Militek Branch Building

[Mr_DC]

A wide building which stretches down further than it does to the sky. Like all Militek buildings, this one is crawling with both physical and electronic security as it also serves as a vault for their more advanced projects which have yet to be revealed to the public.

 

[Mr_DC]

Cybertek and Dai Lung Medical united. Two huge companies forced together into a mega-corporation. Medical technology and robotics - a perfect pair. Lazarus Corporation rose from this union. Minutes after the acquisition went public, smaller companies swarmed around with offers of joining this young union, hoping to benefit and protect themselves from more aggressive corporations.


Franklin Winthrop Steele was declared a genius for carrying out this unavoidable, obvious move. Owner of Dai Lung Medical from a young age - prosperity from a tragedy - Franklin was moulded by business magnates and science legends. Aged only 29, Franklin stepped onto the big stage alongside older players with more experience by carrying out one of the bigger mergers of the century.


People clapped as Franklin was shown off to the press like some prize by his PR people. The shareholders, old and new, were anxious to see the reaction of the public to a young, free thinker and so far it seemed good. Franklin smiled and nodded as people took his photos in the big conference room of a small office building Militech generously offered for the evening. His light, cream suit was well tailored, following the lines of his thin body perfectly. It stood out in the room full of people in dark suits. While neatly shaved, Franklin was toying with the idea of letting a beard grow. His medium-length, light brown hair had a faint grey streak on the sides, making him seem much older than he was. He carefully combed it back before the event started.


Franklin adjusted his white tie with his right hand. While most people wanted to have their cybernetic limbs artificially skinned, making them seem normal, Franklin enjoyed the pale white color of his elegantly designed and perfectly manufactured arm - one of the flagship products of the new Lazarus Corporation. Bringing a cigarette to his lips with his human, left hand, he raised a cybernetic thumb in front of it and lit the cigarette with a flame burning from the tip of his thumb. Franklin exhaled slowly, frozen and watching a man approach.


"Davani." Franklin smiled, lowering his cigarette once the man came close enough. "Is Cole not showing up?" He looked at an older man in a fine, navy blue suit. Franklin examined the man and saw he was sweating profusely. The thick suit must have been too much for him. Reading people was a skill he intended to start learning as he felt it would be useful in the big business world. For now, his medical knowledge served as it's replacement at times.


"Steele." The man smiled wide but keeping his teeth concealed. "Cole sends his congratulations and apologies for not being able to come in person." An old advisor, Cole was a trusted right hand to the head of MosTek - A Russian mega corporation focused on military technology and rougher robotics, unlike the Cybertek's more elegant, commercial designs.


"It's perfectly fine." Franklin nodded, turning away from the reporters. "I'm glad at least a representative could come." He added. Davani smiled and even chuckled. "I'm happy to be here. Though, it's a sad occasion." He said, leaning in and adding with a whisper. "Welcome to the big league, child." He hissed. Franklin managed to blink and frown in an attempt to weigh the man's words before the floor shook. The tremble passed through Franklin's body parallel with a loud bang, like thunder cracking somewhere beneath their feet.


"Sir!" One of Franklin's many newly hired guards yelled, grabbing his hand. Looking at his guard, Franklin felt something splatter his face and suit. The MosTech representative was laying on the floor with the side of his head burst open. Franklin grimaced at the disgusting scene, freezing in his tracks as people ran out. He felt his stomach twist, almost making him throw up. "Sir, we need to get out, this was a terrorist attack." The guard, who seemed unmoved by the dead man, yanked Franklin away, towards the door. Unlike everyone else, Franklin was lead out the back door where the corporation's sleek, black vehicles were waiting. Few cars had drivers, the technology making them obsolete. Still, Franklin had specialized drivers sitting behind the wheels - just in case.


"What happened?" Franklin asked, sitting in the car.


"A small welcome." Another, older and more rugged man said, sitting opposite of Franklin in the spacious town car.


"Who did it?" Franklin asked, trying to look calm again, wiping away the blood off his face. His darting eyes and trembling hand proved he couldn't calm himself. "The Russians are my guess. It is just a warning, though." The man looked out the tinted window, neon lights from outside playing on his scarred face.


"Why? We're not even competition. We're not gunning for their customers yet." Franklin frowned.


"They want the country for themselves when the government goes bankrupt. We're just in the way. I would expect the same - or worse - response from other corporations."


"We do not have a footprint here yet and they don't want us to make one." Franklin concluded. "Monte." He said, getting a nod from the other man. "I need you to do something for me. I'll give you the details when we get to the penthouse, away from all this." He watched a small group of people fighting on the street.


"Yes, sir." Monte nodded, watching the same group with a more sympathetic expression.

 

[uesius]

Kora walked briskly on the street opposite the massive building, like she did every morning, on her way to work. Her hands were buried in her pockets, her dark hood up over her head, and her gaze straightforward. She loathed having to walk by this god-forsaken place, listening to the yuppies talk amongst each other without a care in the world.


She could just hear the pretentiousness in their voices, seeping out like chemical ooze from a sewer. Oh, ho hum, shall we go to this restaurant to eat? Mm, no the waitstaff had quite the attitude last time. Perhaps we should go to this other place, I hear it's quite divine. Mm, quite. It made her sick. She wanted them all to just go away, yet at the same time she secretly yearned to be amongst their ranks. Being the first to try out all the top-secret cybernetic enhancements, hearing all the juicy corporation gossip, having a home with a working thermostat. That would be the life.


Snap out of it, Kora. You're not one of them. You'll never be one of them. You're real, honest, hard working, unlike these shmucks. They've all gotten where they are by dumb luck, probably use their parents' money just to wipe their asses. Kora grumbled to herself, earning a couple concerning looks from those passing by. She paid no attention. The sooner she reached the end of the street, the better.


From behind her, a huge snap erupted out of nowhere, like the cracking sound of a giant whip. Instinctively, Kora lunged for cover by crouching behind a trash can. She looked around her and saw people frantically scattering and screaming, and she felt a pang of remorse. Jesus, when I said I wanted them gone, I didn't mean literally dead. Her fingers pried at the garbage's thick plastic as if she were trying to pull herself into the bin. Where did that noise come from? Who got shot? She peeked her head over the bin to get a better look at the scene and saw someone sprawled on the sidewalk, blood pouring from his head. Was that...brain matter she saw as well? What is going on? Her entire body was shaking with adrenaline. She felt her teeth chattering in her head and her heart thudding in her chest.


Then she realized that the noise came from behind her, the part of her body that was totally exposed to the assassin. She was completely vulnerable to attack should he try to shoot at her as well.


Kora rationalized with herself. Don't be stupid, this guy's probably only shooting high profile people. Tryin' to send a message. You aren't lucky enough to have someone put you out of your misery. Get up, run. Get the hell out of here. Nevertheless, she was frozen. There was no way she was going to separate herself from this garbage bin, acting as some kind of beacon of protection. Shit, she was going to be late for work. How would she explain this to her boss?

 

[Mr_DC]

@uesius


A strong hand reached in grabbed the girl's forearm and lifted her up. "Just walk." A smooth voice said in a quiet tone, pushing her forward while still holding the girl. Jack wasn't the one to play a knight in shining armor but trying to hide in situations like this. When corporations gun for each other, it's the civilians who get hurt. Jack, though, was here on business. Scouting. Taking a look around, seeing the relations between the big players and figuring out who will need protection services. A good opportunity for Ronin to jump in. Everyone was expecting some shenanigans but nothing this bloody. Almost everyone. The new big man in town, Franklin Steele, was pretty shaken.
As soon as panic struck, Jack was rushing away. He wasn't the one to cower in the face of trouble but there was no money in fighting.

Jack sighed. He was actually having fun. Spinning lies, trying to see how far he can go without the corporate drones figuring out he was full of hot air. No one called him out by the time the attack happened. He even managed to convince several middle managers that he was their new boss and that he wasn't pleased with the quarterly reports. It wasn't difficult. Put up an angry look, make the target say something first to see if there's an accent to pick up, and be confident. The last one always did the trick. Even if you're about to piss yourself, always be confident. Believe your own lies if you have to. If you believe in yourself more than your mark, things will go smooth. At least, that was his mantra.

He could convince a scientist that the Earth is flat or a cop that he didn't commit a murder but trying to talk to women he's interested in was an impossible task. He didn't know where to start, what to say. At least he had looks on his side. A handsome man, always cleanly shaven, neatly combed, smelling of citrus, and dressed well. It wasn't enough when he'd lock up and ignore anyone who approached him. It was a vicious circle - The women who approached him weren't interesting and the ones who were interesting didn't find his silence anything more than weird.


Helping this girl wasn't the best pickup line life offered him. He felt a certain urge to help her. Not a saint by nature, he found that urge interesting. Something worth exploring and, thus, she was worth helping.


"Don't look back." He whispered, listening for footsteps of people running away from the scene. "Don't look back, don't run." He instructed. Nothing makes a better target than a curious face, looking puzzled into a gun barrel. "You hurt?" He looked down at the girl, probably for the first time. He didn't really take the opportunity to take a good look at her until now. She was young. Looked younger than he was but his appearance came with the line of work.

 

[uesius]

As far as Kora could tell, no further shots rang out. But there was no way in hell she was getting up now. The perpetrator could be anyone, anywhere. She could be hit at any second. The only thing she could be certain of was this garbage can and that it would never hurt her, even though it reeked of pompous dinners more expensive than her monthly paycheck.


Kora took her hands away from the bin and held them together, close to her chest. She clasped them tightly as she spoke softly, “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” Her voice trailed off. It was all she could remember of the prayer her father recited every day. She wasn't religious, but she felt an odd compulsion to call out to a higher being for protection. For added reassurance, she mumbled a few words in Spanish she heard her mother say when she was distressed. Kora had no idea what they meant, but at least it provided her with a little bit of comfort.


She wondered where her parents were now and felt a sudden pang of guilt that she abandoned them so suddenly. Here she was, crouched next to a trash can, in her last moments of life, and she never would have the chance to see them again. She could still see their faces—her father seething with rage and her mother sobbing uncontrollably—as she left her home for good. She ruminated to herself, Mother, father, I'm so sorry. I've been a terrible daughter. I'll never be able to make it up to you if my brains are splattered against the wall.


She peeped her head a second time over the bin to see if the man on the ground was still there. Yep, he hadn't moved a muscle. As gory as ever. Kora had never seen such a sight; she gagged as she brought her head back down to her knees.


“What the--,” her thoughts were interrupted as she felt herself being lifted up and pushed along. She obediently walked with the unknown person. Judging by his voice, she assumed he was a guy. 


Her thoughts ran wild. Oh my god, it's him. It's the shooter. He's going to take me to an alley, shoot me, rape me, then cook and eat me. I'm going to die. Kora had no evidence whatsoever to prove her claims, yet she felt certain it was him. She silently screamed at herself to do something: turn around, claw his eyes out, kick him in the nuts, anything to get away from him. Yet her body was not listening, she simply walked briskly along with him and did nothing to protect herself. In that moment, Kora hated herself. Here she was, being escorted to her death and she was paralyzed with fear. Maybe she deserved to die for being so incompetent.


He asked her if she was hurt, which she felt was an odd thing for a murderer to inquire about. Physically, she was fine, but she wasn't going to reveal anything about her to him. All she could manage to spit out was, “What are you doing with me?” in a hushed whisper. Kora stared forward, her eyes wide in shock, and she didn't think to turn and see what he looked like.

 

[Mr_DC]

@uesius


"Getting you out of here." Jack grumbled, trying to be quiet yet loud enough to be understood through the panicked yells. At least she was doing as told. Jack thought, walking forward down the street as police cars rushed past them, sirens blaring, blue and red lights flashing. His mind was focused on whatever was happening behind him. So focused on the sounds that he almost tripped on a flat sidewalk. "Best not be in the middle of that." He leaned in towards the girl now that they were somewhat farther. "Corporate bloodbath, you know how it is." He said. Maybe she didn't know how it was. Most people didn't think too much about what the corporations did. A war of the gods where everyone else was just ants. Buildings crumbling and lives lost, all just because someone wanted a bigger bottom line. He knew it full well. After all, he was the weapon corporations used. A bullet, if not the gun.


Now that they were further along, Jack stopped, grabbing the girl's shoulder. With a firm tug, he turned her around to face him. "Hey." He gave her a half smile. What pretty brown eyes. He nodded, trying to summon a friendlier smile. "You okay?" He arched his brows. The girl seemed shaken. Normal. He wished he was normal like that. To be shocked by death and chaos. It was disgustingly normal. Like finding out the battery in your phone or whatever was running low. A minor inconvenience. Too fucking normal.


The girl reminded him of someone, though. Same brown eyes. Probably the same age. Same skin, just as soft probably. Except the original was bloodthirsty. She would never freeze when action started. She was the one to start it. And now he's alive. That happens when you don't start action and instead go with the flow. You survive. Just follow the stream.


The girl looked an awful lot like her. Mary. Or Fran. She never had a name for longer than a month. "What's..." Jack hesitated. There was no way they were somehow connected. "What's your name?" He frowned but tried not to look intimidating. A man in a suit calmly escorting a girl away from a crime scene. Definitely not suspicious. He thought, sarcastically.


(Sorry for the short post, I'm burnt out today)

 

[uesius]

(No problem!)


Time felt like it slowed as Kora was escorted away from the scene. The police sirens and frantic screams melted away for a brief moment, leaving Kora alone with her thoughts. She caught a glimpse of herself in the window of a building and was shocked at what she saw. The reflection in the window didn't look like herself at all. Instead of the strong, take-no-shit woman she pictured she was, what she saw was something else. 


It was a girl. A dopey, frightened little girl who couldn't stand up for herself. She hated the sight of it, it almost made her nauseous. Her vision became blurred as tears welled up in her eyes. Kora refused to let this stranger see her cry, as if she could be anymore pathetic.


He suddenly stopped her and turned her so she could see his face. She was able to blink away her tears to get a good look at his appearance. If she somehow survived and the cops trailed her down, she'd probably have to provide some sort of description. Good. Let this asshole rot in jail. She brought up her hand to wipe away the last remaining moisture from her eyes and scanned his face. Brown hair, blue eyes, chiseled jawline, immaculate eyebrows, this was not someone Kora would expect to go on a murderous rampage, then kidnap a random civilian. She had expected something more gruesome. 


She had to stop herself from admiring the man's looks. What the hell, Kora? This man just literally abducted you, stop being so ridiculous. Save your hybristophiliac fantasies for someone else, you freak. This guy had the perfect perfect disguise; a charming looking man had a much better chance of enticing girls than a creepy, unhygienic one. How many people had this guy swooned, only to do horrible things to them? Kora didn't want to even think about it.


Her built up rage at being helplessly kidnapped suddenly exploded out of her. She yanked herself away from his grip. “You want to know my...?" she started, then furiously raised her voice, “Who the fuck do you think you are?! Get the fuck away from me!” She wanted to attack him, but reasoned he'd probably overpower her in a minute. Likewise, she couldn't run away. He looked pretty muscular and would likely catch up to her in no time. Either option ended up with her being in even more deep shit, so she did nothing but stand defensively and glare at him, as if trying to murder him with her mind.

 

[Mr_DC]

@uesius


Jack took a step back. "Excuse me?" He cocked an eyebrow. Not quite the reaction he expected from someone he saved. How rude. He frowned. What was he expecting? The girl was hiding behind trash cans, maybe even lived there. Nevereign had more than enough people 'down on their luck' and almost all of them behaved like that. Some would pull a knife or gun on you when you offered them money. How. Rude. He shook his head.


"Listen..." He started but paused. That struck a nerve. Professional and calm. He took a deep breath. Calm and professional. He exhaled. Maybe she misunderstood, maybe she's not rude, maybe she's not driven insane by poverty. "I figured you were in danger back there." Jack raised his hands, palms forward. "I didn't mind to cause you any discomfort." He said, fighting off another frown. No good deed goes unpunished. He took one step back and gave a short bow to the girl. "I guess you can handle yourself. I'll be off now." He said but waited. An apology would be nice. He thought, cautious not to frown or smile. Just cautious.


She was more like his partner than he thought. Not as angry, definitely, but not that far. Maybe she just reminded him of one of her appearances. After all, she changed them as much as she changed her name. Maybe he just saw what he wanted to see. Jack wasn't like that, as much as his CEO advised otherwise. Always the same style. Always the same look. Always the same thoughts. He didn't change. He never changed.

 

[uesius]

Kora was utterly shocked at the man's response and suddenly embarrassed at her outburst. “Wait,” she began, holding out her hand as if to prevent him from walking away. “You were...saving me, back there? But, why?” Kora didn't know how to respond to such a gesture. No one had ever saved her from anything. She had learned to rely on only herself, and that was how she liked it. It was a lot more simple to trust no one, but it also was incredibly lonely being so suspicious of others all the time.


A sudden thought came to her. “No, wait,” she closed her eyes, shook her head, then re-steadied herself as she looked back up at him. “I know what you're doing. You're trying to butter me up, trying to make me trust you so you can murder me and dump me in the river. You fucking stole me back there, in the midst of the confusion, what was all that about?” She pointed an accusatory finger at him as he bowed and she almost chuckled in disbelief. Who was this guy? Kora was having conflicting opinions about this man. One one hand, he seemed like he sincerely wanted to help, but on the other, that's exactly what a murderer would want her to think. She hated feeling so out of her element. She usually prided herself on knowing exactly what to do.


He wasn't making any sudden movements. Kora figured, if she ran fast enough, she could probably get away. There were still lots of people wandering around, she could run up to one and tell her she's being followed by a crazy stranger. Police were everywhere, it'd be no trouble at all to get this guy arrested if she yelled loud enough.


But would they listen? Would they trust some psycho, disheveled, teary-eyed woman? Or would they think she was insane? She certainly felt insane at the moment.


Kora finally decided she didn't care. She was giving up. She didn't have the energy to fight back. “You know what, fine, kidnap me, murder me, whatever. My life isn't going anywhere. Just shoot my goddamn brains out, all I ask is that you make it quick and easy. Then have your way with my corpse, I don't give a shit anymore.” She shrugged, realizing that perhaps dying wasn't all that bad, even at the hands of some strange, attractive, murderous man. After all, she'd never have to pay bills again, or worry about where her next meal would come from. She'd never have to get yelled at by her boss, or endure the disapproving stares of yuppie businessmen. The thought became more enticing by the second.

 

[Mr_DC]

@uesius


"Excuse me?" Jack frowned, placing his hands on his hips. Now that was just insulting. "Have my way with your corpse? I certainly hope I'm not that appalling that I have to lower my standards that much." He said, half joking. He snorted, shaking his head. What an awful idea. Kill someone and do... That. Was that something people actually did? There were plenty of cheap whores around the city. Sure, curing whatever they gave you would raise the total cost up a fair bit but one might still come out ahead if they went on a spending spree. A horrible line of thinking. Jack shook his head.


He poked the girl's forehead with a finger. "Here's the thing, little one." He said mockingly. The situation was entertaining actually. The girl was a bit tough to figure out at first but he caught the strings now. She was scared and paranoid. He had a few approaches with scared people. Make them feel nice and comfortable, scare them out of their mind or... Just be honest. "I tried to save you because you looked like you needed it. You probably didn't since not much happened there. I saw more blood on weddings..." Especially the ones he was hired to attend. Now was the time to crack the egg.


"To be honest... I do kill people." Jack lowered his tone and leaned in to make sure people passing by wouldn't get too curious if they caught a word. "It's my job. I killed a lot of people by now and I can't say that you would be the youngest one if I wanted to do you in." He paused, letting it sink in. "But that's exactly what it is. A job. I take no pleasure in it and I'm definitely not doing it for free. It's still a serious crime... And something I'm good at. I'd rather sell my skills than throw them around, you know?" He cocked an eyebrow, trying to look friendly in spite of the words coming out of his mouth. He sounded like he was discussing the recent game of whatever the local sports team was.


"I didn't mean to harm you." He sighed through a smile. "I still don't. Wouldn't be really nice of you if you went to the police to repeat what I just said but I'm kind of trusting you here." He actually wasn't. If the police find out, they'll check who he's working for. When they find out it's Ronin, they'll ask for a bribe and provide info about who it was that snitched. That's when he'd be called up by Ronin to clean up his own mess. A nice little circle. At least it seemed like he trusted her. He trusted her to spare him of a slight inconvenience. Of explaining what happened to his boss. She was far from pleasant when things turned out like that.


"Can you just calm down now or something?" Jack shrugged with an awkward chuckle. "I know what you just learned is weird but I'm just a guy working for a corp. You think you can see it that way?" He hoped she would. Otherwise, he'd just turn and walk away, waiting for a call from Ronin about someone finding out who he is.

 

[uesius]

Kora attemped to gather her thoughts, but was having quite a bit of trouble under the circumstances. “Okay, so wait,” she began, “Your job is to kill people.” That, she had no problem believing. She had “serviced” several hired hands in the past. It was always interesting to hear the stories they could tell. Except, it wasn't as exciting being on the other side of one. Perhaps one of her old johns knew this guy?


“And yet,” she furrowed her brow. It was difficult forming the words in her head, trying to make sense of things. “You're not going to kill me?”If he had wanted to kill her, Kora assumed, he'd probably have already done it by now. Plus, from what she understands, this guy is paid to do it. No one would pay to have her killed, it'd be a waste of hard-earned money. “You just wanted to get me out of there?”


She still had a hard time believing what was going on. Pointing back in the direction they came from, she said, “So you weren't part of that whole fiasco back there? What is even going on? I mean, did you see that? Some guy was shot, right in the head.” She gestured to her own head to emphasize her point. “He looked important too, he was wearing a suit and everything.”


Her paranoia grew again and she suddenly had the irrational thought that this man took her because he assumed she was the shooter. Or, at least in cahoots with the shooter, whoever they were. She held out her hands, palms open, as if this action would somehow display her innocence. “Listen, if you think I had anything to do with that back there. Honest to God, I don't. I was just trying to get to work, I swear.” The words tumbled out of her as if she were actually being interrogated.

 

[Mr_DC]

@uesius


Jack nodded along as the girl tried to make sense of the situation. It definitely wasn't your everyday occurrence - meeting a hitman. Though, he wasn't exactly one. Infiltrator sounded much better. At least she didn't freak out this time. Hurray for that. He kept his smile. Much easier to keep when he wasn't being called a murderer and rapist. "I'm not going to kill you." He confirmed with a chuckle. People truly were bloodthirsty here. Probably as bad as Moscow. Definitely not as bad as Moscow. He was dodging bullets every time he tried getting breakfast.


"Is there anything wrong with helping you out?" He gave her a friendly wink, like he knew her for years now. "Cost me nothing to give you a hand and get you to safety. Who knows, maybe one day you'll help me out." He smiled. She won't. He probably has a couple jobs in the city before Ronin sends him out somewhere else. Washington was boiling. Great place to earn some money for both himself and his company.


"Well..." Jack looked over his shoulder at the scene, thinking about how to explain. "He wasn't exactly shot. Those corporate guys have little bombs in their heads and it looks like someone activated that one. Instant assassination. Just add water. Or... Electricity in that case." He joked. Grim joke, concerning the circumstances. "I was actually just rigging things for my company on my own accord." He explained his involvement. It was a good day for honesty.


As he heard her defend herself, Jack couldn't help but chuckle. Who would ever think a girl like her would be involved with something like that? "No, no, don't worry." He laughed. "I don't think you did anything. I help people from time to time but I don't go hunting murderers for a hobby." He shook his head, still laughing but he paused. Who would think she'd be involved with that indeed? Maybe... Just maybe... "You were going to work?" He raised an eyebrow, shining a friendly smile. "Where do you work? Things must be pretty bad in this city. I'm from outside town, actually. I just go where ever Ronin sends me." He explained needlessly. He wanted her answer.

 

[uesius]

Kora said nothing as she stared in disbelief as the man described the unfortunate death of the businessman. Bombs in heads? That was something she'd never even heard of before. She didn't know it was possible. Then again, something like that never crossed her mind. Her mind was abuzz with questions: Who was he? Who controls the bombs? Why did they decide to detonate it at that time, in front of thousands of innocent bystanders? Who else has bombs in their heads?


She shuddered at the thought of living her everyday life with a device in her head, ready to brutally kill her at any moment. That didn't sound like a way to live at all. The gruesome scene flashed into her mind again: the man sprawled out on the floor, half his head missing with blood seeping out of the gap. What kind of sick person would do that to another being.


You idiot, she chided herself. Don't you remember where you live? It's Neverign; this place is full of sadistic bastards. Oddly enough, that's what enticed Kora to come here in the first place. Her idea of it was more romanticized, however. Like some sort of ancient film noir movie, where sly detectives and cunning criminals try to outwit each other. Her fantasies were sorely let down.


When he asked her about her work, Kora was reluctant to answer. “I, uh,” she hesitated. For one thing, she just met this guy. A second ago, she was convinced that he was going to murder her. He still might try to stalk her, for all she knew.


Nevertheless, this day contained more excitement than the past year of her life combined, and Kora was curious to see where it was heading. “It's  a little restaurant a few blocks from here,” she admitted, “I wash dishes.” She was suddenly embarrassed about her job. A well-groomed guy such as him would probably never be caught dead in the beat-up little shack she worked at. It served a lot of questionable characters and was never one to abide by health codes. If Kora wasn't so desperate for money, she wouldn't have touched the place.

 

[Mr_DC]

@uesius


"A restaurant?" Jack smiled, closing his eyes. "Well, that must be peaceful." He chuckled. "I once pretended to be a waiter to listen in on a conversation between two CEO's." He winked. "You have no idea how many professions I've pretended to be." He shook his head, remembering the most embarrassing ones. Playing a whore wasn't one of his favorites but it came up so many times he started getting over it. People in the corporate business just liked consequence free sex and tended to open up the most then. Sadly, Jack's job was to be around when people open up and hear what they have to say. "You shouldn't even think about it." She sighed with a chuckle, blushing slightly.


"You must allow me to make up for scaring you like that." Jack nodded. "I'd like to take you out for a drink. Maybe a bite to eat." He offered. "No strings attached. If you say no, I'll turn around and we can pretend we never met." He wished he could talk to women like that when he wasn't thinking of business. Now, business was on his mind. If the girl had some skill, he could pull her into Ronin. His word had a weight in the corporation. Not exactly a talent scout but he knew how to read people. Well, most of the time. Some panicked, paranoid behavior could slip by, it appeared.


"But not at your restaurant." He added. "It may be embarrassing for you to be seen with me. I'm clearly a corporate from the first glance." He nodded. Corporates. He hated them but didn't mind being seen as one. They were rich and powerful but weak. People who wanted only money and power could easily be manipulated if they weren't exactly clever. The only clever ones were CEOs and high lever managers. People didn't exactly like corporate types. Definitely not in Nevereign from what he managed to gather thus far. One man even spat on his shoes. That man got a black eye the next second but his shoes needed to be shined and cleaned after that. Maybe spending so much time with corporates started turning him into one. "Of course, we can go there if you want. I do know this nice, little sushi place in the city." It was actually in the Ronin local branch office. Just catering to Ronin employees so their service was top of the line. And perfectly close to convince her of joining - if she was good enough.


(Could you please tag me in your posts when you make them? I don't get a notification when you post otherwise)

 

[uesius]

(Of course! Sorry about that.)


@Mr_DC


“It's nothing glamorous,” Kora remarked about her job. “It just pays the bills, y'know? Gotta find work somehow.” She couldn't help but be intrigued about this man's profession. He probably had so many juicy stories to tell, Kora's mouth watered at the thought of it. So much dirt on so many people! What a life, almost like some kind of messed up comic book. She hadn't seen one of those in ages. Did they still sell comic books?


“You want to go out to eat?” she asked incredulously, pointing at herself. “With me?” She couldn't remember the last time she went out to eat with someone. Recently, her life had been an endless circle of work, come home, work again, sleep, and repeat. She hardly allowed herself any time for leisure activities. The idea of spending a night out was incredibly enticing.


She was afraid to commit. Kora anxiously rubbed her shoulder, avoiding his eye contact. “Hey, that's really nice of you, but, I don't really have any extra money right now.” Kora was not one for old school tradition. She preferred to pay for herself whenever possible. However, it was hard to pass up on a free meal if he was buying. Unfortunately, her stubborn pride won over her hunger. “Things are hard, y'know how it is.”


No, she reminded herself, He probably doesn't know how it is. Dude probably gets paid thousands of dollars a night, doing whatever it is he does. An all too familiar bitter feeling enveloped her. It wasn't fair that people like her barely scratched by while people like him and all the other hoity-toity businesspeople out there never have to worry about a thing in their lives. Except, she had no idea how hard this guy likely worked, and how much gruesome stuff he's seen.

 

[Mr_DC]

@uesius


"What kind of a gentleman would I be if I allowed you to pay for yourself?" Jack asked with a chuckle. "Besides, I know the owner." That was technically true. The little restaurant was owned by Ronin so the company could just take it off his next salary. "The meal will be on the house. Ever had great sushi? It's amazing." He never had the taste for it. Wasn't a fan of seafood.


"So... You're not happy with your job?" He cocked an eyebrow, giving her a concerned expression. "I mean, I get it that washing dishes probably isn't your dream job but do they at least pay you well enough?" Probably not and that was the point. He wanted her to say it, to have it in mind when he offers her a job. "Most places don't really value their employees unless they're owned by a big corporation." Not that the corporations valued their employees. They just paid a bit better. If you proved yourself, though, you could be looking at a nice, long partnership. Jack was quite sure he reached that but wasn't ready to relax.


"Shall we?" He motioned a hand down the road. The Ronin building was on the outer rim of the city, not that far from where they were. He had a meeting to attend later anyways. Something about a new assignment. Probably concerning Lazarus Corporation. They were the new kid on the block and that meant everyone had to see what they were about. No one wanted a mad company making problems for everyone. That was MosTech's job.


(No problem And sorry for the short post, I'm in a big rush right now)

 

[uesius]

(No worries!)


@Mr_DC


“Sushi?” Kora asked. “Isn't that like, raw fish?” Sounds exotic. And expensive. Kora wasn't the most knowledgeable when it came to food. If it cost over $20, she had likely never tried it. She was more of an instant noodles person. It was cheap and easy to prepare, just the way she liked it. She took a breath, still hesitant about tagging along. After a few moments of consideration, she finally made up her mind. “I mean, if you're paying, sure, what the hell”


As they walked together, she told him about her job. “No, it's wonderful, being a dishwasher. I work amazing hours, the wages are wonderful, and the clientele is stupendous,” she chuckled, a harsh twinge of sarcasm in her voice. “I hate it.” Her brow furrowed, remembering that she should have phoned her boss to tell her she wasn't coming in today. Whenever she tried to explain some unfortunate situation to her boss, she was always met by his inhuman shrieks and the breaking of restaurant property. She brought up her hand to massage her forehead. Just mentioning him gave Kora a headache. He was probably one of the worst people she had ever worked for. To hell with him, Kora should have left that horrid job a long time ago.


“And the pay is miniscule. After I get finished working there I have to haul ass all the way across town so I can go to my second job, stocking some dingy grocery store after hours.” Kora suddenly wondered why she was telling him all this, even though they had just met. Yet, she had these emotions bottled up inside her all the time and no one to tell them to, so it was nice to get them out.


The little nagging voice in the back of her head kept pressuring her, What are you doing, going out with some strange man who literally murders people for a living? You're gonna die, you crazy bitch!


She pushed the thought away and asked him, “So, what kind of stuff does your job entail, anyway? Sounds pretty exciting.”

 

[Mr_DC]

@uesius


"Yeah, it's raw fish." Jack scratched the back of his head. Everything sounded bad oversimplified. Though, you can hardly get simpler than sushi in explaining what it is. His coworkers liked it, though. "But they make it in such complex ways. Various spices, herbs, and stuff. You'll see." He was the kind of a guy who would just order whatever he can eat in ten minutes. He didn't even mind the nutrient paste Ronin provided to their soldiers when they wouldn't be near any home base for a while. Bland-tasting thing which had the texture of molten plastic but filling in a really short time. 


Jack chuckled at her sarcasm. Shouldn't be a problem. If she had what it took to be recruited. She hates her job, though, and someone like that would jump for an opportunity for a well-paying job. Well, if their morality was flexible enough. "Why don't you find yourself some other job? I'm sure a corporation would have a job you'd be good for." He smiled. The truth was much harsher. They had jobs she would be good for but there were countless others better and willing to work for less. You had to have someone to pull you in. Someone like Jack.


"My job?" He raised an eyebrow, giving her an uncertain smile. "Well..." He chuckled. "I told you the worst first. My official profession is Intelligence Manager." He took a deep breath to list his duties. "I do whatever it takes to get information from other corporations, I protect information for my own company, I work security from time to time, I work cleanup..." He said the last thing slightly quieter but figured it deserved an explanation. "When things go wrong and no one is meant to know, I'm the one they call. I tend to be much cost effective than bribing the police. You never know when they'll turn around and tell someone who paid more." Jack shrugged. 


They were almost to the building. Surrounded by tall office building, the Ronin Corporation's Nevereign branch certainly stuck out. The building was almost a perfect cube, significantly shorter than other buildings around it. It was a secure complex, though, with walls almost reaching of the main building. The building itself was nice, clean and white with many, many windows. Ronin Samurai were walking around the outer side of the wall, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords. Jack was never good with katanas and didn't want to come close to the Ronin version of that old weapon. They were among the first to create laser weaponry but quickly fell behind as others tried creating laser firearms. Ronin made the best of what they created, though, and their laser-edged katanas were more intimidating than any gun a thug can draw.

 

[uesius]

@Mr_DC


“I suppose I could find a better job,” Kora mused, but then, palms open, held her hands out to the her sides for him to judge her appearance. Her dark ragged sweatshirt, torn jeans, and beat-up sneakers weren't exactly Kora's idea of polished attire. “But what corporation would want to hire me, when there's so many others who are more qualified? I'm not exactly the professional type.” 


Kora's wardrobe consisted of the same two outfits, rotated throughout the week. Add in her hoodie, and she could make her apparel last for at least a week and a half. But by then her clothes would start to reek and she'd be forced to give them a wash. She couldn't remember the last time she had to dress up for something. The thought of her all dolled up in a dress or fancy slacks made her cringe. “When your clothing comes from the dumpster of a second-hand store, you can't exactly be picky about who will and won't hire you,” she joked.


Kora listened intently as the man explained what he did for a living. “Huh,” she said, nodding along as he spoke. This guy was unreal, if he was telling the truth. His life sounded straight out of some wacky science-fiction movie. “That's wild. How do you even get a job like that?” She almost asked about his paycheck, but figured that question was too personal for someone she just met.


Her jaw dropped when they approached the building. “Are you sure you have the right address?” she asked. This wasn't what he had in mind when she pictured a sushi restaurant, but then again she had no idea what a sushi restaurant was supposed to look like. She had passed by this place before, yet never paid any attention to it. Her eyes followed the myriad of people as they marched to and fro throughout the building. They looked clean and polished, and Kora knew the moment she stepped inside she'd stick out like a sore thumb. Her stomach dropped as she became very self conscious of what she looked like.


Kora automatically assumed the worst. All those men in suits would drop what they're doing to point and laugh at her. 'Look at that hobo girl!' they'd all guffaw. She could never show her face on this street again. Word would spread, and she'd be forced to skip town.


Hey, calm down, she tried to tell herself. Don't be such a pussy. Walk into that weird-ass restaurant like you own the place. No big deal.