Passing Time Accompanied With Money Spent
Fox met with the team in a subway station outside the city center. When he arrived, it was still dark outside. Fox met Loba and the rest of the team waiting for him outside, although he arrived early. Nala Loba looked at Fox and asked him as everyone else grabbed their 'luggage', “Your injuries persist, are you sure you can accompany us?”
“I more than can,” Fox stated. He carried his luggage in a bag hanging over his right shoulder. Nala Loba looked at him, slowly nodding before attending her team. With a simple nod upwards, everyone went into the subway station.
“Back then,” Nala Loba further spoke as they went down, walking beside Fox. He looked at her, awaiting. She continued, “When Nol was treating you, I clearly saw him graze your tendons by mistake, twice. But you didn’t make a noise.”
“… It did hurt, a lot, of course. But it’s only pain,” Fox shook his head, not eager to talk about it, nor phrase it. Nala Loba looked at him more before nodding. Fox then added, feeling he had to. “You ought not to worry about me, you know I can take care of myself.”
“That’s not enough,” Nala Loba clearly worded, although she didn’t expect him to say that. Fox nodded, articulating a wry, thin smile before saying, “I can also take care of others.”
“That’s not the point!” Nala Loba went on again, annoyed. The other teammates looked back for a moment before resuming their walk before them. Fox wore a neutral, easygoing expression. Then, he offered, “I won’t slow anything down, and I want to learn. Let me. I also need the money, and this extra payment is just perfect. Please, let me.”
“…” Nala Loba said nothing more. Not only for a while, but for the rest of the journey. Fox didn’t feel she was mad at him, or annoyed, only not bothering about him anymore. The others treated him as politely yet without any sort of unneeded attention as possible.
First, they went through the subway before arriving at a random location in the city with a distanced, tall building from the rest in the district. It had a helipad at the top, and seemed abandoned. In truth, there was just no one inside it, but it wasn’t abandoned. Regardless, the team climbed the building with keys and smooth access to the top.
Then, taking off without causing too much disruption, as helicopters overflying the area was somewhat of a normal occurrence, they headed to Lydwe, a small state with a sea border and sharing a land border with Endessa.
While light and a bit small, the chopper was fast, and not too loud. It easily went quite high up and rushed to Lydwe, arriving there before the first morning lights fully descended.
The team then landed on another helipad from a building that seemed abandoned, but wasn’t. This one was shooter, as it is the case with Lýmoca’s south, poorer and less attended. Fox moved along, all going in a group down the subterranean tunnels, wearing masks and googles.
They weren’t for vision, but to look at the time and communicate with each other without having to raise their voice, nor take another device out. Whenever they looked at each other with those goggles on, they’d see a respective color glow and pattern that would otherwise not be there.
They could communicate simple orders with just their eyes and some head movements, with their patterns and glow intensity also meaning other things, but mattering little.
After a couple of hours walking through the tunnels, Fox could smell the ocean. Shortly after, they exited a larger sewer hole leading to a rocky shore with a tiny bit of sand leading a path to what is known as Endessa territory.
They were at least 30 meters from the rocks and the sand in terms of height, but the shore seemed about half a kilometer away. Without being held by the hand, Fox took his respective bions and wore a pair of gauntlets and shoes with pikes at the front.
He activated them before his turn came to climb sideways, following after Alea, last out the sewer hole. Fox could understand these sewers were virtually abandoned as well, though they still ‘worked’. Otherwise, such an ‘entrance’ wouldn’t have been left open for anything to come in or out like this was an AO period.
The gauntlets suckled towards stone, metallic, solid, cold surfaces with ease, but one would still need their feet to get a good balance. The shoes’ spikes suckled air when identifying a hole or aperture in a surface similar to the gauntlet’s effective type. Then, it would ‘stick’ to them after nestling inside for a limited amount.
The military version of these bions was overwhelmingly costly and more useful, not counting with a limited suckling period and able to adhere to many other types of surfaces. However, those kinds were also from the ‘half a’ semi empowered tools branch in the world.
Little by little, they arrived at the beach, a little sore, but no one was exhausted. Even then, only Fox was second to Nala Loba in stamina after they resumed their speed to their objective, with the morning already lighting its sunlight on everything, on their left and backs.
Their target was an abandoned water park, quite minimal and not so lavish, near the sea. This time, it wasn’t as troublesome as before, but Fox knew it was a ‘rare’ chance for tasks like these.
And what’s more, they weren’t here all inconspicuous. They received information and further details from a source in Endessa. The source’s identity is unknown to everyone except the Captain and Butler, perhaps.
They arrived there in another hour, using the vegetation and overly rural environment at the sides of the streets of a town, hiding from the countless people, especially tourists, walking to the beach. Naturally, they didn’t head to the dangerous shore the team came from.
This was the first time Fox saw ‘different people’. The difference between Preutians and Lys back then was only in the small modernisms and little else. Here, however, in Fox’s eyes, they seemed to give off an invisible notion he couldn’t understand nor pinpoint.
At last, they arrived into the abandoned water park. To Fox, this was like an exercise, while the team was bent on getting the goods from the individual’s hands this time, not worried about a possible ambush, as it was most likely expected.
A few minutes into entering the premise, Fox heard gunshots from a distance. Those were from the guards this time, or other agents. They stopped almost a second later, killed by one of his new teammates.
After a few more minutes, it was his turn to do the same. Accompanied by Lyan, Fox encountered half a dozen guards, putting them down fast before another dozen showed up. The sparks flew off everywhere in the water park, and a gunfight here and there unfolded.
Skirmish after skirmish, with several corpses keeping the goods ‘safe’ littering the ground, and some falling into the empty pits where water used to be, the team finished everyone off, counted the time, and went for the bags.
Like before, they were coming after gold bars, roughly of the same size. But they also searched and found some trinkets, especially ornaments and pieces of art from hundreds of years ago, barely kept. During the fight, the latter suffered not a scratch, all hidden in safe storing boxes in different buildings.
Once they had everything in the bag, they headed back from whence they came from, carrying everything slowly and discreetly back to the building with the helipad. It was tiring, having to wait for long periods of time that put their patience to the test nonstop.
A few times, some of them had to go out and create a situation outside to bring attention elsewhere so the team wouldn’t get stuck again.
When they returned to the helipad, they moved to an aerodrome, where they took a jet and returned to Proteros. By the time the forces moving under Endesa’s noses rushed to their hidden base, Endesa’s police forces and military investigators filled the place.
On the other hand, Fox and the team smoothly landed on the airport, appearing to be just another rich folk coming from a trip from Dawn or Twilight.
… They unloaded the stuff, brought away by the White Bloods who awaited their return. As the goods, of which the golden bar bags were much less than before and of smaller bundles, were delivered, Fox and Nala Loba stood beside each other. It was a job well done, and their payment of 200,000 credits had been delivered the moment they landed back on Proteros.
“Would you like to drive next time?” She asked, out of the blue. Fox looked at her, nodding with a little smile. “I could use that.”
“You will. To learn, right?” Nala Loba faced him for a few words, turning around before walking past behind him. Fox nodded, scratching the back of his head, “Yes, Captain. Uh… I’ll await the next task, Captain.”
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Fox bid Loba farewell, who left with White Stone, Wheel, Bloodycoon, and Oragem. Fox released a sigh of relief, checking his bank account which still needed some working.
Sighing some more, he left the airport and returned to the HQ. He still had something pending.
… Fox greeted Mena before walking to a medical area, where the doctor who had researched and diagnosed him was. Fox just had to walk in to be received, to which the doctor, working on a screen, turned around and was surprised by his visit.
“My, you’re back. It’s been a while, Phe-… ahem, Fox.” The doctor stood up, shaking hands with Fox’s gloved right hand. Fox nodded, putting on a thin, polite smile. “Does the doctor thought I left? That I went for another, female, cute doctor to tell me better things about my condition?”
“But of course!” The doctor flung his arms upwards. “Anyone in that condition would want to hear it as many times until they believe it.”
“I did from the first time, doctor.” Fox honestly stated. The doctor stared at Fox for a while, sighed, and sat back down on his chair. Fox brought one for himself and sat in front of the doctor before speaking, “I wanted to check myself again.”
“Okay, let’s do that.” The doctor nodded, leaving his computer work to the side and at the back of his mind. Fox picked his sleeves up, asking, “How long will the results take?”
“Oh, I’ll take care of that. You’ll have them by night. Go use your bladder, here’s the syringe, and a bit of blood, if you don’t mind.” The doctor frowned, as if insulted by Fox’s questioning of his perfect analysis speed.
Fox wore a neutral expression as he carried the items in his arms, walking into a booth at the side while the doctor dragged some pieces of machinery towards their chairs.
… A few hours later, after all procedures, having lunch, and talking about little things of life which Fox could now somewhat understand. The overall analysis was done. The doctor went to pick the results up, returning after just over a minute with his head low, reading the documents.
When the doctor sat before him, Fox supported his forearms on his thighs and asked, leaning forth, “How is it, doctor?”
“You’re the exact same, Fe- Fox.” The doctor looked up, feeling it was normal, and went back to look at the documents, gesturing at it with some rapid taps from his yolks. “No abnormalities or changes to your body, be it what makes one a human… or your illnesses.”
“Did your nails and teeth change?” The doctor asked after lifting his chin again. Fox shook his head, “No. Although I feel a bit ‘limited’ when I use my left ‘ultra’ nails.”
“Well, you could make a bion out of it, don’t you think?” The doctor looked at the nails, which Fox flashed beside his face like showing his new pedicure, and commented that. Fox blinked. He hadn’t thought of that. Of course, to meddle with ultra Mintip, he needed ample experience.
“Indeed. Thanks, doctor. I’ll be taking my leave now. I won’t go to others, I don’t need to.” Fox nodded a few times before standing up. The doctor remained seated, perhaps a bit tired after spending almost the entire day checking Fox’s health. “You also don’t need to meet some crazy ones. I swear, if I had colleagues here, they would go mad and try to bribe me to sell your body to them.”
“Mn, that itches. Makes me wanna kill,” Fox commented with his voice, feeling in a good mood. The doctor smiled ruefully, barely noticeable. “Yeah, I was trying to say that as me protecting you, but now I think I was protecting them.”
“Farewell, doc.” Fox smiled, demoting it to a rogue grin before exiting the room. The doctor nodded, blinking softly before watching Fox’s back be replaced by the closing door. He sighed and looked down at an antique-like clock, showing the crude hologram of a little girl.
It was a simple little girl, with white skin and black hair. Her image on the hologram was exaggeratedly coarse, but it made the doctor smile, contented.
. . .
2 weeks passed by fast. Before that, Fox, who acclimatized to the life of guiding Selena as a young woman freeing herself from her pervious torment, trauma, and behavior, and as his celebrity client; paid the due 2.1 million credits to keep his baby in repairing procedures.
It was now the 8th month, and the 2nd week had just started. A few days ago, it was notified by the government, of which Luis Heartez first stepped out of his ‘cave’, as Fox likes to think of his office, to announce it to the world. Soon after, the Lýmoca’s military and institutional organizations declared the confirmed end of Preut’s civil war, 1,020-1,025.
There was a bit of party celebrations, but it was kept low. Fox didn’t know before, but ever since Luis inaugurated the victory of his second consecutive term, the Supreme Court Justice practically banned festivities from taking a larger ‘toll’ than one’s household.
Not even employees or sports were allowed to celebrate Lýmoca’s national festivities. Be it at their houses, companies, stores, stadiums, schools, or even arenas and stages.
Regardless, Preut would soon pass to become Lýmoca’s state once again, but that would take a month or so, according to the president. Meanwhile, the more Fox participated in retrieving Lýmoca’s long-lost gold, and some trinkets, ornaments, and rare items, even those that seemed plain tasteless, the more Luis didn’t yell at him.
To anyone with a brain, that meant a huge step towards not growing to hate each other. A very important step. Naturally, Fox was paid more and more. During the following week, in the 4th of the 7th month, left with only 560k credits, Fox went all out to sell his stuff.
The boutique, for starters, made 200,000 credits in a month, of which 60% went to Fox’s pockets. Seeing the massive influx, and salivating, Fabiola wished she had been less flexible on the contract. However, there was a future, and it was near; and she, young. Thus, she didn’t complain, knowing it was on her for being too complacent, and kept aiding the new owner.
Fox took 120,000 credits from the boutique, getting to 680,000 credits in his bank account, but this was without counting his daily duties beside Selena. That is, besides being paid 40,000 credits per day, Fox was fucked his brains out of by Sona, always rewarding him. Even more when he fully answered her first test for him correctly.
That night, day, and miracle of life was something else…
For the past time working under Selena, and the still ongoing days with her, Fox received 500,000. With this, he was now with 1,000,000 credits left to pay his Myertha’s continuous reparations.
But now, discounting 280,000 from the mega hotel, Fox had 900,000 credits. Fortunately for him, he was able to quickly learn to build good quality bions. Not only because he had ample experience before, and ended up being a promising crafter. The tools in the Piya Sanctum District were countless times better than Riverlye, allowing anyone to learn to build some basic bions, let alone helping those like Fox with incredible talent.
Fox could only work with the daily limit every day, so he had to focus on doing everything he possibly could with that limit, only sometimes not showing up. Even then, he gained 1.7 million credits. With those 2.6 million credits, Fox paid the due reparations for his Myertha, at least the first part before it could be ridden like before, and even better, according to Mauricio.
Fox was left with 500,000 credits. His boutique self-supplied with the remaining 40%, and he also tasked Fabiola with negotiating with the floor above them to see how much it would cost to buy it off. Things grew a bit stable and would only continue to do so.
… On this day, Fox had enough free time to make money for the next reparations, so he could afford to spend those free days however he wanted. Since there wasn’t a cooperative task yet, Fox visited the presidential precinct.
Now, he had up to the end of the year to pay the following repairs, which were more complex and required the mechanic team to grow mentally prepared for certain procedures. Fox walked into the presidential precinct, this time without hiding. At last, Luis wasn’t ‘embarrassed’ of him openly walking in.
Fox’s hair was starting to grow, and maybe because of that, some females took a few glimpses at him, unlike before. It was difficult to figure out the whys, as his curling right side and smoother, flat left hair was even more blatantly attention-grabbing now.
Arriving into Luis’s office, Fox entered after a knock, not waiting to be told to go inside. Luis didn’t even lift his head, writing something down as he voiced out loud with a dull tone, “What is it now, Fox?”
“I came to ask about the lawsuit the bikers from that day ‘lost’ to that mayoralty office. Can you put someone to intervene and let them off?” Fox asked outright. Luis wrote some more with an ordinary pen, which Fox remembered Lesly giving to Luis after the last task to retrieve gold.
Then, he stared at the mad fox before him with slightly dropped eyelids. “What do you want exactly? That I abuse my power and let-”
“Okay, nevermind then.” Fox politely smiled with thin lips before turning his head to the right, staring at Roam. His 3-left and 4-right polycoria eyes glinted a bit, curious, before voicing as Luis went back to writing with his pen. “Hey, Roam. Can I ask of you a favor?”
“Mr. Fox, what would you require?” Roam properly gestured, giving Fox a bit of satisfaction so that another yelling fit wouldn’t resonate outside the office again. This is even when the office has such excellent soundproof, slightly muffling everything from Fox’s ears. Fox grinned from ear to ear and tilted his head a little, fashionably flinging his hair. “Why don’t you give me the address of the mayor? I’ll chat him up, we can make a quick, bilateral agreement to benefit us both.”
“Woah, ugh.” Luis had enough. He drew his chair backwards and stood up, walking away with a deserving attitude, not willing to hear more of this. Luis widened his eyes exaggeratedly and took his jacket, disappearing into his bedroom behind his desk.
Fox smiled, hooking the right corner of his mouth hard. Staring at Roam again, he pressed on, “Well, what say you? It’ll be quick. Better than annoy me here and then let me seek that old ‘official’ on my own, yes?”
“Mr. Fox, I’ll only ask this one thing, don’t do anything that’ll seriously damage Lýmoca’s eternal peace.” Roam sweated before taking a napkin out to clean his face. Fox’s eyes continued to look at Roam, twinkling curiously, before Roam took a folder out.
His face rounded with surprise, Fox looked at Roam, who definitely didn’t give him a nasty clue, “This isn’t something the president has prepared for a while now. Don’t go around thinking he did, it is normal to have the records of those who seem a bit doubtful.”
“Ah, ah. Thank you, not president. I see my hands aren’t as invisible anymore.” Fox took the folder, giving it an eyeful before closing it. He gestured it towards Roam before motioning to turn around, but Roam said with a polite, amicable smirk from ear to ear, “There’s news of your current situation on your duties as miss Selena’s bodyguard.”
“Yes?” Fox stopped, facing a Roam who began smiling. Roam placed his hands together and narrowed his eyes along that smile, “Selena will be cancelling her program with you and start a contract with the government. Naturally, also with PSD to be protected.”
“…” Fox tilted his head, only a little bit, to look at Roam for several seconds with a serious-like glint across his polycoria eyes before lowly uttering, “Is this because of that matter with her agency? I made her do it. But I don’t think I’m being punished. So, what is it?”
…