April 15, 2021. 05:00. Vancouver.

I’m so damn tired. What happens after the gauntlet is a blur. My legs barely function as I walk with the rest of the party to Blake’s office. For what reason? Something about concluding business, but the rest of the details are blurry.

I fight to keep myself upright, ignoring the pulsing ache in my shoulder. I need to get it checked before it becomes a bigger problem. A ‘sports injury’, that’s what I’ll call it. It’s not my first accident, and I’m already a regular, so no one at the clinic will ask too many questions either.

As we step into Blake’s office, Blake’s cybernetic hand drums against the surface of a nearby wooden table.

Remi throws his arm around my shoulder—my bad shoulder.

"Choom, you’re actually GOATED!" Remi half-yells, lightly shaking me around while smiling. "Like, for real for real! That shit was gas as FUCK!"

I grit my teeth, forcing a smile despite the pain. "If you’re trying to dislocate my shoulder again, you’re doing a great job."

"Oh—shit! My bad!" He pulls back, but the grin on his face remains. "But anyways dawg, that was sick. You and me? Certified badasses."

Blake laughs, leaning back against his sofa while his harem members gently pat away his bloodied face. "Kid’s right. You both gave me and my boys one hell of a time. That’s the best attempt at the gauntlet this arena has seen in months." He spreads his arms out. "As promised earlier, we’ll honour everything I said earlier. ‘Lily’ and Remi? You’re family now. Dead Kings don’t forget their own."

I nod, rubbing my temples. "Appreciate it."

The rest of the group finally speaks up.

"Yeah, like, that was insane," Shock lightly bumps hips with me. "You guys are crazy!"

Azure smirks, chuckling in agreement. "To be honest, I thought at least Remi would’ve been in a worse condition. But still, that was quite a show!"

Tetra tilts his head, scanning me and Remi. "Yeah… that definitely looked exhausting. Are you guys alright?"

Remi and I give Tetra a nod of confirmation. While the pain is still there, it's manageable.

Mister adjusts his coat, stepping forward. "Well done, both of you. Now that the theatrics are over, let’s finish business." He pulls out his phone and gently waves it in front of Blake. “I’ll send you the details now.”

Blake nods, his eyes glowing a deep red. "Right. The bar in Burnaby—let’s see it."

"The Vix Lounge,” Mister quickly taps his fingers against his phone screen. “Send over at least ten of your men. They don’t need an army, just something to make it clear they’re under protection."

Blake takes a few seconds to process the details before grunting in approval. "Seems fair. I see you’ve passed me the owner's contact info for more discussion. Perfect. We’ll be there within a week." His red eyes dull in brightness, and then he turns to Remi. "And you, rockstar. Let’s talk business."

Remi’s eyes light up. "Finally! What’s up?"

Blake nods at his girls nearby, and one of them pulls out a small cube. She lightly taps a button on the side, activating a holo-display that gently fills the room with a blue glow. Holograms of recording equipment appear and then leave our view as the woman rapidly flicks through more images via a control knob on the machine.

There’s a moment of silence, as Remi’s speechless and struggles to form a response. “Holy smokes… that’s better than my rig at home.”

"We’ll get you set up with recording equipment, exposure, gigs—the works,” Blake laughs, gently taking the holo-display cube and turning the knob again. More holograms of equipment flash by. “You got a fire and we got the resources to make sure you can fly."

"Say less, boss man. This is everything I’d want, and more."

"Good," Blake smiles. "Don’t forget—this ain't free. You put out tracks, bring in hype, and you stay under our banner. Are we clear? Final chance to back out."

Remi nods without hesitation. "One hundred percent, man. Dead Kings and I? Locked in."

Before Blake continues, I loudly groan and roll my bad shoulder.

"Alright, great. Business is handled, you got your bar, Remi’s got his future set—I’m going home."

Blake lets out a deep laugh. "Fair enough, ‘Lily’. You’ve earned your rest." He also stretches, rolling his shoulders. "I’ll text you later about anything I need."

"Yeah yeah." I wave my hand dismissively and walk out of the office. I don’t even bother checking to see who else is coming with me. I just wanna sleep, fuck. I speed toward the elevators and then close my eyes, leaning against the walls as it takes me down.

By the time I reach the ground floor, most of the dead king members have disappeared. I check my phone, curious to see the time and sigh once I do. Yeah… why am I not surprised? I rub my eyes, feeling the last of the caffeine leave my system or at least retreat into the background.

The sound of footsteps quickly follows after me, but I don’t even bother turning around. Fortunately, it doesn’t take me long to identify who they are. Shock loudly yawns behind me.

"Oop, guess I’m out too. I wanna hit the hay as well."

Tetra quickens his pace, walking on my right side. "Uh… guess I’m tagging along too. I don’t think there’s anything else we can do."

Azure slides in on my left. "Yeah, not really; we’re basically done. I’m heading back to my place. Remi and Mister look like they’re still wrapping things up."

"Oh… by the way,“ Tetra awkwardly folds his arms together. “I don’t really have a place right now. You guys got any recommendations?"

Shock quirks a brow, her mouth expressing an over-the-top expression of surprise. "Hun, you’re homeless?!"

"Uh… not permanently. I’m still looking for a place to stay while looking for my brother."

"Hm, I guess you can crash at mine for a bit! Just don’t touch my stuff."

“Woah, really? You’re really okay with this?”

“Yeah! You seem like a nice guy, I think it’ll be fine.”

“Huh, thanks.”

As the conversation ends, we finally exit the headquarters. The cold air brushes past me, and I look around the now almost empty streets. I look back at the rest of the party behind me. It’s super late, do I really offer to drive them? I debate with myself for a moment before ultimately resigning. "Screw it. You guys want a ride?"

Shock raised a brow. "Oh! For real?"

"Yeah, sure. You’re both the same way. Might as well."

Tetra and Shock exchange glances before nodding. Shock then quickly hugs me from behind.

“Yay! Thanks, bestie!”

“H-Huh!?” The sudden hug catches me off guard and my eyes widen. “Since when did I become your ‘bestie’?” I quickly pry her arms off of my torso.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Azure, however, lingers around the entrance of the building. She taps her foot against the floor. “I’ll be taking a taxi.” She gives a sly smile before walking down the street. “I’ll see you all later. Don’t be a stranger!”

We watch as Azure’s departing figure waves at us while she walks away.

"Alright… later then!" I frown and tilt my head. Quick exit, I guess. I squint at her disappearing figure and then shake my head. Definitely a strange one. I use my phone and walk to where my truck is parked. Tetra and Shock follow closely behind me. The black beast is a sight I’ll never get tired of, and my shoulders relax as it enters my view.

I open the doors of my truck and make sure the backseats are clean before Shock and Tetra climb in. I double check all my equipment is where it should be before hopping into the driver’s seat. Everyone settles in comfortably as I pull out onto the street and then drive down the neon-lit streets.

The quiet hum of the engine fills the interior before Shock grips my seat headrest, casually rattling off an address.

“Just drop me off at Willingdon Heights. My place is nearby.”

I look at her through the mirror with a raised eyebrow. "Wait, that’s your place?"

"Yeah?"

"You just gave me your address. Just like that?"

Tetra looks even more confused than I am. "Yeah, doesn’t that go against like basic security… privacy stuff… or whatever?"

Shock grins. "Oh c’mon, y’all think I’d be dumb enough to let just anyone know where I live?” There’s a certain tone of amusement in her voice as she leans toward Tetra. “I know you guys aren’t gonna rat me out. And if someone did try anything?" She lightly pats the bag that contains her portable computer. "I’d know before they even made it up the block."

"That cocky or that confident?" I scoff. I would never in a million years reveal where I live to anyone from my line of work.

"Both, I admit," Shock giggles and puts a hand in front of her mouth. "Cameras, sensors, drones—I’ve got an entire digital web set up around my place. If someone even sneezes wrong, I’ll know. And if they try hacking me? Well, let’s just say I turn their rig into a paperweight."

"So like, you’re just untouchable?" There’s a mixture of respect and fear in Tetra’s voice as he looks at Shock. “That’s… crazy.”

Shock shakes her head, waving a hand in front of her face dismissing Tetra’s idea. "No, not untouchable. Just very, very annoying to deal with."

“Do you think someone’s gonna call that bluff one day?"

"Oh, they have, didn’t end well for them though. There was this corpo netrunner—Arasaka I think—girlie thought she could trace me. Now she can’t even get her smart fridge to work."

I chuckle. "You're a menace." I wonder how Shock fares against Nano. Both seem to be very capable, but I’m not sure if Nano has gone head-to-head against corporate netrunners though. Well, it’s not like I ever asked either, she’s one to stay hidden and pull strings instead of being right in someone.

"Yasss," Shock leans back with a satisfied smirk. “Oh! But you’re free to hire me anytime too, assuming I’m not busy.”

“Hm, noted.” A strange sense of amusement and peace settles over me. The same feeling one gets from calm conversations with a calming atmosphere—people who weren’t constantly trying to kill or outmaneuver me.

I drive in silence, keeping an eye on the road as we pass Vancouver’s downtown streets and into the neighbourhood of Burnaby. It’s rare for me especially to talk like this, usually, I pack up and head home after a contract. The camaraderie is… nice.

Tetra shifts in the backseat again and looks at Shock with confusion and curiosity. "So, I guess I should also ask this to both of you. So Lily—”

“Artemis,” I cut him off, clarifying the detail. “I used Lily as a placeholder. I prefer not having my ‘real’ operating name known to a bunch of people, especially if it’s livestreamed.” I also make a mental note to swap up my makeup style next time just to keep my looks fresh.

“Right,” Tetra nods in understanding. “So, Artemis and Shock. You guys are both uh… what do you call it? Edgerunners? Artemis, you said earlier that you’re like a mercenary and assassin that Wissen knows?”

“Yep, basically.”

“Okay, that makes sense. So then what about you, Shock? You’re part of the Italian mafia, right? The part that I don’t get is how did you end up here in Vancouver. I thought you came with your brother from Italy?"

Shock blinks in surprise at Tetra’s question. "Ah, sooo… you know how Dante is in line to be boss? The rest of my family is also pretty deep in the mafia. We used to live together in Rome, but then I was moved abroad to work on international affairs."

I quirk a brow. "International affairs? You’re expanding into Vancouver?"

"Um, sort of? We’ve gotten pretty big in Europe and we’re looking to do business in other parts of the world. Looking for new territory isn’t really our goal, but we want new ‘bases’ for business deals with the local groups. I’m one of the ‘scouts’ for this city, otherwise, I’d be back home helping my family clean up dead bodies and scrub security footage.”

Tetra nods slowly. "Huh. Guess that makes sense. So, will you ever return home?"

“Eh… I doubt it’ll be much longer.” Shock tilts her head, considering the answer. "Probably less than a few years. Then I’ll be flown back and a new team will replace me."

“So do you like it here or do you prefer home more?” I chime in after turning a street. “I’ve been to Europe before, I’m just curious about your thoughts, as a resident and all.”

“Home. This country is um… not really it.”

“Haha, figured as much. North America makes Europe look like a utopia in comparison.”

“Oh, actually, could you guys explain more about that?” Tetra sheepishly laughs. “I grew up mostly near the ocean, so I’m not used to the city life or anywhere else beyond the coast.”

I let out a dry chuckle, glancing at Tetra through the rearview mirror still. “Oh man… where do we even start? The jokes that Europe is leagues ahead of us are pretty much true. They have a working infrastructure, a stable economy, less crime, and significantly less corpo-driven disasters. If you’ve only been near the coast, you should see how bad it is when you go further into North America.”

“Yeah… I heard that North America is more or less a sinking ship.”

“Not an inaccurate comparison, to be honest. Remember our talk earlier today about the economy tanking years ago? The US is still trying to figure out if they’re a democracy or corporate property, and Canada only recently started picking up its pieces thanks to our current Mayor. The problem is that the continent is basically a massive car, we’re trying to fix the engine while we’re still driving it.”

Shock clears her throat, interjecting with her own knowledge. “Well, I guess, Europe can vary too. Northern Europe, like Germany and anything else nearby, are pretty high-tech and clean. Italy is a bit dirtier with crime but it’s nowhere nearly as disorganized like… here.” She waves her fingers around the city. “It also helps for the average person that the cops actually do their jobs and aren’t broke.”

“Interesting to hear you say that, ‘Miss Mafia’.” I raise an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t you want less law enforcement?”

“Well, the cops are still pretty dirty.” Shock giggles and scratches the back of her head in thought. “It’s just that they can get rid of the smaller fry for us. Besides, they’d rather have us than someone who makes an absolute mess of the city, at least the mafia has the country’s interests at heart.”

“That’s fucking rich,” I snort in disbelief. “You can’t possibly be serious.”

Shock looks at me with a clear look in her eye. “No, seriously, my family always had an interest in Italy’s financial sector.” Oh shit, she’s for real.

“Huh…” Tetra contemplates what he just heard, his frown is pretty evident, especially as I slow the car down once we near our destination. “So it’s still corrupt but not like full-blown anarchy?”

“Pretty much.” Shock nods at the notion. “The mafia has its influence, I can’t lie. Politicians take our bribes and all, but at least back home there are no insurance plans that only the most powerful can get. Hospitals back home actually work.”

I gently ease my truck near a large building complex, parking it effortlessly. “Yeah, doctors can be easily accessed there,” I say with a small smile to myself. All the times I’ve saved my eddies were thanks to the doctors Wissen recommended to me, and I’m forever grateful for the perpetual boosting he’s given me.

But not everyone has that luxury, so I throw in a last-minute remark. “And you don’t even need to sell a kidney! Isn’t that great?”

I glance at Shock and Tetra, watching their expressions shift into one of amusement before adding, “Anyways, we’re here now.”

I press a button near the wheel, and the truck doors unlock with a soft click.

Shock stretches her arms over her head before hopping out. “Perffffect! Let’s go!”

Tetra steps out after her, taking in the surroundings before shaking his head. “Man, this is just way too complicated for me.” He smiles back at me. “It’s stuff like this that makes me wanna go home.”

I pause for a second, watching Tetra join up with Shock. You can say that again. Keeping things simple—it’s a luxury. I lean back in my seat, mulling it over and muttering to myself. “Yeah, sometimes simple things are better.”

I close my eyes for a moment, letting the depressing reality I live in slowly envelop me in melancholy. I snap back to reality once I hear Shock's giggling in the background though. She walks back to my truck and pokes her head inside.

“Oh! By the way, I know it’s like suuuuper late, but you’re free to come in for a bit too.” She gestures toward the building. “I could show you around! Maybe even find out if you’re actually fun to hang with outside of work.” She playfully winks.

I let out a breath, tapping my fingers against the wheel as I considered it. I pull out my phone to look at my schedule. Nothing tomorrow, and my sleep schedule is already destroyed. Why not? Shock and Tetra don't strike me as the backstabbing type. I guess I can stay, just for a little while anyway.

“…Alright. I’ll stay,” I finally say, stepping out of the truck. “Just for a bit though.”

Shock gives an approving smile, leading the way toward the entrance while Tetra looks mildly surprised but doesn’t argue. I quickly close the truck doors behind me, making sure they’re locked before following.

As we approach, I glance at Shock’s apartment building, scanning my surroundings.

"Alright, Shock. Let’s see if your security is as good as you say it is."