Alex looked at the girls and felt guilty for their sadness. After all, he hadn't told them yet that he was from an entirely different world and ended up here by accident. He wanted to cheer them up somehow, but it seemed there was no need.
"Don't worry, choom. If anything, I've got your back," Rebecca said, smiling at Alex.
Alex looked at her in surprise. It seemed she had decided to become his family, and he didn't know how to react to that.
"Thanks, really. But there's no need to worry. One day, I'll see them again," Alex replied with a smile, but his words once again brought sad expressions to the girls' faces. He had misspoken again, causing a misunderstanding. However, it wasn't time to reveal the truth about himself just yet.
Lucy also glanced at Alex and remembered her own comrades with whom she had tried to escape from Arasaka. She was the only one who made it—everyone else who tried to escape with her died. These thoughts brought her closer to Alex, who had also lost everything. Lucy wanted to support him, to keep him from straying down a dark path that could lead to tragedy.
"Hey, don't be sad! I know this might seem bleak, but life is always full of losses and gains. Don't lose hope and keep looking forward," Alex said, trying to lift everyone's spirits.
The girls looked at him, understanding that he was trying to cheer them up, showing that he wasn't losing his own optimism.
"And honestly, it's a bit early for us to be supporting each other like this—we've only just met," Alex added, blowing out a puff of smoke.
Rebecca looked at Alex as if he had just rejected her help. Her face frowned, and it seemed like she was about to attack him.
"I'm offering you my help out of the kindness of my heart, and you're turning it down? Want to get smacked again, choom?" Rebecca threatened, raising her small fist.
Alex looked at the angry gremlin and couldn't help but smile.
"Becca, I understand you want to help, but we've only just met," Alex replied, glancing at the feisty gremlin.
"If you really want to offer me moral support, at least invite me on a date so we can get to know each other better," he added with a broad smile.
Rebecca froze in place at his words. Her fist lowered, and she looked at Alex as if he were some strange creature. One moment he was saying something sad, the next—wise, and now he was acting like a child. In truth, she liked how quickly he snapped out of his somber mood.
"A date? No problem. Let's go shooting when we have time. And I'll definitely check out the beauties you'll bring," Rebecca said, grabbing his arm.
Alex wanted to smile but froze when she mentioned his guns. He realized she wasn't interested in them for shooting but in taking them apart and seeing how they were built.
"Oh, you're breaking my heart, Rebecca. All you care about are my guns. What about the love that was just beginning to blossom between us? Was it all a lie?" Alex said dramatically, even squeezing out a tear.
Rebecca, seeing his exaggerated behavior, couldn't help but laugh. She understood that Alex was intentionally putting on a show to lighten the mood.
"So what? You'll get to shoot with my weapons, and I'll shoot with yours," Rebecca replied with a wide grin.
Alex wasn't sure how to react to her words, so he just nodded. But he knew for sure he wouldn't let this little gremlin take apart his guns. Even if she was very cute, he wouldn't fall for her pleading eyes again. Probably.
"I'll let you shoot, but only if you promise not to take them apart," Alex said, looking intently at Rebecca.
Rebecca looked at Alex as if he had betrayed her. She began weighing the pros and cons and decided that for now, she'd agree to shoot, but at the first opportunity, she would take his guns apart. A mischievous grin appeared on her face, as if she had already devised a plan. She glanced at Alex, not hiding her cunning intentions.
"Deal, choom," Rebecca said, extending her hand for a handshake.
Alex simply shook his head and looked at Lucy, who was still looking at him sadly. He realized that his words might have touched on something from her past.
"Listen, Lucy, if everything goes well and we continue working together, I'll tell you more about myself," Alex said, trying to cheer her up.
Lucy met his gaze and saw that there was no sadness in his eyes. She realized that Alex was either handling his emotions very well or deeply hiding his pain. The recent outburst of anger she had seen from him suggested the latter. Lucy understood that Alex, like Rebecca, was someone who hid a lot behind his exterior.
"If Main accepts you, I don't mind working with you. It's never a bad thing to have someone with your strength," Lucy said with a smile, recalling how Alex had smashed the iron doors with a single strike.
Rebecca, listening to their conversation, nodded at Lucy's words, agreeing that Alex's strength would come in handy if they had work that required force.
"She's right! You smashed those doors so well that I thought you had some secret armor on your legs," Rebecca said, looking at Alex with curiosity.
Alex looked at them, not sure what to say. If he couldn't have broken such a weak door with his strength, it might be time to consider just ending everything with a piece of tofu.
"It's not that hard to repeat if you know how to do it," he said with a smile.
Rebecca and Lucy looked at him skeptically, as if saying, "Yeah, sure." If it were that easy, apartment break-ins would happen a lot more often. Although, given modern technology, maybe they just hadn't seen people who could kick down doors.
"What are you looking at? If you know where and how to hit, you can break any door," Alex said, slightly bewildered.
"Of course, especially if you just hit the center of the door," Lucy remarked sarcastically.
Alex looked at them as if they were right and he was not. So what if he could flatten a whole city with one blow; breaking a door wasn't that big of a deal.
"For example, Superman can destroy an entire city with his strength and not even break a sweat, and I just broke a door. What's the big deal?" Alex said, looking at the girls.
"Who's Superman?" Rebecca asked, hearing about some guy who could destroy a city.
"He's a guy who wears his underwear on the outside of his clothes and saves the world," Alex replied in a serious tone.
His serious tone about a hero in underwear made them burst into laughter.
"Why does he wear his underwear on the outside?" Lucy asked, trying not to laugh.
"Who knows? It's a comic book, and Superman himself probably isn't real," Alex shrugged.
Lucy pondered this mention of a comic book. She had encountered similar information when she was a NetRunner at the Arasaka complex. But all of that was left in the records of the old world.
"Where does he get this information from?" Lucy wondered, watching Alex closely.
"Maybe he did the same thing I did, just in a different way," she thought, observing Alex explain to Rebecca what comics are and who Superman is.
Lucy decided to keep a close eye on Alex to learn more about his past. Maybe they were indeed similar in some ways. She had been trained as a NetRunner, and he was likely trained as a weapon. Alex noticed that she was staring at him intently, as if she had met someone familiar.
"She's probably overthinking it again," Alex thought, glancing at Lucy.
He took out his phone and realized that they had already been delayed; it was time to head back. If he had gone alone, he would have returned a long time ago without worrying about anything.
"Alright, let's head back. I need to report to Main that I've completed the job, and then we'll go home," Alex said, calling the girls.
"He already knows you completed the job," Lucy said, following him.
Alex stopped and turned around to look at Lucy, raising an eyebrow, not understanding what she meant.
"When the payment was deposited into the account, it meant that you completed the job," Rebecca said, walking beside him.
"Hmm, true. I somehow didn't think of that," Alex mused, stroking his chin as he walked.
"You're so clueless," Rebecca added with a smirk, and Lucy nodded, confirming her words.
"Well, I guess I'm out of touch," Alex sighed, shrugging.
Everyone laughed at his words, as he did indeed seem like someone who had never dealt with modern technology. Nevertheless, Alex had another question that Lucy might clarify for him, but he wasn't sure how to phrase it.
Lucy noticed his peculiar look and initially thought there was something on her face. Carefully running her hand over her cheek, she realized there was nothing there. Alex seemed like he wanted to ask something but was hesitant.
"Is there something you want to ask?" Lucy finally inquired, noticing his hesitation.
"Yes, about getting work," Alex confirmed, feeling embarrassed.
Lucy understood why he had been silent for so long and patiently waited for him to continue. Rebecca, walking on the other side of Alex, also paid attention to their conversation and became interested.
"How else can you get jobs? I mean, in your field," Alex looked at Lucy, expecting her to explain.
Lucy paused for a moment, thinking Alex was just looking for another job.
"You can get jobs through fixers; they usually handle such matters," Rebecca unexpectedly joined the conversation.
Alex shifted his gaze to her, expecting further explanation. His face showed he wanted to learn more about "fixers."
"Fixers are intermediaries between mercenaries and clients. They match the right people with the assignments," Lucy explained, noticing his interest.
Alex nodded, roughly understanding who fixers were, but still had one question. How do you get in touch with them to find work?
"And how do you contact them if needed?" he asked, looking at Lucy again.
"Choom, you don't want to work with us?" Rebecca looked at him sharply, as if he had betrayed her.
"Becca, I'm just curious. What if a job comes up and I'm free?" Alex said, gently patting Rebecca on the head.
Rebecca felt his hand and initially wanted to push it away, but the pleasant warmth made her decide to leave it as it was. Alex quickly calmed her with his "legendary" patting, then turned his gaze back to Lucy, waiting for an answer.
Lucy watched with a hint of jealousy as Alex easily calmed Rebecca. She had noticed his attention to her at the bar, and this only confirmed her suspicions.
"Our team works with a fixer, but until you become a full-fledged mercenary, you won't be able to take on such jobs," she explained, meeting his gaze.
Alex sighed heavily, realizing that gaining orders required a reputation. And to earn that reputation, he needed to prove himself.
"Oh, it's not that simple," he muttered, rubbing his forehead.
"Why are you sighing?" Rebecca asked, noticing he had removed his hand from her head.
"I just realize that to get jobs, you need a reputation and skills," Alex replied with a crooked smile. "I have the skills, but I still need to make connections or find someone to introduce me to a fixer."
Lucy and Rebecca understood what he was talking about. When they joined the team themselves, they also had to prove their worth.
"Don't worry, your skills are more than enough for now. Not everyone can kick down an iron door," Lucy said with a smile, trying to encourage him.
"Exactly! And when you show how you handle weapons, Main might even give you a job," Rebecca added, winking.
"Oh, you're so wonderful, I might just cry," Alex said, pretending to have exaggerated emotions and wiping an imaginary tear.
The girls looked at Alex in surprise as he theatrically wiped his tears. He started laughing when he saw their bewildered faces. Hearing his laughter, they couldn't hold back and laughed too. As they continued walking, the group joked and exchanged stories.
Lucy decided to share a story about how Rebecca once lost her temper and attacked a guy who had provoked her. Alex gave a thumbs up in approval as he listened, looking at Rebecca. She smirked proudly in response and flashed a wide smile at Lucy, who was teasing her.
They kept walking until someone called out to them.
"Hey, beauties, want to have some fun?" a voice called from behind.
Turning around, Alex saw three Asian guys. One of them was covered in tattoos, resembling a yakuza. Alex recalled Main's warning that members of the "Tiger Claws" gang often hang out in this area, causing trouble.
"No. Now get lost before I put a hole in your stupid head," Rebecca snapped, glaring at them.
"Oh, no need to be so rude," one of the guys smirked, ignoring her threat. "Maybe you'll reconsider?"
Alex tensed up, his hand reaching for the revolver hidden behind his back, preparing for the worst. Rebecca glared at the provocateurs, on the edge of exploding and attacking.
"Are you fucking stupid or something? I told you: get lost!" Rebecca challenged, flipping them off.
Lucy watched the scene silently, waiting for the moment to act if the guys decided to attack. She noticed Alex's hand on his weapon and realized he was ready to act.
One of the guys frowned at Rebecca's harsh response. Alex noticed the situation heating up. To prevent a conflict, he decided that the best defense was a good offense. Switching into "Flying Spaghetti Monster cultist" mode, Alex prepared to distract the opponents with meaningless chatter and then strike.
"Friends, why so tense? It's such a lovely evening, such a wonderful place," Alex began in a soft, friendly tone, drawing attention to himself.
Lucy and Rebecca looked at him in surprise, not understanding why he suddenly spoke in such a strange voice. The gang members, also confused, stared at Alex, who seemed weak and unimpressive at first glance.
"Get out of here," one of the guys said lazily, glancing briefly at Alex and focusing back on Rebecca.
Alex chose his target and was ready to act.
"No need to be so rude," he continued with an unchanged friendly smile. "I'm an alleyway magician, my job is to cheer people up!"
His words made the gang members wary. Alex spoke so oddly that they seemed to be contemplating. His kind smile seemed out of place in the situation, which further confused them.
Lucy and Rebecca exchanged looks, unsure of what was happening, but they felt that Alex was up to something.
"Get ready to run," Alex whispered to the girls so that only they could hear.
They tensed up. Rebecca, who had been ready to draw her gun, suddenly calmed down and watched Alex's actions with interest. Lucy, though not entirely sure what was happening, decided to trust him and wait for his move.
"What is he planning?" both girls wondered as Alex, smiling, approached the gangsters, ready for an unexpected attack.
Alex approached the gang members with a wide, friendly smile, as if preparing to show them something they would never forget.
"Gentlemen, you've probably never seen real magic. Allow me to demonstrate a trick you'll remember forever," he said, slowly rolling up his sleeves.
The gangsters tensed and reached for their weapons as Alex approached. However, seeing that he had nothing in his hands, they slightly relaxed, but kept their hands on their weapons, expecting something strange.
Alex noticed their reaction, but his smile didn't fade. He had encountered people who immediately reached for their weapons before, and as usual, their confidence in the power of metal was misplaced.
"Gentlemen, pay attention. As you can see, there is nothing in my sleeves," Alex said, showing his empty hands with such ease that even the most skeptical gang members glanced at his sleeves.
"If you don't believe me, one of you can stand behind me to make sure I'm not hiding anything," he continued, showing his hands from both sides.
The leader, named Sawada, nodded to one of his henchmen.
"Hiroshi, check him," he ordered briefly.
Hiroshi walked around Alex and, looking at his hands from behind, nodded to his leader.
"Sawada, his hands are empty," he confirmed.
Alex waited until the gang members were convinced he was not hiding anything. After all, the essence of magic is always to surprise with the unexpected.
"Now watch closely," Alex said with a smile, stretching one hand out.
He made a grabbing motion, and a golden Vallis coin from the Danmachi world appeared in his hand. The gang members' eyes widened in surprise, as did Lucy and Rebecca's, who had not expected this. The coin gleamed, reflecting the light, clearly golden.
"But this is just the beginning," Alex teased, drawing their attention.
He pretended to throw the coin into his other hand, but it disappeared midway, and two coins appeared in his other hand.
"As you can see, now there are two coins. 'How is this possible?' you might ask. But that's the magic," Alex explained with a slight smirk, squeezing the hand with the coins.
The gangsters, who had initially not taken him seriously, now watched his movements with intense focus. Alex opened his fist and brought it to his mouth, blowing lightly, and when he opened his hand again, it was empty.
"But where did the coins go?" Alex dramatically spread his arms, then scratched his head, and three golden coins fell from his hair.
Rebecca watched Alex's tricks with genuine interest, completely forgetting the recent danger. Lucy, also captivated, followed each of his movements closely, forgetting everything he had said earlier.
"And now for the most interesting part. Try to guess what I have in my hand," Alex said, clenching his fist where the coins should have been.
Sawada, as the leader, thought this was too simple a question and not worth much thought.
"There are three golden coins," he confidently said, thinking the answer was obvious.
But that was the mistake—there was no obvious answer in Alex's magic.
Alex slowly opened his hand, revealing four golden coins. A sad expression appeared on his face, as if he was disappointed that Sawada hadn't guessed correctly.
"No, you were wrong. There are four," Alex said in a sad tone. "But don't worry, I'll give you another chance," his voice once again filled with cheer.
He shook his hand, and the coins disappeared. After a few dramatic gestures, Alex clenched his fist and looked at Sawada with a smirk.
"Now guess how many coins there are," he said, extending his hand toward the gang leader.
Sawada frowned, watching Alex's hand closely, then shifted his gaze to his comrades, thinking aloud:
"If I said three last time and it turned out to be four, then now it should be five," he said slowly.
His companions nodded, confirming his guess. Alex calmly watched, giving them time to discuss.
"Well, are you ready to give your answer?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
"Yes, it should be five," Sawada replied confidently.
A harmless smile appeared on Alex's face. Lucy and Rebecca held their breath, watching his hand, waiting for the conclusion. Time seemed to slow, the tension mounting.
"And it is..." Alex deliberately paused, savoring the attention.
He dragged out the moment even longer, enjoying how the gang members burned with curiosity.
"Incorrect," Alex suddenly declared, his smile widening. "Because in my hand... are your teeth," he added, his smile turning sinister.
Sawada stared blankly at Alex, not understanding what he meant.
"W-what?" he tried to ask, but didn't get the chance.
Alex, not wasting any time, suddenly punched him directly in the jaw. The blow was so precise and powerful that it knocked Sawada's teeth out. The gang leader fell to the ground, his knocked-out teeth and a pool of blood beside him.
His companions froze in shock, staring at the fallen Sawada. Rebecca and Lucy, who had been watching, looked at Alex with astonishment. His friendly tone and smile had shifted to something more menacing, which unsettled them.
"You fucking bastard!" Hiroshi, who had been standing behind, shouted, grabbing his gun.
Alex slowly turned to him, his face still sporting a crazy grin, which visibly frightened Hiroshi.
"No. THIS IS SPARTA!" Alex shouted and kicked Hiroshi in the chest with force, sending him crashing into the wall.
The remaining third gang member, who had stayed unnamed throughout, reached for his katana, intending to attack. But Alex, noticing his movement, decided to use an old trick.
"Look, an UFO!" he shouted loudly, pointing behind the opponent.
The third gangster, driven by instinct, turned his head to look at the sky. Lucy and Rebecca also glanced briefly at where Alex was pointing but saw nothing.
"UFOs don't exist, idiot!" Alex laughed and kicked the gangster in the back, sending him headfirst into the wall.
The third gang member lost consciousness from the head blow, and Alex realized their scuffle might attract unwanted attention. It was time to leave. Without wasting any more time, Alex deftly picked up Rebecca, carrying her on his back, and lifted Lucy in his arms like a princess, running away.
"SAYONARA!" Alex shouted, running into the dark alley with maniacal laughter.
The girls were bewildered by what had happened, but Rebecca quickly regained her composure and burst into infectious laughter, joining Alex's wild laughter as he carried them. Lucy, looking at his face illuminated by a wide grin and hearing his crazy laughter, thought he was a bit odd.
"Well, since he helped us, he can't be all that bad," she thought, and a soft smile appeared on her face.
Alex ran through the narrow alleys, not slowing down. He only stopped when he reached the bar where Main and Gloria were waiting. He set Lucy down on the ground and smiled at her.
"So, that was fun, right?" Alex asked, with a mischievous squint.
"Fun, but kind of strange," Lucy agreed, meeting his gaze.
They laughed again, recalling the absurdity of the situation. Alex, realizing Rebecca was still clinging to him like a koala, gave her a gentle poke.
"Come on, Becca, we're here," he said, trying to shake her off.
"I'm comfortable here," she murmured, settling her head on his shoulder.
Alex paused for a moment, not sure what to say. It wasn't like it bothered him much—he didn't mind, so he allowed her to stay in that position.
"How did you even get those coins out of thin air?" Lucy asked suddenly, looking at him with curiosity.
"Mages don't reveal their secrets," Alex said, trying to look mysterious.
"Oh, sure, whatever you say," Lucy smirked, narrowing her eyes.
Rebecca, still clinging to Alex, peeked over his shoulder, studying his face, which he was clearly trying to make as enigmatic as possible.
"And what else can you pull out of thin air?" she asked with a sly squint.
Alex paused for a moment, then reached towards her ear and made a grabbing motion. Instantly, a candy appeared in his palm, which he handed to Rebecca.
"Are you satisfied now?" he asked, peeling the candy and carefully placing it in Rebecca's mouth.
"No, I'll be satisfied only if you give me another one," she said, savoring the sweetness.
Alex barely suppressed a grimace—this "gremlin" was demanding more, even though he had very few candies left. Deciding not to argue, he headed towards the bar, ready to tell the others how he handled the situation.
To be continued...