The street was as he remembered it. The building loomed next to the Tower Beacon as Alex stepped out and into the street. He felt naked no longer wearing his armor anymore nor carrying any weapons at his side. Though they could be summoned from his inventory at moment’s notice.

Alex’s phone started beeping rapidly, now finally connected to the internet and a cell tower. He ripped it out of his pockets to look at the screen. The messages started with a few from Caleb checking to see if he was available and how he was doing. They got a little more erratic as the timeline went on. Alex could see why. Mixed in with the messages were notifications from his apartment complex, bank and more. It seemed the place had already been cleared out and his assets seized because he did not make the payments while in the Tower.

Next came some messages from an unknown number. He recognized it easily as coming from Angela.

Hey this is Angela. Just wanted to check and see if this is the right number. – It seems like you haven’t returned to Earth yet. I wanted to give you an update on stuff here. I was able to return to work. People are investigating the guy’s death. They are still trying to decide if it was an accident or if I was a climber attack. Because the guy was a climber, they are leaning into it hard. – I don’t know what you are up to, but they finally pulled me into questioning. Things went fine. They are looking for you now. They have ignored me because I am not a climber. – I hope things are good for you. The climber group the guy was a part of are mad that the case hasn’t been solved yet. They’ve been stopping by my house. I think they’ve found out that you were brought to my house but I’m not sure how. I’ll try and see what else I can find.

A final message stated that his phone line was being disconnected before the notifications stopped. There was no further update from any phone number. The bars in the corner of his phone were gone.

“I need to return to her house. See if she is there. Then I can figure out what to do next. There was only texts and no phone calls so I can’t tell if there is some urgency or worry in the messages. The last text was from almost a week ago.”

Alex paused and put his phone back into his pocket. He remembered the path he had taken from Angela’s place. It wasn’t a very long walk as he retraced his steps. A few minutes later he was at Angela’s door. He gave it a single knock.

The door creaked open, revealing Angela's familiar face. She looked surprised but quickly regained her composure. "Alex," she said, her voice steady. "I wasn't expecting you."

"I can see that," Alex replied, stepping inside. "I got your messages. What's been happening?" Angela closed the door behind him.

Angela sighed, leading him into the living room. "Where do I start? The investigation into the climber's death has been... intense. They're still trying to figure out if it was an accident or a deliberate attack. They know it was another climber but whether it was deliberate or not is another question."

Alex frowned. "And they think I might be involved?"

"They're considering all possibilities," Angela said, her gaze steady. "But they're leaning towards the idea that it was a climber attack. The guy was part of a climber group, and they're not happy that the case hasn't been resolved yet."

Alex nodded, processing the information. "I had a run-in with a mercenary while I was away."

Angela's eyes widened. "What happened?"

"He came after me," Alex said, his voice flat. "But he's been dealt with. He's not dead, but he won't be coming after me again. For now, at least."

Angela let out a breath she seemed to have been holding. "That's... good to hear, I guess. They've been talking to me, asking about you. The police have moved on from me and now it is just the dead climber’s friends."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "What have you been telling them? Who are they? You didn't give me a clear answer last time."

"I've been helping them with their transactions," Angela explained. "Exchanging money for Tower Points and vice versa. The man you killed was upset about an exchange because the conversion rate between money and Points keeps changing. They've been giving me a hard time ever since their business started getting scrutinized. From what else I know about their work they deal in a few other illegal activities."

Alex leaned back, rubbing his temples. "This is a mess."

Angela nodded. Her expression grim. "It is. Now that you are here, we should figure out what to do about them."

"We? I suppose since you brought me into this. We do need to do something about this. What do you have in mind?"

“The main reason this investigation is ongoing and isn’t being pushed back or anything like that is because the climber’s group business is trying to force it. More recently climber on climber crime has been something less worried about because in the Earth government’s minds it is a problem for people in the Tower only. The guild’s will sort it out on their own essentially. To get them to stop looking into you and for them to stop harassing me we need to expose their business. Get one of their illegal businesses investigated and any negotiating power to find their culprit will go away.”

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“Okay. That is do able. We just need to find one of their businesses and have it shaken down.”

“You will be the one doing that. They will take another climber seriously. I will be outside the business reporting the disturbance you will cause. Your job will be to keep the place locked down until police arrive and cause visible issues for the place to look like it is being robbed or something. I’ll watch for the cops to arrive at which point I will call you.”

“My phone is dead,” said Alex interrupting her.

“What?”

“It is dead. No cell service. I haven’t been on Earth in a while and haven’t paid many bills.”

“You know what I will just try and find a way to signal you. Or watch for the doors. You can use your powers to sense people entering the building. I’m sure you can find a way out.”

“Now we just need to get to one of these businesses. I assume you know where we should go?”

“I know where we can start. You may need to shake down some people for information, but it won’t be impossible information to find,” answered Angela.

"Alright, let's get to it then," Alex said, standing up from the couch. Angela nodded, leading him out of the apartment and into the bustling city streets. They walked in silence, the tension between them palpable. The city was alive with the sounds of traffic and the murmur of people going about their day, oblivious to the dangerous mission they were about to undertake.

After a few blocks, they turned into a narrow alleyway, the buildings on either side towering over them. At the end of the alley was a small, nondescript building, its windows boarded up and the paint peeling off the walls. It was the kind of place you'd walk past without a second glance, the perfect cover for an illicit operation.

Angela stopped a few feet away from the entrance, her gaze fixed on the building. "This is it. I've dropped off cash and a few other packages there," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll stay out here and keep an eye out for the police. You go in and do what you need to do."

Alex nodded, taking a deep breath as he approached the building. He paused and focused his mana sense. It required a bit more focus and gave less detail. Still the energy of the people and things in the room came through the door. There were to people in the room. He pushed open the door, the rusty hinges creaking loudly in the quiet alley. Inside, the room was dimly lit, the only light coming from a single bulb hanging from the ceiling. Two men were hunched over a table in the corner, their faces obscured by the shadows.

Alex rushed forward. The men looked up as he approached, their eyes widening in surprise. They pulled out weapons and Alex pulsed his powers. The single lightbulb shattered sending the room into darkness. Before they could react, Alex was upon them, his fists flying. Flashes of lightning lit up the room only a few times, but Alex focused on taking advantage of the darkness. He moved around the two men and didn't let them summon anything physical or mental from the Tower.

The men didn't stand a chance. Within minutes, they were on the ground, groaning in pain. Alex towered over them; his face impassive as he began his interrogation. He kept them tied up and worn out. Alex watched for any sign of the use of powers. They gave him some struggle and tried to use their enhanced strength to break free. Alex happily summoned lightning to avail them of that notion.

After a few tense minutes, one of the men finally gave in, spitting out an address between gasps of pain. Alex nodded, leaving the men on the floor as he exited the building. Outside, Angela was waiting.

"They gave me an address," Alex said, his voice steady. "Let's get out of here before the police or the climber's reinforcements arrive. We don't want them to know we are coming."

With that, they turned and disappeared into the city, leaving the rundown building and its beaten occupants behind.

“Where is there drug operation located at?” asked Angela.

“A few blocks away. Closer to the Tower Beacon for their convenience but on the farther side of the city where construction is ongoing. It would seem they picked their location wisely. Because of the new businesses popping up for the Tower’s resources many of the ‘Beacon’ cities are expanding and developing rapidly. This has let them slide in as a Tower-affiliated business largely unnoticed amongst all the guilds and other places. Officially of course they are a point broker but do much more because the unknowing point transfers can hide a lot.”

“I have noticed some of that while in that part of the city. Do you think the men in the store back there will come after us?”

“Probably not now. They will be sleeping for a while longer and I destroyed their phones. They probably won’t be of issue until after the police raid on our next stop starts.”

As they walked Alex and Angela passed a few construction sites indicating they were getting closer. Cars drove by them regularly but only a few people were walking the streets. Alex guided them around until they stopped on a quiet street.

“I’m going to go ahead and scout out the building before entering. Check out what I’m up for and all that. Right above us is a lamp. I will flicker the light with my powers when I am ready to start and go in. Watch for it and then wait for two or three minutes before calling the police about the disturbance. After that go ahead and leave. Remember along the way we passed that pizza place.” Angela nodded. “I will meet you there within ten or fifteen minutes. Don’t wait up for me here.”

“I got it.” Angela nodded again in understanding.

Alex turned and headed towards the building.

The building was a nondescript, three-story structure, sandwiched between two taller buildings. Its brick facade was weathered and worn, with a few windows boarded up. The front entrance was a heavy steel door, painted black, with a small, grimy window at eye level. A narrow alley ran along the side of the building, leading to a back entrance. A fire escape ladder hung precariously from the third floor, its bottom rungs missing, making it inaccessible from the ground.

Alex circled the building, his eyes scanning every detail. He noted the security cameras positioned at the corners of the building; their lenses pointed towards the entrances. He also spotted a few men loitering around the area, their eyes darting nervously. They were likely lookouts, keeping an eye out for any trouble.

He returned to the front of the building and peered through the small window in the door. Inside, he could see a dimly lit hallway leading to a staircase. A few doors lined the hallway, likely leading to different rooms. He couldn't see any people from his vantage point, but he could sense their energy. There were more than two this time, maybe five or six.

Alex retreated to a safe distance and found a spot where he could observe the building without being noticed. He watched as a few more men entered and exited the building. The operation was in full swing.

He focused his mana sense again, trying to get a better read on the people inside. He could sense their energy, their nervousness. After a few minutes, Alex moved towards the lamppost Angela was watching. He focused his powers, causing the light to flicker. It was time to move. Alex sent out an echolocation pulse and then paused. He realized there was another person in the alleyway with him.