Sunday, March 21, 2099
Powerful winds blew through the streets of Neo-Vatra, accompanied by torrential rain. Winter was making its last stand against the coming of spring, though the latter had long since shed its old form, forced to do so by the destruction humanity had caused.
Humans had learned how to go on with their lives no matter the weather, and because of that, traffic still blocked the roads even with a storm raging through the city.
As he watched the pouring rain beyond his window, Jason struggled to contain his frustration. It had been minutes since his car had moved. Normally, he would have taken an aerial vehicle to his destination, but the weather dictated that he couldn’t do so. Ti was running out, so he was considering getting off and taking a public train to his destination, as disgusting as the idea was.
He hadn’t ridden in a train for the last twenty years. No longer was he so low-level thug with nothing to his na. His gang had risen, and so did rank. He was now one of its lieutenants, only a step below the boss. Once they spread out to the other districts, one would be left for him to rule, and from there...
The car moved again, severing his line of thought. Whatever problem had blocked the road, it seems to have been dealt with, allowing the traffic to finally move. It ca to a halt a few more tis, but none lasted for long. To Jason’s surprise, he ended up arriving at his destination a few minutes before the intended ti, but that didn’t an he wasn’t late.
The mansion he entered was at the edge of Red Hill, bordering on Westwing. The security was as tight as it could get, with a dozen cyborgs specializing in surveillance spread around, with double the Basic guards to seal the gaps Divers might make use of.
The butler who ca out to greet him inford Jason that he was the last to arrive. With his mood taking another dive, he made his way to a room on the second floor. A round table had been set inside, with a single lamp hanging at its center. Five chairs were set around the table, three of which were occupied.
Jason walked to his usual spot and sat down. The scene was sothing straight out of a horror flick. The four n looked almost identical, each with a head that looked like the skull of a charred corpse. The only way to differentiate between them was the color of their eyes and the clothes they wore.
"Look who finally showed up," one of them said.
"Took you long enough," Another added.
Jason ignored them, closing his eyes and waiting. The others could only click their tongues, going back to waiting in silence. Soon after, another door opened, and they all stood up, bowing their heads.
"At ease." A tired voice spoke, following with a few coughs.
The four sat down, then looked at the last empty seat. A servant pulled it back, and an old man sat down. His frail body showed through the white night gown he wore. With a weathered hand, he held up the cane he walked in with, and the butler took it and retreated back into the darkness.
The light from the single lamp shone on the old man’s face, showing another charred skull. Sothing about it was different, however. One only needed to look at it to know it wasn’t a tattoo he was wearing. His face was covered in burned skin that clung tightly to his skull.
Of course, if it had been any normal burn wound, the burned skin would have fallen long ago, which ant that the man took specific asures to ensure that it remains in place ever since his face was scorched. In this day and age, one wouldn’t have such viscous scars unless they willingly left them behind. And that’s exactly what he did, for he was Fisher Dawn, the first Black Skull.
After a mont of silence, the man with the burn scar turned to his right, fixing the first of the four with a stern gaze.
"Michael," he turned to the second one. "Krueger," he gazed at the third. "Harry," finally, he turned to face the last one. "Jason."
Returning his gaze to the center of the table, he closed his eyes and drew in a shaky breath.
"News has reached . It seems that you have been facing so trouble."
"Boss, if I may speak," the third one, Harry, shot up from his seat.
The others stared at him for a mont, then turned to their boss. Fisher continued to hold his gaze, looking displeased. He didn’t reprimand him, however.
"Go on."
Harry shifted his gaze to the right, glaring at Jason.
"The rest of us have ensured the smooth sailing of our operations, and we have faced no setbacks ever since this trouble started." He said. "All of our troubles can be traced back to the failure of one of us. With that being the case, I do not believe it is right for the rest of us to share the bla."
"No one said you must," Jason said.
"Quiet," Fisher said, silencing them both.
The two continued to glare at each other for a while before Harry sat down. The boss turned his gaze to Jason.
"Red Garden had been beyond what any of us could handle, and I do not bla you for that," He said. "The recent incidents, however..."
This ti, it was Jason’s turn to stand.
"Please rest assured, boss," he said, bowing his head. "I have already tracked down the perpetrators. The news of their demise should reach you soon."
"... are you certain?" Fisher asked.
"Without a shadow of a doubt," Jason replied.
In the corner of his eye, he noticed Harry subtly clench his jaw.
"Great," Krueger said, grinning. "We can move on to discussing a more interesting matter?" The corners of his mouth rose to a grin. "I want to know more about this miracle drug I have been hearing about."
Fisher sighed.
"I have made contact with the person Jason had introduced," He said. "The test results have been promising, so we will proceed with the purchase."
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