his father decide when he was done.His sisters. He kept thinking of his sisters, from their critical gazes to their soft touches on his bruised face. For a moment the samurai joined his thoughts. This was his fault, or at least that’s what Lucky had decided on believing. Still, Lucky remembered how he had looked at him when he was pinned. Resignment. He had accepted death with humility and grace. All of his other bounties had spat, bite, and kicked- they had fought back. Yet, the samurai hadn’t. He had realized his defeat. Maybe that’s why Lucky let him go. He had lost himself in the calmness of the samurai’s gaze.He was still thinking about the samurai when Samuel dropped him on the ground. He was always careful never to hit his son’s throat, chest, or any other area that could cause an asthma attack. Unfortunately that left his face to take the brunt of the damage. The sound of Samuel’s boots thudded near his head and out of the room. He was done. Lucky coughed, blood dripping from a cut on his lip onto the floor. Soft hands wrapped around his arm and hoisted him up to his feet. It was Beau, bracing her body against his to keep him upright.“Jeez Lucky...” Nothing more had to be saidLucky didn’t need to see himself to see how badly Samuel had beat him, he felt it. His head ached and every inch of his face felt as if it were on fire. Warm streams of blood trailed from his nose and bottom lip. The edges of his vision were soft and fuzzy, as if a warm blanket had wrapped itself around his head. No one looked up when the pair left Samuel’s office and headed to the back. The music blared and the ringing of it shot needles through Lucky’s brain.Beau slid open the back door which gave way to a small dusty hallway and a short staircase. With great effort she managed to hoist Lucky up the staircase, careful not to let him slip. Lucky was trying his best to stay upright and not turn into dead weight, but the world around him kept spinning. He definitely had a concussion.“Here, lean against the wall,” Beau said, gently transferring his weight onto the wall.She unlocked the second door down. There were four rooms, one for each family member. The bar had only been made with 3, but the addition of Lucky warranted that one of the rooms be split in two. His room was quiet, a little sanctuary. Although as of late it had been used to hide those rich enough to pay his father for protection. That was the reason, he told himself, that lately he had spent so many nights away from home.His room was untouched since last he visited it. A small orange lamp lit up as the pair stumbled in. The bed was even still hastily made, the sheets wrinkly and uneven. He shook off his soaked jacket and boots, throwing down his hat next to them on the floor in a wet pile.Beau set him down onto his bed with a thud. The pillows welcomed his aching head, and wrapped themselves around him. Lucky closed his eyes and groaned, he could feel every minute wound now he wasn’t focused on standing. He heard Beau’s light footsteps leave, shuffling down the hall, and returning back.“C’mon get up, I ain’t got all night,” Although she tried to sound tough she could never fully hide the concern in her voice.Lucky pushed himself up from his soft heaven with a groan. The lights in his room seemed all too bright, boring into his eyes when he reopened them. Beau sat down next to him, setting the medkit she had retrieved in her lap. She sighed heavily as she opened the box and began sorting through its contents for what she needed. Lucky noticed she had also set his mask down, she must have grabbed it before leaving Samuel’s office.“Where’s Tess?” Lucky asked, wincing as she pressed a cold disinfectant pad to his cheek.“Dunno,” she paused for a moment, “ ‘Think she’s mad at you.”“What for?”“She never tells me anything anymore,” She shrugged.“Me either.”Beau did her best to clean the open wounds on his face, careful not to press too hard on the already dark blue areas of bruise. She had gotten quite good at it. Her siblings had always been more rebellious than her, and always got the brunt of whatever punishment it was. Even when she stuck up for Lucky, she never received more than a slap and cruel words. She assumed her father always forgot about her, it wasn’t hard- she wasn’t very big or strong like her siblings, nor was she very loud. She always considered herself more as the strategist. If anyone cared to ask they would have figured that out.Although, she figured, that wasn’t very fair. Lucky had always indulged her creative tendencies. He used to bring her scrapped cybernetic parts that she would fashion into enhancements for the three of them. Things had been different lately, he never seemed to be anywhere for very long. She knew why. She also knew why their older sister was mad- no, pissed was more accurate.“Y’know I think Tess knows what’s been goin’ on with you lately,” Beau added, placing a small clear bandage across his brow.“And what’s that?” Lucky asked all too quickly.“Don’t bite at me, I don’t know.”“Tess,” His voice was cold, it reminded her of their father.“Well she was mentioning somethin’ about that samurai that you were supposed to catch.”The damned samurai again.“What about it?” He guessed Beau knew more than she was letting on.“I don’t know!” She shook her head, “Damn.”“I don’t appreciate y’all talking about my jobs behind my back,” Not that he could ever stop sisters from gossiping.“I swear I haven’t said nothin’, she was just saying that you’ve been actin’ funny 'since you’ve been on the samurai thing!”“What’s that supposed to mean?”“Damn Lucky, I don’t know! Neither one of y’all tell me jack-shit, I’m tired of being a mediator. Why don’t you go ask her?” Beau’s reaction was genuine.“Fuck it she can-” Lucky was cut off by the clearing of a throat at his open door.“Tell me what?”He flinched at the sudden voice and looked over to see his older sister, Tess, leaned against the door frame, arms folded across her chest. She was drenched, her black studded leather jacket and pants absorbed all light. Her gaze was dark from underneath her cowboy hat. She looked worn, returning from a successful bounty.Lucky didn’t say anything back, only stared at her with an accusatory look. He didn’t need to be goated on by his sister at a time like this. If she had something to say then she could say it. Tess inhaled heavily, her breath ragged from many years of smoking.“You remember when we were younger, you must’ve been 15 and me and Beau were already past 20? You were Dad’s favorite little thing,” Lucky snorted at this remark, “and you had bounty after bounty. But, this one girl moved into the garage down the street, her Dad would always come by and she’d tag along.“You were so in love with her,” Tess paused to shake her head and chuckle, “I remember telling you to get your head out of your ass before you did something stupid. You never listened to me, still don’t, and so you froze up when you needed to shoot that son-of-a-bitch, and Dad was so pissed.“I know you Lucky, whether you wanna believe me or not. I’ve known you for too damn long,” She cocked her head to the side, almost as an invitation, “What’s done is done. You wanna tell me what’s going on ‘fore Dad kills you next time?”Lucky clenched his jaw. Nothing was going on. Nothing was wrong. He glanced over at Beau, who had packed the medkit back up. She hung her head, averting her gaze from the inevitable fight between Lucky and Tess. Something in her gaze put out the flame of his rising anger. He didn’t want to fight.“I dunno,” He looked back over at Tess, the hard edge of his stare gone, “I can’t even tell myself what’s wrong.”Tess looked shocked. She was also expecting a fight, some spitfire answer from her younger brother followed by the choir of their shouts. She had never seen him so defeated. Something twinged deep in her chest in sympathy for him. Tess pushed off the door frame, crossing the room to sit on the other side of Lucky.“Just tell me what happened,” Her voice was protective, she would find whatever had hurt their brother.Maybe that’s all he needed. A safe space with his sisters to sort out his thoughts. The worse seemed to pour out of him- from their very first encounter where the samurai had bested him, to that night in the alley, and all of the sleepless nights he had plagued by the sight of the samurai’s demon shaped mask. Tess and Beau listened in quiet sympathy, they understood what had happened even if their little brother had not realized it yet. The two sisters glanced at each other, they knew it couldn’t go on. After Lucky had finished his story, Tess placed a warm hand on his back.“Here’s what we’re gonna do: you and me go out, I’ll tell Dad that I’m going off to New Hama for a few days to sort some things out with one of the other families. I’ll meet you down there, all you gotta do is point me in the direction of the son-of-a-bitch and it’ll be over.”Lucky looked up at her, actual fear in his eyes, it took her by surprise. He shook his head, placing his hand on Tess’s outstretched arm. She was desperate.“I can’t- Just… No.” That was it.Tess’s gaze hardened, “Dad will kill you.” She wasn’t exaggerating.It wasn’t bad enough that Lucky had failed twice now to bring in the samurai, but god forbid their Lucky from being interested in a man? Tess had resigned herself to solitude for that exact reason, she could never love a man, and Samuel would never approve of that. She wasn’t going to let her stubborn headed brother make the same mistake. A heavy silence settled itself in the room, almost unbearable.A lot would go unsaid. None of them had to say anything to understand how fucked they were. Lucky would continue to be stubborn, Tess would live up to her namesake and use brute force if she had to in order to prevent him from making a stupid mistake, and Beau would be there to pick up the bloody and broken bodies of her siblings to forever put them back together.“Please,” A small voice pleaded from behind.His heart wrenched, “I have lived too damn long with that man breathin’ down my neck, sending me out like a damned dog- beating me like one too.”It wasn’t a fair thing to say. Both of his sisters had gone through it for longer.“Let me be shot down for doin’ things may way for once. See if I can’t convince Dad otherwise,” Lucky put on a wan smile.If any amongst them could convince Samuel of anything, it would be Lucky. He was his father’s son, whether by blood or not. He had a way of grabbing and twisting at the old man’s heartstrings in a way even his own daughters could not. The soft sound of rain hitting against the window grew louder. The rain wouldn’t stop“You’re a damn fool, Lucky.” Tess said in a grim tone.“So be it then.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

2:10 pm5/28/20XX The city that never sleeps. That was New Hama’s crowning motto, although Seikichi thought that the day brought on a sleepy haze to the city. Ironic. During the night you would have to shove past crowds of people all rushing to get into whichever club was the hottest that season. During the day though, that’s when you could really enjoy the city. Of course there were the crowds of working class people scurrying from one station to the other, but it was generally more quiet especially in the summer. The days had only been getting hotter, the heat only being broken by the occasional afternoon rain. Seikichi was sick of the heat, it seemed that every time he stepped foot outside his apartment it was miraculously hotter than the day before.He had never really gotten used to the heat. He spent most of his youth in air conditioned rooms that kept it comfortably cool for the dancers in his family. It was so long ago. His memories of his childhood were hazy, almost as if the memories did not belong to him. Though, on those long nights where the heat kept him from falling asleep, he could still hear the delicate pluckings of the shamisen that emphasized every move of the kabuki dancer. He tried to put the thought out of his mind.For some reason these long day walks allowed his mind to wander too freely. His soft footsteps were accompanied by the sound of cars that raced down the road he walked along. The usually blaring ads were muffled, their words barely audible from their lowered volume. There were not that many people walking along with him on the sidewalk, a welcome change from the usually crowded streets. Most of the shops along the strip were closed, their interiors dark and empty. Everything was resting for the night ahead.Seikichi looked up towards the pale smog ridden sky. No clouds. The sun was unchallenged in the sky, able to beat down on any poor soul stuck outside, including Seikichi. He had enough sense to wear light loose fitting clothes, but anything felt like too much in the sun. He wondered if this trip was even worth it. Just two more blocks.He rounded an alleyway, the buildings on either side provided much needed shade on the last stretch of his outing. A group of people behind him laughed loudly, their raucous calls echoing down the alleyway as they passed. It was odd being the only one in the alleyway, he could only now hear the sound of his own footsteps. Something about the constant noise of New Hama at night had become comfortable enough that silence unnerved him. He inhaled deeply, it was just his nerves anyways. The past few months being difficult was an understatement.At the end of the alleyway carved out in a little alcove was a nondescript vendor. The only indicator of its existence was a small wooden sign that read, “ラーメンと酒” in small carved letters. Ramen and sake. A good lunch according to Seikichi. He made it a habit to visit the food vendor at least once a week, no matter what was going on. The walk was long and the food was unbelievable, so it was a good opportunity to clear his mind and relax with a good meal.Seikichi walked up and sat on one of the small stools in front of the stall, knocking on the wooden counter to announce his presence. The inside of the stall was impossibly small, barely enough to hold the grill, fridge, and boxes of dry food that it contained. Still, inside an old man and woman looked up in surprise at their unexpected customer. The old woman pushed her companion aside, exclaiming as she rushed up to the counter to pinch at Seikichi’s cheek.“My boy! It’s been so long, look how skinny you’ve gotten!” The older woman, Akiko, didn’t speak a word of English and always made Seikichi doubt his own understanding of Japanese.He gave her a sly smile in response, “Too long Obāsan. How have you and Daichi been?”Akiko sighed, looking over at her husband exchanging a tired look, “As well as we can be.”Seikichi nodded, he guessed that without his constant patronage they would not be able to keep their little vendor open.“Any lady friends yet?” She prodded, eager to hear any juicy details.He laughed awkwardly, “No, not yet Obāsan.”She huffed, “I keep telling you, instead of worrying about all this big company nonsense you ought to find yourself a nice girl.“Nevermind her,” Daichi did his best to shimmy past his wife in the cramped space, “How have you been?”Seikichi shrugged, “Just the same I guess…”Without asking, Akiko shoved past her husband to begin preparing Seikichi’s regular order. She wore a loose black smock over a stained white t-shirt with her long black hair tied up in a tight bun. She was so different from Seikichi’s own mother, who he could only remember in her perfect stillness- never a hair out of place and always with a cold demeanor. Akiko was always warm, ready to smile and laugh at whatever Seikichi had to say, and always had some sort of candy stowed away in her pocket.“Something is bothering him Daichi,” She called out from her post at the grill.Always so observant.“You better tell me before she comes after us both,” The older man laughed, the wrinkles around his eyes deepening as he smiled.Daichi reminded Seikichi of his own father, at least from when he was younger. Seikichi’s father was always a serious man, but was always gentle. At least he was until Seikichi got older, there was a lot that changed. The way that Daichi smiled and prompted calmly at him to tell the two of them what was wrong, reminded Seikichi of his own father’s concern.“I don’t know,” Seikichi sighed, “I’m still dealing with this bounty hunter.”Daichi filled a small ceramic cup with sake and slid it towards him, “The same one from several months ago?”Seikichi nodded, taking the drink.“A couple weeks ago I was…” He had to pause, he couldn’t exactly tell the elderly couple that he was in the Red Market, “I was in an alleyway and these three men stopped me. They had me at gunpoint, but before they could attack me, they were all lying dead at my feet with bullet holes in their heads.”From the grill Akiko gripped at her chest, the story too gruesome for her gentle demeanor. Daichi only nodded gravely, encouraging him to continue.“The bounty hunter jumps down and says he will not leave until he brings my head to his boss,” Akiko gasped, “I offer mercy and of course he refuses, so I attack. The damned bounty pins me and has me at gunpoint, but he did not shoot me.”Seikichi paused for a moment, losing himself in the memory. He could faintly smell the medicinal aroma that the bounty hunter’s mask had. He could not let himself get caught off guard like that again.“Well?” Daichi’s calm voice brought him back to the present.“Sorry. It was odd, he just froze. After a moment he just left,” Not after revealing his name, but Seikichi would never tell the pair that.The older man tsked, shaking his head, “You must not let this bounty hunter leave the next time you see him. This is the second time he has hesitated, and I fear there will not be a third.”“Enough with all this battle talk, here,” Akiko shouldered her husband aside and placed a steaming bowl in front of Seikichi.He smiled wanly, “Thank you, Obāsan.”Though the food was hot it was still a comfort. Something to take his thoughts off of the green eyes that had been stalking the edges of his mind. As he ate, the older couple talked amongst themselves.“If I didn’t know any better I would think he is toying with you,” Akiko mused, wiping her hands off on her smock.“Those TechRow hicks are not smart enough to think of that, they just kill and maim wherever they please,” Daichi retorted matter-of-factly.“Please,” Akiko waved her hands in front of her to clear her husband’s derogatory words out of the air, “Still you can never know.”“He’s most likely not used to having his bounty fight back like our Seikichi,” The older man patted him hard on the shoulder.“I wish you wouldn’t fight. I’m always worrying about you, you’re in my prayers,” She wrung her hands in front of her, emphasizing her concern.Seikichi wiped his mouth, “You know I’ll be fine, it would take much more than one confused bounty hunter to take me down.”Daichi planted his hand firmly on the counter and looked intently at Seikcihi, “You must not offer mercy next time, people like him do not understand nor deserve it. Remember, you must kill him.”Kill him. Seikichi was not a stranger to having to kill a man to save his own life, but he never enjoyed it. He always preferred to avoid it or incapacitate whenever possible, just enough for him to get by. Even though the bounty hunter’s entire purpose was to kill him and bring him in to collect whatever money he had tied to his name, he still could not bring himself to accept that he needed to kill the hunter. Perhaps he could have killed him on their first encounter, then things seemed so much simpler.The bounty hunter was too human now, not some mindless henchman on the streets taking orders. He could have a family, friends, people that depended on him. People who would be greatly hurt if Seikichi killed him. Still Daichi’s words hung over his head, there would not be a third time. If the bounty hunter stood in his way again, he would not offer mercy.Seikichi nodded, thanking the couple for the meal and sliding more credits than the food was worth, over the counter. They waved goodbye to him, Akiko calling out to visit soong again. They would not have any more customers for the next few days, Seikichi’s more than generous tip would hopefully tide them over until some wandering stranger decides to sit down. As he left the alleyway the glare from the sun surprised him, his eyes adjusted to the dark of the alleyway.On the horizon huge dark storm clouds gathered, tonight there would be a violent storm that would hopefully cool the weather down for the next few days. Seikichi looked forward to the rain, it would provide a nice white noise while he planned for the next outing to find Mishi Yuto. He caught wind that he would be meeting with a few other men within the next week, he just had to figure out when and where. Then he could finally get some real information out of the man and be on his way to taking down NULL Corp.He clenched his cybernetic fist. He was so close. Years of hard work would finally pay off, he just had to get rid of any distractions.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

8:00 pm

6/3/20XX

This was it. Years of hard work culminated into this one night. Seikichi’s vigilante mission ended tonight. Two seconds was all he needed to hack into the NULL Corp. secretary’s files to find that Chase Theroughwall was meeting the familiar Mishi Yuto in an abandoned car factory in downtown

New Hama

. There was no monthly banquet that he had been promised, only one ‘Dinner with a client’ but a quick search of the coordinates listed would lead Seikichi to the factory. 
 
There was no room for error. Once Seikichi got the data, location, and time, he spared no effort in setting up his vantage point. Guards would scope out the place days in advance, they could never be too careful when it came to their filthy rich boss. A slight whiff of danger meant that the meeting would be canceled and possibly never happen again. 
 
 Seikichi hid in a neighboring building for a week, taking note of when guards would come and go and how long they spent searching. Sure the guards would comb through the surroundings of the factory, but they would never suspect the mostly collapsed single room home would hide any suspicious characters. Still, he made sure to block their scanners with a signal jammer anytime they came near. 
 
The sun hung low in the sky, spewing its last bit of hit into the night before finally resting. Seikichi’s heart began to race- there was only an hour to get into the building before Theroughwall’s guards showed up to scout one last time. They had left to go pick up their boss only a few minutes prior, and they would not stay gone very long. From a small slit in the exterior wood of the building, he watched their shiny black cars race down the street kicking up huge clouds of dust and debris behind them. One hour. 
 
Once they were no longer in ear shot, Seikichi quickly shoved all of his items into a black duffel bag. He made sure to pack up his signal jammer last, in case any guard decided to linger. The dilapidated house had been his home for the past week, and it definitely would not be missed. He huffed as he rushed out the broken down side, streams of dust following him. It was getting dark fast, there were no city lights for miles so true dark began to creep in. Seikichi pulled on his mask, the darkened eyes allowing him to see in the dark, displaying the time and any potential hazards. 
 
He had designed the mask himself, with the help of a friend with engineering connections who could actually get him the parts he needed. It was meant to conceal his identity while also having all the perks that cybernetically enhanced eyes would: date, time, phone notifications, you name it. It would be untraceable, unlike cybernetic eyes which would have had to be surgically implanted. It was designed off of a Noh mask, his family having a large collection for their Kabuki business. When he was younger he would practice dancing for his family’s show, his mother delicately painting red stripes on his white face, it was almost meditative. The kumadori was unique with each family, and differed slightly from each individual. The kumadori on his mask was one of the few things that Seikichi still had that tied him to the Katahide family.
 
The mask was meant to hide his identity but inadvertently created his infamous persona. He would become known as the 怨霊- Onryō, the vengeful spirit. At first they were just whispers of a new vigilante hunting down anyone with connections to NULL Corp. but after more surprise appearances, those with a superstitious nature began to believe he was the spirit of a wronged person whose goal was now to enact their long awaited revenge. Seikichi didn’t mind the rumors, it kept his true identity concealed and discouraged anyone who stood in his way. Well… most. 
 
Seikichi scaled one of the more sturdy looking walls, pulling himself up a ledge where he could peer into the inside of the factory. Close observation for the past week revealed that most of the factory was on the brink of collapse- its inner supports crumbling. This meant that most places that Seikichi could hide were either walled off or destroyed entirely. Time was ticking down, the small white numbers displayed in his mask hung over him. 50 minutes. 
 
In its prime the factory had over 5 floors with the middle being open for the main manufacturing floor. However now most of those floors were caved in, giving way to the ever widening middle which was home to the left over car bodies which had long rusted. Seikichi guessed that the meeting would take place towards the middle, where they could have a good view of their surroundings. He inhaled deeply, dropping down off of the ledge, careful to land in a solid spot. The heavy

thud

of his landing echoed throughout the entire factory, reverberating off its crumbling walls. He would have to be even more quiet than normal if he intended to take out the entire group of people stealthily. 
 
Outside of his mask’s night vision, the only light was from the few rays of moon light that managed to worm their way past the factory’s poor excuse for a roof. This would work to his advantage, he would be able to conceal himself in whichever dark corner he could find. He ran across the open floor, his footsteps echoing, scanning for any place he could hide. His run was cut short as he skidded to a stop. The floor in front of him gave way to a gaping hole which had swallowed an entire car and part of the building supports. The walls of the hole were lined with faded graffiti, marking the presence of people long gone. Seikichi made a mental note of this and kept on with his search. 
 
Towards the far end of the factory floor there was a line up of hollow car bodies. The space between them was just enough for Seikichi to wedge himself between and throw a tarp over the top, creating a tiny dark space. He spared no time throwing down his duffel bag and establishing his set up, rebooting his signal jammer and his own set of scanners which could tell him where each person in the room was located. 10 minutes. 
 
Finally, Seikichi kneeled down sitting back on his feet. He closed his eyes and sighed, calming his still racing heart. There was no point in worrying about the next hour to come. There could not be any failure. He focused on his breathing, deep breaths in and slow breaths out.

Do not panic

. 
 
Time slowed to a crawl as he waited, each second stretching an eternity. The only sound that filled the factory was the slow rhythmic sound of his own breathing. He tried to take his mind off the wait, plan the rest of his week but his mind seemed fixated on the fight to come. Nothing else truly mattered. 0 minutes. 
 
Seikichi stared at the entrance, the timer blinking 0:00. Any second and the group of men protecting Chase Theroughwall and Mishi Yuto. The older man had found himself on Seikichi’s hit list when he lied about Theroughwall’s whereabouts and sent his goons after him. As luck would have it he would kill two birds with one stone tonight. 
 
-5 minutes. Something was wrong, the guards kept a strict schedule and always took private roads, so an accident blocking their way couldn’t have affected their arrival time. Seikichi shook his head, he was just being anxious. They were coming, they had to be. He stretched his neck as a nervous habit, ever since he began hiding out in that nearby house he had a crick in his neck from sleeping on the hard wooden floor. The small sound of joints popping echoed, sending its sharp sound throughout the empty space. 
 
-10 minutes. There could possibly be interference from the authorities, maybe one hard and strict officer decided to stop and interrogate Theroughwall’s guards. Maybe even Theroughwall in all his vanity was taking too long to get ready for a simple meeting. Whatever the case he just had to keep waiting. 
 
-15 minutes. 
 
-20 minutes. 
 
-30 minutes. 
 
There was no sign of any cars. Seikichi even set his scanner to a 10 mile radius, it would be less accurate to the exact position of any movement, but it would at least show it. Still- nothing.

Fuck

. Where could he have screwed up? There was no way the guards could have picked up on his presence, they would’ve been long gone if they even had the inkling that he was there watching. So why weren’t they here? He got no alerts as to any major events happening in the city that could have stopped their arrival, in fact a quick search showed him that the roads were clearer than usual. Still- nothing. 
 
Seikichi sighed deeply, suppressing his rage. An entire week wasted on waiting for a man that would not come. He began to wonder if Theroughwall even existed, since every time he tried to get close the man seemingly never was where he was supposed to be. He started to quietly back his things when his scanner dimly lit up. Seikichi’s attention snapped to the device, flipping the screen open to see what could have set it off. 
 
The thermal readings picked up one signature at the other end of the building. It was too small to be a close group of men, it must have been only one person. Seikichi watched it intently, his knuckles turned white from where he gripped the sides of the device too tightly. This was his only hope, maybe the guards sent in a single scout? The signal was over 200 ft away, too far to see or hear, but they were slowly approaching. He strained his ear to pick up on any footsteps indicating their exact location. 
 
While the signal was still out of earshot, Seikichi quickly packed up the rest of his things while leaving the scanner out. He rolled back into a low crouch, ready to attack whoever was approaching. The small dot inched closer on the screen, pausing every few seconds. Only a few more moments and he would be able to hear their footsteps. 
 
It was faint at first, but as the figure approached Seikichi could make out the sharp

tnk tnk tnk

of his adversary’s footsteps along with the heavy

thud

of their boots hitting the concrete floor. The metallic sound confused him, normally the guards moved so quiet they were almost silent, so the loud footsteps did not make any sense. Perhaps Theroughwall came in alone and that was the sound of his jewelry? 
 
50 feet now. Seikichi lowered his head, peering through the cracks of the car bodies, to catch a glimpse at whoever was approaching. The figure was dressed in all black, their face shadows so that not even his mask could pick up on any details. Seikichi’s hand slowly made its way over to where his katana was sheathed. He would have only one shot to quietly dispose of this person. 
 
The figure stopped at the edge of where the moonlight was shining through the open roof, turning to scan their surroundings. Seikichi cursed silently, he still could not make out any features besides their general silhouette. He could not reveal his location, but the figure was still too far to fully see or attack. Suddenly a sharp crack caused him to jump as a large piece of the factory’s roof crumbled down crashing onto the floor. This sudden noise startled his adversary as they dodged out of the way of the falling piece of concrete, finally stepping into the light.
 
Seikichi’s heart sank as he realized who was standing there. He recognized the oversized jacket and cowboy hat. The bounty hunter had returned. His breath quickened and Daichi’s words rang out in his mind.

There will not be a third time.

He had promised that he would not offer mercy to the bounty hunter again, and would finally put the whole situation to rest. Any doubts he had as to disposing of the bounty hunter quickly left as he realized that the hunter was the reason that Theroughwall’s guards did not return. The hunter would not have been as careful as Seikichi was at hiding his presence and would have alerted them. 
 
Once again his carefully crafted plans were ruined by that thoughtless criminal. The last time they had met he had spared Seikichi’s life, much to his confusion. Seikichi was caught off guard that day, unable to properly defend himself. However, now he had the upper hand. Seikichi’s signal jammer was still on, so there was no way the hunter could know exactly where he was, though how he knew Seikichi was in the factory in the first place was a mystery. He must have been watching Seikichi from before he began his week-long hideout in the neighboring house. Though it didn’t matter. 
 
The bounty hunter cursed loudly as he brushed off the debris from his shoulder. The falling piece of concrete had landed not even a couple feet away from him, leaving him covered in the dust it brought with it. A sharp metallic hiss filled the air, and Seikichi noticed through the cloud of dust that the hunter’s mask emitted some sort of vapor. It finally clicked, the hunter’s mask was not cosmetic as Seikichi had assumed, it must provide some sort of protection against the ever-polluted air. He remembered how hard the bounty hunter was wheezing when Seikichi had thrown him down and winded him, Seikichi had just assumed he took the fall hard but now he realized the hunter must have some sort of sensitivity. 
 
The hunter stepped further into the light, looking up at where the ceiling had caved in. Seikichi watched as he pulled out a small screen which lit up with unfamiliar words and numbers. The hunter- no, Seikichi remembered how he had told him his name, what was it? He couldn’t remember, it teased at the edge of his memory. The hunter waved his hand in the air in front of him, trying to clear the dust, as he imputed some information into the screen which beeped loudly in response. He chuckled. 
 
“C’mon, I know you’re in here. I just want to talk,” He called out, his voice bouncing off the walls.
 
Seikichi inhaled sharply.

How?

There was no way any device could get past his signal jammer. He would just have to worry about that later, now was not the time to be concerned with such trivial matters. He had to wait for the bounty hunter to get closer. Just a few feet, and he would be within range. 
 
“Fine. I got all night,” He threw his hand up to emphasize his point. 
 
He slowly walked further in, constantly looking around to spot any potential movement. Just a couple more feet. The hunter had one hand planted firmly at his hip where his pistol was holstered, ready to shoot at the first sign of Seikichi.

So much for wanting to talk.

Just a couple more… The hunter’s back was turned, finally close enough. Seikichi inhaled sharply, slowly creeping around the edge of the car body. 
 
He leapt forward, unsheathing his katana as he vaulted over the hood of the car. The hunter dropped to a knee, leaving Seikichi sliding forwards swinging into empty space. The still settling dust cloud outlined Seikichi’s silhouette, making him appear as a demon in the night air. 
 
“Found you.” 
 
The bounty hunter whipped out his pistol, firing rapidly. Seikichi veered to the side, rounding on the hunter’s flank. His advance was stopped as the hunter charged forward. He grabbed Seikichi’s arm rendering his katana useless. Close combat it was then. Seikichi dropped his katana. He used the rest of his momentum to slice at the hunter’s chest with a small knife sheathed at his side. The blade met its target with a satisfying slice. It left a thin streak of blood across the ground. The hunter swung, his fist hitting nothing but air as Seikichi continued around, sweeping his opponents legs. His shin hit unmoveable metal, causing him to stumble forward. 
 
Both spun to face each other, panting, the bounty hunter examining the wound across his chest. 
 
“Nice try, but you can’t kick metal,” The hunter laughed. 
 
Seikichi exhaled sharply in response, his shin already throbbing and forming a dark bruise under his wrappings. So his hunter had a prosthetic leg, this was useful information. 
 “I don’t want to fight, just… hear me out” The bounty hunter said, still gripping his pistol. It was a poor attempt at a trick, but still Seikichi felt the need to respond. “I do not conversate with dogs.” 
He did not leave any time for response as he rushed forward, grabbing his katana and swinging at his opponent’s side in one fell swoop. His blow was blocked, and Seikichi was pushed backwards. Before he could regain his footing the ground below them began to crack. Both immediately looked down. Deep cracks stretching all the way from the hole that Seikichi had noticed earlier. The floor suddenly gave way, plunging both of them into the foundation below. 
 
Concrete, metal, and brick fell on top of them in the pit. A loud rumbling filled the air. The entire factory was now threatening to collapse. Seikichi’s ears rang from the impact. It took a few moments before he realized what happened. He was lying face up with a large piece of scaffolding on top of his chest. The impact had winded him, but it was light enough to push off. He had to get out of there and fast before he was really stuck. 
 
Seikichi pushed up onto his feet, his entire body aching from the fall. The drop was only 10 feet, but the debris made the drop feel harder. He ran to the nearest wall, it was short enough that he could run up the first few feet and pull himself up the rest of the way. His escape was stopped by a pained groan behind him. Seikichi turned to see the bounty hunter, pinned by his prosthetic leg which was caught under a large block of concrete. It seemed that his luck from earlier had run out. 
 
He could leave him there. The rest of the collapsing building would finish the job for him. Though, a pang of guilt crossed Seikichi. That was not an honorable way to die, even for a man who had lived an unhonorable life. No one deserved to be killed like that. He still wasn’t even sure the man deserved to die. Seikichi froze. The decision stood in front of him. He could leave now and be rid of the hunter, or he could save him and possibly have the hunter try to kill him again. 
 
He began to turn back but the sound of sharp coughing made him stop. He couldn’t leave him to suffer, no matter how much he wanted the hunter dead. Daichi chided him in his mind, but still Seikichi quickly closed the distance. He hooked his shoulder under the block, tipping it onto its side. The bounty hunter laid there, stunned, for a moment before Seikichi roughly grabbed at his shoulder and pulled him to his feet. That was as much as he could do, now he had to worry about his own life. 
 
He did not wait for any response from the hunter before turning back and pulling himself up over the quickly crumbling ledge. He did not turn to see if the hunter was in pursuit, he could not worry about that now. The floor began to give way, making his sprint to the exit uneasy. As he crossed the threshold into the cool night air, he realized he had left his duffel bag full of tech.

Great

.
 
Seikichi clutched at his chest as he panted, he doubted that he had ever sprinted any faster. Blood rushed in his ears, muffling his hearing. He did not notice as the bounty hunter came barreling out just a few moments later, the entire factory collapsing behind him into a huge pile of rubble. The hunter paused for a moment before dropping to one knee and falling back, both hands clutching at his rapidly rising and falling chest. Seikichi was only alerted to his presence when he noticed the hunter’s loud wheezing. 
 
In the moonlight Seikichi noticed that his opponent’s face, or at least the top half which he could see, was covered in bruises. They were not fresh from the fall, instead looking faded but still deep and painful. He pitied the man who made his profession out of fighting. The man did not look very intimidating lying there, bruised and wheezing. Seikichi wondered if he was ever really a threat, but the thought was soon quelled by the memory of their last meeting where he was held at gunpoint. 
 
He brushed himself off, shook his head, and began to walk off. He had been defeated once again, and still he had to continue. His life had lost what little honor it had, he could not even kill one bounty hunter- his conscience weighed too heavy. 
 
“Wait!” The hunter called out as Seikichi began to walk away. 
 
He would not be caught in another one of the hunter’s schemes. He kept walking. 
 
“Hey! You want to find Mishi, whatever, right?” That got Seikichi to pause. 
 
“Thought so. Listen, I can help you find him,” The hunter’s voice was strained, every couple words interrupted by a loud cough. 
 
“I do not do business with bounty hunters,” Seikichi said, not turning. 
 
What was he thinking? A bounty hunter couldn’t help him track Mishi Yuto down, he probably was just grasping at whatever info he could to get Seikichi to stay. 
 
“Found you didn’t I? Even with your signal jammer,” The hunter groaned as he pushed himself up to his feet. 
 
“I could even get you to Theroughwall,” He added. 
 
Now there was a name the hunter couldn’t possibly know. Seikichi had kept his files clean of his name and mentioned his involvement with NULL Corp. to no one but Mishi Yuto himself. Maybe the bounty hunter did know what he was talking about. 
 
Seikichi turned to face him, “How?”
 
“I have connections, more useful than whatever sorry fuck told y’to come here.”
 
Seikichi stood silent for a moment. Considering the offer. 
 
“Go home bounty hunter. Give up,” He lowered his head, the moonlight casting dark shadows across his white mask, “Next time you will not be so lucky.”
 
At that moment Seikichi remembered the hunter’s name. Lucky. He thought the name sounded ridiculous, the kind of name you give to a pet instead of a feared bounty hunter. 
 
The hunter chuckled, “Don’t count on it. Go on, don't believe me, but you’ll wanna be at Metri next week at 4 am with a good vantage point.” 
 
He could’ve swore Lucky was smirking, though his mask made it hard to tell. There was a gleam in his green eyes. Still, Seikichi did not respond, leaving his offer in silence. He kept one hand on the hilt of his katana should Lucky decide to rescind his offer and finish his bounty instead. Though he heard no movement behind as he began his journey back into

New Hama

. It would take him the better part of the night to walk all 15 miles back to his apartment. 
 
After a few minutes of walking, Seikichi stopped to look back. The bounty hunter was gone, leaving no indicator as to which way he went. Seikichi thought him a fool, no normal bounty hunter in their right mind would act the way he did. Still, his information burned its way into his mind. Metri. Next week. 4 am. Good vantage point. It was probably a trap… 
 
__
 
Five hours of walking Seikichi would finally make it back into his apartment. The sun would rise in just a few hours. Halfway through his walk he considered taking the subway back, but decided the walk would be good for him. It would grant him the humility he needed to feel for failing once again. He soon began to regret it towards the fourth hour of nothing but walking. 
 
Exhaustion crept into his body, but he could not allow himself rest. Not yet. He searched through his database for all of his collected information on Mishi Yuto and Theroughwall. He didn’t find anything on their presence at Metri next week. Nothing. Of course there was nothing. The bounty hunter had fed him an empty lie to gain his trust for whatever ill begotten reason. 
 
Seikichi sighed heavily. He would just have to spend another month working on catching Theroughwall and Mishi Yuto in the same room again. The rest of his night was a blur, tinged with the ever looming threat of sleep. He would not remember collapsing onto his bed, not bothering to change out of his dust covered clothes. As soon as his head hit the soft embrace of his bed he was asleep. Not long after exhaustion fully overtook him, his phone lit up with a notification that he would stare at in the morning.

Grand opening of a new NULL Corp. Pro-aesthetics store in Metri square. Countdown: 7 days!