I sat up and woke up from my slumber. At first, I expected to find myself back in my dorm at A.X.A. Instead, I was surrounded by concrete walls with no windows to see outside.
This is reality now.
I got up and switched on the light, surprised to find that on the ground near the room's door was an envelope.
Did someone slip that in?
I went to pick it up and opened it. Out fell a sheet of paper and a small card. I read the paper:
{ Congratulations on eliminating your first target, Klyson.
As promised, the remaining $9980 has been rewarded to you via the debit card I've included in the envelope. The rest of your rewards will be wired straight to that account as well. Use the funds however you please. It is associated with an alternate identity that would not have you tracked.
This leads us to your next objective, which is a second target. It should come as a given that in your position, you will receive targets one right after the other. Some, even at the same time.
NAME: Alex Li
FRACTAL: Magnetic Impulse
- Able to activate a weak magnetic field around his body
- Can attract or repulse magnetic items and materials at specific points around his body
- Not Fractal Activated
I have no photo provided for your target. You will have to distinguish him from name and Fractal alone this time. If I have any advice for your target this time around, it's to finish the job as quickly as possible. Do not permit anything that would risk allowing the target to achieve a Fractal Activation. Alex's Fractal may be weak right now, but with a suitable awakening, you could see how an immensely strong magnetic aura would be troublesome. I'm sure you can understand that after the electrical encounter with the barista from that café.
Good luck. }
I sighed as I finished reading the letter. I'd come to the understanding that my objective as an executioner for Heathen was constantly ongoing. It seemed like I would never catch a break.
How the hell am I supposed to find this person with no leads whatsoever?
I paced around the room thinking of what to do, but every idea that came up always fell short.
Soho seems like she's been around this area for a while. Maybe she's heard of an Alex Li.
I left the storage and made my way to the Waving Kitty where I assumed Soho must have still been. It was relatively early in the morning so I wouldn't have been surprised if she was still passed out when I got there. When I got to the mall, I unfortunately found that the entry doors were locked. It was 8:00 am, and the mall didn't open until 9:00 am.
Shit, what do I do?
I wandered the premises of the mall in search of some way in, only to find that the Waving Kitty surprisingly had an outdoor entrance. I walked up to a window that peaked into one of the bar's booths and knocked, hoping that someone was inside. I became hopeful when I saw movement from within. Peering through the window, I noticed a familiar face.
Draz!
Suddenly, a barrage of ideas came storming through my mind. I couldn't think of anyone better to ask about a person in the local area other than a bartender—someone who had probably encountered, served, and communicated with nearly every person in the city. Seeing that the Waving Kitty was a bar found right in the heart of downtown Melysia, only seemed to extend my intuition.
I have to ask him if he knows an Alex Li.
The front door to the bar suddenly flew open, and a toned arm waved around the corner.
"Brother! You're here!"
I waved back. "Good morning, Draz."
He motioned for me to come in. "Looking for something you forgot? Why're you here so early?"
"Sorry man, I didn't mean to interrupt your opening duties. Just wanted to check on Soho to see if she was okay."
He threw up a thumbs-up. "She's great! Only hurled twice."
"Twice—?"
He quickly brushed it off. "Not even half the usual amount."
"Oh…"
"Come inside!"
I followed him in, only to find myself re-submerged in the nighttime vibe that the bar's neon lights emitted. I noticed that the air inside was pretty cold too.
"Got the AC blasting?" I asked.
"Yes. A cool environment makes me sweat less, which means I get to retain more of the water content I produce for drinks."
"Oh, I see."
Draz pointed at the closed door of a room. "She's in there. She usually comes out once she feels well enough."
I nodded. "That's good. Thanks again for taking care of her."
"It's never a problem." He went behind the bar where he began to prep glasses for service. "Come, take a seat brother."
Might as well. I'll wait until Soho's back up.
Draz asked me a question as I sat. "I heard that both you and Soho are new hires, is that right?"
New hires? What does he mean?
He could see the confusion written on my face. "At that job of yours. Package delivery, was it?"
I quickly stabilized my thoughts, understanding that Soho must have made up an occupation for us as 'coworkers' to cover-up our true jobs.
"Oh, yeah. We deliver packages, usually on foot though."
"The company doesn't provide you a vehicle?"
"Only for deliveries far out, but most of them are local. And you know how the traffic is around here. It's more convenient to walk or take the subway."
He nodded along. "Gotcha, gotcha." He slid me a glass of an orange drink.
"Orange juice. Drink up. Unless you prefer coffee?"
I waved it off. "No, this is good. Thank you."
I sipped on my drink, watching as Draz polished all his glassware and prepared garnishes. Some time went by without us talking, but really I was contemplating in my head.
Should I ask him about Alex Li? Would that be suspicious?
I thought about who was more likely to know who my target was: either Draz, a bartender, or Soho—basically a homeless.
I'll ask him.
"Hey, Draz. I've got a question."
"Shoot."
"Has anyone named Alex Li ever stumbled by this place?"
"Are you asking me if I've ever served someone by that name before?"
I nodded. He scratched his head thinking. "The name rings a bell. Must have met him years ago though, so I don't remember much."
I need to press for more information.
"Do you remember anything about him? Like a Fractal, or appearance?"
"I think his Fractal had something to do with attraction or something? And repulsion..."
Attraction and repulsion. Those are both characteristics of magnetism.
"That may be the same one I'm talking about," I said. "I know an Alex Li whose Fractal is Magnetic Impulse."
"Oh, right! That's what it was! I remember that guy. Tall and toned Asian man. I think I remember him telling me about how his parents had immigrated from New Zina. Why do you ask?"
I realized that I'd become a little suspicious and had to make up an excuse. "The higher-ups at my job told me that I had to deliver for him next week. Something about a special package delivered directly to him at his workplace. Thing is, they completely forgot to provide me the direct address to where he works. Knowing you, I assumed you've probably spoken to everyone here in downtown. I was gonna ask if you knew where he worked."
"Oh, shoot! Your supervisors couldn't update you on that?"
I shook my head. "It's one-way communication. They give us directive and we follow. Only way I can get a hold of them is by showing up to HQ, but it's my first week. I feel like I'll make a bad impression."
"I see. That's reasonable on your part." Draz nodded along. "Again, it was years ago, so forgive me if my memory serves you wrong. But I think I remember him mentioning that he worked as an electrical engineer in one of those technology buildings here in downtown. Something called Expansive 180, I think?"
Expansive 180. That's one of the major skyscrapers in the city.
"That one really tall building?" I asked.
"Yeah. Good luck getting up to his office!"
Me and Draz laughed about it together, which must have woken up Soho. Because in the next few minutes, the door to her room opened.
"You guys are so loud." Her eyes were squinted, and her voice was coarse. "How long have I been knocked out for?"
"The whole night," Draz replied. "It's the next morning already. 8:30 am."
"Shit," she scoffed. She looked at me. "Did you spend the night too…?"
I shook my head. "Nope. Went home last night. Came back today to come get you."
Soho smirked. "Thanks. I'm feeling better now."
Draz slid her a glass of water. "Drink up and hydrate. Let's not have you hungover the whole day."
She downed the drink in a second, wiping her mouth before looking at me. "Let's go?"
I nodded. But before that, I turned to Draz. "Thanks again."
"Like I said, never a problem with you guys around. Come back anytime, and good luck with your delivery, brother!"
I waved my thanks and left the bar with Soho, who looked at me with eagerness in her eyes.
"You received the next target already, didn't you?"