Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Three - Feeling Cool

  Did I feel cool grabbing the door, ripping it open, and stomping into the restaurant?

  Yes. Yes, I did. The poncho-cape thing swirled dramatically behind me and settled around my shoulders in a very satisfying way, and there was just something about that, and being in my full costume, that just made me feel powerful and awesome.

  Was it a little much for entering what was basically a fast food joint?

  Also yes.

  The cashier, some twenty-something who looked like they were running on two hours of sleep and six coffees, just stared at me blankly. The only customers inside at this time of day were a pair of old ladies and a trio of laughing teens at the back.

  One of the grannies clutched her purse closer.

  Yeah, okay, maybe I was being a bit dramatic, but this was a loop that I didn't intend to keep anyway, so what did it matter? I moved over to one of the many free tables off to one side. This place had a setup where you could order through their app and have things delivered to your table. It was pretty cool, and it ensured a level of privacy.

  I logged into the restaurant's godawful app, linked a prepaid card to it, then set the phone down and waited.

  Fortunately, I didn't have too long to wait.

  I glanced towards the entrance as soon as I saw something yellow from the corner of my eye. Becky had arrived.

  She was in torn up fishnets and old jean shorts, with a bright yellow jacket tossed on. Her stomach was exposed, revealing a pretty cool rat tattoo peaking out from the band of her shorts. My eyes strayed up to her face, and I got to see her expression light up as she caught sight of me.

  Becky was cute. I wasn't sure if I dug the weird super-short haircut she had on the side of her head, but it did fit her, especially the bright blue highlights.

  "Yo! DL, sup?" she asked as she stomped over. "Love the hat. That's a cool hat. Where'd you get it?"

  "I know someone," I said. "Also, hello, Becky."

  "Nuh-uh, if you're here in a mask and cool hat, with a fucking cape and codename, then I want one too," she said.

  "Oh?" I asked. "Let me guess, you want me to call you Pikachu or something?"

  She froze for a split second. "Yes? I mean, yeah, that's what I was gonna say. Holy shit, can you read minds?"

  "No, I can't. And if I could, I wouldn't touch yours. Also, we're not calling you that."

  "Raichu?"

  I frowned, trying to remember what that even was. "No, not that either. Can we stick to non-copyrighted names? I don't want a corpo hit squad dropping in on us."

  "Fine! Lame. Call me... heh, call me Buzzkill." She grinned, extremely proud of herself. "Get it? Because I buzz and I kill."

  "I get it," I replied. "At least it's not innuendo."

  "I mean, it could be," she replied. "Did you order yet?"

  "No," I said. I turned my phone around and slid it towards her. "Order whatever you want. It's on me."

  "Anything?" Becky asked.

  I shrugged and gestured for her to go on. "Yeah, anything."

  Becky cackled, then started to order. I didn't. I figured with the amount she was adding to the cart, I'd be able to grab something to eat off her tray. God, not having to suffer the consequences of my culinary sins was a blessing.

  "So, is this a date, or did you just wanna talk?" Becky asked. "Because I was told in no uncertain terms that I shouldn't put out on the first date, especially to someone wearing a mask and hiding their identity."

  "Uh," I said to get a bit of time to parse that. "No, this is more of a business meeting. Not a date. Why would you even assume that I'm single?"

  "You're wearing a hat with a little skull on it and a cape," Becky said.

  "It's a combat...poncho," I tried.

  She stared at me.

  "Okay, so maybe I am." I really wanted to say something like 'but I sex ladies all the time' but that would have come off as way too desperate, as true as it may or may not be. "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

  "I'm single too," Becky said. She smiled, strangely proud. "No one can handle me, even at my best."

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "Not what I was going for," I replied. "I meant more... look, there are a few things I need to know, and I figured you might know them."

  "How much?' Becky asked.

  "How much what?"

  She stared at me. "Deadline, DL, my gal in the mask... we live in a capitalist dystopia. Money! How many dollars?"

  "Lunch?" I tried.

  She paused, tilted her head left, then right, then shrugged. "Okay. Fair."

  "Cool. So, a gang is planning on hitting a gala tomorrow night. It's a big gala held by Seraph. I don't know which gang it is, why they're attacking the gala, or what they plan on gaining from it."

  "But you know it'll happen anyway?" Becky asked. At my nod, she leaned her elbows onto the table. "How?"

  "Does it matter?"

  "I mean, a bit," she said. "Are you a pre-cog? Can you read my palm? Will my gacha pulls be fruitful this week, because that hundred pull thing you got me? I got shit-all out of it. It was real bad. Nothing but max pity the entire time. I even complained about it."

  "If I had that kind of magic, do you think I'd waste it on something so silly?" I asked.

  I was the world's biggest hypocrite.

  "Hmm, I would," Becky said. "But also, you were super mysterious and strange last time. Just showing up. And Mousey's been paying attention to you too."

  "Who?"

  "Leader of the River Rats," she said with a dismissive wave. "She said you hit up a Synthcorp place that was all breach-y, and like, two days ago you yoinked a portal from right under NetherGain then aura farmed your way out. The video was cool, even if it got no views. Did you really meet a wizard?"

  "I did," I said. "He was weird."

  "I mean, if it was a wizard that kinda goes with the hat, no? Wait, is that why you have that hat?"

  "It's unrelated," I said. "The hat is to protect my ID... and it's a fashion statement?"

  "Hell yeah it is," Becky said. She perked up as a drone rolled over to our table. It was a tall, pillar-like machine on a wheeled base carrying three trays with these little extendable arms. It spun, placing one tray after the other on our table until there was no room for anything else.

  Becky dug in, unwrapping a burger and sinking her teeth into it like a famished dog.

  "So, the gang I'm looking for is based out of the west-end of the city. They might be involved with some pizza place?"

  "Oh!" Becky said, then she started talking with her mouth full. Why had I thought she was cute before? "I know who you're talking about. That's the Weiss crew."

  "The Weiss?" I asked.

  "Means white, or something? Anyway, they run like, three little pizza places out in the west end of the city. Not that much of a gang, really, only they have this whole turf war going on with who gets to drive delivery in their part of the city. It's weird."

  "And they'd stoop to attacking a Seraph gala?" I asked.

  "That sounds real stupid," Becky said. "Like, Seraph have a bunch of rankers, no?"

  "Yes, they do," I replied. "And I take it this Weiss gang don't have very many?"

  "Their boss is a normal dude, but their biggest muscle is a C-ranker. Uh, I think a Wind user?"

  Elemental wind? That meant that they were a Joy mage. That was one of the most uncommon elements out there. Probably not one of the most dangerous, but still, anyone who had made it to C-rank was worth respecting, and C-rank would mean that they had a lot of power behind their attacks.

  "Think they'd be able to attack a gala just like that?" I asked.

  "I mean, they might ruin the catering. Hey, those are my fries," she snapped.

  "I paid for them," I replied as I stole another.

  I wasn't sure if the situation didn't add up, or if I was just missing something. Probably a bit of both. Becky went on to tell me some more between stuffing her face. It was almost interesting to watch her disappear so much food. Where was she putting it all?

  As for the gang. Well, I had an idea, but not the whole image.

  "Hey... if I called you out of the blue and asked you to help me stalk a gang, would you be down for that?"

  ***