Kaido and I stared into the eyes of Jade. I guess she liked how her name sounded.

"Please, both of you, take a seat." She said, waving her hand over to three velvet-cushioned chairs in front of us.

Me and Kaido took our seats in front of her, watching her neatly fold her hands.

Kaido took a look around the room. The room smelled like a doctor's office, well sanitized and clean.

There were various relics: weapons, animals, precious metals, and expensive perfumes.

The walls were adorned with a maroon kind of wood with a yellow triangular pattern. Clearly they were painted on.

There was a window that was closed behind her. More than likely to keep out sunlight. "I am aware of your vampiric nature, Star."

"Awfully kind of you to keep the blinds down. So, what is it you want?" I asked, tilting my head.

"I should be asking you that." She chuckled, leaning forward. "I never expected you to bring a friend, but hey, the more the merrier." She grinned, sliding us both a piece of paper.

"You see, I sent one of my... recruiters after you because I just love it when people have nowhere left to turn." She said, a predatory look forming.

"Sadistic much?" Kaido said. Immediately I reached up and covered his mouth, chuckling nervously.

"Hehe... He didn't mean that." I said, shooting him a glare.

He rolled his eyes as I took my hand off his mouth.

Jade looked at us, almost amused. "It's nice to know you know your place so quickly."

Jade then leaned back. "Don't worry, I don't kill contractors."

She had on a green dress with a belt wrapped around her waist. She wore a thin jacket over it as well. The dress seemed silky and plain, with no real colors matched in with it.

I tilted my head. "Contractors?"

"You must be new, Star." She said, giggling.

"You two are going to be my hired assassins. Don't worry, I might be an elite, but I don't own a business." She said, standing up and putting both hands on the desk.

"How about it? Just sign the contract saying you'll adhere to me and me only." She said, tapping the piece of paper.

"What's the pay looking like?" Kaido asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Of course, of course. The pay." She reached under the desk, taking out a large pouch. Placing it down with an audible thud.

"65,000 credits for the both of you. You can split it down the middle. I wasn't expecting Star to bring a friend.” She said, a small smile forming on her face.

We looked at each other. I grabbed a pen and signed my name as 'Star Noir,' while Kaido signed his name.

When she grabbed the paper, looking at it, examining our signatures. "Kaido, was it? Not a name common in these lands. Are you from the nation to the west?" She asked, Kaido nodding quickly.

"Oh! How pleasant. I was hoping to visit there some day; maybe you could give me a tour." She said, Kaido nervously laughing and nodding.

"Sure..." he said, looking around the room sheepishly.

"Anyway, let's get down to business." She said, walking from behind the desk. She wore black dress shoes, the only thing green she didn't wear.

"I've been trying to help a certain individual's band get a venue at a certain place." She said, walking up to the both of us. She was quite tall, not as tall as Kaido, though.

"The place to meet him is in the Lower City, so you can expect there to be some shady gangs and organizations running things. That's where you guys come in. He goes by the name Locke Blackhand." She said, reaching into her pocket and taking out a bracelet.

"This will help me keep in touch with you. Are either of you a mage or have mana?" She asked, Kaido raising his hand in response.

We both saw her eyes widen, a large grin forming on her face.

"Amazing! I'll pay you guys double then!" She said, giving us a small smile. "So, in the Lower City is a bar called Blackwood Bar. Ask the bartender for a C-note."

"That's so oddly specific." Kaido said, Jade walking up to him. "I know, sounds pretty weird, right?" She clamped the bracelet onto his wrist, the small orb on it glowing a little.

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"There! That'll allow us to communicate effectively. This world is massive, so certain things just won't do the job." She said, turning around.

"Anyway, shoo! I have work to get back to! These dealers aren't going to find themselves!" She said, taking a seat on her chair.

I gave her a skeptical look. "Thought you said you didn't run a business?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"Hey, hey. Listen, I don't gain anything out of this except for seeing people progress in life through unethical ways. You're the ones getting money." She said, leaning forward and getting back to her work.

"Alright then," Kaido said. "We expect payment once our job is finished then."

"Of course! By the way, watch out for any unwanted attention. The slave market is booming there, I heard. They have the OLA backing them; grimeballs just want to fill their pockets."

She slammed her fist on the desk, her smile returning. "Anyway! Happy hunting!" She said, waving at us.

We looked at each other and sighed, heading out of the room and back downstairs. When we looked out the door, we saw the sunlight shining on the ground.

"Fuck." I said, opening my umbrella and taking a deep breath, my heart pounding. I take a step outside, my entire body thankfully not bursting into flames.

I took a sigh of relief and quickly followed behind Kaido to the cable car. "At least you're not dying again." Kaido said, stepping inside of a car.

I followed behind him, taking a seat across from him as I positioned the umbrella towards the sun as to not get burned.

"Dude, that's sick! Your eyes are glowing!!" Kaido said, sounding amazed.

"So what have you been through, dude?" I asked, feeling the car move.

"It's... a long story." Kaido said, "I'll tell you when we're done with this mission, alright?" He said.

I nodded my head in response, seeing us come to the ground. We stepped out of the cable car, walking down the hill.

The ground remained wet, small puddles being seen and water being heard going down drainage systems.

"So, this Locke guy, what do you think he's like?" Kaido asked me, having his hands in his pockets.

"Well, I personally believe he's going to be like a mastermind of sorts, y'know, planning all the gigs and that stuff." I said, chuckling a little.

"Yeah, I guess." Kaido said, looking around as he slowly watched our surroundings get worse.

Color seemed to drain a little; the people were hiding out in houses, sticking syringes in themselves, and doing all sorts of illicit acts in alleyways.

"This is really bad." I said, coming across the bar to our left. The Blackwood Bar, written in fake gold letters.

We entered the bar, the chaos immediately setting in. Loud music was playing, people were drinking, and betting games were being played.

We took a seat in front of the bartender. It surprised me that he looked like a nice and respectful person, unlike the rest of these... deviants.

"What can I get ya?" He asked, seeming quite young. He had circular glasses and black wavy hair that one of those rich kids would have.

"A C-note." Kaido said, the bartender pausing what he was doing. He flicked his glasses, a glint shielding one eye.

"Very well, follow me." He said, signaling both me and Kaido to follow. He led us into a back room, and it was filled with crates.

The crates themselves were filled with drinks meant for the bar. There was an odd painting, which he moved out of the way, having a staircase leading deeper down.

All three of us entered, heading down. The noise from the bar quieted down, but more noise from down below began to stir.

When we reached the end of the staircase, he opened a door revealing people talking through multiple phones. They seemed to be phones that resembled trumpet horns.

They were speaking into them, talking stuff about money and business, next moves, and how to crash parties.

"Not everybody knows that, even some of our regulars. They know of the band, Lotus, and many know the man who made them who they are." The bartender said, his accent changing to that of a British one.

"You'll see," he said, knocking on a door. A green light flashed inside, the bartender opening it. "Good luck."

Sitting on a chair, drunk, a man with medium-length, messy black hair with a bit of a red streak on its left bang that could be faintly seen.

"Oh! Would you look at that? Look who the recruit brought in!" Locke leaned back in his chair, putting his feet on the desk.

He had fair skin and wore a black tank top, leather pants, and small cowboy boots. Though, the most notable features were the cased bullets he used as a substitute belt and a bronze, metallic arm.

"So, what do ya want? Hurry, I'm expecting a guy to handle some biz." He said, taking a puff of smoke from a cigar.

There were bottles of alcohol scattered across the ground and a guitar with a strange emblem on the bottom right of it.

"Uhm, we were sent by Jade." Kaido said, Locke slowly tipping down his glasses, revealing brown eyes.

He flicked his glasses back up, scratching his stubble beard.

"Ah, that bitch?" He said, taking another drag. "Alright then, she didn't tell me there were gonna be two of ya, but whateva gets the job done!" He said, standing up, being 5'9.

He had a blend of an American and a British accent. "Alright. So there's this guy, Vance, right? Get this, this bitch is taking up my gigs! Scarin away me fans for the upper city!"

"That's terrible." I said sarcastically, Locke grabbing my shoulders. His grip was pretty strong. "I know, right, mate?!"

"So, what I need you to do is kill that fucker and possibly take over his little business he's got going on. Dismantle it; I don't care; just get rid of him so I can perform. I'll pay ya." He said, sitting back in his chair.

"Alright then." Kaido said as Locke took a swig of some drink.

"Perfect. Now get goin! Time's wasting!" He said, Kaido and I leaving the room.