Panji navigated the Venice-like ruins of what was once New York, where monstrous buildings loomed over the drowned streets, their tops barely breaking the surface. The iconic Empire State Building stood half-submerged, its rooftop transformed into a disco haven for local gangs. In the distance, the Statue of Liberty could still be seen, covered in graffiti, with her torch replaced by a money symbol.
Taking a long drag from his cigarette, Panji reflected on the state of the world. His homeland, like many others, was experiencing the fallout from the ice melt at the North and South Poles. The entire planet was drowning, a consequence of rising temperatures from World War III..
After soaking in the surreal landscape, Panji made his way back to Cloak in James's tower.
After soaking in the surreal landscape, Panji returned to James’s tower and found Cloak.
"Any news?" Panji asked.
"Just the usual market hustle," Cloak replied. "Smuggled goods, shady deals. It's a free-for-all down there. “
"And what about the people? Who do they prefer—James or Blackheart? Or is there another faction they like more?" Panji probed.
"Well, most folks lean towards Blackheart. Many dislike James because he’s cruel and uses brute force," Cloak explained, his expression serious.
"But they don’t fully trust Blackheart either. Pirates are known for their greed and lust for money..." Cloak added, eyeing Panji thoughtfully.
"What about you, matey? Who would you rather work for—James or Blackheart?" Cloak asked.
"Ahh, it’s tough to say. Both men are... kinda cursed," Panji replied, a wry smile creeping onto his lips.
"Yeah, man, I agree. They’re both cursed in their own way... Haha!" Cloak chuckled.
"Just keep a low profile or be strong enough to handle any danger..."
"Sounds about right," Panji said. "Let's head back."
Later, Panji returned to the boat, looking a bit grim.
"Why the long face?" Nara asked, noticing his expression.
"Hah... *Panji then launched into a long story* So, what do you think?" he asked.
"A tough choice, man..." Svat replied, scratching his head.
"Why not just destroy everything?" Nara suggested, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Hah! I knew you'd say that. But it’s not that simple. So, what would you do if you were in my shoes, Nara?" Panji challenged.
"Ahhh. Dogi, I envy you. You never have to think, do you?" Panji said, glancing at the dog.
"WOOF!" Dogi barked in agreement, tail wagging.
"So, what's your take? James or Blackheart? Choosing a client as a mercenary is like choosing life or death. Choose wisely..." Panji emphasized.
Nara shrugged, looking unsure.
"Alright, hehe. Maybe next time I'll buy you some intelligence implants," Panji teased.
"Fuck!" Nara exclaimed, rolling her eyes.
"Blackheart seems safer. He's got spies on James," Svat pointed out, still focused on his fishing line.
"Maybe," Panji murmured, picking up his own rod.
Hours passed. The sun began to dip below the horizon.
"I'm bored," Nara announced. After a moment, she looked at her reflection in the water. "Can I at least go for a walk?"
"No," Panji and Svat said simultaneously.
Dogi barked in agreement.
Hours passed. As the sun began to set, Nara complained, "I'm starving! And you haven't caught anything!"
"Alright, time for food," Panji conceded. "Svat, you coming?"
"Yeah!"
"Hey! Why do I have to stay here?" Nara protested.
"Someone's gotta guard the boat. Besides," Panji winked, "I'll bring you back some ice cream."
"Fine," Nara muttered as they left, Dogi whining at her side.
Hours later, at the restaurant, Svat reminded Panji, "Nara's been alone a while."
"You're right. Let's get this to go," Panji said.
Just then, Dogi burst into the restaurant, wounded and snapping at Panji's leg.
"Dogi! What's wrong? Nara—" Panji’s blood ran cold.
NARA'S LITTLE ADVENTURE
An hour earlier, Nara, after locking Dogi in the boat, had ventured out. A beggar approached, pleading for food.
"Please, I haven’t eaten all day."
Nara grumbled, "Humpf. Same. But here..." She tossed a coin to the beggar.
Suddenly, the beggar stabbed Nara's hand with a needle.
"Aaa! What are you doing?!" she shouted, shoving the beggar and mounting her horse.
The old beggar smirked as Nara blacked out.
Several people carried Nara away. The beggar and an accomplice approached the boat and opened the door.
Dogi lunged at the beggar's face. "WOOF!"
The man next to him kicked Dogi. "Argh, damn dog!"
An hour later, Nara found herself tied to a chair in the center of what used to be a hotel room, surrounded by a group of men.
"How are her teeth?" one of the gang members asked.
"Good," another replied.
"And the rest?"
"Her body proportions and face? Decent. She might be worth 20,000 credits."
Sometime later, Nara awoke tied to a chair in a dilapidated hotel room, surrounded by men.
"She's worth 20,000 credits," one said. "Maybe more after I have some fun with her."
"Touch her, and she's worth five," another warned.
"No worries... That damn dog bit me earlier."
"Alright, she's all yours. Hehehe..."
Moments later, one of the bandits splashed water on Nara's face.
"Rise and shine, little girl. I want to hear you scream. Hehe..."
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Nara shot up, panic in her voice. "What!? What!? What is this? Untie me!"
"Hehehehe..."
For a brief moment, fear gripped her, but then she closed her eyes and thought, "Fak!" She kneed the bandit right in the groin.
"AAAAHH!! You!!"
Outside the room, chaos erupted. "What's happening?" Nara, still tied to the chair, dashed toward the door. Just before the second bandit could enter, she slammed the door, crushing his hand against the wall.
Still clutching his crotch, the first bandit drew a dagger with his left hand. Nara executed a spinning kick, smashing the bandit with the chair and breaking it, freeing her right hand.
"Aww... Uhh... Damn, that smarts." Her hand was bleeding.
"You picked the wrong target, little girl. Maybe your organs are more valuable than your virtue," he sneered, brandishing a bat.
"Bring it on, you coward!"
The second bandit charged at her. Nara used her left hand, still chained to the chair, to strike like a mace. The bandit was caught off guard and took a hit squarely on the head.
"Aaaahhh... Ouch. Fak." She frantically searched for the key to unlock her left hand but found the shackle jammed from the earlier impact. Hearing commotion outside, she bolted from the room and found herself in a long corridor that looked like a hotel, with several people sprinting toward her.
"Hey, there's a slave who's escaped!" they shouted.
"Fak, too many..." she thought, dashing to the elevator and jabbing the button for the top floor. Just as the doors closed, she turned and mocked the bandits with a comical face. "What are you waiting for? Quick, use the stairs!"
On the rooftop, night had fallen. Nara scanned her surroundings and spotted no other escape route except for a zipline to a shorter building. The pulley device was missing, though.
After a while, the bandits reached the rooftop door.
"Huff... Now where are you going, little girl? Hehehe... There's no other way..."
"There's always a way, you fool!" she shouted, sprinting to the zipline. she used a broken piece of the chair as a makeshift pulley and jumped."Aaahhhh!!!! Uhh, this is too fast! Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" "This is gonna hurt!" she yelled as she zipped across the gap.
The slavers watched Nara disappear over the edge, stunned. "That kid's insane..."
She crashed onto the other rooftop and blacked out.
"She's in the farmers' building! Go get her!"
One slaver frantically searched the rooftop. "Where's the pulley?!"
"We don't have one! Only the farmers use those to send down food," another replied.
"Damn it! Just find her. She messed up the elder. She can't get away with this."
----------------------------------------
In a nearby building, a robot announced, "Human detected."
A child looked up. "Maria, what is it? Oh... someone's there."
A man cautioned, "Stay back, kid. They could be trouble. We'll wait for the farmers to handle it." He started dialing a number.
The child protested, "But—"
The man sighed. "Fine. At least let's see to their wounds. Maria, bring them inside."
The robot gently lifted Nara and carried her to a room. The man and child began tending to her injuries.
Minutes later, the slavers ran into Panji, Svat, Cloak, and Dogi.
"Bonjour," Panji greeted them.
Dogi growled.
"What the hell?" one slaver muttered.
Another snarled, "You picked the wrong fight!" Panji quickly pinned him and punched him hard. svat join the fray. while cloak see them brawling in amusement
"Where's the girl?" Panji demanded.
"Okay, okay! That building," the slaver gasped, pointing.
"Thanks," Panji said, delivering a final punch that knocked him out.
"That's the farmers' building," Cloak observed.
"Why would she be there?" Panji asked.
Cloak shrugged. "Maybe they already sold her."
"What?!"
Outside the farmers' building, Panji turned to Svat. "He telling the truth?"
Svat held up a bloody tooth.from slaver "Looks like it."
"Nara's inside," Panji stated. then he draw his pistol
"Hold on," Cloak warned. "You can't just storm the farmers' place. They're neutral. That's like declaring war on everyone."
Panji sighed, checking his watch. Midnight. "And I still have to make a choice..."
Svat leaned against the wall, eyeing a poster advertising cheap women slaves in skimpy outfits. His gaze shifted to the building across the street, where Nara was clearly in trouble. "Nara's in a bind. Why not just postpone your little mission for now?" he asked, concern creeping into his voice.
Panji shook his head, the weight of the situation heavy in his eyes. "Can't do that, son. I've got two big groups marking me. If I wait too long, I might lose their trust," he replied, his tone resolute.
Cloak, jumped in. "Yeah, this place isn’t safe. Heh. Your boat got targeted by thieves in less than a day. You need to stay focused, mate."
Svat tossed a tooth in frustration. "Poor Nara. Attacked by thieves while guarding the boat," he muttered, the seriousness of their predicament sinking in.
Cloak nodded in agreement. "Yeah... this place is way too dangerous to be alone."
Panji phone turn into alive. when message from kassandra,her call was short and to the point. "Panji," she said, her voice laced with warning. "The whispers have started. They're calling you a double-crosser. Make a decision, and make it fast."
Later, Panji approached James, a glint of determination in his eyes. "Hey man.. i give fake intel about blackheart tower i gather some info. perhaps its time to finish him once for all.."
James's interest was piqued. "Oh really you found some important intel? Give it to me," he said, eager to know what Panji had uncovered about Blackheart Tower.
Panji nodded. "Good. How many men you have? It seems Blackheart are still focusing on something else."
James replied confidently, "I have about 20 men.. including me.. that should be more than enough to take down Blackheart Tower."
James's curiosity was evident. "But I still have a question.. you said you got an intel about Blackheart Tower. What is it exactly?"
Panji revealed, "It's rooms layout and weak point who can exploit."
James's face lit up. "Great job mate.. you just saved me a lot of time in finding every weakness in Blackheart Tower. Now go to your room and take the rest for now. I will gather my men to prepare an attack to Blackheart Tower. Just be ready to fight matey.."
Panji agreed, "Good. Where is you cloak man?"
James pondered, "Hmm, I agree. We can ambush them at when they changing guard... when they are in their sleep. Our chance of success will be very high."
James noticed Panji's fatigue. "But for now, you can enjoy some time to rest matey. You look tired."
Panji, though tired, felt the need to prepare. "Sure. But I'm okay... and I think I need a stroll on the market. I need rearms."
James pointed him in the right direction. "Heh, the weapon shop is on the corner of the market matey. It's near the alleyway. Just go through the alleyway and you will find a weapon shop right in front of you."
Panji, ready to equip himself, replied, "Alright. See you at night. I go to market."
The market hit Panji like a punch to the gut—a mall gone feral. Bodies jostled, hawkers yelled, it was pure mayhem. He elbowed his way through, finally reaching the weapon shop. Half the place was dark, no generator, so they had these glowing algae cubes for light, like weird, green lamps.
"Hey dealer. Give me.. something with high power," Panji requested.
The weapon shop owner led him to the backroom, where an array of firearms, from rifles to pistols, and even experimental weapons awaited.
Panji's eyes widened at the sight of a sci-fi weapon. "Wow. What that sci-fi weapon you got there?"
The weapon shop owner explained, "The gun in front of you is a railgun matey. The railgun is classified as an experimental weapon by many weapon designers. Because the gun will fire some of the most powerful bullets ever created."
Panji was intrigued. "The bullet from the railgun have massive kinetic energy which will rip any body armor apart like paper. It also creates a sonic boom every time the gun fires, which can damage your ear matey. Are you sure you want this gun?"
Panji, undeterred, replied, "Wait? Can destroy my ear too? Heheh. I assume this can totally badass."
The weapon shop owner warned, "Eh yeah.. it's actually can. You see the sonic wave this gun makes when fired can cause some damage to the human ear. And by the way, I suggest you use earplugs next time when this thing been used eh matey.. hehe.."
Panji, set on his choice, asked, "Alright. I want that. How much credit for that?"
The weapon shop owner quoted, "Hmm, the price of this gun is 6400 credit. Are you still sure you want it matey?"
The weapon shop owner continued, "Eh, I also must warn you the maintenance and usage for this gun is quite dangerous and expensive. You need to be careful when playing with this gun matey.. hehe.."
Panji, undeterred by the warnings, confirmed his decision. "Alright, I take this. I give you some money so anyway.. what is the best gang you think suitable to rule this damn place? James or Blackheart? Or someone in your mind?"
The weapon shop owner, after a moment of thought, suggested, "I suggest Blackheart matey. He's a better fit to handle this place. James is a tyrant and cruel leader. He will do anything to achieve his goal, including killing innocent people. Blackheart, on the other hand, he's a ruthless pirate yes, but he will make sure to spare innocent life whenever he could. So I suggest you choose to follow Blackheart matey.. hehe.."
Later, Panji stepped outside with his new weapon slung over his shoulder. The railgun's weight was a constant reminder of the power it wielded.
Svat eyed the weapon with a mix of envy and concern. "You look cool with that man," he commented.
Panji's hand trembled slightly as he adjusted the strap. "You think so? My damn hand is shaking like hell..."
Svat chuckled. "Hehe. What's wrong?"
Panji's gaze was distant, burdened by the gravity of the situation. "You have no idea. The gravity on my hand now... this silly gang war. Nara... and this destructor. I think I should visit Redlight first... to calm my nerves, heh..."
as Panji walked outside the building, he noticed Cloak standing next to the wall, as if he had been waiting for him.
"Alright. You're Blackheart's spy, right?" Panji asked.
Cloak nodded. "I work for Blackheart, yes, matey. He's planning something big. If you want to follow him, I can take you to him, but you have to promise me something, matey..."
Panji agreed. "Sure. I was already trapped by James. He probably will attack tonight. Do your magic."
Cloak smiled. "Hehe. Let me do what I must, matey..."
Cloak pulled out his wrist tablet and punched in a series of codes. His eyes glowed, and his clothes began to change, morphing into a holographic suit that made him look like a ninja. His body appeared thinner, and his face was barely visible.
"Hehe, you ready to follow me, matey? We're gonna meet Blackheart now and tell him about James's plan to attack Blackheart Tower..." Cloak said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Panji's jaw dropped. "Wait, you can do that? Cool..."
Cloak chuckled. "Hehe... yeah, you just saw it, matey. Hehe... Now let me show you the way to Blackheart Tower..."
Panji hesitated. "Hmhm. I think that's not needed. I trust you if you manage to give the right information. I need to stay close to James so he doesn't get suspicious of me."
Cloak nodded. "Alright, matey... Let me take you to James then..."
Cloak put his wrist tablet away and led Panji back to James's tower. They could see the tower just a couple of buildings away from their current spot.
"There's James's tower, matey. He's right now in his office doing something. Heheh..." Cloak said, pointing towards the tower.
Panji was determined. "Alright. Make sure Blackheart's men prepare a good ambush. We'll finish this once and for all."
Cloak smiled, his eyes fixed on James's tower. "Hehe... Just wait and see. I will ensure we defeat James once and for all, matey. You just be patient at the right place and right time... Heheh..."
Cloak then walked outside and waited for Panji.
"Wait. Before we separate, how many of James's men are there exactly?" Panji asked.
Cloak chuckled. "Heheh... James has about 20 men, including him, matey. So we need to be quick in killing them. Heheh..."
Panji was skeptical. "Really? To control the whole tower, he has around 20? You're not... hiding something, right?"
Cloak's smile widened. "Heheh... Maybe there are more. Heheh... But I want to make sure you're not scared, so I only tell you the number that I know. There's a chance some of his men are hiding somewhere in James's tower..."
Cloak continued, "So if that time comes, we better be careful. Heheh..."
Panji nodded. "Alright. See you later. I'll go to James's room."
When Panji entered James's tower, he saw James talking with someone in a video call. James seemed busy with something important. The video call ended, and James turned as he saw Panji enter the room.
"Oh, hello there... What brings you all the way to my office, matey? Do you have any info about Blackheart Tower?" James asked.
Panji nodded. "Yes. He's just sitting around Red Dragon Tower. The highest tower. The security is kinda... easy to penetrate. I used my grappling hook and did fine."
James seemed surprised by the info and began planning the attack on Blackheart Tower.
"Are you sure about the security being easy to penetrate? We don't want to make some of our men die in a trap, don't you think?" James questioned.
"I will send three of my men to confirm your intel. In the meantime, you stay here, okay, matey? I will notify you when they return," James instructed. then some man is send to scout away. when some of james man look at panji suspiciously. if panji caught bluffing he will dead for sure.
The three men sent to confirm the intel returned to James's tower. They looked tired but eager to report their findings.
"Okay, I want you to tell me right away. What's going on? Is the intel right?" James demanded, his face serious and his eyes cold.
One of the men began to speak. "Sir, the intel is correct. Blackheart Tower's security is kinda... weak, sir. There aren't many men inside Blackheart Tower. It seems like... Blackheart Tower only has a few men and a few security drones inside."
Panji saw an opportunity.
"Strike when the moment is right. And perhaps I assume this gang war has just started too long, which is why their security has become loosened."
James was decisive. "Right then... Time to finish Blackheart Tower tonight. Send a message to all of our men. We will attack Blackheart Tower tonight."
Man 2 sent the message to all the men via James's arm console. A green icon with a radio signal appeared on his arm console, indicating the message had been sent.
"Message sent, sir. All men were notified and are currently on their way to Blackheart Tower," Man 2 reported.
Panji was eager for action. "Good. Do you join the party too, James? Or you sit here and miss all the fun?"
James's face lit up with a smile. "Yes, I will join this operation, matey. I want to have some fun... and also I want to kill that bastard Blackheart too with my own hand..."
A smile appeared on his face, a mix of anticipation and malice. "It's been too long since I've released my anger on this kind of stuff... Heheh..."