After navigating through the maze of alleyways and passageways, Fii finally reached her destination—a makeshift, ramshackle tavern built on a loading dock. Raucous, cacophonous music blared from within, and bright lights emanated from the building's cracked windows and patched-up walls. The air smelled of stale tobacco smoke and cheap perfume, and the laughter of drunkards could be heard from within.

Fii steeled her nerves and pushed through the main entrance, stepping inside.

She emerged into a dim, humid room full of people drinking and carousing. The walls were lined with tables, and at the center of the establishment stood a long, polished wooden counter. Various bottles of alcohol and spirits were stacked behind the counter, illuminated by glowing neon tubes.

At the far end of the room, a stage sat, with a live band performing a noisy, dissonant song. Their lead singer wailed incomprehensibly while his two backup singers played bass and drums, respectively. The drummer banged away furiously on his instrument, shaking his shaggy mane of dyed pink hair in sync with the beat. The bassist swayed and bobbed his head, playing a hypnotic melody as he leaned into his instrument.

Fii maneuvered her way past the crowd of dancers, squeezing past the wall of sweaty, heaving bodies. She reached the counter and squeezed in beside a group of boisterous regulars.

"Hey, Phil, fix me a Sea Siren," she yelled over the din.

A stocky, greasy-haired man clad in a stained vest and cargo shorts slid over to her and wiped his hands with a rag. "The usual, eh, Fii? I've missed you!" He poured a clear liquid into a glass and mixed it with a few drops of blue dye. "Sorry, I ran out of blueberry soda. You know how it is. Gotta use what's available." He handed her the concoction.

Fii accepted the proffered beverage and gulped it down eagerly. The cold, fruity alcohol numbed her tongue and sent a warm tingle through her body, easing her frayed nerves.

"I love what you've done with the place," she teased. "It's even trashier than before."

"Hah, ain't that the truth. But hey, beggars can't be choosers, right?" He chuckled and tossed his stained apron to the floor, exposing his sweaty chest. "I'm sweating my ass off here, though. Someone better break out a window with a brick, or I'll throw out the whole damn lot of you myself."

He gestured angrily at the crowd of revelers dancing around him. "And somebody tell those Neon Knights to lay the hell off, wouldya? They've been hassling us since noon, demanding protection fees, threatening to wreck the place. Fucking pricks, the lot of them. Why, just yesterday—"

"Easy, Phil, easy." Fii waved him down, finishing the drink. "Slow down. One thing at a time." She handed him back the empty glass. "Those Knights here right now?"

Phil sniffed and wiped his nose with a handkerchief, scowling. "Yeah, they're sitting at their usual booth. You see the one with the sickly purple eyes?" He pointed a stubby finger at a nearby table where a group of hooligans was loudly drinking, smoking, and heckling passersby.

"Right there, the bald bastard wearing the ridiculous green tank top with those big, ugly muscles. Thinks he's all that, but I tell ya, I've seen prettier pigs. Anyway, he's the one I dealt with yesterday. The fucking nerve of that prick! Like we're running some kinda whorehouse here. Ugh. Can you believe this shit?" He gestured wildly, indignant.

"But anyways, they've been hanging around for a while, which is annoying as hell. They haven't left, so I have to serve them or else they'll tear the place apart, but I'd rather they piss off and go back to their hole and never come out."

Fii nodded absently, studying the Knights' table discreetly. She spotted the man Phil had described: bald, burly, with a deep scar running along his right brow, a broken nose, and sickly, purplish-yellow eyes. He wore a tacky neon tank top, torn jeans, and steel-toed combat boots, and he smoked a cigar while tossing back shots of booze.

Next to him sat a smaller woman with green hair, wearing a sleeveless, cropped top, leather jacket, and denim miniskirt, with thigh-high combat boots. Her makeup was smeared, and her mascara had run down her cheeks. She hung off the arm of the larger thug, giggling and nuzzling his neck drunkenly.

The rest of the table consisted of several other similar-looking goons, all of whom wore the signature colors of the Neon Knights. Each member sported tattoos and piercings on various parts of their body, often in conspicuous locations like the ears or nipples. They brandished knives and blunt weapons openly, laughing and jeering at everyone they saw.

Great, they're all trashed. Hope that doesn't complicate things.

"Anyway, kid, you haven't been by in ages," Phil remarked, pouring her another drink. "Where've you been keeping yourself lately? Heard you disappeared for a while after getting into a tussle with the Gully Rats again. That true?"

Fii grinned, accepting the beverage with thanks. "Oh, y'know, been working, staying busy. Ran into some trouble, but I worked it out."

She eyed the gangsters cautiously, trying not to attract attention to herself. "So, those Knights been showing up for a while now?"

"Yep," Phil confirmed, sighing heavily. "Every night this week. They usually come around for a few hours and leave, but now they're practically squatting in the joint."

"Think it's because of the Neon Vipers?"

"Honestly, yeah, probably. The Knights have been looking to expand their territory for a while now, and those Viper bastards have been cutting into their drug trade. Last I checked, they've been feuding for the past couple of weeks, which means there's a power struggle in the making, and I'm not exactly thrilled at the prospect. Could be messy as hell if it comes to blows."

"Makes sense..." Fii mused aloud. "Say, do you know anything about this new stuff the Vipers have been pushing?"

Phil raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Can't say I have, no. All I've heard is that they've been distributing something called Shiver. Can't tell you anything about it, though. Only thing I can tell you is that if you wanna get in touch with the Neon Knights, this here's your chance. They'll know something about the new stuff, if they ain't involved with it themselves."

Fii thanked Phil again and excused herself, carrying her second drink to an empty corner of the room. She snagged an abandoned stool from a nearby table and sat down, leaning against the wall while observing the Neon Knights from afar.

They looked like they were having a good, rowdy time. Maybe she'd be able to get some information out of 'em while they were like that.

After a moment of deliberation, she summoned her courage and decided to approach them directly. But just as she was about to stand up and make her move, a gloved hand pressed against her shoulder and sat her back down.

Bewildered, Fii turned and found herself staring at Virgil, who somehow was sitting on the stool next to hers without her ever noticing.

"What the—"

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Calm yourself, kid. I've been keeping an eye on you the past hour," he explained casually. "Followed you to The Crimson Claw. Zig's place, right? Had a chat with him. Nice chap, but I couldn't get a word outta him on Shiver. He shut up real quick when I brought it up. Then I tailed you here."

"Wha- but, how-" Fii spluttered, shocked by Virgil's sudden appearance.

How'd he manage to tail her without her noticing? He wasn't exactly inconspicuous with his tattered trench coat, battered cowboy hat, and dusty boots. Hell, he practically stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the neon-clad ravers surrounding them.

"I followed you through the alleys. It's an old skill of mine. Remind me to teach you later. Useful for avoiding attention when you don't wanna be followed, or for sneaking up on a mark." He sipped his glass of whiskey, never taking his eyes off the Neon Knights' table. "In any case, you were about to do something stupid like confront that gang, weren't you?"

Fii shifted uncomfortably on her stool. "No, I mean, uh, well..." She trailed off, unable to fabricate a convincing lie. "Look, I know, but I have to ask them, okay? Maybe they have answers about—"

Virgil waved her down and grunted, "Hold up, kid. You're talking to the wrong people. Those bastards wouldn't spill the beans on this even if they knew anything. If you had tried to prod them about the Vipers or the drug, they would have thought that you were spying on them. It would have gone south, real quick." He turned and studied her, frowning. "Besides, we don't even know for certain that they're involved, do we?"

Fii furrowed her brows and scowled. "Hey, I didn't come all the way out here for nothing! I figured, they're the only lead we've got at this point, so we should take advantage while we can."

Virgil grunted, unimpressed. "Might as well stick your foot in a trap and see what happens, sure. A good plan." He pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling in exasperation. "Look, I admit that you got some good informants around here—that Zig fellow, the barkeep, and probably a few more I reckon. But they probably got a soft spot for you to begin with so they're giving you preferential treatment."

He shook his head ruefully. "If you approached the Knights with these questions, though, they wouldn't bother answering, or worse, they might become hostile. It would have put you in danger, and you'd have wasted valuable time."

Fii sulked, averting her eyes from Virgil.

"Okay, fine, you're probably right," she conceded grudgingly. "But can we at least ask around? Try to figure out where they got the drugs from? Anything to go off, really. It's the only lead we got at this point."

Virgil studied the gang's table again, scratching his stubble in contemplation. "Actually, perhaps there is something we can do here. An old trick I used to do when hunting bounty targets. Mind you, we may get our hopes dashed, but it's better than doing nothing."

"Whatcha got in mind, old timer?" Fii smirked.

Virgil ignored the jab, adjusting his hat as he surveyed the club. "All right, listen carefully. You're going to approach their table and offer them a toast. Tell them you heard that they're the toughest gang in the neighborhood and that you wanted to show your appreciation. Play to their egos. As you walk over, I'm going to slip around and try to swipe their stash from their bags or coats. Hopefully, I'll be able to lift something valuable to us. Got it?"

Fii nodded slowly, absorbing the instructions. "So...we're basically mugging them? Pretty ballsy."

"Yup. Besides, this is hardly mugging. This is stealing from the gangs; we're doing the community a favor here." He finished his drink in one gulp and wiped his mouth. "Let's do this. Remember, keep it smooth. No need to rush it; make it casual, friendly."

With that, Virgil stood, moving stealthily through the crowd until he faded from view.

Sure, Virgil. Leave the heavy lifting to the girl. This had better work!

Fii gulped nervously, psyching herself up to approach the Knights' table. She took a deep breath and carried her glass over to them, maneuvering through the dense cluster of partiers.

Here goes nothing!

Once she arrived at their table, she plastered on a fake smile and greeted them with feigned cheerfulness, "Hey, gang! How's everybody doing tonight? Having a good time?"

The bald brute turned to leer at her, his crooked teeth bared in a crude, drunken smile. "Heyyy, gorgeous! Come on over here and join us for a drink! We got plenty to spare. And plenty more fun if you're into it." His purplish eyes gleamed with interest as they roved over her figure. "Mmm... I dig the jacket, and you definitely got the looks. What do ya say?"

The gang laughed and jeered at her, and a few of the men reached out to grab at her clothes suggestively, but she deftly sidestepped them, still smiling politely.

"Sorry, guys, I'm not interested. I just thought I'd stop by and offer you a drink, since, y'know, you looked like you were having a rough day." She held up her glass and tilted her head to one side, giving the leader her most charming grin. "I hear the Neon Knights are tough as nails, so I just wanted to give my respect. I guess you deserve it, so...cheers."

She held out her drink awkwardly.

The bald man stared at her for a long moment, unblinking, then burst into raucous laughter. The rest of his gang joined in, and for a minute, they sat there howling, wheezing, and pounding the table, slapping each other on the back.

When their fit finally subsided, the leader peered at her, grinning. "All right, cutie, I'll bite. Thanks, I guess. Much appreciated, really. But let's make this interesting, shall we?"

He lifted a small box and waved it in her face, opening the lid to reveal several hypodermic syringes filled with a sparkling, translucent fluid. "I'm feeling generous, so you can have a hit of this. On the house! Call it a reward for cheering up the gang. Haha."

Fii recoiled slightly at the sight of the needle, but kept her composure, smiling amiably. "Really? Wow, thanks so much. Um...but I don't do needles. Sorry, maybe not today."

The leader leaned forward, fixing her with a dangerous glare. "Huh. Oh, so that's how you wanna play, eh?" His voice dropped to a low growl, and he snarled, "Look, little bitch, you want this, you take it. End of discussion."

The gang muttered ominously, growing restless. They glowered at her, and their hands crept to their weapons, fingers curling around the hilts of their knives.

Fii frowned and took a step back. "Listen, I said no thanks, okay? I just wanted to show you some respect. I don't need your charity." She glanced around, searching the crowd for Virgil, but she couldn't find him anywhere. "Umm...okay, well, enjoy the rest of your night. I gotta go."

The bald brute's eyes narrowed dangerously, and he snarled, "Going nowhere, girl. And I don't take kindly to being turned down. We don't do refunds, y'see? And I hate when I get stood up, especially by a skank like you." He grabbed her by the wrist, and the gang rose from their seats, closing in around her menacingly. "So you'll have to pay us back another way, if you catch my drift."

He yanked her toward him, wrapping his arm around her waist tightly. "Come on, now, don't play shy. There's a reason you came to our table tonight, and you can't fool us, baby."

Her urge to just kick the shit out of them was strong. Very, very strong. But she needed to stay calm; any sudden movements and she could escalate things. Then this whole place could get torn up...or worse.

Damn, where did Virgil run off to?

"Come on, honey, open wide and relax," the bald thug coaxed. "Show me that pretty mouth of yours. Lemme see those lips wrap around th—"

A beer bottle shattered against the back of his head, cutting his sentence short. He released his grip on Fii and stumbled sideways, clutching his scalp and yelping in pain.

Fii seized the opportunity to free herself and sprinted toward the exit as fast as she could, shouting a quick apology to Phil along the way.

Outside, she tore down the alley and into the night, dodging and weaving through the maze of darkened pathways. She ducked into a side alley and rested against a crumbling brick wall, trying to catch her breath.

After a brief pause, she strained her ears and listened intently, catching the sound of approaching footsteps coming from behind her. She spun around, fists raised defensively.

Virgil strode calmly into the alley, his hands in his pockets and his expression relaxed. He removed his hat and shook his head in mock disapproval. "See, this is what I mean. I told you it would go badly, didn't I? Now imagine what would have happened if you went ahead and did your original plan—talking to them."

Fii scowled and shot him a dirty look. "Yeah, yeah. I get it already. Still, you couldn't have stepped in a bit sooner, could you? And what happened to the plan, anyway?"

He patted the front of his trench coat. "Oh, don't worry, I got something interesting from them. Stowed it away in my jacket already." He raised his hands in a placating gesture as she opened her mouth to complain. "I was waiting for the right moment, kid. Didn't expect the bastard to threaten you like that. Should've knocked his lights out right there and then, but that would have blown the whole operation."

Fii sighed, slumping against the wall in defeat. "Fine. Whatever. We got something, at least. Can't do anything about what-ifs, so let's see what you got."

She followed him out of the alley, and together they returned to the Vigil.