The alley sat between two abandoned storage buildings,
Two men stood near the back wall, half-hidden from the street.
One had a crooked nose that bent sharply to the left, as if it had been broken more than once and never set properly.
His hands were shoved into his pockets as he laughed, breath coming out in white clouds.
Their voices were low but rough, shaped by habit rather than caution.
"This weather's messed up," the bald man said, spitting to the side.
"Boss says it ain't normal. Snow like this? People are stoppin' everywhere. Roads are clogged. Busses, carriages, all stuck."
The crooked-nosed man grinned and licked his lips slowly.
"Good," he said. "That means easy pickin's."
He leaned back against the wall.
"People don't move when they're cold. They huddle."
The bald man chuckled.
"Boss thinks the same. Told us to keep an eye on the outer streets. Said folks coming in from the wild got nowhere else to go."
The crooked-nosed man's grin widened.
"Even better if they got women," he added casually.
The bald man nodded, his laugh turning ugly.
"Yeah. We'll get paid either way."
They stood there for a moment, enjoying the thought, unaware of how quiet the alley had become.
Neither of them noticed the figure standing at the far end of the passage.
Conrad had been there for nearly a minute.
He had heard everything.
"So, they do talk like cheaply-produced gang members in the movies."
"I think it does make sense, in the end movies prepared according to what people created them experienced in the real life."
He thought.
He stood just inside the shadow where the alley bent, his back against the wall.
He watched them carefully.
Two targets. Close range. No witnesses.
Their stance was loose.
Conrad thought.
He took one step forward.
The snow under his boot made a faint sound.
The bald man frowned slightly.
"You hear that?"
He didn't get a reply.
In the same moment, Conrad moved.
He crossed the distance quickly,
His hand reached into his coat and came out holding a short metal piece nothing special, just a compact tool he had picked up earlier from a scrap pile near the road.
He didn't hesitate.
His first strike was aimed at the crooked-nosed man.
He did not used all of his power.
As a nen user, his physical power should be greatly higher than ordinary people.
He did not wanted to kill these two, not right now not to gather attention on himself.
A sharp, precise blow to the side of the head.
The man's eyes widened for a fraction of a second.
There was a dull sound as the metal connected.
His body stiffened, then dropped straight down, collapsing like a sack with no resistance.
His head hit the ground with a flat sound, and he didn't move again.
The bald man turned just in time to feel something strange.
Because of the speed and sudden action Conrad taken, Bald-man did not registered that his friend was attacked and his reaction time was not nearly enough to understand and counter-attack.
A metallic taste filled his mouth.
His vision blurred.
He tried to shout, but no sound came out.
Conrad was already there.
The bald man's eyes rolled back.
His knees buckled.
He fell forward, hitting the ground hard, then went still.
Silence returned to the alley.
Conrad stepped back and waited.
Three seconds.
Five.
Ten.
Neither man moved.
He crouched beside them and checked quickly breathing steady.
He searched them efficiently.
He found several small pouches, each holding Jenny. Not a fortune, but enough.
More than enough for a room, food, and supplies.
He took only the money.
"This was avoidable," he said quietly, not expecting them to hear. "But you chose otherwise."
He adjusted his coat and turned away.
Before leaving, he made one small adjustment.
He dragged both men a short distance deeper into the alley, out of sight from the main road.
He didn't bother tying them up.
By the time they woke up, he would be long gone.
Conrad stepped back into the street.
He walked calmly, slipping the Jenny into his pocket.
"I should have used Zetsu to ambush them instead."
"Not that I need to but, it would be a great habit."