The two man locked in a tense moment, unblinking and unmoving. The air thickened with each second. Finally, Baldy's eyes sprkled for a moment with joyous twinkle and he laughed. Taking a step forward, he swung his arm in a wide arc and smacked his own palm against the inner side of Lukes forearm. They clasped eachothers arms and drew in tight for a hug, each of them thudding the other with smack on their back with unnecesary force. The bangs resounded through the desolete room, covering the sound of the pitiful growlin of the folded up Sebastian.
As their greeting concluded, they both took a step back, Baldie asked first:
„What the fuck have you been doing you daft cunt? I've heard you left the biz, the town. University, mister fucking librarian over here, we laughed our asses off when we heard that. Were you drunk or high when you chose that?” he asked as he poked him in the chest with his finger teasingly.
„Drunk” he answered cheerfuly.
„ HA! Knew it! You just won me 100 Zlotyś, we had a bet going on. Did you start juicing, why the fuck are you so big right now, I would never recognize you, even your face changed.” Inquisitive questions were asked one by one.
„Nah, you know me, I'm all naturall baby, I just hit puberty. How did you recognize me though? I was worried you would forget me.”
„That ugly mug? I would be happy to forget, and I almost did. But you know, and I know, your eyes are hard to get rid off from anyones memory. What are you doing here? Visited your Pa? Time of forgivness? Is that why I heard the Fire Fighters being deployed to the UnderCastle? Had a good time, did ya?” He bombarded with even more questions, and from the moment he mentioned his eyes, he looked deeply into them and wouldn't break eye contact. Those jokingkly asked questions were probing into something deeper. He was suspicious, anticipating.
„Nah, for all he knows, I'm laying in a coma in the hospital.” He answered and put his massive hand on Baldies shoulder and squeezed it.
„And it's going to stay that way.” He said while smiling, yet his eyes remained dead and motionless. Locked in a battle of gazes with the other man.
Mike broke first, he swatted Luke's arm off his shoulder with a forced laugh escaping his lips and turned to the side to look at his underling.
„Yes, yes, ofcourse, it's always something with you, always has been...” he said as he took steps forward and kicked the folded table, allowing the man to finally squeeze away from its grasp.
He was gasping and squeling.
„Stop acting like a bitch, you're making me look bad!” Mike yelled as he kicked the man in the ass to add some momentum as he was getting up from the ground.
As the man stumbled, Mike grabbed him by his collar and pulled him to his feet with a swift movement.
„Jesus, look at you, no class, no backbone in this one.” He commented.
Sebastian was awashed with shame and rage, the humiliation was pounding on his mind. He felt fear towards the tall man that threw him, but he knew he had to stand up for himself. He would loose face if he didn't, he would be a bitch, and bitches don't climb up high in his line of work.
Against his better judgement, he tried to launch himself at Luke, thankfully for him, the hand grabbing his collar stopped his leap and even before he had the chance to swing, his ass landed on the shattered glass bottles and he yowled like a stung cat.
„Now, now, now boy, you may be stupid, but don't be suicidal. Luke here, he was a Breaker a lifetime ago...” He said with a smirk.
Hearing that, a sigh escaped Luke's mouth. His past and it's echoes were ringing ever so loudly.
As Sebastian's rage boiled down, drowned by the pain in his ass and suprise at his bosses words, he asked without thought.
„What the fuck even is a Breaker?” he demanded to know. „And boss, why the fuck are you allowing him to act like that?! He seems younger than me, I never even heard of him, who the fuck is he?!” Like a childish tantrum thrown, it stunned both listeners and brought them a headache.
Lukas looked with dissaproval at Baldie, and his eyes said that he expects him to answer those questions. A smirk on his face showed he actually anticipated the answers, as if a punchline to a joke.
Baldie hung his head down and exhaled dissapointed, then, swiftly smacked Sebastian up his head.
„Ow!”
„Shut up boy! It's lesson time.” He looked at Luke for a sec, gathering his thoughts and continued as he looked at his minion once again.
„Breakers, you idiot, are the people we hire when I know fuck ups like you are not enough to handle stuff. You are new to this, and yes, you are older than him. This lad right here is barely 24 years old...”At that Luke raised his eyebrows in suprise, that was right, he was turning 24 this year, he missed his birthday again, another one was closer than further, and that's not counting the time he spend in diffrent time zones where time dialation further aged him.
„... and this lad right here was one of the youngest ones we had, and the worst. Not as in bad, worst as in he did the worst jobs, worst acts and with best results. Breakers, and that's a lesson to you too Luke, are not really a thing anyomore, they were already dying out as he left,it only took a year more for them to not be called upon anymore. Breakers, my fuck up, were free lancers, unafiliated with any group. Hitman, drug mules, tortureres, kidnappers, if something had to be done, they would do it or die trying. For a price ofcourse. This one right here was his fathers son, at 13, he was already running jobs. When he was 15, I remember, I saw his work, he got this pedo in his apartament and nailed him to the walls and later...” Lukas coughed loudly with disapproval at that mention. „...and later you rather not know, trust me, I saw it myself. I puked. We considered killing him out of mercy, but that was forbidden, so the poor sod lived. Not for long, suicide came quickly. Not quick enough I guess...” A moment of silence passed. The reccolection of violence seemed to shake the Bald gang boss, to move something long forgotten in him. He quickly shut it down and continued with a carefree tone.
„Well, it doesn't really matter. What matters is, this guy right here would fuck you up, fold you into up and play you like an accordion and squeeze and play you, using your screems and sound of bones grating to fucking set the tune.”
„Oh come on now, I'm not some horror monster.” Luke rebuted.
Baldie turned serious for a moment.
„Now, I don't know, but you were then, so was your father, so were other breakers...”
They both knew it was the truth. Both decided not to speak more on it.
„But, as I said, the Breakers became outdated. Unneded to be more specific. We got gentrified. Even the crime did. People are wimps now, rules are set and followed. Police is more strict, harder to bribe. We have our little society of crime in here and it needs no vigilantism. It simply runs too smoothly. Normals lackeys are more than enough to beat someone up. People are too lazy these days, Luke, I tell you, too scared, too wimpy. Ehh, what happened to the good times?”
„You tell me Baldie, or should I say Boss Baldie? How the fuck did that happen? I remember you still running errands for Cyanic on White Stone. Congrats on the promotion but how?” He asked with real curiosity.
Sebastian was shocked. He knew, if anyone else asked that, if anyone even dared to treat his boss so casualy, he would get his fingers broken and teeth kicked in. This seemed unnatural, a break in patterns well established. He was lost.
„Well, my boy, I adapted, I overcame. I Darwined this shit. You know White Stone, it is what it was and it will never change, an urban warzone of shifting ground and alliences. Cyanic overdosed and his rule fell apart, luckily, before that, he bought this joint out as he consolidated with another group. I was told to run this place and the biz in the Sand Mountain, so I did. When all hell broke loose I took who I could trust, set up camp here and abondoned the rest so they could fight for the carcass. I just nabbed what flesh I could carry and started again here. The usual, just no more racketering. Police is on our ass for that. But stealing, cars, break-ins, whores, drugs, casinos? All is mine, all runs through me, on my rules.” He answered with a predatory grin.
„Your little kingdom” Luke stated.
„My little Kingdom” He confirmed with a smile.
„Well, congrats, I would maybe upgrade your knights a bit, but congrats non the less.” at that off hand critique, Sebastian wanted to throw another tantrum but a swift smack upside his head shut him up.
„And I stepped into that kingdom unknowingly, bringing stinky shit onto your rugs with each step. Making ruckus like a friday night in ...well, in this club and made a mess...”
„That you did...” Baldie answered as his body shifted. His body tensed. Some unspoken rules remained. Some things left unsaid, still held true. They both knew it.
„... I apologise, my lack of knowledge does not excuse your inconvinience. Allow me to repay this debt with any help I can grant. I am quite free right now and need a place to crash. Might as well stay in the city and take of any trouble for you. Just... remember my old code? I'm still sticking to that. I decide if I take the job.” The honest apologies relaxed baldie, even Sebastian, confused and the dumbass that he was could understand that a bloodshed was just avoided. Something good happened.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
„Well, allow me to host you then, now, come, come, let us leave this moldy basement, let's go upstairs and discuss what will follow next.” He said as he greedily rubbed his hands and turned towards the exit.
„But boss!” Sebastian cried out in outrage, how could his boss allow someone who caused so much trouble, who humiliated his underling to just go without any punishment.
„SHUT THE FUCK UP OR I WILL LOCK YOU IN HERE! YOU BETTER RUN TO MY OFFICE AND WHEN WE ENTER HOT TEA, LINES OF MY GOOD COKE AND SOME CHILLED BRANDY SHOULD BE WAITING OR FOR THE LOVE OF GOT I WILL HANG YOU BY YOUR BALLS FROM THE DISCOBALL! YOU'VE SEEN ME DO IT !!! I WILL DO IT AGAIN!!!” The rapid change of mood stunned Sebastina, he was petrified. That was the boss he knew, and he knew he was not kidding.
„MOVE YOU IDIOT!” He screamed at him, and Sebastian came out of his stupor and on all fours rushed towards the door, managing to catch a kick to the ass from his boss on his way out. He ran up the stairs as if escaping a fire and rushed to the office to have everything prepared.
As he left their view, Lukas burst into laughter.
„Jesus, what a guy...” Luke laughed.
„I'm surrounded by incompetents...” Baldie complained under his breath as he walked first towards the stairs. Luke just turned to grab his wallet, he slid it into his pants and hobbled behind the baldie.
He was caked in blood, with torn clothes and battered body. Thankfully, it was healing, rapidly. By the time he was at the level of the dancefloor he could support his bleeding wound with magic enough to make it close up. As they crossed the now empty dance floor, he could see the badly mopped up stain of blood and above it, bent metal guard railing.
*The drop seems much higher from here than it was from the top* Luke thought to himself.
As they reached the top floor, Luke was more than fine. His mortal body was mostly healed. The ribs reconected, no more swimming between fibers of flesh, His leg scabbed over, his swelling slowly dissapearing.
The doors to the office were guarded by two Big Necks, your typical steroid gangsters covered in tribal tattoo's, and bald.
As they closed to the door Luke couldn't help himself and asked jokingly.
„Everyone of your close workers is Bald, you got that trademark or something?” He jested.
The guards were suprised to hear that, but waited for bosses reaction.
„Ha, ha, very funny you ass.” came the reply.
As the boss didn't care, so did not his guards. They opened the doors and a beam of light hit Luke like a truck. His eyes were blinded by the light of the rising sun, painfully poking though the office from the huge windows overlooking the industrial region of the Sand Mountain district.
„Fuck, my eyes, can you close the blinds?” Luke requested. The hangover, the aftereffects of drugs and his heightened senses pounded on him like a stampede.
„Look at how fucking pale you are, you could use some sun, you are whiter than a piece of paper.”
„Just do it, please, it's fucking killing me.”
„SEBA! You heard the man! Shutters, close them!” Baldie yelled and Luke could here someone scrambling and thumping with rapid steps on the floor. With the sound of a cord being pulled, the blessed darkness came.
He could hear a flick of a switch, and dim, oragne lights flooded the room.
He looked around as he crossed the threshhold.
„Cosy place you got here...” Lukas commented as he made his way to the red, velvet couch in front of the big, glass table that separated him, and Baldie.
They both plopped down heavily, comfortably. As promised, few lines and a glass of chilled brandy was waiting for each of them.
Lukas took a bill from the mound of cash at the side of the table and without asking for permission rolled it up, stuck it up his nose and snorted the first line.
Once again, Sebastian's eyes almost fell out from shock at how nonchalant and daring this man was to take without claim what belonged to his boss, not even wait for him to start first.
Baldie did the same, the only diffrence he had his own metal straw for this purpose only.
Bending over the table, they both snorted the long lines without a stop and took a second to shake their heads and wipe their noses as their brains were pricked by tiny needles and nervous system was flashing with nodes of bright.
With a long exhale echoing from the walls, their backs both hit their chairs at the same time.
Lukas reached out for his glass and took a swig, while looking around the room. He could subconciously feel everything in his surrounding, yet he still wanted to appreciate the office and judge how Baldie changed.
The furniture was classy, scarlet and dark brown leather was nailed with silver nails into ebony wood, forming a comfy and spacious seating. The desk was made of the same wood as the chairs, heavy, thick, massive. The surrounding walls were covered with red lights and covered in dark, uniform paint. Some black, metal cabinets were littered in the corners, and 2 safes were visible. Luke wondered how many more were hidden but decided against probing futher, he thought it would be rude of him.
On the desk, there were sprayed cash, drugs, documents and a single laptop which back was facing Luke. Withing Luke's reach, there were some glasses and bottles of high end alcohol, and just outside of his reach, a cigar box that temted him immesnly. He may not wanted to be rude to Bladies privacy regarding safes but he wanted to be sure he was safe himself. He delved into the desk using his senses and found two guns, one right under Baldies desk, about 30 cm directly above his right hand. The other was in one of the drawers, a revolver. That suprised Luke, not really practical, probably more for a show of strenght than for regular use.
Spreading the awareness furhters, he noted Baldie was packing a Glock himself in an ankle holster.
*I'm getting sloppy * He thought to himself, he should have noticed it himself while they were walking.
Baldie shivered a bit, Luke smiled at that, who would have thought that Mortals could subconciously feel being covered in a blanket of will.
He reached out to pour himself another glass and as he stood up, he motioned with his head to the cigar box.
„Would you mind?” He asked expectantly.
„Hmm? Ahhh, yes, I forgot about your little fancy. I see some things don't change. Please, be my guest.” He answered as he reached out with his left hand and slid the wooden box closer to Luke.
He smiled at that, not the cigars per se, just that Baldie was still keeping his hand close to the gun. At least some parts remained unrusted.
„Thank you”
Luke opened the little crate and whistled at the content. Laying in velvet sheet, 12 Dominican cigars rested, next to a fancy, golden guilotine and an expensive looking lighter.
As he wrested with the packaging, Baldie passed him a metal ashtray from under his desk.
Luke cut off the butt of the cigar, and rested comfortably in the armchair. With a flick of a writst, the lighter came alive, and after few puffs the butt ignited, with a deep inhale, he savoured the creamy, earthy taste of the smoke. He held it there for few seconds, and exhaled deeply, creating a cloud of smoke.
„That is some good shit Baldie, now, after such a warm welcome it would be rude of me to drag this on even further. What can I do for you?”
„Hah, straight to the case! Well, I would say I have to wrack my mind but that would be a lie. I actually have a small, itsy bitsy issue that I think you would be just perfect to solve...”
„Let me guess, something related to the Blitz?”
Baldie measured him with a suspicious gaze.
„Well, aren't you the fucking detective. How did you know?”
„Shit seems new, and I still remember how much havoc Boosters caused few years ago. This? This shit seems much worse, much more out of control, and I understand how things out of control can be a thorn in your bald ass. It's too volatile, and correct me if I'm wrong but it burns out the users too fast. Guessing by how prestine this desk is, you yourself don't participate in it. I don't see any discoloration of that vile thing on your stuff, in your eyes or your employees. Smart, might I add, don't let them touch that stuff.”
„And why is that? You know something about it?”
„Yes and no, yesterday was the first time I even learned about it's existance. Let's just say in the last few years I've improved my expertise in some subjects. This shit is suspicious, seems experimental and dangerous. Where does it even come from?”
„Haha! Now that is the milion dollar question! This is where you come in. We've been trying to locate the source for over a year now, sadly, my people are incompetent.”
„But boss! We...” Seba wanted to butt in.
„Shut the fuck up! You all are with you at the forefront! Be quiet or you will be standing faceing the wall in a corner for the next hour!” Baldie yelled with such anger that the veins on his forehead popped out.
„Eghm... sorry, as I was saying, we had some issues locating the production, hell even the distribution. We only cought some sparse information so far. It is being produced locally, and ofcourse it's overflowing from the White Stone.”
„Fucking... of course...” Luke had to rub his forehead as a migraine was quickly rising up. He took another deep inhale of the cigar and quietly allowed the baldie to continue.
„We really need to nuke that fucking place...well, either way. We ruled out the known production sites and chemist we knew that could run this on such a scale, it already spread over the whole vovoideship and we project, within a year or two will spill outwards. And that means conflict. We are already getting hounded by people from The City of Hundred Bridges, even the other towns surrounding us are sending people in, for trade, or to block it...”
„Baldie, I'm not here for you, or for any real reason, honestly, take that hand out from under the desk or I will break it, you're making me nervous. Scouts Honor, I'm here by accident.”
Before Seba could once again fly into an incompetent rage, Baldie raised his right hand to silence him.
He returned his gaze to Luke, and slowly rested his right hand on the top of the desk, clenching his fist.
„....Right, you're right. Rude of me, the whole situation is just stressful. It's been too quiet for too long, I'm getting paranoid with my old age.”
„No problem, I understand, I even approve. Just, not in this case. Continue.” He grabbed his glass and after a swig, he circled his wrist as if saying „Get on with it”.
„It's a bad Omen, I tell you. Coming back to my goons incompetence. They couldn't pinpoint the producer but we managed to find out some of the bigger sellers on the market. And even that was a chore and a half, all of them are based in regions my people can't really act in without stepping on other groups heels. And that's where an individual without any known affiliations, competent and with neccesary skills would be quite useful.” Baldie finished his speach by bending over the table and doing another line, giving Luke a moment to think this over.
There passed a moment of silence, the office seemed stiff with anticipation filling it to the brimm.
Lukas rubbed his chin, noting how his beard was getting messy and crusty from the blood.
He really must be looking right now like a kicked over bucket of misery.
He decided to clear his head with another line that stung his brain, and this allowed him to clear his thoughts and focus. He needed to plan this out. Puffing his delightful cigar, he muled over the way to approach this.
His new abilities should make this easy, he didn't know what to do with himiself right now either way. He couldn't go back, he would get slaughtered. He had to recuperate, prepare, improve. He had to heal. But he also had to act, to do something or the enchroaching madness and guilt would consume him.
Theoretically, he would be doing a good deed by helping with this mess. That Blitz stuff was too volatile to be let loose, this country is already packed with impulsive idiots, no need to fan the flames even more.
Plus, he was getting a hunch this was something important. Something he should be caring about.
Lost and without purpose as he was right now, he decided it won't be so bad to stretch his legs a bit.
He was not looking foreward to revisiting the place where he spent the worse years of his life, but he arrived here for some purpose. He still didn't know why his body trecked here in catatonic state, but his own mind was a mistery to him even before this whole Veil business begun.
Most of his knowledge was out of date. Most of his contacts probably gone. At least Baldie had some reach and weight to throw around, that should ease this up.
„Seek and Investigate you say?” he said absentmindedly.
Baldie's smile bloomed revealing slightly yellowed teeth.
„Yes! That! Easy peasy, and if you manage to destroy any stashes, or even better get me any info about production? Now that! I would reward that help handsomely. So? What's your decision?”
„...Fine.”
„Yes! Haha! Now we have something to celebrate.”
„Before that, we set some rules, make some plans and you'll need to bring me up to date on some stuff.”
„No Luke, before that, you need to wash yourself, wear some proper clothes because you stink and leave blood on my nice furniture. On the other side of the floor is a small apartment I use when I need to stay over, make yourself comfortable and we will talk tomorrow when you rest. If you're hungry or need anything just ask Sebastian, he will be yours to use and command.”
„BUT BOSS?!”
„INTO THE FUCKING CORNER YOU GO! NO TALKING BACK!” Baldie was really on the verge of an aneurysm this time.
Luke just laughed out loudly.
„Sure, thank you for the hospitality. We will talk tomorrow. I see it's almost noon, so lets meet up tomorrow at the same hour? I will need to plan some stuff out. Sebastian, get me some food, alot of it, I'm starving. Get anyhting that's high in calories in protein. I'm taking the cigar.”
He finished his drink in one swig, stood up with the cigar in his mouth and extended his right arm.
Baldie stood up almost immidietly and with a shit eating grin, clasped Luke's forearm, they shook on it as their fingers dug into eachothers arm.
„The Deal is Done.”
„The Deal is Done.”