Quang returned with the exact kind of pho that Vic had requested, a steaming bowl of beef pho. Vic didn't get up from his reclining position upon seeing the food arrive. Realizing that Vic wasn't going to lean up and eat at the table, Quang placed the food into his hands. "Here," he said with a tinge of annoyance. "Go ahead and have a few bites. But we're continuing this conversation before you finish the dish!"

Vic brought the food up to his nostrils, taking in a long whiff of its aroma and smiling. "Oh man Quang, I appreciate the food! I really do."

"Not enough to start paying that tab you've been racking up though."

"I'll get to it," Vic replied as he put a large spoonful of beef between his lips. "You know I'm a busy man," he continued as he chewed on the food.

"Yeah, busy trying to meet girls by finishing off scraps at restaurants," Quang said in a low voice as he sat back down in front of his food.

"No, no. I wasn't trying to get with her. Honest! It's just the way we looked at each other." Vic rested the bowl onto his stomach. He looked forward as if he were staring at the woman that he saw at the café. "When our eyes met... It's almost like I knew her from somewhere. Kind of like we had some sort of bond. Or something, man."

"Maybe she saw you taking leftovers from the pizza parlor from the next block over, Vic. I don't think you understand how weird it is to do what you did. Most people go into the place and pay for their meals."

"Nah man! You don't understand. I know people. I'm used to 'em staring at me all the time! This was totally different. We had a connection. She wasn't angry. She wasn't scared." Vic scooped his spoon into the bowl again and took out another bite's worth of meat. "If I had to describe it... I'd say she looked almost... guilty." Vic's eyes went back to his food as he dug around to arrange the ingredients for his next bite.

"I give up." Quang threw his hands up in frustration. "You really are an enigma. I see there's no point in continuing on about why this mystery woman was into you. But what does she have to do with why you've been gone for so long?"

"Oh, that's easy," Vic replied. "I've been searching for her. Trying to ask her in person, you know? Maybe if we knew each other from somewhere or something. But do you know how hard it is to get a meeting with an Ingwersen?"

Quang and Selene both stared at each other, eyes just as open as their mouths. Both returned their attention to Vic who was happily slurping down noodles as if he hadn't said anything.

"Why didn't you lead with that part?" Quang asked.

"What?"

"The part about her being an Ingwersen," Selene replied. "I've only just now learned about them. And from what Rodney told me, they're very dangerous people."

Vic grinned as he looked at Selene. "Oh! You met my man Rodney? How has he been?"

Selene slunk back in her chair. She then turned towards Quang, asking him how to answer the question with only her eyes. He shook his head as he took in a deep breath.

"Rodney... he's fine," Quang began. "But his studio. Well, let's just say that it's seen better days."

"Oh yeah?" Vic chomped down a piece of beef.

"Much better days," Selene said.

"I know Rodney's getting up there in age, but I don't know anyone tougher than him. I'm sure he could rake in a bit more cash to tidy up the place if he worked on that tone of his a bit. Most people are too soft, ya know? They don't wanna drop money on someone that's gonna scream at them, even if Rodney will provide the best results in Isla Lucrecia, hands down."

"It's not Rodney himself that's the issue at the moment, Vic," Quang replied. "You see, there was a run-in with some... less than favorable... third parties earlier this evening."

"Tax collectors?" Vic asked.

"No."

"People trying to get him to sell protein powder?"

"No, Vic." Quang's eyes narrowed on the eater. "It was the Union. And Dragon's Bite."

"What?" Vic's head darted up, sending broth from his soup scattering across the ground. "Please tell me he taught those clowns a lesson."

"He managed to take on a few of them. Fátima too."

Vic's eyes cut towards Quang. "Fátima was involved? She doesn't seem like the kind of chick to stoop down to Union levels."

"Well, she did. While she and Rodney were going at it in their kendo duel, her lackeys and the rest of the Union smashed up his place! Fortunately, no one was hurt. At least not me, Selene or the old man himself. One of Hudson's underlings was left behind and we managed to pry a bit of info out of them."

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"What did the dude say?"

"He gave us the details on the Union's latest project. They're working on a memorial for the—" Quang caught himself mid-sentence.

"For the what?"

"Nothing, nothing. For some people."

"But why did you say it like that? Why didn't you finish your sentence?”

"Ingwersens," Selene butted in. "He was going to say that it was a memorial for the Ingwersen family."

"Oh, I get it Quang." Vic leaned back in his seat once more, still holding onto his bowl tightly. "You thought I'd do something reckless because the Ingwersen family is involved."

"I don't think you'd do something reckless."

"Gee, thanks Quang. I—"

"I know you'd do something reckless."

"Quang of all people is worried about you being reckless?" Selene asked. "Do you know how much that means coming from someone like him?"

"I thought you were on my side, Selene."

"Sorry."

"Come one, Quang! You know me just as well as Rodney does. I've been living on the streets of Isla Lucrecia for as long as you've known me! Do you really think I'd go and do something stupid—"

"Yes!" Quang exclaimed.

"You didn't let me finish. Do you really think I'd go and something stupid... and get myself hurt?" Vic chomped another spoonful of pho. "As long as I've got Shondell with me," Vic gestured towards the nylon bag on the other table with his thumb. "I've got nothing to worry about!"

"But that could change, Vic! You're a great fighter. There's no denying that. But one day your luck might run out. It's more than possible for you to get in over your head. That's what I was starting to think these past few months while you were gone without a trace!"

"Whatever, Quang. I guess you're just gonna let those guys get away with what they did to Rodney's studio, huh?"

"No! That's not even remotely true."

"Then what's your plan, man? You wanna just stay here at your place until Hudson and the Union decide to roll on through and start smashing up this place too?" Vic said, spreading his arms apart and balancing his bowl of pho in one of them. Both Quang and Selene's eyes darted towards the replacement table in the middle of the restaurant but neither made a comment. "Those creeps need to be taught a lesson. We can't just let 'em keep steamrolling over everyone in this part of town, man."

"I know. I've been thinking about that ever since... they trashed Rodney's studio. But what are we going to do, huh? If you've got any ideas, I'd love to hear them."

"Oh, that's easy," Vic said with a large smile. "We do unto 'em what they've done unto others. If it's true that they're working on an Ingwersen memorial, then that means they're probably make a decent chunk of change from it!"

"You're saying we ruin their memorial?" Selene asked.

"'We?'" Vic turned towards Selene. "You're tagging along?"

"Well, why wouldn't I?"

"Listen, Selene," Vic leaned forward in his seat. "You seem like a cool chick. Honest. But me and Quang have history. He's had my back and I've got his. I don't think we need a third party getting in the way of that dynamic, ya know?"

"I've held my own," Selene said, her pointer finger angled towards her chest. "Just ask Quang! In my bout against Fátima. And when the Union came by here..." Selene turned her head and saw Quang close his eyes and slam his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Oops."

Vic immediately looked at Quang. "The Union was here?" he shouted. "And you didn't tell me?"

"To be fair, you've only been back for like, what? Twenty, twenty-five minutes?"

"Doesn't matter! That's the first thing you should have told me! After all we've been through. Our friendship started here, Quang! Now I'm gonna make sure the Union pays for what they did!" Vic clenched his hand that wasn't holding onto his food into a fist. Before he could continue his tirade, the door on the far side of the restaurant opened. A sleepy-eyed Mrs. Nghiem held the door open, her drowsy gaze zeroing in on the three at the table. Their conversation ceased as they watched her step towards them.

"Oh, hey Mrs. N!" Vic said with a smile and a wave. The woman didn't wave back. Still with a tired face, she picked up one of the rags that lay on the table and rolled it up tight. "Mrs. N?" Vic watched her stand by his side. She wound her hand back and flung it in the opposite direction. The wet rag made a loud smack against the side of his head, rocking him and his chair backwards.

[https://i.imgur.com/dDzXNTG.png]

"No feet on the table!" Mrs. Nghiem declared. Vic immediately slid his feet off the table and placed them back on the ground all while rubbing the area where he had been smacked.

"Nice to see you too, Mrs. N," Vic said underneath his breath.

"And keep it down. I'm trying to get some rest. I actually had to work today. Someone else decided to slack off!" She gave Quang an annoyed stare as she walked back towards the room that she had stepped came from. Quang kept his head low out of embarrassment. Once she was gone, he turned back to Vic who was now sitting upright, still scratching where he had been struck.

"Alright. If we're being honest, I did have a plan."

"To take on the Union?" Vic asked.

"Yes. Not quite an entire plan. But more like the outline of an idea."

"I'm ears," Vic said as he reached behind him and grabbed his nylon bag.

"We managed to pry the location out of the Union guy. He told us exactly where they're working." There was a short pause in the conversation.

"And?" Vic asked.

"That's all we got."

"Sounds like you need some help. Between you and me, we could take care of those goons. No problem."

"And me!" Selene said, waving her hand.

"Is she coming along too?" Vic pointed at Selene with his thumb.

"Yeah, she is. Selene's been helping me from the get-go."

"If you trust her, that's fine with me. I just don't want anyone holding us back."

"That won't be me," Selene replied. "I know my way around a pair of tonfas!"

Vic laughed. "I like you already. You two ready to go now?"

"It's late, Vic. And we've barely touched our food," Quang looked at his now chilled bowl of pho.

"But that just means it's the perfect time to strike!" Vic punched his open palm. "They won't know hit 'em if we attack now."

"I don't know." Quang took a bit of his soup, frowning realizing that the warmth had all but faded.

"We'll just do a bit of reconnaissance then!" Vic leaned over the table to get Quang's attention. "We scout out the area and then we book it."

Quang's eyes looked up from his food then at Selene. "How does that sound to you? I know it's late but are you down for a stake out?"

"I've got nothing better to do," Selene said with a shrug of shoulders.

"Alright!" Vic clapped his hands together. "Looks like we've got a plan!" He slung his nylon bag over his shoulder and stood up. "But take your time with your food though. Don't want to go into this on an empty stomach!"