April 15, 2021. 05:00. Vancouver.
I'm so damn tired. Everything after the gauntlet is a blur. My legs barely work as I trail behind the rest of the party toward Blake's office.
Why? Something about wrapping up business—but the details slip through a haze.
It's a struggle just to stay upright, and I force myself to ignore the dull throb in my shoulder. I should get it checked before it turns into something worse. A sports injury—that's what I'll call it. It wouldn't be my first, and I'm enough of a regular that the clinic staff won't ask too many questions.
When we step into Blake's office, his cybernetic hand drums idly against the surface of a wooden table.
Remi throws his arm around my shoulder—my bad shoulder.
"Choom, you're actually GOATED!" Remi half-yells, lightly shaking me around while smiling. "Like, deadass! That was gas as FUCK!"
I grit my teeth, forcing a smile despite the pain. "If you're trying to dislocate my shoulder again, you're doing a great job."
"Oh—shit! My bad!" He pulls back, though the grin doesn't fade. "But seriously, dawg, that was sick. You and me? Certified badasses."
Blake laughs, leaning back against his sofa while his harem members gently pat away his bloodied face. "Kid's right. You both gave me and my boys one hell of a time. That's the best attempt at the gauntlet this arena has seen in months." He spreads his arms out. "As promised earlier, we'll honour everything I said earlier. Lily and Remi—you're family now. Dead Kings don't forget their own."
I nod, rubbing my temples. "Appreciate it."
The rest of the crew finally chimes in.
"Yeah, likeee—that was insane," Shock says, bumping her hip against mine. "You guys are crazy!"
Azure smirks, chuckling. "Honestly, I thought Remi would be in worse shape. But still, that was quite a show."
Tetra tilts his head, scanning me and Remi. "Yeah… that definitely looked exhausting. You guys alright?"
Remi and I both nod. The pain's still there, but it's manageable.
Mister adjusts his coat and steps forward. "Well done, both of you. Now that the theatrics are out of the way, let's finish business." He pulls out his phone and waves it lightly in front of Blake. "I'll send the details now."
Blake nods, the glow in his eyes shifting to a deep red. "Right. The bar in Burnaby—let's see it."
"The Vix Lounge," Mister says, tapping quickly on his screen. "Send at least ten of your men. They don't need an army, just enough to make it clear the place is under protection."
Blake takes a moment to process the info, then grunts in approval. "Fair enough. I see you've sent the owner's contact for follow-up—perfect. We'll be there within a week." His eyes fade back to normal as he turns to Remi. "And you, rockstar. Let's talk business."
Remi's face lights up. "Finally! What's up?"
Blake nods toward one of his girls. She steps forward and produces a small metallic cube, pressing a button on the side. A soft blue glow fills the room as a holo-display flickers to life. Holograms of recording gear appear, vanish, and reappear as she scrolls through the projections with a control dial.
Remi goes momentarily quiet, eyes wide. Then he finally speaks. "Holy smokes… that's better than my rig at home."
"We'll get you set up with recording equipment, exposure, gigs—the works," Blake says with a laugh, taking the holo-display cube and twisting the knob again. More holograms of high-end gear flicker through the air. "You've got the fire, and we've got the resources to make sure you can fly."
"Say less, boss man. This is everything I'd want—and more."
"Good." Blake's smile sharpens. "But don't forget—this isn't free. You put out tracks, bring in hype, and you stay under our banner. Clear? Final chance to back out."
Remi nods without hesitation. "One hundred percent, man. Dead Kings and I? Locked in."
Before Blake can reply, I let out a loud groan and roll my bad shoulder. "Alright, great. Business is handled—you got your bar, Remi's got his future set—I'm going home."
Blake laughs deeply. "Fair enough, Lily. You've earned your rest." He stretches, rolling his own shoulders. "I'll text you later if I need anything."
"Yeah, yeah." I wave a hand dismissively and head out of the office. I don't even bother checking who's coming with me—I just want to sleep. Ughhhhh.
I make a beeline for the elevators, close my eyes, and lean against the wall as it hums on the way down.
By the time I hit the ground floor, most of the Dead Kings have cleared out. I check my phone, curious about the time, and sigh when I see it. Yeah… figures. I rub my eyes, feeling the last of the caffeine drain from my system—or maybe just retreat somewhere deep in the background.
Footsteps echo behind me, but I don't need to turn around to know who it is. Shock's loud yawn gives her away.
"Oop, I am done, babe. My bed's calling my name—beauty sleep waits for no queen."
Tetra quickens his pace to walk beside me. "Yeah… hope you guys don't mind me tagging along. I don't think there's anything else for me to do anyway."
Azure falls in on my left. "Mmh, yeah, pretty much wrapped. I'm heading back to my place—Remi and Mister look like they'll be there a while."
"Oh, uh—by the way." Tetra awkwardly folds his arms. "I don't really have a place right now. You guys got any recommendations?"
Shock raises a brow, her face twisting into mock shock. "Hun, you're homeless?!"
"Uh… not permanently," Tetra says quickly. "I'm just looking for a place to stay while I search for my brother."
"Hm." Shock shrugs. "I guess you can crash at mine for a bit. Just don't touch my stuff."
"Whoa, really? You're okay with that?"
"Yeah, totally! You give off good vibes—I'm not worried. Just don't mess with my stuff, and we're golden."
"Huh. Thanks."
By the time their conversation trails off, we've stepped out into the street. Cold air brushes past me, and I glance around the nearly empty block.
The block's almost empty—quiet, peaceful.
I stop at the curb, glancing back at the others. Instinct says to break off, to fade back into my own space—like I always do once the work's over.
But then Shock laughs again, Tetra's shoulders slump like he's got nowhere to land, and Azure's halfway through a yawn she doesn't bother finishing. I exhale, rubbing the side of my neck.
The car keys in my pocket suddenly feel heavier than they should.
"…Screw it, got nothing better to do anyways," I mutter under my breath. Then, louder, "You guys want a ride?"
Shock raises a brow. "Oh! For real?"
"Yeah, sure. You're both the same way. Might as well."
Tetra and Shock exchange a glance before nodding. Then Shock suddenly wraps her arms around me from behind.
"Yayyy! Thanks, bestie!"
"H-Huh!?" The unexpected hug catches me off guard, my eyes going wide. "Since when did I become your 'bestie'?" I quickly pry her arms off my torso.
Azure lingers near the entrance, tapping her foot against the floor. "I'll be taking a taxi," she says with a sly smile. "I'll see you all later. Don't be strangers~!"
We watch as she walks off, her silhouette fading under the streetlights.
"Alright… later then." I frown slightly, tilting my head. Quick exit. Figures. I squint at her disappearing figure, then shake my head. Definitely a strange one.
Pulling out my phone, I start toward my truck. Tetra and Shock follow close behind. The familiar black beast comes into view, and just seeing it makes my shoulders relax.
I unlock the doors and check the back seats—clean enough—before Shock and Tetra climb in. A quick glance confirms all my gear's still where it should be, and I slide into the driver's seat.
Everyone settles in as I pull out onto the street, the city's neon lights bleeding across the windshield. The low hum of the engine fills the cabin before Shock leans forward, gripping the back of my seat and casually rattling off an address.
"Just drop me off at Willingdon Heights. My place is nearby."
I glance at her through the mirror, one brow raised. "Wait—that's your place?"
"Mhm!"
"You just gave me your address. Just like that?"
Tetra looks even more confused than I am. "Yeah, doesn't that, like, go against basic security… privacy… something?"
Shock grins, leaning forward with that unmistakable sparkle in her eye. "Oh, please. You think I'd be dumb enough to drop my address to just anyone?" Her grin widens as she shoots Tetra a look. "I know you two aren't gonna snitch. And if someone did try something—" she taps her rig bag with a wink, "—trust me, I'd clock it before they even made it up the block."
"That cocky or that confident?" I scoff. Personally, I'd never in a million years let anyone from my line of work know where I live. Well—except Wissen. He's different.
"Both, obviously," Shock laughs, flicking her hair back and flashing a smug smile. "Cameras, sensors, drones—the whole digital fortress, babe. If someone even breathes wrong near my place, I'll know. And if they try hacking me?" She smirks. "Let's just say I turn their setup into a very expensive paperweight."
"So you're just… untouchable?" There's a mix of awe and unease in Tetra's voice.
Shock waves a hand, dismissing the idea. "No, not untouchable. Just very, very annoying to deal with."
Tetra tilts his head. "You think someone's ever gonna call that bluff?"
She shrugs, grinning like she's telling a gossip story. "Oh, they've tried. Didn't end well, though. Some corpo netrunner—Arasaka, I think—girlie thought she could trace me. Now she can't even get her smart fridge to turn on."
I chuckle. "You're a menace."
Still, I can't help but wonder how she'd fare against Nano. Both are damn good, but Nano's the type to stay invisible—pull strings from the shadows instead of flashing her skills.
"Yasss," Shock leans back with a satisfied smirk. "Oh! But you're free to hire me anytime too, assuming I'm not busy."
"Hm. Noted."
A quiet ease settles over me.
It's been a while since a conversation didn't feel like a transaction or a threat.
I drive in silence, eyes on the road as we leave Vancouver's downtown glow and slip into Burnaby's quieter streets.
Tetra shifts in the backseat, glancing at Shock with a mix of confusion and curiosity. "So, I guess I should ask both of you this. So, Lily—"
"Artemis," I cut in, correcting him before he can finish. "Lily was just a placeholder. I'd rather keep my real operating name off the record—especially if it's being livestreamed." I make a mental note to switch up my makeup next time, just to keep my look fresh.
"Right," Tetra nods. "So, Artemis and Shock—you're both, uh… what do you call it? Edgerunners? Artemis, you mentioned earlier that you're like a mercenary or assassin that Wissen knows?"
"Yep, basically."
"Right, okay, that makes sense." Tetra leans forward a little. "So what about you, Shock? You're part of the Italian mafia, right? What I don't get is how you ended up here in Vancouver. You came over with your brother from Italy, right?"
Shock blinks at the question, then smiles. "Oh, not quite. Sooo… you know how Dante's in line to be the boss?"
"Right." Tetra tilts his head.
"Yeahhh, so, my family's pretty deep in the whole thing too. We used to live together in Rome, but then I got shipped abroad a while back to handle, uh—'international affairs.'"
I raise a brow. "International affairs? You're expanding into Vancouver?"
"Sort of…?" She shrugs. "We've grown a lot in Europe, and now we're branching out. It's not about taking territory—it's more like building connections with local groups. I'm one of the 'scouts' for Vancouver. Otherwise, I'd be back home helping clean up dead bodies and scrubbing security footage."
Tetra nods slowly. "Huh, so… will you ever go back?"
"Ehhh… I doubt it'll be much longer." Shock tilts her head, thinking it over. "Maybe, at worst, a few years tops. Then I'll be flown back, and a new team will take my spot."
"So do you like it here, or do you prefer home?" I ask, turning onto another street. "I've been to Europe before—just curious what you think, as a local and all."
"Home, definitely." Shock makes a face. "This country is… not it."
I chuckle. "Yeah, figured as much. North America makes Europe look like a utopia in comparison."
"Oh, actually," Tetra says, scratching his cheek with a sheepish laugh, "could you guys explain more about that? I grew up near the coast, so I'm not really used to city life—or anywhere beyond it."
"Oh man… where do we even start?" I let out a dry chuckle, still watching Tetra through the rearview mirror. "The jokes about Europe being leagues ahead of us are pretty much true. They've got working infrastructure, a stable economy, less crime, and way fewer corpo-driven disasters. If you've only been near the coast, you should see how bad it gets the further inland you go."
"Yeah… I heard North America's basically a sinking ship."
"Not an inaccurate comparison," I admit. "Remember our talk earlier about the economy tanking years ago? The U.S. still can't decide if it's a democracy or corporate property, and Canada's only just started picking up the pieces thanks to our current mayor. The problem is, the continent's like a massive car—we're trying to fix the engine while still driving it."
Shock clears her throat, cutting in with her own take. "Welllll, Europe's not perfect either. Northern Europe—Germany and the nearby regions—are super high-tech and clean. Italy's a bit… messier with crime, but it's nowhere near as disorganized as…" She waves her fingers toward the city outside. "…this. It helps that the cops actually do their jobs—and aren't broke."
"Interesting to hear you say that, Miss Mafia." I raise an eyebrow. "Wouldn't you prefer less law enforcement?"
"Well, the cops are still pretty dirty." Shock giggles, scratching the back of her head. "They just take care of the small fry for us. Besides, they'd rather deal with us than some reckless gang trashing the city. At least the mafia cares about keeping the country functional."
"That's rich," I snort. "You can't possibly be serious."
Shock meets my gaze, deadpan. "No, seriously. My family's always had a stake in Italy's financial sector."
Oh shit. She's for real.
"Huh…" Tetra leans back, processing, his frown deepening as I slow the car near our destination. "So it's still corrupt—but not, like, full-blown anarchy?"
"Pretty much." Shock nods. "The mafia's got its influence, I can't lie. Politicians take our bribes and all—but at least back home, there aren't just insurance plans reserved for the elite. Hospitals actually work over there."
I ease my truck toward a large building complex, parking smoothly. "Yeah. Figured as much," I say, a small smile tugging at my lips. Most of the times I've made it out alive were thanks to the medics Wissen hooked me up with—and I'll never stop being grateful for that quiet kind of support.
Not everyone's that lucky, though. I add with dry humor, "And hey, you don't even have to sell a kidney to afford treatment. Isn't that great?"
Shock and Tetra both laugh, their amusement clear in the rearview mirror.
"Anyway, we're here." I press a button near the wheel, and the truck doors unlock with a soft click.
Shock stretches her arms above her head before hopping out. "Perffffect! Let's go!"
Tetra steps out after her, taking in the surroundings before shaking his head. "Man, this is way too complicated for me." He glances back at me with a small smile. "Stuff like this makes me wanna go home."
I pause, watching him join up with Shock. You can say that again.Keeping things simple—that's a luxury most of us can't afford. I lean back in my seat, mulling it over before muttering to myself, "Yeah… sometimes simple's better."
Then Shock's laughter cuts through the haze. She walks back to my truck, poking her head through the open door.
"Oh! By the way, I know it's like suuuper late, but you can come in if you want!" She gestures toward the building, eyes glinting with mischief. "I could show you around—see if you're actually fun to hang out with outside of work." She finishes it off with a playful wink.
I exhale, tapping my fingers against the wheel. My phone's screen lights up as I check my schedule—nothing tomorrow. My sleep's already wrecked anyway. Shock and Tetra don't exactly scream backstabbers. Maybe I can stay a little while.
"…Fine," I say at last, stepping out of the truck. "Just for a bit, though."
Shock grins, clearly pleased, and leads the way toward the entrance. Tetra looks mildly surprised but doesn't argue. I close the truck doors behind me, locking them with a soft click before following.
As we approach the apartment building, I glance up at it, scanning the surroundings.
"Alright, Shock," I murmur. "Let's see if your security's as good as you say it is."