Gula Invidia-Black Market (III): A Favor For A Favor

--- Booker H. Freeman ---

“Alright, this is the place.” Beez’el informed them after a ten minute walk from where the Inferni had parked.

“This is a Black Market?” Lydia asked, eyeing the abandoned train station in front of them.

“It’s one of the entrances.” Beez’el confirmed while adjusting his leather jacket. “Bunch of assholes tried making a monopoly with the subways, which meant they killed every other asshole trying to do the same. Eventually there were a lot more empty rails than working trains and the squatters moved in.”

“Fascinating.” He admitted, following the Inferni inside.

(Pride: Greed truly is the source of innovation.)

(Gluttony: So long as you eat the rich before they get fat.)

(Greed: I don’t know how I should take this.)

“Is there security we need to worry about?” He wondered, using a claw to trace some of the graffiti lining the brickwork walls.

“Not unless you try some shit in someone’s place, beyond that it’s your job to keep yourself safe and if you know where the market is then you know that too.” Beez’el answered, hopping over a turnstile with ease.

(Gluttony: Laws of the jungle then~)

“I see.” He nodded, kicking his own turnstile off of its hinge before stepping through, Lydia following just a step behind.

“So before we get into shit, you decide on how you want to do this?” Beez’el asked, hopping off the waiting platform and onto the rails. “And watch your step, third rail ‘s still live.”

(Pride: The larger rails in between the main tracks. They’ve a fair amount of voltage running through them. Can practically taste it in the air.)

“Yes, I believe the best solution to our current objective is to split our focus. I’ll focus on the direct route while you two split off and take care of what you must in the background.” He explained, easily walking off the ledge. “Hopefully, you can inspire a secondary rebellion, and if not you can arrange some other distraction once I get close to our patreon this evening.”

(Lust: Don’t forget Lydia!)

“Are you going to be able to handle everything by yourself?” Lydia asked, as he spun to help her off the platform. “I mean, I’m sure you can put up a fight but… you’re going to have to be… something to keep all eyes on you.”

“Oh, I am nothing if not a performer my dear!” He chuckled, before raising the bone charm and pushing a bit of magic into it. “And don’t forget I’ve a number of tricks I’ve yet to share, my dear.”

Beez’el and Lydia both stared at the charm sparking with power in his hand, and despite the different looks on their faces he could easily make out the envie each was feeling.

(Envy: They know what it’s like to be beaten down, and want the power to return the favor…)

(That could be fun~) He thought to himself, a vague grin on his face as he imagined his compatriots in this venture collecting their own pounds of flesh. It made his stomach rumble…

(Gluttony: Can’t wait to get to the buffet…)

After a few minutes on the track they found their way to a collection of railcars of all shapes and sizes their cars open, each stacked with a number of passengers and wares alike and illuminated by glowing crystals and burning bins scattered between it all.

“There… there are a lot more trains here than I thought there’d be…” Lydia mumbled, taking it all in with an awed if guarded expression.

“Guys who ran the lines didn’t trust their trains to be safe above ground so they built the yards underground where only they could get to them. At least until they got into their pissing contest.” Beez’el explained as he led them through the market. “Now each yard is a Black Market while half the stations have been turned into gang hideouts.”

“A whole world hidden by an underground railroad.” He wasn’t sure why but the idea tickled something in him.

Beez’el spun on heels and started walking backwards as he spoke. “Alright, like I said earlier I’ve got an idea of who we’re looking for but I’m still going to have to pull a few favors if we want to actually track this fuck down.”

“Anything you require our aid for in this hunt?” He checked, some part of him not liking how he wasn’t doing the hunting himself.

(Wrath: It loses the sport.)

(Gluttony: Dulls our fangs.)

(Pride: We need to earn it.)

(Sloth: You do realize doing the tedium is the whole point of minions, right?)

“Maybe…” Beez’el admitted before turning and glaring further down the tracks where a pair of men were seemingly wrapping up a beating involving an Inferni in rags. Something no one in the immediate vicinity was moving to do anything about.

(Gluttony: A bit stringy, but they could make a nice snack.)

As the men walked past them Beez’el’s tail shifted through the air, lashing towards the men’s back but not quite striking them. Instead his tail retracted, now coiled around a crimson light. One that the Inferni tossed towards his fallen brethren.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

(Greed: Now that’s a trick I wouldn’t mind learning~)

“What did you just do?” Lydia asked, eyes darting back as the downed Inferni brought the light to their chest some of their injuries seeming to fade.

Beez’el glanced back with a smug grin. “What? Never seen someone pick a pocket?”

“Not like that.” His younger companion confessed. “I mean you just reached out and…” She closed her hand on air.

“You Hume burn and make Sin like nobody’s business, Shaving a bit off the top while a fucker is still making it is easy.” Beez’el explained with a fanged grin.

“If you can do that, why bother with the Tour Guide thing?” Lydia frowned (grotesquely).

“Picking pockets is chump change, and no one respects chumps for long.” Beez’el grumbled with a dark look, his hand reaching for something near his neck. “If you want to make it big you’ve got to do something big. Otherwise they’ll just treat you like trash to be tossed aside.”

(Envy: True.)

(Pride: Very true.)

After a few more minutes of walking they stopped at a train with a bass oriented music flowing from within and colorful lights shining out through cracks in the painted black windows.

(Lust: Ooh, they turned the train into a club!)

“This is the place. Stick close and let me do the talking.” Beez’el told them as he walked past a number of animalistic humans smoking just outside the gangway between train cars. Slitted eyes watching them all the while.

When Beez’el opened the door Booker couldn’t help but flinch at the sudden overwhelming blast of music, lights, smoke, and the stench of bodies.

(Gluttony: Gah, too much!)

(Lust: No such thing!)

He hesitated to follow the Inferni inside as his guide shoved into the throng of bodies, his face twisted into something between a grin and a grimace.

In spite of his discomfort he still caught Lydia grabbing onto his tailcoat, the small dear staring ahead with wide and anxious eyes that darted all about.

(Lust: Ah, she’s scared of the crowd…)

(Sloth: Keep her where we can see her.)

(Gluttony: We might need her to serve a distraction.)

He reached out a hand on the girl as he gently pushed her in front of him, before telling her, “Stay where I can see you and remember I’m right behind you.”

“R-right.” His companion nodded before swallowing down her apprehensions and starting forward.

It took them a few minutes to catch up to Beez’el but when they did they found him sitting a cart over at a bar talking to the female staff -a notably taller Inferni whose skin was more pink than red- with a strained smile.

“Come on, V, I’m not asking for much here!” Their guide practically whined.

“I don’t see you for three months and when you come back you’re asking me to not only tell you where a club blacklisted for Inferni is, but also to get you an introduction!” The bartender -‘V’- argued as she flitted about the bar. “That sounds like a fucking lot to me!”

“Look okay, if this is about the money, this is about money a lot of money!” Beez’el tried to explain.

“Oh, right, I’d completely forgotten how you left me on the hook for two months rent without any warning because you blew the money on your fucking bus!” V hissed, her slitted eyes glowing yellow.

“Hey, my bus is always an investment fuck you very much!” Their guide growled back with an affronted look.

“We both know I’d just be disappointed.” V scoffed with a dismissive look, before turning towards Booker and Lydia with a smile completely ignoring Beez’el response.

Ever so briefly the Pink Inferni’s eyes darted between him and Lydia, an ever so slight strain entering her gaze.

(Lust: She’s suspicious of the way we’re holding onto Lydia. Thinks we might be a predator of some kind.)

(Gluttony: We are~)

(Envy: Not the kind she’s thinking.)

Refusing to entertain that particular thought, he picked Lydia up and sat her on a stool before patting her on the head and taking a step towards Beez’el. “I’m assuming this madam is your contact on this little venture of ours?”

“Madam?” The bartender repeated with a touch of amusement, before narrowing her eyes at Beez’el. “Who the fuck is this Beez?”

“This is a VIP Contractor who is interested in competing in that thing we were talking about. Even offered me a cut of the profits to guide him there.” Beez’el explained, omitting several facts of the matter. “And if you help us out I’m sure I can pay you back some of that money I owe you with all the Sin we’ll be making.”

Miss V gave him another once over, her eyes once more glancing at Lydia, sitting there looking fairly skittish.

(Lust: Which is doing nothing for reassuring the woman.)

“Alright, you know what?” V asked after a moment. “I will help you.”

“R-really?” Beez’el blinked, clearly not having expected that.

(Greed: There’s going to be a catch.)

“Yeah, but only if you do me a favor first.” V nodded.

He narrowed his eyes. “What kind of favor?”

“So, I’m sure you know the rules of the market mean everyone’s responsible for their own safety, right?” V began, her clawed fingers tapping against the counter. “Well some fuckers are taking this to mean that they can do whatever they want against those that have a harder time fighting back. Johns hiring some of the girls for rougher stuff and then robbing them while they're still bruised up.”

“Deplorable.” He couldn’t help but growl, already imagining what he was going to do to the lot.

“Yep, which is why if you want me to get you an in to the club, you’re going to make an example of these fuckers.” V told them, her eyes moving between each of them before pausing on Lydia. “Also the girl stays with me.”

“W-what?” Lydia jumped. “Why?!”

“You look like you could use some girl talk.” V winked with a reassuring grin.

“I don’t care for hostage takers.” He confessed with a grin of his own.

V gave him a rather unkind look.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Beez’el interrupted before either of them could act. “How about I stick with V and mini-bitch. I mean, you should be able to take care of some assholes by yourself, right?”

(Gluttony: Easily.)

“I should, yes.”

(Lust: Shouldn’t you ask Lydia’s opinion?)

(Yes, I should…) He realized.

Booker turned towards his young companion and asked. “Your thoughts my dear?”

“What?” Lydia frowned in a way that made his face twitch.

“If you’d rather I not leave you here, then we can figure something else out.” He explained.

“Oh…” Lydia looked between all of them before swallowing as her eyes fell on the wall of alcohol behind miss V, at which point his companion proceeded to shake her head. “No. I’ll be alright on my own… I’ve uh, I’ve got an evac if I need it…”

“Very good.” He smiled with an encouraging pat of her head, before looking at the pair of Inferni. “And should we be separated… I will find you.”

Both Inferni shivered.

With his first message received, he proceeded to straighten himself out, before asking, “Now where shall I be delivering this message of yours to?”

And what kind of message will you be delivering?

[]-One Written In Blood. (+Lust)

[]-A Dinner Invitation. (+Gluttony)

[]-Broken Bodies And Bones. (+Wrath)

[]-One That Will Last. (+Sloth)

Lydia is on her own with a pair of Street Smart Inferni. What do you think she’d feel like asking?

[]-Write-In