It was extremely late at night, already hours past the ambush that'd occurred at Cyber City. Soho and I were exhausted, wasted away by sweat, blood, and the surprise of Zion's anticipation upon the execution of our plan. More than anything, we were confused.
"How did he know we were coming…?"
I added onto Soho's concern. "How did he know I was Fractless? Or that I was an executioner for Heathen? Or about Heathen at all…?"
She shook her head, unable to come up with an answer. "I don't know…"
"Zion kept mentioning something called the Null. Do you know what that is, Soho?"
"I've never heard of it." Soho looked uneasy. "I've got a bad feeling about it though. He spoke to you like you were in the way of getting to it."
"He spoke to me like he knew who I was."
"You know what were the first words he told me?" Soho looked me in the eye. "He said that his 'sources' were correct—that he'd been told that a new executioner was on the loose."
My eye grew wide. "New executioner…?"
I recalled Zion's words for a moment. He mentioned having to wait seven years, all because of the Sin of Discrimination.
What did he mean by that?
"After Enzo's leave, and before I joined, who was Heathen's executioner in the meantime?" I asked Soho.
"It was Seris."
That fucking confirms it.
"Zion said that they've been waiting for the last seven years because of the Sin of Discrimination. That means that he, and whoever else is in his group, has been laying low during the time that Seris was Heathen's executioner. Then he said that they could finally make their move now that Heathen's new executioner was Fractless—me." My mind froze for a moment, compiling these unsettling revelations. "Is there a mole in Heathen? Because how the hell could someone outside of Heathen like Zion know so much about me!? Who could this 'source' be that he was talking about!?"
"I don't know! I don't know…" Soho frowned, just as unsettled by everything as I was. "Today was just a huge mess. Zion's execution was supposed to be quick and straight-forward."
"I know. But somehow, he knew what to expect."
What would Ian think of this? Should I tell him about it?
We'd arrived to the Waving Kitty. It was just past an hour when the bar had closed, meaning that Draz should have still been up doing closing duties. When we knocked on the front door, it immediately flew open.
"Soho! Klyson! Why so late?" He let us in.
"Delivery was out of town. We didn't anticipate traffic on the way back."
"And we stopped by a diner on the way," Soho added on.
Draz took on a look of concern. "You two look extremely tired. Everything alright?"
I nodded, assuring him the best I could. "It's just been a long day."
"Need a drink?" Draz asked. At first I hesitated to the offer, considering how late it already was. But Soho looked eager. I remembered how she'd been eyeing the booze at Cyber City already.
That was a tough return on the job for her. She deserves a little treat.
"It's on me, then."
"No need!" Draz said. "I already closed the till. This one's on the house, brother."
Soho and I couldn't help but smile. Even with all the gruesome work we performed on the daily, there was somewhere we could always return to feel at-home—the Waving Kitty.
Draz made us a variety of cocktails that night—drinks that he called 'secret menu.' All of them tasted great, but were also heavy on the booze. About half an hour in, Soho had already passed out. For the first time ever, I felt the alcohol hitting me hard.
"Never seen your face this flushed before, brother." Draz pointed at my face. "It's a great look on you!"
I drunkenly laughed it off. "Hey, man. Shift's over, why don't you take a shot with me?"
Draz waved it off. "I've already got a lot of alcohol brewing up inside of me. I don't need any more."
As we talked, I suddenly felt myself fighting hard against the urge to fall asleep. Usually, no matter how much I drank, I always had enough energy to get myself back home for the night.
But tonight felt different.
"Jeez, what did you put in these drinks?" I asked Draz.
He shot me a grin. "The usual stuff. Just doubled-up on the boozy measurements, that's it."
Have I always been this much of a lightweight?
"Why?" Draz asked. "Is it hitting you a little harder tonight?"
I nodded, feeling unstable.
Was it because of the mission? Am I just extra tired from the ambush?
Drowsiness was slowly washing over me. I'd never felt like this after drinking before.
"Draz, I know I don't usually do this, but do you think I could crash here just for tonight? I don't think I can get home feeling like this."
"Of course, brother!" He nodded, a latent smile growing on his face. "That was already the plan anyways."
I smiled in return, glad I had someone other than Soho that I could count on outside of Heathen. Then it suddenly hit me—Draz's words. Like I'd just walked into a brick wall, I instantly sobered up upon registering what Draz had just said.
The 'plan'?
But it was too late. Even if the effect of the alcohol had been flushed-out by now, whatever else Draz had put into my drink was already taking effect. My eye was shutting against its will.
"What… did… you do…?" I asked him, trying my best to stay awake.
Draz placed an empty glass in front of me and began pouring a clear liquid from his finger into it.
"Vodka, mixed with a little homemade solution that'll help you fall asleep." He then began to pour in a mixture of other liquids, included ice and garnishes, eventually concocting the cocktail he'd made me earlier. "I told you it was a 'secret menu' item, didn't I?"
"Draz… What the fuck… did you do…?"
He suddenly leaned forwards to stare me in the eye, his face only an inch away.
"I know what happened at Cyber City tonight."
My heart stopped.
"I know what you did to my buddy, Zion."
I passed out. All had gone black.