Lukas measured the man in front of him with a weary gaze. After a moment of silence he turned around and motioned for him to follow him inside the room. The man scrambled behind him, bringin in the bag of food he was holding, and the rest of the bags that were waiting next to the doors. It took few trips back and forth but Sebastian was finally able to cram all of the ordered stuff under Luke's legs.

As the bags were brought in, Sebastian stood in the middle of the room, unsure what to do next.

„Don't just stand there like a wooden pole in the field, close the doors. I can hear the ruckus the workers are making preparing the dancefloor. What day even is it? No matter, take a sit on the bed” Luke gestured with his free hand as the other was picking up one of the bags filled with still warm food and sat down on the office chair next to the desk.

„So...what now?” The hoodlum asked.

„Now...” Luke munched on a steaming Farmer Buger „ you will answer some questions for me.” The silence continued as the bigger of the two wolfed down a whole burger in 4 bites. He looked around for the fizzy drinks and was handed one by the other man.

He welcomed the suprise. Maybe he still had some hope to him.

As the sweetness flooded his mouth and the bubbles popped in his cheeks and the coldness flooded his teeth he almost shed a tear. Luke couldn't truly remember when he drank anything other then alcohol in the recent times. This was cathargic.

„It's always the small things that brighten the day.”

„Huh?”

„Nothing, just a life lesson. So...” the crinckling sound of paper being unwrapped resounded again „Did you get some of the Blitz? Also, throw the clothes on the bed, and pass me the notebook and the writing utensils. You want a beer?” That questions stopped the man midtrack as he was emptying the shopping bags.

„....erm, sure? Thanks?” Seba almost dropped the can as it was tossed to him, sliping in his hands but eventually landing true. Luke gestured to him with the one he was holding, and with a loud pop, both of them opened their drinks and took a big swig.

„Ahh, that's the stuff.” Luke mused.

„So, what can you tell me about the Blitz from your own perspective?”

„Mine? I never tried this shit, too freaky for me.”

„Jesus, I meant what do you think and know about it, not what Baldie told me, just your thoughts on it. In detail.”

The man squirmed on the chair, probably not used to anyone actually wanting to listen to him.

„Well, like I said man, this shit is freaky. I started seeing it many months ago, first in the clubs, later it spilled onto the streets. The fucking eyes man, it can't be good for you if it fucks with your eyes like that. And the people who became addicted and can't get a fix? Jesus man, it's worse than the Crocodile aftereffects.”

Luke perked up at that.

„How so? Crocodile was that russian shit that they mixed with benzine and ink and then injected it into veins and muscles right? Didn't the muscles rot while the person was still breathing and walking around? The tissue would slough of the bone and they wouldn't care.”

„Yeah, that, exactly, we had it here also but we destroyed all distribution, it was killing too many of our clients.”

„Yeah, figures, the humanitarian work of the gangs. So, what does the blitz do?”

„Man, it's like a horror child of Crocodile and that Fentantyl shit americans seem to love so much. The people ? The people after that become twisted. You know how this things makes you strong as an ox, ye? So people take this more and more, pump iron on it, swing their arms like freaking sledgehammers after that.”

The bruises that have yet to healed and the stinging pain in Luke's ribs was a proof to that statement.

„But when they stop? That balloon deflates quickly, people turn into shadows of their former selfs. No power to them, bones turn brittle, muscles turn to styrofoam. The ones dying from organ failure quickly are the lucky ones, the others turn to freaking zombies. Eyes blank, just covered in pale colors of the Blitz, they can barely speak, and when they do they are barely coherent and quiet as shit. I've seen a guy's arm break simply because we pulled him by his forearm. The bones pierced the skin like paper, and the fucker didn't even react! It's crazy it tell you, look! Look! How can this shit be good for ya?!” He was gesticulating madly as he pulled out a vial from one of his pockets and wiggled it in front of Luke's face.

He snatched it from his hand, startling the Sebix, but seeing that Luke was focused on the vial, he decided to continue his speach.

„Yeah, so that, and more. It's just burns you out. Wicks extinguish from drugs, sure, but not like that. Something here is properly cursed.”

Luke thought about the wording, but from what little knowledge he had about curses he doubted this was it. He remained silent so Seba could continue talking.

„... Look, I don't know about this shit much, I don't even know why the Boss wants to rely on you for this. I asked around, only the old guys even reacted to the Breaker title, and none of them wanted to talk. They actually seemed scared to even open their mouths. What the fuck?”

„...It's not something you should consider yourself with. But honestly, I am shocked the Breakers became outdated. What about Fixers? Any still remain?”

„Fixers?....Fixer.... Hmm, I' ve accompanied boss twice on visits with two people he called Fixers I think in the last 3 years. Weird fellas, one old and wrinkly like my ballsack, he was taking care of a clean up from a mess our boys made stealing a shipment. The other guy was young. Fancy as shit, expensive clothes, lots of tech at his place. Information broker I think?”

„Red hair?” Luke asked thinking he may knew who he was.

„Kinda? Dark red, big guy, tall, not fat. Scratchy voice, like he ate gravel for breakfast. And smoked a lot, I could smell weed a street over from his place.”

„Hmmm, weird, oh well, if I remember about him,we will visit the man.”

„We?”

„Didn't you hear? You're mine for the time of this Deal. And don't scowl, I'm not a fan of this myself. The quicker we get this done, the quicker it's over. You packing?”

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At that question, Sebix bent down on the bed and reached behind his back, pulling a glock from under his hoodie.

Luke remained unfazed, even as the gun faced him.

„I will let this slide this time, but point it again at me and I will shove it down your throat and knock your teeth loose with the barrel before you can actually load it you dumbass. The gun is uncocked.”

A moment of silence passed. Sebas hand shook a bit and he pointed the barrel to the side.

„Sorry.'' he whispered.

*Good* Luke knew the man needed some humility ingrained into him, it's better to do it now then after he causes an incident.

„Now, continue, what do we know about production, distribution and so on?”

„Distribution decentralized as fuck, production remains a mistery.” he answered curtly.

„Oh come on, you fucking dunce, any details or did the year you spend on this was full of you seating on your thumbs and wiggling them up your assholes? Details!” Luke got actually angry from how unprofesional this was.

„All right! All right, chill man. So look, listen, first we found people who were using this consistently. From them we traced distribution centers. Easy, peasy, or so we thought. Except it fucking wasn't!” As the man's whining increased, Lukas was really starting to regret taking this Deal. He half focused on igniting and guiding his healing matrix, the mortal wounds were fine, he focused on his True Body and tried to restore the tendons and bones first. The rooms temperature rose slighlty as the embers in his heart intensified.

„So there we are, tracking this bastard day and night, detective stake out style, and I swear to god, he just pops out of his house with endless suply, noone came into the builindg with anything bigger than a shopping bag. This dragged on for two weeks, so we finally raided the place. The guy had to have a huge stash, right?Wrong! Barely a carton box of it, so we waited for him, and questioned him. He said he gets deliveries weakly! Now, could we have missed something in three weeks overall we spend there once? Sure, twice with rotating shifts? Doubtful but fucking regurarly?Nu-uh my man, no way. We capped the fucker, and went to the next. And you won't imagine what?!”

Lukas was starting to get a forboding feeling about it.

„The situations repeated, the deliveries just magically appeared?”

„Poof! Like the fuckign Coperfield changed his occupation, we even set up dash cams on the cars in front of all building etrances, near the balconies and staked one guy for 3 months, even set up cams on the floor he lived on. And nothing, always, magically some random schmuck just pops up from the stairway carrying this shit, knocks on the door like the fucking mail man, leaves the shit and some papers, grabs the money and poof, he is gone with the wind.”

Consternation and suspicion blanketed Luke's thoughts.

„You got the videos?”

„Yeah, I guessed you would want them. I got a laptop in one of the bags, it's already on there. Boss told me to leave it with you, there also other technical stuff we learned about it but the contents of the drugs are still mostly mistery, our chems are loosing their minds trying to unravel that shit.”

„Ehh, figures.”

Lukas ran his now greasy hand through his clumpy hair and stopped mid movement.

„You know what? I still haven't showered. Let me tell you what, leave me the clothes, let's take a breather, I'll freshen up and think about it and finish my meal. Be so kind and order me five or six buckets of chicken for the night and some energy drinks, come back when the order arrives, I'll try to have something for you by then. Go grab a smoke, I see you fucking twitching man.”

„Ah, thanks, and goddamn do you eat alot, but sure, smoke won't hurt. I should be back within an hour.”

A careless wave of a palm sent him away as Luke started undresing and entered the bathroom hidden in the corner.

As the doors closed, he almost broke into a sprint to reach the doors to the bathroom, and as he pulled on the door handle, and the cold from the tiled room swept over him, he shivered from joy.

His mind cleared away as he tore the patchy, crusty shirt of himself and pulled down his pants, kicking them onto the toilet reservoir. Not caring to even look at himself in the mirror, he pulled on the glass doors of the suprisingly spacious shower and stepped inside. As alaways, he stood directly under the nozel, and blasted ice cold water at full strenght.

It revitalized him, as it flushed down his body, both filth and worry flowed down into the drain.

Cleansing of the body, and of the mind. The cold droplets splashed against his frame, making him slightly shiver, more from pleasure than from cold. The water glid down his skin and bubbled within seconds of contact, turning to steam, as his body heat boiled it off him.

The matrix was fully operated as he rested his forehead on the cold tiles and allowed the back of his head and back to be cooled down.

Looking down, he could see a stream of red and crusty pieces of dirt pooling down at his feet. His eyelids shut as he tried to cast away the memory of the nightmare he dremed just few minutes before.

A deep exhale followed, with mist wafting out of his mouth, fogging up his field of view.

His mind was unfocused, thought jump from an idea to an idea. Flashes of plans, set up, needs and requirements blinked behind them. Questions appeared and answers followed.

He slammed his forehead into the tiles, once, twice, thrice. Shaking his head like a wet dog, he focused and shuffled the proper state of mind into the forefront of thought.

As it settled, he started scrubbing himself energetically. Layers of sweat and blood came of him in waves. Scabs on his body fell off, revealing fresh scar tissue, pink and vibrant.

His mortal body was already healed from the incured damages. The matrix supported the regeneration, and Luke could only laugh at how incomprehensible it was. The speed of regeneratino, and how slow in comparison his real body healed. The leg Klaus fucked up still was a long time away from being fully functional, his internals were still in shambles. At least his skin started to patch up properly and his throat wound closed with a thin film of flesh, enough not to allow anything to pass through at least.

Clearing his through, loud caughs escaped his mouth as he spit a globule of fleghm into the drain.

„At least no blood there”

Slowly, hesitantly, he turned the nob off and the water stopped. Going out of the shower, he grabbed the nearest towel, soft as a cloud, and slowly, methodically he wiped his whole body.

Opening the cabinet hanging over the sink, he emptied it's contents. It took a moment but he found a razor and went to town on the unkempt beard that plauged his face.

Few moments later and he regained his humanity. His eyes remained unchanged, but his face regained some flush to it. Small scar tissue visible but barely noticable on the pale backdrop that was his complexion. The corners of his mouth rose slightly. He slapped himself few times with loud smacks echoing in the bathroom.

He felt ready.

Going back to the room, he started emptying the bags onto the floor and the bed. Leaving the laptop on the desk next to the wrappers and emptied cans.

„Huh?” finding a suprise in one of the bags he found something he didn't anticipate. A pack of smokes and a lighter.

„Perfect.” He mouthed off as a ciggarete found it's home between his lips and he ignited it with a spark from between his fingers. The casual cast of the spell brought memories of his first time using it in the sewers.

As he scrambled in the mess he created, he heard the knock on the door. Suprised by how qickly the time passed by, Lukas barely had the time to pull some underwear that was thankfully provided onto his butt and walked out to open the door.

Sebix always seemed intimidated when he was facing Luke, but the confusion and shock he noticed on his face the man saw him almost nude and took in the physique and the scars that covered him almost brought Luke to tears.

The man was frozen in place, mouth hanging open and eyes unblinking.

Luke just chuckled and turned his back to him.

„Come on, gay boy, you can watch me get dressed from inside”

„Oi! I ain't gay!” The man rushed inside fuming and mumbling under his breath.

Luke pulled a t-shirt over his head, it fit snugly. Tight, flexible, didn't restrict movement. Almost as if second skin.

As he was bent over, putting one leg into his new pants he noticed that Seba was still staring at him with immense focus.

„Dude, I was joking. Can you not stare at my ass so much?”

„I AIN'T GAY!” He screamed. „I'm not staring at your ass!”

„Yeah, sure buddy, sure.”

„You motherfuck-I'm staring at your leg! What happened to the wound?You were cut up nicely on your calf, where's the wound?” Sebix seemed perplexed.

„I eat well, I heal well, don't worry about it” The tone of that left no room for more questions.

Lukas zipped his pants up and took his place on the office chair.

Grabbing the food that Sebastian brought in with him, they spend a moment in silence. Just sounds of chewing and swallowing could be heard, interrupted by the hiss of open cans.

After four buckets, Lukas was content. Wiping his mouth with a napkin he threw carelessly behind the laptop, he turned to face Sebastian again. He rested his elbows on his knees and closed his palms on eachother, bringing the index finger under his nose.

„All right, here is what I need, and this is the plan.”